John Trapp on Hosea 4:9

Verſe 9. And there ſhall be like people like prieſt] i. e. they ſhall ſhare alike in puniſhment, as they have done in ſin: neither ſhall their prieſthood protect them, any more then it did Elies two ſons, whoſe white Ephod covered foule ſins. A wicked Prieſt is the worſt creature upon earth. Who are devils but they that were once angels of light? and who ſhall have their portion with the devill and his angels, but thoſe dehoneſtamenta cleri male monetae minſtri, bad-liv'd miniſters: It was grown to a proverb in times of Popery, that the pavement of hell was pitcht with ſouldiers helmets and ſhavelings-crowns. Letters alſo were framed and publiſhed as ſent from hell: wherein the devill gave the Popiſh clergy no ſmall thanks, for ſo many millions of ſoules as by them were daily ſent down to him.Matth. Pariſ. ad Ann. 1072. The Prieſts might haply hope to be priviledged and provided for in a common calamity, for their office-ſake; As Chryſoſtom ſaith that Aaron (though in the ſame fault with Miriam Numb. 12.1: yet) was not ſmitten with leproſy as ſhe, for the honour of the Prieſthood, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Chryſ. leſt ſuch a foule diſeaſe on his perſon ſhould redound to the diſgrace of his office. But I rather think he eſcaped by his true and timely repentance; whereby he diſarmed Gods indignation, and redeemed his own ſorrow and ſhame. For God is an impartiall judge: neither is there with him reſpect of perſons: Prieſt and people ſhall all be carried captive one with another (the prieſts for the people, according to that of Eſay, I am a man of poullted lips: for why? I live among a people of polluted lips and have learned their language:Eſay 6. and eſpecially the people for the prieſts Jer. 23.10.14.15. from the prophets there goes profaneneſſe quite through the land) ſo they ſhall fare the worſe one for another: they ſhall all be involved in the ſame puniſhment. Onely it ſhall be more grievous to the prieſt, by how much higher thoughts he had of himſelf: looking on the people as his underlings, as they did Joh. 7.49.

and I will puniſh them for their wayes] Heb. viſit them So Exod. 32.34. In the day when I viſit, I will viſit their ſin upon them. God hath his viſitation-dayes wherein to viſit thoſe viſitours the prieſts; and his articles will be as ſtrict and as criticall (ſaith one) as ever was the inquiſition of Spain, or Lambeth. It was therefore good counſel that a Martyr gave his wife in a letter, Among all other priſoners viſit your own ſoul, and ſet all to rights there: for elſe, what will you do when God riſeth up? and when he viſiteth, what will you anſwer him?Job. 31.14[illegible: 1 letter] And that which Tertullian gave Scapula a Pagan perſecutor; Si nobis non parcis, tibi parce: ſi non tibi, Carthagini. God will ſurely make inquiſition for our blood: therefore if thou wilt not ſpare us, yet ſpare thy ſelf: if not thy ſelf, yet ſpare thy countrey, which muſt be reſponſible when God comes to viſit.

and reward them for their deed] Heb. I will make to return your doings: Hence this is well obſerved by a good interpreter; Sin paſſeth away in the act of it with much ſweetneſſe: but God will make it return back againe in the guilt of it, with much bitterneſſe.