required of us A Configuration to all his vertuous and holy life here many singular patterns of which are set down before a Configuration to his sufferings and death Phil. 3. 10. as it is first in our Baptism and for sins after Baptism ought to be in the painful fruits of repentance abstaining from worldly pleasures using the body hardly c. which are therefore called mortifications A Configuration to his resurrection and life after it In having our conversation in Heaven Phil. 3. 20. living to God only no more to affections of this life ever worshipping praising loving admiring glorifying offering up and dedicating our selves to God For so Saints live that are dead See Rev. 4. 8. c. -5. 9 12. c. -7. 9. c. Quicquid gestum est in sepultura resurrectione c. ita gestum est ut configuretur vita humana quae hic geritur For our participation of Christs merits is only by being his members they can be communicated to none else and our being members necessarily implies conformity in actions suffering c. to the Head For that one should suffer and not the other is quite contrary to the nature of members 1 Cor. 12. 26. and argues schism in the body Should any member therefore so presume on the obedience or sufferings of the head as that himself now needs nor suffer nor obey such a one without bearing its part and proportion therein Col. 1. 24. either never was or is ceased to be a true member Christ did nothing for our salvation which we are not for it in some sense to do also our selves Gal. 6. 14. -9. 19 20. CHAP. VII Jesus Christ the Melchizedechical Holy Priest passed into the Heavens and making Intercession c. for ever for us with God GOD being of infinite Holiness and purity to shew his hatred against sin would not admit the approach of sinners into his Sanctuary and presence nor accept immediately of their praiers and service offered to him which if any after Discipline was settled should have presumed to do they were no less then to dy for it See Lev. 3. 10. 1 Sam. 6. 7. Numb 4. 15. -16. chap. Job 9. 31. -42. 8. But yet being of infinite mercy too not to shut out sinners thus from all commerce with his goodness he selected from the beginning some singular persons taken from the rest of men no man taking this honor to himself but he that was called of God Heb. 5. 1 4. and being first anointed consecrated and sanctified after an extraordinary manner and cleansed with great Ceremony after the more express delivering of his pleasure in the promulgation of the law see Exod. 29. chap. Lev. 8. 12. who should be ordained for men in things pertaining to God Heb. 5. 1. -2. 17. who should have the administration of holy things and nearer access to Gods presence should bring unto the Lord the peoples gifts and offerings Heb. 5. 1. make attonement and reconciliation for their sins and errors c. Heb. 2. 17. Heb. 5. 2. Amongst which ministers of the Sanctuary some were kept at a greater distance as the Levite who had the charge of the Tabernacle and the vessels thereof and was to minister to the Priest but might not come nigh the vessels of the Sanctuary or the Altar that they dy not Numb 18. 3. Some approached nearer as the Priest confined to Aaron and his seed who had the charge of the Sanctuary and of the Altar who were to preserve themselves continually undefiled Lev. 21. 1. c. and amongst them all such to be excluded from attendance as had any corporal blemish tho but a squint eye or a flat nose or a dwarf Lev. 21. 18. c. The same perfection being required for the sacrificer that was for the Sacrifice Lev. 22. 20. to whom only it belonged to offer the daily morning and even Sacrifice and all other the peoples offerings upon it and to make attonements for them to sound with Trumpets which none else might use over the burnt and peace-offerings that they might be for a memorial to the people before the Lord. Numb 10. 10. In sin-offerings to carry some of the blood into the outer Sanctuary and to sprinkle part thereof before the Lord before the Veil and to put also of it on the horns of the Altar of Incense before the Lord Morning and Evening at the time of the sacrifice to burn incense before the Veil upon the Altar of the Sanctuary to dress the Lamps morning and evening and every Sabbath to renew the shew-bread before the Lord to discern between clean and unclean holy and unholy At the coming out of the Sanctuary lifting up their hands towards the people and putting Gods name upon them solemnly in a set form Numb 6. 6 24. c. 2 Chron. 30. 27. Ecclus. 50. 5 19. c. 1 Chron. 23. 13. to give the sacerdotal benediction And as solemnly to bless so also to curse Deut. 27. 14. This for the Priest But the High Priest approached yet nearer to the Lord much distinguished from the rest in his typical garments who once yearly on the grand day of Expiation was to enter within the Veil into the Sanctum Sanctorum before the glory of the Lord appearing between the Cherubims he first making a cloud of Incense and there to present and sprinkle with his finger 7 times upon the mercy-seat it self and seven times on the floor before it Lev. 16. 14. the blood of the sacrifice made for the Priest and the people before the Lord and to make attonement with it for the Priests and for all the people and not only for them but also for all the holy things the Tabernacle the Holy Sanctuary the Altar it self to purge and resanctify and as if God was also displeased with these for sin to reconcile them Lev. 16. 20. with blood to hallow them saith the Lord from the uncleannesses and transgressions of the children of Israel in the midst of whom they remained Such a contagion is our sin to the whole creation See Levit. 16. 16 19. and when he went in he was to bear the names of the children of Israel engraven and upon his two shoulders and again engraven like the engraving of a Signet upon the brestplate of judgment upon his heart for a memorial of them before the Lord continually Exod. 28. 12 21 29. He was also to have engraven upon the front of his Miter in Gold Holiness unto the Lord. And it shall be upon Aarons forehead that he may bear the iniquity of the Holy things of the children of Israel See Numb 18. 1. Lev. 16. 16. And it shall be alway upon his forehead that they may be accepted before the Lord. Exod. 28. 38. And besides these Urim and Thummim were likewise to be upon his heart and in any thing doubtful the people were to repair unto him and he by Urim was to ask counsel for them before
the Lord and according to his word they were to do Lastly the benediction of the people was in a special manner conferred by him See Lev. 9. 22. Ecclus. 50. 5. c. Therefore in this Ceremony twice viz. after the ending of the Sacrifice and again after his coming out of the Sanctum Sanctorum He solemnly in Gods name blessed the people See Lev. 9. 22 23. Upon Aarons first solemn blessing them fire came out from before the Lord to abide on the Altar for ever vers 24. Now what was said before of the Levitical Sacrifice is here to be said again of the legal Priests They continuing sinners as well after as before their consecration and offering for their own faults as well as for the peoples Heb. 5. 3. a sinner for sinners were in themselves ineffectual Intercessors before God and as it was impossible for those sacrifices to take away sins so for such Priests being sinners and daily consorting with sinners and free from only some not all defilements to make any attonement but only in relation to and as types of the other Priest to come who only was without blemish holy undefiled and separate from sinners Heb. 7. 26. Add to this that the service they did in this office was very incompleat For they were not Intercessors before the Lord for all Nations but presented only the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel and for them they knew not every ones diverse confessions and requests nor were able to make particular recommendation of these Or if to recommend yet had no ability to help subnexed to their Intercession for them which we shall shew is a priviledge of the true Priesthood which is alwaies joined with Royalty and power They entred into the Divine presence but once a Year and presently came out again did not abide and wait and sit down there to be perpetual Advocates with God for the people And then the place they went into was not the true Sanctuary which the Lord pitched Heb. 8. 2. who tho he is every where in his essence yet is he only in Heaven as his dwelling place 1 King 8. 39. then hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place The place of the appearance of his glory and Majesty of his Court and Attendants of his throne where he gives audience unto all his Creatures is there But their sanctuary served only unto the example and shadow of Heavenly things Heb. 8. 5. And the glory in it was but a shadow of his glory 2 Cor. 3. 10 11. Lastly the Requests they made in it were rather about temporal then eternal things about present and corporal not future and spiritual No new Canaans for us no new Jerusalems no new eternal places of rest prepared by them no conferring also on all the people their Brethren that sacerdâ—…tal Honor to wait for ever on God in his holy Temple which is the complement of all our felicity These benefits were reserved to crown the intercessions of another High Priest of an higher Order In the fulness of time therefore came the substance of whom these were types 1. As a Sacrifice without spot so a sacrifice without sin pure without all blemish not a bone of him broken unharmable undefiled separate from sinners not after a while decaying but continuing for ever at this day at this hour The same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 7. 24 26. -13. 8. 2. Tho thus perfect and perpetual yet which is strange 1. one of our selves a man as we raised up from the midst of us of our brethren Deut. 18. 15. For this was altogether necessary for such an office in which he was to be the Representative of his brethren Therefore the legal High Priest appeared before the Lord not only in his person like unto them but with all their names engraven upon his brest and this saith the Text for a memorial of them before the Lord continually Exod. 28. 12 21. and therefore the Apostle puts in the definition of an High Priest Heb. 5. 1. Taken from amongst men 2. Again one he was that was to be compassed with infirmity for a while at least that standing before the Lord he might have all compassion in him toward those for whom he officiated might be the more earnest the more constant and diligent and know how more tenderly to present to the Holy Majesty the temptations the miseries himself had experienced and they also might have more confidence to commend their suits unto him as being their brother and once as they straitned Therefore 't is a Rule Heb. 2. 11. He that sanctifieth and those who are sanctified are all of one and therefore this Priest for as much as the children were partakers of flesh and blood did also himself likewise take part of the same v. 14. not the nature of Angels but of man v. 16. and was not ashamed to call them Brethren ver 11. and to be made like unto them in all things v. 17. and that for the foresaid ends that he might be merciful be faithful unto them Heb. 2. 17 18. -5. 1 2. -4. 15. Besides Before Gods justice no intercession could be effectual without merit therefore mediation of sinners for sinners profits not nor no merit but in a condition and nature liable to temptations and sufferings at least such merit not serviceable in the behalf of men where his merits are not in the same kind as their demerits were and therefore there is the same reason of the humanity of our Savior for his being a Priest as for his being a sacrifice 3. Thus being man and man clothed with infirmity fitted for this office he was not appointed by himself but called as other Priests were to this office and anointed by God Heb. 5. 4 5. Heb. 3. 2. 2 Pet. 1. 17. Act. 10. 38. But far more glorified and honored in it then any before him God now anointing a Priest once and for all Heb. 7. 28. and not to the same order of which the former were in many things as is shewed before deficient but to the very best that of Melchisedeck i. e. a Priesthood everlasting and royal and that had power joyned with Intercession and the honor of sitting down by him to whom he officiated For this man was counted worthy of more glory then any before as being the builder and afterward upon its ruin rebuilder of this house over which God thus made him Lord. Heb. 3. 3. Thus made a Priest now let us view the exact discharge of his office in the several parts thereof and first the Priests office for expiation of sin c. being first to offer the sacrifice and then to carry the blood thereof into the Sanctuary and there make an attonement and intercession with it for the offenders He therefore first offered the sacrifice a sin-offering upon the altar of the Cross such as never Priest offered before him neither for the worth of it
commemoration of him how much more in that above is it solemnized for us by himself our High Priest That as the bow was set in the Cloud that God looking upon it might remember his Covenant and forbear to bring a second deluge upon the earth Gen. 9. 16. and the blood of the Paschal Lamb was stricken on the door posts that the Lord seeing it there might pass over them with his plague So when he beholds these wounds given our Savior for our sin displaid before him he may forbear to revenge sin any more upon his Brethren And if Pilate shewing that our suffering Savior with an Ecce Homo thought the beholding such a pitiful and cruel spectacle was enough to have melted the hardhearted Jews his malicious enemies into some mercy and compassion so as to prosecute his death no further How much more will such a pale and wanner sight as was seen afterward upon the Cross of an only Son voluntarily undergoing all this for our sin move a pitiful and merciful father no further to prosecute the vengeance thereof upon his brethren upon his own members A second Action there is sprinkling of his blood upon and before the Mercy-Seat not 7 nor 77 times but continually and note that all blood-shed when it comes before the Lord hath a loud cry See the blood of the Saints Rev. 6. 10. And Abels Gen. 4. 10. And the Apostle compares the sprinkling of our Saviors blood for its speaking and crying unto the sprinkling of Abel's tho His cried not the same way for it pleaded for mercy as the other for vengeance For we receive a true attonement are sanctified are purifyed as many of us as serve the Lord by the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus See 1 Pet. 1. 2. Heb. 12. 24. -13. 12. Not that our Savior there really sprinkled his blood for us let none grossly imagine this for flesh and blood enter not into heaven 1 Cor. 15. but that he now by it poured out by him on the Cross in the heavenly Sanctuary procures all the effects obumbrated by the former sprinkling of the blood of the legal Sacrifices Therefore t is observed that the Apostle saith he entred by it not with it Heb. 9. 12 23. Who is therefore called for this Celestial ceremony before the propitiatory or throne of grace our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propitiation 1 Jo. 2. 2. and our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propitiatory Rom. 3. 25. Thus he sprinkled his blood to make attonement for and to sanctify us but as we read that the legal High Priest purified also the Sanctuary it self and reconciled the Holy place said to be defiled by being in the midst of the peoples uncleanness See Lev. 18. 25 28. the Apostle makes this also run parallel for our Savior Heb. 9. 23. by which as is signifyed the purifying of all the Creatures and particularly of all our imperfect holy services unto us so perhaps something more may yet be gathered from Col. 1. 16 20. -2. 10. Job 15. 15. -4. 18. -25. 5. 2 Pet. 3. 7 12. Rom. 8. 22. well considered for all Principalities and Thrones i. e. Angels were made by him at first and for him and by him they now consist and of them also he is the head and by him they are said to be reconciled thro him they are now confirm'd in grace and perhaps at the last day thro him shall be advanced in glory And perhaps the upper regions of the world may be said in some sense to be contaminated as the earth by mans or the faln Angels sin to which heavenly things also the vanity bondage groaning of the Creatures mentioned Rom. 8. may extend which also are said by Peter to be reserved and that they shall be dissolved and as it were purified by fire But abscondita Domino Deo nostro manifesta nobis 3. After this appearing there with this Sacrifice and sprinkling of his blood follows his Intercession also there for us Rom. 8. 34. Heb. 7. 25. Esai 53. 12. -59. 16. another office of the Priest for the People whose making attonement was not without praier since this also is called making attonement Exod. 32. 30. and so where we translate making attonement the vulgar renders it praying for c. See Lev. 16. 7 34 17. Quando Pontifex sanctuarium ingreditur ut roget prose pro universo coetu Israel see Job 42. 8. Gen. 20. 7. which appears also by the continual practise of the Priests and Prophets praying foâ—… the people Jer. 7. 16. -27. 18. Ezra 10. 4. Joel 1. 13 14. -2. 17. 2 Chron. 30. 27. 1. And this first in presenting continually his own praiers to the Father for us in which respect he is called also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Advocate with the Father as well as the Holy Ghost is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Advocate to the Father here on earth with or in us As the spirit is also stiled by his title of Intercessor here as he there Rom. 8. 26 27. and therefore what office in prayer when any one sins or suffers this Advocate doth here on earth residing with us 1 Jo. 5. 7 8. see Rom. 8. 26. the other Advocate doth the same in heaven residing with the Father and with the same unexpressible zeal The better to conceive which imagine Aaron Numb 16. 47. when wrath was gone out from the Lord standing with his Censer in his hand between the living and the dead and staying the plague or Moses that great type of him Deut. 18. 15. like unto me his pathetical intercessions and deprecations so many times for the sinning Israelites continuing 40 daies at a time with the Lord in supplication for them and for their Priest see Exod. 32. comp with Deut. 9. 18 20. Numb 14. 13. c. and proceeding even to wishing himself accuâ—…ed in their stead as also did St. Paul but our Savior only was he that really became also a curse for others and then be sure our High Priest now makes the same nay far greater as much more concerned in our safety being Master over the house in which Moses tho a faithful yet was but a servant The exact matter and manner of whose intercessions above tho it is not manifested unto us yet what esteem of it and confidence in it may we not have therefore our Mother the Church thinks fit to finish all her prayers in it if we consider first that infinite love wherewith he now loveth us How can it be silent Eph. 3. 19. from which neither things present nor things to come neither heights nor depths c. can ever separate us Rom. 8. 38 35. comp with 34. 2. The promises which he made in that last comforting Sermon immediately before his death and departure from hence the summ of which is to assure his Disciples and consequently all believers see Jo. 17. 20. of the great care he would take for them in heaven where also he particularly
powerful in working according to the promise Jo. 14. 20. after his departure 2. Of the manner of their conveyance which will much advance our confidence if we consider our near relation For we receive them not by his procurement only from the Father but even from his own hand Every good and perfect gift cometh from the Father c. Jam. 1. 17. but thro and by immediate donation of the Son and by the same way as all our praiers and sacrifices ascend and enter in blessings come forth of this Sanctâ—…ary Upon his asking all things are given him Psal. 2. 8. whom the Father alwaies hears and at his own pleasure he dispenseth them Act. 2. 33. â—…ph 1. 3. And this the having in his own power the gift of all things from whose hands we may be sure we shall want nothing belongs peculiarly to the tenure of his Priesthood being Melchisedechial and joyned with Kingship Sacerdotium Regale or Sacerdotale regnum i. e. having royalty and power joyned with it as before the law these two were joyned in the Princes of families so after the law they are united in Christ a King over all but Him whom as a Priest he serves Therefore we find him sitting at the right hand and the promise of having his enemies made his footstool so frequently joined with his Priesthood and intercession for to shew the everlasting power of his Priesthood See Heb. 8. 1. Rom. 8. 34. Ps. 110. 1. comp with 4. Act. 2. 33. Ps. 2. 8. Therefore since he ever liveth to make intercession he is able to save saith the Apostle not willing only Heb. 7. 25. Able to succour Heb. 2. 18. see Jo. 17. 2 24. Father I will that c. Jo. 14. 13 14. If ye shall ask any think in my name his asking or our asking in his name is all to one effect as is shewed before I will do it where he shews both his dependance on his Father as a Priest and power over all things else as a King Besides this officiating as an Intercessor in Heaven as a Sanctuary as he is High Priest wherein he is compared to Aaron Our Savior by the same Apostle in his treatise of his Priesthood is called the Captain of our Salvation bringing many sons of God unto glory Heb. 2. 10. Lord of the houshold of God and conducter of them into a promised place of rest and forerunner entred before them into Heaven as it is the land of promise and this as he is a regal High Priest wherein he is compared to Moses and Joshua his successor conducters of Israel towards Canaan See Heb. 2. 10. -3. 1 2 6. -4. 8 9 14. -6. 20. comp with Heb. 12. 1 2 18 22 25. -11. 14 16. We being in this world after our deliverance from Egypt the dominion of Satan and sin and passing thro the Red Sea of Baptism 1 Cor. 10. 2. yet as in the Wilderness a dry and thirsty land where no water is as the Psalmist spiritually complains of it see Psal. 63. 1. -39. 12. -119. 19. whoever take it for any thing else much mistake it now under Christ I speak of him according to his manhood our Conductor as they were under Moses and Joshua and all things that were done there were examples 1 Cor. 10. 6 11. First therefore as Moses when the mount of God burnt with fire nothing but blackness and darkness and tempest nothing but wrath and judgment towards us and fear least the fire of the Lord should break forth upon us having all sinned as Israel had and none durst draw near to speak for us Behold him coming forth out of the midst of us the true Mediator and going for us into the Mount and there like Moses Exod. 32. 