Institutes of the Christian Religion (Vol. 2 of 2)Calvin, Jean
Religion
Institutes of the Christian Religion (Vol. 2 of 2)
Calvin, Jean
Reformed Church -- Doctrines -- Early works to 1800; Theology, Doctrinal -- Early works to 1800
L. But though we have before said that we ought to be always aspiring
towards God with our minds, and praying without intermission, yet as our
weakness requires many assistances, and our indolence needs to be
stimulated, we ought every one of us, for the sake of regularity, to
appoint particular hours which should not elapse without prayer, and
which should witness all the affections of the mind entirely engaged in
this exercise; as, when we rise in the morning, before we enter on the
business of the day, when we sit down to meat, when we have been fed by
the Divine blessing, when we retire to rest. This must not be a
superstitious observance of hours, by which, as if discharging our debt
to God, we may fancy ourselves discharged from all obligation for the
remaining hours; but a discipline for our weakness, which may thus, from
time to time, be exercised and stimulated. It must especially be the
object of our solicitous care, whenever we are oppressed, or see others
oppressed, with adversity, immediately to resort to him with celerity,
not of body, but of mind; secondly, to suffer no prosperity of our own
or others to pass without testifying our acknowledgment of his hand by
praise and thanksgiving; lastly, we must carefully observe this in every
prayer, that we entertain not the thought of binding God to certain
circumstances, or prescribing to him the time, the place, or the manner
of his proceedings. As we are taught by this prayer to fix no law, to
impose no condition on him, but to leave it to his will to do what he
intends, in the manner, at the time, and in the place he pleases,
therefore, before we form a petition for ourselves, we first pray that
his will may be done; thereby submitting our will to his, that, being,
as it were, bridled and restrained, it may not presume to regulate God,
but may constitute him the arbiter and ruler of all its desires.
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