Lectures Upon Hosea 1-4, Lectures 2 · Part 12
ANd ſo much concerning the puniſhments, which particularly are threatned againſt the Iſraelites. In the laſt place he concludeth the former part of the chapter, with a repetition of their ſinne of idolatrie, & the puniſhment which he would inflict vponupon them for it; Verſ. 13. And I will viſite Verſ. 13 vponupon her the daies of Baalim, wherein ſhe burnt incenſe to them, and ſhe decked her ſelfe with her earings, and her iewels, and ſhe followed her louers, and forgate mee, ſaith the Lood. In which words he repeateth their ſinne and puniſhment, that hereby The expoſition.he might the more aggrauate their ſinnes, and confirme the certaintie of their puniſhments, that by hearing the often repetition of both, they might be the rather moued to ſerious repentance.
The denunciation of their puniſhment is expreſſed in theſe words: I will viſite. Where the Lord ſheweth, that he would no longer defere his puniſhments, nor ſeeme to wincke at their ſins: but now he would begin to inflict his iudgements on them, which their wickednes deſerued; yet not raſhly, but aduiſedly, and vponupon mature deliberation, as hee noteth by the word viſite, of which I hauehave more largely ſpoken, when I handled the fourth verſe of the firſt chapter.
Their ſinne is firſt generally ſignified in theſe words, The daies of Baalim. By which we are to vnderſtand the daies of their idolatrie, or all the time wherein they had worſhipped idols, ſince the Lord had made his couenant with them, and had maried them vntounto himſelfe, which was ſoone after their comming out of Egypt. So that heere he threatneth to viſite vponupon them, not only the idolatrie which in their owne time was committed, but the idolatrie of their fore-fathers, of which we may reade, Exod. 32. 1. & verſ. 34. Numb. 25. 1. 3. Exod. 32. 1. 34. Numb. 25. 1. 3. Jud. 10. 6.Iud. 10. 6. &c. becauſe they did not forſake their ſinnes, but approued, liked, and liued in them. According to that in the ſecond Commandement, For I am the Lord thy God, a iealous God, viſiting the iniquitie of the fathers vponupon the children &c.
Secondly, he ſetteth downe their progreſſe in the particular kinds of their idolatrie: firſt, that they burnt incenſe, that is, performed vntounto them idolatrous ſeruice, in offering vntounto them ſacrifices and oblations: ſecondly, that they were ſo bewitched with that pleaſure and delight, which they tooke in their idolatrie, that they thought no pompe, coſt, decking with precious ornaments, ſufficient to ſet forth their idolatrie, in theſe words, And ſhee decked her ſelfe with her earings, and her iewels: where he ſtill alludeth to the manner of harlots; for as they being to come into the companie of their louers, do vſe all their art and skill in ſetting themſelues foorth, by putting on their richeſt ornaments, that by theſe baits, they may more forciblie allure them to commit vncleanneſſe with them: ſo theſe idolaters, when as they were to celebrate their ſolemne feſtiuals, in the ſeruice of their idols, placed a great part of their ſuperſtitious deuotion, in decking and adorning both themſelues, and their idol gods, that ſo they might take greater pleaſure in their idolatrie; and with theſe pompous ſhewes intice others to ioyne with them, in committing this ſpirituall whoredome. And here we are further to obſerue, that hee calleth them her iewels, and her earings, to note vntounto them, that they had not receiued this whoriſh and idolatrous maner of worſhip from the Lord, but that it was their owne, not enioyned by God, but hammered out in the forge of their owne inuentions, and caſt in the mould of their owne braine.
Thirdly, he ſaith, that ſhe followed her louers: whereby is ſignified their obſtinate perſiſtance in this their ſin; for they did not once or twice fall into this ſin, through errour or infirmitie, but they followed their idols,, and went on in the courſe of their ſuperſtitions, walking in their idolatries, as in their vſual path, and common high way. So verſ. 6.
