An Exposition of Hosea 8-10, Exposition · Chapter 9 · Verse 17
VER. 17.
My God will caſt them away, becauſe they did not hearken unto him; and they ſhall be wanderers among the Nations.
MY God] Not their God,Expoſ. but my God. There's much to be obſerved from hence.
Firſt,Note. The Prophets conſtancy. They forſook God generally, the ten Tribes generally went away and forſook God, but the Prophet ſtill keeps cloſe to God.
Let all the world do what they will and forſake God and ſeek other comforts where they will, Obſ. 1.but ſtill (ſaith a faithful ſoul) God ſhall be my God. Hoſea he lived in wicked times, generally all the ten Tribes went away from God, but ſtill my God, my ſoul ſhall keep cloſe to God, I have choſen the LORD to be mine, and I have found that Soul-ſatisfying good in Him, that he ſhall be mine for ever, here will I reſt for ever; I have choſen the way of Gods true Worſhip, I will not ſute my ſelf with the common way of Worſhip where I live, but I will chuſe God to be my God whatſoever the world doth.
But ſecondly,Obſ. 2. this is the comfort of a gracious heart, In ill times when others forſake God, yet one that hath a gracious heart, can have God to be his God: Yea, and eſpecially when times of trouble comes, when ſore evils are ready to be upon the people generally, yet here's the comfort of a gracious heart, My God, bleſſed be God for that Intereſt I have in Him; they may take away my Houſe, my Eſtate, my Means, but they cannot take away my God, I have Intereſt yet in God, I have Intereſt ſtill in that God that they cannot take from me. This was the comfort of Micah, in Chap. 7. there he deſcribed the evil of the times wherein he lived,Micah, 7. 2. 4. 5. 7. Verſe 2. The good man is periſhed out of the earth, and there is none upright among men, they all lie in wait for blood, they hunt every man his brother with a net. And then in the 4. verſ. The beſt of them is a bryar, the moſt upright is ſharper than a thorn hedge. And then the 5. verſ. Truſt ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy boſom. But then in the 7. verſe, Therefore I will look unto the LORD, I will wait for the God of my ſalvation; my God will hear me. Oh my brethren! there may come times ere long that the knowledge of God, intereſt in God may be worth ten thouſand thouſand worlds unto us.
But in the third place:Obſ. 3. It is no preſumption for one, or for a few to challenge a ſpecial intereſt in God, in way of diſtinction from the multitude, and from the generality. So it is here: How ſingular was Hoſea at this time? This people might think him to be very preſumptuous; What, as if no body had intereſt in God but he, Is not God our God as well as his? He is bold to ſpeak this in way of diſtinction: You may forſake God and His Worſhip, but I have cleaved to God, He is my God. When multitudes and generality of men depart from God, yet for two or three, or a few that cleave to the true Worſhip of God, they may challenge God to be their God when he is none of the God of the multitude. In 1 Joh. 5. 17. you may ſee how ſingular John was there:1 Iob. 5. 17. We know that we are of God: and the whole World lieth in wickedneſs. How could the World take ſuch an expreſſion? What are you? a few poor people: and yet we know (ſaith he) that we are of God: and the whol World lieth in wickedneſs. What are you more than others? Yes, John knew, and would not be diſcouraged to affirm, that the World did lie in wickedneſs: and yet we know we are of God.
Let not men be offended at the fewneſs of thoſe that keep the Truth,Uſe. and the multitude of thoſe that forſake it. I remember Plutarch relates in the life of Phocion the Athenian, Plutarch.that upon a time there was an Oracle of Apollo Delphias read before the people, which did ſay, That although all the people did agree, yet there was one man amongſt them that diſſented from them: now the people began to ſtartle at this; But Phocion ſtepping forth before them all bid them never ſeek further for the man, for it was he that liked none of all their doings; and yet Phocion at length gained as much reſpect from them as ever any man did, and they choſe him (I think) fourty times to be Pretor for all that. And ſo let never ſo many go on in a way that thou canſt not ſee light in thy conſcience for, keep to thy principles, only examin them, (ſo far the reſpect we do owe to others muſt lead us) that if there be a greater party go one way than another,Keep to principles: we ſhould call things into the more neerer ſcrutine,but carefully examin them: we ſhould think we may poſſibly be rather in an error than they, and we ought to give all due reverence to the judgments of more men, and more learned and wiſe than our ſelves, but ſtill after all,and pray, praying to God to ſhew us his mind, and ſearching our own hearts to ſee whether there be no particular Engagement,and ſearth thy heart. and after all endeavors to find out the Truth, And yet then if God doth perſwade your conſciences after all means uſed, we ſhould not be diſcouraged becauſe the greater part go the other way, but keep to that which our conſciences tell us is the right. And thus it was with Hoſea, though they went generally another way, yet he could claim a particular interſt in God.
And then another point.
My God well caſt them away.
It is a dreadful thing for wicked men to have ſuch as have intereſt in God to declare againſt them.Obſ. God rejection of them, My God will caſt them away. Thoſe who have intereſt in God, who know Gods mind, and that ſuch a God as he is cannot have communion with ſuch people. Thus you know it was with Iſa. about the 57. and latter end,Iſa. 57. 21 There is no peace to the wicked, ſaith my God. He puts the emphaſis there, he ſaith not, there is no peace to the wicked,Uſe. ſaith God, but ſaith my God. Oh! when thoſe (I ſay) that have an intereſt in God, when ſuch as keep cloſe Communion with God, and thereby comes to be acquainted much with Gods mind, when they ſhall declare concerning you, do not ſlight it, it is a great matter then when they ſhall ſay, there is no peace; If any of them ſhould ſay: If I know any thing of the mind of God, If I have any Intereſt in God certainly there can be no peace to thee in ſuch a way as thou art in, take heed of the ſlighting of the very ſuſpition of men that are godly, and humble: It is true, many that may make very great profeſſion of Religion, they may be bold to ſuſpect and to cenſure others, that it may be are better than themſelves, but if I ſee one that walks humbly, ſtrict in his way, holy, and heavenly, and ſelf-denying in other things, if ſuch a man ſhould but have any ſuſpition of my condition, I had need look to it, it ſhould daunt my heart to have ſuch a Chriſtian look upon me but with a ſuſpitious eye, becauſe ſuch a one is much acquainted with God and his Way, and therefore take heed of ſlighting ſuch a one.
My God will caſt them away, Explic.with violence and with anger, as a man takes his ſtubborn child or ſervant, and thruſts them out of his houſe.
When men are violent in wickedneſs, Obſ. 1.they muſt expect that God will be as violent with them in the waies of his Judgments: Lam. 2. 6.and for that we have a notable Scripture in Lament. 2. 6. He hath violently taken away his Tabernacle. They abuſed that Ordinance of God, abuſed his Tabernacle, and he hath violently taken away his Tabernacle. Oh! unworthy wretched people, that ſhould enjoy mine Ordinances ſo, and abuſe them; he hath violently taken away, he comes in an anger:ſimile. As you ſhall ſee a man or woman when their paſſion is raiſed they will run and ſnatch away ſuch a thing from another.
Take heed of being violent in the waies of ſin,Uſe. you will caſt the Cords away,Pſal. 2. you will caſt away the Truths, as you had it before in Iſa. 5. ſo you caſt away the Truths of God,Iſa. 5. and his Cords away; take heed thou beeſt not a caſt-away thy ſelf, thoſe that are ſo full of caſting away Gods Truths, it's juſt with God that God ſhould caſt them away, as a man caſts away a loathſom thing; as thoſe are diſcribed in Iſa. 30. Iſa. 30.That caſt away their Idols as a menſtruous cloth, and ſaith, Get theee hence: And you perhaps caſt away the Truths of God as loathſom now, but the Lord will caſt thee away as a filthy and loathſom thing.
They ſhall be caſt away: but why? Becauſe they did not hearken unto him. This is a notable Sentence. Saith Luther upon the place,Haec notabilis eſt ſententia, & digna quae in omnibus parietibus ſcribatur. This (He ſhall caſt them away, becauſe they have not hearkned to him) is a notable ſentence, and worthy to be written upon all our walls; for indeed there is much in it, they would hearken to ſuch and ſuch, and to the rules of their policy, and to their own ends, but not to God. And that's the ſpecial point from hence: That in matters of Gods Worſhip we muſt hearken to God, Luther.and the not hearkning to God is that which provokes God with indignation to caſt away a people:Obſ. 2. perhaps other duties we may know by the light of nature; but when we come to matters of Worſhip, there God muſt be hearkned to, and not any elſe; God expects that his creature ſhould hearken to him in what he ſaith,Exod. 21. 6 illuſtrated, …y Pſ. 40. 6▪ we ſhould be all as the ſervant was with his ear boared; Chriſt himſelf had his ear boared, he would hearken to what his Father ſaid, therefore the Pſalm ſaith, Mine ear hath been boared: Chriſt was as a Servant with his ear boared, to note, that he would have his ear at the command of his Father. And who, or what are you that you ſhould have your ears free? In Iſa. 28. 23. mark what ſeveral expreſſions we have about calling to hearken.Iſa. 28. 23 noted. Give ye ear, and hear my voice, hearken, and hear my ſpeech. In one littl… verſe there's theſe four: Give ye ear; there's hear; there's hearken; there's hear; Oh! God expects that we ſhould have a hearing ear; and that's the way for wiſdom:1 King. 3. 9. in 1 King, 3. 9. Solomon praies, Give thy ſervant an underſtanding heart, but in the Hebrew it is, a hearing heart, and ſo it is turned,A hearing Heart. That I may have a hearing heart, ſo as I may be able to judg thy People. Thoſe men and women that have not a hearing heart, they have not an underſtanding heart,Pride the root of not hearing. Ier. 13. 15. and the not hearkening to God, Oh! it is that which comes from the pride of heart: in Jer. 13. 15 Give ear, be not proud, for the Lord hath ſpoken; there is no ſuch pride as the turning away our ears from hearkening to God,Deſtructiō the fruit of it, whereof alſo it is a ſign. and turning away our ear from the Law of God is that which makes God turn away his ear from hearing our prayers; it is an evident ſign of deſtruction that is a coming: in 2 Chron. 25. 16. mark what the Prophet ſaith to Amaziah, I know that God hath determined to deſtroy thee; becauſe thou haſt done this, 2 Chron. 25. 16.and haſt not hearkened unto my Counſel. Doeſt thou come to the Word and not hearken to the Counſel of God in his Word? It is an evident ſign that God intends to deſtroy thee. Oh hear! hear and your ſouls ſhall live, your ſouls ſhall live. Indeed here lies the ground of all the evil almoſt in thoſe that are profeſſors of Religion, The not hearkening to the Truth; I ſuppoſe thoſe that make profeſſion of Religion if they have enlightened conſciences they dare not ſin againſt a known Truth; but now here's the evil of thy heart, look to that; thou ſaieſt, If I knew it were a Truth I would not go againſt it: yea but the corruption of thy heart makes thee unwilling to hearken to the Truth, the corruption of mens hearts makes them that they would fain have ſuch a thing not to be a Truth. I appeal to you, have you never felt ſome corruptions ſtirring this way, that when you are engaged another way, and you ſee that if you ſhould be taken off from that, a great deal of eaſe and liberty, and outward comforts would be gone, and upon this your hearts are very loth that that ſhould be true, and therefore you are not willing to hearken, to hearken with a cleer heart, ſo as to be willing to entertain the Truth, if it doth prove to be a truth; that ſoul that ſhall be willing to retain every truth, and be willing to let the truth prevail what ever it be, that's a ſign of a gracious heart; but the luſts of mens hearts do hinder them from hearkening, and they are loth to hearken to thoſe Truths that come neereſt to them; but when a man or woman ſhall be able in the preſence of God upon examination of his or her heart, to ſay, Oh Lord, let thy Truth prevail, thou knoweſt that I am willing to hearken to every Truth of Thine, though it ſhould pluck away all my outward comforts, I would fain know thy Truth, and I would know the ſtricteſt Truths, what Truths they are that moſt concern thy Glory, and thy Worſhip in the beſt manner, whatever becomes of my Credit or eſtate, Lord, let thy Truth prevail in my heart: (I ſay) here's a gracious heart that will thus hearken to God and his Truth: But they have uncircumciſed ears, they cannot hear (ſaith Jeremiah;) ſo, through the corruption that is in mens ſpirits they cannot hearken to thoſe things that ſeem to make againſt them.
But the laſt words of all here, is the threatning.
They ſhall be wanderers among the Nations.
