The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 487

of them is a crime of first magnitude in the sight of God. To ignore these truths is to act cruelly to the persons whom tho preacher deceives by his smooth words. II. THE OB.ARAOTER OF THE COURT 18 OF GREAT INTEREST TO THE NATION. As men, the king and his courtiers have a right to be dealt faithfully with by the preacher. But as persons in authority, their influence makes their condition of importance to all. The people are largely responsible for the condition of the court, since popular applause and popular censure always carry great weight there. Thus Jeremiah associates the people with the king in the address which is intended chiefly for the king. E,en under a constitutional government such as that of our own country, the court has immense influence especially in social circles, and it is of vital interest to us all that this influence should be pure and true and righteous. III. THE PROSPERITY OF A COUNTRY LARGELY DEPENDS UPON THE MORAL CHARACTER OF ITS GOVERNMENT. This great truth is one of the chief lessons to be derived from the Bible accounts of the history of Israel. We commonly rely too much on physical resources, wealth, commerce, military power, etc. ; on political resources, legislative schemes, diplomatic complications, etc. We in England have yet to learn how much of our prosperity depends on honesty iu trade, fairnes~ in dealing with foreign nations and a high tone of political morality. To judge by some of our newspapers, it would seem that religion has no business with politics; that a county is glorified when her leaders stoop to underhand work that would disgrace the name of the most unscrupulous lawyer. The doom of Israel should warn us against this political atheism. Three ,luties are specially to be noted in the discourse of Jeremiah. 1. To execute judgment and righteousness; not only to pronounce just verdicts, but to carry out au active policy of justice. 2. To deliver the oppressed ; non-intervention may be cowardly and selfish when the weak claim our help. 3. Not to oppress the weak; this applies to nationalities as well as to individuals, and is a warning for our conduct with depen- dencies, and the native races with which we come in contact in the colonies. For righteousness in these respects the promised reward is, not a mere deliverance from approaching calamities, but glory, riches, triumph. Vere. 8, 9.-0n visiting the ruins of a city. What a picture we have here! Many nations passing by on the high-road between Egypt and the East struck with amaze- ment at the ruins of Jerusalem. Is not the sight of a city in ruins always a source of pathetic interest? As we wander nbout the silent streets of Pompeii the stillness of death is appalling by contrast with the tumult of pleasure nnd commerce which formerly thronged those once busy thoroughfares. Such a melancholy spectacle rouses thought and inquiry. Gibbon tells us that it was while seated among the ruins of the Capitol that he first thought of writing the history of the decline and fall of the city of Rome. The magnificent ruins of Carnac and of Persepolis naturally lead us to ask how prosperity and power came to pass away from Persia and Egypt. So must it have been in ancient times with tho ruins of Jernsa\em. Jeremiah warns the citizens that their city, now brilliant in splendour and prosperity, will soon astonish nil beholders with its overthrow. We have in the words of the prophet a question and an answer. I. THE QUESTION. (Ver. 8.) It is put by the heathen nations. These people who cannot understand the religion of Jerusalem can see clearly enough her ruin. Tho world has eyes for the shame of the Church in her overthrow, though none for her highest glory, that of the beauty of holiness. The question is asked by many nations. 'l'he spectacle is open to all, and so startling that many arc arrested by it. How true is this even in the case of individual men I If a Christian falls into sin and shame tho scandal rings through the world. 1. This question bears witness to the horrible doom of sin. The ruins are so extensive and so completely wrecked, that all who pass by are fascinated and appalled by the sight of them. If strangers are so struck, how must the children of the city feel? Well may they hang their harps on the willows, and sit them down in despair by the waters of Babylon. Yet thi:i temporal ruin of R city is slight compared with the spiritual ruin of a soul. 2. The question bears witness to the surprise that this calamity excited. (1) It was in contrast to former prosperity. We are too ready to see in prosperity the promise of its continuance. But no delusion can be greater. (2) It was in opposition to the boasts of the Jews. They had regarded their city as sacred and invulnllrablc. So the French under the empire were taught to 494 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JIBREMIAH. [cu. x.xn. 1-~0.