The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 71

borne the ark of the Lord God before David (1 Kings ii. 2G). But there can be no doubt that as generation sncceeded generation, the general feeling would become so mixed with super~tition as to do more harm than good. The people had said, "The ark of the covenant of the Lord," but their saying had not amounted to much. The arlt had been remembered, but the writing on the stones within had been forgotten. The longer it stood as the central object of a unique ritttal, the more it became a symbol of sepnration from other nations. That which had been given so that one set ol thoughts should be associated with it, thoughts to help in making pure, reverent, and watchful, had ended in having quite another set of thoughts associated with it. .And ~o both the object itself seems t-0 have vanished, and at the same time its dominion to have ceased. It is surely a very remarkable thing that all through the Books of Ezra an1 N"ehemiah there is no reference to the ark. The vessels of God's house are mentioned, an altar was set up and offerings made, and in dne time a temple built; but there is no word of the ark. Its work was done, and we are not so much as told what became of it. We know that the brazen serpent was declared Nehushtan, but the withdrawal of the ark God manages in complete.silence. So true it is that- "God fulfils himself in many ways, Lest one good custom should corrupt the world." Y. Yer. 17 .-The gathering of the nations to Jehovah/s throne. I. THE NEW CHARACTER rn WHICH JERUSALEM Al'PEARS. It is no longer to be considered simply as the centre of Israelite affection and devotion, the city where was the palace of a human king, and the temple of Jehovah as the peculiar deity of Israel. It is no longer to be the place of a peculiar worship. Its character henceforth is ;to be far more glorious, one in which Israel shall lose nothing, yea, rather gain, in remembering what it has been able to con- tribute in attaining such an end. Jerusalem, that had been associated with all sorts of idolatrous abominations, is first of all to be desolated and humbled, whatever human pride and glory there was in it extinguished ; and then the true glory will come. 'l'he city shall be ,Jehovah's throne, the throne of him who is God above all gods and King above all kings. .And when men would recognize the authority of a king, his throne is the place they must come to. Hence to Jehovah, seated on his throne, all the nations are to be gathered; forsaking national idols and national ideals, all that is local and narrow and self-originated will vanish. The ark of the covenant passes away, and the tables of. stone become unnecessary, for from his throne Jehovah will take means whereby he may write on the fleshy tables of every human heart the two great prin- ciples, " Love God and Jove thy fellow-man." ·- II. How THE GATHERING IS TO DE BROUGHT ABOUT. How clear it is that, the ark of the covenant passing away, mere local, terrestrial Jerusalem must also cease to have any peculiar value ! The taking away of the ark of. the covenant is really the taking away of all in the way of dependence.that is merely visible and material. It is plaiQ that the gathering together to Jerusalem cannot mean an actual travelling there from all parts of .the earth's surface. Not that the mere local Jerusalem can become as a common spot of earth. .After these· northem desolators, of whom Jeremiah so uften spoke, had done with it, it was rebuilt, and in due time became the scone of great spiritual redeeming acts profoundly affecting every child of man. The thought of the local scenes where Christ died, rose again, and ascended into glory, may well help every sinner in his believing approaches to hie Saviour. Those who gather at Jerurnlem gather there by virtue of the power which there is in every believing heart. Innumer- able pilgrims, on piety intent, have gone on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, doing laborious penances by the way, only to discover in the end that they have been walking after the imaginations of their evil hearts. '!'here may be great value in a journey to the Holy Land, if only those who go there have first of all had their minds opened to apprehend the work which he who died at Jerusalem did for them; otherwise their travels, what- ever the human joy and interest of them, may only add to their subsequent condem- nation. 'l'o go to Jerusalem spiritually is the great thing. 'l'he Jerusalem of our journey is situated in the pages of the New Testament rather than in Palestine. It is as we read the Gospels that we feel how Jerusalem is indeed the throne of Jehovah in this sense, that there, through his Son Jesus, he manifested righteousness, power, nnd CH, m.1-25.] THE llOOK OF 'l'HE PilOPHE'l' JEL\E:MIATI. 67