An Exposition of Hosea 8-10, Exposition · Chapter 10 · Verse 14
VER. 14.
Therefore ſhall a tumult ariſe among thy people; and all thy fortreſſes ſhall be ſpoiled.
AS if the Prophet ſhould ſay,Expoſ. you have the Militia on your ſide, and you think you ſhall be able to drive on your deſign, this your truſt is, you have all the ſtrength with you: but (ſaith he) what if there ſhould be ſeditious tumults within you; What if the power of the enemy without you ſhould not come upon you, cannot God work your ruin that way that you think not of; Oh! how ſuddenly may God ſuffer the diſcontentments of people to break forth into rage and fury ſo that a tumult ſhould ariſe among them, to make tumults and bring all into a moſt miſerable confuſion.Obſ. Tumults a token of the great wrath of God. It's a great fruit of the wrath of God and a plague upon a City or Country when God ſhall ſuffer tumults to ariſe among them. Therefore ſhall a tumult ariſe among them: as a threatning of Gods ſevere wrath among theſe people that were ſo confident in their way. A man may avoid external dangers for his body, yea, but the diſtempers within his body may be his death. There's fearful miſeries comes upon Cities and Countries when tumults riſes, and there are theſe two main things that have been the cauſe of tumults.The Cauſes.
Firſt, Great Oppreſſions
Secondly, Engaging numerous parties in matters Controverſal.
Theſe going both together are very dangerous, for men they will carry on what they have begun, if once they be engaged in it.The multitude not to be engaged in matters controverſal. To engage a rude multitude in a buſineſs eſpecially if it be controverſal, it's a very dangerous thing; for they being once engaged we do not know what they may do to purſue and follow their engagements, the evil it is inconceivable. When the multitude is in a rage, they are like to a tiled houſe that is on fire; when houſes are on fire in the Citie the great part of the evil is,An apt ſimile▪ if the flame have gotten to the tiles you cannot come neer the houſe the tiles flies ſo about your face: ſo it is in tumults, there's no coming neer to talk to them,None ſo cruel a… the vileſt of the people when they get power. to convince them, but they are ready to fly preſently upon you. And there are none ſo cruel as the vileſt of people when they are got together in a head; men of no blood care not what blood they ſhed. In Prov. 28. 3. A poor man that oppreſſeth the poor, is like a ſweeping rain which leaveth no food. Pro. 28. 3▪When a poor man comes to oppreſs; it's true, Oppreſſions are great, the evil of Tyranny it's very great;The evil of Tumults greater thē the evil of Tyranny. but the evil of Tumults is greater than the evil of Tyrannie: We ſee it many times in men that are of mean rank, ſometimes in thoſe Committees that ſome of you complain of. Now men could bear oppreſſion a great deal more if it were from thoſe that are much above them, rather than from thoſe that are their equals, or it may be under them in eſtate, and thoſe that are moſt under men, if they come to get power any way they are like to be more oppreſſing than others: we have cauſe to bleſs God for delivering of us from tumults in this regard.
I might ſhew you moſt dreadful examples of tumults in ſtories. Joſephus he ſpeaks of many; for when God was about to deſtroy the Jews at laſt by the Romans, their utter ruin was prepared by tumults and ſeditions that were among themſelves.Joſeph. de bell Iudic. l. 2. c. 11. In his ſecond Book of the Jewiſh Wars the 11. Chap. he ſpeaks of one Eleazar, and Alexander that raiſed a Tumult, and murdered as they went, men, women, and children, and ſo made havock of the Country, that the Nobles of Jeruſalem were fain to come out cloathed with ſackcloath and aſhes upon their heads to beſeech them that they would have pitie upon their Country, and upon their wives and children, and the Temple, The Nobles with ſackcloath and aſhes upon their heads came to aſwage the rage of this Tumult ſo grievous was it.Lib. 6. Cap. 11. And I find in his ſixt Book and 11. Chap. another ſtory of Tumults and ſeditious Spirits, that they being in ſome ſtraights for food if there were but any places in the City that had their doors ſhut up they did ſuſpect there was meat and would preſentlie break in, and aſſoon as ever they came in, catch whoſoever they found by the throat ſo as to take the meat out of their very mouths that was half chewed, they would not ſtand to ask them whether they had any thing or no but would run and catch them by the throat and pull the meat half chewed out of their mouths, and if any of them ſhould let it go down before they could get hold upon their throats they would uſe them moſt cruelly for doing ſo. And in another place he tells that the Citizens ſuffered more by them than when the Enemies took it; ſo that when the enemies took it they thought that it was rather a relieving of their miſerie, than bringing evil upon them, becauſe the evil of the Tumults was ſo great among them. My Brethren,Take heed of being occaſion of tumults▪ we ſhould rather bear much than be any fomenters of the raiſing of Tumults, take heed of that, you know not what the end of ſuch things will be, A Tumult ſhall ariſe among them. Amos, 2. 2▪In Amos, 2. 2. Moab ſhall die with Tumult.
When God intends the ſoreſt ſcourge of all,Expoſ. 2. utterly to deſtroy a people, he ſuffers Tumults to be among them. I find ſome take this word Tumult [A Tumult ſhall ariſe] that is only meant the Confuſion of the hearts of people when the enemies ſhould come upon them, that they ſhould be all in a Confuſion, not knowing what to do through fear and terror altogether. As ſuppoſe on a ſudden an Army ſhould come againſt a Citie, people would be wringing of their hands and running up and down from place to place, and paleneſs in their countenances, and not knowing what in the world to do, all in perplexity and tumult: Thus God threatens it ſhould be with them. As if he ſhould ſay, You are jolly and brave now, but when the Aſſyrians come out upon you then your hearts ſhall fail, and you ſhall all run together and not know what to do, the women and children ſhall cry, not knowing how to help your ſelves, and ſo ſhall be brought into a confuſed Tumult. This is the ſenſe that ſome carries it in. But the ſenſe may very well go either of theſe waies.
It is a mercy that God hath not tried us this way; We live in our houſes, and follow our tradings, and lie down and ſleep in quietneſs and riſe again, but we cannot imagin what woful diſtractions there would be in the ſpirits of people in the Citie, if there were a conſiderable Army encamped round about it: Perhaps ſome of you here have been in places where the enemies have come ſuddenly ſo that you know what this Tumult in the ſpirits of men and women means. Bleſs God (I ſay) that the Lord hath delivered us from ſuch Tumults as theſe: And the Power and Providence of God in Government of the World by a few, in keeping people from Tumulting, and ſo bringing all to Confuſion, it is to be acknowledged, and his Name to be ſanctified.
The word that is tranſlated Tumult, Clamor foreign meticuloſorum territorum.it doth indeed ſeem to import this, The crying of fearful creatures, thoſe that are terrified and ſcar'd, it ſignifies the crying out of them. Oh! 'tis a great merciemercy for the heart of a man to be ſo ſtabliſhed that when all dangers ſhall be apprehended, yet they can find their hearts fixed in God, and not in a tumultuouſneſs preſently.Pſ. 112. 7. A righteous man, it's ſaid of him in Pſalm, 112. 7. That when he hears ill tydings, his heart is fixed: but it is a greater bleſſing, that when we ſee the Armies before us, and hear the neighings of Horſes, and clattering of the Speers, then to be fixed. Oh! we ſhould labor in the time of peace to make our calling and election ſure.Pſ. 57. 7. In Pſalm, 57. 7. My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed, I will ſing and give praiſe. Awake my Glory, awake Pſaltry and Harp, I my ſelf will awake early, I will praiſe thee, O God, &c. When was this that David cries to awake, and to give Glorie to God, and ſing praiſe, and that his heart was fixed? It was when Saul perſecuted him,illuſtrated▪ it was when he was in danger of his life, when Saul purſued him to take away his life, yet, My heart is fixed, my heart is fixed, I will ſing and give praiſe (ſaith David) even at that time.Pſ. 46. So in Pſal. 46. 2, 3. We will not fear though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midſt of the Sea, though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains ſhake with the ſwelling thereof. Selah. This Pſalm was wont to be called Luthers Pſalm, for in times of trouble he would ſay, Come and let us ſing the 46. Pſalm. Many Scriptures we might have to this purpoſe. I remember the ſtorie of Archimedes, Archimedes.that when the Citie of Siracuſe was taken, and the enemies came in with their drawn ſwords and hack'd and ſlew whom they pleaſed, and abundant of blood-ſhed there was; yet he was ſo ſetled upon the drawing of his Lines (being a Mathematition) that when the Soldiers came in with their ſwords drawn, he was drawing his Lines about his Art.A Fixed heart in prayer. Which of you could, if you were at prayer, or any ſerious duty, if you ſhould hear of the breaking in of Adverſaries, Could you have your hearts fixed in a ſetled conſtant way, fixed upon God in ſuch a time as this is?
As outward Tumults in Cities and Countries are very great evils,Spiritual Tumults▪ ſo are likewiſe Spiritual Tumults in the heart, when God ſeems to come againſt the Souls as an enemy, I have a place for ſpiritual Tumults, that is, the trouble and deſtraction of the heart in the time of the apprehenſion of Gods abſence:Pſ. 40. 2. in Pſal. 40. 2. He brought me up (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) out of an horrible pit. foreign Foveâ tumultus.Now the word is in the Original the very ſame word we have here, From the pit of Tumultuouſneſs. Oh! it's true, as if he ſhould ſay, my heart was fixed indeed, yet at other times I found my heart in a tumultuous condition when I apprehended God not coming in according as I expected, yea but the Lord did bring me up out of the pit of tumultuouſneſs. Oh! hath not this been the condition of ſome of you in time of trouble of your ſpirit, when you have apprehended the abſence of God from you? Your hearts have been all in a tumult, hath the Lord delivered you? Remember the Pſalm, The Lord hath delivered me out of the pit of tumultuouſneſs; I was in a tumultuous condition, my heart was even overwhelmed, but the Lord hath delivered me out of the pit of tumultuouſneſs. Pſ. 61. 2.And then in Pſal, 61. 2. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Remember that Scripture likewiſe.
And all thy fortreſſes ſhall he ſpoiled.
What are ſtrong holds for the ſafeguard of a people when the ſtrong God is againſt them? You have made Lines, and Fortifications, Oh! but the ſtrong God is againſt you.Nah. 3. 12. In Nahum. 3. 12. All thy ſtrong holds ſhall be like Fig trees, with the firſt ripe figs, if they be ſhaken they ſhall even fall into the mouth of the eater.
And now my Brethren, bleſſed be God we know this Scripture to be true in a way of mercy, God hath made our enemies ſo to us,Applied. and not in a way of Judgment: God might have made our ſtrong holds ſo to them, this Scripture might have been fulfilled thus, All thy Fortreſſes ſhall be ſpoiled, that is, though we have made Fortreſſes we might have heard, firſt, of this ſtrong hold ſpoiled, and the other ſtrong hold in ſuch a place ſpoiled, this Caſtle taken, and the other Caſtle taken, and we might have been amazed with the news, and have ſaid, How doth God fight againſt …s, that though we had ſuch ſtrong holds, and men enough to man them, yet for all that they might have been but as the firſt ripe figs that being ſhaken fall into the mouth of the eater? How were our hearts dejected when we heard but of one ſtrong hold being taken from us, (Briſtol) But I ſay through Gods mercy this Summer the Lord hath made this text good unto us,Briſtol▪ all thy ſtrong holds, not all ours, but all the Enemies: How have they been ſpoiled generally? Oh! the Lord hath appeared glorious this way, and hath made this laſt Summer to be a continual miracle of mercy to us in this very thing, All thy Fortreſſes ſhall be ſpoiled. It follows.
As Shalman ſpoiled Beth-arbel.
Hierom reades it,Expoſ. 1. As Salmana was deſtroyed by the houſe of him that vindicated Baal in the day of Battel.Sicut vaſtatus eſt Salmana à domo ejus qui vindicavit Baal in die prelij &c. And ſo all that follow the old Latin, they refer this to the ſtory that we have in Judges, 8. and think it hath reference to that, the ſtory where Gideon ſlew Zalmunnah the Prince of Midian, and ſo they make Arbel to ſignifie the ſame with Jerubbaal though more ſhort. And the holy Ghoſt doth ſeem to make that great Judgment of God upon Salmunna to be exemplary,vulg. Sic fere Graec. he makes uſe of it afterwards in Pſalm, 83. 11. Make all their Princes like Zeba and Zalmunna.Pſ. 83. 11▪ foreign But now the letters in the Hebrew do differ here, and we do not reade of Gidion though he did uſe very much ſeverity upon Zeba and Zalmunna, yet we do not reade that he daſht the mother upon the children.
But Luther thinks that it is meant of ſome notable act of cruelty upon ſome that was very neer to them;Expoſ. 2. but the particulars whereof we have not recorded in Scripture,Luther. but only here mentioned, ſome notable execution of Juſtice it was upon a City Beth-arbel not long before, that God ſets forth as an example of his moſt dreadful wrath that they might expect againſt themſelves; this Beth-arbel we find it not in the Canonical Scripture but in 1 Maccab. 9. 2. we find mention of ſuch a place,1 Macca. 9. 6. and afterwards it was very famous for the great overthrow that Alexander the Great gave to Darius, At Bethel Alexander overthrew Darius.ſo that it is as if the holy Ghoſt ſhould ſay, Did you not hear of that horrid ſavage ſlaughter that Shalman cauſed in Beth-arbel when the mother was daſhed in pieces upon her children, they had no pity of any ſex or condition, the tender hearted mother imbracing of her children ſhe was daſhed in pieces upon them; ſuch dreadful wrath of God your Bethel may expect, for ſo he alludes to that.
Beth-arbel ſignifies the Houſe of the inſnaring god, As if it were foreign dei incidiatoris.the god of Policie, and Subtiltie, it ſeems the people that call'd this City by this Name, they had a god that they honored for the god of Subtilty, that would enſnare all their enemies they thought,The god of ſubtilty▪ and ſo they truſted in this god. And upon that called the City Beth-arbel, the houſe of the Inſnaring god. But now this would not do, the more they ſought by ſubtilty to undermine their Enemies, the more were their Enemies enraged, and therefore when they came upon them they ſpoiled them, and daſhed the Mother upon her own Children.
We might from this very word take notice of ſuch a meditation as that,Obſ. 1. That we ſhould not think by our plots and policies to prevail, if God be againſt us. Do not think to put off God by plots and policies and to avoid dangers that way; this people did ſo becauſe they had a Beth-arbel, a God of Policy, they thought to prevail, but their miſery was ſo much the greater. Mothers and Children were daſhed in pieces one againſt another. If you make Arbel your God, Policy to be your God, you may expect ſo much the more rage of God, and of the Inſtruments of His wrath againſt you.
And let men take heed how they ſeek to deceive & cozen other men,Uſe▪ for there is no ſuch way to encourage one man againſt another as this is, when a man ſees that he is ſought to be undermined by policies, do not deal by that way with your friends, acquaintance, and neighbors, you will encourage them ſo much the more.
