An Exposition of Hosea 4-7, Biblical commentary 2 · Chapter 6 · Verse 5
VER. 5.
Therefore have I hewed them by my Prophets: I have ſlain them by the words of my mouth, and thy judgments are as the light, that goeth forth.
THerefore have I hewed them.] We would think there were little dependance upon theſe words,Conexiō. yet there is a very fit one. Therefore, that is, becauſe they are ſo fickle and unconſtant, ſo off and on, therefore have I cauſed my Prophets to deal ſharply with them to cut them to the quick; I would not have dealt thus wth them, but that I have no other way to take with them, ſeeing that they are ſo vain, ſo ſlight in their ſpirits I deal thus with them, that if it were poſſible I might fit them, and they might be brought to ſee what a God it is they have to deal withal. The Apoſtle in Titus, 1.13. is commanded to reprove them ſharply that they might be ſound in the faith; ſharply, that is, cuttingly, rebuke them cuttingly. My Prophets have been as an ax, [in Prophetis] as an ax that cuts hard knotty wood, or as the inſtruments of Carvers in ſtone, which cuts rough things.Seventy foreign. And have ſlain them by the words of my mouth; the ſeventy Tranſlators carry theſe words thus, Have ſlain the Prophets, that is, have hewn the Prophets; and Hierom Hierom.refers it to the time of Elijah, 1 Kings, 18.40. who ſlew ſo many of Baals Prophets, and unto J…hu's time, that ſlue alſo many of Baals Priſts, 2 Kings, 10.25. thus they carry it; and in this you have an objection anſwered that the people might plead thus.
Expoſ. 1 'Tis true we have been led aſide and have not worſhiped God as we ſhould do, but it is our Prieſts and our Prophets which have led us aſide, we did but as we were taught, and if we have been led aſide our Prophets and our Prieſts have done it; Nay ſaith God you cannot plead ſo, for you have ſeen my hand againſt the Prophets ſufficiently, I have cut them off. So that though I conceive not this to be the meaning of theſe words, yet from this ſenſe this uſeful Note may be obſerved.
Obſer.That when God comes out againſt falſe Prophets, and appears againſt them, then God looks eſpecially that people ſhould not follow them, nor do as they have been taught by them. Ezek. 13.10. there is a woful judgment denounced againſt the falſe Prophets, for propheſying peace when Gods purpoſes were ſet againſt Jeruſalem, for deſtruction. Their judgment was, That they ſhould not come into the Aſſemblies of his people, and my hand ſhall be againſt them; (and mark,) you ſhall know that I am the Lord God. They ſhall then know more particularly that I am the Lord God, when my hand is thus out againſt them. It is a mighty convincement of people, when they ſee the hand of God out againſt their falſe teachers; and if ſo, how may the people of England be convinced of the evil of that way they ſo admire and cry up,Applicat. for Engl. ſuperſtit. Miniſters when the hand of God is ſo heavy upon the ſuperſtitious time-ſervers and maintainers of theſe waies?
But there are others who carry the word unto the good Expoſ. 2 Prophets, as Pareus with ſome others, & ſo in a twofold ſenſe they are ſaid to be ſlain.
Firſt, In their charge. I have ſent them (ſaith God) to deliver my meſſage to this people, and they have flown in their faces and have kil'd them, and deſtroyed them, and I account it as if I had done it, becauſe I ſet them about their work: and this was ſpoken at that time when the Prophets were groſly abuſed,2 Chron. 24.1. when Zaccariah the Prophet delivered his Meſſage to King Joaſh, and was ſlain for it; and ſaith the text, Acts, 7.52. Which of the Prophets have not your fathers murdered? But now here is their encouragement againſt al the il uſage & the hardſhips which they meet withal in their work: I look upon it ſaith God as I doing it, I had a hand in it: therfore certainly God will not let them go unrewarded. 1 Sam. 22.23. David ſaid to Abiathar, Abide thou with me, fear not; for he that ſeeketh thy life, ſeeketh my life: but with me thou ſhalt be in ſafeguard. David was the occaſion of Abiathers fathers death,Conſololation to thoſe Miniſters & the friēds of thoſe that are periſhed in the Cauſe of God. and becauſe of that, what reſpect had David of him for this? and ſhall not God much more? So that, have you a friend, a brother, or a father ſlain for the Cauſe of God, or in it, ſtanding for Him? ſhall not God take his part? yea He will. Ahim…lech was ſlain accidentally for the Cauſe of David, & yet he would deal wel with Abiathar: but ſaith God, thy friend was ſlain, ſtanding for Me, and owning My Cauſe; he ſhall loſe nothing by it, for I will deal well with thee, and preſerve thee alive for his ſake.
I have ſlain them.] That is thus, Their Miniſtry hath been Expoſ. 3 ſo heavy that it hath even kild them, I have followed them on ſo with work, that I have even ſlain them; ſo that this people cannot ſay, they have not been warned, or that they have had no Prophets among them, or that their Prophets have been idle, that they have had no work to do; and certainly it is a good death for a Miniſter to die preaching. Pareus makes much uſe of this,Oportet Epiſcopum concionantem mori. ſaith he, How much more honorable to die in doing Gods work, than by cōmitting ſinful acts of intemperance, uncleanneſs, &c. they cannot ſpend their ſtrength better than in Gods ſervice: O let that people who have ſuch Miniſters look to it, that they bring forth fruit anſwerable in ſome proportion to the coſt that is beſtowed on them: and if you take the ſenſe thus, then God ſeems to ſpeak grievingly, Oh what ſhall I do with this people? what means hath been uſed, what loſſes have I ſuſtained by them? I have ſpent many choice Servants among them, the lives and ſtrengths of ſuch ſpirits have bin ſpent upon them of whom the world was not worthy, Oh what ſhal I do unto ſuch a people! Surely ſuch a people, enjoying ſuch a Miniſtry had need look to their profeſſion: May not this be ſaid of many Congregations in London? Congregations in London.hath not God ſent many choice ſpirits among you to do you good? and have they effected the end for which they were ſent among you? If not, wo to you: God hath a ſpecial regard unto this, when he ſhall ſpend the lives of his choiceſt and moſt precious ſervants, and if he have not a conſiderable vallue and return in peoples fruitfulnes it wil mightily provoke and incenſe him againſt them: God hath an high eſteem of his Miniſters lives and ſtrengths, they are vallued more than ſo, to be ſpent and waſted upon unfruitful people, who neither care for them nor their Miniſtry.
Expoſ, 3 But to come more particularly, and according to the genuine ſenſe of the words; This ſlaying refers it ſelf to the people:How the word ſlaies Now the Word ſlaies in theſe two reſpects.
In its deonouncing of judgement upon men; for what the Word threatens it is ſaid to do, Jer. 18.7, 8. At what inſtant I ſpeak concerning a Nation, or concerning a Kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to deſtroy, and when God promiſes mercy & good he is ſaid to give life; and we ſhould look upon them as performing of it.
In the operation and working of it, it hath a mighty efficaſie in it, for the working impenitent ſinners to ruin, it is as a twoedged ſword which doth execution every way Iſa. 11.3 It makes men of quick underſtanding in the fear of God; and God is ſaid to conſume Antichriſt by the breath of his noſtrils, and by the Word of his mouth,2 Theſ. 2. the Word is of ſuch a force that ſometimes if brings death in a litteral ſenſe to ſome who withſtand and oppoſe it, Ezek. 11.2. Pelatiah gives wicked counſel in the City, and the Prophet is commanded to propheſie againſt him, and in the 13. verſe we reade that when the Prophet propheſied, Pelatiah died: ſo many times God makes the Word ſo powerful in the mouths of his ſervants that it ſtrikes men dead preſently: Gualter Gualterhath this Note from hence, that the power of the Word appears in this, that it awakens, convinces, and terrifies the conſciences of men, ſo that they go home and make away themſelves, and become ſelf-murderers, and the truth is, it is nothing elſe but the word working powerfully to the ruin and deſtruction of men.
Or the words may be taken hyperbolically; as men that Expoſ. 4 are oppreſſed and in miſery, Oh ye kill me, I am not able to endure it, you wil be the death of me; the Prophets came ſo cloſe to them, that they cryed out, Oh they will kill us, we are not able to ſuffer them. Luther Lutherſaith that theſe words Thou haſt ſlain them, by the words of my mouth; that is meant the Law, by the Law thou haſt ſlain them, and by the word Prophets he ſaith is meant, that part of Doctrine which is neceſſary to be preached, to prevent the abuſe of the Doctrine of the Goſpel, which otherwiſe men would be ready to pervert, and he further adds, that, thoſe men which deny the uſe of the Law were not fit ſo much as to be ſuffered; I mention this of Luther the rather becauſe thoſe who deny the uſe of the Law urge him ſo ſtrongly for the upholding of them in their way. It follows.
