A17698:3720
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.
For therefore God had showed, that when the Jews had laboured for corn and wine, the enemies should come and take all away, and that all the same should be made a pray: but now he saith, that without any force of man, and without any troubles of war, they should nevertheless not fail to be famished, and to be destitute of all things that might do them good. Why so? Because that worms, beasts, Caterpillars, locusts, and all other things shall eat up the fruit of the earth. Lo what armies God stirreth up against the wretched. Again, on the other side, there shall come blasting and singeing, so that all must needs perish: albeit that men touch not the Jews, but let them alone in rest, yet shall they understand that GOD hath other means to punish them, and that he is always armed infinite ways. That is the thing which GOD meant to declare. And therefore let us take warning by this Text, that when we have escaped one plague, GOD will ⟨p. 985⟩find out an other for us: and if we step aside to the left hand, & he nevertheless is armed against us, and before we have gone three paces, he stoppeth us of our way. Lo how men prevail, when they seek lurking holes; according as we see how the Prophet Isaiah mocketh them that think by their subtlety to escape the hand of God.1 Dream on, dream on your fill (saith he) yet shall the curse always overtake you. And in like case, although we have no enemies to trouble §10us, & to rise up against us to spoil our substance: yet let us understand that God hath other means, which we know not, for to bereave us of that which he hath put into our hands, and that we shall be abashed, to think how we have wherewith to satisfy us, and yet that the bread shall be plucked out of our mouths: and that when we think to drink, we shall be dry. And whereof cometh that? Even of this, that it is our Lord which giveth increase to the corn when it is sown in §20the ground: It is he that sendeth the Grapes; It is he also that causeth all things to prosper for our nourishment. We be taught by this text, first of all, that when we till the fields, sow them & reap them, we must make prayers always unto God to bless the earth, that we may be fed through his grace; and we must hold it for a certainty, that it is his peculiar office to feed us like as a father doeth his little children.