The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 455

orthodox sermon, or for any other reason than that God has borne in upon our souls the conviction that we must speak such words, we are likely to do but little good-indeed, harm rather than good. And let such servant of God who speaks as God bids him remember that, even when speaking thus, his words may fail in the effect designed and desired. "Lord, who hath believed our report," etc.? They did so here. But they will never entirely fail. God's promise is against that. Some will receive them. Some did even in Jeremiab's day. There was a faithfnl remnant. And the preacher will have delivered his own soul, and God's righteousness in the doom of the impeni• tent will be vindicated before all. May we be delivered from the necessity of declaring such doom as that which Jeremiah had to speak of; but if we have to, may we be taught of God, as he was, and have better success,-C. Ver. 14-ch. xx. 6.-The sin and punishment of Pa~hur. This man is to be dis- tinguished from him of the same name mentioned in eh. xxi. 1. The Pashur mentioned here was a priest, and one holding high office in the temple. After Jeremiah had de- livered his discourse at Tophet, he seems to have returned to the city and temple, and then to have spoken in substance the same predictions of woe. Whereupon Pasbur, with less patience than those who beard the prophet anu had seen his symbolic declaration of the coming ruin when he broke the earthen bottle at Tophet, falls upon him and smites him, and tortured him by putting him in what is called the stocks (see Expo- sition). 'l'hus- 1. HE CRUELLY PERSECUTED THE PROPHET OF Goo. It was sad that any one should do this. But yet more that it should be the act of a priest of God, and hokl- ing high position amongst the priests. What hope can there be of the people when their appointed leaders and those to whom they are wont to look up for instruction and example in what is good thus prostitute their office? Thus the "wicked husband- men beat" the servants who were sent to them (Matt. xx. 35). And it was the same order that ever opposed, and yet more fiercely, our Lord himself. The sanctity and authority attaching to the priest's office have ever been fatal to the integrity of unworthy holders of the office, and have caused that amongst tho most infamous of mankind not a few priests should be found. But- II. HE FAILED TO SECURE THE END HE HAD IN VIEW. Jeremiah was not silenced, but goaded, as it were, to declare yet more terrible judgments in which Pashur himself should be awfully involved (cf. Paul, "God shall smite thee," etc., Acts :u:iii. 3). The stout heart of a true servant of God is 11n anvil on which many hammers may fiercely smite, but it will wear them out long before they wear it out. Saul of Tarsus found that the persecution he had done so much to further in connection with Stephen only made mo.tters worse. 'l'he blood of th_e martyrs is the seed of the Church. And the reason is that o. faith for which men are willing to die convinces all beholders th[lt it must be exceedingly precious and well founded, and inspires them with an irresis- tible desire to know and possess it for themselves, or at least to know what it is. III. HE BROUGHT DOWN ON HIMSELF BORE JUDGMENT. Jeremiah declares to him that the Lord "has changed his name to Magor-Missabib, for he will be given up a. prey to the torments of mortal anguish, bis friends shall be slain beforo his eyes, Judah carried away to Babylon, all its treasures plundered ; he himself shall witness all this and die and be buried in Babylon, "There thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies.'' 'l'hus, look where he would, he should see nothing but terror. Above -the anger of God; beneath-a dishonoured grave; around-calamity and woe on all near and dear to him, and of which he bad been largely the procuring cause; within-a conscience tormenting him day and night. It was an awful doom. "Let persecutors read it and tremble; tremble to repentance before they be made to tremble to their ruin."-C. Vars. 1-13.-The b1·eaking of the potter's vessel. I. 'l'HE PRELIMINARIES OF THE DBEAKING. Spectators of the proper sort needed to bo deliberately gathered together in the proper place. We may suppose that the elders of the people and of the priests were peculiarly responsible for all that concerned the safety of the city. This symbolic action was best performed before the select responsible few. As they went forth with the prophet they had time to ask _themselves what the meaning of this unusual summons 462 THE DOOK OF. THE PROPHE'l'. JEB.EMIAH. [cH, xix. 1-Hi.