o a great wrong upon our own lives.

Several of its features lift this story to a place among the most
impressive in the Old Testament. The priests and prophets on the one side
and the princes on the other both use the phrase, that Jeremiah _spoke in
the Name of the Lord_. But the former quote it ironically, or in
indignation at the Prophet's claim, while the princes are obviously
impressed by his sincerity and apparently their impression is shared by
the people. There could be no firmer measure of the pitch of personal
power to which Jeremiah has at last braced himself.

The promise of his Call is fulfilled. Sceptical, fluid and shrinking as he
is by nature, he stands for this hour at least, _a strong wall and a
fortress_, by his clear conscience, his simple courage, and his full
surrender to whatever be in store for him. How bravely he refuses to
conciliate them!--_I am in your hand, do to me as is right in your eyes._

Again, there is proof of a popular tradition and conscience in Israel more
sound than those of the religious authorities of the nation. The people
remembered what their priests and prophets forgot or ignored, and through
their elders gave utterance to it on the side of justice. In agreement
with them were the princes, the lay leaders of the nation. To
ecclesiastics of every age and race this is a lesson, to give heed to "the
common sense" and to the public instinct for justice. And on that day in
Jerusalem these were called forth by the ability of the people, commoners
and nobles alike, to recognise a real Prophet, an authentic
Speaker-for-God at once when they heard him.

The danger that Jeremiah faced and the source from which it sprang are
revealed by the fate which befell another denouncer of the land in the
Name of the Lord. Of him, the narrator uses a form of the verb _to
prophesy_ different from that which he uses of Jeremiah, thus guarding
himself from expressing an opinion as to whether the man was a genuine
prophet. This is a further tribute to the moral effect of Jeremiah's
person and word.

XXVI. 20. There was also a man who took upon him to prophesy in
the Name of the Lord, Urijahu, son of Shemajahu, from
Kiriath-jearim, and he prophesied(319) against this land,
according to all the words of Jeremiah. 21. And king
Jehoiakim(320) and all the princes heard of his words and they
sought(321) to put him to death; and Urijahu heard and fearing
fled and went i