The Prayers of J.Calvin (1)

As many of you will know, some of Calvin’s published commentaries include the prayers with which he concluded his lectures. Some of these have been collected in a small paperback and published under the title Devotions and Prayers of John Calvin (Baker – still in print, though from a different publisher)

For the purpose of our own devotions on Sunday or any other day, I would like to start posting some of those here. In my set of Calvin’s Commentaries (Baker reprint, 1979) these prayers begin in his lectures on Jeremiah. Hence, we will start with the first one published in that volume (v.9, pgs.38-39).

But before I post that one, I post the one noted to be “the prayer which John Calvin was wont to use at the beginning of his lectures” – fitting for us too as often as we study and hear God’s Word:

May the Lord grant, that we may engage in contemplating the mysteries of his heavenly wisdom with really increasing devotion, to his glory and to our edification. -AMEN.

And now the first prayer from Calvin’s lectures on Jeremiah (chap.1:1-5):

Grant, Almighty God, that as thou hast not only provided for thine ancient Church, by choosing Jeremiah as thy servant, but hast also designed that the fruit of his labours should continue to our age, – O grant that we may not be unthankful to thee, but that we may so avail ourselves of so great a benefit, that the fruit of it may appear in us to the glory of thy name; may we learn so entirely to devote ourselves to thy service, and each of us be so attentive to the work of his calling, that we may strive with united hearts to promote the honour of thy name, and also the kingdom of thine only-begotten Son, until we finish our warfare, and come at length into that celestial rest, which has been obtained for us by the blood of thine only Son. Amen.