those barbarous nations whose language you vnderstand not shall take from you your goods and riches because you haue been disobedient and rebellious It followes Vers 20. Declare this in the house of Iacob and publish it word for word cause it to be heard in Iudah saying 21. Heare this I pray you ye foolish people that haue no heart they haue eyes but see nothing they haue eares but heare not word for word and shall not heare THe Prophet heere confirmes his former doctrine lest the Iewes should imagine he threatned and astonished them with words onely and in the meane while should be fearlesse in regard of the effect Hee saith then Declare Doubtlesse the Prophet alludes to the custome of those times for they were wont to make wars knowne by sound of trumpet and by heralds of armes The enemie put not himselfe forthwith in battell aray to sacke all but they first manifested the warre that the cause might be knowne to be iust God then affirmes heere that hee hath spoken aloud vnto them by his Prophet Ieremiah as if open war had been solemnly proclaimed and as if the enemie had been at the gates ready armed for the fight Declare this then And what is this declaration Giue eare O foolish nation In the first place the Prophet heere reprocheth the Iewes and Israelites for their carelesnesse in that they were void of common sense For by the word heart the Hebrewes signifie spirit or vnderstanding as we haue seene elsewhere He saith then this people is void of all vnderstanding First he calles them fooles or sots But in regard many are dull and blockish who yet are not wholly destitute of reason therefore he adds they were without hart I grant he seemes to adde this by way of correction that they had eares and eyes but yet by way of derision he aggrauates that which I haue said namely that they were no lesse senselesse than if they had been so many trunkes of wood or stone And why You haue eyes and eares but you neither see nor heare No question but he alludes to the Idols Vers 21. whereunto they were addicted For in Psalm 115.8 it is said That all they who make and trust in them are like vnto them This the Prophet alleageth after hee had said before They haue eares to heare and heare not eyes to see and see not Ieremiah then taxeth the Iewes closely heere for becomming so besotted in their superstitions that they had made themselues like to dead idols For there is some similitude of a man in an idoll and the parts of a man are there distinguished yet without any sense So in like manner saith he The Iewes haue some resemblance of men as touching their eyes and eares and the externall shapes which they haue of men but in the meane while they are no lesse senselesse than if they were stockes or stones Vers 22. Will ye not feare me saith the Lord and will ye not tremble before my face who have laid the sand for the bounds of the sea a statute of an age that is by a perpetuall decree and it shall not passe it some referre this to the bounds some to the statute or decree and his waues shall moue but shall haue no power and shall make a tumult or shall roare and they shall not passe ouer See vers 20. HEre God shewes the reason why he called this people foolish and without heart For it was a strange senselesnesse in them that they feared not Gods presence seeing the very dumbe and insensible elements subiect themselues vnder his command And aboue all hee proposeth the example of the sea for no creature is so hidious and terrible as the sea when it is tossed with tempests and waues Why so The whole world seemes to be turned topsie turuey when her waues arise with so great violence who is it that heares or sees the same that trembles not euery ioynt of him Though the sea be neuer so terrible yet it obeyes God quietly and yet the sea it selfe which terrifies the most resolute man on earth obeyes God quietly For let her flouds be neuer so furious yet doe they grow calme and still and keepe within compasse But if you would know the manner how truly it is a miracle and therefore who can giue a reason of it For the sea wee know as other elements are is round as the earth is round so is the element of water and so is the fier and aire in like manner Sith the forme of this element then is round let vs see whether it be lower than the earth or aboue it but her lightnesse shewes that she is aboue the earth Whence is it then The cause why the sea ouerwhelmes not the whole world See Iob 38.11 that the sea doth not forthwith ouerwhelme the whole earth For she is liquid and cannot stay in a place vnlesse she be restrained by some secret power mouing of God It followes then that the sea is shut vp within her place because it hath so pleased God as Moses also shewes in Genes 1.9 Let the dry earth appeare saith God For he there shewes that the earth was couered with waters so as not a fingers bredth thereof appeared till God had gathered them into their place Now this voice of God albeit we heare it not with our eares and that it sounds not in the aire yet doth the sea vnderstand it well enough because she is contained within her bounds Put the case the sea should alwayes be calme yet should this worke of God at all times be admirable in regard men haue some part of the earth dry wherein they may inhabite But when the tempest riseth as I haue said and that it seemes heauen and earth would goe together which of vs trembles not at the viewing of such a spectacle Then Gods power and out-stretched arme appeares more manifestly which thus composeth and quiets the boysterous sea Wee now see the scope of the Prophets words He shewes that the Iewes are become monsters and vnworthy to bee reckoned among men no not among the brute beasts For there is more vnderstanding in the sea tossed with furious tempests than in men who seemed to be endowed with sense and reason This is the drift and scope of this comparison But because this complaint was very bitter the Prophet hath vsed an interrogation Will ye not feare me As if God should say What meanes this Is it possible that I should not be feared nor reuerenced of you The sea obeyes me and by my secret command her fury is staid because I haue once ordained shee should keepe within her limits and albeit she be violently tossed vp and downe with her waues and tempests yet doth she not passe beyond the bounds which I haue set her And O yee sonnes of men that are reasonable creatures will not yee feare me will not yee tremble or feare before my face He adds that hee hath placed the
O ye heauens be astonied at this and tremble for feare and be vtterly confounded or dried vp saith Iehouah AFter the Prophet saw hee had to deale with men that were growne vtterly sencelesse and past feeling he now directs his speech to the heauens Which kind of speech is very vsuall with the Prophets namely to call heauen and earth to be witnesses of their words albeit they be vtterly void of vnderstanding and to turne their speech from men whom they see to be destitute of reason and iudgement And this they were wont to doe when they perceiued that things grew desperate to wit when men refused to be taught This is the reason then why the Prophet now commands the heauens to tremble and to be astonied and to be brought as it were to nothing as if hee should say This is so prodigious a thing that in a manner it ouerturnes the whole order of nature euen as if heauen and earth were mingled together Now wee haue the Prophets meaning for by this manner of speech hee meant to shew how odious the impiety of the people was when the heauens which haue no vnderstanding ought iustly to blush at such an horrible disorder As touching the words some translate O ye heauens be desolate and afterwards reiterate the same signification But because the Hebrew word signifies to bee astonied the reading which I haue followed agrees best to this place to wit O ye heauens be astonied and then tremble at this and be dried vp For the Hebrew word signifies to become dry and it also signifies to be brought to a wildernesse or desolation Vers 13. Certainly or for my people haue committed two euils they haue forsaken me the fountaine of liuing waters and haue digged pits or cesternes yea leaking or broken cesternes that can hold no water IF any thinke the Prophet renders a reason heere why he would haue the heauens astonished and tremble it must be turned for my people haue committed two euils but for mine owne part I thinke the verse which immediately before I expounded See Vers 10.11 depends vpon the former sentences The Prophet had said Goe to forraine countreys and see if any nation haue changed their Gods which yet are no Gods but meere fictions and lies And therefore to conclude this matter withall the Prophet as I take it addes this exclamation saying O ye heauens be astonied See Vers 12. Vers 13. Now it followes Certainly my people haue committed two euils first in that they haue forsaken me and secondly in that they haue forged false Gods If any man should cast off an ancient friend Simile to fall in league with a new this were both vnreasonable and vnhonest but to doe this where no benefits were to bee obtained then it would sauour not onely of lightnesse but of folly ioyned with a kind of frensie Thus then if I reiect that which I know will yeeld me profit to chuse that which will bee hurtfull vnto me shall not such a choyce manifest to all that I am out of my wits You see what the Prophet meanes then in this place when he saith This people not onely failed in forsaking the true God but that without any reward at all they ranne after idols which could doe them no good He saith they committed two euils first in forsaking God secondly in following false gods such as mens braine had forged But the better to amplifie the hainousnesse of the crime he vseth a similitude when hee calleth God the fountaine of liuing waters and compares the idols to leaking and broken cesternes which can hold no water If any man should leaue a liuing fountaine to get vnto himselfe a cesterne were it not a great folly For cesterns are alwayes subiect to leake and to bee drawne dry vnlesse they be supplied with water by some other meanes but a fountaine hath the spring in it selfe Moreouer look where there is a vaine of liuing waters that alwayes runs and neuer failes there the water is best and wholsomest Raine waters which fal from the clouds into a cesterne are neuer so wholesome as those which flow naturally from a liuing vaine But what say you then when the vessell shal not be fitting to retaine the water but shall still bee leaking and running out because of the diuers creuises which are thetein You see then how God by this similitude taxeth the folly of the people for forsaking him albeit he was a fountaine yea a fountaine of liuing waters And secondly that the people also desired to chuse things of no worth when they gaue themselues to dote vpon idols For what good is to be found in them truly a shape and resemblance onely For the superstitious sort thinke they loose not their labour whilest they honour those gods which themselues haue deuised but looke for some recompence at their hands There are some formes then you see in false religions and therefore the Prophet compares these false gods to pits in regard of their depth and hollownesse but in the meane while not a drop of water to be found in them Why so Because they are crackt and broken cesternes Now we haue the Prophets meaning to wit we can no way excuse our selues from being found worthy of condemnation when we forsake the true and onely God Why so Because in him wee haue the fountaine and well-spring of all benefits whereout we may draw our fill Shall we then despise Gods liberality which is able perfectly and fully to make vs happy Oh how great is such an vnthankfulnesse and peruersity and yet shal God notwithstanding be alwaies vnchangeable like himselfe Wherefore if hee bee iustly stiled the fountaine of liuing waters such an one will he be vnto vs at this day if we hinder him not by our owne malice In the meane while the Prophet addes another crime to the former for wee no sooner turne our backes vpon God but our hopes will forthwith faile vs. And howsoeuer for a time we may imagine we haue pits or rather fountains yet come we once to stand in need of them wee shall not find so much as one drop of water in all our fond imaginations but cesterns meerely dry and void of liquor It followes Vers 14. Is Israell a seruant or is he borne in the house why is he made a prey 15 The Lions shall roare or yell vpon him some translate Lions whelps and the word here vsed oft times signifies young Lions but then especially when it is ioyned with other words of the same kind otherwise being vsed by it selfe I alwayes interpret it generally for Lions they made their voice to be heard they brought his land to desolation his cities are burned or destroyed without an inhabitant 16 The sonnes of Neph also that is to say of Memphis for the Hebrews call the chiefe City of Egypt Memphis and Thaphnes or according to the Greekes Thapis shall breake thine head 17 * or hath not this been done vnto
the same thing that God in his sight esteemed superstitions as so many adulteries Now it was an vsuall thing with the Iewes to ascend vp to the tops of mountaines as if there forsooth they had been nearer vnto God And this is the reason why the Prophet wils them to lift their eyes vnto the mountaines Behold saith he if there be any hillocke which is not infected with thy whoredomes For euen as lewd persons seeke for places that are close to commit their filthinesse in so also the hils serued the Iewes for their dens and brothell-houses For which cause also their impiety was so much the more execrable in that they stucke not to proclaime to all the world what they were as if they meant to discouer their villanies vpon an open theater whereas harlots are wont to goe into corners when they haue found their companions Thus then the prophet takes from them heere all occasions of cauelling when he bids them lift vp their eyes to the high places for in bowing before their idols it was all one as if an harlot had prostituted her body to the accomplishment of her lust and he adds they sate waiting vpon the wayes as the Arabian in the wildernesse Heere he repeates that which we haue seene before namely that the Iewes were not suddenly ouertaken by the allurements and enticements of others to falsifie the faith of marriage which they had vowed to God but that they were pricked forward by their owne inordinate lusts to seeke out impudent and filthy louers And because he had said thou hast corrupted others by thy malice therefore now also he confirms the same Chap. 2.33 Thou sittest saith he vpon all wayes Which speech also agrees to filthy harlots who as hath been said are past shame But the Prophet amplifies this fault by another similitude euen saith he as the Arabian waits for passengers in the wildernesse to rob and cut their throats so thou also seemest in like manner to sit in all thy wayes We see here is a double similitude then the first taken from harlots long exercised in that trade who seeing themselues neglected lurke in passages and shamelesly insinuate themselues into mens acquaintance and without any choyce seaze vpon him that comes first This is one of the similitudes The second is that they behaued themselues in a manner like cut-throats who watch for passengers as if he had said The Chaldeans and Egyptians are blamelesse as it were being compared with the Iewes Why so Because the Iewes allured them to become their confederates and drew them into their wicked and cursed couenants by artificiall wiles As if a passenger falling into theeues hands by little and little they should corrupt him As how Alas thou art but a poore snake but if thou wilt come and make a couenant with vs and be our companion there is certaine hope of good successe and that euery day will furnish vs with new booties are not such old theeues trow yee thrise yea foure times worse than this new scholer Likewise also the prophet saith the Iewes were all become like old experienced theeues hardened in their mystery of ambushments robberies spoylings and all sorts of lewd practices and had now drawne the Assyrians and Egyptians into their societie It followes Vers 3. Therefore the showers haue been restrained and the latter raine came not and thou hadst a whores fore-head thou wouldest not be ashamed IEremiah goes on still with his sharpe reprehension namely that the Iewes were growne desperate in their malice by ouerflowing in all sorts of superstitions and in making vnlawfull couenants and in both shewed their contempt against God Now hee lets vs see how farre they were sunk in an vntamed rebellion The showers haue been restrained saith he they haue not fallen in their latter season and yet hadst thou for all that an whores fore-head thou wouldest not blush nor be ashamed as if hee had said there was no iudgement that could tame thee The fault was too great already whilest the Prophets cried daily vpon them to bring them home into the right way by their holy admonitions and yet they regarded not In that they were become such dullards then as not to conceiue ought that the Prophets vttered it was one signe of their wickednesse But besides this God had endeauoured to draw them to him by seuere chastisements which he inflicted vpon them hee had caused the earth to punish their sinnes to become vnfruitful neither is it to be doubted but this drought whereof the Prophet speakes was so extraordinary that the Iewes might well perceiue if there had been in them but a dramme of true wisedome that they had prouoked Gods wrath against them For sometimes it falles out that not so much as a droppe of raine shall fall from the heauens as wee see many sommers prooue uery hote and dry and then no question God aduertizeth vs of our sinnes and thereby solicites vs to repentance But because custome makes vs easily set light by Gods iudgements it therefore comes to passe that hee corrects vs with rare and vnwonted iudgments When the Prophet then saith that the showers were restrained I doubt not but he meant to note out an extraordinary iudgement of God by which had not the Iewes been altogether senselesse they might soone haue espied that God was bent against them and sore offended with them The summe is that the Iewes ranne ryot with such fury after their inordinate lusts that God himselfe could not stay nor hold them in The summe by any of his iudgements were they neuer so manifest and apparant no not albeit from aboue he plainly testified that he meant to auenge and maintaine his owne glory when there was such a drought as by which they might well discerne that the curses threatened in the Law were powred out vpon them as it is written Leuit. 26.19 I will make your heauen ouer you as iron Deut. 28.23 and your earth as brasse As touching the Hebrew word which wee haue translated raine of the latter season we haue elsewhere shewed how it is often taken for the latter raine or for the raine that falles in the time of haruest It is called late in regard of the haruest for the Sunne was excessiuely hote in those Eastern parts they there needed raine before the corne was reaped for otherwise the heat would consume the graine for which cause they desire this latter raine aboue all others namely that which is immediately before haruest For as touching the other rain which fals in September and October they cal that the raine which comes in good season in respect of the seed-time because it wets and supples the seed in the earth that it may the sooner sprout foorth and take the deeper and faster rooting in the earth The summe is that God from heauen shewed manifest signes of his displeasure against the Iewes and yet all this was to no purpose in regard they had whorish fore-heads
saith hee vpon the earth and behold I perceiued nothing but an horrible wracke and confusion that is there was no forme nor distinction that might giue the beholders any contentment because the Iewes had ouerturned the creation of the world as it were by their sinnes I also beheld the heauens and there appeared no light in them for the Iewes by their sinnes deserued to be depriued of that blessing which he hath put in the Sunne and in the Moone For what a singular fauour of God is it that he hath ordained so noble and excellent creatures to doe vs seruice In a word the Prophet meant to say that there appeared signes of Gods wrath both in the heauens and in the earth thereby to terrifie the world as if hee meant to make hauoke of all This manner of speech is also vsuall in the rest of the Prophets but especially in Ioel 2.2 where there is a notable place to this purpose And albeit they are hyperbolicall speeches yet doe they not exceed measure if we consider well what a dulnesse and slothfulnesse there is in mans nature For vnlesse God arme the heauens and earth against vs vnlesse he manifest by some euident signes that he is about to withdraw all his fauors from vs what doe we else but scorne all his threatnings as we said erewhile Vers 24. From the heauens Ieremiah descends to the mountaines and saith they trembled and that all the hils mooued or were shaken Others translate destroyed but I see no reason of it For doubtlesse the Prophet confirmes the same thing still by new phrases of speech Now as he testified that the mountaines trembled so he also adds that the hils shooke Yea and the proper signification of the verbe requires that we so translate it Now the reason why he mentions the mountaines and hils is plaine and euident for in these places there is a greater stability perceiued than in the plaines in regard the mountaine for the most part are replenished with quarries and are founded vpon rockes So as though all the world should faile and tumble on heapes yet it seemes the mountaines are so well founded that there is no appearance at all of any motion And yet the Prophet saith that euen these trembled and the little mountaines shooke Vers 25. In the third vision he speakes of a solitarinesse for hee saith he saw no man and all the birds of the heauens were flowen away The worlds chiefe ornament We know the first and chiefest ornament of this world consists in men and other liuing creatures For to what end should the earth haue such fruitfulnesse bestowed vpon it as to bring foorth such diuersity and such a quantity of good things but in regard of the vse of man and beast Although then that trees herbs and an infinite variety of fruites doe giue a wonderfull ornament and beauty to the earth yet doth her chiefest beauty consist in being replenished with men and beasts Vnder this word birds the Prophet also includes all the rest of the earthly creatures by the figure Synecdoche vnder it comprehending one kind for the whole He saith then that the earth was emptied of her inhabitants The fourth vision containes yet another thing namely Vers 26. that the fruitfull regions were conuerted into deserts albeit I thinke hee speakes properly heere of Carmel For wee know that this quarter of the holy land was thus called in regard of its fertility I grant that Carmel of it selfe signifies any fruitfull or fat soyle but as I haue said this region was so called because it abounded with all sorts of fruits For there were goodly pastures the fields there also yeelded great encrease so as this quarter was euery way replenished with all beauties aboue any of the rest You see the reason now why I willingly vnderstand this place of Carmel it selfe yea and I haue good warrant for it also for in the next words it followes that all the Cities were destroyed it is more likely then that this should be spoken of Carmel in particular then generally of all the regions and fruitfull places For mine owne part I thinke the Prophet speakes of Carmel yet so as he therin alludes to the signification of the word Carmel In this verse also there is a Synecdoch a part taken for the whole as if he should say Carmel which excelled in all fruitfulnesse and abundance yet became like a wast wildernesse When Isaiah speakes of the restauration of the Church he saith The desert shall be as Carmel as if he should say Isa 32.15 Gods blessings shall be so generally and plentifully powred out vpon the whole world that the deserts shall bee no lesse fruitfull than Carmel it selfe or the regions which for their fatnesse of soyle excelled all others But Ieremiah speaking heere of the curse saith that Carmel shall be as a wildernesse and that all the Cities shall be laid wast Why so Because of the face of the Lord and because of the kindling of his ire Others translate his furie which manner of speech hath his waight also For we said erewhile that if God thunder not as you would say to strike a terrour into mens hearts they are all senselesse neither feele they his iudgements so as all the threatnings in the world will profit them nothing at all This is the cause why the Scripture so often speakes of the fury or fiercenesse of Gods wrath or of the kindling of his ire One of these might haue sufficed Why then puts he both to wit the inflaming of his wrath Euen because as I haue said our obstinacy and hard-heartednesse may be wonne and broken as with the great blowes of an hammer otherwise God could not bow our hearts to his feare This repetition then ought to serue as a meanes to correct that rebellion which is in all of vs naturally Not as if God were subiect to disordered passions as wee know well enough but in regard we cannot otherwise perceiue how fearfull his vengeance is this is the cause why it behooueth him necessarily to present himselfe before our eyes as one angry and inflamed with wrath and indignation for which cause also we see that eternall death is represented out vnto vs vnder the metaphor of fier The summe of all As touching the summe and substance of this text no doubt but the Iewes at this time enioyed abundance of all sorts of good things and were now plunged in their delights In a word they enioyed but what they would and yet the Prophet aduertiseth them he saw that a farre off which these poore pur-blind Iewes could not see namely that Gods wrath approched that it was ready to seaze vpon them to consume them and all their riches and abundance which caused them as it were to burst with pride and to bring vpon them an vtter vastation so as from aboue and from beneath there should no more bee perceiued any appearance of beauty but all deformity
