A17690:695
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.
One of the principallest Articles of our faith is this, that our Lord Jesus Christ must appear from heaven. Now, it cannot be, that his coming should be unprofitable: and therefore it necessarily followeth, that we must look and wait for our redemption and salvation from thence. Neither must we stand any whit in doubt thereof, because if we should so do, it were even enough to make whatsoever our Lord Jesus Christ hath done and suffered, of none effect. For, why came he down into the world, why took he our flesh upon him, why suffered he upon the Cross, why rose he again, and why ascended he into heaven? Forsooth he did all this, to this end and purpose, that he would gather us together into his kingdom, whenas he shall appear. And therefore this his coming, is as it were to seal and ratify all whatsoever he hath done and endured, for our salvation.
ONe of the principallest Articles of our faith is this, that our Lorde Iesus Christe must appeare from heauen. Now, it cannot be, that his comming shoulde bée vnprofitable: and therfore it necessarily followeth, that we must looke and wait for our redemptiō and saluation from thence. Neither must wée stand any whit in doubt thereof, because if wée shoulde so doe, it were euen enough to make whatsoeuer our Lorde Iesus Christe hath doone and suffered, of none effect. For, why came hée downe into the worlde, why tooke hée our fleshe vpon him, why suffered hée vpon the Crosse, why rose hée againe, and why ascended hée into heauen? Forsooth hée did all this, to this ende and purpose, that hée woulde gather vs together into his kingdome, whenas hée shall appeare. And therfore this his comming, is as it were to seale and ratifie all whatsoeuer hée hath doone and indured, for our saluation.
Now this were even sufficient to stay us, for the resisting of all the temptations in the world: but because we are so frail and inconstant, as that we cannot believe the thing which God himself saith, Saint Paul now useth a strange kind of Argument, the better to confirm us in this hope, whereunto he hath exhorted us in the person of the Thessalonians: which is, That GOD will not be so lightly set by, by the contemners of his Gospel, who make no reckoning of his heavenly Majesty: neither will he suffer his creatures to lift them selves up against him, & to withstand him. Thus we see, by how much more we should be confirmed, in the hope of our salvation, seeing that God hath an interest therein, & is his own cause. And this is a point which we are diligently to observe. For although (as I have already said) God exceedingly assureth us that he hath great care of our salvation, yet our nature is so wonderful mistrustful, as that we continually stand in doubt. But when it is set down unto us, ye god will defend his own right, and not suffer us to tread his majesty under foot, this is a doctrine which should make us full assured and resolute.