A brief exposition on the XII. smal prophets: the first volume containing an exposition on the prophecies of Hosea, Joel, & Amos. By George Hutcheson, minister at Edenburgh.

Vers. 14. Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly; therefore shall he leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his Lord returne unto him.

The last branch of the accusation, and the summe of all the rest, is, that by their sinful ingratitude, and their own inventions, they provoked God grievously, and as it were, of set purpose. To all which is subjoyned the Lords sentence, that he will give them up to reap the fruit of their bloody crimes, whereof them∣selves only should bear the blame; And that he will cast on their own faces the fruit of that reproach and dishonour which they of∣fered to do to God by their sins. All which he will do according to his right of dominion over them. Whence learn, 1. Gods people cannot prove that he takes up a controversie needlessely a∣gainst them, but he is only angry when they put him to it by their sin: For, Ephraim (who misled all the rest) provoked him to anger. 2. As all sin floweth from a bitter root, and doth pro∣voke God to let the sinner feel it bitter in end; so the provocati∣on of his people is most bitter, especially when they forsake him, and embrace idols, and when they carry themselves ingrately to∣ward him, and yet will pretend to an interest in him: For, it was by these and the like sins that Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly, where he speaks after the manner of men who are imbittered by undutiful and grosse miscarriages toward them; and it imports that their provocations were intolerable, and that they should finde by the bitter fruits of them, how much he is provoked. 3. God needs no more for taking course with men, but leave them to their own guilt, to reap as it deserveth; And it is a sad judgement, when our guilt (and not Gods mercy) gets the measuring out of stroaks; For, it is his sad sentence, therefore shall he leave his blood upon him, that is, God will leave him under the guilt and power of his bloody crimes, and cruel sinnes against the second Table, that they may draw vengeance upon him. 4. When God threatens and strikes his sinfull people, he is innocent of their ruine, and onely sinne is to be blamed: For, he shall leave his blood upon him, may import also, that his blood and destruction for these bloody crimes, was upon his owne head, and

not to be charged on God. 5. Wicked men within the Church, do by their miscarriage, reproach and raise an ill report upon God, as if he were not an all-sufficient God worthy to be served, as if he should be guided by them in the matter of duty and Religious performances; and accept what they offer, and not what himself commands; and as if he were a liker and approver of their sinne, because he continues his favour toward such: And all this they do, beside the reproach cast upon God by the Heathen, because of their miscarriages: For, there is a re∣proach to be returned, which consequently imports, they had cast it upon him. 6. A reproached Lord will vindicate his own glory, by causing all the reproachful effects of sin to return upon the sinner: For, his reproach shall his Lord return unto him. 7. When God is provoked to anger, neither a real nor pretended interest will hold off stroakes; And albeit presumptuous sinners do reject God, his authority and yoke; yet he will exercise dominion o∣ver them whether they will or not: For, saith he, his Lord shall returne it upon him, whereby he sheweth that no interest will avail to plead for exemption; and particularly, that his peo∣ple whom he chooseth, he will let them finde that he choosed them on these tearmes, to be Lord over them, (as the Name here is a Name of dominion,) and will prove it to be so when they sinne.