General Character of Christians.
Galatians v. 24.
"And they that are Christ's have crucified the Flesh, with the
Affections and Lusts."
St. Paul is supposed to have been the first herald of gospel grace to
the Galatians; and they appear to have rejoiced at the glad tidings,
and to have received the bearer with much respect. But after his
departure, certain judaizing teachers went among them, and labored but
too successfully, to alienate their affections from him, and turn them
form the simplicity of the gospel.
The malice and errors of those deceitful workers, and the mischief
which they occasioned at Galatia, caused the writing of this epistle:
which, like the other writings of this apostle, reflects light on the
gospel in general, while it served to correct the mistakes of those
professors of Christianity, and guide their erring footsteps into the
way of peace and truth.
It is not our design to enter into the controversy between this
inspired teacher, and his enemies. We are only concerned to understand
him, and shall receive his instructions as communicated from above.
The primary design of this epistle was to refute those false teachers
who urged circumcision, and the observance of sundry parts of the
Levitical code, which had been abrogated by the gospel. This appears
to have been a leading error of those anarchists. That the apostle did
not lay the intolerable burdens of the Mosaic ritual, on the
professors of Christianity, was made the ground of a charge against
him. St. Paul defended himself by evincing the errors of his
opponents, shewing that Christians are made free from the ceremonial
law; and that their justification before God is not in virtue of any
obedience of their own, to either the ceremonial, or the moral law,
but of grace through faith in Christ.
In the former part of the epistle, he shows the impossibility of
justification in any other than the gospel way--especially in that
way, to which those false teachers directed--shews that they subverted
the gospel, and rendered Christ's sufferings of no effect--"By the
works of the law, shall no flesh be justified--If righteousness come
by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." *
* Chapter ii. 16, 21.
We conceive these to be obvious truths, and wonder that they should be
matter of doubt, or dispute, among those who are favored with
revelation, and receive it as given of God. Perfect obedience is
evidently the demand of the divine law, and condemnation is denounced
against the breakers of it. "This do, and thou shalt live, but the
soul that sinneth, it shall die." * But none of our race keep the law.
"There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not."
The scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise "by faith
of Jesus Christ, might be given to them that believe." Mankind are
"shut up to the faith in Christ.." This is the way in which God "hath
mercy on whom he will have mercy. He that believeth shall be saved;
but he that believeth not shall be damned." Therefore the hope of the
apostle, in the way of faith, while discarding hope in any other way.
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by
the faith of Jesus Christ; even we have believed in Jesus Christ,
that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ, and not by the
works of the law."
* Lev. xviii. 5. Ezek. xviii. 4.
From the reasoning of the apostle, the false teachers at Galatia seem
not to have urged obedience to the whole law. Circumcision they taught
to be indispensible. St. Paul allures them, that if they were under
obligation to receive circumcision, they were equally obliged to keep
the whole law; and that they bound themselves to this by submitting to
be circumcised--that if they reverted to the law, and placed their
dependence on their obedience to it, they renounced the grace of
Christ, and would not be benefited by it.
"Behold, I Paul, say unto you, that if ye be circumcised. Christ
shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that it is
circumcised, that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. Christ is
become of none effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the
law, ye are fallen from grace,"
While such was the state of those who followed the judaizing teachers,
those who retained the gospel as taught by the apostle, had another
hope--a hope which would not make ashamed--a hope in divine grace
through faith in Christ--"We through the spirit wait for the hope of
righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision
availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by
love."
Such is every Christian's hope before God. He "counts all things to be
loss and dung that he win Christ; but the righteousness which is of
God by faith."
But while St. Paul was exhibiting and urging these important truths,
on the wavering Galatians, he foresaw, that it would be objected, that
the scheme which he advanced, tended to licentiousness--that if men
might be saved by faith without the works of the law, they might
indulge themselves in sin--that this would render Christ the minister
of sin. The same objection appears to have been made at Rome, where a
faction existed similar to this at Galatia. This consequence the
apostle rejected with abhorrence. "Do we then make void the law
through faith? God forbid: Yea we establish the law."
The Levitical code included both the ceremonial and the moral law.
Though St. Paul declares justification unattainable by obedience to
either or to both, he did not set aside the moral law, as no longer
obligatory, as he did the ceremonial. This latter had answered the
ends of its appointment, and was abolished by fulfillment. It was only
a shadow of good things to come, and fled away before that of which it
was a shadow. Christ had therefore blotted it out and taken it away.
But the moral law was not done away. Christ hath fulfilled it for
those who believe on him; but it doth not therefore cease to be
obligatory upon them. It is of universal and eternal obligation. The
salvation of mankind, doth not, however, depend on their obedience to
it. If it did, they could not be saved, because all mankind have
broken it. "Salvation is of grace, through faith."
Instead of setting Christians free from obligation to keep the moral
law, what Christ hath done for them strengthens their obligations to
obey it. An increase of mercies is an increase of obligations to serve
the Lord.
But yet more is done to secure obedience from those who are Christ's
--yea enough to secure it. A change passeth on them, when they become
his, which reconciles them to the law, and causes them to delight in
it, and in the duties which it enjoins. This produces a pleasing
conformity to it--"his commandments are not grievous." Their obedience
is sincere and universal. Others may render a partial obedience, out
of fear, but the obedience of the renewed flows from love, and hath
respect to all God's commandments.
Remains of depravity abide in the Christian, but they do not
habitually govern in him. That they are not wholly purged out of his
nature, is to him the occasion of grief--causes him to go sorrowing:
But he doth not gain complete deliverance till he puts off the body.
He puts on, however, the gospel armor, and maintains a warfare against
his own corruptions within, no less than against the powers of
darkness without. Though sometimes wounded, and made to go on his way
halting, he is in his general course victorious, rising superior to
opposition, and living unto God. "Whosoever is born of God, doth not
commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because
he is born of God"--cannot sin: like others, allowedly and habitually.
"How shall he who is dead to sin, live any longer therein?"
Such is the character of the Christian, as drawn in the bible; so that
all ground of objection to the gospel scheme, as drawn by St. Paul, is
removed. Those who are Christ's instead of taking liberty to sin,
because "they are not under the law, but under grace," are of all men
most careful to do God's commandments; and from the noblest
principles. Their obedience is not servile, but filial.
This is the spirit of the text. _They that are Christ's have crucified
the flesh, with the afflictions and lusts--HAVE crucified_. The change
which frees from the governing power of indwelling corruption, and
disposeth to walk in newness of life, hath already passed upon them.
None are Christ's till this change takes place in them.
But while the apostle vindicates the doctrine of grace, and shews its
beneficial influence on the morals of men, care is taken to guard
against mistakes on the other hand--not to give occasion to consider
renewing grace as wholly eradicating the principles of depravity, and
putting an end, at once to the spiritual context. This subject is
treated more largely in the epistle to the Romans.* But the opposition
of natural and gracious principles, is here mentioned, and some of its
effects described. "The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the
spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other;
so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."
* Chapter vii.
In every man, whatever may be his character, there are different
principles, which, struggle and contend with one another. The natural
man feels a bias to wickedness, and wishes to indulge his depraved
inclinations. But reason forbids, and conscience remonstrates, and
warns him to beware what he doth--reminds him that to yield to passion
is wrong--to indulge appetite unreasonably is sinful--that for these
things God will bring him into judgment. Thus the principles implanted
in the mind, by the God of nature, withstand the sinner in his way,
and resist him in his course; they hold him back and restrain him from
gratifying his natural desires--from doing that to which he is
inclined, and hath power to do. By this means he is prevented from
giving full latitude to his corruptions; yea, he is sometimes
influenced to do good. Herod was a vile character; but "he feared
John, knowing that he was a just man, and an holy, and observed him;
and when he heard him he did many things, and heard him gladly." *
Many similar instances might be adduced. There is not a sinner who
doth not feel the natural bias, and the power of reason and
conscience, driving and contending within him; and sometimes the one
prevails to influence his conduct, and sometimes the other.
* Mark vi. 20.
Neither is the Christian free from similar struggles. Reason and
conscience have naturally the same power in him which they have in
others. The corrupt bias, is also weakened in renovation; yea receives
a deadly wound. But it is not immediately destroyed. Still its
influence is felt, and its effects observed. Sometimes it evinceth so
much power, that its deadly wound seems to be healed. Reason and
conscience, strengthened by renewing grace, ordinarily prevail over
indwelling depravity; but not without a struggle, as every Christian
can testify--neither do the better principles always conquer.
Sometimes the opposing principles, or powers, prevail, and lead to
error and wickedness. Thus "the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and
the spirit against the flesh--so that ye cannot do the things that ye
would."
Neither the regenerate, nor the unregenerate, are free to do all that
to which the generally governing principle inclines. The difference
between the renewed, and the unrenewed, is not that the former is free
from temptation, the latter overcome by it, at every attack. Neither
is the case. Both meet with temptation, and often that which is
severe. Each sometimes overcomes; at other times is overcome by it.
But the renewed formed to the habit of attention and watchfulness, and
looking to God for help, and acting, in the main, uprightly before
God, is usually a conqueror; while the unrenewed, habitually careless,
and negligent of watchfulness and prayer, is more often conquered, and
hurried into error and wickedness. The renewed are chiefly
restrained by love to God and duty; the unrenewed by fear of
punishment; Though fear hath a degree of influence on the former; and
other considerations, beside fear, are not wholly, devoid of influence
on the latter.
How far a Christian may be influenced by remaining corruption, and
carried away by the prevalence of temptation; or how far a sinner may
be restrained by the influence of those principles and considerations,
which withstand him in his course, we are unable to determine. That
both feel and are influenced by those opposing principles, is not
matter of doubt. We experience it in ourselves, whatever our
characters may be; and we observe it in others. None are so moulded
into the divine image, as to become perfect--neither doth depravity
attain so complete an ascendant over any who remain in the body, as to
divest them of all restraints, and yield them wholly up to the vicious
propensity. Restraints, yea inward restraints operate in degree, on
the most depraved.
This is a mixed state. The good and the bad are here blended together.
"The wheat and the tares must grow together until the harvest"--yea
not only in every field, but in every heart. None are perfectly good,
or completely bad, while in this world. The finishing traits of
character are referred to that to come. In that world we expect, that
both the righteous and the wicked, will be perfect in their kind
--"the spirits of the just be made perfect"--those of the opposite
character put on the full image of their infernal parent.