The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 202

It had been faith along with the observnnce of the Mosaic Law. But when: the goS'pe1 of salvation we.s preached, it was faith, pure and simple, on Obrist. 1. The stale of God', people under the Law. "We were kept in ward under the Law, shut up." Tbey wore wards of the Law. A strict wa.tch was kept over them; as those who could not manf\ge themselves. This went the length of their being in custody. (1) There were manifold restrictions. • The limits were greatly' narrowed within which they were free to act. Even their common life was encompassed with ceremonial regulations. Ilow- ·ever good these were, there was this to be said, that they were outwardly imposed. And they had the effect of m11ltiplying the occasions of offence. They made many things sins which were hot sins in themselves. There wa.s thus a heavy pressure laid ·on the life. The moral'Law, too, came iil with its orpre11sive "Thou shalt not." (2) There was the feeling of helplessness produced. The Law represented the Divine require- ment. As a revelation of what God required, it raised a very high ideal. God was to be loved with the whole soul, and a man's neighbour as himself. But at the same time, it did not bring with it strength for the attainment of this ideal. It, therefore, some- ~i_aies even stimulated the sinful life. It excited desires which it had not power to quell. And thus it worked towards despondency. (3) There was thfl feeling of guile produced. The Law revP,aled what ought to have been attained; but, revealing at the same time the wide distance between the ideal raised and the actual attainment, instead of being a witness of it.j high ends as accomplished, it became an accuser. (4) There were appeals tofear11. Its "Thou shalt not" was accompanied with a threat. There was a: curse proli'ounced on the breaking of every one of its requirements. (5) There was the feeling' of condemnation produced. '.l'he Law, in showing them their guilt, showed tbem·also to be condemned sinners, actually lying under the curse. Thus the outcome of its working was the eliciting of the cry," 0 wretched man that I am, i,ho shall deliver me out of the body of this dea.th?" 2. The goal intended for them. "Unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed." It is to be remembered that the La.w existed alongside of the promise, to which it was simply an adclilion. It is to be remembered, also, that the ceremonial part of the Law had promise largely mixed up with it, many of the types. being really promises. And, so far as the promise was con- oerned, thero could be,-in the religious life of those times, a feeling of hberty in the enjoyment of forgiveness and in the hope of the attainment of their ideal. There wa1 grace, too, in the heart of the Law. It was a disciplinary institution, preparatory to Christianity.·· It was with a view to the people of God being brought into a higher state; into tb:e freer relation of faith, which was to be revraled when Christ came. Illustration. ,, So that the Law bath been our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." The pedagogue (formerly translated "schoolmaster," now "tutor")was one who got his name from leading the child to school. He had the responsible office of superintending the education of the child, and also his morals and manners. He had strictly to regulate and watch over the employments and deportment of the child, and he was armed with the power of punishment. The pedagogic fu!lction is what belongs to every parent. He has himself or by deputy to educate bis child, physically, intellectually, morally, and spiritually, The restrictions he has to lay on the employ- ment of his time, thoughts, energies, are not agreeable to him, but they are with a view to his being of age. 'l'he Law is thus laid upon him that it may be ultimately within him, a.nd that he may do tba.t which is right and proper with no sense of bondage. .'l'he people of God were under the Law as under a pedagogue. They were treated as children, and had 'their duty minutely prescribed to them and their foars appealed to. '.l'his produced a ,sense of bondage, but it was that by-and-by they might the better welcome Christ and those higher influences he was to bring with him. '.l'he feeling of guilt and condemnation which the Law produced was that Christ might be longed fur in his justifying merit to be received through faith. II. Now THAT FAITH IS co:ME. "Hut now that faith is come." 1. Ohriseian emancipation. "We are no longer under a tutor." We are no longer under the dis- cipline of.the Mosaic institution. We do not need rules outwardly imposed on us, now that the higher Christian influences are operative in us. We are absolutely freed from the ceremonial Law, which received its fullilment in Christ. 'l'he moral Law could nover be CKlled Mosaic, mther it was that round which the whole Mosaic institution was gathered, We arc freed from it as tho ground of our justification or coll<\cmnation. But 168 THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. [on. m. 1-20,