Mercy Has Swallowed Up All Misery

John Calvin by Hans Hoblein

This is one of my favorite quotes from Calvin. Read and rejoice!

Every good thing we could think or desire is to be found in this same Jesus Christ alone. For, He was sold, to buy us back; captive to deliver us; condemned, to absolve us; He was made a curse for our blessing, sin offering for our righteousness; marred that we may be made fair; He died for our life; so that buy Him fury is made gentle, wrath appeased, darkness turned into light, fear reassured, despisal despised, debt canceled, labor lightened, sadness made merry, misfortune made fortunate, difficulty easy, disorder ordered, division united, ignominy ennobled, rebellion subjected, intimidation intimidated, ambush uncovered, assaults assailed, force forced back, combat combated, war warred against, vengeance avenged, torment tormented, damnation damned, the abyss sunk into the abyss, hell transfixed, death dead, mortality made immortal. In short, mercy has swallowed up all misery, and goodness all misfortune. For all these things which were to be the weapons of the devil in his battle against us, and the sting of death to pierce us, are turned for us into exercises which we can turn to our profit. If we are able to boast with the Apostle, saying, O hell, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? It is because by the Spirit of Christ, we live no longer, but Christ lives within us.

--John Calvin, "Preface to Olivetan's New Testament," in Calvin's Commentaries vol. 23, Library of Christian Classics, ed. Joseph Haroutunian (Louisville, KY: Westminster, 1958), 69-70.