The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 147

rrcsented himself alive after his crucifixion. "I am he that liveth 1 and was dead." This representation repeats the contrast in us. Nay, our crucifixion is carried down eo that not in successive moments but in the same moment we share with Christ in his crucifixion and in his resurrection. (2) Himself, and yet not himself. " And yet no longer I, but Christ liveth in me." The crucifixion has not been the annihilation of self; for it can still be said, "I live." It is he who, as a living man, stretches himself who before was crucified. .All the elements in the new life are ours as subsisting in us~ But there has been the crucifixion of the old self. There is a rapidity in the thouaht- No longer L It is no longer self that is the central principle of our life. Thit is a false, God-opposing self that has been, and is being, taken forth and crucified before our eyes. Away with self in the place that does not rightfully belong to it. A change has been made from wrong to right. It is Christ we have placed at the centre of our life; from which centre he rules the whole life, fills us with his own light, and strength, and peace, and jo_r, so that it is truly Christ living in us. (3) .A life in the flesh, and yet a life offaith. "And that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.'' "We exist here in a double connection-first, with the transitory on one side; and, secondly, with the untran- sitory on the other. The sponge gets its food and life from the fluid, ever-movina waters of the sea; but it must be also fastened to some rock that does not move, and gi~es firm anchorage to it in the waters. The bird has wings connecting it with the air, and feet on which it takes the ground for rest or settles in firm hold on its perch for the sleep of the night. Trees get their feeding lar§!:ely from the air, and the light in which their foliage so receptively spreads itself and their limbs so gracefully play; but they must have their roots also taking firm hold of the ground, by these to be localized and kept erect and steady in the storms. By such feeble analogies we conceive the double state of man, connected on one side with infinite mutabilities in things, and on the other with immutable ideas and truths and God." The great object with which our faith brings us into co=union in the nnseen world is here said to be the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. And what we have to do in our life in the flesh is to draw our life from redeeming love. What we have to do amid our experience of sin is to appropriate redemption. And this we have to do, not once, but habitually. 7. What his care was. "I do not make void the grace of God: for if' righteousness is through the Law, then Christ died for nought." His care was to magnify the grace of God in the death of Christ. He would not allow the Law to be sufficient for righteousness, because that would be to make void the grace of God in a way which was never to be thought of, viz. making the death of Christ superfluous. All make void the grace of God who live as though Christ bad never died. Let us magnify the grace of God by regarding the death of Christ as all-sufficient for righteousness-taking it as our righteousness.-R. F. Ver. 7.-Diversities of administrations. I. THE GOSPEL IS OFFERED TO lll:EN IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES oF LIFE. It is for men of 'every race, practising all varieties of social habits, livina in different sta<'es of civilization, holding the utmost diversities of creed, viewing the gospel itself fro~ many distinct standpoints. None a.re so privileged as not to need it-the circumcised want it. None are so neglected as to be excluded from it--the uncircumcised have it preached to them. In the breadth of Divine love God has so ordered it that means shall be found for spreading his grace in the various directions where it is needed. IL DIFFERENT MEN ABE CALLED TO DIFFERENT FIELDS OF CHnISTIAN WORK. Di vision of labour is as valuable in the Church as in business. This principle is generally recognized in foreign misRions. It wou}d greatly economize work and money and save much unseemly strife if it were equall:f acknowledged at home. It is to the shame of the Church tbat so much of its efforts is spent in maintaining the rivalry of the sects and parties, while the great world lies neglected. If the labourers a.re few it is a scandli.1 that they should be quarrelling for their rights on the little patch already cl?ared. We are too short-sighted. We should "lift up our eyes.'' There the fields white to the harvest would call us out to broader efforts. lIL THE VARIOUS FUNOTIONB OF CHRISTIAN WORK ARE DETERMINED BY THl!J VARIOUS GCJITB OF THE CHRISTIAN LABOUBEBB, St. Paul was most fitted for Gentiles, St. Peter for Jews. They wisely recognized their diversity of vocations. It is important to 11ee CIR, JI. 1-21,] THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. 113