II. But there is a satisfaction which is greatly to be desired. 1. That of trust, which prevents all murmuring at the dispensations of God, and which says, " 1 will trust, and not be afraid." 2. That of meekness, which says, " It is the Lord ; let him do what seemeth good in his sight." 3. That of belief in God's promises in Christ. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God." 4. That of experience — the consciousness that God is carrying on his work within us, deepeiung the hoM of that which is good, loosening more and more the power of that which is eviL Conscious- ness of growth in grace. But none of these, precious as they are, come up to what is meant here. For it tells us that —
III. There is a satisfaction better than all these. It is that of the realization of the promises of Qod. This, not now, but hereafter. In all the kingdom of nature where God has implanted any hunger, he has made provision for its supply. Is the soul of man to bo the solitary exception ? The seeds obtain their full development ere they die ; but not one single soul that God has created ever does so. We cannot be satisfied with either what we know or attain to here. What satisfaction we have is all based on the conviction that we know not, see not, possess not, now ; we shall here- after. See to it, that we be in the road that leadeth to that realization. ** I am the Way," said Jesus. — 0.
Vers. 15 — 17. — Strong consolation. In this touching passage let ns note— I. The scene. The exiles, with bowed heads and many tears, are being hurried away from their beloved land. Pierce soldiery urge them on. The smuking ruins of their towns, cities, homes, and, above all, of the greatly beloved city of God, Jerusalem, are behind them. A wail of distress goes up from these broken-hearted captives as they stand on the frontier hills of their land, and have to say farewell to it for ever. The whole scene rose up vividly before the prophet, and he seems to see the spirit of Rachel, the genius of their nation, the mother of the tribes on whose border-land the exiles are now standing. She hovers over the sad-hearted company, her face wet with uncon- trollable tears, and her lamentations for her poor lost children heard incessantly. She has arisen from her tomb, which was hard by Ramah, and ic bewailing the misery of her childrea.
M THE BOOK OP THE PROPHET JEREMIAH, [ch. xxxi. 1— 4C
IL The sorrow. It is that of parents for their children. How intense this sorrovi l> 1 Rachel refuses to be comforted, because her children are not. It is greater than the sorrow of the cliildren. In God's blessed ordering of things, children rarely grieve deeply. They soon fuigot, us tliey oui;lit to do. It is not they that fjrieve, Imt thiii parents for them. And if tlit parents' grief be griater than that of the children, it is greater still than that which the patents feel for themselves. It mnttets little what becomes of them : it is the children for whom they care. What a holy thing this love of parents isl It is by me,ins of this, appealing to it, that "out of the mouths oi babes," etc. And hnw fre'juent, in this weary world of ours! We know how the dce\' distress of those motlicrs whose little ones Herod slew recalled the sorrow told of here. The words of the prophet find plentiful application. Not on one ground alone, but un many, parents often have to mourn for thoir children. But for the people of God thcrt is ever —
III. Rich consolation. 1. Is the sorrow, as here, that which is caused ly the sight oj sore calamity cominc/ upon our children which we cannot ward offi Oh, hnw many a father, as he looks around the circle of his cliildren, seems to see a black spectre of care hovering over every one of those curly heads ! and the vision sends a chill into his very soul. Their mother is to die, the means of their support is failing, disease has already fastened on some of them; trouble manifold is appointed for them. Their foes are many, their friends few. Now, to all such parents this word of consolation is sent. It tells us how God will care fur them if we cannot. His love will never fail, and there is hope for them. Life, after all, will not be to them what we think. anxious fathers and mothers — and what a crowd of you there are ! — trust the God of Israel for your children. 2. Or is it the sorrow that comes from having prodigal children t This is a sorrow worse still. But art thou, parent, a believer in Gud? dost thou seek him evermore in fervent prayer? Then be assured that he who caused that the prodigal of whom our Saviour tells should " come to himself," will do the like for thine. Nevir believe that the seed of the godly, for whom earnest prayer is offsred, can be ultimately loi"*-. 3. Or is it that you have been bereaved of your children t So was it with the mothers at Bethlehem, to whose sorrow St. Matthew applies these wurds. The salvation of children is as certain as the existence of God himself. To think otherwise would be to render impossible all hope, trust, and love towards God. "Of such is the kingdom of heaven;" "Their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven ; " " It is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." True, heartless because childless priests have taught that there is a K»»J«« tn/antem— a children's hell. Good God 1 that any should believe it I And yet in many disiricts still the children who die unbaptized are refused Christian burial. But we turn from theologians to God's Word, and clasp the precious promise of these verses to our hearts, as, thank God, we are altogether warranted in doing. Let, then, all to whom God has given children trust him for them — for their budies' and their souls' welfare, for their well-being in the life that now is and in that which is to come, whilst you continue to bow your knees to " the God and Father ... in whom every faujiiy in heaven and earth is named." — C.
Vers. 18, 19. — Bemoaning on^'s self. The very word suggests sorrow, weariness, distress. And all the more when the reason of such bemoaning is not something external to ourselves, as when Rachel wept for her children, but something in ourselves, when we are the cause of our own distress.
I. Inquire wherefore this bemoaning. 1. That he had called down upon himseli I he chastisements of God. 2. That these chastisements had been ol no avaiL 3. Tiiut now it was made evident there was no hope of amendment in himself.
II. Comforting thoughts cokcebnisg this bemoaning. 1. The Lord surely heard ■ t. Cf. " There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." 2. There is no attempt to excuse or palliate his sin. 3. That it had led him to despair of help in himself. 4. That in his misery he seeks the Lord. 6. That it was and is the forerunner of genuine conversion.