A17698:1227
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.
And indeed our Lord Jesus Christ is a good & faithful expounder of this text. For he allegeth it to beat back Satan, as is written in the fourth of S. Matthew.1 Yea and the devil himself taketh the holy scripture to tempt our Lord withal, facing him with this text, It is written that God hath given his Angels charge over thee,2 to bear thee up in their hands, & not to suffer thee to dash thy foot against a stone. Well then, hereupon we may gather, that God hath committed us to the keeping of his Angels, so as we shall be borne up by them, & preserved from all evil that may encounter us. We must assure our selves of that. But yet it is said therewithal, that they shall keep us in all our ways, that is to say, which we have to go in. Now then, let us ⟨p. 292⟩keep on our ways, that is to say, let us look about us how God hath disposed our life, & let us not attempt any thing rashly & upon our own head, but let every of us consider his own calling: & then we may be sure ye Gods hand shall always be reached out over us, and the Angels of heaven shall travel after us: let us not doubt of it. Nevertheless whatsoever come of it, let us not pass the bounds & lists that he hath set us, nor play the loose colts to say, I will go try this or that: for it were a §10tempting of God. Why so? For whosoever listeth not to take pains, but sayeth: is not God able enough to maintain me? He trieth gods power too fa•. For why? God hath promised that his blessing shall be upon the hands of them that take pains.3 His will is that the land should be tilled, and that men should follow husbandry, & other labours, every one according to his calling. And yet notwithstanding if they will needs refuse all this, & disdain to use those ordinary means: is it not a tempting §20of him what he can do? It is all one as if I should step up into the pulpit, without vouchsafing to look upon any book, & fondly imagine to say thus in my self: tush, when I come thither, god will give me enough whereof to speak, & in the mean while I hold scorn to read, or to study aforehand what I shall speak, & come hither without minding how to apply the holy scripture to the edifying of the people, by reason whereof I should play the presumptuous fool, & God also would put me to