Lectures Upon Hosea 1-4, Lectures 4 · Part 18
ANd thus much concerning their ſinnes of idolatrie, againſt the firſt table. In reſpect of the ſecond, they ſinned two waies. Firſt, againſt themſelues by intemperance. Secondly, gainſt their neighbours. And theſe ſinnes were either common to all the people, to wit, their whoredomes and vncleanneſſe, or peculiar to their Magiſtrates, namely, their bribing and extortion. Al which are compriſed in theſe words, Verſ. 18. Their drunkenneſſe ſtincketh, they hauehave committed Verſ 18 whoredome, their Rulers louelove to ſay with ſhame, Bring ye. Or thus, Their drinke putrifieth and ſtincketh: or as others reade, Their drinke is refractarious & rebellious, they continually commit whoredome, their Princes louelove to ſay with ſhame, Bring yee. Which words are not in number ſo many, as are The expoſition.the interpretations diuers, which are by diuers Expoſitors giuen of them: but I will propound only thoſe which ſeeme moſt probable, and inſiſt in that which beſt agreeth with the drift of the Prophet, and circumſtances of the place. Some expound theſe words allegorically, vnderſtāding by drinke, or drunkenneſſe, that they were made ſpiritually drunken, with their vnbridled louelove of ſuperſtition, and being thus beſotted, they committed ſpirituall whoredome, that is, idolatrie without ſhame. But as I take it, allegories in expounding the Scriptures, are like oathes in ſpeech, neuer good, but when they are neceſſarie. Beſides, he had ſpoken of their deſperate louelove towards their idols in the former verſe, comprehending vnderunder it the ſinnes of the firſt table; and therfore it is not likely, that in this breuitie of ſpeech, he doth inculcate and reiterate the ſame thing, but rather vſeth a new argument to diſſwade the men of Iuda from frequenting their company, namely, becauſe they were guiltie of the breaches of the ſecond table alſo; of which he giueth three inſtances, to wit, their drunkenneſſe, adulterie, and briberie, vnderunder which he compriſeth all the reſt.
But let vsus come to more particulars. Their drunkenneſſe ſtincketh, or, their drinke putrifieth and ſtincketh, as the word heere vſed ſignifieth. Which words amongſt many others, hauehave theſe three interpretations. Some reade thē thus, Their Druſius in Hoſea.drinke is gone backe; namely, from his firſt quality and condition, and ſo ſowreth and corrupteth: for in the proper and Sur.primary ſignification, the word foreign ſignifieth to goe backe. Whereby they vnderſtand by a metonymie of the cauſe, that they were gone backe and degenerate from their firſt ſtate of integritie, and had made a defection from God: according to that, Eſay 1. 22. Thy ſiluer is become droſſe, thy wine is Eſa. 1. 22.mixt with water. But as I take it, this doth not ſo well agree with the ſcope of the Prophet, nor fitly cohereth with the words following, as after ſhall appeare.
Others reade them thus; Their wine is refractarious or Iunius.rebellious: that is, (vnderſtanding them by the ſame metonymie) their exceſſiue drinking of wine and ſtrong drinke, maketh them refractarious and rebellious: according to that, Prou. 20. 1. Wine is a mocker, and ſtrong drinke is raging: that Pro. 20. 1.is, it maketh men to mocke and rage. And this tranſlation is very probable: firſt, becauſe the word may well beare it; for ſtrong drinke maketh men refractary, and to runne backe, as an vnrulie heifer, when her maſter putteth on the yoke, runneth backward, and will not ſuffer the yoke to come vponupon her necke. And thus the ſame word is vſed, Hoſea 7. 14. Hoſ 7. 14.And they rebell against me. Againe, this well agreeth with the drift of the place; for before hee had ſaid that Iſrael was rebellious, as an vnruly heifer: and here he ſheweth what was the cauſe of their vntulineſſe; namely, their exceſſiue drinking of wine or ſtrong drinke.
Laſtly, others reade them according to our tranſlation; R. D. Kimhi. Comment. in Hoſ. & in lib. radic. & Mercer. in Hoſ.their drunkenneſſe, or their drinke corrupteth and ſtinketh. In which ſenſe, the Prophet alludeth, to the qualitie and condition of drunken men, who gull downe ſuch exceſſiue ſtore of wine and ſtrong drinke, that their ſtomackes being not able to digeſt it, it there putrifieth, corrupteth, and ſtinketh; and ſo they annoy the ſtanders by with their vnſauory breath, filthy belchings and vomitings; as the Prophet Eſay alſo ſpeaketh, Eſay 28. 8. And this interpretation I imbrace Eſa. 28. 8.aboue the reſt: firſt, becauſe the word may well beare it; for then drinke is ſaid to goe backe, when it loſeth it naturall vertue, degenerateth, ſowreth, and corrupteth. Secondly, becauſe, as I take it, it beſt fitteth with the ſcope of the Prophet; which is not ſo much to ſhew the effects of theſe ſinnes, as that drinke or drunkenneſſe maketh men vnruly and rebellious, as to ſet forth theſe odious ſinnes themſelues; namely, that they were addicted to beaſtly drunkenneſſe, whoredome, and bribing; and therefore not to be conuerſed withall with any that made conſcience of their waies. And thus the two other ſinnes are to be vnderſtood in themſelues, & not in their effects. Laſtly, this interpretatiō is moſt familiar, ſimple, & plaine, without either trope or allegorie; and therefore offreth leſſe force to the words then the other.
