JEREMIAH had been greatly persecuted for his faithfulness in delivering the word of God. He tells us his reason for his continuance in a work which brought him so sorrowful a reward. He gives us to understand that he had been faithful in delivering God's word, because that word had been overpoweringly precious to his own soul. He could not do otherwise than speak the truth, because that truth had been his own daily food. He met with nothing but ill treatment from those whom he addressed; they had vilified him in every way; he had been put in the most noisome dungeon; he had been denied even bread and water; everything short of actually putting him to death had been inflicted upon him by his ungrateful countrymen; but still he went on prophesying. He could not be silent. Though his prophesying brought him nothing but tears, yet he continued still to prophesy; for God's word came with such sweetness to his own soul, and filled his heart with such ravishing joy and delight, that he could not do otherwise than go out among his countrymen and tell what had been so delightful to himself. I believe this to be the secret of a living ministry. The ministry that is fed upon flattery, and flatters those who flatter it, is a poor, feeble counterfeit, and God will never bless it; but the ministry which under great difficulties and fierce opposition is still sustained because the preacher cannot help continuing it, that is what God will bless. It was good advice of a venerable divine to a young man who aspired to be a preacher, when he said to him, "Don't become a minister if you can help it." The man who could very easily be a tradesman or merchant had better not be a minister. A preacher of the gospel should always be a volunteer, and yet he should always be a pressed man, who serves his King because he is omnipotently constrained to do so. Only he is fit to preach who cannot avoid preaching, who feels that woe is upon him unless he preach the gospel, and that the very stones would cry out against him if he should hold his peace.—Sel.