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…

Let us not therefore feign a devotion which seemeth good in our own eyes, but be contented to do the thing which God hath ordained & allowed. And here we see what ariseth upon this kind of custom, to wit, that we make laws accordingly at this day: so that whatsoever is received for a common order, seemeth to be lawful. And yet howsoever it seemeth to us, God utterly condemneth it. Now, we see what abuse hath come herein, which is this, that this corruption hath made Barabbas to be preferred before the son of God. A man here would at the first sight think it very strange that our Lord Jesus should be thus lightly esteemed of, and a thief and murderer greatlier privileged then he: that he, should find such favour & grace amongst men, & Jesus Christ to be so shamefully & slanderously handled. For, was it not enough that the son of God was crucified, & abode a most slanderous kind of death, without he must also be greatly tormented. The death of the cross was but as a punishment for thieves: & it was not only, as at this day the gallows should be, but it was as if he should have abidden the wheel. Was it not then enough, that after Jesus Christ had been buffeted, & spitted on, & brought even down to the pit of hell, but that he must in comparison be showed to be accursed of all the world? For, if we should judge of it according to natural reason, & look upon the outward show, surely we should be confounded, but we must lift up the eyes of faith a great deal higher, & come unto that which before we have said: to wit, that all this was governed by the counsel of God And therefore let us not stand upon that which the people, & Pilate did, but let us behold the unchangeable decree of God: which is, that for the better humbling of us, his will was to have his Son so shamefully to be cast down, yea to be cast under the feet of all the malefactors of the world: being crucified between two thieves, as hereafter shall be seen. We see then what it is for us to observe, when it is here said that Barabbas must be let lose, and Jesus Christ be made the most abominable man of the world Yet for all this, Pilate went about to have delivered our Lord Jesus: but it was by a devilish mean, to wit, by buffeting of him (which they then called punishing) & would have let him gone, when he had so punished him, as one that had committed a fault:

Let vs not therefore fayne a deuotion which séemeth good in our owne eyes, but be contented to do the thing which God hath ordeined & allowed. And here we sée what ariseth vpon this kinde of custome, to wit, that we make lawes accordingly at this day: so that whatsoeuer is receiued for a common order, séemeth to be lawfull. And yet howsoeuer it séemeth to vs, God vtterly condemneth it. Nowe, wee sée what abuse hath come heerein, which is this, that this corruptiō hath made Barabbas to be preferred before ye sonne of God. A man here would at the first sight thinke it very straunge that our Lord Iesus should be thus lightly estéemed of, and a théefe and murderer greatlier priuiledged then he: that he, shoulde finde such fauour & grace amongst men, & Iesus Christ to be so shamefully & slanderously handled. For, was it not enough that the sonne of God was crucified, & aboad a most slāderous kind of death, without he must also be greatly tormented. The death of the crosse was but as a punishment for théeues: & it was not onely, as at this day the gallowes should be, but it was as if he should haue abidden the whéele. Was it not then enough, that after Iesus Christ had béen buffeted, & spetted on, & brought euen downe to the pitte of hell, but that he must in comparison be shewed to be accursed of al ye world? For, if we should iudge of it according to natural reasō, & looke vpon the outward shew, surely we should be cōfounded, but we must lift vp the eies of faith a great deale higher, & come vnto that which before we haue said: to wit, that all this was gouerned by ye counsel of God And therfore let vs not stand vpon that which the people, & Pylate did, but let vs behold ye vnchangeable decrée of God: which is, yt for the better humbling of vs, his wil was to haue his Sonne so shamefully to be cast down, yea to be cast vnder the féete of al the malefactors of the world: béeing crucified betwéene two théeues, as hereafter shalbe seene. We sée thē what it is for vs to obserue, whē it is here said that Barabbas must be let lose, and Iesus Christ bée made the most abhominable man of the world Yet for all this, Pilate went about to haue deliuered our Lord Iesus: but it was by a deuilish meane, to wit, by buffeting of him (which they then called punishing) & would haue let him gone, whē he had so punished him, as one that had committed a fault: