The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 210

(e~o peu~. xxi. 23). We have no evidence _of any mysterious spiritual curse falling npon Christ. On tho contrary, we are told m what the curse consisted. It wa~ the endurance 0f crucifixion itself. That was a death so cruel, so horrible, so full .of shame, that to snfter il was to undergo a very curse. Christ was crucified, and therefure the curse fell upon him, Moreover, this curse is very directly connected with the breach o~ 'the, Law by us. 1. Death is the penalty of transgressiou. Chri~t never deserved tb.i~ pena.!ty, of vipl11,ted Law, yet, being a. man .and mortal, he suffered the fate of fallen nien. ·2. It was man's wickedness, i.e. nothing else than man's violation of God's Law, tJ;tl!,t, led to m3:n'11 rejectipn of Cl~rist and to Christ's death. The work! flun~ its curse o~ 1Christ. By. a wonderful_ act of innni~e mercy that a.et of hellish wickedness i,i made the means through winch the world 1s freed from the curse of its own sins . • IV. CHRIST'S ENDURANCE OF THE CURSE OF THE CROSS LIBERATES US FROM THI!: CURSE OF.THE LAW. He freely endw:ed the curse. He endured it for our sakes. He became "a curse for us." 1. His endurance of the curse.gave weighe to l1i,s-propilial07y sacrifice of himself. '1'his was J~he most extreme snrreoder of himself to God in meek submission. As our Representative; he thus o):>tained for us Divine favour and grace of forgiveness in answer to that most powerful intercession, the giving of himself to a. death tbat was a very curse 1:athn than abandon his saviµg work. 2. ChrisL's .e;idurance of the cur,o for us is the grand inducement for us to leave the ''. beggarly elements" of Law a.nu devote.ourselves in faith.l!-/1~ love to him who died for us,-W. F. A. Ver. 17.-The ev,erla~ting co:uenant. I. DIVI~ GBAOE IS PLEDGED BY COVENANT. 'l;he grace .here referred to is. ,offered to Abrahain and through him to all nations (q:en. xii. 1-:--3), • Thus offered in covenant, it ill (1) definitely promised by God, (2) wit~' the c1>nflrmation of an oath, (3) on condition, however, of our faith. We are not l~ft .to speculate about. the grace of God as a possibility; it is distinctly revealed. Nor ai:e we in doubt 11,s to its permane11ce; it is pledged for the future. : II. 'l'HE COVEJ:,AN.T ·OF DIVINE GRACE IS ETERNAL. 1. As a. re-velation of truth it is eternal. Truth does JI.Pt vary with time. When ouce a genuine truth has been seen, no later knowledge of another truth can, set it aside. Th<3 discovery of Australh\ did not invalidate the earlier discovery of America. 2. As a aeclaration of God's will it is eternal. God does not vacillate, like a fickle, capricious despot. He is constancy itself; What he wills now he wills for ever. 3. As a. pledge of God's honour it is eternal. H is in infinite condescension to our weakness that God makes us a promise. We ought to be1 able to rely on his love and goodnesll! alone. But since he has mercifully stooped to encourage us in our poor faith by promise and pledge, herein lies the greater assurance to us of his changeless grace. IIL: THE COVENANT OF: GBAOE lS•·l!OBE ANCIENT THA.N'THE CUBSE OF THE LAW. T!rn Judaizers claim precedence for the Law over the gospel,because of its ~eater antiquity. But St. Paul reminds them that the promise on, ·which the .gospel is founded is a still more ancient Divine word. Grace precedes wrath; love is anterior to Law. The first vision of God is a. revelation of -loving-kindness.. The weight and dignity of hoary age are with the blessings of God's goodness. A shallow research ·discovers Law; dig deeper, .penetrate further, and you find love; ' IV.. LATER DIVINE UTTERANCES MAY OBSCURE BUT CANNOT ABOLISH THE COVENA~T OF GRAOE. 1. They may obscure it. The severity of the Law appeared to hide the gracious promise to Abraham. Dark dispensations of Providence sometimes come between us and God's love. We cannot reconcile the harder with the more pleasing utterances of Scripture. Stern .voices sometimes repel us when we are hungering for gentle voices to·comfort. 2. Nevertheless, these later revelations do not nullify tho earlier promises. 'l'he grace is still undiminished, though for a time it is beyond our gazo and grasp. , Presently it will break out in more than its pristine splendour, as the sun shines more brightly than ever after it has been hidden by a brief summer shower. 'l'he purpose of grace ·both precedes and outlives the threatenings of Law. The thunders of Sinai are .but an interlude between tho promise of love at Bethel and ils Culfilment at B11thlehem.-W. F. A .. • Ver. 19.-The object of the Law. The Law, we are told, wa.s "added because of transgressions." This cannot mean that it was inetitutod to restrain transgressions-  176 THE EPIS'fLE TO THE GALATIANS. [CH, ru, 1-29.