likewise forbids unbelief. Was there ever true love in man or woman that it did not forbid distrust? 'l'he want of mutual.confidence in the marriage relation is the death oflove. (5) Faith and love are the grea.t allied principles of Christian life. A Puritan divine says, "Faith and love are the. two arms and the two eyes without which Christ can neither be seen nor embraced." Another says, " Faith and love are the two conduits lain from the Christian soul to the Fountain of living waters, fetching in from thence a daily supply of such grace ae will certainly end in a fulness of glory." (6) 'l'he pregnant ijtatement of the apostle condemns alike all hypocrites and legalists, as well as all who are careless or slothful in the Lord's service. Vers. 7-9.-The sudden swerve of the Galatians from the truth. They had been making a hopeful progress in the truth, when they suddenly started aside through the influence of the J udaists, to the deep sorrow and unfeigned astonishment of the apostle. Mark- • • I. Tin: CHRISTIAN LIFE JS A GOOD RACE. "Ye did run well." An old divine says, "To run in religion is well, to run well is better, and to accomplish the race is the best of all." It is well in its beginning; so it was emphatically in Galatia: it is well in its progress, and the apostle gives us a fine example of running in his own case-" he pressed to the mark, for the prize" (Phil. iii. 14): and it is well in its end (Heh. xii. 1).. '!'here are three things here to be considered. 1. The course. "To obey the truth." 'l'his the Galatians were ceasing to do under alien influence. The truth of the gospel already hinted at (eh. ii. 5, 14), as opposed to every perversion or modification, was the clearly marked course for the believer's race; and it was truth, not merely apprehended with the intellect or admired by the imagination, but obeyed from the heart, realizing, in fact," the;obedience of faith." 2. The condition. "Looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith '1 • (Heb. xii. 2); for guidance, strength, acceptance, comfort, and eternal life (Jude 20, 21). To use a phrase of old Berridge, "Galstian anvils might be used to hammer the doctrines of grace as thin as possible," so as eventually to check the progress of the gospel altogether ; for salvation is entirely of grace, and that grace through Jesus Christ. 3. The prize is a crown of life (Rev. ii. 10), a crown oi righteousness (2 Tim. iv. 7, 8), an unfading crown (1 Cor. ix. 25; 1 Pet. v. 4). II. Hnm&ANCES IN THE· :CHBIBTUN RA.OE. "Who did hinder you?" The fact i!! instructive that such hindrances arise ; but they ought to teach us the lesson of our entire dependence on Christ for strength and protection (John xv. 4), and the necessity of constant watchfulness (Mark xiii. 37). 'l'he apostle's mode of asking the question, "Who did hinder you?" 1. Implies astonishment at the sudden perversion of the Gala- tians. 2. It asserts that it did not spring from any Divine call : " It cometh not from him that calleth you" (Rom. ix. 11, 24; 1 Cor. i. 9; vii. 15) ; it is, indeed, inconsistent with all the purposes included in the effectual call of God. 3. The question has a conciliatory aspect; for he does not, at least primarily, charge the perversion upon themselves, but upon their. Judaistic seducers. 4. Its answer pointed to these seducers, concerning whom we may infer that: (1) They were few. He does not ask the question to ascertain the name of the individual who had led· them astray ; but it is siguificant that twice over he speaks of him as an individual person, "Who (Tls) did hinder you?" "He that humbleth you." It is true that the seducers are also spoken of in the plural number: "I would they were even cut off which trouble you." The two forms of phraseology imply that they were few, but that there may have been some one man of commauding influence among them. (2) '!'heir. influence was not grounded in argument, but in "persuasion;" for they dexterously flattered the pride of the Galatians aud worked upon their devotional feelings. Religious seducers have a wonderful art of "beguiling" unwary souls "with enticing words" (Col. ii. 4). Christians ougbr, therefore, to beware of credulousness in spiritual things. (3) '!'heir influence, as well as their doctrine, was essentially evil, though at present it might be but " a little leaven.• " Leaven" is here used in a bad sense for the principle of corruption. "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees." But the apostle hare refers to persons, not to doctrines, for he could never speak of the Judaistio heresy as" a little leaven" since it superseded Christ. (4) Their influence threatened to grow. Leaven was infectious. "A littlu leaven leaveneth the whole lump." The J udaists, by their arts anrl. their fbtteries, might yei debase the entire Chl"istiauity of Galatia. THE EPISTLE 'TO THE GALATIANS:. [ctt, v. :i--20.,
JII. THE NECESSITY FOB'INQUIRtNG n.~ ''l'HE'OAtrSEB OF ,BELTGTOUB 'BAOKSLIDtNG. 1. The question of the apostle implies this necessity, 2. There is danger in neglect• ing the inquiry. The "little leaven" would thus have time to wo1'k unhindered.· 3. Our inquiry ought to bear practical fruit. •If we have been hindered' from running well, let us seek the cause;and apply for restoring grace by prayer, repentance 1 ~nd' faith (Hos. ::i.:iv. 1, 13, 8). If we have been restored from· falls or preserved from hindrances, let us caution others of their danger (Heh. iv. l) and concern ourselves about their welfare (Luke Xxii. 32) and restore the fallen in a spirit of meekness (eh. vi. 1). Thus it will be manifest that to run well must ,be conducive to our present comfort, .to our abiding usefulness, and to our futu1·e happiness. Ver. 10.-Til.e apostk's tllinguine hopes of Galatian reoovery. ·Tµe swerve, toward ritualism was in its mere incipiency. , Therefore he assumes· a hopeful tone :in dealiria0 with tbe Galatians as a Church. " He fears the worst, but hopes the best." .. I. THE oaOITh"D OF ms HOPEFUL 001U'IDENCE, "In the.Lord.", -it,is-good• to:be of a hopeful temperament, and good to hav.e good men to think :well ·-of our state,,as1 their j udgment will be according to truth and charity. The ground of the apostle's cbnfidence· was not (1) that there would be any change in the te1nper or arts-of1Jae seduc,ers;,_for 1