Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 2 · Verse extract 20
Verſe. 20. And in that I novv liue in the flesh, I liue by faith in the ſonne of God.
That is to ſay, I liue in deede in the fleſh, but this life,Chriſt is our life. whatſoeuer it is, I eſteme as no life, for it is no true life in deede, but a ſhadow of life: vnderunder the which an other liueth, that is to ſay, Chriſt, who is my true life in deede, which life thou ſeeſt not but onelyonly heareſt & I feele. Thou heareſt the vvind, but knovveſt not vvhence it cometh or vvhether it goeth. Ioh. 3. Euen ſo thou ſeeſt me ſpeaking, eating, labouring, ſleeping, and doing other things, and yet thou ſeeſt not my life.The faithfull liue in the flesh but not according to the flesh. This life which I now liue, I liue in deede in the fleſh, but not through the fleſh or according to the fleſh, but through faith and according to faith. Paule then denieth not that he liueth in the fleſh, becauſe he doeth all things that belong to a naturall man. He vſeth alſo carnall things, as meate, drinke, apparell and ſuch like, which is to liue in the fleſh: but he ſaith that this is not his life: and although he vſeth theſe things, yet he liueth not through them, as the world liueth through the fleſh and after the fleſh: for it neither knoweth nor hopeth for any life beſides this.
Therfore (ſaith he) this life which I now liue in the fleſh,To liue in the faith of the ſonne of God. whatſoeuer it is, I liue in the faith of the ſonne of God. For this word which I now corporally ſpeake is the word, not of fleſh, but of the holy Ghoſt and of Chriſt. This ſight which goeth in or cometh out at mine eies procedeth not of fleſh, that is to ſay, it is not gouerned of the fleſh, but of the holy Ghoſt. So my hearing cometh not of the fleſh, although it be in the fleſh, but of the holy Ghoſt. A Chriſtian ſpeaketh none other but chaſt, ſober, & holy things, which pertaine vntounto Chriſt, to the glory of God & the profit of his neighbour. Theſe things come not of the fleſh, neither are done accordīg to the fleſh, and yet are they in the fleſh. For I can not teach, write, pray or geue thanks but with theſe inſtruments of the fleſh, which are neceſſary to the accompliſhing of theſe works: and yet notwithſtanding theſe works proceede not of the fleſh, but are geuen by God from aboue. In like maner I behold a woman, but with a chaſt eie, not luſting after her. This beholding cometh not of the fleſh, although it be in the fleſh becauſe the eies are the carnall inſtrumēts of this ſight: but ye chaſtnes of this ſight cometh from heauen.
Thus a Chriſtian vſeth the world and all creatures, ſo that there is no difference betwene him and the Infidell. For in their apparell, in their feeding, hearing, ſeing, ſpeaking, geſtures, coūtenances and ſuch other things they are like, and in outward apperance they ſeeme to be all one (as Paule ſpeaketh of Chriſt:Philip. 2.7. In outvvard appearance he vvas found, The differēce betvvene the faithfull and vnfaithfull.ſayth he, as a man:) yet notwithſtanding there is greate difference. For I liue in the fleſh (I graunt) but I liue not of my ſelfe: but in that I now liue, I liue in the faith of the ſonne of God. This which I now ſpeake, ſpringeth out of an other fountaine then that which thou heardeſt of me before. Paule before his conuerſion ſpake with the ſame voice and toung wherwith he ſpake afterwards. But his voice and his toung were then blaſphemous, and therfore he could ſpeake nothing els but blaſphemies & abhominations againſt Chriſt and his Church. After he was conuerted he had the ſame fleſh, the ſame voice and toung which he had before, and nothing was chaunged: but his voice and his toung then vttered no blaſphemies but ſpirituall and heauenly words: to witte, thanks geuing and the praiſe of God: which came of faith & the holy Ghoſt. So then I liue in the fleſh, but not of the fleſh or after the fleſh, but in the faith of the ſonne of God.
Hereby we may plainly ſee whence this ſpirituall life cometh: which we hauehave not of our ſelues but of an other, which the natural man can in no wiſe vnderſtand, for he knoweth not what maner of life this is. He heareth the wind, but whence it cometh or whither it goeth he knoweth not. He heareth the voice of the ſpirituall man, he knoweth his face, his maners and his geſtures: but he ſeeth not whence theſe workes, which are not now wicked and blaſphemous as before, but holy and godly: or whence theſe motions and actions doe come. For this life is in the heart by Faith, where the fleſh is killed and Chriſt raigneth with his holy ſpirite, who now ſeeth, heareth, ſpeaketh, worketh, ſuffereth and doth all other things in him, although the fleſh doe reſiſt. To cōclude, this is not the life of ye fleſh, although it be in ye fleſh: but of Chriſt the ſonne of God, whom the Chriſtian poſſeſſeth by faith.