The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 159

III. THE NATURAL HUMAN DESIRE FOR MERE NOVELTY HAS TO DE OVERCOME. True religion is not to be despised because it is old. 'l'he truth, whim carefully studied Rnd spiritually realized, is ever new and fresh. And the "new truths" to which advancing time introduces us are justified only as we can organically and spiritually evolve them from their archaic predecessors. Obligations which are merely relative will change or disappear with the relations upon which they are founded, but the cardinal truths of heart and life must ever retain their authority, and new experience will but tend to deepen and strengthen their hold upon the.religious nature. If, on the other band, the teachings of experience and the warnings of prophets are despised, new heinousness will be added to the wickedness of the wicked. It will be wilful disobedience, and as such will be more severely punished. IV. OBEDIENCE TO THESE DOCTRINES OF EXPERIENCE WILL CONFIRM AND SATISFY THE SOUL. If, in spite of these corroborations, the doctrines were productive of misery and spiritual unrest, then they would go for nothing. But this is the final and abso• lnte criterion-Do they tend to the welfare and increase of spiritual life, and to the satisfaction of the deepest longings of the soul ?-M. Vers. 18-20.-The reasonableness of the Divine fudgments. The language employed suggests publicity. The world is called into solemn council-a" congregation" for judgment. 1. Not that upon questions of this nature the carnal mind is any authority of and by itself. "Who art thou that judgest?" might well be asked of any who assumed such an office. It is only as confirming and justifying the action taken by God. Thus understood, the testimony of the world is most valuable, being different from what might be expected. It is a great mystery, this judgment of God's apostate people by the heathen nations. 2. .And yet we must not understand it as a mere figure of speech. There is a real endorsement of the righteous judgments of God in the mind of the world-one of those revealing circumsta.nces which show "the Law of God written upon their heart." When the question is a. broad, simple, and evident one, even the most perverted soul will affirm the sentence of Heaven. Unbelief is only superficial. Beneath the crust of hardened consciences there still remains a. primitive sense of justice; and to this will the final sentence of condemnation appeal, when we shall give account of the deeds done in the body. The sinner will not only hea~ the decision from the great white throne, but he will stand self-condemned; and the uni- versal assembly will confirm the verdict. 3. How/earful, too, must have been the guilt of God's people that on this occasion such umpires could have been so confidently appealed to 1 The features of their criminality that are empha.sized are these: obstinacy and hypocrisy. The Ja.tter is but the abettor of ,the former. 'l'he unreality of Israel's repentance was especially abhorrent to Jehovah. It vitiates all the costly articles and enhancements of their worship, and is but the cloa.k of a real continuance in sin. If, then, they do in heart refuse to obey God, what more rea.sonable tha.n that he should suffer the laws of his universe to deal with them, and punish them with "the fruit of their thouahts"? The a.ngels of vengeance that wa.it upon sin, licentiousness, luxury, and waste: will be suffered to do their work ; and they shall learn by experience that " the way of transgressors is hard." But the instant that the spirit of reality and sincerity revisits their hearts, his ear will be open to their cry, and his mercy will redeem.-M. Vere. 27-30.-The prophet a spiritual assayer. Of interest as a description of process of refining precious metals among ancient peoples. The grinding and wash- ing of the ore to discover and separate the precious meta.ls, the fusing of the silver with lead in order to its further purification, and the repetition of this under severer neat, are processes which are used to illustrate the influence of the words of l'evelation upon the human heart. These words- L 11.EvEAL CHABAOTEB. " Some believed, and some believed not," is the consequence alwa.ys following upon the faithful preaching of the truth. "It is a hard saying; who can hear it?" How instantaneous were the results in this way attendant on the proclamations of Biblical prophets and preachers I 'l'hey addressed the conscience, the affection, and the will, and pressed for a verdict and pracUcal following up of opinion in action. Much more is this the case with the gospel, because of its deeper and more 011. VI. 1-30.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. 157