Galatians 5:22–23

For the better obseruing, and the more easie vnderstanding of the rule in the 16. v. Walke in the spirit, Paul here sets downe a Catalogue of the works of the spirit. In the Catalogue, I consider three things, the propertie of the workes of the spirit, in these words, The fruit of the spirit: the kinds of works, and they are nine: the benefit that comes by them, in these words, against such there is no law.

The fruit of the spirit] It is the propertie of the workes of Gods spirit in vs, to be called the fruits of the spirit. And by this, much is signified: namely, that the Church is the garden of God. Cant. 4. 16. that teachers are planters and setters. 1. Cor. 3. 9. that beleeuers are trees of righteousnes. Isa. 61. 3. that the spirit of God is the sappe and life of them: and good workes and vertues, are the fruits which they beare.

In that the works of the spirit, are called fruits therof, hence it followes, that there are no true vertues, and good affections, without the grace of regeneration. The vertues of the heathen, how excellent soeuer they seemed to be, were but shadowes of vertue, and serued onely to restraine the outward man, and no further.

Againe, here we see the efficacie of the spirit, which makes men fruitful or bearing-trees of righteousnes. Psal. 1. 3. yea trees that beare fruit in their old age. Psal. 92. 14. Here we haue cause to cast downe our selues. For the most of vs, are barren trees, that beare no fruit, but the bad fruits of the flesh: and therefore we may iustly feare the curse that God laid vpon the figgetree. Luk. 13. 7. and looke euery day to be stocked vp. Matth. 3. 16.

Againe, good workes are made acceptable to God euen by his grace; and therefore they are called the fruits of the spirit: and hence it is that they are acceptable to God. Rom. 15. 16. We that are by nature wild branches, must be taken out of old Adam, and set into Christ: and after our inscition draw a new sappe and life from Christ, namely, his spirit, and then our actions shall be fruits of the spirit, and consequently acceptable to God.

Lastly, hence it followes, that free will of it selfe is like a dead or rotten peece of wood, and that it beares no fruit, but as it is quickned by the spirit Ioh. 15. 5.

Thus much of the propertie: now follow the kindes of the workes of the spirit.

Loue] It may be demaunded, how it is a fruit of the spirit? Ans. First, the spirit of God workes faith, then regeneration, then loue. 1. Tim. 1. 5. Loue follows faith: because we must know first that we are loued of God, before we can loue God. 1. Ioh. 4. 19. And loue follows regeneration: because till the will and affections be changed, there is no place for loue. The Papists then erre, who teach, that the first act of loue, that is, the inclination to loue God and man aright, is in nature, and that the second act, namely, the exercise of loue is, from the spirit. Againe, they erre in that they teach that Charitie or loue is the formall righteousnes of a Christian. For it is a fruit that follows regeneration.

The loue here mentioned, is either of God, or of man. The loue of God, is an holy affection, whereby we loue God in Christ for himselfe. There are three speciall signes, whereby it is discerned, I. a desire of fellowship with God, and Christ, and the holy spirit: and therefore to be much and frequent in the vse of the word, and praier: because in the word God speaks to vs, and in praier we speake to him. II. To loue the word of God aboue all earthly treasure: and to tread our owne wills vnder foote, and to desire that Gods wil may be preferred in all things. 1. Ioh. 2. 5. There are many houses among vs, where the cards and tables are walking, but the Bible is seldome, or neuer seene. And this argues the want of loue. III. The loue of them that loue God and Christ.

The loue of our neighbour, is to loue him simply, in, and for the Lord, and for no other by-respect. The signe of this loue is, to loue not in word, but indeede. And this is to loue indeede, to shew loue, and to do good (when we are wronged and abused) to them that wrong vs, and abuse vs.

Ioy] Ioy is twofold; ioy of glorie after this life, and the ioy of grace in this life: and it stands in three things. The first is, to reioyce in the true acknowledgement of God, that he is our god, and reconciled to vs in Christ. The second is, to reioyce in the worke of our regeneration. The third is, to reioyce in the hope of eternall glorie.

This ioy of grace hath a double fruit. First, it moderates all our sorrows, and makes vs reioyce in the middest of our afflictions. 1. Thess. 5. 16. Secondly, it causeth men to reioyce at the good of their neighbours. Rom. 12. 15. And this ioy is here meant specially. For ioy is here opposed to enuie, and emulations.

This fruit shewes, that we are most of vs bad trees. For the ioyes of the world be for the most part in iniquitie, and in the workes of the flesh. And it is our common sinne not to reioice, but to pine away with griefe, as Cain did, when we see Gods blessing vpon our brother.

Peace] It is a care and desire to maintaine concord, as much as may be, if it lie in vs. Rom. 12. 18. It is an excellent vertue. For the kingddome of God stands partly in peace. Rom. 14. 17. For the maintenance of peace, obserue two rules. I. Neither take offence, nor giue offence. Abraham chose rather to lose his right, then to offend Lot. Gen. 13. and so did Christ. Matth. 17. 27. II. Seeke to edifie one another, either doe good, or take good. Rom. 14. 19.

Long-suffering] is to moderate our anger, and desire of reuenge when many and great wrongs are done to vs. It is an excellent fruit, but it takes very hardly in these parts. For our manner is, a word and a blow: a word and a stabb: a word and a writte.

Set and sow this plant in the forrowes of your hearts, & that the weede of reuenge ouergrow it not, vse these remedies. I. Gods commandement forbids rash anger, Iam. 1. 19. for it is a degree of murder. II. The example of God, who is slow to anger: and of Christ, who is meeke and lowly, Math. 11. III. All wrongs done to vs by men, come by Gods prouidence, to which we are to subiect our selues. IV. The goodnesse of God, who forgiues more to vs, then we can forgiue. V. There is danger of Gods anger. For vnlesse we forgiue, we are not forgiuen. And we craue forgiuenesse, as we forgiue. VI. It is the dutie of loue to suffer and beare, 1. Cor. 13. VII. It is a point of iniustice, to reuenge our selues, for then we take to our selues the honour of God; and against all equitie, we are both the parties, and iudge, and witnesse, and all. VIII. We are often ignorant of the mindes of men, in their actions, and of the true circumstances thereof: and so may easily be deceiued.

Obiect. I. Anger is a sudden affection: therefore it cannot be ruled. Ans. Meanes are to be vsed before hand, when we are quiet: then shall we better restraine it.

Obiect. II. It is hard for flesh and blood to doe this. Ans. We are more then flesh and blood. For we haue the spirit of God, els we are but hypocrites.

Gentlenesse] Gentlenesse is to giue good speech, and to shew good countenances, euen to them that wrong vs, and abuse vs, without any minde, or desire to reuenge, Rom. 12. 14. Eph. 4. 32.

The curtesie of the world, in the cappe and the knee, and all the complements of humanitie, is commonly seuered from good affection: and it is often the maske of enmitie: and therefore it is but a worke of the flesh. Right curtesie is with an honest heart, to blesse when we are wronged.

Goodnesse] It is a vertue, whereby we communicate to others, the good things that are in vs, for their good and benefit. It is prescribed by Paul in other tearmes, when he saith, Communicating to the necessities of the Saints, Rom. 12. 13.

Question I. What are we to communicate? Answ. The gifts of our minde, our temporall goods, yea our liues too, if neede be, 1. Ioh. 3. 16.

Question II. Why are we so to doe? Answ. We are members all of one bodie; and we are members one of another, Eph. 4. 25. And it is Gods pleasure, that men shall be instruments of good mutually one to another.

Goodnesse, respects either the bodie, or the minde. Goodnesse concerning the bodie, hath many actions: as to feed the hungrie, to giue drinke to the thirstie, to harbour the harbourlesse, to cloath the naked to visit the sicke, and them that are in prison, Math. 25. 35, 36. to burie the dead, 2. Sam. 2. 5. Lastly, to lend freely and liberally, to such as be decaied and impouerished. Deut. 15. 7.

Goodnesse concerning the soule, is to indeauour, partly by counsell, & partly by example, to gaine the soule of our neighbour to God: and it stands in foure actions: to admonish the vnruly, to comfort the distressed, to beare with them that are weake, and to be patient towards all, 1. Thess. 5. 14.

Goodnes is hard to be found in these daies among men: The common practise is according to the common prouerb, Euery man for himselfe, and God for vs all. The studie of men is, howe to gather goods, honours, riches, for themselues, and for their children: and the common good is not aimed at. Good orders hardly take place, as namely, the order for the poore; and the reason is, the want of goodnesse in vs. If any professe any shew of goodnesse more then the rest, they are sure to be despised and reproched at euery hand: and this shews that there is little goodnesse among men.

Faith] First, we are here to vnderstand faith towards God, which is to beleeue the remission of our sinnes, and our reconciliation with God in Christ.

