yeeres determined when the Empire was first over-runne and subdued by Cyrus the Persian For he made Proclamation of libertie to returne 2 Chr. 36.22 in the first yeere of his Raigne And when they returned this was their deportment they went weeping and to seeke the Lord their God They goe not so much to repossesse their ancient patrimony and inheritance and to grow rich in the world as to seeke and finde the Lord their God and that with a resolution to enter into Covenant with Him and such a Covenant as should never bee forgotten but daily remembred and carefully performed You now see the Context Should I now divide the Text Actus I might shew you here First an Act expressed by their industry in setting upon a long and tedious journey to Zion They shall aske the way to Zion Secondly the manner how they manage this journey Modus it is 1. With all intention of spirit they aske the way to Zion with their faces thitherward 2. With fervent charity towards and mutuall zeale for each other to quicken and inflame one another to the same work saying Come Thirdly the end of their journey which with so much intention of spirit and inflamed charity calling and crying to one another in such a manner FINIS they set upon all was for this Let us joyne our selves to the Lord in an everlasting Covenant that shal not be forgotten I might easily also cast out these generals of the Text into many lesser branches but it is not now a time to trifle or to play with a Text. Yea I shall not distinctly prosecute all the parts already laid out but as the duty of this day requireth insist rather upon that which is the maine and bring in the other as subordinate thereunto by occasion afterwards in explication of the principall point For we see troopes in the Text bound for Zion and so hasty thitherward that they salute not any man by the way nor so much as looke aside any way they goe with their faces thitherward all the stay they make is but to call others along with them and amongst these us saying Come And what is the businesse the end of all this hast Nothing but this Let us joyne our selves unto the Lord in an everlasting Covenant c. This how ever it were last in execution yet was it first in their intention in the undertaking of this journey and therefore now must be principally insisted upon You see here a people loosed from the Babylonish captivitie and returning to Zion and in their returne to have this in their hearts in their mouthes and in their endeavours namely upon the receipt of this mercy to make speed to their God to enter into a new Contract and solemne Covenant with him So that now the chiefe and only point of instruction which I shall recommend to and presse upon you and mine owne heart with you is plainly this that The maine Observation or Doctrine When God vouchsafes any deliverance to his Church especially from Babylon then is it most seasonable and most necessary to close with God by a more solemne strict and inviolable Covenant to bee his and only his for ever In prosecuting this point wherein I resolve to be plaine and in earnest I shall first shew you the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it that it is so Next the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if you will how and in what manner this must be done Thirdly the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the grounds and reasons of it and so proceed to the Application i. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod sit That it is so For the first the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is so this will appeare 1. More generally upon receipt of any deliverance 2. More specially upon an deliverance from Babylon above all other 1. In generall 1. That it is so in the generall Proved 1. More generally that this use must be made of any deliverance appeares both by precept and example in holy Scripture We shall carry them along together In Deut. 29. you shall finde Moses requiring the people to enter into a speciall Covenant with God beside the solemne Covenant which he made with them and they with him in Horeb. Exod. 19.5 c. To induce them thereunto Moses refresheth their memory with the repetition or representation of the many deliverances God had given unto them out of Egypt The first solemne Covenant which they passed into was after their deliverance out of Egypt Vers 1. and in the wildernesse by the space of fortie yeeres together with the wonders and miracles which he daily wrought for them And in the seventh ver he tels them that when ye came into this place that is into the Land of Moab Sihon the King of Heshbon Og the King of Bashan came cut against us unto battell c. What then Here is deliverance upon deliverance and the inference is Keep therefore the words of this Covenant and do them verse 9. But that is the Covenant on Gods part you will say True A second Covenant about fortie yeeres after the first when they came neere to Canaan and shortly after were to enter into it but that is not all He therefore presseth them to an actuall personall Covenant on their parts and that upon consideration of so many deliverances This was his maine businesse with them at the Lords own command Therefore in vers 10. he thus bespeaks them Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God your Captaines of your tribes