An Exposition of Hosea 11-13, Exposition · Chapter 12 · Verse 5
VER. 5.
Even the Lord God of Hoſts, the Lord is his Memorial.
HE that appeared to your Father Iacob was no other Expoſ.than the Lord of Hoſts, Jehovah, and Jehovah is his memorial.
Your Father Jacob converſed with God, he had great power with the great God, the Lord of Hoſts, Jehovah. You forſake this God, you ſee no ſuch excellency in him, you rather turn to Idols. The Lord of Hoſts.
But how doth the Prophet make uſe of this Title of Queſt.God, The Lord of Hoſts?
It is in reference unto thoſe Hoſts of God that appeared Anſw.to Iacob a little before he met with his Brother Eſau, the Prophet is ſpeaking of the ſtory of Jacob's meeting with Eſau, and how he then wraſtled with God, upon which his name was changed, in Gen. 32. 1, 2. the text ſaith, The Angels of God met him. And when Jacob ſaw them, he ſaid, This is Gods Hoſt: This hath reference to that place. The Hoſts of God appeared to Iacob juſt upon this time of his wraſtling, and the text ſaith there, He called the name of the place Mahanaim, that is, two Hoſts, or two Camps. Saith Hoſea, The Lord of Hoſts is his name, as if he ſhould ſay, It is the ſame Lord that was the Lord of Hoſts that appeared to Iacob your Father a little before his wraſtling, it's the ſame God, he remains the ſame God ſtill, and your ſin is againſt that God, and return unto that God that is this Lord of Hoſts.
Now for this Title, The Lord of Hoſt.
That which you ſee this morning, may put you in mind a little of it, yet I ſhall not ſpeak much of it now, Becauſe you that have been Auditors here, and others too, may know, that even in this place I have preached upon that Title, The Lord of Hoſts, That glorious Name Lord of Hoſts. [The glorious Name of the Lord of Hoſts: the Title of a Book of the Authors, being one of the firſt in defence of the Wars on the Parliaments ſide]of God, the Lord of Hoſts, and likewiſe publiſhed it, I opened that Title ſome yeers ſince, becauſe God did appear to England in that Title, the Lord of Hoſts more fully than in former times. Therefore to the end that we in this Land might learn now to ſanctifie that Name of God, The Lord of Hoſts, I endeavored to open it as I was able unto you, to ſhew what glory of God was in that Name, that we might ſanctifie it; and ſince that time the Lord hath given us more occaſion to ſanctifie that Name of his than formerly, indeed this Title, Lord of Hoſts, as well as Iehovah is the Memorial of God, and ſhould be to the poſterity that remains, we ſhould tell the poſterity after how the Lord hath manifeſted himſelf the Lord of Hoſts among us; if ever God appeared in the Glory of this Title in any Country and Nation, then he hath done it here: It is from the Lord of Hoſts that our Armies have prevailed ſo as they have done; one that hath but half an eye (as we uſe to ſay) can ſee it. Had God wrought our Victory by a company of Old, Brave, Gallant Soldiers, and by Mighty Armies, then the Glory of God as the Lord of Hoſts had been ecclipſed in ſome meaſure, but when as ſuch great things have been done, as ſcarce any ſtory can tell us, ſince Ioſhua's time, the great things that have been done as have been here in this Kingdom within this twelve months, I ſay the moſt remarkable ſtory it will be, of what hath been done, as ever we reade of in any ſtories. How wil the Lord of Hoſts be in his memorial if theſe Stories be ſet out to the life, An impartial ſtory of the late Warrs would tend much to Gods glory.luſtre, and verity of them! the children that are not yet born will learn to magnifie God by this Name of his, Lord of Hoſts, that ſuch things ſhould be done by an Army ſo contemptible in the eye of fleſh and blood as this The New-Model at firſtour Army was, it is no other than the Lord of Hoſts that hath appeared for us.
And in that God hath manifeſted himſelf by his own people ſo much; I will give you one Scripture which I do not remember I made uſe of then, to ſhew you what the Hoſts of God are beſides the Angels, there's the Angels, and Sun, and Moon, and Stars, and the wholeworks of Creation, there are two ſpecial Armies that God hath Gods Armies 1.beſides the Sun, Moon, and Stars, and the works of Creation in general. There are two Armies, The Saints, 2. 3and the Angels, theſe I may call Mahanaim, the two Hoſts of God, the Angels, and the Saints. For that of the Angels I ſhall not need to give you Scripture. But for the People of God, that they are call'd the Hoſts in way of diſtinction from all other of the Hoſts of God: Gods Gods People are his Hoſts in a ſpecialown people (I ſay) God glories in as his Hoſts in way of diſtinction from all other people, this you have in Exod. 12. 41. where the people of Iſrael going forth from Egypt, the text ſaith, And it came to paſs at the end of the four hundred and thirty yeers, even the ſelf ſame day it came to paſs, that all the Hoſts of the Lord went out from the Land of Egypt. What were they but Gods people? the Church is call'd here the Hoſts of God. And ſo in Cant. 6. 4. the Church of God is ſaid to be terrible as an Army with Banners. And Song. 6. 4.through Gods mercy the Lord hath manifeſted what great things he can do by ſuch an Hoſt, by an Army that Exemplified in England.hath had ſo many of his choſen ones among them, they have been the Hoſts that God, the Lord of Hoſts hath taken ſo much delight to be the Captain of, and to go forth withal. But thus much for that Name, the Lord of Hoſts, what uſe the Prophet makes of that Name we ſhall ſpeak to preſently, how it is a Doctrinal point that he builds his Exhortation upon, Therefore return unto the Lord.
