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

But Saint Paul sayeth that we be no more as it were at Mount Sinai, where God thundered, where the lightnings flashed, where trumpets sounded, and where the air roared in such wise, that all men were so amazed as they durst not come near God, according as it is said, let not God speak unto us, for then are we all dead and undone. We be not now in that fear sayeth Saint Paul: but God hath given us full liberty because our Lord Jesus Christ is come. And we know that he is gone into heaven, to the intent that the, heavenly […] one should not thenceforth ⟨image 211⟩have such terrible Majesty as to make us shrink back from it: and that we might find favour & grace to talk familiarly with our God. Thus ye see in effect what this word cry importeth. Now, it is true that the faithful oftentimes shall not feel so frank & free a mind in themselves, but that they shall be distressed when they open their mouths, and […] •artbitings, and cast doubts whither God will hear them or no. Heaviness will so overpress us, as we shall hardly know how to dispose our prayers, or whereat to begin. This then is a thing that might seem contrary to that which S. Paul speaketh here, and to the text which I am about to allege. For it will follow that we be cut off from the array of the faithful, if we doubt in our selves whither▪ we may pray unto God or no and that our hearts be as it were locked up in those doubtings. If we be at that point, in what case are we then? where is the trust that S. Paul speaketh of here?¹ He dischargeth that doubt immediately, saying that Gods spirit supplieth our wants & infirmities. For there are certain unutterable groanings which God heareth, although they be not perceived of men: Therefore let us first mark, that if we have profited in the Gospel, we must believe assuredly that God taketh us for his children, and that he calleth us gently unto him, and that we may boldly come unto him. According whereunto he sayeth in the third to the Ephesians,² that by our believing in Jesus Christ, we by and by conceive trust & boldness to offer our selves unto God. Then if we have not trust and boldness, it appeareth that we have no faith. Howbeit forasmuch as our faith is never perfect, but endureth br••ts whereby it is as good as beaten down too outward seeming: