The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 495

eider the evils I am freed from. I had a sickly, crazy body, especially toward my latter end; wearisome days and nights were appointed me. What would I have given many times for an hour's rest? But now all this is at an end. I shall be no more sick, no more pained; my head shall now ache no more. And are you sorry for this? I had my share also of worldly losses and crosses in my worldly affairs. I had ono house burned over my head, and almost all that was in it, in a few minutes, and have had oth~r cares and troubles besides; but now farewell all such cares. .And are you sorry for this? You know that as long as I was able I was laborious in my particular calling. I never ate the bread of idleness, but of honest diligence; but now all that toil is over. I am got to bed, where I rest from my labours-from all my labours of that kind-never to return to them again. And will you grieve for this? A great deal of pains I have taken in travelling and attending upon holy ordinances, on sabbath days and on week-days, sometimes above and beyond my strength; but I am now where I have communion with God at the spring-head, without the conduit-pipes of ordi- nances. And will you grieve for this? You all of you have, and I doubt not some of you feel, a body of death. I am sure I did; and many a time it made me cry out, 'O wretched man that I am l' You know what I mean-the corrupt nature in the carnal mind, the sin that dwells in us, a proneness to evil, a backwardness to good; but death has eased me of that burden. When the health went out of the body that indwelling ein went out of the soul. 'l'here was an end of the leprosy that was in the walls. What all the praying and hearing, the sabbaths and sacraments, the care and watch- fulness, of forty years would not do, death has done at one blow. Weep not for me, then. I had daily grief in my heart for my own sins, for the sins of others, and for the afflictions of my friends, and for the troubles of the Church of God ; but now all tears, even those of godly sorrow, are wiped away from mine eyes. Therefore let none be in yours upon my account. .And, lastly, the bitterness of death is past with rue. I have shot the gulf; that last enemy, that son of .Anak, is vanquished, and I am triumph- ing. 'O Death, where is thy sting?' .And, therefore, weep not for me. But this is not all. If you consider the happiness I am entered into, that fair palace in which death was but a dark entry, you would not weep for me, but rejoice rather. Would you know where I a.m? I am at home in my Father's house, in the mansion prepared for me there. I a.m where I would be, where I have long and often desired to be; no longer on a stormy sea, but in a safe and quiet harbour. Would you know how it is with me? I am mnde perfect in holiness. Would you know what I am doing? I see God. I see him as he is; not as through a glass darkly, but face to face. I a.m in the sweet enjoyment of my blessed Redeemer, whom my soul loved and for whose sake I wa.s willing to pnrt with all. WoulJ you know what company I keep? Bless~d com- pany, better than the best on earth. Here are holy angels and the spirits of the just ma.de perfect. I am set down' with .Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God,' with blessed Paul, and Peter, and James, and John, and all the saints. And here I meet with many of my old acquaintance thnt I fasted and prayed with, who got before me hither. .And, lastly, will you consider that this is to continue? It is a garlanJ that never withers, a crown that fadeth not away." IV. STILL WE ARE TO CHOOSE LIFE, IF IT BE Goo's WILL. St. Paul did so; and we all, notwithstanding the blessed revelation of the gospel, desire life. .And it i~ I\ natural and lawful desire. God has placed us here; ho has visited us hero; he bas given us something to enjoy and something to do here. He expects us to value what he has bestowed. Christ did not desire that his disciples should be tnken out of the world, but only kept from its evil. Paul desired to abide in the flesh, even when he was ripe for glory, and they are the healthiest Chl'istians who in this mntter tread in his track. V. How, THEN, SHOULD THE TWO CONDITIONS OF LIFE AND DEATH BE REGARDED ny us? .Are we, as this verse implies, and as is the common way, to count death a great misfortune? Certainly not. The world does, but the believer in Christ should not, Then, on the other hand, should we count life a misfortune, and weep and moan over it? As certainly not. In morbid, unhealthy, and therefore unhappy moods (cf. eh. xx. 11-18), a man may long to die and to have done with the weary woefulness of his life. .And at such times-and they clo occur-he has felt some sort of sympathy with the ancient stoic, who said that" tho best gift the gods had given us in this lire was the 502 TUE DOOK OF THE PROPHE'l' JEREMIAH. [en. xxn. 1-30.