An Exposition of Hosea 4-7, Biblical commentary 2 · Chapter 6 · Verse 8 – Verse 10
VER. 8.
Gilead is a City of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood.
VVEE reade in Numb. 32.1. of the Land of Gilead which was on the other ſide of the river, which Reuben and the falſe Tribe of Manaſſah poſſeſſed, in it were divers Cities of refuge, which were the Cities of the Levites, and one of them the moſt famous which had the name of the whol Country, was Gilead: which thing is uſually among us at this day, that whol Countries receive their names from ſome eminent place in that Country, as Northampton, Northamptonſhire, Leiceſter, Leiceſterſhire: in this Citie of Gilead the Prieſts were, and ſhould have been holier than the reſt, but it was polluted, and from thence the reſt of the places of the Kingdom.
The word tranſlated [They have wrought] is drawn from a word that ſignifies, they have wrought iniquity, that is, vain things. And is polluted with blood, or ſupplanted with blood, or overturned with blood;foreign Agere cum energia & effectu, Pagn. the Levites which had their abode there have undone the City, how many Cities, are ſupplanted and overturned by the Prieſts which live in them, by their cruelties, and by their diſtinctions and ſubtil pretences for ſin and wickedneſs? they have ſupplanted theſe Cities of refuge: theſe Cities of refuge were for thoſe which had ſhed blood at unawars, they flying to them were ſecure:foreign Vanitas. but theſe Cities were ſupplanted, and polluted; now this was done theſe four waies.
1: By taking thoſe in which were wilful murderers,foreign Supplantata, Hier. when as the City was for the ſhelter of thoſe which had kild any by accident; now theſe men they would judg wilful murder to be but manſlaughter (as we call it) and I wiſh our Kingdom be not deeply guilty of this ſin,Engliſh guilty of blood, by calling murder manſlaughter. even by this diſtinction as it is uſed, when men in their paſſions ſhall make nothing to kill a man, and this ſhall be accounted for manſlaughter; certainly God will never account it ſo, but even willful murder.
2. By refuſing to take in thoſe, which of right they ſhould, except they had good ſtore of mony to give them, when ſome that were poor came to be let in, they would refuſe them and put them by, and by that means they were often taken by the purſuer of blood: for theſe prieſts were to judg of it.
3. By caſting thoſe out which were in, and could not be gainful to them, and many times they did deliver thoſe out to the avenger of blood, when they ſhould have protected them.
4. By their cruelty to thoſe that would not joyn with them in their falſe worſhip; perhaps they might ſome of them be men of tender conſciences and could not joyn with them in their ſuperſtitious worſhip? now theſe Prieſts perhaps would make complaints of them to the Magiſtrate, that they were troubleſom perſons and bred diviſions, and by this means they got them out of the Cities of refuge. And hath not this been our caſe of late? thus they ſupplanted theſe Cities of refuge. The Notes of Obſervation are,
Obſ. 1 That through mans wickedneſs the beſt Ordinances of God for the good of his people are corruted and abuſed. Theſe Cities of refuge were for ſpecial uſe, Ordinances of God ſet apart for the ſaving of blood, and they made it a means and inſtrument for the ſheding of blood. The Sacrament is an Ordinance ſet apart by God, for union and communion; and what doth more ſeparate from this, than the abuſe of this Ordinance? mens coming unprepared ſeparates tender conſciences from joyning with them: ſo likewiſe in Civil Ordinances for mens outward good, how have they been perverted? where have they tyrannized more, and uſed more cruelty and injuſtice than in thoſe Courts of Juſtice, where Juſtice ſhould have been done? and ſuch as ſhould have ſeen equity performed, were the greateſt inſtruments of oppreſſion and miſchief.
Obſ. 2 We muſt not alwaies judg of places as heretofore they have been. Gilead was a City famous for Gods worſhip, yet now how defiled with blood. So in Rome, how famous was it for the worſhip of God? yet now it is become the very filth of abomination.
Obſ. 3 Places ſet apart for Gods worſhip, and Religion, if they are corrupted, they are the worſt of all others. Gilead a City of refuge, yet where was there ever ſuch a defiled and corrupted place as it was?Univerſities. ſo in our Univerſities, and Colledges, what ſuperſtitions, and vanities did abound among them? even like Augeus Stable, a place of filthineſs, and vileneſs, and this is no new thing,Greg. Naz. for Gr…gory Nazenzine reports of Athens, that it was the plagueſt place in the world for ſuperſtition, and he acknowledgeth it a great mercy that God did preſerve him and Bazil from thoſe infections.
Obſ. 4 To be a worker of iniquity is a moſt abominable thing. Gilead is a Citie of them that work iniquity, Gods people ſometimes be overtaken by ſin, but they are never workers of iniquity, for the Scripture tells us, that he which works iniquity is of the Devil.
Obſ. 5 That of all wicked men, Clergie men (if wicked) are the worſt. No men can work out or bring to paſs their own ends ſo as they can, the Prieſts were in Gilead, and they were the men, which wrought the miſchief: and hath not our times ſealed to this truth? Who have been ſo vile and wicked as our corrupted Clergy? but how hath God broken the plots, and croſſed the deſigns of theſe vermine?
The cunning plots of the wicked Clergie over-whelm whol Cities Obſ. 6 and Countries: Theſe were they which over-turned this City of Gilead: And thus would they have done to us, had not God in his infinit wiſdom and mercy prevented their helliſh plots.
Falſe worſhip and tyranny are joyned together: Where ever you Obſ. 7 ſee tyranny, there conclude is falſe worſhip; therefore we had need to pray hard for the Ordinances in their purity, that we may not have falſe religion, and ſo have tyranny uſhered in. Luther tels us, that the Devil is is a lyar, and a murderer, ſo that where there is a lye in Gods religion there is murdering.
There are none ſo cruel to the lives of men as wicked Clergie; ſo Obſ. 8 they may have their wils and luſts ſatisfied, though it coſt the blood of thouſands of ſouls they care not.
That of all cruelties, cruelty in the Clergie is the worſt; for it is Obſ. 9 required of them to be men of peace: But who are the great Incendiaries of our times, and Fomenters of theſe wars, but the vile, wicked Clergie? And thus much for the 8. verſe.
VER. 9.
And as troups of robbers wait for a man, ſo the company of Prieſts murder in the way, by conſent; for they commit lewdneſs.
THis Verſe hath much of the former in it. [Troups of robbers] The Kingdom of Iſrael had their troupers robbing and ſpoiling up and down; and who were theſe robbers, but their Prieſts? their Prieſts were turned robbing Troupers? And have not we this Text litterally fulfilled at this day, in our Kingdom? The Gown is caſt off, and the Armor is put on, and now they are turned Troupers. They were before murderers of ſouls, and now they are turned murderers of page missing Think of this all you that do plot, and think of your ſins before you do commit them, in thoſe ſins there is lewdneſs.
Luther faciunt quiquid cogitant. Tam diſparate malitiae ut nihil cogitent quod non idem patrarè auſuit.Luther turns the word lewdneſs a little from the Original, which may be the meaning alſo of the word lewdneſs, they do whatſoever they think, he ſaith that they had a proverb in Germany, that the Monks were ſo wicked, that there was nothing ſo bad which they could think of, but they would dare to do it. None ſo bold in ſin, and dare to venture themſelves in it, as wicked Clergy men, many men are vile and wicked enough, but they want capacity and audacity to vend and utter it, but theſe wicked Prieſts could do it, calumniate and reproach without fear, theſe have impudent bold faces, and concerning ſuch, I ſay no more but this: The Lord rebuke them.
VER. 10.
I habe ſeen an horrible thing in the houſe of Iſrael; there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Iſrael is defiled.
THE Lord proceeds futher in His complaint againſt Iſrael.
foreign of foreign Pilus. foreign. 70.I have ſeen an horrible thing] The word ſignifies a thing that may make the hairs of our head to ſtand an end, the Seventy turn it ſomething to the ſame purpoſe, by a word which ſignifies a ſtorm in the Sea, this word ſometimes ſignifies the Devil, Levit. 17.7. They ſhall no more offer their ſacrifices unto Devils after whom they have gone a whoring.
Tr…melius in his coment obſerves that the letters are more than ordinary in this word here, to encreaſe its ſignification: as if he had ſaid, 'tis a horrible thing, a very horrible thing: what is this horrible thing? it was this, Ephraim had defiled himſelf.
Obſer.From whence note, That Idolatry is a very horrible thing; to worſhip a falſe God, and that for politick ends, as they did here, is a moſt horrible thing, they to preſerve their eſtates and their liberties, fell from the true worſhip of God, to worſhip at Dan and Bethel, Jer. 2.11, 12. and Jer. 18. Will a nation change their gods, for thoſe which are no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be ye aſtoniſhed oh ye Heavens at this, and be ye horribly afraid, be ye very deſolate ſaith the Lord. Jer. 18.13. The Virgin of Iſrael hath done a very horrible thing. Jer. 44.4. Do not that abominable thing which I hate. God doth not put an aggravation upon this ſin, beyond what is in it; as it is uſual with men, they, if any thing be done againſt them, make it very horrible with circumſtances and aggravations, but God never doth ſo: a notable example we have of mans aggravating an offence. Dan. 3.14.foreign Nunquid deſolatio, Mont. of foreign in Niphal Deſolari. Nebuchadnezzer ſpake and ſaid unto them, O Shedrack, Meſhach and Abednego, do not ye ſerve my gods, the golden Image which I have ſet up? Is it true, the words in the Original are, what deſolations have theſe made, not to obey me; this is the manner of proud hearts, but this is not Gods way and manner, he never ſpeaks more againſt a ſin, or puniſheth men for ſin, than it deſerves, we can look upon Gods judgments as horrible, but where is the man that looks upon ſin as horrible?falſe worſhip to be trembled at. it may be you tremble at groſs ſins, but where is the man that trembles at falſe worſhip? the apparitions of the Devil are very horrible to us; and ſin is here ſet out by the ſame words that the Devil is.
I have ſeen a horrible thing in the houſe of Judah.
Though we may ſeem to color it over, yet God he ſees it.Obſer.
I have ſeen a horrible thing in the houſe of Iſſrael.
Idolatry is a provoking ſin,Obſ. but eſpecially in the houſe of Iſrael.
There is the whoredom of Ephraim. Court Idolatry moſt dangerous.Ephraim was the Tribe of Jeroboam, and by Ephraim is to be underſtood, the Court, and the Nobles, there (ſaith God) did I ſee this abominable thing, that Nation where the common people are wicked for the generality, it is a ſign of much evil, but if the Gentry are prophane, it is much worſe, but if the Nobility and thoſe at the Court are Idolaters it is night indeed, if Ephraim be vile it is no mervail if Iſrael be ſo alſo. It follows.