An Exposition of Hosea 8-10, Exposition · Chapter 9 · Verse 8
VER. 8.
The watch-man of Ephraim was with my God: but the Prophet is a ſnare of a fowler in all his waies, and hatred in the Houſe of his God.
IN this, and the former Verſe God charges (as the cauſe of much evil in Iſrael) the falſe Prophets, but yet through the Peoples ſin, for it was through the multitude of their wickedneſs that they were ſo guided by thoſe falſe Prophets, whom they followed in times of their proſperity. But God would have a time wherein they ſhould know they were but fools, and the ſpiritual man but mad. And this was likewiſe becauſe of their great hatred, the great hatred of the the true Prophets, their ſpirits were againſt them, and therefore God gave them up to thoſe that were falſe: the ſame argument follows here in the eigth verſe, The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the Prophet is a ſnare of a fowler in all his waies, and hatred in the houſe of his God.
The watch-man.
Such who profeſs themſelves watchmen, that take upon themſelves glorious titles, Prophets and Miniſters of God are called watchmen: and theſe made great profeſſion that they would be as careful to foreſee, and labor as much to prevent danger to the People as any of them all, they profeſt to be very uſeful unto the people, and to be as much for God as any,Obſ. 1. but they were a ſnare; and this title of theirs, and this profeſſion of theirs proved to be a ſnare unto the people. Many vile things are hidden under fair and glorious titles, as many excellent things are diſgraced under baſe and ignominious titles: You know what a deal of evil was lately covered among us by names and titles, as the Clergie, and the Church; and likewiſe what abundance of good had dirt caſt upon it by titles, as Conventicles, and Puritans, and the like; and now the titles of things may be changed into others, but may be as dangerous ſome other way, as formerly theſe titles were both one way and the other: Let people for ever take heed of titles and examin what lies under them, be not led away one way nor other, either by fair or ſpecious titles, or by ignominious titles; Ordinarilie people that do not examin things to the bottom, they are taken with names and titles. But ſomewhat of theſe heretofore.
The watchman of EPHRAIM.
The people of Iſrael, the ten Tribes they had no mind to the true watchmen, becauſe they threatned hard things againſt them, they were willing to cloſe with any others that would preach more pleaſing things, ſo they might ſet one againſt another, and this quieted them; although the truth was, that theſe watchmen were a moſt grievous ſnare to them.
Thus many who have carnal hearts,Expoſ. and are not able to bear the evincing and threatning power of the Word in the mouths of the true watchmen, of faithful Miniſters, they ſeek to help themſelves by the opinions & judgments of other Miniſters, and ſo think they are ſafe when they have the opinion and judgment of ſome that are learned, and have repute of godlineſs too, for ſo certainly theſe watchmen had here; and then they can ſet the opinion and judgment of one, againſt the opinion and judgment of the other, they think they are ſafe now and may be quiet, yet this proves a dangerous ſnare.
When there is cleer conviction of a truth, Obſ. 2▪it is a dangerous thing out of a lothneſs to yeeld to that, to ſeek the opinions of others. I confeſs when a man hath the opinion and judgments, and if out of love to the truth that he might be confirmed in the Truth, or that he might know fully what the Truth is, for him to ſeek help from others is a good thing; but if out of diſtaſt to a Truth, if becauſe the heart is weary of it, and would fain not have it to be true, becauſe it may bring ſome trouble, upon that ground he goes to ſeek the opinion of ſome other, and hopes before he goes that he ſhall find the opinion of others to be contrary, and ſo he may have ſomething to quiet his ſpirit; this is a great ſnare to the ſouls of thoſe that have been guilty of it.
The Watch-man of Ephraim: Ephraim had Watch-men as well as Judah.
No cauſe ſo ill but will have ſome in the place of Watch-men that have the repute of wiſe,Obſ. 3. learned, and judicious men to maintain it.
The Watch-man of Ephraim was with my God.
They profeſſed more than ordinarie judgment in the knowledg of Gods mind, and acquaintance with the waies of God, and yet they were ſnares to the people. Whence obſerve:
Every man in his erronious opinion doth pretend to be with God, Obſ. 4.and for God; and without this indeed he could never be a ſnare to thoſe that profeſs themſelves to be the people of God.
With my God.
It muſt needs be a great grief to thoſe who have the true knowledg of God,Obſ. 5. and indeed have intereſt in him, to ſee others who are falſe to maintain that which is evil; and yet to pretend to God, as if they were for God, and for the glory of God, and to ſet up God as much as any. The Prophet ſeems to ſpeak in grief and trouble, theſe Watch-men of Ephraim, thoſe among the ten Tribes, they will pretend to be for God, to be for my God.
Vatablus hath a further Note upon this,Vatablus Ephraim fecit ſibi ſpeculatorum, id eſt pſeudoprophetas eoſque vult audire ſimul cum Deo ſuo, audire & colere tam Idola quam Deum, tam falſos quam veros prophetas quae eſt mera inſania. (ſaith he) Ephraim made to himſelf a Watch-man, and would hear him, and would hear them together with his God, like mad-men would hear them together with God, and ſo they would worſhip Idols and God too, they would ſeem to reſpect the true Prophets and falſe Prophet, both which is a meer madneſs, (thus he.)
The Watchman of Ephraim was with my God.
They would not wholly depart from God,Obſ. 6. and yet they would maintain falſe worſhip, they would mingle both together.
But then, The Prophet is a ſnare, a ſnare of a Fower.
That is, he catches poor ſimple deluded ſouls as a Fowler catches the bird with caſting baits that are pleaſing unto the bird,Expoſ. hiding from the bird the ſnare that preſently comes upon it: ſo ſaith he, the Watchmen of Ephraim do thus, Firſt they come to the people with very fair and ſpecious things, and labor to drop in thoſe principles, and do not diſcover what inferences they intend to make of them afterwards, they do not diſcover what deſigns they have, and what their ſcope is, for the preſent they come to them, and deſire them to yeeld to ſuch things that ſeem to be as fair as any thing in the world, and with much pretence that it is only for their good, and they intend nothing but good, now when they have brought them to yeeld to ſuch things, they know that there are ſome inferences to be brought from thoſe things that will make them to yeeld to other things, which had they been preſented to them at firſt, they would never have yeelded to, but the inferences lay at a diſtance as the ſnare doth, and they not ſeeing what would follow they are brought to yield to ſuch things, that afterwards they cannot tell how in the world to avoid, but they muſt yeeld to further things: thus the Watchman is as a ſnare of a Fowler, that laies things that ſeem to be very plauſible at firſt, but intend afterwards to bring the people to yeeld to other things that would be abhorred if at firſt they were preſented to them.
Good people,Applic. as long as you live take heed of the ſnares of Watch-men in this kind. God would not have you ſubmit to any thing, nor do any thing but out of faith.
You muſt underſtand the ground from Scripture, Obſ. 7.and eſpecially in the matters of Gods Worſhip before you yeeld and ſubmit to any thing, for otherwiſe though things may ſeem to be very fair at firſt, yet they may prove to be but ſnares before you are aware. Again
And hatred in the houſe of God.Obſ. 8.
Firſt, This Watch-man is an object of Gods hatred, in Gods Houſe; wicked Officers in the Church bringing in their ſuperſtition, and importuning and urging the deluſions of their own hearts, ſeeking to comply with the times to preſerve themſelves in credit and eſteem, and enjoyment of their livings, they are an object of Gods hatred, theſe were the Watch-men that did comply with the times and ſought their own ends, they were the object of the hatred of God; no people in the world whom God doth hate more than ſuch kind of Watch-men in his Houſe. And at this day we ſee how God hath caſt ſhame and loathſomneſs in the faces of ſuch. They are hatred by way of exclamation: ô rem odioſamit abominandam domo Dei. Oh hideous and abominable thing that ſuch Watch-men ſhould be pertaining to the Sanctuary.
