A17698:2254
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 now Moses addeth, Beware that this wicked thought come not in thy heart to say, Behold, the Seventh year is at hand, and if I lend, my money must lie dead for the time. He calleth it a wicked thought when we be held back by it too much to our own profit, and in the mean while forsake the party that is in need. For were our thoughts well ruled, surely we should not be so greatly wedded to our own profit, but that we ⟨p. 582⟩would also think upon those whom God commendeth unto us.1 It is said that love seeketh not his own. True it is that it cannot be but that every man will be mindful of himself. But Saint Pauls meaning in saying so, is that men must not be carried away with the love of their own profit, as who should say they would have no fellowship with their neighbours, nor strain themselves to do any thing for them. Therefore as for those which say, I §10must have regard of my self, and therewithal do despise others, and pass not what they endure: those seek their own gain, and in so doing show themselves to be utterly void of charity. Contrariwise, if we be kindhearted, although we be mindful of our selves, yet are we not so carried away with it; but that we bear an even hand and proceed to the loving of our neighbours as our selves. Whereas our nature wholly draweth us to our own private profit,§20 let us bethink our selves thus: What? I cannot separate my self from those to whom God hath knit me; for that were a wicked divorce. If I should hold my self alone, and have no regard but of mine own advantage; It were a cutting of my self off from mankind, & I were worthy to be cut from the rest of the world, for it is against kind. So then, it is not without cause that Moses saith, that when a man is so mindful of his own profit, and seeketh it in such sort that he taketh §30it as an occasion to refuse to help his neighbours at all: it is a wicked thought, for thereby we be done to understand, that we must not justify our selves because that although men be not able to accuse us so as we may condemned by mans Law; yet doth it not follow therefore that we be quit before God.