Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 1 · Chapter 3 · Verse and explication 7
Vers. 8. And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all Nations be blessed. 9. So then they which be of Faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham.
BEcause the former consequence from Abraham's Justification to ours, might be questioned to hold in the Gentiles, who were not of Abraham's posterity, therefore the Apostle doth clear it from the words of the Promise made to Abraham, Gen. 12. 3. that in him, or, in his seed, Jesus Christ who was to come of him (Gen. 22. 18.) all the Nations, or Gentiles, were to be blessed; which Promise, he sheweth, was no other than the Gospel or glad tydings, that all the blessings to be purchased by Christ Abraham's seed, (among which Justification by Faith was one) were to be bestowed by God upon the Gentiles, and that the Scripture, or Spirit which speaks in Scripture, fore-knowing, to wit, in the Decree, that God was to do so, did contrive the Promise in these words, of purpose that it might bear so much, ver. 8. from which he inferreth, that all Believers indefinitely, the Nations not excluded, but included, do partake of all those saving blessings which Abraham did partake of, by Faith, among which, free Justification was the chief; for of that is the question, ver. 9. Doct. 1. That Scripture is not an invention of man, but the Word of the allknowing God, appeareth from this, that several things are foretold therein, which had their accomplishment a long time afterwards, according as they were foretold, the knowledge of which things at so great a distance of time, could not be in any but God, Isa. 41. 22, 23. for, the calling of the Gentiles, and their Justification by Faith, was foretold about the space of two thousand years before it fell out; And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith. 2. The foreknowledge of future events, at the greatest distance, doth most properly and peculiarly belong unto God; which doth alwayes suppose His Will and Decree, that such things shall come to passe; in which Decree of His, He doth foreknow them, Act. 2. 23. Whatever foresight of this kind is in any of the creatures, they have it by borrowed light from Him, and (as we say) by lighting their Candles at His Torch: for, the foreknowing that the Gentiles would be justified by Faith, is attributed to Scripture, or the Spirit of God speaking in Scripture; And the Scripture foreseeing, &c. 3. The calling of the Gentiles, and their attaining to Salvation by freegrace, and all the spiritual priviledges of Abraham's seed, was a thing hardly credible at the first breaking-forth of the Gospel, the case of all Nations, except the Jews, seemed to be so desperate and damnable, Eph. 2. 11, 12. Hence the Apostle seeth it necessary upon all occasions almost, to clear, that the calling of the Gentiles had ground from Scripture, as here, The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen by Faith. 4. Hence we learn several things, tending to the right understanding of that Promise made to Abraham, Gen. 12. 3. In thee, or in thy seed (Gen. 22. 18.) to wit, Christ, all Nations shall be blessed; As, first, That the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham, whereof this Promise is one Article, was extended not only to Abraham's carnal seed, but to all Believers in every place, even among the Gentiles: for, in thee all Nations shall be blessed. Secondly, All men by nature, and considered without respect had to, and as not having interest in this gracious Covenant made with Abraham in Christ, are destitute of all blessings, under the drop of God's wrath and curse, Eph. 2.—3. and so are really cursed: for, this is imported, while he saith, in thee, and not otherwise, all Nations shall be blessed. Thirdly, That we who by nature are cursed creatures, should be freed from the curse, and do partake of the contrary blessing, it cometh to passe by vertue of that gracious Covenant made with Abraham: and more particularly, it is through Jesus Christ Abraham's seed, in whom we, being ingraffed by faith, are delivered from the curse, ver. 13. for, In thee, or in thy seed (Gen. 22. 18.) all Nations shall be blessed. Fourthly, The Blessings promised to Abraham's seed, in the Covenant made by God with him, were not only temporal, carnal, and appertaining to this life, but heavenly and spiritual. The former indeed were often inculcated upon the Ancient Church, Deut. 28. 2, 3, &c. not, as if these had been all, or the main Blessings of the Covenant, but as they were shadows only of things more heavenly, Heb. 11. 14, 15, 16. for, the Apostle explaineth one part at least of the Blessings promised, to be Justification by Faith; The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen by Faith, saith, In thee shall Nations be blessed. Fifthly, The man who is justified by Faith, is a blessed man; and there is no blessednesse under the Sun comparable unto this, for a man to have his sin pardoned, Psal. 32. 1. and the Righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto him, and so to be placed in a state of favour with God: for, the Apostle expoundeth the Blessing promised, by being justified: The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen by Faith. Sixthly, This Promise made to Abraham, containeth in it the summe of the Gospel, to wit, the glad tydings of all spiritual blessings, and particularly of a free-gifted Righteousnesse, purchased by Christ, to be bestowed upon all who by Faith should be ingraffed in Christ, and that the Gentiles should have accesse in the dayes of the Gospel, to these Blessings among the rest: for, the Promise holdeth out all this; and Paul calleth the revealing of this Promise, the preaching of the Gospel; The Scripture preached before the Gospel unto Abraham. Seventhly, The Gospel therefore is no new Doctrine, but the same in substance with that which was taught to Abraham, and to the Church under the Old Testament: for, saith he, The Scripture preached before the Gospel unto Abraham. Eightly, Though the Gospel, or glad tydings of Salvation, was not unknown to the Ancient Church; yet it was but a very small glimmering light which they had of it, in comparison with what we do now enjoy: all that Scripture recordeth Adam and the Patriarchs to have had of it, was in that obscure Promise, Gen. 3. 15. and all that Abraham had of it, was in this Promise here mentioned, which, though it was much clearer than the former, because the day-light of the Gospel under the New Testament, was then drawing nearer; yet it was far short in clearnesse and plainnesse of these Gospel-promises which we do now enjoy, as Joh, 3. 16. Scripture preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all Nations be blessed. Ninthly, The blessing of Justification by Faith, and of other spiritual favours promised to the Nations in Abraham, was such, as Abraham was not the author of it, but a sharer in it with the rest of those to whom it was promised: so he inferreth from the Blessing promised to Abraham, That we are blessed with faithfull Abraham. Doct. 5. Eminent Priviledges bestowed by God upon particular persons, do not exempt them from walking to Heaven in the common path-way with others, if so they look for it at all: for, Abraham, though highly priviledged to be the father of Believers, ver. 7. in whom all Nations were to be blessed, Gen. 12. 3. yet behoved to enjoy the Blessing, not because of his own merit, but freely and by Faith as well as others, as is imported in the Epithet of Faithful, given to Abraham; We are blessed with faithful Abraham; not with circumcised vertuous Abraham. 6. God, in bestowing of Blessings promised upon condition of Faith, doth not so much look upon the greatnesse of Faith, as the truth and sincerity of it: for, though every one who are of Faith, believe not so strongly as Abraham did; yet they are blessed with faithfull Abraham.