In ver. 28, in Jeremiah 48:21, and in Jeremiah 49:6, 39, we have similar assurances that "afterwards," when God's judgments have done their work, the chastised and afflicted nations shall be restored. Such promise is here made to Egypt. It is repeated in Ezekiel 29:8-14. And from this reiterated word concerning, not one people only, but so many, we gather the intent and purpose of God in regard to all his punishments which he sends upon men - that they are not for men's destruction, but for their purification and preservation, Note -

I. SOME OF THE BASES OF THIS BELIEF.

1. Such Scriptures as these now referred to.

2. The salutary results that have followed so much of human suffering. That suffering has shamed indolence, roused energy, stimulated invention, and the results have been safeguards to life and health and general well being, which would never have been thought of or sought after if suffering had not goaded men on. Hence we conclude that such results were intended and ever are by like causes.

3. The fact that God created man. It is incredible that he should create beings whose destiny is an eternity of sin and suffering. If it had been really better for any men that they had never been born, as in this case it undoubtedly would, and as for far less and altogether inadequate reasons we sometimes say it would concerning ourselves or others, then they never would have been born. Our Lord's word concerning Judas is not to be literally pressed. It was a proverbial expression used concerning especially unhappy or ungodly men.

4. The very name of "Saviour." Christ either is or is not the Saviour of the world. If he be not, but only fain would be, then the name of "Saviour" cannot be truly his. We do not give the names of "deliverer," "saviour," "benefactor," to those who only desire to be such but are not such. We are forced to believe - and with what thankfulness we would do so! - that he who is called "the Lamb of God" does not merely in wish, but in fact, "take away the sins of the world."

5. The value of the great sacrifice. If it do not reconcile the world unto God, as St. Paul affirms it does, then it is less precious than men have thought. But it is inconceivable that such a sacrifice should fail to accomplish that for which it was especially designed.

6. The express declaration that the Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. But are not sin and suffering his work? If, then, they be eternal, how can they have been destroyed?

7. The necessity involved in the first and great command, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God," etc. Now, it is not in the power of the human heart to love any being that it does not conceive as lovable or worthy of love. But a God who created men, knowing that they would eternally sin and suffer, is not lovable by the human heart. What do we say of men who do deeds which they know can only issue in misery and wrong? But is that righteous in God which we should denounce in men? Abhorrendum sit.

II. CONCLUSION.

1. Not that there is no such thing as God's punishment for sin.

2. Nor that that punishment is but a little thing. Ah, no! "It is a fearful thing" for an impenitent unbelieving man "to fall into the hands of the living God." He is a consuming fire to such, and the fire will burn on until all the dross and evil be burnt out. Wellington said, "There is only one thing worse than a great victory, and that is a great defeat." He knew at what cost victory is won. And so there may be only one thing worse than some men's salvation, and that is that they should be eternally lost.

3. But that we should learn to "love and dread" God. Love him for his gracious purpose towards men, but dread lest we should compel him by our rejection of his gospel to lead us by sterner ways. For he will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. - C.

I. THE DIVINE OATHS RECORDED IN SCRIPTURE EXHIBIT AND DECLARE THE GLORY OF THE DIVINE CHARACTER.

1. As they show forth the infinite condescension of God. He has addressed us not only in the language of authority and goodness, but also actually condescended to confirm His own true sayings by the most solemn oaths, and this He has done, not only upon some one particular occasion, but in numerous instances, and in every variety of form. Sometimes, Jehovah swears by one or the other of His natural perfections. The Lord hath sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength. At other times He swears by one or the other of His moral perfections, as, "Once have I sworn by My holiness." At other times by His great name, but the most expressive, as well as the most usual form is that in the text, "As I live, saith the Lord God."

2. The Divine oaths furnish a sublime and awful manifestation of the sincere earnestness of the Divine mind in what He declares unto us in His Word, with such an attestation.

3. The Divine oaths exhibit also the benevolent solicitude of God for the welfare of the unworthy creatures whom He thus addresses; or as the apostle expresses it, "the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man."

4. The Divine oaths intimate the unchangeableness of the Divine mind in relation to those arrangements in His natural and moral government which were in that manner established and confirmed.

II. THE DIVINE OATHS ALSO SERVE TO ILLUSTRATE THE MORAL CHARACTER OF MAN, AND TO EXERCISE A POWERFUL INFLUENCE ON HIS MORAL AND SPIRITUAL INTERESTS.

1. They strongly corroborate the fact that the human heart is corrupt and alienated from God. In speaking to His holy angels, "who excel in strength," and are swift to do His will, an oath in confirmation of His Word is altogether unnecessary. They know His character too well ever to entertain the slightest suspicion of His truthfulness; but in dealing with fallen and apostate man, He knew it was necessary to confirm His own faithful words by most solemn oaths, pledging His own eternal existence on their truth.

2. They serve also as fearful warnings of the perilous condition of the impenitent and unbelieving soul. Could not an angel have reasonably supposed that in the face of all the declarations and oaths of Jehovah, recorded in the Bible, unbelief on the part of man would have been a moral impossibility? After all, unbelief is the most common sin in the world, and the sin on account of which men generally feel the least compunction; the sin on account of which the Son of God marvelled and was grieved, — men neither marvel nor grieve. Just as if it was a thing of no moment to treat the eternal God as a liar and a perjurer! Be not deceived, God is not mocked.

3. They afford the strongest encouragement to believers in their onward progress to heaven. Christians, during their earthly pilgrimage, have to contend against many things in themselves and in the world, which are calculated to exert a most depressing influence upon their hearts. But they are, nevertheless, favoured with abundant sources of consolation in the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, and in the great and precious truths and promises of the Gospel "God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of the promises the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us." The firm stability of the ordinances of the covenant made with Noah, is employed to illustrate the stability and unchangeableness of the covenant of redemption. The mountains and the hills are referred to as fit emblems of its eternal immutability.

(W. Rees, D. D.)