An Exposition of Hosea 11-13, Exposition · Chapter 13 · Verse 10
VER. 10.
I will be thy King: Where is any other that may ſave thee in all thy Cities? and thy Judges of whom thou ſaidſt, Give me a King and Princes.
FIRST, To ſpeak a little to the words as you have 1. Reading.them in your books, for the words will bear them ſo in the Original. And yet I ſhall ſhew you another reading by and by that is as ſutable to the Original text as this. I will be thy King.
What ever you do contrive, plot, keep never ſuch a ſtir, fret, vex, and rage, I will govern you for all that, Expoſ.I will be your King, and will do that which beſeems me as the great King of Heaven and Earth, I will not be born down by you with all your boiſterouſneſs, I will govern you, … will have mine own ends, do what you can, things ſhall not go as you will, but they ſhall go as I will have them; you would caſt off my Authoritie, but I wil maintain it, I wil be your King.
This is a ſad condition to a people when God rules over them Obſ.in ſpight of their heart. And yet God doth do ſo, many times God rules over people in ſpight of their hearts, whether they will or no; while they are plotting and ſtriving for themſelves this way, and that way, God is bringing about his own ends in their ruin, The Lord is King, be the people never ſo unquiet, (ſaith the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 99. 1.) It's not thy fretting and wilfulneſs that wil hinder the courſe of Gods ordering things in the world, he will be King at laſt do what thou canſt, while thou and thouſand thouſands of ſuch as thou art ſhall periſh eternally, God will be King; Oh it's infinitly better for thee to fal down before the Lord, and ſay, Lord, thou ſhalt be our King, thou art above us, thou haſt power over us, thou ſhalt be our King for ever; It's juſt with God alwaies to ſay thus, I will be King: But certainly God hath not made ſuch a diſtance between man and man that any A caution concerning earthly kings.man ſhould ſay ſo, that whatſoever injuſtice he doth, whatſoever miſery he brings people into, yet I will be thy King, I will have mine own ends, mine own will. The Bonds between Kings and States certainly is *See Bucer in Matth. 17. ver ult. Cuncta ſupremo Magiſtratus concedenda proper conſcientiam: i. e. The Supream Magiſtrate is to be ſubmitted to in all things, but matters of conſcience; hee ſpeaks of private men, not of thoſe who by Laws are appoynted to be a ſcreen between the Prince and People, ſuch as Calvins Inſtit. Lib. 4. cap. 20. Sect. 31. ſaith the 3. Eſtates in Parliament are.mutual. But further thus: I will be their King.
I will not caſt off all care of them, I will not leave them to the mercy, or rather to the crueltie of others, 2.but let them come and return to me, and I will deal with them as a King to defend them, to govern them, to do good to them.
That God ſhould be King over a people it's his Mercy, and it's mans felicitie; this ſhould be our prayer, Lord, give us not up to be rul'd by our luſts, but do thou rule over us, and Lord give us not up to be rul'd by the luſts of wicked men, of unjuſt and cruel men to rule over us, but do thou reign over us, Let the Kingdoms of the earth be the Lords and his Chriſts, and he ſhall reign for evermore.
But there is another reading of the words, and that's thus. You that have books of the old-Tranſlation, 2. Reading.where Beza's (the Geneva) Notes are, you ſhall find the reading thus, I am, and there's a ſtop, where is your King that ſhould ſave your City? & I find moſt Interpreters go ſo.
So the Septuagint Tranſlation, Where is your King (ſay foreign, i. e. ubi eſt Rex iſle tuus. foreign i. e. foreign ubi Rex tuus nunc? Chald. ubi eſt Rex tuus? Vulg. (So Hierom. none of theſe read foreign Heb. foreignthey?) and the Chaldae Paraphraſe, Where is your King that ſhould ſave you in all your Cities? The Chaldae Paraphraſe, the Septuagint, and very many Interpreters reades it ſo, it's ſo tranſlated in the old Tranſlation, and according to the Original, I will be, (there may be a ſtop) your King; Where is he that ſhould ſave you in your Cities? Yea, and many Learned men in ſpeaking of this text in their Comments upon it, ſay they, it's but a tranſpoſition of the letters which is ordinarily in the Hebrew tongue, and though the word that is (I will be) it is as much as (where) upon a tranſpoſition of the letter, but though we do not make the tranſpoſition of the letter in the firſt words (I will be) but take them as they are there. But if you make a ſtop there, I will be, your King; where is he that ſhall ſave you in your Cities? The ſenſe comes to one.
