The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-08-24

suffered was the imputation cast
upon his loyalty. Stocks, nor bas-
tinado, nor dungeon, nor hunger
were to be compared to this. To
have to appear equivocal would be
bad enough; but to seem actually
favorable to the enemy Of his ma
ton, and that, too, after the foe
had raised the siege, was almost
uncomfortable. How could he make
it appear that he had not been sub
sidized by the Chaldean? Yet the
prophet stood the fiery ordeal
with sublime fortitude and pa
thence.
His enemies soon found an OPP
portunity to bring the case to an
issue. Jeremiah was of Anathoth,
of the tribe Of Benjamin. The
time of distributing the tithes
among the priests of that locality
was at hand. He could go and
bring his share. The distance was
only four miles. He would then
have some store against the renew
al of the siege. He wasfollowing
the dictate Of practical wisdom.
But he was arrested in the gate.
Hananiah's grandson had a sweet
revenge as he laid his violent
hands upou the prophet Ger.
xvii, I6), with the charge of de-
sertion to the enemy.
a king of Isreal, when advised
to consult a certain prophet, ex-
claimed. 81 hate him, for he doth
not prophesy good concerning me,
but evil" G Kings xxi, S. 1t
is easy to transfer our resentment
against the message to the mes
senger. Jeremiah was odious be
cause he carried an offensive COM
muniCation. Nor were his terms
always general He had once Xix
ened the very princes into whose
hands he fell to a basket of rotten
figs. They were in a rage against
him. They did him personal VIC
lence. In a star-chamber session
they condemned him to a dungeon
as a traitor.
Once the darkness of his dun
geon was broken, as he was carried
secretly to the palace and asked by
the king for a word from the Lord.
He was in weakened physical
state through his long confinement
with scant allowance of food. He
was taken at the same disadvan-
tage that many a so-dalled hereto
has suffered since before heart1ess
inquisitors. Think you not the
tempter was at hand to suggest,
"Speak a smooth word, or at
least equivocate. Answer with a
double entente. You won't have
to go back to the dungeon. On
the contrary, your popularity will
be restored. You may even be
promoted to office" But none of
these things moved him; neither
counted he his life dear unto him
self, so only he could be true to
his message and to Him that sent
him.
Even after he speaks doom of
Judah, he ventures to appeal to
the king, who will exercise his
power SO brief a time. "Where
is the kings sense of justice?"
Jeremiah vindicates his own char
acter. The imperious prophet
condescends to supplicate. He
does not propose to suffer more
than he has to. He does not APP
peal entirely in vain.
How soon turned the wheel of
fortune. Zedekiah finds himself
in a dungeon. Jeremiah is free.
He who saves his life shall lose it.
He who loses, shall save.
Analysis and Key.
I. The prophets trying plight.
His loyalty impeached. Stead
fastness i'll the mental ordeal.
2. His physicel sufferings
Stocks, whipping-post, dungeon,
short allowance Of food. Steadfast-
ness in bodily ordeal.
5. Unnecessary suffering not
courted, Mitigation sought and
secured MANLY and honest ,,,aooe