The next name is, JEHOVAH: The Lord Jehovah Jehovah.is his Memorial.
This name Jehovah is a name that God glories much in, for indeed it is the name of Gods Being, it ſignifies the Being of God more fully than any name God hath; this, and that name of God, I am that I am, which comes from the ſame root, and is in effect the ſame with this name Jehovah; I ſay, God glories in this above all his Names: and therefore in Deut. 28. 18. That thou maieſt fear this glorious and fearful Name Jehovah, the Lord; in your books it is, The Lord thy God, but in the Original, That thou mighteſt fear this glorious and fearful name, Jehovah, thy God; God looks upon this name, as his Glorious Name, and his Fearful Name, and would have people to take heed that they look to this, that they fear this glorious and fearful Name, JEHOVAH, thy God: This Name the Jews keep a mighty ſtir about, and think they find great Myſteries in it, they have ſuch ſuperſtition, and do ſo reverence this Name, that they will not ſo much as pronounce it, they call it the Ineffable Name; and if it be written upon a Paper, they think it is a very wicked thing to tread upon that Paper. But it's very obſervable here how croſs the ſuperſtition of men is to God, they in way of reverence to God will not ſo much as mention this Name, becauſe they ſay 'tis a name that God ſo much glories in: And yet mark here, my Text ſaith, this name is Gods memorial, God would have this Name mentioned above any of his Names, 'tis the Name by which he would be remembred to all generations. So in Exod. 3. 15. there you ſhall find, that God ſpeaking of this Name of his, [Iehovah] it is that that he would be known by to all generations. Surely there is much then in this Name.
Firſt, This Name [JEHOVAH] it ſets forth the Glory of God more than any name in this, becauſe it is Iehovah what it ſignifies.a Name that above all Names ſhews, that God hath a being from himſelf, in wch much of the glory of God is, this is proper to God: And indeed from this one Principle, that God is from himſelf; we come to underſtand almoſt all things that can be known of God by any light of Nature, by any Natural Underſtanding, beſides what you have by Divine Revelation, As the knowledge of God in Chriſt, that's above it; But the knowledg of God as Adam knew him, and as the Creature can know him by any Iehovah, Gods being of himſelf. what it infers. 1Natural light, there's moſt of all known from this Principle, That God hath his being from himſelf.
Firſt, From Himſelf follows, That he is the Firſt Being of all things.
Secondly, From hence follows, That he is the Supream 2.Being, he is above all.
Thirdly, From hence follows, That he is an Eternal 3.Being, he can have no begining, becauſe it is from Himſelf.
Fourthly, From hence follows, That he is an Infinit 4Being, that there's no bounds at all of his Being; for what ever is bounded is bounded by ſome thing that is without it; but God being from Himſelf, and having no cauſe, can have nothing to limit and bound his Being.
Fifthly, From hence follows, That there is All Being 5in God, whatever hath any being, it muſt be either that that is the Firſt, or from the Firſt, He is an abſolute Being of Himſelf, having it from Himſelf, and therefore Al Being is eminently contain'd in God Himſelf.
Sixthly, From hence follows, That whatſoever is in 6.God, is God Himſelf, from this Name Iehovah, He is an Abſolute Being, nothing but Himſelf: This is the difference between God and any Creature: Whatſoever is in the Creature, is not the being of the Creature. A man hath Wiſdom, now the Wiſdom of a man is one, and the Eſteem of the man is another thing; but it is not ſo with God, whatſoever you can ſay of God, is God, the Wiſdom of God, is God; the Mercy of God, is God; the Juſtice of God, is God Himſelf: and ſo all the Attributes: we conceive of the Attributes as if they were diſtinct from the Being; when we ſay, God is wiſe, as if God were one thing, and Wiſdom were another; but certainly if we would apprehend God as in Himſelf, we cannot apprehend him ſo; As if his Wiſdom were one thing, and God another; or his Mercy one thing, and God another; ſo that the truth is, nothing can properly be predicated of God, becauſe when a thing is predicated there's a difference between the Subject and the Predicate, but there's Nothing can be properly predicated of God.no ſuch diſtinction in God; but whatſoever can be ſaid of God, is God Himſelf, and there's as much of the glory of God appears in this one thing, in this (I ſay) that all that is in God is God Himſelf. The underſtanding God thus doth help us to ſee God in his glory as much as any way How to conceive aright of God.whatſoever, and few people apprehend this, but look upon God as a Creature, and ſo they think God is ſome excellent thing that hath ſo many Excellencies in him; but to underſtand, that all that is ſaid of God, is God Himſelf, and therefore it is all but one being in God; it doth appear divers to us, Wiſdom, Mercy, Juſtice, Power, Life, Holineſs, and Faithfulneſs appears many things to us, but in God all is but one Excellency; As now, The beams of the Sun appear divers to us, they ſhine through a blue glaſs, and there's a blue reflection, and a Simile.green glaſs and then 'tis green, and a red glaſs and then 'tis red, but all one beam: So the Infinit, Firſt, Abſolute Being of al things appearing in the ſeveral workings of His, in the ſeveral Adminiſtrations of His, this way or that way, ſeem to be ſeveral, but it's all but one being that is in himſelf: and this is ſignified by the Name Jehovah.
And further; By the Name Jehovah, is ſignified to us, That all the being of the Creature depends upon God, 7is from God originally, and ſo depends upon God every The name Iehovah, what it ſhold remind us of.moment, every time you hear the Name Jehovah you ſhould be put in mind of this, That as all creatures had what they had from God at firſt, ſo they do abſolutely depend upon God every moment for their being, and for all the good they have.
And then laſtly, In this Name is ſignified thus much, 8That the Lord will give a being unto all his Promiſes, and to all his Threatnings; And therefore when he did appear to Moſes, to tell him that he would fulfil the Promiſe made to his people, to bring them out of Egypt, then he doth tell him that indeed, though he did appear to Abraham by the name Elſhaddai, God-Alſufficient, yet he did not appear to him by the name Jehovah, which is as much as if he ſhould ſay, yea indeed, when I ſpake to Abraham, I made a Promiſe to him, that I would give him ſuch a Land, and thus and thus, but I did not give a being to the Promiſes; but now I come to make way to the fulfilling of this Promiſe, now I appear to be Jehovah, thus Jehovah is Gods memorial, that is, every time you reade of the name Jehovah, (it might very well be wiſh'd that the very word Jehovah had been kept in Iebovah to be kept in the tranſlation.your Engliſh Tranſlation, but almoſt alwaies when you reade the word Lord *Alwaies when it is in capital letters as LORD, not when it is in other letters, as Lordit is Jehovah) every time therefore you reade the name Jehovah, or hear that name, then you ſhould meditate this, and contemplate of God, it will help your meditation of God very much, God Jehovah, the Lord he is a Being from himſelf, the Firſt-being that is the Supream of all, an Infinite being, that hath no bounds at all, it is he that is ſuch a God as is of himſelf, whatſoever is in him it is his own Eſſence, it is his Being, an Eternal Being, and from whom all creatures have Being, and do depend, and it's he that will give a Being to all his Promiſes, ſo all his Threatnings, all this is contained in the Name Iehovah which is the memorial of God. And thus for the opening of theſe Two Names.
Now then for the Obſervations from them. The firſt is this,
Though God be never ſo ſtrong and terrible in himſelf, never Obſ. 1.ſo great and glorious, yet faith hath ſtrength to wraſtle with this God, it's brought in to this end, Iacob he prevailed with God. God, what God? The Lord of Hoſts, Iehovah, even this God that is the Lord of Hoſts, the Lord of all Armies, that hath al power, that is ſo terrible in all the Armies in Heaven and Earth, and is this Iehovah, this Infinite, Glorious, Supream, Eternal Firſt-being of all things? and yet Iacob wraſtles with this Lord of Hoſts, God Iehovah, and prevails with him.
So that hence Chriſtians ſhould learn, to raiſe up Uſe.their ſpirits when they have to deal with God, if God hath given them faith they ſhould not be daunted with Gods terror, or with Gods greatneſs; thou ſometimes lookeſt upon God as the great Creator of Heaven and Earth, the great Lord of Hoſts, the infinite Iehovah, the luſtre of his glory ſeems to amaze thee; be not afraid, Oh thou beleeving ſoul, if thou beeſt a ſeed of Iacob, notwithſtanding all the terribleneſs there is in God, and all the glory that there is in God, the infinite diſtance that there is between him and us, which his Name Iehovah ſets out unto us, yet thou mayeſt wraſtle with this God, even with this God, and prevail with ſuch a God as this is. Many poor Chriſtians are much daunted, and diſcouraged with the ſight of the greatneſs of God; but this text is a very great help to us that we ſhould not be daunted and diſcouraged with the apprehenſions of Gods greatneſs; indeed it is for ungodly men, to whom God is an Enemy, they are to be daunted with the apprehenſion of the greatneſs of God; but to the ſeed of Iacob, even when Iacob prevailed it was with this God, that is the Lord of Hoſts, whoſe memorial is Iehovah.
