Rood by thofe to whom they wrote, Thus St. Paul to the Galatians, iv. 21. &c. which our author alfo mentions with an air of contempt and scorn, p. 11. (tho' he falfly reprefents it, as defigned to be a proof to the Jews of Chrifti. anity from the Old Teftament) illuftrates the different ftates of men under the Mofaick and Chriftian difpenfations, by the different ftates of the children born to Abraham by the bondwoman, and by Sarah his wife, Tell me ye that defire to be under the law. i. e. You who prets the obfervance of Jewish rites and ceremonies on Chriftians, as neceflary to falvation; do ye not hear the law? Shall I put you in mind of a passage in the law, which fitly reprefents your cafe? Abraham had two fons, the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free-woman. But he who was of the bond-woman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. And that it might appear what ufe he intended to make of this paffage, he adds, Which things are an allegory. "Ατινα ἐτὶν άλλη ogouμera. Which things may be allegorized Z 2 rized, or made use of, as a figurative reprefentation of the different ftates of Jews and Chriftians. For thefe are the two covenants. Αὗται γὰρ εἰσιν αι δύο διαθήκαι. Thefetwo women denote, in the allegory, the two covenants: or I may fitly compare the two different difpenfations, under Mofes and Chrift, to the different ftates and circumftances of these two women. Μία μὲν awoögus Σva. The one covenant, which was delivered from the mount Sinai, gendereth to bondage. "Hrisiiv A'yap. Which is Agar, or which covenant is Agar the bond-woman in the allegory, who being a bond-woman herfelf, could, quia partus fequitur ventrem, bring forth none but children fubject to bondage. And this covenant from Sinai is more properly denoted by her. Tò yap "Ayaş Σwa 8305 ἐσίν ἐν τῷ Αραβία. Becaule Agar is the name of a mountain alfo, even part of the tract of hills in Arabia, called by the general name of Sinai, from whence this very covenant was delivered. volare in τῇ νῦν Ιερεσαλήμ. And anfwereth, (viz. diann the covenant, not the woman, nor Agar the mountain) to the present Jerufalem. с * falem. Δελεύει δὲ μετὰ τῶν τέκτων αυτής. Which city is in bondage with its chil dren or inhabitants. Ἡ δὲ ἄνα, Ιερυσαλήμ ἐλευθέρα ἐστίν. But the other covenant from above, is the free Jerusalem ; not as in our tranflation, the Jerufalem, which is above, is free. For the apoftle plainly opposes the covenant from Sinai, to that from above: and as the covenant from Sinai doth συστοιχεῖν τῷ νῦν Ἱερεσαλὴμ πηςwer to the present Jerufalem; so the other which is the xdxn n arw must answer to, or be the free Jerufalem: and as the Ingroaλnu the prefent Jerufalem, is in bondage with her children; fo the free Jerufalem is the mother of all Christians, as the apoftle tells us, v. 26. who are the children of the promife, as Sarah's child was, and not of the flesh, as Agar's was; and of confequence in a state, not of fervitude, but perfect freedom; as the apoftle himself tells us, v. 31. So then, brethren, fellow Chriftians, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free. Z 3 2 'Tis *The apostle elsewhere ufes va in this fenfe without the prepofition. See Phil. iii. 14. where the rò ßgabełov της άνω κλήσεως is the prize of our call from above, or of our heavenly calling. See Coloff. iii. 12. 'Tis plain from hence, to every one who confiders this paffage, that there are two things the apostles had in view in it. The one to reprefent the different nature of the two covenants, which God made; firft with the Jews by Mofes, and afterwards with Chriftians by Jefus Christ. The one, which was delivered. from mount Sinai, denoted by Agar the bond-woman, was a covenant that gendered to bondage, i. e. brought the Jews under an heavy yoak of burthenfome rites and ceremonies; under which yoak and burthen Jerufalem, with its inhabitants, the apofle tells them, continued to that day. The nature of the other covenant is as juftly reprefented by the condition of Sarah, who was herself a free-woman, and who therefore may be looked upon as the mother of all true Chriftians; who by the gofpel are brought into a ftate of the moft perfect liberty. The other thing that the apoftie intended to reprefent by this allegory, was the different condition of Jews and Chriftians, according as they were under thefe different difpenfations; which he he doth under the different circumstances of the two children, born of Sarah and Agar. Ifaac was born, not properly af ter the flesh (Abraham and Sarah being both paft age) but after the promife; in virtue of a fpecial promife made of God to his parents; and became Abraham's heir, by God's appointment, preferable to Ifmael his elder brother. And thus alfo Chriftians, tho' not the children of Abraham, according to the flesh, yet as Ifaac was, are children of the promife. For it is written, rejoice thou barren that beareft not, break forth and cry out thou that travelleft not; for the defolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband ; and being thus Abraham's feed, they are become his heirs according to the promif. The other fon Ismael, was born after the flesh; i. c. when both Abraham and Agar were, in the ufual course of nature, capable of having children; but notwithstanding this, he was caft out with his mother the bond-woman, and not fuffered to be heir with Sarah's fon, because he perfecuted him that was born after the fpirit, i. c. Ifaac, ci. Z 4 ther |