EXPOSITION
THE PROPHECYOF HOSE A.
REV. JEREMIAH '^BURROUGHS,
RECTOR OF TIVETSHAXL, NORFOLK.
1643.
COMPLETED BY THE
REV. THOMAS HALL, B. D. RECTOR OF KING'S NORTON,
RIGHT REV. EDWARD REYNOLDS, D.D., BISHOP OF NORWICH.
REVISED AND CORRECTED
BY THE REV. JAMES SHERMAN,
MINISTER OF SUEilEY CHAPEL.
EDINBURGH: JAMES NICHOL.
LONDON : JAilES NISBET & CO. M.DCCCLXm.
EDINBLTROU :
PBOrtEO BT BALLA>T\TCE AlfD COSIPAST,
piOl'8 WORK.
BRIEF NOTICE
THE REV. JEREMIAH BURROUGHS, A. M.
It is deeply to be lamented that no life was given to the church of this excellent minister of Christ ; concerning whom Mr. Baxter says, " If all the Episcopalians had been like Arch- bishop Usher, all the Presbyterians like Mr. Stephen Marshall, and all the Independents like Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs, the breaches of the church would soon have been healed." From the few scattered notices of him in different authors, and chiefly from those of his enemies, we learn that he was born in 1599. He studied and took his degree at Emmanuel College, Cambridge ; after which he became colleague with the Rev. Edmund Calamy, at Bury St. Edmund's. In the year 1631 he became rector of Tivetshall, in the county of Nor- folk; but upon the publication of Bishop Wren's Articles and Injunctions, in 1636, he was suspended and deprived of his living.
The Earl of ^Varwick, who was the friend and patron of the persecuted ministers, and one of their constant hearers, gave him an asylum in his house, till the fire of persecution, which raged so strongly against him, obliged him to fly to Holland. He was chosen as- sistant minister to the church at Rotterdam, of which the Rev. William Bridge was pastor. The violence of party strife at that period raised against him many accusations for leaving his country, but his vindication of himself and his conduct in retiring to Rotterdam is so ample and circumstantial, and withal written in so meek and humble a .spirit, as to raise in the reader a high estimation of his veracity and piety.
The church at Rotterdam gave him a most hearty welcome, and belaboured among them, in conjunction with Mr. Bridge, with great acceptance and usefulness for several years. After the commencement of the civil war he returned to England : " Not," says Granger, " to preach sedition, but peace ; for which he earnestly prayed and laboured." The renown which he had acquired at Rotterdam accompanied him to his native land. His popular talents as a preacher, his peaceable spirit, and his exemplary character, soon excited great attention ; and as a proof of it, he was chosen lecturer to the congregations of Stepney and Cripplegate, then accounted the largest and wealthiest in England. At Stepney he preached at seven o'clock iu the morning, and Mr. Greenhill at three in the afternoon : one was called the morning star, and the other the evening star, of Stepney. He was chosen one of the Assembly of Divines, and united with his brethren, the Revds. Thomas Goodwin, Philip Nye, William Bridge, and Sydrach Simpson, in publishing their " Apologetic Nar- ration" in defence of their own distinguishing sentiments, which contain the general prin- ciples by which congregational churches are governed in the present day. In the year 1645 he was elected one of the committee of accommodation, and was of great service in all their important deliberations.
Though, after his exile, he never accepted a parochial benefice, or became pastor of a separate church, he laboured extensively in preaching at various and distant places, and in rendering other important services to the church of Christ. But his incessant labours, and grief for the distractions of the times, brought on consumption, of which he died in the forty-seventh year of his age.
iv BRIEF NOTICE OF JEREMIAH BURROUGHS.
In the spirit of union among all Christians, which he so powerfully advocated, he was far before the opinions of his day. The following sentiment, in reply to one of his bitterest enemies, does equal credit to his piety and discernment : " I profess, as in the presence of God, that upon the most serious examination of my heart, I find in it, that were my judg- ment presbyterial, yet I should plead and preach as much for the forbearance of brethren differing from nic, not only in their judgment, but in their practice, as I have ever done. Therefore, if I should turn Presbyterian, I fear I should trouble Mr. Edwards, and some others, more than I do now ; perhaps my preaching and pleading for forbearance of dis- senting brethren would be of more force than it is now." The last subject on which he preached, and the last treatise he published, was his " Irenicum," or an attempt to heal the divisions among Christians. Oh that we had more of his spirit among all who take the lead in the Christian church ! The estimation in which he was held by unprejudiced persons who were capable of forming a judgment of his spirit and character, was very high. Granger says, " he was a man of learning, candour, and modesty, and of an exemplary and irreproach- able life." And Fuller has classed him among the learned writers of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
The following Exposition was delivered in lectures to the wealthy citizens of London, at St. Michael's, Cornhill, where crowds constantly attended to hear his luminous exhibitions of truth, and forcible appeals to the conscience. The first volunie'only was published during his life, in the preface to which he remarks, the expositions " were taken from me in preaching. I per- used the notes, but I could not bring the style to the succinctness that I desired, except I had written all over again, lor which I had no time." Both this volume, and those published after his death, were most imperfectly printed ; unimportant sentences were reprinted over and over again ; and the supervisors had literally, as they say, done little more than usher the books into the world with the sanction of their names. Mr. Burroughs lived to carry on the Exposition as far only as chap. xiii. ver. 1 1 . The remaining verses of that chapter were expounded by the Rev. Thomas Hall, who published his Exposition as a supplement to that of Mr. Burroughs, and will be found exceedingly valuable. The fourteenth chapter had been previously treated in a very able manner by Bishop Reynolds, who must ever rank high as an expositor of God's word. The whole are united in this volume, and form a most useful comment on this difficult book of Scripture, to aid the minister of Christ and the private Christian in rightly interpreting the sacred text. Dr. Williams, in his " Christian Preacher," observes, that the Exposition of Mr. Burroughs on Hosea, is a pleasing specimen, to show how the popular preachers of his time applied the Scriptures in their expository discourses to the various cases of their hearers.
The editor has only to remark, that the present volume is produced at great labour and expense ; that the most scrupulous regard has been paid to accuracy, and in no single in- stance has a sentiment of the writer undergone any change to adapt it to the editor's mind. He commits it to the blessing of the great Head of the church with nmch prayer and hope that it may prove equally useful with the other Expositions which he has ventured to publish.
Surrey Parsonage, Jan. 14, 1843.
THE ORIGINAL PREFACES.
TO THE EXPOSITION
ON
THE FIRST THREE CHAPTERS.
TO THE RE.\DER.
You have these lectures as they were taken from me in preaching. I perused the notes, but I could not bring the style to the succmctness that I desired, except I had written all over again, for which I had no time ; my perusal was but cursory, therefore many things have slipt me : you have them as I preached them, without any considerable alteration. I had thought to have been far briefer, but meeting with so many things almost in every lecture so nearly concerning present times, caused me to go something beyond an expository way. In the remaining part of the prophecy, if God gives life to go through it, I shall keep myself more closely to ex- position. What here you have, take it as you find it ; what good you meet with, receive it in. This will be the encouragement of
Thy friend in Christ,
J. B.
TO THE EXPOSITION
ON THE
FOURTH, FIFTH, SIXTH, AND SEVENTH CHAPTERS.
TO THE READER.
Readee, AVe here present thee with a continuation of Expositions and Observations upon other four chapters of the prophet Hosea, delivered by that worthy man, now with God. Himself in his life-time published the three first chapters : these, now made public, were compiled out of the manuscripts which himself under his own hand left, which, being short, have been filled up and enlarged out of the best copies of sermon notes taken from his own mouth. We must not undertake for aU imperfections or mistakes that haply may be found, though a diligent and a skilful hand had the collecting of them. We only give letters of credence to them, that they are genuinely the author's, and that they are singularly worthy of all acceptation, especially by such readers as have their thoughts exercised in observing the ways of God's proceedings in and towards the nations of the world where his name is called. One great piece of his dispensations under the Old Testament, was that towards the ten tribes, who remain in captivity to this day, and who were set up (as their predecessors in the wilderness) as types of God's dealing in like cases with us under the New Testament, 1 Cor. x. ; Rev. vii. ; as we may see in the instance of the Eastern and Grecian churches that have groaned under the Mahometan tjTannies and op- pressions, of whom the ten tribes may seem to be the liveliest pattern, as the condition of the saints in the AVestem European churches under the pope was exemplified in the captivity of Babylon, which befell the other two tribes. Yet so as, both in sins and punishment, tlie one and the other are general examples unto us, " upon whom the ends of the world are come," in which God acts over with a quick and swift motion, as being the last act, what was done more slowly under the Old. The worthy author was one of the most accurate spectators in b
vl THE ORIGL\.\L PREFACES.
his time, that with a curious and searching eye beheld what God was a doing in the world. He was as one of those "wise men that knew the times," (as it is said of Ahasuerus's seven counsellors, Esth. i. 13,) and skilled tliercin not, as they, in a human or political way, but as the transactions in the world do relate unto God, who governs this world by the rules and precedents in his word. He was one of those who, as the psalmist speaks, Psal. cxi., had pleasure to seek out the great works of the Lord, and to parallel those in these times with those of old under the Old Testament ; and unto that end, in the entrance to these alterations in our times, he pitched upon the explication of this prophecy, which the studious reader will with much delight read over, when he shall observe how he made application all along to the dispensations of that time in wliich he preached them. The I-ord bless them to them of this nation, for which they were principally intended.
THOMAS GOODWIN, S'iDRACH SIMPSON, WILLIAM GREENHILL,
WILLIAM BRIDGE, JOHN YATES, WILLIAM ADDERLY.
TO THE EXPOSITION
EIGHTH, NINTH, AND TENTH CHAPTERS.
TO THE READER.
Wii.\T we have by way of preface set before the edition of the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters, may sufficiently 8er\'e for a premise to these eighth, ninth, and tenth chapters, as holding forth the use and scope of the whole prophecy, and the authors intentions in his comment thereon : so as we shall only need now to give letters of credence before the world, to the passing of these, as the best and most authentic notes that could any way be obtained, both as the extracts of the best notes of sermons taken from his mouth, and chiefly his ovni writings, which were more brief. Expect shortly the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth chapters from the same hand. We commit them, and the reader, to the blessing of God.
THOMAS GOOD^VIN, SYDKACH SIMPSON, WILLIAM GREENHILL,
WILLIAM BRIDGE, JOHN YATES, WLLLLAM ADDERLY.
TO THE EXPOSITION
OM TUB
ELEVENTH, TWELFTH, AND THIRTEENTH CHAPTERS.
TO THE READER.
God, who alone is perfect in himself, has retained this prerogative to himself, that his work should be per- fect (as Moses speaks) ; and, as another holy one hath it, doth all his pleasure. Paul, though in whatever he was to commit to writing (in matters sacred) had«infallibility of assistance, yet perfected not all he intended: " These things we will do, if God permit," said he to the Hebrews, Ileb. vi. But we no where find extant any evidence, that he accomplished what he there intended, namely, a full, methodical discourse upon those first principles and foundations of religion, which that speech had reference unto. It is no wonder then, that if such a kind of imperfection accompanied the works of so great a master-builder, it attend those who build on this foundation, and are not privileged (a< yet he was) from building hay and stubble.
THE OKIGINAL PREFACES. Tii
This sort of incompleteness hath befallen the works of this worthy author, in respect to the finishing of this prophecy, which he intended, and had performed ; wherein yet to the church of God there shall be no loss, there being no thoughts nor notions suggested to any man, which, though for the present they die with him, but the same Spirit who is the inspirer of all, doth bring to light in some one or other servant of God, in his own time.
What a treasury of thoughts seemed to be lost and to die with the Saviour of the world, which he had not, could ;iot then utter ! which yet the Spirit, that filled him without measure, distributed amongst the apostles that came after him, according to the measure of the gift of Christ in each. There is no beam of Divine light has shone into any man's heart, that shall finally and for ever be put under a bushel, but in the end shall be set up, to give light to the whole house.
The purpose of this preface is, to consign the passport through the world of these last notes of the author upon this prophecy, namely, the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth chapters ; and to assure the reader, that they are the best and most genuine that can be expected, being collected out of those under his hand, all along, and the best copies of those that took them from his mouth ; and to subjoin this hearty prayer, for a blessing from Heaven on these, and the rest of these our brother's kbours that are published, that his works may follow him, and he receive (at the latter day) a full reward, even according to the fruit of his doings.
THOMAS GOODWIN, WILLIAM BRIDGE,
WILLIAM GREENIIILL, JOHN YATES,
SYDRACH SIMPSON, WILLIAM ADDERLY.
POSTSCRIPT BY THE SUPERVISOR
THE LAST SER:M0N BY BURROUGHS.
The author was prevented by several providences from preaching the foregoing sermon for some months to- gether, insomuch as himself wondered what purpose God had in it ; till at last God visited him by sickness, whereof he fell asleep in the Lord : his disease was thought to be infection, but without any sore, yea, and (as the gentlewoman his wife has related) without any spots or tokens of the plague ; there was only a black settling of blood on one side of his back, which she supposed might have arisen from a fall from a horse, which he had met with not long before. This is mentioned by occasion of some contrary reports concerning his death. About the time of his immediate dissolution, he lifted up his eyes, and was heard to speak these words, " I come, I come, I come :" and so gave up the ghost.
It had been much to be wished that the author had been more concise and brief in some amplifications, which, though all exceedingly useful, yet have deprived us of his preaching and completing both the former sermon, and the rest of the prophecy. But God was pleased (for our sin no doubt) to deprive us of that mediator-like instrument between the divided godly parties of this nation, and of the further mind of the Holy Ghost which he had revealed to this his servant, touching the scope and use of this prophecy in these days.
God took him away in the strength of his parts and graces, that he might not lose in the reputation of his ministry or piety, as some have before their death.
Also, though we cannot afiii'm, as one of Josiah, that he was taken away lest the evil of the time should have wrought upon his temper ; yet we may say, as another doth, he was " taken away from the evil to come," Isa. Ivii. 1.
Moreover, it is not an unuseful note, that the Preface to the Tigurine Bible hath, whereof the inference is, That whilst in some weighty point we labour for great exactness and preparation, we are either disabled by our diligence, or prevented by our tardiness and delay; whereas moderate preparation seasonably applied might be more usefid to the cluu-ch, than such exactness so deferred. Which is not spoken to reflect any thing on our reverend author, but to admonish others.
Now among other arguments (good reader) to commend this excellent piece, this is one. That it has been brought to thy hand thrqugh several elements, having been in danger, part of it to be rotted in the earth where it was buried ;■ part of it to be consumed in tlie fire wherewith much of the town where it was flamed ; * part of it to be lost in by-holes where it was hidden in the midst of enemies. Make special use therefore of what is come (as it were) through fire unto thee for that end. And if thou find that fruit the super\-isor did in preparing it for thee, thou wilt not repent thy pains or penny. Farewell.
* Tlic original was with the supervisor in Colchester when besieged, and much of the town burnt.
THE OlilGLN.-VL PREFACES.
TO THE EXPOSITION BY BISHOP REYNOLDS,
OS
THE FOURTEENTH CHAPTER.
TO THE HEADER.
CiiuisTlAN" reader, understanding tliat my sermon, which was preaclicd three years since before the Honour- able } louse of Commons, on the day of their solemn humiliation, was to be reprinted, I thought fit to peruse, transcribe, and enlarge six other sermons, in which I had, at mine own charge in the country, on the ensuing fast days, briefly explained and ajjplied that whole chapter, (a portion only whereof was in the first handled,) and to send them forth together with it to the public : which I was the rather induced to do for these two reasons : 1. Because it has pleased God in his righteous and holy providence to make me, by a long infirmity, unserviceable to his church in the principal work of the ministry, the preaching of the gospel (which is no small grief unto me). So that there remained no other means whereby my life might, in regard of my function, be useful to the church, and comfortable to myself, than by inverting the words of the psalmist, and as he made his " tongue the pen of a ready writer," Psal. xlv. 1 , so to make my pen the tongue of an unready speaker. 2. I considered the seasonableness and suitableness of these meditations to the condition of the sad and disconsolate times wherein we live, very like those which our prophet threatened the ten tribes withal throughout this whole prophecy, unto which this last chapter is a kind of use, and a most solemn exhortation, pressing upon all wise and prudent men such duties of humiliation and repentance, as_ might turn threats into promises, and recover again the mercies which by then- sins they had forfeited and forsaken : which being restored to them according to their petition, they are here likewise further instructed in what manner to return unto God the praises due to his great name. And these two duties of humiliation and thanksgiving, are the most solemn duties to which in these times of judgments and mercies, so variously interwoven together, the Lord so frequently calls us.
Places of Scripture I have, for brevity sake, for the most part, only quoted and referred thee to, without tran- scribing all the words, and have usually put many parallel places together, because by that means they do not only strengthen the doctrine whereto they belong, but mutually give light one to another.
The L3rd make us all in this our day so wise and prudent, as to undei-stand the righteous ways of our God towards us ; that we may not stumble at them, but walk in them, and be taught by them to wait u])on him in the way of his judgments, and to fix the desires of our soul upon his name as our great refuge, and upon his righteousness as our great business, Isa. xxvi. S, 9: till he shall be pleased, by the dew of his grace, to revive us as the corn, to make us grow as the vine, and to let the scent of all his ordinances be over all our land, as the smell and as the wine of Lebanon.
It will be an abundant return to my poor and weak endeavours, if I may have that room in thy prayers which the apostle Paul desired to have in the prayers of the Ephesians, " That utterance may be given unto me, that I may open ray mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel," Eph. vi. 19.
The Lord sanctify all the ways of his providence towards us, that when we are chastened we may be taught, and may be greater gainers by the voice of his rod than we are sufferers by the stripes.
AN EXPOSlTIOlSr
THE PROPHECY OF HOSEA.
CHAPTER I.
Verse 1.
The iiord of the Lord that came v.iilo Ilosea, the son of Beeri, in the daj/s of Uzziali, Jotliam, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jero- boam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
This day ve begin a Scripture exposition, an exercise which has lost much of its honour by its disuse. The best apology for it is to begin it immediately. It is an ancient practice in the church of God, old enough to speak for itself. In Neh. viii. 8, we read that Ezi-a, Jeshua, Bani, and the rest read in the book of the law. and gave the sense, and caused the people to understand the reading.
I have determined to expound first the books of the minor prophets, of which Jerome remarks, * I know not which to wonder at most, the brevity of speech, or the greatness and abundance of sense. And the pro- phet Hosea in this respect is most excellent, of whom the same author says he is f exceedingly concise, and speaks by sentences. Why I chose rather to begin with Hosea than with Isaiah, I shall afterward inform you. If God continue life and this exercise, we may go tlii'ough all the prophetical books, both small and great. In these prophets we have most admirable truths revealed to us ; and it is a pity that the mind of God contamed in them should be so little known, even unto his chiUb-en ; that such treasures of heavenly truths should lie hid from so many for so long a time.
"We might preface our work by labouring to raise your hearts to the consideration of the excellency of the Scriptm-es in general. Luther uses a high exprcs- .sion about them ; he calls them J the highest genus, that contains m it all good whatever. Take away the Scripture, and you even take away the sun from the world. ^Yhat is the world without the Scriptures, but hell itself ? AVe have had indeed the word of God as the sun in the world, but oh how many mists have been
* Xescio utrura brevitatem sermonum, an magnitudinem sensuuiu atlinirari debeas.
t Commaticum ct quasi per sententias loquentem.
I Genus generali<simum omnium bonoruni. Si hoc au-
before this sun! Seldom the sun shines clearly tons. Seeing there is such a glorious sun risen, it is distress- ing that there should be a misty day. Now the work to wliich we are called is, to dispel the mists and fogs from before this sun, that it may shine more brightly before your eyes, and into your hearts.
Chrysostom§ in his twenty-ninth semionupou Genesis, exhorting his auditors to get the Scriptm-es into their houses, and diligently to exercise themselves in them, tells them that by them the seul is raised, elevated, and brightened, as ■\^•ith the beam of the Sun of righteous- ness, and delivered from the snares of unclean thoughts. In the Scripture the great God of heaven has sent his mind to the chilcben of men ; he has made known the counsel of his will, and opened his very heart unto mankind. The Bible is the epistle that ^ , God has sent into the world. Did w. ',
but hear of a book dictated inmiediately ',_"'
by God himself, to show the children nt ; , ; ', ;,. men what the eternal counsels of his will ; ' , "'™
were for conducting them to eternal ha])- ii
piness, and his thoughts and intentions !u;[„'ij^..]^u;.i/^';,il concerning their everlasting condition; |SS'"i',ma„o ."S- did we, I say, but hear that there was such ri,";;'''"!"'',"^"^"*-
1 ,. 1(11 f.i-ri. Wolfius in loc.
a book m the larthest part of the Indies, should we not rejoice that the woi'ld was blest with such a mercy ? "NMiat strong and vehement desires should wo have to enjoy but one sight of it before we died ! AVe should be willing to venture upon any hazard, to pass through any difficulty, to be at any ex])ense, that we might have but a glance at such a book as this. My brethren, you need not say, AATio shall go to the farthest ])art of the Indies to fetch us this book ? who shall descend into the depth, or go to the uttermost part of the earth, to gain us a sight of this book of Scriptm-e ? for, behold, the word is nigh unto you, it is in your houses, and we hope in yoiu' hearts, and in this exercise it is to be in our mouths, not only to toll you what it saith, but to explain to you the mind of God in it. To exercise om'selves in tliis book is sweet indeed.
feras, solem e mundo sustulisti : quid mundus, sublato vorbo, quam infernus ?
^ 'AXXi icai oiVrtOE tfi-ri Xiipa^ Xantai/iiVTa S-fTa piftXia.-
n ^Uxi] TTTEpitTai K'Cti /XETapO-lOS yii/ETat, TW tpOlTl T8 T^?
5iKaio(7vvi]'i iiXiH KaTavyuX^ofxiv)\; S;c.
AX EXPOSITIOX OF
Chap. I.
Luther professes himself out of love wth ^p.'opio.S'h!: his own books, and wished them burnt, SSiSliiK"".'. lest men, sijcnding time in them, sliould S.li1j2Si'sii> ^^ hindered from reading tlie Scriptures, turn, qua »*.<»»• which are the only fountain of all wis- «t'*c!"'LJui'S'in dom : I tremble, said he, at the former Gen. c. 19. jjgg^ wliich was so much busied in read-
ing Aristotle and Averroes. AVe read in Neh. viii. 5, 6, when Ezra opened the book of the law to expound it to the people, he " blessed the Lord, the great God : and all the peoi)le answered. Amen, iVmen." And now blessed be the Lord, the great and gracious God, for stirring your hearts uj) to such a work as this, and blessed be his name for those liberties we have thus freely to exercise ourselves in this sers'ice. Oh praised be the name of the gi'eat God for this day's entiance into so good a work as this. Yea, they not only blessed God, but " they lifted up their hands, and bowed their heads, and worsliipped tne Lord with their faces to the ground." Wliy ? Because the book of the law was read to them and expoimded. How came it to pass that their hcai'ts were so ready to hear the book oi tne law expounded to them ? Surely it was because they were newly retm-ned out of captivity. When they came into their own land, and heard the law of God opened to them, they blessed his gi'eat name, and bowed theu- faces to the ground, worshipping him. This day, my brethren, witnesses our great deliverance and retimi from bondage. Not long since we could not have either ordinances, truths, or religious exercises, but according to the humours of vile men. But now, through God's mercy, a great deliverance is granted to us, that we may come and have free liberty to exercise ourselves in the law of our God. O bless the Lord, and bow your faces to the ground, worshipping him !
In the 12th verse of that chapter we read, that after they had heard the law read and expounded to them, they " went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth." A\Tiy ? " Because they had understood the words that were declared unto them." I hope, if God shall please to give assistance in this work, many of you shall go away from this as- sembly rejoicing, because you know more of God's mind revealed in his word than formerly ; and this will be tlie comfort of your meat and drink, and of your trading, and the very spirit of all the joys of your hves. As the sweetness of tne fruit comes from the graft, rather than from the stock ; so your comforts and the blessing of grace must come from the word ingrafted in your souLs, rather than from any tiling you have in yourselves.
In the 1st verse, Nehemiah saith, " All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the sti'eet that was before the water gate," to desire Ezra to bring the book of the law, and to read it and to open it unto them. Behold, it is thus this day in this place ; here is a great company met together, some to know what the business will he, some for novelty, and some for other ends ; but we hope many have come that they may have the book of tne law read and opened unto them. Now we expect that from you which is said of them, ver. 3, " And the ears of all the i)eople were attentive unto the book of the law," when it was read and ex])ounded. And truly that attention which now you show promises that we shall have an attentive auditory. But yet tliat is not all ; let us have further a reverential demeanour and carriage in the hearing of the law, as it becomes those who arc to deal with God. It is said, ver. 5, that when Ezra 0])cned the book of the law, " all the ])eople stood up." AVe do not expect the same gesture from you, but oy way of analogy we expect a reverential demeanour in your carriage during the whole work, as knowing we are to sanctify God's name in it. Those people after the first day's exercise
were so encouraged, that they came again tlic second day: vcr. 13, '• On the second day were gathered toge- ther the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Le^ites, unto Ezra, to understand the words of the law." And I hope God will so carry on this work, that you shall find encouragement too to come again and again, that you may know more of the mind of God ; and that this work shall be profitable not only to the younger and weaker class, but to tlie fathers, to the priests and Levites also.
Let it be with you as it was with them ; according as vou have any truth made known unto you, submit to It, yield to it, obey it immediately, and then you shali know more of God's mind : " If any man will do his wiU, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God," John vii. 17. Thus did they; for, ver. 14, when thev found it WTitten in the book of the law, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month, (this was one passage of the law wliich was expounded, how they should keep the feast of tabeniacles. and what booths they should make,) the peo])le immediately went forth to the mount, and letched olive branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house. In this prophecy of Hosea you will find many truths suitable to the times wherein we live ; the Lord grant you obedient hearts to what shall be delivered.
I must not retard the work, nor your expectations, any longer with a larger preface, only somewhat might have been said about the rides for the interpretation of Scripture ; I will only observe that, to the inteq)ret- ation of Scriptui-e, a Scripture frame of heart is neces- sary, a heart holy and heavenly, suitable to the holiness and heavenliness wliich are m the word. As it was said of TuUy's eloquence, that nothing but the elo- quence of TuUy could describe its excellency ; so it ma\ be said of the spirituality of Scripture, nothing but a heart filled with Scripture spiritualness can set fortli its excellencies. And because the authority of Scripture is supreme, wc desire the jirayers of you all to God for us that his fear may fall upon our hearts, that seeing we are men full of error and evil, yet we may not bring any scripture to maintain any eiToneous conceit of our owii heads, nor any evil of our own hearts : this we know to be a dreadful evil. It was a fearful evil for Lucifer to say, " I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God : I will sit also upon the mount of tlie congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds ; I will be like the most High," Isa. xiv. 13, 14. It is as great an evil for any to seek to make tlie Highest ajipear like Lucifer ; for they who make the Scripture justify any erroneous opinion, or any way of e\il, go about to make the blessed God and the "Holy Ghost to be the fathers of lies. It is counted a great evil in a commonwealth to jiut the king's stamp upon false coin ; and to put the stamp of the Spirit of God upon an error, upon a conceit of a man's own, is certainly a great evil before the Lord. God made the priests vile and contemptible btfnre the peonle, because they were partial in the law, Mai. ii. i). .Vnu for you, my brethren, our prayer shall be, that the fear of God may fall upon you likewise, that you may come to these exercises with Scripture frames of heart.
ANTiat frame of heart is a Scripture frame? The Holy Ghost tells you, Isa. Ixvi. 2, God looks at him that trembleth at his word : come with hearts trembling at the word of God ; come not to be judges of the law, but doers of it. You may judge of your jirofiting in grace by tlie delight you iind in Scripture ; as Quin- tilian was wont to say of jirofiting in clo- ouence, a man may know that by the SHJHid'^liJ,'' delight he finds in reailing Cicero. It is JJ' .IS,™ cJS'ii." a true sign of profiting in religion, when
V£E. 1.
THE PROPHECY OF HOSEA.
the Scriptures are sweeter to us than the honey and the honeycomb.
And now the work we have to do is, to open the dif- ficulties and to show you the Divine truths contained in tills portion of Scripture. May they spring up from the fountain of Hfe itself, and be presented to your minds with freshness and power.
These five things are to bo inquired concerning the prophet whose prophecy I am now to open, which are contained either in the Ist verse or in the chapter :
I. 'V\'lio he was.
n. To whom he was sent.
in. A\'Tiat his errand was.
IV. His commission.
V. The time of his prophecy.
I. "\ATio this prophet was.
I will explain only what you have of him in the 1st
verse, " Hosea the son of Beeri." His name signifies
a sa^dour, one that brings salvation ; it is the same
root fi'om wliich Joshua is derived ; and
"•'itrirT s^'^^'^i'- ™^'^y saving and savoury truths we
shall find this prophet bringing to us.
He was the son of Beeri. We do not find who this
Beeri was in Scripture, only that he is here named
as the father of the prophet. Surely it is hotioris gratia
to the prophet, and hence
06s. That parents should so live and walk, that it may be an honour to then- children to be called by theii- names, that then" chilcben may neither be afraid nor ashamed to be named with them.
The Jews have a tradition which is generally re- ceived among them, that wlienever a prophet's father is named, that father was a prophet as well as the son. If that were so, then sui-ely it is no dishonour for any man to be the sou of a prophet. Let the children of godly, gracious ministers be no dishonoiu' to their parents, their parents are an honour- unto them. But we find by experience that many of theii- chilcben are far from being an honom- to their godly parents. Hov,' many sons of ancient godly ministers, who heretofore hated superstitious vanities, have of late been the great- est zealots for such things. It reminds me of what the Scriptui'e says concerning Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, and of the difference between his father and him. WTien Josiah heard the law read. Ids heart melted, and he humbled himself before the Lord, 2 Kings xxii. 19. But when Jehoiakim his son heard the law of God read, he took a pen-knife, and cut the roU in wliich it was written in pieces, and threw ■' it into the fii-e that was on the hearth, until aU the roU was consumed," Jer. xxxvi. 23. There was much difference between the son and the father : and thus it is between the sons of many ancient godly ministers and them ; their- fathers indeed might be an honour unto them, but they are a dis- honoiu- to then- fathers.
"The son of Beeri." The word Beeri is derived from nsa puleus, a well that has springing water in it, freely and clearly running. So ministers shotdd be the chflcfren of Beeri ; that which they have shoidd be springing water, and not the mud, and dirt, and filth of their own conceits mingled with the word. This only by way of allusion.
II. To whom was this prophet Hosea sent ?
He was sent especially to the ten tribes. I suppose you all know the division of the people of Israel wliich took place in Eehoboam's time ; ten of the ti'ibes went from the house of David, only judah and Benjamin re- mained ^rith it. Now these ten tribes, rending them- selves from the house of David, separated themselves also from the true worship of God, and hon-iblc ■s\icked- ness and all manner of abominations grew up amongst them. To these ten tribes God sent this prophet. He sent Isaiah and Micah to Judah, Amos and Hosea to Israel; all these were contempcrary. If you woidd
know the state of Israel in Hosea's time, read but 2 Kings XV. 24, " Jeroboam did that which was eyU. in the sight of the Lord, he departed not fi-om all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Xebat, who made Israel to sin." But notwithstanding Israel was thus notoriously wicked, and given up to all idolati-y, yet the Lord sent liis pro- phets Hosea and Amos to prophesy to them even at tills time. Oh the goodness of the Lord, to follow an apostatizing jieople, an apostatizing soul ! Jlercy yet pleaded while God w'as speaking in anger ; but woe to that people, to that soul, concerning whom the Lord shall give in chai-ge to his prophets. Prophesy no more to them !
III. AMiat was Hosea's en-and to Israel ?
His errand was to con\'ince them clearly of their abominable idolatry, and those other wickeihiesses in which they lived, and to denoimce severe tlu-eatenings, yea, most fearful desti'uction. This was not done be- fore by the other prophets, as we shall afterward make appear ; but it was Hosea's errand specially to tlu-eaten an utter desolation to Israel more than ever was before, and yet withal to promise mercy to a remnant to di'aw them to repentance ; and to prophesy of the great things that God intended to do for his chm-ch and chil- cb-en in the latter days.
rV. "WTiat was his commission ?
The words tell us plainly, " The word of the Lord came to Hosea." It was the word of Jehovah. It is a great argument to obedience to know that it is the word of the Lord wliich is spoken. '\ATien men set reason agauist reason, and judgment against judgment, and opinion against opinion, it prevails not ; but when they see the authority of God m the word, then the heait and conscience jield. Therefore however you may look upon the insti-uments that bring it or open it to you, as yoiu- equals, or inferiors, yet know there is an authority in the word that is above you all ; it is " the word of the Lord."
And this word of the Lord " came to Hosea." Mark the phi'ase : Hosea did not go for the word of tlie Lord, but the word of the Lord came to him ; he sought it not, but it came to him, yii'W-Ss rrn irs that is, the word of the Lord came or was made into him, was put into liim. Such a kind of phi-ase you have in the New Testament, John x. 35, " 11' he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came," irpbg oi'ie o Xoyog tov etou lyeviTo, that is, to whom the commission came to place them where they were. So the word of the Lord came to Hosea. The knowledge of a call to a work will help a man thi-ough the difficulties of the work. One of the most notable texts of Scrip- ture to encom-age a man to the work to JJ^J q^'Deo" wliich he sees he is clearly called, is that Y^^S' ''°°""""'- which is spoken of C'hiist himself, Isa. xlii. 6, " I the Lord have called thee in righteousness." '^Tiat follows then ? "I will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant to the people, for a light to the Gentiles." If wo know God's call to a work, (as for the present this of om-s is exceecbng clear imto us.) though the work be difficult and liable to much censm-e, yet the Lord will hold our hands, and ^^■ill be with our minds, and om- tongues, and om* hearts, and make us instruments to give some light to others.
V. AMiat was the time when Hosea prophesied ?
You have it in the text, " In the days of Uaziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hczekiah, lungs of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel." It is computed by ehronologers that Hosea lived about 814 yeai-s before "Chi-ist. In his time the eit)- of Rome was buUt. It was the beginning of the Ohinpiads. Eusebius tells us that there was no ^^^^Ji^,,, ^^ Grecian histoiy, and if no Greek learn- Greca'dLTempln- ing, then not any that was of any author- creditlfr,°EuMb?de
AX EXPOSITION OF
Chap. I.
rrrp>r.E.jn.LM. j^.^ extant beforc the time of Hosea. He ])roi)hesie(l in the reigiis of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. AVe have much more of God's mind revealed in this than at first \-ie\v we a])prehcnd. Hosea prophesied a very long time, pro- bai)ly fourscore years ; but it is certain he was in the worli of his ministry above seventy years. I make that clear thus : He prophesied in the days of Jeroboam, who lhouf,'h he is here named last, yet was the first of these kings that took up some of his' time. But suppose you reckon from the end of Jeroboam's reign, from that to the beginning of Hezekiah were seventy years, ami yet the text declares he pro])hcsied both in Jeroboam's time and in Hczckiah's tmic. After the death of Jeroboam, Uzziah lived thirty-eight years. He reigned fifty-two in all. He l)egan" hisreign in the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam, 2 Kings xv. 1. Now Jeroboam lived after that fourteen yeai-s, for he reigned forty-one in all. Take fourteen out of fifty-two, and there remams thirty-eight. After him Jotham reigned sixteen years, and then Ahaz succeeded him, and reigned sixteen years more. So that between these two kings, Jeroboam and Hezekiah, were seventy years, in which Hosea prophesied, besides the forty-one years of Jeroboam, and twenty-nine years of Hezekiah, in both whose reigns too you sec he lived; and therefore it is probable that Hosea continued in the work of his prophecy at least fourscore yeare. See what of God's mind will spring from tliis.
Obs. 1. It jileases God sometimes that some men's labours shall aljide more full to posterity than others, though the labours of those others arc greater and as excellent as theirs. Hosea continued so long, and yet there is not much of his prophecy extant, onlv foin-teen short chapters. This is according to the diversity of CJod's administrations. Let the ministers of God learn to be faithfid in their work, and let God alone to make them eminent by having their labours extant.
Obs. 1. It appears from hence that Hosea must needs begin to pro])hesy very young. If he were a prophet fourscore years, certainly he wa.s very young when he began to prophesy; and yet he was called to as great an emplovment as any of the prophets. It pleases God sometimes to stir up the hearts of young ones to do him great service. He sends such sometimes about great works and emplo^cnts ; so he did Samuel, and Jeremiah, and Tiraotny. Therefore let no man despise their youth.
Obs. 3. Hosea prophcs^-ing thus long, it appears he lived to be old in nis work. When God has any work for men to do, he lengthens out their days. So he did the days of John the disciple, who lived a hundred years, if not more ; for the time of writing liis Gospel was in the ninety-ninth year of Christ, sixty-six after the ascension. Let us not be too solicitously careful about our lives, to maintain our health and slrengtli ; let us be careful to do our work, for according as the Lord hath work for us to do, so he will continue to us our health, and strength, and life, '\^'hen you come to die, vou mav die comfortably, having this thought in you : NA'cII, tfie work that the Lord appointed me to do is done, and why should I seek to live longer in the world ? God has others enough to do his work. It was a sweet expression of Jacob, "Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers," Gen. xlviii. 21. So may a prophet of fiod say. who has been faithful in his work, Behold, I die. but the Lord shall be with you ; my work is finish- ed, but God has others who are young'to carry on his work.
Obs. 4. You may see by Hosea's continuance in so many several kings' reigns, that he went through a variety of conditions. Sometimes he lived under wicked kings, sometimes under moderate kings, sometimes he
had encom-agement from godlv and gracious kings, though they were kings of Judah. Not only the people of God, but especially God's ministers, must expect a variety of conditions in the world ; they must not pro- mise to themselves always the same state.
Yet further, Hosea projihesied in all these kings' reigns. Here appears the constancv of his spuit, not- withstanding the many difficulties lie met with in his work ; for, prophesying in the time of Jeroboam, Jotham, and Ahaz, who were wicked princes, he must surely have met with many discouiagements : and though he continued fourscore years, yet he saw but little success of his labour ; for the truth is, the people were not con- verted to God by his ministiT. Nav, it is apparent they grew worse and worse ; for it is said of that Jeroboam in whose time Hosea began his ]n-ophecy, that he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and continued in the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, 2 Kings xv. 24; but after we read most horrible things of which Israel was guilty. In 2 Kmgs xvii. 1 7, it is said, " They caused their sons and their daughtere to pass through the fii-e, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to ])rovoke him to anger;" besides many other ibeadful things you may read in that chapter. This was in king Hoshea's time, which was towards the end of Hosea's prophecy.
Obs. 5. God may continue a prophet a long time amongst a pcojile, and yet they may never be converted. It is a distemper in ministers' hearts to incline to aban- don their work because they see not desh-ed success. Latimer, in one of his sermons, speaks of a minister who was asked why he left off preaching, who replied, because he saw he did no good : this, says Latimer, is a very naughty answer. AMiat we have here may be a great stay to those who have laboured many yeai-s in the work of the ministry, and yet think they have done little or no good ; Hosea was fourscore years a prophet to Israel, and yet did not convert them. But notwith- standing all these discouragements, he continued con- stant, and that with abundance of freshness and liveli- ness, even to the end of his jirophesying.
Obs. 6. It is an honour to the ministers of God, who meet with many difficulties and discouragements in theii' way, yet continue fresh and lively to the very end. Many young ministers are fresh and lively when they begin first : oh how full of zeal and activity are they then ! but after they have been a while in their work, or when they have gained what they aimed at, they gi'ow cold, and that fomier vigour, freshness, and zeal which appeared to be in them become much flatter. Like soldiers, who at the first are forward and active in service, but aftenvard come to live upon their pay, and can do no service at all ; or rather, as vessels when they are first ta])])ed, the wine is very quick and nimble, but at last gi-ows exceeding flat. As we commend that vessel of wine that draws quick to the very last, so it is an excellent thing for a minister of God to continue fresh, and quick, and lively to the last end. It is true, nature and natural abilities may decay, but a spiritual freshness may appear when natural abilities are decay- ed. To see an old jirophet of God, who has gone through many difficulties and sufferings, and yet con- tinues fresh and lively in the work of the ministiT, and has s|)iritual excellencies sparkling in him then, this is a most honourable sight, and calls for abundance of reverence.
Obs. 7. It pleases God many times to let liLs prophets see the fulfilling of their thrcatenings upon the people against whom they have denounced them. Ho.sea pro- phesied so long, that he most ])robably saw the fulfilling of his prophecy; for he continued proiihesjing till Heze- kiah's time, and in the sixth vear of Hezekiah's reign came the destraction of Israel. Hosea had threatened an utter taking of them awav, but it was not done till
Vee. 1.
THE PROPHECY OF HOSEA.
tlien. Perhaps the people go away, and scorn and contemn the prophets, and their words are but wind with them ; but God often lets his ministers live to see their words fidiilled upon them. For it ia common with individuals, when upon then- beds of sickness or death, to say, Ah, the word of the Lord is true that I heard at such a time, it is now come upon me ! So God dealt with the people in Jeremiah's time ; they laughed and contemned him, but Jeremiah lived to see the ful- filling of those thi-eatenings. And if they live not to see the fulfilling of then- words, yet soon after their death they are fulfilled, as it was at Hippo, where Austin threatened judgments against the people ; they were not executed in Ms time, but soon after he was taken away they came.
Hosea not only prophesied in these Idngs' days, but in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel. Here are three questions :
1. What is the reason that Jeroboam, who in truth was the fij:st of these kings, is named last ?
2. AMiy only one king of Israel is named, and thi-ee kings of Judah ? for in the time of Hosea's prophecy there were six other lungs of Israel, Zachariah, Shal- lum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, Hoshea.
3. Why Jeroboam is named at all ?
One answer will be sufficient for the first two ques- tions, why Jeroboam is named last, and why there is but one king of Israel named. The answer is this, God took no gi'eat delight in the kings of Israel, for they had forsaken the true worship of God. Though there was much con'uption in Judah, yet because they kept to the true worship of God, God took more de- light in Judah than in Israel. Therefore he names Jeroboam in the last place, though he was fii-st, and only him.
But why was Jeroboam named at all ?
It Avas that you might understand the state of the people of Israel at the time of Hosea's projjhecy. Much is to be learned from hence. The state of the people of Israel in the time of Jeroboam's reign was very prosperous, though their wickedness was very great. 2 Kings xiv. shows you, that a little before this they had been in very great distress, and under sore afflic- tions ; but in Jeroboam's time they had the greatest prosperity they had ever know^l. For this Jeroboam was not the first Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, that caused Israel to sin, and occasioned the rent of the ten tribes from the house of David ; that occurred above a hun- dred and forty years before this ; but the Jeroboam in whose time God sent Hosea to prophesy this great wrath against the house of Israel, was the son of Joash. Now in all this time the kingdom was never in a more prosperous condition than in the days of this Jeroboam.
Two things are to be observed concerning the con- dition of the people at tliis time.
Fu'st, That they were a little before this in gi-eat ad- versity, and then afterwards they grew up to great pros- pcritv. That Hth c'napter of the Second of the Kings informs you that they were under sore aftiiction, ver. 26, " There was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Isi'ael." It is a comparison taken from shep- herds, that shut up their flocks when they would keep them safe from danger ; but now here was such a general desolation and woeful affliction upon Israel, that there was none shut up, nor any helper left. But then comes this Jeroboam, and it is said, ver. 25, that " he restored the coast of Israel fi'om the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain." And, ver. 28, " He recovered Damascus and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel." This Hamath of which he speaks was of great use, it was the inlet of the Assp-ians ; aiid for Jeroboam to conquer that place, to recover Damas- cus, and to add that to the crow^l of Israel which be- longed to Judah, shows that after their bitter affiiction
God granted a great mercy by Jeroboam's means, and that now Israel flom-ished greatly, and grew exceed- ingly prosperous. There is much of God's mind held out to us m this : as, in that the people of Israel had been under sore affliction, and delivered, yet God sent Hosea to them to show them their horrible wickedness, and to threaten de.struction.
Obi: 1. Hence see the perverseness of the diildi-en of men, that after great deliverances granted them from bitter and sore afflictions, yet they will continue in their wicketbiess and rebellion. The Lord grant this may not be true concerning us. God has delivered us in great measm-e from those sore and bitter afflictions and heavy oppressions under which we lately groaned, and has restored to us many gi-acious liberties ; now have we not need of an Hosea to be sent unto us to rebuke us, and to threaten judgment for the evU of oiu' ways ? This is a sad thing.
Obs. 2. God may let a sinner continue a long time in the way of his sin ; and when he has flomished many years, and thinks surely the bitterness of death is past, God may thi-eaten judgment. Jeroboam reigned one and forty years, and Hosea must have prophesied in the latter end of Jeroboam's time. Jeroboam might tliink, AVTiy does he come to contest with me, and to tell me of my sin and wickedness, and to threaten judgment? have not I continued these forty years king, and have prospered ? and sm-ely God hath been with me. Well, a sinner may hold out long, and yet afterward judgment may come.
Obs. 3. A people in a flourishing condition, when they prosper most, and overcome then- enemies, and have all according to their hearts' desire, even that may be the time for God to appear in his WTath against them. So it was here ; therefore we must not judge our enemies to be happy, nor fear them, because of their present flom-ishing state, nor be secure ourselves because of the mercies we- enjoy. God does not always act thus, but sometimes he is pleased, as here, to stay tiU sinners are at tire height of their prosperity, and then to come upon them. Sometimes God is more sudden. Zachariah the son of this Jeroboam thought he might venture as well as his father : Jly father pros- pered in such ways forty-one years, and why may not I ? No, God came upon him in six months, 2 Kings xv. 8.
Secondly, "\ATien Hosea came to prophesy against Is- rael, he saw them in their prosperity, and yet continued to threaten judgment against them. It was a fui-ther argument of the Spiiit of God that taught him, and of the special insight which he had into the mind of God, that he should thus prophesy destruction to them, w hen they were in the height of their prosperity. It is true, if Hosea had prophesied in Zachariah's days, when the kingdom was declining, or ui Shallum's time, and others after him, then he might have seen by the work- ing of second causes that the kingdom was going dowTi. But he comes in Jeroboam's time, when there was no appearance fi-om second causes of their destruc- tion, and then prophesied destruction unto them.
Obs. 1. It is a sign of the special insight the soul has in the ways of God, that can see misery under the greatest prosperity. The prophet did not think Israel in a better condition because of then- outward pros- peiity ; a sign his prophecy was from God. Yet fur- ther, this being in tire reign of Jeroboam, when they were in gi-eat prosperity, then- hearts were exceedingly hardened against the prophet ; and it cannot be imagin- ed but that they entertained his prophecy with sconi and contempt ; for it is a usual thing, w-hen men are in the height of their pride, like the wild ass's colt, to scorn andcontemn all that comes against them.
Obs. 2. It is easy for a minister of God to deal plainly with people in the time of adversity, but when men are in their pride and jollity, to deal faitlifuUy with them
AX EXPOSITION OF
CliAP. I.
then is very difficult. That their great prosperity raised up and hardened their hearts with pride against the pro- phet appears plainly, if you will road .Vmos vii. 10 ; (for wo must find God's mind by comparing one place with another ;) there you sec the fruit of Jeroboam's pros- perity, for Amos and Hosea were contem])orary. AVhen Amos was propliesyiiig, '• Amaziah the priest of Beth-el sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saving, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Is- rael : the land is not able to bear his words." This was said of Amos, and it is likely that Hosea did not meet with better treatment. Amaziah the priest of Beth-el did this. If there be any enemies against faithful ministers, they are the priests of Beth-el, idolatrous and superstitious ministers. And what course do they take ? They send to the king, to the governors ; O they liave consi)ired against the king, they are seditious per- .sons, factious men, who stir up the kingdom, and break the peace of the church, the land cannot bear thcii- worcb. Such a message as this you see .iVmaziah sent to the king concerning Amos ; he turns off all from himself to the king, and all the punishment that must be inflicted upon Amos must be in the name of the king. And mark the 12th verse of that chapter, " Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee away into the land of Judea, and prophesy there." We are not holy enough for you, forsooth we are idolaters, we do not worship God aright, we are no true church ; get you to Judah among your brethren, and prophesy not any more here at Beth-el. AVhy? Because ''it is tiie king's chapel, and it is the Icing's coiu't." It seems llien in those times that the king's chapel and the king's coiu-t could not bear with a faithful prophet. And what was the ground of it, but because at this time Jeroboam pro.spered in his way, and the Idngdom was in a more flourishing condition than it ever Avas before. Here then was the trial of the faithfulness of Hosea's spirit yet to go on in the work of lus prophecy.
Yet further; in that Ilosea ])io])hesied in the time of Jeroboam, it will appear that he was the first prophet that ever brought tliese hard tidings to them of the utter destniction of Israel. " The Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven : but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash," 2 Kings xiv. 27. Mark, there is given the reason why the Lord saved them by the hand of Jero- 1)oam, because he had not yet said he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven ; that is, the Lord never before sent any of his prophets thus plainly and fiilly to declare his intention to them, to blot out the name of Israel, upon their going on in their sins. So that it is clear that Hosea was tlie first that was sent about this message. And certainlv it was so much the harder, he being the first of all. I'or they might have said, AVliy do you come with these new things, and in so gi-eat scveritj- ? who ever did so before you ? AVe know if a minister come with any thing that seems to be new, if he presents any truth to you that has but a show of novelty, though it be never so good and com- fortable, he finds little encouragement. Nay, if he but comes in a new way, as this verj' exercise, because it is likely to be pursued in a way that lias been disused, it will meet with many discouragements. "What then will the threatenings of hard things, of iudgmcnts and de- struction, do when they come with novelty ? Surely Hosea had a hard task of this, and yet he went on faith- fully with it. Thus much for the time wherein Hosea ])rophesied.
Ver. 2. The beginning of the uord of Ihe Lord hi/ Ilnsea. And Ihe Lord said to Hosea,' Go, lake unio thee a wife of irhoredoms and childreti of vhoredom.1 : for Ihe land halh commilled great trhoredom, departing from the Lord.
Some from these words gather, that Hosea was the fii-st of the prophets whose vmtings have come down to us. Though it is true we cannot gather it diiectly from hence, yet it is apparent that notwithstanding Isaiah is set first, yet Hosea was before him ; for if you look into Isa. i., you find that his beginning was in the days of Uzziali. Now Hosea was in the days of Jeroboam, and Jeroboam was before Uzziah. And this may be one reason why, though I intend the whole prophetical books, yet I rather begin with Hosea, because indeed he was the fh'st prophet : it is clear you see from tlie Scri])turc, though we cannot gather it fromjhese words in this 2nd vei-se.
But yet thus much we may gather from these words, " The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea," that this was the beginning of his prophecy. And what was this beginning 'P what did God set him about first ? Mark the next words, " And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms ; " and so declare to the people of Israel that they had "committed great whoredom, dejiarting from the Lord : " the most grievous charge and most severe and temble expression of God's wrath against that people that you meet with in all the book of God. This is Hosea's work, and he was veiy young when first he went about it. Now, as I told you before, God some- times calls young ones to gi-eat sen-ices ; but to call a young man to go to thLs peojjle with such a message, in the midst of all their pride and flourish to contest with them thus, and to tell them that they arc chikfren oi whoredoms, and no longer the people of God, for a young man to do this ! A\'hy, men grown old and sodden m their sins might reason. If this indeed came from the mouth of some old prophet, reverend for his years and experience, it had been somewhat ; but to come from a green-head, for an upstart to upbraid us with such vile things ! But let us know, my brethren, if God send any message unto us, though by young persons, he expects our entertainment of it. A\'hen God would destroy Eli's house, he sends the message by young Samuel ; but Eli did not reason thus, '\\ nat, this young boy to come and speak thus malapertly to me ! No, he stoops to it, and saith, " Good is the word of the Lord."
Again, Hosea must tell them that they are children of whoredoms, and not the people of God. AMiat, for a minister when he comes first among a people to begin so harshly and severely! is it not better to comply with the people, to come with gentle and fair means, to seek to win them with love ? if you begin with harsh ti'uths, surely you will make them fly off immediately. Thus many reason. Now I beseech you take heed to your own hearts in reasoning thus. >Iany have done so, and have sought to comply with the ])eople so long, till they have complied away all their faitlifidness, and conscience, and vigoiu". AAlicn they eoinc to gi'eat men, rich men, men in place and eminence, they will comply with such; but let them have any of God's people in their parish wlio are of a mean rank and poor, they comi)ly little enough with them, but are harsh and bitter to them, and regard not the tenderness of their consciences at all.
It is true, if ministers have the testimony of their own consciences tliat they would take no other way but what shall be for the greatest profit of their people, maintainiiip such a disposition as to be willing to under- go any sufferings to which God shall call them, they may say first when they come to a house. Peace be to this house, especially when they come to a place that has not had the means before. "But if it be to a people who act directly against the light of their consciences, a su])crstitious jieople, that cannot but be convinced, and have had many evidences, that their conduct Ls against the mind of God, and yet for their own base ends will go on and not amend ; in such a case we may come with harshness at the very first So Paul gives a
THE PROPHECY OF HOSEA.
charge to Titus in dealing with the Cretians, who were evil beasts and slow beUies, that he should " rebuke them sharply " (so we ti'anslate it) ; the word is, ilfforo/jwj, cuttingly, Tit. i. 13.
" The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea." The particle which is translated by signiiies in as well as bij ; it is not El, but Beth, and so it is read by some, The word of the Lord came in Hosea. This expression notes the inward and intimate converse that the Lord had with the spiiit of Hosea in the work of his minis- try. The Lord spake first in Hosea, and then Hosea speaks out unto the people. Some such expression we have conceVning Paid, Gal. i. 16, That Clu-ist may be revealed in me ; not only to me, but m me. The more inwardly God speaks and converses with the hearts of his ministers, the more inwardly and efficaciously they are able to speak to the people. This is deep preaching, when it is ii'om the heart to the heart. ?md"mKS;"' And so Augustme says of Hosea, be- !Sratuf."AuB"st°" cause that which he spake was so deep, it c°v"°°S' '' '*■ '"" wTOught more sti'ongly. Hosea's pro- phecy must needs be deep, for God spake in him before he spake out to the people. A^'e say that which comes from the heart will go to the heart ; sm'ely that which comes fi'om the voice of God in the heart, will go beyond the ears to the hearts of people. And blessed are the people that have such muiisters who will speak nothing to them, but what has fii'si. been spoken by God in them.
Agaui in this 2nd verse he twice uses the same ex- pression : " The beghining of the word of the Lord by Hosea ;" and again, " The Lord said to Hosea ;" and yet in the beginmng of the 1st verse, '• The word of the Lord came to Hosea.'' "Why all this three times ? With good reason ; for Hosea was to come with a terrible message to the people, and to reprehend them with much sharijness, to tell tliem that they were the chil- di'en of whoredoms, and that they had departed fr'om the Lord, and he would have no more mercy upon them, but would utterly take them away. He had need therefore have an express command for what he did, and to have much evidence of the Spirit, that what he said Avas from God, and not any thing of his own spu'it. A\Tien a minister of God shall come and repre- hend a people severely for then- sins, and tlu'eaten God's judgment, let liim then, if ever, look to it that he has a good wai'rant for what he saith, that what he shall deHver may be nothing but the word of God in him, the sheer word of God, without any mixture of his o-mi. It is an ordinary thing for ministers m reprehending sin, and denouncing tlu'eatenings, to mmgle much of theu' own spu-it and \^Tath. But if at any time minis- ters should take heed of mixing then' own wrath, then especially when they denounce God's wi'ath, then they shoidd bring nothhig but the word of the Lord ; for it being a hard message, the spu-its of men will rise up against it. If they once see the spu'it of the minister in it, they will be ready to say as the devil in the possessed man, " Jesus I know, and Paul I know ; but who are ye ? " So they. The word of the Lord I know, but what are you ? here is yoiu' O'mi passion, your own humom'. O let not any tliink to oppose sin with sin ; " the wi'ath of man worketh not the righteousness of God," James i. 20. You that are ministers, would you have a sen- tence ? I wUl give you one : TVIien you are called to reveal God's WTath, conceal yoiu- own.
The scope of the prophecy is the very same as the scope of tins chapter, to declare, fii'st. The evil condi- tion m which the ten tribes were, both in regard of then- sins, and the punishment that was to be executed for their sins. Secondly, Gracious promises of mercy to a remnant ; to Judah, in the Tth verse ; and to judah and Israel both', from the 10th verse to the end of the chapter.
First, God begins with conviction, to show them their sin, and the dreadfulness of it. Conviction should go before correction. Y''ou must not presently fly in the faces of those who are under you when they cross you ; fu-st Instruct them, and then correct them. God would fii'st convince them of the greatness of their sins, not by verbal, but by real expressions.- Things that assail the ear slowly stu' and work ^^^^^ .^,^^1^^ upon the heart, but things that are pre- unSnos demiss. stnted before the eye ai-e more operative ; !j"a.\"uni'<.cuS"' and therefore Hosea must not teU them J^oSplSf' only that they had committed whoredom, gorat ?e A?t° Poet, but must tell" them in this way; he must go and take a wife of whoredoms, and beget children of whoredoms.
In the enti-ance of the prophecy you see we meet with a great difficidty. Fu-st, a command from God, from the holy God, to a prophet, a holy prophet, to go and take " a wife of whoredoms ;" not an ordinary harlot, but a most prostitute woman, " a wife of whoredoms :" as, in the Scripture phi'ase, a man of bloods, is a man who has shed much blood ; and a man of sorrows, is a man who has been exercised with many son'ows ; so " a wife of whoredoms," is one who has committed vUe, notorious lewdness. Y^et such a wife must the prophet take to himself, and his cliilcken must be children of whoredoms too. How can tliis be ?
St. Austin, who had been a Manichee, havmg to deal much with Manichees, met with this objection against the Old Testament from one Faustus, a JSIaniehee : That Old Testament of yom'S, r^Ioses and the prophets, said Faustxis, is that of God ? do you not find there a command to take a wife of whoredoms, and can this be from God ?
Austin answers it thus : Though she Quid ,
might be reclaimed; and so she might 'tSfoSuSe be called a wife of whoredoms, from that in cKstum conjuei- whoredom of which .she was heretofore &J! 'l^colt^' guilt)-. And so he thinks that it was a ^■^""- '- -=- '■ *- reality that Hosea did take to himself a wife of whoredoms.
Theodoret is somewhat angry with Eorum nudnciam those who think it was not really done, "'f"i^*'f,eS'°' but only in a way of vision. I find many Jiccre jerba hsc
,, Y , r ...1, -J esse rebus destituta.
ot om- later men are of the same mmd : Theod. in hos. so Ai-ias Montanus, Piscator, Parens, ™"- "■ '- Tarnovius, and others think, and they explam it thus ; that it is a command of God, and therefore though it had not been lawful for Hosea to have done it, yet, God commanding it, he might do it. As they instance in other cases that seem to be somewhat of the like na- ture, as the chilcb-en of Israel's borrowing of the Egyp- tians, Abraham's kiUuig his son, and the like.
K this shoidd be so, (and as many interpreters so explain it, it appears a thing not impossible,) we might learn thus much from it.
Obs. 1. That God's command takes away all matter of ofl'ence. It would be a notorious, offensive thing for a prophet, a minister of God, to marry a wicked harlot ; vet so far as the offence is, God's command is enough to take it away. For the subject of offence is not duty, but indifference : any thing that is a duty to be done, we must perform it, "thougli it be never so offensive to others ; but if it be a tiling of indifference, then we may stop. God's command takes away all plea of offence. I speak not thus of man's command, for men, even raagish-ates themselves, are bound not to offend their brethi-en, as well as others.
But then it may be said they should command nothing at aU, for some- or other would be offended. And shall not they command because some weak ones may be ofl'ended ? It is true, that which they believe in their consciences to be their duty, they are bound to com-
,VN EXPOSITION OF
CiiAr. I.
mand, and they would sin against God if they did not command it, and require obedience to it ; they must do it, though never so many be offended. But in matters which they themselves acknowledge to be neither for God's ser\ice or for the good of a commonwealth, the rule binds them as well as others in regard of oflcnces to forbear.
