The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 75

fnrnishe<l ns this? Ilow clegnnt ! how tasteful I Just so: but men may bo damned ta 0 tcfully, and go to hell respectably,just as well as they cau in a vul"ar nnd debauched fashion." H7,enfvre do men thus act, Tiecause conscience has" been aroused by God's dealings with them, and it will not let them rest without doing somethin". 'fhe question now comes, how little can they do which will be sufficient to still the inconvenient and uncon,fortable clamour of conscience? and such turning to God "fcignc,l\y,''. such reformations as that of Judah under King Josiah, such sweeping and gnrnishmg of the house empty pf any true love to God is the device they rnsolve Ujion. Then next, iu this sad story, we see- ' III. GnF.ATE~ co:mE:ll:NATION THAN EVER COMING UPON MEN IN CONSEQUENCE. 1. They nre brnndcd with a _worse_ name than others (cf. "treacherous Judah," vers. 7, 10). Under prc~cnce of bcmg fa_1thful to God, guardians of the temple, the priesthood, the Law, mnkmg loud profession, they were idolatrous even as Israel, Hence the name of in_famy, "trcacbe~ous." And Christ•~ most terrible words were for the" hypocrites" l•l lns day. 2. A place l~ss tol~rabl_e m the day of ju?gment will be assigned them, t.hnn that of those who smned m like manner but without any such religious pro- fession (vcr. 11). Oh, then, what need for the prayer- " Search me, 0 God, and try my heart, For thou that heart canst see; And turn each cursed idol out Tluit dares to rival thee." 0. Ver. 11.-The compai·ative advantages of Judah and IsraeZ; professors and non- prc:fessors. I. LET JUDAH AND ISRAEL BE TAKEN AS REPRESENTING RESPECTIVELY PROFESSORS OF RELIGION Al>'D THOSE WHO MAKE NO SUCH PROFESSION. Judah did makr, such profession, but Israel stood aloof, neither worshipping at the temple.nor joining in the appointed feasts. IL OBSERVE THAT ISRAEL IS SAID TO HAVE" JUSTIFIED HERSELF MORE,'' ETC. (Ver. 11.) 1. This was true, for a sterner sentence went out against Judah than against Israel. (1) A more infamous name is given to her than to Israel; she is called "Trea- cherous." (2) And her punishment was more severe. Israel had long been prepared to mingle more or less readily with other nations. An assimilating process had been going on for many generations, religiously, socially, and politically. Hence they were looked upon much as the Pharisees of our Lord's day looked upon the publicans an<l sinners whom he so graciously welcomed. And we find that, as a fact, they soon became merged into the nations whither they had been carried away captive. 'l'hey had no such memories, no such antipathies as the people of Judah, and hence their exile must hnve been more tolerable. 'l'he piteous psalm~ which bewail the har<l lot of the captive came not from them, but from the exiles ..,i Judah. It was they who " by the rivers of Dabylon sat down and wept as thuy remembered Zion." The iron entered into their soul as it could hardly have done in the case of Israel. And the like facts-(1) and (2)---are seen in tbe case of umrnrthy professors of religion. See our Lord's holy hato, hear bis scathing words of scorn and doom, in regard to the hypocrites of his day. And the world, too, looks on them with a contempt it keeps for none other. .And they suffer as none other can. If the grace of God be still in them, who can describe tho remorse, the self-abasement, the shame, with which they view the punishment that has come upon them? 2. And the reasons wherefore H was less tolerable for Judah than for Israel were: (1) Judah's privileges were so much greater. (2) Her warnings had been more numerous, more plain, more arousing, more prolonged {cf. the history -tnd previous verses). (3) Her inducements to loyal obedience were stronger. Hence her sin l,rought the greater doom, "And the Lord said," elc. (ver. 11). And these aro the reasons-greater privileges, louder warnings, more powerful inducements to obedi- ence-which, when they are all disregarded and set at nought, compel, yea, create n scourge for the fallen Church, such as they who have never made any such profession cnn never feel. 'fherefore- lII. INQUIIlE WHAT IS THE JUST CONCLUSION TUAT SHOULD DE DRAWN FROM THE FACT Now onsEnVED, 1. Is it tlii8: that it is bc•ttcr to bo Israel than Judnh; to sta1ul aloof from all profession of religion than to make such profession? (1) No; for it was en. nt. 1-25.] 'J'IIJ.; DOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAil. 71