A17698:1821
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.
so as in Egypt they have none other sign of a good year & a fruitful harvest, than the overflowing of Nilus. Whereas all other rivers do mar the lands where they overflow: and although they be muddy, yet do they much harm: This river, by his overflowing, causeth that land to yield great abundance. That is the cause why it is said, that at that time the Israelites had as it were every man his garden, & were fain to have water to moisten them withal after the manner of that country, which is cut into many ditches & trenches to water the land withal: & all this is according to the ordinance ⟨p. 467⟩which God hath set there. But here Moses telleth the Israelites, that it shall not be so with them in the land of Canaan. For why? There is small store of rivers in many of the countries, yea and in the most part of them. True it is that Jordan passeth through it, and there are certain lakes also: but that is all, and yet one of them serves but to infect the land. For the lake where Sodom stood, did rather mar the country, than yield any commodity. And therewithal we see how §10the fathers had much ado to dig pits, and were in danger to be undone with drought: insomuch that they were driven from place to place for lack of water. Ye see then that the land of Canaan was not watered after the manner of Egypt, neither had it water at hand and at commandment as Egypt had. And therefore is it said unto them, See how God visiteth the land of Egypt but once a year: and if the river flow lustily over all the country, it is as good as if he §20had rained never so much upon it, so as the Egyptians are sure of a good harvest, when the river hath increased after that fashion. But your God must be fain to send you rain and convenient moisture from above, from the one end of the year to the other. When ye have sown your seed, ye must wait for rain from above, and think thus with your selves, Alas Lord, wilt not thou make the seed to increase which we have laid into the ground? Now must thou show §30that thou regardest us, and that it is thy will that our labour shall prosper. And when thou hast so given us rain, we must be fain to return again and look up still to heaven, that thou our God mayest have thine eyes continually upon the land, to make it yield fruit. For it is not enough for you that your God send you rain once; but he must be fain to hold on still: