A17698:1337
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 here by the way a man might make a question, concerning this saying of Moses, that God will not forslow to pay them to their faces, which hate him. For it is commonly seen ⟨p. 320⟩that the wicked do spend all their days and all their whole life in prosperity, so as it should seem that God is willing to please them in all things, in so much that it is said of them in the psalm,1 that they go on in continual prosperity unto their death, and pine not away as the children of God do. Howe then is it said that God will not forslow,2 seeing he is long suffering? And men may see it with their eyes, though it were not told them in words. These §10two things agree very well.3 For although God wink at things for a time, and punish not the wicked out of hand: when all is well reckoned, the respite that he giveth them will not be so long, but that it shall ever be true, that sudden destruction shall overwhelm them. And for proof thereof, when the wicked say, Peace, all is safe:4 then shall the sudden storm fall upon their heads.5 When they think themselves to have made a composition with death:§20 then shall they be overtaken as a woman that falleth in labour of child ere she be aware, because she mistrusted not that the hour or instant of her travel had bin so near at hand. Even after the same manner doth God overwhelm all such as shall have abused his patience, when he hath borne with them for a time. Now then although God show not himself a judge to them so soon as we would: yet doeth he not fail to destroy them without foreslowing. Therefore let §30us have an eye to the shortness of our life, least we fall asleep: and let us understand, that although God make not hast after our opinion: yet notwithstanding he foresloweth not, because he forgetteth not the offences which he winketh at, and which he punisheth not out of hand. Let that serve for one point.