Lectures on Jeremiah, To the reader
TO THE READER.
GOod Christian Reader, if (as Salomon ſaith) thou wouldest bee truly wiſe for thy ſelfe,Prou. 9.12. Prou. 11.17.or hast a purpoſe to ſhew mercy to thine owne ſoule, in any thing; then manifeſt it in this one thing (abſolutely needfull for thee,Luk. 10.42. if hitherto thou hauehave neglected it) viz. Be ſure, before thou leaue this thy naturall life; that God (by the miniſtery of his holy word) hath breathed into thy dead ſoule,Ioh. 5.25. Eccleſ. 9.10. a ſupernaturall and ſpirituall life. For in the graue whither thou goeſt, there will be neither time, nor place for thee, to hauehave this worke of workes effected, Ioh. 12.35. Pſal. 39.5.Thy life is in length but like a ſpan; and eueryevery ſtep thou ſteppeſt, for ought thou knoweſt;1. Sam. 20.3. there is but a ſtep betweene thee and death.Heb. 9.27. Gen. 27.2. Seeing therefore by Gods eſpeciall appoyntment, thou art once to ſtep out of this world (how ſoone thou knoweſt not) it being alſo thy last ſtep: it ſtandeth thee vponupon, whileſt life and liberty laſteth, wiſely to foreſee, that then thou ſteppeſt ſurely, 2. Pet. 1.10. Prou. 22.3.For if thou dieſt, and after deſcendeſt into the graue,Prou. 11.7. a naturall man; ſo thou riſeſt at the laſt day, and then wofull will thy condition be:Heb. 12.14. for thou ſhalt neuer ſee the face of God to thy comfort. His wrath is now reuealed from heauen, against all vngodlineſſe,Rom. 1.18. and vnrighteouſneſſe of men: Alas! How much more then? Pſa. 77.7 Needfull therefore it is for thee now;2. Cor. 6.2. euen now whileſt the day of ſaluation laſteth, to lift vp thy heart with thine hands,Lam. 3.41. with loud and ſtrong cryes, vntounto God in the heauens, that for the paſsion and death of Christ, he will be pleaſed to grant thee grace, that his word may now ſo ſinke into thine eares,Luk. 9.44. Iſa. 55.10.11. Ioel 1.23. that thence it may ſoake as the raine of righteouſneſſe, into the furrowes of thine heart; toaPſal. 19.8. illuminate, tobIam. 1.21. regenerate, tocMat. 13.33. ſeaſon, anddIoh. 17.17. ſanctifie, thy whole man, ſoule and body, 1. Theſſ. 5.23. that thereby (as by the Spirit of the Lord) thou being caſt as into aeRom. 6.17. new mold, andf2. Cor. 3.18. transformed into the ſame image, from glory to glory; thou mayeſt with patience,Tit. 2.13. 1. Cor. 2.8. comfort, and good conſcience, wait till the laſt day; for the appearance of the Lord of glory, thy Lord and thy God, the man Chriſt Ieſus. For it is not ſufficient for thee onelyonly to know the word, to bee the word of Gods grace;Act. 14.3. and 20.32. vnleſſe by ſound euidences, thou alſo diſcerneſt, that it hath been a word of grace vntounto thee:Rom. 10.8. nor barely affirme it to be the word of faith: but by good proofe to find, that it hath been the meanes to breed a ſauing faith in thee. Nor yet onelyonly to ſay, that it is able to ſaue ſoules:Iam. 1.21. but that it hath been Gods powerfull instrument to ſaue thee. For the truth is, the word of God was notg2. Tim. 3.16. inſpired from God, nor written byh2. Pet. 1.21. holy men of God, toiHoſ. 8.12. vsus, andkRom. 15.4. for vsus, to the end it ſhould ſtandlHoſ. 8.12. ſtranger-like, aloofe off from vsus; but rather by admitting it to dwell and inhabite richly, and plenteouſly in vsus, Coloſ. 3.16. it might at length impart of that heauenly vertue that is in it,Iam. 1.21. vntounto vsus. We commonly eſteeme men ſo farre foorth good,Rom. 5.7. as they hauehave extended of their good things vntounto vsus: and thoſe things good,Ioh. ….10. that hauehave communicated of their goodneſſe vntounto vsus.Iſa. 39.8. Rom. 6.17. Heb. 6.5. Now if there be any thing vnderunder heauen good, which alſo is able to make vsus good, it is the good word of God. But we ſhall but coldly, and faintly commend it for good; vnleſſe we know by good experience, that it hath communicated of its goodneſſe vntounto vsus; what good (I pray you) doth that meat or drinke doe vsus, which we receiue not into vsus? But where the ſtomacke craueth, and receiueth theſe; the effects will ſoone be diſcerned.1. Sam. 14.27.29. Iudg. 15.19. I taſted a little honey (ſaith Ionathan) and mine eyes hauehave been enlightened. Sampſon drinking (in his exceſsiue thirſt) of the water of Lehi; his ſpirit reuiued.1. Sam. 30.11.12. The like befell the poore affamiſhed Egyptian. Oh that we could come to the good word of God, but with the one halfe of that hungry and thirſty appetite, wherewith (for the moſt part) wee come to theſe good creatures of God: we come to theſe indeed; we take theſe; we receiue theſe;Pſal. 104.15. and the goodneſſe that is in theſe, we make it our owne. And if through any defect in nature, we feele them any way defectiue in their nature and properties to vsus; we are ready by and by to ſay, all is not as it ſhould be with vsus. Doe wee ſo ſtrongly and mainly preſſe toward theſe, whoſe vertue at the beſt, being periſhable,Ioh. 6.27. 