A17722:157
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…
Thirteen sermons of Master John Calvin, entreating of the free election of God in Jacob, and of reprobation in Esau A treatise wherein every Christian may see the excellent benefits of God towards his children, and his marvellous judgements towards the reprobate, first published in the French tongue, & now translated into English, by John Field, for the comfort of all Christians.Thirteene sermons of Maister Iohn Caluine, entreating of the free election of God in Iacob, and of reprobation in Esau A treatise wherin euery Christian may see the excellent benefites of God towardes his children, and his maruelous iudgements towards the reprobate, firste published in the French toung, & now translated into English, by Iohn Fielde, for the comfort of all Christians.
London: printed by Thomas Dawson for Thomas Man and Toby Cooke, 1579London: printed by Thomas Dawson for Thomas Man and Tobie Cooke, 1579
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
That he contemned his birthright. But before we come to this, it is said that he did eat, that he drank, & rose up, & went his way: wherein it is showed that Esau was abashed at nothing, but he was as a Dog, that did nothing but shake his ear, after he had eaten & drunk. Then he went his way and pleaded not the matter against his brother, as they which repent themselves, and are better advised, when they have done any unadvised act. They consider, Alas what have I done? What shall become of me? How far have I overshot my self? Esau thinketh nothing of all this: but he leaveth his brother after he was full: he rose up, & had no care of any thing. Now therefore we have here to behold how the Devil, when he hath taken possession of a man, maketh him so senseless & blockish, that he hath no feeling of sorrow in himself, no remorse nor scruple, although he see that he be as it were cut off and banished from the kingdom of God, yet he is no whit moved with it. But this which I have touched ere while is yet better expressed: that is, that always we fall from one evil to another: & when the devil hath ⟨p. 61⟩gotten us into his snares, he so entangleth us in them, that we can never wind out. But we must gather this general doctrine of this history, that is, that we always think upon that which is said by our Lord Jesus Christ:1 That first of all we seek for the kingdom of God: and that the rest shall be cast unto us. Now when he speaketh of the kingdom of God, this is not only to be understood of life everlasting, but this also is comprised in it. For the kingdom of God is, that God be glorified in us, that he be served and worshipped, that we be his people, as also he hath mutually sanctified us: as he hath spoken thereof by his Prophet Isaiah: Sanctify the Lord of Hosts, and he will sanctify you, and will be your strength. When we shall therefore seek that God may be honoured, & that we labour to dedicate our selves to him, & to be, as it were living sacrifices: then shall all other things be given unto us: that is to say (as Saint Paul also hath declared:) God will show himself a father aswell of our bodies as of our souls. For he saith unto Timothy, that if we walk in the fear of God, thinking more upon Heaven then upon the earth:2 We have the promises (howsoever it be) of this present life, aswell as of the life to come.