John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 32:39

"and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:" — Jeremiah 32:39 (ASV)

He more clearly explains the last verse, for he mentions the effects of the favor to which he referred. God indeed includes everything in one word when he declares that he will be our God, for he thus adopts us as his children. From this comes the certainty of our heavenly inheritance, and also of his mercy, which is better than life. There is then nothing that can be desired beyond this benefit, that is, when God offers himself to us and deigns to receive and embrace us as his people.

But as I have already said, we do not fully comprehend the benefit of this doctrine. First, we are very slow and dull; we do not perceive what God means by this expression. Then, we know how much our nature is prone to distrust, so great is the distance between us and God. Therefore, this doctrine needs explanation. So the Prophet, after having pointed out the cause and the beginning of all blessings, now mentions the effects, which more fully confirm what he had said. Therefore, he says, I will give to them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever. For God does not otherwise own us as his people, nor can he be our Father, unless he regenerates us by his Spirit; for it is of regeneration that the Prophet here speaks. But I must defer the rest until tomorrow.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that since our earthly life is appointed as a life of warfare, and we must necessarily be exposed to continual unrest as long as we sojourn here—O grant, that we may always look forward to that blessed rest to which you invite us, and in the meantime remain quiet in dependence on your protection, and courageously fight to the end, not doubting that through your favor all things shall turn out for good, until we shall at last enjoy that eternal and glorious inheritance, which is laid up for us in heaven, through Christ our Lord.—Amen

[Exposition continues from previous day's lecture]

We began yesterday to explain the words of Jeremiah, in which are promised to the people a new heart and a new way. Now, as God promises these, it is certain that they are in his power, and not in the power of man. From this we learn that it is not in man to form his heart for God’s service; for it would have been a superfluous, even an absurd promise, had God said that he would give us a heart which was already ours, or which any one might give to himself.

The promises, then, are sure evidence of God’s favor, not only as to the end and effect, but also so that we may know that God ascribes to himself the praise for all these things which he promises to us. And it is with this argument that Augustine often fights against the Pelagians, and rightly, because it would be a mere mockery, as I have said, had God promised anything which depended not on his favor, but on the will and power of man.

When he now speaks of one heart, he refers to union and consent, but of such a kind that they all obey God. Men often unite for evil, and the children of God are often compelled to separate themselves from the ungodly; and from this arise the discords which now prevail in the world, the blame for which is cast on us.

But as it is necessary for us to separate from the Papists if we wish to follow God, it is better a hundred times to separate from them than to be united together, and thus to form an ungodly and wicked union against God. Agreement or union is, indeed, an exceptionally good thing, because there is nothing better or more desirable than peace.

But we must always keep in mind that for people to unite together happily, obedience to God’s word must be the beginning. The bond, then, of lawful concord among us is this—that we obey God from first to last; for accursed is every union where there is no regard for God and for his word.

We must also observe that when God promises one heart, he adds one way; and this is to be understood of outward works. And Paul seems to have borrowed from this passage when he says that God gives us to will and to do according to his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). He mentions “to will” first, and the Prophet names the heart, and the heart, we know, is the seat of all the affections. By one heart, then, the Prophet means united affections; and then by way he means what Paul expresses by “to do”; for it is not enough “to will,” unless “to do” be added to it, although the external work is of itself of no value unless it is preceded by the will and a genuine feeling.

We now, then, understand what the Prophet means: first, he shows how God would become a God to Israel, specifically because he would give them one heart and one way. From this we learn, as I have said, that to change the heart, to put off or cast aside corrupt affections, is not in the power of man, because it is a benefit that proceeds from God. But it would not be sufficient for us to be formed for obedience, unless God added another favor, even to lead the will itself into action. With regard to concord or union, we have said that the principle of a right and lawful agreement is to have regard for God, to depend on his word, and, with one consent, to obey what he commands.

According to this meaning, he afterwards adds, That they may fear me. From this, also, it appears that the fear of God is produced only by the regeneration of the Spirit. For if men were naturally inclined to fear God, it would not have been ascribed to God and to his grace; and God claims nothing for himself except what is his own.

It then follows that the beginning of the fear of God is the regeneration of the Spirit. But we ought to notice the words when he says that he would give them one heart and one way, that they might fear him; for he does not say, “That they may be able to fear me,” or, “That there may be a free option, and yet a flexible will”; but he mentions, so to speak, the actual fear of God, as the result of renewing the hearts of men.

This, I have said, ought to be carefully observed, because the Papists confess with us that we are completely weak concerning what is good, and that all our faculties are so corrupt that the will cannot move itself, nor can any effect follow, without the constant co-operation of the grace of the Holy Spirit; but, at the same time, they imagine that the Holy Spirit does only one half of the work in us; and therefore the grace of the Spirit is called by them aid and cooperation.

From this we see how far we and the Papists agree; for they are ashamed to deny that man’s nature is so corrupted by original sin as not always to need the grace of the Holy Spirit. But when God claims entirely for himself whatever good there is in us, the Papists concede to him only half, and imagine a twofold grace of God: a grace going before and a grace following.

What do the Papists mean, or what do they understand by this grace going before? Namely, that God inspires us with good and pious feelings, so that if we wish, we may be free to follow what is right. For, as I have said, the Papists confess that we are under the tyranny of the devil, and slaves to him, and that there is no right will in men except through the prevenient (praeeunte) grace of the Holy Spirit.

But as I have already said, they speak emptily of the grace of the Spirit, and say that it is an influence by which God enables us to follow that which is right, if we have a will to do so. Thus, then, the grace of God, according to them, leaves men in suspense, so that they are free either to receive or to reject the grace of God.

Afterwards, they join the subsequent grace, which, in their view, is a reward; for if I assent to God, that is, if I allow myself to be ruled by his Spirit and embrace the grace offered to me, God will then reward me with another grace to confirm me in my right purpose. And thus they confess that perseverance is in part the gift of God; but they always imagine it a co-operating grace. And then, as perseverance, according to them, is God’s subsequent grace, and is, a handmaid, so to speak, it ceases to be grace, for it is rather the reward of merit. But what does the Prophet say? I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me.

From this we see that the grace of God is of itself efficacious. And then he does not say that he would give them a power to turn either way, but that he would give them one heart, as the same thing is afterwards more clearly expressed. We see then that the one heart or will is the work of the Holy Spirit, and the mere favor of God. This ought in the first place to be kept in mind. We further see that this grace works effectually in men; it not only gives them a free option, but the actual work, as they commonly say, follows, that they may fear me, and it is added, all their days. Here God also promises perseverance as the singular gift of the Holy Spirit; for it would not be sufficient that our hearts should be formed for his service, were he not to sustain us in it; for such is our fickleness and weakness that we might every moment fall away from his grace. There is, then, need of grace to preserve us. From this it appears that not only the beginning of good works proceeds from his Spirit, but also that he enables us to go on to the end; for otherwise there would be no perseverance in a right course.

He adds, That it may be well with them, and with their children after them. By these words he intimates that the Israelites themselves had been the authors of all their evils, because they had not feared God; for they could not have been happy without continuing in obedience to him. And the Prophet confirms what we said yesterday, that external prosperity is in itself evanescent; therefore we ought to seek first the grace of God. But when is it that God is propitious to us? It is when we know him as our Father and obey his commandments; that is, when we submit ourselves to him as is fitting for children.