for us a transgressor of all laws, guilty of all our malediction, our sins, and all our evils, cometh between as a mediator, embracing us wicked and damnable sinners. He took upon him and bore all our evils, which should have oppressed and tormented us for ever; and these cast him down for a little while, and ran over his head like water, as the prophet in the person of Christ complaineth when he saith; "thy indignation sore presseth me, and thou hast vexed me with all thy storms." Again, "thine indignations have gone over me, and thy terrors have troubled me." By this means we being delivered from these everasting terrors and anguish through Christ, shall enjoy an everlasting and inestimable peace and felicity, so that we believe this. These are the reverend mysteries of the scripture, which Moses also somewhat darkly in some places did foreshew: which also the prophets and apostles did know, and did deliver to their posterity. For this knowledge and benefit of Christ to come, the saints of the Old Testament rejoiced more than we now do, when he is so comfortably revealed and exhibited unto us. we do acknowledge that this knowledge of Christ and of the righteousness of faith, is an inestimable treasure; but we conceive not thereby such a full joy of spirit, as the prophets and apostles did. Hereof it cometh, that they, and especially Paul, so plentifully set forth and so diligently taught the article of justification. For this is the proper office of an apostle, to set forth the glory and benefit of Christ, and thereby to raise up and comfort troubled and afflicted consciences.

Indeed

VERSE 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Christ Jesus.

Paul hath always this place before his eyes: "in thy seed, &c."-For the blessing promised unto Abraham, could not come upon the Gentiles, but only by Christ, the seed of Abraham; and that by this means, that it behoved him to be made a curse, that this promise made unto Abraham: "in thy seed shall all nations be blessed," might so be fulfilled. Therefore by no other means could this be done that here is promised, but that Jesus Christ must needs become a curse, and join himself to those that were accursed, that so he might take away the curse from them, and through his blessing might bring unto them righteousness and life. And here mark (as I have also forewarned you) that this word, blessing, is not in vain, as the Jews dream, who expound it to be but a salutation by word of mouth. or by writing. But Paul entreateth here of sin and righteousness, of death and life before God.-He speaketh therefore of inestimable and incomprehensible things, when he saith: "that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, through Jesus Christ."

Ye see moreover what merits we bring, and by what means we obtain this blessing. This is the merit of congruence and wors

For

thiness, these are the works preparative, whereby we obtain this righteousness, that Christ Jesus was made a curse for us. we are ignorant of God, enemies of God, dead in sin, and accursed: and what is our desert then? what can he deserve that is accursed, ignorant of God, dead in sius, and subject to the wrath and judgment of God?When the Pope excommunicateth a man, whatsoever he doth is accounted accursed. How much more then may we say, that he is accursed before God (as all we are before we know Christ) which doth nothing else but accursed things? Wherefore there is no other way to avoid the curse, but to believe, and with assured confidence to say, Thou Christ art my sin and my curse, or rather, I am thy sin, thy curse, thy death, thy wrath of God, thy hell; and, contrariwise, thou art my righteousness, my blessing, my life, my grace of God, and my heaven. For the text saith plainly, "Christ is made a curse for us." Therefore we are the cause that he was made a curse: nay rather, we are his curse.

This is an excellent place, and full of spiritual consolation; and albeit it satisfy not the blind and hard-hearted Jews, yet it satisfieth us that are baptized, and have received this doctrine, and concludeth most mightily, that we are blessed through the curse, the sin, and the death of Christ; that is to say, we are justified and quickened unto life. So long as sin, death, and the curse do abide in us, sin terrifieth, death killeth, and the curse condemneth us. But when these are translated and laid upon Christ's back, then are all these evils made his own, and his benefits are made ours. Let us therefore learn in all temptations to translate sin, death, the curse, and all evils which oppress us, from ourselves unto Christ: and again, from him unto ourselves, righteousness, mercy, life and blessing. For he beareth all our evils and our miseries, "God the father cast the iniquities of us all," as Isaiah the prophet saith, "upon him; and he hath taken them upon him willingly, which was not guilty." But this he did, that he might fulfil the will of his Father, by the which we are sanctified for ever.

This is that infinite and unmeasurable mercy of God, which Paul would gladly amplify with all eloquence and plenty of words, but the slender capacity of man's heart cannot comprehend, and much less utter that unsearchable depth and burning zeal of God's love towards us. And verily the inestimable greatness of God's mercy not only engendereth in us a hardness to believe, but also incredulity itself. For I do not only hear that this Almighty God, the creator and maker of all things, is good and merciful, but also that the same high sovereign majesty was so careful for me a damnable sinner, a child of wrath and everlasting death, that he spared not his own dear Son, but delivered him to a most shameful death, that he, hanging between two thieves, might be made a curse and sin for me a cursed sinner, that I might be made blessed; that is to say, the child and

heir of God. Who can sufficiently praise and magnify this exceeding great goodness of God? Not all the angels in heaven. Therefore the doctrine of the gospel speaketh of far other matters than any book of policy or philosophy, yea, or the book of Moses himself; to wit, of the unspeakable and most divine gifts of God, which far pass the capacity and understanding both of men and angels.

VERSE 14. That we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

This is a phrase of the Hebrew: "The promise of the Spirit:" that is to say, the Spirit promised. Now, the Spirit is freedom from the law, sin, death, the curse, hell, and from the wrath and judgment of God. Here is no merit or worthiness of ours, but a free promise and a gift given through the seed of Abraham, that we may be free from all evils, and obtain all good things. And this liberty and gift of the Spirit we receive not by any other merits than by faith alone. For that only taketh hold of the promises of God, as Paul plainly saith in this place: "that we might receive the promise of the Spirit, not by works, but by faith.'

us,

This is indeed a sweet and a true apostolic doctrine, which sheweth that those things are fulfilled for us, and now given to which many prophets and kings desired to see and hear. And such like places as this one is, were gathered together out of divers sayings of the prophets, which foresaw long before, in spirit, that all things should be changed, repaired, and governed by this man Christ. The Jews therefore, although they had the law of God, did notwithstanding, besides that law, look for Christ. None of the prophets or governors of the people of God did make any new law, but Eli, Samuel, David, and all the other prophets did abide under the law of Moses: they did not appoint any new tables, or a new kingdom and priesthood: for that new change of the kingly priesthood of the law, and the worship, was referred and kept to him only, of whom Moses had prophesied long before: "The Lord thy God shall raise up a prophet unto thee of thine own nation and from among thy brethren: him shalt thou hear." As if he should say: thou shalt hear him only, and none besides him.

This the fathers well understood, for none could teach greater and higher points than Moses himself, who made excellent laws of high and great matters, as are the ten commandments, especially the first commandment: "I am the Lord thy God: thou shalt have none other Gods but me: thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart," &c. (Exod. xx. 2,3.) This law concerning the love of God, comprehended the very angels also. Therefore it is the head-spring of all divine wisdom. And yet was it necessary, notwithstanding, that another teacher should come, that is to say, Christ, which should bring and teach another thing far passing the excellent laws: to wit, grace and

remission of sins. This text therefore is full of power: for in this short sentence: "That we might receive the promise of the Spirit by faith:" Paul poureth out at once whatsoever he was able to say. Therefore when he can go no farther, (for he could not utter any greater or more excellent thing,) he breaketh off, and here he stayeth.

VERSE 15. Brethren, I speak according to man: though it be but a man's covenant, when it is confirmed, yet no man doth abrogate it, or addeth any thing thereto.

After this principal and invincible argument, Paul addeth another, grounded upon the similitude of a man's testament: which seemeth to be very weak, and such as the apostle ought not to use for the confirmation of a matter of so great importance. For in high and weighty matters, we ought to confirm earthly things by divine things, and not divine and heavenly things by earthly and worldly things. And indeed it is true, that these arguments of all other are most weak, when we go about to prove and confirm heavenly matters with earthly and corruptible things, as Scotus is wont to do. A man, saith he, is able to love God above all things, for he loveth himself above all things; therefore, much more is he able to love God above all things: for a good thing, the greater it is, the more it is to be loved. And hereof he inferreth that a man is able, ex puris naturalibus, that is to say, even of his own pure natural strength, easily to fulfil that high commandment: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart," &c. For, saith he, a man is able to love the least good thing above all things: yea, he setteth at nought his life (of all other things most dear unto him) for a little vile money; therefore he can much more do it for God's cause.

Ye have oftentimes heard of me, that civil ordinances are of God: for God hath ordained them, and allowed them, as he doth the sun, the moon, and other creatures. Therefore an argument taken of the ordinance of the creatures of God is good, so that we use the same rightly. So the prophets have very often used similitudes and comparisons taken of creatures, calling Christ the son, the church the moon, the preachers and teachers of the word the stars. Also there are many similitudes in the prophets, of trees, thorns, flowers, and fruits of the earth. The New Testament likewise is full of such similitudes. Therefore, where God's ordinance is in the creature, there may an argument be well borrowed and applied to divine and heavenly things.

So our Saviour Christ, in Matt. vii. arguing from earthly things to heavenly things, when he saith, "If ye then which are evil can give to your children good gifts, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him?" Likewise Paul: "We must obey men; therefore much more must we obey God." (Acts v. 29.) Jeremiah also, in chap.

XXXV. "The Rechabites obeyed their fathers; how much more ought ye to have obeyed me?" Now, these things are appointed of God, and are his ordinances, that fathers should give unto their children, and that children should obey their parents; therefore such manner of arguments are good, when they are grounded upon the ordinance of God. But if they be taken from men's corrupt affections, they are naught. Such is the argument of Scotus. I love the lesser good thing, therefore I love the greater more. I deny the consequence. For my loving is not God's ordinance, but a devilish corruption. Indeed it should be So, that I, loving myself or another creature, should much more love God the Creator; but it is not so. For the love wherewith I love myself is corrupt and against God.

This I say, lest any man should cavil that an argument taken of corruptible things, and applied to divine and spiritual matters, is nothing worth. For this argument, as I have said, is strong enough, so that we ground the same upon the ordinance of God, as we see in this argument which we have in hand. For the civil law, which is an ordinance of God, saith that it is not lawful to break or to change the testament of a man. Yea, it commandeth that the last will and testament of a man be straitly kept; for it is one of the holiest and most laudable customs that are among men. Now therefore, upon this custom of man's testament, Paul argueth after this manner: How cometh it to pass that man is obeyed and not God? Politic and civil ordinances, as concerning testaments and other things, are diligently kept. There nothing is changed, nothing is added or taken away. But the testament of God is changed; that is to say, his promise concerning the spiritual blessing, that is, concerning heavenly and everlasting things, which the whole world ought not only to receive with great zeal and affection, but also ought most religiously to reverence and honour. This persuadeth vehemently, when we so argue from the examples and laws of men. Therefore he saith, I speak after the manner of men; that is to say, I bring unto you a similitude taken of the custom and manner of men. As if he should say, the testaments of men and such other corruptible things are straitly executed, and that which the law commandeth is diligently observed and kept. For when a man mak eth his last will, bequeathing his lands and goods to his heirs, and thereupon dieth, this last will is confirmed and ratified by the death of the testator, so that nothing may now be either added to it, or taken from it, according to all law and equity. Now, if a man's will be kept with so great fidelity, that nothing is added to it or taken from it after his death, how much more ought the last will of God to be faithfully kept, which he promised and gave unto Abraham and his seed after him? For when Christ died, then was it confirmed in him, and after his death the writing of his last testament was opened; that is to say, "the promised blessing of Abraham was preached among