Obs. 2. That the prophet must suffer much in his credit before men, only to be ser\iceable to God for a further expression of his mind. Our credit, our names, and all we are or have, must lie down at God's feet to be seniceablc to him in the least thing, if but in a way of expression of his mind, much more in bearing witness to his truth.
Obs: 3. AVe see the wisdom of God in putting the prophet in the verj- first service upon a very difficult work. It could not but be a tiling exceedingly ii'ksonie to his spirit to marry such a one, yet God commands him to do it. It is the usual way of God, when he calls any to great services, at the beginning to put them to such difficult works as shall try them, that if they go through them, then they may be confided in, that they will go through more afterward.
But we shall rather undoi-stand this in a way of \ision, as others do ; not that Hosea did really marrv' such a wife, but it appeared to him in a vision, as if such a tiling were really done, only to declare what the condition of the people of Israel was at this time in re- spect of God : as if God should say, Ilosca, this people of Israel is to me no other than as if thou shoiddst have a wife that were the most notorious harlot in the world, and all their ehihb-cn arc to me as if thy chikken were the children of whoredom and fornication. And this I conceive to be more directly the mind of God. I will not give you my mere conception of it, but reasons why it must be so.
First, Because we find in Scripture that which is his- torically related was sometimes done in a way of vision. It is a usual way of Scripture to express that which is done in vision as if it were a history, as if it were really done. I will show you two examples for this : one of Jeremiah, when he was at Jerusalem, yet the Scripture speaks as if he had been at Babylon ; and the other of Ezekiel, when he was at Babylon, it speaks as if he had been at Jenisalem. It is as fully related as this is here, and both must therefore needs be understood a.s in a way of vision. First, for Jeremiali, vou have it chap, xiii. 4. God requires there that he should " go to Eu- phrates, and hide his girdle there in a hole of the rock :" but this river was a river in Babylon, and Jere- miah was not in Babylon at that time, nor in all the time of the siege, nor in the time of the captivity ; nei- ther could he go to Babylon, for the city was now be- sieged, and when he did l)ut essay to go a little way to Anathoth, his own town, he was seized as if he had been a ti'aitor to his country. Therefore that which is de- clared as a history was only done in a vision. So Ezekiel was nt Babylon (for he was the prophet that pro])hesied to the pco])lc who were earned eajitivc to Babylon ; God sent a projiliet to them to help them there in their cajitivity) ; yet, chaji. viii. of his prophecy, l'2zekiel seems to be l>roiight to Jeremiah, and he is bidden there to dig a hole in the wall to see the wicked abominations that the aneicnts of Israel did there. Now Rzekiel was not there, he was at Babylon ; but it is declared as if the thing had been done really. So we arc to understand Isaiali's going naked twenty days, and Ezekiel's lying three hundred and ninety days on the one side, and forty-three on the other, Ezek. !v.
Secondly, That it was a vision, and not really done. We observe, it was God's command, Lev. xxi. 7, that the priest must not marrv' with a whore. Of all men's wives, God is most careful of the wives of those who are In the work of the ministry, and who are church officers ;
therefore when, in 1 Tim. iii. 11, but a deacon is de- scribed, his wife is described also, that she should be " grave, no slanderer, sober, and faithful in all things." You never read that when God appoints what a magis- trate's office should be In a commonwealth, that he takes such care to set down what his wife should be ; but when he appoints the lowest officer in a church, a deacon, he appoints what his wife should be too. Therefore the wives of ministers should go away with a lesson from hence, and know that God has a more special eye to them than to the wives of all the men in the world besides. God is tender of the credit of the officers of his church, and so should man be, for their discredit is a hinderance to their work.
Yea further, we read, Amos vii. 16, that it was threat- ened as a curse to Amaziah the i)riest of Beth-el, that his wife should be a harlot, for resisting the prophet : shall then the wife of Hosea be a whore ? for Amos and Hosea prophesied both at the same time. And the Scripture saith, 1 Cor. xi. 7, that " the woman is the glory of the man." VThat a glory would Hosea have had in such a match as this ! ITie woman is the glory of the man; how? In two respects she is so. 1. Be- cause it is a glory to a man that he has such an image, for she is from the man ; and as the man, being the image of God, shows the glory of God, because he is the image of God and from him ; so the woman, being from the man, and as it were his image, she is the glory of the man. 2. Because man has such an excellent creature brought under subjection to him. Man is not only made glorious by God, in that God has put all other creatures under him ; but especially in this, that God has put such an excellent creature under him as the woman, for the woman is the glory of the man. This could not be here in such a match as this.
Thirdly. It could not be that it was a real thing, but a vision, from the projihecy itself. If real, Hosea must have stayed almost a whf>le year before he could have gone on in his prophecy. For, fii-st, he must take to him a wife of whoredoms, and beget a child of whore- doms ; then he must have stayed till the child had been born, before he could have come to the people and said, My child is born, and his name is Jezreel, and it is upon this ground that I have named him thus ; and then he must have stayed almost a year more before he could have had Lo-ruhamah ; and then after that he must stay almost another year longer before Lo-ammi could be born.
Foiu-thly, The expression used here is, that God spake in Hosea; speaking and appearing to him by an inward vision, as it were in an ecstasy, saith I'olanus ; therefore we must understand that this wife of whore- doms whom Hosea was to many was in a way of vision. It was to signify that Israel was to God as a wife of whoredoms, and as chilfken of whoredoms should have been to the prophet if he had been married to her.
From all these reasons there is this residt, that the people of Israel were gone a whoring from God. Idol- atry is a.s the sin of whoredom ; and I cannot open this scripture, except I show you wherein idolatry is like the sin of whoredom. The idolatry of the church, not the idolatry of heathens, is whoredom. One that com- mits adultciT gives herself to another. The heathens, because they were never married to God, their idolatry is not adultery; but the people of God, being married- to the Lord, their idolatry is adulteiT.
1. Adultery breaks the man-iago bond. There is nothing breaks the marriage bond lietween God and his people but the sin of idolatrj-. Though n wife may be guilty of many failings, and be a grievous trouble and burden to her husband, yet these do not break the marriage knot except she defile the mamage lied. So though a ]>eo]>lc may be guilty of notorious and vile sins, yet if they keep the worship of God pure, they are
Vee.
THE PROPHECY OF HOSEA.
not guilty of whoredom, but still God is married to them.
2. "SATioredom is a loathsome thing. Though delight- some to men, yet loathsome to God. Idolatiy is the same ; therefore the Scripture describes the idols that men set up by a cSlVj a word which signifies the very excrement that comes from creatures, Ezek. xxii. 3. Idolaters think their way of idol worship to be very delightsome, but that which they call delectable God calls detestable, if you compare these two scriptures : Isa. xliv. 9, they call their idols " delectable things ; " but in Ezek. v. 11, God calls them " detestable things." Idolatry is a detestable, loathsome thing.
3. There is nothing causes so irreconcilable a breach between a man and his wife as defiling the marriage bed by adultery : Jealousy is the rage of a man, and he wUl take no ransom. There is nothing wherein God is so iiTeconcUable to a people as in the point of false worship.
i. Adultery is a besotting sin. " 'Wlioredom and new wine take away the heart,'' saith the prophet, chap, iv. 11 ; and in Isa. xliv. 19, saith God, He hath no un- derstanding to say, " I have burned part of it in the fii'e ; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals there- of; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it : and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination ? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree ? " He hath no understanding to consider this. Idolatry is a besotting sin, as well as adultery. And therefore we need not marvel, though men of great parts and abilities continue in their su- perstitious way of worship, for notliing besots men's hearts so much as that.
5. AMioredom is a most dangerous sin. " The mouth of strange women is as a deep pit : ho that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein," Pro v. xxii. 1-1. Oh most dreadful place to an adulterer ! If there be any adid- terer in tins place tliis day, when thou goest home turn to that scripture, and let it be as a dart to thy heart, " The mouth of strange women is as a deep pit : he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein :" a sign of a man abhon-ed of God. And so is idolatry ; for in 2 Thess. ii. 11, 12, God gave them over to believe a lie, that they might be damned. Those that follow the idolatries of anticlu-ist are given over by God to believe a lie. ThatKe of popery altogether is one lie. Hence it is that the popish party invent so many such strange lies, all to uphold that great lie. ^\^ly is this ? That they might be damned. Idolatry is a dreadful, danger- ous sin. Though idolaters think they please God in and by such ways of worship, yet they are given over by God that they may be damned. If this prove to be a place that concerns those who follow antichrist, and if Rome proves to be as that scriptm-e describes her, it is a di'eadful text to all papists.
6. Harlots are accustomed to deck themselves in pompous atth-e and gaudy raiment. So idolaters deck up their idols in bravery, and lavish gold (as the Scriptiu'e speaks) upon their idols ; whereas "the King's daughter is all glorious within," and the simplicity of the gospel will not permit such things.
7. Though women go a whoring from then' husbands, yet stdl they retain (before the divorce) the name of wives, and then' chUcben (though bastards) retain the ]iame of chiUben, and bear the father's name. So idolaters retain the name of the church, and those that they beget must still be called the -only sons of the church.
But how are his children said to be childi-en of whoredoms ? for suppose his wife were a wife of whore- doms, yet, being man-ied to her, wherefore should the ehildi'en be called chUtben of whoredoms ?
To that is answered, 1. Some think upon this ground, because the children when they gi-ow up would follow the way of the mother, as is usual for children to do.
Therefore you need take heed how you enter into the estate of marriage for your chUdi-cn's sake, for they wUl foUow the way of tlie mother. Or rather, 2. Be- cause, though they were begotten after marriage, yet they will Ke under suspicion as those that are illegiti- mate. The children of one that has been a harlot are always suspected, and so in repute they are the chikben of fornication : so says God, These people are to me as if their cluldren were accounted chilcben of fornication.
" For the land hath committed gi-eat whoredom." Or, as Arius Montanus reads it. In going a whoring it will go a whoring. They to?L""2 aSS'"" not only have, but will ; they are set upon "^^'o'fJroif "iJJJj,', it, they are stout-hearted in the way of idolatr-y. It is the land that has done it, the people of the land.
But why the land ? It is a secret check to them, and an upbraiding them for theb unthankfulness, that when God gave them so good a land, the land of Canaan, that flowed with milk and honey, the land of promise, and gave it to them to nourish u]) the true worship of God, yet they made this land of God, this land of promise, to be a land to nomish up most vile idolaters.
"Departing fi'om the Lord," from Jehovah. The more worthy the husband is, the more vile and odious the adultery of the wife. What ! to go a whoring from God, the blessed God, in whom is all beauty and ex- cellency, and turn to blind idols ? AVhat ! change the glory of the invisible God into the similitude of an ox that eateth gi'ass ? AVith what indignation doth God speak it ! O you that go a whoring after your sinftil lusts, this will lie most tbeadfully ujion your consciences one day, that it was from the Lord that you departed, from that infuiite, glorious, eternal Deity, the fountaiii of all good, to cleave to base, sinful, and unclean lusts.
Who is this whore ? and what are the chikben that are begotten to Hosea by her ?
Ver. 3. So he icent and took Gonier the daug/iter of Diblaim ; tihich conceived, and bare him a son.
We must obey God in things that seem to be never so much against om- reason and sense.
" He took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim." The word Gomer, noj comes from a word which signifies both perfection and defection ; and so it may be applied botli ways. Some apply it to perfection ; that is, a harlot that was perfect and complete, both in her beauty and in her fornication. The word hkewise signifies rotten- ness, corruption, and consumption : so indeed are all things in the world ; as soon as they grow to any per- fection, they begin to decline quickly to con'uption. AU but spbitual things do so ; they Mideed gi'ow still higher and higher.
This Gomer we wiU take rather in t.. '■ second ac- ceptation of it, as it signifies rottenness and consump- tion. AMio was this Gomer ? She was D'Vat-na " the daughter of Diblaim." The signification is, according to some, " one that dwells in the desert," in reference to that famous desert Diblath, of which we read Ezek. vi. 1-1, noting the way of idolaters, that they were wont to go into woods and deserts, and there to sacrifice to their idols. But rather, according to most, Diblaim signifies bunches of dried figs, which were the delicacies of those times ; so CEcolampadius, from which he ob- serves, that rottenness and corruption proceed from voluptuous pleasm-es and delicacies. Though the plea- sures of the flesh are very contentful to you, yet desti'uction is the fruit of them ; destruction is the daughter of sensual pleasm-es and delights : so saith the Scriptm-e : '• If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die," Rom. viii. 13. ""VATiose end is destruction, whose God is theb bellv, whose glory is in theb shame," Phil. iii. 19.
AX EXI'OSITIOX OF
Chap. I.
But to apply it to Israel Israel vas as " Gomer the daughter of IJiblaim ; " that is, the people of Israel were now near to destruction, and were the daughtei-s of sensual delights, they gave themselves over to sensual pleasures.
It is the usual way of those idolatei's who forsake the true w orslii]) of God, to give themselves up to the plea-
sures of tlie ilcsh. Sensuality and idolaUy usually go oeelher. ^^^len tlie peojjle of Israel sacrificed to the alves, what did they ? They ate and (bank, and rose
up to ])lay ; that was all then- work, and good enough for llie worshipping of such a god, a calf. You know the more we began to decline in the worship of God, we began to be more sensual ; there must be proclama- tion to peojjle to take their sports and delights upon the Lords day ; and indeed it usually accompanies de- fection in tlie way of God's worshi]). False worship lays not such bonds upon men's consciences for the mortifying the lusts of the llesh as the worship of God does. Therefore those men wlio love to give liberty to the flesh arc soonest enticed to ways of super- stitious worship. Jeremiah, in chap. xxiv. 9, sets forth the state of those naughtv Jews that were in captivity by the similitude of a baslict of rotten figs ; which is agreea))le to this, and the more confinns this intcrra-et- ation, that Israel was as Gomer the daughter of Dib- laini, that is, rottenness, the daughter of sensualit)'.
Thus for the mother. But now the son that is be- gotten of this mother is Jezrecl.
V'er. 4. And the Lord said unio him. Call his name Jezreel ; for i/el a Utile u-hi/e, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.
" Call his name Jezreel." The prophet must give a name to his son. It belongs to parents to give names to their children. Goilfathers and godmothers (as they call them) are of no use for this, or for any thing else that I know ; and, in such holv things as sacraments are, we must take heed of bringing in any unuseful, any idle things.
But here we are to inquire, Fii'st, The signification of this name ; Jezreel signifies the scattered of the Lord. Secondly, The reasons why tlie son of Hosca must be called by this name, Sxynf Jezreel. Five reasons may be given.
First, That hereby God might show that he intended to avenge tliat blooil which was shed m Jezi-eei.
Secondly, To show that Israel had lost the honour of his name, and was no more Israel, but Jezreel. There seems to be much similarity between the name Israel and Jezreel, but there is a great deal of difl'erence in the signification : for Israel is one that prevails with God, " the strcigth of the Lord ;" Jezreel is one that is " scattered 1)' the Lord." Many outlive the honour of their name and reputation. These ten tribes are no more worthy to be called by the name of Israel, their famous progenitor; but now Jczi-eel, the scattered of the Loru.
Thirdly, Jezreel, to show the way that God intended to bring judgment upon these ten ti-ibes. And what was it ? God would scatter them.
God brings judgment speciallv upon n kingdom when he scatters the people. 'U e read, 1 Kings xxii. 17. that when Micaiah saw the destruction of .Uiab and his ])co])le lie had this vision ; " I saw all Israel scattered upon the liills, as shcc]) that have not a shepherd." There is a twofiiUl scattering ; a scattering among ourselves liy (hvisions, and a scattering by the enemy one from anotlier to flee for our lives. I'hc one part of tliis judg- niKTit (tlic Lord lie merciful to us) is upon as alrcaJ\-, a).d 111 this sense we may lie called Jezreel. Oh iioiv is our kinjidoni divided ! how is it statlcred! The Lord
keep us from the other scattering, that we be not scat- tered one from another bv being forced to flee for our lives before the enemy. It is just ^vith God, that if we scatter ourselves sinfidly by way of division, that God should scatter us in hLs wrath to our destruction by giving us up to our enemies. If wc love scattering, if we delight in di\-ision, we may soon have scattering enough, there may soon be divisions enough one from anotlier.
Foiurtldy, Call liis name Jezreel, to note that the Lord would scatter them even in tliat ver)- place where- in tliey most gloried, as they did in the valley and city of Jezreel. But God woid({ scatter them even in that place in which they so much boasted.
Fifthly, Jezreel, because the Lord would hereby show tliat he would tuin these conceits and apprehen- sions that they might have of themselves quite the con- trary way. As thus : Jezreel signifies indeed scattered of the Lord, but it signifies also tlie seed of the Lord, or sown of the Lord ; and so the Jews were ready to take the name Jezreel, and would be content to own it, because it signified the seed of God: and hence it comes to signify scattered too, because that seed is to be scattered when it is sown ; and hence it was that they might glorj' so much in that name. O, they were the seed of the Lord, in an abiding condition, as beuig sown by the hand of God himself. No, saith God, you are mistaken, I do not call you Jezreel upon any such terms, because you are sown of me ; but quite the otlier way, because you shall be scattered and eventually de- stroyed by me. It is usual with God to ixam those things which men take as arguments for tlieir comfort to their confusion. Haman made a false interpretation of the action of Esthers inviting him to tlie banquet alone with the king, the right interpretation of it had been that it was to his destruction. And so here ; whereas they might make such interpretation of Jezreel, as that they were the seed, the sown of the Lord, the true in- terpretation is that tliey are tlie scattered of tlie Lord.
All these five reasons you have cither in the nearness of tlie name Israel with Jezreel, or otherwise in the words that follow after.
" For yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu." Here now we come to that whicli is the main part of this scripture ; and tliese four questions are of great use, and will tend much to edification.
I. What is this " blood of Jezj-eel " that God will avenge ?
II. Why God " will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu?"
III. AMiy is it called " the house of Jehu," and Jehu alone, without the addition of the name king, as it is usual in othci-s, as Hczckiah king of Judah, and such a one king of Israel ; but here only the house of Jehu ?
IV. A^^lat is this " little while " bod speaks of? •• yet a httle while."
The words arc read and passed over ordinarily, as if there was little in them ; but you will find that they contain much of the mind of God.
I. AXTiat was the '-blood of Jezreel" that here God threatens to avenge ? You may read the historv' of it in 2 Kings ix. 10, 11. It was tlie blood of the house of Ahab, the blood of Jezebel, the Vdood of tlie seventy sons of .\hab, whose heads the elders of Jezreel sent to Jehu in baskets. This was the blood that was shed in tliis place, which God saith he will avenge. God will certainly avenge blood ; and if God will avenge the blood of Ahaf), he will surely avenge the bhiod of Abel ; if the blood of Jczelicl, tlien sumv the blood of Sarah ; if the blood of idolaters, tlien the blood of his saints. What vengeance then hangs over antichrist for all tlie blood of the saints that has been spilt by him ! The scarlet wliore has d\ed liersclf with this blood; vca, and
Veu. 4.
THE PKOPHECY OF HOSEA.
11
Vengeance will come for that blood of cm- brethj-en which hath been slied in Ii'eland, upon those who have been instrumental in it, gi-eat or small : certainly the righteous God will not sufter that wicked and horrid work to go unavenged, even here upon the earth. Let us wait a wliile, and we may live to see that time wherein it shall not only be said by the voice of faith, but by the voice of sense itself, " Verily there is a God that judgeth the earth."
II. "Why will God " avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu ? "
Indeed tliis at fii'st sight is one of the strangest things we have in all the book of God. Compare it with other scriptm-es, and nothing appears more singular than that it should be said that the Lord would avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu. For in 2 Kings is. 7 you find that Jehu was anointed by the Lord on purpose to shed that blood. He had a com- mand fi-om God, he was bidden to go and shed it, and the holy oil was poured upon liini for that end, that he might shed that blood ; yet now it must be avenged, and avenged upon the house of Jehu. Yea, chap. x. 30, God said, because he had shed the blood of the house of Aliab in Jezreel, he woidd reward him for it, and that his children to the fourth generation should sit upon the throne of Israel and govern that kingdom. But that which Jehu was anointed and commanded to do, that for which God afterward rewarded him for do- ing, now God says he will avenge, and avenge it upon his house. 'What are the reasons of this ? There are three reasons why God would avenge this blood upon the house of Jehu.
1. Because though Jehu did it, yet he looked at himself and his own ends rather than at God in it ; his aim was to get the Idngdom to himself, but he never aimed at God in the work, therefore God says he will avenge it upon his house.
2. Because though he did that which God set him about, yet he did it but by halves. Indeed he destroyed Allah's house, but he should have destroyed Ahab's idolatry too ; but he omitted that, and therefore now God comes upon liim.
3. Yea, though he was made Ahab's executioner for his idoIatiT, yet he proved Ahab's successor in his idol- atry. He was God's rod in punishing Ahab, but he continued in the sins that Ahab committed ; therefore now God saith he " wUl avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu."
From hence we have most excellent observations that spring natiu-ally, as a fountain bubbles up li-esh and springing water. I wQl only show them to you, and so pass them over.
Obs. 1. That a man may do that which God com- mands, and yet not obey God. He may do that which God would have done, and yet not please God. He may do what God requires, and yet serve himself therein, and not God.
Ohs. 2. A canial heart is contented to go so far in God's commands as wUl serve his own turn, but there he stops. So far- as might serve the elevation of Jehu to the crown of Israel, to settmg him on the tlu-onc, so far he goes in the way of God's command, but no far- ther. Such a heart is like the hand of a rusty dial : suppose the hand of a rusty dial stand (as now) at ten o'clock; look upon it, and it seems to go right, but it is not from any inward right state of the clock it does so, but by accident ; for stay tdl after ten, and come again at eleven or twelve, and it stands still as before at ten. So let God command any thing that may hit with a man's own ends, and be suitable to him, and he seems to be very obedient to God ; but let God go on further, and reqiui-e sometliing that will not serve his turn, that ■n-ill not agi-ee with his own ends ; and here God may seek for a servant ; as for him, he will go no farther.
Obs. 3. God knows how to make use of men's parts and abilities, and yet to punish them for their wicked- ness notwithstanding. Jehu was a man of a brave and valiant spu-it, full of activity and com'age, and God would make use of this for the destruction of the house of Ahab ; yet Jehu must not escape. INIany men have excellent parts of learidng and state policy, which God may use for pidling Aovra his proud adversaries ; yet God may pimish them afterward notwithstanding. Many that have but weak parts, and can do but little, shall be accepted of God : and others that have strong parts, and can do much, shall be punished by God. ^ye read, Eev. xii. 16, " the earth helped the woman ;" yet, chap. xri. 1, the vials of God's -ni-ath were poui-ed forth upon the earth : men may be useful for the pub- lic, and yet not freed fi'om the -oTath of God.
Obs. -i. The Lord knows how to make use of the sins of wicked men to fui'ther liis own comisels ; yet no excuse to them, but liis curse will come upon them at last for those sins. God knows how to make use of the proud heart and ambitious spirit of Jehu to fulfil liis purpose against tlie house of Aliab ; and yet after- wai'd, when God has done with him, he comes agamst Jehu with a judgment. There are many whose strong lusts God overrides for liimself, and overpowers for the furtherance of liis ow^n ends. Many a scholar who, through the mere pride of his heart, will study hard and preach very often and well, God makes use of for the good of otliers, and yet the minister may be damned liimself.
0/is. o. God may sometimes rewai'd a work in this world, yet may cvu'se a man for the work afterward. Many there ai'e who perform some outward service for God, and perhaps rejoice m it, and think that God must ,needs accept them : they have been excellent men in the commonwealth, they have stood for mmisters, they have been forwai'd m a good cause. Well, thou hast done these : has not God rewarded thee ? Hast thou not health and strength of body. Look upon thy estate ; art not thou blessed there ? look upon thy table, thy wife and chQdi-en ; art not thou blessed there ? Thou hast thy penny for what thou hast done. But yet, after thou hast had' thy pay here in this world for what thou hast done, God may ciu'se thee hereafter even for the sinfulness of thy heart in that work which for the mat- ter of it was good. God may reward thee for the mat- ter, but curse thee for the manner of thy work.
Obs. 6. It is a most dangerous tiling for men to sub- ject the works of God, especially the public works of God, to their avm base ends ; God ^•iU be sm'e to be even with them for that. The more excellent any work is, the more dangerous it is to subject it to a lust. It is an evU thing to make meat, and druik, and clothes scrriceable to om' lusts ; but to make public services to God stoop and bo serviceable to your base lusts must needs be grievous mdeed. It is accomited bui-den enough for the basest servant to be serdceable to some base lust of his master ; but if the master shoidd make his wife serviceable to his filthy uncleanness, oh what a vUlany were that ! So I say, the greater the thingis any man makes serviceable to liis lust, the more vile and the more dangerous is the sin. Hearken to this, you that are professors of religion. The di'unkard makes beer serviceable to liis lust, and he shall be danmed for tliat : but you make the worship of God, prayer, and hearing, and fasthig, serriccable to your lusts; oh what shall become of you ! A base wTetch, that sits tippling in an alehouse, you account vile, but it is a poor creature that he subjects to his base lust. A minister or a magistrate subjects things of a higher natm-e to then- lusts : oh this is exceeding vile. We had need, my brethi-en, all pray earnestly for those whom God employs in public works, that they may not onlv have strength to assist them, and success in them,
12
AN EXPOSITION OF
Chap. I.
but that they may have hearts to give God all the glorj- of them ; for though they may do never so worthily for God in the diurch or in the commonwealth, yet if they be not careful to give God all the glory, God will curse them at last notwithstanding.
Obs. 7. When but half the work is done, God curses the whole for our neglect of the other half. Jehu does somewhat which God commanded him, but not all. I remember Calvin upon tliis place likens Jehu to king Henry the Eighth : Henrv', saith he, east off some de- gree of popery so far as would serve his own turn, but there were the five articles in force still, for which many suffered at that time ; and so he was like Jehu in that. God will be served with the whole heart ; for all our good is in God, and therefore all om- hearts must make out after God. God must have perfect obedience in the desire and endeavour, or else he will have none. Certainly that which must make any man acceptable, is not so much that there is somewhat done, but that that whidi God commands is done, or done in regard of the endeavour ; for that indeed will be acceptable : thougli we cannot do all at once, if we bring somewhat to God as a part, and acknowledging the whole debt, work for the remainder, it will l)e accepted. As suppose a man owes you one huncb'ed pounds, and brings vou but fifty in part of jiaj-ment, yet if he ac- knowleiige the rest, and promise tlie jiajTnent of it, if you know he will be foitliful in tlie payment of the other, you will accept it ; but if a man bring you fourscore pounds in lieu of all, you will not accejit it. So it is here ; hypocrites say they cannot be ])er- fcct in this world, and so think to put off God with a little. It is true, if thou hadst an upright heart, and didst bring God but part and labom- after the whole, lie would accept it ; but if thou bringest him ten times more than a smcere Iieart can bring liim, it will not be acceptable, no, not ninety-nine pounds will be accepted, if brought instead of the whole. God must have a man according to his own heart, such a one as David : you know what was said of iJavid, " I have found a man after my own heart, that shall fulfil all my wills ; " for the word is plural in the original, not all my will, but all my wills.
Obs. 8. Jehu (Ud but half, and the worst half too, and therefore God comes upon him. For the great care of Jehu was only to reform things in the state and kingdom, and therefore that indeed lie did thorouglily; he transferred the government from the Iiouse of Ahab, and set up another government. But for the matter of the worship of God, he cared not what be- came of that. StiU the calves continued in Dan and Bethel. He took no care that the people of Israel should go up to Jerusalem, the place that God had appointed to worsliip him in a right way. This is that for which God thus cureed him and his house. It is a very evil thing in reformers, who have power in their liands, to be more careful of the state than of the church ; to be more solicitous about affairs in civil jjolicy than in re- ligion ; to be so afraid to meddle with religion, because of hinderances and disturbances in civil jiolicy, that they sacrifice religion for it : this is an evil thing and a bitter. Or if tliey reform the church, yet to reform only that which is notoriously evil and vile : so far Jehu went; he destroyed the priests of Baal, but not the priests of Dan and Bethel ; tlic idols of Ba.al were de- stroyed, but the idols of Dan and Betliel were retaine<l.
.^^^ It is the speech of the philosopher in his
f,li^ i7Tiu>\ti. politics, when he gives a rule of ])olicy, ,vr,.,. „ . I. ,. c. . pi^p ^.^j.^ ^j. jjjyjijp thiiirrs must bc first ;
and that is the best policy. Politicians must tnist God in tlie way of policy, and take care of divine things first. Yea, and go to a thorough reformation too ; for Jehu did something in religion, but left other things, therefore God cursed him. Men must take lieed of
betraying the cause of God for the maintenance of state policy; let them be never so excellent in their way, yet if they do thus, God will blast them.
Obs. 9. Men can see the evil of sin in others, rather than in themselves. Jehu saw the danger of that wicked and abominable sin of idolatry in others, but he coidd not see it in himself. " What peace," said he to Jorani, " so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel " con- tinue ? Wiat peace ? Then what peace, Jehu, so long as the whoredoms of Israel continue afterAvards ? This is common, my bretliren, for men to see e\"il and danger in the sins of others ; but when they come to themselves, to be blind there! to inveigh against the sins of other men, when they seem to be far off fiom them, or that they cannot make use of them ; but when they can make use of them, then to embrace them. Thus it was with Saul ; he was exceedingly severe against witch- craft, all the witches in Israel must be put to death ; but in liis hour of need Saul himself goes to the witch of Endor.
Obs. 10. Those ways of sinful policy, by which many think to raise theii- houses or themselves, are the means to ruin them. Jehu thought, by retaining the calves in Dan and Bethel, to preserve the kingdom to his pos- terity, and this proved the ruin of his posterity. He that walks uprightly walks surely.
06*. 11. Let tlicm who punish the sins of others take heed what they do, lest they be found guilty themselves ; for if they be found guilty, God >vill plague them, as if they did the greatest act of injustice. God punishes Jehu because he continues in the same sin that Ahab was punished for. This is of excellent use, espe- cially to magistrates ; and indeed it is a dreadful place to magistrates, if considere(L As for instance, suppose a magistrate should take away the life of a man lawfully for that for which God would have him take it awav ; yet if this magistrate shoidd be guilty of the same sin, or that which amounts to the same sin, God wiU avenge himself upon this magistrate as upon a murderer : as here, God avenges himself upon the house of Jehu as for murder, yet Jehu was a magistrate, and this was conmianded Jehu by God himself. So supnose a magis- trate fine a man for any evil, and that justly ; vet if he be guilty of the same himself, God will deal with this magistrate as if he robbed by the highway-side, and took away a man's money by violence. It is apparent out of tlie text. Certainly, my bretliren, great wrath and vengeance hangs over the head of wicked ma^is- ti-ates. All this you learn from what is here said, that God " will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon tlie liouse of Jehu."
III. "Why is it called " the house of Jehu ? "
The house of Jehu is his posterity, or family who were to succeed. Though it was to the fomth gener- ation till God came against them, vet the posterity of the ungodly, especially idolaters, shall suffer for their fathers' sin.' It is very observable, that God in no other commandment but the second tlu-eatens the sin of the fathers ujion tlie chiKben. The reason is this :
That commandment forbids images, and superstitious worshippers, above all men, are strengthened by the ha- dition of their fathers. Our fatliers did thus and tlius, and what shall we be wiser then our forefathers ? We have now a company of upstart men, and they will be wiser than tlieir ancestors. Because superstitious wor- shijijiers liarden themselves so much from the example of their fathers, tlierefore in that very commandment against making and worshipping of images God threat- ens to visit the sin of the fatliers upon the cliildi'cn, and in no other.
What, the huiise of Jehu, after Jehu was dead ! how can that be ? Yes, as a prince tliat has to punish two traitors, both of whom have deserved death, but the prince is inclined to show mercy. Against the one there
Vee. 4.
THE PROPHECY OF HOSEA.
13
comes this accusation, This man's father was a traitor, and his grandfather and his gi-eat gi-andfiither were traitors. Then let liim die, saith the prince. But of the other, that is guilty of as much as this man was, it is told the king, Sir, this man's father perfonned excel- lent service for the commonwealth, not one of his liouse but was a loyal person. This man is spared, though he deserveth death equally with the other for the same treason ; and the king is just in this. The first man may be said to die for his fathers' sin ; that is, he would not have been executed if his forefathers had not been in the fault. Take heed what you do in the com-se of your lives ; if you regard not yourselves, yet, for yom- chikben's sake, leave not a curse behind you u])on your offspring; look upon them, pity them. Though you youi'selves may escape in this world, yet you may leave the inheritance of your sins unto yom- chilcb-en. Pity yom- children, that they may not have cause to curse the time that they were born of such parents, and wish that they had rather been the off- spring of dragons, and a generation of vipers, than to be bora of such parents that have left them a ciu'se for an inheritance. It had been better if you had not left them a penny, than to leave them to inherit the cur.sc of your wickedness.
" Upon the house of Jehu." Tlie house of Jehu fares the worse for Jehu. Those who desire to raise and continue the honour of their houses, let them take heed of ways of wickedness ; for wickedness will bring do\m any family whatsoever. But why is it " the house _ of Jehu," without any addition of Jehu the king, as in other cases it is usual? Hereby God woidd give a check to Jehu, and bid him look back to the meanness of his birth, for Jehu was not of the kingly race : yet how unthankful was he, who was raised from the dung- hill, thus unworthily to depart from the Lord ! You whom God has raised up on high to great honours and estates, look back to the meanness of your beginning, from which God has raised you, and laboiu- to give him an answerable return of oliedience. Those who will not give God the glory of their honours and estates, it is just that theii' honours and estates should be taken from them.
IV. ■^^1at is this " little while" God speaks of?
" Y'et a little while." This is to be understood either in reference to Jehu, or in reference to the house of Is- rael. " Y'et a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and wiU cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel." It was a long- while before God came upon the house of Jehu, still he saith, yet but a little while, I will stay but a little longer ere I avenge the blood of Jezi'eel upon the house of Jehu. It was now the third generation since Jehu committed those sins, nay, it will appear that it was above a huncb-ed years from the sins of Jehu to God's avenging the blood of Jezreel upon his house : for Jehu reigned twenty-eight years, his son Jehoahaz seven- teen years, and Jehoash his son sixteen years, and Jeroboam his son forty-one years, and then in the days of Zachariah, the son of this Jeroboam, God came to avenge this blood, which was above a huncbed years, 2 Kings X. 36 ; xiii. 1, 23. Oh the patience of the Lord towards sinners ! But though he stayed long, he saith, " yet a little while."
Obs. 1. That God sometimes comes upon sinners for their old sins. Sins a long time ago committed, and perhaps forgotten by you, yet remain, are filed and re- corded in heaven above a hundred years after the com- mission. It is likely that these sins of Jehu were for- gotten, yet God comes now at last to avenge the sins of Jehu upon his house. So he did for the sins of ]\Ianasses, and for the sins of Joseph's bretlu'en. It was twenty-two years before they had their consciences troubled, and then say they, "We are verily guilty
concerning our brother; therefore is tlus distress come upon us ;" and now (saith Keuben) " behold also his blood is reqidi-ed," Gen. xlii. 21, 22.
Look to yourselves, you that are young, take heed of youthful sins. Y'outhful sins may prove to be the terrors of age. Perhaps you think it was a great while ago, when you were a young man, that you were in such a tavern or in such a joiu-ney, and committed such and such sins. Have you repented for them ? have you made your peace with God for them ? Though you were then young, and did not fear the wrath of God to come upon you ; yet now you are old the wrath of God may come upon you for sins committed in your ajjprenticeship. '• A sinner being a huncbed years old shall be accursed," Isa. Ixv. 20.
Obs. 2. A long time after the floui'ishing of a nation God may reckon with it in ways of judgment. " Y'et a little while, and I will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel." This nation had continued a pompous, successful nation, though idolati'ous, for about two hundi'cd and sixty years before that ^^Tath of God came upon it which was here tlu'catcned. This may make us look back to the sins committed in the days of Henry the Eighth, and of Queen Mary. Let us not plead from our forefathers for the maintenance of super- stitious worship, but let us look to the sins of our fore- fathers, and bewail them before the Lord, for God may come upon a nation for former sias after it hath flourish- ed a long time. Y'ou ask me, Was it really but a little while from the beginning of this prophecy till the ceasing of the kingdom of the house of Israel ? No, my bretlu-en, it was many years. And it is very ob- servable, that fi'ora the beginning of this prophecy, Avhich was in the end of the reign of Jeroboam, to the fulfilling of what was here threatened, viz. to the ceasing of the kingdom of the house of Israel, it was seventy- six years. For, from the end of this Jeroboam, spoken of ver. 1, unto the time of Hezekiah, was seventy years, and in the sixth year of Hezekiah Israel was destroyed by the king of Assjiia; and yet God saith here by Hosea, " yet a little while."
Obs. 3. Seventy-six years are but a little while in God's account. Sinners think, either in ways of judg- ment or mercy, a little while to be a great while. If God defer mercy seven years, it is a gi'eat while in our account. We think our parliament has sat a long time : how long ? Almost two years. A gi'eat while ! We think every day a great while, but seventy-six years, yea, a hinidred, a thousand years, are but as one day unto God. So for judgment : a sinner, if he has com- mitted a sin seven years ago, he thinks it is a great while, and he has not heard of it, therefore surely it is forgot- ten. But what if it be seventy years ago ? You that are sinners of seventy years old, all is but a little while in regard of God.
Obi-. 4. The apprehension of a judgment just at hand is that which will stir the heart and work u])on it most. " Y'et a little while," and God vnW cause the kingdom to cease ; therefore if ever you repent, repent now, for it is but a little while ere God will cause the kingdom to cease. The apprehension of a sinner to be u])on the brink of judgment, beholding his poor soul ready to launch into the infinite ocean of eternal destruction, and to lie vmder the scalding ckops of the wTath of the Almighty ; this works upon the heart indeed. It is the way of the flesh and the devil to put far from us the evil day, to make us believe the day of death is a great way off. But it is the way of God to exhibit things present and real ; and in this consist the efficacy and power of faith to make things future as if present. We say in nature there must be a contiguit)' and nearness between things that must work. So we must appre- hend a nearness between the evil that is to come upon us and ourselves, that so it may work upon our hearts.
14
AX EXPOSmON OF
Chap. 1.
An excellent scripture you have to this purpose in 1 Kings xiv. 14; where the Loril threatens to " raise him up a king over Israel who should cut off the house of Jeroboam that day: but what?" (he immediately re- calls his word :) " even now :" you may think the day a great way ofl', but it is " even now ;" and therefore now come in, return and repent. O sinners, consider that your danger is now ; not only in that day of C'luist : but what P even now, it may be at hand.
Obs. 5. God suffers some sinners to continue long, others he cuts off speedily. Jeroboam had continued above fort}' years in liis sin, but now Zachariah liis son, upon whom this threatening was fulfilled, con- tinued but six months. Perhaps he tliought to escape as long as his father. No ; though the father continue old in his sins, if the son presume to follow his steps he may be cut off presently.
" And I will cause to cease the kingdom of the liouse of Israel." Kingdoms and monarchies are subject to change. "V^'hat is become of all the glorious monarchies in the world ? how hath the Lord tossed them up and down as a man would toss a ball ! IdolatiT is enough to destroy the greatest monarchy in the world.
But there is some instruction in the elegance of the word 'nswni " and I will cause to cease." It is a metaphor (according to some) taken from instruments, that a man uses for a while, and when he lias done with them, either hangs them up against a wall and rcgaids them no more, or else brings them to the fire to be biuTied. So saith God, " yet a little while, and I will cause to cease," &c. As if he shoidd say. Indeed there was a time wherein I made some use of the rent between Judah and Israel, and of tliis kingdom ; but I have done with that use, there is an end of it, and now
1 will cause to cease the kingdom, I will take them away, they shall be to me as an instrument not to be used any more, or for the fire. When the Lord has any use of a pcojile, or of any particular men to do him service, he will preserve them, though they are wicked ; and when he has done with them, he either lays them aside, or else brings them to the file. A husbandman, so long as he can use thorns to stoj) a gap, he destroys them not, but when there is no further use for them, he bruigs them to the fire : so God here, " I will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel."
