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

Paul for the bringing of him to the obedience of the Gospel? [nothing:] but God was fain too thunder down upon him from heaven, too drive out the pride and presumption that was in him. He was not only drawn by the hand, but also God did caste so thick scales upon his eyes, that he was as a blind wretch. And besides that, he was stricken too the ground and astonished, too show that the knowledge and cunning, which he thought himself too have before, was but stark blindness, and that this darkness had served too bring him too a new light. For if God had let him still alone in his perfect plight, surely there would always have remained some foolish self-weening in him, and he would always have mingled some trick of his own device and brain, with the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ: & therefore it behoved him to be blinded & to abide so. ⟨image 59⟩For inasmuch as he had erst bin in great reputation, and bin tempted to hold his state still: it was requisite that he should be brought down, and lifted up again, and carried like a little babe, or rather like a carcass or dead body. Thus ye see how it behoved S. Paul too be corrected after a violent manner: whereby we see that neither free will, nor devotion, nor holiness stood him in any stead, but that all ought too be attributed to the mere mercy of God. And in very deed we see how he yieldeth a pure and unconstrained confession thereof. Then seeing it is so, let us mark also, that when God calleth us too him, it is not for that he seeth us disposed thereunto, or for that we be in any good readiness too it afore hand: but because it pleaseth him too draw us of his own mere mercy, as we shall see yet more at large hereafter. And if we mind too be partakers of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ as S. Paul was, the way what we must take, is to confess that there is nothing at all in us, but that we must be fain too receive from above, all the things whereof we be destitute, and too have God work in us after such a sort, as the praise of our salvation may be reserved too him alone without any exception. And in that respect also S.

Paule for the bringing of him to the obediēce of the Gospel? [nothing:] but God was fayne too thunder downe vpon him from heauen, too driue out the pryde and presumption that was in him. He was not only drawē by the hand, but also God did caste so thicke scales vppon his eyes, that hee was as a blynde wretche. And besides that, he was stricken too the ground and astonished, too shewe that the knowledge and cunning, whiche he thought himselfe too haue before, was but starke blindnesse, and that this darknesse had serued too bring him too a new light. For if God had lette him still alone in his perfect plight, surely there woulde alwayes haue remayned some foolish selfeweenyng in him, and he would alwayes haue mingled some tricke of his owne deuyce and brayne, with the doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ: & therfore it behoued him to be blinded & to abide so.