As if he ſhould ſay, I am the ſame God that ever I was, but where is your King that ſhould ſave you in your Cities? Expoſ.Oh the words read ſo, may pierce the hearts of ſome, if ever they have had any acquaintance with God, and known what communion with God hath meane heretofore, to hear but theſe words, for God to ſay, I am, I am the ſame God that ever you knew me to be, that ever you found me to be, but where is your King that ſhould ſave you? and if you reade it as here, I will be, and there make the ſtop, ſo Pareus: I will be (ſaith he) Pareus in lo…and ſo refers it, then I will be (what he had ſaid before) as a Lyon, a Leopard, and as a Bear bereaved of her Whelps; and then, Where is your King that ſhould ſave you?
This is Gods Name, in Exod. 3. 14. I am that I am, or, I will be what I will be; ſo ſaith God here, I am Lord, I will be; but then where is your King? where is your King that ſhould ſave you in your Citie, and your judges, of whom you ſaid, Give us a King and Princes? My Brethren, I am no Prophet, and have not the ſpirit of a Prophet that could propheſie of things before, or could order Scripture when it ſhould be preached of, and when not, I am you ſee in an ordinary courſe and way, and meeting with this Scripture, am bound (according to my ability) to demonſtrate unto you wherein the force of it lies. I hope your conſciences ſhalbe witneſs that there ſhal not be the leaſt ſtraining of it, but to give you the ſtorie of the thing, and the temper of the people at this time; it appears plainly that there was three things that they The Confidences of the Ten Tribes: 1 King. 2 City. 3 Nobles.much reſted upon: ſay they, Let the Prophet ſay what he will, we have the King for us, and the Citie for us, and the Nobles for us, put King, and Citie, and Nobles together, and who can prevail? ſaith God, Where's your King that ſhould ſave you in your Cities? and your Judges, of whom ye ſaid, Give us a King and Princes, and Nobles. There's theſe three put together. If our King come to the Cities he will have a partie there, and there will be ſtrength in the Citie, and we know the Cities are able to command all the Country, and Kingdom, there's the Militia, and a numerous company of men, and there's riches in the Cities, and therefore the King together with them, and then having the Nobles of the Land, and the Princes, we are ſure in a ſafe condition, and yet in the midſt of this he asks them, by way if deriſion and inſultation.
For ſo it is, Where is your King that ſhould ſave you in your Cities? The Notes from the words are theſe:
Firſt, Thoſe things that carnal hearts reſt upon will vaniſh; Obſ. 1.Where are they, ſaith God, what's become of them? you would encourage one another and ſay, Come, we ſhall have a day yet, for we have this ſtrength, and the King and Nobles for us: Where are they? thoſe things that carnal hearts reſt upon will vaniſh and come to nothing.
Yea, Secondly, God loves to inſult over men in their carnal Obſ. 2confidences; For ſo, he doth not ſay here, Your King ſhall not ſave you, nor your Cities ſhal not ſave you, nor your Princes, and Nobles ſhall not ſave you; but, where are they? in a kind of Irony; God loves to inſult over the carnal confidences of men. And we find in Scripture many ſuch kind of Inſultings over men: in Deut. 32. 37. Where are your Gods that ſhould deliver you? And in Iſ. 19. 12. Where are thy Wiſe-men? What, we have got Stateſ-men, men known in State Affairs, we have them with us. But where are they, ſaith God? Thus the Lord inſults over men that put their confidence in the fleſh, and eſpecially when they have been confident in their own waies, forſaking God, and ſo bringing themſelves to miſery; when they have brought themſelves to miſery by forſaking the waies of God, now God inſults, now where are theſe things that you put ſuch confidence in?
