Charles Spurgeon Commentary Jeremiah 3:19

"But I said, How I will put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of the nations! and I said, Ye shall call me My Father, and shall not turn away from following me." — Jeremiah 3:19 (ASV)

And give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the host of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.

God knew how to change the character and to change the heart, so that these filthy ones, who went farthest astray, should come back to him, and should become among the most holy, the most loyal, the most obedient of all his children.

Oh, that his grace might work that miracle again in our midst! Remember what he did for Saul of Tarsus, that transcendent persecutor, how he made him to be the very bravest of his apostles.

He can at this moment take those who form the chosen bodyguard of the devil and so change them that they shall become the soldiers of the cross, nearest to Christ, the great Commander.

The Lord, by his servant the prophet, goes over this sad story again:

And give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, You shall call me, My father;

When God gives us the spirit of children, then it becomes easy for him to put us among the children. Where the nature of children is given by divine regeneration, the rights of children may well be given by adoption. I said, You shall call me, My Father.

How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations?

Is it possible? Can it be done? These harlot nations that have defiled and polluted themselves with unutterable filthiness—can they be put among the children—the children of God?

And you shall not turn away from me.

I always regard that second part of the blessing as being perhaps the richer of the two. The final perseverance of the saints forms the cluster of crown jewels that is found in the casket of the covenant. You shall not depart from me. You shall not turn away from me. Oh —

If ever it should come to pass
That sheep of Christ could fall away,
My fickle, feeble soul, alas!
Would fall ten thousand times a day.

But He who has begun the good work has promised to carry it on.

There is our safety and our rest. You shall call me, My father; and shall not turn away from me.