(Continued from page 194.)

But what are we to understand by these expressions," crucified with Christ," and "dead with Christ"? We all know when and where He was crucified, or died. Believers, according to apostolic teaching, are divinely seen as crucified with Him-as having died with Him. Now if we think for a moment what is meant by substitution, we need not be at a loss as to the mind of the Spirit in these expressions. Supposing, in a time of war, a person is drafted. He procures a substitute. The substitute goes into battle, and is killed. The one who was drafted is, or should be, regarded as having died in his substitute; and the authorities would have really no further claim on him for such service. This, I believe, has been taken into court, and has been so decided. However, this is only to illustrate a precious truth which is not doubtful. Christ in love put Himself in our place-became our substitute, and laid down His life for us. Those who believe, thus avail themselves of this provision of divine love, and are free forever. The value of His death is by God appropriated to them. Hence they are reckoned as crucified with Him-as having died in His dying. Of course, this is not counted to souls till they believe; but as soon as they do believe, they are seen as identified with Him in His atoning death.

And what are the present happy effects of this intimate relation to the Cross ? Of course, those who are before God in the value of Christ's death are forgiven their sins. All true believers may say in the fullest confidence, "We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." "I write unto you, children," says John, "because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake." Blessed to know that our sins are forever gone from before God, through the Cross, and that He remembers them no more!

But not only are those who are identified with Christ in His death forgiven their sins-their whole condition of sin is met. Not only did Christ die for our sins, but " He died unto sin" (Rom. 6:10); that is, our sin-the sin in which we were conceived (Ps. 51:5). We are "by nature the children of wrath" (Eph. 2:3). He atoned for what we are, as well as for what we have done, in the death of the cross. So that believers are not only justified from their sins, or what they have done, but they are justified, cleared, discharged from sin, or what they are (Rom. 6:7, see margin). This is what is meant by being "dead unto sin," that is, freed from its condemnation, it being the result of Christ dying to sin. Hence, though believers are not delivered from the presence of "sin in the flesh," yet they are fully delivered from its condemning power. '' There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." They "are justified from all things." So that, though they may be often reminded that they have as yet a sinful nature, yet it need not trouble them; for all they have to do is not to allow it to act, by keeping the reins in the hands of the new nature; for being born of God, they are "partakers of the divine nature"; and being led by the Spirit, which is their blessed privilege, they do not fulfil the desires of the flesh, any more than a person can go two opposite ways at the same time.

Again, those who have died with Christ are thereby delivered from the law, and are under grace. They have died out of the sphere, or standing, in which the law has a claim. The design of the law is distinctly stated in the fifth chapter of Romans. After the apostle has informed us of the entrance of sin into the world by one man, and of the far-reaching effects of "the one offence," he adds, "Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound." In the third chapter he says, "By the law is the knowledge of sin." This is all that the law can do for a sinner. The law is a legal demand made on those who are bankrupt, those who have nothing with which to meet the demand; "because the carnal mind is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." And the design of the law was to bring out this fact. And this was in love, showing man, ruined man, has need of grace, and of Christ. The apostle, in the next chapter, states what grace has wrought through the Cross, and that those who bow to grace are crucified with Christ, and thereby have died out of the standing in the flesh to which the law applies. This being the case, the announcement is made, '' Ye are not under the law, but under grace."

In the next chapter, that believers are under grace, and not law, is given more fully. The apostle says, "Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth ?" Mark the expression, "as long as he liveth "; but he is teaching that believers are dead. He next takes an illustration from the law of marriage. "For the woman who hath a. husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. . . . Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ;"-dying in our stead- "that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." Here the law is regarded as the first husband, and Christ as the second. But believers are seen as having died, so that they "are not in the flesh," where the law has dominion; and they are in a new life beyond death, in which it has no voice, the tie being broken by death; therefore they are in a position to be united to another, even to Him who was raised from the dead. And what for ? " That we should bring forth fruit unto God." "Shall we sin," says the apostle, in the previous chapter, '' because we are not under the law, but under grace ?" God forbid, he directly answers. Should law have more power with a child of God than grace ? Did not God's people, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and others, live holy lives long before the law was given ? Surely, then, may not we who have died out of law's sphere, and are alive in Christ and united to Him and have the Holy Spirit to help our infirmities, live holy lives as well as they ?

But it may be asked, seeing that believers are not under the law, have they no rule or measure of walk to guide their steps ? Oh yes; for the same apostle says in another place, " In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature," – or, a new creation,- "and as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God" (Gal. 6:15, 16). What is the "rule" as here given? It is "new creation." Believers are a new creation in Christ, and they are to walk according to that. This "rule" or measure of walk is developed in all the practical teachings in the apostolic epistles.

Also, those who have died with Christ are not only dead to sin, and the law, but to the world; that is, they have ceased to be a part of it. As the blood of the paschal lamb, sprinkled on the lintel and doorpost of the houses of the Israelites, severed them from the Egyptians, so the blood of the true Paschal Lamb severs those who believe from the world. His blood was shed for this purpose. He gave Himself for us that, as the apostle says, "He might deliver us from the present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." So that He can say of His own, in speaking to the Father, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." Happy for us if we so enter into this truth, realizing its immense meaning and importance, as to be able to sing from the heart,

"We are but strangers here, we do not crave
A home on earth, which gave Thee hut a grave;
Thy cross has severed ties which hound us here,
Thyself our treasure in a brighter sphere."

Well would it be if all who utter such words did really think what it cost to deliver them from a doomed world, for then they would not be so much conformed to its spirit and ways. Child of God, gaze on the dying agonies of that blessed One, and let thy path through this scene of evil be governed by that sight. "Be not conformed to this world."

We may add another thought under this head, namely, those who are identified with Christ in His death have through His. precious blood a place in heaven. The Cross, which put away sin, rent the veil and opened heaven, so that, as the apostle says, we have "boldness," or liberty, as the margin reads, "to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh." The apostle says to the Ephesian Christians, "In Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are now made nigh by the blood of Christ." Mark the expression "made nigh"; not only forgiven through the Cross, and dead to sin, and the law, and the world, but brought nigh, brought to God, even seated in His presence "in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." All true believers are there in Him who shed His blood to bring them there. They are now there in Him. This is their present standing. Soon they will be with Him there, which is their hope. They may sing:

" O Lord, we adore Thee !
For Thou hast redeemed us;
Our title to glory
We read in Thy blood."

O blessed be Thy peerless name! May the poor heart be fully and abidingly with Thee!

Such is the intimate relation which believers sustain to the Cross, and the present happy effects of that relation. R. H.

(To be concluded in our next, D. V.)