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

WE have seen that if men be not worse than mad, they must needs (for all that ever they have) seek their salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ. For if they stick to the law, they shall find nothing there but damnation, as hath bin showed already: and that doth every man find sufficiently by his own experience. And certes when as Saint Paul goeth about in the Epistle to the Romans,¹ to show that men beguile themselves too grossly by trusting in their own merits: he faith that the law can work nothing but Gods wrath and vengeance. For although we be already sufficiently condemned ere God open his mouth to give sentence against us: yet notwithstanding, our naughtiness is yet deeper engraven by the law, when he saith that if we transgress but some any one point, we become enemies to God, and his wrath must needs be kindled against us. What shall we gain by disputing, when the determinate sentence is pronounced by the heavenly judge? There is neither appeal nor pleading that will stand us in stead. So then, let us understand, that to have the true knowledge of the Gospel, we must hold us wholly to our Lord Jesus Christ, that we put not our hope of salvation in any other thing than in his only mercy: and for the performance thereof, let every of us have an eye to his own life. For if men sift themselves thoroughly without hypocrisy or feigning, surely all cause of pleading will soon be rid away. The Papists will not in any wise grant that only faith should make us acceptable to God, and that is because they never felt throughly what it is to come before God's judgement seat, but have always as it were played with the shadow of it. And therefore no marvel though they pardon themselves in all things. But the very way to bring us to the truth and to the pure and right religion, is for every of us to look into his own life, what it is. Now if there were but one mite (as ye would say) amiss, it is certain that we were forthwith in danger of eternal death. But surely every of us shall find himself a sinner, not in some one point alone, but in a hundred thousand: not in some one fault, but in infinite sorts of faults. And when we ⟨p. 134⟩shall have perceived never so many miseries in ourselves, God knoweth yet many mo without comparison than we can:

WE haue seene that if men be not worse than mad, they must needes (for all that euer they haue) seeke their saluation in our Lord Iesus Christ. For if they sticke to the law, they shall find nothing there but damnation, as hathe bin shewed alreadye: and that doth euery man fynde sufficiently by hys owne experience. And certesse when as Sainct Paule goeth about in the Epistle to the Romanes,