A17690:135
Divers sermons of Master John Calvin, concerning the divinity, humanity, and nativity of our…Diuers sermons of Master Iohn Caluin, concerning the diuinitie, humanitie, and natiuitie of our…
Divers sermons of Master John Calvin, concerning the divinity, humanity, and nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ as also touching his passion, death, resurrection, ascension: together with the coming down of the holy Ghost upon his Apostles: and the first sermon of S. Peter. The order of which you shall find in the page ensuing.Diuers sermons of Master Iohn Caluin, concerning the diuinitie, humanitie, and natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christe as also touching his passion, death, resurection, ascention: togeather with the comming downe of the holy Ghoste vpon his Apostles: and the first sermon of S. Peter. The order of which you shall finde in the page ensuing.
London: printed by Thomas Dawson for George Byshop, 1581
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Sermons on the passion › Sermon 3: The third Sermon of the Passion.
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.
We then here see (as I have already said) that the son of God submitted him self to all rebuke and shame, and desired rather to be bound and fast manacled as a malefactor and a condemned person, then to be made a liar by any miracle, and would have god to stretch forth his arm to warrant him. And hereby we may understand how greatly he esteemed of our salvation. Howbeit here is one point which I have already noted: to wit, that he sendeth us back to the will & purpose of God his father. For without this also it should seem strange, that he would not crave the aid which he right well knew he might have: & it should seem he tempted God, whenas he would not pray for it. For, we are promised, that the Angels shall be round about them which fear God: yea & shall bear them in their hands,1 that they shall not hurt them selves against a stone, & no evil shall come to them in their ways: now when God promiseth us any ⟨p. 38⟩thing, he would that the same should put us in mind to pray unto him for it. And therefore as often as we are in need, our recourse must be unto him, that he might place his Angels to guide us, every one according to his room and office. And this order we see the holy Patriarchs & Fathers practised. For thus said Abraham, the Angel of the Lord who never failed me,2 shall be in thy way with thee, & make thy journey prosperous. This order then used the holy fathers. Wherefore then would our Lord Jesus Christ have the Angels to help him?3 For because (as S. Luke reciteth) he was thereupon before comforted, and the Angels served him, to the end to mitigate the anguish wherein he was. Why, it should seem then that he contemned the necessary aid of God, no not so, but he respected that which afterward he said, How should the scriptures be fulfilled? &c. As if he should have said, that if we doubted of any thing, we might and ought then to beseech the Lord to look upon us with his eye of mercy and compassion, so make us by all means possible to feel his power and virtue: But when we are resolved that of necessity it must be so, and know the will of God to be such, then must we none otherwise beseech him but to fortify us with an invincible and constant power, never to gain say it, nor yet be carried away with our affections, but wholly go with cheerful courage and countenance whether soever it pleaseth him to call us.