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…

And further we have next to note, that God will manifest him self not only to us in these his benefits, which are most great and excellent, but also in those that concern this life: and that there is nothing so small, in which he will ⟨p. 2⟩not have some marks of his fatherly goodness imprinted. And forasmuch as he hath said that he will have care to feed us, let us wait upon him, for all that which belongeth to the maintenance of this life, and let us not think that it derogateth any whit from his majesty, in that he will have us to call upon him for drink and for food to feed upon. For he will that in all and through all we should have our recourse to him: let us not then doubt but that God (albeit our bodies be earth & ashes, rottenness & worms meat, & as the common speech is, but carrions, which are nothing worth) will yet notwithstanding provide for all our corporal necessities. This is that we have to add as the second point. But now we must here see the comparison, which Moses maketh betwixt Ismael and Isaac. Behold Ismael which is cut off, & is no more reputed among the children of God, and yet notwithstanding we see that he prospereth, & that he hath a great train. For of twelve sons which he hath begotten, behold twelve peoples that came from him. And withal of Isaac, what? Isaac married at xl. years old: & after that his wife was barren, & that not for one year, nor for two, but even for xx. years space, he had no children. God had said unto him: I will multiply thy seed, at the stars of heaven, & as the sand of the sea. This was pronounced to his father Abraham: but this was of special favour toward him. But he might have been before this time increased, as he hoped, notwithstanding he saw that his wife was barren, & it seemed as though God minded to mock him, & declare unto him that ⟨image 10⟩thing which he hoped for, was nothing worth. When therefore he saw that his brother Ismael, who had no root in the church, who was a stranger from all hope of salvation: when he saw him (I say) to flourish in his seed, & it seemed that God had poured forth all his graces upon him: & in the mean time, that he was left in his own house all alone, and had none to succeed him: it is certain that he might be in great perplexity, as if it had been much better for him to have been like his brother Ismael.

And further vve haue next to note, that God will manifest him selfe not onely to vs in these his benefites, which are moste great and excellent, but also in those that concerne this life: and that there is nothing so small, in which he wil