A17698:3952
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.
but the faithful have §40wherewith to comfort themselves, when they see that God doeth chastise them; for they perceive that he doeth it not of purpose to forget his mercy, or for that he meaneth not to use it toward them. Lo here a staff to stay us by. when God chastiseth us for our sins. For one fillip of his finger were enough to bring us to ruin, and to throw us into the deepest dungeon of death. As soon as GOD doeth but blow upon us, (saith the holy scripture,)§50 be a man never so fresh and flourishing, by and by he withereth and droopeth.1 And what then shall become of us if we be smitten with his mighty hand? Must we not needs be worse than miserable? Here therefore we be admonished to stay our selves upon some comfort, or else we shall be utterly undone as soon as God giveth us any token of his anger. Hereby we see how profitable this doctrine is for us, where he saith, that when §60God scourgeth thee, yet he will not forget the promise which he swore to thy fathers: and albeit that thou be thrust out into the uttermost parts of the world, yet nevertheless the Lord will gather thee again into this land which he hath promised thee for thine inheritance. As often therefore, as God punisheth us for our sins, be it that each of us have his private disease or wretchedness or any other token of the wrath of God: or else that we be generally scourged with the plague, with war, with hunger, or with any other affliction; first let us acknowledge our sins, and be sorry that we have offended our God, and provoked his wrath against us; and hereupon let us also be always resolved in this point, that he will not so punish us, but he will yet give place to his goodness and pity, and that we shall find mercy at his hand, when we condemn our selves, and confess our offences, and beseech him to receive us into favour, not for our deserts but in respect of the covenant which he hath made with us, because he hath chosen us to be grafted into the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. And like as in old time he declared by circumcision, that the Jews were a people sanctified unto him, even so hath he now given us baptism, whereby he marketh us, as it were to be of his flock, and wherein we have a warrant that the blood of our Lord Jesus is our cleansing, so as we be thereby washed from all our uncleanness.