Fourthly, he ſaith, that their hearts were ſo wholly ſet vponupon their idols, and that they followed them with ſuch great earneſtnes and intention of minde, that they forgate the Lord; like vntounto harlots, who are ſo bewitched, and wholly tranſported with a furie of blind louelove, or rather luſt towards their louers, that they altogether forget their lawfull huſbands, and all the benefits which they hauehave receiued from them. So that heere he aggrauateth the impious folly, and more then brutiſh blockiſhnes of this people, who were ſo blinded, and euen drunken in their idolatrous ſuperſtitions, that neither Gods word, nor his works, neither his bleſſings and benefits, nor his iudgements and puniſhments, would put them in minde of God, and of thoſe duties which they owed vntounto him. But how could the Iſraelites be ſaid to hauehave forgotten God, ſeeing ſtill they profeſſed themſelues his people, and performed ſome kind of ſeruice vntounto him? I anſwere, they are ſaid to forget him, becauſe they did not remē ber him to be ſuch a God, as he had reuealed himſelfe in his word; namely, that he was a Spirit moſt holy, moſt pure, and infinite in all perfections, but figured and repreſented him in a little image, whom heauen, and the heauen of heauens cannot containe; and becauſe they forgat to performe vntounto him that pure worſhip, which he had enioyned vntounto them in his word, and in ſtead thereof, offered vntounto him their owne wilworſhip, and the idolatrous inuentions of their owne braine: and thus one is ſaid to forget another, when they forget to performe thoſe things, which the one required, and the other promiſed.
And theſe are the degrees of their ſinne of idolatrie. Now in the laſt place the Prophet concludeth all the former reprehenſions of their ſins, & denunciations of puniſhmēts, by telling them, that all he had ſpoken, was not of or from himſelfe, but the word of Iehouah: and this hee doth to gaine authoritie vntounto the former prophecie, to confirme the vndoubted certaintie thereof, and to moue the people to receiue it with reuerence, and to lay it more neerely to their hearts, that thereby they might be moued to turne vntounto God by true repentance.
And ſo much concerning the meaning of theſe words. The Do∣ctrines. The doctrines which ariſe out of them are theſe. Firſt, wee may obſerue, that the Lord in the miniſtrie of the word cauſeth The Lord cauſeth his meſſengers to repeate the ſame reprehenſions.his meſſengers and Miniſters to repeate againe & againe the ſame reprehenſions of ſin, & the ſame puniſhmēts which are due vntounto them; and this he doth partly in reſpect of our incredulitie, whereby at firſt wee giuegive no credit to his word, and therefore to confirme the truth thereof the better in our hearts, he cauſeth the ſame things to be againe repeated, and the ſame ſpeeches to bee as it were with greater vehemencie redoubled; and partly in regard of our negligence, ſecuritie, and forgetfulneſſe, whereby wee either doe not attentiuely marke, or conſcionably applie, or fruitfully remember his word at the firſt hearing. And therefore when wee heare the ſame reprehenſions and threatnings deliuered oftē by Gods ambaſſadours, let not theſe repetitions cloy vsus with ſacietie, but rather ſharpen our attention, perſwading our ſelues, that the Lord cauſeth vsus to heare the ſame things repeated, either becauſe through our negligence wee hauehave not learned, or through our ſecuritie and forgetfulneſſe hauehave not applied nor made profitable vſe of them at the firſt hearing; or finally that hee meeteth with our incredulitie by confirming his word with a ſecond repetition.
Secondly, we may obſerue, that the ſame things which the The eſtate of the Church of Rome like the Church of Iſrael.Prophet heere condemneth in the Iſraelites, are at this day practiſed by the Church of Rome. For firſt they hauehave their Baalims, their pettie gods and patrons, whom they religiouſly ſerue & worſhip; they offer vntounto them incenſe, vowes, oblations; they decke and adorne not onelyonly their Idols, but alſo themſelues, when they ſolemnize their feaſts, and approch into their preſence, placing a great part of their holineſſe and deuotion, in their outward pompe and brauerie, which are not preſcribed by God, but inuented by themſelues, and therefore may fitly be called their own. All which decking and adorning of themſelues, and their Idols, they like impudent harlots vſe, that with theſe baites of outward pompe and beautie they may allure others to goe a whoring with them after their Idols: they hauehave alſo a long time liued in their ſpirituall adulteries, with great impudencie and obſtinacie, boaſting and glorying in their ſinne; and finally they hauehave ſo ſet their hearts vponupon their louers, and are ſo intent & earneſt in their ſeruice, that they may be truly ſaid to hauehave forgotten the Lord, becauſe they do not ſo remember him as he hath reuealed himſelfe in his word; becauſe they hauehave forgotten to worſhip him in ſpirit and truth, and in ſtead thereof offer vntounto him their owne inuentions; and alſo becauſe they vſe much more care and diligence, and ſpend much more time and labour, in the ſeruice of the Virgin Mary, Saints, Angels, Images, and other Idols, then in the ſeruice of the true and euerliuing God. From whence wee may aſſuredly gather, that the Lord will viſite vponupon them the daies of Baalim, though for a time to ſhew his own patience, and to make them the more vnexcuſable, hee deferre their iuſtly deſerued puniſhments. And therefore let al thoſe come out of Babylon, who would not be partakers of her plagues. Apoc. 18. 4.Apoc. 18. 4. We muſt not place our religion in outward pompe.
