The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 144

been owing to neglect of those Divine aids which God has placed within our power- the blessed aids of prayer, watchfulness, and the diligent use of grace already given- then not pity but censure must be awarded to those of whom we speak. "'!'hey have not because they asked not;" or if they asked they "asked amiss." Ah, what a. sarl amount of such asking amiss there ever is !-asking as a substitute for working, instead of as an aid and encouragement thereto; asking, but with motives marred by selfish- ness, strife, and many forms of that" regarding iniquity in the heart," which ever barn the coming of the needed answer. And so there have been decline and decay, and a fresh fall of the heavenly rain is indeed wanted. Oh, go these words apply to any of us, either in regard to our stunted life or our ineffectual work? It may be so. But, thank God, such sad facts are not always the cause. God may be pleased, notwith- standing that his servants wait upon him for the outpouring of bis Spirit they so much desire, to delay his answer. The rains of God have their season, and he best knows what and when that season is. His purpose is to stir you up to yet more earnest prayer, to greater energy of spiritual endeavour. .All the night through did Jacob wrestle with the angel, ere he won the glorious name of Israel. Not till after so long and so arduous a struggle that his physical strength gave way, the sinew of his thigh shrank, and be seemed reduced to utter powerlessness ;-not tiU then was the victory won. If, therefore, any of us, in our own religious life or work, are still waitin"0 in :;,rayer and watching thereunto, but yet the desired answer bas not come, regard it not as denial, but only as a delay sent to test and try your faith-that faith more precious in the sight of God than gold and silver, and which when tested shall come forth triumphant, to the praise and glory of bis grace. But there arc those who have the latter rain only. Is it not so with all those instances of la.te repentance, of eleventh-hour turning to God? Such coming to God at the last does now and then occur, and the promise of our Lord, "Whosoever cometh unto me I will," etc., is ma.de good. Such have the latter rain, but they can hardly be said ever to have known the former. And so, too, with those who all their lifetime have been subject to bondage, have walked in darkness and have seen no light,-to these tried children of God light often comes at eventide; they have the latter rain, but not the former. And it is so also in many depart- ments of Christian work. 'l'ake the long and painful history of many of our missions. For how many years, amid how many discouragements, from deaths, desertions, disease, and the like, have the pioneers of those missions toiled on as the missionaries in Central Africa, so repeatedly deprived by death of one and another of their little band, are yet doing I The early rain has never come, but the latter we are sure they and all such shall have. Oh, how they deserve and demand our sympathy and our earnest prayers I Shame will it be on the Church at home if these be withheld. But we believe they are not and will not be. These are, however, a third class less blessed than those who have both the former and latter rain, and still less than those who have added on the crown and consummation of all their toil-the joyous harvest. But far, far more blessed are they than that other and last class of whom also we are reminded- IV. THOSE WHO HAVE NEITHER OF THESE BLEBBINGS-NEl'l'HEB FOBJIIER NOR LATTER RAIN, NOR HARVEST. The profes&ion of the Christian life may be made, and one or other form of Christian work may be undertaken, but all manner of motives, all manner of reasons, save the alone right and true one, may account for such facts. The religion and the work may alike be hollow, formal, insincere; a lifo and a work on which neither the former nor the latter rains of God's Spirit will ever come, and the only harvest which shall be reaped will be one of" shame and everlasting contempt." There is no Divine life in the man's soul, and therefore none in his work either. No more pitiful spectacle can any contemplate than this, and from being examples of it m:iy God in his mercy deliver us all. But there is no need of this. 'l'he Lord our God 1s wont to give "rain, both the former and the latter, in his season," and to reserve unto us _the appointed weeks of harvest. This is his declared will. Why, then, should we be with- out his blessing? Oh, let every oue resolve that if importunity of pmyor ~an for Christ's sake win it, we will know tho joy of both the former and tho latter ram, and will anticipate and look out for the appointed weeks of harvest! You who havo had both the former and the latter rain, bo ready for the reaper's work. You who havo had hnt the former rain, plead mightily for the latter too; and. you. who havo had neither, whether in your own lifo or iu your work, remember the lanlt 1~ your own, but resolve  142 'l'HE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. [oH, v. 1-31.