2. How just will be the condemnation of the im- penitent !
[This compassion of God greatly aggravates their back- slidings; and at last it will give way to wrath and indignation". Soon God will not deliberate, but decide ; not relent, but laugh at their calamity ; not resolve to pardon, but swear they shall not enter into his rest. Then how just will their condemnation aj>pear ! May this goodness of God now lead us to repentance !]
3. How certainly shall the returning sinner find mercy !
[If God feel thus for the rebellious, how much more for the penitent ! Let all then seek him with humble confidence in his mercy. Let them offer their supplications like those of old0 — ; so shall that song of praise succeed their present dis- quietude p — ]
11 Gen. vi. 3. ° Isai. lxiii. 15. p Isai. xii. 1.
Hos. xii. 3, 4, 6. By his strength he had power with God: yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed : he wept and made supplication unto him .... Therefore turn thou to thy God : keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God con- tinually.
THE historical parts of Scripture, if duly improved, will be found no less useful than any other. The Apostles often refer to them, and declare, that the things which had occurred to their ancestors, had " happened to them for ensamples," and that they were recorded "for our admonition." The Prophet Hosea was reproving both Ephraim (or the ten tribes) and Judah (the two remaining tribes) for their respective sins. But having called the latter by the name of "Jacob," he thought it proper to guard them against the delusion of imagining themselves accepted of God because of their descent from Jacob, when their conduct was in direct opposition to that which he maintained. He then brings to their remembrance a very striking instance of Jacob's communion with