and confusion euen such as was before God had ordained that distinction by separating light from darknesse Gen. 1.2 the firmament from the earth whilest as yet nothing was to be seene but a confused lumpe in which was comprized the ayre the earth without any order at all Now it followes Vers 27. For thus saith the Lord the whole land shall be desolate and I will not make an end but then the copulatiue and must be resolued into an aduersatiue notwithstanding I will not make an end or a consumption HEre the Prophet in summe See verses 23.24.25.26 explaines that which hee meant to say as touching those foure visions which we haue formerly handled He denounceth then as in the person of God that there shall be a maruellous yea a most horrible desolation throughout the whole land of Iudeah The land saith he shall be vtterly desolate or there shall be a desolation throughout the land Some expound that which followes as if he somewhat allayed the tartnesse and sharpnesse of his speech And according to their opinion there should be a correction heere which should as it were giue some reliefe vnto the faithful who hoped and waited to obtaine some grace and mercy that they might not be vtterly out of heart And to say the truth if God should onely threaten without adding some exception it were able to swallow vp with feare and dread an hundred worlds That the faithfull then might not in such wise be ouer-whelmed with feare as not to haue their recourse to Gods mercy it is often added by way of correction that God will not vtterly consume the earth The word which the Prophet heere vseth sometime signifies perfection but in many other places it signifies consumption for the verbe signifies to perfect and consume And there is the same reason for both and yet it seemes these words should be one contrary to another Notwithstanding that which is consumed may properly be called perfect because it alwayes brings to an end If this exposition seeme good then we now see why hee saith That he will not make a consumption albeit he doe seuerely chastise this people to wit that he might leaue some hope for the faithfull lest they should be discouraged which would haue fallē out had not God promised to be ready to succour them and to be mindfull of his couenant vnlesse peraduenture we will reade it by way of an interrogation thereby to represse the pride and ouerweening of the wicked that they might the better feele how none of their vaine boastings should goe vnpunished As if he should say And will ye yet say that I will not make a full end Now howsoeuer the first exposition containes a doctrine much more ample yet had I rather take the Hebrew word heere vsed for End as if he meant to shew that he will not cease to pursue them with his vengeance euen to the vttermost Wee also shall meet with the same phrase of speech in the chapter following Chap. 5.27 The naturall sense then will be this That God is purposed to wast and consume all at once I grant when the Prophets speake of Gods iudgements they speake thereof diuersly Sometimes they will threaten that all shall goe to wrack so as there shall bee no appearance of saluation And yet God in the meane while alwayes reserues some hidden seeds Isa 1.7.8.9.10 and 10.22.23.25 as it is said in the first and tenth of Isaiah From which places it is easie to iudge what the Prophets meant to say by this manner of speech To make a consumption For in these places God threatens that he will make a consumption and yet by and by after hee adds this consumption shall bring forth some fruit that is to say a remnant shall be exempt out of this consumption For in other places the Prophets compare the Church to oliues Isa 17.6 and 24.13 or oliue trees when they are beaten or shaken or to vines at the time of vintage For there will alwayes remain one cluster or other which cannot be espied though all seeme to be gathered the like also falles out when the oliue trees are shaken for it is impossible but some oliues will alwayes remaine in the vpper part of the bowes And in the same manner God also saith he will make such a consumption of his Church as shall resemble the vintage or the gathering of oliues which yet are neuer so cleane stripped as it were of their fruit but there will be some remainders which shall not be espied We haue now then as I take it attained the Prophets meaning namely that such a ruine of the whole nation approcheth as no mention at all shall afterwards be made of it there shall be seene neither forme nor beauty of it which also in effect fell out when they were led captiue into Babylon For then the people at least in respect of the whole body were brought as it were to nought And thus there was no end I willingly confesse that Gods threatnings cannot be auailable to our saluation vnlesse he forthwith sets before vs the hope of mercy that being vpheld by this hope we may haue our recourse vnto him For whilest wee thinke God to be so angry against vs that he will not be appeased we flee from him as much as we can And this is the cause why despaire makes men fall into a diabolicall frensie Thence also it comes to passe that the reprobates not onely murmure and gnash their teeth against God and storme and take on like bedlems but they would willingly also cast him downe from his seat It is needfull then that hope of pardon bee set before vs that so wee may be touched with true repentance And therefore in regard this promise is perpetuall come what come will yea albeit to our thinking heauen and earth will goe together See Psal 46.1.2 so as dangers of death shall seeme to presse vs on euery side yet ought we alwayes to rest confident in this beleefe that there shall alwayes a residue remaine Isa 17.6 and 24.13 according to that which we alleaged out of Isaiah 1. and 10. But in regard this people was not as yet well prepared nor fit to receiue consolation the Prophet now mentions on s not this second poynt at all but speakes onely of the punishment Now he adds Vers 28. Thereupon the earth shall mourne the heauens shall be darkened on high for I haue spoken I haue thought and cannot repent mee of it neither will I call backe my word IEremiah prosecutes his former speech and alwayes brings in God speaking that his words might bee the more forcible Thereupon saith he the earth shall mourne He calles that destruction and deformity the mourning of the earth as hauing respect to that which hee spake in vers 23. c. He speaks not then of the inhabitants of the earth For those which so expound it doe very much lessen the vehemency of the
but we are forthwith surprised with a fearfulnesse to displease them To what purpose are Prophets and teachers sent then Euen to reduce the whole world into a right order that they spare not their auditors but that they frankly and freely reprooue them as oft as need requires yea menace and threaten them as oft as they see them grow headstrong and obstinate Let there bee but some outward shew of excellency in men and you shal see that the teacher will not dare to offend such because hee sees them to bee endowed with power riches and estimation for their wisedome but especially if they bee aduanced to high honours What other remedie is left then but that the teachers propose Gods authority before their eyes being also fully resolued that they speake in his name And thus with an inuincible magnanimity of mind they shall despise whatsoeuer loftinesse or excellency appeares in any mortall man Now ye see the scope and drift of this word See or behold which God vseth See saith he Behold I haue set thee ouer nations and ouer kingdomes Heere God further testifies that there shines such authority in his word that it brings all loftinesse and greatnesse downe to the ground yea that Kings themselues are not exempt out of the reach of it what God hath ioyned together then let not man separate Matth. 19.6 Mark 10.9 True it is that God heere extolles his prophets and exalts them aboue the whole world yea aboue the Kings of the eatth but hee said but erewhile See vers 9. Behold I haue put my words in thy mouth It is necessary then that if any will chalenge to himselfe power and greatnesse of authority aboue others that hee haue Gods word for his warrant and that hee manifest himselfe a Prophet by some good effects broaching none of his owne deuices nor imaginations Heere then I pray you take a view of the Popes insolency The Popes insolency noted and of the impudency of his Clergie when so malipertly they dare snatch to themselues that which is here said We are say they set ouer Kings and nations By what law God hath so told vs by his Prophet Ieremiah But yet of friendship take all with you I haue put my words in thy mouth and haue set thee ouer nations and kingdomes Now let the Pope shew his warrant from Gods word vsurping nothing to himselfe in particular In a word let him bring in none of his dreames and we will willingly yeeld him this supremacy aboue all the world for God and his word must neuer be sundred As Gods Maiesty is eminent aboue the whole world yea aboue the Angels of heauen so is there the like soueraignty which alwayes goes with the word But seeing these swine and mastiffe curres are void both of all found doctrine and piety what shamelesnesse or rather foolishnesse is it in them to brag of their soueraignty ouer Kings and nations To bee short this text teacheth that men are not aduanced heere albeit they be the Ministers of the word of life but rather the word and doctrine it selfe God then you see attributes the soueraigne authority to his word howsoeuer the Ministers thereof bee poore base and contemptible and albeit there appeares neither pompe nor glory in them But I haue told you before why this clause is added namely that the true Prophets and teachers may come furnished with valour and courage and thus may not feare boldly to set themselues both against Kings and nations being armed and fortified with the power of the heauenly doctrine In the next place he addes To plucke vp to destroy to breake downe c. It seemes heere as if God of set purpose meant to make both his word and the ministery of his seruant odious at the very first entrance For how could the word of the Lord bee amiable in the mouth of Ieremiah vnlesse the Iewes perceiued that it was published for their saluation But what speakes God of heere Of plucking vp of rooting out of destruction of death of perdition Yet afterwards he addes To build and to plant The ward hath a double vse God then attributes a double vse vnto his word On the one side it destroyes roots vp c. on the other side it plants and builds And yet the question may here be fitly asked Quest why God in the first place speakes of ruine and destruction for the other