d Eze. xvi. 51. e C. Simeon, M.A. a Not receive looks. So LXX, ciii. 8, 9. c." However few the converts might be, Jehodespise them, but would restore vah would not them to their own land. Or that, should there only be one found in a foreign city, or two in any of the nations, they should not be forgotten." H. Henderson. 6-11. (6) said also, on another occasion. backsliding, the word used is not an adjective, but a substantive, and the clause should read, "Hast thou seen Backsliding, even Israel?" gone up, or goes up. (7) treacherous sister, so called bec. Judah was as bad as Israel, but Judah made a good outward show and profession." (8) bill of divorce,' a fig. for God's putting away the ten tribes. (9) lightness, or the fame, report. defiled, or profaned. stones, etc., ch. ii. 27. (10) feignedly, Heb. "in falsehood." The Jews' professions of amendment were hypocritical and insincere. (11) more Judah, bec. Judah had the additional warning of the fate of Israel, and disregarded even that. II. Comparative criminality (v. 11).-The criminality of Judah exceeded that of Israel. I. State this decision of the Lord. Confirm it. 1. It argues a greater depravity of heart; 2. It casts more dishonour upon God; 3. It does more extensive injury to man. Address-(1) Those who are careless about religion; (2) Those who make a profession of religion. 12-15. (12) toward the north, the region to wh. the "ten tribes had been carried by Shalmanescr. return, etc., lit. "turn, thou that hast turned." anger to fall," in further judgments. merciful, this is the highest and most moving of all incentives to repentance. (13) acknowledge thine iniquity, penitence being the essential condition of restoration. (14) married unto you, and so long to be in gracious and dear relations. one.. family, prob. a prophetic fig. of the fact that only a few will ever return, but for even the few God will care. (15) shepherds, pastors; as before, temporal rulers. Pastors (v. 15).-They should have-1. Spiritual wisdom; 2. Authority from the unction of the Holy One; 3. Experience of religion; 4. Skill to divide the Word aright; 5. Knowledge of the state of their flocks; 6. Zeal for the glory of God; 7. Jealousy for the word and truth of God; 8. They should watch for souls; 9. Should be pious at all times; 10. They should be comforters of those that mourn; 11. They should maintain discipline in the Church; 12. They should be examples to the believers." Archbishop Adalbert.-Adalbert, who lived in the tenth century, was appointed Archbishop of Prague. This preferment seemed to give him so little satisfaction, that he was never seen to smile afterwards; and on being asked the reason, he replied, "It is an easy thing to wear a mitre and a cross; but an awful E. Cooper, ii. 239. thing to give an account of a bishopric before the Judge of quick and dead." e denham, 272; Dr. J. Scott, iii. 333; e R. T. S. a "Because the tabernacle of God will be one 'made 16-19. (16) in those days, the recognised formula for the times of Messiah. the ark, etc., regarded as the centre of the without hands Mosaic system. It appears that the ark was finally lost in the (Heb. ix. 11), Babylonish captivity. visit it, better, neither shall it be even the heart missed." that be done, or, "neither shall it be made, or repeople."-Spk. paired." (17) Jerusalem, the whole city, not specially the temple. "There the foundation of the Christian Church was laid." nations, i.e. the Gentiles. imagination, marg. stubbornness. (18) with.. Israel, clearly intimating that the return was to be a united one. (19) how, i.e. how gladly. of His believing Com. b Ro. ix. 25, 26. "Most of the prophecies which mention the re storation of the α God's relations to His people (r. 19).-I. The ho ours which God desires to confer upon us. 1. To make us members of His and Israel together, as equal sharers in that blessing. (See Je. xxx. 3, xxxi. 1; Is. xi. 13; Eze. xxxvii. 16, 22; Ho. i. 11; Zec. x. 6).”—Lowth. family; 2. To make us heirs of heaven. II. The difficulties that Jews join Judah beset the conferring these honours upon us. 1. Arising from God's character; 2. From our own character; 3. From the greatness of the blessings. III. The effect which uniformly follows the conferring of these honours-a filial spirit towards God. 1. Reverence: 2. Love; 3. Obedience. Apply :-(1) Encourage those who doubt the possibility of their salvation; (2) Warn those who see no difficulties in the way of their salvation; (3) Exhort those who profess to be in the way of salvation."-The d G. Brooks. child at home (c. 19).