world they have borne the image of the first man, who was of the earth earthy, so in the resurrection, when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, they shall bear the image of the second man which is heavenly, the bodies of their humiliation being fashioned like unto the glorious body of the Son of God, Phil. iii. 21. What, then, will be the condition of the soul in proportion to such a body? "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." hurd of

1 Mr Stuart explains the quickening of sour mortal bodies, as signifying" Will make them active instruments." But we do not see any alteration that in this world is made on the bodies of believers. They are, indeed, made active instruments, but this is not by any change on their bodies, but in the mind which governs them. Besides, any change that in this respect might be supposed to take place on the members of the body, would take place at the renewing of the mind. But the change here spoken of looks forward to something future, which has not yet taken place. Dr Macknight paraphrases the words thus, ' Will make even your dead bodies, 'your animal passions, together with the mem*bers of your mortal bodies, alive, that is, subservient to the spiritual life.' But animal passions, under the figure of dead bodies, must mean

the animal passions as they are sinful, and sin is never turned into holiness. The flesh is not subject to the law of God, nor ever will be subject.

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who communicates life to those who are habitations of God through him, is here set before believers as a pledge that their bodies shall not remain under the power of death. This indwelling, which renders their resurrection certain, imports his love, his government, and his care to adorn and to beautify the temple in which he resides, and the end of it is to confer everlasting life, everdasting purity, and everlasting communion. There is too much majesty and glory belonging to the blessed Spirit to allow those bodies, in which he dwelt as his temple, to lie for ever in ruins in the dust. And God, who raised up Jesus Christ from the dead, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting Covenant, will, in virtue of that blood, which purchased not only the redemption of the soul, but also of the body, v. 23, raise up the bodies of his people. Here the power and efficacy of the three glorious persons of the Godhead are brought into view as securing the complete reestablishment of the bodies of believers, which, though at present mortal, shall hereafter partake in all the glories and blessedness of eternal life. 169 This concurrence of the power of the God

head in the plan of redemption is established in a multitude of passages of the Holy Scriptures. In this economy the Father occupies the place of the founder of the church, the sovereign of the world, the protector and avenger of his laws, and the first director of the work of our salvation. The Son has taken the part of mediator between God and man, to do every thing necessary for our redemption. And the Holy Spirit has assumed that of the Comforter and sanctifier of the church. The first thing prepared for our salvation is what the Father has done, namely, in the plan which he has formed, in the appointment of the sacrifice, in the transference of our sins to him who has suffered, and in respect to the satisfaction he has received. The second thing is, what the Son has acquired and merited in coming into the world, in dying, and rising again. The third thing is, that the Holy Spirit has made actual application of the whole, producing in us faith and sanctification, diffusing in our hearts the sentiment of our peace with God on our justification, causing us to persevere to the end, and raising us up again, as he will do, at the last day. In this divine economy the Son has taken his mission from the Father to come into the world. On this account he so often refers his first advent to his being sent by the Father to take on himself the office of the

Prophet, the Priest, and the King of his Church. To this inequality of office such passages as the following ought to be referred:-"My Father is greater than I," John, xiv. 28; and that in 1 Cor. xv. 28, where it is said, "Then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him;" thus terminating his mediatorial office in delivering up the kingdom by an act of humiliation, in the same way as he had entered upon it. For in neither of these texts is any personal inequality spoken of between the Father and the Son; but of an inequality of office, according to which the Father is greater than the Son, and the Son inferior to the Father.

The resurrection of Christ, in the passage before us, is ascribed to the Father; but in other places this is also ascribed to the Son himself. The Father and the Son then must be one God. It is only those in whom the Spirit of God that raised Jesus from the dead dwells, who shall have their mortal bodies quickened by that Spirit, so as to rise again in glory. Christ, indeed, will also raise his enemies, but his own people will be made alive, which is never said of the wicked-to live with him in glory for ever.

V. 12.-Therefore, brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

This is a consequence drawn from what the

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Apostle had said with reference to the state of enmity against God, and of death, of those who are in the flesh; and likewise from what he had been showing to be the great privilege of be lievers, as being not in the flesh but in the Spirit; as having the Spirit of God dwelling in them; and not only giving life to their souls, but securing the future quickening and the raising of their bodies. From all this he infers their obli gation to live a holy life in walking according to the Spirit in the character which he had shown belonged to them. They were not then debtors to the flesh, the state they were in by nature, which is a state of corruption, guilt, and weak ness, to live after the flesh, either to expect life from its best efforts, or to obey it in the lusts thereof. The ways of the flesh promise happi ness, but misery is their reward. On the con trary, it is implied that they were debtors to God, to whom they were under so great obliga tions as being redeemed from the law of sin and death, to serve and obey him in walking accord ing to the Spirit in that new and divine nature which he had graciously imparted to them, tas

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13. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

For if ye live after the flesh.-If ye live agreeably to your carnal nature, without Christ and faith in him, and according to the corrupt prin