order might haue seemed the better I haue ordained thee to build and to plant For so Paul speakes We that is my selfe and my fellow labourers haue vengeance ready against all disobedience and against all contemners and despisers after saith he that your obedience is fulfilled Saint Paul signifies then in this place that the doctrine of the Gospell is chiefly and properly dedicated to this vse namely to bring men to Gods obedience But Ieremiah puts ruine and perdition before the words to build and to plant It seemes then as I haue said that he deales preposterously But we must alwaies remember what the state and condition of this people was then For impiety rebellion and desperate obstinacy had already for a long time gotten such head that it was needfull he should begin with ruine destruction and such like things Ieremiah then could not plant Answ nor build the temple of God before he ouerthrew plucked vp and rooted out Why so Because the diuell had erected his throne or palace there For religion hauing been despised there many yeeres together then the diuell as if he had been enthronized into his tribunall seat raigned in Ierusalem and in the whole land of Iudeah without resistance How could Gods temple then be erected in which he might be purely serued vnlesse these ruines preceded Thus the diuell had corrupted the whole land For as we know all sinnes and iniquities raigned therein so generally as if the land had been replenished with thornes and bryars Ieremiah therefore could not plant nor sowe the doctrine of life vntill the land was purged of the varieties of so foule enormities Thus you see the very cause and reason why he begins with destruction and rooting out and afterward mentions planting and building Note This heaping vp of so many words also shewes what deepe rooting impiety and the contempt of God had taken among them God might as well in a word haue said I haue ordained thee to plucke vp and destroy and so might haue contented himselfe with two words in this double similitude as well as hee doth afterwards with those of planting and building But in regard the Iewes were rooted in their rebellion and that their pride and headstrongnesse was growne to such an height that they could neither by and by nor at the first day nor yet easily be corrected therefore the Lord is constrained as it were to heape vp so many words one in the necke of another by meanes whereof he encourageth his Prophet that without ceasing he might labour to purge out these filthinesses
should say It is true that I giue this commandement to my Prophets that they speake but in regard they speake from my mouth I am saith hee ready to effect and accomplish whatsoeuer I haue enioyned them In a word God heere signifies that the might and power of his hand goes with his word whereof the Prophets are the Ministers in respect of men Thus it is a generall doctrine belonging not onely to the punishments but also to the promises Thou hast then saith hee seene aright because I watch You see then that God resignes not his office vp to Ieremiah heere although hee vseth his labours in teaching but he shewes that the power to effect and accomplish whatsoeuer the Prophet should speake remained entirely in himselfe We are also to obserue that which he addes Vpon my word to accomplish it For God attributes nothing to Ieremiah that was proper or peculiar to himselfe but he only magnifies the efficacie of his word as if he should say If thou remaine a faithfull seruant to me I will neither disappoynt thee of thy hope nor those which shall obey thy doctrine for I will accomplish whatsoeuer either they or thou hast expected Moreouer whosoeuer hath resisted thee shall not escape vnpunished Why so Because I will bring their waies vpon their owne heads in due season To which purpose it is he vseth the word To watch or hasten therby shewing Dan. 9.14 that he is ready to put his word in execution in due time I grant this appeares not so to vs alwaies and therefore it is said by the Prophet Habakkuk If the prophecie tary wait because it will come and will not tary Habak 2.3 God commands then that we patiently waite for the accomplishment of his word but in the next place he addes as it were by way of correction that it will come that is to say I will performe and indeed accomplish whatsoeuer my Prophets haue spoken by my commandement And thus there shall be no foreslowing of it because the fit season for the execution depends vpon the will of God and not vpon mans iudgement The rest should be handled now but because I see the time is past I can passe no further at this time The Prayer Almighty God and heauenly Father seeing it hath pleased thee so graciously to becken vs vnto thee and that thou hast consecrated thy word for our saluation giue vs grace that willingly and heartily wee may yeeld our selues subiect vnto thee that these things which thou hast ordained for our good and saluation may not turne to our ruine and destruction but that this incorruptible seed by which thou begettest vs againe to a liuely and heauenly hope may take such deepe rooting in vs and may bring forth such fruit that thy holy name may be glorified Grant also wee may in such wise be planted in the courts of thine house that we may flourish and the fruit thereof may appeare in the whole course of our liues till at the last we come to the enioying of that blessed life which is prepared for vs in heauen by Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen THE THIRD LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST CHAPTER Vers 13. And the word of the Lord came againe vnto me the second time saying What seest thou And I said I see a seething pot looking out of the North. 14 Then said the Lord vnto me Out of the North shall a plague be spread vpon all the inhabitants of the land NOw Ieremiah begins to direct his speech to the Iewes Jn the former verses Ieremiah handled the doctrine of his vocation now he applies the same to the Jewes to whom hee was ordained a Prophet For hitherto he hath disputed as touching his vocation that he might establish the authority of his doctrine so that hitherto he hath spoken generally but now hee applies his doctrine to the people in particular He saith then that a vision was presented vnto him of a boyling pot the face whereof looked towards the North. Whereas God askes the question and the Prophet answeres heereby he confirmes his prophecie for if he had made a bare narration touching the sight of a boyling pot and had plainly shewed why this figure was represented vnto him the words had not carried such waight with them But when God himselfe comes forth and tels what this seething pot signifies the prophecie is so much the better confirmed Neither are we to doubt but of set purpose the Prophet vseth this manner of speech as if God himselfe being there present shewed that himselfe was the author of this prophecie The summe Now the summe is that the Caldeans were comming to destroy the City of Ierusalem to take away and abolish the dignity both of the kingdome and of the Priesthood This was foretold and threatned before as well by Isaiah as others of the Prophets but all the prophecies were contemned for whilest Isaiah liued the King of Babell endeauoured to curry-fauour with King Hezekias and the Iewes imagined that such a succour came in good season to aide them against the Assyrians but they considered not that the hearts of Kings are gouerned by the hand of God and turned which way it pleaseth him neither did they once dreame that long agoe and for many yeeres together they had by their sinnes prouoked Gods wrath against them and that hee was become their enemie For as much then as all his threatnings had been despised and in a manner derided Ieremiah now comes as it were betweene and saith that the Northren people shall come to wit as well the Assyrians as the Caldeans For we know that one of the Monarchies deuoured the other in regard the Caldeans domineered ouer the Assyrians and thus it came to passe that almost all the Empire of the East the Medes and Persians excepted were subiected vnder their dominion Now they were Northward in respect of Iudeah Therefore the Prophet saith he saw a seething pot Many by this pot vnderstand the King of Babylon but it seemes they mistake the Prophets meaning and I could easily refell their exposition but that I content my selfe with the naked and bare truth which we shall better perceiue in the progresse This boyling pot then is euen the nation of the Iewes as will plainly appeare in the owne place For my purpose is not now to heape vp all that may be said on either part But the people are compared to a seething pot in regard the Lord had boyled them till they were in a manner consumed to nothing Now it is said that part of the pot looked towards the side of the North because thence the fier was kindled as Ieremiah by and by expounds it and the similitude agrees very aptly For when a pot is set on the fier it boyles on that side which is nearest the flame and all the bublings passe ouer to the other side It is said then that the pot seethed or boyled but so that the mouth was towards the
yeeres by Gods immediate hand and not after an ordinary manner For they had no bread to nourish them neither had they water God caused water to flow out of the rocke and afterwards hee filled them with bread which fell from heauen neither did their garments waxe old by length of time Wee see then that their fault is heere augmented by the circumstance of time now follow the things which I spake of For the Prophet calles the desart a dry or vast land a terrible land an hidious or horrible land a land of deadly darknes As if he should say you were preserued in the middest of many deathes for none euer passed through this land neither did any saith the Lord euer inhabite there Whence appeared your safety then or from what fountaine Truly euen from death it selfe saith he For as for the desart what was it but an hideous spectacle in which you might from all parts bee viewed to bee not onely compassed about with one but with an hundred deaths Seeing God then beyond the order of nature brought you by a stretched out arme from out of Egypt and sustained you forty yeres long in the desart what shew or colour of reason haue you to excuse such a folly or rather madnesse that are now so farre estranged from me Doct. Now hence we are taught that the more mercies God hath bestowed vpon vs the more fiercely shall the guiltinesse of our consciences wound vs especially if after all this we forsake him also our malice and vnthankfulfulnesse shall be so much the lesse inexcusable but most of all if hee haue held on the course of these his benefits for a long space and after diuers manners towards vs. He goes on in the next words And I haue caused you to enter Ieremiah brings in God himselfe speaking here namely how he stretched forth his hand as it were to this poore of-spring of Abraham that hee might put them in possession of the land of promise for as it is said in the 44. Psal 44.3 Psalme It was neither by their arme nor sword that they obtained this possession for albeit they had to fight indeed against many enemies yet in all their battails notwithstanding the victory came of the Lord. And thus he might truly and rightly affirme that they entred no otherwise into this land than by his conduct and leading to wit in opening a way and passage vnto them and in ouercomming and destroying their enemies that they might enter into and enioy the land which hee had promised them I haue brought you then saith hee into the land of Hacarmel Some take this to bee the proper name of the place and certainly mount Carmel is so called in respect of the great fruitfulnesse thereof For as much then as this mountaine tooke its name in respect of the richnesse of the soyle what maruell is it if Ieremiah compares the land of Israel to mount Carmel Others expound it as if the particle which imports a similitude should be heere vnderstood I haue caused you to enter into a land which is like to Carmel but what neede wee offer violence to the Prophets words I thinke then that the noune is a noune appellatiue signifying fruitfulnesse namely that the Israelites were conducted by the hand of God into a plentifull and fruitfull land of the fruitfulnesse whereof mention is often made as well in the Law as in the Prophets To eate his fruit and his abundance that is to say The end why I brought you in thither was to enioy the great abundance and large reuenue thereof God by these words then meant to make it knowne to the Israelites that it was their duties to haue been prouoked by such benefits to serue him in vprightnesse in regard he had sought by such ientlenesse to draw them to himselfe and had vsed them after so gracious a manner But so much the more as God had shewed himselfe liberall towards them so much the lesse insupportable was their vnworthy reuolt in forsaking God and in contemning such abundance and variety of all good things For which cause he addes afterwards And you polluted my land and haue made mine heritage an abomination as if hee should haue said This is the recompence and the reward that I reaped from my bounty I vsed towards you Indeed I gaue you this land but vpon condition that you should serue mee in holinesse and righteousnesse therin but you saith he haue polluted it Now he calles it his land or heritage God so giues vs leaue so to vse his benefits that still he reserues the right and title of them to himselfe as if hee should say I so gaue you this land that in the meane while I neuer meant to shut my selfe out of that right and interest which I haue in it howsoeuer I was content you should reape the whole commodity of it He shewes then that they had wickedly abused his bounty in polluting this land notwithstanding it was dedicated to his name and honour He calles it his heritage in the same sence as if hee should say You haue in such wise possessed this land by right of inheritance that yet the heritage came to you from me your heauenly father They were to consider then that they therefore entred into this land because it was giuen for an heritage to Abraham and his children But by whose gift Was not God the author of it Their ingratitude therefore was so much the more detestable in that they had made such an heritage to become an abomination It followes Vers 8. The Priests said not Where is the Lord and those which kept or had kept the Law knew me not and the Pastors behaued themselues disloyally towards me and the Prophets prophesied in Ball that is to say by Baal and haue walked after things which did nothing profit them NOw God ioynes issue especially with those that had the charge of teaching in the Church and with those that had authority to rule and gouerne the people For it may very often fall out that the common people will bee irregular whilest the heads and leaders notwithstanding shal be carefull to walke sincerely and in vprightnesse But God heere shewes that this nation was become so degenerate The faults of the Superiours excuseth not the sinne of the Jnferiours that Priests Prophets Rulers yea the heads of the people and all had abandoned the true seruice of God and all righteousnesse towards men Now in that Ieremiah thus sets vpon the Priests and Teachers and the rest he therein excuseth not the multitude neither goes he about thereby to extenuate or lessen those foule crimes and enormities which were rife in euery place as we shall perceiue hereafter in the processe of the text although we know diuers there are who thinke they may fence themselues against Gods accusations by alleaging Wee are not so well instructed to discerne betweene truth and falshood is it not enough to doe as our leaders
redemption vpon such gracelesse ones who thus abused their liberty For they tooke occasion hereby to ouerflow in all lasciuiousnesse But if any had rather follow the other reading I will not gainsay him and then the sense will be It is long agoe since I disburthened thee of thy yoke and brake thy bands but thou hast said that is thou didst promise me for he speaks of this people as of a woman which is the cause that it is put heere in the feminine gender as also in regard that God held the place of an husband towards his people therefore he no sooeer accuseth them of disloyalty but he by and by speakes vnto them as an husband doth to a shamelesse woman who hath giuen ouer her selfe to the committing of adultery Thou therefore hast said vnto me that is to say thou didst promise me that thou wouldest not passe that is that thou wouldest assuredly keepe thy selfe chast and loyall to me alone And thus in stead of the particle ki which among the Hebrewes is a note of rendring the cause we may put in the place of it an aduersatiue to wit Notwithstanding it being so taken in other places of the Scriptures But or Notwithstanding then thou hast runne vpon euery high mountaine c. as harlots are wont to doe in seeking their maintenance But as I haue said I rather thinke that God complaines heere of his people in that by the fauour hee shewed them touching their deliuerance and freeing them from the yoke they thereby tooke occasion to giue ouer themselues to all dissolute behauiour For thus the text runnes very well and all the parts and members thereof concur very fitly one with another Whereas the Lord puts them in mind of breaking their bands and bursting their yoke some referre this onely to the first redemption But I mislike not of their opinion who thinke the Prophet speakes of many deliuerances For we know the Israelites were not for once onely deliuered out of the land of Egypt but that God euer anon stretched forth his hand assoone as they were afflicted and oppressed He had long since then taken the peoples yoke from of their neckes but it was at sundry times as we may perceiue by the history of the Iudges See Nehem. 9.28 Seeing the peoples liberty then proceeded meerly from Gods free bounty who had for the sames sake redeemed them ought they not to haue yeelded themselues obedient to their Redeemer For the people were therefore set at liberty The end why God redeemes vs. that they should wholly dedicate themselues to his seruice Thus then God heere accuseth the ingratitude of this people because they imagined hee thus deliuered them Doct. that they might afterwards resemble wild beasts as wee shall see hereafter That wee may the better vnderstand the Prophets meaning then we must haue an eye to that which Saint Paul saith in Rom. 6. namely that whilest we serue sinne wee are freed from Gods righteousnesse for then we runne after our lusts and haue no bridle left to keepe vs in But after God hath once set vs free from this wofull seruitude vnder sinne then wee begin to be seruants vnto him and his righteousnesse And thus being freed and deliuered from sinne wee become seruants of righteousnesse this is the end of our redemption But many abuse this grace of God taking occasion thereby to breake foorth into all intemperancy Vse behauing themselues so inordinatly as if there were no law nor rule to keepe them within the bounds of holinesse and honesty This is the cause then why God complaines of the Israelites But thou saidst I will not serue for it is too grosse an ingratitude yea it is too much that thou hast done already to dreame that I haue not redeemed thee as also not to vnderstand that my meaning in vsing thee with such respect was to teach thee that thou wert wholly mine For he that is redeemed by another is no more his owne 1. Cor. 6.19.20 What Condition redemption containes in it God had redeemed this people and therefore the redemption contained in it an obligation binding the people ouer to yeeld voluntary obedience vnto God and to be gouerned by him Thou hast said then I will not serue Thus God complaines that he hath ill imployed the benefits and graces which hee bestowed vpon the people in regard they abused the liberty hee gaue them to all excesse of riot And the reason which followes manifests it yet better For thou runnest as an harlot saith hee vpon euery high mountaine and vnder euery greene tree For we know that the Israelites no sooner reuolted from Gods true worship but they chose them places here and there as if the tops of the mountaines and shadowie places vnder greene trees had had more holines in thē than any other And euen thus it fares with the Papists at this day for their deuotion that is to say that diuellish fury which transports them from place to place is the very same Oh say they such a place is holier and better than that So did the Israelites for they thought themselues nearer heauen when they were mounted aloft vpon the tops of the hils likewise they thought they they had more familiar accesse to God when they were below vnder the thicke shade And we see also how euery profane man almost is bewitched after the same manner For when they are on the mountaines they thinke that makes them nearer to God they also imagine that some diuinity is secretly included as well by the riuers sides as vnder greene trees For as much then as this superstition had long continued among the Israelites God heere thus reprocheth them for their running and wandring to and fro But the similitude which hee vseth must be obserued For he compares them to harlots who hauing cast off all shamefastnesse trudge hither and thither not onely to satisfie their base and filthy lusts but also their insatiable couetousnesse whlch sets them so on gog He saith then Thou rannest about vpon euery mountaine and vnder euery leaued tree like an harlot or harlot that thou art as if hee should say See the reward thou gauest me for my mercy in redeeming thee thou thinkest thou hast obtained leaue now to ouerflow now in all impiety Thinke well then what hath occasioned thee thus to prostitute thy selfe to all villany and wickednesse It followes Vers 21. And I planted thee as a vine of choyce noble or exquisite for so much the Hebrew word signifies wholly of faithfull plants or approoued seed and how art thou then turned vnto me into the plants of a strange or wild vine GOd here cōfirmes that he said in the former sentēce for there he condemned the Israelites because they ranne riot after their superstitions notwithstanding God had redeemed them to another end namely that they should suffer themselues to be gouerned by his hand I saith he then haue planted thee a choyce vine that is to
Gods mouth For Ieremiah thundred daily and continually threatened their destruction He was as it were an Herald sent from heauen to affright and terrifie the whole world but none gaue him audience the Iewes in the meane while applauded the false Prophets who flattered and entertained them with sweet words and faire promises We see then that God neuer spake of this but the Iewes on the contrary not onely willingly suffered but also much reioyced to heare of these goodly promises which the false Prophets to gratifie them withall made vnto them Ieremiah then attributes that to God by way of derision which he knew well enough could agree to none but to those deceiuers In the next place he adds and the sword pierceth to the soule that is notwithstanding we are now wounded with mortall and deadly blowes Now heere the Prophet sets these dangerous and wicked flatteries before the eyes of the Iewes which caused them to lift vp their crests shewing that in the end they shall assuredly feele how falsly they pretended the name of God Vers 11. At that time they shall say to this people that is of this people and of Ierusalem the dry winde others translate a vehement wind to the high places of the desert word for word it is in the desert towards the way of the daughter of my people not to fanne nor to cleanse 12 A wind more full than those shall come vnto me and now also I will pronounce iudgements with them IEremiah prosecutes his prophesie still when he saith a turbulent wind shall quickly come which shall not only fanne and cleanse but shall also scatter and ouerthrow all He shewes then how great and horrible the calamity shall be which he mentioned before he compares it to a dry and sharpe wind The Hebrew word hath diuers significations but doubtlesse hee speakes heere of such a wind as comes rushing with great violence and disturbs all the ayre especially when there is neither clouds nor any trees to hinder the course thereof and that is the cause why he speakes of the high places and deserts It is as much then as if he had said God will execute such an horrible iudgement and it shall come with such violence as if a whirlewind passed through high places or through a dry land or some desert He saith by the way of the daughter of my people as if he should say the wind shall haue such a passage as shall directly ceaze