Exposition of Hosea 6, Exposition · Verse 1 · Section 5
He hath ſpoyled, he hath wounded.
Doct. 3 Marke here how the people of God doe acknowledge, that it was the correcting hand of God which had thus afflicted them,All chaſticements and afflictions come from God. and brought all this wofull miſery vponupon them: they do not ſay, it was the Aſſirians that had ſpoyled and wounded them, but they looke higher, and attribute all to the Lord, and ſay, The Lord hath ſpoyled, and hee hath wounded vsus. From whence wee obſerue a third point of Doctrine; namely, that all chaſticements and afflictions, iudgements, and corrections come from the Lord alone, hee ſends them, impoſeth them, and layes them on his people, he moderates them at his pleaſure; for ſo ſayth the Prophet, Is there any euill in the City which the Lord hath not ſent? That is, any iudgement or puniſhment, ſicknes,Amos. 3.6. pouerty, croſſes, afflictions, or calamities, but they come from the Lord, he ſends them, and layes them on his people: his Quiuer is full of theſe arrowes,Exod. 9.32. Pſal. 148.8. Ier. 25.9.11. he hath the ſword to ſtrike vsus, he hath the peſtilence to conſume vsus, he hath famine to pine vsus; yea, he hath all creatures at commaund to humble man, and being ſent of God, they ſhall preuaile, As the Flies, Frogs & Lyce did preuayle againſt Pharaoh & his people; yea, Fire and Hayle. Snow and Ʋapors, Deu. 4.27.Stormes and winds doe execute his wurd. If it hayle in Egypt, God ſendeth that haile on Pharaoh: If an eaſt wind bring in Graſhoppers,Hoſ. 2.6. & a weſt wind driue them out; Moſes tels vsus, that both come from the Lord, what iudgements, chaſtiſements or afflictions ſoeuer light vponupon man, they come not by chance, or any blind fortune, but they come to paſſe through the ſoueraigne power of the Almighty Creator: I will ſend (ſayth the Lord) and take to me all the Families of the North, and I wil bring them againſt this land. And againe, I beginne to plague that City where my name is called vponupon. And againe, when the Lord would bring his Church from Idolatry, hee ſayeth: Behold, 2. Reg. 19.6.I will ſtoppe thy wayes with thornes, and wake an hedge that ſhee ſhall not find her pathes: So Eſay comforteth the meſſengers of Hezechiah againſt the blaſphemy of Senacherib: So ſhall you ſay to your Maſter: Iob. 1.12. & 2.6. Mat. 8.31.Thus ſayth the Lord, Bee not afraid of the words which thou haſt heard: Behold, I will ſend a blaſt vponupon him, &c. And wee ſee in the Hiſtory of Iob, that the Deuill could not ſlay the ſeruants of Iob with the ſword, burne vp his ſheepe with fire, ſpoyle him of his Cammels by robbers, deſtroy his children with winds, nor touch his perſon with byles, before the Lord had ſayd vntounto him, Loe, all that hee hath is in thy hand, but ſaue his life. The like we ſee in the Goſpel, when Chriſt had diſpoſſeſſed the two poſſeſſed with Deuils which came out of the graues; they had not the power of themſelues being diſpoſſeſt, to enter into the heard of ſwine, before that Chriſt had giuen them leaue: So that the tyranny of Sathan himſelfe, and of all his wicked inſtruments, be it neuer ſo great, yet it is bounded within the liſts and limits of the power of God. All theſe, and the like examples, whereof the Scripture is full, ſerue for the confirmation of the euerlaſting truth of this doctrine, that all iudgements, chaſtiſements and afflictions whatſoeuer, they happen vntounto vsus, nor by chance or fortune (as men ſay) but they come from God. And this is acknowledged by the godly Iewes in this place, where they ſay, The Lord hath wounded vsus, &c. And the reaſon is this, becauſe the prouidence of God ruleth all things, both in heauen and earth, as well the ſmalleſt as the greateſt; ſo that there is no roome left for chance or fortune, but by the ſpeciall prouidence of God doe all things come to paſſe: This doth our Sauiour teach moſt clearely, when he ſayth, Are not two Sparrowes ſolde for a farthing, and one of them ſhall not fall on the ground without your Father: yea, the hayres of your head are numbred. Now if the prouidence of God be in ſuch ſmall things, as in Sparrows, & the haires of ones head, how much more in weightier things? This is acknowledged by the Apoſtles in the Acts: Doubtleſſe, Act. 4.27.againſt thy onelyonly Sonne Ieſus whom thou haſt annointed, Both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Iſrael gathered themſelues together, to do whatſoeuer thy hand and thy councell hath determined before to be done. So that the Apoſtles of Ieſus Chriſt doe there acknowledge, that whatſoeuer hapned vntounto Chriſt Ieſus, both for his apprehenſion, arraignement & condemnation, it came not to paſſe alone through the trecherouſnes of Iudas, nor the malice of the whole nation of the Iewes; but that God in his eternall decree had fore-ordayned the ſame. So then, if we looke vntounto the prouidence of God which ruleth al things both in heauen and earth, and without whoſe prouidence nothing can come to paſſe; ir muſt needs cleare this Doctrine vntounto vsus, that all iudgements, chaſtiſements and afflictions come from God. Now let vsus come to the vſes of this Doctrine.
