VERSE 24. That we may be made righteous by faith,

The law is not a schoolmaster to bring us unto another lawgiver which requireth good works, but unto Christ our justifier and Saviour, that by faith in him we might be justified, and not by works. But when a man feeleth the force and strength of the law, he doth not understand nor believe this; therefore he saith: I have lived wickedly, for I have transgressed all the commandments of God, and therefore I am guilty of eternal death. If God would prolong my life certain years, or at least certain months, I would amend my life and live holily hereafter. Here, of the true use of the law he maketh an abuse. Reason being overtaken in these terrors and straits, is bold to promise unto God the fulfilling of all the works of the whole law. And hereof came so many sects, and swarms of monks and religious hypocrites, so many ceremonies, and so many works, devised to deserve grace and remission of sins. And they which devised these things, thought that the law was a schoolmaster to lead them, not unto Christ, but to a new law, or unto Christ as a lawgiver, and not as one that hath abolished the law.

But the true use of the law is to teach me that I am brought to the knowledge of my sin, and humbled, that so I may come unto Christ, and may be justified by faith. But faith is neither law nor work, but an assured confidence which apprehendeth Christ, "who is the end of the law," (Rom. x.) And how? Not that he hath abolished the old law and given a new: or that he is a judge which must be pacified by works, as the Papists have taught; but he is the end of the law to all those that believe: that is to say, every one that believeth in him is righteous, and the law shall never accuse him. The law then is good, holy, and just, so that a man use it as he should do. Now, they that abuse the law are, first, the hypocrites which attribute unto the law a power to justify: and, secondly, they which do despair, not knowing that the law is a schoolmaster to lead men unto Christ: that is to say, that the law humbleth them, not to their destruction, but to their salvation. For God woundeth that he may heal again: he killeth that he may quicken again.

Now, Paul, as before I have said, speaketh of those which are to be justified, and not of those which are justified already. Therefore, when thou goest about to reason as concerning the law, thou must take the matter of the law, or that whereupon the law worketh, namely, the sinner and the wicked person, whom the law justifieth not, but setteth sin before his eyes, casteth him down, and bringeth him to the knowledge of himself: It sheweth unto him hell, the wrath, and the judgment of God. This is indeed the proper office of the law. Then followeth the use of this office: to wit, that the sinner may know that the law doth not reveal unto him his sin, and thus humbleth him, to the end he should despair: but that by this accusing and bruising, it may drive him unto Christ the Saviour

and comforter. When this is done, he is no longer under the schoolmaster. And this use is very necessary. For seeing the whole world is overwhelmed with sin, it hath need of this ministry of the law, that sin may be revealed, otherwise no man should ever attain to righteousness, as before we have largely declared. But what worketh the law in them that are already justified by Christ? Paul answereth by these words, which are, as it were, an addition to that which goeth before:

VERSE 25. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

That is to say, we are free from the law, from the prison, and from our schoolmaster; for when faith is revealed, the law terrifieth and tormenteth us no more. Paul here speaketh of faith as it was preached and published to the world by Christ in the time before appointed. For Christ, taking upon him our flesh, came once into the world: he abolished the law with all his effects, and delivered from eternal death all those which receive his benefit by faith. If, therefore, ye look unto Christ, and that which he hath done, there is now no law. For he, coming in the time appointed, took away the law. Now, since the law is gone, we are not kept under the tyranny thereof any more; but we live in joy and safety under Christ, who now sweetly reigneth in us by his spirit. Now, where the Lord reigneth, there is liberty. Wherefore, if we could perfectly apprehend Christ, which hath abolished the law by his death, and hath reconciled us unto his Father, that schoolmaster should have no power over us at all. But the law of the members, rebelling against the law of the mind, letteth us, that we cannot perfectly lay hold upon Christ. The lack, therefore, is not in Christ, but in us, which have not yet put off this flesh, to which sin continually cleaveth, as long as we live. Wherefore, as touching ourselves, we are partly free from the law, and partly under the law. According to the spirit, we serve with Paul, the “law of God: but according to the flesh, the law of sin," (Rom. vii.)

Hereof it followeth, that, as touching the conscience, we are fully delivered from the law, and therefore that schoolmaster must not rule in it; that is, he must not afflict it with his terrors, threatenings, and captivity. And albeit it go about so to do never so much, yet is not the conscience moved therewith. For it hath Christ crucified before her eyes, who hath removed all the offices of the law out of the conscience, "putting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us," &c. (Col. ii.) Therefore, even as a virgin knoweth no man, so the conscience must not only be ignorant of the law, but also it must be utterly dead unto the law, and the law likewise unto the conscience. This is not done by any works, or by the righteousness of the law, but by faith, which apprehendeth and layeth hold upon Christ.

Notwithstanding sin cleaveth still in the flesh, as touching the effect thereof, which oftentimes accuseth and troubleth the conscience. So long, then, as the flesh doth remain, so long this schoolmaster the law doth also remain, which many times terrifieth the conscience, and maketh it heavy by revealing of sin and threatening of death. Yet is it raised up again by the daily coming of Christ, who, as he came once into the world, in the time before appointed, to redeem us from the hard and sharp servitude of our schoolmaster; even so he cometh daily unto us spiritually, to the end that we may increase in faith, and in the knowledge of him; that the conscience may apprehend him more fully and perfectly from day to day; and that the law of the flesh and of sin, with the terror of death and all evils that the law bringeth with it, may be daily diminished in us more and more. As long then as we live in the flesh, which is not without sin, the law oftentimes returneth and doth his office, in one more, and in another less, as their faith is strong or weak, and yet not to their destruction, but to their salvation. For this is the exercise of the law in the saints, namely, the continual mortification of the flesh, of reason, and of our own strength, and the daily renewing of our inward man, as it is said in 2 Cor. iv.

We receive, then, the first fruits of the spirit. The leaven is hid in the mass of the dough; but all the dough is not yet leavened no, it is yet but only begun to be leavened. If I behold the leaven, I see nothing else but pure leaven; but if I behold the whole mass, I see that it is not all pure leaven. That is to say, if I behold Christ, I am altogether pure and holy, knowing nothing at all of the law; for Christ is my leaven: but if I behold my own flesh, I feel in myself covetousness, lust, anger, pride, and arrogance; also, the fear of death, heaviness, hatred, murmuring, and impatience against God. The more these sins are in me, the more is Christ absent from me; or if he be present, he is felt but a little. Here have we need of a schoolmaster, to exercise and vex this strong ass, the flesh, that by this exercise sins may be diminished, and a way prepared unto Christ. For as Christ came once corporally, at the time appointed, abolished the whole law, vanquished sin, destroyed death and hell; even so he cometh spiritually, without ceasing, and daily quencheth and killeth these sins in us.

This I say, that thou mayest be able to answer, if any shall thus object: Christ came into the world, and at once took away all our sins, and cleansed us by his blood: what need we, then, to hear the gospel, or to receive the sacraments? True it is, that inasmuch as thou beholdest Christ, the law and sin are quite abolished. But Christ is not yet come unto thee; or if he be come, yet notwithstanding there are remnants of sin in thee; thou art not yet thoroughly leavened; for where concupiscence, heaviness of spirit, and fear of death is, there is yet also the law and sin. Christ is not yet thoroughly come: but when he cometh

indeed, he driveth away fear and heaviness, and bringeth peace and quietness of conscience. So far forth, then, as I do apprehend Christ by faith, so much is the law abolished unto me. But my flesh, the world, and the devil, do hinder faith in me, that it cannot be perfect. Right gladly I would that that little light of faith which is in my heart, were spread throughout all my body, and all the members thereof; but it is not done; it is not by-and-by spread, but only beginneth to be spread. In the mean season this is our consolation, that we who have the first fruits of the spirit, do now begin to be leavened; but we shall be thoroughly leavened, when this body of sin is dissolved, and we shall rise new creatures wholly, together with Christ.

Albeit then that Christ be one and the same yesterday, today, and shall be for ever, (Heb. xiii. 8,) and albeit that all the faithful which were before Christ, had the gospel and faith; yet notwithstanding Christ came once in the time before determined. Faith also came once when the apostles preached and published the gospel throughout the world. Moreover, Christ cometh also spiritually every day. Faith likewise cometh daily by the word of the gospel. Now, when faith is come, the schoolmaster is constrained to give place, with his heavy and grievous office. Christ cometh also spiritually, when we still more and more do know and understand those things which by him are given unto us, and increase in grace and in the knowledge of him, 2 Pet. iii.

VERSE 26. For ye are all the sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Paul, as a true and an excellent teacher of faith, hath always these words in his mouth, "by faith, in faith, of faith," which is in Christ Jesus. He saith not, ye are the children of God, because ye are circumcised, because ye have heard the law, and have done the works thereof, (as the Jews do imagine, and the false apostles teach,) but by faith in Jesus Christ. The law, then, maketh us not children of God, and much less men's traditions. It cannot beget us into a new nature, or a new birth: but it setteth before us the old birth, whereby we were born to the kingdom of the devil; and so it prepareth us to a new birth, which is by faith in Jesus Christ, and not by the law, as Paul plainly witnesseth: "For ye are all the sons of God by faith," &c. As if he said, Albeit ye be tormented, humbled, and killed by the law, yet hath not the law made you righteous, or made you the children of God: this is the work of faith alone. What faith? Faith in Christ. Faith, therefore, in Christ, maketh us the children of God, and not the law. The same thing witnesseth also St. John-" He gave power to as many as believed in him, to be the children of God," (John i. 12. Rom. viii. 16, 17.) What tongue, either of men or angels, can sufficiently extol and magnify the great mercy of God towards us, that we, which are miserable sinners, and by nature the children of wrath,

should be called to his grace and glory, to be made the children and heirs of God, fellow-heirs with the Son of God, and lords over heaven and earth, and that by the only means of our faith which is in Christ Jesus.

VERSE 27. For all ye that are baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. To put on Christ is taken two manner of ways: according to the law, and according to the gospel. According to the law, as it is said in the 13th chapter to the Romans: "Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ:" that is, follow the example and virtues of Christ. Do that which he did, and suffer that which he suffered. And in 1 Pet. ii. "Christ hath suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps." Now, we see in Christ a singular patience, an inestimable mildness and love, and a wonderful modesty in all things. This goodly apparel we must put on, that is to say, follow these virtues.

But the putting on of Christ, according to the gospel, consisteth not in imitation, but in a new birth and a new creation: that is to say, in putting on Christ's innocency, his righteousness, his wisdom, his power, his saving health, his life, and his spirit. We are clothed with the leather coat of Adam, which is a mortal garment, and a garment of sin; that is to say, we are all subject unto sin, all sold under sin. There is in us horrible blindness, ignorance, contempt and hatred of God: moreover, evil concupiscence, uncleanness, covetousness, &c. This garment, that is to say, this corrupt and sinful nature, we received from Adam, which Paul is wont to call "the old man." This old man must be put off, with all his works, (Eph. iv. Cor. i.) that of the children of Adam we may be made the children of God. This is not done by changing of a garment, or by any laws or works, but by a new birth, and by the renewing of the inward man, which is done in baptism, as Paul saith: "All ye that are baptized, have put on Christ." Also: "According to his mercy hath he saved us by the washing of the new birth, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." (Tit. iii.) For, besides that they which are baptized are regenerate and renewed by the Holy Ghost to a heavenly righteousness and to eternal life, there riseth in them also a new light and a new flame; there rise in them new and holy affections, as the fear of God, true faith and assured hope, &c.; there beginneth in them also a new will. And this is to put on Christ truly, and according to the gospel.

Therefore, the righteousness of the law, or of our own works, is not given unto us in baptism; but Christ himself is our garment. Now, Christ is no law, no lawgiver, no work; but a divine and an inestimable gift, whom God hath given unto us, that he might be our justifier, our saviour, and our redeemer. Wherefore, to be apparelled with Christ according to the gospel, is not to be apparelled with the law nor with works, but with an incomparable gift; that is to say, with remission of sins,