A17690:685
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…
Divers sermons of Master John Calvin, concerning the divinity, humanity, and nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ as also touching his passion, death, resurrection, ascension: together with the coming down of the holy Ghost upon his Apostles: and the first sermon of S. Peter. The order of which you shall find in the page ensuing.Diuers sermons of Master Iohn Caluin, concerning the diuinitie, humanitie, and natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christe as also touching his passion, death, resurection, ascention: togeather with the comming downe of the holy Ghoste vpon his Apostles: and the first sermon of S. Peter. The order of which you shall finde in the page ensuing.
London: printed by Thomas Dawson for George Byshop, 1581
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
& the meaning thereof is not, but that we must use advise: for God hath said unto us, that he would have us live by the bread which he giveth us to eat, & that our diseases should be healed by physic. Wherefore, it were over great arrogance for us, to refuse the means, which God giveth us, to cure & help our infirmities, And he that thinketh to get honour by this mean, shall bring himself to utter destruction. For when we say, that the providence of God provideth for all things, yet must we not refuse the mean which he hath appointed. Saint Peter saith a little after this, that it was impossible for the flesh of the body of Jesus Christ to turn to corruption. And why so? because that God only had so ordained it: and not that it could do naturally so. For when he was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary, he took upon him our nature, and was made like unto us, sin excepted. And by that reason, his flesh was subject to corruption even as ours is, if God had not in that sort prevented it.1 If a man had seen the bones of our lord Jesus Christ, they might well enough have been bruised & broken: & yet we see that it was impossible for them to be so, because that God had in such sort appointed it, & that they were not naturally so: here we see, what we have to note, concerning that which might be alleged out of this place: not that we are to deal in speculations, & to invent a thousand sophistical or brabbling questions, wherein the papists are cunning: but let us in all humbleness considerately stay our selves upon this, that GOD doeth not only foresee all things, but disposeth them also at his will and pleasure. And therefore, let us learn to commend our selves unto him,2 whenas we abide the grievous assaults of the devil & of the world, whereof he is said to be the Prince: and when we think ⟨image 201⟩that it cannot be chosen but that the wicked will oppress us,3 let us shroud our selves under the wings of our good God, that he might give us wherewith to resist them: and so, being armed with his power, we may be able to put by all the temptations that may come unto us. For, although all the Devils, & wicked ones would rise up against us, he knoweth well enough how to bridle them, and hold them fast bound, so that we (as we have before said) run unto him, and rest under his protection.