As other people. Why?

As other people. Why?

First, Because the conquest you have gotten it is over your Brethren, therefore rejoice not as other people, do not rejoice in your slaying your Brethren as other people (the Nations about you) would rejoice in the slaying of them.

That's a sad War when the Conquerer has cause to be sad at the very Conquest. It were no great matter though if other people had gotten the victory they should triumph, why not? Though you have gotten the day, yet these Wars are Wars that you should not triumph in, for by this means the Nation of the Jews is grown weaker and is in more danger to be made a prey to the common enemies, and therefore do not you rejoice as other people might rejoice in such a Conquest. And indeed such are our Wars and Victories at this day, we must not rejoice in our Conquests as other people, not so rejoice as if French or Spaniards came among us, or as if we were in a foreign Nation, for our Conquests weakens our own Nation, it is the destruction of our Brethren, and therefore in this we are not to rejoice as other people in their conquests.

Or secondly: according to others it does refer to that time when Menahem made a League with the Assyrian (2 Kings 15:9), for there's no such way to understand the meaning of the Prophets than the reference to the time that they preached in, and that they aim at. We read that Menahem made a League (that was the King of the ten Tribes of Israel) made a League with the Assyrian that great King, that he might be with him to confirm the Kingdom in his hand.

Now people use when Leagues of passification, and association are confirmed between them and others, to triumph and rejoice by outward expressions, to manifest their great content in them, Oh! now there is a peace made, now we shall grow stronger than ever we were, and be delivered from many troubles that were heretofore upon us. Israel blessed themselves in the Assyrian, in that they had got such a rich and mighty Prince to be on their side, that now they had made their peace with him, they thought they were safe enough, now they were secure, and contemned all threats, and derided all that the Prophets should say against them, now the Malignants they lift up their heads and insult over them that would say, God's Judgments would follow them if they did not join with God's people in the true Worship of God, they sung away care, and none thought of any danger in regard of their sin, they could not endure to hear of any complaining of any thing that might disturb their jollity and conceited happiness, that they promised to themselves the continuance of. But now says the Lord by the Prophet, Rejoice not with joy as other people, be not too confident with whom you have made such a sure League, for they may prove to be your undoing, it may prove to be the instruments of the greatest wrath of God against you that ever you had, and indeed he was so, the Assyrians that they made their peace withal, and joined in League with, and rejoiced much in he proved to be the greatest instrument of wrath that ever the people these ten Tribes had. You have made your peace with him, and now you rejoice; but you have not made your Peace with God says the Prophet. What good can passifications, can Leagues made with men, peace struck with them do, so long as still you go a whoring from your God, and break your peace and covenant with him daily, Oh rejoice not therefore!

For observe, though Leagues and peace made with such as have been enemies are matter of rejoicing, but they may likewise be such as we may have little cause to rejoice in; they have the names of peace and union a while, but suddenly they may change their names, and be called a massacre, and ruin, and destruction to a Nation, especially if the foundation of our peace be not laid in reformation; and still a people goes a whoring from their God, rejoice in no peace that you can make with any whatever so long as you go a whoring from the Lord.

That's the Note from there, if it has reference to the time when people have been worn out with Wars, they are greedy of any kind of peace, they care not with whom they make it, Oh nothing but peace, let us have that, and if there be but a peace concluded once, upon never such unsafe terms, Oh! the Bells must ring, and Bonfires must be made. This seemed to be the condition of the people at this time, but says God, you are deceived, this peace you have made will prove your undoing, Rejoice not therefore as other people? for you have gone a whoring from your God.

But those Observations that we may take from either of these two times, from the time that they got conquests over their enemies, or secondly from the time of their peace, put them both together are such as these.

First, carnal hearts rejoice and bless themselves in their outward present prosperity, in their health, strength, friends, as if all were well with them, although they be under much guiltiness, though there be fearful breaches between God and their souls, and how things are between God and them they care not, so be it all may be well with them for outward things; this is the guise for carnal hearts, they are presently upon the merry pin, and rejoice and delight much if so be that you may have but any prosperity, though but for a while, if there be no punishment of sin upon them the guilt and pollution of sin never troubles them. Says Augustin in his twelfth Tract upon John, The joy of the world is nothing else but their wickedness unpunished; if God do not punish them presently then they have a great deal of joy. And in Amos 6:4 there you have the description of the people of Israel more at large (for Amos prophesied in the same time that Hosea did) They lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall, that chaunt to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of music like David, that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments; but they are not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph. Well; have not you more reason, you afflicted and distressed saints, to rejoice in God without the world, than they have to rejoice in the world without God? Shall not all the wrath of God that hangs over the heads of wicked men, and all the guilt there is upon them damp their joy when they have but meat, and drink, and cloth, and a little outward prosperity, and shall the loss of a few creature comforts, such as many reprobates have to the full, damp your joy, when you have an interest in all there is in God, in Christ, in the world, in heaven, in eternity? When all this is the matter of your joy, what an unreasonable thing is this?

A second observation from the words;

Rejoice not O Israel.] When men are jolly and merry, they should consider, Well, but would God have us to rejoice? They were jolly and frolic, but the Prophet comes in the name of God and says, Oh! but God is of another opinion. When therefore we find ourselves jocund and merry, we should consider, but is God of the same mind that we are of? Many mens rejoicing is so disagreeing to God's mind, as they dare not so much as consult with God or their own consciences to know what God and conscience will tell them concerning their rejoicing; the more men can prevail with their own consciences to be silent, the more joy they have, yes some there are that have so much guiltiness upon their spirits, as they can have no joy, but at such time when they can take advantage of their own consciences, they are fain to take a time when their consciences are asleep or else they can have no joy. Now cursed be that joy that cannot stand with a free working of a true enlightened conscience.

Thirdly, men may be in an outward prosperous condition, and yet have little cause to joy in it; all outward prosperity may stand with the heavy wrath of God hanging over the sinner's head, he may be upon the very brink of destruction and yet prosper outwardly, outward prosperity may come in wrath, the curse of God, the poison of God's curse may be in the wine as well as in the water, wicked men that are poor have their water poisoned, and wicked men that are rich and prosperous have their wine poisoned, and what difference is there between drinking poisoned water and poisoned wine? The swelling of carnal hearts in their prosperity it is a sign that it is poisoned to them. Outward prosperity as it may come in wrath, so it may stand with wrath, and make way to wrath, by it the vessels of wrath may be fitted to destruction; God many times has a further reach in suffering wicked men to prosper than they are aware of; as Esther, when she invited Haman to a banquet, he drew such a connexion that he was honored above all the nobles in the land, and he goes away rejoicing and tells his friends of the great honor that was put upon him; but Esther had another design in it than Haman thought of, it was not to honor him but to destroy him. So many people whose estates God raises, they make other manner of connexions from God's dealing with them than ever God intended, they think God has blessed them, when the truth is God is working their ruin and destruction. As a painted face is no argument of a good complexion, so a prosperous estate is no argument of a good condition.