and even Barnabas himself, acted this unworthy part. But when I saw that the liberty of the gofpel was in danger from this conduct of theirs, I faid to Peter in the presence of the whole church, if thou, tho' a Jew, doft not think it neceffary to conform to the rules laid down by the Pharifees, why fhouldst thou by this conduct enforce the obfervance of them upon the Gentiles. We who are Jews do not expect to be juftified in the fight of God by the obfervance of any thing peculiar to the laws of Mofes. For we well know that nothing of this kind can avail for that purpofe. If while we profefs chriftianity, we make the obfervance of the law to be necessary to falvation, which we are fenfible cannot be obtained in this way, we make Chrift the occafion of our condemnation, and I fhall be guilty of undoing all that I have done in preaching the gospel to the Gentiles without fubjecting them to the law.

I confider myfelf as condemned by the law, and therefore may be faid to be dead to it. But in the fight of God I ftill live. As Chrift was crucified and died, I who, like other chriftians, am conformed to Chrift, may be faid to have died alfo; but as he lives again, fo do I, or rather, fince I live according to the gofpel, and by the power of it, it may be faid that Chrift, who fo loved mankind as to fubmit to die for their benefit, lives in me. The gospel would have been given in vain, and Christ would have died in vain, if notwithflanding this there would have been no juflification but through the

law.

Ch. III. 1. In order to fhew the folly and abfurdity of the Galatians having recourfe to the law, after pro

fifling

feffing the gospel, the apoftle proceeds to make use of other arguments, as that they had received the gifts of the fpirit, and had miracles wrought among them before they had heard of the law; that Abraham was juf tified by God before the law was given; that according to the tenor of the law itfelf, all who are under it are fubject to a curfe; that according to the prophets it is by faith, and not by the works of the law, that men obtain eternal life; that as Abraham was justified before the giving of the law, and the promife was made to him, and to his feed, it must be extended for those who, like him, were juftified without any regard to the law, which was nothing more than an introduction to the gofpel, and that by means of this all mankind, without any diftinction of Jew or Gentile, become in fact the feed of Abraham, and therefore heirs of the promife made to him.

3. Their having received the gift of the spirit before their judaizing teachers came among them, was a fufficient proof that nothing was wanting to their being accepted of God, and could their conformity to the law be any improvement after this? On the contrary it was like beginning high, and then finking low; beginning in the spirit, and ending in the flesh, which was always confidered as fomething inferior to it. This opprobrious term the apoftle was led to adopt, as being oppofite to the spirit, by the gifts of which the gospel was confirmed. Having done this, he applies to the law other fenfes of the term flesh.

4. The Galatians, like other chriftians, had been

exposed to perfecution; and these sufferings might be confidered as of no confequence or avail, if their principles were not then well founded. For it is not mere fuffering that entitles a man to any reward, but fuffer. ing in a good caufe.

9. Great ftrefs feems here to be laid on mere words. The promise of God to Abraham was that his pofterity fhould be a great nation, and was therefore neceffarily confined to his proper defcendants, the Hebrew nation. That all other nations should be blessed in him, meant that, when profperity was wished to any other nation, it fhould be faid, may you be as happy and illustrious as the pofterity of Abraham ; tho' no doubt by their means all other nations will be made happy. The apostle, however, argues juftly in faying, that Abraham being juftified before the law was given, for his faith in the promifes of God, and obedience to his commands, christians may obtain the divine favour by means of their faith and good works, independently of any obfer vance of the law of Mofes.

10. According to the Ethiopic verfion it is, But this mediator has no concern with one of the parties. W.

13. The apostle fays that they who will abide by the Aric terms of the law, which condemns and curfes all tranfgreffions, must be fubject to the curfe, because perfect obedience is impoffible; but that Chrift became this curfe for us when he was crucified; because the law fays that every one that is hanged on a tree, or publicly executed, is accurfed. But the meaning of the law no doubt was that only wilful and impenitent offenders were fubject to any curfe. For the placability of God

to

to repenting finners is as fully declared under the law, as under the gofpel. At the very time of the giving of the law, the Divine Being folemnly proclaimed himfelf to Mofes, as a God gracious and merciful, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. When malefactors were executed, they were to be buried before the setting of the fun, because they were confidered as a pollution. When it is faid that they are accurfed of God, the meaning is that they were exceedingly polluted, and for that reafon muft be put out of the way. For it is added, Deut. xxi. 22, that the land be not defiled which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

20. Here the apofle oppofes the promise which was made to Abraham to the law as given by Mofes, fince the former was given by God to Abraham in perfon, whereas the law was given to the Ifraelites by the hand of Mofes, as a mediator between them. I hey are, therefore, different things, and that which was inftituted the laft, could not fet afide that which preceded it.

21. But the promife made to Abraham, tho' different from the law given by Mofes, is not contrary to it The latter, however, was not fufficient for the purpose of the divine difpenfations, becaufe if it nad, the gospel would not have been given.

25. The law was intended to prepare men for the gofpel, which fuits a more advanced age of the world, and therefore this apoftle elsewhere calls it a shadow of good things to come.

29. The Jews, proud of their defcent from Abraham, held all the reft of the world in great contempt: But the apoftle magnifies the gofpel as fetting afide that

injurious

injurious distinction, and bringing all mankind, what. ever their previous condition might be, into the fame family of God with Abraham himself.

THE PARAPHRASE.

How could you, O Galatians, act so abfurdly as to be led by any one to fwerve from the plain truth of the gofpel, which has been as clearly made known to you, as if Chrift had himselflived and been crucified among you. That nothing was wanting to your being perfect chriftians, was evident from your having received the gifts of the fpirit, which was a feal of the truth that was imparted to you while you were only chriftians, and before you had heard of the law. Having begun fo well, by receiving the spirit, do you end in a thing fo inferior to it as the flesh? For fo great is the difference between the two fyftems. Did thofe perfons who preached the gofpel to you, and confirmed it by mira cles, do it in confequence of their inftructing you in the law, or fimply by faith in the gofpel? Alfo, for what have you borne the perfecution to which you, like other chriftians, have been expofed, if you were not then in the right faith, and your falvation had not been fecure in cafe of death?

1

It was on a principle fimilar to that of the gospel, that Abraham himfelf, the great ancestor of the Jews, was jeftified. For it is said of him, that he believed in God, and his faith was imputed to him for righteousness. They, therefore, who imitate this faith of Abraham may be faid to be his children, and therefore heirs of the pró. mife that was made to him and his pofterity, We may

even