A17698:3635
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.
Afterward he saith that God will bless the labour of our hands: 1to do us to understand (as he hath showed in another Text) that it is not our own labour and travel that feedeth us, as we have seen in the eight Chapter,2 where he sayeth thus: When thou art come into the land which GOD giveth thee, remember that ⟨p. 959⟩by the space of forty years thou wast fed with Manna that fell from heaven, to the end thou shouldest not say: It is mine own labour that findeth me. Let us therefore learn by these texts that when we have travailed, and bestowed our labour to till the earth, and consideration is had of all that we see requisite: yet nevertheless we must lift up our eyes, and not stand in our own conceit to say, I have done this, it is mine own labour and policy: but acknowledge §10that it is Gods office to give increase, and that without that, all our labour is in vain: as we might well enough break our arms and our legs, and yet in stead of going forward we should still go backward. The sum of the matter which God meant to show us, is that we should labour in all lowliness, and that when every of us hath travailed for his living, we should understand, that it is not in us to give the success, but that GOD must wholly guide §20it, and give it good issue: not only to the herbage of the earth, but to all things else in general. So then, when a man applieth him to any kind of labour, let him not go about it presumptuously; but let him call upon GOD to help him, saying, Lord it is thy pleasure that I should take pain: well, I go about it; but I know that I shall not prevail, unless thou guide me, & unless thou give me good success: Through thy mere grace and goodness, let my §30labour prosper. That is the thing whereof we be admonished in this text. Let us not then think, that mans care & skill, or his travel and endeavour can make the ground fertile: but that the blessing of GOD ruleth all. Yet notwithstanding it putteth us in mind of our duty, to wit, that GOD will so help us, as we may not be idle for we be not made as logs of wood: men must (I say) employ them selves when GOD promiseth them his blessing.