If you would prevent affliction, labour to be instructed by the chastisements ⟨p. 227⟩which you see upon other men. God deals with his children as Tutors do with the children of Princes, whip them upon strangers backs. Thus God scourged Israel upon the back of the Nations round about: Zeph. 3.6. 1I have cut off the Nations, their towers are desolate, I made their streets waste that none passeth by, their Cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant: SHORT WORK! But their punishment, was Israels Caution; I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction: The Worlds judgments are the Churches instructions, and God looked that his people should have made that use of this practical doctrine; I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instructions: God had gracious ends in this dispensation; his severity to strangers, was his tender mercies towards Israel; he spared not the Nations, that he might have spared them, 2so their dwellings should not be cut off: God cut off the Nations, ⟨p. 228⟩vers. 6. that he might not cut off Israel; Behold (as the Apostle saith in another case, Rom. 11.22.) the goodness and severity of God; severity to the Nations, but goodness towards Israel; had they continued in his goodness, had they received instruction by their neighbours destruction. And as God punished Israel upon the Nations backs, so God punished Judah upon Israels back: 3Go ye now to my place in Shiloh, and see what I did to it, for the wickedness of my people Israel: Israels chastisements should have b•n Jerusalems teachings, and by their stripes she should have been healed; for the neglect whereof God is highly displeased, and speaks concerning this in a very angry dialect; And I saw when for all the causes whereby back-sliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away, & given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, 4but went and played the Harlot also. God took it ill, that Jerusalem should slight the kindness of such a ⟨p. 229⟩Caution, and despise the counsel which was written to her in her sisters blood, q. d. I would have made Jerusalem wise by Samaria's harms, and taught her by a rod which she only saw: but she feared not;
If you would prevent affliction, labour to be instructed by the chastisements ⟨p. 227⟩which you see upon other men. God deals with his children as Tutors do with the children of Princes, whip them upon strangers backs. Thus God scourged Israel upon the back of the Nations round about: Zeph. 3.6. 1I have cut off the Nations, their towers are desolate, I made their streets waste that none passeth by, their Cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant: SHORT WORK! But their punishment, was Israels Caution; I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction: The Worlds judgments are the Churches instructions, and God lookt that his people should have made that use of this practical doctrine; I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instructions: God had gracious ends in this dispensation; his severity to strangers, was his tender mercies towards Israel; he spared not the Nations, that he might have spared them, 2so their dwellings should not be cut off: God cut off the Nations, ⟨p. 228⟩vers. 6. that he might not cut off Israel; Behold (as the Apostle saith in another case, Rom. 11.22.) the goodness and severity of God; severity to the Nations, but goodness towards Israel; had they continued in his goodness, had they received instruction by their neighbors destruction. And as God punisht Israel upon the Nations backs, so God punisht Judah upon Israels back: 3Go ye now to my place in Shiloh, and see what I did to it, for the wickedness of my people Israel: Israels chastisements should have b•n Jerusalems teachings, and by their stripes she should have been healed; for the neglect whereof God is highly displeased, and speaks concerning this in a very angry dialect; And I saw when for all the causes whereby back-sliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away, & given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, 4but went and played the Harlot also. God took it ill, that Ierusalem should slight the kindness of such a ⟨p. 229⟩
- 1Zeph. 3.6
- 2Verse 7.
- 3Jer. 7.12.Ier. 7.12.
- 4Jer. 3.8.Ier. 3.8.
