The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 76

better t-0 be Judah than Israel. There were possibilities, and these generally realized of greater blessedness in Judah than ooulcl be attained in Ismel. Compare the historie~ or the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, and see if the brightest and most numerous examples of sanctity, as well as the greatest displays of God's favour, to say naught of the joy of his appointed worship, were not in Judah rather than in Israel. And so in like manne,- we affirm that it is better to be the avowed disciple of Christ, notwithstanding the possi- bility of a more terrible fall, than to be numbered with the crowd of those who neithcl' possess nor profess any regard for God. For larger blessing, in the form of increase,i moral resemblance to God, of joy in God, and of greater security from the power of sin, -these certainly belong to those who are as Judah rather than to- those who are as Isr,1el. All God's favour is open to them as it is not to those in whom God's fear does not dwell. (2) And again, No; for we do not reason in such manner in re 6ard to other things. True, "He that is down need fear no fall;" but we do not, on the strength or that dismal proverb, begin immediately to prefer the lot of the fallen one to that of him who, by God's providence, is set on high and stands upright. 'l'he rich man does not hasten to make himself poor that be may be free from the fear of becoming so. Nor does the man who is blessed with vigorous health desire the condition of the invalid because in that condition there can be no fear of loss of health. Then whv should the far less blessed lot of Israel, and of those outside the professed Church of God whom Israel represents, be preferred to the better and brighter lot of Judah ancl of God's Church, though a fall terrible and sad is possible here which could not be there? (3) And it would be right still to prefer the lot of J uclab, even if Israel had been simply let alone by God. lf God had sent no punishment to Israel, it woulcl ha,c been better to be Judah, with the possession of God's favour, although the possession involved the possibility of its loss, than to have been without that favour at all. But when we see that the judgrnent of God came upon Israel as well as upon Judah, then much more, notwithstanding the sad fact declared in this vcr. 11, was it better to ha,·c been Judah than Israel. Aud so, were there no judgment on the world, and God's anger came only on a fallen Church, better even then to be of the Church than of the worl(l. But when we know that there is a judgment of the world as well as of the Church, that sin has no immunity anywhere, then, though sin in the Church be worse than sin in the world, still let me be there where the favour, the joy, and the grace of God are, and not where they can never come. 2. But the true lesson of what we have been con- sidering is, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." Judah, and the Church of God whom Judah represents, need to remember that, notwith- standing their high position of privilege, corruption and sin may lay hold upon them, and should that happen, their sin and their doom will be the most terrible of nil (et·. Epistle to Church at Laodicea). Therefore hearken to our Lord's words," Watch nnd prny."-0. Vera. 12-19.-0onfession of sin the indispensable prerequisite for its pardon. That this is so is shown by the evident fact that if it could have been dispensed with it would have been. For the desire of God to pardon bis guilty people is, as this section shows, intense. He will not cease to seek after them even when the punishment of their sin has actually come upon them. Hence (ver. 12) he addresses them in the lands of their exile, Mesopotamia, Assyria, and Media. (2 Kings xvii. 6), nnd three times (vers. 12, 14, 22) implores them to "return." He" fills his mouth with argu- ments," nnd endeavours by every kind of assurance and promise to induce them to return. Ver. 12: they shall be completely forgiven. Ver. 14: they ought to return, for they are his by right, as the wife is the rightful possession of the husband. Ver. 14: they nre the object of his constant regard, so that they cannot be concealed from bis eye or hindered from his help. No, though in o. wholo city, or, tribe, or nation, there sbo,1ld be but " two " or even "one," still his hand would reach them there, and bring them out and restore them to Zion. Ver. 15: and those who in days gone by bad so grievously led them astray, shoukl do so no more, for now, "pastors," i.?. rulers and guides whether in the State or in religion, should be such as were "accordrng to God'~ own h~art" and these should feed them with knowledge. Ver. 16: and under this happy rul; they should greatly multiply in tho land. And, better still, they should so realize and rejoice in the spiritual presence of God that they should no longer need tho  THE DOOK OF 'l'H~ PROPHET JEREMfAlI. [ell. 111. 1-2.1.