Thy judgments are as the light. That is, paſſively, thy threatnings Expoſ. 1 upon them, or the execution of thoſe threatnings upon them ſhall break out as the light; though they have ſlain my Prophets, and think thereby to free themſelves from thoſe judgments which they threatned againſt them; no ſaith God, for all this I will make known my threatnings, which they have denounced againſt them; when the Prophet Jeremiah had delivered the meſſage of God to the Princes and the Prieſts they laid hold on him, and ſaid, he ſhould ſurely die, Jer. 26.8. Now ſee what the Prophet ſaith in the 14 and 15. verſes, As for me, behold I am in your hands, do with me as ſeemeth good and meet unto you, but know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye ſhall bring innocent blood upon your heads; for of a truth the Lord hath ſent me unto you. You think perhap… that when the Miniſter is gone his words are gone and there is an end of them; no, they ſhall lie upon you, and ſhall break out ſo perſpicuouſly that they ſhall cleerly convince you; though formerly they pleaded for themſelves as they in Iſa. 58. that let them be never ſo well conceipted of themſelves, I will diſcover them to be but a company of baſe Hypocrites, I will then ſhew you ſuch cleer demonſtrations of the waies of righteouſneſs in which you ſhould have walked, that all ſhall diſcern what you are, it ſhall then appear as cleer as the light wherein you have gone aſtray from the rule.
Expoſ. 2 Again, the words may be taken actively, and then the ſenſe is, That my power ſhall ſo appear upon them, that their righteouſneſs and holineſs ſhall appear as the light. And then though my judgments were ſmart and tedious at the firſt, yet you ſhall not repent it, you ſhall ſee ſo much good from them which will make amends and pay all charges: Or thus, I have ſent my Prophets among this people for this very end and purpoſe, to make this people a righteous people, and that they may manifeſt this as cleerly as the light. And thus you have the meaning of the words, the obſervations follow.
Obſ. 1 Ʋnconſtancy in the waies of Religion cauſes God to be incenſed againſt a people. Such men as are off and on, which make overtures in the waies of Religion had need to have cutting truths preached to them; Therefore have I hewed them (ſaith God) by my Prophets; and as Gods Miniſters muſt deal thus with their people, ſo muſt every man in particular who loves his own ſoul, and if ſo be …hy ſoul be precious in thy eyes thou wilt willingly deal ſharply with thy ſelf, ſay, Oh wretched heart that I have, to let ſuch ſtirrings die, ſuch motions of the ſpirit come to nothing, doſt thou know whom thou haſt to deal withal, the infinite great God? and for what thou haſt to deal with him, for no leſs than eternity, and haſt thou ſtirrings of heart about this? and doſt thou let them die? this provokes God.
Many mens hearts are like knotty timber and rough ſtones. Obſ. 2
I have hewen them. And the longer men continued in their ſins the knottier they are; as timber which hath lain long ſoking in the water is tough & hardened; ſo mens ſpirits that are ſoaked in their evil waies, Oh how untoward are they, and how hard a thing is it to faſten any thing that is good upon them? ſo that when we ſee mens ſpirits tough, ſtubborn and hard to be wrought upon think of this text, I have hewed them by my Prophets.
That this is ſpoken of a people whoſe goodneſs was as the morning cloud, and the early dew which paſſeth away: The Note is, That many people although their goodneſs be but as the dew, Obſ. 3 ſoon off, yet their evil is hard and ſetled: the goodneſs of many is like the *A fit ſimile.ſoftneſs of a plumb ſoon cruſhed; but their wickedneſs is like the ſtone in the plumb hard and unflexable; ſo that you may here ſee grace & truth doth not conſiſt in good motions, ſtirrings, and deſires, for theſe may be where the heart is not melting, ſoft, nor tender; the heart is not changed, for were the heart kindly wrought upon, it would kindly yeeld and buckle under the power of the Word, when it comes againſt their ſins, there would be a taking part with the Word.
Gods Miniſters are hewers. I have hewed them by my Prophets; Obſ. 4 elſewhere they are called Gods Workmen, and here Hewers, and that in theſe two reſpects: Either to prepare them for Gods building, or to caſt them into the fire, theſe are Gods ends in ſending His Miniſters, His Hewers; now they hew all, good and bad, to take them off from their own rootings and make them as beams in Gods building, or to be as an ax laid to the root of their ſouls. 'Tis recorded that in the building of Solomons Temple there was no noiſe of knocking with hammers or tools, the materials being prepared, fitted, and ſquared beforehand: ſo thoſe which will be members of Gods Temple hereafter, muſt be hewed and fitted for it here; therefore John is ſaid to be one ſent to make rough things plain, to level great mountains, mountains of ſins, crabbed and rugged ſpirits.
