A17728:497
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.
First he saith, he beheld the earth. He useth the very same words which Moses useth in the history of the worlds creation. For before the earth was formed, he saith, it was a thing that lay wast, and as a confused chaos,1 without any form or shape at all; as having no beauty in the face thereof, to allure the eyes of the beholders to gaze upon it. It is as much then, as if he had said, Gods wrath and vengeance hath caused that distinct and comely order so to vanish away; that nothing but an utter confusion remaineth. And thus he amplifies the outrage and enormity of their sins: as if he should say, They had so far run riot, that thereby they had perverted all the whole frame of the world, and (as it were) mingled heaven and earth together; so as nothing but an utter vastation of all things appeared now every where.
First hee saith, hee beheld the earth. Hee vseth the very same words which Moses vseth in the history of the worlds creation. For before the earth was formed, hee saith, it was a thing that lay wast, and as a confused chaos,1 without any forme or shape at all; as hauing no beauty in the face thereof, to allure the eyes of the beholders to gaze vpon it. It is as much then, as if hee had said, Gods wrath and vengeance hath caused that distinct and comely order so to vanish away; that nothing but an vtter confusion remaineth. And thus he amplifies the outrage and enormitie of their sinnes: as if hee should say, They had so farre run riot, that thereby they had peruerted all the whole frame of the world, and (as it were) mingled heauen and earth together; so as nothing but an vtter vastation of all things appeared now euery where.
- 1Jeremiah alludes to the Chaos of the world, before God made a distinction of things therein.
Whereas he saith, there was no light: he signifies, that the light of the Sun and Moon was (in a manner) darkened and put out; in regard men were unworthy to enjoy such a favour as that is from God: as if the Sun and Moon had been ashamed, to be the witnesses of so many foul iniquities. We have now the sum of the Prophets meaning as touching the first verse. I looked (saith he) upon the earth, and behold, I perceived nothing but an horrible wrack and confusion: that is, there was no form nor distinction that might give the beholders any contentment, because the Jews had overturned the creation of the world (as it were) by their sins. I also beheld the heavens, and there appeared no light in them: for the Jews by their sins deserved to be deprived of that blessing which he hath put in the Sun, and in the Moon.