An Exposition of Hosea 8-10, Exposition · Chapter · Verse 10
VER. 10.
Yea, though they have hyred among the Nations; now will I gather them, and they ſhall ſorrow a little for the burden of the King of Princes.
THESE words in the reading of them ſeem to be dark, and yet we have much of the mind of God in them, and much concerning our ſelves.
Yea, though they have hyred among the Nations.
This God ſtill takes ill that they ſhould go to the Nations for help,Explicatī. when God had made their condition ſo much above the Nations, for in their going to them they did as it were ſay, that all the love and mercy, and protection from the great God it was no more towards them than the Nations had, they did (as it were) hold forth to the world that the Nations were rather in a better condition than themſelves, in that they would go to the Nations for their help; and this went very neer to the heart of God, for God had laid out the very ſtrength of his love, and the riches of his mercy upon this people, and after he had done ſo much for them yet that they (becauſe they were in ſome little afflictions for the preſent, that they) ſhould go to the Nations that did for the preſent proſper ſomewhat outwardly better than themſelves Oh! this was exceeding grievous to the heart of God: and thence the Note is this.
That it is a very great evil, Obſ. 4.when wicked men ſeem to proſper a little in their outward condition more than Gods People; for thoſe that are the people of God to begin to think that therefore thoſe wicked ones are in a better condition than themſelves, this is an evil that doth go very much to the heart of God;Admonition to Saints. and very ordinarily it is in ſome degree or other among the People of God, I appeal to your conſciences in this very thing, though at ſome time your ſouls have had ſweet refreſhing from the Lord in the enjoyment of communion with him, but yet when Gods hand hath been out againſt you, when you look'd upon others though you knew them to be wicked and ungodly yet they have proſpered, their Ships came home ſafely and richly, and their trading goes on; Do you not ſometimes find ſuch riſing of your thoughts within you as if ſo be that theſe men were in a …etter condition than your ſelves? Oh! if you have but the leaſt thought riſing that way, know it is that which doth exceedingly grieve the Spirit of God by which you are ſeal'd, that becauſe they have a few loaves more than you, though you have all the riches of God and Chriſt, though you have the inheritance of Saints, yet that you ſhould think them in a better condition than you are in:ſimile. As a child, if he ſees ſome ſtranger have a bit of meat better than he hath, he ſhould think preſently that his father loves the ſtranger better than him; this the father takes ill. How ordinary is it upon this ground for thoſe that have profeſt themſelves to be godly rather to withdraw themſelves from the afflicted Saints, and ſeek correſpondence with wicked men that proſper. God would have his people ſee an al ſufficiency in himſelf in their ſadeſt condition, ſo as they need not go out from him for help, but ſtill wait upon him and keep his way; the Lord by his Prophet rebukes Jehoſhaphat in 2 Chron. 19. 2. for loving the ungodly and helping them that hate the Lord. And is there not as great an evil to ſeek the love of the wicked and ungodly and help from them that hate the the Lord? certainly the evil is very great, it argues very little love that we have to God, it charges God of unfaithfulneſs, as if though he hath engaged himſelf to his people, yet he would leave them in the lurch; this encourages the wicked in their wicked waies, and it charges God with that which is accounted one of the moſt vile things among men. What is accounted one of the vileſt things among men, that a man ſhould ſet another men about his work, and then leave them in the lurch when they meet with troubles in their work? It is as vile a thing as any is among men, and we ſhould look upon ſuch men as ſhould imploy others in any ſervice and then leave them to ſhift for themſelves in their ſtraights, we ſhould look upon them as vile men, unworthy to be dealt withal. Now what would we but charge God with this, even that which makes men to be moſt vile?
And this beſides is a moſt deſperaee folly ſo to do, for when thou art thinking to provide for thy ſelf by correſpondence with ungodly men, it may be thou wert juſt at the very point of deliverance at that very time; it is Gods uſual way to come to help his people when they are in the greateſt ſtraights; and therefore it is the greateſt folly that when we are in ſtraights then to think of ſhifting courſes, ſo that then we muſt forſake our own mercy in thinking of ſhifting courſes; in ſtraights above all times Chriſtians ſhould take heed of thinking of ſhifting courſes, becauſe then above all times thoſe are the times for God to ſhew his mercy, and juſt then: Wilt thou then be forſaking him? Oh! it is that which ſhould lie neer to your hearts, if any of you have been guilty of this, let but the Word of God bring this upon your ſpirits this day, Oh! how do I know but at that very time when I took ſuch a ſhifting courſe, that was the very time that God was about to do my ſoul good and of doing good for my body, and yet then I deprived my ſelf of good, that goodneſs and mercy of God? It follows yet,
Now will I gather them.
This gathering among Interpreters hath reference either to the Nations whom they ſought unto,Explicat. or to themſelves. I will gather them; that is, That Nation; or, I will gather you. If to the Nation, then the ſcope is thus:
Notwithſtanding you hire the Nations, yet I will gather them againſt you, they ſhall be ſtrengthened againſt you with the ſame money that you hyre them withal, I will turn it againſt you, and now you have provided fair for your ſelves, have you not?
Many times when we think to provide beſt for our own peace, Obſ. 1.we make the greateſt proviſion for our own ruin: God many times makes people work their own wo and ruin themſelves, and there is no means that doth more fully and directly tend to undo them than what they do themſelves; and thus God over rules the counſels and thoughts of men.
What a vain thing is it to plot againſt God, when God can turn mens Arrows againſt themſelves? No men are greater inſtruments of Gods wrath (many times) againſt us than we are our ſelves, yea, and than thoſe are that we ſeek moſt to correſpond withal; and it is juſt with God it ſhould be ſo, that if we wil leave him, to ſeek correſpondence with wicked men, it is juſt with God that of all men in the world thoſe ſhould be the men that ſhould be made the Executioners of Gods wrath upon us.
But now,Explic. 2. foreign colligore. if it be to Iſrael, I will gather them among the Nations. Then the word here gathered is ſometimes uſed for gathering dead corps in an Army when they are ſlain in Battel. You go and think to have the Nations, but you ſhall be as a company of dead corps in an Army, and lie in heaps there. But I find Calvin hath a further Note upon it, and takes it as having reference to the former verſe. This people are wild, and run up and down, this way and that way to ſhift for themſelves, Calvin in loc. Colligā eos, retinebo eos.but I will gather them; that is, I will keep the… in; ſo the words likewiſe may ſignifie, I will keep them in, I will gather-in their ſpirits, there ſhall be ſome work of prudence or other to keep them in, I will keep them from thoſe waies wherein they would preſently have ruined themſelves.
People run many times headily on in evil waies that would certainly ruin them;Obſ. 2. but when Gods time for the execution of his wrath is not yet come, the Lord reſtrains them and keeps them in from ſuch waies; though their hearts be ſet upon ſuch waies of undoing themſelves, yet they ſhall not go on in them, I will pity them who cannot pity themſelves. But then it follows (in which the greateſt difficulty of the verſe is.)
And they ſhall ſorrow a little for the burden of the King of Princes.
This hath more darkneſs in it,Explic. in 5. parti…ulars. and yet upon the ſearching into it, we ſhall ſee it cleer, and many excellent Truths cleered from it. There are theſe Five Things to be enquired after for the opening of theſe words.
Firſt, Who is this King of Princes that is here meant.
Secondly, What was this burden of the King of Princes.
Thirdly, Why doth he call this the burden? Or rather thirdly thus, When was this threat fulfilled, that they ſhould ſorrow for the burden of the King of Princes.
Fourthly, Why doth he call it the burden of the King of Princes?
Fiftly, What's meant by ſorrowing a little.
Theſe five things will cleer the text. Indeed we cannot ſee the full meaning of the holy Ghoſt without underſtanding ſomewhat of theſe five.
