A17694:93
Four sermons of Master John Calvin entreating of matters very profitable for our time,…Foure sermons of Maister Iohn Caluin entreating of matters very profitable for our time,…
Four sermons of Master John Calvin entreating of matters very profitable for our time, as may be seen by the preface: with a brief exposition of the LXXXVII. Psalm. Translated out of French into English by John Field.Foure sermons of Maister Iohn Caluin entreating of matters very profitable for our time, as may bee seene by the preface: with a briefe exposition of the LXXXVII. Psalme. Translated out of Frenche into Englishe by Iohn Fielde.
London: printed by Thomas Dawson for Thomas Man, 1579
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
¶ The fourth Sermon showing what pain we ought to take, too purchase liberty to serve GOD purely in a Christian Church, upon a Theme out of the 27. Psalm. My heart hath said of thee,1 seek my face: I will seek thy face O Lord.
¶ The fourth Sermon shewing what paine wee ought to take, too purchase libertie to serue GOD purely in a Christian Churche, vpon a Theame out of the 27. Psalme. My heart hath sayde of thee,1 seeke my face: I wyll seeke thy face O Lorde.
- 1Vers. 8.
AS men throw themselves into a wonderful confusion, in letting the bridle loose to their appetites and desires: so also is it a great wisdom in them that seek after that that God hath commanded them, to the end to follow it. And of this thing we have here a goodly example. David was a man much subject to the same passions, which torment and toss us hither and thither: and there is no doubt but that he was provoked with many temptations which might well have shaken his mind, and have caused him to stray from God. Howbeit to remedy all occasions of falling and to have a certain and sure path, he only regardeth that which God showed him: he meditateth and continually thinketh up it. The sum is that God biddeth & exhorteth all the faithful to seek his face. David protesteth to have applied all his study to this commandment: in such sort that there was as it were a goodly melody, & agreement between god who speaketh saying, seek me & him who answereth, yea my god I will seek thee. But here we must consider wherefore God expressly ⟨p. 39⟩mentioneth this word face, For if he have not some face, wherein he showeth himself, he should deceive us in commanding us too seek it. I know that many men who are full of subtleties make no more of it, then if he had said seek me: but they which are well exercised in the Scripture, know very well that God would specify, that manner of showing and declaring himself familiarly too men, which he hath kept in all times. And indeed this is an often and usual speech in the Scripture, to call the sanctuary and the ark of the covenant the face of God. And wherefore is this It is because God who is incomprehensible in his Essence and Majesty, useth such means as he knoweth to be meet for mens rudeness and infirmity, too the end to draw them unto himself. It is true that the world forgeth always false and vain shapes of God: but all that we imagine of our own brain, are nothing else but false visors whereby GOD is disguised: or too speak more plainly, when men forge some form or remembrance to have GOD visible with them, they have nothing but an Idol. But when GOD representeth himself according too his own pleasure, and giveth us evident signs and tokens to be known of us, then he taketh as it were a face.