ward; rather, they had received already an inestimable gift, and this gift they were to keep and guard. We speak familiarly of "having a stake," as giving a person a greater interest in things; we look upon a person being born already with certain temporal advantages, as birth, station, ancient family, reputation of parents, well-conducted ancestry, as a ground the more why he should be diligent to keep them; much more, when a person has any thing of his own, a good name, an even course of life, or the like. This instinctive feeling of watching the more heedfully over that which they had, was seen by the ancient Church to be called into action by St. Paul, only heightened by the inestimable greatness of that gift, and purified by its awful holiness. "It is plain," says St. Ambrose', "that this" [that no unclean person, nor covetous man, which is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of CHRIST, and of GOD,'] "is said of baptized persons; "for they receive the inheritance, who are baptized in the Death "of CHRIST, and are buried with Him, that they may rise with "Him. Therefore, they are heirs of GOD, joint- heirs with "CHRIST;' heirs of God,' because the grace of God is transcribed "into them; co-heirs with CHRIST,' because they are renewed "into His Life; heirs also of CHRIST, because through His Death, a testator, the inheritance is given them. They then ought more to take heed to themselves, who have what they may lose, than "they who have it not. They must act with greater watchfulness, must avoid the enticements to vices, the provocatives to sins, especially such as arise from meat and drink. Lastly, the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."" "Recol"lect," says St. Jerome, "that day of thy commencing warfare, "wherein buried with CHRIST in Baptism,' thou swarest into the "words of that sacramental oath."

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We need no testimony from later writers; yet it is remarkable that even Calvin, as a commentator, forgetting, for a while, his dread, lest men should rest in their Baptism, says, "St. Paul proves what he had just said, namely, that' CHRIST slays sin in those who are His,' from the effect of Baptism. Know we then that the Apostle does not here merely exhort us to imitate CHRIST, as if he said, that the death of CHRIST was a pattern which all Christians should

1 Ep. 63. Eccl. Vercell. § 11, 12. t. ii. p. 1025. 2 Ep. 14. ad Heliod. § 2.

imitate. Assuredly he goes deeper; and brings forward a doctrine, on which afterwards to found exhortation; and this is, that the death of CHRIST has power to extinguish and abolish the corruption of our flesh, and His Resurrection, to raise up in us the newness of a better life; and that by Baptism we are brought into the participation of this grace." And again, on the word "planted," he observes," Great is the emphasis of this word, and it clearly "shows, that the Apostle is not merely exhorting, but is rather "teaching us of the goodness of CHRIST. For he is not requiring any thing of us, which may be done by our zeal or industry, but "sets forth a graffing-in, effected by the hand of God. For graff"ing-in implies not merely a conformity of life, but a secret union, "whereby we become one with Him; so that quickening us by His "SPIRIT, He transfuses His power into us. So then, as the graft "shares life and death with the tree into which it is graffed, so are

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we partakers of the Life no less than of the death of CHRIST."

I. 2. St. Paul tells the Galatians (iii. 27, 28.)

"For as many of you as have been baptized into CHRIST, have put on CHRIST. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in CHRIST JESUS. And if ye be CHRIST's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise 1."

The section containing this passage, Gal. iii. 24-fin. is a lesson in the Armenian Baptismal service, and closed with Halleluia, (Ass. ii. 196, 206.) and v. 23-fin. in the Syriac Liturgy of Jerusalem. (Ib. ii. 249.) Allusion to it is made in a Syriac hymn, used in the Liturgy of Severus (Ib. 299. see below p. 113), and the words are chanted in the Greek. (Ib. ii. 148.) And in the Armenian again, it seems a sort of hymn, in which it is recited during the washing of the infant's body in water after Baptism. "Ye who have been baptized in CHRIST, have put on CHRIST,' Alleluia. Ye who have been enlightened in the FATHER, the HOLY SPIRIT shall rejoice in you." (Ib. ii. 201. 20.) Reference also is made to it in the Latin, in that the following verse, which depends upon it, is alluded to in the prayer for the consecration of the font. (Sacramentary of Gelasius)" that a heavenly progeny may arise (out of the font,) conceived through sanctification from the immaculate womb of the Divine fountain, re-born into a new creature, and that those whom sex distinguished in body, or, in time, age, Grace may, as a mother, give birth to all into one infant state;" ["there is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in CHRIST JESUS." v. 28.] In the old Gallican consecration of the font, it is directly quoted (Ib. ij. 3. Sacramentary

Here, again, what most Christians would now learn from the passage, would be the necessity of being conformed to CHRIST'S life, of living consistently with our Christian profession. And the like words are, indeed, elsewhere used in a Christian law; “Put ' ye on the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." And so in other places of Scripture, we are bid to do that, perseveringly, which has been done for us. "Lighten mine eyes, O LORD, that I sleep not in death," prays the Psalmist". "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from death, and CHRIST shall give thee light," comes as an answer. And so, what in the Galatians we are told has been in Baptism done for us, the Romans, who had been baptized, he bids do for themselves. We are first clothed upon by Him, and when we have been thus clothed, the blessing1 is pronounced upon “ him that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked." Our shame which we contracted in Adam's fall is first hidden, and our garment of immortality and righteousness more than restored by being made members of CHRIST, and then we are bidden, "buy of Me white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the

