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only means by which our reconciliation could be effected. He represents all, both Jews and Gentiles, as under sin, and in a state of guilt and condemnation: he states that, inasmuch as we are all condemned by the law, we can never be justified by the law, but are shut up unto that way of justification which God has provided for us in the gospel. He asserts that "God hathset forth his Son to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness in the remission of sins, that he may be just, and the justifier of them that believe in Jesus." He requires all, Jews as well as Gentiles, to believe in Jesus, in order to the obtaining of justification by faith in him and so jealous is he of every thing that may interfere with this doctrine, or be supposed to serve as a joint ground of our acceptance with God, that he represents the smallest measure of affiance in any thing else as actually making void the faith of Christ, and rendering his death of no avail.||

* Gal. iii. 22, 23. Gal. ii. 15, 16.

† Rom. iii. 25, 26.

|| Gal. v. 2—4.

Nay more, if he himself, or even an angel from heaven, should ever be found to propose any other ground of hope to sinful man, he denounces a curse against him; and lest his denunciation, should be overlooked, he repeats it with augmented energy; "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 the death of Christ he ascribes every blessing we possess. We are "reconciled to God by the blood of his cross; we are "brought nigh to him," "have boldness and access with confidence" even to his throne; we are cleansed by it from all sin;" yea, "by his one offering of himself he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." But there is one passage in particular wherein a multitude of spiritual blessings are comprised, and all are referred to him as the true source from whom they flow. The passage we speak of is in * Gal. i. 8, 9.

the first chapter to the Ephesians, where, within the space of eleven verses, the same truth is repeated at least eight or nine times. In order to enter fully into the force of that passage, we may conceive of Paul as maintaining the truth in opposition to all its most determined adversaries, and as labouring to the uttermost to exalt Christ in the eyes of those who trusted in him: we may conceive of him, I say, as contending thus: "Have we been chosen before the foundation of the world? it is in Christ: Have we been predestinated unto the adoption of children? it is in and by him: Are we accepted? it is in the Beloved: Have we redemption, even the forgiveness of sins? it is in him, through his blood. Are all both in heaven and earth gathered together under one head? it is in Christ, even in him : Have we obtained an inheritance? it is in him Are we sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise? it is in him: Are we blessed with all spiritual blessings? it is in Christ Jesus. When the Apostle has laboured thus to impress our minds with the idea that

our whole salvation is in, and by, the Lord Jesus Christ, is it not surprising that any one should be ignorant of it? yet we apprehend that many persons who have even studied the holy Scriptures, and read over this passage a multitude of times, have yet never seen the force of it, or been led by it to just views of Christ as the Fountain "in whom all fulness dwells," and "from whose fulness we must all receive, even grace for grace.

But we have observed that there is another view in which the Apostle speaks of the death of Christ, namely, as a motive to our obedience. Strongly as he enforced the necessity of relying on Christ and founding our hopes of salvation solely on his obedience unto death, he was no less earnest in promoting the interest of holiness. Whilst he represented the believers as "dead to the law" and "without law," he still insisted that they were "under the law to Christ," and as much bound to obey every tittle of it as ever:* and he enforced obedience to it

* 1 Cor. ix. 21. Gal. ii. 19.

in all its branches, and to the utmost possible extent. Moreover, when the doctrines which he had inculcated were in danger of being abused to licentious purposes, he expressed his utter abhorrence of such a procedure,* and declared, that "the grace of God which brought salvation, taught them, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, they should live righteously, soberly, and godly in this present world." A life of holy obedience is represented by him as the great object which Christ aimed to produce in all his people: indeed the very name, Jesus, proclaimed, that the object of his coming was "to save his people from their sins." The same was the scope and end of his death, even to redeem them from all iniquity, and to purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works." His resurrection and ascension to heaven had also the same end in view; for therefore he both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be the Lord both of the dead and living." Impressed with a sense of these Tit. ii. 11, 12.

*Rom. vi. 4. 15.