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

And in that respect Saint Paul saith, till Jesus Christ be fashioned in you. As if he should say, I marvel that you should be still as little babes, and that I should be forced (as ye would say) to receive you again into my womb and bowels, till the time came that ye might be riper than you have hitherto bin: and yet am I afraid also least the pain and travel that I have taken among you be lost and misspent, and that you be not so well shaped and fashioned as were to be desired. Thus ye see briefly how Saint Paul mitigateth the rigour that might have bin too great, and have wounded the Galatians too sore, when he said unto them, What? Ye be as it were borne before your time: I thought I had conceived you, bred you, borne you, and brought you up in Jesus Christ, and I see now there is no life in you, at leastwise no spiritual life, and that all is slipped and vanished away. If Saint Paul had stayed there: surely those wretched people had bin driven ⟨image 234⟩to confusion and utter despair. Therefore to give them courage to return again, he saith: Go too, truly ye have profited very ill hitherto: but enter new again into the right way, and let that which seemeth to be stark dead bring forth new fruit again, and let it be perceived that your protesting too walk according to the Gospel heretofore, hath not bin vain. For like as if a tree be as good as dead, and seem to be utterly withered, it will spring again if a man put new earth to the root of it and cherish it: so will it fall out that a man which is quite strayed away from the Gospel, shall not only be as it were eftsoons begotten new again, if he be brought back again into the way: but also the thing that he had received afore shall do him good, as is to be seen wheresoever God giveth the grace too bring those back again into the right way which were strayed from it. But surely that happeneth not too all men: and therefore let us beware that we abuse not Gods goodness, as many of these scoffers do, which turn away as though they had confederated themselves with Satan, whereof we see examples in these folk that defile and unhallow themselves, and deface Gods truth to the uttermost of their power. And if any man turn away through unconstancie, it seemeth that all is marred, and some will say, what shall a man win by teaching of them?

And in that respect Sainct Paule sayth, till Iesus Christ be fashioned in you. As if he should say, I maruell that you should be still as little babes, and that I should be forced (as ye would say) to receiue you againe into my womb and bowells, till the time came that yee might be riper than you haue hitherto bin: and yet am I afraide also least the peine and trauell that I haue taken among you be lost and mispent, and that you bee not so well shaped and fashioned as were to be desired. Thus yee see breefly howe Sainct Paule mitigateth the rigoure that myght haue bin too great, and haue wounded the Galathians too sore, when hee sayde vnto them, VVhat? Yee bee as it were borne before your time: I thought I had cōceiued you, bred you, borne you, and brought you vp in Iesus Christ, and I see now there is no life in you, at leastwise no spirituall life, and that all is slipped and vanished away. If Sainct Paule had stayed there: surely those wretched people had bin driuen