A17698:236
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.
yet were they but a handful which were saved, according to this saying of the Prophet Isaiah,1 though thy people were as the sand of the sea, yet should but a small remnant of them be saved. And in another place he saith, we had been as Sodom and Gomorrah,2 if God had not reserved a little seed, yea even a very little one. We see then that God increased his wrath against such as amended not at the example of their fathers. And why? Because they were the less to be excused, for they ought to have taken warning by the punishments that were prepared for them. Therefore did they double their offence. And what think we of the desolation that hath happened since the [first] preaching of the Gospel, [for the refusal whereof] the wretched world hath wandered so astray, as all things have bin corrupted in the Church, so that in stead of Gods service there hath been nothing but abominations, instead of truth there hath been nothing but devilish lies and errors, and all things have been put out of order there, and that the same confusion hath lasted now so long time? [All these things do put us in mind] that Gods voice ought to sound shriller nowadays in the Gospel, than it did in the Law. For as is said by the Prophet Haggai,3 God maketh heaven and earth to quake nowadays, when the Gospel is preached. And besides that, we have all the things that befell to the people of old time, which serve us as a lively picture. There must we behold Gods wrath, to restrain our selves from doing evil,4 as Saint Paul showeth us in the tenth of the first to the Corinthians. But if we make no reckoning thereof: is it not reason that God should punish us sorer than he did the Jews?
yet were they but a handfull which were saued, according to this saying of the Prophet Esay,1 though thy people were as the sande of the sea, yet shoulde but a small remnant of them be saued. And in another place hee saith, we had beene as Sodome and Gomorre,2