The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

The Prophesie of HOSEA.

CHAP. I, II, III, IV.

THE first Prophet of this race was Hosea; and so he testifieth of himself chap. 1. vers. 2.: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Lord spake first by Hosea: And thus as under an Hosea, Israel did enter into the Land of Canaan, Numb. 13. 16. and under an Hosea were captived out, 2 King. 17. So did the Lord raise up an Hosea the first of these Prophets, to tax their unthankfulness for the one, and to foretel the fear∣fulness of the other. His Prophesie is common both to Israel and Judah, even as was his adulterous wife, a mate as unfit for so holy a Prophet, as her actions were fit to re∣semble such a wicked people. The date of his Prophesie tells us, that he began in the days of Uzziah, and continued till the days of Ezekiah, and so was a Preacher at the least seventy years, and so saw the truth of his Prophesie fulfilled upon captived Israel. Of all the Sermons that he made, and threatnings, and admonitions, that he gave in so long a time, only this small parcel is reserved, which is contained in his little Book, the Lord reserving only what his divine Wisdom saw to be most pertinent for those present times, and most profitable for the time to come. That being to be accounted canonical Scripture; not what every Prophet delivered in his whole time, but what the Lord saw good to commit to writing for posterity.

To fit every Prophesie of this Book, whether Chapter or part of Chapter to its pro∣per year when it was delivered, is so far impossible, as that it is not possible to fit them certainly to the Kings reign, and therefore the Reader can but conceive of their time in gross, as they were delivered by him in the time of his Preaching, which was exceeding long: only these two or three considerations and conjectures may not be unprofitable to∣wards the casting up of some of the times, and towards the better understanding of his Prophesie in some particular.

1. He began to Prophesie in the days of Uzziah, and began first of any that were Prophets in his reign, as were Joel, Amos, and Esaiah: [Jonah was a Prophet in these times, but there is no Prophesie of his left against Israel or Judah] the second Verse of the first Chapter cited even now, cannot be understood so properly in any sence as this, that God now raising up in the days of Uzziah a generation of Prophets, that should continue in a succession till the captivity, and that should leave their Prophesies behind them in writing, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Lord spake first of all these by Hosea: There∣fore whereas it is apparent that Amos, by the date of his Prophesie, ver. 1. lived in those days of Uzziah, which were contemporary with the days of Jeroboam, so also is it apparent by this passage of Hosea, that he himself began in some time of those concur∣rent years of Uzziah and Jeroboam, which were fifteen, and somewhat before the begin∣ning of Amos.

2. His two first Chapters seem to be uttered by him in the very beginning of his Preach∣ing: of the first there can be no doubt nor controversie, and the other two may be well conceived to be of the same date, as appeareth by the matter. In the first Chapter, under the parable of his marrying an adulterous wife [which he names Gomer the daugh∣ter of Diblaim, either for that there was some notorious whorish wife in those times of that name, or for the significansie of the words, for they import corruption of figs, as Jer. 24. 3. as our Saviour in a parable nameth a begger Lazarus, either because there was some noted poor needy wretch of that name in those times, or for the significansie of the word, Lazarus, signifying, God help me, as proper a name for a begger as could be gi∣ven] under this Parable, I say, of his marrying an adulterous wife, and begetting chil∣dren of her; he foretels first the ruine of the house of Jehu, this typified by a Son she bears, called Jezrael, then the ruine of the ten Tribes, this typified by a daughter she bears, which he calls Lo-ruchamah, or unpitied, for in these times of Jeroboam, when Ho∣sea began to Prophesie, the Lord had pittied Israel exceedingly, and eased them much of their trouble and oppressions, 2 King. 24, 26, 27. but now he would do so no more: but Judah he would yet pitty and save them, not by bow and sword, but by an Angel in the days of Ezekiah, destroyeth Senacheribs Army: yet should Judah at last be also cast off, and become Lo-ammi, and then the Gentiles should be called in, in Israels and Judahs stead. And thus having laid the generals of his Prophesie down in the first Chapter, he goeth on in the second to particularize upon those heads, and to shew the reason and man∣ner of the Jews rejection, and the manner and happiness of the Gentiles calling; And thus the time of these two first Chapters is reasonably apparent.

3. His third and fourth Chapters may be supposed to have been delivered by him at the same time, because in Chap. 4. 3. he speaketh of the Plagues of Locusts, and that Amos

and Joel had spoken of, fore-telling them also as they had done. In the third Chapter under the parable of another marriage with an adulterous wife, he fore-telleth the ini∣quity of the people after their return out of Babel into their own Land, and also their state in their present rejection, when they neither follow Idols nor God, when neither as a wife they adhere to God, nor yet to any other god, as to another husband.

The fourth Chapter taketh the people up, as they were in their present posture in the Prophets time, and sheweth their wickedness, and what Judgments the Lord had in store for them, and according to this tenor he goeth on through the rest of his Book.

5. The rest of the Book may be supposed coincident, some of it with the times of Ahaz, and some of it with the former times of Ezekiel, even to the captiving of the ten Tribes, as shall be observed when we come there.