he fià f ulne fJe of 6inne 339 fathers, that was the ground of performingbi.r proonife. For thy Words fake, according to thine owne heart, faith i Sam.7. &8,zi David, haft thou done all th %great tb 'ngs. According to thine uwne heart, that is, ex mero mote, out of pure and unexcited love,thou didtt give thy Word and promife,and for thy Word fake thou haft performed it, not for any thing that was in me (for who am I O Lord, or what is nayhosefe ? ) hail thou brought me hitherto. Thou wilt performs, faith the Prophet, the Truth to Iacob, and the ft, ic.7. zo1 mercy to efibrabam, which :Lou haft fworne unto our fa- tbers from the dayes o old; Why truth to Iacob, and Mer- ,cietotsIbraham? We muff note, theprom ifeafter a fort began in Abraham (therfore he is call'd the Father ofthe Faithfull) and when God makes apromfe, it is onely out of Mercy ; but the Trornife w as continued unto 7a- cob, who being e./Abrahams feede was an heire of the Promife, and fo the inheritance which was out of mercy given unto Abraham, did out of Truth and fidelitie dei= tend unto Iacob, the feede of e./fbraham; and therefore wee {hall finde Covenant, (Mercy, and Oath joyned to- gether in the Scripture, to note unto us both the ground 'of making the- covenant, Mercy, and the ground of per forming the Covenant made, the Truth and Fidelity of God. Thy God fball keepe unto thee the Covenant and the mercy which he fware unto thy fathers, faith Moos. To Deút. a: T Z. performe the cA'lercy premifed to our fathers, and tore. Luk,T .7 7.,,7 3 memb, r his holy Covenant The oath which he finare to tosr father Abraham, &c. faith Zachary in his Fong. Thus wee fee that the 'Promifes are the tokens and fruits of Gods metre Love. And in that regard they are apt to cleaníe, or to move us to any duty which God requires of us. For Love and mercy, being by faith apprehended, are strong arguments to love and feare God againe. We love him becaufe bee loved as, and they Jhall feare the Lord and his goodneffe ; t goodneffe of the Lord be- tiof. 4'19' getteth feare, and that is all one as to cleaníe and purifie, Z 2 for
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=