A17698:1356
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.
For if we believed God to be soothfast in good earnest: surely we would be ravished at this saying of his, I will make you to prosper. But forasmuch as our vanities do carry us headlong the contrary way: it maketh us to imagine that we win more by doing evil, than by serving God. Nevertheless this unbelief of ours shall be right dearly payed for, specially when it is matched with such blasphemy, and we do our God so much wrong as not to believe his word: & moreover, when as instead of acknowledging him to be the Author of all goodness, and coming to draw of the fullness of his grace, we do nothing else but make our selves strangers to him. Seeing then that we fail to provoking of him so by all means: what remaineth for us, but to be bereft of his blessings, yea and that he, as though he were our enemy, pursue us even to the uttermost? But truly a man may still perceive an inestimable goodness, in that he ceaseth not to do us good, when he is so provoked by us, & that we cease not to kindle the fire of his wrath: but yet in the end we shall find that this doctrine was not in vain. It is true that a man shall not always perceive the thing that Moses saith here: that is to wit, that God prospereth them that serve him. For ye shall see that such as are desirous to do best, and employ them selves ⟨p. 325⟩in the trueth, are miserable folks, afflicted divers ways at Gods hand, and have not half their fill wherewith to sustain them. Again, they shall be tormented with diseases, or else they shall have many reproaches & injuries wrought them in this world, & (to be short) they shall be in continual languishing. On the contrary part, ye shall see the wicked prosper: ye shall see them in credit and estimation: they shall cram themselves with all excess: and they shall have such §10abundance, as may make even their heirs to burst.1 These things are to be seen. Howbeit we must note, that when the good are so afflicted, it is first because they have not yet served God as they ought to do. But why doth God scourge them, more than the wicked which rush out into all naughtiness? it is because he intendeth to chastise them fatherly. To the end that their souls may be saved,2 he chastiseth them in their bodies. Again, in sending afflictions, Gods intent is not