An Exposition of Hosea 8-10, Exposition · Chapter 9 · Verse 16
VER. 16.
Ephraim is ſmitten, their root is dried up, they ſhall bear no fruit.
EPHRAIM is ſmitten.] God had threatned Ephraim long before, but now he is ſmitten; not threatned only, but ſmitten.
Obſerve this Note,The phraſe▪ (the manner of the phraſe is as if he were ſmitten from Heaven by a Thunder-bolt, in a dreadful manner God himſelf ſmote him) obſerve this,Obſerv. God will not alwaies forbear ſinners, at laſt God ſmote; he threatens a long time, but he ſmote at laſt: God may be a long time bending his Bow, and making his Arrows ready, and preparing the inſtruments of death, but at length he ſmote; and when he ſmote he ſmote terribly. How ſad is the condition of a wicked man who hath had many warnings, and much patience of God hath been ſhewed towards him, and at length this is the news that one neighbor tells another, Oh! ſuch a man is ſmitten of God, the wrath of God hath purſued and hath overtaken ſuch a man, the fearful ſtroke of God is upon him, and this certainly will be the news of wicked impenitent ſinners, ſecure ſinners, this will be the news that will be told of you, ſuch a one is ſmitten; Oh! and what ſad reports are there at this day in all Countries about us, even through the world, what's the news throughout the world almoſt but this (the Chriſtian world) England is ſmitten, the Lord hath ſmote them? the Lord hath ſmote us with a dreadful ſtroke and ſtill he continues ſmiting of us.Iſa. 5. 25. That Scripture in Iſa. 5. 25. is made good upon us this day, The anger of the Lord is kindled againſt his people, and he hath ſtretched forth his hand againſt them, and hath ſmitten them, (mark what follows) The Hills did tremble (Oh that our hearts did) and their carkaſſes were torn in the midſt of the ſtreets: (and ſo it hath been with us:) And for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is ſtretched out ſtill: And thus it is with us. And the principal cauſe that is there given of ſuch woful ſmiting, it is as you may obſerve in the 20. and 23.V. 20. 2…. verſes, the croſsneſs of mens ſpirits in turning things quite contrary and croſs to that which God would have them. As thus,Croſneſs of mens ſpirits. They call evil good, and good evil: they put darkneſs for light, and light for darkneſs; bitter for ſweet, and ſweet for bitter: Juſtifying the wicked, and taking away the righteouſneſs of the righteous. This is the cauſe of this ſmiting, and never was there ſuch perverſneſs in the hearts of men to turn things quite croſs,in Engl. to cry out of Truth for Falſehood, to cry out of the Waies of Chriſt as the Waies of Sedition, and the great troublers of the Kingdom, to cry out of the Saints that are for peace, as the great Stirrers up of the Kingdom, and to juſtifie the wicked in many places;Malignāts eſcape: What favor hath many Malignants? and thoſe that have moſt appeared in the Cauſe of God,Faithful men are diſcountenanced. how are they diſcountenanced? This is the Cauſe why God would ſmite them, and why their Carkaſſes ſhould be torn in the very ſtreets. The Lord hath ſmitten us this day as he did the people in 1 Kings, 14. 15. 1 King. 14. 15.The Lord ſhall ſmite Iſrael as a reed is ſhaken in the water, (and then it follows after) he ſhall root them out of the good Land. So it's here, Ephraim is ſmitten, and his root dried up. The Lord this day hath ſmote us as a reed is ſhaken to and fro, that which men cried up at firſt, they cry down again preſently after, and forward for a little while, and then quite the other way again, and wavering and unconſtant in all their waies, and know not indeed what they would have; thus the Lord hath ſmote us, yea the Lord hath ſmitten us ſo as he hath fetcht blood, fetcht blood, yea, the Lord hath ſmitten us by thoſe that ſhould protect us, and that's a ſore ſmiting, to ſmite us by the hand of ſuch as ſhould protect us; that threatning that is denounc'd in Zach. 11. 6. Zach. 11. 