This faith is common to all among vs: yet is it but a false, dead, & ceremoniall faith, in many men. Reason. I Faith comes by the hearing of the word of God preached, Rom. 10. 14. but this faith in many is conceiued without preaching: for they say, they beleeue their saluation by Christ, and withall they liue in the perpetuall neglect or contempt of the publike Ministerie. II. True faith is ioyned alwaies with the exercises of invocation, and repentance: yet in many among vs, this faith is without any conuersion or change of heart and life: and therefore it is but a dead faith. III. True faith is mixed with contrarie vnbeleefe, so as they that beleeue, feele in themselues a want of faith, and much vnbeleefe. But there are many among vs that say, they perfectly beleeue, and that they neuer so much as doubted in all their liues. Now such a faith, is a vaine perswasion. IV. Many that boast of their faith in Christ, want faith in the prouidence of God, touching food and raiment. And that is manifest, because they vse any vnlawfull meanes to helpe themselues: now if their faith faile them in a smaller point, it cannot be sound in the greatest of all.

Secondly, by faith is meant faith towards men, & that stands in two things. One is, to speake the trueth from the heart: the other is, to be faithfull and iust in the keeping of our honest promise, and word.

This faith is a rare vertue in these daies. For the common fashion of them that liue by bargaining, is, to vse glosing, facing, soothing, lying, dissembling, and all manner of shifts. And with many it is a confessed principle, that there is no liuing in the world, vnlesse we lie and dissemble. They that deale with chapmen shall heardly know what is trueth, they haue so many wordes and so many shifts. In this respect, Christians come short of the Turkes, who are said to be equall, open, and plaine dealing mē, without fraud, or deceipt.

Our care therfore must be to cherrish, & maintain amōg vs, the vertue of faith and truth. Reasons, I. Gods commandement, Put away lying, and let euery man speake the truth to his neighbour. Eph. 4 15. II. By truth we are like to God, whose waies are all truth: who hates a lying tongue. Prou. 6. 17. whose spirit is the spirit of trueth. III. Lyars beare the image of the deuill. He is the father of lies. Ioh. 8. 44. so oft then as thou liest, thou makest thy tongue the instrument of the deuill. IV. Eternall punishment in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone, Reu. 22. 15. Here marke, that liars are entertained at the same table with murderers and theeues: and the liar neuer goes vnpunished. Prou. 19. 5. V. To speake the trueth from the heart, is a marke of Gods child, Psal. 15. 2. And he whose faith failes towards men, shall much more faile towards God.

Meekenes] The same in effect with long suffering. The difference is, that meekenes is more generall, and long-suffering is, the highest degree of meekenesse.

Temperance] It is the moderation of lust and appetite, in the vse of the gifts and creatures of God. For the better practising of this vertue, remember these foure rules.

I. We must vse moderation in meats & drinks. This moderatiō is to eat and drinke with perpetuall abstinence. And abstinence is to take lesse, then that which nature desires, and not more. And that measure of meate and drinke, which serues to refresh nature, and to make vs fitte for the seruice of God and man, is allowed vs of God, and no more.

II. We must vse moderation in our apparell. And that is, to apparell ourselues according to our sexe, according to the receiued fashion of our countrie, according to our place, and degree, and according to our abilitie. Here the common fault in to be out of all order: for none almost know any measure. Euery meane person now adaies, will be a gentleman, or gentlewoman.

III. We must vse moderation, in getting of goods: and that is, to rest content, if we haue food and raiment, for our selues, & them that belong vnto vs. 1. Tim. 6 8. Here is our stint; we may not desire to be rich. v. 9. The king himselfe must not multiply his gold, and siluer, Deut. 17. 17. and yet hath he more neede of gold and siluer, then any priuate man.

IV. There must be a moderation in the spending of our goods: contrarie to the fashion of many that spend their substance in feasting, and company, and keepe their wiues and children bare at home.

Against such there is no law] Here Paul sets downe the benefit that comes by the former vertues. The words carrie this sense: Against such vertues, and against persons indued with such vertues, there is no law. And that for two causes. One, there is no law to condemne such. Secondly, there is no lawe to compell them to obey: because they freely obey God, as if there were no law.

Marke then the condition of spirituall men. They are a voluntarie & free people, seruing God freely, without constraint. So as if Christ would not giue vnto them life euerlasting, yet would they loue him, and desire the aduancement of his kingdome. On the contrarie, if there were no hell, and God would not punish adulterie, drunkennes, blasphemie, &c. with eternall death, yet would a Christian man abstaine from these things: because he knowes that they displease Christ, and he is gouerned with another spirit, to which they are contrarie.

Also these words are a reason of v. 16. There is no law against them that doe these things: therefore walke in the spirit.