JEREMIAH
At the right of Joshua we see Jeremiah, the prophet who so bitterly lamented the afflictions of his people. He is often called the “weeping prophet.” So Mr. Sargent has represented him in that attitude of grief and discouragement, standing there with his eyes cast down in sorrowful meditation. His whole life was spent in what seemed a fruitless strife against the evils of his time, for his warnings were disregarded, and his people were hurrying toward their destruction.
Jeremiah, Jonah, Isaiah, Habakkuk. The Frieze of the Prophets
Mr. Sargent has made us feel the hopeless despair of this strong man who tried so hard to save his people from all the misery they so willfully brought upon themselves. He even went about the streets wearing a yoke on his neck, to symbolize the coming servitude of the nation which refused to heed his warnings and repent. His life was in constant danger; he was imprisoned, thrown into a damp, unwholesome cistern, and was often obliged to hide for months in caves among the rocks to escape the king’s anger.
Other prophets could declare God’s protection and hold out some hope for the good to come, but Jeremiah’s message spoke only of evil and sorrow. It took great courage to go about on so unpopular and sad a mission, without even a miracle to prove his words true, and always alone among people who were unfriendly and did not believe in him.
The first one of Jeremiah’s predictions to come true was when Daniel and the Israelites were taken captives to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. Again he warned them not to go into Egypt, but they not only went but compelled him to go with them.
The last we hear of Jeremiah is in Egypt, urging his people to give up their idols and worship God. He is indeed, as Mr. Sargent has represented him, “the prophet of sorrow”; and yet the figure is one of strength. Neither in his face nor in his bearing is there any sign of indecision or turning back.