A17698:235
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.
But herewithall we must mark the oath that §20God made against the Jews,1 as it is set down in the Psalm, and afterward applied unto us by the Apostle, saying: To day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as your fathers did in the wilderness, unto whom I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into the land that was my rest. We see how it was the will of the holy Ghost, that the Jews should in all ages be mindful of this disobedience that had bin committed: and that thereupon they should remember that §30for the same, their fathers were bereft of the benefit that had been promised them, and shut out from Gods rest. For (as I said afore) this served not for the Jews only, but the Apostle applieth it also to our time. God then directeth his speech to us at this day. Therefore we must have our ears open to hearken unto him: we must not drive of from morrow to morrow: we must seek no delay: as soon as God speaketh we must be ready to learn, and not harden §40our hearts against him. Whereby we be put in mind, that there is nothing which hindereth our obedience unto God, but our own resisting of him through a certain wilful frowardness. For he for his part applieth himself in such wise unto us: as he beareth with our rudeness and infirmity. So then, all they that are taught by the Gospel, shall obey God without gainsaying, if they poison not themselves through a certain wilful frowardness to withstand God,§50 and to drive back his grace. That is the cause why we be expressly warned, not to harden our hearts. Yea verily: for we must not think that God will suffer his grace to be so scorned, and dallied with, and set light by. If he were inflamed with anger against the Jews for refusing to enter into the Land of Canaan: if we nowadays do play the resty jades and fall to kicking, let us not think that such unthankfulness shall scape unpunished. And in good sooth, if the §60Jews were so punished at that time, that all the sort of them came to nought, wandering in the wilderness by the space of forty years: God showed yet more hard and rigorous vengeance upon them afterward, in the thraldom of Babylon and other miseries that happened unto them: for the thraldom of Babylon lasted three score and ten years. And at their return, although he showed great and wonderful power: