Galatians 5:13

The first part of the Epistle touching the faith of the Galatians is ended: and here beginnes the second part touching good life, and it continues from this verse to the 11. verse of the sixt chapter. In it Paul doth 2. things: first he propounds the summe of his doctrine, & then after makes a particular declaration of it. The summe of all is propounded in this 13. v. in which Paul first setts downe the ground of all good duties, and then 2. maine rules of good life. The ground is in these wordes, brethren, ye haue bin called to libertie. And it must be noted, that as these wordes are the foundation of that which followes, so are they also the reason of that which goes before, and therefore Paul saith, for brethren, &c. The 2. rules are in the words following: One in these, vse not your libertie as an occasion to the flesh: the other in these, doe seruice one to another by loue.

In the ground of all good duties, namely the calling to libertie, 4. things are to be considered. 1. who calls. 2. who are called. 3. what is the calling of God. 4. why it is here mentioned by Paul.

To the first, who calles? I answer, God the father in Christ by the spirit, for he is absolute Lord of all his creatures: & therfore he may call out of the kingdome of darknes into his owne kingdome whome he will. And it is God alone that calleth the things that are not, as though they were. Rom. 4. 17.

The second is, who are called? Ans. All they that any waie answer the calling of God, for Paul saith indifferently of all the Galatians that they were called. Now men answer the calling of God, some in profession, some in heart, & some in both. And all these are said to be called, yet with some difference. The calling of God is directed first of all and principally to the Elect: and then in the second place, it pertaines to them which are not Elect, because they are mixed in societie with the Elect. And hence ariseth a distinction of the calling of god, sometime it is operatiue: because God signifies and withall workes his will in the Elect: sometimes againe in respect of others it is only significatiue, when God reueales his will to men, but spares to worke it for iust causes knowne to himselfe.

The third point is, what is the calling to libertie? Ans. An action of God translating men from the kingdome of darknes to his owne kingdome. It hath 2. parts, inuitement and admission. Inuitement is, when God offers remission of sinnes & life euerlasting to them that beleeue, outwardly by the preaching of the Gospell, inwardly by the inspiration of heauenly desires. Admission is, when men are entred into the kingdome of grace: and it is either outward or inward. Outward admission is made in baptisme. Inward admission is, when men are taken out of olde Adam, and by faith ingrafted into Christ: for by this insition into Christ, men are made reall members of gods kingdome.

The last question is, why Paul mentions the calling to libertie in this place? Ans. It is the ground of all comfort, by it Paul comforts the Corinthians, 1. Cor. 1. 9. Againe, it is the ground of good life. Therefore Peter saith, be ye holy as he that hath called you is holy. 1. Pet. 1. 15. And Paul, walke worthie the calling wherewith he hath called you. Eph. 4. 1. If the calling of god doe not mooue vs to amendement of life, nothing will doe it.

We in England haue heard the calling of god more then 40. yeares: and yet very few of vs are mooued to change and amend our liues. This shewes our Atheisme and vnbeleefe: here is almost nothing but heauing, shouing, and lifting for the world. Some are held captiues of their couetousnes, some of their pride, some of their damnable and fleshly lusts: and all this shewes that few or none, so much as dreame of a calling to spirituall libertie.

The first Rule followes: Only vse not your libertie, as an occasion to the flesh.

The sense. Flesh] hereby the Papists vnderstand Sensualitie or carnall appetites: but hereby is ment the corruption of all the powers of the soule, euen of reason and conscience. Paul saith, that the wisdom or vnderstanding of the flesh is emnity to God. Rom. 8. 7. fleshlines therefore pertaines to the vnderstanding. Againe, he saith of some that they are puffed vp in the mind of the flesh, Col. 2. 18. and he willes the Ephesians to be renewed in the spirit of their minds. Eph. 4. 23.

The meaning then of the rule is this, vse not the benefit of spirituall libertie as an occasion to the flesh to liue according to the flesh. Here I consider three things, what is the abuse of libertie? where is this abuse to be found? and what is the right vse thereof?

The first question is, what is the abuse of Christian libertie? Ans. To vse it as an occasion of fleshly and carnall libertie: & that is done 3. waies. The first is, when men make more things indifferent thē god euer made. Thus the Corinthians vsed fornication as a thing indifferent. 1. Cor. 6. To many in these daies drunkennes and surfetting is but a thing indifferent. Men vse not to distinguish a thing indifferent and the vse of it: but they commonly thinke that if the thing be indifferent in it selfe, then also the vse of it is indifferent. Thus all abuses of meat, drinke, apparrell, all rioting and gaming, dicing and carding, &c. are excused by the names of things indifferent.

