ON HOSEA XIV. -VERSE 9. 269 accidental enticement to allure the fancies, or curi- osities, or customary attendances of men on the ordinances ; elegancy in the speaker, novelty and quaintness in the matter, credit or advantage in the duty ; upon such inducements many will wait on the word ; some to hear a sweet song, Ezek. xxxiii. 32. others to hear some new doctrine, Acts xvii. 19. some for loaves ; to promote their secular advantages, John vi. 26. having one and the self -same reason of following Christ, which the Gadarenes had when they entreated him to depart from their coasts. But very few there are who do it on its own account, and with respect to the primary use and intention of it. Our prophet seems to do as the philosopher did, who lighted a candle at noon to find out a wise man indeed, to run to and fro through the streets, and in the broad places, to find a man that seeketh the truth, as the Lord commanded the prophet Jeremiah, Jer. v. 1. How doth the most elegant of all the prophets complain, " Who hath believed our report ?" Isa. liii. 1. xlix. 4. How doth the most learned of the apostles complain, that the preaching of the gospel was esteemed foolishness, 1 Cor. i. 23. Noah was a preacher of righteousness to a whole world of men, and yet but eight persons were saved from the flood, and some of them rather for the family's sake than their own, 1 Pet. iii. 20. Paul preached to a whole academy at Athens, and but a very few were con- verted, Acts xvii. 34. some disputed, and others mocked, but few believed the things which they were not able to gainsay. Hezekiah sent messengers into all Israel to invite them unto the true worship of God at Jerusalem, but they were mocked and laughed to scorn, and a remnant only humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem, 2 Chron. xxx. 10,11. (whereunto z3
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