The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 141

Ver. 24.-God's gifts of the mins and tlie ha'fltlest. "The Lord our God, that giveth raiu, both the former o.nd the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us," etc. 'l'o a country so liable to drought o.s Palestine, the regular, periodic rainfall was of the utmost importance. If they had not the former rain-that which came first after socd- time-the seed would not germinate in the soil; and if, when near the harvest, the rain did not come again, there would be no full corn in the ear: it would not swell out and mature in any way to the husbandman's content. "Hence the people of those lands speak of the weather and the crops with a more immediate reference to God than is usual with us. It is said that the common expressions of the peasantry are such as much impress travellers with their apparently devout recognition of the Almiahty's agency." A lady and her party were one day traversing, under the conduct ot their Arab guide, the fertile plains west of the Carmel range. "Rain began to fall in torrents. Mohammed, our groom," so the lady te_lls, "t~rew a )arge Arab cloak over me, saying, 'May Allah preserve you, 0 lady, while he 1s blessmg the fields I'" "Blessina the fields,"-what a beautiful synonym for the rain I But it indicates the con~tant dependence of those lands on these rains, and the people's sense of the high value of this gift of God. The busbandman relies entirely upou the early and the latter rain and if these do not fall copiously in their season famine will ensue. Therefore, .:Vhen 11·ishing to point out some signal mark of the Lord's favour to his people, the prophet selects this, that be "giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season," etc. The prophet knew that every heart would assent and own the goodness of the Lord herein. Probably he was more sure of it there and then than he would be here and uow. We have got so mystified with the modern doctrines of "the order of nature" and" the uniformity of natural law," that we have come to regard the universe almost as a great machine, the regular working of which excites no surprise, and demands and obtains still less gratitude. But all this is very sad. Happy they who, in the comina round of the seasons, the fall of the rain and the blessed harvest, are both able and glad to confess," It is the Lord, wbo giveth food to all flesh: for bis mercy enduretb for ever." But let this verse not so much suggest the literal facts here commemoratecl. by the prophet, as those other and higher spiritual facts which they resemble and suggest. The three blessed gifts of God in the natural world here spoken of, tell of gifts like to them in the spiritual world. .And first they remind us of- L THOSE PERSONS WHO ARE so HAPPY AB TO REALIZE ALL THE THREE : the. two rains-both the former and the latter-and the harvest. Now, there are many such, God be praised for them! In their own religious life they know what God's blessing of the former rain is. There was such vivid realization of the love of Christ, such hatred of sin, such sweet sensitiveness of conscience, such free intercourse with God in prayer, such bright onlooks into the glory to be revealed, such ready delight in worship and in work, such prompt siding with the will of God-in a word, such enjoyment of him, that it is still, and will ever be, a delightful retrospect. " What peaceful holll'B we then enjoyed I How sweet their memory still I " "That was the early rain. The seed had just been sown, and the Master, to make it take deeper root, and to make it spring up faster into the green blade, gave them the sacred shower of bis loving presence." And then there came afterwards the latter rain. For such is needed even in the holiest Christian's life. 'l'he early excitement, the power of novelty, which is a power in the religio1L~ life as in all other, wore off, as it is its nature to do. Many weary leagues of life's pilgrimage had to be traversed, many disappointments to be met with, many trials to be endured, many temptations-subtle, strange, strong-had to be met and overcome, and they left the soul weary and exhausted. And, but for the blessed latter rain, the strength and vigour of the Divine life in the soul would have died down. But then there came, brought about in one way and another, the second baptism of the Holy Ghost. And, by means of that, separate acts of obedience crystallized into blessed habits, which made their discbargo prompt, easy, and effective. The power of prayer became more marked, the knowledge and experience of the truth of God's Word deepened. The unseen and eternal came out of the mist and vagueness of former years into cleo.r, well-defined reality, so that the seeing him who ia invisible came to be a daily vision; o.nd the walk with God cl!. v. 1-31.] THE· BOOK OF TllE PROPHET JEREMIAH. 13!)