"He saith this in a way much more awfully great. For since "CHRIST is the SON of GOD, and thou hast put Him on, having "the SoN in thyself, and being transformed into His likeness, "thou hast been brought into one kindred and one species with "Him." "Descend," it is said in a Syriac baptismal hymn', "descend, our brother, who art sealed, and be clothed with our "LORD; and be united with His kindred." St. Paul speaks then not of duties, (though every privilege involves a duty corresponding,) but of privileges, inestimable, inconceivable, which no thought can reach into, but which all thought should aim at embracing, our union with God in CHRIST, wherein we were joined in Holy Baptism. And so again we may see how the foolishness of God, in what men call carnal ordinances, is wiser than man ; and how a false spirituality, by disparaging the outward ordinance, loses sight of the immensity of the inward grace; and holding lightly by GoD's appointment, as being "legal," does thereby fall back into mere legality. GOD gave adoption and union with Himself in CHRIST through the SPIRIT; men disregarding His ordinance, have found but a Law.

The succeeding verse carries on the argument, at the same time that it joins on with other Scripture; "There is in Him (ovk evt) "neither Jew nor Greek; there is in Him neither slave nor free; "there is in Him neither male nor female; for ye are all one (one "being, elç) in CHRIST JESUS." For it brings out the more clearly how the " being clothed with CHRIST," is the same as being “ in CHRIST JESUS ;" and it connects both with that His mystical body, His Church, wherein all differences of nation or circumstance or sex disappear, in so far as all are made one through the indwelling of CHRIST by His SPIRIT, by whom all are one (v), as the "FATHER in the SON, and the SON in the FATHER, so they are one "in the FATHER and the SON," through the SPIRIT. (John xvii. 21.) So, then, now it appears, that they who are baptized into CHRIST, are made members of the body of CHRIST; are joined on by a mystical union with Him their Head; are one mystical body, one with another, by being in Him; are in Him, by being clothed upon by Him; and so are sons of God by being members of Him. And 1 Assem. cod. Lit. T. 2. p. 237.

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VOL. II. P. II.-NO. 67.

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thus the several expressions give reality one to another, and what is figurative, and its meaning at first sight might be doubtful, (as the "putting on CHRIST") is seen to be a reality: for, seeing we are in Him, then the "putting on CHRIST" is a spiritual reality, the being encompassed, surrounded, invested with Him (as a body is with a garment ';) and it is, again, the more real, in that it is the source of a blessed reality, the being sons of God, by being in Him, or members of Him, in His Divine nature, GoD the SON. And so, also, it appears how "by faith in CHRIST JESUS" (v. 26.) we become sons of God, in that through that faith we are admitted to that Sacrament, wherein He makes us members of Himself. And so again we see the more the force of those words by which St. Paul so frequently describes our Christian privileges, the being "in CHRIST." "Who were in CHRIST before me," (Rom. xvi. 7.) "we, being many, are one body in CHRIST." (ib. xii. 5.) "alive unto GOD, in CHRIST JESUS Our LORD,” (ib. vi. 11.) "there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in "CHRIST JESUS," (viii. 1.) " to them who have been sanctified in "CHRIST JESUS," (1 Cor. i. 2.) " ye are of Him in CHRIST JESUS," (ver. 30.) "I could not speak unto you as spiritual, but as unto "carnal, as babes in CHRIST," (ib. iii. 1.) “in CHRIST JESUS have "I begotten you through the Gospel," (ib. iv. 15.) "those who "have fallen asleep in CHRIST," (xv. 18.) "as in Adam all die, so "in CHRIST shall all be made alive," (ver. 22.) "so then if any "be in CHRIST, he is a new creature," (2 Cor. v. 17.) " I "knew a man in CHRIST," (xii. 2.) "I was unknown by face to "the Churches of Judæa, which are in CHRIST," (Gal, i. 22.) "the liberty which we have in CHRIST JESUS," (ii. 4.) " but if "seeking to be justified in CHRIST," (ii. 17.) "in CHRIST "JESUS, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircum

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1 "CHRIST Himself is the garment and robe, floating in the water, which "clothes many, and tarries for a countless multitude, and fails not. But lest any say that I do rashly in calling the Son of GOD a garment, let him read the "Apostle saying, 'Whoever of you have been baptized in the Name of CHRIST, "have put on CHRIST.' O Robe! ever one and unchanging; which clothes "becomingly all ages and forms, fits itself to the stature of infants, yet enfolds "full-grown men, nor is changed to array females."-Optat. de Schism. Donat. L. 5. v. fin.

