9. And also, when he exhorts
us, that we live not after the flesh, lest we die, but that by the
Spirit we mortify the deeds of the flesh, that we may live; surely
the trumpet which sounds, shows the war in which we are engaged,
and enkindles us to contend keenly, and to do our enemies to
death,1832
that we be
not done to
death by them. But who those
enemies are, it hath set
forth plainly enough. For those are they, whom it willed should be
done to
death by us, that is to say, the works of the
flesh. For so
it saith, “But if by the Spirit ye shall
mortify the
deeds of the
flesh, ye shall
live.” And in order that we may know what these
are, let us hear the same in like manner writing unto the
Galatians, and saying, “But the works of the
flesh are manifest,
which are,
fornications, uncleannesses, luxuries,
idolatry,
witchcrafts, hatreds, contentions, emulations, wraths, strifes,
heresies, envyings, drunkennesses,
revellings, and such like; of
which I
foretell to you, as I have foretold, that they who do such
things shall not possess the
kingdom of
God.”
1833
For the very
war there also was he
showing, that he should speak of these, and unto the
death-doing of
these
enemies was he calling up the
soldiers of
Christ by the same
heavenly and
spiritual trumpet. For he had said above, “But I
say,
walk in the Spirit, and perform ye not the
lusts of the
flesh.
For the
flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against
the
flesh. For these are opposed one to the other, that ye do not
what ye would. But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under
the
Law.”
1834
Therefore
being set under
Grace, he would have them have that
conflict
against the works of the
flesh. And in order to point out these
works of the
flesh, he added what I have mentioned above. “But
the works of the
flesh are manifest, which are,
fornications,”
and the
rest, whether what he mentioned, or whether what he
admonished were to be understood, chiefly as he added, “and such
like.” Lastly, in this
battle, against what is in a manner the
carnal army leading forth as it were another
spiritual line, “But
the fruit of the Spirit is,” saith he, “
charity,
joy,
peace,
long-suffering,
kindness,
goodness,
faith,
gentleness, continence;
against such there is no
law.”
1835
He saith not “against
these,” lest they should be thought to be alone:
although even were he to say this, we ought to understand all,
whatever goods of the same
kind we could think of: but he saith,
“against such,” that is to say, both these and whatsoever are
such like. However, in that among the goods of which he made
mention, he set Continence in the last
1836
| 1836 Vulg. adds, “patientia,
modestia, castitas.” |
place, (concerning which we have
now undertaken to treat, and on account of which we have already
said much,) he willed that it should in an especial manner
cleave
to our minds. Forsooth this same is of great avail in this case,
wherein the Spirit lusteth against the
flesh; forasmuch as in a
certain way it crucifies the
lusts of the
flesh. Whence, after the
Apostle had thus spoken, he added straightway, “But they who are
Jesus Christ’s have crucified their own
flesh, with the passions
and
lusts.”
1837
This is
the acting of Continence: thus the works of the flesh are done to
death. But they do to death those, whom falling away from
Continence lust draweth into consent to do such works.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