But how and where will God cause to cease the king- dom of Israel ?
Ver. 5. .-Ind it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.
By " breaking the bow," is here meant tlie blasting and Winging to nothing all the sh'cngth of their warlike power, all their arms and ammunition ; for the bow was a great warlike instniment in those days ; therefore, in Psal. xlvi. 9, " He maketh wars to cease ; he breaketh the bow, and cutfeth the spear in sunder."
But here, by " breaking the bow," something more is meant. There is this particular reason why the bow is instanced here, because, whereas Jehu did many memorable things in his warlike affairs, yet none more than that he did by his bow. Mark that place,
2 Kings ix. 24, " And Jehu (b-ew a bow with liis full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the aiTow went out at his heai't." So that the victory that Jehu obtained over the two kings of Israel and Judah was by the bow especially. '\Yhat observe we from hence ?
Obs. 1. That even in those things wherein mcked men have been most prosperous and successful, God will curse them, and let out liis wrath upon them.
Obs. 2. Carnal hearts tmst much in their warlike weapons, but they are nothing when God breaks a people's strength. " Break the bow," Wast all tlie
power of their ammunition. God has the power of all ammunition. The Lord is called the Lord of hosts, and he delights much in this title, first, because God has not only the power over ammunition and all warlike weapons, so that they cannot be used but by him ; but secondly, because when they are used, they can have no success at all but by him : and so the Lord is the Lord of hosts in a peculiai- sense. He is the great General of all ai-mies, more than all other generals, for the success of all depends upon him. My brethren, why then need the church of God fear the strength of weapons, the bow, the cannon, or all the ammunition of the enemies of the church, seeing our Lord is the Lord of hosts ? No weapon can be used or have success but by tills Lord of hosts : he can break the bow, tliough of steel, when he pleases, and can give his ])eoplc strength to do so too. For this you have an admirable promise, Isa. liv. IG, 17; " Behold," (saith God,) " I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and bringeth forth an instrument for his work ; and I have created the water to destroy. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper." 'What need the church fear then? God breaks the bow when he pleases ; for as God has a providence over all the things m the world, so he has a specialty of pro- vidence to order battles, to give the victory not to the strong or to the multitude, but sometimes to the weak and few, even as he pleases. And therefore he is the Lord of hosts, because though his providence is general over all creatures, yet there is a specialty of providence exercised by God in warlike affairs.
But what was this valley of Jezreel ?
It is worthy our time to inquire after this valley, in which God will break the bow of Israel. There were two places called Jezi-cel, the one belonging to Judah, Josh. xv. 56, the other belonging to Israel, Josh. xvii. 16; xix. 18. Jezreel was a fruitful valley, ten mUes long, and by it there was a famous city built, which, in Ahab's time, was the metj-opolis of the kingdom, in which was a glorious tower, from whence they might see over Galilee and Jordan. Now there were two gi'cat cities that belonged to the ten tribes, Samaria and Jezreel ; as we in England have two principal cities, London and York. But this Jezreel was the most for- tified, in which they put much confidence, yet God saith here, " He will break tlie bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel ;" that is, in that verj- city which they accounted the great strength of their kingdom, there he would break the bow of Israel.
06*. 3. Fortified cities cannot help when God comes out against a people. If we can fortify our cities against sm, we may soon fortify them against an enemy. If sin once get in, the enemy will quickly follow. " AH thy sti-ong holds shall be like fig trees vnth the first-ripe figs : if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater," Nah. iii. 12. With the least wind, like tlie fii-st-ripc figs, all your strong holds shall fall ; yea, " thy people in the midst of thee are women : the gates of thy land shall be set wide open imto thine enemies : the fire shall devour thy bars," ver. 13. You see what the valley of Jezreel is, and the meaning of it.
But why will God " break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel ?" There are these two reasons for it : 1. Because God would deal with tliis people of Israel as judges deal with malefactoi-s ; hang them up where their fact was committed, as we see some hanged up in chains near to the city, at or about the place where their villany was done. So in Jezreel was shed the blood of Jezebel, and the blood of the seventy sons of Ahab, and the blood of Jehoram, and there will God break the bow. Hence guilty consciences arc often afi^d to go near the places where they have committed wicked- ness, because they fly in their faces, for fear God should come upon them where the crimes were peqietrated.
Vek. 6.
THE PROPHECY OF HOSEA.
15
But, 2. He " mil break the bow of Israel in the val- ley of Jezreel," that is, in that fortified place in which they so much gloried.
Ubs. 4. Even in the place in which a kingdom most glories, and seems to trust most in, God many times comes and breaks the kingdom in that very place. " Ai't thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was fi'om the sea ?_" Nah. iii. 8. Mark, a people just like England in this ease. AATiat ! we overcome by the enemy ? we that have the seas for om- wall, and such a multitude of people amongst us ? These have been and still are the two pleas which England uses for herself, because om- people are many, and we have the seas for a wall : but " art thou better than popidous No ? Yet was she car- ried away, she went into captinty," ver. 10. Thus the prophet pleads with them.
But fm-thcr ; These trusted in Jezreel, they seemed to scorn the prophet. What! the kingdom of Israel cease ! what think you of Jezreel, such a strong place as that ? Just as we shoidd say, TVTiat ! an enemy come to us ! what say you to London, a brave city, a strong city ? "What say you to the ammunition, to the militia, to the strength that is there ? Ai-e the)- not able to re- sist all that can come agamst it? Have we cause to fear danger ? It is true, the kingdom has cause to bless God for London, and London has not yet been " the valley of Jezi'eel,'' but Israel, the strength of the Lord, and has prevailed with God, as an instrument : and there- fore we bless God for the protection we have had. But yet let us not trust in it, for even in London, in the valley of Jezreel, the bow may be broken ; and God knows how to bring things about, so as to make the ammmiition of London to be broken in pieces, and turned against its people : O, therefore, do not trust here. Only let it be yom- care, ye people of this city of London, that you prove not the valley of Jezi-eel, and then we shall do well enough, oiu- bow shall not be broken. 'UTiat attempts have there been to make London by this tmie the valley of Jezreel, that is, a scattered valley, and to bring divisions into this city, that it might be a scattered people ! And woe to the kingdom if this had been effected ! better these men had never been born, than that they should have had success in that horrid enterprise. O London, now the blessing of God is over you, the means of grace abund- antly among you, the eyes of the kingdom are upon you ; take heed you be not the valley of Jezi'eel ; your divisions will cause gi-eat thoughts of heart : continue you united one to another, and then you are as one Israel of God, the instrument of God for om- sti-ength.
Thus we have done with the mother and with the fu'st son.
Ver. 6. And she conceived again, and bare a daugh- ter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo-rwia- inah : for I tcill no more have mercy upon the house of Israel ; but I will utterly take them away.
" She conceived again." This conception sets out also the estate of Israel in regard of her sm and miser)' : sin is fruitfid, and what does it bring forth ? Parents bring forth a lilceness to themselves, and so does sin ; and what is that ? notliing but ruin and misery.
This second child is a daughter, denoting the weak- ness of the ten tribes at this time. They were gro^^-n effeminate in regard of their' lust, and the baseness of their spu-its ; and in regard of their strength also they were weak like the female sex.
There are tlu'ee estates of the people signified by the thi'ee chikh'eu of Hosea ; fu'st, then- scattered estate, and that was signified by Jezreel, the first son ; and the story of that you have 2 Kings xv. 9 — 19, where you
may read their woeful seditions ; for Zachariah reigned , but six months, and then Shallum slow him, and reigned in his stead, and he reigned but one month, for Mena- hem came and smote ShaUum and slew him, and reigned in his stead : so here were nothing but murders and se- ditions amongst them. A scattered people.
The second state of the people of Israel v.as their weak condition, signified by this daughter; and the liistoi-y of that you have from ver. 16 of tliat chapter onwards, where, when Pul the king of AssvTia came against Israel, Menahem jielded to liim liis demand, gave him a thousand talents of silver to go from him, and laid a tax upon the people for it. Here they were brought into a very low and v.'eak condition. And af- tei-wards this lung of Asspia came to them again, and earned part of them into captivity.
The thii'd child was Lo-ammi ; and the history of the state of the people signified by that you have in 2 Kings xra. 6, where they were fully earned away, and wholly rejected for ever. And because they were a little before that time grown up to some strength more than formerly, therefore this last was a son. We are now to speali of the second.
" She conceived again, and bare a daughter.
From the intei-pretatiou I have given, this denotes the weakness and effeminacy of the people at this time, a little before their ruin.
TVTien the manliness, and courage, and vigour of the spu'its of people are taken away, they are under a fear- ful judgment and near to ruin. Even when then- men shall be as women, as Nah. iii. 1 3 ; when there shall be such baseness of spmt in people, that for the enjoy- ments of then' present ease and quiet they yield to any thing. So it was -with these, and their effeminateness was showed,
1. Allien the king of Assj'ria came to them, they v-ielded to any terms he would appoint; and when the taxes were laid upon the people, they inquired not whether they were just or no, but merely for their peace and safetj' paid them. We must take heed of brmging oui'selves into ti'ouble, we had better pay this than ven- tiu'e the loss of all ; we must not displease those that are above us, we know not what hard things may follow ; it is our wisdom, though things are hard, and we com- plain the taxations are heavy, to suffer something. They had rather have a little, though with baseness, than venture any thing for fiu:ther peace and Kberty for themselves and then' posterity.
2. The efleminateness of their spirits was shoA^-n in this, that they were willing to submit to the govern- ment of most vile miu'dercrs, without any inquii-ing after them, or taking any com-se to find out then' mur- ders and -ndckedness. Zachariah was slain by Shallum ; then came Menahem, and he kiUcd ShaUum ; after Me- nahem reigned Pekahiah, and against liini conspired Pekah, the son of Rcmaliah, and smote liim m Samaria, and with him killed fifty men, and reigned in liis room ; then came Hoshea the son of Elah, and made a con- spu'acy against Pekah, and slew him, and reigned in ms stead. Here were miu'derers upon murderers, and yet the people aU this while bow down then' necks, and look not after these tilings : They have gotten power in then- hands, and we must take he-ed of inquiring after those things that are above us, it wiU displease them, we had better be quiet and hold oiu- peace: and so they bowed then- necks to the yoke. Such hon'ible guUt of mm'ders must not be questioned, because the murderers had got power in their hands. Theii' cow- ardly, timorous spu'its were much like the temper of Is- sachar : " Issachar is a strong ass coucliiug down be- tween two bm'dens : and he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant ; and bowed his shoidder to bear, and became a servant unto ti'ibute," Gen. xlix. 14, 15.
16
AX EXPOSITION OF
ClIAP. 1.
And when men's spiiits are effeminate with respect to the civil state, they quickly grow so in regard of their consciences, and religion too. Purity of religion in the church cannot stand long vith slavery admitted in the state. We read, Itev. iv. 7, of four ages of the chui'ch set out by four living creatures : the thuxl li\'ing creatui'e had the face of a man, and that was to note the state of the cliurch in the time of reformation ; they began then to be of manly spirits, and to cast off that yoke of bondage which was upon them, to inquire after what liberty God liad granted to them. Not like those we read of, Isa. li. 2.'5, that would obey such as would say to their souls, '• Low down, that we may go over."
This, my brethren, was the condition of many of us ; there has been that cffeminateness of spirit in us that we have bowed down our necks, yea, our souls, to those that would go over us ; yea, as it is in Isa. li. 23, they made themselves the very street to them that went over them, their very consciences were ti-amplcd upon by the foot of pride, and all for the enjoyment of a little nutward accommodation in their estates, in their shops, and in their trading ; O, they dare not venture these, rather yield to any thing in the world. And traly we were ah-aid, not long since, that God was calling us by tho name of this daughter Lo-ruhamah, for our cffemi- nateness of spirit ; that the Lord was departing from om' nation. But blessed be God, that now there is a rising of spirit among us, especially among oiu- worthies in parliament; and their warmth, and vigour, and life liave put warmth, vigour, and spirit into the whole king- dom. Now our kingdom will never bow do^ni and sub- mit their consciences, nor estates, nor liberties, to the foiTiier bondage and oppression. No, they had rather die honourably than live basely. But why do I make such a disjunction ? Die honourably, or live basely ! Had we spii-its we might free ourselves and posterity from Uving "basely, and we need not die at all ; for the malignant party has neither spirit to act nor power to prevail; if' we keep up our spirits and are strong in the Lord, we ore safe enough, we shall not have our name Lo- ruhamah, but Piuhamah ; the Lord will have mercy upon us.
In 1 Kings xiv. 15, God threatens to smite Israel, that they shall be " as a reed sliakcn in the water j" and mark what foDows, and then " he shall root u]) Israel out of ' this good land, which he gave to their fathers." If this judgment be upon England, that our spirits be shaken as a reed with the wind, that we bow and yield to any thing in a base way, the next may justly follow, that the Lord may root us out of this good land. As Israel grew effeminate before their destruction, so do Judah also be- fore theirs : Isa. iii. 2, 3, when God intended judgment against them, you may observe that lie took away " the mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, the captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor ;" men of truly noble spirits were removed, tlieu' nobles became vile and sordid, and yielded to any humours and lusts, then they were near ruin ; and ver. 12 saith, '•women rule over them:" for women that have manly spirits to rule is no judgment at all, but for women of revengeful spirits to rule over a nation is a most fearful judgment. But so much of the first, that it is 8 daujriitia: born to Hosea.
'What is this daughter's name ? Call her name " Lo- ruhamah," eitlier not beloved, or one that has not ob- tained mercy, for God's mercy proceeds from his love.
" I will no more have morcy," or, I will add no more mercy ; noting that God liad showed abundance of mercy to Israel before, but now he declares, I will not add any more, I will sliow no further mercy to tliem.
" But I will utterly take them away ;" so turned by some, in taking them away I will take them away";
others, I will lift them up, that I may east them down so much the more dreadfully. The old Latin thus reads, oblivisce7ido obliviscar, forgetting I will forget. And this was upon a mistake of the Hebrew word, be- cause there is httle tlifference in the Hebrew between nr: signifying to forget, and SC'J which signifies to take away. The Sejituagint, avrtraaaofitvoQ avrtra^ofiat, setting myself against them I will set myself against them. AV'ell, the name of the child must bear this upon it, that God will have no more mercy upon them. Hence,
Obs: 1. Sometimes the very children of families, and in a kingdom, bear this impression upon them, that God will have no mercy upon this family. My Ijrethren, one may read such an impression upon the eliikb'en of many great families in tliis kingdom, when we look upon the hoiTible ■\Wckcdness of the young that are growing up. How ditt'erent from their former religious ancestors ! Wc may see, with trembling hearts, such an imj)rcssion of wrath, as if God had said, I have done with this family, I intend no further mercy to it. As sometimes, ■« hen we see in a family gi-acious childi'cn, gracious young gentlemen, noblemen, we may see the impression of God's mercy to that family ; Kuhamah, I intend mercy to it.
It was not long since that we might, and we thought indeed we did, see such an impression upon tlie young people of this kingdom, in the city, and in the chief families in the country, that we were afi-aid Lo-ruhamah to England was ^n■itten upon them ; for, oh the rude- ness and wickedness of the young ! But blessed be God that we see it otherwise now. Because of that graeious- ness and forwardness of so many young people amongst us, we think wo see v.ritten upon them Kuhamah to England, mercy to England ; God has taken away his Lo, and writes only Kuhamah, mercy to you. The great ground of the hope we have for mercy to England, is the impression of God upon the young : when God has tender jilants grooving up in his orchard, certainly he will not l)reak down tlie hedge or dig it up.
Uba. 2. There is a time when God will not have mercy upon a kingdom, or upon a particular people. " Gather yourselves together, yea, gather togetlicr, O nation not desii'ed ; before the decree come forth," Zcj)h. ii. 1, 2. There is a time for the decree to come forth against a kingdom ; a time when, though Noah, Job, and Daniel should stand before him, yet he will not be enti'cated ; though they cry, cry early, ci-y aloud, cry with tears, crj' \\-ith fasting, yet God will not be en- treated. God's mercy is precious, and lie will not let it run out to waste, he will not be prodigal of it ; a time wherein God will say, Now I have done, I have done with this people, mercy has had her tmn. It is true, except we had that immediate revelation whicli the propiiets had we cannot now determine the ))articular time. Those wlio laboiirrd n" DSt to search God's mind in his word, were afraid tliat this decree had gone out upon us in England. It is true, God seems for the
{iresent to tell us that he has a prerogative, and he will lave mercy u])on whom he will have mercy. But they are not altogetlier to be blamed who, even in their own hearts, determined tliat mercy was gone, except they wholly limited God. and left nothing of prerogative to him. It wa.s God's ordinarv way, and except God liad wrought with us in a w ay of sovereignty other^vise than ever lie did with any nation before, they concluded that the decree was gone forth : and so it might be true ; and what God may do with us yet we do not know. But this we can say, if the decree be not gone forth, if there be mercy for us, God shows his prerogative, that he will now go on in a way different from his former paths in tlie world ; and if God icill do so, who can say against it ? A time tlierc is likewise for God to say against jiar- ticular persons, he will not have mercy upon them ; a
Vee. 6.
1'HE PROPHECY OF HOSEA.
17
time when God will s-ay, Those men that were bidden shall not taste of my supper, Lvdie xiv. 24 ; he that u-ill be filthy, let him be filthy still, Kev. xxii. llj my Spisit shall no longer strive with them, Gen. vi. 3. He has no need, my brethren, that we should receive or entertain his mercy ; we have need that God should grant it. God many times is quick in the offer of Ills mercy ; " Go and preach the gospel ; he that bc- lieveth shall bo saved, he that believeth not shall be damned." A quick work God makes many times in the effect of mercy.
06s. 3. " I will not have mercy :" this is pronounced as the most di-eadful judgment. What! not have mercy upon them ? then indeed is a state or kingdom in a dreadful condition, when God shall say of them, that he will not have mercy. " AVoe to you," saith the Lord, "when I depart from you!" woe then to you, when my mercy is for ever gone! then all judgments and mise- ries must needs flow in upon a nation, or a particular soul. 'Wlien the sea-bank is broken up, then the waves will all flow in. " All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest." WHiy, what is the matter ? " His watchmen are blind," Isa. hi. 9, 10. I argue fi'om thence, if the prudence of the watch- man is taken away, which should stop miser)', then all evils come flowing in upon a nation. "VATiat then, if the mercy of God, that should stop misery, be taken away ? whither shoidd the poor creature go if mercy be gone ? to what creature should it look for help ? if it cries to any creatm'e, the creatm'e saith, I can afford no com- fort, because God affords no mercy. Wliat shall uphold the heart when it has no hope at all ? It must needs sink.
Obs. 4. Jlen best know what the worth of mercy is, when mercy is taken away from them. I will not add mercy ; showing that what good they had received be- fore, it was from his mercy, though thev would take no notice of it. Well, saith God, you shall have no more ; vou have taken no notice that it was my mercy that helped you before, but when my mercy is gone, then you will know it ; but then I will not add more.
Obs. 0. God usually takes not away his mercy fully from a people, or from a soul, until after much mercy has been received and abused. You have a parallel place to this, Judg. x. 13 : " I will deliver you no more," saith God ; I have deHvered you many times, my mercy has been abused, I will deliver you no more. It is just with God, when mercy is abused, that we should never know further what mercy means. Mercy, as it is a precious tiring, so it is a tender thing, and a dangerous thing to abuse. There is nothing that more quickly works the ruin of a people, or of a soul, than abused mercy.
Ob.s. 6. God's second strokes usually are more di'ead- ful than the first. '• I will utterly take them away." Before it was only that they should be scattered, the name of the fii'st child before was but Jezreel, that they should be the scattered of the Lord ; but the second is Lo-ruhamah, that they shall have no more mercy from the Lord. God begins fii'st with the house of coi-rection oefore he brings to the gallows. There is branding first, before hanging : there are warning pieces before mm-dering pieces. God makes way for his wTath by lesser afflictions before he comes with desti-oj-ing judg- ments.
