Hos. iv. 6. My people are destroyed for lack of knoivledge.
IGNORANCE, as it respects the things of this world, is attended with many evils. It disqualifies a man for those situations in life that require the exercise of wisdom and discretion ; it degrades him in society below the rank of those who would other- wise be deemed his equals or inferiors : and it not unfrequently leads to idleness, dissipation, and vice. But ignorance of religion is of infinitely worse conse- quence ; because it ensures the everlasting destruc- tion of the soul. To this effect God speaks in the words before us; from which we shall be led to shew, I. The ignorance of the Christian world —
The Jews, as well those of the ten tribes as those who worshipped at Jerusalem, were called " the people of God," because they had received the seal of his covenant in their infancy, and professed to acknowledge him as their God. In like manner we, having in our infancy been baptized into the faith of Christ, may, in a lax and general sense, be called his followers, and his people. But among nominal Christians there is an awful lack of knowledge ; an ignorance,
1. Of themselves —
[How little do they know of their blindness ! They sup- pose themselves as competent to judge of spiritual as they are of carnal things ; though God tells them, that they cannot comprehend the things of the Spirit for want of a spiritual dis- cernmenta.
How little do they know of their guilt ! Do they really feel themselves deserving of God's eternal wrath and indignation ? They cannot cordially acquiesce in that idea, notwithstanding they are expressly said to be under the curse and condemnation of the law b.
How little do they know of their depravity ! They will acknowledge, that they have this or that particular infirmity : but they have no just conception of the total depravity of their hearts ; or of the truth of God's testimony respecting them, that " every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts is evil, only evil, continually0."
How little do they know of their utter helplessness ! They imagine that they can exercise repentance and faith just when they please, though they are declared by God himself to be incapable of themselves to do any thing d, even so much as to think a good thought e.]
2. Of God—
[They may have some general notions of his power and goodness : but what know they of his holiness ? Do they suppose that sin is so hateful in his eyes as he represents it to bef?
What know they of his justice? Are they persuaded that, as the Moral Governor of the universe, he must enforce the sanc- tions of his own law ; and that, however merciful he may be, he neither will nor can clear the guilty g?
a 1 Cor. ii. 13, 14. t> Gal. iii. 10.
c Ps. xiv. 2, 3. Gen. vi. 5. d John xv. 5.
• 2 Cor. iii. 5. f Hab. i. 13. s Exod. xxxiv. 7.