Lectures Upon Hosea 1-4, Lectures 2 · Part 19
ANd ſo much concerning the ſixth benefit. The laſt followeth, which is the propagation and multiplication of the Church in the time of the Goſpell: Verſ. 23. And I will ſow her Verſ. 23 vntounto me in the earth, and I will hauehave merciemercy vponupon her that was not pitied, and I will ſay vntounto them which were not my people, thou art my people: and they ſhall ſay, thou art my God. In which words is ſet downe, firſt, the multiplication of the Church: and ſecondly, The expoſition.the meanes whereby it ſhould bee multiplied. The firſt in theſe words; And I will ſow her vntounto me in the earth. The which ſpeech is allegoricall borrowed from the practiſe of husbandmen, who deſiring increaſe of their corne doe ſow it in the ground; ſo the Lord promiſeth that hee will ſow his Church, that is, he will multiplie and exceedingly increaſe it, as the ſeed is multiplied which is ſowne in the earth, ſo that it ſhall no longer be contained within the narrow borders of the land of Canaan, but be propagated farre and wide ouer the whole face of the earth. Where he alludeth to the name Izreel, ſignifying the ſeed of God, of which hee had ſpoken in the former verſe, although the word (her) being of the feminine gender hath relation vntounto the ſpouſe: for whereas his meaning was that hee would ſow Izreel, his ſeed, he ſaith he will ſow her, becauſe all this while he had ſpoken of his Church and faithfull people vnderunder the name and title of a wife.
But beſides the multiplying of the Church, here is alſo, as I take it, promiſed the continuall ſtabilitie therof, for ſo this word ſowing or planting ſignifieth: as appeareth, Ier. 24. 6. I will plant them, and not roote them out: Pſal. 92. 13. 14. Ier. 31. 27. 28. 42. 10.Iere. 24. 6. Pſal. 92. 13. 14. Iere. 31. 27. & 42. 10.
Further he ſaith, that he will ſow her vntounto himſelfe, where he noteth the end why he would multiplie his Church and people, namely, that they being choſen and called, might glorifie his name by ſeruing and obeying him; and this is the maine end not onelyonly of our calling, but alſo of our creation and redemption: 2. Cor. 6. 20. Epheſ. 1. 4. Tit. 2. 14.2 Cor. 6. 20. Epheſ. 1. 4. Tit. 2. 14.
Againe, whereas hee ſaith, that hee will ſow her in the earth, without any ſpecial reſtraint vntounto any particular place, the meaning is, that hee would ſow her thorowout the whole earth, and no longer confine her within the limits of Canaan; the which promiſe was accordingly accompliſhed, when Chriſt gaue commandement to his Apoſtles and Diſciples, that they ſhould goe teach all nations, Matth. 28. 20. the which they alſo performed, as appeareth in the Acts of the Apoſtles.Matth. 28. 20.
And this is the promiſe concerning the multiplying of the Church. Now the meanes whereby hee would increaſe it to ſo great a number is expreſſed, whereas he ſaith that hee will hauehave merciemercy vponupon Lo-ruchamah, and will call Lo-ammi his people; wherby he vnderſtandeth the calling not only of the ten tribes, but alſo by occaſion of them the Gentiles amongſt whom they were ſcattered; as the Apoſtle plainly expoundeth this prophecie, Rom. 9. 24. & 1. Pet. 2. 10. for of whom it might be ſaid, Rom. 9. 24. 25. 1. Pet. 2. 10.that they were without merciemercy and not Gods people, of thē he promiſeth that he would hauehave merciemercy, and chuſe them for his people: but this might be ſaid, not of the Iſraelites alone, but alſo of the Gentiles, as the Apoſtles teſtifie; and therefore of them alſo this prophecie is to be vnderſtood.
And theſe are the meanes whereby the ſeed of the faithfull is multiplied. In the laſt place he ſetteth downe the diſpoſition, affection and dutie of the Church being called, in theſe words: And they ſhall ſay, thou art my God. Where there is implied the entire louelove of ye Church towards God, in that ſhe vſeth here the vocatiue caſe (as the originall hath it) and by a certaine kind of hearty acclamation, crieth out, O my God: which briefe maner of ſpeech doth moſt pathetically expreſſe the otherwiſe vnexpreſſable affection & paſſion of the heart. So Thomas rauiſhed with Chriſts aſſured preſence crieth out, My Lord and my God, Ioh. 20. Ioh. 20. 28.28. and Mary, v. 16. Rabboni, Maſter, Rom. 8. 15. Secondly, that Rom. 8. 15.ſhe ſhall not only beleeue that the Lord is her God, but alſo acknowledge and make profeſſion hereof, for ſhe ſhall not only thinke it, but alſo ſay it. Thirdly, that ſhe ſhall inuocate and call vponupon his name, as is ſignified in this phraſe of ſpeech, O my God.
