A17698:1334
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.
Now for a conclusion Moses addeth a threat, saying: that God also will requite like for like to such as hate him, yea even to their faces, & that he will not foreslow. In this place there is some darksomnesse in the words of Moses: for he interchangeth the number. God (saith he) will yield recompense §30to such as hate him to his face, or before his face. Then doth he shift the number, & it seemeth that whereas he saith they hate him to his face, he meant to say that we spite God or hate God to his face when we fall out into disorder and are so rebellious, as it should seem that we would run against him, and defy him to be at open war with him. But for as much as that word is repeated twice, and in the end it appeareth that Moses spake of the faces of the §40transgressors: no doubt but it is a changing of the number, as the holy Scripture is commonly wont to do. Therefore the very meaning of it, is that God will requite them to their faces, by making the hatred to turn back upon themselves. Othersome take it as though it were spoken of their lifetime, that God will not only punish the wicked and the despisers of his Law, after this present life: but also execute his vengeance upon them aforehand to the sight of §50mens eyes, so as we shall be provoked to fear him, by the sight of the punishments which he will so execute upon the disobedient. Othersome take it that God will requite it to his face, as though it were said that whereas he spareth the wicked in this world, it is to the end to overthrow them and destroy them utterly afterward, according as it is said by the prophet,1 that God pampereth those whom he punisheth not out of hand, like as men do fat an Ox or a swine when they intend §60to kill him. And the prophet useth that similitude, to the intent we should not envy the wicked, when we see them prosper. For is an Ox or a Swine to be envied, which is fatted but to the slaughter? and which shall have his throat cut when he is once fat? Now then, God handleth the wicked and the despisers of his majesty after such a sort, as he may seem to love them: but it is to hasten them the sooner to their destruction. And truly this is a good and profitable lesson: but as touching the present place, if we read all the words of Moses throughout, there is no darkness at all in them. For why?