The sermons of M. John Calvin, upon the Epistle of S. Paul too the…The sermons of M. Iohn Caluin, vpon the Epistle of S. Paule too the…

And ⟨image 139⟩we see how God suffereth the heathen folk too walk in destruction. When all manner of wickedness was come to his full height, and overflowed the world as a horrible flood, then suddenly God showed him self. And is not that a secret too astonish men withal? Now like as the wicked, and all such as despise God, and all worldlings are dazzled at these things, and so far out of conceit with the strangeness of them, that they could find in their harts too go too Law with God: so the faithful are taught too kno•, that Gods wisdom is incomprehensible.

And ⟨image 139⟩wee see how God suffereth the heathen folk too walk in destruction. When all maner of wickednesse was come to his ful heigth, and ouerflowed the world as a horrible flud, then suddeinly God showed him self. And is not that a secret too astonish men withall? Now lyke as the wicked, and al such as despyze God, and al worldlings are dazeled at these things, and so farre out of conceyt with the straungenesse of them, that they could fynd in theyr harts too go too Lawe with God: so the faythfull are taught too kno•, that Gods wisdome is incomprehensible.

Again, S. Paul speaking hereof in the fourth Chapter of the second too the Corinthians, sendeth us back too the Creation of the world, saying, that if we think it strange that God should enlighten blind wretches, and that such as were but wandering beasts afore, should be brought into the way of salvation by the doctrine of the Gospel: We should consider how the light was created at the beginning. What was there in the confused lump, whereof it is said, that God created the Heaven and the earth? There was neither beauty, nor order,¹ nor aught else▪ darkness covered all, as it is said in Moses. But God commanded that light should be made, and so he drew light out of darkness. Therefore (sayeth S. Paul) although the world was in irksome darkness, & that the Gentiles had their eyes as good as stopped up, so as there was not any knowledge of salvation at all: Yet God at the coming of his only son, showed how his promising by his Prophets that he would gather the world too him,