The meaning then is, that they were addicted to this ſin of drunkenneſſe, and that in ſuch brutiſh manner, that euen their very breath was noyſome, and all their whole carriage ſo beaſtly and ſhameleſly loathſome, as that it might be an effectuall argument to weane from their company, not onelyonly thoſe amongſt the men of Iuda, who were religious, but euen all ſuch as had in them any ciuilitie or humanitie.
The next ſinne which here he laieth to their charge is, that they committed whoredome; which ſome alſo vnderſtand of ſpirituall fornication & idolatry: but I rather vnderſtand it of their carnall whoredome and adultery, of which they were alſo guiltie; as before appeareth, verſe 11. And ſo theſe ſinnes of drunkenneſſe and whoredome are fitly ioyned together, as the cauſe & the effect: for ſine Cerere & Libero friget venus, drunkenneſſe is a preparatiue to vncleanneſſe, and as it were the wood or oyle wherewith this fire of luſt is kindled and nouriſhed. Now further he implieth, that they were not in any moderate ſort giuen to this ſinne; for hee redoubleth the word in the originall text; whoring, they whored: that is, they continually liued in this ſinne, without meaſure or ſhame.
And this alſo was an effectuall reaſon to withdraw the men of Iuda from their company, ſeeing they liued in an infamous and odious ſinne, and alſo were likely to infect and corrupt them by their wicked example; the ſinne of vncleanneſſe being in it owne nature an infectious and ſpreading ſinne, apt to poiſon all who come neere them that are tainted and infected with it.
The third & laſt ſin is bribing & extortion, in theſe words; Their rulers louelove to ſay with ſhame, or ſhamefully; Bring ye. In which words we are to cōſider the perſons who committed this ſin, and the ſin it ſelfe. The perſons were their rulers and magiſtrates. The word ſignifieth their ſhields: whereby is implied; firſt the office and dutie of good magiſtrates; namely, to ſhield and defend their ſubiects from outward violence, iniuries, and oppreſſions: and ſecondly, the ſinne of theſe rulers, & the miſerable conditiō of the people is hereby ſhewed & aggrauated; both in that the magiſtrates, whoſe chiefe care and ſtudie ſhould hauehave been to defend the people, to right their wrongs, to execute iudgement, and repell outward iniuries, did greedily bend their mindes to couetouſneſſe, & both forgetting their place, & neglecting their dutie, gaped after bribes: & alſo in that hereby, nothing could follow but horrible diſorder in the ſtate, when as thoſe who ſhould hauehave been the correctors and puniſhers of vice, and the rewarders of vertue, ſought onelyonly their owne priuate gaine, and ſpent all their time and whole indeuours in hunting after bribes and rewards, as after a pray; whereby all manner of licentious libertie was giuen vntounto the people of running headlong into all manner of ſinne, ſeeing their gouernours regarded them not; or though they ſhould call them into queſtion, yet they could eaſilie blinde their eyes, and ſtoppe their mouthes, and tie their hands with rewards and bribes.
And theſe were the perſons. The ſinne is both expreſſed, and alſo exceedingly aggrauated. Their ſinne laid to their charge, is their bribing and extortion; which as it is in it ſelfe euill, ſo it is of worſe conſequence; for it vtterly peruerteth all iuſtice and righteous iudgement, and maketh thoſe who ſhould be vnpartiall Iudges, reſpecters of perſons; as appeareth, Deut. 16. 19. The reward blindeth the eyes of the wiſe, Deut. 16. 19.and peruerteth the words of the iust.
Now this their ſinne is aggrauated by their manner of committing of it, and that both in reſpect of their inward affection, and alſo their outward cariage and demeanure. For the former it is ſaid, not onelyonly that they were content to receiue gifts, when they were offered, but alſo that they embraced this ſinne in their heart and affection, and were farre in louelove with their vice; for they loued to ſay, Bring yee.
For their outward cariage of it, it is ſaid, not only that they loued to receiue gifts when they were offered, and thruſt vponupon them, but that they were growne to ſuch an height of impudencie and iniuſtice, that they did not ſticke openly to profeſſe their bribing, and by word of mouth to require rewards, wringing and extorting from them gifts by direct ſpeeches, when either they would hauehave them winke at their faults, or adminiſter iudgement, or diſpatch their buſineſſe.
Yea, and this they did not in any modeſt or ſhamefaſt maner, but ſhamefully. The word here vſed may be referred either to the manner of their requiring rewards, that ſhameleſly and with a braſen forehead, they called for bribes, and couenanted before hand to hauehave rewards for any buſineſſe which they diſpatched; or it may be referred to the rewards which they required, namely, that they called for ſhamefull rewards, either in reſpect of their quantitie, that they required great rewards, for ſmall buſineſſes; or in reſpect of their qualitie, that they were the rewards of vnrighteouſneſſe, giuen and receiued for the betraying of iuſtice and truth, for the vpholding of the wicked, and diſcountenancing of the iuſt; for the cleering or acquitting of the faultie, and for the condemning of the innocent.
And this is the meaning of the words. The doctrines which wee learne out of them are theſe: firſt, that drunkenneſſe The do∣ctrines. is an odious and loathſome vice which ſtrinketh in the That drunkenneſſe is an odious ſinne.noſtrels of God and men. It is abominable to God, as in many other reſpects, ſo eſpecially becauſe the drunkard maketh his bellie his god, vnfitteth himſelfe for all duties of Gods worſhip and ſeruice, and moſt groſly and vngratefully abuſeth his good creatures, to the furthering of him in wickedneſſe, as I hauehave elſewhere more largely prooued. So likewiſe it is loathſomely ſtinking before men; for not only do they offend mens eyes, in beholding their filthie cariage and behauiour, and their eares by their fooliſh railing or ribald ſpeeches, but alſo their ſmell, for their noiſome ſluttiſhnes euen infecteth the aire, and their very breath is a ſtrong argument to make this ſin odious, ſo that though there were no impietie in it, yet wee were to abhorre it becauſe it is ſo loathſome.
The vſe hereof is, the ſame which the holy Ghoſt maketh in this place, namely, that it ſerue for a ſtrong diſſwaſion to reſtraine vsus from ſuch companie as are addicted to this ſinne of drunkenneſſe; for not only are they to be auoided as wicked 1. Cor. 5. 11.men▪ both in regard of this ſinne it ſelfe, and all other abominable wickedneſſe which is the vſuall fruite thereof, leſt accompanying them we be allured to ioyne with them in their ſinne; but wee are to auoid theſe liuing carrions, becauſe they infect the aire with their breath, and annoy their companie with their loathſome ſlutriſhnes.
The ſecond thing which wee here learne is, that wee are We muſt carefully auoid the companie of adulterers.with like care to auoid the companie of ſuch as are addicted to the ſinne of whoredome, though wee had no other reaſon to reſtraine vsus. For this the Lord himſelfe vſeth as an effectuall reaſon in this place, to diſſwade the men of Iuda from accompanying the Iſraelites, becauſe they continued in the ſinne of whoredome, wherewith they were likely to taint and infect thoſe who entertained neere familiaritie with them. The force of which reaſon will more cleerely appeare, if we conſider not onelyonly that the euill example of vncleane perſons both by their ribald words, and vnchaſt behauiour, is apt to corrupt, and that in regard of our proneneſſe and naturall inclination to this vice, wee are as apt to be corrupted; but alſo that adulterers hauehave many wiles to beguile vsus, many baites to allure vsus, and impudent foreheads in venturing to giuegive the aſſault to our chaſtitie: as appeareth in the example of Ioſephs Miſtreſſe, who hauing gotten the aduantage of his companie, ſolicites him to this ſinne in a plaine and ſhameleſſe manner; in Lots daughters, who came to that height of impudencie, that they ſhamed not to intice their owne father; in the people of Iſrael, inueigled with the Numb. 25. 1.alluring charmes of the curſed nations; in Ammon defiling his owne ſiſter; and in the ſhameleſſe harlot, deſcribed in the 2. Sam. 13.Prouerbs, who hauing inticed a yong man to come into her companie, vſed ſuch an art of luſt to abuſe him, and ſo many bewitching inticements to allure him, that at laſt hee yeelds vntounto her, and followes her as an oxe to the ſlaughter, and as a foole to the ſtockes: as it is, Prou. 7. 10. 11. 13. 21. 22.Prou. 7. 10. 11.
