An Exposition of Hosea 11-13, Exposition · Chapter 12 · Verse 14
VER. 14.
Ephraim provoked him to anger moſt bitterly.
IT's true, (ſaith God by the Prophet) I loved your Father Jacob, and I have magnified my ſelf towards Cohaerance.his poſterity in great and wonderful things which I have done for them. But you have been a wretched people, and provok'd me moſt bitterly: as if he ſhould ſay, I have a ſpirit of gentleneſs, ſweetneſs and love, as indeed Expoſ. 1.there is nothing elſe in God, if he be not provok'd, If there be any anger, it is from mens provoking him.
You have provok'd me bitterly, [in bitterneſs:] You have provok'd, you have imbittered my Spirit againſt you, by your ſins that are bitter; you make my Spirit that is ſo ſweet of it ſelf, you have made it to be bitter.
The word ſignifies ſometimes to Exalt and make high.foreign in Hithpael Exaltari. [Graec. Ezek. 3. 14.] in Excelſis ſuis. Calv. &c.
And I find Tremelius, Vatablus, Calvin and others, tranſlate it, High places.
You have provoked me with the High Places, ſo it's true; And indeed that was a ſpecial ſin, the ſin of Idolatry that did provoke God moſt bitterly againſt them, and he will come to one in the main, if we take it ſo.
But it is more full to tranſlate it according to that Expoſ. 2.that the word doth ſignifie more properly, You have provok'd me in bitterneſſes, you have been very bitter againſt my Saints that would go from Samaria to worſhip at Ieruſalem. The particular intimation of the Text.I have ſhewn in this ſtory of the Prophet how bitter the ten Tribes were againſt any that would ſeparate from them and go worſhip at the Temple; you have provok'd me in that kind of bitterneſs, you have provok'd me in that bitter ſin of abuſing my Prophets, you have provok'd me in that ingratitude of yours towards thoſe that I have made Inſtrumental for your good, you have provok'd me in finning againſt ſuch great mercies, Oh! you have provok'd me bitterly, you have for ſaken the living God, the fountain of all good, and have turned your ſelves to vanity, you have provok'd me to anger moſt bitterly. From whence the Notes are,
Firſt, That God is not angry but when he is provok'd, neither Obſ. 1.ſhould we be; let us be as our Heavenly Father is: ſaith God, You have provok'd me to anger.
And then Secondly, It is ſin that provokes God, it puts Obſ. 2.God to ſtir up his anger, it puts it to tryal, to ſee whether there be any anger in God or no; in Heb. 3. 9. Your Fathers provok'd me, they tryed me, they would put it to foreigntryal whether there was ſuch anger in me yea, or no. Wicked men indeed do ſo, they hear much of the anger of God againſt ſin, and they put it to tryal, they will ſee whether it be ſo or no; they dare not ſay ſo in words, but their actions do ſo: Oh! it's a dreadful evil to provoke God, 1 Cor. 10. 22. Do ye provoke the Lord to jealouſie? are you ſtronger than he? Can you ſtand it out with God? Is it not folly to provoke a man that is a Superior, that hath power over you, and can cruſh you? Oh wretched, bold heart that dareſt ſtand it out to provoke the eyes of his Glory, to provoke the holy one of Iſrael▪ What, to provoke him that can ſtamp you into Hell preſently ▪ to provoke him that hath the point of the Sword of Juſtice at your hearts! but yet this is the boldneſs of ungodly men; a man that dares not provoke his Landlord, yet will dare to provoke God.
My brethren, it's a great evil to provoke one another The aggravation of provoking God.to wrath, but a greater evil to provoke God to wrath: in Epheſ. 6. 4. Parents are charged not ſo much as to provoke their Children to wrath; And wilt thou provoke God then? If we will be provoking one another, let us be provoking to love, and to good works: (as in Hebr. Wherein we may provoke.10. 24.) unto a kind of Acrimony of love. If there be a kind of ſharpneſs let it be that which puts us on with an eagerneſs of ſpirit to love, and ſo provoke one another as much at you will, provoke one another to love, and to good works. In Gal. 5. 26. Be not deſirous of Againſt provoking one another.vain glory, provoking one another; Calling forth one anothers corruptions, that's the meaning of it. Let there not be a deſire of vain glory, provoking one another, calling ſorth foreignone anothers corruptions. Oh! 'tis an evil thing that we do call forth the corruptions of one another ſo. Was there ever times of provoking ſo as there are now? every man provoking one another, and ſtirring up one another to envy, wrath, and malice, Oh take heed of provoking one another; wonderful miſchiefs have come of provoking out another: What miſchief do you think will come then of provoking God to anger? Conſider this, eſpecially you that are of paſſionate ſpirits, if a Wife, a Servant, a Child doth any thing a miſe, you are preſently all on fire, Oh that you would have this meditation, A Meditatiō for paſſionate ſpirits.What, ſhall I a poor worm be ſo ſoon provok'd with a fellow creature if he doth diſpleaſe me? O Lord, what a wretch am I then that dare provoke the infinite God! What, can I think my anger to be ſo terrible to a Child, a Neighbor, a Servant? Oh! how terrible is the anger and wrath of an infinite God againſt a Creature when he is provok'd! I cannot beat it whoever provokes me, why ſhould I think that the infinite God ſhould bear with me when I provoke him? Oh! that paſſionate men and women would have theſe conſiderations. But further; They provoke me bitterly.
Bitterly.] I remember Gualter hath a very good expreſſion Gualter.about this; and ſpecially ſpeaking of the way of Idolatry, provoking of God: Juſt as if a Wife that had plaid the whore, and had uſed many dalliances with the Whoremaſter, and this Wife ſhould come to manifeſt Simile.reſpect to her own Husband in the ſame way of dallyance as ſhe did with the Whoremaſter before, and he knew what love tricks and ſports ſhe had with him, and ſhe makes uſe of the ſame waies when ſhe comes home to Note.her Husband. Oh what a bitter provocation would this be! a Husband would not bear that. Juſt ſo did this people do in the way of Idolatry; in Idolatry they go a whoring to Idols, and they will tender up to God himſelf that kind of worſhip that they give to their Idols: Oh this is a bitter provocation.
The Note from whence is this, That though ſin of its own Obſ.nature doth provoke God, yet there are ſome ſins provoke him bitterly. In Heb. 3. 8. Harden not your hearts, as in the day of provocation, in the time of bitterneſs, ſo the word is; do foreign.not harden you hearts as in the provocation, as in the bitterneſs of my ſpirit. Oh! ſome things doth imbitter Gods Spirit; as Hardneſs of heart doth imbitter God Spirit, Provoking ſins. 1. 2. 3and Falſe worſhip; yea, many times even thoſe things wherein we think we do God a great deal of ſervice doth imbitter Gods Spirit. Oh! there's many men that think they ſerve God in doing that which provokes him bitterly: we know what the Scripture ſpeaks of men, that when they ſhall deal thus and thus with the Saints they ſhall think that they do God good ſervice. They may have a good intention in what they do, and yet they ſhall provoke God bitterly: Oh let us not reſt in good intentions: I make no queſtion but this people did ſay ſo to the Prophet. Wel, whatſoever their intentions were, yet God was provokt biterly by what they did.
And as there are ſome ſins that are as bitter cluſters, (as the holy Ghoſt ſpeaks in Deut. 32.) ſo God will be as bitter againſt thoſe that do provoke him bitterly, in Deut. 32. 24. he threatens bitter deſtruction. Oh! for the creature to forſake God is an evil and a bitter thing, in Jer. 2. 19. and it will be bitterneſs in the end. As Abner ſaid to Joab. in 2 Sam. 2. 26. Will it not be bitterneſs in the end? Oh thoſe dalliances of thine will be bitterneſs in the end: thoſe ſins of thine that are the moſt pleaſing to thee, as they are bitter to God, ſo God will make them bitter to thee one day: in Prov. 5. 4. Her end is bitter as Wormwood: though the beginning is as pleaſant as Sugar to you, yet the holy Ghoſt ſaith that her end is as bitter as Wormwood. In Jer. 4. 