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…

WE ought to hold and keep this rule and order in our prayers to God, not too measure his affection and love after our own imaginations & thoughts but to acknowledge him to be such one as in deed he is, & as he showeth himself unto us to be. And lo why he saith by his Prophet Isaiah, after he had declared, that he would have compassion to save his church. ⟨p. 81⟩Think not (saith he,) that I am like unto you, for there is as great distance between my thoughts and yours, as is between Heaven and Earth. Let us then measure the goodness of God after our vain imaginations: But (as I have already said) let us know that it is not in vain, which he declareth and testifieth unto us, that the good will and love which he beareth us, are infinite things which we must behold by faith only. And it is to the end that we should come unto him with greater boldness too call upon him, not doubting but that we shall obtain whatsoever we crave at his hands, yea even as much as shall be expedient for our salvation. And according to this, David here setteth down, that God had made him. As if he had said, I come not unto thee, O Lord, as we commonly come unto men. I set not down any merit or worthiness, whereby I have bound thee unto me: For thou art beholden nothing at all to me: but I talk of thy benefits which I have already felt, too the end I would have thee to continue them unto me. For behold the true and very perfect nature of God: to wit, his nature is always to spread upon us his graces without ceasing: as he is a fountain which never can be drawn dry: even so must we not fear that he diminisheth or lesseneth them, neither yet is sparing of his benefits, for he hath plenty enough to continue them without end or ceasing. Let us then throughly consider this argument which David here useth: to wit that he telleth God that he is his Creature, to the end he might teach him, yea even to understand his law. We have here then to note, that Daiud putteth not in himself here, simply in the rank with all the rest of his creatures: but cometh before God, as a man fashioned after his own image and likeness: Thy hands (saith he) have made me and fashioned me: that is to say, Thou hast granted me O Lord to be an inhabiter in this world, yea, and hast made me a reasonable Creature.

WEE ought to holde and keepe this rule and order in our praiers to God, not too measure his affection and loue after our own imaginations & thoughts but to acknowledge him to be such one as in deede he is, & as he sheweth himselfe vnto vs to be. And loe why he saith by his Prophet Esaiah, after he had declared, that he would haue compassion to saue his church.