John Trapp on Hosea 4:10

Verſe 10. For they ſhall eat and not have enough] Onely they ſhall be filled with their own wayes Prov. 14.14. but that is but to feed upon the wind with Ephraim Hoſ. 12.1. which breedeth nothing but troubleſome belching, or a doglike appetite (as they call it) that cannot be ſatisfied. [non-Latin text not transcribed] appetitus caninus. Theſe greedy dogs the Prieſts that did eat up the ſins of Gods people and thought to have full gorged themſelves therewith, they met with that ſore plague of unſatisfiableneſſe for the preſent (a man may aſſoon fill a cheſt with wind as a ſoul with wealth; See Eccleſ. 5.10.Non plus ſatiatur cor auro, quam corpus cura. Ang. with the note) and for the future they coveted an evill covetouſneſſe to themſelves, for they gat Gods curſe along with their evill gotten goods which will bring them to a morſel of bread: they have not onely ſuckt in the ayre, but peſtilentiall ayre, that not onely not fills them, but kills them too. See the note on Hagg. 1.6.

they ſhall commit whordome and ſhall not increaſe] The Chaldee renders it, They ſhall take wives, but ſhall not beget ſons.Aristot. Sol & homo generant hominem ſaith the Philoſopher: but unleſſe God the firſt agent concurr, that cannot be neither: Loe, Children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward, Pſal. 1[illegible: 1 letter]7.3, ſaith David to his ſon Solomon, who found it true by experience: for by all his wives and concubines (no leſſe then a thouſand) he had but one ſon that wee read of and he was none of the wiſeſt: nothing like Edward the ſixt whom alone Henry the eight left (with his two ſiſters) to ſucceed him: though he had ſo many wives and concubines. Wantonneſſe is a ſin commonly puniſhed with want of poſterity: eſpecially when it is accompanied with obſtinacy in evill courſes, as in Ahab; who, to croſſe Gods threat of rooting out him and his poſterity, took many wives;2 King. 10.1. and ſo beſtir'd him, that he begat of them ſeventy ſons, but with evill ſucceſſe: for they were all cut off in one day. Wicked men muſt not think to carry it againſt God: and to have their wils al diſputo di Dio, as that prophane Pope ſaid; and as that graceleſſe Ahaziah who ſent a third captaine, after that the former two had been conſumed with fire; as if he would deſpitfully ſpit in the face of heaven, and wreſtle a fall with the almighty. Let no man expect to proſper in unlawfull practiſes, to encreaſe by whoredome, as theſe profane prieſts ſought to do, that they might be full of children (any how) and leave the reſt of their ſubſtance to their babes Pſal. 17.14. But fertility is not from the meanes (right or wrong) but from the Authour (many a poore man hath a houſe-full of children by one wife: whileſt Solomon hath but one ſon by many houſe-fuls of wives) and Job could tell that whoredome is a fire that conſumeth to deſtruction, and would root out all his increaſe Chap. 31.12.

becauſe they have left off to take heed to the Lord] God is not bound to render a reaſon of his proceedings, yet doth it oft as here, that he may be juſtified, and every mouth ſtopped. Their Apoſtaſy is here ſhew'd to be the cauſe of their calamity. Time was when they took ſome heed to God and his wayes: they kept cloſe to him, and obſerved his commandements to do them, (as the word here importeth) but now they had left off to be wiſe, and to do good, (Pſal. 36.3.) untill their iniquity was found to be hatefull, and themſelves altogether filthy Pſal. 53.3. wicked doers againſt the covenant Dan, 11.30.32. Apoſtates cannot chuſe unto themſelves a worſe condition 2 Pet. 2.20.22. Mat. 12.43.45.Job. 9.4. let them look to it. Hath ever any waxed fierce againſt God and proſpered? even of late my people is riſen up againſt me as an enemy Mic. 2.8. but what will they do in the end thereof?