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V. 9, 10. He resolves the question proposed in the 9th verse by adducing the case of Abraham. In what state was he when righteousness was imputed to him? The historical fact is, that he found acceptance with God, several years before the rite of circumcision was imposed upon him. The case of their own Abraham, was the case of one who was justified in uncircumcision. agreement between him and God had previously been made. A covenant had previously been entered upon. There was a promise by God; and there was a faith by Abraham, which gave him a right to the fulfilment of it-and all this antecedent to his being circumcised. And when it was laid upon him as a binding observation, it was as the token or the memorial of what had passed between them. It was not the making of a new bargain. It was the sealing or the ratifying

of an old one. It was not another deed of conveyance, but an infeftment upon the deed that had already been drawn out; and though circumcision should at any time be abolished, and some other form, as that of baptism, be substituted in its place, this no more affected the great principle upon which man acquires a right of property to a place in Heaven, than the great principles of justice upon which an earthly possession is transferred from one man to another, would be affected by a mere change in the forms of an infeftment. The promise of God who cannot lie makes it sure; and yet a visible token may be of use in impressing

its sureness, by serving the purpose of a more solemn declaration. It is just expressing the same thing symbolically, which had before been expressed by words. By refusing the second expression you draw back from the first; by joining in the second expression you only repeat and ratify the first. Thus circumcision is a sign-not a covenant itself, but, in the language of Genesis, the token of a covenant. And thus also it is a seal, marking that more formal consent, (to a thing however that had been before agreed upon) which lays one or both of the parties under a more sure, or at least more solemn obligation.

V. 11. The term sign may be generally defined a mark of indication-as when we speak of the signs of the times, or of the signs of the weather. A sign becomes a seal, when it is the mark of any deed or any declaration, having actually come forth from him who professes to be the author of it. It authenticates it to be his-so that should it be a promise, it binds him to performance; or should it be an order, it carries along with it all the force of his authority; or should it be an engagement of any sort, it fastens upon him the obligation of discharging it. It may sometimes happen that a seal marks the concurrence of two parties in the matter to which it is affixed-and the sign of circumcision was just such a seal. was enjoined by God. It was consented to by Abraham. God sealed by it the promise which He had formerly made of a righteousness to

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Abraham who believed; and Abraham expressed by it that he was a believer. It did not change the footing upon which Abraham obtained the favour that was due to righteousness. It only gave the form and the solemnity of a symbolical expression to that, which was already in full reality and effect, though it had only yet been the subject of a verbal expression. The symbolical expression may afterwards be changed, or it may be dispensed with altogether; and yet the original connection between faith and the imputation of righteousness, subsist as it was at the beginning. Abraham is the primary model of this connection, and remains so after the abolition of that temporary rite which marked the Jewish economy. And now that that economy is, dissolved, he is still the father of all them who believe though they be not circumcised -that like as righteousness was imputed to him when uncircumcised, so may it be imputed unto them also.

V. 12. It is not enough that they be of the circumcision, that they may be the children of Abraham, in the sense under which the apostle contemplates this relationship in the passage before us. It is faith which essentially constitutes this relationship. They who have the faith are his children, though they have not the circumcision. They who have the circumcision are not his children, if they have not the faith. The sign without the thing signified will avail them nothing. It is true that circumcision is a seal set to by the will and authority of

God, and guarantees a promise of righteousness on His part. But it is of righteousness unto faith; and when there is no faith, there is no failure of any promise connected with this subject, though it should remain unfulfilled. The way to ascertain the reality of this faith, is not by the simple act of a man submitting to have the seal of circumcision put upon him. It is by his walking in the steps of that faith which actuated the doings and the history of Abraham; and in virtue of which he obtained a meritorious acceptance with Godeven prior to the rite of circumcision being laid upon him.

V. 13. Not heir of the present evil world, but of a better country than this, that is an heavenlya city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God-a new earth, as well as new heavens, wherein dwelleth righteousness-Not to inherit this world, but to be counted worthy of obtaining that world upon which the righteous are made to enter after their resurrection from the dead. The promise of all this was not to those who obey, but to those who believe-not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

V. 14. If it be of the law, then it must be of perfect obedience to that law. It cannot be through the medium of a broken, but through the medium of an observed law; and not till its conditions are fulfilled, can faith have any warrant to lay hold of the promises. This is just as good

as nullifying faith altogether; and just as good as rendering the promise quite ineffectual-because in fact there has been no perfect obedience. There have been infractions of the law by all, and all therefore are the children of wrath.

V. 15. To escape from this, there must be some other method of making out a righteousness unto eternal life than through the law; for, admit the arbitrations of the law, and wrath will be wrought out of them. Condemnation will be the sure result of this process. It must and will pronounce the guilt of transgression upon all; and, to get quit of this, there must be some way or other of so disposing of the law, as that it shall not be brought to bear in judgment upon a sinner. It has been so disposed of. It has been magnified and made honourable in the person of our illustrious Redeemer; and so borne away from the persons of those who through faith in Him are made, by the constitution of the economy of the gospel, partakers of His righteousness. The judgment of the law has been shifted away from them; and, with this, the charge of transgression has been lifted away from them.

The following is the paraphrase.

• Doth the blessing of an imputed righteousness come then upon the circumcision only-or may it also come upon those who are uncircumcised? We have said that it came upon Abraham, and that it was faith which was reckoned unto him for righteousness. Now in what circumstances was he