So then, brethren,— The Apostle, by this allegorical history, shews the Galatians that they who are sons of Agar, that is to say, under the law given at mount Sinai, are in bondage; the peculiar inheritance being designed for those only who are the free-born sons of God, under the spiritual covenant of the gospel. And thereupon he exhorts them in the following words, to preserve themselves in that state of freedom; for the exhortation in Galatians 4:1 of the following chapter is so evidently grounded on what the Apostle has been saying here, that it should, by all means, be connected with it. It is made the close of this chapter in three of Stephens's copies; which seems to be much more proper than to make it the beginning of another. We shall subjoin here a few observations on this chapter, particularly on Galatians 4:4.—to prove that the time when Christianity was made known, was the fittest period possible,—by way of
Inferences.—The goodness of God is not only eminently displayed in the great and signal blessings which he has conferred on mankind; but it may appear likewise in the very time fixed upon for bestowing his favours. We all know, from our own experience, that the deferring a benefit frequently enhances the value of it, and, of consequence, heightens our obligation to the benefactor. This reasoning may well be applied to the argument now under consideration.
Captious men have been apt to abound in vain inquiries; and, among others of a like nature, to ask this question;—"Why the Christian revelation, if it be really divine, was not communicated sooner?" To which St. Paul has plainly intimated, in the words before us, this solid and sufficient answer. "That the preceding ages of the world were not so proper for it; for, in the fulness of time, God sent forth his Son: that is, at the time prescribed and pointed out in the ancient prophesies; not from mere arbitrary pleasure, but because it was in itself the fittest."
Indeed, if the introduction of the Christian dispensation into the world, immediately after the fall, were absolutely necessary, in the nature of the thing itself, to enable mankind to know, experience, and practise what it is their indispensable duty to know, experience, and practise, for eternal salvation, we should have had reason to conclude that it must have subsisted from the beginning, or as soon as this necessity commenced; and not have been delayed in the manner it was. But this is not the just state of the case; because the infinitely wise and righteous Governor of the world can require nothing of his creatures but what he has given them, or offered to them, a capacity and power to perform: the natural consequence of which is, that every man answers the end of that particular station wherein he is placed, who receives and uses the grace offered to him, and accordingly acts up to the light and advantages which he enjoys, whatever they are; though, in point of merit, he can be accepted of God only through the great atonement of the Son of his love, who was the Lamb slain in promise from the foundation of the world.
The fixing, therefore, of the times of the different dispensations, had no regard to equity, but solely to the Divine wisdom and goodness; so that, whatever time was judged most proper in the Divine Mind for the introduction of the gospel dispensation, or for the incarnation of the eternal Son of God, and the mission of the Holy Ghost, that was, without doubt, the most expedient and seasonable for the introduction or promulgation of it.* We proceed, therefore, to shew,—"That the time mentioned by St. Paul was the fittest period for infinite Wisdom to fix upon, because it was most proper for the propagation of Christianity; and that for two reasons of incontestible weight: first, that it could be more easily spread from one nation to another; and, secondly, that it might make a larger and more extensive progress."
* I am conscious that the omnipotence of God could make all circumstances submit to his pleasure. But we are not to judge in these cases from what he could, but from what he is pleased to do.
To this end it is proper to remember, that the greatest part of the known world was now united in one empire, under the Roman power; so that the intercourse between mankind was more universal, and travelling to remote nations more easy and commodious than it had ever been, under any other of the great monarchies. In this period likewise the world enjoyed a degree of peace and tranquillity, for a long while before unknown; which was another very favourable circumstance for the propagation and settlement of the gospel:—for, amid the horrors and desolations of war, the minds of men are distracted, and their thoughts fluctuating and confused. The general attention is engaged by victories and triumphs, or by scenes of devastation and ruin. The fate of nations is the point to be decided: the principal question depending, which employs speculations and inquiries, hopes and fears, is, "which shall be established—liberty or servitude?" And it is not to be expected, considering the depravity of mankind, that the generality will be sedate enough to examine and pursue truth as they ought, with disorder and confusion all around them. The preachers of new doctrines must then especially be obnoxious to the suspicions and resentments of the governing powers; every innovation will be represented as in a peculiar degree dangerous, and is likely to be suppressed, if possible, by all imaginary methods of craft and violence: not to mention that the communication between countries of opposite pretensions and interests being shut up, the propagation of true religion would be exceedingly obstructed.
