men, to ascertain who among them are possessors of this quality, in order that the blessing to be bestowed on them, may not seem to come upon them through a mere necessity of nature, but by the discriminating act of a wise and loving Father, who gives more abundantly to those who rightly use the talent entrusted to them; at this very juncture, the common interpretation of foreknow, comes in, disconcerting and overturning the whole of the argument and illustration, by converting God's discovery of spiritual-mindedness, in the hearts of those who have yielded themselves to Him, into an absolute decree of election, which regards not characters but persons, and leading on to the farther error of converting also his retributive acts, in recompence of their faithful stewardship, into arbitrary acts of mere sovereignty. I am certain that I have the conscience of my reader with me, in all that I have said and I cannot but hope that his reason also goes along with me. The following list refers to passages which confirm the principle I have assumed in this interpretation : John iv. 23. 2 Chron. xvi. 9. Psalm iv. 3. Psalm xxxiii. 18. The passages which follow illustrate the subject differently; 1 Cor.

;

viii. 3. Mark v. 25–35. Luke xv. Acts xvi. 14.

I shall add only one more consideration in proof of the truth and coherence of the view which I have given; and it is this, that, at the beginning of Chap. xii., after concluding the argumentative part of the Epistle which bears on the subject of election, the Apostle gives an exhortation to the disciples, tallying perfectly with the view which has here been taken, namely, implying, that God has put the blessing within their own reach, and that the way to obtain it, is to die to their flesh, and to yield to the will of God, "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable, unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be ye not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God."

Ver. 30. " Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them He also called; and whom He justified, them he also glorified."

There appears to me to be nothing absolutely fixed or irrevocable intended in this sequence. It is the substance of the hope

set before the spiritually-minded, as the order of God's purpose towards them; which shall most surely be accomplished to those who maintain their spiritual-mindedness; whilst such as fall away, "shall know God's breach of promise."

That first step, Προωρισε συμμορφους της εικονος του VIOV ȧUTOV, He predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son,-embraces all the three following steps, which are merely the detail of it. 'Exaλo seems to refer to the call Εκαλεσε to suffer with Christ, as, in 1 Peter ii. 23, 'Edinais may either mean, He made them righteous-or, He judicially acquitted them, in raising them from the dead; I have chosen the latter, to make it agree with ver. 34th.

When I say, that I believe this series of acts to be conditional, on the maintenance of the spiritual mind, I would refer to a somewhat similar series in Chap. v. 3, 4, 5, where evidently each successive step is conditional, on the previous one being persevered in, and the whole series is conditional, on the believer continuing in that love of God which is shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost given unto him. (See also, John xiv. 23; xv. 6, 7, 10.) So here the series is conditional. The thing

S

marked in it is God's purpose; not a purpose to be accomplished independently of man's will, but through man's co-operation. And it is made known, in order that man seeing the excellence of the purpose to be accomplished by the breaking down of the flesh, may give himself up to God, as a willing instrument in the blessed work; not refusing his punishment, but "taking joyfully the spoiling of his goods, knowing in himself, that he has in heaven a better and an enduring substance." Heb. x. 34.

Let me remind the reader here, that a submission to God's will or purpose, in the Spirit of Christ, does not mean a mere submission to authority, nor even a mere affectionate and confiding submission to the authority of a loving Father; it means farther and beyond all this, a submission to the will of God, grounded on a discernment of its excellence and righteousness-so that it is not a mere obedience—it is a sympathy-it is a consent to the purpose of God, on the very principle which induced God to form the purpose; and thus it is an actual participation in His righteousness, not by imputation, but in substance and in reality, as is the participation of Jesus with the Father. This is the full

sonship-the participation of the Divine nature, through union with the Son of God.

When a man is in this condition, he is prepared for every event-he loves God, and he enters into God's purpose, and thus he feels that all things work, and must work, together for his good. Nothing but his own rejection of the love and the purpose of God, can separate him from the blessing which accompanies the progress, and crowns the completion of the work; and the thought of such a thing his very soul abhors.

Ver. 38, 39. "For I am persuaded, that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in or through Christ Jesus, our Lord." I think that the remarks which were made on the expression, in Christ Jesus, at the conclusion of Chapters vi. and vii., apply here also that is, I believe that the Apostle means to say, that God's electing love is limited to those who consent to partake in Christ's death, namely, the spiritually-minded; and that nothing can separate such persons from the love of God. And this meaning is a most apt introduction to the