John Trapp on Hosea 6:7

Verſ. 7. But they like, men] Heb. like Adam, that Arch-Reb[illegible: 1 letter]l, that old [non-Latin text not transcribed], after the ſimilitude of whoſe tranſgreſſion theſe men had ſinned, Rom. 5.14. and ſo deſerved, in like ſort to be puniſhed, by being caſt out of their countrey, as he was out of paradiſe. Thus ſome ſenſe it: as if the prophet would here reduce theſe covenant-breakers, to that firſt tranſgreſſour Adam in whom they all were; as the whole countrey is in a Parliament-man, and as Levi was in Abrahams loynes, and paid tithes in him,Mercer. Tremell. Vatabl. Clavius. Tigurin. Perinde ac foedus alicujus hominis infimi & infirmi. Polan. Heb. 7.9. Others take Adam for an Appellative, and give a reaſon for it out of the text, becauſe it is Keadam, and not Kahadam, with [non-Latin text not transcribed] emphatical. And of theſe ſome again read it thus, Illi tanquam hominis tranſg[illegible: 2 letters]ſſi ſunt foedus, they tranſgreſſed the covenant, as if it had been a mans covenant: they made no more of breaking it, then as if they had had to do with duſt and aſhes like themſelves, with their fellow-creatures, and not with the great God: and might therefore deal by their covenants, as monkeyes do by their collars, which they fit on for their maſters pleaſure, and ſlip off again for their own. Others read it, as we do; They like men have tranſgreſſed, &c. ſorry men fickle and falſhearted men, ſuch as David pointed at, when he ſaid, All men are liars, and Paul, 2 Cor. 3.3. Are ye not carnal, Pſal. 116.11. and walk as men, that is, as profane men, alients from the common-wealth of Iſrael? Singular things are expected from Gods peculiar, Mat. 5.47. as to be eminent in good works, Tit 3.14. to get above others, as Saul was above the people by head and ſhoulders; to get to the very top of godlineſſe, as the Apoſtles phraſe importeth, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Iſhon. Eſai. 5.15. to keep Gods covenant as the apple of the eye, as Solomon ſaith, Prov. 7.2. that little man in the eye, that cannot be touched but he will be diſtempered. This the world counts preciſeneſſe, and makes nothing of tranſgreſſing, of leaping over the hedge of any commandment, ſo they may ſhun a piece of foule way. Lo, this is the manner of moſt men, yea, of all men by nature; they make no bones of tranſgreſſing the laws, of changing the ordinance, of breaking the everlaſting covenant, Eſay. 24.5. And this when they do, they work de ſuo & ſecundum hominem; for Homo eſt inverſus Decalogus, the natural man ſtands acroſſe to the law of God, to the whole Decalogue: the two tables whereof are called the tables of the covenant, Deut. 9.9, 11. Neither is this any excuſing or extenuation of their ſin, that they do but their kind, they do it as men. It is an aggravation rather, q. d. They not onely tranſgreſſe my covenant, but they do it naturally, and out of the vileneſſe of their proper inclinations: like as the devil, when he ſpeaketh a lie, he ſpeaketh, de ſuo of his own, Joh. 8.44. he can do no otherwiſe. It is as impoſſible for thoſe that are carnal and walk as men to keep covenant with God, as for a toad to ſpit cordials. If at any time they make an overture of doing it, if they make an eſſay, it is but as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that goeth away, as verſ. 5. with which this verſe cohereth; the 6. verſe comming in. as it were by a parentheſis.

There have they dealt treacherouſly againſt me,] There? where? in the very point of the covenant, which by their ſacrifices and burnt-offerings they ſo ſolemnly profeſſed and engaged to obſerve: lo, therein have they prevaricated, and then at the ſame time have they falſified, as the ſame word is uſed, Pſal. 14.5. I have been neare in their mouth, but far from their reines, Jer. 9.2. In words they profeſſe to know me, but in works they deny me, being abominable and diſobedient, and to every good work reprobate, Tit. 1.16. Or there, that is, (as the Chaldee Paraphraſt ſenſeth it,) In that good land which I have given them, even in Gilead, as in the next words. They live in my good land, but not by my good laws: yea, they have filled it (as the curſed Canaanites did before them, Ezra. 9.11.) from one end to another with their uncleanneſſe, which therefore longs for a vomit to caſt them out: There have they dealt treacherouſly, as the adultereſſe doth, who forſaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. The ſins of ſuch as break covenant with God are ſins of a double die; they are wickedneſſe with a witneſſe, becauſe they do wickedly againſt the covenant, Dan. 11.32.Prov. 2.17. theſe treacherous dealers deal treacherouſly, yea, theſe treacherous dealers deal very treacherouſly, Iſay. 24.16. And this they have done againſt Me, who have ſtooped ſo low, as to ſtrike a covenant with them; and ſuch a covenant, 2 Sam. 23.5. and have never failed or falſified. See Deut. 29.24, 25.