nrul, cha.t'noter, If we are ·not' 4rue and ,pure e.nd self-s&erificing, if we have not the Spirit of Obrist; Rll our orthodo~y, Church status, and ritual observances a.re an. empty mockery,- If, we. ·are thus Christ-like, any further question is irrelevant. '1:he sole os•ential i/1 then safe, 2. In our sinful condition we a.re not like Christ, but are so radically ,unlike 'him as. to need a complete, neuJ creatwn before we can be m; a right condition. 'l'be requisite change is so thorough tha.t no ordinary religious influences w.ill'iaccompliah it. • Circumcision is nothing; beeauee what we want is nothing less than. the .crucifixion and death of.the whole old life and the creation of an entirely new life. •When this chai:;ge has been accomplished, however, it is the evidence of its oWJI sufficiency,, .It ie impertinent to raise little questions of rites, etc., when the new rn~ bears m each lineament of his countenance,. in the very tone of his conversation,and in the bee.ring of his whole lile, the, princely character of a. son of God . .• III. Tmr CHRISTIAN :ts· A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST. What circumcision symbo- lizes fai* .effects, (ch.,v.,.6). "By their fruits ye shall know them." The gospel of faith proves its claims by the results that it work~. Nothing else can make men ne,v: orenturiis. The gospelcan do this. For those, then,·who, are still in the old life of sin here is a .warning. and an encouuagement. .1. A,. warning. Renewa:l is necessary. 2,1Ani,encouragemimt. ,.Renewal-is. possible. No ,painful rites have to be observed, no d,iffic.ulb• doctrines, comprehended, li.o ,strict Church entered. All that is wa.ntcd is union with Christ in faith. The .wayiis simple and. clear; jt is not easy and painless, for, it, is by, ,being crucified with; Christ. But it issue~ in a glorioua new life.- W, F. ·A. , • ·,., • j :,L ! J::Ver.. 16i,...;.« The Israel of God.'/ To one who ent8l's into the· ideas taught by St. Paul, ·the11inxiety; of some petsons in, the present day to discover that the English. arit. descended from the lost·ten tribes of Israel is altogether mistaken. Even if they could preve their very improbable theory, it would have nothing but an ethnological, or at best a sentimental, interest.. ,Religiously it• is not of the slightesb importance.. All Christians; whatever their birth and-descent, ar.i the true Israel of God- Look at some of-the mar-ks of Israel up0n the Christian.·. • . I.· AB&AHAM'B SEED, .'1Jhe Jew traced his pedigree back to Abraham. He was Abra- ham's seed.- Jrherefore ·hei 1acoounted himself the heir of the promises made to Abraham. Th'e 0hristian;possesses ,Abraham's faith, ,,By means of this he becomea Ahraham's seed (eh. iii. 29), while the Jew who lacks faith is disowned. . :dL POSSESSING :THE OR-AOLES OF Goo;. ·St. Paul reckons as ·the first advantage. of t1ie Jews'' that they were:·entrusted with the oracles of God" (Rom. iii. 2). The Kebrew.race had the unspea.ke.ble privilege of'.receiving thr-ougil their inspired teachers- the highest revelation.of qod vouchsafed ta the world for many ages. But there came a- ..Ja.ter revelati®' outshining this old revelation in clearness a.nd glory. The Jew rejected this. 'l'he Christian accepted- it. , 'l'he Christian holds th.e New Testament, and he has Christ, God's brightest manifestation of himself. Thus he steps into the position held by ancient Israel. III. SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD. 'l'he Jew was called out from the world tc live apart as a lonely race with a peculiar destiny of its own. Christians are thu~ called out of life into the world. They are made to live as pilgrims and strangers, ao sojourners with God. IV. A MISSION TO THE WORLD. Israel did not always understand her mission, anJ often grossly neglected it in proud exclusiveness. Yet many of the prophets saw clearly that the chosen people were called from among the nations that they might b~ trained to give to the world the highest blessings. They did this, but ouly thruugh giving it Christianity. Now, Christians are an elect peoplG-elect to be missionaries and apostles to the people that sit in darkness. V. A FUTURE HERITAGE. The Hebrew in the wilderness looked for a promised lnnd. Abraham and the patriarchs had hoped for "a city which hath found,\tiuns, whose Builder and Maker is God." The perfect fulfilment of these hopes was not given to the Jew on earth. It is for the Christian hereafter; for " there r~rnaiueth thereford a sabbath rest for the people of God" (Heb. iv. 9).-W. F. A.
Ver. 17.-The stiqmata. I. THE APOSTLE IS THE SERVANT OF CHRIST. The slig- !'HE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. [CB, VL 1-.18,