A77979:311
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 9
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.
Again, A great influence as from people to the Minister so from the Minister to the people. Look how Ministers are, so usually the people are. Like Priest like people, especially in evil, they have an influence there. You know it almost in all places where you have malignant superstitious Ministers you have accordingly such kind of people. Jerem. 23.10. The land is full of adulterers (saith the text) then in the next verse, For both Prophet and Priest are profane, that is the reason. And again vers. 14. I have seen (saith God) in the Prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing; they commit adultery and walk in lies; they also strengthen the ban• of evil doers, that none doth return from his wickedness. Here we •ee how they harden others in sin, they walk in lies, they tell people we need not be so strict, we may take more liberty, it is but the fancies and humours of such and such men, they walk in lies and so they strengthen mens ⟨p. 115⟩hands in wickedness and none returneth from his wicked ways. And then verse 15. From the Prophet there goes profaneness quite thorough the land; if they be profane and wicked they have an influence quite thorough the land to make the whole country wicked and profane. And on the other side, there is a great influence in the Ministry of the word upon people for good many times. If Ministers continue painful, faithful, conscionable, it is very rare but that they bring people to some kind of obedience or other. Very few godly, conscionable, powerful Ministers that have lived any time in any place but they leave some savour of their spirits behind them, that in their people you may find the savour of such a Ministry. It was wont to be said, Da Ambrosios et habebimus Theodosios let us have Ambroses and we shall have Theodosius's. Let us have godly Ministers at Court and we shall have godly Princes; that is the meaning; The reason why Theodosius was so good, it was because he had an Ambrose. So we find it in 2 King. 12.2. that Jehoash so long as Jehojada the Priest lived, did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, so long as he had a godly Minister with him that instructed him, he did that which was right in the eyes of God. No marvel then so much evil at Court and other places because we know what kind of Ministers they ever have had.