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Here our apostle proceeds to a second argument, to prove that persons are justified by faith, and not by works; and that is drawn from the example of Abraham: And the argument lies thus: "As Abraham, the father of the faithful, was justified; so must all believers, the children of faithful Abraham, be justified also. But though Abraham did abound in many virtues and good works, yet he was not justified by these, but by faith only; therefore by faith must all his children be justified also. Abraham believed God; that is, assented to, and relied upon the promise of God made unto him, that in him, that is, in the Messias, who was to descend from him. should all the nations of the earth be blessed; and this faith of his was accounted imputed, and reckoned to him for righteousness; that is, was accepted of God for his justification."
From whence the apostle doth infer, or draw this conclusion, that such as seek justification by faith, as Abraham did, are the children of Abraham, as the Gentiles were; that is, the children of his faith; a far greater privilege than what the Jews gloried in, namely, that they were the children of his flesh.
Learn hence, that as the pious Jews under the Old Testament, so are Christians now under the New Testament, justified alike. Were they justified freely? So are we. Are we justified fully? So are they. Was a righteousness necessary for them to be clothed with, in order to their acceptance with God? The same is necessary for us also. Was faith imputed by God to them for righeousness? So shall it be to us also.