Lectures Upon Hosea 1-4, Lectures 1 · Part 4
ANd thus hauehave I ſpoken of the firſt part of the legall commination, wherein their ſinne is expreſſed. Now The puniſhments threatned againſt Iſrael.the ſecond followeth, wherein their puniſhment is threatned. And this is firſt typically ſhadowed vnderunder the names which are giuen to the Prophets children, and then plainely denounced in the reaſons rendered of the names impoſed.
The puniſhment it ſelfe is ſet downe in three degrees, eueryevery one exceeding other. The firſt is the ouerthrow of the State and Kingdome of Iſrael by their enemies: verſ. 4, 5. The ſecond puniſhment is, that becauſe the former iudgement could not bring them to repentance, he would neuer ſhewe mercy in bringing them out of their miſery, ſeeing they would euer continue obſtinately in their ſinnes and rebellion: verſe 6, 7. The third is, that ſeeing by no meanes they would be reclaimed, hee would vtterly reiect and caſt them off; ſo as they ſhould be no longer his Church and people: verſ. 8, 9.
The firſt puniſhment denounced, is ſet downe typically in the impoſition of the firſt childs name, in theſe words, verſ. 4. And the Lord ſaid vntounto him, call his name Izreel, or Iiſrehel. Verſe 4 For yet a little and I wil viſite the blood of Izreel vponupon the houſe of Iehu, and will cauſe to ceaſe the kingdome of the houſe of Iſrael. In which wordes wee are to conſider two things: the name which was by Gods commandement impoſed vponupon The expoſition.the Prophets child; and ſecondly the reaſon why it was impoſed. The name ſignifieth either the ſowing or ſeed of the ſtrong God, or ye diſperſing and ſcattering of the ſtrong God: for it is deriued from foreign ſeminauit, he hath ſowed, or ſcattered, and foreign Deus fortis, the ſtrong God. In the firſt ſignification, the Iſraelites did arrogate this name to themſelues, and therefore called their metropolis and mother citie of their kingdom by the name of Izreel. To note and ſignifie that they thought themſelues the ſeede of God, which he hauing ſowed had ſo deepely taken roote, that it could neuer bee remooued, the vineyard of God which is right hand had planted, and ſhould neuer be deſtroyed, the ſonnes and children of God, which were the only heires of his promiſes. And indeede ſo they were in reſpect of the couenant which was betweene God and them, and therefore are ſo called in the Scriptures, Exod. 4. 22. Iſrael is my ſonne, euen Exod 4 22.my firſt borne. But they hauing broken the couenant, and rebelled againſt the Lord; he doth not in this ſignification call the child Iizrehel; but in the latter, to ſhew vntounto them that they ſhould be ſuch, as the Lord would ſcatter and diſperſe amongſt their enemies.
And this is the ſignification of this name, whereby theſe three things are intimated and ſhewed: firſt in an elegant paranomaſie, he changeth their name from Iſrael to Iizrehel, to intimate that there was a change of their ſtate and condition, ſo that howſoeuer they bragged that they were of the ſeede and poſteritie of Iacob, and after his name called themſelues Iſraelites, yet in truth they were ſo only in title and outward profeſſion, ſeeing they were wholly degenerate and altogether vnworthy his name. For he was a prince of the ſtrong God, who wraſtling with God in faith, prayers, and ſtrong cries preuailed with him; but theſe were apoſtataes from the faith, who had forſaken the Lord, and ceaſed Hoſ. 12. 4.to call vponupon him, and had betaken themſelues to the worſhip of idols: and therefore they were rather to bee called Iizraelites, to ſhew, that as they were altered in name, ſo alſo in nature and conditions they were vtterly degenerate. And that as betweene theſe two names Iſrael and Iizrehel, there is great ſimilitude in ſound, but great difference in ſignification; ſo although in outward title, name and profeſſion, there was great affinity betweene this people, and the Patriarch Iacob, from whom they deſcended, yet they were indeede and truth ſo much degenerate, that there was no ſimilitude or correſpondence betweene their faith, life and manners.
Secondly, by this name the Lord foreſheweth the puniſhment that he would inflict vponupon them for their ſinnes, namely that he would diſperſe and ſcatter them amongſt their enemies. They boaſted that they were Iiſrahel the ſeede of God, which ſhould take roote in the land. And the Lord telleth them that indeede they ſhould be Iizrahel, but in another ſignification; namely, that as ſeed is ſcattered and diſperſed in the field by the hand of the ſower, ſo he by his power would ſcatter and diſperſe them amongſt their enemies, who ſhould ouercome them, and leade them away captiue into ſtrange countries.
