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…

Though sinners deserve great evils, to be stripped of all comforts, yet God in patience and clemency continueth them a long time. They may be under fearful threatenings, and yet retain many comforts; yea the truth is, it is possible for a people to be cast off from God, & yet to continue for a while in outward prosperity. The tree that is cut up by the roots, yet may have the leaves green for a while. Saul who was rejected of God, 1 Sam, 13. 14, yet after that (if you read the Story you shall find it) that God suffered Saul to prosper exceedingly in overcoming the Philistims & the Amalekites

Though sinners deserve great evils, to be stripped of all comforts, yet God in patience and clemencie continueth them a long time. They may be under fearfull threatnings, and yet retaine many comforts; yea the truth is, it is possible for a people to be cast off from God, & yet to continue for a while in outward prosperity. The tree that is cut up by the roots, yet may have the leaves green for a while. Saul who was rejected of God, 1 Sam, 13. 14, yet after that (if you reade the Story you shall finde it) that God suffered Saul to prosper exceedingly in overcomming the Phylistims & the Amalekites

Fourthly,¹ The mercies that God bestoweth upon a Nation, the ornaments that God putteth upon a people that are but common favours, not spiritual graces, they are such as a people may be stripped of. Great mercies that a people have, they may wholly loose. Here is the difference between true spiritual graces, whereby JESUS CHRIST doth adorn his spouse, when Christ, not only takes in an outward way a people to himself, but marries them to himself in a spiritual way, he decketh the soul with such ⟨p. 178⟩ornaments,² bestoweth such mercies upon them, as shall never be taken away. Such a soul hath no cause to fear that ever it can be stripped as in the day wherein it was born, you need not fear that you shall ever lose the jewels given you at that marriage day. It is true, common graces and gifts you may be stripped of and made naked; as it is usual in many professors that have not truth at heart, yet have excellent gifts, as of prayer and the like, but afterward they prove naught, God takes away their gifts from them, they have not that gift of prayer they were wont to have, though they have excellent words, yet a man may perceive a shuffling in them, and such an unsavouriness mixed with their gifts, that it breeds loathing in others to join with them. As when the King goeth away from his Palace, the hangings are taken down; so when God departeth from a soul (as from such he may) then their hangings, those excellent gifts are taken from them. But those gifts that are spiritual they are never stripped of them. We read in