An Exposition of Hosea 4-7, Biblical commentary 1 · Chapter 4 · Verse 18
Verſe 18.
Their drink is ſowr: they have committed whoredom continually: her Rulers with ſhame do love, Give ye.
Their drink is ſowre.] I find ſome Interpreters carry this word thus,Expoſit. 1 faedé crapulantur. Luther as if it noted their exceſs in drunkeneſs and luxury, as if they powred down drink till it ſowred in them, and then they vomited it up; So Luther tranſlates the words, they do moſt filthily and vildly gormondize drink, and eat and pamper themſelves. I remember Luther upon the place hath this note, ſaith he, Idolaters they love to pamper the fleſh, they drink even to vomiting again, but for the true worſhiping of God, that ſaith he, is cut more ſhort in theſe outward things, and it is hungry and cold. We find that the falſe prophets were pampered at Jezebels table, when poor Micaiah was fain to be fed with bread and water of affliction. So Luther and divers other Interpreters carry the word. But I think there is more in it.
The word that is here tranſlated drink, it carrieth with it their feſtival meeting, Convivium receſſ…t, that is,foreign their feaſts and their meetings, it is as wine that is ſowr and hath loſt the ſpirit and ſavor of it; For drink they underſtand their drinkings, that is, the comforts that they have in this world, that theſe Idolaters do ſo much ſatisfie themſelves in, as your ſuperſtitious Idolatrous people they alwaies ſeek to pamper their bellies and to be ſure to have outward comforts: Now ſaith he, all this is ſowr. And indeed all the comfort of this world when God is forſaken, it is but as ſowr drink, the ſweetneſs and quickneſs, and life of all is taken away when God and his worſhip is forſaken: So you may take their drink by a Senechdoch, for al the comforts of this world, even al thoſe carnal things they ſeek to ſatisfie their fleſh withal, it is all ſowr, for God is gone when his worſhip is gone. Perhaps if you had had ſuperſtition and Idolatry ſet up amongſt you in England, Applic.you might have had your drink and your wine at your tables more pentifully, but if God and his Worſhip had been gone, all had been ſowr no ſweetneſs in any thing. I appeal to thoſe that have proved Apoſtates though they have apoſtatized to enjoy comforts to the fleſh, how ſowr and unſavory have the comforts of the fleſh been unto them? whereas let a people keep cloſe to God and his worſhip and then their drink if it be but water it will be ſweet unto them; As in Acts 2. the Saints that beleeved they did eat their bread with ſingleneſs of heart and with gladneſs. We were wont to ſay, Brown bread and the Goſpel is good cheer; let us have but bread and water ſo be it we may have the Goſpel and the Ordinances and the Worſhip of God, and it wil be ſweet unto us; but let us have wine and all manner of drink at our tables, if we have not the Ordinances and Worſhip of God, it will be all ſowr to us. The ten Tribes had as good drink as Judah had, yet all the drink of the ten Tribes was ſowr.
Thirdly, Their drink is ſowr.] it notes thus much, Their ſociety is unſavory and ſowr, for ſo their C…vivium their meetings tog…ther for feaſting and drinking noteth many times communion and converſe and familiarity, as the drinkings of people together you know it is a means to keep their converſe and maintain familiarity one with another. So the meaning is, that their converſe one with another when they met together at one anothers tables and were drinking together, what ſavor, what relliſh can any gracious heart take in it? You may obſerve it of all your ſuperſtitious people that have heretofore lived amongſt you, how unſavory have they been in their converſe? Perhaps heretofore they have been forward in the waies of Religion and then converſe with them and there hath been ſome life and quickneſs in them, but when they have yeilded once unto ſuperſtitious vanitie, all their converſe is become unſavory. It would have been ſo with you if theſe times had not come, perhaps you might have met together and have had brave cheer and drinkings of all ſorts and have had many merry meetings, but the truth is all your merry meetings would have been ſowr and ſapleſs, there would have been no ſweetneſs in your converſe, and thoſe of your brethren that had been gone from you into the howling wilderneſs would have found more ſavour in their water there than you could have had in all the drinks you could have deviſed to your ſelves.
Fourthly, Their drink is ſowr] That is, even all their worſhip and their ſacrifices, for ſo their drink is taken by others, for all their drink offerings, they were wont to have feaſts in their ſacrif…ces, ſaith God, all their offerings be ſowr, the ſavour, and ſap, and life of them is taken away. Theſe are the four hints by which we may come to underſtand what the ſcope of the holy Ghoſt is in theſe words, Their drink is ſowr. It follows.
They have committed whoredom continually.
Expoſ. 1 They are unwearied in their wickedneſs, continually they go on in their way of whoredom, of their bodily whoredom but eſpecially of their ſpiritual whoredom, that is, when they are worſhiping of their Idols they are never weary, continually they commit whoredom. Oh what a ſhame it is for thoſe that are godly that they ſhould be weary of the ſervice of God when Idolaters are not weary of the ſervice of their Idols? What rebuke is this to you that if you come to a Sermon you are weary (perhaps ſome of you) if the glaſs be but out a little; but if you were in company in a Tavern to ſit up al night you are not weary at all? They commit whoredom continually, they are at the ſervice of their Idols and ſatisfying of their luſts never weary there, but they are ſoon weary of my ſervice.
