A69234:1230
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…
Lectures upon the four first chapters of the prophecy of Hosea Wherein the text is expounded and cleared, and such profitable instructions observed, and applied, as naturally arise out of this holy Scripture, and are fit for these times. By John Downame Bachelor in Divinity, and preacher of Gods word.Lectures vpon the foure first chapters of the prophecie of Hosea Wherein the text is exponded and cleered, and such profitable instructions obserued, and applied, as naturally arise out of this holie Scripture, and are fit for these times. By Iohn Dovvname Bacheler in Diuinitie, and preacher of Gods word.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston and T. East for William Welby, 1608
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The second thing to be considered is, that howsoever 1wicked men do daily by their sins provoke Gods wrath, yet the Lord doth not continually inflict his punishments, but as a just and merciful Judge, deferreth them unto certain times of visitation, and as it were unto certain days of Assizes, as appeareth in this place; for howsoever the Priests were so wholly corrupted in their ways, that they deserved present punishment, yet he doth not presently inflict it, but deferreth it to the day of his visitation: so when the whole world was wholly corrupted with sin, yet he deferred their punishment for the space of an hundred years. Though Sodom and Gomorrah abounded in all wickedness, yet he put off the day of his visitation till the measure ⟨p. 199⟩of their sins was full: and though the Canaanites were outrageously sinful, yet the Lord deferred to punish them for many years, till their sins were come to full ripeness. The causes of which delays are divers: the first and principal is Gods own nature, even his patience and long-suffering, which maketh him long in resolving to punish, and when he hath resolved, slow in execution: and this the Lord himself professeth in that description whereby he maketh himself known. Exod. 34. 6. The Lord, the Lord, strong, 2merciful and gracious, slow to anger. So David, Psal. 103. 8. 3The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness. 9. He will not alway chide, &c. And this made Jonah loth to denounce destruction against Nineveh because he knew that he was a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, repenting him of evil. As it is Jon. 4. 2. The second cause is, 4that men may have time to turn from their sins by repentance, and so escape his punishments. For God taketh no delight in their destruction, but in their conversion and salvation, as he protesteth.