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A real king is the one who recognizes that, in governing his kingdom, he is a true minister of God. Conversely whoever does not reign with a view to serving God's glory acts not as a ruler but as a robber.
For if one Father is common to us all, and every good thing that can fall to our lot comes from Him, there ought not to be anything separate among us that we are not prepared gladly and wholeheartedly to share with one a…
First, since by God's command all the saints daily ask for their sins to be forgiven (Matt.6:12), they confess themselves sinners. They do not ask in vain, for the Lord Jesus never bade us ask for something which he woul…
Although the wicked attempt whatsoever they can, and seek all means to destroy the Church, although they furiously strive against Christ and his Church so much as they are able, yet they shall not prevail.
The difference between us and the papists is that they do not think that the church can be 'the pillar of the truth'unless she presides over the word of God. We, on the other hand, assert that it is because she reverentl…
God requires integrity and holiness of life; he indicated by the symbol how this could be attained, that is, by cutting off in man whatever is born of the flesh, for his whole nature had become vicious. He therefore remi…
It is not necessary that faith and repentance should always precede baptism. They are only required from those whose age makes them capable of both. It will be sufficient, then, if, after infants have grown up, they exhi…
We ought to contemplate providence not as curious and fickle persons are wont to do but as a ground of confidence and excitement to prayer. When he informs us that the hairs of our head are all numbered it is not to enco…
Then let us not think that this Law is a special Law for the Jews; but let us understand that God intended to deliver us a general rule, to which we must yield ourselves. Since, it is so, it is to be concluded, not only…
Children, who are dealt with more generously and more liberally by their fathers, do not hesitate to show them unfinished projects that they have only begun, or even spoiled a little. Even if they have not succeeded in d…
All the blessings we enjoy are Divine deposits, committed to our trust on this condition, that they should be dispensed for the benefit of our neighbors.
[Our physical illnesses] serve us for medicines to purge us from worldly affections and retrench what is superfluous in us, and since they are to us the messengers of death, we ought to learn to have one foot raised to t…
Instrumental music was only tolerated, on account of the times and of the people. But in gospel times, we must not have recourse to these, unless we wish to destroy the evangelical perfection, and to obscure the meridian…
We should not regard what a man is and what he deserves: but we should go higher 'that it is God who has placed us in the world for such a purpose that we be united and joined together. He has impressed his image in us a…
John Calvin, Comment on 2 Cor. 5:20This is why Paul upholds the teaching of the gospel in such a forceful way ... Seeing such an example and such a picture of man's great weakness and fickleness, Paul states that the tru…
Thus it is that we may patiently pass through this life with its misery, hunger, cold, contempt, reproaches, and other troubles - content with this one thing: that our King [Jesus] will never leave us destitute, but will…
Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting of lamps, and the restoration of the other shadows of the law. The Papists therefore, have foolish…
Everything bad that they (the ungodly) can seize hold of in our life is twisted maliciously against Christ and His teaching. The result is that by our fault God's sacred name is exposed to insult. The more closely we see…
The most accomplished in the Scripture are fools, unless they acknowledge that they have need of God for their schoolmaster all the days of their life.
Yet consider now, whether women are not quite past sense and reason, when they want to rule over men.
Indeed, how can the mind by its own leading come to search out God's essence when it cannot even get to its own?
The whole life of man until he is converted to Christ is a ruinous labyrinth of wanderings.
If we are not our own, but the Lord's, it is clear to what purpose all our deeds must be directed. We are not our own, therefore neither our reason nor our will should guide us in our thoughts and actions. We are not our…
And ye peoples, to whom God gave the liberty to choose your own magistrates, see to it, that ye do not forfeit this favor, by electing to the positions of highest honor, rascals and enemies of God.