But I take it there is ſomewhat further meant,foreign Fornicantur in furnicando, they commit fornication in committing fornication, that is the propriety of the word in the Hebrew, that which they do they do it intenſively, in doing they do it. As the Apoſtle ſaith of Elijahs prayer, Jam. 5. In praying he prayed, that is, he did pray intenſively, he prayed ſtrongly, he praied powerfully with his whol ſtrength put out in prayer; So the words are here, in committing fornication they committed fornication, that is, they give up their ſtrength to their Idols, they are mightily intent upon their Idols. And therefore have nothing to do with them (ſtill the argument goes on) Have nothing to do with them for fear that fearful judgment be upon you before ſpoken of: Have nothing to do with them becauſe their ſociety and converſe is unſavory: Have nothing to do with them becauſe they give up themſelves to their luſts. Uſe How ſhould we give up ourſelves to the ſervice of God, to pray in praying, to hear in hearing &c. ſeeing Idolaters in committing Idolatry do commit Idolatry.
Their Rulers with ſhame do love, Give ye.
The word that is tranſlated Rulers, it is foreign her ſhields, that is, their protectors, ſo the word in the Hebrew ſ…gnifies. And there is a very ſpecial note to be learned from hence, it is this, That Magiſtrates and Rulers they ſhould be the ſhields of the people where they live, for their defence; Obſer.And ſo in Scripture phraſe they are called, Pſalm, 47.9. The Princes of the people are gathered together, the ſhields of the earth belong unto God; That is, the Governors and Rulers of the earth (ſo I find Interpreters carry it) they belong unto God:Pſa. 47.9. Opened they are in Gods ſtead, and they govern in Gods Name. Rulers, Governors are to be the ſhields of the people, for they are to bear off al dangers; Al dangers that may come upon the people they are to be willing to put themſelves forward to bear them off.Applic. The Parliament. Have not our Worthies in Parliament ſhewen themſelves to be ſhields in this thing? Have not they put themſelves next us and our dangers, next us and our harms? And do you not think if the Adverſarie prevail they wil firſt ſwallow up them, I mean thoſe of them that are faithful? Whereas thoſe that were before in Parliament when they looked upon it as an honor to be Parliament men and there was no danger, Oh they were brave Parliament men then, and they made brave ſpeeches, but when they ſaw things come to be hot and that there were darts ſhot againſt the people, and that they muſt be the ſhields to keep off the hurt of thoſe darts from the people, away they go; they love to be brave golden ſhields, enameled ſhields fit for no ſervice, but when it came to ſervice away they go. We are therefore to honor theſe that ſtill ſtay, and though they are not perhaps ſo brave and gilded as thoſe, yet they are proved to be ſhields of good mettal that will not break, but will keep off the darts that are ſhot againſt the people. And indeed Rulers and Governors ſhould be men of good mettal, willing to bear off much hardſhip from the people; And they ſhould not think to be honored only but they ſhould take their honor as a burden alſo. Uſe. We are not therefore to think upon our Rulers as too much honored, Oh conſider of their danger together with their honor. So for the Governors in Armies, it is true they have pay more than others, but if they be faithful they hazard their lives more than others, and they are the ſhields of the people. It is an evil thing when a Common-wealth have none but wicked Magiſtrates, they have then nothing but as if they had ſhields to defend them that are made of rotten wood.
They ſay with ſhame, give ye.
Expoſ. 1 They love this, ſo it is in your books: And I find that it is turned by ſome, they love to bring ſhame, they love not to ſay, bring ye, but they love to b…ing ſhame; foreignand if you ſhould tranſlate it thus it is, the words in the Hebrew only altering the points of them, and ſo they may be read, they love to bring ſhame, that is, they being of vile ſpirits themſelves they do not care what becomes of the people, they care not for putting the people upon any ſhameful waies, what care they ſo they may have their ends, let them periſh as dogs and let them do that which ſhall be a perpetual reproach to them to all poſterity, ſo they may have their luſts ſatisfied.
Secondly, Others tranſlate them thus; with ſhame they call, Expoſ. 2 bring ye, that is, with ſhame they call for pleaſure to the fleſh,Arias Montan. ſo Ari…s Montanus, Let us have our pleaſure, our tables furniſhed, let us have our honors and what care we what becomes of the people, let us have our minds, do you our ſervice what we would have done, and what becomes of them it is no matter. Such kind of Rulers and Governors had the ten Tribes when they were ſuch Idolaters; And it is juſt with God when people forſake the true worſhip of God that he ſhould ſend them ſuch Governors as theſe are.
But I rather take the ſcope of the Spirit of God to be according Expoſ. 3 as we reade them, to rebuke them fo… …heir bribery, They love with ſhame to ſay, Give ye. They will not only take liberty privatly but they are grown ſo impudent that they wil ſel all the good of a Kingdom, the liberty of the Subject all for their own gain. They ſay with ſhame, gi…e ye. It is a great judgment of God upon a people when Magiſtrates and Governors are given to bribery, to regard gift and the encreaſe of their eſtates more than the publick good. Pro. 17.23 A wicked man takes a gift out of the boſom to pervert the waies of judgme…t. It is a ſign of a wicked man to take a gift though it be but ſecretly, out of the boſom, but if he take it openly it is a ſign of more impudence. A wicked man takes a gift out of …he boſom, he is loth to be ſeen at firſt, and he doth it to pervert judgment; theſe men that ſhould be as ſhields to the people, for b…ſe ends they will betray them. What, to ſubject ſuch a glorious thing as Juſtice to baſe end; Juſtice which is the glory of God, the glory of a Kingdom, and the glory of a man, which he ſhould be cloathed with as a robe, as a diadem, to ſubject it to baſe ends, for gain, to ſay, Give ye, this is abominable.Juſtice ſtricken dumb with the apearance of angels. For a Juſtice of peace to be ſtrucken dumb with the appearance of Angels, Oh it is an evil thing: For Juſ…ices to be bound to the peace by a gift in a basket, this is a moſt abominable thing. Exod. 33.8. A gift blindeth the eyes of the wiſe and perverteth the words of the righteous. Though men are of excellent parts, men of underſtanding, that can ſpeak exceeding well, yea though they ſeemd heretofore very honeſt men and juſt in their waies, yet when they come to high places a gift will blind their eyes, or as ſome turn it, pluck out their eyes, irradiate their eyes that they cannot ſee.Gregor. Naz. in diſtichis. Au…o loquente, iners omnis oratio, ſaith an Ancient, Let gold be ſpeaking in the language of gold, and other ſpeeches are to little purpoſe. Therefore Magiſtrates of all men ſhould be without covetouſneſs, fearing the Lord. When God would have Magiſtrates choſe, this is one character of them, That they ſhould be men fearing God, and hating covetouſneſs. In 2 Chron. 19.6, 7. Take heed what you do, for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord; wherefore let the fear of the Lord be upon you, take heed and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord, nor reſpect of perſons, nor taking of gifts. Juſtice muſt run down as a river, it muſt not be pal'd in as a pond for private advantages. Magiſtrates they muſt ſhake their hands from bribery, and deſpiſe the gain of oppreſſors Iſa. 33.15.ſimile As we reade of Paul that when a Viper came upon his hand he ſhook his hand and the Viper fell into the fire: So ſhould Magiſtrates do, when any one brings them gifts to pervert Juſtice, they ſhould look upon it as as a Viper and ſhake their hands of it and let it even fall into the fire, and ſay as Peter to Simon Magus, Thy money periſh with thee: They ſhould look upon ſuch as bring them gifts with indignation, and even ſay, thy money periſh with thee in this wicked enterpriſe.Cecero Epist. ad Quint. frat Even Cicero an Heathen in his Epiſtle to Quintus his Brother, a Magiſtrate in Aſia, he hath this expreſſion, That he ſhould not only ſhew himſelf an enemy unto them that received gifts, but to them that gave them, he ſhould account them his enemies. And Iſa. 5.23. Woe to him that juſtifies the wicked for reward, and takes away the righteouſneſs of the righteous from him. Many righteous men come before you, ſome of you, and their cauſe is true and good, but you will be ſpeaking bitterly againſt them to give content to others from whom you expect a reward. Deut. 27.25. There ſhall be a curſe pronounced againſt ſuch as take gifts, and all the people ſhall ſay Amen. If any Magiſtrate ſ…ould love to take gifts in this kind, the curſe of the people is upon him, and God requires that all the people ſhould ſay Amen. Law of the 12. TablesAnd I have read of the Romans that if it could be proved againſt any Magiſtrate that he had taken bribes, he was to be puniſhed with death, without any deliverance. And Pſalm, 15. in anſwer to that queſtion, Who ſhall dwell with God in his tabernacle? it is ſaid, he that taketh not a reward againſt the innocent. If you would ever dwell with God either here in his Church or in Heaven hereafter, you muſt not take bribes againſt the innocent. I have read of that Saint which you call St. Edmond, in his life, That he was wont to have this ſpeech, There is little difference between theſe two words, to Take, and to Hang, the words are even the ſame in the Latin,Prendere & pendère ſignifying thereby, that thoſe that would take gifts ſhewed what their deſert is. Prov. 15.27. He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own houſe; but he that hateth gifts ſhall live. It is not enough for a Magiſtrate not to take gifts, but he muſt hate gifts, for the other troubleth his own houſe, though perhaps you may think to provide for your houſe by gifts.