It is very odd how difficult it
seems for some persons to understand just what Calvinism is. And yet the matter
itself presents no difficulty whatever. It is capable of being put into a
single sentence; and that, on level to every religious man's comprehension. For
Calvinism is just religion in its purity. We have only, therefore, to conceive
of religion in its purity, and that is Calvinism.
In what attitude of mind and
heart does religion come most fully to its rights? Is it not in the attitude of
prayer? When we kneel before God, not with the body merely, but with the mind
and heart, we have assumed the attitude which above all others deserves the
name of religious. And this religious attitude by way of eminence is obviously
just the attitude of utter dependence and humble trust. He who comes to God in
prayer, comes not in a spirit of self-assertion, but in a spirit of trustful
dependence. No one ever addressed God in prayer thus: "0 God, thou knowest
that I am the architect of my own fortunes and the determiner of my own
destiny. Thou mayest indeed do something to help me in the securing of my
purposes after I have determined upon them. But my heart is my own, and thou
canst not intrude into it; my will is my own, and thou canst not bend it. When
I wish thy aid, I will call on thee for it. Meanwhile, thou must await my
pleasure." Men may reason somewhat like this; but that is not the way they
pray. There did, indeed, once two men go up into the temple to pray. And one
stood and prayed thus to himself (can it be that this "to himself"
has a deeper significance than appears on the surface?), "God, I thank
thee that I am not as the rest of men." While the other smote his breast,
and said, "God be merciful to me a sinner." Even the former
acknowledged a certain dependence on God; for he thanked God for his virtues.
But we are not left in doubt in which one the religious mood was most purely
exhibited. There is One who has told us that with clearness and emphasis.
