» Sunday, 24 February A.D. 2008
calvin's prayers
I have been taking a break from WoW this Lenten season and using that time I would normally be slaying pixelated monsters to read. One of the things I have been reading is Calvin's commentaries on the Old Testament, specifically the minor prophets. I have enjoyed Calvin, especially the realization that Calvin did deal with historical and textual issues; his commentaries are not simply florid prose. But I have enjoyed at least as much the prayers that punctuate sections of the commentaries. Consider this one:
Grant, Almighty God, that, since to a perverse, and in every way a rebellious people, thou didst formerly show so much grace, as to exhort them continually to repentance, and to stretch forth thy hand to them by thy Prophets,--O grant, that the same word may sound in our ears; and when we do not immediately profit by thy teaching, O cast us not away, but, by thy Spirit, so subdue all our thoughts and affections, that we, being humbled, may give glory to thy majesty, such as is due to thee, and that, being allured by thy paternal favour, we may submit ourselves to thee, and, at the same time, embrace that mercy which thou offerest and presentest to us in Christ, that we may not doubt but thou wilt be a Father to us, until we shall at length enjoy that eternal inheritance, which has been obtained for us by the blood of thine only-begotten Son. Amen.
Or this one:
Grant, Almighty God, that since we cannot otherwise really profit by thy word, than by having all our thoughts and affections subjected to thee, and offered to thee as a sacrifice,--O grant, that we may suffer thee, by the sound of thy word, so topierce through every thing within us, that being dead in ourselves, we may live to thee, and never suffere flatteries to become our ruin, but that we may, on the contrary, patiently endure reproofs, however bitter they may be, only let them serve to us as medicine, by whcih our inward vices may be cleansed, until at length being thoroughly cleansed and formed into new creatures, we may, by a pious and holy life, really glorify thy name, and be received into that celestial glory, which has been purchased for us by the blood of thy only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
posted by Nate @ 4:38PM