A17698:1453
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.
Now Moses showeth to what end he exhorted the people to deem well of Gods works: namely to the end they might keep all his commandments, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. Keep the commandments of the Lord thy God (saith he) that thou mayest walk in his ways and fear him. First we have to mark here, that Moses sendeth the people to the Law,1 as to the perfect and chief doctrine of our whole life. And it is a point well worthy to be marked. For thereupon we have to gather, that when God hath taught us never so many ways, yet shall they never boot us, unless we have recourse unto his word. Behold, the Infidels can well enough search the secrets of nature, they can well not only allege reasons, but also say, this is done after this fashion. Yea and they have deemed God to be good, righteous, and wife, & we see that the heathen Philosophers knew Gods works so far, as they could take of his majesty. But what? It was all confusedly: and in the end they vanished away in their own imaginations, so as they never attained to the point whereto they should have come.2 Then let us understand that all is to no purpose, until we have Gods doctrine for all perfection. True it is that the things which we behold in the world, and all the instructions which God giveth us thereby, are good and profitable helps: but yet for all that, the mark that we must shoot at is the doctrine [of his word,] so as we set all our wits upon that, to the end we wander not out of the way. For if a man shore, and have no mark to shoot at: what doth he else but lose all his shot? Even so is it with us: we may well shoot, that is to say, we may take pain to know Gods works: but what shall we gain by it, if we have not the said mark to shoot at? It shall be but lost labour. And this mark is not to be chosen at our own discretion▪ but God must set us up our white: and that white is the Law, the Prophets, and the Gospel. And so ye see that that is the cause why Moses having spoken of y• wonders which the people had seen, & having told them that the same ought to serve to their instruction, and having exhorted the faithful to profit well in that school: sendeth them back again to the word. Keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, saith he: and afterward he addeth that thou mayest walk in his ways.