It is a judgment to have an unſetled ſpirit wandring up and down,Obſ. 1. and can ſettle to nothing▪ ſomtimes in this place, ſometimes in that; ſometimes in this way, and ſometimes in another;Eccleſ. 6. 9. this is a judgment of God. Solomon hath ſuch an expreſſion, The ſight of the eyes is better than the wandring of the deſires: the wandring of mens appetites and deſires, work a great deal of vexation to them.
Again, obſerve that, Thoſe who are caſt away out of Gods houſe, they can have no reſt, they go about like the unclean ſpirit, ſeeking reſt, but can find none. Pſal. 139. Here will I reſt for ever: in the Hebrew it is emphatical foreign then the walking ſoul, ſo the Bible marg▪The Church of God and his Ordinrnces are Gods reſt, and ſhould be the reſt of the hearts of his people, and they are indeed the reſt of the hearts of thoſe that are gracious; but alas poor ſoul! who art wandring from God, Whither goeſt thou? where indeed will be thy reſt? It was the Curſe of God upon Cain, to be a wanderer up and down upon the face of the earth.
But you will ſay, Queſt.May not men be wanderers, (that is) may not they be caſt out of their Habitations and Countries, and wander up and down, and yet not be caſt off from God?
It's true,Anſw. we reade in Heb. 11. that the Chriſtians wandred up and down in Sheep skins,Heb. 11. and Goats skins, whom the world was not worthy of: But that was in a way of perſecution for God, and for his Truth; it was not becauſe they would not hearken, but becauſe they would hearken; and though thou ſhouldſt be forc'd to wander from thy Brethren, and the ſweet Habitation that thou hadſt, and thy Friends, perhaps thou art fain to wander up & down even for thy life, yea, but canſt thou ſay, Yet I hope I am not one of Gods caſt-away…? It's one of Gods Epithites that he glories in, That he will gather the out-caſts of Iſrael; Man hath caſt me out, yea, but I bleſs God, I carry a good Conſcience with me; and that man or woman needs not be troubled with wandring, that can carry a good Conſcience with them; you are caſt out from your Friends, yea, but ſtill thou haſt the Bird that ſings in thy boſome: Canſt thou ſay, I have not caſt away thy Cōmandements, Lord? Indeed if a mans conſcience tel him, that he hath caſt away Gods Commandements, then if he wanders it is dreadful to him: What, though thou art wandring from thy houſe, from thy outward comforts, but not from Gods Commandements; Caſt me not out of thy preſence, ſaith David; though thou beeſt from thy friends, yet not from God preſence: here it is, I will caſt them out among the Nations. Pſal. 44. 11. obſerv.It was a Curſe in Pſal. 44. 11. Thou haſt ſcattered us among the Heathen: It was a great Judgment of God, to be ſcattered among the Nations,This curſe of wandring upon the Iewes to this day. for they were a people that were ſeparated from the Nations, and not to be reckoned among the Nations, and Gods peculiar Treaſure. There were theſe three expreſſions, not only to be wandering among the Nations, not only among Strangers, but among Heathens, among Blaſphemers, this muſt needs be a heavy and ſore judgment, to be caſt among Idolaters; This Curſe is upon the Jews to this very day, how are they wanderers among the Nations.
Let us learn from hence,Obſer. To prize the communion of Saints, let us learn what a bleſſing it is to live among our own People, eſpecially among the Saints, in the enjoyment of Gods Ordinances, let us make uſe it now leſt God teach us what it is by caſting us away and making us to wander among the wicked and ungodly, then your conſc…ences will fly in your faces and tell you, Oh! what times we once had, and what ſweet communion had we? but we began to neglect the prize that God put into our hand, Oh! if we were where once we were, we would meet often, and pray, and confer, and we would labor to edifie one another in our moſt holy faith, and warm one anothers ſpirits, not ſpending all our time in wrangling and jangling, Oh! but now thoſe times are …one, and we are caſt away and are wandering up and down among wicked and ungodly people.Cōmunion of Saints neglected in Engl. more than formerly. Truly there hath not been a time in many years when the communion of the Saints hath been ſo little improved as at this day, we now wander (as it were) among our ſelves, and little converſe one with another, what ſhould we do living together? Juſt were it with God to bring this Judgment upon us,The drnger of it. that we ſhould wander among wicked people here and there, and that we ſhould not come to ſee the face of a Saint to have converſe or communion with them. Thus we have finiſhed this Ninth Chapter.