Ver. 14,-The Bhare of the prophet8in ruining Ji<ru8alem. I. WHAT THE PROPHET OUGHT TO BE. The prophet of those times was a man bound to say things havin~ depth and substance in them. And though the prophet has ceased, so far as formal office is concerned, yet there are sWl Divine things to be seen, and, when seen, epoken about by those qualified to speak. There are the deep things of God tn be penetrated and explored by those willing to receive the insight. The Holy Spirit of God, offered so abundantly through Christ, is a Spirit of prophecy to all who have it. They need no formal prophet, inasmuch as they have a word, living and piercing, to all who take a right relation towards it. God means us to be occupied with serious, sub- stantial matters, so large and deep and fruitful that we shall never outgrow our interest in them. The heart of man in its meditating power was made for great themes. The heart can never be filled with mere trifles. That is good advice given to preachers of the gospel to speak most on the greatest themes, such as are set forth again and again in the Scriptures, and, whether these things be preached about or not, every individual Christian should think about them. For while we cannot secure the topics of preachers, the topics of our own thoughts depend upon ourselves. It is just those who concern themselves a great deal about dogmas who are also most interested in the details of life and conduct. II. WHAT THE PROPHET MAY BINK TO BE. These prophets felt bound to magnify their office and say something. They ought to have spoken the truth ; but for this they lacked inclination and perhaps courage. The next best thing would have been to remain silent; but then where would the prophet-reputation have been? and, more serious question still with some, what would have become of the prophet-emoluments? Hence we have here the double iniquity that the false was spoken and the true con- cealed. The prophets could only get credit for their falsehoods by a careful con• cealment of the truth. They had, as it were, to paste on truth a conspicuous label, proclaiming far and wide, "This is a lie." This verse suggests how they bad the common experience of one lie leading on to another. The true prophet said that the burden Israel had to bear and the exile into which it had to go arose from its iniquities. Whereas the false, or rather the unfaithful prophet, having set iniquity as the cause of trouble altogether on one side, could only go on inventing explanations which explained nothing. Ezek. xiii. is a chapter which may very profitably be read in connection with this verse. The great lesson is to search for truth no matter with what toil, and keep it no matter at what cost.-Y.
Ver. 22.-The completeness of Jehovah's visitation. I. THE CO:lil'..UUSON BY WHICH THIS IS BET FORTH. "Thou hast called as in a solemn day." At certain periods there were vast commanded gatherings of the people to Jerusalem. They came from far and wide and from all parts of the compass, and so, as they converged upon Jerusalem, they might be justly said to encircle it. And encircling it, they did so with a definite purpose. They were as far as possible from being a mere promiscuous crowd, in which each one could come and go at his own sweet will At the centre of the circle stood Jehovah, giving the commandment to each which brought them all together. And we may infer from the use of the comparison here that the commandment must have been generally complied with. It was, indeed, a commandment not very hard to obey, requiring as it did mere outwardness of obedience. People living in quiet country places would be glad of the reason for occasional visits to Jerusalem. Well would it have been if the people had tried to carry their obedience a little further I if, when the solemn as= blies had gathered together, there had been in them the right spirit! A gathering of bodies is not so hard, but a gathering of hearts in complete union and sympathy, perfectly responsive to the will of God, who shall secure that? II. THE ABBElllBLY OF TERRORS AT GoD's COMMAND. God called together the people, and they ea.me; but when they came, instead of attending to God's will, they pursued their own. But now God is represented as calling together all the agents that cau inflict pail! upon man and cause him terror; and they come with one consent, folding Israel round with an environment which cannot be escaped. There is no ultimate escape for THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMlAH. [oH. m. 1-66.
the selfish, sinful man. He may get the evil day put off; he may find gate after crato opening, as he thinks, to let him away from trouble and pain ; but in truth he is ~nly going deeper an<l deeper into tbe corner where he will be completely shut up. God can surround us with providences and protections if we are willing to trust him. No other power can surround us with causes of terror. Our own hearts may ima~ine a menacing circle, but it only exists in imagination. If we seek the Lord he will hee.r us and deliver us from all our fears (Ps. xx1:iv. 4). But no one can deliver us from God's just wrath with all who are unrighteous. That God who bree.ks the circle with which his enemies seek to enclose his friends, &I.so makes a circle in which those enemies must themselves be effectually enclosed.-Y.