An Exposition of Hosea 8-10, Exposition · Chapter · Verse 5
VER. 5.
Thy Calf, O Samaria, hath caſt thee off.
THY Calf, O Samariah. He calls the Idol a calf by way of contempt.Calf of Samaria why ſo called. But why is it called the Calf of Samaria? It was not ſet up in Samaria: There is two Calves only that we reade of, and yet here it is call'd the Calf of Samaria. The reaſon is this; that Samaria was the chief City, and becauſe the Calf was by the power and riches, and countenance of the chief City of the Land maintained, therefore it is call'd the Calf of Samaria; Where that's corrupted, the whol Land wil quickly be corrupted, & where that ſtands right it goes well wth the whol Land: that's the reaſon why the Adverſaries ſeek to corrupt and overthrow our chief Citie. As all did depend upon what Samaria did, therefore the corruption of falſe worſhip is attributed to Samaria, it is thy Calf Oh Samaria. And therefore if God had not moved the hearts of the People of this City,London. but we had brought Popery in, it might have been ſaid, it was the Popery of London: and whereas on the other ſide, if God pleaſe to work their ſpirits right to go on to the end, the children not yet born may have cauſe to bleſs this Citie, and ſay, This is the Reformation that we may bleſs London for.
It hath caſt thee off.
Hath caſt thee off from me, ſo ſome have it. But rather as you have it in your books, Thy Calf hath caſt thee off. Whence note.
That though Idolaters promiſe to themſelves ſafety and protection by their Idols, Obſer.yet they will leave them at laſt. All you that go on in the waies of ſin, know that thoſe waies of ſin of yours will leave you in the lurch at the laſt: as they ſay, the Devil leaves the Witches when they come to the priſon: when Judas went to the Scribes and Phariſees in the anguiſh of his ſpirit and caſt down the money and ſaid, I have ſinned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. What's that to us (ſay they) ſee thou to that? Therfore the beſt way is to caſt off our ſin and wickedneſs firſt. But God will not do thus, God will not caſt off his People in the time of trouble, and when our unbeleeving hearts do think that God will caſt us off in the time of trouble we make God an Idol, as if God would do as the Idols did, caſt us off. We may in Gods Cauſe be brought into ſtraights but God will never caſt us off in them, when we are ready to think our ſelves to be utterly forſaken in ſtraights, then God may be working the greateſt good for us; we have a moſt notable Scripture for that in Iſa. 49. 13, and 14. verſes, Sing Oh Heavens, and be joyful Oh Earth, and break forth into ſinging Oh Mountains; for God hath comforted His People, and will have mercy upon His afflicted. But mark, Zyon ſaid, the Lord hath forſaken me. They were in a ſinging condition, and God calls the Heavens to ſing, and the Earth to be joyful, and the Mountains to break forth into ſinging, becauſe of ſo great a work that God was making for His People: but Zyon ſaid, The Lord hath forſaken me. And ſo it is with particular ſouls, they are ready to ſay, the Lord hath forſaken me, but God will not do ſo.
Mine anger is kindled againſt them.
When wicked men are brought into the greateſt ſtraits then Gods wrath is hotteſt,Excanduit [as in hot Iron there is whiteneſs mixt with the redneſs] and then alſo Conſcience belks and burns moſt hot; as mens countenances change red and pale ſometimes with anger, ſo it is ſaid here, that even the countenance of God grow red and pale with His anger againſt this people. Though ſuperſtitious men may think that outward pompous worſhipping pleaſes God moſt, yet we ſee here that it doth ſtir up the anger of God, ſo that God grows even pale againſt them with anger.
How long will it be ere they attain to innocency.
Mens hearts are ſtubborn in their own waies, they will not be taken off, wicked men will be true to their own principles, there is a ſtubborn conſtancy in evil, as well as a gracious conſtancy in good, How long will it be?
Again ſecondly, God is very patient a long time. Then,
Thirdly: Continuence in ſin is no excuſe but an aggravation of ſin to make it grievous to God; when God chaſtiſes us we are ready to cry, How long Lord? Will he reretain his anger for ever? Know that our continuance in ſin, is as great a burden to Gods Spirit, he cries out when will they be made clean, when ſhall it once be? and in Jer. 4. 14. ver. Oh Jeruſalem waſh thine heart from wickedneſs that thou maieſt be ſaved; how long ſhall thy vain thoughts lodg within thee.
Ere they attain to innocency.
The words are,foreign He cannot attain; that is, he is ſo deeply engaged that he cannot attain to innocency:Non poterunt innocentiam. when men are engaged in evil waies they cannot get out.
Take heed of engagements in that which is evil.Obſ. 1.
Secondly,Obſ. 2. If by cuſtom and engagement in evil we have no power to get out, this will be no excuſe to us. In 2 Pet. 2. 14. They have eyes full of adultry, Non poterunt ferre innocentiam.and they cannot ceaſe to ſin: This is the aggravation of ſin, no excuſe. A learned man of late hath an excellent Note upon this, They cannot bear innocency: and indeed according to the Hebrew this may as well be added for explication, for in the Hebrew there is nothing elſe but this, They cannot innocency; the word attain, is not in the Hebrew, and it may very well ſute with the time wherein Hoſea did propheſie; and the meaning is this: They cannot bear with thoſe who will not joyn with them but will go to Jeruſalem to worſhip, and this provokes the Spirit of God againſt them, becauſe they cannot bear thoſe that would ſeek to free themſelves from defilements in the Worſhip of God: there is nothing in the world wherein men cannot leſs bear one with another than in diſſentions about the worſhip of God, and commonly the Nocent party is the moſt bitter againſt the Innocent; as the Lutherans they were worſe in their waies than the Calviniſts, ſpecially in the point of ſuperſtition, but they were a great deal more bitter againſt the Calviniſts than the Calviniſts were againſt them; it was an expreſſion that Calvin hath, Though Luther (ſaith he) ſhould call me Devil, yet I would honor him, as a Servant of Jeſus Chriſt.
The word here that is tranſlated Innocency, foreignſignifies cleanneſs: falſe worſhip whatſoever holines may ſeem to be in it yet they are not clean, but Gods Worſhip is clean, the fear of the Lord is clean: it is ſuch wickednes as if God ſhould ſay, You are never like to waſh off the guilt of it as long as you live, it is not ſo eaſie to get off the guilt of ſuperſtitious worſhip as men are aware of, we cannot but acknowledg to our own ſhame that we have ſullied our ſelves wth ſuperſtition formerly, we had need waſh and rinſe our hearts again and again, and be willing to lie abroad a froſting whol nights, that we might be clenſed from the filth that we heretofore have defiled our ſelves withal, yea we ſhould not think much, nor mervail though the fire of Gods wrath comes out againſt us and burn hot and long, if it may be but to purge us and not deſtroy us, it is well; for it is not eaſie to be clenſed from ſuperſtition; it is only the blood of the immaculate Lamb that is able to clenſe it, (this filth) it ſticks very faſt. And ſo much for the fifth verſe.