your Elders and your Officers with all the men of Israel your little ones your wives and thy stranger that is in thy Campe from the hewer of thy wood to the drawer of thy water that thou shouldst enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God and into his Oath which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day And in vers 14. he addeth Neither with you onely do I make this Covenant and this oath but with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord our God and also with him that is not here with us this day Thus you see a Covenant required stricken and ratified by solemne Oath of God and his people mutually to one another they binde themselves by solemne Oath to him as he by oath had bound himself to them Thus then it was in the time of Moses No eminent deliverance went before but a solemne Covenant followed after * As Moses drew the people into a Covenant before their entrance into Canaan so did Ioshua also after they were possessed of it Iosh 24.25.26 So did Iehoiada upon the deliverance of Iudah from the tyranny of that bloudy monster Athaliah 2 King 11.17 And To sweare a Covenant is no new device no humane invention nor arbitrary Action I will give you but one instance more among many of this kinde and it is that of Asa that good and religious
hands and setting to of their Seales by an Oath and by a curse binding themselves by all the most solemne and strongest bonds that possibly they could and all this in Publique and at a Publique Fast So that now the point is cleare That it is so and that the practise of Gods people hath ever beene upon any great deliverance especially from Babylon to enter into solemne Covenant with the Lord. Come we to the second branch propounded which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quomodo sit How this is to be done shewing in what manner this Covenant must be made and how men are to joyne themselves to the Lord in this Action This I shall demonstrate out of the bowels of the Text it selfe for therein may you see somewhat required 1. By way of disposition or preparation to it 2. In respect of the substance of it 3. In a three fold respect In regard of the properties belonging to it These being opened I shall give you a full view of this Text and performe my promise before made unto you The first thing to be unfolded is 1 Of the disposition requisite to strike a covenant with God Whereunto is required 1 the asking the way to Zion the disposition or preparation to the Covenant and this appeares in two things 1 In seeking seriously the face of God They shall aske the way to Zion 2 In the manner of their addresse unto him with their faces thitherward saying Come The first thing requisite to dispose qualifie and prepare men to strike a Covenant with God is a serious and humble seeking of the face of God They shall aske the way to Zjon And there first a word of the place toward which they were bound secondly of their contending and repaire to it under that expression of asking the way thither The place was Zion where first though it be but a Criticisme it is yet not unnecessary to be taken notice of because the word is often pronounced and written amisse which may cause ambiguity touching the place you must put a difference betweene Sihon or Sion and Zion for these were two different places and are written in the originall with two different Letters the former with ש 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other with צ you must not here understand this of the former namely of Mount Sihon which is all one with Hermon situate in the utmost confines of Israel North-East-ward neere unto Iordan Deut. 4.48 but conceive it to be meant of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Zion in Hierusalem which was once the strong hold of the Iebusites 2. How this is to bee done and held out longer unsubdued than any Peece belonging to that people For when Israel under the Conduct of Ioshua had conquered Iebus after called Hierusalem yet could they not winne Zion in it Zion was a strong Castle or Fort erected upon a rocky mount toward the South-west part of the City overlooking all the rest and that the Iebusites having abundantly fortified and victualled it still held all the daies of Ioshuah and long after albeit the Israelites possessed the rest of the City Iosh 15.63 But afterwards when David came against it even that strong hold which the Iebusites thought to be so invincible that in scorne of him and his siege they set up onely a few blinde and lame people on the walles to defend it he conquered and called it the City of David because after he had wonne it himselfe dwelt in it 2 Sam 5.7 This for the Topography Then you must know further that by Zion is sometimes meant the whole city of Ierusalem by a Synechdoche sometimes it was taken for the place of Gods worship in the Holy city or rather with reference to his Worship and presence there for that City being the Capitall City of the Kingdome where Thrones were set for judgement was also the speciall place which God chose to place his name in there were the Altars placed for Gods worship and thither the Tribes went up to worship because there God pleased to manifest his more speciall presence and to command the blessing for evermore Thither therefore these returning Captives repaired