A17698:1845
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.
it behoveth me to be still fenced by being mindful of my God, & by referring my self unto him & by resting wholly there. For if I tarry long, I shall be so withdrawn from him, that I shall not find the way thither again, like as when a man taketh no heed, but runs galloping on without minding of his way whether he be right or no; the longer he traveleth, the further he is from his way; yea & if §50there be folk to set him in the way, & he regardeth not to take the right way again, then is he well worthy to wander still out of his way. If one say to him, Sir, you must take on that hand, and yet he will needs go the contrary way, as though his wits were roving in the air, & so goeth on still: in the end he shall find himself far off from the right way. And therefore let us beware that we be not so headstrong in our vanities, as not to endeavour to amend our §60selves. For (as I said afore) we may easily wander out of the way every minute of hour, so as we need not any thing to make us stray from the right way. But if we be out of it, let us seek to come in again by & by & to be reformed. For our God is not far from us, he promiseth by his Prophet Isaiah,1 that he will be at our backs, as a schoolmaster is at the back of a young scholar. And like as the mother that hath her eye always upon the child that she bringeth up, will always be at hand by it: so God showeth by a familiar example, that he will be at our elbow, if so be that we seek him & suffer him to reform us. And therefore let us learn to exercise our selves in that study all the time of our life. And specially sith we see there is so urgent necessity, let every of us quicken up himself, & let us not tarry till the devil have carried us so far astray, that we can no more return into the way; but as soon as we set but one step awry, or swerve never so little aside, let us bethink our selves again by & by. Nay let us not tarry so long; but let us be aforehand, & let us call so much the more earnestly upon our God to guide us, & to prevent us with his goodness. Let us follow his word, which is the true sheet anchor, & the very lamp to give us light. Let us open our eyes to behold the light that he showeth us, & let us often call to mind the things which we have learned. Let every of us mark to what vice he is inclined, that he may seek the remedy of it, as some be given to one affection & some to another.