6.Oh how is it made good upon us this day, ſaith the text there, I will no more pity the inhabitatns of the Land ſaith the Lord; but lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbors hand, and into the hand of his King, and they ſhall ſmite the Land; and out of their hand I will not deliver them. It's a very ſtrange Scripture,Scarce parelle…'d in Scripture in reſpect of this Nation. I know not the like in all the Book of God, God threatens to ſmite this people, and how? Oh! this is a ſore ſmiting, I will deliver every one into his neighbors hand, and they ſhall ſmite one another, and I will deliver every one into the hand of his King. Why is it ſo great an evil to be delivered into the hand of our neighbor, and into the hand of our King? truly at this time it ſeems it was: Oh! the Lord ſmites us this day, he ſmites us ſorely by giving us up to ſmite one another. We ſmite one another with the tongue, in Jer. 18. 18. Come, let us ſmite with the tongue, Ier. 18. 18ſay they. When was there ever ſuch ſmiting with the tongue as there is now? yea, even good men ſmite one another: There was a time when the Prophet deſir'd to be ſmitten by the Righteous,Pſ. 131. 5▪ inverted. in Pſal. 141. 5. Let the Righteous ſmite me (ſaith the Prophet) it ſhall be as Oyl to my head; but now we may juſtly cry out to God, Lord, let not the righteous ſmite me; the very ſmiting of the righteous is a ſorer ſmiting this day than the ſmiting of enemies, to ſmite with the tongue, yea and worſe too, in Iſa. 58. 4. Iſa. 58. 4.In the day of their faſt, they ſmite with the fiſt, and ſmite with the pen,Smiting with the Pen worſe than with the Sword. that is a ſorer ſmiting ſometimes than ſmiting with the ſword. And ſmite with the ſword too, for Brother is againſt Brother, and Father is againſt Child, and Child againſt Father, and this is a forerunner of Gods ſmiting the earth with a Curſe,Malach. 4. 5, 6. in Malac. 4. 5, 6. verſes, the very cloſe of the old Teſtament, there Eliah is propheſied to come, and to turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children, and the hearts of the Children to the Fathers, leſt (ſaith the text) the Lord come and ſmite the earth with a Curſe. Oh! that Eliah might come among us otherwiſe? What can be expected but the Lords ſmiting the Land with a moſt dreadful Curſe? When was Fathers againſt Children, and Children againſt Fathers as now, and that in matters of Controverſie? It was wont to be a Proverbial ſpeech among the Jews, when they had any knotty Controverſie that they could not untie,Quum venerit Elias▪ When Elias ſhall come, then we ſhall come to know the meaning of this. We may ſay this day, well, becauſe we ſee what Controverſies there are and what differences of this & the other way & judgment, the Lord Chriſt (whoſe forerunner Elias was to be) he will come ere long, and he will open all things to us, the Meſſias will come again and tell us all, and ſatisfie us in all our difficulties, and put an end to all our deſputes; But for the preſent the Lord ſmites us,England ſmitten as Sodom. not only by the ſword, but he ſmites us as he ſmote the men of Sodom, with blindneſs, and that Curſe threatned in Deut. 28. 28. Deut. 28. 28.is even upon us, The Lord (ſaith the text there) ſhall ſmite thee with madneſs, and blindneſs, and aſtoniſhment of heart, and thou ſhalt grope at noon daies, as the blind gropeth in darkneſs, and thou ſhalt not proſper in thy waies, and thou ſhalt be only oppreſſed and ſpoiled ever more, and no man ſhall ſave thee. Oh my Brethren! how is this fulfilled at this day? with what blindneſs, and madneſs,And that evidently by God himſelf. and aſtoniſhment are the people of the Land ſmote? If it were not the ſmiting of God to ſmite men with blindneſs, it's impoſſible but they ſhould ſee what ſhould be done in ſuch a time as this is, and you are only oppreſſed: Indeed now almoſt every man in the Kingdom cries of being oppreſſed and ſpoiled ever more.
We thought that when ſpoylers and oppreſſors were amongſt us that we were ſafe and well when it was over, Oh!Our opreſſions not removed, but renewed. but it is renewed again, and then come the ſpoilers the ſecond time, and the third time, ſpoyling ever more, and this is the fruit of Gods ſmiting men with blindneſs, and madneſs: And yet who is it that returns to him that ſmites him? But Lord, ſeeing thou art a ſmiting, Oh! that thou wouldeſt ſmite once more, ſmite theſe rocks of ours, theſe hearts of ours, if thou wilt but ſmite there, that might free us from other ſtrokes, that there might guſh out tears of repentance, ſmite there that we may every man ſmite upon his thigh; Oh! that we may ſmite upon our own hearts. But it follows:
Their Princes are Revolters: and Ephraim is ſmitten.
Only a word more from the connexion of theſe two, All their Princes are revolters: and Ephraim is ſmitten.
