The Institution of Christian Religion

that if they have not cast of all willingness to learn, they may be weary of their since, by the deservings whereof they see them selves miserable and undone, and may return into the way, and acknowledge the same with earnest confession which the Lord rehearseth in chiding them▪ For which purpose it appeareth by the solemn prayer of Daniel,¹ which is in the ninth Chapter, that those chidings of the Prophets which are alleged, did avail with the Godly. Of the first use we see an example in the Jews, to whom Jeremiah is ⟨p. 32⟩commanded to declare the cause of their miseries, whereas yet it should not have fallen otherwise than the Lord had foresaid.² Thou shalt speak unto them all these words, and they shall not hear thee: thou shalt call them, and they shall not answer thee. To what end then did they singe to deaf men? that being even loth and unwilling, yet they should understand that it was true that they heard, that it were wicked sacrilege if they should lay upon God the blame of their evils which rested in them selves. By these few solutions thou mayest easily deliver thy self from the infinite heap of testimonies, which, for to erect an image of free will, the enemies of the grace of God are wont to gather together, as well out of the commandments as out of the protestations against the professors of the law.³ It is reproachfully spoken, in the Psalm concerning the Jews: A froward generation that have not made their heart straight. Also in an other Psalm, the Prophet exhorteth the men of his age, not to harden their hearts, and that because all the fault of obstinacy remaineth in the perverseness of men. But it is fondly gathered thereof, that the heart is pliable to either side,⁴ the preparing whereof is only of God. The Prophet saith: I have inclined my heart to keep thy commandments: because he had willingly and with a cheerful earnest affection of mind addicted himself to God, and yet he doth not boast him self to be the author of his own inclination, which he confesseth in the same Psalm to be the gift of God. Therefore we must hold in mind the admonition of Paul,