apprehensive of you. I am afraid on your account. lest. . vain, had not succeeded in turning them so surely to the Gospel, but that they had receded to the law. a Col. ii. 16, 17. Th. iii. 5. Ministers labouring in vain.-I. When a minister may be said to have laboured in vain. When the people-1. Cleave to the Superstition is an endless thing. law as the ground of their hopes; 2. Depart from the law as the If one human inrule of their life. II. The awful state of a people so circum-vention and insti be adstanced: 1. Their responsibility is great; 2. Their danger is tution mitted, imminent. Application:-(1) Improve the opportunities which seemingly never though are yet afforded you; (2) Look forward to your great account.c so innocent, as Superstitious observance of saints' days.-Soon after the corona- this of washing tion of Henry II. of France, a tailor was apprehended for working troop cometh, a hands, behold a on a saint's day; and, being asked why he gave such offence to door is opened religion, his reply was, "I am a poor man, and have nothing but for many other such things." my labour to depend upon; necessity requires that I should be M. Henry. industrious, and my conscience tells me there is no day but the Sabbath which I ought to keep sacred from labour." Having c C. Simeon, M.A. thus expressed himself, he was committed to prison, and being brought to trial, was, by his iniquitous judges, condemned to be burnt. 66 your trial well Th. v. 12, 13. 12-14. brethren . . am,a remain my brethren in the Gospel. they once for.. are, I am your true friend. ye.. all, I therefore speak received him fr. love, not anger. As you were kind then, be kind now. through.. flesh, on acc. of sickness (prob.) he stayed with a 2 Co. xii. 15; 1 them longer than he had intended. my.. flesh, wh. arose, or might reasonably have arisen, fr. the bodily infirmity Ph. iii. 7—9. on acc. of wh. I ministered among you."d rejected, loathed. c 1 Co. ii. 2; 2 received.. Christ, "climactic, denoting the deep affection and veneration with wh. he was received." The former affection of the Galatians towards Paul.-I. The e Mal. ii. 7; Ma. affectionate manner in which the Apostle addresses them,-x. 40; 1 Th. ii. "brethren." II. His allusions to their former affection for him: Co. xii. 7. d Ellicott. 13. Alford. "You say you do no good by preaching. This is talking weakly; had almost used a harder word. Should you not be chidden for I it?"-Orton. g M. Henry. ing that charity 1. His infirmity: 2. Their reception of him. III. His expostulations with them concerning their present state. Learn-1. It is no uncommon thing for men to account those their enemies who are really their best friends; 2. Ministers sometimes create enemies by the faithful discharge of their duty; 3. They should not, for this reason, abandon the truth; but they may be easy in their minds, if enemies are made through their adherence to it.s The first Greenland convert.-It is well known that the Moravian missionaries in Greenland laboured for several years without any apparent success. They seem to have thought, with many in the present day, that they should first instruct the natives in the existence of God, the creation of the world, the nature of their soul, etc.; and all this they did without exciting any degree of attention. On one occasion, however, while one of these good men was occupied in translating the Gospels, man should live he was visited by a number of these savages, who were desirous with the world of knowing the contents of the book. He began an address to the world; he them by giving them some general Scriptural information, and may have a prethen slid into an account of the sufferings of Jesus; reading them ference for the the account of His agony, and speaking much of the anguish ter, or square, or particular quarwhich made Him sweat great drops of blood. Now began the even alley in Spirit of God to work. One of these men, named Kaiarnack, which he lives, stepped forward to the table, and said, in an earnest and affecting have a generous but he should tone, "How was that? Tell me that once more: for I would fain be feeling for the but this is no reason it should not go abroad; a as a citizen of GALATIANS. [Cap. iv. 15-18. welfare of the saved too!" Never had such language been heard from a Greenwhole." Cumlander before. A full statement of the Gospel was given: this berland. man became indeed converted to God, and eminently useful. A change took place in the general character of the preaching of the brethren, and their subsequent success is well known. and would have made any sacri fices for him a Ro. iv. 6, 7. b See Alford. e Meyer, De Wette, Wetstein. "Some things much zeal; and the more earnest we are about them, the less we recommend ourselves to the approbation of Tillotson. "To speak ill 15, 16. the.. of Pa the boasting of your happiness? plucked me, some infer fr. this that the Apostle's infirmity was a disease of the eyes. It is prob., however, that this was only a hyperbolical expression, denoting their willingness to serve him at any sacrifice. Some say, a proverbial expression. am.. enemy? hostile to you? because.. truth? an enemy might flatter, or hold back an unpalatable truth. The right mode of giving and receiving reproof.