Now, all these inconveniences which attend a state of war in general, formed the real situation and state of things for a long time before our Blessed Saviour's appearance: But, after the most polite and flourishing parts of the world had, for several centuries, been disquieted and shaken by frequent revolutions of empire, and harrassed with almost perpetual wars—in the reign of Augustus Caesar, these competitions and convulsions ceased;—and THEN the Saviour of the World, the Prince of Peace, was born; the substance of whose commission was, to assert the glory of the triune and eternal God, by his infinitely satisfactory atonement, and by the mission of the Holy Spirit; and thereby also to establish in the hearts of men love to God and love to each other; and, of consequence, that peace among men, that amiable and generous spirit of unconfined benevolence, which, if it prevailed, would make cruelty relent, bend stubborn pride, and allay the raging heat of ambition.—And it is farther observable, that the external peace which now subsisted, was not only more universal, but continued longer than had been often known in the history of preceding times; by which means, among others, Christianity became more established, till at length, through divine grace, that Roman power, which had severely oppressed and persecuted the professors of it, submitted, and owned its authority. Thus then we see that our blessed Saviour appeared at that period of time best fitted for trying, examining, proving, enforcing, and conveying his doctrines to all parts of the world, and to all succeeding ages and generations.
Again, one reason why his coming was so long delayed, was probably in order to justify the conduct of God in his dispensations to mankind, and to enable us to answer the cavil so often urged against the Christian dispensation—"Where was the necessity of this extraordinary step?—Could nothing less than the Son of God redeem mankind from their sins, and inform and instruct the world?"
To this the answer is now obvious:—"All other methods of effecting that purpose had been tried, or put in force, and all proved ineffectual."—When the preaching of Noah for an hundred years together was found utterly fruitless for the regeneration and reformation of mankind, God destroyed the whole race, one family excepted, by a flood.—When longevity and the experience of ages were found only to inspire mankind with confidence and security in sinning, God contracted their lives from period to period, until he reduced them to the present pittance.—When the example and influence of Noah, and the recent judgments of God upon the earth, could not restrain his sons from the vanity and evil tendencies of building the city and tower of Babel, God at once, by a signal interposition, confounded their language and their devices. The terrors of this judgment could scarcely be abated, before the signal blessings of God upon Abraham, and his judgments upon Sodom, became an open monition to mankind of divine savour and protection to piety, and vengeance upon wickedness. When the Egyptians began to grow eminent over the other empires of the world, God signally interposed for the manifestation of the true religion, by the ministry of Joseph; from whom, there is good reason to believe, they were more or less taught the worship of the true God, and the duties which they owed him. And when this nation became perfectly corrupt, through length of time and the increase of power and wealth, God again interposed for the deliverance of his people from among them, with a mighty hand and stretched-out arm, to the terror of the whole world, and the manifestation of his more immediate providence and dominion over the affairs of men.
From this time his peculiar people subsisted in the midst of their enemies by little less than a series of miracles, until they became, under David and Solomon, the greatest empire of the earth; and then the lustre and glory of the true religion was amply exhibited to the whole world around them.
As they became corrupt, the Egyptian monarchy prevailed, and principally upon their ruins;—as they repented, they were redeemed; and as they returned to their corruptions, they were gradually and proportionably oppressed by the succeeding monarchies: but still, in each of these,—in the Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, and Grecian, God signally interposed, by prophets, by miracles, by visions, and by signal judgments from heaven, for the manifestation of the true religion;—and, last of all,—when all these mercies, miracles, judgments, deliverances, monitions, visions, failed, and were found ineffectual; when the wisest and the divinest poets failed; when lawgivers, politicians, philosophers, and prophets proved insufficient for the instruction, regeneration, and amendment of the world!—the Divine Wisdom once more interposed, by sending down THE SON OF GOD from heaven, to atone, instruct, and, by his Holy Spirit, regenerate all that would believe. From all these reasons united, it is therefore clearly evident, that the period when Christ so came was the fittest season,—the fulness of time for sending a Saviour into the world.
