Four sermons of Master John Calvin entreating of matters very profitable for our time,…Foure sermons of Maister Iohn Caluin entreating of matters very profitable for our time,…

But let us indeed fix our eyes upon the example of David. I beseech you, was there such uprightness in the estate of justice in Sauls time, as had been too ⟨p. 45⟩be wished? Nay contrariwise we hear the complaints which they often times made aswell of the malice deceits, cruelty, and pride of the king, as of his officers. Furthermore the Priests & the Levites, did they behave them selves so holily as men had occasion to be contented therewith? Nay rather we may gather that the greatest part of them cleaved unto evil and nourished their iniquities flattering them selves in them. And as concerning the common people, there was amongest them great hypocrisy, and many manifest vices and wickednesses. Lo then the Church of God full of many corruptions, and yet notwithstanding David loatheth not to enter therein, and the desire that he had waxed not cold. This is a marvellous hard temptation: I confess it: For the more that any is touched with the zeal and honour of God, so much the more just cause he hath of grieving and vexing himself, when by the corruption of the Church he seeth the shameful things which are done unto him. But the remedy to overcome all this, is showed us by David: that is to say, that we seek the face of God & so content our selves in the only beholding of him, that in despite of all the troubles which Satan raiseth up against us, we on the contrary part set down this conclusion, that there is nothing more pleasant and beautiful, then to dwell in the Temple of God, where we may behold his presence. So, as often as such offences shall be set before us, let us remember that it is Satan that worketh, according to his accustomed craft, that he may trouble our sight: and therefore let us be wise and wary that we be never led away from beholding the face of God, too the end we may more fully rejoice our selves, in the beholding thereof. Let us be ashamed ⟨image 52⟩of those miserable Idolaters: for if any of them, after he hath ill spent his money, and wasted his body with travail, too go on some foolish pilgrimage, when he is come unto that same place whither he determined, he find some Host which dealeth hardly with him, or some boisterous knaves, which offer him violence, or some priests which deceive him, to be short, he findeth nothing there but confusion: yet for all this he desisteth not from his devotion:

But let vs indeede fixe our eyes vpon the example of Dauid. I beseech you, was there such vprightnes in the estate of iustice in Saules time, as had beene too