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 although hypocrites confess that they are greatly beholden unto God for his grace and favour, yet shut they the gate upon them selves, by reason of their arrogancy: for their pride is such, as that they cannot submit them selves unto our Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore, let us in the first place be fully resolved, that Jesus Christ calleth unto him miserable sinners, which are ashamed of themselves, & stretcheth out his arms to receive them. For, if this be not in us, we shall never have the heart to come unto him. But when we shall be throughly persuaded, that he purchased salvation for those who would acknowledge and submit themselves, to be most miserable and wretched sinners, and be utterly ashamed, & confess their guiltiness, (as in deed they ought) before the judgement seat of God: let us be well assured that we shall soon attain to be partakers of the righteousness which is here offered us, which is, the obtaining of favour and grace at the hands of God. Now, here upon followeth, That from the sixth hour unto the nineth, there was darkness over all the land: He speaketh thus clean contrary to our common manner of speech, for we would say from six hours to nine hours. But the Evangelist hath followed the ordinary manner of speech that was then used. For when he speaketh of the third hour, he meaneth not at three of the clock: but the fore part of the day. And here in sum, are two things to be considered of. The one is, that they counted the hours otherwise then we do at this day: for they reckoned, the day to begin from the Sun rising, unto the going down, which was twelve hours, where we take the day to be four and twenty hours, accounting from midnight, until midnight following. And therefore the clocks were to be set in such sort, as that the hours in Summer should not be longer then they were in Winter, and as the days were longer or shorter, even so were the hours longer or shorter. The other point is this, They divided the day into four parts, & quartered ⟨p. 70⟩it from three hours, to three hours, calling every quarter by the beginning of the first hour. Insomuch, that, the time which was from the Sun rising, unto the second part of the day, they called the first hour. The second part, which was from that time unto midnight, they called the third hour.

for although hypocrites confesse that they are greatly beholden vnto God for his grace and fauour, yet shut they the gate vpon them selues, by reason of their arrogancy: for their pride is such, as that they cannot submit them selues vnto our Lord Iesus Christ. And therfore, let vs in the first place be fully resolued, that Iesus Christ calleth vnto him miserable sinners, which are ashamed of themselues, & stretcheth out his armes to receiue them. For, if this be not in vs, we shal neuer haue the heart to come vnto him. But when we shal be throughly persuaded, that hée purchased saluation for those who would acknowledge and submit thēselues, to be most miserable and wretched sinners, and be vtterly ashamed, & cōfesse their giltines, (as in déed they ought) before ye iudgement seate of God: let vs be well assured that we shal soone attain to be partakers of the righteousnes which is héere offred vs, which is, the obteining of fauour and grace at the handes of God. Now, héere vpon followeth, That from the sixt houre vnto the nineth, there was darknesse ouer all the lande: Hée speaketh thus cleane contrary to our common maner of spéech, for wee woulde say from six houres to nine houres. But the Euangelist hath followed the ordinary maner of spéech that was then vsed. For whē he speaketh of the third houre, hée meaneth not at thrée of the clocke: but the fore part of the day. And here in summe, are two things to be considered of. The one is, that they counted the houres otherwise then we doe at this day: for they reckoned, the day to beginne from the Sunne rising, vnto the going downe, which was twelue houres, where we take the day to be foure and twentie houres, accounting from midnight, vntill midnight folowing. And therfore the clocks were to be set in such sort, as that the houres in Sommer shoulde not be longer then they were in Winter, and as the dayes were longer or shorter, euen so were the houres longer or shorter. The other point is this, They deuided the day into foure partes, & quartered