The which accordingly was effected in three ſeuerall times, anſwerable to this triple typicall birth. Firſt, when as the Kingdome was rent with ſeditions and ciuill warres, when Shallum vſurped the Kingdome, and deſtroyed the poſterity of Iehu. 2. King. 15. Secondly, when as the land was 2. King. 15.waſted, ſpoiled, and part of the people carried away captiue, namely, the Rubenites, Gadites, and halfe the Tribe of Manaſſe by Tilgath Pilneeſer King of Aſur. 1. Chron. 5. 26. 1. Chro. 5. 26.Laſtly, when as the Kingdome of Iſrael was vtterly ouerthrowne by Salmanaſſer King of the Aſſyrians. 2. King. 17.2. King. 17.
Thirdly, by this name hee foretelleth in what part of the land this iudgement ſhould begin, namely, in the vallie of Iizreel, where the poſteritie of Achab were put to the ſword by Iehu; which was a place of their chiefe ſtrength, and therefore as they thought moſt free from danger.
And theſe are the chiefe things which by this name are ſignified. The doctrines. The doctrines which hence ariſe are theſe. Firſt, 1. Sin and puniſhment inſeparable companions.out of the connexion, where preſently after their ſinne is expreſſed, their puniſhment is annexed, wee may obſerue that theſe two, ſinne and puniſhment, are inſeparable companions; if the one goe before, the other will follow, either preſently, or not long after. And therefore the paine ſhould make the pleaſure loathſome, the bitterneſſe of puniſhment ſhould make vsus diſtaſte the ſweetneſſe of ſinne.
The ſecond thing which wee may here obſerue is, how 2. Our proneneſſe to ſinne.prone we are vntounto ſin, and how eaſily wee degenerate from our parents vertues, though their corruptions and ſinnes are entailed vntounto vsus as a perpetuall inheritance; of true Iſraelites, we become backſliding Iizreelites; and though by the good example of our parents, by our vertuous education, and by many other good meanes, we are helped forward, in climing vp the hill of vertue; yet if we at any time ceaſe to ſtriue and labour in this our courſe, we ſhall ſoone bee preſſed downe againe, euen into the gulfe of wickedneſſe, with the heauy burthen of our corruptions. And therefore, Let vsus caſt away eueryevery thing that preſſeth downe, and the ſinne that hangeth ſo faſt on, and let vsus runne with patience the race which is ſet before vsus: as the Apoſtle exhorteth, Heb. 12. 1. and according to Heb. 12. 1.his example, Let vsus forget that which is behind, and indeuour our ſelues to that which is before, and follow hard towards the marke, for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Ieſus: as it is Phil. 3. 13. 14. The vertues of our parents are not hereditarie, Phil. 3. 13.but their vices; and their godlineſſe will not priuiledge vsus from falling into all wickedneſſe, vnleſſe we ſtriue and labour, non ſolùm ad Ruborem ſed ſudorem, with all paines and diligence to follow after them in their ſteppes: for through our owne corruption we eaſily degenerate, and if at any time we ceaſe to become better, we then beginne to become worſe.
Thirdly, we may obſerue, that as it little auailed the people Outward titles nought auaile vsus without inward vertues.of Iſrael to be the ſonnes of Iacob according to the fleſh, when they nothing reſembled him in the ſpirit, nor to be intituled with his name, whē as they diſclaimed his graces and vertues; ſeeing notwithſtanding all this, God now threatneth, and ſoone after inflicteth vponupon them moſt feareful puniſhments: ſo it will little profit vsus to be entitled Chriſtians, if we liue as prophanely as infidels; to be called the Church of God, if in our conuerſatiō we reſemble the ſynagogue of Satan; to be counted profeſſors of religion, and the children of God, when in our liues we denie the power thereof, and ſpend our times like the ſonnes of Belial; to be the children and poſterity of the godly, if we degenerate from their Chriſtian profeſſion & holy practiſe. For God is not pleaſed with ſhadowes, but with ſubſtance, not with outward titles, but with truth in the inward parts, neither wil our parēts vertues exempt vsus from feeling Gods heauie iudgements, if we like a degenerating ofſpring be euill and vitious. And this appeareth, Ezech. 18. 10. 13. and in the examples of Cham, Ezecb. 18. 10. 13Eſau, Abſolon, Adoniah, Iehoahaz, and many others.