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 our preaching of the end whereunto God hath sent his only son, is too show that he hath brought us righteousness, and is come too put away sin, which holds us as it were under Tyranny, till we be delivered and set free from it by the grace which was purchased for us in the death and passion of the Son of God. Now then seeing it is so, we see that our Lord Jesus Christ is not the bringer in of sin,¹ but is come too destroy sin (as S. John sayeth in his Canonical Epistle) and we also do see it to be so. For what else doth the Gospel teach us, but that we be full of all wickedness, and must be fain to be made clean by him that is made the Lamb without spot, and also that he hath brought us the spirit of holiness? Forasmuch then as men, so long as they be cut off from Christ, have nothing in them but cursedness, so as they be utterly rotten & sopped in their sins, & that Jesus Christ is the party that maketh them pure and clean by the shedding of his blood to wash them withal, and by bringing us the spirit [of regeneration.] ⟨image 117⟩to renew us with, that we might give our selves too the serving of God, have his Image repaired in us, and walk in truth and uprightness: forasmuch (say I) as it is said so: we see that our Lord Jesus Christ is not the bringer in of sin. And why so? For let us consider what we be, and we shall find that there is a gulf of all manner of wickedness in every one of us, and in all mankind. But our Lord Jesus Christ cometh to remedy it. Ye see then that the sin was in us before: but our Lord Jesus Christ is fain to uncover it. What harm doth a Physician by letting blood? Behold, a wretched man hath a disease that is not perceived: his blood is altogether corrupted, and yet it is not seen to be so as long as it lieth within the veins. But be he once let blood, it will appear that it was no blood, but filthy corrupt matter. Again what filthiness voideth out of a mans body when he is purged for some disease? Now shall the Physician be blamed for it, or the medicine that was given him? It is well known that the purgation serveth to deliver the body that was half rotten afore.

For our preaching of the end wherevnto God hath sent his onely sonne, is too shew that he hath brought vs rightuousnesse, and is come too put away sinne, which holds vs as it were vnder Tyrannie, till wee bee deliuered and set free from it by the grace whiche was purchaced for vs in the death and passion of the Sonne of God. Now then seing it is so, wee see that our Lord Iesus Christ is not the bringer in of sinne,