Commentaries of the divine John Calvin, upon the prophet Daniel, translated into English, especially…Commentaries of the diuine Iohn Caluine, vpon the prophet Daniell, translated into Englishe, especially…

Wherefore let it not be grievous unto us to be comprehended amongest the number of them, who as Daniel saith: Must be tried by fire that they may be made white: seeing that the inestimable felicity and glory which springeth thereof, doth more then sufficiently recompense all the griefs of the cross. And though many can feel no taste in this doctrine, but think it unsavoury, yet may not their dullness or sluggishness make us the more slothful: and therefore must we print deeply in our hearts that which the Prophet straight way pronounceth: that the wicked shall do wickedly, because they will understand nothing: but the children of God shall be endued with the knowledge of God, that they may keep the right course of their godly vocation. And it is necessary to consider the fountain of that brutish blindness, that the heavenly doctrine may be savoury unto us. For there is none other cause why the most part doth despise Christ and his Gospel, but for that they carelessly flatter them selves in sin, and are neither wakened with any fear, neither with the sense of their miseries, neither with the terror of Gods wrath, to desire earnestly and fervently the redemption which only doth deliver us from the bottomless depth of eternal destruction: and in the mean time being snared with pleasures and other allurements, or rather bewitched thereby, they are all together careless of the blessed eternity of the other life. And though there be many and sundry sects of them that contemptuously despise the doctrine of the Gospel, and in some of them pride is more evident, in some others tender weakness, in others a certain drunkenness of the mind, in others a sleepy dullness: yet shall we find that this contempt cometh of a profane careless security: because that no man doth enter into him self, to examine his own miseries to find a remedy for them.

Wherfore let it not be greuous vnto vs to be comprehended amongest the number of them, who as Daniel sayth: Must be tryed by fyre that they may be made white: seyng that the inestimable felicity and glory which springeth therof, doth more then sufficiently recompence all the griefes of the crosse. And though many can feele no taste in this doctrine, but thinke it vnsauery, yet may not their dulnes or sluggishnes make vs the more slouthfull: and therfore must we print deepely in our hartes that which the Prophet straight way pronounceth: that the wicked shall do wickedly, because they will vnderstand nothyng: but the children of God shall be endued with the knowledge of God, that they may kepe the right course of their godly vocation. And it is necessary to consider the fountaine of that brutish blindnes, that the heauenly doctrine may be sauery vnto vs. For there is none other cause why the most part doth despise Christ and his Gospell, but for that they carelesly flatter them selues in sinne, and are neither wakened with any feare, neither with the sense of their miseries, neither with the terrour of Gods wrath, to desire earnestly and feruently the redemption which onely doth deliuer vs from the bottomles depth of eternall destruction: and in the meane tyme beyng snared with pleasures and other allurementes, or rather betwitched thereby, they are all together careles of the blessed eternity of the other lyfe. And though there be many and sondry sectes of them that contempteously despise the doctrine of the Gospell, and in some of them pride is more euidēt, in some others tender weakenes, in others a certaine dronkennes of the mynde, in others a sleapy dulnes: yet shall we finde that this contempt commeth of a prophane careles security: because that no man doth enter into him selfe, to examine his owne miseries to finde a remedy for them.