And truly, even the Saints, ſo be it they do it in an holy humble way, they may have ſome kind of inſulting over ungodly men, only becauſe they have ſo much fleſh in them, there's danger, therefore they had need keep their hearts very low: But if they do it in the ſtrength of God; we have it in Scripture, That the Virgin, Daughter of Zion ſhall laugh at them, and laugh them to ſcorn. Only keep your hearts (I ſay) low, and you may come to ſee the Glory of God; even inſult in this, That God hath heard your Prayer, and hath been with his People, and that the Enemy hath had ſo much power and ſtrength in the fleſh, and yet how the Lord hath diſappointed them.
And then further, This is the great confuſion to carnal Obſ. 3.hearts, when they ſhall be asked, Where's their Confidence, and their Boaſting; and they ſhall be found ſpeechleſs? when this ſhall be ask'd them, Where's your bravery, and pride and ſtoutneſs of your hearts? and they ſhal be able to ſay nothing; Oh! this wil be a great confuſion and ſhame upon them. Certainly ere long it will be ſo to all carnal hearts that make their boaſt in the pomp and glory of the world, there ſhall be a confounding.
Where? Asked them, Where's all your Bravery, and Pride, and Rage? I ſay, this confounding [Where] will be asked to every wicked and ungodly man: What will they be able to ſay then? In Judg. 9. 28. we reade of one Gaal the ſon of Ebed, who ſaid, Who is Abimelech? but in verſ. 38. when Abimelech came with ſtrength againſt him, Zebal ſaid to him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou ſaideſt, Who is Abimelech, that we ſhould ſerve him? When men are in their pride & bravery, then they ſcorn at God and men, they little regard any thing that is ſaid to them; but when God brings them down low, then wheretis that mouth of thine that did ſo boaſt and ſpeak ſo proudly, as heretofore it did?
My brethren, let us learn from hence therfore, To ſeek Uſe.after, and reſt upon thoſe things which we may be able alwaies to give an accompt of where they are, if it ſhould be ask'd us; the Saints, if it ſhould be ask'd them, Where is their God? they can give an accompt, It's the God of Heaven that we have truſted in, it's the God that is in the higheſt Heavens, and in the hearts of the Saints, we can tell where our God is: It is juſt with God that wicked men ſhould be inſulted over, becauſe they inſult over the Saints; ſo if God do but ſeem to abſent himſelf from his People, they will preſently inſult over them, yea, where's your God? where's your Prayers and Faſtings? Have not ſome of you heard ſuch language many times in this Kingdom? There's no ſuch time but the Saints of God can give an Anſwer to this [Where] they can tell where their Faſtings and Prayers are: but the wicked are not able to tell what is become of their Confidences and boaſtings.
Therfore, O you Saints of God, never be afraid of evil men, for ere long it will be demanded of them, where Uſe. 2their Pomp, and Glory, and Pride is? but they cannot anſwer. And it follows; Thy Judges of whom thou ſaidſt, Give me a King and Princes.
By Judges (though ſometimes Kings are meant, as Amos, 2. 3. I will cut off the Judg out of the midſt of thee, he Iudices aliquan do Reges deſignant, ut Amos, 2. 3. Exſcindam Iudicem de medio tui. De Rege Moab loquiturſpeaks (ſaith Druſius) of the King of Moab:) we are to underſtand here their Nobles and Great men upon whom they relied, for ſo they are call'd in Scripture, Judges: they had indeed Judges before that time, when they ſaid, Give us a King and Princes; they had Judges, but they were of meaner rank in compariſon of thoſe they had after, they had Judges that by Gods appointment govern'd them, but they were too mean for them; no, they muſt have a KING, they muſt have PRINCES, they muſt have ſuch JUDGES that are Kings and Princes, Great men, for theſe that they had to rule over them, they were but of their own rank, and this would not ſatisfie them, but they muſt have ſuch as were great ones, above them: thoſe were but ordinary men, what were they but the Commons of the ſame ranke with other men; and raiſed up but a little while ago from the ordinary Note.way and rank of men? and why ſhould not we be rul'd and govern'd by them? No, we muſt have a King, and Nobles, and they muſt govern us, Give us a King and Princes. God had been much with theſe Judges, reade but the ſtory of the Judges, and you ſhall find that God had ever more appeared with them, I do not remember any one of the Judge, but ever prevail'd when God raiſed him up: but now this people they regard them not, why? becauſe they were but meaner men, they were but men of their own rank, though God did aſſist them ſo exceedingly.
