A17698:689
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.
Besides this, let us also learn to comfort our selves sith we see the end that God aimeth at. For like as he showeth himself rough and sharp: so will he also have us to taste of his love and care towards us: that is to wit, that forasmuch as we have forgotten him & turned our backs to him, & not fought to him, but rather endeavoured to flee from him: his intent is to draw us to him by that means, and §20to induce us to seek him again. Ye see then that the true comfort of wretched sinners when God scourgeth them, is to consider thus with themselves: yet GOD hath pity upon us: in deed we remembered not him: but yet for all that, he hath not forgotten us, and that doeth he show by the effect. Nevertheless, the chiefest [comfort] is in this that Moses addeth, namely, that they shall find God if they seek him. For if we go to seek §30God, being only in distress and trouble: can we have any courage to come unto him? True it is that when the wretched unbelievers are distressed, they toil themselves and do all that they can to seek God. We see that even in the Popedom, when men are in sorrow and have their sins laid afore them, [their saying is,] go to, let us see if we can pacify God. But as for them, they have no warrant that God will receive them, neither trust they to his free §40promises, neither pray they in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. They can well speak of repentance: but (to their own seeming) God should receive them for their own worthiness, and not otherwise. And so we see they come thither as it were doubting: for it is certain that such repentance is full of hypocrisy. For why? They be not sure of Gods goodness: nay they never wist what it meant. But as for us, let us put the thing in ure which is said §50in the psalm,1 Lord, thy mercy is ever ready in thee. Hereby it is showed us that we can never return unto God, to submit our selves unto him: unless we taste his mercy, that we may trust to it and rest upon it. That is the cause why I told you that we must mark the text where Moses saith, If thou seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him. Will we then be provoked to repentance when we have sinned? Let us hearken to the promises that GOD hath given us. For §60