Twenty-Two Sermons on Psalm 119, Title page – To the reader
Two and twentie Sermons of Maiſter Iohn Caluin. In which Sermons is moſt religiouſly handled, the hundredth and nineteenth Pſalme of Dauid, by eight verſes aparte according to the Hebrewe Alphabet. Tranſlated out of French into Engliſhe by T.S.
¶ Imprinted at London for Iohn Hariſon and Thomas Man. 1580.
To the right worſhipful Sir Robert Iermyn, Knight, and to the right worſhipful his godly and vertuous wife, the Lady Iudith Iermyn, Thomas Stocker wiſheth continuall increaſe of all ſpirituall and earthly good thinges in this life, with an earneſt zeale to the glorious Goſpell of Chriſte Ieſus, and perſeueraunce of practiſe thereof vntounto the ende and in the end, and after this life▪ euerlaſting ioy and bliſſe in the life to come through the ſame Chriſt Ieſus our Lorde.
ALbeit the whole Scripture vniuerſally (Right Worſhipfull) is as it were a diuine Maiſtreſſe, teaching bothe vertue and true faith: yet notwithſtanding the Booke of Pſalmes hath ouer and beſides that in a manner an expreſſe image of the ſtate and condition of ſoules, and therfore very neceſſary for all people in generall. Howbeit this hundreth and ninteene Pſalme, namely conteyneth a perfect art and a woonderfull vehemencie of the Kingly Prophet, in ſetting foorth and highly extolling the prayſe of Gods lawe and the excellency thereof: wherein hee cannot ſatiſfie himſelfe, nor yet ſufficiently expreſſe the affection which he beareth thereunto, adding moreouermany notable complaintes and conſolations, wherfore it is moſt meete for all the children of God to hauehave it alwayes bothe in their heartes and mouthes, and ſo continually meditating thereon as this holy Prophet did in his diſtreſſe, they may alſo finde the like comfort, whenſoeuer and whatſoeuer affliction ſhall aſſaile them, and alſo to flie and abhorre that which is wicked and euill in the ſight of the Lord.
Which Pſalme beeing deuided into twoo and twentie partes, by eight verſes aparte, according too the Hebrew Alphabet, the godly and learned Father and moſte famouſe furtherer of the glorious Goſpell of our Sauiour and Redeemer Chriſte, hath according to that order, very religiouſly handled and drawne into as many Sermons, too the benefite and comfort of all the true and faithfull Scholers in the Schoole of God, which ſhall diligently reade them, and earnneſtly ſtriue to followe the ſame direction in their life and conuerſation.
Which Sermons according to my poore ſkill, I hauehave engliſhed frō the French, and hauehave taken boldneſſe to dedicate and offer this my ſimple trauell vntounto your Worſhips, as a ſpeciall token of my good will in Chriſt: beſeeching you to accept of this my labor, not according to the rude tranſlation, but the goodneſſe of the matter which they propound, and my heartie affection vntounto you. And the rather hauehave I beene enbo dened this to doe: both for that I hauehave beene crediblly informed off, either of your greate paines taking in reading ouer ſuch like godly works as alſo that my ſelfe am Teſtis oculatus, of your dayly preſence and diligent attention at all Sermons and godly exerciſes vſed in this countrie of Stuff. Whoſe good & godly beginnings with the reſt of the right worſhipfull both men and women in theſe partes (and all others of what ſtate and condition ſo euer they be) I heartely beſeech our good God and merciful father, euen for his Chriſt, his trueth, & mercyes ſake, to increaſe, ſtrengthen, and continue witth dayly practiſe of the ſame, in ſome meaſure in your liues and conuerſation, with full perſeueraunce vntoo the end of your dayes here, without which all the reſt is but labor loſt. For as the Apoſtle witneſſeth, we are made partakers of Chriſt, if wee keepe ſure vntounto the ende that beginning wherewith we are vpholden.
The Lord God therefore by his holy ſpirit work theſe effects in you and in vsus all that profeſſe his goſpell, and leade our aduerſaryes (when it ſhall pleaſe him) into the trueth, as he is God of trueth: that whē his ſonne Chriſt our Sauiour ſhall appeere in glory, wee may be founde to hauehave walked without halting in whatſoeuer hee hath thought meete to open to vsus for our ſaluation, From Mildenhall the 4. of Nouember. l579.
Your worſhips to command in the Lorde Tho. Stocker.
¶ To all faithfull Readers.
THE Reading ouer of theſe preſent Sermons, will ſufficiently declare what commoditie and profite they may bring with them: As in very deede the Author of them right welſheweth throughout all his woorkes, in what ſorte the Lorde GOD hath heeretofore beene ſerued, and alſo how ordinarily hee is ſerued by him. And therefore for a full recommendation aſwell of the Author, as alſo of the woorke it ſelfe, I intende through GOD his aſſiſtaunce too ſette foorth none other thing, then the ſame fruite and profite, which they hauehave already gotten, that hauehave read them, and that fruite which they may make reporte of, that ſhall hereafter reade them. For this may very well be thought that nothing in the whole worlde maketh a man more bleſſed, then the liuely and continuall meditation of the holy lawe and good will of our heauenly father. Nowe then this is the Pſalme, which is framed, and wholly ſerueth too this ende and purpoſe, dayly to exerciſe our ſelues heere in, and although that hee ſo oftentimes repeateth theſe woordes, Lawe, Ordinaunces, Statutes, Edict, Commaundements, Decrees, and other ſuch like: yet are they no vaine repetitions: but vſed to this intent and purpoſe, too let vsus throughly vnderſtand, howe meruelous peruerſe and frowarde our nature is cauſing theſe ſo neceſſary thinges, too too eaſily to melte (like waxe againſt the Sunne, as wee ſay) cleane away from vsus, and alſo to make vsus too bee touched at the quicke, that we might feele howe feruently we ought too ſigh and grone, after the lawe and ordinaunce of God, how zealouſly too deſire to put the ſame in execution, and alſo how greatly too be greeued with beholding the moſte proude and villanous contempt of the vngodly treading the ſame vnderunder their feete.
And becauſe there are ſome who rather deſire too hauehave ſuch Bookes as they may eaſily carry aboute with them, I hauehave the rather to pleaſe all parties beene very willing too ſatiſfie them herein, alwayes reſeruing this good affection, that GOD might bee honoured, and glorified, by this my ſmall trauel, and the building vp of his Church aduaunced.
Farewell.