Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord
All of them were children by national adoption, and some by
special grace, and yet "backsliders", O monstrous ingratitude!
"backsliders", and yet "children", still the relation continues,
O marvellous grace! God's own children may backslide, and often
do; either in heart, when love waxes cold, faith declines, zeal
wanting; when they get into a carnal sleepy frame of spirit, and
have not that quick sense of sin, and of duty, as heretofore: or
in practice, when private prayer is restrained; public worship is
neglected; get into bad company, and fall into gross sins; all
which is owing to the prevalence of indwelling sin, the force of
Satan's temptations, and the enticing snares of the world; but
God will not leave them, he calls unto them again and again to
turn unto him by repentance, and to doing their first works;
which calls, at length, through powerful grace, become effectual;
see ( Jeremiah
3:22 ) and the arguments used to engage to it follow,
for I am married unto you;
in a civil sense as a nation, ( Jeremiah
31:32 ) , and in a spiritual sense to a remnant of them;
Christ is the bridegroom, the church is the bride, which he has
secretly betrothed to himself in eternity; openly in time, at the
conversion of everyone of them; and will more publicly at the
last day, when all are gathered in and prepared for him. This
relation, as it is a very near one, so it is very astonishing,
considering the disparity between the two parties, and it always
continues; love, the bond of it, never alters; the covenant, in
which this transaction is carried on, is ever sure; and Christ
always behaves agreeably to it; wherefore it is base ingratitude
to backslide; and reason there is sufficient why his backsliding
spouse should return to him. The Septuagint version is, "because
I will rule over you." agreeable to which is Jarchi's note,
``because I am your Lord, and it is not for my glory, (or honour) to leave you in the hand of enemies.''Kimchi's father interprets the word used by (ytuq) , "I loath you", or I am weary of you; the reverse of which is the Targum,
``for I am well pleased with you;''and so the Syriac version, "I delight in you"; which carries in it a much more engaging argument to return, and agrees with what follows: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family: