HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-5.-The reign oflloshea. I. A FOOLISH SERVICE. The life of every man is o. service of some sort. We cannot, even if we would, be absolutely our own masters. Some men are the servants of self. Some are the servants of others. Some are the servants of good. Scme are the servants of evil. Some are the servants of money, or of pleasure, or of their passions. What higher epitaph coulti be written over any man's tomb than the simple words, "A servant of God"? What higher cboice could any man ma.ke than this, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" ? But that was not the choice which Hoshea made. He thought the service of God was slavery. He chose the service of the King of Assyria. What fools men are sometimes! How blind to their own best interests ! The prodigal son in his father's house had every comfort, consideration, and care. But he thought there was too much restriction. He would like to have more of his own way. And so he went a.way from his father's house. But he was glad enough to return. He did not find the service of the world and of sin quite so pleasant as he expected. So many discover, when it is too late, "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal lifo, through Jesus Christ our Lord." II. A FAITHLESS SERVANT. Hosbea. was unfaithful to God. And the mr1n who is unfaithful to the claims of God-the highest of all claims-is generally unfaithful to his fellow-men. So it wa.s in this case. "'l.'he King of Assy1ia found conspiracy in Hoshea.." Hoshea had entered into engagements which he did not fulfil. The best security for right dealing between man and man is obedience to the Law of God. The history of nations and individuals teaches us that. The nation where God is honoured, where the Word of God is read, is generally superior to others'in the industry, content- ment, a.nd prosperity of its inhabitants. The man who fears God ii the man who can be depended on. "He backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour."-C. H. L
Vers. 6-23.-Captivity and its cause. Here is the beginning of the dispersion of Isro.el. Soon that favoured nation will be "a people scattered and peeled." These verses give us the explanation of Israel's exile. It is a solemn warning against the neglect of opportunities. I. COMMANDS DISOBEYED. "They rejected his statutes" (ver. 15); "They left all the commandments of the Lord their God" (ver. 16); "They served idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, Ye_shall not do this thing" (ver. 12). Consider: 1. Whose commands they disobeyed. The comma.nds of the Lord their God. It was he who had brought them out of Egypt. It was he who had brought them into the promised land. It was he who had made of them-11 race of humble shepherds-a. great nation. When God gave the ten commandments, he prefaced them by reminding Israel of his claim upon them. "I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the laud of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." '!'his was a strong reason for obedience. " The preface to the ten commandments teaches us that because God is the Lord, and our God and Redeemer, thercforo we nre bound to keep all his comma.ndments." God bas 11 similar claim: (1) Upon every liuman being. This is the claim of crea.tion and preser- vatiou and providence. "In him we live, and move, and have our being." Whether men like it or not, they cannot get rid of God's claim upon them. (2) Upon every Cliristian. He has brought us rmt of the house of bondage. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even tho forgiveness of sins." "According as be hath chosen us in him before the found~tion of the world, that wu shoul,} be huly a.nd 34.4 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. [otl. xvu. 1-41.