Ver. 9.-Sin the destroyer, God the Restorer. " 0 Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help." L SIN THE DEBTBOYEB. "0 Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself." What connected with self does a man destroy? Not his mental facnlties, not his conscience, not his moral responsibilities. 'l'hese be cannot put an end to. But be destroys the liberty, the peace, the blessedness of his being. He can destroy all connected with his existence that can make existence tolerable or worth having. llow is this done? By ain, Sin is the soul-destroyer. Every 6in is destructive of something. From the eternal laws of moral mind men cannot commit a wrong act without the infliction of an injury to the soul, without blinding the judgment, deadening the sensibility, curtailing the liberty, drying up the affection, enfeebling the will. Sin is suicidal "He that sinneth against me wrongetb his own soul." What is a sinner doing? Murdering himself. Every lying word, every dishonest act, every impure thought, every impious sentiment! every lW!tful gratification, is a deadly blow inflicted upon the soul. "The soul that smneth, it fihall die." There is nothing arbitrary in this. "To be carnally minded is death." II. GoD THE REBTOBEB. "In me is thine help." Who can restore a destroyed soul? God, aud be only. He restores it: (1) By extracting the poison of sin. (2) By breath- i□~ into it a new life. (3) By bringing it out_ into th~ aa!ubrio_us atmosehere of truth. (4) By affording it the most wholesome supplies and 1Dv1gorat1ng exercises. "In me is thy help found." Yes, thou art mighty to save.-D. 'f. Oil, XIII, 1-16,] 'l'IIE BOOK OF HOSEA. 126
Ver. 14,-Tlie greae conqueror of the world conrp.1,ered. 11 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: 0 Death, I will be thy plagues; 0 Grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes." DolitzHch translates this, "Out of the hand of hell will I redeem them; from death will I sot them free. Where are thy plagues, 0 Death? Where thy destruction, 0 Hell? Repent1mce is hidden from mine eye~." Primarily, these words apply to God'11 restoration of Ism.cl from Assyria-pa1tially, and in times yet future, fully, from all the lands of their present long-continued dispersion and political death. But Paul'11 reference to it (1 Cor. xv. 23) authorizes 118 to give it a wider application; and we may regard it as referring to death and Christ. I. Here is the great CONQUEROR, called the "death and the grave." What a con- queror is Death I 1. He.artless, dead to all appeals. 2. Resistleu. Bulwarks, battalions, castles, are nothing before him. 3. UniverlJ(J,l, his eyes fastened on the world. Young, old, rich, poor, he has marked them all as victims. 4. Ever active. He does not pause a moment. Year after year, month after month, day after day, minnte after minute, be works without a pa.use. 'l'bousands fall before him every hour. This is the conqueror keeping the world in awe, filling our houses with mourning, our streets with funereal processions, our cemeteries with the dead. II. Here is the great conqueror of the world CONQUERED. "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. . . . I will be thy plagues, I will be thy destruction." I. Who ? "I am the Resurrection and the Life : whoso believcth in me shall never die." How has he conquered Death? Not by-weakening his power or arresting his progress, for he is as mighty and active as ever, but by stripping him of his terror. Mentally he overcomes him, swallows him up. He fills the souls of his people with such love to the infinite Father, such interest in the spiritual universe, such desire for a higher life, that they say, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." A few weeks hence, iand spring will 'come forth as a messenger from the great fountain of life, and look abroad over the earth in winter desolation under the icy reign of death ; and will say to every withered plant and buried germ, "I will ransom thee from the power of the grave." This Christ says to all dead souls. "It is not death, to die: To leave this weary road, And 'midst the brotherhood on bigb To be at home with God. "It is not death, to close The eye long dimmed by tears, And wake in glorious repose 'fo spend eternal years. "It is not deo.th, to benr '£be wrench thu t sets us free From dungeon-obaiu, to breathe the air Of boundless liberty. "It is not deo.th, to fling Aside this sinful dust, And rise on strong, exulting wing To live among the just. Jesus, thou Prince of life, 11
Thv chosen cannot die: Like 'thee, they conquer in the atrife. To reign with thee on high.'' D.T. Ver. 15.-Reverses of fortune in human life, "Though he be fruitful a.moll~ hi~ brethren o.n cnst wind shall come, the wind of the Lord shall come up from thti wilderne~s and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain sho.ll be dried up : he eha.11 spoil' the treasure oi all pleasant vessel,;." " For be will bear fruit among brethren. 426 'l'BE BOOK or HOSEA. [oR. xrrr. 1---18,