Galatians 5

Galatians 5:1

STand fast, &c.] Gr. Tec. Christ hath made us free, stand therefore in that libertie, and.

and be not intangled] Gr. held, or kept in with. Tied or fastened therunto as it were with cords and ropes. A comparison taken from Oxen, who have the yoke bound fast to their hornes or neck, thereby to force them, subdue, and keep them in.

again with the yoke of bondage] It doth not appear that these Galatians had submitted themselves to the yoke of Moses before their conversion to Christ, and now after their falling away from Christ, had enslaved themselves the second time to those legall observations; but the meaning is, Before ye were subject and enslaved to your Idols, being redeemed from that slavery, do not enthrall your selves again to a new bondage of Ceremonies, take not upon you a new yoke, and so heavy a one, as neither we nor our fathers were able to bear, Acts 15:10.

Galatians 5:3

For] But, or, And.

is a debtor to do the whole law] Because he that observeth the Ceremoniall Law in one thing, is bound to observe it in all; and what a servitude were that? The reason is evidently drawne from the connexion which is between all the parts of the Ceremoniall Law, and the curse pronounced against all who fulfill not that whole law to a tittle.

Galatians 5:4

Christ is become of no effect unto you] Gr. Ye are made void, frustrate, or abolished from Christ.

are justified by the Law] That is, ye frustrate and make void your justification by Christ, who seek to be justified by the Law, for indeed no man is, or can be justified by the Law. See Romans 3:20.

ye are fallen from grace] That is, from the true doctrine of Christs free grace, for that cannot consist with justification by the works of the Law.

Galatians 5:6

For in Jesus Christ] Seeing in Christ we have spirituall circumcision, there is no need of carnall; they therefore who were circumcised before they beleeved, namely, such of the Jews as were called to the knowledge of the truth, gain nothing thereby, neither do the unbeleeving Gentiles lose by their uncircumcision. Chap. 6. 15.

but faith which worketh by love] The word in the Originall 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, being in the Mean voice, may be taken either actively or passively; if passively, the meaning is, that saith is actuated, quickened and moved by love to do good works; if actively, then the meaning is, that it is not a dead and unworking saith that justifieth us, but a living and operative saith, according as Saint James teacheth us, James 2:26. and it must be a living saith by which the just shall live.

Galatians 5:7

Ye did run well] You were in the right way, and ye made so good progresse that ye out-stript many; and had ye not been stopt and hindered, would have obtained the prize, which is eternall life.

who did hinder you] Or, who did drive you back.

Galatians 5:9

A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump] See 1 Corinthians 5:6. He addeth this, that he may not seem to contend upon a trifle, warning them diligently by a similitude borrowed from leaven, (Mat. 13. 33) not to suffer the purity of the Apostolicall doctrine to be infected with the least corruption that may be. By a little leaven, as S. Jerome observeth, he understandeth either, an errour but in one point or two, which corrupteth the whole doctrine of Christianitie; as a small quantity of Ratsbane poisoneth the whole milk: or a few false teachers, or erroneous beleevers are able to infect a whole Church or Congregation.

Galatians 5:10

through] Gr. in.

but he that troubleth you, shall bear his judgement] He singleth out some one, who was the ring-leader of all the rest, and either threatneth to excommunicate him, by his Apostolicall Authoritie, or denounceth against him Gods fearfull judgement at the last day.

Galatians 5:11

why do I yet suffer persecution] He willeth them to consider, how that he seeketh not his own profit in this matter, seeing that he could eschew the hatred of men, if he would joyn Judaisme with Christianitie: for at this time the Christians were most persecuted by the Jews, whose hatred was not so exasperated against the Apostles for preaching Christ crucified, as for teaching, that the Law of Moses was abolished, for which they were most zealous.

Crosse] Gr. Tec. Crosse of Christ.

Galatians 5:12

cut off] He compareth those who corrupt the doctrine of Christ, and maliciously set themselves against his preaching, to rotten Members, which are to be cut off, lest the Gangren spread over the whole body: and he alludeth, as the Greek Scholiast noteth, to the practise of Circumcision, which is a cutting off of the foreskin of the flesh, and casting it away; wishing, that they themselves might suffer what they do, that is, be cut off as superfluous flesh.

