Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 5 · Verse extract 1
Verſe. 1. And be not entangled againe vvith the yoke of bondage.
Paule hath ſpoken moſt effectually and profoundly as concerning grace and Chriſtian libertie, and with high and mighty wordes hath exhorted the Galathians to continue in the ſame: for it is eaſily loſt. Therefore he biddeth them ſtand faſt, leſt that through negligence or ſecuritie they fall backe againe from grace and Faith, to the law and workes. Now, becauſe reaſon iudgeth that there can be no daunger in preferring the righteouſnes of ye law before the righteouſnes of Faith: therefore with a certaine indignation he enueyeth againſt the lawe, and with great contempt he calleth it a yoke, yea a yoke of bondage.Actes. 15.…0. Actes. 10.43. So Peter calleth it alſo. Acts. 15: VVhy tempt ye God to lay a yoke on the diſciples neckes, vvhichwhich neither our fathers nor vve vvere able to beare? And thus he turneth all things to the contrary. For the falſe Apoſtles did abaſe the promiſe, and magnified the law and the works thereof in this wiſe:The lavve is a yoke of bondage. Galat. 4.10. If ye will be made free (ſay they) from ſinne and death and obtaine righteouſnes and life, fulfil the law, be circumciſed, obſerue dayes, moneths, times and yeres, offer ſacrifices, and doe ſuch other like things: then ſhall this obedience of the law iuſtifie and ſaue you. But Paule ſayth the contrary. They (ſayth he) that teach the law after this ſort, do not ſet mens conſciences at libertie, but ſnare and entangle them with a yoke, yea and that with a yoke of bondage.
He ſpeaketh therfore of the law very baſely and contemptuouſly, and calleth it an hard bondage and a ſeruile yoke. And this he doth not without great cauſe. For this pernicious opinion of the lawe, that it iuſtifieth and maketh men righteous before God, is deepely rooted in mans reaſon, and all mankinde is ſo wrapped in it, that it can hardly get out. And Paul ſeemeth here to compare thoſe that ſeeke righteouſnes by the lawe, vntounto oxen that be tied to the yoke,Thei that ſeke righteouſnes by the lavve, are compared to oxen tied to the yoke. to the end he might take from it the glory of iuſtifying & of righteouſnes. For like as oxen that draw in the yoke with great toile, receaue nothing therby but forrage or paſture, & when they be able to draw the yoke no more, are appoynted to the ſlaughter: euen ſo they that ſeeke righteouſnes by the lawe are captiues and oppreſſed with the yoke of bondage, that is to ſay, with the lawe: and when they hauehave tired themſelues a long time in the workes of the lawe with great and greeuous toyle, in the ende this is their reward, that they are miſerable and perpetuall ſeruaunts. And whereof? euen of ſinne, death, Gods wrath, and of the Deuill.No greater bondage then the bondage of the lavve. Wherefore there is no greater or harder bondage, then the bondage of the lawe. It is not without cauſe then, that Paule calleth it the yoke of bōdage. For as we hauehave often ſayd before, the law doth but reueale, encreaſe & aggrauate ſinne, accuſe, terrify, condemne, & gender wrath, and finally it driueth poore conſciences into deſperation, which is the moſt miſerable and moſt greeuous bondage that can be Rom. 3.4.5.
He vſeth therefore very vehement wordes. For he would gladly perſwade them that they ſhould not ſuffer this importable burden to be layd vponupon their ſhoulders by the falſe apoſtles, or be entangled againe with the yoke of bondage. As if he ſhould ſay: We ſtād not here vponupon a matter of ſmall importance, but either of euerlaſting libertie, or euerlaſting bondage. For like as freedome from Gods wrath and all euils is not temporall or carnall, but euerlaſting: euen ſo the bondage of ſinne, death, the Deuill and damnation (wherwith all they be oppreſſed which will be made righteous and ſaued by the law) is not corporall and ſuch as continueth but for a time, but euerlaſting. For ſuch workers of the lawe as goe about to performe and accompliſh all things preciſely and exactly (for of ſuch Paule ſpeaketh) can neuer finde quietnes and peace of conſcience in this life. They alwayes dout of the good will of God towardes them: they are alwayes in feare of death, of the wrath and iudgement of God: and after this life they ſhalbe puniſhed for their vnbeleefe with euerlaſting damnation.
Therefore the doers of the lawe, and ſuch as ſtand altogether vponupon the righteouſnes and workes thereof, are rightly called the Deuils martyrs.VVho be the Deuils Martyrs. They take more paines and puniſh them ſelues more in purchaſing hell (according to the prouerbe) then the Martyrs of Chriſte doe in obtaining heauen. For they are tormented two maner of wayes. Firſt, they miſerably afflict themſelues whileſt they liue here by doing of many hard and great workes, and all in vaine: and afterwardes when they die, they reape for a recompence euerlaſting damnation. Thus are they moſt miſerable Martyrs, both in this life and in the life to come, and their bondage is euerlaſting. Cōtrariwiſe, the godly hauehave troubles in this world, but in Chriſte they hauehave peace, becauſe they beleue that he hath ouercome the world.Iohn. 16.23. Wherefore we muſt ſtand faſt in that freedome which Chriſt hath purchaſed for vsus by his death, & we muſt take good heede that we be not entangled againe with the yoke of bondage: As it hapneth at this day to the fantaſticall ſpirites, who falling away from Faith and from this freedom, hauehave procured vntounto them ſelues here a temporal bondage, and in the world to come ſhall be oppreſſed with an euerlaſting bondage.The corporall libertie of the Papiſtes. As for the Papiſtes, the moſt part of them are become at this day plaine Epicures: Therfore whiles they may,This may truely be ſaid alſo of our Libertines and carnal goſpellers at this day. they vſe the libertie of the fleſh, ſinging this careleſſe ſong: Ede, bibe, lude, post mortem nulla voluptas: That is, Eate, drinke, & make good cheare, for after this life there is no pleaſure. But they are the very bondſlaues of the Deuill, by whom they are holden captiues at his will and pleaſure, therefore they ſhall feele this euerlaſting bōdage in hel. Hetherto Paules exhortation hath bene vehement and earneſt, but that which foloweth doth farre paſſe it.