The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 389

fication of their MD!!ell, in the free indulgence of their appetites: but all this is nothing but "wind;" it leaves the sou.I more hungry than ever. Souls die with hunger in the pampered body of the gourmand and voluptuary. "Man cannot live by bread alone," etc. 11. ·woaLDLT DrBTINCTIONS are worthless soul-food. Thousands seek food for their souls in worldly titles, honour, and fame. But these are "wind." The souls of our grandees are perishing with hunger. Walk Rotten Row in the height of the season, and in the countenances of hundreds of those rolling in the stream of dazzling chariots you sec moral hunger depicted. Wbat are they doing? They are grazing wind. III. RELIGIOUS FORMALITIES are worthless soul-food. Millions go through religious formalities in search of spirit-food. They crowd temples, synagogues, cathedrals, churches, chapels, rigorously attend to the mere ceremonies of religion, and. return from their devotions with hungry and unfed souls. At the altars they have been grazing wind. " Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread ? and. your Jabour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness."-D. 'l'. Ver. 6.-Genuirn? human goodness. "Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy n.nd judgrucnt, and wait on thy God continually." Delitzsch renders the verse thus: "And thou to thy God shall return, keep Jove, and right, and hope continually in thy God." The new translation gives no new idea. The few words may be regarded as representing genuine human goodness. Looking at it in this respect it includes three things. I. SrrnrTuAL CONVERSION. "Turn thou to thy God." .An expression implying that their moral mind was in a different direction, away from God. It was so with Ephraim; it was after idols. It is so with all unregenerate souls; they are alienated, from God. 'l'errible fact this. God's intelligent creatures turned from him and against him. 'l'urning to him includes at least two things. 1. Accepting him as the supreme Monarch t,o o"bey. It means the making of his will the law of all their laws,. the test of all their conduct, the guide of all their activities. 2. Accepting him as the supreme Object to love. Man is so formed that he must have some one to love supremely. His crime, degradation, and curses are, that the objects which he has chosen on which to centre his paramount love are imperfect creatures and vanities. He is the only Object worthy of the soul's supreme love, and this he demands. He who renders him this will have his heart enlarged, and run with joyous alacrity in all the ways of his command- ments. Here, then, is the first step in genuine human goodness-conversion. "Repent, and be converted." This is the grand call of the gospel. God calls men everywhere to repent-that is, to change their hearts, tnm from themselves to him their Creator. II SocUL MORALITY. "Keep mercy and judgment." Notice the latter first. 1. "Judgment," that is, justice. Justice means rendering to every man his due; it is compendioua;ly expressed in the words of Christ, "Whatsoever ye would have men do unto you, do ye even so to them." It goes dead against all frauds, dishonesties, and cruelties. 2. " Mercy." Mercy is a modification of love; it is love in compassion, patience, forbearance, etc. Paul makes a distinction between a .good man and a just man. There are men conventionally just, who are not good, nor generous, nor merciful. They would pay every man his due, but, like Shylock, they will extort the last grain. It is not, therefore, enough for a man to '' keep judgment "-do justice-to his fellow- man; he must have mercy too. "Love is the fulfilling of the Law." III. LIFE-WORSHIP. "Wait continna.l.ly on thy God." God must be the All in all; the grand Figure in all the sceneries, and the ruling chord in all the melodies of life. Man is made to worship; but worship is not a ceremony, not a passing sentiment, not an occasional service; it is a life revealing itself everywhere-in marts of business, halls of study, fields of recreation, as well as in conventional temples. It is not a something tl.at appears on this mountain or on that mountain, on this day or that day, in this a·~t or that, but something that is every where and when. 'l'he grand pulse of being. " True religion, sprung from God alone, Is like her Fountain, full of charity : Embracing all things with a tender love. Full of good will and meek expectancy: OR, XII. 1-14.] 'l'HE BOOK OF HOSEA. 391