Martin Luther on Galatians 5:22

Verſe. 22. But the fruits of the ſpirite are loue, ioy, peace, long ſuffering, ſvvetenes, goodnes, faithfulnes, gentlenes or mekenes, temperance. The Apoſtle ſayeth not, the workes of the ſpirite, as he ſayd the workes of ye fleſh, but he adorneth theſe Chriſtian vertues with a more honorable name, calling them the frutes of the ſpirite.The fruites of the ſpirite. For they bring with them moſt excellent frutes and commodities: for they that haue them geue glory to God, and with the ſame doe allure and prouoke others to embrace the doctrine and Faith of Chriſt. Loue. It had bene enough to haue ſayd [Loue] and no more: for loue extendeth it ſelfe vnto all the fruites of the ſpirite. And in the. 1. Cor. 13. Paule attributeth to loue all the fruites which are done in the ſpirite, when he ſayth: Loue is patiēt, curteous, &c. Notwithſtāding he would ſet it here by it ſelfe amongs the reſt of ye fruites of the ſpirit, and in the firſt place, thereby to admoniſh the Chriſtians, that before all things they ſhould loue one an other,Rom. 12.10. geuing honour one to an other, euery man eſteming better of an other then of him ſelfe, and ſeruing one an other, becauſe they haue Chriſt & the holy Ghoſt dwelling in them, & becauſe of the word, baptiſme, & other gifts of God which chriſtiās haue. Ioy. This is the voyce of the Bridegrome and of the Bride, that is to ſay, ſweete cogitations of Chriſt, holeſom exhortations, pleſant ſongs or Pſalmes, praiſes and thanks geuing, wherby the godly do inſtruct, ſtirre vp and refreſh them ſelues.The ſcripture exhorteth vs to reioyce in God. Therefore God loueth not heauines and doulfulnes of ſpirite: he hateth vncomfortable doctrine, heauy and ſorowfull cogitations, and loueth chearfull hearts. For therefore hath he ſent his ſonne, not to oppreſſe vs with heauines and ſorrow, but to cheare vp our ſoules in him. For this cauſe the Prophets, ye Apoſtles, and Chriſt him ſelfe do exhort vs, yea they commaūd vs to reioyce & be glad.The ioy of the ſpirite. Zach. 9. Reioyce thou daughter of Syon, be ioyful thou daughter of Ieruſalem, for behold thy king commeth to thee. And in the Pſalmes it is often ſayd: Be ioyfull in the Lord. Paule ſayth: Reioyce in the Lord alvvaies, &c. And Chriſte ſayeth: Reioyce becauſe your names are vvryttē in heauen. Where this ioy of the ſpirit is, there the heart inwardly reioyceth through faith in Chriſt, wt ful aſſurance that he is our Sauiour and our byſhop, and outwardly it expreſſeth this ioy with wordes and geſtures. Alſo the faithfull reioyce when they ſee that the Goſpell ſpreadeth abrode, that many be wonne to the Faith, and that the kingdom of Chriſt is enlarged. Peace. Both towardes God & men, ye Chriſtians may be peaceable & quiet: not contentious, nor hating one an other, but one bearing an others burden through long ſuffering or perſeuerance:Lōg ſufferāce or perſeuerance. without ye which peace cannot continue, and therfore Paule putteth it next after peace. Long ſuffering or perſeuerance. Wherby a mā doth not only beare aduerſities, iniuries, reproches & ſuch like, but alſo with patiēce waiteth for ye amendmēt of thoſe which haue done him any wrong. When the Deuil cannot by force ouercome thoſe which are tempted, then ſeketh he to ouercome them by long cō tinuance. For he knoweth yt we be earthen veſſels which can not long endure & hold out many knockes & violent ſtrokes: therfore with long continuance of tēptations he ouercometh many. To vanquiſh theſe his cōtinuall aſſaults we muſt vſe long ſufferance, which patiētly looketh, not only for the amendment of thoſe which doe vs wrong, but alſo for the ende of thoſe temptations which the Deuil raiſeth vp againſt vs. Gentlenes. Which is when a man is gentle and tractable in his conuerſation & in his whole life. For ſuch as wil be true folowers of the Goſpel, muſt not be ſharpe and bitter, but gentle, milde, courteous and faire ſpoken: which ſhould encourage others to delite in their company: which can winke at other mens faults, or at leaſt expound them to the beſt: which will be well contented to yelde and geue place to others, contented to beare with thoſe which are froward & intractable, as the very Heathen ſayd: Thou muſt know the maners of thy frend, but thou muſt not hate thē. Such a one was our Sauiour Chriſt, The gentlenes and mildnes of Chriſte. Ex libro Clementis ad Iacobum fratrem Domini. as euery where is to be ſene in yt Goſpell. It is wryttē of Peter that he wept ſo often as he remēbred the ſweete mildnes of Chriſte which he vſed in his daily conuerſation. It is an excellent vertue and moſt neceſſary in euery kinde of life. Goodnes. Which is, when a man willingly helpeth others in their neceſſitie by geuing, lending, and ſuch other meanes. Faith. When Paule here reckeneth faith amongs the fruites of the ſpirit, it is manifeſt that he ſpeaketh not of Faith which is in Chriſte, but of the fidelitie & humanitie of one man towards an other. Herevpon he ſayeth in the .13. Chap. of the firſt to the Cor. that charitie beleueth all things. Therfore he that hath this faith is not ſuſpicious but milde, & taketh all things to the beſt. And although he be deceaued and findeth himſelfe to be mocked, yet ſuch is his patiencie and ſoftnes, that he letteth it paſſe: Briefly he is ready to beleue al mē, but he truſteth not all. On ye cōtrary, where this vertue is lacking, there men are ſuſpicious, froward, waiward, dogged, & ſo neither wil beleue any thing, nor geue place to any body. They can ſuffer nothing. Whatſoeuer a mā ſaith or doth neuer ſo wel, they cauill & ſclander it, ſo yt who ſo ſerueth not their humor, cā neuer pleaſe them. Therefore it is impoſſible for thē to kepe charity, frendſhip, concord & peace wt men. But if theſe vertues be takē away, what is this life elſe, but biting and deuouring one of an other? Faith therfore in this place is, whē one mā geueth credite to an other in things pertaining to this preſent life. For what maner of life ſhould we lead in this world, if one man ſhould not credite an other? Mekenes. Which is when a man is not lightly moued or prouoked to anger. There be infinite occaſions in this life which prouoke men to anger, but the godly ouer come them by meekenes. Temperance, chaſtitie or continencie. This is a ſobrietie or modeſtie in the whole life of man, which vertue Paule ſetteth againſt the works of the fleſh. He would therfore that Chriſtians ſhould liue ſoberly and chaſtly, that they ſhould be no adulterers, no fornicatours, no wantons: and if they cannot liue chaſtly, he would haue them to marrie: Alſo that they ſhould not be contentious or quarellers,Chaſtitie. yt they ſhould not be geuen to drunkennes or ſurfetting, but that they ſhould abſtaine from all theſe things. Chaſtitie or continencie containeth all theſe. Hierome expoundeth it of virginitie onely, as though they that be married could not be chaſt: or as though the Apoſtle did wryte theſe things onely to virgines. In the 1. and .2. Chapt. to Tit. he warneth alſo Biſhops, yong women, and maried folkes both man and wife to be chaſt and pure.