A69234:705
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.
Thirdly, the parties contracted are Christ and his Church, signified in these words, I will marry thee unto me. Where by (thee) we are not to understand the people of Israel according to the flesh, but according to the spirit, that is, all the faithful both Jews and Gentiles; and by (me) we are to understand Jesus Christ, who in this spiritual marriage is united to his spouse the Church, essentially and substantially, body with body, and spirit with spirit, as before I have showed.
Thirdly, the parties contracted are Christ and his Church, signified in these words, I will marrie thee vnto me. Where by (thee) wee are not to vnderstand the people of Israel according to the flesh, but according to the spirit, that is, all the faithfull both Iewes and Gentiles; and by (me) wee are to vnderstand Iesus Christ, who in this spirituall mariage is vnited to his spouse the Church, essentially and substantially, bodie with bodie, and spirit with spirit, as before I haue shewed.
And so much for the contract it self. The adjuncts hereof are, first the perpetual continuance of this marriage: and secondly the conditions thereof, which are as it were the marriage bands, wherewith it is held inviolable. The perpetual continuance is noted in these words, for ever: where the Lord maketh a secret opposition between the covenant of works, made between him and the Israelites, and the covenant of grace, made between him and all the faithful; for that former marriage was not perpetual, but temporary, and of short continuance, because the Church of Israel perfidiously violated ⟨p. 295⟩her marriage faith, and persisted not in her love and obedience towards the Lord her husband, but forsaking him prostituted her self to commit spiritual whoredom with false gods, and therefore was justly divorced from him, as before we have showed; but the new covenant of this spiritual marriage between Christ and the faithful, shall be perpetual and inviolable, because he will write the laws and conditions thereof, not in tables of stone, but in the fleshy tables of their hearts, and will so rule and overrule them by his gracious Spirit dwelling in them, that they shall never break their covenant, nor depart from the Lord their husband. The like places of Scripture, which may serve for an exposition of this, we have