The commentaries of M. John Calvin upon the Acts of the Apostles, faithfully translated…The commentaries of M. Iohn Caluin vpon the Actes of the Apostles, faithfully translated…

And this should be in vain, unless the Spirit of god should direct the faithful to keep it: and that solemn protestation of Moses seemeth to put the matter out of doubt, when he saith that he giveth precepts to the Jews: not such as they may read, but in deed fulfil. Deu. 30.¹ Whence we gather that the yoke was laid upon the neck of the Jews when the law was given, that it might make them subject to God, that they might not live as them lusted. I answer, that the law is counted a yoke two ways. For in as much as it bridleth the lusts of the flesh, and delivereth a rule of godly & holy life, it is meet that the children of God take this yoke upon them, but in as much as it doth exactly prescribe what we owe to God, and doth not promise life without adding the condition of perfect obedience: and doth again denounce a curse, if we shall in any point offend: it is a yoke which no man is able to bear. I will show this more plainly. The plain doctrine of good life, wherein God doth invite us unto himself, is a yoke, which we must all of us willingly take up. For there is nothing more absurd, then that God should not govern mans life, but that he should wander at pleasure without any bridle. Therefore we must not refuse the yoke of the law,² if the simple doctrine thereof be considered. But these sayings do otherwise qualify (that I may so term it) the law. He which shall do these things shall live in them, &c. Again, Cursed is he which continueth not in all things which are written▪ that it may begin to be a yoke which no man can bear. For so long as salvation is promised ro the perfect keeping of the law alone, & every transgression is called into judgement, mankind is utterly undone. In this respect doeth Peter affirm that God is tempted, when mans arrogance doth burden the consciences of men with the Law. For it is not his purpose to deny, but that men must be governed by the doctrine of the law, and so he granteth that they be under the law not ⟨p. 365⟩simply to teach, but also to humble men with the gilt of eternal death, considering that that quality was annexed unto doctrine, he affirmeth that the souls of the godly must not be tied with the yoke of the law: because by this means it should of necessity come to pass that they should be drowned in eternal destruction.