The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 74

that what seems likely to produce such ill, in fact does not? the answer is, that when tho sinner comes in contrition and faith to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, the new lifo, the gift of regeneration, which is ever in connection with the cross, is given to him. He is started on a new career, on which he is certain to make progress, slow it may be, but sure nevertheless. .And as day by day he repairs again to that same Saviour, the powers of the new life are replenished and renewed, and so, instead of the full free for- giveness which, when he returned to God, was bestowed upon him, causing him to take encouragement to live on in sin, it has wrought in him a holy hatred of it, and led him to turn_ from it more and more. No, the wondrous grace of God, which is told of in this word," Yet return again to me," does not make void the Law, hut it establishes the Law (cf. Rom. viii. 1).-C. Vers. 6-10.-...4n old and sad but very true story. I. Gon LOOKING FOR FRUIT DUT NONE FORTHCOMING. 1. 'fhe fruit God looked for was Judah's repentance (cf. the hi~tory of the times to which Jeremiah refers). Idolatry was rampant in the northern kingdom. 'l'he southern also had been very far from free from it. But at this time God looked for a true repentance ou Judah's part. 2. .And such fruit was reasonably expected. There was the personal example and influence of King Josiah and the bantl of faithful men who were endeavouring to promote a true religious reformation. They had seen the degradation which followed Israel's sin (ver. 9); how Israel had fallen so low as to worship stocks and stones, the "most scoundrel idols," as Matthew Henry ca11s them. They had heard the gracious appeal of God to Israel (ver. 7). They bad seen the judgments of God which had followed when his grace was rejected. How severe nud terrible these had been! God "had pnt Israel away" (ver. 8). For nearly a century Israel had been in dread captivity by reason of their sins. .And the sin which had brought down their judgments was the sin which Judah herself was guilty of. And the judgment had not happened to an alien nation or in a remote laud. No, but to Judah's own sister, to members of the same family, of one blood and lineage; and close to her own door, hence under her own eye. What more arousing and alarming call to the unconverted could there have been thnn all this? .And to lend further force to this call, there was in Judah the presence of the temple, the possession of nil manner of religious privilege. How reasonable, then, was the expectation that Judah should turn nway from her idolatry nnd unfeignedly repent I But the like of all such reasons for the expectation of a true turning to God exists in the case of many to-day. Every influence and argument for such turning to God as bore upon Judah then, bears upon many still. 3. But I.hat which God desired was not forthcoming. It is the burden of the prophet's complaint that what Israel hnd done, and worse, was chargeable against Judah. And as now, all too often, those from whom real religion may reasonably be expected are found not only as evil, but outstripping others in ungodly ways. This is part of the story told us by these verses. II. .Another is that of MEN SEEKISG TO PALM OFF ON Gon FICTITIOUS FRUIT INSTEAD OF GENUINE. (Ver. 10.) Cf. the history of the ~eformation in Josio.h's day-how justly it is described in this verse I It was sudden, partial, external, shortlived. .Aud such feigned reformations are common enough still. Cf. Luke xi. 21-26; and sermon No. 61a by Spurgeon: ".And ns the devil looks round and finds the place swept, he finds it garnished too. The man has bought some pictures: he has not real faith, but he has a fine picture of it over the fin·place. Ho has no love to the cross of Christ, but he has a very lmndsome crucifix hangiag on the wall. He has no graces of the Spirit, but he has a fine vase of flowers on the table of other peoples' experiences and other peoples' graces, and they smell tolerably sweet. There is a fireplace without fire, but there it one of the handsomest ornaments for the fireplace that was ever bought for moaey. It is swept and garnished. Oh, the garnished people I have met with I garnished some- times with almsgiving, at other times with long-winded prayers; garnished with the profession of zeal and the pretence of reverence. You will find e. zealous Protestant- oh, so zealous I-who would go into fits at the sign of a cross, and yet will be guilty of nameless vice. You find persons shocked because another boiled a tea-kettle on a Snnday, or insured his life, or assisted nt a bazaar, who will cheat and draw the eye- teeth out of an orphan child if they could get sixpence by it. They are swept nnd garnished. W nlk in, ladies and gentlemen I Did you ever see a house so deligh tfu!ly  iO 'l'IIE nooK OF 'l'HE PROPHET JEREMIAH. [on. m. 1-25.