Looking ru;t1 ffef ~e~, Book II· 81 ~~~~~~---------------- ' fpcak it with reverence) betwixt God and Chrift , there was a Covenant betwixt the Lord and his Sonne Jefus Chrift for the . falvation of the EleCt; aad of this obferve we efpecially thc:fe following texts. In Jfaiah 49. r. ~,3, 4· the Prophet feemes to fet it Dialoguewife . one expre1fech it thus; Firft, Chrifl begins , and fhcwes his c~mmiffion, telling God how he had called him, and fitted him for the work ofredemption,and he would know what reward he lhould have of him for fo great an undertaking. The Lord Ifa, 49 .r.t.l hath called n;e from the womb , from the bowels of my mother · hath he made mention of my name, and ht hath made my mouth Jik.; a fharp [word, in the jhadow of hu hand hath he hid me, and m11de me a polifbed fhaft, in hu qlfiver hath he hid me. Upon this God anfwers him,and tells him what reward he lhould have for fo great an undertaking ; onely at firft he offers low, vi:c,. onely the eleCt people of 1/rae/. And he faid unto me, thou , 11rt mJ [ervant 0 1/rael in whom I will be glorified; or I[rtflei vcr.J.: it u in.whom I wilt be glorified by thee. Chrift who ftood now a making his bargaine with him, thought thefe too few, and not worth fo great a labour and work, becaufe few of the Jewes would come in, but would refufe him, and therefore he fayes, he fhould lobour in vaine, if this were all his recompence, then [11id 1, 1 have l11boured in vaine, I have jpent my ftrength for naught, vcr.+ and in vaine; and yet withal he tells God, that .feeing his heart was fo much in faving finners, he would do.it howfoever for thofe . few, comforting himfelfwith this, that hu "ll'ork__, or his reward w.u with the L ord. Upon this God cpmesoff more: freely, and .opens his heart more largely to him, as meaning more amply to content him for his paines in dying ; it u a tight thing that thou fhouldeft be my fervant to raife up the tribe of [~tcob, and tG re- ver.G; ftore the preferved of Ifrael: tl1at is not worth the dying for, I value thy fufferings more then fo, I will alfo giv~: thee for a light to theGentiles, that thou mayeff be my falvation unto the ends of the :arth. Met~inks l imagine as if I heard God fpeak unto ~!mil: from etermty : S re here 1 have loved 11 remnaNt of mankinde both of [ ewes ,and qentiles with an everllljling /Qve, I · kJt_ow they w1lt fi~~e and corrupt themfolvu, and fo become ene- ·mus to me, and ltable unto eternAl death; mw thou art a might) .perfon able to do what· 1 require of thee for them ; if thou wile M ·tak.;
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=