A17698:1225
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.
but the blessings which we enjoy tend to this end we should daily and hourly §20have the better regard of him, & lift up our minds on high to yield him due thanks, and to glorify him in our whole life. Now hereunto Moses addeth, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God, as you tempted him in Masa. Hereby he meaneth that the people must not abuse gods patience. As if he should say, look well to it my friends: although god deal gently with you, ye must not think but your sins shall come to account, if you serve him not with all humility. If ye say, we be Gods friends, we need §30not be afraid that he will be angry with us or work us any displeasure, for we see how well he dealeth with us: beware how ye dally so with him, for ye know what befell to your fathers in Masa. Therefore do no more so, but prevent the chastisements of your God, & before he arm himself against you, know him to be your judge, and tarry not till he show forth the tokens of his wrath and vengeance by his deeds, but in the mean time while he useth mildness & gentleness, consider that he allureth §40you to repentance,1 & so let every man be provoked to amend his faults, that God may be honoured by that mean. For if ye tempt him again, he will not bear it. He sharply punished your fathers in Masa: but you shall feel much greater & horrible punishment, if you go on still. And let us mark, that here he toucheth the story which is written more at length in the seventeenth of Exodus.2 There it is said that the people being in a dry place of the wilderness, did grudge and repine §50against Moses, because they had no drink, crying out that they were betrayed, because there was no more water in the desert, so as it had bin better for them to have tarried still in Egypt, where were graves enow to have buried them in God punished the people with the bitings of Serpents: but yet howsoever they fared he had pity upon them, and used mercy towards them, sending remedy convenient for the same. And yet notwithstanding his will is to have the name §60thereof to continue still, for a memorial to upbraid the people with their unthankfulness. It is his pleasure that it should remain still, to the intent that the children might know that their fathers were rebels: for the word Masa betokeneth as much as temptation. Now for the better understanding of the things that are said here, we must consider what it is to tempt God: