Lectures Upon Hosea 1-4, Lectures 2 · Part 5
ANd ſo much concerning the peoples ſinne of Idolatrie, and the firſt branch of their vnthankfulnes, in aſcribing their benefits to their Idols. In the next place he denounceth threatnings againſt them for their ſinnes in theſe words: Verſ. 6. Therefore behold I will ſtop thy way with thornes, and Verſ 6 7. make a hedge, that ſhe ſhall not finde her paths. Or thus: Therefore behold I will hedge thy way with thornes, and will make a wall, &c. Verſ. 7. Though ſhe follow after her louers, yet ſhall ſhe not come at them; though ſhe ſeeke them, yet ſhall ſhe not finde them. Then ſhall ſhe ſay; I will go and returne to my first huſband, for at that time was I better then now. Or thus, And ſhe ſhall follow her louers, and ſhall not come at them, and ſhe ſhal ſeek them, and ſhall not find them, &c.
In which words are contained two things: firſt a puniſhment The expoſition.denounced, and ſecondly, the effects of this puniſhment in the people. In the firſt we are to conſider the parties, againſt whom it is denounced, and the nature and qualitie thereof. The parties are thoſe amongſt the idolatrous Iſraelites, who (though they were not yet called) belonged to Gods election: for though the Prophets ſpeech be directed to all thoſe idolatrous Iſraelites, who ſaid, I will go after my louers: yet it is to be vnderſtood Synecdochically, of thoſe alone amongſt them, whom it was Gods purpoſe to conuert & ſaue. For not only the reprobate, but alſo the elect fall into this ſin of idolatrie, ſometimes of ignorance, and ſometimes of infirmity, being either drawne with feare, or allured by profit, pleaſure or prefermēt: & ſuch were theſe vntounto whō the Prophet ſpeaketh, who ſaid yt they would go after their louers, telling them, that the Lord would croſſe them in their reſolution, and ſtay them in the middeſt of their courſe.
And that it is to be vnderſtood of the elect onelyonly, it may appeare, firſt, becauſe the Lord doth not lay thornes in the way of the reprobate, to diſcourage and hinder them from their idolatrie, and other wickedneſſe, but leaueth them to their owne wils and luſtes, to run on without impediment in the broad way, which leadeth to deſtruction; but he croſſeth thoſe in their wicked deſignes, who belong to his election, and either firſt or laſt he hindereth thē in their wicked waies, not ſuffering them to run on in their courſe of ſin, into which their corrupt fleſh leadeth them. Secondly, it is ſaid in the 7. verſ. that being thus croſſed in their purpoſes, they ſhould, hauing come to a ſenſe and feeling of their miſerie, returne vntounto the Lord by true repentance; which cannot bee vnderſtood of the reprobate idolaters, but only of the elect.
And ſo much for the perſons. In the puniſhment it ſelfe is expreſſed, firſt the cauſe thereof, ſecondly the qualitie of the puniſhment, thirdly, the end why it is inflicted. The cauſe in theſe words, Therfore behold: which hauehave relation to the former verſe, and point out the ſin, which was the cauſe of this puniſhment; as though he ſhould ſay, Becauſe you hauehave bin ſo obſtinate & impudent in your idolatries, as that you hauehave not ſtucke to ſay openly, that you would ſtill go after your louers, therefore you ſhall not hauehave your wils, nor be able to performe your wicked purpoſes; for I will lay thornes in your way, and ſo hinder you, that you ſhall not go forward in your courſe.
The qualitie of the puniſhment is expreſſed in theſe words: I will hedge thy way with thornes, and make a wall; (for ſo the originall text readeth.) Where he continueth the allegorie, ſhewing, that if they like harlots, wander abroad, and run after their louers; he will keepe a more ſtraite watch ouer them, and reſtraine them, will they nill they, from gadding abroad: or elſe (which I rather think) he alludeth to the cuſtome of husbandmen, who when their beaſts will not keep in their owne paſture, do make ſtrong their fence, and hedge them in; and if this wil not containe them, they make walles of mud or ſtone, to make them ſure for leaping ouer. So the Lord threatneth, that if they will not bee contained in his Church, but wil leap ouer vntounto their Idols and falſe gods, he will prouide a hedge, and a wall to keep them in.
