"they always wax worse amd worse" (2 ,'l'im . .iii.:, IS);:(?) nor in the force of'hi5 own mgumentative expostulations, nor in a mere return-of that affection for him which'was, once so ardent and so self-~rificing, ;but(3)" in the-Lord" himself, who.had powei:to recover them out of their error.•~• faul may plant, and Apollos ,water;· butit·ili Ga!l,who giveth the increase" (1 Cor. iii, 7). It is he, and he only, who, can make th'e Galatians "like-minded" with the apostle, by .blessing his repl"Oofs, his arguments,· his tender urgencies of appeal. , ,, • • •· ,-, •; • , lL THE UNSETI'LING TENDENoY ol!' FALSE TEACHERS. Ths G:teek,word is very expressive--" he who excites tumults among you;" •or who," distttrbs you.''. ;,Perhaps the apostle had in view a particular teacher who was specially .dangel"Ous., ·,·Such· teachers (1) shake old principles from their firm founclations; (2) shake the..·hearts of mem by unsettling doubts and distracting con.flicts.; .(3) and, shake. ,the stability, oiJCh:urches, often scattering the flock as sheep wjthout a shepherd... , ,·.. • 1 .... '''.), . • III. THERE 'IS A JUDGMEST FOli .ll.ELIGIOPS SEDUCERS.- 1, He·" shall bear: his judgment, 1
whosoever he be." 1. It will be a just judgmeJJ,t, .. It.,wili· ba.according,to, his ;works. His end will be, as the. apostle implies, a sure. condemnation. 2, The,rjudgment· will nut be a.erted by the hi;:::h opiuion seducers entertain. of ;themselves; nor .by,. their Ligh position in the Church, nor by the high ,esteem in ,which-:they may .be ,holcl! hy- m~ ' Ver. 11.-Afalse impu,t(ition re,pelle,d. Perhaps one or iii.~ false'ieachprs ZO:ight say that the apostle was himself one of the subverters. of the gospel; for :he had circumcised:, Timothy. "And 1, brethren, if I.yet preach circwncisiou;.why do.I yet suffer perse- cution i' then is the offence of the cross ceased.'' . · · , . , • ' ·r • L lT IS BIGHT FOB GOOD MEliI TO BE;PE;L:FALSE AOCUB.A.TIONS AGAlKST,THEm :cHABAOTER. There are ultra-.spirituatpeople in our day. wbo :decli~,to notice attacks upon them- sel\'es, ~ause,. as they say, the Lord will pr,eserve their cha,ra.cter.; and-!Y'et·..they are·· often found to do unlovely and uncharitable things, condemned, hoth by the Church and the world. '£he apostle could well say, at one time, that for him it was but a.l!Iilall matter that he should be judged by man's judgment; but he ,as, pointedly:,says,." Let not your good be evil spoken of;" "Let your moderati.on be.known to all men,;"•and,he collllSels Timothy that deacons" ro.ust have a good report from them that·are without.'·' He himself alwaye resolutely defended his moral consistency. . -· : .,1; IL COJS'SIDER THE SOUND!\'EBII A.ND RELEVANCY ,OF BIB AtfBW:EB, 1. He, makes no, allusion to the ()(1,ie c,J Timothy, ~cause that. could. not justify th.e.J udaistic doctrine of circumcision. It was not because he deemed the rite necessary for 'l'imothy's salva- tion, but to meet the scruples of weak Christian Jews, that he be.came for.the .time" as a Jew to the Jews." 2. He askB, "If I preach cir(;U,mcision,still, why,do;you.persecute md" If I preached circllJllcisioo,.l s_hould not be persecuted. I should be exactly where you are, 3. But that position would imply that "the offence of the cross had, ce.ased." The «oss was a. stumbling-block to the Jews, because their Siiviour W&II CH. v, 1-26.] THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. 271