Jeremiah 42

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. XLII.—Ministers have need to be men of fervent prayer, faithfulness, and intimacy with God. And, if people would profit by their ministers pray, they should seriously attend to their preaching. We can never be sincere with God if we do not obey his will so far as it is known to us. But what a choice of religion will hypocrites put on to serve a particular race? They will avow that as their God; and make great pretences to unresolved resistance to obey his will in all things. How strange it is that he should return such unscrupulous so plain, so gracious, an answer! But his mercy is the formation of all our hopes and happiness. He can turn the hearts of kings to 13 favour or to hate us, as he pleases. And they, who carefully obey his will, may humbly expect his blessing. But it is madness to dissemble with a God of truth, who searches our hearts; or to quit our station, especially in his holy land; because we find trouble in it. If we think to escape suffering by sinning, we only rush upon the thick bosses of his buckler. If we make him our enemy, we shall find him a consuming fire wherever we go; and that upon which we most set our hearts will prove most fatal to us. If we make ourselves vile by our sins, he will make us viler by his judgments. 9 A