Homilist Hosea 7:8 Ephraim, he has mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned. I. WRONG COMPANIONSHIP. What is a wrong mixing with people? Not intermixture in marriages. Not intercourse in business. Not associating with men for spiritual usefulness. It is doing as the Ten Tribes did, mixing with others for worldly advantage and unholy gratification. It is said that Pythagoras, before he admitted any one to his school, inquired who were his intimates, justly concluding that they who could choose immoral companions would not be much profited by his instructions. II. MORAL WORTHLESSNESS. Ephraim had become as useless, in a spiritual sense, as a half-baked cake. It no longer fulfilled its Divine mission, maintaining and promoting the worship of the one true and living God. "Usefulness is the grand purpose of our being." The man who does not make the world better than he found it, must be accursed. III. SOCIAL DESPOILMENT. "Strangers devoured his strength." How many souls lose their strength under the influence in which they mingle! Their intellectual power, social sympathies, moral sensibilities get used up, and they become the mere, creatures of circles and circumstances. IV. UNCONSCIOUS DECAY. Moral strength goes so slowly from men that they are often not conscious of its loss until they are reduced to the utmost prostration, Look at these aspects of character, and learn practical wisdom. Form no friendship with sinners. Avoid a worthless life. Allow not the social influences of your sphere to steal away your strength, to eat up your manhood. Do not think that decay cannot be working in you merely because you are unconscious of it. (Homilist.) Parallel Verses KJV: Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.WEB: Ephraim, he mixes himself among the nations. Ephraim is a pancake not turned over. |
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