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…

David showeth unto us in these eight verses what the joy and contentation of the children of God ought to be. And this is a doctrine for us, most profitable. For there is not that man which longeth not too have the thing that may content and delight him: but there is none of us which holdeth the true mean. So much the more therefore ought we rightly to record ⟨image 32⟩the lesson here contained: to wit, that all our rejoicing is accursed, and will come to an evil end if we look not to God and to his word. Lo wherefore here he sayeth,

DAuid sheweth vnto vs in these eight verses what the ioye and contentation of the children of God ought to bee. And this is a doctrine for vs, most profitable. For there is not that man which longeth not too haue the thing that may content and delight him: but there is none of vs which holdeth the true meane. So much the more therefore ought we rightly to recorde ⟨image 32⟩the lesson heere conteined: to wit, that all our reioyring is accursed, and will come to an euill end if wee looke not to God and to his worde. Loe wherefore here he sayeth,

My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken me according to thy word.

My soule cleaueth vnto the dust: quicken me according to thy word.

David confesseth here that he was driven to an extremity. For behold what he meaneth by this saying, That his soul (or life) cleaveth unto the dust: As if he should have said, O Lord, there is nothing that I more looked for then my grave, I am like to a poor castaway and forlorn creature. Now whether or to whom should he have recourse? Even unto God, he desireth to be restored. And how may that be? according to the promise which he hath received. We see then whether, and to whom we must have recourse in all our necessities, And thus much for the first point. The Second is, when that we shall have had our refuge to God, we might find in him wherewith fully to rejoice us. Thus much then for the second. The third is, That if we will obtain to be restored at Gods hands, we being as it were dead and confounded, should look unto his promises: For behold he will give us encouragement to come unto him. We have here then a good admonition and very profitable: that is, That as often as we shall be overwhelmed with all the misery that can be, we should yet look unto God, because that then he will seek after us more then ever he did before, willing us to come unto him. But here we are to note, that there is not any so great a misery which ought to let and stay us from coming straight on unto him: For David confesseth that he was become as a dead man. When then we shall be even as it were at the last cast, as we say, that we can no more, that we should be as a man would say, oppressed and overcome with sorrow and grief, yea and that the grave even gapeth to swallow us up, let us not for all that cease to beseech God to restore us. For it belongeth properly unto him, when he hath appealed and brought us to deaths door, to restore and quicken us again.