This project will be an on going discipline for myself until all 43 chapters/sermons are done. I will be using the NYPL research library by Bryant Park on 42nd Street for this purpose. This is the first time I've checked out reserved materials, which are the only type of materials this library provides, from this great library. I had to submit the call number after obtaining it from one of the catalog terminals, and waited for my assigned number to be called on a digital board. Took about 10-15 minutes (this time) for me to get my requested material. And now I'm about to return this item, very exciting.
Book Summary: John Calvin's Sermons on 2 Samuel Chp 1-13
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Translated by Douglas F. Kelly **
Published by The Banner of Truth Trust, 1992
Introduction:
We have mainly sermons Calvin preached after 1549 because in that year, a professional scribe, Denis Raguenier who has a system of shorthand was hired.
Sunday Sermons (New Testament,sometimes Psalms)
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- 189 sermons on Acts (1549-54)
- short series on Pauline letters (1554-58)
- 65 sermons on the harmony of the gospels (1559-1564)
Weekdays Sermons (Old Testament)
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- Jeremiah, Lamentations (?-1550)
- Minor prophets, Daniel (1550-52)
- 174 sermons on Ezekiel (1552-54)
- 159 sermons on Job (1554-55)
- 200 sermons on Deuteronomy (1555-56)
- 342 sermons on Isaiah (1556-59)
- 123 sermons on Genesis (1559-61)
- short set on Judges (1561)
- 107 sermons on 1 Samuel,
- 87 sermons on 2 Samuel (1561-63)
- a set on 1 Kings (1563-64)
(pg. x, Introduction)
It would appear that John Calvin's rarely preserved sermons are mostly translated into Latin from the French originals which were thrown away after the translation, and few of which have been translated into English. Of all his estimated 4,000 sermons, we have only nearly 1,500 (pg. xi, Introduction).
** I have just contacted Dr. Kelly today (May 9, 2012 - 3:45PM EST), finally, without having to go through any voicemail or even middle operator, he picked up the phone right away after I punch in the extension. I called regarding the translation work on Calvin's 2nd Samuel 14-24...which he replied (with heavy southern accent) due to systematic theological works, he has to wait, if God willing, for about 2 years, to start this project. I thanked him for the work, and promised to pray for him. At the same time, he gave me the resource to the original work (It maybe common knowledge to some, but it is definitely treasure for me): Supplementa Calviniana. Now that the other major collection of Calvin's original works(Opera Omnia) are freely available online, I couldn't be more excited (I was contemplating on buy this collection on DVD which is around 800USD). Praise be to God!
Chapter 1 of 43: (2 Sam. 1:1-16) On Facing Affliction and Divine Judgement (Saturday, May 23, 1562)
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"For we need to be continually tried, because our senses are too attached to this world" pg. 3
Could the young Amalekite be lying for the purpose of boasting? (pg. 4). It doesn't matter, lying or not, he has testified (2Sam 1:16).
On the Annointment of God, "we must honour the Lord for everything that comes from him". pg. 6.
"Indeed,all the punishments which God sends on the sinful should be instructive for us, so that we can learn, as the saying goes, 'at someone else's expense'." pg. 6.
"When his enemies had been defeated like this, David composed a song of praise to the Lord out of these experiences. Nevertheless, he grieved for Saul, who was the worst of his enemies." pg. 7.
"On the other hand, let us not give way to despair, like those who become so grieved and full of lamentation that they refuse the remedy of consolation in God. Rather, let us confess our sins, knowing that our Savior has not ceased to pour out his blessings upon us, even though we have sinned. Then, in the midst of our sorrows, let us recognise all our offences so that he may show himself merciful to us, as he always has done to those who clearly take refuge in him. That is how we can benefit from this teaching." pg. 11
Since Saul disobeyed God by sparing the Amalekite king and properties in 1Sam 15, so God sent this man of the very nation to snatch the crown and royal ornaments from his body, so that he was left in even greater ignominy! pg. 12
On touching the authority God established, "Rather, let us patiently endure the shame, injuries, cruelties, and extortions of those who rule, until God has remedied the matter in a way that is unknown to us. Let us realise that it is his business to uphold those who are unjustly oppressed." pg. 15
"Pray that it will please him to make us feel them more and more the infinite faults of which we are guilty, so that we may ask him to pardon them. And that we may not cease blessing him in our afflictions."
