The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 169

faith (cf. Acts, passim). "Line upon line, lino upon line," is God's counsol to us in this matter. 11. To THE STUDENTS OF ms ,vono. To none more lhan to these is this charcre necessary, if they are to keep a living interest in God's Word. We come to be ~o familiar with the main themes, and the forms in which they are expressed that reading of the Dible comes to be a work in which no thought is aroused, or att~ntion arrested, and ;we weary of it terribly. Now, it is to the diligent searcher, who will "turn back his hand," go over his work again, and not be content with the truths "·bich lie only on the surface and which every eye can see,-to him shall there be rc,caled clusters of precious truths which he had never seen before, and the Word of God shnll yield to him what it yields only to searchers like himself. III. To THOSE ANXIOUS FOR THE FRUITS OF Goo's GRACE IN THEMSELVES. To true- ] ,carted believers it is often a cause of regTet that their fruits seem so few and so poor. How often the confession is made of this spiritual fruitlessness I But we need not, ou"ht not, to stay in complaints and confessions. "'l'um back thine hand," and search if th~re may not be more fruit found, and of a better kind. "In me is thy fruit found," says God and it may be we lia:re been looking in the wrong places and to wrong sources for that which we so earnestly desire to see. We may "go on unto perfection," for so bids us the 1\'ord of God. Our "whole body, soul, and spirit may be preserved blameless," and ,re may be " the sons of God without rebuke;" for Christ "is able [has power] to save to the uttermost," and therefore we may be" filled with all the fulness of God." So Clnistian brother," tum back thine hand as a grape-gatherer," and think not thou hast fathered all the fruits of the Spirit that may be borne by thee. Thou hast not. In conclusion, note how the subject tells of: 1. The worth of those objects which we search a[ter. The action of the grape-gatherer, in carefully going over the branch again, testifies to his sense of the value of that for which he searches. And so here in 1., II., III. 2. And what is yet left to be gathered will be more readily found because or the others that have been gathered. The solitary remaining clusters are seen more easily now that the others which hid them are cleared away. And he who desires to do more work for God, to know more of the truth of God, to bear more fruit unto God, shall find that his former work has been for his help, and on account thereof he is more sure of success. "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit;" therefore "tum back thine hand.11-C. Vcrs. 9-17.-The preacher'a bitter cry. Profound distress marks the prophet's utterances in this section. The lament over the incorrigible wickedness of men and his own baffled work is loud and long and bitter exceedingly (of. Christ's tears over Jerusalem; Paul's sorrow over his countrymen). I. Wru.T CAUSED THIS BITTER CRY? His perception of the judgment of God drawing nigh (vers. 9, 12, 15). The obstinacy of the people (vers.10, 16, 17). The hopelessness of reformation (ver. 13). .All were corrupt, and the prophets and priests were even leaders in sin (ver. 14). Even the Lord's voice had been despised (vcr.16). Now, when facts like these occur, the judgment of God threatening but those exposed to them obstinately refusing warning; and when those who should have warned them and been their guides in the ways of God are themselves godless, and the voice of God has been heard and deliberately despised, then, as the faithful servant of God sees this awful guilt and its sure, inevitable, and swift-approaching judgment,-then it is that a sense of uespair, a deep grief fills the soul, as well it may. II. WlliT 18 A PBEACllEI!. TO DO Ul-.'DED SUCll cmcUMSTANCES? The first thought is to turn away from the doomed people and to speak no more to them in God's Name. But it is better to take example from the prophet, who was verily as one of those servantR who, when those called to the prepared feast would not come, but "made light" of the gracious invitation, each saying, "I pray thee have me excused," weot out, at his lord's bidding, into the highways and the hedges and compelled them to come in. So did Jeremiah now (ver. 11). It grieved him to the heart that God's Word should be despised, and he became " full of the fury of the Lord 11 (of.eh. xx. 9). Hence be poured out his full heart upon young and old, men, women, and children, wherever he found opportunity of unburdening his soul on this great theme. Ho was inspired by God to do this, and the fact teaches us that prcacl,ing, which may seem to be of no use for the  en, VI. 1-30,] 'l'HE BOOK 01" THE PROI'HE'l' JEREMIAH. 16i