John Trapp on Hosea 14:2

Verſe 2. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord,] Confeſſe your ſins, beg pardon, and promiſe amendment. Sue to God to give you thoſe words that he bids you Take: go to him in his own words, put his promiſes in ſuit: crave the help of his holy Spirit, without which what can we do, Rom. 8.26. Say to God as Job 37.19. Teach us what we ſhall ſay unto thee: for we cannot order our words, by reaſon of darkneſſe. David promiſeth not onely to pray, but to marſhall up his prayers, to put them in good array, ſo the word ſignifieth, Pſal. 5.3. In the morning will I direct my prayer, order it in the beſt manner: his words ſhould be, nec lecta, nec neglecta, neither curious, nor careleſſe, but ſuch as are humble, earneſt, and direct to the point, avoiding vain babblings. Here's a form preſcribed in the Text (forms of prayer therefore are not ſo unlawfull, as ſome conceive them) words put into their mouthes (as the phraſe is 2 Sam. 14.3.) that they might not miſſe. Men muſt as well look to their words, as to their feet, when they come before God: and ſee that their affections in prayer be not without anſwerable expreſſions. Take with you ſuch words, as may teſtifie that ye turn heartily to the Lord, and not from the teeth outward, as they in the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 78.36, 37. Turn before ye begin to pray: for God heareth not ſinners; ſith their incenſe ſmels of the hand that offereth it, Eſay 1.

Say unto him,] Mentally and vocally: with ſpirit and ſpeech. True it is, that prayer is not the labour of the lips, but the travell of the heart: and God hath promiſed to anſwer his people before they call, Eſay 65.24. By calling upon his Name, we neither inform him of what he knoweth not; nor move him to ſhew us more mercy then he intendeth. But yet prayers are neceſſary, as means which God will have uſed, that we may receive what he of free mercy giveth. Beſides, it prepareth us holily to enjoy the things received; and makes us ready, either to wait for them, or to want them: and to be content that he may be glorified, though we be not gratified. And although God knoweth our thoughts, and underſtands the mind of the ſpirit, as being the ſearcher of hearts, Rom. 8.27. yet he calls for the calves of our lips, the ſervice of our tongues, Jam. 3.9. guiding them now and then in a wonderfull manner, farre beyond all naturall apprehenſion: and ſtrangely enabling his praying ſervants, who do alſo finde no ſmall benefit by this practiſe of pouring out their hearts before him, both for the preventing of diſtractions, and kindling affections, and diſcerning their profiting in holy diſires: for the more worthy effect followeth, where more fervent affection went before.

Take away all iniquity,] Few words, but full of matter: O quam multa, quam paucis! What a ſhort, but pithy prayer is this! Such was that of the Publican,Gic. de Bruti epiſtola. Luke 18.13. that of our Saviour in his agony, when yet he is ſaid to pray more fervently: that alſo which he taught us to pray, Mat. 6.7, 8, &c. ſet in flat oppoſition to Paganiſh battologies. This in the Text is not much unlike that perfect pattern: for here they are taught to beg, Ʋt auferantur ſua maleficia, conferantur Dei beneficia: Take away all evil, and give good: and then to reſtipulate thanks. So will we render, &c. Take away from us, as an unſupportable burden, ſuch as we cannot ſtand under, All iniquity, ſtain and ſting, crime and curſe, power and puniſhment, that there be no after reckonings: croſſe out the black lines of our ſinnes, with the red lines of thy Sons blood, that Lamb of God, that taketh away the ſinnes of the world by this Merit and Spirit, by his Value and Vertue; that true ſcape-goat,Joh. 1.29. Heb. 9.28. that carrieth the ſins of his people into the wilderneſſe.

and receive us graciouſly,] Heb. Receive good, that is, (as ſome interpret it) Accept, out of thy fatherly favour, the true witneſſes and effects of our thorow converſion: But better they that thus ſence it, Take good, to wit, to beſtow upon us, as Pſal. 68.19. with Epheſ. 4.8. And it is not improbable (ſaith a Reverend Writer) that the Prophet here ſecretly leadeth us to Chriſt the Mediatour, who firſt receiveth gifts from his Father, and then poureth them forth upon his Church, Act. 2.23.D. Reyn. in loc.

So will we render the calves of our lips,] Thy benefits ſhall not be caſt away upon unthankfull perſons: but we will preſent unto thee a ſacrifice that will pleaſe thee better then an oxe or bullock, that hath horns and hoofs, Pſal. 69.31. This cannot be done but by a ſound Convert: for the Lepers lips muſt be covered according to the Law: and the ſacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord. To the wicked God ſaith, What haſt thou to do to take my Name into thy mouth, &c. hee liketh not a good motion from an ill mouth, as that State in the Story: The lip of excellency becommeth not a fool, (Prov. 17.7.) no more then lying doth a worthy man, that is renowned for his wiſdom. It well becommeth the Saints to be thankfull, to cover Gods Altar with the calves of their lips. This expreſſion implieth (ſaith One) That Gods people ſhould not offer their thankfulneſſe to God of that which coſt them nothing; but bring, 1. A calf, do ſomething to further Gods worſhip, or relieve the neceſſities of others. 2. It muſt be a dead calf, that is, it muſt proceed from humble and mortified mindes. 3. A ſacrificed calf: where is required, 1 An Altar, our praiſes muſt be tendred in the mediation of Chriſt. 2 Fire, for the bare throwing out of words, though in the name of Chriſt, will not ſerve without feeling, ardency, and zeal. 3 We muſt lay our hands on the head of the calf; that is, in all humility, confeſſe our unworthineſſe of the bleſſings we give thanks for, as being leſſe then the leaſt, Gen. 32.10.