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

I say in such wise as we may be (as ye would say) new cast in a mould again, to the end that the hope of the heavenly life may be stablished in us, and we have our sight cleared to behold the thing which otherwise would be wrapped up from us. Mark how gold and silver do greatly wast when men make them to pass the furnace. When it is cast into the fire, it is a great mass of metal: but when it is taken out again, there is but a small quantity of it. And yet the gold (if it were not so fined) would never serve to any purpose, no more would silver neither. Even so is it with us: we could never be renewed to come to the kingdom of heaven, except we dyed first. We must ever go forward to that utter defacement, and not rest by the way upon any thing that we see with our eyes. For this earthly life is but a shadow, and a smoke that slideth and vanisheth away: & yet nevertheless we be renewed thereby within. Not that all men have that benefit: For the faithless do well enough find their own weakness, and are enforced to feel the summonings of death, specially when they be grown old, for then they perceive that any little blast is enough to cast them down: and thereupon they fall to storming, and could find in their harts to fall out with God & nature. Howsoever the world go, though they rot, yet are they not renewed.¹ For one grain of corn may well rot, and yet not take root to spring again and to bring forth fruit: and another grain shall rot likewise, howbeit forasmuch as it is in good earth, & hath taken root, it will bring forth fruit in seasonable time. So then the faithful come to decay, and the rewithal are renewed and gather new force: and why? For they rot in this world, to the end to be restored and renewed again in the heavenly heritage. The faithless also do go away to, they rot likewise, they slip aside, & they vanish quite away: but they have no vantage by it, because they be not restored to eternal life. So then let us mark well, that whereas S. Paul saith we live by the faith of Jesus Christ: it is to waken us so as nothing in the world may keep us from resting continually upon Gods promises. When we look upon all the things that are about us, there is nothing but death. But what for that?

I say in such wise as we may be (as ye wold say) new cast in a mould again, to the end that the hope of the heauenly life may be stablished in vs, and we haue our sight cleered to behold the thyng which otherwise would be wrapped vp frō vs. Marke how gold and siluer do greatly wast when men make them to passe the furnace. VVhē it is cast into the fire, it is a great masse of metall: but whē it is takē out again, ther is but a small quantitie of it. And yet the gold (if it were not so fined) would neuer serue to any purpose, no more would siluer nother. Euen so is it with vs: we could neuer be renued to come to the kingdome of heauen, except we dyed first. VVe must euer go forward to that vtter defacement, and not rest by the way vpon any thing that we see with our eyes. For this earthly life is but a shadow, and a smoke that slideth and vanisheth away: & yet neuerthelesse we be renued thereby within. Not that all men haue that benefit: For the faithlesse do well ynough finde their owne weaknesse, and are inforced to feele the summonings of death, specially when they be growen old, for then they perceiue that any little blast is ynough to cast thē downe: and therevpon they fall to storming, and could find in their harts to fall out with God & nature. Howsoeuer the world go, though they rotte, yet are they not renued.