"examine their opinions. But opiniuns should not be matters of moral trial so much as questions for calm intellectual testing. The chief point is as to our behaviour. 2. The most important questions of conduct are those which concern our habitual actions. "Our ways " are not isolated deeds, but courses of action. We may be surprised into a fall or spurred into a good deed. More signiUcant is our normal, everyday conduct. This is what we should investigate most closely.
III. The invbstioaton of conduct should bb bearchino and judicial. 1. It should be searching. Evil is subtle. Plausible excuses cover bad deeds. We must not be content with condemning conscious and confessed wickedness. The hidden evil of our heart must be searched out. The detective must do his part before the magis- trate does his. 2. It should he periodical. We must " try " our ways. It is unprofit- able and demoralizing to conscience to confess guilt which we do not feel and see. Until we are convinced of it we are dishonest in attempting to blame ourselves for it. Conviction must precede the sentence. We should also be just to ourselves. Whole- sale self-accusatioii is often dishonest and rarely profitable. We want point and specific charges in our judgment of ourselves — the Law of Ood, the voice of conscience, the example of Christian standards by which to try ourselves. If we find the process dilh- cuJt, we may pray that God will carry it on for us (Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24).
IV. The conviction which follows the trial of oub own conduct should lead us TO bepentanoe. It is of no use unless it does this. The mere sense of guilt is depressing and, left to itself, may lead us to ruin through despair. Bepentance should follow. We are to know that we are in the wrong way only in order that we may turn from it to the, right way. We all sin, and therefore self-examination should lead all of us through conviction of sin to repentance. Then we can return to God. He waits only fur our confession of guilt. When we own to it he wiirpardon It.
Ver. 44. — Ood covering himself with a doud. There are dark hours when God not only seems to be hidden from view, but to be so wrapped in thick clouds that even our prayers cannot penetrate to him. Let us consider when and how far this is really the case,
I. Sometimes it ib only apparent. We lose heart and confidence. Discouraged and saddened, we cease to believe that God is listening to our cry. We can never see Ood nor bear any audible response to our cry and must always pray in faith,
OH. in. 1— 1)6.] THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEEEMIAH. 4S
•nd therefore when faith fails we are ready to my that God does not hear ni. We should rememher that God's attention is not confined to the evidences of it that he may afford to us. He may hear us without telling ua that he does, or he may simply delay the response for good and wise reasons. Let U8, therefore, heware of the folly of judging of God's actions by our own passing moods.
IL Sometimes it is rbal, but merciful. God does not always accept our prayers even when he is regarding us favourably. 1. He may be trying our faith. It may be better for us that our faith should be tested and strengthened than that we should have the particular thing we desire. 2. We may be asking unwisdy. Perhaps the greatest unkindness would be to answer our foolish prayer according to our wish. The mother must turn a deaf ear to the cry of her child for a poisonous fruit. It is hard thus to refuse. Nothing tries love more severely. It is a proof of the great love of God that he is firm in thus apparently treating us with indifference when all the while his heart yearns to comfort us.
III. Sometimes it is both beal and wrathful. God will not always hearken to prayer. There are circumstances that raise great banks of clouds between our souls and HeaTen such as the most vehement petition cannot pierce. 1. Unrepented sin. If we have sinned ever so heavily and confess our iniquity, heaven is open to hear the faintest sigh of penitence. But against impenitence it is firm as brass. 2. Self-will. So long as we are praying, rebelliously demanding our own way and not submitting to God's will, no prayer of ours can reach his throne in heaven. We may dare to lay our wish before God in humility, but yet in frank expression of it. Neverthe- less, it can only be entertained by God when we add in spirit, if not in words, " Not my will, but thine, be done." Thus may we cry to the void and have back only the mocking echo of our foolish prayer. We may send urgent requests towards heaven, and they will only lose themselves in the thick, black clouds of Divine disfavour which come between us and God. It is hopeful, however, for a soul to know this. When we see the cloud we are half-way towards the removal of it.
IV. It is the work of Christ to dissipate the oloud that shuts oub prater OUT rBOM God. 1. He permits us to pray in his Name,-mth his authority, and pleading; his merit. 2. He teaches us to pray in the riyht spirit of penitence, submission, and faith.
Vers. 49, 60. — Tears which only Ood can wipe away, I. Thebk abb tbajm which ONLY God can wife awat. Jerusalem is so desolate that one who mouma her sad estate weeps such tears. But in all ages there have been sufferers in similar grief. 1. When sorrow is acute. The lighter troubles may be patiently endured, or resisted, or mitigated, or driven away by sympathy and brotherly aid. There are troubles which no man can touch, sores which no balm of Gilead can ease, a secret bitterness known only to the heart of the sufferer. In such agonies of distress comfort is a mockery, to attempt to console is only to intrude into the sanctuary of sorrow and to harrow the wounds we cannot heal. 2. When sorrow is chronic. The sudden flood of tears may be quickly stanched. There are people of mercurial temperament who seem to be in the depths of despair one moment and elated with pleasure the next. It is not difficult to stay the tears of these shallow natures. But when the tears flow on through the bright day as in the long night, this weeping without intermission passes the bounds of human aid. The broken heart, the ruined life, hopes shattered, and joys buried in the grave, open a fountain of grief that only God can stay. Now, it is important to recognize this fact. If we are only driven to see it by hard experience, we may lose ourselves in despair before we can find any consolation in God. It is well to know when we are in smooth water that storms are coming which our vessel cannot weather. Then we may be prepared to look for a haven.