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, he saith, Ye men of Jewry, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hear my words: for these are not drunken as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. We have here first of all to observe, that the men in old time reckoned the hours otherwise then we do: For they made the first hour to begin at the rising of the Sun, and so they had always twelve hours from the Sun rising unto the going down thereof, and as the days grew longer or shorter, even so made they their hours. Moreover, they divided the day into four quarters, to wit, the first quarter began at the first hour, and continued until the third, the second, from the third hour, unto the sixth, the third, from six to nine, and the fourth, from nine unto twelve. So that the ⟨image 186⟩sixth hour was as it were, noon, and the third, was betwixt eight and nine in the morning as we reckon.

For, he saith, Yee men of Iewry, and all yee that dwell at Ierusalem, bee this knowne vnto you, and heare my wordes: for these are not drunken as yee suppose, seeing it is but the thirde houre of the day. We haue héere first of all to obserue, that the men in olde time reckoned the houres otherwise then we doe: For they made the first houre to begin at the rising of the Sun, and so they had alwaies twelue houres from the Sunne rising vnto the going downe thereof, and as the daies grew lōger or shorter, euen so made they their houres. Moreouer, they deuided the day into four quarters, to wit, the first quarter beganne at the first houre, and continued vntill the third, the second, from the thirde houre, vnto the sixte, the thirde, from sixe to nine, and the fourth, from nine vnto twelue. So that the ⟨image 186⟩sixt houre was as it were, noone, and the third, was betwixt eight and nine in the morning as wée reckon.

Let us now come to the reason which S Peter brought, by which he showed that they were not drunk, as the Jews thought. For, it is as much as if he had said, It is now about the third hour of the day, and that is (as I have already said) betwixt eight and nine in the morning: and therefore it is not likely that men would be drunk at that time of the day: and such men especially which gave themselves to serve God, And herein Saint Peter reproveth drunkenness, and showeth it to be a very dishonest thing for a man to be drunk in the morning. And yet we shall find a great many moe then needeth, that are given to be so drunken as that they have neither wit, nor reason. And some of them will not be drunk with that which they take in the morning, but will be so blockish with their wine which they gull in the evening, as that a man would think they had done nothing else but bibbed from the peep of the day. Another sort there are, who for fear they should not have drink enough, will begin so early, as that they will be drunk all day long: and thereupon the wine so bereaveth them of their wit and understanding, as that they can neither go nor stand. And therefore Saint Peter saith, That these men here are not drunk: whereby he declareth that God is highly displeased therewith.