A17728:543
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.
Fare you well therefore, I have done with you: I will now another while make my moan to God. Now we see that this* apostrophe, hath much more vehemency in it, than if the Prophet had still spoken to the Jews without intermission; performing the office of a teacher unto them. For thus he shows, that his head and heart was broken with this tedious course, seeing his words so little to prevail, and all of them generally to whom he preached, to be stubborn and obstinate. Neither yet did he cast forth this speech rashly into the air, as if it had been to no purpose: but by this means he rather meant with the greater eagerness, to prick forward these dull scholars of his, whom he saw thus to lag behind; for otherwise he was (as it were) hopeless, that he should ever procure their good. We ⟨p. 257⟩are to call to mind then,2 that which elsewhere I have touched, namely, that the Prophets preached not word for word as they have written: but after they have stood long upon a point before the people, they then gathered the sum afterwards. And thence came the books of the Prophets. Jeremiah therefore no question, had at large handled the doctrine of repentance; had earnestly inveighed against the hypocrites; had discovered the fraudulent courses of his nation; and had also sharply reproved their obstinacy. But after all this, it was needful he should make a stop as it were, in the midway, in regard he well foresaw that little fruit would redound to him by his painful labours. And the Jews also being privy to this, it stood him in hand to touch them so much the more, to the quick. For do we not see how we at this day provoke the spirit of God by our rebellion, in regard it is so horrible a monster? Nothing therefore ought more to wound us to the heart, than the same. What a thing is it? God calls us familiarly to him every day: but when he sees our hearts so hard, and that we hold up our heads so high; there he leaves us, because we grieve his holy spirit, as he saith in Isa. 63.10. An ordinary or common course of teaching here then, would not serve the turn: but there was need of more efficacy now to be added to his teaching, when he saw the wickedness of his nation was become intolerable. Lord (saith he) are not thine eyes upon faith, or truth.