Scriptures Opened and Cases of Conscience Resolved, Jeremiah · Passage 20:14
Jer. 20. 14, to the end.
Curſed be the day wherein I was born, let not the day wherein my mother bare me be bleſſed, &c.
Q. How is it pſſible that ſo holy a man as Jeremy was ſhould ſpeak ſuch ſtrange and truculent words as theſe are, and that (as the Context hath it) immediately after his praiſing of God, and calling in others thereunto, ver. 13?
A. Firſt, As for the latter part of the Queſtion, ſome Expoſitors do not conjoin v. 13. & 14. but take what is ſpoken from v. 14. to the end of the Chapter, as that which aroſe from the impulſion of a new temptation. But Calvin conceives that this is brought in to amplifie the comfort he had from a gracious God, by declaring how he was affected and tranſported with the bruitiſh carriage of ungracious men; ſo that the words though in the order of the Text, put after the praiſing of God, v. 13. yet in order of time, and of the ſtory, go before, and ſhew in what a miſerable caſe, diſtreſs, and even diſtraction he was before the Lord appeared to him for the ſetting of his tormented ſpirit in ſome good order and peaceable frame. Briefly, till God gave him ſatisfaction, no language was bitter enough to expreſs his diſſatisfactions.
Secondly, For the matter of his ſpeech (as here it lies before us) it is as high and as highly againſt the Rule as can well be imagined, and that both in reſpect of himſelf, and of man, and of God himſelf.
1. In reſpect of himſelf, he curſeth the day of his Birth, when it is a ſingular mercy of God for any man to have a being, for otherwiſe how could he have an everlaſting well-being? and men of note generally have celebrated their Birth-day, Mark 6. 21. with feaſting and much rejoycing. Yea Gods mercy to Jeremy was the greater, becauſe before he came out of that womb out of which he wiſheth here he had never come, God ſanctified him, Gal. 1. 15, 16. ſet him apart for an 1 Tim. 1. 12.eminent ſervice, and ordained him to be a Prophet, not only to the people of God (to whom he was a Prophet properly) but to the Nations round about, to whom his Propheſies reach'd, by whom they were taken notice of, Jer. 40. 2. and among whom they produced high and moſt remarkable effects, Jer. 1. 5, 10.
2. In reſpect of man, that is, that man (which may be underſtood of this or that man) that brought tydings to his Father, a man-child is born, making him very glad. In ſuch a caſe men might pay the Meſſenger, but Jeremy abhors the Meſſenger and Meſſage both, yea, the Meſſenger for the Meſſage; and that in ſo high and horrid a degree that he wiſhes him like the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, the moſt dreadful examples of Gods Juſtice, as being utterly overthrown without any repentance and reſtauration. And further prayeth, that he may hear the cry (an hideous cry, Exod. 12. 30.) in the morning, that is, early and unawares, Hoſ. 10. 15. and the ſhouting of noiſe (as of men overcome, Exod. 32. 18.) at noontide, when others uſe to reſt and recreate themſelves, 2 Sam. 4. 5.
3. In reſpect of God; for in the two laſt verſes, he quarrels with him, becauſe he did not kill him out of hand, and make his mothers womb his grave, and becauſe ſhe did not carry in it a Conception of eternity; that is, that ſhould never be brought forth. When there was cauſe enough to ſay (conſidering how much good, Jer. 18. 20. Jeremy did and would have done), O bleſſed the womb that bare thee, and the paps that gave thee ſuck!
It may be obſerved in all this, 1. That there is a great deal that can by no means be juſtified, that is greatly to be condemned, there being not only the moſt direful and injurious curſing of a man, or men moſt innocent, but alſo horrible blaſphemy againſt God.
The Uſe whereof is, to ſhew what wild and woful Creatures we be, when once we have given our ſelves the reins. Jeremy was a Prophet and a man of God, but he was a man alſo; as a Prophet, he thundred out divers imprecations againſt Gods enemies, which we may account acts of obedience to the Spirit of God in him, Jer. 20. 9. but here the man is become like one of us, he ſpeaks like a very corrupt man, and caſts up a great deal of mire and dirt. Sure he was a man ſubject to like paſſions with us, and ſo are we to like paſſions with him, though uſually we uſe not ſuch dreadful and daring expreſſions, but we have them in our hearts, they lie in our wicked natures, and out they come at times (when we are much wrong'd and wrung, Prov. 30. 33.) as far as our wit will reach (for all have not ability to be ſo mighty in words) and as far as ſhame will ſuffer. O what need to watch and pray that the Peace of God may rule in our hearts, and that we may be amicable, Col. 3. 15. when a Jeremy is ſo unamicable and implacable!
2. Yet that ſomething there is, I ſay, ſomething to extenuate that which can no way be excuſed: viz.
1. A natural temptation; becauſe (as himſelf expreſſeth it, v. 18.) he was brought forth to ſuch labour and ſorrow, and his days Moſes is put out of his patience by a froward people, Pſal. 106. 33.were conſumed with ſhame. This, though it be no ſufficient defence for him, yet it may be look'd upon as a mitigation of his fault among men that know themſelves to be in ſuch ſort moved (though not in ſuch an height, becauſe all men have not the like fiery affections) with ſuch V de anne ſit alius loci, Senſ. 9.temptations: Oppreſſion and ignominy makes a wiſe man mad, and a godly man fierce, 2 Sam. 10. 4, 5. & 12. 31.
2. A moral and ſpiritual foundation and riſe of this his riſing ſo high; there was (as it is ſuppos'd, and it cannot be but that there was) ſome good at the bottom, (as there was in Nehemiah's curſing and rough diſcipline, (Chap. 13. 25.) we may preſume that it was not only his own caſe and barbarous uſage; but Gods cauſe that made him ſo to tranſgreſs his bounds, and to be zealous beyond knowledg; herein he may be more excus'd than Job, who alſo curſed the day of his birth, but it aroſe from his preſent miſery, Job 3▪ 20, 24. but Jeremy looks like Jonah that was ſo froward and high with God, becauſe he ſuppoſed he ſhould be accounted a falſe Prophet by his threatening and Gods ſparing of Niniveh; ſo Jeremy ſaw here that not only his perſon was oppoſed but his Miniſtry, and that therein God and all Religion was trodden under foot, which was ſo horrible a thing to him that it was tedious to him to live, while he lived longer and longer to ſee God and Goodneſs more and more trodden under foot.
4. And this alſo may be added (that Jeremy may not be low in our eyes) that he was a man of a moſt vigorous and keen ſpirit, his affections wrought like new Wine, Chap. 4. 19. & 24. 9. the zeal of Gods houſe did eat him up, yea zeal for God was at the bottom of theſe exceedings: No marvel if Luther and ſuch renowned Worthies that marched furiouſly for God, were ſometimes too furious, and if they that had ſo much of heavenly fire had ſomething alſo of ſtrange fire; for the beſt have fleſh in them as well as ſpirit, and it's an hard thing for any man not to act according to his natural temper and conſtitution, ſometimes in a worſe way as well as ordinarily in a better: O how extreamly dull are they in action that are free from the extremity of paſſion! O how may our coldneſs and lukewarmneſs move us to put a charitable Interpretation upon their words and actions that have been hot for Heaven, though now and then ſcalding hot.
But though all this may be ſaid for Jeremy, yet nothing can plead ſufficiently for ſuch headlong paſſion, nor for any that imitate him in it, albeit they come far ſhort of the height of it.