From thence the Note is,Obſer. If God leaves thoſe who have the chief Government in their hands to revolt, the people then will be ſmitten. Oh! pray much for them, and let not them that have the chief Government in their hand think much that people enquire into their way, and that they uſe all means that they can to keep them upright; for if they ſhould revolt they would not only undo themſelves, but undo us, it concerns us to enquire how it is with them, and to be ſolicitous about them, and they muſt not bid us that are beneath them to let them alone and meddle with our own buſineſs, and follow that which concerns us, certainly it concerns us much what they do: were it indeed that if they miſcarried they only ſhould be ſmitten,An apt ſimile. then we had leſs to do to look after them; but if they revolt we are ſmitten: If a child ſhould in all humility and reverence beſeech his father to leave off ſuch and ſuch a ſinful way, or to take heed of it that he be not carried by ſuch and ſuch counſels, if his father ſhould ſay, Meddle you with what you have to do: the child might well anſwer, Oh father! I hear in the Word of God, that God doth viſit the ſins of the fathers upon the children, and I may feel of theſe ſins of yours when you are dead and gone, therefore I beſeech you, Oh father, conſider what you do? (I ſay) the ſame might be anſwered if we ſhould Petition and labor with our Governors in all humility to take heed of any evil Counſel, and if they ſhould bid us lock to what concerns us, we may well anſwer, We have heard in the Word that when the Princes are Revolters, the People are ſmitten, that if Governors ſhould any way revolt from any former Proteſtations the People is like to be ſmitten; it is we know from the revolting of many of our Lords and Members of that High Court that we have been ſmitten ſo as we have been,Applyed to this preſ…nt Parliament▪ Now many of them have revolted to the Enemy? and theſe that have been the Members of that Court, (I ſay) their revolting have been the cauſe of ſuch a ſore ſmiting which we have had.
Further:Obſ. 2. It cannot free Ephraim from being ſmitten; ſmitten becauſe their Governors are evil,Compulſion of Authority does not excuſe ſin. they cannot excuſe their ſin by that: Perhaps the People would plead thus; What could we do? we could not help it, thoſe that were in Government they enjoyn ſuch things, and if we did not obey them they would undo us, we were not able to bear their ſmiting of us, therefore we were forced to yield; Oh! better endure the ſmiting of man than the ſmiting of God, it is a fearful thing to fall into the Hand of the Living God.
The apprehenſion of Gods hand ſmiting is that which ſhould humble the hearts of ſinners very much. Obſ. 3.It's a notable Scrip-which you have in 2 Chron. 26. 20. 2 Chron. 26. 20. obſerved.of Vzziah, that when he ſaw that he was ſmitten, though he were ſtout and proud before, yet when he was ſmitten he made haſt out of the Temple. It's no longer ſtanding out, for the Lord hath ſmitten. So when we apprehend God ſmiting, it is no ſtanding out againſt the great God, but we had need make haſt to reform. And thus much for this expreſſion. It follows.
Their Root is dried up.
But though we be ſmitten we hope we may grow,Expoſ. we may loſe our leaves and ſome of our boughs, but we hope that we ſhall ſpring again: perhaps theſe are the vain apprehenſions of ſome men, but never look to making their peace with God, no ſaith God, I'le not only ſmite to take off your leaves and branches, but I will ſmite the very root, that ſhall be dried up: There's difference between the pruning and lopping off a tree, and the drying up of the root of it, there may be help ſo long as the root remains alive. I will never trouble my ſelf any further (ſaith God) with them, I have already ſmote off their boughs, and that doth no good, I will dry up the very root now. It's a great aggravation of Gods ſmiting when he ſmites at the root, every ſmiting it is not a drying up of the root, it is the baſe unbelief of our hearts, the diſcontentedneſs, frowardneſs,Diſordered paſſions … cauſes ſadder concluſions than needs of… times. fullenneſs of our vile ſpirits that makes us thus to conclude almoſt upon every ſtroke of God, that he intends our undoing, if he doth but ſmite us ſo as a few leaves are but ſhaken off, or that our branches are but ſhak'd, we are preſently ready to conclude that God intends to blaſt us, and to dry up the very root, and ruin us utterly; how often in our unbelief, when by temptations we have been ſhaken and the leaves of our comforts have been ſhaken off,Enlargements. (our enlargements) and the like, how often we conclude, Oh! the Lord is coming againſt me, and he will certainly blaſt all, all that I ſeem to have, the very root of all my hopes and comforts will preſently be blaſted, Oh! this (I ſay) is the evil of our hearts, it comes from our fullenneſs, frowardneſs, and unbelief ever ſo to conclude, it may be God intends only to prune thee and to take away ſuperfluities, that ſo the ſap may go down more at the root, that thou maieſt have more Humility, and Self-denial, and Faith, that thou maieſt have more exerciſe of the Root-Graces, Humility, Patience, Faith, Self-denial, and God perhaps ſmites only to make the ſap go down more to the Root-Graces, though thou concludeſt that he will dry up the Root preſently. In this ſmiting wherewithal the Lord hath ſmote us we hope that he intends not to dry up the root, but we may ſay of it as in Iſa. 27. Iſa. 27. 7.Hath be ſmitten him as he ſmote thoſe that ſmote him? or is he ſlain according to the ſlaughter of them that are ſlain by him? The godly party may ſuffer much, but I make no queſtion but the ungodly party hath ſuffered as much, and by this ſhall the iniquity of Jacob be purged;Verſ. 4. and this is all the fruit to take away his ſin, and in the 4. verſe God tells us, that fury is not in him, God is fain to make an Apolegie to his people when he is a ſmiting, though I ſmite you, yet not ſo as thoſe that ſmite you, but in the day of the Eaſt wind I ſtay the rough wind, and fury is not in me, but by this ſhall the iniquity of Jacob be purged: and this is all the fruit thereof to take away his ſin.
But God hath his time to dry up the roots of ſinners, Obſ. 1. Of Perſons.and the roots of Nations. 1. God dries up the roots of many that have made fair profeſſion in former times, they have had no other Root but only Parts, and common Gifts, and Morality raiſed, and this Root is dried up; this day many fair and glorious Profeſſors, how are they this day blaſted! ſapleſs, dry ſpirits, and uſeleſs in the world in this time when there is ſo much ſervice required of them? And by by being dried up, what are they but prepared for the fire? Old withered, ſapleſs Profeſſors (I ſay) whoſe root is dried up they are fitted for nothing but the fire, they are like thoſe in Jude, Iude, 12.corrupt trees, trees that are corrupt in the Autumn: Thus it is with many Profeſſors at the time when God expects fruit, now they are ſapleſs, now they are corrupt fruit, they are dried up by the root, and what are they fitted for but for the fire?
And then God hath his time to dry up the root of Nations,2. Of Nations. in Iſa. 5. 24. Now we might ſeek to underſtand what the Root of a Nation is,Iſa. 5. 24. but I think we need not in this place, becauſe it is ſufficient only for the Metaphor, to ſhew that God doth not only afflict a Nation, but intends the utter ruin and deſtruction.
Yet a word or two thus.
What was the root of Ephraim?Queſt.
The Covenant that God made with him,Anſw. that was his Root in the firſt place. And when God intends to break his Covenant with them,Hoſ. 10. 4 (becauſe they broke theirs) then he dries up the Root; and therefore in the next Chapter you ſhall find that God charges them with dealing falſely in making a Covenant.
And then, The Godly among a People are as the Root of that People,Iſa. 6. 13. in Iſa. 6. 13. But yet it ſhall be a tenth, and it ſhall return, and ſhall be eaten: as a Teyle Tree, and as an Oak, whoſe ſubſtance is in them when they caſt their leaves: ſo the holy ſeed ſhall be the ſubſtance thereof. So here, the holy ſeed ſhall be the ſubſtance of it. The holy ſeed in a Kingdom is as the root and ſubſtance of it; and yet ſuch is the wretchedneſs of men, that what do they do but in ſtirring againſt them, they would root out the very Root of the Nation.
And the vigor and power of the fundamental Laws in a Kingdom is as the Root of it, from whence flouriſhes all their outward Peace and Comfort.
And the bleſſing of God upon the wiſdom and faithfulneſs of thoſe that are put into place, that's as the Root of the good of a Nation, in theſe things eſpecially conſiſts the Roots of a Nation. We hope that God will not wholly dry up our Root, only let us take heed of this; though there be indeed a difference between the Covenant of God with the Nation of the Jews, and any Covenant that God makes with any Nation at this day, yet if we be falſe in the Covenant that we make with God, this may root us out; let us look to it that the vigor and power of the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom be maintained, and that the godly be maintained, let us not ſet our ſelves to root out them, for in ſo doing we do but ſeek to root out our ſelves, and let us pray that the bleſſing of God may abide upon thoſe that are in place of power, and while theſe things continue we may hope that the Lord intends, though he may ſcatter and break us in pieces, yet that there may a Root ſtay, and there is little queſtion (I think we may make) that God wil preſerve our Root howſoever; and that there wil be a Root of the Saints that ſhall flouriſh till Jeſus Chriſt comes again,The Root of the righteous. The Root of the Righteous ſhall not be moved; Pro. 12. 3▪though the Righteous may be lopt from all their outward comforts, yet their Root muſt not be moved, that lies deeper than my Creature-power is able to reach unto. But there is a Root, Oh! that God would dry up that,A Root o… Bitterneſs Deut. 29. 18. a Root that the Scripture ſpeaks of, a Root of Bitterneſs, that brings forth Gall and Wormwood, Oh! what bitter fruit doth that Root bring forth! Oh! that God would dry up that root. It follows.
