An Exposition of Hosea 4-7, Biblical commentary 2 · Chapter 7 · Verse 14 – Verse 15
VER. 14.
And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they aſſemble themſelves for corn and wine, and they rebel againſt me.
AND they have not cried unto me] The Seventy have it thus:foreign 70. Heart-prayer. Their hearts have not cried to me. Where we may ſee, that it is not enough to cry with with the mouth, except the heart cry as well as the mouth. We reade of Moſes, who though he ſpake not a word that is expreſſed in the text, yet it is ſaid, he prayed: It is the working of the heart that is the heart of prayer.Oratio eſt res ardua, & magni laboris eſt opus difficillimum ideo rariſſimum. Luther Therefore when Elijah prayed, 'tis ſaid, he prayed in praying, Jam. 5.17. And by this we ſee the great difference there is in praying; Heart-prayer pleaſeth God. A work-man which wants words to expreſs himſelf, yet may be able to perform his buſineſs very wel in Gods account; ſo he that is able to expreſs himſelf in fine language, eloquent ſentences, and multitudes of words, may yet not pray at all: therefore when you pray look that your hearts go along with the duty, otherwiſe, your cries wil be but as their prayers here in the text, which are called howlings, and that in theſe four reſpects.Prayers howlings why.
In regard of the hideouſneſs of their crying unto God, as the Heathens uſed to their Idols, and ſo the Hebrew ſeems to carry it, and to expreſs ſomething remarkable, ſetting a letter more than ordinary to this word howling. foreign the letter י is ſuper added.And thus the Heathen Indians at this day howl to their gods. And in this manner were the cries of Iſrael looked at but as howlings.
They were howlings in regard of their diſtempered and unquiet ſpirits; they were in their ſpirits very turbulent and unquiet in their lives, and froward in their carriage in prayer. Even thus it is with many in trouble of conſcience, they are very boiſterous and make troubleſom noiſes, the ſhalloweſt waters makes the greateſt noiſe, but the deepeſt rivers run the ſtilleſt; ſo thoſe that have the deepeſt ſence of ſin, and are kindly troubled for it, are quiet, ſtill and ſubmiſſive under Gods hand, and certainly ſuch a boiſterousneſs of ſpirit under the ſence of ſin, is not from the Spirit, although there may be ſome legal terrors, but when God hath ſubdued the heart to himſelf, the heart will ſeek earneſtly for mercy, and yet in a quiet humble way.
They howled upon their beds in regard of their pain. The bruit beaſts in their pain and trouble will cry out and roar: even thus did theſe men here, the extremity of the miſery they were in forced howling from them. There are no men cry more out of judgments when they are executed, than thoſe that were leaſt ſenſible of them when they were threatned. Carnal hearts cry out altogether of the miſerie of the times, the judgment it is that troubles them, more than the ſin the procurer of them. See this between Pharaoh and David, Saul and David: Saul cries, he cries to Samuel, ſaying, I have ſinned, and done fooliſhly, yet honor me I pray thee, before the people. David he confeſſeth his ſin and accepts of the puniſhment of his iniquity, Lord, 'tis I that have ſinned, as for theſe ſheep, what have they done? Pharaoh he cries to Moſes that he would pray to God to deliver him from the plagues that were upon him. David he cries to God, Lord take away the iniquity of thy ſervant. If iniquity be done away, judgment will ſoon be removed, ſin being the cauſe of all miſery.
Howling; to note, that God regarded their cries no more than the howlings of beaſts: Amos, 8.3.Amos, 3.8 opened. The ſongs of the Temple ſhall be howlings in that day: as the prayers, ſo the ſacrifices of ſuch, how pleaſing they are to God we find, Iſa. 66.3. they are but as the cutting off a dogs neck; and their cryes were but as the cries of that dog whoſe neck was cut off: They in their pride were wont to ſpeak contemptibly of God, his waies, and ſervants, contemning them, and God, he contemns and ſcorns them, their prayers, and their ſacrifices; therefore that in Prov. 1.26. is verified here, He will laugh at their deſtruction, and mock when their fear cometh. Oh how vile are wicked men in God eyes, when they are in trouble and miſery. None ſo vile but we pity them, and releeve them; but for the infinite, merciful, pitiful God, who is full of goodneſs and hath bowels of tender love and compaſſion, for him to have them in deriſion and to jeer (as we may ſo ſpeak) the cries of his creature, Oh the conſideration of this is moſt ſad; Oh vile is the ſin which makes man thus odious.
