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…

why should not Jesus Christ be above all the elements of this world, yea and above all the heavens, and yet not cease too be very man? Not that he can dye any more, or be subject too any of our passions and infirmities, as he was heretofore, when he listed too be conversant in the world: for as now he is quite rid of all those things: but that howsoever the case stand, he holdeth still his true nature of man. And although he be above the heavens: yet let us assure our selves, that that distance hindereth not his presentness with us and in us. As how: We must mark what hath bin touched afore. It is said, that he filleth all things: yea, but that is with the power of his spirit. Ye see then that the filling whereof Saint Paul speaketh,¹ is that we should have our fill of the benefits of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that when we be grafted into his body, and made one with him by belief of the Gospel, then may we assure our selves that he is the fountain which never dryeth, nor can never be emptied with drawing, and that in him we have, all variety of good things, and all perfection. Now then, if Saint Paul had meant as the papists have forged, and as is maintained now adays of many ignorant and wilful persons, namely that Jesus Christ filleth all things with his humane nature: surely he would not have forgotten it: but he letteth it alone as an absurdity. Wherefore let us mark well the the two sayings that are set down here: that is too wit, on the one side, that Jesus Christ is gone up above all the heavens, and yet notwithstanding that he ceaseth not too fill all things. It is said, that he is gone up above the heavens, even to the end that we should not be tied too this world and too our fleshly fancies, when we intend too resort too Jesus Christ: but that we should lift up our minds on high,² and seek him there by faith.³ Insomuch that when the holy scripture sayeth, that God is in heaven, it intendeth not too assign him some peculiar place. The respect is far differing, and altogether unlike, between God in his spiritual essence, and Jesus Christ in respect of the body and humane nature which he took of us. For when we speak of God, we must always lay this ground, that he hath an infinite essence which filleth all things,⁴