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…

Now it should seem here at the first sight that the Prophet had set down a strange reason, when he saith, because he was cut of from the land of the living. For, inasmuch as Jesus Christ was exalted, and hath now the rule both in heaven and in earth, it should seem that this was no fit mean, without he had first been as one cut of: For this glory, wherein now he is, he always had,¹ before the world was made according to the saying of S. John. And therefore ⟨image 128⟩Jesus Christ as touching his divine essence or being, obtained unto himself no strange thing.

Now it should séeme héere at the first sight that the Prophet had set downe a straunge reason, when hée saith, bicause hee was cut of from the lande of the liuing. For, in asmuch as Iesus Christ was exalted, and hath now the rule both in heauen and in earth, it shuld séeme yt this was no fit meane, without he had first bene as one cut of: For this glory, wherein now he is, he alwayes had,¹ before the world was made according to the saying of S. Iohn. And therfore ⟨image 128⟩Iesus Christ as touching his deuine essence or being, obtained vnto himselfe no straunge thing.

1. 1John. 17.5.Iohn. 17.5.

Now, to be cast down into the bottomless pit of death as it were, was not the way to come unto heavenly glory: and to be condemned by a mortal man, is not like that he should be made judge of the whole world. Howbeit, the meaning of God was such, as that he would work beyond mans reason: neither must we bring our counsel hither with us, and think that we are able to amend this counsel, which we know, to be the cause and springhead of our salvation: but let us most humbly glorify God, because he would have his son to be thus cut off from the land of the living. Now the Prophet namely speaketh after this manner, as though Jesus Christ had been utterly abolished: and would not make mention only of a common death, but even of such a death as should utterly root him out, as if the remembrance of him had been clearly abolished and defaced. For although of necessity, all men must dye, & thereby are cut of from the land of the living, yet hath this ben specially seen in our Lord Jesus Christ, that his death was to have shut him quite out from the company of men. For (as we have already said) it was a most shameful death, and cursed of God: and besides, it was almost even the very gulf of hell: yet not that Jesus christ was swallowed up of it: howbeit he strove mightily against the anguishes of death. And therefore it is not for naught that the prophet setteth him down here as one that had ben abolished from amongst men. Nevertheless how ever it is he obtained by this means such majesty in this nature of ours, as that at this day he being our brother,