Scriptures Opened and Cases of Conscience Resolved, Jeremiah · Passage 50:4,5
Jer. 50. 4, 5.
They ſhall go and ſeek the Lord their God; They ſhall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward.
Qu. What did the People of God intend in their flocking together? If it were to ſeek the Lord what need ſo much adoe? Is not he every-where?
A. The Text expreſſeth their great end to be to ſeek their God, and to enjoy him by asking and travelling the way to Zion.
Here then is, 1. The end. 2. The way. 3. The firm ſetting of their faces to walk in that way.
Firſt, the end is to ſeek the Lord their God as the Wife doth her own dear Huſband whom ſhe dearly wants, Hoſ. 2. 7. Cant. 3. 1, 2, 3. and 5, 6. John 20. 13, 15.
And the reaſon thereof is, becauſe they and their God had been long ſeparated, Hoſ. 5. 14, 15. It's true that God is every-where even in Babylon, as we ſee in the caſe of Eſther, Mordecai, Daniel, and the three Children; Inſomuch that Heathen enemies could ſay, out of their obſervation, of Gods appearing for his People, that if Mordecai were of the ſeed of the Jews, Haman ſhould ſure fall before him, Eſth. 6. 13. But yet, God is not every-where as he was in Zion, of which it is ſaid, This is my reſt for ever and here will I dwell, Pſal. 132. 14. Indeed, they ſaw his power in Babylon and his Providence, but not his Face and Countenance, Iſa. 8. 17. and 45. 15. Pſal. 80. 6, 7. Not but that they might ſee God in their Captivity if they looked after him with an eye of Faith, Dan. 6. 23. and thereby they lived while they were in that Condition, Hab. 2. 4. but they could not behold the beauty of the Lord in ſenſible manifeſtations as they did in the courts of his Houſe, Pſal. 27. 4. Thus therefore they ſeek him that they may ſee his Power and his Glory, So as they have ſeen him in his Sanctuary, Pſal. 63. 2. Therefore,
Secondly, Here's the way to enjoy their God as they had done, that is, by getting to Zion, which that they might do, they ask the way: Now there is a double asking,
1. By way of Prayer, Mat. 7. 7. and ſo theſe Jews, when they had Liberty to return from Babylon to their owncountrey, ſought, that is, beſought from God a right way, that is, a ſafe and ready way to Jeruſalem and Zion.
2. By way of enquiries, where-ever direction might be obtained. And ſo, there is a threefold asking the way to Zion, to wit,
1. To the earthly Zion, for they were to go thither by uncouth and unknown places; which the eldeſt of them, though they had gone once before, yet it was 70 years ago, and then, perhaps, not in the direct way, but ſuch ways as the enemy pleaſed to carry them: And the younger never went it.
2. To the Spiritual mount Zion, that is, to the communion of the Chriſtian Church, Heb. 12. 22, 23. Gal. 4. 26. So divers Jews of old have enquired how to get into Chriſt, and come to a Chriſtian State, Jo…. 9. 36. Act. 2. 36, 37, 38, 41. & 9. 6. And this alſo the ſo long rejected Jews will do, whenſoever it ſhall pleaſe God to call them; they will believe, that is, come into Chriſt and the Chriſtian Church, Rom. 11. 26, 27, 31. for Baptiſm (which is an ingraffing into Chriſt and imbodying into the Church) ſtill goeth along with Believing, Act. 2. 38. and Act. 8. 12, 13. 36, 37.
3. To the Heavenly Zion, which come in upon Coming to God and to Chriſt Spiritually and by Faith, as the happy end of it, John 10. 27, 28. Luke 23. 42, 43. The Thief that thus applied himſelf unto Chriſt, hath preſently a promiſe and a poſſeſſion of paradiſe: He that is a good member of the Church ſhall receive the bleſſing from the Lord, Pſal. 24. 3, 5. even Life for evermore, Pſal. 133. 3. See Iſa. 35. 10. coming to mount Zion firſt, brings to the Spirits of juſt men made perfect: at laſt, Heb. 12. 22, 23. To this may be referred the woman of Samaria, her enquiry of the place and way of worſhip, John 4. 19, 20, 21. it's like it was as looking after her Salvation, and therefore Chriſt tells her, Salvation is of the Jews, v. 22. and the way to it is not to go to mount Gerizzim, but to mount Zion; ſo ſhe calls out her City to the Saviour that was there, for Saviours come upon mount Zion, Obad. v. 21.
Thirdly, here's their firm reſolution to come to Zion, ſet forth in their carriage, poſture and deportment: It is with their faces thitherward.
This implieth three things: 1. That their intent was to get thither, as men intend to travel thither whither they ſet See Luke 9. 51. Ezek. 4. 3.their faces, not to that place on which they turn theirs backs.
2. Their great deſire to be there; the way and the journeys end are in their hearts, Pſal. 84. 5. Which is therefore accompanied with a ſuitable endeavour, and a contending againſt all difficulties, Pſal. 84. 6.
3. And the conſtancy alſo of their Reſolution to go on ſtill till they come thither, as they were wont to go from ſtrength to ſtrength till they met together in Zion to appear before God there, Pſal. 84. 7. They did fill up to follow after God, Numb. 14. 24. with, v. 4. It's all ſummed up in this, that God's Servants (eſpecially after God and they have been long aſunder) 1. Greatly deſire him, Iſa. 26. 8, 9. 2: Earneſtly feek after him, and early, Iſa. 26. 9. uſing all means, ſparing no Labour or Coſt, 1 Chron. 29. 3. for the enjoyment of him, Pſal. 63. 8. If God be not to be had in the Kingdom of Iſrael, they put the Key under the door, and go to Judah, 2 Chron. 11. 16. 2. They never reſt till they have found him, Cant. 3. 4. If this be not he, they will ſeek for another, Mat. 11. 13. John 20. 15. Moſes cannot find him in Pharaoh's court, and therefore he goes to ſeek him amongſt Gods afflicted people, Heb. 11. 24, 25. and there he found him.
They never lived with God really, that can live without him quietly.