The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 131

this particular time these men had become ve1y successful, and we must infer very influential. Wherever money is heaped up it makes influence. .And even tholl''li such oppressors were not numerous, their very position gave them power. But o;'cr against them, wHh 1111 their power, all their wealth, all their pretensions, there is that God who marks every tear and groan and writhing of the oppressed. This passage is but one out of many in which Gou shows his hatred to all injustice. SomCJ of the so-called friends of humanity, who are never tired of asserting their friendship and pressing their claims, make one of their great claims to be in tbis, that they oppose all ook.nowledgment of God. Depend upon it, God is the true Friend of humanity ; he first, and afterwards are those whom he inspires with his own indignation against wrong, and endows with the strength, patience, resolution, and all Divine resources needed to destroy it. What wonder is it that God should speak of vengeance against such a nation as permits and extenuates the monstrous evils denounced in this passage ?-Y. • Vers. 30, 31.-Mutual helpers in wrong-doing. I. TBE TEMPTATIOxs HEBE SET FORTH. 'l'hree classes are mentioned-the prophet, the priest, and the people in general. Each class plays only too well its iniquitous and deplorable part, just because of the strong assistance which it gains from the attitude of the others. Each class acts as tempter in its turn, and that none the less effectually beca.usCJ it may do it unconsciously. Each one also tempts because he is tempted, and one hardly knows where the malign influence begins save by rememberiug the words of James, "Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticec!." The prophet, however, is here put first, and this can hardly be without reason. On him there did indeed lie a peculiar burden of responsibility. The prophets here mentioned, we may take it, were not false prophets, although they spoke fahcly. '!'be false prophet was _he who pretended to be a prophet, although God never sent him; and of such there'were doubtless some in the laml at this very time. But the horrible tbiug here was that men whom God had set a.part to speak the truth used the prophetic office to tell convenient lies, such as seemed to afford security and profit Jonah, in bis cowardice fleeing from duty, is an illustration of what many other prophets must have done, only they went further and never came back to truth and pea.cc. Wo kuow how men iu nll ages have sold the heritage of faculty which God bas given them to the service of lying and darkness. Instead of fighting where their hearts ought to have been, among the soldiers for truth and liberty, they have become mercenaries under despots. 'l'hese prophets on whom Jehovah had put bis hand had allowc,l themselves to be filled with fear and greed and schemes for worldly success, instead of with the Spirit of Jehovah. They went not with what was true, but with what was acceptable. How much higher tbo faithful prophets should stand in our esteem when we consider the tem1itations they resisted, tLo pains they suffered, the pious heroism which marked their sometimes long career! Imagine whnt the consequences woul,\ have been if the apostles had 11\tered nnd trimmed the gospel. 'l'hen there were the priests. "'l'he priests bear rule by their means." 'l'he allusion may be to the hands of the prophets, but perhaps a better meaning is to take it that the prophet sinned in Ms way, and the priest again in his way. 'l'he prophet's great instrument of servicCJ was his mouth, and with this he prophesied falsely. 'l'he priest's great instrument of service was his hand, and this he used to get superstitious deference to his privileges, instead of for the purpose of presenting, with his whole heart, offering and atonement for the people. In addition to this, there may have been, anu very likely was, a corrupt understanding between priest and prophet. '!'hen both priest and prophet had :n their eyes the great mass of tho people. God himself looked down on this unfaith- fulness of the great officials with n warmth of indignation that would soon burst into flame, but the people regarded it all with a very different feeling. 'l'hey" loved to havo it so." When a true prophet came, speaking truth, his message was so hateful and hum.Uiating that they denied bis office. "Surely the man wl.io speaks such things cannot be a prophet; a ma.dman he may be, or a fanatic, or a disloyal man whose Israelite form hides a foreign heart; anything you like, but not a 7Jrophet." But when the prophet comes speaking lies, _looking i~1to the faces of his audience for all t~1at he has to put into their ears, then his office will bo approved. And so with the pncst. If be  THE DOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. [cH. v. 1-31.