sometimes in reference to its ultimate design ; i. e, sometimes he is said to have died to make a propitiation for sin, and sometimes, to bring ns near to God. Here it is the latter. He died that they which live should not henceforth live tmto themselves. " Those who hve," ot C^vrc?, not, those loho sur- vive his death ; nor, those loho are spiritually living ; nor, the happy or blessed^ but, those who, although they died in Christ, are still liying. Their death in him ia not inconsistent with their being alive, for they died in one sense and they live in another. Those lor whom Christ died, and on whom his death takes eifect, thenceforth, i. e. from the time they apprehend their relation to him, and feel the power of his vi- carious death, do 7iot live unto themselves^ i. e. self is not the object for which they live. This is the negative description of the Christian. He is a man who does not live unto himself. This is what he is not. The positive descrij^tion is given in the next clause. He lives for him who died for him and rose agaiii. This presents both the object and the ground of the Christian's devotion. He lives for "him who died for him, and because he died for him. He is not a Christian who is simply unselfish, i. e. who lives for some object out of himself. He only is a Christian who lives for Christ. Many persons think they can be Christians on easier terms than these. They think it is enough to trust in Christ while they do not live for him. But the "Bible teaches us that if we are partakers of Christ's death, we are also partakers of his life ; if we have any such appreciation of his love in dying for us as to lead us to confide in the merit of his death, we shall be constrained to consecrate our lives to his service. And this is the only evi- dence of the genuineness of our faith. And rose again. ^ We do not serve a dead Saviour. The resurrection of Christ is as essential to redemption as his death. He died for our sins and rose again for our justification. And it is to this risen Saviour, seated at the right hand of God, to whom all power in heaven and earth has been committed, and who ever lives to make intercession for us, who is the object of the supreme love of the believer, to whose service and glory the Christian consecrates his life.
16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh : yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we (him) no more.