The Second thing is this, That the greatneſs and glory of Obſ. 2.God in theſe Names of his is a great aggravation of ſin: for to that end it's likewiſe brought to aggravate the ſin of this people in departing from this God. Oh! the Lord is infinitely terrible, he is the Lord of Hoſts, and he is Iehovah, and yet you wretched creatures have departed from this God, you have ſinned againſt this God; Oh! 'tis a fearful aggravation of mens ſin, that their ſin is againſt ſuch a God that is the Lord of Hoſts, whoſe Name is Jehovah; there is nothing that can humble the ſoul of a ſinner more than the ſight of the Lord in his glorious What humbles moſt effectually.Attributes, when thou comeſt to know what a God it is thou haſt to deal with, this will make thee to ſee thy ſin to be great; therefore the Prophet ſets God in his Glory before this people, that they ſhould come to ſee their great ſin, and that there ſhould be a ſtop given to the courſe of their hearts that were running on in the waies of ſin.
Thirdly, Which is very uſeful; Look what Glory and Obſ. 3.Excellency of any Title, or Name, or Work that God hath ever appeared in to our Forefathers, the ſame we may have God to appear in to us, if we forſake him not: That's the Third end why the Prophet here brings theſe Titles, The Lord of Hoſts, Jehovah; as if he ſhould ſay, He was thus to your Father Jacob, the Lord of Hoſts, and he was Jehovah; and his memorial is ſtill the Lord of Hoſts, and Jehovah, and therefore you might have this God to appear, the Lord of Hoſts for your good as well as he did to your Forefathers, and you might have God appear to be Jehovah for you as well as he did to Jacob, if you forſake him not; Oh! wretches, that you ſhould forſake this God whom you might have to be the Lord of Hoſts, and Jehovah to you.
Oh! Let's learn this, That when we reade in Scripture, Uſeor hear from our forefathers how God hath appeared heretofore for his Saints, for our Forefathers, let us make this uſe of it, God is the ſame God ſtill, and we may come to have as much good from this God as ever any had ſince the world began, there's no ſhortning of his Power, there's no darkning of his Glory, but whatſoever Power hath wrought, whatſoever Glory of God hath appeared in former times, we may come to have it appear to us now, it's a mighty argument for people to keep cloſe to God and be faithful with him even becauſe of this.
Fourthly, There's no need of Images to keep Gods remembrance; the glorious Titles of God and his Attributes, Obſ. 4.and the Manifeſtation of Himſelf in his Works, is the beſt Memorial of God; that's our way, the way of man to make to himſelf Memorials. God hath made himſelf a Memorial. When you reade in the Word this glorious Title of God, Jehovah, it's a better Memorial of God than all the Images in the world are, and we may better Sanctifie Gods Name, and have our hearts better wrought upon by ſuch Titles of God, than by all kind of Images whatſoever.
The Fifth Note, When God manifeſts himſelf in his Glory, it's not only for the preſent that men now might ſee his Glory, Obſ. 5.but it is that he may be remembred from Generation to Generation, from one to another, from one time of our life to another, and ſo from one Age to another; ſo here, the Lord of Hoſts, Jehovah is his memorial, as if he ſhould ſay, the Lord manifeſts himſelf Jehovah thus and thus, and he would be remembred in other Ages to be ſo; what God doth to his people in one Age, he doth not expect only to have his Name ſanctified for that preſent, but he would have it laid up from Age to Age, and would be honored in all Generations from thoſe great manifeſtations of himſelf in ſome one Age.
My Brethren, Oh! that we had hearts to do this, Oh! that we could make this God his Memorial, that we could lay up what God hath manifeſted of himſelf in Uſe.this Age for the benefit of another Age; I hope God wil one way or other provide means for the recording of the famous things that God hath done in this Age, that it may be a Memorial to the poſterity afterwards; for certainly our Age cannot give God the glory that is due unto his Name for what he hath done, we had need labor to continue it to poſterity that the Ages to come may remember what God hath done to give glory to him, it is his Memorial.
And then the laſt Note is this, When we would have a Obſ. 6.holy Memorial of God, the meditation of the Name JEHOVAH is very uſeful for us. You that ſay you cannot meditate, your meditations are barren; Would you help your ſelves in meditation to have a holy Memorial of God, think much of the Name Jehovah, remember what hath been hinted to you from that Name, and what is contained in it; And thus much for the Fifth Verſe.