Tracts and Letters (Volume 2) by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here). Read Chapters II (Forms of prayer), III (Form of administering the sacraments) and IV (Visitation of the sick).
Today we read some odds and ends from Calvin.
Firstly we read some personal prayers:
(i) prayer for the morning;
(ii) prayer on preparing to go to school;
(iii) blessing at the table;
(iv) thanksgiving after meat;
(v) prayer at night on going to sleep.
Secondly we are given some forms of prayer for Church, including around the Lord's supper and in the circumstances of Pestilence, War and other calamities.
Thirdly we read Calvin's orders of service for administering the sacraments: baptism and the Lord's supper.
Fourthly we read an order of service for marriages.
Then we finish our reading with Calvin's thoughts on the minister's responsibilities for visiting the sick.
I really liked the order of service for marriages, so much that I think I will offer it to couples as a possible option when I marry them.
But I also enjoyed the prayer for preparing to go to school: 'Lord, who art the fountain of all wisdom and learning, since thou of thy special goodness hast granted that my youth is instructed in good arts which may assist me to honest and holy living, grant also, by enlightening my mind, which otherwise labours under blindness, that I may be fit to acquire knowledge ; strengthen my memory faithfully to retain what I may have learned : and govern my heart, that I may be willing and even eager to profit, lest the opportunity which thou now givest me be lost through my sluggishness. Be pleased therefore to infuse thy Spirit into me, the Spirit of understanding, of truth, judgment, and prudence, lest my study be without success, and the labour of my teacher be in vain. In whatever kind of study I engage, enable me to remember to keep its proper end in view, namely, to know thee in Christ Jesus thy Son ; and may every thing that I learn assist me to observe the right rule of godliness. And seeing thou promisest that thou wilt bestow wisdom on babes, and such as are humble, and the knowledge of thyself on the upright in heart, while thou declarest that thou wilt cast down the wicked and the proud, so that they will fade away in their ways, I entreat that thou wouldst be pleased to turn me to true humility, that thus I may show myself teachable and obedient first of all to thyself, and then to those also who by thy authority are placed over me. Be pleased at the same time to root out all vicious desires from my heart, and inspire it with an earnest desire of seeking thee. Finally, let the only end at which I aim be so to qualify myself in early life, that when I grow up I may serve thee in whatever station thou mayest assign me. Amen.'
I think I will start praying this one on a regular basis, maybe before sermon preparation.
Next week's reading
Read Chapters V (Brief confession of faith) and VI (Confession of faith of the reformed churches of France).
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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