Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 4 · Verse extract 4 – Verse extract 5
Verſe. 4. But after the fulnes of time vvas come, God ſent his ſonne, made (or borne) of a vvoman, made vnderunder the lavve, that he might redeme them vvhichwhich vvere vnderunder the lavve.
That is to ſay, after that the time of the lawe was fulfilled, and that Chriſt was reuealed, and had deliuered vsus from the law, and that the promiſe was publiſhed among all nations. &c.
Marke here diligently how Paule defineth Chriſte.The perſon & office of Chriſt. Chriſte (ſayth he) is the ſonne of God and of a woman, which for vsus ſinners was made vnderunder ye law, to redeme vsus that were vnderunder the law. In theſe wordes he comprehendeth both the perſon of Chriſte and the office of Chriſte. His perſon conſiſteth of his diuine and humane nature. This he ſheweth plainly when he ſayth: God ſent his ovvne ſonne borne of a vvoman. Chriſte therefore is very God and very man. His office he ſetteth out in theſe wordes: Being made vnderunder the lavve to redeame them that vvere vnderunder the lavve &c.
And it ſeemeth that Paule here, as it were in reproch, calleth the virgine Marie but onelyonly a woman: which thing was not wel taken euē of ſome of the auncient Doctors, who would that he ſhould rather hauehave called her a virgin, then a womā.VVhy Paule calleth the mother of Chriſt a vvoman, and not a virgin. But Paule intreateth in this Epiſtle of ye moſt high & principal matter of all, to wit, of the Goſpel, of Faith, of Chriſtian righteouſnes: Alſo, what the perſon of Chriſt is, what is his office, what he hath taken vppon him & done for our cauſe, & what benefits he hath brought to vsus wretched ſinners. Wherfore ye excellencie of ſo high & ſo wōderfull a matter was ye cauſe yt he had no regard to her virginitie. It was enough for him to ſet forth & preach ye ineſtimable mercy of God, which would yt his ſōne ſhould be borne of that ſexe. Therfore he maketh no mention of the dignitie of the ſexe, but onelyonly of the ſexe. And in that he nameth the ſexe, he ſignifieth that Chriſte was made true and very man of womankinde. As if he ſayd: He was borne, not of man and woman, but onelyonly of womankinde. Therefore when he nameth but onelyonly the womankinde, ſaying: made of a vvoman, Iohn. 1.….14.it is as if he ſhould hauehave ſayde, made of a virgine. Iohn the Euangeliſt, when he thus ſetteth forth the Word, that it vvas in the beginning, & vvas made flesh, ſpeaketh not one word of his mother.
Furthermore, this place alſo witneſſeth that Chriſte, when the time of the lawe was accompliſhed, did aboliſh the ſame, and ſo brought libertie to thoſe that were oppreſſed therewith, but made no newe lawe after or beſides that old lawe of Moiſes. Wherefore the Monkes and Popiſh Schoolemen doe no leſſe erre and blaſpheme Chriſte,The errour & blaſphemie of the Papiſtes and Turkes. in that they imagine that he hath geuen a new lawe beſides the lawe of Moiſes, then doe the Turkes which vaunt of their Mahomet as of a new lawgeuer after Chriſt, and better then Chriſt. Chriſt then came not to aboliſh the old lawe, that he might make a newe, but (as Paule here ſayeth) he was ſent of his Father into the world, to redeme thoſe which were kept in thraldome vnderunder the lawe. Theſe wordes paint out Chriſte liuely and truly:The true picture of Chriſte. they doe not attribute vntounto him the office to make any new law, but to redeme them which were vnderunder the law. And Chriſt himſelf ſayth: I iudge no man. And in an other place:Iohn. 1.15. Iohn. 3.17. I came not to iudge the vvorld, but that the vvorld should be ſaued by me: That is to ſay, I came not to bring any lawe, nor to iudge men according to the ſame, as Moiſes and other lawgeuers, but I hauehave an higher & a better office. The lawe killed you, and I againe doe iudge,The office of Chriſte. condemne and kill the lawe, and ſo I deliuer you from the tyrannie thereof.
