The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-03

Sunday-Scho01 Lesson for Jan. 10, 1885,
JEREMIAH PREDICTING THE CAPTVITY.-Jeremiah
viii, 2O-22; TX, 1-l6.
Golden Textile harvest is past the summer is
snded, and we are not saved
Men have no pleasure in hearing about their
sins, and he is most unfortunate whose calling
us to tell people of their follies and peris. The
writer of this Scripture has been called 'the sor
srowfur and 'the weeping prophet, because of his
sad pictures and bitter tears over the sins OF his
people. If plain and faithful preaching leads to
reform, he ought to have been the very fore
most reformer of his times But he gave the
truth to men as God gave it to him. 1t is ours
as teachers not to complain of the message given.
but to do our duty. Men reach moral condi-
tion when all other methods of cure are useless.
and If this fails God 'can do no more"
Jeremiah seems to have been called to the
prophetic Office about627 B. c., when Josiah had
been King about twelve years Though natur-
ally gentle, retiring and undemonstrative, and
entirely free from the severe, critical, despond-
emit habit of mind yet the sense of duty and his
genuine patriotism gave him courage to tell the
people the truth, and to denounce their sins.
The word of God came to him in visions, and he
tried to rouse his eountrymen to see their
peril and to feel the enthusiasm Of mis- own grand
But in spite of il all the people chung to their
sins, and it was given to Jeremiah to declare the
limit of the patience of Jehovah, and that they
would surely cease as nation. and be carried
away as captive people by their conquerors. his
fidelity to his Office and the sad messages he
brought from God are the most striking things
in the story. Many of the better men and women
were influenced by Jeremiah's words and the
nation as a nation marched steadily to its doom,
and only realized in captivity the nobility of the
grand prophet they had scorned.
MORAL AND SPIRITUAL LESSONS.
/. External reforms do not change character.
The reforms under Hezekiah had evidently been
superficial, and had more to do with the external
religious observances than with any change of
heart The people gave up much OF their idola
try, but they chung to their heart sins. Reform
is good as far as it goes, but regeneration goes
further and is far better?
2. God uses ministry of suffering. All pain
and trouble are used as the servants of God.
We may bring the sorrow on ourselves, but the
message it brings is from God. Pain has no
power to purify, but it stops rs in our evil
courses and makes as think When men begin
seriously to think then they are likely to act If
action originate in feeling it may be as short
lived as the feeling, while that which begins
with careful thinking is likely to abide, as does
the reason in which it originated
3. The day of mercy has an end. The sum-
mer time Of privilege rlpens the fruit Of good
character, But many life has nothing but
leaves" and the time is sure when the harvest
of gathering will come Failure here is failure
forever. Every teaching of the Bible indicates
that for those who have here and now the
chance to accept Christ and refuse to do it. that
there is no other opportunity.
THE GREAT CENTRAL TRUTH.
I. For belief God foresees and foretells the
actual punishment of sin. We hear so much Of
mercy that we forget justice and judgment. Sin
in its essential nature ignores and will not know
God. The natural. inevitable result is soul sepa-
ration from God and heaven. Pain. sorrow,
articulation and anguish are the direct fruits OF
Sin, as much as joy. hope and light are the
fruits of obedience. To ind in the consequences
of sin an argument for the tyranny and harsh
ness of the divine government is to change the
issue and tc confuse the terms of the argument.
2 For practice Look clearly at the truth
that men will not let Christ save Thorn. They
persistently thwart The divine purpose, they
throw every difficulty in Gods way; they will
not understand his mercy and love. The conflict
is not between the sinner and the church, but
between the sinner and the Savior