Thirdly, we may hence learne, to auoid the fooliſh ſuperſtition of idolaters, who place their religion in outward pompe and ſumptuous ſhewes, and to worſhip the Lord in ſpirit & truth according to the preſcript forme of his word. Wherein many amongſt our ſelues may iuſtly be reproued, who thinke they hauehave done God good ſeruice, if on his Sabbaths they come to the Church in their beſt apparell, outwardly decked and adorned, when in the meane time they come with their workaday ſoules, full of worldly diſtractions and cogitations, and altogether vnprepared and vngarniſhed, without all care or conſcience, zeale or deuotion. But ſuch are to know, that the Lord will not be pleaſed with the worſhip of an Idoll, for little regardeth he the outward habite, if the heart and ſoule bee defiled, beggarly and naked.
Fourthly, we may, out of the order which the Prophet here The idolaters progreſſe.obſerueth in ſetting down their idolatrie, note the progreſſe which idolaters make in their ſinne, aſcending from one degree to another till they come to the higheſt. Firſt hee ſaith, that through the naturall inclination which is in eueryevery man, they are drawne to worſhip and ſerue their Idols. Secondly, more and more doting in their fond louelove toward them, they decke and adorne both their ſtatues and images and themſelues, being to performe worſhip vntounto them, with gold, ſiluer, iewels and pretious ornaments, that hereby they may themſelues performe ſeruice vntounto them with greater pleaſure, and alſo allure others to ioyne with them in their idolatrie. Thirdly, hauing thus bewitched themſelues with their owne ſorceries, they goe forward in their idolatrie with great pertinacie and wilfull obſtinacie. And laſtly, they ſo inebriate themſelues with drinking in this golden cup of fornications, and are ſo wholly intent and deuoted vntounto their blinde ſuperſtitions, that they quite forget the Lord and his true worſhip. All which are noted in this place in the idolatrous Iſraelites by the Prophet, and may be obſerued in the practiſe of the Papiſts in our owne daies. The conſideration whereof ſhould moue vsus to flee ye firſt allurements vntounto idolatrie, and the beginnings and firſt degrees of this ſinne, for one ſteppe will bring vsus to another till we come to the higheſt, namely, forgetfulneſſe of God and vtter neglect and contempt of his pure religion.
Fiftly, we may obſerue, that the worſhip of the true God, The worſhip of God and idols will not ſtād together.and the ſeruice of Idols will not poſſibly ſtand together: for aſſoone as we begin to offer incenſe vntounto Baal, we forget Iehouah; when we louelove Idols, we ceaſe to louelove the Lord; when we depend vponupon them, we diſtruſt God: and this is that our Sauiour teacheth vsus, Matth. 6. 24. No man can ſerue two maſters, &c. and the Apoſtle telleth vsus, that we cannot drinke of Matth. 6. 24.the cup of the Lord and the cup of diuels, &c. 1. Cor. 10. 21. That 1. Cor. 10. 21.there is no concord betweene Chriſt and Belial, and no agreement betweene the temple of God and idols, 2. Cor. 6. 15. 16. The 2. Cor. 6. 15. 16. 1. Sam. 5. 2.ark of God & Dagon cannot ſtand together, 1. Sa. 5. 2. There is no halting betweene God and Baal: but if God be God, ſerue him; if Baal be god, ſerue him, 1. King. 18. 21. And therefore 1. King. 18. 21.let vsus not hearken vntounto thoſe who would reconcile together Chriſt and Antichriſt, Michael the Archangell and the Dragon, the whore of Babylon and the ſpouſe of Chriſt, Gods true religion and popiſh ſuperſtition, and ſo make a hotch potch of religion, like vntounto the religion of the Samaritanes, condemned by God, 2. King. 17. 33. 41. Let vsus take heed that 2. King. 17. 33. 41.we doe not to make peace on earth, proclaime warre againſt heauen, and ioyne in league with men, to fight againſt God and his truth; aſſuring our ſelues that light and darkneſſe, righteouſneſſe and vnrighteouſneſſe, God and Belial, may as well be reconciled together, as Chriſts true religion with the ſuperſtitious idolatries of the Romiſh Babylon.
