An exposition of the prophecy of Hosea begun in divers lectures upon the first…An exposition of the prophesie of Hosea begun in divers lectures vpon the first…

Let us take heed of this, God hath used, and still doth use means to bring us off fully from all ways of false worship, not only by sending his Ministers from time to time to declaim against such things, but by wonderful and remarkable works of his providence towards England, especially at this ⟨p. 46⟩day. Never had any Nation, never had England heretofore more remarkable works of God to draw them off from all ways of false worship, to bring them to worship God in the right way according to his will. Now let us tremble at this sentence; I will not add mercy, I will have no more mercy. God hath added mercy to us again and again from time to time. And now me thinks in this work of Gods mercy, that he is about concerning us,¹ he speaks to us as he did to the people, Come and put off thy ornaments, that I may know what to do with thee. Come now and humble your selves that I may know what to do; As if God should say, Come & give in your last answer.² Certainly in that way that God is now in with us, he calleth England to give its last answer, as if he should say, Now I am showing mercy once more, take heed of rejecting it, lest you have a Loruhamah upon you, I will add no more mercy, consider not only what we have done, but what we do, how we have abused mercy, and how we do now abuse present mercy; how opposite the spirits of most are against the work of reformation now in hand, who even say to the Lord Christ depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. When the people of Israel were offered Canaan, and God bade them go in and possess it, they were then near unto it; but when they then refused Canaan, God sware in in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest. If ever a people were offered Canaan, were offered the Ordinances of God in his own way, certainly we are at this time, Let us tremble lest God (if we reject this mercy) should swear in his wrath, I will have no more mercy upon you, and so we prove to be a Loruhamah indeed.

Let us take heed of this, God hath used, and still doth use means to bring us off fully from all wayes of false worship, not only by sending his Ministers from time to time to declaim against such things, but by wonderful and remarkable works of his providence towards England, especially at this ⟨p. 46⟩