Oh my Brethren, this is the ordinary guize of carnal hearts, Obſ.Though God be much with men, yet if they be but of a low rank, carnal hearts regards them not; let them do never ſo great ſervices, and be never ſo inſtrumental for the Kingdom, even thoſe men that have had their eſtates preſerved by them, that have had their Liberties and all kept by them, and by a mighty Spirit that God hath put into them, yet when the work is over, they look upon them but as mean ordinarie men, men of a common rank, and ſo let them go; they after all the great things that God hath done by them, ſtill their thoughts and minds are upon others that are above them, and Princes, and Nobles, ſuch men, they rely more upon men in whom they ſee outward pomp and glory; then upon thoſe that have the preſence of God never ſo much with them, and they regard them more, and they do think that they ſhall receive more good by them, and their hearts are more towards them if they have outward pomp and glory, than towards ſuch men that are in a meaner condition though there be never ſo much of the preſence of God with them: Oh we ſee that, that which hath been is ſtill to this verie day. —Of whom thou ſaidſt, Give us a King and Princes.
Where did they ſay ſo? they ſaid ſo in 1 Sam. 8. 5. there ſay they to Samuel, Come, give us a King that may reign over us; indeed the word Princes, I do not …here, but here the holy Ghoſt ads Princes, and give us Princes too; but that muſt of neceſſity be ſuppoſed, for if there If a King, then Nobles.be a King, a King muſt have his Court and Nobles about him, and muſt be as a fountain of honor, and muſt confer honor, and have great men about him; ſo that though Princes be not named there, yet the holy Ghoſt ſupplies them as a thing that muſt of neceſſity be underſtood, Come, let us be Governed by a King and great ones that are about him. But you wil ask me,
What's the reaſon that nothing would ſatisfie them but a King Why the Iſraelites would have a King, and Princes.and Nobles?
There are theſe Seven REASONS that may be given for it, nothing would ſatisfie them but a King onlie.
Firſt, Conſider their extream earneſtneſs about it, if you reade 1 Sam. 8. you will find that they were almoſt mad upon it, a King they muſt have, and would have. Oh! it was very grievous to Samuel's ſpirit, he told them their great ſin, and the Lord ſaid, They have rejected me, and not thee. Samuel told them what God ſaid, and God bad Samuel go and tell them what a King they ſhould have, that he would oppreſs them extreamly, they ſhall have Arbitrary Government come in to the full, he will take away your ſervants and children, and do with them what he pleaſes, you will be brought to be ſlaves to him, any Paraſite at Court may eaſily get your eſtates, you ſhall be accounted an offender for a word, and Fin'd what they pleaſe, you ſhall be in moſt miſerable bondage if you have him. But now you ſhall find afterwards, after Samuel had told them all this; Nay ſay they, but let us have a King for all this, they anſwered him nothing: If any one ſhould come and reaſon, Why do you deſire a King ſo much? what ſhall you get by it? do not you think that he will have your Eſtates and all you have at his diſpoſe, and your Liberties? no man now could denie this, they did not denie the … word that Samuel ſaid, but they will hold their concluſion, Nay, but we muſt have a King ſay they. What's the matter that ſhould make them thus?
Firſt, Somewhat even for novelty ſake; they had other 1kind of Government before, but now they would have ſomewhat more, Mens ſpirits are very much given to change, Notethough they can give no account in the world for the thing.
But Secondly, There might be ſome diſtruſt in them, in 2.their former Judges, becauſe they were men of meaner rank (as I told you) they might think that they ſhould not be able to help them, Oh ſay they, Let us have a King that ſhall go before us in our Wars. Though they had never ſo much experience of the Judges, yet they thought there would be more good if they had great ones, and they were afraid that theſe men of a lower, meaner rank would fail them at laſt.
And then a Third reaſon is, That they might be like other 3.Nations, becauſe they loved pomp, What ſay they, Shall we ſee our neighbor Nations to be governed by thoſe that have great pomp and glory, and ſhall we be governed by men that were but Trades-men a while ago? No, they would be like other Nations.
