HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-14.-.A sweet remembrance embittered; or Divine delight tnrned by his people's ingratitude into Di vine distress. I. Goo GREATLY DELIGHTS IN HIS PEOPLE'S LOVE. See the similitude he employs: "the love of thine espousals." It is difficult for us to recall any period in the history of Israel when such high praise as this was merited by them. For it is of their lovo to God rather than of'his to them-though there was never any doubt about tbat- thnt the prophet is here speaking. But when was Israel's love at all of such devoted and intense order as to deserve to be thus spoken of? It is dillicult to say. And he that knows his own heart will be slow to credit himself with any such ardent affection as is ,spoken of here. 'l'he explanation of such language is found in that joyous appre- ciation by God of all movements of our hearts towards him which leads him to speak of our poor offerings as if they were altogether worthy and good. Cf. "Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst," etc.? (Matt. xxv. 44); also our Lord's estimate of the widow's two mites; the cup of cold water given in his Name, etc. Still, whilst the believer is compelled to confess that his Lord's loving estimate of his poor service and affection is an exaggerated one, it is one which is nevertheless founded upon a very blessed fact. There is such a thing as the child of God's "first love," when our delight JEREMIAH. D 3-! 'l'HE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. L<m. 11. 1-37.
in God w11s intense, real, abiding; when prayer and service were prompt and frequent and deli&htful. ~hen we were content to lcavo the world, and to go out into the dreary wilderness 1f but our God led the way. Then there was not, as now there too often is, a wide separation between our religious and our common life ; but, as ver. 3 tells, we ourselves and all we had were counted as holy unto the Lord. We sought that in whatsoever we did we might do all unto the glory of God. Now, such service is a delight to tho heart of God. Wo are shown, therefore, that we can add to or diminish the joy of God. Such power have we. .And tho Divine appreciation of.such ser,ice is shown by his anger towards those that in anywise hurt his servants. •i All that demur him," etc. (ver. 3). '!'he Book of the Revelation is one Iona0 and awful, declaration of how the Lord God will avenge his saints. •. II. BuT THIS DIVIl\E DELIGHT HAS BECOME DIVINE DISTRESS. The remembrance has become bitter. The cause of this change is by reason of his people having forsaken lnm._ As is the joy of God, at m1:n's hearts yielding to him, so is his grief at iheir unfa1thful?ess. The heart of G,o<i 1s no fig,nre of speech, but a reality. , It rejoices in our love, 1t mourns over our sm. And this all the more because of the aggravation attending such forsaking him. For: 1. It 1'.s in vio1,ation of solemn 'I/OW~ and pledges of.fidelity which we have given him. The yielding of the soul up to God is likene4, unto the espousal of the soul to God. .At the time we made our surrender we joy- fully confessed, "Thy vows are npon me, 0 God: 0 my soul, thou ha.st said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord." Now, to go back from God is to violate all these sacred vo1vs. 2. And whatever departures from God have taken place, th~y-have been without any provocation whatsoever. Ver. 5, "What iniquity have your fathers found in me?" etc. Has lie been hard with us, or impatient, or unready to answer prayer, or faithless to his promise? Can any who have forsaken God charge him so? 3. ¥d such: forsaking of God has been an act of base and shameful ingratitude ( cf. ver .. 6); Go4 had brought Israel up out of the laud of Egypt, etc. And he had brought them into a plentiful country, but they had polluted it, etc. (ver. 7). .All men· are under a vast debt of gratitude to God, even the heathen-so St. Paul teaches us-who never heard his Name. But how much more vast is the debt of those who have "tasted that the Lord is gracious," and known his redeeming love, and who yet" turn back and walk no more with him "! 4. Such departures from God are characterized by most unheard-of and monstrous foolishness. The prophet in contemplating it (ver. 12) calls on the heavens to be astonished, etc. For such conduct was unheai·d of (cf. vers. 10, 11). Idolatrous nations remained true to their gods, though they were no gods; but Israel, etc. Too often is it that the professed people of God are put to shame by those who make no such profession at all. And it was as mon.strous as it was unheard of (cf. ver. 13). It was as if any should abandon the waters of sqme bright, pure running fountain for the muddy mixture of a tank or cistern, which at the best is almost repulsive to one accustomed to the fountains of living water. And the folly of such exchange is even exceeded, for not only was it this foul cistern for which the living fountains had been forsaken, but even these very cisterns were flawed and fractured so that they could "hold· no water." The force of folly could no further go. And men do the like of this still. As, e.g., when they forsake the. faith of the Father in heaven for the creed of the materialist, the agnostic, the atheist; when they choose rather the peace of mind which contemplation of their own correctness of conduct can afford instead of the joyful assurance of sin forgiven and acceptance. with God, gained through Jesus Christ our Lord; when, in the controver,sy that is ever going on between God and the world, they decide for the world ; when, reliance Is placed on a religion of sacraments, professions and forms of worship, instead of that sincere surrender of the heart to God, that spiritual religion which alone is of worth in his sight; when the lot of thf peopleof God is rejected in order that the pleasures ofsin - may be enjoyed for a season, and in many other such ways, 6. And the sin is of sucl1 desperate character. For see (ver. 8) how it has mounted up and overwhelmed those who from their profession and calling we should have thought would have been o.bove it. The ministers of religion, the priests, pastors, teachers, have all been swept ·away by the torrent of sin. When those whose lives are given to prayer, to the study of God's holy Word, and to that sacred ministry which should be a bulwark and defence, not only for tbo"" fllf whom, but also for those by whom, it is exercised; when these 011. II. l-3i.] THI~ llOOK OF TUE PUOPHE'l' JEREMIAH. 35