Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 5 · Verse extract 22 – Verse extract 24
Verſe. 22. But the fruits of the ſpirite are louelove, ioy, peace, long ſuffering, ſvvetenes, goodnes, faithfulnes, gentlenes or mekenes, temperance.
The Apoſtle ſayeth not, the workes of the ſpirite, as he ſayd the workes of ye fleſh, but he adorneth theſe Chriſtian vertues with a more honorable name, calling them the frutes of the ſpirite.The fruites of the ſpirite. For they bring with them moſt excellent frutes and commodities: for they that hauehave them geue glory to God, and with the ſame doe allure and prouoke others to embrace the doctrine and Faith of Chriſt.
LoueLove.
It had bene enough to hauehave ſayd [LoueLove] and no more: for louelove extendeth it ſelfe vntounto all the fruites of the ſpirite. And in the. 1. Cor. 13. Paule attributeth to louelove all the fruites which are done in the ſpirite, when he ſayth: LoueLove is patiēt, curteous, &c. Notwithſtāding he would ſet it here by it ſelfe amongs the reſt of ye fruites of the ſpirit, and in the firſt place, thereby to admoniſh the Chriſtians, that before all things they ſhould louelove one an other,Rom. 12.10. geuing honour one to an other, eueryevery man eſteming better of an other then of him ſelfe, and ſeruing one an other, becauſe they hauehave Chriſt & the holy Ghoſt dwelling in them, & becauſe of the word, baptiſme, & other gifts of God which chriſtiās hauehave.
Ioy.
This is the voyce of the Bridegrome and of the Bride, that is to ſay, ſweete cogitations of Chriſt, holeſom exhortations, pleſant ſongs or Pſalmes, praiſes and thanks geuing, wherby the godly do inſtruct, ſtirre vp and refreſh them ſelues.The ſcripture exhorteth vsus to reioyce in God. Therefore God loueth not heauines and doulfulnes of ſpirite: he hateth vncomfortable doctrine, heauy and ſorowfull cogitations, and loueth chearfull hearts. For therefore hath he ſent his ſonne, not to oppreſſe vsus with heauines and ſorrow, but to cheare vp our ſoules in him. For this cauſe the Prophets, ye Apoſtles, and Chriſt him ſelfe do exhort vsus, yea they commaūd vsus to reioyce & be glad.The ioy of the ſpirite. Zach. 9. Reioyce thou daughter of Syon, be ioyful thou daughter of Ieruſalem, for behold thy king commeth to thee. And in the Pſalmes it is often ſayd: Be ioyfull in the Lord. Paule ſayth: Reioyce in the Lord alvvaies, &c. And Chriſte ſayeth: Reioyce becauſe your names are vvryttē in heauen. Where this ioy of the ſpirit is, there the heart inwardly reioyceth through faith in Chriſt, wt ful aſſurance that he is our Sauiour and our byſhop, and outwardly it expreſſeth this ioy with wordes and geſtures. Alſo the faithfull reioyce when they ſee that the Goſpell ſpreadeth abrode, that many be wonne to the Faith, and that the kingdom of Chriſt is enlarged.
Peace.
Both towardes God & men, ye Chriſtians may be peaceable & quiet: not contentious, nor hating one an other, but one bearing an others burden through long ſuffering or perſeuerance:Lōg ſufferāce or perſeuerance. without ye which peace cannot continue, and therfore Paule putteth it next after peace.
Long ſuffering or perſeuerance.
Wherby a mā doth not only beare aduerſities, iniuries, reproches & ſuch like, but alſo with patiēce waiteth for ye amendmēt of thoſe which hauehave done him any wrong. When the Deuil cannot by force ouercome thoſe which are tempted, then ſeketh he to ouercome them by long cō tinuance. For he knoweth yt we be earthen veſſels which can not long endure & hold out many knockes & violent ſtrokes: therfore with long continuance of tēptations he ouercometh many. To vanquiſh theſe his cōtinuall aſſaults we muſt vſe long ſufferance, which patiētly looketh, not only for the amendment of thoſe which doe vsus wrong, but alſo for the ende of thoſe temptations which the Deuil raiſeth vp againſt vsus.
Gentlenes.
Which is when a man is gentle and tractable in his conuerſation & in his whole life. For ſuch as wil be true folowers of the Goſpel, muſt not be ſharpe and bitter, but gentle, milde, courteous and faire ſpoken: which ſhould encourage others to delite in their company: which can winke at other mens faults, or at leaſt expound them to the beſt: which will be well contented to yelde and geue place to others, contented to beare with thoſe which are froward & intractable, as the very Heathen ſayd: Thou muſt know the maners of thy frend, but thou muſt not hate thē. Such a one was our Sauiour Chriſt,The gentlenes and mildnes of Chriſte. Ex libro Clementis ad Iacobum fratrem Domini. as eueryevery where is to be ſene in yt Goſpell. It is wryttē of Peter that he wept ſo often as he remēbred the ſweete mildnes of Chriſte which he vſed in his daily conuerſation. It is an excellent vertue and moſt neceſſary in eueryevery kinde of life.
Goodnes.
Which is, when a man willingly helpeth others in their neceſſitie by geuing, lending, and ſuch other meanes.
Faith.
