17 to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, the covenant which was before confirmed of God through Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, doth not disannul, so as to make the promise of no effect. 18 And again, if the inheritance be by the law, it is no more by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19 Wherefore then was the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made: and it was ordained by angels, in the 20 hand of a mediator. Now the mediator is not a mediator 21 of one; but God is one. Is then the law against the promises of God? God forbid. But if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteous22 ness would have been by the law. But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of

V. 17. And this I say-What I mean is this. The covenant which was before confirmed of God-By the promise itself, by the repetition of it, and by a solemu oath, concerning the blessing all nations through Christ, the law which was four hundred and thirty years after-(Counting from the time when the promise was first made to Abraham, Gen. xii. 2, 3,) doth not disannul, so as to make the promise of no effect-With regard to all nations, if only the Jewish were to receive it: yea, with regard to them also, if it was by works, so as to supersede it, and introduce another way of obtaining the blessing.

V. 18. And again-This is a new argument. The former was drawn from the time, this from the nature of the transaction, if the eternal inheritance be obtained by keeping, the law, it is no more by virtue of the free promise-These being just opposite to each other. But it is by promise. Therefore it is not by the law.

V. 19. It (the ceremonial law) was added-To the promise, because of transgressions-Probably, the yoke of the ceremonial law was inflicted as a punishment for the national sin of idolatry, (Exod. xxxii. 1,) at least the more grievous parts of it: and the whole of it was a prophetic type of Christ. The moral law was added to the promise, to discover and to restrain transgressions, to convince men of their guilt and need of the promise, and give some check to sin. And this law passeth not away: but the ceremonial law was only introduced till Christ, the seed to or through whom the promise was made, should come. And it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator-It was not given to Israel, like the promise to Abraham, immediately from God himself, but was conveyed by the ministry of angels to Moses, and delivered into his hand as a mediator between God and them, to remind them of the great Mediator.

V. 20. Now the mediator is not a mediator of one-There must be two parties, or there can be no mediator between them: But God, who made the free promise to Abraham, is only one of the parties. The other, Abraham, was not present at the time of Moses. Therefore in the promise Moses had nothing to do. The law, wherein he was concerned, was a transaction of quite another nature.

V. 21. Will it follow from hence, that the law is against-Opposite to the promises of God? By no means. They are well consistent. But yet the law cannot give life, as the promise doth. If there had been a law which could have given life-Which could have entitled a sinner to life, God would have spared his own Son; and righteousness, or justification, with all the blessings consequent upon it, would have been by that law.

V. 22. But on the contrary the Scriptures, wherein that law is written, hath'

23 Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up 24 together unto the faith which was to be revealed. Where

fore the law was our school-master unto Christ, that we 25 might be justified by faith. But faith being come, we 26 are no longer under a school-master. For ye are all sons 27 of God by faith in Jesus Christ. For as many of you as

have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all 29 one in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ's, then are ye the seed of Abraham, and heirs according to the promise.

CHAP. IV. 1. Now I say the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be 2 lord of all; But is under tutors and stewards, till the time S appointed by the Father. So we also, when we were

children, were in bondage under the elements of the

concluded all under sin-Hath shut them up together (so the word properly signifies) as in a prison, under sentence of death, to the end that all being cut off from expecting justification by the law, the promise might be freely given to them that believe.

V. 23. But before faith-That is, the gospel dispensation, came, we were kept-As in close custody, under the law-The Mosaic dispensation, shut up unto the faith which was to be revealed-Reserved and prepared for the gospel dispensation.

V. 24. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster unto Christ-It was designed to train us up for Christ. And this it did both by its commands, which shewed the need we had of his atonement, and its ceremonies, which all pointed us to him.

V. 25. But faith-That is, the gospel dispensation, being come, we are no longer under that schoolmaster, the Mosaic dispensation.

V. 26. For ye-Christians, are all adult sons of God-And so need a schoolmaster no longer.

V. 27. For as many of you as have testified your faith by being baptized in the name of Christ, have put on Christ-Have received him as your Righteousness, and are therefore sons of God through him.