And this is the meaning of theſe words. The doctrines which The do∣ctrines. ariſe out of thē are theſe. Firſt, whereas ye Lord ſaith, that he will ſow his Church, hence we learne that ye Lord is the ſole cauſe of The Lord is the principall cauſe of multiplying the Church. Epheſ. 2. 5.the multiplying of his Church, by his word and Spirit, and not our owne inclination and free will; for we are as ſeed in the hand of the ſower, vnleſſe hee husband vsus, wee will euer remaine vnfruitfull, Eph. 2. 5. And this the Apoſtle affirmeth, namely, that the faithfull are not borne of blood, nor of the will of the fleſh, nor of the will of man, but of God, Ioh. 1. 13.Iohn 1. 13. God multiplieth his church for his owne glorie. 1. Pet. 2. 10. 11. 12.
Secondly, we learne here, yt the Lord doth ſow or multiplie the Church vntounto himſelf, that is, for his own glory, worſhip, and ſeruice, & yt the Church being choſen to be a royall Prieſthood, and holy nation, may abſtaine frō fleſhly luſts, & hauehave their cō uerſation honeſt, yt ſo God may be glorified euen of thoſe that are without. And therfore ſeeing the Lord hath made choice of vsus for this purpoſe, let vsus labour to attaine vntounto our end, otherwiſe we can hauehave no aſſurance that we are in the nūber of Gods people, ſeeing it is impoſſible yt he ſhuld be fruſtrate of his end.
Thirdly, by this chāge of names; no mercy into mercy, & no Gods anger turned into louelove.people into a people: we learne, that in the time of the Goſpel, Gods anger is turned into louelove, iudgement into mercy, puniſhment into reward, & cōdemnation into life & ſaluation, by vertue of Chriſts merits & mediation. The which ſerueth notablie for the conſolation of al thoſe, that mourne in Sion, whē as being beaten downe by the apprehēſion of Gods anger, the ſight of ſinne, and the curſe of the law, they conſider that Chriſt hath freed them from them all, reconciled them vntounto God, and procured for them remiſſion of their ſinnes.
Fourthly, we here learne that the wall of ſeparation is broken The Iewes and Gentiles gathered into one Church.downe, & both Iewes and Gentiles admitted into one and the ſame Church, ſo that as our Sauiour ſpeaketh, there is now but one ſheepfold & one ſhepheard, Ioh. 10. 16. See p. 125. 133. 135.
Fiftly, we here learne, that our vocation was altogether free and vndeſerued; for when as we were without mercy, deſeruing Our vocatiō is of free grace.rather iudgement & condemnation, the Lord had mercy vponupon vsus; & whē we were no people, but aliants & ſtrangers, yea enemies vntounto God, the Lord of his free grace made vsus his people yea of his owne familie: and this the Apoſtle plainly ſheweth, 2. Tim. 1. 9. As therfore no conceit of our own worthines ſhould 2. Tim. 1. 9.make vsus to derogate any from Gods free grace, & vndeſerued louelove, ſo neither ought our vnworthines cauſe vsus to doubt of thē, ſeeing without reſpect of our deſerts, the Lord hath choſen vsus.
Sixtly, we here learne, yt our ſaluation hath his beginning in Gods mercy; for by reaſon of our ſins, we are in miſery, & in the Gods merciemercy the beginning of our ſaluation.ſtate of condemnation, the which our miſerable condition is ſo much the more miſerable, in that of our ſelues we cannot poſſiblie come out of our miſerie; but God in mercy pardoning our ſins, for Chriſts merits, freeth vsus from our wretched eſtate, and aduanceth vsus to all glorie and happineſſe.
Seuenthly, this ſerueth notably for the conſolation of euerie The faithfull are conſident in Gods merciemercy.true mēber of the Church, in yt they are aſſured yt they hauehave obtained Gods mercy: ſo yt though they hauehave fallē through infirmity, they need not with Adam to hide thēſelues frō Gods preſence, but in cōfident aſſurāce of pardon & forgiuenes, go boldly vntounto the throne of grace, that they may receiue mercy & find grace to helpe in the time of need: as it is, Hebr. 4. 16. 10. 22.Hebr. 4. 16. 10. 22. As God chuſeth vsus, ſo we chuſe him.
Laſtly, we here learne, yt as ye Lord maketh choice of vsus to be his people, ſo we anſwerably muſt make choice of him to be our God; as he ſheweth his louelove towards vsus, ſo we muſt be ready to expreſſe ours towards him, by our holy obediēce & zeale of his glory; as he profeſſeth yt we are his people, aboue & before al other natiōs not called, ſo we muſt not only inwardly know and beleeue yt he is our God & in our hearts performe ſeruice vntounto him, but we muſt ſay wt the Church in this place, O my God; that is, acknowledge & cōfeſſe that he is our Lord & Sauiour, opēly and in the ſight of mē, & publikely performe vntounto him his pure worſhip & ſeruice, which he requireth in his word, & that not only whē by our profeſſiō glorifying God we grace our ſelues, but alſo when we incurre thereby ſhame & reproch, affliction, and perſecution. In a word, we muſt with the Church here in all our need and neceſſaries, inuocate and call vponupon Gods name, and wholly depend vponupon, and expect from him all things neceſſarie for this life, and the life to come.
FINIS.