John Trapp on Hosea 1:6

Verſe 6. And ſhe conceived againe] To ſhew, in a continued allegory, the weak and wofull eſtate of the ten tribes, when the Aſſyrian took from them all the land of Gilead and Galilee, together with all the land of Nepthali, and carried them captive, ſubduing in a manner five tribes of Iſrael: to wit thoſe without Iordan (who as they had firſt their inheritance given them, ſo they were now firſt carried captives) and the tribes of Zabulon and Nepthali who were ſeated in the land of Galilee, And this was the firſt captivity of Iſrael: ſee 2 Kings 15.29, Eſay. 9.1. And bare a daughter. This age is compared to a daughter, becauſe from that time forward, after the bow of Iſrael was ſo broken, as Verſe 5. they ſhould be no more able to defend themſelves, than if they were a common-wealth of women: Their ſpirits ſhould be ſo cowed out and emaſculated, their backs ſo bowed down with unſupportable burdens and bondages,Vt de Ctanmer[illegible: 1 letter] Melc. Ad. that there was ſcarcely place left of a worſe condition, nor hope of a better. Like them were thoſe we read of Eſay 51.23. that yeelded to ſuch as would but ſay to them, Bow down that we may go over you. Hom: Jl. ſic. Virg: Phrygiae, neque enim Phryges. Or as thoſe in Nahum, 3.13. Their men ſhall be as women [non-Latin text not transcribed], timerous and cowardly, like Iſſachar's Aſſe Gen: 49.15. [whoſe lot fell in Galilee, Ioſh: 19.18.] or thoſe fugitives of Ephraim Iudg. 12.4. that therefore bare a brand of diſhonour, becauſe they would not rather die bravely, then live baſely: Of ſuch it may be ſaid as of Harts and Stags, they have great horns and ſtrength, but do nothing with them, quia deeſt animus, becauſe their ſpirits are imbaſed: as the Iſraelites in Egypt were of old by Pharoah, and as the Grecians are at this day by the Turk. call her name Loruhamah,] When God once calls a people or a perſon by this name, we may well write upon their dores (if any place be yet left for prayer, any good to be done by it) Lord have mercy upon them: their condition is deplorable, if not deſperate. Vade frater in Cellam et dic, Miſerere mei, Deus, Brother go into thy Cell and ſay, Lord have mercy upon me, ſaid Crantzius to Luther, when he began to declaime againſt the Pope, for he looked upon him as an undone man,Scultet: Annal. and yet he was not. But thoſe are doubly undone, to whom God ſhall ſay as here to Iſrael, I will no more have mercy] Heb: I will add no more to ſhew mercy: but my ſo oft abuſed mercy ſhall turn into fury. That it is not ſo yet with this ſinfull nation, that we are not yet a Loruhamah, an Acheldama, that we are not already as Sodom, Eſa. 1.9. Zeph. 2.9. and like unto Gomorrah, even a place of nettles and ſaltpits, a perpetuall deſolation, as another prophet hath it, we may well cry out, O the depth, the fathomleſſe depth of Gods dear love to England. Certain it is that we have hitherto ſubſiſted by a miracle of his mercy, and by a prop of his extraordinary patience. Certain it is that God hath not dealt with England according to his ordinary rule, but according to his prerogative royall. England (if one may ſo ſpeak with reverence) is a paradox to the Bible. God grant that being lifted up to heaven with Capernaum in the abundance of bleſſings ſhe be not brought down to hell by the abuſe of them; that God ſet not that ſad impreſſion of Loruhamah (worſe then any black Theta) upon her, and make her know the worth of his undervalued favours by the want of them: why ſhould it be ſaid of us as once, Anglica gens eſt optima flens, et peſſima ridens? why ſhould we provoke the Lord ſo long till he ſhall reſolve upon an evill, an onely evill, i. e. without mixture of mercy;Ezek. 7.5. till the decree bring forth, Zeph. 2.2. and God pronounceth that fatall ſentence againſt us that he did once againſt the old world, Fiat juſtitia, ruat mundus, Let juſtice be done though the world be thereby undone. Of all Gods Attributes he can leaſt abide an abuſe in his mercy, Gods, mercy is precious (ſaith one) and he will not