II. Its CONTRASTS. 1. The old co\ena,ntTe\a,teA to the possession ^ an earthly inJteri- lance, the new to the attainment of a spiritual character. The one was of earth, the other of heaven. The one held before Israel the winning and keeping of the promised land ; the other, the possession of likeness to God. 2. The old covenant was chiefly charac- terized by external law ; the new, by the gift of the Spirit. 3. The old asked before it gave ; the new gave before it asked. True, there was the promise made to Abraham, but Israel could not enter into it unless they kept the commandments of God. But in the new covenant God does not ask for holiness till he has given the Holy Spirit, until he has put his Law in our inward parts, and written it upon our hearts. As when he bade the palsied rise and walk, he did not ask before he gave ; lor along with the command went the power to obey. And this power resides in the influence of the love of Christ upon the beln ving soul. It is at the cross of Christ that the writing of the Law upon the heart most ot all takes place. Regeneration is ia connection, inseparable connection, with the cross. Do any ask —
III. The kbabon of the old covenant, notwithstanddtg it so peepetdallt FAILED ? It was necessary to show the hopelessness of all covenants of works. Twice had the experiment been tried; with our first parents, Adam and Eve, in the garden of Eden ; then under the most advantageous circumstances such covenant was tried and failed again with Israel.
IV. The superioeity of the new. It is manifold and manifest — in its nobler aim, in its universality, in its nobler result in character, in its surer foundation, in its light and easy yoke, etc.
Conclusion. Do any say, " I have not yet experienced the blessings of this new covenant " ? Remember the Law is not written ail at once, and that we must seek the Lord's help. It is his work. — 0.
Vers. 31 — 33. — Oreai encouragements for those returning to Ood. It is sad enough that there should be any going away from God so as to require a return. It is better never to have gone away from him than to return after such departure. Better be the son to whom the Father says, " Thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine," than the one who came back in misery and shame, notwithstanding all the compas- sionate love wherewith he was welcomed. Let all young children, and they who have the training of them, remember this ; and all young converts to Christ. The same grace that forgives the going away, when in pen'tence the wanderer comes back, is ready to prevent any such going away at all. A id this preventive grace is what we
•'H. XXXI. 1—40.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHKT JEREMIAH. S>
should fill desire and seek. But the sad fact is that vast numbers have wandered from [Jod. How few can leave themselves out of the prophet's confession, "All we like jheep have gone astray, we have turned aside every one to his own way " ! In this emergency the question arises as to what is to be done. If God were at once to inflict vengemce on the transgressor, or, which would amount to the same thing, if the wanilerer were allowed to go on in his own way, none could complain or say that God did aught that was unjust. But instead of that, he mercifully causes that the way of the transgressor should be hard ; he makes it grievous unto him, to the eud that he may weary of it and long for the good ways he has left. And by-and-by he will and does, and it is here at this point the blessed promise of these verses meets him for his great encouragement. He has fouad out how bitter and evil a thing it is to sin against the Lord, how full of folly and madness his conduct has been, and In deep humility and contrition he is returning " with his whole heart." But such as thus return are full of self-distrust and deep fear lest they should wander off again and fall once more. They have been beguiled before and led to doubt God's Word. Now, these verses pro- mise that the three great avenues by means of which unbelief, the fountain sin of all sin, enters the man, shall each one be securely guarded against such entrance for the future. The verse contains three distinct promises. Note how such safegaard is secured by —
L The FIRST PROMISE. "I will put my Law in their inward parts," etc. (ver. 33). Now, the avenue that this guarded was that of the understanding. The people to whom the prophet wrote had been sorely tempted to question whether, after all, God was the Lord — that is, was the supreme Buler and Disposer of all events ; for had they not seen how other nations who acknowUdged him not had risen up and prospered, whilst his own faithful people had often been in sore straits? (Cf. homily on Idolatry, oh. x. 1 — 17, vol. i. p. 275.) There was very much to be said in favour of the gods of other nations, and very much was said. And when all this was encouraged and secretly seconded by the lurking likings of their lower nature, what wonder if their under- standings in regard to this great question were sometimes bewildered? We can see how unbelief would find occasion to enter in in force through such bewildered and doubting minds. And perhaps never can the question be settled by the intellect alone. God does not reveal himself in all his infinitude to that part of our nature. It is the hewt which must know " that he is the Lord." But this promise is for this very thing. Such a heart shall be given. The rational conclusions of the understanding shall be supported by the mighty force of the heart's intuitions, and the two combined will for ever render utterly impossible all doubt whether God be the Lord. The peace of God keeps the heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Phil. iv.). If we have not heart-knowledge of God, that of the intellect alone will be likely to fall away and leave us with no knowledge of God at alL How blessed, then, cann(jt but be this promise to all those who, because they have lacked such knowledge hitherto, have sinned and brought ou themselves such distress, but who now are returning to God with their whole heart 1 It is a mighty encouragement indeed.