Lectures Upon Hosea 1-4, Lectures 4
LECTVRES VPONUPON THE FOVRTH CHAPTER OF THE PROPHECIE OF HOSEA.
THe Prophet hauing in the former Chapter The argument.teſtified and approued the louelove of God towards the people of Iſraell, to the end that thoſe who were long to continue in a grieuous Captiuitie, might in the middeſt of their miſeries be ſupported with ſome comfort: doth now againe direct his ſpeach to the Iſraelites of his owne times, accuſing and conuincing all ſtates and conditions, of diuers grieuous and enormious ſinnes, which raigned and ruled in the whole land; and withall intermixeth ſuch juſt and well deſerued puniſhments, as the Lord was purpoſed to inflict vponupon them, vnleſſe they preuented them by their vnfained repentance. And leaſt the people of Iuda by following their practiſe, ſhould make themſelues ſubiect to the like miſeries, he admoniſheth them not to communicate with them in their ſinnes, that they might not be pertakers of their puniſhments.
And this is the maine argument of this Chapter: the parts The generall Analyſis of the Chapter.thereof are two. The firſt is an accuſation or ſharp reprehenſion of the people of Iſraell, for their manifold haynous ſinnes, from the firſt Verſe to the fifteenth. The ſecond is an admonition to the people of Iuda, to auoid their ſinnes, that they may eſcape their puniſhments; from the fifteenth Verſe, to the end of the Chapter. The firſt part is expreſſed in a judiciall forme of proceeding, wherein the people of Iſrael are ſummoned to appeare, and arraigned before the Tribunall of Gods Iudgement, to anſwere ſuch things, as ſhould bee laid to their charge: namely, that they had by their capitall crimes and enormious ſinnes offended againſt their ſoueraigne Lord, the king of heauen and earth, and ſo breaking his Lawes, had made themſelues guiltie and obnoxious to thoſe puniſhments, which were therin threatned. All which their offences were comprized in foure ſeuerall bils of inditement, of which being conuicted, there is annexed to eueryevery bill a forme of condemnation, to ſuffer ſuch puniſhments, as they had juſtly deſerued. The firſt bill of inditement is contained Verſe. 1. and 2. the ſentence of condemnation is affixed Verſe 3. The ſecond bill Verſe 4. the ſentence in the 5. The third bill and third ſentence are intermixed, Verſe 6. 7. vntounto the 11. The laſt bill, Ver. 12. 13. the ſentence of Iudgement, in the latter part of the 13. Ver. and in the 14.
And theſe are the ſpeciall branches of this firſt generall The maine ſcope of this Prophecie.part. Now the generall ſcope of the Lord, in all this is, that the people who liued ſo ſecurely in their ſinnes, that they little or nothing regarded eyther the perſon of the Prophets, or their threatnings, might at leaſt be awakened out of their ſpirituall Lethargie, when as they heard themſelues ſummoned before Gods Iudgement Seate, and perceiued that the Lord would no longer ſuffer his word to be contemned in the mouth of his ſeruants, but would plead in his owne cauſe, and examine and try the tranſgreſſours of his lawes, before his owne Tribunall Seate of Iudgement, and ſo proceed to the condemnation and execution of thoſe whom he found guiltie.