Lectures Upon Hosea 1-4, Lectures 2 · Part 18
ANd ſo much concerning the fifth benefit, which is the mariage of Chriſt with his Church. The ſixth followeth, which is, that being ioyned vntounto Chriſt in this neere bond of mariage, he will gratiouſly heare all her ſuites, grant her requeſts, and ſupplie all her wants with the riches of his benefits. Verſ. 21. And in that day I will heare, ſaith the Lord, I Verſ. 21 will euen heare the heauens, & they ſhall heare the earth. 22. And the earth ſhall heare the corne, and the wine and the oyle, and they ſhall heare Iſrael. The which words doe well depend vponupon The expoſition.the former: for as the wife by vertue of that neere vnion betweene her and her husband, may iuſtly challenge a fauourable hearing of her ſuites and requeſts in ſuch things as are lawfull and conuenient, and take vponupon her the rule of the familie next and immediatly vnderunder her husband, and the vſe of his goods with which he hath endowed her: ſo Chriſt being married vntounto the Church promiſeth to heare her ſuites; and ſeeing he is Lord of heauen and earth, to grant vntounto her rule ouer his creatures, ſo as they ſhall become ſeruiceable vntounto her, and be readie to ſupplie all her wants. So the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, 1. Cor. 3. 22. 23. All are yours, and ye are Christs, and Chriſt Gods.1. Cor. 3. 22. 23.
But let vsus come to the words themſelues, wherein is ſet downe the time when God would endow his Church with theſe benefits, In that day; that is, in the time of the Goſpell, when he had made with her his new couenant of grace, and had knit her vntounto himſelfe in this neere vnion of mariage.
Secondly, the author of theſe gifts, namely, the Lord of hoſts, vnderunder whoſe rule and conduct all the whole armie of the creatures are ſubiected.
Thirdly, here is expreſſed the benefit promiſed, namely, that he will make all his creatures both in heauen and earth to become his inſtruments and meanes to deriue his bleſſings & benefits vntounto his ſpouſe the Church; in theſe words, I will heare the heauens, &c. Where he alludeth to the contrarie curſe threatned againſt the tranſgreſſors of the law. Deut. 28. 23. And the heauen which is ouer thy head ſhall be braſſe, and Deut. 28. 23. 24the earth that is vnderunder thee iron. 24. And the Lord ſhall giuegive thee for raine of thy land, dust and aſhes, &c. And ſheweth that after he hath made his new couenant with his Church, and is reconciled vntounto her in Chriſt, his curſe ſhall be turned into a bleſſing. Now vnderunder this particular of hearing his Church in the time of dearth, he doth ſynecdochically promiſe, that he will heare and relieue her in all her wants and neceſſities, according to that, Ioh. 16. 23. And vnderunder theſe ſpeciall benefits Joh. 16. 23.of corne, wine, and oyle, are vnderſtood all temporall benefits neceſſarie for the vſe and comfort of Gods Church: ſo Pſal. 4. 7. Yea vnderunder them wee are typically to vnderſtand all Pſal. 4. 7.ſpirituall gifts and graces: for it was vſuall in the time of the law to prefigure the kingdome of Chriſt vnderunder the kingdom of Dauid, ſpirituall peace vnderunder worldly peace, eternall life vnderunder old age, the riches of heauen vnderunder the riches of the earth, our heauenly patrimonie and inheritance vnderunder the poſſeſſion of the land of Canaan and the earthly Ieruſalem.
Fourthly, here is ſet down the maner how and the meanes whereby he would deriue theſe bleſſings, by a notable gradation; I will heare the heauen, and the heauen ſhall heare the earth, &c. Where it is implied, that the meanes of obtaining thē ſhall be prayer, the which by an hyperbolical metaphor, and wonderfull loftineſſe of ſpeech, is aſcribed to vnreaſonable and vnſenſible creatures, though it properly appertain vntounto man, that it might after a more emphaticall manner moue the mindes of the faithfull. The like figure is vſed in many other places: as Pſal. 93. 3. 98. 8. 107. 21. 27. Hab. 2. 11. Pſal. 93. 3. & 98. 8. & 10…. 21 Hab. 2. 11. Rom. 8. 22. Eſa. 1. 2.Rom. 8. 22. Eſa. 1. 2. So heere the Prophet bringeth in man calling for corne, wine and oyle; theſe praying to the earth, the earth to heauen, and heauen to God.
