bondage to Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome. Spiritually it had been in bondage to idolatries in past times, _e. g._, the reign of Manasseh, and was now in bondage to the rabbis, literalists in interpretation, and without spirituality or sympathy (Matt. 23:4). Christ, however, rarely enters into argument; he makes no attempt to refute their statement, pays no heed to their interruption, but goes on with his discourse. 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever[334] committeth sin is the servant of sin. [334] Rom. 6:16, 20; 2 Pet. 2:19. 35 And the servant[335] abideth not in the house for ever: _but_ the Son abideth ever. [335] Gal. 4:30. 36 If[336] the Son therefore shall make you free, ye[337] shall be free indeed. [336] Isa. 61:1. [337] Rom. 8:2; Gal. 5:1. =34-36. Whosoever committeth sin= (lives in the commission of sin) =is the slave= (not servant) =of sin=. He is in bondage to sin. For action forms habit, and habit becomes second nature. Thus every sinful act tends to bring the soul into bondage to the law of evil habit. Striking illustrations of this law of human nature are afforded by self-indulgence in appetite; but the same principle is involved in all evil-doing--it tends to fasten evil habits on the soul. See Rom. 6:16-18; 7:9-24. And this law belongs to human nature; it is equally operative in Jew and Gentile, in church-member and in man of the world. Every sin helps to weld a chain.--=The slave abideth not in the house forever, but the Son abideth ever.= The language is parabolic; the meaning seems to me to be this: The world is in bondage; it _seems_ to be under Satan; his promise to Christ, “All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me,” appears not like a vain promise. But this bondage is short-lived. The kingdoms of the world are _in truth_ the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ. He shall reign forever and forever (Rev. 11:15). He, therefore, who yields to the yoke of bondage by conforming to the world gets only a brief advantage, for the period of bondage to sin and Satan will soon be over. He that accepts Christ as his Lord, and acknowledges allegiance to him, will have an eternal freedom in the house which God has built, and over which Christ is to have eternal rule (Heb. 3:2-6). The world is God’s house, not Satan’s.--=If the Son therefore shall make you free.= From past penalty, by himself bearing it for us; from the bondage of sin, by giving us power to become the sons of God; from the law, by imparting to us a new spiritual life. See Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, especially chaps. 4 and 5, which may be regarded as his sermon on this text.--=Ye shall be free indeed.= Made free by the _truth_ (ver. 32) as it is in Christ Jesus. For freedom is not independence of all law--that never is and never can be; God himself is not thus free; it is the comprehension and the right use of law. We