An Exposition of Hosea 8-10, Exposition · Chapter 10 · Verse 8
VER. 8.
The high places alſo of Aven, the ſin of Iſrael ſhall be dedeſtroyed: the Thorn and the Thiſtle ſhall come up upon their Altars.
I Confeſs from th…ſe words to the end of the Eleventh Verſe, there appears at the firſt reading, much obſcurity; yet they are like unto a Mine, that the out-ſide of it is barren, but dig within, and you ſhall find rich Treaſure.
Iſrael,Two prop… of Iſraels falſe confidence. the ten Tribes did confide in two things, and ſo ſtrengthened themſelves againſt what the Prophet could ſay againſt them; the firſt was in the power of their King, now that's gon, that's as foam, ſaith God, never confide there in the power of the King, and think that will bear you out, for he ſhall be as foam.
But the ſecond was their Sacrifices that they offered, and their Devotion, their Religion, they were a Religious people, and they were very coſtly in their Devotion, they confided much in that: Well for the ſecond, ſaith the Lord, The high places of Aven, the ſin of Iſrael ſhall be deſtroyed, the Thorn and the Thiſtle ſhall come up on their Altars. Though they were never ſo pompous in their eyes, yet they are the high places of Aven; Bethaven.they were called before Beth-aven [the houſe of Vanitie,]Aven. now it is called Aven, Bethel.[vanitie it ſelf:] That place was no other than Bethel, whoſe name ſignified the houſe of God, where one of the Ca…ves was ſet up; Now the name of this place did a great deal of hurt among the people; Oh! to go up to Bethel, the houſe of God; therefore God would take away that name, and calls it Beth-aven firſt, and then calls it Aven, that is, inſtead of calling it the houſe of God,Vanitas foreign iniquitas, labor. I will have it called the houſe vanitie, yea, vanitie it ſelf. Aven ſignifieth vanitie, yea iniquitie it ſelf; from whence note, That God ſtands much upon taking people off from ſpecious and glorious names, that are put upon any things that are made uſe of in ways of falſe worſhip,Obſ. 1. he ſtands much upon it For, whereas before he had changed it from Bethel to Beth-aven, he changes it now from Beth-aven to Aven; God would obliterate the name of Bethel, and would make it to be accounted by the people to be nothing but iniquitie and vanitie. As for The high places, we have ſpoken to formerly.
The ſin of Iſrael.
The ſin, that is, in the very abſtract, ſin; 'tis more than if he ſhould ſay, the ſinfull things of Iſrael, the very ſin of Iſrael.
The more any thing comes to have the nature of ſin, Obſ. 2.the more vile and abominable it is. Therefore God expreſſeth it by an expreſſion that ſhould come as near the nature of ſin it ſelf, as he could to make it abominable. Their ſin, that is their Idolatrous worſhip.
Their falſe worſhip, Obſ. 3.it is the great ſin; and it was the greater ſin in Iſrrel, becauſe that their holineſs did eſpecially conſiſt in inſtituted worſhip, their holineſs was typical, and much ſtood in inſtituted worſhip; it's true, God would have true holineſs if ever they came to Heaven, but that holineſs upon which they were called, a holy people, it was in their inſtituted worſhip, and it was typical, to ſet forth the true holineſs that ſhould be in all the Members of the Church now, therefore God was much provoked with their polutions in inſtituted worſhip, their holineſs conſiſted ſo much in it.
And then further, In that their Idols, and their creatures that they abuſed to ſin are here call'd, Their Sin, the Sin of Iſrael.
You may note that,Obſ. 4. We may ſo abuſe the creatures of God as not only to make them ſinful to us, but even to turn them into ſin (as it were;) thus many men abuſe their bodies ſo that they may be call'd ſin its ſelf.
Well, that which they accounted holy you ſee God he accounts not only ſinful, but ſin, and ſaith it ſhall be deſtroyed.
It ſhall be deſtroyed.
When any Ordinances of God are abuſed, Obſ. 5.they are but to be purged. But if they be inventions of men they are to be deſtroyed. They ſhall be deſtroyed, The ſin of Iſrael ſhall be deſtroyed. We muſt learn for ever to take heed of medling with, or putting any thing of our own in the place of Gods Worſhip, we may think in reaſon this may be good, as well as that, we ſee no evil in this, why may not this way be as good as that way? Yea, but God he looks upon things according as he himſelf requires them: and therefore Calvin I remember upon this place (ſaith) God he pronounces that ſin and ſacriledg,Calvin in loc. and would have it deſtroyed, thoſe things that may pleaſe us; let us therefore reſt in his judgment, it's not our part to diſpute (ſaith he) about matters of Worſhip, we muſt not diſpute, & ſay, Why may not this be? and this may be for a good uſe, and a great deal of good may come of it, we muſt not ſtand diſputing with God, and debating the matter with God, for though it may be very ſpecious in our eyes, yet it may be very odious and abominable to the eyes of God.
It ſhall be deſtroyed.
Even all thoſe things that evil men makes uſe of for ſin ſhall one day be taken from them,Obſ. 6. you ſhall not alwaies have the creatures of God to abuſe them to ſin, there will be a time when God will deliver his creatures from this vanity that they are ſubject to. And then laſtly.
They ſhall be deſtroyed.
Mans ſin brings deſtruction upon the creatures.Obſ. 7. It is as poyſon in a glaſs that cauſes the glaſs to be broken and caſt upon the dunghil.
The Thorn and the Thiſtle ſhall come up on their Altars.
This expreſſion is, to note, the great vaſtation that ſhall be made in thoſe places where they had Altars in Bethel: (eſpecially, Samaria being beſieged for 3. years together.) The enemies had Bethel in their own hands and they manifeſted their rage upon their Altars,Expoſ. and upon all their Religious things preſently, they pull'd them down and made them lie in heaps of rubbiſh, that in the ſpace of three yeers the very thiſtles and thorns grew up in the place where they had their Alters. It's a uſual expreſſion of the devaſtation of a place, that the graſs ſhall grow where their houſes were, ſhall Corn grow where the City was, here there ſhall be Thiſtles and thorns grow where their Altars were.
And ſecondly, It's an expreſſion of indignation, as if God ſhould have ſaid, I'le take more delight to ſee the Thorns and Thiſtles grow out of the very rubbiſh of the Altars than of all the Images and brave pictures and gildings that are about them. Juſt as if it ſhould have been ſaid about the Service-Book, Oh now you honor it much, and it muſt be bound bravely, and gilt bravely, and ſtrung curiouſly, if one ſhould have ſaid about ſeven or eight yeers ago, This that you do ſo Idolize now, within a while it ſhall be but waſt papers, it ſhall be thrown to the Mice and Rats to eat, this would have been an expreſſion of indignation againſt it.
Obſ. Obſ. 1.Firſt, If it be ſad that places of falſe worſhip ſhould not be frequented as formerly they were wont to be, how much more ſad is it that places of true worſhip ſhould be neglected? as thus, They were wont to go to Bethel to worſhip with their Altars: yea, but ſaith God, they ſhall go no more thither, but thoſe places ſhall be fill'd with Nettles, Thorns, and and Thiſtles; they accounted that ſad. Yea, but we ſhould account it ſad that the pathes to the true Worſhip of God ſhould not be beaten, as in former times where there was an Altar (as it were) for the Worſhip of God, thoſe places that were frequented much; but had our Adverſaries had their wills we ſhould have had thoſe paths that were wont to be beaten to the true Worſhip of God, to have had Nettles and Thorns grown up in them.
Secondly,Obſ. 2. If it be ſo ſad to have ſuch an ill ſucceſſion here in falſe worſhip, ſad to falſe worſhipers, what ſadneſs is there for the true Worſhipers of God to have an ill ſucceſſion in the Church? Truly much like me thinks it is, when there hath been in a place a godly and a powerful Miniſtry, and afterwards for the ſins of the people God takes it away, and inſtead of a powerful Miniſtry there comes up a pricking Thorn, a Bryar, a Thiſtle, a Nettle, there comes an unworthy man of no gifts or gra…es, but only can gall and prick, and do hurt and miſchief, this is a ſucceſſion like to the ſucceſſion that God here threatned, that there ſhould be Thiſtles and Thorns ſucceed their Altars. And Hierom upon the place ſeems to hint ſome ſuch kind of meditation, he ſaith, inſtead of true Doctrine,Solitudo peſſimae doctrinae. there ſhall be a wilderneſs of very corrupt Doctrine, where there was true Doctrine taught, now it ſhall lie waſt as a wilderneſs,Hier. in loc. and corrupt Doctrine ſhall be taught inſtead of true.
Thirdly,Obſ. 3. God doth account the ruin of the moſt glorious things abuſed to ſin, a more pleaſing object, than when thoſe things were in the greateſt pomp and glory. Brave building, and brave Altars when they were rubbiſh and grown over with Thorns, and Bryars,Mens abuſed bodies. God lookt upon them as more glorious. And ſo if a man hath a very beautiful comely body and abuſe it to ſin, when God ſhall ſtrike him, and he ſhall be a filthy rotten carkaſs that the worms ſhall be gnawing upon, when he ſhall be covered with worms as a filthy carkaſs, God will look upon that as a more lovely ſight than to ſee his body deck'd with all kind of ornaments.Better the creature periſh than be abuſed. Better that the creature periſh than to have it abuſed to ſin, though it be the moſt glorious creature in the world.
And then laſtly,Obſ. 4 Thoſe things that men account highly of in the matters of Worſhip, when God lets in their enemies they contemn them. They accounted highly of their Calves, but when the Aſſyrians came they contemn'd them, and pull'd them down, and made them rubbiſh. It's not only ſo in matters of falſe worſhip, but in matters of true; thoſe things that we highly eſteem and bleſs God for, and we think what infinite pity it is that they ſhould not be continued, yet if God ſhould let our Adverſaries in they would ſcorn us. As now, ſuch liberties as theſe are, what infinite pity were it that people ſhould be deprived of them, but if God ſhould let our Adverſaries in upon us they would ſcorn and contemn theſe things, as the Aſſyrians did contemn thoſe things that the Iſraelites did account to be as God. It follows.
They ſhall ſay to the Mountains, Cover us, and to the Hills, Fall on us.
This is an expreſſion to ſhew,Expoſ. 1. Firſt, the dreadfulneſs of their miſery. It ſhould be ſuch a great miſery as ſhould make them be weary of their lives, ſhould make them rather deſire death than life.
Secondly, It is to note the wonderful deſperation that in the apprehenſion and ſence of this their miſery they had no whither to go for help, but their hearts ſhould diſpair, and all the help that they ſhould expect was, to have the Mountains fall upon them, and the Hills to cover them. Now this expreſſion I find Chriſt makes uſe of in the ſetting out the miſery of the deſtruction of the Jews by the Romans afterwards,Luke, 23. 30. in Luke, 23. 30. and ſo I find the holy Ghoſt in expreſſing the miſery of the Antichriſtian party, when the wrath of God ſhould come out upon them, their miſery ſhall be ſo great, as to cry to the Mountains to fall upon them,Rev. 6. 16 and the Hills to cover them, in Revel. 6. 16. there the Princes and the great men, and mighty men, and Captains, they call upon the Mountains to fall upon them and the Hills to cover them. I remember reverend Mr. Brightman upon that very Scripture interpreting, the great men,See Mr Brightm. in Revel. 6. 16. and the mighty men calling to the mountains to fall upon them, and the hills to cover them, he ſaith, That it was fulfil'd in the time of Conſtantine, when the Heathen Emperors were vanquiſhed, and he doth interpret it upon Diocleſian that he was ſo terrified in apprehenſion of the wrath of the Lamb that Chriſt did appear againſt him, that he drank poyſon and kild himſelf. And Maximian ended his life with a haltar, and hanged himſelf. Galerius died of a moſt noiſom and filthy diſeaſe. Maximinus that he might prevent his death he likewiſe murdered himſelf. And ſo Maxentius ran into the bottom of Tiberis to hide himſelf there. And thus they did ſeek by ſeveral waies to hide themſelves from the ſight of the Lamb by violent deaths.
