The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 272

HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-5.-Tlie folly of paganism. I. THE FOLLY OF PAGANISM PUOVES Tm: WEAKNESS OF SUPERSTITIOUS FE.utB. The Jews were tempted to fear astrological port.cnts (ver. 2) and idol-powers (ver. 5). Yet a little reflection was enough to show that those things were impotent for harm. 'l'he lowest religion is a product of fear. Superstition finds converts where rational faith fails. 'l'he trouble thus resultiarr from the weakness of men can only bo dissipated by boldly confronting the source ir terror and thoroughly examining it. II. 'l'HE FOLLY OF PAGANISM REVEALS TIIE MISTAKE OF YIELDING TO ITS FASCI• NATIONS. For this miserable inanity the Jews were abandoning the God of heaven and earth! Religion should be accepted, not for its attractiveness, but for its truth. It must be a reality or it will be a snare. Yet how many are led to adopt systems of religion without any r.egard to the truth of the ideas they contain, but simply out of liking for their ritual, emotional sympathy for their poetry, or even mere love of the musical accompaniments of the worship connected with them I !II. THE FOLLY OF PAGANISM IS AN EVIDENCE IN FAVOUR OF THE TRUTH OF THE RELIGION OF THE BIBLE, The reason and imagination of men in all ages, in all climes, in all degrees of civilization, have been set to the task of inventing religions (con- sciously sometimes, but for the most part unconsciously and therefore the more genuinely), and the result in all cases is far inferior to Christianity. A mere com- parison of religions should lead us to prefer this, and a simple conclusion from such a comparison is that this must be of Divine origin. Vers. 6, 7.-The incomparable greatness of God. I. Gon 1s GREAT. This simple item or the Mohammedan's creed must be accepted with equal reverence by the Chri~tian, though it forms but one part of his conception of the.Divine nature. There is danger lest wo should regard the goodness or God in such a way as to detract from his majesty. Truly considered, it enhances the supreme glory or God's greatness. God is great in power, in wisdom, in resources, in essential being. God is also great in character, in purpose, in the just and good principles of his actions. The worship of a God of mere power is the cringing of a slave, and has no spiritual value, but rather degrades the devotee by destroying independence or conscience and moral courage. It would be our duty to resist a being or infinite power if that power were not used righteously, for such o. being would not be God, but an infinite demon; and though resistance were hopeless, it would be better to be a martyr to conscience than the degraded minion of an unrighteous despotism. But God is worthy of o.11 worship because his greatness of power reposes on greatness of character. II. THE GREATNESS OF GoD 1s INCOMPARADLE. The Jews were led to see that their God was not one among many deities, not even the supreme God, the Zeus of a pantheon of lesser divinities, but the only God, and out of all comparison with all other beings. God is infinite. You cannot compare the infinite with anything finite. The greatest existence which has any limit is as far from tho infinite ns the smallest. '!'his is as much larger than a world e.s it is larger than a grain of sand. The being of God is entirely distinct from all other orders of being-vastly greater than the universe of them-in its fulness incomparable to any. Yet: 1. God, being infinite, contains in himself all possibilities of being, and therefore all may see their ideal perfection in him though he transcends all (Heb. ii. 10). 2. God has made man in his own image, and in his power of thought, freedom of will, and moral conscience, man has characteristics like the Divine in kind, though incomparable with that in degree (G,m. i. 26). Christ is the "express Image of his substance" (Ileb. i. 3), "but only so because in him d welleth nil the fulness of the Godhead bodily " (Col. ii. 9). Ill. THE INCOMPARABLE GREATNESS OF Goo SHOULD MOVE ALL MEN TO FEAR BEFORE HIM. All should fear because: 1. Ho is too great to bo concerned with a few; all nations, all mankind, are equally under his sway. 2. He is infinitely above the greatest, so that kings and wise me_n, per~ons of tho highest rank and of the moRt _pro- found genius, aro as much below him as ~f _they were beggars a~d fools. 3. He 1s _so vast in being, power, and character, that 1t '' ".O mark of noble mdepondence to resist  272 THE DOOK OF 'l'HE PROPHET JEREMIAH. [oH. x.1-25,