spoken of, is doubtless the same with that spoken of in the eighteenth verse of the preceding chapter, where Paul speaks of making "the Gentiles obedient by word and deed.” And in Galatians ii. 20 he tells us, "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God," &c.; and we are often told that Christians, so far as they are Christians, "live by faith;" which is equivalent to saying that all gracious and holy exercises and virtues of the spiritual life are by faith. But how does faith work these things? Why, in this place in Galatians, it is expressly said, that it works whatsoever it does work by love. From which the truth of the doctrine follows, viz.: that all that is saving and distinguishing in Christianity does radically consist, and is summarily comprehended in love. In the application of this subject, we may use it in the way of self-examination, instruction, and exhortation. And

1. In view of it let us examine ourselves, and see if we have the spirit which it enjoins. From love to God, springs love to man, as says the apostle, 1 John v. 1, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God and every one that loveth him that be

gat, loveth him also that is begotten of him.' Have we this love to all who are the children of God? This love, also, leads those who possess it, to rejoice in God, and to worship and magnify him. Heaven is made up of such. Revelations xv. 2, 3, 4, "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest." Do we thus delight in God, and rejoice in his worship, and in magnifying his holy name? This love, also, leads those who possess it, sincerely to desire, and earnestly to endeavor to do good to their fellowmen. 1 John iii. 16-19, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our

lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him." Is this spirit, which dwelt in Jesus Christ, the spirit that reigns in our hearts, and is seen in our daily life? The subject may, also, be of use,

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2. In the way of instruction. And

First. This doctrine shows us what is the right Christian spirit. When the disciples, on their way to Jerusalem, desired Christ to call down fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans who would not receive him, he told them, Luke ix. 55, by way of rebuke, 'Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of;" by which we are to understand, not that they did not know their own hearts, but that they did not know and truly feel what kind of spirit was proper and becoming to their character and spirit as his professed disciples, and becoming that evangelical dispensation that he had come to establish, and under

which they were now living. It might indeed be, and doubtless was true, that in many respects they did not know their own hearts. But what Christ here referred to was, not the want of self-knowledge in general, but the particular spirit they had manifested in desiring him to call down fire &c., a desire which showed not so much that they did not know what their own hearts or dispositions were, as that they did not seem to know what kind of spirit and temper was proper to the Christian dispensation that was henceforth to be established, and to the Christian character of which they were to be examples. They showed their ignorance of the true nature of Christ's kingdom; that it was to be a kingdom of love and peace; and that they did not know but that a revengeful spirit was a proper spirit for them as his disciples: and for this it is that he rebukes them.

And doubtless there are many, now-a-days, greatly to be rebuked for this, that though they have been so long in the school of Christ, and under the teachings of the gospel, yet they still remain under a great misapprehension as to what kind of a spirit a truly Christian spirit is, and what spirit is proper for the

followers of Christ and the dispensation under which they live. But if we attend to the text and its doctrine, they will teach us what this spirit is, viz. that in its very essence and savor it is the spirit of divine and Christian love. This may, by way of eminence, be called the Christian spirit; for it is much more insisted on in the New Testament, than anything that concerns either our duty or our moral state. The words of Christ whereby he taught men their duty, and gave his counsels and commands to his disciples and others, were spent very much on the precepts of love; and as the words that proceeded out of his mouth were so full of this sweet divine virtue, he thus most manifestly commends it to us. And after his ascension, the apostles were full of the same spirit, in their epistles abundantly recommending love, peace, gentleness, goodness, bowels of compassion and kindness, directing us by such things to express our love to God and to Christ, as well as to our fellow-men, and especially to all that are his followers. This spirit, even a spirit of love, is the spirit that God holds forth greater motives in the gospel to induce us to, than to any other thing whatever. The work