C Ap.I i. 4: I i,a. iIfa.Ch:44. v. 1,:,3,4,5,6,7,$ opened. 38 obferved, thefedales have given great force unto: Wefee many, who teem tohave thevigor ofyouth , and the ftrength of young men, in thewayesof God, that have fainted in'their courfe , and utterly failed ; they began to runnewell, but lay downe almoft at the entrance; and beit fo,faith the Lord, it tball fo come to paffeindeed: many that goe out in their own ftrength,thall fo fall andcome tonothing: But what is that tothee,o Jacob, my chofen, thou that waitedupon the Lord ? v.3 t. The unchangeable God will fo make out ftrength to thee, that thou fhalt never utterly faint, nor give over, but abide flying, running, wanking, with fpeed,firength , and fiedfaflnefe, unto the end. That exprefon, they thatwayt upon the Lord, is a Defription of the Perfons, to whom thePromife is made, and not á conditionof the Promife it felfe. It is not, ifthey Waiteupon the Lord, but, they that waiteon theLord: if it were a Condition ofthis Promife,there were nothing promifed;it is'only laid, if they wait on the Lord, theyfhallWaite on the Lord: But of the vanity of fuch condì- tionalls I (hall fpeak afterwards. 4. iz. AScripture of the like importance you have Ifaiah 44. I>2,3>4>5,6>7,8 verles, Tet now heareO Jacobmyfervant, and Ifrael, whom I havechofen: thus faith the Lord, that made thee,andframed theefrom the wombe, which will help thee;feare not O Jacobmyfervant, Ieffsrun whomI have chafers, forIwill pour water uponhim that is thirfly, andfloodsupon the .dryground , and 1 will put my Spirit upon thyfeed,ándmy bleffing upon their off-fpring,' and they(hall fpring up as among thegraffe, as Willowesby thewatercourtes: one(hallfay,Iam the.Lords, andanother (hallcall himfelfe by the name of Jacob, and another (hall fnbfcribe withhis handunto the Lord, and furnamehimfelfe by the name of Ifrael, thus faith theLord, the King ofIfrael, and his redeemer; the Lord ofHofls, I am the frf!,andI am the lafi, befides mee there is no God, &c. I fhall not needto infift long on the opening of thefe words: the generali defigneofthem, is to give, Confolation andAffurance unto Ifrael, from the Eternity, Vnchangeableneffè, and Abfolutenefe o£God : with fóme peculiar references,to theSecond Per- fon,the Redeeraer,who is defcribed,(Rev. s. 8.)with the titles, forthe fubftance ofthem, whereby the Lord here holds out bis own Excellency. I than only obferve fome few things from thewords, for the Illuftrationofthe Truth, we have in hand,contained in them. TheState and Condition wherein Iacob, Ifrael!, Iefarun, (feverall titles upon feverall accounts given to Believers) are defcribed tobe, is two fold; Firfl, of Fareand Difconfolation, as 'tis inti- mated in the redoubled Prohibition ofthat frame in them: v.2.fearenot, and v.8.feareye not, neither be afraid: fome temptation of farther diftanceor fe- paration from God, (the only thing to be feared) was fallen upon them. This they are frequentlyexercifed withall;'tis the greateff, and moft pref- fing temptation,whereunto theyare lyable and expofed; To conclude be- caufe fome Believers,inHypothef, may,under temptation, feare their own fe- paration fromGod, therefore Believers in They, maybe forfaken,yea that unleffe thisbe true, theother could not befall them,may paffe for theArgu- ing ofmen, who are unacquainted with that varietyof Temptations, fgiritu- all motions, and commotions, which Believersare exercifed withal!. This I fay is theFirfi part ofthat State, wherein they are fuppofed tobe : aCondi- tion Of the greateftdifficulty in theWorld, for the receiving of Satisfa&ion; Secondly, of Earrennefe, Vnprofitablenefe, and withering, which feems and that juftly, tobe thecaufeoftheir feare: v.3. They areas the thirfly "and dry ground, parched in it felfe , fruitleffe to its owners, withering in their owne Soules,andbringing forthno fruittoGod. A fad condition onboth hands; within they find decayes, they findno a&ive principles of bringing forth fruit untoGod: andwithout defertion, fears at leaft, that they are forfaken 5 upon this
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