Homilist Lamentations 1:7 Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old… I. IT GENERALLY REFERS TO THE "PLEASANT THINGS" OF THE PAST. This it does by a necessary law of its nature — the law of contrast. All men must meet with trials sooner or later — physical, social, moral, etc. Now in the painful memory reverts to the pleasant. It is ever so. Men under the infirmities of age revert to the bright joys of youth hood; the rich man who has sunk into bankruptcy reverts to the days when he had more than heart could wish; souls in perdition recall the sunny day of grace. II. Its reference to the "pleasant things" of the past ALWAYS INTENSIFIES THE SUFFERINGS OF THE SUFFERER. There are two things that tend to this:(1) The consciousness that the "pleasant things" are irrevocably lost: Innocency of childhood, glowing hopes of youth, pleasures of mature manhood, sacred impressions made upon the young heart by books, sermons, and parental piety, — these can never be regained. (2) The consciousness that the "pleasant things" have been morally abused. This makes the action of memory m hell so overwhelmingly painful. "Son, remember," etc. Memory involves receptivity — retention — reproduction (Homilist.) Parallel Verses KJV: Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths. |
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