That is, it could
not make them righteous and good; it could not change their hearts
and lives; it could only keep them from outward wrong-doing by
threats and promises, saying: "Thou shalt not." It could, at best,
only show them how sinful their own hearts were; how little they
loved what God commanded; how little they desired what He promised;
and so it made them feel more and more that they were guilty,
unworthy to look up to a holy God, deserving His anger and
punishment, worthy to die for their sins; and thus by the law came
the knowledge of sin, a deeper feeling of guilt, and shame, and
slavish dread of God, as St. Paul sets forth, with wonderful wisdom,
in the seventh chapter of Romans.
Now, let us consider the latter half of the text. "But ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father."
What is this adoption? St. Paul tells us in the beginning of the
fourth chapter of his epistle to the Galatians. He says: As long as
a man's heir is a child, and under age, there is no difference in law
between him and a slave. He is his father's property. He must obey
his father, whether he chooses or not; and he is under tutors and
governors, until the time appointed by his father; that is, until he
comes of age, as we call it.
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