Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-09-13

text. JeT. 1sA-lVs ol.~t-@4
Then the word Of the Lord came
unto me, saying
Before / formed thee in the belly
I knew thee: and before thou
earnest forth out Of the womb /
sanctified thee a prophet unto the
nations.
Then said !. All. Lord God; be-
hold. I cannot speak: for ! am q
child.
But the Lord said INTO me Say
not, 7 am a child: for thou shalt
60 to all that ! shall send thee.
and whatsoever ! command thee
thou shalt speak.
Be not afraid Of their faces. for ]
am with thee TO deliver thee.
Then the Lord put forth hia hand.
and touched my mouth. And the
Lord said unto ne. Behold. 1 have
put my words in thy mouth.
See. I have this day set thee
over the nations and oTer the
kingdoms. 10 root out and 10 pull
down, and to destroy. and to throw
down. TO build and to plant.
Behold. the days come, saith the
Lord, that / will SOW the house OF
Israel and the house OF Judah with
the seed Of man. and with the seed
OF beast.
And it shall come 10 pass. thai
like as 7 have watched over Their,
to pluck up. and 10 break down,
The international Uniform sun
dav School Lessen cor September
IA. Responsibility az The individual.
Jer. 1:4-10; 31:27-34.
BIZ WIN. K. CILROY ID. II.
Editor CT The Ccrsresaticr=!.1t
From one Of the so-caled minor
prophets, Amos, as we have seen
a man great in character and SER
vice. we turn now TO a major pre-
phet. jeremiah. sometimes noted
for the dolefuincss OF his message.
but more noted for the courage with
which he refused TO use h0neyec
words In a tragic time and for tho
~pointedness OF his rebuke to his
ace and the clearness OF his mes
sage concerning the way OF life anc
hope.
The core OF Jeremiah's message 1.
in his emphasis upon individual re-
sponsibility. II begins with him
self. He is conscious Of a call o.
God that came in the very purpose
or his life. lie has the assurance
that ne was sanctified even before
birth and that he has been called
as a prophet. In spite Of this cal
he feels his weakness. and he as
sures the Lord that he knows not
how to speak. But with all his
hesitancy be needs the call and
goes to do and say the thing given
him. II Is a great picture or a man
with a consciousness Of a mission
and with the determination to ful-
fill that mission even though he
feels so little qualified for 1t.
Individual Responsibility
So he comes forward. daring 10
speak IN the name Of the Lord. He
speaks TO those Who were hiding
behind the law Of heredity. and he
reminds them that they are respon-
sible for their own iniqulty, and
LA4dL II - DOcGlU-C I1I tl4CI4 u Hans
a covenant with Gcd IS directly and
powerfully as any that their fathers
had made. He turns the mind CT
the people from the outward aspect
OF religion to its inward aspect. The
law OF God is in the inward parts.
and 1t is written in the hearts Of
men.
Here we see jeremiah striking q
note very similar to that of Amos.
Religion does not consist Of form
and observance: 1t has a deeper
reality. IT is an ideal picture that
Jeremiah draws OF a people with
that law in their hearts determin-
ing their obedience 10 everything
good. In the ideal kingdom that
he thinks Of zeal and knowledge
as creating, lie pictures q time
when every individual will have his
part in the true society, when none
shall say to his brother know the
Lord" for all shall know him from
the least unto the greatest.
It is not quite easy 10 grasp the
significance Of the work CT these
prophets. We read SO much Of the
ideas and impressions OF a later
day into a record. and We fail to
see the extent 70 which the prophet
was a man far ahead Of his time,
with strong individuality and with
magnificent daring. expressing ID
the world the vision Of his own soul
in love and In Righteousness.
The prophets OF Israel stand as
sublime figures III the records y.
history as unique in relation to
their age. as great artists or au-
thors whose personalities have be-
come supreme above their environ
ment.
The deepest message that these
prophets themselves would have en-