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 must call too mind how it is written in the eighteenth Psalm, that God will always deal mildly with such as be of a mild spirit,¹ and that he will be rough and sharp towards such as use stubbornness, and cannot abide to submit themselves unto him. Al they then which have a neck of brass, and cannot find in their hearts too stoop under the obedience of God, shall find themselves to be matched with too strong an adversary, & that they must needs be bruised and broken in pieces if they will not bow. Furthermore let us mark that when God correcteth our vices, we must not chafe and storm as many do, who do nothing else but gnash their teeth when they be rebuked, saying that they will not be handled after such a fashion, and that their nature requireth to be taught by gentleness: yea verily, but that their sturdiness showeth the clean contrary. For they that speak after that manner, would very fain be flattered. And although they overshoot themselves into all evil, yet will they not abide too have their galled backs rubbed, but rather that men should wink at them and conceal their naughtiness. But if their faults be laid afore them, by and by they rankle against the Gospel: and whereas they showed some good sign of zeal afore, they utter such spitefulness afterward, as a man may perceive there was nothing but venom and bitterness in their hart, and it is a sure token that such folk never wist what it is too profit in Gods school, at leastwise purely, as S. Paul sayeth in another place.² Gods word (sayeth he) is good, not only to teach, to the end we may know what is for our behoof, and be able to discern betwixt good and evil: but also to rebuke and correct us. For there are many negligent folk, which have need to be pricked forward with hard strokes of the spur: some had need to be embased by reason of their overweening: and othersome grow altogether past• recovery, if they be not overmastered by strong hand. Thus ye see how all of us must suffer patiently when our Lord useth such roughness, acknowledging the same to be greatly to our behoof.

For we must call too minde howe it is written in the eighttenth Psalme, that God wil alwayes deale meeldly with such as be of a meeld spirite,¹ and that he will bee rough and sharp towardes such as vse stubbornnesse, and cannot abide to submit themselues vnto him. Al they then which haue a necke of brasse, and cannot finde in their heartes too stoupe vnder the obedience of God, shall finde themselues to be matched with too strong an aduersarie, & that they must needes be broozed and broken in peeces if they will not bow. Furthermore let vs marke that when God correcteth our vyces, wee muste not chafe and storme as many doo, who do nothing else but gnash their teeth when they bee rebuked, saying that they will not bee handled after such a fashion, and that their nature requireth to be taught by gentlenesse: yea verely, but that their sturdinesse sheweth the clean contrarie. For they that speake after that maner, would very fayne bee flattered. And although they ouershoote themselues into all euill, yet will they not abide too haue their galled backes rubbed, but rather that men should winke at them and conceale their naughtinesse. But if their faultes bee layd afore them, by and by they rancle agaynst the Gospell: and whereas they shewed some good signe of zeale afore, they vtter suche spitefulnesse afterwarde, as a man may perceyue there was nothing but venim and bitternesse in their hart, and it is a sure token that such folke neuer wist what it is too profite in Gods schoole, at leastwize purely, as S. Paule sayeth in another place.