II. Tm,; HORnoR OF DESPAm. This is not unMtural. It arises from reflecti<Jn upnn tho rebellion and inexousable wilfulness of the past; from the r!eclaration of consci,•nr, 0 to tho otTect that Goel has observed that rebellion, that sinfulne88, with inr!ignation, anr! from tho anticipation of impending judgment. Only such thoughts and feelinas could account for the unparalleled horror declaring itself _in such invocations and i~preca- tions ns these. III. THE CRY OF DESPAIR. The dreadful language proceedin~ from the lips of the hopeless is 1111 appeal to naturo to save the sinner from nature's Lord. It is an appeal unreasonable and absurd, but not unnatural, as uttered by a bewildered, terrified, anci unfrienclecl soul. Can anything give a more awful and impressive representation of thr, wretchedness into which he is surely led who perseveres in sin, and hardens himself against both the Law and the Gospel? IV. 'rHE PREVENTION OF DESPAIR. It may be well to see whither a certain course leads us, if the result be to save us from the issue, by saving us from what involves it. It is to be remembered with gratitude that hearers of the gospel of Christ have nnt reached the stage now described. They may be prisoners, but they a.re " prisoners of hope." The word of the Lord does indeed come as a word of warning, but it comes· also as a word of promise. Neglected, it will be a sentence of condemnation ; accepted, it will be an assurance of pardon and a pledge of life eternal.-T. r Ver. 12.-Preparefor the time of Divine favour. This is one of many passages in which the inspired writers make use of imagery derived from the processes of nature and the practices of husbandry, with the view of explaining and enforcing spiritual truth and personal duty. I. HUMAN PREPARATION FOR DIVINE BLESSING. Man mnst do his part, and is admonished by authority to do so. The readiness which is here required, as a condi- tion of heavenly blessing and spiritual prosperity, is twofold. 1. Jn the heart and life. By "breaking up the fallow ground" may be understood repentance, by which the heart long bard and stony becomes soft and pliable to what is good, and receptive of heavenly seed. By "sowing to one's self in righteousness" may be understood reforma- tion of principles and of practice. It is not enough to forsake the evil; it is necessary to seek, to cleave to, that which is good. All this, it is presumed, will be done by the a.id of Divine grace, and under the influence of Christian motives. 2. By prayer. "It is time to seek the Lord." Human means are good; it is by express instruction from on high that they are employed; but alone they are insufficient. The spiritual life has its devotional as well as its practical side. We have to look earthwards, that we may till the soil and sow the seed; but we have also to look heavenwards, that we may obtain the needed blessing. II. DIVINE BLESSING IN RESPONSE TO BUMAN PREPARATION. 1. God shall "rain righteousness," by which we may understand he will bestow those favours which his own Word has pledged him to confer. By rain we understand also the abundance of those blessings; which are bestowed, not in drops, but in showe~opious showers from the opened windows of heaven. 2. God's people shall "reap mercy." This is the harvest for which all human cultivation and all Divine effluences are designed to concur. Mercy for time and mercy for eternity, from a merciful God, for a mercy-needing humanity. "The Lord grant that we may all obtain mercy of the Lord in that day 1"-T. Ver. 1.-The abuse of worldly prosperity. "Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself." Were this version correct we should have two ideas suggested. 1 . .A fruitlessness that makes life worthless. This empty vine produced fruit, but the fruit was worthless. .A: fruitless vine is among the most worthless of all plants. It is unbeautiful. Its aspect is dry, stringy, deadly. It is true its foliage is luxuriant, but that is short-lived and disappointing; and it is as inutile as it is unbeautiful. What piece of furniture or art can you make out of the vine tree? It is only fit for the fire. 2. .A fruitfulness that makes life wicked. "Bringeth forth fruit unto himself." What- ever is produced is laid out on self-aggrandizement and indulgence. But our version is undoubtedly faulty. "Israel is a luxuriant vine, he putteth forth his fruit (Hender- son); "Israel is a running vine, it setteth fruit for itself" (Keil); ''Israelis a luxurious vine, whose fruit is very abundant" (Elzas). Israel is often represented as a vine. 124 THE BOOK OF HOSEA. [en. x. 1-16,
• Tho11 hnst brought ll vine out or Egypt, Thou llRllt l'ast ont the he1tthen end plimtecl It, Thou propnrc.Jst room before it, And didst cause it to to.ke clcep root; And it filled the la.nd, The hills were covered with the Bhndow or it, And tile boughs thereof were like goo,lly cC',fors." (Pe. lx:n. 8-10.) <-:,ur subject is tM abuse of worldly prospei·ity. Some men are very pro~perous; they nre like the luxuriant vine. Every branch of their life clust.ers with fruit. Some nations are very prosperous. England was never more prosperous than now ; the sun of pros- perity shines on our island home. Great Britain is just now a luxuriant vine and its clustering branches enrich dista.nt nations. When is prosperity abused? ' I. WHEN IT IS USED WITH AN EXCLUSIVE REGARD TO OUB OWN SELFISH ENDS. When men employ it: 1. For self-indulgence. How much wealth is lavished on the pampering of appetites, aud the gratification of the sensuous, the carna.l, and the gross? 2. For self-aggrandizement. How much wealth is expended in order to make a grand appear- ance, to mm·e through life ia pageantry and pomp, and thus to gratify mere vanity and pride! All selfish use of property is an abuse of it, What we have obtained is only common property, which, because it has come into our possession, we have a right to distribute.for the common weal. The right which property gives us is not the right to lay it out purely for our own selfish ends, but the right to lay it out for the benefit of our fellow-men. II. WHEN IT IS USED WITHOUT A SUPREME REGARD TO THE CLAIMS OF GoD. What- ever we have we hold as stewards, and unless we employ our property apcording to the directions of the great Proprietor we abuse the trust. How does Go4 require us to employ our property? L For the ameUoration of human woes. 2. For the dispersion of human ignorance. 3. For the elevation of tM human soul. 'l'o raise it to the know- ledge, the image, the fellowship, and the enjoyment of God. CoNCLUSION. How are we as a nation using our enormous prosperity? Let the increase of grand mansions, palaces of amusement, temples of intemperance, worthless and putrescent literary productions, be compared with the increase of our churches, our schools, and our boon of real, intellectual, and moral merit; and the humiliating answer will come.-D. T.