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 here, maketh a request unto God, which we are all wonted to make: but not with such affection as he death. For we can not protest, after his example, that all our joy, in the middest of our adversities, is in meditating and studying of that which God hath showed unto us by his word. And that it is so, we see that whensoever any of us shall endure and abide ⟨image 60⟩any grief, whether run we then for refuge and aid? Forsooth every of us feigneth him self a comfort, as best pleaseth him. For very few of us rest upon God and trust in him, ne yet lean upon his promises: yea, we shall find none almost which doth it. And see why we can not crave of God, as David doth, Which remembereth him of the promises, that he hath made us. And therefore it can not be that this was set down in vain. Let us therefore note, that God showeth unto us, from whence we must receive our comfort and consolation in all our afflictions: to wit, because he hath bound him self unto us, and that he hath witnessed unto us, that he will have pity and compassion upon those which will call upon him in their miseries, and holding us to that, we should be as it were quickened: that is to say, that although we were oppressed with afflictions even to the uttermost, so that we were as it were almost dead, that this only point might suffice us: certainly to know that God will not forsake us. And for doing hereof, we are to observe two points: The first is, that we rest neither upon our selves ne yet upon creatures, setting our hope too fondly here and there: but let us know, that our life and all our felicity consisteth in God, and that there it is which we must seek after. Lo then the end, whereat we must begin, if we will have true comfort in our adversities. And contrariwise, we see how our minds wander & go astray, and that is, because every of us feigneth unto him self foolish and unprofitable confidences: for if we knew the thing that is in God, it should make us never to turn away from him, we should never more wander after creatures, for in them is nothing else but vanity. And therefore we ought to have the greater regard unto this doctrine: to wit, that if we will be delivered from all evil, we must still look unto God.

DAuid here, maketh a request vnto God, which wee are all wonted to make: but not with such affection as hee deeth. For wee can not protest, after his example, that all our ioye, in the middest of our aduersities, is in meditating and studying of that which God hath shewed vnto vs by his woorde. And that it is so, we see that whensoeuer any of vs shall endure and abide