A17722:181
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 should dwell in the country of Canaan, and that God will always be with him, and that he will fulfil the oath which he had sworn unto his father Abraham.
That he should dwel in the countrie of Canaan, and that God will alwayes be with him, and that he wil fulfill the othe which he had sworne vnto his father Abraham.
This is to say, that he would multiply his seed as the stars of heaven, & that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed. Here we see why god suffered not Isaac to go into Egypt: that is, that ⟨image 81⟩he might not forget the promise which had by given unto him concerning the land of Canaan, & likewise that he should content himself therein, and altogether rest him self there. Now if Isaac who was so excellent in the faith as we see by all his life, & to whom the holy Ghost hath given such a testimony, had such need nevertheless to be so bridled, what shall become of us? Even so we ought not to marvel, if our Lord do oftentimes hold us as it were chained in, and that he give us not licence to rove here and there: for he knoweth that this shall be to cast us to utter confusion. So inasmuch as we have so slippery a memory, insomuch as there needeth nothing to cause us to stray, so as we know no more which shall be our right way: this is the cause why our Lord giveth us not so great liberty as we would. And likewise as often as we are holden within straighter bounds than our fantasy desireth, let us know that if our Father Isaac had such need thereof, we by greater reason, who are come nothing so near to such excellency of virtue as he, have greater need. Now in the mean time we see that in Isaac, which ere while was declared to be in Abraham. God saith unto him, that he will give him all those countries that he saw, and through which he walked: yea, but notwithstanding he sayeth unto him: Thou shalt dwell there as a stranger. Mark two things, which yet seem contrary. For if God will give him that land for a possession, Why doth he not hasten it? Why doth he suffer him so too languish?