than they have. Contrariwise, the lively voice of a man, compared to an epistle, is a queen; for it can add and diminish, it can change itself into all manner of affections, times, places, and persons. To be brief, I would gladly convert you by letters, that is to say, call you back from the law to the faith of Jesus Christ; but I fear that I shall not do so by my dead letters. But if I were with you, I could change my voice; I could reprove them bitterly that are obstinate, and comfort the weak with sweet and loving words, as occasion should require.

VERSE 20. For I am troubled for you.

That is to say, I am so troubled in my spirit, that I know not how by letters to behave myself towards you. Here is a lively description of the true affection of an apostle; he omitteth nothing he chideth the Galatians, he entreateth them, he speaketh them fair, he highly commendeth their faith, labouring by all means to bring them back again to the truth of the gospel, and to deliver them out of the snares of the false apostles. These are vehement words, proceeding from a heart stirred up and inflamed with a hot burning zeal, and therefore ought diligently to be considered.

VERSE 21. Tell me, ye that will be under the law, do ye not hear the law? Here would Paul have closed up his epistle: for he desired not to write any more, but rather to be present with the Galatians, and to speak unto them himself. But he, being in great perplexity, and very careful for this matter, taketh by the way this allegory, which then came into his mind; for the people are greatly delighted with allegories and similitudes, and therefore Christ himself oftentimes useth them. For they are, as it were, certain pictures, which set forth things as if they were painted before the eyes of the simple, and therefore they move and persuade very much, especially the simple and ignorant. First, therefore, he stirreth up the Galatians with words and writings. Secondly, he painteth out the matter itself before their eyes with this goodly allegory.

Now, Paul was a marvellous cunning workman in handling of allegories; for he is wont to apply them to the doctrine of faith, to grace, and to Christ, and not to the law and works thereof, as Origen and Hierome do, who are worthily reprehended for that they turned the plain sentences of the scripture, where allegories have no place, into unfit and foolish allegories. Therefore to use allegories it is oftentimes a very dangerous thing. For unless a man have the perfect knowledge of Christian doctrine, he cannot use allegories rightly and as he should do.

But why doth Paul call the book of Genesis, out of the which he allegeth the history of Ishmael and of Isaac, the law, seeing that book containeth nothing at all concerning the law; and especially that place, which he allegeth, speaketh not of any law,

but only containeth a plain history of Abraham's two children? Paul is wont to call the first book of Moses the law, after the anner of the Jews; which, although it contain no law besides the law of circumcision, but principally teacheth faith, and witnesseth that the patriarchs pleased God because of their faith, yet the Jews notwithstanding, because of the law of circumcision therein contained, called the book of Genesis, with the rest of the books of Moses, the law. So did Paul, himself also being a Jew. And Christ under the name of the law comprehendeth not only the books of Moses, but also the Psalms-"But it is, that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law: they hated me without a cause," (John xv. 25. Psalm xxxv. 19.)

VERSE 22, 23. For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by a servant. and one by a free-woman. But he which was of the servant, was born after the flesh; and he which was of the free-woman was born after the promise.

As if he said: Ye forsake grace, faith, and Christ, and turn back again to the law; ye will be under the law, and become wise through it; therefore I will talk with you of the law. I pray pray you consider the law diligently. Ye shall find that Abrahad two sons: Ishmael by Hagar, and Isaac by Sarah. They were both the true sons of Abraham. Ishmael was as well the true son of Abraham as Isaac was, for both came of one father, of one flesh, and of one seed. What was then the difference? This maketh not the difference (saith Paul) that the mother of the one was free and the other bond, (albeit it pertaineth to the allegory:) but that Ishmael, which was born of the bond-woman, was born after the flesh, that is to say, without the promise and the word of God; but Isaac was not only born of the free-woman, but also according to the promise. What then? Yet was Isaac, notwithstanding, as well born of the seed of Abraham as Ishmael was. I grant that they were both the children of one father, and yet notwithstanding there is a difference; for although Isaac was born of the flesh, yet the promise went before. None observed this difference but only Paul, which he gathered out of the text of Genesis, after this manner.