-I. The causes of the repugnance of men towards one who appears in the character will not bear of a corrective instructor: 1. The speaking of plain and salutary truth; 2. The want of a real, earnest desire to be in all things set right; 3. Pride; 4. A real difference of judgment on the matters in question; 5. An unfavourable opinion, or surmise as to the motives of the teller of this truth. II. The things necessary, in respect to the telling of an unpleasant truth. Those who have to do this should--1. Exercise themselves well, to understand what they speak of; 2. Possess a real and evident friendly intention; 3. Endeavour that the authority may be conveyed in the truth itself, and not seem to be assumed by them, as the speakers; 4. Watch to select favourable times and occasions. III. The importance of a practical self-correction, that we may be able to admonish and correct others with dignity and effect.a ill upon suspicion Caius Gracchus and his two friends.-Caius Gracchus, who was shows a want of the idol of the Roman people, having carried his regard for the honesty. To know evil of lower orders so far as to draw upon himself the resentment of the others and not nobility, an open rupture ensued; and the two extremities of speak it is some- Rome resembled two camps, Opimius the consul on one side, and times discretion. Gracchus and his friend Fulvius on the other. A battle ensued, To speak evil of others and not in which the consul, meeting with more vigorous resistance than know it is always he expected, proclaimed an amnesty for all those who should lay dishonesty. He down their arms; and at the same time promised to pay for the may be evil himself who speaks heads of Gracchus and Fulvius their weight in gold. This proclagood of others mation had the desired effect. The populace deserted their upon knowledge; leaders; Fulvius was taken and beheaded, and Gracchus, at the be good himself advice of his two friends, Licinius Crassus his brother-in-law, and who speaks evil Pomponius a Roman knight, determined to flee from the city. of others upon He passed on his way through the centre of the city, and reached suspicion."- the bridge Sublicius, where his enemies, who pursued him close, would have overtaken and seized him, if his two friends had not "Truth is violated by false- opposed their fury; but they saw the danger he was in, and they hood, and it may determined to save his life at the expense of their own. They be equally out- defended the bridge against all the consular troops till Gracchus raged by silence." was out of their reach; but at length, being overpowered by num-Ammian. bers and covered with wounds, they both expired on the bridge which they had so valiantly defended. but he can never Warwick. false and true zeal b 17, 18. they, enemies. zealously.. you," are paying you court, flattering. but.. well, not for a good purpose. they.. a Ro. x. 2; Ma. you, fr. us. that.. them, their object to gain a party. good, well, honourable: good for heart and life. and only in a good thing: as in the Christian life. xxiii. 13. b Ma. xxiii. 5, 7. in.. thing, not. . you, c Ph. ii. 12. d T. Wilkinson. "The faster a man rides, if he be in the wrong he goes out of the road, the farther way. Zeal is the best or worst thing in a duty; right, it is excellent; if wrong, if the end be worthless." nall. -Gur W. W. Wythe. "Act upon your impulses, but pray that they Tennent. E. bec. that life should not depend on the presence of any human teacher; since it is derived fr. the Spirit of God. A good life.-I. The nature of a good life: 1. Holiness; 2. Usefulness; 3. Heaven. II. Its earnestness. It is-1. Godly; 2. Intelligent; 3. Sympathetic; 4. Constant.d-Zeal commendable.-I. What is true Christian zeal? 1. Not mere noise and excitement about religion; 2. Not a contest for creeds and forms; 3. Not unchristianising those who do not utter our " Shibboleth;" 4. It is a burning desire for God's glory and the good of men; 5. A spirit of self-sacrifice for Christ. II. How is its exercise "good?" It is-1. Positively good-enthusiasm the root of achievement; 2. Comparatively good-compared with science, art, etc.; 3. Superlatively good-the Gospel supremely excellent.e Worthlessness of habits of formality.-That honoured servant of Christ, Richard Knill, notes in his Journal the following amusing incident of the force of habit, as exemplified in his horse. "Mr. and Mrs. Loveless would have me live with them, but they may be directed charged me very little for my board, whereby I was enabled, with by God." my salary, to support seven native schools. These were so situated that I could visit them all in one day. My horse and "Vigour and fergig were seen constantly on the rounds; and my horse at last vency in the service of God is no knew where to stop as well as I did. This nearly cost a Bengal officer his life. Captain Page, a godly man, who was no extraordinary miraculous gift, staying with us until a ship was ready to take him to the Cape, prerogative one morning requested me to lend him my horse and gig to take some him to the city. The captain was driving officer-like, when the horse stopped suddenly, and nearly threw him out. He inquired, natural and in'What place is this? The answer was, 'It's the Sailors' Hos- separable pital. They started again, and soon the horse stopped suddenly, perty of a welland the captain was nearly out as before. What's this?'