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The Leonard Library

Wpdiffe College

Toronto

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Register NO..VS..8.1.1

..V. •-.

THE

ENTIRE WORKS

REV. CHARLES SIMEON, M.A

WITH COPIOUS INDEXES,

PREPARED BY THE REV.

THOMAS HARTWELL HORNE, B.D.

LONDON:

PKINTED BY KICIIAKD CLAY, BKEALJ-STKEE i -HILL.

HOR^E HOMILETICJE:

DISCOURSES

(PRINCIPALLY IN THE FORM OF SKELETONS)

NOW FIRST DIGESTED INTO ONE CONTINUED SERIES AND FORMING A COMMENTARY

UPON EVERY BOOK OF

THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT;

TO WHICH IS ANNEXED, AN IMPROVED EDITION OF A TRANSLATION OF

CLAUDE'S ESSAY ON THE COMPOSITION OF A SERMON.

IN TWENTY-ONE VOLUMES.

BY THE REV. CHARLES SIMEON, M.A.

SENIOR FELLOW OF KING'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.

^.r " -,*'•

VOL. XVII.

* ' /-^ ,--- r 1-, .-^ „

GALATIANS —EPHESIANS.

^^-^-^•^^i^r^'*'' ' LONDON: HOLDSWORTH AND BALL,

AMEN CORNER, PATERNOSTER ROW. MDCCC XXXIII.

i r. o

•u

9^ u J

CONTENTS TO VOL. XVII.

Discourse.	Text.	Subject.	Page.
2049. 2050. 2051.	GALATIANS i. 4. i. 8, 9. i. 10.	The great Object of Christ's coming . The Importance of the Doctrine of Justification by Faith alone . J\fen-pleasers reproved .....	1 6 16
2052. 2053. 2054. 2055.	i. 15, 16. i. 23, 24. ii. 5. ii. 10.	Conversion, and its Effects .... God glorified in his People .... Christian and Unchristian Pertinacity Rememberino the Poor	23 28 32 39
205G.	ii. 14 — KJ.		43
2057.	ii. 19	True Use of the Law . •	50
2058. 2059. 2060. 2061. 2062.	ii. 20. iii. 1. iii. 8, 9. iii. 10. iii 13	The Christian crucified with Christ . Departing from the simple Gospel The Gospel preached to Abraham Spirituality and Sanctions of the Law Redemption by Christ	54 61 64 70 73
2063.	iii 19	The Uses of the Law .	76
2064. 2065. 2066.	iii. 19. iii. 19. iii. 19.	The Spirituality of the Law . . . The first Use of the Law .... The Law, a Schoolmaster, to bring us to Christ	88 101 112
2067.	iii. 19.	The third Use of the Law, as a Rule of Life .	196
2068. 2069. 2070.	iii. 21—26. iii. 27—29. iv. 4, 5.	The true Use of the Law .... Benefits and Obligations of Baptism . The Time and Manner of Christ's	139 147 155
2071.	iv. 6	The Spirit of Adoption • .	162
2072. 2073.	iv. 11. iv. 18.	Ministers labouring in vain The Nature and Importance of Chris-	167 172
2074.	iv. 19, 20.	A Minister's chief Wish for his People	175

CONTENTS.

Discourse.	Text.	Subject	Page.
2075. 2076. 2077. 2078. 2079. 2080. 9081.	GALATIANS iv. 22—24. iv. 30. v. 1. v. 2—4. v. 5. v. 6. V 11	Sarah and Hagar Types .... Justification by Faith maintained . Liberty of the Christian .... Self-righteousness reproved .... The Righteousness of Faith The Office and Operation of Faith . Offence of the Cross	180 184 192 J96 201 207 210
2082.	V 1 fi	Walking in the Spirit . . . *.	214
2083.	V. 17.	The Principles of Flesh and Spirit considered	219
2084. 2085.	v. 18. v. 19—24.	The Christian freed from the Law . The Fruits of the Flesh and of the Spirit contrasted	226 232
2086.	v 25	Walking in the Spirit	239
2087. *>088.	vi. 2. vi 3 5	Benevolence recommended .... Against Self-deceit	243 246
2089. 2090.	vi. 7, 8. vi 0	The Ground of God's final Decision .	254 257
2091.	vi 14	The Cross of Christ	259
i 2092.	EPHESIANS i. 3—12.	Thanks to God for his Sovereign	265
2093. 2094. 2095.	i. 7, 8. i. 13, 14. i. 15—20.	The Wisdom of God in Redemption . The Sealing of the Spirit .... The Spirit's Influences as a Spirit of	272 275 277
2096. 2097. 2098.	i. 20—23. ii. 3. ii. 4 — 7.	Christ the Head of the Church . . Original Sin stated, and improved The Riches of Divine Grace dis-	283 287 294
2099.	ii. 8—10.	Salvation by Grace not hostile to good Works	297
| 2100. 2101. 2102.	ii. 12, 13. ii. 18. ii. 19—22. iii. 8.	The States of the Regenerate and the Unregenerate contrasted .... Access to God by the Priesthood . . Exalted Privileges of true Christians Richness and Fulness of the Gospel . [Inserted under 1 Tim. i. 11. ] i	302 307 312 316

CONTENTS.

Vll

Discourse.	Text.	Subject.	Page.
2103. 2104.	EPHESIANS iii. 10. iii. 14—19.	Angels made wiser by the Gospel Prayer the Means of the richest	316 j I 325
2105. 2106. 2107	iii. 18, 19. iii. 20, 21. iv. 1—3. IV 4 (j	Excellency and Glory of the Gospel . [Inserted under 1 Tim. i. 11.] God 's Power to bless his People . A consistent Walk enjoined Christian Unity	328 329 332 338
2108. 2109. 2110. 2111. 2112.	iv. 7, 8. iv. 11—16. iv. 20, 21. iv. 22—24. iv. 30.	The Ascension of Christ .... The Use of a stated Ministry . . Education, and Walk of Christians . The Old Man and the New . . . Grievinct the Spirit	342 347 352 356 360
2113. 2114. 2115. 2116. 2117.	iv. 32. v. 2. v. 5—7. v. 8. v 9	Forgiveness of Sins Christ's Love, a Pattern for ours. Fatal Consequences of indulged Sin . A consistent Walk enjoined Practical Christianity .	367 371 375 378 383
2118. 9119	v. 14. v 15 16	An Exhortation to careless Sinners .	389 392
2120.	v. 18—20.	The Believer filled with the Holy Ghost	395
2121.	v. 21 — 33.		399
2122. 2123.	v. 25—27. v. 30.	The perfecting of the Church is the End of all that Christ has done for it Union with Christ ....	405 409
2124. 2125. 2126.	v. 32. vi. 10. vi. 11.	Union between Christ and his People The Christian's Strength .... The Means of withstanding Satan's Wiles	414 421 430
2127. 2128.	vi. 12, 13. vi. 14.	To withstand the Power of Satan The Christian's Girdle .	438 448
2129. 2130. 2131.	vi. 14. vi. 14, 15. vi. 16.	The Christian's Breast-plate . The Christian's Greaves .... 'The Christian's SJtield	458 467 4*7fi
2132. 2133.	vi. 17. vi. 17.	The Christian's Helmet The Christian's Sword ....	487 4Qfi
2134.	vi. 18.	The Importance of Prayer ....	507

G A L A T I A N S.

MMXLIX.

THE GREAT OBJECT OF CHRIST'S COMING.

Gal. i. 4. Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world) according to the ivill of God and our Father.

THESE words are a part of an introductory prayer, with which St. Paul begins almost all his epistles. The portion of it which I have selected for the subject of our present contemplation, expresses a truth, which, if stated in a didactic form, might have somewhat of a forbidding aspect ; but, as incidentally mentioned, in the midst of a prayer which conveyed to the Ga- latian Church the strongest evidence of his regard for their welfare, it comes recommended to us by all the endearments of Christian love. One thing, in particular, we cannot fail to notice ; namely, that the sentiment contained in it was well known amongst them, and universally approved. It needed nothing to confirm it, nothing to enforce it. They were in the habit of looking to the Saviour, as well as to God the Father, for all the blessings of " grace and peace :" and to the one, as well as to the other, of these divine Persons, did they ascribe all " glory for ever and ever." The nature of their obligations, too, both to the one and to the other, they clearly understood. They knew, that to " deliver them from this present evil world," was the Father's object in sending to them his Son, and the Son's object in dying for them.

VOL. XVII.

2 GALATIANS, I. 4. [2049.

The introduction therefore of this sentiment would not offend them : on the contrary, it would meet with their most cordial concurrence ; and would in creasingly occupy their minds, whenever they were engaged in the blessed work of supplication and thanksgiving. Well therefore may the truths which it will of necessity lead me to inculcate be received by you, not as hard sayings, but as expressions of love.

Consider, then, with me,

I. What is the great object aimed at in our redemp tion by Christ- Persons at all conversant with the Gospel would, without hesitation, say, that Christ gave himself for us, to deliver us from the guilt of our sins, and from the condemnation due to them. But the complete connexion which that subject has with our deliver ance from the world would not so immediately occur to the minds of all. That, therefore, it shall now be my endeavour to point out.

Through the fall of our first parents, the world has usurped, in the heart of man, the place which was originally assigned to God —

[The world, as first constituted, and as subordinated to God, was good : but, as rivalling God in the affections of men, it, and every thing in it, is evil. To fallen man it is become his one object of desire, his one source of pleasure, his one ground of confidence. It occupies all his thoughts : it is his pursuit, his portion, and his god. As for his Creator, he flees from him, as Adam did in Paradise. He delights not to contemplate him, to seek him, to serve him, to enjoy him. Nay, if the inspired testimony be true, " God is not in all his thoughts." The things of time and sense engross him utterly. When he rises in the morning, when he passes through the day, when he lies down to rest at night, the world, with its cares, its pleasures, its vanities, binds him as with adamantine chains, and keeps him from ever soaring to his God. He loves his bonds indeed, and feels them not : but he is bound notwithstanding ; and, whilst " walking according to the course of this world, he is walking according to the dictates of the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in all the children of disobedience a."]

a Eph. ii. 2.

2049.] THE GREAT OBJECT OF CHRIST'S COMING. 3

To deliver him from this state was the great end for which our Lord and Saviour came into the world —

[He came to cast out every idol from our hearts, and to bring us back to God. Not that he grudges us the enjoyment of earthly things; for "he has given us all things richly to enjoy b ;" but he cannot endure that God should have a rival in our hearts. By contemplating man in Paradise, we may form an idea what that state is to which the Lord Jesus Christ seeks to restore us. Before sin had defiled the soul of Adam, he had as rich an enjoyment of earthly things as a creature could possess. But he enjoyed God in them : and it was this which rendered them so sweet to his taste. God was the first and last in all his thoughts. He " dressed, in deed, and kept" the garden in which he was placed; but it caused him no anxious care ; nor excited any idolatrous at tachment in his mind ; nor alienated his soul from God, even for a moment. It never unfitted him for communion with God, or deadened the ardour of his affections towards God : no ; he walked as before God, every day and all the day long : he walked with God, as a man walketh with his friend. Now, to bring us back to this, is the true end of redemption, and the proper scope of all that God has ever done for our souls.]

Let us now proceed to consider, II. How great an object this is—

It is the one object aimed at both by the Father and the Son—

[For this the Lord Jesus " Christ gave up himself." For this he left the bosom of his Father : for this he vacated his throne of glory : for this he assumed our nature : for this he lived : for this he died : for this he rose again, and ascended into heaven, and took upon him the government of the world. This is the end he ever keeps in view, in the chastisements he inflicts, and in the blessings he bestows. In all this, the Father also concurred with him. The very proposal, so to speak, originated with the Father; as the Son himself testifies: " Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not : but a body hast thou prepared me. In burnt- offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come, (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O Godc." The Father, as is here said, " prepared him a body," and sent him into the world ; and " gave him a commandment, what he should say, and what he should dod." The Father

b 1 Tim. vi. 17. c Ps. xl. 6—8. with Heb. x. 5—7.

d John vi. 38. and xiv. 31.

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4 GALATIANS, T. 4. [2049.

upheld him also in the whole of his work6 ; and " raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory f;" and committed all things into his hands, that he might accomplish in man all the purposes of his loveg.]

What an object, then, must this be !

[We are accustomed to judge of objects, in general, by the efforts made to obtain them. And, if we take that crite rion, what is there that can equal the great object before us? That it should ever occupy for a moment the mind of the Deity, is amazing : but that it should ever be so desirable in Jehovah's mind, that he should give his only dear Son to effect it ; and that his Son, also, should willingly endure all the curses of the broken law to attain it ; yea, that the Holy Spirit, too, should undertake, by his own almighty power, to accomplish in us this good work ; that the Sacred Trinity, I say, should all combine thus to effect it, exhibits such a view of its importance as nothing can exceed. Yet, how little is it viewed in this light ! How little do men, at that season of the year when we commemorate the Saviour's Advent, recol lect for what end he came ! If we were to judge by the con duct of the generality amongst us, we should rather suppose that the Saviour gave himself to deliver us to, and not to deliver us from, this present evil world : precisely as the Jews of old committed all manner of iniquity, and then said, " We are delivered to do all these abominations11." You well know, that, as by general consent, this is made a season of more than usual conviviality; insomuch that dissipation is, if I may so speak, the order of the day : and the man who has no greater portion than usual of mirth and gaiety seems to himself to have failed in the peculiar exercises of his mind, which the season calls for. If one were to say, that such commemora tions were an insult to the Deity ; that they obstructed the very ends for which the Saviour came ; and were a direct act of rebellion against God the Father, whose avowed will was opposed ; one should be thought a gloomy enthusiast, and an enemy to all social happiness. But so it is, whatever ungodly men may think concerning it; and so it will be found at the last day. God says, " Give ME thy heart ;" and that command must be obeyed. We must withdraw it from all things that stand in competition with him. The most lawful and honour able attachments must be subordinated to him : we must " set our affections altogether on things above, and not on things on the earth1:" we must " have our conversation in heaven." Our blessed Lord has shewn us, in this respect, how to walk ;

e Isai. xlii. 1. f 1 Pet. i. 21. ff Eph. iv. 10.

h Jer. vii. 9, 10. ' Col. iii. 2.

2049.] THE GREAT OBJECT OF CHRIST*S COMING. 5

and we " must follow his steps." In the world we are, and must be : but of the world we must not be, either in our spirit or our conduct. If we will be his followers indeed, we must " not be of the world, even as he was not of the world k."]

In this subject we may clearly SEE,

1. How few experience the full benefits of Christ's redemption !

[The light of Christianity has certainly raised the tone of morals, where its precepts are heard : but a complete confor mity to the Christian code is rarely seen. Where do we find persons living according to the pattern of Christ and his Apostles ? Where does the cross of Christ so operate, that they who look to it regard the world as a crucified object, or as a person that was himself crucified would regard it1 ? This is a feeling utterly unknown, except amongst a few ; who, on that very account, are despised and hated by the whole world m. The truth is, that Christians in general differ very little from either Jews or Heathens. Christianity occupies their heads ; but heathenism their hearts. They pretend to have faith : but, as for " the faith that overcomes the world," they know nothing about it". Their whole life, instead of being occupied in a progressive transformation of the soul after the Divine image, is one continued state of conformity to the world0: and, instead of regarding "the friendship of the world" as a decisive proof of their "enmity against God," they affect it, they seek it, they glory in itp. I appeal to all, whether these observations be not true ; and whether those who are " dead to the world" be not " as signs and wonders" in our day ? Know, however, that they, and they only, are right ; and that all the knowledge, or all the experience, that leaves us short of this, is but learned ignorance, and specious delusion. " The whole world lieth in wickedness :" and " they who are of God" come out of it, even as Lot did out of Sodom q. " If we love the world, the love of the Father is not in us1."]

2. How blessed is the effect of real Christianity upon the soul- fit emancipates us from the sorest bondage ; and brings

us into a state of liberty and peace. The votaries of this world, see with what cares they are harassed, with what dis-

k John xvii. 14 — 16. l Gal. vi. 14. m John xv. 19.

n 1 John v. 4, 5. ° Rom. xii. 2.

P Jam. iv. 4. See the amazing strength of the original (3ov\rjBfj KaOiararai : the very inclination constitutes a man an enemy to God. <i 1 John v. 19. r 1 John ii. 15, 16.

G GALATIANS, I. 8, 9. [2050.

appointments they are vexed ! See them in the full enjoyment of their portion ; What have they ? what, but " vanity and vexation of spirit?" But, on the other hand, behold the Christian that is enabled to live above the world : his acquisi tions cause no idolatrous feelings, like those which the rich man expressed, when he said " Soul, take thine ease ; eat, drink, and be merry s :" nor do his losses cast him down, or cause him to cry out, "Ye have taken away my gods; and what have I more*?" "He knows how to be full or to be hungry," as God shall see fit : and " in whatsoever state he be, to be therewith content"." His happiness is independent of earthly things. " God himself is his portion, and his inheri tance x :" and death, which is so formidable to a worldly man, is to him an object of desire y, because it brings him to the full fruition of all that he holds dear. In a word, in him is fulfilled " the will of God the Father ;" and in him is accom plished the purpose of Christ his Saviour55. Behold this man ! I ask not whether he be rich or poor, learned or unlearned, infirm or strong ; but this I ask, Is there a person who does not in his heart envy him ? I know, full well, that in words the generality will reproach him, as a weak enthusiast: but who would not wish, in a dying hour, to be found in his place ? A superiority to the cares and pleasures of life, if accompanied with a suitable deportment in other respects, carries such evi dence along with it, as men know not how to reject. They may be ignorant of the principle from whence such conduct flows ; but the conduct itself commends itself to their con sciences, with a force which they cannot resist. All in their hearts congratulate the consistent saint ; and though they will not say, " Let me live his life," they will say, " Let me die his death, and let my latter end be like his."]

s Luke xii. 19. * Judg. xviii. 24. u Phil. iv. 11, 12.

x Ps. xvi. 5. y Phil. i. 23. z The text.

MML.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE.

Gal. i. 8, 9. Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that ivhich we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other Gospel unto you, than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

TO exercise candour and forbearance towards those who differ from us, is the duty of all : yet there are

2050.] OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. 7

bounds beyond which candour becomes indifference, and forbearance treason. In things which are non- essential, and only of secondary importance, we should on no account be rigid : we should form our own opinions, and leave others to follow their own judgment : yea, rather than grieve them by an un necessary adherence to our own ways, we should conform to theirs, or at least forbear to prosecute our own. This v/as the conduct of the Apostle Paul. He " bore with the infirmities of his weak brethren3:" he circumcised Timothy, in order that he might gain an easier access to them for their goodb. " He became all things to all men," that he might win their souls c : and rather than prove a stumbling- block to any, by using that liberty to which he was introduced by the Gospel, he would decline the use of meat to the latest hour of his lifed. But was this his practice when he came to things essential ? Did he express no concern when he saw the whole city of Athens given to idolatry ? Yes ; " his spirit was stirred within him," and he testified boldly against their ignorant superstitions6. When he perceived that some of the Corinthians were lax in their senti ments and conduct, he told them plainly, that " if any man defiled the temple of God, him would God destroy f." Thus, in the passage before us, he, who on other occasions " was gentle among them, even like a nursing mother cherishing her children g," was filled with indignation against those who perverted the " Gospel of Christ," and denounced against every one of them, even though he were an angel from heaven, the most awful anathemas : yea, that they might know the fixedness of his mind respecting it, he renewed his declarations, and repeated his ana themas.

