Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 4 · Verse extract 22-23 – Verse extract 24
Verſ. 22.23. For it is vvrytten, that Abraham had tvvo ſonnes, one by a ſeruaunt, and one by a free vvoman. But he vvhichwhich vvas of the ſeruaunt vvas borne after the flesh: and he vvhichwhich vvas of the free vvoman, vvas borne after the ſpirite.
As if he ſayd: Ye forſake grace, Faith and Chriſte, and turne backe againe to the lawe: ye will be vnderunder the lawe, and become wiſe through it. Therefore I will talke with you of the lawe. I pray you then,Abrahams tvvo ſonnes. conſider the lawe diligently. Ye ſhall finde that Abraham had two ſonnes, Iſmael by Agar, and Iſaack by Sara. They were both the true ſonnes of Abraham. Iſmael was as well the true ſonne of Abraham as Iſaack was, for both came of one father, of one fleſh, and of one Seede.Iſmael vvas a ſonne after the flesh, and Iſaack after the promiſe. What was then the difference? This maketh not the difference (ſayeth Paule) that the mother of one was free, and the other bond (albeit it pertaineth to the allegorie): but that Iſmael which was borne of the bondwoman, was borne after the fleſh, that is to ſay, without the promiſe and the word of God.An obiection. But Iſaack was not onelyonly borne of the freewoman,The anſvver. but alſo according to the promiſe. What thē? Yet was Iſaack notwithſtanding as well borne of the ſeede of Abraham as Iſmael was. I graunt that they were both the children of one father,Both Iſaack & Iſmael vvere the children of one father. and yet notwithſtanding there is a difference. For although Iſaack were borne of the fleſh, yet the promiſe went before. None obſerued this difference but onelyonly Paule, which he gathered out of the text of Geneſis after this maner.Geneſ. 16.2.
In that Agar conceaued and brought forth Iſmael, there was no word of God that foreſhewed that thys ſhould come to paſſe: but by the permiſſion of Sara, Abraham went in to his ſeruaunt Agar, whom Sara being barren had geuen to wife to Abraham, as is ſayd in the booke of Geneſis.Sara had hard the promiſe of God as cōcerning the ſede, but she vvaiteth not gods appoynted time. For Sara had heard that Abraham by the promiſe of God, ſhould hauehave ſeede of his body, and ſhe hoped that ſhe ſhould be the mother of this ſeede. But when ſhe had waited now for the promiſe many yeares with great anguiſh of ſpirite, and ſawe that the matter was ſo long differred, ſhe was out of hope. This holy woman therefore geueth place for the honour of her huſband,Sara reſigneth vp her right. and reſigneth her right to an other, that is to ſay, to her maide. Notwithſtanding ſhe ſuffreth not her huſband to marrie an other wife out of his houſe, but ſhe geueth vntounto him in mariage her ſeruaunt, to the ende that ſhe might be builded by her: For ſo ſayeth the hyſtorie,Gen. 16.1.2. &c. Geneſ. 16. Novv Sara Abrahams vvife bare him no children, and she had a maid an Egyptian, Agar by name. And Sara ſaid vntounto Abraham: Behold novv the Lord hath reſtrained me frō childe bearing. I pray thee goe in to my maide: it may be that I shall be builded by her. The humilitie of Sara.This was a great humilitie of Sara, who ſo abaſed her ſelf, & tooke in good part this tentation & trial of her faith. For thus ſhe thought. God is no lier: that which he hath promiſed to my huſband he will ſurely performe. But peraduenture God will not that I ſhall be the mother of that Seede. It ſhall not greeue me that Agar ſhould hauehave this honour, vntounto whom let my Lord enter: for I may peraduenture be builded by her.
Iſmael therefore is borne without the word and promiſe at the onelyonly requeſt of Sara.Iſmael the ſonne of Abraham accordīg to the flesh. For there is no word of God which commaunded Abraham thus to doe, or promiſed vntounto him a ſonne, but al this is done at*That is ſayd to be done at aduenture or by chaunce, vvhereof man knovveth not the cauſe: although vntounto God it be foreknovvne and appoynted. Rom. 9.8. aduenture: which the wordes doe alſo declare: It may be (ſayeth ſhe) that I shall be builded by her. Seeing therfore there was no word of God ſpoken to Abraham before, as there was when Sara ſhould bring forth Iſaack, but onelyonly the word of Sara: it is euident enough that Iſmael was the ſonne of Abraham after the fleſh onelyonly, without the word of God: therefore he was borne at aduenture, and vnlooked for as an other childe is. This Paule obſerued and diligently conſidered.
In the .9. Chapt. to the Romaines he proſecuteth the ſame argument which here he repeteth and ſetteth forth in an allegorie, and concludeth ſtrōgly, that all the ſonnes of Abraham are not the ſonnes of God. Abraham (ſaith he) hath two ſorts of childrē.Abraham hath tvvo ſortes of children. Some are borne of his fleſh & bloud, but the word and promiſe of God goeth before, as Iſaack. Other are borne wtout the promiſe, as Iſmael. Therefore the children of the fleſh (ſayth he) are not the children of God, but the children of the promiſe, &c. And by this argument he mightely ſtoppeth ye mouthes of the proud Iewes, which gloried that they were the ſeede & children of Abraham: As alſo Chriſt doth in the .3. of Math. and in the 8. of Iohn. As if he ſaid: It foloweth not: I am the carnal ſede of Abraham, therfore I am ye childe of God. Eſau is ye naturall ſonne, therfore the heire. Nay rather (ſayth he) they that will be the children of Abraham, beſides their carnall byrth, muſt be alſo the ſonnes of the promiſe, and muſt beleue. And they are the true children of Abraham, VVho be the true ſonnes of Abraham.and conſequently of God, who hauehave the promiſe and beleue.
But Iſmael, becauſe he was not promiſed of God to Abraham, is a ſonne after the fleſh only, and not after the promiſe, and therfore he was borne at aduēture as other children be. For no mother knoweth whether ſhe ſhall hauehave a childe or no,Note this cō cerning the mother. or if ſhe perceaue her ſelfe to be wt childe, yet ſhe can not tel whether it ſhalbe a ſonne or a daughter. But Iſaac was expreſly named,Geneſ. 17.19. Geneſis. 17. Sara thy vvife (ſayth the angell to Abraham) shall beare thee a ſonne, and thou shalt call his name Iſaac. The mother & the ſonne are expreſly named.Here the ſonne and the mother are expreſly named. Thus, for this humilitie of Sara, becauſe ſhe gaue vp her right and ſuffred the cōtempt of Agar, Geneſis. 16. God requited her with this honor, that ſhe ſhould be the mother of the promiſed ſonne. &c.
Verſe. 24. The vvhichwhich things are ſpoken by allegories.
An allegorie is that vvherby one thing is ſpoken, and an other thīg is meant.Allegories doe not ſtrongly proue and perſwade in Diuinitie, but as certaine pictures they beutifie and ſette out the matter. For if Paule had not proued the righteouſnes of Faith againſt the righteouſnes of workes by ſtrong and pithie arguments, he ſhould hauehave litle preuailed by this allegorie. But becauſe he had fortified his cauſe before with inuincible arguments taken of experience,VVhat accoūt is to be made of allegories. of the example of Abraham, the teſtimonies of the Scripture, and ſimilitudes: now, in the ende of his diſputation he addeth an allegorie, to geue a beautie to all the reſt. For it is a ſeemely thing ſometime to adde an allegorie when the foundation is well laide and the matter thorowly proued. For as painting is an ornament to ſet forth and garniſh an houſe already builded: ſo is an allegorie the light of a matter which is already otherwiſe proued and confirmed.