Sixtly, wee here learne, that not to remember the Lord to They forget the Lord who doe not remember him according to his word.be ſuch an one as he hath reuealed himſelfe in his word, is altogether to forget him; as appeareth in the example of the Iſraelites, of whom the Lord complaineth, that they had forgotten him, notwithſtanding they ſtill outwardly profeſſed that hee was their God and they his people, becauſe they remembred and worſhipped him in their Idols. So they who forget any of Gods attributes, whereby in his word he hath made himſelfe knowne vntounto vsus, forget God himſelfe, for his attributes are his eſſence; as the wiſedome of God is the wiſe God, the infinitenes of God is the infinite God, the louelove of God is the louing God, &c. And therefore, that God which they remember is not the true Iehouah, but an idoll of their owne making. If then we only remember, that God is mercifull, and doe not remember that hee is alſo iuſt (as it is the cuſtome of carnall ſecure men) wee make an idoll vntounto our ſelues, but forget the true God; and ſo in like manner wee forget the Lord, if with deſperate ſinners wee remember his iuſtice, and forget his merciemercy. And the like may be ſaid of his omnipotence, omnipreſence, al-ſufficiencie, prouidence, and the reſt of his attributes.
Laſtly, we may here obſerue that the Prophet concludeth The authority of Gods word countenāceth his Miniſters in their embaſſage.all his reprehenſions of their ſins and threatning of puniſhment, by telling them that whatſoeuer he had deliuered, was not his owne, but the word of the Lord; whereby he confirmeth his former denunciations of iudgements, and certainly aſſureth them, that how vnlikely ſoeuer they thought them, yet they ſhould moſt vndoubtedly come to paſſe, ſeeing it was the word which truth it ſelf had ſpoken: and therfore if they would eſcape them, there was no dallying nor delaying of the time, but ſpeedily they muſt preuent them, by turning vntounto God by true repentance. And ſecondly, hereby hee auerteth all their malice and diſpleaſure from himſelfe, ſeeing theſe heauie tidings were not the deuices of his owne braine, but the word of the Lord, of which onelyonly he was the Embaſſadour: and therefore if they would without taking any exceptions, patiently heare an Embaſſadour ſent from an earthly King, denouncing warre againſt them, becauſe iniury or violence offered to an Embaſſadour is condemned by the law of nations; how much more ſhould they heare him without all malice or preiudice, ſeeing he only deliuered the embaſſage, which the Lord of hoſts had put into his mouth?
From which example Gods Miniſters may learne to deliuer nothing to the people, but the pure word of the Lord, which they are boldly to vtter, though it ſeeme neuer ſo improbable to fleſh and blood; for as much as hee who hath ſpoken it will moſt ſurely accompliſh it; otherwiſe they ſhall commit the ſinne of Ionas, who when the word of the Lord was put into his mouth, durſt not deliuer it, but being ſent to Niniue, fled to Tarſhiſh, and in this reſpect make leſſe conſcience of their calling, then Balaam, as appeareth Numb. 24. 13.Numb. 24. 13.
And ſo likewiſe the people may here learne with patience to heare Gods Miniſters, though they denounce Gods heauie iudgements againſt their ſinnes, if they deliuer nothing but that which they hauehave warrant for out of Gods written word, ſeeing they are bound in conſcience of their calling to deliuer their embaſſage, and ſeeing in reſiſting them, they rebell againſt God himſelfe; neither is it poſſible that any ſhould be obedient vntounto God, who maligne his meſſengers for his meſſage ſake.
And ſecondly, when Gods iudgements are denounced out of his Word againſt them for their ſinnes, they are not to neglect them, but to lay them to heart, that therby they may be moued to vnfained repentance, notwithſtanding they ſee no appearance of danger, or any likely meanes wherby ſuch puniſhments may bee deriued vntounto them, ſeeing the Lord, whoſe Word it is which we heare, is able to effect it, though to vsus it ſeeme impoſſible.