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acceptance of the righteousness of Christ, all who die in infancy are saved?

6. We should never yield to temptation on the ground that the sin to which we are solicited appears to be a trifle (merely eating a forbidden fruit); or that it is but for ONCE. Remember the ONE offence of one man. How often has a man, or a family been ruined for ever by ONE sin! v. 12.

7. Our dependence on Jesus Christ is entire, and our obligations to him are infinite. It is through his righteousness, without the shadow of merit on our own part, that we are justified. He alone was adequate to restore the ruins of the fall. From those ruins he has built up a living temple, a habitation of God through the Spirit.

8. We must experience the operation of the law, in producing the knowledge and conviction of sin, in order to be prepared for the appreciation and reception of the work of Christ. The church and the world were prepared by the legal dispensation of the Old Testament for the gracious dispensation of the New,

v. 20.

9. We should open our hearts to the large prospects of purity and blessedness presented in the gospel; the victory of grace over sin and death, which is to be consummated in the triumph of true religion, and in the eternal salvation of those multitudes out of every tribe and kindred which no man can number, v. 21.

CHAPTER VI.

Contents.

As the gospel reveals the only effectual method of justification, so also it alone can secure the sanctification of men. Το exhibit this truth is the object of this and the following chapter. The sixth is partly argumentative, and partly exhortatory. In verses 1-11, the apostle shows how unfounded is the objection, that gratuitous justification leads to the indulgence of sin. In vs. 12-23, he exhorts Christians to live agreeably to the nature and design of the gospel; and presents various considerations adapted to secure their obedience to this exhortation.

ments.

CHAP. 6: 1–11.

Analysis.

THE most common, the most plausible, and yet the most unfounded objection to the doctrine of justification by faith, is, that it allows men to live in sin that grace may abound. This objection arises from ignorance of the doctrine in question, and of the nature and means of sanctification. It is so preposterous in the eyes of an enlightened believer, that Paul deals with it rather by exclamations at its absurdity, than with logical arguThe main idea of this section is, that such is the nature of the believer's union with Christ, that his living in sin is not merely an inconsistency, but a contradiction in terms, as much so as speaking of a live dead man, or a good bad one. Union with Christ, being the only source of holiness, cannot be the source of sin. In v. 1 the apostle presents the objection. In v. 2 he declares it to be unfounded, and exclaims at its absurdity. In vs. 3, 4 he exhibits the true nature and design of Christianity, as adapted and intended to produce newness of life. In vs. 5-7 he shows that such is the nature of union with Christ, that it is impossible for any one to share the benefits of his death, without being conformed to his life. Such being the case, he shows, vs. 8—11, that as Christ's death on account of sin was for once, never to be repeated; and his life, a life devoted to God; so our separation from sin is final, and our life, a life consecrated to God.

Commentary.

(1) What shall we say then? What inference is to be drawn from the doctrine of the gratuitous acceptance of sinners, or justification without works by faith in the righteousness of Christ?

Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? i. e. be more conspicuously displayed. The form in which the objection to the apostle's doctrine is here presented, is evidently borrowed from the close of the preceding chapter. Paul had there spoken of the grace of the gospel being the more conspicuous and abundant in proportion to the evils which it removes. It is no fair inference from the fact that God has

brought so much good out of the fall and sinfulness of men, that they may continue in sin. Neither can it be inferred from the fact that he accepts of sinners, on the ground of the merit of Christ, instead of their own (which is the way in which. grace abounds), that they may sin without restraint.

(2) God forbid, in the Greek, let it not be. Paul's usual mode of expressing denial and abhorrence. Such an inference is not to be thought of. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? How can good men be bad men? or, how can the dead be alive? It is a contradiction and an absurdity, that those who are dead to sin should live in it. There are two points to be here considered. The first is the sense in which Christians are said to be dead to sin; and the second, the proof (vs. 3, 4) that such is really the case with all true believers. The words rendered dead to sin, may mean either dead as it respects sin, or dead on account of sin; see this latter force of the dative in ch. 5: 15. 11: 20, &c. In favour of the second interpretation it is urged, 1. That this phrase must express the same idea with the subsequent clauses, buried with him, v. 4; associated in his death, v. 5; dead with Christ, v. 8. 2. That it must have this meaning in v. 10, where it is said of Christ he died unto sin, i. e. on account of sin. 3. The other interpretation, How shall we, who have renounced sin, live any longer therein ?' is not suited to the apostle's object; because it does not give any adequate answer to the objection presented in v. 1. In order to answer that objection it was necessary to show, not merely that the believer had renounced sin, but that the doctrine of gratuitous justification effectually secures this renunciation. According to the second interpretation, this answer is plain and conclusive. How shall we, who have died on account of sin, live any longer therein? If we are regarded and treated by God, in virtue of our union with Christ, and if we regard ourselves as having suffered and died with him on account of sin, we cannot but regard it as hateful and deserving of punishment.'

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The objections to this interpretation, however, are serious. 1. It is not consistent with the common and familiar import of

* The reader may see this view of the passage defended at length by STORR, Brief an die Hebraer, p. 515; and by FLATT, on the passage itself, in his Commentary on this Epistle.

the expression to be dead to any thing, which occurs frequently in the New Testament, as Gal. 2: 19, "dead to the law;" 1 Pet. 2: 24,"dead to sins;" Rom. 7: 4, &c. &c. In all cases the meaning is to be free from. Sin has lost its power over the believer, as sensible objects are not able to affect the dead. 2. The opposite phrase to live therein, requires this interpretation. 3. The object of the apostle does not require that a formal argumentative answer should be supposed to commence in this verse. He simply denies the justice of the inference from his doctrine stated in v. 1, and asks how it is possible it should be correct? How can a Christian, which is but another name for a holy man, or one dead to sin, live any longer therein?

(3) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptised into Jesus Christ were baptised into his death? In this and the following verse we have something more in the form of argument in answer to the objection in question. The apostle reminds his readers that the very design of Christianity was to deliver men from sin; that every one who embraced it, embraced it for this very object; and, therefore, it was a contradiction in terms to suppose that any should come to Christ to be delivered from sin in order that they might live in it. And, besides this, it is clearly intimated, that such is not only the design of the gospel, and the object for which it is embraced by all who cordially receive it, but also that the result or necessary effect of union with Christ is a participation in the benefits of his death.

Were baptised into Jesus Christ. In the phrase to be baptised into any one, the word (sis) rendered into has its usual force as indicating the object, design or result for which any thing is done. To be baptised into Jesus Christ, or unto Moses, or Paul, therefore, means to be baptised in order to be united to Christ, or Moses, or Paul, as their followers, the recipients of their doctrines, and expectants of the blessings which they have to bestow; see Matt. 28: 19. 1 Cor. 10: 2. 1 Cor. 1: 13. In like manner, in the expression baptised into his death, the preposition expresses the design and the result. The meaning, therefore, is, 'we were baptised in order that we should die with him,' i. e. that we should be united to him in his death, and partakers of its benefits. Thus "baptism unto repentance," Matt. 3: 11, is

baptism in order to repentance; "baptism unto the remission of sins," Mark 1: 4, that remission of sins may be obtained; "baptised into one body," 1 Cor. 12: 13, i. e. that we might become one body, &c. The idea of the whole verse, therefore, is, 'That as many as have been baptised into Jesus Christ, have become intimately united with him, so that they are conformed to him in his death, and participate in the blessings for which he died.' Much to the same effect the apostle says, Gal. 3: 27, "As many as have been baptised into Christ, have put on Christ," i. e. have become intimately united to him. Paul uses the expression baptised into Christ, not for the mere external or formal profession of the religion of the gospel, but for the cordial reception of it, of which submission to the rite of baptism was the public and appointed expression. The meaning, therefore, is, that those who have sincerely embraced Jesus Christ, have done it so as to be united to him, conformed to his image and the design for which he died. Christ died in order that he might destroy the works of the devil, 1 John 3: 8; to save his people from their sins, and to purify to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works, Tit. 2: 14. Every Christian, therefore, who becomes a follower of Christ, does so for the very purpose of being delivered from sin.

(4) Therefore we are buried by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up, &c. Such being the nature and design of the gospel, if we accept of Christ at all, it is that we should die with him; i. e. that we should attain the object for which he died, viz. deliverance from sin;' or, to use the apostle's figurative expression, that as Christ was raised from the dead, we also might walk in newness of life.

The words into death are evidently to be connected with the word baptism (βαπτίσμα εἰς τὸν θάνατον); it is by a baptism unto death that we are united to Christ, as stated in the preceding verse. We are said to be buried with Christ; i. e. we are effectually united to him in his death. The same idea is expressed in v. 8, by saying "we are dead with him;" and in v. 5, by saying, we are "planted together in the likeness of his death." It does not seem necessary to suppose that there is any allusion to the mode of baptism, as though that rite was compared to a burial. No such allusion can be supposed in the next verse, where we are said to be planted with him. Baptism is, through

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