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Apostolic Doctrine. and to whom were committed the oracles of God, did notwithstanding transgress the Law, and dishonour God, and cause his name to be blasphemed among the Gentiles, and fell away through unbelief from their covenant standing with God through circumcision, and were righteously cast off and condemned. And their apostasy and judgment is recorded for example to us. (ii. 17-29; iii. 1-6; xi. 2025; xv. 4, &c.)

8. The righteousness of God (the Father) is manifested by faith of Jesus Christ unto all men; and upon all them that believe. (iii. 21, 22.)

[It is worthy of special observation, that neither in this passage nor in the following chapter, where much is said of righteousness, is the righteousness of Christ once mentioned at all. The righteousness of the Father is the subject of discourse; which was manifested to all sinners by the faith of Jesus Christ, his life and work of faith; and is still manifested upon all believers, by making them conformed to the image of Christ.]

9. All men having sinned and come short of the glory of God (for there is no difference), are now freely justified (acquitted from the judgment that was against them) by the grace of God, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth a propitiation (the mercy-seat) through faith in

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8. The righteousness of the Father is not the object of concern to us; but the righteousness of Christ, both active and passive, is imputed to the believer, or set down to his account so that, clothed in this robe or garment, his sins are covered or concealed by it, and shall remain so even in heaven; for thus we are regarded by God the Father as complete in Christ (whatever be the real state of our souls), and therefore perfect and holy. The faith of Jesus cannot be a model to us, for He was God as well as man, but all blessings are included in this imputation.

9. All men, it is true, have life and breath, and all their blessings, through Christ, into whose hand the Father hath given all things-all creatures, angels, men, and devils ;-and all sinners have a day of grace given them, and the Gospel preached to them, and a command to repent; and shall be all raised from the dead, and

Apostolic Doctrine. his blood, to declare His (the Father's) righteousness through remission of by-past sins, in, or by, the forbearance of God; and this, too, during the whole of the present time, or day of grace; that God might be just, and the justifier, or maker righteous, of him that is of the faith of Jesus. (iii. 23-26.)

10. Righteousness in the sight of God is blessedness, being obedience to the holy commandment of God and oneness of mind with God. Abraham believed God, and was therefore blessed. David believed, God, and was likewise blessed. These are examples to us of the righteousness which is by faith; and the record which God gives us of His Son Jesus is, that He was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification: believing which, we have peace with God, access to God, and joy in the hope of the glory of God, &c., because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, who is given unto us. (iv. v. 1—5.)

11. God commendeth his love to sinners, to the ungodly, who are his enemies, in giving Christ to die for them. (v.6-8.)

12. Being justified by the blood of Christ, or reconciled to God by the death of his Son, is one thing, and common to all; but being saved from

Babylonian Doctrine. judged by the Lord Jesus Christ; and all who believe not the Gospel, but trample under foot the Son of God, and count his blood a common thing, shall be judged by that very Gospel, and condemned thereby. But, notwithstanding of all this, it must not be said that all have an interest in Christ, or that he died for them, and was raised for their justification, but this is true of the elect only.

10. Righteousness is a robe, or covering, which is put upon a believer; and when the righteousness of Christ, in obeying the law, suffering, dying, and rising again, is imputed to him, it is a certain passport to blessedness in the next world. Abraham and David must have had that righteousness imputed to them also, and the blessedness they enjoyed in this life was a reward of their faith and obedience. It certainly should be desired by every one, even while here below, but is not at all essential to the safety of any one, that he should have the Holy Ghost in him producing perfect peace and joy in God, for many believers never have had either joy or peace till after death.

11. God makes an offer of love and mercy to all; but Christ died for the elect alone.

12. Justification by the blood or death of Christ, and salvation from wrath, are but two expressions meaning the same thing, and are both the opera

Apostolic Doctrine. wrath through him, or saved by his life, is another thing quite, and is the portion of the elect only, through the work of the Holy Ghost in them (v. 9, 10).

13. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so all die, for all are sinners; even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men to justification of life; and all men have life now, and resurrection hereafter, through the same righteous One, i. e. Jesus Christ (v. 12-18).

14. A baptized man should wholly cease from sin, and may not continue in it, but be dead to it; and for this end are we baptized into Christ, that, like as he was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life-i.e.in theSpirit, and not in the flesh. (vi. 1-4.)

15. A baptized man should yield his members as instruments of righteousness unto God; and thus, being made free from sin, have his fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. (vi. 13, 22.)

[The power by which alone this can be effected is spoken of in chapter viii.]

16. The law being given to restrain, condemn, and put to death the flesh, having in the person of Jesus Christ been fully honoured and accomplished, no man is now under the law; but all are under Christ, for present teaching and for fu

Babylonian Doctrine. tion of the same Agent, and done for and upon those alone who cease to be enemies of God by faith in Christ.

13. By one man came sin and death, which fell upon and abide upon all flesh; but though all men have life now, and shall live again from the dead, still it is not true that Christ has really done any thing for them who are finally commanded to depart from him because they believed not.

14. A man, though he be baptized into Christ, must, in this life, be always more or less under the power of sin, though he loves it not, but watches against it. In the next world alone shall we be able to walk in newness of life; for while here the influence of the Spirit is seldom strong enough in any one to enable them to do so.

15. A man ought to be holy indeed, for the Scripture calls him to it in many parts; but this cannot mean absolute holiness, for no man has ever attained that state, and it is presumptuous in us to hope for it.

16. The law still continues in full force towards the unbeliever, and acts as a schoolmaster to bring believers to Christ, although it is no longer to be regarded as the rule of righteousness, or a ground of justification.

Apostolic Doctrine. ture judgment; and the members of the body of Christ are married to another, to bring forth fruit to God, who is now their Head, their Husband,their Law, their Example, their All in all. (vii. 1-4.)

17. To have the law of the members warring against the law of the mind and bringing us into captivity, is a wretched state, from which we should cry for deliverance; and we shall assuredly receive it, through the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. (vii. 23-25; viii. 1, 2.)

18. God did send His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and about sin, and did condemn sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (viii. 3, 4.)`

[The only way to condemn sin, is not to commit it; but when temptations from the devil, the world, and the flesh come up to us, we should resist them and deny them all. This Christ had to do, and this he did; and having given us his Spirit, we should walk in his steps. (Pet. ii. 21).]

19. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God; and, having received the Spirit of adoption, cry out, Abba, Father. (viii. 9-17.)

VOL. VII.-NO. I.

Babylonian Doctrine. [The words "to bring us" in the text cited (Gal. iii. 24), are not in the original text, and should not have been supplied. The argument, then, is one of time, contrasting what was before Christ came, with what is now the condition of all flesh, especially of believers.]

17. To have a constant war between the flesh and the Spirit in us, even though the success be often varied, is nevertheless a good and favourable symptom of our being converted persons; and we should not expect deliverance from it on this side of the grave.

18. God sent His Son into flesh, but not in its fallen and ruined estate, into which the sin of Adam brought it; so that the condemnation of sin in his flesh must have been by imputation, or in some other way not clearly revealed, and into which it is almost blasphemous for us to inquire particularly. Nor is it at all essential to salvation that the righteousness of the Law be fulfilled in us, but only that we be clothed in the righteousness of Christ, or have his finished work imputed to us.

19. By the influence of the Spirit we ought to be better than we are, but are not expected to be altogether holy: and a Christian may never be able truly to say "I have the Spirit of Christ," or "The person of the Holy Ghost is in

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Apostolic Doctrine. [This is the answer to the question, How can a Christian become perfectly holy?-viz. The Holy Ghost in him leads him to keep the law of God: the Spirit Himself beareth witness with his spirit that he is a son of God; and if a son, then an heir, an heir of God and joint heir with Christ: this enables him to suffer with Christ now, that he may be also glorified together, in the day of the manifestation of the sons of God.]

20. Salvation is the complete and eternal release of the soul, body, and estate of man from the bondage of corruption and oppression of the devil, and the bringing of all things into that condition in which God shall be again well pleased. This shall be revealed only at the coming of the Lord in glory with all his saints. We are saved by the hope of this, though we see it not now; but in patience and affliction here we are being prepared for the glory to be revealed in us. (viii. 18-25.)

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21. The first-fruits of the Spirit (producing fellowship with the Father and the Son even now) are manifested in the members of Christ by the cries and groans of the Spirit within them for the redemption of their bodies, and the deliverance of all creation from the oppression of the devil, under which it groans, and is in travail

Babylonian Doctrine. me," and yet be perfectly safe in

the end.

[N. B. There is no such. thing as the influence of the Spirit either named or referred to in the whole word of God; and this unscriptural and most ruinous perversion of the name of the Spirit, leads to the denial of the person and power and manifestation of the Holy Ghost. It is Satan's grand snare in the present day to keep the flesh alive, holding the form of godliness, but denying the power (2 Tim. iii. 5).]

20. The salvation of the soul is the only thing worth attention at all; for when we are perfect and complete by the imputed righteousness of Christ, we need not attend to any details, which only perplex the mind, and prevent our being quiet at any time, or enjoying any of the things which are around us. The coming of the Lord is just the day of our death; and when that may be, or with what circumstances attended, it is foolish for us to inquire.

21. The influence of the Spirit leads the Christian world to institute and keep in action many great and powerful machines, such as Bible and Missionary societies, and charitable and clothing committees, and school and tract societies, and many other public and private associations and institutions; all of which are combined to forward the cause of religion,

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