Let us then inquire, I. What was the Gospel which Paul preached—

a Rom. xiv. 1. and xv. 1. b Acts xvi. 3.

c 1 Cor. ix. 19 — 22. d 1 Cor. viii. 13. e Acts xvii. 16,22.

f 1 Cor. iii. 17. s 1 Thess. ii. 7.

8 GALATIANS, I. 8, 9. [2050.

On this point the utmost caution is necessary. The Apostle pronounces every one accursed that preaches any other Gospel different from that which he had preached to the Galatians. A mistake therefore in this matter will be absolutely fatal to us.

Observe then, that the great doctrine which he insisted on, was justification by faith alone without the works of the law. This, I say, was the point which he maintained, in contradistinction to justification by works, or by faith and works together : and this, namely, justification by faith without works, was the Gospel which he preached.

Respecting this we can have no doubt, if we con sider,

1. The statements which he makes —

[Here let us notice his train of argument, especially in that part of the epistle which accords with a similar statement in the Epistle to the Romans. He observes, that Abraham was justified by faith; and that we become partakers of his benefits by faith alsoh: that the law, instead of justifying, curses and condemns us1: that the prophets asserted justifi cation by faith, in direct opposition to justification by the works of the lawk: and that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, not that we might afterwards be justified by the law, but that we might enjoy his blessings through faith1. The Apostle then goes on to illustrate and confirm this by the covenant which was made with Abraham. In this cove nant God gave to Abraham, and to his believing posterity, the inheritance of eternal life. Four hundred and thirty years after, he gave the law to Moses, and made another cove nant with the Jews respecting their possession of the earthly Canaan. This latter covenant therefore, you perceive, was made between different parties; the former being between God and Abraham, (including all the believing seed of Abra ham, whether they were circumcised or not,) and the other, between God and the Jewish nation only : consequently, as a man's covenant cannot be annulled unless both parties consent, so the covenant which God made with the Jews cannot super sede that which he had so long before made with Abraham and his believing seed ; because the latter party were not pre sent at the making of it, nor had they ever consented to annul

h Gal. iii. 6—9. * Gal. iii. 10.

k Gal. iii. 11, li>. » Gal. iii. 13, 14.

2050.] °F JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. 9

the covenant which had been made with them™. If it be asked, Why then was the law given ? We answer, Not to supersede the covenant which had been " before confirmed of God in Christ," but to shew men their need of that better covenant", and to serve " as a school-master to bring them unto Christ, that they might be justified by faith0. "

Now compare this with the whole train of argument in the five first chapters to the Romans, and the coincidence will establish the point at once. The Apostle there shews our con demnation by the law, and the consequent impossibility of ever being justified by it: from thence he shews the necessity of seeking justification by faith in Christ p ; more especially because that way of justification, and that alone, would ex clude boasting q. He then proceeds to establish his point by the examples of Abraham1" and David5, both of whom sought justification by faith only : and he argues from thence, that if works compose any part of our justifying righteousness, " our reward will not be of grace, but of debt ;" and heaven will be, not a gift bestowed, but a compensation that we have earned: and consequently, that we must "not work" in order to obtain righteousness, but " believe on him whojustifieth the ungodly i :" (Mark well, not the godly, but the ungodly.) If it be said, that another Apostle represents Abraham as justified by his works u, St. Paul proves to demonstration, that St. James cannot speak of Abraham's justification before God, but only of the justification, or manifestation, of his faith, as true, and genuine ; for that Abraham " was justified while yet he was in uncircumcisionx;" which was not only before he offered Isaac upon the altar, but long before Isaac was borny.

It is needless to prosecute any further the Apostle's state ment: it will be sufficient just to mention his conclusion from it, which is; " THEREFORE being justified by faith, we have peace with God2."]

2. The objections he anticipates —

[In all his writings St. Paul is careful to obviate the ob jections which he foresees will be urged against the truths that he inculcates. The objections which he supposes an ignorant person will make, are two : first, That if, where sin has abounded, grace much more abounds, we may " continue in

m Gal. iii. 15 — 18. n Gal. iii. 19. ° Gal. iii. 24.

P Rom. iii. 19—22. 1 Rom. iii. 27, 28. (Mark ver. 28.)

r Rom. iv. 1 — 3. s Rom. iv. 6 — 8.

1 Rom. iv. 4, 5. Mark these verses, and weigh every word in them.

u Jam. ii. 21. x Jam. iv. 9 — 11.

y Gen. xvii. 19, 23, 24. with Gen. xxii. 1 — 13. z Rom. v. 1.

10 GALATIANS, I. 8, 9. [2050.

sin that grace may abound*:" for the greater sinners we are before we are justified, the more will the grace of God be magnified in justifying such ungodly creatures: and, if a per son be justified without any respect to his works, then, secondly, we may live in sin after we are justified; because we are not under the law which requires good works, but under a dispen sation of grace b, wherein life is given freely without any regard to our works, past, present, or future.

Time will not admit of our considering how he answers these objections : (suffice it to say, that he shews they have no solid foundation ; and that good works are effectually secured, though they be not taken into the account in our justification :) we mention the objections only, to shew what the doctrine must be that gave rise to them. Suppose the Apostle had said, that we were to be justified by our works alone, or by faith and works united, what room could there have been for such objections as these ? If works were taken into conside ration in the matter of our justification before God, we could have no temptation whatever on that account, to neglect them, either before or after we were justified. But if we are justi fied by faith without any respect to our works, then we can see at once, how a person, not understanding the whole of the Christian scheme, might conceive that the doctrine tended to licentiousness. Indeed these are the very objections that are yet daily urged by ignorant people against the Apostle's doc trine : they cry, ' You need only believe, and you may live as you will : and the more wicked you are, the more will the free grace of God be glorified in saving you.' Persons never think of urging these objections against those who preach salvation by works, whether in the whole or in part ; which is a sure proof, that the Apostle did not preach that doctrine ; but that the doctrine which he delivered was that of salvation by faith without the works of the law. In this view of his doctrine there is some apparent ground for the objection : in any other view of it, there is none at allJ\

3. The perversions he complains of —

[What was it he complained of in the conduct of the Galatians ? It was this : that they added the observance of the Mosaic ritual to the duties enjoined by the Gospel6, hoping thereby to render themselves more acceptable to God. And in what manner does he complain of this ? He calls it an introducing of " another Gospel, which yet was not another d" (for it was a mongrel religion, neither law nor Gospel); or, in

3 Rom. v. 20. and vi. 1. b Rom. vi. 15.

c Gal. iv. 9, 10. d Gal. i. 6, 7.

2050. J OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. 11

other words, a " perversion or rejection of the true Gospel6." Now what ground had he for such heavy accusations, if he himself preached salvation (whether in whole or in part) by the works of the law ? On this supposition, the more works they did, the more certain they would be to obtain justifica tion : supposing the Mosaic ritual to be abrogated, there still was no harm in " observing days, and months, and years ;" and all that he could properly say to them on the occasion, was, " That they were giving themselves needless trouble :" he must have commended them for their zeal in doing these works ; and only told them, that now there was no occasion for these observances. But if he preached justification by faith without the works of the law, and saw that they were performing these works in order to secure their justification, then he might well say, " I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vainf."

Again — We read of heavy complaints against Peter. What had Peter done ? He had conversed familiarly with the Gentile converts, and lived for a season, as they did, without any regard to the Mosaic ritual. But when some Judaizing converts came from Jerusalem, he was afraid of offending their prejudices; and therefore he forsook the Gentile converts, and lived with the others in the observance of all the Jewish rites and ceremonies g. By this conduct, he not only sanctioned the erroneous idea that the Mosaic rites were still obligatory on the Jewish Christians, but that it was necessary even for the Gentile Christians to conform to them. Now this, in any view of St. Paul's doctrine, was highly blameworthy ; because it was imposing a needless yoke upon the neck of the Gentiles. But this was all : and supposing that Paul had preached justification by works, this was all that he could properly lay to the charge of Peter. But supposing, as we have shewn, that the Gospel which Paul preached held forth justification by faith alone, then there was abundant reason for rebuking Peter in the presence of the whole Church, and accusing him of subverting the foundations of the Gospel h, and declaring that, so far as he prevailed, he " frustrated the grace of God," and made "the death of Christ to be in vain1."]

We are convinced that, if this accumulated evi dence be duly weighed, no doubt can remain upon our minds respecting the doctrine which Paul preached, and which he calls in our text " The Gospel." Let us then inquire,

e Gal. i. 6, 7. with iii. 1. f Gal. iv. 11. s Gal. ii. 11 — 13. h Gal. ii. 14—16. * Gal. ii. 21.

12 GALATIANS, 1. 8, 9. [2050.

II. Why he manifested such zeal in maintaining it- No man had less of bigotry than the Apostle Paul : for, though a Jew, he spent his life in vindicating the liberty of the Gentiles, and, in fact, died a martyr to their cause k. Nor was he actuated by resentment ; for, when most blaming the Galatians, he says, " Ye have not injured me at all1." Nor was he impelled by ambition, as though he would preserve an un rivalled ascendency over the Galatian Church ; for he considered himself as " not having dominion over their faith, but merely as a helper of their joym," His view was to maintain,

1. The purity of the Gospel —

[The Gospel is a fountain of life to a ruined world : nor is there a cistern in the universe that can afford waters so salubrious. It is there alone that Christ is revealed: and " there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we can be saved n." Now a perverting of this fundamental doctrine of justification by faith alone, is a poisoning of that fountain ; and consequently a destroying of the whole human race, as well those to whom its waters flow, as those who dwell in the parched desert. Suppose any man were found so in human, as without any cause to poison the spring whereby a populous city were sustained, and from whence alone they could draw what was necessary for their sustenance ; would not every living creature execrate him ? Yet that man would be innocent in comparison of him who diffuses the deadly doctrines of a mutilated Gospel : for the former destroys only the bodies of men; whereas the latter consigns over their souls to everlasting destruction. No wonder then that the Apostle expressed himself with such vehemence ! no wonder that he pronounced every person, whether it were himself, or an angel from heaven, " accursed," who should dare to " adulterate the sincere milk of the Word0!" It was on this ground that he resisted with invincible firmness the attempts that were made to get Titus circumcised p; and it was with the same view that he opposed so strenuously all the efforts of Judaizing teachers, even though they were sanctioned by the examples of Barnabas or Peter himself.]

2. The importance of the Gospel—

k Acts xxi. 28—31. ! Gal. iv. 12. m 2 Cor. i. 24.

n Acts iv. 12. ° 2 Cor. ii. 17. and iv. 2.

i1 Gal. ii. 3.

2050. J OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. 13

[Many who would shudder at the idea of infidelity, are ready to consider the doctrine of justification by faith alone, either as erroneous, or at best as speculative, doubtful, and indifferent. They will not unfrequently say, ' Take care to do good works, and you need not trouble yourself about these nice questions.' Now I readily grant that there are nice questions relative to predestination and election, and some other points, which may, or may not, be received consistently with our " holding the Head," the Lord Jesus Christ : but this is not the case with the doctrine before us. Justification by faith alone, is the hinge upon which the whole of Chris tianity turns. If that be practically received into the heart, it will save a man, though be be mistaken in many other points: but a mistake relative to that will be fatal to him, though he should hold every other truth in the Bible. Hear how St. Paul speaks in a passage before referred to ; " If righteousness come by the law, then CHRIST is DEAD IN VAIN^ ;" that is, It was in vain that Christ came down from heaven : all that he did or suffered was in vain, " if righteousness (whether in whole or in part) come by the law ;" for " all that are under the law are under the curse r." Again, with peculiar firmness and solemnity he says, " Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing8." What! was there any sin in circumcision ? Why then did Paul circumcise Timothy? No: the act was as innocent as any act could be : but the sin lay, in complying with that ordi nance with a view to further their justification before God : and then, it not only did not improve the prospects of the person that submitted to it, but made " Christ himself of no profit to him whatsoever." Once more he says, " Christ is become of no effect unto you; whosoever of you is justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace1;" that is, Ye have utterly renounced the grace of the Gospel, and ye can no more be saved, than the devils themselves ; for CHRIST is BECOME OF NO EFFECT UNTO YOU. In the Epistle to the Romans he con firms these things, not merely, as in the fore-cited passages, by strong assertions, but by matter of fact: for he declares that the Jews were left to perish, notwithstanding all their en deavours to obtain righteousness by the law ; and that the Gen tiles, who had paid no attention whatever to righteousness of any kind, were saved : and that the reason of the one being saved, while the others perished, was, that the one embraced the doctrine of justification by faith only, while the others were too proud to submit to itu. Let these matters be considered ; and then let any one say, whether there was not good reason

<i Gal. ii. 21. r Gal. iii. 10. compared with Gal. v. 3.

s Gal. v. 2. t Gal. v. 4. u Rom. ix. 30—33. and x. 3, 4.

14 GALATIANS, I. 8, 9. [2050.

for the Apostle's anathemas, which under any other circum stances might have been justly counted harsh and severe. He felt the importance of the doctrine ; and he wished all others to feel it : and therefore he did not hesitate to imprecate curses even on an angel from heaven, if any one could be found blind and impious enough to set it aside.]

3. The sufficiency of the Gospel—

[We are far from imputing any evil intention to those who object to the doctrine we are maintaining. " They have a zeal for God; but not according to knowledgex." They have fears and apprehensions that the Gospel which has been set forth, is insufficient either to justify, or to sanctify, the soul : and on this account they add good works to faith in order to their justification ; conceiving, that the righteousness of Christ cannot be the less effectual for the addition of ours to it ; and that the idea of being justified in part by our good works must be an irresistible inducement to the performance of them : whereas the exalting of faith as the only mean of salvation, must, they suppose, relax men's diligence in good works. But let us not presume to prop up the ark, or to change the plans which Infinite Wisdom has devised for the salvation of man. " The robe of Christ's righteousness " is quite sufficient " to cover our nakednessy," without adding to it " the filthy rags of our righteousness z." And there are grounds enough for abounding in good works without putting them into the place of Christ, and making a Saviour of them. The Scripture is plain ; "All that believe are justified from all things3:" and it is equally plain, that " faith will work by loveb," and " overcome the world c," and " purify the heart d." Had the Gospel needed any addition in either of these respects, St. Paul would not have been so adverse to the attempts to improve it: but, as it needed nothing of this kind, he could not endure that we should presume to be wiser than God : " Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty, instruct him? He that reproveth God, let him answer ite."]

Our IMPROVEMENT of this subject must be short : but we cannot conclude it without briefly noticing its importance,

1. To those who minister —

[It is not within the compass of language to suggest words that could more deserve the attention of ministers, than

x Rom. x. 2. y Rev. iii. 18. z Isai. Ixiv. 6.

a Acts xiii. 39. b Gal. v. 6. c 1 John v. 4.

d Acts xv. 9. e Job xl. 2.

2050.] OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. 15

those of our text. Many things doubtless are requisite for a due discharge of the ministry : but there is one that as far surpasses all others, as the sun exceeds a taper. It is this; an acquaintance with this fundamental doctrine of Scripture, the doctrine of justification by faith alone. If a man be not instructed in it, how can he instruct others? and if he be not instructing them in this, what is he doing, but bringing down curses upon his own soul, and leading his people also to destruction ? Would to God, that those who look forward to the ministry as a source of worldly honour or emolument, would seriously reflect upon this tremendous passage, and consider, whether it be worth their while to involve themselves in such accumulated misery ! Would to God that those also who are in the ministry, would consider what they have under taken to preach, and what is uniformly inculcated in the articles, the homilies, and the liturgy of our Church ! But whether men will consider for themselves or not, we must say, " a necessity is laid upon them, and woe be unto them if they preach not the Gospel f."]

2. To those who are ministered unto —

[If there be such a necessity laid on ministers to preach " the truth as it is in Jesus," there must be the same necessity for you to hear and embrace it. Inquire then, what is the Gospel that ye have received ? Is it this, or is it " another Gospel ? " Are your views of the Gospel such as would fur nish occasion for an ignorant person to raise objections against it as tending to licentiousness? Yet do you, at the same time, manifest by your life and conversation, that it is " a doctrine according to godliness ? " Inquire into these things ; for "they are your lifeg." If your views of Divine truth do not answer to this description, they are not such as the Apostle Paul had, nor will they lead you where he is. If, instead of looking for salvation by faith alone, you are mixing your own merits with those of Christ, you must inevitably perish : Christ shall profit you nothing. You may build hay, and wood, and stubble, upon the true foundation, and yet be saved at last : you will suffer loss indeed ; yet you will be saved, though it be as persons snatched out of the fireh. But if you build on any thing besides Christ, you have a foundation of sand, which will fail you in the hour of trial, to the destruction of your whole fabric, and the ruin of your own souls1. The mixtures of your righteousness with Christ's, like the feet of iron and clay in Nebuchadnezzar's image, will never bear the super-incumbent weight : they cannot unite ; they cannot adhere ; if you

f 1 Cor. ix. 16. g Deut. xxxii. 47.

h 1 Cor. iii. 12, 15. * Matt. vii. 26, 27-

10 GALATIANS, I. 10. [2051.

attempt to stand upon them, you will fall and be broken in pieces k. There is but "one faith1,'' but one foundation: " other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ111." Take heed therefore that you build upon it"; and let your superstructure be such as shall be approved in the day when it shall be tried by fire0.]

k Dan. ii. 33, 34. J Eph. iv. 5. m 1 Cor. iii. 11.

11 1 Cor. iii. 10. ° 1 Cor. iii. 13, 14.

MMLI.

MEN-PLEASERS REPROVED.

Gal. i. 10. Do I seek to please men ? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

IN the Churches of Galatia, great efforts were made, by Judaizing teachers, to " pervert the Gospel of Christ/' and to establish in its place a doctrine more congenial with Jewish prejudices and Jewish habits. St. Paul set himself vigorously to withstand their influence, and to maintain the Gospel in all its purity. For this end, he declared, in this epistle, his full authority from God to require from all of them a submission to the doctrines which he preached ; and he denounced a curse on any creature, whether man or angel, who should attempt to introduce any other Gospel. In prosecution of his argument, he appeals to the Galatians themselves, whether he was, or could be, actuated by any unworthy desire of pleasing men : " Do I now persuade men, or God ? or do I seek to please men ?" In explanation of these words, some would supply an ellipsis here, as though he had said, " Do I persuade (preach) the things of men, or of Goda?" Others would translate it, "Do I solicit the favour of men or of Godb ?" But neither of these in terpretations can I altogether approve. The former is that which our translators seem to have acquiesced in ; though, rather than express it, they have left the

a " Dei appellatione ru rov Qeov intelligit : et Treidtiv idem decla- rat atque TO KrjpvTTetr." Beza in loc. b Doddridge on the place.