And now, from what we have seen with respect to the past, we may extend our view to future times. For, as the Supreme Being must be at liberty to confer favours which could not be claimed, and as he has been pleased actually to communicate a revelation of these glorious truths,—we have sufficient ground to hope, yea, to be fully confident, not only from these arguments, but from the sure word of prophesy, that it certainly will be hereafter universally diffused. And if there will be such a future period, as we are fully assured there will, we may justly presume, from what we are convinced was the case at the first promulgation of the gospel, "that there will be sufficient evidence to convince thoughtful inquirers, that this also is the fittest season which could be fixed upon to answer the gracious design of Providence."
There are several circumstances already opened to our view, which demonstrate, that even now Christianity might be spread vastly farther than it could ever be during the continuance of the Roman empire.—A great part of the globe is planted by colonies of nominal Christians, which, but a few ages ago, was utterly unknown; and, besides the late discoveries and settlements in America, the commerce and trade of Christendom has extended itself to very remote Eastern nations, where the Roman arms never penetrated; nay, and where it is probable that the very name of heathen Rome, even in the height of its power and splendor, was never heard of. Add to this,—the considerable modern improvements in navigation, which procure us so easy an access to these newly-discovered countries;—the intercourse which we are capable of maintaining with the inhabitants, by the help of persons skilled in their several languages; together with the invention of printing,—that important method of improving, and easy way of dispersing knowledge: and all these concur, with the most important method of all, the establishment of missions, to facilitate the propagation of the gospel, beyond what could reasonably be expected in preceding ancient times.
But, notwithstanding all these, the critical period for making Christianity the universal religion does not seem to be yet come. Many obstacles remain, and several necessary preparations for this great event are still wanting. However, we ourselves can sadly imagine that this certain conjuncture is not at a vast distance from us, considering the frequent and surprizing vicissitudes and revolutions, in the course of human affairs, which have lately happened in a very short period of time.
For, (to conclude these remarks,) if the use of printing became established, and, of consequence, ingenuity and freedom of inquiry gained ground, in the vast Turkish empire,—and both were thence transferred to other Mahometan states;—and if those Christians who are conversant with infidel nations would behave towards them with justice and generosity, and treat them like men, and not, as if they were of an inferior species, like brutes, or SLAVES; if they would cease from corrupting the morals of the Mahometan or of the Pagan idolater, while they were persuading him to turn to their holy religion; if they would give substantial and shining proofs that they were not wholly intent on worldly gain,—not influenced by a rapacious ambition, nor fond of luxury, nor devoted to intemperance: if, on the contrary, they honoured their profession, through the grace of God, by the practice of those engaging graces and virtues which the gospel inculcates; and, above all, if God were pleased (as I doubt not but he soon will be) to open the way in those countries for ministers of the gospel after his own heart, full of faith and of the Holy Ghost—then we might justly apprehend that the time was drawing very nigh when, over ALL the earth, as the prophet had foretold, there shall be ONE Lord, and his NAME one; (Zechariah 14:9.) or, in the language of St. Paul, when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, and ALL Israel shall be saved. Romans 11:25-26.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, The Apostle had hinted before that the state of those who were under the law was a kind of minority. He here enlarges on that subject, shewing the vast superiority of the gospel above the legal dispensation.
1. Before Christ came, they were in a state of nonage. Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all, entitled to the inheritance; but is under tutors and governors, until the time appointed of the father, when he should be declared of age, and enter upon the management of his own affairs. Even so we, and all the people of God under the old Testament, when we were children, in the infantile state of the church, were in bondage under the elements of the world, subject to the law, with all the carnal ordinances, which were, as the first letters of the alphabet, designed to lead us on to higher attainments, and kept us, during this time of non-age, in a state of bondage. But,
2. Under the gospel dispensation our condition is much happier. When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, his only begotten, one in the same divine nature and essence, born of a woman, that he might be manifested in the flesh, made under the law, appointed both to endure the penalty due to our transgressions, and to fulfil the broken Adamic covenant of immaculate obedience; that he might thereby redeem them that were under the law; under its bondage and curse, that we, who believe in him, might receive the adoption of sons, admitted to that high privilege, and, if faithful unto death, blessed with all its happy consequences. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, through the glorified Redeemer, who hath all fulness of the Spirit to bestow on his believing people, and forms their hearts, by his divine operations, to the temper becoming the high dignity and relation with which they are honoured; so that, through the effectual working of the Holy Ghost, we are enabled, with fiducial dependance, filial love, and sacred joy, to approach a throne of grace, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore, wherever this Spirit is given, thou art no more a servant, but a son, admitted to that honourable place in God's family; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ, and entitled, if perseveringly faithful, to everlasting blessedness: so that, to return to the law for acceptance with God, is absurd and needless. Note; (1.) God manifest in the flesh is the foundation of every hope to the sinner. (2.) If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his; the grace of adoption always accompanies the privilege of adoption. (3.) That soul is happy, which is enabled, with humble and holy boldness, to approach our gracious God, crying, Abba, Father; and claiming this kindred with him, which he will not disown.
