Against the persecution of a tyrant the godly have no remedy but prayer.
John CalvinRead
Prosperity inebriates men, so that they take delights in their own merits.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Wealth can cloud people's judgment and lead them to become overly proud of their accomplishments.
This quote by John Calvin suggests that prosperity can intoxicate individuals, making them excessively self-satisfied and unaware of their limitations. It warns against the vanity that can accompany success and encourages humility, reminding us that one's achievements should not lead to arrogance or neglect of others.
Themes
ProsperityVanityHumilitySuccessSelf-Satisfaction
In practice
Example use cases
A speaker at an economic forum might use this quote to highlight the importance of humility in business.
More from John Calvin
All quotes βThe pastor ought to have two voices: one, for gathering the sheep; and another, for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves. The Scripture supplies him with the means of doing both.
John CalvinRead
Man is never sufficiently touched and affected by the awareness of his lowly state until he has compared himself with God's majesty.
John CalvinRead
Whomever the Lord has adopted and deemed worthy of His fellowship ought to prepare themselves for a hard, toilsome, and unquiet life, crammed with very many and various kinds of evil.
John CalvinRead
For as the aged, or those whose sight is defective, when any book, however fair, is set before them, though they perceive that there is something written, are scarcely able to make out two consecutive words, but, when aided by glasses, begin to read distinctly, so Scripture, gathering together the impressions of Deity, which, till then, lay confused in our minds, dissipates the darkness, and shows us the true God clearly.
John CalvinRead
When God wants to judge a nation, He gives them wicked rulers.
John CalvinRead
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He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.
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Observe what is with undivided awareness.
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