In that Hagar conceived and brought forth Ishmael, there was no word of God that foreshewed that this should come to pass; but, by the permission of Sarah, Abraham went in to his servant Hagar, whom Sarah, being barren, had given to wife to Abraham, as is said in the book of Genesis. For Sarah had heard that Abraham, by the promise of God, should have seed of his body, and she hoped that she should be the mother of this seed. But when she had waited now for the promise many years, with great anguish of spirit, and saw that the matter was so long deferred, she was out of hope. This holy woman, therefore, giveth place for the honour of her husband, aud resigneth her right to another, that is to say, to her maid. Notwithstanding

she suffereth not her husband to marry another wife out of his house, but she giveth unto him in marriage her servant, to the end that she might be builded by her. For so saith the history: "Now Sarah, Abraham's wife, bare him no children; and she had a maid, an Egyptian, Hagar by name. And Sarah said unto Abraham, Behold now the Lord hath restrained me from childbearing. I pray thee go in to my maid; it may be that I shall be builded by her," (Gen. xvi.) This was a great humility of Sarah, who so abased herself, and took in good part this temptation and trial of her faith. For thus she thought: God is no liar; that which he hath promised to my husband, he will surely perform. But peradventure God will not that I should be the mother of that seed. It shall not grieve me that Hagar should have this honour, unto whom let my lord enter, for I may peradventure be builded by her.

Ishmael therefore is born without the word and promise, at the only request of Sarah. For there is no word of God which commanded Abraham thus to do, or promised unto him a son, but all this is done at adventure. Which also the words of Sarah do declare-"It may be" (saith she) "that I shall be builded by her." Seeing, therefore, there was no word of God spoken to Abraham before, as there was when Sarah should bring forth Isaac, but only the word of Sarah, it is evident enough that Ishmael was the son of Abraham after the flesh only, without the word of God; therefore he was born at adventure, and unlooked-for, as another child is. This Paul observed, and diligently considered.

In the ninth to the Romans he prosecuteth the same argument which here he repeateth and setteth forth in an allegory, and concludeth strongly, that all the sons of Abraham are not the sons of God. Abraham (saith he) hath two sorts of children. Some are born of his flesh and blood, but the word and promise of God goeth before, as Isaac. Other are born without the promise, as Ishmael. Therefore, the children of the flesh (saith he) are not the children of God, but the children of the promise, &c. And by this argument he mightily stoppeth the mouths of the proud Jews, which gloried that they were the seed and children of Abraham: as also Christ doth, in the third of Matthew, and in the eighth of John. As if he said: It followeth not, I am the carnal seed of Abraham, therefore I am the child of God; Esau is the natural son, therefore the heir. Nay, rather, (saith he) they that will be the children of Abraham, besides their carnal birth, must be also the sons of the promise, and must believe. And they are the true children of Abraham and, consequently, of God, who have the promise and believe.

But Ishmael, because he was not promised of God to Abraham, is a son after the flesh only, and not after the promise, and therefore he was born at adventure, as other children be. For no mother knoweth whether she shall have a child or no, or if

she perceive herself to be with child, yet she cannot tell whether it shall be a son or a daughter. But Isaac was expressly named, (Gen. xvii.) "Sarah, thy wife" (saith the angel to Abraham) "shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Isaac." Here the son and the mother are expressly named. Thus, for this humility of Sarah, because she gave up her right, and suffered the contempt of Hagar, (Gen. xvi.) God requited her with this honour, that she should be the mother of the promised son, &c.

VERSE 24. The which things are spoken by allegories.

Allegories do not strongly persuade in divinity, but, as certain pictures, they beautify and set out the matter. For if Paul had not proved the righteousness of faith against the righteousness of works by strong and pithy arguments, he should have little prevailed by this allegory. But, because he had fortified his cause before with invincible arguments, taken of experience, of the example of Abraham, the testimonies of the scripture and similitudes; now, in the end of his disputations, he addeth an allegory, to give a beauty to all the rest. For it is a seemly thing sometimes to add an allegory, when the foundation is well laid, and the matter thoroughly proved; for as painting is an ornament to set forth and garnish a house already builded, so is an allegory the light of a matter which is already otherwise proved and confirmed.

