An Exposition of Hosea 8-10, Exposition · Chapter 9 · Verse 9
VER. 9.
They have deeply corrupted themſelves, as in the daies of GIBEAH.
THeir wickedneſs hath deeply-rooted its ſelf, ſo the word here ſignifies; there's little hope to prevail with them, labor what you can,Obſer. their ſuperſtitious and Idolatrous waies have gotten ſuch deep root in their hearts that there is no getting of it out. Sin, and eſpecially that ſin of ſuperſtion ſo deeply roots its ſelf in the hearts of men if it be let alone but a little time that there is no getting of it out.
And indeed there is little hope of the Reformation that is now in hand,Uſe. that ever we ſhould ſee it come to the full beauty and perfection of it until even God himſelf,Englands reformatiō ▪ either by ſome extraordinary hand of his ſhould root out thoſe ſuperſtitious principles that there are in many men, or at leaſt by his own hand root out thoſe that have ſuch ſuperſtitious and Idolatrous principles rooted in them. We wonder that men cannot be taken off from ſuperſtitious waies, Oh! they are deeply rooted, it's not an eaſie matter to eraditate thoſe waies and vile words of theirs; it's a bleſſed thing to take ſin betimes,Our young ones may ſee. and you that are young that have not other wickedneſs, and eſpecially ſuperſtition rooted in you, you are thoſe that it's like God will make uſe of for the bringing this Reformation to perfection, you ſhall ſee the glory of it, it may be when others are gone and dead you ſhall come to ſee what God intended in all theſe ſtirs that have been among us, we find by experience the fruit of this in the hearts of men, what a deal of ſtir was there to take them off at firſt? Oh! but the root abides ſtill in mens hearts, and there's this experiment of it, of the depth and root that ſuperſtition take, in mens hearts, That though men be content not to practice thoſe ſuperſtitious waies that they did before, becauſe now the times do not favor them, yet this we find, that men cannot be brought to leave off thoſe things as ſinful, but as inconvenient, they will be content to forbear the practice of them, but you have but few men, I had almoſt ſaid but few Miniſters, but ſo far I may be bold to ſay, that many Miniſters,Miniſters that counted the things now laid aſide, only inconvenient, will take them up again. but eſpecially thoſe who were any thing forward in ſuperſtitious waies, ſuch as did not before account them a burden, thoſe though they do leave them off at this time, yet not as things that are ſinful, they never could be brought to that, to acknowledg them to be ſinful, and ſo to charge themſelves in ſinning againſt God, but they are content to leave them off as things that are inconvenient and as may be burdenſom to other men; but the leaving them off after ſuch a way is no other, but if the times ſhould favor them again there is a principle retained in their hearts, ſo as they would be in readineſs to ſubmit to them again, and to do them as formerly, this bitter root of Superſtition abides in their hearts; that's the meaning of this phraſe, they are deeply rooted, that is, their ſuperſtition and falſe worſhip is deeply rooted in their hearts. Well, let their ſuperſtition be rooted as deep as it will,A Note for the ſuperſtitious. yet as Chriſt ſaith in Mat. 15. Every plant that my Father hath not planted ſhall be rooted out: God will either root thee out, or the ſuperſtition of thy heart out of thee.Uſ. to tru worſhipers And ſeeing the falſe worſhipers have ſuperſtition ſo rooted in their hearts, Oh! how ſhould the true worſhipers of God have the truth rooted in their hearts never to be rooted out; ſo Saint Paul in Col. 2. 7. Rooted and built up in him, and ſtabliſhed in the faith &c.
They have deeply corrupted themſelves, as in the daies of Gibeah.
This muſt coſt us a little further time for the opening of it fully: Rooted in their evil waies as in the daies of Gibeah. What hath this reference to? the Scripture doth note the City Gibeah for two notable things; one, that it was the City of Saul, and ſo then upon that ſome carry it thus: That as heretofore they caſt off my Government when they choſe Saul to be their King over them,Expoſ. 1. ſo now they caſt me off as then formerly they did.
