"death into our world, and all our woe." 2. Israel's sin. (j,,d made a covenant with Israel at Sinai. It was a covenant of Law, yet it had mercy 1~ the heart of it. It required obedience, but it embraced provision for the removal of g,:;J t. It asked from Israel only the pure will and the steadfast heart. It conveyed to them the highest privileges, and conferred on them the greatest blessings. Yet they shamefully broke it. They trampled their compact underfoot. They traversed in every direction the Law which God had given them. 3. Our own sin. God has a. covenant made with us in the very constitution of our nature. There is that within us which binds ns to God and to the practice of goodness. We find ourselves within the bond of this covenant. Its obligations be upon us. Yet we have broken it. We have gone astray. Sin is the breach of this covenant. In committing sin, we know that we, violating law, are guilty of unfaithfulness to God, and a.re doing violence to our own nature. II. THE BOND BROKEN WITH MAN. (Vers. 8, 9.) The result of breach of covenant with God is seen in the open throwing off of all regard from ordinary moral obligations. The principle of love being dethroned-and love soon dies out in the soul tbat has cast out love to God-self-will, egoism, greed, evil principles of various kinds, usurp its place, and rule the conduct. These verses, accordingly, hold up a picture of utter lawlessuess and disorder. Violence filled the cities; the very priests took part in high way robberies and murders. Society without God is like an arch from which the keystone is removed. It falls in ruins. It is like a system of planets without a central sun- unable to maintain its independence. It becomes a scene of confusion, a chaos . . III. INIQUITY MOST SHAMEFUL AMONG THOSE WRO HA VE KNOWN GoD. (Ver. 10.) This was the aggravation of Israel's sin. They hao. known God, yet were now in this deplorable and desperate condition. 'l'heir knowledge of God made their sin "an horrible thing" -" an abomination." Specially hateful to God were the impurities of their wor,hip. He would punish them with special severity on account of their special relation to him (cf. Amos iii. 2). Judgment shall begin at the house of God (1 Pet. iv. 17). IV. A BIDE-WORD To JUDAH. (Ver. 11.) In the ju<lgments that were about to fall- having, however, for their object, not Israel's destruction, but her salvation; the turning of her captivity-Judah might be sure that she would not escape. God had set a. harvest for her also, What applies to one sinner applies mutatis mutandis to another. --J. o.
EXPOSITION. tokens of deoay. Otherwise the tim section OBAPTER VII. deals with the interna.1 corruption of the This chapter may be divided lnt.o three northern kingdom, e.nd the second exposes sections. In the first section, including their sinful and harmful foreign policy. vers. 1-7, the prophet reproves with much The third section, continuing from the but deserved severity the deprnved more.ls twelfth verse to the end of the chapter, that of king e.nd princes. In the second section, is, vers. 12-16, threatens the infiiction of consisting of vers. 8-11, be rebukes their punishment incurred by their gross wicked- sinfulness, silliness, pride, and stupid ob- ness and base ingratitude to God. 1tinaoy, notwithst1mding the me.ny mllnifest V01s. 1-3.-When I would have healed 200 THE BOOK OF HOSEA. [OB, VU. 1-16. 1