A77979:850
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 5 › Verse 6
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.
There is no such way to put an excellency upon any thing we have, upon our parts, and abilities, and estates, as this, To tender them up first unto God, and if God shall please to own them, then to receive them again out of Gods hands; we shall ⟨p. 405⟩then receive them with abundance of sweetness and excellency. But here, he calleth them, Their flocks and their herds, though they were tendered unto God in sacrifice, yet He will not say, they are His, but their own. Thus it is with all Hypocrites and formal and superstitious persons in what they tender unto God.1 Self is the principle of what you do and therefore all your services remain your own, you serve your self rather than God in them.
- 1What is done out of self-love is our own.What is done out of selfe-love is our own.
Herein lies the sweetness and true comfort of a mans estate, and of his credit, and parts, or of whatsoever he hath, when he shall consecrate and devote them unto God so as they remain no longer his own. This is a sacrifice that God is well pleased with. These are my parts saith God, this is my estate, here I give them back to you again: And when a man shall take what he hath as having first consecrated and devoted it unto God and taking it out of Gods hand again, Oh this addeth a sweetness and a blessing to his estate. All we have is Gods as He is the first cause of all; but mark, God rejoiceth as well,1 if not more in a second right that He hath to what we have (namely by our tendering up all unto Him in a gracious manner) than He doth in the first right of being the cause of all. I beseech you observe it, God hath a twofold right to the estates, parts, and abilities of His people. First, He hath a right to them as He is the cause of them; I gave them to you therefore they are mine. But Secondly, There is a second right that God seemeth more to rejoice in, and that is this, When His servants by an exercise of grace, shall tender them up again and give them back again unto Him; Now saith God, they are mine by a second right; and this second right unto them, they being tendered up unto me in a holy way, is the right that I rejoice in: and this will be most comfortable unto you. Oh my brethren, let us not deprive God of this second right to all we have or are or can do; for this will not at all weaken our right of our own to what we have, we may enjoy our estates and parts and abilities; but this will strengthen, and sweeten, and bless them abundantly.