God can require no motive to show mercy to a creature that needs it, beyond his own goodness, and the creature's need; but He requires fit channels to convey His mercy, in order that it may be beneficial to the

creature.

I

may observe here, that it was not merely to prove His love, and His readiness to make a sacrifice, that God gave His Son to the world-but because He desired to make the world sons of God. The gift of the Son, was the gift of sonship,-the only-begotten Son, is the Fountain of adoption. The reader will remark, that verse 3d seems distinctly to prove, that there was a sonship attached to the Word, before He appeared in flesh.

"That the righteousness of the law should be fulfilled in them," &c. From what I have already said on this subject, the reader will understand that I consider the dia to be the antithesis of xaranga. At the same time, I have not the least objection to his taking it as the righteousness of the law, according to our common version, which is very agreeable to the use that the LXX. make of the word. Indeed, I do not lay any stress on my translation here, for the substantial meaning of the passage remains the same, in whichever

of the two ways we translate dixaiaua,-but it seems to me, that the point and force of the passage is increased, by considering it as the antithesis of xaranga, and therefore I take it So. It is to the risen Jesus, as appears from chap. vii. 4, that we are called to unite ourselves and as it is after his resurrection that he is described as becoming the fountain of the Spirit of life to man, so that Spirit comes forth to them, bearing the impress of the dia, in the remission of sin, and the favour of God, and also in the assured hope of glory.

In the Saviour, as the new Head of the race, thus raised according to the dix or judicial award of life, and glorified by the free grace of the Father, over and above that award, we see the manifestation of the eternal purpose and grace of God towards all men the manifestation of the προθεσις και χαρις δοθεισα ἡμῖν ἐν Χριστώ Ιησου προ χρόνων αιωνίων. 2 Tim. i. 9. We see accomplished in Him that which it is the loving design of God should be accomplished in every individual of the nature which he assumed. Jesus is thus to us, the pattern and specimen of the purpose of God towards us-in his resurrection and glorification, we see the blessed and desired

result to which our Father would lead usand in his life in the flesh, we see the predestined way to that result-the way which is fixed in the nature of things, and in the eternal counsel of God. He lived (dia STEWS ἐν ἁιματι αυτου,—or as, Ὁ ὑιος Θεον—περι ἁμαρτιας) offer ing up his own blood in submissive confidence—or, as the well-beloved Son making himself a sin-offering, and therefore, he was raised from the dead. He is thus our pattern, and he is more than our pattern; for in him, the grace of God, and the forgiveness of sins committed during the sparing mercy of God, are freely declared to the chief of sinners-and through him, living water is communicated, enabling those who will receive it, to walk in the same steps towards the same glory.

That spiritual stream comes back to us, as it were, through the gates of death, from the other side of the gulf; and thus it is a stranger here, for its home and its interests are all on the other side; and as it is itself a stranger, it makes those to become strangers and pilgrims who receive it. They seek back to the fountain-head of their life, and desire to be with Him. And as they know that it is only through sorrow and death

that they can arrive at him, they enter into the counsel of God in His plan, of leading them by this way, with their whole hearts; whilst those who do not receive this spirit, but still seek their life in earthly things, cannot enter into it; because they cannot but take part with, and desire the continuance of, the things in which their life lies-and here is the distinction between the carnal and the spiritual mind.

Ver. 5th. For those who are after the flesh," (or who walk according to the impulses of the flesh, and seek their life and enjoyment in it,)" do mind the things of the flesh;" that is, they become carnally-minded -they have their minds embued with the

flesh.

Their minds acquire the very nature and character of the flesh, in which they are imbedded, and thus they necessarily resist every plan, of which the breaking down of the flesh forms a part. "And those who are after the Spirit," (who follow the guidance of the Spirit, and seek their life and enjoyment in it,) "do mind the things of the Spirit;" that is, they become spiritually-minded,they have their minds imbued and impregnated, with the divine Spirit; and they acquire the very nature and character of the

Spirit, and thus they necessarily enter with alacrity into the purposes of God. Φρονουσι τα Tns σagxos, sapiunt carnem aut carnalia, they acquire the savour of the flesh-the taste of the flesh-the light which is in them becomes darkness. Φρονουσι τα του πνευματος, sapiunt spiritum aut spiritualia, they acquire the savour of the Spirit, the taste of the Spirit their inward candle is lighted from God's light.

Ver. 6-8. "And the carnal mind is death, but the spiritual mind is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be; so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."

I cannot but think that our translators have been right, in considering the grans σαρκος and the φρόνημα του πνεύματος, not as expressing the abstract tendencies of the flesh and Spirit, but as concretes, describing a human mind under the influence either of the flesh or of the Spirit-and therefore either opposed to, or conformed to God's purposes.

The carnal mind seeks the continuance of present things, and sees nothing in suffering and death, but unmixed evil. It cannot therefore submit, or be subject, to the

pur