Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 1 · Chapter 3 · Verse and explication 9
Vers. 11. But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The Just shall live by Faith. 12. And the Law is not of Faith: but, the man that doth them shall live in them.
IN these Verses is the fourth Argument, to prove the negative part of the main Conclusion, to wit, That no man is justified in God's sight (who judgeth not according to outward appearence, but according to Truth, 1 Sam. 16. -7.) by his personal obedience to the Law; and that because righteousnesse and life cometh from Faith, as he proveth from Habbak. 2. -4. and therefore not from the Law, ver. 11. The force of which consequence, as the Apostle declareth, doth ly in this, that the Law is not of Faith, that is, the way of Justification, which the Law prescribeth, (to wit, the Law, as strictly taken for the meer precepts, legal promises, and threatmings of the Law, See chap. 2. ver. 15.) doth not consist with the way of Justification by Faith; because the Law promiseth life to him only who observeth what the Law prescribeth, and so hath a perfect inherent righteousnesse, as he proveth from Lev. 18. 5. but Faith conveyeth life to him who is destitute of that righteousnesse, if he believe on Him that justifieth the ungodly by Faith, as he hath cleared frequently before (See Rom. 4. 5.) and so doth not expresse it now, ver. 12. Doct. 1. There is a twofould Justification of a sinner, one which is in the sight of God, and is here expressed, whereby he is reputed and standeth righteous and just in the estimation of God the Judge, whose judgment is unerring, and alwayes according to Truth, Jer. 11. 20. Another, which is before men, and is here implyed, whereby the sinner is reputed and standeth righteous in the estimation of men, whose judgment, as flowing from charity (1 Cor. 13. 7.) and grounded upon outward appearance (2 Sam. 16. -7.) may frequently erre and be deceived; But that no man is justified in the sight of God. 2. Though God do not justifie any, or esteem of him as righteous for any works done in obedience to the Law; Yet that a man may be justified in man's sight because of his works, is not here denied by the Apostle: for, Justification before men is nothing else, but a charitable judgment past upon the person, that God hath justified him by Faith; which judgment is grounded upon the evidences of the person's faith, manifested in the fruits of good works, Iam. 2. -18. But that no man is justified by the Law in Gods sight, &c. 3. The spirit of Error being once given way to, doth so far blind the understanding (Isa. 44. 20.) that it cannot see, and so far engage the will and affections to the maintaining of it (2 Tim. 4. 3.) that the person erring will not see what Scripture saith against that Error, though it be never so evident to an indifferent eye: for, though the maintainers of Justification by Works, would not, or could not see it; yet the Scriptures, even of the Old Testament, did give clear testimony against that Error, and for the contrary Truth; It is evident, (saith Paul) for, the Just shall live. 4. The Doctrine of Justification by Faith, and not by Works, is no new-fangled opinion, the Scriptures, even of the Old Testament, give testimony to it, as the only way of Justification before God, which then was: for, Paul proveth, that none are justified by the Law, from an Old Testament-Scripture, cited out of Hab. 2. -4. The Just shall live by Faith. 5. The Scripture cited, teacheth, first, That the way of justifying a sinner, or of making him righteous under the Old Testament, and under the New, is the same; and therefore we may safely draw arguments from the one to the other: for, so doth the Apostle here, It is evident: for, The Just shall live by faith. Secondly, Faith in God, and His Promises, especially these wherein Jesus Christ and His Righteousnesse are offered, is that which maketh a sinner just and righteous in God's sight; for, the words may be rendred thus, The Just by Faith shall live; so that they shew what that is, which makes a man just and righteous. Thirdly, The man who is thus just by Faith, is recovered from that state of death, wherein every man by nature lyeth, Eph. 2. 1.) and doth live; which life of his, doth also flow from faith: for, both righteousnesse and life are here ascribed to faith; The Just shall live by Faith. Fourthly, This life by Faith, which the Believer doth enjoy, is such, as furnisheth him with comfortable throughbearing in the midst of hardest dispensations, without apostasie and fainting, in so far as he doth not walk by present sense, but taketh up God as reconciled to him in Christ, 2 Cor. 4. 18. and looketh upon his present crosse, as an evidence of God's fatherly love, Heb. 12. 6. and knoweth it will have a blessed event to him in God's way and time, Rom. 8. 28. and that his life is hid with God in Christ, Col. 3. 3. far above the reach of any trouble; for, this is the Prophet's scope, from whom this place is cited, even to shew that the Just shall so live by Faith, as to ride out the storm arising from the present trouble, which was to overwhelm others, (See Hab. 2. 4.) The Just shall live by Faith. Fifthly, This life of the Believer which he enjoyeth by Faith, though it be begun here in the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ, Joh. 17. 3. and in freedom from the deserved sentence of death, Rom. 8. 1. whereupon followeth a right to eternal life, Joh. 3. 3. and in the lively practice of all commanded duties, to which the Believer is enabled by drawing life and vertue out of Christ through Faith, Philip. 4. 13. Yet, this life is not circumscribed with the present time, it's to be perfected afterward in Glory, so that the life flowing from Faith, is a lasting, never-ending, evercontinuing and eternal life: for, the Promise is extended unto all imaginable future duration, without any restriction: The Just shall live by Faith.
From Vers. 12. Learn, 1. Though the Law and Faith, or the Gospel which is the Doctrine of Faith, be not contrary each to other (both of them being the Truths of God) but are mutually subservient one to another in many things, the Law making sin known, Rom. 3. -20. the Gospel holding forth the remedy of sin, Joh. 1. 29. the Law pointing forth our need of Christ, Rom. 10. 4. and the Gospel giving us an offer of Christ for life and righteousnesse, 1 Cor. 1. 30. The Law again holding forth those duties wherein the man, made righteous by Faith, ought to walk, and to testifie his thankfulnesse, Eph. 5. 1, 2. and the Gospel, or Faith in Jesus Christ offered in the Gospel, furnishing him with spirituall strength to walk in these duties, which the Law prescribeth, 2 Cor. 3. -6. Yet, the Law and Faith are mutually inconsistent in the point of Justification; so that if Justification be sought by the works of the Law, it cannot be had by Faith; and if it be had by Faith, it cannot be attained by the works of the Law; there can be no mixture of Law and Gospel, Faith and Works in this matter: for, in this sense the Apostle affirmeth, The Law is not of Faith. 2. The Law doth offer life to none upon easier terms than perfect obedience, and the constant and universal practice of whatsoever the Law prescribeth; for, the voice of the Law is, The man that doth them, to wit those things that the Law enjoyneth, shall live in them, or attain eternal life by his so doing. 3. The way of Justification by Faith, doth wholly exclude our doing and works, and those of every sort, from having influence as causes or conditions, either in part or in whole, upon our Justification before God: for, the Apostle proveth the inconsistency of the Law and Faith in the point of Justification from this, that the Law suspendeth our right to life upon the condition of doing and works; and therefore the way of Justification by Faith, must wholly exclude Works, else the Apostle should not cogently have proved the thing intended, to wit, That the Law is inconsistent with Faith, from this, That he who doth them shall live in them.