Gal. v. 1. Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
THE doctrine of justification by faith is inculcated throughout all the Holy Scriptures, even in parts where we should never have thought of looking for it. Not only was it fully and explicitly declared to Abraham ; but it was allegorically set forth by his putting away of Hagar and her son Ishmael, and his constituting of Isaac his sole heir. This was intended by God to shadow forth to us that we cannot be saved by the legal covenant, the covenant of works ; but that we must embrace, and be saved by, the new covenant, the covenant of grace a. By the covenant
a Gal. iv. 21—31.
of grace we are liberated from the bondage of the covenant of works ; and " in this liberty it becomes us all to stand fast."
We shall be led from these words to notice,
I. The Christian's privilege —
The Christian is a believer in Christ : and by his faith he is made a partaker of all that Christ has pro- cured for him. He was formerly under the law ; and by that law was condemned. As long as he continued under that law, he continued under the curse. But "Christ has freed him from that lawb,'' and brought him to a state of perfect liberty.
1. By suffering the penalty due to his transgres- sions, he has released us from it —
[Christ became the Surety and Substitute of sinful man. Did we owe a debt which it was impossible for us to pay ? He discharged it for us, even to the uttermost farthing. Were we under the curse of the broken law ? " He became a curse for usc," and endured all that was due to our sins. Hence there remains " noiv no condemnation to usd." " If only we believe in Christ, we are justified from all things e," and " our sins are blotted out as a morning cloud."]
2. By giving us faith, he has brought us into a better covenant —
[There is a new covenant, which is a perfect contrast with the old covenant. The old covenant cursed us for one transgression, and provided no remedy for us whatever : the new covenant provides for us all that our necessities can re- quire— pardon, and peace, and holiness, and glory. Into this covenant all are brought, who believe in Jesus. He therefore, by imparting faith to our souls, translates us from the one to the other ; and both liberates from all the evils of the former, and conveys to us all the blessings of the latter. From the very instant of our believing in Christ, we cease to have any thing either to hope or fear from the covenant of works : we are dead to it, and it is dead to us : it is abrogated and annulled : and, like a woman released from her nuptial bonds by the death of her husband, we are at liberty to " unite our- selves to Christ, that through him we may bring forth fruit unto Godf." Thus, "being made free by Christ, we are made free indeed C]
b Rom. viii. 2. c Rom. iii. 13. d Rom. viii. 1.
e Acts xiii. 39. f Rom. vii. 4. s John viii. 36.
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