-A of holiness."school, sir,' was the reply. At last he finished his business, and Lucas. resolved to return another way. By doing this he came near my schools, and again and again the horse stopped. When he got home, he said, I am glad that I have returned without broken bones, but never will I drive a religious horse again.'" 19-21. my.. children, note the tender affection; fr. one who looks for affectional returns in filial conduct. travail,a "by your relapse you have renewed a mother's pangs in me." until • you, i.e., until you have taken the form of Christ. desire voice, as being present I should know how to change it. do . . law? will ye not listen to the law? of peculiar favourite of heaven, but the pro confirmed habit Paul longs a 1 Co. iv. 15; Is. b Lightfoot. c Col. i. 27-29; Ph. ii. 5; Col. iii. A minister's chief wish for his people.-I. What a minister chiefly desires on behalf of his people. That Christ should be formed in them as-1. A vital principle in their hearts; 2. A 9, 10. visible character in their lives. II. When he has reason to stand "I never knew a in doubt of them respecting it. Whenever he sees them unsteady man who was in-1. Their principles; 2. Their conduct. III. By what means ful in winning extensively usehe may most effectually promote it in them. By-1. A personal souls, who did intercourse with them; 2. A suiting of his address to their re- not travail as in spective cases. Address:-Those of whom we- (1) Stand in birth for this very thing."-A. Fuller. a C. Simeon, M.A. "Flattery is an doubt; (2) Entertain no doubt.d The danger of flattery.—Mr. Whitefield, in a sermon he preached at Haworth, having spoken severely of those professors of the Gospel who by their loose and evil conduct caused the ways of truth to be evil spoken of, intimated his hope that it was not necessary to enlarge much upon that topic to the congregation | impression. ensnaring quality, and leaves a very dangerous It swells a man's imagination, envanity, and drives him to a doting upon his own person."Jeremy Collier. te rtains his the bond maid and the free-woman a Ge. xvi. 1, 15. c Ro. ix. 7, 8; Ge. "Faith alone can teach us the skill before him, who had so long enjoyed the benefit of an able and faithful preacher, and he was willing to believe that their profiting appeared to all men. This roused Mr. Grimshaw's spirit, and notwithstanding his great regard for the preacher, he stood up and interrupted him, saying with a loud voice, "Oh, sir, for God's sake, do not speak so; I pray you do not flatter; I fear the greater part of them are going to hell with their eyes open." 22, 23. written, not in these words, but to this effect. Abraham, to whom the promise was made. one," Ishmael. bond-maid, Hagar. other, Isaac. free-woman, Sarah. he .. flesh, common course of nature. he.. promise, through the might and by virtue of the promise.d Ishmael and Isaac.-I. Their natural relation to each otherboth sons of Abraham, and as individuals equally precious in the sight of God-Ishmael was born of a slave; Isaac was legitimate, of extracting the consequently Abraham's heir-Ishmael was cast out, Isaac, the sweetness from a gift of promise, inherited the covenant. II. Their symbolical promise."-Gur-relation-the true children of Abraham not of the flesh, but of the Spirit-not in bondage, but free-not without hope, but heirs "O Lord, what need is there of of the promises-not cast out, but admitted into the kingdom of threatening and God.e punishment those that love nall. to Thee not? Is it not punishment enough not to love Thee ?" Augustine. e Dr. J. Lyth. f Bowes. Tried and proved.—A clergyman, visiting a poor Christian woman, found her Bible marked here and there with the letters T and P. Wondering what the letters stood for, he inquired of her their meaning. "Oh!" said she, "those are the promises in my precious Bible. There are many of them, you see, I have tried; so I marked them T: and many I've proved, and I know that they are true; so I marked them P." an allegory 24-26. allegory, by the wh. things another thing is Allegory, a de-meant,"a for . . are, they, i. e. the two women, represent, etc. scription of one [i. 202, 356]. which.. bondage, beareth children to, etc. thing under the image of another. Which.. Agar, i.e., this covenant is Hagar. for.. Arabia, Gk., allegoria among the Arabians, Hagar is said to have been a provincial all-egoreo, to name of Sinai.c answereth.. is, i.e., stands for, represents speak so as to Jerus. the Jewish Church. bondage, to the law. Jerus.. imply something other than what above, the Church of true believers, so called bec. its most is said; allos, perfect state will be in heaven. mother.. all, who are born other, and ago-fr. above (com. expression "mother-country," 99.66 Fatherland."). reno, to speak. The religions of law and love contrasted.