THE PAST. The ways of Zion mourned now, but the very fact that such a thing should be said showed that they had once been filled with rejoicing. The gates had been crowded with worshippers from every district of the land. Zion was glorified as the site of the temple, and the temple was glorified as holding within its imposing walls the ark of the covenant. Zion was the city of soiemnities. Things were done there not according to will-worship or mere Immemorial tradition, but according to Jehovah's definite instructions given in the wilderness through Moses centuries before. Praise continually waited for God in Zion. Jehovah loved the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. There was no day without its morning and evening sacrifice, and every sabbath and new moon brought their peculiar additions. Nor must we forget the Feast of the Passover, of the firstfruits, of the Pentecost, and the great feast of the seventh month. If as nothing more than times of mirth and relaxation, these would play a large part in the life of the people, and true prophets and whosoever among the priests had deep reverence for Glod would get much strength out of these services, finding in them, according to the measure of their faith, zeal, and diligence, constant means of grace.
II. The pecitllab humiliation or Zion in the peesbnt. The thought of Zion probably carried to the Israelite more associations than did the thought of any other place. The great periodic assemblies at Zion manifested the history, the privileges, the strength, the unity, of the nation. There may have been intervals of comparative neglect, but we know that in the time of Hezekiah there was a great keeping of the Passover. Thus, so far as outward observances were concerned, the machinery of Divine service must have been in good working order. But it is also very evident that the nation at large got no real good out of the numerous and elaborate rites which Jehovah had commanded. We may quote words of Hosea which, while they show the prominent position occupied by Zion in the national life, also explun the reason why God brought such desolation to Zion. " I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast-days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts" (Hos. ii. 11). Religion had been turned into mere merry-making. The house of prayer became a house of revelling. Jehovah had declared emphatically by his prophets that offerings had no value detached from righteousness and mercy. What wonder, then, that from condemning words he should advance to condemning deeds ? Forsaken Zion itself spoke as if with a prophetic voice. It was when they remembered Zion that the exiles in Babylon wept, and when their masters wanted from them a song of Zion they could only reply that it was not possible to sing Jehuvah's song in a strange land. There is warning in all this desolation of Zion as to how great discernment is needed to make sure that the elements of our worship are acceptable to God, edifying to ourselves, and not merely for self-pleasure.
III. We must not forget that bbiobteb days abe pbophebied fob Zion. The same old Zion was again crowded, but of this we must not make too much. Jesus himself had to say that the rebuilt house of his Father had become a house of merchandise aud even a den of thieves. There is the ideal Zion, part of the heavenly Jerusalem, where the holiest service will be the highest joy, where our religion will no longer be imperilled by formality, superstition, or superficiality. — Y.
Ver. 11. — The real need of the soul made manifest. I, Real need oan oni,t bb
made manifest by pbaotioal expebience. The greatest need of the natural life ip bread, taking the word "bread "as representative of all Ibod. Clothing and shelter, while they may indeed be reckoned as needs, are not needs after the same imperative fashion as food ; and every one, however easily his daily bread comes to him, will assent to this same general truth that food is the great need of natural life. But he will only really feel this in such circumstances as are indicated in this verse. For a long while these people of Jerusalem had found bread lying to their hands when they were hungry. They could buy it and have abundance of pleasant things beside. The feeling of theii
OH. Li— 22.] THE LAMENTATIONS OP JEREMIAH. 15
hearts was that they could not do without these pleasant things, and when at last they gave them up to keep body and soul together, it must have been with terrible pain they made the surrender. And what is true of breaii for the natural life is also true of the Bread coming down from heaven for the spiritual life. Christians, living in the midst of all manner of pleasant things of this world, with no lack of money to buy them and faculty to enjoy them, try to feel at the same time that more than all pleasant things are the gi'ace, the life, the wisdom, the overflowing fulness of the Spirit, which come from Christ. But all the testimony of believers proves that the pleasant things need to be withdrawn before it can be apprehended that Christ is emphatically the Bread. It is when we lose relish of nature's best contributions to our happiness that CSirist comes forward, confident as ever in his power to satisfy us,
II. ThB VAIUB OP TREASURES CAN ONLY BE KNOWN BY WHAT THE OWNBB 18 WHiUNQ
TO DO TO EETAnf THEM. All the pleasant things belonging to the community were already gone. The sanctuary had been desecrated and pillaged. Much private property had doubtless gone. But some the owners would be able to hide — jewels and such-lika wealth as went into small compass. Among these pleasant things would be family heir- looms, loving gifts, possessions with respect to which the receiver had said to the giver, " I will keep this thing till I die." But now the great pressure comes, and one pleasant thing after another goes for a few handfuls of corn. The soul is threatening to depart from the body and it must be turned back ; " for what shall it profit a man, if he gain tha whole world and lose his own soul ? " And now notice that there are treasures of the heart, such treasures as come from faith in Christ and fidelity to him, which are not given up even to preserve natural life. Multitudes have gone willingly to death that thereby they might testify to the truth as it is in Jesus. They have laid firm hold of his own word, " Whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it " (Matt. xvi. 25).— Y.