Hosea 8

You that say you will look after the kingdom of heaven tomorrow, know not, but that you may be in hell before tomorrow: Sometimes death comes suddenly, it strikes without giving warning: What folly is it putting off seeking the kingdom of heaven, till the day of grace expire, ti…

There were they to be found and nowhere else. Many altars the people of old did erect elsewhere, many high places they found out and prepared, but they were all sin and misery to them; God granted his presence to none of them all (Hosea 8:11; chapter 12:11). And many ways there…

Well then, learn to value the honor that you have by Christ's service; as that Emperor counted it a greater privilege to be a member of the Church than head of the Empire. Look upon duty as an honor, and service as a privilege; Honorabilia legis (Hosea 8:12), so the Vulgar. And…

The silver trumpet signified the sounding of the silver trumpet of the Gospel through all the world, the preaching of the pure word of God by his messengers, who are said to lift up their voice as a trumpet (Isaiah 58:1). Set the trumpet to your mouth (Hosea 8:1). The tongue of…

But therefore the Scripture lays load upon it. Hosea 8:11. Ephraim has made many altars to sin: they thought to worship God, but the text says, it was to sin against him. And Chap. 9:15. all their wickedness is in Gilgal, that is their greatest wickedness, for there were many ot…

Out of Zion shall go forth the law. The oracles of God, the great things of the law, as it is phrased (Hosea 8:12), his covenant and the counsel of his will, are entrusted with the church. Now this being a mercy which exceeds all other things in the world, is therefore comprehen…

My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declares to them, for the spirit of whoredoms has caused them to err and they have gone a whoring from under their God. So building temples, altars, or other monuments to them (Hosea 8:14). Israel has forgotten his maker, an…

A good man is described to be one that delights in the law of the Lord, and meditates therein day and night (Psalm 1:2) and again (Psalm 119:97) Oh how I love your law, it is my meditation all the day long. But alas few are of this temper (Hosea 8:12) I have written to them the…

Sect. 59 From this Prejudice it is, that the Spiritual Things of the Gospel are by many despised and contemned. So God spoke of Ephraim, Hos. 8. 12. I have written to him the great things of the Law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

Jeremiah 4:14 Our impure natures and ways have made him cry, How long will it be ere they attain to innocency? Hosea 8:5 If God wait upon you with so much patience for your duties, well may you wait upon him for his mercies. Tenth Consideration.

God sometimes gives when we use no means, but he never gives, when we use unlawful means. What God said concerning the setting-up of those kings (Hosea 8:4), they have set up kings, but not by me, he says of all, who enrich themselves by wrong, they have gotten riches but not by…

Either fear of persecution, or hope of preferment has turned them away from the profession of religion. Such were Bolsecus, Petrus Carolus, and others (Hosea 8:3): Israel has cast off the thing that is good. At Ausborough the Papists give ten florens a year to such as revolt fro…

Amongst many others, this is one special means whereby an afflicted condition comes to be useful for the increase of grace, because in it the soul gains much experience; experience of God and of his ways, experience of the good there is in, and faithfulness of his word; as we re…

When he would express the contrary of this love, he says he was not well pleased (1 Corinthians 10:5); he fixed not his delight, nor rest on them. And, if any man draw back, the Lord's soul has no pleasure in him (Hebrews 10:38; Jeremiah 22:28; Hosea 8:8; Mark 1:10). He takes pl…

Learn we of whom we receive all needful things, both spiritual and temporal, for soul and body, that accordingly we may give him the praise of all. And let us not be like the ungrateful Israelites who regarded not the means of spiritual nourishment, and ascribed the means of the…

Here is my rest for ever, here will I dwell. A sinner is a vessel in which is no pleasure, Hosea 8:8. But Fearers of God are Favourites.

Oh what a sad thing is it, that when the body is going to the grave, the soul has not yet learned to converse with God! (Hosea 8:12) I have written to them the great things of my law, but they were counted a strange thing. God has written an epistle to us, and we will not read i…

As a stranger, let it not stand at the door; but receive it into an inner room; be as familiar as those that dwell with you. God complains of his people (Hosea 8:12), I have written to them the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. To be strangers to…

The contrary God complains of. Hosea 8:12. I have written to them the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. God is the author, whoever be the penman; it is a writing from him to us.

Is not he conscious to our works, and observes all we do? 4. God stands much upon the authority of his law (Hosea 8:12): I have written to them the great things of my law, etc. Mark, he calls them the great things of his law; they are not things to be slighted and despised.

God may change his countenance, but not break his covenant. It is one thing for God to desert, another thing to disinherit (Hosea 8:11). How shall I give you up, O Ephraim!

It is one thing for God to desert, another thing to disinherit. How shall I give you up, O Ephraim? (Hosea 8:11). This is a metaphor taken from a father going to disinherit his son, and while he is going to set his hand to the deed, his bowels begin to melt, and to yearn over hi…

And are we not to believe that God will write his law in the hearts of Cain, Pharaoh, Saul, Doeg, Ahab, Judas, Magus, and of Moabites, Ammonites, Egyptians, and of all and every one of mankind, if they be in covenant with him? Contrary to Psalm 147:19-20; Hosea 8:12; Exodus 20:1…

when shall it once be? (Jeremiah 13:27). Yet again, hear another Scripture, How long will it be, ere they attain to innocency? (Hosea 8:5). How long!

And this is so in their heart, that it riseth up to madness. The holy Ghost expresseth this rage of sin by a fit similitude which he useth in sundry places (Jeremiah 2:24; Hosea 8:9). It maketh men as a wild ass; she traverseth her ways, and [illegible] up the wind, and runneth…

Fourthly, hereupon the soul being comforted after it was wounded, now calls God, my God, and Christ, my sweet Savior, and now it doubts not but it shall be saved; why? Because I have received much comfort after much sorrow, and doubting (Hosea 8:2-3), and yet remains a deluded m…

so that my sin against God or his prophets, is no small thing. Faith looks at commandments as of great consequence, of great worth in themselves, and of great use to us, and looks at the transgression of them, as the greatest evil, whether against God or ourselves; whereas on th…

The menstrousness of a removed woman (Ezekiel 36:17). To a vessel in which there is no pleasure, which is but the modest expression of that draught into which nature empties itself (Hosea 8:8). And which is the sum of all uncleanness, sin in the heart is compared to the fire of…

(10.) Because, they are the ground of faith (Romans 4:20; 2 Chronicles 20:20). (11.) Because, they are the epistle of God sent to his Church (Hosea 8:12; Revelation 2:1, 8, 12). (12.) Because, they are his testament, wherein we may find what legacies, he has bequeathed to us (2…