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

Ye shall scarce find one among a thousand that goes any further, too consider that this world is but a shadow that vanisheth away, and too bend themselves earnestly and rightly too the heavenly life. Therefore all men wellnigh do sow to the flesh. True […] that their respects […]-what differ. For one is a whorehunter, another a drunkard, the ⟨p. 304⟩third a niggardly pinchpenny, and another a spendall. Then if ye look upon the humours of the men, they be diverse and as it were repugnant, so as the one hateth the other. And wherefore? Because (sayeth he) he is not of my nature, he and I cannot agree. But howsoever the world go, if a man sift them, he shall find that all of them sow too the flesh. Therefore there are many sorts of of sowing: but yet notwithstanding all of them stick fast here beneath, so as they cannot consider whereunto God calleth them, and whereunto they ought to apply themselves. For some would be rich, some would have honour and credit, some would live at their ease, and take their pleasure, some would have this, and some that: but in the mean while all of them pore upon this transitory life, and cannot lift themselves up. Now Saint Paul sayeth, it is good reason that we should reap according too our sowing. They then which do so give themselves to the world and sow too the flesh, shall (sayeth he) reap corruption: that is to say, in the end they shall perceive that all the things which they esteemed so highly, were but smoke. True it is that this word Corruption might be taken for everlasting death: but that is not Saint Pauls meaning. For he intendeth to say that men are destitute of wit and discretion, when they will needs entangle themselves in their blockish and gross cares. For why? if a man ask them: go too, what is the world? They will say, it is a shadow that slippeth away. And what is our life? It is nothing. And what are the goods of this world? They be but a dream. All of them will say thus much, and yet nevertheless they be so ravished, as a man cannot tell how to pluck them from it, and the Devil holdeth them as it were bewitched, so that God crieth out at their ears, wretched men where are you, and yet they go on still too plunge themselves deeper in the quamyre. And although they know well enough that all their lusts are nothing, & that this life slippeth swiftly from them:

Yee shall scarce finde one among a thousand that goes any further, too consider that this world is but a shadow that vanisheth away, and too bend themselues earnestly and rightly too the heauenly lyfe. Therfore all men welneere doo sowe to the fleshe. True that their respectes -what differ. For one is a whorehunter, another a drunkarde, the