XI.

"which was commanded, and if fo much DISC. "as a beaft touch the mountain, it fhall "be ftoned or thrust through with a dart: " and fo terrible was the fight, that even "Mofes faid, I exceedingly fear and quake.) "But we are come unto mount Sion, and "unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerufalem, and to an innumer"able company of angels, to the general

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affembly and church of the first born, "which are written in heaven, and to God "the judge of all, and to the fpirits of

'juft men made perfect, and to Jesus the "mediator of the new covenant, and to "the blood of fprinkling, which fpeaketh. "better things than that of Abel";" the one crying as loud for mercy, as the other did for vengeance. And therefore, when this blood of fprinkling was first shed, "when eight days were accomplished for "the circumcifing the child, his name "was called JESUS, which was fo named "of the angel, before he was conceived in "the womb, faying, Thou shalt call his

DISC. "name JESUS, for he fhall SAVE his peo

The doctrine of the day being thus stated and explicated, nothing remains, but that we reduce it to practice. Something Chrift hath left us, in every myftery, to believe, and to admire; fomething alfo to love, and to imitate. The legal ceremony of circumcifion, having received it's accomplishment in Jefus, became of courfe null and void; infomuch, that the performance of it afterwards was juftly deemed a renunciation of Chrift, a denial of his advent in the flesh; for fo the Apoftle witneffeth; Behold, I Paul fay unto you, that if ye «be circumcised, Chrift fhall profit you "nothing." This is the unhappy cafe of the Jews, to this day; who, having loft the evangelical faith of their fathers, ftill continue under the law, with all it's judgments in force against them; and this must be their cafe, until their heart shall turn to the Lord their God, until they shall be led

a Matth. i. 21.

Gal. v. 2.

to

to acknowlege the holy Jefus, as the end DISC. of the law, and the Saviour of the world.

In the mean time, by us who believe, the
doctrine is to be tranfmitted from the head
to the heart, there by the operation of the
eternal Spirit to do away what St. James
ftyleth "the fuperfluity of maliciousness
cleanfing us from all filthiness of flesh and
fpirit, that we may perfect holiness in the
fear of God. It is true, that fin was mysti-
cally cut off, and destroyed, in the body of
Chrift; but wherefore? That it might live
and flourish in us? God forbid. Chrift was
made fin for us, not that we might con-
tinue in fin, but that we might become
the righteousness of God in him. For if
we be dead to fin in Chrift our reprefen-
tative, how can we, confiftently with our
profeffion, live any longer therein? How
can the circumcifion of Christ profit any
one, who celebrates the feftival as con-
ftantly as it returns, himself ftill continu-
ing
" uncircumcifed in heart and ears?"
Or, in other words, how can his baptism

с

Περίσσειαν κακιας. -Jam, i. 21.
Y 3

fave

XI,

DISC. fave him, whofe life is one perpetual re

XI.

nunciation of it? for baptism which fucceeded in the place of circumcifion, takes up the mystery, where that left it. The one fheweth fin cut off, in and with the body of Chrift; the other representeth it as buried in his grave, and the new man, through the power of his refurrection, rifen again, without fin, unto falvation. And one cannot but admire the manner in which St. Paul hath interwoven the fpiritual application of these two facraments of the old and new law. "Ye are complete

(faith he to his Coloffians) in Christ, "who is the head of all principality and

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power. In whom alfo ye are circum"cifed with the circumcifion made with"out hands, by the circumcifion of Christ, "buried with him in baptifm, wherein "also ye are rifen with him, through the "faith of the operation of God, who hath "raifed him from the dead: and you, be

66

ing dead in your fins and the uncircum

"cifion of your flesh, hath he quickened

66

together with him, having forgiven you

" all

XI.

"all trefpaffes"." We are to labour there- DISC. fore after the fpirit and power of these two facraments in our hearts, that they may be manifested in our lives and converfations. Otherwise, the letter of them can only condemn us. For as he is not a Jew, fo neither is he a Chriftian, who is one outwardly; but he is a true Jew, and he is a true Christian, who is fo inwardly; from whofe heart and members the luft of the flesh, the luft of the eyes, and the pride of life are cut off; who is dead and buried to fin, and risen again to righteousness. This bleffed work facramentally fhewn forth and begun in baptifm, is to be continued through life by the fucceffive renovations of repentance, by daily acceffions of knowlege, faith, and charity, producing and carrying on a gradual growth in grace, until it be perfected. And as the feafon annually returns, when it pleaseth God to begin again his work which men fo often behold, of renewing the face of the earth, by commanding the fun to revifit and cheer our world, where nature, during his absence,