A69234:582
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.
And these are the degrees of their sin of idolatry. Now in the last place the Prophet concludeth all the former reprehensions of their sins, & denunciations of punishments, by telling them, that all he had spoken, was not of or from himself, but the word of Jehovah: and this he doth to gain authority unto the former prophecy, to confirm the undoubted certainty thereof, and to move the people to receive ⟨p. 237⟩it with reverence, and to lay it more nearly to their hearts, that thereby they might be moved to turn unto God by true repentance.
And these are the degrees of their sinne of idolatrie. Now in the last place the Prophet concludeth all the former reprehensions of their sins, & denunciations of punishmēts, by telling them, that all he had spoken, was not of or from himselfe, but the word of Iehouah: and this hee doth to gaine authoritie vnto the former prophecie, to confirme the vndoubted certaintie thereof, and to moue the people to receiue ⟨p. 237⟩it with reuerence, and to lay it more neerely to their hearts, that thereby they might be moued to turne vnto God by true repentance.
And so much concerning the meaning of these words. The Do∣ctrines. The doctrines which arise out of them are these. First, we may observe, that the Lord in the ministry of the word causeth 1his messengers and Ministers to repeat again & again the same reprehensions of sin, & the same punishments which are due unto them; and this he doth partly in respect of our incredulity, whereby at first we give no credit to his word, and therefore to confirm the truth thereof the better in our hearts, he causeth the same things to be again repeated, and the same speeches to be as it were with greater vehemency redoubled; and partly in regard of our negligence, security, and forgetfulness, whereby we either do not attentively mark, or conscionably apply, or fruitfully remember his word at the first hearing. And therefore when we hear the same reprehensions and threatenings delivered often by Gods ambassadors, let not these repetitions cloy us with satiety, but rather sharpen our attention, persuading our selves, that the Lord causeth us to hear the same things repeated, either because through our negligence we have not learned, or through our security and forgetfulness have not applied nor made profitable use of them at the first hearing; or finally that he meeteth with our incredulity by confirming his word with a second repetition.