A69234:805
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 meaning then of this part of the vision is, as the Prophet bought the adulteress, so shall the people be bought and sold, and live like slaves and servants; as he bought her at a low & base rate, even for half the price of a servant, so they shall be basely esteemed and meanly valued more like vassals and slaves then the spouse of God; as he doth not give unto ⟨p. 16⟩her Wheat but Barley, and that in small quantity, so the Lord will afflict them with course diet, whereof they shall not eat unto satiety but sparingly by measure, as if the Lord should have said; seeing you have abused your liberty unto licentiousness, and when the reign was laid on your own necks have run away from me like unruly colts, therefore I will bridle and curb you in with captivity, and make you to return unto me; seeing every base trifle hath moved you to sell your selves to be slaves to sin, I will also cause you like slaves to be bought and sold at vile rates; seeing you have abused your honourable estate, unto which I called you, namely, to be my Church and people, and have thereby been puffed up in pride, I will humble you with your enemies contemptible & disdainful usage of you; seeing your plenty and prosperity hath made you to forget and neglect me, I will rub your memory with poverty and want, but yet I will not leave you comfortless, for I will not utterly forsake you and suffer you to perish in your penury, but will allow unto you some poor maintenance, and by my hard usage I will not destroy you, but buy you that is, reclaim and reduce you again under my government.
The meaning then of this part of the vision is, as the Prophet bought the adultresse, so shall the people be bought and sould, and liue like slaues and seruants; as he bought her at a low & base rate, euen for halfe the price of a seruant, so they shalbe basely esteemed and meanly valued more like vassels and slaues then the spouse of God; as he doth not giue vnto ⟨p. 16⟩her Wheate but Barley, and that in small quantitie, so the Lord will afflict them with course dyet, whereof they shall not eate vnto saciety but sparingly by measure, as if the Lord should haue said; seeing you haue abused your liberty vnto licentiousnes, and when the reigne was laied on your owne necks haue runne away from me like vnrulie colts, therefore I will bridle and curbe you in with captiuitie, and make you to returne vnto mee; seeing euery base trifle hath moued you to sell your selues to be slaues to sinne, I will also cause you like slaues to be bought and sould at vile rates; seeing you haue abused your honourable estate, vnto which I called you, namely, to be my Church and people, and haue thereby bene puffed vp in pride, I will humble you with your enimies contemptible & disdainefull vsage of you; seeing your plentie and prosperitie hath made you to forget and neglect me, I will rub your memorie with pouerty and want, but yet I will not leaue you comfortlesse, for I will not vtterly forsake you and suffer you to perish in your penurie, but will allow vnto you some poore maintenance, and by my hard vsage I will not destroy you, but buy you that is, reclaime and reduce you againe vnder my gouernment.