Sermons of M. John Calvin upon the Epistle of Saint Paul to the GalatiansSermons of M. Iohn Caluine vpon the Epistle of Saincte Paule to the Galathians

and to be short, men seem to differ quite & clean one from another. But yet they be all alike in one thing, that […] wit, that they would advance themselves to the worldwarde, that they be given to their own private profit or pleasures. At a word, they be so entangled here, that they could find in their harts ⟨image 345⟩too be separated from God. But S. Paul saith that when we shall have set all our glory in our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that by the means of his Cross he hath dedicated us unto his father, and purchased us the kingdom of heaven: then it will be easy for us to withdraw our selves from the world, and to be as it were cut off from it. And why? For it is certain that whosoever hath bin touched and wounded to the quick with the feeling of his sins, will so pursue the grace that hath bin given him in our lord Jesus Christ, as the world shall be nothing with him. And in good sooth we show that all the spiritual benefits which God offereth us, & whereunto the calleth us are as things of nothing unto us, in that we esteem them not in comparison of the trumpery and enticements of Satan. What is this world if a man view it in it self? There is no man but he seeth how frail our life is, and how it is but as a smoke that passeth and vanisheth away: and yet we see men fry still in their affections, and how they be utterly carried away and ravished with them. God on his side crieth out. Ye wretched folk, ye be more destitute of wit than little children. For ye busy your heads about moonshine in the water, and about pelting trifles wherein there is nothing but foolishness, & ye be wholly wedded unto them: and yet in the mean season when I offer you perfect happiness, ye make none account of it, all is one to you. Ye see then that the cause why we be so cold & negligent now a days in receiving the benefits which God offereth us by his Gospel: is for that the world hath gotten the possession of us aforehand: and on the other part we also do set too much store by the world. And why do we so? Because we know not the inestimable benefits that God offereth us. Therefore let us join these two together, that is to wit, that we be crucified to the world, and the world to us, because we have our glory in our Lord Jesus Christ crucified. But this is easier to be said than to be done:

and to be short, men seeme to differ quite & cleane one from another. But yet they be all alike in one thing, that 〈…〉 wit, that they would aduaunce thēselues to the worldwarde, that they be giuen to their owne priuate profite or pleasures. At a worde, they be so intangled here, that they could find in their harts