A17698:2317
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.
As if they should say, Thou Lord hast delivered us, not only from the state of bondage but also as it were by fetching us out of our graves. For we §40were as it were stark dead, and had bin past all hope of recovery, if thou haddest not reached us thy mighty arm. That was the thing whereof the Jews were put in mind, when God commanded them to eat unleavened bread. And it was his will that this should be done, not only the same night that they ate the paschal Lamb: but also that the same Ceremony should be continued by the space of six days together. And why? God showed §50therein, that men be not throughly framed at the first brunt to the doctrine that he setteth down unto them, though the same be clear enough. Doth God speak? There is no darkness in his speech. But yet howsoever the case stand, we can not fasten upon it. For we be so slow minded, that we can never attain to his meaning, until he have repeated our lesson to us diverse times. That is the cause why he commanded expressly that they should eat unleavened bread by the space §60of six days together. As if he should say, truly the very one nights eating of the paschal Lamb with unleavened bread, ought to be a sufficient instruction to you what is meant by the same. But what? I see well ye be short-witted, insomuch that if ye have heard any thing at Gods mouth, ye forget it out of hand. And therefore when I intend to teach you, I must deal with you as it were by measure and compass. And therefore if ye have a good long time afore hand to bethink ye of the eating of the paschal Lamb, ye will be the better prepared unto it. Therefore shall ye have a whole week, wherein ye shall eat no leavened bread; by means whereof ye shall be quickened up to think upon the great and inestimable benefit which God bestowed upon your fathers in delivering them out of the Land of Egypt, so as you may bear well in mind that his delivering of them was after a strange manner, and that he was fain to work after a heavenly fashion, because ye were in so wretched plight, that ye might seem to have been already swallowed up of death, and to have been already buried in your graves. Now we see why the Jews were expressly commanded to abstain from the eating of leavened bread.
As if they should say, Thou Lord hast deliuered vs, not only from ye state of bondage but also as it were by fetching vs out of our graues. For wee