The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 110

cleanse. He himself must be besought to direct affections, purposes, imaainations, towards things pure, holy, and Divine. Remember, then, that a thing may~ out of man's sight and yet right over against the eyes of God. Even that which mas, not at present disturb your conscience may yet be very offensive to him. Thus it will be seen that a real turning to God is very difficult, and needs much submission anrl humility, One has to walk very circumspectly. Wavering is one of the greatest perils, and may very ilC'On be fatal. He who wavers, vacillates, and turns to look round to the tbiogs that are left, loses the direction; and that direction, once lost, who knows bow much else may be lost before it can be recovered ?-Y. Ver. 2.-Jihovah's requirement with respect to the oath. Jehovah ha.s just told his people that, with unwavering resolve, they must put their abominations out of bis sight, '£his exhortation, general a.s it is, is very emphatic; but it chiefly serves to lead on to something more explicit. Jehovah singles out one peculiar abomination, and fixes the attention of his people on that, The truth is, if they sweep this abomination away, all is done that needs to be done. These abominations, so odious to the pure eyes of Jehovah, were bound together in a kind of organic unity. The infliction of a fatal blow on any one of them inevitably brought death and withering on the otbern. Just as he who stops the action of one of the vital organs of the body stops the action of them all. Look, then- I. AT WBAT JEHOVAH REQUIRES WITH REGARD TO THE OATIJ, There were many solemn appeals that had in them the nature of an oath. God at once directs attention to the most solemn of all, the appeal to himself by his own peculiar Name and his own enduring existence. The passages are too numerous to mention in which there is record of people saying," As Jehovah liveth." Now and then, no doubt, the word~ were spoken with solemnity and sincerity, and also with a steady remembrance afler- wards of the holy Name which had thus come to the lips. Ilut in the great bulk of instances it was only an idle word. A man gets excited, and then the most solemn words rush from his mouth, with no thought of the meaning they expres~. Or, worm still, there may be the deliberate attempt to consecrate a falsity, and get it received for undoubted truth, so that others may act from it and rest upon it with the utmost con- fidence. Now, to the removal of all this false swearing, God would have bis people earnestly to apply themselves. Note that God does not say here what Jesus afterwards said, "Swear not at all." 'l'he time was not ripe for such an exhortation. The words of Jesus aim directly at that ideal state when every man shall speak truth as naturally us he breathes pure air; when it shall be as impossible for him to speak or even thi □ k the false as to live amid carbonic acid gas. One may say that even here, in this word through Jeremiah, there is nothing to bind the bearer to an oath. 'l'he injunction has a permissive element. A man needs not to say, "Jehovah livcth;" but if he does say so, let him bear in mind all that the expression involves. It is the most solemn way of securing that all speaking and acting shall be true and sincere; that all ju<lgments shall be according to proven facts and Jehovah's declared principles of justice; and that all life, in short, should be pervaded and filled with energy by a spirit of righteousness. To begin with, what an abomination it was to say, "As Jehovah livc:th," when the practice showed that whatever true recognition of Deity obtnine,l among these people was on the high places and towards the he11then idols! 'l'ben from this it was only too easy to bring forward Jehovah's Name in connection with all sorts of falsehood, cruelty, and oppression. The ch11nge is to come by bringing truth into the oath. There must ever live in the mind of the oath-taker n distinct 11pprehension nnd conviction as to Jehovah's real, enduring existence. It must be remembered how he said to Moses, "I am that I am." And, following the history of Israel onward, there must be an ever clearer perception of his character, of his power, of his constant observation of individual life, and his fiery, consuming anger against all iniquity. Then, if all this truth, justice, and righteousness appear where before there was such n loath- Borne sink of deception and corruption, what will be the result? !I. THE NATIONS WILL ENTEI\ INTO AN INEXPI\ESSIBLY SATISFACTORY RELATION TOWARDS JEHOVAH. His aspect, in their eyes, altogether alters. A step is taken-:\ "l'<'al step, and one that makes all others easy-towards that gathering of the nations to Jcl1ovah's throne which is mentioned in eh. iii. 17, There is now som.!tl1ing to awe  106 TIIE DOOK OF THE PROPHET JETIKMTAH. [err. 1". 1-r.t.