Lectures Upon Hosea 1-4, Lectures 1 · Part 9
ANd ſo much concerning the ſecond degree of the Iſraelites puniſhment. The third followeth, which is their vtter and finall reiection: verſ. 8. Now when ſhee had weaned Verſ. 8. 9. Lo-ruchamah, ſhe conceiued and bare a ſonne. Verſ. 9. Then God ſaid, Cal his name Lo-ammi; for ye are not my people, therefore I will not be yours. In which words the third puniſhment is firſt typically ſhadowed vnderunder the childs name, and afterwards plainely expreſſed in the reaſon rendred thereof.
But before this third puniſhment is denounced, there is a certaine ſpace interpoſed betweene it and the former, which is ſignified verſ. 8. Now whē ſhe had weaned Loru-chamah, &c. By the weaning of Loru-chamah, ye Prophet typically ſheweth, that becauſe the people were not reclaimed with the former puniſhments, the Lord would be ſo far from repealing his ſentence of thoſe iudgements before denounced, that he would now ratifie and confirme it; yea, and becauſe their diſeaſes were growne ſo deſperate, that they were paſt all cure, and ſeeing neither mercies nor iudgements would reclaime them, he would now inflict vponupon thē a third iudgement, more heauie then all the reſt; namely, he would reiect them frō being his people. But yet he would not do this ſodenly, but as the child is firſt weaned before it be taken from his nurſe, ſo they ſhould be weaned and reſtrained from their nurſes the Prophets, and frō the food of their ſoules, the milk 1. Pet. 2. 2.of Gods word; of which the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, 1. Pet. 2. 2. and conſequently ſhould bee depriued of al the graces of Gods ſpirit, which are both begotten by this ſpiritual ſeed of Gods word, and nouriſhed and increaſed with this heauenly food.
But howſoeuer the Lord goeth forward in the denunciation of iudgements, yet it is not altogether without mercy: for before he vtterly reiecteth them he interpoſeth a conuenient diſtance of time between this and the former iudgement, that in the meane while they might repent and ſo eſcape this laſt puniſhment. And this alſo is ſignified by the weaning of Loru-chamah before Lo-ammi is conceiued. For though he had condemned them to perpetual captiuitie, yet he doth not preſently exclude them out of that couenant which he had made with their fathers, wherby they became his people, but for a time hee patiently waited for their conuerſion, that ſo they might ſtill retaine the name of Gods people, and attaine vntounto the ſaluation of their ſoules, though their bodies were inthralled in a perpetuall ſeruitude.
But when as they made no vſe neither of Gods former iudgements, nor yet of his patience & long ſuffering, but obſtinately and deſperately went on in their ſins, they increaſing in wickedneſſe the Lord increaſeth his puniſhments, and finally caſts them off from being his people. The which finall reiection is ſignified and ſhadowed vnderunder the name Lo-ammi, the ſignification wherof is, Not my people, as it is expounded by God himſelfe in this place: and after it is plainely expreſſed in the reaſon: for ye are not my people: therefore I will not be yours.
The Lord had in former times made choice of the children of Iſrael, amongſt all the nations of the world to be his Church and people, according to that, Deut. 32. 9. For the Deut. 32. 9.Lords portion is his people: Iacob is the lot of his inheritance: with them hee made his couenant, and vponupon them, as being his owne peculiar people, and proper familie, he multiplied his benefits, with a more liberall hand, then vponupon any other nation. But when Iſrael obſerued not the condition of the couenant, but renounced the ſeruice of God, went a whoring after idols, and when neither Gods mercies would moue them to louelove him, nor his iudgements to feare him, nor both ioyned together could reclaime them from their wicked waies, and bring them to repentance, the Lord caſteth them off as being a deſperate cure, and finally reiecteth them from being his Church and people.
Yet he doth not preſently execute this laſt puniſhment, after he had inflicted the former; for after they were led into captiuitie, and liued as captiues in the land of the Medes vnderunder the Empire and gouernment of the Aſſyrians, they retained ſtill amongſt them ſome relicks of their owne manner of worſhip, and vſed their ceremonies in their owne aſſemblies, and in reſpect of this outward ſeruice and communion which was amongſt them, they had not altogether loſt the name of Gods people: but when as Deioce, the firſt King of the Medes, preuailed againſt the Aſſyrians, they were driuen out of the countrie of the Medes, and ſcattered into diuers parts of the world, ſo as they could not any more aſſemble together, nor exerciſe their owne worſhip, nor vſe their owne ceremonies. And ſo mixing themſelues in marriages with the Gentiles, and imbracing their religion, they were wholly excluded out of Gods couenant, and loſing both the name and priuiledges of the people of God, were numbred amongſt Pagans and infidels.
But here it may bee demanded, how this can ſtand Obiection. with Gods couenant made vntounto the poſteritie, not only of Iuda, but of Abraham, Iſaac and Iacob; and how it can agree with the words following, that the children of Iſrael ſhould be as the ſand of the ſea, &c. I anſwer, that howſoeuer the Anſwer. Lord reiected the whole bodie and Common wealth of Iſrael generally conſidered, yet not all and eueryevery perſon amongſt the Iſraelites; for he had in this generall defection many who ſerued him in the ſinceritie of their hearts, and therefore in this common reiection he retaineth many as his people, both in reſpect of the time preſent and future. For many in that generall defection of the 10. Tribes vnderunder Ieroboam, who hated idolatrie, and imbraced the pure and ſincere worſhip and ſeruice of God, left their patrimonies and poſſeſſions in the kingdome of Iſrael, and adioyned themſelues to the houſe of Iuda; as appeareth: 2. Chron. 11. 13. 16. 2. Chro. 11. 13. 16.Some alſo in the reigne of Aſa fel frō the Kingdom of Iſrael, and ſubiected themſelues vntounto his gouernment, when they ſaw that God was with him: as it is, 2. Chron. 15. 9. Diuers 2. Chron. 15. 9.others were vnited to Iuda, in the reigne of Ezechias; as appeareth, 2. Chron. 30. 11. 18. 25. of which number though 2. Chron. 30. 11. 18. 25.ſome after the celebration of the Paſſeouer returned into their owne countrie, yet it is verie likely that when the Prophets of God foretold their captiuitie, when Gods religion was wholly reiected and prophaned, and when the Aſſyrians made cruell warre againſt the kingdome of Iſrael, both they and many more, who beleeued Gods word in the mouth of his Prophets, & expected the execution of thoſe puniſhments which were threatned againſt their countrie, left their owne habitations and adioyned themſelues to the kingdom of Iuda, and were led captiue with them into Babylon, and likewiſe with them returned out of their captiuitie; as appeareth Ezra 2.Ezra 2.
Moreouer, God no doubt had his number amongſt thoſe who were led captiue by Salmanaſſer; who though they loſt the outward name of Gods people, and the notes of a viſible Church, the purity of doctrine publikely preached, and the right vſe of the Sacraments publikely adminiſtred, yet they wanted not the ſpirituall graces of his Spirit, not were excluded out of his Church inuiſible: and howſoeuer they were reiected from the old couenant, yet they had their part in the couenant of grace.
Laſtly, for the future time, many of theſe who were ſcattered ouer the face of the earth, after the comming and aſcenſion of Chriſt, were by the miniſtery of the Apoſtles and Gods Miniſters, conuerted to the faith, and receiued together with the Gentiles into the couenant of grace, and admitted as true ſubiects of Chriſts Kingdome. And yet notwithſtanding all this, becauſe the greateſt number of the people who were led captiue, remained in their impenitency, it might bee ſaid that Iſrael ſhould be Lo-ammi, none of Gods people; the farre greater part giuing the denomination to the whole.
In the laſt place, as he reiecteth them from being his people, ſo he denieth himſelfe to be their God; therefore I will not be yours: the Hebrew hath it, I will not be vntounto you: the meaning is, that he would not be their God; which is not expreſſed, but to be vnderſtood by mutual relation. So Ier. 11. 4. Jer. 11. 4.Ye ſhall be my people, and I will be your God. But he vſeth this ſpeech as being more emphaticall, and doth not onelyonly ſay vntounto them, that he would refuſe to be their God; but that he would not be vntounto thē: intimating thereby, that they ſhould hauehave no manner of part or intereſt in him, nor any thing to doe with him for their benefit: ſo that though his being giueth being and all goodneſſe and happineſſe to his creatures, yet this ſhould not profit them, becauſe he would not be vntounto them, &c. As though he ſhould ſay; ſeeing you hauehave vngratefully abuſed my benefits, and ſtubbornely contemned my iudgements, and notwithſtanding all the meanes I hauehave vſed to reclaime you, ye continue in your rebellion, ſecurity, and hardneſſe of heart, forſaking me your gratious God, and neglecting my pure worſhip and ſeruice, and hauehave made choyce of falſe Gods, and committed with them from time to time groſſe idolatry: therefore, ſeeing you hauehave refuſed me, I will likewiſe refuſe you; ſeeing you reiect me from being your God, I will reiect you from being my people; and howſoeuer my being, being infinit in goodneſſe, deriueth vntounto thoſe that feare and ſerue me all happineſſe; yet it ſhall not be vntounto you for your good and preſeruation, but rather as your ſinnes deſerue, for your puniſhment and vtter deſtruction.
And ſo much for the meaning of the words. Now we are to ſet downe ſuch doctrines as do ariſe out of them. The firſt The Do∣ctrines. thing which here we obſerue, is, that when the people of Iſrael were not reclaimed with the two former puniſhments, God inflicteth more heauie puniſhments where lighter will not amend vsus.the Lord goeth forward vntounto the third, which was farre more grieuous then both the other; becauſe they did not onelyonly goe forward in their former wickedneſſe, but alſo added this vntounto the reſt, the neglect and contempt of Gods iudgements. So that this phyſicke of Gods correction, either worketh vponupon the conſcience, and purgeth away the corruptions of ſinne; or if it hauehave no operation, it maketh the party diſeaſed worſe then he was before, and moueth the Lord our Phyſitian, to adminiſter a purgation of greater force. And therefore let vsus learne to make profitable vſe of leſſer puniſhments, or elſe the Lord will inflict thoſe which are more grieuous, either till he hauehave amended, or elſe deſtroyed vsus. Examples hereof we hauehave in Pharaoh, the Iewes, and many others.
Secondly, we may obſerue, that the more heauy the iudgement is which is denounced, the longer the Lord deferreth The greater the iudgement is, the more loath the Lord is to inflict it.to inflict it; as though he were loth to vſe extremities, if mans wickednes did not deſerue it, and his iuſtice require it, ſeeing lighter puniſhments will not preuaile. When Iizreel was borne, Lo-ruchamah was ſoone after conceiued: but ſhe conceiueth not Lo-amni, whereby the vtter reiection of the people was ſignified, before Lo-ruchamah was weaned: all which time the Lord gaue them to make vſe of his former iudgements, and expected their amendment with admirable patience, that he might not vtterly reiect them. Wherein the Lord behaueth himſelfe like vntounto a good and tenderhearted Surgeon, who leaueth no good meanes vnaſſayed, before hee will cut off the member which is ill affected, &c.
Thirdly, we may note, that before the Lord doth vtterly God taketh away his liuerie before he turne men out of his ſeruice.reiect them from being his people, he firſt weaneth them from the milke of his word, and foode of his Sacraments, debarring them of all their publike aſſemblies, & the meanes of his worſhip and ſeruice, and taking from them all their priuiledges and prerogatiues, which they inioyed whileſt they were his people. Like vntounto Noble men, who vponupon the ill behauiour of their ſeruants, firſt pull off their liuery before they turne them out of ſeruice: not onelyonly becauſe they are vnworthy of any ſuch credit or protection, as it might cauſe vntounto them; but alſo becauſe they ſhould not by abuſing themſelues in ſuch habits, diſhonour their Lords who hauehave reiected them.
