A69234:133
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.
Lastly, in the third chapter the Lord commandeth the Prophet to love, and take unto him an adulterous harlot: but this the Lord would not have actually done; for the Lord is a holy and pure Spirit, who hateth and abhorreth adultery, and all uncleanness; but only in type would have the adulteries of the Israelites, which they committed with their false gods, discovered: from which the great love, which he their Lord and husband had from time to time showed unto them, could not restrain them. And therefore, seeing that is typically to be understood; why not this also?
Lastly, in the third chapter the Lord commandeth the Prophet to loue, and take vnto him an adulterous harlot: but this the Lord would not haue actually done; for the Lord is a holy and pure Spirit, who hateth and abhorreth adulterie, and all vncleannesse; but onely in type would haue the adulteries of the Israelites, which they committed with their false gods, discouered: from which the great loue, which he their Lord and husband had from time to time shewed vnto them, could not restraine them. And therefore, seeing that is typically to be vnderstood; why not this also?
But it is objected, that in the text, this is plainly set down as an history of things actually done. I answer, that this Objection 1 Answer. is usual with the Prophets, to the end that they may, after a more significant and emphatical manner, express their minds, and leave a more deep impression in the minds of their hearers, to propound types and parables as histories of ⟨p. 35⟩things done, for the distinguishing whereof: and the true expounding of such places we are to observe this rule, that where the literal sense implieth any impossibility, or gross absurdity, or any thing contrary to the analogy of faith, or some other plain place of Scripture, there we are to expound it as a type or parable: but in this place if we take the literal sense, it implieth a gross absurdity▪ and contradicteth other places of Scripture, as I have showed, and therefore it is to be understood typically and as a parable.