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The
fame
Promife
farther
opened.
CAP.VI.
§:25,26.
Venant; and
furely
they
are
Spirituali Mercies.
149
3.
The
Mercies
mentioned are
fuch, as
never
had
a
literall accomplifh-
ment
to
the
Lewes
in
Temporalls, nor
can have;
and when
things promifed
exceed all accomplifhment
as
to
the outward and
temporall
part,
it
is
the
fpi-
'rituall,
that
is
principally
and
mainely
intended;
And fuch are thefe,
v.
18.
Iwill
breake the
bow,
and
the [word,
and
the
batten
out
of
the
earth, and
make
you to
lye
downe
infafety: How
I
pray wasthis fulfilled
towards
them,whileft
they
lived
under
the power
of
the
Perfian,Gr ecian
and
Raman
Empires,
to
their
utter
defolation?
and
v. 23.
he telleth them
that
hewill
fowe them unto
himfelfe
in
the
Earth,
and
have
mercy on
them
:
which,
as
I
Paid
before
,
Paul
himfelfeinterpreteth,and applieth
to the
fpeciall Mercies
of
Eaith,and
7n,
füfi-
cation in
the blond
of
Chrift;
So
that
both the
verfes going
before,
and thofe
that
follow
after,
to
the
confideration
whereof
we
are fent, containe
dire&
-
ly, and
properlyfpirituallMereies,though
expreffed in
words,and termes
of
things
of
a
temporall importance. Thus notwithftanding
any Exception
to
the contrary, the
Context
is
cleare,
as
it
was
at
firft
propofed; Let
us
then in
the
next
place, confider
the intendment
of
God
in
this
Promife
,
with
that
in-
fluence
of
Demonftration,
which
it
bath
upon
the
Truth
we
are
in
the
confi-
deration
of,
and
then
free
the
words from
that
corrupting
Gloffe,
which
is
en-
deavoured to be put
upon
them.
In the
firft
I
fhall confider.
ß
25.
j.
The
Perfons
to
whom
this Promife
is
made.
2.
The
Nature
of
the
Promife
it
felfe.
3.
The
great
undertaking
and
engagement
of
the
Properties
of
God ,for
the
accomplifhment
of
his
Promife.
t.
The
Perfons
hereintimated are
fuch
as
are under
the
power, and
enjoy-
ment
of
the Grace
and kindneffe
mentioned
in v.
14, r
6,17,18. Nowbecaufe a
right underftanding,ofthe
Grace
of
thofe Promifes,addeth
much,
to
the
Ap
prehenfionoftheKindneffeof
thofe
particulars
infifted
on,
the
opening
of
thofe words may be
thought
neceffary.
i.
V.14. they are
thofe,whom
God
allureth into
the Wilderneffe,and
[peak-
S.
26.
eth
comfortably
unto them:
He allureth, and perfwadeth
them ; there
is
an
al-
lufion in
thewords,
to
the great originali Promife
of
the
converfion
of
the
Gentiles, and
the
way whereby it
shall
be done.Gen:9. 27.
God
perfwades
Ia-
phet
to
dwell
in
the tents
of
sheen.
Their
alluring
is
by the powerful! and fweet
perfwafion
of
the
Gofpell,which here
is
fo
termed, to
begin
the
Allegory
of
Betrothing
and
Marriage, which
is
afterwards purfued.
It
is
God's beginning
to
Wooe
the
Soule
by
his
Embafradors:
God
perfwadeth them
into
the
Wilder
-
nefre:
perfwadeth
them,but
yet
with mighty power,
as
he
carried them
of
old
out
of
/Egypt, for thereunto he evidently alludeth,as
in
thenext
verfe
is
more
fully expreffed.
Now the
Wilderneffe
condition,whereunto they
are allured,
or
perfwaded by
the
Gofpell, comprizeth
two
things.
1.
Separation.
2. Intanglement.
I.
Separations as
the
Ifraelites in
the
Wilderneffe
were feparated
from the
refidue
of
the 'World, and the
pleafures
thereof,
the
people
dwelling alone, be-
ing not reckoned
with
the Nations,
having nothing
to doe
with them.
So
God
feparateth them
to
the love
of
the
Gofpell.,
from
their
carnal]
contentments,
and
all
the
fatisfactions which
before they received
in
their
Lufts,
untili they
fay
to
them,
Get
you
hence,
what
have
we
to doe
withyou
anymore
?They are
fe-
parated
from
the
pra&ice
of
them, and made
willing
to
bid
them
everlafting,
ly farewell.
They
fee
their
"Egyptian
Lefts lye
flaine,
or dead, or at
leaft
dy-
ing by
the
croire ofChhrift,and
delire
to
fee
them
no more.
U
3
2.