205 l.J MEN-PLEASERS REPROVED. 17

passage altogether unintelligible. But if the word which we render "persuade" were translated " obey" (as it is translated in other parts of this very epistle0), I conceive that the sense would be more clear. Let it be remembered, that the Apostle, previously to his conversion, had sought to PLEASE men, and, under their authority, had opposed to the uttermost the cause of Christ d. Now he laboured, with no less zeal, to maintain that cause ; and denounced a curse, even against an angel from heaven, if one should be found presumptuous enough to oppose it. But was he now actuated by the same motives as he was before ? Did he now act under the authority of men, or seek to please men ? Was he not rather acting in obedience to God? It was clear that he was not pleasing men, nor could possibly have any such object in view ; because men's wishes were in direct opposition to God's commands, and to the ministra tions which he felt it his duty to maintain : and if he would please and obey man, he could not be the servant of Christ.

That this is the real meaning of the passage ap pears, both from the terms which are used, and from the relation which the different parts of this verse bear to each other. The Apostle says, " Do I now obey man6?" I did formerly; but I do not 'wow: " for if I yet1 pleased man, I could not be the servant of Christ." Here, you will perceive, the two services are opposed to each other, and declared to be incon sistent with each otherg. And this not only makes the sense clear, but cuts off all occasion for supplying an ellipsis, in a way which one would not wish, and which, in my opinion, can scarcely be justified. As to the text itself, that, in its import at least, is per fectly intelligible : and, in opening it, I shall,

I. Confirm the Apostle's assertion —

We shall have no doubt of its truth, if we consider the grounds on which it stands :

c Gal. iii. 1. and v. 7. d Acts ix. 1, 2.

e apri, at this present time. f trt.

£ arOpwirovQ Treidw is put in opposition to XptaroD tf

VOL. XVII.

18 GALATIANS, I. 10. [2051.

1. The things which men, and the Lord Jesus Christ, require, are directly contrary to each other—

[Men have their maxims and habits, to which they wish all others to be conformed. Our blessed Lord, on the con trary, says, " Be not conformed to this world ; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds, that ye may know what is that good, an4 acceptable, and perfect will of GodV But this is not all : he commands us, not only to " have no fel lowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but also rather to reprove them1." Now, the separation alone is, of itself, suf- ficently displeasing to the world, because it forms a tacit reprehension of their ways : but, when to this is added a testi mony borne against their ways as evil, they are irritated and incensed; and, in self-defence, they brand their opponents with every term of ignominy and reproach. Our blessed Lord found it so with respect to himself: " The world cannot hate you," said he to his unbelieving brethren ; " but me it hateth, because I testify of it that the works thereof are evilk." And he has taught us to expect the same treatment on precisely the same ground : " If ye were of the world, the world would love his OWTII ; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth

you'."]

2. There is no possibility of reconciling them —

[Our blessed Lord has placed this beyond a doubt: " No man can serve two masters : for either he will hate the one, and love the other ; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon m." This is the very foundation of that separation from the world, which is the bounden duty of every one that calls himself " a servant of Christ." " What fellowship hath righteousness with un righteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial ? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" " Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord11." In truth, this is nothing but what must commend itself to every considerate mind. St. Paul appealed respecting it to the whole Church of Rome, and, in fact, to the whole world : " Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey0?" It may be said, perhaps, that the services of God and Mammon are not so irreconcileable as we represent them ; since our Lord him self has shewn us that they may be reconciled. In one place

h Rom. xii. 2. » Eph. v. 11. k John vii. 7.

1 John xv. 19. m Matt, vi. 24. n 2 Cor. vi. 14 — 17.

0 Rom, vi. 16.

2051.1 MEN-PLEASERS REPROVED. 19

he says, " He that is not with me, is against me ; and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad p:" and in another place he says, " He that is not against us, is for us q :" and therefore he may, in this latter passage, be said to have modified and tempered the severer language of the former. But there is no real opposition between the two passages : for if the occa sions on which they were spoken be duly marked, it will be found that the former passage forbids neutrality in our own conduct; the latter forbids un charitableness in judging of the conduct of others. Strong as are the declarations of our Lord and of St. Paul, which have been before cited, they fall far short of that which is spoken by St. James. From them we see that neutrality is treason, in reference to God, just as it would be in an earthly kingdom, where a subject would not move to repel an invading enemy. But St. James declares, that even a wish to preserve friendship with the world is nothing less than a direct act of rebellion against God. " Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God ? Whosoever, therefore, will be (wishes to be) the friend of the world, is (is thereby constituted) the enemy of Godr."

On these grounds I conceive that the Apostle's assertion admits not of the smallest doubt ; but is plain, direct, and incontrovertible.]

Let me now, then, II. Shew the bearing it should have on our life and

conversation- It is of great importance for us to remember, that broad and unqualified assertions may easily be per verted, to the establishment of principles which, in reality, are false ; and to the encouragement of con duct which is essentially unbecoming. It is the part of sound wisdom to make those discriminations, which will serve to guide an humble and conscien tious Christian to an adjustment of contending claims, and to a discernment of the path of duty in difficult and conflicting circumstances. With a view to this, I will point out,

1. Negatively, what effect this assertion should not produce —

[It should not render us indifferent to the opinions or feelings of those around us. Indifference to the feelings of

P Matt. xii. 30. 1 Luke ix. 50. r Jam. iv. 4. the Greek.

9.0 GALATIANS, I. 10. [2051.

others is highly criminal : it argues a want of love ; without which divine principle, whatever a man may have, he is no better than " sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal8." Those around us have immortal souls, for which we ought to be tenderly concerned : and, as they must of necessity be more or less affected by our conduct, and have their estimate of our principles influenced by the fruits which they produce, it be comes us, for their sakes, to avoid casting any stumbling-block before them, or giving them any unnecessary offence. We should, as far as possible, " prevent even our good from being evil spoken of*." Nay further ; we should endeavour to "please men," yea, to " please all men." " Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification : for even Christ pleased not himselfu." Nay, I go further still, and say, that we ought to be ready to make considerable sacrifices for this very end : for St. Paul, speaking on this very subject, says, " Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God : even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved x." Now, this is a point on which religious people, and young people especially, need to be put upon their guard. There is a self-will, and self-pleasing , in religious matters, as well as in things unconnected with religion : and there is a disposition to magnify the importance of matters that are indifferent, and to urge the claims of con science for things which are really dictated only by inclination, and an undue pertinacity in these things frequently proves a greater stumbling-block to our friends and relatives, than a firm adherence to any positive duty would do. Still, how ever, I must guard this on the other hand ; and say, that, in any concessions which we may make, we must look well to our motives, which none but God can see. We must not comply with the wishes or solicitations of men, merely to please them, or to avoid exciting their dipleasure : we must do it simply " for their good to edification." This was the Apostle's motive, in all his compliances : " Though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more : unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews ; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law ; to them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law : to the weak, became I as weak, that I might gain the weak : I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do (not for my own

s 1 Cor. xiii. 1. * Rom. xiv. 16. u Rom. xv. 2, 3.

x 1 Cor. x. 32, 33.

205 l.J MEN-PLEASERS REPROVED. 21

sake, but) for the Gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with youy." Let this distinction be kept in view, and this principle be in operation, and we shall not materially err, either by pertinacity on the one hand, or by compliance on the other.

It may be said, that this mode of proceeding will make a Christian's conduct extremely difficult and unnecessarily dan gerous ; and that it will be better to adhere to the broad line altogether, and to wave all consideration except for the good of our own souls. But to this I can by no means accede. P agree that this would be far easier, and in some respects safer: but I cannot therefore say that it is better. It may be right to incur both difficulty and danger for the good of others ; though it would not be right to incur them merely for their gratification. It would be right to expose our own lives to a tempest in a small boat for the sake of saving a shipwrecked crew, when it would be highly criminal to do so for the amusement of those on shore : and, if we do subject ourselves both to difficulty and a measure of danger for the everlasting salvation of others, we may expect the Divine protection and blessing in our endeavours. Let us but serve our God ac cording to his directions, and we need not fear but that " he will give his angels charge over us, to keep us in all our ways."]

2. Positively, what effect this assertion should produce- fit must lead us to adopt a decided part, and never to swerve from the path of duty, even if the whole world should be against us. The conduct of the Apostles should be ours, whenever such an alternative is presented to us : " Whether it be right to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye ;" for we cannot but do the things which our God requires2. We must be very careful to examine what the path of duty is ; but, having ascertained it, we must not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, on any account whatever. We must not deviate from the path of duty, in a way either of commis sion or of omission. Suppose it said to us, as to the Hebrew Youths, ' Bow down to this idol, or thou shalt go into the fiery furnace;' we should not hesitate to choose the fire in pre ference to the sin. Or if it were said, as to Daniel, * Forbear to pray to thy God, or thou shalt be cast into the den of lions8;' we should not hesitate to prefer the den of lions, to an abandonment of an acknowledged duty: nay, we should not even appear to concede the point; but should serve God openly, and at all events h. As for as our Lord and the world

>' 1 Cor. ix. 19— :>;3. * Acts iv. 19, 20. « Dan. iii. h Dan. vi.

22 GALATIANS, I. 10. [2051.

go together, we should follow the world: but where they separate, we should let all men see " whose we are, and whom we serve."]

Now, in this subject we may SEE, 1. Matter for serious inquiry —

[" Do I yet please men?" This has been the habit of us all in former times: for the unconverted man has no higher principle of action than this. But, if we have been truly converted unto God, we have given ourselves up to another Master, even Christ ; and to serve and please him is our chief, our only, aim. We must have no will, no way, but his. For him must we both live and die.

Well do I know, that our change, in this respect, is often imputed to us for evil ; and that we are deemed weak, con ceited, and fanatical, because we presume to judge for ourselves in this particular. But where eternity is at stake, how can we do otherwise? We must approve ourselves to God, and to our own conscience. In no other way can we have peace : in no other way can we ever attain to glory.

And I cannot but say, that in what the world demand at our hands, they are very unreasonable. For they will not mete to us what they expect us to measure to them. They will not be persuaded by us to do the smallest thing for God, and for their own souls. If, to please us, they read a book which we put into their hands, or attend upon a ministry which we have recommended, they think they make mighty concessions ; though, in the daily habit of their minds, they are as much addicted to the world as others : but there are no bounds to the concessions which they require of us : nor are they ever satisfied, till they have drawn us into the same vortex with themselves. I must therefore recommend extreme caution in carrying into effect the very advice which I myself have given. For though to please all men is a legitimate and becoming object of pursuit, if you have attained it you will have great reason to suspect yourselves : for you will have attained what neither our Lord nor his Apostles ever did, or ever could. If " all men speak well of you," you may be per fectly assured that you have been unfaithful to your God, and that nothing but a woe attends you c.]

2. Matter for unceasing consolation —

[It is extremely painful to have our friends and relations displeased wk-> as, as they assuredly will be, if we give up ourselves unreservedly to the Lord. Our blessed Lord has told us, that, though this was not the end of his coming, it is,

c Luke vi. 26.

2052.] CONVERSION, AND ITS EFFECTS. 23

and will be, the effect : " I am come," says he, " to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against the mother, and the daughter-in-law against the mother-in-law: and a man's foes shall be those of his own household d." But then we should ask ourselves, " Have I, like Enoch, this tes timony, that I have pleased Gode?" If I have, I am satisfied. I would most gladly, if it were in my power, please all who are connected with me : but if they reduce me to the dilemma of either displeasing them or God, they must excuse me : for " I must obey God rather than manf." The persons who are offended with me, \\ould expect their servant to obey them rather than a stranger : and is not God entitled to that de ference from me ? I am " a servant of Jesus Christ ;" and I must, at the peril of my soul, obey him. And as our blessed Lord said respecting his own conduct to his heavenly Father, " I do always those things which please himg;" so, God helping me, will I say : and if I stand condemned for it at man's tri bunal, I have this comfort, that, when standing at the tribunal of my God, he will say, " Well done, good and faithful ser vant ; enter thou into the joy of thy LordV]

d Matt. x. 35, 36. e Heb. xi. 5. f Acts v. 29.

s John viii. 29. h Matt. xxv. 21.

MMLII.

CONVERSION, AND ITS EFFECTS.

Gal. i. 15, 16. When it pleased God, who separated me from my mother s womb, and catted me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; im mediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.

GREAT were the trials which the Apostle Paul met with in the Churches of Galatia through the subtilty of some Judaizing teachers, who laboured, and with too much success, to turn the newly con verted Christians from the faith which Paul had preached to them, and to bring them over to a faith compounded of Judaism and Christianity. To give the greater weight to their doctrines, they repre sented Paul as preaching a Gospel which he had received only from human authority, and not from the Lord Jesus Christ, as all the other Apostles had ; and consequently, as unworthy of the confidence

24 GALAT1ANS, I. 15, 16. [2052.

which his followers reposed in him. To counteract the sad effects of their representations, St. Paul, in the very introduction to his Epistle to the Galatians, declared, that he had received his Gospel, " not of men (as the authors), nor by man (as an instru ment), but directly from the Lord Jesus Christ, and from God the Father, who had raised him from the deada :" and then, after expressing his " wonder that they had been so soon turned away from him who had called them into the grace of Christ," he pro ceeds to vindicate more fully his apostolic authority : " I certify you, brethren," says he, " that the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man : for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ b." Then, after specifying the time when it was revealed to him, namely, in his way to Damascus, he asserts, that he studiously avoided every thing which might be con strued into a reception of it from men ; for he had not gone at all at that time to Jerusalem, where the other Apostles were, but into Arabia, where there was none but God to teach him.

In the account which he thus gives of himself, he gives us an insight into the work of conversion, and into that line of conduct which all converted persons should pursue. It is for the elucidating of these two things that we have selected the passage which we have just read : from which we shall take occasion to shew,

I. Wherein our conversion must resemble Paul's—

Certainly it is not at all necessary that our con version should resemble his in the external circum stances ; for in respect of them he stands alone, not so much as one of his attendants being, as far as we know, converted with him. Nor even in respect of the suddenness of it, is it at all necessary that \ve should resemble him : our conversion may be so gradual that \ve cannot trace it to any particular time ; and yet it may be as certain and as evident as

b vcr. 11, 12.

2052.] CONVERSION, AND ITS EFFECTS. 25

his. But in its essential parts conversion is the same in all. Ours therefore must resemble his,

1. In its origin, the electing love of God —

[God " separated him from his mother's womb " to the apostolic office, just as he had done the prophet Jeremiah to the prophetic office0. It was evidently not for his righteous ness that he was thus chosen to know Christ for himself, and to preach him to others : for, to the very instant of his conver sion, he was a blasphemer, and injurious, and a persecutor. His election can be traced to nothing but the sovereign will of God. And to this must our conversion also be traced, if ever we have been converted at all. " We have not chosen Christ, but Christ us :" yea, " we were chosen of God in Christ before the foundation of the world," and " predestinated to the adoption of children" into his family. In this very epistle St. Paul most studiously marks this. He speaks of the Gala- tians as having known God : but, fearing, as it were, lest they should suppose that the work had begun on their part, he recalls his word, and says, " after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God'*." Let us bear in mind therefore, that, if we are converted, it is "not because we loved God, but because he loved use :" " he loved us with an everlasting love ; and therefore with loving-kindness hath he drawn usf."]

2. In its means, the effectual grace of God—

[God " called him by his grace ;" and without the effec tual working of his grace the Apostle would never have been called at all. Nor shall we ever attain to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus in any other way. Of ourselves " we can do nothing," no, " not so much as think a good thought :" it is " God alone who can give us either to will or to do " any thing that is goodg. " If we are brought into a state of grace," it is " he who hath made us willing in the day of his power." " We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works11 :" the new creation is his work as much as the old : whatever be the means, or whoever be the instrument " to plant or water, it is he alone that gives the increase1." Every child of man must say with the Apostle, " By the grace of God I am what I amk :" " whoever he be that is born again, he is born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God1."]

c Jer. i. 5. d Gal. iv. 9. See also Phil. iii. 12.

e 1 John iv. 10. f Jer. xxxi. 3. & Phil. ii. 15.

h Eph. ii. 10. * 1 Cor. iii. G. k 1 Cor. xv. 10.

1 John i. 1:3.

26 GALATIANS, I. 15, 16. [2052.

3. In its manner, by a revelation of Christ to the soul —

[As far as relates to the external circumstances, we have before said that no analogy exists: but as it respects the revelation of Christ to the soul, conversion is the same in all. There may be a preparatory work of conviction without this ; but no conversion : for in this consists the essence of conver sion, if we may so speak. The revelation given in the Scrip tures may inform the mind ; but it is the revelation made to the soul, that can alone convert and save the soul. The means which converted Saul, produced no such effect on his companions. Many others heard the word preached to them, as well as Lydia : but she received benefit from it which others did not, because " the Lord opened her heart to attend to the things that were spoken." So, if we are savingly enlightened, it is because God has " opened the eyes of our understanding," and " given us the Spirit of wisdom and reve lation in the knowledge of his Sonm," and "shined into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ"." It is then only that we truly "receive Christ" as our Saviour0: then only do we "feed truly on his flesh and blood ;" then only do we " believe in him to the saving of the soul."]

4. In its end, to make him known in the world —

[We are not all called, like St. Paul, " to preach Christ among the heathen ;" but we are called, like Paul himself, to confess him openly?, and to become his avowed followers, and to shew forth in our life and conversation the power of his grace. We are all to " shine as lights in a dark world, hold ing forth the word of life q." We are to be his witnesses, even " epistles of Christ known and read of all men." We are so to make our " light shine before men, that all who see us may approve of his ways, and glorify his name1."]

From the effect produced on him by his conver sion, we are led to consider,

II. Wherein our conduct must resemble his —

It is probable that his words relate rather to his not seeking any intercourse with those who were at that time the pillars of the Christian Church, than to any workings of his own mind, which he studiously

m Eph. i. 17, 18. n 2 Cor. iv. 6. ° John i. 12.

r Acts xxii. 14, 15. Matt. x. 32, 33. <i Phil. ii. 15, 16.

r Matt. v. 1G.

2052.] CONVERSION, AND ITS EFFECTS. #7

suppressed. Yet the decision of his character on the occasion shews us what we should be and do, when once we have received the converting grace of God. We must enter on the duties assigned us,

1. Without hesitation —

[Many doubts will be suggested by our own corrupt hearts, how far it is necessary or expedient to devote ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ ; and our carnal friends will not fail to remonstrate with us on our new views and pursuits. They will tell us of the injury which we shall sustain in our reputa tion and interests, if we make ourselves singular, and join our selves to " a sect that is everywhere evil spoken of." They will beseech us with much affectionate importunity to put away these enthusiastic notions : and, if they have power over us, they will blend menaces with their entreaties. But, from whatever quarter the temptation may come, we must examine its tendency, and, as soon as we see that its effect will be to draw us back to the world, we must say to it, as our blessed Lord under similar circumstances said to Peter, " Get thee behind me, Satan : for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men." We must listen to nothing, however specious it may be, that would cause us to dissemble with God, or divert us from the path prescribed to us in his word. Our one question must be, What does my Lord and Saviour require of me ? and by that must we be de termined, though the whole world should endeavour to obstruct our way. We must neither be allured by interest, nor deterred by fear ; but must " hate father and mother, and even our own lives also, in comparison of Christ."]

