Useful instructions for a professing people in times of great security and degeneracy

Doct 8. The example of Gods judgements upon his own people for their sin and wicked Apostasy, are very useful and solemn considerations for all professors of Religion: the Lord sends lerusalem to Shiloh, and for what end, only to see, what he did, and for what, to view his judgements in their causes and effects; to see, i. e. not only to look on, but to consider them seriously, and to make use of them to themselves; and learn something from it for their own conviction; by comparing cases together.

Doct 8. The example of Gods judgements upon his own people for their sin and wicked Apostacy, are very useful and solemn considerations for all professors of Religion: the Lord sends lerusalem to Shiloh, and for what end, only to see, what he did, and for what, to view his judgements in their causes and effects; to see, i. e. not only to look on, but to consider them seriously, and to make use of them to themselves; and learn something from it for their own conviction; by comparing cases together.

The ground of the truth we may understand if we consider a few propositions: viz.

1. God hath one rule of dealing with all his externally covenanted ⟨p. 11⟩people in the world, and that because the covenant with them all runs upon the same terms and conditions, for it is a conditional Covenant; in the which there is a promise and a threatening, a promise annexed to obedience, but a threatening denounced against disobedience. Isa. 1. 19, 20. It is true, God reserves a sovereignty to himself as to the circumstances of his dealings with his people in one place or in another; without either infringing his Covenant, or rendering to the creature a Reason of that variety; hence, possibly patience and mercy may longer wait upon some then others, some God may come severely out against, for breach of Covenant, and to others he may condescend to allow a greater space to repent in, as he pleaseth, and he does not the least wrong or injury in so doing, because he is both supreme, and hath ends in all his judgements, beyond the capacity of the creatures finding out; but, as to the essence of the Covenant, he thus far stands positively and absolutely engaged to reward obedience, and to punish disobedience; which flows from his everlasting righteousness.