But I think that's not the ſcope, but rather, As in the daies of Gibeah; This hath reference to that notable ſtory that you have in the 19. and 20. chapters of Judges, 2. Our Authors.there you ſhall find what was done in the daies of Gibeah. You ſhall find the ſtory of a Levite that had his Concubine gone from him and playing the whore, he went to fetch her again, and as he was returning home (the ſubſtance of the ſtory is this) as he was coming home he would not go by no means (as his ſervant would have had him) to Jebus, becauſe thoſe that lived there were not of the Children of Iſrael, but he would be ſure to lodg in a City that did belong to the Children of Iſrael, and when he comes to Gibeah, there expecting to have protection from that City, being they were of the Children of Iſrael, yet he found it quite otherwiſe, the people of the City were notorious abominable wicked people and they came by violence in the night to break open the doors where he lodged that they might commit ſodomy and filthineſs with him, but they obtaining him not, get his Concubine and abuſe her all night together one after another, till with a long abuſe of her they kill'd her, and ſhe lay dead at the door, upon which horrid thing, this being committed in a City that did belong to the People of God, this Levite takes a knife and cuts his Concubine (being dead) into twelve pieces, and ſends them all abroad throughout the coaſts of Iſrael, and bad them think upon it and conſider what ſhould be done. And upon the ſight of that, and hearing the occaſion of it, the people were amazed and ſaid, Never was ſuch a thing done, or ſeen ſince the people of Iſrael came out of the Land of Egypt. Wherefore all the People even from Dan to Beerſheba th…y all aſſembled to conſult what ſhould be done, in the 20. chap. they reſolved to go againſt the City of Gibeah; in the 11. verſe the text ſaith, All the people were gathered together againſt the City, as one man: and in the 13. verſe they required thoſe Delinquents to be delivered up to them. Now thoſe Children of Belial they ſtood it out and would not deliver them up; yea, and they got the Benjamites to joyn with them, twenty ſix thouſand Armed men to joyn with them to ſtand in defence of theſe notorious Delinquents, they got up an Army which one would not have thought that among the People God there ſhould have been gotten up an Army to have defended ſuch notorious villains as thoſe were, yet they did, but the people of Iſrael joyned all together and were reſolved that they would have ſuch notorious wickedneſs to be puniſhed (there was four hundred thouſand joyned together) Now in the 18. verſe, they asked counſel of God what they ſhould do, & God gave them leave to go, and bid that Judah ſhould go up firſt, ſo they went to require theſe Delinquents and went up againſt them, but the Benjamites the firſt day got the victory and ſlew two and twenty thouſand men. Upon that the Children of Iſrael went up to God again and wept before the Lord, and God gave them leave to go again, & they went, & the Benjamites came out again & ſlew eighteen thouſand more of them: Theſe wicked Malignants got the Victory two daies and ſlew fourty thouſand of the Children of Iſrael that went not only by Gods leave,Malignants may have great Victories one after another, but by his ſending, and yet for two daies together they fel before thoſe wicked and vile wretches; but yet afterwards they went and wept and faſted, they knew that their cauſe could not but be good, and they were reſolved they would go to God again and humble their ſouls before God, and faſt, and pray, and then they overthrew thoſe wicked Bonjamites, and theſe of Gibeah; and whereas there were twenty ſix thouſand came out againſt them,Yet a good cauſe religiouſly managed proſpers at laſt▪ there was twenty and five thouſand and an hundred men ſlain by the ſword, and the City of Gibeah was burnt with fire; ſo God executed wrath upon them at length. This is the ſtory that the Prophet hath reference to.
