Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 1 · Chapter 3 · Verse and explication 13
Vers. 21. Is the Law then against the Promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a Law given which could have given life, verily Righteousness should have been by the Law. 22. But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the Promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
FOlloweth the third Objection, to wit, If the Law be given to discover and condemn for transgressions, as is affirmed, ver. 19. Then it is contrary to the Covenantpromise, which doth cover and pardon sin, quicken and justifie the sinner. He answereth, 1. by denying and rejecting the consequence as absurd and abominable. 2. By retorting the Argument against the Adversaries themselves: for, if the Law, or, if our works done in obedience to the Law, could procure eternal life, as they affirmed, Then our righteousnesse before God, should consist in Works, or, the Law should justifie; leaving them to gather, that this would suppose the former Covenant by promise to be abolished and quite destroyed by the Law; so that, according to their Doctrine, the Law was both contrary unto, and destructive of the Promise, ver. 21. 3. He answereth directly, shewing the Law, called here the Scripture, (or, that Scripture, as it is in the Original) while it convinceth, accuseth and condemneth all mankind for sin, and so concludeth and incloseth all men under sin, and the curse due to sin, as the Judge doth the malefactor in prison, is not contrary, but subordinate and subservient to the Promise, in so far, as that hereby the guilty sinner, (being made to lay aside all confidence in his own righteousnesse, Rom. 7. 9.) doth flee by Faith in Jesus Christ for a refuge to the Promise; and so the thing promised, to wit, Righteousnesse and Salvation, becometh the sinner's, and is conveyed upto him, to wit, upon his believing.
From Vers. 21. Learn, 1. It is the way of Hereticks to set Scripture against Scripture, and to make one Scripture seem to contradict another, except their erroneous sense and interpretation of Scripture be received, as intended by the Spirit of God: for, these false Apostles did affirm, if so the Law did not give life, but did only discover and accuse for transgressions, then God's mind in the Law should have been contrary to His mind revealed in the Promise: Hence Paul propoundeth this question unto himself to answer, Is the Law then against the Promises of God? 2. However Hereticks may labour to fasten such absurdities upon Truth, as if it were contrary to some other parts of God's mind revealed in Scripture; yet their bold allegations will be found alwayes false, and Truth to be ever most consonant, and never contrary to it self: for, so the Apostle sheweth of the Truth in hand; God forbid, saith he: 3. There are some sins (chiefly those that do most directly reflect upon any divine perfection, or attribute of God) the very first motions whereof, ought to be entertained with abhorrency and detestation; and this either when a tentation to commit such sins is presented to us, Job 2. 9, 10. or, when the guilt of them, as already committed, is intended to be unjustly fastned upon us: for, when Paul's adversaries would have charged him with making the Law to contradict the Promise, and so God to be changeable, and not consonant to Himself; he rejecteth this blasphemous charge with a God forbid; an expression frequently used by the Apostle to set out his high indignation against somewhat, wherewith his person or doctrine was charged, Rom. 3. 4. 6. Rom. 6. 2. Doct. 4. As these absurdities, wherewith the adversaries of Truth are ready to brand the Truth unjustly, do oftentimes by direct and just consequence most directly follow upon that Error, which they themselves maintain: so, in order to the refutation of Error, (besides the alleaging of such Reasons and Scripture-Truths as do directly overthrow the Error) it is lawfull and also convenient, to present those absurdities which do natively flow from it; that in these the absurdity of the Error it self may be seen, seing no absurd and false position can be drawn by just consequence from that which is a Truth: Thus the Apostle, refuting that error of Justification by Works, doth charge it with that absurdity which his adversaries did labour to fasten upon the contrary Truth, even of being contrary to the Covenant-promise, while he saith, If there had been a Law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the Law, and so the Promise had been abolished and made useless. 5. No man can attain to life eternal, being destitute of some righteousnesse, whereby he may be made righteous: for, according to the Apostle, If the Law could give life, to wit eternal life, it behoved also to have given righteousnesse; verily righteousness should have been by the Law. 6. So exact and full is that righteousnesse that is required in order to life, (See ver. 10.) and so far short do all mankind come of that righteousnesse in themselves, Rom. 3. 23: that no works of our own, done in obedience to the Law, can amount to that righteousnesse: for, he speaketh of it as a great absurdity once to imagine, that righteousnesse should have been by the Law. 7. Whoever maintain a life-procuring righteousnesse by Works, they do in effect abolish and destroy that Free-grace held forth in the Promise, in so far as they make the Promise uselesse and in vain, ascribing that to Works, which is the proper effect of Grace in the Promise, and which cannot be effectuated by our imperfect Works; for when, according to the strain of the argument, it would have been said, Verily the Law should have been contrary to the Promise, in its place, and as the equivalent of that, he saith, Verily righteousnesse should have been by the Law.
