A17698:3854
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.
Having spoken thus of the Manna, Moses addeth: That the people did neither eat bread, nor drink wine, or any other liquor that could make them drunken. That is to say, any mingled drink, whereof much is made in the East countries, for there they have excellent fruits, insomuch that they make drink of Dates and of such like things and all the compounded drinks which they make, they call by one common name, Sicera. Now Moses saith that there was no such kind of drink used among the people: but that the water which issued out of the Rock flowed out every where▪ and accompanied them by the way, in such sort that they were ⟨p. 1021⟩compassed about with the marvellous goodness of God, by reason whereof they were driven of necessity to acknowledge that he had stretched forth his hand, as if he should have put the meat into their mouths. That was the meaning of Moses. And this served to make them to have the better understanding of the gross brutishness which was in them, in that they gave not God his due glory. In deed when the earth bringeth forth corn for our §10food, the same ought to suffice to make us to perceive that God showeth himself a father to us. But because we be accustomed to it, our hearts are hardened by it, and we see that men be not provoked to yield thanks unto God, when things follow all after one common rate. For this cause ought this circumstance to be well weighed, according to this saying of Moses which we have seen heretofore. When thou art come into the land:1 albeit §20that thou shalt there eat bread; yet when thou hast tilled the earth, and that it hath yielded thee her increase; remember that thou wast nourished with Manna, and say not; It is mine own skill or mine own hand that hath gotten me this food. Look thou bear still in mind that thy God nourished thee after a strange manner for the space of forty years, to the end it should remain with thee for a perpetual remembrance, and that thou shouldest §30acknowledge it thus: The same God that fed me in the wilderness, is he that hath given me this land, and which maketh it to yield fruit, that I may be nourished thereby. Let us mark well therefore how it is not without cause, that Moses sayeth: Thou hast eaen no bread, nor drunk wine nor other drink, and yet wast thou fed.