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…

What? when he blessed his youngest son in stead of his eldest: being so deceived, & because he did this through error & theft: weeneth he that this shall be available before god? Isaac therefore might have had many respects, to have bin obstinate in his fact. But he forgetteth all, and knoweth that forasmuch as it was so ordained of God, that Jacob should be blessed, that it must remain, & no change must be made therein. We are then briefly taught that as often as we shall do any act unadvisedly, which pleaseth not God, or else if we shall exceed our bounds, and go beyond our calling, howsoever it be, that we always turn the bridle, as soon as we shall be warned, and that we follow not the matter, because this is manifestly too despite GOD. But especially we have to consider, although Isaac were carried with an evil affection, ⟨p. 164⟩& although he forgot that which had been pronounced by GOD, that faith was not utterly quenched in him, albeit it was choked. This argument was handled yesterday more at large: yet ought it by the way too be further thought upon. For what moved Isaac too say, I have blessed thy brother, albeit he obtained it by deceit, shall he remain blessed yet? What lesson learneth he? It must needs be that he knew this before. Now he knew it: but as I have said already, the light of his faith was as a coal of fire that had been raked under the ashes: one should have seen nothing thereof, but let them remove a few of the ashes, and then lo the sparks appear by and by, and afterwards the fire showeth it self. Even so was it in Isaac: and this is not written only for his person, but too the end we should gather a general doctrine thereof: For oftentimes the like shall fall out and come to pass with us, to wit, that when we shall much loose the bridle to our vanities, that one shall be ravished with ambition, another shall be kindled too covetousness, to heap up goods, another shall have some foolish appetite: too be short, another shall be drawn away and estranged from GOD, by some manner of mean: then lo our faith which is (as it were) dead. Now God suffereth it not to be altogether abolished: For when the word taketh lively root in us, it is an incorruptible seed. It can not then be quite rooted out:

What? when he blessed his yongest sonne in steede of his eldest: being so deceyued, & because he did this through errour & theft: weeneth he that this shalbe auaylable before god? Isaack therefore might haue had many respectes, to haue bin obstinate in his facte. But hee forgetteth all, and knoweth that forasmuch as it was so ordeyned of God, that Iacob should be blessed, that it must remaine, & no chaunge must be made therein. We are then brieflie taught that as often as wee shall do any acte vnaduisedly, which pleaseth not God, or else if we shall exceed our boūds, and goe beyonde our calling, howsoeuer it bee, that wee alwayes turne the bridle, as soone as we shall bee warned, and that wee followe not the matter, because this is manifestly too despite GOD. But especially wee haue to consider, although Isaack vvere carried with an euill affection,