Sermon 1 - O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God - Hosea 14:1, 2.
THE RETURNING BACKSLIDER
SERMON I O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord; say unto him,
Take away all iniquity, &c.—HOS. 14:1, 2.
THE whole frame of godliness is a mystery, Col. 1:26. The apostle called it 'a great mystery,' comprehending all under these particulars:
'God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory,' 1 Tim. 3:16. Amongst which mysteries, this may well be the 'mystery of mysteries.' 'God was manifest in the flesh,' which includeth also another mystery, the graciousness and abundant tender mercy of God towards miserable, wretched, and sinful creatures; even in the height of their rebellion, appointing such a remedy to heal them. Which is the subject of this chapter, and last part of this prophecy: which, as it thunders out terrible judgments against hard-hearted impenitent sinners (such as were the most part of Israel), so is it mingled full of many and sweet consolations to the faithful, in those times, scattered amongst the wicked troop of idolaters then living.
The time when Hosea prophesied was under the reign of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah; and in the days of Jeroboam, the son of Joash, king of Israel, in whose days idolatry was first universally set up, and countenanced by regal power. This
Jeroboam, 'who caused Israel to sin,' 1 Kings 15:34, that he might strengthen himself, made use of religion, and profanely mixed it with his civil affairs in carnal policy, and so leavened the whole lump of Israel with idolatry, that shortly after, the whole ten tribes, for their sin, and their injustice, cruelty, lust, security, and such other sins as
accompanied and sprang from this brutish idolatry, were led away captive by the king of Assyria, and the Lord's righteous judgment made manifest upon them.
There being, notwithstanding, amongst these some faithful ones, though thinly scattered, who mourned for, and by their good examples, reproved these abominable courses: there being also a seed of the elect unconverted; and of the converted, some that were carried down too far in the strength of this stream of wickedness: in this chapter, therefore, being the conclusion of this prophecy, there are many excellent and heavenly encouragements; also many earnest incitements to repentance and returning to the Lord, with free and gracious promises, not only of pardon and acceptance, but of great rewards in things spiritual and temporal to such as should thus return.
'O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.'
'Take with you words, and turn to the Lord; say unto him, Take away all iniquity,' &c.
In this chapter we have, 1. An exhortation to repentance, with the motives enforcing the same: 'O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God,' ver. 1.
2. The form: 'Take with you words, and say unto the Lord,' &c., ver.
3. A restipulation, what they should do: and return back again, having their prayers granted. 1. Thanksgiving: 'So will we render the calves of our lips.' 2. Sound reformation of their beloved sin: 'Ashur shall not save us,' &c.; with the reason thereof: 'For in thee the fatherless findeth mercy,' ver. 3.
4. God's answer to their petitions. 1. In what he will do for them:
'Heal their backsliding, love them freely, and be as the dew unto Israel;' with the reason thereof: 'For mine anger is turned away from him,' ver. 4. 2. What he will work in them, a proportionable speedy growth in height, breadth, and depth: 'He shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon,' &c.; which mercy is further amplified by a blessing poured out also upon their families: 'They that dwell under his shadow shall return,' ver. 5–7.
5. There is set down a further effect of this repentance and gracious work in them, a sound and strong well-rooted indignation against their former darling sins; 'Ephraim shall say, What have I any more to do with idols?' backed with a strong consolation: 'I have heard him and observed him,' &c., ver. 8.
6. The diverse event and issue of this God's so gracious dealing, is shewed both in the godly and wicked. 1. The wise and prudent understand and know that the ways of the Lord are right, and shall walk in them; but, 2. 'The transgressors shall fall therein,' ver. 9.
'O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.'
Every word hath his weight, and, in a manner, is an argument to enforce this returning.
'O Israel!' Israel, we know, 1, is a word of covenant. Jacob was Israel, a prince and wrestler with God, as they also ought to be. Therefore he enforceth, You also ought to return, because you are Israel. And, 2, It was also an encouragement for them to return, because God so acknowledgeth them to be Israel, and will be gracious unto them, though they were such hideous sinners.
'Return,' saith he, 'unto the Lord Jehovah,' who is the chief good. For when a man returneth to the creature, which is a particular, changeable good, unsatisfying [to] the soul, he is restless still until he come unto Jehovah, who is the all-sufficient, universal good, who
fills and fills the soul abundantly. Therefore, 'return' to him who is the fountain of all good, and giveth a being unto all things, and not to 'broken cisterns,' Jer. 2:13. He is Jehovah, like himself, and 'changeth not.' And then he is thy God. Therefore, return to him who is thy God in covenant, who will make good his gracious covenant unto thee, and did choose thee to be 'his people before all the nations of the world.' This, therefore, is also an encouragement to return.
And then, 'Thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.' Therefore, because thou art fallen by thy iniquities, and thine own inventions have brought these miseries upon thee, and none but God can help thee out of these miseries, seeing he only can, and is willing to forgive thy sins and revive thee, therefore, 'O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.'
Now, in that he forewarneth them of the fearful judgments to come, which were to fall upon them unless they were prevented by true repentance, hence in general it is to be observed,
That God comes not as a sudden storm upon his people, but gives them warning before he smites them.
This is verified in Scripture. When the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah was great, the Lord said, 'Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me; and if not, I will know,' Gen. 18:20, 21. And wherefore was the ark of Noah so long in building, but to give warning to that sinful age, which Were nothing bettered by it. The like we have of Pharaoh and all the Egyptians, who had so many warnings and miracles shewed before their destruction came, Exod.
11:1, seq. Thus God dealt in Amos: 'Therefore, thus will I do unto thee; and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O
Israel,' Amos 4:12. 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,' saith Christ, 'thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth the chickens under her wings, and ye would not,' Mat.
23:37. What need we stand upon proofs? Are not all the threatenings of Scripture as so many warning-pieces of approaching judgments?
1. The reason hereof is, his own nature. 'He is a God of longsuffering,' Exod. 34:6. He made the world in six days, yet hath continued it six thousand years, notwithstanding the many sins and provocations thereof, 'his mercies being over all his works,' Ps. 145:9.
2. And partly from a special regard to his own dear children, these terrible threatenings not being killing and wounding, but, like
Jonathan's warning arrows, who, though he shot, yet meant no other harm to David save to forewarn him of harm, 1 Sam. 20:20.
Use. Let us, therefore, observe God's gracious and mild dealing in so much mercy, who giveth us so many warnings by his servants, and lesser judgments which we have had amongst us; let us take notice and believe, so as belief may stir up fear, and fear may provoke care, and care stir up endeavours to provide us an ark, even a hiding-place betimes, before winter and worse times come upon us.
Hence issueth another general point, that The best provision for preventing of destruction is spiritual means.
God himself is a spirit, and spiritual means reach unto him who is the first mover of the great wheel of all the affairs of this world. It is preposterous to begin at the second cause. We trouble ourselves in vain there, when we neglect the first. We should therefore begin the work in heaven, and first of all take up that quarrel which is between God and our souls. If this be done first, we need not fear the carriage of second things, all which God, out of his good providence and gracious care, will frame to work for good to his, Rom. 8:28, for
whose sakes, rather than help should fail, he will create new helps, Isa. 4:5. Wherefore, in all things it is best to begin with God.
The third general point is this, that Of all spiritual means, the best is to return to the Lord.
In this returning, 1. There must be a stop. Those who have run on in evil ways must first stop their lewd courses. For naturally from our birth and childhood we are posting on to hell; and yet such is our madness (unless the Spirit of God shew us ourselves) to be angry with those who stand in our way.
To make this stop, then (which is always before returning).
(1.) There must be examination and consideration whither our ways tend. There be stopping considerations, which both waken a man and likewise put rubs in his way; if a man, upon examination, find his ways displeasing unto God, disagreeing from the rule, and consider what will be the end and issue of them (nothing but death and damnation), and withal consider of the day of judgment, the hour of death, the all-seeing eye of God, and the like. So the consideration of a man's own ways, and of God's ways towards him, partly when God meets him with goodness;—I have hitherto been a vile wretch, and God hath been good to me, and spared me;—and partly when God stops a wicked man's ways with thorns, meets him with crosses and afflictions. These will work upon an ingenious* spirit, to make him have better thoughts and deeper considerations of true happiness, and the way unto it. God puts into the heart of a man, whom he intends to save, serious and sad considerations, what estate he is in, whither his course leads; and withal he lets them feel some displeasure of his, towards them, in those ways, by his ways towards them; whereupon they make a stop.
(2.) There must be humiliation, with displeasure against ourselves, judging and taking revenge of ourselves, working and reflecting on our hearts, taking shame to ourselves for our ways and courses; and
withal, there must concur some hope of mercy. For so long as there is hue and cry, as we say, after a traitor, he returns not, but flies still and hastes away; but offer a pardon, and he returneth. So, unless there be hope of pardon, to draw a man again to God, as the prodigal was moved to return by hope of mercy and favour from his father,
Luke 15:18, we will not, we dare not else return.
(3.) There must be a resolution to overcome impediments. For when a man thinks or resolves to turn to God, Satan will stir up all his instruments, and labour to kill Christ in his infancy, and to quench good while it is in the purpose only. The dragon stood watching for the birth of the child, Rev. 12:4; so doth Satan observe the birth of every good resolution and purpose, so far as he can know them, to destroy them.
Use. Let it be thought of by us in all our distresses, and in whatsoever other evidences of God's anger, whether this means have been taken up by us. It will be thus known.
[1.] Turning is a change of the posture of the body; so is this of the frame of the mind. By this we know a man is in a state of turning.
The look of his intentions, purposes, the whole bent of his soul is set another way, even upon God; and his word is the star of direction towards which he bends all his thoughts.
[2.] His present actions, also, be contrary to his former. There is not only a change of the disposition of his soul, 'Behold all things are become new;' not some things, but all; not only 'new,' but with a 'behold' new, 2 Cor. 5:17. This change undoubtedly sheweth that there is a true conversion and unfeigned.
[3.] By our association. He that turns to God, turns presently to the company of God's people. Together with the change of his nature and course of life, there is a change of company; that is, of such as we make choice of for amity and friendship, Isa. 11:10, seq. Other
company, by reason of our callings, and occasionally, may be frequented.
[4.] It is a sign that one is not only turned, but hath gone backwards from sin a great way, when the things of heaven only are great things in his eyes. For, as the further a man goeth from a place, the lesser the things behind him seem, so the greater the things before, he being nearer to them. The more sublime and high thoughts a man hath of the ways of God, and the meaner thoughts of the world and worldly matters he esteemed so highly of in the days of his vanity, the more he is turned unto God.
This returning is further enforced, saying, 'Return unto the Lord thy God.'
It is very emphatical and significant in the original (a). Return, usque ad Jehovam, even to Jehovah, as though he should say, Do not only begin to return towards Jehovah, but so return as you never cease coming till you come to Jehovah.
'Even unto the Lord thy God.'
It is not enough to make a stop, and forbear the practising of our former sins; but we must come home, even unto the Lord our God, to be pardoned and healed of him.
The prodigal son had been never a whit the better to see his sin and misery, and to be grieved for his wicked life past, unless he had come unto his father for pardon and comfort, Luke 15:20. And when those were pricked in their hearts at Peter's sermon, asking Peter 'what they should do?' he exhorted them, 'To repent, every one to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and so they should receive the Holy Ghost,' Acts 2:38. And when Christ invites all those who 'are weary and heavy laden to come unto him,'
Mat. 11:28, he bids them not now be further humbled and grieved for their sins, but by faith to come unto him to be healed, and so they should find rest and peace to their souls. It is not sufficient for a
wounded man to be sorry for his brawling and fighting, and to say, he will fight no more; but he must come to the surgeon to have his wounds stopped, dressed, and healed, or else it may cost him his life.
So it is not enough to be humbled and grieved for sin, and to resolve against it. We shall relapse again, do what we can, unless we come under the wing of Christ, to be healed by his blood.
Use. Many think they have repented, and are deceived upon this false ground. They are and have been grieved for their sins and offences; are determined to leave and forsake them, and that is all they do.
They never lay hold on Christ, and come home to God.
'For thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.'
Here divers points might be insisted on.
1. That where there is a falling into sin, there will be a falling into misery and judgment.
This is made good in the experience of all times, ages, persons, and states. Still the more sinful any were, the more fearful judgments fell upon them; and as soon as any man came into a sinful state, he entered into a declining state; as Jacob said of his son Reuben, who had defiled his bed, 'Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed,' Gen. 49:4. So sin still debaseth a man. So much sin, so much loss of excellency.
The use hereof is, first, against those that complain of their troubles and miseries, as though God and men had dealt hardly with them; whereas their own ways, indeed, have brought all these evils upon them, Lam. 3:39. God is a sufficient, wise, and holy disposer and orderer of all the ways of men, and rewarder of good and evil doings.
God being wise and just in his disposing of all things, it must needs follow, that it shall go well with those that are good; as the prophet speaks, 'Say unto the just, that it shall be well with them, for the reward of their works shall be given them,' Isa. 3:10. And if it fall out otherwise than well with men, the blame must be laid on their own
sin. As the church confesseth, and therefore resolveth, 'I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me; he will bring me forth in the light, and I shall see his righteousness,' Micah 7:9. If Adam sin, he shall find a hell in a paradise. If Paul return, and return to God, he shall find a heaven in a dungeon.
Secondly, It should move us therefore to seek unto God by unfeigned repentance, to have our sins taken away and pardoned; or else, however we may change our plagues, yet they shall not be taken away; nay, we shall still, like Pharoah, change for the worst; who, though he had his judgments changed, yet sin, the cause, remaining, he was never a whit the better, but the worse, for changing, until his final ruin came.
'The wages of sin is death,' Rom. 6:23. Sin will cry till it hath its wages. Where iniquity is, there cannot but be falling into judgment.
Therefore they are cruel to their own souls that walk in evil ways; for undoubtedly God will turn their own ways upon their own heads. We should not therefore envy any man, be he what he will, who goeth on in ill courses, seeing some judgment is owing him first or last, unless he stop the current of God's wrath by repentance. God, in much mercy, hath set up a court in our hearts to this end, that, if we judge ourselves in this inferior court, we may escape, and not be brought up into the higher. If first they be judged rightly in the inferior court, then there needs no review. But otherwise, if we by repentance take not up the matter, sin must be judged somewhere, either in the tribunal of the heart and conscience, or else afterwards there must be a reckoning for it.
Thirdly, Hence we learn, since the cause of every man's misery is his own sin, that therefore all the power of the world, and of hell, cannot keep a man in misery, nor hinder him from comfort and happiness, if he will part with his sins by true and unfeigned repentance. As we know, Manasseh, as soon as he put away sin, the Lord had mercy upon him, and turned his captivity, 2 Chron. 33:12, 13. So the people
of Israel, in the Judges. Look how often they were humbled and returned to God, still he forgave them all their sins. As soon as they put away sin, God and they met again. So that, if we come to Christ by true repentance, neither sin nor punishment can cleave to us, Ps.
106:43, 44; 107:1, 9.
'Thou hast fallen,' &c. Fallen blindly, as it were. Thou couldst not see which way thou wentest, or to what end thy courses did tend.
Therefore thou art come into misery before thou knowest where thou art. A sinner is blind, 'The god of this world hath put out his eyes,' 2
Cor. 4:4. They see not their way, nor foresee their success. The devil is ever for our falling. That we fall into sin, and then fall into misery, and so fall into despair, and into hell, this pleaseth him. 'Cast thyself down,' saith he to Christ, Mat. 4:6. 'Down with it, down with it,' saith
Edom, Ps. 137:7. Hell is beneath. The devil drives all that way.
Use. Take heed of sin! take heed of blindness! Ponder the path of your feet! keep your thoughts heavenward! stop the beginnings, the first stumblings! pray to God to make our way plain before us, and not to lead us into temptation!
'Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him,' &c., ver. 2.
These Israelites were but a rude people, and had not so good means to thrive in grace as Judah had. Therefore he prompts them here with such words as they might use to God in their returning. 'Take with you words,' whereby we see how gracious God is unto us in using such helps for our recovery, and pitying us more than we pity ourselves. Is not this a sufficient warrant and invitation to return, when the party offended, who is the superior, desires, entreats, and sues unto the offending, guilty inferior, to be reconciled?' 2 Cor. 5:5.
But this is not all. He further sheweth his willingness in teaching us, who are ignorant of the way, in what manner and with what expressions we should return to the Lord. He giveth us not only words, and tells us what we shall say, but also giveth his Spirit so
effectually therewith, as that they shall not be lifeless and dead words, but 'with unexpressible sighs and groans unto God,' Rom.
8:26, who heareth the requests of his own Spirit. Christ likewise teacheth us how to pray. We have words dictated, and a spirit of prayer poured upon us; as if a great person should dictate and frame a petition for one who were afraid to speak unto him. Such is God's graciousness; and so ready is he in Jesus Christ to receive sinners unto mercy.
'Take unto you words.' None were to appear empty before the Lord at Jerusalem, but were to bring something. So it is with us. We must not appear empty before our God. If we can bring nothing else, let us bring words; yea, though broken words, yet if out of a broken and contrite heart, it will be a sacrifice acceptable.
This same taking of words or petitions, in all our troubles and afflictions, must needs be a special remedy, it being of God's own prescription, who is so infinite in knowledge and skill. Whence we observe, that They who would have help and comfort against all sins and sorrows, must come to God with words of prayer.
As we see in Jonah's case, in a matchless distress, words were inforcive,* and did him more good than all the world besides could.
For after that he had been humbled, and prayed out of the whale's belly, the whale was forced to cast him out again, Jonah 2:10. So the prodigal son being undone, having neither credit nor coin, but all in a manner against him, yet he had words left him: 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants,' Luke 15:18, seq. After which, his father had compassion on him. And good
Hezekiah, being desperately sick of a desperate disease, yet when he set his faith a-work, and took with him words, which comfort only now was left unto him, we know how after he had turned his face towards the wall, and prayed with words, God not only healed him of
that dangerous disease, but also wrought a great miracle for his sake, causing the sun to come back ten degrees, Isa. 38:2, 8. Thus, when life seemed impossible, yet words, prayers, and tears prevailed with God. Jehoshaphat, also, going to war with Ahab, against God's commandment, and in the battle, being encompassed with enemies, yet had words with him ready, and after prayer found deliverance, 1
Kings 22:32. Elijah, likewise, after a great drowth and famine, when rain had been three years wanting, and all in a manner out of frame for a long time, 'took with him words,' James 5:18; and God sent rain abundantly upon the earth again.
The reason is, because prayer sets God on work; and God, who is able and willing to go through with his works, sets all the creatures on work, Hos. 2:21, 22. As we heard of Elijah, when he prayed for rain, the creatures were set a-work to effect it, 1 Kings 18:45, seq.
Obj. Where it may be objected, Oh, but rain might come too late in that hot country, where all the roots and herbs might be withered and dried up in three years' space.
Ans. Yet all was well again. The land brought forth her increase as formerly. For faithful prayer never comes too late, because God can never come too late. If our prayers come to him, we shall find him come to us. Jehoshaphat, we read, was in great distress when three kings came against him; yet when he went to God by unfeigned and hearty fasting and prayer, God heard him, fought for him, and destroyed all his enemies, 2 Chron. 20:3. seq. The Scripture sheweth, also, how after Hezekiah's prayer against Sennacherib's blasphemies and threatenings, the Lord sent forth his angel, and destroyed in one night a hundred fourscore and five thousand of the Assyrians, 2
Chron. 32:21, seq.
Use 1. This is, first, for reproof of those who, in their distresses, set their wit, wealth, friends, and all a-work, but never set God a-work, as Hezekiah did in Sennacherib's case. The first time he turned him off to his cost, with enduring a heavy taxation, and yet was never a
whit the better for it, 2 Kings 18:15, seq.; for Sennacherib came shortly after and besieged Jerusalem, until Hezekiah had humbled himself and prayed; and then God chased all away and destroyed them. He had better have done so at first, and so saved his money and pains, too. The like weakness we have a proof of in Asa, who, when a greater army came against him of ten hundred thousand men, laid about him, prayed and trusted in God, and so was delivered, with the destruction of his enemies, 2 Chron. 14:11, yet in a lesser danger, 2 Chron. 16:2, against Baasha, king of Israel, distrusted God, and sent out the treasures of the house of God and of his own house unto Benhadad, king of Syria, to have help of him, by a diverting* war against Baasha, king of Israel, which his plot, though it prospered, yet was he reproved by the prophet Hanani, and wars thenceforth denounced against him, 2 Chron. 16:7. This Asa, notwithstanding this experiment, afterwards sought unto the physician, before he sought unto God, 2 Chron. 16:12.
Use 2. Secondly. This blameth that barrenness and want of words to go unto God, which, for want of hearts, we often find in ourselves. It were a strange thing to see a wife have words enough for her maids and servants, and yet not to be able to speak to her husband. We all profess to be the spouse of Christ. What a strange thing, then, is it to be full when we speak to men, yet be so empty and want words to speak to him! A beggar, we know, wants no words, nay, he aboundeth with variety of expressions; and what makes him thus fruitful in words? His necessity, and, in part, his hope of obtaining.
These two make beggars so earnest. So would it be with us. If we found sufficiently our great need of Christ, and therewith had hope, it would embolden us so to go to God in Christ, that we should not want words. But we want this hope, and the feeling of our necessities, which makes us so barren in prayer.
Prepare thyself, therefore, to prayer, by getting unto thee a true sense of thy need, acquaintance with God, and hope to obtain, and it will make thee fervent in prayer, and copious in thy requests.