A17728:318
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,…
Two and twenty lectures upon the five first chapters of Jeremiah With prayers annexed, at the end of every lecture: by Master John Calvin. Which being faithfully collected form him as he uttered them in Latin, in the schools of Geneva, were afterwards translated into French: and now newly turned out of French, into English, with a table at the end, containing the sum and scope of every lecture.Tvvo and tvventie lectures vpon the fiue first chapters of Ieremiah With prayers annexed, at the end of euery lecture: by Master Iohn Caluin. Which being faithfully collected form him as hee vttered them in Latine, in the schooles of Geneua, were afterwards translated into French: and now newly turned out of French, into English, with a table at the end, containing the summe and scope of euery lecture.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Nathanael Newbery, 1620
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Vers. 3. Therefore the showers have been restrained, and the latter rain came not, and thou hadst a whores fore-head: thou wouldest not be ashamed.
Vers. 3. Therefore the showers haue been restrained, and the latter raine came not, and thou hadst a whores fore-head: thou wouldest not be ashamed.
Jeremiah goes on still with his sharp reprehension; namely, that the Jews were grown desperate in their malice, by overflowing in all sorts of superstitions, and in making unlawful covenants; and in both, showed their contempt against God. Now he lets us see how far they were sunk in an untamed rebellion. The showers have been restrained (saith he) they have not fallen in their latter season: and yet hadst thou for all that an whores fore-head; thou wouldest not blush, nor be ashamed: as if he had said, there was no judgement that could tame thee. The fault ⟨p. 146⟩was too great already, whilst the Prophets cried daily upon them, to bring them home into the right way, by their holy admonitions: and yet they regarded not. In that they were become such dullards then, as not to conceive ought that the Prophets uttered, it was one sign of their wickedness. But besides this, God had endeavoured to draw them to him by severe chastisements which he inflicted upon them; he had caused the earth (to punish their sins) to become unfruitful: neither is it to be doubted, but this drought whereof the Prophet speaks, was so extraordinary, that the Jews might well perceive (if there had been in them but a dram of true wisdom) that they had provoked Gods wrath against them. For sometimes it falls out, that not so much as a drop of rain shall fall from the heavens: as we see many summers prove very hot and dry: and then (no question) God advertiseth us of our sins; and thereby solicits us to repentance. But because custom makes us easily set light by Gods judgements: it therefore comes to pass, that he corrects us with rare and unwonted judgments. When the Prophet then saith, that the showers were restrained, I doubt not but he meant to note out an extraordinary judgement of God; by which (had not the Jews been altogether senseless) they might soon have espied that God was bent against them, and sore offended with them. The sum is, that the Jews ran riot with such fury, after their inordinate lusts, that God himself could not stay nor hold them in,