A17728:572
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. 9. Shall I not visit, or should I not visit, upon these things, saith the Lord? And shall not my soul be avenged upon such a people as this? or, which is like to this.
Vers. 9. Shall I not visit, or should I not visit, vpon these things, saith the Lord? And shall not my soule be auenged vpon such a people as this? or, which is like to this.
Again, God talks with them,1 as by way of consultation: which he doth to prevent their complaints, and to stop their mouths, lest they should allege that he censured them over sharply. To take away all their replies then, God once again repeats, that he can not pass by such enormous and crying sins as these. Now he lays down this as a principle, that it is unpossible for him to spare such a people as repent not. For if God be the Judge of the world; he can no more renounce his judgement, than his own essence. In as much then, as these things are inseparable; to wit, God Majesty, and his office of being Judge over the whole world; the Prophet here concludes, it was impossible for the conceit of the Jews to stand; namely, that they should escape unpunished, albeit they wilfully and obstinately persisted in provoking him by their horrible impieties, as if they meant to make open war upon him. Should I not visit upon this, saith the Lord? He useth the name of God here. Why? An earthly Judge may well pardon and show mercy to the most wicked offender in the world: but this can no way stand with Gods Justice. For as oft as he pardons, 2he therewithal brings sinners to repentance; thus he never suffers sins to go unpunished. Truly, he which repents and amends his life, becomes his own Judge. And thus he prevents the judgement of God. Where true conversion is then, there God bears with sinners: but when men are grown so obstinate in committing evil, that being admonished, they despise all admonitions; there it is certain God cannot pardon: if he should, he should therein also renounce his own glory, which (you know) is unpossible. Sold I not visit then? saith the Lord.