The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 176

looked for in vain, for morning is sure to come. It ma.y seem slow in coming and long before_ it comes; or the wen.ry watcher may~ many a time on the point of giving up m despair. But the return of morning, after a mght however long, or dark or painful. or perilous, is certain to take place; its return is prepared; it is a fixed o~dinance oi nature. So, to every persevering seeker after the knowledge of God, the Lord's going forth is fixed and cannot fail; it is sure as the morning sunrise. 'l'o every aillicted anguished spirit, to every weary waiting soul, the morning dawn shall come suraly as th~ day succeeds the night and the light alternates with darkness, for God has established this ordc>r of thin11:s. The Dayspring from on high, with the light of saving knowledge and spiritual healthfulness, shall visit all who pat.iently wait and perseveringly pursue the knowledge of God. There is a ;"oyousness of spirit, a buoyancy of feeling, peculiar to the ~orning, and not expe~ienced to _the same ex.tent, or perhaps at all, during the remainder of the day. Delightful as 1s the figure, the fa.et represented by it is even more so.. What joyfulness_ comes with morning to the bewildered wayfarer, or tempest- ~ossed sailor, or sorely afthcted sufferer I Then hope takes the place of despair, and JOY succeeds to sorrow. To the soul that waits upon the Lurd, bis coming is as sure as the return of the morning light; and brings with it peace and joy in believing, favour and forgiveness. To him who has waited long, and watched with patience till hope deferred had begun to make the heart sick, the Lord's going forth is certain as the morning dawn; and simultaneously therewith the light of his countenance is lifted on the soul, and cheerfulness is imparted to the spirit. It is a blessed assurance that. none ever waited upon the Lord in vain; no one ever trusted him and was disappointed. Wait, then, for his going forth. It may tarry, but wait for it; for at last it will come and will not tarry; for the time is fixed, and the Sun of righteousness shall arise on eve1·y patient soul with healing under his wings. Fortified by this assurance, the psalmist says, in language we would do well to adopt and act on, "I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his Word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning." 2. That the Authorized Version is inaccurate, is obvious from its making the latter rain precede the former. The reverse is the natural order and the order here observed, geshem standing for the one or rather for "plentiful rain" in general, malqosh for the other or "latter rain, n and roreh not a noun at all This beautiful figure is specially suitable to the Orient, and finds its most striking application in Eastern lands; it is also more or less appro- priate in all lands. Not only so, it forms a fitting counterpart to the figure which precedes, and with which it is so intimately connected-the one exhibiting the fact, the other the fruit, of salvation; the one the beginning of salvation, the other its ben~fits; the one its commencement, the other its consummation. In the land of Israel, as well as other countries of the East, soon after seed-time, when the seed has been sown in the furrows, comes the early rain to make the seed germinate arid the tender blade spring up; but there is also the latter rain in the weeks preceding harvest, to fill the ear and mature the growing grain. With a rich Eastern soil below and a warm Eastern sun above, the beneficial effects of the former and latter rain are obvious. In connection with the combined action of sun and soil and shower, there are first the blade, then the ear, and eventually the ripe corn in the ear. Thus in spiritual husbandry, the seed of Divine and saving knowledge has been no sooner cast into the furrows than the rain-shower of Divine grace waters it, so that it germinates and grows--blade and ear and ripened grain as in the natural world; nor are showers of grace withheld before and up till the reaping-time, so that even in old age there is abundant fruitfulness, "They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing [margin, • ~een '];" and when the time of the end comes and the harvest day arrives, they r:semble e. shock of corn in its season, rich with golden grain, ripe and ready to be gathered into the heavenly garner. Thus shall it fare with the soul that follows on to know and love the Lord. Sure as the dawn brings on the day; sure as the sun goeth forth out l>f his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run his race; sure as the alternation of day and night; sure as the succession of the seasons; sure as the rain comes down from heaven, and returns not thither again till it has moistened and fructified the earth ;-God shall bless that soul with light and life and love. Therefore let us know, let us follow on to know the Lord; for" it is good that a man quietly wait and r;aLient\y wait for the salvation of God." CII. VI. 1-11,] THE BOOK OF HOSEA.