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…

In the mean season I should have my table well furnished, I should have wherewith to nourish me to my desire: yea & in mine old age, when I should have gathered together my livelihood & rents, I should be assured to live at mine ease. But I cannot attain unto it. But whereto tendeth this? Even hitherto, that I cannot do this, without being in great danger, to bring my self to great wickedness, yea and without utter estranging my self from God: Howsoever it be, I cannot serve God purely as he hath commanded me. But if any man be temped with this, it is certain that he is like unto Esau, if he make choice of this condition, which shall be more agreeable to the world, and in the mean time shall forsake the means he hath to serve God, and to live in the peace and tranquility of a good conscience. For he considereth not: I am a weak man, and have much a doe to hold my self in the fear of GOD, although, I be every day exhorted unto it: yea, and though I do give my self wholly unto it, and enforce my self thereunto: and ⟨image 70⟩what shall become of me when I shall have no word of God, that I shall not be exhorted to do my duty, and that I shall be entangled with many businesses and affairs of the world? If a man think not of all this, and that he make choice of a good table, that is to say, if he rather choose an estate whereby he may enrich him self, it is certain that he shall be resembled unto Esau. Contrariwise, when we shall think: Go too, it is true that we shall be at our ease, if we will forsake God, or rather depart from him, and will decline, be it never so little from a good way. But what? The devil will by & by find new sleights to bring us wholly to wickedness, in such sort that we shall be as a desperate people. But let us prevent such a danger, and rather let us love hunger & thirst, yea and to feed straightly, and not to have any great pomp and great superfluity: Let us choose rather, I say, not to have so great an estate, and hold our selves in sobriety, then to be rich and wealthy, and notwithstanding to forget our selves, and to have all our joy here beneath. When we shall so behave our selves herein: lo how we follow the example of our father Jacob. But as I have said already, the question is not only of forsaking our ease and commodity, but also, when need shall be, of our own life.

In the meane seasō I should haue my table wel furnished, I should haue wherewith to nourish me to my desire: yea & in mine olde age, whē I should haue gathered togither my liuelode & rents, I shuld be assured to liue at mine ease. But I cānot attain vn to it. But wherto tendeth this? Euen hetherto, that I cannot doe this, without beeing in great danger, to bring my self to great wickednes, yea and without vtter estranging my self frō God: Howsoeuer it be, I cannot serue God purely as hee hath commaunded me. But if any man be temped with this, it is certaine that he is like vnto Esau, if he make choyse of this condition, which shalbe more agreable to the worlde, and in the meane time shall forsake the meanes he hath to serue God, and to liue in the peace and tranquilitie of a good conscience. For hee considereth not: I am a weake man, and haue much a doe to holde my selfe in the feare of GOD, although, I bee euery day exhorted vnto it: yea, and thoughe I doe giue my selfe wholly vnto it, and inforce my self thervnto: and