Galatians 4

Galatians 4:1

NOw I say] He declareth that by another similitude which he said before, concerning the schoolmaster: for he saith that the Law, that is, the whole government of Gods house according to the law, was as it were a kind of Tutorship, or office of an Over-seer appointed for a time, and that we should at length come to be at our own libertie, and live as children, not as servants. Moreover he sheweth by the way, that that governance of the Law was as it were an A. B. C. or Accdence in comparison of the doctrine of the Gospel.

Galatians 4:3

elements of the world] Or, rudiments. By the elemtns of the world he understandeth the corporall types and carnall Ceremonies of the Law, which are called elements, or rudiments; because that God by them instructed the Church as it were by rudiments, and afterwards powred out his holy Spirit most plentifull in the time of the Gospel.

Galatians 4:4

when the fulnesseof the time] The full grown age of the Church to be freed from under this warship; or when the time was fulfilled which God had appointed for to send his Sonne into the world.

God sent forth his Sonne] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, He sent out of himself, or his essence; or from heaven: for God would have that the eternall Sonne in his bosome by taking humane flesh should come out of him as it were, and mannifest himself unto the world; or issue forth out of the eternall palace of his glory, and in his own person upon earth fulfill the work of the redemption of mankind.

made of] Not born as other men, but made by the holy Ghost out of the flesh and bloud of the Virgin Mary, without the concurrence of man, Genesis 3:15. Isaiah 7:14. Micah 5:3. Luke 1:31. and Luke 2:2.

a woman] The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is here taken, as often else-where in Scripture, for the name of the sex, and generally a maid that is marriageable is tearmed by the Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. So saith Procopius,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and so the civil Lawyers, titulo de verb. signif. Mulieris appellatione etlam virgo viripotens continetur. This Text therefore maketh nothing for Helvidius, nor against the perpetuall virginitie of Mary.

made under the law] having taken upon him the forme of a servant, Philippians 2:7. he made himself subject to the entire observation and satisfaction of the whole law: thereby to purchase to all beleevers the right and claime to eternall glory, and to deliver them not onely from the malediction of the Law, but also from the burden of all the legall rites and ceremonies.

Galatians 4:5

under the law] That is, that were under the yoke of the ceremoniall law, and also under the curse of the morall; whereof he speaketh in the former Chapter.

the adoption of sonnes] Therefore was the Sonne of God sent to redeeme us, that he might purchase and gratiously communicate the right of Sonne-ship (which he hath by nature) to all the faithfull, 2 Corinthians 6:18. This adoption of the Sonne of God was from everlasting, but is revealed and shewed in the time appointed for it.

Galatians 4:6

And because ye are sonnes] He sheweth that we are in such sort free and set at libertie, that in the mean season we must be governed by the Spirit of Christ, which reigneth in our hearts, and teacheth us the true service of the Father; but this is not to serve, but rather to enjoy true libertie as becometh sonnes and heirs.

the Spirit of his Sonne] See, Romans 8:15. The holy Ghost is both of the Father and the Sonne: but there is a peculiar reason here why he is called the Spirit of his Sonne; to wit, because the holy Ghost sealeth up our adoption in Christ, and giveth us a full assurance of it.

Galatians 4:7

a servant] The word servant is not taken here for one that liveth in sinne, which is proper to infidels, but for one that is yet under the Ceremonies of the Law, which is proper to the Jew.

an heir of God] Some reade here by God, that is, by his grace and mercy; others, heir of God, because coheirs of Christ, who is the Son and Heir of God.

Galatians 4:9

turn ye again] Or, turn ye back.

to the weak and beggerly elements] Or, rudiments. The carnall Rites of the Mosaicall Law are called here weak and beggerly elements, being considered apart by themselves, without Christ; and for the Galatians to fall back from Christ to these Ceremonies, was nothing else but to cast away riches, and follow beggery.

Galatians 4:10

Ye observe dayes] Ye, following the doctrine of the false apostles, place holinesse and righteousnesse in the Mosaicall observations of dayes, the Jewish Sabbath returning every week; and moneths, that is, the Feasts of the new Moons; and times, that is, the solemne yearly feasts of the Passeover, the Pentecost, and Tabernacles; and years, that is, every fiftieth year, being the year of Jubile.

Galatians 4:12

be as I am] He mitigates and qualifies those things, wherein he might have seemed to have spoken too sharply, declaring his good-will towards them in such sort, that the Galatians could not but either be utterly desperate, when they read these things, or acknowledge their own lightnesse with tears, and desire pardon. Be you as I am, that is, take me for an example, who was once as zealous for those Legall Rites, as you are now; but now I count them, and all things else, but as dung in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Christ. Phil. 3. 9.

Galatians 4:13

through the infirmity of the flesh] Either through the infirmitie of your flesh I preached unto you; that is, I condescended to your capacity, and preached such doctrine as you were able to bear away: or, through the infirmitie of my flesh, either being infirme in body, or much broken through manifold griefes and afflictions which I suffered among you. 1 Corinthians 2:3.

Galatians 4:14

And my temptation] That is, those daily troubles wherewith the Lord tried me amongst you. Acts 20:19.

Galatians 4:15

Where is then the blessednesse] Or, what was then. What is become of the great applause which you gave me at my first preaching; counting your selves most happy in me your Apostle? or, what talk was there abroad in the world, how happy you thought your selves, and blessed the time God sent me amongst you?

