Hosea 11

As many as are led by the Spirit of God, are the sons of God. It is not enough that the child have life, but it must be led every step by the nurse: so the adopted child must not only be born of God, but have the manuduction of the Spirit to lead him in a course of holiness (Hos…

From all your filthiness will I cleanse you. When the child cannot go, the nurse takes it by the hand (Hosea 11:3). I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms.

Ephraim pretended to be that which he was not, and what says God of him? (Hosea 11:12) Ephraim compasses me about with lies. By a lie in our words we deny the truth, by a lie in our profession we disgrace it.

It is not enough the child have life, but he must be led every step by the nurse. I taught Ephraim to go, taking them by their arms (Hosea 11:3). Their arms — as the Israelites had the cloud and pillar of fire to go before them, and be a guide to them; so God's Spirit is a guide…

Mercies are the strongest obligations to duty. (Hosea 11:4) I drew them with the cords of a man; that is, with the golden cords of my mercy. In a word, all that is written in law or gospel, tends to this, that we should be doers of God's will, Your Will be done.

And no less, but far greater, is the dependence of the new creature upon God's face and presence, that it cannot be alone and bear up itself, but it fails if God hide himself, as Isaiah speaks (chapter 57). Especially now in this life, during the infancy thereof, while it is a c…

Nay, at present, it is well with them; they are favourites of the King of heaven; the Lord sets them as a seal upon his heart; he sympathizeth with them in all their sufferings. When the rage of the enemy is kindled, are not Gods repentings kindled too? Hosea 11. 8. And while hi…

It is complained of by Micah (Micah 7:1): "Woe is me, for I am as they who have gathered the summer-fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage; there is no cluster to eat, the good man is perished out of the earth, and there is none upright among men, etc." It is complained o…

2. Drawing is by wiles, and persuasion, or love; (for wiles is covered, or pretended love;) (Judges 4:6) Draw them (by persuasion) to Mount Tabor to battle. (Hosea 11:3) I will draw them ⟨ in non-Latin alphabet ⟩ with cords of man, with bands of love. It is such a drawing as is…

And Christ's cords are silken and soft, and bands of love, every thread twisted out of the love of Christ. (Hosea 11:4) I drew them with the cords of men, with the bands of love. But consider, (Psalm 48) the Lord's mountain of holiness is glorious.

Some have thought, that the intention of the prophet was different from what is here stated, and have supposed the meaning to be, that the Jews act foolishly in opposing and endeavoring to oppress the Son of God, because the Father has called him out of Egypt. In this way, they…

Because we find it hard to forgive our pence, we think he cannot forgive Talents. But he has provided to obviate such thoughts in us, Hosea 11:9. I will not execute the fierceness of my wrath, I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I AM GOD AND NOT MAN.

Believers are styled so, 1. For their innocent nature (Matthew 10:16). 2. For their tenderness, and trembling at the word of the Lord (Hosea 11:11; Isaiah 38:14). Hezekiah mourned as a Dove.

and frequently elsewhere, both in the Old and New Testament. By moving of the bowels (or sounding, or making a noise, as the word is elsewhere translated, Isaiah 10:11 and 63:15) is understood a sensible stirring of the affections, when they begin to stound, and that kindly, and…

5. Considering this as the exercise of his soul, when he was withdrawn to her sense, and she was complaining, Observe, That Christ's bowels and soul are never more affected toward his people, than when he seems most offended with them, and when they are most affected with the wr…

Therefore for application, let us know our duty, and show ourselves more ready and forward to join with, and show ourselves to the servants of God in their persecuted estate; in the times of their prosperity there is not so much need we should manifest ourselves to be for them;…

He does not hearken whether God the Lord speaks peace. He does not wait upon God, who perhaps yet hides his face, and sees the poor creature stealing peace and running away with it, knowing that the time will come when he will deal with him again, and call him to a new reckoning…

There is a sweet mixture of sorrow, and joy in contemplating these stripes, sorrow sure by sympathy, that they were his stripes, and joy that they were our healing. Christians are too little mindful and sensible of this, and it may be somewhat guilty of that (Hosea 11:3): "They…

What of men's speech is not manifestly evil in any of the other kinds, is the most of it naught this way; speech good to appearance plausible and fair, but not upright, not silver, but silver dross, as Solomon calls it, burning lips, etc. (Proverbs 26:23). Each almost some way o…

This is the greatest distance we can conceive. The heavens, they are at such a vast distance from the earth, that the stars, though they be great and glorious luminaries, yet they seem to be but like so many spangles and sparks: this is the distance and disproportion which is ma…

But however, though we are not tied to this form, yet I think it may be humbly used: for Christ taught his disciples how to pray, while as yet they were in their ignorance and tenderness, and had not received the Spirit. And God usually puts words into sinners' mouths; Hosea 11:…

A Mothers care is seen in leading the Child that it may not fall: such is Gods care. Hosea 11:3. I taught Ephraim to go, leading them by their Arms.

This is one of the richest Comforts in the Book of God: Who is he that lives and sins not? how defective are we in our best Duties! how full are our Lives either of Blanks or Blots! Were it not for Sparing Mercy, we should all goe to Hell; but this Text is a standing Cordial; if…

The Lord will not cast off for Ever. God may alter his Providence, not his purpose: he may change his dispensation, not his disposition, Hosea 11:8. How shall I give you up O Ephraim?

Man is a restless creature, that loves shifts and changes. For weakness, they are compared to children (Hosea 11:3). and for wandering compared to sheep (Isaiah 53:6). There is no creature so apt to go astray as sheep, and so unable to return. This is the disposition of men by n…

Partly when we put him off with a false appearance, and make a show of what is not in the heart, as if he would be deceived with outsides, and vain pretenses. So (Hosea 11:12) it is said, Ephraim compasses me about with lies, and the house of Judah with deceit. God can see throu…

First, he gives weighty reasons, he casts in weight after weight till the scales be turned: then he makes all effectual by his Spirit. Morally he works, because God will preserve man's nature, and the principles thereof, therefore he does not work by violence, but by a sweet inc…

Mark, God not only says I will be yours, but be a God — that is, I will act like a God. In pardon of sin (Hosea 11:9): I will not return to destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not man. He will not pardon as a man but as a God.

God has tempered his sovereignty towards the reasonable creature, and rules us not with a rod of iron, but with a scepter of love. He draws us with the cords of a man (Hosea 11:4) — that is, with reasons and arguments taken from our own happiness. Man being a rational and free a…

He brings his judgment to light every morning, as the prophet speaks (Zephaniah 3:5); he does so delight in mercy, and is so tender of the workmanship of his hands, especially his own people, that he never proceeds to severity as long as there is some way untried to reclaim them…

3. Use is to press us to be earnestly dealing with this merciful God for comfort. We need it now in a time of judgment, when delivered over to judgments (Hosea 11:8), as sometimes to sins, so to plagues. When God opens the floodgates, lets out judgments upon a people without res…

This is the first means whereby the Lord comes to lay hold upon the mind and soul of a sinner, he has the sinner in chase as it were, that he cannot get out of his sight, or make an escape; Thus by the hook of instruction he lays hold upon him. He encloses him with the cords of…

The melting of God's compassions toward a hungry sinner! Hosea 11:8: My heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled. We cannot see a poor creature at the door ready to perish with hunger, but our hearts begin to relent and we afford them some relief.

Towards the wicked God's wrath is kindled (Psalm 2:12). Towards them that are children, God's compassion is kindled (Hosea 11:8). Mercy and pity does as naturally flow from our heavenly Father, as light does from the sun.

If when the child cannot walk the father takes it by the hand and leads it, it is not hard for the child to walk. When we cannot walk, God takes us by the hand (Hosea 11:3): I taught Ephraim also to walk, taking them by their arms. In the gospel God overlooks weaknesses where th…

How he pities sick souls! He is not more full of skill than of sympathy (Hosea 11:8): my heart is turned within me. Christ shows his compassion in that he proportions his medicine to the strength of the patient.

As the French Ambassadour once silenced the Spaniards pride in repeating his Masters many titles, with one that drowned them all. God himself, Hosea 11:9. when he had aggravated his peoples sins to the height, then to show what a God can do, breaks out into a sweet promise: I wi…

He is the God of bowels. No sooner do we mourn, but Gods heart melts: no sooner do our tears fall, but Gods repentings kindle, (Hosea 11:8). Say not then, there is no hope.

Indeed, if prayer does not make a man leave sin, sin will make him leave prayer. The Hypocrite feigns humility, but it is that he may rise in the world; he is a pretender to faith, but he makes use of it rather for a cloak, than a shield; he carries his Bible under his arm, but…

But if we should allow, that all things in heaven and earth include all mankind; still even in this extent it is true, that it pleased the Father to reconcile all things; but in such a sense, as not to imply the salvation of all men. This is true in the same sense, in which God…

Like a blind man holding out his hand to his guide, so they (Psalm 5:8): Lord lead me in your righteousness. 2. It's not common leading, but the leading of children learning to go by a hold (Hosea 11:1). When Ephraim was a child, I loved him.

O what sweetness of love is that [reconstructed: expression] (Jeremiah 31:20): For since I spoke against Ephraim, I do earnestly remember him, I will [illegible] have mercy on him, says the Lord. Then rebuking of Ephraim, which is called speaking against him, is dipped in mercy…

Compassion strangled and enclosed in Christ must break out; it eases Christ's mind that his bowels of mercy find a vent. Pity kept within God's bowels (to speak so) pains him; it must come out (Hosea 11:8): My heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. O how…

Though you might think the sands would soon be worn through by the boisterous waves, yet God by his word has made the sand a perpetual bulwark against the sea, so that it cannot prevail against it. But the heart of man is more unruly than the great sea, and more illimitable than…

If we could conceive God to have his own justice joined with the impotency and impatience of man, we could not conceive how the world should all this while have subsisted in the midst of such mighty provocations. This is the only reason why he does not execute the fierceness of…