An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth, & tenth chapters of the prophesy of Hosea being first delivered in several lectures at Michaels Cornhil, London / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being the seventh book published by Thomas Goodwin ... [et al.]

All their wickedness.

That is, Their chief wickedness, as if God should say, there is a great deal of wickedness among them,* 1.1 there are Murders and Thefts, and abundance of other evils, the brea∣ches of the second Table; but yet above all, their wicked∣ness is at Gilgal, they think to make use of that place where I shewed so much mercy to them, they think to justifie their superstitious worship, but I'le have them know that I hate this, There I hated them saith God, I abhor this that they think to be justified by. So that the Notes are.

Above all sins,* 1.2 the sin of Idolatry is that that God looks upon as the great wickedness for which he doth hate and abhor a people. Because in that sin men think by their own waies of wor∣ship to make God amends for their wicked waies, and pre∣sent their own waies of worship, to justifie themselves in all other kind of wickedness.

And again:* 1.3 For men to abuse that wherein God shews mercy: For them to take advantage or occasion by that to turn it into sin against God, this is that which God hates. For there was much mercy they met withal at Gilgal, and they made Gods mercy an occasion to their wickedness. To make that which should engage us to God to be an occasion of wickedness against God this is abominable in Gods eyes: As you reade in the Law,* 1.4 that you must not seath a Kid in his mothers milk; that which is the milk to preserve the Kid, that must not be a means for a second death, to seath or boyl it in saith God, that's unnatural, and but cruelty; so for us to deal with God to take those things that should be a means to engage our hearts further to God to be oc∣casion of further sinning against God, that's abominable; there saith God, I hated them.

Concerning Gilgal.* 1.5 Their Idolatrous Priests told them (as 'tis propable) that that place was a holy place, and surely God that had appeared so to them there would ac∣cept

of their services in that place rather than any other, and so though God had after chose another place, yet still they doted upon this place, [Gilgal] and that which was so famous for Gods Worship became as infamous for su∣perstition and wickedness.

Polanus upon the text compares that Town in Germany,* 1.6 [Wittenberg] to this Gilgal. Those places where the Lord hath been more gracious to people, the Devil seeks to cor∣rupt those places most of all; as in Wittenberg was the be∣ginning of Reformation by the means of Luther, and now (saith he) the Devil hath made it the Theater of divers He∣resies, and still makes it more and more; that very place which was a place of Gods mercy to the Country: so here, that place that was the greatest place of mercy,* 1.7 is here the greatest place of wickedness; the Devil envies it so much the more, and all their wickedness is here.

All their wickedness.] That is, the chief wickedness, their Superstition and Idolatry is the chief and the great wicked∣ness that provokes God against a people; not only because of the presumption in it, but because it's an Inlet to all o∣ther kind of wickedness. Hence observe:

1. Where there is false worship in any place all manner of wicked∣ness follows. And people do most stick unto their supersti∣tious waies more than to any thing, and therefore that's the chief wickedness, yea and they think to satisfie God with those waies for their other sins, All their wickedness is there.

A further Note from hence is,* 1.8 That to sin in face of mercies, where there are the Testimony of Gods abundant mercies, that is very abominable to God. That's a great aggravation of sin, to sin in the face of the testimonies of the mercies of God, what, where so much mercy, yet here wicked and abomi∣nable? Doth God fill thy family, thy chamber, thy clo∣set, thy bed, thy shop with the Testimonies of his mercy? Take heed how thou sinnest there where there are abun∣dant Testimonies of Gods mercy to witness against thee, and to aggravate thy sin.

But I find some Interpreters,* 1.9 and that not one or two, but many, (and that makes me speak of this Interpretation) that refer this wickedness to the casting off the Govern∣ment that God had appointed, and the bringing in of a new Government: at Gilgal was the place where they would have Saul to be their King, and cast off the Govern∣ment by Judges that God had appointed among them, Gilgal was the place; now this was the ground of all their other obstinate wickedness, and God remembers this a long time after and saith, All their wickedness is in Gilgal, and there I hated them.

From hence the Note is this,* 1.10 That it's a hateful thing to cast off the Government that God would have us under,* 1.11 it is hate∣ful to God; the Jews had both their Civil and Ecclesiastical Government by Divine Institution, they were both mixt in one there. And though now we have not our Civil Government by Divine Institution, but it's left to the Cre∣ation of man,* 1.12 according as in prudence men in several Countries shall think best; but Ecclesiastical Governm••••t certainly is as much by Divine Institution now, as ever it was, and it must be so, because it is spiritual, and nothing can work in a spiritual way upon the inward man but that that is by Divine Institution, therefore whatever the Go∣vernment be (I will not meddle with the particulars) yet we must take heed how we cast off that which is appointed by God, for that's hateful, there I hated them; we had need therefore search and examin to find what that is,* 1.13 and if we think it be not so cleer as their Government was to them, we must take so much the more pains to examin, and not think it long that there is so much time spent i•• see∣king to find out what the Government should be, do not think it a light matter: many people they think it but a circumstance, and things that we need not trouble our selves so much about, and why should there be so much time spent in searching it out;* 1.14 Learn from hence to look upon it as a great matter, as a matter upon which the wel∣fare

or the evil of a Kingdom doth much depend, for so it was here, saith God, because they cast off the Government that I would have, there I hated them. Thus you may take in both the meanings, both the Testimonies of Gods mercies in Gilgal at first, and the place where they cast off my Government and would have another, I hated them there saith God.

Again,* 1.15 There I hated them.] There are some sins that provoke God to anger, and some to grief, but some to ha∣tred, and that's dreadful when our sins shall provoke ha∣tred, the Lord hates the works of iniquity. This is the great difference between the sins of the Saints and others, the sins of the Saints may anger God, may grieve God, but the sin of others they provoke God to hatred. I hated them.

Again,* 1.16 There I hated them.] (There) Sometimes God manifests his hatred in the very places where men do sin a∣gainst him. As a mans spirit will rise if he comes to a place where he hath been wronged by any; If you should come into the very place where your children have been murde∣red,* 1.17 or wives ravished, would not you have your hearts rise with indignation, in this place was my child murde∣red, in this place was my child ravished; so saith God, every time he looks upon Gilgal, Oh! here was this wic∣kedness committed, there I hated them. Hence it is that many guilty consciences dare not go into the place where they have committed sin, There I hated them.

It follows.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Expos. 1.
• * 1.2

  Obs. 1.
• * 1.3

  Obs. 2.
• * 1.4

  Exod. 23. 19.
• * 1.5

  Expos.
• * 1.6

  Witteber∣gan ob Re∣formationis inititū per Lutherū Sathanus haeresium Theatrum fecit. Pol. in loc.
• * 1.7

  See Wil∣kingson against the Familists; print. Lon. 1579. pag. 3. Repor∣ting the like of Col∣chester in Essex. And in Fox Act. Mon. 1. edit. p. 606. A. not untruly
• * 1.8

  Obs. 2.
• * 1.9

  Expos. 2 Ar. Mon. and some Hebr. In∣terpreters.
• * 1.10

  Obs. 3.
• * 1.11

  Civil and Ecclesia∣stical Go∣vernment united in Israel.
• * 1.12

  Civil Go∣vernment Ecclesiasti∣cal Govern¦ment
• * 1.13

  pains must be taken a∣bout it.
• * 1.14

  As a thing of great conseque••ce.
• * 1.15

  Obs. Some sins pro∣voke God to hatred.
• * 1.16

  Obs. God manifests his displea∣sure in the places wher we sin.
• * 1.17

  simile.