An Exposition of Hosea 4-7, Biblical commentary 2 · Chapter 7 · Verse 16
VER. 16.
They return, but not to the moſt high: they are like a deceitful bow: their Princes ſhall fall by the ſword, for the rage of their tongue: this ſhall be their deriſion in the land of Egypt.
THEY return] They make ſhows, yea ſomthing they do. This verſe hath reference to the ſtory of Jehu who did very much; there were very great beginnings in his time to caſt out Idolatry, but neither he, nor the people did come up to the full height that God required of them, but they would have ſome mixtures of their own. And thus it is in many peoples reformation, they are very hot at it in the beginning; and even among us,England. how high did the hearts of people riſe? but what a damp is there ſince that time? though bleſſed be God great things are don among us. But ſaith God, that is not yet done amongſt them which I would have done, it is true, they honor me indeed, but it is as the Nations round about them honor their Gods, they do not honor me as the Infinite Eternal Firſt being of all things; I am not worſhiped by them as the Infinite, High, Eternal God; people ſhould ſo labor to reform themſelves that they may hold forth the honor of God as he is Infinite, Glorious, Eternal,How we ſhould honor God and having all power in his hands. The Notes of Obſervation from the words are theſe.
That God is the moſt high God, the ſupream Majeſtie of Heaven Obſ. 1 and earth: he is ſo high that he humbles himſelf to behold things done in Heaven, 'tis a ſtooping in him that he takes notice of things in Heaven, ſurely then much more for things done on the earth: ſurely then he is a high God, and when ever we come before him in prayer we ſhould come before him as unto ſuch a God who is ſo glorious and high above all things betwixt whom and us there is an infinite diſtance.
A true repenting ſinner ſhould have the ſight of this high God alwaies Obſ. 2 in his eye; and great would be the efficacy of ſuch a ſight as this is upon the ſpirit, it would be very profitable for the ſoul. For,
This would make the ſoul to be very ſerious with God, not daring to dally with him who is infinitely above it.
It would make the ſoul abhor it ſelf in duſt and aſhes, Job, 42.5. there is nothing humbles the ſoul more than this ſight of Gods Majeſtie.
It ſhews unto the ſoul the infinite evil which there is in ſin in that I ſhould do nothing but caſt dirt in the face of God.
That there is no ſtanding out againſt this high God, that I muſt crouch before him, for he will have the better of me.
That he is infinitely worthy of all that I am or have, and all that I can do, and this very thing would anſwer all temptations againſt God.
This fight of God would inform us that it is not every ſorrow and ſlight mourning for ſin which will ſerve the turn, but it muſt be ſuch a ſorrow as is becoming ſuch a God.
In this ſight of God I behold that which hath power in it to raiſe my ſoul above all things here below, ſelf, the world, and all creature comforts, all things muſt be looked upon as under our feet, elſe we cannot cloſe with God.
I ſee by this ſight, enough in God to make me bleſſed, and that I may bleſs my ſelf in him, in the loſs of all the world; and that there is enough in him to make me amends for all the troubles I have met withal for him. Theſe are the thoughts of a true penitent heart concerning God. Now the ſoul can ſay, the Lord is God, and there is no ſuch God as the Lord, and by this you may put your repentance to the tryal,Trial of repentanc whether it be of the right kind or no, by your thoughts of God. Have you ſorrowed for ſin, as before ſuch a glorious high God as the Lord is, that thoſe that ſee …ur humiliations may ſee glory and honor and praiſe written upon them to the Lord? The want of this, theſe people were charged for here: and this hath been our caſe many times, the Lord help our reformers to carry on the work of reformation begun, as before the high God. If we loſe this opportunity, we loſe ſuch an opportunity as yet was ſcarce ever granted to any Nation upon the face of the earth. Now wicked proud men may lift themſeves high in the world, and be thought to be ſomebody for it, but it is the low, broken, penitent ſoul which it the high man, becauſe he returns to the high God. But ſecondly, They return, but it is not to the yoke, as ſome render the words, They will not come under obedience to Gods commands, for there is but a little difference (namely in the pricks) between foreign jugum and foreign alitiſſi, and if we underſtand the word thus, then it notes, that they promiſed much, and made many fair ſhews of doing much, but they would not come under the yoke; they will ſtill be ſons of Belial, without yoke. So many people, upon exhortation and intreaties will promiſe fair, they will return, and they will do much, but when it comes to ſee the yooke, Oh they flinch back and hold off, Oh it is too hard for them. It follows.
They are like a deceitful bow.
Thus did their progenitors they trode in the ſame ſteps, Pſal. 78.57. They kept not his teſtimony, Deceitful bow.but turned back and dealt deceitfully as did their fathers, that were turned aſide like a deceitful bow. Now a bow is deceitful two waies.
When it cauſe… the arrow to turn from them it was levelled to hit, and recoils upon him that ſhoots it. Theſe people were Gods bow, Zachariah, 9.13. ſaith God, I have bent Iſrael as my bow to ſhoot at evil doers. How vile and wicked are thoſe men, into whoſe hands God hath committed power to execute juſtice and judgment againſt evil doers, and they ſhall turn all their power againſt the Saints and thoſe that do well.
