Dear Friends,
It was the practice of John Calvin to preach systematically and expositionally through the various books of the Bible while he was at Geneva. Those expositions and comments are truly, what Mr Spurgeon said, “worth their weight in gold.” Of equal “metallic value,” spiritually speaking, are the prayers with which Calvin concluded and summed up each day’s message on a particular portion of scripture. A few examples from his consecutive preaching through the Book of Daniel will bear this out.
After his first sermon, dealing with the general message of the Book of Daniel and our place as the Lord’s people in this world, where we are to endeavour to be faithful to God under His eternal providences and purposes, he prays in these words:
“Grant, Almighty God, since thou settest before us so clear a mirror of thy wonderful providence and thy judgements on thine ancient people, that we may also be surely persuaded of our being under thy hand and protection. Grant, that relying on thee, we may hope for thy guardianship, whatever may happen, since thou never losest sight of our safety, so that we may invoke thee with a secure and tranquil mind. May we so fearlessly wait for all dangers amidst all the changes of this world, so that we may stand upon the foundation of thy Word, which can never fail, and leaning on thy promises, may we repose on Christ, to whom thou hast committed us and whom thou hast made the Shepherd of all thy flock. Grant that he may be so careful of us to lead us through this course of warfare, however troublesome and turbulent it may prove, until we arrive at that heavenly rest which he has purchased for us by His own blood. Amen.”
After he has preached on how Daniel and his three friends stood up to the first “temptation” and issue that faced them in the strange land of Babylon, and where Daniel had been given favour in the sight of the prince of the eunuchs by God, so that they were able to escape the snare, he prays like this:
“Grant, Almighty God, since we are now compassed by so many enemies, and the devil does not cease to harass us with fresh snares, so that the whole world is hostile to us, that we may perceive even the devil himself to be restrained by thy bridle.
Grant also that all the impious may be subjected to thee, that thou mayest lead them whithersoever thou wishest. Do thou direct their hearts, and may we be experimentally taught how safe and secure we are under the protection of thy hand. And may we proceed, according to thy promise, in the course of our calling, until at length we arrive at that blessed rest, which is laid up for us in heaven, by Christ our Lord. Amen.”
In the last few verses of chapter one of Daniel, we are informed of the wisdom, and gifts and abilities, that God gave Daniel and the others; while at the beginning of chapter two, we are shown the failure of human reasoning without God. Calvin concludes that passage with this prayer:
“Grant, Almighty God, that since every perfect gift comes from thee, and since some excel others in intelligence and talents, yet as no one has anything of his own, but as thou deignest to distribute to man a measure of thy gracious liberality, grant that whatever intelligence thou dost confer upon us, we may apply it to the glory of thy Name.
Grant also, that we may acknowledge in humility and modesty what thou has committed to our care to be thine own; and may we study to be restrained by sobriety, to desire nothing superfluous, never to corrupt true and genuine knowledge, and to remain in that simplicity to which thou callest us.
Finally, may we not rest in these earthly things but learn rather to raise our minds to true wisdom, to acknowledge thee to be the true God, and to devote ourselves to the obedience of thy righteousness; and may it be our sole object to devote and consecrate ourselves entirely to the glory of thy Name throughout our lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
The first great task that confronted Daniel in the land of Babylon was the discerning of the secret and the meaning of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, and with that task before them, the four Hebrew youths sought the Lord’s face for guidance and revelation. They were not to be disappointed, seeing that they will seek in the right way; Calvin anticipates that at the close of his Fifth Sermon:
“Grant, Almighty God, since during our pilgrimage in this world, we have daily need of the teaching and government of thy Spirit, that with true modesty we may depend on thy word and secret inspiration, and not take too much on ourselves. Grant, also, that we may be conscious of our ignorance, blindness, and stupidity, and always flee to thee, and never permit ourselves to be drawn aside in any way by the cunning of Satan and the ungodly. May we remain so fixed in thy truth as never to turn aside from it, whilst thou dost direct us through the whole course of our vocation, and then may we arrive at that heavenly glory which has been obtained for us through the blood of thine only begotten Son. Amen.
And so right through to the end of the Commentary. Sixty-six sermons in all in that book of Daniel that speaks so much to our souls about our place and our calling in this world of ours as the faithful people of God, until God shall end our “captivity” and take us out of the “strange land” of this world to worship Him at His Temple day and night. So, the last verse of Daniel – “But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days;” and so Calvin’s last and final prayer in the book:
“Grant, Almighty God, since thou proposest to us no other end than that of constant warfare during our whole life, and subjectest us to many cares until we arrive at the goal of this temporary racecourse: Grant, I pray thee, that we may never grow fatigued. May we ever be armed and equipped for battle, and whatever the trials by which thou dost prove us, may we never be found deficient. May we always aspire towards heaven with upright souls, and strive with all our endeavours to attain that blessed rest, which is laid up for us in heaven, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Praise be to God.