A17698:471
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.
Ye see then that in examining our requests,§30 when we doubt whether God like of them or no: we must enter into this consideration, that God ought to overrule us, that we may yield him his deserved honour, and all our affections be so bridled, as he may have the mastery of us. That is the true manner of praying, if we intend to be heard.
Ye see then that in examining our requests,§30 when we doubt whether God like of them or no: we must enter into this consideration, that God ought to ouerrule vs, that we may yeeld him his deserued honour, and all our affections bee so bridled, as he may haue the masterie of vs. That is the true manner of praying, if we intend to be hearde.
But by the way we must also mark the thing that is set down here. Moses to the intent to obtain his request, saith, Lord thou hast begun to §40show thy servant the highness of thy mighty hand. When Moses speaketh after that fashion, it is a kind of protesting that his putting of himself forth to pray, is not for any service that he hath done to God: he allegeth not any such thing. No: but he protesteth that God had showed him favour already, and therefore he desireth him to continue it still. And it is a point that we ought to mark well, namely that when we come unto God, the best reason that we can allege §50unto him, to win our requests at his hand, is to say, alas Lord, we be exceedingly bound unto thee already. If a mortal man have done us a good turn, we may well be ashamed to be always hanging upon him: but it is not so towards God: For he never ceaseth to do us good: neither can he be drained dry in doing good, as creatures should. And yet notwithstanding, if we should return three or four times to a man that hath done us good or pleasured us, we might say:§60 Sir, the goodness that you have showed me heretofore, for the which I think myself greatly bound unto you, maketh me bold to repair unto you again, even to increase my debt to you the more. If we might say so to mortal men: much more ought we to say it unto God, for unto him we can allege no deserts, nor any thing else of our own. Therefore we must follow that which is showed us here, saying: Lord, seeing thou hast begun to do us good, go through with it. For God bindeth himself to us in doing us good: not that he is tied to it of necessity, we must not step to him with such lustiness as though he owed us any thing: but after as we have felt the experience of his goodness and grace towards us we may be so much the more familiar with him. And that is the thing whereon we must cast our eye: and it is also the thing wherein GOD is rightly glorified by us. When I come unto him and say, Ah Lord, true it is that nothing I am, nor nothing I can: I have nothing in me but utter naughtiness: nevertheless, forasmuch as I have found thee bountiful to me heretofore, & thou hast showed thy self good to me so many ways: therefore do I resort unto thee still.