Ifa. 27. z,3.& Zeph:31.7. illuftrated. C P.V1.4:s. cifes not a purenegativeA&ofhisWill towards anything,or perfon.,Whom he hates not, he loves: foHeb.13.5. thefe words, Iwill notfarfake thee , holdout a continual) fupplyofall thofe wants, whereunto in our felves we are expo- fed, and what from his prefence we doe receive. I will not forfake them, is I will continue my prefencewith them, aGod in Covenant. fo he expreileth hisprefencewith them. Ifa. 27.3. I the Lorddoe keep it,i doe water it every mo- ment, leaft any hurt it, I willkeepe it night andday. He abìdeth with his vine -, yard, foas tokeep it, and topreferve it from being deftroyed. But may it not at one time or other befurprized intodefolation ? No, faithhe, Iwill keep it night andday: but what ifthis vineyardprove barren, what will he then doe? Naybut he will fodeale with it, that it fhall never befo barren , as to . caufe him tocart it up: Heis not with it for nought, his prefence is attended with Grace,andKindneffe. Iwater it,(faith he) and that not now and then , but, every moment. He powres out frefh fupplies of his Spirit upon it , tomake it fruitfull. Thence it becomes a vineyard ofred wine, v.2. the belt wine , the moft delicious, the moft pretious, to cheare theheartofGodhimfelfe, as Zep: 3.17. The Lordthy Godin themidft ofthee is mighty, he will Save thee he will rejoyce over theewith. joy, hewil1refi in his Love, he will joy over thee withfing- ing. He caufes them thereby that come oflacob to take root, he makes Ifrael bloffome and bud, to fill thefaceof the Worldwith fruit. This is that which God promifeth his people;hewill notforfake them, he will alwaies give them his prefence, in thekindnefeand fuppliesof a God in Covenant , toprotect them from others, tomake them fruitfull tohimfelfe: This is his notforfahing them: Hewill preferve them from others , who (hall take them out of his hand? hewill make them fruitfull to himfelfe; he will worke, and who (hall let him? 2. The Reafon why the Lord willnot forfake his People, why he will conti- nue doing them good, is expreffed in thefe words for his owne namefake, and in this Afertion two things are confiderable. a. A taciteexclufionofany thing in themfelves, for which, or upon Con- fiderationwhereof Godwill conftantly abide with them. It is not for their fakes,for any thing in them, or whatthey havedone, may, or can do, it is not upon the account ofany Condition, or qualification whatever, that may, or maynot be found on them, but' meerely forhis namefake; which in the like cafeheexprefeth fully Ezek.36.32. Notfor yourfakesdoe I this;faith the Lord, be it known untoyou, be afhamedand confoundedforyour owraemayes, Oh Houfe o f ifrael ! The truth is, they may . provefuch, as on all accountswhat- ever (hall deferve to be rejetted,that nothing inappearance,or in their owne fence, as well asothers, though the root ofthe matter be in them,maybe found upon them, whenGod takes delight in them. Like thofe you have defcribedat large. Ifai.4322,23,24,25. But thou hail not called upon me oh 7acoh, but thou haft been wearyof me oh Ifrael, thou haft not brought me the fmall Cattell ofthy burnt offerings, neither hag thouhonoured me with thy Sa- crifices, .I have not caufedthee to ferve with an Offering, nor wearied theewith Incenfe, thou hail brought me nofweet cane withmoney,neither haft thoufilledme with thefat ofthy Sacrifices, but thou haft made me toferve with thyfinnes, thou haft weariedme with thine iniquities: I even I am he that blotteth out thy tranfm grefflonsfor mine omnefake,artd will not remember thyPanes any more. Weary ofGod they are, neglehting his worfhip, making his Patience andForbea- rance tofervewith their iniquities. It feemes tobe impoflible ahnoft for any Creature to apprehend,that Godwill not give them up toeverlafting con- flation. Yeaperhaps theymay be forward in their follies , and contend with God when he goes to Neale them. Ifai.57.17. For the iniquity of his covctouf- neffe 133
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=