A96104:143
Jerusalems glory, or, the saints safety in eying the churches security, wherein is showed…Jerusalems glory, or, the saints safetie in eying the churches security, wherein is shewed…
Jerusalems glory, or, the saints safety in eying the churches security, wherein is showed the captives redress: being an invitation to all the different minded men in the world to become one; with the advantage of unity, and the danger of variety from the example of the saints and servants of God, as well in former as these latter times. Offered to the view of the 97 builders employed in that work, for the building of the true temple, and all others. / By Thomas Watson, a lover of peace.Jerusalems glory, or, the saints safetie in eying the churches security, wherein is shewed the captives redress: being an invitation to all the different minded men in the world to become one; with the advantage of unity, and the danger of variety from the example of the saints and servants of God, as well in former as these latter times. Offered to the view of the 97 builders imployed in that work, for the building of the true temple, and all others. / By Thomas Watson, a lover of peace.
London: printed by J.C., 1661
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.
3. Israel had experienced, that God did make it his desire to keep those engagements that he had made to them, as it is often mentioned in the Scriptures, though they had broken their engagements as to their particular and general failings, yet God was so tender, least he should break his part, as that he doth as it were stand and meditate, before he will any ways insist upon any urgent or austere punishment, and doth often invite them to return and review their ways, and turn to repentance for their back-sliding, that he may have mercy on them, and defer his anger; God is just and merciful, and it cannot be said of him that he did ever break any engagement to any person or people, for as his promises have been to his people many times but conditionally.
3. Israel had experienced, that God did make it his desire to keep those engagements that he had made to them, as it is often mentioned in the Scriptures, though they had broken their engagements as to their particular and general failings, yet God was so tender, least he should break his part, as that he doth as it were stand and meditate, before he will any wayes insist upon any urgent or austere punishment, and doth often invite them to return and review their wayes, and turn to repentance for their back-sliding, that he may have mercy on them, and defer his anger; God is just and merciful, and it cannot be said of him that he did ever break any engagement to any person or people, for as his promises have been to his people many times but conditionally.
For as he engageth to be a God and a Defender to them, if they will keep his Laws, and observe and do his Commands, so likewise he often engageth, that if they will not keep his Law, or perform their part, that he will punish them, and leave them to their own wills and their own desires, and let them go on in their own filthiness, until they have fulfilled the desires of their own ways, and then he will take the Rod and scourge them; so as I said before in this particular, God is as just ⟨p. 98⟩in performing this part of his Covenant, as he was in performing the other, by reason of the entailment of Truth that did force him to it, but in respect to those promises that are made absolute, he is so exact in keeping them, where there is no entailment to the contrary, as that he will keep his word, though a people do offend him and vex his Holy Spirit, as is instanced by his promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in relation to his causing their seed to inherit the Land of Canaan; and although his People did oftentimes offend and vex his Holy Spirit, yet nevertheless, he being a God of Truth, he would not be moved so far as to make his Promise null and void of effect.