John Trapp on Hosea 4:14

Verſe 14. I will not puniſh your daughters, when they commit whoredome,] q. d. I will not once foul my fingers with them, or be at pains to correct them: but they ſhall take their ſwinge in ſin, for me, &c. Origen in a certain Homily quoting this Scripture,Hom. 8. in Exod. 20. ſaith, Vis indignantis Dei terribilem vocem audire, &c. Will you hear the terrible voice of a provoked God? hear it here, I will not puniſh, &c. You ſhall be without chaſtiſement, for an argument that you are baſtards and not ſons. Never was Jeruſalems condition ſo deſperate, as when God ſaid unto her, My fury, ſhall depart from thee, I will be quiet and no more angry, Ezek. 16.42. Feri Domine, ſeri, cried Luther, Strike Lord, ſtrike, and ſpare not.

Ferre minora volo, nè graeviora feram.

There is not a greater plague can befall a man, then to proſper in ſinfull practiſes. Bernard calleth it, miſericordiam omni indignatione crudeliorem, a killing courteſie, Ezek. 3.20. I will lay a ſtumbling-block before him: that is, ſaith Vatablus, I will proſper him in all things, and not by affliction reſtrain him from ſin. Job ſurely counts it for a great favour to ſorry man,Job 7.17, 18. that God accompts him worth melting, though it be every morning; and trying, though it be every moment. And Ieremy calleth for correction, as a thing that he could not well be without, Correct me O Lord, &c.

For themſelves are ſeparated with whores,]Rivet. God ſeemeth to ſpeak this to others by change of perſon: Ac ſi puderet ipſum cum putidis hircis verba facere, as if he were aſhamed to ſpeak any longer to ſuch ſtinking goats. Separates they were, but of the worſt ſort: they ſeparated themſelves with harlots, they gat into by-corners, far from company (ſpecially of thoſe that know them) that they might more freely act filthineſſe.Auſon. But what could the Heathen ſay, Turpe quid acturus, Te ſine teſte time. Conſcience is a thouſand witneſſes: and men muſt not think long to lie hid: for God will be a ſwift witneſſe againſt the adulterers, Mal. 3.5. and, it may be, bring them into all evil, in the middeſt of the Congregation and aſſembly, Prov. 5.14. See the Notes on both places. Some render it, They beget baſtards, ſuch as the Mule is, (which alſo hath his name pered, ijpparedu. from this root) Or they ſhall be unfruitfull as the Mule. Wantonneſſe is commonly puniſhed with want of children. (See the note above on verſe 10) Thoſe children that they had took after them, it appeareth here: they were naught by kind, as being an adulterous g[illegible: 2 letters]eration, a ſeed of evil-doers, a race of rebels; and therefore it was no matter, how little they multiplied. Let thoſe that have children, and others under their charge, keep home as much as may be, and not be ſeparate from their families (with whores eſpecially) leſt their daughters mean-while commit whoredome, (counted but a trick of youth, a ſin that that ſlippery age may eaſily ſlip into, and not eaſily be deſcried, Pro. 30.19.) and their ſpouſes commit adultery, by occaſion of their leud abſence, and to cry quittance with them at home. Let them alſo make Nebuchadnezzars law, that none under their roof, ſay, or do ought againſt the God of heaven; Dan. 3.29. and themſelves be firſt in the practiſe of it, as ſo many living lawes, walking ſtatutes; ſo may they hope to keep their houſes chaſt, and honeſt, and provide for the credit and comfort both of themſelves and of theirs.

And they ſacrifice with harlots,] Heb. Holy-harlots, ſacrificing-harlots, ſuch as Solomon ſpeaketh of, Prov. 7.14 and as thoſe wicked women that lay with Elies ſonnes at the door of the Tabernacle, 1 Sam. 2.22. Or as King Edward the fourth, his holy whore, as he uſed to call her, that came to him out of a Nunnery,Speed. when he liſt to ſend for her. His kinſman Lewis the eleventh of France, (knowing his diſpoſition) invited him to the French Court, promiſing him his choice of Beauties there, and adding Adhibebimus tibi Cardinalem Burbonium, Comin. then ſhall Cardinall Burbon ſhrieve you, and abſolve you of all your miſdoings, &c. 'Tis well enough known what foul work the Heathens made at their ſacra Eleuſinia, Bacchanalia, Lupe c[illegible: 1 letter]lia priapeia (the ſame with the ſacrificing to Baal-Peor, as Hierom holds.) And to theſe this Text may ſeem to refer; and this people too have ſeparated themſelves to that ſhame.

Therefore the people that doth not underſtand, ſhall fall.] Heb. ſhall be beaten, as ſome render it, ſhall be perplexed, and troubled, ſo as they know not what to do, or how to help themſelves, as Aben-ezra from the Arabick. The Chaldee interprets it, collidetur, ſhall be daſhed in pieces. Ignorance is much inſtanced and threatned in this Chap. three or four ſeverall times at leaſt.Omnis peccant eſt ignorans. Not becauſe men ſin onely by ignorance, as the Platoniſts think: but 1. to aggravate the hatefulneſſe of this ſinne, which men uſe ſo to excuſe and extenuate. 2. to taunt and abaſe the rebellious nature of man, who now is ſet in groſſe ignorance, and ready to pitch headlong into hell, as the juſt guerdon of his aſpiring and reaching after forbidden knowledge. 3. becauſe ignorance (affected eſpecially) is the ſource of many ſins, and a main ſupport of Satans kingdome. See the Notes above on verſes 1, 6, &c.