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John Calvin
John Calvin (1509–1564). Born on July 10, 1509, in Noyon, France, John Calvin was a French theologian, pastor, and reformer whose teachings shaped Protestantism. Initially studying law at the University of Orléans, he embraced Reformation ideas by 1533, fleeing Catholic France after a crackdown. In 1536, he published Institutes of the Christian Religion, a seminal work articulating Reformed theology, emphasizing God’s sovereignty and predestination. Settling in Geneva, he became a preacher at St. Pierre Cathedral, implementing church reforms, though he was exiled in 1538 over disputes, only to return in 1541. Calvin’s sermons, often expository, drew thousands, and he founded the Geneva Academy in 1559 to train pastors. His writings, including commentaries on nearly every Bible book, influenced global Protestantism. Married to Idelette de Bure in 1540, he had no surviving children and was widowed in 1549. He died on May 27, 1564, in Geneva, saying, “Scripture is the school of the Holy Spirit.”
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John Calvin emphasizes the importance of praying in faith according to God's commands, rather than selfish desires, by relying on God's word and promises. He highlights the need to mix meditations with prayers to maintain true confidence and fervor in our communication with God. Calvin points out that David's declaration of being saved by God as an upright in heart signifies having an approving conscience and being under God's protection, emphasizing the significance of inward purity and faith.
Arise, O Lord, in Thine Anger, Lift Up Thyself Because of the Rage of Mine Enemies
Arise, O Lord, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. —Psalm 7:6, 10 And, indeed, we can never pray in faith unless we attend, in the first place, to what God commands, that our minds may not rashly and at random start aside in desiring more than we are permitted to desire and pray for. David, therefore, in order to pray aright, reposes himself on the word and promise of God; and the import of his exercise is this: Lord, I am not led by ambition, or foolish headstrong passion, or depraved desire, inconsiderately to ask from thee whatever is pleasing to my flesh; but it is the clear light of thy word which directs me, and upon it I securely depend. Is it not wonderful that David often mingles meditations with his prayers, thereby to inspire himself with true confidence? We may go to God in prayer with great alacrity; but our fervor, if it does not gather new strength, either immediately fails or begins to languish. David, therefore, in order to continue in prayer with the same ardor of devotion and affection with which he commenced, brings to his recollection some of the most common truths of religion, and by this means fosters and invigorates his faith. He declares that as God saves the upright in heart, he is perfectly safe under his protection. Whence it follows, that he had the testimony of an approving conscience. And as he does not simply say the righteous, but the upright in heart, he appears to have an eye to that inward searching of the heart and reins mentioned in the preceding verse. —Commentaries
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John Calvin (1509–1564). Born on July 10, 1509, in Noyon, France, John Calvin was a French theologian, pastor, and reformer whose teachings shaped Protestantism. Initially studying law at the University of Orléans, he embraced Reformation ideas by 1533, fleeing Catholic France after a crackdown. In 1536, he published Institutes of the Christian Religion, a seminal work articulating Reformed theology, emphasizing God’s sovereignty and predestination. Settling in Geneva, he became a preacher at St. Pierre Cathedral, implementing church reforms, though he was exiled in 1538 over disputes, only to return in 1541. Calvin’s sermons, often expository, drew thousands, and he founded the Geneva Academy in 1559 to train pastors. His writings, including commentaries on nearly every Bible book, influenced global Protestantism. Married to Idelette de Bure in 1540, he had no surviving children and was widowed in 1549. He died on May 27, 1564, in Geneva, saying, “Scripture is the school of the Holy Spirit.”