Two and twenty sermons of Master John Calvin In which sermons is most religiously…Two and twentie sermons of Maister Iohn Caluin In which sermons is most religiously…

Howe so? They say our company is eschewed. Yea, but give you the occasion that you may be followed, seek the right mean to give your selves to God, and follow you the right way of salvation, and the better sort will not absent them selves far from you, but will rather join with you. If they shall see you ready to march forward, they will say, Let us go together: If they shall see you go before, they will come after: if they shall see you tarry behind, so that you be entered into the right way, they will stir you up too follow them. But when as we see such kind of people to go clean backward from all goodness, and desire nothing else but to lead us too wickedness, yea too cast us down headlong with them into hell mouth, wherein to they run like mad men, what should we do but separate our selves from amongst them, and retire us from thence, as David showeth us. And namely he saith, For I will keep the commandments of my God. As if he should have said, These cursed men do right well show that they have no feeling nor knowledge of everlasting life, but that they live here like to brute beasts: Nevertheless for my part I will not go one foot forward with them, but will go towards my God. And out of this saying we are to gather a good instruction, to wit that when we see round about us all people given over to wickedness, that it seemeth the world hath conspired to make the majesty of God nothing worth, that we declare by our lines and conversation, that we have no knowledge of everlasting life: when as then we shall see such impieties, it is even to this end and purpose too withdraw us quite and clean from our God. It is very true, that these are very dangerous offences and temptations. But let us always be sure to abide firm, and steadfast, let us continue constant in this trueth which once we have received. See then what David meaneth to express in this saying, My God. It is true that the faithful will often say thus. But when there is any question to make these comparisons with contrary things, the scripture useth not this saying, My God, so that it is to declare unto us, that nothing ought ⟨image 133⟩to make us waver:

Howe so? They say our company is eschewed. Yea, but giue you the occasion that you may be followed, seeke the right meane to giue your selues to God, and follow you the right way of saluation, and the better sorte will not absent them selues farre from you, but will rather ioyne with you. If they shall see you ready to march forward, they will say, Let vs goe togither: If they shall see you goe before, they will come after: if they shall see you tarry behinde, so that you be entred into the right way, they will stirre you vp too followe them. But when as we see such kinde of people to goe cleane backwarde from all goodnesse, and desire nothing else but to leade vs too wickednesse, yea too cast vs downe hedlong with them into hell mouth, wherein to they runne like mad men, what should we doe but separate our selues from amongst them, and retire vs from thence, as Dauid sheweth vs. And namely he sayth, For I wil keepe the commaundements of my God. As if he should haue sayd, These cursed men doe right well shewe that they haue no feeling nor knowledge of euerlasting life, but that they liue here like to brute beastes: Neuertheles for my parte I will not goe one foote forwarde with them, but will goe towards my God. And out of this saying we are to gather a good instruction, to wit that when we see rounde aboute vs all people giuen ouer to wickednes, that it seemeth the worlde hath conspired to make the maiestie of God nothing worth, that wee declare by our lines and conuersation, that wee haue no knowledge of euerlasting life: when as then wee shall see such impieties, it is euen to this end and purpose too withdrawe vs quite and cleane from our God. It is very true, that these are very daungerous offences and temptations. But let vs alwayes be sure to abide firme, and stedfast, let vs continue constant in this trueth which once we haue receiued. See then what Dauid meaneth to expresse in this saying, My God. It is true that the faithfull will often say thus. But when there is any question to make these comparisons with contrary thinges, the scripture vseth not this saying, My God, so that it is to declare vnto vs, that nothing ought