An humble attempt to promote explicit agreement and visible union of God's people in…

4. We may observe the Mode of their Union in this Duty. 'Tis a visible Union, an Union by explicit ⟨p. 11⟩Agreement, a joint Resolution declared by one to another, come into by being first proposed by some, and readily and expressly fallen in with by others. The Inhabitants of one City shall apply themselves to the Inhabitants of another, saying, Let us go, &c. Those to whom the Motion is made, shall comply with it; the Proposal shall take with many, it shall be a prevailing, spreading Thing; one shall follow another's Example, one and another shall say, I will go also. Some suppose, that those Words, I will go also, are to be taken as the Words of him that makes the Proposal; as much as to say, I don't propose that to you, which I am not willingly to do my self, I desire you to go, and I am ready to go with you. But this is to suppose no more to be expressed in these latter Words, than was expressed before in the Proposal itself; for these Words, Let us go, signify as much, as that I am willing to go, and desire you to go with me. It seems to me much more natural, to understand these latter Words as importing the Consent of those to whom the Proposal is made, or the Reply of one and another that falls in it. This is much more agreeable to the plain Design of the Text, which is to represent the Concurrence of great Numbers in this Affair; and more agreeable to the Representation made in the next Verse, of one following another, many taking hold of the Skirt of him that is a Jew. And tho', if the Words are thus understood, we must suppose an Ellipsis in the Text, something understood that is not expressed, as if it had been said, Those of other Cities shall say, I will go also;—yet this is not difficult to be supposed; such Ellipses are very common in Scripture. We have one exactly parallel with it in J•r. iii.22. Return, ye backsliding Children, and I will heal your Backslidings: ⟨p. 12⟩Behold, we come unto Thee; for Thou art the Lord our God, i. e. The backsliding Children shall say, Behold, we come unto Thee, &c. And in Cant. iv. last, and v.1. Let my Beloved come into his Garden, and eat his pleasant Fruits. I am come into my Garden, my Sister, my Spouse, i. e. her Beloved shall say, I am come into my Garden. We have the like throughout that Song. So,