18. Thy way, and thy doings have procured theſe things unto thee; and this is thy wickedneſs, becauſe it is bitter. My Brethren, we are charged in Scripture to take heed of being bitter one againſt another, the Husband (in Coloſ. 3. 19.) is charged not to be bitter againſt his Wife. It is an evil thing when in a family there is bitterneſs. Oh! but when the Spirit of the eternal God is bitter againſt a people: You Wives who have ſuch a bondage upon you, and you find it evil to have ſuch bitterneſs from your Husbands: Oh but then look up to God, is Gods Spirit ſweet to you? Oh! it is a bleſſing to have the Spirit of God ſweet. There is The Spirit of God bitter to ſome.a Generation of men that hath Gods Spirit bitter towards them, it's one way whereby we provoke God bitterly, by being bitter one againſt another: in Epheſ. 4. 31. Let all bitterneſs, wrath, and evil ſpeaking be put away: there's a charge of God: As we would obey him in any thing, we are charged to put away all bitterneſs, anger, and evil ſpeaking, Oh what a ſpirit of bitterneſs prevails among us! what bitter words and ſpeeches are there among us! in Pſal. 64. 3. there the tongues of wicked men are ſaid to be as Arrows, They ſhoot their Arrows, even bitter words; If ever bitter words did fly like Arrows about our ears, then they do at this day: I verily beleeve England now more guilty of bitterneſs tean ever.that England never underſtood what bitter words meant as lately it hath known: we reade in Revel. 8. 11. it's ſaid, That the third part of the waters became wormwood, and men died of them, becauſe they were bitter. My Brethren, ſometimes Rev. 8. 11. alluded to.the third part of Sermons are Wormwood, are bitter: Oh! I would to God that ſometimes we could not ſay that the third part of prayer were not bitter; bitterneſs in prayer, in writing, in ſpeaking, in conferring one with another; Do not you think that this provokes God bitterly? yea, even thoſe men that were wont to ſweeten one anothers ſpirits, and there was a ſweetneſs came upon one anothers ſpirits in their prayers, and yet Aggravated.now what do they do but imbitter one anothers ſpirits, ſo that they cannot meet together now, but they come with bitter ſpirits, one imbittering the other, as if there were nothing but Gall and Wormwood among us? Let me apply that Scripture in Jam. 3 11. Doth a Fountain ſend forth, at the ſame place, ſweet water, and bitter? What, thoſe that were of ſuch ſweet natures and diſpoſitions, and by grace much more ſweet, and now nothing but bitterneſs come out of ſuch Fountains! one would wonder to ſee mens natures ſo changed beſides the work of grace: Oh! ſhall out of the ſame Fountain come forth ſweet water, and bitter? It follows; Therefore ſhall be leave his blood upon him.
That is, he ſhall bring his ſin upon his own head, Text.Expoſ. Obſ.Thoſe that will be wilful in ſin, the blood be upon their own heads; that's the meaning. Never ſtand excuſing any more, you have warning enough, if you will go on in your way, the blood be upon your own head, you wil undo your ſelves and there is no help:
Mark the phraſe; He ſhall leave his blood upon him.
When God comes to bring the guilt of ſin, and the puniſhment Obſ.of ſin on a mans own head and there leaves it upon him, that's ſad indeed. We reade in 2 Sam. 12. 13. there it is ſaid, when Nathan came and rebuk'd David for his ſin, David confeſt his ſin, and ſaith Nathan to him, The Lord hath put away thy ſin; the word is tranſlated by ſome thus, The Lord hath made thy ſin to paſs away; Oh that's a happineſs T…mſire fecit foreignindeed, when it may be ſaid of God, he doth make the ſin and the guilt to paſs away from the ſinner, that's a happineſs. But on the other ſide, when God ſhall leave the ſin upon the ſinner, leave the guilt of the ſin upon him, as if God ſhould ſay, here's the guilt of ſin upon the head of ſuch a man, and let it abide and lie, he ſhall leave his blood upon him, as in Ezek. 22. 20. the Lord ſaith, He will bring them into the fire, and leave them there; the Lord many times brings his Saints into the fire of afflictions, Oh but he will not leave them there: but when he brings the wicked into the fire, he leaves them there. And his reproach ſhall his Lord return unto him.
His reproach] That's thus, They do what lies in them to bring a reproach upon me the living God, as if there Expoſ.were not an Alſufficiency in me, but I'le make the reproach to turn upon their own heads; yea, they reproach my Saints too, but I'le make this to return upon their own heads, Oh take heed of doing any thing to bring a reproach upon God.
You will ſay, Can the Creature bring a reproach upon God?Queſt.
I might ſhew you divers waies: I'le inſtance but in this Anſw.one thing.
Apoſtatizing from God, when profeſſors of Religion that have been very forward and ſeem'd to rejoyce in the Apoſtacy brings a reproach upon Gods waies.waies of God and to relie upon God, and they ſhall forſake God to follow after their vain luſts, I ſay, theſe do bring a reproach upon God himſelf, in Heb. 10. 29. they did *foreign,deſpite to the Spirit of Grace, they wrong, and bring a reproach upon the Spirit of Grace. And then Heb. 6. 6. They put the Son of God to an *foreign.open ſhame (ſaith the text) they make him a reproach before all. As when you cart people up and down the City you hold them Simile.out as a ſcorn; ſo they put the Son of God to open ſhame, they do (as it were) hold forth the Son of God to open ſhame: ſo what thou profeſſeſt, There is more good to The language of the ſin of an Apoſtat.be had in a Whore than in Jeſus Chriſt, and God, and the bleſſed Spirit, that's the language of a Whoremaſter.
Well, you that are Apoſtates and think to bring a reproach upon Religion and upon the Saints, and they all ſuffer for you; from whence is it that the people of God are reproach'd, but becauſe of Apoſtates? Well, do you bring a reproach upon God, upon his Name, upon Profeſſion, upon his Saints? the Lord hath waies to turn the reproach upon your ſelves; and uſually ſuch men as theſe before they die, God doth put to open ſhame, he How God uſually puniſheth themleaves them to ſuch vile courſes as they come to be a ſhame, a by-word, a ſcorn, and caſt out as dung and filth, not only to the Churches, but from ſuch as have any kind of civility or morality at all, Oh! take heed of bringing a reproach upon God, and ſo by bringing reproaches upon his Saints; Oh! let the Saints go on in a conſtant way of holineſs and faithfulneſs, God will wipe away their reproach, the Lord will return the reproach upon the heads of ſuch as ſeek to reproach them. And when there comes a reproach upon the wicked, it ſhall be another manner of reproach than upon the Saints, it's call'd a perpetual reproach; the reproach of The reproach of the wickedthe Saints is not a perpetual reproach, but when it's upon the ungodly, it ſhall be a perpetual reproach, and in Jer. 41. 18. thoſe two things are joyned together, a Curſe, and a Reproach, Nehem. 4. 4. Hear O God, for we are deſpiſed, and turn their reproach upon their own heads, ſaith Nehemiah. Sanballat, and Tobiah did reproach the Servants of God, that did ſeek in the uprightneſs of their hearts to honor God; but Lord, return their reproach upon themſelves, ſaith Nehemiah.
And truly this is the beſt way, when the Servants of God are reproached, though they may by lawful means How tho Saints are to vindicate reproaches.ſeek to vindicate their names, yet their chief way is, to pray, Lord, turn the reproach upon the heads, or boſoms of our adverſaries.
And then the laſt Note is this: —And his reproach ſhall His LORD return unto him.
His Lord] What is God the Lord of this people? his Expoſ.Lord ſhall turn it, yes ſaith he, 'tis as if the Prophet ſhould ſay thus, you reject God and will not be in ſubjection to him, you will not own him to be your Lord; but he will be your Lord in ſpite of your heart, God will be God, Obſ.and he will be Lord, let wicked men do what they can, and what they will he will be their Lord; Chriſt hath purchaſed to be Lord over the world, and he will be Lord over all, over all Apoſtates, Hypocrits, wicked men, let them do what they can againſt Jeſus Chriſt, Jeſus Chriſt will be Lord over them in ſpite of their hearts.
Oh its a bleſſed thing to give up our ſelves willingly Uſe.to the ſubjection of Jeſus Chriſt. If we ſay we will not have thi… man to rule over us, Chriſt will ſay, but I will rule over you, the Lord hath ſworn by Himſelf, and the word hath proceeded out of his mouth in righteouſneſs, that every knee ſhall bow unto him, and every tongue confeſs his Name; be ſtill ſaith God, and know that I am the Lord: So I ſay to the moſt troubleſome and tumultuous ſpirit, that would caſt off the yoke of God; Oh! be ſtill thou wretched, thou proud ſpirit, and know that God is the Lord, he will prevail againſt you. God made Julian to know this, that when a dart was ſtruck into him, Iulian the Apoſtat.he caſt his heart blood into the Air, with an O than Galilean, thou haſt overcome me! And ſo all wicked men ſhall be forced to ſay one day, Well, though I would caſt off the Commands of God behind my back, and break his Cords, yet the Lord hath overcome me, and though I periſh to all eternity, yet God will be God bleſſed for ever, and Lord of the whol Earth.
And thus through Gods mercy we have gon through this Twelfth Chapter.