Sermons on Psalm 119

What it is

This is a printed book of sermons by John Calvin on Psalm 119, divided into eight parts, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The title page describes Calvin as a minister of the Gospel and says the sermons were translated out of French into English. The translator, Thomas Stocker, dedicated the book to Sir Robert Lyn and his wife. The edition was printed in London in 1580. The audio on this entry is a LibriVox volunteer reading in English by InTheDesert, recorded recently. It is not Calvin's voice.

Why it matters

Calvin is best known for his teaching, and these sermons show his pastoral preaching, the work of explaining scripture to ordinary congregations. The English edition shows how his ideas travelled beyond France and Geneva into English-speaking Protestant communities in the late 1500s.

Look closer

• What does the dedication to a knight and his wife tell you about who this book was written for?
• Why might a translator from French into English have thought such sermons were worth printing?
• What does this text leave out about the people who heard these sermons in the church?