The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 94

for us to regulate our habitual mental conditions. It is given to us by watchful, prayerful self-discipline, especially by occupying the mind with higher and nobler things, to secure that the main drift of our thinking shall be in the right direction. We can choose our own fields of daily contemplation. Those thoughts will "lodge" i" us which we most encourage and cherish, and for this we are accountable. IlJ. '!'HE CHERISHmG OF VAIN THOUGHTS IS NECESSARILY DEGRADING IN ITS EFJl'EC'!'. "Vain thoughts" are iniquitous thoughts, sinful thoughts. "The thought of foolish- ness is sin," (Prov. xxiv. 9). It is impossible to measure the corrupting power of such thoughts. No evil imagination or purpose can enter the mind, and be allowed for a moment to dwell there, without leaving some moral stain behind it. Accustom yoursc!i' to any extent to the play of such influences, your whole being becomes contaminated by them, and- " The baseness or their nature Shall have power to drag you down." Our minds c:mnot be in frequent contact with mean or grovelling objects of contem- plation without finding that they poison all the streams of moral life within us. "To be carnally minded is death" (Hom. viii. 6). IV. THE ONLY CURE FOB THIS EVIL TENDENOY IS THE DIVINE RENEWAL OF OliR SPIRITUAL NATURE. "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts" (Matt. xv. 19). Let that be sanctified, and their power over us shall cease. Superficial expedients, me, c external restraints and corrections, are of little use. We need something that shall go to the root of the disease. The fountain of life within must be cleansed if the streams that flow from it are to be pure. '!.'he temple at Jerusalem was externally beautiful, its roof so bright with burnished gold that nothing less pure than the glorious sun- beams could rest upon it; but that did not prevent it from being interna1ly the haunt of many a form of hollow hypocrisy, and the scene of a base, worldly traffic-" a den ,,f thieves." Let the Spirit of God make our souls his temple, and that holy Presence shall effectually scatter all vain and corrupt imaginations. They cannot" lodge" where the heavenly glory dwells. Every thought of our hearts shall then be" brought into captivity to Christ."-W. Vers. 3, 4.-The peril rf profession without possession of real religi()li, This will be shown if we consider- !. THE SCENE HERE PRESENTED TO us. 1. '!.'he fallow ground ; that is, groun,l unoccupied, free. Not hardened, as the wayside (cf. Matt. xiii.); not shallow-soiletl, ns the stony ground; not poor and barren, but capablo of yielding rich return. 2. Sowers about to cast in seed-good seed. 3. A st~rn prohibition of their work. '!.'hey an.i coromanded to" sow not." A reason is given-the fallow ground that looks so fair is foll of thorns. '!.'hey are bidden "break up," i.e. purge, cleanse, thi~ ground. And all this on penalty of God's sore displeasure (ver. 4, etc.). II. ITS BIGNIFIOANCE. 1. For those to whom Jeremiah wrote. (1) They were as the fallow ground, at this time free from open visible idolatry which hnd been their dis- grace and ruin. All that King Josiah had put a stop to. So now they were free to begin nrresh, to take a new departure, to turn over a new leaf, ns fallow ground is ready for a new sowing (cf. the history of the times). (2) And they were about to sow the seed; i.e. they were about to adopt the outward forms of the divinely appointed Jewish worship. Externally they would conform to the ancient faith, and iu large measure they did so. (3) But now there comes the strange, stern prohibition of tho text, ant.I in so much that follows. They are bidden to refrain from thfa external religion, these outward rites. .And the reason is given-their hearts were yet unchanged, full of the seeds of all their former wickedness, and until these "thorns" were purged out. no good, but only evil, could come of any mere external conformity. It had no value in the eyes of God, it only aroused his sore wrath. But let them "break up the/allow ground" (cf. vers. 4, 14). Let there be a true inward repentance bcforo they approach God with the visible signs and forms of his worship. Let them not think that by any such mere formal service they could turn aside the anger of God. Such the significance of this scene in regard to J ll(lah and J eru~alem in the days of Jeremiah. But note: 2. Its significance for ourselves. (1) There arc many whose chnra ·ter corresponds to the" fal'ow gt"''Unu." (lJ TIIE 13OOK OF TtlE :PROPHET JEREMIAH. Leu. 1v. 1-31.