Or otherwiſe by way of efficiency, Watchmen are hatred, that is, they cauſe hatred, they cauſe my people to hate the true Prophets, and the Servants of God that would worſhip God in his own way; and indeed, there are no men in the world that are ſuch cauſes of the hatred of the faithful Miniſters of God, the Saints of God, as wicked Watchmen are, Who are the men that do ſtir up hatred and perſecution againſt the Saints and People of God in former times, but evil and wicked Miniſters?
Hatred in the houſe of my God.
But now, Queſt.Wherein doth the falſe Prophets ſeem to be enveighed againſt?
I find ſome (and I confeſs not▪ Anſw.without ſom probability) underſtand all theſe of the true Prophets,Expoſ. 1. and then the ſenſe will run thus; You accounted the Prophets of the Lord, who declared the mind of the Lord faithfully to you, to be no other than fools and mad-men, but you ſhall know that they were no fools, that they were no madmen;2 King. 19▪ 11. ſo I find in 2 King 9. 11. Wherefore came this mad fellow in? ſaith the Captain of Jehu, and in 2 Chron 36. 16. They mocked the Prophets and Meſſengers of God. 2 Chron. 36. 16.Here it is thought Ezekiels friends and acquaintance bound him, as thinking him mad, chap. 3. 5. And ſo we reade in the Goſpel of Chriſts kinſ-folks, they laid hands upon him as thinking him to be mad; and ſo Paul in 2 Cor. 5. 13. Whether we be beſides our ſelves, it is to God. The true Prophets were thought to be as fools and mad-men, and they were ſcorned and contemned as thoſe that were ſpiritual madmen; but ſaith the Lord, they ſhall know in the time of their viſitation whether they were thus or no: you ſhall find by your woful experience that theſe were no ſuch mad-men as you thought them to be. And in time of affliction men have more honorable eſteem of the true Prophets of God than at other times, thoſe that were jeered at before, Oh! they were ſo wiſe, ſo preciſe and holy, and ſuch tender conſciences! Now they ſhall know how vain their thoughts were of them, when Gods hand is upon ſuch men as jeer at the Miniſters of God for being ſo holy and the like, yet when the hand of God hath been upon them, they have ſent for theſe men to pray for them above any men.Chryſoſtom▪ Theodoret. lib. 5. cap. 34. So we reade of the people of Antioch, though many of them did give their hands for the baniſhment of Chryſoſtom, yet being terrified by an Earthquake, immediately ſent for him again. And ſo in Job, 33. 23. ſpeaking of the time of affliction, If there be a meſſenger with him, an Interpreter one among a thouſand to ſhew unto man his uprightneſs. But further,
Becauſe of the multitude of thine iniquities, and thy great hatred.
If you underſtand it of the true Prophets, the ſenſe will run thus, You ſhall know in the time of your viſitation, whether they were mad men and fools or no; it was upon the multitude of your iniquity and great hatred that you accounted them ſo, to be ſuch fools and mad-men before, it was becauſe of the Malignity of your ſpirits and the hatred againſt the right waies of God; you had many exceptions againſt them, but the truth is, you ſaw nothing, but the Malignity of your hearts lay at the bottom, you accounted them fools and mad-men becauſe of the multitude of your iniquities. Men who are not ſo able to judg of things ſometimes in controverſie, yet they may have this rule to help them to judg of Miniſters and of their cauſe, (who they are that are moſt like to be in the truth) by this rule,
What is the ſide that men incline moſt to as they grow moſt in godlineſs?A Rule to help cōmon people to judge of Miniſters▪ & of their cauſe. And what ſide men incline moſt unto, as they grow more looſe and formal in their waies?
Conſider of that, If there be a Side or Partie, you are not able to judge which is in the truth, there's ſome good men on one ſide, and ſome of the other; but you being weak and not able to examine the ground of things, take this Rule as a help: What is the Side that men moſt encline to as they grow in godlineſs? And what ſide is that that men moſt cleave to as they grow moſt looſe and moſt formal in their way and profiting? When (I ſay) men whoſe multitude of iniquities encreaſe, and according to the encreaſe of the multitude of their iniquities, ſo they encline to a Party; I cannot but be the more ſuſpicious of it, when I ſee the other way that the moſt conſciencious men are, and the more the fear of God prevails in them, and the more ſtrict they grow in their waies, they do more encline to another ſide; I cannot but think that there may be much of God there.A Caution to the Rule▪ And yet it's true, that the greateſt Hereticks that ever were have pretended great holineſs, that muſt be granted too. But ſtill, if this opinion were not of God, thoſe that did indeed grow up in true holineſs, the more holy they were, the leſs did they ſavour that way, though it had never ſuch a pretence of holines. And if it be but a pretence of holineſs and not true, then certainly the more looſe and formal profeſſors grow, the more wil they cloſe with that way (if it be but a pretence;) ſo it is here, their hearts were taken off from the true Prophets of God through the multitude of their iniquities; the more they grew to looſneſs the more were their hearts taken off from the true Prophets of God.
Further: The watchman of EPHRAIM was with my God.
Still take it as concerning the true Prophets, that is, Even Ephraim wanted not watchmen to ſhew them their danger in departing from God; though the ten Tribes did decline from God, yet ſuch was Gods goodneſs to them as they had watchmen that were faithful even among them.
They were with my God.
That is, They had ſuch Whatch-men as lookt upon God, as having to deal with God and not with men, as ſent from God, as pleading for God, and hence they could not be taken off from their way, either by threats or flattery, they might have have had preferment as well as others, they needed not have been the But of the hatred and malice of men no more than others, if they would have done as others did. No, but they were with my God, the fear of the great God was upon their ſpirits, and they dared not do as others did, they reſolved to be faithful with God, to approve themſelves to God, come of it what would come they went on in their way, they left their means, and eſtates, and liberties, and lives, and all to God, it was for God to provide for them, it was for them to look to it that they did continue faithful to God. And thus the ſenſe runs, If they were the true Prophets that were among the ten Tribes, then it is as an aggravation of the ſins of the ten Tribes, that though they had many falſe Prophets, yet they had Watch-men that did continue faithfull with God.
And with my God.
Thoſe who have intereſt in God they rejoyce when they ſee faithful Miniſters of God keep cloſe to God,Obſer. to ſet up God in all their waies, when they ſee them not to be ſet upon their own deſigns, not to warp this way or that way, but to make it to be their bent and aim to ſet up God, and to bring men to the knowledg of God, Oh! they rejoyce in this. So the Prophet ſpeakes with a joy, (if it be ſpoken of the true Watchmen) Oh! bleſſed be God that yet notwithſtanding all the defection of the times and corruptions that there were, yet that there were Watch-men among Ephraim that were faithful with God, Oh they had no other deſigns but to ſet up God, and were willing to deny themſelves in any thing ſo be it they might bring ſouls to God, thus the Prophet rejoyces.
And certainly it's a great deal of joy for the Saints to ſee Miniſters of God to have clean ſpirits this way, to have no deſigns of their own, but to ſet up the honor of God among people. But even theſe Prophets as faithful as they were, yet they were accounted no other than a ſnare of a Fowler, and are even hatred in the houſe of their God, they are accuſed of being politick ſubtil men, who have cunning plots and reaches to ſet up their own way, that they are as bad as Jeſuites, and ſuch kind of Aſperſions as theſe are the Devil caſts upon them, and gets many good people to drink in theſe things, and thoſe who, otherwiſe were accounted Godly and of great uſe in the houſe of their God are now become even hatred in the houſe of their God, the Devil hath ſo prevail'd to beſpatter and aſperſe them with ſuch ſtories about them and reports of them as even theſe men that were the moſt faithful with their God,Aſperſion on good Miniſters. yet now are lookt upon as the troublers of the times, and as ſnares to people, and are even hatred in the houſe of their God, even by many people that otherwiſe have good affections: no way doth the Devil drive on his own deſigns more efficaciouſly than by this, Then by making the moſt painful,What Satans great deſign is. faithful, zealous Miniſters of God to become even hatred in the houſe of their God, even among good people that are profeſſors of Godlineſs. Thus Jer. 18. 22. They have digged a pit to take me, and laid ſnares for my feet. Iſa. 29. 21. They lay a ſnare for him that reproveth in the gate.
