A17698:1539
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.
he comprehendeth all their rebellions that are rehearsed as well in the book of Exodus,1 as in the book of Numbers. There it is showed, that as soon as the people were passed the wilderness, by and by they fell to murmuring. Howe now, said they? was there not room enough to bury us in Egypt? So that whereas they should have said, Alas Lord, in deed thou haste been singularly gracious unto us in delivering us from so painful and miserable a life as we were in: for we were taken but as wretched beasts, we were utterly oppressed under the cruelty of the wicked and of thine enemies: and soothly Lord this goodness of thine deserveth well to be magnified: but yet thou bestowest thy self upon us after an other fashion: for in the wilderness, we were destitute of all food, so as we should have been fain to dye for hunger, if thou haddest not pitied us: and not only so, but thou hast held on still in succouring us as we resorted to thee: therefore let it please thee to bear with our weakness, and to feed us as if we were silly birds: for it is thou that feedest the Ravens and other fowls,2 and we be creatures formed after thine own image: nay moreover we be the people whom thou hast chosen: now therefore seeing thou haste vouchsafed to adopt us for thy children, show us at leastwise as much favour as thou doest to other nations that are not so near thee as we are: whereas the people should have come with all lowliness to acknowledge the former good turns that GOD had done them, and thereby have assured themselves with certainty of faith, that he would hold on still for the time to come: in stead of doing so, they said: Was there not room enough in Egypt to bury us in?3 They did quite and clean forget the favour which they had received at Gods hand. And again, when they were in necessity, they came not to him with intreataunce, but with murmuring, railing and accusing. Likewise when Manna had been given them from heaven,4 and they had eaten of it: yet they demanded drink after an other fashion. They ask their alms with the sword in their fist. Like as the thief that would cut the throat of a traveller: so these lewd losels fell to spiting of GOD the second time, saying: Yea in deed we have Manna to feed on, but we must have drink too.