2. Without delay-

[Thus did Paul : " immediately" he betook himself to the work assigned him8. Thus should we also : we should not say, Let me go home first and take leave of my friends, or bury my father : No : let the dead bury their dead : our duty is to fulfil the will of Him who has called us to his kingdom and glory. We shall occasionally feel strong temptations on this subject. When difficulties and dangers present themselves, we shall be ready to think we shall find some more convenient season, when our way will be more plain and easy. But we must, like Matthew at the receipt of custom, or like others of the Apostles at their nets, forsake all and follow Christ.]

APPLICATION—

1. Let those of you who have experienced con verting grace, give God the glory— s Acts ix. 19, 20.

28 GALATIANS I. 23, 24. [2053.

[There is a strange backwardness in man to do this. If all be traced to the sovereign grace of God, we bring forward a thousand objections, that so we may divide the glory with him. But this is not so in heaven: nor should it be on earth. In heaven there is no song but that of " Salvation to God and to the Lamb." Let it be so on earth. It is our indispensable duty, our truest interest, our highest happiness, to give glory to the God of heaven. Let us do it cheerfully, and without reserve.]

2. Let those in whose hearts Christ has been revealed, seek to know more and more of him—

[It is but little that any man knows of him. Paul him self, after preaching Christ for twenty years, desired to know more of him, in the power of his resurrection, and the fellow ship of his sufferings. Let us also seek to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of him." The more we behold his glory, the more we shall be changed into his image : and the more we comprehend of his unsearchable love, the more shall we be filled with all the fulness of God.]

3. Let all learn how to avoid the snares which Satan lays for their feet—

[We must not parley with temptation, but act with promptitude and decision. There must be in us a firmness that is immoveable : yet should that firmness be tempered with suavity. We must not think, that, because our superiors are wrong in their endeavours to keep us back from Christ, we are at liberty to slight their admonitions on other subjects, or even on religion itself, as far as we can without violating the commands of Christ. Whilst we guard against an undue conformity to the world, we must guard also against two com mon evils, superstition, and unnecessary scrupulosity: scru pulosity makes that to be sin which is no sin ; and superstition makes that to be duty which is no duty. Let us get our minds rightly instructed : in matters of indifference, let us be willing to yield ; but in matters of vital interest and import ance, let us be firm and faithful even unto death.]

MMLIII.

GOD GLORIFIED IN HIS PEOPLE.

Gal. i. 23, 24. They had heard only, that he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he de stroyed. And they glorified God in me.

THE account of men's conversion to God is a very profitable subject of contemplation. It tends to

2053.] GOD GLORIFIED IN HIS PEOPLE. 29

illustrate the infinite diversity of ways in which God deals with men, and draws them to himself. St. Paul, on various occasions, mentioned the peculiar manner in which he was turned to God, and brought to the obedience of faith a. He adverts to it in the chapter before us, in order to establish beyond contradiction his divine mission. It is not my intention to enter into the circumstances of his conversion, any further than they are referred to in my text : from whence I shall take occasion to shew, I. What may be expected of every true convert- It is here taken for granted that he has embraced the faith of Christ-

[This is to be taken for granted in all cases : for no man can be a Christian till he has truly come to Christ, seeking mercy at God's hands through him, even through his obe dience unto death. This is the distinctive difference between the Christian and others. Others may possess all that Paul himself possessed in his unconverted state : all his privileges of birth, all his attainments in knowledge, all his zeal in reli gion, and all his blameless morality ; and yet, after all, be " in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity." It is his deep contrition as a sinner, his utter renunciation of all self-dependence, either in respect to righteousness or strength, and his simple affiance in the Lord Jesus Christ, that must characterize him as a true believer — ]

This faith he will endeavour, to the utmost of his power, to advance—

[If, like Paul, he have been " put into the ministry," he will " preach Christ" to his people ; yea, and will " determine to know nothing among them, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified b"- - If he be a private Christian, he will exert

himself in every possible way to promote the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom. Has he wealth ? he will gladly assist in educating pious persons for the service of the sanctuary. Has he influence? he will endeavour to establish faithful ministers in places which seem to afford them scope for more

extensive usefulness0 — Many of the primitive Christians

gave up all that they possessed, that, in so doing, they might

a Acts ix. xxii. and xxvi. b 1 Cor. ii. 2.

c If this subject be used on occasion of a Visitation, these hints about the exercise and advancement of the ministry should be consi derably diversified and enlarged.

30 GALAT1ANS, I. 23, 24. [2053.

help forward the cause of Christ : and though the same sacri fices be not required now, the same disposition is ; and every Christian in the universe should be able to say, " I count not even my life dear unto me, so that I may but finish my course with joy," and fulfil my duty to my Lord and Saviour.]

The tidings of the Apostle's conversion were soon spread far and wide ; and the conduct of those who heard of it will shew us, in reference to every other convert, II. What reason there is to glorify God on his behalf—

In many views is the conversion of a sinner a ground of joy and thankfulness :

1. For the benefit accruing to himself—

[He was but lately lying dead in trespasses and sins : now he is quickened to a new and heavenly life. He was " an alien from the commonwealth of Israel, and a stranger to the covenants of promise : he is now a fellow-citizen with the saints and of the household of God." He was a child of Satan, and an heir of wrath : he is now a child of God, and an heir of heaven. Over such an one the angels in heaven rejoice d: yea, over such an one God himself rejoices ; " killing for him the fatted calf, and making merry with him6." To this change of state must be added his change of nature also : and who can contemplate that, and not adopt the language of St. Paul, " We give thanks to God, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, and for the hope which is laid up for you in heavenf?" It matters not who he be, or in what quarter of the globe he live ; the tidings of this change should draw forth from us the grateful sentiment which was expressed at the conversion of Cornelius ; we should " glorify God, saying, Then hath God to the Gentiles also granted repentance unto lifeg."]

2. For the honour arising to God —

[By none except real converts is God honoured in the world : but by them he is admired, and loved, and served, and glorified. In them, too, do all his glorious perfections shine forth. Who can see a true convert, and not admire the for bearance, the mercy, the love, the power, that have been exercised towards him. In the works of creation the wisdom and goodness of God are visible : but in the new creation, there is a combination of all those perfections, which had no

d Luke xv. 10. e Luke xv. 32. with Zeph. iii. 17.

f Col.i. 3, 4. e Acts xi. 18.

2053.] GOD GLORIFIED IN HIS PEOPLE. 31

scope for exercise till man had fallen, and was redeemed by the blood of God's only-begotten Son. Can we wonder that the angels, on the first discovery of this work of mercy, burst forth into songs which they had never known before : " Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards menh!" In truth, this is the one great theme of praise and adoration in heaven : and all who see the subject realized on earth, must, if they have any love to God, rejoice that persons are raised up, to give him the glory due unto his name.]

3. For the advantages that may be expected from it to the Church of God —

[The conversion of St. Paul, what a benefit was it to the whole world ! What a benefit will it be to millions through all eternity ! And, though none of us can bear any comparison with him, will any one pretend to estimate the good which the very least amongst us may be the means of effecting in the world ? The work of a minister does not cease with his per sonal ministrations ; but is ramified through a whole country, and augmented through all succeeding ages. And the poorest person, by a word spoken, or by his life and conversation, may, like Naaman's maid, be the means of converting one, whose influence may extend through a whole kingdom. Every addition therefore to the Church of God, is a ground of joy, and should call forth the devoutest thanksgivings from all to whom the tidings of it are made known.]

ADDRESS —

1. Those who have never yet embraced the Gospel— [Never has any one yet had occasion to glorify God for you. On the contrary, there has been reason to weep over

you incessantly, even to the present hour -You may

not have been a persecutor of the Church ; but you have been an enemy of God and his Christ from your youth up: for " the carnal mind is enmity with God, and is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." You, therefore, must be converted as much as he. It is not needful that you should be converted in the same way as he, or in the same sudden manner ; but converted you must be, or perish1. You must believe as he did; and embrace that very Gospel which he preached. O, beg of " God to count you worthy of this calling, and to fulfil in you all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power ; that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus ChristV]

b Luke ii. 14. j Matt, xviii, 3. k 2 Thess. i. 11, 12.

32 GALATIANS, II. 5. [2054.

2. Those who profess themselves to have received the Gospel—

[See that ye " adorn the Gospel ; that ye adorn it in all things." Let the change be as visible in you, as it was in Paul. I mean not that ye are to affect the same ostensible character as he sustained; for ye are not called to that: but to live unto God ye are called ; and to exert yourselves, according to your opportunities and ability, to promote his glory in the world, ye are called: and therefore to all of you, without exception, I say, " Let your light so shine before men, that they, beholding your good works, may glorify your Father which is in heaven1."]

i Matt. v. 16.

MMLIV.

CHRISTIAN AND UNCHRISTIAN PERTINACITY.

Gal. ii. 5. To ivhoni we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you.

NEVER, from the foundation of the world, was there, as far as we know, a richer combination of graces in any child of man, than in the Apostle Paul. As in light there is an assemblage of very different rays, which, when in due proportion and in simul taneous motion, cause that bright and pure effulgence which we call light, so in him were found dispositions most opposed to each other, yet so combined as to form in him the most perfect character. Certainly, that which first of all strikes us as constituting the chief trait in his character, is a freedom from all selfish feelings, and a willingness to do or suffer any thing whereby man may be benefited, and God be glo rified. Yet, in the passage which we have just read, we see, not only an inflexibility of mind, but such an expression of it as we should scarcely have expected from so mild and kind a man.

When he was at Jerusalem, attended by a young disciple, named Titus, he was urged to have him cir cumcised ; not for the purpose of removing prejudice, and gaining an easier access to the minds of men,

2054.] CHRISTIAN AND UNCHRISTIAN PERTINACITY. 33

but from an idea, that the observance of that rite was necessary to the completion of Christianity, and to the attainment of the Gospel salvation. To such advisers he would not listen for a moment. What ever might be their rank or influence in the Church, he regarded them not as deserving the slightest de ference from him on such a subject3; since a com pliance with their wishes would vitiate, and altogether invalidate, the Gospel of Christ.

Now, that this inflexibility of his may be duly ap preciated, I will shew,

I. When pertinacity may be considered as unamiable and sinful —

" To be zealously affected always in a good thing is commendableb :" but zeal may be misplaced, and especially when it operates so far as to make a man inflexible. A bold, confident, dogmatical spirit, is at all times unamiable ; and especially,

1. When the object in dispute is questionable or indifferent—

[Some there are, who, on every subject, speak as if they were infallible ; and not only claim, what must be conceded to them, a right to think and act for themselves, but a right to impose on others also a necessity to comply with their mind and will. At all events, they themselves are immoveable on almost any subject upon which they have formed even the most hasty opinion : and, if they tolerate, they will never adopt, the sentiments opposed to them. Such were the dis positions manifested by many in the Apostle's days, especially in reference to some ordinances of the Jewish law ; such as the observance of certain days, and the eating of meats offered to idols. So confident were the opposite parties, that, not content with following their own judgment, they each con demned the practice of the other; " the strong despising the weak, and the weak sitting in judgment on the strong0." But how did the Apostle Paul act? He knew that neither the observance nor the neglect of such forms could " commend a man to God, or ameliorate his state before Godd;" conse quently, that he was at liberty to act in relation to them as circumstances might require: but, "rather than use his

a See ver. 6. b Gal. iv. 18. c Rom. xiv. 1 — 3.

d 1 Cor. viii. 8.

VOL. XVII. D

34 GALATIANS, II. 5. [2054.

liberty in a way that should give offence to a weak brother, he would not eat flesh so long as the world should stand0."

View him on another occasion, towards the close of his life. Being at Jerusalem, where there were " many thousands of Jews zealous of the law, he was advised by James, and all the elders of the Church, to join with four other persons in performing the vows of Nazariteship, according to the law of Moses; in order to shew, that, notwithstanding he had maintained the liberty of the Gentiles to disregard the Mosaic ritual, he was no enemy to it, so far as respected the Jews, who could not yet see that it was abolished. Had he been of a self-willed and a pertinacious mind, he might have urged reasons in plenty, which, in appearance at least, might justify his opposition to this advice. But he had no wish, no will, no way of his own, if, by renouncing it, he might do good, and benefit his fellow-creatures ; and therefore " the very next day he commenced the work of purification in the temple, according to the law of Moses f." (There are, indeed, those who condemn him for this act of conformity. But, as they set up their own judgment against St. James, and all the saints and elders of Jerusalem, I leave them without further remark.)

Now we see, in these instances, how condescending he was to the views and wishes of others ; and what that spirit was which he exercised, as contrasted with the unamiable arid unchristian spirit of his opponents.]

2. When the object in dispute is purely temporal and carnal—

[Some will contend about the veriest trifles, wherein their own interest is concerned : and will even glory in their firmness and pertinacity. But this spirit is in direct opposition to the mind of Christ, who says, " If any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also : and whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain g." Let us see how St. Paul acted in reference to such matters. He had a right to be supported by the Church to which he ministered. God's law had actually so appointed, that " they should not muzzle the ox that trod out the corn." But there were, in the Church, some teachers whose main object was to advance their own interests, and who would not fail to cite him as sanctioning, by his example, their selfish habits. He therefore determined to wave altogether his own rights ; and to work night and day for his own support, rather than to afford them such a sanction as they desired h. We

e 1 Cor. viii. 13. f Acts xxi. 20 — 26. & Matt. v. 40, 41. h iCor.ix. 4— 15. 2 Cor. xi. 9, 12. lThess.ii.9. 2Thess.iii.8, 9.

2054.] CHRISTIAN AND UNCHRISTIAN PERTINACITY. 35

have a lovely instance of disinterestedness in Mephibosheth, the son of Saul. When David fled from the face of Absalom, Ziba, Mephibosheth's servant, took his master's asses laden with provisions, and went with them to David ; reporting that his master was now gratified with the hope of David's death, and of his own restoration to his father's throne. David, in consequence of this, gave to Ziba all his master's property. But on David's return to Jerusalem, Mephibosheth went to meet him ; and told him how deeply he had sympathized with the banished monarch, and how scandalously he had been traduced by his servant Ziba. Upon this, David so far re called his former grant to Ziba, as to order that Mephibosheth and Ziba should divide the property between them. Upon which, Mephibosheth, forgetting all the injuries he had sus tained from Ziba, replied, " Let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house1." Here we see how all his own personal interests were swallowed up in a sense of love to David, and in a joyful participation of David's happiness.

Such is the duty of every true Christian. For St. Paul, speaking to those Corinthians who contended for their own rights, and carried their contests into a court of law, tells them that " there was utterly a fault among them ;" and then says, " Why do ye not rather take wrong, and suffer your selves to be defraudedk?" As for carrying this yielding spirit to excess, we are in no danger of that: our danger is, the not carrying it far enough : for it is impossible not to see, that, in the whole of our Saviour's life, he never shined more bright than " when, being led as a lamb to the slaughter, he opened not his mouth l ;" and when he was treated with every species of cruelty upon the cross, he prayed and apologized for his murderers, " Father, forgive them ; for they know not what they dom."]

But, notwithstanding the hatefulness of pertinacity in general, there are seasons,

II. When it becomes a virtue of prime necessity—

A firmness of character is indispensable in the true Christian : and he must be absolutely " immoveable ","

1. When otherwise the obedience of Christ would be violated—

[Not our actions only, but " cur very thoughts also, are to be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ0."

1 2 Sam. xix. 30. k 1 Cor. vi. 7. ] Isai. liii. 7.

m Luke xxiii. 34. n 1 Cor. xv. r>8. ° 2 Cor. x. 5.

D 2

36 GALATIANS, II. 5. [2054.

A command from him supersedes all human authority, and must be obeyed under all circumstances. The Hebrew Youths were required to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar's golden image : they were the only persons in the whole Chaldean empire who refused to comply with the royal edict : and they were threatened to be cast into a furnace of fire, if they persisted in their disobedience P : yet did they maintain their steadfastness, in despite of all these menaces : and in this they acted as became the servants of the living God. Daniel manifested the same holy boldness, when he was commanded not to offer prayers to Jehovah for the space of thirty days. He had been accustomed to pray with his window open to wards the holy city of Jerusalem: and he might have avoided observation, if he would only have shut his window. But he felt himself bound to honour God at all events, and not to dissemble before him. He therefore yielded not to intimida tion ; but submitted rather to be cast into the den of lions, than to violate his duty to his Godq. Who does not admire the fortitude of these men, and commend their pertinacity in such a cause ? The Apostles of our Lord all maintained the same firmness, when forbidden to preach in the name of Christ. Their governors would probably have connived at their secret adherence to Christ, if only they would forbear to preach his name, and to diffuse their heresy around them. But these holy men had received a commission to preach the Gospel ; and execute it they would, whatever perils they might incur in the discharge of their duty. And they appealed to their governors themselves, whether it was right or possible for them to act otherwise: " Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye: for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard1." Thus we, in our respective situations, may be called upon, by those who are in authority over us, to neglect or violate a positive duty : but we must not give place by subjection, no, not for an hour ; but " must obey God rather than man8 ;" and must "resist unto blood, striving against sin1;" and glory in death itself, when sustained in such a cause11.]

2. When otherwise the faith of Christ would be compromised —

[This was the particular point at issue between St. Paul and the Judaizing teachers whom he opposed. He had for merly circumcised Timothy, because he judged that that measure would facilitate his access to his Jewish brethren, and his acceptance with them. But the circumcision of Titus was

P Dan. iii. 16—18. <i Dan. vi. 10, 11. r Acts iv. 18 — 20.

s Acts v. 29, * Heb. xii. 4. ll Acts xx. 24.

2054.] CHRISTIAN AND UNCHRISTIAN PERTINACITY. 37

demanded, as necessary to complete and perfect the Gospel- salvation. To accede to it in that view would have been to betray his trust, as the minister of the Gentiles. He knew that the Mosaic law was abrogated : and, so far would the obser vance of it be from perfecting the work of Christ, that it would invalidate it altogetherx, and cause Christ himself to have died in vainy. Could he then yield to such a demand as this? No, not for an hour ; not for a moment. On the contrary, if Peter himself were led to dissemble, and to compromise in any respect the faith of Christ, Paul would " rebuke him to his face," and that too before the whole Church2: so determined was he to preserve from every base mixture the faith which he had been commissioned to propagate and uphold. Now, this jealousy must we also cherish, in reference to the faith of Christ. We must suffer nothing for a moment to blend itself with the work of Christ, as a ground of our hope before God. The doctrine of human merit must be an utter abomination in our eyes: as robbing Christ of his glory, and as substituting a foundation of sand in the place of the Rock of Ages, There is but one foundation: there can be no other*: and if .any power on earth could require us to build on any other, or to put so much as a single stone to it of our own forming, we must not listen to him for a moment. The altar was to be built of whole stones, not hewn or wrought by manb; and Christ alone must sanctify our offerings, and procure us ac ceptance with our God. And so firm must we be in our adherence to him, and so simple in our affiance, that if an angel from heaven were to instill into our minds any doctrine that would interfere with this, we must not hesitate to denounce him as accursed0: so "earnestly must we contend for the faith d," and so resolutely must we keep it pure and undefiled.]

