._.... 44 Chap. 22. An Expofttion upon the 'Book, of J o E. Verf. 5. they holdfalldeceit, they refute to returne ; Here are three phra- fes noting this one thing. Firft, They holdfall deceit ; fecondly, They refuted to return ; thirdly, Their',t waat a perpetual! back.. !tiding, or as forre read it, an eternal! rebellio a, anobllinate rebtl- lien, afirong andmighty rebellion ; the Seventy call it, an impu- dent fhameleffe rebellion: all there are proper.Epithites ofthat oh. flinacy, and Ietlednefreofrefolution,which is in the heart ofman by nature to continue in finne ; yet there is a further rendering ofthe words, whichas the Originali will beare, fo it bath an e- legancy in it, ói'hy ú thin people of ?erufalern4Hidden back, by a conquering, ora prevayling back f iding ? A perpetuali backHi- ding 'lath conquer." or triumph attributed to it upon a twofold confideration; firft, in reference to other finites ; fir,allob- flínacy or impenitency lifts up it's head above all other finnes, and i is as King among them , impenitency under any fin committed, is greater then the fin committed ; not to repent of the evill we have done, is worfe then the eviti which we doe. Impenirency feales the fouleunder condemnation. Repentance conquers fin, but impenitency is the conquering fin. Secondly, 'tis called a triumphing or conquering fin, becaufe it feemes ( as it were) to carry the day againft the mercy and good. neffe of God, that', a fad corqueft indeed ; not that any finne, no nor impenitency for finne, exceeds the mercy and: goodneffe of God ; for his thoughts of mercy are as high . above our acts of fin, as they are above our thoughts of his mercy, and that is as high as the heaven is in comparifono£ the earth. ( 55.9.) But the mercyof the Lord is laid to . be overcome by perpetual' backflidings, becaufe the Lord wilt not be merciful' to loch 5 thus finali impenitency may be cal- led a triumphingor conquering fin, Peeing the mercy of God feemes to yeeldunto it ; They will not humble themfewes to feeke mercy, yea they flight and defpife mercy,, therefore they (hail not finde mercy.The Prophet 7eremie reprefents the Lord thusexpoftulatiñg again with the Jewifh Nation(Ch.5, 22, 23.). Feareye not me, faith the Lord, will ye not tremble at my pre. face , which have placed the fand for the bound of the Sea by aperpetual/decree that it cannot pa,Te it, and though the waves thereoftoffe themfelves,yet can they not prevaile, and though they reare,,yet can they not pale over it ; hit this people, bath a revol- ting
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