Galatians iii. Paul says, "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? "This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? "Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"

The questions which Paul addresses to the Galatians he addresses unto all: therefore let each one answer for himself. Paul asks, "Are you now made perfect by the flesh?" It is evident that man is not made perfect by the flesh: for flesh cannot fulfil the law. Moreover, man is not justified by the law, neither is the Spirit given by the law; neither is the promise given to Abraham and his seed of or by the law: in no manner or way is man justified by the flesh, which is through the works of the law. The text states, "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. "And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying. In thee shall all nations be blessed. "So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." In these verses the comprehensive nature of justification by faith is made manifest. Why is justification made by faith? It is made of faith that it might be by grace, that it might be a free gift. Why should justification be made a free gift? It is made a free gift that it might be universal to all which repent and believe, or, as stated in Rom. iv. 16, "To the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham."

Man was predestinated and called according to a purpose, but his fall having been foreseen, a plan for his redemption was laid down and fulfilled in the death of Christ, the Lord. If man was restored to life by the death of Christ, why did not his justification ensue? It did not ensue because the plans of the great purpose, according to which he was called, must be carried out.

The redemption of man, although compassed with dire tribulation, is comparatively easy: for it is written (Isa. xlix. 6), "It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth." Hence the magnitude of the purpose looms out into grand proportions, and a highway of reconciliation therefore must be prepared, wherein all, even to the very ends of the earth, may have an opportunity of entering. In this highway stands a great ensign bearing the following inscription:

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, THE WORD OF GOD.

To this ensign all hosts can gather, and to this ensign all hosts will gather. Now it can be seen why the justification of men did not ensue or immediately follow from the death of the Saviour; it was that the Gentiles also might be perfected with him. But in the establishment of this highway no man knows the extent of the tribulation and suffering involved.

Concerning the promise, the text states, "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

"And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect."

Paul says clearly that the promises were to Abraham and his Seed, which Seed is Christ. When was the promise made to Christ? It was promised to him before man was created, for it is stated in the ii. Psalm, "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." When was this command given? It was given in the day the Son was begotten; and the Son was begotten before man was created, that he might be the first-born among many brethren. Did the Son ask of the Lord in accordance with the above command? Yes: for it is stated in the xxi. Psalm, "He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever." But the promise was given to Abraham and his Seed when he dwelt in Ur of the Chaldees; therefore it is not possible for the law, which was given four hundred and thirty years after, to disannul and make void the promise: for the promise was confirmed of God in Christ before the law was given, either as defined by Moses or as given forth in the garden of Eden. From this it is evident that the inheritance is not of the law, but that it is of promise.

If the inheritance be of promise and not of the law, it may be asked with the text, "Wherefore then serveth the law?" The text replies to its question as follows: "It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator." These transgressions evidently relate to those which existed before man fell: hence the promise was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. The text states, "Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one." If God is one, where is the other to be found that there should be a mediator? The text does not directly reply, but it is manifest that it must be those who are under transgression: therefore the mediator is a mediator between God and the transgressor, irrespective of host.

The text states, "Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, erily righteousness should have been by the law.

"But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." These verses clearly state in substance that no law was given whereby righteousness might be obtained. But the law is not against the promises: for through the law man is made dead to the law by the body of Christ, and through Christ the highway of justification by faith is open to all transgressors that believe. The text continues, "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. "But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." The law, therefore, was a schoolmaster, or a means whereby man was brought unto Christ, and it follows that, by the faith which is now revealed, justification is established for them which may believe, Jesus Christ being the mediator between God and the transgressor.