A69234:457
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.
Fourthly, because pride and true repentance will not stand together, therefore he seeketh to humble her, both by putting ⟨p. 175⟩her in mind of her miserable and base estate, wherein she was before he advanced her; and by assuring her that if she did not humble herself, forsake her sins, and turn unto him from her idols, he would leave her as he found her, deprive her of all his gifts, and overwhelm her with an unsupportable load of woe and misery.
Fourthly, because pride and true repentance will not stand together, therefore he seeketh to humble her, both by putting ⟨p. 175⟩her in minde of her miserable and base estate, wherein she was before hee aduanced her; and by assuring her that if she did not humble herselfe, forsake her sinnes, and turne vnto him from her idols, he would leaue her as hee found her, depriue her of all his gifts, and ourwhelme her with an vnsupportable load of woe and misery.
And these are the main things at which the Prophet aimeth The Do∣ctrines. in these words. The doctrines which from hence are to be observed are these. First, we may observe, what is the 1cause why the Lord denounceth his judgements against his people; to wit, that they may repent of their sins, and that repenting they may escape punishment, which his justice urgeth him to inflict upon them continuing in their sins. So he causeth the divorce to be proclaimed, that they may take away their adulteries, and that repenting of them, they might not be stripped of all the gifts and benefits which as yet they enjoyed. So that the end of Gods threatenings is, that we may repent, and of our repentance that we may escape punishment; and the end of one punishment is, that making good use of it, we may escape an other. Whence we may observe, that God even in wrath remembereth mercy; for he threateneth that he may not punish, and punisheth that he may not destroy; he punisheth unwillingly after a sort, and therefore before hand he giveth warning that we may escape it; and having inflicted it, he laboureth to apply it to our senseless hearts, that by our obstinacy we do not urge his justice to proceed in punishing. And therefore let us not by our stubbornness and impenitency make Gods end frustrate, and turn mercy into justice; but when he threateneth, let us repent that we may escape punishment; or at least let us turn unto him when he punisheth, that we do not move him to deal more severely with us.