Fourthly, we may here obſerue the greatneſſe of this puniſhment, That it is a fearefull puniſhment to be reiected from being Gods people.which may be conſidered in the ineſtimable benefits, whereof they were hereby depriued, and in the intolerable euils and miſeries into which they were plunged: whileſt Iehouah was their Lord and King, they were vnderunder his protection, and ſo ſecured from the danger of all enemies; they were prouided for by his al-ſufficient prouidence, and therefore ſure to want nothing; indued with many noble titles, prerogatiues and priuiledges, as being his ſeruants, children, heires, yea his ſpouſe, partakers of many vnualuable benefites, temporall and ſpirituall, his word, Sacraments, and ſuch like; and after a ſhort time of their ſeruice here on earth, they were aſſured to receiue for wages, an immortall Crowne of glorie and eternall felicitie and happineſſe in his Kingdome. But as ſoone as they are caſt out of his Kingdome, and reiected from being his people, they were ſtripped of thoſe benefits, expoſed to the danger of their enemies, ſinne, Satan, and the world, who ſpeedily aſſault, and eaſily ouercome all thoſe who are out of Gods protection: and ſo taking them captiue, inthrall them in a miſerable ſeruitude, the wages whereof for the time preſent is miſery, horrour of conſcience, and deſperation, and in the life to come eternall death. Rom. 6. 23. As therefore we iudge their caſe moſt wretched, Rom. 6. 23.who hauing been the ſubiects and ſeruants of ſome gratious Prince, vnderunder whom they hauehave inioyed all the benefits of a peaceable and well gouerned kingdome, are for their crimes and miſdemeanors, baniſhed into a Country in it ſelfe vncomfortable, and amongſt the middeſt of cruell enemies: ſo, and much more miſerable is the ſtate of thoſe who are baniſhed out of the kingdome of grace, where is all good and felicitie, and liue in the kingdome of Satan, where is nothing but all woe and miſery.
And this is that puniſhment which here is threatned. Now let vsus further conſider vponupon whom it is inflicted: euen Gods former mercies priuiledge not a rebellious people from future iudgements.vponupon the people of Iſrael, the choſen people of God, vntounto whom in former times, he had beſtowed innumerable benefits. Whereby it appeareth, that though a people hauehave in former times been partakers of neuer ſo great priuiledges, and neuer ſo much inriched with Gods benefits, though God hauehave made his outward couenant with them of his grace, and the continuance of his fauour; yet if they breake their couenant, which interchangeably they hauehave made with God, denying vntounto him their obedience, and liuing in all ſin and wickedneſſe; all this wil not priuiledge them from Gods fearefull puniſhments, no not from finall reiection and deſtruction. And therefore let vsus not thinke it enough that God hath outwardly made his couenant with vsus, vnleſſe it be alſo written in our hearts, and we perform, at leaſt in our holy indeuour, that part thereof which concerneth our ſelues; for vnleſſe we liue like his people and ſeruants, he wil not acknowledge vsus for ſuch, but will caſt vsus off as he did the Iſraelites.
Now the ſinnes for which eſpecially the Iſraelites were Idolatrie and impenitencie, the cauſe of the peoples reiection.reiected, were, firſt, their groſſe idolatrie whereby they had forſaken God, and betaken themſelues to the ſeruice of idols; and ſecondly, their obſtinacie and impenitencie in their courſe of rebellion, from which they would not be reclaimed, neither by Gods bountifull benefits, nor by his ſeuere threatnings, nor yet by his chaſtiſements and more grieuous puniſhments, which firſt like a tender father and after like a iuſt Iudge he inflicted on them, but rather grew worſe and worſe, and more and more intolerable in their wickedneſſe. For this is the laſt courſe and meanes which the Lord vſeth for the conuerſion of a ſinner, which when it will not preuaile, he giueth them ouer as being paſt all help, ſeeing they are paſt all grace. If the skilfull ſurgeon find that healing ſalues are not fit to heale a deep feſtered wound, he vſeth drawing corraſiues and the lancher, but if he ſeeth the part diſeaſed, notwithſtanding all good and fit meanes vſed to be paſt cure, he will no longer loſe his labour and coſt, but cutteth it off. The gratious Iudge, when he hath for the offenders firſt fault, giuen him ſome fatherly admonition, or threatned ſome ſeuere puniſhment; if he offend again, he puniſheth him with a whip, or with a burning iron; but if all theſe chaſtiſements and puniſhments will not reclaime him, he condemneth him to exile or death, as being paſt hope of amendment. And ſo the Lord, when he ſeeth that neither the healing plaiſter of his gracious promiſes, nor the ſharpe corraſiue of his threatnings and puniſhments will cure a people of the deepe feſtered ſores of ſinne; when hee ſeeth that neither admonition nor gentle chaſtiſement, nor ſeuerer puniſhment will reſtraine the ſinner from outragious wickedneſſe, then doth he cut and caſt them off as men of a deſperate eſtate and paſt all cure. And this was the eſtate of the Iſraelites in this place; and of the Iewes, of whom the Lord complaineth, Eſa. 1. 5. and of Pharaoh, Saul, Eſa. 1. 5.and many others.