For, to my mind, this is a certain principle, that nothing is here treated of but the visible form of the world. He who would learn astronomy, and other recondite arts, let him go elsewhere.(on commenting the text of Gen…
He only who is reduced to nothing in himself, and relies on the mercy of God is poor in spirit
It is a promise which eminently deserves our observation that all who are united to Christ and acknowledge Him to be Christ and Mediator will remain to the end safe from all danger, for what is said of the body of the Ch…
For it is better, with closed eyes, to follow God as our guide, than, by relying on our own prudence, to wander through those circuitous paths which it devises for us.
Is it faith to understand nothing, and merely submit your convictions implicitly to the Church?
Seeing that a Pilot steers the ship in which we sail, who will never allow us to perish even in the midst of shipwrecks, there is no reason why our minds should be overwhelmed with fear and overcome with weariness.
However many blessings we expect from God, His infinite liberality will always exceed all our wishes and our thoughts.
God preordained, for his own glory and the display of His attributes of mercy and justice, a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation, and another part, in just punishment of their sin…
A perfect faith is nowhere to be found, so it follows that all of us are partly unbelievers.
It would be the height of absurdity to label ignorance tempered by humility faith!(Institutio III.2.3)
men are undoubtedly more in danger from prosperity than from adversity. for when matters go smoothly, they flatter themselves, and are intoxicated by their success
There is no knowing that does not begin with knowing God.
The pastor ought to have two voices: one, for gathering the sheep; and another, for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves. The Scripture supplies him with the means of doing both.
Our prayer must not be self-centered. It must arise not only because we feel our own need as a burden we must lay upon God, but also because we are so bound up in love for our fellow men that we feel their need as acutel…
Man's nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols.
A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God's truth is attacked and yet would remain silent
True wisdom consists in two things: Knowledge of God and Knowledge of Self.
If it seems more horrible to kill a man in his own house, then in a field,...it ought surely to be deemed more atrocious to destroy a fetus in the womb before it has come to light.
The torture of a bad conscience is the hell of a living soul.
There is no worse screen to block out the Spirit than confidence in our own intelligence.
45 quotes
A real king is the one who recognizes that, in governing his kingdom, he is a true minister of God. Conversely whoever does not reign with a view to serving God's glory acts not as a ruler but as a robber.
For if one Father is common to us all, and every good thing that can fall to our lot comes from Him, there ought not to be anything separate among us that we are not prepared gladly and wholeheartedly to share with one a…
First, since by God's command all the saints daily ask for their sins to be forgiven (Matt.6:12), they confess themselves sinners. They do not ask in vain, for the Lord Jesus never bade us ask for something which he woul…
Although the wicked attempt whatsoever they can, and seek all means to destroy the Church, although they furiously strive against Christ and his Church so much as they are able, yet they shall not prevail.
The difference between us and the papists is that they do not think that the church can be 'the pillar of the truth'unless she presides over the word of God. We, on the other hand, assert that it is because she reverentl…
God requires integrity and holiness of life; he indicated by the symbol how this could be attained, that is, by cutting off in man whatever is born of the flesh, for his whole nature had become vicious. He therefore remi…
It is not necessary that faith and repentance should always precede baptism. They are only required from those whose age makes them capable of both. It will be sufficient, then, if, after infants have grown up, they exhi…
We ought to contemplate providence not as curious and fickle persons are wont to do but as a ground of confidence and excitement to prayer. When he informs us that the hairs of our head are all numbered it is not to enco…
Then let us not think that this Law is a special Law for the Jews; but let us understand that God intended to deliver us a general rule, to which we must yield ourselves. Since, it is so, it is to be concluded, not only…
Children, who are dealt with more generously and more liberally by their fathers, do not hesitate to show them unfinished projects that they have only begun, or even spoiled a little. Even if they have not succeeded in d…
All the blessings we enjoy are Divine deposits, committed to our trust on this condition, that they should be dispensed for the benefit of our neighbors.
