John Trapp on Hosea 11:10-11

Verſe 10. They ſhall walk after the Lord,] powerfully calling them by his Word and Spirit, going before them, and bringing up the Rere, Eſay 52.12. their King ſhall paſſe before them, and the Lord on the head of them, Mic. 2.13 Time was, when they fled from God, Hoſ. 7.13. and ſaid, I will go after my lovers, &c. chap. 2. Now they are of another minde, and other manners: they ſhall walk after the Lord, non pedibus ſed affectibus: they ſhall be carried after him with ſtrength of of deſire,Rev. 14.4. and delight, which he ſhall work in them: they ſhall follow the Lamb whither ſoever he goeth: Gods people are ſaid in Scritpture to walk before him in godly ſincerity, to walk with him in an humble familiarity, to walk after him in an holy conformity, yeelding unto him the obedience of faith. As Iſrael in the wilderneſſe, ſo muſt we, follow God and the line of his Law, though it ſeem to lead us in and out, backward and forward (as them) as if he were treading a maze.

he ſhall roar like a lion,] By the preaching of the Goſpel, he ſhall ſhake heaven and earth. The voice of the Goſpel is, Repent. Aut poenitendum, aeut pereundum, except ye repent ye ſhall all periſh. He that beleeveth and is baptized, ſhall be ſaved: He that beleeveth not, Mar. 16.16. ſhall be damned, was a terrible voice. Of the Lion it is reported, that he roareth ſo fiercely, that the reſt of the creatures ſtand amazed: and that, whereas his own whelps come dead into the world, he roareth over them, and reviveth them.Plutar. in lib. de juſt. animal. Afterwards, when he meeteth with prey, he roareth for them to come about him. Let this be applied to the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Confer Jo[illegible: 1 letter]l 3.16.

then the children ſhall tremble from the Weſt.] The children of grace, Deut. 14.1. ſhall joyn themſelves in ſpirit to the communion of the Church from all the ends of the world, where they have been ſcattered: they ſhall ſerve the Lord with fear, rejoyce with trembling. The Ancient Hebrews applied this promiſe to the coming of the Meſſiah: onely they dreamt of an earthly kingdom of his, as did alſo the diſciples, being ſowred with the leaven of the Phariſees. Others think it to be a Prophecie of the converſion, and calling of the Jewes, to be accompliſhed in the laſt dayes: as alſo of the generall ſpreading of the Goſpel, and gathering of the Elect, far and wide from one end of the heavens unto another. And this they call, the time of the Reſtitution of all things.

Vorſe. 11. They ſhall tremble as a bird out of Egypt.] Trepidè accurent, ſo Tremellius: they ſhall run tremblingly. Fear cauſeth haſt. Men delay and trifle till God ſtrikes their hearts with fear: then 'tis ecce ego, mitte me, Here I am, ſend me, Speak Lord, for thy ſervant heareth, What wilt thou have me to do Lord? &c. timor addidit ulas; as the doves when purſued by the hawk, ſcour into their columbaries. As birds frighted, flie to their neſts, and other creatures to their holes, and harbours: ſo do thoſe that are prickt at heart with the terrours of the law, flee to the precious promiſes of the Goſpel: hiding themſelves in the wounds of Chriſt crucified, and are relieved. All St. Pauls care was, that when he was ſought for by the juſtice of God, he might be found in Chriſt, not having his own righeouſneſſe,Phil. 3.9. but that which is through the faith of Chriſt.

and as a dove out of the land of Aſſyria,] i. e. out of what countrey ſoever, where they ſhall be ſcattered, I will recollect them by my Goſpel, which is therefore called Gods arm, becauſe thereby he gathereth his Elect into his boſome. Doves flie ſwiftly, Pſal. 55.6. and by flocks, Eſay 60.8. ſo ſhall the Elect to Chriſt, both of Jewes and Gentiles. By the children of the Weſt, may be meant theſe Weſtern Churches, and withall the Northern parts. By Egypt, the whole South. By Aſhur, all the Eaſtern Tract, thoſe large and mighty kingdoms that lie Eaſtward from Judea, even to the Sun-riſing. Thus many ſhall come from Eaſt and Weſt, and ſhall ſit down with Abraham, Iſaac, and [illegible: 1 letter]acob in the kingdome of heaven, Mat. 8.11. The molten-Sea ſtood upon twelve Oxen, which looked to all the four quarters of the world: ſo did the twelve gates of the new Jeruſalem, &c.

and I will place them in their houſes,] Not in ſtrong gariſons, but in their ownhouſes; where they ſhall dwell ſecurely under their own vines and fig-trees: for they ſhall have the Goſpel of peace, and the peace of the Goſpel, See 2 Sam 7.10 Or thus, I will place them in their own houſes, that is, in my Church (ſaith Polanus) which hath its houſes and places of receipt among all people the whole world thorowout, where they may ſerve God, without fear, in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe before him all their dayes. Thus the Apoſtles in their travels, where ever they came, found brethren, &c. and having nothing, yet they poſſeſſed all things, 2 Cor. 6.10. True tranquillity and ſound ſecurity is to be found no where but in Chriſt, Mic. 4.4. and 5.5. nor by any but by thoſe that hear him roaring, and calling them to the participation of his grace and peace. Thoſe that hearken to Chriſts Oracles ſhall dwell in his tabernacle.