Hosea 4:8

They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.

Ver. 8. They eat up the sin of my people] That is, the sin offerings, as Exodus 29:14. This they might lawfully do, Leviticus 6:16; Leviticus 6:18; Leviticus 6:23; Leviticus 6:26; Leviticus 6:29,30; Leviticus 10:17. But they were greedy dogs; and looked every one to his gain from his quarter, Isaiah 5:6; Isaiah 5:11. They winked at the people's sins, and cared not what evils they fell into, so that they would bring in store of fat and good expiatory sacrifices, which made for the priest's advantage. They ate that on earth which they were to digest in hell; they fed upon such diet as bred the worm of conscience, that never dies. Just so the Papists do at this day: they teach the people, though they sin, yet, by giving money for so many masses to be mumbled over by a greasy priest, or by so many indulgences and dirges purchased of the pope's pardon mongers, they shall be delivered, etiamsi, per impossibile, matrem Dei vitiassent. although impossible, they may damage the mother of God, I tremble to translate it. Tecelius told them so in Germany; and got huge masses of money for the pope's coffers. The common sort of Papists (for want of better teaching) will say, when we have sinned we must confess: and when we have confessed we must sin again, that we may confess again; and make work for new indulgences and jubilees. But have these "workers of iniquity no knowledge, that eat up God's people as they eat bread?" Psalms 14:4, that drink up the blood of souls, much more worth than the lives that David's men had jeopardized to procure him the water of the well of Bethlehem, which therefore he dared not drink of? This surely is that filthy lucre (αισχροκερδεια) ministers should be free from, 1 Peter 5:2. Let all non-residents look to it, that carry only forcipes et mulctrum, tongs and a milking pail, those instruments of a foolish shepherd, Zechariah 11:15 See Trapp on " Zec 11:15 " feeding themselves, but starving the flock: a heavy account will they one day make to the arch-shepherd, of their sacrilegious rapacity.

And they set their hearts on their iniquity] Heb. they lift up their souls: that is, they not only prick up their ears, as Danaeus expounds it, to listen after sins and sin offerings, but they greedily desire and earnestly look after Such emoluments, such belly timber: being gulae mancipia, slaves to their guts, and wholly given up to gormandise. See the same expression, and in this sense, Jer 22:27 Deuteronomy 24:15 Ezekiel 24:25, and compare the practice of Popish priests, who make infinite gain of everything almost, as their ringing of saints' bells, places of burial, selling of licences for marriage and meats, selling of corpses and sepulchres. All things are saleable and soluble at Rome; and the savour of gain sweet, though it comes out of a stinking stews, or Jew's counting house. The priests had a trick by wires to make their images here wag their chaps apace, if some good gift were presented; as, if otherwise, to hang the lip in token of discontent.