John Trapp on Hosea 2:15

Verſe 15. I will give her her vineyards from thence] or. from thenceforth: either from that time, or from that place. God, as out of his melting heartedneſs toward her he thinks ſhe hath ſuffered double for all her ſins, Eſay 40.1. (though ſhe think ſhe hath ſuffered leſs then her ſins Ezra 9.13.) So he is ready, upon her repentance, to make her (ſtrait) a plentifull amends, He deſtroyed her vineyards and damped her mirth, verſ. 11.12. Now ſhe ſhall have all again, with advantage: not her corn onely for neceſſity, but her vineyards alſo for delight: yea an honeſt affluence of both. She ſhall have reall manifeſtations of his love: and although he take her into the wilderneſs, yet will he not be unto her a wilderneſs, or a Land of darkneſs: wherefore then ſhould his people ſay, we are Lords, we will come no more unto thee? Jer. 2.31. why ſhould they not rather reaſon thus with the prodigall. I will go to my father: for in his houſe is bread enough. I will return to my firſt husband, for then was it better with me then now, I will repent, for the kingdome of heaven is at hand &c. Lo this is the right way of reaſoning, ſc. from mercy to duty, from deliverance to obedience,2 Cor. 5.14. Tit. 2.14. Ro. 2.4. Ro. 12.1. Ezra. 9.14. The love of Chriſt conſtraineth us, ſaith Paul: the grace of the Goſpell teacheth us to deny ungodlineſſe, and to live godly, &c. the kindneſſe of God leadeth to repentance: & if beſought by the mercies of God to preſent our bodies for a ſacrifice to God, how can we do otherwiſe? If God bring vineyards out of wilderneſſes, comforts out of croſſes, meate out of eaters, honey out of the rock,Deut. 32.13. and oyle out of the flinty rock, that is, mercies out of difficulties, they muſt needs be very hard-hearted, that are not melted and mollified thereby.

And the vally of Achor ſor a doore of hope] The vally was neer unto Jericho, that city of Palmtrees, and was fertile, fat, and full of vines, Iſai. 65.10. thought to be the ſame with Engeddi which is often mentioned in the Canticles. This vally was a kinde of dore or inlet into the promiſed land: and here they began firſt to eate of the fruits of the land, which they had ſo much longed for, Joſh. 5.10. and now hoped for the enjoyment of the whole; whereof that vally was a pledg, and earneſt. Hereby then is covertly promiſed to Gods people, deliverance by Chriſt, together with the firſt-fruits and earneſt of the ſpirit, whereby they ſhall be brought to an aſſured hope of the harveſt of happineſſe, of the whole bargain of Chriſts benefits, Spes in humanis incerti nomen boni: ſpes in divinis nomenest certiſſemi Heb. 11.1. this is hope unfaileable, as proceeding from faith unfained, which can believe God upon his bare word, and that againſt ſenſe in things inviſible, and againſt reaſon in things incredible. It can take a man out of the vally of Achor, that is of trouble (ſee Joſh. 7.6.) and ſet him on the everlaſting mountains, where as from Piſgah, he may have a full proſpect of heaven; the hope where of maketh abſent joyes preſent, wants plentitudes; and beguiles calamity, (as good company doth the way) yea lookes upon it as an in let to mercy, a promiſe whereof to apoſtatizing Iſrael ſome make this fat vally of Achor to be dotis nomine, as a dowry: in alluſion to the manner of the Jewes in their marriages to give ſome piece of ground to the ſpouſe as a pledge.

and ſhe ſhall ſing there] As rejoycing in hope, Rom. 12.12. Et res plena gaudio & ſpes, Pſal. 65.13. as Bernard hath it. They ſhall ſhout for joy, they ſhall alſo ſing. Some think the Prophet here alludeth to that cuſtome of the Jewes to ſing in the time of their vintage, See Judg. 9.27. Eſay. 16.10. Others will have it to be an alluſion to their marriage-ſongs: that being the time of the rejoycing of a mans heart Cant. 3.11. Viz. at the recovery of his loſtrib. The Septuagint render [illegible: 1 word] ſhall be humbled: and indeed the word ſignifieth both to be humbled and [illegible: 1 word]. Some are humbled but not humble, low but not lowly: theſe muſt look for more load. But they that mourn in a godly manner, are ſure to be comforted. God will turn all their ſighing into ſinging; they ſhall ſing aloud upon their beds which they have ſoaked in teares,Goſr. in rit. Epiſt. l. 1. Conf. l. 6. c. 12. and made to ſwim againe, as David Pſa. 6. A reconciled condition is a ſinging condition, Bernard was ſo over-joyed at his converſion, that he was almoſt beſide himſelf. Cyprian telleth his friend Donatus, that his comforts then were inexpreſſible. Auſtin ſaith the like of himſelf. The Saints cannot but ſing at this dore of hope, though they be not yet got in at it. See Pſal. 138.5. they ſhall ſing in the wayes of the Lord, Pſal. 119.54. though they be yet but viatores. Gods ſtatutes are their ſongs even in the houſe of their pilgrimage; as hoping to ſing ſhortly in the height of Zion, to flow to the bountifulneſſe of the Lord, Jer. 31.22. As in the dayes [illegible: 1 letter]f her youth, and in the day when ſhe came up &c. Out of a low countrey, but a lower condition; being ſhiftleſſe and ſuccorleſſe. Then did God put Timbrels into their hands, and ditties into their mouths. See Exod. 15. And ſo it is here ſaid, he will do againe in the time of the goſpell. Let our Nonſingers here take notice, that ſinging (and that joyntly with others) is a Goſpell-ordinance: and for further proof let them read Mr. Cottons excellent treatiſe upon this ſubject.