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Apostle speaks of being "ftrengthened with "all might by the Spirit in the inner man,' Eph. iii. 16. and Col. i. 11. where he uses the fame word; and fays of himself, that "he could do all things through Chfift

ftrengthening him." These are greatly higher powers than any external miracles; the power by which these are wrought being but one of the lowest. And thus the Apostle's argument comes out ftrong and plain. It is an appeal to what they felt, or might feel, in themselves. And when all this was done by the mere hearing of faith, the belief of the truth as it is in Jefus, the Apostle's conclufion comes out ftrong and convincing, viz. That it must be the greatest folly that can be imagined, to have recourfe to the law for what was done fo completely in Christ; and which the law, though really vefted, as it never was, with the power of conveying life, could make no addition to. It was forfaking a ftation where there is abfolute fafety, for one where they are every moment in danger of a new forfeiture. And fuch is the station our wife patrons of a righteous moral government are fo fond

of,

CHAP.iii.

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6. Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7. Know ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the fame are the children of Abraham. 8. And the scripture forfeeing that God would juftify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9. So then they which be of faith, are bleffed with faithful Abraham. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curfe for it is written, Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written 11. But that no in the book of the law to do them.

man is juftified by the law in the fight of God, it is evident: for, The juft fball live by faith. 12. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doth them, fball live in them.

HE Apoftle having, in a very deTilive Panner, le forth the ex

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cellency of faith in Chrift, incomparably above what the warmest advocates for Judaifm could pretend in behalf of the law, proceeds in a very masterly way, to illuftrate and confirm what he had faid by the example of Abraham, whom the Jews profeffed to reverence as their father, and whom God himself had honoured with the high title of his friend. And furely, if it could be shown, that the believing

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believing Galatians were precifely in the fame condition wherein Abraham was when he was fo fignally acknowledged of God, one would have thought that there needed no more to put an end for ever to the difpute then on foot. It is worth obferving how fkilfully he introduces the comparison: he flides into it in the fimpleft and most natural manner, as fuggefted to him by what he had been faying: Even as Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteoufnefs. The words are exactly thofe of Mofes, fo that no exception could be made on that fide. And if we confider the cafe of Abraham, in every view that can be taken of it, the more exactly it is stated, the more clearly will the juftness of the Apostle's reafoning ap

pear.

The modern Jews, intending, as it would feem, to do honour to the memory of this father and founder of their nation, have forged a number of very filly ftories concerning him, which it is not worth any one's while to repeat. We have his history given us pretty much at large, by Mofes himself. Idolatry had made great advances, and very likely had its rife near a

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bout the place where his family had their refidence; and by what Joshua fays of them, Josh. xxiv. 2. they were deeply tainted with it. How far Abraham himself was infected, we cannot fay; but we have not fo much as a hint of any thing extraordinary about him, when God distinguished him by chufing him to be the father and head of a new people; but we may be very fure that he had nothing to merit fuch fingular fayours. He had not yet obtained the character of a righteous man until he believed God; and that could not be until God gave him fomething to believe. It is true, there was an original law founded in the benefit of creation; but that was broken, and had brought mankind under the curfe. A remedy however was prepared, and revealed in the promise of the feed of the woman; with a law of gratitude, and of love grafted upon it, which no doubt many believed: for Noah was not the only perfon who became heir of the righteoufnefs which is by faith, This promise God had renewed to Abraham at his first calling; and he certainly believed it, for he obeyed the command which was fupported by it. But

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no body was ever foolish enough to think, that his travelling from one country to another could make any part of his righteoufnefs, any further than as it was a fign of his believing God, and the obedience of faith.

That promife was indeed very full, and comprehended all the promifes that were made to him afterward. But it was in fome fort conditional. If Abraham had not fhown both the truth and the ftrength of his faith, by forfaking all, and going out, not knowing whither he went, he had no reason to expect the bleffing. The cafe of the Galatians was exactly fimilar to this: for neither could they have any benefit by the promise, unless they should believe and follow out the purposes of the promifed bleffing. If one who fays he believes, does not live in the way the bleffing is to be conveyed in, he really refuses what God hath faid he will give: for what is believing, but the heart's acquiescing, and finding its pleasure in the blessing, and in the affurance which the promise of a faithful God gives of the actual conveyance of it?

But however ftrong Abraham's faith was, it was not accounted to him for righteousness,

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