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…

I must not retard the work, nor your expectations any longer with large prefacing to it, only somewhat have been said about the rules for interpretation of Scripture; I will say no more of that but this, to interpretation of Scripture, a Scripture frame of heart is necessary, a heart holy & heavenly, suitable to the holiness & heavenliness that is in the word: as it was said of Tullies eloquence, that nothing but the eloquence of Tully could set out the excellency of it: So it may be said of the Scriptures spiritualness, nothing but a heart filled with Scripture spiritualness can set forth the excellencies of it: and because the authority of Scripture is dreadful, we desire the prayers of you all to God for us, that his fear might fall upon our hearts that seeing we are men full of error, and full of evil, yet howsoever we may not bring any Scripture to the maintenance of any erroneous conceit of our own heads, nor any evil of our own hearts: This we know to be a ⟨p. 5⟩dreadful evil. It was a fearful evil for Lucifer to say, I will go and ascend up, & be like the Highest, it is as great an evil for any to seek to make the Highest to become like Lucifer; for so do they that make the Scripture come down to justify any erroneous opinion, or any way of evil they go about to make the blessed God and the holy Ghost to be the fathers of lies. It is counted a great evil in a Common-wealth to put the Kings stamp upon false coin; and to put the stamp of the Spirit of God upon an error, upon a conceit of a mans own, is certainly a great evil before the Lord: and it was for this that God did make the Priests vile and contemptible before the people, because they were partial in the Law, Mal. 2. 9. And for you (my brethren) our prayer shall be, that the fear of God may fall upon you likewise, that you may come to these Exercises with Scripture-frames of heart.

I must not retard the work, nor your expectations any longer with large prefacing to it, only somewhat have been said about the rules for interpretation of Scripture; I will say no more of that but this, to interpretation of Scripture, a Scripture frame of heart is necessary, a heart holy & heavenly, sutable to the holinesse & heavenlinesse that is in the word: as it was said of Tullies eloquence, that nothing but the eloquence of Tully could set out the excellency of it: So it may be said of the Scriptures spiritualness, nothing but a heart filled with Scripture spiritualness can set forth the excellencies of it: and because the authority of Scripture is dreadfull, wee desire the prayers of you all to God for us, that his feare might fall upon our hearts that seeing we are menfull of errour, and full of evill, yet howsoever wee may not bring any Scripture to the maintenance of any erroneous conceit of our own heads, nor any evill of our own hearts: This wee know to be a