Vm. 10. — The irresistible wiU of God. I. The fact. The Jews were ready to believe that Egypt was a match for Babylon, and to hope that, through the conflict of these two powers they might regain their liberty. Even if they were justified in thinking so from a calculation of the material resources of these great empires, Jeie- miah reminded them that there were other coiisidt rations to be taken into account before the result could be predicted. It was the will of God that Babylon should conquer Jerusalem. Therefore, if the Chaldean army were reduced to a disorganized group of wounded men, Jerusalem would still succumb. The Jews had found that, while they were faithful to God, they were strong against hordes of enemies. They were to learn that when they had put themselves against God, the position was reversed, and the weakest foe could overthrow them. So it was true against them, as it had been on their side, that " a liitle one should chase a thousand." it has been the mistake of kings and of peoples to leave out of their calculations the chief factor of their history — to forget that God is ever working out his will through their cross purposes. Do we not make the same mistake in our private lives ? 1( God is almighty, it follows beyond question that he must accomplish what he purposes, though to us there seems no means of doing so, and though he neither reveals the means nor in most cases the end, working them out "deepiu unfathomable mines." Still, we know some things concerning God's will and the way he works it out ; e.g. he always wills what is just and good ; material events are largely beyond our control and under the influence of providence ; moral influences count for much in history, and these are directly affected by the spiritual relations of God with the minds of men.
II. The relation of this fact to fatalism and to necessarianism. 1. The relation of it to fatalism. It must be distinguished from mattrialiiitio fatalism, which denies all will in nature ; from pagan fatalism, which sets the decrees of the fates above the power of the gods; from Mohammedan fatalism, which .a.scribes every event to the will of God, but regards that will as the unfettered choice of an irresponsible despot. The irresistible power in providence as revealed in the Bible is a will, a Divine will, a holy will, that always works out purposes of justice, purity, and love. 2. The relation of this fact to necessarianism. If God's will is irresistible what room is there for our will ? Must not that be necessarily bound by his will ? This question arises from confusing two phases of the will of God. The phrase, " will of God," represents two things— (1) what God purposes to do himself, and (2) what he desires us to do. The first governs his actions, the second inspires his Law. Now, it is the first that is irresistible; the second is plainly resistible. All sin is nothing but man's rebellion against Gtod's will, i.e. God's will in the second sense — what he wishes us to do. This is really no contradiction to what we know of the first will of God — what he purposes to do himself — because in his almi.;hty will of action he chooses to give us free-will containing the power of resisting his Law. Still, God's will to act must harmonize with his will in his Law for our conduct. If we resist the second will, we riiall find ourselves in conflict with the first, against which all resistance is futile. TlMrefore true wisdom will lead us to do God's will where we are free in relation tc i^
124 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JERBMlAfl. [0=- xxxvn. 1—21
that we may find ourselves in agreement with Ood's will where opposition means only failure and ruin.
Vers. 11 — 21. — Jeremiah imprisoned as a traitor. L Thb oiboumbtances LBADHia TO THE IMPRISONMENT. Whatever interpretation we are to set on the ambiguous pas- sage which gives the reason for Jeremiah's attempt to leave Jerusalem (ver. 12) — whether it were to escape from the city, or to abandon a work that appeared to he fruitless for work in the country districts, or to take a possession at a redistribution of land in the sabbatical year, or to claim his share as a priest, — ^it is difficult to acquit him of all blame for allowing personal considerations to move him from what he ought to have known was his post. At the best, his conduct was open to mis- interpretation. Even when we mean no wrong it is our duty to avoid the appearancs of evil. Still, we must not be harsh in condemning the prophet. A servant of God has his natural human rights and the civil rights which he shares with his fellow- citizens. People are very unjust in charging good men with worldliness for exercising those ^l^hts, and in assuming that religious people are to be blamed for self-interested conduct which in itself is irreproachable and is acknowledged to be so amongst men under ordinary circumstances. We are not surprised, however, to find the prophet accused of treason. He had frequently advised submission to Babylon. It was now hastily assumed that he and his friends were about to secure their own escape from the horrors of a siege by basely deserting their fellow-citizens. The best men are liable to the vilest accusations. The world holds no man above suspicion. Christ was accused of a great crime. Therefore we should learn patience under similar inflictions, remem- bering that God knows all, and that it is far better to suffer imjustly than to be unpunished but guilty. We should also learn to avoid the mistake of the Jews. People are too much inclined to put the worst construction on a doubtful action. " Charity thinketh no evil."
II. The circumstances pollowinq the imprisonment. Jeremiah had been harshly treated — struck by the courtiers of Zedekiah and thrust into a dungeon. There God met him (ver. 17), as God repeatedly visited him, in prison. His life's work was not stayed by outward restraints. That must have been some consolation to the prophet. A devoted servant of God is more concerned about his mission than about his personal comfort. Apprehending a return of danger from the Chaldean army, the weak Zedekiah sent and consulted Jeremiah secretly. The prophet's reply was bold and clear (ver. 17). Never had he been more definite or more concise. What courage and fidelity to truth for a prisoner thus to address a kingl Having delivered his message, Jeremiah proceeded to plead his own cause. How many of us reverse the order, putting self-interest first and crowding other interests into the background! Jeremiah was favunrably heard by the king, and his condition considerably ameliorated. He did not suirer this time for his fidelity. It is fair to note that faithfulness does not always lead to iiiartyrdom. In the end it is always safer to be brave and true than to pla^ the coward's yMt.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHOEa Veri. 2, Z.—iVide ch. xxi, 1, 2.)— M.