become a slave to himself; for' whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin' (John viii. 34; Rom, vi, 16-23). He is the dependent of self; and being thus the slave of self, he is also the slave of ple'asure, and of all those objects which it requires for its satisfaction." Man becomes. thus a distracted manifold, instead of a God-centred unity. II, THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST ANTA<lONIZES THE DISTRACTING TENDENCIES AND REDUCES MAN TO A UNITY AGAIN. The way in which we are United in heart and being is by havin,g Jesus Christ pressed resistlessly upon our attention. Faith realizes in Christ not only a. perfect personal Ideal, but also a Saviour on whom man may evermore depend, "'l'he Christ of Christendom is not simply a Master to be loved and revered ; he is a Saviour to be leaned upon. His followers are to have that profound sense of their own weakness and sinfulness which renders them sensitive to the purifying and reforming influences that,radiate from the personality of Jesus. Without this, their love for the ideal would lead. to no practical results; it would be merely an resthetic sentiment, expending it/lelf in a vague and fruitless admiration. But combine the two and you have tne most effective, reforming influence. that the world has ever known." Christ is not only the unifying element in Church life, but in the individual life as well. He fuses all the distracted faculties into a glorious unity, and makes man his own master instead of his own slave, , Hence, to quote the writer last referred to, "Christianity alone among all religic,ns maintains: a constant antagonism to the special tendency which controls tb~ nature of its followers.", Ill.• BUT POSITIVE FRUIT IS PRODUCED BY THE A1''TAGOY.IZING SPIRIT AS A GLORIOt'S SET-OFF TO THE WOR;KS OF THE FLESH WHICH HE.DESTROYS. (Vera. 19-24.) Religion is not to be regarded, as a negative thing, contenting itself with antagonisms, but has positive and ID,Ost important fruits. It is not a system of severe repressions, but a system full of ,stimulus towards a better and fuller life. It does not merely forbid "fornication, uncleanness," etc., under th_e penalty of exclusion 'from the kingdom of God, but it produces ~• love, joy, peace, lqng-suffE1rin,g, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,. meekness, self-control." What a catalogu~ of.virtues! What a contrast to the works of the flesh! Thus is man restored to something like his true and better self. The gospel of Christ is not a weary round of prohibitions, but is a glorious system of positive attainment, in a Divine life, which is loving, joyfu), peaceful, and humane to its deepest depths. IV. AGAINST BUCH BPIBITUALLY MINDED ONES THERE CAN BE NO LAW OF CONDEMNA- TION, (Vers. 18-23.) • Law,,when, translated into love, becomes light. God's com- µiandments are not grievous to the loving soul In the keeping of them there is a great reward. Hence the ,Law presses heavily arid hardly upon no loviD,g spirit. ." There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the ~esh, but after the Spirit'' (Rom. viii. 1). It is to such a blissful experience we are asked to come.-R. M., E.
Vere. 2-12.-0ircumcision. I. PAUL SOLEMNLY PUTS BEFORE THE GALATIA.~S THE TRUE STATE OF THE CASE. "~ehold, I Paul say unto you, that, if ye receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing." Commencing with an arresting word, he introduces bis own name with all the solemnity of oath-taking, witness-bearing. " Behold, I Paul say unto you." What the weight of his testimony is directed against, is their submit- ting to circumcision. This was whattheJudaizing teachers were aiming at,and,seeing that they were making false representations, he declares to the Galatians, as if their destinies were at stake, the real state of the case. For them, Gentiles, and at the instigation of the Judaizers, to submit to circumcision would be eJ:cluding themselves from all advantage by Christ. It was either circumcision or Christ with them. There was no middle ground for them to take up. There was no submitting to circumcision and clinging to Christ at the same time. If they submitted to circumcision, they must make up their minds to forego all that they b11d hoped for from Christ. 1. How he malces it out that circumcision u;cluded them from Ghrist. (1) Oircumcisirm implies an obligation to do the whole Law. "Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to.do the whole Law." Again does he clear his con- science by el}litting his solemn testimony. '.l'his testimony was more particularly <lirected to every man among them that, under the influence of the Judaizers, had any thought of submitting to circumcision. The &postle, as it were, takes him aside, and 280 THE EPISTLE 'rO 'l'B~ GAtATIANS.