Hosea 8:12 I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. God hath vouchsafed the free use of His Word; what greater bounty? Men pass by it as a thing not worth the looking to; what greater impiety? I. THE FREE USE OF GOD'S WORD. 1. The commendation of God's Word, by the plenty, abundance, and largeness of the matter that is in it; and by the price, excellency, and worth of the matter. All necessary points, either touching faith or manners, are abundantly contained and laid forth in the Scriptures. This fact condemns the common neglect and universal contempt of the rules and precepts of Holy Scripture. In matters of conversation, men prefer the examples and guides of the times, the course and practice of the multitude, before the principles of God's Spirit. The excellency of Scripture is seen in that the author of it is God; the matter of it is the mystery of godliness; the style of it, there is a fulness of majesty in simplicity of words; the end of it is to make men wise unto salvation. II. THE MERCY OF GOD IN VOUCHSAFING HIS WORD TO US. 1. How can it be said that God hath written His Word? 2. Why was it meet to write it? 3. When the Word of God began first to be written, and how it was preserved for the Church's use all that time. 4. How we shall be assured that that which amongst us is now called the Scripture is the very same Word and precious will of God, which He hath written for the use and comfort of His people. Nothing is able to persuade a man's conscience that the Scripture is the Word of God, but only the Spirit of God. The best proofs are to be fetched out of Scripture itself. Its excellency is shown in the purity of the law of God by Moses: the quality of the matter in Scripture; the antiquity of the Scripture. III. MAN'S MISUSE OF SCRIPTURE. 1. Shew the nature of the fault. They regarded Scripture as containing matter that did not pertain to them. This fault is compounded of three gross evils — disobedience, unthankfulness, neglect of their own private good, even the good of their souls. What judgment is due to this offence? In general it openeth the very floodgate of God's wrath. In particular, it makes all our prayers odious, and the torment of our souls. Seeing then that to account the great things of God's law as a strange thing, is a fault, a grievous fault, a fault liable to extreme punishment, our fault, there is no remedy but we must henceforth give all diligence, that the Word of God may be no more a stranger unto us, but a dweller with us, and familiar unto us. (S. Hieron.) Parallel Verses KJV: I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.WEB: I wrote for him the many things of my law; but they were regarded as a strange thing. |
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