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…

Thirdly, we may hence learn, to avoid the foolish superstition of idolaters, who place their religion in outward pomp and sumptuous shows, and to worship the Lord in spirit & truth according to the prescript form of his word. Wherein many amongst our selves may justly be reproved, who think they have done God good service, if on his Sabbaths they come to the Church in their best apparel, outwardly decked and adorned, when in the mean time they come with their workaday souls, full of worldly distractions and cogitations, and altogether unprepared and ungarnished, without all care or conscience, zeal or devotion. But such are to know, that the Lord will not be pleased with the worship of an Idol, for little regardeth he the outward habit, if the heart and soul be defiled, beggarly and naked.

Thirdly, we may hence learne, to auoid the foolish superstition of idolaters, who place their religion in outward pompe and sumptuous shewes, and to worship the Lord in spirit & truth according to the prescript forme of his word. Wherein many amongst our selues may iustly be reproued, who thinke they haue done God good seruice, if on his Sabbaths they come to the Church in their best apparell, outwardly decked and adorned, when in the meane time they come with their workaday soules, full of worldly distractions and cogitations, and altogether vnprepared and vngarnished, without all care or conscience, zeale or deuotion. But such are to know, that the Lord will not be pleased with the worship of an Idoll, for little regardeth he the outward habite, if the heart and soule bee defiled, beggarly and naked.

Fourthly, we may, out of the order which the Prophet here ¹observeth in setting down their idolatry, note the progress which idolaters make in their sin, ascending from one degree to another till they come to the highest. First he saith, that through the natural inclination which is in every man, they are drawn to worship and serve their Idols. Secondly, more and more doting in their fond love toward them, they deck and adorn both their statues and images and themselves, being to perform worship unto them, with gold, silver, jewels and precious ornaments, that hereby they may themselves perform service unto them with greater pleasure, and also allure others to join with them in their idolatry. Thirdly, having thus bewitched themselves with their own sorceries, they go forward in their idolatry with great pertinacie and wilful obstinacy. And lastly, they so inebriate themselves with drinking in this golden cup of fornications, and are so wholly intent and devoted unto their blind superstitions, that they quite forget the Lord and his true worship. All which are noted in this place in the idolatrous Israelites by the Prophet, and may be observed in the practise of the Papists in our own days. The consideration whereof should move us to flee the first allurements unto idolatry, and the beginnings and first degrees of this sin, for one steppe will bring us to another till we come to the highest, namely, forgetfulness of God and utter neglect and contempt of his pure religion.