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

But when they dye in them selves, they live unto God. And for that cause Saint Paul in the twelfth too the Romans calleth us living sacrifices,¹ where he telleth us that we must be transformed, and utterly give over our own reason and our own will, too yield God such service as is meet for him too have. He saith, Offer up your selves as living sacrifices. So then, in the Law there must needs be a deadly death, a death that leaveth us utterly overwhelmed and sunken even down into hell. But in the Gospel there is a quickening death. And why? For we be crucified with Jesus Christ, too live unto God, that is too say,² our old man (as Saint Paul termeth it in the sixth too the Romans) and that which we have of our own nature, is done away, howbeit not at the first day, but by little and little. But how soever the case stand, we shall perceive that our Lord Jesus Christ mortifieth all that was in us of our own, or of the world, so as we be not so greatly given too nestle here below, because we see it is a miserable state too live here, and our very care is too stick unto God. Thus ye see how we may be crucified with our Lord Jesus Christ. But what is meant by that crucifying? Verily it is a certain kind of death. Howbeit, that death bringeth us too life, which thing the death which the Law bringeth doth not. Now then we see the very intent of Saint Paul, and the natural meaning of this text. Therefore now a days when the enemies of the truth ⟨image 121⟩blaspheme the Gospel, we have here an answer to stop their mouths. And if they hold on still, let them bark like dogs, but they shall not be able too byte, do what they can. See here what the Papists flush forth when we preach that men are justified through Gods free goodness. O (say they) are they so? That were the next way to give every man the bridle too live after his own liking, and too cause that there might be no more remorse nor scruple of conscience, so as every man might have leave too do what he listed. That is the common blasphemy of the Papists.

But when they dye in them selues, they lyue vntoo God. And for that cause Sainct Paule in the twelfth too the Romanes calleth vs lyuing sacrifices,¹