LECTURE V.
Knowing this, that the Law is not made for a righteous man.
WE are at this time to demolish one of the strongest holds that the Adversary hath: For, it may be supposed, that the eighth verse cannot be so much against them, as the ninth is for them: therefore Austin observeth well, The Apostle (saith he) joyning two things, as it were contrary, together, doth monere & movere, both admonish and provoke the Reader to finde out the true answer to this question, how both of them can be true. We must there∣fore say to these places, as Moses did to the two Israelites fight∣ing, Why fall you out, seeing you are brethren? Austin improveth the objection thus, If the Law be good, when used lawfully, and none but the righteous man can use it lawfully, how then should it not be but to him, who onely can make the true use of it? Therefore, for the better understanding of these words, let us consider, who they are that are said to know: and secondly, what is said to be knowne.
The subject knowing is here in this Verse in the singular number, in the Verse before in the plurall: it's therefore doubted, whether this be affirmed of the same persons or no. Some Expo∣sitors thinke those in the eighth, and these in the ninth, are the same, and that the Apostle doth change the number from the plurall to the singular; which is very frequent in Scripture: as, Galat. 6. 1. Others (as Salmeron) make a mysticall reason in the changing, Because (saith he) there are but few that know the Law is not made for the righteous, therefore he speaketh in the singular number. There is a second kind of Interpreters, and they do not make this spoken of the same, but understand this word, as a qualification of him that doth rightly use the Law: Thus,