2nd, To shew them the glaring folly of their having recourse to the law for justification, he reminds them,
1. Of their former state of Gentilism. Howbeit, then when ye knew not God, grossly ignorant of his Being, perfections, and attributes, and, in fact, without God in the world, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods, worshipping senseless idols, and ascribing divinity to stocks and stones. In this state of horrid ignorance and guilt did the Apostle find them, and called them out of darkness into marvellous light.
2. How absurd then was their defection from the truth which they had received! But now after that ye have known God, through the gospel of his dear Son, or rather are known of God, approved and accepted of him in the Redeemer, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? What infatuation has seized you, to leave the gospel dispensation of light, love, and liberty, for the bondage, darkness, and fear of the Mosaical institutions, weak, and insufficient to cleanse the soul from guilt, or to obtain acceptance with God; and beggarly, when compared with the superior riches of gospel grace. Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years, placing dependance on the ceremonial ordinances of the Jewish ritual, as essential to your justification before God. And where this is the case, I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain, and that, departing thus from the fundamentals of the gospel, notwithstanding all our preaching, you should finally perish. Note; (1.) Many who make, for a while, fair professions, prove, in the end, foul apostates. (2.) Nothing more effectually destroys the soul, than a departure from that fundamental point of the gospel, justification by faith alone. (3.) It is a deep concern to the true ministers of Christ, when they, in whom they had hoped to see the fruit of their labours, disappoint their expectations.
3rdly, The Apostle,
1. With affectionate address, desires to win upon them. Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am, united with me in affection as I am to you, and imitate my example, leaving these Jewish rites, and cleaving to Christ alone for justification before God; for I am as ye are, one with you in fervent charity, and we are equally entitled to the privileges of the gospel: ye have not injured me at all; the injury you do is to Christ, and your own souls; and what I say proceeds not from any private resentment, but purely from a zeal for his glory, and your good; and if any disrespect may have been cast on me, I entirely overlook it. Note; The rebuke, which is tempered with love, will always be most effectual.
2. He reminds them of the former affection and esteem which they had shewn him. Ye know, how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. And my temptation in the flesh; (whether his sufferings; weakness of body, or ungraceful appearance, they knew what he meant, though we do not, for certain; but whatever it was, he could say) ye despised not, nor rejected; did not therefore slight my ministry, nor treat my person with contempt, but received me as an angel of God, with all veneration and regard, as a messenger sent from heaven, yea, even as Christ Jesus: had he himself appeared in the flesh among you, religious adoration excepted, ye could hardly have paid him greater respect. Where is then the blessedness you spake of? those ardent wishes for my happiness, and the delight you expressed in the gospel which I preached unto you? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me, counting nothing too great to testify the sense of your gratitude towards me. Note; many, in their first love, are all on fire for Christ, and never think they can enough testify their regard to the ministers of their conversion, who by and by grow cold or perverted from the truth, and treat with contempt those whom they once respected as almost angelical.
3. He expostulates with them on the strange alteration which now appeared. Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth, and kindly warn you of the deadly consequences of your defection from the purity of the gospel? Note; (1.) Truth, honestly spoken, often creates us enemies. (2.) Ministers may expect that their fidelity will offend. (3.) Whether men will hear or forbear, we must speak, nor fear any consequences.
