through which Christianity had then to pass,-how decidedly opposed it was to the pure Gospel, and how all reconciliation was excluded. There were, however, in the various churches those, who were in a state of transition from the Jewish, or cognate point of view, to the pure Gospel, and who were far from being enemies of the cross of Christ-who were filled rather with love to Jesus Christ crucified, as their Saviour-but who, in the development of their faith, were still subject to many weaknesses, and could not free themselves from many remaining effects of their not wholly subdued Jewish standing-point. In the Epistles of Paul, we find frequent mention of those, with whom, as weak, he is accustomed to contrast strong, matured Christians, -of those who, still possessed with fear of partaking of the flesh of sacrifices, still adhering to the Jewish laws of food and to the observance of certain days, could not at once shake off the yoke of the Law in these respects. Were these, then, to be regarded in the same manner as those, who have previously been described? Were those who had passed over to Christianity from another, from the heathen standing-point, who, though exposed to other dangers, could yet, from this side, advance more easily to Christian freedom; or those who, farther advanced in the development of their faith, had more nearly approached maturity of manhood in Christ; were such to withdraw themselves from communion with those who thought differently on many points, and at once repulse them? Such a course would have been directly contrary to what Paul demands from Christian love, which patiently endures the weakness of the brethren. By thus acting in an impatient and arbitrary spirit, limits would be placed to the operations of the Holy Spirit, who might yet further guide those in whom he had begun to work, and the thread of development, ordained by the wisdom of God, and alone leading from Christ and to Christ, would at once be severed. On the mode of procedure with such subordinate grades of development, such less important antagonisms, Paul gives, in this epistle, a doctrine, conveying much instruction in few words, the import of which we must endeavour clearly to ascertain.

After having set forth, in the manner we have before un

folded, as a pattern for all, the standing-point, which forgets all that has hitherto been done, and, from Christian faith in submission to Christ, strives more and more after the prize of the Christian calling, he says, (chap. iii. 15), "Let us, therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded." This is the standingpoint of the matured Christian, who has attained to perfect freedom, and who, hindered by nothing, makes greater and greater progress in his development. "And if in anything ye be otherwise minded," than is in accordance with this principle, "God shall reveal even this unto you "—i. e., wherein ye think otherwise, even in that God will reveal the right to you, and thus lead you to unity in the maintenance and application of that principle. Paul, accordingly, points to this truth, that the Spirit of God, who revealed to them the light of the Gospel, will perfect this His revelation in them, and conduct it to that mark of maturity in Christianity,-that He will yet more and more further them in true Christian knowledge, and even in that in which they still err and vary in opinion, will cause them to find the one right thing. We should not, therefore, precipitately enter into controversy, by which our distance from each other is so easily widened, and by which, through obstinate adherence to our once formed views, we so readily become hardened in opposition; much less should we condemn each other, but endeavour to preserve that unity of the Christian spirit, which is raised above all subordinate differences. To the common Teacher, the Holy Spirit, should all yield themselves, and all trust, that He, who is the best Teacher, will yet more and more further them and each other. While all proceed from the Divine foundation once laid, the unfolding and progressive purification of the Divine work should be left to the operation of the Holy Spirit, who first began it in each. No attempt should be made to do violence from without to the unfolding of the Divine life in another, which follows its own law, grounded in the specialities of his character, or substitute anything imposed from without, in place of the free development which proceeds from within. This would be tantamount to seeking to penetrate into the inmost soul of man by human arts of persuasion, which can avail nothing, where they find no sym

pathetic link in the already existing views of a man, and to bring forth what alone can be effected by the Holy Spirit, the inner teacher, whom, without constraint and with the entire accord of their freedom, all follow. Everything, alike in each individual, proceeds only from the leavening process of the same leaven of Divine truth, which gradually shall pervade the whole spiritual life, expurgating every heterogeneous element. And when Paul here speaks of a revelation by the Holy Spirit, through which the progressive insight of the believer is effected, this has for its basis the truth, presupposed and expressed throughout Holy Scripture, that all Divine things can be known. only in the light of the Holy Spirit; as he says elsewhere, "No man can call Jesus Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." The notion of revelation, however, before us, by no means excludes the agency of human thought, which developes and works out according to the laws of human reason, that which it has received from the Divine light. But it is assumed that the agency of man's spirit is inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit, who is the soul of his whole spiritual life; hence all is referred to the Holy Spirit as cause, in so far as all originates in His revelation, guidance, and inspiration; all immediate or mediate progressive insight, proceeding from the Holy Spirit, is included in the notion of revelation.

We have now to consider more closely the necessary condition laid down by Paul, in order that, all yielding themselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, should be led by Him to this progressive insight. But here it is essential to investigate the original form of Paul's words, which has been corrupted by the interpolated attempts at explanation, which, through misunderstanding, have been received into the text as if they were component parts of his own expressions. It has not been the design of Divine wisdom that such corruptions should be averted, in the lapse of centuries, by a series of miracles, or by the authority of a visible church enjoying the power of infallible guidance; but while natural causes have here been left to their course, so that such adulterations might, through misunderstanding, gain free scope, the impulse was thereby given to independent investigation, to the development of all the faculties

of the understanding in their functions of examining and distinguishing, in order that we might learn, through a spirit of examination exercised under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and by the cultivation and application of that discipline which is grounded in the nature of the human mind, and which we designate by the name of criticism, to distinguish the true from the false, and, by comparison, discover the original form of apostolic words. Criticism, when guided and animated by the Holy Spirit, should be regarded as belonging to the spiritual gifts of the church. And thus we shall here also be enabled to restore the true form of Paul's words; and by continued investigation, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, an agreement in this respect will be brought about in the church.

If we follow the later reading adopted by Luther, we shall, like him, thus translate: "Doch so fern, dass wir nach einer Regel, darin wir gekommen sind, wandeln, und gleich gesinnet sein.”* Thus, in this case, the condition of which we have above spoken, would be unanimity. It would be an exhortation to concord. But such is quite remote from this connexion, and unanimity could not be the condition which the context would lead us to expect, but the result of the conduct of the church required by the apostle. If they so acted with reference to subordinate differences, as, according to our explanation, Paul indicated, concord would be preserved undisturbed in the church. Further, what is said of the one rule and the walk according to this, and the being like-minded, is unsuitable to the words, "whereto we have already attained," (sio ö èptáoaμev.) For all had not attained to the same degree of insight. We here discover, therefore, the combination of words which tally not with each other, and it is easy to be understood, how, from false attempts to explain the words, " If only we walk according to that which we have attained”—words which are obscure, if not viewed in their right connexion,-the rest originated in falsely referring this to an exhortation to unanimity. We shall, therefore, following the most ancient and authentic manuscripts,

Provided we walk according to the one rule whereto we have already attained, and be like-minded.

regard this as the meaning of the genuine words of Paul, “If only we act according to that whereto we have already attained,” i. e. if only each applies the measure of insight imparted to him truly to his own life. Paul says, therefore, the Holy Spirit will reveal to all what is still wanting to them of true Christian knowledge, and yet further advance the union of their spirits, by expurgating those heterogeneous elements which mar it, and will educe a higher unity from such existing differences, if that Christian communion resting on the one common ground of faith, be first and foremost maintained, and each makes it his concern, without disputing with another as to those points wherein he still thinks differently from him, rightly and truly to exercise the measure of his insight and knowledge. All progressive revelation of the Spirit, every new light which shall be imparted to man, presupposes that he has hitherto faithfully applied the gifts committed to his keeping. The words of the Lord, "He that hath, to him shall be given," here also find their application. How many dissensions would have been avoided in the church; how many differences might have been overcome and adjusted to her blessing, if it had been the earnest care of all rightly to understand and apply the principle here described by Paul!

Precepts, exhortations, and promises go hand in hand in Paul's epistles, as throughout all Scripture. The essential character of the Gospel, as it is distinguished from the Law, requires this; for as all promises are joined to certain conditions, without which these cannot be fulfilled, which leads, therefore, to exhortations and precepts, promises would be vain, unless in believers that promise was presupposed, in virtue of which they should not want power for the fulfilment of all requirements. Thus Paul begins with the words, (chap. iv. 4), "Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, rejoice." He, the prisoner of the Lord, who, it may be, expected death, finds cause to promise and require a continual joy in the consciousness of communion with the Lord,—to make joy the key-note of the Christian life. But this again is followed by a demand on the Christian walk and conversation, inasmuch as that rejoicing in the Lord cannot exist, unless the life of the Christian accords