Jeremiah 7

No, to obey is better than sacrifice. God disclaims sacrifice, if obedience be wanting (Jeremiah 7:22). I spoke not to your fathers concerning burnt offerings, but this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice.

Dry wood is not more prone to take fire, than our nature is to idolatry. The Jews made cakes to the Queen of Heaven, that is the moon (Jeremiah 7:18). Quest. From where is it that we are so prone to idolatry?

Visiting the iniquity of the fathers. Most of God's envenomed arrows have been shot among idolaters (Jeremiah 7:12). Go now to my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it. God for Israel's idolatry, suffered their army to be routed, t…

Judges 17:13: I have a Levite to my priest; surely I shall go to heaven. The Jews cried (Jeremiah 7:4): The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord. We are apt to glory in this — the oracles of God are committed to us, we have Word and Sacrament.

It is God's will that we should believe; and why is it but that we should be crowned with salvation; (Mark 16:16) He that believes shall be saved. What God wills is not so much our duty as our privilege; he bids us obey his voice, and it is greatly for our good; (Jeremiah 7:23)…

And thus was Abraham warranted to sacrifice his Son; namely, by virtue of a special, and personal commandment to himself alone. But if Abraham had not had this particular commandment, the sacrificing of Isaac had been unlawful and abominable; for, the killing of a man is a heino…

When God calls to a people by his Word, Spirit, Judgements, but they regard him not, he will pack up and be gone. Jer. 7. 13. I spake unto you rising up early, but you heard not, therefore will I do to this house which is called by my Name, as I did to Shilo. Why, what did God t…

The Lord calls this a deceiving of Him, for He says in His Word, that there is no peace to the wicked, and the foolish presumer says, I shall have peace; shall His Word or theirs stand? They say (Jeremiah 5:12; Jeremiah 7:9), "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are t…

But if Mr. Den and others will contend that this seeing of the salvation of God, is the revelation of the literal knowledge of Christ, that saving thing which is bestowed on the nations by the ministry of John and the coming of the Messiah, they must with us confess a large syne…

Thirdly, God sometimes requires that we should part with all his holy ordinances in some cases; part with all confidence in them, and from staying our hearts upon them; we may soon lose Christ, and lose his protection, and his fatherly compassion towards us, if in the use of the…

This prophecy therefore might seem very strange, to wit, that they should become heartless, and betake them to their heels, and yet should not escape this way neither. (Jeremiah 7:4) Verse 4. Therefore said I, Turn away from me: I will weep bitterly: labor not to comfort me for…

And Solomon in dedicating the Temple said, When they shall come and pray in this house, then you will hear in heaven your dwelling place (1 Kings 8:33). Which is the cause why Christ reproaches the Jews for making his Father's house a den of thieves (Matthew 21:13), and thereunt…

For they confess they had nothing to glory in but the Temple, wherein God was pleased to be worshipped and served. And yet we see that this their rejoicing was often vain; insomuch that Jeremiah reproves them for it, saying: Trust not in lying words; to wit, The Temple of the Lo…

Indeed, he so manifests his fatherly love, and so willingly accepts of us, that if we yield not obedience to his voice, we ought justly to impute the same to our own frowardness. Moreover, the clause, all the day long, aggravates the fault greatly, namely, that God ceased not fo…

13. It is written. Christ quotes two passages taken out of two Prophets; the one from Isaiah 56:7, and the other from Jeremiah 7:11. What was written by Isaiah agreed with the circumstances of the time; for in that passage is predicted the calling of the Gentiles.

37. Jerusalem, Jerusalem. By these words, Christ shows more clearly what good reason he had for indignation, that Jerusalem, which God had chosen to be his sacred, and — as we might say — heavenly abode, not only had shown itself to be unworthy of so great an honor, but, as if i…

53. And went into the holy city. When Matthew bestows on Jerusalem the honorable designation of the holy city, he does not intend to applaud the character of its inhabitants, for we know that it was at that time full of all pollution and wickedness, so that it was rather a den o…

And he says daily that it should be no marvel to any man, though he were weary of doing good to them, seeing he did avail and profit nothing by his assiduity or continual doing good. This is the same figure which is in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:13 and 11:7), where he says that he ros…

Henry the Second of France in a great rage against a Protestant Counsellor, committed him to the hands of one of his Nobles to be imprisoned, and that with these words, that he would see him burned with his own eyes: but mark the righteous Providence of God, within a ew days aft…

This is our duty, because God has expresly commanded it, and called his people to make the most serious reflections, and animadversions upon his works, whether of mercy or judgement. So when that dreadfullest of all Judgements was executed upon his professing people for their Ap…

And the prophet puts in this as an aggravation of their sin, that when the Lord called for such a mourning as was joined with baldness and shaving the head, that then there should be joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine. See this mor…

How much more then, is it a most hellish wickedness, committed against the great God, to assert a known lie, and then call in God to attest it for a truth? Which is no other but to father a brat of the Devil, who is a liar, and the Father of Lies, upon God, who hates liars, and…

So they are called lying Children, Isaiah 30. 9. and Chapter 59. 13. and are represented as Lying in pretending to be of the Temple or Church of God. Jeremiah 7. 2, 4. Hear the Word of the Lord, all you of Judah that enter in at these Gates to worship the Lord,—Trust you not in…

Lastly, when fields prove barren, and will not quit the husbandman's cost, nor answer the seed he sows in them, he plucks up the hedges, and lays it waste. So when churches grow formal and fruitless, the Lord removes his gospel-presence from them; plucks up the hedge of his prot…

And one principal Reason of this different distribution, is to maintain fellowship among them all, 1 Corinthians 12:21. The Head cannot say to the Feet I have no need of you. As in a Family, where there is much business to be done, even the little Children bear a part, according…

2. By the Name of God is meant his Glorious Attributes, which are the several Letters of his Name. 3. By the Name of God is meant his Worship and Ordinances where his Name is called upon, Jeremiah 7:12. Go ye to my Place which was in Shiloh where I set my Name at first: That is,…

With what busy diligence does an idolatrous family carry on their way and their course! See (Jeremiah 7:18): The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, etc. says the Lord. Every one will have his hand in the work, and are quickening and inflaming one another; fat…

5. There are many aggravating circumstances attending the sins of men (beside the greatness of its own nature) which do exceedingly provoke God: men's sins are not only many and great, but are both multiplied and magnified, they are heightened by many circumstances: men increase…

Tush, say they, we have made a league with death and a covenant with Hell, and when the destroying scourge passes over, it shall not come near to them (Isaiah 28:15). Indeed they do commit evil, and yet say they are delivered by the Lord (Jeremiah 7). Thus they grow [illegible]…

Jeremiah, who was a weeping prophet, was a great intercessor. God said to him, Pray not for this people (Jeremiah 7:16) — as if the Lord said, Jeremiah, so powerful are your prayers and tears that if you pray, I cannot deny you. Tears have a mighty influence upon God.

You shall be my portion, my jewels, the apple of my eye; I will give kingdoms for your ransom. Jeremiah 7:23: obey, and I will be your God; I will make over myself to you by a deed of gift. What a superlative distinguishing mercy is this! Psalm 144:15: happy is that people whose…

Tertullian speaks of some that think, Satìs Deum habere, si corde & animo suspiciatur, licèt actu minus fiat: God has enough (they think) if he be feared and reverenced in their hearts, though in their actions they show it not so much: and therefore they can sin, and believe in…

But 2. Justification by grace does not, in iisdem apicibus, in the same points, have the same adversaries. 1. Moses and the Prophets contend most with ceremonial hypocrites, who sought righteousness much in ceremonies, washings, sacrifices, new moons, and also their own inherent…

Such thoughts the Jews of Old had concerning their Sacrifices; namely, that they were appointed for their own Sakes, and were acceptable Service to God, meerly on their own Account. Wherefore, God to deliver them from this pernicious Mistake, affirms ofttimes, that he never appo…

For thus says the Lord: And it shall be, if you shall hear these commandments and judgments, and shall keep them and do them, the Lord also shall keep with you his covenant and mercy which he has sworn to your fathers, he shall love you and multiply you, and bless you, etc. (Deu…