They ſhall bear no fruit.
They would bring forth fruit to themſelves,Expoſ. and ſeeing they would bring forth no other fruit but to themſelves, they ſhall bring forth no fruit (ſaith God.) How happy were we if God would ſay the root of bitterneſs (that we ſpeak of) as he ſaid of the Fig-tree, Never fruit grow on it more, Oh! that that Curſe of God might be upon the root of bitterneſs that there is in the hearts of many, that God would ſay, we ſhall never hear the evil Language, the evil Speeches of People, and the bitter expreſſions as heretofore we have done.
Yea though they bring forth, yet will I ſlay even the beloved fruit of their Womb.
The word tranſlated Beloved fruit, Expoſ. foreignit is Deſirable, the Deſires of their womb; Children are the deſires of the womb, that is,Honeſt women very deſirous of children Harlots not ſo. women are very ſtrong in their deſires after them, Give me children or elſe I die (ſaith Rachel:) Indeed Harlots are not, they care only for their luſt, and would have no fruit of their womb: It's an excellent Emblem for the expreſſion of the vanity of many Preachers that care for nothing but to ſatisfie their luſts,Which are an Allegory of a true Preacher & a falſe. and ſhew their wit and parts, but care not for any fruit at all, care not for beget-any children to God; like Harlots they deſire not the fruit of the womb, but Wives that are faithful to their Husbands, they do deſire it. And the ſame word that is here for deſires, The uſe of the word tranſlated beloved.and tranſlated beloved, it is likewiſe in other Scriptures tranſlated beloved, that in Dan. 9. 23. Oh man, greatly beloved▪ Oh man of deſires. And ſo in Dan. 10. where the Angel ſaith, great beloved, it is a man of deſire. And ſo in Prov. 31. 2. What, my ſon! and what, the ſon of my womb! and what, the ſon of my vows! You may ſee how Solomons Mother ſpeaks with a great deal of affection, Oh my Son! the Son of my Womb, and the Son of my Deſires. But indeed the word ſignifies properly, the Son of my Vows, Oh! I made Vows to God, if God would give thee me, and ſince I have given thee up to God, and by Vows dedicated thee to God, what, the Son of my Vows! Women therefore they ſhould look upon their children as the children of their Vows, and ſhew forth their love unto them in the right way that God would have them. It is a ſtrange place that we have in Titus, Tit. 2. 4. illuſtrated.where aged women are commanded to teach the young women to love their hu…bands; and to love their children; it is a ſtrange thing that a mother muſt be taught to love her children; thy child is the beloved fruit of thy womb, but yet thou muſt be taught by God, taught by his People, taught by his Word to love thy children, to love them in a right and holy way; take heed of loving them ſo as to provoke God to take them from you,Mothers fond Love ſ…aies their children. take heed that they be not ſlain for your ſakes; many Mothers have ſlain the fruit of their womb by loving them too much. Do not honor your children above God as Ely did, when you look upon their natural comelineſs conſider they have that in them,A meditation for Parents▪ and that by your means that except they have another birth will make them objects of Gods eternal hatred, they are the beloved fruit of your wombs, and you look upon them and ſee them ſweet babes and very comely, yea, but think withal that you are the cauſe to bring them into that that if they have not another birth, though they be objects of your mirth by being born to you, yet they will be objects of Gods hatred by being born in ſin by you; you may look upon them as objects of your delight, but God may look upon them as thoſe that he hath appointed to ſlay, Alas thoſe poor ſweet babes, what hurt have they done? God ſees enough in them that in his Juſtice he may ſlay them. But in this that he ſaith he will ſlay the beloved fruit of their womb, or the deſirable fruit, take but this one Note:
If Gods Honor, Obſ.and his Ordinances, and his Saints that are deer to him, be not deer to you, even the very fruit of your womb ſhall not be regarded by him; That's the ſcope of the threatning: ſaith he, Oh here's a people that my Honor, my Ordinances, my Saints are not deer to them, therefore even the deſirable things of their womb, the very beloved fruit of their womb, that that goes more to their hearts than any thing in the world, that that is the deereſt to them I will ſlay them in mine anger. If you would have what's deer to you be deer to God, let that that is deer to God be deer to you.
And then it follows in the laſt Verſe.