The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 221

th:ie /':grey hnir," 4.,,0ppressioTf, P/ the po!YT:. If a nation is to continue safe againRt diRsolution, it must be,govcrned by justice and humanity. The ft'rench revolution of 178!J was the result of the sinful waste of the Bourbon kings, and the misery of the lo"rench pe11snntry. But every nation is in danger which takes no care to" judge the poor of the people,,, This text reminds us, accordingly, or our duly as citizen.~: vVe mus~ take order tha.t our political representatives s):iali act in all public matters with justice and honour. Every Christian elector should use his ballot-pa.per under a sense of his responsibility to the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of pathos; and he ought to do what he can otherwise to strengthen public opinion in the direction of wise political principles, and of a healthy condition of the national conscience. II. Tm: DECLIJIE OF CHURCHES, For, alas l the marks of decay are often found there .also. It was so with the seven Churches of proconsular Asia in the first century. Ip. most of the epistbs which the Lord addressed to them (Rev. ii., iii.) he points out th~I' grey hairs." How gradually, too, premonitions of spiritual decline appeared in the Church of Rome I The student of Church history sees at first only one or two "grey hairs" upon its head. We m,ay indicate some of the signs of spiritual decay in Churches. 1. Prevalence of unsound doctrine. A Church, to be spiri~ually healthy, must be thoroughly evangelical. Its ministers must not regard themselves merely as the educators of some native.goodness in man; and they must not preach as if the cross were only a myth, or the Holy Ghost a metaphor. The Church's best time5 are those in which it teaches most. clearly and emphatically the three evangelical "R's," viz. ruin by t]ie fall, redemption by the . Lord Jesus, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit. 2, Lack ofmi~sior,ary zeal. This.defect frequently accompanies unwholesome doctrine. The .continued. vigour of a Church depends upon its aggr,'ssiveness as a crusading institute in opposition to the sin and misery of the world. It is not enough that. it provide carefully for its own edification, and know that its members are benefited by its services. It will decline in spiritual life if it forgets those around who perish "for lack of knowledge." 3. Decadence of fami7y religion. In the Bible the true ecclesiastical unit is not the indivi<;lu~l, but the family. Holy Scripture magnifies "the Church in the 'house." .And experience shows that a congregation, to be strong and healthy, must. be composed. of well-trained, intelligent, and devout families. What both the Church and the nation greatly need to-day is godly households. The lack of family religion is a. precursor of spiritua,l ruin. _4, The spirit of worldlines.~. The Lord Jesus detected this "grey hair" in the .Church of Ephesus (Rev. ii. 4) and in the Church of Laodicea (Rev. iil. 15). And· those of our own day are not unt,iinted with the same spirit. It is a mark of <lecai when a denomination or congregation plumes itself upon its social importance; or when it makes an idol of decorum and good taste; or when it becomes formal in spirit, and discourages religious enthusiasm; or when it relaxes in faithfulness of discipline. III. THE DECUNE OF SPIRIT:t:JAL LIFE m THE SOUL. The figure appropriately describes the backslidings of true •and professed believers. We shall mention one or two symptoms which even those who themselves manifost them are prone to fail to recog- nize. 1. Habits of sin. It may be that seeds of evil which we sowed long ago in our hearts are growing up now, and occasioning us spiritual failure and confusion. Little sins are like these" grey hairs;" e.g. the spirit.of over-carefulness, the spirit of cavilling, the spirit of ostentation in religious duties, the unforgiving spirit, undue love of humau praise, uncharitable judging, etc. 2. Neglect of ordinances. Christ ha, given us his vVord, and has invited us to come to the throne of grace, and has spreaLl for us the ,:.omrnunion-table. But how ~radually may we lose our relish for th,se means of gr:19e, nud how e:i.sily m,ay the habit of neglecting them steal in upon our souls! 3.. Cove!ousncss. Some one has described the love of nioney as" the Cl1urch member's sin.''. 'l'homa.s Binney has said of it thnt it is "about the only great damning vice which can .be indul.,ed nnd clunl7 to in connection with a recoguized mod,·rn religious profession." '!'here" is no sin il;ore insidious ; it may occupy the heart and one " not know" it. 4. Conformity to the world. The daily circumstances of our lot constantly appeal to sense and self, and contiuunlly tempt us to give up trying to lead a spiritual, pure, and consecrated life. Even a true believer, before he knows it, may be " following afar off," and slowly abating his test.imony o.s a nonconformist to the t,ugodly custulll:i of the world.  220 'l'llE BOOK OF HOBlllA. [Oll.m.1-111.