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,…

The Church, by the virtue & power of our lord Jesus Christ is immortal:¹ & therefore by a far stranger reason, must he needs be ⟨p. 19⟩without end. But we will hereafter handle this more at large, & at this time briefly runs it over, to show that it was not Shem. See then why David also especially counteth the redeemer that should come, unto Melchizedek. Howbeit, before we go any farther, we are to note, that it was a wonderful grace of God, that Melchizedek could so purely keep himself, considering that all the land at that time, was full of idolatry: for Abram his fathers house was a den of idols, as heretofore we have said, & as the holy Ghost witnesseth unto us by the mouth of Joshua. ²Seeing then that all was so corrupted in the land of Chaldea, which was very nigh unto the place where Noah dwelt, where he had continually lived, that Shem & such as he was were there also: seeing then that the devil had perverted and so foully defiled the service of God, how is it possible that in the land of Canaan, where the people are wicked, where there is nothing but impiety, contempt of god, & rebellion, where there is nothing but iniquity, deceit, cruelty & violence, that yet there should dwell a priest of the living God? By this we may see how God oftentimes hath his church, as a man would say, raked up in the ashes, and in the judgement of men not to be seen: but it sufficeth that God knoweth it. Whereof we have here a testimony in Melchizedek. A man would have thought that there had not been at that time one man ⟨p. 20⟩that worshipped God sincerely and simply: For, seeing that the grandfather of Abram and all his kindred were given to devilish errors, and served Idols, what must we think of the rest? A man would have then judged that the Church of God had been utterly abolished: but we may see, that he had reserved a little seed thereof, when as his will was, that Melchizedek should be a Priest there, yea even in such a land as more exceeded in all iniquity then any of the rest. Let us then apply this to our own use: for, this is a dangerous temptation for us to think that God hath no church in the world: for then it must fall out, that his promise is vain & of none effect. And besides, when a man thinketh himself to be left alone, he becometh so careless and negligent, as that he falleth into despair: