Quotes from John Calvin

the apostle teaches us that nothing from us will please God, unless we are purged by the blood of Christ. Since

The general reason why Christ received baptism was, that he might   render full obedience to the Father; and the special reason was, that   he might consecrate baptism in his own body, that we might have it in   common with him.

Rom. 7:10, that the law is turned into a source of ruin for us, not because it is evil but because we are wicked. Therefore

Thus our arrogance grows as we seek to exalt ourselves above others, as if we were different from them. Truly, there's no one who does not flippantly and boldly disregard and despise others as inferiors. Yes

The knowledge of ourselves, therefore, is not only an incitement to seek after God, but likewise a considerable assistance towards finding him.

all worship is unclean and wicked unless purified by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ.

But Scripture praises everywhere his pure and unmixed mercy, which does away with all merit.

The law, in so far as it leads men to put their confidence in it, consigns them necessarily to death. The

They do not therefore apprehend God as he offers himself, bbut imagine him as they have fashioned him in their own presumption.

The nature of pure and genuine religion…consists in faith, united with a serious fear of God, comprehending a voluntary reverence, and producing legitimate worship agreeable to the injunctions of the law.

Likewise, what grounds He gives us to consider His mercy! When He does not stop showing His mercy to miserable sinners, leading them back to Him by His more than paternal mercy until their obstinacy is broken down by His benefits.

for in our own day we see many who are stupid enough to be so overcome by the mere title of "the church," that they take sides with the pope, and would be damned forever rather than raise a finger against his authority.

The word 'hope' I take for faith; and indeed, hope is nothing else but the constancy of faith.

But we must always come back to this consolation: The Lord planned our sorrow, so let us submit to his will. Even in the throes of grief, groans, and tears, we must encourage ourselves with this reflection, so that our hearts may cheerfully bear up while the storms pass over our heads (John 21:18).

there shall never be quietness for the Kingdom of Christ in this world, because it will always be infested and troubled by its enemies. Secondly

the Word of God we read is written not so much with ink as with the blood of the Son of God; or

before we receive any knowledge of God's Fatherly good will for us, the blood of Christ must intercede for us and restore us to God's favor. Besides

The worship of God is…the only thing which renders men superior to brutes, and makes them aspire to immortality.

For he has this comfort, which provides greater security to him than the highest peak of wealth or power— he knows that his affairs are ordered by the Lord and, as such, promote his salvation. We see this sentiment in David, who, while following God and entrusting himself to God's rule, declared: "I do not occupy myself with things too great and marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother" (Ps. 131:1–2).

It was in olden times truly observed by Cato, that there is great concern about the appearance of the body but great carelessness about virtue. There is also an old proverb, that they who pay much attention to the body generally neglect the soul.

we should learn that there is no light in the law, or even in the whole Word of God, without Christ who is the Sun of Righteousness.

The characteristic of a true sovereign is, to acknowledge that, in the administration of his kingdom, he is a minister of God. He who does not make his reign subservient to the divine glory, acts the part not of a king, but a robber.

let us remember that while life is promised in Christ to all who believe, only a small part of the people are believers. Christ

For very few persons are concerned about the way that leads to heaven, but all are anxious to know, before the time, what passes there.