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…

We see then at this present, what the Prophet his meaning is, when he sayeth, that our Lord Jesus Christ was afflicted by the hand of God, disfigured, and forsaken of all men, and that no man once vouchsafed to look upon him, by reason of his marvellous deformity. Howbeit, he sayeth, that it was because God had kindled his wrath against us, and was armed and bent to con found and throw us down headlong into the pit of hell, until such time as that atonement was made. And which way came it to pass? Forsooth, God of his mere mercy and goodness, freely forgiveth us our sins: howbeit, the price of our redemption was in the person of his only Sonne.

Wée sée then at this present, what the Prophet his meanyng is, when hée sayeth, that our Lorde Iesus Christ was afflicted by the hande of God, disfigured, and forsaken of all men, and that no man once vouchsafed to looke vpon him, by reason of his merueylous deformitie. Howbeit, hée sayeth, that it was because God had kindled his wrath against vs, and was armed and bent to cō founde and throwe vs downe headlong into the pit of hell, vntill such time as that attonement was made. And which way came it to passe? Forsooth, God of his méere mercy and goodnesse, fréely forgiueth vs our sinnes: howbeit, the price of our redemption was in the person of his onely Sonne.

Now we have here to note that by reason of the condemnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are pardoned, and all our sins buried, & shall never again rise up against us before the majesty of God: when we speak of the forgiveness of our sins, it is not spoken as though God had so discharged us, as if we, had throughly contented & paid him: but we are acquitted by his mere liberality. And although we are guilty before him, yet forgetteth he all, & receiveth us to mercy,¹ because, as the prophet saith, he casteth our sins into the bottom of the sea: but by the way we have also here to note, that this was no free forgiveness unto the person of our lord Jesus Christ, for it cost him the setting on, as we say. Now if we consider, what a grievous, cruel, & slanderous death this was which he abode: & besides, what anguishes his soul endured, when he was called before the judgement seat of God his father to abide our condemnation: if we consider well, of all this gear I say, we shall find that our Lord Jesus Christ hath made a wonderful payment for the discharging of our sins. Lo here, how we at this day are freed of them. And hereof, we are throughly to consider: for the devil hath continually gone about to darken this doctrine, because it is the chiefest article of our faith. In the beginning of the world, God would have sacrifices offered unto him, for the forgiveness of sins. And why was that? Forsooth, it was to this end and purpose, that men should not trust unto him, but by the mean of a sacrifice and the shedding of blood. And therefore, they all protested in their sacrifices that they were not able to come near unto god, except they had been redeemed, by the purging of their sins & iniquities, which was to be done, by our Lord Jesus Christ. And yet by the way, neither Jew nor Gentile but trusted to their own merits, & thought themselves able to make satisfaction unto God by them. Here then we see, that the devil even at the time withdrew miserable sinners from our lord Jesus Christ, & from the payment which he had made by his death & passion. And yet now, see in what case the papists are For they will confess that we have full remission of our sins by the death and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, yea, but that is as they think only before baptism. For thus they reason: