Verse 17

VER. 17.

My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken to him; and they shall be wanderers among the Nations.

My God] Not their God, but my God. There's much to be observed from hence.

First, the Prophet's constancy. They forsook God generally, the ten Tribes generally went away and forsook God, but the Prophet still keeps close to God.

Let all the world do what they will and forsake God and seek other comforts where they will, but still (says a faithful soul) God shall be my God. Hosea he lived in wicked times, generally all the ten Tribes went away from God, but still my God, my soul shall keep close to God, I have chosen the LORD to be mine, and I have found that soul-satisfying good in Him, that he shall be mine for ever, here will I rest for ever; I have chosen the way of God's true worship, I will not suit myself with the common way of worship where I live, but I will choose God to be my God whatever the world does.

But secondly, this is the comfort of a gracious heart, in ill times when others forsake God, yet one that has a gracious heart, can have God to be his God. Yes, and especially when times of trouble comes, when sore evils are ready to be upon the people generally, yet here's the comfort of a gracious heart, My God, blessed be God for that interest I have in Him; they may take away my house, my estate, my means, but they cannot take away my God, I have interest yet in God, I have interest still in that God that they cannot take from me. This was the comfort of Micah, in chapter 7, there he described the evil of the times wherein he lived, verse 2: "The good man is perished out of the earth, and there is none upright among men, they all lie in wait for blood, they hunt every man his brother with a net." And then in the 4th verse: "The best of them is a briar, the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge." And then the 5th verse: "Trust you not in a friend, put you not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of your mouth from her that lies in your bosom." But then in the 7th verse: "Therefore I will look to the LORD, I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me." Oh my brethren! there may come times ere long that the knowledge of God, interest in God may be worth ten thousand thousand worlds to us.

But in the third place: it is no presumption for one, or for a few to challenge a special interest in God, in way of distinction from the multitude, and from the generality. So it is here: how singular was Hosea at this time? This people might think him to be very presumptuous; What, as if no body had interest in God but he, Is not God our God as well as his? He is bold to speak this in way of distinction: You may forsake God and His worship, but I have cleaved to God, He is my God. When multitudes and generality of men depart from God, yet for two or three, or a few that cleave to the true worship of God, they may challenge God to be their God when he is none of the God of the multitude. In (1 John 5:17) you may see how singular John was there: "We know that we are of God: and the whole world lies in wickedness." How could the world take such an expression? What are you? A few poor people: and yet we know (says he) that we are of God: and the whole world lies in wickedness. What are you more than others? Yes, John knew, and would not be discouraged to affirm, that the world did lie in wickedness: and yet we know we are of God.

Let not men be offended at the fewness of those that keep the truth, and the multitude of those that forsake it. I remember Plutarch relates in the life of Phocion the Athenian, that upon a time there was an Oracle of Apollo Delphias read before the people, which did say, that although all the people did agree, yet there was one man among them that dissented from them: now the people began to startle at this; but Phocion stepping forth before them all bid them never seek further for the man, for it was he that liked none of all their doings; and yet Phocion at length gained as much respect from them as ever any man did, and they chose him (I think) forty times to be Pretor for all that. And so let never so many go on in a way that you cannot see light in your conscience for, keep to your principles, only examine them, (so far the respect we do owe to others must lead us) that if there be a greater party go one way than another, we should call things into the more nearer scrutiny, we should think we may possibly be rather in an error than they, and we ought to give all due reverence to the judgments of more men, and more learned and wise than ourselves, but still after all, praying to God to show us his mind, and searching our own hearts to see whether there be no particular engagement, and after all endeavors to find out the truth, and yet then if God does persuade your consciences after all means used, we should not be discouraged because the greater part go the other way, but keep to that which our consciences tell us is the right. And thus it was with Hosea, though they went generally another way, yet he could claim a particular interest in God.

And then another point.