The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 295

Phil. i. 11 and Je.s, iii. 17, in consequence that true Christian love hos its root in "o. probably of the feeling which the apoatle pure heart, a good conscience, and genuine had that the combination of graces de- faith." The sonl cannot be free for tb& soribed is in its entirety the proper outcome activity of genuine love, towards fellow• in each individual of the Spirit's- agency; believers and towards fellow-creatures in the charo.cter which he will fain evolve in general, as long as it is restrained in its every soul subject to his dominion, comprises emotions toward the supreme common all these featurea ; so that the absence of Father of all; the inward vice of mind, any one ma.re in e. degree the perfection of whatever it may be, which darkens the the product. The relation expressed by the spirit towards heaven most inevitably genitive case of the noun, "of the Spirit," cramp and benumb benevolent action uni- is probably much the same as is expressed versally (comp. I John v. 2). In truth, by the corresponding genitive, " of the ?i-ycf.1T11 means a loving temper of mind which, flesh;" in each case meaning: "belonging like the love which God bears towards us, to,"· or " due to the operation of; " for the is in a degree irrespective of merit, welling agent who in the one case does the works is forth tcwar<ls all being, so far as circum- not the flesh, but the person acting under stances permit; though with greatest in- the influence of the flesh; so here, the fruit- tensity towards God and those in whom it ocarer is not "the Spirit," but the person can recognize the image of God. Hence St. controlled by the Spirit. Comp. Rom. vii. John is able to reason as he does in 1 John iv. 4, "that we might bring 'forth fruit unto 20, "He that loveth not his brother whom God;" John xv. 8, ·" that ye bear much he bath seen, cannot love God whom he bath fruit." These fruits· do not appear .upon not seen." Joy (xczpcf.). U is impossible to us without strenuous -endeavour on our own accept Calvin's notion, that this means a part. Accordingly the apostle exhorts the cheerful carriage towards fellow-Chri.:itians, Philippians (ii. 12, 13) to work out their though it includes it; it must mean the own salvation· with fear ·and· trembling, glad-heartedness produced by entire faith in because they, have so -a.ugust a co-Agent God's love to us (comp. Rom. xiv. 17; xv. working with and in them. ·Indeed, it is 13). The exhortation which is here im- for the yery purpose of ,prompting and plied, that such sentiments should be care- directing such endeavour that this list ,of fully cherished, is elsewhere given explicitly gracious fruits is here given ( comp. ver. 25). and with reiteration; as e.g. 1 Thess. v. lt:i; The enumeration does not expressly men- Phil. iv. 4. There is thus much ground for tion such dispositions of mind as have·God Calvin's view, that the inward feeling of for their object. Theee, however, may be satisfaction and joy, which is the proper discerned liB lying couched under the three fruit of a true Christian's faith in the gospel, first named, "love, joy, peace," and possibly cannot fail to manifest itself in his behaviour under "faith; " certainly joy and peace towo.rds his fellow-men by a 81\cred species are the proper products !Jf our heo.rty ac- of light-heartedness and hilarity which it is ceptance of the gospel, and of that alone ; impossible for us to manifest or to feel, as they presuppose the establishment of e. con- long as we have within o. consciousness of scious state of reconciliation with God. But estrangement from God, or a. suspicion tho.t just here the apostle seems more especially things are not well with us in relo.tion to concerned to show how blessed, under the him. It is probable that the apostle, in Spirit's guidance, the Christian's state will writing down this word, did it with a con- be, and in what manner Christio.ns as thus sciousness of the contrast which is preseutetl led will act towards one another ( cf. vers. by the coldness and severity of feeling to- 15 and 26). The Ch:ristian life is habituo.lly WClrds others whioh are begotten by the rego.rded by the apostle much more as a cor- bondage of legality (comp. l Pet. i. 22). porate, fellow-Christian, life, tho.n, owing to Peace ( elpfrv11), 'l'his is conjoined with various co.uses, some of which we mCLy hope "joy" in the two passngos of the Romans are now in course of removal, we modern just before cited {xiv. 17): "The kingdom ()bristio.ns, and especially English Church- of God [i.e. its great blessedness] is not men, ore in .the ho.bit of regu.rding it. Is eating am! drinking, but righteousue,s nncl love (f,,-.,.w o:yd1r11). We' cannot separo.te this peace and joy in the Holy Spirit;" (xv. bra.nob of Christian character from those l::J), "'l'he God of hope fill yon with all joy whioh follow, 'o.s in essence distinct from and peace in believing, that ye mo.y abound them ; it is orgo.nically conneoted with them, in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit; " and in fact, a~ stated above (ver. 11), in- in both which passages the " peace " re• volves them o.11, being " the bond of perfcot- ferred to is the serenity of soul a.rising from ness" (Col. iii. 14). In the "dithyro.mb of the consciousness of being brought home to love," cbouted in 1 Oor. xiii., tho apostle the favour of God and tu obedience to hi~ triumpho.ntly proclo.ims this truth; a.s also will. On the other baud, the term ns here on tho other ho.ntl in l Ti-u. i. 5 he 11ffir1US introclnrc,<l seems likewise intoncled to st1111 l  THE EPISTLE TO ll'HE GALATIANS.·