The Sorrows of Death and the Source of Religion
HE absurd ceremonies in which our Reformer was trained to believe we have already noticed. The arrow of conviction had, however, entered, and when sent by the Spirit to the heart, human hands can
neither withdraw it nor heal the wound. It sunk deeper, and Calvin’s trouble of soul increased. The sorrows of death compassed him, and the pains of hell got hold upon him; he found trouble and sorrow.
‘But Robert Olivetan persuaded him to study religion in its source, for which he was obliged to come to the Bible. From the history of the Church he could find when the various ceremonies there adopted; he knew that, compared with the Bible, they were of modern date. But to be seen studying the Scriptures was to incur suspicion; to turn to them to see if the Church were right would be to commit a mortal sin.;
What could he do? God was convincing him of his need of a Saviour and of the insufficiency of all human inventions.
. With agitated mind he opened the old Book wherein hundreds of thousands have read their justification by the eye of faith.
THE REDEEMED SINNER’S NEED.
He opened it and he read; he read to discover, like Paul, that God required spiritual service, that His law was spiritual, but that he was carnal, sold under sin. To his ceremonies he returned again with double energy, but found no more relief than did the prophets of Baal by calling upon their god.
No, relief was not here; dead forms may satisfy a dead sinner, but a new born soul thirsts for the living God. Urged by the doctors, who saw his distress, Calvin went to confession. But what could a poor sinful mortal, manmediator do? Alas, nothing!
Calvin had discovered that his secret sins were set in the light of God’s countenance; that there was an infinite distance and an infinite difference between God and himself. The law had entered; sin had revived and death was working within him. He needed a Mediator that could make an atonement for sin; span the infinite distance between God and his soul; reconcile the difference; abolish death and bring life and immortality to light.
THE PRISONER RELEASED AND PARDON SEALED.
Tn this state he went on reading till light began to dawn upon his mind, and the sacred healing balm from Jesus’ wounds began to flow into his soul through Isaiah liii, 5: “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him: and with His stripes we are healed.”
At length he found the relief his soul needed, not in Rome’s dead ceremoniés, but by faith in a crucified and risen Christ, his burden rolled off. Now as a reconciled sinner John Calvin could look up to God as his Father. The Spirit of adoption had entered his heart. ‘O Father,” he exclaimed, ‘O Father, His sacrifice has appeased Thy wrath; His blood has washed away my inigquities; His cross has borne my curse; His death has atoned for me!”
Thus tried and thus liberated, John Calvin was being fitted for a Reformer. No longer could this enlightened, liberated believer in Jesus worship the material cross, nor any of those instruments of torture employed by the crucifiers of Jesus. Ignorant and deluded indeed must that poor sinner be who thinks he is pleasing the Lord by honouring the instruments of His torture. Yet man, left to himself, will worship and serve the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed for ever.. Amen.