John Trapp on Hosea 2:17

Verſe 17. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth] So preciſe ſhe ſhall be, ſo circumſpect, according to Exod. 23.13. that ſhe ſhould ſpit out of her mouth thoſe dunghill duties with utmoſt contempt; as David had done before her, Pſal. 16.4. If bodily filthineſſe may not be once named among Chriſtians Ephe. 5.3. why ſhould ſpirituall? The Primitive Chriſtians would not call their dayes of the week by the Heatheniſh names of Dies Martis, Dies Mercurii &c. (as Mercurius Triſmegiſt had. ſuperſtitiouſly named them) but the firſt, ſecond, third &c. day of the week: as not willing to have the names of thoſe Idols mentioned among Gods people. Mentioned they may be (no doubt) recitative without ſin, as Baal is Rom. 11.4. and Caſtor and Pollux. Act. 18.11. but not honoris gratia for honour ſake, or without ſome expreſſion of deteſtation of them; ſuch as was that of Cyril, who ſpeaking of Paganiſh idolatries breaks out thus, [non-Latin text not transcribed] we rake a dunghill in a diſcourſe of dunghill gods. What a patheticall ſpeech or rather ſhriek is that of Almighty God, Jer. 44.4. Oh! do not this abominable thing: do not honour Idols in the leaſt.Act. & Mou. ſhall I bow my knee to yonder Iackanapes? ſaid that martyr pointing to the Rood in Pauls. Should I kiſs Baal? as they did 1 King. 19.18. Or ſo much as kiſs my hand in honour to him, as Job. 31.27. were not this to deny the God that is above? Verſe 28. And how can thoſe be excuſed that have ſo often in their mouths Jupiter omnipotens, mehercule, Mecaſtor, Hieron. Damaſo. & caetera magis portenta quam numina, ſaith Hierom: and thoſe that think their verſes nothing ſo neate, unleſſe there be often naming, and ſometimes invocating too of Apollo, Jam. 3.11. Minerva, Venus, &c. Doth a fountain ſend forth at the ſame place ſweet water and bitter? Thoſe that ſay they think no hurt in all this, are no more excuſed thereby then he that ſaid, Laſciva eſt nobis pagina,Ovid. vita proba.

Thoſe that thus borrow garniſh of the Egyptians, may therewith get their botches and boyles. Howſoever, they may feare to have Bellarmine himſelf (who was no preciſian) to riſe up in judgment againſt them and condemn them; who would not have Paul called Divus Paulus, but Beatus: becauſe Divus, and Diva, were the words of the heathens for their gods and goddeſſes.

and they ſhall no more be remembred] ſc. without indignation and deteſtation, without a What have I to do any more with Idols? Hoſ. 14.1. Eſay. 30.22. or a Get you hence, Abite hinc, abite longe as Charles 5 ſaid of all his worldly pomp and atchievements at the laſt, as Amnon thruſt Tamar out of dores when he had had his will of her, when he had moyled himſelf in that filthy guzzle, and ſullied his conſcience. She multiplied her whoredomes (ſaith the Prophet) in calling to remembrance the dayes of her youth wherein ſhe had plai'd the harlot in the land of Egypt, Ezek. 23.21. and verſe 8. Not the new ſent of meat, but the remembrance of their old fleſh-pots moved Iſrael: they found ſweetneſſe in a luſt twice ſod, they had ſtill the broth of theſe abominable things in their veſſels, as the Prophet Eſay hath phraſed it, Chap. 65.4. To remember with delight ſins paſt is, to recommit them: and herein the deceitfull heart is with all care to be looked unto, that when we call to mind former evill practiſes, though with an intent to be humbled for them, we be not inſnared, and drawn to commit them afreſh by being tickled in the thought of them.