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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	faith_n	speak_v	word_n	4,670	5	4.7227	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17696	Sermon of Maister Iohn Caluin, on the historie of Melchisedech Wherein is also handled, Abrahams courage in rescuing his nephew Lot: and his Godliness in paying tithes to Melchisedech. Also, Abrahams faith, in belieuing God: comprehending foure sermons. And, Abrahams obedience, in offering his sonne Isaack; in three sermons. Translated out of French, by Thomas Stocker, Gent.; Sermons	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Stocker, Thomas, fl. 1569-1592.	1592 (1592)	STC 4440; ESTC S112743	137,391	292

him although we see not before our eyes the effect of that which he promiseth vs but hold our selues stil in suspens He saith I haue brought thee into this land which I gaue thee VVell my God thou hast promised to giue it mee in deede But beholde I am old and drie when will that time come O care thou not for that for I will be mercifull vnto thee VVell be it so But where is the demonstration of that which I haue looked for all this while For I am at deathes dore and am here a stranger haue no seede as hath beene heretofore said and how shal I do then O Lord VVell take my worde for it This then is the nature of faith To haue all our senses subiect vnto the will of God and beleeue his trueth Our eares also must be open and attentiue to receiue whatsoeuer he speaketh vnto vs and that when he hath once said the worde conclude that it shall be so But which way can that be O we are not to reason that neither is it in our disposition But wee must leaue it vnto the counsell and will of God as we haue alreadie said This then is the honour winch wee must do vnto GOD euen to beleeue his holy worde More ouer wee are still to obserue that which hath heretofore been spoken that is to saye That God simply gaue the land of Chanaan vnto his seruaunt Abraham for a pawne to the end he should not muse to him selfe nor trouble his head about it For then had Abraham had but a colde pull if he had had nothing else but that land But without doubt he was led by another spirite which is Hee sawe the verie day of our Sauiour Iesus Christ as in the Gospell according to Iohn it is written And besides he confessed himselfe to be but a Pylgrime here in this world and therefore looked for his inheritance elsewhere And where it is saide that this lande was giuen him for to inherit that was not the marke which he shot at his minde was not set thereon but had a further reache For by reason as wee haue alreadie saide that hee forsooke his natiue countrey and left it to liue in a strange and an vnknowen place it must needes be that his minde was altogether occupied about the heuenly inheritance So then we are here to note that although the lande of Chanaan is here called his inheritance as also Gods house and resting place yet is it but as a pawne or to speake more properly but as an earnest pennie For a pawne importeth as much at the least as the full worth of the thing which wee are to be assured of But an earnest pennie is as a man would saye nothing And to giue a pennie as we call it vnto God for a bargaine worth an hundreth thousand crownes and more is nothing For of what worth is that piece which wee giue forsooth of no value Now can a potte●● or gallen of wine be worth a great possession or lande that is able to enrich three or fouremen And yet be as be may this earnest pennie is destined vnto such an vse And therefore this lande of Chanaan was the inheritance of all the children of Abraham and of as manie as haue descended of his lyne but yet so as that it vvas but an earnest penie for heauen Insomuch that the verie faithful looked not so much vnto that neither yet set so their mindes on it But setled their cogitations thoughts a great deale higher VVe see then vvhether God meant to call Abram as if he had said that he did him no vvrong in leauing him to languish Because he was sure that the promises should be performed therfore not to stand vpō his ovvn vvit And vvhy so Because he was to looke vnto him that spake the worde who was the vnchangeable God Now by reason that wee our selues are so changeable as that our mindes alter euery minute VVee therefore grieue and vexe when we see that God perfourmeth not that at the verie first which he hath promised vs. And because wee see our liues to be so short and the time wee haue to liue to be but as a shadow which fleeteth sodainely away wee thinke that GOD will neuer come time enough wherefore wee must learne to correct this fault by these words that wee heare here to be spoken to Abram I am the Lorde which changeth not And besides wee heare what is said in other places The song of Moses Psal 90.4 2. Pet. 4.8 That a thousand yeares are but as one day with him And Saint Peter also saith That in the last dayes there shall come mockers who shall say where is the promise of his comming as though the threatnings promises of God were of none effect No no saith he deceiue not your selues he will accomplish whatsoeuer he hath spoken though it be late For a thousand yeares with him are as but one day And therefore wee must looke a great deale higher and knowe that sith it is the Lord that hath said it and neuer changeth that he will do that which he hath spoken but not whenas it pleaseth vs but whenas he knoweth it to be best first for his owne glorie and next for our saluation and good neither must we be ouer earnest nor yet ouer remise and slacke but goe out of our selues come vnto him in whome is no inconstancie nor shewe of change for he is the Lorde And let vs learne thus much that when hee hath once spoken the worde that it is enough because his worde is an infallible trueth Furthermore let vs acknowledge his goodnes in supporting and bearing with our weaknes herein because he speaketh not onely once but putteth vs still in remembrance of his promises meaning thereby to haue vs profit and be confirmed by them all the dayes of our life and not beleeue him onely for a day or two but for euer And let vs be guided and gouerned by his power not onely all our life long but euen in death also vntil such time as we are come vnto his kingdom where we shal neuer neede to be more spoken vnto neither haue neede either of Faith or yet any other such like things For then shall we enioy the full brightnes of that which wee doe now but see in the darke and see him face to face as it were in a glasse Let vs now prostrate our selues before the Maiestie of our good God and acknowledge our sinnes beseeching him to cause vs so to feele them as that they may humble vs before him and make vs continually grone vnder the burthen of our iniquities vntill such time as he hath freed vs from this bondage of sinne vvherein vve are and haue a singular desire to conforme our selues vnto his holy vvill and not liue vnto our selues but vnto our Lord Iesus Christ vvho hath so dearly redeemed vs gaue him selfe to death for our sinnes and rose againe for

a custome beare sway that such an abuse ruleth reigneth is receiued accepted and that we dwel liue amōgst infidels and idolaters what a condemnation shall that be vnto vs seeing that Melchisedech so constantly firmely persisted stood soundly in his faith beliefe Let vs therefore lift vp our eies vnto God haue our eares fixed as it were vnto his word all our senses attentiue that we be neuer carried away although we shuld be tossed vp downe here below as it were in the sea driuen too and fto with windes and tempests and that if there were a people that should hold a religion that there should be some great king that would haue them thus thus to gouern themselues yet let vs learne to hold vs alwaies vnto our God alone that it is inogh for vs to bewar that we neuer decline from the way which he hath shewed vnto vs by his word that the bright shining light of the law the ghospell be euer before vs that we shal neuer erre so long as we know God to be our guide leader Thus wee see what wee are to learne from the example of Melchisedech Let vs now come to the text of Moses It is said that Melchisedech king of Salem offered bread and wine and was a priest of the liuing God and blessed Abram It is meete that this text bee resolued That Melceisedech inasmuch as he was a king receiued Abram and gaue vnto him bread and wine for the refreshing of his people and being by qualitie a Priest blessed him and that Abram also gaue him the tythe of all the spoile Here we see that Melchisedech is set before vs both a King and a Priest Now here wee are to distinguish of the diuers actes by the seuerall offices For as I haue already said in as much as he was a King he dealt liberally with Abram hee refreshed him and all his company and for as much as hee was a Priest hee blessed Abram Now it was a common thing amongst the auncient Fathers for euery king to be a priest and the very prophane people do shew that that was vsed in many Countries For Kings were not contented with their kingly estate but desired also through ambitiō to be Priests because they thought it to be a more holie dignitie then the maiestie of a King And thus wee see why they would oftentimes be Priests And in verie deed we see that that was a most ambitious desire and that they which coueted credite and estimation would alwaies aspire and clime that way but how euer it is it is certaine that Moses reciteth this as a singular thing in Melchisedech Neuertheles we see that God hath in his law made a difference betweene the one and the other and wil not haue them both to rest in one person And Moses was as excellent a man in all perfectiō F.x. 28.1 of vertues as euer was born in the world and yet wold not God for all that haue him to be a Priest also but would haue his brother Aaron to take vpon him the office because Moses had inough to do with the ciuill gouernment that was laid vpon him And in very deed we see how Osias was punished 2. Chron. 26.21 for being a king hee was arrogantly puffed vp to take vpon him the vsurpation of the priesthood and for onely sensing vppon the Aultar with frankensence hee was striken with a leprosie put to great shame and made a recluse all the daies of his life And yet for all that it seemed that his deuotion was good or at least that he was to be excused Yea but god did not punish the outward act only for he knew well inough the pride of king Osias heart And besides it is said That obedience is better then all the sacrifices in the world 1. Sam. 15.22 And because he thrust himself into an office which God expresly forbad and troubled the vocation order which shuld haue been inuiolably kept vve see wherfore he is punished And for so much as he would not content himselfe with his estate and degree therefore it was meet that hee should be made infamous and detestable and bee quite and cleane seperated from the company of men Thus we see that in the law were two things which were not tollerated to be in one man to wit kingdom and priesthood And therefore seeing it is so wee must conclude that this example which is heere set downe is absolute singular and apperteineth not vnto the law True it is that at that time the lawe was not as then written and the Tribe of Leuie was not yet in the world to take vppon it the right of the priestly dignitie howbeit this example is here set downe vnto vs for instruction to the end the lawe might remaine in her full strength and the Church thereby might bee edified as appeareth by the Psalme by mee alledged And therefore wee must conclude Psal 110. that it was not spoken of Salomon nor yet of any other king descended from the Stemme of Dauid For if they were kings they must not haue entermedled themselues with the priesthood for if they did they were Apostates Wherefore when it is said that there should bee a king a figure of Melchisedech and according to his order and estate that sheweth that it was not spoken of the whole race of Dauid vvhich vvas descended of him according to the flesh sauing vntill such time as vve come vnto the high priest our Lord Iesus Christ True it is that hee is the sonne of Dauid and of his seed But there is in him an especiall yea an onely regard to bee had vvhich is that hee made an end of the priesthood of the lavv because his kingdome is spirituall and that is it also that shall make an end of this earthly kingdom vvhich vvas established but for a time and that vntill his comming Novv vvhen it is called perpetuall the meaning is that hee hath cōtinued in the person of the redeemer And therfore this is it that we are to obserue out of these vvords of Moses vvhen he saith That Melchisedech vvas king of Salem and that hee vvas vvithall a priest We see then that these tvvo offices belong to none but vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ according to that rule vvhich God hath set dovvne in his lavv and therefore vve are out of all doubt that it vvas the priesthood of Iesus Christ vvhich vvas shevved vnto Abram to the end his faith by that meanes might be sealed and the better confirmed For sith the bodie vvas not seene it behoued that there should be some shadovves at the least thereof And therefore had the fathers the shadovves of it for the vpholding of their faith stil looking for the appearing of Iesus Christ They had I say shadovves and figures And although that be not to vs common vvith them yet is it verie profitable for vs. For vve

them to condemne them selues an hundreth tymes But it is great pitie that the diuel hath so ruled and reigned amongst them as that hee hath for these fourteene hundreth yeeres so blinded those that name themselues Christians as that they are gone so farre as to deuise a bewitching fantasie that Iesus Christ was figured in the person of Melchisedech that his bodie is the heauenly brcad his blood the wine to nourish soules and that he offered both the one and the other Now at the first sight this Allegorie will please such as haue itching eares how Iesus Christ calleth his bodie bread and his blood wine And therefore this seemeth verie well to agree that Melchisedech offered bread and wine because the bodie of Iesus Christ ought to haue this power in it selfe to feed vs and his blood also to quicken our soules howbeit heere is no speaking of anie oblation made vnto God But Moses saith that Melchisedech king of Salem offered bread and wine that is to saie that he presented it vnto Abrā It shuld here fal out that Abrā was God because the oblation was deliuered vp vnto his owne person and yet it was not to himselfe alone but for his whole company also So here the kingly liberalitie of Melchisedech after hee had once friendly receiued him Now to referre this vnto God were to peruert the whole substance of the matter as may be seene And besides our Lord Iesus Christ offered his bodie and blood not that they were before bread wine but because they wer offred they are called bred wine that is to say they are of the power nature of bread wine vnto vs. For how is it that our soules are susteined by the body blood of our Lord Iesus Christ our liues preserued by thē Forsooth it is because that the sacrifice that was once offered is the summe and perfection of all goodnes And therefore if Iesus Christ had not been before offred vp his bodie had not been at this day meat neither yet his blood drinke And marke why Saint Paul saith in the first epistle to the Corinths 1. Cor. 5.7.8 That Iesus Christ our Passeouer was offered vp for vs let vs therefore now eate And this is the order that we must holde that is that the oblation be first made that wee afterward by the power therof might be nourished and filled with the bodie blood of our Lord Iesus Christ So that now wee see euerie manner of way that these miserable fantasticall people who haue corrupted this place of Moses haue no vnderstanding of our Lord Iesus Christ Now the Papists as they haue been possessed by Sathan and cast vp into a reprobate sense not knowing to iudge betweene white and blacke and that by the iust iudgement of God haue made themselues selues so rediculous as that the verie children in the streets might spit in their faces yet not cōtenting themselues with this erro● only haue brought in also a great number o● other filthy dregs of their own And therupo● haue said that bread wine must bee daily offred vp sith the priesthood of Iesus Christ is answerable vnto the priesthood of Melchisedech Wheras first of all they are conuinced by their owne mouthes of ouer grosse follye For they say that in their Masse there remaineth neither bread nor wine after the consecration or rather charming of their Oste as they call it but euen God himselfe And although wee see bread the wine that distilleth yet they say they ar but speeches that is to say visible figures in which is no substāce For they wold make men beleeue that there is neither bread nor wine and so neither belieue either their sight tast or yet any of the rest of all their sences And yet in the meane while they make men belieue that it is al nothing when as they haue pronounced the sacramental words as they terme them So that if they should offer vp bread wine where are they For they say that there is none of thē there And yet for al that they allege this text say that there must be bread wine offered vp We see then their beastlines to be so grosse as that very children may laugh thē to scorne and be their iudges And besides if they will haue any correspondence between Melchisedech and our Lord Iesus Christ then must the Psalme which wee haue alledged Psal 110. needes bee true that is that there is but one priest who was made by a perticuler oath And therfore he must cōtinually keep his office howbeit they make thēselues priests in the roome of our Lord Iesus Christ And thus is their similitude cast to ground And therfore we shall not need any other replies nor arguments to cōfute their beastlines but take the text barely as it lieth therwithall eftsoons take their cōfession frō their own mouths to cut their owne throtes But be as be may we see that by this text there is a singuler doctrine instructiō which the diuell straineth himself to darken bring in doubt falsefie yea if it wer possible vtterly to ouerthrow it And therefore wee for our partes ought so much the more awakē our dull sences to imprint in our memories that which is here cōteined the rather incited therunto by reason of the solemne oath that God was willing to pronounce For as if we haue alreadie said it was not without cause that he soswore by his name But it was to the ende infallibly to confirme our faith that we should not doubt but that whatsoeuer is requisite for our righteousnesse peace and defense leadeth vs vnto the kingdome of heauen through Iesus Christ his onely sonne And this is it that wee are heereby to learne Hee saith anon after THAT MELCHISEDECH BLESSED ABRAM because hee was the Priest of the high God This blessing importeth a superioritie as the Apostle very well aduertiseth vs when as hee saith Hebr. 7.7 That the better blesseth the lesse And therefore in the qualitie of a priest Abram must needes be inferiour to Melchisedech And yet it is said that Abram was the father and head of the church and therfore we must needes conclude that Melchisedech represented a greater person then any mortall man could be And this was it that made many of the Fathers imagine him to bee an Angell but those are verie foolish mere toyish inuentions For when he is called the Priest of the liuing God no doubt of it hee was knowne to be a man in the country and also King of Salem And this is as great a mockery for put the case it had ben an Angell yet should he not haue bin greater then Abrā in this generall paternitie of the whole church And therefore we must come backe vnto this which is that although Melchisedech was a mortall man yet surpassed hee in dignitie the Angels of heauen by reason of his priesthood not as of

Christ being dead and risen againe hath also bought vs vnto himselfe to make vs partakers of his glory and continually to conduct vs both in life and death FINIS The Seconde Sermon of Abraham his Sacrificing of his Sonne Isaak 3 Then Abraham rose vp earlie in the morning and sadled his Asse and tooke two of his seruants with him and Isaak his sonne and cloue wood for the burnt offring and rose vp and went to the place which God told him 4 Then the third day Abraham lift vp his eies and saw the place a farre off 5 And said vnto his seruants Abide you here with the Asse For I and the childe will goe yonder and worship and come againe vnto you 6 Then Abraham tooke the woode of the burnt offring and laid it vpon Isaak his sonnee and hee tooke the fier in his hande and the knife and they went both together 7 Then spake Isaak vnto Abraham his father and saide My father And hee answered Here am I my sonne And he said Behold the fire and the woode but where is the Lambe for the burnt offring 8 Then Abraham answered My sonne God will prouide him a Lambe for aburnt offring So they went both together WE haue heard that this was the chiefest and hardest conflict that euer Abraham sustained in all the daies of his life the going with his sonne Isaak into a mountain and there to offer him for a burnt offring because in the first place he was to kill him with his owne hands Now it hath beene shewed vs here before that God would declare vnto vs in our father Abraham that we must so ouercome all our naturall affections as that his honour bee preferred aboue all the rest For although a husbande loueth his wife neuer so dearely a father his children neuer so tenderly yet all this must be troad vnder foote when the matter for the seruing of God commeth in question For that is the most precious of all other precious things VVee haue also declared that Abraham was not tempted onely in that God commaunded him to kill his sonne but in that it seemed that all the promises which God before had made vnto him were all as a man would say quite and cleane frustrate and voide For they all depended vpon that which wee haue already heard That the blessed seede should bee raised in Isaak And therefore it seemed that God meant to frustrate his promise made to Abraham Now although it might seem in any naturall mans reason that God herein was contrary to himselfe that that commandement of his was to adnihilate that which before hee had heard from Gods owne mouth yet he constantly obayed 〈◊〉 Maiestie without further questioning Now it might stand at the first sight that that which he did had no good found foundation of a true and liuely faith because faith hath respect to the promisses And yet as I haue already saide Abraham could looke for nothing but by Isaak his meanes Because it is saide That in Christ Iesus all the promises of God are most sure 2 Cor. 120 and yea and Amen For our Sauiour Iesus Christ must come of the stocke of Isaak and that was in very deede the seede which was promised him How then coulde Abraham bee contented to haue his sonne to die and yet to haue the promises of God to stand in full strength power and vertue Now the Apostle saith That by faith Abraham offred his sonne Isaacke Hebr. 11.17 So that by this wee are let to vnderstand that Abraham fall out as it would rested wholly vpon the word and promise of God and as for the contrarietie which may seeme to bee betweene the commaundement and the promise The Apostle answereth Heb. 11.19 Gen. 21.12 That hee beleeued that God was as able to raise seede out of the ashes of Isaak as he was able to performe his former promises Now this is a profitable point for vs if wee vnderstand it aright For wee are heereby admonished so to beleeue in God as that we looke further than vnto the world and whatsoeuer els wee are able to perceiue and comprehend by our naturall reason and vnderstanding For if faith staid it self vpon that which we see it Were nothing And then were the power of God maruelousely diminished Moreouer wee are to consider of the wordes of the Apostle saying in this manner Faith is the ground of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 and the euidence of things not seene Agreeing with the words of the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romains saying We hope not for the things which we see Rom. 8.24 but for the things we see not yea euen for thinges that seeme to bee impossible Sith then it is so that the promises of God doo not set before our eies that which is contained in them we must as I haue already said when we speake of faith looke further than vnto the world And how is that To wit wee must not measure the infinite power of God with the meanes which are set before vs and as wee comprehend them But when as we shall haue these toyes in our heads as to thinke that this or that can neuer come to passe and that there seeme to bee a very contradiction in the case yet let vs thus conclude without all doubt God will performe whatsoeuer hee hath spoken But wee will say howe can it possibly bee Oh let not vs iudge of it wee must here bring vnder our owne senses and wits and doo God this honour to say that he is faithful But wee knowe not what will bee the issue thereof or else thinke that all is shut vp and closed Here then we see what we are to learne out of these words of the Apostle Now if Abraham had reasoned like naturall man he might haue said that God was not contrary vnto him selfe For he told me that I should haue seede by Isaak and that from thence the Sauiour of the world should come and I must not forget this And yet at this present he hath commanded me to kill Isaak Here is no order in this for I will take him at his first worde and that must stand Thus wee see that Abraham might after this manner haue excused himselfe and yet haue beene a Rebell vnto God vnder the colour of obedience But what doth hee hee considered with himselfe that God was almighty and therefore able to accomplish whatsoeuer promise hee had made concerning Isaak You say wel syr but what if he had died how then And what of that As though God were not Lord ouer death Heere wee see the right conflict of Abrahams faith which is death is set before his eies which was inough to confound him but he extolled the power of God farre beyond all this and said yet will GOD ouercome and bee a mightie Conquerour herein And howe can that bee Oh this is not a matter for any man to iudge or determine of nor to giue scope to