Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 2 · Verse extract 20 – Verse extract 21
Verſe. 20. For me.
Who is this me? Euen I wretched and damnable ſinner, ſo dearly beloued of the ſonne of God that he gaue himſelfe for me. If I then through works or merites could hauehave loued the ſonne of God and ſo come vntounto him, what needed he to deliuer himſelfe for me? Hereby it appereth how coldly the Papiſtes handled,The ſluggishnes of the Papiſts in handling the holy ſcriptures. yea how they vtterly neglected the holy ſcriptures and doctrine of faith. For if they had conſidered but onelyonly theſe words, that it behoued the ſonne of God to be geuen for me, it had bene vnpoſſible that ſo many monſtrous ſectes ſhould hauehave ſpronge vp amongeſt them. For faith would by and by hauehave aunſwered: why doeſt thou chooſe this kind of life, this religiō, this worke? Doeſt thou this to pleaſe God, or to be iuſtified therby? Doeſt thou not heare, O thou wretch, that the ſonne of God ſhed his bloud for thee? Thus true fayth in Chriſt would eaſilie hauehave withſtande all maner of ſectes.Hovv ſectes may be vvithſtande.
Wherefore I ſay (as I hauehave often times ſaid) that there is no remedie againſt Sectes or power to reſiſt them, but this onelyonly article of Chriſtian righteouſnes. If we loſe this article, it is impoſſible for vsus to withſtand any errours or Sectes: As we may ſee at this daye in the phanaticall ſpirites the Anabaptiſtes and ſuch like: who being fallen away from this article of iuſtification, will neuer ceaſe to fall, erre, and ſeduce vntill they come to the fulnes of all iniquitie. There is no dout, but they will raiſe vp innumerable ſectes, and ſtill deuiſe new workes. But what are al theſe things (though they hauehave neuer ſo goodly a ſhew of holines) if ye compare them to the death and bloud of the ſonne of God, vvho gaue himſelfe for me. Conſider well, I pray you, who this ſonne of God is, how glorious he is, how mightie he is. What is heauen and earth in compariſon of him? Let all the Papiſtes and all the authors of ſectes, yea though the whole world take their part, be throwne downe into hell, withall their righteouſnes, workes, and merits, rather then the truth of the Goſpell ſhould be blemiſhed, and the glory of Chriſt periſh. What meane they they then, to bragge ſo much of workes and merits? If I being a wretched and a damned ſinner could be redemed by any other price, what needed the ſonne of God to be geuen for me? But becauſe there was no other price, either in heauen or in earth, but Chriſt the ſonne of God, therefore it was moſt neceſſary yt he ſhould be deliuered for me. Moreouer this he did of ineſtimable louelove: For Paule ſayth, vvhichwhich loued me.
Wherfore theſe wordes: vvhichwhich loued me, are full of faith.Hath geuen himſelfe for me. And he that can vtter this litle word Me, and apply it vntounto him ſelfe with a true and conſtant faith as Paule did, ſhalbe a good diſputer with Paule againſt the lawe. For he deliuered neither ſhepe, oxe, golde nor ſiluer, but euen God him ſelfe entierly and wholy, for me, euen for me (I ſay) a miſerable and wretched ſinner. Nowe therefore in that the ſonne of God was thus deliuered to death for me, I take comfort and applie this benefite vntounto my ſelfe.The true force of faith. And this maner of applying is the right force of faith in deede.
Theſe wordes (which are the pure preaching of grace and Chriſtian righteouſnes in deede) Paule ſetteth againſt the righteouſnes of the law. As if he ſayd: Be it ſo that the law is an heauenly doctrine,The lavve loueth not ſinners, but accuſeth them. and hath alſo his glory: yet notwithſtanding it loued not me, nor gaue it ſelfe for me: yea it accuſeth me, terrifieth me, and driueth me to deſperation. But I hauehave now an other which hath deliuered me from the terrours of the law, ſinne and death, and hath brought me vntounto libertie, the righteouſnes of God, and eternall life: who is called the ſonne of God: to whom be praiſe and glory for euermore.
Faith therefore (as I hauehave ſaid) embraceth and wrappeth in it ſelfe Chriſt Ieſus the ſonne of God, deliuered to death for vsus, as Paule here teacheth, who being apprehended by faith, geueth vntounto vsus righteouſnes and life. And here he ſetteth out moſt liuely the Prieſthode and offices of Chriſt: which are to pacifie God, to make interceſſion for ſinners, to offer vppe him ſelfe a ſacrifice for their ſinnes, to redeme, to inſtruct, and to comfort them. Let vsus learne therefore to geue a true definition of Chriſt, not as the Scholedoctours do and ſuch as ſeeke righteouſnes by their owne workes, which make him a new law-geuer, who aboliſhing the olde lawe hath eſtabliſhed a newe. To theſe Chriſt is nothing elſe but an exactor and a tyranne:A true definition of Chriſt. but let vsus define him as Paule here doth: namely that he is the ſonne of God, who not for our deſert or any righteouſnes of ours, but of his owne free merciemercy offered vppe him ſelfe a ſacrifice for vsus ſinners, that he might ſanctifie vsus for euer.
Chriſt then is no Moſes, no exactor, no geuer of lawes, but a geuer of grace, a Sauiour, and one that is full of merciemercy: briefly, he is nothing elſe but infinite merciemercy and goodnes, freely geuen and bountifully geuing vntounto vsus. And thus ſhall you paint out Chriſt in his right coloures. If you ſuffer him to be painted out to you any otherwiſe then thus, when tentation and trouble cometh you ſhall ſoone be ouerthrowne.The greateſt cunning that Chriſtians can hauehave, is to define Chriſt rightly. Nowe, as it is the greateſt knowledge and cunning that Chriſtians cā hauehave, thus to define Chriſt: ſo of all things it is the moſt hardeſt. For I my ſelfe euen in this great light of the Goſpell, wherein I hauehave bene ſo long exerciſed, hauehave much a doe to hold this definition of Chriſt which Paule here geueth: So depely hath this doctrine and peſtilent opinion that Chriſt is a lawgeuer, entred in me, euen as it were oyle into my boanes. Ye yong men therefore are in this caſe much more happie then we that are olde. For ye are not infected with theſe pernicious errours, wherein I hauehave bene ſo nuſled and ſo drowned euen from my youth, that at the very hearing of the name of Chriſt my heart hath trēbled and quaked for feare: for I was perſwaded that he was a ſeuere iudge. Wherefore it is to me a double trauaile & trouble to correct and reforme this euill: Firſt to forget, to condemne, and to withſtand this olde grounded errour, that Chriſt is a lawgeuer and a Iudge: for it often returneth and plucketh me backe. Then to plant in my heart a new & a true perſwaſion of Chriſt, that he is a iuſtifier & a Sauiour. Ye (I ſay) that are yong, may learne with much leſſe difficultie to know Chriſt purely and ſincerely if ye will. Wherfore if any man feele him ſelfe oppreſſed with heauines and anguiſh of heart, he muſt not impute it vntounto Chriſt, although it come vnderunder the name of Chriſt, but vntounto the Deuill, who oftentimes cometh vnderunder the colour of Chriſt, and tranſformeth himſelfe into an Angell of light.
Let vsus learne therefore to put a difference betwene Chriſt and a lawgeuer, not only in word but in practiſe, & in deede alſo, that when ye Deuil ſhal come vnderunder the ſhadow of Chriſt, & ſhal go about to trouble vsus vnderunder his name, we may know him, not to be Chriſt, but a very feend in deede. For Chriſt when he cometh, is nothing elſe but ioy and ſweetenes to a trembling and broken heart, as here Paule witneſſeth, who ſetteth him out with this moſt ſweete & louing title when he ſaith: vvhichwhich loued me and gaue him ſelfe for me. Chriſt loueth the afflicted, and ſuch as feele the vveight of their ſinnes.Chriſt therefore in very deede is a louer of thoſe which are in bitternes of minde, ſinne & death, and ſuch a louer as gaue him ſelfe for them: who is alſo our high prieſt, that is to ſay, a mediatour betwene God & vsus wretched ſinners. What could be ſayd (I pray you) more ſweete or comfortable to the poore afflicted conſcience? Now, if theſe things be true (as they are in deede moſt true, or elſe the Goſpell muſt be nothing elſe but a fable) then are we not iuſtified by the righteouſnes of the lawe: and much leſſe by our owne righteouſnes.
