Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Cast Your Anchor In Heaven

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; (Heb. 6.19)

John Calvin, Letters of Jean Calvin, Vol. 4, p. 193 (Letter 595 to Admiral Coligny, May 1561):

It is true, that to fortify yourself to serve him constantly, you must look higher than the world, as the Apostle also exhorts us to cast our anchor in the heaven.

John Calvin, Letters of Jean Calvin, Vol. 4, p. 222 (Letter 619 to Admiral Coligny, September 24, 1561):

But it is a good lesson for you, Monseigneur, when there is neither shore nor bottom in those that tossed by the vanity of the world, to fix the deeper your anchor in heaven, as we are exhorted to do by the Apostle.

John Calvin, Letters of Jean Calvin, Vol. 4, p. 267 (Letter 627 to the Queen of Navarre, March 22, 1562):

Therefore, should the whole world be turned upside down, if our anchor is cast in heaven, however tossed we may be, most assuredly we shall arrive in safety at the harbour.

John Calvin, Letters of Jean Calvin, Vol. 4, p. 429 (Letter by Jean Macar (1520-1560, Genevan missionary to France who married Calvin's neice, undated, c. 1558, Library of Geneva, Vol. 112, to John Calvin):

The king multiplies his threats, and declares that he will not give himself any rest till he has extirpated from his kingdom the very last heretic. As for us, who have our anchor fixed in heaven, we sail amidst storms, as if we were in a quiet haven.

John Calvin, Commentary on Gen. 27.42:

And as he did not attempt to purchase temporal peace with his brother by the loss of the grace received; so must we beware lest any carnal advantage or any allurements of the world should draw us aside from the course of our vocation: let us rather bear with magnanimity losses of all kinds, so that the anchor of our hope nay remain fixed in heaven.

John Calvin, Commentary on Ps. 119.89:

As we see nothing constant or of long continuance upon earth, he elevates our minds to heaven, that they may fix their anchor there.

John Calvin, Commentary on John 20.29:

Faith has, indeed, its own sight but one which does not confine its view to the world, and to earthly objects. For this reason it is called a demonstration of things invisible or not seen, (Hebrews 11:1;) and Paul contrasts it with sight, (2 Corinthians 5:7,) meaning, that it does not rest satisfied with looking at the condition of present object, and does not cast its eye in all directions to those things which are visible in the world, but depends on the mouth of God, and, relying on His word, rises above the whole world, so as to fix its anchor in heaven.

J.K. Reid, Calvin: Theological Treatises, p. 330:

...we are joined to Christ only if our minds rise above the world. Accordingly the bond of our union with Christ is faith, which raises us upwards and casts its anchor in heaven, so that, instead of subjecting Christ to the fictions of our reason, we seek him above in his glory.

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