Lectures Upon Hosea 1-4, Lectures 2 · Part 10
ANd ſo much concerning the ſecond puniſhment. The Verſ. 11 third followeth. Verſ. 11. And I will alſo cauſe all her mirth to ceaſe, her feast daies, her new moones, and her Sabbaths, and all her ſolemne feasts. Although the people of Iſrael worſhipped The expoſition.God not according to his word, but according to their owne inuentions, not in ſpirit and truth, but after an idolatrous manner in their idols, not in the place which hee had appointed, to wit, his Temple, but in Dan and Bethel; yet they exceedingly pleaſed themſelues in their outward worſhip and externall ſhew of their new deuiſed religion, as though they had done vntounto God that ſeruice which he required, imagining it could not go ill with them, ſo long as they obſerued ſome outward ceremonies of the law, notwithſtāding they declined in ſubſtance frō Gods true religion reuealed in his word. And therfore the Lord here threatneth, that he would plucke away from thē the viſard of their outward profeſſion, & ſtop the current of their ſuperſtitious deuotions, by taking from them their corrupted ceremoniall worſhip, wherein now they ſo much delighted and gloried: that ſo they might the better ſee their miſerable eſtate when as there remained vntounto them not ſo much as an outward ſhew of religion, nor an externall manner of worſhipping God; and hauing nothing to reſt vponupon, might at length bee moued to forſake all their ſuperſtitions, and to worſhip the Lord according to his reuealed will.
But let vsus come to the words themſelues. And I will alſo cauſe all her mirth to ceaſe. Where the Lord threatneth that he would take away all ioy and recioycing which they took in their ceremoniall worſhip, and the outward pompe of their religion, eſpecially in their feaſts and ſolemne aſſemblies. Yea but this mirth & reioycing in their ſolemne feaſts was commanded by God: Deut. 16. 14. Thou ſhalt reioyce in thy feaſt, &c. And therefore the day of their feaſting was called Deut. 16. 14. Num. 10. 10.a day of gladneſſe, Numb. 10. 10. why therefore doth the Lord threaten to take this mirth from them which himſelfe enioyned? I anſwere, becauſe they did not reioyce in him but in their Idols, neither did they reioyce with a ſpirituall ioy, with thankfull hearts lauding and praiſing God, which the Lord, vnderunder the type of their externall mirth, eſpecially required, and therefore their outward worſhip which was alſo idolatrous, being ſeuered from the inward worſhip of the Spirit, was odious in Gods ſight: as appeareth by the like places, Eſa. 1. 13. 14. Amos 5. 23. 8. 10. Her feaſt daies] As Eſa. 1. 13. 14. Amos 5. 23. 8. 10.the feaſt of blowing Trumpets, which was celebrated in the firſt day of the ſeuenth monethmonth, as appeareth Leuit. 23. 24. The feaſt of Expiation in the 10. day of the ſeuenth monethmonth, as we may ſee, Numb. 29. 7. Leuit. 16. 30. Her new Moones] Leuit. 23. 24. Numb. 29. 7. Leuit. 16. 30. Numb. 28. 11. Leuit. 23. 24. & 25. 4.Which were in the firſt day of eueryevery monethmonth, Numb. 28. 11. Leuit. 23. 24. Her Sabbaths] Which were either the ſeuenth day from the creation, or eueryevery ſeuenth yeere, Leuit. 25. 4. And all her ſolemne feasts] Which were principally three: 1. The feaſt of the Paſſeouer, or of vnleauened bread, Leuit. 23. 5. The feaſt of Pentecoſt, or of weekes, Leuit. 23. 15. 16. Leuit. 23. 5. 34. 35.The feaſt of Tabernacles, of which reade, verſe 34 35. &c.
Now by theſe particulars he vnderſtandeth all their ceremoniall worſhip, and externall ſeruice, in which they gloried and reioyced; of all which, together with the ioy which they tooke thérein, the Lord depriued them when as hee cauſed them to be led captiue by the Aſſyrians.
And ſo much for the meaning of the words. Out of which Hypocrites may reioyce in the outward ſeruice of God.we may obſerue, that men not truly religious, may in the hypocriſie of their hearts, or the ignorance of their mindes, reioyce and delight themſelues in ſome external ſeruice, which they performe vntounto God, ſeuered from his pure worſhip in ſpirit and truth; as appeareth in the example of the Iſraelites in this place, who reioyced with great mirth in their Sabbaths, new Moones, and ſolemne feaſts appointed by God; as alſo in the parable of the ſeede falling into the ſtonie ground, Luk. 8. 13. In the Papiſts, who exceedingly delight Luke 8. 13.in their outward and pompous religion, in their ſweete muſicke, odoriferous perfumes and masking ſhowes; and in worldly men, who content themſelues with their outward worſhip in hearing the word, calling vponupon God, and receiuing the Sacraments. But all thoſe who would be truly religious muſt goe further, and ioyne with the ceremonies the ſubſtance, with the outward worſhip of the bodie, the inward worſhippe of the ſoule: for if wee reſt in the outward action and deed done, God will eſteeme no better of vsus then of hypocrites, & our ſeruice of him though it neuer ſo much pleaſe our ſelues, yet will it be odious and abominable in his ſight, as appeareth Eſa. 1. 13. 14. 29. 13. 66. 3. Mich. 6. 6. 8.Eſa. 1. 13. 14. 29. 13 66. 3. Micha 6. 6. 8. It is not pleaſing to God to imbrace ſome part of his worſhip only.
Secondly, wee may obſerue, that it is not acceptable in Gods ſight to performe ſome part of his worſhip and ſeruice, vnleſſe we embrace the whole, and that in ſuch manner as he hath reuealed in his word. The Iſraelites, as we may ſee in this place, retained ſome parts of Gods worſhip, but becauſe they neglected others, and in ſtead thereof did offer a ſeruice vntounto God, according to their owne inuentions, therefore the Lord threatneth that hee would take from thē thoſe relikes which remained. The ſame may bee obſerued in the Church of Rome at this day, &c. and therefore though in many points concerning Gods worſhip they agree with vsus, yet we may not ioyne with them, nor liſten to any pacification or reconcilement of our religions, vnleſſe they would altogether forſake the abominations of the whore of Babylon, and their owne wil-worſhip, and wholly conforme their ſeruice of God in reſpect of the ſubſtantiall parts therof, according to his will reuealed in his word.