John Trapp on Hosea 2:1

CHAP. II

Verſe 1. Say unto your brethren Ammi] Beſides the publike preaching of this gracious promiſe, chap. 1.10. There it ſhall be ſaid unto them &c. charge is here given that this be the ſubject of their more private diſcourſe alſo: and that they that fear the Lord ſpeak often one to another, we that were not a people, are now a people: we that had not obtained mercy, have now obtained mercy. Jubet per Prophetam ne haec vox in eccleſia taceatur. Mercer. God commands by the prophet that theſe ſweet words Ammi Ruhamah, be toſſed and talked of at every friendly meeting; I will not leave you fatherleſſe: In me the fatherleſſe findeth mercy: [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Heb. 13.5. I will never leave thee, I will not, not, not forſake thee: ſo many Nots there are in the Originall for more aſſurance, God would have ſuch precious paſſages as theſe, to be rehearſed (even in the places of drawing water Judg. 5.11. where the maids met to fetch water, or do other ordinary chares) for mutuall incouragement, and for the praiſe of his name. O the matchleſs mercy of our God! O the never-enough adored depth of his free grace! who would not fear thee o King of Nations!Pſal. 92.1. who would not be telling of thy goodneſſe in the morning, and of thy faithfulneſſe every night? Read that triumphant Pſal. 145. per totum; and be you ever chaunting out, (as they of old at their daily employments) aliquid Davidicum; ſo building up one another with Pſalms and hymns and ſpirituall ſongs. Think but on theſe two words in the text, and you cannot want matter. Is it nothing to be in covenant with God, and to be under mercy? O bleſſed are the people that have the Lord for their God, Pſal. 144.15. ſaith David. But I obtained mercy ſaith Paul. 1 Tim. 1.16. and that was his [non-Latin text not transcribed] his confident boaſting, where ever he came, being a conſtant preacher of Gods free grace: (as was likewiſe Auſtin, which makes him hardly cenſured by the Semipelagian papiſts and Arminians as an enemy to nature, becauſe ſo high a friend to grace.] Neither is he forgetfull to tell his Epheſians and others to whom he writeth, that they were once dead in ſins and treſpaſſes, but now, quickened together with Chriſt &c. They were forreiners, but now fellow-citizens with the Saints: they were darkneſſe,Eph. 5.8. but now light in the Lord, and ſhould therefore walk as children of light, and talk of his praiſes, who had drawn them out of dreadfull darkneſſe, into marvelous light. Come, ſaith David, and I will tell you what God hath done for my ſoul. The Lord hath done great things for us, ſaith the Church, whereat we are glad.Pſal. 66.19. Pſal. 126.3. Luke. 1.49. He which is mighty hath done to me great things: and holy is his name, ſaith the bleſſed Virgin. Say ye unto your brethren Ammi, and to your ſiſters Ruhamah. Say it, ſay it, to brethren and to ſiſters, upon every opportunity, and with the utmoſt importunity, that it may take impreſſion upon their ſpirits, and not be as a ſcale ſet upon the water, nor as raine falling upon a rock that leaves no ſigne behind it. The Grecians being delivered out of ſervitude by Flaminius the Roman General,Plutark. rang out Soter, Soter, that is Saviour, Saviour, with ſuch a courage, that the very birds of the ayre, aſtoniſhed thereat, fell to the earth. The people of Iſrael gave ſuch a loud ſhout at the return of the Ark, that the earth rang againe. A drowning man being pulled out of the water by Alphonſus King of Arragon, and reſcued from ſo great a death, cryed out (as ſoon as he came again to himſelf) by way of thankfulneſſe Arragon, Arragon. Valer. Max. Chriſtian. p. 41 1. Sam. 7.12. Pſal. 116.8. let us cry as loud Ammi, Ruhamah, hitherto God hath helped us, who were lately (with thoſe Iſraelites in the wilderneſſe) talking of our graves. Say therefore with the Pſalmiſt, Becauſe thou haſt delivered my ſoul from death, mine eyes from tears, my feet from falling, I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living &c.