Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace— By favour. Here it should be well observed, that faith and favour do mutually and necessarily infer each other; for the grace or favour of God in its own nature requires faith in us, and faith on our part in its own nature supposes the grace or favour of God. If any blessing is the free gift of God in order to influence our temper and behaviour, then in the very nature of things it is necessary that we be sensible of this blessing, and persuaded of the grace of God who bestows it; otherwise, it is not possible we should improve it. On the other hand, if faith in the goodness or favour of God, with regard to any blessing, is the principle of our religious hopes and actions, then it follows, that the blessing is not due in strict justice, or uponthe footing of law; but that it is the free gift of divine goodness. If the promise to Abraham, constituting him and his seed the heirs or first-born of the world, is of faith on our part, then is it by favour on the part of God; and it is of faith that it might be by favour. Favour, being the mere good-will of the donor, is free and open to all whom he chooses to make the objects of it: and the divine wisdom appointed faith to be the condition of that promise, because faith, or a persuasion of the truth of the promise, is on our part the most simple principle; bearing an exact correspondence to grace or favour, and reaching as far as that can extend; that so the happy effects of that promise might spread far and wide, take in the largest compass, and be confined by no condition, but what is merely necessary in the nature of things. See Bengelius, and Calmet. Mr. Locke observes, that the grammatical constructionat the beginning of this verse does not seem much to favour inheritance, as the word to be supplied, (therefore the inheritance is of faith,) because it does not occur in the preceding verses; but he that observes St. Paul's way of writing, who more regards things than forms of speaking, will be satisfied that it is enough that he mentions heirs, Romans 4:13-14. And that he means inheritance here, is put past a doubt by Galatians 3:18.
Related Commentaries of Romans 4:16
Romans 4:16
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,