The Song of Solomon : and the Lamentations of Jeremiah

26o THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAH
truth to be considered is that in some way, if only by
spiritual impression, God does most really speak to
His children, and that He speaks now as surely as He
spoke in the days of Israel. We have no new prophets
and apostles who can give us fresh revelations in the
form of additions to our Bible. But that is not what
is meant. The elegist did not receive a statement of
doctrine in answer to his prayer, nor, on this occasion,
even help for the writing of his inspired poetry. The
voice to which he here alludes was of quite a different
character.
This was in the olden times ; but if then, why not
also now ? Evidently the elegist regarded it as a rare
and wonderful occurrence—a single experience to which
he looked back in after years with the interest one
feels in a vivid recollection which rises Hke a mountain,
clean cut against the sky, above the mists that so
quickly gather on the low plains of the uneventful past.
Perhaps it is only in one of the crises of life that such
an indubitable message is sent— when the soul is in
the lowest dungeon, in extremis, crying out of the dark-
ness, helpless if not yet hopeless, overwhelmed, almost
extinguished. But if we listened for it, who can tell
but that the voice might not be so rare ? We do not
believe in it ; therefore we do not hear it. Or the
noise of the world's great loom and the busy thoughts
of our own hearts drown the music that still floats
down from heaven to ears that are tuned to catch its
notes ; for it does not come in thunder, and we must
ourselves be still if we would hear the still small voice,
inwardly still, still in soul, stifling the chatter of self,
stopping our ears to the din of the world. There are
those to-day who tell us with calm assurance, not at
all in the visionary's falsetto notes, that they have