-I. A condition of delightful privilege,"put among the children." A relation of endearment, depen- . 16. Dr. Gordon, dence; involving obligations of affection, obedience; which iv. 110. carries with it advantages,-instruction, maintenance, inheri- v. 17. Dr. Gordon, tance. II. Some difficulties in the way of its bestowment. iv. 124. "How shall I?" These are insuperable to all but infinite wisdom; they spring out of the sinner's character. III. The evidences of the removal of these difficulties and the attainment of the blessing. 1. Prayer; 2. Spirit of adoption; 3. Preservation and perseverance.-Children of God. Here is-I. A most delightful condition of privilege and happiness. As children of God, we are also heirs to His kingdom. II. A suggestion of difficulties in the way of our attaining this condition,-" Howe J. Preston. shall I?" etc. III. The solution of these difficulties, and the process by which we may attain these privileges,-" thou shalt call Me, My Father." 20-23. (20) husband, or familiar friend. (21) weeping, etc., the signs of real penitence on the part of the people. Weeping is blended with prayer for mercy. (22) return, etc.,a comp. the similar passage, Ho. xiv. 1. (23) hills, specially associated with idol worship. Backsliders reclaimed (r. 22).—I. God inviting backsliders to return to Him. 1. The characters addressed; 2. The sin and consequence of backsliding; 3. God's message to such characters. II. Backsliders complying with God's invitation. 1. The ready compliance they manifest; 2. The way they return to God. The backslider's confession.-I have been a fugitive servant to the most glorious Lord and Master: I have deserted His service, and denied my obedience. But now, Lord, nail my ear to Thy door-post, that I may serve Thee for ever; nail my heart to Thy service, that no trouble, temptation, or desertion may drive me away from Thee; nail my eyes to Thy service, that I may never look upon vanity; nail my hands to Thy service, that I may never do an ill turn; nail my feet to Thy way, that I may never turn aside from Thee. Let all the faculties of my soul be nailed to Thy service and obedience. 24, 25. (24) shame, etc., the people here acknowledge the unprofitableness and disgrace of their idolatry." (25) we lie down, or we will lie down: prostrating ourselves humbly before God. The miseries of the captivity were recognised as Divine judgments on the national sins. The expressions are taken from those who cast themselves down upon the ground, and cover themselves with dust or ashes out of grief and anguish of mind. God the salration of Israel (v. 23).—Let me ask if this be not-1. A mighty salvation? 2. A merciful salvation? 3. A free "The excesses of youth are draits upon our old age, payable with in terest about date."-Colton. thirty years after a "The whole description is most graphically conceived. The people weeping upon the hills; God's gracious voice bidding them return; the glad cry of the penitents proclaiming that they come; the profession of faith won from tional repent them by the Divine love; these form altogether a most touching picture of a naance."-Spk. Com b"The altars wh. were erected on the heathen gods high places to abounded to such a degree, that they were seen in every direc tion." Hender son. a "So far from bringing us salration, they have cost us our cattle and even our children, whom we have sacri ficed to them." Fausset. b Ezr. ix. 7. [Cap. iv. 1-6. eW. Wilkinson, salvation? 4. An unchangeable salvation? 5. A soul-satisfying salvation ? B.A. CHAPTER THE FOURTH. a "The repentance described in ch. iii, 21-25 1, 2. (1) wilt return, i.e. art really willing to return. put away, this would be the outward sign of the necessary repentwas a hope not a ance. then.. remove, better," and henceforth not wander." reality."-Spk. (2) swear, by the name of the living God, truly and sincerely. "We swear by the God whom we worship." Com. b"Swearing_by the name of God is mentioned wor Nature of backsliding.-Backsliding is the act of turning from the path of duty. It may be considered as partial when applied elsewhere as a to true believers, who do not backslide with the whole bent of their will; as voluntary, when applied to those who, after professing to know the truth, wilfully turn from it, and live in the practice of sin; as final, when the mind is given up to judicial hardness, as in the case of Judas. Partial backsliding must be distinguished from hypocrisy, as the former may exist when there are gracious intentions on the whole; but the latter is a studied profession of appearing to be what we are not.c solemn part of practised among idolaters."- Loreth. c C. Buck. c"By placing such signals on fit spots the safest route would be indicated to the fortified towns." -Spk. Com d S. Tomlyns. e Dr. Thomas. v. 3. J. Weemse, i. 163. 3-6. (3) break.. ground, "repent of your idolatry, and so be prepared to serve the Lord in truth." thorns, or weeds, wh. would abound in the neglected soil. (4) circumcise, the symbol of self-humiliation, and the sign of consecration to the Lord. fury, or vengeance. fire, with a consuming power. (5) blow.. land, raising the alarm of war. The verse pictures the fright of the people at the presence of a hostile army. (6) standard, or signal round which to rally the people. The plough for the fallows (v. 3).-I. The hearts of unregenerate men are like fallow ground. II. It is their duty to break up their fallow ground. The life of the sinner a foolish agriculture (v. 3).-Notice here two things. I. A grand evil. 1. Loss of seed; 2. Loss of labour; 3. Loss of hope. II. An urgent duty, evangelical repentance for sin. 1. Hard work; 2. Indispensable work.e Sowing in China.-In China the fields are parted by terraces, on which some of the seed scattered in the broadcast is wont to fall in the sower's attempt to cover the headlands as well as the more central parts of the enclosure. These seeds resemble those that fell by the wayside in the parable, and are, like them, obvious to the eye of any hungry bird that may chance to fly near them. As the valleys often, in their expansion, rebut against the rocky declivities of the hills, large masses of stone constitute a fence on one or more sides of the fields. Near these stones, the monuments of ancient changes in the crust of the earth, several kinds of thorny shrubs are found growing. One of them, a species of gardenia, has sharp spines of more than an inch in than the chant of length. The thorns referred to in the parable belonged to a angels, the me- species of rest-harrow, very common in the barren lanes and lody of golden harps swept by commons of this country. The gardenia and its companions, seraphic fingers, however, are very proper representatives in China, and would or the loud swell- answer the purpose of any missionary who should take this ing anthem of parable as the theme of discourse in a Chinese village. The writer has a lively remembrance of these thorns, as, in crossing voice of many a farm near a pleasant ravine, he often mistook his path amidst The cry of the penitent soul, "Have mercy on ceptable to Jesus me," is more ac heaven, it be though "as waters." Though in the highest heaven, this plea enters His delighted ear, and secures His Almighty aid. a labyrinth of terraces and causeways, and found himself opposed Cature."& of things, the restrain his feelings, but gives Prophet cannot them utterance in what, at first sight, appears to be a blasphemous against charge Jehovah. It is, however, but a v. 10. H. Alford, i. 267. 7-10. (7) lion, symbol of Assyria. destroyer, etc., he a Nebuchadnezwho has already destroyed Gentile nations. on his way, lit. zar is referred to. has broken up his encampment. (8) gird, etc., ch. vi. 26. (9) b "Deeply affectheart of the king, i.e. his spirits, his courage. "Great cala- ed by this state mities often deprive men of their presence of mind." astonished ..wonder, bec. both these had joined in persuading the people that no such troubles should come upon them. (10) This v. is probably an outburst of Jeremiah's own feelings. "He had constantly to struggle with the misgivings of his own melancholy Larking place of lions." Having quickly armed ourselves, and left Philip in charge of my waggons, we briskly pushed our way between the thickets, winding through the willow grove, strong Orientaland crossing many a deep ravine. Everywhere the enormous ism." — Henderfoot of the hippopotamus had imprinted the earth with holes. son. Gert, who had never seen a zee-koe, a sea-cow, as the colonists call this animal, enjoyed the trip as much as myself, both equally anxious to gratify our curiosity. He had been less a traveller than any of the rest of my men; and therefore, like myself, had the greater novelty to expect. As we hurried on, our conversation was on nothing but the sea-cow; and his animation, excited by the subject to a higher pitch than usual, exceedingly pleased and amused me. Thus beguiling the time, my attention was diverted from the flowers that decked our path or the birds that enlivened the branches above our heads. Suddenly he stopped, and, crying cat with some emotion, 'Look here, sir,' I turned my eyes downwards, and saw