I ſuppoſe all of you do underſtand cleerly that it is meant an expreſſion of great anguiſh and deſperation; but yet that we may ſee why the holy Ghoſt makes uſe of this expreſſion rather than others, and to find out the reaſon of it, you muſt know that the expreſſion doth ariſe from hence;The Land of Canaan. the Land of Canaan (where the Prophet here Propheſies) it was a Land full of Mountains and Hills, and theſe Mountains were ſtony and rocky (many of them) and they were wont therefore to dig places in the mountains that were ſtony and rocky for ſafety in caſe they ſhould be in any great danger,The cuſtom of the Iews in time of danger. to dig ſuch holes that they may run into, and that by their narrow paſſage they might be able to keep out an enemy from them; and therefore I remember I find in Joſephus 14. Joſephus Antiq. lib. 14. cap. 27 De Bello Iudaic. lib. 1, cap. 12.Book of Antiquities, 27. Chap. and ſo his Book of the Jewiſh Wars, the 1. Book, and 12. Chap. he ſaith, That thoſe that were Theeves and Robbers they would make uſe of ſuch Caves and Dens in the Mountains and Hills; and now to theſe the Scripture doth allude, and by this you may be helped to underſtand divers places of Scripture,Iſa. 2. 19. …lluſtrated in Iſa. 2. 19. And they ſhall go into the holes of the Rocks, and into the caves of the Earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his Majeſty, when he ariſes to ſhake terribly the Earth. They ſhould go then into the holes of the Rocks and caves of the Earth, for they were wont to uſe ſuch things there much.Pſ. 11. 1. alſo. And ſo that Scripture in Pſal. 11. 1. In the Lord put I my truſt: how ſay ye to my ſoul, Flee as a bird to your Mountain? In times of danger they were wont to flee to thoſe Mountains.Pſ. 121. 1 in like manner. And ſo in Pſal. 121. 1. I will lift up mine eyes unto the Hills from whence cometh my help: not only to the Temple, but to the Hills, becauſe in time of danger they were wont to think of the Hills: But (ſaith David) I lift up my heart to God, and that ſhall be to me inſtead of an hundred holes in Hills.Pſ. 36. 6. by the ſame. And in Pſal. 36. 6. Thy Righteouſneſs is like the great Mountains. It's not only becauſe the Mountains ſtand ſteadily and ſtrongly, but becauſe the Mountains were places of refuge and ſhelter. So the Saints have refuge in the faithfulneſs of God, as they did run to the holes in the Mountains, and therefore God is call'd a ſtrong Rock that the Righteous run to; why? not only becauſe a Rock is ſtrong and cannot be removed, yea, but what ſafety is there: Suppoſe a man run to the Rock, cannot the enemies follow him and take him in the Rock? Therefore it is not only meant when it is ſaid, God is as a Rock, not only becauſe the faithfulneſs of God is ſteady as a Rock, but becauſe they had caves and holes in the Rocks that they were wont to run to in time of danger, therefore God is call'd a Rock.And Pſal. 95. 4. And ſo, The ſtrength of the Hills is his alſo, in Pſal. 95. 4. Theſe Scriptures we may underſtand by this, by underſtanding the manner what they were wont to do in their Mountains.with Pſal. 94. 22, In Pſal. 94. 22. But the Lord is my defence, and my God is the Rock of my refuge.
But yet further, that we may underſtand the meaning of this expreſſion: Becauſe when in times of danger they ran to the Mountains, and to the Rocks, and Holes, into their Caves, they conſidered when they were there, Oh! the enemy if he ſhould come upon us, how ſad would our condition be? Oh! that rather this Mountain that is now over us, I would rather that it ſhould ſink down and fall upon me than the enemy ſhould take me, and this Hill that I am got into a hole of, for my refuge, it were well if this ſhould ſink down and preſs me to nothing. This I take to be the meaning of this Phraſe, & the riſe of it; they deſpiſed the Mountain of God, the going up to his Mountain, but now they would be glad to have ſo much uſe of theſe Mountains that they might cruſh them in pieces. From thence there are theſe Notes.
Firſt,Obſ. 1. Oh! the Alteration that God can make in Cities and Kingdoms: They who were proud and ſcornful ere while, are now ſo diſtreſſed as would think themſelves happy to be cruſh'd by Mountains and Hills.
Secondly,Obſ. 2. Hence we may learn how great is the miſery of falling into the hands of our enemies, for that's the meaning; when the Aſſyrians ſhould come againſt them, and they were beſieged for three years together, they knew how ſavigely the Enemies had uſed others in the Country, ſo that they deſired to die under the Mountains rather than to fal into their hands; the great miſery there is in falling into the hands of Enemies.Joſephus. And I remember Joſephus in one of the forenamed places gives us a notable ſtory of this, he tels us of ſome that did run into the Mountains and Holes for ſafety, and Herod he purſued them, and among others there was an old man, and he had ſeven Children and his Wife with him,A lamentable ſtory. but rather than he would fal into Herods hands, he call'd his Children one by one unto the mouth of the Cave that he had made in the Mountain, and when one came he kil'd that before the Enemy, and he cal'd another and kill'd him, and ſo he did till he had killed all the ſeven, and killed them Himſelf, and afterwards his Wife, and when he had caſt their dead bodies down the Rock, he threw himſelf down head-long after them, and ſo he ſlew himſelf, and all this rather than he would fall into the hands of his Enemies. Certainly there is wonderful miſery. Some of you perhaps have ſeen or felt ſomewhat, but that that you have felt and ſeen hath been nothing to what was like to be, had the Enemies gotten full power; He was fain to deal fairly to get people to himſelf, but cruelty doth break out now and then, and by that you may ſee what ſhould have been generally if the Lord ſhould deliver you into the power of the Enemy: Let us bleſs God then that we are delivered from that, that we have no ſuch cauſe to cry out to the Mountains to cover us and the Hills to fall upon us.
Thirdly,Obſ. 3. The wrath of God, Oh! how dreadful is it? there is nothing ſo fearful as the wrath of God: One would think that, that which theſe poor people ſhould deſire here ſhould be dreadful enough, to have the Mountains fall upon them, and the Hils to cover them: Oh! but 'tis not ſo dreadful as Gods wrath; take all the terrors in the world they are nothing to the wrath of the Almighty when that is apprehended: ſometimes the wrath of God lies more heavie upon a mans Conſcience than a thouſand Mountains: And (my brethren) if it be ſo dreadful in outward judgments, how dreadful is it like to be when it ſhal come to be fully powred out upon the wicked and ungodly? In Revel. 9. 6. Rev. 9. 6.They ſhall ſeek for death, and ſhall not find it; they ſhall deſire to die, and death ſhall flee from them (ſaith the text) Oh! when Gods wrath appears againſt the ungodly, it will be dreadful, eſpecially when the full vials of it comes to be powred out.
And further,Obſ. 4. To live in miſery is worſe than preſent dreadful death: to live in a lingring way of miſery is worſe than preſent death even in this world. Suetonius L. 3. C. 6. Nondum tecum in gratiam redii.I remember Suetonius tels of Tiberius Caeſar, that there was one that he had adjudged to death, and he that was adjudged to die, petitioned to him, that he might have his diſpatch. He anſwers him thus, Sir, you and I are not friends yet, you muſt not die, you muſt be kept in miſery. It is worſe than death many times to be kept in a lingring way of miſery, it is ſo, even in regard of the miſeries of this world, Oh! how much worſe than death is it then to be kept under the wrath of God to all eternity? How fearful is it to live in miſery for ever then, and never to die? Why it's better, certainly Sence would apprehend it better for a man to be diſpacht preſently than to live in lingring miſery: yet, if we did know all, it were better to live in the greateſt miſery in the world (for a wicked man) than to die the faireſt death; thou wert better to live as a Dog, a Toad, yea, as a ſtock-log at the back of the fire (if it were poſſible) than to die, if thou kneweſt all (being a wicked man) but however hereafter in Hell, then it were better if it were poſſible to periſh than to live ſo as thou haſt, yet then thou ſhalt not die, though it would be the greateſt happineſs to thee; if thou ſhouldeſt after a thouſand yeers cry to God, Oh Lord, that Mountains might fall upon me! The Lord would anſwer: You and I are not friends yet; and if after a thouſand years more thou ſhouldeſt cry, Oh Lord that I might be cruſh'd to pieces: the Lord would anſwer you ſtill, You and I are not yet friends.Bernard lib. 5. de conſid. c. 12 Saith Bernard, Oh! I tremble to think of that, that I ſhould fall into the hands of living death, and of dying life, where men do not die, that they might for ever die (ſaith he) they do die that they may for ever die, they are alwaies dying,A dreadful conſideration. but never die, but are kept by the Almighty power of God on purpoſe that they might be fewel for his wrath, and ſubjects for his revenging Juſtice to ſtrike upon.Uſe to the impatient. Oh! conſider of this you that are ſo ready to deſire death, becauſe you are in a lingering miſery at any time. Is a lingering miſery ſo evil? Then what will be the lingering evil of eternity?
Fifthly obſerve,Obſ. 5 The wonderful miſery of wicked men in their affliction, they have no whither to go for help, they have not God, they have no refuge, but to the mountains and hills, and what's their refuge there but that they may fall upon them? Oh the difference between a Saint of God and a wicked man in times of affliction? When in times of affliction thou (if thou beeſt wicked) ſhalt rage and be mad and know not whither to go, and the uttermoſt help that thou canſt think to have is from the Hills and Mountains to fall upon thee, but then the Saints of God ſhall be able to look up to Heaven, and Cry, Heaven is open for us, open to receive my ſoul, Angels come and guide it, and bear it in, Oh Arms of Mercy, Bowels of Mercy, ſpread open your ſelves to imbrace me: here's a difference. And is not this better than to cry to mountains to fall upon thee, and hills to cover thee? And yet ſuch a difference in mens eſtates doth ſin and godlineſs make.
And then the laſt is,Obſ. 6. Oh the wonderful evil of deſpair! what a dreadful thing is deſperation? It ſuggeſts nothing elſe, the greateſt benefit it doth ſuggeſt it is to be cruſh'd in pieces:Deſpair chuſes cruſhing, ſtrangling, ſtabbing, drowning, &c. ſo the help that many have, it is a halter to ſtrangle them, a knife to murder them, the water to drown them. Oh deſperation is a dreadful thing. Francis Spira feeling the dreadfulneſs of deſperation, Cries out, Verily deſperation is Hell its ſelf. Upon all this Luther concludes with this exhortation: Oh let us ſtir up our ſelves to the fear of God,Fr. Spira. Luther in loc. let us fly Idolatry, let us beautifie the Word by our holy lives, and pray to Chriſt that we might eſcape ſuch things as theſe are, that God inflicts upon the contemners of his Word. If you would not come into this wonderful deſpairing condition, Oh learn to fall down before the Word, fear God now that you may not deſpair; you that contemn, and ſlight, and ſcorn the Word now, this may prove to be your portion ere long, that this deſperate cry may be the greateſt eaſe that your forſaken ſouls can have.