John Trapp on Hosea 7:9

Verſ. 9. Ephraim, he hath mixed himſelf among the people,] viz. In confederacies, marriages, manners, ſuperſtitions. They were conformed to thoſe nations from whom God had ſeparated them with a wonderful ſeparation, Exod. 33.16. and put them up by themſelves from all the world in the promiſed land, as it were in an Iſland, Iſay. 20.6. And this they had done not once but often, as the conjugation importeth; and that wilfully without any neceſſity: yea, and that conſtantly, and of cuſtome, or deſperate obſtinacy, (Heb. he will mingle himſelf) ſo that there was little difference to be diſcerned betwixt Ephraim the profeſſed people of God, [non-Latin text not transcribed] and profane heathens. Hence that, Amos. 9.7. Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Iſrael, ſaith the Lord? Hence Saul is called Cuſh, or an Ethiopian for his black and ill conditions, Pſal. 7. title, as the Chaldee interpreteth it. Caſt we may be upon bad company, but we muſt not mingle with them. The rivers of Peru, after they have run into the mam ſea, yea, ſome write twenty or thirty miles, they keep themſelves unmixt with the ſalt water: ſo that a very great way within the ſea, men may take up as freſh water as if they were neer the land. At Belgradi in Hungary, where the Danuby and Sava (two great rivers) meet,Abbats Geog. 331. their waters mingle no more then water and oyl; not that either flote above other, but joyn unmixed: ſo that neer the middle of the river I have gone in a boat,Sir Henry Blounts voyage into Levant. p. 10. (ſaith mine Authour) and taſted of the Danow as clear and pure as a well. Then putting mine hand not an inch further, I have taken of the Sava as troubled as a ſtreetchannel, taſting the gravel in my teeth. Thus they run ſixty miles together, and for a dayes journey I have been an eye-witneſſe of it. To come nearer home, the river Dee in Merionith-ſhire running thorough Pimbli-meeri remaines intire,Camden. and mingleth not her ſtreams with the water of the lake. Let not Ephraim mix himſelf among the people, but cry with David, Gather not my ſoul with ſinners, Pſal. 26.9. and verſ. 5. I have hated the congregation of evil-doers, and will not ſit with the wicked.

Ephraim is a cake not turned,] And ſo but half-baked, or dow-baked; neque crudus, neque coctus, neither hot nor cold, as Laodicea, Rev. 3.15. halting between two, as 1 Kin. 18.21. Mongrels, as thoſe 2 King. 17.33. Zeph. 1.5. Barnacles that are neither fiſh nor fleſh: Amphibians that will conform to the world, and yet ſeem to be for the Lord. But he likes no ſuch retainers, no ſuch holy-day-ſervants; he requireth to be ſerved truly that there be no halting: and totally, that there be no halving: he cannot away with dow-baked duties. Men muſt be fervent in ſpirit, ſerving the Lord, they muſt be zealous of good works, if they look to be accepted.Rom. 12.11. Tit. 2. The effectual fervent prayer, or the thorough-wrought prayer of a righteous man availeth much. A cake that is half-baked, half burnt pleaſeth not the palate: no more do cuſtomary, formal bedulling performances pleaſe the Lord. It is Gualthers note upon this text;Jam. 5.16. [non-Latin text not transcribed] as a cake, ſaith he, that is raw on the one ſide and ſcorcht on the other is caſt away; ſo Hypocrites that are hot in their ſuperſtitions, but cold in their devotions are rejected of God; Introrſum turpes, ſpecioſi pelle decorâ. I know the words are otherwiſe interpreted by Luther, Mercer, Polanus, and others, with reference to the following words, thus: that Ephraims adverſaries, even thoſe ſtrangers with whom he hath mixed himſelf, ſhall be ſo greedy to devour him, that they ſhall not ſtay till he be baked on both ſides, but ſhall eat him raw. But I like the former better.

Verſ. 9. Strangers have devoured his ſtrength, and he knoweth it not,] Strange ſtupidity, ſuch as was that of Sampſon, who had loſt his haire, and therewith his ſtrength, and wiſt not of it. Theſe ſtrangers were the Kings of Syria, but eſpecially of Aſſyria. See 2 King. 13.7. & Chap. 14. with 15.19, 30. & 17.6. Salmanaſar, as a deep gulf ſwallowed them up whole. Now that they ſhould not know how theſe ſtrangers had devoured their ſtrength, that is their wealth, and warlike power, this was very ſtrange. The Chaldee Paraphraſt helps us to the meaning of it: Non novit formidare à facie mea. He knew it not, that is, He knew not how to fear before me, to tremble at my judgements, and to flee to my mercies: this he knew not, that is, he cared not to do, as the old world knew not till the flood came, though fairly forewarned, Matt. 24.39. and as the Greeks would not know that the Turks had invaded their Empire, till they were got into the very bowels of it. So was it with Ephraim. A ſpirit of pride and of ſlumber had ſo ſurprized and ſeized him, that he took no knowledge of the enemies and evils that were upon him. Thus the ſpirituall ſleeper ſtirs not with Saul, though the water-pot and ſpear be taken from his bolſter. Like the fooliſh hen, which loſeth her chickens one by one, by the devouring kite; when one, or two, or three, are ſnatcht away ſhe ſtill continues to pick up what lies before her. It is our wiſeſt way to obſerve, and improve Gods dealings with us, to be ſenſible of his ſtroaks, and to return to him that ſmote us, and can as ſoon heal us, if we come to him for cure, Lev. 26.40. yea, gray-hairs are here and there upon him,] Heb. ſprinkled, ſparſi, non ſpiſſi. He began but to decline and decay, as a man doth when he grows toward fifty. And as gray hairs come the ſooner through cares and griefs, (Hiſtories tell us of a young man, who being for ſome capitall offence condemned to die, grew gray in one nights-ſpace, and was therefore pitied and ſpared) and are fore-runners and fore-warners of death. So the many and grievous miſeries inflicted upon this people, foreſhewed their utter deſtruction to be even at next door by. And this the rather, becauſe they knew it not, (as before) but (as it is ſaid of the Flemings) that the elder they grow, the fooliſher they are.Quòmagis ſeneſcunt eo magis ſtulteſcunt. Eraſin. Apopht. Cleanthes was wont ſometimes to chide himſelf: Ariſton wondering thereat, asked him, whom chideſt thou? Cleanthes laughed and anſwered. I chide an old fellow, qui canos quidem habet, ſed mentem non habet, who hath gray hairs indeed, but wants underſtanding, and prudence worthy of them. It was Chryſippus (I trow) that offered to the world that ſowre diſtribution and choice, Aut mentem, aut reſtim comparandam; Either get wit worthy of your years, or go out of the world by an halter.Bibl. Pat. That of Eleazer is very remarkable, who would not do any thing which migh ſeem to be evil, becauſe he would not ſpot his white head. Gray hairs ſhould be a ſtrong argument to move men to live blameleſſely (becauſe old age is a crown, Prov. 16.31. Gen. 25.8. when found in the way of righteouſneſſe, as it is ſaid of Abraham, that he went to his grave with a good gray head) and gray hairs in a State, that is, leſſer and lighter judgements, ſhould make men prepare to meet and prevent God: becauſe, as in an houſe, ſtillicidia praecedunt ruinam, and as in a man, gray hairs fore-ſignifie death, ſo do theſe, deſolation; if courſe be not timely taken.