When Paule here reckeneth faith amongs the fruites of the ſpirit, it is manifeſt that he ſpeaketh not of Faith which is in Chriſte, but of the fidelitie & humanitie of one man towards an other. Herevpon he ſayeth in the .13. Chap. of the firſt to the Cor. that charitie beleueth all things. Therfore he that hath this faith is not ſuſpicious but milde, & taketh all things to the beſt. And although he be deceaued and findeth himſelfe to be mocked, yet ſuch is his patiencie and ſoftnes, that he letteth it paſſe: Briefly he is ready to beleue al mē, but he truſteth not all. On ye cōtrary, where this vertue is lacking, there men are ſuſpicious, froward, waiward, dogged, & ſo neither wil beleue any thing, nor geue place to any body. They can ſuffer nothing. Whatſoeuer a mā ſaith or doth neuer ſo wel, they cauill & ſclander it, ſo yt who ſo ſerueth not their humor, cā neuer pleaſe them. Therefore it is impoſſible for thē to kepe charity, frendſhip, concord & peace wt men. But if theſe vertues be takē away, what is this life elſe, but biting and deuouring one of an other? Faith therfore in this place is, whē one mā geueth credite to an other in things pertaining to this preſent life. For what maner of life ſhould we lead in this world, if one man ſhould not credite an other?
Mekenes.
Which is when a man is not lightly moued or prouoked to anger. There be infinite occaſions in this life which prouoke men to anger, but the godly ouer come them by meekenes.
Temperance, chaſtitie or continencie.
This is a ſobrietie or modeſtie in the whole life of man, which vertue Paule ſetteth againſt the works of the fleſh. He would therfore that Chriſtians ſhould liue ſoberly and chaſtly, that they ſhould be no adulterers, no fornicatours, no wantons: and if they cannot liue chaſtly, he would hauehave them to marrie: Alſo that they ſhould not be contentious or quarellers,Chaſtitie. yt they ſhould not be geuen to drunkennes or ſurfetting, but that they ſhould abſtaine from all theſe things. Chaſtitie or continencie containeth all theſe. Hierome expoundeth it of virginitie onelyonly, as though they that be married could not be chaſt: or as though the Apoſtle did wryte theſe things onelyonly to virgines. In the 1. and .2. Chapt. to Tit. he warneth alſo Biſhops, yong women, and maried folkes both man and wife to be chaſt and pure.
Verſe. 23. Againſt ſuch there is no lavve.
The lavv is abolished to the beleuers in Chriſt.In deede there is a lawe, but not againſt ſuch: As he ſayth alſo in an other place. The lavve is not geuen to the righteous man. For the righteous liueth in ſuch wiſe, that he hath no neede of any lawe to admoniſh or to conſtraine him: but without conſtraint of the lawe, he willingly doth thoſe things which the lawe requireth. Therefore the law cannot accuſe or condemne thoſe that beleue in Chriſte. In deede the law troubleth and terrifieth our conſciences, but Chriſt apprehē ded by Faith, vanquiſheth it with all his terrours & threatnings. To them therefore the lawe is vtterly aboliſhed, and hath no power to accuſe them: for they doe that of their owne accord, which the law requireth. They hauehave receaued the holy Ghoſt by Faith, who wil not ſuffer them to be idle. Although the fleſh reſiſt, yet doe they walke after the ſpirite. So a Chriſtian accompliſheth the law inwardly by Faith (for Chriſt is the perfection of the lawe vntounto righteouſnes, to all that doe beleue): outwardly by workes and by remiſſion of ſinnes. But thoſe which performe the workes or deſires of the fleſh, the law doth accuſe and condemne both ciuily and ſpiritually.
Verſe. 24. For they that are Chriſtes, hauehave crucified the flesh vvith the affections and luſtes thereof.
This whole place concerning workes, ſheweth that the true beleuers are no hypocrites. Therfore let no man deceaue him ſelfe. For whoſoeuer (ſayeth he) pertaine vntounto Chriſte, hauehave crucified the fleſh with all the vices and luſtes thereof. For the Sainctes, in as much as they hauehave not yet vtterly put of the corrupt and ſinnefull fleſh, are enclined to ſinne, and doe neither feare not louelove God ſo perfectly as they ought to doe. Alſo they be prouoked to anger, to enuie, to impatiencie, to vncleane luſts, and ſuch like motions, which notwithſtanding they accompliſh not:VVhat it is to crucifie the fle…h. for (as Paule here ſayeth) they crucifie the fleſh with all the affectiōs and luſts therof. Which thing they do, not onelyonly when they repreſſe the wantonnes of the fleſh with faſting and other exerciſes, but alſo (as Paule ſayd before) when they walke according to the ſpirite: that is, when they being admoniſhed by the threatnings of God, wherby he ſheweth that he will ſeuerely puniſh ſinne, are afeard to commit ſinne: Alſo when they being armed with the word of God, with faith, and with prayer, doe not obey the luſtes of the fleſh.
When they reſiſt the fleſh after this maner, they naile it to the croſſe with the luſtes and deſires thereof, ſo that although the fleſh be yet aliue, yet can it not performe that which it would doe, for as much as it is bound both hand and foote, and faſt nailed to the croſſe. The faithfull then ſo long as they liue here doe crucifie the fleſh, that is to ſay, they feele the luſts therof, but they obey them not. For they being furniſhed with the armour of God, that is, with Faith,The armour of God. hope and the ſword of the ſpirite, doe reſiſt the fleſh, and with theſe ſpirituall nailes they faſten the ſame vntounto the croſſe, ſo that it is conſtrained to be ſubiect to the ſpirite. Afterwardes when they die they put it of wholy: and when they ſhall riſe againe from death to life, they ſhall hauehave a pure and vncorrupt fleſh without all affections and luſtes.