A17698:1360
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.
And specially let us mark well how he telleth us here expressly, that he will bless us in our issue, and in the increase of your Cattle. I pray you, if the favour which God showeth us do extend §20even to the brute beasts, so as the mark of his fatherly good will towards us shall be printed in them: what will he do to our selves & to our children, and to the things that touch us much nearer? For in deed me must make this comparison of our bodies with our souls. If God have a care to feed these wretched carcasses here: what will he do for us when we be restored into his glory? If he have a care of our mortal bodies: what will he have of our souls, which are fashioned §30after his own image? But let us return to the present matter. If God vouchsafe to have care of our cattle, as of our Oxen, our Asses, and our sheep for our sakes: what care will he have of our persons? What care will he have of our children, which are heirs of the promised salvation, and are adopted to belong to his covenant, seeing it pleaseth him to choose and adopt us to be his people? For he doth not only say, come unto me: but also I will be the God §40of thy children after thee unto a thousand generations.1 But what? we be worthy to be left destitute of all Gods promises: and it were much to, if we could by that mean be brought to right repentance. Let us see if Gods blessing be to be found among us nowadays as it is promised. Indeed it is to be marvelled (as I have declared already) that God is so patient towards us. For are we worthy to be maintained here one minute of an hour, considering the outrageous §50offences which we commit daily against him? No: and yet notwithstanding, although he spare us, although he tarry for us, and although he scourge us not as we have deserved: yet nevertheless, we see how we do partly languish. Some decay and consume themselves by little & little: some perish utterly out of hand: & othersome pine away as if they were almost dead of cold, as men term it. And what is the cause hereof but our driving away of Gods grace & blessing?§60 Again we need not to go to our Oxen, our horses and our sheep to wit whether God wtdraw his hand & grace from us or no: Let us but look upon our children in what plight they be. Gods receiving of their fathers into his favour, ought to be as a looking-glass of his goodness towards them: