A53702:85
An humble testimony unto the goodness and severity of God in his dealing with…
An humble testimony unto the goodness and severity of God in his dealing with sinful churches and nations, or, The only way to deliver a sinful nation from utter ruin by impendent judgments, in a discourse on the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, Luk. 13, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 / by John Owen.An humble testimony unto the goodness and severity of God in his dealing with sinful churches and nations, or, The only way to deliver a sinful nation from utter ruine by impendent judgments, in a discourse on the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, Luk. 13, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 / by John Owen.
London: printed for Nathanael Ponder, 1681
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. So he dealt with the Church under the Old-Testament. A Summary account is given of it; 2 Chron. 36. 15, 16, 17. After a contempt of all Gods previous warnings, with a neglect of Repentance and Reformation, the time came when there was no remedy, but the City and Temple must be destroyed, and the People be partly slain, and partly carried into Captivity. Accordingly there is a general Rule established for all times and seasons, Prov, 29. 1.
3. Neither have his dealings been otherwise with the Churches of the New Testament. All those of the first Plantation have been ruined and destroyed by the Sword of God's displeasure, for impenitency under divine Calls and Warnings.
4. God gave an eminent instance hereof in the Ministry of Jeremiah the Prophet; he gives him the Law of his Prophecy, Chap. 18, 7, 8. At what Instant I shall speak concerning a Nation, and concerning a Kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it, if that Nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their Evil, I will repent of the Evil that I thought to do unto them. Here is the whole of the Truth laid down represented unto us. The Nation and Kingdom especially intended, was that of the people and Church of the Jews. Concerning them it is supposed, that they were evil, that Sin abounded amongst them, In this State God gave them warning by the Ministry of Jeremiah as he did otherwise also. The voice of these warnings was that they should repent them of their Evil, and reform their ways. On a supposition whereof he promises to remove the Judgments which they had deserved, and which were impendent over them: upon their failure herein, he declares that fearful desolation should befall them, as it did afterwards, verse 16, 17. According to this Rule the Prophet persisted in his Ministry The Sum of his Sermon? was this; It is a time of great Sin and Provocation, these