John Trapp on Hosea 11:3

Verſe 3. I tauaght Ephraim alſo to go,] A child he was verſe 1. and like a childe I dealt with him, teaching him how to ſet his feet, pedare to foot it, as nurſes do their little ones: he keepeth the feet of his Saints, 1 Sam. 2.9. he guideth their feet in the way of peace, Luke 1.79. See for this, Deut. 1.31. & 32.11. Num. 11.12. So great is the goodneſſe of God to his people, that he dealeth with us as with his little children, nos ſublevando, ſubmonendo, docendo, ducendo, regendo, tegendo, convocando, Tarnou. condonando, portando, confortando, &c. ſaith a learned Interpreter truely, and trimly. He ſpeaketh unto us as unto children, Heb. 12.5. paternè diligit, [illegible: 1 letter]micè dirigit, he loveth us as a father, he directs us as a friend, guiding us with his eye, leading us in his hand, ſetting us betwixt his knees, as ſome interpret that text, Deut. 33.3. ſetting us upon his knees, as a father doth his darling, and rejoycing over us with joy, yea joying over us, with ſinging, Zeph. 3.17. His affections are more then fatherly:Mr. Baine. and his expreſſions are according. We are like infants (ſaith One) new-born, in a manner. They are kept by the loving parents from fire and water: they are fed, laid to ſleep, made ready, and unready, and ſhifted in their ſcapes, but they know not who doth all this for them. So doth our heavenly Father by us in Chriſt. But (he knows) little underſtanding have we of him. After this, he teacheth us to go, taking us by the arms,] to help our feeble knees. And taking us up in his own arms, when we come to a foul or rough place: helping us over the quagmires of croſſes, and the difficulties of duties. And whereas we fall ſeven times a day, and in many things fail all: he taketh us up after that we have caught a knock, and cheriſheth us in his boſome, &c. Montanus and Junius carry the ſence another way, as if the words were not a deſcription of Gods love to the people, but of their unthankfulneſſe to God; rendring the words thus: When as [illegible: 1 letter]inform Ephraim, he taketh them in his arms, that it, he ſetteth up idols, and, after the manner of impudent and ſhameleſſe ſtrumpets, he taketh the puppets in his arms, and embraceth them before my face. But I like the former ſence better.

But they knew not that I healed them.] Not onely held them, that they might not fall, but healed them when they had fallen. Daring they would be ſometimes to ſtand upon their own legs, to prevail by their own ſtrength, 1 Sam. 2.9. to ſay with her in the Poet,Arachne apud. Ovid. Metam. Conſilij ſatis eſt in me mihi, &c. I am wiſe enough, and able enough, to go on as if they were petty-gods within themſelves, and had no need of nor dependance upon me. Hence they hurt themſelves, but I healed them. I forgave all their iniquities,Pſal. 103.3. I healed all their diſeaſes, their bruiſes, and putrifying ſores, that elſe had not been cloſed, bound up,, nor mollified with ointment, Eſay 1.6. God left not his people in their low eſtate, as ſome Phyſicians do their Patients: but provided a ſoveraigne ſalve, an horn of ſalvation, ſuch as would cure any diſeaſe, or maim, even the ſinne againſt the holy Ghoſt too: but that it is the nature of it to rage and rave both againſt the phyſick, and the Phyſician. Chriſt is both the one and the other: as beeing made unto us of God, Wiſdom, righteouſneſſe, ſanctification, and redemption, 1 Cor. 1.30. Quod ſanitas in corpore, id ſanctitas in corde. He is Jehovah that healeth, for he is Jehovah that ſanctifieth. This Ephraim knew not, that is, out of pride and ſtoutneſſe they acknowledged it not, but ſacrifice to their own nets, wits, endeavours, &c. Of all things God can leaſt endure to be neglected, or to have the glory of his benefits transferred upon others (See chap. 2.8. with the Note.) When men ſhall either ſay in the language of Aſhdod, 1 Sam. 6.9. It is a chance, or elſe, I have made my ſelf thus and thus happy. This, though the Saints ſhould at any time do, yet God will pardon their frowardneſſe, and ſay, as Eſay 57.17, 18. I have ſeen his wayes, (his waywardneſſe) and will heal him (nevertheleſſe) and reſtore comforts to him.