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

6 Let him that is taught in the word, make him that teacheth him partaker of all good things. 7 Deceive not your selves: God cannot be mocked. For look what a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth in the flesh, shall also of the flesh reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit, shall of the spirit reap everlasting life.

6 Let him that is taught in the vvorde, make him that teacheth him partaker of all good things. 7 Deceyue not your selues: God cannot be mocked. For looke vvhat a man sovveth, that shall he also reape. 8 For hee that sovveth in the fleshe, shall also of the fleshe reape corruption. But hee that sovveth in the spirite, shall of the spirite reape euerlasting lyfe.

We see well enough that wheresoever S. Paul was known, he could not be suspected to be a man much given too his own profit. For although it were lawful for him to have his finding, because he bare abroad Gods word: yet notwithstanding (as we see) he forbore that liberty,¹ to the end to prevent all occasions of stumbling. And he protesteth that he was fain to labour day & night with his hands to earn his living. But yet was he so much the better able without suspicion to call upon the negligent sort to do their duty, as we see in this text. He commandeth men to find their teachers, & not to suffer them to want any thing. Now if Saint Paul (as I said) had bin a covetous man in scraping too himself other mens goods, or if he had bin desirous too set out himself in pomp and superfluity: he should have had his […] have bin told him that he spake for himself, and that it had bin no giving of himself to the service of God. But forasmuch as he had ⟨p. 299⟩showed sufficiently by experience, that forgetting himself and having no regard of his own person, he sought nothing else but to advance the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to edify his Church: therefore he might rebuke the unthankfulness of such as behaved themselves amiss towards their shepherds, in abridging them of sustenance for their bodies, whereas by their means they had food and sustenance for their souls. Now it is a very unkind dealing, when a man considereth not that he which bringeth him the doctrine of salvation, is as a fosterfather sent unto him of God, and at least wise findeth not in his heart to give him bodily food. Therefore when men are so reckless in that behalf, they bewray a contempt of Gods word. For nature ought to teach us, that when we be in any mans debt, we should strain our selves to the uttermost to requite him the like: and if we be not able to do it: then at leastwise to show that it is not for want of good will. But in this case, like cannot be requited for like. For Gods word findeth not any thing in the world that may be laid in balance against it. Yet notwithstanding, such as are taught, ought at leastwise not to spare their temporal goods, for the finding of those at whose hand they receive the inestimable treasure of the Gospel.