THERE is great comfort in the doctrine of election. It tells me that my history is a very old one. It did not begin when I believed. My faith in Christ was an event or fact far down in the course of my history. The story itself, written (wondrous to tell it!) by a divine hand, began ere worlds were framed, and covenant counsels concerning me constituted the first great fact. My foundation is there, be my faith weak or strong. Others brightly outshine me, and rapidly outrun me. I will rejoice in that, and neither envy their fruitfulness, nor be alarmed because of my comparative leanness. My origin is as divine, and venerable, and holy as theirs, and my foundation as immovable. Much more luxuriant branches may spread themselves at my side, but we have all one root. My pedigree is as high as theirs, only they are more distinguished in the family history.
There is nothing more opposed to the mind of God, than making little of His grace in Christ. The Galatians were not giving up Christ. They were only dividing their confidence between Him and other things. They were only partly surrendering Him. But how does the apostle deal with this? “Behold I, Paul, say unto you, if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.” And happy for us is this jealousy of the Holy Ghost, watching and surrounding, as with a wall of fire, that truth which makes the sinner happy―the grace of God in Christ Jesus.