28 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [CHAPTER III. examples frequently occurs in types also, as when the prophet takes the girdle, (Jer. xiii : 1-9.) and goes down to the potter s house. (Jer. xviii : 1-6.) The meaning of the present example is, that Faith is more ancient than the Law, which is later and only temporary, and delivered in order to pave the way for Faith. Hence he says, "Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; " above he had called them " foolish," now he calls them "brethren," at once chiding and encouraging them. "Though it be but a man s covenant, yet when it hath been confirmed." If a man, says he, makes a covenant, does any one dare to come afterwards and overturn it, or subjoin aught to it ? for this is the meaning of "or addeth thereto." Much less then when God makes a covenant ; and with whom did God make a covenant? Ver. 16, 17, 18. "Now to Abraham were the promises spoken and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, 1 as of many ; but as of One, And to thy seed, which is Christ.2 Now this I say, A covenant, confirmed before hand by God the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not disannul, so as to make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance is of the Law, it is no more of promise : but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise." Thus God made a covenant with Abraham, promising that in his seed the blessing should come upon the heathen ; and this blessing the Law cannot turn aside. As this example was not in all respects appropriate to the matter in hand, he introduces it thus, " I speak after the manner of men," that nothing might be deduced from it derogatory to the majesty of God. But let us go to the bottom of this illustration. It was promised Abraham that by his seed the heathen should be blessed ; and his seed accord ing to the flesh is Christ; four hundred and thirty years after came the Law ; now, if the Law bestows the blessings even life and right eousness, that promise is annulled. And so while no one annuls a man s covenant, the covenant of God after four hundred and thirty years is annulled ; for if not that covenant but another instead of it bestows what is promised, then is it set aside, which is most unreasonable. Ver. 19. "What then is the Law? it was added because of transgressions. " This remark again is not superfluous ; ob serve too how he glances round at every thing, as if he had an hundred eyes. Having exalted Faith, and proved its elder claims, that the Law may not be considered superfluous, he sets right this side of the doctrine also, and proves that the Law was not given without a view, but altogether profitably. "Because of transgres sions; " that is to say, that the Jews might not be let live carelessly, and plunge into the depth of wickedness, 3 but that the Law might be placed upon them as a bridle, guiding, regulating, and checking them from transgressing, if not all, at least some of the commandments. Not slight then was the advantage of the Law; but for how long ? Ver. 19. "Till the seed should come to whom the promise hath been made. This is said of Christ ; if then it was given until His advent, why do you protract it beyond its natural period? Ver. 19. " And it was ordained through Angels by the hand of a Mediator." He either calls the priests Angels, or he de clares that the Angels themselves ministered to the delivery of the Law. By Mediator here he means Christ, 4 and shows that He was before it, and Himself the Giver of it. Ver. 20. " Now a mediator is not a medi ator of one, but God is one." 5 What can the heretics 6 say to this? for as, according to them, the expression "the Only True God" excludes the Son from being true God, so here the phrase "God is One," ex cludes Him from being God in any sense. But if, although the Father is called "One God," the Son is nevertheless God, it is very plain that though the Father is called "Very God," the Son is veryGod likewise. Now a mediator, says he, is between two parties ; of whom then is Christ the Mediator? plainly of God and of men. Observe, he says, that Christ also gave the Law ; what therefore it was His to give, it is His to annul. 1 [" A difficulty arises here from the stress which Paul lays on the singular of the word seed, which is a collective noun in Heb. and Greek, and includes the whole posterity. But it is not a ques tion ofgrammar but of spiritual meaning. The promise refers to Christ par excellence, and to all those and only those who are truly members of His body, united to Him by a living faith. If all the single descendants ofAbraham were meant the children of Hagar and Keturah and subsequently of Esau and his descendants, would have to be included." Schaff. G. A.] 3 "[Not as a single individual but as Head of the church which is His body, Eph. i: 23. The key to the passage is in ver. 28 and 29 : Ye are all one in Christ Jesus. " Schaff. G. A.J 1 [" This interpretation of Chrysostom must be rejected on lexical grounds. The law was in order to bring sin to light and make it appear in its true character and thus by a knowledge of the disease prepare its cure." Ellicott and Schaff. G. A.] 4 [ " We may reasonably wonder," says Ellicott, "how the early expositors (Basil and Theodoret excepted) could have so generally coincided in the perplexing view of Origen that the Mediator here mentioned was Christ. On the contrary it is plain that it was Moses, Deut. v: 5." G. A.] 5 [ " This verse is counted the most difficult passage in the New Testament, and has given rise to about 300 interpretations." That of Lightfoot seems to satisfy the context, and is thus for cibly put by him : " The law is of the nature ofa contract between two parties. God on the one hand and the Jewish people on the other. It is valid only so long as both parties fulfil the terms of contract. It is therefore contingent and not absolute. Unlike the law the promise is absolute and unconditional. It depends on the sole decree of God. There are not two contracting parties. There is nothing of the nature of a stipulation. The giver is everything and the recipient nothing." Com. in loco.G. A.] 6 The heretics refered to are the Anomreans, who held Anan- ism in its most developed form, against whom S. Chrysostom has written Homilies. For the particular objection answered in the text, vid. also Basil, in Eunom, iv. p. 294. Athan. Or in Arian, iii. 9. Greg. Naz. Orat. 36, p. 586.