Homilist Jeremiah 6:4 Prepare you war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe to us! for the day goes away… I. Heaven granted these men of Judah an opportunity FOR ESCAPING A GREAT EVIL; so it has to all unconverted men. The evil to which the Jews were exposed was very great: it was captivity, slavery, utter destruction of the country. But this was only a shadow of the moral dangers to which every unconverted man is exposed. He is in danger of losing his soul. To lose a soul is to lose all true liberty, pure sympathies, harmonious affections, real friendships, self-approving conscience, true hopes, and means of improvement. And when these are gone, the worth of existence is gone, for it becomes an intolerable curse. II. The opportunity which these men of Judah had for escaping their danger was NOW DRAWING TO A CLOSE; so is the opportunity of all unconverted men. The whole day of life scarcely opens before it begins to close. 1. This opportunity is constantly departing to return no more. 2. This opportunity is constantly departing though the work be not done. III. The closing of the opportunity of these men of Judah was FRAUGHT WITH TERRIBLE CALAMITY; so it will be with all unconverted men. "Woo unto us," exclaims the doomed Jew in bitter anguish. "Woe unto us"; we have not only lost our country and become the slaves of a heathen despot, bug we have shamefully neglected the merciful opportunities with which providence has favoured us. These words remind us of the language of Christ (Luke 19:41-44). Conclusion — "Now is the accepted time." Today is "the day of salvation." (Homilist.) Parallel Verses KJV: Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out. |
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