A77979:276
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 7
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.
But because that is not the scope, but the second, to speak to that a little; As they increased in their prosperous estate. For we are to know that at this time the ten Tribes were in a very prosperous condition; they were grown rich and great and so they were increased, and especially the Priests for they had the favour of Jeroboam and of the Princes; For their main design was to uphold their false worship, and the Priests served for their turns most, therefore they countenanced those Priests of Dan and Bethel, the Priests of the Calves, and they flourished at this time in the Court and in the Country, and were much increased in their prosperous estate; And as they increased so they finned. This is mans vile disposition,1 that increase of mercies should be the increase of their sin, Thus was it with the Church, when the Church was in a lower condition, then there was more holiness and more sincere love to the truth, when it began to flourish in outward prosperity it began to decay in true Piety. And therefore Ecclesiastical histories tells us, that when the Church received their donations from Constantine of great preferments, then there was heard a voice in the air: Hodie venenum infunditur &c. To day poison is poured forth into the Church; when great livings and great estates were given to the Ministers of the Church, then poison was poured forth into the Church. It was a good speech of Boniface the Martyr,2 when one asked him whether it were lawful to receive the Communion in wooden Chalices, his Answer was, Time was when in the Church there were wooden Chalices and golden Priests, but now there are golden Chalices, but wooden Priests. And the answer of Aquinas 3was fit for this to Innocent the third, when he showed him a table of gold and silver saying, we have no need to say as Peter once did, Silver and gold have we none; Aquinas answered ⟨p. 100⟩presently, neither can ye say, Arise and walk, as you have more money than they had, so you have less gifts than they had, you have not so much of the Spirit of God as they had. It was so in the increase of the prosperity of the Church; And usually it is so in the increase of their prosperity.