Two and twenty lectures upon the five first chapters of Jeremiah With prayers annexed,…Tvvo and tvventie lectures vpon the fiue first chapters of Ieremiah With prayers annexed,…

Vers. 2. Lift up thine eyes to the high places, that is, to the little hills or mountains, and behold in what place, thou hast not played the harlot: thou hast sitten waiting for them in the ways, namely to allure them, as the Arabian in the wilderness, and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms, and with thy malice.

Vers. 2. Lift vp thine eyes to the high places, that is, to the little hils or mountaines, and behold in what place, thou hast not played the harlot: thou hast sitten waiting for them in the wayes, namely to allure them, as the Arabian in the wildernesse, and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredomes, and with thy malice.

For as much as the Prophet had taxed the Jews for such as were become common; and that they made no choice at all who were one, so they might be the other: even like loose strumpets, after they are grown past shame; lest they should make their replies, and also lest at any time they should allege, that they never so much as meant to commit such an offence: he makes them (as it were) their own judges. Lift up (saith he) thine eyes to the high places, and behold: that is, I produce testimonies manifest enough, for there is not the least mountain in the land, whereon thou hast not played the harlot with thine idols. For we have seen before, and shall have occasion ⟨p. 144⟩oft times in this prophecy to repeat the same thing, that God in his sight esteemed superstitions as so many adulteries. Now it was an usual thing with the Jews to ascend up to the tops of mountains; as if there forsooth, they had been nearer unto God. And this is the reason why the Prophet wills them to lift their eyes unto the mountains. Behold (saith he) if there be any hillock which is not infected with thy whoredoms. For even as lewd persons seek for places that are close, to commit their filthiness in; so also the hills served the Jews for their dens and brothel-houses. For which cause also their impiety was so much the more execrable, in that they stuck not to proclaim to all the world what they were: as if they meant to discover their villainies upon an open theatre: whereas harlots are wont to go into corners, when they have found their companions. Thus then, the prophet takes from them here all occasions of cavilling, when he bids them lift up their eyes to the high places: for in bowing before their idols, it was all one as if an harlot had prostituted her body to the accomplishment of her lust: and he adds, they sate waiting upon the ways, as the Arabian in the wilderness. Here he repeats that which we have seen before; namely, that the Jews were not suddenly overtaken by the allurements and enticements of others, to falsify the faith of marriage which they had vowed to God; but that they were pricked forward by their own inordinate lusts, to seek out impudent and filthy lovers. And because he had said, thou hast corrupted others by thy malice; therefore now also he confirms the same,