An Exposition of Hosea 4-7, Biblical commentary 2 · Chapter 6 · Verse 1
VERSE, I.
Come, and let us return unto the LORD, for He hath torn, and He wil heal us; He hath ſmitten, and He wil bind us up.
IN this Chapter we have theſe things conſiderable. Firſt,Parrs of the Chap. The work of Iſraels true repentance, from the firſt verſe to the third verſe. Secondly, A ſad complaint of the overly repentance of many in Iſrael, in the fourth verſe. Then here is a further upbrading of Iſrael for their unkind dealing with God. The firſt part ſets out Gods peoples reſolution to return to Him who had ſm…tten them, their confidence in His mercy, and their bleſſing themſelves in their happy condition now they were returned to him. To come to the firſt verſe.
Come, and let us return &c.
Theſe words are an excitation of the mind (not the body) to return to God; as alſo they ſhew the mighty ſpirit which came upon this people at this time, what a turn there was in them, as if they had ſaid, Well, our Princes have deceived us, and our Prophets have deluded us and led us aſide, we have been falſe in our worſhip, wrong in our practiſes, for which God hath been diſpleaſed with us; but now, Come, and let us return, we are reſolved to fall down and humble our ſelves, He hath ſmitten us, and he will bind us up. The Seventy Tranſlators and alſo Hierom take theſe words from Chyrurgions which uſe to put deep and long tents into great ſores,Septuag. Hierom. foreign. But the common Septuag. ſaith, not this word but foreign, the former is in Hierom. ſimile. who intends not to skin, but throughly to heal it, by eating out the corrupt fleſh and filthy matter: ſo that theſe words note Iſraels dangerous diſeaſe, and their great corruptions, and that in their afflictious; but God would not let them die of this diſeaſe, or periſh under his hand in the curing, but he would heal them and that throughly. A woman whoſe breaſts are ſore muſt be throughly tented before it be healed, and ſhe bids the Chyrurgion cure her well and thoroughly though it be long and painful: So ſaith God, this people are very ſorely wounded, but I will take them in hand and heale them, but their cure will be very long and teadious, ſore and painful. Now ſaith this people, ſeeing it is thus, Come, let us return, it matters not though our healing coſt us dear and it be painful, it is enough that God will heal us; Let our diſeaſe be never ſo grievous, Come and let us return. A man that hath a mortal wound about him, what pain will not he be willing to endure in healing ſo he may be ſure of cure? This people conceived themſelves ſo wounded that if God had not taken them to cure they muſt have periſhed, but in that God had undertaken the cure, they were confident they ſhould be healed.
When Gods time of mercy is come to a people He puts a mighty Obſ. 1 ſpirit upon them to ſeek to Him. Gods time was come for Iſraels deliverance, & now God put an active ſtiring ſpirit into them, therefore they ſay, Come, let us return; before their ſpirits were dull and lumpiſh like unto men in a Lethurgie, but now they have a ſpirit quickened for God, like unto thoſe in Iſa. 2.3. And many people ſhall ſay, Come, and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, to the houſe of the God of Jacob. The like propheſie we have Iſa. 60.1. and 44.3.5. they ſhall come off very willingly & cheerfully and ſubſcribe themſelves by the name of Jacob: ſimile.As a Ship which is filled with a full & ſtrong wind in the ſails goes againſt all oppoſitions of wind and ſtormes: there is ſuch a ſpirit put into them, as the Apoſtle prayes to be in the Coloſſians, chap. 4. ver. 12. that ye may ſtand perfect and compleat in all the will of God? Now is reformation like to go on to ſome purpoſe.Fall of Antich. At the time of Antichriſts deſtruction God hath promiſed to put ſuch a ſpirit into the hearts of the people that all his tyranny ſhall not be able to ſtand before them: God will blow upon the ſpirits of men, and they ſhall be very powerful.
Now conſidering Gods power, let not us deſpair, concerning the great Works adoing in our times. Uſe. Let men be never ſo baſe and perfideous, yet when Gods time is come He will ſpeak the word for deliverance: What a miſerable ſottiſh condition was the world in a little before Luthers time? But when he came, what a ſpirit was raiſed in the people? And what a ſpirit hath there been raiſed amongſt us and that on a ſudden? To conſider what bondages we were in, and greater like to fall into, and that we were not made for ſlavery, to be ſlaves and vaſſals ſubjected to the wills of ſome Twenty or Thirty men: And what a ſpirit did God raiſe in our brethren of Scotland, when he was about to do them good and to break the neck of the yoke of their tyranny? Oh then what a curſed thing is it for any to quench, keep under, or reſiſt ſuch a ſpirit as this when it ariſes in people?
A joynt turning to God is very honorable to God. Come and let Obſ. 2 us return. It is much honor to God when but one ſoul is turned to him, but when many are converted there is much glory, a multitude of praiſes then are offered up to God; a… in Revel. 5.11. And the number of them which ſtood about the throne was ten thouſand times ten thouſand, and thouſands of thouſands. And ſo Revel. 19 6. The multitudes of voices ſaying, The Lord God reigneth; Allelujah to the higheſt.
Obſ. 3 Times of mercy are joyning times. Oh 'tis very ſad when men will go every one their own way; but when men joyn together in an unanimous way, ſaying, Come and let us ſet about the Lords work with one ſhoulder, every one encouraging each other, then there is hope the times of mercy are nigh that people:Uſe a ſad preſage to But this is our miſery, the diviſions and the rendings that are amongſt us, being di…-joynted each from other, Oh the wantones of mens ſpirits now among us! for which God is much diſpleaſed, and certainly is one great ſtop in the way of mercy, that notwithſtanding God hath us in the fire and threatens even our conſuming, yet that we ſhould not joyn and unite together.
Obſ. 4 True penitent hearts ſeek to get others to joyn with them. Oh how glad are they to ſee any comming on to ſeek the Lord with them, and how careful are they to give encouragement example, they perſwade them with al gentleneſs, ſaying, Come, let us go up to the houſe of the Lord, we have found the Lord very gracious to us, Oh come, he is good ſtill, yea and good to you, if you wil come into him: if the husband have found God good to him, he will perſwade the wife, the child the ſervant to come to Chriſt. Thus much of their reſolution to return: the reaſon follows; For he hath ſmitten us, and he will heal us.
Hence obſerve:
Obſ. 1 That in times of the greateſt ſufferings a true penitent heart retains good thoughts of God. God hath torn, wounded, and ſmitten us, what then? run away from God? think hardly of him? No, think well of him and bleſs his Name, even when you God in former times have practiſed, Nehemiah, Ezra, Ezra. 9. Neh. 9. Dan. 9 Pſal, 44.and Daniel, in all their miſeries how careful were they to acquit and cleer God to be juſt in all that was come upon them? yea the Church in the time of her deſertion retains Chriſt as a King and calls him ſo, ſo that they have as high eſteems of God now in their low condition as in their proſperous eſtate; and as they dare not entertain hard conceipts of God, ſo neither of his Cauſe, nor his People, they are not ſorry that they have been ſo far engaged for them. Many people are like bad ſervants,ſimile Uſe of reproof. who while they have every thing fitting that becomes them, can give their maſters family a good report, but let them be croſt of their minds and go away in a diſcontent, Oh how vily do they ſpeak of it; and as ſturdy beggers, while they find releef and ſuccor, they can give good words, and they are their maſters and beſt friends, but let them be ſent away empty, and then what name is bad enough for them? ſo when things goes well with the cauſe of God and his people they will be on Gods ſide: Oh take heed of being ſorry that ever you were engaged ſo far as you are, or thinking to draw back, that it had been better you had not been ſo forward as you have been, this is a baſe and vile ſpirit, ſee but how low the Church was in affliction, and yet with what a gallant ſpirit ſhe carried it out, Pſal. 44.12, 13.15, and 17. verſes, in theſe times how is this text fulfilled in the 15. verſe, how do they complain that men do blaſpheam, deride, and ſcorn them, and in the 17. verſe, All this is come upon us, What then? Is not God good, and his Cauſe good that we maintain? No, God forbid ſuch a thought ſhould enter into us: Although all this evil be come upon us, yet have we not dealt falſly with thee in thy Covenant: Oh let us lay up this truth, and it would be a mighty comfort and ſtay to us in theſe times, and it would be a very good riſe to prayer; for mark in the 23. verſe, Awake, why ſleepeſt thou? Oh Lord, ariſe and help us: Thoſe can pray to purpoſe who in the ſoreſt afflictions can manifeſt the moſt fear of God, and exerciſe the moſt love towards God and his waies notwithſtanding.
Obſ. 2 A repenting heart is not a diſcouraged heart. It is ſuch a heart as ſinks not down in diſcouragements, ſaying (as ſome do) we are a loſt people, and undone, there is no hope, we had been better never to have ventured ſo far as we have, but give over what we have done; it dares not draw concluſions from what hath been, to what is, and what will be, this is too much preſumption for any man; David in the Cave can truſt in God, and hide himſelf under Gods wing, Pſal. 57.1. So long as there is a God in Heaven this ſoul will expect help from him, a true penitent will expect mercy notwithſtanding Gods ſeverity and juſtice; the ſeverity of juſtice in God cannot keep him from waiting for, and expecting of what God hath promiſed; if the ſoul can but get over this difficulty, the deep gulf of Gods juſtice, it will eaſily get over all other dreadfulneſs of mens diſpleaſure: a repenting heart is a purged heart and therefore not a diſcouraged but a ſupported heart, thoſe which are unclean, of foul and filthy ſpirits are alwaies jealous of God and his dealings towards them: Oh let it appear that we are not of diſcouraged and ſinking ſpirits by the cleanneſs of our lives and the purity of our converſations: carnal hearts are not diſcouraged when they have carnal helps to underprop them, and ſhall we be afraid of any difficulty, who have God for our help? Remarkable is that place,The Philiſtines motive to courage in the battel. 1 Sam. 4.9. concerning the ſpeech which was made to the Philiſtims upon the coming of the Ark into the camp of Iſrael, what a fear were they put into? yet how do they encourage themſelves? Let us fight valiently for our wives and children and eſtates, that we and our little ones be not ſlaves to the Hebrews. So ſay I, let us be couragious in theſe times and fight for our Liberties, Laws, and Religion: Did we but ſpend that ſtrength in returning unto God which we do in diſcouragements, Oh how ſoon would help come for us were we but thus reſolved! Now though we muſt not be diſcouraged, when helps and means fail, but yet humbled we muſt be for our ſins which cauſe theſe breaches, ſee how the Prophet Habackuk mannages this diſpoſition, c. 3. v. 16, 17. we ſhould improve our humiliation as they did, Judges, 20. who though in a good cauſe,Judg. 20. a cauſe which God approved of yet loſt fourty thouſand men at two battels in the proſecution of it; what do they now? leave it off, and run away? No, but put on courage and reſolution, faſted and prayed, and humbled themſelves before the God of their fathers, and then they proſpered. Oh let us be humbled that we may not be diſcouraged.
