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,…

Thus then we see what this saying importeth, I am the Lord which brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees After that God hath set before us his majesty, and showed himself to be the maker both of heaven and earth, he bringeth in this as an especial matter, which is, that Abram had felt and known him to be such a one, when as he had plucked him out of the bottomless depth wherein he was, and he addeth To give thee this land to inherit it. Here (as I have already said) God reneweth all the promises which he had made to his servant Abram, because he should make a collection of them. For faith ought to have this privilege, to heap up together whatsoever may defend it against all the temptations and assaults of Satan.

Thus then vve see what this saying importeth, I am the Lord which brought thee out of Ʋr of the Chaldees After that God hath set before vs his maiestie, and shevved himselfe to bee the maker both of heauen and earth, hee bringeth in this as an especiall matter, vvhich is, that Abram had felt and knovvne him to bee such a one, vvhen as hee had pluckt him out of the bottomles depth vvherein he vvas, and he addeth To giue thee this land to inherite it. Heere (as I haue already said) God renueth all the promises vvhich he had made to his seruant Abram, because he should make a collection of them. For faith ought to haue this priuiledg, to heap vp together vvhatsoeuer may defend it against all the temptations and assaultes of Sathan.

Here we see what the cause is of the ruin of a great many of men: that is, their negligence and security. For, as I have already said, they think themselves to be great Doctors, when as they have learned but one sentence out of the holy Scripture: yea, they suppose that they have even enough of it. But when they shall come to the trial they vvill show themselves then to be but empty vessels: For if the Devil fi•d but the least hole to enter into them, he will poison them with his deadly poison: much like unto a broken tile upon an house, for the rain that shall run in at the brokenness thereof will in process of time, rot the whole house, Even so fareth it with such as think themselves too too well learned, and yet are in very deed most blockish dunces: whom the Devil after finding an hole in, so entereth in thereat, as that the house falleth quite and clean unto the ground. Now we must not be weary in proffering, but make a good big collection of all the promises of God, and always have a feeling of the fruit of them: and not only so, but we must also labour continually to increase our faith as it is very needful: because it will ever be weak. And to be short we must still go on from fith to faith. It is said that God gave the land of Canaan to Abram: It was in very deed already given him, as we have heard in the twelfth Chapter.