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CAP.V
Hof
z.,-
t'.t9,zo.
farther opened
and
vindicated
r
52
which I principally aime at namely,
to evince, that God bath
undertaken,
the
free
and Believers,will, and
Ihall
abide
in
this Relation to
the end
; that
he
will for
ever be
a
Husband
to
them, and that
in
*oppofition
to
his dealing
with the carnali Church
of
the
Jewes,
to
whom he
was
betrothed
as
to Ordi-
nances,
but
reje&ed
them,
and
laid he
was not
their
Husband
,
as
to
peculiar
grace.
To
whom
God continueth to be
a Husband,
to
them he continueth
the
loving-kindneffe, goodwill and proteétion
of
a
Husband , the moll
intenfe,
ufefull fruitfull
,
that
can
be imagined
:
This then
will
he doe
to
Be-
lievers, and
that
for Ever. Now becaufe fundry
Obje
&ions
may be
levied
a-
gainfl
the
Accomplifhment
of
this
Engagement
of
God
,
upon
the
account
of
our
infiability, and backfliding, the Lord addeth
the
manner
of
his
entring
into
this engagement with
us,
obviating
and
preventing
,
or
removing
all
fuch
objections
whatever,
which
is
the third
thing propofed
to
confideration,
namely,
the
Engagement
of
the Properties
of
Cod,
for
the
accomplifhment
of
this Promife.
4.
31.
Five
Propertiesdoth
the Lord here mention,
to
aflure us
of
his
conftancy in
this
undertaking
of
his
Grace, and thefiedfaftneflè
of
the
Cóvenant
he
hat
h
taken
his
People
into:and
they are
Righteoufneffe,
judgement,Loving-
kindneje,
and
Mercies,
and Faithfsdnefe; whole
efficacy
alto
in
reference
unto
their
a-
biding with him,
whom he
doth betroth to
himfelfe
.
he mentioneth
in the
dole
of
v:
2o. thou
(faith he)fhalt
know
the
Lord.
I thall not
infift
on
the
par
-
ticular importance
of
the
feverail Exprefiìons
,
whereby the Lord hath
let
forth
himfelfe,
and
his
goodnefle here
unto
us
It
is
plaine,
that
they
are
all
mentioned
to
the
fame
end
and purpofe, namely
to
give
Affurance
unto
us
of
the Unchangeablenelie
of
this
worke
of
his
Grace, and
to prevent the
obje-
ítions,which
the
fears
of
our
unbelieving hearts,
from
the confideration
of
our
weakneffes, way
es,
and walkings,ternptations, trialls and troubles,
would
raife upon it.
The
Lord,when
he
betroths us
to himfelfe,
fees
and
knows what
we are,
what
we
will
be,
and how
we will
provoke
the
eyes
of
his
Glory.
He
fees,that
if
we
thould be left
unto our
felves ,
we would
utterly
caft
offall
knowledge
of
him, and obedience unto him;
Wherefore(faith he)
I
will
be-
troth
thee unto
mein
Righteoufnefè
and judgment, allowing full meafure for
all
thy
weakneffes,
that
they
(hall
not
diffolve
that
union
I
intend.
As
if
a
Prince
Mould goe
to take
to
him in
Marriage
a
poore
deformed
Beggar, who
being
amazed with
his
kindneffe, and fearing much
leaft
he thould be miftaken,and
account her otherwife then indeed
Thee is,
which,when it
is
dilcovered,
will
be
her ruine, the plainly telleth hinì,íhe
is
poore,
deformed,
and
bath
nothing
in
the
World,that
may anfwer
his
expeeration, and
therefore the cannot but
feare,
that
when he
knoweth her throughly indeed,he
will
utterly
call
her
off:
But
he thereupon replieth, Feare
no
fuch
thing, what
I
doe,
I
doe
in Righte-
oufneffe,
and
Judgement,
knowingly
of
thee, and
thyCondition,and'fo
as
that,
I
will
abide by
it.
Perhaps (as
Tome
think)
by this
betrothing
us
in
Righteour-
neffe,
the
Lord may intimate
his
bellowing upon
us
Righteoufneffe,
yea his
ma.
45.24.
becoming
in Jefus
Chrifl
our
Righteoufneflè,
to
fupply
that utter
want,which
is
in us
of
that
which
is
acceptable
unto
him.
Now
becaufe we are not only
unmeet, to
be at
firft
accepted into
any fuch
termes
of
alliance with
the Lord,
but
alto
fhall
certainly
in
the
carrying
of
it
on,'behave our
felves foolifhly
and
frowardly, unanfwerable
to
his
loving-kindneffe,
fo
that
he may
juftly
call;
usoff
for ever, he telleth us
farther,
that
he
betroths
us
to
himfelfe
in
Loving
-
4indneffe
and
Mercies,
knowing
that
in
entring into
this
alliance with
us, he
maketh worke
for his
tenderefl
bowels
of
Compafiìón,
his
pitty,
and
pardon-
ing
mercy.
In
his
continuance
in
this
Relation,
whatever
his Kindneflè,
Pati-
ence, and
Pardoning
mercy can beextended
unto
,
that
he will
accomplifh
and