using our liberty to the utmost pitch and extent of that which we call lawful, is the occasion of our running into that which is certainly sinful. Religion most certainly allows us all reasonable liberty in the gratification of our natural appetites and passions; but all excesses and immoderate liberties are forbidden by religion. And accordingly one good rule for securing ourselves from falling into sin, in the using our christian liberty, is this, namely, that in matters of duty, we should rather do too much than too little; but in matters of indifferency, we should rather take too little of our liberty than too much. For instance, prayer and almsgiving are indispensable duties; but how oft we should pray, and how much we should give, is not positively declared; in this case to pray very frequently, and to give alms very liberally and largely, is our wisdom and duty; no damage will come by doing too much, but both damage and danger will accrue by doing too little. Learn, 3. That it is not sufficient, in order to the right use of our christian liberty, that we do not from thence take occasion to sin ourselves but we ought to take care, lest by any indiscreet use of our own liberty, we give offence, and minister occasion of sin and stumbling unto others. This truth is implied in the second injunction, By love serve one another. 14 For all the law is justified in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Here our apostle enforces the foregoing exhortation to love and serve one another, with a forcible argument or motive, namely, because love is the fulfilling of the law; that is, 1. It is the fulfilling of that part of the law which relates to our neighbour; all the moral law respecting our neighbour is fulfilled in that one word, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Or, 2. Love may be said to be the fulfilling of the law in general; for true and regular love to our neighbour supposeth our love to God, springeth from it, and is an evidence of it; yea, the love of our neighbour is the perfecting and completing of our love to God, 1 John iv. 12. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Learn, That as love is a very comprehensive duty, comprising the inward affection as well as the outward action, so the word neighbour is of a very extensive consideration, and includes all persons, friend and foe, rich and poor, near and afar off; all that partake of humanity must be sharers in our charity: our inward affection and good-will must extend to all, though the outward expressions of it can reach but a very few. Thus the law is fulfilled in one word, when we love our neighbour as ourselves: not as we do (often) love ourselves, but as we should love ourselves, namely, with a wise and well-guided love. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. The apostle, to enforce the foregoing exhortation to mutual love, urges here the dangerous effects which their animosities and strifes, with their controversies and contentions, would most certainly produce. By biting one another, says he, you will destroy and consume one another; where it deserves a serious remark, that St. Paul the enmities and animosities compares which were amongst them, upon the score of their differences in religion, to the bitings, rendings, and devourings, of wild beasts, If ye bite and decour one another; and gives them timely notice of the fatal mischiefs and consequences that will follow thereupon, namely, a total devastation and inevitable consumption of the whole church. Take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. It is a true saying, Odia religionum sunt Acerbissima, There is no such bitter hatred amongst men, as upon the score of religion. As the zeal of the Jews would not suffer an uncircumcised person to live amongst them, so probably these zealous judaizers in Galatia would not suffer those who had cast off legal ob servances to live quietly and peaceably by them; which might give occasion to these words of the apostle, If ye bite and devour one another, take heed ye be not consumed one of another. Learn hence, 1. That there ever have been, are, and will be, differences about matters of religion, in the best and purest churches here on earth. Learn, 2. That these differences may and ought to be managed with great temper and charity. Learn, 3. That then contentions are highly uncharitable, and very sinful, when men bite and devour one another. Learn, 4. That such uncharitable contentions do prepare and make ready a people for utter destruction; If ye bite, &c. 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust contrary the one to the other; so that ye of the flesh. "To prevent the fore-mentioned evils, as if the apostle had said, I advise and exhort you to walk in the Spirit, that is, according to the guidance and direction, according to the influence and motion, of the Holy Spirit speaking to you in his word, and then you never will fulfil the lusts of the flesh; that is, you will never accomplish and bring into complete act (especially with deliberation and consent) the inordinate motions of corrupt nature." Learn hence, That the more christians set themselves to obey the new nature, and follow the motions of the spirit of grace, the more will the power of indwelling sin and inbred corruption be mortified and kept under. This expression, Ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh, may be thought to import and imply these two things: 1. That an inward principle of grace in the heart will give a check to sin in its first motions, and cause it oft-times to miscarry in the womb, like an untimely birth, before it comes to its full maturity; it shall never gain the full consent of a gracious person's will, as it doth of an unregenerate person. 2. But if notwithstanding all the opposition grace makes to hinder the production of sin, if yet it doth break forth into act, such acts of sin are not committed without reluctancy and regret, and are followed with shame and sorrow, yea, those very surprisals and captivities of sin at one time, are made cautions and warnings to prevent it at another time and thus they that walk in the Spirit do not fulfil the lust of the flesh. : 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that would. ye These words are brought in as a special reason why christians should walk in the Spirit, that is, after the motions and guidance of God's Holy Spirit: because otherwise the flesh will quickly prevail over them; for the flesh is continually lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; that is, the evil inclinations of corrupt nature are continually struggling with, and striving against, the good motions which the Holy Spirit of God stirreth up in us. And in like manner the Spirit, or renewed nature, opposes the motions of corrupt nature: for these two principles are who are led by the Spirit, cannot act (with deliberation and consent) according to the flesh; nor can they that are led by the flesh, do the things which delight the Spirit. Learn hence, 1. That there is a diversity of principles in a christian, flesh and spirit; there is a good principle, called spirit, because the Spirit of God is the author of it; and a bad principle in us, which is called flesh, by which we are inclined to that which is evil. This is called flesh, to denote its intimacy with us; it is as near to us as our flesh, to denote its nearness to us; it is as dear to us as our own flesh, as dear as a right hand or right eye; and to denote its continuance with us, as long as we carry flesh about us, so long will this principle of corrupt nature remain in us and continue with us. Learn, 2. That the motions and inclinations in our nature to sin, do ever conflict and combat with, oppose and war against, the motions of God's Holy Spirit, exciting and inclining us to good: though contraries cannot be together in the same subject in an intense, yet they may be together in a remiss, degree. Learn, 3. The consequence and issue of this combat: We cannot do the things that we would, nor any thing as we would; we cannot perform any holy duty perfectly in this life. As soon may an imperfect father beget a perfect child, as we, in our state of imperfection, perform any duty free from sin. O, what need, what great need then, have the best of saints of the mediation and intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ, when they present any performed duty unto God! And what need also to watch our own hearts when we are upon our knees, to fortify them against the incursions and disturbances of the flesh; seeing, after all our care and vigilance in duty, we can none of us do the things that we would, nor any thing as we should! 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. That is, "If ye be under the guidance and government of the Holy Spirit of God, and that renewing principle of grace which he has produced in you, you are no longer under the law; that is, not under the moral law as a covenant of life for our justification, though under it as an eternal rule of living; not under the vindictive, though. under the directive power of the law." So that the force of the apostle's argument seems to lie thus: "You are by the Spirit, by the spiritual dispensation of the gospel, free from the curse and terror of the moral law; how unreasonable then is it to suppose, that you should be still subject to the ceremonial law! No; if you should be led by the Spirit, neither the moral law shall condemn you, nor the ceremonial law oblige and bind you." 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest ; which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies. 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Our apostle having in the foregoing verses, exhorted the Galatians to walk in the Spirit, to be led and guided by the Spirit, and by no means to obey or fulfil the lusts of the flesh he comes in these and the following verses, to discover how they might with certainty and assurance know whether they were spiritual or carnal, whether the Spirit or the flesh had a prevalency in them, or dominion over them. Accord ingly he describes particularly the flesh and the Spirit, by their various and different effects, and gives us a catalogue of the one and the other; he reckons up no fewer than seventeen works of the flesh, all which, yea, any of which, continued in, and unrepented of, are damnable; after this he enumerates nine special and gracious fruits of the Spirit, which qualify us for, and entitle us to the kingdom of heaven; The works of the flesh are manifest, &c. Here observe, 1. That sin is called a work; thereby intimating to us the labour and toil, the drudgery and pains, which sinners meet within a sinful course. The ways of sin are very toilsome, although in their issue very unfruitful; sin is no pleasurable service, but a laborious servitude. Observe, 2. The apostle calls sin by the name of works, in the plural number, The works of the flesh intimating that sin never goes single, but has a dangerous train and retinue he that yields himself a servant to one sin, shall soon find himself a slave to many. Observe, 3. That sin is called a work of the flesh, because most sins are committed by the flesh; the body is the soul's instrument, as well in the work of sin, as in the service of Christ; and the flesh is the object, about which these works are conversant, as well as the organ and instrument by which they are committed. Observe, 4. These works of the flesh are here said to be manifest; but how so? First, They are most of them manifestly condemned by the light of nature; the natural conscience in men startles at them at first, till by custom and frequent practice they become habitual and natural to them. Secondly, They are all of them manifest by which is in all our hands, condemns all the light of scripture; the word of God, these works of the flesh to the pit of hell. Observe, 5. The particular enumeration of the works of the flesh, here made by the apostle: Adultery, or the defiling our neighbour's bed: Fornication, or the unlawful mixture of single persons one with another: Uncleanness, under which is comprehended all sorts of filthiness, and filthy lusts, whether natural or unnatural : Lasciviousness, by which is meant all wanton behaviour, either in speech or action, tending to excite filthy desires, either in themselves or others: Idolatry, whereby God is represented to corporal eyes by pictures and images, and so brought down to human senses; properly therefore is idolatry, as such, called here a work of the flesh. Again, Witchcraft, a devilish art, whereby some men and women, having made a compact with the devil, either expressly or implicitly, are enabled, with God's permission, and by the assistance of Satan, to produce effects beyond the ordinary course and order of nature, and these for the most part rather mischievous to others, then beneficial to themselves : Hatred, or a secret enmity in our hearts against our neighbour, either for real or apprehended injuries: Variance, or outward contention by word or actions, arising from the fore-mentioned enmity in the heart : Emulations, or an inward grief and displeasure at some good in others, or done by others, which eclipses and overshadows us: Wrath, or violent anger, and immoderate passion, depriving a man for a time of his reason, and transforming him into a beast : Strife, or a litigious spirit, a continual proneness to quarrelling and contending: Seditions, or rending of societies into factions, and dividing communities into parties; which dividing work, when it falls out in the state, is called sedition; when in the church, by the name of schism: Heresies, or dangerous errors in the fundamental points of religion; not arising purely from mistakes of judgment, but from the espousing of false doctrines out of disgust or pride, or from worldly principles, to avoid persecution or trouble, in the flesh; these may well be accounted carnal lusts, and called works of the flesh, although they be mental errors, and their first seat is in the understanding and judgment: Envyings, a pestilent lust, which makes another's good our grief; our eyes smart at the sight of what another enjoys, though we have never the less, because another has more: Murders, that is, the executing of private revenge by shedding of blood, and taking away our neighbour's life unjustly: Drunkenness, Revellings; the one is intemperance in drinking, the other an excess in eating; all sinful abuse of the creatures of God, which he has given, not barely for necessity, but delight, is censured here as a work of the flesh. Observe, 6. The solemn warning which the apostle gives the Galatians to watch against all these sins, and not indulge or allow themselves in the wilful commission of any one of them: I tell you, says he, that such shall not inherit the kingdom of God, but be eternally banished from him. Now from the whole, learn, 1. That the ministers of the gospel must not satisfy themselves barely to reprove and condemn sin in general, but must descend to particulars: though invectives against sin, at large, are of good use to expose the deformity of sin, yet, in order to the awakening of particular sinners, we must take into our consideration their particular sins, and endeavour to convince them of them, and turn them from them; so doth our apostle here in the foregoing catalogue of vices. Learn, 2. That the ministers of Christ must acquaint their people, not only with the danger of allowing themselves in the grosser acts of sin, as adultery, fornication and drunkenness, and revellings, and such like, but also with the danger of indulging themselves in secret sins, heart sins, sins which the eye of the world can never accuse them of, but God will condemn them for; such are hatred, emulation, envy, &c. not only the outward act of sin, but the inward desire, is dangerous and damning. It is easy for a man to murder his neighbour, in the account of God, by a secret wish, and a passionate desire: he that hateth his brother is a mur unduly is an adult, in the sight of God. Learn, 3. That the ministers of Christ can never often enough warn sinners of the danger of sin, and continuance in it; we must do it over and over again; every sabbath, and every sermon, must ring a peal in the sinner's ears of the fatal danger of a resolute impiety. Thus here, I tell you now, as I told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit, &c. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meektemperance: against such ness, there is no law. Observe here, 1. That the apostle, who called sin the work of the flesh, doth here call grace the fruit of the Spirit. Sin is a work of our own; it proceeds wholly from ourselves, our own depraved minds and wills, without the least co-operation of the Holy Spirit; he can neither be the author nor abettor of any thing that is evil. All sinful works are works of the flesh, and therefore our own works; but all graces accompanying salvation, are the fruit of God's Spirit; both because he is the author of them, and also because they are so acceptable and pleasing to him, even as fruit is unto our taste, and likewise so profitable and advantageous to ourselves. Where the flesh ruleth, there the work exceeds the fruit; and accordingly, without any mentioning of the fruit, they are called works of the flesh: but where the Spirit of God ruleth, there the fruit exceeds the work; and therefore, without ever mentioning the work, it is called the fruit of the Spirit. Observe, 2. That the works of the flesh are spoken of as many; but the fruit of the Spirit is spoken of as one; many works, but one fruit. There is such a connection and concatenation of graces, that although they are distinct in their natures, yet are they inseparable in their subject; pull one link of a chain, and you pull all: so he that has any one spiritual grace in reality, or at least in eminency, cannot be utterly destitute of any other; for where the Holy Spirit is, there cannot be a total defect of any holy grace. Observe, 3. That the works of the flesh are said to be manifest, ver. 19. but no such thing is here affirmed of the fruit of the Spirit. Alas! God knows, the works of the flesh are but every where too manifest; adultery, fornication, derer, and he that looks upon a woman uncleanness, lasciviousness, drunkenness, do VOL. II. Ꮓ so abound in all places, that you can scarce look beside them. But the fruits of the Spirit are not so: love, peace, gentleness, meekness, these are very thin in the world; hips and haws grow in every hedge, when choicer fruits are but in some few gardens. Observe, 4. How St. Paul enumerates here nine special fruits of the Spirit; not as if there were no more, but because these here mentioned stand in a direct opposition to the former vices recited in the foregoing verses. The first sweet fruit of the Spirit taken notice of here by our apostle, is Love; an holy affection in the soul, whereby a person is carried forth to love God, primarily and chiefly for himself, and his neighbour for God's sake: Joy, delight in doing our duty, and rejoicing in expectation of the reward for well-doing: Peace, inward with God and conscience, and peace outward peace with one another; Longsuffering, an inclination of mind disposing us to bear injuries patiently, and to forgive them readily: Gentleness, or affability and courtesy in conversation, a sweetness of temper which renders us greatly useful, as well as exceedingly delightful, to mankind: Goodness, a disposition inclining us to communicate what we have and are to others, and to do all the possible good we can in our respective places and stations: Faith, or fidelity towards men, in our promises and in all our actions, speaking exact truth: Meekness, this is threefold, a natural meekness, which is the product of the temperament of the humours in the body, a rare felicity; there is also a moral meekness, which is the product of education and counsel, this is an amiable virtue; and there is a spiritual meekness, that orders the persons according to the divine rule, the holy law of God: this is a noble and divine grace, which attracts the estimation of God, and the admiration of men. Temperance, a sober use of meat, drink, and every thing wherein our senses are gratified or delighted. Observe, 5. A special privilege belonging to all those who are possessed of the forementioned fruits of the Spirit, and that is, exemption from the law; Against such there is no law: that is, no law to compel, no law to accuse or condemn them; for the law enjoins them, and encourages the practice and performance of them. Learn hence, 1. That the best, yea, the only way to have the fruits of the Spirit thrive in our hearts, is first to mortify the works of the flesh; weeds and thistles must be rooted up before grain can grow or thrive. As the corruption of one form is the production of another, so the mortification of sin makes way for the plantation of the fruits of the Spirit. Learn, 2. That moral virtues are the fruits of the Spirit, and commence christian graces when they are acted by faith in Christ, influenced by love unto him, and aiming at the highest of ends, the glory of God, and our own salvation. Learn, 3. That if we compare the fruits of the Spirit with the works of the flesh, there will appear so much beauty in the one, and such real deformity in the other, so much satisfaction in the one, and such disquiet and vexation in the other, that besides the difference between them in their original and event, the former considerations are abundantly sufficient to engage our love to the fruits of the Spirit, and to excite our hatred to the works of the flesh. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. They that are Christ's; that is, they that are truly his followers, and sincere disciples, they have crucified, that is, subdued, and in some degree mortified and put to death, their fleshly corruptions, their carnal lusts, and sinful affections and passions. They did, by baptism, engage themselves to die unto sin; and the regenerate have done it in some measure: that have crucified the flesh; yet we must not understand this of a total, plenary, and final crucifixion, but inchoative only; and they are said to have done it, because they are daily doing of it, in proposito, voto, et conatu, in resolution, in desire, and endeavour. And by affec tions, we are not to understand natural, but inordinate, affections; and by crucifixion, is not to be understood a total extinction of sin, but a deposing of it from its regency and dominion in the soul of the sinner; yet as death surely, though slowly, follows crucifixion, so likewise doth sin live in a believer a dying life, and dies a lingering, but a certain, death; They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts. Learn hence, 1. That there are a peculiar people which are Christ's, that have special interest in him, union and communion with him; They that are Christ's, not by an external profession only, but by an internal implantation into him by faith. all such as thus have an interest in Christ, are daily crucifying the flesh with Learn, 2. That |