An Exposition of Hosea 8-10, Exposition · Chapter 9 · Verse 7
VER. 7.
The daies of Viſitation are come, the daies of Recompence are come. And of Recompence.
GOD hath his ſet time for the Execution of Judgment.Obſ. 1.
What good is it to a Malefactor that he is let alone a while in the Priſon,Admonitiō when he knows that at ſuch a day of the Month muſt be the day of his Execution?
The day of Viſitation and Recompence,Obſ. 2. i.e. of Enquiry for all thy evil.
Your Judgments they are none other but, Recompences; you may have vain pleas and reaſons to juſtifie your ſelves, but when God comes to viſit you he will deal with you in away of Recompence proportionable to your waies; If you would fall down and acknowledg your ſins and your need of Mercy, then it may be you may find Mercy; but if you will ſtand to juſtifie your ſelves, then expect that God when he comes, will come in a way of Recompence.
And now my Brethren, Oh! what a deſperate venture is this, that men will venture to deal with God in a way of Recompence, whenas you may be dealt withal in a way of mercy?
You will ſay, Uſe To thoſe that ſay they do what they can.Who are thoſe that will deal with God in a way of Recompence?
Certainly thoſe that will plead and juſtifie themſelves, and will ſay, God knows I do what I can, and this is not ſo much my fault as others: Then expect that God when he comes to deal with you he will have your pleas to be fully examined, and if it prove that your pleas will hold, you ſhall have accordingly; and if it prove that your pleas ſhall be found falſe, then you ſhall be dealt withal in a way of juſtice. Will you venture? dare any of you venture upon your Pleas to ſtand it out? if you ſay, you do what you can, you will be tried by it, and you ſhall be recompenced accordingly; and if it be found indeed that you do what you can, you ſhall be ſaved; but if it be found you have not done what you could, you ſhall periſh eternally: Will you venture? certainly, whatſoever you ſtand pleading to juſtifie your ſelves by, you may expect that God will deal with you in a way of Recompence.
The daies of Recompence are come.
Twice come: Expoſ.as it is ſaid, Babylon is fallen, is fallen. Iſrael was in a way of Recompence and would hardly be moved with any apprehenſion of danger, and therefore you have it twice repeated.
From thence the Note is this.
That the apprehenſion of an evil preſently coming,Obſ. 3. that terrifies the ſoul. You have a notable text for that in Ezek. 7. 6. An end is come,Ezek. 7. 6 the end is come; and then in the next words, Behold, it is come again. In one little verſe three times, An end is come, the end is come; behold, it is come. And in the verſe before, it comes, and in the verſe after, it is come; five times God tells them that, it is come. Then ſaith my text,
Iſrael ſhall know it.
Wicked men will not know till they feel;Obſ. 4. when they are ſtruck, then they will know. The beſt knowledg of Gods diſpleaſure it is from the cauſes, but if men will not know from thence, they ſhall know from the effects. In their proſperity they had many falſe Prophets that ſoothed them up, ſo, that they were kept from knowledg, but now when they had felt Gods ſtroke, then they ſhould know; but he doth not tell you what you ſhould know. They ſhould know theſe things.
Firſt, They ſhould know what a great God it is they have to deal withal.
Secondly, They ſhould know how vile a thing ſin is.
Thirdly, They ſhould know the vanity of all their ſhiftings.
Fourthly, They ſhould know the dreadfulneſs of Divine wrath.
Fifthly, The faithfulneſs of Gods Prophets.
Sixthly, They ſhould know the wiſdom of thoſe who dar'd not do as they did.
Seventhly, They ſhould know the follie and vanitie of all the falſe Prophets that did ſeduce them before; they ſhould know, that the Prophet is a fool, and the ſpiritual man is mad. Oh! the knowledg we have of theſe things in time of affliction,The ſaying of a Germā Divine. is another manner of knowledg than we know in the time of our proſperitie: It was the ſpeech of a German Divine in an affliction, In this diſeaſe I know what ſin is,Se Melchier Adams de vitae Theolog. Germ. and how great God is in this diſeaſe. And yet he was a Divine, why did he not know before? No trulie, I never knew what ſin and God was ſo before.
Now Iſrael ſhall know.
The knowledg that men have of the truth of God in time of affliction, Obſ. 5is a working knowledg. I appeal to you; How manie of you in the time of your ſickneſs and afflictions have known things after another manner than ever you knew them before? It follows;
The Prophet is a fool, and the ſpiritual man is mad.
In the time of Affliction they ſhall cry out that thoſe are fools that did ſeduce them.Obſer. One that died not long ſince by the Exchange, cried out of his keeping companie with lewd Miniſters that did encourage him in his waies, and that did harden him againſt Religion and the Saints of God.
In former times we know how men would cloſe with wicked Miniſters, and how they would be hardened in ſcorning at Religion, and Puritans, but theſe will have cauſe upon their ſick beds, and death beds, to crie out of them, for they would tell them that they need not be ſo ſtrict and ſo pure: take heed now how you be deceived by thoſe that account themſelves ſpiritual men, they here in the text upon experience find that the Prophet did but befool them, and thoſe that had ſuch glorious titles of ſpiritual men, that they were but mad; and if you take not heed ſome that are here may find it hereafter true upon their death beds, that they may cry out of ſuch and ſuch Miniſters that did perſwade them to ſuch and ſuch things.
But truly tis no excuſe to men,Obſerv. though they ſhould be led aſide by Miniſters and others, for you ſhall find what's the reaſon that they were given up to Prophets that were fools, it follows in the text: For the multitude of their iniquity, and for their great hatred. Thou hadſt a wicked and a vile heart that did hate Gods people and the waies of godlineſs, and therefore it was juſt with God to give thee up to thoſe that thou ſeeſt now to be fools and mad-men; Oh! it's juſt with God when mens ſpirits are againſt the true Prophets of God, to leave them to Miniſters that ſhould cozen and undo their ſouls everlaſtingly.