V. 28. There is neither Jew nor Greek-That is, there is no difference between them; they are equally accepted through faith. There is neither male nor female-Circumcision being laid aside, which was peculiar to males, and was designed to put a difference, during a dispensation, between Jews and Gentiles.

V. 29. If ye are Christ's-That is, believers in him.

CHAP. IV. Ver. 1. Now-To illustrate, by a plain similitude, the preeminence of the Christian over the legal dispensation, the heir, as long as he is a child-As he is under age, differeth nothing from a servant-Not being at liberty either to use or enjoy his estate, though he be lord-Proprietor of it all. V 2. But is under tutors-As to his person, and stewards-As to his substance.

V. 3 So we The church of God, when we were children-In our minority, under the legal dispensation, were in bondage-In a kind of servile state, under the elements of the world-Under the typical observances of the law,

4 world. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman, made under 5 the law, To redeem those under the law, that we might 6 receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, 7 crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God 8 through Christ. Indeed, then, when ye knew not God, 9 ye served them that by nature are not gods. But now having known God, or rather being known of God, how turn ye back to the weak and poor elements, to which ye 10 desire to be in bondage again? Ye observe days, and 11 months, and times, and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have laboured among you in vain.

12

Brethren, I beseech you, be ye as I am; for I also am

which were like the first elements of Grammar, the A B C of children; and were of so gross a nature, as hardly to carry our thoughts beyond this world. V. 4. But when the fulness of the time-Appointed by the Father, ver. 2, was come, God sent forth-From his own bosom, his Son, miraculously made of the substance of a woman-A virgin, without the concurrence of a man, made under the law-Both under the precept and under the curse of it.

V. 5. To redeem those under the law-From the curse of it, and from that low, servile state; that we-Jews who believe, might receive the adoption-All the privileges of adult sons.

V. 6. And because ye-Gentiles who believe, are also thus made his adult sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts likewise, crying, Abba, Father-Enabling you to call upon God, both with the confidence and the tempers of dutiful children. The Hebrew and Greek word are joined together, to express the joint cry of the Jews and Gentiles.

V.7. Wherefore thou-Who believest in Christ, art no more a servant-Like those who are under the law, but a son-Of mature age, and if a son, then an heir of all the promises, and of the all-sufficient God himself.

V. 8. Indeed then when ye knew not God, ye served them that by nature-That is, in reality, are no gods-And so were under a far worse bondage than even that of the Jews. For they did serve the true God, though in a low, slavish

manner.

V. 9. But now being known of God-As his beloved children, how turn ye back to the weak and poor elements-Weak, utterly unable to purge your conscience from guilt, or to give that filial confidence in God: poor, incapable of enriching the soul with such holiness and happiness as ye are heirs to. Ye desire to be again in bondage-Though of another kind; now to these elements, as before to those idols.

V. 10. Ye observe days-Jewish sabbaths, and months-New moons, and times-As that of the passover, pentecost, and the feast of tabernacles, and years-Annual solemnities. It does not mean sabbatic years. These were not to be observed out of the land of Canaan.

V. 11. The apostle here, dropping the argument, applies to the affections, ver. 11—20, and humbles himself to the Galatians, with an inexpressible tenderness.

Y. 12. Brethren, I beseech you be as I am-Meet me in mutual love: for I am as ye were-I still love you as affectionately as ye once loved me. Why should I not? Ye have not injured me at all-I have received no personal Injury from you,

13 as ye were: ye have not injured me at all. Ye know that notwithstanding infirmity of the flesh, I preached the 14 gospel to you at first. And ye did not slight or disdain

my temptation which was in the flesh, but received me as 15 an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. What was then the blessedness ye spake of? For I bear you witness, that, if possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes, and have 16 given them to me. Am I become your enemy, because I tell 17 you the truth? They zealously affect you, but not well;

yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. 18 Now it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and 19 not only while I am present with you. My little children,

of whom I travail in birth again, till Christ be formed in 20 you, I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

21 Tell me, ye that would be under the law, do ye not 22 hear the law? For it is written, * Abraham had two sons, one by the bond-woman, another by the free-woman. 23 And he of the bond-woman was born after the flesh, but 24 he of the free-woman by promise. Which things are an

* Gen. xxi. 2, 9.

V. 13. I preached to you, notwithstanding infirmity of the flesh-That is, notwithstanding bodily weakness, and under great disadvantage from the despicableness of my outward appearance.

V. 14. And ye did not slight my temptation-That is, ye did not slight or disdain me for my temptation, mý thorn in the flesh.

V. 15. What was then the blessedness ye spake of On which ye so congratulated one another?

V. 17. They-The judaizing teachers who are come among you, zealously affect you-Express an extraordinary regard for you; but not well-Their zeal is not according to knowledge, neither have they a single eye to your spiritual advantage; yea, they would exclude you-From me, and from the blessings of the gospel, that ye might affect-Love and esteem them.

V. 18. In a good thing-In what is really worthy our zeal. True zeal is only fervent love.

V. 19. My little children-He speaks as a parent, both with authority, and the most tender sympathy toward weak and sickly children, of whom I travail in birth again-As I did before, ver. 13, in vehement pain, sorrow, desire, prayer, till Christ be formed in you-Till there be in you, all the mind that was in him.

V. 20. I could wish to be present with you now-Particularly in this exigence, and to change-Variously to attemper, my voice-He writes with much softness; but he would speak with more. The voice may more easily be varied according to the occasion than a letter can; for I stand in doubt of you-So that I am at a loss how to speak at this distance.

V. 21. Do ye not hear the law-Regard what it says?

V. 23. Was born after the flesh-In a natural way: By promise-Through that supernatural strength, which was given Abraham in consequence of the promise.

V. 24. Which things are an allegory-An allegory is a figurative speech, wherein one thing is expressed, and another intended: For those two sons are

allegory; for these are the two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Agar. 25 For this is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to

Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage with her chil26 dren. But Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the 27 mother of us all. (For it is written, * Rejoice thou barren, that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for the desolate bath many more children than she 28 that hath a husband.) Now we, brethren, like Isaac, are 29 children of promise. But as then, he that was born after

the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, so 30 it is now also. But what saith the Scripture? + Cast out the bond-woman and her son; for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free31 woman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free.

CHAP. V. 1. Stand fast therefore in the liberty + Gen. xxi. 10.

* Isa. liv. 1.

types of the two covenants. One covenant is that given from mount Sinai, which beareth children to bondage-That is, all who are under this, the Jewish covenant, are in bondage; which covenant is typified by Agar.

V. 25. For this is mount Sinai in Arabia-That is, the type of mount Sinai, and answereth to-Resembles, Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage-Like Agar, both to the law and to the Romaus.

V. 26. But the other covenant is derived from Jerusalem that is above, which is free, like Sarah-From all inward and outward bondage, and is the mother of us all-That is, all who believed in Christ, are free citizens of the New Jerusalem.

V. 27. For it is written-Those words, in the primary sense, promise a flourishing state to Judea, after its desolation by the Chaldeans. Rejoice thou barren, that bearest not-Ye heathen nations, who, like a barren woman, were destitute, for many ages, of a seed to serve the Lord. Break forth and cry aloud for joy, thou that in former time travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she that hath a husband-For ye that were so long utterly desolate, shall at length_bear more children than the Jewish church, which was of old espoused to God.

V. 28. Now we- -Who believe, whether Jews or Gentiles, are children of the promise-Not born in a natural way, but by the supernatural power of God. And as such, we are heirs of the promise made to believing Abraham.

V. 29. But as then, he that was born after the Aesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, so it is now also-And so it will be in all ages and nations, to the end of the world.

V. 30. But what saith the Scripture-Shewing the consequence of this: Cast out the bond-woman and her son-Who mocked Isaac. In like manner will God cast out all who seek to be justified by the law; especially if they persecute them who are his children by faith.

V. 31. So then-To sum up all, we who believe are not children of the bondwoman-Have nothing to do with the servile Mosaic dispensation; but of the free-Being free from the curse and the bond of that law, and from the power of sin and Satan.

CHAP. V. Ver. 1. Stand fast therefore in the liberty-From the ceremonial