18-26 being apparently ineerted by an after- Ver. 33.-The slain ot the Lord; i.e. those thought. The meesnge given to Jeremiah alain by the Lord, as Isa. !xvi. Hi, where his to deliver is the.t the judgment is both over- sword is further spoken of ns the ngent (see poweringly complete o.ml irrevereible. If on ver. 16). They shall not be lamented, God's own people ha.s not been spared, how etc.; parallel to eh. vii!. 2; xvi. 4. should o.ny other escape (comp. eh. xlix.12)? Ver. 34.-Wallow yourselves in the nshes. Ver. 29.-I will call for e. sword. It is Supply rather, in the dust (comp. Micah i. probably that awful sword referred to in 10), as more suitable to the figure (sec on ver. 16 (see note). eh. vi. 26). The shepherds, and tho prin- Vcrs. 30-33.-The judgment upon the cipal (or, noble ones) of the flock, arc, of world. course, merely different forms of expression Ver. 30.-Therefore prophesy thou, etc. for the rulers. The days of your slaughter Babylon, like the smaller kingdoms which and of your dispersions are accomplished ; it e.bsorbed, has fallen, and nothing re- rather, your days for being slaughtered are mains (for nothing he.d been revealed to the fulfillecl; and I will scatter you ( or, dash you prophet concerning e.n interval to elapse fo p?'.eces). This is the reading of e.n old previously) but to picture the great assize o.ncl. valuable manuscript o.t St. Petersburg, from which no flesh should be exempt. As and is partly favoured by the pointing-; it is the lion suddenly bursts, roaring, from his e.dopte,l by most modem critics, the form in lair, so Jehove.h, no longer the" good Shep- the text being ungrammatical. Pleasant; herd," shall roar from on high (comp. Amos or, precious (comp. Dan. xi. B, Authorized i. 2; Joel iii. 16) even upon his ha.bite.tion, Version). Com pare the figure in eh. xxii. 28. or rather, against his pasture, whero his Vers. 36, 37.-The prophet seems in his flock (eh. xxili. 1) bas been feeding so se- spirit to hear the le.mentation to which in curely. Ee shall give e. shout. It is the ver. 34 he summoned the "shepherds." A technica.J term used at once for the vintage- voioe of the ory should be, Hark I the cry shout and for the battle-cry. Jn Isa. xvi. 9, ( olnitting " shall be heard"); the clause is 10, there is a beautiful allusion to this double an exclamation. Ee.th spoiled; rather, is meaning, e.nd so perhaps the1·e is here spoiling (or, laying wcute). The peaceable (comp. eh. li. 14). he.bita.tions ; rather, the peace/Ill fields (or, Ver. 31.-A noise. The word is used pastures). Are out dowu; rather, are de- elsewhere for the tumultuous sound of o. stroyed ; literally, are brought to silence marching e.rmy (see Isa. xiii. 4; xvii. 12). (comp. eh. ix. 10). Ee will plead; re.ther, he toill holdjudgment. Ver. 38.-Close of the prophecy with 11, Jehovah's "contending" sometimes involveo fuller enunciation of the thought with which the notion of punishing, e.g. Ezek. xxxviii. the pe.rngro.ph was introduced. Ee hath 22; Isa. lxvi. 16. In 2 Chron, xxii. 8, the forsaken; comp. Hr. 30, e.nd notice the in1- so.me verb in the so.me coujugntion is forcibly pressive non-mention of the subject (as eh. rendered in the Autho1·ized Versioo, "to iv. 13, etc.). Their land; i.e. that of the execute judgment." shepherds, The fierceness ot the oppressor. Ver. 32.-A great whirlwind; ro.ther, a A various reading, supported by some manu- great storm (as eh. xxiii. 19). The ooe.sta of scripts, the Septuagint ancl. the Targ-urn, the earth; rather, the furthest parts of the and accepted by Ewaltl, Hitzig, and Grnf, earth. The storm, o.s it o.ppcars on the nnd is "the oppressing sword" (so eh. horizon, comes as it wero from the ends of xlvi. 1G; I. 16). The text rending is very the earth; perhaps, too, there is nn allusion difficult to defend, nnd the punctuation to tlie clisto.nt a.bode of the foe (comp. eh. itself is re111ly more ia favour of the v11ri11nt vi. 22). than of tho recoi vcd text.
HOMILETICS. Vers.1-7.-A melancholy review of twenty-three years of worlc. I. Tm: CTTARACTER OF THE WORKER. A three and twenty years' experience furnishes a good test of chnrnctcr. Sc long a time is quite sufficient to eliminato tho accidents of p11ssion nnd temporary enthusiasm, and to bring to light the general principles of a man's conduct. 'l'heso con- stitute his character; they reveal the true features of him. We should not judge I\ man by his latest action, perhaps a hasty and quito uncharacteristic one; to bo fair, not to say charitable, we should consider the whole course of his lifo. To know our- selves we must look back on the years of our lives, and not pass o. superficial judgment on our present mood. The character of Jeremiah, revealed by the test of twenty-three years of work under the most harassing circumstances, is worth our reverent study. Consider the salient points in it : 1. Fidelity. All this time he was working as God's 55! THE IlOOK OF THE l'ROPHE'l' JEREi\IIAII. [cu. xxv. 1-38.