Htf, z v,y,zo. opened and vindicated. CnP;V1.4:32. and bring about. But will not the Lord,when he pardons once, and againe, 153 at length bewearied byour innumerable provoéations, foastocaft`us off for ever? No (faith he) thiswill I doe in Faithfulnefe. He doùbleth the expref- lion ofhis Grace,and addeth a Propertyofhis nature,that will carry himout toabide by his firft Love to the utmoft; r will(faithhe) even betroth thee unto myfelfe in Faithfulneffe. Hisfirmeneffe, conftancie, and truth, in all his *aies ' and promifeswill he ufe in this work of his Grace, Deut: 32.4. But perhaps notwithftanding all this, theheart is not yet quiet: yet it feareth it felfe, and itsown treachery, leaft it fhould utterly fall off from this gracious Husband; wherefore in thedole ofall, God undertaketh for themalfo that no temple may remaine, why ourfoules fhould not be fatisfied,with the fincere milke that floweth from thisbreaft of Confolation3 Thou 'halt ( faithhe ) know the Lord; This indeed is required, that under the Accomplifhment of this graci- ous Promife, you know theLord ,Ç that is) believe, and truft, and obey the Lord: and (faith he) thou (halt doe it. I will by my Grace keep alive in' thy heart(as a fruit of that Love,wherewith I have betrothed thee tomyfelfe)that Knowledge,:Faith,and Obedience, which I require ofthee This then is force partofthat,which in this Promife, the Lord holdeth out unto us , and affureth us of: notwithftanding his Reje&ion of the carnall 7ewes, yet for his elect, both the 7ewes and Gentiles, hewill fo take them into aMarriage Covenant with himfelfe, that he will continue for ever a Husband unto them: undertaking alto,that they (hall continue in Faith , and Obedi- ence, knowing himall their dayes: and ofall this,heeffetually affureth them, upon the account ofhis Righteoufnefe, judgement, Loving-kindnefe, Mercy, and Faithfulnefe. I cannot but adde, that, if there were no other place of Scripture in the whole BookofGod, toconfirme theTruth wehave inhand, but only this: I fhould not doubt(the Lordaffting)to clofe with it,upon the fignall Teftimo- ny givenunto it thereby, notwithftanding all the fpeciousOppofitions that are made thereunto. FortheClofe, I (hall a little confider that leane and hungry Expofitionof ß, 35. thefe words, which is given in theplace before metioned Ch. 11. Sec1:8. pag. 229. I will betroth themunto me in Righteoufneffe,and in judgement:and in Lo= viny- kindnefe,andMercy: fo the words are expreffed in adifferent Charaefer, as the very words ofthe Promife in the Text. a. (Thee) that is, the church , i5 changed into (Them) that is,the 5'ewes, and their Childrenor carnali feed,as a littlebefore was expreffed: and then that emphaticall expreffion ( for ever) is quite thruft out ofthe Text, as a ftubborne word , not to be dealt withall uponany faire termes. Let us fee then, how that which remaineth is treated and turned off. (Iwill betroth thee) that is, Iwill engage and attempt to infure bothihem, and their of"ettions to mee, byall variety of wales, and meaner ,that areproperandlikely tobringfisch a thing to pafe : But who knoweth not that this is wooing,andnot betrathingswe neednot goeflute to find out'men lear- ned in the Law, to informeus, that to try, and attempt to get andaffure the affections ofany one, is not a Betrothment. This then is the'firft part ofthis Expofition: (Iwill betroth) that is, I will woosand effay, attempt and endea- vour toget their affe&ions: which befides the forementioned abfurdity, is at- tendedwith anotherfore overfight, (towit) that God promifeth to doe this very thing in the laut words of y. 20. which is affirmed, that he doth but at- tempt todoe. Toproceed: (he faith) Twilldoe t. Ey'hewing my felfe7nft andRighte- ous unto them, in leepingmy Promife concerning their deliverance outof captivi- ty, at the endof70years. So then,in this newParaphrafe, twill Betroth' thee, x (that
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