We that are olde men, which hauehave ben ſo nuſled vp in this pernicious doctrine of the Papiſtes, that it hath taken deepe roote euen in our bones and marrow, hauehave conceaued an opinion quite contrary to that which Paule here teacheth.A falſe opinion of Chriſt is not eaſely caſt of. For although we confeſſed with our mouth that Chriſt redemed vsus from the tyrannie of the lawe, yet in very dede in our heart we thought him to be a lawgeuer, a tyranne and a iudge, more terrible then Moiſes him ſelfe. And this peruerſe opinion we can not yet at this day in ſo great light of the truth, vtterly reiect: ſo ſtrongly are thoſe things rooted in our heartes which we learne in our youth. But ye which are yet yong, and are not infected with this pernicious opinion, may learne Chriſt purely with leſſe difficultie thē we that are olde can remoue out of our mindes theſe blaſphemous imaginations which we hauehave conceaued of him. Notwithſtanding ye hauehave not vtterly eſcaped the deceites of the Deuill. For although ye be not as yet infected with this curſed opinion, that Chriſt is a lawgeuer, yet hauehave ye in you the roote whereof it ſpringeth, that is, ye hauehave the fleſh,The iudgemēt of naturall reaſon concerning Chriſt. reaſon, and the corruption of nature, which can iudge no otherwiſe of Chriſt, but that he is a lawgeuer. Therefore ye muſt endeuour with all your power to learne ſo to know & to apprehend Chriſt, as Paule hath ſette him forth in this place. But if beſides this natural corruption, there come alſo corrupt and wicked teachers (of whom the world is full) they will encreaſe this corruption of nature, and ſo ſhall the euill be doubled: that is to ſay, euill inſtruction will increaſe and confirme the pernicious errour of blind reaſon, which naturally iudgeth Chriſt to be a lawgeuer, and printeth that errour ſo mightely in our mindes, that without great trauaile and difficultie it can neuer be aboliſhed.
Wherefore it is very profitable for vsus to hauehave alwayes before our eyes this ſweete and comfortable ſentence and ſuch like,The ſentences vvhichwhich ſet out Chriſt plainly, ought alvvais to be before our eyes. which ſet out Chriſte truely and liuely, that in our whole life, in all daungers, in the confeſſion of our Faith before tyrannes, and in the hower of death we may boldly and with a ſure confidence ſay: O law, thou haſt no power ouer me, and therefore thou doſt accuſe and condemne me in vaine. For I beleue in Ieſus Chriſt the ſonne of God, whom the Father ſent into the world to redeme vsus miſerable ſinners oppreſſed with the tyrannie of the law. He gaue his life and ſhed his bloud for me. Therfore feeling thy terrours and threatnings, O law, I plunge my conſcience in the woundes, bloud, death, reſurrection and victory of my Sauiour Chriſte. Beſides him I will ſee nothing, I will heare nothing. This Faith is our victory, whereby we ouercome the terrours of the lawe,Faith is our victorie. 1. Iohn. 5.4. ſinne, death and all euils, and yet not wtout great conflicts. And here do ye childrē of God, which are daily exerciſed with greuous temptatiōs, wraſtle & ſweat in deede.The conflictes of the godly. For oftentimes it commeth into their minds yt Chriſt wil accuſe them & plead againſt them: that he will require an accompt of their former life, and that he wil cōdemne them. They can not aſſure them ſelues that he is ſent of his Father to redeme vsus from the tyrannie and oppreſſion of the law. And wherof cometh this? They hauehave not yet fully put of the fleſh, which rebelleth againſt the ſpirite.The vvraſtlīg of the flesh againſt the ſpirite in the Sainctes. Gala… 5.17. Therefore the terrours of the lawe, the feare of death, and ſuch like ſorrowfull and heauy ſightes doe oftentimes retourne, which hinder our Faith that it can not apprehend the benefite of Chriſte (who hath redemed vsus from the bondage of the lawe) with ſuch aſſurance as it ſhould doe.
But how or by what meanes hath Chriſte redemed vsus?The maner of our redemption. Galat. 3.23. This was the maner of our redemption: He vvas made vnderunder the lavve. Chriſte when he came found vsus all captiues vnderunder gouernours and tutours, that is to ſay, ſhutte vppe and holden in priſon vnderunder the lawe. What doth he then? Although he be Lord of the lawe, and therefore the lawe hath no authoritie or power ouer him (for he is the ſonne of God) yet of his owne accord he maketh him ſelfe ſubiect to the law. Here the law executeth vponupon him all the iuriſdiction which it had ouer vsus. It accuſeth and terrifieth vsus alſo: it maketh vsus ſubiect to ſinne, death, the wrath of God, and with his ſentence condemneth vsus. And this is doth by good right: for vve are all ſinners, Rom. 5.12. Epheſ. 2.3.and by nature the children of vvrath. Contrariwiſe, Chriſte did no ſinne, neither vvas there any guile found in his mouth: therefore he was not ſubiect to the lawe. Yet notwithſtanding the lawe was no leſſe cruel againſt this innocent, righteous and bleſſed Lambe,1. Pet. 2.20 then it was againſt vsus curſed and damned ſinners: yea much more rigorous. For it accuſed him as a blaſphemer and a ſeditious perſon:Math. 26.65. Luc. 23.5. it made him giltie before God of the ſinnes of the whole world: it ſo terrified and oppreſſed him wt heauines and anguiſh of ſpirit, that he ſwette bloud, and briefly, it condemned him to death,Luke. 22.44. Luke. 23.24.33. yea euen to the death of the croſſe.
A maruelous combate betvvene the lavv & Chriſt. Epheſ. 2.3.This was in deede a wonderful combate, where the law being a creature, geueth ſuch an aſſault to his creatour, and againſt all right & equitie practiſeth his whole tyrannie vponupon ye Sonne of God which it exerciſed vponupon vsus the children of wrath. Now therfore, becauſe ye lawe did ſo horribly and ſo curſedly ſinne againſt his God, it is accuſed & arraigned.The lavve ruleth all mankinde. There Chriſt ſayth: O law, thou mightie Queene and cruell Regent of all mankinde, what hauehave I done, yt thou haſt accuſed me, terrified me, and condemned me which am innocent? Here the lawe, which had before condemned and killed all men, when it hath nothing wherwith to defend or purge it ſelf, is againe ſo condemned & vanquiſhed, yt it loſeth his whole right, not onelyonly ouer Chriſt (whom it ſo cruelly handled and killed) but alſo ouer all them that beleue in him. For to thoſe Chriſte ſayth:Math. 11.28. Come vntounto me all ye that labour vnderunder the yoke of the law.The lavv condemned and killed by Chriſte. I could hauehave ouercome the lawe by my abſolute power, wt out mine owne ſmart: for I am Lord of the law, and therfore it hath no right ouer me. But I hauehave made my ſelfe ſubiect vntounto the law for your cauſe which were vnderunder the law, taking your fleſh vponupon me: that is to ſay, of mine ineſtimable louelove I humbled and yelded my ſelf to the ſame priſon, tyrannie and bondage of the lawe, vnderunder the which ye ſerued as captiues and bondſlaues, I ſuffered the law to hauehave dominion ouer me which was his Lord, to terrifie me, to make me thrall & captiue vntounto ſinne, death & the wrath of God: which it ought not to hauehave done. Therfore I hauehave vanquiſhed the law by double right & authoritie:Chriſt by double right hath conquered the lavve. Firſt as ye ſonne of God & Lord of the law: Secondly in your perſon: which is as much as if ye had ouercome ye law your ſelues: for my victory is yours.
After this maner Paule ſpeaketh eueryevery where of this maruelous cōbate betwene Chriſt & the law. And to make the matter more delectable & more apparant, he is wōt to ſet forth the law by a figure called*Proſopopoeia is a figure vvherby things that hauehave no life, are fained perſonally to ſpeake, or to be ſpoken to. Epheſ. 2.16. Epheſ. 4.…. &c. Pſal. 68.18. proſopopoeia, as a certain mighty perſon which had cōdemned & killed Chriſt: whom Chriſt againe ouercomming death, had conquered, cō demned & killed. Epheſ. 2. Killing enmitie in himſelf. And again, chap. 4. out of the Pſalme. 68. Thou art gone vp on high, thou haſtled captiuitie captiue. &c. He vſeth the ſame figure alſo in his Epiſtles to the Romaines, Corinthians & Coloſſians. By ſinne he condemned ſinne, Rom. 8.3.&c. Chriſt therfore by this his victory, baniſhed the law out of our cō ſcience, ſo yt now it can no more confoūd vsus in the ſight of God,Chriſt hy his victorie hath deliuered vsus frō the terrors of the lavv. driue vsus to deſperation, or cōdemne vsus. In dede it ceaſeth not ſtill to reueale our ſinne, to accuſe & to terrifie vsus: but the conſcience taking hold of this word of the Apoſtle: Chriſt hath redemed vsus from the lavve, is raiſed vp by faith, & conceaueth great comfort. Moreouer it triumpheth ouer the law with a certaine holy pride, ſaying: I care not for thy terrours and threatnings. For thou haſt crucified the ſonne of God, & this haſt thou done moſt vniuſtly: therfore the ſinne that thou haſt committed againſt him, can not be forgeuē.The offence of the lavve agaīſt Chriſt, can not be forgeuen. Thou haſt loſt thy right and ſoueraigntie, and nowe for euer thou art not onelyonly ouercome, condemned and ſlaine vntounto Chriſte, but alſo to me beleuing in him, vntounto whom he hath freely geuen this victorie. So the law is dead to vsus for euer, ſo that we abide in Chriſt. Thankes be therefore to God, 1. Cor. 15.57.vvhichwhich hath geuen vsus victory through our Lord Ieſus Chriſte.
