Evening star., 1923-06-02

Memorial day recalled to the nation
the record of the heroes whose
courageous conduct has carried the
American flag to victory upon every
battlefield. Frequently we have
been surprised by the personalities
of those whose records have won for
them place in the nations hall of
fame. Back of their heroic deeds has
been the inspiration of the woman
VINO has trod the wine press OF af-
fiction. Mothers, wives, sisters and
sUeethearts have helped many a man
10 go over the top to victory and
glory. Some of the most heroic have
been men like jeremiah. whom the
world has thought of largely as a
~teping prophet. Our lesson empha-
Sizes the fact that he was a prophet
CT courage.
Jeremiah, meaning that "the Lord
casts down" is an indication of his
times and character. 1t took a man
or courage to stand up for Jehovah
and proclaim in that hour of apos-
tacy the truths of Jehovah. People.
prophets and priests had departed
from God and the nation had become
,rebelliouS. 1t was not an hour for
a trimmer or time server. 1t was a
moment demanding courage. In this
hour of desolation. darkness and
moned timid. inexperienced and. in
HIS own judgment, an inefficient
youth to proclaim the unpopular
message of Jehovah in the travail
of national agony and decline. God
saw in this timid. shrinking son of
an almost unknown priest, whose
training was in the village within less
than an hours walk of jerusalem a
soul who could understand the depths
ot dlNine compassion and His longing
10 save the nation. Matheson has
found the source of Jeremiahs mel
ancholy to he of a mental nature.
He points out that the prophet lost
sight of his own personality in his
Vicarious sorrow. He was over
wnelmed with the divine burden. His
spirit groaned with divine grief Je-
hovah met His prophets human
weakness with His own strength. He
transformed the weeping prophet
into courageous preacher of right
eousness. who with confidence traced
out before the dying nation God
shaping the new order out of the
discussion of the old. In the death
struggle of Judah, jeremiah became
the central figure because of his con-
fdence in God and his faith in the
reality OF his personal call to be a
prophet.
jeremiah proved by his work the
EenuineneSs of his call, which lack ed
some of the elements that have made
the summons of others to be of an
absolutely supernatural character. God
calls every man to a definite mission,
but none have ever been called to a
more tragic service than jeremiah
the prophet of hard times and re-
construction. Jehovah gave the an
cient prophet his strength, courage
and power to fearlessly meet the
bitter opposition of friends, family
and false prophets in a lifelong
martyrdom. The ecclesiastic au-
thorities, the corrupt court and venial
priests opposed him, but "the fire in
his bones could not be eXtinguished
1t was inevitable that jeremiah
would by his plain speaking arouse
the hostility of both the ecclesias-
teal and political powers of his day
During the largest part OF his min
istIE he was In constant danger of
losing his life. During a ministry
that covered at least forty years he
led a forlorn hope, pointing out the
dangers that threatened the nation
and the pathway of escape. The re-
forms started during the reign of
Joash, probably with the prophets
approval. did not penetrate the real
life of the nation. The heart of the
nation remained unconverted, so that
the reforms died with Joash Secret
sins became open. The forces of dis
1ntegratIon soon revealed themselves
in the moral religious. political and
commercial life of the people.
During the reign of Jehoiakim the
nation faced an imminent peril, They
assembled within the temple to wor-
snip Jehovah and secure safety by
series of sacrifices. 1t was an hour
that called for jeremiah to decide
whether he would be a coward or
courageous champion of righteous
ness, religion and reform. The dan
ger was too real the canse Of ralioiop