The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 37

II. THE IlECOLLEOTION OF A HAPPY PAST 18 PilOFITAllLE, 1. God remembers the pa<t. Not like tho sour censor who remP-mbcrs only our past faults, but rather like the ki,,<l parent who delights to call to mind the goodness of his cliildreu's early days, Go,\ makes no mention of the sins of the wilderness life, but dwells graciously on its happy features. God remembers our past for our good: (1) as a link of affection after subse- quent sin has driven us from him ; (2) as e.n ideal to which he would bring us back ; and (3)-still for our good-as a standard by which to measure our present condition, and a just ground for wholesome chastisement. 2. We are to recollect 011,r happy past. Israel is reminded of his early days. H w0 have" lost our first love," 1t is 'M-.11 ~!:!at we should know this: (1) that we may see how far we have fallen, and repent (ltev·. ii. 4, 5); (2) that the recollection of the blessedness of eariy devotion may revive the longing for its return; (3) that the consciousness that this was once attained may encourage us to believe that it is a possibility, and therefore may be attained again, Jn conclusion, note: 1. It is foolish simply to regret the happy past. The use of memorv is not to give to us prolltless melancholy, but to lead us actively to do better for the future. ll, It is a mistake for us to seek simply to regain the lost past, because (1) this is gone irrevocably, (2) the new age requires new forms of life, and (3) we should seek better things in the future, The second Adam is better than the first Adam before the fall. The 'kingdom of heaven is more glolious than the garden of Eden, The ripe Christian is higher in the spiritual life, though he may have fallen in the past, than the innocent child who has never known evil but has not experienced the discipline of life. Vers. 5_;_1,-The ingratitude of sin. Of the many aspects under which sin may be viewed none is more sad than that of ingratitude to God. Every act of sin is a distinct net of ingratitude; for every such act is an offence against him who has shown to us nothing but lo\'e, and from whom we are taking innumerable favours in the very momeut of our transgression. I. THE INGRATITUDE OF BIN IS SEEN IN THE FORGETFULNESS OF Goo's SAVING MERCY. So the Israelites forget the glorious deliverance from Egypt, and preservation amidst the horrors of the wilderness (ver. 6). God is resorted to in distress only to be ignored, forsaken, insulted, directly rebelled against, when he has effected a deliverance. II. TnE INGRATITUDE OF SIN IB SEEN IN THE IGNORING OF THE PilESENT GOODNESS OF Goo. (Ver. 7.) 'l'he Israelites were eating the fruit of the good land which God had given to them while they wore rebelling against him, This is even worse than in- gratitude for past blessings. Such ingratitude might attempt to plead the excuse of failure of memory; but ingratitude -for present mercies can only arise from gross ·spiritual blindness or wilful dis~egard of all claims-of justice and affection. !II. 'JHE INGRATITUDE OF SIN IS SEEN IN TIIE FALSE CHARACTER WHICH IS ASCRIDED TO Goo. God asks, "What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me?" The conduct of the Jews was a direct indictment of the character of God. 'rhey deliberately insulted him, and rejected him for heathen deities. Such conduct could only be justified by the discovery that he was not what he claimed to be. .After God has revealed himself to men in myriadfold evidences of goodness, there are some who hold, if they do not confess to, such evil conceptions of his character as amount to the basest calumnies of heartless ingratitude. IV. '].'HE INGilATITUDE OF SIN IS BEEN IN THE CHARACTER OF TUE GODS WHO ARE PREFERilED TO JEHOVAH- 'fhese are "false" gods. Jews who knew that con\'ertcd religious worship into an unreality, and thus became themselves hollow nod unreal. For this miserable result did they forsake the God of heaven and earth, their Saviour nod constant Benefactor I If they had found a rivnl with some pretensions to worth the insult would have been less. Herein is tho grossness of the insult to God seen in all sin. What do men prefer to him? Transient pleasures, earthly dross. 'l'he pearl of great price is flung away, not for a smaller pearl, but for dust and ashes. V. 'l'HE lNGilATITUDE OF SIN IS SEEN IN THI!: ABUSE AND CORRUPTION 01' Goo's GIFTS, God gave the Israelites" garden-land," and they defiled it; they mado God's herila_qe an abomination. When we sin we do so by employing the very powers which Gud has bestowed upon us. \Ve insult him by turnin'.( his own gifts into weapo1.,s .,f rebellion. Wo blnsphem0 him with the tongue which he has made. ,10 THE BOOK OF 'l'IIE PROPHET JEREMIAH, [err. IL 1-37.