A17698:229
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 therewithal let us mark also, that God in punishing the hypocrites and all such as abuse the goodness that he hath done towards them, ceaseth not for all that, to continue faithful still. For if he should destroy the whole world and leave no afterspring to call upon him, it might be said, in deed God hath just cause to punish men after that manner: but in the mean time where is his promise?1 He hath said that his Church shall continue for ever, & that his name shall be called upon here beneath, as long as there is either Sun or Moon in the sky: but ⟨p. 44⟩now is all dispatched quite and clean, the remembrance of salvation is utterly buried among men. Although then that God should do justly in punishing such as had done amiss: yet should his promise be vain and void, if he performed not the thing that he promised, and so would men blame him of unfaithfulness. But (as I said) he findeth means to punish them that deserve it, and yet notwithstanding reserveth and keepeth still a people to himself, and §10suffereth not his trueth to fall to the ground, or to die without effect. And hereof we have a notable example in this place. For we see that God had made a covenant with Abraham, and had promised him to give the land of Canaan for an heritage to his offspring. As soon as the time came, the promise was performed. Yea verily: but all the posterity of Abraham refused and rejected the promise, whereby they disannulled it as much as lay in them. Thus you see §20they be deprived of it through their own unthankfulness. But yet to the intent that God be not accused of leaving his promise unperformed: it behoved him in punishing the fathers to preserve their race. They that come up afterward are also the offspring of Abraham, and they possess the land that was promised: by means whereof the covenant that God had made abode sure and fast settled to the end. And for the same cause it is said that God reserved the young §30children to himself. Now then, as many as had murmured and were above the age of twenty years, are cast off and banished from the good turn that was ready for them: but they that were under that age are preserved still, and God is glorified in them. And albeit that the accomplishment of his promise was delayed by the space of forty years: yet notwithstanding he showed himself faithful in the end.