Theſe things doe alſo confirme this doctrine, that we are iuſtified by faith only.That vve be made righteous by Faith. For when this combate was fought betwixt Chriſt & the law, none of our works or deſerts came betwene, but onelyonly Chriſt was found, who putting vponupon him our perſon, made him ſelfe ſubiect to the law, & in perfect innocencie ſuffered all tyrānie. Therfore the law,The lavve by his iudgemēt killed the ſon of God. as a theefe & a curſed murtherer of the ſonne of God, loſeth all his right, and deſerueth to be condemned in ſuch ſort, that whereſoeuer Chriſte is, or is once named, there it is compelled to auoid & flie away, no otherwiſe thē the Deuil (as the Papiſts imagine) flieth frō the croſſe. Wherfore if we beleue, we are deliuered from the law through Chriſte,Coloſſ. 2.1…. who hath triumphed ouer it by himſelf. Therfore this glorious triūph purchaſed vntounto vsus by Chriſte, is not gotten by any workes, but onelyonly by Faith: therfore Faith onelyonly iuſtifieth.
Theſe wordes then: Chriſte vvas made vnderunder the lavve, &c. as they are pithie and import a certaine vehemencie, ſo are they diligently to be weyed and conſidered.Chriſte vvas made vnderunder the lavve. For they declare that the Sonne of God being made vnderunder the lawe, did not onelyonly performe one or two workes of the law, that is to ſay, he was not onelyonly circumciſed, or preſented in the temple, or went vp to Ieruſalem with other at the times appoynted, or onelyonly liued ciuily vnderunder the lawe,Chriſte ſuffered all the tyrannie of the lavve. but he ſuffered all the tyranny of the lawe. For the lawe being in his principall vſe and ful power, ſet vponupon Chriſte, and ſo horribly aſſailed him, that he felt ſuch anguiſh and terrour, as no man vponupon the earth had euer felt the like. This his bloudy ſweat doth ſufficiently witnes: alſo his comfort by the Angell, that mighty prayer which he made in the garden, and briefly: that lamentable cōplaint vponupon the croſſe: O my God vvhy haſt thou forſakē me? Theſe things he ſuffered to redeme thoſe which were vnderunder ye law, that is to ſay, in heauines of ſpirite, in anguiſh and terrour, and ready to deſpaire, which were oppreſſed wt the heauy burden of their ſinnes, as in deede we are all oppreſſed. For as touching the fleſh we ſinne daily againſt all the commaundements of God. But Paule geueth vsus good comfort when he ſayth: God ſent his ſonne, &c.
So Chriſte a diuine and humane perſon, begotten of God without beginning,Chriſte came not to make lavves, but to take the lavve cleane avvay. and borne of the virgin in the time apoynted, came not to make a law, but to feele and ſuffer the terrours of the lawe with all extremitie, and to ouercome the ſame, that ſo he might vtterly aboliſh the lawe. He was not made a teacher of the lawe, but an obedient diſciple to the law, that by this his obedience he might redeme them which were vnderunder the lawe. This is cleane contrary to the doctrine of the Papiſtes, who hauehave made Chriſte a lawgeuer, yea much more ſeuere and rigorous thē Moiſes. Paule teacheth here cleane contrary, to wit, that God humbled his ſonne vnderunder the lawe: that is to ſay, conſtrained him to beare the iudgement and curſe of the lawe, ſinne, death, &c. For Moiſes the miniſter of the law, ſinne, wrath and death, apprehended,The miniſterie of Moiſes. bound, cōdemned and killed Chriſt: and all this he ſuffered. Therfore Chriſt ſtandeth as a mere patient, & not as an agent, in reſpect of the law. He is not then a lawgeuer, or a iudge after the law, but in that he made himſelfe ſubiect to the lawe,Galath. 3.13. bearing the condemnation of the law, he deliuered vsus from the curſe therof.
It is not the proper office of Chriſte to teach the lavvNow, wheras Chriſt in the Goſpell geueth commaundements, and teacheth the law, or rather expoūdeth it, this pertaineth not to the doctrine of Iuſtification, but of good workes. Moreouer, it is not the proper office of Chriſte (for the which he came principally into the world) to teach the law, but an accidentall or a by office: like as it was to heale the weake, to raiſe vppe the dead. &c. Theſe are in deede excellent and diuine workes: but yet not the very proper and principall workes of Chriſte. For the Prophets alſo taught the law, & wrought miracles. But Chriſt is God and man, who fighting againſt the lawe, ſuffered the vttermoſt cruelty and tyranny therof. And in that he ſuffered the tyranny of the law, he vanquiſhed it in himſelfe: And afterward being raiſed vppe againe from death, he condemned and vtterly aboliſhed the law which was our deadly enemie, ſo that it can not cōdemne and kill the faithfull any more. Wherfore the true and proper office of Chriſt is to wraſtle with the lawe, with the ſinne and the death of the whole world, & ſo to wraſtle that he muſt ſuffer & abide al theſe things, and by ſuffering them in him ſelfe, conquere and aboliſh them, and by this meanes deliuer the Faithfull from the lawe and from all euils. Therefore to teach the lawe and to worke myracles,The particuler benefites of Chriſte. are particuler benefites of Chriſt, for the which he came not principally into the world. For the Prophets, and eſpecially the Apoſtles did greater myracles then Chriſt did. Iohn. 14.Iohn. 14.12.
Seing then that Chriſt hath ouercome the law in his owne perſon, it foloweth neceſſarily that he is naturally God.Chriſt is God by nature. For there is none elſe whether he be man or angell, which is aboue the law, but onelyonly God. But Chriſt is aboue the law, for he hath vanquiſhed it: therefore he is the ſonne of God, and naturally God. If thou lay hold vponupon Chriſte in ſuch ſort as Paule here painteth him out,The true picture of Chriſte. thou cāſt not erre nor be confounded. Moreouer, thou ſhalt eaſily iudge of all kindes of life, of the religions and ceremonies of the whole world. But if this true picture of Chriſte be defaced, or in any wiſe darkened, then foloweth a confuſion of all things. For the natural man can not iudge of the law of God.1. Cor. 2.14. Here faileth the cunning of the Philoſophers, of the Canoniſtes, & of all men. For the law hath power and dominion ouer man. Therfore ye law iudgeth man, and not man the law:The obediēce of the lavv is in the righteous. onelyonly the Chriſtian hath a true and a certaine iudgement of the law. And how? That it doth not iuſtifie. Wherfore then is the law made, if it doe not iuſtifie? Righteouſnes before God which is receaued by Faith alone, is not ye finall cauſe why the righteous do obey the law, but the peace of the world, thankfulnes towardes God, and good example of life, wherby other be prouoked to beleue the Goſpell. The Pope hath ſo confounded and mingled the ceremoniall lawe, the morall lawe, and Faith together, that he hath at length preferred the ceremoniall lawe before the moral lawe, and the morall lawe before Faith.
Verſe. 5. That vve might receaue the adoption of the ſonnes.
Paule ſetteth forth & amplifieth very largely this place of Gen. 22.Geneſ. 22.18. In thy Seede shall all the natiōs of the earth be bleſſed. In thy Seede.A litle before he called this Bleſſing of the ſeede of Abraham, righteouſnes, life, the promiſe of the ſpirit, deliuerance from the law, the teſtament. &c. Here he calleth it the adoption and inheritance of euerlaſting life. All theſe this word Bleſſing doth comprehend. For when the Curſe (which is ſinne, death, &c.) is aboliſhed, then in the ſtede thereof ſuccedeth the Bleſſing, that is, righteouſnes, life, and all good things.
But by what merite hauehave we receaued this Bleſſing, that is to ſay, this adoption and inheritaunce of euerlaſting life? By none at all. For what can men deſerue that are ſhutte vnderunder ſinne,Galath ….…3. ſubiect to the curſe of the lawe, and worthy of euerlaſting death? We hauehave then receiued this Bleſſing freely and being vtterly vnworthy therof, but yet not without merite. What merite is that? Not ours, but the merite of Ieſus Chriſt the ſonne of God, who being made vnderunder the lawe, not for him ſelfe but for vsus (as Paule ſayd afore, that he vvas made a curſe for vsus) redemed vsus which were vnderunder the lawe. Wherfore we hauehave receaued this adoption by the onelyonly redemption of Ieſus Chriſte the ſonne of God, which is our rich and euerlaſting merite, whether it be of congruēce or worthines,The Papiſtes merite ex congruo & condig…o. going before grace or comming after. And with this free adoption we hauehave alſo receaued the holy Ghoſt, which God hath ſent into our hearts, crying Abba Father, as foloweth.