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cision," (Gal. v. 6. vi. 15.) "to the faithful in CHRIST JESUS," (Eph. i. 1.) "Who blessed us in all spiritual blessing in hea'venly places in CHRIST, according as He chose us in Him,— "having predestinated us to the adoption of sons, through JESUS "CHRIST unto Himself-to the praise of the glory of His grace, "wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved; in whom "we have redemption-according to His good pleasure, which "He purposed in Him-to gather under one head all things in "CHRIST, both those in heaven, and those in earth, in Him, in "Whom also we were chosen, in Whom ye also, having be"lieved also, were sealed," (i. 3-13.) "having raised Him "from the dead, and placed Him on His own right hand in heavenly places, and us, being dead in sins, did He quicken "together with CHRIST, and raised together, and placed together "in heavenly places in CHRIST JESUS," (i. 20. ii. 5.) "we are His "workmanship, having been created in CHRIST JESUS," (ver. 10.) "but now, in CHRIST JESUS, ye who before were afar off have been "made nigh," (ver. 13.)" to the saints in CHRIST JESUS," (Phil. i. 1.) "I can do all things in CHRIST, Who strengtheneth me," (iv. 13.) "My God shall fulfil all your needs, according to His "riches in glory in CHRIST JESUS," (ver. 19.) "to the faithful "brethren in CHRIST," (Col. i. 2.) "that we may present every "man perfect in CHRIST JESUS," (ver. 28.) " the Churches of GOD, "which are in Judæa in CHRIST JESUS," (1 Thess. ii. 14.) "the "dead in CHRIST," (iv. 16.) "all who will live godly in CHRIST "JESUS," (2 Tim. iii. 12.)" my fellow-prisoner in CHRIST JESUS," (Philem. 23.); and not St. Paul only, but St. Peter and St. John, or rather the HOLY GHOST in all, declares, as by one mouth, in the same way, our awful privilege; for so St. Peter also," the "God of all grace, who has called us to His eternal glory in "CHRIST JESUS," (1 Pet, v. 10.) and" Peace be with you all who are in CHRIST JESUS ;" (ver. 14.) and St. John, "We are in Him "that is true, in His SON JESUS CHRIST." (1 John v. 20.)

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If in the one or other of these passages, taken by themselves, the force of this language would have been less distinct, yet in these, as also in others which might be added, it is determined by the evidence of the plainer passages, and by the light, which they

all collectively, mutually cast upon and receive from each other.

It is not in vain that this language recurs so frequently ', on so many different occasions, with different modifications of meaning or of application, sometimes bringing more prominently the relation to our LORD Himself; at others, our individual connexion with Him through His Church; at others, our relation through Him to the FATHER; at others, His gifts in us, or the degree in which we severally continue in Him, as we have profited by His gifts, and are ruled by His SPIRIT; but still one and the same fundamental doctrine in all, that we are "in Him;" of course, in some unearthly way, but still really and mystically. No mere external relation, (as the being members of the visible body, called by His Name) exhaust the inwardness of the words "in CHRIST;" nor, though a meaning could be given here and there to a passage, by substituting" by," "through," or the like, may this be done, now that the frequency of the recurrence of the language marks out its use as designed; it stands there in deep simplicity, at first sight hardly seeming to convey more than that these our blessings came to us through Him, yet opening a greater fulness of mystery to those who would penetrate below the surface, and would wish to see what they may see-the hidden mystery of union with CHRIST, and of the reality of our dwelling in Him, and He in us. It is not any unity of will, though worked by Him; no mere conformity of mind, though by Him wrought; no act of faith, casting itself upon His mercy; no outward imputation of righteousness; no mere ascription of His perfect obedience in our stead; no

1 It were trifling with the truth, to say, that in some cases iv is equivalent to dia; or to speak of the Hebraisms of the N. T.; for this is only throwing the question further back as to what is meant by that very Hebrew usage; and certainly that Hebrew idiom itself expresses that the agent employed is not a mere instrument, but that GOD, e. g. "spoke in Hosea," as well as by Him (Hos. i. 2.); and the HOLY GHOST, for some end, directed the adoption of this idiom in the N. T. Again, it were a mere assumption to say, that “created in the image of GOD" is simply equivalent to "created after, according to;" there is some reason why what is written, is written; much more in the N. T. does the great frequency of this usage (and passages have been accumulated, in order to impress this fact,) imply that there is some special meaning in it.

TO BE IN CHRIST, AS IN ADAM, REAL NOT BY IMPUTATION ONLY. 117

being clothed upon (as people speak) with His righteousness; not being looked upon by the FATHER as in Him; none of these things come up to the reality of being "in Him :" and why, when Scripture speaks of being "in Him;" speak of" being regarded "as in Him?" why when Scripture speaks of being "clothed "with Him," speak of having His righteousness cast around us to interpose between our sins and the sight of GOD? Why when Scripture speaks of realities, talk of figures? No, there is a reality in this Scripture language, which is not to be exchanged away for any of these substitutions. As we are in Adam, not merely by the imputation of Adam's sin, but by an actual community of a corrupt nature, derived to us from him by our natural descent from him, and because all mankind " were in his "loins," in and after his fall; so that we have a sad share in him, as having been in him, and being from him, and of him, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh; and this stream of bitterness, which flows into, and spoils all men's natural actions, was derived from him as its fountain head; so, on the other hand, are we in CHRIST, not merely by the imputation of His righteousness, but by an actual, real, spiritual origin from Him, not physical, but still as real as our descent from Adam. And that, our actual descent from Adam is cut off by this our new lineage in CHRIST; our birth in Adam is corrected and replaced by our birth of GoD in CHRIST as we are really sons of man by physical birth, so are we as really and as actually "sons of God," by spiritual birth: sons of man, by being born of Adam, sons of GOD by being members of Him Who is the Son of God.

This actualness of our birth by Baptism is well realized in the language of St. Hilary', when refuting the Arians, who interpreted our LORD's words "I and the FATHER are One," of an unity of will only. The acknowledged actualness of the unity of Christians, the one nature, through one Baptism, pervading and giving unity to the whole Body, as contained in this saying of the Apostle, is forcibly assumed as the groundwork of the argument, that the Unity of the FATHER and the SoN is an Unity of Nature,

1 De Trin. viii. 7-9.