On this point the utmost caution is necessary. The Apostle pronounces every one accursed that preaches any other Gospel different from that which he had preached to the Galatians. A mistake therefore in this matter will be absolutely fatal to us.
Observe then, that the great doctrine which he insisted on, was justification by faith alone without the works of the law. This, I say, was the point which he maintained, in contradistinction to justification by works, or by faith and works together : and this, namely, justification by faith without xvorks, was the Gospel which he preached.
Respecting this we can have no doubt, if we con- sider,
1. The statements which he makes —
[Here let us notice his train of argument, especially in that part of the epistle which accords with a similar statement in the Epistle to the Romans. He observes, that Abraham was justified by faith; and that we become partakers of his benefits by faith alsoh: that the law, instead of justifying, curses and condemns us1: that the prophets asserted justifi- cation by faith, in direct opposition to justification by the works of the lawk: and that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, not that we might afterwards be justified by the law, but that we might enjoy his blessings through faith1. The Apostle then goes on to illustrate and confirm this by the covenant which was made with Abraham. In this cove- nant God gave to Abraham, and to his believing posterity, the inheritance of eternal life. Four hundred and thirty years after, he gave the law to Moses, and made another cove- nant with the Jews respecting their possession of the earthly Canaan. This latter covenant therefore, you perceive, was made between different parties; the former being between God and Abraham, (including all the believing seed of Abra- ham, whether they were circumcised or not,) and the other, between God and the Jewish nation only : consequently, as a man's covenant cannot be annulled unless both parties consent, so the covenant which God made with the Jews cannot super- sede that which he had so long before made with Abraham and his believing seed ; because the latter party were not pre- sent at the making of it, nor had they ever consented to annul
h Gal. iii. 6—9. j Gal. hi. 10.
k Gal. iii. 11, 12. J Gal. iii. 13, 14.