Scriptures Opened and Cases of Conscience Resolved, Jeremiah · Passage 3:16
Jerem. 3. 16.
And it ſhall come to paſs, when ye be multplied and encreaſed in the Land, in thoſe days ſaith the Lord, they ſhall ſay no more, The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, neither ſhall it come to mind, neither ſhall they remember it, neither ſhall they viſit it, neither ſhall it be done any more.
Qu. Whence is it, or what is meant by it, that it is ſaid, with ſuch variety of expreſſions, that when the People of God be multiplied and encreaſed in the Land, the Ark of the Lord ſhould be no more mentioned or minded?
A. Theſe words are two ways expounded.
1. To ſhew that when they returned out of Captivity and encreaſed and multiplied in their own Land, there ſhould then be a great unity between the Houſe of Judah, and the Houſe of Iſrael (as is ſaid v. 18) notwithſtanding the great difference between them and their continual oppoſing one another from the days of Rehoboam unto the Captivity; all which time Iſrael was lift up, as by their outward proſperity, ſo by their invented Pompous Service at Dan and Bethel againſt Judah. And Judah, on the other ſide, took heart againſt Iſrael, by their retaining and enjoying of the Ark and Ordinances of God, 2. Chron. 13. 8. to v. 13. But being returned to their own Country, they ſhould ſo far profit by the Captivity, as (renouncing all Idols) to join together in the ſame inſtituted Service at Jeruſalem, Hoſ. 14. 3. Amos 5. 5. Hoſ. 2. 17. Whereas ever ſince the revolt of the ten Tribes, the controverſy between them and Judah was maintained (as controverſies uſe to be, John. 4. 9.) by their ſeveral ways of worſhip, 2 Chron. 13. 8. &c.
2. But the words are by the greater number of Expoſitors underſtood thus; viz. that by multiplying and increaſing in the Land, is meant the encreaſe of the Church by the preaching of the Goſpel, and the Law and Doctrin which went forth from Jeruſalem, Iſa. 2. 3. And the nation of the Jews unto whom firſt the Goſpel came, Act. 13. 46. And ſo the meaning of the words is conceived to be this; That the Meſſiah being come, and the Goſpel being preached among the Gentiles, all the ceremonies of the Law figuring out the things of the Goſpel (whereof the Ark was chief, Iſa. 4. 21, 22.) ſhould ceaſe and be aboliſhed; and the multitude of the Chriſtian Church, conſiſting both of Jews and Gentiles (but owned by the Jews from whom that Word by which the Gentiles were converted, proceeded Iſa. 49. 20, 21, …2.) ſhould meet together to call on the name of the Lord, Rom. 10. 12, 13. 1 Cor. 1. 2. Act. 9. 11. as it is ſaid here v. 7. They ſhall come to the name of the Lord, even to that name, Act. 4. 12. & 15. 14. The former expoſition makes the words a Prophecy of the Uniting of Judah and Iſrael in the Old-Teſtament Service appointed of God. The latter holds them forth as a Prophecy of the Uniting of Jews and Gentiles, by the taking away of the Partition-wall of Old-Teſtament Worſhip by which they had been ſo long ſeparated the one from the other.
This latter expoſition ſeems the more probable:
1. Becauſe the uſing of ſo many expreſſions (as it were) for the outing of the Ark, may be conceived to ſuggeſt and ſignifie rather the decay and vaniſhing of the Old-Teſtament Worſhip, Heb. 8. 13. than a concurrence in it; and that in the days of the Meſſiah, when by the preaching of the Goſpel Believers ſhould be multiplied, Act. 5. 14. all thoſe old ceremonial things that formerly were highly prized (becauſe ordained of God, and of very good uſe to the people of God then ſhould (as the words import * c Marg.in the laſt part of this verſe) be no more magnified, as they were before, by the peoples viſits from all parts; I ſay, they ſhould be no more magnified, nor mentioned in compariſon with that Worſhipping of God in ſpirit and truth which the Goſpel ſhould bring in, Job. 4. 23, 24. Phil. 3. 3, 4, 5, 8. So that will be ſomewhat like that other Prophecy (extended alſo to Goſpel-times) Jer. 23. 7, 8. They ſhall no more ſay, The Lord liveth that brought the children out of Egypt, but that brought them out of the North, that is, one ſhould not be named (as it were) on the ſame day with the other. No more ſhould the Old-Teſtament Adminiſtration being compared with the New-Teſtament Conſtitution, at the time of Reformation, Heb. 9. 14. or rather (becauſe the deliverance out of Egypt is ever to be remembred as a real help to Faith and Obedience in all ages) it is like that of the Prophet Haggai, Chap. 2. 7, 8▪ 9. who informs us that the latter Houſe ſhould be incomparably, greater than the former; becauſe though there was abundance of Silver and Gold in the firſt Temple built by Solomon, yet the ſecond Temple was far more glorious and deſirable, becauſe Chriſt the deſire of all Nations came to it: So that the more of Chriſt there is in any …hing the leſs conſiderable it makes any other thing wherein he is not, or wherein he is leſs; what was the Ark to Noah (the Jewel laid up in that Cab net) O what is any Ark, and how unworthy to be named in compariſon of Jeſus Chriſt!
2. This latter Expoſition may be preferred, becauſe though the Tribe of Judah returned out of Captivity and did encreaſe and multiply in their own Land; yet the body of Iſrael did not return (albeit there were ſome of that body mixed with them) to join with Judah in the Temple-Service.
3. Becauſe it is ſaid here that all the nations ſhall be gathered to the name of the Lord, v. 17. which tho ſome apply to the ten Tribes as being a numerous company, 2 Chron. 13. 8. yet becauſe of the latitude of the expreſſion, and the uſe of it in other parts of Scripture, it ſeems more properly to denote all Nations generally, or all nations indifferently, and ſo to include both Jews and Gentiles meeting together and cloſing one with another in the Evangelical Worſhip, in that new Jeruſalem, which is the mother of us all, Gal. 4. 26.
Yet theſe two Expoſitions may be in ſome ſort conjoined, if we make the Conjunction of the Jews and thoſe of Iſrael that returned with them out of Captivity and their aſſociating one with another in the Jeruſalem-worſhip, a glympſe, Fore-runner, and fore-ſhewer of that greater gathering together both of Jews and Gentiles in the latter days.
So that the deſires of all Nations in Goſpel-times ſhould be, not the ſhadows of Chriſt, but Jeſus Chriſt himſelf and that Name of his which is as Ointment poured forth, of ſo good a ſavour that they have hard hearts, yea harlots hearts that are not taken with him, for they that are Virgins do therefore love him, Cant. 1. 3.