A17698:3778
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.
I Have showed here before, how slow men are to be taught by the chastisements which God doth send them. For until they perceive the hand of God, and be driven to understand, that it is he with whom they have to do: of themselves they wax hardhearted: and which worse is, they labour to cloak that which they ought to feel and see as it were before the eye: namely,§10 that they be smitten for their sins. Forasmuch therefore as men do never willingly come to the knowledge of themselves: GOD is fain to enforce them to it. This is the cause why Moses, over and besides that which he repeateth afore, doth add, That God will make the plagues of the despisers of his Law, wonderful. That is to say, they shall be so notable, that even in spite of their teeth, they shall be afraid of them as of things that were never known, nor in use.§20 For we see that accustomed things are despised: and even so is it also with Gods benefits. Forasmuch as the Sun doth daily rise to lighten us: who is he that thinketh of the change and intercourse which GOD maketh between the night and the day? according to the saying of the nineteenth psalm, that it is as if God should waken us up every morning,1 and tell us with a loud voice how it is good reason, that his infinite goodness, wisdom and power should §30be known. But we have no ears to hear. What is the reason? It is because the sun appeareth every day in like order, by means whereof we be hardened with it: and because it is ordinary, we make none account of it: even so is it concerning punishments. For the more our Lord provoketh us to come unto him, the more do we take heart to become unreformable. And therefore it is needful for us that his plagues should be wonderful §40unto us, that we may be made afraid of them spite of our teeth. And again he addeth, That they shall be great and certain. The last word that Moses useth, doth signify true or faithful. Whereby GOD doth us to understand, that his plagues shall hold on still, like as he said also that they should cleave unto them that were rebellious and could not be won by gentleness: these plagues must be rooted in them: and for that cause §50doth he term them Certain. Here have we to consider our own hardness, that every of us may be the more vigilant in looking to the hand of GOD and conceive the better thereof.