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 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.

Dauid confesseth here that hee was driuen to an extremitie. For behold what hee meaneth by this saying, That his soule (or life) cleaueth vnto the dust: As if hee shoulde haue said, O Lord, there is nothing that I more looked for then my graue, I am like to a poore castaway and forlorne creature. Nowe whether or to whome should he haue recourse? Euen vnto God, hee desireth to be restored. And how may that be? according to the promisse which he hath receiued. We see then whether, and to whom we must haue recourse in all our necessities, And thus much for the first point. The Second is, when that wee shall haue had our refuge to God, we might finde in him wherewith fully to reioyce vs. Thus much then for the second. The third is, That if we will obteine tobe restored at Gods handes, wee being as it were dead and confounded, should looke vnto his promises: For behold he will giue vs encouragement to come vnto him. We haue here then a good admonition and very profitable: that is, That as often as we shall be ouerwhelmed with all the miserie that can be, we should yet looke vnto God, bicause that then hee will seeke after vs more then euer he did before, willing vs to come vnto him. But here we are to note, that there is not any so great a miserie which ought to let and stay vs from cōming straight on vnto him: For Dauid confesseth that he was become as a dead man. When then wee shalbe euen as it were at the last cast, as we say, that we can no more, that we should bee as a man would saye, oppressed and ouercome with sorowe and griefe, yea and that the graue euen gapeth to swallowe vs vp, let vs not for all that ceasse to beseeche God to restore vs. For it belongeth properly vnto him, when he hath appealed and brought vs to deathes dore, to restore and quicken vs againe.