A17728:514
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. 30. And thou wretched, or wasted, what wilt thou do? Although thou clothest thee with scarlet, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of Gold; or with neck-laces of gold, as some turn it: though thou paintest, or trimmest thine eyes with colours; yet shalt thou trim thy self in vain; thy lovers shall abhor thee, they shall seek thy soul.
Vers. 30. And thou wretched, or wasted, what wilt thou doe? Although thou clothest thee with scarlet, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of Gold; or with neck-laces of gold, as some turne it: though thou paintest, or trimmest thine eyes with colours; yet shalt thou trim thy selfe in vaine; thy louers shall abhorre thee, they shall seeke thy soule.
The Prophet here insults over the Jews, only to tame their proud and high conceits. For his whole drift is nothing else, but to take down that over-weening of theirs, which made them exalt themselves against God: which he could not possibly effect, unless he should advance his stile somewhat more than ordinary, by decking and adorning his speech with diversities of figures. This is then (as it were) a witty and pleasant shutting up of his discourse, when he cries, And thou wretched, what wilt thou do? For the Jews were yet puffed up with the contempt of God, neither were their hearts as yet humbled. In regard they yet persisted then, in their so undaunted a pride; that makes the Prophet cry, Thou wretched, what doest thou? As if he should say, Thou flatterest thy self in vain, thou promisest thy self succours from other parts: because thine own estate is desperate. And then he adds, Although: for I interpret this verse with one context, or knitting together of the words; and me thinks those which separate not the Prophets speech in this verse, are in the right. For to expound it as some do, Thou deckest thee, thou trimmest thee now, thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, thou paintest thine eyes with colours, and it is in vain: this exposition I say, is without any grace: besides, the Prophets scope and drift is by this means corrupted. All these words then, have a dependence one upon another: there being one principal verb, to wit, thou paintest thee to no purpose, And therefore the Hebrew particle [Greek or Hebrew] ought to be resolved into an adverb, Although.