The sermons of M. John Calvin, upon the Epistle of S. Paul too the…The sermons of M. Iohn Caluin, vpon the Epistle of S. Paule too the…

And he sayeth expressly, that Utterance might be given him in opening of his mouth. As if he should say, that God might give him such courage and constancy, as he might not speak faintly, ⟨image 360⟩but freely preach the Gospel, and not conceal any thing that might serve too let forth the grace of our Jord Jesus Christ, and the infinite benefits that he hath brought us. That is the thing which Saint Paul meant by the opening of his mouth. Now experience showeth, that he did not without cause desire of God that his mouth might be opened as a gate or door: for he useth the same term in the forealledged place of the fourth too the Colossians. For such as shun death, (that is too wit, the most part of them that profess the preaching of the Gospel,) will not stick too say somewhat too the matter: but yet they do oftentimes so disguise the right, or else speak it so fearfully: as the hearers wot not what they mean by it, their words shall be so entangled. Too be short, whereas they should show with loud and shrill voice, what our Lord Jesus Christ is, what Gods service is, what the true religion is, what faith and repentance is: they touch them as it were at glance: but as for too rip up matters, and too search them too the bottom, they cannot away with that. And why? For they see peril hanging over their heads, if they should use such freeness. Howbeit, Gods true servants must practise that which Saint Paul sayeth too Timothy:¹ namely that they have not a slavish and cowardly hart, but march forth freely in their vocation, too overpass all the furiousness of the world, and to have a brazen forehead,² as it is said in Jeremiah. And although they see many hard battles, and that they cannot please the world in doing their duty, but that they shall have the enmity of many men for exalting the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ as they ought too do: yet let them not cease too go forward, and too overcome all lets. Howbeit forasmuch as we be fearful and feeble, God must be fain too work in us, and too give us boldness too speak as we ought too do.

And he sayeth expresly, that Vtterance myght bee giuen him in opening of his mouth. As if he should say, that God myght giue him such corage and constancie, as he myght not speake fayntly, ⟨image 360⟩