Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 1 · Chapter 3 · Verse and explication 10
Vers. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ: that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith.
HE addeth a fifth Argument to prove the affirmative part of the main Conclusion, to wit, That we are justified by Faith; and withall sheweth how Faith doth justifie, not for any merit or worth in it self, but as it receiveth Jesus Christ, whereby all the blessings purchased by Him, are applied to Believers: for, the Apostle, obviating an objection, which he foresaw might arise from ver. 10. (to wit, If the Law do curse all men, how then are any freed from the curse?) sheweth, that Jesus Christ hath delivered us from God's wrath, or the sentence of the Law's curse, by taking upon Himself the curse due to us, while He was obedient to death, even the death of the crosse, Philip. 2. 8. Which kind of death was pronounced to be accursed, as he proveth from Deut. 21. -23. This is contained ver. 13. And hence he shewes a double fruit did flow: the first, to the Gentiles, the blessing of Church-priviledges, divine Ordinances, and of Reconciliation, Adoption, Grace here, and Glory hereafter, promised to the Nations in Abraham, Gen. 22. 18. being now purchased by Christ, and residing in Him as the Head and Fountain, did come through Him to the unrighteous Gentiles, who before the time of Christ's death were strangers to Christ, and to Abraham's blessing purchased by Christ, Eph. 2. 12. The second fruit of Christ's death, did accresse to the Jews (among whom he reckoneth himself) joyntly with the Gentiles, who being by Christ's death joyned in one, did enjoy the Promise of the Spirit, or the spiritual Promise, as being now denuded of these earthly and external Ceremonies, wherewith it was vailed formerly, and set forth in its native and spiritual beauty and lustre: both which fruits of Christ's death he sheweth are conveyed unto, and enjoyed by both Jews and Gentiles only by Faith: So that the Apostle in these two Verses, doth not only prove the main Conclusion, That Faith, laying hold on Christ, is that which delivereth from the Law's curse, and which conveyeth Abraham's blessing, together with the Covenant-promise, unto us, and so doth justifie us; but also indirectly, and (as it were) at the by, hinteth at two other Truths, tending also to clear the main controversie between him and his adversaries, which therefore he is to assert more directly afterwards, to wit, first, That now after Christ's death, the Gentiles being called by the Gospel, were to be joyned in one body with the Jews, and both of them to make up one seed to Abraham, and equally to partake of Abraham's blessing, whereof free Justification through Faith, spoken of, ver. 9. was a main part. And, secondly, that the Covenant-promise (that God would be a God to Abraham and to his seed, Gen. 17. 7.) was now after Christ's death to be held forth more clearly and spiritually, the types and shadows of earthly Ceremonies, and of that legal Dispensation, under which it was formerly hid, being laid aside.
From Vers. 13. Learn, 1. The threatnings of the Law, denouncing a curse against those who yeeld not personal obedience to it, did not exclude or forbid a Surety to come in the sinners room, and to undergo the curse due unto Him: for, though it be clear from ver. 10. that the Law doth curse all; yet this impeded not, but Christ might come to redeem us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us. 2. Every man by nature, the Elect not excepted, Eph. 2. -3. are under the sentence of the Law's curse, whereby in God's justice they are under the power of darknesse, (Col. 1. 13.) slavery and bondage to sin and Satan, (Eph. 2. -2.) so to remain until they be cast in utter darknesse, Jude, 13. except delivery and redemption do interveen: for, while it is said, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, it is supposed that by nature we are under it. 3. There is no delivery of enslaved man from this wofull bondage, but by giving satisfaction, and by paying of a price for the wrong done to Divine Justice, either by himself, or by some surety in his stead; God's fidelity (Gen. 2. 17.) His righteous nature (Psal. 11. 6, 7.) and the inward desert of sin (Rom. 1. 32.) do call for it; for, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law: the word signifieth to deliver by giving a price. 4. It is not in the power of fallen man to acquire a ransom for himself by any thing he can either do or suffer, whereby Justice may be satisfied, and he delivered from this state of slavery and bondage. The redemption of the soul is precious, and ceaseth for ever (to wit) among men, Psal. 49. 8. for, if man could redeem himself, Christ had not been put to it to redeem us from the curse of the Law. 5. Jesus Christ the second Person of the blessed Trinity, hath undertaken this great work of redeeming captive-man from his slavery and bondage, and accordingly hath accomplished it. The work was indeed undertaken at the appointment of all the Persons, Luke 1. 68. to whom also the price was paid, Eph. 5. 2. only the execution of this work, was by that wise design of sending the second Person in the flesh to become man; that so he might not only have right as our near kinsman, Ruth 3. 12, 13. but also be fitted to redeem, as having a price to lay down for our ransom, Heb. 10. 5. Christ hath redeemed us. 1. Our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, is true God, who being man's Creator, and having entred a Covenant of friendship with man at the beginning, by vertue whereof He had interest in man, not only as His creature, but as one in state of friendship with Himself; from which blessed state man did fall, Eccles. 7. 29. and so brought himself and all his posterity (1 Cor. 15. 21—) to this state of bondage wherein he now is: for, so much is imported, while Christ is said to redeem; Redemption being properly of those things which once were our own, but for the time are lost; Christ hath redeemed us, saith he. 7. This work of man's Redemption, undertaken and accomplished by Christ, was a Redemption properly so called; our freedom and delivery being obtained, not by power or strong hand meerly, nor yet coming from the sole condescension and pity of the injured party, without seeking reparation for former injuries, but by the payment of a sufficient price, and by giving a just satisfaction to a provoked God; as appeareth not only from the word rendred redeem; which, as said is, signifieth to buy with a price, but also from this, that the price is condescended upon, to wit, Christ's undergoing the curse of the Law due to us; and this He did for us, that is, not only for our good, but also in our room and stead: for, by His undergoing this curse, we are freed from it, so that although to buy or redeem, be sometimes taken improperly, and doth signifie to obtain a thing without any price, Isa. 52. 3. yet what is presently said, and other circumstances do evince, that in this work of Redemption performed by Christ, the word must be taken properly for a delivery obtained by a payment of a just price; Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us. 8. The price paid by Christ, in order to our redemption, was no lesse than His undergoing that curse of the Law, which was due to us: whence it followeth that Christ's sufferings, by way of satisfaction, were not only in His body, but also in His soul: He did not only wrestle with the fear of death, Heb. 5. -7. but was also deprived of that joy and comfort, or the sense and feeling of God's favour and help, which He formerly enjoyed; and had His own sad conflicts and agonies arising in His Soul hereupon, Mat. 27. 46. which, though in us they would necessarily produce sin, yet in Christ they did not, Heb. 4. -15. because of His most pure nature, Heb. 7. 26. for, He was made the curse of the Law for us. Now the curse of the Law did reach to the terrors of the soul, as well as to the pains of the body. 9. Though Jesus Christ, as considered in His own Person, was altogether holy and innocent, Isa. 53. -9. and alwayes, even when He was made a curse, most beloved of the Father, Mat. 3. 17. yet being considered as our Surety (Heb. 7. 22.) and sustaining our person, He was the object of sin-pursuing justice, and no more spared than if we our selves who sinned, had been in His place: for, the Text saith, He was not only accursed, but made a curse, in the abstract, to shew how greatly he was accursed in death; neither was this execration only in respect of man, who indeed did judge Him execrable, Isa. 53. 3, 4. but also in respect of God, as appeareth by the testimony alleaged out of Deut. 21. 23. for, though the Apostle, intending the sense only, and not the words, omitteth the mentioning of God; Yet in the place cited we have it thus, He that is hanged, is accursed of God. 10. The malefactor among the Jews, who was adjudged to end his life by hanging on a tree, was pronounced by God to be a curse, or accursed; not as if every one who died that death, even notwithstanding of their repentance, had been rejected of God, and condemned, Luke 23. 39, 43. but partly, because that was a most odious and infamous death in it self, as being aflicted only for atrocious and heinous crimes; and partly, because it was fore-ordained of God, that Christ our Surety should end His life by that kind of death, in order to our redemption and delivery from the Law's deserved curse; for which cause mainly, God was pleased to pronounce that kind of death accursed above any other; as appeareth from the Apostle's alleaging this Scripture, to clear that Christ was made a curse for us; It is written, saith he, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.
From Vers. 14. Learn, 1. So wonderfull is God in working, especially in that great work of our Redemption, that He bringeth about one contrary by another; He giveth life by death, and the blessing by the curse; and frequently in His way of working, our choicest mercies do come through greatest miseries: for, Christ was made a curse, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles. 2. The blessing promised to Abraham, and to the Nations in Abraham, or rather in Christ Abraham's seed, (Gen. 22. 18.) was not of temporall things only, as of Corn and Wine, of a fat and rich soile: these were only the shell, but the kernell of that Promise were blessings of another sort, even spiritual, such as Grace here, and Glory hereafter; which appeareth from this, that before this blessing could be conveyed to Abrahams believing seed, a price of infinite value behoved to be paid for it, a price too precious to purchase any temporal blessing by; for, even Christ was made a curse, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles. 3. The spiritual blessing of Grace here and Glory hereafter, promised to, and in Abraham, as it was purchased by Christ at a dear rate, so it resideth and is exstant in Him, who is as it were the storehouse, wherin the blessing is laid up (Col. 2. 3.) and the dispenser of it unto Abraham's seed (Act. 5. 31.) in whom Believers are truly blessed (Gen. 22. 18.) and from whose fulnesse we do all receive, and Grace for Grace, Joh. 1. 16. for, saith the Text, That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; or, as it is in the Original, in Jesus Christ: So that this blessing is still in Him, as the fountain and dispenser of it. 4. Though Jesus Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, Rev. 13. -8. in so far as remission of sins and life eternal, were bestowed upon Believers under the Old Testament, through the merit of His death, even before He actually died, Rom. 3. 25. it being sufficient, in order to these effects, that it was transacted between the Father and the Son, that He should die, Isa. 53. 10. and that it was certainly known by God that He would die, Act. 15. 18. Yet, there were some effects of His death, and those of great advantage to the Church, both of Jews and Gentiles, which were keeped in store, and in Gods wise dispensation not to be actually bestowed, untill the time of His death; As, first, in relation to the Gentiles, the real making-over of Abraham's blessing unto them, whereby they were made one actual seed unto Abraham with the believing Jews, was to follow upon Christ's death, God having so provided, and not to go before it: for, Christ was first made a curse, by being hanged on a tree, before the blessing of Abraham did come upon the Gentiles. Secondly, in relation to both Jew and Gentile, the Covenant-promise made to Abraham and his seed (Gen. 17. 7.) which before Christ's death was vailed over with many carnal Ceremonies, and lay hid under the many reiterated Promises of temporal blessings and an earthly Canaan, Gen. 15. 7, &c. was after Christs death to be made more clear, the vail of Ceremonies and earthly blessings to be removed, and the promised blessings of Righteousness and life everlasting to be held forth in their spiritual beauty and lustre: for, upon Christ's being made a curse, he saith, We, to wit, not only the Gentiles, but the Jews also, of whom Paul was one, do receive the promise of the Spirit, that is, after the manner of speaking used by the Hebrews, the spiritual promise, in opposition to those external rites and shadows under which it did formerly lurk. Doct. 5. Though by the grace of saving Faith, a Christian believeth to be true whatever he knoweth to be revealed in the Word, Act. 24. -14. and is in some measure (especially when Faith is lively) affected, and doth practise according to what each Truth calleth for, yeelding obedience to the Commands, Rom. 16.—26. trembling at threatnings, Isa. 66. -2. and imbracing the Promises of God for this life (Psal. 23. 1.) and that which is to come, Heb. 11. 13. Yet, the principal acts of Faith, as it is saving and justifying, are the accepting and receiving of the Promise, and of Christ's satisfaction to the Father's justice, held forth in the Promise: for, Paul, speaking of Faiths part in Justification, setteth forth the exercise of it thus, That we might receive the promise by Faith. 6. Faith doth justifie and make us blessed, not for any worth in it self, as if the work and merit of Faith were reckoned to us for righteousnesse, but because it is the instrument, and, as it were, the hand of the soul, whereby we receive the Promise, and Christ in the Promise, whose satisfaction alone is our only righteousnesse before God, Rom, 5. -19. for, that Paul is to be understood thus all alongs this dispute, appeareth from these two Verses, wherein he ascribeth our delivery from the curse, and partaking of Abraham's blessing, to Christ's merit, or to His being made a curse for us, giving unto Faith only the receeiving and imbracing of that satisfaction, as it is offered in the Promise; That we might receive the Promise through Faith, saith he.