Chapter 49.--The Grace Promised by the Prophet for the New Covenant.
What then could the apostle have meant to imply by,--after checking the boasting of the Jews, by telling them that "not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified," [963] --immediately afterwards speaking of them "which, having not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law," [964] if in this description not they are to be understood who belong to the Mediator's grace, but rather they who, while not worshipping the true God with true godliness, do yet exhibit some good works in the general course of their ungodly lives? Or did the apostle perhaps deem it probable, because he had previously said that "with God there is no respect of persons," [965] and had afterwards said that "God is not the God of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles," [966] --that even such scanty little works of the law, as are suggested by nature, were not discovered in such as received not the law, except as the result of the remains of the image of God; which He does not disdain when they believe in Him, with whom there is no respect of persons? But whichever of these views is accepted, it is evident that the grace of God was promised to the new testament even by the prophet, and that this grace was definitively announced to take this shape,--God's laws were to be written in men's hearts; and they were to arrive at such a knowledge of God, that they were not each one to teach his neighbour and brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all were to know Him, from the least to the greatest of them. [967] This is the gift of the Holy Ghost, by which love is shed abroad in our hearts, [968] --not, indeed, any kind of love, but the love of God, "out of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and an unfeigned faith," [969] by means of which the just man, while living in this pilgrim state, is led on, after the stages of "the glass," and "the enigma," and "what is in part," to the actual vision, that, face to face, he may know even as he is known. [970] For one thing has he required of the Lord, and that he still seeks after, that he may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life, in order to behold the pleasantness of the Lord. [971]
[963] Rom. ii. 13.
[964] Rom. ii. 14.
[965] Rom. ii. 11.
[966] Rom. iii. 29.
[967] Jer. xxxi. 33, 34.
[968] Rom. v. 5.
[969] 1 Tim. i. 5.
[970] 1 Cor. xiii. 12.
[971] Ps. xxvii. 4.
Chapter 50 [XXIX.]--Righteousness is the Gift of God.
Let no man therefore boast of that which he seems to possess, as if he had not received it; [972] nor let him think that he has received it merely because the external letter of the law has been either exhibited to him to read, or sounded in his ear for him to hear. For "if righteousness is by the law, then Christ has died in vain." [973] Seeing, however, that if He has not died in vain, He has ascended up on high, and has led captivity captive, and has given gifts to men, [974] it follows that whosoever has, has from this source. But whosoever denies that he has from Him, either has not, or is in great danger of being deprived of what he has. [975] "For it is one God which justifies the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith;" [976] in which clauses there is no real difference in the sense, as if the phrase "by faith" meant one thing, and "through faith" another, but only a variety of expression. For in one passage, when speaking of the Gentiles,--that is, of the uncircumcision,--he says, "The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen by faith;" [977] and again, in another, when speaking of the circumcision, to which he himself belonged, he says, "We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Jesus Christ." [978] Observe, he says that both the uncircumcision are justified by faith, and the circumcision through faith, if, indeed, the circumcision keep the righteousness of faith. For the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith, [979] --by obtaining it of God, not by assuming it of themselves. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. And why? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by works [980] --in other words, working it out as it were by themselves, not believing that it is God who works within them. "For it is God which worketh in us both to will and to do of His own good pleasure." [981] And hereby "they stumbled at the stumbling-stone." [982] For what he said, "not by faith, but as it were by works," [983] he most clearly explained in the following words: "They, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." [984] Then are we still in doubt what are those works of the law by which a man is not justified, if he believes them to be his own works, as it were, without the help and gift of God, which is "by the faith of Jesus Christ?" And do we suppose that they are circumcision and the other like ordinances, because some such things in other passages are read concerning these sacramental rites too? In this place, however, it is certainly not circumcision which they wanted to establish as their own righteousness, because God established this by prescribing it Himself. Nor is it possible for us to understand this statement, of those works concerning which the Lord says to them, "Ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition;" [985] because, as the apostle says, Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness." [986] He did not say, Which followed after their own traditions, framing them and relying on them. This then is the sole distinction, that the very precept, "Thou shalt not covet," [987] and God's other good and holy commandments, they attributed to themselves; whereas, that man may keep them, God must work in him through faith in Jesus Christ, who is "the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." [988] That is to say, every one who is incorporated into Him and made a member of His body, is able, by His giving the increase within, to work righteousness. It is of such a man's works that Christ Himself has said, "Without me ye can do nothing." [989]
[972] 1 Cor. iv. 7.
[973] Gal. ii. 21.
[974] Ps. lxviii. 18; Eph. iv. 8.
[975] Luke viii. 18; xix. 26.
[976] Rom. iii. 30.
[977] Gal. iii. 8.
[978] Gal. ii. 15, 16. [The discussion turns on the difference in the Latin prepositions ex and per, representing the Greek ek and dia.--W.]
[979] Rom. ix. 30.
[980] Rom. ix. 31, 32.
[981] Phil. ii. 13.
[982] Rom. ix. 32.
[983] Rom. ix. 32.
[984] Rom. x. 3, 4.
[985] Mark vii. 9.
[986] Rom. ix. 31.
[987] Ex. xx. 17.
[988] Rom. x. 4.
[989] John xv. 5.