Now theſe men are wicked, as in the daies of Gibeah; look how it was in the daies of Gibeah, ſo now it is; there's many remarkable things to be obſerved from that ſtory, in reference to this which the Prophet doth quote it for, the ſtory in general was thus, That they ſtood out to defend wicked ones ſo as they did; it doth concern us fully in our times,Our times ſuch. and our wars are almoſt the very ſame now as then they were, for what is the main cauſe of our War but to fetch Delinquents to the execution of Juſtice? and who would have thought that ſuch Delinquents whoſe burdens we groaned under in former times, and we accounted the great evil of the times, that theſe ſhould find an Army to defend them? Yet perhaps ſometimes we may be overcome by them, and they may for a while prevail, but let us faſt before God and humble our ſelves more throughly, and certainly God will own his Cauſe in time as there he did. But particularly from the ſtory firſt obſerve,
That when we make uſe of men as a ſhelter and to ſeek protection from them, Obſ. 1.if they ſhall deal vilely with us and accuſe us, and make a prey upon us, this is a moſt abominable and curſed wickedneſs in the eyes of God; This Levite came from Jebus and would not lodg with them, but to Gibeah, thinking to have had protection there, and yet theſe deal vily: Doth any man put himſelf under any of you for protection, and do you deal falſely? Oh! this is an abominable thing in the eyes of God.
Secondly,Obſ. 2▪ That ſometimes we may meet with worſe uſage from ſuch who profeſs Religion and more ſtrictneſs in their waies, than from thoſe who outwardly are further off from profeſſion. It may be if they had gone to Jebus they would not have met with ſuch ill uſage, as they did when they came to Gibeah: ſometimes it is ſo that they that make profeſſion of Religion they are guilty of more ill uſage to the ſervants of God than others that are prophane and ungodly, or of another Religion.
Oh! let men take heed of this,Uſe. how they behave themſelves towards their Brethren,Admonitiō to ſome Brethren now. that they may not have cauſe to ſay, Lord, were we among the Indians or among ſome moderate Papiſts, or under ſome of the Prelates again we ſhould not find ſuch hard uſage as we do from ſome of our Brethren who profeſs thy Name and ſeek Reformation; this were a ſad thing (I ſay) if ever there ſhould be cauſe for the Servants of God to make their moans to Heaven and cry to God. God forbid.
Thirdly, Whereas Iſrael thought themſelves holy and devout for God in the multitude of their ſacrifices, and their devotion, and their ſervices that they tendered up to God, yet God looks upon them as filthy and wicked, as the men of Gibeah were that committed ſodomy and ſuch kind of filthineſs, ſaith God, You have corrupted your ſelves as in the daies of Gibeah; whatſoever your fair ſhews are, and your ſacrifices be that you offer, yet you are lookt upon as thus vile and abominable before God.
From whence therefore the Note may be,Obſ. 3. That men may have very fair ſhews in the Worſhip of God, and do that which may ſeem to be much for the honor of God, and yet God looking with other eyes than men do, God may behold them as filthy, abominable, and loathſom in his ſight. God will not be put off with words of Reformation and the Service of God, for men may have ſuch baſe ends in it, and may mix ſo much of themſelves to corrupt the right way of God, and to keep out the right ſervice of God with ſhews of ſerving him, that this may make them and their ſervices to be as odious to God as the moſt filthy thing in the world; that's the cleer and plain Note from thence. We do not reade of ſuch abominable filthineſs of body as was in the daies of Gibeah, but becauſe of the corruptions of Gods Worſhip that they carried fairly, yet the Lord lookt upon it as filthy, as that was in the daies of Gibeah.
Fourthly,Obſ. 4. For men after wickedneſs is committed, to ſtand impudently, and boldly in the defence of it, and to be ſo far from the acknowledgment of their ſin, as they will rather venture deſperately the undoing of themſelves than they will come in to acknowledg or let Juſtice have its courſe: this is an abominable wickedneſs in the eyes of God. Thus they did in the daies of Gibeah. And thus you are ready to do, not only to commit horrible wickedneſs and ſins, but to ſtand in the defence of it; there is this deſperate ſtoutneſs of ſpirit, and hardneſs of heart in many men, that when they are once got into the way of ſin, rather than they would yield and ſubmit, they will venture the undoing of themſelves: the men of Gibeah did ſo, and they were undone accordingly.