30. making an attonement for us And tho there is yet to come another shaking of all things shaking heaven and earth and all in pieces under this second Moses Heb. 12. 26. far more terrible then that under the first wherein he shall come in judgment to destroy his enemies from which then there shall be no Mediator to hinder him as Exod. 32. 10 11. yet then to those that obey him this Mount Sinai shall be changed into Mount Sion and the city of the living God c. see Heb. 12. 22. c. where are such and such glorious company And thither shall he also carry up his Brethren after the remainder of the 40 daies or 6 weeks of his abode there are expired Meanwhile from thence not from an higher place of the earth but from the highest heaven into which he is gone up he continually speaks unto us not with that terror as the Angels from Mount Sinai gave the law but with the soft voice of his spirit the ministration of which by him is opposed to that of the law by Moses 2 Cor. 3. 8 9. And wo be to all them that refuse to hear him far beyond those that refused to hear Moses Heb. 12. 25. -10. 29. 2. And then as resembled by Joshua or Jesus called so as a type of him he is the Conductor also of the people of God into the true land of promise Heb. 4. 8. the place of rest the rest of God Heb. 4. 5. Into which God hath sworn no unbelievers shall enter And into this our blessed Savior is entred already before us and set down the posture of resting at the right hand of God entred not only as a forerunner Heb. 6. 20. or leader to give an example that we should follow him thither the Anchor of our hope being already cast within the veil by the taking possession of this our forerunner Heb. 6. 19 20. But also a forerunner or Harbinger as Joshua his type also was to view that good land as it were and there to prepare a place for us Jo. 14. 2 3. in that house where are many mansions the heavens that we see being but a center to it from whence God looks down upon them as they upon the earth Ps. 113. not any therefore but an honourable a choice place there see Rev. 4. 4. where the Church-men were sitting on either side of Gods Throne in the midst of all the glorious train of Heaven and the Angels standing in a circle about them Rev. 5. 11. -7. 11. Father I will that those be with me where I am to behold my Glory c. Jo. 17. 24. not in the same region but in the same place of it where his glorious body is not in the Country only but of the Court following and waiting on the Lamb there where ever he goeth which is named as some special honour Rev. 16. 4. -7. 15. -3. 4. And from thence after this place prepared for us and us for it he hath promised to come again and accompany us thither in person Thus is he a forerunner to all the faithful in respect of their bodies entring into that celestial Canaan he being the first-born from the dead but
subject of whose songs is almost nothing else but Christ as we see from the expositions of them in the new Testament And because the promises were made more fully to Abraham and to David therefore hath our Saviour more chiefly the title of the seed of Abraham and of the Son of David then of others See Matt. 1. 1. And David was followed by the goodly fellowship of the Prophets whose light shined brighter and brighter 2 Pet. 1. 19. in those former darker ages so that some of them are called rather Evangelists then Prophets till the open day of the Gospel at last ascended upon the Earth in its full lustre and perfection And let this be observed to the glory of the mercies of God everlasting certain never-failing neither by Satans polices nor by mens sin how at a certain distance of time God alway mindful of his covenant with his elect For though God is no accepter of persons Act. 10. 34. Gal. 2. 6. for any external considerations of nation c. nor internal of properties and parts for the reason why any have these better then others is purely because he gave them yet he is an admitter or receiver of one mans person not anothers of one nation not another they being in all things equal or mostwhat he whom he receives some way inferior to gratuital favors for his own to us unknown pleasure no way grounded upon any thing in the person He preaccepteth none in point of justice so as to do wrong to any or deny to any their merit and due tho due only upon his promise by which he hath tyed himself to reward industry and our right use of his former gifts Matt. 25. 29. see Matt. 20. 13 14 15. But in point of liberality he doth so as to do more good to some then others without any cause at all that is in the person Rom. 9. 11. -3. 3. -11. 