For the vnderſtanding whereof we are to know, that man is ſaid to call vponupon food, when as there is dearth and ſcarcitie; and corne, wine and oyle are ſaid to heare him, or as the word here vſed ſignifieth hearing to anſwere him, when as they offer themſelues vntounto him for the ſupplying of his wants, in great plentie and abundance: And corne, wine and oyle are ſaid to call vponupon the earth, when as the earth doth not bring them foorth, but through her barrenneſſe maketh a ſcarcitie of them: and contrariwiſe the earth is ſaid to heare them, when by her vertue, ſtrength and moiſture, ſhe affoordeth ſtore of theſe bleſſings. And ſo the earth is ſaid to pray vntounto the heauens, when as wanting moiſture ſhe gapeth, and as it were earneſtly deſireth the firſt and latter raine, whereby ſhe may become fruitfull; and the heauen is ſaid to heare the earth, when accordingly ſhe diſtilleth her ſeaſonable and pleaſant ſhewers, whereby the earth and the fruites thereof are refreſhed. The heauen is ſaid to pray vntounto God, when as her cloudes and vapours are dried vp, or reſtrained, ſo as ſhe cannot gratifie the earth with her moiſture; and the Lord is ſaid to heare her, when as he giueth vntounto her vertue to gather cloudes and vapours, and open her windowes & floodgates, ſo as ſhe may diſtill her ſweete drops to water the earth.
The laſt thing here expreſſed, is the perſons vponupon whom the Lord will beſtow theſe benefits, namely, all his elect and faithfull ones, whom hee hath eſpouſed vntounto himſelfe, and theſe are comprehended vnderunder the name Iizreel; the ſignification of which word is here changed, neither is it here taken in the euill part, as it was Ch. 1. 4. to wit, for the ſeed of God, whom he would ſcatter and caſt away, but in the better ſenſe, for the ſeed of God whom he would gather into his Church, and ſtore vp in his garner of euerlaſting happineſſe. By which change of the ſignification the Lord would ſhew that his wrath was changed into merciemercy, and his iudgements into benefits in the time of the Goſpell.
And that this name is ſo to be taken it appeareth by the verſe following, where the Lord following the allegorie, ſaith, that he will ſow her, that is, this Iizreel his holy ſeed: as alſo in that he changeth both the other names Lo-ruchamah into ruchamah, & Lo-ammi into ammi; No merciemercy, into MercieMercy, and Not my people, into Thou art my people.
And this is the meaning of theſe words. The doctrines The Do∣ctrines. which ariſe out of them are theſe. Firſt wee may here learne, who is the author of all our bleſſings and benefits temporall The Lord is the author of all bleſſings.and ſpirituall, namely, the Lord himſelfe; for he it is that giueth vsus our corne, wine and oyle; he it is who cauſeth plentie and maketh dearth, and out of the garners of his al-ſufficient prouidence wee hauehave all our prouiſion and ſuſtenance. The eyes of all waite vponupon him, and he giueth them their meate in due ſeaſon, and if he ſhut his hand, they all hunger and pine for want; if he open it, all things liuing are filled with plentie; as it is Pſal. 145. 15. 16.Pſalm. 145. 15. 16.
The conſideration whereof ſhould moue vsus, rather to depend vponupon the Lord for our plentie and prouiſion, then vponupon the heauens, the earth, or the ſeaſons of the yeere, ſeeing he is the principall cauſe, and theſe but his inſtruments and inferiour meanes which he vſeth for our good. Secondly, if wee abound in theſe bleſſings, let vsus praiſe the Lord in the fruitiō of them, and be readie out of our abundance to relieue the want and penurie of our poore brethren, as the Lord hath inioyned vsus; for all theſe temporall benefits, though good in themſelues, are not good vntounto vsus, vnleſſe they be receiued with thankſgiuing, and ſanctified to our vſe by the word and prayer, as it is 1. Tim. 4. 5. And if abounding with them we do 1. Tim. 4. 5.not communicate them with the poore, we commit the ſinne of the Sodomites, as appeareth Ezech. 16. 49. and conſequently Ezech. 16. 49.make our ſelues obnoxious to their puniſhments.
Secondly, we may here obſerue the time, when the Lord The new Couenant is the fountaine of all our good.beſtoweth theſe benefits vponupon his Church, expreſſed in theſe words: And in that day, that is, in the day of her eſpouſals, when ſhe is married vntounto Chriſt in righteouſnes, iudgement, &c. and by Chriſt reconciled vntounto God; for before this day we are not onelyonly ſtrangers, but alſo enemies, and ſo remaining ſubiect to Gods wrath, we hauehave all the creatures oppoſed againſt vsus: but when wee are married vntounto Chriſt, and in him reconciled vntounto God, then all things work together for our good, and nothing is wanting vntounto vsus, which is profitable Rom. 8. 28.for vsus to receiue. From whence we learne, that this new couenant of grace betweene God and vsus, and this ſpirituall marriage with Chriſt is the fountaine, from which all bleſſings and benefits ſpring and flow vntounto vsus. And therefore if we would hauehave no good thing wanting, which we can deſire; thē let vsus in the firſt place ſeek to be eſpouſed vntounto Chriſt in righteouſneſſe, iudgement, benignitie and compaſſion, and then the Lord will ſupplie all our wants, and giuegive vsus plentie of corne, wine, and oyle, and all other his benefits. And let vsus auoid the practiſe of worldly men, who in the firſt place ſeeke for glorie, riches, houſes, lands, and pleaſures, and in the meane time neuer ſeeke to be eſpouſed vntounto Chriſt, or in him to be reconciled vntounto God, deferring this, as a matter of leaſt importance, to old age, or the end of life; but rather let vsus In the first place, ſeeke the kingdome of God and his righteouſneſſe, Matth. 6. 33.and then all other things ſhall be cast vponupon vsus, as our Sauiour hath promiſed, Matth. 6. 33. Let vsus firſt labour to be receiued into the couenant of grace, and to be eſpouſed vntounto Chriſt Ieſus, and then he will inrich vsus with the dowrie of all his temporall and ſpirituall benefits.
Thirdly, we here learne, that whatſoeuer vertue & ſtrēgth The creatures hauehave all their vertue from God, whereby they benefit vsus.is in any of the creatures to benefit, ſuſtaine, and nouriſh vsus, they hauehave it wholly from the Lord, as appeareth by this notable gradation, for we cannot ordinarily liue without corne and food, we cannot hauehave theſe vnleſſe the earth bring them foorth for our vſe, the earth is barren and vnfruitfull, vnleſſe it be watered with the dew of heauen, the heauens hauehave no power to diſtill their fruitfull and pleaſant ſhewers vponupon the earth, vnleſſe the Lord giuegive this vertue vntounto them. So that he is the principall cauſe and firſt mouer, who ſetteth all inferiour meanes on worke, and giueth them motion and ſtrength to deriue his bleſſings and benefits vponupon man; neither can a drop of raine fall vponupon the earth, nor the earth bring foorth one graine of corne, but by Gods prouidence and appointment: and therfore we may conclude with the Apoſtle, that In him we liue, moue, and hauehave our being, Act. 17. 28. Is then Act. 27. 28.the earth fruitfull? let vsus aſcribe the whole glorie vntounto God; hauehave we a fertill ſoyle? let vsus not reſt vponupon it, but vponupon Gods prouidence, for he that hath giuen it this power and vertue, can take it away & make it barren. Is there a dearth and ſcarcitie Pſal. 107. 34.in the land? let vsus not looke ſo much to the heauens, clouds, and weather, as vntounto God the ruler and diſpoſer of them all, expecting and begging plentie at his hands, and ſo hee will heare the heauens, and the heauens the earth, the earth the fruits, and the fruits will heare vsus, &c.
Fourthly, we here learne, that howſoeuer the Lord is the God beſtoweth his bleſſings by inferiour meanes.principall cauſe, and chiefe author of all the benefits which we receiue; yet we are not to expect them from his hand immediatly, but mediatly, by inferiour cauſes and inſtruments, as appeareth by the gradation here vſed: and therefore wee are not idlie to expect food from Gods immediate prouidence, neglecting the ſubordinate meanes, as obſeruing the ſeaſons, and husbanding the ground with labour and diligence: for though he bee bountifull in beſtowing his benefits, yet he giueth them not to idle loyterers, but to painfull labourers, Gen. 3. 19.Geneſ. 3. 19.
Fiftly, we may obſerue the infinite wiſdome of God, who Gods wiſdom an making his creatures to ſtand in need of one anothers helpe.hath lincked his creatures together in ſuch excellent order, as they hauehave need of one anothers helpe, and all depend vponupon him, as vponupon the firſt mouer. Man needeth food, food is not prouided without the helpe of the earth, the earth is not fruitfull without the dew of heauen, that heauens cannot ſend their raine without Gods bleſſing & appointment. Where we may note, that man who is Lord of the creatures, ſtandeth in need of the meaneſt of thē, that whereas his ſoueraigntie might puffe him vp in pride, his neceſſitie which maketh him ſtand beholding to the baſeſt creature, might teach him humilitie.
Sixthly, wee may obſerue, that the chiefe meanes which the Praier the chiefe meanes of obtaining all bleſſings.Church is enioyned to vſe for obtaining of all benefits, is prayer; as is implied by the manner of ſpeech here vſed, And I will heare ſaith the Lord, &c. For howſoeuer the Lord hath determined to multiplie his mercies vponupon the faithfull, yet not without the meanes of prayer & inuocatiō. Becauſe if we did not firſt ſee and feele our wants, if ſeeing thē, we did not earneſtly deſire to hauehave them ſupplied, & if to hauehave our deſire ſatisfied, we had not our recourſe vntounto God by prayer, wee would neuer know nor acknowledge that we had receiued theſe gifts frō God, nor bee thankfull vntounto him for them, nor for the time to come depend vponupon his prouidence. And thus do earthly parents deale with their childrē; although they are willing to ſupply al their wants, yet firſt they will be intreated, that hereby their louelove & affection towards them may be endeared, and that they may learne obedience and reuerence, ſeeing their owne want of their parents helpe, and their readines in granting ſuccour and reliefe.
Seeing then praier is the meanes of obtaining all bleſſings We muſt pray continully.from God, the conduit whereby the cleare ſtreames of graces and benefits are deriued frō God, the fountaine of all goodnes, and the hand wherewith we fill our emptie ſoules in the ſtorehouſe of Gods rich merciemercy, let vsus continually exerciſe our ſelues in this holy dutie; and ſeeing our wants are continuall, Let vsus pray continually, as the Apoſtle exhorteth vsus, 1. Theſ. 5. 17. Are we 1. Theſſ. 5. 17.deſtitute of Gods bleſſings? praier obtaineth thē, Ioh. 16. 23. 24. Ioh. 16. 23.hauehave we them in abundance? prayer ſanctifieth them to our vſe, 1. Tim. 4. 5. doe wee employ our ſelues in our buſines? prayer bringeth a bleſſing vponupon our labours, Gen. 24. 12. do we ceaſe 1. Tim. 4. 5. Geneſ. 24. 12. Numb. 10. 36.from them? prayer bleſſeth our reſt, Numb. 10. 35. are we merrie, prayer ſeaſoneth our mirth: are we ſorrowfull? prayer eaſeth our griefe, Iam. 5. 13. are we in trouble? praier obtaineth Jam. 5. 13. Pſal. 50. 15. & 107. 10. 13.deliuerance, Pſal. 50. 15. are we in any manner of extremitie? prayer bringeth reliefe, Pſal. 107. 6. 13. 19. 28.