let it run out to waſt; he will not be prodigall of it: There is a time wherein God will ſay, now I have done, I have even done with this people, mercy hath had her turn &c. I will not alwayes ſerve them for a ſinning-ſtock, but will take another courſe with them: I will take my own and be gone: and woe be unto them when I depart from them. When the ſun is eclipſed, all creatures fade and flag here below. Thou hiddeſt thy face, Lord, and I was troubled, Pſal. 30.7. David could not live but in the light of Gods countenance: he begs for mercy every where, as for life, never did poor priſoner at the bar beg harder for a pſalm of mercy then he doth, Pſal. 51.1. and other where. Neither would common mercies content him, he muſt have ſuch as are proper and peculiar to Gods own people, even the ſure mercies of David. Oh make ſure of mercy, what ever you go without. And the rather becauſe there are a race of Loruhamahs, a ſort of ſuch amongſt men as are excluded from mercy. God is not mercifull to any wicked tranſgreſſours Pſal. 59.5. that go on in their treſpaſſes Pſal. 68.21. that allow them and wallow in them. That laſt letter in Gods name had need to be well remembred Exod. 32.7. He will by no meanes clear the guilty. And that terrible text ſhould never be forgotten by thoſe that are obſtinate in an evill courſe, and bleſs themſelves when God curſeth them, Deut. 29.19.20. See the note there. Gods mercy goes oft-times in Scripture bounded by his truth: and as the ſame fire hath burning heat and cheerfull light, ſo hath God plagues for the obſtinate, and mercy for the penitent. Surely as he is pater miſevationum the father of mercies: ſo he is Deus ultionum the God of vengeances: as he hath vbera, ſo he hath verbera, treaſures of puniſhments for thoſe eſpecially that kick at his bowels, that deſpiſe his long-ſufferance, that argue from love to liberty, which is the Divels logick. Cavete a Melampygo.

But I will utterly take them away] Tollendo tollam, So Calvin renders it: and further tels us that ſome render it Comburam, I will burn them: and indeed war is fitly compared to fire that cruel element, and to extream famine Iſaia. 9.19.20. The vulgar latine tranſlateth it Obliviſcendo obliviſcar, I will utterly forget them: and that's puniſhment enough: as when one carried himſelf inſolently toward the State of Rome, a grave Senator gave this counſel, Let us forget him and he will ſoon remember himſelf. Woe be to thoſe to whom Chriſt ſhall ſay, Verily I know you not, I have utterly forgot you. Mercer rendreth it, Levabo, id eſt, projiciam, I will lift them up, that I may throw them down againe with the greater poiſe. The Seventy hath I will ſet my ſelf againſt them in battell array. Now the Lord is a man of war Exod. 15.4. yea he is the Lord and Victor of wars, as the Chaldee there paraphraſeth. But what meant the Chaldee here to render this text by Parcendo parcam eis, Sparing I will ſpare them: is not this point-blank againſt Loruhamah? How much better Tremellius, ut ullo-pacto condonem-iſt is, that I ſhould any way forgive them. Have I not pardoned them enough already? may I not well by this time be weary of repenting? I will even break off my patience, and forbear to puniſh no longer, I have long time holden my peace, I have been ſtill and refrained my ſelf: now will I cry like a travelling woman (who bites in her paine as long as ſhe is able I will deſtroy and devour at once: I will, I will. Iſa. 42.1[illegible: 1 letter] The ten tribes never returned out of captivity, unleſs it were ſome few of them that came up with the other two tribes out of Babylon, Ezr. 2. by the appointment of Cyrus: and ſome others that fled home when Nineveh (where they were held captive) was deſtroyed: But for the generality of them, whether they abide in China or Tartary, or Weſt-Indies, I cannot tell you. Parcus rendreth it, Nam tolerando toleravi eos, for I have a long while born with their evill manners. And ſurely Subito tollitur, Aug. qui diu toleratur, as an Ancient ſaith, Gods patience will not alwayes hold &c.