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…

So soon as any are converted to the faith,¹ they are of a gathering disposition. They desire to gather to the Saints presently. Every child of God that is converted is a gatherer,² as Solomon is called Ecclesiastes, so in the Greek, but the Hebrew word is interpreted by some a soul gathered, because it is in the feminine gender. None in the world love good fellowship so much as the Saints of God. They fly as doves to their windows, & doves you know use to fly in great flocks, thousands together. The more spiritual any one is, of the more joining & uniting nature he is. Thousands of beams of the Sun will meet together in one better then the beams of a candle will do. The Saints of God in the Apostles times when they were converted, it is said, they were added to the Church, they gathered presently. So in Isaiah. 66. (it is an observable place) ver. 20. the Text saith, They shall bring their brethren as an offering to the Lord out of all Nations, upon horses, and in chariots, &. in litters. How comes this? There shall be many that dwell a great way off. they shall not make that their excuse for their not joining to the people of God, because they are afar off, It is a great journey; No, but there be horses to be got: But it may be some cannot ride? Then get Chariots: But some perhaps are so weak that they can neither ride on horses nor in Chariots, then they will get litters, and litters you know are to carry weak & sick persons. This shows the intention of spirit that is in the people of God to be gathered to the Church, either to be carried on horses, or in Chariots, or in litters, one way or other they will come and join themselves to the people of God. For there is the presence of Christ, and the protection of Christ, and the communication of Christ in their union and communion, and where the carcass is, there will the Eagles resort. O they love alife to be going towards Zion, gathering one to another, as in Psal. 84. 7. They walk from strength to strength, and at last they all appear before God in Zion. From strength to strength, that is thus: From one place of the Country perhaps there comes half a score, or twenty, to go toward Zion, and perhaps before they come to such a town or turning, they meet with half a score more, & so they grow stronger;