Seuenthly, whereas he ſaith, not that God will heare Iizreel, Our corruption in depending vponupon inferiour means.but that he will heare the heauens, &c. and that the corne, wine, and oyle ſhall heare Iizreel, he doth here intimate our corruption and imperfection, which cauſeth vsus in the time of our wants, in the firſt place to thinke vponupon the inferiour meanes and ſecondarie cauſes for the ſupplying our neceſſities, as vponupon the corne, wine, and oyle, before in our cogitations we aſcend vntounto God, begging for helpe and reliefe at his hands: the which our infirmitie the Lord tolerateth, if wee doe not reſt in their inferiour meanes, but aſcend from one to another, vntill we come to the ſupreme cauſe of all bleſſings, God himſelfe: as when being in want & penurie, we think we muſt needs ſtarue, vnleſſe we hauehave corne & food, then we muſt alſo remember that we cānot hauehave thē, vnleſſe ye earth yeeld thē, nor ye earth yeeld thē, vnleſſe the heauēs make thē fruitful, nor yt the heauēs can do this, vnleſſe the Lord enable thē. And therfore finding that he is the chiefe cauſe & firſt mouer, who ſetteth al ye reſt on work, let vsus chiefely labor by our praiers, to moue him to ſuccour vsus, aſſuring our ſelues, yt when he is inclined to help and releeue vsus, there wil be no want in the inferiour meanes; & as thus we are to aſcend vntounto God, that wee may call vponupon him, ſo being poſſeſſed of his benefits, we muſt likewiſe to aſcend to returne him thankes.
Laſtly, we here learne, that all Gods gifts and benefits are All benefits beſtowed vponupon man for the faithfuls ſake.grāted vntounto mankind at the ſuite of Iizreel, that is, for the faithfull and elects ſake, and if it were not for them, the heauens would be as braſſe without raine and moiſture, and the earth as iron, barren and vnfruitfull. Iolatrous Laban is inriched for religious Iacobs ſake, and Putiphar hath a bleſſing vponupon his whole Deut. 28. 23.houſe, becauſe Ioſeph is one of his familie. The murmuring Iſraelites gather Manna ſent from heauen, becauſe the faithfull Iſraelites ſhould not want; the whole people fareth the better, becauſe they hauehave a Moſes amongſt them, who in his feruent prayers commendeth their ſuits vntounto God. And contrariwiſe, when the godly are ſeuered from the wicked, there is nothing to be expected but plagues & puniſhments. When Noah is entred into the Arke, the ſloud drowneth the whole world. Whē Lot is gone out of Sodome, it is ſoone after conſumed with fire and brimſtone: When Gods people hauehave ſeuered themſelues from Corah, the earth ſwalloweth vp him and his followers. And when Ioſias is gathered to his fathers, then ſinful Iſrael muſt expect captiuitie and deſolation.
Notwithſtanding ſuch is the blind pride of wicked men, and The wicked impute all their euils vntounto the faithful.their inueterate malice towards the faithfull, that they are readie to aſcribe their proſperitie vntounto themſelues, & their calamities vntounto the godly. Ahab thinketh himſelfe innocent, and condemneth Elias to be the troubler of Iſrael. Saul ſuppoſeth that neither he nor his poſteritie could proſper, vnleſſe Dauid were murthered: and the Scribes and Phariſies ſhame not to affirme, that if Chriſt were ſuffered all would beleeue in him, and that hereupon muſt needs follow their deſtruction and the deſolation of their countrey: Ioh. 11. 48.Ioh. 11. 48.