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I. A PERIOD IN WHICH WERE MANIFEST THE BONDAGE, DEGRADATION, AND MISERY OF MAN, AND THE CORRUPTION, DECAY, AND DEATH OF NATIONS.

1. After the Flood a new term of probation was granted; but Babel became the monument of man's pride and self-will.

2. After the call of Abraham God's administration took a two-fold form:

(a)  to prepare salvation for the nations;

(b)  To prepare the nations for salvation.

(1) To the Jews the law was given as a pedagogue to conduct them to Christ; but they lost sight of the end in the means.

(2) To the Greeks were given exquisite intellectual faculties;.but these great gifts were prostituted to the basest uses.

(3) To the Romans was given. the faculty for law and empire; but they became slaves of lust. The world's extremity was God's opportunity.

II. A PERIOD OF SPECIAL, SUPERNATURAL, AND DIVINE INTERVENTION AS MANIFESTED IN THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST, AND THE SPIRITUAL FREEDOM AND MORAL ELEVATION OF MEN.

1. The person of Christ.

(1)  His Divinity — "sent forth His Son."

(2)  His humanity — "born of a woman."

(3)  His nationality — "under the law."

2. The work of Christ — "to redeem, etc."

3. The kindred and representatives of Christ — "sons," whose distinctive marks are:

(1)  Freedom.

(2)  Spirituality.

(3)  Permanancy.

(4)  Hopefulness.

(Giles Hester.)

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KJV: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

WEB: But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,