"In the Name of God, I, Jean Calvin, Minister of the Word of God in the Church of Geneva, feel so exhausted through various diseases, that I cannot but think that God wants to take me out of this world speedily....I thank God for not only showing mercy to me as His poor creature and for dragging me out of the pit of idolatry into which I had descended – for putting me into the light of the Gospel and for making me a sharer in the doctrine of salvation of which I was so unworthy....For He has tolerated me even in the midst of all my sins and weaknesses which really deserved rejection by Him a thousand times....

"But I also thank Him for moreover giving me the grace to be able to serve Him through my work. I declare that, according to the measure of grace given to me, I have endeavoured to preach His Word purely and to expound Holy Scripture faithfully. In all struggles against the enemies of the truth..., I have defended His cause uprightly. Alas, the desire and the zeal which I had – if one can call it that – have been so cold and lax, that I feel indebted in all things and all places....If it were not for His great and infinite kindness, all the affection that I have had, would be only smoke. To see the good things that He has done for me, only makes me more guilty – so that my only recourse is to that One Who, being the Father of mercy, may be, and shows Himself to be, the Father of one who is such a wretched sinner."