29. Esai 41. 2 4. Nor is this said as if he did not ordinarily give more with respect to some former gifts of his either those of nature or those of grace those acquisit by mans industry or infused by Gods mercy that are in such or such a person see Matt. 25. 15 29. but that he hath not tyed himself to give only where are former gifts and many times doth otherwise out of respect of the superabundance and overflowings of his mercies and of his Church upon earth which his everlasting purpose had determined notwithstanding mens frequent Apostacies to maintain from the beginning to the end of the world Rom. 3. 3 4. -11. 29 36. even then when he had most reason of all to desert it after it had begun to decline to idolatry Atheism c. sent new preachers of this Covenant and renewed the true Religion by them And how not in the best of times for a reward of obedience but in the worst ever out of a necessity of repair not in the growth but the decadency of former piety his eternal pitty still visited the world with new light and new Ambassadors Some 600 years after the Creation the world then full of ungodly sinners both in words and deeds Jude 14. Enoch was sent a Prophet who walked with God and in whom was shewed to the world the reward of righteousness and who denounced the last judgment day against the then wicked Again at a certain distance from Enoch before the flood when now not only the rest of the world but also the holy race was corrupt with oppression and violence from Gigantick people Gen 4. 23 24. and illegal conjunctions upon multiplication of women Gen. 6. 2. comp 1 4 â—…3 Mal. 2. 15. God sent Noah who walked also with God and was a Preacher of righteousness 367 years after the flood Idolatry also now growing rife and Shems holy race fallen away into it Josh. 24. 2 14. Gen. 31. 30 53. God called Abraham who commanded his children to keep the way of the Lord Gen. 18. 19. c. 430 years after this Gal. 3. 17. when the children of Israel were full of the Idols whoredoms and abominations of Egypt sacrificing unto Devils c. see Josh. 24. 14. -5. 9. Lev. 17. 7. Ezek. 20. 7 8 9 14. -23. 3. The reason why they were so prone to it at Sinai and upon every occasion so ready to start from the Lord God sent Moses but not for any merit of theirs at all therefore are they every where so frequently told of it See Deut. 9. 4 5 6. c. Not for thy righteousness nor for the uprightness of thine heart for thou wert c. but to perform the word which the Lord sware And Ezek. 20. and Ezek. 36. 21 22 31 32. where God saith when they would not cast away their abominations c. that he nevertheless wrought for his name sake and caused them to go forth c. see vers 8 9 10 14. c. see the like story Psal. 106. 8 43 45. comp with the rest of the Psalm Ps. 78. 38. comp 36. the reason of his compassion not their goodness but their mortality vers 39. 65. Jer. 30. 8. c. comp 15. -31. 19. Nor were their children he carried into Canaan better then their fathers Ezek. 20. 21. for which consider that strange passage Amos 5. 26 of which the modesty of Moses hath said nothing in the story the secret carrying along with them besides the Lords the effigies and Tabernacle which they made to themselves of Molech and Chiun c. But yet for his name sake c. vers 22. And see vers 37 40 41. How God promiseth after the expiring of his punishments and weariness of asflicting very frequent in the Prophets before any at least acceptable repentance of theirs a restorement of them to all his mercies and blessings upon which restorement saith he ye shall remember your waies and loath your selves when I have wrought with you for my names sake not according to your wicked waies vers 43 44. see Ezek. 16. 59. c. Not as if he did not require our repentance for to obtain the return of his favours especially to challenge or expect it which is so effectual to hasten his mercies and cut off the remains of justice See Lev. 25. 39. Ezek. 6. 8 9. But if this be not Mans impenitence or unbelief shall not frustrate for ever Gods faith promise glory Rom. 3. 3. But he will create new hearts in us rather and we shall repent after his mercies at least when not before and St. Paul shall cry out O the depth Who hath first given unto him Rom. 1l 35. For he who hath tyed himself upon repentance to shew mercy hath not tyed himself not to shew it but only upon repentance And indeed Gods judgments many times particularly war making men worse and his punishments by our desperate malignity increasing sin whence could any reformation begin but from himself who is forced at last when our sin contends in