SEE, then,

1. What need we have to get our minds duly en lightened—

[Suppose, for a moment, St. Paul had proved as ignorant or unstable as St. Peter, what evils would have accrued, both to the Church and to the world at large ! In fact, the whole faith of Christ would have been subverted ; and, if God had not in some other way interposed to prevent it, the whole world would have been ruined. Yet how little is this point consi dered, by many who nevertheless call themselves Christians ! The whole Church of Rome has set aside the faith of Christ,

x Gal. v. 2. y Gal. v. 4. z ver. 11.

a Acts iv. 12. 1 Cor. iii. 11. b Exod. xx. 25. Deut. xxvii. 5, 6

r Gal. i. 6—8. d Jude, ver. 3.

38 GALATIANS, II. 5. [2054.

by uniting with Christ other objects of faith and other grounds of hope. It is right, therefore, that every enlightened man should protest against it, and depart from it. But shall we, therefore, justify those who depart from our Church ? No ; for the faith of Christ, as maintained by our Church, is pure and unadulterated: and we have shewn, that, in matters of minor and subordinate importance, to indulge an unreason able stiffness and pertinacity is not well: and we ought to have our judgment well informed, so as to discriminate clearly between the foundation and the superstructure. In the super structure there may be somewhat undesirable, and yet no material injury accrue: but an error in the foundation will be fatal to the whole building : and this is the consideration which alone justifies a determined and uncompromising resistance to the established order of our Church. St. Paul has drawn this line of distinction, and adopted it as the rule of his own con duct ; as indeed did James also, and all the other Apostles : and the more we get our views and habits assimilated to theirs, the better members we shall be of the Church of Christ]

2. What need we have to get our spirit and con duct duly regulated—

[That same pertinacity which, under some circumstances, is necessary, under others is unbecoming the true Christian. A yielding spirit is lovely : and perhaps we may say, that a yielding temper should be the rule, and a pertinacious spirit the exception. Perhaps too we may say, that men will do well to mark the natural bias of their minds, and in their con duct to lean rather to that side which is opposed to it. A person of a very gentle and yielding spirit should rather lean to the side of firmness in doubtful matters ; and a person of a naturally bold and determined spirit should rather cultivate a spirit of compliance : because we are not in danger of erring much in opposition to our natural inclination ; and if we do go too far, we have always something within our own bosoms to bring us back : whereas, if we err on the side of our natural bias, we may be precipitated we know not whither, and have nothing to bring us back again to a due equipoise. But, under any circumstances, we must take care not to plead conscience, where, in fact, it is our own will that guides us ; and, on the other hand, not to plead Christian liberty, where the path of duty is that of self-denying firmness. But " who is sufficient for these things?" If such men as Peter and Barnabas erred, we had need to cry mightily to God to " direct our feet in the right way," and to " uphold us in our goings, that our foot steps slip not."]

2055.] REMEMBERING THE POOR. 39

MMLV.

REMEMBERING THE POOR.

Gal. ii. 10. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.

THE circumstances to which my text refers, were very peculiar. St. Paul, in conformity with the com mission given him by the Lord, had preached his Gospel to the Gentiles, whilst the other Apostles con fined chiefly their ministrations to the Jews : and, knowing that the ceremonial law had never been given to the Gentiles, he neither required of them the observance of it, nor observed it himself. But now, after fourteen years, he went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas his fellow-labourer ; and, being aware that his having neglected and dispensed with the ceremonial law was likely to excite prejudice against him amongst the Jews, he sought a private interview with the chief Apostles first, in order that he might explain to them the reasons of his conduct, and through them remove all objections from the minds of others. Having succeeded in this, he desired to know whether they, with all their superior advan tages, could give him any additional instruction : but they frankly acknowledged, that they could add no thing to him ; and all that they had to request of him was, that " he would remember the poor ; which he of himself was most forward to do."

Now, from hence I will take occasion to shew you,

I. In what respects difformity is admissible—

The difference between St. Paul's ministrations, and those of the other Apostles, was exceeding great—

[St. Paul, as we have said, dispensed with the Jewish laws altogether ; whilst the other Apostles observed them. Now this difference, if Paul had not acted with consummate pru dence, would have made an irreconcileable breach between them. Nor do we blame the other Apostles for the jealousy they exercised on this occasion. They had received the law from God ; and were told, in that very law, that " every one who should presumptuously neglect it in any respect, should

40 GALATIANS, II. 10. [2055.

be cut off from the people of the Lorda." They did not, as yet, clearly see that the law had been abrogated by the Lord : much less was this known to the Jews in general at Jerusalem. Still, however, it was so far understood, that all acknowledged, that the difference between Paul and them was, under existing circumstances, admissible. They saw, as Paul himself also did, that an uniform practice at Jerusalem was expedient : and therefore St. Paul himself, whilst at Jerusalem, observed the law, as well as others: yea, many years after this, he even joined himself to others who had made a vow to purify them selves as Nazarites, and purified himself together with themb. But, amongst the Gentiles, such observances were regarded as altogether indifferent ; and therefore were neither required by him from others, nor retained in his own practice.]

Now this is the precise path adopted by the Church of England—

[The Church of England has its rites, its forms, its cere monies ; but they are as few, and as simple, as can be imagined. Nor does she require them to be observed by any but her own members. Others, who judge them inexpedient, are left to adopt any other rites which in their minds and consciences they prefer. And in this the Church of England differs alto gether from the Church of Rome, which insists on an universal observance of all her forms ; and denounces, as heretics, and consigns over to perdition, all who differ from her. Every society under heaven has rules established for its own govern ment, and expects its members to conform to them ; else there would be nothing, in any society, but disorder and con fusion. And the Church of England fitly requires this : and I hesitate not to say, that her members generally, and her ministers in particular, are bound in conscience to adhere to them. But, where a diversity of circumstances calls for a diversity of habits, there the rules, by which we were previously bound, are relaxed ; and a difference of conduct may readily be admitted0.

The true medium for our adoption is this; to think for ourselves; but neither to be intolerant nor rigid. The whole college of Apostles at Jerusalem observed the law them selves, but tolerated the non-observance of it in others. St. Paul, on the other hand, knowing that the law was no longer obligatory on him, observed it, because he would not give needless offence by refusing to conform to the established

a Numb. xv. 30. b Acts xxi. 23, 24.

c Presbyterianism is the Established Church in Scotland ; and the king, George IV. as became a wise, and candid, and • tolerant monarch, attended divine worship at the Kirk.

2055.] REMEMBERING THE POOR. 41

usages. This was a becoming spirit in both : and if this spirit prevailed amongst us, as it ought, we should see very little of separation from the Established Church, and no want of cor diality towards those who judged themselves constrained to differ from herd.]

Thus we see how far they were agreed to differ. Now let us see,

II. In what respects uniformity is indispensable—

In doctrine they were all agreed. All preached repentance, and remission of sins in the name of Jesus Christ. And in this can no difference be admitted ; seeing there is no " other foundation whereon any man can build, but Jesus Christ6;" "nor any other name given, whereby any man can be saved f." Hence, when Peter countenanced an idea that an observance of the law was necessary, and thereby obscured and endangered the purity of the Gospel, St. Paul reproved him to his face before the whole Church g. So far from tolerating any thing that should super sede the doctrine of salvation by faith alone, St. Paul denounced a curse even against an angel from heaven, if one should be found to publish any doctrine that would interfere with this. Uniformity in this respect, therefore, was taken for granted. But we have in our text one point insisted on by those at Jerusalem, and cordially acceded to on the part of Paul ; namely, the universal necessity of exercising love, and espe cially to the destitute and distressed. This was the ONLY point which they specified, as indispensably necessary to the Christian character : on which, therefore, they required that no difference whatever should exist. Of this, then, I must say,

1. It is, by the unanimous judgment of all the Apostles, recommended to you—

[It is absolutely essential to piety, that it exert itself in a way of tender sympathy and self-denying energy towards all the members of Christ's mystical body. If we exercise not ourselves in this way, we in vain profess to have love either

d See the 34th Article. e 1 Cor. iii. 11.

f Acts iv. 12. » ver. 11.

42 GALATIANS, II. 10. [2055.

towards God or man. We have none towards God : for St. John says, " Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dtvelleth the love of God in himh ?" Nor can we have any real love towards our fellow-creature : for St. James saith, " If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled ; notwithstanding, ye give them not those things which are needful to the body ; what doth it profit1 ?" Nor, in fact, can we have any true religion at all : for St. James again saith : " Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction k." Indeed, I must add yet further, that we can have no hope before God in the day of judgment : for our Lord will say to those who have neglected these offices of love, " Inasmuch as ye did it not to the least of these my brethren, ye did it not to me : and therefore depart accursed into ever lasting fire1." I do then most solemnly recommend to you, my brethren, that you very especially attend to this duty at all times, and under all circumstances. And, when I strike this chord, saying, " Remember the poor," I do hope that in your hearts there will be found a corresponding string, that shall vibrate at the touch ; and that every one of you will reply, * This is the very thing which I myself am forward to do.']

2. It is that which the present occasion more par ticularly calls for — ra

To CONCLUDE — Unite in your own hearts the blessed dispositions which are here exhibited. Cultivate,

1. A spirit of candour towards those who differ from you—

[There is in many a narrowness of mind, like that of the Apostles, when " they forbad a man to cast out devils, because he followed not with them." It cannot be expected that all should think alike on matters of minor importance : nor should you be grieved with any because they move not exactly in your way. There is no need that you should adopt the forms of those who differ from you : you must all judge and act for yourselves : but you should concede to others the liberty which you claim ; and " bid God speed to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity."]

h 1 John iii. 17. * Jam. ii. 15, 16.

k Jam. i. 27. J Matt. xxv. 40, 41.

m Here state the particulars of the Charity for which you plead ; and urge on the audience either its necessities or its use.

2056.] PETER REPROVED BY PAUL. 43

2. A spirit of benevolence towards those who need your aid—

[If you are richer than others, consider yourselves as the Lord's stewards ; and do not stay till you are called upon, and then " give your alms grudgingly and of necessity ;" but " be glad to distribute, and willing to communicate ;" remembering that blessed saying of our Lord, " It is more blessed to give than to receive."]

MMLVI.

PETER REPROVED BY PAUL.

Gal. ii. 14< — 16. When I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel, I said unto Peter before them all. If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews ? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law : for by the works of the law shall no flesh be just-ified.

THE Apostles, in all that they declared, were in fallible, being under the immediate guidance of the Holy Spirit, by whom they were inspired ; but, in what they did, they were frail and fallible, like other men. Of this we have a painful evidence in the passage before us ; wherein we see Peter, from whom the Roman pontiff, unfortunately for his own claims,, derives his infallibility, fallen into the grossest error, and acting in a way which brought upon him the severest reprehension. The circumstances relating to that event are faithfully recorded for the instruc tion of the Church in all ages : and, as they com prehend things of fundamental importance to our welfare, we will enter into them somewhat minutely; and state,

I. The conduct reproved—

Peter, during his stay at Antioch, where the Church consisted almost exclusively of converts from among

44 GALATIANS, II. 14—16. [2056.

the Gentiles, had disregarded the distinctions of the Jewish law, which he knew to be no longer binding ; and had acted according to the customs of the Gen tiles amongst whom he dwelt : but upon the arrival of certain persons from Jerusalem, where the ordi nances of the Mosaic law were still continued in the Church, he returned to the observation of the Jewish ritual, and constrained the Gentiles also to follow his example. Now this was highly reprehensible, being,

1. Most sinful in itself—

[Had he from a tender regard to the prejudices of his less enlightened brethren conformed to their customs, he would have done well ; even as Paul himself did, when, " to the Jews, he became a Jew, and to those who were under the law, as under the law." But, whilst he did this, he should have taken care to maintain the liberty of the Gentile con verts, and to explain to them his reasons for reverting to Jewish ceremonies, that they might not be ensnared by his example. But instead of acting with this caution and ten derness towards the Gentile converts, he withdrew from them, and compelled them to conform to Jewish rites : and this lie did too, not from love to the Jews, but from fear of their displeasure. Now this was gross " dissimulation :" He knew, that the Jewish law was abrogated : he knew, that he himself was liberated from the observance of it: he knew, that the Gentiles could have no concern with it; and that to enjoin the observance of it on them, was to impose a yoke on them, which neither he himself nor any of his ancestors had been able to sustain. In this therefore he walked not uprightly ; but betrayed the trust which had been committed to him, the apostolic trust, of enlightening and saving a ruined world.]

2. Most pernicious in its tendency—

[This conduct of his tended to sanction the most fatal error, and, in fact, to subvert the whole Gospel. The Jewish converts had an idea, that the Gospel itself could not save them, unless they added to it the observance of the law : and it was found impossible at once to eradicate this prejudice from the Jewish mind, because they could not see how that, which God had so strictly enjoined under one dispensation, could be wholly set aside under another. Indeed this was the great stumbling-block to the Jews : and if they could have been allowed to blend their law with the Gospel, they would almost universally, and with great readiness, have embraced the Gospel. But of such a mixture the Gospel does not admit Christ has in his own person fulfilled the law; and, by hi

2056.] PETER REPROVED BY PAUL. 45

obedience unto death, salvation is provided for a ruined world. No other obedience must be blended with it as a joint ground of hope: his righteousness is that which alone can justify us before God ; and his must be all the glory. But Peter by this conduct confirmed the Jews in their error, and established the same error among the Gentiles also : and, if God had not raised up Paul to reprove it in the outset, the whole Gospel might have been superseded, almost as soon as it had been promulgated : and all the effects of Christ's mediation might have been utterly destroyed. We see on that occasion how far the influence of Peter extended : for it drew away all the Jewish converts at Antioch, yes, and even Barnabas himself, from the truth of God : and if the evil had not been stopped in its commencement, who can tell how soon, and how fatally, it might have inundated the whole Church ? Verily such con duct as this deserved reproof; and we have reason to bless our God, who endued Paul with wisdom and courage to reprove it.]

Suitable to the occasion was,, II. The reproof administered—

St. Paul, when he saw the misconduct of Peter, did not secretly endeavour to destroy the character of his offending brother, but boldly and openly reproved him before the whole Church. Had the offence been of a private and personal nature only, it would have been right to admonish his brother privately, and not to bring it before the Church, till private admonitions had been used in vain : but, when the welfare of the whole Church was at stake, it was necessary that the reproof should be as public as the offence. Hence, when all the Church was assembled, Paul took occa sion to reprove,

1. His inconsistency—

[Peter had in that very place neglected the Jewish law, as he was fully authorized to do : but, when some Jews came thither from Jerusalem, he both altered his own conduct, and compelled all others, even Gentiles themselves, to follow his example. What a grievous inconsistency was this ! And how must he have been struck dumb, when Paul so pointedly expostulated with him, " If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, WHY com- pellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?" What excuse could he offer? Alas! none all.

46 GALATIANS, II. 14—16. [2056.

But grievous as such inconsistency would have been in any one, it was peculiarly sinful in Peter : for it was at this very place, Antioch, that the point had been some time before discussed with great vehemence ; and so pertinaciously had the Jewish teachers maintained the universal and perpetual obligation of their own law, that not even the united wisdom and authority of Paul and Barnabas could settle the dispute ; so that it became necessary to refer the matter to the decision of the whole college of Apostles at Jerusalem. Accordingly the question was stated ; and Paul and Barnabas on the one side, and some of the Judaizing teachers on the other, were deputed to go up to Jerusalem, and there to get it finally settled by such authority as they were all agreed to submit to. Accordingly the deputation went ; and laid before the Apostles the matter in dispute. And who, of all the Apostles, was the man that undertook to determine it ? It was this very Peter, who now was undoing all that he had before done. He called the attention of the assembly to the commission which he had received to open the kingdom of heaven both to Jews and Gentiles ; and reminded them, that, on his preaching first to the Gentiles, God had sent down the Holy Spirit on them, precisely as he had before done upon the Jews at the day of Pentecost ; thus visibly and unquestionably declaring, that the Gentiles were to have the Gospel freely administered to them without any observance of the Jewish law. And on this tes timony, supported by that of the prophetic writings, James, who presided on that occasion, determined the point ; and, to the great joy of the Gentile converts, confirmed to them the liberty which they were so desirous to retain3. Yet behold, this very Peter, at this very place, before these very Gentiles, and in the presence of these very messengers, Paul and Bar nabas, took upon himself to rescind the decree of the whole college of Apostles, and to insist on the Gentiles observing Jewish rites, which he, as a Jew, had neglected and despised. Alas ! Peter, who would have expected this at thy hands ? Who would have thought that, after having been distinguished above all the children of men, in that the keys of the kingdom of heaven were committed unto thee from thy Saviour's hands ; and after having seen myriads flock into it in consequence of thine opening of the doors, thou shouldest use those very keys to shut the doors again, and thereby, as far as in thee lay, exclude from the kingdom all who had already entered, and all others of the human race? Verily, the reproof given thee, though so public and severe, was nothing more than what thou justly deservedst for thy grievous inconsistency.]

2. His impiety—

a Acts xv. 1—19. with Matt. xvi. 18, 10. and Acts x. 34—44.

2056.] PETER REPROVED BY PAUL. 47

[It was not the decree of man, but of the Most High God, that he presumed to abrogate. God had graciously sent his only-begotten Son to be the Saviour of the world : and had declared that in him should all nations be blessed. By faith in that Saviour had Abraham, the father of the faithful, been saved, hundreds of years before the Mosaic law was given : and when that law was given, it was not intended to alter the nature of the salvation before promised, but only to keep the Jews a separate people, and to prepare them for the Saviour whom they were taught to expect. Thus not even to the Jews was the observance of the Mosaic ritual enjoined for the purpose of establishing a righteousness by means of it, but only to direct their attention to that Saviour, from whom alone a saving righteousness could be obtained. Yet behold, Peter undertook to change the very way of salvation itself, and to thrust from his office that adorable Saviour, who had already come down from heaven, and " purchased the Church with his own blood." Had an angel from heaven been guilty of such presumption, he had, as St. Paul tells us, deserved to be accursed b : What then didst not thou deserve for thine impiety, unhappy Peter, when, in committing it, thou knewest that thou wast sinning against God, and subverting the very found ations of a Christian's hope! Me thinks, if Satan exulted when he had prevailed on thee to deny thy Lord and Saviour, how much more did he shout for joy when he had seduced thee so to betray the trust reposed in thee, as to give him a hope, that through thee the Saviour's kingdom should be utterly and eternally destroyed ! Holy Paul, we thank thee for thy fidelity to thy fallen brother: we thank thee for thy zeal in thy Master's cause, and for thy love to the whole Gentile world. But above all, we adore thee, O most blessed God, who didst endue thy servant with such wisdom and grace, and enable him by his timely and courageous interposition to break the snare which Satan had laid for the whole race of mankind.]

