The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 454

there is no appeal from his sentence, when the limit of his forbearance has been passed. 4. It wa,s disgraced by being cast into Tophet. A double purpose was thereby ex- pressed. The scene of idolatrous rites was to be disgraced by being made the burial- place of the slaughtered thousands of Jerusalem, as, on the other hand, such a burial and the necessity for it would be humiliating to the metropolis of the faith, III. THE ATTENDAl-'T CIRCUMSTANCES. 1. It wa,s done in presence of the repi·esen- tatives of the nation. "Take of the ancients [ elders] of the people, and of the ancientR of the priests." They were probably responsible for the national guilt, and by their personal and official influence might be able to avert the catastrophe. Those who influence a nation's life-kings, princes, statesmen, ministers of religion, authors, etc.-should be specially appealed to in cases of national sin. So the parent for the child. It is both respectful and just that such persons should be addressed in the first instance. But every man is responsible for his own sin. His intelligence and moral nature must, therefore, be addressed. 2. The language used was such as to recall the general penalties to be incurred by breaking the Law. (Deut. xxviii.) The fact was thus suggested that the judgment was wilfully and knowingly incurred. There is nothine1 new about the evils that come upon transgressing nations and individuals, or about their history. It is not for man to judge. God knows the reasons for his procedure, and the sinner himself is not ignorant. 3, The meaning of the breaking of the vessel is fully explained beforehand. This is ever the Divine order. There is "space for repentance" given even to the worst sinners. No man will go wholly unwarned into perdition. Nay, even the historic and so-called secular character of nations, institu- tions, and individuals is precious in God's eyes, and effort is constantly made to con- vert it into an influence of blessing. The sinner is offered the " means of grace " that be may become e. saint and a servant of the Most High. And it is only as he obsti- nately continues in his sin that the irrevocable judgment falls.-M. Vers. l-15.-Denunciations of doom. This chapter is filled with these awful warnings of the prophet. And they are made the more awful by the reflection that, fitted as they were to rouse ihe most careless and hardened, yet they failed with those to whom they were addressed. And so this sad chapter teaches us such lessons as these: 1. The earnest pwrpose of God to save man from his sin. Hence these warn- ings. 2. The awfully hardening power of the sin which could despise them. 3. What wise methods are to be employed in the endeavour to arouse and alarm the ungodly. On this we will dwell awhile. This chapter shows- I. THAT THOSE MOST LIKELY TO INFLUENCE THEM SHOULD BE SPECIALLY APPEALED TO. CL ver. 1, "Take of the ancients," etc. No doubt this was because of their influence over the people generally. If they could be won the rest would follow. II. WE SHOULD AVAIL OURSELVES OF ANY LO0ALITIEB LIKELY TO LEND FOB0E TO WHAT 1s BA.ID. '!'he prophet led forth his audience to "the valley of the son of Hinnom." It was the 'l'ophet, the Gehenne., the place haunted with memories of Divine wrath against idolatry, and whose ever-burning fire and gnawing worm sym- bolized the quenchless anger of God against it. With what added power, then, would the prophet's message come when spoken in such a place I III. Suen MODES OF ADDRESS SHOULD BE ADOPTED AS WOULD DE MOST LIKELY TO IMPRESS. 'l'he prophet was bidden take an earthen bottle, and, after he had solemnly denounced the doom of God against the idolatrous city, he was to dash the bottle on the ground and shatter it utterly, past all possibility of mending. By thiR dramatic aclion he was to declare the coming destruction of Judah and Jerusalem.· Thus vividly and powerfully to the minds of such as witnessed him would the awful truth he had to tell be impressed on their minds. But also in clear words and in full copious detail he set forth what was to come. Now, such symbolic action as that of the prophet might be of very little service to such as we speak to, however impressive to the Oriental mind, but it teaches us that whatever is likely to deepen the effect of our words upon men's minds we are to use, and fearlessly, as did the prophet, set forth the coming judgments of God. And most of all- lV. Ouu MESSAGE MUST DE GoD'B MESSAGE. God put into the prophet's mouth the words he was to speak and taught him how to speak them, and he obeyed, Here is the great essential. If denunciations of judgment be spoken simply as part of an OH. nx. 1-15.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. 4Gl