A17698:4545
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 here we have to mark first of all, that all that ever hath been rehearsed by Moses, or said before by Jacob, was a very prophecy that came from God, so as it could not have bin uttered by the mouth of man, except God had governed him by his holy spirit. And why? For Moses never came in the land of Canaan, as we know. And as for Jacob, he dyed more than §30three hundred years before the partition of the Land was made. How then could he make it? And even hereby we see, that there was no casualty or chance in the matter. For Jacob (as we shall see again in due place,) assigneth unto Nepthal•m the country on the seacoast, and pointeth out every man his portion there. And how is it possible that he should hit so right upon it? Surely he did it not of his own imagination; but God who holdeth the lots in his §40hand (as sayeth Solomon,1) and who by his wonderful providence which is hidden from us, disposeth of the things which seem to come by chance; uttered by Jacobs mouth what he intended to do. And now he showeth that when the people are come into the land, nothing shall happen but by his direction. Now we know that the tribe of Ephraim and Manasseh were planted in so fat and fertile a soil, that it was the very storehouse of the Land. True it §50is that other of the tribes, as the tribe of Asher, had great Corn countries; but these countries were stored with all kind of commodities besides: they were the pleasantest and plentifullest Countries of all the land of Jury. Now then we may easily gather, that in this case Moses hath not set forth any thing of his own brain; but that the holy Ghost did in very deed govern his tongue. And therefore we have a great warrant of all his doctrine, in that we see that §60under the name and authority of God, he setteth such order in things to come which a man would never have thought of. Sith we hear this, it is all one as if God reached out his hand from heaven, and came to authorise the doctrine which Moses delivered, and to show that he is the author thereof, and that it proceedeth from him, neither ought men to doubt thereof as though it came from some creature. And let us mark that well. For we know that by nature we be inclined to distrust: