Jeremiah 2

It is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life. Our memory should be like the chest in the ark where the law was kept: God's oracles are ornaments, and shall we forget them (Jeremiah 2:32)? Can a maid forget her ornaments?

2. There is but one omnipotent power. If there be two omnipotents, then we must always suppose a contest between these two; that which one would do, the other power being equal would oppose, and so all things would be brought into a confusion. If a ship should have two pilots of…

Will a bride forget her jewels? (Jeremiah 2:32): Can a maid forget her ornaments? Did we prize the Word more, we should not so soon forget it.

Some make no more of killing men than sheep. (Jeremiah 2:34) In your skirts is found the blood of the poor innocents. Junius reads it in Alis; and so in Hebrew, 'In your wings is found the blood of innocents.'

What vows and solemn protestations do some make in their sickness, if God recover them they will be new men, but afterwards are as bad as ever! Jeremiah 2:20: You said, I will not transgress. Here was a resolution, but for all this she ran after her idols.

This may make us patiently submit to God in affliction, and say, your will be done. We have no cause to complain of God, it is nothing but what our sins have merited (Jeremiah 2:17). Have you not procured this to yourself?

A peculiar people. Let others take heed how they meddle with them, lest they intrench on God's propriety (Jeremiah 2:3). (2) There is included in it that which is essentially required to their being his People, namely, the profession of all subjection or obedience to him, and al…

This was God's vineyard (Isaiah 5:7, 8). Hereunto he sent all his ministers and last of all his Son (Matthew 21:35; Jeremiah 2:21). And to them he calls, O earth, earth, earth hear the word of the Lord (Jeremiah 22:29).

In Revelation 3:18. we read of the shame of a person's nakedness: when persons are stripped naked, they are ashamed: and so it is much more, when persons are made to see their own spiritual nakedness, or nothingness, they will then be ashamed. Jeremiah 2:26. A thief is ashamed w…

I answer. 1. They that will not hear his voice, that slight his calls; he invites them and prays them that they will look into their hearts, consider their eternal condition, but they quench the Spirit, smother light, resist all these motions; these will not hear Christ's voice;…

When they were in a low condition, how humble, spiritual, and heavenly were they; but when advanced, what an apparent alteration has been upon their spirits. It was so with Israel when they were in a low condition in the wilderness; then Israel was 'holiness to the Lord' (Jeremi…

And yet do you cast yourselves down because the broken cistern is removed? The best creatures are no better than this — Jeremiah 2:13: Cisterns have nothing but what they receive, and broken ones cannot hold what is put into them. Why then do you mourn as if your life were bound…

Yes, on divers pretences it will promise them eternal rest at the close of all; at least that they shall not fail of it by any thing they do in its service: and by such means it keeps them in security. But the whole real design of it, that which in all its power it operates towa…

And so much of the first Argument drawn from plain Texts of Scripture. A second Argument may be taken from the titles that are given to the Church; as first, that the Church is said to be married or espoused to Christ (Jeremiah 2:2 & 3:14; 2 Corinthians 11:2). From where the Arg…

And in Job 39:5, Who has sent out the wild Ass free? or who has loosed the bands of the wild Ass? And in Jeremiah 2:24, to name no more: A wild Ass used to the wilderness that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her wil…

A fool, one that understands little, yet if the way be his own, he will not hearken to counsel, he thinks he is sure, he needs not counsel with any, he is so strong in it because it is his own way. It's a hard thing to get men out of that way that they have contrived to themselv…

Oh! is it not a great deal better that God should remember the kindness of your youth, than the sins of your youth? Jeremiah 2:2. Oh you that are young, begin to be godly betimes, that God may remember the kindness of your youth.

When they are come to times of affliction they shall be ashamed of their own Counsels. Times of affliction makes men ashamed of what they would not be ashamed of before (Jeremiah 2:26; Zephaniah 3:11). I remember a notable expression that Sir Walter Raleigh has in his Story: Whe…

And so I find that Luther has it, for he doubles these. And then they think that it has reference to the two calves of Dan and Bethel: Or the two sins, of bodily and spiritual adultery: Or otherwise it has the same sense with that in (Jeremiah 2:13), My people have committed two…

Yes but still, If we be idolaters (would the ten Tribes say) they are so too. Here was one particular aggravation upon Israel that was not among other people, and that was this, There was no other people would forsake their gods as Israel had forsaken theirs (Jeremiah 2:10). The…

The first Thing is the drying the Streams of the Wealth of the new Babylon, the temporal supplies, revenues and vast incomes of the Romish Church, and riches of the Popish Dominions. Waters in Scripture language very often signify provision and supplies, both temporal and spirit…

II. First, according to the truth of the matter, they are called gods that are not gods: 2 Chronicles 13:9, "Whoever comes to consecrate himself shall be a priest to no-gods" — that is, to false gods, who are anything but God. And likewise: Jeremiah 2:11, "Has a nation exchanged…

VIII. For the sinner who turns these anxieties over in his breast, amid the inmost reasonings of the heart, a keen suspicion arises whether he has God as an enemy or not. He begins at last to understand "that it is an evil and bitter thing that he has sinned against God" (Jeremi…

From hence cometh it, that we fear not in greatest dangers (2 Kings 6:16; Psalm 3:7; Psalm 27:3); that in the time of affliction, we are patient (Proverbs 20:22; Hebrews 10:33); without all murmuring to hold our peace (Psalm 39:10); receiving them as from a father (Job 1:21; Psa…

Third, consider how often you do willingly choose some other thing than Christ, to spend your time and set your affections upon, laying obstructions and bars in the way of God's grace, setting up idols in the heart, and filling Christ's room beforehand with such things as are in…

Who call him a Deceiver: and if we come nearer, even to the Christian church, and to such as profess their faith of his being the Eternal Son of God, equal with the Father, that he is Judge of quick and dead, and that they look for salvation through him, yet if it be put to a tr…

(3.) The natural understanding is the most whorish thing in the world: there is a variety of fancied gods there. According to the number of your cities, were your gods, O Judah (Jeremiah 2:29). They have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own u…

Verse 27: "But these my enemies that would not that I should reign over them, bring here and slay them before me" [illegible]. These to me seem to be allusions to Israel's wearying of the Lord of old (Isaiah 43:23): "I have not wearied you with incense" (Jeremiah 2:5); "What ini…

1. In means. God appears to Moses, acquainted with mountains and woods, in a bush which burned with fire; to the Wisemen, skilled in the motions of the heaven, in a new star; to Peter a fisher, in a draught of fishes. 2. He sets a time, and takes the sinner in his month (Jeremia…

Why do they drink rotten waters, and cisterns of hell? Oh, here is the cause (Jeremiah 2:13): Be astonished, O heavens, why? For my people have committed two evils: (Ah, these two are hundreds, and millions) they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters.

God would not send his Church among them for nothing, but he looks for some fruits among them, but since either none were gathered, or so few, as that they were not a considerable number, therefore God will send his people home again, when they say, Let us break their bonds asun…

And the residue thereof he makes a god, even his graven image, and he falls down to it, and worships it, and prays to it, and says, deliver me, for you are my God. This is one of the external acts, whereby the idolater shows the esteem of his heart, so (Jeremiah 2:27), saying to…

Custom, vain glory, and carnal interest may put them on joining in public prayer, or family-duty; but they are strangers to this spiritual self-denying duty of Closet-Prayer: The carnal hypocrite exposes all to open view; he is like a house with a beautiful frontispiece, but eve…

Thirdly, that when we see the gifts or graces of God in ourselves or others, we return all the praise and glory to God, from where they proceed, ascribing nothing to ourselves. Fourthly, this shows to whom we must have recourse in our need, namely, not to the virgin Mary, nor an…

Hearken what Jeremiah says; Has any nation changed their gods? But my people has forsaken me the fountain of living waters, to dig to themselves broken pits that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2:11). This comparison therefore ought to be well observed, lest we be found less constan…

This stops your breath; so that even all strugglings for life, and the very gaspings of your fainting heart must immediately cease, and end in perfect death. The danger of your case, as bad as it is, calls not for this; nor will the exigency of it comport with it, when once the…

Second, be directed to forget the things that are behind; that is, not to keep thinking and making much of what you have done, but let your mind be wholly intent on what you have to do. In some sense you ought to look back; you should look back on your sins (Jeremiah 2:23: 'See…

(2.) By these rebukes of sin, the evil of sin is discovered more sensibly to us, and we are made to see more clearly the evil of it in these glasses of affliction which Providence at such times sets before us, than formerly we ever saw. Jeremiah 2:19 Thine own wickedness shall c…

Psalm 130:3 But this I say, that it's Gods usual way, to visit the sins of his people with rods of affliction, and this in mercy to their souls. Upon this account it was, that the rod of God was upon David in a long succession of troubles upon his kingdom and family, after that…

The King spake and said, Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honor of my Majesty? That success is not sanctified to men, which takes them off from their duty, and makes them wholly negligent, or very muc…

Beloved, the more evil you run out into in your youthful days, the greater and deeper foundation of disquietness and sorrow you lay in your souls in your latter days, though you should be called by Jesus Christ. 4. If the Devil suggest that you are too young to embrace the invit…

Now this is no change of the heart, but only a change of the sin; you have not the same sins you had, but you have other sins in place of them; and men may thus have a change in their life flowing from a change in their sin, yet it is no argument of effectual calling. Jeremiah 2…

3. Because he knows the world is most bewitching, and the affections of his bride are not soon weaned from it (though this be most necessary) therefore three ways he presses her to deny herself in these, and follow him (which is the sum of the call.) 1. Says he, you are my spous…

It is a Meiosis, and we are to understand, that the Lord is highly displeased with such persons. See how God pleads with apostatizing Israel (Jeremiah 2:9-10, etc.). Therefore I will yet plead with you, says the Lord.

The fire of God's wrath which shall devour the wicked and burn them everlastingly, will be so furious and dreadful that the hearts of the damned will sink under it without the least hopes of ever extinguishing this flame, or flying from it when it has once got hold of them: And…

When the pulse can scarce be felt, it beats so low; men are near dying: so when those who were once violent for heaven, but now we can scarce perceive any good in them, the pulse beats low, grace is ready to die (Revelation 3:2). To you who have abated in your holy violence, and…

The prodigal never drew near to his father, till he began to be in want (Luke 15). A proud sinner who was never convinced of his want, minds not to come near God; he has a stock of his own to live upon (Jeremiah 2:31): We are lords, we will come no more to you. A full stomach de…

This was the generation with whom the covenant was renewed, as we have an account in Deuteronomy, and that entered into the land of Canaan. This generation God was pleased to make a generation to his praise, and they were eminent for piety; as appears by many things said in scri…

They had been accustomed to worship the gods so long, that they knew not any beginning of it. It was formerly spoken of as a thing unknown for a nation to change their gods, Jeremiah 2:10-11; but now the greater part of the nations of the known world were brought to cast off the…

They who indeed trust in the all-sufficiency of God, he will surely be their all-sufficient portion; and they who trust in God's immutability and faithfulness, he surely will never leave nor forsake them. There were two ways of swearing, Jehovah liveth, that we read of in Script…