An Exposition of Hosea 8-10, Exposition · Chapter 10 · Verse 3
VER. 3.
For now they ſhall ſay, We have no King.
WHAT, break down our Altars, and ſpoil our Images! no, the King will maintain them againſt you all, let the Prophets ſay what they can and a company of preciſe fools be againſt them what they will,A graphical Paraphraſe upon the words. we have the King will ſtand for that, he will rather loſe his Crown than he will loſe theſe things, he will ſtand for them to his very life, and therefore we do not fear that they ſhall be broken down. No, that will not ſerve your turns (ſaith the Prophet) your King ſhall not be able to help himſelf, much leſs to help you in thoſe ſuperſtitious waies that you would have. For now ſhall they ſay, We have no King. They rejoyced and gloried much in their King, they bore themſelves altogether upon their King, no matter for the Prophets; they have the Kings Commandement to do what they do, they can ſhew the Kings broad Seal for what they have done, and they were ſure that they had the Kings heart with them, their King would bear them out in all. They cared not therefore whatſoever they did, ſo be it they have the countenance of their King that he would defend them, and not only defend, but by being zealous and forward for his waies they hop'd to have promo…ion by him, they did not fear to be queſtioned for any thing, no matter whether they went againſt Law or not, they could ſhelter themſelves under the power and favor of the King, the Pomp and Glory of the Court that was a great thing in their eyes, they were bold in their Idolatrous way and oppreſſion, becauſe of the power and greatneſs of the King; who ſhould controul them in any thing that they did? But now (ſaith the Prophet) You have had your day, you have had your time that you could thus ſhelter your ſelves under the power of the King, and do what you liſt, and oppreſs, and rage, and no body durſt meddle with you, becauſe of the power of the King, but now the caſe is altered.
But now they ſhall ſay, We have no King.
Had they no King?
Yes;Expoſ. Hoſhea was their King, but the meaning is, It's all one as if we had no King, his power is ſo broken that the truth is,Ac ſi non eſſet, nam is quam habemus, non poteſt nos protegere, quod eſt Officium Regis. he cannot help us. Saith Druſius upon the place; he cannot protect us, which is the property of the King, and therefore it is as if we had none; now they ſhall ſay, We have no King; Alas he is not able to ſave himſelf, he can do nothing for us, his Pomp, his Power, Bravery is in the duſt, he is diſtreſſed himſelf, and we are miſerably diſappointed of our hopes, we are undone, who can help us now?Druſ. whither ſhall we go? what ſhall we do? our conſciences upbraid us now for our bold preſumptuous wickedneſs, Oh! how far were our hearts from the fear of the Lord, we dar'd the God of Heaven and all his Prophets, we boldly ventured upon thoſe waies which we were told, yea which we knew in our very conſciences were a provocation to the Lord, we ſet up our own worſhip, we pleaſed our ſelves, we made our wills to be the rules of all our actions that we did, we took liberty to ſatisfie our luſts, we mingled our own waies with Gods Ordinances, we ſubjected Religion to publick ends, we were riged, we were cruel towards thoſe who differed from us, we upheld the Authority of the King againſt God and his People, and now God hath juſtly brought this diſtreſſed eſtate upon us, that now the Kings Power that we truſted ſo in, is now broken and in a manner gone, Oh! now we ſee we feared not the Lord, we have none to help us now, we now know what it is not to fear the great God, God is above us, and therefore now, what can a King do to us? what could he do for us? Suppoſe we had him again, Alas! our miſery is beyond his help, ſeeing God is provoked with us, and hath forſaken us, what ſhould a King do for us? And thus in this ſhort Paraphraſe you have the ſcope of the words, as if the People ſhould have ſpoken in this manner.
But now the queſtion is, what times doth this refer to?
Now they ſhall ſay,Queſt. concerning the time this propheſie refers to Anſw. We have no King &c.
When did they ſay ſo?
The times that this refers to, ſeems to be thoſe that we reade of in 2 King. 17. If you read that Chapter, you ſhall find the times that this hath reference to; then they might well ſay, We have no King; becauſe we feared not the Lord: What then ſhould a King do to us?
For the Obſervations from it, the firſt is this:
It's a great evil for a People, Obſ. 1.not to have the Protection and the Bleſſing that might be enjoyed in the right Government of a King over them: A great evil; And they complain of it as a great evil, and ſo far their complaint is right, That they are now deprived of the Protection and good that otherwiſe they might have had from the right Government of a King over them.
