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…

For, when Isaiah sayeth, That the Redeemer should be disfigured, and disdained, deformed, and unbeautiful like a Leper, scourged and beaten by the hand of God, that he should be an horrible thing to behold: to be short, that his life should be taken from him: in what power was this prophesied of? was it because God could not withstand Satan and all the rabble of the wicked? No: But it was because he had pronounced by the mouth of Isaiah the thing which he had before appointed.¹ And in Daniel it is a great deal more expressly set down. Seeing then it is so, that God hath declared that his only Son must be sacrificed for our redemption and salvation, we are now much more confirmed in that which I have already spoken, which is, we must always see that it is the hand of God which governeth, when as we see the Son of God to be so subjected to the slanders and reproaches of mortal men. We see also why Saint Peter namely sayeth in the Acts,² That Judas, all the Jews, yea, and all the soldiers, and Pilate also, had done none other thing, but that which the hand and Counsel of God had determined: as hereafter shall more at large be handled. And here we see whereunto we must look, when we would not be troubled in our foolish imaginations, which is, that God hath sent down here below his only begotten Son, that he might accept his obedience through his death and passion, for the taking away of all our sins and iniquities. And this is the second point which I have handled, to wit, the fruit & benefit which cometh to us by the suffering of our Lord Jesus. For if we knew not why it ⟨p. 40⟩was, we should lose the taste of that which is here recited unto us. But when it is said that he was bound & manacled for our deliverance: and that we see what the state & condition of our nature is, to wit, that Satan holdeth us under the tyranny of sin and death, that we are very bondslaves, so that in stead that we were created after the image of God, there must needs be found in us nothing but corruption, and accursedness, & must be led into this cursed captivity like miserable & wretched beasts.

For, when Isaiah saieth, That the Redéemer should be disfigured, and disdayned, deformed, and vnbeautifull like a Leaper, scourged and beaten by the hande of God, that he should be an horrible thing to beholde: to be short, that his life should be taken from him: in what power was this prophecied of? was it because God could not withstande Satan and all the rable of the wicked? No: But it was because he had pronounced by the mouth of Isaiah the thing which he had before appointed.