The fact thus recorded is of infinite importance on account of,

III. The instruction to be gathered from it—

Every part of this record teems with instruction.

But we must content ourselves with submitting to

your attention two points only ; namely,

1. That salvation is solely by faith in the Lord

Jesus Christ, without the works of the law—

[This forms the very ground of the reproof which Paul

k Gal. i. 8, 9.

48 GALATIANS, II. 14—16. [2056.

gave to Peter. It was indeed the observance of the ceremonial law that gave occasion for the reproof: but the works of the moral law must of necessity be comprehended in the reproof itself, because it is as a subversion of the faith of Christ that St. Paul chiefly complains of Peter's conduct. The observance of the ceremonial law, as an act of obedience to God, might have been unnecessary, and inexpedient: but it could not have been of so fatal a nature as St. Paul represents it, if obedience in other respects had been meritorious before God : if it did not add to the merit of moral obedience, it could not so detract from it, as to make both that and the death of Christ also of no value : yet St. Paul speaks of it as " removing the people from the grace of Christ to another Gospel c," yea, " as frustrating the grace of God," and causing " the death of Christ to be in vaind." It was in this view, I say, as tending to establish a salvation by works instead of a salvation by faith in Christ, that St. Paul so strenuously opposed the conduct of Peter. The Apostles " knew that a man could not be justified by the works of the law ;" and therefore they renounced all dependence on the works of the law, and looked for justification solely by faith in Christ. This, I say, they did themselves, and this they inculcated on others, as indispensably necessary to their salvation. St. Paul elsewhere tells us, that in this way Abraham was saved6 ; and David was saved f; and all the world must be savedg. But in no part of Scripture is this truth more forcibly declared than in the passage before us. We may contrive to pervert ivords, however plain they be : but here are facts, which we cannot get over ; and which speak volumes. Let us learn then not to subject ourselves to similar reproof, by blending any human works with the merits of Christ, or using our influence towards the establishment of so fatal an error. Let us be thankful to God that we have had reformers, who have ventured to withstand the impositions of popery, and have, at the expense of their own lives, emanci pated us from the thraldom in which he who calls himself the successor of Peter, and boasts of deriving infallibility from him, had so long held the whole Christian world. And, if there arise amongst ourselves any who would yet stand forth as advocates of human merit, let us refer them to the Articles and Homilies of our own Church ; that, if they believe not the language of inspiration, they may at least be put to shame before that Church, which has received those documents as the acknowledged symbols of her faith11.]

c Gal. i. 6. a ver. 21. * Rom. iv. 1—5. ' Rom. iv. 6—8. e Rom. iv. 9—14. See also Rom. ix. 30—33. and x. 3, 4. h See the 10th, llth, and 12th Articles of the Church of England: and take for a pattern the Apostle Paul. vev. 5.

2056. J PETER REPROVED BY PAUL. 49

2. That no consideration under heaven should lead us to compromise the truth of God —

[Peter doubtless excused himself in his own mind from an idea that his dissimulation was, in existing circumstances, expedient. But expediency, though worthy to be attended to by every true Christian, and in many instances a proper rule for his conduct, has no place, except in things that are other wise indifferent. It can never warrant us to neglect a known duty, or to commit the smallest sin : for, if it could, Daniel and the Hebrew Youths might have avoided the snares that were laid for their feet. Nothing can warrant dissimulation. What we believe to be true, we must uphold and vindicate : and what we believe to be right we must do. Neither a de sire to please, nor a fear of displeasing, must cause us to swerve an hair's breadth from the path of duty. We must obey the dictates of our own conscience, and " be faithful unto death, if ever we would receive a crown of life." We cannot indeed expect that we shall never err, seeing that infallibility pertains not to our fallen nature, nor is the lot of any of the sons of men : but if we err, it must not be through fear or through favour, but simply through the weakness incident to man in his present fallen state ; and we must be especially careful that the error be not in any thing of funda mental importance. We may in our superstructure "build hay, or wood, or stubble," and yet ourselves be ultimately " saved, though it be so as by fire :" but, if we err in the foundation, we involve ourselves in inevitable and everlasting ruin1. Let us look to it therefore that we " hold fast the faith once delivered to the saints." Let nothing be suffered for one moment to move us from it. Let us bear in mind, that " other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." On that let us build, even on that alone, not uniting any thing with it, or attempting to strengthen it by any addition of our own. Let us guard against any ap proximation to this fatal error. Many there are, who, whilst they would abhor the thought of uniting their own merits with the merits of Christ, will yet, through a false notion of humi lity, not venture to trust in Christ, unless they can see some measure of worthiness in themselves. But this is in reality, whatever it may be thought, a repetition of Peter's sin ; and will sooner or later meet with a severe reprehension from our God. We must go to Christ guilty, that we may be forgiven ; naked, that we may be clothed ; polluted, that we may be sanctified : and, when we are most empty in ourselves, then shall we receive most out of his fulness. We must " know nothing but Christ and him crucified," and be contented to be nothing, that he may be " all in all."]

1 1 Cor. iii. 10—15.

VOL. XVII. E

50 GALATIANS, II. 19. [2057.

MMLVII.

TRUE USE OF THE LAW.

Gal. ii. 19. I through the law am dead to the latv, that I might live unto God.

THE knowledge of the law is indispensably neces sary to the knowledge of the Gospel. Even persons who have some views of Christ as a Saviour, have, in general, a very inadequate idea of the extent to which we need a Saviour. This can be known only by considering the requirements of the law, and the measure of guilt which we have contracted by our violation of them. In unfolding to us this subject, the Epistle to the Galatians stands, perhaps, pre eminent above all others, not excepting even that to the Romans ; and the words which I have just read will furnish me with an occasion to submit it some- W7hat fully to your view.

In these words is declared the use of the law, I. In relation to our hopes from it —

The law, in the first instance, was ordained unto life ; and it would have given life to those who per fectly obeyed it. But to fallen man it is no longer a covenant of life : it rather destroys all our hopes of acceptance by our obedience to it ; so that every one who understands it aright must say with the Apostle, " I through the law am dead to the law." It pro duces this effect,

1. By the extent of its precepts —

[If these comprehended nothing beyond the letter, the generality, of Christians at least, might account themselves, " as touching the righteousness which is in the law, blame less." But it extends to every thought and disposition of the soul. It forbids us to entertain even so much as an inordinate desire. It does riot say merely, " Thou shalt not steal," but, " Thou shalt not covet." And our blessed Lord, in his ser mon on the mount, declares, that an angry feeling is, in God's estimation, as murder, and an impure look as adultery. Now then, when " the commandment is so exceeding broad," who

2057.] TRUE USE OF THE LAW. 51

will pretend to have kept it ? or who will build his hopes of salvation on his obedience to it ? It is manifest, that there is not a man upon earth who has not, in numberless instances, violated it ; and who therefore must not shut his mouth with conscious shame, and acknowledge himself " guilty before GodV]

2. By the inexorableness of its threatenings—

[For every violation of its commands it denounces a

curse, saying, " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all

things that are written in the book of the law, to do themV

We must not merely wish to do them, but actually do them ;

and not only some, but all ; and that not for a season only, but

continually, without interruption from first to last : and in

default of this, every one, even every child of Adam, is cursed,

even with an everlasting curse. As for any lighter penalty

than this, it knows of none : it admits of no relaxation of it,

no mitigation whatever : so that, of all that are under the

law, there is not so much as one that is not under the curse

and wrath of God. To hope for salvation, therefore, from

such a law as this, is quite out of the question. A man in

the contemplation of these threatenings can do nothing but

lie down in despair, even as Paul himself did : for though,

previously to his understanding the true tenour of the law, he

supposed himself to be alive, he no sooner saw the extent of

its commands, and the awfulness of its sanctions, than " he

died," and became sensible that he was nothing but a dead,

condemned sinner before Godc.]

3. By its incapacity to afford us any remedy what ever —

[When it requires obedience, it does not offer us any strength for the performance of it : nor, when we have vio lated it in any respect, does it speak one word about repent ance : nor does it make known to us any way whereby pardon may be obtained. The only thing which it says to any man is, " Do this, and live : offend, and die." What hope, then, can any man entertain of salvation by such a law as this? It precludes a possibility of hope to any child of man : so that we must be dead to the law, not merely because the Gospel requires it, but because it is the very intent of the law itself to make us so : " Through the law itself we must become dead to the law."]

We must not, however, imagine that all observance of the law is unnecessary : for the very reverse will appear, whilst we consider the law,

a Rom. iii. 19. b Gal. iii. 10. c Rom. vii. 9.

5^ GALATIANS, II. 19. [2057.

II. In relation to our obedience to it —

As a covenant of works, the law doubtless is set aside : but as a rule of life, it is as much in force as ever : and, though delivered from its curse, we are bound as much as ever to obey it :

1. From a sense of gratitude—

[Will a man delivered from the law say, " I will conti nue in sin, that grace may abound?" No: if upright, we shall shudder at the thought. " We have not so learned Christ, if we have been taught of him." On the contrary, the first dictate of our minds will be, " What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me ?" The love of Christ, in redeeming us from the law, will have a constraining influence upon us, and stimulate us to live to him who died for usd. No other end than this did the Apostle Paul contemplate. He was not dead to the law, that he might live to the world, but " that he might live unto GWe:" and to God will every one live, who has a just sense of his mercy in giving us a better covenant, wherein we are called, not to earn life by our works, but to receive it as a gift in and through the Lord Jesus Christ.]

2. From a sense of duty —

[The law is still, and ever must be, the one standard of holiness to which we are to be conformed : and our obligation to obey it can never be reversed. God himself, if I may so speak, cannot dispense with our observance of it. It is of necessity our duty to love God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves. Our having a better covenant to found our hopes upon, can never abrogate the essential laws of our nature. If we be in heaven, earth, or hell, love must be our duty : and every man feels it to be his duty to walk according to that unerring and unchang ing rule. Our freedom from the law, so far from being a reason for disregarding this rule, is the strongest reason for our most diligent adherence to it. St. Paul, by means of an easy illustration, places this matter in a clear light. He supposes us, in the first instance, married to the law ; and afterwards, on the death of our husband, married to a second husband, the Lord Jesus Christ. But are we then content to be barren, as to the fruits of righteousness ? No ; quite the contrary : " Being dead to the law, we are married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. We are delivered from the law, that

d 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. ° Rom. xii. 1,

2057.] TRUE USE OF THE LAW. 5$

being dead wherein we were held, that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letterV Our obligation to obedience, so far from being relaxed by that change, is strongly and unalterably confirmed.]

3. From a sense of interest—

[Though we can never hope to be justified by our obe dience to the law, our reward in heaven will be proportioned to our obedience. The day of judgment is appointed for the express purpose of manifesting the righteousness of God in all his dispensations. And, in reference to our obedience, we may safely say, " He that soweth plenteously shall reap plen- teously ; and he that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly." Now, the expectation of this issue remains with every man, whatever be his hopes in reference to his first acceptance with God. But with him who has trembled for his lost estate, and has fled for refuge to Christ as to the hope set before him in the Gospel, there will be an ardour of desire to secure a testi mony in his favour. He will not be content to leave any thing in doubt. He is well assured, that " not the person who merely says to his Saviour, Lord, Lord, shall inherit the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of his Father that is in heaven." Having therefore this prospect, he will of necessity say, " What manner of person ought I to be, in all holy conversation and godliness !"]

The subject, as you see, lies deep : yet is it very important. To all then I would say, respecting the law, ENDEAVOUR,

1. To understand its nature—

[The generality regard it solely as a system of restraints and precepts. But, in truth, it is a covenant of life and death : of life to man in innocence ; and of death, if I may so speak, to fallen man. It is now given, not to justify, but to condemn : not to save, but to kill ; not to be a ground of hope to any, but " to shut men up to the Gospel," and to Christ as revealed in it", even to him who is " the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believethV I would to God that this matter were better understood. In fact, it is but rarely stated, even by those who, in the main, preach the Gospel : and it is owing to this that men's views of the Gospel are so very inadequate and superficial. But let me entreat of you to improve the instruction given you in relation to this matter. See that the law does nothing but curse you, yea, deservedly, and eternally curse you. See that the new

f Rom. vii. 4, 6. s Gal. iii. 23. h Rom. x. 4.

34 GALATIANS, II. 20. [2058.

covenant, that has been made with us in Christ Jesus, is our proper refuge, that we may flee to it, and lay hold upon it, and find acceptance by it : and let this covenant be all your salva tion and all your desire.]

2. To fulfil its purposes —

[It was intended, as we have said, to drive you to Christ. Let it operate in this manner. Look not to it, for a single moment, as affording you any hope towards God. Be content to renounce, in point of dependence, your best actions, as much as your vilest sins : and look to Christ precisely as the wounded Israelites did to the brazen serpent in the wilderness. They did not attempt to combine with God's appointment any prescriptions of their own ; but simply turned their eyes to that object, in faith. I pray you to bear this in mind, and to imitate their conduct in this respect. Fear not respecting the interests of holiness : they are well provided for in this blessed ordinance : and the more dead you are to the law, the more, I pledge myself, you will live unto your God.]

3. To honour its requirements—

[The world will have a jealousy on this head : they will always suppose, that if you do not seek for justification by the law, you have no motive for obeying it. Shew them how greatly they err in this respect. Indeed, they stand in this respect self-condemned : for at the moment that they com plain of your sentiments as licentious, they find fault with your lives as too strict and holy. You are regarded by them as " righteous over-much ;" and as making the way to heaven so strait, that none but yourselves can walk in it. This is as it should be ; I mean, as far as it respects you ; for it is in this way that you are to "make your light shine before men," and to (l put to silence the ignorance of foolish men by well-doing."]

MMLVIII.

THE CHRISTIAN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST.

Gal. ii. 20. 7 am crucified with Christ : nevertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me : and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

THE Gospel is, for the most part, plain and sim ple : yet are there some things in it which seem dark and contradictory. In one place St. Paul brings for ward a long list of paradoxes,, which to a superficial

2058.] THE CHRISTIAN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST. 55

reader would appear absurd in the extreme a: but in all the sacred records there is not one so difficult of solution as that in our textb. The Apostle is speaking on the subject of justification by faith alone, without the works of the law : and he mentions, that he had publicly reproved Peter for sanctioning by his example the idea that the observation of the law was still necessary. He says, that the law itself sufficiently shewed us the necessity of abandoning all hopes from that, and of seeking justification by faith in Christ alone : and then adds, that, in consequence of what Christ had done and suffered to deliver us from the law as a covenant of works, he considered himself as one dead to the law, and as having all his life and all his hopes in Christ alone. This is the plain import of the passage as divested of its para doxical appearance. But as the paradox, when ex plained, will be very instructive, we shall enter into a fuller consideration of it ; and shew,

I. In what respect the Christian is dead —

To understand in what sense the Apostle was " crucified with Christ," we must particularly attend to the great ends for which Christ was crucified. Now Christ was crucified, in the first place, in order to satisfy all the demands of the law. The law re quired perfect obedience, and denounced a curse against every transgression of its precepts0. Man, therefore, having transgressed the law, was utterly, and eternally, ruined. But Christ having undertaken

a 2 Cor. vi. 8—10.

b The difficulty of this passage seems needlessly increased in our translation. The second clause of the text stands thus ; £o> £t OVK ert iyw' and it might be translated, " I am crucified with Christ ; and I am alive no more." The opposite truth then comes naturally ; " I am alive no more ; but Christ liveth in me." The very position of the words in this antithesis seems to mark the propriety of this trans lation ; £tD CE OVK ITI tyw* £rj £e tv ipol XptaroQ. But hy putting a stop after £w £e, we make a double paradox, instead of a single one. The sense, however, is much the same, whichever way the passage is translated : but one would wish rather to lessen, than increase, its un avoidable obscurity.

<; Gal. iii. 10.

S6 GALATIANS, II. 20. [2058.

to restore him to the Divine favour, endured the curse which we had merited, and obeyed the pre cepts which we had violated : and thus rendered our salvation perfectly compatible with the honour of the Divine law ; inasmuch as what we have failed to do or suffer in our own persons, we have done and suf fered in our Surety. But Christ had a further end in submitting to crucifixion, namely, to destroy sin, and, by expiating its guilt, for ever to annul its power. This is frequently declared in Scripture, not only as the immediate end of his death d, but as the end of the whole dispensation which he has introduced6.

Now when St. Paul says, " I am crucified with Christ," we must understand, that there zvas something in his experience analogous to the crucifixion of Christ; or, in other words, that as Christ died a violent death, to cancel the obligations of the law as a covenant, and to destroy sin, so the Apostle, by a holy violence upon himself, died to the law as a covenant, and to sin as the most hateful of all evils.

The believer then, according to this view of the subject, is dead,

1 . To the law—

[Once all his hopes were founded on his obedience to the moral law ; and he felt in his conscience a dread of God's wrath on account of his transgressions of its precepts. But now he abandons all his self-righteous hopes, and dismisses all his slavish fears, because he finds a better, yea, an assured, ground of hope in Christ's obedience unto death. He argues thus : ' Does the law curse me for my manifold transgressions ? Christ has endured its curse for me, and therefore I have no reason to fear itf: " there is no condemnation to me, if only I am in Christ Jesus g." On the other hand, does the law require perfect unsinning obedience in order to my justification before God? Christ has paid it that obedience, and " brought in thereby an everlasting righteousness11," " which is unto all, and upon all them that believe1." I renounce therefore all hope in my own obedience, and found all my hopes of

d Tit. ii. 14. 2 Cor. v. 15. c Rom. xiv. 9. Tit. ii. 12, 13.

f Gal. iii. 13. s Rom. viii. 1.

h Dan. ix. 24. [ Rom. iii. 22.

2058.] THE CHRISTIAN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST. 57

salvation on the obedience of my blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus ChristV

To this state he is brought, partly by the law itself, which cuts him off from all possible hope from his own obedience to it1, and partly by the death of Christ, which has totally cancelled the law, as a covenant, for all those who believe in him : so that, as a woman is released from all obligation to her husband when he is dead, and may, if she please, unite herself to another ; so the believer ceases to have any connexion with the law of God, now that it is cancelled by Christ™: the law is dead to him ; or, to use the language of our text, he is crucified to it.]

2. To sin-

[The believer, previous to his conversion, had no wish beyond the things of time and sense. He " walked according to the course of this world," "fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind." He possibly might be pure from gross acts of sin ; but all his actions, of whatever kind they were, sprang from self, and terminated in self: self-seeking, and self-pleasing, constituted the sum total of his life. He possessed no higher principle than self; the stream therefore could rise no higher than the fountain-head. But now he feels the influence of nobler principles, and determines to " live no longer to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. The time past suffices to have wrought his own will":" and henceforth he desires to have, not only every action, but " every thought, brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ0." He now " crucifies the flesh with the affections and lusts1'." They form what the Scriptures call " the old man ;" and this " old man is crucified with Christ, that the body of sin may be destroyed, that hence forth he should not serve sinq." Even the things that are innocent, are yet among the number of those things to which the believer is crucified. He enjoys them indeed ; (for " God has given him all things richly to enjoy ;") but he will not be in bondage to them ; he will not serve them ; he will not regard them as constituting his happiness, no, nor as essential to his happiness: if he possess (as he may very innocently do) the plea sures, the riches, or the honours of the world, he does not set his affections upon them ; he regards them rather with a holy jealousy, lest they should ensnare him, and alienate his heart

k Phil. iii. 9. Rom. v. 19. 2 Cor. v. 21. 1 ver. 19. with Gal. iii. 24. m Rom. vii. 1 — 4.

" 1 Pet. iv. 2, 3. ° 2 Cor. x. 5.

P Gal. v. 24. This is spoken of all true Christians without ex ception.

i Rom. vi. 6.

58 GALATIANS, II. 20. [2058.

from God: he sits loose to them; and is willing to part with them at any moment, and in any manner, that his Lord shall call for them : in short, he regards the world, and every thing in it, as a crucified object, which once indeed was dear to him, but which he is now willing, if need be, to have buried out of his sight. He makes a conscience of fulfilling all his duties in the world, as much, or more than ever : but since he has learned how to appreciate the cross of Christ, " the world has become crucified unto him, and he unto the world1." Whatever is positively sinful in it, (however dear it once was to him,) is renounced and mortified8; and even the most innocent things in it have comparatively lost all their value, and all their relish. His delight in heavenly things has rendered inferior things insipid ; and his joy in God has eclipsed all sublunary joy.]

Nevertheless, the Christian lives : and to shew the truth of the paradox, we proceed to state,

II. In what manner he lives —

That he has the same life as the unregenerate, is obvious enough : but he has also a life different from theirs ; and his whole manner of life is different from theirs : he lives a new life in, and through, Christ: he lives,

1. By the influences of his Spirit —

[He once was " dead in trespasses and sins :" but that same voice which bade Lazarus to come forth out of the grave, has bidden him live. The Lord Jesus has infused into his soul a new and living principle ; and has " given him that living water, which is in his soul a well of water springing up unto everlasting life." " Christ himself liveth in him," and " is his very life*." This accounts for his being able to do things which no other man can. In himself, he is weak as other men; he cannot perform a good actu, or speak a good wordx, or think a good thought5"; but by the almighty ope ration of Christ within him he can do all things2. Being dead with Christ (as has been before shewn), he is risen and lives with him; according as it is written, " Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more ; death hath no more dominion over him : for in that he died, he died unto sin once ; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God : likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our LordV]

r Gal. vi. 14. s Mark ix. 43—48. * Col. iii. 4.

u John xv. 5. x Matt. xii. 34. y 2 Cor. iii. 5.

* Phil. iv. 13. a Rom. vi. 9—11.

2058.] THE CHRISTIAN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST. 59

2. In dependence on his sacrifice—

[The atonement of Christ is the one ground of all the Christian's hopes. If he look for reconciliation with God, it is through the blood of the Redeemer's cross : if for peace, for strength, for any blessing whatsoever, he has no other plea than this ; " My Lord and Saviour has bought it for me with his blood." He views every thing treasured up for him in Christb: and to him he goes, in order to " receive out of his fulness" whatsoever his necessities require0. His whole life is " a life of faith on the Son of God." He never goes to God but in, and through, Christ : he never expects any blessing to flow down upon him, but for the sake of Christ, and through him, as the immediate channel of conveyance. The very life which he receives from Christ, he considers as purchased for him by Christ's obedience unto death : and on that very ground he presumes to " make Christ his wisdom, his righteousness, his sanctification, and his complete redemption."]

3. Under a sense of his love —

[The Christian is not contented with acknowledging the love of Christ to mankind in general ; he views it especially as it respects himself; and delights in contemplating his own personal obligations to him. O how wonderful does it appear, that Christ should ever love such a one as him, and give himself for him ! That for such a wretch as him, he should submit to all the shame and agonies of crucifixion ! What incomprehen sible breadths and lengths and depths and heights does he behold in this stupendous mystery ! And what unsearchable riches does he seem to possess in this blessed assurance ! It is this that animates him, this that " constrains him." Had he a thousand lives, he would dedicate them all to his service, and lay them down for his honour. And though he cannot per haps at all times say, " My beloved is mine, and I am his," yet the most distant hope of such a mercy fills his soul with "joy unspeakable and glorified."]

ADDRESS —

1. Those who object to the Gospel —

[Many there are, who, when we speak of being dead to the law, imagine that we are enemies to good works, and that the Gospel which we preach tends to licentiousness. I't is true, we do say, (and we speak only what the Scriptures speak,) that though the law is still in force as a rule of duty, we are free from it as a covenant of works ; and that in conse quence of being free from it, the believer has neither hopes

b Col. i. 19. « Johni. 16.

60 GALATIANS, II. 20. [2058.

nor fears arising from it. But are we therefore regardless of the interests of morality? Does not the Apostle himself say, that " he, through the law, was dead to the law ?" Yet what does he conclude from this? That he might live as he pleased? No: he was, " dead to the law, that he might live unto God." And then he repeats the same important truth ; " I am cruci fied with Christ :" and again guards it against any similar misrepresentation, by shewing that the believer has a strength for obedience which no other person possesses, and motives for obedience which no other person feels. Let these two things be considered, and it will appear, that the Gospel, so far from militating against good works, is the only doctrine that secures the performance of them.

If this argument be not satisfactory, we ask the objector, What are those good works in which the declaimer about morality excels the believer ? Yea, we ask, Whether they who renounce all dependence on their good works, be not the very people who are universally censured on account of the strict ness and holiness of their lives? Away then with your objec tions ; and know, that if the Gospel be excellent as a system, it is yet more excellent as advancing the interests of morality.]

2. Those who profess the Gospel—

[Religion consists not in the adoption of any creed, but in a radical change both of heart and life. The words before us sufficiently shew, that it is a matter of experience, and not of mere talk and profession. Hear the Apostle : "I am crucified with Christ;" " I live ;" " Christ liveth in me ;" " I live by faith ;" " I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." All this has its seat, not in the head, but in the heart. Know therefore that, in order to ascertain the real state of your souls, you must inquire, not what principles you have imbibed, but how they operate ; and whether in these respects you resemble this holy Apostle ? Beloved, we entreat and charge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, not to deceive yourselves with respect to this matter. To form a just estimate of your state, you must ex amine whether you be really dead to the law, and dead to sin ; and whether, by the almighty operation of the Spirit of God within you, you are enabled to live to the glory of our blessed Lord and Saviour? These are the true tests of vital religion ; and, according as your experience accords with them or not, your state will ultimately be determined at the judgment-seat of Christ.]

3. Those who obey the Gospel- fit appears to others, and may sometimes even to our selves, a painful thing to experience a continual crucifixion.

2059.] DEPARTING FROM THE SIMPLE GOSPEL. Gl

I confess, that the right eye being plucked out, and the right hand cut off, does imply a considerable degree of pain and self-denial. But we would ask, whether, in those seasons when the in-dwelling operation of Christ is plainly felt, and his unspeakable love in giving himself for you is distinctly seen, the exercise of self-denial be not both easy and pleasant ? We ask, whether the joy arising from these discoveries do not far more than counterbalance any joy which you may be supposed to lose by abstaining from the gratifications of flesh and blood ? We are sure that no difference of opinion can exist respecting these things, among those whose experience qualifies them to form a just judgment about them. We therefore hesitate not to say, " Be ye more and more crucified to the world and to sin :" " Live more and more by faith on the Son of God :" and let a sense of your personal obligations to him lead you to a more entire devotedness of yourselves to his service, till you are taken to serve him without ceasing in the world above.]

MMLIX.

DEPARTING FROM THE SIMPLE GOSPEL.

Gal. iii. 1. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth., crucified among you ?

THE method of a sinner's justification is plainly revealed in the Gospel : nor is any doctrine more worthy of attention. An error with respect to many other points may consist with our salvation, but to err in this, is to destroy all hope of acceptance. Hence St. Paul devotes even an angel from heaven to a curse, if it could be supposed that one should be found who would introduce a gospel different from that which he himself had preached. Unhappily, however, the Galatians had been misled. The Apostle writes this epistle in order to reclaim them : he tells them that he had reproved even Peter himself, and that, too, before the whole Church at Antioch, for dissembling the truth a. He then proceeds to reprove their declension also.

We shall consider,

a (-al. ii. 13, 14.

62 GALATIANS, III. 1. [2059.

I. Wherein their disobedience to the truth consisted— The Galatians had formerly (t received the truth in the love of it"-

[They had entertained the highest respect for him who first evangelized themb; they had been knit to him with the most cordial aifectionc ; they had found much blessedness by means of the Gospel d ; they had received miraculous powers in confirmation of the worde ; they had been enabled to adorn their profession by a suitable life and conversation f ; they had even endured many sufferings for their attachment to the truths]

But they had lately imbibed the doctrines of some Judaizing teachers —

[Many of the Jewish converts were still zealous for the law of Moses : hence they laboured to make proselytes where- ever they came. Many of the Galatian churches were induced to embrace their doctrines : hence, though Gentiles originally, they put themselves under the yoke of the Jewish lawh.]

Thus they, in fact, " disobeyed and renounced the truth" itself—

[They had been taught to expect justification by faith in Christ1, but now they superadded an obedience to the law as a joint ground of hope : by this they declared that faith in Christ was insufficient for their justification. They did not indeed intend by this to reject Christ entirely ; but the Apostle tells them repeatedly that God considered their con duct as equivalent to an utter rejection of the Gospel k: and hence he warns them, that they were turned altogether to " another Gospel1."]

Their defection therefore involved them in the deepest guilt ; as will appear more fully, if we consider,

II. The particular aggravation with which it was

attended —

St. Paul himself had preached among them in a most lively and affecting manner—

[Wherever he went, his constant subject was Christ crucified"1 : he fully opened to his hearers the nature and

*> Gal. iv. 14. c Gal. iv. 15. d Gal. iv. 15.

« Gal. iii. 2. f Gal. v. 7. e Gal. iii. 4.

h Gal. iv. 8—10. i Gal. ii. 16.

k Gal. ii. 21. and v. 2—4. ] Gal. i. 6.

™ 1 Cor. ii. 2.

2059.] DEPARTING FROM THE SIMPLE GOSPEL. 63

ends of Christ's death : he always declared the efficacy of it as an atonement for sin : he earnestly exhorted all to trust in it for their acceptance with God : he had dwelt so much, and in so affecting a manner, on this subject, that the crucifixion of Christ might be said to have been depicted, or even ex hibited before their eyes.]

This was a great aggravation of their guilt in de parting from the faith—

[Had they heard less of Christ, they had been less cul pable ; had they heard of him in a less affecting manner, they had not been without a plea ; had they seen no particular effects flowing from the Apostle's preaching, they might have had some excuse ; had the subserviency of the law to the Gospel never been opened to them, their defection from the truth might have been accounted for : but to renounce the truth, after it had been set forth with such energy, and attended with such effects, was extreme folly and wickedness: their conduct was no less than a crucifying of Christ afresh".]

What animadversion their disobedience merited we may see in,

III. The reproof which the Apostle gave them on account of it —

St. Paul ascribes their declension to the subtlety of their false teachers—

[Sin has an astonishingly fascinating power0. Error, whether in faith or practice, soon insinuates itself into our hearts. Whenever people are drawn from the truth, they are first beguiled by the specious appearances of false principles. Apostates therefore may be justly considered as deluded crea tures; and if at any time they be recovered, they wronder at themselves how they ever could have been so " bewitched," so blinded, so befooled.]

Nevertheless he deservedly censures their com pliance with them—

[He was far from indulging a contemptuous or vindictive spirit, yet he judged it his duty to "rebuke them sharply:" he therefore spoke of their conduct with holy indignation : he expressed his wonder that they could be so soon turned -from the truth? : he seems at a loss to represent their folly in terms sufficiently humiliating; yet his question evidently imports

n Heh. vi. 6. ° This seems the exact import of the original.

P Gal. i. 6.

64 GALATIANS, III. 8, 9. [2060.

also a mixture of pity : he felt deeply in his soul for their spiritual welfare 1 ; he therefore expostulated with them in order to reclaim them.]

INFERENCES—

1. How great is the evil and danger of self-right eousness !

[The Galatians intended to honour God's own institu tions; but by laying an undue stress upon them they en dangered their own salvation. How careful then should we be not to trust in any righteousness of our own ! Let us remember in what light our own righteousness should be viewed1" — let us bear in mind our Saviour's direction8 — let. us cultivate the disposition of the great Apostle * — ]

2. What need have even the most eminent Chris tians to watch against apostasy !

[The attainments of the Galatians seemed to be very eminent: yet they were soon seduced from the simplicity of the Gospel. Who then are we, that we should be over confi dent? Our dearest friends may well regard us as Paul did the Christians at Corinth11. Let us attend then to the advice which he gives usx — nor let us despise that salutary admoni tion of St. Peter y—]

3. What cause of thankfulness have they who are kept steadfast in the truth !

[They who know their own instability will wonder that they are kept at all. Surely such will adopt the grateful acknowledgment of David2 — and these are the persons in whom that declaration shall be verified3 — We conclude with that suitable doxologyb — ]

Q Gal. iv. 19. 4 Phil. iii. 9. y 2 Pet. iii. 17. b Jude, ver. 24, 25.

r Isai. Ixiv. 6. u 2 Cor. xi. 3. z Ps. xxvi. 12.

8 Luke xvii. 10. x 1 Cor. x. 12. a 1 Pet. i. 5.

MMLX.

THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO ABRAHAM.

Gal. iii. 8) 9. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

2060.] THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO ABRAHAM. 65

THE point which St. Paul above all things labours to establish, especially in his Epistles to the Romans and the Galatians, is the doctrine of justification by faith alone. The Jews universally were adverse to this doctrine, because it derogated, as they thought, from the honour of their law. And the Gentiles also were hostile to it, because it cut off from them all occasion of boasting in themselves. But the more the unbelieving wcrld set themselves against it, the more this holy Apostle strove to place it beyond all contradiction or doubt. And well he might, since on the reception or rejection of it depends the ever lasting salvation of every child of man. Let it not therefore be deemed superfluous, if on a point of such infinite importance we follow him, and bring it before you in a variety of views. If we have already received it, we still need to be confirmed in it from time to time, lest by any means we be drawn aside from it. There is something " bewitching" in the idea of meriting salvation at the hands of God ; and we are but too apt to listen to any statement which shall so flatter the pride of our hearts. Many con verts belonging to the Churches of Galatia, after having been for a time established in the truth, were at last turned aside from it ; and drew from the Apostle this spirited remonstrance ; " O foolish Ga- latians, who hath bewitched you?" He appeals to them, that the miracles which he had wrought among them, as also the miraculous powers which they had received through his instrumentality, were all in con firmation of this doctrine; by which, in fact, Abraham himself had been saved ; and by which alone they could ever be partakers of Abraham's felicity. This, he tells them, was the unvaried testimony of Scrip ture ; and it had been declared two thousand years before to Abraham, in those most memorable words, " In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed."

In discoursing on these words, we will shew,

I. What was that Gospel which the Scripture preached to Abraham —

VOL. XVII. F

66 GALATIANS, III. 8,9. [2060.

Abraham was informed, that " in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed"—

[This was repeatedly declared to him, and at an interval of nearly fifty years a. The full import of this promise was not clearly revealed in the declaration itself; but it was doubtless made known to him by the Spirit of God, and was typically represented to him in the sacrifice of his son Isaac. By the command of God, he took his own son, the child of promise, in order to offer him up as a burnt-offering to the Lord. On this his son he laid the wood which was to reduce him to ashes ; he led him to Mount Moriah (the very place where the Promised Seed, the Lord Jesus Christ, was after wards offered) ; he bound him, and, in purpose and intention, offered him up a sacrifice to God : and then, having actually offered up the ram which God had substituted in the place of Isaac, he received his son as from the deadb: and thus was taught, that, by the death and resurrection of the Promised Seed, the blessings of salvation were to be brought to a ruined world. Such was the view given him of this great mystery ; and by his faith in the Promised Seed so " dying for our offences, and so raised again for our justification," he was jus tified, as all his believing posterity shall also bec.

Here it is particularly to be remembered, that the law bore no part in his justification ; for it was not given till four hun dred and thirty years after the promise of a Saviour had been made to him, and by faith in that promised Saviour he had been justified. It must be remembered also, that circumcision bore no part in his justification ; for no less than twenty-four years elapsed between the period of his being justified by faith, and the appointment of that rite d. It is of the utmost importance that these things be borne in mind : for, if we once admit the idea of his being either in whole or in part justified by any thing but faith, we shall subvert the Gospel altogether ; seeing that there is but one method of a sinner's justification before God for him and for use. True it is, that before men he was justified by his obedience, as St. James has truly saidf : for it was by the fruits which his faith produced, that it was seen to be a living, and not a dead, faith : but in the sight of God he had nothing of his own whereon to place the least dependence : it was by faith only, without any work whatever of his own, that he was counted righteous before God: and, if it had not been so, his salvation had been, not a gift of

a Gen. xii. 3. and xviii. 18. and xxii. 18. b Heb. xi. 17—19. c Rom. iv. 22—25.

d Compare Gen. xii. 3, 4. with Gen. xvii. 1, 7, 10, 23, 24. c See Rom. iv. 9— H. f Jam. ii. 21—23.

2060. J THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO ABRAHAM. 67

grace, but a reward of debt, to which he was entitled, and in which he would to all eternity have had a ground of glorying before God*.]

In this promise " the Gospel was preached to him"-

[This way of salvation is emphatically and exclusively called " the Gospel." It was glad tidings to Abraham, when taken out of an idolatrous state, and ignorant of any means of acceptance with God, to be informed, that God had provided a Saviour for him ; and that, through a person who should descend from his loins, a righteousness should be brought in, fully adequate to the necessities of the whole world, and cer tainly effectual for all who should believe in him. To that event he looked forward; and, beholding it by faith, he greatly rejoiced in ith. And this is glad tidings to us also : for where should we find a Saviour, if this promised Seed had not been given ? Or what hope should we have had of ultimate salva tion, if we had been required to earn it in any measure by our own works? Were it required of us to produce only one single work on which to rest our claim of heaven, where should we find one ? But, blessed be God, we are taught to rely on the Promised Seed, and on him alone: and it is this very cir cumstance which warrants us to expect eternal happiness ; since, unworthy as we are, the free promise of God, duly appre hended by faith, can never fail of its accomplishment1.]