-There is a contrast a Genevan Bib. between-I. Their external causes. The one appeals to fear, the other to love. II. Their internal qualities: 1. The one is ordinary, the other special; 2. The one slavish, the other free; 3. The one persecuting, the other kind. III. Their future histories: 1. The one is to increase, the other is not; 2. The one expelled, e Macknight.. the other not. The law-element is to be cast out because there "Allegories, is no (1) Virtue, (2) happiness, (3) moral power in it when Well b Chrysostom, Theophylact. c See Lightfoot, in loc. d Ma. xxiii. 2, 4; He. x. 11. chosen, are like Bengel's scheme of this allegory will perh. assist the comso many tracks parison :-I. HISTORICAL, the two sons of Abraham: 1. Hagar, the of light in a dis-bond-maid-Sarah, the free-woman; 2. The son of the bond-maid course, that the son of the free-woman. II. ALLEGORICAL, the two covenants: make everything about them clear 1. She who has a husband-the desolate; 2. Those who are fr. Mt. Sinai-those who are of the promise; 3. The mountain (that is now)—she who is upwards (that shall be afterwards); 4. Jerusalem which now is-Jerusalem which is above; 5. The fleshthe Spirit. III. Predicates: 1. The mother-brings forth slaves and beautiful.”— Addison. f Dr. Thomas. -brings forth free-born children; 2. The offspring-abundant at first-more abundant afterwards; 3. Persecutes-suffers persecution; 4. Is cast out-rejoices in the inheritance. are .. 27-29. written,a Isaiah, treating of Messianic times. De- persecution liverance fr. a foreign yoke foretold. Here app. to deliverance no new thing fr. legal yoke. we, Gentiles. promise, i.e., by virtue of the prom. he.. persecuted, all. to Ishmael. even. now, the Jews (the natural seed) persecuting believing Gentiles (the spiritual seed). C Justification by faith maintained.-I. An explanation of the sentence. In a way of-1. Argumentative discussion:-(1) The way in which Abraham was justified; (2) The terms in which the law and the Gospel are promulgated; (3) The end for which Christ came into the world; (4) The covenant, in which all the blessings of salvation were contained. 2. Allegorical illustration. II. A vindication of it. From every charge of-1. Injustice; 2. Severity; 3. Partiality. Learn:-(1) What is the one standard and test of truth; (2) On what ground our eternal destinies shall be fixed.e It is a Is. liv. 1, see LXX; Is. lx. 5. Ro. ix. 24-26; Ga. iii. 29. Ge. xxi. 9. Jo. xv. 19, 20. "That there should be so uniplacable a hatred against the godly in the common d Ac. xxi. 27, 28; versal and im sort of unrenewed men, in all ages and nations of the earth, deserve so well of Adam's fall, The secret of persecution.-A wolf flies not upon a painted when these men sheep, and men can look upon a painted toad with delight. of them and do not the soft pace, but the furious march of the soldier, that sets them no wrong, men a-gazing and dogs a-barking. Let but a man glide along is a visible proof with the stream of the world, do as others do, he may sit down and of the need and take his ease; but if he once strive against the stream, stand of a Saviour and up in the cause of God, and act for Christ, then he shall be sure to meet with as much malice as men and devils can possibly throw upon him. 30, 31. Scripture Pa P. quoted the LXX. shall in nowise inherit. so then, wherefore. Sanctifier."— Baxter. e C. Simeon, M.A. f Spencer. shall.. heir, b the children of the free a Ge. xxi. 10, 12. v. 1-16; 13, 18. "For slavery and freedom, if immoderate, are each of them an God is hence let us act like those who are free. The bondwoman and her son.-I. Explain the terms-the bond-b Ro. vi. 14; Ga. woman the law, v. 24-her son those born of the flesh, under the law, who seek justification by the law, vv. 23-25-the freewoman= the Gospel-her son those who are justified by faith. II. Exhibit the doctrine-the law is superseded by the free spirit of the Gospel-only those who breathe it inherit the kingdom of God-evil; if modeall who remain under the law will be excluded. III. Confirm its rate, they are altruth-by the law, v. 21-and by the Gospel.c together a good. Moderate is the Liberty approved of God.-Three hundred years ago, in Holland, slavery to a god, about one million of people stood for Protestantism and freedom but immoderate in opposition to the mightiest empire of that age, whose banners to men. the Pope had blessed. William, the Prince of Orange, a man who a law to the man feared God, was the champion of the righteous cause. In the pleasure is a law heat of the struggle, when the young republic seemed about to be to the fool."overwhelmed, William received a missive from one of his generals, then in command of an important post, inquiring, among other c J. Lyth, D.D. things, if he had succeeded in effecting a treaty with any foreign "Liberty denotes power, as France or England, such as would secure aid. His reply a state of freewas, "You ask me if I have made a treaty for aid with any great dom, in contraforeign power; and I answer, that, before I undertook the cause of the oppressed Christians in these provinces, I made a close alliance with the King of kings; and I doubt not that He will give us the victory." And so it proved. of sense, but Plato. distinction to slavery, |