A bow is deceitful when it carries the arrow the wrong way though the Archer ſee the mark, and aim at it, yet it carries quite contrary. Juſt thus did theſe people, many of them had good aims and intentions, and purpoſes, but yet they carried the matter quite contrary; theſe words refer unto Jehu's time, he was a notorious deceitful bow; Come, ſee my zeal for the Lord, yet an hypocrit. Oh let us look to our hearts, there may be ſecret warpings in our hearts which may cauſe us to miſcarry for ever, if we take not heed; many who have good intentions, good purpoſes, aims and deſires, and yet have ſome ſecret warping which they know not of,ſimile which may make them miſcarry to all eternity. A man may with a deceitful bow aim at a beaſt, and yet kill a man; ſo many may think they ſtrike at ſin, and yet with that very goad may at the ſame time wound the Saints. It follows.
Their Princes ſhall fall by the ſword.
Theſe were they who had the chief hand in the ſetting up of falſe worſhip, and in oppreſſing thoſe that would not joyn with them: now God would reach theſe great ones. In times of battel Princes ſtand by ſecured at a diſtance, they have their Life guards, they put on others and think to be ſafe themſelves, they will bring others into ſtraights, and miſeries and care not though thouſands of them be ſlain at a fight, they ſhall do well enough, but ſaith God, they ſhall not ſo eſcape in battel, Their Princes ſhall fall by the ſword, it ſhall not diſtinguiſh them from others.
For the rage of their tongue.
They raged againſt God, his People, and Ordinances, and thought themſelves too big to be contradicted; we may note here,
Obſ.That when men grow very wicked they grow outragious, like mad men, there is no ruling of them, there is ſuch a world of wickedneſs in them they take a liberty to ſay what they pleaſe; we find many ſtrong expreſſions about the tongue in Scripture.
foreign ſo the 70. render the wordsAs Job, 5.21. it is called a ſcourge; therefore the Saints are promiſed to be delivered from it.
2. Pſal. 57.4. it is cal'd a ſharp ſword. Prov. 12.18. there is that ſpeaketh like the piercing of a ſword, Prov. 25.18. a man that beareth falſe witneſs againſt his neighbor,Epethites of the tongue. is a Mole, and a Sword, and a ſharp Arrow.
3. It is compared to fire, yea unto the fire of hell, James, 3.7, 8. To the coals of Juniper, Pſal. 120.4. which are quickly kindled, but abide long; all theſe expreſſions with others we find about the tongue of the wicked. But now ſee what is ſaid of the tongues of the Saints, Cant. 4.11. Thy lips Oh my Spouſe, drop as the hony comb, hony and milk are under thy tongue. And Prov. 10.20. The tongue of the juſt is as choice ſilver: The heart of the wicked is little worth.
4. An outragious tongue is ſuch a poyſon as poyſons it ſelf, which no other poyſon doth, other poyſons hurt no further than they are applied, they cannot poyſon at a diſtance, but this is ſuch a ſtrange working thing, that it will both hurt and ſo deſtroy men that they ſhall never recover themſelves, and this it wil do at a diſtance, and come not neer, theſe men have ſuch diſpoſitions, that they will let none paſs without a laſh of their tongue. Now the Lord he will not let theſe go in this manner, he will ſcorn the ſcorners; when theſe men are in their rage none are ſpared, Magiſtrates, Miſiers, Parents, Ordinances, no nor God Himſelf; But Chriſt will convince them of their hard words. Conſider how in your families, or in ſome companies you have been guilty of the rage of the tongue in theſe kinds. It follows in the laſt words.
This ſhall be their deriſion in the Land of Egypt.
When they come to Egypt they think to find them their friends, that they will help them and ſtick unto them; no ſaith God, inſtead of helping them, they ſhall ſcorn them. One part of the rage of their tongue was in ſpeaking baſely of the worſhip of God, and of his people; and now the Egyptians ſhal ſpeak baſely to them; Why do you come to us for help? where is your God become, that you ſo boaſted of? Therefore juſt is it with God, that thoſe which forſake him and his help, and go to men for ſuccor, that they by them ſhould be made a ſcorn: O it is a moſt grievous judgment for Gods people to be made a ſcorn by ſuch, the Egyptians! And it ſhould be our care and duty not to put our brethren into ſuch ſtraights, that the poor Saints of God ſhould be forced to go to the wicked for help leaſt, they ſhould reproach them, ſaying, Why do you come to us? What, cannot your holy brethren releeve you? do you expect help from us? But in ſpecial this is their deriſion in the land of Egypt, the rage of their tongue, their fallings out one with another, they could not agree but wrangled and jangled among themſelves, when the Egyptians ſhall ſee this, they ſhall deride them, and look upon them as the greateſt objects of ſcorn that poſſibly can be.
The Lord deliver us from this judgment; when was there ſuch diviſions amongſt us as at this day? Oh the rage of the tongue which abounds in every place! the Devil himſelf hath a chief ſtroke in this rage, and he laughs to ſee it proſper and encreaſe as well as our adverſaries, who laugh in their ſleeves at us both; and what ſhould move us more to agree one with another than this; The conſideration of that woful ſcorn and deriſion we ſhould be to them if God ſhould deliver us up into their hands. Now as this their rage was a ſymtom to them of their ruin, ſo the Lord grant that we