Further, Hatred in the Houſe of his God. (Underſtand it ſtill of the true Prophets) And then the ſenſe further goes thus: Yet he continues in the houſe of his God, here he makes this his encouragement, that he is in the houſe of his God, he is in Gods work though he be hated for it. Gods Miniſters they ſhould not be offended though they find the like dealings among the profeſſors of Religion, yet ſtill they ſhould continue in their work and imployment with all faithfulneſs that God ſets them about, and then all aſperſions will wipe off in time, they will vaniſh and come to nothing.
Calvin carries the ſenſe of this ſomewhat different from what hath been ſaid,Calvin. in loc. in a middle way between both, and if not according to the full ſcope, yet it comes very neer, thus he takes it; he takes the former part of the verſe for true Prophets, and the latter part of the verſe for the falſe Prophets, as if he ſhould have ſaid thus: There was a time that Ephraim had Watchmen with my God, and with his people, they had Eliſha, and Elijah, but now the Prophet is a ſnare of a Fowler, and hatred, in the houſe of my God. This is a woful change in places where people have had Watch-men that were godly, wiſe, zealous, faithful with God, but now theſe are gone, they are dead, many of them are baniſhed, and many are with God in Heaven, and they have others now among them, as a juſt Judgment of God who are a ſnare to them, and hatred in the houſe of God, others who do ſucceed theſe bleſſed ſervants of God that are gone, they are like ſtorms, and tempeſts, that do ſucceed fair and Sun-ſhine weather, and if we take it thus for both, the true Prophets in the former part of the verſe, and the falſe Prophets in the other; then there is a ſpecial emphaſis in the change of the phraſe [my God; and his God] the Watch-man with my God, and hatred in the houſe of his God; the God of the true Watch-men, and the God of the falſe Prophets are not the ſame: thoſe who pretend to worſhip God, and yet worſhip him in a falſe way, they worſhip another God, they have not the ſame God; and no mervail though there is hatred between true Prophets and falſe then; they muſt needs have hatred one againſt another who have divers Gods, My God, and His God, and yet both pretended to be for the ſame God.
Yea, but ſaith the Prophet here, No, whatſoever their pretences are, they teach people the Worſhip of God not in a right way, God is not their God: And who they are that have moſt intereſt in God, let God Himſelf judge; not by giving the one more of the favour of the times than the other; for the falſe Prophets had more of this now: but 1. By the moſt appearing of the Spirit of God in men. 2. By the witneſs of mens conſciences when they are going to appear before God. And 3. By what Chriſt ſhall own at his appearing. Oh! that I could tell how to ſweeten theſe times I ſpeak unto you of. God by providence hath caſt me upon this Scripture. I know not how to give you the mind of God in this Propheſie by being thus plain.
The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: and their hatred in the houſe of his God.
Only one Note by the way that Arias Montanus hath upon the words,Ar. Montan. in loc. Dicta eſt oratio ex ſimilitudine eorum qui in magna familiâ apud Dominum plurimum poſſe videntur &c. ſaith he, This Phraſe, Hatred in the houſe of his God; it's taken from ſuch men as live in ſome great families, and ſeem'd to have a great deal of power with their Lords, and abuſe the power they have with their Lord, being continually by his table & bed ſide, they are a means to cauſe a great deal of hatred, and at length to undo others and themſelves: So theſe Prophets are juſt like theſe men, they are in the houſe of God, and ſeem to have much intimacie with God in his Houſe; but the truth is, they abuſe this their intimacie to the hurt of themſelves and to the hurt of others. And thus much for the Explication of the Eighth Verſe. It follows.