A17722:245
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.
When we come thus far (as I have said) we cannot be persuaded therein, unless the son of ⟨image 105⟩God had spoken it. But the ancient fathers, who have written of the land of Chaldea, and especially have bin in the same place, & know it thoroughly, they say that the ordinary increase was Lxxx. & an C. But here because he spake of the country of the Philistines which was fertile, but not as Chaldea, therefore Moses rehearseth that, for a singular gift which God gave unto Isaac, that he gathereth an hundred fold. Lo here a sign of the blessing of God upon Isaac, yea concerning that, which belonged unto this transitory life. For although the ancient fathers always respected the heavenly inheritance, and bent all their affections thitherward: yet notwithstanding being mortal men, they needed that God should give them some taste of his goodness in this world. For that which S. Paul saith,1 hath always place here: That the fear of God hath the promises not only of everlasting life, but also of this present life. While we are in this life God will not give us the fullness of those blessings he promiseth us: For in very deed, we would have our paradise here, and we would cast our eyes no further but all our senses would be clean glutted, if GOD should give us in all respects such abundance as we require, & therefore he giveth us only a little taste of his goodness, to the end to draw us on further. But what though? yet can we but in part acknowledge that God is our father not only by the testimony that we have thereof from his mouth, but also by those blessings which he liberally bestoweth upon us. And here we behold both these things, in this history which Moses setteth down: ⟨p. 96⟩that is to say, that God blesseth his own, in such sort, that they have occasion to rejoice in him: & yet in that he divideth their morsels in such a portion, that they be always in mourning whilst they are in this world, and thereby are occasioned to cast their eyes farther. For mark our father Isaac, he prospereth, he increaseth, and becometh mighty, so saith Moses: & he saith not only that God blessed him at once: but that he multiplied him in such sort that he always grew & waxed richer and richer. But on the other side he addeth: That the Philistines envied him.