A77979:115
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.
Secondly, Because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land, but by swearing, and lying, and stealing &c. ⟨p. 22⟩From whence in the general there is this, God contendeth not against a people for little things,1 when God saith he hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land it is not for trifles, for ordinary infirmities, for daily excursions, but for great notorious things. Not that little things do not deserve a controversy, but it is from the virtue and fruit of the Covenant that this comes to pass; in others that are not in Covenant little things make a controversy, but between Gods children and himself they are not little things that make a controversy. But men are of froward spirits, every trifle is enough to make a controversy between them. Yea, usually th• greatest controversies between nearest friends is some trifle or other. Is there a man and his wife live lovingly and sweetly many years, do they fall out afterwards? Is there a bitter controversy? Examine it, it is but about some toy. So between one brother and another. I could give you examples in Histories of great and bitter controversies that have been between nearest friends upon small and trivial grounds. I remember Camerarius tells us a story of two brethren, these two walking out in a star-light night, saith one of the brethren would I had a pasture as large as this Element, and says the other would I had as many Oxen as there be Stars; says the other again, where would you feed these Oxen? in your Pasture, replied he; what whether I will or no? Yea said he whether you will or no; what in spite of me? yes said he; and thus it went on from word to word till at length each sheathed his sword in the others bowels. This verifieth that saying of James, Chap. 3.5. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth! So it is in many families, sometimes perhaps a look is the beginning of a great controversy, one thinks such a one doth not look lovingly upon him, and then he begins to suspect that things boil within him, perhaps afterward some words come forth that may seem to argue discontent, and then that word begetteth another, and that other a third, and so a miserable breach cometh to be in a family. It is an argument that these people have Gunpowder spirits that a little spark of fire can so quickly blow them up.