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

for every man will needs be thought to honour God, and to desire nothing so much as too hold himself under his yoke. But in the meanwhile, we see that the world fighteth against the Gospel, and no man can willingly find in his hart to yield too it. When it cometh to the point that Jesus Christ calleth us to him, every of us plays the rebel: we be so wild that he cannot tame us: whereby our faithlessness is to plainly proved, and we show ourselves to despise God, how goodly protestations soever we have made before. For he sendeth us back to his Son,¹ & willeth us to stoop to him to do him homage. Yet notwithstanding, as we see and as experience showeth too much, every man would shrink away from ⟨image 28⟩subjection too our Lord Jesus Christ. S. Paul therefore showeth what a majesty there is in Jesus Christ: that is too wit, that we ought too tremble at his word, and to hold our peace when soever he speaketh, and too receive without any gainsaying, whatsoever he teacheth, or proceedeth from him. And without that, it is certain that God rejecteth all the protestations that we can make of our desirousness too serve and honour him. Thus are we exhorted in this strain, to give our selves wholly over unto our Lord Jesus Christ, seeing he is our [only] Shepherd, thereby to show that we be his true sheep, and that we hearken too his voice, and discern it from the voice of strangers. Now seeing that God showeth himself in such wise unto us, as we know that our Lord Jesus Christ calleth us too him: let every of us follow him, and show that we be of his flock in deed. Thus ye see what we have too bear in mind. Howbeit forasmuch as there is such unthankfulness in a great number, that they cannot find in their hearts too submit themselves even too the Son of God: Saint Paul doth here set down the name of God the father as an Overplus. True it is that the whole fullness of the Godhead dwelleth in Jesus Christ,² and cursed be he that seeketh any other God. But yet for all that, forasmuch as our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto us in the shape of man, and was conversant in this world, and there despised yea and abased even too a most shameful death, wherein he received all the curses that were due unto us:

for euery man will needes be thought to honour God, and to desire nothing so muche as too hold himselfe vnder his yoke. But in the meanewhyle, we see that the worlde fighteth against the Gospell, and noman can willingly finde in his hart to yeeld too it. VVhen it commeth to the poynt that Iesus Christ calleth vs to him, euery of vs playes the rebell: we be so wilde that he cannot tame vs: wherby our faythlesnesse is to playnly proued, and we shewe ourselues to despize God, how goodly protestatiōs soeuer we haue made before. For he sendeth vs back to his Sonne,