Fourthly, It is like they had ſome oppreſſions upon them 4.even from the former Judges; though moſt of them were good, yet certainly there cannot be a Government of Men but there wil be ſome cauſe at one time or other for ſome to complain: Take the beſt Government that can be in the Note.world, yet ſeeing it is a Government of men, by men, there will be ſome cauſe or other to complain at ſome time or other. Now this is the peeviſhneſs of mens hearts, that if there be but any condition wherein they ſuffer, they do nothing but complain of their ſuffering, and therefore would fain have a new way; and never think of the inconveniences and ſufferings that would come in by that new way; Oh! they would be rid of theſe that now they were under, and would have a King, theſe men angred them, theſe men laid ſome taxes upon them that they were not pleaſ'd withal, now ſo be it they might be rid of them, they car'd not what they bring upon themſelves, and therefore they would have a King, not minding what ſufferings they ſhould bring upon themſelves in another kind.
And then Fifthly, A King they would have out of a ſpirit of oppoſition againſt that way that God had ſet; God 5.was in a way of governing of them, and their hearts was againſt that way of God, a meer ſpirit of oppoſition, though they would give no reaſon why they might not be as well that way as another: but it was Gods way, And there is an oppoſition in the heart of man to any thing that Note.hath God in it; the more any thing hath of God in it, and the more God rules in a way, the more oppoſite are the hearts of evil men.
And then a Sixth Reaſon is this, They had ſome hopes that they ſhould have ſome more liberty for their luſts. Now 6.having ſuch a way of Government as they had there was more inſpection over them, and they could not ſo eaſily corrupt them, but now in the Government of one man over them, if they can but make a friend to him they may do what they liſt, they might brave it over all their other neighbors, if they would be but willing to be a ſlave to him, they might make all their neighbors ſlaves to them, they had a great deal more hopes of libertie for their luſts it's like this way than the other.
And then laſtlie, Many of them had hopes to get preferment 7.this way: let us have a King and Princes, and we ſhall get preferments in the Court, and Places this way, and therefore this is the beſt way, we will not be ſatisfied with any other way but this, we live in a mean low condition without this, but we ſhall get preferments this way, therefore give us a King.
But now that's obſervable, Though they thought they had agreed deal of Reaſon for themſelves, yet after they had once ſmarted, and they found indeed that there was that oppreſſion upon them after they had a King and theſe Princes more than ever they were under in their lives, now was a time that Hoſea could ſpeak freely to them, and ſay in the Name of God, Where is your King, and thoſe men that you were ſo earneſt for? what good have you got? For it is obſervable though they were never ſo eager upon having a King, yet if you reade the ſtory in Samuel, when God did but thunder from Heaven, Oh! then we have ſinned; and when they were under oppreſſion, then Hoſea could ſpeak freelie and plainlie to them, Where is your King? and where are theſe men?
Men will not hear ſo long as they do not ſuffer; If men be Obſ.once ſet upon a way, and have their Eſtates about them, and countenance from great ones, ſpeak what you will againſt their way, they will not hear you; but let theſe men ſmart for their way, and find by experience the evil of it, then you may ſpeak to them and ſay, Do you think now that it was wiſelie done, that that you were ſo eager upon? do you think you dealt well for your ſelves? Oh then they will be readie to ſay, I confeſs I did not think ſo ſeriouſlie of thoſe things before, I lookt onlie upon that, that appeared for the preſent, and now after-wit is bought, although it be dear, I ſee cauſe now to repent of what I have done.
My Brethren, Surelie Kings and Nobles are great bleſſings of God when they are good: you ſee I have not ſtrain'd in the leaſt thing, but held forth to you what the ſcope of the place is; Let none go away and ſay, that I enveighed againſt Kings, or Nobles, certainlie in themſelves they are great bleſſings of God, and we muſt acknowledg it fitting to have a difference between man and man.
It's a ſlander that is upon a ſort of people. As if they would have all things to lie Level, and one to have as much horer as the other; A ſlander noed by the Author.God forbid we ſhould have ſuch a thought: Let us give honor to thoſe whom God would have honored, and never envy nor grutch at their honor, if God pleaſes to ſend thoſe that are good, I ſay, they may be great Inſtruments of great bleſſings of God to us. But now mark the verie next words that follow in the Eleventh Verſe, They would have a King.