A17698:3648
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 will some man say, Seeing that it is so that our life displeaseth God, & that he reproveth the same when we serve him by compulsion: if the threatenings leave us there, what do they avail? It were better that God should forbear them. But let us mark that he traineth us by degrees according as he knoweth it necessary for us. It is certain, that if nothing but fear do bring us to serve god, it is noughtworth: howbeit it is a good preparative, that leadeth us farther on, after having begun at it. As for example: before the God hath meekened us, we be full of pride, & our flesh is altogether rebellious: & to be short, we be as colts that were never saddled nor bitted. God must be fain to prepare us & to bring us in order, which thing to do, he useth threatenings. But this (as I have said) were nothing at all, unless he inured us to a voluntary obedience & subjection afterward. And when we tend thitherward, we have greatly profited in that this pride of ours is beaten down, & we be no more so wyldheaded, but that we know that there is a Judge before whom we must make account; & that the same consideration restraineth us from using such looseness any more, & from being so heady in doing evil, as we have bin. This is a beginning, & in deed it is but a beginning; in so much that if we should stay there, we were not yet plucked out of the mire. But when we have thus begun, then doth the lord match his threatenings with a taste of his goodness in such sort as we be drawn unto him. And in so doing he showeth himself to be our father. Now when we understand that God in deed is ready to reward us when we have served him, albeit that we be not able to deserve any thing, but rather do provoke his wrath: thereupon we must have our refuge to his mere mercy, to obtain remission of our sins, as it is offered ⟨p. 663⟩unto us in our Lord Jesus Christ, and as he hath purchased it for us by his death & passion. When we be thus reformed, and rid of all trust in our own works, then ought we to offer up our selves willingly in sacrifice unto GOD,1 as Saint Paul also doth exhort us in the twelfth Chapter to the Romans. He setteth us forth no reward, but saith: I beseech you brethren, by the mercy and compassion that God hath showed towards you, that every one of you §10renounce this world, and also himself, that you become lively sacrifices unto GOD: