Hosea 1

In heaven the saints rest with him, on earth they walk with him. To walk with God is to walk by faith; we are said to draw near to God (Hebrews 10:22), and to see him (Hebrews 11:27), as seeing him who is invisible, and to have fellowship with him (Hosea 1:3). Or [⟨ in non-Latin…

Alms should shine, but not blaze. Jehu did well in destroying the Baal-worshippers, and God commended him for it; but because his aims were not good (he aimed at settling himself in the kingdom) therefore God looked upon it no better than murder (Hosea 1:4). I will avenge the bl…

11. This kingdom of heaven excels all others in healthfulness: Death is a worm that is ever feeding at the root of our gourd; kingdoms are often hospitals of sick persons: But the kingdom of heaven is a most healthful climate; physicians there are out of date; no distemper there…

For they of that Church, overturn justification by the mere mercy of God, which is the principal part of the inward baptism. Again, the ten tribes retained circumcision after their apostasy: yet for all that condemned to be no people of God (Hosea 1:9). The light in the lantern…

Circumcision was used in Samaria, and yet they were no people of God. Hos 1:9. The tenth motiue.

But the judgment of the Church was otherwise: and this opinion of the Gentiles is confuted by Paul (1 Corinthians 6). Again, it may be objected, that the Lord commanded the Prophet Hosea to take to him a harlot (Hosea 1:2). Answer: It was done in type or figure: and then the wor…

And thus he meets with their complaints, that they should not say they were rejected, unworthy, aliens, or shut out for any infamous note; because the Lord would take away all obstacles and impediments. Now this may be as well referred to the Jews, whose temporary rejection had…

With which also Ezekiel reproaches them in (Ezekiel 16:3), saying, Your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite. And the like phrases of speech are used in many other places (Hosea 1:2). Thus then he brings their intolerable pride down to the ground, and in despite of t…

And hence we observe how the Apostles were wont to allege the testimonies of the Prophets, and to show the end and true use of them. As Saint Paul alleges the testimony of Hosea, I will call them my people which were not my people (Romans 9:26; Hosea 1:10). Where he appropriates…

For Duties may be performed two wayes. (1.) In hypocrisie and pretence, so they are utterly abhorred of God in matter and manner; that is such a poisonous Ingredient as vitiates the whole, Isa. 1. 11, 12, 13, 14. Hos. 1. 4. (2.) In Integrity according to present Light and Convic…

[illegible] Suppose earthly kingdoms to be more glorious than they are, their foundations of gold, their walls of pearl, their windows of sapphire, yet they are corruptible (Hosea 1:4): "I will cause the kingdom to cease." Troy and Athens now lie buried in their own ruins.

But now, in the days of Uzziah, did God first raise up a set of great prophets, not only to write histories, but to write books of their prophecies. The first of these is thought to be Hosea the son of Beeri, and therefore his prophecy, or the word of the Lord by him, is called…

When they shall be called, then shall that ancient people, that were alone God's people for so long a time, be God's people again, never to be rejected more: they shall then be gathered into one fold together with the Gentiles; and so also shall the remains of the ten tribes, wh…

It is a stroke at the soul, a blow at the root; usually the last, and therefore the worst of judgments. There is a pedigree of judgments, first Gomer bears Jezreel, next Lo-ruhamah, and at last brings forth Lo-ammi (Hosea 1:4, 6, 8-9). There is cause of mourning, if you consider…

So for paucity and fewness, which is another scandal, there are promises of the Gospel's being propagated, of the flowings out of living waters, of the flying in of converts like doves to the windows (Isaiah 60), and the like. So in this present case, because of the variance of…

Christ is a King by a natural right; God has chosen him, God has set him upon his holy hill: the Lord has made him to be Head over all things (Ephesians 1:22). Indeed, the church chooses Christ: they shall appoint to themselves one Head (Hosea 1:11). And therefore for you that a…

Paul had another kind of zeal then, acted by other kind of principles. Fourthly, There is a selfish zeal, that has a man's own ends for its motive; Jehu was very zealous, but it was not so much for God as for the kingdom, not so much in obedience to the command, as in design to…

This kingdom excels in its stability; other kingdoms have vanity written upon them — they cease and are changed; though they may have a head of gold, yet feet of clay. Hosea 1:4: I will cause the kingdom to cease. Kingdoms have their climacteric year: where is the glory of Athen…

(4.) The same Covenant made with Abraham is made with the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 6:16): I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Which is prophesied of the Gentiles under the New Testament in Ezekiel 11:17-20, Ezekiel 34:23-25, Jeremiah 31:31-36, Jeremiah 32:36-40,…

Then should that (2.) distinction of Jews in the heart, and inward, and of Jews in the flesh (Romans 2:28), and of the children of the flesh, that are not of the spiritual seed, and of the children of the promise (Romans 9:7-8), and of the persecuting children of the bond woman…

5. Proposition. Our believing and conversion to God does alter and change our state before God: 1. Because God esteemed an unbeliever that which he was; even an unbeliever, a child of wrath, one that is disobedient, serving various lusts, a soul unwashed, polluted in his blood b…

So that as soon as this new world is (as it were) created, and stands forth in view, God presently goes about doing some great thing to make way for the introduction of the church's latter-day glory, that is to have its first seat in, and is to take its rise from that new world.…