CONCERNING THE PEOPLE OE THE LAW AND GPvACE.
duce in us by grace, or all tliat we l>erform of ourselves, without grace, is reall;\' a work of the law, availing nothing in justification, and is ratheevil and in opi^osition to God, in consequence of the unbelief in which it is performed.
In the second i^lace, a person like Cain never iDcrforms his duty willingly and from a free, spontaneous spirit, unless he is first hired, and allowed to use his own i)leasui^e, and to have Avhatever he desires; precisely as a servant, who does not do his duty unless he is driven, or allowed to have his own way. Xow, such servants as must be driven or i)raised and begged, are very disagreeable. So, too, all persons like Cain are disagTeeable, and by no means acceptable in the sight of God, because they perform no vrork of the law, unless driven and impelled by the fear of hell and punishment, or, indeed, by being- begged, and allowed to have their o^ii way, or in order to secm-e a full com.petency from God, and to use it as they desire.
Thus you perceive, moreover, that thev are not actuated bv cordial love for the law, but by the expectation of reward, or the fear of punishment, so that it is evident that, as they are enemies to the law from the bottom of their hearts, they would rather there were no law. Hence, if the person performing the work is evil, the work is also evil, because it is extorte^l by fear only, or by gTanting the individual the privilege of exercising his own will and pleasure in the matter, precisely as when a person i.s induced by entreaty and persuasion to act.
The law teaches us to see and feel the unwilling and perverse state of our mind. This is altogether sinful in the sight of God. AVhat kind of holiness is it to peiibrm required duties ^\ith our hands, wlieii, at the same time, our hearts are unfriendly towards the law and the law-giver? Yea, it is sinful, indeed, to be unfriendly towards the law.
This, you will perceive, is what St. Paul here calls knowing sin by the law, to come in conflict with it, to feel and experience this perverseness of our hearts, to shudder in consequence of it, to despair of ourselves, to strive with haste and thirst after grace, — which removes from us this disinclination, and produces in us a willing, a cheerful spirit, which renders us, from the bottom of our hearts, friendly to the law, and enables us, from a free, spontaneous disposition, to perform our duties, without constraint — regardless of any motive except pure delight in righteousness and the lavr, without tlie expectation of reward or the fear of punishment. Thus, out of a slave a child is made, and out of a servant an heir, — a spirit which nothing but tlie faith of Christ alone can bring and produce, as v\'e have already sutlieieiitly stated. Novr, let us take into consideration the Epistle.
"The heir, e.s long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all."
He introduces a simile, derived from human customs. We see that a minor, a child, or an heir, to whom an estate has been left or bequeathed by parents, is reared and restrained like a servant, in regard to its estate. It has no power to use it according to its own will and i^leasures; but it is kept in fear and discipline, so as to derive from it only its food and raiment, although the estate really be^ longs to it. Hence, it is like a stranger and a sei-vant, so far as its property is concerned.
So, too, in sjyiriU'cd matters, God made a testament, vrheu he promised Abraham, Gen. 22, 18: "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.*' This testament was afterwards established by. the death of Christ, and, after his resurrection it was distributed tlirough the Gospel, which is nothing else but a revelation and manifestation of this testament — in which it is declared to ail the world that, in Christ, the seed of Abraham, grace and a blessing are assigned and given to all men, which may be received by all who believe it.
Xow, before this testament was oi)ened and i^roclaimed, the childreji of God were under the law, and encumbered and constrained by tlie works of the law; although they were liot justified in this ^^ay, but their "^N'orks were servile and unprofitable 5 yet, liowever, since they were predeterniiued in regard to the faith wiiicii was to conie and constitute them children, they were assuredly heirs of that grace and blessing, although they were not in possession of them, nor did they use them, but like other faithless individuals, they vrere servile and occupied with v.^orks.— Precisel}^ as it is the case now, and always has been, that many persons believe, and acknowledge the faith, who were, pre\'L0u.^]y, drowned in works, and knowing notlihig concerning failli, Avere engnged in the x>erforniance of works, like other hypocrites. But, now, since they apprehend the faith, and receive the inheritance, they were certainly heirs before, and pre-deterinined by God, although at that time tliey knew nothing about it, and v/ere servants, selfrighteous, and Cain-ites.
Thus, at this time, some are still occupied with Avorks, maintain a holiness like that of Cain, and are servants like he was, yet they are heirs an<l children in regard to the future, because they will yet believe; hj this they will be enabled to lay aside their servile disposition, to surrender their works, and secure the great blessing and inheritance of justification, by which they become rigldeous andh<^ppy, without works. Then will they, from a free, spontaneous spirit, per- Ibri!! all tlieir works, to the honor of iiod and the benefit of tlieir neighbors, without any expectation or design to secure a reward or righteousness. For they already- have, in the inheritance and blessing, that which (diri.st has bequeathed to them in his testament, an.d caused to be opened, jead, ])roclaimed, and distributed, througli the Gospel, from pure grace and mercy.
AbnVhiiui and all the patriarchs, you will observe, recognized the testament of God; nor was it any less ftiven and administered to them, than it is to us; although it was not, at tliat time, read and proclaimed throughout the world, as it was after thv ascension of Christ; still, however, they secured the very same thing that we and all the children of God secure, through the very same faith. The grace, the blessing, the testament, the taith, is the same; as the Father is one, and one God of us alL
Thus, you will perceive, here, that St. Paul everywhere teaches that justification results, not from works, but from faith alone, without any wo-rks:^ not at ijitervals, but at once. For the testament includes all iu itself, justification, salvation, the inheritance, and the great gooci. Through faith, it is wholly enjoyed at once, not at intervals. So that it is clear, indeed, that faith, onl}^, aftbrds such blessings of God, that is, justification and salvation,— at once, not at intervals, (as would be the case with works,) and constitutes us children and heirs, who, from a free, spontaneous spirit, perform all their duties, vrithout presuming to become pious and meritorious by a ser^dle disposition. Here, merit is unnecessary; here, fiiith alone presents all, and more than any one can merit. Here, they will perform all their works from a free spirit; being alread}^ in i)ossession of all that these Cain-ites seek through works, and never find, namely, justification and divine inheritance, or grace.
"But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father."
These are the individuals who rear the heir, and keep him on his father's possessions, so that he does not grovr wild and ])ecome a vagabond. And, jiotwithstan.ding they do not give him control of the inheritance, they are still profitable and advantageous to him, in various ways. In the first idace, as already said, they keep him at home at his estate, in order that he may be better i)repared to enjoy the inheritance. In the second place, agreater desire for the inheritance is produced in him, by seeing how assiduously and closely he is kept. For, when he arrives at the years of dis* cretion, he will begin to desire freedom, and feel unwilling to continue under the control of others.
This is, and must be, the case with every one who is still engaged in works, under the law^ and is a ser- vant. The law is his tutor and governor, under whose control he is, as under the constraint of another; and this is designed, in the first place, to rear him up and keep him in proper limits, so as to secure him externally^ through the fear of punishmeutj a^ l^ainst the perx)etration of evil works; so that he may not become entire],y dissolute, endangering everything, and shutting himself out entirely from God and his salvation, as those do v.iio give themselves over entirely to sin.
It is intended, in the second place, to learn him to know himself, and to bring him to his reason, so that he may see how unwillingly he is under the law, and that he performs no work v,illingi-\', as a child, but through constraint, as a servant. In this way he learns, by experience, where his defects lie; namely, in not having a free, renewed, and willing disposition, which the law and his works can not give him; yes, the more he works, the more unAvilliug is he, and the more arduous is it, to work, vfhen under the iniiuence of such a defective disposition.
When he dis(;overs this, in himself, he perceives that he observes the law only externally, by his works; but, internally, in his heart, he is an enemy to it, and opposed to it, so far as his willingness and disi)osition are concerned. Hen^e, he is really, without intermission, internally, a sinner against the law, and, externally, a saint according to the law; that is, he is a real Cain, and an egregious hypocrite. It is manifest to him, that his works are works of the law; but his lieart is a heart of sin. For his heart is not disposed to the law; hence, it is disposed to sin, and his hands are merely constrained to observe the requirements of the law.
St. Paul has, therefore, very proj)- erly styled such works, works of the law. For, the law forces them out, and they are nothing but mere results of compulsion. Kow, the law demands the heart also, and desnes a willing obedience, which may be said to be, not only a work of the law, but a heart of the law j not only the hands of the law, but the will, disposition^ and powers of the law, as Ps. 1, I, 2^ says: Blessed is the man, whose dehght is in the law of the Lord.* Such a disi)osition the law demands, but it does not produce it; nor is nature able of itself to produce It. Hence, the law presses itj aiid condemns it to hell, as disobtidient to the command mehts of God« Here angTiish and distress of conscience follow^ and yet there is no help.
Here is the time ax">pointed of the Father; here it will desire gTace and help; here it will confess its wretchedness, inability, and guilt; here it will lefc its security in its works fall^ and desTuse itself. For it perceive.s that between it and public siiiners there is no diii'erence, except in regard to the external conduct. In its heart, it is as nnucli opposed to the law as any other sinner is. Yes, it may be that its heart is more embittered against the lav^^, than that of any other sinner. Since the sinner, in the accomplishment of sins, may find less desire for sinning, and become somewhat inimical to sin, in consequence of the displeasure and the injuries which result from it, and which he meets in it. The former, since the law and the tutor lie in its way, and restrain it, may really burn and rage in its desires and lusts for sin, and yet, it dare not commit the deed. — Thus, in regard to its works, it may be more pious, but in regard to its heart, more wicked, than the latter.
Isov,^ every one may easily perceive that it is a very unequal division, to give oiu^ hands to the law, and our whole heart to sin. Since the v>hoie heart is immensely more than the works or the hands. What else is this, but giving the chaff to the law, and the grain to sin, the shell to God, and the kernel to the devil? Thus, it is that, as it is said in the Gospel, the sin of the i^ublic sinner is only a mote, and that of the other, a gTeat beam.
Now, when the circumstances are of such character that Cain does not see this beam, and in this way learn to know himself according to
* B. And meditates in his law day and night.
the law f but coutiiiiies obdurate and blinded in his works, disregarding his inward abominations, he goes on v^ery unceremoniously to judge all the world in a malicious manner, despising sinners, as did the Pharisee, in the Gospel, — considering himself unlike other i^ersons, and presuming himself pious. If any one attempts to rebuke him, and to condemn his course of conduct, as it should be, he rages and raves, and kills Abel, persecuting everybody, and saying that lie does it for the sake of good works and righteousness, to the praise of God — expecting to merit much in that way, as a persecutor of blasphemers, heretics, errorists, and wicked x^^i"- sons, who wish to lead him astray, and draw him away from good vf orks. Behold, here, everything that the Scriptures say in reference to these venomous spirits, presents itself. — These, Christ calls a generation of serpents and vipers. These are like Gain, and will continue like him; they are servants, and will continue to be servants. But those who are, prospectively, like Abel and children, learn to l^now themselves by the law, how,> little cordial delight tliey have for the la-v>-, cease to hang upon their presumption, let their hands and feet sink, and are completely undone in their own eyes, by this perception. Here, the Gospel appears; here, God gives grace to the humble. These comprehend the testament, and believe. With, and in this faith, they TQceixe the Holy Spirit; he gives to them a new heart, that delights in the law, and hates sin, acting uprightly from a willing and free disposition. Here there are no longer works of the law, but hearts of the law. This is the time appointed of the lather for the heir, no longer to be a servant, or under the tutor. This is wdiat St. Paul means by the folloAving vrords:
" Even so we, when we were children, '^ivere in bondage under the elements of the world."
* Here the Apostle uses the same word, elements^ which we employ. — Here we must not understand by the
* A. Here we must bear in mind th^at the Apostle means by elements of the world, the, &c.
term elements of the world, the four natural elements, fire, air, wafer, and earth. The Scrii)tures do not employ the word elements to express the four creatures just mentioned. This use of the term elements originated from heathen philosophy j and it would be entirely inadmissible to use it in that sense in the Scriptures. But he calls the writing, or letters of the law, elements. For, both the Latin and the Greek langTiages call ihe letters elements.
Thus, Heb. 5, 12, he says: ''When for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles, [elements,] of the oracles of God;" and CoL 2, 8: ''Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments [elements] of the world, and not after Christ j'' and Gal. 4, 9, 10: " How turn ye again to the vreak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.*^
It is rather with contempt that he calls the la\v, elements or letter, which is weak and beggarly, because it can afford no relief. It renders us, also, weak and beggarlj^ It requires the heart and the mind, and yet these are absent. Hence, the conscience grows weak and beggarly, seeing that it neither has nor can ha^e vvdiat it should have. This view he expresses, thus, 2 Cor. 3, 6: " The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life."
By the word, elements, some understand, not the letter or the law, but the ceremonies and external gestures which are used in worship and in leading a pious life, and with which we begin to exercise children; so that elements implies the first, rude, childish manners employed in worship.
But, he calls them elements of tlie world, because the self-righteous^ T\ho attempt to do the works of the law, do not observe it, except in regard to external, temporal, worldly matters, as days, meats, apparel, places, persons, vessels, and the like. These are all creatures of this world, and this is