Lectures upon the four first chapters of the prophecy of Hosea Wherein the text…Lectures vpon the foure first chapters of the prophecie of Hosea Wherein the text…

The second thing to be observed is, that where the people ¹are destitute of knowledge for want of instruction, there the people & ministers shall be destroyed. The people first, because they content themselves with such blind guides and willingly remain in their ignorance: secondly, because wanting knowledge they deprive themselves of all means whereby they may be saved, for those whom God hath elected to salvation as to the end, he hath also ordained that they should use the means, whereby they may attain to salvation; that is, that they should be effectually called, justified, and sanctified; but none can attain to any of these means without the knowledge of God and his religion: for whomsoever God effectually calleth, those with his word and holy spirit he illuminateth with the knowledge of his will, their own misery, the work of redemption wrought by Christ, and with other principles and fundamental points of Religion; without then this knowledge there is no effectual calling. So likewise no justification, for whosoever are justified they are also endued with a lively faith, whereby they apply unto themselves the merits and sufferings of Christ; but without knowledge there is no faith, for we cannot believe and be certainly persuaded of that whereof we are ignorant, and consequently no justification. In a word without knowledge there is no sanctification; for knowledge is the foundation of all virtue and obedience, without which we can neither choose the good nor refuse the evil. Now without these means there is no salvation, neither is there any saved, but those who are effectually called, justified and sanctified; and therefore it necessarily followeth, that they who want knowledge, are destroyed. This might be proved more particularly, whether we respect the temporary destruction of the body and state, or the eternal destruction of the soul, but that I have already handled this point before, entreating of the first verse of this Chapter.

The second thing to be obserued is, that where the people ¹are destitute of knowledge for want of instruction, there the people & ministers shalbe destroyed. The people first, because they content themselues with such blind guids and willingly remaine in their ignorance: secondly, because wanting knowledge they depriue themselues of all meanes wherby they may be saued, for those whom God hath elected to saluation as to the end, he hath also ordained that they should vse the meanes, whereby they may attaine to saluation; that is, that they should be effectually called, justified, and sanctified; but none can attaine to any of these meanes without the knowledge of God and his religion: for whomsoeuer God effectually calleth, those with his word and holy spirit hee illuminateth with the knowledge of his will, their owne miserie, the worke of redemption wrought by Christ, and with other principles and fundamentall poynts of Religion; without then this knowledge there is no effectuall calling. So likewise no justification, for whosoeuer are justifyed they are also endued with a liuely faith, whereby they apply vnto themselues the merits and suffrings of Christ; but without knowledge there is no faith, for wee cannot beleeue and be certainely perswaded of that whereof wee are ignorant, and consequently no justifycation. In a word without knowledge there is no sanctifycation; for knowledge is the foundation of all vertue and obedience, without which wee can neyther chuse the good nor refuse the euill. Now without these meanes there is no saluation, neyther is there any saued, but those who are effectually called, justified and sanctified; and therefore it necessarily followeth, that they who want knowledge, are destroyed. This might be proued more particularly, whether we respect the temporary destruction of the body and state, or the eternall destruction of the soule, but that I haue already handled this point before, intreating of the first verse of this Chapter.