And my Brethren,Applied to England. our condition is even ſuch in regard of the perſonal preſence and protection of a King, in thoſe regards we may almoſt uſe the ſame words as here, and ſay, We have no King among us. And whether it be better for a People to have no King, or to have no Protection from their King? But that which is contrary to Protection is a Queſtion fitter to be diſcuſſed and determined in a Parliament than in a Pulpit; and to them I ſhall leave it.
But the Church of God ſhall never have cauſe to make this Complaint, Pſ 29. 10. 11.That they have no King; in Pſal. 29 10, 11. The Lord ſitteth King for ever. The Lord will give ſtrength unto his People;Pſa. 45. 6. the Lord will bleſs his People with peace. In Pſal. 45. 6. Thy Throne (O God) is for ever and ever: the Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter.Pſ. 145. 13 Pſal. 145. 13. Thy Kingdom is an everlaſting Kingdom: and thy Dominion endureth throughout all generations.Pſ. 149. 9 Pſal. 149. 2. Let the Children of Zion rejoyce in their King.
Becauſe we feared not the Lord.
It is a great evil not to fear the Lord.Obſ. 2. Fear ye not me (ſaith the Lord) who have placed the ſands for the bounds of the Sea? It's an evil, and a bitter thing, that the fear of the Lord is not in men. For God is a great God, infinitly above us, cloathed with Majeſtie and Honor; trembling frames of heart becomes his preſence: non like unto the Lord; great and mervailous are his works; Oh! who would not fear him? God hath infinite authority over us, to ſave, or to deſtroy us, he hath us all at an infinite advantage by the leaſt word of his mouth to undo us, his wrath is inſupportable:Iſa. 33. Who among us ſhall dwel with the devouring fire? who amongſt us ſhall dwel with everlaſting burnings? Dareſt thou a vile wretch preſume to rebel againſt any word of the Lord,Uſe. when the next word may ſink ſoul and body into the bottomleſs gulf of eternal horror and deſpair? Who art thou that doeſt not fear the Lord? Doeſt thou not fear the Commanding Word of the Lord, when the next word that proceeds out of his mouth may be a deſtroying word to undo body and ſoul for ever?
Secondly, They ſaid, We feared not the Lord.
And obſerve:Obſ. 3. In times of proſperity when men have the favor and countenance of great Ones, then there is little fear of God among them. Now they ſaid, We feared not the Lord. Oh! thoſe times when we had the favour and countenance of great Men, there was little fear of God among us. So long as men have any confidence in the Creature, ſo long they ſee no need of God, their hearts are ſwollen with pride, God is not in all their thoughts, they ſay to God, Depart from us, we do not deſire the knowledg of thy Waies. They ſet their hearts and tongues againſt the God of Heaven, they can venture upon any thing then; to tell them it's ſin againſt God, it's a poor dry buſineſs, it's nothing at all with them; how vile and fooliſh are the hearts of wicked men, that the enjoyment of ſuch poor things as they have in the Creature ſhould imbolden their hearts againſt the great God of Heaven and Earth? yet thus it is, men little conſider but even thoſe things that their hearts do ſo much reſt upon, they are abſolutely at the diſpoſe of this God whom their hearts do not fear.
But note,Gods fear ſhould deſtroy in us Creature-confidence. let the Saints of God take this Note with them, Shall creature confidence take mens hearts off from Gods fear? Then let Gods fear take your hearts off from creature confidence: Certainly there's a great deal more reaſon. Oh! 'tis infinitely irrational that creature confidence ſhould take the heart from Gods fear; but it's infinitely rational that Gods fear ſhould take our hearts off from creature confidence.
Thirdly, Now they ſhall ſay, We feared not the Lord.
The taking from a People the protection of, Obſ. 3.and benefit they might have by Kingly Power, is a puniſhment of the want of the fear of God in them. We have no King, we are deprived of the benefit of the good that we might have, the protection that we might have by Kingly power; it is, becauſe we feared not the Lord; what evil we feel in this let us attribute it to the want of the fear of God in our ſelves, and in the people of the Land. We complain ofaCivil Counſellors thoſe that are about the King, and ofbQueen. Her that lies in the Boſom of the King, and of the evil of his own heart in part; but whence is it that God hath left him, either to them, or to any evil in his own ſpirit? The Lord in this puniſhes the ſins of the People: 'tis uſual for God to puniſh the ſins of the People in leaving Governors unto evil courſes, in 2 Sam. 24. 1. you have a remarkable Scripture for this,2 Sam. 24. 1. ſaith the text there, And the Anger of the Lord was kindled againſt Iſrael: and what then? And he moved David againſt them to ſay, Go number Iſrael and Judah. The Anger of the Lord was kindled againſt Iſrael, and he moved David againſt them: to what? God lets temptations be before David for to fall into that ſin that might bring evil upon the people. It was becauſe the anger of the Lord was kindled againſt Iſrael. It's becauſe that a people fear not God, therefore it is that the Lord leaves Kings, leaves their Governors to thoſe evil waies that they are left unto, and therefore learn we when we hear of any evil that is done by countenance of Kings or any power, learn we to lay our hands upon our own hearts, and ſay, even this is becauſe we feared not the Lord: how eaſie had it been with the Lord to have wrought upon his heart, Oh! what prayers hath been ſent up unto the Lord for the heart of one man? never ſince the world began more prayers for the heart of one man; but the Lord hath ſeem'd even to ſhut his ears againſt the prayers of his people, now let us lay our hands upon our hearts, God hath denied our prayers, it is becauſe we have not feared him: now certainly there hath been but little fear of God amongſt us, and little fear of the great God is ſtill to this day among us. And that's the third Obſervation, We have no King becauſe we feared not the Lord.
And then the Fourth is this,Obſ. 4 The times of Gods Wrath and Judgments forces acknowledgment from men that they did not fear God. When God comes againſt them in waies of wrath, now they can acknowledg that they feared not God; ſhould the Prophet have come to them before and told them, Oh! you are a wretched vile people, there is no fear of God among you. Why, wherein do not we fear God? as in Malac. 1. Malach. 1.they would not be convinced, but, Now ſhall they ſay, &c. Now when the wrath of God is upon men, now they ſhall ſay, we ſee now apparently we feared not the Lord.Cardinal Wolſye. As it's ſaid of Cardinal Wolſie when he was in diſtreſs, Oh ſaith he, Had I but ſerved God as well as I ſerved the King, it would have been otherwiſe with me than it is; but I ſought to pleaſe the King rather than God, and now I am left in this diſtreſſed eſtate. He would have ſcorned that any ſhould have told him before that he pleaſed the King more than God;In affliction God appears dredful. but afflictions they will draw forth acknowledgment: for in afflictions God appears dreadful to the ſoul, it is no dallying, and trifling, and putting off then, we ſee we have to deal with an infinite, Glorious, and dreadful God, and in times of affliction now conſcience will brave over men, it will not be quieted and ſtill'd ſo as in the times of proſperity, but it will ſpeak, as we reade of Zebul in Judges, 9. 38. Iudg 9. 38.ſaith Zebul, Where now is thy mouth wherewith thou ſaideſt, Who is Abimelech? So ſaith conſcience in times of affliction to wretched creatures,Zebul's exprobatiō Where now is that bold and preſumptuous heart of thine? Thou ſcorneſt at fearing and trembling before God, and ſlighteſt his Word, but where now is that proud wretched heart of thine? And in times of afflictions now are mens hearts abaſed and humbled, and therefore now they are ready to ſay, It is, becauſe they feared not the Lord.
Mark here, they do not (when they are in afflictions and troubles) ſay, I, we may thank theſe kind of people, there were a company of factious people and they would not yield to any thing, and we may thank them for all this; you hear no ſuch words, Oh no, but it is, Becauſe we feard not the Lord.
When the heart is in any degree humbled, Obſ. 5.it will not put off the cauſe of evils to other men, or other things, but will charge its ſelf as the cauſe of the evils that are upon it. Oh how much better my Brethren were it for us to ſee the want of the fear of God by his Word to us, and his Spirit in us, than by his wrath againſt us, or his ſtroke upon us. Let us every day examine our hearts, How hath the fear of God been in me this day? hath the fear of God acted, and guided me in al my thoughts, counſels, and actions this day? How happy were it when we ever lie down to reſt to have ſuch a ſhort meditation,A meditation at going to bed. Hath the fear of God been the thing that hath Acted, and Governed, and Guided me in my courſe this day? But it follows.
What then ſhall a King do to us? (or, for us?)
