Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 5 · Verse and explication 9 – Verse and explication 10
Vers. 9. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse, and righteousnesse, and truth)
THe Apostle, in way of parenthesis, doth give a reason of the former consequence, or why their being now light in the Lord did bind them to walk as children of light; and consequently, not to partake with obstinate sinners in their sin: and withall, sheweth wherein that walking doth consist. The reason is taken from the new creature and habits of grace in the heart, called here the Spirit, as Rom. 7. 25. Gal. 5. 22. and are the same with the light of grace by the Spirit of God, spoken of, ver. 8. Now, he sheweth the fruit of this light, or of those gracious habits, consisteth in the exercise of all Christian vertues, which are here summed up in three, 1. Goodnesse, whereby we are inclined to communicate what good is in us for the advantage of our neighbour, both in his spirituall (1 Pet. 4. 10.) and bodily (Gal. 6. 10.) estate. 2. Righteousnesse, whereby we deal righteously in all our transactions with others. And, 3. Truth, whereby we carry our selves sincerely, being free from error, hypocrisie, or dissimulation, whether towards God or men. So the force of the argument cometh to this, Such a walking as he did enjoyn, was the native fruit and result of their being made light in the Lord by the Spirit of God; and therefore they were obliged to it. Doct. 1. It is the duty of Christs Ministers, not only to presse upon the Lords people the practice of holinesse in generall, but also to condescend upon, and accordingly to presse the exercise of those particular vertues both to God and men, wherein holinesse doth consist; otherwise people will readily place most of holinesse in those things wherein it consisteth least, Matth. 23. 23. for, Paul, having exhorted them to walk as children of the light, doth here shew wherein that walking doth consist, even in all goodnesse, and righteousnesse, and truth. 2. None can walk as a childe of light, or practise those duties wherein such a walk consisteth, in a way acceptable to God, but he who is a childe of light, truely regenerate, and acteth from a principle of grace in the heart. Whatever floweth from an unrenewed heart, how specious soever, is but a shadow, and imperfect imitation of the childe of light in this christian walk, as an ape would imitate a man, or a violent motion doth resemble that which is natural, and floweth from an inward principle: for, he sheweth the exercise of goodnesse, righteousnesse, and truth, wherein our walking as a childe of light consisteth, is the fruit of the Spirit, or of the root of grace in the heart, wrought by the Spirit of God; For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, &c. 3. As it concerneth Christians to walk suitably unto their state and priviledges; So they would seriously consider, in order to their walking thus, that holinesse of life is the native fruit and result of their being in a gracious state, or of the work of grace in the heart; and therefore, that they are not only obliged to lead an holy life in way of duty and gratitude, but a necessity also doth ly upon them to it, if so they be renewed, and as they would not evidence themselves to be yet in their unrenewed state: for, having exhorted them to walk as children of light, or suitably to the state of grace, he inforceth the exhortation, by shewing, that such a walking is the native fruit and necessary result of being in such a state; For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse, &c. 4. A facility and easinesse to communicate what is in us for our neighbours good and advantage, doth well consist with the exercise of righteousnesse, whereby we give every man his due, and do require of him what is our due from him: for, he conjoyneth the exercise of those two, while he saith the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse, and righteousnesse. 5. As the grace of sincerity and freedom from dissimulation and hypocrisie, is a necessary ingredient in the exercise of all other vertues; So our walking answerably unto that state of light, unto which we are called, must be extended unto duties of all sorts: not only to duties of goodnesse and righteousnesse towards our neighbour, but also to duties towards God, so as we imbrace those Truths, which He holdeth forth in Scripture without all mixture of Error, yea, and take Him for our party in every duty, as being the only judge of our sincerity; for, he saith, The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse, and righteousnesse, and truth.
Vers. 10. Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
BEfore the Apostle use any moe arguments to inforce the former precept, he doth, first, resume and explain the precept it self. And, first, he explaineth the affirmative part thereof, by giving one direction, necessary to be practised by those who would walk as children of light, even that by diligent search and enquiry they prove and try according to God's will revealed in His Word, (Isa. 8. 20.) what is acceptable, and well pleasing unto Him in every step of their way. Doct. 1. There is no walking as a childe of light, or suitably unto that gracious state to which we are called, except we conform our selves, not unto this world, Rom. 12. 2. or to what may bring about our own advantage, and so gratifie our lusts, Matth. 5. 29. but unto what is acceptable to God, and prescribed unto us as the rule of duty in His Word: for, this proving of what is acceptable unto Him, is required not for it self, or to rest thereon, but to regulate our practice accordingly; (See ver. 11. doct. 1.) and is called-for as a necessary concomitant of walking like children of light, as is clear from the grammatical construction, according to which this verse is to be joyned with the close of the eighth; so that it runneth thus, Walk as children of the light—proving what is acceptable. 2. We cannot conform our selves unto what is acceptable to the Lord, and consequently cannot walk as children of light, except we make a serious search and enquiry into the rule of duty and acceptation revealed in the Word, yea, and do what we do, that we may come up to that rule: and therefore we walk not acceptably, when either we do things rashly without deliberation, Prov. 19. 2. or doubtingly after deliberation, Rom. 14. 23. yea, nor when the thing done, is in it self right and acceptable, but we do it not from that ground, but to gratifie our own lusts. Matth. 6. 2. or the lusts of others, Gal. 1. - 10. for, in order to this walking, he requireth them to prove what is acceptable to the Lord, as the rule by which they were to walk. 3. It is not sufficient to make this inquiry in order to some few and weighty actions of our life, but in order to all, whether of greater or lesser concernment, whether advantage or losse may probably follow upon our conforming of our selves unto this rule: for, the direction is indefinit without any limitation or restriction unto this action, or that; and therefore it ought to be extended unto all; Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 4. The finding out of what is acceptable unto the Lord, especially in some intricate cases, is not easily attained: there must be an accurate search, together with an excercising our selves in the practice of those things, which we already know to be acceptable, that so we may experimentally know them to be such, and get our knowledge bettered in those things, whereof we are yet ignorant, Joh. 7. 17. for, the word rendred proving, signifieth an accurate proof, not so much by argument as by trial and experience, as gold is tried in the fire, Iam. 1. 12. Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.