John Trapp on Hosea 6:3

Verſe 3.Sciemus ſectabimur que. Vatabl. Then ſhall we know,] Heb. And we ſhall know, we ſhall follow on to know, i. e. We ſhall experimentally know the Lord, if we turn unto him: wee ſhall taſt and ſee that the Lord is good. We ſhall not onely be raiſed out of the duſt of deaeth, that is, of deep afflictions, (wherein we lay as among the pots) and live in his ſight, Pſal. 22.15. Pſal. 68.13. that is, comfortably; but we ſhall know him, which is life eternall; yea we ſhall proſecute knowledge, follow on to know, as unſatisfiable, and not content with any meaſures already required: yea we ſhall proceed therein and make progreſſe, as the morning light doth to the perfect day. Thoſe that turn from their iniquities ſhall underſtand Gods truth, Dan. 9.13. ſhall be of his Councel, Pſal. 25.14. ſhall have the minde of Chriſt, 1 Cor. 2.16. the wiſdom of God in a myſtery, verſe 7. ſuch as the great Rabbies of the world can no more underſtand, then the Philiſtins could Sampſons riddle, verſe. 8. yea theſe pure in heart ſhall ſee God, Matth. 5.8. ſee him and live, ſee him, and eat and drink, being much acheared and refreſhed, as thoſe Nobles of Iſrael, Exod. 24.10, 11. Provided that being on[illegible: 2 letters] enlightned, and having taſted of the heavenly gift, they be not ſlothfull, but ſhew the ſame diligence, Heb. 6.4, 11, 12. in the uſe of means to get more knowledge, till they all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſſe of Chriſt, Epheſ. 4.13. or, (as the words may be read) of that age wherein Chriſt filleth all in all, Epheſ. 3.19. ſo as to be able to comprehend with all Saints the ſeverall dimenſions, and to know the love of Chriſt, which paſſeth knowledge, Lo, this is indeed to follow on to know the Lord: when we are ſtill adding to our vertue knowledge, till (with thoſe famous Romans) we be full of goodneſſe, Rom. 15.14. filled brim-full with all knowledge, able alſo to admoniſh one another, ſaying, Come, and let us returne to the Lord, &c. Come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord, Eſay 2.5. walk in that light we have, and we ſhall have more: for to him that hath, ſc. for uſe and practiſe, ſhall be given, Mar. 4.25. He that firſt begs, and then digs for knowledge, ſearching for her as for hid treaſure, Prov. 2.3, 4. He ſhall be ſure of ſome daily comings in from Chriſt: he ſhall underſtand the fear of the Lord, and finde the knowledge of God, verſe 5. Chriſt will ſay unto him, as once he did to Nathaneel, Thou ſhalt ſee greater things then theſe, Iohn 1.50. even great and mighty things, which thou knoweſt not, Ier. 33.3.

His going forth is prepared as the morning,] That is, as ſure as the morning followeth the night, and ſhineth more and more unto the perfect day; ſo ſure ſhall God appear for our comfort, and ſhall diſpell the night of our calamity.Pſal. 30. Mourning laſteth but till morning; and as before the morning-light is the thickeſt darkneſſe, ſo before deliverance our afflictions are uſually increaſed upon us. God appeareth on the ſudden and beyond expectation, [non-Latin text not transcribed] (as out of a cloud, or as out of an engine) and ſhews himſelf then uſually, when things are at worſt. Hence that of Iob, Poſt tenebras ſpero lucem: and that of the Church in Micah, Though I fall, Mich. 7.8. I ſhall ariſe: when I ſit in darkneſſe, the Lord ſhall be a light unto me. Vatablus applieth this Text to the comming of Chriſt, that day-ſtar from on high, Orietur Christus ut aurora qua ad[illegible: 1 letter]entu ſuo depellit tenebras. that Sun of righteouſneſſe, to whom all the Prophets point Gods people, when they would comfort them indeed; for he is the Conſolation of Iſrael, the Deſire of all Nations, for whom their ſouls waited more then they that watch for the morning, wait for the morning, Pſal. 130.6. But becauſe Gods going forth is oppoſed to his departure, when he retired to his place, Chap. 5.10. therefore his ſetled going forth here, is by moſt interpreted of his manifeſtations of his mercy to his poor priſoners of hope, thoſe diſconſolate captives, whom he not onely brought back from Babylon, but alſo ſhined into ſome of their hearts,2 Cor. 4.6. by the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Ieſus Chriſt.

and he ſhall come unto us as the rain,] As the ſhowres of bleſſing, Ezek. 34.26. rain of liberalities, Pſal. 68.9. rain of righteouſneſſe, Hoſ. 10.12. Citò exaudi me Domine: complue me, ſaith Auſtin upon thoſe words of David, My ſoul thirſteth after thee, as a thirſty land. Hear me quickly, O Lord, rain righteouſneſſe upon my dry ſoul, fill me with the fruits of thy Spirit; whoſe work it is to illuminate and ſanctifie, as it is the Fathers to heal, verſe 1. and the Sons to revive, and raiſe us together with himſelf, the firſt-fruits of them that ſleep, verſe 2.

as the latter and former rain unto the earth.] ſc. in perfection of gifts and graces, by degrees wrought in our hearts: Or, in ſeaſonable and ſutable comforts, as rain in ſeed-time, ſoftening the ground: and a little before harveſt, to plump and fill up the corn in the ear.