Suppoſe we had him, now he is gone, but if we had him, what good would he bring to us if we had him? As if they ſhould ſay, we ſpeak much concerning our King, but now we have not the King with us as he was, but if he were with us again, what ſhould he do for us? what would our condition be better than it is? And indeed, what good had their Kings done for them? The People of Iſrael they were very deſirous of a King, they muſt needs have a King, God granted to their deſires in giving them Saul, then afterwards they muſt have a King again, ſo they had Jeroboam, and he muſt be the King of the ten Tribes. Their firſt King they had, it was in Gods wrath, and every one of the Kings of Iſrael *David and Solomon, and many of the Kings of Judah are excepted: becauſ God was their King, 1 Sam. 12. 14. and Chap. 8. 7.was a plague to them, what had they done for them? All the time they had Judges they were in a better caſe; Iſrael was in a far better caſe when they were rul'd by the Government of God. And Peter Martyr in his Preface to the Book of Judges, Pet. Mar. in Prefat. Comment. on Iudic.obſerves three things wherein Iſrael was better when they were under Judges, than Kings.
For firſt, (ſaith he) All the time they had Judges, they were not let Captive out of their own Country ſo as afterwards.
Secondly, When ever they were oppreſſed and God raiſed them up a Judg, he did alwaies prevail ſo as to deliver them from their oppreſſion, before he had done he delivered them from their oppreſſion; that's to be obſerved in the ſtory of the Judges: but their Kings did not ſo.
And thirdly, We find not any one of their Judges are charged or condemn'd by God for evil, that they were evil Judges among them, as the Kings are; ſuch a one did evil in the ſight of the Lord, and ſuch a one did evil, and every one of the Kings of Iſrael did ſo. God doth not charge the Judges ſo; it was otherwiſe therefore with them after they had Kings.Chriſt little behol… to most Kings. And the truth is, that Chriſt hath been but little beholding to (I may ſay) almoſt to moſt of our Kings; yea, little beholding to moſt of the Kings that have lived upon the earth, and he hath taketh as little care of the greater part of them: As they have taken little care of his Honor, ſo he hath taken little care of the Greater part of them, of all the Roman Emperors that were declared by the Senate in Number ſixty three, Hiſtorians agree that there was but ſix of al them that had ſuch protection from God as to die a natural death, but ſix of three ſcore and three; there were twenty nine of the Emperors that did not reign above twenty five years and od months; yea there were twelve of them that did reign but three yeers and od months: ſee what havock was made of them: they regarded not the Honor of Jeſus Chriſt, but were enemies unto him, and he regarded as little their ſafety.
What then ſhould a King do to us?
From hence the Notes are theſe:
Firſt,Obſ. 1. When God forſakes a People, there's nothing can do them good. For they did moſt dote upon a King that ſhould do them good, and help them. When God forſakes a People, nothing then can do them good,Pſ. 127. 1. Pſalm, 127. at the begining, Except the Lord build the houſe, &c.
Secondly.Obſ. 2. It's juſt with God, to make thoſe things unuſeful to men which they ſinfully dote upon, and put their confidence in. They ſinfully doted upon Kings, and put their confidence in them, & God doth now juſtly make the power of Kings unuſeful to them: What ſhall a King do to us? If we dote upon them, it's juſt with God to make them unuſeful to us. Or if we dote upon our Credit, and Names, and ſo upon Kings and Princes; If men expect preferment from them, it's juſt with God to blaſt all their hopes, that they ſhould be forced to ſay, Now I ſee God fights againſt him, as wel as againſt me. Thus the people ſpake in reſpect of their Kings.
This Scripture may well be a Comment upon that Text we have in Pſalm, 146. 3. Pſ. 146. 3. explained by the textPut not your truſt in Princes, &c. Do not put your truſt in Princes, have no confidence in them; If you put your truſt in them, they wil be unuſeful to you.Chryſ. in Pſal. 146. And Chryſoſtom upon that very Pſalm hath this Note:Princes, why not to be truſted in. Whereas they would ſay, Oh! he is a Prince. Saith Chryſoſtom, Let me tell you that which you perhaps will wonder at: Becauſe he is a Prince, therefore put not your truſt in him (ſaith Chryſoſtom) And he gives this reaſon, Becauſe (ſaith he) who is in a more unſafe condition than they? 1. None ſo unſafe as they.Are not they fain to have their Guards go about them to protect them? They in times of peace when they are in a City that is ruled by good Laws, yet they are fain to have the Inſtruments of War round about them, to protect them; and therefore put not your confidence in them, becauſe they are Princes: but then in the Pſalm, they are call'd to put their confidence in the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth, the Sea and all that therein is; 2. None oft times ſo perfidious. (and thats tru of moſt that are in place and power.)which keepeth truth for ever. Alas you may put confidence in Princes, but they will not keep truth; they wil make fair promiſes to you, that you ſhall have ſome great matters by them, but they uſe you for to ſerve their own turns; but put your truſt in the Lord, and the Lord ſhall reign for ever; as it is in the 10. verſe, Kings do not reign for ever, they are the children of men, the breath is in their Noſtrils; but the Lord ſhall reign for ever.
