William Perkins on Galatians 4:7

Verse 7.

These words, are the conclusion of the former doctrine of Paul. The time of our libertie is come, in that your libertie is procured and purchased by Christ, and ye haue receiued the spirit of sonnes crying Abba: therefore ye are not seruants to the lawe, but sonnes of God. And from this conclusion Paul deriues a second, which is the summe and substance of the whole disputation, from the beginning of the third chapter, to this place; namely, that they which are sonnes, are also heires, not by the lawe, and the works thereof, but by Christ.

This verse is a repetition of the 26. & 29. verses, of the third chapter: therfore I will not stand any lōger in the hādling of it.

One thing is to be obserued, namely the change of the number. Paul said before, ye are sonnes: here he saith, thou art a sonne. And this he doth to teach vs, that they which turne to God & beleeue in Christ, must be assured that they are the sonnes and heires of God. Paul hath set downe immediately before, the infallible signe, whereby a man may knowe himselfe to be the childe of God: therefore in the next words he saith; therefore thou art the sonne of God. Saint Iohn saith, these things we write vnto you that beleeue, that ye may know that ye haue life euer lasting 1. Ioh. 5. 13. Thus must euery beleeuer apply the Gospell, and the benefits thereof to himselfe.

The meditation of this point serues greatly to sweeten all crosses vnto vs: for if we know that we be Gods children, that is comfort enough; and we may then assure our selues, that in euery crosse, God comes vnto vs as a father. Again, this meditation works a contentation in euery losse. For if thou be the childe of god, thou canst haue no great losse. For all things are thine, thou Christs, and Christ Gods, 1. Cor. 3. 22. Lastly, this meditation must stirre vp in vs, a care to lead a heauenly and spirituall life, 1. Ioh. 3. 3. that we may be like our eldest brother Christ Iesus.