A17698:3566
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.
Thus have we two things to mark: the one is, that if we should be judged by the Law of God, there needed no more but this foresaid sentence to damn us all, yea even the holyest Saints that ever were in the world. For no man hath satisfied GODS Law; and therefore are we all condemned. For if the holy fathers which had an Angelical holiness in this world, were notwithstanding faulty before GOD: what shall become of us? Let §20us now make comparison between us and them. Howe far off are we from the holiness of Abraham, the pureness of David, the soundness of Job, and the perfectness of Daniel? When these may be condemned, what shall we be? And therefore let us learn to shrink in our horns, and let every of us keep his mouth shut,1 as sayeth Saint Paul when he bringeth us to the righteousness of faith, and to the mercy of God.§30 The thing then which we have to bear in mind is that God hath bereft us of all righteousness, to the intent to rid us of all presumption & pride, and that we should no more pretend to come to account with him, to bind him unto us, but that we should willingly condemn our selves. Let that serve for one point. Now hereupon we have to consider the remedy which God hath left: which is that yet nevertheless we be righteous by means of our Lord Jesus Christ. For §40he hath delivered us from the curse which was due unto us: and for that cause was he hanged upon tree,2 as saith S. Paul. We have seen heretofore in the one and twentieth chapter, that as many as were hanged upon tree were all accursed. Now when GOD made that Law, knew he not what he had ordained afore concerning his own only son, who was to be hanged on tree? Surely it was an unchangeable decree, made even before the creation of §50the world. Seeing it is so; we be redeemed from the curse by our Lord Jesus Christ; and we must now match this sentence with the other which we have seen in the one and twentieth Chapter. Whereas it is said here, Cursed shall he be which performeth not all these sayings: ye see well that for want of performing them, we be confounded and of right as good as damned. But yet heerewithall, we must also embrace our Lord Jesus