belong to them no longer than they walked in his commandments, and that when they did caft off the Lord, the Lord would caft off them. This being fo, I farther fay, that they could not but know, that God did bind himself by this promife to them, only fo far, and fo long as they continued to walk in the fteps of Phinebas, their father, to whom this promise was made; and it is plain that Eli himself understood it fo to be, as appears, by his reasoning with his fons, verse 25. If one man fin against another, the judge fhall judge him; but if a man fin against the Lord, whe fall intreat for him? Again, I fay, that as God gave them this promife, by the mouth of Mofes, fo he alfo fully acquainted them by the mouth of the fame Mofes, in what fenfe they were to underftand this, and all other promifes which God gave to the children of Ifrael, as in Deut. vii. 9, 10, 12. Know therefore, that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him, and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; and repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be flack to him that hateth him; be will repay him to bis face. Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye bearken to thefe judgments, and keep and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which be fware unto thy fathers. Thus we fee, that as God, by the mouth of Mofes, acquained Phinehas with his will, that he gave unto him bis covenant of peace. and to his feed after him, even an everlafting covenant, Num. xxv, 12, 13. So he likewife acquainted him, by the fame Mofes, that this covenant was to be made good unto them, if they did love him, and keep his com-mandments, and that otherways God ftood no way engaged to them by his promife. This being the cafe, I fay, that as Phinebas's iffue had no

reafon

reafon, nor right, to claim an interest in this promife, if they did not continue in their duty; fo neither did God act contrary to the rules of truth and juftice, if, for their disobedience, he did take from them what he had promised to them,

As to the cafe of Benbadad, King of Syria, 2 Kings viii 10. And Elisha faidunto him (Hazael) Go, and tell him (Benhadad( thou mayeft certainly recover bowbeit the Lord hath fhewed me. that he fball furely die. To this I anfwer: when the Prophet bid Hazael tell his master, that he might live, this was true, because this refpects his diftemper; his illness was fuch as would not prove mortal to him, and in that refpect he might certainly recover but forafmuch as God forefaw that Hazael would murder Benbadad, therefore the Prophet faid, the Lord hath fhewed me, that he shall furely die.

As to the cafe, in Pfalm lxxxix. where, in one part of the Pfalm, are largely fet forth the promifes, of God to David, and his pofterity; and in another part is fet forth the non-performance of those promises, which the objection fuppofes to be an impeachment of the truth and juftice of God. To this I anfwer, That as in one part of the Pfalm are fet forth the promises of Godto David, and his iffue; fo the facred history hath largely fet forth the fulfilling of thefe promises to David and his feed, and fo hath fufficiently vindicated the truth and juftice of God in this refpect; and as to what is contained in the other part the Psalm referr❜d to, this doth not, in the least, prove God to be worse than his promises, for that the facred history hath fully clear'd; and therefore the moft that this can be fuppofed to prove, is the Pfalmift's distrust and fear, that God would not fulfil his promises to them, feeing, to outward appearance, all things at that time ran the contraAn inftance like this we have in Pfalm

ry way.

of

cxvi. 11. where David faith, I said in my hafte, all men are liars; or as he expreffes himself in 1 Sam. xxvii. 1. I fhall one day perish by the hand of Saul Samuel had faid, that David fhould be King of Ifrael, and had anointed him for that dignity, by the appointment of the Lord; but when David was forc'd to fly from Saul, and was in great jeopardy of his life, he then began to conclude, that this promife would not be made good to him, because he expected to fall as a facrifice to Saul's malice; and this made him to say in his hafte, that all men were liars, that is, that Samuel, as well as others, had deceived him, Now tho' David faid in his hafte that Samuel had lied to him, in the name of the Lord, yet this was no proof that God had fail'd of his promise made to David by Samuel, for God did, in his good time, bring him to the kingdom; but all that this proves is, that David's faith and hope fail'd in the day of his distress. So in the cafe before us, here is a large account of God's promises to David, and his feed; and here is likewife an account of the Pfalmift complaining of the non-performance of these promises to them. Now tho' the Pfalmift did thus complain, this is no proof that God was false and unjust to them, for God did actually fulfil these promises to them; and all that this proves is, that the Pfalmift, in their adverfity, when the courfe of God's providence was against them, did diftruft, and fear that God would fail of making good his promifes to them: I fay, this is the most that can be pretended to be proved from this place. But I think the true ftate of the cafe is this; the Pfalmift recounts the promises of God and the prefent circumftance of the affairs of David's family, and from thence he draws an argument to plead with God for their protection and deliverance; for thus he expreffes himself, verfe 46. How long, Lard, wilt thou hide thy face for