"Thus, may we recognise our offences and, at the same time, may we ever taste the fatherly love he shows us, so that we invoke his name and call upon him until he shows us signs of his favour, after we have felt his wrath." pg. 15.
"For when we are shown that we should not be vindictive, we always come up with the excuse that we are not made of iron or steel, and that patience is quite contrary and repugnant to our nature; that it is impossible for us not to be hurt and thus motivated to harm our enemies. That may be so, but was not David a man subject to similar passions as ourselves? How, then, was he able to overcome the urge to take vengeance, since he too could have given so many good reasons? It is certain that he did not give way to his excessive passions, but chose to fight against them all the way, because the Spirit of God worked in him."
"When we are tempted to do evil, let us ask the Lord that it would please him to govern us by his Spirit, which is the Spirit of clemency, so that we will be purged of any bitterness or malice, and thus be able to practise what he says; 'Love your enemies and do good to them that persecute you, and pray God for those that curse you' (Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27-28)."
Calvin hold the papists blasphemous who say this is merely a 'counsel' or it would be too tough for everyone to follow.
"We are not to obscure the commands of God in order to excuse ourselves."
pg. 17-18.
on the Book of Jasher, verse 18, "Why then has God allowed such teaching to be lost, since it could have given us good instruction? Well, look at our laziness, and we will not be surprised!...Matters are not drawn out at length, with the result that we do not have to occupy ourselves a great deal with them. Thus, it seems that God wishes to trace with his finger, as it were, how he chooses to govern his Church for all time." pg. 19-20.
"So in order to help the people understand the situation better, he sent them a hymn of lamentation - for if he had not done something, they could have been seriously alienated from him. For who would ever have judged these to have been his feelings? We are so used to 'measuring others by our own yardstick', as we say." pg. 20
"...Moreover, since he had been received so kindly by the Philistine king Achis, no-one would have thought that he would risk his neck or have the courage to rebuild the Church of God. Rather, they could have conjectured that the opposite might easily have happened, since he had fought valiantly for such a long time for the people whom he had defended so many times against the Philistines. And yet they had not recognised what he had done for them as much as they should have (1 Sam. 17:18,18;23 passim)." pg. 21
"To Summarise, we can see now how the two things fit together: why David composed this lamentation over Saul, and also commanded that all over the country the children of Judah should learn to use the bow - in other words learn to practise and prepare for war. Then whatever evil might occur, they would never fail to resist their enemies, knowing that God would be their Protector. That is what we must remember as the main lesson." pg. 21
"Only with great difficulty will we be able to keep from gnashing our teeth and complaining against God." pg. 24
On David's Seemingly Excessive Lamentation, "If such an excellent man, a true servant of God endowed with such rare and unusual virtues, was subject to this vice, how much more must we be on our guard!"..."when some adversity strikes us, it is still necessary to realise that we may utterly abandon ourselves and not hold on unless God sustains us. We must meditate beforehand, so that we will not give way to an inordinate grief which can toss us about all over the place. This is a point which we must carefully observe." pg. 24-25
On contemplating the virtues and favours which God has granted His servants who have some vice, "This fact should be carefully observed, for it only takes a small vice to blind our eyes, so that all the virtues that God has put in a man are distorted."..."This is especially true when we are bearing a little envy or ill will. Then it takes nothing to make us blindfold our eyes to keep us from perceiving the grace of God which is so evident in him"..."But it was necessary for David to pay attention to something else - as it also is for us. Even if our enemies are the most wicked in the world, God still does not want his grace to be overlooked."..."For when we stamp underfoot and disdain the favours of God, we are not merely offending a mortal creature, but rather our ingratitude is against God himself". pg. 26
"We must gather this kind of instruction from the good which we see in our enemies, and then apply it to our own advantage. Indeed, if we do blot it out, it is just as though we do not deign to subject ourselves to obedience to God, or that we pretend that the malice in men can hide and bury the good." pg. 27
"...let us pray to God to strengthen us in our weakness. This is not to indulge in self-flattery and pardon ourselves, like some people who, under the shadow of human weakness, give themselves permission to do everything, and then expect everyone to tolerate them!" pg. 28
