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…

IF we could rightly call to our remembrance the promises of God in our afflictions and miseries, it were sufficient enough too make us patient. And by this mean we should render a true proof of our faith: but so soon as we are grieved with any affliction, we by and by wax faint hearted, because we forget all the promises of God: which to our ⟨image 96⟩[…] ⟨p. 89⟩[…] ⟨image 97⟩seeming, we had long before very well understand and learned: Now we should not at the least be forgetful of them, when need requireth, yea, and that when we are thereby enforced. And for that cause we have here a very excellent lesson for the purpose, & worthy the noting: for David doth not only teach us as a Prophet of God, what our duty is, & what the power and virtue of our faith ought too be: but showeth us also the way by his example, how we must be patient in all our adversities, and how we ought not to fall from that: to wit, that we always have our eye fixed upon the promises of God. For that shall be enough to entertain and keep us, in such sort as that we should patiently wait for his saving health, yea, even in calling upon him. But that we might the better profit by this doctrine, we are here to note, that the two first verses are both of one and self-same substance, save that the order of the words are changed. He sayeth in the first place, My soul fainteth for thy salvation, That is to say, O Lord, I have longed, albeit the afflictions and miseries which I have abidden, were very great: and lasted long, and that I see neither end nor issue of them, yet nevertheless I rested altogether hereon, that I always trusted, that thou wouldest be my supporter and aider. Now he addeth the reason how he could so faint: to wit, because he trusted unto the promises of God. In the second verse he sayeth, That he hath failed for the promise of God, yea even looking for this promise, and that he hath said, When wilt thou comfort me? And in the third he handleth that which before he had spoken of: to wit, that although he had been as it were parched and dried, even as a skin bottle in the smoke, so that there remained neither moisture nor substance in him but dried up with very miseries, yet that he had not forgotten the testimonies of God.

IF we could rightly call to our remembraunce the promises of God in our afflictions and miseries, it were sufficient enough too make vs pacient. And by this meane we should render a true proufe of our fayth: but so soone as we are grieued with any affliction, we by and by waxe fainte hearted, bicause we forget all the promises of God: which to our