But oh! Obſ. 2.the fury and rage of War when God lets it out, to daſh Mother againſt Children. Pſa. 137.We reade in Pſal. 137. concerning the children of Idolaters, that when the Lord lets out his wrath upon the parents, he will let it out upon the children too, Happy ſhall he be that taketh and daſheth thy little ones againſt the ſtones. It's a very ſtrange phraſe. And in Iſa. 13. 16. Iſa. 13. 16.Their children ſhall be daſhed in pieces before their eyes. I remember Ʋrſine in his Comment upon that place of Iſa. he quotes this 137. Pſal. and he hath firſt this Note,Urſin. in Iſa. That though God doth thus execute his Wrath, yet uſually becauſe it is ſo dreadful and there is ſo much ſavageneſs in the thing in mans eye, therefore God doth uſe to do it by wicked men, and we never read that he made uſe of his own Saints to execute that wrath. And then he anſwers that doubt,Pſ. 137. ult expounded▪ I, but is it not ſaid in the Pſalm, Bleſſed are thoſe that daſh their little ones againſt the ſtones, it may ſeem that it is approved of?Calvin▪ Now that is his anſwer, and Calvins, and others, that he doth not mean Bleſſed, that is, That they are bleſſed in their perſons, or eternal bleſſings of Mercy; but it is a Prophetical wiſh that they might have ſucceſs in the work, that they might have the bleſſing of ſucceſs in the work, as an execution of Gods Wrath, and Gods Juſtice, though the Inſtruments did ſin in it, they did it to execute their ſavage cruelty, yet the Prophet doth look upon the Juſtice of God in it, and wiſhes ſucceſs unto them in ſuch a work as that is, that the Juſtice of God may go on and have its courſe, ſpeaking in the way of a Prophetical ſpirit.
The ſins of parents (you may ſee) many times comes upon little ones. Obſ. 3.What hath the poor Infant done? Oh! you tender-hearted mothers, conſider of this, how far your ſin may reflect upon your children: If ever you ſhould ſee bloody Soldiers to come in in a terrible way, (as ſometimes you have had fears that way) and daſh you upon your children, conſider this is your ſin that hath done it.
But you will ſay, Object.Shall the children ſuffer for the Fathers ſin?
Do not we reade that God will viſit the ſins of Idolaters unto the third and fourth Generation?Anſw. Indeed were your children innocent, had they no original ſin, then it were another matter; but now conſidering they have enough in them to make them ſubjects of Gods wrath, God may take advantage the rather becauſe of thy ſin, and therefore take heed, ane eſpecially take heed to Gods Worſhip, for we do not find in Scripture where any children are ſo threatned as the children of Idolaters are.
And then a further Note is this,Obſ. 4. That the Judgments of God neer to us ſhould awaken us; we ſhould think, Why may it not be upon our ſelves?Applic. to Engl. This was a heavy Judgment of God upon ſome City neer, and God would awaken them, Oh! what have we heard hath been upon our Brethren in other parts, and we have been ſottiſh, and not ſenſible of it becauſe i… hath not juſt come upon our Gates; the Lord expects when we hear of any dreadful evil upon others, that we ſhould tremble and fear before him. And then one thing further note from hence.
As Shalman ſpoiled Beth-arbel.
The word that is here Shalman, Pacificus foreign pacē colere.it ſignifies the name of one that is peaceable; one that is peaceable, and yet he ſhall exerciſe his cruelty ſo, as to daſh the Mother upon her Children, this is not one that bears cruelty in his name, not a Tyger, but a Shalman, a peaceable man as his name carries it, and yet thus cruel when he comes to have power?
Oh! men who have peace in their names, and peace in their mouths, and peace in …, yet when they come to have power often times are very cruel; We were like to have found it ſo, if our adverſaries ſhould have prevailed, eſpecially this Citie might have been made a Beth-arbel, & Mothers daſhed upon their Children. It's true, when the adverſaries did prevail in any place they did not do ſo, but it was not through any ingenuity or pity, but out of fear, but had they gotten the day then we might have expected even daſhing of the Mother againſt the children.