A17698:4410
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.
Now Moses addeth consequently, That the word is not vain towards them. This piece of text is misunderstood if it be taken for an exhortation. And yet for all that, it should seem,§30 that Moses exhorteth the people, when he saith: Let not Gods word be vain towards you, beware that ye receive it not as a thing of no price, nay rather consider what a Majesty it hath, when God appeareth to men by his word which is his lively image. But in the Hebrew tongue wherein the Prophet spake, it is thus: The word shall not be vain towards you. For so is it, word for word in the Text: when he sayeth, towards you, he meaneth, that in respect of the §40people, the word shall not be in vain. And this will well be perceived by the saying of Isaiah in his five and fiftieth Chapter▪ 1which text is misexpounded likewise. But the right expounding of the one will be a key to open the right understanding of the other. It is said in Isaiah, my word shall not return empty unto me, but it shall yield his fruit there as I send it unto. Some have thought that our Lord meant there, that whensoever his word is preached, it shall not be in §50vain, but that it shall yield profit by giving faith to the hearers. But the Prophet Isaiah meant not so by those words. What did he then? He confirmed or warranted Gods promises, to the intent that men should not doubt of the performance of the things contained in them. As for example, God promiseth us to prosper us by his blessing, to take us into his keeping, and to defend us against all the troubles and vexations of the world; so that if men persecute us, he will be §60as our buckler: if we be threatened and assaulted on all sides, he will be our fortress; in time of dearth he will have a care to feed us; against all the assaults of Satan, he will guard us by the power of his holy spirit: to be short, Gods promises are infinite. And yet for all that, we be so weak hearted, that we conceive not what he sayeth, but rather we think that we shall be disappointed if we trust to his promises. There needeth not any thing to toss us too and fro, for to our seeming all Gods promises are but deceits. For this cause he sayeth; No, like as the Rain falleth not in vain, but moisteneth the earth, and the earth being moistened yieldeth forth her fruit, so as the rain hath as it were a secret virtue to give nourishment to men: