Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-07-17
For Sunday Reading
dill Sorts HOpinions
The AriaI. az Jerenish

ileetTL us d DuTIll1lS IRE smut UP III my
bones, and / was weary with forbear-
ing, and could not stay"
Things went so hard with jeremiah,
and so contrary to his mind, that he
could not possess himself in patience.
He was a man of very strict principle.
and the sins of his people gave him
torment. The book of his prophecy
contains much of his personal history
of his peculiar troubles, his discour-
agements, and of what may be termed
his petulancies. He was deficient in
forbearance, and therefore he was
easily led to complain Of the Lords
forbearng. Jeremiah is remembered
as a good man, but he is not remem-
bered as cheerful man. He was what
we would call An opinionated man, and
offenses were to him not only against
the law of the Lord but they stood out
boldly as offenses against jeremiah. He
was therefore all the time in the way
of trouble, and he was all the time the
butt of ridicule. jeremiah was of that
temperament which made him pc
culiarly subject to the taunts of the
wicked and to the gibes of the care
less. He suffered very much, for he
was very positive in his convictions
and very sensitive in his nature. Yet
he was sure of his calling, and there
was that in him which held him with
relentless grasp to the work of his
office. He had high sense of moral
obligation, and when he thought to
break away from 1t. making argument
with himself that the Lord was indif-
ferent to him in all his struggles. the
spirit of righteousness made wrestle
with him and held him fast Jere-
miah would have been happier had he
been born with a thicker skin, but as
1t was he lamented even that he had
been born at all. He also was ode
spised and rejected OF men; man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief"
1t has never been an easy thing to
be faithful and serviceabfe preacher
1t has always been a hard task to
serve as prophet of the Lord in COM
pany with sensitive soul; and yet
1t may be doubted If the preacher is
what he should be if he is not delicate
ly tuned to the finer sensibilities Of
the soul. 1t is his office to weep with
those who weep. and to rejoice with
those who rejoice. holding at all times
to the love of God. The drift of every
flock is toward carelessness. There is
search everywhere for excuse for sin.
and IL the preacher is slow to find pal
liation for wrong he is in position to
sympathize with jeremiah. There is
sin located at respectful distance
l,.An -
near at hand as the narrow space of
church aisle the reproof is tolerable;
but if it come to ourselves. and the
eyes of the congregation be upon us.
the fault of the preacher is at once
looked into. and trouble for him will
be brewed with ingenuity.
Jeremiah made mistake by exhibit
ing his pain. He let it be known that
The shafts of the wicked reached his
heart, and he did not conceal the
blood that trickled from his wounds
Men are of such savagery that the
sight of blood. tho it be no thicker
than tears, intensifes their passion |
Il they see that cruelty hurts they are
slow to pity. They strut, and say the |
,ain is feigned, and that. anyway, they |
intend to make plain they will not be |
or trifled with. or made game
". 1t is strange the wounds of a |
soul do not move them-move them !
so that they shall ask forgiveness, and |
% such pity that they shall take the
wounded In their arms and be God |
% them in wiping away tears. Moth
ng else makes so plain how far away |
r~, -,
divine love.
jeremiah was so constituted he |
,ould not help bearing the burdens of |
his people. He was a long time on !
hat Job-forty or fifty years. He
lived during the reigns of a number
# kings, beginning with Josiah, who
vas fairly good, down to Zedekiah,
he last king of Judah and Jerusalem,
Who was carried captive to Babylon
Things went from not very good to
BAD and worse during the time of
jeremiah, and it was a puzzle to him |
. understand what use he was with
his prophesying to the wrangling chill
lren of Isreal. 1t is a strain to keep
n good mind when things are going
% the devil, and when there is the
vit, or the virtue. or whatev it
nay be called, sufficient to supply a
prophetic eye. The popular view
lmong the people Of Judah was that
Jeremiah was more or less a nuisance.
rhey had no patience with his fore
.asts They said he liked to hear him
'elf talk. They put him down as a
common scold. The trouble was part
y with Jeremiah. and yet 1t is not to
10 said he could be other than he was,
. any great extent. Under his own
he sought to live a loyal
life.
1t may not be unjust to Jeremiah to
leclare that the wickedness of his peo-
Die afforded him a measure of salts
action. Hardly any one born of
woman can be so good as to be
superior to ripe opportunity to unc-
uously affirm that they told you so.
Many Of Jeremiah's prophecies came
rue while he was vet on the stage,
Ind they continued to be verified after
lie had passed away. The captives in
Babylon had occasion and ample time
o think Of the words Of jeremiah.
Jermiah did not live to see himself
July INDICATED. He did not live to
zee the time when he was liberated
rom the thraldom Of doubt-to the
line when there were no, clouds be-
.ween God and him. He was COM
oelled to make his long journey much
llone. There were times when the
clouds hung very low, and when he
vas left to lamentation in the dark