I remember Knox, in his History of Scotland, relates that Sir James Hamilton, having been mm-dered by the king's means, he appeared to liim in a vision with a naked sword cb-awn, and struck off both his arms, with these words. Take this before thou receive a final pay- ment for all thy impieties; and within twenty-four hours two of the king's sons died. God comes to na- tions and particular persons with a sword, cuts off arms before he takes their lives. As when the Lord
comes in a way of abundance of mercy, lesser mercies make way for greater mercies. When manna was rained down, the dew ever came before it: so, lester judgments to the wicked are forerunners of, and make way for, greater judgments ; first they arc parboiled, before they come to be roasted in the iii"e.
Obs. 1. AVith God a multitude of sinners is no argu- ment for then- escape of judgment. I will not add mercy to the house of Israel. He does not say, I will nbt add mercy to this or that particular man oi' Israel, but to the house of Israel. It is a ride, indeed, with man, Multiludo peccantium tollit peccalum, Multitude of offenders take away their offences : men know not how to execute the offenders when they are in multi- tudes ; here and there some of the ringleaders may be taken, for example' sake. But it is no rule with God ; though it be the whole house of Israel, God has no mercy for the whole house of all the people of Israel. Let no man presume to sin against the Lord because there arc multitudes that offend, and thiiik that he shall escape with the multitude. No ; all the nations of the world with the Lord are but as the drop of a bucket, and as the small dust of the balance ; nothing, even less than notliing.
Obs. 8. The nearness of any to God exempts them not from the wrath of God. " No more have mercy upon the house of Israel ;" though it be the house of Israel, yet no mercy upon her. If it were the house of Pharaoh it were not so much ; but what I no mercy upon the house of Israel ! God hates sin, and hates sin most in those nearest to liim : '' You only have I knoTiTi of all the families of the earth ; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities," saith the Lord, Amos iii. 2. As we hate a toad in oiu' bosoms more than when it is at a farther distance, so God hates sin in those that are nearest to Mm more than in those that are farther off; for " God wiU be sanctified in all those that cbaw nigh unto him."
But why will God have no more mercy upon the house of Israel ? Wiat hath the house of Israel done that God shoidd be so angry with it ? It is worth our searcliing and inquii'ing after, it concerns om'selves nearly.
1. The first and a main reason is, because of their continuance in theu" false worship, notwithstanding all the means that God had used to bring them oft'; not only by his prophets, sending them again and again to show them it.s evil in those two calves that were set up in Dan and Bethel, but by most remarkable works of his providence against them. As for example ; the work of God against Jeroboam, when he was stretching out his hand against the prophet that came to denoimce judgment against the altar upon which he was offering sacrifice ; his hand chied up, so that he could not pull it in again to liim, and upon the prayer of the prophet it was restored, and became as it was before, 1 Kings xiii. 4, 6. Again, the remarkable work of God in anointing Jehu to destroy the house of Ahab and his seed for their idolatry. Y'et, notwithstanding these prophets, and these works of God, with many others, they still persisted in theii' way of idolatry ; and this caused the Lord now not to have mercy upon the house of Israel.
Let us take heed of this : God has used and still uses means to bring us oft' fully from all ways of false wor- ship ; not only by sending his ministers from time to time to declaim against such things, but by wonderful and remarkable works of his providence towards Eng- land, especially at this day. Never had any nation, never had England heretofore, more remarkable works of God to di-aw them off from all ways of false wor- ship, to bring them to worship God in the right way according to his will. Now let us ti-emble at this sen- tence; I will not add mercy, I wiU have no more mercy. God has added mercy to us again and again.
AN EXPOSITION OF
Chap. I
from time to time. And now, methinks, in this work of God's mercy, that he is about concerning us, he speaks to us as he tlid to the people, " Come and put off tliy ornaments ft-om thee, that I may know what to do unto thee," Exod. sxsiii. 5 ; come now and humble yourselves that I may know what to do ; as if God should say. Come and'pve in your last answer. Now I am showing mercy once more, take heed of rejecting it, lest vou have a Lo-ruhamah upon you, I will add no more mercv. Consider not only what we have done, J)ut what we do ; how we have abused mercy, and how we now abuse present mercy ; how opposed the spirits of most are to the work of rcfomiation now com- mencing, who even say to the Lord Christ, Depart from us, we {Icsire not the knowledge of thy ways. AVlicn the people of Israel were offered Canaan, and God bade them go in and possess it, they were then near unto it ; but as they then refused Canaan, God sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest. If ever a people were offered Canaan, were offered the ordi- nances of God in liis OAvn way, certainly we are at this time. Let us tremble lest God, if we reject tliis mercy, should swear in his wrath, I will have no more mercy upon you, and so we prove to be a Lo-ruhamah indeed.
2. fiut a second reason why this people could have no mercy, might be because of tlieir foi-saking God even in the ci^il state : for the people of Israel had not only left God in their churcn state, and defiled themselves with false worsliip, but they had in their civil government wickedly departed ft-om those whom God had appointed over them ; they had departed from the house ot David, and rent themselves from it. It is true, tliis was of God's permission, but yet it was the wickedness of their hearts, and no excuse at all for them. Hence, Hos. viii. 4, God charges tliem that they had set up king«, but not by him. From whence we observ"e,
Obs. 9. It is a most dangerous thing for a people to forsake, or to rebel against, the civil government which God sets over them. When the people, in 1 Sam. viii. 7, required a king, and would not be ruled by judges any more, the Lord saith to Samuel, " They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." A most fearful declai-ation: and I confess freely to you, this one text of Scripture was the first that made "impression upon my thoughts and heart, about fearing to adopt a wav of chmch govem- mcntthat God had not appomted. Eor thus I reasoned: What ! is God so provoked against a people that will re- ject but a ci\il government that he has appointed, which concerns but the outward man ? Tlien if God has ap- pointed any government in a church, which is a Divine mstitution, which concerns the good of the soul, and is immediately to work upon that, siu-ely God will be much more provoked for rejecting it. And though we have not a civil government appointed by God, as the Jews had, yet for the church state we have one ap- pointed even by God himself. And reason there must 138 for it ; for whatever has a spiritual efficacy upon the heart, must have a spu-itual rule for its warrant and direction. Indeed prudence and reason are enougli for ordering things that concern the outward man, ex- cept God will come in with his ovm institution : but when it comes to the ordering of the heart, and there is a spiritual efficacy expected, as in all church ordi- nances there must be, and that authority by which they are executed gives a gi-eat influence into them, nothing can go beyond its principle, tlierefore it must have a Divine institution to give it its efficacy.
It may here be demanded, whether God has not ap- pointed over us a pai-ticular civil govenunent, as he cbd over the Jews ? That our government, and all lawfiU government of other nations, is ajjpointed by God, we must conclude Is a certain truth. But not so appointed
by God as the government of the Jews was. And the reason is this, because the church and commonwealth of the Jews were involved in one, and therefore the apostle, speaking of the Gentiles, saith they were " aliens ft-om the commonwealth of Israel;" it was meant of the chui-ch state. There was such a kind of pedagogy under the law, that the church and state were involved in one, for Christ would be the Head of the chiuch and commonwealth too, and appoint them laws ; and so their government was immediately fiom heaven. Now for us : that we should have a govei-nment according to the rules of wisdom and justice, that indeed is appointed by God. God would have us have a just and wise go- vernment ; but he leaves the ordering of that govern- ment to general rules of prudence and justice. So that now it is lawful for any kingdom or coimtn- to agree together, and, according to the rules of wisdom and justice, to appoint what kind of government they will, as whether it shall be a monarchy, or an aris- tocracy, or a democracy ; and to limit it according to covenants of agreement, as whether the fiindamental power shall be wholly put out, or any part reserved, how far this or that man or societ)' of men shall have the managing of it, and the like ; then so far as it is agreed upon, we are bound in conscience to obey either actively or passively, but no fiuther are we bound to obey any man ; conscience is not tied. Though such men be in authoritj-, yet not to do what they would have, is no resisting of authoritv-. Yea, though the thing be lawful which thev command, if it be not ac- cordEng to the law of the kingdom, to the first agree- ment, I may be bound by the rules of pi-udence to save myself; but it is not authoritj" that binds me to obey out of conscience : for we must of necessity distinguish between men in authoritv', and the authority of those men. TMierefore so long as we seek to keep authority in the right channel, that it flows not over the banks, we cannot be charged with resisting the govei-nment God hath set over us, though we do not obey the will of those who are set over us ; and thei-cfore there is no cause that wc should fear, that God should say to Eng- land, upon this ground, Lo-ruhamah, he will have no mercy.
Ver. 7. Bui I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and uill save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.
The people of Israel might say, Hosea, thou ait a severe preacher ; what ! preach nothing but judgment, nothing but wrath, to be utterly taken away ? Is there no mercy at all ? Is not God a merciful God ? Yes, saith the prophet, though you be taken away, God knows how to glorify his mercy ; he has othei-s that he can make objects of liis mercy, though you be destioyed.
Obs. 1. TTiough God utterly reject some, yet in the mean time he has others to wnom he can show mercy. Therefore it is no plea for any sinner to say. Well, I have sinned indeed, but God is merciful. What if God be merciful ? so he may be, though thou perish ever- lastingly. Yea, whole" kingdoms and nations may perish, yet God may be merciful, God has still infinite ways to" glorify his mercy. Many people, in desperate moods, lay violent hands "upon themselves, and certainly there is a kind of spirit of revenge in it, as if they thought there would be some trouble about it, and so God shoiUd lose some honoiu:. But if you will have yom- will in this, or in any tiling else, though you be dead, and your souLs perhaps in chauis of darkness, God will have ways to be glorious in his mercy, whatever become of you.
Obs. 2. "God -n-ill always have a church. He will never destroy liis church at once. The Lord loves pub-
Vee. T.
THE PROPHECY OF HOSEA.
19
lie -worship in the world. Though he will utterly talic away the house of Israel, yet he '' will have mercy upon the house of Judah." Israel might say to the prophet, ^\^lat ! ^^•ill not God be merciful to us ? What does Judah get by worsliippiug God in that which you say is the only right way r" Judah indeed keeps herself to Jeru- salem, and to worship in the temple, but what does she gain by it ? for aught we see, Judah is in as hard an estate, and as low a condition, as we ? Well, saith God, let Judah be what she will, I will have mercy upon her.
06s. 3. Though carnal hearts, when they look upon the low condition of the true worshippers of God, think that there is no diflerence between those who are iu a good way, and themselves who walk m the ways of sin, yet God will make a difference ; I will have mercy upon Judah, but not upon Israel. Many carnal men please themselves with argiung thus : I see others who are strict, who pray in their families, who nm to ser- mons, and will not act as others, yet they are as poor, in as mean a condition, as others ; what do they get by theu' forwardness in religion ? Ai'e not we in as good a condition as they ? Well, friend, though thy carnal heart think there is no difference " between lum that serveth God and him that serveth him not," God has a time to manifest a difference : " Then shall ye retm-n, and discern between the righteoiLS and the wicked, be- tween him that serveth God and liim that serveth liim not," Mai. iii. 18. I \dll not have mei'cy upon Israel, " but I will have mercy upon Judah."
066". 4. If a people keep the worsliip of God piu-e, God ^vill favom' them, though there be many weak- nesses, j-ea, many wickednesses, amongst them. Judah indidged at this time in many gross and fearful cvUs. It woidd require much time to show you the horrible wickedness of Judah ; yet God saith, " I wiU have mercy upon the house of Judah." "\ATiat is the reason of this ? Because though Judah had many gross evUs, yet Judah kept to the right way of worsliipping God, kept to Jerusalem and to the temple ; and so far kept the worship of God pure. It is true, many spirits ai'e most bitter agauist those who seek to woi-ship God in the right way ; if they observe them tripping in any small thing, they charge it against them with all bitter- ness. This is not like God, who favoiu's those that worship him in a right way, though in other respects he may have many charges against them.
But, you will say, this seems to contradict what you said before, that the nearer any are to God, the more he hates their sins ; and the sins of those that make a show of worshipping God in a pm-e manner are worse than the sins of others. It is ti-ue, but as their relation to God in the nearness of his worship is an aggravation of their sins, so their relation to God is a foundation of their- hope of mercy from God. How is this ? It makes then' sin indeed worse, so as to provoke God to punish them sooner, and perhaps more bitterly; yet then- relation to God keeps this ground of faith, that God is then' God still, and will have mercy upon them at last. But the wicked, though God spare them longer than his own people, yet when he comes against them he rejects them utterly ; so he did Israel. Judah mdeed was punished, but yet Judah had mercy at last ; but, saith God, " I ■niU have no more mercy upon the house of Israel ; but I wUl utterly take them 'away."
06*. 5. God sometimes shows mercy to poor affiicted ones, and yet rejects those who ai'e greater and enjoy more prosperity m the world. Israel had prevailed a little before against Judah, for in 2 Kuigs xiv. 12 — 14, you find that " Judah was put to the worse before Is- rael; and they fled every man to theii- tents. AndJehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, the son of /Uiaziah, at Betli-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem
from the gate of Eplu'aim unto tlie corner gate, four huncbed cubits : and he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasm-es of the king's house, and hostages, and retm-ned to Samaria." And tliis was but a little before this time, Israel had thus prevailed against Judah, and brought Judah under; yet now, saith God, I will have mercy upon Judah, but not upon Is- rael. Many who are in a low, afflicted condition, God tooks upon and shows mercy unto them, when brave ones that carry it out, and tm-ive and hve gallantly in the woiid, are often rejected of God. Mai'k what God saith, Zeph. iii. 12, " 1 will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord." God looks not at the brave and gaUaut ones of the world, but at the poor and afflicted ones, and they shall ti'ust in the name of the Lord. We must not then judge of the happiness of men from their success m the world ; for you may now be delivered, and others kept under affliction, yet afterwards you may be rejected, and they received to mercy.
06*. 6. How impartial the ministers of God ought to be in then- work. Hosea was the prophet of Israel, he was sent to the ten tribes, yet Hosea tells Ihem, whose prophet especially he was, that God would have no more mercy upon them. And he speaks to Judah, (to whom he was not sent,) and tells them that God would have mercy upon them. Ministers must not go accord- ing to their private engagements with any people, though bound to them in many respects : if they be wicked, they must deal faithfully and plamly, and de- nomice the judgments of God. And if others, though sti'angers to them, be godly, they are to give them that comfort which belongs unto them. ]\Iy brethi'en, par- tiality m those in pubKc places, especially of the minis- try, is a great evil : it was for this that God said he had made the priest and the Levite " contemptible and base before all the people :" why ? because they were " pai'tial in the law," Mai. ii. 9.
066-. 7. It is a great aggravation of the misery of some, that God shows mercy to others. For it is here set down as a part of the threatening against Israel, " I wUl have no more mercy upon the house of Israel, but I will show mercy to Judah." To aggravate the miseiT of Israel, God manifests his mercy to Judah. Mai-k how God, in Isa. Isv. 13, makes it a part of his thi'cat- ening against the wicked, that he will show, mercy to his servants : " Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry : behold, my servants shall di'ink, but ye shall be thu'st)' : behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shaE be ashamed: behold, my seiTants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spuit." These "buts" are cutting ones to the heart of the wicked. And observe, the word " behold " is fom- times used in setting out the difference that God will make between his servants and the wicked ; and how God will aggra- vate the misery of the wicked by showing mercy to his people, because it is a thing much to be considered. A sipiilar passage you have in Matt. viii. 11, " Many shall come fi'om the east and west, and shall sit do-rni with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; but the ehikben of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer daiioiess : there shall be weepuig and gnashing of teeth." Mark, they shall gnash their teeth when they shall see how they are rejected and others received, gnash then- teeth for enTy and vexation of spuit, for it is a great aggi-avation of men's misery. And is it not fulfilled this day ? How do many gnash their very teeth to see the mercy that God shows to his people in these days; giving them libert)' to meet together, and encouragement in his service, while he casts shame and contempt upon their faces, and bruigs
AX EXPOSITION OF
^HAP. I.
them forth to answer for theii- wickedness, anil to suffer condign puni-.hment !
It is observable, that, in Acts xxii. 21, 22, Paul was speaking a great w hile to the Jews, and they heard him quietly till he came to that sentence, " Depart : for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. They gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth ! for it is not fit that he should live." What ! to disgrace us thus, and to think that the Gentiles should come to have more mercy than wc ! Away with such a fellow from the cartli ! We have such an expression likewise in Luke iv. 25 — 29 ; our Saviour, Christ, told the Jews of the widow of Sarepta, that Elias the ijrojihet was sent only to her, and that Xaaman the Snian, of all the lepers in Israel, was cleansed. They of tlie sjnia- gogue, when they heard these things, " were filled with wTath, and rose up and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city ■was built, that they might cast him down headlong." They were so vexed at Christ's seiTOon that they would have broke his neck as soon as he had done j)reaching. It was at this statement, " many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of EUseus the projdiet ; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian." Christ intimated, that though there were many of the jjeople of Israel, yet the Lord would have mercy but upon a few of them ; yea, that God would choose to show mercy to other people rather than to them : at this they were enraged. And certainly tliis will bo the S'or" "S,""'" aggravation of the misery of the lost, ffiJloSoJusI""'''"' *° li-now the mercy of God to others. It may be wicked parents shall see their chiltb-en at the right hand of Jesus Christ in glory, and themselves cast down into eternal torment ; this will be a stinging aggravation of misery, no mercy unto thee, but mercy unto thy gracious cliild ; the child that thou rebukedst for being forward is now at the right hand of Christ, and thou cast into everlasting misery. So a ])oor servant, or a poor boy in a family, may stand at the right hand of Jesus Christ hereafter, and ascend with him in glory ; while his rich master, that mur- mui'ed at him, and would not suffer him to have the least time for God's service, but checked and mocked him in every thing with, O, this is yom- preciseness, finds himself cast down into eternal misery.
But yet further ; God declares, " I will have mercy upon the house of Judah." Here is another remark very oliservable, and wliich much concerns our jn-esent condition. God promises to Judah mercy, after Israel's rejection; yet if we seai'ch the Scriptures we shall find tliat both before and after the rejection of Israel was executed, Judah was under very sore afflictions. In 2 Chron. xxviii. G, you find that '■ I'ekah the son of Kemaliah .slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thou- sand in one day." We never heard of such a slaughter ; we wonder when we hear of five or ten thousand slain in the field ; here we have one hunibed and twenty thousand slain, and this slaughter was made after this promise : yea, further, vcr. 8, there were besides •' car- ried away captive two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters ;" yea, furtlier, ver. 17, " again the Edom- ites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives." And, ver. 18, " The Philistines also had in- vaded the cities of the low counti-y, and of the south of Judah ; and they dwelt there :" and, vcr. 10, it is said, " tlie Lord brought Judah low :" and, ver. 20, it is said, " Tilgafh-pihuser, king of Ass\Tia," (whom Ahaz had sent Id lulp him.) " came unto him and distressed him, but strengthened him not." Pekah, the son of Kema- liah, slays one hundred and twenty thousand, and
carries away captive two hundi'cd thousand : then come the Philistines and invade the country ; and then the Edomites cany away captives, and God brings them low ; and then comes Tilgath-pilneser, and he, instead of helping, distresses them. AVhat a case were they in now ! Yet this was after the promise, for this promise was made to Judah in the beginning of Hosea's pro- l)hecv i so it is, ver. 2, " The begimiing of the word of the Lord by Hosea," which was before the rejection of Israel. It was in the reign of Ahaz that Judah wa3 brought into this low condition, about twenty-two years before the execution of the sentence against Israel, for that was fulfilled in the sixth year of the reign of Heze- kiah, which, if you take it from the begimiing of the reign of Aliaz, who reigned sixteen years, makes twenty-two yeai's. Now this promise to Judah was made in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and of Jeroboam, king of Israel, which was at least seventy-six years before the rejection of Israel ; and vet, after the making of this promise, Judah is reduced to this sad condition.
Yea, and we shall find, besides, that though God had said he would reject Israel, and be merciful to Judah ; so that when Israel was rejected a man would think that Judah .should come into a better condition than ever ; yet see how Judah was dealt with. 2 Kings xviii. 13 saith, that '• in the fourteenth year of Heze- kiah, Sennacherib king of Assj-ria came up against Judah ;" and this was after the casting off of the ten tribes, for that was in the sixth year of Hezekiah, as ver. 10 : and seven years after came Sennacherib against Judah, thinking to prevail against them as they had done before against Israel ; and then Hezekiah was disposed to give him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house; yea, ver. 10 saith, that "Hezekiah cut oft' the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the piUai's, and gave it to tlie king of Assyria." Now the Lord keep our kingdom and our parliament from giving the gold of the temple doors in any way of compliance with any malignant paity, who regard with an evil eye the beauty of our Zion.