The vſe hereof is, that if wee deſire to preſerue our chaſtitie, we auoid the companie of adulterers and vncleane perſons, ſeeing in it ſelf it is ſufficient to corrupt vsus, and to make vsus copartners with them in this ſinne. For as there needeth no bellowes to blow the fire, when it toucheth gunpowder, becauſe the one is no more fit to fire, then the other to be inflamed; ſo there needeth no other helpe to inflame the heart with luſt, then the touch and familiar acquaintance of vnchaſt perſons; becauſe as they are fit with the fire of their luſt to inflame vsus, ſo wee carrie in our ſelues ſuch combuſtible matter, as is no leſſe readie to take the fire & to be inflamed.
Thirdly, we here learne that it is one of the higheſt degrees That it is an high degree of wickednes to be in louelove with ſinne.of ſinne, when as we doe not only fall into wickedneſſe, but alſo grow into louelove and liking with it: for this is the ſinne of the Princes of Iſrael in this place, who did not only bribe, but alſo tooke delight in bribing, and not only ſaid, but loued to ſay, Bring yee. Which as it argued that they had braſen faces, ſo alſo that their hearts were rotten, and wholly corrupted with ſinne. So long as the ſickneſſe is ſeated in the outward parts only, there is great hope of recouerie, becauſe whileſt the heart is whole and ſound, it miniſtreth and conueigheth life, ſpirits and ſtrength to the exteriour members, whereby they are inabled to incounter the diſeaſe, and in the end to expell it and get victorie; but if it hauehave once ſeazed vponupon the heart, and taken thorough poſſeſſion of it, there is no hope of any recouerie; ſo whileſt our ſpirituall diſeaſes of ſinne enter no further then the imaginations, thoughts, words or outward actions, our hearts continuing ſound in their integritie & vprightnes, there is aſſured hope, that they miniſtring continually ſpirituall life, and ſtrength, to all the reſt of the regenerate parts, they will in time expell the corrupt humours of ſinne, and obtaine a full conqueſt ouer theſe ſpirituall diſeaſes; but if ſinne hauehave taken poſſeſſion of the heart, ſo that hauing committed it, we like, and louelove, and highly value it in our affections, then remaineth no hope of recouering ſpirituall health, or of eſcaping death and vtter deſtruction, vnleſſe the Lord cure vsus by miracle, and taking away the corrupted heart out of our bodies, doe giuegive vntounto vsus new hearts which are ſound and vpright. It is the top of our perfection, and the fartheſt progreſſe which we can make in Chriſtianitie, when we cleaue vntounto the Lord with all our hearts, louing him intirely, and our neighbour for his ſake, and when being inflamed with the fire of this holy louelove, we labour to performe all good duties vntounto them both, and take our chiefe delight in this performance; and ſo contrariwiſe it is one of the deepeſt degrees of ſin, when we ſet our hearts vponupon it, and louelove it as our deareſt darling, and not only willingly tranſgreſſe Gods commandements, but alſo delight in our tranſgreſſion. The firſt is an euident ſigne of the childe of God, though hee hauehave neuer ſo many infirmities and imperfections; the latter an apparent token of the childe of the diuell, though hee be graced with neuer ſo good a nature, neuer ſo many counterfeit morall vertues, neuer ſo glorious a ſhew of honeſtie and ciuilitie. It is common to thoſe that are regenerate to ſlippe into the puddle of ſinne; but being defiled, they are neuer at reſt till they be waſhed and cleanſed from their pollution with the blood of Chriſt, applied vntounto them by a true and renued faith; but it is proper to the vnregenerate, after they are fallen into this filthie ſinck to wallow in it, and to take their chiefe delight in their pollution. It is incident to the faithfull to bee lead Rom. 7. 24.captiue of ſinne, howbeit being in captiuitie they are neuer quiet till they come out of this thraldome, and obtaine deſired libertie; but it is peculiar to the wicked being made ſlaues to louelove their bondage, and being impriſoned as Satans vaſſals, to delight in their priſon, and to be in louelove with their greues, ſetters and chaines of ſinne, wherewith they are held in his captiuitie. The godly may do the euil they would not, and neglect the good which they would do; neuertheleſſe, they take no pleaſure in their tranſgreſſions, but they are delighted in the law of God, in the inner man, and it is as ſweete vntounto them, as the honie or hony combe; but to commit wickednes with the full ſwinge and conſent of will, to loath vertue, and to be in louelove with vice, to offend God, and to be well pleaſed when he is offended, is the diuels badge, whereby his ſeruants are knowne and diſtinguiſhed from the ſeruants of God.
Laſtly, we here obſerue, that the Lord condemneth it as a great ſin in the Rulers of Iſrael, to take bribes and rewards, in that not only thereby themſelues were corrupted, but alſo the whole ſtate of gouernment diſioynted, and diſordered; becauſe their bribing peruerted iuſtice, and brought in impunitie, and together with it, all manner of ſin and wickedneſſe. But of this ſinne my purpoſe is to ſpeake more largely elſewhere, and therefore I will heere paſſe it ouer.