The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 146

favour to them. They were independent of the prophets, but were much bound to the people for their sympathy and support. But whilst independent of the prophets they were greatly assisted by them in furthering the service of God. And they al~ had means of knowing the truth. They were able to try the spirits, whether they were of God, Hence they might have known the falsity of the false prophets, And they ought to have exposed it, But instead they combined with them, accepted the aid of their falsehood, and bore rule by their means. For, corrnpt as the people were, they would speedily have discovered the wickedness of the priests had not the prophets sided with them. Now the poison spreads. The priests, coming into contact with all the people, propagate the falsehood of the prophets, shelter themselves behind their authority, and deceive those who trusted in them. :Yes, it is" a wonderful and horrible" etc. It iB in the power of some to originate falsehood: this the prophets did. It is in the power of others to spread that falsehood abroad: this the priests did. Leagued together, the people who trusted them were in evil case indeed. But there was a further •clement of sorrow to be yet added. 3. The people laved to have it so. (1) This showed that: (a) conscience was dead or drugged; (b) all perception of their true wisdom was gone; (c) there was no remedy but the fire of the judgment of God. (2) It is explained by probable facts that: (a) the poison was disguised; (b) large licence was allowed. (3) It reveals the awfully contagious nature of moral evil. The dread possibilities of national corruption, against which we are bound to watch and pray. II. THE QUESTION IT GIVES BISE TO : "What will ye do in the end thereof?" That is, to what lengths will they go when their wickedness has full hold upon them? to what depths of degradation will they fall? to what resources will they turn when God's judgments come? The sadness of the question lies in the impossibility of satisfactorily answering it. It leads us to the brink of an abyss, at which we can only shudder an<l pray that none of us may fall therein. CoNOLUSION. 1. Thank God that such prophets and priests a.re the exception to the rule. 2. That when such exceptions are met with, God has provided a remedy against them-in his infallible Word; in bis Spirit, leading us into all truth. 3. Try all that human ministers say by these tests. 4. Seeing how much depends upon them, and what power for good or ill they cannot but have, pray with all importunity that Go,l send only faithful men into his ministry, and preserve in their fidelity those who aro there already.-C. Vers. 20-24.-Nature's witness against blind eyes and rebellious hearts. Three forms of evil are rebuked here. l. THE DULNESS OF SPIRITUAL SENSIBILITY THAT FAILS TO DISCERN TIIB DIVINE MEANING OF NATURE. Israel and Judah are addressed as a "foolish people, without understanding," etc. 'l'heir crlmes and sorrows sprang in great part out of their blind- ness and thoughtlessness (Isa., i. 3; v. 12, 13). They would not u.~e even the powers of spiritual discernment they possessed. They perceived not the Divine presence in natural things-the sounding shore, the revolving seasons-so as to bow with adoring reverence befon, it. Few things are stranger or sadder than the insensibility of the spirits of men to the Divine in nature. "'rhey have eyes, but do not see" the "invisible things" of the Great Creator "through the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead." They must be startled into the recognition of the present God. \Vhen some event out of the ordinary course occurs, they stand in awe before it, but in the familiar round of nature they find nothing Di vine. We arc all more or less open to this charge. 'l'he earthquake, the lightning flash, the hurricane, set us thinking of the majesty of him who wields such mighty forces at his will; but we forget the still more marvellous exercise of power that maintains the silent harmony of the spheres, holds the due balance of earth and sea, chases away the darkness of the night by the gently spreading dawn of every new morning, brings the grass blades and the flowers up out of the cold sod, ripens the fruit upon the trees, and changes the green carpet of the springing corn into the golden glory of the harvest. Of course it cannot be expected that any incident in the familiar daily round of nature should produce precisely the same effect on us as some new and startling phenomenon. The glory of the setting sun, thaL we have gazed upon a thousaud times before, must needs b~ less lo us in this respect than that of some fhruing meteor that bursts suddenly upon tho  144 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. [cH. v1. 1-30,