The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 433

III. 'l'HE EQUALLY SURE RESULT FROM CLEAVING TO Goo. '!'hough uot stated in so many words, it is cheeringly implied. that those cleaving to God have their names wl'itten whence they can never be erased.. For their names are indeed written, as it were, on the heart of God himself. He c&nnot either forget or forsake tuem. They arc ever remcmbere,l. in the wisdom of his thoughts and the rcsistless mo.vements of 'lis .rays. The best thing that can happen to us in purely human relations is to be written in the hearts of those who love us; when they remember us, not because it is their interest to do so, but out of an unselfisli fulness of desire for our welfare and happiness. But bow much better is it to be thus remembered by God, seeiiia that with him there abides a love inexpressibly deeper than any .huma,n affection"' and along with this love, a wisdom and powe~ with. ~hich •eveu_ the highest, human w'isdoU:. an-1 power are not for a moment to be mentioned 1-Y. • • • • Ver. 14.-He wlwm God lieal.s is really healed. I. TB:E CONSCIOUSNESS OF INDIVIDUA.L :t.'EED. The prayer is "heal me;" "deliver me." The prophet shows how deep and pressing is his own need by the use .of two figures.. He feels the need of somethinc+ being done intcrua1ly and externally. . Internally ..he is sick ·~t heart, wounded and bruised in spirit. He needs healing from the state of mind produced .through beina despised and r~ected by ~is feUow-countrymec. . Still w.ors~ i,s the gnawjng pain pro': duced '.1-s he ne~~ tbe wickedness of the )and and, taJrn~ k!;IO:Wlf;l_d_ge· .C?Cth~ s.t~adily advancrng calamit1ss. l3ut we cannot doubt tliat beyond all this there was the conscious- ness of his own hearfs pollution and unworthiness.. So far as natural constitution, and uatura1 tendencies were concerned, he who'spoke was no. better than those tci whoq1 he spoke. Thus, in trying to waken others from tbeir 1~thai-gy; he l)ecame 'more thoroughly wakened to his own state. The.word which God had put into his mouth was spokec, not on1y to the outside audience, but down .to .his own sinning and. ignorant heai-t. God cannot take for prophets and aposfles those who care little ubout their own spiritual need. Paul became a better apo!itle because he ~eckoned himself, in such sincerity, the chief of sinners. It ought to be no mar~el t!iat tbos1tto whom we speak are indifferent to their state, if we who speak to them areJargeiy indifferent to our own. II. THE YA...'>:ITY OF SEEKING ELSEWHERE THAN.TO Goo. 'l'h.e very confidence which Jeremiah expresses that, if only God heals him, be will be truly healed, seems to indicate that he had some experience of other modes of healing, si1ch as liad looked very promising at first, but 1iro.,ed utterly vain in the end. As a general rule,.wehave to be disa1lpointed in human :igencies of healing before we can be satisfied with the Divine one. .It cannot be said that the nature and depth of the disease are adequately discovered, until we discover, from experience, how vain. human resources are against it. W o may be able to mitigate symptoms, to deaden pain, to rouse i.nto a temporary cheerful- ness; but in the end the relapse is certain and more qonfi,rmed than ever. H was a great thing for the pro1ihet t!) be brought to feel, as he evidently was, that anywhere else he went would be with the probability of failure. With God there is not only. t,he certainty of success, that success is wi~h him alone. . , , III. THE PnoPIIET's CONFIDENCE .IN Gon AB A HEAL.ER. 'l'he way in which he expresses this confidence is most worthy of notice. His confidence is, not that God will ,, J something for him, but that whatever God does will bo adequate fqr the end i11 ,rnw. It is much to feel that one may count upon Divine sympathy and effort; it is ~till more to feel that whatever help God gives will rise to the intensity of the ueed. He who gives the spirit of conviction, working deep in the natµra,l heart and showing its diseased state and defiling, polluting activity, gives also the; spirit of a real healing. The great ground of appreheni;ion arises, not from the magnitqde of t~e spiritual disease, but from the indifference of the sufferer and. his i!ldispositio;n to submHh,is heart to God's searching, healing power. 'l'hc moment }VC a1·e willing to submit our- scl vcs to the great Physician, that moment the worst disease becomes a manageable and a virtually conquered thing. The .course of the healing process may be lomg, tedious, and painful; but what matter these, if the end bi) lJCrfcct healing. uud cver- lasLing health_?-Y. , Ver. 15.-" Where is the word of the Lord 1" • 1: T1;ui; PllETEXT. AND AIM OF THIS QUFB'l'ION. The prophet's subsequent comment on the questiou shows with what bitter Ott. xvu. l-2i.J THE BOOK OF THE PROPHE'r ,JEREMIAH.