And again thirdly, Obſ. 3.What ſhall a King do for us?
How great an evil is it to a people then, whoſe complaints are;Muſculus in Pſ 164. what doth a King not do againſt us? Muſculus upon the forenamed Pſalm, (thoſe that reade his Coment ſhall find that Note in it) ſaith he, You are not to put your truſt in Princes that are the children of men, they are but men; yea, but what ſhall we ſay to thoſe that are cruel oporeſſors that are rather like Tygers and ſuch kind of wild beaſts among men, that ſeem not to be children of men,An …ffigies of the laſt times. how ſhall we put our truſt in them? Oh! it's a ſad condition indeed that a people is in, when they have this cauſe to complain, when they ſhall have cauſe to cry out and complain, Oh how! how doth he run from place to place, plundering, ſpoiling, breaking, tearing, deſtroying whereſoever he comes? That people is in a ſad condition, what ſhall he do for us? Nay, what doth he not do againſt us continually? and all this, becauſe we have not feared the Lord. That's the third Note.
The fourth is, Obſ. 4.And what ſhall a King do to us?
See here the alteration of the ſpirits of theſe men towards their King; King, not long ago they put their confidence in their King, and gloried in their King, and now, what ſhall a King do to us? Hence the Note is:
God can ſoon make a great change in the hearts of people in reference to their Kings; that even thoſe that did dote, and admire him, and own no other God but their King, ſhall even turn their hearts and ſay, What can a King do for us? the leaſt turn of God upon the hearts of people will make ſuch a change as this is.
Again,Obſ. 5. here obſerve, The difference between the bleſſed eſtate of Gods People, and the wretched eſtate of wicked men; thoſe who fear God can ſay, What ſhal a King, what ſhall men, what Devils do againſt us? But other men in their ſtraights, what ſhall they do for us? We are in a diſtreſſed condition, and what ſhall they do for us? But the People of God are never in ſuch a diſtreſſed condition but they are able to ſay, What ſhall Men or Devils be able to do againſt us? for God is our Protector.
Again ſixtly,Obſ. 6. The more ſtoutneſs, and ſinfulneſs, and creature-confidence there is in any, the more do their hearts ſink in deſperation when they come to be croſt in their hopes. They were very ſtout and full of creature confidence before they were brought into miſery, and now what low ſordid ſpirits have they? now they ſink in deſperation: There's no men and women have their hearts ſink in deſperation, more than thoſe that in ruff of their pride are the moſt bold and preſumptuous againſt God and his Servants.
Again:Expoſ. What ſhall a King do to us? Their hearts ſink in regard of any hopes that they have from their King. But yet you reade nothing of their hearts being ſet upon God, and mourning, and working towards God, when they are taken from the creature they ſay not thus, Now we ſee our vain confidence in our King, and what hopes we had of preferment in him, God hath croſt us; well, we will go and ſeek to make the King of Heaven to be our portion. No, there's no ſuch thing comes from them as this.
A Carnal heart when it is knockt off of creature confidence and ſinks in deſperation in regard of the creature, Obſ. 7.it doth not take advantage upon this, To have the heart work after God ſo much the more; but there it lies ſullen & ſinking, it hath no intereſt in God, and cannot go to him to make up what it wants in the creature: But it is otherwiſe with a gracious heart, that acknowledges the hand of God hath taken off my confidence in the creature, yea, but I hope it is in mercy to my ſoul, that my heart might have the more confidence in God, and that God might have the more glory from me, and therefore I hope that this taking off my heart from the creature, will for ever unite my heart more to the Lord than ever heretofore it hath been. Yea, this is a gracious work indeed when the heart is taken off from creature confidence and brought neerer unto the Lord. And thus much for the third Verſe. It follows.