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…

WE saw yesterday how God proved the faith of Isaac, before he gave him any offspring, to wit, for the space of xx. years. Now to the end we should know that he prayed not to God in vain, seeing that God heard his request, the which tended to this, that God might send the saviour of the world by mean of the seed that he had promised him. Now lo, wherein it was that Isaac might rejoice, and not after the common manner. For his wife had been barren a long time, & he saw that she had conceived, & that God had declared that he had not forgotten his promise, & after he knew that this was granted him, forasmuch as he had ⟨p. 14⟩his recourse to God. But see a new temptation, and which is more hard and more grievous to be borne, then if his wife had remained barren. For she conceived two children, the which struggled & strove together in her belly. Now this was a very hideous thing, and as it were against nature. And see wherefore also she said, that it had been better that she had been dead, & this was not of any impatience that she spake thus, as if she had felt horrible torments & sorrows that had constrained her unto it: but she looked up higher. For she bare in her womb all the hope that might be had of the salvation of the world. Now in the mean time she seeth such a combat, that it seemeth that GOD overthroweth all, and that he would show therein a sign of his wrath. To be short, the thing is detestable of it self, that there should be such a strife and battle in the womb of a woman: & this came not naturally, but God would now do (as we have seen) to Isaac and to her, that all they that should come of their seed after the flesh, should not therefore be reputed of the number of the faithful: but rather that there should be mortal war amongst them. Now therefore when she saw (in stead of having the salvation of the world in her womb) such a sign of God his wrath, and as it were a devilish fight of deadly enemies of the Church, she could not know the whole: but she perceived, that if she had conceived to have such a combat, that this was, as if GOD had been against her, and come with a main army, to say: ⟨image 22⟩Thou art unto me as a detestable creature, and I have cast thee off and refused thee. In what case then is she, when she imagineth all these things?

WE sawe yesterday how God proued the faith of Isaack, before he gaue him any offspring, to wit, for the space of xx. yeeres. Now to the end we should knowe that he prayed not to God in vain, seeing that God heard his request, the which tēded to this, that God might send the sauiour of the world by meane of the seede that he had promised him. Now loe, whereein it was that Isaack might reioyce, and not after the common manner. For his wife had beene barren a long time, & he saw that she had conceiued, & that God had declared that he had not forgotten his promise, & after he knew that this was graunted him, forasmuch as he had