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, whither then must we go? The question then is not here, according to mans judgement, to wound the heart of Abraham with afflictions and sorrows only? but the question is to kill his very faith, and all the hope conceived of his own salvation. It should seem that God meant to tread underfoot whatsoever hope of his grace and goodness he had promised him. To be short, it should seem that he did but mock Abraham: As if he should have said: Go thy way; thou art but a beast to wait and follow me, and to take such pain to obey me. I promised thee a Tribe, from which the salvation of the whole world should come: and I have performed my promise in giving thee thy son Isaac: But thou must by and by go and cut his throat, thereby to let thee understand, that thou art but a simple and foolish fellow, to trust unto that which I have promised thee; and to think to have a Tribe, & such a precious Tribe also as should be more worth than all the whole world besides: yea, than an hundred thousand worlds. For this is a matter which concerneth the everlasting salvation of thine own soul, & of the souls of all men else: and yet thou art now going about to deface all this. Now (as I have already said) it is impossible for us ever to be able sufficiently to comprehend these things, and ⟨p. 241⟩so to be touched sufficiently to the quick with them: and yet notwithstanding wen […] meditate upon them, because they were […] written in vain. Here then we see the pr••• face of this history. Let us now set down particular that which Moses hath here to•• ched: Take thine only son, thy son Isaac, thy son whom thou only lovest. Thus we see that God contenteth not himself with the piercing of Abraham his heart; as if he should stab him in with a dagger, but setteth him upon the rack, and retcheth him up to divers pins, as though after he had so racked him, he meant to give him also the strappado, & after that another kind of more grievous torture. For when he had commanded him to kill his son; was it not enough that he said unto him: Go thy way and sacrifice thy son? But he said unto him: Take thy son, yea thine only son, thy son Isaac, him whom thou only lovest: thereby to show that he had cut away all hope from Abraham.

Now, whither then must wee goe? The question then is not here, according to mans iudgement, to wound the heart of Abraham with afflictions and sorrowes onely? but the question is to kill his verie faith, and all the hope conceiued of his owne saluation. It should seem that God meant to tread vnderfoote whatsoeuer hope of his grace and goodnes he had promised him. To be short, it should seeme that he did but mocke Abraham: As if he should haue saide: Goe thy way; thou art but a beast to waite and follow mee, and to take such paine to obey mee. I promised thee a Trybe, from which the saluation of the whole worlde should come: and I haue performed my promise in giuing thee thy sonne Isaak: But thou must by and by go and cut his throat, thereby to let thee vnderstand, that thou art but a simple and foolish fellow, to trust vnto that which I haue promised thee; and to thinke to haue a Trybe, & such a precious Trybe also as should be more worth than all the whole world besides: yea, than an hundreth thousand worldes. For this is a matter which concerneth the euerlasting saluation of thine owne soule, & of the soules of all men else: and yet thou art nowe going about to deface all this. Now (as I haue alreadie said) it is impossible for vs euer to be able sufficiently to comprehend these things, and