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…

But secondly, Not by bow, nor by sword, &c.

Deliverance of a people without bow, and without sword is a great mercy: For such are the woeful miseries that a people do suffer when war cometh, that usually the victory will scarce pay the charges of the battle: though we be sure to be saved at last, yet if we must be saved by bow, and by sword, I say the misery that we may suffer in our salvation, may be more then the salvation. It was the height of that mercy promised, Isa. 9. 5. that it should be without confused noise and garments rolled in blood. Such a mercy we have had; and had Christ come to have reigned amongst us, though he had come with his garments rolled in blood, we should willingly have entertained him; If he had come riding upon his red horse; But behold he comes riding upon his white horse, in peace and mercy all this while, and the mercies we have had, have been very cheap, they have not been by bow, nor by sword. And if God should come at length by the sword, and bring perfect salvation to us by blood, which God forbid; but if he should, we have had already more mercy without blood, than our bloods are worth; should we now have our bloods shed, God hath payed us beforehand: who almost in this congregation, but two or three years ago would have lost his blood to procure so much mercy to England, as England hath had already?

Deliverance of a people without bow, and without sword is a great mercy: For such are the wofull miseries that a people doe suffer when warre commeth, that usually the victory will scarce pay the charges of the battel: though we be sure to be saved at last, yet if we must be saved by bow, and by sword, I say the misery that we may suffer in our salvation, may be more then the salvation. It was the height of that mercy promised, Isa. 9. 5. that it should be without confused noise and garments rolled in blood. Such a mercy we have had; and had Christ come to have raigned amongst us, though he had come with his garments rolled in blood, we should willingly have entetrayned him; If he had come ryding upon his red horse; But behold he comes ryding upon his white horse, in peace and mercy all this while, and the mercies we have had, have been very cheap, they have not been by bow, nor by sword. And if God should come at length by the sword, and bring perfect salvation to us by blood, which God forbid; but if he should, we have had already more mercy without blood, than our bloods are worth; should we now have our bloods shed, God hath paied us beforehand: who almost in this congregation, but two or three yeers agoe would have lost his blood to procure so much mercy to England, as England hath had already?