A17728:535
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. 2. And, or although they say, the Lord liveth, yet swear they in vain, or falsely.
Vers. 2. And, or although they say, the Lord liueth, yet sweare they in vaine, or falsly.
This is added by way of anticipation; and (as you would say) to prevent the Jews, because (as it is well known) they thought to have the name of God (which went glib then in every ones mouth) as a sufficient covert for their vices. For as much then, as they openly vaunted that they served the God of Abraham; they thought all their wickednesses might well be winked at, in regard of ⟨p. 254⟩this pretext. Now the Prophet meets with this conceit, and shows that such fig leaves are nothing worth, because they only profaned the name of God with their abuses of it. Moreover, Jeremiah also aggravates the fault of the Jews: for he shows that they were utterly estranged from Gods true fear; not only in their whole course of life; but albeit some kind of religion remained amongst them, yet even that also was mere sacrilege. It is bad enough when Gods name is buried in oblivion, and when wretched men give themselves the reins to commit evil, as if they could escape away with it in the dark. But how odious and detestable is such a wickedness, when they dare thus of set purpose, provoke God even to his face? It is this then, which Jeremiah here notes, Although they say, Jehovah lives, yet (saith he) they swear §1falsely. Now we see the Prophets meaning. For in the first place, he plucks the visor of this vain confidence from off the faces of the hypocrites, in regard they thought God would easily be entreated, if so be they only pretended his name. And yet they considered not how precious the name of God was: and thus they cared not lightly to take up the sacred name of God in vain. Now the Prophet not only condemns the hypocrisy of the