Lectures Upon Hosea 1-4, Lectures 2 · Part 9
ANd ſo much concerning the firſt puniſhment here denounced. Verſ. 10 The ſecond followeth, verſ. 10. And now will I diſcouer her leaudnes in the ſight of her louers, and no man ſhall deliuer her out of mine hand. In which words the Lord The expoſition.meeteth with a corrupt conceit, and wicked hope of the Iſraelites, namely, that though the Lord ſhould oppoſe againſt them, yet they might bee releeued and deliuered out of his hands by their louers, that is, their falſe goods; ſhewing that their ioyning with them, ſhould not hinder the courſe of his iudgements: for ſo far was he from fearing their ſuccouring of them, that hee wuld inflict theſe his puniſhments vponupon them, euen in the preſence of their idols, neither ſhould they be able to releeue or deliuer them out of his hands. So that ſtill he alludeth to the practiſe of inſolent and impudent adultereſſes, who when their husbands threaten, that for their whoredomes, they will ſtrip them of all the gifts which they hauehave beſtowed on them, they are readie to deterre them from ſuch ſeuere courſes, by telling them that they hauehave friends in ſtore, who wil reuenge their wrongs, and not ſuffer them to be ſo euill intreated; vntounto whom their husbands being men of ſpirit and courage, will returne anſwere, that they are ſo farre from fearing their louers, that they will not ſticke thus to vſe them euen in their preſence.
But let vsus come to the words themſelues: in which is expreſſed, firſt the time, when he would inflict his puniſhmēts: And now will I, &c. where he ſheweth, that becauſe his patience and long-ſuffering had made her inſolent and ſecure, he would no longer make delayes, but preſently execute his iudgements vponupon her: and this hee doth to make her rouſe vp her ſpirits, and ſpeedily to turne vntounto him by true repentance. Eccleſ. 8. 11.Eccleſ. 8. 11.
Secondly, hee ſetteth downe the puniſhment it ſelfe, to wit, that he would diſcouer her leaudneſſe, &c. The word here vſed ſignifieth, either fooliſhnes, or filthines: in the firſt ſenſe it is taken, 1. Sam. 25. 25. Pſal. 14. 1. Deut. 32. 6. in the latter, Gen. 34. 7. Deut. 22. 21. If we vnderſtand it in the former ſignification, 1. Sam. 25. 25. Pſal. 14. 1. Deut. 32. 6. Gen. 34. 7. Deut. 22. 21.the meaning is, that by ſtripping her of all his benefits, he would ſhew, that ſhe had done fooliſhly, in aſcribing them to her louers, ſeeing they were his gifts; and in forſaking him, a God moſt gratious and almightie, that ſhe might follow after her louers, who had neither will nor abilitie to releeue her wants. But the coherence with the former words is better, if we vnderſtand it in the latter ſignification, for in the former verſe, the Lord threatneth, that he would ſtrip her of his benefits, and namely, of her clothes, which he had giuen her to couer her nakednes: and here hee ſheweth that he would not ſtrip her in a corner, but euen in the ſight of her louers, that they might alſo behold, and deteſt her abominable filthineſſe. And this interpretation I rather embrace, then the other, becauſe it agreeth with the like places of Scripture, as Ezech. 16. 37. Ier. 4. 30.Ezech. 16. 37. Jer. 4 30.
Now this her puniſhment is aggrauated, in that he ſaith, he would ſtrip her in the ſight of her louers; for as men are impatient of all diſgraces, ſo eſpecially of thoſe, which are offered them in the preſence of their moſt reſpected friends: but they grow altogether intolerable, when as their friends in whom they moſt truſted, ſhall to their ſhame and reproch ſee their wretchednes, and vncleane filthines, and not be able to make any apologie for them, or to defend them againſt the accuſer. But this the Lord threatneth, ſhould be the condition of the Church of Iſrael, namely, that hee would ſtrip her of all his benefits, and diſcouer her naturall filthines and vncleannes, her pouertie, miſerie, ſinne and groſſe corruptions, and that in the ſight of her louers; that is, when ſhe depended vponupon her idols, and moſt aſſuredly hoped, that they were preſent to helpe and releeue her.
Laſtly, becauſe while they conceiued any hope of helpe in their idols, they would eaſily neglect and contemne Gods threatnings, hee taketh away from them this vaine confidence, in theſe words: And no man ſhall be able te deliuer her out of my hands: as though he ſhould ſay, It may be ſhe will hope, when I hauehave taken from her my benefits, that the ſun, ſtarres, planets, and her other idols will ſupplie her wants; it may be ſhe may thinke, that when I hauehave diſcouered her filthines, her louers wil relieue her miſeries: but all in vaine; for who amōgſt the gods is able to help, whē I who am almightie take in hād to puniſh her? Wel may they behold her abominable filthines, to her further griefe and diſgrace; but they ſhal only look vpō her, & not be able to afford her any relief.
And this is the meaning of theſe words. Out of which we Puniſhments deferred, ſhall be inflicted, vnleſſe wee preuent them by repētance.may firſt learne, that howſoeuer the Lord in his merciemercy, doth long deferre our iuſtly deſerued puniſhments, as he did the Iſraelites, of whom the Prophet ſpeaketh here: yet if his patience and long-ſuffering doe not moue vsus to repentance, the time will come that the Lord will ſay, as he doth in this place; And now I will diſcouer your leaudneſſe, &c. For as there is a time for merciemercy, ſo there is a time for iuſtice, and though the Lord be ſlow to anger and vengeance, and ſwift in the courſe of his grace and goodnes, yet he goeth forward as ſurely and certainly in the way of iuſtice, as in the way of merciemercy, if wee doe not meet him in the way, and turne his courſe by turning vntounto him by vnfained repentance. Examples hereof we hauehave in the old world, in the Sodomites, Cananites, Iſraelites, &c. And therefore let vsus ſeeke the Lord whilest he may be found, &c. Iſay 55. 6. let vsus take hold of the acceptable Eſay 55. 6.time, and day of ſaluation, and whilest it is called to day, let vsus hearken vntounto his voice, and not harden our hearts, Pſal. 95. 7. 8. For though the Lord now hide our ſinnes vnderunder the vaile of his merciemercy, bleſſings and benefits, yet the time Pſal. 95. 7. 8.will come, vnleſſe we repent, when as hee will ſtrip vsus, and diſcouer our filthines, &c.
Secondly, we may obſerue, ye the Lord oftentimes puniſheth our vaine confidence in worldly things, by making them God puniſheth vaine confidēce in creatures, by making them inſufficient to helpe.vneffectuall, and inſufficient to ſatisfie our deſires, in thoſe things for which we moſt truſted in them, & that when they moſt abound, and ſeeme to promiſe vsus moſt aſſured helpe. So heere hee ſtrippeth the Iſraelites in the preſence of their idols, in whom they truſted for deliuerance, and diſcouereth their filthines euen in their ſight, when as they ſeemed in regard of their preſence, to giuegive them the greateſt hope of their aſſiſtance. Thus he ouerthrew Pharaoh, Senacherib, Benhadad, in the middeſt of their great armies; Nebuchadnezer in his greateſt pride and power. Thus he deſtroyeth idolaters in the preſence of their idols: thus he maketh the couetous to feel the ſmart of his puniſhing hand, when as their riches wherin they truſted, cannot yeeld vntounto them any comfort, &c.
Thirdly, we may obſerue, that howſoeuer our ſins in mans Sinne maketh vsus vgly in Gods ſight.carnall iudgement, do exceedingly grace and adorne vsus, as beautifull ornaments; yet in truth they defile both our bodies and ſoules, and make them filthie and vgly in Gods ſight, yea and in our owne too, when as we come to a true view and ſenſible feeling of them. As for example, ruffinlie oathes, ſcurrilous ieſts, which are but the ſcumme and excrements of the wit, pride, gorgeous attire vnfitting our callings, painting the face, and diſcouering the breaſts, luxurious niceneſſe and exceſſe in diet, furious thirſting after reuenge vponupon the leaſt ſhew of a diſgrace offered, and ſuch like ſinnes, which are vſed of worldlings, as ornaments to commend them, but in Gods ſight, they make them to appeare deformed, filthie and abominable.
Fourthly, we may obſerue, how prone we are to truſt in Our pronenes to truſt in worldly meanes.worldly meanes, and in regard of our vaine confidence, how apt we are to ſhrowde our ſelues vnderunder theſe vaine ſhields, imaging that by them we ſhall be ſecured from Gods iudgements threatned againſt vsus: ſo the Iſraelites here truſted for deliuerance from all euils which were denounced againſt them, by the helpe of their Idols. And therefore the Lord to beate them from this vaine confidence, telleth them, that he will inflict his iudgements vponupon them, though their louers looked on, neither ſhould they be able to deliuer them out of his hands. Thus the Iſraelites truſted to the outward preſence of the viſible Arke, 1. Sam. 4. 3. 4. to the helpe of the Egyptians, 1. Sam. 4. 3. 4. Eſay 31. 1. 3. Hoſ. 10. 13. Ierem. 49. 16.Eſai. 31. 1. 3. to the viſible Temple, Ier. 7. 5. to their multitude of ſtrong men, Hoſ. 10. 13. Thus the Idomeans truſted to the ſtrength of their ſeat, Ier. 49. 16. And thus in our times, men in dearth truſt to their owne prouiſion, in warre to their ſtrength, in ſickneſſe to their flight, preſeruations and medicines; and when the thundering threatnings of Gods iudgements ſound in their eares, they hide themſelues from them vnderunder the ſhadow of thoſe outward titles, the Goſpell, the Church, and profeſſion of Gods true religion. But the Lord will inflict his iudgements, euen in the ſight of our louers, and thoſe things wherein wee truſted, ſhall not be able to deliuer vsus in the day of his viſitation.