I cannot but add, that if there were no other place of Scripture in the whole book of God to confirm the truth we have in hand but only this, I should not doubt (the Lord assisting) to close with it upon the signal testimony given unto it thereby, notwithstanding all the specious oppositions that are made thereunto.
For the close, I shall a little consider that lean and hungry exposi- tion of these words which is given in the place before mentioned, chap. xi. sect. 8, p. 229, " I will betroth them unto me in righteous- ness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and mercy." So the words are expressed, in a different character, as the very words of the promise in the text: — "Thee," that is, the church, is changed into " Them," — that is, the Jews and their children or carnal seed, as a little before was expressed; and then that emphatical expression, "for ever," is quite thrust out of the text, as a stubborn word, not to be dealt withal upon any fair terms. Let us see, then, how that w'hich remaineth is treated and turned off " ' I will betroth thee;' tliat is, ' I will engage and attempt to insure both them and their affections to me, by all variety of ways and means that are proper and likely to bring such a thing to pass.' " But who knoweth not that this is w^ooing, and not betrothing? We need not go far to find out men learned in the law to inform us that to try and attempt to get and assure the affections of any one is not a betrotliment. This, then, is the first part of this exposition: "'I will betroth;' that is, 'I will woo and essay, attempt and endeavour, to get tlieir affections;'" which, besides the forementioned absurdity, is attended with another sore oversight, to wit, that God promiseth to do this very thing in the last words of verse 20, which is afliirmed tliat he doth but attempt to do.
To proceed: He saith, "I will do this, by showing myself just and righteous unto them, in keeping my promise concerning their deliverance out of captivity at the end of seventy years." So, then, in this new para{)hrase, " I will betroth thee" (that is, the election of Jews and Gentiles) " to myself for ever in righteousness," is, " I will essay to get tlieir affections by showing my.self righteous in the promise
VI.] PARTICULAR PROMISES ILLUSTRATED, 283
of bringing tlie Jews out of captivity." That this promise is not made to the body of the Jews returning out of captivity was before demonstrated. The righteousness here mentioned is that which God will and doth exercise in this very act of betrothing, and not any other act of it, which he will make use of to that purpose. God engageth to betroth them to himself in righteousness, using and ex- ercising his righteousness in that very act of his love and grace to them ; and this is now given in an alluring them to love him by appearing righteous in bringing them out of captivity !
The like interpretation is given of the other expressions follow- ing: " ' Judgment,' — it is," salth he, " by punishing and judging their enemies, and destroying them that led them into captivity, and held them in bondage and subjection; and 'loving-kindness' is his giving them corn, wine, oil, peace, and plenty; and 'mercy,' in pardoning of daily sins and infirmities ; and ' faithfulness' is " he knoweth not what. This is made the sum of all: " God, by doing them good with outward mercies, and pardoning some sins and infirmities, will morally try to get their affections to himself" " Virgula Pictoris!" 1. It is not an expression of God's attempting to get their love, but of the establishing and confirming of his own. 2. That God should morally try and essay to do and effect or bring about any thing, which yet he doth not, will not, or cannot, compass and effect, is not to be ascribed to him without casting the greatest reproach of im- potency, ignorance, changeableness, upon him iraaglnable. 3. God promising to betroth us to himself, fixing his love on us that we shall know him, so fixing our hearts on him; to say that this holdeth out only the use of some outward means unto us, enervateth the whole covenant of his grace wrapped up in these expressions. So that, all things considered, it is not a little strange to me that any sober, learned man should ever be tempted so to wrest and corrupt, by wrested and forced glosses, the plain words of Scripture, wherein, whatever is pretended, he cannot have the least countenance of any expositor of note that went before him. Although we are not to be pressed with the name of Tarnovius, a Lutheran, a professed adversary in this cause, yet let his exposition of that place under consideration be consulted with, and it will plainly appear that it abideth not in any compliance with that which is here by our author imposed on us.
The promises we have under consideration looking immediately and directly only to one part of that doctrine whose defence we have undertaken, — to Vvit, the constancy and unchangeableness of the grace of justification, or God's abiding with his saints, as to his free acceptance of them and love unto them, unto the end, — I shall not insist on many more particulars.