world, to be trie<l, tcmr,teJ, tronblcd, and at length to die, and we have also to resist even unto blooil, striving against sin; and therefore he himself also took part in the same, Then if this statemeut of the text be true- IIT. VAST co~'SEQUKNCES FOLLOW. 1. Forgetfulness or disregard of this relationship in which we stand to God must be utter misery. Perhaps hell is never eo nearly brought up and made known in all its hideous wretchedness here on earth as by means of a marriage in which one side has lost al\ love for the other. Oh, the drag of the mar- riage bond then I What an iron chain; what a fetter it is I How it frets! How it galls I How simply horrible it has become! Penal servitude for life is but a mild description of it. From ever knowing it by experience, may God deliver us all! But such things, alas, are, and between men and women who have vowed to love and cherish each other "until death do them part," But we do not recognize so readily that we\1-nicrh all the so:TOw of this life of ours is because we have forgotten or disregarded our relationship to God. That marriage also is a bond which can never be severed. And if we have n~ lo_vc_ to God_, no delight in him, no trust or confidence, o~, how that bond will ga"ll, will 1mtate, will fret, and so become the very" strength of sm" I The unrest, the c'.lis- trcss, the wild attempts to win happiness in lawless ways, the sting of conscience, the in ward remorse, arc all accounted for by the consciousness that men have of their c,bliga- tion to G.3d whilst that obligation is being grievously disregarded. On the other hnnd: 2. Due response rendered to the love of God towards us must be our deep, our indestructible, our ever-advancing joy. See the proofs of this in the return of the prodigal: •• They began to be merry." Listen to David: "0 God, thou art my God," etc. "I will go unto the altar of Goil, unto God my exceeding joy." Behold the martyrs. Rather than be severeu. from God by denial of him, let what shame, agony, loss, death, that rnigbt come upon them. Ask those who know what the love of God is, if it be not as we say. 'l'hat pure joy which a true wife has in the husband she loves and reveres, that is the type of the joy in God which we may have and should have, and to which even the worst of us, the miserable backsliders, are by God himself entreated to return. How happy in his protection! How certain that be will be prompt to he!IJin all peril and emergency! How free the outpouring of the heart in loving confidence! How sure of h~; love always! -no doubt ever clouding that certainty. And how sure, too, of his sympathy, his wise counsel, his constant support! And to all this God invites us, yea, he by this word of bis bids us claim it as our right-a right he will at once recognize. It is wonderful; the condescension and the love of it are so marvellous that we are slow to comprehend, slower still to believe it, and slowest of all to realize and rejoice in it. 'But yet it is most assuredly true. Therefore, Lord, increase our faith; we believe, but help thou our unbelief.-C. ~
Ver. 19.-The great difficulty overcome. "How shall I," etc.? A dift'eren t rendering has been proposed for this verse, but inasmuch as the general meaning a:id spirit of the prophecy are maintained in our common translation, we prefer to abide theroby. So read, the verse brings before us- I. Gon's GRACIOUS PURPOSE OF LOVE TOWARDS SINFUL MEN, He would put them "among the children," etc. 'l'hink what this involves. Picture to ourselves tho lot of the children in the home of an affiuent, affectionate, wise, and godly father. •What condition fairer more enviable, can be conceived? What freedom from all care I W.bat unrestrained, co'nfiding, loving intercourse between the ~bild_r~n and their father I Whnt healthful development and direction of character and dispos1t1on ! How sheltered; how secure; bow happy in the abiding consciousness of their father's love! How full of all good their position cannot but be! But the brightest, fairest lot that ever fell to any children in an earthly home fails fully to set forth what it must be to be set amongst God's children and to be numbered amongst his sons and daughters. Blessed indeed 11.re such; how' blessed none but they who are thus "set among the childr~n" can fully know. nut such was the gracious purpose of God towards man, nothrng less than this. He created us for this very purpose, with this very intent. And it is the reason 11.nd motive of the creation of every newly born child. For this every human soul is endowed with faculties which can find their complete exerciso and enjoymont only amongst God'd children : "God hath made us for himself, and our hearts have no re,s, unLil they find rest in him." But the verse, by its very form, indicates- en. m. 1-25.] '1'1-IE IlOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. 73