Ver. 1. They say.] Vulgo dicitur, saith the Vulgate; Dicendo dicitur, say others. They say, and they say well, for they have good law for it. (Deuteronomy 24:4) But I am above law, saith God, and will deal with thee, not according to mine ordinary rule, but according to my prerogative. Thou shalt be a paradox to the Bible; for I will do that in favour of thee, which I have inhibited others in like case to do, and that scarce any man would do, though there were no law to inhibit it, as one here paraphraseth. Shall not the land be greatly polluted?] Great sins do greatly pollute, that of adultery especially, for this is a heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges. (Job 31:11) But thou hast played the harlot; yet return to me.] Haec est Dei clementia insuperabilis; God’s mercy is matchless. No man, no god, would show mercy as he doth. (Micah 7:18 Malachi 3:7 Zechariah 1:3) He followeth after those that run from him, as the sunbeams do the passenger that goeth from them; and as it is sweetly set forth by our Saviour in those three parables of the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost son. (Luke 15:3-32) Paul alloweth of Mark, (2 Timothy 4:11) though before he had refused him, (Acts 15:38) and willeth others to entertain him. (Colossians 4:10,11) Let none despair that hath but a mind to return to God, from whom he hath deeply revolted. There is a natural Novatianism in the timorous conscience of convinced sinners, to doubt and question pardon for sins of apostasy and falling after repentance. But this need not be, we see here. Pernicious was Ahithophel’s counsel to Absalom, “Go in to thy father’s concubines”; this he judged such an injury as David would never put up; yet “return again to me, saith the Lord,” and all shall be well between us.
Ver. 2. And see where thou hast not been lien with.] Pouring out thy spiritual whoredoms, as Papists now do with their crosses, chapels, pictures, set up in all places. In the ways thou hast sat for them.] For thy customers and copse mates, like a common strumpet. See Genesis 38:19 Eze 16:24,25,31. As the Arabian in the wilderness.] As highway robbers wait for and waylay passengers, making it thy trade.
Ver. 3. Therefore the showers have been withholden.] Drought and dearth have ensued upon thy sin. By showers here understand the former rain, called also the seeds’ rain. (Isaiah 30:23) And there hath been no latter rain.] That commonly came a little before harvest, and was much desired. And thou hadst a whore’s forehead.] Quam pudet non esse impudentem; that can blush no more than a sackbut. We have heard, saith a reverend writer, of virgins, which at first seemed modest, blushing at the motions of an honest love, who, being once corrupt and debauched, have grown flexible to easy entreaties to unchastity, and from thence boldly lascivious, so as to solicit others, so as to prostitute themselves to all comers, yea, as the casuists complain of some Spanish brothels, to an unnatural filthiness. The modest beginnings of sin will make way for immodest proc eedings. Let men take heed of that αδιατρεψια, i.e., inverecundia, shamelessness, that Caligula liked so well in himself, and that the heretics, called Effrontes, professed. It is a hard thing to have a brazen face and a broken heart. Augustine. Dr Hall’s Remedy of Profan., p. 179.
Ver. 4. Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me?] And is not this extreme impudence? Hast thou a face thus to collogue? Hypocritis nihil impudentius; hypocrites are impudent flatterers; they would, if they could, cheat God of his heaven. Thou art the guide of my youth,] i.e., My dear husband. (Proverbs 2:17) Fair words are light cheap, and may make fools fain; but God is not to be so courted and complimented.
Ver. 5. Will he reserve his anyer for ever?] Will he not? (Nahum 1:2) and is there not good reason he should do so, so long as you speak and do evil things as you can, obstinately persisting in thy sinful practices? He that repenteth with a contradiction, saith Tertullian, God will pardon him with a contradiction. Thou repentest, and yet continuest in thy sins. God will pardon thee, and yet send thee to hell: there is a pardon with a contradiction. As thou couldst,] i.e., To thine utmost. Nolunt solita peccare, saith Seneca of some; they strive to outsin themselves and others.
Ver. 6. The Lord also said unto me in the days of Josiah.] This is the beginning of a new sermon, as most hold. Josiah was a religious prince, and a zealous reformer; and hypocrisy reigned exceedingly in his days, as we see here: and as holy Bradford in his letters complaineth that it did likewise in King Edward VI’s days, who was our English Josiah, among the great ones especially, who were very corrupt. She is gone up upon every high mountain,] sc., Ever since Solomon’s mind began to be corrupted, (1 Kings 11:4) and now she smarteth for it; yet is not Judah warned by her example.