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…

This is a more large exposition of the verse going before: he hath said, O Lord, deal with me according to thy mercies, & now he saith, I am thy servant. And how is this? it should seem that there is some diversity betwixt these two sayings. For doth not David in calling him self the servant of God, set down before, what service he hath done him? Now let us note that for the first place that it is not said for any brag, nor that he was so able a man to attain unto any such worthiness, neither yet that he deserved to be preferred before others: he meaneth not that this honour appertained unto him of right. What then? It is as much as if he had said, O Lord, I am thine. Now, cometh it of our selves, that we are the servants of God? have we obtained this estate, or degree as of our selves? Alas it is very far of: for we have it of free gift. Since the time that we were the bondslaves of Satan, God hath taken us unto him self, to be of his household and of his number. In that then that we are his, it is not because we have deserved it, but because he hath called us unto him of his free mercy and goodness. And in deed, if a man who was first of a base condition, serveth a noble man, he will not say that he was worthy of the service of such a master, nor yet that he was put unto him therefore: but will thus say, sir, I confess that you have received me into your service of your mere ⟨image 142⟩favour and grace, and have done me the honour which appertained not unto me. And thus should we most wretched worms of the earth say, Lo God, who ceaseth not still to do us good: and yet we will be so arrogant, as too determine to attribute unto our selves I know not what, as though he had herein nothing to do with us. Now I beseech you tell me whether is this to go? And that which is more, let us consider a little, what service it is that God might draw and pluck out from us, to do unto his majesty. If he shall leave us unto our selves to be as we are, about what shall he employ us, and what service can we do him? For lo, both we and all that is within us are altogether given to wickedness. We cannot once think any good: how shall we then do any? Next of all, David meaneth not, that he being called to serve God, was able too discharge himself thereof: for he felt him self utterly unable to do it.

This is a more large exposition of the verse going before: he hath said, O Lord, deale with me according to thy mercies, & now he saith, I am thy seruant. And how is this? it should seeme that there is some diuersitie betwixt these two sayings. For doth not Dauid in calling him self the seruant of God, set downe before, what seruice he hath done him? Nowe let vs note that for the first place that it is not said for any bragge, nor that hee was so able a man to attaine vnto any such worthinesse, neither yet that he deserued to be preferred before others: hee meaneth not that this honour apperteined vnto him of right. What then? It is as much as if he had said, O Lord, I am thine. Now, commeth it of our selues, that wee are the seruauntes of God? haue wee obtained this estate, or degree as of our selues? Alas it is very farre of: for we haue it of free gift. Since the time that we were the bondslaues of Satan, God hath takē vs vnto him self, to be of his houshold and of his number. In that then that we are his, it is not bicause wee haue deserued it, but bicause hee hath called vs vnto him of his free mercie and goodnesse. And in deede, if a man who was first of a base cōdition, serueth a noble man, he will not say that he was worthy of the seruice of such a maister, nor yet that he was put vnto him therefore: but wil thus say, sir, I cōfesse that you haue receiued me into your seruice of your meere