Seeing that all iudgements, chaſtiſements and afflictions Vſe. 1 whatſoeuer happen vntounto vsus, come from God; This may teach vsus patience vnderunder the Croſſe, not to murmur and grudge againſt them; but to beare them patiently, ſeeing they come not by fortune,Gen. 15.13. Ier. 25.11. Io. 19.10. Luk. 22.53. or by the malice of the Deuill, but by the moſt wiſe decree and purpoſe of God, yea, the yeares and dayes, the very houres and moments of time, touching the afflictions of the godly, are determined of God: Oh let vsus then learne to poſſeſſe our ſoules with patience, whenſoeuer God ſhal humble vsus in our bodies, goods or name, by any iudgement or calamity, eyther inward or outward; aſſuring our ſelues, that if the fault be not in our ſelues, the croſſe when it doth depart, will leaue a bleſſing behind it, and we ſhall be ſure to gain more in the Spirit then we can loſe in the Fleſh. And howſoeuer the wicked may perſecute the godly here; yet they are but the rod of God, and they cannot paſſe the bonds of their commiſſion granted them from the Lord; they cannot ſhorten one moment of our life, or adde vntounto our afflictions more then what God hath purpoſed. And in the end God will cut them off, when it pleaſeth him, that they ſhall proceede no further.
Secondly, this may condemne thoſe that neuer Vſe. 2 looke vntounto the hand of God, but thinke all things come by fortune, or elſe do onelyonly look on the means, but neuer looke vp vntounto God who ſmiteth by them, like a dogge that ſnatches the ſtone, but lookes not after him that flung it.Iob. 1.21. Iob was of another mind, hee doth not ſo much as looke vponupon the Caldeans, Sabeans, or the Deuill that had ſpoyled him: but Iob acknowledgeth, that it was the Lord that had done all this: Not like many amongſt vsus in theſe dayes, who, if they hauehave any loſſe in their cattell, or ſickneſſe in themſelues, wiues or children, by and by they be bewitched and ſo runne to the Deuill for counſell: How farre was this from godly Dauid, when Abiſhai the ſon of Zeruiah would hauehave killed Shemi for curſing Dauid: What hauehave I to doe with you yee ſonnes of Zeruiah (ſayth Dauid) hee curſeth becauſe the Lord bade him curſe mee. 2. Sam. 16.10And ſurely, this muſt needs be the notable policy of the Deuill, that men not conſidering that it comes from the Lord, ſhould neuer ſeeke to him for remedy. And here we may take occaſion to reproue one common fault amongſt many, who thinke that Witches hauehave power to deſtroy mens goods, to afflict mens bodies, lame their cattell, kill their children, and the like:Deu. 18.10. whereas, if we conſider the matter aright, wee ſhall find it otherwiſe. Indeed, there are Witches, which vponupon their conuiction are to die, and not to be ſuffered to liue: but withall, wee muſt obſerue for what cauſe they are to die; not becauſe they deſtroy mens goods, afflict mens bodies, or kill mens children; for the Scriptute neuer attributes theſe iudgements to come from Witches, but from God, whoſe purpoſe and prouidence is in all things: but they are to die, becauſe they hauehave made a league with the Deuils, which are Gods enemies, and becauſe they ſeduce the people of God, and draw them into error, and into many diueliſh practiſes, to leaue God their Creator, and to ſeeke for helpe from the Deuill or his curſed inſtruments;Amos. 3.6. whereas indeed, all iudgements and afflictions whatſoeuer, layd vponupon our bodies, goods and children, come from God; and there is no more, nor leſſe hurt done, then if there were no Witches at all; neyther can the ſending of the Deuill by a Witch giuegive him any power or commiſſion to doe any thing more then that, for the which hee hath receyued commiſſion from God. But here is the policy of the Deuill,Note. and here is the iudgement of God vponupon ſinners that will bee deluded: the Deuill when he hath receyued commiſſion from God to hurt, he will not by and by execute the ſame, till (if it be poſſible) ſome Witch or Sorcerer doe ſend him, ſeeming all this while vntounto them to be their ſeruant and ſlaue, whereas indeed, al this while they are his vaſſals and bondſlaues, vſing them as his curſed inſtruments; not to receiue helpe by them, but onelyonly for a colour, that hee might by that meanes draw many to ſeeke helpe from him, and ſo carry them headlong into eternall condemnation: for indeed, the Deuill is more forward to do hurt, then any Witch can be: Oh then let vsus labour to become ſo ſpiritually wiſe, that wee may diſcouer the policy of the Deuill herein; and to helpe vsus herein, let vsus aſſure our ſelues that All power is of God; Mat. 28.that neyther the Deuill, nor the Witch can kill man or beaſt at their pleaſure; till they hauehave authority firſt from God; for, it is the Lord alone, by whoſe wiſe prouidence & purpoſe, all things both in heauen and earth come to paſſe, onelyonly our ſinnes prouoke him to chaſtiſe, and afflict vsus: God giueth the Deuill leaue as an executioner of his vengeance, to correct and ſcourge vsus for our ſinnes, and when he hath obtayned leaue of God, he ſeeketh to doe it at his beſt aduantage, as may further his owne kingdome, and delude the ſimple.