Firſt,King of Princes, i.e. The King of Aſſyria. Who is meant by the King of Princes. We are here to underſtand the King of Aſſyria, becauſe he was a great King whoſe Nobles were Princes, and we find this both by Scripture and likewiſe by humane Story; in 2 King. 18. 24. How then wilt thou turn away the face of one Captain of the leaſt of my Maſters Servants. And in Iſa. 36. 13. Hear the word of the great King, the King of Aſſyria. And how wilt thou turn away the face of the Captains of the leaſt of my Maſters Servants. His Captains and Nobles were as Princes.Joſeph. lib. 1. cap. 10. Antiq. à Princip. And ſo Joſephus in his 1. Book, 10. Chapter, as I remember ſaith, That at the time before Sodoms deſtruction, the Aſſyrians were Lords of All Aſia, ſo that the Aſſyrian was a great King, and here called the King of Princes.
Thus God ſuffers his enemies to grow great in the world,Obſ. 3. an Aſſyrian, a dog, a wicked wretch under the curſe of God, and yet is he the great King, even the King of Princes; as Luther hath ſuch an expreſſion concerning the Empire of Turkie, Luther▪it is (ſaith he) but one crum that the great Maſter of the family doth caſt to dogs. What are your eſtates then? Certainly though you be never ſo great in the world, what's any of your eſtates to the whol Turkiſh Empire? and if that be but a crum that the great Maſter of the family caſts to a dog, you ſhould never then bleſs your ſelves in the enjoyment of a little of the world. But though the Aſſyrian may be called the King of Princes in regard of his power over ſome great men,Ieſus Chriſt the true King of Princes. yet moſt properly our Lord Jeſus Chriſt he is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords: in Revel. 19. 16. and he hath on his Veſture, and on his Thigh a name written,Revel. 16. 19. opened KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Why was it written upon his Veſture, and why upon his Thigh?1. Openly. Ʋpon his Veſture, That is, he will appear openly to be the King of Kings; there was a time when Chriſt ſeem'd to be (as it were) a ſervant under the dominion of Antichriſt,2. Church militant. but now his name ſhall be upon his Veſture, openly; and then upon his Thigh; that is, upon his lower parts, his Church Militant, it ſhall have the Kingly power among them for its good, ſo as they ſhall be above the Nations, according to the Propheſie in Iſa. 60. 13. He will make the place of his feet glorious. (the Church in their low condition) He doth not ſay,Iſa. 16. 13 illuſtrated. he will have the name upon his Crown, but upon his Thigh, that is, upon his lower parts, upon his people, that were in a low condition, he will make the very place of his feet to be glorious, even there ſhall be written, The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
But Secondly,2. Burthen. What was this burden? This burden was thoſe Taxes that were upon the people, whereby they maintained their correſpondence with this King of Aſſyria: correſpondence with wicked men it is burdenſom: for the the more they are ſought to, and yeelded to, ordinarily the more burdenſom they are: and whatſoever they do for you for a while, it is indeed to ſerve their own ends, and this they brought upon themſelves: for they would go to Aſſyria, and they found the Aſſyrians to be burdenſom to them.
When men will follow their own waies,Uſe. Follow not thine own waies. and think to have more eaſe in their own way than in Gods, it is juſt they ſhould find thoſe waies to be burdenſom to them. I am perſwaded there is not one in this Congregation but hath found the experience of this; when you think your waies will bring more eaſe to you than Gods waies, have not you found your waies burdenſom?
But thirdly, When was this fulfilled? If we would know the meaning of the Prophet we muſt refer to the Hiſtory of the Kings, and in 2 Kings, 15. 19. there you may find when this Propheſie was fulfil'd. Phul the King of Aſſyria came againſt the Land, and Menahem gave Phul a thouſand talents of ſilver that his hand might be with him to confirm the Kingdom in his hand.2 Kings, 15. 19. And Menahem exacted the money of Iſrael, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty ſheckles of ſilver to give to the King of Aſſyria. There was one burden. And then in the 29. ver. In the daies of Pekah King of Iſrael, came Tig…ath-Pile…er King of Aſſyria, and took Jion, and Abel-Beth maachah, and Jauoah, and Kedeſh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the Land of Nephtalie, and carried them captive to Aſſyria. There was a further burden. But yet the whol Land was not, it was only the other ſide of Jordan: at theſe two times was this Scripture fulfil'd.
Fourthly,4. Burden of the King of Princes. Why doth the holy Ghoſt ſay, The burden of the King of Princes? In ſpeaking of the burden that was upon the people he doth give the Aſſyrian ſuch an Epithite? Why it ſeems to be a dimunition of their burden rather than any aggravation; for he ſpeaks of ſorrowing but a little, as if it ſhould not be ſo great a burden as afterwards ſhould be upon them, no…ing thus, That they were burdened a while with Taxations from a great King, but they ſhould afterwards come under the power, to be at the wils & luſts of al kind of baſe people, of the very dregs of people: And it is not ſo great an evil to be under the power of men of rank and quality, no not under their oppreſſion, as to be under the oppreſſion of many people, of people that are of very mean quality and condition, the very refuſe of a Nation, to come to be under their power it's a great deal worſe.
And by the way this Note it ſhould teach us, even thoſe that are of mean breeding, and whoſe lives have been very low in the world, of mean condition, if they be put into place of any power and Authority, to take heed how they behave themſelves, for their oppreſſion will be the moſt grievous to an ingenuous ſpirit that poſſibly can be. And there is a great deal of danger in them to grow more oppreſſing than other men that were born to greatneſs, and their oppreſſion wil be ſo intolerable as wil bring the greateſt confuſion that poſſibly can be if that be not well lookt to. And therefore here when he would leſſen the burden, (ſaith he) you ſhall ſorrow a little for tht burden of the King of Princes.
But what is it? You ſhall ſorrow a little. They complained, but ſaith God, what do you complain of this? this is but a little burden to that which you are like to have, there's another manner of burden a coming for you than this; and from hence the Notes are theſe.
Firſt,Obſ. 1. When ſinners have brought trouble upon themſelves they will complain much, exceedingly troubled; but when they complain they are to conſider, that what they feel it is but a little to what's coming after. There are burdens upon you, and you are complaining of theſe burdens, as if ſo be that they were the greateſt that ever were upon people,Uſe. Admonitiō to Engl. Oh ſinner! conſider of this when you are complaining of your burdens, know, that theſe burdens that are upon you may prove to be but very trifles in compariſon of what's like to come upon you afterwards, for that's the ſcope of the holy Ghoſt here, They ſhall ſorrow a little for this burden, as if he ſhould ſay, There is other manner of ſorrow coming after, and ſo it did, for afterwards the Aſſyrians carried them all away captives, and the baſeſt of all the people came even to ſet their feet upon them, and therefore ſaith the holy Ghoſt, This is but a little: I ſpeak to thoſe that make not up their peace with God; and do not upon thoſe burdens that are upon them return to God. As the mercies of God to his Saints, that which now they have is but a little, they may be ſaid to rejoyce a little for the mercy that now they have. And ſo the burdens upon the ungodly they are but a little, but if they return not to God upon what they feel, God hath greater burdens than thoſe are that they ſo vex and fret under.
Secondly, Obſ. 2Taxes and Impoſitions upon mens eſtates are but a little burden in compariſon of being brought under the power of the Enemy.
Though there be ſore Taxes upon you,Uſe. as here there was fifty ſhekels of ſilver laid upon every man that was able, but thoſe Taxes are but little burdens in compariſon of being given up to the power of the Enemy, they would lay burdens indeed upon us, burdens upon our Conſciences, all our Eſtates, all our Lives, all our Liberties, whatſoever we are or have muſt be under their mercy; now we are troubled, but then their little finger will be more heavy than the loins that now we find to be upon us; although we dare not ſay but ſome may find burdens very ſore upon them for the preſent.
A third Note,Obſ. 3. is this; That, as Taxes are a burden, but a little in compariſon, ſo the carrying of our Brethren into captivity: Though we enjoy our Eſtates our ſelves, yet if God laies his hand upon any of our Brethren though in remote parts of the Kingdom, Oh we ſhould account this to be a burden. As not only their Taxations was a burden, but the carrying away of their Brethren that were beyond the River.
If there were no other ſin among us, it were juſt with God to bring the Enemy upon us, and then we ſhould find that there were other manner of burdens.
But there is another burden that we are not ſenſible enough of, and that is the captivity of our Brethren in the remote parts of this Land. Oh! how little ſenſible are we of it becauſe we feel it not our ſelves?
The fourth Note from hence is this,Obſ. 4 That it's Gods mercy when we are running on to our utter ruin, not to ſuffer us to plung our ſelves irrecoverably into miſery, but to bring leſſer evils upon us that by them we may come to bethink our ſelves, and if it be poſſible to prevent greater. You ſhall ſorrow a little, I will not undo you preſently; but return to me, or elſe you are utterly undone, but this is my Mercy, I wil bring afflictions upon you by piece-meal,[in that generality that they were carried away] and if you do not return to me, then you ſhall be utterly loſt; for ſo this people were, they were carried away captive and never returned to this very day. Oh! doth God come to you in your family, or perſon, or eſtate? Oh! let us conſider of this.
And this is the laſt note from it:Obſ. 5 The conſideration of little burdens which is upon us to what might be, ſhould cauſe us to turn to God; it ſhould break our hearts, and cauſe us to ſeek the face of God, that we may prevent greater evils, that otherwiſe will certainly come; the Lord in his dealing towards us ſeems as if he were loth to loſe us, and that this Nation ſhould periſh, Oh that this might work kindly upon our hearts to prevent greater evils, that we might not be made a ſpectacle of the wrath of God to all the Nations that are round about us.
And yet further,ab foreign incipiam à foreign exalto ſignif. The words tranſlated, They ſhall ſorrow a little, are by ſome tranſlated, They have begun a little for the burden of the King of Princes: And ſo in Deut. 2. 25. there is the word that comes from the ſame root, That that they have felt, it is but the beginning of what is like to come, my wrath is let out upon them in ſome degree already,Deut. 2. 25. and do not you ſee it, how it is begun to burn upon them? and that which was lately before your eyes, by that you may come to beleeve my threatnings.
Gods judgments againſt wicked men, Obſ. 1are the beginnings of further judgments. In Deut. 32. 42. I will make my Arrows drunk with blood (and my ſword ſhall devour fleſh) and that with the blood of the ſlain, Deut. 32. 42. illuſtrated.and of the captives, from the beginning of revenge upon the enemy. All this is but from the beginning of revenges, when I come ſo terribly upon them, it is but the beginning of revenges. We are ready to think if there be miſerable ſlaughters, Surely God hath been revenged enough upon this people. No, all this may prove but the begining of revenges.Uſe for England. I may ſay ſo concerning our ſelves, Though the Lord many times hath made the ſword drunk with blood, yet it may prove to be but the beginning of revenges; truly we cannot ſay that from the time that theſe Judgments have been upon us, that we have begun ſcarce to come in to turn to God, yea, th… …ate of the Kingdom is far worſe than it was at the beginning of this heavy ſtroke that is upon us. In Matth. 24. 7, 8. Ye ſhall hear of wars, and rumors of wars, and Nation ſhould riſe againſt Nation, and Kingdom againſt Kingdom, and there ſhall be famines and peſtilences, and earth-quakes: all theſe ſhould be but the beginning of ſorrows.
Secondly, God expects from men,Obſ. 2. that though they be not ſenſible of his threats, yet when he begins with them in way of execution of his wrath, they ſhould begin a little. Oh! it were well with us if we did prevent Gods heavy wrath by our repentance. Numbers. 16. 46. Moſes ſaid unto Aaron, Take a Cenſer, and put fire therein from off the Altar, and put on Incenſe, and go quickly to the Congregation, and make an atonement for them; for there is wrath gone out from the Lord, the plague is begun. Oh! how ſhould we all make haſt? we cannot ſay only, the plague is begun (the plague of Civil War, which is the greateſt of all kind of plagues) but it hath gone on a great way.
But to proceed.