An Expojition, &c. Duties of believing his Word without a Pawn) to the more grown Ages of the Church. But howfoever, although thefe PrornHes made lo the Jews were th~s typical yet thefe Figures were not altogether fa figurative as not robe properly undedlood1 aod. fulfilled. Though Heaven were typifi•d by Canaan, yet God's Veracity would have fuffcred if he had bro·ught them to Heaven, the nue LandofPromife, ancl norgi\'eo them rheir Inheritance in the earthly Gmaan; fo llkewife rhat God might be uue ro his Prornifc, it is not enough that he rewards the Obedient wirh Eternal Lite but his Faithfulnefs (lands obliged to prolong their Temporal Life to fuch a Duratio'o as may be fit at lea!\ to make a Type of the Everla!ting Reft. · Neither doth the more Spiritual Dilpenfation of the Gofpel look upon this Bleffing of long Life as a Thing bt:low irs Cognizance, but propounds it as a PromiiC of Mo-: mem, though it be now divefted of its typical Ufe, and fiand s fOr oo more than it. felf fignifies. i\nd therefore we find that the Jlpofi le puts a Value upon this Fifth Commandment on this very Reafon, that ir is the firlt with PromifC, Epb. 6. 2j, And Sr. l'etcr at large nanfcribes tha t Paffage of PJal. 34· rVbat lHan is be rh.zt de. firerh to live, and loverh :many Days? Le.r him depart from Evil, and do Good, &c~ And ·St. Paul rells us, that GodlindS is profitable unro all Things) having the PromifesofthisLife, and of that which is to come. And what is there that can concern this Life more than Life itfelf? God's Faithfulnefs is therefore obliged by Promife to lengthen out an Holy and Obed ient Life. Nor will it be very bard to vind icate his Fairhfulnefs in the Performance of this Promife; al though God fuffer many to grow old in rheir Sins, whofe You rh began their Courfe of WickednefS with Rebellion againfi "their Ptren!s, and who conrinue to their decrepit Days their Jmpieties and RebeUJons againft God, when as early Towardliners and Piety ategenetally look'd upon as mortal Symptoms; and God feemsefpecially to fhorren the1r Days, to whom he here prormferh a hmg L1fe. For fince this pre~ fent Life is nothing clfe but a Tendency and Preparative unto Etern ity, neirher it, nor any Thing in it, can be caUed Good, but only as it relares to our Eternal State. And therefore all Promifes of Earthly Bleffings muft necefiatily imply this Com!itton that they !hall be literally fu lfilled unto us, if they may promote our Eternal Happi' nefs, otherwife they woll~d not be Promifes, but Thrcatnmgs; and that which we apprehend a Bleffing, would indeed prove no other to us than a Snare and Curfe. We may boldly challenge long Life when all the Circumfiances of it will tend to our Everlafring Welfare. Bur God, who knows how frail and yielding the befr of us are, and in the Series of his Divine Providence !feth what prevailing Temptad. ons we £hall be expofed unto~ dorh oftcntimes in Mercy a~ridge. this PrOmift:, and takes us from the World left the World fhould rake us from him; and deals with us as Princes deal with 'ouelifis, they make them Prifoners that they might pre~ ferve ~hem: So God, rhat he might preferve his .Pc:o~le from their. great Enemy, commtts them to fafe Cu!lody of the Gm·e. And 1f tbts he to he uofatthfol, ceuainly hiS Faithfulnefs would be nothing elfe but an Art to circumvent and undo us . ihould he only to keep [hat inviolate, perform tbofe Promifes which would be td our Hurt and Detriment. Not indeed can any Man, whom God bath bleffed with a right Judgmen t and due Efieem of Things, be willing to Compound for the Cominuance of this ptefcnt Life, with toe Hazard or Diminution of his future Happinefs. Thus much fot the Explication of the Fifih Commandment. ·. The
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