A17698:4271
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.
Furthermore let us mark, that whereas we have being at this day, that is to say, whereas God hath advanced us, (according also as he saith by his prophet Isaiah,1 I have brought up children and advanced them) forasmuch as God dealeth so graciously with us as to put us in the place of them that were his natural children, even us which were as children borne out of time: let us assure our selves that if we provoke God to wrath, and make him as it were §10jealous, he will surely raise up other Nations in our stead, according to this saying of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Jews;2 The kingdom of God shall be taken from you. This threat is spoken to us nowadays. For (as saith saint Paul) if God have not spared the natural branches of the olive,3 but have cut them quite and clean off, and cast them into the fire: how shall he spare the wild ones? What should we have who were barren by nature? Could we say §20we were the children of Abraham, and that God had adopted us at the first? No. For as long as the doctrine of salvation was among the Jews, our forefathers were as rotten members, they had no hope of salvation, they were without GOD in this world, as sayeth Saint Paul. But now we be come to the heavenly kingdom.4 Because the Jews are departed from it, through their own unthankfulness, and fallen from the degree wherein they were, GOD §30hath advanced us to it even against nature. And think we then that if we become like those which were our superiors in dignity, GOD will not in the end pour out the like vengeance upon us as we have seen upon them? Yes: and therefore let the Jews be a looking glass for us to make us behave ourselves humbly, that we abuse not the grace of GOD. True it is that we must be assured that GOD will hold out to the end in the §40things which he hath begun for our welfare, specially if we on our side be not so malicious as to disappoint his grace. But if we follow those which have gone before us, let us not think to speed better than they have done. Thus ye see what we have to bear away in this Text where it is said that God will provoke his people to jealousy by such as were not a people aforetimes.