A17698:2376
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.
Well may a man make such a building: but can we build our bodies so, as they may be of any long continuance? No. Our Lord therefore doeth laugh those folk to scorn, which are so blind that they imagine they shall live ever the longer for their building of their goodly houses, bearing themselves in hand that it is a mean to make them tarry the longer time in this world. But (as I said afore) all houses are nothing in comparison of our chief house,§40 which is our body. If a man pass not for his chamber, nor for his kitchen, nor for his parlour, but would go seek some corner in his stable, and betake himself to that, saying, this is the surest and substantiallest place, I had lever tarry here than in any other part of all my house: folk would laugh him to scorn as a fool. Likewise if a man be proud of his house, and have no regard of his own person whereof he ought to make much greater account: it is evident,§50 that he is out of his wits, and utterly void of reason. What is to be done then? We must come back to this lesson of Saint Pauls,1 that if our outward man decay, we have a building prepared for us in heaven. For this lodging of ours must decay, and fall quite down, but yet shall we be fully restored again, and then shall we dwell in an uncorruptible house. There Saint Paul showeth us the thing that I spake of before, namely that our bodies (when we have §60never so great account of them) are but as arbours made of Leaves, which are of no continuance: one blast of wind will blow them quite and clean down. Seeing it is so, let us walk in lowliness, and lift our minds aloft: for we have promise that there we shall be immortal & uncorruptible. And we must not think it strange that our bodies should be compared to Arbours of leaves which are of no continuance: for take me the strongest body in the world, and yet cannot the force thereof continue long time in one state; but that if the saying of the Prophet Isaiah be found true as in respect of our souls, it must needs be verified much more of our bodies:2 namely that a man is but a flower, and that albeit he flourish for a time, yet is one blast of wind enough to make him to wither, and to bring him to nought. Such is our strength even when it is at the best.