An Exposition of Hosea 11-13, Exposition · Chapter 12 · Verse 11
VER. 11.
Is there iniquitie in Gilead? Surely they are vanity; they ſacrifice Bullocks in Gilgal, yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.
WHat Gilead was you have formerly heard in the ſixth Chapter, and eight Verſe. Gilead is a City Gilead.of them that work iniquitie; it was a City of the Prieſts, beyond Jordan, where the Prieſts that were beyond the River liv'd. Sometimes it's taken for the Mount Gilead where Jacob and Laban met and made a Covenant one with another; here neither is excluded. But moſt I find refer it to the Citie of the Prieſts. And what Gilgal was you had opened to you in the Ninth Chap. Fifteen Verſ. All their wickedneſs is in Gilgal. Now Gilgal.Gilgal was the place where they were circumciſed on this ſide Jordan, and belong'd to Judah; Gilead belong'd to Iſrael, and Gilgal to Judah. Is there iniquity in Gilead? Surely they are vanity, they ſacrifice Bullocks in Gilgal.
They ſacrifice Bullocks.] The Septuagint reade it, The foreign. bones foreign princeps foreign [ququam hic c. foreign irregular. Vid. Buxtorf. in Lexic. Heb.]Princes ſacrifice.
And indeed the word that is for Bullocks is very neer in the Hebr. to the word that ſignifies Princes, the difference is only a Title on the right hand, or on the left, and ſo there might eaſily be a miſtake, but to reade it as it is here, They ſacrifice Bullocks in Gilgal, great ſacrifices, and they think to put off God with their great ſacrifices, ſacrificing Bullocks but all in vain.
I may ſpare a great deal of time in ſpeaking to the Places, having before ſpoken to them:
Therefore now to ſee what the ſcope of the holy Ghoſt is here, Is there iniqnity in Gilead?
Is there? an Interogation; it is, as if he ſhould ſay:
Firſt, Who dare ſay, there is iniquity in Gilead? Gilead, Expoſ.what, the City of the Prieſts, iniquity there! who will charge Gilead of iniquity, where the Prieſts are? what, are you wiſer than all our Prieſts? Juſt like to the plea that ſome heretofore have had, What, do not our Note.Miniſters do thus? is not this the opinion of our Miniſters? ſhall we not regard what our Miniſters do? Is there iniquity in Gilead? is there iniquity among them? do they not joyn in this way? This ſeems plainly to be even the ſcope of this Charge, Is there iniquity in Gilead? a wonder that there ſhould be iniquity; what, 'tis the City of the Prieſt? is there iniquity there? what in ſuch a place where they uſe to meet, where they dwel! Surely they are vanity, ſaith the Prophet: Even theſe Prieſts of Gilead, even theſe that you reſt ſo much upon they are but vanity, you may give up your conſciences and your waies to them, becauſe they come and perſwade you that ſuch a thing is to be done, and you muſt do it, and ſo by giving up your conſciences and waies to them you may be led into much evil.
Surely they are vanity; Though they be your Prieſts, though they be learned men, and ſhould underſtand the way of God, yet they have their own intereſts too, they drive their own deſigns, they keep not the Truth of God, but they follow their own minds, Surely they are vanity; thoſe waies that they perſwade you to, God allows not of, they will prove vanity, even wiſe, learned, underſtanding Let the Learned note.men, the Prieſts who ſeem'd to be much for God, may yet be vanity.
Whatſoever is preſented in the Worſhip of God, if not by Gods appointment, it's meer vanity. Surely they are vanity, even Obſ.Gilead.
Again, This Gilead being on the other ſide of Jordan, it was taken by the Aſſyrians, and thoſe in Gilead were carried captive before the other Cities, they were carried Expoſ. 2.afterwards, as it appears, if you reade that ſtory in 1 King. 15. 29. & alſo 1 King. 3. 26. thoſe that were on the other ſide Jordan were carried captive firſt, and Gilead among the reſt; ſo that it's probable that this Propheſie of this Prophet was after the taking of Gilead, after Gilead had been taken by the enemy, before the reſt of the Tribes were taken: And then the force of his argument is this,
There is iniquity in Gilead: yea, and Gilead hath ſmarted for her iniquity; though they promiſed themſelves peace, yet all proved but vanity, yea, they ſmar…ed very dreadfully, for in Amos, 1. 3. it is ſaid there, That Gilead was threſht with Inſtruments. Now Amos was contemporary Amos contemporary with Hoſea.with Hoſea, and ſpeaks of the wonderful miſeries that had befallen the Citie of Gilead; As if the Prophet ſhould ſay, Do not you know there is iniquity in Gilead? hath not God declar'd it by his ſevere wrath upon Gilead? have not they prov'd vanity? What then can Gilgal expect? they yet ſacrifice Bullocks, they are guilty of the ſame ſin of falſe worſhip as Gilead was; God had appointed but one place to worſhip in, but they had abundance of ſacrifices, and had their Altars as common as the very heaps of ſtones that was in the fields.
From whence you may Note,
Firſt, That when Gods Judgments have been againſt any Obſ. 1.for ſin, all ſinners that are guilty in the ſame kind they have cauſe to fear, and not promiſe ſafety to themſelves though they be ſpar'd a while.
But further, The Principal Note is this, Gilead had Expoſ.ſmarted thus and thus, yet Gilgal, that belonged to Judah, and the Prophet now ſpeaks to them, look to your ſelves, If Gilead hath ſmarted thus, you are like to ſmart as much and much more; for Gilead they did not own the Temple; the ten Tribes (you know) had forſaken the Temple; and were in a more remote way from God in their very profeſſion; but Gilgal did belong to Judah, and ſo were in a neerer way to God in their Profeſſion, they profeſt a greater care of Gods Worſhip; now ſaith he, What, ſhall not Gilead eſcape, who was in a remoter way of profeſſion, and yet ſhall God be thus avenged of Gilead for falſe worſhip? how ſhall Gilgal eſcape that profeſſes a greater neerneſs to God in his Worſhip, and yet for all that corrupt Gods Worſhip, and ſacrifices Bullocks upon the Altars, as heaps of ſtones in the furrows of the field? that's then our Note from hence,
That ſuch whoſe principles and profeſſions are neerer to God Obſ. 2than others, if they be ſuperſtitious, if they mingle any thing of their own in the Worſhip of God, God will be ſorely avenged upon them: Thoſe (I ſay) whoſe principles and profeſſion comes moſt neer in the matters of worſhip.
We may look at this point as neerly concerning our Applic. to Reformers in England.ſelves thus, if a Superſtitious, Prelatical Miniſtry, and People had the wrath of God purſuing them, as it hath been heavy upon them, then thoſe who ſhall profeſs to come neer in the point of Reformation, whoſoever they be, this ſide or the other ſide, any way, whoſoever profeſſes to come neerer, if they mingle their own inventions in Worſhip, God will be more ſorely diſpleaſed with them, the more piety and holineſs, the more we profeſs to come cloſe to the Word of God, and yet withal mingle our own inventions, the more is God diſpleaſed; Gilgal is rather more than Gilead.
Again, Their Altars (he ſaith) are as heaps in the furrows of the field; as common, and as ordinary, as husband-men Expoſ. 1.uſe to gather their ſtones that kept the Corn from growing, and every furlong almoſt there was ſome heap of ſtones laid, and ſaith he, Their Altars were as common as thoſe heaps of ſtones.
Or it may have reference to ſome Superſtitious or Idolatrous way of theirs; In the furrows of the field they Expoſ. 2.had many Altars built to ſacrifice, that they might ſeek God for the fructifying of their field; ſuch a kind of worſhiping of God as afterwards the Heathens had, that is in the bounds of their fields, they there performed ſome ſuperſtitious right and ceremony unto their gods for the Dij terminalisbleſſing of their fields; and following their example, the Papiſts and thoſe that are ſuperſtitious: and heretofore in England you know it was ordinary when men Proceſſion-Weeks in England.went up and down their Perambulation in the bounds of their field they would ſet up Croſſes, and Crucifixes, and would have Prayers read, and Pſalms ſung there, which was not meerly to ſhew what was the bounds of their Pariſh, but to invocate God for his bleſſing upon their fruits; and by making and ſetting up Croſſes in the bounds of their fields, they thought there came a bleſſing upon their Corn that way, and therefore in that time of the yeer rather, they would go to their Croſſes and have their Prayers there that they might have their Corn and Paſtors more bleſſed: thus we ſee old waies in Superſtition and Idolatry even ſince that time, and among the Gentiles is kept, and the ſame kind among the Papiſts, and lately was among our ſelves, they had their Altars in the furrows of the field.
Or in a way of Threat, as ſome have it, Their Altars Expoſ. 3.ſhall be broken down, and they ſhall be as heaps of ſtones in the furrows of the field; according to that in Jer. 16. 18. Zion ſhall be a field plowed, and Jeruſalem as on heap; As God threatned them, ſo their Altars are here threatned to be broken down, and to be as heaps in the field; God will regard their Altars no more, (that they built brave, and with a great deal of coſt) then rubbiſh and heaps of ſtones in the field. And thus much for that Eleventh Verſe. It follows;