The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 181

true religion is steadfastness. "The path or the just" is not" as a mornin" cloud," but "ae the morning" itself," that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Prov. iv. 18). (2) Unhappy. Those who do not" follow on to know the Lord," but allow themselves to be hindered by the discouragements and sufferings which belon(J' to the Christian life, come to identify religion only with these. "Pliable" associate~ pi~ty with the ." Slough of De~pond," "]_'ormalist a!ld Hypoc~sy" wit~ "~he Hill Difficulty," "Timorous and Mistrust" with "the hone." It 1s only p1lcrnms lik1t "Christian," who endure to the end, that shall bate the joy's of" the House Beautiful," and "the Delectable Mountains," and "the land of Beulah." (3) Unhopeful. Those who "receive the Word into stony places," or "among the thorns,'' become a very hopeless class. The habit of taking sudden fits of goodness, each of which is followed by a relapse into sin, is very hardening to the heart. II. Gon's METHOD WITH THE PEOPLE. (Ver. 5.) The Lord speaks as if he has been at his wit's end to know what measures to adopt in order to win the nation back to godliness. His words are, "What shall I do unto thee?" "What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it?" (Isa. v. 4). His wisdom ca.n devise no new expedient. His policy hitherto has been one of mingled goodness and severity, and all that he can do is to continue that policy still So: 1. He sends his prophets to "hew." The figure here is taken from the art of the statuary. Hu.man souls a.re like blocks of marble, and God is the great Sculptor. He sent the Hebrew prophets to cut and carve Israel into the Divine image ; for, while the nation's piety was thin as vapour, its heart was hard as adamant. This metaphor has a lesson in it regarding the Christian ministry. A. large part of the preacher's work is to piick slumbering consciences, and to hammer stony hearts. It is true, of course, that the New Testament message is emphatically "the gospel;" yet the background of the " good news" is necessarily the bad news of guilt and sin and wrath. Christian sermons addressed to the natural man cannot a.void being denunciatory. Our pulpit teaching, both in matter and manner, should reflect as clearly as possible the teaching of the New Testament. In delivering the message of condemnation especially, the speaker should take care to be not only faithful but tender. 2. He uses his Law tc "slay." "The words of God's mouth" are fitted to produce the recognition of sin in its true nature and consequences. The ministry of the Law convicts and condemns. God's word "slays" when it convinces of guilt and pollution, and produces thereby self-condemnation and remorse. A. man must be thus slain in relation to sin before his heart can be prepared for the reception of the gospel. "Is not my Word like as a fire? saith the Lord" (Jer. :xxiii. 29). "The ,Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword," etc. (Heh. iv. 12). 3. He comes in a morning of fudgment. "Thy judgments" we take to mean the judgments inflicted on thee, i.e. on the Jewish people. God will prepare for them such a morning as they do not desire to see at all. He will come "as the light" to manifest their sins, and to punish them. The judgments shall be palpable to every eye, and shall be manifestly just. Jehovah shall be "clear when he judges." CoNOLUSION. These two verses remind us (1) that God's compassions fail not, but (2) that persistent sinfulness on man's part will shut him out from the enjoyment of the Divine mercy.-C. J. Vere. 6-11.-Religion and irreligion. In the verse immediately preceding, God has spoken of sending his prophets to "hew," and his words to" sle.y," and of visiting the nation with a sunrise of judgment. And now, in the remainder of the chapter, he proceeds to justify these threatenings by setting forth the reason why he felt compelled to deal with the Hebrews in this fashion. I. THE NATURE OF TRUE RELIGION. (Vars. 6, 7.) It is described here in a. twofold manner, 1. Faithfulness to the covenant of grace. (Ver. 7.) The covenant of grace has been made by God with his elect people, the Lord Jesus Christ being Mediator in their behalf. It rests upon the covenant of redemption which was formed from eternity between the Father and the Son. The promise of the covenant of grace is spiritual and eternal life; and faith in Christ is the condition of it. This covenant has been the same under all dispensations; but, as made with the Hebrews in the time of Moses, it is presented in three aspects: (1) national and political; (2) legal, as seen in the  180 THE BOOK OF HOSEA. [oa:, VI, 1-11,