ever? and, verfe 49. Lord where are thy former loving-kindneffes, which thou fwareft unto David in thy truth? An inftance like this we have in Jacob, who when he was diftrefs'd with fear that his brother Efau would deftroy both him and his fubftance, then made ufe of God's promife, as an argument to plead with God for his protection, Gen. xxxii. 9-12.

As to the cafe of King Hezekiah, Isaiah xxxviii. 1. In thofe days was Hezekiah fick unto death; and Ifaiah the prophet, the jon of Amos came unto him, and faid unto him, Thus, faith the Lord, fet thy houfe in order, for thou shalt die and not live. Verse 4. 5. Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, faying, Go and fay to Hezekiah, thus fay the Lord, the God of David, thy Father, I have heard thy prayer, I have feen thy tears; bebold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years; I anfwer, what the Prophet faid unto the King, verfe 1. was true, that he should die, and not live; but then we are to remember that the Prophet did not pronounce this as a judiciary fentence from the Lord, but only as a Friendly warning of the King's danger. The hiftory informs us that Hezekiah was fick unto death, that is, he was fick of fuch a difeafe, as, according to the natural and ordinary courfe of things, would prove mortal, and so would end in the King's death; this being the cafe, the Lord fent the Prophet on this friendly errand, to acquaint the King with the danger that he was in, from that diftemper he was under; and to let him know, that it would, according to the natural course of things, end in his death; and that he ought to fet his houfe in order, and prepare for his change; which is as much as if the Prophet had faid, I am come to acquaint thee with the danger of thy prefent illness; therefore fettle the affairs of thine houfe, for the distemper thou art

labour

labouring under is fuch, as, according to the natural and ordinary courfe of things, will prove mortal to thee, and end in thy death; for the words, thou fhalt die, and not live, do fignify no more than, thou wilt die and not live; and this fhalt or wilt, did not arife from a judiciary fentence which the Lord had given out against him, but from the nature and malignity of his diftemper, as I obferv'd before; and thus Hezekiab understood it; and therefore, knowing that God was the God of nature, and that it was in his power to bring back from the grave, and being fenfible that he fhould die in the midst of his age, and with out any iffue to fit upon his throne, he turn'd his face, unto the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept fore; upon which the Prophet was fent a fecond time, to acquaint Hezekiah, that the Lord had heard his prayer, and feen his tears, and that he would exercife his miraculous power and grace in rebuking his diftemper, and would add unto his days fifteen years.

As to the cafe of Jeremiah, chap. xv. 18. Wilt tbou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail? I anfwer, the Lord, when he called Jeremiab, and fent him to proclaim his word to the people of Judea, bid him, chap. i. 8. not to be afraid of their faces; and then he promised him, for his comfort and encouragement, faying, I am with thee, to deliver thee, faith the Lord. This promife was made good to Jeremiah; for the Lord was with him always, either to preferve him from, or to deliver him out of all diftreffes; but yet God was pleas'd fometimes to try the faith and patience of Feremiah, by leaving him, for a long time, in the hand, and under the burden of his perfecutors; and this was the cafe at this time, as appears from Jer. xv, 15. O Lord, thou knoweft, remember me,

and