Calvin and others understand it as explaining the method in which the law works wrath, or calls down the displeasure of God. It is because sin, by the knowledge imparted by the law, is rendered less excusable, and deserving of severer punishment. Transgression is understood em- phatically for the contumacious violation of the known will of God. But, according to the former of the two explanations given of the first clause, this more naturally expresses the general idea that law and trans- gression are correlative terms ; the latter implies the former. If there v/ere no law^ there could be no transgression, and therefore no punish- ment. It is the law, therefore, which gives sin its condemning power. This being the case, it is obvious that the law which secures the punish- ment of sin, cannot be the means of the sinner's justification.
(16) Therefore it is of faith, that it might be qf grace; to the end that the promise might he sure to all the seed, &c. This and the fol- lowing verse contain the conclusion from the previous reasoning, and especially from the two preceding arguments. The expression in the original is simply therefore of faith. It matters little, as to the sense, whether the words we are heirs be supplied from v. 14, or the word pro- mise from V. 13. * Therefore the promise is of faith,' that it might be of grace, see vs. 4, 5, i. e. not of works ; for if of works, as Paul had just shown, the covenant would be broken, and the promise invalidated. If this condition be insisted upon, no one, from the very nature of the law, can be saved. But, being of faith and gratuitous, it is sure to all the seed. The words rendered to the end are the same as those which oc- cur V. 11, and express either the design or result. The sense may there- fore be, ' It is of faith, in order that it might be sure,' &c. or, ' It is of faith, and hence is sure,' &c. To all the seed, i. e. all the children of Abraham, as well those which are of the law, i. e. Jews, see Acts 10 : 45, &c., as those which are of the faith of Abraham, i. e. the Gentiles, whose only bond of union with Abraham is the possession of the same faith which he had ; see Gal. 3 : 7, &c. Who is the father of us all. It is in this sense that Abraham is the father, the head and leader of all be- lievers who are his children, because they are like him, and heirs of the promise made to him, whether they be Jews or Gentiles. Gal. 3 : 29, "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
(17) As it is written, I have made thee father of many nations. Gen. 17 : 5. This declaration, the apostle informs us, contains a great deal more than the assurance that the natural descendants of Abraham should be very numerous. Taken in connexion with the promise that " in him all the nations of the earth should be blessed," it refers to his spiritual as well as his natural seed, and finds its full accomplishment in the ex- tension of the blessing promised to him to those of all nations who are his children by faith. This clause is very properly marked as a paren- thesis, as the preceding one, " who is the father of us all," must be con- nected immediately with the following words, before him whom he be-