A17698:1678
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.
The first is that we should magnify the goodness of our God, in that he hath showed himself so gracious unto us, as to chose us to be his servants, not only to bear the vessels of his temple, but also to be the very temples them selves and the altars whereat he will be worshipped, both in our bodies and our souls, to the §30intent we should yield him, not only the bodily service which consisteth in shadows and figures, but also the true spiritual service by dedicating our selves all wholly unto him. Ye see then how the end whereat we must begin, is to know how greatly we by bound unto God for using such gracious goodness towards us.1 Moreover according (as Saint Paul showeth us in the second to the Corinthians,) we must take warning to separate our selves from all uncleanness,§40 as the prophet crieth out unto us, saying: Separate your selves from all uncleanness,2 you that carry the Lords vessels. And Saint Paul alleging the same text of Isaiah, saith that according to the same promise, it is good reason that we should give our selves to cleanness both of body and soul. For in very deed, the prophet Isaiah, in saying: Be ye clean you that bear the Lords vessels, hath not an eye to the time of the figures: but extendeth his doctrine §50to the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now then this text must needs be performed in us. But there are not now a days any moe material vessels as there were in the time of the Law: and therefore it followeth that the doctrine thereof must be performed in higher matters: that is to say, that inasmuch as God hath called us to be members of his son, and by that mean to come so near him as he may dwell in us & we be his temples: the same should §60provoke us to give our selves to all cleanness, which thing we can not do but by separating of our selves from the corruptions of the world. For we dwell here among such filthiness, as it is not possible for us to scape uninfected, unless we labour to withdraw our selves from it. Yea and there needs no evil to come upon us from elsewhere, for every of us shall find enough in himself.