Now this hedge of thornes and ſtrong wall, of which he ſpeaketh, are croſſes and afflictions, as the diſeaſes of the bodie, ſorrow of mind, warre, famine, pouertie and ſuch like, which are compared to thornes: for as when thornes lie in our way, they prick, moleſt and grieue vsus, keeping vsus from going forward, vnleſſe it be with great paine and difficultie: ſo in the way of our pilgrimage, theſe thornes of afflictions vex and trouble vsus, by tormenting the bodie, and wounding the minde. And in this ſenſe is the word taken, Ioſ. 23. 13. where the Lord threatneth, that the curſed nations, whom Joſh. 23. 13.the Iſraelites had not caſt out, ſhould be as whippes on their ſides, and thornes in their eyes, that is, cauſes of their great affliction and moleſtation. So Ezech. 28. 24. The Lord promiſeth, Ezech. 28. 24.that the Zidonites ſhould be no more a pricking thorne to the houſe of Iſrael. Whereas therefore the Lord threatneth, that he would ſtop their way with thornes, and with a wall, the meaning is, that he would keepe them from following their Idols, by afflictions; and if leſſer afflictions would not containe them, he would inflict vponupon them ſuch grieuous calamities, as like a ſtrong wall ſhould keep them in and hinder them from following their falſe gods. By which, as he vnderſtandeth in generall, all the afflictions and miſeries which he ſent amongſt them; ſo eſpecially, their ſiege and captiuitie by the Aſſyrians: for when they were beſieged by them, and when being vanquiſhed, they were led away captiue; then they were hedged in, and compaſſed with a ſtrong wall, ſo as they could not as in former times, go to worſhip their golden calues in Dan and Bethel.
The end why the Lord thus dealeth wirh them, is expreſſed in theſe words, That ſhe ſhould not find her pathes: wherby is meant, that the Lord would therefore hedge and wall them in with afflictions, that they ſhould not go forward in their ordinarie courſe of committing idolatrie: the which is called her pathes, becauſe, as by often going in the ſame way, a path is made by the continuall treading of mens feet; ſo ſhee ſo vſually and commonly frequented her Idols, that her idolatries ſeemed as her path and common way, wherin ſhe daily and continually walked.
And this is the meaning of theſe words. The inſtructions God ſtoppeth the elect in the courſe of their ſin, with the hedge of afflictions.that we are to gather out of them, are theſe. Firſt, we may obſerue, that howſoeuer the Lord doth often ſuffer the wicked and reprobate to goe forward in their ſinnes, without any check and controlement, and to hauehave a proſperous courſe, and wiſhed ſucceſſe in their wicked deſignes, without any let or hinderance; yet he dealeth not thus with thoſe that belong vntounto his election: but if they, through the corruption of the fleſh, either of ignorance, or of infirmitie, reſolue to proſecute wicked courſes, though he may ſuffer them for a time, yet in the end he will lay in their way the thornes of croſſes and afflictions, to hinder them from atchieuing their wicked ends; that ſo being ſtayed, they may returne backe againe vntounto him by true repentance. So he ſuffered the Gentiles to go forward without ſtop, in their idolatries: but when the Iſraelites forſooke him, and followed idols, he laid continually thornes of affliction in their way, to cauſe them to deſiſt in their courſe, and to returne vntounto him, as appeareth in the hiſtorie of the Iudges, and the Kings: the like examples we hauehave in Ionas, in Dauid, 2. Sam. 11. 12. in reprobate Ieroboam, 2. Sam. 11. & 12.and elect Manaſſes, in the Scribes and Phariſies, and the Apoſtle Paul, Act. 9. in the rich Glutton, & the prodigall Act. 9. Luk. 15. & 16.ſonne, Luk. 15. & 16. Whereby it appeareth, that the Lord will not ſuffer thoſe which belong vntounto him, to be ſo euill as they would be: but when they reſolue to go forward in ſin, he layeth in their way a hedge of thornie afflictions, either trouble of mind, or ſicknes, or loſſe in their ſtate, that ſo they may not go on in the pathes of ſinne, but returne againe by true repentance. Whence wee may gather a notable ſigne, whether we belong to Gods election, or be in the number of the reprobate; for if wee go forward in our wicked courſes, without ſtop or hinderance, with eaſe and proſperitie, it is a ſigne that wee belong not to God, for then he would not ſuffer vsus to go on in the way of perdition: but if we no ſooner reſolue vponupon ſome wicked deſigne, but ſtraight we are either croſſed in it, or afterward afflicted, that we cannot proceed in it as we purpoſed, ſurely it is a ſigne that the Lord hath a care of vsus, in that he holdeth vsus backe from running headlong to euerlaſting deſtruction.
