Thirteen sermons of Master John Calvin, entreating of the free election of God in…Thirteene sermons of Maister Iohn Caluine, entreating of the free election of God in…

Now Jacob asketh of him his birthright in payment. If he had asked it of him through ambition, and that it had not belonged unto him, undoubtedly it had been no bargain: on the other side, the malice which he had, could by no means have been excused: and farther this had been to commit an outrageous and thievish act, so to hold his brothers throat shut up, as to say: if thou wilt not forgo unto me, all that belongeth to thee, I will not give thee one morsel to eat, rather thou shalt perish. And to what extremity would this grow? But Jacob demandeth nothing of Esau, but that which was before given him. For he was taught that before the two children ⟨p. 56⟩were borne, now already this sentence was pronounced, that God had declared, that it must needs be that the elder must serve the younger. Jacob then, in respect of God possessed already through faith the birthright: It is true that that stood him in no stead in the judgement of the world: but the question is hereof the right title, that he knew that God had appointed him to be the first borne, & had declared, that the birthright belonged unto him. So then, he robbeth not Esau of any thing that was his, but he rather asketh again that which was his own: as if he should have said, Because thou art first come out of the womb, thou despisest the sentence that God hath given, both concerning me & thy self: but yet that must stand which God hath decreed, it can not be called back again. For my self, I always remain in this hope, that I shall obtain, that which was promised unto me: but for thy part, this is to the end that thou shouldest understand that I set more store by the service of God then by mine own life: and therefore sell me thy birthright. We see here briefly, that Jacob would not get the good of another by deceit or malice, neither enforce his brother to spoil himself of that blessing which belonged unto him, but he demandeth, that that which God had given him, might be approved and ratified amongst men. Lo then the sum of that which is spoken here. And therefore they, who will use so great rigour, to get the substance of an other, & to enrich them selves with the loss of their neighbours, have not whereof ⟨image 64⟩to make them any buckler here:

Nowe Iacob asketh of him his birthright in payment. If he had asked it of him through ambition, and that it had not belonged vnto him, vndoubtedly it had beene no bargaine: on the other side, the malice which he had, could by no meanes haue beene excused: and farther this had beene to commit an outragious and theeuishe acte, so to holde his brothers throte shut vp, as to say: if thou wilte not forgoe vnto mee, all that belongeth to thee, I wil not giue thee one morcell to eate, rather thou shalt perish. And to what extremitie woulde this growe? But Iacob demaundeth nothing of Esau, but that which was before giuen him. For he was taught that before the two children