Galatians 6:14

In these words Paul comes to the Reddition of the dissimilitude betwixt him and the false Apostles, his glorying and theirs. In them we may consider two generall points. First, wherein he would not glory in nothing, saue in, &c. Secondly, the thing wherein he would glorie, In the crosse of Christ, whereof he renders a reason in the words following, taken from the effects which the crosse wrought in him, For, by it, the world was crucified to him, and he vnto the world.

For the first: To glorie, implies three things. First, to reioice, exult, and triumph in a mans selfe, in regard of some good thing, or some supposed good. Secondly, to bewray this great exultation, by speech, or action, or both. Thirdly, by boasting of it, to looke for praise and applause of men; which glorying (according to the nature of the obiect, and the ende) is either good or euill. For if it haue a right obiect, namely, the crosse of Christ: and a right ende, the glorie of God, it is good; otherwise it is euill: such as was this glorying of the false Apostles, and all other carnall glorying, which is not in the Lord: for it is nothing els but vain glorie. Vain I say, first, in regard of the things wherin men glorie, which are either such as are not, as when man boasteth of that which he hath not, but would seeme to haue: or such as he hath not of himselfe. 1. Cor. 4. 7. or such as haue no continuace, but are transitorie and fading, as all earthly things are, seeing man himselfe is but as grasse, and all the glorie of man, but as the floure of the field. Isay. 40. 6. Secondly, it is vaine in regard of man, from whome we looke for glorie, and admiration, seeing his iudgement is erroneous. Thirdly, in regard of the ende, in not referring it to the maine and proper ende, the glorie of God, and the good of his Church. The Prophet reduceth all those things, wherein we ought not to glorie, to three heads: wisedome, strength, riches: all which we haue receiued, & thereof ought not to boast of them, as though Ier. 〈◊〉. 23. we had not receiued them. In particular, wisedome is not to be glorified in, seeing it is very defectiue, whether we speake of speculatiue wisedome, standing in contemplation, or practical, consisting in action: For in artes and sciences, as also in the secrets of nature, our ignorance is greater then our knowledge. He that knowes not that be knowes nothing in these things, let him read the booke of Iob, chap. 28. and 37, and 38. And as for wisedome in diuine things, We knowe nothing as we ought to knowe. 1. Cor. 8. 2. for we know but in part, and see but as in a glasse, darkely. 1. Cor. 13. 12. And as for practicall wisdome, standing in pollicie, it is not demonstratiue, but meerely coniecturall, & therefore we cannot build vpon it, considering in it there is the concurrence of so many causes that are casuall, and of so many mindes which are mutable. Salomon the great polititian had experience hereof; for he thought that by ioining affinitie with his neighbour Princes round about him, & taking their daughters to be his wiues, he should establish his own house, strengthen his kingdome, and drawe the Heathenish Idolatours to the worship of the true God. But all things fell out contrarie to this his plot and proiect: for it was so farre from winning others to imbrace true religion, as that it drewe him to idolatrie: and so farre from stablishing his house, or strengthening his kingdome, as that it was the cause of the rending of the one, and the ruinating of the other. Constantine the great, was perswaded that by building the citie Constantinople in the confines of Europe and Asia, and there placing one of his sonnes, as his Lieutenant to keepe his court, he should fortifie his Empire, as with a wall of brasse: But he was deceiued, for the building of new Rome, was the decay of the olde, and the diuiding of the Empire was the destruction thereof: So that it is truely said, pollicie is often the ouerthrowe of politie.

Nowe if wisedome may not be gloried in, much lesse may strength, seeing that wisedome is better then strength, Eccles. 9. 16. seeing that the greatest strength of man, is not comparable to that of Behemoth. Iob. 40. and other bruite beasts: seeing it is but the strength of flesh: seeing no power, nor might, can deliuer from wrath in the day of wrath. Of all the puissant Princes, and plotting polititians, the Psalmist saith, They are so vaine, that if they be laid vpon the ballance, euen vanitie it selfe will waigh them downe, Psal. 62. 9.

And as for riches, besides that they make vs neuer a whitte the better, (nay oftentimes much worse) they are also vncerten. Salomon saith, they make themselues wings like an Eagle, and flie away. Pro. 23. 5. They may not vnfitly be compared to Ionas his gourd, which flourished in the morning, yeelding him content & delight, but shortly after (to his great griefe,) it was stricken by a worme, and withered away. The like may be said of honours, and pleasures. For what more vaine then to glorie in honour, which is not in a mans power, seeing as the Philosopher teacheth, Honour is not in him that is honoured, but in him that honoureth: and therefore Courtiers are compared to counters, Ethic. l•. c. 5. which stand sometime for pounds, sometime for pence, beeing now aduanced, now debased, according to the pleasure of the Prince. Haman to day highly honoured in the court at Shushan, the next day hanged vpon a tree. To omit the examples 〈…〉h 7. of Iob, and Nebuchodonosar, (in whome we may see the mutabilitie of worldly dignitie.) Consider it in the glasse of these examples. First of Geliner a puissant Prince of the Vandals, Procopius. who was brought so lowe, that he was enforced to request his friend to send him a loafe of bread, a sponge, and a harpe: a loafe, to slake his hunger: a sponge, to drie vp his teares: a harpe, to solace him in his miserie. Of Bellisarius, (for prowes & honour, the only man then liuing,) who came to that miserable estate, that hauing his eies put out, he was led in a string to beg by the high way side, crying, Date obolum Bellisario. And of the victorious Emperour Henrie the fourth, who had fought 52. pitched fields; and yet was driuen to that exigent, as that he became a suter for a poore Prebend in the Church of Spira, to maintaine himselfe in his olde age. And as for worldly pleasures, least cause is there that any man should glorie in them, seing they are more vanishing then the former: seeing they are common to vs with bruite beasts: seeing they are mingled with much griefe and vexation, for in the midst of laughter, the heart is sorrowfull. Prou. 14. 13. And lastly, seeing they leaue a sting behinde them, for the ende of pleasure is nothing but paine, as Salomon saith, The ende of reioycing is mourning. For feasting & Prou. 14. 13. banquetting are often turned into surfetting & vomiting: drinkings into palsies: lusts into goutes, &c. And if pleasures were but onely painefull, the matter were the lesse; but they are also sinnefull. Ebr. 11. 25. and therefore in no wise to be gloried in.

By this we see that Paul had iust cause in this earnest manner, to say, God forbidde I should glorie saue in the crosse of Christ considering that this boasting in outward things, is not onely a fault of vanitie, but also of impietie, as may appeare by these reasons. I. God hath expressely forbidden it. Ier. 9. 23. Gal. 5. 26. II. He hath alwaie seuerely punished it, as in Dauid, for numbring the people in a vaine-glorious minde. 2. Sam. 24. In Ezekias, for shewing his treasures in a brauery to the Embassadours of the king of Babel. Isay. 39. In Herod, for ascribing to himselfe the glorie proper to God alone, Act. 12. III. The Saints of God haue alway abhorred it, as Paul doth in this place, and 2. Cor. 11. 30. If I must needs glorie, I will glory in neine infirmities, as if he should say, I will be farre from carnall boasting. IV. The heathen by the light of nature haue condemned it: the Gretian Orator calls it an odious, and burdensome 〈Greek〉. Demost de Coro•. thing. And the Romane Orator prooues it be most true by his own practise, making his words which flowed from his mouth as sweete as hony, to taste as bitter as wormewood, by interlacing his owne praises.

Obiect. I. Paul gloried in something besides the crosse of Christ, when he said, It were better for him to die, then that any should make his glorying vaine. 1. Cor. 9. 15. Answ. Paul in glorying doeth distinguish his calling, from his person; Of such a one I wil boast, of my selfe I wil not boast, & I was nothing inferior to the very cheife Apostles, although I am nothing. 2. Cor. 12. 5. 11. Of his person or personall gifts he boasteth not: but onely of his Apostolicall calling, and his faithfull discharge thereof, to the end he may stoppe the mouthes of the false Apostles. Thus to confesse the good things we haue to the glorie of God, beeing vrged thereunto, is lawfull boasting, nay it is sometime necessarie, making much for the maintenance of the Gospell, as Pauls boasting made much for the good of the Church of Corinth. Againe, there is a twofold lawfull boasting, one before God, another before men. Rom. 4. 2. Of the former the Apostle speakes in this verse: of the latter in the 2. Cor. 12. He gloried not in the testimony of a good conscience, before god, but onely before men. Before God he glorified in nothing, but in the sauing knowledge of Christ, and him crucified. And whereas it may besaide, that this his boasting in regard of the false Apostles, as also his glorying in the testimonie of his conscience. 2. Cor. 1. 12. and in his infirmities, 2. Cor. 11. 30. were not in the crosse of Christ. I answer, they were: for his glorying ouer the false Apostles, in teaching freely, was in the good and prosperous successe of the Gospel, which is the doctrine of the crosse, and his glorying in the testimonie of his conscience; in that it was washed by the blood of the crosse, as Paul speakes, Coloss. 1. 20. In his afflictions, in that they were the afflictions of Christ, and he by them made conformable to him.

But it will be said, that he gloried in his reuelations, in his paines and trauell, in preaching the Gospel, and in the multitude of Churches which he had planted. Ans. First, he did it beeing vrged thereunto; secondly, he did it to defend his calling, and the credit of the Gospel: and therefore this boasting was not vnlawfull; nay it was necessarie, and in the Lord. For when we are compelled, we may confesse the good things we haue, if we doe it sparingly, and for the edification of others, that they may be bettered by our example: and that they seeing our good workes, may glorifie God our heauenly father. Matth. 5. 16.

Here we see what glorying is Vnlawfull; namely, when men ascribe vnto themselues either that which they haue not, or more then they haue, or as proceeding from themselues, their wisdome, strength, industrie, in sacrificing to their owne netts, and burning incense to their owne yearne, Habac. 1. 16. or in boasting of them without necessarie cause, either for their owne vaine glorie, as Nebuchodonosor did, Dan. 4. or not for Gods glorie, as Herod did, Act. 12. And if this glorying be so greata sinne, surely boasting in wickednes (as Doeg did, Psal. 52. 1.) must needes be most damnable: as when the greatest swearers and swaggerers, count themselues the best companions: the greatest Idolaters, and superstitious persons, most religious: the greatest oppressours, surfeters, drunkards, fighters, most valiane and couragious, &c. Now this may be done three waies, either ignorātly as whē Paul gloried in his cruel persecuting of the Saints before his cōuersion, Act. 26. 11. or presumptuously, when men glorie in wickednes, notwithstanding they be perswaded in conscience, that it is euill: and then it is the sinne of Sodom. Isa. 3. 9. or malitiously, to despite God, and then it is the sinne against the holy Ghost.

The second point to be considered in the words, is, the thing wherein he will glorie, called here the Crosse of Christ: Sane in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ. The words in the originall translated saue, are exceptiue: as if he should say, I will glorie in 〈Greek〉. nothing except in the crosse of Christ: and exclusiue, onely in the crosse of Christ, and in nothing els. Albeit they are sometime aduersatiue, as Gal. 2. 16. and Apoc. 21. 27. There shall enter into it no vncleane thing, εἰ μὴ, but they that are written, &c. where the words are not exclusiue: (for then it would follow that some which worke abomination, should enter into heauen:) but aduersatiue, as Matth. 12. 4. and Luk. 4. 20. which may serue (by the way) to cleare the text, Ioh. 17. 12. Those thou gauest me haue I kept, and none of them is lost, but the child of perdition: that is, but the child of perdition is lost. For the words, 〈Greek〉. εἰ μὴ, (as I take it) are not so well translated by the exceptiue coniunction nisi, as by the aduersatiue sed: seeing here is no exceptiō made of Iudas, as though he had beene giuen to Christ, & afterward had fallen away: which exposition must needes be made, if the words be read, nisi filius perditionis.

Further, by the Crosse of Christ, the Apostle vnderstandeth synecdochically, the all sufficient, expiatorie, and satisfactorie sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse, with the whole work of our redemption: in the sauing knowledge where of he professeth he will glorie, and boast. For Christ is made vnto vs wisdome, righteousnes—that as it is written, He that glorieth, should 〈◊〉. Cor. 1. 30, 31. glorie in the Lord: euen to make boast of him all the day long, as the Psalmist speaketh. And the reason why Paul professeth that he will glorie onely in the Crosse of Christ, is, because Christ crucified is the treasurie, and storehouse of the Church: seeing that in him are hid, not onely the treasures of wisdome and knowledge, Coloss. 2. 3. but of bountie and grace, Ioh. 1. 16. and of all spirituall blessings. Eph. 1. 3. For first, by Christ crucified, we haue reconciliation with God, remission of sinns, & acceptation to eternall life. Secondly, we haue the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding, peace with God, with Angels, with men, with our selues, with the creatures. Thirdly, we recouer the right and title which we had in the creation to all the creatures and blessings of God. 1. Cor. 3. 22. Fourthly, all afflictions and iudgements, cease to be curses and punishments and become either trialls, or corrections. Lastly, death it selfe, is no death, but a sleepe: for all that die in the Lord, are said to sleepe, and to rest vpon their beddes. Isa. 57. 2. Indeede, if we looke vpon death through the glasse of the Law, it is the very downefall to eternall destruction: but if we consider it as it is changed by the death of Christ, it is but a passage from this transitorie life, to eternall life. Christ by his death hath taken away sinne, the sting of death: so that though it seaze vpon vs, yet (hauing lost it sting) it cannot hurt vs. So that in a word, in Christ crucified, are all things that a man can glorie of. If we would glorie in knowledge, and wisdome; He is the wisdome of the father, seeing that all treasures of wisdome and knowledge are hid in him: and therefore Paul desired to know nothing among the Corinthians, but (brist and him crucified. 1. Cor. 2. 2. for this knowledge is eternall life. Ioh, 17. 3. If in the loue and fauour of great men: by him we are highly aduanced into the loue & fauour of god. Eph. 1. 6. If in honors & riches; by him we are made Kings and Priests. Apoc. 1. 6. If in libertie; by him we are deliuered from the hands of our enemies, Sinne, Satan, &c. Luk. 1. 74. If in pleasures, comfort, and content: he is our felicitie, in him we are cōplete, Coloss. 2. By him we haue right to those things which eye hath not seene, eare hath not heard, neither can the heart of man conceiue. It may be said, why doth Paul glorie in the ignominious death of Christ, rather then in his glorious resurrection, triumphant ascension, and imperiall iurisdiction now sitting at the right hand of the Father? Ans. These are not excluded, but included in the Crosse: yet he nameth the crosse rather then them. First of all, to shew that vpon the crosse, Christ did fully finish the worke of our redemption: for beeing now readie to giue vp the ghost, he said, It is finished. Ioh. 19. 30. this made Paul to desire to know nothing but Christ, and him crucified. 1. Cor. 2. For in his humiliation stāds our exaltation; in his weaknes, stands our strength; in his ignominie, our glorie: in his death, out life. Secondly, to shew that he was not ashamed of the crosse of Christ, though neuer so ignominious in the eyes of the world. It had beene no great thing for Paul to haue gloried in the resurrection, ascension, wisdome, power, maiestie of Christ, wherein the world can and doth glorie. But to glorie in the shamefull, contempuble, August de verb Apost. Se•m. 20. accursed death of the crosse was a matter of great difficultie, and the worke of faith, iudging that which the world counts ignominious, to be most glorious: that which the learned Philosophers counted foolishnes, to be the wisdome of God. 1. Cor. 1. 24.

The Popish sort abuse this text two waies. First, in applying it to the transient crosse. Secondly, to the permanent or materiall crosse. To the transient crosse., in that they glorie in it: First, as hauing a vertue in it, (when it is made in the ayre,) to driue away Deuills. Secondly, beeing made in the forehead to be as an amulet against charmes, blastings, and other such like casualties. To the materiall crosse, when they adorne it with golde and iewells, and so cause it to be carried in great pompe before them. When the Crucigeri weare it in their hats in a white, redde, or greene colour. When they put their confidence in it, and pray vnto it, Holy Crosse, saue vs. This is Popish and carnall glorying in the crosse; and not spirituall, in the death of Christ vpon the crosse, of which onely the Apostle speakes in this place.

The reason why he would glorie in nothing but in the crosse of Christ, followeth to be considered, in these words, By which the world is crucified to me, and I vnto the world. It is taken from a double effect, which Christ, or the crosse of Christ, wrought in him: (for the words, δι’ οὗ, by which, may be referred to either indifferently.) The first, to be crucified to the world: the second, the world to be crucified to him. By the world, we are not to vnderstand the frame of heauen and earth, not the creatures, nor mankind: but honour riches, pleasures, fauour, wisdome, glorie and whatsoeuer is opposed to the kingdome of Christ, and the new creature. To be crucified to the world, is to be dead vnto it, to despise and contemne it, to count all the glorie of it to be no better then dongue, in respect of Christ and his righteousnes, as Paul did, Phil. 3. 8. The world is said to be crucified to vs, when it hates and persecutes vs, and accounts vs the filth & the off-scouring of all things. 1. Cor 4. 13. Yet here obserue that we are crucified to the world, and the world to vs, by the vertue of the death of Christ, after a different manner. We are crucified to the world, properly by the spirit of Christ, weaning our affections from the loue of this world. The world is cruci fied to vs, by the death of Christ, improperly, and by accident, in that we are made such as the world cannot but hate and persecute: for seeing we are made new creatures, and chosen out of the world, therefore the world hateth vs. Ioh. 15. 19.

Here we see who those are that can truly glory in the crosse of Christ, namely those that are dead to the world, & the world to them: such as feele the power of the spirit of Christ crucifying the flesh in them, with the affections and lusts. Others can no more glory of the crosse of Christ, then he that glories of the victorie which his Prince hath gottē ouer his enemies, himselfe in the meane time beeing a vassall, and slaue vnto them.

Secondly, that it is not sufficient for a Christian, that the world is crucified to him, except he also be crucified to the world, neither louing the world, nor the things in the world.

Thirdly, that to be crucified to the world, is not to professe monasticall life, and to be shut vp in a Monastery: but to renounce the world, and the corruptions that are therein, both in affection of hart, and practise of life.

Fourthly, we are taught to carrie our selues to the world, as crucified and dead men, not to loue nor like it, to seeke or affect it, but to renounce and forsake it, with all the vanities, delights, and pleasures thereof: and to be as dead men to our own wicked wils, and to our carnall reason, letting them lie dead in vs, and suffering our selues to be ruled, ordered, and guided by the spirit of God: making his will our will, his word our wisedome.

Fiftly, by this we may examine our hearts, for if we haue our affections glued to the world, and set vpon the honours, pleasures, profits, and preferments thereof, we are worldlings indeed: for they that are Christs are crucified with Christ. Gal. 2. 20. and haue crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts. Gal. 5. 24. and therefore must needs be crucified to the world. A man that is hanged vpon a gybbet, ceaseth from his thefts and murders: So all that are indeed crucified with Christ to the world, cease from their old offences. For as the Apostle reasoneth, if we be risen with Christ, we ought to seeke the things that are aboue, & not the things that are vpon the earth. Col. 3. 1, 2. So if we be dead with Christ from the vanities of the world, we ought as dead men to abstaine from all worldly lusts, which fight against the soule. 1. Pet 2. 11.