Hosea 12

A gracious person holds the golden bridle of temperance, he takes his meat as a medicine to heal the decays of nature, and that he may be the fitter by the strength he receives for the service of God; he makes his food not fuel for lust, but help to duty. 2. In buying and sellin…

Again, 2. unjust in their dealings. This is 1. either in using false weights (Hosea 12:7). The balances of deceit are in his hand.

1. Such as set up idols (Jeremiah 2:28): According to the number of your cities, are your gods, O Israel. Hosea 12:11: Their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the field. 2. Such as seek to familiar spirits.

Deliver me I pray you; and this was mixed with faith in the promise, verse 12. You said I will surely do you good, and this prayer had power with God and prevailed (Hosea 12:4). The prayer of faith has opened prison doors, stopped the chariot of the sun, locked and unlocked heav…

The Ephah was a measure the Jews used in selling; they made the Ephah small, gave scant measure, which was plain stealing. (Hosea 12:7) The balances of deceit are in his hand. Men by making their weights lighter, make their accounts heavier.

6. He is given to covetousness, whose heart is so set upon the world, that to get it he cares not what unlawful indirect means he uses; he will have the world per fas & nefas: he will wrong and defraud, and raise his estate upon the ruins of another. (Hosea 12:7-8.) The balances…

Tears drop as pearls from the eye. Jacob wept and made supplication, and had power over the Angel (Hosea 12:4). 3. Prayer must be fired with zeal and fervency (James 5:16).

Second, giving scant measure (Amos 5:8). Making the Ephah small; Ephah was a measure which the Jews used in selling; they made the Ephah small, they scarce gave measure; I wish this be not the sin of many (Hosea 12:7). He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand.

Jonah was asleep in the ship, but at prayer in the whale's belly; perhaps in a time of health and prosperity, we prayed in a cold formal manner, we put no coals to the incense, we did scarce mind our own prayers, and how should God mind them, now God sends some cross or other to…

Shut heaven (James 5:17). Prayer has had power with God (Hosea 12:4). The Tyrians tied fast their God Hercules with a golden chain; the great Jehovah is held by the prayers of his people (Genesis 32:26).

Answer: If Jacob's God is your God, you have as good an interest in them as he had. The church a thousand years after that transaction between God and Jacob applied what God spoke to him as if it had been spoken to themselves (Hosea 12:1): 'He found him in Bethel, and there he s…

He prays like a king, who is in joint commission with God. If God puts that honor upon our prayers, that we are said to have power with God, as Jacob (Hosea 12:3) — that if God be never so angry, yet by taking hold of his strength, we hold his hands (Isaiah 27:5) — that God crie…

Secondly, besides this, this spirit helps us to pray to God with fervency, and heat of spirit, so much as that in such a case as this we strive with God in our prayers, and wrestle with him; The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous avails much, (James 5:16). When the Spirit…

So building temples, altars, or other monuments to them (Hosea 8:14). Israel has forgotten his maker, and builds temples, and (Hosea 12:11) their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields. Erecting of ministries, or doing any ministerial work for their honor (Amos 5:26).

It is likely Jacob had sent his household away on purpose, that he might wrestle with God alone: I shall not dispute whether Jacob had any extraordinary natural strength of body, I am sure he had abundance of spiritual strength of grace, nor shall I take notice of the Hebrews' s…

This verse again confirms the former sentence. To feed of ashes, signifies as much as to be replete with ashes: as, to feed upon wind (Hosea 12:1) signifies to be filled with wind; for the same may be said of the one, that is said of the other. As on the contrary, You shall feed…

Therefore the Prophet says, that those who labor inconsiderately, shall never be satisfied. For if they forsake God, to seek out new means of salvation, they shall never be filled; because, as Hosea says, they are fed with wind (Hosea 12:1). They may well seem to be full, while…

At such a time we must mingle more fire with our prayers, we must pray more fervently. At such a time we must mingle more water with our prayers, we must pray more repentingly: we must with Jacob (Hosea 12) weep and make supplication. At such a time we must mingle more faith wit…

And lastly, it imports the singular and inexpressible satisfaction she had in him; her very life lay in the keeping him still with her, and therefore she holds him, and cannot think of parting with him. Now this presence of Christ (being spiritual) cannot be understood in a carn…

But, 2. the scope here, and the words following, look especially at the stateliness, majesty, and spiritual valor that is in particular believers, who are more truly generous, valorous and powerful, than an army with banners; when their faith is exercised, and kept lively, they…

The several ways which tradesmen have had of defrauding, would be too large for me to speak of, neither am I so skillful as to understand. The falsifying of weights and measures is gross, a sin practiced among the Jews of old, which God threatens to punish them for (Hosea 12:7).…

And this was all that good Jacob, who was led by the same spirit, looked at (Genesis 28:20): And Jacob vowed a vow saying, if God will be with me, and keep me in the way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to put on so that I come again to my father's house in…

To which are added, by way of appendix, several choice occasional meditations, upon birds, beasts, trees, flowers, rivers, and several other objects; fitted for the help of such as desire to walk with God in all their solitudes and recesses from the world. (Hosea 12:10) I have u…

Injustice and Fraud in our dealings. A sin to which Merchants are prone, as appears by that expression, Hosea 12:7. This is that which will blast all our enjoyments. 3.

He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy. (Hosea 12:6) Keep mercy and judgment. Now all kind of justice should not be grievous; either political justice, between the magistrates and people: how should we l…

(Lamentations 3:26) 'It is good that a man should both hope, and quietly wait for the salvation of God.' (Hosea 12:6) 'Keep mercy and judgment, and wait on the Lord continually.' God delays, because he would have us make use of faith.

The world (says Bernard) cries out, I will leave you, and be gone; it takes its salute and farewell together. 4. Those things which do more vex than comfort, cannot make a man blessed; but such are all things under the sun, therefore they cannot have blessedness affixed to them:…

When the prodigal son repented, he went to his father (Luke 15:18): I will arise and go to my father. Jacob wept and prayed (Hosea 12:3). The people of Israel wept and offered sacrifice (Judges 2:5).

Eusebius says there was an altar at Athens on which they poured no other sacrifice but tears, as if the heathens thought there was no better way to pacify their angry gods than by weeping. Jacob wept, and had power over the angel (Hosea 12:4). Tears melt the heart of God.

All earthly comforts are said to be void — void of that which we think is in them, void of satisfaction. Therefore they are compared to wind (Hosea 12:1); a person can no more fill his heart with the world than fill his belly with the air he breathes. The creature is said to be…

The stronger the cry, the stronger the child, I warrant you. Jacob wrestled, and this is called his strength, Hos. 12. It appeared, there was much of God in him that he could take such hold of the Almighty, as to keep it, though God seemed to shake him off; If thus you are enabl…

1. Although this mystical conjunction is not actually complete without an actual participation of the Spirit of Christ, yet the church of the elect was designed antecedently to all his sufferings to be his spouse and wife, so that he might love her and suffer for her. So it is s…

There is a threefold injustice in matters of dealing. 1. Using of false weights, Hosea 12:7. The balances of deceit are in his hands: men by making their weights lighter, make their sin heavier, Amos 5:8. They make the Ephah small: the Ephah was a measure they used in selling; t…

Let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us, for we are brought very low. Jacob never prayed so fervently, as when he was in fear of his life; he oiled the Key of prayer with tears, Hosea 12:4. He wept and made supplication.

Wherein is set forth the manner of the setting out of Christian's wife and children; their dangerous journey, and safe arrival at the desired country. I have used similitudes (Hosea 12:10). THE AUTHOR'S WAY

3. Jacob by prayer wrestled with the Lord; and the Lord, as if he had been constrained, says (Genesis 32) [illegible] Send me away, dismiss me. And Jacob said, I will not dismiss you until you bless me: Which is well expounded by Hosea (Hosea 12:4). Jacob had a princely power ov…

3. It is a strong faith in this woman, that, in a manner, conquers Omnipotence by believing; indeed, Satan, winds, fire from heaven, wife, Sabeans, indeed, apprehended wrath cannot prevail with Job, to subdue his faith; in all he stands by this, (Job 15:13) Though the Lord shoul…

First therefore, never any vine so fruitful. All our fruit is found in him (Hosea 12). If you abide in me, you shall bring forth much fruit.

Now when men's eyes are open to see Christ, they see and feel that in sin which before they felt not; then we see our sinful course most bitter, the very grapes of gall and wormwood. Secondly, there is the bitterness of God's wrath which a man sees and feels when he sees Christ…