John Trapp on Hosea 2:14

Verſe 14. Therefore behold I will allure her] A ſtrange [Therefore] It may very well have a Behold at the heeles of it: For the ſenſe is this; Becauſe ſhe hath quite forgotten me, and will never be converted of her ſelf, I will prevent her by my mercy, recalling her mildly but mightily by my Goſpel. Seducam eam et deducam in deſertum. Such another ſweet text as this we have in Eſay 57.17, 18. For the iniquity of his covetouſneſſe was I wroth and ſmote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. I have ſeen his wayes, and will heal him. Wayes? what wayes? his covetouſneſs, frowardneſs, &c. And it is as if God ſhould ſay, I ſee theſe froward children will lay nothing to heart: frownes will not humble them, blowes will not better them. If I do not ſave them till they ſeek me they will never ſaved: therefore I will heal him, I will lead him alſo, and reſtore comforts unto him and to his mourners: I will create the fruit of the lips peace to him. O the never-enough adored depth of Gods free grace and fuperabundant love to his people! This David well underſtood,Pſal. 25.11. and therefore prayed, pardon my iniquity: for it is great. He knew that God both could and would remit more then he could commit: and that mercy rejoyceth againſt judgement; whileſt God for his own ſake (though not for ours) blotteth out the thick cloud as well as the cloud, enormities as infirmities Eſay 44.22. See his Non-obſtante Pſa. 106.8. his Reſolve Gen. 8.21. and his Mandamus Pſal. 14.4. and then it muſt needs be done, though no god would do it but himſelf Mic. 7.18. though no man could imagine how it ſhould be done. Eſay 55.7, 8. I will allure her] that is, I will effectually perſwade her by the preaching of the Goſpel. Men may ſpeak perſwaſively, but God onely can perſwade Gen. 9.27. they may ſpeak to the ear, but He to the heart: and this He doth to his Elect, not onely by a morall perſwaſion, but by an irreſiſtible inward attraction, Act. 11.17. by a mercifull violence, by making them willing to follow the Lamb whereſoever he goeth. They kiſſe the Son with a kiſſe of love and homage, having firſt been kiſſed with the kiſſes of his mouth: whereupon immediately followes, Draw me, we will run after thee, Cant. 1.1, 4. Eliſha could more with a kiſſe, then his man could with a ſtaffe, in raiſing the dead child. Chriſts works upon his people fortiter, but yet ſuaviter powerfully,Recte Calvin. textum hunc reddit Inclinabo eam. but yet ſweetly he inclineth their hearts to his teſtimonies and not to covetouſneſs, Pſal. 119.36. and brings them to the obedience of faith monendo potius quam minando, docondo quam ducendo. If he do ſeduce them (as ſome render the word here) it is for no hurt, it is but to ſpeak in a word private with them, as one friend may with another: it is but to give them his loves, as he ſpeakes in the Canticles: to ſhew them his glory; as he did Moſes: to ſpread before them his beauty, and ſo to catch them by guile, as Saint Paul did Corinthians 2 Ep. 12.19. to ſteal away their hearts before they are awar[illegible: 1 letter], according to that Cant. 6.12. that they thenceforth may be an Amminadib, a willing people, a free-hearted people, Pſal. 110.3. waiting for the law Eſay 42.8. and walking by the rule, Gal 6.16. &c. Oh it is a bleſſed thing to be thus allured, thus inveigled, thus ſeduced out of the wayes of ſin and death, into the wayes of holineſs and happineſs; by the doctrine of the Goſpel,Mercer. Rivet. which is the true Pitho, the Suadae medulla, qua capiuntur homines, ſed bono ſuo, the divine Rhetorike, wherewith mens minds are taken, but for their greateſt good.

and I will bring her into the wilderneſs] Look how I at firſt allured my people out of Egypt where they ſat by the fleſh-pots, and enjoyed the pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon (out of Egypt have I called my ſon, that I might ſet him higher then the Kings of the earth) and brought them into the wilderneſs, and there extraordinarily provided for them (never was Prince ſo ſerved in his greateſt pomp) and ſpake to their hearts, giving them right judgements and true lawes good ſtatutes and commandments Neh. 7.13. to their great comfort, Pſ. 19.8. So will I again do for them, and much more then ſo, by Chriſt, in the dayes of the Goſpel. Indeed as the people at their firſt ſetting foot upon the promiſed land, met with trouble in the valley of Achor by the ſin of Achan; ſo ſhall the Saints be ſure of troubles; but Chriſt will not leave them comfortleſs: a door of hope he will open unto them in their deepeſt diſtreſſes. Death ſhall be unto them not a trap-door to hell (as it is to the wicked) but an inlet into life eternall, where they ſhall ſing the ſong of Moſes, and the ſong of the Lamb. Rev. 15.13. Let the Saints therefore rejoyce in hope, be patient in tribulation. Vineyards God will give them here, ſome grapes at leaſt of the heavenly Canaan aforehand, ſpirituall benedictions, Divine comforts to ſuſtain them, ſuch generous wine as ſhall make the lips of thoſe that are aſleep to ſpeak, Cant. 7.6. Yea to ſing, Eph. 5.18.19. Lo, ſuch wine, of the beſts and ſuch ſongs of joy ſhall the Saints have for thoſe vines which before he threatened to deſtroy verſ. 12. and that mirth which he would cauſe to ceaſe, verſ. 11. Repentance can turn croſſes into comforts, and (like the Philoſophers ſtone) make golden afflictions 1 Pet. 1.7. As it is the fair and happy daughter of an ugly and odious mother, viz. ſin; [non-Latin text not transcribed]. ſo it is the mother of all mercies and benefits: for it is repentance unto life, Act. 11.18. yea to ſalvation, and therefore never to be repented of, 2 Cor. 7.10. It is that rainbow, which if God ſee ſhining in our hearts and lives, he will not onely not drown us; but do us all good.

and ſpeak comfortably to her] Heb. ſpeak to her heart, ſuch things as ſhall chear her up, and make her heart leap and even dance Levalto's. Confer Gen. 34.3. Ruth 2.13. Judg. 9.3. Paſtquam perauxero eam. Tremell. Benigne alloquar. Caſtalio. See Iſai. 40.1. and comparing 1 Sam. 15.35. Obſerve that the ſame word [non-Latin text not transcribed] Nacham ſignifieth to repent firſt, and then to comfort. And to this purpoſe it is that ſome tranſlate the text thus, After I have brought her into the wilderneſs, and ſo humbled her thoroughly, as I once did her forefathers there, I will ſpeak to her heart: yea I will take her alone for the purpoſe, even into a ſolitary wilderneſs, where I may more freely impart my minde to her (ſo ſome fenſe it) that having her whole deſire ſhe may come up from the wilderneſs, leaning upon her beloved, Cant. 8.5. and ſo be brought into the bride houſe, with all ſolemnity.