CHAPTER III.] COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 29 Ver. 21. "Is the Law then against the promises of God? " For if the blessing is given in the seed of Abraham, but the Law brings in the curse, it must be contrary to the promises. This ob jection he meets, first, by a protest, in the words, Ver. 21. " God forbid: " And next he brings his proof; Ver. 21. " For if there had been a law given which could make alive verily righteousness would have been of the Law." His meaning is as follows ; If we had our hope of life in the Law, and our salvation de pended on it, the objection might be valid. But if it save you, by means of Faith, though it brings you under the curse, you suffer nothing from it, gain no harm, in that Faith comes and sets all right. Had the promise been by the Law, you had reasonably feared lest, separating from the Law, you should separate from righteousness, but if it was given in order to shut up all, that is, to convince all and expose their individual sins, far from excluding you from the promises, it now aids you in obtaining them. This is shown by the words, Ver. 22. " Howbeit the scripture 1 hath shut up all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." As the Jews were not even conscious of their own sins, and in consequence did not even desire remission ; the Law was given to probe their wounds, that they might long for a physician. And the word "shut up" means "convinced," and conviction heldthem in fear. You see then it is not only not against, but was given for the promises. Had it arrogated to itself the work and the authority, the objection would stand ; but if its drift is something else, and it acted for that, how is it against the pro mises of God? Had the Law not been given, all would have been wrecked upon wickedness, and there would have been no Jews to listen to Christ ; but now being given, it has effected two things ; it has schooled its followers ina certain degree of virtue, and has pressed on them the knowledge of theirown sins. And thisespecially made them more zealous to seek the Son, for those who disbelieved, disbelieved from having no sense of their own sins, as Paul shows ; ["TheLaw then though differing widely from the promise is not antagonistic to it, does not interfere with it. On the contrary, we might imagine such a law as would justify and give life. This was not the effect of the law of Moses, however; on the contrary (a.\\a) the Scripture (that, namely, about the curse, v. 10:) testi fies that the Law condemned all alike, yet not finally and irrevo cably but only as leading the way for the dfspensation of faith." Lightfoot. Meyer takes a different view of v. 21 : "For if it had been opposed to the promises, the Law must have been in a position to procure lifeandif this were so, then would righteousnessactually be from the Law, which according to the Scripture cannot be so (ver. 22)." G. A.] "For being ignorant of God s righteousness, and seeking to establish theirown righteousness, they did not subject themselves to the rightous- ness of God." (Rom. x: 3.) Ver. 23. " But before faith came, we were kept inward under the Law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed." Here he clearly puts forward what I have stated : for the expressions " we were kept " and "shut up," signify nothing else than the security given by the commandments of the Law ; which like a fortress fenced them round with fear and a life conformable to itself, and so preserved them unto Faith. Ver. 24. "So that the Law hath been our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." Now the Tutor is not opposed to the Precep tor, but cooperates with him, ridding the youth from all vice, and having all leisure to fit him for receiving instructions from his Preceptor. But when the youth s habits are formed, then the Tutor leaves him, as Paul says. Ver. 25, 26. "But now that faith is come which leads to perfectmanhood we are no longer under a tutor 2 . For ye are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus." The Law then, as it was our tutor, and we were kept shut up under it, is not the adversary but the fellow-worker of grace , but if when grace is come, it continues to hold us down, it becomes an adversary ; for if it confines those who ought to go forward to grace, then it is the destruction of our salvation. If a candle which gave light by night, kept us, when it became day, from the sun, it would not only not benefit, it would injure us; and so doth the Law, if it stands between us and greater benefits. Those^ then are the greatest traducers of the Law, who still keep it, just as the tutor makes a youth ridiculous, by retaining him with himself, when time calls for his departure. Hence Paul says, But after faith is come, we are nolonger under a tutor." We are then no longer under a tutor, " for ye are all sons of God." Wonder ful ! see how mighty is the power of Faith, and how he unfolds as he proceeds ! Before, he showed that it made them sons of the Patriarch, " Know therefore," says he, " that they which be of faith, the same are sons of Abraham ; " now he proves that they are sons of God also, "For ye are all, "says he, " sons of God through faith, which is in Christ Jesus ; " by Faith, not by the Law. Then, when he has said this ["The patdagogus or tutor, frequently a superior slave, was entrusted with the moral supervision of the child. Thus his office was quite distinct from that of the SifacncaAot ; so the word "Schoolmaster" conveys a wrong idea. As well in his inferior rank as in his recognized duty of enforcing discipline, this person was a fit emblem of the Mosaic law. There is a very complete illustration of the use which Paul makes of the metaphor in Plato (Lysis, p. 208 C)." Lighlfoot. G. A.J