A17698:3959
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 showeth what is true repentance, saying: If thou do turn unto the Lord thy GOD with all thy mind. For even the wickeddest, after God hath overmastered them, will not stick to say, we have done amiss, and they will seem to be changed. But as soon as God giveth them any releasement, by and by they are worse than ever they were before. Or if they do not show at the first dash, that they be rebellious against GOD, yet doeth their hypocrisy disclose it self at the last, and it will appear that there was a hidden sore within, and that there was nothing but filthy matter. To be short, there are very few, that turn themselves to GOD, though they be admonished by never so many afflictions. Therefore hath Moses in this place defined true repentance: and the same ought to serve us for many purposes. Let us first of all mark, that when God doth punish us we think ⟨p. 1050⟩it enough to be smitten with one stripe or twain. O, say we, In deed I have offended: but seeing I do acknowledge my sin, should God persecute me yet still? He seeth that I am a frail & a wretched creature, what would he have more than the confession of my fault? But we look not on the other side, that our hearts be still hardened in wicked affections, and that it is become of us, (according as the Prophet complaineth) They turn unto me,1 howbeit no longer §10than whilst I do punish them: for afterward they are worse, or else they become as bad as they were afore. Seeing then that the case standeth so, let us learn, that when God, after he hath punished us once, doeth hold on, and the plague increaseth upon us; it is not without cause that he doeth so. For he perceiveth that there is yet a hidden naughtiness in us, like as a Physician perceiveth well that although a disease be mended in outward appearance,§20 yet the root thereof is not quite taken away. The sick person could well find in his heart to be let a lone: but he doeth still carry the disease about him although he feel it not. Let us therefore learn to yield our selves patiently to the corrections which God sendeth us. If they continue longer than we would, and our affections cannot abide it: we ought so much the more to turn unto him, specially with all our heart as Moses saith.§30