A17698:1346
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 as soon as the ignorant sort do hear of the word Condition, they bear themselves in hand that God maketh some payment, & that §10when he showeth us any favour, he doth it in recompense of our deserts. And by that means the wretched Papists do blind themselves with vain presumption, & quite overthrow themselves by perking up after that fashion against God, & therefore they must at length be cast down in their overloftines. For whereunto do they lean? Behold (say they,) God telleth us that he will bless us if we serve him: therefore it followeth that all the promises which he maketh are conditional.§20 Yea, but they have ill studied the holy scripture, when they cannot discern between the promises as they be set down in the Law, and the things that God addeth to them to supply our default. For if we take the promises so rawly: that is to wit, that God will bless none but them that serve him: we shall all of us be shut out from hope. For which of us serveth God with all his heart and with all his soul as God hath expressly commanded us? Nay contrariwise §30we drag backward, and by nature we be deadly enemies unto him, because all the thoughts and affections that are in us do fight against his will.1 Then are we so far of from being able to serve him as we should do, that we make war against him, and cease not to provoke his wrath against us. Nay verily, even when God hath reformed us by his holy spirit, so as he hath given us some good disposition, wherethrough we be inclined to serve him, and to be short, we show §40that his spirit reigneth in us by subduing of our vices and of the wicked lusts which are in us by nature: yet come we still far short of the mark which we should tend unto. It is true that we will travel thitherward, as all the faithful do, whose chief regard and principal desire is to serve God: but yet do they find themselves so sore cumbered as maketh them to shudder at it. When they be about to stir one finger forward, the rest of their body draws backward.§50 It is much if they can but train themselves: that is to say, if they can get forward a little & coldly. And therefore they be driven to sigh & groan, and to condemn themselves, beseeching God to vouchsafe to hearten them better, and to take away all the lets that are in themselves. For he that is perfectest, condemneth himself most: