A17698:747
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 after that Moses hath spoken so, he addeth, Thy God chose thee, even of purpose to bring §10thee out of the land of Egypt, before his face. He showeth that the deliverance of the people out of the land of Egypt, proceeded of the said election, and consequently of Gods free love. And it is a point which we ought to mark well. For it behooveth us to be led from one thing to another. As for example, when God doeth us any good, we do indeed perceive his goodness: but we must mount yet higher. Wherefore hath GOD provided so for us? not for any worthiness or desert §20of ours: but because he had chosen us. And when or wherefore chose he us? We must not range any further, but hold our selves to this ground of Moseses. But in any wise let us mark whereof he speaketh, that we may the better make our profit thereby. Thy God delivered thee out of the land of Egypt, because he had chosen thee before, yea even before thou wart borne. In so saying he showeth, that although this redemption was (to see to) but a deliverance of the body:§30 yet was it a figure of the salvation that God had promised afore in the person of the Redeemer: and although the delivery of the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt, was but as a temporal redemption: yet doth Moses say that it depended upon Gods freebestowed adoption. Seeing it is so in that case: what is to be thought now, when we be to be brought out of the gulfs of hell to be conveyed into heaven? (For by nature we be cursed,1 and plunged in §40the gulfs of hell:) are we able to get thence? Doeth it not belong only unto God to deliver us thence? And if it were meet that God should choose the people of Israel to deliver them from the tyranny of Pharaoh: let us conclude, that by a more strong reason it was meet that when he should deliver us from the bondage of the devil and from the bottomless pits of hell: he should declare this unto us: that he had chosen and adopted us. Wherefore let us not only take §50hold of the death and passion which our Lord Jesus Christ suffered for us, and of his saving of us by his grace: but also let us come to the mean degree, namely that the cause why we be made partakers of the salvation that Jesus Christ hath brought us, is for that GOD hath adopted us. And when did he that? After he had found some virtue or some good forwardness n us? no: