God and that with a resolution to enter into Covenant with Him and such a Covenant as should never be forgotten but daily remembred and carefully performed You now see the Context Should I now divide the Text 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 it is 1. With all intention of spirit they aske the way to Zion with their faces thitherward 2. With fervent charitie 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 charitie calling and crying to one another in such a manner they set upon all was for this Let us joyne our selves to the Lord in an everlasting Covenant that shall 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 dutie 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 however 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 own heart with you is plainly this that 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 inviâ—lable Covenant to be 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 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of it that it is so Next the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} if you will how and in what manner this must be done Thirdly the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the grounds and reasons of it and so proceed to the Application For the first the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that it is so this will appeare 1. More generally upon receipt of any deliverance 2. More specially upon any deliverance from Babylon above all other 1. In generall 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 Hâ—reb To induce them thereunto Moses tefresheth their memory with the repetition or representation of the many deliverances God had given unto them out of Egypt 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 and Og the King of Bashan came out against us unto battell and we smote them c. What then Here is deliverance upon deliverance and the inference is Keep therefore the words of this Covenant and dâ—e them vers. 9. But that is the Covenant on Gods part you will say True 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 be speaks 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 only doe I make this Covenant and this oath but with him that standeth here with â—â— 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 strickâ—n 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 himselfe to them Thus then it was in the time of Moses No eminent deliverance went before but a solemne Covenant followed after * 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 King of Iudah When Zerah the Ethiopian infested his kingdome with an huge army even 1000000 and 300 Chariots a Chron. 14. Asa falls to praying God heard him they joyned battell Asa obtained the victory and carryed away very much spâ—â—le What was the issue Another Covenant For in Chap. 15. you shall finde that presently upon this God addresseth a Prophet to Asa Azariab the sonne of Oded to tell him and the people The Lord is with you while ye be with him And to encourage them to close with God he addes in vers. 7. Be ye strong therefore and let not your hands be weake for your worke shall be rewarded They must not only worke for God but be strong to his worke and that they might be so there was no way like to that of entring into a Covenant with him For so Asa understood it as appeares by the next words where it is said Asa when he heard these words tooke courage and although he had before done much in purging the Cities of Judah of
which may cause ambiguity touching the place you must put a difference between 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 Jordan Deut. 4. 48. but conceive it to be meant of 〈◊〉 or Zion in Hierusalem which was once the strong hold of the Jebusites 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 Citie over-looking all the rest and that the Jebusites having aboundantly fortified and victualled it still held all the dayes of Ioshua and long after albeit the Israelites possessed the rest of the Citie Iosh. 15. 63. But afterwards when David came against it even that strong hold which the Jebusites thought to be so invincible that in scorne of him and his siege they set up only a few blind lame people on the walles to defend it he conquered and called it the Citie of David because after he had wonne it himself 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 Hierusalem by a Synâ—chdoche 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 Iudgement 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 St Hierome interprets it whence God inspeciall manner watched over his people for Good there they seek his face and enquire of him before they presume to enter Covenant with him Now their addresse to this place is set forth in this Text by asking the way to Zion The word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} * 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 humble enquiry after some thing we know not Num 27â— 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 I will goe also yea many people and strange nations shall come to seeke the Lord of Hosts in Hierusalem and to pray before the Lord Zach. 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 seeke 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 and with suplications 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 in regard of themselves and with fervent Charity towards others For they must aske the way to Zion with 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 foote 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 goâ— to Hierusalem or as if he would goe to Hierusalem for which cause the Samaritanes would not receive him ver. 53. that is they would not entertayne him with any respect because that stedfast setting of his face towards Hierusalem * manifested by his very countenance and aspect that where ever his body was his heart was at Hierusalem 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 obstinataet imperterritamente 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 sayd 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 he would lay out his life and all
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 down 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 Jer. 50. 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 Prophecie terrible to Babylon but comfortable to the Church uttered and penned by the Prophet Ieremy about the fourth yeere both of the Babylonish captivitie and of the tributary reigne of Zedekiah The occasion this The Prophet having laboured about thirtie yeers to humble Judah by continually ringing in her eares the dolefull tydings of a sore captivitie approaching could not be beleeved But when once the quick and sad sense of their bondage under the Chaldean yoke had forced from them an acknowledgement of the truth of his prophecies 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 extreamitie with any hope of rescue This was Iudah's 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. yeeres and no longer after which they should have libertie of returne to their owne Land againe Howbeit the weight of their misery the absence of God who had cast them out of his sight together with the insolence and crueltie of their proud oppressors had throwne them downe 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 ther sight of deliverance promised was the greatnesse 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 How could they hope to be delivered when she that commanded the world detained them Shall the prey be taken from the Mightie or the lawfull captive delivered To cure them therefore of this desperate desponsion of minde 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 captivitie 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 self which he sent to Babylon by the hand of Scraiah Lord Chamberlaine to Zedekiah 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 Olyes 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 Idol 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 posteritie 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 Romane 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 Vers 1 2. and all to make way for the deliverance of the Church But what should be the meanes of such an unexpected destruction This was to be 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 and therefore ominous That these were the men appeares more fully by their description in the residue of this and of the 51. Chapter This Northern Army should be the confusion of Babylon the confusion of Babylon should prove the restoring of the Church vers. 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 return of the captive Jews from thence to Jerusalem 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 seek 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 70. yeeres determined when the Empire was first over-run and subdued by Cyrus the Persian For he made Proclamation of libertie to returne in the first yeere of his reigne 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
he hath upon for the accomplishment of it that was the resolution care of these people 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 Chron. 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 minde 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 be thought on to bind them hand and foot soule and body to the Lord for ever 2. Nor is this all For the men in my Text content not themselves to be thus earnestly addicted to the worke in their own particulars but as one stick 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 formalitie 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 keep 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 tâ—â—eturns also And this was often prophecyed as a thing which should certainly be 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 be 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 Charitie to draw others into the same Covenant also Thus much for the disposition previous to the Covenant 2. The next thing considerable in the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is the Substance of the Covenant it self 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 of this Act is set forth under this expression Let us joyne our selves to the Lord The original word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is very emphatical 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 between 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 signifyeth the binding of a mans self to the Usurer 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 We 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 Usurer 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 own 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 in the case of any man joyning himself to the Lord by Covenant he must even bind himself to God as firmely as fully as the poore borrower who for his necessitie takes up money binds himself to the Usurer If Godlend him any mercy any blessing he binds himself to restore not only the principall the blessing it self when God shall call for it but even the interest too I meane all possible homage service and honour which becomes those who have received so great a benefit This is more than implyed in that parable of our Saviour touching the talents dispensed Matth. 25. 27. for even to him who had received but one talent was it said Thou oughtest to have put my money to the Exchangers that at my coming I might have received mine own with usury God will have his returne some interest for every mercy and expects a Statute Staple that is a Covenant for his better securitie God will have him bound soul body estate life and all so as all he is and hath shall be forfeited if he do not keep touch and make payment according to agreement and Covenant made between them This is the first use of the word nilvn Secondly there is yet more in it For though it be true that the obligation of a borrower to the usurer be as strong as bonds and Statutes can make it yet there is not such an entire neere firme and lasting tye of the borrower to the Lender nor such a thorough interest in the whole estate of the Usurer as there is of him that is in Covenant with God The Usurer though he bind the poor borrower fast to him yet he keeps him at distance not giving him interest in or use of any other part of his estate but only of the summe borrowed But now this joyning of our selves to the Lord is such as is made by marriage and gives interest in all that the Lord is and hath and admits us to the participation of all the most intimate neerest choysest expressions of the deerest Love of God which is or can be found between the husband and the wife who are joyned together by the bond of marriage and made one flesh So the word is used Gen. 29. 34 where Leah being