vpon Iudeah Now this is a phrase of speech well enough knowne to them that haue been but meerly read in the Prophets when he puts the daughter of the people Daughter of my people taken for the people themselues for the people themselus This wind then shall passe directly towards Iudeah Afterwards hee adds neither to fanne nor to cleanse for it is the manner of husbandmen to fanne their corne in the ayre so as you shall see the chaffe flie abroad and be purged out by the wind But the Prophet affirmes that this wind shall neither fan nor cleanse Why so Because saith he it shall be too boysterous In a word his meaning is that God shall bee so displeased with the Iewes that he will not chastise them with such gentlenesse and moderation as in times past For God had already corrected the Iewes often but hee hitherto carried himselfe in such wise as hee alwayes performed as it were the part of a good physition God is desirous as a good Physition to cure the vices of people by sparing them but when this lenity is abused he will fall to extremities in regard his meaning was to procure the saluing and curing of the peoples vices But in as much as none of his corrections had done them any good therefore the Prophet now affirmes that God will come in wrath and indignation which shall not serue as before to cleanse and purge them by sending away their of-scourings into the wind but wholly to consume and destroy whatsoeuer appertained to the people And therefore he adds for these two verses depend one vpon another a wind more full saith he or more perfect than those shall come Others translate shall come from those places But it is to be taken rather as we haue turned it namely that this wind shall bee more terrible than other winds which were wont to winnow the corne in separating it from the chaffe or to purge the earth The wind then shall be much more violent and it saith he shall come to me I doubt not but God himselfe speakes this Others thinke the Prophet heere represents the whole body of the people and expound it that a wind shall come rushing in vpon them but this exposition is vnapt and the text it selfe confutes it For that which followes next in the Prophet would not agree now will I pronounce iudgements with them It is God then who in the person of a iudge pronounceth that a wind shall come vp at his command to scatter and ouerthrow the whole land but not to purge or cleanse it And thus he shewes how the Caldeans shall not come vp by their owne proper mouing but shall be ready to accomplish put that in execution which God himselfe shall enioyne them as if he should say See Isa 45.7 and Amos 3.6 I my selfe am the author of all the euils which shall happen to the Iewes It shall come to me then that is it shall bee ready to obey my commandement Lastly by way of exposition he adds Then will I speake iudgements with them To speake iudgements Chap. 52.9 See chap. 1.16 is as much to say as to performe the office of a iudge or to call to iudgement or to summon and cite one to make his answere in the place of iustice as it is also said that Kings speake iudgements when they cause men to yeeld an account In a word Gods meaning heere is that hitherto hee hath forborne the Iewes but too long but in regard hee sees the patience he hath vsed is not onely fruitlesse but that they are become so much the more stubborne and rebellious he testifies he will now play the part of a iudge with them to punish their vngodly courses Now it followes Vers 13. Behold he shall come vp as a cloud and his chariot shall be as a whirle-wind his horses are more swift than the Eagle woe vnto vs for we are destroyed HEre the Prophet in the shutting vp of his prophesie expresseth the greatnesse of Gods vengeance Now hee vseth two similitudes to terrifie and awaken the Iewes Two similitudes He saith the chariots of God shall come vp as clouds and as a whirle-wind and then that his horses shall be swifter than the Eagles Touching the clouds and whirle-wind and likewise the Eagles for there is one and the same reason in the three similitudes no doubt but the Prophet meant to signifie that Gods vengeance should come speedily and yet there is some difference Wee see
For our whole wisedome consists in the knowledge of God But thus God lets them know that their folly is no way excusable Why so He made himselfe so familiarly knowne vnto the Israelites that as Moses saith they needed not to aske Who shall ascend for vs into heauen or who shall descend for vs into the depth For they had the word fast by them euen in their mouth and in their heart Deut. 30.12.13.14 In regard then that God had in so gracious a manner manifested himselfe vnto the Iewes he iustly complaines that they knew him not Wee haue two poynts to note heere then first God specifies what this folly is namely that his people knew him not Whence we haue to gather that wee are then said to be truly wise when wee render to God his due honour and are then iustly esteemed fooles and vnwise whilest we cease to stay our selues in him That is one poynt Moreouer we ought to know that all pretense of ignorance heere falles to the ground whilest God thus manifested himselfe to this people And may not the same be said vnto vs Yes verily God at the last day may iustly reproch vs that we haue been fooles and vnwise if we haue not knowne him for this is our wisedome also as I said erewhile Moreouer here is no place to bring in any pretext of ignorance for God hath not spoken to vs in secret To be short God conuinceth the Iewes of ingratitude and of wilfull malice in telling them they knew not And we at this day deserue as I haue said a much greater condemnation so as the punishment ought to be doubled if we know him not to whom God hath so familiarly reuealed himselfe and to whom in so gracious a manner he represents himselfe Lastly he adds that they are witlesse and without any sense or vnderstanding The oppositions which are heere in the Hebrew text haue greater waight than in the Greeke or Latine In Greeke or Latine this manner of speech would haue little grace if one should say This is a foole The Hebrewes haue their manner of speech proper to themselues and not wise For it seemes the latter member doth somewhat diminish that which was said in the first But the Hebrewes haue their manners of speaking proper to themselues for thus they signifie that this people is so farre destitute of vnderstanding that there is not so much as a dramme of sound knowledge in them Those who are fooles and witlesse will yet haue some sparkes of vnderstanding though neuer so small and thence came that prouerbe That fooles often tell the truth But Ieremiah on the contrary meanes that the Iewes were not onely fooles and senselesse but so depriued of all iudgement and discretion that they resembled euen the insensible stones or bruit beasts so as there remained neither wit nor humane reason in them We will now deferre the rest till some other time The Prayer Almighty God for as much as thou hast not for once only lighted vp vnto vs the lampe and light of thy heauenly doctrine but daily callest vs to to that saluation which thou hast set before vs giue vs grace we neither shut our eyes nor stop our eares nor yet lie snorting in our vices But as it pleaseth thee on thy part carefully to allure vs to come vnto thee so grant we also may hasten to thee with all our might that from strength to strength wee may continue on our Christian race approching euery day nearer and nearer to the marke at which we aime till at length wee attaine the possession of that heauenly kingdome which thou hast purchased for vs by the blood of thine onely begotten Sonne Iesus Christ. Amen THE SEVENTEENTH LECTVRE WHICH IS THE FOVRTH VPON THE fourth Chapter Vers 23. I beheld the earth and loe it was desolate and deformed and the heauens and they had no light in them 24 I beheld the mountaines and loe they trembled and all the his moued 25 I beheld and loe there was no man and all the birds of the heauen had taken their flight 26 I beheld and loe the fruitfull region or Carmel was a desert and all her Cities destroyed before the face of the Lord and before the face of his fierce anger THe Prophet heere by sundry sorts of figures amplifies the terrour of Gods vengeance that he might awaken the Iewes who were become vtterly senselesse and carelesse For he makes no idle repetitions when foure times together he saith he beheld Hee might as well at once haue mentioned the earth the heauens men mountaines and fruitfull places but hee saith that which way soeuer he turned his eyes as if hee had viewed the foure quarters of the world on euery side there appeared horrible and fearful signes of Gods wrath and displeasure which threatned the Iewes with an vtter wast Neither is it any maruell that the Prophet vseth such vehemency For wee know with what contempt men are wont to entertaine all Gods threatnings vnlesse they bee indeed soundly awakened Which manner of teaching ought not to bee strange vnto vs. For hee that is but meanly read in the Prophets may easily obserue that they insist much vpon this poynt to wit in rouzing the hypocrites and contemners of God who as they haue a stiffe necke that will not bow so according to the hardnesse of their hearts they will not be mooued with any punishment wherewith they be threatened But yet this place among many other is very notable and therefore ought wee so much the more diligently to ponder that heere which the Prophets words import First hee saith hee beheld the earth Hee vseth the very same words which Moses vseth in the history of the worlds creation For before the earth was formed hee saith it was a thing that lay wast and as a confused chaos Jeremiah alludes to the Chaos of the world before God made a distinction of things therein without any forme or shape at all as hauing no beauty in the face thereof to allure the eyes of the beholders to gaze vpon it It is as much then as if hee had said Gods wrath and vengeance hath caused that distinct and comely order so to vanish away that nothing but an vtter confusion remaineth And thus he amplifies the outrage and enormitie of their sinnes as if hee should say They had so farre run riot that thereby they had peruerted all the whole frame of the world and as it were mingled heauen and earth together so as nothing but an vtter vastation of all things appeared now euery where Whereas he saith there was no light he signifies that the light of the Sunne and Moone was in a manner darkened and put out in regard men were vnworthy to enioy such a fauour as that is from God as if the Sunne and Moone had been ashamed to be the witnesses of so many foule iniquities Wee haue now the summe of the Prophets meaning as touching the first verse I looked
Prophets words He rather attributes terrour and sorrow heere to the dumbe and insensible elements which is much more passionate than if hee had plainly said The inhabitants of the earth should mourne and lament The same may bee said also of the heauens And indeed this latter member euidently shewes that he speakes not of the inhabitants of the earth but of the earth it selfe which albeit it is vtterly without sense or feeling yet it seemes it hath a kind of feare and horror in respect of Gods vengeance And thus the Prophet casts mens hard-heartednesse and senselesnesse in their teeth in that they were no whit moued nor smitten with any dread although they saw signes of Gods wrath manifested against them from heauen The earth then shall mourne and the heauens shall be darkened and troubled that is howsoeuer men remaine insensible yet shall heauen and earth feele the horriblenesse of Gods vengeance In the next place he adds For I haue said it Some translate this as if a relatiue were to be supplied betweene the two verbes as if he had said For I haue said that which I thought and I wil not repent But this same abrupt manner of speech sutes well enough For in the first place God pronounceth sentence which shall abide immutable and vnchangeable As if he should say I haue once for all signified by my faithfull seruants the Prophets what I meant to doe For the Prophets as we know were Gods heralds to declare and publish his iudgements And for as much as men for the most part set light by their doctrine for as the world at this day is growne to that passe that it proudly contemnes and scornes al the threatnings that are denounced against it so fell it out then Ieremiah therefore brings in God himselfe speaking heere as if he had said You haue despised my messengers and yet haue they told you nothing but what my felfe haue enioyned them From me then hath proceeded that sentence which you for your parts ought to haue trembled at See now in what sense it is that God saith I haue spoken For he attributes that to himselfe which the Iewes thought came from the Prophets and therefore they saw no reason why they might not freely set light by whatsoeuer the Prophets pronounced against them It is I then saith God that hath spoken And thus there should be an antithesis betweene God and the Prophets as if hee should say The Iewes gaine nothing at all by snorting thus in their euils whilest they thinke they haue to doe with mortall men whereas God himselfe hath commanded and enioyned his seruants to denounce the iudgement which they scorne so much And yet lest they should Imagine God spake onely to affright them with words full of wind for hypocrites are wont to flatter themselues vnder this pretext that God speakes not in good earnest but onely frayes men as if he had to deale with little children he saith also I haue thought it He said before hee spake that is as hauing respect to the Prophets but now in saying he thought it hee meanes that the prophesies shall manifest their power wherein God had threatned the Iewes with ruine out of his owne secret counsell This saith hee is decreed with me Afterward he adds I repent not In a word he shewes that the Iewes are destinated to destruction lest they should perswade themselues that God could bee appeased whilest they went on in their sinnes because hee was determined to proceed in iudgement against them and not onely signified the same by his Prophets but had also concluded thereof in his owne breast The word repentance is taken heere for mutation or change For God is not subiect to repenting in regard all things are well enough knowne to him but he speakes after the manner of men as I said erewhile Repentance improperly attributed to God And that which followes remooues away all ambiguity or doubt for he saith I will not turne away from it that is I will not call backe my sentence It followes Vers 29. Euery City shall flee for the voice of the horseman and of the archer they shall dig into the thicknesse according to others into the clouds The Hebrew word signifies a very thicke bush or thicket it also signifies clouds and as I take it it may bee accepted rather for clouds because forthwith it followes they shall ascend into the rockes and then euery City shall be forsaken and no inhabitant shall remaine therein WHen he speakes of the voice or noyse of the horsmen and archers which shall cause all to flee he signifies that the enemie shal come with such boldnes and fury that the Iewes shall not dare to meet them because they shall all be scattered heere and there before one stroke be strucken for questionlesse hee heere opposeth the voice to blowes Wee know with what pride the Iewes were possessed therefore the Prophet scornes this their cursed confidence wherewith they were so bewitched that they could no way apprehend Gods iudgements The onely noyse saith he of the enemy shall so terrifie you that all the Cities shall be forsaken of their inhabitants who shall voluntarily yeeld themselues captiue to the enemy neither shall their walles defend them nay the gates themselues shall be set wide open All the Cities then shall flee That which followes they shall ascend into the clouds or into the thickets may bee expounded of the enemies namely they shall be so quicke and nimble that they shall seeme to scale the clouds and to get vp among the rocks but I had rather reade it all with a breath thus The Iewes shall be so affrighted and terrified in their flight that no clouds shall be so high to which they will not attaine because the tops of the highest mountaines are often so couered ouer with groues and thickets that they are alwayes ouershadowed This place then may well be thus expounded to wit that they shall flee into groues and thickets where much wood is How euer it bee the Prophet no doubt speakes heere of places of great heighth and thus this exposition will be the more firme if we retaine the word clouds As touching the summe we see wel enough what his meaning is namely that the enemie shal be of such agility that they shall outstrip the Eagles by their nimblenesse in comming to subdue and ouerthrow the state of the Iewes or according to that which others thinke which also is most receiued The Iewes shall be put to their shifts in such wise that they shall not onely flee out of their Cities but shall enter the tops of the highest mountaines to hide themselues there among the trees and bushes as amongst the clouds Also they shall ascend vp vnto the rocks Why so Because they shall not thinke themselues otherwise in safety in regard of the incursions and assaults of the enemie Finally he adds That all the Cities shall bee so forsaken that not so much as
Apostataes in regard they had carried themselues disloyally against God Now because this was a most bitter complaint and therefore would gaule them to the quicke he referres it to God knowing well enough that the Iewes would neuer take this reproch well at his hands It is the Lord that speakes saith hee as if hee should say plead not with mee as if I handled you ouer-seuerely but if you will pleade argue the case with God for it is he that affirmes that as well the Israelites as the Iewes are become perfidious and disloyall It followes Vers 12. They haue denied the Lord others translate they haue lied to the Lord and said It is not hee neither shall euill befal vs * For the application of this latter member see the second section following in vers 13. neither shal we see the sword nor famine HE expresseth that which hee said before more cleerly and also in more words This was a kind of disloyalty in that they had denied the Lord. For I doe not vtterly reiect the other translation to wit that they lyed to God But because there is one letter in the word heere vsed I will not say whether it signifies to lie in this place or no I make no question but hee simply affirmes that they had denied God and the context it selfe requires it should bee so For by and by after they expound themselues when they said that God was not Certaine it is that this was not simply to lye to God but so to reiect him as if he had not been at all In regard this sense then that they lyed to God would bee too fauourable I rather encline to the other side namely that they denied God that is they regarded him not or they laboured to abolish the memory of him and yet the reason is added which also ought to be well obserued They said God is not The more fully to expresse this he saith that they gloried as is they should haue escaped punishment Indeed it seemes an excessiue speech when the Prophet affirmes they renounced God But to preuent all cauils hee confirmes his speech namely they said God was not In the meane while let vs see wherefore he chargeth them with so hatefull a crime They made their vaunts they should be freed from those plagues wherewith the Prophets threatened them Now wee see what it is with which the Prophet taxeth them euen an obstinate contempt For they had hardened their hearts against all the menaces of the Prophets Which Ieremiah tearmes no lesse See vers 3. than a plaine deniall of God himselfe If we our selues might be iudges we would thinke this definitiue sentence too sharpe and seuere but we must hold it our wisedome to rest in the iudgement of the holy Ghost This is an excellent place then and well worthy our obseruation for hence wee may gather If we take from God his power to execute iudgment vpon offenders we denie him to be God how much the Lord abhorres the carelesnes of such as harden their hearts against his threatnings and set light by his iudgements For if wee know him to bee God we must not plucke from him the power to iudge For what imports this Name God Such as imagine hee sits idle in heauen and cares not how things go in the world but followes his delights albeit they denie not God in word yet doe they nothing but toy with him But in the meane while there is not so much as one dram of religion in such nor any feeling of the diuine power This place then is diligently to be obserued wherein God testifies that we renounce him See vers 13. if we be not touched nor mooued with his threatnings Why so Because our carelesnesse in which we rocke our selues asleepe whilest God thunders against vs is nothing else but an vtter renouncing of him Neither ought they heere who despise Gods iudgments to lessen this their fault For this the holy Ghost hath pronounced as a resolued truth namely all they that scorne the Prophets doe as much in effect as conclude in their hearts there is no God For they bereaue him of his power and office only leaue to him a bare naked essence that is to say I know not what dreame or fancy Wee now then haue attained the Prophets meaning See vers 11. For with many words he amplifies the disloyalty of the Iewes which before hee condemned in them because they had denied God and had said it is not he that is because they had concluded in themselues surely the euils which the Prophets threaten are not so neere vs as they would make vs beleeue they are It followes Vers 13. The Prophets shall goe away with the wind and the word is not in them thus shall it be done vnto them THe Prophet prosecutes the same doctrine wherfore this place is diligently to be noted in regard the externall ministery of the word is therin singularly recommended vnto vs. For what thing more detestable can be imagined The word is not in them than the deniall of God But if the word retaine not its authority it is all one as if the contemners should plucke God out of heauen and denie him to be God We see then how the maiesty of God is with an inseparable band ioyned with the outward preaching of the word And this verse tends to the very same end wherein Ieremiah discouers the scornes and deridings of the Iewes For hee brings them in speaking these words The Prophets shal be as the wind the word is not in them that is the euils wherwith they threaten vs shall fall vpon their owne heads It may be the Iewes vttered not such blasphemies in plaine tearmes but there was among them such a grosse and shamefull cōtempt of the Prophets that this impiety was manifested well enough to all the world by their practice it is not without cause then that he condemnes so odious an impiety whē they said the Prophets should go away with the wind As the most part of men at this day who when God thunders from heauen and by his seruants manifests sure signes of his displeasure they are not a whit moued therewith but stand scorning of vs and boldly repulse all feare farre enough off from them Oh! These are but words These Preachers thunder terribly Against such as thinke the preachers words are but wind when they are in their pulpits but all shall vanish in the aire and that which they denounce against vs shall light vpon their owne heads Many such scorners and profane persons we may heare of almost in euery corner who sticke not to disgorge such blasphemies Although as I haue said the Iewes peraduenture durst not spit thus openly as it were in Gods face But the holy Ghost who exerciseth his iurisdiction vpon mens hearts spirits secret intentions and affections no doubt iustly condemnes the Iewes of this so shamefull and execrable an impiety Albeit out of
