bored and practised, though of course not to the exclusion of new troths. The New Testament docs not abolish but perfects the spiritual truth of the old. It contains that and more, IV. 'fHE BREACH OF THE COVENANT. The people are accused of disobeying the precepts of the covenant (ver. 8). Disobedience involved both the loss of the promised blessings and the execution of the threatened curses. They who accept special privileges incur special obligations. 'l'hey who enter into a Divine covenant will be judged by the terms of that covenant. Christians will be judged, not simply by the common law of righteousness in conscience and nature, but by the special requirements of the New Testament, i.e. of the covenant of Christianity. Vera. 11-13.-IdoTatry C071founded. I. TROUBLE IS A TOUCHSTONE FOR RELIGIOUS TRUTH. The idolatry that is played with in prosperity is found to be useless in adversity. 'fhe Jews had regarded mere stocks and stones as their gods. .But in the season of real distress they turn from these and cry to tl:.e true God to arise and sa vc them. 1. The ground of confidence which gives way in the hour of need is worse than useless; it is treacherous and ruinous, and the discovery of its true character confounds those who have relied on it. A religion which will not stand the test of trouble is a mockery. 2. Trouble reveals the vanity of an insincere faith. In trouble we need the true, the real; all false religiousness, all playing at devotion, breaks down then. If our religion has been vain and ill founded, we are then discovered and made to be ashamed, "like a thief when he is found" (eh. ii. 26). 3. There is a deep instinct which cries out for the true God in the hour of distress. Old memories then revive, scouted faiths reassert themselves, the first cry of the child to his Parent breaks out again involun- tarily, and the godless man in his agony groans," 0 my God!" II. IF WE HAVE FORSAKEN Goo m PROSPERITY WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO EXPECT HIM TO SAVE us m ADVERSITY. Tbo religion which we accept in our general life is that to which we should justly look in our hours of need. Here is the natural irony of religion. A man is punished by being left to the protection of the creed of his own choice. It must always be remembered, indeed, that whenever we truly repent and seek God spiritually he will receive and save us (Hos. vi. 1), Ilut tho mere cry for God's help in distress is not repentance, nor is it a spiritual return to God. It is II selfish utterance, and may be made whilo the heart is still far from God, and the sins which drove us from him still unrepented of. It would be neither just nor good for us that God should respond to so degraded and unspiritual a prayer. III. ALL GROUNDS OF RELIGIOUS CONFIDENCE EXCEPT FAITH m TIIE TRUE Gon PROVE FALSE AT THE TEST OF TROUBLE. 'l'his is the result of applying the touchstone of trouble; this is the lesson of bitter experience when men are left to cry to their false gods in the hour of need. 1. If there were any worth in these grounds of confidence it would be seen then. (1) They should answer to men's requirements, for men have made them to suit their own wishes. (2) They should bo sufficient in number for help. "According to the number of thy cities aro thy gods, 0 Judah." How many religion~ refuges have men made for themselves I Shall all these human inventions fail? (3) 'l'hey should be sufficiently various to afford the required help. Every city had it~ peculiar cult. 'fhe human notions of religion are infinitely various. Cannot a man find one to meet bis need out of the wbolo catalogue of creeds? 2. Experience furnishes tho answer to these questions, and shows the certain failure of all the creetls of human invention. 'l'bey must fail: (1) Because they are human. How can the gocl whom a man has made save him? (2) Because they are commonly materialistic- the stock and stone of the Hebrew idolatry find their counterparts in the materialistic philosophy and schemes of merely physical amelioration of modern men. (3) Because they are numerous, and therefore none of infinite value, but all limited in range. (4) Because they are reflections of our own thought, not higher influences to lead that thought. Every city had its god embodying the ideas of the city. Men have their separate creeds corresponding to their inclinations and prejudices. Such creeds afford no refuge when deeper questions open up in the dark night of distress.
Vers. 16, 11.-The olive struck by lightning. Under the image of an olive tree con- 1umed by lightnini fires the prophet portmys the dcvastatiou which will come upon 283 THE BOOK 01<' 'l'HE PROPHET JEREMLUI. [en. xt. 1-23,
Isrnel in spite of former prosperity. 'l'his is a type of the similar doom which may overtake the happy and prosperous. 1,. THE HAPPY PROSPERITY. 1. 'l'be olive tree was gi·een-;-perennially green, Pros- perity may be constant imd unbroken before t.he descent of Judgment, 2. It was fair. Prosperity may come with much honour and gladness. 3. It was f1-uitful. 'l'he life may abound in good to others. 4. It was planted by God, (Ver. 17.) All good comes from him, and it is a great good to be established in our way of life by God's will and hdp. Yet none of these good things sufficed to avert a terrible doom. Present pros- perity is no security against future adversity, The goodness of the past will be no safe- guard against the punishment of sins of later years. The long-tried, honoured, useful man who falls into sin at the end of his life must not delude himself into supposing that his earlier career will shield him from all trpublesome consequences. II. 'l'EE FEARFUL DEVASTATION, The green and fair and fruitful tree was struck in the thunderstorm, and its branches consumed with fire. 1. The devastation was from a.hove-by fire from heaven. Gcd who planted also destroyed. Punishment is sent by God. 2. It was sudden. The lightuiog flash is instantaneous. The ten-ible ruin of sin may fall in a moment. 3. It was irresistible, The tree is passive and helpless in the storm. Its very magnitude only invites the blow which will destroy it. 4. ·it was destructive. Fire conswned the branches. The fires of judgmont are consu1lling fire.s-- they burn to destroy (Matt. iii 12).