vances of it; for he is here expressly labouring against the continuance of these, as will yet further appear. The 3d chapter begins thus: "O foolish Galatians! who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth?" The 2d and 3d verses query, "This only would I learn of you: received ye the spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish! having begun in the spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" All true religion, in every age and nation, ever began in the spirit; and all that ever continued in true religion, continued in the spirit: and no man ever enjoyed any more of it than he enjoyed in the spirit. None ever were, or ever will be," made perfect by the flesh;" by any thing man, as man, can do; nor receive the spirit by the works and observations of the law; though many are acting as if they thought they could not be complete in Christ alone, or be "made perfect" in and by his holy spirit, without the addition of" weak and beggarly elements." It seems the Galatians were of the same mind. They began in the spirit, but not being content to abide in it, advance forward in it, and depend singly upon it, they were seeking to be "made perfect," or completed in the work of religion, by ceremonial observations. Against this departure from a single reliance on that holy spirit which began the work, the apostle was zealously engaged, and declares, (v. 11,) "The just shall live by faith." What faith? The righteousness of that inward word of faith, which Paul preached "nigh in the heart and mouth." For there never was nor can be but one thing, through all time, that the just could or ever can live by; and that is this inward word of life, the spiritual flesh and blood of Christ. "He that eateth me, even he shall live by me," saith the blessed Jesus. John vi. 57. And he that eateth him not truly and substantially, (how oft soever he eats the figures, and how loud soever he proclaims his faith,) has "no life in him." 53. This is the tree of life, in the "midst of the paradise of God." This heals the nations of them that walk in the light of the lamb; and by this, and this only, they live unto God. Hence Paul says, “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;" (Gal. ii. 20;) that is, by the faith of Christ living in him. He was “dead to

the law, that he might live unto God." 19. He renounces all mere legal, ceremonial righteousness, and comes home to Christ alive in his own soul. He mentions the "blessing of Abraham" as coming" on the Gentiles" only through "Jesus Christ" the life; and the receiving of "the promise of the spirit," only "through faith," chap. iii. 14. This is experimental religion, all standing in that faith which is " of the operation of God" in the soul, (Col. ii. 12,) and which is the very life and "substance of things hoped for," and therefore, and therefore only, it is also the sure and certain "evidence of things not seen." See Heb. xi. 1. Many strive hard to believe, and think they do believe; but no mere opinion, or simple credence, is the faith of the gospel. No other faith than that which is in its own nature the very substance of the things hoped for," can be a sure and unshaken evidence of the eternal inheritance, the " things not yet seen."

"To Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one; and to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect." Gal. iii. 16, 17. "And if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." 29. Observe, reader, the cove nant is confirmed only in Christ, the life, the word in the heart, the inward "hope of glory." The promise is to all that are Christ's, and to them only. God promised that in Abraham, and in his seed, Christ, all nations should be blessed. This "promise is sure to all the seed ; (see Rom. iv. 16;) to all that are "born again of God," begotten into sonship and joint heirship with Christ, by this "incorruptible seed, and word of God," in the

heart. This alone is the true faith, wherein all the children of it "are blessed with faithful Abraham." Gal. iii. 9. It runs not in the outward blood, nor in the line of faith merely professional. It was never obtained by the observance of rituals: nor is it known but by a real baptism into death with Christ, and arising with him in the newness of life. "For if there had been a law given, which could have given life, verily righteousness

should have been by the law." v. 21. But as nothing can give divine life to the soul, but that which brings it into the life of the son, or the state of real sonship, by the union of the soul with the life of the holy word; and as all thus begotten and born of God, feel their dependance to be wholly on God their Father, their looking is wholly unto him for aid and protection. Hence this great apostle, chap. iv. ver. 6, of this epistle, declares, "Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." Here is the alone true life of faith in the soul. Here is divine reliance upon the Father. It is in the state of real sonship, the Emmanuel state, where God and man unite in the heavenly fellowship, and substantial relationship. This is beyond all figurative observations. "The law made nothing perfect," but "was added because of transgressions." But for how long? "Till the seed should come, to whom the promise was made." Chap. iii. 19.

