John Trapp on Hosea 2:18

Verſe 18. And in that day will I make my covenant for them with the beaſts &c.] At the firſt creation all things were ſubject to man on this condition, that he ſhould be ſubject to his maker as his maſter.Auguſtin. Rebellis autem facta eſt quia homo numini, creatura homini. But no ſooner did man rebell againſt God, but the creature began to rebel againſt him. Look how a Noble-mans ſervants will draw in defence of their Lord, and ſouldiers fight for their Generall: ſo here, God is Lord of hoſts.Pſal 119.91. They continue this day according to thine ordinance (and fight in their courſes Judg. 5.20.) for they are all thy ſervants, ready preſt they are to ſeiſe a ſinner, and to doe execution upon him, as a traytour, and rebel to the higheſt Majeſty: as the ſword that Hector gave Ajax turned into his own bowels, when once he began to abuſe it to the hurt of hurtleſſe creatures. Now here God promiſeth to aboliſh that enmity, to make peace, even pacem omnimodam, peace, peace, as the Prophet Eſay hath it, Chap. 26. a muliplied peace, a perfect, ſheere, pure peace with God, with themſelves, with all creatures: and to reſtore them in Chriſt that dominion they once had over the works of his hands,Rom. 8.28. Pſal. 8.6. with Heb. 2.7. yea power over all nations Rev. 2.26. with a promiſe that all ſhall work together for their good, and they ſhall be fully freed if not from the ſmart, yet from the hurt of every creature. Compare Ezek. 34.25. Job. 5.23. Eſay. 11.6.7. where the Prophet ſeemeth to allude to the carriage of the beaſts in Noahs Ark; all bloodineſs and rapine laid aſide. The Jewes fooliſhly argue from theſe texts, that Chriſt is not yet come, becauſe the Lion yet rageth, the Wolf devoureth, Serpents yet ſting and ſpare not the beſt. And ſome interpreters of ours are of opinion, that theſe promiſes ſhall be literally fulfilled at the reſtitution of all things, which they make to be at the time of the call of the Jewes. But when I find Nebuchadnezzar and other enemies of the Church to be called Lions, Leopards, Wolves &c. as Jerem. 5.6. and elſwhere, I cannot but think that theſe might be here meant, in part at leaſt,Virg. ponent que ferocia Poeni Corda volente Deo: according to Peters viſion Act. 10. and that God will ſo meeken the ſpirits of his converts, that they ſhall not hurt nor deſtroy in all his holy mountain Eſay. 11.9. The literall ſenſe is very good I grant: but yet it is ſtill to be taken (as all ſuch promiſes are) 1. with exception of the croſs here. 2. with expectation of the full accompliſhment hereafter, in the ſtate of perfection.

And I will break the bowe, and the ſword, and the battle out of the earth.] Theſe words ſeem to be oppoſed to that threat Chap. 1.5. I will break the bowe of Iſrael, &c. And it is as if he ſhould ſay, After that I have broken their power, and tamed their pride by the enemies forces, then I will puniſh thoſe enemies, and ſo take order with them, that they ſhall not hurt my people by any of their hoſtilities. Lo, peace is a piece of Gods Covenant; and covenant-mercies are very ſweet, when all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, Pſal. 25.10. Not mercy onely, but truth too, that comes by vertue of a covenant: Mark, what God ſaith to Abraham, Gen. 17.20, 21. I have bleſſed Iſhmael; twelve Princes ſhall he beget: but my Covenant will I eſtabliſh with Iſaac. And in the ſame Chapter Divines obſerve, that in ten verſes thereof, God repeateth his Covenant which he made with Abraham, thirteen times: to note thus much, that that was the mercy indeed that muſt ſatiſfie Abraham in all his troubles, ſorrows, and afflictions: For the Covenant of Gods peace ſhall not be removed, no not when the mountains ſhall depart, and the hils be removed, Eſay 54.10. The Lord will give ſtrength to his people; the Lord will bleſſe his people with peace, Pſal. 29.11.

and will make them to lie down ſafely.] Being gathered under my wings, they ſhall repoſe themſelves upon my power and providence, committing themſelves to me in well-doing. All true and ſolid ſecurity, whether inward or outward; all true peace, whether of countrey, or of conſcience floweth from Gods favour, Pſal. 3. & 4. Hence the Apoſtle wiſheth grace and peace, and the Angels ſang,Epheſ. 1.2. Luke 2 14. Deut. 33.16. Glory be to God on high, and peace on earth, even the peace of good-will toward men, the good-will of him that dwelt in the buſh. The Lord is with me, ſaith David, I will not fear what man can do unto me. I will ſleep and wake, and wake and ſleep again;Pſal. 3. for the Lord ſuſtaineth me. No wonder I ſlept ſo ſoundly and ſafely (ſaid King Philip) when Antipater watched me. Abner watched not ſo well, when David fetcht away Sauls ſpear and pitcher, and was barely told of it.Phil. 4.7. 1 Pet. 1.5. Lev. 26.5. Pſal. 116.7. Iſhboſheth was ſlain whiles he ſlept. The Saints go ever under a double guard, the peace of God within them, and the power of God without them, and may therefore in utramque aurem dormire, lie down ſafely, (See Ier. 23.6.) call their ſouls to reſt.