The Song of Solomon : and the Lamentations of Jeremiah

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THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAH
While most men held to the ancient orthodoxy, some
rose in revolt against the dogma expressed in the
proverb, " The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and
the children's teeth are set on edge." Just at this time
the prophet Ezekiel was inspired to lead the Jews to
a more just conception, with the declaration : " As I
live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion
any more to use this proverb in Israel. Behold,
all souls are mine ; as the soul of the father, so also
the soul of the son is mine : the soul that sinneth, it
shall die^'^ This was the new doctrine. But how
could it be made to square with the facts ? By strong
faith in it the disciples of the advanced school might
bring themselves to believe that the course of events
which had given rise to the old idea would be arrested.
But if so they would be disappointed ; for the world
goes on in its unvarying way. Happily, as Christians,
we may look for the final solution in a future life,
when all wrongs shall be righted. It is much to know
that in the great hereafter each soul will be judged
simply according to its own character.
In conclusion, as we follow out the course of the
elegy, we find the same views maintained that were pre-
sented earlier. The idea of ignominy is still harped upon.
The Jews complain that they are under the rule of
servants.^ Satraps were really the Great King's slaves,
often simply household favourites promoted to posts of
honour. Possibly the Jews were put in the power of
inferior servants. The petty tyranny of such persons
would be all the more persistently annoying, if, as
often happens, servility to superiors had bred insolence
in bullying the weak ; and there was no appeal from the
' Ezek. xviii. 3, 4.
" v. 8,