Galatians 4:16

Am I therefore become your enemie, &c.] Sith all men naturally desire the truth, and love it, how comes to it passe that any man should be hated for speaking the truth? Saint Austine in his confessions yeeldeth a reason, by distinguishing of truth, Omnes amant veritatem lucentem, sed non redarguentem; all men love the truth, when that truth concerneth not themselves, they love truth shining, but not convincing; they love the truth when she discovereth her self; not when she discovereth themselves. Hence is that true proverbe, Obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit. The beams of the Sunne, which refresh and clear a sound eye, offend a sore eye, urit enim fulgore suo.

Galatians 4:17

They zealously affect you] Or, they are jealous over you. He compareth the false teachers to jealous wooers, who can by no means endure any corrivall; therefore, saith the Apostle, they exclude you from me, and the true doctrine of saith, which I have delivered unto you, that you may be wholly theirs, and I have no part in you: they zealously affect you, but not well, because not to a good end, but to impropriate you to themselves, and make advantage of you.

exclude you] Or, exclude us.

Galatians 4:18

But it is good to be zealously affected alwayes] The faithfull are to be commended for their zealous affection, and entire love to their Pastours, especially if it be constant, and for the truths sake; but the Galatians have quite forgotten me, since my departure from you; Out of sight, out of minde.

Galatians 4:19

of whom I travail] Ye are my Children, whom with much pain and travail I brought forth before to Christ, but now ye have corrupted and defaced his image, and are fallen away from your former profession; and therefore I am now in labour with you, and travail with exceeding great pain the second time, till Christ be again perfectly formed in you, and you receive the right shape of Christians.

Galatians 4:20

change my voice] That is, either use other words among you, and turn my complaints into praises; or change my speech into groans, and my words into tears, to bewail your apostasie; and by those true ambassadours of my affection to perswade you to return to your former profession.

I stand in doubt of you] Or, I am perplexed for you. Gr. in you.

Galatians 4:23

born after the flesh] That is, born, as all men are, by the common course of nature; for Agar was young, and it ceased not to be with her after the manner of women; whereas the womb of Sara was dead, and so the birth of Isaac from her was, as the Apostle speaketh, a similitude of the resurrection, above the power and force of nature.

by promise] By virtue of the Promise which Abraham laid hold on for himself and his true seed: for otherwise Abraham and Sara were past begetting and bearing of children.

Galatians 4:24

Which things are an allegory] Which are indeed a true story of things past, but yet do signifie somewhat else besides, as being types and representations of spirituall things, as likewise was the Brasen Serpent, John 3. 14. the marriage of Adam and Eve, Ephesians 5:32. the passing of the Israelites over the Red-sea, 1 Cor. 10. 1, 2. and the deluge, 1 Pet. 3. 21.

for these are the two Covenants] Or, Testaments. That is, shew forth, point, and signifie, a sacramentall kinde of speech, like to that, Genesis 41:26. and, Matthew 26:26. The two Covenants are the old and the new; the old, of the Law, wherein promise is made, that those who perfectly keep the law shall thereby obtain salvation: and the new, of the Gospel, wherein eternall life is promised to sinners that repent and beleeve in Christ. Jerem. 31. 31. Hebrews 8:8-9.

which gendreth to bondage] Which bringeth forth children that are in bondage: for the law requireth a perfect obedience of men, or in case of failing, pronounceth a curse upon them; and of it self it is unable to free them from their naturall servitude, and much more unable to procure them the grace of God, and the inheritance of everlasting life.

Galatians 4:25

For this Agar is mount Sinai is Arabia] Either the meaning is, Agar is also called Sinai, a mount in Arabia, whither Agar fled with her sonne Ismael, being thrust out of Abrahams house, from whom the mount it self (as some affirme) was afterwards called Agar by the Arabians, and from thence they themselves are called Agarens, Psalms 83:6. Or the meaning is, Agar is a figure or image of Sinai, and of the Covenant of the Law, which was proclaimed on it; as Agar was a stranger without the blessed Seed, so was Sinai is Arabia the land of the Ismaelites, who issued forth from Agar, without the limits of the land of promise.

and answereth to Jerusalem] Or, is in the same rank with Jerusalem. Some read bordereth upon Jerusalem; and Genebrard in his Comment upon the Psalms affirmeth, that there is a continuall tract from it to Jerusalem; perpetuo enim in dorso sese versus, Sionios montes exporrigit. But the Geographicall Tables shew no such thing: and as Bencius, a Sorbonick Doctour, acknowledgeth, Sinai is fall twenty dayes journey from Jerusalem. The better Translation therefore is, it answereth to Jerusalem, that is, in the allegorie and mysticall signification.

Galatians 4:26

But Jerusalem which is above] The true Christian Church, which seeketh her salvation, not by the first Covenant of the Law, but by the second, of the Gospell, which is said to be above, partly because it hath its originall from heaven, partly in respect of the part triumphant in heaven, partly in respect of the militant, which steers its course to heaven, Phil. 3. 20. and shall in the end be brought thither.

which is the mother of us all] As Sara was the mother of Isaac, the proper heir of his father Abraham, so is the Christian Church the mother of all the faithfull, who are heirs of the Kingdom of heaven, whether they be Jews or Gentiles.

Galatians 4:28

as Isaac was] Gr. according, or, after the manner of Isaac. Who was as the first begotten of the supernall Jerusalem, as Ismael was of the slavish Synagogue.

are the children of promise] See Romans 9:8.

Galatians 4:29

born after the Spirit] That is, by virtue of Gods promise, and after a supernaturall and spirituall manner, Sara conceiving in her old age rather by faith then by lust,

Galatians 4:30

Neverthelesse] Gr. But.

Cast out the bond-woman and her son] Gr. Tec. her self and her son. See Genesis 21:10.