Four sermons of Master John Calvin entreating of matters very profitable for our time,…Foure sermons of Maister Iohn Caluin entreating of matters very profitable for our time,…

For albeit we be nothing worth indeed, yet hath he of his infinite goodness so greatly esteemed us, that he hath not spared him for our salvation: yea I say him in whom consisteth the perfection of all our felicity. And shall we in the mean time grudge & repine to forgo some transitory things, and to account our estate & condition worse, if we be not so well handled & entreated & have our pleasures as before? This is very far from following that which S. Paul hath showed us by his example: that is, that we should count all things as filth & dung that doth hinder us from possessing of Jesus Christ, & that we should forsake it as a hurtful thing, knowing that whatsoever separateth us from the true life must needs draw us unto death. This also is far of from following that exhortation which is made unto us by Jesus Christ, that we should sell & forsake all that we have in this world for the kingdom of heaven, knowing that this is that precious stone, that is a hundred thousand times more worth then all those things that men so much desire & so greatly esteem. If any man will object that a man may come to the kingdom of heaven, without forsaking of his house: I answer that it is not without cause that our Saviour Christ doth thus name the preaching of the gospel. They therefore that are destitute ⟨p. 50⟩thereof & make not account as much as is possible to sell e those means whereby they may enjoy it, sufficiently declare that they are too carnally affected to the pelf of this world, & are not yet disposed to exchange them with the kingdom of heaven. But if they might possess both together, I would not envy them: but if they cannot hold their possession, & nestle still in their nests, unless they will defraud themselves of the food of the children of God: yea if they cannot maintain themselves in the state wherein they are, without cutting themselves of from the church, it is meet for them to regard that necessity which god hath laid upon them. They may easily bring forth such excuses as these, but all these shall stand them in no steed, when that great Judge shall thunder upon those with his terrible voice that set more store by that earthly life that is common unto us with brute beasts, then by the everlasting inheritance which he hath appointed for his children.

For albeit we be nothing woorth indeede, yet hath he of his infinite goodnes so greatly estemed vs, that he hath not spared him for our saluation: yea I say him in whom consisteth the perfection of all our felicitie. And shall we in the meane time grudge & repine to forgo some trāsitorie things, and to account our estate & condition worse, if we be not so wel handled & entreated & haue our pleasures as before? This is verie far frō following that which S. Paule hath shewed vs by his exāple: that is, that we should count all things as filth & dung that doth hinder vs frō possessing of Iesus Christ, & that we should forsake it as a hurtful thing, knowing that whatsoeuer separateth vs from the true life must needes drawe vs vnto death. This also is far of from folowing that exhortation which is made vnto vs by Iesus Christ, that we should sel & forsake al that we haue in this world for the kingdome of heauen, knowing that this is that precious stone, that is a hundred thousand times more worth then al those things that men so much desire & so greatly esteeme. If any man wil obiect that a man may come to the kingdome of heauen, without forsaking of his house: I answere that it is not without cause that our Sauior Christ doth thus name the preaching of the gospel. They therefore that are destitute