Sixthly, From the extreme perverseness and stubbornness 1of the Jews we may learn this Lesson, That Gods free Grace is very great and very strong; the Lord was merciful to his people that were thus stubborn and stout, but the more they were called to obedience the more wicked they grew, and yet Gods mercy continued towards them for a long time together, and indeed in that God should set his heart and love upon such a people as this, it is one of the greatest helps against despair almost as any we know, Do but look into the Book of God, and read of 2the people of the Jews what wretched, froward, perverse, stubborn, stout-hearted people they were, and yet that God of all the people of the earth should choose them to be his peculiar people; Oh! the free Grace of God! there's nothing that God hath in his design more than to honour free Grace. I confess I had thought to have spent some time in showing to you the extreme stubbornness of 3the people of the Jews, and all to this end to magnify the free grace of God towards such an unworthy people; you find that God doth so himself when he speaks of his Mercy to that people, he doth give them this notice, That he would have them to know, that what he did for them was not for their own righteousness, in Deut. 9. 6. Understand therefore that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this 4good I and to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiff-necked people; As if God should say, I might magnify free Grace, whereas I might have chosen some other people that might have been more yieldable to my hand, I ⟨p. 26⟩5chose you, that it might appear that all that I did was out of free Grace. In Psal. 78. 8. Be not stubborn as your 6forefathers were; they are called stout-hearted, stiff necked, strong, they seem to be of strong spirits, but it is strong against the truth; and though stubbornness hath a kind of Glory in it, yet the truth is, there is nothing but weakness in it: in Ezek. 16. 30. How weak is thy heart, 7saith the Lord, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman? They are said to be strong hearted, stiff hearted, but saith the holy Ghost, how weak is thy heart? and you shall find in Scripture that they are called stiff necked, and Iron-•inewed, and that they walked contrary to God, and that they are perverse and crooked, and that they had hardened their hearts and made them like an Adamant;
Sixtly, From the extream perverseness and stubornness 1of the Jews we may learn this Lesson, That Gods free Grace is very great and very strong; the Lord was merciful to his people that were thus stuborn and stout, but the more they were call'd to obedience the more wicked they grew, and yet Gods mercy continued towards them for a long time together, and indeed in that God should set his heart and love upon such a people as this, it is one of the greatest helps against despair almost as any we know, Do but look into the Book of God, and reade of 2the people of the Jews what wretched, froward, perverse, stuborn, stout-hearted people they were, and yet that God of all the people of the earth should chuse them to be his peculier people; Oh! the free Grace of God! there's nothing that God hath in his design more than to honor free Grace. I confess I had thought to have spent some time in shewing to you the extream stubornness of 3the people of the Jews, and all to this end to magnifie the free grace of God towards such an unworthy people; you find that God doth so himself when he speaks of his Mercy to that people, he doth give them this notice, That he would have them to know, that what he did for them was not for their own righteousness, in Deut. 9. 6. Ʋnderstand therefore that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this 4good I and to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiff-necked people; As if God should say, I might magnifie free Grace, whereas I might have chosen some other people that might have been more yeeldable to my hand, I ⟨p. 26⟩5chose you, that it might appear that all that I did was out of free Grace. In Psal. 78. 8. Be not stuborn as your 6forefathers were; they are called stout-hearted, stiff necked, strong, they seem to be of strong spirits, but it is strong against the truth; and though stubornness hath a kind of Glory in it, yet the truth is, there is nothing but weakness in it: in
- 1Obs. 6.
- 2The Jews a very wicked people: yet notwithstanding God makes them his peculiar people.The Jews a very wicked people: yet notwithstanding God makes them his peculier people.
- 3Gods greatest delign is, to magnify his free-grace.Gods greatest delign is, to magnifie his free-grace.
- 4Deut. 9. 6.
- 5illustrated.
- 6Psal. 78. 8.
- 7Ezek. 16. 30.
