The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 269

euporstitions of their Celtic forefathers with the immoral mysticism of their Phrygian neighbours. The result was e. bondage at once of fear e.nd of lust. But all heathen religions keep their devotees in subjection. Religious liberty is a fruit of Christianity. II. TRE NEW CHRISTIANITY. This was in all respects a deliverance, an advance, and e.n elevation. It involved great spiritual acquisitions. 1. The knowledge of God; always the first essential. We cannot trust, love, or serve a God of whose character and will we are ignorant. Any faith that precedes this knowledge is faith in the priest, not faith in God. 2. Being lcnown of God. The apostle corrects himself. It was not enough to speak of knowing God. Though that was the first essential step towards the new life, it is not now the most characteristic feature of that life. We must not rest in the knowledge of God alone. Knowledge is not redemption. The further step is to receive the grace of sonship from God and the inspiration of the Spirit of Christ wherewith we breathe the aspiration to God as to our Father (ver. 6). Such an experience shows that we are acknowledged by God-" known of God." III. THE RELAPSE. Is it possible that any should consciously and wilfully choose to fall from such privileges as those of the new Christianity to such bondage as tbat of the old heathendom ? It was important that the Galatians should see that their perversion to Judaism was essentially such a relapse. The startling point of the apostle's argument lay just in this-that, with the insight of inspired genius, be saw the identity of the religion of Law which bis converts regarded as a more progressive stage of Christianity with their old discarded heathenism. At first sight it might appear that austere Mosaism could have nothing in common with corrupt Pbrygian orgies and gloomy Celtic sacrifices. Yet the bondage was essentially the same. They had three points in common. 1. Their rudimentary character. Both were mere beginnings. Christianity bad left both behind. The advanced scholar should not waste time over the alphabet; the graduate need not matriculate afresh. 2. Their weakne.~s. For the purpose of creating righteousness and. regenerating character the Levitical Law with all its lofty morality was as impotent as the impure and horrible rites of the old Galatian cult. 3. '!'heir poverty. Both were "beggarly." After holding the pearl of great price, it was strange that any should turn from.such riches of Divine love to any other religion which, lacking the wondrous grace of the gospel, was by comparison as a beggar to a prince. Yet all make this mistake who forsake the grace and liberty of the gospel for the bondage of rites and holy days and priestly authority.-W. F. A. Vers. 10, 11.-0bserving seasons. St. Paul considers the observing of days, and months, and seasons, and years as so gross an instance of relapse to the weak and beg- garly rudiments that he fears on that account that he may have bestowed labour in vain on the Galatians. So grave a judgment on the observance of seasons may startle us if we do not consider what the apostle really is condemning. I. THERE IS A RIGHT REGARD FOR SEASONS. The sabbath was made for man, and it is therefore good for man that he should make use of the one day in the week that i:; set apart for rest and worship. Clearly if other seasons, such as Christmas, Easter, the coming of the new year, the harvest, etc., can be utilized profitably, the recog- nition of them may be justified on good grounds. 1. The profitable arrangement of time. There is a time for everything. Christ did not utter bis parables of judgment at the wedding feast in Cana. We need time for worship. '!'hough we should ever live in the spirit of prayer, we must still have distinct seasons of undistracted devotior1 il' our religious life is to be deep and vigorous. It often happens, moreover, that what can be done at any time is not done at all. As it is well to set aside a definite portion of one's income for charitable purposes, lest too little or even none should be left after satisfying innumerable personal claims-though really if we love our neighbour as our- selves we shall count nothing wholly our own-so, while God demands all our time, and while any season is suitable for devotion, some time must be set aside for worship, or the busy work of life will absorb the whole. 2. The exigencies of public worship. The social requirements of worship make set seasons necessary when all the worshippers can mutually agree to assemble themselves together. The same principle requires definite places of worship. 3. The influence of association. We are all more or less affected by sentiment. Birthdays, wedding-days, and death-days, days of joy and days of sorrow, are chronicled in our almanacs, and the recurrence of them naturally raises 2,36 THE EPISTLE 'l'O THE GALATIANS. [en. iv. 1-31.