Scriptures Opened and Cases of Conscience Resolved, Jeremiah · Passage 50:5
Jer. 50. 5.
Come, Let us join our ſelves unto the Lord, in a perpetual Covenant that ſhall not be forgotten.
Qu. What was the main end of the People of God in ſeeking their God in Zion?
A. It was, 1. In general, to join themſelves unto the Lord; 2. In particular, to join themſelves to him by way of Covenant, 3. And that a perpetual Covenant, never to be forgotten.
Firſt, to join themſelves to the Lord] from whom they had been long disjoined two ways.
1. By their Sin and Diſobedience, Iſa. 59. 1, 2. eſpecially, the ſin of Idolatry, Jer. 2. 11. 13. Thereby they left their firſt Husband, Hoſ. 2. 7. and joined themſelves to Idols, Pſal. 106. 28. Hoſ. 2. 17. unto which we may add, the ſin of infidelity, and their reſting on Heathen-help which was another Idolatry; for they forſook God and fled to them, Iſa. 57. 13. Jer. 2. 17, 18, 19. Hoſ. 7. 10, 11, and theſe things at laſt cauſed. God to depart quite from them: Now when they returned to him, and meditated a Conjunction with him, then they expreſly renounced both theſe evils, Hoſ. 14. 3, 8. and bound themſelves by Covenant, to do all God's Commandments, Neh. 9. 29.
2. They were disjoined from the Lord by the ruine of Church and State, and their long-continued Captivity, whereby they were ſet far from the Lords Land, Hoſ. 9. 3. deprived of the Lords Ordinances, of the Lords wonted Protection, of his wonted Proviſion, and that ſo far as that they did eat their own Children, Lament. 2. 20. No marvel therefore if they ſet their Faces towards Zion, (when God ſet them free from Babylon) for the re-enjoying of God and all his Goodneſs. And thus alſo when Chriſt was come and the Goſpel preached, they glewed themſelves unto the Lord (as the word is, 1. Cor. 6. 17) that were before un-glewed; the Gentiles altogether, Eph. 2. 12. and the Jews in a great meaſure; ſee Act. 17. 34. Gentiles glewed, and Act. 2. 41. Jews added, for the converted both of Jews and Gentiles were Baptized, and thereby entred into an Oath as it were, to ſtick faſt unto Jeſus Chriſt, as his faithful Servants and Soldiers unto their Lives end: So alſo the rejected Jews (ſo long diſjoined) when the Lord ſhall pleaſe to call them, ſhall be joined to the Lord, or (as the Scripture ſpeaks) be graſſed again, Rom. 11. 23, 24.
Secondly, This joining is here ſaid to be, by way of Covenant] And that
1. Becauſe this hath ever been Gods way of Conjunction with himſelf; to wit, by a Covenant of Works before man's fall, and then a Covenant of Grace, which hath been ſince, and which will ever be, for it is an everlaſting Covenant: ſo, at Chriſt's coming, when the Jews were invited to Chriſt and to Chriſtianity, it was done by preſenting unto them the Promiſes, Act. 2. 39. and they were called upon under the Title of the Children of the Covenant, Act. 3. 25, 26. when the Gentiles alſo came unto the Church, it was in a way of Covenant, and upon Covenant-terms, thus expreſſed, I will call them my People that were not my People, Rom. 9. 25, 26. And the calling of the Jews at laſt we find to be upon a Covenant-account, Rom. 11. 27.
2. Becauſe they needed greatly, and now expected a reſtauration by the pardon of their ſin, and reſtoring of their ſtate, Jer. 33. 7, 8. Hoſ. 14. 4, 5. Now the forgiving of ſin, Jer. 31. 34. prevention of danger and recovery from Church-calamity, Neh. 9. 32. hath ſtill been in a way of Covenant (Levit. 26. 42.) according to the Law of God called the book of the Covenant, 2 King. 23. 2. ſee 2 Chron. 15. 12. & 29. 10. 2 Chron. 34. 31, 32. Ezra 10. 2; 3. Neh. 9. 38.
3. Becauſe a Covenant ſets all right on both ſides, binding man to the duty that God expecteth, and in that way giving him an aſſurance of the good that God promiſeth: ſee Deut. 19. 16. to the end. Peace therefore and all good is like to be had, nay, is ſure to be had by Covenant-making, and Covenant-keeping; for Covenant-mercy will never be wanting where there is a care of Covenant-duty, Dan. 9. 4.
4. Becauſe, at Chriſt's coming (to which this Prophecy refers) the whole Church, conſiſting of Jews and Gentiles, was to be joined to the Lord in a New-Teſtament, (Heb. 8. 10, 11, 12, 13. and 9. 15.) that is, in a new-adminiſtration of the old and ever-abiding Covenant of Grace: So that comprehending Goſpel-times within this Prophecy, and thoſe Jews that came in them, there was a new Work to be done, and a new way of God to be walked in, though not for ſubſtance; that is, a reformed and refined way, Heb. 9. 10. unto which they that would then join themſelves to the Lord muſt apply themſelves, Joh. 4. 23, 24.
Thirdly, this is deſcribed to be a perpetual Covenant never to be forgotten, which is true of every Covenant made with God according to his will; but two reaſons may be given why this expreſſion is here uſed, viz.
1. Becauſe the old Covenant, that is, the Covenant in the old adminiſtration, was broken and forgotten by the Body of the Jews, Jer. 31. 32 Heb. 8. 9. for indeed, they turned it into a Covenant of Works, Ro. 9. 32 and ſo break wilfully what they could not keep perfectly, whereby they were diſregarded and deſtroyed, albeit it was not ſo in thoſe times with the faithful, who looking upon it as a Covenant of Grace, did by Grace derive it from that done in new-Teſtament-times, acceptably keep it, and obtained pardon through Chriſt for the breaches of it. But now in the new-Teſtament, there is (for thoſe that be really and inwardly within the Covenant) Grace to keep it, ariſing from what hath been done in theſe Goſpel-times, and from Goſpel-diſpenſations, when the Law impoſed an hard task and gave no ſtraw or ſtrength whereby to perform it, Heb. 7. 19. And withal now there is a greater meaſure of Grace both for Obedience and Perſeverance, whereby the Covenant becomes more clearly, than ever heretofore, a perpetual Covenant, not only in regard of the gracious reſolution of thoſe that be in it to keep it and to keep cloſe to God for ever; not only in regard of a greater Power of Grace to make good this reſolution, but alſo by a clearer manifeſtation that God himſelf will make it good: for thus the Covenant runs; I will make an everlaſting Covenant, for I will not turn away from them and I will put my fear into their hearts that they ſhall not depart from me, Jer. 32. 40. ſince therefore it cannot fail on either part, it muſt needs be perpetual.
2. Becauſe, the new-Teſtament adminiſtration ſhall continue to the end of the World, Matt. 28. …0. 1 Cor. 11. 26. Heb. 7. 21, 22, 24.
Now in this coming in for this glorious end, they encourage one another, come and let us join our ſelves, for they that come to God in good earneſt love and move to have many with them, Act. 26. 29. for Gods greater glory, Pro. 14. 28. the better drawing in of others, and their own greater comfort by a greater company: ſee Iſa. 2. 3 Zech. 8. 21. &c. Joh, 1. 41, 42, 45. & 4. 28, 29