And as we muſt not be diſcouraged, ſo muſt we not falſly encourage our ſelves; as they ſaid, The bricks are fallen down, but we can build with hewen ſtone: ſo ſay not, this Army is loſt, but we can raiſe another quickly. Let us only encourage our ſelves in the Lord our God, let us take heed of the goodneſs of our cauſe thereby too much to reſt upon it, 1 Sam. 4.3. the people ſaid, Let us fetch home the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, that when it cometh, it may ſave us: they thought the bare having of that among them, would deliver them. Know that it is not the goodneſs of our cauſe that can bear us up, and carry us through difficulties, if we do not turn to the Lord.
Now that your ſpirits may not ſink under theſe troubles,Motives to courag let me give you a few props to lean upon.
If we have been faithful in our work, we may have this teſtimony, that what i… our place to do as creatures, is performed by us, Gods part is only remaining to be done; and know, though there were much weakneſſes in our performances, yet we have to deal with a God who loves ſincerity in infirmities.
If we ſuffer, God ſuffers more, this ſhould mightily encourage us in ſufferings when God is contented to be our partner.
Know, that God ſees further than we, and knows what is beſt for us, when the wars firſt began we promiſed our ſelves a preſent end of them, and we thought it would be beſt; but God ſaw it was not, had we had peace at the firſt we ſhould not have known what to have done with it, it would even have undone us by that time.
Conſider, things are no more difficult now than they were at the firſt unto God; God knows as well how to deliver in the greateſt ſtraits as if there were none at all.
God uſually works by contrary means, bringing light out of darkneſs; ſaving Iſrael in the red Sea when in the greateſt danger of drowning.
Know, that God will be ſeen in the Mount; God hath his time, his ſet time to appear for his people, and before that time come, he will not ſhew himſelf; the ſoul is very prone in miſery, to run into a double extream, either of preſump…ion, or diſpairing by unbeleef; preſumption, that puts the evil day far off, and unbeleef, that puts the good day far off: therefore take heed of both theſe.
Object. But could we have the encouragement of this people, could we ſay that we have returned it were ſomething?
Anſw. Now for this, know, that if the conſideration of Gods healing mercy is more prevailing with us to turn than any miſery whatſoever, if we are willing and deſirous to turn, the other may be made good, that God is willing to heal and bind us up; Can we but make out the firſt part, of our turning, I dare affirm the ſecond, of Gods healing; though perhaps it may be very painful, the Lord hath put a deep tent into us to eat out our putrified fleſh, therefore we ought more earneſtly to deſire a through and ſound healing, than an eaſy and ſudden cure.
Obſ. 3 When God intends good to a people, he gives them an intimation of his love to them. How did this people know that God would heal them and that He would bind them up? Thus they argued it out, from Gods goodneſs, from his Name, and from his Covenant; Oh would God but put into our thoughts to conſider the mercy of God to us in the Covenant.
Queſt. But I fear this would be preſumption in me (may ſome ſay.)
Anſw. I anſwer, No, if thy beleeving and reſting upon the promiſe, ſanctifies the heart and not make it ſecure, if thy laying hold upon the promiſe doth more break the heart, and make it humble and ſubmiſſive, it is a right ſupporting the heart upon the promiſe and not preſumption.
Oſ. The apprehenſion of what mercy is to come, will readily cauſe the heart to turn to him. Many ſay God will not be gracious, mercy is paſt, there is no hope, therefore we will give over waiting. No, but we will ſeek him ſtill, and wait longer for mercy to come.
Laſtly, This people being turned to God, do not make the hopes of Obſ. 5 their healing a fruit of their returning, but a fruit of Gods mercy. Many poor ſouls think that they muſt not beleeve till they are ſo far humbled, and ſo much broken: This is an errour; we ſhould exerciſe our faith more upon Gods healing, than our returning, and this will cauſe us to be humbled:Works & Faith. humiliation will ſoon follow after this. Good works are a good nurſe to faith, but if we make works the mother of faith that faith is not right, it's a baſtard faith.