VERSE 24, 25. For these mothers are the two Testaments: the one, which is Hagar of mount Sinai, which gendereth unto bondage. (For Agar or Sinai is a mountain in Arabia.)

Abraham is a figure of God, which hath two sons; that is to say, two sorts of people are represented by Ishmael and Isaac. These two are born unto him by Hagar and Sarah, the which signify the two Testaments, the Old and the New. The Old is of mount Sinai, begetting unto bondage, which is Hagar. For the Arabians in their language call Agar the same mountain which the Jews call Sinai, (which seemeth to have that name of brambles and thorns,) which also Ptolemæus and the Greek commentators do witness. After the same manner divers names are given to many mountains, according to the diversity of nations. So the mount which Moses calleth Hermon, of the Sidonians is called Sirion, and of the Amorites, Senir.

Now this serveth very well to the purpose, that mount Sinai, in the Arabian language signifieth as much as a handmaid; and I think the likeness of this name gave Paul light and occasion to seek out this allegory. Likewise, then, as Hagar the bond-maid brought forth to Abraham a son, and yet not an heir but a servant: so Sinai, the allegorical Agar, brought forth to God a son, that is to say, a carnal people. Again, as Ishmael was the true son of Abraham, so the people of Israel had the

true God to be their Father, which gave them his law, his oracles, religion, and true service, and the temple: as it is said, in Psalm cxlvii." He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgment unto Israel." Notwithstanding this only was the difference: Ishmael was born of a bond-maid after the flesh, that is to say, without the promise, and could not therefore be the heir. So the mystical Agar, that is to say, mount Sinai, where the law was given, and the Old Testament ordained, brought forth to God, who is the great Abraham, a people, but without the promise; that is to say, a carnal and a servile people, and not the heir of God. For the promises, as touching Christ, the giver of all blessing, and as touching the deliverance from the curse of the law, from sin and death; also as touching the free remission of our sins, of righteousness and everlasting life, are not added to the law, but the law saith, "He that shall do these things shall live in them," (Lev. xviii. 5. Rom. x. 5.)

Therefore, the promises of the law are conditional, promising life, not freely, but to such as fulfil the law; and therefore they leave men's consciences in doubt: for no man fulfilleth the law. But the promises of the New Testament have no such condition. joined unto them, nor require any thing of us, nor depend upon any condition of our worthiness, but bring and give unto us freely, forgiveness of sins, grace, righteousness and life everlasting for Christ's sake, as I have said more largely in another place.

Therefore the law, or the Old Testament, containeth only conditional promises; for it hath always such conditions as these are, joined to it: "If ye hearken to my voice, if ye keep my statutes, if ye walk in my ways, ye shall be my people," &c. The Jews, not considering this, laid hold of those conditional promises, as if they had been absolute and without all conditions: which they supposed that God could never revoke, but must needs keep them. Hereupon, when they heard the prophets foreshew the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, of the temple, of the kingdom and priesthood, (which could well discern betwixt the corporal promises of the law, and the spiritual promises concerning Christ and his kingdom,) they persecuted and killed them, as heretics and blasphemers of God; for they saw not this condition that was annexed: "If ye keep my commandments, it shall go well with you," &c.

Therefore Hagar, the bond-maid, bringeth forth but a bondservant. Ishmael, then, is not the heir, although he be the natural son of Abraham, but remaineth a bond-man. What is here lacking? The promise, and the blessing of the word. So the law given in mount Sinai, which the Arabians call Agar, begetteth none but servants. For the promise made, as concerning Christ, was not annexed to the law. Wherefore, O ye Galatians! if ye, forsaking the promise and faith, fall back to the law and works, ye shall always continue servants; that is, ye shall never be delivered from sin and death, but ye shall