"If God sends us some secret punishment, very well, it shows us that we have offended him and that we must benefit from this correction. But on the other hand, if God deals with us with direct force and exposes our afflictions to the sight of men so that we are embarrassed, we may then know that he is doubling the punishment because we have been too late in turning to him. Let us really benefit from this - When he publicly shows the punishments he is sending us - and let it be an opportunity to humble ourselves even more." pg. 29
Read Psalms 79:10; 94:3. David was warning the people not to spread the news of the death of Saul and Jonathan to the Philistines, so that the daughters of people who were profane, those who despised God and who were enemies of his Church, would not rejoice over it by triumphing and openly despising God"..."May the reproaches that are cast on him fall on us, as it says in Psalms 69 v. 9, so that we will make every endeavour to undo the effects of any scandal. And if our Lord permits his name to be blasphemed because of us, may it cause us to be even more distressed at our vices." pg. 30
"Now let us prostrate ourselves before his majesty, recognising our faults, praying that he may be pleased to make us feel them so deeply that we will call on him to pardon them, and also that we will want to correct them, driving ourselves to be increasingly stripped of them, and be clothed in his righteousness, so that we may be able truly to conform ourselves to his will..." pg. 31
"...yet it is particularly shocking if God sends an ignominious death to someone whom he ad previously elevated to dignity and high honour. It is true that the human condition is general. Everyone is subject to heat and cold, to hunger and thirst and many other needs, to illness and, finally, death...it causes horror...because if a man has been elevated by God to a place of high degree, the honour which he previously possessed causes the evil and adversity to shine more vividly." pg. 34
"Whenever we see God unleashing his anger against those who seemed to be chosen by him for public leadership, so that those very people are ruined, confounded, and destroyed, we have every reason to 'lower our eyes' and realise that it is the wrath of God - so that we may humbleourselves under his mighty hand and plod along much more carefully." pg. 35
Regarding God's punishment to his elects: "...anyonewho justifies the sinful is just as guilty before God as if he has condemned the innocent. The same principleistrue of legitimate wars." pg. 37
"But we must look out a hundred times and more before engaging in combat, to see whether God is calling us or not; whether we have been sent by him; and whether he really is authorising and advising us in this cause which we are understaking. When that is known for sure and approved ahead of time, then whoever is the most valiant is certainly the one who will be the minister of God in this situation." pg. 37
David praised the harmony between Saul and Jonathan, eventhough they are both very different in their souls. "And yet it is enough that their external condition was similar, and so David was mentioning in this hymn only those things which were apparent to men." pg. 38-39
The Scripture uses humour of abuse sometimes to elaborate the abundant blessings of God. (Gen 49:12). And as for women with clothing, as David's using here, it is clear that God abhors the excessive acts of such (Isa 3:16, 47:2),..."In summary, David wished to declare that under the kingdom of Saul, not only was everyone able to live in comfort, but that there had been a superabundance. He illustrated this prosperity by referring to numerous people who go much too far - especially women - as this vice of desiring only to primp and preen is more deply rooted in that sex." pg. 40-41
So when God so generously blesses us with abundance, we must remember to put ourselves under voluntary restraint. "...let us use it to provide us with sustenance so that we will be able to busy ourselves in the service of God and in helping our neighbours...for it is certain that God is testing him. When he gives us goods in abundance, it is to examine us to see if we will be responsible and maintain true modesty. For when there isa famine, people are forced to live modestly. And when a man is poor, he does nothave the leisure to think of acting ostentatiously. But when wehave the wherewithal and the opportunity, it shows that we know what it is to obey God, when in spite of the temptation to abuse it, wedo not fail to use the goods which God has put in our hands in accordance with his will." pg. 42
There are two vices in which we indulge, given over to pride and luxurious living, and act likepigs in the trough. Let us, therefore, be careful with regard to both of these risks." pg. 43
Another principle other than watching the two vices in which we indulge, is that "it is praiseworthy for a good prince to relieve his subjects' poverty...When, I say, a prince maintains these conditions, he will be valued far more highly than if he enriches twenty or so people who behave like famished wolves, eager to suck the blod of the poor and even break their bones whith their teeth and tear them apart piece by piece with their paws! That is what we are to remember fromthe praise which David gave to Saul here." pg. 44
Tim's Personal Note: David so carried away with his grief that his spirit was not calmly prepared to recognise the judgement of God...(pg. 44) compare with David's case with Uriah.
The "love of women" here is not that of mothers have for their children, but that which is found in marriage between husband and wife. "For just as God has loved his own from the greatest to the smallest, he wants us to be members of one body". pg. 45
'It was not right for him to have sunk as he did into the deapth of sorrow....let us note that the children of God are not insensitive, that they are saddened by the death of their neighbours and friends, and that they especially feel more regret, bitterness and pain over the loss of those whom God has bound very closely to them."
"When God seems to enjoy afflicting us and testing us over and over again, we should be willing to accept blows as long as he pleases to give them. Let us not give up in mid-stream." pg. 49
"...just as certainly as the blind cannot see even at high noon, so all the doctrine and insight of Scripture will be useless to us unless God blesses it by his Holy Spirit. Indeed, we will become much more confused every day, especially when we know in general what is good, but are unable to decide what particular course of action is to be chosen." pg. 50
"For each day someone may come to us with a difficult case, full of confusing contradictions which tie us in knots, so that finally we do not know which way to turn." pg. 52
"Even with all the evidence that God had ordained him king, still he dared not attempt to take possession of the crown, nor move his foot from the town where he was, even though he was in the land of his enemies. But he came to ask God to speak to him and tell him what to do." pg. 52
"...let us not be so self-assured that we fail to pray God to show us what is useful and expedient...And that is why people with the right attitude, who refuse to be governed by their base desires, arescorned by presumptuous and arrogant men." pg. 53
They had to use priestly ephod to seek God's will, "Now we have far more than that. Our Lord Jesus Christ came down here below to fulfil his promise to his disciples that he would no longer call them his servants, but his friends (John 15:15). This means that he has come so close to us that we can learn all we need to know like good pupils. This will prevent wild thoughts, and the brainstorms that lead to reckless behaviour." pg. 53-54
"Above all, when we need wisdom, let us realise that God reserves the right to give it, and not be so foolish as to attribute it to ourselves." pg. 54
"...how could the men of Judah dare anoint David, given that this would efface the orginal anointing, or declare it insufficient? And how could David allow it?..."