Uſe, Miniſters work difficult.By this work you may ſee what a hard task the Miniſters labor is, this made Jeremiah to complain, when he ſaw the dulneſs and ſtupidity of the people, reſolved that he would ſpeak no more in the Name of the Lord to this people. The work of a Miniſter it is more laborious than the work of a Carpenter, as Chryſoſtom Chryſoſtomexpreſſes it; for ſaith he, the Carpenter when he hath wrought hard all day he goes home and comes again in the morning and finds it as he left it; but we hew and take pains and leave our people, and come again we find them worſe than before.
Obſ. 5 That the Miniſters of the Goſpel when they meet with ſuch rough, croſse, and untoward ſpirits muſt deale with them anſwerably.
I have hewed them by my Prophets, my Prophets have done their work upon them, God ſeems to ſpeak to the Prophets to bid them ſharpen their tools, make their inſtruments keen, preach ſutably unto them, ſaving ſome with fear, as the Apoſtle Jude ſpeaks, verſe 23. I wonder what people can ſay to this Scripture, who cry out againſt Miniſters for preaching the Law, when the text ſaies plainly, and ſave ſome with fear: therefore let thoſe that are the Miniſters of the Word have a care that they ſharpen their tools by the Word, putting an edge upon them that ſo they may encounter with the greateſt oppoſitions.
When the Miniſters hew, God hews. I have hewn them ſaith Obſ. 6 God, when as it was the Prophets that did it. Is the Word ſharp, and doth it come cloſe at any time? then look to God which makes it ſo. Is the tool ſharp, and doth it ſmart? then look to the hand that directed the ſtroke, and know that if God hew thee, he will have his will upon thee, he will accompliſh the end he aims at; when God hews thee, if thou doſt not work under his hand to make ſomething of for uſe, he will throw thee into the fire, as a work man in an angry fit of paſſion throws away the piece he is at work upon into the fire; ſo ſaith God, this man or this woman they are good for nothing, I'le throw them into the fire: take heed, you who have ſtirrings and motions unto good, and yet have your ſecret luſts, beloved boſom-corruptions, know that God may cut you down for the fire, and thou mayeſt be already cut down for the fire, though thou liveſt in the boſome of the Church under the Ordinances; before thou art cut down by death, as we may ſee, the figtree was cut down, yet had leaves for a while, green and flouriſhing; know, 'tis poſſible that a man which makes a glorious profeſſion and performs many duties, yet may be but a veſſel of wrath, one cut down by the ſtroke of the Word by wrath, this cutting down, is like unto that which we find in Luke 14.24. For I ſay unto, that none of thoſe men which were bidden ſhall taſt of my ſupper; and yet theſe men had ſtirrings and motions in them. Oh! the conſideration of this ſhould make ſinners to tremble, that it is poſſible for men, yea for men profeſſing godlineſs to be cut down by the Word of wrath, and that while they are living and well;When a man is cut down now God way be ſaid to cut a man down for vengance when he in judgment determines and ſecretly reſolves againſt him, that no means nor mercies ſhall do him good, now wo to that man againſt whom God is thus reſolved and determined. But that none may be diſcouraged and diſheartned by this, but awakened, know, that ſo long as God ſtill ſtrives with thee, and is yet working upon thee by his Word, and by his Spirit, he hath not yet determined againſt thee,when not thou art not paſt hope of cure, therefore improve the ſeaſons, and do not abuſe this that hath been ſaid, let it ſupport you from diſpair, but not encourage you to preſume.
Gods Miniſters are Gods Tools; and as tools by working are Obſ. 7 worn out, ſo are Gods Miniſters worn by working; but when the work goes on though the tools are worn, the laborer thinks not much: ſo God when he ſees people come in and accept of mercy, he is content to bear the loſs of the wearing of his tools; and as men reckon not only for the work done, but alſo for the wearing of the tools, and the more precious the tool is, the more he accounts of, and reckons for the wearing of it, ſo will God alſo, not only reckon for the lives of his ſervants but alſo for their ſtrength and the weakening of their bodies by ſweating and labor. Therefore people had need to look to it, that their fruit may anſwer the coſt God is at with them; for know, that God ſets a high price upon His choice ſervants lives, and he will have a valluable conſideration for them, either in you or upon you; and wo be to you if God forceth the price of ſuch blood as theirs is in your ruin.
