III. The dangers to which it is exposed. Notwithstanding all their profession, we can detect : 1. Signs of systematic neglect of Ood and religious ordinances. The expression " came near " suggests a previous habitual distance from Jehovah, They appear more anxious to conciliate the prophet tlian him whom he served. There is no confession of sin. Probably Jeremiah had been all but ignored up to that time. What a strange phrase, " the Lord thy God " 1 The prophet seeks gently to lead them to a better standing — " the Lord your God ; " which they seem to adopt. " To whom we send thee" still betrays the absence of filial love and intimacy. Their subsequent l)ohaviour showed that •' 2. They were unreal and hypocritical in their whole attitude.
in THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. [ioH. xui. 1—22.
They had made up their mind as to what was best for them to do, as the resort to th« " habitation of Chimham " already proved. With one foot in Canaan, as it were, and another out of it, they pretended to inquire of God. This is a very cnmmon practice, but it is one which not only robs prayer of its meaning and efficacy, but also brings upon the head of those who are guilty of it a grievous curse, as in this instance. A portion of their prayer was answered, but in a way they little expected : " The Lord b« a true and faithful witness between us." — M.
Vers. 19 — 22. — Carnal predispositiotis. I. Thbt are the great bources of UUREALITT m RELIGION. In Sending Jeremiah to God they did not mean what they said. There was no honest willingness to do as the prophet might reveal. The only hope /or them in their forlorn condition is thus tampered with and destroyfd. It is possible that at first they may have meant well, but as they proceeded with their inquiry through the propliet they must have known that they had only one intention, which they had not laid aside or even held in abeyance. Yet such is the subtlety of the hypocritical heart that it continues in its hypocrisy until it deceives itself. " They inquire not to learn what is right, but only to receive encouragement to do what thejr wish."
II. Those who indulge them are their own worst enemies. 1. They deceive and injure themselves. "Tedissenibledin your hearts "(ver. 20); liteTaUy, deceived yourselves; " used deceit against your souls " (margin). Thinking they were taking counsel of God, they were really obeying their fears and lusts. Can a greater wrong be done to one's self than this — to think one's self religious and obedient to the heavenly will when one is only selfish and sinful? Safety nnd happiness lay in following simply the Divine guidance ; but this they could not do, for they knew not God's message when it came. " Thinking themselves wise, they became fools." Their spiritual nature is henceforth unreliable, and their greatest perils will be encountered in their most religious hours, and when they think themselves most in agreement with God's will. 2. The curse of Qod is denounced against them. What they choose will be their destruction. The very things they sought to avoid by going to Egypt are met there. And there is no niiliigation ; the position is one wholly wrong, and consequently the wrath of God is unceasing until they cease to occupy it. To remain in Egypt, with its idolatries and abominations, was Tirtually to annul the covenant. Soon every trace of true religion would disappear, and they would become like their neighbours, and be absorhed into the nations in whom God had no pleasure. He cannot tolerate falsehood, pretension, the form of godliness without the reality. And this severity is true mercy. Many a one " plucked as a brand from the burning " has had reason to thank his Saviour that " the way ot trans- gressors is hard." " Let a man examine himself." " Be not deceived : God is not mocked,"— M.
Ver. 1— ch. xliii. 7.—D{ssemUing in prayer. This section may teach us much on this very seriou.s matter.
_ I. What it is to dissemble in prater. It is: 1. To pray in a deliberatdv con- tinued wnregeneracy of heart. The hearts of not a few of those Jews who now Bought Jeremiah's prayers were deliberately held in a condition of di.-obudience They had never really repented. How many such pray, hut their prayer is a dissembling ' 2. When allowing ourselves in forbidden, paths. The Jews had no business on that border-land. It was a yielding to temptation to go there. So when we come from sin to the throne of grace, and go thence to sin again, this is, etc. 3. When we are not setting ourselves to mortify our evil affections. The Jews here showed no real sincere intention to give up their own will and to obey God's. They would not have been on that border-land had such been the case. And so where there is no real striving against sin, this is, etc 4. When whilst we pray we regard iniquity in our heart. That is to purpose and intend it ; or to look upon it complacently and desiringly ' The Jews whilst praying t» know God's will, were all the while looking with strong desire after' what they knew was wrong. Like as when Balaam offered his many sacrifices his heart was all the while going after its covetousness. ' """''
II. What can lead men to be guilty or such dissembling? We should imafrinn they never could be; that the thing would be too outrageou*, wicked, and absuid for
CH. XLn. 1— 22.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. 177
any one to be guilty of. And yet there have been and are many such prayers. They may be pa: tly explained by : 1. The force of habit. The locomotive, illeft to itself, will run along the rails tor considerable time and distance, slowing and stopping only very gradually, though,the steam has been shut off the whole while. So those who have been wont to offer prayers will keep up the form and habit, though the heart be wanting. 2. They may be themselvet deceived. Their strong desire for God's sanction might lead them <o imagine they would gain it by their prayers. 3. l%ey would not break with Oo'l (^together, and they deem that they ean keep up their communications by such methods as these.
III. How PRAYERS ABK PROVED TO HAVE BEEN OF THIS EVIL OHABACTEB. 1. By
anger at their refusal. See how angry these Jews were. The state of mind witli which we come away from our prayers will show much the true nature of those prayers. 2. When we make them only through others. The Jews left it to Jeremiah. So now men leave to their ministers or friends the prayers they profess to value. 3. When they are followed by open and, defiant disobedience. So was it here (ch. zliii. 1 — 7). Nothinj; could more plainly have shown how hollow and insincere were theii- prayers. And so now, when men pray, and rise up and go and do worse than before, what can their prayers have been?