1. Cor. 6.13. can but ſuſtaine a periſhable life: and can we not be at quiet with our ſelues, vnleſſe we feele in our ſelues, that our natures are therby cheered and refreſhed?Luk. 5.1. and 12.1. Matth. 11.12. 1. Pet. 2.2. And ſhall we not much more preſſe forwards, to take, and receiue into vsus, as with violence, the good word of God, which is fitted and framed by God himſelfe, to ſuſtaine vsus ſpiritually? Let vsus draw neere vntounto it then, with knowledge, deſire, and faith,Heb 4.2. as the poore woman in the Goſpell, drew nigh to Chriſt. So ſhall we ſenſibly feele the ſauing and ſanctifying2. Tim. 3.15.16. vertue thereof to be infuſed into vsus to our euerlaſting conſolation and comfort. And then ſhall our hearts and mouthes be enlarged to ſpeake all the good,Pſal. 138.2. Pſal. 19.7.8.9.10. of this good word of God, that can be deuiſed. Yea, we ſhall not only praiſe it, but alſo with Dauid, the man of God, wee ſhall highly prize it; farre aboue all earthly profits, or delights, Pſal. 119.72.103. Then we ſhall be able with him againe and againe, to profeſſe how entirely we louelove it, verſ. 97. yea, how greatly we delight in it, verſ. 174. yea, what ioy and felicity we take in it, verſ. 14.162. yea, how inceſſantly our thoughts and meditations are taken vp about it: namely, before break of day, ver. 147 throughout the day, verſ. 97. in the night. verſ. 55. yea, at midnight, verſ. 62. Let vsus not then (as the manner of ſome is) permit the word of God, barely to harbour in our houſes: but let vsus endeauour rather, to harbour it within the cloſet of our hearts.Pſal. 119.11. Luk. 11.28. And oh happy wee! that euer it was our hap, to lodge within vsus ſo honourable and gracious a gueſt; that will eueryevery way be ſo beneficiall vntounto vsus,Pſal 119.24. Verſ. 50. as in our greateſt diſtractions, to councell vsus; in our deepeſt diſtreſſes, to comfort vsus: and when we are to ſeeke of our way; to direct vsus, directly to that hauen of happineſſe,105. where there ſhall bee mirth without mourning; fellowſhip with God, and all his ſaints, without parting; where we ſhall be euer prest to doe his will without fainting; and that, time without ending. As for thoſe thataHeb. 2.3. neglecte ſo great ſaluation, that hauehave the word,b2. Theſ 2.10. but louelove it not: that reade it, but will not becPſa. 50.16.17 reformed by it: thatdProu. 13.13. deſpiſe it,eIer. 6.10. reiect, and ſcorne it: To ſay no more, their damnation ſleepeth not: God cannot, nor wil not put vp, ſuch indignities at the hands of ſinners, Iſa. 5.24. Ier. 5.13.14. and 6.10.11 vnleſſe they meet him, and that ſpeedily,Amos 4.12. by true and vnfained repentance. And if thou ſay, Oh that I could! I wiſh thee often to read theſe holy Sermons of repentance, penned by the holy Prophet Ieremiah, for that purpoſe. For if repentance be a wounding of the heart, proceeding of faith, which ſeeketh vntounto God for mercy: then hath Ieremiah, like a skilfull maſter-builder in theſe preſent Chapters, and thoſe that follow, laid the ground-worke of ſuch a repentance out for thee. And if thou ſay, how ſhal I vnderſtand, vnleſſe I hauehave a guide?Act. 8.31. Accept (I pray thee, for the preſent) of this, which God of his goodneſſe hath heere ſent vntounto thee, by giuing him acceſſe into thy Chariot, cloſet, or other retired places: and if thou entreat him friendly, and makeſt thy gaine by him of this little; the Lord peraduenture may hereafter truſt thee with more.
But before I take my leaue of thee, as the ſumme of all: let me entreat thee (as thou tenderest thine owne welfare) to lay vp in thy heart, theſe ſixe leſſons, which the word of God teacheth thee, according as I find them laid downe by a learned Diuine.
1 The word of God teacheth thee, that thou being by creation made righteous, art by the fall of Adam, and by thine owne tranſgreſsion, become ſinfull, Eccleſ. 7, 31. Gen. 6.5.
2 The word of God teacheth thee, that thou art by nature the child of Gods wrath, and a fire-brand of hell, Epheſ. 2.3.
3 The word of God teacheth thee, that thou haste cauſe to bee troubled for this, more than for all worldly croſſes, and to be humbled and caſt downe in thy ſelfe before God for it, Act. 16.50.
4 The word of God teacheth thee, that thou being laden with thy ſinnes, and weary of them, art not to ſinke downe in deſpaire of Gods goodneſſe; but to relie vponupon his mercy in Chriſt Ieſus, Ezra. 10.2.
5 The word of God teacheth thee, that thus relying vponupon God in Chriſt, he hath mercy in ſtore for thee, Pſalm. 130.7. Ioh. 3.16.
6 The word of God teacheth thee, that all true beleeuers hauehave a conſtant care and endeauour, both to learne and know the will of God,Ioh. 10.27. and to obey it in all things, Luk. 1.74.75. Tit. 2.11.12.
Theſe poynts the word of God teacheth: and theſe if we learne and beleeue, as the word teacheth them; wee ſhall in the end be ſaued. And thus with my humble prayers to God that it may be ſo,
I bid thee in Chriſt heartily farwell. C. C.
LECTVRES VPONUPON THE FIVE FIRST CHAPTERS OF THE PROphecie of Ieremiah.
By Mr. IOHN CALVIN.