Ver. 17. — Buinfrom God. In the fifteenth and sixteenth verses we find strangers and enemies indulging in unseemly jubilation over the fall of Jerusalem. Now, we see — what they do not see — that the cause of that fall was the direct action of God. This fact aggravates the dismay and wretchedness of the suffering city, for it signifies that her own King and Friend has brought about her ruin — not outsiders and antagonists. God himself has handed her over to the contempt and derision of the world. At the same time, the sight of God's hand in the calamity reveals the folly of the world's triumph. How shallow and ignorant that appears to be directly the veil which covers the awful action of God is lifted I Man's spite and malice sink into insignificance before the awful wrath of God, as the growling of beasts of the forest is drowned in the dread roar of thunder. The triumph of man is also shown to be misplaced. Man has not done the deed. He is but a spectator. This is a dread work of God. Let human passion be hushed before the solemn sight.
I. God bbinqs buin. This is a terrible statement. Looking at the particulars of the action itself, we see only the more of its horrors as we observe : 1. God does it deliberately. He devises it — plans, considers, and calmly executes the ruin. 2. God does it in fulfilment of his Word. " In the days of old " the ruin is threatened. The storm is long in brewing. An ancient promise makes the coming of it certain. 3. God does it by authority. He "had commanded" it. With all the authority and power of divinity over innumerable agents bending in perfect compliance to his will, QoA executes his solemn threat. 4. He does it destructively. He throws down. This shows violence and hurt. 6. He does it, to all human appearance, pitilessly. There is nothing visible that might mitigate the blow. No acts of mercy are seen to alle- viate the misery. 6. He does it to the satisfaction of enemies. " He hath caused
24 THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAH. [oh. n. 1—22
thine enemy to rejoice over thee," etc. This is the most sure sign that the rain it
complete.
II. The pact that Gob brings ecin is not inconsistent with his chabaotkb. II appears to be so, for it represents the Creator as a destroyer, and the God of love as a God of enmity. The diflBcuIty should be examined. Then some light may break upon it.
1, The goodness of God makes him the enemy of all evil. He would cease to be good il he became universally complacent. As a righteous Judge he must condemn sin ; even the Son of man, the Saviour of the world, had a mission of destruction. He came with fan to winnow out the chaff, and fire to burn it ; he came to destroy the works of the devil.
2, Ood malees external ruin that he may produce internal salvation. He destroys the city that he may save the citizens. Jerusalem is overthrown in order that the Jews, through this chastisement, may be delivered from the ruin of their souls. So God breaks up a man's home and wrecks his hopes and flings him on the ash-heap of misery, in a merciful design to urge him to repentance and so to save the man himself. 3. Ood is more concerned viith the goodness than, with the pleasure of his creatv/re. He cer- tainly does not show the mild benevolence that characterizes some sanguine philan- thropists. A safe house and abundance of bread are not the greatest things to be preserved, because pleasure and comfort are not the first requisites of the soul. Pain and loss may be blessings if they lead to purity and obedience. It is well for this life's pleasure to be ruined if thereby the soul is saved fur life eternal.
Ver. 19. — A cry to Ood in the night watches. A fearful picture I Jenisalem is besieged. Famine is becoming fatal. Young children are seen fainting for hunger at the top of every street. The hearts of their parents are rent with anguish, as the little ones beg piteously of their mothers for food and drink (ver. 12), and none can be had, so that they swoon for very weakness. Suddenly a new turn is taken. The citizens have sunk down in sullen despair. Kight has come like a cloak to cover the scenes of misery and death. Then a voice rings through the darkness, " Arise, cry out" This voice bids all hearers pour out their hearts in prayer to God.
I. The cry is to God. Hitherto we have had nothing but doleful lamentations. The language has been that of hopeless grief and bitter regret. No relief has been found or even sought. But there is one refuge in the direst trouble, and now that refuge is remembered. When we can do nothing else we can cry to God, for he is near though hidden from view, and merciful though striking in wrath, and able to save though no way of escape seems possible. It needs some rousing of the soul thus to seek God. We must " Arise." Spiritual lethargy is the worst consequence of sorrow. Let U8 beware lest our troubles paralyze our prayers. Prayer implies spiritual wake- fulness.
II. The CRT is in the ntoht. 1. The time when trouble seens most hopeless. It is in the night that the mourner weeps his most bitter tears. 2. The time of reflection. In lonely night watches the troubled soul has time for thought, and thought is then pain,
3, 2^e time of earthly darkness. Then, perhaps, the spirit may feel most closely the nearness of the Father of spirits. The cry is to be in the beginning of the watches — either at the first watch or at the opening of each of the three watches. Let prayer come first. Let us not waste time in lamenting before we seek relief from God.
III. I'^E CRT IS heartfelt AND CONFIDENTIAL. " Pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord." 1. It comes from the heart. All real prayer must be the outcome of true and deep feelings. 2. It is a full and free confidence in Ood. The heart is poured out like water. This is in itself a relief. God expects our complete con- fidence and will hear prayer only when we give it to him. 3. It is no more than the pouring out of the heart hefore Ood. There is no definite request. Perhaps it is diffi- cult to know how to ask for relief. Perhaps the grief is too overwhelming for any such thoughts of aid to be entertained. But it is enough that the whole trouble is poured out before God and left with him. Prayer is too often a dictating to God. It should be more of a simple confidence in God. It would be better if there were more con- fession and confidence, and less exact petition and definition of what God is to do in order to please us. We are to pour out our hearts and leave all with him. Then he will do the best for us. 4. In deep trouble heartfelt prayer is v>rung out of the sufferer. Then he must be real. Sorrow melts the stony heart which has held itself in proud
CH. II. 1—22.] THE LAMENTATIONS OP JEREMIAH. 25
reserve, and thus it pours out itself like water. We have the example of Christ, whose agony passed into prayer, to urge us to find the relief of confiding fully in Gkxl.