"And it became in my heart as a burning fire, blazing in my bones, and I am utterly enfeebled and cannot bear it, because I heard the blame of many gathered round about." The blameless, the blessed Jeremiah (I speak with exception of this small sin and if he committed any other slight thing) was blamed by many. But the blame from the many was for him a commendation with God. For those who blamed him said, "Conspire, and let us all conspire against him, all the men his friends; watch his design, and he will be deceived." They wished to deceive him with another deception, a destructive one, opposite to the deception concerning which he said, "You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived." And these who conspire against him say, "And we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our vengeance upon him." Those convicted for their own sins think they have been wronged, and therefore, supposing they have been wronged, they say, "We shall take our vengeance upon him." Something of this sort those also did who sawed Isaiah asunder; for as though wronged (since the prophecies turned them about and chastised them, convicted them, rebuked them) they sawed him and condemned upon him a sentence of death.
But Jeremiah says concerning these who conspire, "And the Lord is with me as a mighty warrior." If we become such as we ought to be, and receive that fire coming upon us for our sins, as upon Jeremiah and those like him, the Lord thereafter becomes with us "as a mighty warrior." And "therefore they persecuted and could not understand" [the Jews who persecuted him: "they were greatly ashamed and did not perceive their disgrace," being for so long a time disgraced they do not confess their own sins], because the Lord was with the persecuted one, and the persecuted one cannot come under their power. May it not then be, since many things of Jeremiah are referred to the Savior, that this too can be such? For "Conspire, and let us conspire against him" is said also concerning the Savior. And "the Lord" was with him "as a mighty warrior; therefore they persecuted and could not understand," the Jews who persecuted him; "they were greatly ashamed and did not perceive their disgrace," being for so long a time disgraced they do not confess their own sins, "which through the age shall not be forgotten," but they suppose that in this age their iniquities shall be forgotten. But we see that through the age their iniquities shall not be forgotten, and seeing this we remember the saying, "Be not high-minded, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, how much more" the unnatural ones "will he not spare?"
"The Lord," then, "of hosts" is with us, "who tests just things, understanding reins and hearts." The Lord tests just things and rejects unjust things, and he is, so to name it, a moneychanger of just and unjust things; and this Lord is also "one who understands reins and hearts." I inquire how "to understand reins and hearts" differs, and "to examine hearts and reins" is another thing. He does not examine the hearts and reins of all, but of those who have sinned; for I attend to the meaning of "examine," which is used in this life concerning those who are tortured. In the courts some examine, others are examined, and there are those also in the heaviest pains. But the Lord alone has a new manner of examinations, for he is one who examines hearts, and to the Lord alone belongs the examining of hearts and reins. Robbers here are examined in their sides at the command of a ruler, but there it is not by command of God, but by the Lord himself that one is examined as to reins and hearts—unless indeed I here say that the one commanded is the Son, and the one commanding is the Father, and that the Word is the one who examines hearts and reins. And of all tortures, I think, of all pains, heavier are those from the Word, when it examines both hearts and reins. Therefore let us do all things, so that we may not be handed over to that examination. Than which examination I think those handed over to those called in the Gospel the tormentors suffer less; for they are handed over to many, perhaps to more tormentors at the beginning, not yet becoming worthy to be handed over to the one Word that examines hearts and reins. That rich man was not yet worthy to be handed over to the one who examines hearts and reins; therefore he was tormented by more. But later, whether that one too suffers this or not, let him who is able examine. Nevertheless, what awaits us are tormentors and one who examines the hearts and reins for our sins; from which sins, if we are not more quickly delivered, in these we shall be. Therefore, having risen up, let us ask for the help that comes from God, that we may be blessed in Christ Jesus, to whom be the glory unto the ages. Amen.