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…

But Jacob contenteth not him self that Esau hath simply sold him his birthright: but he will have an oath. Esau sweareth: this is all one to him: and herein we see how God threw him under his feet. For although that hunger oppressed him so hardly, that he was constrained to renounce his birthright, yet when he came to swear, and that the name of God was taken to witness, and protested that God should be his judge & punish him, if he were forsworn and disobedient, & kept not his promise: when all this was done, and he not ⟨image 67⟩ignorant what his birthright was worth, it must needs be said, that the devil had altogether blinded him. But hereby we are admonished, that when we have once begun to start away and to turn our backs to God, it must needs be that so much the more we be indurate and hardened, to have no more understanding of God then brute beasts. And when we have after a sort renounced the inheritance of salvation, it shall come to pass that we shall renounce it an hundred & a thousand times, yea the devil will find an hundred means in one day, to plunge us in the gulf of perdition, whereout we shall never be able to help our selves. Mark then what we have yet to observe upon this place: but by the way we have to consider Jacobs abstinence. Behold an example of true fast, and not as the Papists imagine. It is true, that fasts are commanded unto us in the holy scripture, for divers causes: For they serve to tame our carnal affections: and we must so cut off our drinking & our eating, that the temperance which God requireth of us, may be as a continual fast, for the whole time of our life: but yet it is oftentimes required, that we should lessen our portion. And why so? To the end we may be the better disposed to prayer. And again, when we are afflicted, there is no question then of banqueting and making great cheer: if God threaten us, and that he will show us some sign of his wrath (as he saith by his Prophet:) I then call you to mourning and weeping: and if we loose ⟨p. 62⟩the reins to our desires, it is as if we should bid him battle and despite him. Mark then how fasting serveth to humble us before God, and to make us as wretched malefactors acknowledging that we have offended him,

But Iacob contenteth not him selfe that Esau hath simply solde him his birthright: but hee will haue an othe. Esau sweareth: this is all one to him: and heerein we see howe God threwe him vnder his feete. For although that hunger oppressed him so hardly, that he was constrained to renounce his birthright, yet when he came to sweare, and that the name of God was taken to witnesse, and protested that God should be his iudge & punish him, if he were forsworne and disobedient, & kept not his promise: when all this was doone, and he not