A17698:888
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.
Hereby we see God overslipped not any thing, when he ordained the Sabbath day. And sith it hath so large a scope: what want we more to teach us a perfect doctrine of holiness, when we have the things which the holy Ghost hath set before us? The matter is that we should live holily in the obedience of our God. And how is that to be done? Even by receiving his single word, and by fashioning our selves according to his righteousness. Now forasmuch as the things which we have of our own nature, are contrary thereunto:1 we must begin at this end of renouncing our selves. That being done, we have all that is requisite to the serving of God. But it is very hard to be done. And therefore when we hear that God commandeth us to keep the Sabbath day, let us look that we mark, and consider that it will not be done with playing, but that we must enforce our selves: & we shall have profited greatly all our life, if we keep it well, that is to wit by renouncing whatsoever we have of our own, and by dedicating our selves wholly unto our God. And we ought to be the more inflamed to the spiritual keeping of the Sabbath of the Lord, seeing we be set free from the slavish subjection of the law, and God hath granted greater privilege to us, than he did to the fathers of old time: insomuch that he is contented with our mortifying of the old man, to be renewed again by the power of his holy spirit, & we be no more bound to the ceremony that was kept so straitly under the law. Seeing that God handleth us so lovingly: it bindeth us the more to have an eye to the principal, that we may observe it duly. Yea & we must not allege that the ancient fathers had the ceremony to quicken them up, which served them as a spur: for inasmuch as our Lord Jesus Christ is come, we have much more than the outward and visible sign. And forasmuch as all the things ⟨p. 202⟩that were figured in those shadows, are accomplished in him:2 we must not crave still the things that were under the law. Thus ye see how the thing that is ordained here concerning the Sabbath day, is now fulfilled, at leastwise as in respect of the truth of the figure, which the fathers had but in shadow. And in very deed look what was commanded concerning the day of rest, must needs belong to us as well as to them. For let us take Gods law in it self, and we shall