Showing posts with label Psalm's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm's. Show all posts
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
John Calvin - How then should we serve?
Psalm 119:112
"I have applied mine heart to fulfill thy statutes always: even unto the end."
"Now when he saith, that he inclined his heart to observe the commandments of God: he showeth us, what service it is that God requireth: that is a voluntary and willing service. See here yet a point which ought well to be considered of, to the end we should not think that we are ever able to please God, when as we serve him constrainedly, as we see the miserable and wretched faithless do, which greatly torment themselves. And why so? For all that they do, they do it constrainedly
because they would the better escape the hand of God, but when they come near unto him as well as they may, it is but as it were enforced and constrained, because he is their judge. Now if we have such a constant desire (as we term it) that we are enforced to do that which we are commanded: our whole case is little worth, and God will never allow of it. And why so? because he liketh of nothing else but of obedience, and would have us come unto him with frank and willing minds. See then why David saith, that he hath inclined his heart to keep the commandments of God: not that he protesteth, that he hath done it of himself, nor of his own mind: but because that God hath given him both the will and the power to do the same. And to prove it to be so, we shall never see that David braggeth of himself in any one place, that he willed any good, being so led of his own proper mind: he will never say, that it was his natural inclination, but saith clean contrary, I was conceived in sin, saith he, (Psalm 51:5) he reserveth nothing to himself but all that which is naught. When then in this behalf he protesteth that he had inclined his heart, he only showeth what the grace of God was in him. And for conclusion he addeth: That he did it forever, or, even unto the end, or, this is it which we have touched heretofore: to wit, we must not be like sudden blasts which pass by and by, but we must be constant, and that when we shall have once begun, we must pray unto God that he will continue the same our well doing which he hath begun in us, and to hold us
by the hand until such time as we have finished our course."
(Taken from John Calvin's 14th Sermon on Psalm 119)
"I have applied mine heart to fulfill thy statutes always: even unto the end."
"Now when he saith, that he inclined his heart to observe the commandments of God: he showeth us, what service it is that God requireth: that is a voluntary and willing service. See here yet a point which ought well to be considered of, to the end we should not think that we are ever able to please God, when as we serve him constrainedly, as we see the miserable and wretched faithless do, which greatly torment themselves. And why so? For all that they do, they do it constrainedly
because they would the better escape the hand of God, but when they come near unto him as well as they may, it is but as it were enforced and constrained, because he is their judge. Now if we have such a constant desire (as we term it) that we are enforced to do that which we are commanded: our whole case is little worth, and God will never allow of it. And why so? because he liketh of nothing else but of obedience, and would have us come unto him with frank and willing minds. See then why David saith, that he hath inclined his heart to keep the commandments of God: not that he protesteth, that he hath done it of himself, nor of his own mind: but because that God hath given him both the will and the power to do the same. And to prove it to be so, we shall never see that David braggeth of himself in any one place, that he willed any good, being so led of his own proper mind: he will never say, that it was his natural inclination, but saith clean contrary, I was conceived in sin, saith he, (Psalm 51:5) he reserveth nothing to himself but all that which is naught. When then in this behalf he protesteth that he had inclined his heart, he only showeth what the grace of God was in him. And for conclusion he addeth: That he did it forever, or, even unto the end, or, this is it which we have touched heretofore: to wit, we must not be like sudden blasts which pass by and by, but we must be constant, and that when we shall have once begun, we must pray unto God that he will continue the same our well doing which he hath begun in us, and to hold us
by the hand until such time as we have finished our course."
(Taken from John Calvin's 14th Sermon on Psalm 119)
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