[Our physical illnesses] serve us for medicines to purge us from worldly affections and retrench what is superfluous in us, and since they are to us the messengers of death, we ought to learn to have one foot raised to t…
Instrumental music was only tolerated, on account of the times and of the people. But in gospel times, we must not have recourse to these, unless we wish to destroy the evangelical perfection, and to obscure the meridian…
We should not regard what a man is and what he deserves: but we should go higher 'that it is God who has placed us in the world for such a purpose that we be united and joined together. He has impressed his image in us a…
John Calvin, Comment on 2 Cor. 5:20This is why Paul upholds the teaching of the gospel in such a forceful way ... Seeing such an example and such a picture of man's great weakness and fickleness, Paul states that the tru…
Thus it is that we may patiently pass through this life with its misery, hunger, cold, contempt, reproaches, and other troubles - content with this one thing: that our King [Jesus] will never leave us destitute, but will…
Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting of lamps, and the restoration of the other shadows of the law. The Papists therefore, have foolish…
Everything bad that they (the ungodly) can seize hold of in our life is twisted maliciously against Christ and His teaching. The result is that by our fault God's sacred name is exposed to insult. The more closely we see…
The most accomplished in the Scripture are fools, unless they acknowledge that they have need of God for their schoolmaster all the days of their life.
Yet consider now, whether women are not quite past sense and reason, when they want to rule over men.
Indeed, how can the mind by its own leading come to search out God's essence when it cannot even get to its own?
The whole life of man until he is converted to Christ is a ruinous labyrinth of wanderings.
If we are not our own, but the Lord's, it is clear to what purpose all our deeds must be directed. We are not our own, therefore neither our reason nor our will should guide us in our thoughts and actions. We are not our…
And ye peoples, to whom God gave the liberty to choose your own magistrates, see to it, that ye do not forfeit this favor, by electing to the positions of highest honor, rascals and enemies of God.
For, to my mind, this is a certain principle, that nothing is here treated of but the visible form of the world. He who would learn astronomy, and other recondite arts, let him go elsewhere.(on commenting the text of Gen…
He only who is reduced to nothing in himself, and relies on the mercy of God is poor in spirit
It is a promise which eminently deserves our observation that all who are united to Christ and acknowledge Him to be Christ and Mediator will remain to the end safe from all danger, for what is said of the body of the Ch…
For it is better, with closed eyes, to follow God as our guide, than, by relying on our own prudence, to wander through those circuitous paths which it devises for us.
Is it faith to understand nothing, and merely submit your convictions implicitly to the Church?
Seeing that a Pilot steers the ship in which we sail, who will never allow us to perish even in the midst of shipwrecks, there is no reason why our minds should be overwhelmed with fear and overcome with weariness.
However many blessings we expect from God, His infinite liberality will always exceed all our wishes and our thoughts.
God preordained, for his own glory and the display of His attributes of mercy and justice, a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation, and another part, in just punishment of their sin…
A perfect faith is nowhere to be found, so it follows that all of us are partly unbelievers.
It would be the height of absurdity to label ignorance tempered by humility faith!(Institutio III.2.3)
men are undoubtedly more in danger from prosperity than from adversity. for when matters go smoothly, they flatter themselves, and are intoxicated by their success
There is no knowing that does not begin with knowing God.
The pastor ought to have two voices: one, for gathering the sheep; and another, for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves. The Scripture supplies him with the means of doing both.
Our prayer must not be self-centered. It must arise not only because we feel our own need as a burden we must lay upon God, but also because we are so bound up in love for our fellow men that we feel their need as acutel…
Man's nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols.
A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God's truth is attacked and yet would remain silent
True wisdom consists in two things: Knowledge of God and Knowledge of Self.
If it seems more horrible to kill a man in his own house, then in a field,...it ought surely to be deemed more atrocious to destroy a fetus in the womb before it has come to light.
The torture of a bad conscience is the hell of a living soul.
There is no worse screen to block out the Spirit than confidence in our own intelligence.