Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 3 · Verse extract 23
Ver. 23. But before Faith came, vve vvere vnderunder the lavv, shut vppe vntounto the Faith vvhichwhich should aftervvardes be reuealed.
That is to ſay, before the time of the Goſpell and grace came, the office of the law was, that we ſhould be ſhutte vppe and kept vnderunder the ſame, as it were in priſon. This is a goodly and a fitte ſimilitude, ſhewing the effect of the law, and how righteous it maketh men: therefore it is diligently to be weyed.This ſimilitude of the priſon shevveth the effect of the lavve. No theefe, no murtherer, no adulterer, or other malefactour loueth the chaines and fetters, the darke and lothſome priſon wherin he lieth faſt boūd: but rather, if he could, he would breake and beate in to pouder the priſon, with his irons and fetters. In deede whiles he is in priſon he refraineth from doing of euill: but not of a good will or for righteouſnes ſake: but becauſe the priſon reſtreineth him that he can not doe it. And nowe being faſt fettred he hateth not his theft and his murther: (yea he is ſory with all his heart that he can not robbe and ſteale, cutte and ſlay) but he hateth the priſon, and if he could eſcape, he would robbe and kill as he did before.
The lawe shutteth men vnderunder ſinne two wayes, Ciuily and Spiritually.
Such is the force of the lawe and the righteouſnes that cometh of the lawe,VVhat the righteouſnes of the lavv is. compelling vsus to be outwardly good when it threatneth death or any other puniſhment to the tranſgreſſours thereof. Here we obey the law in deede, but for feare of puniſhment: that is, vnwillingly and with great indignation. But what righteouſnes is this, when we abſteine from doing euill for feare of puniſhment? Wherefore, this righteouſnes of works is in deede nothing elſe,The righteouſnes of vvorkes. but to louelove ſinne & to hate righteouſnes, to deteſt God with his lawe, and to louelove and reuerence that which is moſt horrible and abhominable? For looke howe hartely the theefe loueth the priſon and hateth his theft: ſo gladly doe we obey the lawe in accompliſhing that which it commaundeth, and auoiding that which it forbiddeth.
Notwithſtanding, this fruite and this profite the lawe bringeth,The profite of the lavve. although mens hartes remaine neuer ſo wicked, that firſt outwardly and ciuily after a ſort it reſtraineth theeues, murtherers, and other malefactours. For if they did not ſee and vnderſtand, that ſinne is puniſhed in this life by impriſonment, by the galowes, by the ſword and ſuch like, and after this life with eternall damnation and hell fire: no Magiſtrate ſhould be able to bridle the fury and rage of men by any lawes, bondes or chaines.The Ciuill vſe of the lavve. But the threatnings of the lawe ſtrike a terrour in to the hartes of the wicked, whereby they are brideled after a ſort, that they runne not headlong, as otherwiſe they would doe, into all kindes of wickednes. Notwithſtanding they would rather that there were no law, no puniſhment, no hell, and finally no God. If God had not an hell, or did not puniſh the wicked, he ſhould be loued and praiſed of all men. But becauſe he puniſheth the wicked, and all are wicked: therefore in as much as they are ſhut vnderunder the lawe, they can doe no otherwiſe but mortally hate and blaſpheme God.
Furthermore, the lawe ſhutteth men vnderunder ſinne,The lavv a ſpirituall priſon. not onelyonly Ciuily, but alſo Spiritually: that is to ſay, the lawe is alſo a ſpirituall priſon, and a very hell. For when it reuealeth ſinne, threatneth death, and the eternall wrath of God, a man can not auoide it, nor finde any comfort. For it is not in the power of man to ſhake of theſe horrible terrours which the lawe ſtirreth vppe in the conſcience, or any other anguiſh or bitternes of ſpirite.The lamentatable complaints of the Sainctes. Pſal. 6.5. Hereof come theſe lamentable complaints of the Saincts, which are eueryevery where in the Pſalmes: In hell vvho shall confeſſe thee? &c. For then is a man ſhut vppe in priſon: out of the which he can not eſcape, nor ſeeth howe he may be deliuered out of theſe bondes, that is to ſay, theſe horrible terrours.
Thus the law is a priſon both Ciuily and Spiritually.The lavve is a priſon both Ciuily and Spiritually. For firſt it reſtreineth and ſhutteth vppe the wicked, that they runne not headlong according to their owne luſt, into all kindes of miſcheefe. Againe, it ſheweth vntounto vsus ſpiritually our ſinne, terrifieth and humbleth vsus, that when we are ſo terrified and humbled, we may learne to knowe our owne miſerie and condemnation. And this is the true and the proper vſe of the lawe, ſo that it be not perpetuall. For this ſhutting and holding vnderunder the lawe, muſt endure no longer, but vntill Faith come: and when Faith cometh, then muſt this ſpirituall priſon hauehave his ende.
The lavv and the Goſpell, as touching the invvard affections, nearely ioyned together.Here againe we ſee, that, although the lawe and the Goſpell be ſeparate farre aſunder, yet as touching the inward affections, they are very nerely ioyned the one to the other. This Paule ſheweth when he ſayeth: VVe vvere kept vnderunder the lavv, and shutte vppe vntounto the Faith vvhichwhich should be reuealed vntounto vsus. Wherefore it is not enough that we are ſhutte vnderunder the lawe: for if nothing elſe ſhould follow, we ſhould be driuen to deſperatiō and die in our ſinnes.The shutting vp vnderunder the lavv, muſt not be continuall. But Paule addeth moreouer, that we are ſhutte vppe and kept vnderunder a Scholemaiſter (which is the lawe): not for euer, but to bring vsus vntounto Chriſt who is the ende of the lawe. Therefore this terrifying, this humbling and this ſhutting vppe muſt not alwayes continue: but onelyonly vntill Faith be reuealed: that is, it ſhall ſo long continue as ſhall be for our profite and our ſaluation: So that when we are caſt downe and humbled by the lawe, then grace, remiſſion of ſinnes, deliueraunce from the lawe, ſinne and death may become ſweete vntounto vsus: which are not obteined by workes, but are receaued by Faith alone.
He which in time of tentation can ioyne theſe two things together ſo repugnant and contrary: that is to ſay, which when he is throughly terrified and caſt downe by the lawe,VVho vſeth the lavv rightly. doth knowe that the ende of the lawe, and the beginning of grace or of Faith which is to be reuealed, is nowe come, vſeth the lawe rightly. All the wicked are vtterly ignoraunt of this knowledge and this cunning. Caine knewe it not when he was ſhutte vppe in the priſon of the lawe: that is, he felt no terrour,Caine being shut vp in the priſon of the lavv, and abiding there, deſpaired. Geneſ. 4.9. although he had nowe killed his brother: but diſſembled the matter craftely, and thought that God was ignoraunt thereof. Am I my brothers keeper, ſayth he? But when he heard this word: VVhat haſt thou done? Behold the voice of the bloud of thy brother crieth vntounto me from the earth, he began to feele this priſon in deede. What did he then? He remained ſtill ſhutte vppe in priſon. He ioyned not the Goſpell with the lawe,Verſe. 13. but ſayd: My punishment is greater then I can beare. He onelyonly reſpected the priſon, not conſidering that his ſinne was reuealed vntounto him to this ende, that he ſhould flie vntounto God for mercy and pardon. Therefore he deſpaired and denied God. He beleeued not that he was ſhutte vppe to this end, that grace and Faith might be reuealed vntounto him: but onelyonly that he ſhould ſtill remaine in the priſon of the lawe.
Theſe words: to be kept vnderunder, and to be shut vppe, VVhat theſe vvordes import, to be kept vnderunder the lavve.are not vaine and vnprofitable, but true and of great importaunce. This keeping vnderunder and this priſon ſignifieth the true and ſpirituall terrours, wherby the conſcience is ſo ſhutte vppe, that in the wide world it can finde no place where it may be in ſafetie. Yea as long as theſe terrours endure, the conſcience feeleth ſuch anguiſh and ſorrowe, that it thinketh heauen and earth, yea if they were ten times more wide and large then they are, to be ſtraiter and narrower then a mouſe hole. Here is a man vtterly deſtitute of all wiſedome, ſtrength, righteouſnes, counſell and ſuccour. For the conſcience is a maruelous tender thing,Conſcience. and therfore when it is ſo ſhutte vppe vnderunder the priſon of the lawe, it ſeeth no way howe to gette out: and this ſtreitnes ſeemeth daily ſo to encreaſe, as though it would neuer hauehave an ende. For then doth it feele the wrath of God which is infinite and ineſtimable, whoſe hand he can not eſcape, as the Pſalme. 139. witneſſeth:Pſal. 139.7. VVhether shall I flie from thy preſence? &c.
Like as therefore this worldly priſon or ſhutting vppe is a bodily affliction,VVhat the priſon is, Ciuily & Spiritually. and he that is ſo ſhutte vppe can hauehave no vſe of his bodye: euen ſo the trouble and anguiſh of minde is a ſpirituall priſon, and he that is ſhutte vppe in this priſon can not enioy the quietnes of heart and peace of conſcience. And yet is it not ſo for euer (as reaſon iudgeth when it feeleth this priſon): but vntill Faith be reuealed. The ſely conſcience therefore muſt be raiſed vppe and comforted after this ſort: Brother, thou art in deede ſhutte vppe:Hovv the pore Conſcience is to be comforted, that is shutte vp vnderunder the lavve. but perſwade thy ſelfe that this is not done to the ende that thou ſhouldeſt remaine in this priſon for euer. For it is wrytten, that vve are shutte vppe vntounto the Faith that shall be reuealed. Thou art afflicted then in this priſon, not to thy deſtruction, but that thou maiſt be refreſhed by the bleſſed Seede. Thou art killed by the lawe,The lavve killeth, that vve may againe be quickened & reſtored to life. that through Chriſte thou maiſte be quickened againe and reſtored to life. Deſpaire not therefore, as Caine, Saule, and Iudas did, who being thus ſhutte vppe, looked no further but to their darke priſon, and there ſtill remained: therefore they deſpaired. But thou muſt take an other way in theſe terrours of conſcience then they did: that is, thou muſt knowe that it is well done, and good for thee to be ſo ſhut vppe, confounded, & brought to nothing. Vſe therfore this ſhutting vppe rightly and as thou ſhouldeſt do:The shutting vp vnderunder the lavv muſt be rightly vſed. that is, to the ende that when the law hath done his office, Faith may be reuealed. For God doth not therfore afflict thee, that thou ſhouldeſt ſtill remaine in this affliction. He wil not kill thee that thou ſhouldeſt abide in death.EZech. 33.11. I vvill not the death (ſayth he by ye Prophet) of a ſinner. &c. But he will afflict thee that ſo thou maiſt be humbled, and knowe that thou haſt neede of mercy, and the benefite of Chriſte.
This holding in priſon then vnderunder the lawe, muſt not alwayes endure, but muſt onelyonly continue to the cōming or reuealing of Faith: which this ſweete verſe of the Pſalme. 147. doth teach vsus: The Lord deliteth in thoſe that feare him: Pſal. 147.11.that is to ſay, which are in priſon vnderunder the lawe. But by and by after he addeth: and in thoſe that attend vppon his mercy. Therfore we muſt ioyne theſe two things together, which are in deede as contrary the one to the other as may be.The afflicted, and ſuch as are in priſon vnderunder the lavv, vvaiting for mercy to be reueled, are deare vntounto God. For what can be more contrary then to hate and abhorre the wrath of God: and againe to truſt in his goodnes & mercy? The one is hell, the other is heauē, and yet they muſt be nerely ioyned together in the heart. By ſpeculation and naked knowledge a man may eaſily ioyne them together: but by experience and inward practiſe ſo to doe, of all things it is the hardeſt: which I my ſelfe hauehave often proued by mine owne experience. Of this matter the Papiſtes and Sectaries know nothing at all. Therefore theſe wordes of Paule are to them obſcure and altogether vnknowne: And when the lawe reueileth vntounto them their ſinne, accuſeth and terrifieth them, they can finde no counſell, no reſt, no helpe or ſuccour: but fall to deſperation, as Caine and Saule did.
No man loueth the lavv, becauſe it is his priſon.Seeing the lawe therfore (as is ſayd) is our tormentour and our priſon, certaine it is that we can not louelove it, but hate it. He therefore that ſayth he loueth the lawe, is a liar, and knoweth not what he ſayth. A theefe and a robber ſhould ſhewe him ſelfe to be ſtarke madde that would louelove the priſon, the fetters and chaines. Seing thē the law ſhutteth vsus vppe and holdeth vsus in priſon, it can not be but we muſt needes be extreme enemies to the lawe. To conclude, ſo well we louelove the lawe and the righteouſnes thereof, as a murtherer loueth the darke priſon, the ſtreit bondes and irons. How then ſhould the law iuſtifie vsus?