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…

3 Now it came to pass when Isaac was very old, and his eyes began to be dark that he could not see, that calling Esau his elder son, he said unto him: My son, who said unto him, Lo here I am. 4 Then he said, Behold now, I am waxed old, & I know not the day of my death: 5 Therefore take thy implements unto thee, I pray thee, thy bow and quiver: and go into the fields, and hunt some venison for me. 6 And providing some delicate dishes for me, even as I love, bring them unto me, that I may eat, and my soul may bless thee before I die. 7 (Now Rebecca heard Isaac when he spake thus unto Esau) Esau went therefore into the field to hunt venison which he would bring. 8 But Rebecca spake unto Jacob her son, saying: Lo I heard thy father speaking unto Esau thy brother, saying: 9 Bring me venison, and provide me some dainty dishes which I may eat, afterwards I will bless thee before Jehovah, before I die.

3 Nowe it came to passe when Isaack was very olde, and his eyes began to be darke that hee could not see, that calling Esau his elder sonne, he said vnto him: My sōne, who said vnto him, Loe here I am. 4 Then he saide, Behold nowe, I am waxed olde, & I know not the day of my death: 5 Therfore take thy implements vnto thee, I pray thee, thy bowe and quiuer: and goe into the fields, and hunt some venisone for me. 6 And prouiding some delicate dishes for me, euē as I loue, bring them vnto me, that I may eate, and my soule may blesse thee before I die. 7 (Nowe Rebecca heard Isaack when hee spake thus vnto Esau) Esau went therefore into the fielde to hunt venison which he would bring. 8 But Rebecca spake vnto Iacob her sonne, saying: Loe I heard thy father speaking vnto Esau thy brother, saying: 9 Bring mee venison, and prouide mee some daintie dishes which I may eate, afterwardes I will blesse thee before Iehoua, before I die.

WE saw yesterday, how Esau by his marriage, showed sufficiently enough, that he had no great care concerning that blessing which had bin promised to the house of Abraham his father: For this was the stock which must possess the land of ⟨p. 132⟩Canaan. It must therefore needs be, that the people which dwelled there then, must be quite rooted out: and this land be wholly dedicated to the people of God. Likewise, it must be purged from all pollutions. Lo how Esau mingleth him self amongst them, whom God had already condemned: this therefore was a sign that he was fallen from God, for otherwise he could not have drawn near too that people. And if he would have bin an heir of the promise, he should have always kept him self as one listed & chained in, and not have mingled him self, which was no other thing but to stop the course of the grace that was promised. But as we have seen, he took wives from amongest the Hittites. Mark then how he renounced, as much as lay in him the grace of God, through which the whole stock of Abraham must possess the land of Canaan for an inheritance. But there was yet a second fault: For he took two wives, which was contrary to the law of marriage, as we have seen. For the sentence which God had pronounced to rest upon, was, that a man shall have an help, and not two nor three. And further, when Eva was created, and that she was given to Adam, it is said, that they should be two in one flesh. Mark then the rule which men ought always to keep. So then we see that Esau even brake the bounds of all honesty, yea of nature it self, & that he was as a beastly man in this behalf. It is true that his grandfather Abraham had two wives: but herein he was too be condemned.