Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/367



The Long-suffering  Justice  and  Faithfulness  of  God.  He  was  very patient and  long-suffering  with  Juda. Up to  the  very  moment  of  its overthrow He  held  out,  through  Jeremias,  hope  of  pardon  and  the averting of  punishment,  if  only  the  people  would  be  converted. And was not  the  fate  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel  itself  an  impressive  warning? However, neither  king  nor  people  would  give  heed  to  this, or to  the  warnings  of  the  prophets  sent  by  God,  but  listened  rather to false  prophets,  resisted  grace,  and  persisted  in  their  impenitence. At last  the  measure  of  their  sins  was  full,  the  justice  of  God  manifested itself, and  the  long-threatened  punishment  overtook  Juda.

The Goodness  and  Mercy  of  God.  The  Lord  did  not  leave  His miserable people  without  comfort,  but  gave  them  through  Jeremias  the assurance that  He  had  not  finally  rejected  them,  but  would  restore them to  His  favour,  and  institute  a new  and  higher  covenant  with  them.

The uses  of  suffering.  Their  captivity  served  for  the  salvation  of many  of  the  Jews. They turned  to  God  with  their  whole  hearts,  for they felt  that  all  their  hopes  of  liberty  rested  in  Him. At last  they abhorred idolatry,  and  were  so  completely  cured  of  their  inclination towards it,  that  they  never  relapsed  into  it,  even  after  their  return  to the  Promised  Land.

The love  of  Jeremias  for  his  people.  Even  though  he  was  misunderstood and  persecuted  by  them,  he  felt  no  malicious  satisfaction  when the judgment  foretold  by  him  really  overtook  them. No, he  bewailed the hard  fate  of  his  people,  and  gave  utterance  to  the  deep  grief  of his  noble  soul  in  the  “Lamentations”.

The necessity  of  grace. This  is  taught  by  the  words: “Convert  us to  Thee,  O Lord,  and  we  shall  be  converted.”  The  sinner  cannot  be converted  without  the  assistance  of  grace. — In their  captivity  the  Jews acknowledged themselves  to  be  religiously  and  politically  dead,  and had no  hope  of  ending  their  banishment  by  their  own  efforts,  or  of returning  to  their  country  and  becoming  once  more  an  independent nation: “Our  bones  are  dried  up,  and  our  hope  is  lost.”  It  was  only by God’s  Spirit  that  the  dead  and  captive  people  could  be  raised  to a new  political  and  religious  existence;  and  only  by  the  help  of  God that they  could  be  freed  and  restored  to  their  own  country. This applies to  nations  and  individuals  of  all  ages. A fallen nation  can  be restored  and  renewed  only  by  religion  and  the  Spirit  of  God. And no individual  who  has  succumbed  to  the  death  of  sin  can  raise  himself up by  his  own  strength,  but  only  by  the  help  of  God,  who  by  His grace can  restore  a dead  soul  to  life. “I will  forgive  their  iniquity and I will  remember  their  sin  no  more.”

The tenth  promise  of  the  Messias.  The  New  Covenant  foretold  by Jeremias  was  instituted  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. The Old  Covenant