Lectures Upon Hosea 1-4, Lectures 2 · Part 11
ANd ſo much concerning the third puniſhment. The fourth is expreſſed in theſe words: Verſ. 12. And I will Verſ. 12 deſtroy her vines, and her figge trees, whereof ſhe hath ſaid, Theſe are my rewards that my louers hauehave giuen mee, and I will make them as a forreſt, and the wilde beaſts ſhall eate them. In which words is ſet down their puniſhment, together with the cauſe thereof: their puniſhment was, that hee would ſtrip them of The expoſition.his temporall and corporall benefits, and bring their land to vtter deſolation. For whereas he ſaith that he would deſtroy her vines, and figge trees; vnderunder theſe ſpecials he doth by a Synecdoche generally vnderſtand, that hee would vtterly ſpoile their pleaſant gardens, and fruitful orchards and vineyards, yea and all their fertile countrie, with all the encreaſe thereof. So that heere hee denounceth a farre more heauie iudgement, then that contained in the ninth verſe, namely, that hee would take away their corne and wine, that is, the fruites of the earth: for though there had been a dearth of them through one yeeres ſcarcitie, yet their gardens, orchards, fields and vineyards remaining vntouched of Gods puniſhing hand, the fruitfulnes of the following yeere might hauehave ſupplied the want and defect of his foreruiner: but whē they alſo were waſted and deſtroied, there remained no hope of any reliefe. And this he threatneth, becauſe as they aſcribed the fruites of the earth to their Idols, ſo alſo euen their fields, orchards, trees, and vines themſelues according to the cuſtome of the Heathen. The which their ſinne was the more vnexcuſable, becauſe the Lord had taught them, not only by continuall experience, but alſo by his written word, that all theſe were his bleſſings and benefits, and therefore the praiſe of them was due vntounto him alone: Deut. 8. 7. 8.Deut. 8. 7. 8.
But notwithſtanding all this, they in the blindnes of their ſuperſtition, thought, and with great impudencie did not ſticke to ſpeake and profeſſe it, that al theſe were the rewards which their louers had giuen them. The word here vſed ſignifieth the hire which the harlot receiueth, for proſtituting her ſelfe to the adulterer, whereby is ſignified, that they had, after the manner of impudent harlots, committed ſpirituall adulterie with their Idols, and afterwards boaſted that they had receiued all theſe benefits of their falſe gods, for that idolatrous worſhip which they had performed vntounto them.
And therefore becauſe they robbed God of that glorie and thankfulneſſe, which was due vntounto him for his own gifts, the Lord threatneth to take them away, that ſo by their want of them, they might learne to acknowledge the Lord to bee the author of them.
Moreouer he ſaith, that he would make them, namely their vines and figge trees, their orchards, gardens and vineyards, waſte and deſert, like vntounto a forreſt which is barren & fruitleſſe: in which words he threatneth, that ſuch ſhould be the deſolation of the land, that their fruitfull orchards and vineyards ſhould bee turned into a vaſt and deſert wilderneſſe.
And laſtly he ſaith, that the wilde beaſts ſhould eate them: the which words may bee vnderſtood either literally thus, that their countrie ſhould by their enemies be ſo diſpeopled, and al husbandry intermitted, that wilde beaſts ſhould make their dennes, and feed in their vineyards and orchards; or allegorically, that their enemies the Aſſyrians, ſhould like wilde beaſts make ſpoyle and hauocke of all, not only eating their fruites, but alſo deſtroying their orchards and vineyards. Whereby their vtter ſubuerſion and deſolation is implied: for when the enemie ſpareth the trees and gardens, he doth not intend the deſtruction of a countrie, but the enlarging of his owne Empire and dominions, as wee may ſee Eſa. 36. 16. but when he deſtroyeth theſe, and maketh hauock Eſa. 36. 16.of all, then hee intendeth the vtter ſubuerſion and ruine of that ſtate and people.
