A17698:1731
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 for the same cause he addeth the exhortation which we have read, in that he willeth the Jews to circumcise their hearts, and to beware that they harden not their necks any more. Good reason it is that men should submit themselves to God after y• manner by forsaking themselves, seeing that his seeking to win us to him is not for any commodity §60to himself, (as was showed yesterday,) but because he is desirous of our welfare, so as he putteth us not to the doing of any thing which redoundeth not to our own benefit & profit. Seeing then that God respecteth nothing but us in his alluring of us to come unto him: should we drag back in that case? Or should we have proud and lofty hearts to advance ourselves against him? Now for the better understanding of this doctrine, let us note that Moses had an eye to the outward sign that was given at that time to the Jews, after the same manner that we have baptism at this day. For circumcision served to two ends. First, God thereby condemned all mankind and all that is of mans own nature: showing them thereby, that all of it is evil. And secondly he gave hope of salvation in the seed of Abraham, accordingly as he had promised. To this purpose (say I) served the figure of circumcision, namely to put the Jews in mind, that from their mothers womb, they brought nothing with them but condemnation, & that all that ever was of man was cursed before God, because it had nothing in it but sin & corruption. Secondarily again they were comforted, forasmuch as they saw that God promised them salvation,1 by the seed of man, and that he received them into favour, and justified them of purpose to have them separated from all the rest of the world.2 Seeing the Jews had this prerogative, surely if they had not meant to deface Gods power as much as in them lay, they should have made their circumcision available, by cutting off all that ever was of their own nature, assuring themselves that men can not please God,3 until they have given over the things that were their own. Hereunto had Moses an eye when he said, Circumcise your hearts this day. For their observing of the figure was nothing, except they considered to what end God meant to lead them by it. They beguiled themselves with the visible signs, and that was enough to them: