" Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Sou, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sou into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son ; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Gal. 4:1-7).

The terms "son "and "sonship " are used in contrast to "children" by the apostle here. A child is that in virtue of his birth-he is born in that place; he can never cease to be the child of the one of whom he was born. But a child may not have the place which sonship implies, and that is what the apostle presses upon us here. A "son" is the child publicly acknowledged as such; and that is what is proper to Christianity.

Children of God there were before Christianity, of course. They were not gathered together as such, however. They were not marked out and publicly acknowledged as such, though they were there. Christ died, not for the nation of Israel only, "but that He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad." They were His children even while they were scattered; and while under the law, differed nothing from servants as to their practical condition, while they were indeed "lords of all." They were under the law's tutelage, for their good, "until the time appointed by the Father." Under the law they were denied the nearness which was truly their own, the liberty of acknowledged relationship -of sonship. ,

''But when the fulness, of time was come (the delay was no longer than necessity demanded) God sent forth' His Son"-the One in greatest nearness to Himself now apparently at a distance:"come of a woman"-a true Man; "come under the law", which could but testify to His perfection; and after thirty years of probation was marked out as the Object of God's fullest delight by the Voice from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," and sealed by the Holy Spirit for the ministry and work of redemption for those under the law, and now " that we might receive the adoption of sons"-putting the children in the place of sons, as well as giving us the reality of being such. The blessed consequence is this:"Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." Notice that the place, as given of God, must be ours first; then comes the qualification for the place-the Spirit of His Son is given. How wonderful is this! It is not the spirit of a son simply, but " the Spirit of His Son." It is the perfection of Christ which has made possible this reception of the Spirit of Christ which brings us into the sweetness of what Christ Himself is to God, and in the value of which we abide before Him !

We serve Him now, but in bondage no longer; it is service indeed-the loyal, joyful service of sons. "And if a son," he adds, " then an heir of God through Christ." – Adapted from " Numerical Bible."

"And now as sons before Thy face,
With joyful steps the path we tread
Which leads us on to that blest place
Prepared for us by Christ our Head."