true, that we have received the Spirit by the Gospel, whereby we cry, "Abba Father;" then is this decree pronounced in heaven, that there is no bondage any more, but more liberty and adoption. And who bringeth this liberty? Verily this groaning. By what means? The Father offereth unto me, by his promise, his grace, and his fatherly favour. This remaineth then-that I should receive this grace. And this is done, when I again with this groaning do cry, and with a childly heart do assent unto this name of "Father." Here then the Father and the son meet, and the marriage is made up without all pomp and solemnity; that is to say, nothing at all cometh between; no law nor work is here required. For what should a man do in these terrors and horrible darkness of temptations? Here is nothing else but the Father promising and calling me son by Christ, who was made under the law, &c. and I receiving and answering by this groaning, saying "Father." Here then is no exacting; nothing is required, but only that childly groaning that apprehendeth a sure hope and trust in tribulation, and saith, thou promisest and callest me thy child for Christ's sake, and I again receive thy promise and call thee "Father." This is indeed to be made children simply and without any works. But these things, without experience and practice, cannot be understood.

Paul, in this place, taketh the word "servant otherwise than he did before in the third chapter; where he saith, "There is neither bond nor free," &c. Here, he calleth him a "servant" of the law, which is subject to the law; as he did a little before, "We were in bondage under the rudiments of the world." Wherefore, to be a servant, according to Paul in this place, is to be guilty and captive under the law, under the wrath of God and death; to behold God, not as a merciful Father, but as a tormentor, an enemy, and a tyrant. This is indeed to be kept in bondage and Babylonical captivity, and to be cruelly tormented therein. For the law delivereth not from sin and death, but revealeth and increaseth sin and engendereth wrath. This bondage (saith Paul, Rom.

iii. 20, Rom. iv. 15,) continueth no longer, it oppresseth us and maketh us heavy no more, &c. &c. Paul saith, "Thou shalt be no more a servant." But the sentence is more general if we say, There shall be no bondage in Christ any more, but more freedom and adoption. For when faith cometh, that bondage ceaseth; as he said before in the third chapter.

Now if we, by the Spirit of Christ crying in our heart "Abba Father," be no more servants, but children; then it followeth, that we are not only delivered from the Pope and all the abominations of men's traditions, but also from all the jurisdiction and power of the law of God. Wherefore, we ought in no wise to suffer the law to reign in our consciences, and much less the Pope with his vain threatenings and terrors. Indeed, he roareth mightily as a lion, (Apoc. x.) and threateneth to all those that obey not his laws, the wrath and indignation of Almighty God, and of his blessed apostles, &c. But here, Paul armeth and comforteth us against these roarings; when he saith, "Thou art no more a servant, but a son." Take hold of this consolation by faith, and say, O law, thy tyranny can have no place in the throne where Christ my Lord sitteth; there, I cannot hear thee, (much less do I hear thee, O Antichrist,) for I am free and a son; who must not be subject to any bondage or servile law. Let not Moses, therefore, with his laws (much less the Pope) ascend up into the bride-chamber there to lie; that is to say, to reign in the conscience; which Christ hath delivered from the law, to the end that it should not be subject to any bondage. Let the servants abide with the ass in the valley; let none but Isaac ascend up into the mountain with his father Abraham, (Gen. xii. 5.) That is, let the law have dominion over the body and over the old man; let him be under the law and suffer the burden to be laid upon him; let him suffer himself to be exercised and vexed with the law; let the law limit and prescribe him what he ought to do," what he ought to suffer, and how he ought to live and govern himself among men. But let it not defile the bed in which Christ should rest and sleep alone; that is to

say, let it not trouble the conscience. For she alone ought to live with Christ her spouse in the kingdom of liberty and adoption.

If then (saith he) by the Spirit of Christ ye cry "Abba Father," then are ye indeed no longer servants, but free men and sons. Therefore, ye are without the law, without sin, without death; that is to say, ye are saved; and ye are now quite delivered from all evils. Wherefore, the adoption bringeth with it the eternal kingdom and all the heavenly inheritance. Now, how inestimable the glory of this gift is, man's heart is not able to conceive, and much less to utter. In the meantime, we see this but darkly, and as it were, afar off; we have this little groaning and feeble faith, which only resteth upon the hearing and the sound of the voice of Christ in giving the promise. Therefore, we must not measure this thing by reason, or by our own feeling, but by the promise of God. Now, because he is infinite, therefore, his promise is also infinite, although it seem to be never so much enclosed in these narrow straits; (these anguishes I mean.) Wherefore, there is nothing that can now accuse, terrify, or bind the conscience any more. For there is no more servitude, but adoption; which not only bringeth unto us liberty from the law, sin, and death; but also, the inheritance of everlasting life!