even unto Zion the Watch Towre as Saint Ierome interprets it whence God in speciall manner watched over his people for Good there they seek his face and enquire of him before they presume to enter Covenant with him from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beseech or pray Now their addresse to this place is set forth in this Text by asking the way to Zion The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it sometimes import the demanding of a thing which is a point of justice or equity to give as Gen. 34.14 yet is it usually applyed to note the seeking of some thing by humble prayers and intreaties so as it is not seldome put for prayer it selfe 2 Chro 20.4 and sometimes for an earnest and humble enquiry after some thing we know not Num 27.21 Deut 13.14 that we may be directed aright and pursue the direction with effect so here They aske the way to Zion and that of God not onely to seek of him a right way for them by fasting and prayer Ezra 8.21 but as resolving that somewhat should be done that they would walke in it and appeare before God in Zion for so much is intended here as is expressed more fully elsewhere viz. in Isay 2. verse 2.3 Mic. 4.1 2. where they not onely call on each other to undertake but they also performe the journey going up to the mountaine of the Lord. So the Prophet Zachary the inhabitants of one City shall goe to another saying Let us goe speedily to pray before the Lord and to seeke the Lord of Hosts c. Zac. 8.21.22 And how goe they not sleightly carelessely proudly but in all humility yea as in the verse before my Text even with weeping they shall seek the Lord their God with deepe humiliation and godly sorrow for all those sinnes whereby they had formerly broken his covenant and for which he had entred upon the forfeiture and laid those heavy afflictions upon their Loines Going and weeping they shall goe to seeke their God in Zion The very same thing was foretold before to shew the necessity of the duty touching Israel Ier. 31.9 They shall come with weeping with supplications will I lead them So then this is the first thing in this worke to dispose and prepare men for the Covenant namely to aske the way to Zion by a serious humble affectionate inquiring and seeking after God in his Ordinances even with many prayers and teares that he would be pleased to accept them Secondly the manner of their addresse is as necessary as the former It is not every manner that will serve the turne It must be done with all intention of spirit 2. In regard of the manner That is 1. With intention of Spirit in regard of themselves and with fervent Charity towards others For they must aske the way to Zion with
duties than in working up their hearts to that in dispensable pitch of heavenly resolution sincerely to strike through a religious and inviolable Covenant with their God Whereas without this all their labour will be utterly lost their expectations frustrate they take the glorious Name of God in vaine provoke the eyes of his glory more against them causing him infinitely to loath and abominate both their persons and service nor shall they ever by all their crying and sighing no not by whole rivers of teares be able to draw downe an arme of Mercy from Heaven to come and save them The more effectually therefore to provoke both my selfe and you at this time to the due performance of this most neglected but most necessary dutie I have thought fit in a very plaine and familiar way sutable to the nature of this exercise which ought to be as serious as solemne to worke and chafe into all our hearts the strength and spirit of that good Word of God which you shall finde written for our instruction in The Prophesie of the Prophet Ieremiah Chap. 50. V. 5. They shall aske the way to Zion with their faces thitherward saying Come and let us joyne our selves unto the Lord in an everlasting Covenant that shall not be forgotten WHich words are part of a Prophecy terrible to Babylon but comfortable to the Church uttered The Introduction to the maine Discourse and penned by the Prophet Ieremy about the fourth yeere both of the Babylonish captivity and of the tributary reigne of Zedekiah The occasion this The Prophet having laboured about thirtie yeeres to humble Iudah by continually ringing in her eares the dolefull tydings of a sore captivity approaching could not bee beleeved But when once the quicke and sad sense of their bondage under the Caldean Yoke had forced from them an acknowledgement of the truth of his Prophesies he found it as hard a taske to worke their hearts to any hope of deliverance For as it is a worke even insuperable to possesse a people ripe for destruction that any evill is neere them till the wrath of God breake in upon them and overwhelme them so is it a businesse of little lesse difficultie to hold up the spirits even of Gods owne people once cast under any great extremity with any hope of rescue This was Iudah case Before the Babylonian had laid this yoke on their necks God had plainly revealed and often inculcated that it should lye upon them just 70. yeares and no longer Ier. 25.11 29.10 after which they should have liberty of return to their own Land again Howbeit the weight of their misery the absence of God who had cast them out of his sight together with the insolence and cruelty