The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 457

of study. It is said that he made known hie "way" unto Moses, hie "works" unto tho children of Israel. The millions know something of hie works; only the" wi8c," tho "prudent," tho initiated, like Moses, understand his ways. Brother, come away from the study of details, asccnrl into the realm of principles. Men who understand Uod'8 ways becomo prophetR. They can foretell the future. II. llrn WAYS AJLE RIOll'l'EOUS. "The ways of the Lord are right." 1. They are right; they cannot be otl,erwise. 'fhey are right because they are his. He cannot do wrong; there is no law external to him, no law above him. What he does is riaht because ho docs it. To say he does a thing because it is right is tantamount tr, the assertion. that there is something independent of him. 2. They are right; human conscience atteBts it. No conscience in heaven, earth, hell, doubts the rectitude of God's wa.ve. If sinners in hell felt they were wrong, they would feel no remorse for their conduct. They are right es8entially, immutably, everlastingly right. III. Ilrs WAYS AUE TO BE l',URSUED. "The just shall walk in them." They are not merely to be studied, but to be practically followed. You cannot do what God does, but what you do you can do in God's way-;-do silently, lovingly, beneficently. Walk in this way, the way of love and usefulness. IV. H11; WAYS MAY RUIN. "The transgressors shall fall therein." As God moves in calm majesty and resistless force on his way, he crushes in his march all who oppose bjm. His. chariot-wheels grind them into powder. Recipi,tur ad modum Tecipientis. What is received influences according to the qualities of the receiver. "The same sun," .says, an old author, " softens wax and hardens clay. But of all transgressors those certainly have the most dangerous fatal falls that fall in the ways of God, that sp~it on the Rock of Ages, and suok poison out of the balm of Gilead. Let the sinners in Zion be afraid of thi:i,"-D. T. , V ers. 1-3,-:-Xhe prayer qf the penitent. . The prophecy does not close without com- forting glimpses into the future, and sweet words of promise. The opening verses of thiR section invite the nation to repentance. They put a prayer into the people's lips with which to return to God. I. THE INVITATION. (Ver. 1.) 'fhe door of mercy stands open to Israel. But the invitation add,essed to the ancient people is equally, in Christ, addressed to every Binner. Consider, accordingly: 1. The condition in which the sinner ill found. "Fallen by thine iniquity." "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Rom. iii. 10). We have all fallen by our iniquity. (1) Fallen from the state in which we were created. (2) FallE:n out of the Divine favour. (3) Fallen into wretchedness, guilt, discord with self, pollution, bondage. (4) Fallen-in some cases-under heavy stroke:1 of the Divine anger. We have so fallen that we cannot raise ourselves up again. 2. To whom the sinner is pointed. " The Lord thy God." Israel's God and ours. G()(l is our God, as being (1) our Maker; (2) our Sustainer; (3) our moral Ruler; (4) our Saviour. He,is the God and Father of Jesus Christ our Lord. He gives us in the promises of the gospel a claim upon himself. He is ours in offer, and will be ours in fact, if only we.will receive him. Thero is no Saviour beside him (eh. xiii 4), and no otp.er is needed. He alone is all-sufficient. 3. The invitation given to the sinner. "0 Israel, return unto tho Lord thy God." God might command, but he condescends to invite, to ent:i-eat (2 Cor. v. 20). He asks us to return to him. He can ask no less, for without penitent return, salvation is impossible. His mercy is seen in this, that he asks no more-no sacrifices, no pricf', no probationary curriculum, no works of the Law. But the 'returu must be sincere, not with the body, but with the mind, the ·affections, the will. II. THE PRAYEn. (Ver. 2.) 'l'he penitent, resolved on returning t? God, is coun- selled to take with him "words." The inward penitence is to express itself outwardly. It is to utter its~lf in prayer. This is the only sacrifice God will require. The prayer with which we aro to come is: 1. Prayer for forgiveness. "Take with you words, nnd turn to the Lord; say unto him, Take away all iniquity.n Forgive_ness is the first need of our nature. '!'ill sin is forgiven us we can have no pee.ce with God, we cnnnot be visi~ by his love or made _par_takers of his Spirit. ~'orgive~ess at once precedes, and is a pledge of, the communicat1on.of every other blessrng. It is! therefore, the thing we first ask for We are to confess sin anu to seek the paruon of 1t (l John 400 THE BOOK OF HOSEA, [oa, nv.1-9.