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

The Law then saith unto us, go to, take ye pains, and do ye so much as ye may win heaven by it. ⟨p. 139⟩And why doth the Law say so? Not too feed men in their vain self trust, of weening still that they can deserve well at Gods hand, it is not for that: but to prepare them to receive the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with lowliness. For (as I have said already) when we keep our selves aloof from God, and every man bears himself in hand that he is well worthy to be accepted of him: our Lord will surely be avenged of such presumptuousness, and saith, Go to, let me see what ye have done: come on, and let us fall to reckoning: and let him that oweth aught to other pay it. Ye shall not be disappointed by me: I have your wages in my hand, it is ready for you, and if ye shall have done all that I have commanded you, fear not but you shall be well paid for your labour. Therefore hie you apace, and let me see how you will serve me. But (as I said) our Lord in saying so, prepareth and disposeth us to know in what plight we be. For when we once perceive our own need, then will we seek our wants at his hand. Thus ye see how the Law leadeth us to faith: but it is a strange kind of leading. Howsoever the case stand, there is always this contrariety which S. Paul setteth down here, namely that we cannot be justified by faith, except we have first known and acknowledged unfeignedly, that we be damned in our selves, and that the ground of our welfare is to know that there is nothing but damnation in us. Now at the first sight it might be said that S. Paul hath stretched this saying of Habakkuk's too far, seeing he spake there but of the afflictions of this transitory life. The righteous shall live, that is to say, he shall hold out, and although God afflict him & scourge him, yet shall he not quail if he ground himself upon Gods promises. And here the case concerneth not Gods comforting and delivering of us from the miseries whereunto we be subject in this world: but it concerneth our everlasting salvation, which far passeth all the state of this transitory life. It seemeth therefore that S. Paul applieth not this Text of the Prophet aright. Howbeit let us mark, that if the Prophet had looked no further than too this world, that saying of his had bin very vain, seeing that afflictions are common both to good and bad.

The Lawe then sayth vnto vs, go to, take yee paynes, and do yee so much as ye may winne heauen by it. ⟨p. 139⟩