Here he shews the fruit of teachableness; for when God deals severely with his
JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS is usually the case. For it has been a common evil, in all ages, for children and youth to leave the study of wisdom to the old. ``Oh! it will be time enough for me to be wise, when I arrive at a middle age; but some liberty must be given to childhood and youthful days.'' And for this reason, Solomon exhorts all not to wait for old age, but duly to learn to fear God in childhood. So also our Prophet declares that it is good for one to bear the yoke in his childhood. It then follows. ---
Lamentations 3:28
28. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.
28. Sedebit seorsum (vel, solus) et silebit, quia tulit super se.
Here he shews the fruit of teachableness; for when God deals severely with his children, they yet do not rebel, but even then they willingly submit to his authority. For whence comes it that so much impatience rages in men, except that they know not what it is to obey God, to prepare themselves to bear the yoke? so, then, men become furious like wild beasts, never tamed, therefore the Prophet now says,
is thus habituated to the yoke of God, will also be silent in extreme evils, and remain quiet.'' We now perceive what I have just said, that the fruit of docility and obedience is set forth in this verse.
But when he says that those who are thus trained to obey God will sit apart, he expresses most fitly the strength and character of patience. For they for the most part who wish to appear magnanimous make a great display, and think that their valor is nothing except they appear as on a theater; they allow themselves at the same time an unbridled liberty when they are alone; for they who seem the most valorous, except God's fear and true religion prevail in their souls, rage against God and champ the bridle in adversities, though they may not make a clamor before men, for, as I have already said, they regard display. But here a very different account is given of patience, even that we are to sit alone and be silent, that is, even were no one present as a witness, whose presence might make us ashamed; were we even then to sit, and to submit with calm minds to God, and to take his yoke, we should thus prove our patience. This verse then distiguishes between the simplicity of the godly and that will display in which they delight who seek to obtain the praise of courage, patience, and perseverance, from the world; for these also sit and speak words as from heaven, and as though they had put off the flesh. He who has lost a son will say, that he had begotten a mortal: he who is stripped of all his goods will say, ``All my things I carry with me.'' Thus magnanimously do ungodly men speak, so that they seem to surpass in fortitude and firmness all the children of God. But when they give utterance to these swelling words, what they regard is the opinion which men may form of them. But the faithful, what do they do? They sit apart, that is, though they might shamelessly clamor against God, yet they are quiet and submit to his will. We now understand what is meant by sitting apart.
Then he says, because he will carry it on himself Some take {}נטלnuthel, in a transitive sense, ``he will cast it upon him.'' But this is a forced rendering. It would be a simpler meaning, were we to say, because he will carry or raise it on himself. The verb {,}נטלnuthel, means not only to carry, but also elevate or raise up. When, therefore, the Prophet says, that it is an example of real patience when