The vſe which we are to make hereof is, that wee doe not neglect Gods mercifull viſitations and fatherly corrections, leſt the Lord ſeeing vsus vncorrigible, likewiſe reiect vsus, as he did the Iewes, for If God ſpared not the naturall branches, let vsus take heed leſt he doe not ſpare vsus, who are but wild branches, as the Apoſtle reaſoneth, Rom. 11. 21.Rom. 11. 21. The Prophets holy bouldnes in deliuering his meſſage.
Fiftly, we are to obſerue, that when the Prophet threatneth againſt the people their finall reiection, they were in a moſt flouriſhing and proſperous eſtate, and therefore no doubt giuing ſmall credit to the Prophets words, it was an ambaſſage exceeding dangerous, expoſing him to the malice and outrages of an inſolent people. But yet notwithſtanding remembring who had ſent him on his meſſage he ouercommeth all theſe difficulties, and faithfully deliuereth the word of God which was put into his mouth.
Sixtly, we may here learne, that though their preſent eſtate Outward things no true ſigne of Gods louelove or hatred.were very proſperous, yet they were out of Gods fauour, and euen marked to vtter deſtruction: whereby it appeareth, that we cannot rightly iudge by outward things, either of Gods louelove or hatred, ſeeing theſe things come alike to all, and the ſame outward condition is to the iuſt, and to the wicked, as the Wiſeman ſpeaketh, Eccleſ. 9. 1. 2. Nay oftentimes Eccleſ. 9. 1. 2.the wicked moſt flouriſh for a time, and the godly are afflicted, as appeareth in the example of Eſau and Iacob, the Egyptians and the Iſraelites, Saul and Dauid, the Phariſies and Ieſus Chriſt himſelfe and his Apoſtles. And therefore if wee iudge them in Gods fauour who are in a flouriſhing eſtate, and condemne them as miſerable who are in affliction, we ſhall iuſtifie the wicked, and condemne the generation of Gods children, as it is Pſalm. 73. 15.Pſalm. 73. 15. God reiecteth not his people before they reiect him.
Laſtly we may here obſerue, that God reiecteth not this people, before they had firſt reiected him, neither doth hee refuſe to rule and protect them as their Lord, before they had refuſed to obey him as his ſubiects. And this may appeare by the order of the words, where he ſaith, Yee are not my people, therefore I will not be yours. Howſoeuer therefore in Gods eternall decree he reprobateth whom hee pleaſeth for the manifeſtation of the glorie of his iuſtice, yet in the adminiſtration of this decree he neuer reiecteth any, who do not firſt forſake him. And therefore leauing Gods ſecret counſailes vntounto himſelfe; let vsus imbrace his reuealed will, and according therunto let vsus conforme our ſelues vntounto holy obedience, and liue like the people of God, ſubmitting our ſelues to bee ruled by his word and ſpirit; and ſo wee may be aſſured that the Lord will continue to bee our gratious God, and will neuer caſt vsus off, ſeeing he refuſeth none who do not firſt refuſe him, neither denieth his fauour to any, who doe not denie vntounto him their obedience.