John Trapp on Hosea 2:5

Verſe 5. For their mother hath plaid the harlot] Being a wife of whoredoms chap. 1.2. (ſee the Note there,) therefore I will not have mercy upon her children, but will root out all her increaſe, job. 31.12. Either ſhe ſhall commit whoredom, and not increaſe, Hoſ. 4.10. Or if ſhe do, it is for miſchief: ſhe ſhall bring forth children to the murtherer: or at leaſt, ſhe ſhall bequeath them a fearfull legacy of ſin and puniſhment, worſe then that leproſie that Gehezi left to his poſterity, or that Joab leſt to his, 2 Sam. 3.29. lameneſs and gonorrhaea, &c. It is a dangerous thing to keep up the ſucceſſion of a ſin in the world, and to propagate guilt from one generation to another: it is a great provocation. When the wickedneſſe of ſuch is ripe in the field (and they have filled up the meaſure of their fathers ſins) God will not let it ſhed to grow again: but cuts it up by a juſt and ſeaſonable vengeance. Let parents therefore break off their ſins and get into Gods favour: if for nothing elſe, yet for their poor childrens ſake: labouring to mend that by Education which they have marred by propagation and evil example. And let children of wicked parents (as they tender their own eternall good) take Gods counſell, Ezek 20. verſ. 18.30. Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations? Oh, walk ye not after the ſtatutes of your fathers: neither obſerve their judgements, nor defile your ſelves with their idols. True it is, men are wonderous apt to dote upon their fathers doings, and are hardly drawn off from their vain converſation by received tradition from their anceſtors 1 Pet. 1.18. A bo[illegible: 1 letter]e majori diſcit arare minor. Ovid. Preſcription is held Authoritie ſufficient. Me ex ea opinione quam à majoribus accepi de cultu deorum nullius unquam movebit oratio, [illegible: 1 letter]ic. ſaith Tully, No man ſhall ever diſſwade me from that way of divine worſhip that my forefathers lived and died in. It is reported of a certain Monarch of Morocco, that having read Saint Pauls Epiſtles he liked them ſo well, that he profeſſed that were he then to chuſe his Religion, he would, before any other, embrace Chriſtianity. But every one ought,Heyl. Geog. pag. 714. ſaid he, to die in his own Religion: and the leaving of the faith wherein he was born was the onely thing that he diſliked in that Apoſtle. Thus He. Sed teto erravit caelo, Antiquity muſt have no more Authority then what it can maintain, [non-Latin text not transcribed], Mine Antiquity (ſaid Ignatius) is Chriſt Jeſus, who ſaid not to the young man, Do as thy forefathers, but Follow thou me. She that conceived them hath done ſhamefully] She hath utterly ſhamed her ſelf and all her friends; husband, children, all. The woman is or ſhould be the glory of the man. Solomons good huſwife was ſhe, Prov. 31.28, 29. Her children riſe up and call her bleſſed: her husband alſo, and he praiſeth her, ſaying, Many daughters have done vertuouſly: but thou excelleſt them all. Alphonſus King of Arragon was once reſolved never to commend his wife, leſt he ſhould be accounted immodeſt, or uxorious: but afterwards he changed his mind,Val: Max. Chri. 73. and was ſo taken with his wives vertues and conſtancy, that he reſolved to praiſe her quocunq in trivio, cui que obvio, ſine modo, et modeſtia in all places and companies, &c. So did Budaeus, Pareus, and others.Plin. Tacit. utinam aut coelebs vixiſſem, aut orbusperirſſem. Prov. 14.34. Deut. 28. Jer. 25.9. Ezek. 5.15. but a wicked wife, (an harlot eſpecially) puts her husband to the bluſh and is a great heart-break, as Livia was to Auguſtus (Eudemus was both her Phyſician and her ſtallion) his children alſo proved ſtart naught: which made him wiſh that either he had lived a Batchelour, or died childleſſe. Righteouſneſs exalteth a nation: but ſin is a ſhame to any people. It is the ſnuff that dimmeth their candleſtick, the leaven that ſowreth their Paſſeover, the reproach that rendreth them a proverb, and a by-word, an aſtoniſhment and an hiſſing, a taunt and a talk to other countries. Such was Iſraels Apoſtaſie & Idolatry, their ſubjecting Religion to carnal policy in ſetting up the two calves, and Baalim: when Ephraim ſpake there was trembling, and then he exalted himſelf in Iſrael: but when he offended in Baal, he died Hoſ. 13.1. Whilſt he kept cloſe to God, who but Ephraim. None durſt quack, but all quaked at the name of Ephraim: he was on high, and much honoured. But when he declined to Idolatry, he became contemptible: and every paltry adverſary caſt dirt in his