21 I do not frustrate " the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

CHAP. III.

1 He asketh what moved them to leave the faith, and hang upon the law ? 6 they that believe are justified, 9 and blessed with Abraham : 10 and this he showeth by many reasons.

O Foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched 2 you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

с

2 This only would I learn of you, Received

17 cast away. Wi. Co. Rh. despise. Ma. Cr. reject. Bi. abrogate. Gen. abolish. Pu. 'senseless. Rh, thoughtless. We. unwise. Pu. 2 deceived. Wi.

Roм. xi. 6: If by grace, then it is no more of works : otherwise grace is no more grace. GAL. iii. 21: If there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. do. v. 4: Christ is become of none effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law. HEB. vii. 11, 18, 19: If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another Priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect. do. viii. 7: For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

CHAP. III.

"MAT. vii. 26: And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand.

bGAL. ii. 14: do. iv. 9, 16: do. v. 7: Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

c Ver. 14. ACTs, ii. 38: Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. do. viii. 15: [Peter and John] prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost. do. x. 47: Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we ? do. xv. 8: God-giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us. EPH. i. 13: In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the Gospel of

ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing 3 of faith?

e

3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have ye 'suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing 5 of faith?

6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

6

7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

Cr.

3 preaching. Co. Ma. Cr. 'so great. A. V. 5 preaching. Co. Ma. 6 ascribed. Ma. Cr. Bi. imputed. A. V. reputed. Rh.

your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. HEB. vi. 4: Were made partakers of the Holy Ghost.

d Roм. x. 16, 17: Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

e GAL. iv. 9, 21: do. vi. 12: As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised. HEB. vii. 16: Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. do. ix. 10: Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

fHEB. X. 35, 36: Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 2 JOHN, 8: Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

2 COR. iii. 8: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

h See on Roм. iv. 3, 9, 21, 22.

i JOHN, viii. 39: They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. See on LUKE, Xix. 9.

8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, 'In thee shall all nations be blessed.

m

9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

n

10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, P The just shall live by faith.

r

12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.9

declared before the glad tidings. We. 8 are subject to. Cr. them. Pu.

9 by

* Ver. 22. ROM. ix. 17: The Scripture saith unto Pharaoh. 'See on ACTs, iii. 25.

m GAL. iv. 28.

n DEUT. xxvii. 26: Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. JER. xi. 3: Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant. MAT. V. 19: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. • See on GAL. ii. 16.

P See on ROM. i. 17.

9 NEH. ix. 29: They dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them. Roм. iv. 4, 5: To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. do. x. 5, 6: Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? do. xi. 6: If by grace, then is it no more of works : otherwise grace is no more grace. See on LUKE, x. 28.

13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a

tree:

14 "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

W

15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men ; Though it be but a man's covenant,10 yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which Christ.

of

is

17 And this I say, that the covenant, that

'See GAL. iv. 5.

t

10 testament. A. V.

See on 2 COR. v. 21.

* DEUT. xxi. 23: He that is hanged is accursed of God. u Rom. iv. 9, 16: Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 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.

HEB. ix. 17: A testament is of force after men are dead : otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

* Ver. 8. GEN. xii. 3, 7: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. do. xvii. 7 I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

:

y 1 COR. xii. 12: As the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was "four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

a

18 For b if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

e

19 Wherefore then serweth : the law ? It was dadded because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained" by angels in the hand of a & mediator.

f

11 given. Co. attended upon. Br. delivered. Ham. disposed. Pu.

z See on AcTs, vii. 6.

For

a Ver. 21. Rom. iv. 13, 14 : The promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to . Abrahan, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect.

b ROM. viii. 17: If children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.

c Ron. iv. 14 : If they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect.

1 TIM. i. 9: Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient. See on RoM. iv. 15.

• Ver. 16.

'ACTs, vii. 53: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. HEB. ii. 2: For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward.

: Exon. xx. 19-22 : And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not : for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. See DET. v. 5, 22, 23, 27, 31 : JOHN, i. 17 : The law was given by Moses. Acs, vii. 38 : This is he [Moses] that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our