the recent footmarks of a lion which had been to drink at the river, apparently not more than an hour before. gave a check to our dialogue on the hippopotamus; and in 3 lower and graver tone of voice, he talked now only of lions, and the danger of being alone in a place so covered with wood. That Lich a minute before had been praised as a delightful shady path was now viewed as the lurking-place of lions, and of every formidable beast of prey." This Nazianzen com pares the soul to a pair of writingtables, out of which must be washed whatsoever was written with sin, and instead thereof must be entered the writing of grace; both these are necessary in true repentance. c Burchell. a It generally south-east across the 11-14. (11) at that time, the time of the Babylonian invasion, previously referred to.' dry wind, or hot pestilential Wind: the simoom." fan, for such purposes the husbandman ses the wind; but he would not use the simoom. (12) full wind, or fuller, stronger, than winds that fan or cleanse. unto me, ie. to perform my will. (13) he, the enemy; NebuchadLezzar, the lion. as clouds, gathering for a storm. whirlwind, swiftly moving, and overwhelming. eagles, De. xxviii. Vages all the way "This simoom extends its ra 49. (14) vain thoughts, thoughts of security in the service of vain idols. Or ref. may be to their confidence in Egypt. Vain thoughts (v. 14).-I. The characteristics of vain thoughts. 1. Cannot reap any good from them; 2. They cannot associate with good and useful thoughts; 3. Must be driven out to attend to serious matters; 4. They dwell largely and habitually on trifles; 5. They trifle with important things; 6. They are fickle; 7. Those pertinaciously fixed upon an unworthy object; 8. Will again and again return to it; 9. Such as are on speculative fancies; 10. Those bent on schemes of worldly felicity. II. The correctives of vain thoughts. 1. The substantial state of the mind must be cured of vanity; 2. We should have specific subjects of serious interest to employ thought; 3. Self-detection in the act of sin; 4. Recourse to acts of devotion; 5. Practical employment; 6. Communion with thoughts of wise and good. Vain thoughts.-A true Christian, who, by experience, knows what it is to deal with his own heart, finds it infinitely more difficult to beat down one sinful thought from rising up in him than to keep a thousand sinful thoughts from breaking forth into open act. Here lies his chief labour, to fight against phantasm and any apparitions, such as thoughts are; he sets himself chiefly against these heart-sins, because he knows that these are the sins that are most of all contrary to grace, and do most of all weaken and waste grace. Outward sins are but like so many caterpillars that devour the verdure and flourishing of grace; but heart-sins are like so many worms that gnaw the very root of grace." 15-18. (15) Dan, the border-town of Palestine on the north. mount Ephraim, on the march towards Jerusalem. The northern boundary of the kingdom of Judæa. (16) watchers," or besiegers. (17) keepers of a field, who watch to frighten away the wild beasts. (18) this.. wickedness, this final siege is the issue of thy wickedness. Bitterness of sin (v. 18).-I. Sin is bitter. 1. It is so comparatively; 2. Absolutely. II. It reaches to thine heart. 1. It defiles it; 2. It disquiets it; 3. It ruins and damns it. Apply :(1) Since sin is bitter, bitter remedies must be taken; (2) It is a mercy that grace reaches to the heart as well as sin. Note on v. 17.-In Arabia, and probably in other parts of the East, instead of a solitary watchman in the middle of the plantation, they place guards at certain distances round the whole field, increasing or diminishing their numbers according to the supposed danger. This custom furnishes a clear and easy explanation of a passage in the prophecies of Jeremiah, where he solemnly warns his people of their approaching calamities: "As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against Me, saith the Lord." Fields in the East have not fences to keep off cattle and other marauders, but only low embankments: hence, were there not keepers, they would be exposed to all kinds of depredations. These men wander about the ridges, or spend their time in platting baskets or pouches for areca-nuts and betel leaf, or tend a few sheep. At night they sleep in a small stall, about six feet by four, which stands on four legs, and is thatched with leaves. The whole affair is so light, that it can be removed in its complete state to any other part by two men; or be taken to pieces in a few minutes, |