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,…

For we see how blockish we are, and so long as it pleaseth God to grant us life, we imagine him to be such a one as pleaseth our selves, & transfigure him as we lust: but when we must depart this life, and come before his judgement seat, at whom the Angels themselves are afeard and tremble, Alas, how shall we most miserable mortal creatures do in this case. And therefore when we speak of this certainty of faith, the question is not of our entrance into the Church of God only, but our hope must be invincible, to fight against all the temptations of Satan, but especially when ⟨p. 181⟩we must come to answer before God, we must then stand firm and sure against all the fears wherewith we may be stirred & driven unto. And this is no speculative doctrine, but a doctrine of practise. True it is, that the holy scripture must instruct us, but no longer then until such time as God hath in very deed assigned us a day, and our consciences bound to appear to hear the sentence of the heavenly judge. No doubt of it, we will make but a sport in reasoning of this matter. But the practise thereof as I have already said, will teach us another manner of lesson, what it is, that is to say, we must wholly fly unto the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and understanding that he is our Advocate, we may assure our selves that God will not enter into judgement with us. And why so? because we are pardoned not according to the draught of our indictment, but by putting away all our sins & iniquities. And this is it which we are to remember concerning this point. It should seem now that we cannot be wholly righteous, if our righteousness consisteth only of saith: for, our faith, as we have already said, will always be weak so long as we live here. And therefore how is it possible that we should be fully righteous before God? For the effect cannot be above the cause. For if we had but half a Sun, we ⟨p. 182⟩should not have so much light as we have; and therefore we must have a whole Sun, that the beams thereof might spread it self all the world over. Wherefore when faith is thus weak in us, it should seem that we were but partly acceptable unto God, and so contrariwise, that he liked us not: howbeit we are here to note, that we are not justified by the power and virtue of faith; neither must we think it to be so perfect, as to say that our salvation is perfect thereby.

For we see how blockish we are, and so long as it pleaseth God to graunt vs life, wee imagine him to be such a one as pleaseth our selues, & transfigure him as we lust: but when we must depart this life, and come before his iudgement seate, at whom the Angels themselues are afeard and tremble, Alas, how shall wee most miserable mortall creatures doo in this case. And therfore when we speak of this certaintie of faith, the question is not of our entrance into the Church of God only, but our hope must be inuincible, to fight against all the temptations of Satan, but especially whē