A17698:1975
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.
Furthermore let us mark well, that whereas God saith he will choose that place to put his name in: it is not meant that his being was shut up in the Sanctuary▪ but only that folk should there have a record of his presence. And that was to the intent that the Jews should not busy their heads about gross imaginations, as we see men commonly inclined to do. When God stoopeth to impart himself familiarly unto us, we take occasion to make him some Image; if we could we would tie him to some stone or to some pillar, or coop him up in some corner: and we think we have him not with us, except we have some visible sign of him. And this was the cause why men made puppets and Idols to represent God by. For this cause he telleth them expressly that he himself will choose the place wherein he will be worshipped and served, howbeit not that his being shall be shut up there, but only that his name shall be there, that is to say, that he will be called upon there. And moreover the Jews were to be put in mind, to look up to the heavenly pattern that Moses saw on the Mount,1 as oft as they looked upon the ark of covenant and the other signs that God had given them, and thereby to be led to the spiritual service which was figured by those things,2 whereof Jesus Christ was the very substance. True it is that even at this day still God cometh down or stoopeth unto our rudeness; insomuch that it is his will we should have temples or Churches to assemble in, and thither we come together to make our common prayers there. Again, Baptism is ministered there, for Jesus Christ also is there among us & ruleth over us, & in his supper we have an assurance that we be knit unto him, & grafted into his body, so as we have but one life common to us all. Yet must we not be held down by the signs and tokens that God giveth us for our help; but we must rather be conveyed up by them, and not be wrapped in superstitions, to worship god after a fleshly manner. We must consider that he filleth all things, yea even abiding in his heavenly glory, and there must we seek him by faith. When we think upon him, we must not draw him down ⟨p. 510⟩hither to have him here after a fleshly manner, but we must mount up by faith into heaven where he dwelleth,