And here we ſee what little uſe there is of wicked mens ſpirits, they are of no uſe, there is for them in the places where they live nothing that they can do,Wicked men of no uſe. thou canſt eaſily ſin and bring down judgments by thy ſins, but when they are come upon thee what wilt thou do? perhaps thou wilt pray and cry to God, God he abhors thy prayers, thy cries are abomination unto him; it is the Saints prayers that are ſo acceptable unto him, the prayer of the upright is his delight, Prov. 15.8. the leaſt ſigh, which come… from a godly heart is ſuch a ſtrong cry that it fills heaven and earth; ſo that (as I may ſpeak with reverence) God can hear nothing elſe but that, becauſe he both prepares their hearts to pray, and prepares his ear to hear; therefore we find in Scripture ſuch expreſſions as theſe: Pſal. 10.17. and Nehem. 1.7. the good man praies that Gods ear would be attentive, and his eyes open that he might hear the prayers of his ſervant. Pſal. 86.1. Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear, and help me for I am poor. 1 Pet. 3.12. His ears are open to their prayers. And Pſal. 86.6. God gives his ear to their prayers and attends to the voice of their ſupplication; what doth all this hold forth unto us but this? that the prayers of Saints are very delightful to him, they are pleaſant muſick in his ears, were there no other difference between the godly and the wicked than in their prayers, it were ſufficient to make men out of love with the waies of ſin, and joyn with the Saints in the waies of holineſs, the Saints they ſend up ſweet breathings, and God takes pleaſure in them: the wicked they howl and cry out, and God rejects them.
They howl upon their beds.
Men in their proſperity go up and down uncontrowled in their wicked waies, but when God confines them to their chambers annd their ſick beds, then they howl. It follows.
They aſſemble themſelves for corn and wine.
The old Latin: Ruminabant, not Comedebant, like beaſts they feed: the Hebrew word that hath ſuch a ſignification, differrs not much from that which ſignifies to aſſemble, foreign congregare foreign ſetare, rumniare. The Seventy foreign they cut themſelves as Baals Prieſts: But rather it ſignifies to aſſemble. They flock together, that they might get corn and wine, ſo they had it, they did not care what became of God and his Ordinances. 2. Aſſemble to feed themſelves with the wheat, ſo they might be pampered, they looked at nothing elſe. 3. Or more probably, were aſſembled at their Temples to cry for wheat. The Notes are theſe.
That the vileſt men in times of common calamity and publick miſeries Obſ. 1 will aſſemble themſelves to pray to God. Now certainly, if they will pray to have trouble taken away, when upon them, 'tis our duty to pray to prevent danger a coming.
When ever Hypocrites aſſemble together, it is for themſelves, not for Obſ. 2 God: for corn and wine, and outward mercies. Were it not that they wanted ſome outward good, God ſhould ſeldom or never hear from them.
Hypocrites in their ſeeking of God ſeek him more for ſenſual things Obſ. 3 than for others. We aſſemble together in our faſts to ſeek God, but what is it for? if only or principally for outward things, it is but carnal and not ſpiritual ſeeking. It follows.
