Scriptures Opened and Cases of Conscience Resolved, Jeremiah · Passage 3:6,11
Jer. 3. 6.
The Lord alſo ſaid to me in the days of Joſiah the King, Haſt thou ſeen that which back-ſliding Iſrael hath done? ſhe is gone up upon every high mountain, and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
V. 11 The backſliding Iſrael hath juſtified her ſelf more than treacherous Judah.
Qu. How can Judah be ſaid to be worſe than backſliding, and (for their Sin) divorced and deſtroyed Iſrael; eſpecially in the days of Joſiah when there was ſo eminent a reformation?
A. 1. Negatively: The Reaſon is not becauſe Judah was in every reſpect worſe than Iſrael, for it is ſaid Judah did rule with God, and was faithful with the Saints; that is, Gods Government in the poſterity of David, was preſerved among them in the civil State; See 2 Chro. 13. 8. to v. 13. And for matters of Religion, (though there were foul defections, Yet) they kept to the Ordinances and Officers which God had appointed, and which were tranſmitted to them by the Saints their faithful Forefathers, when-as Iſrael conſtantly followed the Calves (which deſtroyed them, Hoſ. 8. 6.) and fell quite from God to the Idolatry of Baal, 1 King. 18. 21.
2. Affirmatively: This may be ſpoken of Judah;
1. Becauſe they were exceeding Sinful; For.
1. They fell into that Idolatry whereof Iſrael was guilty; It is ſaid here, not only that Iſrael played the harlot, v. 6. but that Judah went and played the harlot alſo, v. 8. See what is ſaid before of Judah, v. 1, 2. and Jer. 19. 4, 5, 7, 13. See alſo 2 Chron. 33. 9. Ezek. 16. 47.
2. They were eminently guilty in looking after forbidden Confederacies, and truſting to Egypt and Aſhur and forrein aid, Jer. 2. 18. Iſa. 7. 20. & 8. 6. Ezek. 23. 11, 12, 13. 30, 31.
3. They were abominable in their practice, as we ſee, Jer. 7. 6. 9, 13. Ezek. 16. 49, 51, 52. It is expreſly ſaid, Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy ſins, v. 51.
2. Becauſe the ſin of Judah admitteth many aggravations beyond that of Iſrael, viz.
Becauſe they had more means of doing well than Iſrael had; for they enjoyed the Ordinances of God, and had Prieſts and Levites of God's own appointing that inſtructed them, 2 Chron. 30. 22. and Prophets that warned them that they ſhould not do as Iſrael did, Hoſ. 4. 15. And whereas the Kings of Iſrael were generally wicked they had better Kings to rule them, and when they fell into Sin under worſe Kings; They had divers godly Kings to reform them, as Aſa, Jehoſaphat, Hezekiah, yea Manaſſeh at laſt, 2 Chron. 33. 15, 16.
2. Becauſe they ſaw Iſraels Sin, and knew how by the Meſſengers of God it was cried out againſt; which if they had had any Zeal for God would have made them to have abhor'd it, for that's the nature of goodneſs and the fear of God, when men make void his Law, to love it the better, and keep cloſer to God, becauſe they ſee others run away from him, Pſal. 119. 126, 127, 128. Ruth. 1. 15, 16, 17. Joſh. 6. 68.
3. Becauſe they ſaw before their eyes the fearful Judgment of God upon Iſrael, that was ruined, carried into Captivity, (2 King. 18. 9. 11, 12.) and it is ſaid here, to have a Bill of divorce given her, v. 8. by which they ought to have been warned; but, though they ſaw all this, yet they went on ſtill in their evil way, Ezek. 23. 9, 10, 11. Nay, they did not profit by their own Corrections, Zeph. 3. 1. 27. Jer. 2. 30. Iſa. 1. 5.
4. Becauſe of their pride; They were not humbled before God, nor brought to ſtand in awe of him notwithſtanding all their Sin, and the fury of the Lord poured forth upon them for it, Jer. 44. 6. 10. but ſaid, they were innocent, Jer. 2. 35. and bore up themſelves as if all were well, by the Temple of the Lord, and their outward performances: This pride, whereby Judah was apt to boaſt of their integrity being compared with degenerate Iſrael, much heightened their Sin, Jer. 7. 4. 10, 11, 15. See Iſa. 65. 5. & 66. 5.
5. Becauſe of their Hypocriſy, Iſa. 9. 17. For though they turned to God in Joſiahs days, yet we find here, that it was not with all their hearts but feignedly, v. 10. It was backſliding Iſrael, but Treacherous Judah; and Treachery may be ſaid to be worſe than Apoſtacy, becauſe it looks better, and yet is not better, but is made worſe by a mocking of God. It's true that Joſiah was a glorious Reformer, but the Reformation was His, not Theirs; it was buried in Joſiahs grave: and as they were very bad before that Reformation, ſo they continued to be ſo in heart ſtill, and therefore their laſt deſtruction is fixed on the ſin of Manaſſeh, wherein they had a part, 2 Chron. 33. 9. and whereof they did not really repent (notwithſtanding that Joſiah made them (in and for his time) to ſerve God) but continued though (then) good in ſhew, ſtill bad in truth, Ezek. 4. 6. and ſo in the Captivity they paid for all together. See 2 King. 24. 3, 4. Jer. 15. 4.
Hence it followeth, 1. That all Sins are not equal, Joh. 19. 11.
2. That the beſt of Gods people (in ſome reſpects) may be (in other reſpects) the worſt, for the Ordinances and Means that they enjoy, the Mercies wherein they partake, and the Judgments whereof they are the beholders and wherein they are partners, together with the greater profeſſions which they make, make them the chief of Sinners, Matt. 11. 20. to v. 25.
3. That, howſoever people in the days of a Joſiah, and when a Spirit of Reformation worketh vigorouſly, cry up Reformation with their mouthes, yet their hearts are oft againſt it, 2 Chron. 20. 33. and they abhor to ſubject themſelves to divine diſcipline, only they are made (for a time) to do that to which they have no mind, 2 Chron. 34. 33.
4. And when Reformation is profeſſed, rejected, and Sin reſumed, then, a Nation is in danger to go more and more down the wind, till they run into utter ruine, as the Jews did after Joſiahs days. Reformation either prevents, or preceeds ruine.