the fame way of living: there must likewife be the fame relations, for all Chriftians are the children of God in him; the fame poffeffions and inheritance, and the fame right and title to hold it by.

The Apostle, verf. 27. gives a very significant defcription of this fame union under a well-known image or fimilitude: They who are baptized into Chrift, have put on Chrift; they who are baptized into Christ, are baptized into his death, and made conform, and planted into the likenefs of it. They are all this fame Apostle's expreffions, and he gives another yet stronger description, if poffible, in his own cafe, viz. that he was crucified with Chrift. And in confequence of this, he that believes in Chrift, puts off the old man with his deeds, i. e. the child of Adam, with all his relations, connections, and dependencies: he puts on Chrift, as men do garments for covering nakednefs, for defence against the inclemencies of the air, and even for ornament. The expreffion bespeaks the Christian fo covered, and, we may say, inclosed in him, that in a right Christian there is nothing to be seen but' Chrift; their whole conftitution, I mean

that

that which makes them Chriftians; and confequently every thing that is good and amiable, either in their temper or conduct, and whatever their attainments and enjoyments are, or what well-grounded hopes and expectations they have, all are owing to Chrift, and to him belongs all the glory and honour of them.

By these hints, if rightly pursued, it will appear, that this, and fuch other fcripture-expreffions, are not mere metaphors, fuch as are used by orators and other polite writers merely for ornamenting and enlivening their difcourfes, but have really more of analogy than metaphor in them; the only way by which any conceptions can be formed of unfeen things, which cannot be brought directly under our obfervation. The author of them knew perfectly the whole of the fubject, and what were the fitteft images to reprefent it; and therefore could not fall into those mistakes which human metaphors, and imagery, are often in danger of be-traying infenfibly their readers and hearer's into very dangerous errors.

From this, the clofeft of all connections

of

of every individual Christian with Chrift, neceffarily arifes a very close connection and union among themselves; which the Apoftle ftrongly afferts, verf. 28. of which he gives us a very beautiful representation, Rom. xii. 4. 5. "As the body is one, and "hath many members; fo we being many,

66

are one body in Chrift, and every one 66 members one of another." It has been often obferved, that all mankind come into the world in a state of perfect equality; and were what the Apostle faid to the Athenians of the true God well understood, viz. that "in him we live, and move, and "have our beings," the natural connection of mankind with one another would appear fo ftrong, that one could hardly help wondering, how the little different interefts and distinctions among men fhould ever have been able to break it, as we fee actually done. Nor indeed can this breach ever be made up, but by the removal of these make-bates, and establishing mankind on their original bottom. This we fee done effectually in Chrift, by being made conform unto him in his death; and thus becoming dead to a prefent world, and united into one body in Chrift, who

is all in all to them, and in whom they are perfectly complete; fo complete, that they can do all things through Chrift ftrengthening them. There of course all wordly diftinctions vanish, which cannot be better expreffed than in his own words: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither "bond nor free, neither male nor female, "but all are one in Chrift Jefus:" not only one life, for indeed that is the cafe of all mankind however little it is minded, but one fpirit influencing their whole conduct.

On this view he gives the finishing evidence of what he had faid before, that all who believe in Chrift, Gentiles, as well as natural Jews, are the children of Abraham. They might have been juftly enough called and reckoned fo; because they believed God as he did: but here is a nearer and more fenfible relation, by this their union with Chrift, Abraham's one feed; they are ftrictly and properly his feed, and thence as really heirs of the promise, as himself was.

CHAP. iv. I. ·7.

1. Now I fay, that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a fervant though he be lord of all; 2. But is under tutors and governors, until the time appointed of the father. 3. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4. But when the fullness of· the time was come, God fent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the law, 5. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of fons. 6. And becaufe ye are fons, God bath fent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7. Wherefore thou art nẹ more a fervant, but a fon; and if a fon, then an heir of God through Chrif.

T was a matter of great moment to these

Galatians, and all in their fituation, to know well what it was that their new teachers were fo earneft to draw them in to. The Apostle was deeply concerned about them; he knew the danger: and that they might not run blindfold into the fnare, he had told them the true intent and purpose of the law; that it did not, nor was ever defigned to anfwer, any other purpose, but to lead those who were under it to Chrift. When that was done, there was no further occafion for it: nor could