much worsc and more &.Jarmin(!: is predicted (vers. 7, 8) as ready to follow Not only wa~ all good to be taken from them, but all evil WM to come upon them. • 'l'he Lord;s flock is to lose the Shepherd's care; thus deserted, they will soon fall victims to savage h~ute-nay, their former 8hepherd not only aban,lons them to beaets of prey, but dooe l11m11elf a~sume the character and put forth the fierceness of such beast.a. ']'he forocity of the lion, the fleetness of the leopard, and the fory of the robbed or ravenous she-bear, now rcpre.qent the means which he employs against them. And BB H it were not enoui;!h to specify the lion. the leopard, the bear, and the lion a second time, he adds "the wild beast," that is, wild be11Sts in general. It appearR as if the dreadfulness of all wii<l beasts combined was reqnired to exhibit the power of God's wrath and the fury of his anger. If the sinner escaped from the lion, a leopard overtakes him; or if he escapes the vigilance of the leopard's keen vision, a bear meets him; in a word, the fi.erceneqs of all wild bea.i;ts together is not equal to that of God's wrath. "All the drea<lful- ness of all creatures in the world combined meets in the wrath of God." A sorrowful contrast is here presented. God had once watched over them for good; now, leopard- \ike, he watches their wanderings, and with lynx-eyed vigilance waits as if to take advantage of them. On the other hand, their heart had been puffed up with pride, as well a.s hard and clo~ed against the gentlest admonitions and most faithful instructions; now their heart shall be torn open with leonine force and violence. Sinners may shut the remonstrances and warnings of the Divine Word out of their hearts and remain obdurate, but afflictive providences or untoward events of some kind may at God's pleasure tear away the obstruction, and tear open the hardest heart. Whether the opinion of those who think there is a reference here to the four ancient monarchies is founded in fact, or is only the mere offspring of fancy, we care not to examine. That there is a resemblance between the terrible threats of this passage and the terrible treatment which the people of God experienced at the hands of those monarchies, there can be little doubt. Of the four monarchies represented by beasts in the seventh chapter of Daniel, the Babylonish was the lion, the Persian a bear, the Grecian a leopard, the -fleetness of which suitably set forth the rapidity of Alexander's exploits, all of which he performed in the space of twelve years, while he himself at his death had only reached the age of thirty-three years. The Roman empire is not likened to any one beast in parlicular, but is described as dreadful and terrible and strong exceedingly, with great iron teeth, devouring and breaking in pieces aud stamping the residue with the feet, its ten horns standing for the ten kingdoms into which it was subsequently parcelled..
Vera. 9--13.-Man'B 'ITW!rVeTlous perversity and God's restorative mercy. I. Ruur DY BIN, RECOVERY BY GRACE. When Israel had destroyed himself, and when there was neither help nor hope for him in himself or in aught that man could do, help was to be found in Gc,d and in God alone. Throughout the whole course of human Listory wrath and ruin are the deservings of man, goodness and mercy the dis- pensation of God. In the worst of times and in the darkest day help is to be had in God. In the mi<lst of merited wrath he remembers mercy. God volunteers his help to his erring children even when their sins have been blackest and their need greatest. When there is n,, human help at hand or anywhere available, God gracioUBly proifers aid. '!'here was now no king to save them in all their cities; God interposes and says "I myself will be your King." When there was no judge to deliver them, such as tl;ose that Lad been raised up for them on great emergencies in ancient times-no Gideon, no Jephtha, no Samson--God him.self stepped forth for their protection and stretched out hill helping hand. II. RELIANCE ON HUJUN HELP 18 OFTEN AB FBUBTBATING AS FOOLISH. 1. Israel had ,xpeded 7r1,uch, but got little, from a king and princes. 'l'hus we read in 1 Sam. viii. 6, "Make us a king to judge us like all the nations." Princes, though not expressed, are clearly implied in that passage, for wherever there is a king, there must of necessity be a cc,urt and nobles or officers of high rank, to attend him. The people gained their object, but trod their trust misplaced; in the day of their c~lamity and their oppression, those from whom they confidently expected such great thmgs, are powerless as themselves and in just as great need of help. Thus history confir~s the l~ss?n, "Tnist not in princes nor man's son," 2. The folly of obstinately neglecting or re;ecting OU, XIII, 1-16.] THE BOOK OF HOSEA.