A69234:137
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.
As though he should have said: The Lord enjoined me, to the end that I should in more lively manner set before you ⟨p. 36⟩your sin of idolatry, to propound unto you this parable, wherein he commanded me, to resemble himself unto me, who should marry a harlot, and have by her adulterous children. For whereas the Lord like a loving husband had espoused you unto him, you have played the harlot, and have committed spiritual adultery with idols and devils, so that now the land is become like unto a brothel or common stews. And therefore the Lord is purposed to take with you that course which husbands do with their adulterous wives, that is, to divorce and put you away from him.
As though he should haue said: The Lord inioyned me, to the end that I should in more liuely manner set before you ⟨p. 36⟩your sinne of idolatrie, to propound vnto you this parable, wherein he commanded me, to resemble himselfe vnto me, who should marrie a harlot, and haue by her adulterous children. For whereas the Lord like a louing husband had espoused you vnto him, you haue plaied the harlot, and haue committed spirituall adulterie with idols and diuels, so that now the land is become like vnto a brothel or common stewes. And therefore the Lord is purposed to take with you that course which husbands do with their adulterous wiues, that is, to diuorce and put you away from him.
And this is the general meaning of this parable. Now let us consider the particular words. Go take unto thee a wife of fornications. That is, take in marriage a wife which is an infamous & common harlot, which hath not only once, but often, not with one man alone, but with many committed fornication, and that not only before marriage, but also after, and therefore not only an harlot, but an adulteress also, as appeareth, Chap. 3. 1. By wife then of fornications, 1we are to understand a fornicating wife, or a wife which is a fornicator; for the Hebrews, by reason that they have few adjectives, do use the Genitive cases of substantives, in stead of adjectives, as, A woman of virtue, for a virtuous woman,