to starration. The suffering which touches the conscience is the worst, and the little ones escape it altogether. — Y.
Ver. 14. — Hie share of the prophets in ruining Jerusalem. L Wkat the fbophet ODOHT TO BE. The prophet of those times was a man bound to say things having depth and substance in them. And though the prophet has ceased, so far as formal office is concerned, yet there are still Divine things to be seen, and, when seen, spoken about by those qualified to speak. There are the deep things of God to be penetrated and explored by those willing to receive the insight. The Holy Spirit of God, offered so abundantly through Christ, is a Spirit of prophecy to all who have it. They need no formal prophet, inasmuch as they have a word, living and piercing, to all who take a right relation towards it. God means us to be occupied with serious, sub- stantial matters, so large and deep and fruitful that we shall never outgrow our interest in them. The heart of man in its meditating power was made for great themes. The heart can never be filled with mere trifles. That is good advice given to preachers of the gospel to speak most on the greatest themes, such as are set forth again and again in the Scriptures, and, whether these things be preached about or not, every individual Christian should think about them. For while we cannot secure the topics of preachers, the topics of our own thoughts depend upon ourselves. It is just those who concern themselves a great deal about dogmas who are also most interested in the details of life and conduct.
n. What the prophet mat sink to be. These prophets felt bound to magnify their office and say something. They ought to have spoken the truth ; but for this they lacked inclination and perhaps courage. The next best thing would have been to remain silent ; but then where would the prophet-reputation have been ? and, more serious question still with some, what would have become of the prophet-emoluments ? Hence we have here the double iniquity that the false was spoken and the true con- cealed. The prophets could only get credit for their falsehoods by a careful con- cealment of the truth. They had, as it were, to paste on truth a conspicuous label, proclaiming far and wide, "This is a lie." This verse suggests how they had the common experience of one lie leading on to another. The true prophet said that the burden Israel had to bear and the exile into which it had to go arose from its iniquities. Whereas the false, or rather the unfaithful prophet, having set iniquity as the cause of trouble altogether on one side, could only go on inventing explanations which explained nothing. Ezek. xiii. is a chapter which may very profitably be read in connection with this verse. The great lesson is to search fur truth no matter with what toil, and keep it no matter at what cost. — Y.
Ver. 22, — The completeness of Jehovah's visitation. I. The comparison by which THK 18 BET FORTH. " Thou hast Called as in a solemn day." At certain periods there were vast commanded gatherings of the people to Jerusalem. They came from far and wide and from all parts of the compass, and so, as they converged upon Jerusalem, they might be justly said to encircle it. And encircling it, they did so with a definite purpose. They were as far as possible from being a mere promiscuous crowd, in which each one could come and go at his own sweet will. At the centre of the circle stood Jehovah, giving the commandment to each which brought them all together. And we may infer from the use of the comparison here that the commandment must have been generally complied with. It was, indeed, a commandment not very hard to obey, requiring as it did mere outwardness of obedience. People living in quiet country places would be glad of the reason for occasional visits to Jerusalem. Well would it have been if the people had tried to carry their obedience a little further 1 if, when the solemn assemblies had gathered together, there had been in them the light spirit 1 A gathering of bodies is not so hard, but a gathering of hearts in complete union and sympathy, perfectly responsive to the will of God, who shall secure that?
IL Thb absemblt of terrors at God's command. God called together the people, and they came; but when they came, instead of attending to God's will, they pursued their own. But now God is represented as calling together all the agents tliat can inflict pain upon man and cause him terror ; and they come with one consent, folding Israel round with an environment which cannot be escaped. There is no ultimate escape for
32
THE LAMEKTATIONS UJr JJSKlSlilAU. [<■• l>^ 1— «6,
the selfish, slnfiil man. He may get the evil day put off; he may find gate after gate opening, as he thinks, to let him away from trouble and pain ; but in truth he is only going deeper and deeper into the corner where he will be completely shut up. Qoi can surround us with providences and protections if we are willing to trust him. No other power can stirround us with causes of terror. Our own hearts may imagine a menacing circle, but it only exists in imagination. If we seek the Lord he will hear us and deliver us from all our fears (Ps. xxxiv. 4). But no one can deliver us from God's just wrath with all who are unrighteous. That God who breaks the circle with which his enemies seek to enclose his friends, also makes a circle in which those enemies must themaelves be effectually enclosed.^T.
EXPOSITION.
OHAPTBB m.
Veil. 1 — ^21, — MONOLOQUE SPOKEN BT AN
iNcrviDUAL IIblieveb whose Fate is
BODND UP WITH THAT OF THE NATION; OR PEBHAFS BT THE NATION PEBSOKIFIED
(see Introduction).
Ver. 1. — Seen. " To see " in Hebrew often means " to experience ; " e.g. Jer. v. 12 ; Ps. xvi. 10 ; Eccles. viii. 16. By the rod of his wrath. The idea is, not that Babylon has humbled Israel as Jehovah's instrument, but that Ood himself has brought these troubles upon his people. "He hath led me, hath hedged me about," eto.
Ver. 3. —Is he turned ; he tometh ; rather, be turneth again and again.
Ver. 4.— Hade old ; more literally, worn auiay, as a garment (oomp. Isa. 1. 9 ; li. 6). Broken my bones. So Job complains, " His wrath teareth and persecuteth me" (Job xvi. 9) ; and, a still closer parallel, Hezekiah, ** As a lion, so will he break all my bones " (Isa. xxxvlii. 13). Comp. Ps. li. 8, "The bones which thou hast broken."
Ver. 5. — ^He hath hnilded against me, and compassed me. A figure &om the siege of a town. Gall. For the true meaning of the word, see on Jer. viii. 14. We need not trouble ourselves about it here, for the word is evidently used as a kind of " ideograph " for bitterness. Travel ; literally, weariness.