And they rebel againſt me. Prae frumento, when they are fed like unto the Ox when it is fed fat it kicks againſt tht Maſter. Or 2. they rebel after they have aſſembled themſelves, when once the duty is over, they go to their old courſes again, and undo all their prayers: as Jer. 5.3. Thou haſt ſtriken them, but they have not grieved; thou haſt conſumed them, but they have refuſed to receive correction. We ſhould from hence learn, That duties ſhould mightily engage us againſt ſin. Haſt thou in prayer, either confeſſed ſin, or asked mercy of God to pardon thy ſins? Know, there lies a great engagement upon our hearts now to be humbled for our ſins, and to walk according to our prayers: Doſt thou in prayer beg power againſt thy ſins? and in thy life doſt thou rebel againſt God? Are there not many who will be long in prayer, and very earneſt, and judg themſelves for their ſins, yea and in words juſtifie God if he ſhould for ever condemn them for their ſins, and yet afterwards rebel anew againſt God? Oh! may it not be ſaid, What is this the man that even now was in Heaven in prayer, and is now as it were in Hell in his converſation? Me thinks the very next time thou goeſt to pray to God, thy mouth ſhould be ſtop'd and not able to ſpeak unto God: as we reade Origins was, when he had apoſtatized,Origin. and comming to preach again, and reading that text in Pſal. 50. What haſt thou to do to take my Word into thy mouth, and hateſt to be reformed? his mouth was preſently ſtopt, and he was not able to ſpeak a word more. So thou prayeſt to God, and after thou haſt prayed, thou goeſt and ſinneſt freely again, Oh thou wretch, tremble at this, go and humble thy ſoul before God for thy ſins, and tremble at coming into Gods preſence in this kind. I put this delemma to you; Either you pray againſt your ſins, or you do not; if not, Oh conſider how thou art departed from God; if thou doſt pray againſt them, then how dareſt thou live in thoſe ſins which thou haſt prayed againſt? Tertullian Tertull.hath an excellent ſpeech to this purpoſe: he ſaith, That prayer muſt alwaies be with remembrance of Gods precepts, leſt we are as far from Gods ear, as his precepts are from our hearts. It follows.
They rebell againſt me.
That is, When their own turns are ſerved, and their own ends ſatisfied, then they rebel againſt me, as if now they had no more need of God, nor never ſhould want help from him; Oh how many are there who upon their ſick beds cry out to God, that he would ſpare their ſins, and ſhew them mercy, making large promiſes to God what they would do? God hath taken them at their words, and hath raiſed them up again and reſtored them to ſtrength. And what have they done? nothing but rebelled againſt him more than formerly, and are like the wild aſſe that ſnuffeth up the wind.
VER. 15.
Though I have bound and ſtrengthened their arms, yet do they imagine miſchief againſt me.
GOD in this verſe compares himſelf to a skilful Chyrurgion, who binds up broken arms and wounds; ſo God had often bound up their arms when broken by the enemies. 2 King. 14. there we find God bound up their broken arms; Obſ. 1 It is God only who can bind up broken arms.
2 It is a great aggravation of a mans ſin, to be ſinful after great Obſ. 2 mercies. God finds us as Chyrurgions do their patients, all out of joynt, and crying out of their pains, Oh that I had eaſe! I would give my eſtate, that I might be cured; and when the Chyrurgion hath uſed his skill, and hath cured you of your pain, and hath given you ſome eaſe, if now you ſhould ſtand hagling with him for a ſhilling matter, Would it not be an unworthy act? and would not the man think his time and skill ill beſtowed? Oh how many people are there who deal thus with God? haggle and ſhuffle it with God in their diſtreſſe: Oh if God will diliver them, what promiſes do they make? but when they have peace and quiet forget again.
It were an argument of an exellent ſpirit indeed, if when after our Obſ. 3 ſtrength is reſtored and any mercy anew given into us, we wauld ſtudy how we might glorifie God with the ſame. Have our arms been broken, & hath God bound them up for us? O let us now uſe them for God. But this people were far from this diſpoſition, they imagined evil againſt God: As if a patient which is cured of ſome deſperat wound,ſimile. or diſeaſe, ſhould ſeek to ſtab his Chyrurgion or Phyſitian.
They imagin miſchief.
foreignThe word ſignifies, al kinds of evil, and to imagin miſchief is in ſom regard worſe than to practice it; it was not a weakneſs or ſin of infirmity in the… for it was an imagined miſchief, it was a moſt vile provoking ſin, for it did aim at the miſchieving of God Himſelf: they who live in ſin, live as if they were born for nothing but to do miſchief to God.
Queſt. What was this miſchief they imagined againſt God?
Anſw. Why thus, When the arm was broken, they were more remiſſe in urging and preſſing their falſe worſhip; as if God ſhould ſay, Now they are low and in trouble they want opportunities, and have not that power to ſet up and preſſe forwards their deſigns, againſt my true worſhip, and ſervants, but now that their arms are bound up, and they have a little more eaſe and liberty, now they ſet their wits on work to invent miſchief againſt my people, and worſhip, and it may be this is the cauſe why the Lord keeps our arms ſtill broken that we might learn to ſubmit, for when at any time God hath begun to bind up our arms,England. how have many improved all opportunities to ſet up themſelves and their waies.