A17698:1203
Sermons upon Deuteronomy
The sermons of M. John Calvin upon the fifth book of Moses called Deuteronomy faithfully gathered word for word as he preached them in open pulpit; together with a preface of the ministers of the Church of Geneva, and an admonishment made by the deacons there. Also there are annexed two profitable tables, the one containing the chief matters; the other the places of Scripture herein alleged. Translated out of French by Arthur Golding.The sermons of M. Iohn Caluin vpon the fifth booke of Moses called Deuteronomie faithfully gathered word for word as he preached them in open pulpet; together with a preface of the ministers of the Church of Geneua, and an admonishment made by the deacons there. Also there are annexed two profitable tables, the one containing the chiefe matters; the other the places of Scripture herein alledged. Translated out of French by Arthur Golding.
London: printed by Henry Middleton for George Bishop, 1583
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.
Also by the way let us not forget how Moses exhorteth here the people of Israel to beware that they forget not the Lord when they were well fed and grown full. But seeing that we be inclined to such frowardness as well as they, let us consider our own disease, that we may seek remedy for it. For though there were no more but this one point: it were enough to occasion men to mislike of themselves, and §30to be ashamed. For we be as monsters against kind: insomuch that whereas God offereth himself to us, and reacheth us his hand, so as if we saw him in his own person, we could have no greater assurance of the fatherly love that he beareth us, than that he is so liberal that we may have our fill of his benefits: yet notwithstanding we forget him even when he putteth us in mind of him, not only by speaking to us, but also by showing us by experience §40that he knitteth himself to us, and hath a care of us in watching over us, not only for the saving of our souls, but also for the nourishing of our bodies, feeding us like little babes, and as it were stretching out of his wings over us, as a hen doeth over her chickens, as comparison is made in the holy Scripture.1 Seeing that God giveth us such proof of his goodness, and also knitteth himself unto us, of purpose to gather us together and to take us up to §50himself: were it not a devilish madness to forget him, and to turn our backs upon him, and to shut our eyes against him, yea and to conceive so excessive rage as to say, we will not think upon him that seeketh us, is not this a devilish madness? Yes: and yet is there not any of us all, that can excuse himself to be unsubject to such naughtiness. So then, this text ought of right to humble us, and to make us ashamed afore GOD, because we see we §60be so malicious and spiteful as not to regard God when he is near us, nor to wake and open our eyes that we might see his goodness when it is showed unto us, yea even after so evident and easy a manner. That is the thing which we have to remember. True it is that we make common proverbs of it, but in the mean while no man thinks upon it. We say that nothing marreth men but ease: We say that overmuch wealth maketh men unwieldy: and yet in the mean while the same thing befalleth us, and none of us findeth fault with himself.