But if the law was added, because of transgressions, till the seed came, (and John, the forerunner, to prepare his way, declares the axe must be laid to the root of the corrupt trees, till they are all hewn down, and cast into the fire," and that the chaff must be burned up, and the floor thoroughly cleansed,) how idle is it, for any to think of salvation by Christ, and that they are not under the law, but under grace, because they assent to the history of the gospel, and say they believe in Jesus, whilst living a life of sin, and continuing in transgression, the very thing for which "the law was added," and which the life, strength, and authority of the moral precepts of it were and will be over, and therefore over men, so far as in transgression, and sensible of it; and so far they are and ever will be under the law, and not under the dominion and government of grace. For grace saveth; and just so far as we are under it, we are > saved from sin; and so far as we are not saved from sin, we are not under grace. Christ never saves a soul in sin. Indeed, in the complete sense of the word salvation, he cannot. It is a contradiction in itself. It would be saved, and not saved. For salvation is from sin. Therefore it is said, "Thou shalt call his name Jesus," (that is, a saviour,)" for he shall save his people from their sins." Mat. i. 21. The whole scope of the

gospel is salvation from sin, and a new life in holiness, really and inherently so; not merely imputatively. Mere imputation of Christ's righteousness, without the implantation of it, is a dangerous doctrine, indeed a real impossibility. Christ redeems from the shadows of the law, by bringing and uniting the soul to the substance; and that may be the main reason why so few professed Christians are yet redeemed from them; for none are any further truly redeemed, even from the shadows, than they are so by the life and possession of the substance. For as "circumcision is nothing," so simple " uncircumcision is nothing." But the living faith, the new creature, the substance, is all in all. Many think much of themselves, because they are baptized in water, partake of the bread and wine, &c. And many think much of themselves because they avoid them, and suppose they see beyond them. But if even the latter is only a speculative or merely rational convincement, it is nothing; it is not the true and living redemption of Christ " from the rudiments of the world:" for that never advances further or faster in any soul, than the soul advances in the knowledge and enjoyment of the substance. It is Christ himself, the seed, the life, the substance, that is the end of the law. And, as none are. truly redeemed from the shadows of it, but by and in the substance; so none are redeemed from the curse of it, the penalty due for the transgressions of its moral precepts, until, nor a whit further than, they know Christ, the seed, the substance, to finish sin, and make an end of transgression in them individually. For this is the only real destruction of the works of the devil, that Christ ever makes; and consequently, all the redemption from the curse, or penalty of the law, that men ever really do know; save the forgiveness and remission of sins already committed, through the mercy of God in Christ Jesus.

So far, therefore, as we sin against God, we are not under grace, but at best under the law. Nor shall ever" one jot, or one tittle, pass from the law till all be fulfilled." If any soul is not under the curse of it, but under grace, it is because Christ, the seed, redeems and preserves him from the state of transgression, on account of which it was added. And yet salvation is in no wise by the deeds of the law, but by Christ, who redeems, VOL. II.-69

and liveth in us, and is our life, above and beyond the law. "Is the law, then, against the promises of God? God forbid," says the apostle. Gal. iii. 21. "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed." 23. Before the word of faith is revealed in the heart, before the Son of God is revealed in men, as God revealed him in Paul, the law serves as a school-master: hence the apostle's very next words, (verse 24,) are, wherefore the law was our school-master, to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." Faith being the substance, as before shown," of things hoped for ;" and being "of the operation of God" in man, the word nigh in the heart, which is the word of faith the apostles preached; when this was livingly known, in dominion over all in the soul, the use of the school-master was superseded. And this is the substantial experience of such as are risen with Christ, above the rudiments of the world, and the law of carnal commandments, in every age of the world. So the apostle's next words are, (v. 25, &c.) " but after that faith is come, we are no longer under a school-master. For ye are all the children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.” Here the law is fulfilled, in putting " on the Lord Jesus Christ," "the whole armour of light;" casting" off the works of darkness," and making "no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof," according to Rom. xiii. 12, 14. Well may this supersede the law, seeing this baptism into Christ, this putting him on, as the whole armour of light, so effectually redeems from the works of darkness, and the lusts of the flesh; agreeably also to Eph. vi. 11, "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

Some will understand this baptism into Christ, to mean outward baptism. The author of the aforesaid "Plain Account" quotes Bishop Burnet, describing the primitive baptism in water, and saying, "From whence came the phrases of being baptized into Christ's death; of being buried with him by baptism into death; of our being risen with Christ; and of our putting on the Lord Jesus Christ; of putting off the old man, and putting on the new?" page 30. Thus men, by attachments to rituals,