And this is the meaning of thoſe words. Out of which we may obſerue how the Lord threatneth one puniſhment after The Do∣ctrines. another, and cauſeth his Prophet to denounce great varietie of iudgements, that ſo hee might fit himſelfe to eueryevery ones That God fitteth his chaſtiſements for the cōuerſion of al the elect.diſpoſition, and draw all vntounto God by true repentance. One is touched with the lighter chaſtiſements, others not moued vnleſſe they heare of more heauie iudgements; one is affected with one kind of puniſhment, another with ſuch an one as is of a diuers qualitie; ſome with pouertie, ſome with ſhame, ſome with ſpirituall, ſome with corporall afflictions: and ſome are not moued at all vnleſſe they heare of vtter deſolation and deſtruction; and therefore according to the varietie of mens mindes the Lord varieth his threatnings, as appeareth in this place. Whereby we may learne, how impenitent and hard hearted wee are, ſeeing the Lord is faine to vſe ſo many meanes, and to trie (as it were) ſo many concluſions for our conuerſion: and alſo wee may heere obſerue Gods infinite goodneſſe and merciemercy, which hee ſheweth not only in his promiſes, but alſo in his threatnings. For whereas he might iuſtly when we ſinne vtterly deſtroy vsus, he giueth vsus warning by his threatnings, that being moued thereby to repent, wee may eſcape his puniſhments; yea and that not ſome few times, for he threatneth often, but ſeldome puniſheth, he denounceth many kindes of iudgements before he inflicteth any one of them: whereby it manifeſtly appeareth, that in his threatnings he aimeth at our conuerſion, and not at our ſubuerſion and deſtruction; and that he is not willing to puniſh in his owne nature, vnleſſe we force him thereunto by our ſtubborne impenitencie.
Secondly, wee here learne, not to truſt in the fruitfulneſſe We muſt not truſt in the fruitfulneſſe of our countrie for our ſuſtenance.of our countrie for our prouiſion and ſuſtenance, notwithſtanding wee continually prouoke the Lord vntounto anger by our ſinnes; for though it abound with vines and figge trees, with corne and wine, with pleaſant orchards and fruitfull fields, yet the Lord can eaſily finde meanes, either by laying his curſe vponupon the land, or by giuing vsus ouer to the ſpoyle of our enemies, to make the moſt fruitfull places a deſert wilderneſſe. And therefore let vsus ſo liue as his children and ſeruants, performing obedience vntounto his will, and then we may reſt boldly and ſecurely vponupon his neuer failing prouidence: otherwiſe our beſt meanes will not preſerue vsus, when with our ſins and wickednes we prouoke his anger, and moue him in his iuſt diſpleaſure to ſtrip vsus of all his benefits; as appeareth in this place, in the example of Sodom and Gomorrah: ſo Ioel. 2. 3. And this is that which the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh, Joel 2. 3. Pſal. 107 34.Pſal. 107. 34. A fruitful land he maketh barren, for the wickedneſſe of them that dwell therein.
Thirdly, we may obſerue, that howſoeuer theſe idolaters Idolaters vſually pleade their merits.do aſcribe vntounto their idols, all the benefits which they enioyed, yet not as their free and vndeſerued gifts, but as rewards and hire, which they had beſtowed vponupon them for that idolatrous worſhip & ſeruice, which they had done vntounto them; and this is the diſpoſition of all idolaters and ſuperſtitious perſons, to ſhare with their idols, in the praiſe of the benefits which they enioy, imagining indeed, that they hauehave beſtowed them vponupon them, but for their deſerts and merits. And as the Heathen idolaters dealt with their idols, ſo after the ſame manner at this day, deale the Papiſts with God himſelfe, ſharing with him in his glorie, by aſcribing part of the praiſe vntounto him, and part vntounto their owne workes and merits.
Laſtly, we may heere obſerue, that howſoeuer the Lord Affliction endeth in deſtruction, without repentance.threatneth before he puniſheth, and when he beginneth to correct, proceedeth by degrees, from lighter to heauier puniſhments, that his mercy, goodnes, and long-ſuffering, may appeare in his ſo long ſparing vsus; yet iſ neither his threatnings, nor more eaſie corrections will reclaime vsus, nor mollifie our ſtonie hearts with true contrition, his iudgements will end in our vtter deſtruction and deſolation. When his vineyard is fruitleſſe, firſt he vſeth the pruning knife of affliction, he diggeth and dungeth it, and then expecteth fruit; but if ſtill it be barren and vnprofitable, he taketh away the hedge, and breaketh downe the wall, and layeth it waſte and deſolate: as it is, Eſay 5. 5. 6. If the knife will do no good, to Eſai. 5. 5. 6.make the tree fruitfull, by pruning the branches, he will lay the axe to the root, and cut it downe, Mat. 3. 10. Luk. 13. 6. 9. Matth. 3. 10. Luk. 13. 6. 9.If his husbandmen, with their much labouring in the vineyard, cannot make it to yeeld her grapes, the Lord will let the wilde boore out of the wood deſtroy it, and the wilde beaſts of the field to eat it vp: as it is, Pſal. 80. 13. So in this Pſal. 80. 13.place, &c. And this appeareth in the example of Pharaoh, and the Egyptians, and of the Iewes, Matth. 23. 38. Luk. 19. Matth. 23. 38. Luk. 19. 43. 44.43. 44.