question, shows how much be folt the attacks made upon him. It would be too much to say that he did not expostulate with his enemies upon their injustice; but evidently his great resort was to the God who had sent him. If men perversely attributed to him daring imposture and bitter rnalignity,!he could do nothing but fall back on God's know- ledge of his course and motives. Four points are noticeable. J. HIS OFFICE AS A PROPHET WAS NOT THE RESULT OF DISCONTENT WITH A P~Eyious occuPATI~N. He had not hastened from being a shepherd. He was perfectly w1llrng to have contrnued as a shepherd at Anatboth. It was not he who, looking out on the larger world, bad wished to become conspicuous on a busier scene. He left his sheep because God bad called him, as he oalled Moses, David, and Amos. It is true that, if a prophet would do his work ex animo, be must choose it; but first of all he must be chosen. It must be made perfectly plain to him, in a sober, wakeful moment, when all the faculties of life are collected, that he, and not some other person, was called to this work; to this work, and not to some other work. 'l'he office of a prophet, with all its toils, sufferings, perils, and temptations, was assuredly not an office to be grasped at. It needed that one should count the cost. We are not told much of the earlier history of the prophets, but some of them, at least, must have known long periods of discipline. For Jeremiah to say that he bad not hastened to be a prophet really means that be bad gone into the work with great deliberation, slowly and steadily following where God slowly and steadily walked before him. There is no haste in God's dealings, though in crises there may be suddenness and rapidity of action; and therefore there can be no haste with those who are the instruments and messengers of God's dealings. 11. TliE REPUDUTION OF EVERYTHING LIKE PERSONAL MALIGNITY. He was COTT,- pelled to speak of a calamitous day, but he spoke as one whose inexpressibly painful duty it is to break bad news. Moreover, it was bad news which concerned him as much as every other member of the nation. He- was not a mere outsider, looking on with pity at events which did not concern him individually. The calamities of his natil•e land, although be might be free from their worst effects, could not leave him altogether unsmitten. Doubtless there were moments when he, like Paul, could have wished himself accursed for his bretbren's sake. His feelings when be had to speak of impend- ing calamities would be of the same kind (not, of course, so pure and intense) as thoso which Jesus bad when be apostrophized Jerusalem, rushing to its falJ, and careless about the things which made for its peace. Terrible truth may be spoken very tenderly and beseechingly. Juries find verdicts condemning to death, and judges pass the corre- sponding sentences, which they would all of them gladly escape if fidelity to truth and duty left an open way. That tenderness which shirks duty becaus~ of present pain and difficulty, often proves in the end to be the worst of cruelty. III. THE WORDS OF THE PROPHECIES ABE EXPRESSLY ATTRIBUTED TO GOD. It is a natural course to hold a man responsible for all that comes from his lips. 'l'he prophet could not escape this responsibility. It was not his to complain that his auditors challenged him as the constructor of these unpalatable spee.ches. If they looked to him, he in turn did the wise thing, tbe only thing that could be done-he looked to God. He was able to do this because be had been faithful. He had not garbled or mutilated his message to make it more tolerable. He understood perfectly well what, nevertheless, many fail to understand, that truth depends, not on what men are able to understand, but on what God clearly reveals. 'l'he prophet was in no manner of doubt as to the authority by which he spoke. Looking back and reviewing his utterances, he was perfectly sure that he bad not confused his own thoughts with the commanded words of Jehovah. If what God reveals for us to speak, we speak; and if what he reveals for us to believe and act upon, we do believe and act upon; then with the utmost confidence we can go to him for support and defence. What could Jeremiah liave done in his extremity if he had not been conscious of his fidelity as a prophet of God? IV. Gon KNEW THE TRUTH OF ALL THAT THE PROPHET WAS ASSERTING. "Thou knowest." God knew bis servant's heart; knew the sincerity and simplicity of his service. It was of no use arguing with men. Either they were unable to discern how true and apposite were his words, or, discerning, they were not willing to make a corre~ponding acknowledgment. But where men were ignorant God had perfect tJH. xvll. i-2t] 'l.'HE BOOK OF 'fHE P.ROPHE'f JEREMIAH.
knowledge; where men were indifferent God showed the deepest interest. iHence the prophet could look to him confidently for continued support and ample vindication. Hightly considered, there is nothing revengeful or merely personal in ver. 18. We may well believe that the prophet's great anxiety was that the trnth of Jehovah should be l1onoured, even though it might be by terrible judgments upon despisers and unbe- lievers.-Y.