Sermon of Master John Calvin, on the history of Melchizedek Wherein is also handled,…Sermon of Maister Iohn Caluin, on the historie of Melchisedech Wherein is also handled,…

Now when I speak thus, it is not meant that our knowledge must be a roving understanding, swimming in our brain, but our harts must by it be deadly wounded, that we may feel the judgements of God so to terrify us, as that we may be brought almost into utter despair. For, how should we know what a benefit meat & drink is, except we were touched with hunger and thirst? For if we were stuffed, & full, we would continue so, we would never seek after crumb nor crust (as we say) but it is hunger that driveth us to hunt after victuals: for when we are sick, we seek for remedy, but if a man were so senseless as that he felt no kind of grief, he would die an hundred times before he would call for help, or yet once desire it: wherefore (as I have already said) we must be so touched with our miseries, as if we were dead in deed, & as if we felt that death, whereof the scripture speaketh, that we might attain to that life which our Lord Jesus Christ offereth unto us by his Gospel, and this is the cause why the scripture so often ⟨p. 135⟩reproveth, and as it were condemneth us for our sins. For God taketh no pleasure in dealing with us after this manner, but because he knoweth the necessity thereof. So then look how many threatenings, sentences of condemnation, of reproofs, and such like are in the holy scripture, they are even so many Mallets to knock us on the heads, to bring us unto that humility which we are so far from, until such time as he hath violently in such sort mortified us. And thus much for this strain. Moreover, we must come to a larger account and reckoning of that which hath bin already spoken, which is, that until such time as we have beheld our miseries in the word of God, we shall be lulled in a dead sleep in our hypocrisy & become very careless: and this security will cause to contemn the word of God, and so by little and little be quite and clean excluded from it. Now God hath set before us our condemnation, namely in the law: and in very deed all the scripture is full of them: and when it is said, that it is profitable, amongst other things, it layeth out the reproofs. And besides, we know what the Gospel teacheth,¹ Repent and amend, for the kingdom of God is at hand.

Now whē I speak thus, it is not mēt that our knowledge must be a rouing vnderstāding, swimming in our brain, but our harts must by it be deadly wounded, that we may feele the iudgements of God so to terrifie vs, as that wee may bee brought almost into vtter dispaire. For, how shuld we know what a benefit meat & drink is, except we were touched with hunger and thirst? For if we were stuffed, & ful, we would continue so, we would neuer seek after crum nor crust (as we say) but it is hunger that driueth vs to hunt after victuals: for when wee are sicke, wee seeke for remedie, but if a man wer so sensles as that he felt no kind of grief, he would die an hundreth times before hee wold call for help, or yet once desire it: wherfore (as I haue alreadie said) wee must bee so touched with our miseries, as if we wer dead in deed, & as if wee felt that death, whereof the scripture speaketh, that wee might attaine to that life whiche our Lorde Iesus Christ offereth vnto vs by his Ghospell, and this is the cause why the scripture so often