Y<'r. 18.-Tl,e acknowledgment that suffering is deserved. I. THE cr,EAn nECOGNITION ON THE PART OF THOSE VISITED THAT THE SUFFERIN'G WAS OF JEIIOVAH'B BRINGING, S<'condary cau~es were prominent, but behind them was I\ Divine CI\UBe most important to be percei\·ed in all the intensity of its working. Those who dcsoll\ted Jerusalem did so from the worst of motives, motives always to be condemned; and these motives, keenly inspiring as they were, would have ended in nothing save for the weakness in which Israel had been left by its apostasy from God. When we are suffering for our sin and folly it is good if we can recognize that the suffering is of God's producing. Because that which God produces God Cl\n remove in the hour of repentance, Where11,s what man produces be may not be able to put right again, even when he is so disposed. 11. A REASON IS GI,EN FOR DECLARING JEHOVAH RIGHTEOUS. He has done righteously to those who have rebelled against bis commandments. God has made us so that we can distinguish between the right and the wrong. We need ever to be on our guard against saying that & thing is right because God does it. What is admitted here is that it is & right thing for God to inflict chastisement on the disobedient. 'fbe greater the disobedience the severer must be the chastisement. The commandment of God was always a right thing in itself; and the prophets had again and again illustrated the righteousness of particular commandments and the evident miseries that flowed from neglecting them. Recollect that this great blow upon Israel came after many lesser ones. It was not as if Israel could plead that the commandments were dubious or the warnings ecanty. ill. It must not be forgotten that JEHOVAH 1S RIGHTEOUSNESS IS EQUALLY SHOWN IN HIS TREATME1''T OF THE OBEDIENT. It is of the greatest importance to recollect this, because unfortunately the disobedient are more noticeable than the obedient, and the treatment of the disobedient, by consequence, more noticeable than the treatment of the obedient. The spirit of our life determines, by a most fixed law, the way in which God will treat ns. It is perfectly impossible for the disobedient to escape suffering. But it is equally impossible for the obedient to lose their reward. Joy and blessednes8, the exquisite peace and rapture of holiness, must come to them by the very nature of things.-Y.
Ver. 21.-A wicked gl,adness. I. THE WRONG FEELING WITH REGAllD TO BUFFERING FOB SIN. People are here represented as rejoicing over the sufferings of others. Not that they take delight in suffering as suffering, but those who suffered were their enemies. Those now suffering had once inflicted suffering on others. They had \been & source of danger, provoking jealousy, and producing humiliation. Hence, when Israel fell into all this solitude and misery, other peoples not only failed to pity, but even posi- tively rejoiced. This was just what might be expected, and even if some of the heathen nations said," Thie serves Israel right for neglecting Jehovah," it was certainly nothing more than the simple truth. The wrong thing was the exultant feeling, the gladness of heart over all this suffe1-ing. There is no fear but what we shall sympathize with the suf- ferinu of the innocent, the pain coming from some accident or dise:i.se; but when it is an evil-doer who suffers, then we are only too easily betrayed into language expressing glad- ness of heart. And we should never be glad with respect to any suffering whatever. Let it be remembered, too, that gladness is only one out of several possible wrong attitudes with re~pect to suffering. If while others are suffering for their sins we allow ourselves to get into any of these wrong attitades with respect to them, then our unchristian state of mind may prove a very serious obstacle in the way of their repentance and amend- ment. The censuring, lecturing spirit must be guarded against, and also the spirit that looks down as from a position of superior goodness. We must restore others in a spirit of meekness, considering ourselves, lest we also be tempted. II. THE RIGHT FEELING WITH REGARD To SUFFERING FOR BIN, The absence of the wrong feeling can only be secured by the presence of the right one. If selfish gladness, the gladness springing from envy and jealousy, is to be kept out, it must be by con- stantly cultivating pity for all suffering. Pity is to be the very first feeling with which e.11 suffering is contemplated. Pity must, indeed, be well under control, and never allowed to opeu the way for a greater suffering by taking away a lesser .o~e, b~t it must _a~"'.a}B be the prevailing feeling. Then also we must take care to reJ01ce with t~e reJo~cing. It increases the hAppiness of others to know that we are glad because ofthe1r happmess OJJ, II, 1-22,] 'l'HE LAMENTA'l'IONS OF ,JEREMIAH. 17
Our work ae Christie.ns ie only part done in removing the evil; our tho11;_;11t~ aro to bo chiefly fixed on producing e.nd CHtahlishing the goo<l with all itR fruits 80 pleasant to tho spiritual eye, 80 pleasant to the taste of the inner man. The enemies of lsmel saw Israel fallen, and rejoiced that Jehovah had done this. When we see the fallen lil'terl up and walking along in the strength c,f Christ, let us rejoice exceedingly because of what the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has done. It is worth all our efforts to keep out of our hearts mean satisfaction because of the disappointments and confusion of others,-Y.