"We must note that that anointing was not like baptism, for we are baptised only once, and if we return for a second baptism, this is in effect wishing to negate the true baptism which was ordained by God. But anointing was different. For when Samuel came to David, it was to assure him that God had chosen and kept him. So when the people anointed David, they were not implying that what Samuel did wa ineffective, or that it was not powerful enough to accomplish anything. Rather, it is as though they were replying 'Amen', and ratifying what had been done. We should understand, therefore, that David is not elected king here by the desire of men, but that he received approbation because God authorised it, and thus men agree with it." In fact, it is a miracle for the tribe of Judah to do this, since they have just before followed their last king against David. pg. 54-55
"We must note in this passage that God holds the hearts of men in his hand (Prov. 21:1), and turns and controls them as it pleases him, in order to carry out his will." Even for our enemies, God holds their hearts, in astonishing ways, to make us advance. pg. 57
On God's Mercy: "Now this word 'mercy' means that God cannot love us orconsider us agreeable except out of his pure goodness and grace". pg. 60
"Let us realise that God will destroy all that men have undertaken themselves. He is well able to put out their fires or to use them for their own ruin." pg. 61
"Now let us prostrate ourselves before the majesty of our good God, recognising all our faults, praying to him that he may touch us with such repentance; that groaning over and confessing our sins, we may be displeased with them; and that we may be confused in ourselves and may seek in him all that is lacking in us. May this not only serve to abolish our past offences, but may it renew us in such fashion that, being clothed with this righteousness, we may glorify him in all our life and words and deeds and thoughts. Thus, let us all say, Almighty God, heavenly Father..." pg. 62
"...when it appears that at any hour all may be lost, still there will be those who want to elevate themselves, to seek to be honoured, and to take advantage of the situation. That is detestable, but since it has been so from the beginning, let us rise above it and do our best to correct the evil as much as possible. And let us see to it that we ourselves are never turned from the truth." and as for David, he was all the more grievous, for 7.5 years. One would think that God would give him rest after Saul's death. It was as if David's first day of office was handed to him in a divorce disaster. pg. 67
It is sad for the two sides of Israel to war each other in Gibeon. "Scripture says that there was nowhere else among all the heathen nations where God manifested his will as he did in Israel (Deut. 4:7-8, 32-40)." pg. 69
To these people with cruel malice, pride and presumption, it has always been like a game as Abner says, 'Now then, let the young men play'(2 Sam. 2:14). pg. 70
"when we see that happen, let us close our eyes and pray to God that he would make us feel, and would show us in effect, that our lives are precious to him, as he says in the 116th Psalm: 'Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints' (Psa. 116:15)." pg. 71
Joab was considered a servant of God, one who upholds His Word. He's David's captain. But when badly advised, "evil then is doubled"... "Joab was motivated here by ambition, for he did not want to let Abner get the better of him, and thus let him be puffed up with pride. Hence he agrees to this game, which ought to have been abhorrent to him." pg.72
"It is true, as I have already said, that we cannot avoid them, for God intends to prove us by them. Hence we are constrained to fight, but let it be in spite of ourselves. and moreover, when we are involved, we must be very carefully to pray to God that he will govern the hearts of his own-for today we see once again that in the army marshalled under the name of Jesus Christ and of the Gospel, there are many rascals among the troops. Some of them are there to strip and pillage, and others to commit outrages; some to satisfy their appetite for vengeance; others to murder no matter how' and still others for publicity." pg. 72
"Rather, let us humble ourselves, and although we see our enemies so addicted to evil, let us not be ashamed to seek their good as far as we can. However, that will not prevent us from resorting to arms when it is necessary. In that case we will do all that necessity requires. But be that as it may, let no evil proceed from us, and let us never seek to shed human blood, expect to maintain the cause of God when it is necessary. That, then, is another point which we take from the death of the twenty-four who killed one another, which is spoken of here." pg. 73
"Let us not make it an occasion to rejoice in ourselves when it pleases God to make us feel his blessing." pg. 74
"...when God gives us strength and it seems that we are well fortified, that is not to make us eager in our desire to throw ourselves into the firing line, confiding in our strength. Rather, let us rise above our passions and always keep our eyes on our Captain and Protector by whom we are guided...And may we ever look straight in front of us, so that we will not proceed foolishly, and be ruined. But may we never take a step unless the way is shown to us by him!" pg. 75
"Now let us prostrate ourselves before the majesty of our good God, recognising the infinite faults of which we are guilty, praying to him that he may more and more cause us to feel them, and hat this may serve to lead us into a true repentance and to strip us utterly of our carnal affections, so that we are clothed with his righteousness. May we be patient in all our adversities, peaceable and modest with one another; yet may we on our part be courageous when fighting for him is at stake. And above all, let us take up spiritual arms to battle against Satan and against all iniquity (Eph. 6:11-12; 2 Cor. 10:3-5). And let us not doubt that he will assist and strengthen us more and more when we request this of him with sincere affection, until he brings all our battles to an end and calls us to his eternal rest. And may he not only grant us this grace..." pg. 76
"The first detail that we must notice concerning the death of Asahel is that he was 'swift in running'. This is inteded to show that those who have some strong point always presume on it morethan they should." pg. 77
"Hence, let us learn to be brave according to rule, and not according to rashness." pg. 80
On Abner's change of attitude towards battle (From game to stopping bloodshed), "We often see that those who have been the most addicted to tyranny and cruelty become religious hypocrites and use beautiful rhetoric when they realize that they can do nothing more. If necessary they are ready to seek peace. When they have the upper hand, it is certain that they do not care how much confusion they cause." pg. 81-82
Abner, "He foresees dangers, true enough; but as we have said, this is an example to make us wary of those who have neither principle nor law." pg. 83
"But though we are warned about such situations, let us always listen to reason. For while we have no faith in what they say, that still does not mean we must attack head-on without good counsel, even though it is not legitimate to accept everything they say. We must always listen to reason and truth as proceeding from God (no matter what its source), even though we do not respect wicked speakers, such as teachers and doctors." pg. 83
Joab's reply detested Abner's accusation, that as if only Joab's men want bloodshed. Thereby excusing Joab himself, rightly so. And as though calling God as witness, that Abner would be all the more convicted. pg. 83
"Now we know that hypocrites always have new subterfuges. One thing that we can never do is win them over, for truth does not matter to them. They will argue to the very end, and will still have some kind of reply. That is why Joab swears 'by the living God' that if Abner had not first started it, everyone would have gone away and would have ceased pursuing their brethren."..."For what have we gained when we have washed our hands before men and have made them believe that we are innocent, and yet our conscience condemns us both before God and his angels? Let us, therefore, look within ourselves when we have reason to protest our integrity, to purge ourselves from slander directed at us, and to rid ourselves of defamation of character. Let us do this as in the presence of God, and let him be our Witness, our Judge and Defender."..."Therefore, as far as we can, let us prevent all contentions, for where the fire is lit it is difficult to put out. So as much as we can, let us resist starting anything, and when the devil tries to incite us to contentions and debates, let us be prepared ahead of time not to give him an opening. For when he gets in, it is very hard to run him out. We must also remember that point from this passage concerning the protestations of Joab." pg. 84
The cost of heresy, making it a double war in the Church, may be necessary to kill one another, "for poison, when it is widespread, does far more evil than the sword."...in 1Cor. 11:19, Paul mentioned the unavoidable presence of heresies and controversies and debates from time to time even to the point of killing one another as Paul says that he will carry on amid seditions. 2 Cor. 6:5. "He says that he was not able to avoid seditions and quarrels. Now that is a terrible word, and we should detest it-and not without cause. Even so, it was still necessary that St. Paul, who was of a docile and patient spirit, should experience it. Why? Because the devil never ceases to incite and inflame all his followers to do battle; so much so that the Gospel cannot be preached without fires being started, without troubles, battles, wars and many calamities among those who claim to be the very people of God, as was the case in olden days." pg. 86-87
It is true that Abner did wrong when he consented to this ridiculous game, but still it was right for im to take up arms. "And why? Because the fight was good and just and approved by God. It would have been by no means proper for David to give up his right to the crown and to fail to go forward when God had given him his hand. Now then, are we to condemn those who fight not merely under a mortal man, but for the truth of God, for his service, for the pure religion, for the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ?" pg. 87
"Therefore, let us note well when there are wars inside the Church, that even if the matter is wrong in itself, still that does not mean that one should confuse judgement by considering both parties in the same class or as wrapped up together in the same bundle. That would be a failure to discern properly. And even when there are two opposing camps in the Church, if one is opposing the truth of God in order to overthrow it and the other holds to the good so that it may always follow what is commanded, it is certain that whoever is neutral will be disloyal and a traitor. For we are not to follow a compromising course, as when we see one side fight for the name of God, and indeed forthe cause of our salvation, and yet fold our arms. Nor are we to be in the position of knowing how to use our tongue to speak evil and yet not daring to utter a word to maintain the honour of God. So today there are many who would like to be neutral in the midst of all these troubles. They think: 'Very well, I do not want to be involved on one side orthe other.I will waitand see who is going to be the strongest and is more likely to win.' So it is a matter (for believers) of becoming as deeply involved as possible. Therefore, far be it from us to condemn those who follow the riht party. So much, then, for this exhortation." pg. 87-88
Nonetheless, let us try to carry on with peace, as Joab in this matter, when he had compassion on his unfortunate brethren. pg. 88
"Therefore, even when we do battle for the cause of God, we should still seek reconciliation when it is genuine and necessary, but not hollow reconciliations. Forit would be much better for everything to be lost than to act falsely in any way, so that the service of God, above all, might be carried out in integrity, as befits pure religion." pg. 88
"But when we see miserable folk scattered, let us not fail to pray to the Lord that he will be pleased to build up his flock...pour his Spirit out upon those today who are given over to evil and who nevertheless belong to him according to his secret decree and are eventually to serve him along with us...pray that they will be made ready for this sacred union with us, and be dedicated to the name of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; that they will be joint soldiers with us in his defence, and that in this way human blood will be spared." Such is the lesson from this story of the killing of 380 men. pg. 88
"For when he retreated with a much larger army than Joab, slinking away like a dog with his tail between his legs, that, I say, is a confession which shows how much he realised that he was defeated. But even so, he still did not return to or subject himself to David...Therefore, let us note that however much the wicked never cease to be enemies of God, still if we seek the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ - that everyone shouyld be given over to his obedience - God will bless it. For we cannot exterminate all the wicked from this world...Then let us attempt to reform all those who are not totally incorrigible, and at the same time leave the others to the judgement of God...It is true that those who are in charge of justice ought to punish those living in their land and country. Nevertheless, when one has done all one's duty, one must realise that there will be the wicked who remain among the good, so that the Church of God will always have to fight, either with weapons or with verbal disputations." pg. 89-90
"...that Joab came to Hebron to have fellowship with David. Well, the papists and enemies of God would certainly like to make peace with us in such a way that they would then be able to ruin us, so that we would no longer know what it means to be on David's side, nor what the pure religion is. That is what they are attempting. We must withstand such malice in all cases and, above all, have no agreement or understanding with them." pg 90
"...always hold fast to our Lord Jesus, our Captain and our Head...hold on to the doctrine of his Gospel, that he may govern with all authority, and excercise his sovereign authority over his Church, so as to maintain it and that he may govern us by his Word. When we have done that, I say, if there are some who wish to perish, then let them perish. But be that as it may, at least let us not perish because of our own cowardice...when it seems that heaven and earth are against us, nevertheless, let us be assured of our good cause, let us bravely follow David - not the one who was a temporal king, but our Lord Jesus Christ, the sovereign King. He has taken us under his protection and to him all power is given by God his Father (Matt. 28:18), with the result that when we are his obedient people, as the Psalms say, he will distribute to us our necessary and sufficient portion (Psa. 81:14ff.; 85:9ff.; 110)... Now let us prostrate ourselves before the majesty of our good God, recognising all our faults, praying that he will make us feel them so much that it will cause us more and more to be displeased with ourselves. Let us pray that, in our afflictions and in all our battles, he will give us an invincible constancy, so that we may walk the narrow path according to his Word, and rest totally on him, making no compromise with the wicked when we are aware of their cruelty and craft. At the same time, may we have pity on them without deviating from what is taught us by our Lord. Thus may we always be at his disposal and totally dedicated to his glory, so that we will never deviate or turn from our vocation, in any way. And may he show this grace not only to us..." pg. 91
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