in all the parts of their bodies But of this matter we purpose to say more to morrow The Prayer Almighty God and heauenly father seeing thou daily allurest vs so sweetly and louingly to come vnto thee and that thy word to this end sounds continually in our eares be so good vnto vs that the peruersity of our flesh may not cause vs to stop our eares but make vs attentiue hearers of the doctrine of saluation moreouer grant we may be so docible and obedient that thou maist bow and bend vs as thou wouldest haue vs and lead vs in the path wherein thou wouldest wee should walke till at length we may come to that blessed rest which is prepared for vs in heauen through Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Sauiour Amen THE TWO AND TWENTIETH LECTVRE WHICH IS THE FIFTH vpon the fifth Chapter YEsterday wee set before you the brutish carelesnesse of such as are so little affected with Gods benefits that they are not stirred vp thereby to honour and serue him I grant the Prophet spake of such benefits as God bestowes equally as well vpon the bad as vpon the good to wit he giues them showers the spring time and haruest and so disposeth of all the parts and seasons of the yeere that at the length the fruits of the earth ripen For by the weekes ordained or established hee simply meanes that God in such wise orders euery part of the yeere that whatsoeuer men sowe ripens at last And the word reserues tends also to the same purpose for it is all one as if he had said The seasons so change euery yeere that yet one continuall course and order is still obserued and they follow as you see one in the necke of another Now wee haue the Prophets meaning for hee shewes that the Iewes had too long been besotted and brutishly minded in that they considered not no not in their ordinaty and daily food of Gods bounty and liberality towards them which yet ought to haue been as so many goads in their sides to haue pricked them forward to his feare and seruice Saint Paul also in his time preaching to profane persons Act. 14.17 sets this consideration before their eyes God saith he neuer left himselfe without witnesse in that he gaue you raine and fruitfull seasons that is hee so disposed of the seasons that one might easily behold therein as in a glasse his fatherly loue towards mankind But the Prophet meant heere to taxe the Iewes of ingratitude in regard they considered not how liberally God had alwayes dealt with them and that not after an ordinary manner For he had not onely drawne them to him by bestowing common benefits vpon them but had also obliged them to him by rare and vnaccustomed mercies Seeing then he had bestowed extraordinary fauours vpon them so much the more odious was their vnthankfulnes in regard they considered not in themselues that all the benefits they had receiued at his hands were as so many spurs in their sides or allurements to bind them vnto him This is the Prophets meaning then when he saith They said not Let vs now feare the Lord which giues vs raine that is the raine of the spring and the raine before haruest and that in due time time and season For therein we see how the prouidence of God shineth namely whilest the husband-man sowes the raine flowes which ministreth moisture and iuyce vnto the earth moreouer before the fruits be ripened how God again breathes fatnesse into them by this raine of the euening And that which followes tends to the same end who giues raines in the weekes ordained or word for word of ordinances But he adds that at length the haruest may approch Vers 25. Your iniquities haue turned away these things from you and your wickednesses haue hindred the good from you BEcause hypocrites as was formerly said are wont to make their replies euer and anon against God and to obiect this or that The Prophet heere preuents all their allegations in saying that Gods liberality was hindred and withdrawne from them onely by their owne proper fault For they might haue replied Obiect Thou talkest heere to vs in very high tearmes of Gods fatherly bounty and liberality in that he giues vs the fruits of the earth but we feele how by the excessiue heat of the Sunne our fruits are one while parched and burned vp another while vnseasonable raines rot the graine in the earth in a word we see no certainty at all Answ but things goe confusedly forward amongst vs. To this obiection hee answereth and saith I grant it Our sinnes are the cause why Gods bounty is restrained from vs. But know it comes to passe by reason of your wickednesse and peruersity that God tempers not euery part of the yeere in such wise as with your eyes you may behold his continuall liberality Your iniquities saith he haue depriued you of these things and your wickednesses haue hindred good things from you This sentence then is very remarkable for Gods fatherly goodnesse shines not alwaies alike in respect of these outward things but many mists comes euer and anon ouerthwart our eyes Thence it comes that profane persons thinke the barrennesse of this yeere and the fruitfulnesse of that falles out by chance For in this life we see nothing so constantly to goe on in a stright line as if the goodnesse of God so manifested it selfe in all things that there should not now and then happen many obstacles and hinderances in the way But which of vs considers whence this trouble and confusion proceeds Doubtlesse it is because our selues haue shut vp the way against God that his bounty should not continually reach vnto vs Note we trouble heauen and earth then by our sins For if wee kept our selues within the bounds of obedience to our God certainly all the elements would bee continually for vs and thus wee should perceiue an Angelicall harmony in all the parts of the world But in regard we by our iniquities raise vp tumults euery day against God yea euery day proclaime open warre against him and by our pride contumacy and obstinacy prouoke him all things as well in the heauens as in the earth must needs be out of square Hence it comes that the skie is darkened ouer vs and that continuall raines marre the fruits of the earth and that wee see no right order in any part of the world This so confused a distemperature then which we discerne in all the elements must be imputed to our sinnes for that is the Prophets meaning Now this reprehension no doubt was then directed to the Iewes but wee may gather a generall doctrine from it These two poynts then stand firme first Two points that God leaues not himselfe without witnesse in regard he giues raine and faire weather hee makes the earth fruitfull to the end it may minister food for our vse Secondly that the aire the firmament and the earth are often
Iewes did to the seruice of the true God who yet was their glory And thus they changed him for a thing of nothing p. 72.73 See vers 5. and 8. The sixth Lecture Vers 12 Heere the Prophet as one out of hope to benefit his nation by ought he could say turnes him to the insensible and guiltlesse creatures as if it had been easier for him to smite them with amzement for their disorders than the sinners themselues who were guilty indeed This verse therefore must bee ioyned to the former as the conclusion thereof p. 75.76 Vers 13 Two euills the people are heere taxed with the one sauouring of inconstancy the other of folly of inconstancy in forsaking God the fountaine of all their welfare of folly in changing him for such helpers as could affoord them no helpe p. 76. 77. Vers 14 It is a thing iustly to be wondred at when a free people by their sinnes haue brought themselues into the state of bondmen p. 79. Vers 15 We often cause our enemies by reason of our sinnes rather to resemble sauage beasts in spoyling vs than men when God in his iustice giues vs vp for a prey vnto their teeth p. 81. Yea sinne causeth God to set not onely our enemies vpon Vers 16 vs but turnes from vs the hearts of our neerest confederates also p. 81. 82. If ye aske for what sinne this iudgement befell the Iewes Vers 17 It was for the sinne of Apostasie in falling away from the Lord their God who had done more for them than all the world besides p. 82. 83. Neuer looke therefore for comfort from friends when God Vers 18 is at odds with vs. p. 85. Rather than wicked rebels shall want a fury to vexe them Vers 19 God will make their owne conâ—eâ—â—â—â— to â—e in stead of a racke vnto them p. 88. The seuenth Lecture God cannot 〈◊〉 that men should turne his grace into wantonnesse p. 93. 94. Vers 20 God had planted the Iewes as a vine of choyce and there-therefore Vers 21 expected choyce fruits from them but in stead of bringing 〈◊〉 pleasant grapes they yeelded him onely wild grapes p 96. In regard wherof their guiltinesse was growne to be of such Vers 22 a double dye that all the excuses they could alleage for themselues were not able to wash it off p. 98. And yet their impudency being such as for all that to plead Vers 23 not guilty the Prophet is faine vnder two similitudes to poynt them out to the very fact shewing how they committed sinne with greedinesse p. 100. But in the middle of their race God at length gaue Vers 24 them their load by laying afflictions vpon them p. 102. 103. The eighth Lecture But for all this they could not be kept in no not by reprehensions Vers 25 nor corrections but still would be running from vnder Gods protection to shroud themselues vnder the wing of strangers p. 105. Thus their reuolt is manifested by God himselfe to their Vers 26 shame what euer they could alleage to the contrary p. 109. 110. Yea he conuicteth them out of their owne words and deeds Vers 27 prouing that they gaue that honour to false gods which belonged to the true God p. 111. Vers 28 And therefore sends them ouer to seeke helpe from them in their troubles seeing they had vnworthily reiected him testifying that they might haue found more sufficiency of helpe in him who was but one than in all the multiplicity of their Idoll gods p. 114. Vers 29 He henceforth commands them silence therefore seeing their reuolt was too apparant p. 115. Vers 30 Yea albeit to words he had added blowes and that vpon their young men yet all was in vaine besides they had cruelly put the Prophets to death See vers 34. which God had sent among them to a farre better end p. 116. 117. 118. The ninth Lecture Vers 31 God had ill deserued thus to be dealt withall by them he therefore bids them to consider what a God hee had been to them the rather to humble them p. 121. 122. 123. Vers 32 And yet for all this they minded him nothing so much as girles doe their toyes and trinkets p. 123. 124. Vers 33 Now hauing abandoned God their first and best husband they studied how to make themselues amiable in the eyes of strangers which cost they might well haue spared and their paines also had they been content quietly to haue dwelled vnder the protection of the Almighty p. 126. Vers 34 Heere he layeth innocent blood againe to their charge as in vers 30. shewing that they killed not the Prophets priuily as theeues doe true men but that the signes thereof were to be seene in euery place yea vpon the hems of their garments p. 127. 128. Vers 35 And yet like audacious hypocrites being chalenged for their villanies they both faced it out as if they had been the onely innocent creatures telling the Lord that if hee would but withdraw his terrours a little from them they would find defences enough to answere all these accusations p. 130. Vers 36 But they were not to imagine thus to steale away in the darke because God would for all these things bring them to iudgement p. 134. 135. The tenth Lecture That which is noted before in vers 18. may shew the summe Vers 37 of this 36. verse p. 135. That which to their thinking would prooue matter of reliefe and succour vnto them should be turned into cause of shame and confusion vnto them The Lord in these verses prooues once more whether hee Chap. 3 Vers 1 could ouercome the Iewes disloyalty with kindnesse or no. p. 140. For proofe of which disloyalty he requires but their owne Vers 2 testimony prouided that they would therein deale plainly and honestly p. 144. And if they refused to doe it they needed but the very Vers 3 heauens ouer their heads to conuince them thereof whilest they yeelded them no more raine to refresh the earth in the appointed seasons than if they had been made altogether of brasse p. 146. The eleuenth Lecture And yet whilest the heauens might seeme to be mercilesse Vers 4 it was not so with the Almighty for euen in the middest of their punishments inflicted vpon them for their sinnes he seekes to allure them to repentance p. 148. But were they allured No they stifly resisted both in Vers 5 word and deed p. 150. Though Iosias were a good Prince and was exceeding Vers 6 carefull to reforme matters that were amisse both in Church and Common-wealth yet euen then the ten Tribes gaue themselues to superstitions and Idolatries p. 152. And yet then God sought also by his lenity to draw Vers 7 these to repentance but little to the purpose for they were resolued to continue in their wicked courses still p. 154. God was therefore constrained when he saw she would needs Vers 8 play the harlot to giue her a bill of diuorce and send her away p. 155. But this was so