XI. "which was commanded, and if fo much DISC. "as a beast touch the mountain, it shall "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 66 .. 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 Jefus the "mediator of the new covenant, and to "the blood of sprinkling, which speaketh "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 fhalt call his DISC. "name JESUS, for he fhall SAVE his peo The doctrine of the day being thus ftated and explicated, nothing remains, but that we reduce it to practice. Something Christ 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 justly deemed a renunciation of Chrift, a denial of his advent in the flesh; for fo the Apoftle witnesseth; "Behold, I Paul fay unto you, that if "be circumcifed, Chrift fhall profit you "nothing"." This is the unhappy case 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 fhall be led ye to XI. 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 styleth "the fuperfluity of maliciousness cleanfing us from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, that we may perfect holiness in the fear of God. It is true, that fin was myftically cut off, and deftroyed, 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 continue in fin, but that we might become the righteousness of God in him. For if we be dead to fin in Chrift our reprefentative, how can we, confiftently with our profeffion, live any longer therein? How can the circumcifion of Chrift profit any one, who celebrates the festival as conftantly as it returns, himself still continuing" uncircumcifed in heart and ears?" Or, in other words, how can his baptifm • Περίσσειαν κακιας· -Jam, i. 21. fave XI. DISC. fave him, whofe life is one perpetual renunciation of it? for baptifm 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 reprefenteth 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 66 (faith he to his Coloffians) in Christ, "who is the head of all principality and 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 "alfo ye are rifen with him, through the "faith of the operation of God, who hath " raised him from the dead: and you, be 66 ing dead in your fins and the uncircum"cifion of your flesh, hath he quickened "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 manifefted in our lives and converfations. Otherwife, the letter of them can only condemn us. For as he is not a Jew, so 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 whose 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 rifen again to righteousness. This blessed 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 abfence, |