4thly, St. Paul knew the spirit and temper with which the Judaizing teachers acted; and he,
1. Warns the Galatians of it. They zealously affect you, and pretend great zeal for you, but not well; their professions are dissembled, and their designs crafty; yea, they would exclude you from me and your true friends, who preach the pure gospel to you, that you might affect them, and yield your consciences up to their direction. Note; All is not gold which glitters; we should try before we trust: hypocrisy, for selfish ends, can put on the fairest guise of truth.
2. He points out to them the rule which they should follow. But it is good, and the proof of an excellent spirit, to be zealously affected always in a good thing, or to a good man, and not only when I am present with you; whilst, on the contrary, an unsteady, wavering conduct shews that the heart is not well grounded in the truth, and discovers a dishonourable levity and inconstancy.
5thly, To engage their hearts, and prevail on them to return from their sad defection from the truth,
1. He expresses his tender affection towards them. My little children, dear to me as such, amidst all the weakness you discover; of whom I travail in birth again, with such agonies of spirit, longing for your present recovery, as when I first desired to turn you from your foul idolatry; until Christ be formed in you, your souls effectually brought under the influence of his gospel, and his image stamped upon your hearts, I desire to be present with you, that I may more fully enter upon the subject, confound the gainsayers, and defend the fundamental articles of Christianity, from which you have swerved; and, if it so pleased the Lord to make my preaching effectual to your conversion, to change my voice from rebuke to consolation; for I own, at present I stand in doubt of you, whether you may not yet be cast away. Note; (1.) Ministers travail in birth for immortal souls; and feel an affection for those whom they have begotten in the gospel, like the tender mother's sensibility towards her infant offspring. (2.) Christ is not formed in that heart where self-righteousness and self-dependance still prevail. (3.) 'Tis no charity to think well, when we see evidently what is evil; though we wish to change our voice, and to behold a happy reformation.
2. He expostulates with the Judaizers, who sought justification by the deeds of the law. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? If you attentively considered the history of Abraham, you would see the folly of your attempt. For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bond-maid, Agar, an Egyptian, the other by a free-woman, Sarah: and he who was of the bond-maid, Ishmael, was born after the flesh, in the ordinary course of nature: but he of the free-woman, Isaac, was by promise, given of God, when both his parents were naturally incapable of issue. Which things are an allegory, or allegorized, and have a spiritual meaning beyond the mere letter of the words; for these, Hagar and Sarah, are the figures of the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, begetting a slavish spirit, and leaving the soul under condemnation, which is Agar, and represented by her. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia; and her being cast out with her son, is a lively figure of the rejection of those, who, to the neglect of the Saviour, will live in bondage under the law, which was delivered on that mountain; and this bond-woman answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children, abandoned for their infidelity, and excluded from all the blessings of the covenant. But Jerusalem which is above, the church of genuine believers, who, by faith in Christ, look for glory and immortality, is free from all the condemnation of sin in the law; of which Sarah is the type, and may be considered as the mother of us all, whether Jews or Gentiles, who, like her son Isaac, are entitled, through persevering faith in the Redeemer, to all the promised blessings. For it is written, with particular reference to Sarah, Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not; break forth and cry thou that travailest not; thou Gentile land, which, like Sarah, hast long been spiritually barren, now exult in this vast progeny; for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband, more converts springing from among the heathen, where all hope of such a seed was despaired of, than are to be found among those, who, under the Sinai covenant, were, during so many hundreds of years, espoused to the Lord as their husband. Now we, brethren, who through grace are joined to Christ by faith, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise, born of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. But as then he that was born after the flesh (Ishmael) persecuted, with mockery and reproaches, him that was born after the Spirit; namely, Isaac, the child of the promise; even so it is now, the carnal Jews, who contend for justification by the works of the law, deride and persecute us, who maintain that justification is by faith alone. Nevertheless, 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 free-woman; and so surely will they be excluded from the heavenly inheritance, who seek it by the deeds of the law. So then we, brethren, who expect justification by faith only, are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free, and shall, if we continue to cleave to Christ in the liberty of the gospel, inherit that eternal life, from which they who are of the law, and depend upon their own doings for their acceptance with God, must be for ever excluded. Note; (1.) To understand the scriptures, we must look further than the letter. (2.) Reproach and ridicule are, in God's account, persecution; and this, at least, all who live godly in Christ Jesus must endure, till the great Milennium rushes in upon the world.