A17698:634
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.
Moreover let us mark the saying that Moses setteth down here, namely, Least thou fall, least thou §20be provoked. Hereby he showeth that we have in us the seed of falling: that is to say, that we have such a crabbedness in us, that as soon as we have never so small an occasion, by & by we be down, yea & we do even seek occasion when none is given, as I said afore. Whereas god hath ordained his creatures to do us his service, and the same should be a help to guide us unto him, so as we should be the more provoked to love him, because he showeth himself so good & loving a father towards us: we §30take occasion thereat to stumble. His dealing is as though he should set up a ladder for us: or make a pair of stairs for us to go up upon: & we fall to jostling against it. Greeces & stairs are made to help us: but if a man fall to rushing & dashing against them, he may hap to break his legs & to hurt himself, & he shall rather be hindered than helped up by them. Even so deal we. For gods meaning is to draw us to him by his creatures, and we fall to rushing against them wilfully and as it were in §40despite. Now then it standeth us on hand to mark will this saying, that we may look the better about us, to profit our selves by the things that God giveth us for our help and furtherance to bring us unto him. Thus ye see what we have to bear in mind. But now we see that Gods goodness extendeth even to the unbelievers & infidels, according as it is written,1 that he maketh his Sun to shine both upon good and bad. Likewise in this place Moses sayeth, that God hath imparted §50the light of the Sun and the Moon, together with their influences and properties, not only to such as use them well, but also to all folk under the cope of heaven. Now we know that at that time all Nations were idolaters, and there was no truth nor knowledge of God among them: and yet notwithstanding God ceased not to do them good for all that. And it is an excellent token of his goodness above all that he sendeth them the light of the Sun, & maketh the stars to do them service. Then §60let us mark well that although god was neither worshipped nor known of the heathen: yet failed he not to do the office of a father towards them, and always to their condemnation. For inasmuch as they abused his benefits in such wise, & could not find in their hearts to look up unto him: