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…

Here at the first show a man would judge, that this blessing imported nothing but that Jacob should be fat and well nourished: For Isaac mentioneth not here any spiritual gifts, as we have showed before, that it was not for any earthly commodities, nor for riches, profit or pleasures that Jacob must be blessed: How shall these things therefore be reconciled? But we have to hold this rule that is given us in the holy Scriptures: to wit, that the grace of God was always clothed as it were with some figures, until that our lord Jesus Christ came. For when the fathers would obtain pardon of their sins, they had some beast slain, and the blood was shed: sometime the fat was burned, and the blood was sprinkled. And could a brute beast I beseech you blot out our sins whereof we […] ⟨image 163⟩And in this respect was the land of Canaan as a pledge & gage unto them, that God had appointed a better inheritance for them, then in this world. For they might have returned too the country where they were borne, which was more fertile then this of Judea, as may appear. Mark Abraham and Isaac pinched with famine and if they had looked to nothing but to have bin nourished here upon earth, they would have forsaken that land of promise. But they rested there. And wherefore? to enjoy it after their death? Of necessity therefore, must they think of a more high thing then this visible earth, and they must take it in another respect, to say, we have here all that we can desire. But they took the land of Canaan as a pledge that God gave them, until they should come into the possession of that heavenly life.

Heere at the first shew a man would iudge, that this blessinge imported nothinge but that Iacob should be fat and well nourished: For Isaack mentioneth not here any spirituall giftes, as wee haue shewed before, that it was not for any earthly cō modities, nor for riches, profite or pleasures that Iacob must be blessed: How shal these things therfore be reconciled? But we haue to holde this rule that is giuen vs in the holy Scriptures: to wit, that the grace of God was alwaies clothed as it were with some figures, vntil that our lord Iesus Christ came. For when the fathers would obtain pardon of their sinnes, they had some beast slaine, and the blood was shed: sometime the fat was burned, and the blood was sprinckled. And could a brute beast I beseech you blotte out our sinnes whereof wee 〈…〉 ⟨image 163⟩