Yea further,Obſ. 5▪ Not only to ſtand out our ſelves in evil, but to joyn with others to defend them, though it be the venturing of our own undoing and others, this is further wickedneſs; yet how many have we of the Gentry and Nobility of the Kingdom,Uſe for many of the Nobility and Gentry of Engl. that do not only ſeek to defend themſelves, but joyn with the greateſt Malignants of the Kingdom, with thoſe that are the greateſt cauſe of evil, and were like to be the utter undoing of us all? to defend them from Juſtice will venture the ruin of their own families; whereas were it that the Malignants were given up, they might have ſaved their eſtates families and all; Oh! that ever God ſhould leave men in ſuch horrible wickedneſs as this is! This is juſt as it was in the daies of Gibeah.
Sixtly, Obſ. 6.Thoſe who do ſo ſtoutly ſtand to defend wickedneſs and other men who are wicked, yet they may for a while proſper; even the men of Gibeah and the Benjamites may proſper.
But yet in the next place,Obſ. 7. at laſt, theſe men ſhall periſh, twenty five thouſand and an hundred of theſe twenty ſix thouſand periſhed, and all the men of Gibeah, and the City was burnt. So, let men ſtand out as ſtubbornly and ſtoutly as they will, and ſay, What care we? they will loſe their lives and eſtates rather than they will ſubmit and yeeld, well, they may loſe all at lengh; you have yet (it may be) a day (ſome victory) and prevail'd at ſome time, yea, but let not mens hearts be hardened by that, nor let none of the other ſide be diſcouraged, for certainly thoſe that ſtand deſperately out in defending of wickedneſs they ſhall periſh at laſt; ſo did the Gibeonites.
Yea, But what is this to us (might the Prophets Auditors ſay?)
Yes certainly it's much to you, for this aggravates your ſins, the ſins of forefathers (that's the Note that the Prophet makes uſe of) what was done in daies of Gibeah.
From whence is this Note,
That the ſins of forefathers is an aggravation of Childrens ſins, Obſ. 8.when they commit the ſame and others like unto them. And yet ſuch is the deluſion of many poor people that they excuſe the preſent ſins by the ſins of former times:Applicat. As thus; ſuppoſe Miniſters or others ſhould complain of the ſinfulneſs of the times, and declaim againſt the ſinfulneſs of the times, you ſhall have ſome can ſay, Why do they keep ſuch a ſtir of the wickedneſs of the times, were they not as bad as they are now heretofore? Oh deluſion! This is the great aggravation when that thou liveſt in thoſe ſins thy forefathers did, thou art it ſeems the child of a wicked parent, and how juſt had it been with God to have cut thee off preſently for the ſins of thy parents? and doeſt thou ſay, that thy wickedneſs is no other than the wickedneſs of thy forefathers? Certainly if the times be as ill as they were heretofore, they are worſe than they were heretofore,If preſent times be as bad as former, then they are worſe. for the evil of our forefathers is an aggravation of our preſent evils, if we continue in them: As the treachery of a parent would be no excuſe for the treachery of a child, for him to ſay, my father was a Traytor: for me to excuſe the ſins of the preſent times with the ſins of the former times, and ſay, that they were as ill formerly as now; it is juſt for all the world ſuch kind of reaſoning; but this is not the reaſoning of the Spirit of God,ſimile▪ he aggravates the ſins of Iſrael in Hoſea's time with the ſins that were in the daies of Gibeah. God may let men alone in their wickedneſs for a long time, untill they grow to the heigth of their wickedneſs, and then God comes upon them. When the ſins of the Amorites were full, Now, he will remember their iniquities, he will viſit their ſins. But for this phraſe of Gods remembring, and viſiting, that we have had before, therefore we paſs it over, and come to the tenth verſe.