The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 358

I. TeE NATURE oF THE J.TEA OF A NATION, Ll011 are All abundant in Englirnd to-day &a they were in Ephraim centuries ago. The IOClal atmoRphere 11 lnfeatetl with falae• hoods. 1. There are commercial liea. From the larglll!t warehou■e to tho pcc\lar'a paltry stall hes abound. 'l'hcy infest the commercial world moro densely fl\r than inirectB the summer air. 2. There arc theologic,al lies. Doctrines aro propounded anci enforced from the proes and theological cha.in utterly untrue to eternal realities. a. There a:e ffligio~ lies. Sentiment~ and aspirationR are c:rprcsecd In the prayers, pealmod1es, and liturgies of congregations, untrue to facts, untrue to the experience of those who give them utterance. 4. There a.re Urerary liea. The journals and volumes that strMm from the modern prC88 teem with falsehood. Surely, if the Almighty wore tn 11pr,alt of England as he spoke of Ephraim in olden times, be would say It" compas11eth me about with lies." " How fal■e are men. both in their heads and heart.I I And there is falsehood in &ll tradea and art.a. Le.wye'tB deceive their client& by false la.11·; Priests, by false gods, keep all the world in awe. For their false tongues such ffatt'ring knavea are raised, For their f&iae wit ecribble■ by foolB are praiaed." (John Orown.) Il. Tmi: CAUBJ: oF THE LIES OF A l!IATION. All lies spring from at least three sources. l Vanity. A desire to appear before our compeers in the world greater than we arc, leads to the exaggeration of our virtues, if we have any, and to the denial of our infirmities and faults. 2. <heed. Greed is a prolific source of falsehood. Greed creates the lies that crowd our markets. 3. Fear. Fear creates lies ae shields of defence. Religious lies spring in a great measure from fear. Nearly all the lies that fill the world are the children either of vanity, greed, or fear. IJ 1. 'l'BE EVIL OF THE LIES OF A NATION. All lies arc bad things. 1. They are bad in themse'lvea. They are repugnant to the God of truth. They are a miasma in the moral atmosphere, essentially offensive as well as pernicious. 2. They are bad in their infiuence. Lies deceive and ruin. Every system built on lice, commercial, scientific, JH,!itical, and religions, is like a ho1188 built on the sand that must tumble down before the rushing storms of reality. "Let fal■ehood be a stra.nger t.o thy lips: Shame on tbo policy that first began To tamper with the heart to hide its thoughts I And doubly llhame on that inglorious tongue That aold its honesty and told a lie I" (William Havard.) D.T. Vere. 1--4.-God', «Ilf'l!J love for IBr<Ul. The mind, pained by ingratitude, naturally reverts to the kindnesses formerly· showered on the unworthy recipient. God here reminds Israel of hi.a early love to the nation-how he had adopted it ae hie son, called it out of Egypt, taught it to go alone, drawn it with Jove, and bountifully provided for it. No sin is 80 odious ae filial ingratitude (Isa. i. 3). None ie so grievous to the heart of a parent. It i.e this sin wbich God here charges on brae!. I. THE CHILDHOOD OF ISRAEL. "When Israel WaB a child, then I loved him" (ver.1), 1. lBrcul had a chil,dhood. Every nation has. There is a time when, in the natural Jcvt:lc,pmeut c,f society, the patriarchal stage passes over into the political. 'l'bie time carue to !lira.cl in Egypt. Tl,c JJlltriarcbal family ~ grown iuto a horde. It had lost il.S domel:!tic characwr, yet it had no polity. It m1gbt never have had one had the people remained in bondage. God gave them freedom, and with it nationality. 'l'hus the nation was created. 2. The iwlividual has a childhood. He is cast on God'11 care fruro the womb (Pe. xxii. 9, 10). One can BOrnetimes almost trace a special provi- <lcr,ce in the care of cr,ildrcn. 'l'hc,se who can look back on special mercies.in childhood ai,d early lifo arc in the po8ition of Israel here. 3. The spiritual life ha, a childhood. Jt !,as iiH feeble beginDiw,;8. There are tho8c who arc but "babes in Christ" (1 Cor. iii. l). They a.re as" uew-born bahes," needing" the eincerc milk of the Word," that ti,ey rriay "gruw t1,ereby" (1 Pet. ii. 2). Gc,d is tenderly careful of 1uch, eon11hlornta uJ tJ,,jr wcak1J.,00 and watchful in their nurture. Ort. XI. 1-1:tJ 1'HE BOOK OP HOSEA.