are in the happy enjoyment of a salvation by faith, and that is all the reward they deserve, or have reason to expect.  We here perceive that these three men are made to establish the law of their king by faith in the good news he sent them by his son, which is to them a gospel.  We now see the propriety of the apostle’s language—­“We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.  Do we then make void the law through faith?  God forbid; yea we establish the law.”  We also perceive that these three men are not to be liberated from prison because they believe the promise, or love and obey the king.  But on the contrary it is the king’s love and promise to them which sets them free.

Let us now notice the other three prisoners.  One says I do not believe that we shall ever be released from prison.  It is too good news to be true.  Well, shall his unbelief make the king’s promise of none effect?  The king forbid; yea let the king be true, but that man a liar.  But let it be remembered that he cannot be proved a liar unless he is liberated.  Would you now go and tell that man-sir, because you will not believe, you shall never come forth from prison?  But do you not perceive that by so doing you would give the king the lie?  It would be saying that his promise was good for nothing unless the man would believe it.  It would be contending that the unbelief of this prisoner will make the king’s promise of none effect.

The other two prisoners exclaim—­we believe this second covenant, but it must bear some resemblance to the first which is conditional.  We believe that we shall get out of this prison if we continue to serve the king as, we have heretofore, by keeping his commandments.—­ Here are two men trusting in the first covenant for deliverance.  They are trusting in the law.  They are depending on their own love and faithfulness to the king for redemption, and not on the king’s love, promise and faithfulness to them.  Here then we see the righteousness of the law in those two prisoners; in another we see the effect of unbelief; and in those three who remained disobedient under the first covenant, we see the righteousness which is of faith when they heard the glad tidings of redemption in the second covenant.

At length the day of their redemption dawns.  They are all brought to the knowledge of the truth.  Those three prisoners, who were saved by faith in the promise during those two years of suspense, now find their faith lost in certainty.  Their salvation, by faith has come to an end.  And so has the unbelief, condemnation and doubtings of the other three prisoners.  In one word—­the belief and unbelief of the six are lost in knowledge, and they burst out in songs of deliverance So we perceive that a salvation by faith, and a condemnation in unbelief can last no longer than till we come to the knowledge of the truth.