Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/170

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158
Of the Covenant that God made with Israel,

ing Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built, and to the Temple, Thy foundation shall be laid, Thus Isai. 45.14,15.saith the Lord, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia, and of the Sabeans, men of stature shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine, they shall come after thee, in chaines they shall come over: and they shall fall downe unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee, and there is none else, there is no God. Israel ver. 17.shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting Salvation; ye shall not be ashamed, nor confounded world without end. HearkenIsai. 46.3,4. unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the wombe. And even to your old age I am he, and even to hoare haires will I carry you: I have made, and I will beare, even I will carry and will deliver you. I vers. 13.will bring neere my righteousnesse: it shall not be farre off, and my Salvation shall not tarry: and I will place Salvation in Sion for Israel my glory. GoeIsai. 48.20,21. ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldean with a voice of singing, declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth: say ye, The Lord hath redeemed his servant Iacob. And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts, he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out. The promises to this purpose are very many, and because it was an hard matter to perswade the faint and drooping spirit broken with long and grievous calamities, the Lord is pleased to confirme his promises by sundry arguments, some whereof we will here repeat, because the ample promises of their returne, and the repaire of the City and Temple, doth give some light what Covenant the Lord made with them after their returne.

First, God promiseth to deliver them, because they had been beloved of him of old time. I Isai. 43.3,4,
5,6.
Isai. 46.3,4.
am the Lord thy God, the holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransome, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Feare not, for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the East, and gather thee from the West. I will say to the North, Give up; and to the South, Keepe not back: bring my sonnes from farre, and my daughters from the ends of the earth. Even every one that is called by my Name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him, yea, I have made him.

Secondly, The Lord hath not sold them for price or gaine,there-