An Exposition of Hosea 4-7, Biblical commentary 2 · Chapter 7 · Verse 3
VER. 3.
They make the King glad with their wickedneſs, and the Princes with their lyes.
THey make the King glad.] That is,
Expoſ. 1 By their willing yeilding to his commands by the way of their falſe worſhip, the King and the Princes were glad to ſee their edicts yeilded unto and obeyed: at the firſt when the commands came from Jeroboam to change the way of Gods worſhip, they had cauſe to fear that it might not take with the people, there would be ſomething to do, to make them change the way of Gods worſhip, but when they ſaw it go on currently without contradiction they rejoyced.
Expoſ. 2 By their flattering of him in his wicked waies; they did not only yeild to his unlawful edicts, but commended them, and applauded him for his care and tender reſpect which he had to them, in ſhortening their journy, that they ſhould not go ſo far as Jeruſalem to worſhip, & they flattered him in this extreamly, telling him that this was the way to eſtabliſh his Kingdom.
He was glad, when he ſaw the people wicked in their waies Expoſ. 3 and their lives looſe and prophane, at this the King was glad, and why? becauſe he knew they were for his turn, his deſign was accompliſhed now, he had made them wicked in their lives by letting them have their will in evil, and now he never feared their ſcrupling or making queſtion of the thing, he never once doubted of their unwillingneſſe to worſhip at the Calves, to go to Dan and Bethel: Thus they made the King glad.
The Notes: Firſt obſerve, That carnal and wicked people are Obſ. 1 eaſily led aſide by the examples of thoſe that are their Governours: Which way Superiors go, the multitude will go: if they do that which is good in the outward part of it for externals, they will do the ſame; if they do wickedly they will do ſo likewiſe, though they do not love their Prince, yet that they may have their Princes favor they will ſin againſt God.
It is wickedneſſe for any people to obey the unlawful commands of Obſ. 2 their Governors. This people might think this was no ſin in them, What, muſt we not obey our Governors and be ſubject to authority? yet we ſee the holy Ghoſt calls it wickedneſs. So how many are there who for their worſhip have no other authority but their ſuperiors, their Governors, this wil never paſs for currant in Gods account.
It is a vile wickedneſſe to flatter Princes. Yet how hath this Obſ. 3 been the conſtant courſe of Courts? It is reported of Dionyſius, that when he ſpit, his flatterers would lick it up and ſay, it was ſweeter than Honey. This is vileneſs in people to do, and more vile in Princes to love to be flattered. Cyril Cyrilupon this text ſaith, That the fear and love of God, had it been in this people, it would have kept both them and their Princes, to have withſtood ſuch wicked commands, it would have ballanced their ſpirits.
Obſ. 4 It is a moſt moſt wicked and vile thing, to make any glad with their wickedneſs, or to be made glad by wickedneſs. Yet how many are guilty of this ſin? ſome are ſo hardened in their wickedneſs that they will make others drunk, and then laugh at them when they have done ſo; How far are theſe from Davids temper? whoſe eyes ran down with tears, becauſe men kept not the Law, and horror took hold on him; there is no greater ſign of a deſperate heart hardened in ſin, than to laugh at ſin in others, and make a ſport of it in themſelves; and the higher men are in place and dignity the greater is the aggravation of their ſ…ns; for Princes to be glad at wickeneſs and to be made merry by iniquity, who are ſet to be puniſhers of ſin and a terror to evil doers, this is moſt horrible wickedneſs, Prov. 29.22. If the Prince hearken to lyes, all his ſervants are wicked.
They make the King glad with their lyes. Note:
Obſ. 5 The King is in a ſad condition, when his ends and plots muſt be accompliſhed by the wickedneſs of the people. Such are the diſpoſitions of theſe men, that they will do any thing rather than ſuffer the leaſt evil of puniſhment, for ſaith a Prince, theſe men they have no conſcience left in them to check them; but theſe preciſe Puritans they will ſuffer and die rather than ſin againſt God and wrong their conſciences. Now theſe Prieſts and their officers (which the Prophet here ſpeaks of,) they would reaſon thus: If I ſhould croſſe the Kings mind I ſhould loſe my place, and be put out of my office, and ſuffer a great deal of trouble, and rather than they will run upon theſe ſtraights they wil run upon any deſign for the ruining of that which croſſes them, yea, though it be the worſhip of God: Oecolampadius ſaith, that bad Princes are alwaies enemies to to the ſtrict waies of religion, and unto ſuch as are the ſtricteſt in thoſe waies, and walk moſt agreeable to the Word, and are tender in their conſcience, fearful to ſin againſt it, theſe are diſregarded and diſcount…anced; but thoſe that are moſt wicked they are accounted the beſt ſubject…,Irreligion & ſlavery companions. and theſe they will truſt. Therefore where there is no religion, ſlavery ſoon follows, that people may be brought to any thing, who have loſt their religion; but where profeſſion is maintained it will teach men to ſtand for their liberties, and not to yeild againſt the truth. But what, doth Religion teach men rebellion? doth it deny obedience to Governors? No, by no means, Religion teaches obedience to Governors, and the more religious any man is, the more obedient he will be to lawful Authority, the Goſpel commands obedience to Governors, but not to Tyranny, to the wils and humors of men, God never made ſuch difference between men, Religion never teaches diſobedience to lawful authority, to ſuch as rule in the Lord, yet this was the caſe of this people. It follows.
And the Princes with their lyes. Expoſ. 1
Luther Luthercarries this to the lye of their falſe worſhip, their Idolatry, which the Scripture cals a lye, Rom. 1.25. Who changed the truth of God into a lye, and worſhiped the creature more than the Creator. But this is not the full meaning and ſcope of the words, but thus:
They put their falſe gloſſes upon their falſe worſhip, to Expoſ. 2 make it to take with the people, and with the Princes; as thus: The Prieſts did not only ſubmit and yeild to them themſelves but encouraged the people, telling them it was decent and comely in the worſhip of God▪
Or thus: By denying whatſ…er may hinder them in their Expoſ. 3 falſe worſhip. If the Prince ſhould by any means hear that his Commands were not like to take with the people, and ſo he loſe his ends, they would boldly come and affirm it to the contrary; or if they had an ill ſucceſſe, they would deny it, and ſay, they had none, it was but a ſlander which was put upon them by theſe factious Puritans; they would make …he Princes beleeve they had good ſucces when their deſigns were croſt and put back.
But principally they made the King glad with their lye… Expoſ. 4 by raiſing ſlanders and il reports upon the names and pe… … of thoſe which might ſtand in the way to cro…e and … them, they blaſted ſuch men as were in credit in the eyes o… … people; and thoſe in authority loved this at the heart, this was mighty pleaſing in the eyes of the Princes; and this certainly was the plot of the Prieſts who at that time were enemies to the true worſhip of God.
The Notes are:
Obſ. 1 That al Idolatry and falſe worſhip is but a lye in Gods eſteem, He looks upon it as a deceitful thing.
Obſ. 2 The old way of falſe worſhipers to further their falſe worſhip is, by lyes and calumniations of all ſorts, to tel them of their good ſucceſſe, when they had none; and when they had ill ſucceſs, to ſay it was a fl…m, it was no ſuch matter, their ſucceſs was as good as heart could deſire; but this in ſpecial was their trick to ſlander & diſgrace thoſe that ſtood in their way. The text ſaith in Jeremiah, Jer. 20.10That they waited for the Prophets halting, and they ſaid, Report, and we will report, do you ſay the thing, and we will affirm it, we will ſpread it abroad, Report, and let us alone with it then, we will never ſtand examining the truth of it, we heard it reported, and that is ſufficient; this hath bin the courſe and practice of our times: and in the ſtories of later times againſt Luther, what calumnies & reproaches were by the Papiſts raiſed againſt him? men ſet on work on purpoſe to do it. You may perceive my ſtraight at this time, how loth I am to rake in theſe filthy puddles, and yet led by this Scripture ſo fully to it, …at I muſt either baulk the mind of God, or elſe touch upon …ſe jarring ſtrings; but I ſhall for peace ſake for the preſent wave it, and reſerve it to its more convenient place, howbeit this wil ſtick to ſome whoſe courſe it hath been; but how vile and wicked is this courſe? for what recompence is it poſible that ſuch can make for the wrong done.
Evils of ſlanderFor firſt, It cannot be expected that an anſwer ſhould ſuddenly come to cleer ſuch reproaches. And ſecondly, When an Anſwer is come, it will be but ones yea, and anothers nay. And thirdly, If it ſhould be ſatisfactory, all the mends that can be made is, a recantation, I am ſorry, I was miſ-informed, I had Letters of it; and this is a poor requital. Then fourthly, 'Tis a queſtion whether ever the Anſwer ſhall come into all the hands that theſe Reproaches have.
It is a very evil thing, to make men glad with falſities. This was Obſ. 3 their ſin here, they had made the Princes glad with their lyes.
You had need look to your hearts when you hear reproaches and ſlanders againſt publick inſtruments: Uſe. do you hug it love, and imbrace it? if you do, it is a ſign there is rottenneſs in your hearts; it is evil to ſow reports & ſlanders, but worſe to harrow them in: he that reports, is he that ſows ſlanders, and he that carries the report and ſpreads it, is he that harrows the ſlander in.