An Exposition of Hosea 4-7, Biblical commentary 1 · Chapter 4 · Verse 7
Verſe 7.
As they were encreaſed, ſo they ſinned againſt me; therefore will I change their glory into ſhame.
THe Lord is here further charging theſe ten Tribes, but eſpecially their Prieſts, he aimeth at them moſt in this his Charge. They had before rejected the knowledg of the Lord, and the Lord threatned rejection of them. The knowledge foreign that knowledge, Scientiam illam, that knowledge of God in the way of his worſhip, that he was to be worſhiped at Jeruſalem alone, that truth was a ſuffering truth, therefor… that truth they did reject, they rejected others but eſpecially that; And in this ſeventh verſe here is ſome ground of their rejection of the knowledg of God, As they were encreaſed, ſo they ſinned againſt me. God had encreaſed them, they were grown firſt into a great multitude, and as their number encreaſ'd ſo their ſins encreaſ'd. But eſpecially that which I take to be the meaning of the holy Ghoſt here is, As their proſperous condition encreaſ'd; they were grown up to an height of proſperity, and that was the thing made them ſin againſt God and reject the knowledg of God.
The firſt is not to be rejected viz. As they encreaſed in multitude: foreign: ſo the Seventy turn it, according to their fulneſs. And it may be turned both waies, fulneſs of number, or fulneſs of their proſperous eſtate.Obſer. It is a uſual thing where there is encreaſe in number to be encreaſe in ſin. The more meat there is in the pot the more ſcum ariſeth.ſimile So in great Cities what a great deal of filth is there, filth of ſin, moral filth: Where there is any confluence of people at Fares and Merkets in the Country, or in any Corporation, what abundance of filth is there continually? As there is any encreaſe in number uſually there is encreaſe in ſin. In Churches, though when they are but ſmall, at their firſt beginning, a few called Saints, they can agree wel together, and go on ſweetly in their way, but ordinarily as they increaſe in number, when Churches grow to any number, they begin to corrupt and increaſe in ſin. They ſhould encreaſe ſo much the more in godlineſs, but this is the corruption of mans heart, every one bringing in ſome corruption, Therefore as there is an increaſe in number, ſo in ſin.
But becauſe that is not the ſcope, but the ſecond, to ſpeak to that a little; As they encreaſed in their proſperous eſtate. For we are to know that at this time the ten Tribes were in a very proſperous condition; they were grown rich and great and ſo they were increaſt, and eſpecially the Prieſts for they had the favour of Jeroboam and of the Princes; For their main deſign was to uphold their falſe worſhip, and the Prieſts ſerved for their turns moſt, therefore they countenanced thoſe Prieſts of Dan and Bethel, the Prieſts of the Calves, and they flouriſhed at this time in the Court and in the Countrey, and were much increaſt in their proſperous eſtate; And as they increaſt ſo they finned. This is mans vile diſpoſition,Obſer. that encreaſe of mercies ſhould be the encreaſe of their ſin, Thus was it with the Church, when the Church was in a lower condition, then there was more holineſs and more ſincere love to the truth, when it began to flouriſh in outward proſperity it began to decay in true Piety. And therefore Eccleſiaſtical hiſtories tells us, that when the Church received their donations from Conſtantine of great preferments, then there was heard a voyce in the air: Hodie venenum infunditur &c. To day poyſon is powred forth into the Church; when great livings and great eſtates were given to the Miniſters of the Church, then poiſon was powred forth into the Church. It was a good ſpeech of Boniface the Martyr,Boniface. when one asked him whether it were lawful to receive the Communion in woodden Chalices, his Anſwer was, Time was when in the Church there were woodden Challices and golden Prieſts, but now there are golden Challices, but woodden Prieſts. And the anſwer of Aquinas Aquinaswas fit for this to Innocent the third, when he ſhewed him a table of gold and ſilver ſaying, we have no need to ſay as Peter once did, Silver and gold have we none; Aquinas anſwered preſently, neither can ye ſay, Ariſe and walk, as you have more money than they had, ſo you have leſs gifts than they had, you have not ſo much of the Spirit of God as they had. It was ſo in the encreaſe of the proſperity of the Church; And uſually it is ſo in the encreaſe of their proſperity.ſimile ſpleen. As it is with the ſpleen the greater it grows the leſs the body is, ſo the more proſperity the leaner and lanker are the ſpirits of men. Deut. 32.15. Thou art waxed fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatneſs, then he forſook God which made him and lightly eſteemed the God of his ſalvation. How many when they were low and poor in their eſtates were more holy and gracious and more ſpiritual than now they are? It is true in particular perſons, in Churches and Countries, but moſt true in Miniſters. It was once a complaint that was made to a Prelate here, that he had a kinſman that was a very zealous preacher in the Countrey, well ſaies he, I'le ſilence him, and his ſilencing was this, he gave him two livings and that ſtopped his mouth;Jerome. Quando Eccleſia ad Principes chriſtianos venit, factam fuiſſe opibut pleniorem, ſed virtutib. minorem ait. when he came once to have fatted livings then his zeal quickly abated. And Hierome in the life of Malachus hath this expreſſion, when the Church ſaith he came to Chriſtian Princes, and there had countenance, we may well ſay of it that indeed it was fatted with riches but it was leſs a great deal in vertue and godlineſs.
God threatneth here that ſeing they did abuſe their proſperity, as they did encreaſe they ſinned more, that therefore he would turn their glory into ſhame, he would caſt dirt into their faces. God doth love to ſtain the pride, the haughtineſs of men. He would turn the glory of the people and the glory of the Prieſts, but eſpecially the glory of the Prieſts (for ſo it is meant, but we muſt take in all) into ſhame; Either firſt he would in ſtead of glory bring ſhame, or ſecondly he would make that wherein they did moſt glory to be their ſhame.
Firſt, That he would bring ſhame in ſtead of glory. So God uſeth to do. If any one glory in beauty, God brings that which makes them contemptible many times in ſtead of that beauty. That is a notable text for women that glory in their beauty and in their bravery, Iſa. 3.16.24. Becauſe the daughters of Zion are hauty &c. therefore there ſhall be deſtruction upon them; and ver. 24. There ſhall be burning in ſtead of beauty, and inſtead of well-ſet hair, baldneſs, and in ſtead of their brave dreſſing, ſackcloth. If any will glory in parts, the Lord juſtly brings ſhame upon them, blaſting of their parts,Albertus magnus nec literas ſciret, ita ignoramus fuit. as it is ſaid of Albertus Magnus that great Scholer, that for five yeers before his death he did dote and was ſo ignorant that he did not know letters, he could not reade. God can ſoon blaſt the parts of men that glory in them and turn that to ſhame. If any glory in riches, God can ſoon turn that into ſhame too, As hiſtories tells us of an Earl of Exceter Earl of Exceterthat married the ſiſter of King Edward the Fourth, and yet Philip de Commines reports of him, that he was ſeen begging of his bread in the Low Countries barefoot. God can ſoon take away the riches of men and turn that their glory into their ſhame. And then if any boaſt in honor, glory in that, God can ſoon turn that into ſhame, as in that example of Herod that gloried in the applauſe of the people when they cried out the voice of God and not of man, and preſently he was conſumed by worms.
And much ſhame comes unto men that glory in theſe things, Mark it, according to the glory of men in external things ſo is their ſhame when God takes them away. Here is the difference between the Saints loſing theſe outward things and wicked men. When the Saints loſe theſe outward things there is not much ſhame comes to them, becauſe they did not much glory in them when they had them; but carnal hearts becauſe they know no higher things than theſe things are therefore when they are taken from them there is much ſhame comes upon them, for their glory was in them when they had them.
Secondly, God makes the very things they glory in to turn to their ſhame. He doth not only take away their parts and bring ignorance and dotage inſtead of their parts, but he makes their parts to be their undoing, he makes uſe of their parts to bring them to ſhame. He makes their very riches and honors to be their ſhame, and their glorying in their ſucceſs, he makes that thing turn unto their ſhame; As now, when men ſhall glory in this that they had ſuch ſucceſs ſuch a victory upon ſuch and ſuch a time, and upon this they gather an argument, ſurely God is with us and bleſſeth us and owneth us; in this they glory; well, God turns this into their ſhame when he comes to be againſt them, and blaſts them that they ſhall not have ſucceſs, that it ſhall appear unto all that though they have outward means for advantage yet they go by the worſt; now where is the argument of Gods owning their cauſe,ſucceſs where is the argument of glorying with them if that were a good argument that God was with them becauſe of their ſucceſs? Thoſe that ſhall make that the only or principal argument that God is with them, how doth God turn their glory into ſhame when he doth apparantly deny them ſucceſs and that when they have moſt outward advantages for ſucceſs? The Saints ſhame is turned into glory, but the wickeds glory is turned into ſhame. When the Saints ſuffer any ſhame for God, they can glory; the Apoſtles they account it their honor, they rejoyce that they were worthy to ſuffer, that they had the honor to ſuffer diſhonor,foreign ſo the words in the propriety of them ſignifie, they gloried that they bore about them the marks of the Lord Jeſus. Thus what the world accounts their ſhame is their glory,Act. 5.41. and that which the world judgeth to be their glory is their ſhame.
But it is eſpecially meant of the Prieſts, for ſo the Prophet is ſpeaking of them. God will turn their glory into ſhame. The Prieſts though they did reject the knowledg of God and their duty, they never regarded to do that wherein the true glory of their office was; That bleſſed knowledg of God that might have made them glorious indeed, that was deſpiſed by them, and the faithful adminiſtration of their office, that was neglected by them; Yet they would glory for all this, they would bear it out as if they were THE men; why, they were countenanced at Court,Obſ. they had good livings and they could lord it over their brethren; and they gloried in that. It is uſual with wicked Prieſts if they can have but countenance from them that are in publick place, and can have but eſtates and livings, though they be never ſo negligent of their office and never ſo ignorant, yet to glory. How hath it been amongſt us thus of late? How have they carried their heads on high and accounted themſelves the triumphant Church, and all muſt be made to come under them; The land was not able to bear the pride of Prelates and Prelatical men. It is a ſpeech of Cyprian, Ambitio et ſuperbia ſuaviter dormit in ſinu Sacerdotum Cipr. de jejun. &c.Ambition and Pride doth ſweetly ſleep in the boſom of Prieſts; And there are none indeed ſo much puffed up with vain pride as they are, and as ſuch as are moſt ignorant and do neglect that which is the true glory of their office. God threatneth to turn their glory into ſhame, that is, the glory of their Prieſtly office, for that I think eſpecially to be the meaning of the words, to caſt ſhame and contempt upon the Prieſts. And God doth take much delight in this, to caſt ſhame and contempt upon wicked Prieſts and Prophets, therefore in Eſa. 9.15. God ſaith, The Prophet that ſpeaks lyes is the tail, he ſpeaks contemptibly of them; And Malac. 2.9. There fore I will make them (ſpeaking of the Prieſts that had been partial in the Law and had not kept the waies of God) baſe and contemptible before all the people; And Rev. 3.16. I will ſpue them out of my mouth, as loathſom. And Mat. 5.13. When ſalt hath loſt his favour, it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be caſt out and to be troden under foot of men, as a contemptible and vile thing. Thus God caſts ſhame upon wicked Prieſts. So much for that ſeventh verſe. It follows.