Secondly, our libertie is abused by an immoderate vse of the gifts of god. The vse of them is immoderate 3. waies, first in respect of time, as when Diues fared deliciously and was arraied in rich attire euery day. Thus many gentlemen and others offend, when they turne recreation into an occupation. Secondly the gifts of god are immoderatly vsed, in respect of themselues; as when men Exceed in eating and drinking, as the prophet saith, Deut. 29. 19. adding drunkennes to thirst. Thirdly, in respect of the callings and conditions of men: for euery man is to vse the gifts of God according to his place and condition. They then offend, that beeing but meane persons & liuing by trades, yet for their diet and apparrel, are as great gentlemen & gentlewomen.

Thirdly, liberty is abused when the blessings of God are made instruments and (as it were) flagges and banners to display our riot, vanitie, ostentation, pride, for this cause sundry things, whereof some are indifferent in themselues, are condemned. Isai 3. 16.

The second question is, where is this abuse? Ans. Euen among vs in England. It is the fashion of men to take vnto themselues a Toleration of sinning some vpon the pacience of God, others vpon the doctrine of the gratious Election of God, saying that they will liue as they list: because, if they be Elected to saluation, they shall certenly be saued whatsoeuer they doe. And some there be that take occasion to continue in their sinnes, vpon the mercy of God in the death and passion of Christ. A certen dweller in this towne of Cambridge made awaie himselfe. In his bosome was found a writing to this effect, that God did shew mercie on great, grecuous, and desperate sinners: and therefore he said that he hoped of mercy though he hanged himselfe. Of this mind are many ignorant persons who perseuering in their sinnes, yet perswade themselues of mercy: because they haue heard that Christ died for mankind. And thus the death of Christ is as it were a licence or letters patents to commit sinne. Againe, great is the abuse of meat, drinke, and apparell. To Elias there came an Angell and said, arise and eate. 1. King. 19. 7. but to the men of our daies. there had need come an Angell and saie, cease to eate, cease to drinke, cease to game.

The third questiō is, what is the right vse of Christian libertie? Ans. It stands in 2. things: first of all we our selues must be renewed and sanctified To the pure all things are pure. Tit. 1. 15. The person must first please God before the action can please him. The second is, that beside the lawfull vse of the creatures we must haue a spirituall & holy vse of thē. The lawfull vse of the creature I call the politick vse therof cōmonly allowed & takē vp among men. The spirituall vse is whereby we receiue & vse the creature as from the hand of god the father in Christ according to his will and word. And the Godly are not to seperate the one vse from the other, but are bound by vertue of the 3 commandement to take vp an holy vse of euery gift of God. When Noe came out of the Arke, soe soone as he sett foote vpon the earth he built an altar, offered sacrifice, and called on the name of God: not only for this end to worship god, but also to sanctifie the earth and all the creatures of God vnto his vse. The like did Abraham when he come into the land of Canaan. And to this end we must obserue. 5. rules. The first, that the creatures of God must be sanctified by the word and praier. 1 Tim. 4. the word must shew vs, what we may doe: and praier obtaines the doing of it. The 2 rule: we must be circumspect lest we sinne in the vse of the creatures. In this respect Iob sends for his children after they had feasted together, & he sanctifies them. Iob. 1. 5. The 3 rule: we must vse the gifts of God with thankesgiuing. Rom. 14. 6. Commonly in these daies there is no feasting or reioycing, vnles all memorie of god be buried: for that is said to breed melancholy. The 4 rule: We must suffer our selues to be limited and moderated in the vse of our libertie, partly by the law of the magistrate, & partly by the law of charitie, in the case of offēce. I say in the vse: because liberty it selfe is inwardly in the conscience: and the vse of it is often in the outward action: and therefore vnder the order of humane law. The 5 rule: Our liberty must be vsed for right ends; as namely the glory of God. 1. Cor. 10. 31. the preseruation of nature, & not the pampering of the flesh. Rom. 13. 13. the good of our neighbour. Rom. 12. 13.

Make conscience to obserue this rule: and the rather, because the holie and spirituall vse of Christian libertie, is a signe & token that thou art in the kingdome of God, & a true member thereof: as on the contrarie, the abuse of Gods blessings shewes thee to be still in the kingdome of darknes. When men fell things of great worth for a little value, and then afterward giue themselues to rioting and spending, we commonly say that they are theeues, and no right owners of the goods which they solde. The like may be said of them that abuse spirituall libertie that they are but vsurpers, and no right owners of it.

Lastly, it must be obserued that this rule hath 2. branches. The first is, that we must not minister to the flesh any occasion of sinning. The second is, that we must giue no occasion of sinning by meanes of Christian libertie.

The second maine rule followes, Serue one an other by loue: For the right cōceauing of it, I will propound three questions. The first is, why is this rule propounded in this place? Ans. It sets downe the end of all Apostolike doctrine, as Paul sheweth. 1. Tim. 1. 5. the end of the commandement is loue out of a pure heart, good conscience, faith vnfained. Here men commonly vnderstand by the commandement, the morall law. That is indeed a truth, but it is not the meaning of the place. In the third verse Paul sets downe a commandement or denunciation to Timothie, that he and the Pastors of Ephesus, teach no other doctrine, but the doctrine of the Apostles: then in the 5 verse he propounds the summe and substance or end of the foresaid commandement: in the 18 verse after a long antapodaton he inioynes Timothie to obserue it carefully. So then the end of al sound doctrine is loue out of a pure heart: and all our Preaching must tend to this.

The second question is, what is the loue of our neighbour, specified in this rule? Ans. It is an affection renewed, whereby we are mooued to wish well to our neighbour in the Lord. I say an affection, to confute Lombard, who saith that loue is not an habit in vs, (as other vertues are,) but the H. Ghost. I saie it is an affection renued to confute the Papist, who teacheth that we haue the true loue of God & our neighbour by nature, and that we want nothing but the second acte or the exercise of loue, which they saie is from grace. Further, I adde that loue inclines vs to wish well to our neighbour: for this is the formall and proper effect of loue, and all this is done when we thinke well, speake and doe well, and that in respect not only of the bodie, but also in respect of the soule of our neighbour. Lastly I say, that loue to our neighbour must be in the Lord. Because we are to loue him in respect that he is a creature of God, and beares his image: and not in respect of honour, profit, or pleasure, which we receiue from him. Loue for such ends, is selfeloue.

The third question is, what is the vse of loue? Ans. It serues to make vs seruiceable to our neighbour. Loue seekes not her owne things. 1. Cor. 13. Christ was seruant to his enemies in bearing their sinnes vpon the crosse. Paul that was free from all, became a seruant to all, to win some. 1. Cor. 9. 19. To Christ we are to doe seruice: and he hath put our neighbour in his stead, so as that which is done to our neighbour, shall be done to him: our neighbour therefore must be serued of vs. And this is not against our libertie. For we are free inwardly in conscience, yet in the outward vse of our libertie, we must be seruāts to mē.

The vse. If we examine our liuer by this rule, we shall find that there is very litle power of religion among men. There are six sortes of men that liue in the breach of this rule. The first are vsurers, who lend for aduantage, when they should lend freely to them that are in need, these serue themselues and make a pray of all. The second sort are ingrossers, who gather in cōmodities to inrich themselues. The third sort are idle per sons of what degree soeuer, that spend their time in eating, drinking, sleeping, gaming: such are but vnprofitable burdens of the earth. To this sort I referre beggars and vagabonds. The fourth sort are Riotous persons that vse to goe from alehouse to alehouse, from tauerne to tauerne, and mispend that whereby they should maintaine their families, and be seruiceable to their countrie. The fift sort are Tradesmen, who in their dealings vse lying, dissembling, fraud, iniustice. They seeke nothing but their priuate aduantage. And this kind of men abounds in the world. The last sort are drowsie and carnall Protestants, who only seeke the things of this world, and neuer so much as giue good example to seruants or children, or any good counsell. Beside all this, it is the common fault of the world, for men to serue themselues, according to the common saying euery man for himselfe, and God for vs all. And the best men that are, if they examine themselues, shall find that they faile many waies, and come short in the duties of loue to men with whome they liue.

This beeing so, we are to acknowledge before God this maine offence of ours: and to intreat for the pardon of it for Christes sake. And euer hereafter to change our liues, and to reforme them according to this rule. And that is done on this manner. Euery man hath, or ought to haue 2 callings, a general, & a particular. The general is wherby we are called to be Christians. In this calling we are to do good to all men by teaching, admonishing, exhorting, and by example of good life. A particular calling, whereby men are called to some estate of life in the familie, Church, or common wealth. And according to the seuerall conditions of particular callings, must euery man in his place, doe the good he can. The magistrate must vse his office first for the maintenance of the Gospell, and then for the execution of iustice. The minister must preach sound religion in loue of the soules of men. The master of the familie must cause his househould to imbrace the Gospell, and frequent the exercises of religion. Lastly, euery man that is in a trade or office, must apply himselfe to the vttermost of his power to do all he can for the good of his countrie: and he must so deale that he may be helpefull to all with whome he deales, and hurtfull to none. We are, or should be, trees of righteousnes: our fruite must be meate for others, and our leaues for medecines. We must be as candles that spend themselues to giue light to others.