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of hope. The judgment is described first from the
standpoint of the scourge. The widespread extent
of it is foretold, and the affliction and helplessness
is graphically set forth. The judgment is then
spoken of from the standpoint of Moab, that is to
say, the long security of Moab, and his freedom
from affliction is recognized, as is also his self
confidence. In contrast with this, the judgment is
announced. All his past security is to end, and
his strength is to vanish. Finally in a long passage
full of tremendous power, the judgment of Moab
from the standpoint of the onlooker is described.
Surrounding nations are called upon to observe and
to lament, while yet they recognize the justice of
the judgment, as it is a punishment for Moab for
the sin of magnifying himself against the Lord.
The prophet himself, observing the judg
ment, broke out into mourning and lamentation,
with sobs describing the desolation, until at last
in one brief senten’ce he announced the promise of
Jehovah, that finally He would restore the captiv
ity of Moab, and indicated that until that time of
the Divine intervention the judgment of Moab must
continue.
Against the children of Ammon Jeremiah raised
a protest because their king was in possession of
Gad. He declared that by the fierce judgment of
war they were to be dispossessed and driven forth.
The message ends with a gleam of hope, iti which
the prophet foretold the bringing again of the cap
tivity of the children of Ammon.
Concerning Edom, destruction is foretold, in spite
of her wisdom. The reference to wisdom in Teman
“would seem to be a satirical literary allusion to
the fact that it was the birthplace of Eliphaz, the
counsellor of Job. The destruction is described in
figurative language, and the prophet declared that
notwithstanding the arrogancy and security of the
people, Jehovah would bring them down into the
dust. The destruction of Edom is intended to
be a warning to the whole earth.
Damascus is described in her decay, and in the
destruction determined against her by the Lord
of hosts. This reference to Damascus is brief, for
it does not seem that in Jeremiah’s time there was
anything like intimate relationship of any sort be
tween her and the chosen people. It is evident,
however, that as his vision swept the horizon he
saw that she also was within the circle of the Di
vine government, and that judgment w 7 as determined
against her.
Kedar and Hazor represent the Arab peoples, the
former such as were nomadic, the latter those who
dwelt at settled centers, and yet not in walled
cities. Against both of these Nebuchadnezzar, the
king of Babylon, was to be the instrument of judg
ment.
The prophecy against Elam is one of judgment,
ending once more with a gleam of hope. Os Elam
nothing can be said with any certainty. Again it
is evident that in the far-reaching vision of Jere
miah she was seen as under the Divine displeasure,
and consequently to be visited by the Divine judg
ment.
The last of the prophecies concerning the nations
has to do with Babylon. Throughout the whole of
Jeremiah’s prophetic utterances she has been seen
as the instrument of God’s judgment. Finally, on
account of her own sin and corruption that judg
ment must inevitably fall upon her. That is the
great burden of this message.
It is perfectly evident throughout that the proph
et had in mind the nations of Judah and Israel, and
what he said concerning Babylon had its direct bear
ing upon these as the people of God. The prophecy
falls into two parts, the first foretelling Babylon’s
doom, and Israel’s deliverance; the second indi
cating Israel’s responsibility in view of this doom
determined upon Babylon. In general terms the
prophet announced the coming overthrow of Baby
lon, and described the repentant return of the chil
dren of Israel and Judah. He then more definitely
described the destruction of the city of Babylon.
A confederacy of nations would come against her,
and destroy her, and that because she had rejoiced
and been wanton in her dealing with the people of
God. That people, though scattered and driven
away, would be gathered and restored; while the
iniquity of Israel and th* sins of Judah would be
The Golden Age for January 16, 1908.
pardoned. The prophecy increases in power as it
proceeds, and Jeremiah foretold the completeness of
the overthrow. There was to be the utter humbling
of her pride, and the absolute destruction of her
power. The instrument of the destruction was to
be a people from the north, but the judgment was
to be that of the invincible Jehovah. In the second
movement the prophet again declared the determi
nation of Jehovah to bring about the complete
overthrow of Babylon, and that to ensure the de
liverance of His people. Tn order to emphasize
this, he described the invincible power of Jehovah,
as Creator and Sustainer of the world, in the pres
ence of Whom man is vanity. He thereupon de
scribed the judgment, first recognizing that Baby
lon had indeed been an instrument in the hand
of Jehovah for the accomplishing of His judgments,
but proceeding to declare that Jehovah was now
against Babylon, and that therefore she must be
come a desolation without inhabitant, repeating
finallv the truth that the purpose of His judgment
was the deliverance of His people. Upon the basis
of these great declarations Jeremiah, in the name
of Jehovah, made his appeal to the people of God.
urging them to escape from the midst of Babylon,
and declaring again the certainty of her doom. The
prophecv concerning Babvlon closes with an ac
count of the charge which Jeremiah gave to Seraiah
to -write these words and read them in Babylon.
Here the words of Jeremiah end.
