hccau~ it is n r:\vouritc? You see the nnswrr in tbo red orosa· ol!, -its tr1.mk1 which Rhows thnt iit is marked for cutting down as a cum herer of the gro'lln.d. , '1'11ko auothor illustration. Two prisoners &re convicted of offences ag&ihst the.le.,r,, •Tho ono, 011 the ground of his youth and possible reformation, i., sent home.for hiidath:er to cho.stiso. aad he goes weeping. The ot,her, a hardened, criminal, is to, recehte,.no, etripes, but may ha~·e anythjng his app~titc cra~es. _Ye.t.il look ?n .him with,J1ot,r,or,, 'l;'he foot t hRt. lie 1s to receive no chastisement 1s ommOuti; for he 1s under. condfltnlll\tio'1, of ,deo.~. 'l'hat you are so little troubled by serious •thougbi is no sign. of;s&J,~.:j i~.,W~N, be ,t,he indication that soon," being past .feeling," :)•011 will be "given ov:er to &il'eJ..111Ql:>ai\,\I-J.nind!' "To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your. hearts." . . . uuo ._ 11 , _ ·'." 1 CoNcLUSION. 1. Add,·essthose whofear they a,re lif~.alon-e., lf ihe Jo.~ti:d~i~e1itil return to God yet lingers, if the fenr of.being forsaken of-God 111a.kes,.you ,:lifllrobl.e,,ilili@ curse has not yet fallen. 'l'he Ldrd, who is very pitiful au,d .Qf.tende~ 1me~PY,'..llti-11·sajJ!.) "Come now, and let us reason together," etc. 2. .AdrirNs thoae.,fn, 1JIP4ioet: qf,.being abandoned. Illustrate their position by the story .o( .t\V<>c bi:otbet11 ~~!Ula.g•Jli,pa~a; overtaken by a snow-storm. One longs to sleep. He is dr/lgged, ..on; for-~ .t.im11, by physical force, is pleaded with earnestly, bn.t at -last ,is_ of necessity.Jaft,J1 Jle !\ifllU.,·tQ rest; the snow-flakes fall.silently and swiftly, e.ad in the. dept.iisJhe .'fi11d~,hia gr11-v11, lLPd. sleeps the sleep of death. You may say to all good infiuenoei. •~ Let, ,m~,alQ1Jet. u.,o.W God puts his seal on your choice, and says to all. tha,t •might sav:e _you 1,:','J,lll.1 liim alone.."--A.. R. , t .,- .·.: •:·; ; •(,·T .:1•J1.~) ~17.~ • I. ,~ . I • , I ' . . I i', L,') [ Ver. 1.-" Hear the word: 'o/ the ,Lo1-d 1" The Hebtew; prophets were distinguiah~ from other politicians a.nd moralists in this re-spect, that _they .-did, not iaddress• r1ibe people upon their own authority, or convey to them, the counllels of their ·ow,n,,-wjsdo:m. It was their practice to keep t~emselves ill the .background, !Llld. to ,silm:mon ;t}i~jr countrymen, in the la.nguage of the tex.t,. to ,".hear, the l word. of .the Lord,'.'.. ,',l)hi,s languageimplies- .... , ,.,: .. . ,1,:,:.!.-J·1J11f~iH L T.lli.T GoD BAS SPOKEN To .MAN~ 1. This is opposed .to .tha atheistic:~oct~foa, that there is no Gou to speak; a.nd ,t-o the Epicurean doctrine,,that ,lihe..-gods car,e_,n,0>t to concem themselves in the affairs of mortals., It is also: opposed to ~he. mode,n.-a.t1d pseudo-scientific doctrine, that -the universe .is ,so -_bound in tbe cha,it1s. of; physica.l _law that there.is no opportunity for tbe mind, if 'such there;_be, .that shpef! J1,nd contfP~-Ji,1:1 things to communicate with the spiritual na,tlli"e of ma,n,._ 2..- Yet thie. belief harmo_ntzeJI with the highest conception we can form of the Eter.11al. . -W.e refµse to .bclieve.•Jtb.a~Ji•:~, who is present throughout his materia.1.cre:i.tion. is. cut off from,the,veryiuaturruWhicl). is most .akin. to .bis own. 3. As a matter of fact, .revelation. .is a word ;of Gpd.,to ,maµ. The prophets, evangelists, and apostles were,takeu posseasion,of-by,asupe!71-at~r!ll po)~er, that spake to.:them, in them, aad by them, .to th.eir,fellowcmen. ,4,,:Qh1r111t b.1mself,,.t_n11 Word of God, sums up in his person, minlstzy. a.nd sacrifice all that G.od haij,.Of ·e11pecial interest and value to impart to the minds of men. , . ,.,. •• · . , · . ,,; .. 1, . • II. TH.AT MAN lB UNDER AN OBLIGATION TO LISTEN TO ..THE /WOJlDrQB' GOP; l. ,~he finite and fallible nature of man stands in need of Divine instruction, gqidance, encour- agement, and admonition. 2. There is in man.a.eonscience,wh_ic_h1att.e$ta th,e!diviuity of the word to wbich he listens when God speaks, 3; Hnm·1hty and rever.ence a.re lJccoming to sUL:h as thus come into con.tact with the:µtterances·of JiJlleiw,al Wisdom. ,II,. To hear aright iDVDlves a prompt a.nd cbeerrul ohcdience. Fvr the:W:o,:d of God co~veys not only speculative trnth, but the most valuable practioa,L couo.tiels a.s to -conduct. Hi, received aright the word .of God who exclaimecl, '' Speak, .Lord ; for thy servant bearetb ! "-'1'. • •• · •
Ver. 1.-A =tro!Hlrsy. Language such as this ~ho;s· ,how .. readil; the, ins~ired writers made use of human rela.tionships in order.lo impress u-pon the minds Qt' the people great moral facts and lessons. There is, of cow'6e, great difference between the disputes and controversies which ariae _among.men, and any matter of estra.ngement between God .and men; yet how .-vigorously a.nd. effectively does this langwige..t!Qt forth human sin and Divine righteou!IDf.llS ! , . . ·, 1 •, .. , I. THE PARTIES TO THIS oomovsuL I On the one side is a rightfol.Rulert; :On the other, re~ellious subjects. '!'he-Ruler iii possessed of: i.Dfinite,pQwer; the reb@ls are on. 1v. 1-19.] '!'HE BOOK OF HOSEA. 123