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…

Seventhly,¹ Plead with your Mother. That is, with the Church, called a Mother, because as the Mother is as it were the root from whence children come, divideth her self into branches; so the community of a Commonwealth or a Church, any community, is called in Scripture a Mother, and the particulars they are as several branches that grow from that root, they are as children. Therefore you have such expressions in Scripture as the daughters of Jerusalem oftentimes, and there is no great difference between calling Jerusalem, that is, the State, Mother; or Jerusalem, that is, the Church, Mother, for indeed the Church and State were mixed both together. From this expression we learn that it is lawful for ⟨p. 152⟩children to plead with their parents. Though it is true, this aimeth at a higher thing then what is between natural children and their parents, yet from the expression this is intimated and implied, That it is lawful for children to plead with their parents. If children see their parents in an ungodly way, they may lawfully plead with them,² and their parents are bound to hearken to their pleading Gods cause. It is a speech of Tertullians, the begetter is to be beloved, and we may add, he is to be honoured, but our Creator is to be preferred.³ Children must give due respect to their parents, yet so as preferring the Lord before them; and if the parents go against God, even their children must plead against them. As it is a great sin for parents to prefer their children before God, so it is a great sin for children to prefer their parents before God. Do not think I come to set children against their parents in this, be but content to hear to the end (though I will not be long in this observation) and you will be convinced I suppose of it, that it is fit for children to plead with their parents when they go from God.

Seventhly,¹ Pleade with your Mother. That is, with the Church, called a Mother, because as the Mother is as it were the roote from whence children come, divideth her selfe into branches; so the community of a Commonwealth or a Church, any community, is called in Scripture a Mother, and the particulars they are as severall branches that growe from that roote, they are as children. Therefore you have such expressions in Scripture as the daughters of Jerusalem oftentimes, and there is no great difference between calling Jerusalem, that is, the State, Mother; or Jerusalem, that is, the Church, Mother, for indeed the Church and State were mixed both together. From this expression we learne that it is lawfull for