A17728:651
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. 27. As a cage is full of birds; so are their houses full of deceit: and thereby they are increased and grown rich.
Vers. 27. As a cage is full of birds; so are their houses full of deceit: and thereby they are encreased and growne rich.
Jeremiah prosecutes the same doctrine, which formerly he began to handle. For he used a similitude taken from fowlers, as we said erewhile. Now in this verse, he applies this similitude to the Jews: to wit, that their houses were as full of fraud, as a cage (others translate, a pannier, or basket) is of birds. For when fowlers go to their game, they carry with them either bags, cages, or baskets. Thus Jeremiah saith then, that they got in their booty in such wise on all sides, that their houses were full of fraud. Now by the word deceit, in this place, he means the spoils which they obtained by cunning practises. Indeed, at the first blush the speech seems somewhat obscure: but if we take the word fraud, in the passive signification, there will be no ambiguity at all. The Prophet then (to speak properly) saith not that their houses were full of craft, or fraud, but of spoils which they had gotten to themselves by fraud and deceit. What means he then by this word fraud? He means the spoils wherewith they enriched themselves; as we shall see by his own exposition anon. We have now attained the Prophets meaning then, namely, that proofs need not be sought out a far off, to manifest whether the Jews deceived the poor and simple, by their crafty conveyances: for their houses were full of such booties, that thence their perversity might easily be espied; in regard they had gotten riches on all sides, and by this means had spoiled poor men of their substance. For which cause he adds,