Galatians 5:13

onely use not libertie for an occasion to the flesh] Because men are very apt to abuse their libertie, and turne the grace of Christ into wantonnesse, he addeth here, as else-where, a wholesome caution, that Christian libertie is not a license to do what men list, but a freedome from the heavie yoke of the law, to the end that they may take upon them Christs easie yoke, and light burden, and more cheerefully serve him. Where the carnall Gospellers suck poyson, there the holy Ghost sets an antidote, as Luke 1:74. He hath redeemed his people, that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life: and Romans 8:1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walke not after the flesh, but after the Spirit and Romans 6:1. Where sinne abounded grace did much more abound; what then? shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound? God forbid: and Titus 2. 11. The grace of God that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all, teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously in this present world.

Galatians 5:14

all the law is fulfilled in one word] Some restraine the word, all the law, to the second Table: others take it absolutely for the whole law; because none can love his neighbour a himself, but he must needs love God: and the love of God and our neighbour, containes in it the whole law. Others understand the words thus, all the law, is fulfilled in this one word, Thou shalt love thy neighbour; Romans 13:8. This precept is the complement of the whole law, that is, this precept added to the former Table, makes up the whole law. For so the Greek word, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is often taken.

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self] See Leviticus 19:18. Matthew 22:39. Romans 13:9.

Galatians 5:16

This] Gr. but.

Walk in the spirit] That is, dispose all your life and actions according to the instructions and motions of the holy Spirit, as well in the spirituall frame of Religion, proper and peculiar to the Gospel, as in all holinesse of life and conversation. Some by the Spirit, understand the rationall appetite, and by the flesh the sensitive, as Lyra: Some by the Spirit, understand the holy Ghost, and by flesh carnall concupiscence: as Theodoret and Occionenius. Others with more probabilitie affirme, that when Spirit and Flesh, are set in opposition one against the other, that by Spirit, is to be understood that part of man which is regenerated by the Spirit, and by the flesh the naturall corruption which cleaveth still unto the regenerate. See Romans 8:1.

ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh] Or, fulfill not.

Galatians 5:17

the flesh lusteth against the spirit] For the flesh dwelleth even in those that are regenerate; but the spirit reigneth in them, although not without great strife. S. Austine in his Exposition upon the Epistle to the Galatians, affirmeth that they are under the law, and not under grace, in whom the flesh so lusteth against the spirit, that they cannot do what they would: but in the 24. Chapter of his first book of Retractations, he correcteth his former opinion, acknowledging that these words of the Apostle are meant, even of them, who are in the state of grace; Quia & ipsi concupiscentias carnis habent contra quas spiritu concupisciunt, nolentes eas habere si possent & ideo non quaecun(que volunt faciunt, qui volunt iis carere nec possunt; tunc autem eas non habebunt, quando nec corruptibilem carnem.)

do the things that ye would] Gr. do not what ye would.

Galatians 5:19

Now the works of the flesh] He setteth out that particularly, which he spake before generally, reckoning up some chiefe effects of the flesh, and opposing them to the fruits of the Spirit, that no man may pretend ignorance.

Galatians 5:22

But the fruit of the Spirit] Therefore they are not the fruits of free-will, but so farre forth as our will is made free by grace. He saith not, the works of the Spirit, as before the works of the flesh, but the fruits of the Spirit, to teach us, that good works are not only the effects of Gods Spirit, but also that they are acceptable and pleasing unto him, like most sweet and wholesome fruits, Matthew 3:8. John 15:8.

Galatians 5:23

against such there is no law] Such may be either referred to the fruits of the Spirit, or to the persons who bring forth such fruit, against men so qualified there is no law to condemn them: for the law of God, which is so severe and terrible to all men that are in the state of sinne, is not so for all that unto the children of God, that do not maliciously set themselves against it; neither are they lyable to the malediction thereof, they submitting themselves willingly to the same, as a gentle mistresse of their actions, and guide of their life and conversation.

Galatians 5:24

have crucified the flesh] We are not only to mortifie 〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉our fleshly members, but also our inward affections, and to do this out of a respect to Christs crosse, which is a speciall means to crucifie these our lusts, when we consider that sinne is so great and hainous an evill in the sight of God, that nothing but the blood of the Sonne of God could expiate it.

affections] Or, passions.

Galatians 5:25

If we live in the Spirit] Or, by. If we be indued with the quickening Spirit of God, which causeth us to die to sinne and live to God, let us shew it in our deeds by holinesse of life.

in the Spirit] Or, by.

Galatians 5:26

Let us not be desirous of vainglory] He addeth particular exhortations, according as he knew the Galatians subject to diverse vices, and first of all he warneth them to take heed of ambition, which vice hath alwayes two companions, backbiting, and envie, out of which two it cannot be, but many contentions must needs arise.