III. THE 00NSEQUENOEB OJI' FORGETTING Go». 1. MOTal deterioration will certainly follow, The soul from which God is banished ie degraded and ruined by the absence of what alone can dignify and bleee. 2. Judgment ca.nnot be eecaped. If men forget God he will indeed remember them, but he ce.nnot remember them" for good."-T. Ver. 9.-Self-deatrucUon. This ie language, not merely of reproach, but or sorrow. After all that Jehovah had done for hie favoured people, it grieved him that to eo large an extent his goodness wae abused, and that those who bad enjoyed the greatest advantages had made the worst use of them. At the same time, he justly ea.et all the blame upon Israel, who, against the Saviour and Helper, had resolved, as it were, upon spiritual suicide. J. lN TURNING AWAY 1/'B0H GoD, HEN TURN AWAY FB0M THEIR TRUE SAVIOUR AND THEm TRUE SALVATION, They often look upon the great and right.eous Judc,e O as their enemy, hostile to their pleasures and interests, and consequently imagine that they will secure their own welfare by forgetting and forsaking God. That this is a delusion is certain. In setting themselves against God, men set themselves against their Help. Il. IN SEEKING THEIR OWN SELFISH ENDS, lllEN ACCOMPLISH THEra OWN DESTRUCTION. 1. Ungodliness is destructive of all peace of mind. 2. Ungodliness is destructive of character. They who live without God in the world deprive themselves of the highest motives to obedience, and ensure their own spiritual deterioration. 3. UngodlineSB is destructive of all bright and blessed prospects for the future life. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Destruction, ruin, banishment from God, such is the doom which sinners work out for themselves. It is not the arbitrary appointment of the Supreme Judge; it is the self-inflicted fate.-T. Ver. 9.-" Thy help." There is great simplicity and great beauty in this deaignation of the Almighty. It is indeed wonderful that he who fashioned and who rules this mighty universe should deign to reveal himself to the poor, frail, feeble children of men ae their Help I I. MAN'S NEED 01!' HELP. We need help from one another; and there is no member of society who is independent. The child is dependent upon the help of the parent, the master upon the help of the servant, etc. But all stand in need of moral, spiritual help, which none but God can bring. .And there are special occasions and circum- stances which bring home to us our need of help; e.g. when we feel our weakness in the presence of difficult duties, eore temptations, crushing sorrows. II. Gon's SUFFIOIEN0Y AB THE HELP OF HAN. 1. We perceive this from the con- sideration of IJivine pow~ and resources. All things are at God's command and under God's control. 2. His pity and sympathy assure us of effective help. There are circumstances in which power and even liberality are of little avail. The heart craves for the heart's sympathy. Of God we know that " in all our afflictions he is afflicted ; n and Christ has revealed himself as " touched with a feeling of our infirmities." God makes himself known to men as their Help, and his assurance must be unhesitatingly and joyfully accepted. 3. The experience of "all saints" witnesess to God's power and willingness to help in time of need.-T. Vera. 10, 11.-The vanity of earthly Icings, The historic reference of this passage is obvious. The Hebrew nation was properly a theocracy. God himself was their Lawgiver, Ruler, Leader, and Judoe.0 But the people desired a king, that they might resemble the nations around them ; and God, in condescension to their infirmities and in answer to their entreaties, gave thaw a king. '1.'he kingll proved by no means an unmixed blessing. Many of the kings, both of Judah and of the northern dominion, led the people astray. Hosea addressed himself especially to Israel ; and the chronicles of that nation show us how many evils followed upon the reign and power of their monarchs. Disasters and ruin came upon the tribes of Israel, and the inspired prophet well ur!!ed upon the people the question, "Where are your kings, to save and deliver you?" 'l'he principle involved in the appeal is one of general application. I. MORAL MALADIES ABE NOT HEALED BY POLITI0AL REMEDIES, II. 'l'HE SPLENDOUR OF KIN0S IB NO COMPENSATION FOB THE MISERY OF THE PEOPLE. 4-22 THE BOOK OF HOSEA. [«lli, :Xtll. 1-16,
Ilf. EARTHLY AU'I'RORITY OAN ONLY BE 11:XEROIBED WITRI1' LIIUTB Al'l'OINTBb DY DIVINE PROVIDENOB. IV. A OORRUPI' OOU'RT 18 AN EVIT, EXAMPL'II: TO AN UNl!TABLB POPULATION, V. No BEOULAB--oIVIt, OR MILITARY-POWER OAN AVERT TRI: ,001'f8EQUENOll:B di.I' APOSTASY A1''"D DEBABEME1''T, VI. Knms TREIIISELVES ARE SUBJECT, AB WELL AB CITIZENS, TO TJtB LAWS OF A RETRIBUTIVE PROVIDENCE.-T.