An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth, & tenth chapters of…

When they did fight against the children of iniquity, yet this battle did not overtake them [to wit, the Benjamites] not the first day, nor the second day, but they were foiled twice: Though I know others do give other Interpretations of this word, yet this seems to be more genuine.

When they did fight against the children of iniquity, yet this battel did not overtake them [to wit, the Benjamites] not the first day, nor the second day, but they were foil'd twice: Though I know others do give other Interpretations of this word, yet this seems to be more genuine.

But why doth the Prophet bring it in here? The men of Israel (to whom Hosea did prophesy) might say, You tell us that our sin is as in the days of Gibeah, yea, but may we have the first day, and the second day, we hope we shall do well enough.¹ Nay (saith the Prophet) your sin is worse, you may not think that your case is so good as the Benjamites, the Battle did not overtake them, but it shall overtake you; and upon this ground the Prophet brings in this, that the Battle did not overtake them, granting that which they would object, yet so as it should not make for them, but to take away their hopes to escape. And thus you have the meaning. The Observations are:

But why doth the Prophet bring it in here? The men of Israel (to whom Hosea did prophesie) might say, You tell us that our sin is as in the daies of Gibeah, yea, but may we have the first day, and the second day, we hope we shall do well enough.¹ Nay (saith the Prophet) your sin is worse, you may not think that your case is so good as the Benjamites, the Battel did not overtake them, but it shall overtake you; and upon this ground the Prophet brings in this, that the Battel did not overtake them, granting that which they would object, yet so as it should not make for them, but to take away their hopes to escape. And thus you have the meaning. The Observations are:

1. 1Expos.

First,¹ That the children of iniquity may escape once, and again: Though men be children of iniquity, yet the Battle may not overtake them. It's as famous a story to take away the seeming success in an ill cause, and disappointment in a good Cause, as any I know in all the Book of God: it did not overtake them at first: Gods wrath follows many men in this world, and yet for a long time overtakes them not,² but God calls it back, Psal. 78. 38. He being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not, yea, many a time turned he his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath. ³But at length Gods wrath overtakes men. In Zach. 1. 6. Did not my words take hold upon your fathers? I sent out my threatening words and you escaped a long time,⁴ but at length my word catched hold of them. As the Dog that follows the Hare barking a great while, but at length he overtakes it and ceases upon it and tears it: So, did not my Word take hold upon your forefathers?

First,¹ That the children of iniquity may escape once, and again: Though men be children of iniquity, yet the Battel may not overtake them. It's as famous a story to take away the seeming success in an ill cause, and disappointment in a good Cause, as any I know in all the Book of God: it did not overtake them at first: Gods wrath follows many men in this world, and yet for a long time overtakes them not,² but God calls it back, Psal. 78. 38. He being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not, yea, many a time turned he his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath.

1. 1Calvin in loc.

VER. 10.

It is in my desire that I should chastise them.

IT is in my desire.] God speaks here as one that hath forborne a long time, and now longs to satisfy himself.

IT is in my desire.] God speaks here as one that hath forborn a long time, and now longs to satisfie himself.

Tremelius upon the place notes,¹ that the form of the word for chastising here, it is unusual, because (saith he) perhaps God would express some more than ordinary way of punishing them. And Luther renders it,^* Exceeding desirously will I chastise them. It is in my will to chastise them. Oh! blessed God, do not we find in thy Word that the Works of thy Justice are said to be thy strange Works, and that thou art not willing to grieve the children of men, that mercy pleases thee? but where do we ever find that Justice was so pleasing to thee?

1. 1pro [Greek or Hebrew] à A communi regula discedit, fortasse voluit inusitatum inuere castigationis modum, insolitâ verbi forma, Tremel.pro 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 à A communi regula discedit, fortasse voluit inusitatum inuere castigationis modum, insolitâ verbi forma, Tremel.
2. *[Greek or Hebrew] [In desiderio meo, & castigabo eos] Valde cupidè eos castigabo, So Luther. See Buxtorf. Lexic. Heh. in [Greek or Hebrew].〈non-Latin alphabet〉 [In desiderio meo, & castigabo eos] Valde cupidè eos castigabo, So Luther. See Buxtorf. Lexic. Heh. in 〈non-Latin alphabet〉.

It's true, though at first God seems to forbear the execution of Justice as a thing he hath no mind to, yet if sin be continued in, in a stubborn way, now God desires it as a thing that there's nothing more pleasing to him. He is burdened with mens sins, and desires to bring punishments upon them; as a man under a great burden desires to be eased;¹ In Isa. 1. Oh! I will ease me of mine Adversaries. And in Ezek. 5. 13. ²you shall find there that God in threatening of wrath saith, that he would do thus, and thus, and he would be comforted:³ and in Prov. 1. he laughs at the destruction of wicked men, it's a thing that rejoices him at the very heart.⁴ And in the Revelations the wrath of God is called the wine of his wrath, because he takes so much pleasure in the execution of it.

It's true, though at first God seems to forbear the execution of Justice as a thing he hath no mind to, yet if sin be continued in, in a stubborn way, now God desires it as a thing that there's nothing more pleasing to him. He is burdened with mens sins, and desires to bring punishments upon them; as a man under a great burden desires to be eased;¹ In Isa. 1. Oh! I will ease me of mine Adversaries. And in Ezek. 5. 13. ²you shall find there that God in threatning of wrath saith, that he would do thus, and thus, and he would be comforted:³

1. Gods Justice is God himself as well as any other Attribute.¹

1. 1Reas. 1.

2. God he doth delight to vindicate his honour, therefore the word that is for Chastisement, it signifies sometimes, the vindication of a mans honour: the honour of God is dear to him: Your peace and comforts may be dear to you; I, but my honour is more dear to me.

2. God he doth delight to vindicate his honor, therefore the word that is for Chastisement, it signifies somtimes, the vindication of a mans honor: the honor of God is dear to him: Your peace and comforts may be dear to you; I, but my honor is more dear to me.

3. In Chastisements God fulfils his Word, the Word of God would be slighted & contemned else: Now this pleases me therefore to chastise them to fulfil my Word upon them.

3. In Chastisements God fulfils his Word, the Word of God would be slighted & contemn'd else: Now this pleases me therfore to chastise them to fulfil my Word upon them.

Oh!¹ the fearful evil of sin that brings the creature into such a condition, as Gods heart is delighted in every evil that sinful creatures suffer: this must needs be a sad condition indeed, for the merciful God that delights so much in doing of mercy, yet now to look upon a sinner under his wrath, and delights in it, and loves it, and is well pleased to see the creature, even the work of his own hands to be under his wrath. Hereafter there will be pure Justice, God will delight in the destruction of sinners in Hell, in the execution of his Justice upon them, he will there do nothing else but rejoice in it, there shall be nothing but joy in Gods heart to see the execution of his Justice upon sinners to all eternity, yea, and God will call all the Angels and Saints to come to rejoice with him, Come ye Angels and Saints and rejoice with me, here's a wretched sinner that was stubborn & rebellious against me in the time of his life, and see how my Power hath overtaken him, see the dreadfulness of my wrath, come and rejoice with me for ever in this wrath of mine. This will be the condition of sinners eternally in Hell.

Oh!¹ the fearful evil of sin that brings the creature into such a condition, as Gods heart is delighted in every evil that sinful creatures suffer: this must needs be a sad condition indeed, for the merciful God that delights so much in doing of mercy, yet now to look upon a sinner under his wrath, and delights in it, and loves it, and is wel pleased to see the creature, even the work of his own hands to be under his wrath. Hereafter there will be pure Justice, God wil delight in the destruction of sinners in Hell, in the execution of his Justice upon them, he wil there do nothing else but rejoyce in it, there shal be nothing but joy in Gods heart to see the execution of his Justice upon sinners to all eternity, yea, and God will call all the Angels and Saints to come to rejoyce with him, Come ye Angels and Saints and rejoyce with me, here's a wretched sinner that was stubborn & rebellious against me in the time of his life, and see how my Power hath overtaken him, see the dreadfulness of my wrath, come and rejoyce with me for ever in this wrath of mine. This will be the condition of sinners eternally in Hell.

1. 1Use.

Consider this, you that have a desire to sin, a mind to sin, to delight in sin,¹ that are comforted in sin? Is it in your will to sin? It is Gods will to punish: Can you rejoice in sin? God can rejoice in the execution of his wrath: Are you resolute upon your sin? God can be resolute in the ways of his wrath. When God chastises his Servants for their infirmities, he doth it as a thing he hath no mind at all to,² and therefore saith the Apostle, If need be, we fall ⟨p. 426⟩into many temptations, and it is but seeming grievous: And himself is afflicted in all their afflictions. David would have Joab go against Absalom, but saith he, Use the young man kindly, for my sake. So when God doth chastise his Servants, he sends an affliction, Go (saith he) and scourge such an one, yea, but use him kindly for my sake, for all that.

Consider this, you that have a desire to sin, a mind to sin, to delight in sin,¹ that are comforted in sin? Is it in your will to sin? It is Gods will to punish: Can you rejoyce in sin? God can rejoyce in the execution of his wrath: Are you resolute upon your sin? God can be resolute in the waies of his wrath. When God chastises his Servants for their infirmities, he doth it as a thing he hath no mind at all to,² and therefore saith the Apostle, If need be, we fall ⟨p. 426⟩into many temptations, and it is but seeming grievous: And himself is afflicted in all their afflictions. David would have Joab go against Absolom, but saith he, Use the young man kindly, for my sake. So when God doth chastise his Servants, he sends an affliction, Go (saith he) and scourge such an one, yea, but use him kindly for my sake, for all that.

1. 1Use of admonition to those in whose will it is to sin.
2. 2

The bowels of David did yearn towards Absalom, even when he sent Joab to fight against him. So the bowels of God do yearn towards his People when he sends afflictions upon them. But when he comes to deal with wicked and ungodly men, I will do it to purpose (saith God) I will delight in it, I will be comforted in it, it is my desire, &c.

The bowels of David did yern towards Absolom, even when he sent Joab to fight against him. So the bowels of God do yern towards his People when he sends afflictions upon them. But when he comes to deal with wicked and ungodly men, I wil do it to purpose (saith God) I wil delight in it, I will be comforted in it, it is my desire, &c.

The People shall be gathered against them.