290.

THE WARNING BY JEREMIAH.

CXCIX.

HE WARNING

SSZARQIETER the death of Josiah,
3 a
hif\\S)| the people made his son,
CORN x Jehoahaz, king of Judah.
| He was unlike his father;
he wasa wicked man, and
did evil in the sight of the Lord.
Jeboahaz did not reign long. Pha-
raoh Necho, king of Egypt, came
to Jerusalem, and made Jehoahaz
prisoner, and carricd him away to
Egypt. Jehoahaz died there; and
the king of Egypt made another
son of Josiah king of Judah. His
name was Jehoiakim; he was wicked
and rebellious, like his brother Je-
hoahaz. |
And now the time was coming
for God to punish His sinful and
ungrateful people. He had spared
them many, many years. He had
given them time to repent; He had
warned them by His prophets: He
invited them to return to Him; He
had promised to bless them if they
would obey Him; but no—they
would not attend. Still God was
waiting In mercy; and now He sent
ohe more messenger to warn them
of their danger, and to tell them to
repent and turn to God. This mes-
senger was the prophet Jeremiah.
God commanded him to stand in
the court of the temple, and speak to
all the people who came to worship
there. What did Jeremiah say to
them? This was his message:
“Thus saith the Lord; if ye will
not hearken unto me, and unto the
words of my servants the prophets,
I will destroy this house, and will

  

 

 

BY JEREMIAH,

make this city a curse to all the na-
tions of the earth.” Did the peo-
ple attend to what Jeremiah said ?
They heard what he said; but they
were not willing to receive the warn-
ing which God sent them. The
message made them angry, but it
did not humble them. They dis-
liked reproof, and were angry with
the messenger who brought it.
When Jeremiah had finished speak-
ing, the priests and the people and
the prophets took him, and said,
“Thou shalt surely die. Why hast
thou said that this house shall be
destroyed, and that this city shall
be thrown down?” ‘Then the peo-
ple assembled, and the princes of
Judah came from the king’s house,
and they all sat down at the gate of
the temple, to talk about Jeremiah
and the message he had brought
them. The priests and the pro-
phets were more angry than the
rest. They ought to have taught
the people to fear and serve the
Lord; but these priests and pro-
phets were proud, rebellious, unholy
men. They sinned against God
themselves, and they encouraged the
people in sin too. They honored
their temple, and loved their city:
but they did not honor the God of
the temple; they did not love Him
who had kept their city in safety se
many years.

These priests offered sacrifices and
burnt-offerings to the Lord; but
their sacrifices were not accepted,
because they were not offered m