The last chapter consists of a historical appendix,
written, as the final words of the previous chapter
show, by another hand. It first repeats in brief
form the story of the capture of the city, and
chronicles the oppression of the people, which fol
lowed. A list is then given of Nebuchadnezzar’s
captives, and the story of Jehoiachin’s position in
Babylon is told.
*
A Memory.
To Mrs. P. D. Pollock.
Yes, the sunlight, as of yore.
In bright bars across the floor.
Tells of day’s decline.
Memory wakes, and longings tender —
Hopes that perished, the heart’s surrender
Os all the best of human love
To will divine.
Oh, light of summer day, that faded,
How oft your sweetness hath pervaded
My secret thought!
Light and life and love have vanished,
Faith abides, all fears to banish,
And calm, and heal the grief
Which time has wrought.
—Lula Selman.
r. *
Among the Workers.
Let us begin the New Year with a song—thank
ful for all that God sends us, whether it seems
to be good or evil, and rejoicing in the thought that
what the devil sends will not last long.
Dr. Felix Adler, the Jewish exponent of the re
ligion of ethical culture, is reported to have said,
regarding Christmas exercises in the public schools:
“I would not have the Christmas festival out of
our schools for the world —beautiful festival. It
is a real human festival. Everybody knows it ex
isted long before Christianity. The mark of it
means joy—just joy, expansiveness—sheer bright
ness. Oh, we want that! We want that in the
world. We -want that as much as we can through
out the year, but do not let us miss it at this happy
season; and combined with it is the joy of the
higher meaning, the one in the old Roman, antique
world. That meaning was equality.”
In a recent issue The Examiner, under the cap
tion, “A Tactical Mistake,” while expressing a
deep and cordial interest in the Layman’s Move
ment, very clearly declares its conviction that the
laymen are making a serious mistake when they
limit their missionary efforts to foreign missions.
A few weeks ago the Atlanta Baptist Ministers’
Conference had the same matter before them. This
body never passes resolutions endorsing or censur
ing anybody, but members do not mind saying what
they think. The debate was rather one-sid.ed, and
the convictions expressed by the speakers were
about this:
1. To begin with foreign missions is an un
scriptural order.
2. It is an unnatural order.
3. It is an unphilosophical order, because it neg
lects the home sourses of supply, while it expends
an excess of energy and of capital at a remote
distance. To use a military figure, it is putting the
army too far from the base of supplies. It was
pointed out in that discussion that those denomina
tions that have advanced most substantially, both
at home and abroad, have been those who have ad
hered to the divinely indicated order of evangeli
zation, viz.: “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, all the
■earth.” The gentlemen present were reminded of
the way in which the planting of churches has fol
lowed right along with the pioneers, and how 7 “the
winning of the West” has been the joint achieve
ment of scouts, cowboys, settlers and missionaries.
And how, all over the great country, from the river
to the Rockies, are thousands of churches that
are now contributing hundreds of thousands of dol
lars to send the gospel to the regions beyond. The
Layman’s Movement is a great movement. Th 7 '
Lord greatly bless and prosper it, and guide it into
the best methods.
•?
The Prohibition Tight.
The news comes now 7 that our own Senator
“Steve Clay” has taken up our fight in the Senate.
He is pushing a resolution to force the Judiciary
Committee of the Senate to report the Knox-Till
man bill for the purpose of bringing the matter of
the jug trade before the Senate. Hurrah for Steve
Clay!
It is reasonable to expect that very many at
tempts will be made to evade the law. There will
be always a class of people who insist on exempli
fying the necessity for penal laws by their unfail
ing propensity to do the forbidden thing. Such
people never respect authority. The only attention
they pay to the law 7 is to disregard it in everything
except to conceal, if they can, their transgression
of its provisions. Such people must be dealt with.
The penalties attached to the laws must be in
flicted.
There may be some liquor people who will pre
tend that they have rights that the prohibition law
takes from them. If there are, the courts are open
to them. But there is no doubt but that the liquor
men will learn that their business has no natural
right. The whole world is awakening to its ruin
ous character, and in a short time it will be al
lowed to exist nowhere except under the most rigid
restriction and within the narrowest physical lim
its.
Governor Smith’s unfortunate slip about the use
of light wines and beers as table drinks has been
commented on very largely. Some of the liquor
favoring papers are restating the old exploded
ism of statistics about the harmlessness of such
drinks in those countries that indulge in their use.
The editors of these papers ought to inform them
selves. The things they claim are facts, are not
facts. Prohibition sentiments are invading the beer
drinking towns of Germany and penetrating the
vine clad hills of sunny France. The old fashioned
beer of medieval Germany seemed to be harmless,
but it cultivated the demand for alcohol until such
beer has given way to modern drinks that contain
three or four times as much alcohol. And this dis
covery has awakened the better judgment of the
leaders in public affairs and hence prohibition is
demanded for that country. Strike out beer in the
above lines and insert wine, and it states the fact
about the wine making countries as well as the beer
drinking countries.
7
