The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 416

that justice, made adequR.te atonement for guilt, and received authority to take the dart away. By coming himself under the power of the rave, the Lord Jesus ha.a "abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light ' (2 Tim. i. 10). Of this victory hi1 own resurrection upon the third day is an infallible R.88ura.nce. In emergin"' from the grave 68 the risen Saviour, Jesus revealed himself a.s "the Plague of death "~nd as the Source of spiritual life and Author of eternal salvation to hie people. "Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the Firstfruite of them that slept" (1 Cor. xv. 20). Ill. THE BESURBEOTION OJ' CHRIBT's PEOPLE. Jehovah-Jesus is the Saviour of the soul, and of the body also. 1. He red661Tl8 the aoul,from death. Is not the world of mankind like a vast graveyard, where men are lying "dead in trespasses and sins" ? Sinful man is naturally destitute of the Spirit of life, and insensible to the beauties of holiness. He is unable to raise himself from the unclean tomb of his own evil lusts and passions. But, so soon as the voice of the Son of God speaks the word," I will ransom them," the same almighty energy which gave life to Jesus himself, when dead, breathes new spiritual vitality into those for whom he died (John v. 21-27). "Because he lives, they shall live also" (John xiv. 19). 2. He shall redeem the body from death. The ~al ruin of the soul is_ ea.lied in Script1;1Ie "the second dea~h" (1tev. xx:i 8); and, if the Lord Jesus can deliver from that, 1t 1s no wonder tba.t he 1a also the Saviour of the body. The order of redemption is that he redeems from the "aecond death" first; and thus the abolition of temporal death a.t the end of the world shall really be the destruction of'' the last enemy" (1 Cor. xv. 26). All men na.tura.lly regard "the king of terrors" as the most formidable and cruel of foes. The grave seems to the eye of sense only a despoiler (Prov. :a.vii. 20). But it is the glory of Christianity that the Redeemer has robbed death of its sting, lighted up the under-world with his love, a.nd given us the sure a.nd certain hope of a. blessed resurrection. Faith sees hanging at the girdle of the Son of man "the keys of death and of Hades" (Rev. i. 18). The grave is to the saints only a.n underground pathway t.o heaven, and" death is swallowed up in vi'ctory" (1 Cor. xv. 54-57). " Death, thou wast once an uncouth, hideous thing : But since our Se.viou:r'e death Has put some blood into thy face, Thou hast grown sure a thing to be desired And full of grace." (George Herbert.) It is also a. great joy to know that the Lord's promise to redeem his people from death is certain to be fulfilled. He has passed his word for it ; and, as he here assures us, "repentance shall be hid from his eyes." Multitudes of believers die in perfect peace, o.nd some even in triumph, for they a.re conscious that he is "with them." LESSONS.. 1. 'fhe harmony of the Old and New Testaments in teaching that "unto God the Lord belong the issues from death." 2. Christ Jesus is the Lord, who by his tlpirit exercises this prerogative, both as regards nations and individuals. 3. The alienation of the soul lrom God is a. state of death-the most awful condition possible to ma.n; and from that state he can only escape by being "born again." 4. The dissolu- tion of the body is not death to the believer, but simply a. falling a.sleep in Jesus. 5. The doctrine that Christ is " the Resurrection and the Life" brings solid comfort in the hour of bereavement.-C. J. Ver. 9.-Self-destruction. Hosea. more than once sought to bring this solemn truth home to the conscience of the people (eh. xiv. 1, etc.). '!'hey saw that nationa.l disasters were impendiug, but attributed these to any other cause than their own sin; e.g. to the divided counsels of their leading statesmen, to neglect of the army, to the ambition of their rulers, to temporary reverse of fortune. 'l'he prophet says, in effect, "These would not be against you, if God were not; and he is no longer your Deliverer, because you have turned aaa.inst him. 0 Israel, thou bast destroyed thyselfl " This truth ma.y be seen in the f;ll of other kingdoms-the Assyrian, Homan, etc. These were destroyed, not by a.n isolated defeat, but by the moral deterioration preceding it which haJ destroyed all recuperative power. If we should live to see England's decay-our land untilled, our d<1cks empty, our mills and factories silent, our colonies torn away, our people crushed HOSEA, 2 ll:  418 Tl;IE BOOK OF HOSEA. [oH, xm. 1-16.