Hosea 3

THen Or And, Hebr. or furthermore. said the LORD Commanded. unto me Hosea., Go yet Again, or once more, so it implyeth he had once already been commanded and done some such like thing., love a woman In the former he was commanded to Marry, in this he is commanded to love; (the reason of which will appear in the applica on of the parable,) a Woman though describ'd by her Character, yet not named; and though her Character would suit well enough to Gomer, yet it was not she, for this Woman was to abide v. 3. for him, but Gomer was presently married to him or t least so represented; this was brought Gomer was not: beloved of her friend Her Husband, though some think it may be some other person, or lover., yet an adulteress Either already tainted, or that certainly will be tainted with that vice, a divorced Woman separate from her Husband because of her fals ness to him. according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel Let this be the Emblem of my love to the Children of Israel; by this I intend says God, to let Israel know how I have loved, and how she has loved; How greatly, dearly, constantly on my part. How slightly, inconstantly, falsely on her part., who look to other Gods When I adopted them to be a peculiar people to me, to take me for their God, and requir'd they shall have none other (which relation is well exprest by that of Husband and Wife;) they have look't, liked, loved other Gods, and depended on them, and their hearts have been estranged from me, they have turned down right Idolaters., and love flagons of wine Loved the Feasts of their Idols, where they drank Wine to excess, by too great measures, which, without dispute, was usual in the Idol Feasts. Amos 2.8. 1 Cor. 10.21. or else these flagons of Wine speak their loose, drunken, and riotous living..

So As I was commanded, I procured, or as we read it, bought: I bought her Which exactly answers to the State of the Iews, hen in Egypt tainted with Egyptian Idolatry, and poor, without a portion; bought or redeem'd to be affianced to God. to me for fifteen pieces Whatever was the exact quantity and value of these pieces we need not here curiously enquire; but note we, it was half the value of aslave Exod. 21.32. and was some 7 s. 6d. of silver, and for an homer This measure might be about 14 Bushel; so the who e will, for her Diet, amount to twenty and one Bushel no great Provision for her Diet. of barley, and an half homer of barley And 'tis Barley in both places, the me nest kind of Provision; and suited to a low condition. Iudges 7.13. Ezek. 4.9, 12. all this the uller to set forth Israe s indigence and ingratitude to God, and God's bounty to Israel..

And I said unto her, thou shalt abide Dwell with me, and expect and wait in an unmarried condition, until I see it fit to espouse thee. for me many days 'Tis not said how long, but a slave as she is represented here, may not think this severe. The preferment will compensate her waiting., thou shalt not play the harlot This the third condition she is to live chaste and modest, not to do as she had done. This was to settle her in a vertuous life, and to prove whether she would betake her self to a life praiseworthy., and thou shalt not be for another man She is bound to marry none other, nor to commit Adultery with any other., so will I also be for thee In due time I will accomplish the contract, and as I wait, so I will be for thee: so the Deed is mutually seal'd and signed.. This verse is the form of Contract, or the Articles of Agreement between the Prophet and this Woman.

For the children of Israel shall abide many days Now the parable is unfolded, and made plain, it shall be with Israel much like as with such a Woman, They and She guilty of Adultery, both punisht with a Divorce, both punisht long with such afflicted State, both made Slaves, kept hardly, and valued meanly, yet in mercy at last pardon'd, reaccepted, and prefer'd, but this after long time of Probation. How long we cannot tell, nor list to dispute whether 70 years of Babylons Captivity, or whether these Seventy, and the One Hundred and Thirty years of Ten Tribes Captivity before the Two Tribes went Captives, i. e. Two Hundred years; or whether till Messiah's coming, or the general and last Conversion of th Iews, long 'twas to be no doubt. without a king None of their own Royal Line shall fit on the Throne, and Rule them, but Foreigners, Enemies, and they that had conquer'd them, should be Kings over them. So the Kingdom ceased as chap. 1.4., and without a prince The Conquering Kings will not out of the Iews make their chief Officers to Rule the Iews, but Strangers shall be Princes and Governours over them., and without a sacrifice Either right, and according to Law; (these Sacrifices they had long since cast off) or Idolatrous ones which they would choose., and without an image They could carry none of their Images with them, and the Assyrians would not let them make new ones., and without an ephod No Priest as well as no Ephod., and without Teraphim Idolatrous Images kept in their private Houses to Worship and Consult with like the Roman Lares and Penates, Houshold Gods; in one word, such should be the State of these Captives: They should have nothing of their own either in Kingdom and Civil Affairs, or in Church and Religion, but be wholly under the Power and Arbitrary wills of their Conquering Enemies..

Afterward After these long and sore troubles have broken their hearts and opened their eyes. shall the children of Israel return Repent; 'tis not promise of return into their own Countrey., and seek the LORD their God To know his way, and to live under his protection and blessing, to worship him, and they shall pray to him, depend on him, consult with him, with ardency and earnestness of desire., and David their king Not son of Iess, who was long since dead; no Zerubbabel. But Messiah who is elsewhere called David, Psal. 132.10. Ier. 30.9. Ezek. 34.24. and 37.24, 25. which see; and Amos 9.11., and shall fear the LORD With Reverence shall pray, depend and consult their God, and worship his son the Messiah, whom the Father sent out of his infinite Goodness and kindness towards us., and his Goodness God and his Goodness, i. e. the good and gracious God, such to us in Christ, God in Christ and with Christ shall be worship'd. in the latter days In the days of the Messiah, in Gospel times, and perhaps the last of these latter days..