Obſ. 8 Gods Miniſters are Gods mouth to His people. I have ſlain them by the words of my Mouth: Jer. 15.19. If thou take forth the precious from the vile, then ſhall you be as my mouth. And look what is threatned by them, is threatned by God; and what promiſe they open and preſs upon a ſoul in diſtreſs, is done by God Himſelf, and it is to be looked upon as God ſpeaking to thee in particular.
Obſ. 9 The Word of God is of great power, and full of efficacy. I have ſlain them by the words of my mauth. The word is like a two-edged ſword which ſmites every way and doth execution: every time men hear the Word it is for life or for death, Deut. 32.46, 47. Set your hearts unto all the words which I teſtifie unto you this day, for it is not a vain thing for you, becauſe it is your life; it is your life which lies upon it, therefore look ye to it; ſo in Revel. 11.5. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouthes, and devoureth their enemies: Though the witneſſes be as Olive branches, yet if any wrong them they muſt be killed by devouring fire.
Object. But if the Word be of ſuch efficacy, of a ſlaying nature, why ſhould we hear it?
Anſw. We are bound to hear the Word as our duty: and when we come we ſhould preſent our luſts before the edge of the Word: were ſin preſented before it, it would only ſlay the ſin and not the perſon.The word flaies either the ſin, or the ſoul. When the Word comes, it will ſlay the one, either your ſins, or your ſouls; therefore if you would have your ſouls ſaved, put your ſins to death: the upright man need not fear comming to the Word; but ſuch as are reſolved to keep their ſins, the Word will ſlay both them and their ſins too. It follows.
And thy judgmenes ſhall break forth,Text. as the light that goeth forth.
Hence obſerve: That Gods judgments, while men go on in a Obſ. 1 proſperous way of ſinning, lie in the dark, they ſee them not, they ſin and judgment appears not, and therefore they take liberty and embolden themſelves in their ſins.
When judgments do come, they break out. Judgments were Obſ. 2 working their ruine before, they did not ſleep: Judgements when they come they break out upon ſinners: as mighty waters being ſtopt in their courſe of running, when they work over the interruption they run the faſter.
God hath His time to puniſh ſins openly by His judgements; as Obſ. 3 they ſin ſecretly in the dark, God will puniſh openly in the light to make them aſhamed.
God will have His time to convince men by His judgments; then Obſ. 4 their filthineſs ſhall be puniſhed.
Now Gods judgments may be ſaid to break forth (to convince men, and) as the light, three waies.How judgment convinces.
1. When the ſame thing threatened in the Word comes to paſſe.
2. When the judgment inflicted is ſutable to the ſin committed.
3. When it is executed by a remarkable han… upon the ſinner, then that judgement breaks forth upon a man as the light.
Gods judgments are gradual. They break forth as the light, Obſ. 5 not all at once, there is the morning light, and the mid-day; as mercies to the Saints are gradual, ſo judgments upon the wicked are but by degrees, dropping at the firſt.
There is much to be learned by the breakings out of judgment as the Obſ. 6 light. Iſa. 26.8. When thy Judgments are abroad, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteouſneſs. Mic. 6.9. The man of wiſdom ſhall ſee thy Name: Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it. Pro. 28.5. Evil men underſtand not judgment: but they that ſeek the Lord, underſtand all things: they ſhall learn much. Examine your hearts by this, what you have learned by theſe judgements that are broken out ſo cleer upon us, that the greateſt Atheiſt in the world may learn this, That the Lord He is God, as the people cried out in 1 King. 18.39.
Obſ. 7 When God ſends a Miniſtry to a people, it is to diſcover the way of God, and of His Worſhip to that people; The Lord makes their righteouſneſs to appear and break forth as the light, and He will have His way and Worſhip to appear as cleerly as the light, His way ſhall not be in the dark to them.
Obſ. 8 When God brings a powerful Miniſtry to a people, the more powerful and ſharp that Miniſtry hath been, if they do not turn, the more terrible and ſharp ſhall judgement be upon them. Your conſciences ſhall eccho upon this ground in your ears, The Lord is righteous in all His waies, juſtly am I puniſhed. Oh the ſad cries of many people in their ſickneſſes and death-beds! How many times have I been warned by the Word? but I ſlighted warnings, I did not regard them; warnings have been no warnings to me, therefore juſtly am I in miſery.
Uſe. Oh that the conſideration of this might be more prevalent and work more upon us, than ever Gods quikneſs in His judgments wrought towards thoſe that ſtand out againſt a quick, ſearching Miniſtry.