Matthew Poole and continuators on Hosea 5:4

4 They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God : for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them , and they have not known the LORD .

Those revolters, polluted Israelites, and idolatrous Ephraimites,

they are so intent upon their idolatries and oppressions, they have been so long inured to these doings, that now they are become slaves to their own doings, insomuch that they neither have will or power to change them, as Ier. 13.23.

To repent of those wicked courses, and to leave them, and so return to their God, who was once theirs by covenant, though now they have violated the covenant, and departed from God. They are in sin hardened to a hopeless and remediless obstinacy and impenitence.

Vid. chap. 4. ver. 12. Their mind and inclination stands bent, and fixed upon spiritual whoredoms, and they are incited to it by the seducing spirit, allured by examples, and all these hurry them on.

It is an universal distemper among them, all fill'd with this spirit, it hath siez'd the heart of them.

They never did rightly know, nor would they ever know, they forgot, were willfully ignorant of the way of Holiness and pure Religion, contained in the Law of God.

Who is pure, zealous for his Glory, sovereign in his Authority, rich in his rewards, severe in his punishments, and true to his promises and threats; That nothing can be more prejudicial to a people then to forsake, nor any thing more conducive to the good of a people then to keep his Law.

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