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…

And therefore let us embrace our Lord Jesus Christ, to the end we drawing near unto him by faith, might be made partakers of the fruit of his death & passion: and let us be assured, that whensoever we shall at any time estrange our hearts from him, that God will not add this benefit with the rest, that as his will was that his Son should be our Redeemer, even so also should we truly enjoy the benefit which he hath brought us, and understand that it was not in vain that he suffered such cruel torments for us. And this is the thing which we are to consider of out of this place. As for the second point which is propounded, it is here showed that Jesus Christ should not only be beaten, scourged, and afflicted by the hand of God his father, that he might bear the chastisement which we were worthy of, but that his soul also should be grieved and vexed. It is not here said, that he shall see the fruit of his stripes, affliction, and death, as the Prophet had before said: But also the fruit of the travail and grief of his soul. For the words which he useth, importeth as much. And therefore he meant to express that Jesus Christ was not only crucified, after he had abode the grievous torments in his body, but that he should go a great deal farther: to wit, that he should be heavy and sorry for us, and suffer the sorrows of death, and be even subject thereto for our justification. And to say truly, to what purpose had it bin, if our Lord Jesus Christ had but openly suffered, & in the sight of the world? For if he had suffered but in body, he should then have bin a Redeemer of bodies only. ⟨p. 132⟩But because the principal matter why we should believe in him, is, that we might feel and be fully persuaded, that death shall be no more deadly unto us, and that we are freed from the curse of God, it was meet that our Lord Jesus should feel these points in himself: & so coming before God, might be as a wretched malefactor before his Judge. For, we know that the sin of man brought not with it a temporal death only, but also a feeling of the enmity of God, and of his horrible judgement against us. And what is that? Forsooth, the most insupportable and terrible thing that possibly may be. And therefore it was meet that our Lord Jesus should be driven thereto, for our deliverance:

And therefore let vs embrase our Lorde Iesus Christ, to the end we drawing neare vnto him by fayth, might be made partakers of the fruite of his death & passion: and let vs be assured, that whēsoeuer we shal at any time estrange our heartes from him, that God will not adde this benefit with the rest, that as his wil was that his Sonne should be our Redéemer, euen so also should we truly enioy ye benefit which he hath brought vs, and vnderstande that it was not in vaine that hée suffred such cruell torments for vs. And this is the thing which we are to consider of out of this place. As for the second point which is propounded, it is here shewed that Iesus Christ should not onely be beaten, scourged, and afflicted by the hand of God his father, that he might beare the chastisement which wée were woorthie of, but that his soule also shoulde bée gréeued and vexed. It is not héere said, that hée shall sée the fruite of his strypes, affliction, and death, as the Prophet had before saide: But also the fruite of the trauayle and griefe of his soule. For the woordes which hée vseth, importeth as much. And therefore hée meant to expresse that Iesus Christ was not onely crucified, after hée had aboad the gréeuous tormēts in his bodie, but that hée should goe a great deale farther: to wyt, that hée should be heauy and sory for vs, and suffer the sorrowes of death, and be euen subiect theretoo for our iustification. And to say truly, to what purpose had it bin, if our Lord Iesus Christ had but openly suffred, & in the sight of the world? For if he had suffred but in body, hee should then haue bin a Redéemer of bodies onely.