The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 264

l,lio syMtems, the societies, the pursuita, which sinner& are ever wont to exalt to the seat of God. IJI. THE INFATUATION OF BINNERB LEADB THEH TO PART WITH EVERYTHING IN ORDER TO ODTAIN NOTHING, Israel spent her treasure, drained her resources; and for what? Only to endure the bitterest humiliation, the most cruel disappointment. There was none, iu the day of her sorrow, that could help, deliver, or comfort her-none! And this was all she obtained for her apostasy. The lovers, the friends, whom she "hired" were unraithful and unhelpful. So is it with all who put their confidence in men and in princes. Men give up character and friends, 11 good conscience, 11 bright hope ; they part with all, and what do they receive in return ? The pleasures of sin for II season ; but very soon weariness, dieappoi11tment, and misery. And "the end of these things is deatb."-T. Ver. 14.-77ie Malcer forgotten. It ie not an uncommon case that one who has received very substantial benefits from II fellow-man forgets his benefactor, and, when mised to a higher position in life, ignores those who by their exertions, SBCrifices, and sympathy have contributed to his elevation. We deem such ingratitude repre- hensible and almost monstrous. Yet how lightly do we regard those who are guilty of forgetfulness of their Creator and Redeemer I And yet this baa been a co=on fault from the days of Israel of old down to the present time. I. THE GUILT OF FORGETTING GoD, GENERALLY CONSIDERED. This appears when it is borne in mind,: 1. That God is our Maker. To him we owe om existence; and to be unmindful of our Creator is the grossest sin, 2. That God baa not forgotten us. He did not create man to leave him to himself, to live or to die. On the contrary, his care is ever over us, his love is always towards us. The tokens of his remembrances are always around us, in the bounties of his providence and in the proffers of his gospel. 3. That God has done much to keep himself in our memory. This is condescension indeed on the part of him who is the theme of heaven's eternal song; whom they praise day arid night in his temple. Yet on every side we see tokens of God's presence, we hear the' tones of his voice. He is not far from every one of us. Unnumbered suggestions of his presence, unnumbered reminders of his Fatherly love, aggravate the guilt of the unreflecting and ungrateful. II. THE SPECIAL GUILT OF FORGETTING Goo ON THE PART OF lsRAEL OF OLD Al!ID ON THE PART OF CHRISTIANS NOW. To the children of Abraham God was a covenant God; he had done great things for their fathers and for them. To forget One who bad the highest claims upon their memory, their fidelity, their devotion,-this was guilt indeed. Yet not comparable to the guilt of those who enjoy the advantages secured to such as live under the sound of the gospel, and in the midst of the privileges of the Church, How, if we forget God, can we hope, can we ask, that he should remember us in mercy and for good ?-T. Vers. 1, 2.-The conventional Church. "Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He 8hall come as an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my Law. Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee." "It is not unusual," says Elzas, " for the prophets, without naming the invading foe, to announce his approach (see Isa. xiii.). The words are singularly abrupt, and indi- cate the suddenness of the threatened invader. ' Like an eagle.' If this be a prophecy against Judah, as some have supposed, then by the eagle Nebuchadnezzar is meant, who :s often compared to the king of birds (see J er. xlviii.; Ezek. xvii.; Dan. vii. 4). But if the prophecy be against Israel, which is the most likely, then Shalmaneser King of Assyria· is intended, who for his mpidity, avarice, rapacity, and strength is fitly com- pared to the royal bird. 'The house of the Lord.' 'l'his cannot mean here the temple at Jerusalem, which is otherwise so desirnated, since the threatenings are most probably denounced against the kingdom of the t~n tribes. It must therefore be taken to denote the people of Israel, the whole nation viewed as the family of God." By the "house of tbe Lord," therefore, we are to understand not the temple at Jerusalem, nor the land of ,Judaia, but Israel as a section of the professed people of God. The house of the Lord was a conventional Uhurch, Look at the words as presenting a conventional Church in three nsiiects. 264 THE BOOK OF HOSEA. [en. vm. 1-14.