raUonal brutos, for "man is a religious animal." 2. Thi9 is intensified. by the ex- perience of life.. Thirst is increased by a heated atmosphere, hard work, disease, and special agents, e.g. salt water; so spiritual thirst is deepened by the heat and burd.cn of life, by its toil and battle, by tho fever of passion and the weariness of sorrow, by the pbison of .sin and the disappointment of delusive promises of satisfaction. How pathetic is this picture I If the Ii ving water is forsaken, cisterns-even poor, broken cisterns; with scant supply of foul water, are resorted to, for in some way the burning thirst of the soul must be quenched. II. THEY wao. FORSAKE GoD INJURE THEIR OWN SOULS. Hit.herto the prophet bas spoken of the guilt of unfaithfulness. He now speaks of the loss this entails. It is right that we should first think of the simple sinfulness of our sin, for this is its most important feature. But it is profitable to consider also the folly of it, and the misery that it must bring upon us. This is not to be all relegated to the world of future punishments. It is to be felt now, and would be felt keenly if men were not blind to their own condition. As godliness has the promise of the life which now is as well as of that which is to come, so ungodliness brings present loss. This must not be looked for in the direction of material profit and loss, of bodily pain and pleasure, towards which the Jew was too much inclined to turn bis attention. It is inward and spiritual, yet it is not the· less real; For the spirit is the self. When the noise of the world is stilled, in silent watches of the night, in lonely hours of reflection, does.not the poor homeless soul feel some sense of unrest, some vague thirst which no;pleasure or possession has yet satisfied ? . .. III. TBE UfJURY ARISING FBOM FORSAKING Gon IS FOUND FIRST IN THE VERY LOSS oF GoD. . God is more to us than ~ll ·his gifts. The greatest loss of the prodigal son is not the food which he craves for in the land of famine, but tho father whom be ha.s forsaken. God is the chief source of the soul's refreshment. Men talk of the duty of. religion. They should consider. its blessings, and learn to seek God as they seek their bread and water-the first necessaries of life. God is a Fountain of living water: 1. His refreshing grace is ever flowing, and in great abundance, not limited ir1 quantity as that of the largest· cistern may be so that there is enough for all, and it may be.had nt all times. 2. It is fresh, like the_ mountain stream bubbling forth cool from the rock, not like th,e stale waters of. the cistern. "He giveth more grace" (Jas. iv. 6), and" grace for grace,, (John i. 16). The Christian does not have to go back to the grace of God in past ages. '!'here is a fresh stream now flowing, and prayer opens to 1111 fresh supplies of the love. and help of God. 3. It is wholesome and in- vigorating, unlike the. earthy waters of the cistern. How foolish, then, to turn aside from such a. supply for anything! We need no }Jetter. IV. TIIE INJURY ARISING FROM FORSAKING Gon IS INTENSIFIED BY TBE UNSATIS- FACTORY NATURE OF TllE SUDSTITUTES lllEN •TURN TO. 1. These are self-mode. God makes the fresh spring, man makes the cistern. Can our work cciual God's? 2. They are limited fa supply-reservQirs, not flowing streams. 3. They are often impul'e ; the cistern soon gets impregna.ted with unwholesome matter. 4. 'l'hey are imperfect ef the-ir kitnd. 'l'he cisterns are broken; what little unwholesome water they have leaks away. All these characteristics apply to the waters men turn to in preference to God -e.g. human r~ligion, philosophy, public occupation, social distraction, pleasure; these nil fail to sle.ke the soul's thirst. "Cor nostrum inquietum est donec reciuiescat in te." Ver. 19.-Sin self-corrected. I. SIN BBINGB rrs OWN 0BAS'l'IBEMEN'r. 1. Sin reveals its evil character as it comes into existence, and is no sooner completed than it is regarded by its parent with disgust. The wicked action which looks attractive in desire is repulsive t9 reflect upon. 'l'he very sight and thought and memory of sin are bitter. The b\lrden of guilt, the shame of an evi-l memory, the sin itself is thus its own chastisement. 2. Sin naturally produces its punishment. The penalty of siu is not arbitrarily adjudicated nor is it inflicted ab t¼Ctra. It is the natural fruit of sin, It is reaping what we have sown (Gal. vi. 7, 8). This fruit the ~uilty man must cat as bis bread of sorrows (Prov. i. 31). Thus intempero.nce naturally breeds disease, mental degradation, poverty, ancl dishonour. Greedy selfishness brings upon a mau dislike and provokes retaliat.ion. Unfaithfulness to God deprives us of the communion of his 32 THE DOOK OF THE .PROPHET JEREMIAH. [en. 11. 1-37.
Spirit and the protection of his providence. We have to wait for no formal sentence, no executioner. The law within us carries its own sentence, and Is its own executioner, and even as we do wrong we begin to bring upon ourselves the penalty of our conduct. II. 'l'HE CHASTISEMEXT OF SIN IS TO REPROVE AND CORREeT. 'l'he headache of the morning is a warning to the drunkard not to l'epeat the debauch of the nitrht. 1, Chastisement corrects by bringing us to our right mind. It sobers a man, ~nd thu• helps him to look at his life in a true light. 2. Chastisement corrects by revealing the true character of sin. Its charms are all torn off, and the hideous monster is revealed in its naturally hateful shape. Then we see that all sin involves our forsaking God, and is due to the loss of respect for his will-the loss of the '' fear of God" according to the Old Testament view, the loss of love to God according to the Christian view. Ill. IT IS NOT WELL TO WAIT FOIi THE CORRECTIVE INFLUENOE OP OHASTIBl!:MENT nEFORE REPENTING OP SIN, 1. The chastisement may be a terrible experience from whi::h we would fain shrink if we knew the nature of it. 2, Sin is evil in itself, and the sooner we stay our hand from it the better for ourselves, for the world, and for the honour of God. It is better not to fall than to fall and be restored. a. God has pro- vided a higher means than chastisement for delivering us from sin. This is an exercise 0f bis goodness t-o lead us to repentance (Rom. ii. 4). The gospel shows us how Christ can save us from our sins by drawing us to himself and constraining us by his love to walk in his footsteps of holiness.