Ver. 57.-" Fear not I" The recollection of how God hu forbidden one not to fear in the past is a plea in praying that he will remove the ground of fear in the present. I. WE MUCH NEED Drvnrn ENOOCJRAGEMENTS TO OVERCOME FEAR. 1. In real danger. It. is not only the coward who fears. Indifference often gets the credit of courage. Many fear not simply because they are blind. To see would be to tremble. For the grrat powers of the universe, "the terror by night a.nd the arrow that flieth by day," and the spiritual temptations that threaten our souls, are too strong for us. . 2. In the threatening asput of the future. Heavy clouds will gather to windward. Storms a.re plainly brewing out at sea.. Whether they will burst over our heads or not we cannot say. But the very uncertainty adds to the terror; for fear feeds on vague alarms and may be conquered when the worst is known. 3. In the mystery of life. Even when we see no threatening danger the awful unknown is peopled to our imagination with strange horrors. 4. In the fears of other.s. Nothing is so contagious as fear. Hence the madness of panics. It is hard to be brave among the tfmorous .. 5. In hours.of weak-11ess. When we a.re weary courage flags. We can be brave at noon, but midnight awakens fear. Guilt is full of alarm. II. WE RAVE MA.NY Drvn."'E ENOOUBAGEMENTS TO OVERCOME FEAR. 1. In dir~ctly urging us not to fear. He has said," Fear not!" He will not mock with empty w.ords. 2. Iapromisesof help. The Scriptures teem with words of grace for.troubled souls, as when they a.re bidden to cast their burden upon God because he will sustain them, to call upon him in the day of trouble and he will hear them, etc. By the veracity and honour of God we have enough assurance in any one of these promises to dispel fear. 3. In the fatherly character of God. If we had no instruction not to fear and no promise of help, we might still .know enough of God to rest confident that all mµst be well when we a.re in his hands. The child fears nothing when,nestling on. its ,mother's bosom. Who shall fear that leans upon the bosom of God? 4. In ourpertJorial rela- tions with God. Let it be noted that everybody under all circnmsta.nces is not to be urged to cast fears to the wind. The guilty should fear. The impenitent have no excuse for abandoning fear. They who are at enmity with God should dwell in great trembling. It is when reconciled through Christ, forgiven and restored to our home, that as redeemed souls we can shake off fear. III. DIVINE ASSURANCES AGAINST FEAR SHOULD INSPIBE OUR PRAYERS FOR HELP IN DAXGER. We are to remember how God bas bidden us not to fear. Here is a grand source of confidence when we cry for help. For it is the very Word of God that has led us to stand facing the storm. His action must be true to his Word. Nevertheless, we do need to pray for help in danger. God's promises are conditional. When he dissuades us from fear it is on the understanding that we seek refuge beneath the covert of his wings. To the storm-tossed soul he says, "Fear not!" but he expects that soul to welcome him as its Pilot. Then the storm will be weathered. God's assurance of safety is for those who turn to his protection. It is those who are "in Christ Jesus" for whom there is no condemnation, and who therefore need fear nothing..
Vers. 59~6.-The great appeal.. We can see the advantage to justice of appealing from a lower to a higher court. Sol)letimes the process has to be repeated and the case tried again and again until the best attainable verdict is got from the very highest trib=al. In the East. where justice was commonly neglected by indolence, outraged by violence, or prostituted by bribery, men felt strongly the value of an appeal. To the believer in the supreme Ju<lgl! it was a great satisfaction that he cuulJ turn from the ieorrupt and venal oourts of human judk:ature to the high court of Heaven. It may OH, III, 1-66.] THE LAMEN'l'ATIONS OF JEREMIAH. 47
often be e. relief to make this appeal For absolute justice between man and man is rarely obtained. Three things are wanted to make the result sa.tisfactory-clear evidence, e. just verdict, and a firm execution of the sentence. I. CLEAR EVIDENCE. It is difficult to make one's condition rightly apprehended by men, Frequently there are facts that cannot be explained, or the whole transa.ction stands on a different ground from wha.t people imagine, or its features are warped by the atmosphere of prejudice through which it is regarded. But God sees clearly and knows all. "Thou God seest me" is the comforting reflection of the vexed sou I. "Thou hast seen my wrong," "Thou hast seen all,'' is the first consolation. But for this assurance to give comfort it is neces8ary that our cause should be just. God sees truly both the merit ancl the fault. It is useless to appeal to God with a bad cas~ There is no deceiving him. Let us sec that our cause is always one which we can refer to the thorough investigation of the all-seeing God. II. A JUST VERDICT. The evidence may be clear, yet the decision may be unjust if the judge is partial or corrupt. It is the comfort of one who makes, the highest appeal that God not only knows all, but will decide righteously. "Judge thou my cause,'' says the troubled soul. God will judge all causes at the great tribunal of the judgment-day. Injustice can only live till then. Should not the oppressed bear his brief wrongs with calmness when he knows that they will soon be righted? It is interesting to see that "the day of the Eternal,'' which the Jews anticipated as the "reat judgment-day, was not regarded by them with terror, as it is often regarded by Chris,tians. This fact may be, perhaps, partially due to a duller sense of personal sin. But surely it is chiefly owing to the grand Hebrew love of righteousness. We see strange mysteries of inequality and injustice that a.re at times perfectly bewildering. The judgment of Heaven will set all right. And even now God may do much for his children by his providence. III. A FIRM EXECUTION. The sufferer prays that God will "render unto them a rm:ompense." A Christian spirit should deliver us from the thirst for vengeance that was too pronounced even in the most devout Hebrew. But we must beware of a weak quasi-humanitarianism that would sacrifice justice and wholesome retribution to a. one- sided gentleness. 1. It is necessary that justice should be done in action as well as that a just sentence should be pronounced in word. 2. It is for the good of all con- cerned-the victim, the public, and even the wrong-doer, that guilt should be chastised. 3. It is well to transfer vengeful feelings which we cannot utterly destroy into a passive resignation of our case to God. We are not to avenge ourselves, if only because God has said," Vengeance is mine; I will repay."