Ver. 10.-Remaineet; bolter, art enlhrO'Tlerl. invnsion, and r0Jo1c,rng in tlio sense of thri Ver. 2O.-Wherefore dost thou forget us, favour of Jehovah." The fir.1t petitinn ha.s eto. ? The poot does not say, " Wherefore tho priority beccrnso only on repentance anrl hnet thou forgotten us?" One of the recovered purity of heart and life can psnlmists, indeed, docs go so fnr (Pe. lxxiv. Jerusale.m rise from her Rshes. Isaiah had I); but the poet of this Jnmentation, with said this long ago ( i. 26. 27), and the elegiac a moro tender and trustful rP-sorve, adopts poet repents it (comp ..Jer. xxxi. 18). tho tense of feeling (tho imporfoct) in pre- Ver. 22.-But; rathnr, unless. The pnet forenco to thnt of fact (I.ho perfect), nm! wishes to suggest that the idea seems to him asks, " Wherefore dost thou [to my feeling] inconsistent with the covenant relationship forgot us? Wherefore, if Jehovah's power of Jehovah towarcls Israel. May we not is still unbroken, does ho allow Israel to compare a striking passage in loaiah which frcl herself fors11l{en?" Tho fact is certain, should probably be rendered thus : "A wife viz. th11t tho land of Israel is desolate, and of one'd youth, can shii be rejected? saith thy (the poet seems to imply) desol11te for some God" (Isa. liv. 6)? Both passages express, timo already. 'l'ho interprcto.tion is hypo- in a most delicate ,my, the increrlulity of thetic11l, and, 11a tho ladt, verse will show, the writers with regard to the absolute re- the poet cannot bring himself to believe that jection of Israel. Aud thus thia melancholy it can be accumtc. Book of Lamentations concludes with a hope, Ver. 21.-Turn thou us, etc. Not "bring "faint, yet pursuing," of the final realiza- us back to thee," i.e. to tho sacred land. (as tion of the promise~ to Isro.el. The inter- Thenius), for it is not a speech of the exiles, pretation adopted admits of no reasonable but or the Jews left behind, at least for the doubt, in spite of the fact that ancient present, in J udrea. " Turn thou us " means doctors of the synagogue thought otherwise "Bring us into a state of reconciliation with when they established the custom of repeat- thee." The next petition, Renew our days as ing ver. 21 after ver. 22 had been read, in of old, means," Restore the old happy mode order to soften the supposed gloomy impre~- of life, e11ch man with his own vine and his sion of ver. 22. own fig tree, undisturbed by the fear of
HOMILETICS. Ver.1.-Aprayer of distress. I. IT IS OFFERED TO GoD. The whole of this last elegy is in the form of a prayer. Other laments are interspersed with cries to Heaven. '!'his poem is one continuous address to God. We see here true wisdom; for mere complaining is useless. 'l'o wail to the winds is foolish and vain.. To make our troubles known to our follow-men often avails little, for we may only weary them instead of eliciting their pity, or, if we dlJ succeed in gaining commiseration, that may be of little real use to us. But God is the great Comforter. His ear is ever open to the cry of his distressed children. His heart is always tender to feel compassion for their woes. His hand is strong and willing to work substantial deeds of helpfulness. II. IT DESCRIBES THE MOURNFUL CONDITION OF THE SUPPUA.NT. The poet refers to "what has come upon us" and "our reproach." Subsequent verses describe the miserable condition of the Jews in more detail. It is much that we can unbosom our souls before God. 'l'he mere relief of confiding in him is a comfort. Moreover, if we desire his help we must make this confidence. Reserve on our part necessitates apparent indifference on his part. We need not fear of wearying him with our plainra. Indeed, if we were more open-hearted in confiding our troubles to God we should come to have fewer troubles to concern ourselves with. III. IT ASKS FOR DIVINE NOTICE. 1. "Remember." It seems as though God must have forgotten and deserted his children when he has permitted them to fall into grievous distresses. 2. "Consider." We need God's thought for us. Our case is such that the wisdom of God as well as his grace is necessary for our salvation. The great work of Christ is a proof of Divine thought, study, consideration. 3. "Behold." Here is a nearer attention. God is not only asked to remember and think of our case, but to inspect it himself. And when he looks he heals. When once we are assured that God remembers, considers, and beholds our trouble, we can leave it with him, well knowing that he will not mock our cries by listening without answering.
Ver. 2.-The lost inheritance. I. THE EARTHLY INRERITANCl!:OF lsRAEL WAS TURNED TO STRANGERS. Cannan, the laud promised to Abraham and his seed, was always WVENT.ATIONS. G B2 THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAH. [err. v. 1-22.