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…

Hold thou me up and I shall be safe: yea and my delight shall be continually in thy statutes.

Holde thou me vp and I shall be safe: yea and my delight shall be continually in thy statutes.

Now the word which he useth, signifieth sometimes to meditate, sometimes to speak: & therefore it may be said I will recite over thy Statutes. But the most proper sense & meaning is, I will meditate or study in thy Statutes, and therein take delight. In stead that before he hath said, Establish me O Lord, or stay me in thy word: Here he saith, Hold me up. Now this is no simple and plain prayer which here he maketh, but having spoken of the word of God, he speaketh of the power which he showeth towards his faithful? It is very true, that when we think that we have not one foot of ground too stand upon, that there is nothing but the sea under us, and darkness over us, that we should be as it were in a bottomless pit, and overwhelmed: yet we ought to stay & settle our selves on the word of God. But when as our hope shall be thus cxercised, and that we have done God this honour, to hold ⟨image 135⟩him for faithful, although we do not perceive any succour to come from him: he will add a second grace, to wit, he will give us his hand, to be relieved by his power, and to be upholden by him. and will preserve us all the days of our life. Lo here then the meaning of David, when he desired God to stay him in his word, he saith, Hold me up, yea by thy hand and power. So then, let us learn to to fly unto God, when as we would be in any good safety. For with out it, as I have already said, we may very well for a while assure our selves: and think no evil can come unto us: But when as we shall be thus foolishly persuaded, too say peace and assurance, destruction must needs suddenly come upon us,¹ and we to be utterly confounded. But after we have waited and seen God too have appeared in very deed, let us learn to seek all our assurance in his word, to walk in his commandments, to take our whole delight in them, and in them to bestow all our study. In sum, David in this place declareth, That when as God shall have bestowed any benefits upon us, that we have proved his mercy, and fatherly affection: It is to confirm us more and more in his word, to tie all our senses thereto: to learn to forsake all vanities, which hinder and occupy our spirits in these wild affections wherewith we are carried hither and thither.