Samarias Downfall, Title page – To the reader
Samaria's Downfall: OR, A COMMENTARY (By way of Supplement) on the Five last Verses of the Thirteenth Chapter OF HOSEA VVherein is set forth, Ephraim's Dignity. Duty Impenitency, And Downfall. Very suitable to, and seasonable for, these present Times. Where you have the Text explained, sundry Cases of Conscience cleared, many Practic… Observations raised (with References to such Authors as clear a… Point more fully.) And a Synopsis or brief Character of the twenty King… of Israel, with some useful Inferences from them. By THOMAS HALL, B. D. and Pastor of Kingsnorton.
Thus will I do to thee, O Israel, and because I will do thus unto thee, prepare to meet … God, O▪ Israel, Amos 4. 12.
A prudent man fore-seeth the evil, and hideth himself, Prov. 22. 3.
Etsi Christus & Apostoli minantur facinorosis, & graviter reprehendunt viti… … phetarum conclones ideo ad deterrendos malos aptiores, & ad timorem Dei inculca … ficaciores sunt, quia semper certas Paenas slagitiosorum addunt, qu…s. eventus postea … dit non fuisse vanas. Luther. in Praefat. ad Hoseam.
… for Io. Cranford, at the Castle and Lion …
TO THE Renowned CITIE OF LONDON, GRACE, MERCY, and PEACE bee multiplied.
A Word spoken in season is much commended by the wisest of men, Prov. 15. 23, and 25. 11. Yea, it is made one of Christs excellencies, that hee had the tongue of the Learned, and knew how to speak a word in season. Isa. 50. 4. Such words are not onelyonly profitable, but also powerful, and carry abundance of convincing strength and force with them, Iob 6. 25. This principally hath emboldened mee to dedicate this Treatise to you. Had I searched for five verses thorow the whole Bible, I could hardly have found five together (all things considered) more suitable and seasonable for the present times wee live in.
In them wee have an Alarum for the Drowsie, a Corrasive for the Impenitent, a Cordial for the Penitent, and many quickening Considerations to move us all to a speedy preparing to meet our God in a way of unfeigned Humiliation before the Decree bring forth, and the fierce anger of the Lord ceize upon us.
Here wee may see Ephraims Dignity, and Ephraims Downfall, and those sins which helpt to bring him down; and in him wee may read Englands condition; the Lord hath made us his Ephraim, hee hath laid his right hand upon us, hee hath made us the head of the Tribes, hee hath set us above, when for our sins hee might long since have laid us in the dust. Ephraims sins were Ephraims ruine; and if those sins bee found in England, which were found in him, what can wee expect but the like judgements? for God is the same to the same sinners. If Samaria's sins bee found in London, London must look for Samaria's judgements. God will not spare sin, where ever hee findes it, bee it in City or Country. Sin hath brought down greater Cities than yours; as they had their times of rising, so of ruining; as of building, so of burning; witness Nineveh, No, Tyrus, Babylon and Ierusalem: Sin hath made them all a desolation. For my own particular, I shall never expect that City or State should prosper, till Gods Church prosper; or that our houses should continue, when Gods house lies waste; all our buildings will bee but Nods and Babels, that is, unsettlement and confusion, till Gods house bee setled and exalted amongst us, Hag. 1. 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, &c. It is the sins of England that I fear more than all the enemies in the world. It is not Spain or Italy, it is not France or Turkey that I fear; though all Nations should compass us about, yet were wee but an obedient people, I should not doubt, but that in the Name of the Lord wee should destroy them. But it is the Atheism, Heresie, Blasphemy, Security, Impenitency, Apostacy, Prophanation of holy things, Formality, Hypocrisie, Unrighteousness, Division, Witchcraft, and contempt of the Gospel. These, even these, are the enemies that I fear; and if any thing destroy us, it is these abominations that reign amongst us. Bee instructed therefore, O England, and thou, O London, the chief City thereof, lest the Lords soul depart from thee, and thou bee made a desolation, Jer. 6. 8. God hath bornelong with our provocations, but hee will not alwaies bear, but will at last reconcile his patience with the fierceness of his fury. Let not therefore Satan delude any, as if these were but some melancholy conceits, some fearful fancies, or vain prognostications of some lying Astrologers; but know, that these are certain Assertions, grounded upon the infallible Word of God, whose Threatnings, as well as Promises, are like unto Silver, that hath been seven times purified, and …horowly tried, Psal. 12. 6.
