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HOSEA XIV. 3.] THE RETXTRNING BACKSLIDEB. 289
the means ; who, instead of their blindness, trained them up in more knowledge, by forcing them to use the means for which, when God should open their eyes, they might bless God another day. But this point of gross idolatry, so largely handled in books, is only touched by the way, that we may hate idolatiy the more ; which could not be left out, the words leading to say somewhat of it, seeing how these converts here hate it, and out of that hatred make this profession, ' Neither will we say any more to the works of our hands, Ye are our gods,' &c.
But this is not all ; we must know that there be other idols than the idols which we make with our hands. Besides these religious idols, there be secular idols in the world, such as men set up to themselves in their own hearts. ^Miatsoever takes up the heart most, which they attribute more to than to God, that is their idol, their god. A man's love, a man's fear, is his god. If a man fear greatness rather than God, that he had rather displease God than any great person, they are his idols for the time. ' The fear of a man brings a snare,' Prov. xxix. 26, saith the wise man. And those who get the favour of any in place, sacrifice therefore their credit, profession, reli- gion, and souls, it is gross idolatry ; dangerous to the party, and dangerous to themselves. It was the ruin of Herod to have that applause given to him, and taken by him, ' The voice of God, and not of man,' Acts xii. 22. So for any to be blown up with flatterers, that lift them up above their due measure, it is an exceeding wTong to them, prejudiceth their comfort, and wiU prove ill in the conclusion ; indeed, treason against their souls.
So there is a baser sort of idolaters, who sacrifice then* credit and state, whatsoever is good within them, their whole powers, to their base and filthy pleasures. Thus man is degenerate since his fall, that he makes that his god which is meaner than himself. Man, that was ordained for everlasting happiness and communion with God, is now brought to place his happiness and contentment in base pleasures. ^Vhereas it is with the soul of man for good or ill, as it applies itself to that which is gi'eater or meaner than itself. If it apply itself to confidence and aifiance in God, then it is better. For it is the happiness of the soul to have commimion with the Spring of goodness, as David speaks, ' It is good for me to di'aw near to God,' &c., Ps. Ixxiii. 28. "When we sufierthe soul to cleave in afliance to earthly things, it grows in some measm-e to the nature of the things adhered to. When we love the world and earthly things, we are earthly. Till the Spirit of God touch the soul, as the loadstone doth the heavy iron, dra^ving it up, as it were, it will cleave to the creature, to baser things than itself, and so makes the creature an idol, which is the common idolatry of these times. Some make favour, as the ambitious person ; some theii- pleasures, as baser persons of meaner condition ; and some riches. Every man as their temper and as their temptations are.
Now, it is not enough to be sound in religion one way in the main ; but we must be sound every way, without any touch of idolatry. Li a special manner the apostle calls the 'covetous man an idolater,' Eph. v. 5, because he makes riches his castle, thinking to carry anything with his wealth. But his riches oftentimes prove his ruin ; for whatsoever a man loves more than God, God wiU make it his bane and rain ; at least, be sure to take it away, if God mean to save the party. Therefore, here they say, ' Asshur shall not save us ; we will not ride upon horses ; neither will we say any more to the works of our hands. Ye are om- gods.'
' For in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.'
Here he shews the reason of their rejecting of aU false confidence in
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Asshur, in horses, in idols ; because they had planted their confidence in the true God. They said so when they had smarted by Asshur, and by idolatry. Then ' Asshur shall not save us,' &c. They knew it by rule before ; but till God plagued them, as he did oft by Asshur and by Egypt, when he broke the reed that it did not only not uphold them, but run into their hands, they made no such acknowledgment. Hence observe,
Obs. UsiiaU;/ it is thus ivith man, he never repents till sin be embittered to him.
He never alters his confidence till his trusts be taken away. When God overthrows the mould of his devices, or brings them upon his own head, setting him to reap the fruit of his own ways, embittering sinful courses to him, then he returns. Instruction without correction doth for the most part little good. When Asshur had dealt falsely with them, and idolatry would do them no good, then they begin to alter their judgmient. What makes men, after too much confidence in their wit, when they have, by their plots and devices, gone beyond what they should do, and wrapped and entangled themselves in a net of their own weaving, as we say, alter their judgment ? They are then become sick of their own devices. This makes the change. For till then the brain hath a kind of net to wrap our devices in. So, many have nets in their brains, wheremth they entangle themselves and others with their idle devices ; which, when they have done, and so woven the web of their own misery, then they begin to say, as the heathen saith when he was deceived, ' 0 fool am I, I was never a wise man ! ' Then they begin to say, I was a fool to trust such and such. I have tried such and such poUcies, and they have deceived me. I will now alter my course. And surely men of great parts are seldom converted till God confound their plots, and lays flat aU their false confidence. When Asshur disappoints them, then ' Asshur shall not save us,' &c.