A17698:685
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.
Howbeit herewithall (as I have touched already) Moses showeth that God will not so punish his people as to leave them in despair: but that he intendeth a clean contrary end, that is to wit, to bring them to repentance. And surely this is a very notable place. For although God thunder against us, so as to our seeming we may judge by all likelihood, that he is minded §20to make clean riddance of us without any mercy: yet notwithstanding he seeketh our salvation by that means, and giveth us always space of repentance: at leastwise so long as his word is preached unto us. For sometimes the gate is shut up, and we must ever bear in mind how the prophet Isaiah saith,1 Seek the Lord while he may be found. And again in another place correspondent unto this,2 he saith, I have heard thee in convenient time, I have succoured §30thee in the day of salvation. Hereby it is showed us, that there is still space of repentance, and the gate is still open for us to come unto God. so long as he giveth us his word. But if we pass not to enter while GOD giveth us the mean: we shall be bereft of his word, and then may we well seek after him, howbeit but as blind folks that grope in the dark: for the Lord will have shut us out from him. But here Moses teacheth, that although God seem unmeasurably §40sharp in chastising his children▪ yet notwithstanding he giveth them space of repentance, and ceaseth not to have a care of their salvation. For he saith, When thou art so scattered, if thou seek thy God: thou shalt find him: yea verily, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. Now, that we may the better understand the things that are contained here: let us note first of all, that when men are once gone away unto wickedness, it is very hard to fetch §50them back again, unless they be subdued by main force. And that meant Moses to express in saying, Then shalt thou seek the Lord thy God. When is this then? not when the people are full fed, nor when they have store of all Gods benefits: for we shall see in the song, how the people are likened to overpampered horses, which are kicking and wincing against their masters,