exceJ,;ing; bitter cry from out the darkness," My God, my God, ,vhy hast thou forsaken me?" And, in J-iis measure aud degree, Jeremiah had t-hc fellowship of t.his su!Tering also. It is the sorrow of sorrows to him that there was no alternative; God must vunish sin like that of his countrymen. How glad would he have been could he have seen any-however little-light in the darkness I But it was all dark; there was not a solitary redeeming ray. The condemnation was awful, but God was just who judirc<l so. II. TnE uxrvERSALITY OF THIS FELLOWSHIP. Like as in every leaf of the tree the whole fabric of the tree is pourtrayed, root and trunk, branch and foliaae, so in the experience of every member of Christ's mystical body, however humble that member may be, there is shown the resemblance of Christ himself. See Abraham interceclina for Sodom, Moses for Israel, Samuel mourning for Saul; Elijah's ministry and that ;i- all the prophets, Paul's and that of all the apostles, and where there are any who have "the mind that was in Christ Jesus," who are :filled with loTe to God and love to man, to whom sin is hateful and holiness dear. It will be a measure and a test of our own possess:on of the mind of Christ if those sad facts, which were the source to him· and to all his trnc-hearted servants of such great sorrow, are likewise sources of sorrow to us and make us know the fellowship of his sufferings. lII. lTs EXCEEDING BLESSEDNESS. It may seem an anomaly and contradiction to speak of " blessedness " as appertaining to "suffering," but it is nevertheless true that exceeding blessedness does belong to the fellowship of Christ's sufferings. For: 1. It wins for us the ministries that sustained our Lord. 'l'hese were such as the full enjoy- ment of the love of God, uninten-upted communion and intercourse with him, the open Yision of tbe "joy set before him" in the winning back of the world to God,- such were tbe supports of Christ's ministry, and the like has been given to all who have entered into his sufferings. See the bright onlook of Jeremiah (cf. eh. iii. 15-18 and 11) and of all the prophets; of St. Paul and all the apostles. •And see, too, .their joy in God, the rest of their hearts in his love. Such have been and such will be the supports of such souls. 2. It fortifies us impregnably against all the power of the wicked one. Satan will not waste his time and energy on those who are within the sure defence of this holy fellowship. His darts cannot _reach where they stand, or, if . they reach and strike, they cannot penetrate the "armour of God" in which they are clad. Sin has no charm, but repels: holiness attracts with a magnetic might. "They are born of Goel, and the wicked one toucheth them not." • 3. It gives tremendous power oyer the hearts of men. Wbe.t is the great need of our day but this, a ministry that has entered into this fellowship? one penetrated with the love of God and the love of men, to whom tbe favour of God is life, and the judgments of God the un- unsprakable woe of the soul? How would such men speak and pray and plead? It was the secret of St. Paul's power, and of lhe great ministers for Christ in all ages. It won all the triumphs of the early Church, it was manifest in Bernard, Francis, , Wesley, Whitefield, and many more. Men cannot resist the power with which such speak. It constitutes those who have entered into it God's true priests. 'l'hey have power when they plead with God for men, and when they plead with men for God. Such is another element of the exceeding blessedness of this fellowship of Christ's sufferings. IV. lTs ALONE ENTRANCE. This entrance is by fellowship with Christ in our daily life. Let us look much upon him as he is shown to us in bis gospel and in the Scriptures generally, and as we see his likeness reproduced in the lives of the truest of his people. Let there be much looking to him in the exercise of daily trust, committing and commending our whole interests to his care. Let there be much converse with him in devout meditation, worship, and prayer. Let there bo much service done for him in all such ways as be points out for us, and the result will be that we shall come so to see, hear, touch him, so lo realize his living presence, nncl then so to love him, that all that affects him will affect us. We shall have fellowship in it all, and, therefore, in this fellowship of his sufferings in which e.11 his chosen have shared.-0.
Vers. 30, 31.-Broken reeds, concerning which note- I. \\'HAT THEY ARE. They are the friends thnt are kept simply by either: 1 011. IV. 1-31.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH.