A17698:548
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 immediately, that he hath set forth the statutes and ordinances, to the end that the people should do them, when they were come into the land to possess it. Wherein we see the same that hath been showed heretofore; that is to wit, that God will not have men to dally with ⟨p. 119⟩his doctrine, but to embrace it with all reverence, and to obey it by framing themselves thereafter. Wherefore let us be well advised, that if we will be well taught at Gods hand, we must serve him all our life long. For without we do so, we shall be condemned of false abusing the doctrine, which was given us to kill our vices and to alter our lewd and inordinate lusts. As often then as we come to hear Gods word, let us always have this before our eyes, that his will is to bring us home to §10himself, and not to have us wander after our own wicked lusts and likings, but to bow down our neck under his yoke to yield him obedience. And hereby we see how the Gospel is unhallowed nowadays. For we have our •ares sufficiently beaten with the things that we ought to do: but who is he that doeth but so much as lift up his finger, to strain himself to serve God? The number of them is §20very small. But there is great store of them that take greater liberty to do evil upon the preaching of the Gospel, and in their opinion God is much beholden to them, in that they suffer his word to be preached, themselves holding scorn of it. But needs must such ungodliness and devilish pride be horrible punished. Why so? For the word that GOD sendeth us, is the seed of life which ought to yield fruit in us: and yet for all that, we make no §30reckoning of it, but trample it under our feet, and we become stark blocks. And it is not enough for us to be a barren ground that beareth no fruit: but we do also bring forth the fruits of bitterness, as God complaineth by his Prophet Jeremiah:1 insomuch that ye shall see a great number that do even spite God and rankle in malice against him, seeking nothing else but to kindle his wrath more and more. Such folk must needs look for dreadful damnation §40