Vers. 4, 5.-How the kingdom of heaven is to be taken. "Prepare ye war," etc. It is lawful to learn from the children of this generation, who are wiser in their affairs than the children of light. Therefore, from the wa.y in which the enemies of J uda.h should assail her, we may learn how the kingdom of heaven is to be won. There is- I. THE RECOG?-,TION OF THE REALITY OF THE STRUGGLE, "Prepare ye war," etc. II. CASTING ASIDE OF ALL SUGGESTIONS OF EA.SE. " Let us go up at noon;" the burning heat did not matter. III. IMPATIENCE OF HINDRANCES. "Woe unto us! for the day," etc. IV, RESOLVE TO ENCOUNTER ANY AND EVERY PERIL RA.THEIi. THAN BE PUT BACK FROl! TIIEm ENTERPRISE. "Let us go up by night." V, DETERMINATION NOT TO REST TILL THE POWER OF THE FOE DE UTTERLY DESTROYED. " Let us destroy her palaces," etc.-C.
Ver. 6.-The real director of human affairs. "For thus hath the Lord of hosts said, Hew ye down trees," etc. Nothing could seem a more purely human affair than the invasion of Judah and Jerusalem by the armies of Babylon. Its motives, methods, means, results, were all just such as were perfectly comprehensible and according to the manners of that age and the peoples concerned. One event followed another in natural sequence, e.nd was fully explained, so men would say, by what went before. Aud so in reference to e. still more notable event-the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. To the eye of an ordinary historian, the.t supreme event was brought a.bout in altogether a common and ordinary way. But e.s concerning that event, so concerning this of which Jeremiah tells, it is distinctly declared that God was overruling and directing all that took place. Not that God was the author of the wickedness which seemed triumphant in these events-especially in the "wicked hands" by which our Lord was'' crucified and slain." No, but just as, when e. fire hos broken forth and is threatening to devour and destroy on all hands, wise and skilful firemen, when they ce.nnot quench it, will contrive to lead it in a given direction, will order the path it shall take as seems to them best, so God, when he sees tbe raging fire of wickedness has broken forth, guides e.nd orders the path it shall take, the work it shall dL,. Wickedness is never attributable to God, but the development and form it shall assume are so. Hence in the ~xt, the Lord of hosts is represented as the real Com- mander of the armies that were to invade Judah and Jerusalem; it was his orders they were in fact obeying, though nothing was further from their thoughts than this. And so we arc taught that God is behind all human affairs, ordering and directing them according to his will. "There's a divinity llmt shapes our ,ends, Rough-hew them how we will." 164 THE BOOK OF 'l'HE PROPHET JEREMIAH. [cu. v1. 1-30,