A17728:550
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. 4. And I said, certainly, others translate, peradventure; they are those of the poorer sort, they have done foolishly, because they know not the way of the Lord, the judgment of their God. 5 I will go to the great ones, and speak to them; for they know the way of the Lord, the judgement of their God. but these also have broken the yoke, and burst the bands.
Vers. 4. And I said, certainly, others translate, peraduenture; they are those of the poorer sort, they haue done foolishly, because they know not the way of the Lord, the iudgment of their God. 5 I will goe to the great ones, and speake to them; for they know the way of the Lord, the iudgement of their God. but these also haue broken the yoke, and burst the bands.
Whereas some think the Prophet here excuseth his nation, and as much as in him is, lessens their fault; they are grossly deceived. For doubtless by this comparison he makes it yet more evidently appear, that things at that time were grown desperate. The sum is this; Corruptions reigned then, not only amongst the common people, but even among the great ones also; so as from the crown of the head, to the sole of the foot, nothing was sound amongst them, as they say. There is a sentence somewhat like to this, in Isaiah, although in other words, Chap. 28.7.8. For having there first inveighed against the whole nation in general, he taxeth the governors also: You (saith he) are no less drunk than the common people. I grant he affirms it is through wine and strong drink: but the meaning is, that they were all become like drunkards, in regard they were past shame; whilst (without any modesty at all) they gave over themselves to the committing of all villainies and abominations. Jeremiah hath the same drift here, when he saith, I thought, surely they are of the poorer sort, and ⟨p. 263⟩those of small reckoning, that have thus sinned; but I found even the Governors also guilty as well as they. He might in a word have said, Not only those of the common and baser condition are corrupt; but the chief also, and those that should have given good example to the rest. But this comparison hath far greater weight, when he saith, It may be those that have thus failed are some of the poor ones, who are ignorant of the Law of God. And what marvel? But out of doubt we shall find greater integrity in the Governors. When the Prophet speaks thus then, he brings the readers to the view of the present fact as it were, and shows that they were none of the rascality that had sinned; but they were the Priests, the Prophets, and those of the chiefest rank. The Prophets meaning is plain enough. I said (saith he) not that he thought thus: for he saw all things were out of square, and that there was no more good to be hoped for of the Governors, than of the governed. The Prophet knew all this full well: but (as I said before) he meant to show, as in a lively image, how miserable the condition of the whole nation was.