Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 4 · Verse extract 7
Verſe. 7. VVherfore thou art no more a ſeruaunt, but a ſonne.
This is the ſhutting vppe and the concluſion of that which he ſaid before. As if he ſhould ſay: This being true that we hauehave receaued the ſpirite by the Goſpell, whereby we crie, Abba Father: then is this decree pronounced in heauen, that there is now no bōdage any more, but mere libertie and adoption. And who bringeth this libertie? verely this groning. By what meanes? The father offreth vntounto me by his promiſe, his grace and his fatherly fauour. This remaineth then,By vvhat meanes the adoption cometh vntounto v…. that I ſhould receaue this grace. And this is done when I againe with this groning doe crie, and with a childly heart doe aſſent vntounto this name Father. Here then the Father & the Sonne meete, and the mariage is made vp without all pompe and ſolemnitie: that is to ſaye, nothing at all cometh betwene: no lawe nor worke is here required. For what ſhould a man doe in theſe terrours and horrible darknes of tentations? Here is nothing elſe but the father promiſing, & calling me his ſonne by Chriſte, who was made vnderunder the law. &c. and I receauing and anſwering by this groning, ſaying: Father. Here then is no exacting, nothing is required, but only yt childly groning that apprehendeth a ſure hope and truſt in tribulation, and ſaith: Thou promiſeſt, and calleſt me thy childe for Chriſtes ſake, and I againe receaue this and call thee Father. This is in deede to be made children ſimplie and without any workes. But theſe things without experience and practiſe can not be vnderſtand.
Paule in this place taketh this word Seruaunt otherwiſe then he did before in the .3. chapt. where he ſayeth:Galath. 3.28. There is neither bond not free. &c. Here he calleth him a Seruaūt of the law, that is ſubiect to ye law,Galat. 4.3. as he did a litle before: VVe vvere in bōdage vnderunder the rudimēts of the vvorld. VVhat Paule meaneth by a ſeruaunt in this place.Wherfore to be a Seruaūt in this place after Paule, is to be giltie and captiue vnderunder the law, vnderunder the wrath of God & death: to behold God, not as a merciful Father, but as a tormentour, an enemie and a tyranne. This is in deede to be kept in bondage & Babilonicall captiuitie, & to be cruelly tormented therin. For the law deliuereth not from ſinne and death,Rom. 3.20. Rom. 4.15. but reuealeth and encreaſeth ſinne & engendreth wrath. This bondage (ſayth Paule) continueth no longer: it oppreſſeth vsus not, nor maketh vsus heauy any more, &c. Paule ſayeth: Thou shalt be no more a ſeruaunt. But the ſentence is more generall if we ſay: there ſhall be no bondage in Chriſte any more, but mere fredome and adoption. For when Faith commeth, that bondage ceaſeth,Galath. 3 2…. as he ſayd before in the third Chapter.
Now, if we by the ſpirite of Chriſte crying in our hearts, Abba Father, be no more ſeruaūts, but children: then it foloweth that we are not onelyonly deliuered from the horrible monſters of the Pope, and all the abominations of mens traditions, but alſo from all the iuriſdiction and power of the lawe of God. Wherefore we ought in no wiſe to ſuffer the lawe to raigne in our conſcience,The lavv muſt not be ſuffred to rule in the conſcience. Reuelat. 10.3. and much leſſe the Pope wt his vaine threatnings and terrours. In deede he roreth mightely as a Lion Apoc. 10. and threatneth to all thoſe that obey not his lawes, the wrath and indignation of almighty God and of his bleſſed Apoſtles. &c. But here Paule armeth and comforteth vsus againſt theſe rorings, when he ſayth: Thou art no more a ſeruaunt but a ſonne. Take hold of this conſolation by Faith,The lavv hath no povver ouer the conſcience, but ouer the flesh. and ſay: O lawe, thy tyrannie can hauehave no place in the throne where Chriſte my Lord ſitteth: there I can not heare thee (much leſſe doe I heare thy monſters O Antichriſte): for I am free and a ſonne, who muſt not be ſubiect to any bondage or ſeruile lawe. Let not Moiſes therefore with his lawes, (much leſſe the Pope) aſcend vppe into the bridechamber there to lie: that is to ſay, to raigne in the conſcience: which Chriſte hath deliuered from the lawe, to the ende that it ſhould not be ſubiect to any bondage. Let the ſeruauntes abide with the Aſſe in the valley:Gen. 22.4.5. Let none but Iſaac aſcend vppe into the Mountaine with his father Abraham: that is, let the lawe hauehave dominion ouer the body and ouer the olde man: let him be vnderunder the lawe and ſuffer the burden to be laide vponupon him: let him ſuffer him ſelfe to be exerciſed and vexed with the lawe: let the lawe limite and preſcribe vntounto him what he ought to doe, what he ought to ſuffer, and how he ought to liue and to gouerne him ſelfe among men. But let it not defile the bed in which Chriſte ſhould reſt and ſleepe alone: that is to ſay, let it not trouble the cōſcience. For ſhe alone ought to liue with Chriſte her Spouſe in the kingdom of libertie and adoption.
If then (ſayth he) by the ſpirite of Chriſt ye crie: Abba Father, then are ye in deede no longer ſeruaunts, but free men & ſonnes. Therfore ye are without the lawe, without ſinne, without death: that is to ſay, ye are ſaued, and ye are now quite deliuered frō all euils: Wherfore the adoption bringeth with it the eternall kingdom,VVhat the adoption bringeth. and all yt heauenly inheritaunce. Now, how ineſtimable the glory of this gift is, mans heart is not able to conceaue, and much leſſe to vtter. In the meane time we ſee this but darkely & as it were a farre of:1. Cor. 13.1…. We hauehave this litle groning and feeble Faith which onelyonly reſteth vponupon the hearing and the ſound of the voyce of Chriſte promiſing. Therefore we muſt not meaſure this thing by reaſon or by our owne feeling, but by the promiſe of God. Now, becauſe he is infinite, therefore his promiſe is alſo infinite, although it ſeeme to be neuer ſo much encloſed in theſe narrow ſtreites, theſe anguiſhes I meane. Wherfore there is nothing that can now accuſe, terrifie, or binde the conſcience any more. For there is no more ſeruitude, but adoption: which not onelyonly bringeth vntounto vsus libertie from the law, ſinne and death, but alſo the inheritaunce of euerlaſting life, as foloweth.