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fpoilers to a perpetual defolation ". If there was any preference between these guilty nations, it belonged to the ten tribes: because, instead of being warned by their awful fate, the Jews continued in the fame wicked courfe; or when they profeffed to repent, did it hypocritically. "I faw," faith God, "when for all the caufes "whereby backfliding Ifrael committed adul66 tery, I had I had put her away, and given her a bill "of divorce: yet her treacherous fifter feared "not, but went and played the harlot alfo.-Yet "for all this her treacherous fifter Judah hath "not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, faith the LORD. And the LORD faid "unto me, The backfliding Ifrael hath juftified "herself more than treacherous Judah."

There is thus no room left to fuppofe, that God rejected the ten tribes because of their apoftacy, and retained that of Judah, as faithfully adhering to him. Both apoftatized; and Judah is represented as the moft guilty of the two. What reafon then can we affign for the difference of their fate? God was pleafed to difplay his own fovereignty." He refused the tabernacle of Jo

feph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: but "chofe the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which "he loved " As little are we to imagine that he left the Ifraelites, because they refused to return to his ordinances; and preferved the Jews, because they obeyed his voice in forfaking their courfes

h 2 Chron. xxviii. 2.-15.

k Pfal. Ixxviii, 67, 68.

i Jer. iii. S.-I.

courses of apoftacy. For we have feen that Judah turned only feignedly. He could juft as eafily have retained the ten tribes in adherence to his worship, or recovered them from their apoftacy, as he did the Jews. But he would make it evident that the prefervation of his ordinances proceeded folely from himfelf; and that the fafety of Judah depended on his immutable covenant; whereas the kingdom of Ephraim had no fuch fecurity. "Jehoram walked in the way of "the kings of Ifrael, like as did the houfe of A"hab.-Howbeit the LORD would not deftroy the "houfe of David, because of the covenant that "he had made with David, and as he promi"fed to give a light to him and to his fons for "ever.".

We have thus a remarkable figure of the difference of the divine conduct towards thofe who make the fame profeffion. He fuffers fome to "draw back to perdition," while he preferves others, or reclaims them from many partial apoftacies, although in themselves no better than the former. He fhews that it is He only who "ma"keth to differ." The light of one he permits to be extinguifhed; that of another he makes to" fhine more and more unto a perfect day." He hath been pleafed to leave the one under the power of the old covenant. The other hath been brought into the bond of the new; and notwithstanding daily departures, and fometimes

Dd 4

of

12 Chron. xxi. 6, 7.

of a very heinous nature, he "remembers his holy covenant."

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He afflicts them for their iniquities; but it is in measure. "Hath he finitten him, as he smote "thofe that fmote him? or is he flain according "to the flaughter of thofe that are flain by him? "In measure when it fhooteth forth, thou wilt "debate with it: he ftayeth his rough wind in "the day of the east-wind. By this, therefore, "shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this "is all the fruit to take away his fin m." No period is limited in the threatenings of the defolations of Ephraim. But as Tyre was to be "for

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gotten seventy years, according to the days of "one king "," God would fuffer Judah to be afflicted only for the fame period, that is, during the ordinary term of the life of a man, the days of whofe years are threefcore years and ten°: as if he would give us an emblem of the afflictions of his own children, which continue only during this prefent life, in which they receive all their "evil things "," whereas the punishment of others is eternal.

iv. The Lord continued his kindness to Ju dah, for David's fake. It is generally allowed, that he was the most illuftrious perfonal type of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who is often exprefsly call. ed by his name 9; and in this refpect he eminently prefigured him, that, after his death, ma

m Ifa. xxvii. 7.-9. p Luke xvi. 25.

28.; Hof. iii. 5.

q Jer, xxx, 9.; Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24.; xxxvii. 24.—

ny fignal mercies were conferred on his kingdom for his fake. On this account God would not utterly cut off the tribe of Judah, nor even dethrone his pofterity, notwithstanding their wickedness. Solomon was chargeable with great apoftacy. But the LORD would not deprive him of any part of the kingdom, nor his fon of the whole, "for David his fervant's fake." Abijam, one of his defcendants, was a wicked king. "Ne

"vertheless, for David's fake did the LORD his "God give him a lamp in Jerufalem, to fet up "his fon after him, and to establish Jerufalem : "becaufe David did that which was right in the

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eyes of the LORD, and turned not afide from

any thing that he commanded him all the days "of his life, fave only in the matter of Uriah "the Hittite "." Joram "walked in the way of "the kings of Ifrael, as did the houfe of Ahab. "Yet the LORD would not deftroy Judah for "David his fervant's fake t."

God had refpect to the obedience and fufferings of this man" after his own heart." He allowed his people to use this as their plea: "Lord, "remember David and all his afflictions. For

thy fervant David's fake, turn not away the "face of thine anointed." Nor was their plea rejected. This was his gracious anfwer; "There

will I make the horn of David to bud: I have "ordained a lamp for mine anointed. His ene"mies will I clothe with fhame: but upon him"felf

r1 Kings xi. 12, 13. 32. 34. t2 Kings viii. 18, 19.

s1 Kings xv. 1.-5.

"felf fhall his crown flourish "."" My mercy "will I keep for him for evermore, and my co"venant shall stand faft with him. His feed al"fo will I make to endure for ever, and his throne "as the days of heaven "."

David at times feems to plead his own merit, and to fpeak in language inconfiftent with that fenfe of unworthinefs which he elfewhere expreffes, and which always becomes a tranfgreffor. One while we find him faying, "The LORD re"warded me according to my righteoufnefs, ac

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cording to the cleannefs of my hands hath he "recompenfed me "." At another time he speaks very differently; "Enter not into judgment with.

thy fervant for in thy fight fhall no man li"ving be juftified ." Did the royal prophet contradict himfelf? No, furely. But in the latter paffage, he speaks properly in his own perfon, as a finful man. In the former, he perfonates the juft One, whofe "word was in his tongue."

As God promifed that he would not destroy Judah for David's fake, he gives his people a precious type of the ground on which he preferves them in a ftate of grace, notwithstanding the multitude of their provocations. It is not for their own, but for Chrift's fake. He ever remembers all the afflictions of our New-Teftament David, his obedience unto death. Therefore he will not utterly caft us off, although we daily deferve it.

u Pfal. cxxxii. 1. 10. 17, 18.

Pfal. xviii. 20.

Under

Pfal. lxxxix. 28, 29.

x Pfal. cxliii. z.