198 / 504
CAP.V
I,g;
16,17.
Ifa.54.7,8,9,1O.
Opened.
142
frame
towards them
he
would not continue,
fhauld
they
be
changed and turned
into
Idolaters
and
Blafphemers.
Anf
Firft, the Promifes
of
God, and the
affe&ions
of
men are
but
ill
compared.
2.
Paul loved
the
Corinthians,whilft
they were
filch as he men-
tioned ; God promifeth
his
Grace
to
Believers,
that
they
may continue
fuch
as
he
loves.
ob. All
the
Promifes
are made
to
&ualiieations,
not
to
Perfons.
Anf
Prove
that,
and
i.
Take
the
cafe in
hand;
and
2.
Catt
downe
the
Church
to
the ground,
it
having no one Promife
on
that
account
made
unto it,
as
confining
of
Abrahams
Seed:
and
fo
this
witneflè alto
is
freed
from
all exceptions put
in againft
it,and
appeares with confidence
to
give in its Te-
Itimony
to the
Vnchangeableneffe
of
God unto
Believers.
I.
z6.
I (hall in
the next
place
adjoine another portion ofScripture
of
the
fame
im-
port
with thofe foregoing,wherein
the
truth
in
hid
is
no
leffe
clearly,&
fome-
what
more pathetically,& convincingly
expreffed
thé
in
that
latt mentioned.
It
is
Ifa.54.7,8,9,
Io.For
a
fmall
moment have
I
forfa4en
thee,but
with greatMer-
cies
will
I
gather thee.in
a
little
wrath
I
hid
my
facefrom
thee
for
a moment,
but
with
everlafïing
kindnefe will
I
have
Mercy on thee,
faith
the Lord
thy
Redeemer.
For this is
as
the waters
of
Noah
unto
me,
for
as
I
have fworne
that
the
Waters
of
Noahßball
no more
cover the
Earth,
fo
have
I
fworne
that
I
will
not
be
wrath
with
thee, nor
rebuke thee:
for
the
Mountains
(ball
depart
and
the
hits
be
removed,
but
my
Loving-
4Zindne
ee(hallnotdepart from
thee,
neither
fliallthe
Covenant
of
my
Peace
be
removed,
faith
the
Lord
that
bath
Mercy
on
thee.The
place
I
have
men-
tionedbefore,
but
only
as
to
one
fpeciall inference
from one
pailage
in
the
words, I
(hall
now
ufe
the
whole for
the
confirmation
of
the generali
Truth
we plead for;
the
words are full, plaine, fuited to
the
bufinefle in
hand.
No
ex refilons
of
our
finding
out,
can
fo
fully reach
the
Truth
we aflèrt
,
much
leffe.fo pathetically'
worke upon the
Affe
&ions
of
Believers,
or
fo effe
&wally
prevaile on
their
underítandings
to
receive
the
Truth
contained
in
them
, as
thefe words
ofGod
himfelfe, given
us
for thofe
ends,
are
fuited
to
doe. Goe
to
men,whofe minds
in
any meafure are free
from
prejudice, not foreftalled
with
a
contrary perfwafion,
and
furnifhed with
evafions
for the
defence
of
their
opinions, and aske
whether God
Both
not
in
thefe words
direly
and
pofitively
promffe
to thofe,
to
whom he
fpeaketh,
that
he
will
alwaies conti-
nue
his
/indneffe
to
them,
to
the end:
and
that
for the
dales
of
eternity
his
Love
(hall be
fixed
on them: and
I
no way
doubt but
they
will
readily
anfwer,
it
is
(o
indeed,
it cannot be denied.
But teeing we
have
to
deale,
as
with our
own
unbelieving hearts,
fo
with men
who
have
turned
every (tone
to
prejudge
this Teftimony
of
God, the words mu(t
a
little
more narrowly
be conlidered,
and the mind
of
the Holy Ghoftinquired into.
g:
17
V.
5.
mention
is
made
of
the
defertion
of
the Church,
by the
eclipfing
of
the
beames
of
Gods countenance,and the
infli&ing
of
force
great
affli
&ion
for
a
feafon: in oppofition
unto
which
momentary
defertions,in
that
,
and
in
the
beginning
of
the 8.v. he
giveth
in
Confolation from the
*Affurance
of the
great
Mercies ,
and
Everlaffing
Kindneffe,
wherein
he abiderh
to doe
them
good;
with
everlaffing
l¿indneffe
will
I
have
mercy on
thee, I will
pardon,
pitty,
and heale thee, with
that
mercy which floweth from Love, which never
had
beginning,
that
never
(hall
have ending,
that
cannot be
cut
off;
Everlafïing
Kindnefe.
Beare
with
patience
your prefent defertion ,
your
prefent trialls,
whatever they are
that
befall
you , they are
but for
a
feafon ,
but
for
a
mo-
ment, and thefe allo
confrftent with
that
Mercy & Kindneflè;which
is
ever-
'ailing,
and
turneth not
away;
Ifthis
Mercy
and
Kindneffe
dependeth
on any
thing
in us,
and
is
refolved laftly
thereunto,
which may
alter
and change
eve
-
ry