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

like as if two men do go a journey together, and the one feeleth himself weary, so as he is not able too ⟨image 310⟩draw his legs after him: it is certain that he which is strong and lusty will not run before him as it were to spite him, but will restrain himself to his companion, yea and he will toll him forward▪ saying, Go too man, pluck up a good heart, and let me help thee my self. To be short, he will do all that he can to cheer up his fellow that is so faint. After the same manner also must we bear one with another, sith we see that God hath called us all in common, and chosen us with condition that we should go all together with one accord, and every man reach out his hand too his neighbour (as the prophet Isaiah speaketh of it) and say,¹ Go we, let us go up to the hill of the Lord. It is no reason then that such as have received a larger measure of Gods gifts, should go about to oppress others: but rather that they should bear with their infirmities, and be touched with the mildness that we have spoken of. Thus ye see how S. Paul saith expressly, that the more that our Lord hath set us forward, the more ought we to draw others after us. And hereupon he addeth for a conclusion, Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. When as he saith that we must bear the burdens [of our neighbours:] he doth yet better express the thing that I have told you heretofore: that is to wit, that he speaketh not here of the despisers of God, which run into all licentiousness and are sopped in malice and sturdiness: but of such as travel and go forward in all goodness, and have an earnest good will too attain to it, and which do even groan under their sins, as under a burden that is to heavy for them. For the better understanding hereof, we will set down a similitude contrary too that which is set down here by Saint Paul. He saith that such as are overtaken with their sins, are made as it were too stoop under the burden. And why? Because they are angry with themselves. Not that they fret or chafe against God through pride and disdain: but because they be not able to withstand Satan so steadfastly and stoutly as they fain would.

like as if two men do go a iourney togither, and the one feeleth himselfe weary, so as he is not able too ⟨image 310⟩