Such was the Gospel which the Scripture preached to Abraham : nor does it differ at all from,,

II. What it preaches unto us also— It declares to us,

1. That this is the way which God has ordained for us also—

[" The Scripture," that is, the Holy Spirit who spake by it, " foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached this Gospel to Abraham." There was not to be one way of salvation for him, and another for us ; but one and the same for both. And as God foresaw that men would be ready to catch hold of any thing that might afford in ever so slight a degree a ground of glorying, he took care to cut off all occasion for glorying, by justifying Abraham solely through faith, whilst yet he remained in an uncircumcised state : thus shewing to the uncircumcised of all nations, that, in relation to the great matter of their justification before God, they were

e Rom. iv. 1 — 5. h John viii. 56. ' Rom. iv. 16.

T7 9.

68 GALATIANS, III. 8,9. [2060.

on a perfect equality with the circumcised ; and that, as faith alone was available for Abraham's salvation, so it would avail for the salvation of all who truly relied upon the Promised Seedk. True it is, we are to " walk in the steps of our father Abraham," and not to imagine that we can be saved by a dead inoperative faith1 : but still it is by faith only that we become children of Abraham, and by faith only that we become par takers of his blessings™: if we seek these benefits in any other way, " we frustrate the grace of God, and cause the death of Christ to be in vainn." In the very same promise then that the Gospel was preached to Abraham, it is preached to us : to every one of us it is said, " In the Promised Seed shalt thou be blessed." And with this agrees the testimony of St. Paul, who, specifying distinctly all the great blessings which the Gospel offers to us, tells us, about nine times in eleven verses, that it is all " in Christ," " in Christ," " in Christ0."]

2. That all who embrace it shall be partakers of its blessings—

[There is no exception whatever; no difference between Jews and Gentiles : if only we " be of faith, we are from that moment blessed with all the blessings which Abraham himself enjoyed." Was he justified ? So shall we be. Was he made " the friend of God ?" So shall we be. Was God to him " a shield, an exceeding great reward ?" Such will he be to us also. Is Abraham now "in the kingdom of his God? We also shall, with him and Isaac and Jacob, sit down there," yea, and shall be " in Abraham's bosom " to all eternity. All this, and infinitely more than we can either utter or conceive, shall we receive, if we truly believe in Christ : for " all things are ours, if we be Christ's p."]

From hence we may SEE,

1. The antiquity of the Gospel —

[In every age the doctrine of justification by faith only is stigmatized as a new doctrine : it is very generally represented as such amongst ourselves : and so it was by the Papists at the time of the Reformation : in the apostolic age it was regarded in the same light. When " St. Paul preached Jesus and the resurrection, it was asked, what this new doctrine meant q." But it is as old as Abraham, to whom it was distinctly preached : yea, it must be traced to the time of Adam ; for to him also was it preached, when he was told that " the Seed of

k Rom. iii. 30. ] Rom. iv. 12. with Jam. ii. 20, 24, 26.

m vcr. 7, 9. n Gal. ii. 21. ° Eph. i. 3—13.

P 1 Cor. iii. 22, 23. 1 Acts xvii. 18, 19.

2060.1 THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO ABRAHAM. 69

the woman should bruise the serpent's head." That persons who have the Scriptures in their hands should speak of this as a new doctrine, is perfectly surprising; since it is written in every page of the sacred volume as with a sun-beam : but that a member of the Established Church should be so ignorant, is yet more astonishing : since it is that essential and fundamental doctrine on which the very edifice of our Church is built. Let not any therefore reject this doctrine ; or at least let them not call themselves members of the Church of England, if they do. The way of justification by faith is " the good old way," in which all the saints of God have gone from the foundation of the world ; and it is the only way in which any man can " find rest unto his soul."]

2. The excellency of the Gospel—

[The idea of being saved by faith only, is so simple, that the world can see no excellency in it: but this very simplicity constitutes a very distinguished part of its excellency. Sup posing that salvation had been by works, or by faith and works united, who would ever have been able to ascertain what measure of good works would suffice for us, or what measure of imperfection would consist with their ultimate acceptance ? Verily, under such uncertainty, no human being could enjoy one hour's peace in the prospect of his great account: but when we are told that salvation is by faith only, then, whatever our works may have been in times past, we have peace in our souls the very instant we believe ; because we know that Christ is " able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him :" we know that " by faith we are Abraham's children ;" and that " all the blessings of Abraham ARE ours," and shall be ours for ever1.

But the excellency of the Gospel appears no less in the fruits that it produces. Abraham was justified the first moment he believed. And did he on that account become indifferent to good works? See his conduct: he immediately went forth from his family and country at the command of God, though he knew not whither he was to go. In every place where he went, he built an altar to his God : and, even when called to sacrifice with his own hands his beloved Isaac, he hesitated not, but for three successive days prosecuted his journey to the place where the offering was to be made, and executed with out reluctance the Divine command. So shall we do, if we truly believe in Christ. There will be no reserves in our hearts ; nothing which we will not do, nothing which we will not sacrifice, nothing which we will not suffer, if only our God may be glorified thereby. Let the world produce a list of

ver.

70 GALATIANS, III. 10. [2061.

worthies like those recorded in the Epistle to the Hebrews, or like the holy Apostles, and shew that they were actuated by a different principle from that of faith in Christ, and then will we confess that the Gospel is not so excellent as it is said to be : but till that is done, we must affirm, that in point of practical efficacy it has no rival ; and that in comparison of it the whole world is only as dung and dross.]

MMLXI.

THE SPIRITUALITY AND SANCTIONS OF THE LAW.

Gal. iii. 10. As many as are of the ivorks of the law are under the curse : for it is written. Cursed is every one that con- tinueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

THE reason that Christianity is so little under stood, is, that men are not aware of the occasion which there is for such a dispensation as the Gospel contains. They know not the state in which they are by nature ; and therefore they cannot compre hend the provision made for their recovery from it by grace. If the generality of Christians were asked what God requires of them in his law,, or what is now the proper use of the law, they would be able to give, at best, a very imperfect, and probably a very erroneous, account of these things. But it is of the utmost importance that we should understand the law : for, till we do, we can never understand the Gospel.

Now, in the words which we have read, we see, I. The requirements of God's law—

[The law is contained in the Ten Commandments : and the summary given of it by our Lord is, that we must love God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves.

Now consider what is comprehended in these two command ments — — and remember, the obedience to be paid to them must be perfect ("in all things"); personal (by " every one of us"); and perpetual (we must "continue in" it, from the first to the latest hour of our life). It is not sufficient that we wish to do them : we must " do them ;" do them " all ;" "every one of us " and " continue" so to do, even to the end.

2061.] SPIRITUALITY AND SANCTIONS OF THE LAW. 71

This was written under the lawa; and it is confirmed to us by the Apostle's citation of it under the Gospel. Now we must remember, that on our perfect obedience to it all its promises are suspended ; and if, in any one instance, even in thought or desire, we fall short of it, we must then be considered as violators of the law. This is a point not sufficiently consi dered. St. Paul himself did not clearly understand it, previous to his conversion. He interpreted the law only in its literal sense ; and could not conceive that such an one as he had ever violated its commands : but when he saw that it forbade an inordinate desire as much as an overt act, he then saw that he was condemned by it, and had forfeited all hope of acceptance by his obedience to itb.]

But, to understand the law aright, we must know,

II. The sanctions with which it is enforced—

[It denounces a curse on every, the least, violation of its commands : " Cursed is every one," &c. What this curse is, we may know from other passages of Holy Writ. It was said to Adam, in reference to the forbidden fruit, " In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Now, from the moment of his transgression he became mortal as to his body : (for " death entered by sin ;" and never would have entered, if man had not sinned :) his soul, also, became spiritually dead to God ; and he was doomed to " the second death," in " the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone." To this the Apostle Paul bears testimony, when he says, " The wages of sin is death ; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lordc." Perhaps it may assist us more, if we consider what the penalty of transgression was to the fallen angels: they were cast out of heaven from the presence of their God ; and were consigned to " a lake of fire prepared on purpose for them," there to endure for ever the vengeance of their offended God. Thus man, on his fall, lost the favour and presence of God, and was subjected to his heavy and everlasting displeasure. Being a partaker with the angels in their offence, he became a partaker with them in their punishment.

Now let every one that has transgressed the law in ever so small a degree, though it may have been only once, consider what the law says to him : it says, " Cursed is every one that continveth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them."]

This, I say, is,

III. The tremendous inference that must be drawn in relation to every one of us—

a Dent, xxvii. 26. b Rom. vii. 7, 9. ° Rom. vi. 23.

72 GALATIANS, III. 10. [2061.

[We all are under the law. The law was given to man in Paradise. It was written in his heart, when he came out of his Creator's hands. We all, therefore, are under it ; and, consequently, " every mouth must be stopped, and all the world become guilty before Godd."

If this inference be not true, I would ask, which of the premises is erroneous ?

Does the law require less than I have stated ? If any one think so, let him tell me where God has dispensed with any one of its commandments ? Where has he authorized us to alienate from him any measure of that love which he had required in his law ? or where has he lowered the standard of our love to man ; and permitted us to act otherwise towards him, than we, in a change of circumstances, should think it right that he should act towards us ?

If the requirements of the law are not reduced, are its sanctions altered ? Has God any where revoked them ? Has he not, on the contrary, expressly said, " The soul that sinneth, it shall die6?;

If its requirements are not altered, nor its sanctions revoked, can you say you are not under it ? The whole race of man kind are under it : and must continue under it, till they lay hold on that better covenant which God has given us in his Gospel.

There is, then, no possibility of evading the inference that is here drawn ; namely, that as many as are under the law, and consequently the whole race of mankind, are under the curse. O ! remember this, ye old; it curses you: ye young; it curses you : ye moral ; it curses you. There is not a child of man to whom it does not say, " Thou art cursed."]

Who, then, must not SEE,

1. The folly of seeking to be justified by the works of the law?

[If you had sinned but once, and then only in thought, you would be cursed, as a violator of God's law; and, conse quently, be without hope of obtaining salvation by it. For, if you would be saved by it, you must first atone for your offences against it ; and then obey it perfectly in future. But which of these can ye do ? If ye were to shed rivers of tears, they could never wash away one sin. The whole race of mankind would never be able to atone for one sin. And suppose your past offences forgiven ; which of you, for a single day or hour, could fulfil the law perfectly in future ? Know, that this would be an hopeless attempt ; and that, consequently, " by the works

d Rom. iii. 19. e Ezck. xviii. 20.

2062.] REDEMPTION BY CHRIST. 73

of the law can no flesh living be justified f." St. Paul himself renounced all hope of acceptance with God by any righteous ness of his own, and sought it solely by faith in Christ g : and so must you, if ever you would obtain mercy at the hands of Godh.]

2. The happiness of those who have obtained an interest in Christ ?

[They are dead to the law ; and the law is dead to them1. To them is no condemnation k: on the contrary, they have, and ever shall possess, eternal life1. In all the book of God there cannot be found one curse denounced against them. To them belong nothing but blessings, even all the blessings of grace and glory. Say, beloved, Are not these happy ? Seek ye, then, this happiness. Flee to Christ : believe in Christ : and then ye " shall never perish, but shall have eternal life."]

3. The reasonableness of a life devoted to Christ ?

[Contemplate the benefits you receive by faith in Christ ; and say, whether any return that ye can make can ever be .too great ? To tell you, that, if you believe in Christ, you must obey him, is, I had almost said, to degrade human nature below the beasts. Does " the ox know its owner, and the ass his master's crib ;" and shall a believer NOT know, and love, and serve, his heavenly Benefactor ? Shall the Lord Jesus Christ have "bought you with his blood, and you not desire to glorify him with your bodies and your spirits, which are his?" O ! brethren, do not oblige me to say, you must obey him ; but " be forward of yourselves," and give yourselves wholly to him ; and let the inquiry of your soul, every day and hour, be, " What shall I render to the Lord for all the benefits con ferred upon me ?"]

f Rom. iii. 20. g Phil. iii. 9.

h Rom. ix. 31, 32. and x. 3, 4. * Rom. vii. 1—4. ii. 19.

k Rom. viii. 1. 1 John iii. 10, 18.

MMLXII.

REDEMPTION BY CHRIST.

Gal. iii. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.

THE law, which subjects all mankind to a curse, is the moral law ; that is principally intended in the

74 GALATIANS, III. 13. [2062.

passage before usa : it remains unalterable in its de mands of obedience or punishment. But in the Gospel a remedy is provided for transgressors : this remedy is proposed to us in the text.

I. Clear up some points relative to redemption—

The most important truths of Christianity are often denied ; but we must be established in them, if we would receive the blessings of redemption. We should know clearly,

1. What is that " curse" from which we are re deemed—

[Many suppose it to be annihilation, or at most a tem porary punishment ; but the Scriptures represent it in a far different light : we cannot precisely declare the exact quality of it; it consists, however, partly in banishment from Godb, and partly in inconceivable anguish both of soul and bodyc. Its duration certainly will be eternal ; it will continue coeval with the happiness of the righteous d ; neither the curse shall cease, nor sinners cease to endure it6.]

2. Who is it that redeems us from it- fit is thought by many that we must deliver ourselves by

repentance, &c. But it is impossible for fallen man to deliver his own soul : he cannot by doi?ig, because he cannot perfectly obey the law in future ; and if he could, his obedience would not atone for past sinsf : he cannot by suffering, because the penalty of one sin is eternal death. Nor could the highest archangel redeem the world ; if he could, God needed not to have sent his own Son. None but " Christ " was sufficient for so great a work ; but his obedience unto death has effected our redemption ; he " made an end of sin, and brought in ever lasting righteousness g."]

a It is that law, from the curse of which Abraham and the Gen tiles were redeemed, ver. 10 ; and consequently, though the ceremo nial law be not entirely excluded, the text must be understood principally in reference to the moral law.

b 2 Thess. i. 9. c Luke xvi. 23, 24.

d Matt. xxv. 46. aluviov is used respecting both.

e Our Lord repeats this no less than five times in six verses, Mark ix. 43 — 48.

f The ceasing to increase a debt will not cancel a debt already in curred : see Luke xvii. 10.

s Dan. ix. 24.

2062. _j REDEMPTION BY CHRIST. 75

3. Who they are that shall enjoy the benefits of redemption—

[Many imagine that, because Christ has died for all, all shall be saved ; but redemption is by no means so extensive as the curse. With respect to heathens we know little how God will deal with them ; but we know what will be his conduct towards the Christian world : they who believe in Christ, and they only, will be finally savedh; such alone were compre hended under the term " us."]

These points being cleared up, we shall, II. Shew by what means we are redeemed —

By the Mosaic law persons hanged were deemed accursed1. Hence Christ, in his death, was " made a curse" or held accursedk. In becoming a curse, he was our substitute —

[Christ did not die merely for our good ; he endured the curse in our stead. This was typically represented under the Mosaic law1 : - - the prophets concur in establishing this truth™ ; — — the Apostles confirm it in the plainest

terms" His curse indeed was not the same with ours,

either in quality or duration ; yet it was fully adequate to all the demands of law and justice; and it was such as God appointed for him, and accepts on our behalf.]

This substitution of Christ was the mean of effect ing our redemption—

[God ordained it for this very end0. He was pleased with it in this viewp. He was reconciled to man on account of itq. Our redemption is expressly ascribed to itr. Our deliverance from the guilt and power of sin is effected by it8. It was the price paid for the salvation of the church*.]

h Mark xvi. 16. The faith here spoken of is not a mere assent to the truths of Christianity, but a living, operative, and purifying faith, Acts xv. 9. Jam. ii. 20, 26.

' Deut. xxi. 23.

k See the words immediately following the text.

I Lev. xvi. 7 — 10, 21, 22. It is impossible not to see in this passage that the scape-goat had the iniquities of the Jewish nation transferred to him, while the goat that died made atonement for them.

m Dan. ix. 26. " Not for himself," Isai. liii. 5.

II 2 Cor. v. 21. 1 Pet. ii. 24. & iii. IS. " Rom. iii. 25. i' Eph. v. 2. q Rom. v. 10. r Eph. i. 7.

s Ileb. ix. 13, 14. f Acts xx. 28. with 1 Cor. vi. 20.

76 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2063.

INFER —

1. How great was the love of Christ towards our fallen race !

[That he who was happy in the bosom of his Father should become a curse ! That he should submit to such misery in our place and stead ! Well might that anathema be denounced against the ungrateful11 — Let us then study to " comprehend the heights and depths of his love."]

2. What folly and impiety is it to seek justification by the law !

[When the moral law was once broken, it was absolutely impossible that any man should be justified by itx. There remained no way of escaping its curse but by embracing the Gospel y. What folly then is it to reject salvation when it is freely offered, and to seek it in a way in which it cannot be found ! Nor is the impiety of the conduct less than the folly. It declares that the sacrifice of Christ was unnecessary, or ineffectual. This conduct proved destructive to the bulk of the Jewish nation2. May we never imitate them to our eternal ruin !]

3. How strong are the Christian's obligations to holiness !

[Christ did not die to deliver us from the curse only, but from sin alsoa. Shall we hope to attain one end of his death while we defeat the other ? We should reject such a thought with the utmost abhorrence b. Let every one then strive to attain the disposition of St. Paulc — ]

u 1 Cor. xvi. 22. x Gal. iii. 21. y Gal. iii, 22.

2 Rom. ix. 31, 3?, & x. 3.

a Tit. ii. 14. b Rom. vi. 1. c 2 Cor. v. 14. 15.

MMLXIII.

THE USES OF THE LAW.

Gal. iii. 19. Wherefore then serveth the law?

PERHAPS, of all the subjects connected with re ligion, there is not one so rarely unfolded to Christian auditories as the law. We are ready to suppose, either that men are sufficiently acquainted with it ; or that it is antiquated, and unnecessary to be known.

2063.] THE USES OF THE LAW. 77

But the law lies at the foundation of all true religion; and it ought to be studied, in ihejirst place, as alone opening the way to the true knowledge of the Gospel. The mistakes which obtain in reference to it are very numerous. In truth, there are but few persons who have just views respecting it : and, on that account, I propose to call your attention to it throughout this series of discourses. I am aware, that persons deeply impressed with any particular subject are apt to magnify its importance beyond due bounds : and, being aware of this, I will endeavour to avoid that error on the present occasion. But I feel that it is scarcely possible to speak too strongly respecting the importance of the law. Those, indeed, who have never considered it, will possibly be somewhat staggered at the positions which I shall be necessitated to maintain in this my introductory discourse : and the rather, because the full proof of my assertions must, of necessity, be deferred to those discourses wherein the several parts will be more largely con sidered. But should this impression be unfortunately made on any of my hearers, I must request that their ultimate decision be suspended, till the subject has undergone the proposed investigation. As for those who are conversant with the subject, I have no fear but that they will go along with me in my state ment, and concur with me in the sentiments which shall be submitted to them.

In the epistle before us, the Apostle Paul is main taining a controversy with the Judaizing teachers ; who wished to combine the Law with the Gospel, as