The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-08-15

Aa hs sag there Hosea STRUGGLED
Hfh tha conflicting emotions tha'
wrBed through hi1 hsart ana sf ias
Hhsn De bad senlel the turbulent
thoughts and had eliminated ssif H
. considering the problem thaL con.
ffonted him. a. h. had l0ng since
I learned 70 d0. be- iuuad with . De-
+ iieyad sigh toward Cod and. lifting IA
broken heart 30 prayer. he cried
"Oh. God. help ne 10 learn slil
more the lesson Of nfo. and 70 know
whaf the heart Of God % as ne yearns
toward bis people
Ever since he had been called into
the prophetic Office be bad felt The
necessity Of trying 10 understand the
feelings o. God in his relations and
dealings With his chosen people. II he
was faithfully to deliver Gods mes
sage. And this was the great problem
which had faced him IN the very be-
ginning Of his career. az he had met
and loved the beautiful Conner. Then
Il was that the struggle came over the
question whether or not be should cast
her on because Of her past life Of sln
and then had come the conscious sss
Of IaFael's wayNaFdness and he had
asked himself the question as 70 shat
would have become Of the nation had
Cod cast them Of as they deserved
Then It was that he had felt he had
his answer from God and had taken
Conner to his bosom and happy the
years had been that had passed since
then, until the present sorrow had
broken In upon bis life. eliminating
finally IN the open rupture with the
wife and mother Of the home and
her fleeing to other parts that she
might be unhampered in her pursuit
of gay and pleasurable life.
How Ike the conduct of hts vile
was fae conduct Of Israel She had
forgotten her vows to him as Israel
had forgotten her vows to God and
had forsaken him She had placed
the pleasure Of the moment above the
permanent ioy and comfort Of the
home, and Isriel had sought for tenn
porary satisfaction and prosperity
among the neighboring nations. follow
ing strange gods and forgetting the en-
during blessing which God alone could
confer, and missing the delight Of
heart and conscience that was IA har-
mony with the viii and purpose Of
God.
Once more he burst out with the
cry.
"Oh. Lord, help me to learn this
new lesson Of life and to know how
God would deal With his children when
they forsake hln."
With this prayer upon his lips and
the bitterness and hate IN his heart
put away, he gave himself up to the
new thought. and was soon planning
how he might follow the ofring wife.
and as often as opportunity offered
strive to win her back TO the paths OF
righteousness.
Thus 1t was that all unknown to Go.
mer Hosea kept track OF her move.
ments. More than once when dangers
had threatened her had he shielded
her from harm. and even death itself
Repeatedly when her resources were
all gone and she was In dire distress
had he succored her, she believing
that some other hand than his had
supplied her urgent need. Times
there had been when he had been near
her watching the conflicting emotions
which were fighting within her sinful
heart for mastery. for there were
times when her heart lOathed It's sin.
fulness and she had yearnings for
better life. And it was for such Pc
RODS as this that he was watching
and waiting. hoping that she would
come to herself and be ready to hear
the words Of comfort and forgiveness
which he was ready to speak II she
would only turn from her evil way.
Once he had found her when one
Of her lovers had proved her wickedly
false and had deserted her Ia her dire
need, but It was evident she had not
drunk her cup Of ain to the dregs. for
she turned from his pleadings with a
mocking laugh and had sought to
drown her troubles in a stlh greater
abandon to the life Of sim
She still had friends, she said,
she VAS not ready to surrender her
will to the will Of another. She would
do as she pleased"
Thus she had plunged on and on in
her downward career until Hosea real.
Ized that she must come to the very
depths Of wickedness and despair be-
fore she would be ready 70 hear his
message Of love and forgiveness.
But is II not even 80 with Coda
people?" he exclaimed one day. with
bleeding heart, for as In tender love he
followed the steps OF the wayward
wife, and felt the heart stabs which
her conduct inflicted, he understood as
never before how the waywardness
and disobedienee OF Gods children
must pain the heavenly Fathers
heart.
yea. I do know now something OF
the love and patience of God. know
how he sorrows over the sins OF his
people | know how merclRul he has