A17698:4260
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 he addeth the reason. It is a fickle and froward generation, Children in whom there is no trueth. The first word that Moses useth here, cometh of a verb which signifieth to turn and return. And so it is as much as if he should say, It is a generation of wickednesses; for he useth the plural number: and it importeth as much as if he should say, It is a froward and cursed generation, or else a mutable and changing generation, and whereof there is no hold; now here; now there: whereby is uttered not only the unconstancie, but also the disloyalty of that people. He addeth that there was no steadfastness in them. The word betokeneth uprightness, whereby is meant both loyalty and faithfulness. To be short, GOD declareth here, that he had tried his people too much, and that in the end it appeared that there was no uprightness in them, but all manner of treason and treachery. Forasmuch therefore as he found such lewdness in them, he sayeth he will hide himself from them. But we must call to mind again what I have said afore; to wit, that for a time GOD may favour us and bear with us, and spare us though we deserve to have rigour towards us: but when he is so patient, it is to make us diligent in examining our own faults, and to call our selves daily to account, and to ⟨p. 1136⟩look nearly to the things which are to be found fault with, in us. Also let us mark well the saying that hath been alleged out of Saint Paul, how that God allureth us to amendment by gentleness,1 when he punisheth us not at the first, according to our deservings. Sith the case standeth so, whensoever God showeth himself favourable and gracious towards us, let every of us consider how he hath lived; and if we have abused the benefits which he hath bestowed §10upon us, let us condemn ourselves for it, and be sorry for our sins, and return to him with such sorrow as may appear to be unfeigned. That is the thing which we have to remember in the first place. But if we will needs discharge ourselves by flattery, to take leave to do evil: then must he needs execute his unrevocable sentence of hiding away his face from us after he hath borne long enough with us, and of seeing what will become of us, and §20he must needs let us rot in our wretchedness, forasmuch as we could not abide that he should reach out his hand to help us.