It is true, wee have many Priviledges that others want, but no Priviledges can preserve an impenitent people from ruine; Ierusalem was highly priviledged; and had the choicest Preaching a little before its downfall. The sins of a City and Nation may bee so great, that though Noah, Iob and Daniel (three men that could do very much with God, Ezek. 14. 14.) Should stand before the Lord for them, yet they shall not prevail for a hardened, Apostatizing people; where such spiritual judgements go before, there temporal judgements alwaies follow, Isa. 6. 9, 10, 11, 12. Sinning is worse than suffering; better see a people bleeding, than blaspheming; for by our Sufferings God is glorified, but by our sinns hee is dishonoured.
Wee are a people that are much for Liberty; wee cannot endure a yoak, no, though it bee Christs easie yoak, yet wee will not have him to reign over us; wee will not serve him with gladness, and singleness of heart in the abundance of all things; and therefore hee may justly make us serve our enemies in the want of all things, Deuteronomy 28. 47, 48. And as wee are all for Liberty, so hee may justly proclaim a Liberty for us to the Sword, Pestilence and Famine, Ier. 34. 17.
God hath humbled many in your great City, by sickness, poverty, and decay of Trading, &c. But have you been made humble thereby? Hee hath sent the choicest of his Ministers amongst you, and fed you (in a spiritual sense) with the finest of the Wheat, but have you answered Gods cost and care? and are you bettered by all his dispensations to you? Have you heard the voice of the Rod, and who hath appointed it? or have you not rather fallen away more and more, and grown worse and worse? if so, how can you expect peace, when your Apostasies, witchcrafts, and spiritual fornications are so many? 2 King. 9. 17, 18.
But it is not for mee to counsel you, who have so many living*See Mr. Willes his most seasonable and solid peece, on 2 Tim. 3. 1. newly printed. and dead Counsellors at hand; I shall therefore betake my self to Prayer, desiring that the good will of him that dwelt in the bush, may dwell amongst you, that hee would bee for walls and bulworks to you, and your glory in the midst of you; that hee by the Spirit of fire and of burning would purge out of you every thing that offends, that your scumme of Blasphemy, Heresie, Hypocrisie, Unrighteousness, &c. may no longer abide in you, but that the Name of your great and famous City may forever bee, Iehovah Shammah, The Lord is there. This is, and shall bee the Prayer of
Kingsnorton, Novemb. 17. 1659. Your Servant in the Lord, THOMAS HALL.
TO THE READER.
HAving occasion lately to peruse Mr. Burroughs on Hosea 13. 13. I found that his Commentary was defective, and that Mr. Burroughs (that Prince of Preachers) died before hee had finisht the Chapter; whereupon I perused the remainder of the Chapter, and finding it to bee very pat and pertinent to these present drowsie, dangerous times wee live in, and that no man had set upon it this twelve years (for so long hath Mr. Burroughs been dead) I having a little respite, in the strength of my God I set upon it, and by his assistance have at last compleated it. It is true, it hath cost mee some pains, the most of these five Verses being so turned and tortured, so intricate and perplex, admitting of so many various Lections and Senses, and Interpreters are so divided amongst themselves, that hee had need of a great deal of Prayer and Patience, that undertakes them. I think there are not many harder Verses in the Bible, than some of these that I have lighted on, yet by a good hand of providence I have gone thorow them, and have not balked any known difficulty, but have made all as plain, and intelligible as possibly I could.
Many Posthumous works have had Supplements excelling their Predecessors; this cannot bee expected here. All that I can promise thee, is this, that I have as fully and faithfully explained the Text, as possibly I could: I have raised thence many useful Observations, and given in References (because I understand they are very acceptable to many) to such as inlarge upon any point more fully. Some Common places are succinctly handled, and if any Controversie occur (according to my custom and calling) they have a lash and a pass.
As for the fourteenth Chapter, it is piously and pithily opened by two very grave,Dr. Sibbs. judicious men; So that now you have the whole Prophesie compleated;Dr. Reynolds. If thou reap any benefit, give God the praise, who is pleased to shew light in the darkness, and strength in the weakness of
Thine in the Lord, THOMAS HALL.