A17698:4548
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.
Again, whereas in this place Joseph is called A Nazarite among his brethren: we see how God bestoweth his gracious goodness where he listeth, even contrary to the opinion of men, yea & clean contrary to all expectation. Joseph was indeed separated from his brothers; yea and that was as by being appointed unto death, they had conspired against him to kill him.1 And whereas he was yet saved, it was but to be cast into a pit ⟨p. 1213⟩and there to pine away, which was a crueller death than if they had cut his throat out of hand. In the end, the greatest favour that he found, was that he was sold into a barbarous nation to strange & unknown persons. Again, when he came into Egypt, he was thrust into the bottom of a dungeon,2 & he was put into the stocks, according to this saying of the Psalm, that the iron wounded him & nipped him to the heart. Ye see then how Joseph is separated not only from §10his fathers house, but also from the whole world; he is cut off from mankind as a dead person; he is like to rot in a dungeon. But God separated him after another manner in his wonderful coū sell. And therefore it is said, that he was as a star which was to be worshipped of the Sun & of the Moon, and of all the rest of the stars. Which was as much to say,3 as that all his house should stoop to him & be subject to him, so as his sheaf should have preeminence, and all §20the other sheaves fall down: even because god had decreed it in his own counsel. And so we see that when all the world thought to have thrust Joseph down into the pit: then God exalted him in spite of men. Thus ye see how God succoureth his servants after a wonderful fashion. If we look upon our state as it appeareth to the view of men: we may seem as it were rejected, death seemeth to threaten us, and we seem to be besieged with it on all sides,§30 it seemeth that we should be overwhelmed every minute of an hour, & that we should be eaten up quite & clean. Lo at what point we be! But God who hath sanctified us, & doeth as it were brood us under the shadow of his wings, if we put our trust in him & flee to him for refuge; will show that his blessing of us is not in vain; but that he hath so separated us, that though all the earth were moved, & that we were afflicted as well as the wicked, & wrapped with them in the same curse;