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…

which is that if we have committed many offences, rebellions, and iniquities against God, that all shall be buried, because our Lord Jesus hath by his obedience justified us, & made us acceptable with God his Father. Now, wherein consisteth this obedience, but that Christ Jesus, although he suffered a cruel & terrible death, yet was contented to yield himself unto it. For if he had felt no hardness nor striving in it, his obedience had been nothing: But inasmuch as our Lord Jesus abhorred death by nature, yea, and that it was a fearful thing to appear before the judgement seat of God in the behalf of all wretched sinners (for he stood forth there to bear all our burdens) and yet for all that was contented to humble himself to be thus condemned for us, Let us acknowledge his perfect obedience: and therein we have very good matter to glory,¹ as the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews saith, That the fear of our Lord Jesus Christ was heard: But however it was, it was meet that he should suffer and abide so hard & weighty a cause, yea clean against all worldly affection and desire. And therefore, it behooved that God his Father should so acquaint him with it, to the end (as he saith) his obedience might be known. We see then that the Apostle namely specifieth, that it must needs be that our Lord Jesus should be wonderfully afeard: for else we should never have known what this sacrifice had been worth,² by which we are reconciled. And S. Peter also showeth that our lord Jesus Christ suffered both in body and soul, when as he saith, that he strove against the sorrows of death. In very deed the scripture oftentimes telleth that we are redeemed by the blood ⟨p. 72⟩of Jesus Christ, because he offered up his body for a Sacrifice: & we also see why it is said, that his flesh is spiritual meat & drink:³ but it is so spoken by reason of our grossness. And because we are carnally minded, the holy Ghost sendeth us back unto that that is visibly to be perceived in the death of Jesus Christ, that by it we might have an assured pawn of our salvation. And yet this taketh not away the thing that is showed us out of other places:

which is that if we haue committed many offences, rebellions, and iniquities against God, that all shal be buried, because our Lord Iesus hath by his obedience iustified vs, & made vs acceptable with God his Father. Now, wherin consisteth this obedience, but that Christ Iesus, although he suffred a cruel & terrible death, yet was contented to yéeld himself vnto it. For if he had felt no hardnesse nor striuing in it, his obedience had béen nothing: But inasmuch as our Lorde Iesus abhorred death by nature, yea, and that it was a fearefull thing to appeare before the iudgement seate of God in the behalf of all wretched sinners (for he stood foorth there to beare all our burthens) and yet for all that was contented to humble himselfe to be thus condemned for vs, Let vs acknowledge his perfect obedience: and therein we haue verie good matter to glorie,