202 / 504
C
AP
VI.
§:10.
The
ufeof Promifes.
H
f
z.19,2o.
opened.
146
ly
demonftrated:
The
Queffion
is
then, what
conclufion
Faith
doth,
will,and
ought to
make
ofthefe
Promifes
of
God , and not what abufe the
flefh will
make
of
them. Let
then
the
meaneft and weakeft Faith
in
all
the World,
that
is
true
and
Paving,
fpeake for
it felfe,
whether there be
any thing
in
the
nature
of
it, that
is
apt
to
make
fuch conclufions
as
thefe:
My God
and
Father
in
jefusChrifi, bath
gracioufypromifed
in
his
infinite
Love
and
Goodneffe to mee,
through
him in
whom
he
is wellpleated,
that
he
will
be my
God,
andguide
for
ever,
that
he
will neverforfake
mee,nor
take
his
Kindn_
efe
from
mee to
eternity:
And
he
h
ath
done
this,
although
that
he
faw and
knew ,
that
I
would deale foolífhly,
and
treachiroufly,
that
i
would
fland
in
need
of
all
his
Goodneffe,
Patience,and
Mercy
tofpare
mee,
and
beale mee,
promifing alto to
keep
me
fromfuch
a
wicked
depar-
ture from him,
asfhould
for
ever
alienate
mj
foule from him;
therefore
come on,
let
mee
continue
in finne,let
me
doe
him allthe
cll./honour
and
defpight
that
I
can
this
is
all
thefence
that
I have
of
his infinite Love, this
is
all
the
impreon
that
it
leaveth
upon mee,
that
i
need not
love
him againe, but
f
udy
to
be
as vile
and
as
abominable
in
his
fght,
àas
can
poffibly
be
imagined
:
certainly there
is
not
any
fmoaking
flax
,
or
any bruited reed
,
there
is
not
a
foule
in
the World ,
whom
God
in
Chrift
hath
once
shined
upon,
or
dropped the
leaft
dramme
of
Grace
into
his
heart,
but
will
look on
fuch
a conclufion
as
this,
as
a
blaft
of
the bot-
tomleffe pit,
a
deteftable
dart
of
Satan
,
which it
is as
proper
for Faith
to
quench, as
any
other
Abomination whatever.
Let then
Faith
in
reference unto
thefe Promifes, have
its
perfeec
worke, not abiding
in a
naked contemplation
of
them, but
mixing them with
its felle,
and there
will be
undoubtedly
found
the
improvement before mentioned,
for
the carrying
on
of
Godlineffe,
and
Gofpellobedience
in
the
hearts
of
Believers; But
this I
fhalI
have
occafion
to
fpeake
to
more afterward.
ß
so
Hofea
2.
19,20.
is
pertinent
alto
to
the
fame
purpofe,
I
will betroth
thee unto
mee
for ever,
I
will
betroth
thee unto
mee
in righteoufnef
e,
and injudgement, and
in
loving
kindnefe, and in
mercies:
I
will
even betroth thee unto
mee
in
faithful
-
nefse,
and
thou
(halt
know
the Lord.
The
words themfelves
as
they
lye
in
the
Text,
doe
direly
confirme
our
Afferrion.
The
Relation,whereunto God here
expreffeth
that
he will, and doth
take
his
People
, is
one
of
the moft neer and
eminen
t;
which he affordeth
to
them;
a
conjugal! Relation,
he
is
and
will
be
their
Husband,
which
is
as
high
an
expreflìon
of
the
Covenant
betwixt God
and
his
Saints,
as
any
is,or
can
be
ufed.
Of
all Covenants
that
are between
fundry perlons,
that,
which
is
between Man and
Wife,
is
the
ftrongeft, and
molt
inviolable;So
is
this
Covenant
expreffed
,
Ifai:
54
5.
Thy
maker
is thine
Husband
(the
Lord
of
Hop
is
his
Name)
; and this Relation
he afíirmeth (hall
continue
for
ever,
upon
the
Account
of
thofe Properties
ofhis,which are
en-
gaged,in this
his
Gracious
undertaking to take them
to
himfelfe
therein. He
doth
it
in
Righteoufneffe
and in
judgement, in Loving-
kindnefre
and in
Mercies,
andin
Faithfulnefse
;
fo
that
ifthere
be not fomething
in
the
Context
,
or
words adjoyning,
that
(hall with an high
hand
turne us
afide from
the
firft,
immediate, open,and
full fence
ofthefe
words,
the
cafe
is
undoubtedly con-
cluded
in
them. This then we
(hall
confider, and therefore muft
look
a
little
back into the
generali defigne
of
the
whole
Chapter; for
the
evafion
of
Qua
-
lifications
will
not
here ferve: God
betrotheth
Perlons, not
Qualifications.
4
.2
n.
There
are two
parts
of
the
Ch:
r.That
from
the
beginning
to
v.4. containeth
a moft fearfull,
and dreadfull
cmmination
,
and threatning
of
the
Judg-
ments
of
the Lord,
againft
the
whole Church
,
and Common-wealth
of
the
Jewes,for
their
Apoftafy,
Idolatry,
and
Rebellion
againfthim;
It
is
not
an
aílli-
t`tion,
or
a
triall
,
or
forne leffer
defolation,
that
God here
threatneth
them
withal,
but
utter
deftrutlion and re}eftion,
as
to
all
Church
and
Political!
State