of their proud oppressors had throwne them down so low in a disconsolate condition that nothing which God could either now say or doe was sufficient to raise up their hearts to any assurance of returne The same strength which Lust hath to draw men from obedience it will surely have afterwards to drive men from beleeving in their greatest necessities of living by faith The maine beame which stucke in their eyes to hinder their sight of deliverance promised was the greatenesse and invincible potency of the Chaldean Monarchy then in her pride and more especially the strength of Babylon the Queene and Mistresse of that puissant Empire Introduction How could they hope to be delivered when she that commanded the world detained them Shall the prey be taken from the Mighty Isay 49.24 or the lawfull captive delivered To cure them therefore of this desperate desponsion of mind the Lord stirred up this Prophet to foretell the totall and finall subversion and ruine of Babylon and of that whole Monarchy and further to declare from God that the desolation thereof should be the dissolution of the captivity of Iudah in it The better to assure them of all this Ieremiah wrote the whole Prophecy against Babylon contained in this Chapter and the next following in a Book by it selfe which he sent to Babylon by the hand of Seraiah Lord Chamberlaine to Zedekiah Ier. 51.59 and now going in an Embassie from his Master to great Nebuchadnezzar with Command from the Prophet that after the reading thereof to the captives he should binde a stone unto it and cast it into the midst of Euphrates with this saying pronounced over it Thus shall Babylon sinke and shall not rise c. But to hasten to my Text In the five first verses of this Chapter the Prophet summarily compriseth the substance of his whole Prophecy against Babylon declaring 1. her destruction 2. the Meanes 3. the consequent thereof to the people of God And first he makes Proclamation and an Oiyes as it were to all the world to come and behold the Great Worke he was to doe against Babylon the chiefe Citie of the Empire against Bell the chiefe Idoll of that Citie and against Merodach the glory both of that Citie and Empire yea though the King then reigning when God meant to destroy it should prove as potent as that great King the first of that name who for restoring the declining Empire to her ancient Splendor and for translating the Imperiall Seat from Nineve to Babylon was by posterity worshipped as a God and transferred his name to all his successors as the name of Pharaoh to the Egyptian Kings of Benhadad to the Syrian Monarchs and of Augustus to the Roman Emperours Although all these should be joyned together to withstand the downfall of that Monarchy yet desolation should be brought over them all they should all be confounded and removed for ever Verse 1.2 and all to make way for the deliverance of the Church But what should bee the meanes of such an unexpected destruction This was to bee done by an Army from the North that is by the Medes and Persians both of which but more especially the Medes were situated towards the North from Babylon Omne malum ab Aquilone and therefore ominous That these were the men appeares more fully by their description in the residue of this and of the 51. Chap. This Northerne Army should bee the confusion of Babylon the confusion of Babylon should prove the restoring of the Church ver 3. And the restoring of the Church should produce a Covenant with God For behold the issue and consequent of the ruine of Babylon was the returne of the captive Iewes from thence to Ierusalem and a renewing Covenant with him that had shewed such mercy on them vers 4.5 For in those dayes and in that time saith the Lord the children of Israel shall come they and the children of Iudah together going and weeping they shall goe and seeke the Lord their God They shall aske the way to Zion with their faces thitherward saying Come and let us joyne our selves to the Lord in an everlasting Covenant that shall not be forgotten This began to be fulfilled at the end of seventy
their faces thitherward saying Come Their intention and fervency of spirit wherewith they set upon this worke is set forth under that Hebraisme of asking the way to Zion with their faces thitherward This phrase is usually an expression of the greatest intention fervency and contention of mind that can be in the pursuit of any businesse on foot or of any way wherein a man is going Such a phrase you have in Luke 9.51 where it is said of CHRIST that he stedfastly set his face to goe to Ierusalem or as if he would goe to Ierusalem for which cause the Samaritanes would not receive him ver 53. that is they would not entertaine him with any respect because that stedfast setting of his face towards Ierusalem * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He will no longer turne aside hither and thither and go about their villages and Cities Tit. Bost in Luc. 9. manifested by his very countenance and aspect that where ever his body was his heart was at Ierusalem which the Samaritanes could not brooke and that nothing in the world could take him off from that journey or so farre prevaile with him as to make him linger or loyter upon the way no entreaties feare shame nor any thing could stay him but obstinata imperterrita mente locum petiit as it is exprest by Bede He was no way afraid or ashamed to be seene and knowne whither he was bound and what he was going about When therefore it is here said they shall aske the way to Zion with their faces thitherward the thing meant thereby is that they shall set upon this work with their whole heart with their whole man without any feare or being ashamed or unwilling to owne the businesse but they shall doe it thoroughly and affectionately without wavering lingring halting they shall doe it boldly presently openly indefatigably and continually In a word whatsoever can be said or thought upon to set forth the utmost intention of a mans Spirit in any worke that his heart is most set upon and that hee would lay out his life and all that he hath upon for the accomplishment of it that was the resolution and care of these people and must be ours this is to aske the way to Zion with our faces thitherward And without this no entring into Covenant with God This is for substance no other though otherwise expressed than that of the people in Asa his time when they sware the Covenant before mentioned 2 Chronicles verse 15. where it is said they did it with all their heart and with all their soule and exprest it by the loudnesse of their voyces and with shoutings c. rejoycing at the Oath because they had sworne with all their hearts and sought him with their whole desire vers 15. Men that will stand disputing consulting with flesh and bloud and casting about how the entring into such a Covenant may consist with their profits honours lusts designes relations c. are no fit Covenanters for God His people shall be willing Psal 110.3 their heart mind spirit body countenance all shall professe and proclaime this to the whole world that they are for God for a Covenant for putting themselves into the strongest bonds that can possibly bee thought on to bind them hand and foot soule and body to the Lord for ever 2. With charity towards others 2. Nor is this all For the men in my Text content not themselves to be thus earnestly addicted to the worke in their owne particulars but as one sticke kindles another they desire to kindle the same flame of affection in others also and mutually to blow up the Coales in one another saying Come This notes the fervency of their Charitie towards others also For 't is not here brought in as a formality or complement but as the evidence of a strong desire to draw as many others as they can to the same journey and if it be possible to keepe the same pace with them as being most unwilling to leave any behind them This indeed is true Love unfained Charitie to draw all we can along with us unto God True Converts when once they returne themselves They cause others to returne also And this was often prophesied as a thing which should certainely bee Witnesse all those places in Isay 2. Mic. 4. and Zach. 8. before quoted So then all these things are requisite and previous to the Act of Covenanting with God There must bee a seeking to God with true Humiliation a seeking of him with all intention of spirit and with all manifestations of a resolution not to be terrified from daunted at or ashamed of the worke yea with fervent Charity to draw others into the same Covenant also Thus much for the disposition previous to the Covenant 2. The next thing considerable in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Substance of the Covenant 2. The Substance of the Covenant Both in respect it selfe Let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a Covenant Two things here must be opened the matter and the forme of this solemne action 1. The matter 1. Of the matter of this Act is set forth under this expression Let us joyne our selves to the Lord. The originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is very emphaticall so as that word being explained will sufficiently set out before you the nature of the Covenant here intended Some Translators render it Let us glue our selves unto the Lord which imports a conjunction so neere as nothing can come betweene and so firme as nothing can dissolve But more particularly the verb here used is in Scripture applyed to a double sense or to denote two things both of which being set together will fully discover what it is to be joyned to the Lord in Covenant First it signifieth the binding of a mans selfe t the Vsurer of whom he hath borrowed money to pay backe both principall and interest So it is used in Nehem. 5.4 where the people complaine Wee have borrowed money * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Kings tribute and that upon our Lands and Vineyards That is they had engaged both Lands and Vineyards for securitie of the money borrowed that the Vsurer should enter upon all in case they failed of payment at the day So that as men to make sure will have a Statute Staple or recognisance in the nature of a Statute Staple acknowledged whereby a mans person goods lands and all are bound for the securitie of the Creditor that he shall have both principall and interest at the day agreed upon and here that of Solomon proves too true The borrower is servant to the lender for he hath nothing left to his owne dispose if he would sell any land settle any joyncture there is a Statute upon it he can dispose of nothing till that be taken off so it is