Tracts & Letters (Vol 6) - Calvin - VII - Letters CCCCXVIII to CCCCXXXV

Required reading
Tracts and Letters (Volume 6) by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Letters CCCCXVIII to CCCCXXXV.

My summary
Today we read letters from 1555 and 1556 addressed to the Brethren of Chambery, Farel, Richard Vauville, the Church of Frankfort, the King of Poland, Bullinger, Nicholas Zerkinden, John Clauburger, the ministers of the Church of Frankfort, the French Church of Frankfort, Viret, Beza, the Church of Angers, John Laski and Ambrose Blaurer.

A number of the letters were taken up with the church at Frankfort dividing over who would be their minister.

But we also heard about:
(i) persecutions of Protestants;
(ii) the advance of the gospel;
(iii) Westphal's ongoing bad influence;
(iv) the poor relations between Geneva and Berne;
(v) Calvin's health.

What grabbed me
I continue to enjoy Calvin's encouragement to the persecuted: 'I doubt not, however, but our merciful Father comforteth you, to fortify you with patience, and that you yourselves strive to exhort one another, as indeed need is. For it is one of Satan's prime devices to sap and destroy, by long lapse of time, those that he cannot bring down at one blow. But I trust that he has not surprised you unawares, as God must have endowed you with constancy to endure even unto the end. But however that may be, you stand in need of continual exercise to maintain yourselves in obedience to God, waiting for the issue which he reserves; without fainting, though it be delayed. Speaking after the manner of men, I am at a loss what to say, seeing matters in such confusion every where. But I hope, however things turn out, that God will at last fill our hearts with joy, after having left you as it were to pine away ; for he sees so many of his children in continual anxiety on your account, that he will not fail to lend an ear to their desires. Should we have the means of relieving you in any manner whatever, fail not to put us in mind of it, with full assurance that each of us will bestir himself according to his opportunity. For the rest, look steadfastly to the Father of mercies, practising what is said in the psalm : It is to him we must cast our eyes, when men assail us, and when we are destitute of all defence.'

It is so true that one of Satan's prime devices is to sap and destroy by long lapse of time those that he cannot bring down at one blow. 

If we are going to persevere to the end, we need endurance for the long-term battles.

Next week's reading
Read Letters CCCCXXXVI to CCCCLI.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.