A69234:58
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 doctrines which herehence we learn are divers: first, 1we may observe the endless and boundless mercy of God to his Church and people; who being justly provoked to wrath against them for their sins, doth not suddenly pour forth his judgements upon them, but giveth long time of repentance, and because he would not have them overtaken of his plagues, sendeth his Prophets to allure them to obedience by gracious promises, and to terrify them from sinning, by denouncing heavy judgements. And thus did he deal with the Israelites in this place, &c. And the like mercy hath he a long time showed unto us, &c.
The doctrines which herehence we learne are diuers: first, 1we may obserue the endlesse and boundlesse mercy of God to his Church and people; who being iustly prouoked to wrath against them for their sinnes, doth not suddainely powre forth his iudgements vpon them, but giueth long time of repentance, and because he would not haue them ouertaken of his plagues, sendeth his Prophets to allure them to obedience by gratious promises, and to terrifie them from sininng, by denouncing heauie iudgements. And thus did he deale with the Israelites in this place, &c. And the like mercy hath he a long time shewed vnto vs, &c.
- 1Gods mercy in seeking the conversion of sinners.Gods mercy in seeking the conuersion of sinners.
Out of which we may further gather, that so long as he sendeth his Prophets, and vouchsafeth his word unto a people, he hath not utterly rejected them, nor shut up the door of his mercy against them. For to this end he calleth them by his promises and threatenings, because he would not the death of a sinner, but that he should repent and live. And 1therefore when the Israelites took occasion upon the threatenings of Gods judgements denounced against them, desperately to go on in their sins, because they thought it now too late to repent, because the judgements of God, who is immutable, were already threatened; and therefore should certainly be inflicted notwithstanding their repentance: the Lord sendeth his Prophet unto them to tell them, that his threatenings were not absolute but conditional, and that when he threatened, he aimed not at their destruction, but at their conversion and salvation. And therefore exhorteth them to repentance, that so they might escape his punishments.