Galatians 6:18

Here, the Apostle concludes his epistle with his vsuall farewell commending the Galatians to the grace of God, & wishing vnto them all things appertaining to spirituall life & godlines. 1. Pet. 1. 3. which he signifieth here by grace. There is a twofold grace mentioned in Scripture, Grace which makes a man gratious or acceptable to God, gratia gratum faciens: and grace which is freely giuen, gratia gratis data. Gratia gratum faciens, is the fauour and loue of God, whereby he is well pleased with his elect in Christ, and this grace is in God himselfe, and noe qualitie infused or inherent in vs: and it is truly called the first grace, as beeing the cause of all other subsequent graces. Gratia gratis data, is the free gift of God bestowed vpon men, whether naturall, or supernaturall: naturall eyther in the state of innocencie, before the fall, as originall iustice, &c. or in the state of Apostasie, since the fall, as the gift of illumination. Ioh. 1. 9. and such like: Supernatural, eyther common gifts, as the gift of miracles, prophecying, tongues &c. or sauing graces, as the grace of election, effectuall vocation, iustification, adoption, glorification, &c. all which are called the second grace, because they flow from the first, as the streame from the fountaine. Thus Paul distinguisheth them, Rom. 5. 15. calling the former the grace of God, the latter the gift by grace. Nowe grace in this place is not to be restrained onely to the benefit of our redemption, as it is, 2. Cor. 13. 13. where the grace of Christ is distinguished from the loue of God, and communion of the H. Ghost: but to be vnderstood of the fauour & loue of God, which is the first grace: and of the sauing grace of regeneration, which is the second grace, or the gift by grace. And it is called the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, first, because he is the fountaine of it. Ioh. 1. 16. of his fullnes all we haue receiued, and grace for grace. Secondly, because he is the conduit or pipe, by which it is conuaied vnto vs. Ioh. 1. 17. Grace and truth came by Iesus Christ: for he is our propitiator by whome alone we receiue grace, that is, the fauour of God, and reconciliation: for grace, that is, for the fauour and loue which God the father bare vnto his sonne; we beeing accepted of God, and beloued in his beloued. Eph. 1. 6. Christ is further called [our Lord] in fiue respects. First, by right of creation. Ioh. 1. 3. All things were made by him. Secondly, by right of inheritance. Hebr. 1. 2. He is made hoyre of all things. Psal. 2. 8. I will giue thee the Heathen for thine inheritance, and the endes of the earth for thy possession. Thirdly, by right of redemption. 1. Cor. 6. 20. Ye are bought with a price, which is neither siluer, nor gold, but the pretious blood of Christ. 1. Pet. 1. 18, 19. and this he performed by a double right, namely, by right of proprietie, as a King redeemes his subiects, the master his seruants: or by right of affinitie, as the father may redeeme the sonne, one brother an other, and one kinsman an other. Fourthly, by right of conquest. Luk. 11. 21. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, &c. but when a stronger then he commeth vpon him, and ouercommeth him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and diuideth the spoile. Lastly, by right of contract and marriage. Hos. 2. 16. Thou shalt call me Ishi, and shalt not call me Baali. and v. 19. I will marrie thee vnto me for euer in righteousnes, iudgement, mercy, and compassion, I will marrie the vnto me in faithfulnes, and thou shalt know the Lord.

The Apostle proceeds and saith, the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with your spirits. For the better vnderstanding of which phrase, we are to know, that Man consisteth of two essentiall parts, of soule, and bodie. Eccles. 12. 7. Dust (that is, the bodie) returnes to the earth, whence it was taken: and the spirit returns to God that gaue it. Albeit the Apostle els where deuideth man into three parts, spirit, soule, and bodie, when he praieth 1. Thess. 5. 23. for the Thessalonians, that their whole spirit, and soule, and body, may be kept blameles, vnto the comming of Christ. Where he subdiuideth the soule into two parts, into reason or vnderstanding, which he calleth the spirit: will, or affection, which he tearmeth (by the common name agreeing to both) the soule: God hauing giuen reason to see, and will to seeke, after that which is good: that reason hauing eyes might guide the will that is blinde, and goe before, that it might follow. So that the spirit and soule are not two seuerall substances, but one and the same (euen as the bodie and the flesh are one bodie) and yet are they distinguished for doctrine sake. Heb. 4 12. the word of God is said to enter through, euen to the diuiding a sunder of the soule and the spirit. and Eph. 4. 17. 18. the Apostle distinguisheth the soule into three Faculties, the mind, cogitation, heart: 〈Greek〉. when he saith the Gentiles walked in the vanitie of their minds, and had their cogitations darkened, because of the hardnes of their hearts: by minde, meaning the hegemonicall part or vnderstanding: by cogitation, the inward senses, as memorie, phantasie, &c. and by heart, the affections.

Now by spirit in this place, is not ment the vnderstanding alone, or the soule alone, but by a synechdoche the whole man is vnderstood, albeit the soule principally be ment, because it is the proper subiect of grace: for grace beeing a spirituall thing Mens 〈◊〉, is 〈◊〉 qu〈…〉. is placed immediately and properly in the spirit, or mind of man; and in the bodie accidentally, where it doth bewray it selfe by outward actions. Secondly, for that, as the seate of grace is in the mind; so the sense and apprehension of it is there likewise, & not in the bodie. Thirdly, as Theophilact saith, Non ait vobiscum, quid ita? abigens eos à rebus hisce, arguens que non à lege bos spiritum, sed à gratia accepisse. So that, it is all one, as if he should haue said, the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all, as it is Philip. 4. 23. and 2. Thess. 3. 18. as it may appeare by the like: for that farewell which Paul giues Timothie in his latter Epistle, The Lord Iesus Christ be with thy spirit, 2. Tim. 4. 22. is all one with that in his former, Grace be with thee. 1. Tim. 6. 21. And that salutation Philem. 15. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with your spirit, is all one with that Coloss. 4. 18. Grace be with you.

Hence that phrase and forme of speech in our English Liturgie, or Common praier booke, (though misliked by some, and cauilled at by others) hath his warrant and ground, when the Minister saith, The Lord be with you; and the people answer, And with thy spirit, wishing the same to him, that he to them, that God would be with his spirit, that is, with him.

Againe, marke how the Apostle as he did beginne with grace, chap. 1. 3. so he doth ende with grace, to teach vs first of all, that our saluation is placed in it alone, for the beginning, the progresse, and the accomplishment thereof: for election is of grace, Rom. 11. 5. and vocation is of grace, 2. Tim. 1. 9. and iustification, Rom. 3. 24. and glorification. Rom. 6. 23. Secondly, that Christ is to haue all the glorie of this grace, whereby we are so highly aduanced into the fauour of God, both for the beginning, continuance, and ending, without ascribing any part thereof to our selues, or any other creature. Thirdly, that all our salutations, and greetings, our adieues, and fare-wells, ought to be grounded in the grace of Christ, otherwise they are but carnall: and therefore the Apostle biddeth the Christians to salute one another in a holy kisse, or (as Peter speakes) with the kisse of loue. 1. Pet. 5. 14. Rom. 1•. 16.

This confutes the Popish Doctors, who doe not onely ascribe the beginning of their saluation to themselues, in coworking with God in their first conuersion: but also the ende and accomplishment of it, by workes of condignitie, which (as they say) are meritorious of eternall life.

Further, obserue, with what emphasis the Apostle concludes his Epistle: First opposing Christ the Lord of the house, to Moses who was but a seruant in the house. Secondly, the grace H•b. 3. 5, 〈◊〉. of Christ to inherent iustice, and merits of workes. Thirdly, the spirit, in which he would haue grace to be seated, to the flesh, in which the Apostles gloried so much. Lastly, brotherly vnitie one with another, implied in the word brethren, to the proud and lordly carriage of the false Apostles ouer them.