Ver. 4.-Social sins and their result. "They have spoken words, swearing falsely in ma.king a covenant : thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.· L SOOIA.L SINS. There are three sins referred to in this verse. 1. Vain speech. "They have spoken words." This means, according to Henderson, Elzas, and others, "They utter empty speeches." Not only are words of falsehood, blasphemy, and unchas- tity sinful, but empty words. For every" idle word" we shall have to give an account. How much idle language is there current in society ! The chat of gossip, the formali- ties of etiquette, the vapid compliments of society, as well as those airy words of wit and humour which sometimes delude, sometimes pain, and sometimes please. 2. False swearing. False speech is bad enough, for it misrepresents facts, a.nd often does serious mischief; but when backed by an oath its heinousness is intensified and black- ened. How much false swearing there is in society I Not merely in judicial courts, but in homes, in shops, in fields, in general society. 3. Unrighteous treaties. "Making a covenant." The word "bad" is implied here, for there is no harm in making covenants. Making a bad covenant. The primal reference, perhaps, is t-0 certain treaties Israel had formed with foreign natioilll. How much wicked contracting there is going on in society every day in commerce, in politics, as well as in private life. Untruthful a.s well aa unrighteous bargains are being struck every hour in all circles. In truth, the sins here charged to Israel are not uncommon in England this day-empty speech, false swearing, and making unrighteous treaties. IL RESULTS OP' 800liL sms. "Thus jud.,ument springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field." It matters not to the sense of the pasu.ge whether you read " poppy " for " hemlock," or ridges " for " furrows ; " the idea. ia the aame-viz. tha.t Qu.t Oil'. X, 1-16.] 'l'HE BOOK OF HOSEA. 326
of the social eine certain results appear, How do they come? 1. They come as a growtli. 'l'hey "spring up" or blossom. Sins bring with them their own punishment -no positive infliction is required; every sin is e. seed from which a. pestiferous plant must spring. 2. They come 88 e. poi8()'11,, " Hemlock ; " some read "poppy," and some "darncl," but e.11 agree in the poisonousness of its production. In any case it is a "hemlock," a small decoction of which destroyed a. Socrates. "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.'' 3. They come in abund(l/T/,a. "That springeth up aR hemlock in the furrows of the field." Very prolific is sin. See its plants growing in the ridges and furrows of life; in sick-chambers, in hospitals, in workhouses, in prisons, in battle- fields also I How thickly the hemlock grows!-D. T. Ver. 12.-The Divine voice to a worthless people. "Sow to yourselves in righteous- ness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground : for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." "Sow to yourselves for righteousness, reap according to love, plough for yourselves virgin soil; for it is time to seek Jehovah, till he come and rain righteousness upon you" (Delitzsch). Sowing and reaping are figures here used to denote the spiritual and moral conduct of the people, Indeed, all human life consists of sowing and reaping. We reap to-day what we sowed yesterday, and we sow to-day what we shall reap to-morrow, and so on through all future. Every intelligent act embodies a moral principle, contains a seed that must germinate and grow. We have here several things worthy of study. I. A WRETCHED MORAL STATE. " Fallow ground," uncultivated earth. A state of: 1. Unloveliness. It is either an expanse of grey earth, or of weeds, thistles, and thorns. 2. Unfruitfulness. Unless the earth is cultivated, there is no fruit, and the land is worthless. 3. Wastefulness. On the fallow ground fall the rain, the dew, the sun- shine, and the frost; but all in vain. How much Divine grace is wasted on unregenerate men! Sermons, books, Bibles, providences, means of grace all wasted. II. AN URCJENT MORAL DUTY. 1. Moral ploughing. "Break up your fallow ground." Drive the ploughshare through it. How can you break up the soil of the heart? Not by mere volition, but by thinking on the subjects suited to excite. Think especially on two things, (1) What God has been to us. (2) What we have been to him. 2. Moral sowing. "Sow in righteousness." Go in for righteousness. Work to put yourself and fellow-men right with themselves, God, and others; implant everywhere righteous ideas and actions. 3. Moral r~ng. "Reap in mercy." Accept what comes to you in sentiments of love and mercy. III. A SOLEMN MORAL SUGGESTION. "It is time." 1. No time to lose. 2. Much has been lost. 3. It is only now the work can be effectively done. IV. A GLORIOUS MORAL PROSPECT. He will" rain righteousness," or, as some render it, "teach you righteousness." Pursue this work of moral agriculture properly, and God himself will come and teach you righteousness.-D. T. Vers.1-3.-The empty vine. "Empty;" literally, "poured forth; n i.e. poured forth in leaves and branches, with the effect that there is comparatively little fruit. When ' there was fruit, Israel gave not God the glory. The more they increased. the more they transgressed. The result was degeneracy. They spurned God's control, and life, in consequence, ran to waste. Undisciplined luxuriance becomes degenerate luxuri- ance, Fruit fails. I. FRUIT, BUT NOT UNTO Goo. (Ver. I.) Such fruit as Israel brought forth was "unto himself." We have here recognized: 1. .A native capacity of fruitfulness. God had given to the nation a thriving vigorous life, capable of striking o_ut in many noble directions, and of achieving distinction in many kinds of enterpnse. This was its natural endowment. It enabled it at times, with God's assistance, to rise to a high degree of prosperity. So God bestows on men \be gifts of body and mind, the natural genius, the powers to think and act, which form the basis of their manifold endeavours. 2. .A perversion of tliis capacity. This power of fruitful endeavour in Israel was not directed to God's glory as its end. The life of the nation was solely " from itself to itself." Its bent was towards self-gratil"ication, self-glory, self-enrichment; not towards the realization of a Divine ideal. 'l'hey set up kings, but not by God (eh. viii. 4). The calf was" from lsrnel also" (vcr. 6). This is the root-sir, of mankind. Thev have THE BOOK m' HOSEA. [CH, X, 1-1/5,