Galatians 5

So though a saint is crowned with grace, yet he is weak, though anointed a spiritual king. (6.) Sin is ever restless (Galatians 5:17). The flesh lusts against the Spirit.

Did not faith feed the lamp of hope with oil, it would soon die. Faith sets love to work (Galatians 5:6): faith which works by love; believing the mercy and merit of Christ causes a flame of love to ascend. Faith sets patience to work (Hebrews 6:12): be followers of them who thr…

Galatians 5:22. The Fruit of the Spirit is Joy. The third fruit of justification, adoption and sanctification, is, joy in the Holy Ghost.

2. God the Son is the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6). 3. Peace is said to be the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). 1. God the Father is the God of peace.

First, faith knits us to Christ, as the members are knit to the head by nerves and sinews. Second, faith fills us with love to God; it works by love (Galatians 5:6). And he who loves God will rather die than desert him.

Love is the first and great commandment (Matthew 22:38). It is so, because if this be wanting, there can be no religion in the heart, there can be no faith, for faith works by love (Galatians 5:6). All is but pageantry, or a devout complement.

Why was Christ anointed, but to give the oil of joy for mourning (Isaiah 61:1)? Joy is as well a fruit of the Spirit as faith (Galatians 5:22). One way of grieving the Spirit (says Heinsius) is by Christians uncheerful walking: if you would render the Gospel lovely, mix the dove…

Joseph's brothers envied him, because his father loved him, and gave him a coat of diverse colors, and therefore took counsel to slay him (Genesis 37:20). Envy and murder are near akin, and therefore the Apostle puts them together (Galatians 5:21): Envyings, murders. Envy is a s…

Such as talk of the power of nature, and the ability they have to save themselves, they disparage Christ's merits. I may say as Galatians 5:4, Christ is become of no effect to them. This I affirm: such as advance the power of their will in matters of salvation, without the medic…

Some sins are ex Surreptione, they creep unawares into the mind (as vain thoughts, sudden motions of anger and revenge); these, says Bellarmine, are in their own nature venial; it is true, the greatest sins are in one sense venial, that is, God is able to forgive them, but the l…

3. In the new creature there is an opposition against all old things. A Christian not only complains of sin, but fights against it (Galatians 5:17). Quest. But may not a natural man oppose sin?

But it is not so, as appears by these reasons: First, this righteousness is in this life imperfect: and that is proved by the Apostle, where he says, We do here know but in part, 1 Corinthians 13:12. Therefore, our understanding is but in part regenerate: and as it, so consequen…

And he that knows he believes, knows also he doubts: and the more he believes, the more he knows and feels his doubting: for, where these two are, they are always opposite, and show their contrary natures: the one is the spirit, the other is flesh and corruption. And these, says…

Question. David uses imprecations against his enemies, in which he prays for their utter confusion, as Psalm 59 and Psalm 109, etc. The like is done by Paul (Galatians 5:12; 2 Timothy 4:14) and Peter (Acts 8:20), though afterwards he mitigates his execration. But how could they…

He was content to undergo anything for the good of any man. And as we have heard, the godly are trees of righteousness bearing fruit not for themselves but for others, and therefore Paul in the epistle to the Galatians gives this rule, "Do service one to another in love" (Galati…

With the true professors it is far otherwise: for they have upright and honest hearts before the Lord (Luke 8:15). And they have faith which works by love (Galatians 5:6). And that Christian man who loves God, whatever shall befall, yea though it were a thousand deaths, yet his…

Again, we hold this practice to be wicked because it takes away the liberty of Christians, by which unto the pure all things are pure. The Apostle in Galatians 5 bids us to stand fast in this liberty, which the Church of Rome would thus abolish. For the better understanding of t…

Reason 3. That which lusts against the spirit, and by lusting tempts, and in tempting entices and draws the heart to sin, is by nature sin itself: but concupiscence in the regenerate lusts against the spirit (Galatians 5:17) and tempts as I have said (James 1:14): God tempts no…

This use is threefold: in respect of God, of man, and of ourselves. Works are to be done in respect of God: that his commandments may be obeyed — 1 John 5:12; that his will may be done — 1 Thessalonians 4:3; that we may show ourselves to be obedient children to God our Father —…

Reason 2. (Galatians 5:6) Neither circumcision, nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith that works by love. Hence they gather that faith does justify together with love.

This vow is against Christian liberty, whereby is granted a free use of all things indifferent, so it be without the case of offense. Galatians 5:1: Stand fast in the liberty wherein Christ has made you free. Colossians 2:16: Let no man judge you in meat or drink.

It is a good sign where this care goes before a duty. And (2) it is a sweet sign of uprightness to oppose them in their first rise (Psalm 119:113): 'I hate vain thoughts'; Galatians 5:17: 'The Spirit lusts against the flesh.' And (3) your after-grief discovers your upright heart…

Now when all these are put together, you may see how many grounds people have to go wrong upon, and men having hearts disposing and inclining them to go wrong, and little pains being taken to discover the deceit of them, is it any wonder that they think they believe, when indeed…

O sweet and desirable but [reconstructed: mysterious] life! The third place is Galatians 5:6. In Christ Jesus, neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith that works by love.

Yea, 4. The incoming of error begets a sort of presumptuous confidence, therefore Christ says, he that breaks one of these commandments, and teaches men so to do, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of God; he not only breaks the command himself, but he seeks to engage o…

There are shortly three things comprehended in this doctrine, (speaking now of unbelief, not only as opposite to historical faith, which we commonly call infidelity, but as it's opposite to saving faith, which we show is that which is called for here:) 1. That unbelief, or not r…

But that Paul, Romans 7, speaks in the person of a scrupulous and troubled conscience, not as it is the common case of all the regenerate, in whom sin dwells, is a foul and fleshly untruth. (1.) To be carnal in part, as verse 14, to do which we allow not, to do what we would not…

Objection. But [in non-Latin alphabet] that every one that believes, etc., these words, limit, and draw narrow the world, and so divides it in believers, and not believers, and by your exposition, some of the elect world believes, and are saved; some believes not, and perishes,…

And another answer to this point is, that even as you see it is by the Almighty power of God that there may be fire, and not heat, as you see in the fiery furnace, into which the three children was cast, though it was made exceedingly hot, yet it had not power to hurt a hair of…

We trusted this was he, but we are doubtful whether we be not deceived or no, God knows whether it was he or no; but we have just occasion of doubting, for they thought the Messiah should have lived forever, and now this is the third day since he was crucified, and we trusted th…

Fifthly, if we would have Christ, and life in him, we may have him in justification, but not in growth of sanctification, if you part not with confidence in the saving graces of God's Spirit, you must not look to be justified by them, for if you do you will discover them not to…

2. Feel the virtue of it in heart and conscience. In heart, by our dying to sin, then we are planted into the likeness of his death (Romans 6:5): They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof (Galatians 5:24). Who his own self bore our sin…

If you indulge the Flesh, you are willing to lose your souls. Indeed it wars against the Spirit, or better part, as contrary to it (Galatians 5:17): "For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh." Other things could do us no harm without our own flesh…

But when the Scripture speaks of rewards and works, then it speaks of the compound or incarnate faith. We will rehearse some examples of this faith: As, faith which works by love (Galatians 5:6). Do this, and you shall live.

Contrariwise Paul can in no way suffer that men's consciences should be bound to the law of Moses, but always delivers them from the law. Behold, I Paul (says he a little after in chapter 5) do write to you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing (Galatians…

Let no man therefore presume so much of himself, that when he has once received faith, he can right away be thoroughly changed into a new man: In fact, he shall keep somewhat of his old vices still hanging upon him, though he be never so good and perfect a Christian. For we are…

Thirdly, we are sanctified by the word of truth (John 17:17), and guided by the spirit of truth: and therefore we are to detest lying, and deceit. Fourthly, truth is a fruit of God's spirit (Galatians 5), and a mark of God's child (Psalm 32:2): he has the pardon of his sins in w…

It was the sin of Ahab that troubled Israel (1 Kings 18:18). The sin of false apostles that troubled the Galatians (Galatians 5:10). Nay, it drives men beside themselves, as appears in the example of the prodigal son, who repenting of his sin, is said to have come to himself (Lu…

Add also, that an outward appearance will not serve the turn: for where the Spirit of God bears not rule, there charity is cold. And therefore Saint Paul makes express mention of love among the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). When the observation of the Law is mentioned t…

But Calvin settles the point by rendering it serf, slave; by which he evidently means “complete and degrading subjection.” Paul frequently speaks of the state of the Church under the law as bondage, (Galatians 4:3, 9,) and a yoke of bondage, (Galatians 5:1.) — Ed. of the law, th…

are inflamed with rage. Again, when we see that the minds of men are so envenomed, that they become mad against God, whenever they are treated with some degree of roughness, we ought to implore the Spirit of meekness, (Galatians 5:23,) that we may not be driven, by the same fury…

Flesh therefore signifies the whole and entire man, even as he lives in this life. Now, the works of the flesh are in excellent order, reckoned up and recounted by Saint Paul, Galatians 5. And not those gross actions and works of the flesh only, as fornication, but the chiefest…

But the word of the Lord endures forever and this is the word which is preached among you. Saint Paul in Galatians 5 reckons up the fruits that follow faith. The fruits of the Spirit (says he) are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperanc…

And they do not only condemn their sins, because they are forced to it by the judgment of reason: but because from the very heart they abhor them, and are displeased with them. This is that Christian warfare, between the flesh and the Spirit, of which Paul speaks to the Galatian…

For truly in this sort we ought to reason: and not as some blasphemous persons, who prate, saying, let us be secure, because there is no power in us. But this is as it were to fight against God, if through contempt and negligence, we extinguish his grace offered to us (Galatians…

Let Israel rejoice in him that made him; let the Children of Zion be joyful in their King. This is mentioned among the principal Fruits of the Spirit of Grace, Galatians 5. 22. The Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, etc.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, are the Sons of God. Galatians 5:18. But if ye be led by the Spirit, ye are not under the Law. And if Persons have the Will of God concerning their Actions, suggested to them by some Text of Scripture, suddenly and extraordinarily bro…

And it must be somewhat that has a Being and Subsistence of its own in the Soul, or it can be neither New nor a Creature. And by our Apostle it is opposed to all outward Priviledges, Gal. 5. 6. Chap. 6. 15.

He dwelles in Believers, preserving in them the Root and Principle of all their Grace by his own immediate Power. Hence all Graces in their Exercise are called the fruits of the Spirit, Gal. 5. 22, 23. He brings them forth from the Stock that he has planted in the Heart.

If there are any such, the more shame for them, and they must bear their own Judgement. These things are diametrically opposite to the Work of Holiness, and the Fruits of the Spirit, Gal. 5. 22. And therefore I say, (1) That many (it may be) are esteemed Holy and Sanctified, who…