A17698:3403
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.
Now it is said afterwards: My father was a Syrian. No doubt but this is meant of Jacob:§50 not that he was borne in Syria; for he was borne in the land of Canaan; and his father was a stranger there, and had not one foot of ground to dwell on, he had only a burying place which he bought for his money: and they were fain to remove often out of one place into an other, as men drave them out. They were like birds upon a bough.1 Besides this, Jacob was banished out of his fathers house, and forced to get him away, because his brother Esau threatened to kill §60him. By reason whereof he abode a long time in the land of Syria: he dwelled there fourteen year to get him those wives which he had, namely, Lea and Rachel, and after that he served his father in Law Laban for sheep, because he would not depart home altogether naked. Ye see then how Jacob was first a poor wanderer; and had soon forgotten the land of Canaan when he was gone out of it. In deed God always kept him in sure trust of the promise which was made unto him, concerning that land: and that was the cause why he made that vow of his,2 when he went out of the land which was given unto him: yet nevertheless he was old before he went out of Syria. Behold, being a man broken with age, and stricken far in years, he entereth again into the land of Canaan, & that as a Syrian: for he is altogether new, he cometh thither as one that had never bin there before: and although he had then some wealth, yet were all his miseries there brought new again to his mind: My father, a Syrian, was in the very way of destruction. For how was he afflicted when he was constrained to leave his fathers house? He hath the knife held as it were to his throat,3 for behold, Esau his brother seeketh to put him to death: Esau is possessed as it were with a devilish spirit to persecute his brother Jacob. And when Jacob meant to return into the land of Canaan; behold, that cruel beast, namely Laban devoureth him, not only fleecing the wool from his back, but also oppressing him after a tyrannous manner. In the end he must yet appease his brother Esau: in which misery of his he is as it were half dead, and maketh no other account, but to be utterly cast away; he thinketh never to save his family: