A17698:3907
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 Moses addeth another similitude, saying, That such folk do mingle drunkenness and wickedness together. The words import as much as if it were said, that they do mingle drunkenness and thirst together: but we will take it as it is here set down. In deed this place hath bin expounded diverse ways: in so much that some to play the fine headed fellows, have said that by the phrase which hath the word Thirst or Thirsty, Moses meant that part of the soul, which yieldeth it self to be governed by reason, for as much as it is desirous of knowledge and seeketh after it: and yet nevertheless doeth intermeddle with the other which maketh her drunken with her own voluptuousness and delights, and hath neither measure nor stay of it self. But these be vain speculations which we must let alone: neither had I spoken of them, but to the end that none should deceive themselves with them. Let us come to the plain meaning of Moses. We have seen here afore the matter which he treateth of in this place; and no doubt, but this serveth as an exposition, for the better declaring and confirming of that which we have seen already. By the Thirsty therefore or by Thirst, he meaneth the appetite of man which is always hungry: and I mean not the appetite of eating and drinking, but the appetite of all our lusts. Ye see then how man in his own nature is as it were thirsty, so as we be always sharp set, and can not be satisfied by any manner of means; for as soon as we have been tempted with one wish, by and by we come to another, and there is no man but he is vexed with diverse changes and sorts of thirstiness. For albe•t that vices reign more in some than ⟨p. 1036⟩in other some; yet notwithstanding the man that is given to covetousness misseth not to have other lusts, in so much that covetousness is not without cause counted the root of all mischief.1 Likewise a whoremonger is carried away by his affections, and wicked lusts, and yet hath he other vices also therewithal. When we have well examined the nature of man, it will be found that Moses could not better compare them than to such as be thirsty. And why so? For they are §10never at rest, they be never contented, they are always sharp set, and they be evermore eager of their desires.