Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 3 · Verse extract 19
Verſe. 19. The lavve vvas added becauſe of tranſgreſsions.
That is to ſay, that tranſgreſſions might be more encreaſed, knowne, and ſeene. And in deede ſo it cometh to paſſe. For when ſinne is reuealed to a man through the law, death, the wrath and iudgement of God, and hell: it is vnpoſſible but that he ſhould become impatient, but that he ſhould murmure againſt God, and deſpiſe his will. For he can not beare the iudgement of God, his owne death and damnation: and yet notwithſtanding he can not eſcape them. Here he muſt needes fall into the hatred of God, and blaſphemie againſt God. Before, when he was out of tentation, he was a very holy man, he worſhipped and praiſed God, he bowed his knee before God and gaue him thanks, as the Phariſey did.Luke. 18. Luke 18. But now when ſinne and death is reuealed vntounto him, he wiſheth yt there were no God. The law therfore of it ſelfe bringeth a ſpecial hatred of God. And thus ſinne is not onelyonly reuealed and knowne by the lawe, but alſo is encreaſed and ſtirred vp by the lawe. Therfore Paule ſayth. Rom. 7. Sinne, Rom. 7.11.that it might appeare to be ſinne, vvrought death in me by that vvhichwhich vvas good, that ſinne might be out of meaſure ſinneful by the commaundement. There he entreateth of this effect of the law very largely.
Paule aunſwereth therfore to this queſtion: If the lawe doe not iuſtifie, to what end then ſerueth it? Although (ſayth he) it iuſtifie not, yet is it very profitable & neceſſary.The lavv profitable tvvo maner of vvaies. For firſt it ciuily reſtraineth ſuch as are carnall, rebellious and obſtinate. Moreouer it is as a glaſſe that ſheweth vntounto a man him ſelfe, that he is a ſinner, giltie of death, and worthy of Gods euerlaſting wrath & indignation. To what profit ſerueth this humbling, this bruſing & beating downe by this hammer, the law I meane? To great profite: namely,The lavve a Miniſter to grace. that we may hauehave an entrance vntounto grace. So then the lawe is a miniſter that prepareth the way vntounto grace. For God is the God of the humble, the miſerable, the afflicted, the oppreſſed & the deſperate, and of all thoſe that are vtterly brought to nothing:A ſingular cō fort for all afflicted conſciences. and his nature is to exalt the humble, to feede the hungry, to geue ſight to the blind, to comfort the miſerable, the afflicted, the bruſed and broken harted, to iuſtifie ſinners, to quicken the dead, and to ſaue the very deſperate and damned. For he is an almightie creatour, making all things of nothing. Now, that pernicious and peſtilent opinion of mans owne righteouſnes, which will not be a ſinner, vncleane, miſerable and damnable, but righteous and holy, ſuffreth not God to come to his owne naturall and proper worke. Therefore God muſt needes take this maule in hand, the law I meane, to driue downe, to beat in peeces, & to bring to nothing this beaſt, wt her vaine confidence, wiſedom, righteouſnes & power, yt ſhe may ſo learne at the lēgth by her owne miſerie and miſchief, that ſhe is vtterly forlorne, loſt, and damned.The doctrine of the Goſpell belongeth to thoſe vvhichwhich are thorovvly terrified vvith the lavve. Eſay. 42.3. Math. 12.20. Here now, when the conſcience is thus terrified with the law, then cometh the doctrine of the Goſpell and grace, which reiſeth vppe and comforteth the ſame againe, ſaying: Chriſt came in to the world, not to breake the bruſed reede, nor to quench the ſmoking flaxe: but to preach the Goſpell of glad tidings to the poore: to heale the broken and contrite in heart: to preach forgeuenes of ſinnes to the captiues &c.
But here lieth all the difficultie of this matter, that when a man is terrified and caſt downe, he may be able to raiſe vp him ſelfe againe, and ſay:The time of the lavve, and the time of Grace. Now I am bruſed and afflicted enough: the time of the lawe hath tormented and vexed me ſharply enough. Nowe is the time of grace, now is the time to heare Chriſt: out of whoſe mouth procede the wordes of grace and life. Now is the time to ſee, not the ſmoking and burning Mount Sina: but the Mount Moria, where is the throne, the temple, the Mercy ſeat of God, that is to ſay, Chriſt: who is the king of righteouſnes and peace. There wil I harken what the Lord ſpeaketh vntounto me: who ſpeaketh nothing elſe but peace vntounto his people.
Nay, the fooliſhnes of mans heart is ſo great, that in this conflict of conſcience, when the lawe hath done his office and exerciſed his true miniſterie,Reaſon in the time of tentatation flieth not to the doctrin of grace, but to the doctrine of the lavve. he doth not onelyonly not lay holde vponupon the doctrine of grace, which promiſeth moſt aſſuredly the forgeuenes of ſinnes for Chriſtes ſake, but ſeeketh and procureth to him ſelfe moe lawes to ſatiſfie and quiet his conſcience. If I liue (ſayeth he) I will amend my life: I will doe this, I will doe that. Here, except thou doe the quite contrary: that is to ſay, except thou ſend Moiſes away with his law, to thoſe that are ſecure, proud, and obſtinate, and in theſe terrours and anguiſh ſay holde vppon Chriſte, who was crucified and died for thy ſinnes, looke for no ſaluation.
So that lawe with his office doth helpe by occaſion to Iuſtification, in that it driueth a mā to the promiſe of grace, and maketh the ſame ſweete & cōfortable vntounto him. Wherfore we doe not abrogate the law, but we ſhew the true office and vſe of the law: to witte, that it is a true and a profitable miniſter, which driueth a man to Chriſte. Therfore, after that the law hath humbled thee, terrified thee, and vtterly beaten thee downe, ſo that nowe thou art at the very brinke of deſperation, ſee that thou learne how to vſe the lawe rightly.The lavv doth not onelyonly shevv vntounto a man his ſinne, but alſo driueth him to Chriſt. Luke. 4.1…. For the office and vſe of it is, not only to reueale ſinne and the wrath of God, but alſo to driue men vntounto Chriſte. This vſe of the lawe the holy Ghoſt onelyonly ſetteth forth in the Goſpell, where he witneſſeth that God is preſent vntounto the afflicted and broken harted. Wherefore if thou be bruſed with this hā mer, vſe not this bruſing peruerſly, ſo that thou load thy ſelfe with moe lawes, but heare Chriſte, ſaying: Come vntounto me all ye that laboure, Math. 11.…8.and are heauie loden, and I vvill refresh you. When the lawe ſo oppreſſeth thee that all things ſeeme to be vtterly deſperate, and thereby driueth thee vntounto Chriſt, to ſeeke helpe and ſuccour at his hands, then is the law in his true vſe,The perfect vſe of the lavve. and through the Goſpell it helpeth to iuſtification. And this is the beſt and moſt perfect vſe of the lawe.
Wherefore Paule here beginneth a freſh to entreat of the lawe, and defineth what it is, taking occaſion of that which he ſayd before: to witte, that the lawe iuſtifieth not. For reaſon hearing this, by and by doth thus inferre: Then God gaue the lawe in vaine. It was neceſſary therefore to ſeeke howe to define the lawe aright, and to ſhew what the lawe is, and howe it ought to be vnderſtand, that it be not taken more largely or more ſtraitly then it ſhould be. There is no law (ſayeth he) that is of it ſelfe neceſſary to iuſtification. Therefore when we reaſon as touching righteouſnes, life, and euerlaſting ſaluation, the lawe muſt be vtterly remoued out of our ſight, as if it had neuer bene, or neuer ſhould be, but as though it were nothing at all. For in the matter of Iuſtification no man can remoue the lawe farre enough out of his ſight, or beholde the onelyonly promiſe of God ſufficiently and as he ſhould do. Therfore I ſaid before that the law & the promiſe muſt be ſeparate farre aſonder as touching the inward affections and the inward man, albeit in deede they are nerely ioyned together.