The evening world., 1920-08-23
The LODe Stories
ofthe Bible
z-rT-s a.,
By Rev. Thomas B. Gregory
ICopyHfht 1920. by The pass PnSlnhksa %.
lThe New Yorh Etaiink WORLDLY
No. Hosea and Conner.

NO. Hosea and Conner.
THE hrst. last and only time that
woman's inhdellty to her
husband ever inspired the writ
Ing OF Holy Scripture was in the
case OF the prophet Hosea, whose
hery and in many ways wonderful
production Immediately. follows the
Book Of Daniel in,khe old Testament.
Away back yohder some seven hun
dred and fifty years before the Chrls-
tian era Cupid was busy shooting has
darts In eyery direction. and one OF
them hit Hosea's heart with such
force that he was never able TO 70
move It. although he would have
given all he possessed to be freed from
the pain 1t caused him.
Hosea was citizen of the Northern
Kingdom and belonged to what ara
known as the minor prophets. He
was contemporary with. and a worthy
peer of Isaiah. His prophecy Is ono
Of the most eloquent in the Old Testa4
ment, and TO this day, twenty-eiglu
centuries after it was written. il full
OF the earneStness that burns like q
raging fire.
Whether it was before or after the
beginning of his work ns a prophet
OF God we cannot tell, he was CONS
, manded by the Lord TO get married.
He ubeyed the command. but evident-
ly the Lord did not help hun in MAX
ing the selection. for he married
Conner, the daughter OF Diblalm."
| As Is too often the case with good
men, Hosea loved mot wisely, but too
we'll" Conner led him an awful life.
and capped the climax of her un-
worthiness by the marital 1nfatthful-
ness which shamed the prophet to tho
verge OF distraction.
It appears that, unashamed and un-
repentant, Conner went ON from bad
TO worse until she finally left Hosea's
home and sank down to the very bot
| tom OF the abyss of misery and
shame, but Hosea, following her with
tender affection. brought her back
and restored her TO his house, where
he kept her in scclusion and patiently
watched over her for considerable
period.
Blu: the virus had done dts work in
Corners soul, and by and by in spite
Of the faithfuluess OF Hosea's love for
the idol Of his heart. all was forever
over. The tragedy was complete and
final.
And then It was that the broken
hearted prophet wrote the thrillingly
Interesting book in the Old Testament
known as TlOscQ.
He would anticipate Shakespeare.
make a moral even out OF the devil
himself" and find in Gods chastlse-
meut the disguised Instruments OF
good.
In the great struggle between his
undying love for Conner and the
heart breaking sorrow the love had
brought him, he found now and
deeper insight into the dealings OF
God with man
1t Is possible that Gomer's devoted
lover knew the story OF Jacob, and
how, when God had got all ready to
show him the glorious vision of tho
ladder and the angels, he made him
fall down weary by the roadside with
a stone for his pillow, thus employ
ing the griefs and sorrows OF earth
as the means of opening up the
glorics of heaven. 1t was even so
with the prophet; in his new do
nestle infelcities he found what a
beautiful and precious thing real,
true love Is.
And just as Hosea distilled from
his individual sorrows the wine of
comfort and peace-the faith In the
something beautiful that should como
up out OF his bitter domestic expert
ences, ds the flower comes up out of
the ashes--he was led, furthermore.
10 the conviction that Israel's many
inndelities to the will and law OF
Jehovah must sooner or later result
IN their conversion TO God and in the
reception of the blessings and honors
and powers that Jehovah had prOm-
ised them through Abraham, the
Father of the Faithful.