face, and crowed over him. So true is that of Solomon, The wiſe ſhall inherit glory: Prov. 3.35. but ſhame ſhall be the promotion of fools: What a victorious Prince was Henry the fourth of France, till he (for politike reſpects) turned Papiſt? Till then he was Bonus Orbi: but after that, Orbus Boni, as the wits of the time played upon his name Borbonius, Life of Phil. de Mornay. by way of Anagram. Once he was (before his revolt) perſwaded by Du-Pleſſy to do publike pennance for having abuſed the daughter of a certain Gentleman in Rochel, by whom he had a ſon. Hereunto he was drawn with ſome difficulty, being read, to fight a battle: and this was no diſgrace to him: But when, by compliance at leaſt, he became an Idolater for lucre of a crown, and love of life, he became a vile perſon, as Antiochus is called, Dan. 11.21. and was worthily laſhed with rods by the Pope, in the perſon of his Embaſſadours; and butchered by the inſtigation of thoſe Jeſuites whom he baſely recalled into France, whence they had been baniſhed, and admitted them into his boſom; making Father Cotton his Confeſſour et ſic probroſe ſe geſſit, et rem confuſione dignam admiſit, as here. He both ſhamed and undid himſelf. For ſhe hath ſaid, I will go after my lovers] Amaſios meos, My ſweet-hearts, Marbeck. Act. & Mon. thoſe that have drawn away my heart from my husband. But if that perſecutour could ſay to the Martyr. What (a devil) made thee to meddle with the Scriptures? how much better might it be ſaid to the Synagogue, (and ſo to all Apoſtates) What (a devill) meant you to go a whoring from ſuch an husband (who is totus, Cant. 5.16. totus deſiderabilis, altogether lovely, even the chief of ten thouſand,) after dumb idols and falſe Prophets who are their brokers (proxenetae et proci) and ſpokeſmen? Athenaeus brings in Plato bewailing himſelf and his own condition, that he was taken ſo much with a filthy whore. Adultery is filthineſſe in the abſtract: Gelulim. Ezek. 22.3. 1 Pet. 4.3. ſo is alſo idolatry: and therefore idols are called by a word that ſignifieth the very excrements that come out of a man; a tearm too good for thoſe dunghill-deities, thoſe abominable idolatries, as Saint Peter expreſſeth it. Mention is made in hiſtories of a certain heathen people that puniſh adultery with death: and with ſuch a death as is ſuitable to the ſin. For they thruſt the adulterers or adultereſſes head into the paunch of a beaſt, where lieth all the filth and garbage of it, there to be ſtifled to death. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Jude 7. Sodom and Gomorrha had fire from heaven for their burning luſt: and ſtinking brimſtone for their ſtinking brutiſhneſſe. They are alſo thrown out (as St. Jude phraſeth it) for an example, ſuffering the vengeance of eternall fire. And in the like pickle are the Beaſt, and the falſe Prophet (thoſe Arch-idolaters) for theſe both are caſt alive into a lake of fire burning with brimſtone Rev. 19.20. And worthily,Eſay 3.9. ſith they declared their ſins as Sodom, they hid it not: And as this huſwife in the text: who ſaid I will go after my lovers] ſhe did, of wickedneſs forethought, upon deliberation, de induſtria, ex conſilio, wilfully and of purpoſe, impudently and without all ſhame of ſin, ſay, I will go after. This was ſhameles indeed: They ſhould rather have gone after her,Deut. 23.18. then ſhe after them. Moſes fitly compareth a whore to a ſalt-bitch that is followed after by all the dogs in a town. And am I dogs-head, ſaid Abner to Iſhboſheth, 2 Sam. 3.8. that is. Am I ſo given to luſt & laſciviouſnes as dogs are that run after every ſalt-bitch? But this harlot verified that ſaying in Ezekiel. The contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms: whereas none followed thee to commit whoredoms, thou followeſt them; and glorieſt in thy ſo doing, as Lots daughters did in their deteſtable inceſt, naming their children Moab, that is, a birth by my father; and Benammi, that is, begotten by one of my near kindred. Theſe all might have held their tongues with ſhame enough. But ſuch kinde of ſinners are ſingularly impudent, Jer. 3.3. infatuated, Hoſ. 4.11. and paſt feeling, Epheſ. 4.19. And ſo are Idolaters wickedly wilfull, and irreclaimable for moſt part. See Jer. 44.16, 17. & 2.10. Eſay 44.19, 20. A ſeduced heart hath turned him aſide, that he cannot deliver his ſoul; nor ſay, Is there not a lie in my right hand? How ſtiffe are Papiſts to this day in defence of their Image-worſhip? how ſevere againſt ſuch as deface, or but diſgrace them? Murther is not ſo hainous a ſin, &c.

