A17698:4255
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.
20 So he said, I will hide my face from them, and see what shall befall them. For they be a fickle generation, children in whom there is no steadfastness. 21 They have moved me to jealousy by the thing that is not god, and they have provoked me to displeasure with their vanities. And I [likewise] will move them to jealousy by them which are no people, and by a foolish nation will I provoke them to indignation. 22 For the fire is kindled in my wrath, and shall burn to the very bottom of the pit, and devour the land with the fruit thereof, and burn up the foundations of the mountains.
20 So he sayd, I will hyde my face from them, and see what shall befall them. For they bee a fickle generation, children in whome there is no stedfastnes. 21 They haue mooued mee to ielouzie by the thing that is not god, and they haue prouoked mee to displeasure with their vanities. And I [likewise] will moue them to ielouzie by them which are no people, and by a foolish nation will I prouoke them to indignation. 22 For the fire is kindled in my wrath, and shal burne to the verie bottome of the pitte, and deuowre the lande with the fruite thereof, and burne vp the foundations of the mountaines.
WE saw yesterday how God is more grievously displeased, when such as ought to honour and serve him, do forsake him, than when it is done by silly ignorant unbelievers. And not without cause. For God adopteth us with this condition; that his glory should shine forth in §50us: and therefore must it not needs be a doubling of the offence, when we be a reproach to him? If a father be despised in his own house, even by those whom he hath begotten, will it not grieve him much worse, than if some one of his neighbours should misuse him? Seeing then that God hath vouchsafed to choose us to be his children, and hath done us the honour whereof we were not worthy: let us beware that our conversation be such, as our faults §60and misdeeds may not provoke him, nor the thing befall us which Moses addeth here, namely, that he will hide away his face. Now by this saying the Scripture meaneth that when GOD hath used patience in bearing long with men, winking at their vices, and ceasing not to do them good, and yet seeth that they be altogether set upon stubbornness and unreformable: he giveth them over for such as they be. Now all our welfare and happiness lieth in Gods defending of us, and in his caring for us. For if he forget us and vouchsafe not to succour us, and to be our defence, in what taking are we? It were better for us to be destroyed out of hand, than to linger being out of the protection of our God. Therefore here is a horrible threat, and such a one as ought to make us to quake, when as it is said that when GOD hath tarried a long time, he will withdraw himself for our utter alienating of him away from us.