From Vers. 22. Learn, 1. Though all men by nature … under sin (Rom. 3. 10.) and the deserved curse of the Law because of sin, Eph. 2. 3. yet, it is a matter of no small difficulty to convince any man of, or to affect his heart sensibly either with the one or the other: for, the work of the Law its accusing, convincing or condemning the sinner for sin, is compared to the work of a Judge detaining a malefactor in prison, which is not effectuated but with a kind of force and violence: The Scripture hath concluded all under sin; the word carryeth a metaphor, taken from a Judge his imprisoning of malefactors. 2. The Scripture, especially the Law of God in its strict commands, large accusations, and most severe threatnings, doth serve abundantly to convince all mankind to be heinous sinners, and under the drop of God's terrible curse for sin, and this so forcibly, that there is not the least wicket patent for him, whereby he may either deny his sin, or escape deserved wrath, by any thing which can be performed by himself: for, The Scripture, or, that Scripture, to wit, the Law especially, hath concluded all under sin, as in a most strict prison or dungeon; for, so the word beareth: and although by the Law here, be mainly and firstly meaned that legall dispensation of the Covenant of Grace, which stood in force during the time of the Old Testament, (See ver. 19. doct. 2.) that thereby this conviction might be the more effectually brought about; yet the pressing of the duties of the Moral Law, and inculcating the curse thereof upon those who are in an unrenewed estate, do serve to conclude all under sin yet, Luke 13. 3. Doct. 3. The Law of God doth serve to convince all men, not only that they are sinners, but also that all their actions, counsels, endeavours, and whatsoever proceedeth from any of their unrenewed faculties (Gen. 6. 5.) are altogether sinful, and most justly deserving God's wrath and curse: for, he saith, The Scripture hath concluded all (not only all men, but all things, to wit, all things proceeding from men) under sin. 4. So ignorant are men of Gods righteousnesse revealed in the Gospel, and so averse are they from closing with it, when it is made in some measure known, Joh. 5. 40. So bent are they to establish their own righteousnesse, according to the Law, Rom. 10. 3. that untill the Law of God convince them of their altogether sinfull and cursed estate by nature; yea, and that they can do nothing but sin, they will never be induced to quit all confidence in their own righteousnesse, and flee, by Faith in Jesus Christ, for obtaining of righteousnesse and salvation, according to the tenour of the Gospel and Promise: for, God did not only under the Old Testament, but also doth under the New (Act. 2. 37.) use that piece of divine artifice, to conclude all under sin, that the Promise (or, thing promised) by Faith in Jesus Christ may be given: the Promise is not given, because none will take it, untill that concluding under sin precede. 5. The Lord's design in pressing the duties, and thundring out the curses of the Law for disobedience, is meerly this, that sinners being hereby convinced of their cursed estate in themselves, and made desperate of obtaining Heaven and Salvation by their own Works, may be in a manner prepared, and, as it were, necessitated, by Faith to imbrace that free-gift of Salvation held forth through Christ in the Promise: for, saith he, The Scripture hath concluded all men under sin; not of purpose to condemn us, but that the Promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given unto them who believe. 6. The heavenly inheritance, and all the other blessings promised in the Covenant of Grace, do not belong promiscuously unto all whom the Law concludeth under sin, but only to those who by Faith do imbrace and close with them as they are offered in the Promise: for, saith he, That the Promise, (or, the thing promised) might be given to them that believe. 7. That Faith which entitleth to the Promise, is not a general faith in God as Creator, such as the faith of Turks; but it is Faith in Jesus the son of Mary, Mat. 1. 25. who is that Christ or Messiah, who, being promised under the Old Testament, (Isa. 7. 14.) is now come under the New: it is this Faith relying on Christ, who by His merit hath purchased the thing promised, Isa. 53. 5. which giveth a right unto the Promise: for, to specifie what Believers they are to whom the Promise is given, he addeth, by the Faith of Jesus Christ.