A17698:4183
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.
WE have seen already heretofore, how the intent of Moses in this text is, to show the children of Israel how greatly they be bound unto God, in that he loved them, and chose them out from among all the nations of the §30earth, and adopted them to be his children without any desert of theirs, or without having any respect of their worthiness, only of his own mere mercy. Now hereupon he saith, That when God distributed the world into parts, assigning all Nations their Countries: he held still this Land for the heritage of his people. True it is that notwithstanding this, he did as it were lend the land of Canaan for a time to the old inhabitants thereof, that is, to the Hittites, the Hevites, the §40Pheresites, the Canaanites, and such like. His assigning of that Country to them was not for ever, for he reserved it till the time that he should fetch his own people out of Egypt. And we must mark, that at that time Abraham was not yet borne, neither was there then any people of Israel: Howe can it then be, that God should be provoked by any desert, seeing he took the thing which as then had not any being? Yea and let us mark always, that the §50people which was to issue out of the stock of Abraham, had been no better than other nations, if God had not wrought in them. Therefore it is to be concluded that God uttered an infinite goodness towards that people, and that his will was that they should be a looking glass of his grace, to the whole world. And where as Moses saith, that God divided lands to Nations, according to the number of the children of Israel: he maketh here a comparison between §60the offspring of Abraham, and the seven nations that dwelled in the Country, which they entered into and possessed afterward. Surely they were a great multitude of people, and seven sundry nations were of them: and yet our Lord preferred one linage before them all. True it is that he increased the same linage beyond the opinion of men, according to this promise which he had made to his servant Abraham, Number the stars of the Sky and sand of the Sea if thou canst:1 for so shall thy seed be in multitude.
WE haue seene already heeretofore, howe the intent of Moses in this text is, to shewe the children of Israell how greatly they bee bound vnto God, in that he loued them, and chose them out from among all the nations of the