The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 191

abandoned (ver. 6). Men must repent of their own sins, their characteristic sins, thoir habitual sins. We arc too ready to renounce the sins which do not brlon" to us, and to pass over our most familiar sins unnoticed. 4. This must be thorough. "The Jews are to " throughly amend" their ways. A half-hearted repentance is a mockery. As well not flee from the City of Destruction at all as linger regretfully about its vicinity like Lot's wife, only to suffer a similar fate to hers. IV. THE ADMONITION. Tho Jews arc warned of the danger of a false ground of confidence (ver. 4), and threatened with approaching jndgment. 1. If we believe that men are in danger, that is afalse cha,i·ity which hides the danger out of consideration for feelings of mere temporary comfort. 2. There is an advantage in wing the minatory language of Scripture, though (1) with deep solemnity, (2) with sadness and kindliness of purpose, (3) without the amplification of imaginative sensationalism, (4) accom- panied by clear indications of the way of escape and encouragements for hope in following it. V. THE PROMISE. (Ver. 7.) Repentance is to be followed by forgiveness and the restoration of favour. God charges us with our sins, and threatens judgments, all in love that he may thus lead us to safety and blessedness. The most wicked men may find forgiveness and ultimate salvation if they will but repent and turn to God (ver. 6). Ver. 4.-The C<Y11jidenCI!- of superstition. I. CONFIDENT LANGUAGE 18 NO GUARANTEE FOR A SECURE FOlTh'DATION OF TRUijlT. The Jews are vehement in exclamation; but their words are boastful without ground. Frequent repetition is no evidence of the truth of a saying. Yet, though against all reason, and by mere force of urgency, how many convictions have been thus forced on the belief of mankind I Trite sayings are commonly accepted for true sayings. We do not think to test the genuineness of the old worn coin so much as that of the new coin. We naturally believe that with which we are familiar. Indeed, we may persuade ourselves to believe almost anything by simply dwelling upon the idea of it till this becomes inseparable from our consciousness. And all this without the slightest reason! !I. THE SUPERSTITION OF RELIGION JIIAY DE FOUND IN MEN WHO HAVE LOST THE SPIRITUALITY OF IT. The Jews neglected the spiritual worship, which was all that was really valuable in the temple service, but they clung to the idea that there must be a sanctity about the very walls of the temple which would make it a place of safely for those who took shelter within them. Superstition is the disease of religion. When spiritual holiness is gone, a sanctity is ascribed to material things. They who have no faith in God may have strnnge faith in charms and spells, like the Jews who, perhaps, thought to work a charm by the threefold iteration of their cry, "The temple of the Lord," etc. 111. No BEAL SECURITY CAN BE FOUND IN EXTERNAL THINGS. The temple building was no palladium to the bad men who sought refuge in it. It is vain to be near the Church if we are far from God. Religious ordinances, membership in a Church, official association with religion as priest, prophet, or ruiniRter, and the like outside affairs, contain no promise whatever of protection, and the man who shelters himself beneath the whole of them and does not seek spiritual shelter is as much exposed to tho temp!!st of judgmeot as if he stood out in the open plain of bare infidelity. IV. THE TRUE TEMPLE OF THE LORD IS THE HEART OF A GOOD MAN. God docs not dwell in temples made with hands. Earthly temples of stone may represent his dwelling, but they cannot bring him nearer to men nor confine his presonce within limits. But the soul of a good man is a real temple wherein God's Spirit truly abides and effecti,·ely operates (1 Car. vi. 19). Such a temple is safe from all harm. Thus we must seek safety, not by entering a temple, but by becoming a temple-not by securing the external protection of holy things while the heart and life aro unholy, but Ly receiving God within the heart and sanctifying the life to him. Ver. 13.-The voiCI!- unheeded. I. GoD IS EVER SPEAKING To ms cmLDREN. There rn a Divine voice speaking, not to favoured prophets in rare moments of spiritual eleia- tion, but to all men, that all who will may hear. This voice comes to us in many forms. 1. The voice of 11ature-the proclamation of the power and wisdom of God in tbe awful, silent speech of tho stars (Ps. xix. 3), and the gentler language which tel18 c11. VIL 1-34,] 'l'HE BOOK OF THE PilOPIIET JEREMIAH. 180