Yea, and after Sennacherib had gotten this, not con- tent with it, he sends Kabshakeh from Lachish, with a great host against Jerusalem. The adversaries of the chm'ch are never satisfied, yield to them, gratify them in what you will : this is the fii'st temptation. 'What ! will you be so strict and rugged, and yield to them in nothing ? say some : but if they prevail with you to be- gin to yield, they will encroach upon you. Hezekiah yielded to Sennacherib, even to take away the gold of the temple doors, yet a little while after he comes again w itii a great host, so that Hezekiah said, it was " a day of trouble and rebidse," chap. xix. 3. Nothing will quiet them but the ruin of the church, they must needs have that ; " Down with it, down with it, even to the ground ! " nothing else will satisfy them.
To this low estate and sad condition was Judah brought, though God promises mercy to them.
Obx. 8. God may intend much mercy, yea, God may be in a way of mercy to a people, yet may bring that people into very great straits and difficulties. The pro- mises of God's mercies are always to be understood with the condition of the cross. If we think that upon the promise of mercy we shall be delivered fiom all trouble and affliction, wc lay more upon the promise than the promise w ill or can bear. It is a great evil, which pro- ceeds from much weakness of spirit and distemper of heart, in people for whom God has done great things, if there come any difficulty or trouble, to say, Now we are all lost, now God has left Us ; we hoped that there would have come mercy, we looked for liglit, and behold darkness ; now the heart sinks, and all hope is abandon- ed. Know, my brethren, this is an evil, untliankful, and unbelieving heart. God lias indeed done great
THE PROPHECY OF HOSEA.
21
things foi- us ; yet how ready are -we, though God be in such a glorious way of mercy, if we hear of any diffi- culty, any combining of the adversaries together, to ex- pect nothing but blood, and to bid adieu to all our peace : we thought to have had happy days, but now the Lord is coming out against us, and all that is done must be undone again. "WTiy are you so full of unbe- lief ? Surely this is unworthy of Christians that pro- fess an interest in God, and unworthy of all the good that God has done for us. Though Peter had walked upon the sea through the power of Christ, when the waves came, he cried, " Master, save, or else I perish." Has not God made us walk upon the waves of the sea all this while ? wTOUght as great a mu-acle for us in England as he tUd for Peter ? Yet when a wave does but rise a little higher than before, we are so distressed in oiu' spirits that we can scarcely cry, O blaster, save us ; but we look one upon another, and instead of cry- ing unto God, we cry out one to another in a discou- raging way, and so pine away in our iniquities. Cer- tainly God is exceedingly angry at such a demeanour as this, and yet this is common, both with nations and particular persons.
With nations : it was so with Judah. Though God had made this promise to Judah, yet if we look into Isa. vii. 2, (Isaiah was contemporary with Hosea, and it was not much after the making of this promise,) we shall see how they were troubled with fear : " It was told the house of David, saying, Sp-ia is confederate ivith Ephraim. And the heart of the king of Judah was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind j" they were afraid, and shook as the very leaves of the trees shake. "Well, but God speaks to the prophet, in chap. viii. 11 — 13, " with a strong hand, and instructed him that he should not walk in the way of this people, saying. Say ye not, A confederacy :" — Oh, the king of Israel and the king of SjTia are confederate together ; what shall we do ? we are undone, we are lost for ever ! " Say ye not, A con- federacy, to all to whom this people shall say, A con- federacy ; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; let him be your fear, and let him be your cb-ead." Thus God would have his saints act now. Wlien you hear of confederate ene- mies, or any ill tidings abroad, exclaim not, Oh, the papists are linked together, a confederacy, a confede- racy ! Do not say, A confederacy, fear not their fear, but " sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your cbead ; and he shall be for a sanctuai-y" to you. And mark the resolution of the prophet afterward, ver. 17, " I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him." Oh that this were the disposition of oiu' hearts ! Take that note away with you, amongst many, though you cannot remember all : when you hear so many rumom-s of fears and troubles, as if all were gone, and there were now no more hope, let this be your answer, '• I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob ;" for God is in a way of mercy, and mercy certainly we shall have, let us look for it then.
AA^th particular persons : though God be in a won- derful way of mercy towards them, yet if they do but feel their corruptions stirring never so little, how com- mon is it for them to say, All is lost ! I was indeed in a good way, but God is gone, Christ is gone, mercy is gone, and all is gone, surely God intends no thoughts of good to me. O, be not faitliless, but believing: for this is the way of God, though he promises great mercy, yet in the mean time he may bring into great afflictions.
" I will no more have mercy upon the house of Is- rael, but I will utterly take them away ; but I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them."
For a people to be saved when others near them are destroyed, is a great display of God's goodness to them : as to stand upon the shore safely, and see others suffer shipwreck before us, is a gi'eat augmentation of God's mercy towards us. AATien the people of Israel stood upon the banks, and saw the Egyptians tumbling in the Ked Sea, and then- dead bodies cast upon the shore, then " sang Moses and the cliildren of Israel unto the Lord," Exod. xv. 1. And this kind of mercy the Lord has granted to us in England, for while neighbouring nations have been in a combustion, and many of them spoiled, we have sat under our own ^■incs and fig trees, and our greatest afflictions have been only the hearing of what our bretlu-en have suffered, and yet do suffer. All about us is as the fieiy furnace, and we walk in the midst of it like the thi-ee children, and our garments are not touched, nor the smell of the fii-e passed on them. We see all countries as Gideon's fleece, wetted with the tempest of God's ^^Tath, yea, with their own blood ; but, behold, we are cb-y, and the sunshine of God's mercy is upon us ; the blackness of the misery of our brethren is the brightness of our mercy.
" I will save them." It is the Lord that will save them. This is an upbraiding of Israel. O Israel, you think to be saved by your own policy, you have gone beyond God ; you are afraid that the people should go up to Jerusalem to worship, therefore you have set up the two calves to save yourselves. But Judah shall be saved, and saved after another way : Judah need not go to such carnal policies to save themselves, for the Lord shall save them. Though carnal hearts think and en- deavour to save themselves only by their own policy and carnal ways, yet let God's people know that they have a stronger means to save them than all the policy in the world. So long as the wisdom, the power, the mercy, the faithfulness of God is for them, they need no other string to their bow.
" I will save them by the Lord." This, by interpret- ers, is expounded concerning Clirist : that God the Father promises to save by Clu-ist. In Dan. ix. 17, we have such an expression in prayer, " Now therefore, 0 our God, hear the prayer of thy servant — for the Lord's sake ; " that is, for Christ's sake : so here, God will save by the Lord ; that is, by Christ.
Obs. 9. The acbninistration of God's gi'ace to his people is given into the hands of Jesus Christ. It is Chi-ist that saves the people of God, and has saved them in all former times : " As for thee also, bj- the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water," Zech. ix. 11. All the prisoners of God's people, ever since the world be- gan, have been sent out of the pit by the blood of the covenant, by the merits of Christ : and not oidy so, but Christ, in the administration of God's grace, has been the chief; he has been the Angel of God's presence, who has stood up for his people in all their necessities ; he has been the great Captain and Deliverer, the Saviour of them all. Let Christ then have the honour of a sovereign to us mth respect to our salvation in outward deliverances. Let us look up to him for salvation in all om- straits. And if Christ was the Saviour of his people in all ages, and still will be, then surely those ages and places where Christ is most known and hon- oured may expect the greatest salvation. And this is our comfort, for above all the ages since the world be- gan, Christ is most known and honoured in this age ; and of all places in the world, here in England, and amongst our countr}Tnen ; and if Christ will be a Sa- viour "of those places where he is known and honoured, surely England may expect a salvation. England has had it ; and as England is peculiar in the knowledge of Christ, so England shall be peculiar in God's grace to her.
Obs. 10. It is a great upbraiding of a people when it
22
AN EXPOSITION OF
Chap. 1.
can be said of them, that they have forsaken the Lord. " I will save them by the Lord their God." Not your God, O Israel, but their God. Thus lie upbraids the people of Israel that they had forsaken their God ; that Judah had kept their God, but Israel had not. It is a woeful thins not to have God to be our God at all ; when conscience can charge upon a man what Daniel did upon Belshazzar, " That God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified," Dan. v. 23 : but it is dreadful when conscience can chai-ge this. That God, whom thou hast chosen, and with whom thou hast entered into covenant, O thou apostatized soul, thou apostatized nation, thou hast for- saken, he is not now thy God. This is a sore and hea\'y cliarge indeed.
Obs. 3. Those, then, who do not worship God in a right way, God wiU not acknowledge himself to be worshipped by them at all. It seems he is the God of Judah, though Judah had many evils, but not the God of Israel. The people in the wilderness pro- claimed a fast to Jehovah, and yet the apostle, 1 Cor. X. 7, calls them idolaters ; and it is said they sacrificed to idols, because they worshipped God by a calf, and not in God's way. Though we may think we worship God, yet if we do not worship him in his own way, he does not own himself worshipped by us at aU.
Ob.s: 4. Carnal hearts cannot endure that any one should think they have more interest in God than them- selves. This could not but sting Israel, that Judah should be thought to have more interest in God than Israel had. Thus they scorned at Clu-ist: O, he trusted in God, he thinks he has more interest in God than others, now let his God come and save him. We read in the Book of JlartjTS, that the papists were much vexed ^vith the protestants, because they used to say, our God, and our Lord, by which they seemed to claim more in- terest in God than others. And, indeed, what is the cause of the quan'el against God's people, but because the world think they claim more peculiarity and inter- est in God than others ? And tliis is the reason that soul-searching preaching cannot be endm-ed, because it makes n diflerence between the one and the other, and shows that some have an interest in God more than others. Hence it is that in no places in the world men's sph-its so ft-et against preacliing as in England. A^Tiy ? Because there is not such soul-examining, such soul- distinguishing preaching in the world as in England. Yea, that is the reason of the bitterness of one professor against another, because one is a protestant at large, and the other manifests more power of godliness, is more stiict in his course, and seems to claim a greater share in God than the former. Profession in Eng- land is a more distinguishing profession than in other places.
Obs. 5. So long as God is our God we need not fear our adversaries. God is the God of Judah still, there- fore God will save them. You have heard of the Pal- ladium of the heathens in Troy. They imagined that so long as that idol was kept safe, they were unconquer- able, all the strengtli in Greece was not able to prevail against it. 'WTierefore the Grecians sought by all the means they could to get it from them. I StAi''™'Sr have read that the men of Tvtus were fyi^imZ'S afraid their god A])ollo should forsake them : they therefore chained and nailed that idol to a post, that they might be sure of it, because they thought their safety was in it. Let us fiisten our- selves to God in an everlasting covenant, and certainly God will be fast to us, and then we we safe enough.
" I will save them:" but how? "What shall Judah he saved by, and not Israel ? Judah, a poor, contempt- ible jieople ! How .saved ?
" And will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen." It shall not
be by any outward means, but by the immediate hand of God. This promise, that God would save them not " by bow nor by sword," was performed two several times, and there is a tliii'd time for the fulfilling of it, which is yet to come. It was done fii-st when '• the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camj) of the AssjTians an hundi'cd fourscore and five tliousand," 2 Kings xis. 3d : and God tells them that the king of AssjTia should " not shoot an an-ow there, nor come before the city with a shield:" so God saved them without bow, for they had no need to use the bow then, because the angel of the Lord desti'oyed them. The second time was when he saved Judah in theu' return from captivity, then, as it is Zecli. iv. 6. he saved them " not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." Mark the phrase : as if God should say, I have strength, for I am the Lord of hosts ; lean command annies, if I would, to save you : no, though I be tlie Lord of hosts, yet I wiU not save you "by might, nor by ])ower, but by my Spuit." Therefore, Isa. xxx. 7, " their strength" is said to be "to sit still ;" and ver.
15, " in quietness, and in confidence, shall be your sti-ength." Thus they were saved, " not by bow, lior by sword." Then the tliii'd time, which is yet to come ; that is, in the wonderful work of God in calling the Jews, when God shall raise up out of them a gloi'ious people to himself, and save Judah once again, and it shall not be by sword, nor by bow, but by the Lord then- God ; for, as it is said, Dan. ii. oi, the stone that smote the image " was cut out T\-ithout hands ; " so there shall be a power not visible from whence it comes, but Jesus Christ shall come from heaven to do his great works. " As the lightnmg eometh out of the east, and sliineth even unto the west ; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
Obs. 1. God ties not himself to the use of outward means in procuring good to his people. Though all outward means fail, vet there may be ways of salvation for the saints. Wicked men's hearts presently sink, if outward means fail. And if ow hearts faint when outward means fail, it is a sign that we before rested upon the means, and if we had had the means we should have robbed God of his honour. We must use means, but not rely upon the means. I might show you excellent texts of Scripture for this, as Psal. xxxiii.
16, " There is no lung saved by the midtitude of an host : a mighty man is not delivered by much strength." And Psal. xliv. 5, 6, " Through thee will we push down om' enemies : tlirough thy name \vill we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me."
Obs. 2. Deliverance of a people without bow and without sword is a great merey. For such are the woeful miseries that a people suffer when wai- comes, that usually the victory will scarce pay the charges of the battle. Though we are sure to be saved at last, yet if we must be saved by bow and by sword, the misery that we may suffer in our salvation may be more than the salvation. It was the height of that mercy promised, Isa. ix. 5, that it should be without " confused noise, and garments rolled in blood." Such a mercv we have had ; and had CJhrist come to have reigned amongst us, though he had come riding upon his " red horse," with his garments rolled in blood, we should willingly have entertained him : but bcliokl, he comes riding upon his " white horse," in peace and merey. Tlic mercies we have had have been very cheap, they have not been bv bow, nor by sword. And if God should come at length by the sword, and bring perfect salvation to us by blood, which God forbid, we lia\e had already more mercy without blood than our blood is worth. Should we now have our blood shed, God lias paid us beforehand. ^X]\o almost in this con- gregation, but two or three years ago would have lost
\EK. 8.
THE PROPHECY OF HOSEA.
23
bis blood to procure so much mercy to England, as England has had already ?
Obs. 3. Such is the love of God to his people, that he is pleased to work for them beyond means. The other point was, that he can save his people -without means ; this, that he wiU do it beyond means : for the grace and love of God to Ms people is so high and glorious, that it is beyond that which can be conveyed by means, therefore it must be done more immediately. " Tliy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power ; in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthi-own them that rose up against thee," Exod. xv. 6, 7. Fii-st, it is the " hand of God." Secondly, it is " the right hand of God." Thii-dly, it is " the right hand of God in power." Fourthly, this is " glorious in power." Fifthly, there is " excellency." And sixthly, there is " the greatness of excellency." It is a high expression, 213 ■|;1KJ in the gi-eatness of thy lifting up; for the same word signifies pride, which is here translated excel- lency ; and if God be Kfted up in any thing it is when he shows himself for his people. Now take all these six expressions, God's hand, God's right hand, his right hand in power, a right hand that is become glorioiis in power, his excellency, the greatness of his excellency, and all this for his saints; siu-ely this is more than can be conveyed by means ; God must come immediately and save them by himself.
Obs. 4. 'The more immediate the hand of God ap- pears in his mercy to his people, the more sweet and jirecious ought that mercy then to be. " Be thou ex- alted, O Lord, in thine own sti"ength : so will we sing and praise thy power," Psal. xxi. 13. When God comes in his own strength, and not in the sti'ength of the creatm-e, then the saints sing and praise the power of God. We are accustomed to say, Dulcius ex ipso fonte, that wliich comes immediately comes exceecUng sweetly. Then the saints may boast in God, when he comes immediately with his salvation: "Thou hast saved us ft'om our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us." What follows ? " In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever," Psal. xhv. 7, 8. So that the saints of God then praise God ; nay, they may la^^•fully give up themselves to boast, when God works immediately. '\^Tren God works by means, then they must take heed of ascribing to the means ; but when God comes immediately, then they see his hand, and may well boast.
It is the blessedness of heaven, that God's mercy comes immediately. Created mercies are the most [Perfect mercies. vSuppose God had been with them by bow and by sword when Sennacherib came against them, coidd the salvation have been so precious ? God's hook that he put in his nose, and the bridle that he put in his lips, (for so God said he would do with him, that is, use him as a beast,) were better than their sword or bow. Surely, if ever any nation knew what it was to have immediate mercies come doi^Ti from heaven, Eng- land does ; if ever nation saw God exalting himself m his own power, England has; we have lived, blessed be God, to see the Lord exalting himself in his own power. O, let us cry out with the psalmist, " Be thou exalted, O Lord, in thine o-rni strength," amongst us ; " so will we," still, and still, and stiU, " sing and praise thy power."
Ver. 8. Now uhen she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, mid bare a son.
We finished the signification of the name of the second child of Hosea, Lo-ruhamah. We now come to its weaning, and the begetting of the thu'd child, Lo-ammi.
" "\Mien she had weaned Lo-nihamah." We do not read that the fii-st child, Jezreel, was weaned; but that
the second child, Lo-ruhamah, was weaned, before the thii'd child, Lo-ammi, was conceived. "VMiat is the meaning of this ?
This second child, Lo-ruhamah, was to typify the people of Israel being carried out of their own country in capti\ity to AssjTia : it was to signify to them that they should be weaned from the comforts and delights wliich were in then- own land ; that they should be taken away fi-om their milk and honey, and be fed in Assp-ia with hard meat, even with the water of affliction and the bread of advcrsit)-. The fii'st child only signified tlieir scattering, especially in regard of theu' seditions amongst themselves ; but the second cliild signified tlie carrjing them away whoUy into captivity from their own land ; therefore the second child is weaned. Cibis sustentabitur immicndis, so Jerome mterprets it. They should be canued amongst the Gentiles, and be fed with imclean meat, they should SJa 'St dStifuL- be deprived of prophecy, of the milk oi "" Jf''" net j>ro- the word, and of the ordinances that they vatnS infoc.'"' enjoyed : so Vatablus.
Ordinances are as the breasts of consolation, out of which the people of God suck soul-satisfying comforts. " That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations ; that ye may milk out, and be de- lighted with the abundance of her gloiy," Isa. ls«. 11. And, " We mil remember thy love more than wine," Cant. i. 4. The Vidgate reads it. We will ,,
, ,, , ^ ^ , . ,Mcmcircs ubcnim
remember thy breasts above wme ; and t..oruin super vi- so the words will bear. These people °'""' shoidd be deprived of tliose breasts out of which they had sucked much sweetness before ; even deprived of all comfort in God. God's people hang upon God, and (b'aw comfort from him, even as the urfant upon the mother's breast, which sucks sweetness, and comfort, and nom'ishment fi-om thence.
This expression, then, of weaning the chUd, implies these two things :
1. That tlie enjojTnent of the comforts of a sweet native land, specially where Divine ordinances abound, is a very great blessing of God ; and to be deprived of it is a great affliction, yea, to some it comes as a cm'se. The vei-y sucking of our native an- is certainly a great blessing fi-om the Lord. Those who have been banished and deprived of it, have been more sensible of it than many of you who always have enjoyed it. ^lany have lain so long sucking the sweetness of our Enghsh au-, and the comforts which flow from then- accommoda- tions, tin they have sucked in tliat which, if God's mercy had not prevented, would have proved poison to then- souls. But I speak not of aU, I make no question but there have been many of God's dear servants that have tarried in then- native soil, and kept the upright- ness of their hearts and consciences as clear as others that went away. It is true, the comforts of a native soil are sweet, but except we may enjoy them with the breasts of these consolations, the ordinances of the church, they are not able to satisfy the soid ; yea, ex- cept we may suck out of these breasts sincere milk, not soiled nor som-ed by the inventions of men, better a gTcat deal that we were weaned from all the sweet- ness and accommodation we have in oiu- native soU, by the mortifying of our affections to it, than that God should wean us from it, by sending us into captivity, or by giving the adversary power over us, or by making the land too hot for us.
2. That it is an evil thing for a child to be taken from the mother's breast too soon, and sent away to be nursed by others. The expression fully imphes this, for it is to tell us the evil