That give me my bread and my water, &c.] What can be more like to the doings of the Papiſts then this? ſaith Danaeus. Who knows not what ſuit they make, and what thanks they return to their He-Saints, and She-Saints, and how they ſacrilegiouſly transfer the glory due to God alone, to the creature. The Lord rightly reſolveth the genealogy of corn, wine, and oil into himſelf, verſe 22. of this chapter. And the Apoſte tells us, that it is He that filleth mens hearts with food and gladneſſe, Act. 14.17.

— Et cum chariſſima ſemper, Munera ſint Author quae precioſa facit.

This ſhould make us lift up many an humble, joyfull, and thankfull heart to God: well content if we may have offam et aquam, bread and water, and the goſpel: and vowing with Jacob, Gen. 28.20. that if God will give us bread to eat, and raiment to put on, then ſhall he be our God, and we will honour him with the beſt of our ſubſtance. As for other gods, whether Pagan, or Papagan, ſay we as that Heathen did, Contemno minutulos iſtos deos modò Jovem mihi propitium habeam, I care not for theſe petty-deities: I truſt in the living God, who giveth us all things richly to enjoy: All things, I ſay, both ad eſum, et ad uſum, for back and belly, (beſides better things) which is all that carnall people care for. There be many (too many) that ſay (and can skill of no other language) Who will ſhew us any good? who will give us bread,Pſal. 4. water, wooll, oil, &c? they look no higher, know no heaven but plenty, hell but penury, God but their belly, whereunto they offer ſacrifice with Poliphemus, and care for no more, quam ut ventri bene ſit ut lateri, then that their bellies may be filled,Epicur. ap. Hor. their backs fitted. Let them have but plenty of victuals, and the Queen of heaven ſhall be their good Lady, Jer. 44.17. Baſe ſpirits look onely after low things: gain and credit carry them any way. They work for their peny a day; and are like little children, which will not ſay their prayers unleſſe they may be promiſed their breakfaſt: Whereas a true worſhipper of God ſoareth aloft, hath his feet at leaſt, where other mens heads are, trades for higher commodities, cannot be put off with mean matters. When great gifts were ſent to Luther, he refuſed them with this brave ſpeech, Valde proteſtatus ſum me nolle ſic ſatiari: Melch. Adam. I deeply proteſted, that I would not be put off by God with theſe low things. The Papiſts offered to make him a Cardinall, if he would be quiet. He replied, No, not if I might be Pope. They ſent Vergerius, the Popes Nuncio, to tempt him with preferment, and to tell him of Eneas Sylvius, who following his own opinions,Hiſt. of Counc. of Trent. p. 73. with much ſlavery and labour, could get no further preferment then to be Canon of Trent, but being changed to the better, became Biſhop, Cardinall, and finally, Pope Pius 2. The ſame Vergerius alſo minded him of Beſſarion of Nice, who of a poor Collier of Trapezond, became a great renowned Cardinall, and wanted not much of being Pope. But what ſaid Luther to all this? Contemptus eſt a me Romanus et favor, et furor, I care neither for the favour nor fury of Rome. The Bramble thought it a brave buſineſſe to raigne over the trees: not ſo the vine and fig-tree. We read of Pope Silveſter, that he gave his ſoul to the devil for ſeven yeers enjoyment of the Popedome; which Luther ſpurn'd at. One good caſt of Gods loving countenance, was more to David then a confluence of all outward comforts and contentments. Thou haſt put gladneſſe in mine heart, ſaith he, more then in the time that their corn, and their wine increaſed, Pſal. 4.7. Their corn, and their wine he calleth it; becauſe it is their portion, (poor ſouls) and they are too too well apaid of it. Wealth upon any tearms is welcome to them, and thoſe are their lovers that will keep them to it, yea though it be the devil himſelf: whoſe language alſo here they ſeem to have learned when they ſay, my corne and my water &c. All's their own if you will beleeve them: like as the devill ſayd to our Saviour, Luk. 4.6. All this wealth is mine and to whomſoever I will, I give it. But God is the true proprietary, the owner of all: and it is his alone to ſay Cui volo, do illa. Dan. 4.22. The devill is God of this world: 2 Cor. 4.4 but tis but titular onely, as a king at cheſſe: or at beſt, by uſurpation onely as Abſalom was a king: and as the Pope is Lord of all the kingdomes of the world, both for temporals and ſpirituals; to diſpoſe of them at his pleaſure. When he makes Cardinals, he uſeth theſe big-ſwoln words, eſtote confratres noſtri, et principes mundi, Be you brethren to us, and princes of the world. And by ſuch high honours, biſhopricks, and benefices, he prevaileth with very many to be wholy at his devotion. One of his poore beneficiaries ingenuouſly confeſſed, that he and thoſe of his rank preached the goſpel for nothing elſe, niſi ut nos paſcat & veſtiat then to get a poore living by it. Let Saints ſay, Non eſt mortale quod opto, we breath after better things:Rev. 12.1. we have the moon under our feet and are above corn, wooll, flax &c. The devill ſhall not ſtop our mouthes with theſe palterments. Balaam may run and ride after the wages of wickedneſſe, and get a ſword in his guts. Ahab may make a match with miſchief, and ſell himſelf to do wickedly: Judas hunt after lying vanities, and haſtened to his own place. But Moſes was of another ſpirit,Heb. 11.37. and refuſed to be called the ſon of Pharoah's daughter Heb. 11.24. And thoſe Worthies in the ſame chapter that were tempted with offers of profit and preferment, could not be won over, but reſiſted the devill, and he fled from them. The world was crucified to Saint Paul, and he to the world. He was of too generous a ſpirit: he was no malleable matter: all was but dung and dogs-meat in his account Philip. 3.8. D. Taylor martyr was promiſed not onely his pardon, but great promotion; yea a Biſhoprick: but he would none of it: Another D. Taylour Biſhop of Lincoln,Act. & mon. fol. 1386. Ib. 1918. Ib. 815. Ib. 1444. Ib. 1578. was violently thruſt out of the Parlament-houſe in his robes, in Q. Maries raigne, and deprived. So was Hirmanius Archbiſhop of Colen for certain reformations, done by the ayd and advice of Martin Bucer. I dare ſay, (ſaid B. Bonner to Mr. Hawkes martyr) that Cranmer would recant if he might have his living: ſo judging others by himſelf. But Latimer and Shaxton parted with their Biſhopricks in King Henry the eights time, rather then to ſubmit to the ſix Articles. And John Knox refuſed a Biſhoprick offered him by King Edward the ſixth, as having aliquid commune cum Antichriſto: ſo did Miles Coverdale in Q. Eliſabeths raigne;Knox his life by Mr. Clark. chuſing rather to continue a poore Schoolmaſter. Pliny ſaith of Cato, that he took as much glory in thoſe dignities and honours that he denyed, as he did in thoſe that he enjoyed. He was wont alſo to ſay that he had rather men ſhould queſtion why he had no ſtatue or monuments erected to him, then why he had:Plin. Nat. hiſt. praef. Certainely it is ſo with the Saints: and upon better grounds.