A77979:105
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of the prophesy of Hosea· Being first delivered in several lectures at Michaels Cornhill London. By Jeremiah Burroughs. Being the fifth book, published by Thomas Goodwin, William Greenhil, Sydrach Simson William Bridge, John Yates, William Adderly.An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of the prophesy of Hosea· Being first delivered in several lectures at Michaels Cornhil London. By Jeremiah Burroughs. Being the fifth book, published by Thomas Goodwyn, William Greenhil, Sydrach Simson William Bridge, John Yates, William Adderly.
London: printed for Peter Cole, 1650
Title page typeset from the transcription.
AN EXPOSITION Of the PROPHESY of HOSEA. › Chapter 4 › Verse 1
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.
How happy were we think some if the controversy between the King and us were at an end, that we might have peace. Oh if the people were happy that were in such a case, how happy the people that were at peace with the King of Heaven! If the controversy between God and us were at an end we should be happy indeed. The Lord and the Land is at a controversy, and this controversy makes us cry out unto God; but yet woe unto us, here is the misery, we yet keep our sins that make the controversy. Jer. 35. Will the Lord reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it unto the end? Mark what the answer is, Behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest. Thus you have said, but what is the fruit of this? You have done evil as you could. We in the days of our Fasts cry, Lord wilt thou reserve thine anger for ever? wilt thou keep it unto the end? Behold thus we speak, but yet we continue to do evil as we can. Isa. 59.9. We looked for light (saith the text) but behold obscurity, for brightness but we walk in darkness, we grope for the wall like the blind: We indeed grope as if we had no eyes and we stumble at noon day as if it were night. Men to this day are ready to cry out and say, what shall we do? as if the way were not clear before us what we should do; The way is clear enough if we had hearts, but we grope as if we had no eyes and we stumble at noon day as in the night. In many places of the Kingdom they roar out as bears, and they have cause to do so, For they are miserably spoiled, their wives ravished, their houses plundered, themselves imprisoned; and ⟨p. 18⟩for the rest of us we mourn like doves night and day, and we look for judgment and there is none, and for salvation but it is far from us; Mark what follows, For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, (there is the ground of all the controversy between God and us) and as for our sins they testify against us, and our transgressions are with us. Surely my Brethren God is willing to be at peace with England again; the controversy is great and sore, yet we may confidently speak that the Lord is yet willing to be at peace with England, and the sufferings of England go as near the heart of God as ours. Oh that we knew then what it is that is the great make-bate between God and us that we might get rid of it! Would you know it?