Ver. 8.-The life of the wicked. "Therefore they ehall be 11,1 the morning cloud, and as the enrly clew that pBl!eeth away, BI! the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of tho floor, encl BR the smoke out 0£ the chimney." This ver110 may be taken as a picture of a. human life unregenerate, out of vital sympathy with God and goodness. I. IT Is DE0EPTIVE. "Like the morning cloud." In Palestio& and countries of the eame latitude, dense clouds often appear in the morning, cover the heavens, and promise fertilizing showers that never come. The farmer whose land is parched by drought looks up with anxious hope ae he sees them gather and float over his head. But they often pass away without a fertilizing drop, and leave him with a disappointed and nnxious heart. A life without moral goodness is necessarily deceptive. It walks in a vain show, it deceives itself and deceives others; It is an acted lie from be!rinning to end. How many Jives seem full of promise! 'fhey awaken as much inter~t and as much hope as clouds that float over parched lands; but they result in nothing but dienppointment. Oh, what lives there are which are like clouds without water! II. IT IB EVANEBOENT. "The early dew that paseeth away." In such latitudes, too, the copious dews that sparkle on the hedges and the fields soon evaporate and disappear. How transient is life I-not the life of the wicked only, but the life of the righteous as well ; just like the dew, appearing for a short time, then gone for ever. The Bible abounds with figures to represent the transientness of human life-the grass, the flower, the vapour, the dew, the shadow. The millions that make up this generation are cinly'as dewdrops, sparkling for an hour and then lost and gone! III. IT Is WORTHLESS. "As chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor." Like chaff stowed away from the threshing-floor. Chaff, empty, dead, destined to rot. How empty the life of au ungodly man! The life of the righteous is grain- it will grow and flourish ; bat that of the wicked is only chaff. It is destitute of moral vitality. "Driven away." "The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, whilst the righteous bath hope in his death." 'fhe wicked die reluctantly, they hold on to the last; it is only the strong storm of death that bears them oft'. IV. IT IB OFFENSIVE. "As the smoke out of the chimney." The ancient houses of Palestine were without chimneys; the smoke filled the hollSeS, and smoke is a nnisance. A corl1lpt life is evermore offensive to the moral sense of man.kind. To what conscience is falsehood, selfishness; carnality, meanness, and BUch elements that make np the character of the wicked, at all pleasing? To none. The aroma of a corrupt life is aa offensive to the moral soul as "smoke out of the chimney." " Like to the falling of a star, Or as the flight of eagles are, Or like the fresh epring's gandy hue, Or silver drops of morning dew, Or like a wind that oh.afes the flood, Or bubbles which on water stood, E'en such is man, :whose borrowed light Is straight called in, o.nd paid to-night. The. wind blows out, the bubble dies, The spring entombed in autumn lies, The dew dries. up, the star is shot, The flight is pnst--ce.nd man forgot." (Henry Ji.mg.) D.T. Vere. 5-8.-Mercy in bmeficent action and in retributive_ displeasure. "I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought," etc. Mercy is the subject of these words; and mercy, like the mystic pillar that guided the Israelites in the wilderness, has two sides-a bright one to guide and cheer, and a. dark one to confound and destroy. In these two aspects the text presents it. I. Here is mercy IN '.BENEFICENT ACTION. " I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. According to their pasture, so were they filled." What meroy did the great Father eh<;>w the Israelites in the wilderness! The wilderness was a trying region (Deut. viii. 16; Jer. ii. 6). How constantly the Almighty interposed on behalf of his people I He gave them water from the rock snd manna from the clouds. THE BOOK OF HOSEA, [on. un. 1-18.
He fought their battles, guided them through perplt!XiUee, and helped thorn In every exigency and tria,. The hand of mercy was ever outstretched on their behalf, supplying them with all that they required. In truth, mercy gave them, not only necessities, but luxuries. "Jcshurun waxed fat, and kicked." 'l'hus mercy is treating ue now, giving us "all t.hinge richly to enjoy" in nature, and offering to us all spiritual blessings in Christ JesUB. The bright side of mercy gleams on us in this life, lights up our path and cheers UB on the way. II. Here is mercy IN RIGHTEOUS DISPLEASURE, " They were filled, and their heart wa6 exalted; therefore have they forgotten me." Observe: 1. The cause of the indig- nation. "They have forgotten me." They abueod his mercy. Hie mercy led them to self-indulgence, the pampering of their appetites, the gratification of their lusts, and the fogtering of indolence and pride. Alas I how often the mercies of God in providence are abused I Whilst they should lead men to repentance and to a higher life, they lead them to worldliness and impiety. Because of this, mercy becomes indignant, the oil brrak~ into flame. 2. The severity of the indignation, "Therefore I will be unto them as a lion : as a leopard by the way will I observe them: I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall ·tear them." What terrible words are these! As a lion, savnge and stron;::; a " leopard," crafty and vigilant, watching an opportunity to wreak destruction; a" bear," bereaved of her whelps, terribly exasper- ated and heartless ;-he "will rend the caul of their heart." It is said the lion always aims at the heart of the beast he falls upon. "Devour them like a lion ; the wild beast 6hall tear them." What does all this mean? It does not mean that the Almighty is carried away by a savage impulse, that he has, in fact, aught of passion in him. No, but it means that after his mercy has been abused it will assuredly become the destroyer. Mercy abused becomes a detenniued, resistless destroyer. A plant that is not strength- ened by the sunbeam is scorched; the soul that is not saved by mercy is damned, "Thy mercy, Lord, is like the morning sun, Whose beams undo what sable night had done: Or like a stream, the current of whose course, Restrained awhile, runs with a swifter force. Oh ! Jet me glow beneath those sacred beam•: After, bathe me in those silver ■tree.me. To thee alone my sorrows shall appeal ; Rath earth e. woUDd too hard for Heaven to heal?" (Francie Quarles.) D.T.