Secondly, becauſe, though the Lord lay theſe thornes in our way, yet through our negligence and ſecuritie, though We do not acknowledge Gods hand in our afflictions.we ſee the hedge, and feele the prickes of affliction, pearcing our ſoules and bodies, we oftentimes neither conſider who hath ſet this hedge in our way, nor for what cauſe, but are readie to aſcribe our afflictions to chance and fortune, to our owne want of prouidence, to the malice of our enemies, or ſome ſecondarie cauſe; therefore the Lord willeth them to behold, and to conſider, that he it was that ſet this hedge in their way, and for this cauſe, in that they had reſolued to go forward in their ſinnes, that knowing the meritorious cauſe of their puniſhment to be their ſinnes, they might labour to take them away by true repentance; and knowing the Lord to be the author of them, they might humble themſelues vnderunder his hand, and implore merciemercy and forgiueneſſe.
Thirdly, we may here learne, that it is impoſſible for Gods elect to periſh, for he will not ſuffer them to goe on in ſin to their perdition; yea though they will deſire and reſolue to liue in wickedneſſe, the Lord will finde meanes to pull them out of it: for his will is aboue their wils, his eternall purpoſe and decree, which is vnchangeable, cauſeth a change in their wicked deſignes and vnlawfull purpoſes, ſo that they ſhall not atchieue them according to their ſetled reſolutions: as we may ſee in the example of Ionas, Dauid, Paul, and many others. So that Gods elect may certainly be aſſured, that ſeeing their ſinnes are inſufficient, therefore nothing elſe is effectuall to ſeparate them from the louelove of God in Chriſt Ieſus. Rom. 8. 38. 39.
Fourthly, here we learne moſt carefully to take heed, that We muſt not leape ouer the hedge of afflictions.we doe not when the Lord ſetteth this hedge in our way to reſtraine vsus from ſinne, leap ouer it: for if the fence bee not ſtrong enough hee will make it ſtronger, and in ſtead of an hedge he will ſet a wall to reſtraine vsus, that is, if lighter afflictions will not withhold and ſtay vsus from going forward in the courſe of ſinne, he will inflict thoſe which are heauier and more intolerable.
Laſtly, wee may here obſerue the great benefit which our afflictions cauſe vntounto vsus, for they ſerue for ſharpe thornie Afflictions reſtrain vsus from ſinne.hedges & ſtrong walles to containe vsus in the waies of Gods commandements, and to keep vsus from leaping ouer into the pleaſant paſtures of ſinne and wickedneſſe, where we ſhould but bee fatted to the ſlaughter; the Lord laieth in our way theſe thornie afflictions, not to kill vsus, but to prick vsus, and by pricking to reſtraine vsus from going the broad way that leadeth to deſtruction: for when we are thus iudged, we are chaſtened of the Lord, becauſe wee ſhould not be condemned with the world, 1. Cor. 11. 31. He correcteth vsus not becauſe he hateth 1. Cor. 11. 31.vsus, but becauſe hee entirely loueth vsus, euen as his owne children; not for our hurt, but for our profit, that we might be partakers of hie holineſſe, Heb. 12. 7. 10. And though no chaſtening Heb. 12. 7. 10. 11.ſeemeth to be ioyous, but grieuous for the preſent: yet afterwards it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteouſneſſe vntounto them which are thereby exerciſed, Heb. 12. 11. Though theſe afflictions be bitter and vnpleaſant to the fleſh, yet are they profitable to the ſpirituall part: for whileſt the outward man periſheth, the inward man is renued daily, 2. Cor. 4. 16. Though theſe thornes 2. Cor. 4. 16.pricke vsus, yet they doe not mortally wound vsus, only they let out the winde of vainglorie, and humble vsus that wee be not exalted out of meaſure. Though they ſeeme tedious and intolerable 2. Cor. 12. 7.and tending to our deſtruction, yet in truth they are but light and momentanie, and cauſe vntounto vsus a ſuperexcellent and eternall waight of glorie: 2. Cor. 4. 17.2. Cor. 4. 17.
But yet wee are not to imagine that affliction in it owne Afflictions not good in themſelues, but through Gods bleſſing.nature worketh al theſe benefits; but by the ſecret operation of Gods Spirit inwardly applying it vntounto our hearts, and teaching vsus to make a holy vſe of it: for ſuch is our obſtinate ſtubbornneſſe, that wee will like vntamed and wilde beaſts ruſh thorow this hedge of afflictions, that we may ſtill continue our courſe in ſinne: and ſuch is our ſenſeleſneſſe in our ſecuritie, that either we feele not ye pricking of theſe thornes, or at leaſt are not by the ſmart moued to ſorrow for ſinne, as being the cauſe thereof; or to flee vntounto God by true repentance that wee may hauehave eaſe, vnleſſe the Spirit worke together with our afflictions, making them effectuall for theſe purpoſes. As wee may ſee in the example of Saul, Ieroboam, 1. King. 14. 1. 2. the Iſraelites, Eſa. 1. 5. and in our owne late experience.