A17698:733
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.
And now he saith, Because God loved thy fathers, therefore hath he chosen their seeds after them: howbeit that he say, thy seed after him. Moses changeth here the number, and not without cause: for after he had spoken of the fathers, he returneth to one alone, that is to wit, to Abraham, because it was he with whom God made the covenant. And again it serveth to magnify the grace that is mentioned here, as shall be declared anon more at large. The effect of the thing that Moses intendeth to tell the people, is that it is a great shame for them and that they be unexcusable, if they know not the goodness of their God. And why? Because God of his own free mercy chose them, not for that they were better than other nations, (as shall be showed more at length hereafter) or for that there was more nobleness, worthiness or virtue in them: but for that it pleased him to love their fathers. Now we see that the meaning of Moses was as if he should have said thus: You have here an inestimable benefit above all people, namely that God vouchsafeth to reign among you, that he hath sanctified you to himself, that you be his Church,1 that you be his flock, that you be his children, and (as it is said in another place,) that you be a kingly priesthood. Assure your selves this is not given you for any desert of yours, for have you deserved aught at Gods hand? Are ye better than all the of the ⟨p. 166⟩world? No: why then hath God given you such privilege? Not for any thing that he hath found in you: but because it pleased him of his own good will. And whereof came that? Even of his choosing of your forefathers. You were chosen of him before you were borne. And what was the cause that he chose your forefathers? Even his own love, (saith he): that is to say, because he marked them of his own free mercy, to should them out from the rest of the world: yea even at §10such time as Abraham was barren, and already stricken in years,2 and as good as decayed and half dead, when as yet he had no issue at all. And yet for all this, God chose him, so as that poor old fellow became the wellspring of your forefathers. Seeing then that God hath chosen you after such a sort, ye see there is none other cause of the coming of salvation unto you, but only his mere goodness.