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Now I say, That the heir, as long as*heis a child,differethnothing from a servant, though he belord of all;
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Butisundertutorsandgovernorsuntil the time appointed of the father.
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Evensowe,when we werechildren,were in bondageunder the elements[a] of the world:
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Butwhen the fulness of the time was come, God sent forthhisSon,madeof a woman,madeunder the law,
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Toredeem them that were under the law,that we might receive the adoption of sons.
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Andbecause ye aresons,God hath sent forth the Spirit of hisSonintoyourhearts,crying, Abba,Father.
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Wherefore thou art no more a servant,but a son;andif a son,then an heir of GodthroughChrist.
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Howbeitthen*, when ye knewnotGod, ye did service unto them which by naturearenogods.
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Butnow, after that ye have knownGod,orrather are knownofGod,how turn yeagain[b]to the weakandbeggarlyelements,whereunto ye desireagainto be in bondage?
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I am afraid of you,lestI have bestoweduponyoulabour in vain.
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Brethren, I beseechyou,beasI am; forI am asye are: ye have not injuredme at all.
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Yeknowhowthroughinfirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
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Andmytemptation which was inmyflesh ye despisednot,norrejected; butreceivedmeas an angel of God, even asChristJesus.
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Where[c]isthen the blessednessye spake of? for I bearyourecord, that,if it had been possible, ye would have plucked outyour own eyes, and have given them* to me.
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Am Ithereforebecomeyourenemy, because I tellyou the truth?
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They zealously affectyou, but notwell;yea, they wouldexcludeyou,[d]that ye might affectthem.
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But it is good to be zealously affectedalwaysin a good thing, andnotonlywhenI am presentwithyou.
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My little children, of whom I travail in birthagainuntil*Christ be formedinyou,
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Idesire to be presentwithyounow,and to changemyvoice;for I stand in doubtofyou.
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Tellme, ye that desire to beunder the law, do yenothear the law?
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For it is written, thatAbrahamhadtwosons, the oneby a bondmaid*, the otherby a freewoman.
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Buthe who was of the bondwoman was bornafter the flesh;but he of the freewoman was bypromise.
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Which thingsare an allegory: fortheseare the twocovenants;[e] the one*from the mountSinai, which genderethtobondage,whichisAgar.
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For this AgarismountSinaiinArabia,andanswereth to Jerusalemwhich now is,and is in bondagewithherchildren.
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ButJerusalem which is aboveisfree,whichis the mother of usall.
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For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearestnot; break forthandcry, thou that travailestnot:for the desolate hath many morechildrenthanshe which hath an husband.
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Nowwe,brethren,asIsaacwas,are the children of promise.
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Butasthen he that was bornafter the fleshpersecuted him that was born after the Spirit,evenso it is now.
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Neverthelesswhatsaith the scripture? Cast out the bondwomanandherson:for the son of the bondwomanshallnot be heirwith the son of the freewoman.
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So then,brethren, we arenotchildren of the bondwoman,but of the free.