INTERNAL WARFARE OF THE CHILD
OF GOD.

GALATIANS v. 17.

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.

When Paul saith that "the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh," he admonisheth us that we must feel the concupiscence of the flesh; that is to say, not only carnal lust, but also pride, wrath, heaviness, impatience, incredulity, and such like. Notwithstanding, he would have us so to feel them, that we consent not unto them nor accomplish them; that is, that we neither think, speak, nor do those things which

the flesh provoketh us unto. As, if it move us to anger, yet we should be angry in such wise as we are taught in the fourth Psalm, that we sin not. As if Paul would thus say, I know that the flesh will provoke you unto wrath, envy, doubting, incredulity, and such like; but resist it by the Spirit, that ye sin not. But if ye forsake the guiding of the Spirit and follow the flesh, ye shall fulfil the lusts of the flesh, and ye shall die; as Paul saith in the eighth to the Romans. So, this saying of the apostle is to be understood, not of fleshly lusts only, but of the whole kingdom of sin.`

VERSE 17.

And these are contrary one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

These two captains or leaders, saith he, the flesh and the Spirit, are one against another in your body, so that ye cannot do what ye would. And this place witnesseth plainly, that Paul writeth these things to the faithful; that is, to the church believing in Christ, baptized, justified, renewed, and having full forgiveness of sins. Yet notwithstanding, he saith she hath flesh rebelling against the Spirit. After the same manner he speaketh of himself in the seventh to the Romans, “I, (saith he) am carnal and sold under sin." And again, "I see another law in my members, rebelling against the law of my mind, and leading me captive under the law of sin which is in my members." Also, "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" &c.

Here, not only the schoolmen, but also some of the old fathers are much troubled, seeking how they may excuse Paul. For it seemeth unto them absurd and unseemly, to say, that the elect vessel of Christ should have sin. But we credit Paul's own words, wherein he plainly confesseth, that he is sold under sin, that he is led captive of sin, that he hath a law in his members rebelling against him, and that in his flesh he serveth the law of sin. Here again they answer, that the apostle speaketh in the person of the wicked. But the wicked do not

any

complain of the rebellion of their flesh, of battle or conflict, or of the captivity and bondage of sin; for sin mightily reigneth in them. This is therefore the very complaint of Paul, and of all the faithful. Wherefore they have done very wickedly, which have excused Paul and all the faithful to have no sin. For by this persua sion, (which proceedeth of ignorance of the doctrine of faith,) they have robbed the church of a singular consolation, they have abolished the forgiveness of sins, and made Christ of none effect.

Wherefore, when Paul saith, "I see another law in my members," &c. he denieth not that he hath flesh and the vices of flesh in him. It is likely, therefore, that he felt sometimes the motions of carnal lust. But yet, no doubt, these motions were well suppressed in him by the great and grievous afflictions and temptations both of mind and body wherewith he was in a manner continually exercised and vexed, as his epistles do declare; or, if he at any time be merry and strong, and felt the lust of the flesh, wrath, impatiency, and such like, yet, he resisted them by the Spirit, and suffered not these motions to bear rule in him. Therefore, let us in no wise suffer such comfortable places, (whereby Paul describeth the battle of the flesh against the Spirit in his own body,) to be corrupted with such foolish glosses. The schoolmen, the monks, and such other, never felt any spiritual temptations; and therefore, they fought only for the repressing and overcoming of fleshly lust and lechery; and being proud of that victory which they never yet obtained, they thought themselves far better and more holy than married men. I will not say, that under this holy pretence they nourished and maintained all kinds of horrible sins, dissention, pride, hatred, disdain, and despising of their neighbours, trust in their own righteousness, presumption, contempt of all godliness and of the word of God, infidelity, blasphemy, and such like. Against these sins they never fought: nay rather, they took them to be no sins at all: they put righteousness in the keeping of their foolish and wicked vows, and