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…

Again, they that are led with ambition, and seek nothing but honour & estimation in the world, if they be once out of their accustomed credit, they think all is lost: But on the contrary part, Gods children, which shut their eyes willingly at all the things which have a fair gloss here beneath, and behold the heritage of heaven by faith, are not so vexed when they see themselves diminished even in eyesight, & that God maketh them to drop away by little & little: they take all in good worth.¹ And why? For they have an eye to the change: which is, that by that mean God reneweth them, too give them the thing that is unseen, and too make them take courage again, as though the kingdom of heaven were hard at hand. So then, the thing that Saint Paul showeth us now, is, that look as every of us is carried away with his own foolish lusts, so would he have God too yield to his fondness. And contrariwise, by his praying bnto God to strengthen us, he showeth us, that it must not grieve us, though we decay as in respect of our bodies, so we have the spiritual cheerelynesse that may make us too draw nearer and nearer unto our God, and too look still too the kingdom of heaven, which cannot fail us, assuring our selves, that the bringing of us low, is too the end we should be exalted on high,² and that although we must go down into the grave, yet it is not too perish there altogether, but too be renewed again. Wherefore let us suffer our selves too be so abased, that we may be set up again by the power of our God. And although we be poor despised creature• in this world, let us suffer it patiently, and therewithal let us not cease too warrant our selves that God will work in us as he promiseth.

Agein, they that are led with ambition, and seeke nothing but honour & estimation in the world, if they be once out of their accustomed credit, they thinke all is lost: But on the contrarie part, Gods children, which shet their eyes willingly at all the things which haue a fayre glosse here beneath, and behold the heritage of heauen by fayth, are not so vexed when they see themselues diminished euen in eysyght, & that God maketh them to drop away by little & little: they take al in good worth.¹ And why? For they haue an eye to the chaunge: which is, that by that meane God reneweth them, too giue them the thing that is vnseene, and too make them take corage agein, as though the kingdome of heauen were hard at hand. So then, the thing that Saint Paul sheweth vs now, is, that looke as euery of vs is caryed away with his owne foolish lusts, so would hee haue God too yeelo to his fondnesse. And contrariwyse, by his praying bnto God to strengthen vs, he sheweth vs, that it must not greeue vs, though wee decaye as in respect of our bodyes, so wee haue the spirituall cheerelynesse that maye make vs too drawe neerer and neerer vntoo our God, and too looke still too the kingdome of heauen, which cannot fayle vs, assuring our selues, that the bringing of vs lowe, is too the end wee should bee exalted on hygh,