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neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jefus Chrift," Gal. i. 11, 12. Who then is Jefus Chrift who has thus revealed the gofpel to Paul, and whofe authority is fo very high above that of men? One with the Father, God.

LXIX.

"For do I now perfuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I fhould not be the fervant of Chrift," Gal. i. 10. This is in context with the last cited paffages, and the apoftle, ftill preferving the distinction between God and man, Thews the Galatians the authority with which he is about to reprove them, and that they may not expect too great lenity, he fhews that he does not feek to pleate them, but Chrift, whofe fervant he fhould not be if he neglected to maintain that gofpel which fome among them had perverted. He diftinguifhes himself from those who "defire to make a fair fhew in the flesh, left they should fuffer perfecution for the cross of Chrift," Gal. vi. 12; whereas he bore in his body the marks of the Lord Jefus, ver. 17.

LXX.

"God hath fent forth the fpirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father," Gal. iv. 6. There is fomething very remarkable in the courfe of St. Paul's argument here, and the manner in which he has afcended to the affertion before us. He is fhewing that the law was given as "a fchoolmaftér to bring us unto Chrift, that we might be juftified by faith," that it was given in the interval of time, between the promise and the time of fulfilling it; but by no means with a view of fupplying the place of that which was promifed, for it was impoffible that a law could be given by which righteousness could come; he farther fays, that, being juftified by faith, the tuition of the law became unneceffary, and that being therefore emancipated from the

bondage

bondage of the law, "we are made the children of God, by faith in Chrift Jefus:", and now he says, that the fullness of time being come," God fent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of fons." Is not this affigning a reafon wherefore Chrift took manhood, and particularly why he was fent to the loft sheep of the houfe of Ifrael? But he has, according to "the gospel, preached before to Abraham," Gal. iii. 8, fuffered, and redeemed them, whereby they have been juftified by faith, and by faith to juftification become Children of God; and what is now the procefs? After we have received the adoption of fons, the fpirit is fent forth into our hearts to make us acknowledge him to be God, whom, till he had fo redeemed us to faith, we had only feen to be a man, "made of a woman, under the law." In the paffage before us, we are told, that God fent forth the spirit of his Son; and by the fame preacher it is declared to the Romans, that it is by "the fpirit of him that raised Jefus from the dead, that we are led, in order to be the fons of God, and that by this fpirit of adoption we cry, Abba, Father," Rom. viii. 11, 14, 15. That fpirit, which raised Jefus from the dead, is therefore that eternal, and invifible, and incomprehenfible God, who was in union with him, while he was living, and who again refumed our nature upon its refurrection from the grave. "No man can say that Jefus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghoft," 1 Cor. xii. 3. Through faith then, having received the adoption of fons, and by the spirit of our blessed Redeemer fent forth into our hearts, let us, without hesitation, cry to him, "Abba, Father," and addrefs the Lord's prayer to him, through whom, and by whom only, we have been called fons, and are enabled to fay, "that Jefus is the Lord," "our Father." I muft obferve here, that as St. Paul was

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preach

preaching to men disposed to Judaism and the doctrines of the law, the fpirit of adoption, fent after juftification by faith in Chrift Jefus, was by no means necessary to induce them to cry Abba, Father, to the God of the Unitarians; for this they were difpofed to do before, and not to recede from it. Somewhat not acceded to by the followers of Mofes was then the doctrine of the apostle of Jefus Chrift; and he therefore teaches, that by faith in him they are justified, and thereby receive the spirit by which they cry to him Abba, Father.

LXXI.

"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of fins, according to the riches of his grace," Eph. i. 7. "Unto me who am lefs than the leaft of all faints, is this grace given, that I fould preach among the Gentiles the unfearchable riches of Christ," Eph. iii. 8. For this caufe I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory," Eph iii. 14, 15, 16. "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodnefs, and forbearance, and long-fuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" Rom. ii. 4. "What if God, &c. that he might make known the riches of his glory," Rom. ix. 23. The riches of God and of Christ are here made fynonimous terms, and furely the riches of grace, and of glory, and of long-fuffering, can only be the attributes of God. But left it fhould be doubted what are the unfearchable riches of Chrift, St. Paul fays, that he prays that his hearers may be able to comprehend with all faints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Chrift, which paffeth knowledge, that ye may be filled with all the fulness of God," Eph. iii. 18, 19; fo that all the fulnefs of God, and the knowledge of the

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the love of Chrift, are again made fynonimous terms. But this fulness of God is attained to only by having "Chrift to dwell in our hearts by faith," Eph. iii. 17; and then when we have attained to this, and "come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God," what is the confequence? are we then "filled with all the fulness of God?" moft certainly we are, for we come "unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the ftature of the fulness of Chrift," Eph. iv. 13. Unto himself St. Paul fays this knowledge was given, that he might preach the mystery of Chrift to the Gentiles, that they should be partakers of the promife in Chrift by the gofpel, "whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me," Eph. iii. 7. "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Chrift," Eph. iv. 7. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! for who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counfellour?" Rom. xi. 33, 34. These laft words afford at once an argument, and no unuseful leffon to a reader of the word of the God of truth.

LXXII.

"When he afcended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also defcended first into

the lower parts of the earth? He that defcended, is the fame also that afcended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things,") Eph. iv. 8, 9, 10. St. Paul seems here to enter into the argument, and by the manner in which he puts the above assertions, to have confronted himself to Mr. Lindsey; from which I conclude that he had at least an equal forefight of the Lindseian, as of the Platonick fchifm. He forefaw

that

that our Lord's pre-existence would be denied, and has therefore made his afcent a proof that he had before defcended to the earth, (for that is all that is meant by the lower parts of the earth) and had again returned to where he had been before, to heaven. (For that in the fame manner is all that is meant by, far above all hea

vens; and the two terms are used in order ftrongly to contraft his dignity and condefcenfion). He forefaw that his divinity would be denied, and has therefore lifted him far above the heavens, and extended him even that he might fill all things. Let us then "henceforth be no more children, toffed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the fleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But fpeaking the truth in love, grow up into him in all things, which is the Head, even Chrift," Eph. iv. 14, 15.

LXXIII.

are your

mafters

"Servants, be obedient to them that according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in fingleness of your heart, as unto Chrift: not with eye-service, as men pleafers, but as the fervants of Chrift, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing fervice, as to the Lord, and not to men knowing that whatfoever good thing any man doeth, the fame fhall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free," Eph. vi. 5, 6, 7, 8. If words could be found more explicitly declaring that the fervant of Chrift and of God is one, whilst "no man can ferve two mafters ;" and also that the service done as to the Lord, is diftinct from that which is done to please men, I should endeavour to paraphrafe this paffage. I fhall only now remark, that, in a parallel paffage to the Coloffian fervants, he says, inftead of "with fear and trembling, in finglenefs of heart, as unto Chrift;"" not with eye-fervice, Q 2

as

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