A17698:1240
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 now let us come to the promise. That thou mayest go into the land (saith he) which the Lord hath sworn to thy fathers, to possess it. Here we see §10how God is desirous to win the hearts of his people by gentleness, in setting the possession of the land of Canaan before them, for a reward and inheritance. As if he should say, Truth it is that ye be bound to serve me: but yet will I not have ye to serve me for nought: behold, the recompense that is prepared for you, is that ye shall possess the land of Canaan. But yet we must always mark with what condition. It was not that the people should live §20there at rest like swine in a sty: but so as the land might be as a pledge of the endless life, and that they might consider thus: God hath adopted us to be his heirs: and therefore let us mount us higher to the everlasting life. See here how GOD telleth us, that if we serve him, he will keep touch with us, so as we shall possess the land that he hath promised us. Now here we see first the thing that I have touched already: that is to wit, that §30God stoopeth to mens rudeness and infirmity, in promising them recompense though he be not bound thereto. Mark that for one point. But by the way we have to mark also, that God bindeth not himself as though we could deserve aught. For he saith not, I will give you the land for the service you have done to me, as a thing that you have earned: but, you shall go into the land which I promised to your fathers. Here are two things uttered covertly.§40 The one is that God promised the land of his own mere goodness, and not as a due debt that had been deserved at his hand. For the promise thereof had been made before the people was borne: four hundred and thirty years before their departure out of Egypt, God had said unto Abraham, this land shall be thine and thy seeds. Let us note then that this people had not deserved aught at Gods hand, and that the reward which is mentioned here, befell them §50not in respect of their works. Mark that for a specially point. And God telleth us also, that he termeth the thing by the name of Hire, [Recompense, & Wages,] which he giveth us only of his own free liberality, without being bound thereto by any kind of means, and without any desert at all at our hands. And why?