558 Quotes by John Calvin

The marks of Jesus are imprisonment, chains, scourgings, blows and stoning in bearing testimony to the Gospel. Galatians 6:17 – 17 Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

Indeed, the holiest among us know they stand by God’s grace and not by their own virtues. Yet they would nevertheless become too confident in their own courage and constancy if they weren’t led to a more intimate knowledge of themselves by the testing of the cross.

Peace and friendship are an amiable thing among men. They be so indeed, and we ought to seek them to the uttermost of our power. But yet for all that, we must set such store by God’s truth, that if all the world should be set on fire for the maintenance thereof, we should not stick at it.

Because the will renewed is the Lord’s work, it is wrongly attributed to man that he obeys prevenient grace with his will as attendant.

The poor man yields to the rich, the plebeian to the noble, the servant to the master, the unlearned to the learned, and yet every one inwardly cherishes some idea of his own superiority.

It is certain that not one drop of rain falls without God’s sure command.

This is how we can distinguish true religion from superstition: when the Word of God directs us, there is true religion; but when each man follows his own opinion, or when men join together to follow an opinion they hold in common, the result is always concocted superstition.

Since he has so chosen us, we belong to him, more especially because he has bought us by the blood of his Son.

Each of us thinks we have just cause for elevating ourselves and despising all others in comparison to ourselves – our self-love ruins us with such blindness. If, in fact, God has gifted us with something that is good in itself, we immediately make it the basis for praising ourselves to such a degree that we not only swell up but almost burst with pride.