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of Gellon, ib. p. 53.) "let those who are defiled by sins, be unclothed of them; and, by their departure, be there put on a garment of light, and clothing of immortality; 'whosoever shall be baptized in CHRIST, let them put on CHRIST."" (Ib. ii. 38.) The same text is doubtless the origin of the rite in the old Gallican, Gothic, Roman, Ambrosian, Syrian, Greek Liturgies, and in our own previous to the alteration in Edward VI. 2nd book, of putting on a white vestment after Baptism (a rite which is still retained, though in a disguised form, in that children are baptized in white). With this text an allusion to the wedding-garment was combined, as in the Syriac hymn above, where there follows, "be united with His kindred-for He is of great kindred, as it is said in His parable." The text is referred to in another Syriac hymn just preceding the Baptism, "In the faith of the TRINITY, FATHER, and SON, and HOLY SPIRIT, are ye anointed, ye spiritual lambs: that from the water ye may put on the robe of glory." (Ib. ii. 225.) Tertullian incorporates it remarkably in his language: "Yea, since Paul alone of them [the Apostles] put on the Baptism of CHRIST." De Bapt. c. 12. p. 228.

1 Rom. xiii. 14.

2 Ps. xiii. 3.

3 Quoted Eph. v. 14. These are so united by Bishop Cosins, Devotions, p. 10, 11. ed. xi. 4 Rev. xvi. 15.

See Bishop Bull, On the State of Man before the Fall. Newman on Justification: Lect. 7.

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shame of thy nakedness do not appear 1." Yet this does not hinder that the gift, which is to be retained by our diligence and dependence upon the Giver, was originally given. A gift of GOD implies, that we should keep it, use it, not waste it; and so Christian duty is implied here, but only because such ought ever to be the result of Christian grace2. The main great truth again relates to our privileges. For St. Paul is proving that Christians are "no longer under the law." And this he shows, in that the law was "a schoolmaster to bring them unto CHRIST." But now they were no longer under a schoolmaster, for they had been freed from the bondage of the law, in that they had been made children of GOD; "We are all the children of God through faith in CHRIST JESUS," (as he elsewhere more explicitly contrasts the bondage of the law, and the liberty of the sons of GoD, "For ye "have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye "have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Fa"ther," Rom. viii. 15.) And this our sonship to God, again, he proves through our Baptism; "for 3," he says, "as many of you as have been baptized into CHRIST, have put on CHRIST." Not only the words, but the argument, ought to be heeded: it is not only

1 Rev. iii. 8.

2 Hence the Fathers often argue from Rom. xiii. 14. as containing altogether the same doctrine; and rightly, since the Apostle could not have bid them, 66 put on CHRIST" of themselves, nor unless they had previously been clad with Him, by an act of GOD. Thus St. Jerome, "The clothing of kings' sons, and the garment of princes' is CHRIST, which we receive in Baptism, according to that, 'Put ye on CHRIST JESUS,' (Rom. xiii. 14.) and 'Put ye on bowels of mercy, goodness, humbleness, meekness, patience,' &c. wherein we are enjoined to be clothed with the new man from heaven, after our Creator. When then we ought to be clothed with such garments, for mercy we are clothed with cruelty; for patience with impatience; for righteousness with iniquity; in a word, for virtues with vices; i. e. for CHRIST with antichrist; whence it is said of such an one, 'he clothed himself with cursing as with a garment.'" In Soph. i. 9.

3 Even Pelagius saw, and expressed warmly, because truly, this connexion of the argument with Baptism, "Being clothed with the Son of GOD, and being "wholly made members of Him, ye must needs be sons of GOD; what then "have ye to do with the law, which was given to slaves and sinners, you to "whom by Baptism sins have been remitted?"-Ad loc.

112MEN MADE SONS OF GODIN BAPTISM BY BEING MEMBERS OF His son.

to be accounted for, that the Apostle says, 66 as many as have been baptized into CHRIST, have put on CHRIST," but that he says, "for as many as have; " so that the "having put on CHRIST by Baptism" is the means whereby they had become the sons of GOD, or contains in itself the privilege of being such; and this might alone show, that the being clothed with CHRIST is the gift of GOD, not any quality in man, (except as His gift involves qualities as its consequence ;) for no quality in man can make him a son of GOD. He only can be a son of God, whom God adopts as such; nor does God regard any as His sons, in consequence of any thing in them; but first makes them His sons, that as His sons they may do things well-pleasing to Him. But the words thus acquire a very awful meaning; for if the having put on CHRIST, the being clothed with Him, makes us sons of GOD, then it makes us so, in that we are "made members of CHRIST:" and "sons of God," because members of His Ever-Blessed SoN; i. e. whoever of us has been baptized, was thereby incorporated into CHRIST, and so being made a portion and member of the Son of God, partakes of that sonship, and is himself a child of GoD: so that henceforth the FATHER looks upon him, not as what he is in himself, but as in, and a part of, His Well-beloved Son, and loves him with a portion of that ineffable love with which He loves His Son.

Theodoret concisely explains the Apostle's argument: "Having "said that 'ye are all sons of GOD,' he teaches also how they ob"tained this, and says, ' ye have put on CHRIST,' Him Who is truly "the SON OF GOD; but having put Him on, well may ye be called 66 sons of GOD." And so St. Chrysostom', "And now he shows "that they are sons not of Abraham only, but of GoD also; for "ye are all sons of God through faith which is in CHRIST JESUS'through faith, not through the law. And then, since this is a "great and wonderful thing, he names also the mode of their "adoption, for as many of you as bave been baptized into "CHRIST, have put on CHRIST.' And why saith he not, for as "many as have been baptized into CHRIST have been born of "GOD?' for so had he proved more directly that they were sons.

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1 Ad loc. t. x. p. 704. ed. Ben.