Read therefore with diligent attention, and with great vehemencie theſe wordes Me and for me, and ſo practiſe with thy ſelfe,Me. For me. that thou maiſt well conceaue and print this Me in thy heart, and applie it vntounto thy ſelfe with a ſtedfaſt faith, not doubting but thou art of the number of thoſe to whom this Me belongeth: Alſo that Chriſt hath not onelyonly loued Peter and Paule, and geuen him ſelfe for them, but that the ſame grace alſo which is comprehended in this Me, doth as well pertaine and extend vntounto vsus as vntounto them. For as we can not denie but that we are all ſinners, and are conſtrained to ſay that through the ſinne of Adam we were all loſt, were made the enemies of God, ſubiect to the wrath and iudgement of God, and giltie of eternall death (for this doe all terrified heartes feele and confeſſe, and more in deede then they ſhould do) ſo can we not denie but that Chriſt died for our ſinnes yt he might make vsus righteous. For he died not to iuſtifie the righteous, but the vnrighteous, and to make them the children of God, and inheritours of all ſpirituall & heauenly gifts. Therfore when I feele & confeſſe my ſelfe to be a ſinner through Adams trāſgreſſion,As by Adam all became giltie, ſo by Chriſt all that beleue, are made righteous. why ſhould I not ſay that I am made righteous through the righteouſnes of Chriſt, eſpecially whē I heare yt he loued me, & gaue himſelfe for me. This did Paule moſt ſtedfaſtly beleue, & therfore he ſpeaketh theſe wordes with ſo great a vehemencie and full aſſurance. Which he graunt vntounto vsus, in ſome part at the leaſt, who hath loiſed vsus and geuen him ſelfe for vsus.
Verſe. 21. I doe not abrogate or reiect the grace of God
Now he prepareth a way to the ſecond argument of this epiſtle. And here ye muſt diligently conſider,They that ſeke to be made righteous by the lavv, reiect the grace of God. yt to ſeeke to be iuſtified by the workes of the law is to reiect the grace of God. But, I pray you, what ſinne cā be more execrable or horrible then to reiect the grace of God and to refuſe that righteouſnes which cometh by Chriſt? It is enough and to much already that we are wicked ſinners and tranſgreſſours of all the commaundements of God: and yet we commit moreouer the moſt execrable ſinne of all ſinnes, in that we doe ſo contemptuouſly refuſe the grace of God and remiſſion of ſinnes offered vntounto vsus by Chriſt. This blaſphemy is more horrible then can be expreſſed. There is no ſinne which Paule and the other Apoſtles did ſo much deteſt as the contempt of grace and deniall of Chriſt, and yet there is no ſinne more common. Hereof it cometh that Paule aboue ye reſt doth ſo ſharply inuey againſt Antichriſt for that he deſpiſeth the grace of God and refuſeth the benefite of Chriſt our high Prieſt,Antichriſt reiecteth grace, and denieth faith. who offered vp himſelfe a ſacrifice for our ſinnes. Now thus to deny Chriſt, what is it els but to ſpitte in his face, to treade him vnderunder foote, to ſet himſelfe in his place, and to ſay: I will iuſtifie thee and will ſaue thee. By what meanes? By maſſes, pilgrimages, pardons, merits and ſuch like. We ſee then how proudly Antichriſt hath lift vp himſelfe againſt and aboue God, and ſet himſelf in the place of Chriſt, reiected the grace of God and denied the faith. For this is his doctrine: Faith auaileth nothing (ſaith he) vnleſſe it be ioyned with works: and by this falſe and deteſtable doctrine he hath defaced, darkned, and vtterly buried the benefite of Chriſt, & in the ſteede of the grace of Chriſt and his kingdome, he hath eſtabliſhed the doctrine of works and the kingdome of ceremonies, and hath confirmed the ſame with meere trifles and doting dreames, and by this meanes he hath wreſted the whole world out of Chriſtes hands (who alone ought to reigne in the conſcience) & hath throwne it downe hedlong into hell.
VVhat it is to reiect grace.Hereby we may eaſily vnderſtand what it is to reiect and refuſe the grace of God, euen to ſeeke righteouſnes by the law. Now, who hath euer heard that a man by keping of the law reiecteth grace? Do we then ſinne in keeping of the law? No forſoth. But we deſpiſe grace when we obſerue the law to this end, that we may be iuſtified through it. The law is good, holy and profitable, and yet it iuſtifieth not. He then that kepeth the law to be iuſtified therby, reiecteth grace, denieth Chriſt, deſpiſeth his ſacrifice, and will not be ſaued by this ineſtimable price, but will ſatiſfie for his ſinnes through the righteouſnes of the law, or deſerue grace by his owne righteouſnes: and this man blaſphemeth and deſpiſeth the grace of God. Now what an horrible thing is it to ſay that any man ſhould be ſo deuiliſh, as to deſpiſe the grace and mercy of God? And yet notwithſtanding all the world doth ſo.The vvorld is ſo vntovvard that it reiecteth the grace of God. Albeit it can not abide that any man ſhould ſo iudge of it, but will ſeeme to doe high ſeruice and honour vntounto God. Now followeth the ſecond argument.