Therefore then for the liberty of the Gospel, it is a precious liberty, wherein the treasury of the mystery of grace is laid up: it is the only ground of support to our souls; and Saint Paul that was the great instrument of God in opening the doctrine of the liberty of the Gospel, sets it down in all his Epistles; and in many places elegantly: and in one Text wherein is some difficulty, In Gal. 4. from verse 21, and so forward, Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? for it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free woman: but he who was of the bond-woman, was borne after the flesh, but be of the free-woman, was by promise: which things are an allegory; for these are the two covenants, the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage which is Hagar; for this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children: but Jerusalem which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all: for it is written, rejoice thou barren that bearest not, break forth and cry thou that travellest not: for the desolate hath many more children, then she which hath an husband. The Text seems at the reading of it, to be somewhat obscure; and yet doth most excellently set out this doctrine I am now upon, of bondage under the law, and liberty under the Gospel: the allegory, you see, is from the two sons; Abraham had one Son by a bond-maid, another by a free woman; It is an allegory, says the Apostle, and it signifies the two covenants; the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace: the covenant of works, that was from mount Sinai; there was the law revealed, which is Hagar, for this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia. I remember Luther says; that Hagar in the Arabian tongue is as much as mount Sinai, they call it so in the Arabian tongue: and so the Apostle alludes to it; therefore the law that is of Hagar, that tends only to bondage. Agars posterity were Gentiles, and in bondage, and were not to have the privilege of the Sons of the free woman: therefore all those that have to deal with God in the covenant of works, are bond-men; and are not to have the privilege of the children of the free woman, of the children of God.
Therefore then for the liberty of the Gospel, it is a precious liberty, wherein the treasury of the mystery of grace is laid up: it is the onely ground of support to our souls; and Saint Paul that was the great instrument of God in opening the doctrine of the liberty of the Gospel, sets it down in all his Epistles; and in many places elegantly: and in one Text wherein is some difficulty, In Gal. 4. from verse 21, and so forward, Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, doe ye not heare the law? for it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free woman: but he who was of the bond-woman, was borne after the flesh, but be of the free-woman, was by promise: which things are an allegory; for these are the two covenants, the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage which is Agar; for this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children: but Jerusalem which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all: for it is written, rejoyce thou barren that bearest not, breake forth and cry thou that travellest not: for the desolate hath many more children, then she which hath an husband. The Text seemes at the reading of it, to be somewhat obscure; and yet doth most excellently set out this doctrine I am now upon, of bondage under the law, and liberty under the Gospel: the allegory, you see, is from the two sons; Abraham had one Son by a bond-maid, another by a free woman; It is an allegory, sayes the Apostle, and it signifies the two covenants; the covenant of workes, and the covenant of grace: the covenant of workes, that was from mount Sinai; there was the law revealed, which is Agar, for this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia. I remember Luther sayes; that Agar in the Arabian tongue is as much as mount Sinai, they call it so in the Arabian tongue: and so the Apostle alludes to it; therefore the law that is of Agar, that tends onely to bondage. Agars posterity were Gentiles, and in bondage, and were not to have the priviledge of the Sons of the free woman: therefore all those that have to deal with God in the covenant of workes, are bond-men; and are not to have the priviledge of the children of the free woman, of the children of God.
