Happy Birthday John Calvin

It was just 514 years ago that John Calvin was born. July 10, 1509 was a blessed day.
Noyon was his birthplace. It's situated 60 miles northeast of Paris. (Cities currently being destroyed
physically as well as spiritually.)
He spent the second half of his life mainly in Switzerland --Geneva in particular. He lectured, preached, corresponded, and wrote commentaries on most books of the Bible and is most famous for his Institutes Of The Christian Religion.

I have a little book that has no copyright. It's called Devotions & Prayers Of John Calvin.

In this thread I will quote some of his material from the Minor Prophets. I will update the language ever so lightly. And I will leave what we would call run-on sentences alone.

Grant, Almighty God, that as you have, in various ways, testified and daily also proven how dear and precious to yourself are mankind, as we daily enjoy so many remarkable evidences of your goodness and favor, -- O grant that we may learn to entirely rely on your goodness, so many examples of which you have set before us, and which you would have us continually experience, that we may not only pass through our earthly course, but also confidently aspire to the hope of that blessed and celestial life which is laid up for us in heaven, through Christ alone or Lord. Amen.

 

I am doing some selections of John Calvin prayers as they stemmed from his devotions on the Minor prophets. The prayers are shorter than the devotions. I might do the latter later.

Grant, Almighty God, that you would have us to be ruled by the preaching of your word, --- O grant that those who have to discharge this office may be really endued with your celestial power that they may not attempt anything of themselves, but with all devotion spend their labors for your benefit as well as ours so that through them we may edified to the degree that you may always dwell among us, and that we through our whole life may become the habitation of your majesty, and that finally we may come to your heavenly sanctuary, where you daily invite us, as an entrance there has been once for all opened to us by the blood of your one and only Son. Amen.

 

Or a modest 104 pages as an appetizer. Like the one I'm doing. Or the even slimmer volume The Golden Booklet Of The Christian Life which is a mere 88 pages.

 

You don't think a newbie to Calvin's works needs a warm-up? You want a novice to just plunge into his Institutes? By the way, in my two volumes of that work I count 2367 pages --not counting the indices. Perhaps you were talking about an earlier edition.
How about reading his letters? What about his tracts? Don't you think they should read some of his commentaries or sermons before jumping into The Institutes?

 

Grant, Almighty God, that as you have shone on us by your word, we may not be blind at midday, nor willfully seek darkness, and so lull our minds to sleep, but may we be roused daily by your words, and may we stir up ourselves more and more to fear your name and to present ourselves and all our pursuits, as a sacrifice to you, that you may rule and perpetually dwell in us, until you gather us to your celestial presence, where there is reserved for us eternal rest and glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Grant, Almighty God, that as we are still restrained by our earthly cares, and cannot ascend upward to heaven with so much readiness and alacrity as we ought, --- O grant that since that you have extended to us daily an abundant supply for the present life, we may at least learn that you are our Father, and that we may not at the same time fix our thoughts on perishable things, but learn to elevate our minds higher, and so make continual advances in your spiritual service until at length we come to the full and complete fruition of that blessed and celestial life which you have promised to us, and procured for us by the blood of your one and only Son. Amen.

 

Grant, Almighty God, that as we are on every side surrounded by many enemies and as Satan never ceases to kindle the fury of many, not only to be hostile to us, but also to destroy and consume us, -- O grant that we may learn to raise up our eyes to heaven, and trusting in your protection may boldly fight in patience, until at last that shall appear which you have once for all testified in this remarkable prophecy, that there are many blacksmiths in your hand, and also many hammers, by which you shatter in pieces those horns which rise up to scatter us, and until at length having overcome all the devices of Satan, we shall reach that blessed rest which has been provided for us by the blood of your one and only Son.

 

I'll start on some of his devotions upon which his prayers are based. Again, I am updating the language a bit, but leaving his essential thoughts intact.

Israel has rebelled like a stubborn heifer! Soon the Lord will put them out to pasture
like a lamb in a broad field! (Hosea 4:16)

What is peculiar to sheep, is that they continue under the shepherd's care: and a sheep, when driven into solitude, shows itself by its bleating to be timid, and to be as it were seeking its shepherd and its flock. In short, a sheep is not a solitary animal; and it is to sheep and and lambs that they feed together, and also under the eye of him of him who cares for them. Now there seems to be here a most striking change of figure: They are, says the prophet, like stubborn heifers because they are so wanton that no field can satisfy their wantonness, as when a heifer would occupy the whole land. So outrageous is their disobedience that they can no longer endure, except a spacious place be given to each of them. I will therefore give them a spacious place; but to this end ---that each of them may be like a lamb, who looks around and sees no flock to which it may join itself.

 

This is another one of his devotions. I will give the verse in the language of the NIV. And I will tighten up his language of his devotion a bit.

Joel 2:28
"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions."

The prophet after having set before them the rudiments as though they were children, now brings before them a more complete doctrine (for thus they were to be led) and affords them a taste of the favor of God in its external signs. "Ascend, then, now," he says, "to spiritual life, for the fountain is one and the same, though when earthly benefits occupy and engross your attention you no doubt pollute them. But God feeds you, not to fill and pamper you, for he would not have you to be like brute animals. Then know that your bodies are fed, and that God gives support to you, that you may aspire after spiritual life, for he leads you to this as by the hand; have this then, to be your object." He began with temporal benefits, for it was needful that an untutored people should be thus led by degrees, that on account of their infirmity, sluggishness, and dullness, they might make better progress until they understood that god would for this end be a Father to them.