An Exposition of Hosea 4-7, Biblical commentary 2 · Chapter 7 · Verse 4
VER. 4.
They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the Baker; who ceaſeth from raiſing after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.
THIS Verſe needs but little opening, and the rather becauſe the ſixth verſe hath much of it, to the ſame effect. They are all adulterers, either ſpiritual or corporal. Is the heat of either like to an oven? Therefore let every one take heed of that which may kindle this fire, either of corporal or ſpiritual adultery: 1. an inward heat. 2. violent, that turns every thing to the encreaſe of it. 3. an heat abiding, collected and reſting, not of a harth which ſcatters the heat, but as the heat in an oven.
Now if wicked ſinful heat be ſo kept in and compacted; Uſe how much more ſhould our hear be kept in and compacted for God, in the duties of his worſhip? when we come to Prayer, perhaps we have a little heat, but it is ſcattered and confuſed; if a man were to heat a pot upon the fire, he would take it ill if another ſhould ſcatter the fire abroad;ſimile the Devil he comes and ſcatters our heat, and ſpoils us in our affections: now we ſhould oppoſe the Devil in this. It follows.
Who ceaſeth from raiſing.
Hierom Hieromand others have great light for the underſtanding of theſe words from a tradition of the Jews which was this. They ſay, the intent of Jeroboam for altering of Religion was very hot, but not knowing how it would take, they ſent abroad ſpies to leven the people to ſee how they ſtood affected, they thought if ſo be this their deſign were urged upon them of a ſudden, it would not take, but if in this way by degrees it might gain upon mens ſpirits. Thus Hierom and Cyril. As the Baker ceaſeth from kneading, he doth not preſently put it into the Oven, but lets it lie that the leven may run through it; ſo Jeroboam and his Princes were like this Baker, they were ſet upon their deſign, and it they would have, but they would have the people firſt leavened, and then they would put it into execution: and Cyril Cyril.ads that, thoſe which went to perſwade the people, uſed this fetch and device upon the people, and told them it would be for their eaſe and profit not to go up to Jeruſalem, but to petition the King that he out of his Princely love and wiſdom would permit them to worſhip at Dan and Bethel. And here lay the top of the plot, that the Kings deſign ſo much deſired by him and his Princes, yet this muſt be brought about by the people, they muſt petition to the King that he would grant this liberty to them to worſhip at Dan and Bethel, and that they might not go up to Jeruſalem, Alphonſus Arragoniae Rex.when it was firſt of all the Kings and the Princes own deſign. By this you may ſee how wicked and wiſe Idolaters are for the accompliſhment of their purpoſes, by this means Princes obtain their ends, and their plots kept in.
Behold the cunning plots of the Devil to delude poor ſouls in matters of worſhip, therefore we had need to look to our waies when we have to deal with cunning Princes and ſubtil pated men.
This means was of late uſed among our ſelves, our bakers have been a doing their feats, but they had heated their Oven too hot, and ſo their cake proved over baked, and therefore proved abortive and came to nothing; and we have cauſe to bleſs God,Applic. to England. who gave them up to this violence of rage. Thoſe in Jeroboams time were wiſe enough to carry on their deſigns with moderation, policy, and ſecrecy, and ſo got the day, though our enemies were not.
And as wicked men do ſtay and are contented to wait, till the fitteſt time is for the accompliſhment of their wicked plots, ſo the Devil is contented to wait,Satans temptat. he firſt tempts the ſoul to ſin, and when the temptation hath prevailed he ſtaies a while and lets the ſin work a while, therefore take heed of letting a temptation prevail, do not roul them up and down in your thoughts, ſaying: what if I ſhould do ſuch a thing, what if I ſhould not; now know, that the Devil is a leavening your hearts, and when your hearts are thus leavened, the Devil will come in with ſuch ſtrength of temptation that you ſhall not be able to reſiſt him; therefore as Chriſt bad his Diſciples to beware of the leaven of the Scribes and Phariſees, ſo take heed of the leaven of Satan in this kind, and in this the Devil deals as God doth with a ſinner in the Goſpel, the Goſpel is compared to leaven in Mat. 13.33. God he leavens the heart with ſome truth or other, and there lets it lie and ſoak a while in the ſoul, God caſts into the ſoul ſome truth and doth not preſently urge it with violence upon the ſoul, putting them preſently upon difficult duties, which they are not capable to perform at the firſt, but lets theſe truths lie, ſoak, and ſpread in the heart, till ſuch time as the diſpoſition and ſavor of the heart be moulded and changed into the truth, and then the Lord comes in with other truths, and works them upon the heart, which it was neither fit nor capable of before; and it were wiſdom in the Miniſters of the Goſpel, to take this courſe, not violently to urge ſtrict and hard duties upon new converts which they are not capable of, as to ſay this muſt be done, and the other muſt not be neglected, but preſs the Goſpel to them and there let it lie and ſoak a while upon the ſpirit, and bleſſed is that ſoul which is thus levened: The Lord wil carry on this work to perfection, theſe beginnings the Lord in his time will finiſh.