"And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know."-Hosea ii. 16, 19, 20. See the three first chapters of the Book of Hosea, and the commands there given by Jehovah to Hosea. Jehovah is compared to a moth which frets a garment, and to a lion which tears and destroys. "Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness. 66 For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him."-Hosea v. 12 and 14. Character and Attributes of God. Jehovah is full of wisdom and understanding. His attributes are omniscience, justice, goodness, and mercy. 66 This also cometh from the Jehovah of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working." Isaiah xxviii. 29. "Therefore will Jehovah wait that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for Jehovah is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him."-Isaiah xxx. 18. "He also is wise."-Isaiah xxxi. 2. "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."-Micah vii. 18, 19. Many unworthy representations of the character of God are given in the Prophets. Jehovah is passionate and revengeful, and his anger endureth for ever. "O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation."-Isaiah x. 5. 66 For the indignation of Jehovah is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. "For it is the day of Jehovah's vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie Jehovah repents, and, however greatly enraged he may be, allows himself to be moved by intercession. "Jehovah repented for this: It shall not be, saith Jehovah. "Then said I, O Jehovah God, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small. And Jehovah repented for this: this also shall not be, saith Jehovah God."Amos vii. 3, 5, 6. Jehovah swears by himself when he wishes to confirm a promise or declaration. 66 Jehovah God hath sworn by his holiness."-Amos iv. 2. Jehovah hardens men's hearts and blinds their understandings, in order that they may not obey the truth, lest they be converted and healed. "Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed."-Isaiah vi. 10. "Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered."―Isaiah xxix. 10. Government and Providence of God. He is the Jehovah is the Governor of the whole earth. Disposer of all events. All nations are under the guidance of his providence. This more general view of God's government does not supersede the ever-enduring belief that Jehovah is the protecting Deity of the Hebrews; that Israel is his peculiar people, the especial object of his protection. The passages in which this relation of Jehovah to his people are expressed are too numerous to be quoted. See Isaiah i. 4-24, viii. 13, xii. 4-6, xxx. 26-29, xxxiii. 22; Jehovah is in heaven. He is represented as sitting like an earthly monarch upon a high throne. He is clothed in a long flowing robe, whose train fills the whole heavenly temple, and seraphs stand around him, and worship with fearful adoration. "I saw also Jehovah sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”—Isaiah vi. 1-3. But Jehovah has likewise his dwelling-place among his people on his holy hill of Zion. There he manifests himself, and thence gives laws, and declares judgments. He reigns in Zion and in Jerusalem. "Behold I and the children whom Jehovah hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from Jehovah of hosts, which dwelleth in Mount Zion."-Isaiah viii. 18. "Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when Jehovah of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients, gloriously."-Isaiah xxiv. 23. "Jehovah will roar from Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem."-Amos i. 2. Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let Jehovah God be witness against you, Jehovah from his holy temple. For behold Jehovah cometh forth out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth."-Micah i. 2, 3. Jehovah is ever active, and whatever happens upon earth is the effect of his agency. He brings to nought the devices of men. "Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.' Isaiah viii. 10. The armies of the different nations are instruments in the hand of Jehovah, employed by him to chastise his own people when they have rebelled against him. But if, when his purpose has been effected, the conquerors become arrogant, and ascribe their success to their own strength and prudence, they in their turn are immediately punished by Jehovah. Thus are the calamities and defeats of the heathen also regarded as the consequences of the will and power of the God of Israel. "O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to "Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when Jehovah hath "Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.”Isaiah x. 5-7, 12 and 15. “For the indignation of Jehovah is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter."-Isaiah xxxiv. 2. Jehovah rewards the fidelity of his people with national prosperity, and the righteousness of individuals with temporal blessings. His punishments are national calamities and personal afflictions. "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate : therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left."-Isaiah xxiv. 5, 6. 66 And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah. And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city."-Amos iv. 6, 7. 66 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him."— Isaiah iii. 10, 11. 66 The ways of Jehovah are right, and the just shall walk in them but the transgressors shall fall therein."-Hosea xiv. 10. Shall there be evil in a city, and Jehovah hath not done it?"-Amos iii. 6. 66 Jehovah makes known his will through the mouths of his prophets, who speak that which they are inspired to say by the spirit of Jehovah. They generally preface their exhortations and announcements to the people with, "Thus saith Jehovah," or, "By the command of Jehovah." "Surely Jehovah God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."-Amos iii. 7. "Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth."-Hosea vi. 5. "I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets."— Hosea xii. 10. Jehovah answers and instructs his prophets by means of dreams and visions. "Thus saith Jehovah concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God."-Micah iii. 5-7. Those persons who possess any unusual attainments, or who are particularly wise and good, are animated by the spirit of Jehovah. "The spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of Jehovah. And shall make him quick of understanding in the fear of Jehovah : and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the bearing of his ears."-Isaiah ix. 2, 3. "In that day shall Jehovah of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people, and for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate." Isaiah xxviii. 5, 6. "But truly I am full of power by the spirit of Jehovah, and of Judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin."-Micah iii. 8. These prophets agree in encouraging the people to greater spirituality, and in teaching that inward purity, and the observance of the moral law, are more acceptable to Jehovah than a mere external worship of forms and observances, offerings and sacrifices. "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith Jehovah; I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, |