Galatians 5:26

The scope. From this 26. verse, to the 11. verse of the chapter following. S. Paul handles the second Rule, which he had propounded in the 13. verse of this chapter: By loue serue one another. In the handling whereof, he first laboureth to take away the impediments of Loue: and then he sets downe the māner, how the rule is to be obserued. This 26. verse is a rule, the ende whereof, is to remooue the impediments of loue.

In this verse foure points are especially to be considered. First, what the desire of vaine-glorie is? Answ. It is a branch of pride, which makes men to referre all they haue, or can doe, to their owne priuate glorie, and aduancement. For better vnderstanding whereof, consider a little the excuses that men haue, for the defence, or excuse of this sinne.

I. Excuse. Vaine-glorie in effect is no more, but the seeking of mens approbation, which may lawfully be done. Answ. To seeke the approbatiō of men, is no fault, so that it be sought in a good manner. The right manner of seeking the praise of men, is this A man must in this life passe through three iudgements; the iudgement of God, of his owne conscience, and of his neighbour: and the order of going through them, is, in the first place, he must seeke for the iudgement and approbation of God: in the next, his owne: and in the last, his neighbours. Nowe the vaine-glorious man takes another course, first and principally ayming at the glorie and good liking of man, hauing small or no regard of the two other.

II. Excuse. There is a good boasting, which Dauid vsed, and that we may lawfully vse. Psal. 7. 8. Ans. Boasting is either lawfull, or vnlawfull. Lawfull boasting is in the Lord, when, beeing vrged and compelled, we confesse the good things that are in vs, to Gods glorie. Of this read at large, 2. Cor. 11. Vnlawfull is, when men ascribe the gifts that they haue of God, vnto themselues: or hauing gifts, do arrogate more vnto themselues, then indeed they haue: or in a word, doe so esteeme of their gifts, as if they had not receiued them from God. And this is a damnable boasting.

III. Excuse. Gods blessings we may seeke for: and what are glorie and honour, but the blessings and gifts of God? Ans. There are two degrees of honour. The first is, the honour that euery man hath in his place and calling. For euery calling ordained by God, hath a glory annexed vnto it: which beeing the gift of God, it may be both sought for, and enioyed. The other degree, is that which is aboue a mans place and calling, and that ought not to be sought for. Euery person must content himselfe with the honour which is sorted vnto his calling. Neuerthelesse, if God giue greater honour, he may accept it, but where God giues it not, there it must not be desired. It remaineth therefore, that vaine-glorie is a branch of pride, wherein men principally referre all there studies, counsels, indeauours, and gifts, to the honouring and aduancing of themselues.

The next point to be considered is, why he admonisheth the Galatians of vaine-glorie? Answ. The Galatians were men of vnderstanding and knowledge, and were adorned with many excellent gifts. Now, they that haue receiued good gifts of god, many times are most vaine-glorious, 2. Cor. 12. 7. Math. 6. 5. And whereas all other vices feed vpon that which is euill, this vice of vaine-glorie, feeds vpon good things. For a man sometimes will be proud, euen because he is not proud.

A third point to be considered, is, where vaine-glorie is to be found? Ans. It is no rare matter, for it is a common vice, and spreads it selfe farre and wide. Some there are, which neuer lift vp heart nor hand unto God at home, and yet the same persons in the publike assemblies, wil make as though they praied with great deuotion. And what is the reason hereof but this, that they are carried with a spirit of pride and arrogancie, seeking the commendation of men that behold them, rather then to approoue their hearts and consciences vnto God. Of another sort are those, that haue beene old and ancient hearers of the word, who notwithstanding, doe little, or not at all profit, either in knowledge, or in good life: and the cause is not in the Gospel, or in the dispensers of it, but in themselues: because they receiue not the Gospel for it selfe, but for the praise and commēdation of men, and for the credit & account they are in, by reason of Christian profession.

The last thing, is the remedie of pride and vaine-glorie; which is the rather to be thought vpon, because it is a great impediment of Christian loue. This remedie consists partly in meditation, and partly in practise.

Remedies in meditation, are these. 1. God resisteth all proud persons, and giues grace to the humble. 1. Pet. 5. 5. the reason is, because the vain-glorious man, seeking himselfe and not god, robbes God of his honour. Thus the proud Pharisie exalting himselfe aboue the poore Publican, went away lesse iustified, that is, not approoued of God, as the Publican was. 2. It is the worke of the deuill, to puffe vp the mind with selfe-liking, and conceit, that thereby he may worke mans perdition. Gen. 3. 5. But God worketh contrarily: for he therefore abaseth men, that he might in his good time, the more exalt them. 3. There is no religion in that heart, that is wholly bent to seeke the praise of men. Ioh. 5. 44. And the man that desires to be talked of, and admired by others, doeth thereby in effect giue notice vnto all the world, that his heart is not sound in the sight of God.

Remedies consisting in practise, are: first, an indeauour to acknowledge the great Maiestie of God, and withall our own basenesse, and vilenesse before him. 2. We ought to ascribe all good things we haue, or can doe, to God alone, and nothing to our selues. For in all that befall vs, God is the principall agent, our selues are but tooles and instruments in his hand; by right therefore the commendation belonges vnto him, and not to vs. 3. In all actions and duties of religion, first we must indeauour to approue our selues to God, and the next place is to be giuen to man, not contrariwise. 4. when we are reviled we must rest content; whē we are praised to our faces or otherwise we must take heed. For then Satan standes at our right hand to puffe vs vp, and consequently to ouerthrowe vs. It is a a true saying, that Temptations on the right hand are far more dangerous, then those on the left. In the fift place, Pauls reason to disswarde from this sinne, is taken from two euill fruits of it, Contention, and Enuie, prouoking one another, envying one another. Men that are ambitious, if they be crossed in their courses, grow contentious, if they prosper in the world, then are they enuyed by others. Read for this purpose the historie of Samuel and Saul, 1. Sam. 15. Seeing then vaine-glorie hath so badde fruites issuing from it, it must teach vs to abhorre and detest it with all our hearts, and on the contrarie to seeke by all meanes possible to preserue and maintaine loue in the whole course of our liues.

FINIS.