Matthew Poole and continuators on Hosea 12:8

8 And Ephraim said , Yet I am become rich , I have found me out substance : in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me, that were sin .

This covetous, oppressive merchant reckon'd with himself, or discours'd with himself upon the whole of his Trading.

Whater'e is said by some, or thought by others, yet I get what I aim at, either 'tis good and lawful and prospered to me by the blessing of God on it because 'tis just and righteous; or 'tis not so bad as morose Prophets and Preachers make it, or at worst (which I will venture saith Ephraim) it lessens my innocency but improves my stock, and this is more to such Merchants then all the Poor innocence in the World.

The same thing with a vain boast of what is not in his wealth and substance. If in his gain, he assumed his own onely to himself, it were praise-worthy; that is, if he took to himself with shame the sinful manner of acquiring it, but he takes the praise to himself and forgets God; boasts of his wit, though he cannot of his honesty.

Finally he hugs himself in the apprehension of close, and crafty carriage of all his Affairs, that no great fault, no crime can be found in it to deserve a reproach or punishment, that he hath more reason to believe all is well since it doth prosper, than to suspect any great miscarriage which should deserve punishment. So this People do at once flatter themselves into security fearless of punishment, and into hardned obstinacy in sin uncapable of amendment.

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