John Trapp on Hosea 2:6

Verſe 6. Therefore behold, I will hedg up thy way with thorns] i. e. with difficulties and diſtreſſes; So God had fenced up Jobs way that he could not paſs, Chap. 19.8. he had thrown the croſs in his way, to ſtop him in his career. And ſo he had hedged the church about, that ſhe could not get out. Lam. 3.7. he had encloſed her wayes with hewen ſtone, and made her paths crooked. Verſ. 9. A great mercy if well conſidered, though grievous to the fleſh, that loveth not to be cooped or kept within compaſſe. Man is fitly compared to a wild-aſſe colt uſed to the wilderneſſe,Jer. 2.24. Job. 11.12. ſnuffing up the wind at her pleaſure, rude and unruly, untamed, and untractable, To be kept by hedges and fences within a paſture, ſeemes to ſuch no ſmall puniſhment: neither count they any thing liberty but licentiouſneſſe: or a merry life, unleſſe they may have the devil their play-fellow: But the devil plaies at no ſmall games: capite blanditur, ventre oblectat, caudâ ligat: he playes at ſwoop-ſtake, he lyes in wait for the precious life, as that harlot. Prov. 6.26. nothing leſs will content him. In great wiſdome therefore, and no leſs mercy to mens ſouls, doth God reſtrain, and bound them by afflictions, that they may not run wild as they would: nor feed upon the devils commons which would fat them indeed, but for the ſlaughter. This made Job prize affliction as a ſpeciall favour, Job. 7 18. Jerom prayeth, Correct me O Lord, Chap 10. and Luther to like purpoſe, Feri Domine, feri clementer — Strike Lord, ſtrike, it ſhall be a mercy. And King Alfred prai'd God alwayes to ſend him ſome ſickneſſe, whereby his body might be tamed, and he the better affectioned to God-ward. It is obſerved by one of our Chroniclers,Dan hiſt fol. 14. that Affliction ſo held in the Saxon Kings in the Danick wars, as having little out-lets or leiſure for eaſe and luxury, they were made the more pious, juſt, and carefull in their government: otherwiſe it had been impoſſible ſo to have held out &c. Sure it is, that if God did not hedge us in (as by his hedge of protection Iſ. 5.5. ſo) by his hedge of affliction as here, no reaſon would rule us, no cords of kindneſſe would containe us within the bounds of obedience. David himſelf before he was afflicted, I went aſtray ſaith He: But God brought him home againe by weeping croſſe. He once ſo leapt over the pale, that he broke his bones, and felt the paine of it to his dying day: he brake Gods hedge, and a Serpent bit him, Eccleſ. 10.8. his conſcience flew in his face, the guilt whereof is compared by Solomon to the biting of a Serpent and ſting of an Adder. Prov. 23.32. he roared for the diſquietneſſe of his heart: But better ſo, then roare in hell, where is puniſhment without pitty, miſery without mercy, ſorrow without ſuccour, crying without comfort, miſchief without meaſure, torment without end and paſt imagination The Prophet Amos likeneth incorrigible perſons to horſes running upon a rock, where firſt they break their hoofs, and then their necks, Amo. 6.12. Another fitly compareth them to that Jeſuit in Lancaſhire who followed by one that found his glove with a deſire to reſtore it him, but purſued inwardly by a guilty conſcience, leapes over an hedge, plunges into a marlepit behind it unſeen, and unthought of, where in he was drowned. To prevent their deſerved deſtruction (if it may be) God telleth them here that he will not only hedg them in, but wall up their way, And make a wall] macerabo maceriam, I will wall a wall, and immure her: as jealous husbands do their wives whom they miſtruſt: And this God ſpeaks by an Apoſtrophe to others, as loathing the thought that ever he ſhould be put to it, I will make a wall that ſhe ſhall not find her paths] q. d. Ile hamper her and handle her as ſhe was never handled. By a like paſſionate Apoſtrophe Gen. 49.4. old Jacob, ſpeaking of Rubens inceſt, Thou wenteſt up to thy fathers bed: then defiledſt thou it: moved with the odiouſneſſe of the fact, he breaks off his ſpeech to Reuben, and turning him to the reſt, he addeth, He went up to my couch. q. d. Out upon it, I am the worſe to think of it. Maginus tels us, that in Lituania the men are ſuch wittals, that they ſuffer their wives to have their ſtallions whom they call Cennubij adjutores, and prize them far above all their accquaintance. And Balthaſar Exnerus telleth us of a certaine Duke of Oppania, who marrying a Lituanian Lady, and going forth to meet her,Val. Max. Christian. when ſhe came firſt to him: he found in her company one of that rank, a luſty young fellow; whom when he underſtood what he was, and wherefore he came, voluit laniandum canibus objicere, he was once in minde to make dogs-meat of him. But underſtanding that it was the cuſtome of that countrey, he ſent him home againe without further hurt. The Lord our God is a jealous God: and be the Gods of the Heathen good fellowes, ſaith One, yet he will not endure corrivals: nor ſhare his glory with another. Why trimmeſt thou thy way to ſeek love? And why gaddeſt thou about ſo much to change thy way, thou alſo ſhalt be aſhamed of Egypt as thou waſt aſhamed of Aſſyria. Yea thou ſhalt go ſorth from him, i. e. from the Egyptian thy preſent patron and protector. And thy hands upon thy head, which was the geſture of women in great ſorrow. 2 Sam. 13.19. for the Lord hath rejected thy confidence, and thou ſhalt not proſper in them, Jer. 2.33.36.37. This people to have a ſtake in ſtore, howſoever the dice chanced to turn, ſought to joyn friendſhip aſſoon with the Aſſyrian. as with the Egiptian, and ſo to ſecure themſelves: but it would not do. They followed after theſe lovers, but could never overtake them. Egypt proved but a broken reed. Aſſyria the rod of Gods wrath, the ſtaff in his hand, Eſ. 10.5. yea the hedge of his making, hemmed them in by ſtraight ſieges, both at Samaria and Jeruſalem: till at length the Romans came, and walling them about, till they were forced to yield, took away both their place and their nation, according to that they feared, Job. 11.48. and cauſed to ceaſe the dayly ſacrifice which they would needs till then hold out in oppoſition to the Goſpell. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. That ſhe ſhall not finde her paths] thoſe high-waies to hell wherein ſhe hath hitherto tired her ſelf, by trotting after her lovers. Druſius noteth here, that an harlot hath her name in the Chaldean tongue from her tracing up and down; delighting to be abroad altogether, to ſee, and to be ſeen, that ſhe may draw in the ſilly-ſimple. See Prov. 7.11, 12. with the Note. God is able to ſtrike ſuch people with ſuch blindneſſe as he did the wicked Sodomites at Lots door, ſubito ſcotomate, ſaith Junius, ſuch as tormented their eyes, as if they had been prickt with thorns, as the Hebrew word there ſignifieth, Gen. 19.11. See Pſal. 75.6. Iſai. 29.19. & 19.11, 12, 13. The fool knoweth not how to go to the city, Eccleſ. 10.15. they are ſo blinded and baffled many times in their own wayes. God loves to make fools of them.