A17698:1376
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.
They shall be as thorns to prick thee on all sides,1 and ⟨p. 330⟩to put out thine eyes: they shall be as wasps to sting thee in such sort as thou shalt not know which way to turn thee. Lo what reward the Israelites had for their recklessness in that they were not stout in putting the sentence in execution, which God had uttered with his own mouth. But howsoever the case stood with them: let us learn still to be pitiful. For the rigour that is spoken of here, must not make us to forget how God commandeth us to love even our enemies,2 & them §10that persecute us, and to endeavour to do them good to the uttermost of our power, that we may bring them into the right way of salvation. Then must we needs have that. Yea and even when a Judge useth rigour, his heart must mourn and lament, to see a creature that is made after the image of God so dealt withal: but yet must he go on still, and execute the office which GOD hath committed unto him. These two things then are not unmatchable: that is to wit, that §20gentleness should be used in the executing of Justice, so as our wicked mood should not carry us away, but that we should always hold us still to this point, of loving even those that shall have done us the worst they could. Thus ye see how we ought to put this doctrine in ure. Gods intent is not to stir up his people to cruelty, his meaning is not to bereave them utterly of all compassion: and yet notwithstanding he will have misdeeds to be punished.
They shall be as thornes to prick thee on all sides,1 and ⟨p. 330⟩to put out thine eyes: they shall be as waspes to sting thee in such sort as yu shalt not know which way to turne thee. Lo what reward ye Israelites had for their retchlesnesse in that they were not stout in putting the sentence in execution, which God had vttered with his own mouth. But howsoeuer the case stoode with them: let vs learne still to be pitifull. For the rigour that is spoken of here, must not make vs to forget how God commandeth vs to loue euen our enemies,