An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth, & tenth chapters of the prophesy of Hosea being first delivered in several lectures at Michaels Cornhil, London / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being the seventh book published by Thomas Goodwin ... [et al.]

The pleasant places for their Silver, Nettles shall possess them; Thornes shall be in their Tabernacles.

The word that is translated pleasant places for Silver,* 1.1 it is, the desire of their silver.

First, It may have reference to this, to their furniture of silver, that nettles shall grow where they wear their fine sil∣ver things,* 1.2 their fine Cupbords of plate, and houshold stuff that they did take so much delight in, as in Lament. 1. 7. Jerusalem remembred in the daies of her affliction, and of her mi∣series,* 1.3 all her pleasant things that she had in the daies of old. Mark but these two things from this text, Jerusalem in the daies of her affliction and miserie. My Brethren, there may be daies of affliction, and yet no daies of miserie, the Saints may meet with daies of afflictions, but not of mise∣ry; the wicked when they meet with daies of affliction,

they meet with daies of misery; but the thing I note that text for is this, They shall remember all the pleasant things that they had. Oh! they shall think then, what fine Cupbords of plate they were wont to have, and all their fine things; so here, here's a threatning that there should nettles grow in the very place where their fine hou∣shold stuff stood, such a place of the house where such a fine Cupbord of plate was, all shall be so demolished that perhaps Nettles and Thorns shall grow there.

And then secondly, The places where they hid their Silver, as you know in times of War men will hide their Silver, and they think they may come back again and have them, but saith God, you shall go far enough from them, and I make no question but another Generation may find treasures of silver in the Countries, in the midst of Nettle bushes and Thorn bushes.

Thirdly, It is their delightful houses adorned with sil∣ver, that were so glorious to their eyes, al now is gone saith God,* 1.4 and Nettles and Thorns shall grow up, they shall In∣herit, so the word is; you hope to leave these brave houses to your children to inherit, but now saith God I have o∣ther Heirs for your houses than your children, I have Thorns and Nettles to inherit them, for so the word is in the Hebrew, They shall inherit. It's a lamentable spectacle to see places where fair buildings have been that now Net∣tles and Thorns should grow, as it is like to be if these Wars hold in divers places of this Kingdom, that was the complaint heretofore of Troy,* 1.5 There was Corn grew where once Troy was, it was made a plowed field, but to have Nettles grow it is worse, for where the plow goes there are inhabitants, but where Nettles and Thorns are that's a desolate wilderness. Travellers tell us, that in manie places of Germany,* 1.6 when they go by where brave buildings were, there's nothing now but bushes and net∣tles; the Lord deliver us from such a heavy stroke as this is,* 1.7 this is threatned in Isa. 32. 13. Ʋpon the Land of my peo∣ple

shall come up bry••rs and thorns, yea upon all the houses of joy in the joyous City. Would it not be a sad spectacle to see such a City as this to have the buildings overthrown and to have Nettles and thorns in your fairest streets come up?* 1.8 yet sin is such a ruinous thing as this. And then in Isa. 34. 13. Thorns shall come up in her Palaces, Nettles and Brambles in the Fortresses thereof,* 1.9 and it shall be a habitation for Dragons, and a Court for Owls; the Owls they shal keep Court there. In our Courts we know what abundance of sin was there, now the Owls shall keep Court there instead of these Cour∣tiers that lived so bravely there formerly. Oh my Bre∣thren! sin is a leprosie that infects the doors of our houses: there's a notable story in 2 King. 25. 9. it said of Nebuchad∣nezzar,* 1.10 That he burnt the House of the Lord, and the Kings house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every g••eat mans house burnt be with fire. There is a great deal of sin committed in great mens houses, and at this day how have the great men of the Land almost in all places shewed a spirit of Ma∣lignity against the work of Reformation, Oh how just with God is it that the houses of these great men should s••ffer; this that here is threatned in my text, and manie of them have been spoiled already, and if God give them not hearts speedily to see the evil of their waies it's very proba∣ble that within a few years this text of mine may be fulfil∣led upon them,

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Desiderin argenti.
• * 1.2

  Expos. 1.
• * 1.3

  Lam. 1. 7.
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.5

  Seges est, ubi Troja fuit.
• * 1.6

  Germany.
• * 1.7

  Isa. 32. 1••▪
• * 1.8

  London.
• * 1.9

  Isa. 34. 13
• * 1.10

  2 King. 25. 9.