o This ſay ſome, gives Hoſea the Precedence of all the Prophth, which perhaps may be allow'd to him among all theProphet chat have written diſtin Books of their Prophecies, but ſimply firft of all - Prophets he was not; in David's and S:lomon's times we meer vi Nathan and Abijah the Shilonite, Or this beginning may 'E, 43 __ dinary Phraſe ſo ſoon as God ſpake ; or at the very firſt of God $ Pe: y ing to Zoſca he commanded him to take luch a Wre, Go. Þ p! ver. 1. let b. q In Hoſea, denoting the Impalſe of the Spirit 0 2 phecy, the internal Motions . nd Influence ot the Spirit in tae Prop "y Vid. ver. 1. let. c. r Directed and commanded him; this was Wa 1 co him, doing which otherwiſe was unſeemly for a Propact *v done. 5s This was, ſay ſome, done? in Vition, 'n4 was to bet 5 the People as other Vifhons were: It was paravolically prop: | "I chem, and this might be ſuiſcient co convince the Jews, ou: __ have conſidered it well, as Pavid coriidered "Varpa4's rac ſay it 'was really ated, and that the Propk-c did, as COmmeres marry one who had been a Strumpet, or that proved io be 10 69h © was married. And though this would have been unteeny 1,
3: Y & F FE YT RR Co
as throuy df which don is ſo Throne t 'e know 1s Reig pent e'r Count s | {4/4b,ar vas this ballum cc lo 7ebu's miſh theſe fit, 7, & 7 xecnte preſſed th Dy Feby's 5, 6, 7. I at his OW Tudab a1 Houſe by Juir'd, ] the Dogs Cleans'd of l, as the Poſſeſſed t Feboaſh an the Idolat had now 7
Wed for P e tahiah's
VUury'd th
lap p [ plet, had he dal ceaſeth, an with Credic Fon -v Duty $0 Dll, onenly I ofed Whore, I horedoms, As, many Whoredoms, 7 Either, that neſs ; or elſe, maintain the C | jt may lead our who were (4
uzh do what God had by his Command made a necefſa
, =
as FS married them tO himſelf, and did ſhew wonderful Kindneſs to them Wo & 9d theirs ; all which is lighted and forgotten by their Poſterity, by | {8 u, O Idolatrous /raelires ! Or it may refer more expreſly to what es God did for Jael when he brought them out of Egypr, and made a Co+ venant with them in AÞreb, which was as a ſolemn eſpoufing them to " God. The Lord found them tainted with, Egyprian 1dolatries ; yet,as: * the Prophet here, married them-to himſelf,and covenanted with the be fo be faithful to him, but they broke the Covenant, / x Land, ?, e. the ſee People of the Land, intimating the er ſpreading, of &.his Sin, all wor or moſt of all ſo infetted. y The Phraſe, Zeb. pling the Harlo,,; | hath plaid the Harlot, ſpeaks the Continuance of this Idolatry among chem, as well as. the Greatneſs of the Whoredom, Frgm their Fore-, the fathers they had been Idolaters, while God was giving; them his Law Y0- (from the Nuptial Day to Hoſedb's time ). they committed ſpiritual, el Whoredom, and firft made, next worſhipp'd the Golden Calf. 2 So of they left their firſt Husband, and doted on Adulcerers, on Idols, as
Chap. 2+ 5+. 3 So he went and
- W&Diblaim c, which conceived and. bare him a Son 4. of # z As commanded, ſo he did, whether you take it parabolically or fl Wiiterally, 5 If you take it literally, this Gomer will ba. ſome known
Harlot,and perhaps ſhe was famous for her Beauty andSkill in the Cur- iſans Art, as her Name may import, '. It you take it as a Parable, we
zoth in the beſt Senſe 1/rael was yerfett with-the Perfection which God lid put upon her, Exek.16414- he made her Gomer z and in the worſt Senſe ſhe had made her ſelf Gomer, one that was drawing to her end, who had undone and conſumed her ſelf; thus the. word, Pſal. 12. 1: and ſo in one word, God's Bounty and Mercy, and 7/ae/'s Ingratitude and Sin is ſet forth, together with her Puniſhment haſteniag upon her.
Literally underſtood, this Diblaim muſt be either -Father or Mother pf this Gomer, or elſe the Name of the Place where ſhe was born. Pa- abolicaly underſtood, Diblaim, Bunches of dried Figs, may imply the
by Deliciouſneſs of her Proviſion made of God, ſuch as was made for cath reat Feaſts, 1 Sam. 25. 18, ſo01 Chron. 12. 40+ thus "twill ſute, ch. 2. Op ,9. and the Places where the Fig is mentioned as Fruit with which: With od had bleſſed 'Jſrae]. All which abuſed to Luxury and Sin, will 105 z0w make her a Daughter of Diblaim, of Wilderneſs,defolate, d This ed ems to favour the literal Acception of all this-as really, dong, and epi jot only as repreſented in Vifion,Parable or Hieroglyphic.,' But,while ,%, ther way it will be well apply'6 to the Purpoſe-in hand, I ſhall leaye a; t to the Choice of every judicious Reader, to interpret and apply as Y eſt likes him, HE
wo 4 And the LORD ſaid vnto him d, Call his e name ther, ezreel f; for yet a little while þ and I wiſl + avenge 7
he blood & of Jezreel I upon the houſe of Jehu m7, aud vill cauſe to ceaſe the kingdom n of the houſe of Iſrael 0.
pe d Hoſea the Prophet, who, as'in taking to Wife. an Adulterels, ſo date n giving Name to his Son by her,was to preſignity /ſraePs future Cala» gh nities. e Thy Son now born. f The word is, The Seed .of tbe Lord, ens r the Arm of the Lord, or the Lord will ſcatter ;, ſo it may infinuate that a od by his own Arm will ſcatter among the People, z. e. the Aſjriens, :anG hoſe who were his People or Seed. But we have a ſurer Guide to lead
15 through this, 7. e. the Hiſtory. of what was by Febu done in Fezreel; ff which more preſently. g This is the Reaſon why the Prophet's
F Son is ſo called. þ *Twas four Generations of Febu God promiſed the ; Pro Throne to,and now the third that is now running: how near toanend , and re know not, but are ſore *twas within 28 Years; for Feroboam began e of is Reign in the fifteenth of Amazieb, and fo 13 Years of his 41 are ariny pent e're Vzzith comes to the Throne, 2 Kings 14. 23 this one Ac-
count ; but 2 Kings 15.1. accounteth Feroboam's 271b to be the firſt of 77iab,and then there are not above 14 Years to come, ſo little a while
y conſpired againſt Zechariah and flew him,and reigned a Month ;
"I ſo 7ebu's Seed was caſt out of the Throne. i Enquire after, and pu- nr niſh theſe Crimes, which were committed in Fexreel. Heb. / will vi- ſt, 7, e, as a juſt and impartial Judge I will require an Account, and