John Trapp on Hosea 5:13

Verſe 13. When Ephraim ſaw his ſickneſſe,] i. e. Felt himſelf moth-eaten, hard-driven, and at a very great under, as thoſe muſt needs bee whom God ſetteth againſt.

and Iudah his wound,] Heb. his ulcer, that needeth cruſhing to get out the filth, Ier. 30.13. Obad. 7. Ephraim was ſick, (God had made him ſick in ſmiting of him, Mich. 6.13.) and Iudah was ſore, yea ulcerated, impoſtumated, and they were both ſenſible of it: but no otherwiſe then bruit beaſts, which when they are ſmitten or ſick, feel it, and howl out, but have not the reaſon to think whence the pain comes, what may be the cauſe, and cure of it. Ephraim and Iudah make out indeed for help, but they run to wrong remedies, and refuges: they turn not to him that ſmote them, neither do they ſeek the Lord of Hoſts: therefore is not his anger turned away, but his hand is ſtretched out ſtill, Eſay 9.12, 13. If God be angry, no other helps can relieve us; no creature comfort us; no combination with King Iareb ſecure us. In a Mine, if a damp come, it is in vain to truſt to your lights; they will burn blew and dim, and at laſt vaniſh; you muſt make haſt to be drawn upward, if you will be ſafe. So muſt men make to God; fleeing from his anger to his grace. Blood-letting is a cure of bleeding, and a burn a cure againſt a burn; and the running to God is the way to eſcape him; as to cloſe and get in with him that would ſtrike you, doth avoid the blow. In a tempeſt at Sea, it is very dangerous to ſtrike to the ſhoar: the ſafeſt way is to have Sea-room, and to keep in the Main ſtill, &c. Iareb cannot be a Defender (according to the import of his name) if God come againſt a people or perſon. Braſſe and Iron can fence a man againſt a bullet or a ſword; Eſay 30.33. D Rainolds, ſerm. before Parl. Iuly 27. 1642. but if he were to be caſt into a furnace of fire, it would help to torment him; if into a pit of water to ſink him. Now our God is a conſuming fire, and his breath a ſtream of brimſtone, &c. as a Reverend man maketh the compariſon.

Then went Ephraim to the Aſſyrian, and Iudah ſent to king Iareb,] Or, to the king of Iareb, or to the king that ſhould plead, and revenge his cauſe and quarrell. Ad Regem propugnaturum, ſaith Iunius. Help O king, ſaid ſhe in the holy hiſtorie. Kings ſhould be Helpers, Propugnatours, Protectours. Sanctuaries of ſafety to the oppreſſed, whether Subjects or Neighbours: ſuch as the late king of Sweden was to the oppreſſed Princes of Germany: And before him, Queen Eliſabeth to the Low-countrey-men; whoſe protection when ſhe undertook, the king of Sweden that then was ſaid,Camd. that ſhe had taken the crown off her own head, and ſet it upon the head of Fortune. But what a madneſſe was it in Ephraim and Judab to call in the Aſſyrian to their help, as they did, 2 King. 16.7. 2 Chron. 28.16, 21. but eſpecially 2 King. 15.19, 20. & 17.3. This was to invite the enemy into their kingdome, and to ſhew gold-thirſty Babel, where ſhe might have her full draught. Thus Judea was (after the return from Babylon) loſt again to the Romans, by their calling Pompey to decide the controverſie betwixt the diſagreeing brethren. And ſuch an ungain courſe was attempted by Iohn King of England, when, being overlaid in his Barons warres,Heyl. Geog. he ſent to the Monarch of Morocco for aid, offering to hold his kingdome of him. and to receive the law of Mahomet; but he was rejected with ſcorne. Afterwards, he paſſed away his kingdome to the Pope, in hope of help; but had ſo little joy of it, that he was heard to complain, Poſtquam me ac mea regna (proh dolor.) Rom. ſubjeci Eccleſia, nulla mihi proſpera, ſed omnia contraria advenerunt, I never proſpered ſince I ſubjected my ſelf and my Kingdomes to the Sea of Rome. No more did the Greek Churches, as above hath been mentioned. By iniquity, ſaith Solomon, ſhall no man be eſtabliſhed, Prov. 12.3. Shall they eſcape by iniquity?Pſal. 56.7. ſaith David: What? no better means and wayes to help themſelves by? In thine anger caſt down ſuch a people, O God. It is not more a prayer then a prophecy: and it was fulfilled upon this people.

Yet could he not heal you, [non-Latin text not transcribed] medela. nor cure you of your wound.] Kings have their names in Greek from healing: they ſhould be Phyſicians, and binders up of wounds, as Eſay 3.7. (ſee Corn. à Lapide on that Text) But King Jareb proved a Phyſician of no value: inſtead of healing the wound, he made it wider; inſtead of helping King Ahaz, 2 Chro. 28.20. he diſtreſſed him, ſaith the Text. The creature was never true to thoſe that truſted to it. Such are ſure to be fruſtrated, Jer. 14.3. ſubjected to Gods wrath, Pſal. 78.22. curſed with a curſe, Jer. 17.5, 6. pointed at as forlorn fools, Pſal. 52.7.