Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 4 · Verse extract 7 – Verse extract 7
Verſe. 7. Novv, if thou be a ſonne, thou art alſo the heire of God thorough Chriſte.
For he that is a ſonne, muſt be alſo an heire: for by his birth he is worthy to be an heire. There is no worke or merite that bringeth to him the inheritance, but his birth only. And ſo in obtaining the inheritance he is a mere patient and not an agent: that is to ſay, not to beget, not to labour, not to care: but to be borne is that which maketh him an heire. So we obtaine eternall gifts, namely ye forgeuenes of ſinnes, righteouſnes, the glory of the reſurrection and euerlaſting life, not as agents but as patiēts: that is, not by doing but by receiuing. Nothing here cometh betwene: but faith alone apprehendeth ye promiſe offred. Like as therfore a ſōne in ye politike & houſhold gouernmēt is made an heire by his onelyonly birth: ſo here faith onelyonly maketh vsus ſonnes of God, borne of the word, which is the wombe of God, wherin we are conceaued, caried, borne, and nouriſhed vp. &c. By this birth thē we are made new creatures,1. Pet. 1.23. The vvord of God is the vvombe of God. formed by Faith in the word: we are made Chriſtians, children and heires of God through Ieſus Chriſt. Now, being heires we are deliuered from death, ſinne and the Deuill, and we hauehave righteouſnes and eternall life.
But this farre paſſeth all mans capacitie, that he calleth vsus heires: not of ſome rich and mighty Prince, not of the Emperour, not of the world: but of God the almighty creatour of all things. This our inheritaunce then (as Paule ſayth in an other place) is ineſtimable. And if a man could comprehend the great excellencie of this matter, that he is the ſonne and heire of God, and wt a conſtant Faith beleue the ſame, this man would eſteme all the power and riches of all the kingdoms of the world but as filthie donge in compariſon of his eternall inheritāce. He would abhorre whatſoeuer is high and glorious in the world: yea, the greater the pompe & glory of the world is, the more would he hate it. To conclude, whatſoeuer the world moſt highly eſtemeth and magnifieth, that ſhould be in his eyes moſt vile and abhominable. For what is all the world, with all his power, riches and glory, in compariſon of God whoſe ſonne and heire he is? Furthermore, he would heartely deſire with Paule to be looſed and to be with Chriſt,Philip. 1.…1. and nothing could be more welcome vntounto him, thē ſpeedy death, which he would embrace as a moſt ioyfull peace, knowing that it ſhould be the ende of all his miſeries, and that through it he ſhould attaine to his enheritance. &c. Yea a man that could perfectly beleue this, ſhould not lōg remaine aliue, but ſhould be ſwalowed vp incontinent with exceſſiue ioy.
But the law of the members ſtriuing againſt the law of the minde, hindreth Faith in vsus, and ſuffereth it not to be perfect. Therefore we hauehave neede of the helpe & comfort of the holy Ghoſt,The godly hauehave nede of the comfort of the holy Ghoſt. which in our troubles and afflictions may make interceſſion for vsus wt vnſpeakeable groning, as before I hauehave ſayd. Sinne yet remaineth in the fleſh, which oftentimes oppreſſeth the conſcience, and ſo hindreth faith that we can not with ioy perfectly behold & deſire thoſe eternall riches which God hath geuen vntounto vsus through Chriſt. Paule himſelfe feeling this battell of the fleſh againſt ye ſpirit,Rom. 7.24. crieth out: O vvretched mā that I am, vvho shall deliuer me from this body of death? He accuſeth his body, which notwtſtanding it behoued him to louelove, calling it by an odious name, his death. As if he would ſay: My body doth more afflict me, & more greuouſly vexe me thē death it ſelf: For it hīdred in hī alſo this ioy of ſpirit. He had not alwayes the ſweete and ioyfull cogitations of the heauenly inheritaunce to come, but he felt oftentimes alſo great heauines of ſpirite, anguiſh and terrours.
Hereby we may plainly ſee how hard a matter Faith is: which is not eaſily and quickly apprehended, as certaine full and lothing ſpirites dreame, which ſwallow vppe at once all that is contained in the holy Scriptures. The great infirmitie which is in the Sainctes, and the ſtriuing of the fleſh againſt the ſpirite,Galath. ….…7. do ſufficiently witneſſe how feeble Faith is in them. For a perfect Faith bringeth by and by a perfect contempt and lothing of this preſent life. If we could fully aſſure our ſelues, and conſtantly beleue that God is our Father, and we his ſonnes and heires, then ſhould we vtterly contemne this world with all the glory, righteouſnes, wiſedom and power, with all the royall ſcepters and crownes, and with all the riches and pleaſures therof. We ſhould not be ſo carefull for this life: we ſhould not be ſo addicted to the world and worldly things, truſting vntounto them when we hauehave them: lamenting and deſpairing when we loſe them: but we ſhould doe all things with great louelove, humilitie and patience. But we do the contrary, for the fleſh is yet ſtrong, but Faith is feeble and the ſpirite weake.In this life vve hauehave but only the firſt fruits of the ſpirite. Rom. 8.23. Therfore Paule ſayth very well, that we hauehave here in this life, but only the firſt fruites of the ſpirite, and that in the world to come, we ſhall hauehave the tenthes alſo.
Verſe. 7. Thorough Chriſte.
Paule hath Chriſt alwayes in his mouth, he can not forget him.Paule hath alvvayes the name of chriſt in his mouth. For he did well forſee that nothing ſhould be leſſe knowen in ye world (yea among them which ſhould profeſſe themſelues to be Chriſtians) then Chriſte and his Goſpell. Therefore he talketh of him and ſetteth him before our eyes cōtinually. And as often as he ſpeaketh of grace, righteouſnes, the promiſe, adoption & inheritance, he is alwayes wōt to adde: In Chriſt, or, thorough Chriſt, couertly impugning the law. As if he would ſay: Theſe things come vntounto vsus, neither by the lawe, nor by the workes thereof: much leſſe by our owne ſtrength, or by the workes of mens traditions: but onelyonly by Chriſte.