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…

When therefore this was violated, the Paynims knew that it was so great an abomination, that in no wise it ought to be borne with, Now therefore by the way, Abimilech findeth fault with Isaac, concerning this, that he had thus prostituted his wife, as much as lay in him. And we are taught by this doctrine to meet with dangers afore hand, and not to tempt God by our rashness and folly. Let us take good heed therefore how we cloak evil, and (as a man would say) shut the door against God: so that through our rashness and unadvisedness God be offended. Lo then the wisdom which we ought to have: and therefore because we have it not, we must ask it of God. But now for the second matter Abimilech saith: Thou haddest made great evil to come upon us.

When therefore this was violated, the Painims knewe that it was so greate an abhomination, that in no wise it ought to bee borne with, Now therefore by the way, Abimilech findeth faulte with Isaack, concerning this, that hee had thus prostituted his wife, asmuch as lay in him. And we are taught by this doctrin to meete with daungers afore hand, and not to tempte God by our rashnesse and follie. Let vs take good heede therefore howe wee cloke euill, and (as a man would say) shut the doore against God: so that through our rashenesse and vnaduisednesse God be offended. Loe then the wisedome which wee ought to haue: and therefore because we haue it not, we must aske it of God. But now for the seconde matter Abimilech sayth: Thou haddest made great euill to come vpon vs.

And how? when any of the people had committed adultery, & that he had so offended, what grief soever it had been, he should only have deserved to be punished: and ought then a whole country to have answered it? Now we see here that a miserable heathen, an unbeliever, and a poor blind person, knew that the land should be defiled by an adulterer: and that if this remained unpunished, notwithstanding before God, lo an whole people culpable therein, in respect of ⟨image 101⟩the temporal punishment. It is true that God knoweth how to turn the chastisements that he sendeth to them that are innocent from that fault to their profit: For if they suffer, which consented not unto the evil, this shall not be altogether as if they had been faulty: But God turneth this to their salvation. In the mean while so it is that he never chastiseth them without cause: if we see it not now with our eye, yet when all those registers shall be opened, then we shall find, that God hath not gone (as they say) indirectly and awry. And when he sendeth general punishments upon a whole people, for one particular fault as it seemeth, nevertheless he knoweth well that all be not innocent therein, as it is expressly said here, and as also Abimilech understood. For when adulter are committed, and be not punished, lo an infection which creepeth over the whole land: but shall we yet say that a man is innocent therein, when we close our eyes, & when we suffer all this to overflow? Although a man be no judge but a private person, yet he ought to oppose himself as much as lieth in him.