Gal. iv. 30. Nevertheless what saith the Scripture ? Cast out the bond-woman and her son : for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman.
THE whole of God's blessed word is highly in- structive ; and the Old Testament is an excellent preparative for the New. Indeed, those who are at all conversant with Scripture, expect to find mys- teries in the ceremonial law, because that is con- fessedly a shadow of good things to come : but few
are aware how much is to be found in the historical parts of the Old Testament. We are, however, in no danger of erring, if we say that the sacrifice which Abel offered was not a mere accidental difference from that of Cain ; but a typical exhibition of the sacrifice of Christ, to which, by faith, the pious offerer had respect a. The preservation of Noah from the deluge, too, was not a mere mercy vouchsafed to himself and family ; but a type of the benefit which we receive by baptism, which, through the resurrec- tion of Jesus Christ, saves us, (on a supposition we have received it aright,) as the ark, by its buoyancy, saved him from destruction by the tempestuous bil- lowsb. In my text, there is reference to what we might have supposed to be an accidental disagree- ment in Abraham's family. We might naturally suppose that a wife and a concubine would not agree very well, and that their children would prove a source of mutual animosity. And so it turned out. But was this a mere accidental circumstance ? No : it was permitted of God, in order to afford a good occasion for illustrating the covenant of grace, and the exclusive blessedness of those who adhered to it. You will perceive, that, in my text the words of Hagar are cited as a general rule of procedure in reference to the souls of men at the last day : and as they are somewhat intricate, and have at the same time an appearance of harshness and severity, I will endeavour to explain and vindicate the declaration contained in them.
Here is evidently a sentence denounced : and my endeavour shall be, I. To explain the sentence —
To understand it aright, we must consider what was the subject in dispute between the Apostle and his opponents.
Some Judaizing teachers had drawn away his Ga- latian converts from the pure Gospel which he had taught them, to an affiance in the ceremonial law.
a Heb. xi. 4. b 1 Pet. iii. 20,21.