Scriptures opened and sundry cases of conscience resolved, in plain and practical answers to several questions, upon the proverbs of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel / by that faithful servant of Jesus Christ, William Thomas ...

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 Zi∣on?

A. It was, 1. In general, to join them∣selves unto the Lord; 2. In particular, to join themselves to him by way of Cove∣nant, 3. And that a perpetual Covenant, never to be forgotten.

First, to join themselves to the Lord] from whom they had been long disjoin∣ed 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 them∣selves to Idols, Psal. 106. 28. Hos. 2. 17. unto which we may add, the sin of in∣fidelity, 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 ex∣presly renounced both these evils, Hos. 14. 3, 8. and bound themselves by Co∣venant, 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 Pro∣tection, of his wonted Provision, and that so far as that they did eat their own Children, Lament. 2. 20. No marvel there∣fore 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 alto∣gether, 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 Gen∣tiles were Baptized, and thereby entred

into an Oath as it were, to stick fast unto Jesus Christ, as his faithful Ser∣vants and Soldiers unto their Lives end: So also the rejected Jews (so long dis∣joined) 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 Christiani∣ty, it was done by presenting unto them the Promises, Act. 2. 39. and they were called upon under the Title of the Chil∣dren 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 Peo∣ple, 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. pre∣vention 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 Co∣venant-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 Gos∣pel-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 refi∣ned 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 per∣petual Covenant never to be forgotten, which is true of every Covenant made with God according to his will; but two rea∣sons 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 Cove∣nant of Works, Ro. 9. 32 and so break wilfully what they could not keep per∣fectly, whereby they were disregarded and destroyed, albeit it was not so in those times with the faithful, who look∣ing 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 Cove∣nant) 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, where∣by the Covenant becomes more clearly, than ever heretofore, a perpetual Co∣venant, not only in regard of the gra∣cious 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 re∣solution, but also by a clearer manifesta∣tion 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 ad∣ministration 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 glori∣ous 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