John Trapp on Hosea 12:1

CHAP. XII.

Verſe 1. EPhraim feedeth on wind,] Slender feeding; unleſſe Ephraim were of the Chamaeleon-kind: quippe nec cor auro ſatiatur nec corpus aura. Wind fills,Eſay 55.10, 2 Cor. 9.10. but feeds not. Ephraim had ſowed the wind, chap. 8.7. but to what profit? Hee that miniſtreth ſeed to the ſower, and bread to the eater, would here, ſurely, neither give bread for food, nor multiply their ſeed ſown, but ſend them to the gods that they had choſen, and to their confederates whom they ſo relied upon, from whom they ſhould reap the whirlwind. (See the Note on chap. 8.7.) Wind, we know, bloweth up ſtorms and tempeſts: ſo doth idolatry and creature-confidence, the tempeſt of Gods wrath that will never be blown over.

and followeth after the Eaſt-wind,] Which if he catch, a great catch he is like to have of it. Eurus eſt ventus urens & exſiccans. The Eaſt-wind is noted in Scripture for pernicious and hurtfull to fruits and herbs, Gen. 41.6. Ezek. 7.10. and 29.17. Hoſ. 13.15 violent it is alſo, and ſpareth not men, Ion. 4.8. The Seventy render it, [non-Latin text not transcribed], a burning blaſt, as they do the former words, Ephraim is an evil ſpirit, by a miſtake of the points. Iob ſpeaketh of ſome that fill their bellies with the Eaſt-wind; they think to do ſo, but it proves otherwiſe: they ſnuff up the wind with the wild-aſſe, but it tumours them onely, and proves peſtilentiall. It is very dangerous for men to follow after their own conceits and counſels. It may be worſe to them upon their death-beds, when they are lanching into the main of Immortality,Euroaquilo. then any rough Eaſt-wind, or then any Euroclydon, that wind mentioned, Acts 27.14. Ʋna eruſque uotuſ que ruunt. Virg. that hath its name from ſtirring up ſtormes, and is by Pliny called Navigantium peſtis, the Mariners miſery. An empty body meeting with tempeſts, will have much ado to bear up. If Ephraim firſt ſeed upon wind, and then fall under the Eaſt-wind, it muſt needs go hard with him. The godly man, who is filled with all the fulneſſe of God, Epheſ. 3.19. ſhall have him for a refuge from the ſtorme, a ſhadow from the heat, when the blaſt of the terrible ones is as a ſtorme againſt the wall, Eſay 25.4. His prayer is that of Ieremy, chap. 17. verſ. 17. Be not thou a terrour unto me, O Lord: thou art my hope in the day of evil. If the wind be not got into the earth, and ſtir not there, ſtorms and tempeſts abroad cannot make an earthquake: no more can afflictions, or death, an heart-quake, where there is peace with God: Such a mans mind immota manet, is as mount Zion which cannot be removed.

He daily increaſeth lies and deſolation,] This being the fruit and conſequent of thoſe; for flagitium & flagellum ſicut acus & filum, ſinne and puniſhment are inſeparable companions, Wo unto them for they have fled from me: deſtruction unto them, becauſe they have tranſgreſſed againſt me, Hoſ. 7.13. See the Note there. To heap up lies, is to haſten deſolation. A falſe witneſſe ſhall not be unpuniſhed: and he that ſpeaketh lies ſhall periſh, Prov. 19.9. They tell us of a threefold lie, i. e. A merry lie, an officious lie, and a pernicious lie. But the truth is, every lie is pernicious: and a man ſhould rather die then lie. He that lieth in jeſt, may go to hell for it in earneſt. Iacob told his father an officious three-foldlie, and ſcarce ever had a merry day after it, Gen. 27.19. God followed him with one ſorrow upon another, to teach him and us, what an evil and a bitter thing it is to cumulate lies, as here, and how it enſnares and enſnarles us.

And they do make a covenant with the Aſſyrian, and oil is carried into Egypt.] that is, all precious and pleaſant ſubstance was carried for a preſent, to make roomth for them. Oil is inſtanted, as the chief ſtaple commodity of the land, (ſee Ezek. 27.17.) and in Egypt very ſcarce: this ſin of theirs in ſeeking to other nations, and relying on the arme of fleſh, is oft reproved and threatned thorowout this Propheſie. See chap. 5.13. & 7.11. & 9.8. & 10.4 & 11.5. To neach Gods Miniſters to continue crying out againſt the prevailing ſinnes of the people, and never give over, till they ſee a reformation wrought amongſt them.Tle. 1.15. The Cretians are alwayes lyars, &c. Rebuke them ſharpely, ſaith the Apoſtle; yea, be inſtant and conſtant, in ſeaſon, and out of ſeaſon, uſing the ſame liberty in beating down ſin, that men do to commit it. Chryſ[illegible: 1 letter]ſtom told his heaters at Antioch, that till they left their ſwearing, he would never leave preaching againſt it.