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

then (saith he) I was alive, howbeit but by hypocrisy. For he made him self too believe wonders, and he was so puffed up with pride,¹ that he held scorn of Jesus Christ. Lo in what blindness Saint Paul acknowledgeth him, self too have been. And he addeth anon after, that he wist not what was meant by, Thou shalt not covet. It might be thought strange that a man which had not only bin at school, but also bin a great teacher of others, and thereto a very zealous man as he him self affirmeth, should be so dulled as not to know his own faults. But S. Paul showeth the reason of it. For (saith he) I looked no further than to the outward honesty, that there might no fault be found in me before the world, nor any man know any evil by me. But when I understood what this saying, Thou shalt not lust meant, and perceived that God condemneth all the affections, & thoughts of men: then I perceived that the worst was behind, as the common Proverb saith: for it is the last commandment of the law, wherein God maketh so lively, and deep a search as nothing can be excepted from it.² Whereas it is said in the law. Thou shalt not have any strange gods: Thou shalt not make any image too worship it: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain▪ Thou shalt keep holy the day of rest: ⟨image 119⟩Thou shalt honour thy father & mother: Thou shalt not kill: Thou shalt not commit adultery: Thou shalt not steal: All this is well (will we think) we must abstain from all whoredom, violence and extortion: we must abstain from deceit and robbery: we must live soberly. Hereto, we must abstain from blasphemy, and we must honour God. All this will easily be granted. But there is a back nook that we perceived not, which is, Thou shalt not covet or lust: that is a privy nipper. Truly it seemeth not too be very big or great: but yet for all that, it is such a stinger, as passeth all the rest in biting. For by the end and winding up of his Law, God searcheth out all that ever is in man. He setteth down that commandment, too try out the things that were hidden: and when he saith, thou shalt not covet, it is a piercing even into the marie of mens bones. So then S. Paul confesseth that he knew not what sin meant, till he understood what was meant by the commandment that forbiddeth men too covet or lust.