A17698:4124
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.
And heerewithall let us mark also, how it is not without cause, that Moses commandeth the Levites to lay the book of the Law in the side of the Christ or Ark of the covenant: for thereby it had the more Majesty, not because the Sanctuary of it self was of more worthiness than other places; but because God had ordained it to that use, and that it was his pleasure that it should be as a pledge, & a visible sign of his presence. ⟨p. 1099⟩This matter hath bin already treated of heretofore: & therefore we need not to stand upon it any long while▪ nevertheless it is requisite to have the remembrance there of briefly renewed unto us. Men of their own nature be so dull, that they can neither attain nor endeavour to attain unto GOD unless they have some helps. As for us, we have not now the figures and shadows which the fathers had under the law. For GOD hath now revealed himself unto §10us more familiarly in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ,1 who is his lively Image: but under the law, it was necessary that the fathers should have the figures to aide them, to the intent they might be confirmed in the faith. And when they came to the Sanctuary or the Tabernacle, it was a kind of offering themselves before the face of God. There were no Images nor Puppets: for it was not their fashion to have any such remembrance of God, as the Papists §20do imagine; but there were the ten commandments, which were laid up there, and God would that his majesty should be looked upon in his word. And Moses giveth express commandment, that the book of the law which he had written, should be laid there in the side of the Chest of the covenant. And to what end? As if God should say, Here is my Testimony, you must not receive this doctrine as if it were framed after the device of §30man: ye must hold it as a thing that comes from me: for you have a visible token thereof. Now then we see whereunto this ceremony of the putting up of the book of the law into the Chest of the covenant did serve: It was all one as if God had protested that he avowed it to be his own, and that Moses had no further to do with it than only that he served him as his minister.