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 we receive not here the reward of our faith: and although God call us to a further thing, yet have we all one common and like life, in respect that all of us must come to death. How then doth Jesus Christ live in us? For his living is hidden. S. Paul bringeth us back unto faith. Now remaineth to know what the nature of faith is: It is to behold the things that are incomprehensible to our senses to forsake the world, and to seek the kingdom of God: and to hold ourselves to the pure & simple word that proceedeth out of Gods mouth, without respect of any thing that we can perceive here. If we have not this groundwork, we shall never understand what S. Paul telleth us in this text. For when men have red it a hundred times, yet shall they not know what difference there is between living in the flesh, and living in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then is there an outward state: in respect where of S. Paul doth (under that saying) comprehend all things that concern this transitory life. There is also an inward state which is hidden from us, that is to wit, the state which is promised us, and which we wait for [by hope.] For the outward man must needs be defaced, and decay by little and little, till it be utterly done away. According whereunto, although it be promised to Gods children that God will give them new liveliness,¹ and make them as it were to cast their feathers: yet notwithstanding ye shall divers times see them so diseased as it is pity, and the strongest men of the world wax old and come to death. Seeing it is so: what preferment have they above the unbelievers? [Great:] howbeit that the same cannot be perceived by eyesight. For we have an inward man which lies hidden within us: and what meant Saint Paul by that? he meant that God worketh in such wise in us by his holy spirit, as we be always assured of the heavenly life that is prepared for us, and that although we do but glide away here below,² and be as strangers, yet there is an everlasting heritage which cannot fail us. According as the outward man decayeth (saith S. Paul) so the inward man reneweth. For the more that the faithful see themselves decay, the more are they warned and provoked to look upward. For we know that such as are strong and lusty, do besot and forget themselves, and therefore ⟨p. 104⟩our Lord is fain to tame us in such wise, as we may renew by decaying: