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is expreffed to us, by the change, of our state, which in fcripture is called our regeneration, or becoming new creatures, and new men. Circumcifion was but an outward fign and mark upon the body and the flefh, though it did indeed prefigure and typify the inward circumcifion of the heart, the giving of men new hearts and new fpirits, under the more perfect difpenfation of the gofpel: but now in Chrift Jefus, that is, in the Chriftian religion, the prefence or the want of this outward mark will avail nothing to our juftification; but that which was fignified by it, the renovation of our hearts and fpirits, our becoming new creatures, is now the condition of our justification and acceptance with God.

The falfe apoftles indeed did lay great ftrefs upon the bufinefs of circumcifion, not fo much out of zeal to the law of Mofes, as to avoid perfecution: ver.12. They conftrain you to be circumcifed, only left they fhould fuffer perfecution for the cross of Chrift; for at that time, though the Chriftians were perfecuted, yet the Jews, by the Roman edicts, had the free exercife of their religion, and therefore they gloried in this external mark of circumcifion, because it exempts ed them from fuffering. But St Paul gloried in his fufferings for Chrift, and the marks of that upon his body: ver. 14. God forbid that I should glory, fave in the cross of our Lord Jefus Chrift; and ver. 17. I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. He tells them, what neceffities foever they might pretend of circumcifion, either for their juftification or falvation, the true ground of all was, to fave themselves from temporal fufferings; and that in the Chriftian reli gion it fignified nothing to recommend them to the favour of God, whether they were circumcifed or not nothing would be available to this purpose, but the renovation and change of their hearts and lives: For in Chrift Jefus neither circumcifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumcifion, but a new creature; naivn allois, a new creation, to intimate the greatness of the change which Chriftianity, thoroughly entertained, made in men.

Having thus cleared the occafion and meaning of

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thefe words, I come now to confider the particulars' contained in them, namely, these two things:

1. That the gofpel hath taken away the obligation of the law of Mofes In Chrift Jefus neither circum-' cifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumcifion.

2. That according to the terms of the Chriftian' religion, nothing will avail to our justification and acceptance with God, but the real renovation of our hearts and lives: Neither circumcifion, nor uncir-' cumcifion, but a new creature.

1. That the gofpel hath taken away the obligation of the law of Mofes: In Chrift Jefus, that is, now under the difpenfation of the gofpel, neither circumcifon availeth any thing, nor uncircumcifion. There' was never any general obligation upon mankind to this rite of circumcifion, but only upon the feed of Abraham; but yet upon the preaching of the gofpel, many of the Jewish Chriftians would have brought the Gentiles under this yoke; pretending that Chriflianity was but a fuperftructure upon the law of Mofes, which, together with the gofpel, was to be the religion of the whole world: and there was fome' colour for this, because our Saviour himself submitted to this rite, and was circumcifed; which thẻ Aở postle takes notice of in the 4th chapter of this epiftle, ver. 4. When the fulness of time was come, God fent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that is, circumcifed: And it is true indeed, that our blessed Saviour was circumcifed, but not to figni-` fy to us the perpetuity of circumcifion, and the continuance of it under the Chriftian religion, but for a quite different end; as a teftimony of his obedience` to that law, which though afterwards it was to expire, yet was to be obeyed whilft it was in force, by all that were born under it. He was made under the law, and it became him, who came to teach mankind obedience to the laws of God, to fulfil all righteoafness himself. And therefore the Apostle in this' epiltle, where he takes notice of this, that Christ was made under the law, gives this reafon of it, that he might be the fitter to free those who were under it, from the fervitude of it: he was made under the law;' Bb 2 that

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that he might redeem them that were under the law; and that thofe who were in the condition of fervants before, might be fet at liberty, and receive the adop tion of fons.

But how did his being made under the law qualify him to redeem thofe who were under the law? Thus, by fubmitting to it himself, he fhewed that he owned the authority of it, and that he had no malice or en mity against it; as he himself expreffes it, that he came not to deffroy the law, but to fulfil it. And be ing fulfilled, and having ferved the time and end for which God intended it, it expired of itself, like a law which is not made for perpetuity, but limited to a certain period. And our bleffed Saviour, who came with greater authority than Mofes, and gave greater teftimony of his divine authority, had fufficient power to declare the expiration of it; and by commiffioning his difciples before and after his death to preach the gofpel to the whole, world, he put an end to that particular law and difpenfation, which only concerned the Jewish nation, by giving a general law to all

mankind.

So that from the death of our Saviour, and his a-fcenfion into heaven, upon which followed the gene-. ral publication of the gofpel, the law of Mofes cea-fed, and, according to our Saviour's exprefs appointment, profelytes were to be admitted into the Chriftian church only by baptifm, and not by circumcifion. And if circumcifion, which was the fign of that covenant, was laid afide, then the whole obligation of that law and covenant which God had made with the Jews was alfo ceafed. It was once indeed: the mark of God's chofen and peculiar people; but now that God hath revealed himself to the whole world by his Son, and offers falvation to all mankind, Gentiles as well as Jews, the wall of fepararation is broken down, and circumcifion, which was the mark of diftinction between Jews and Gentiles, is taken away; and therefore he is faid, to have made peace by his cross, and to have blotted out and taken away the hand writing of ordinances, nailing it to his cross that is, from the time of his death, to have: taken:

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taken away the obligation of the law of Mofes, tho' it was a good while after, before the Jews were wholly weaned from the veneration and use of it.

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Nay, it was fome time before the Apostles were clearly convinced, that the gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles; this being one of thofe truths which our Saviour promifed after his departure his Spirit fhould lead them into the perfect knowledge of; and then they were fully inftructed, that the law of Mofes was expired, and that it was no longer ne ceffary to the falvation of men, that they fhould be circumcifed, and keep that law. And though it was once injoined by God himself to the Jews, and their obedience to it was neceffary to their acceptance with God; yet now by Chrift Jefus, God had offered falvation to men upon other terms; and whether they were circumcifed or not, was of no moment to their juftification or falvation one way or other; but pro vided they performed the condition of this new cove. nant of the gospel, they were all alike capable of the divine favour and acceptance.

But I proceed to that which I mainly intended to profecute from these words; and that is the

II. Second particular in the text, namely, That according to the terms of the gofpel, and the Chriftian religion, nothing will avail to our justification and acceptance with God, but the real renovation of our hearts and lives: Neither circumcifion, nor uncircumcifion, but a new creature. For the full explication of this I fhall do these three things:

1. Shew what is implied in this phrase of a new

creature.

2. That this is the great condition of our juftifica. tion and acceptance with God, and that it is the fame in fubftance with faith perfected by charity, and with keeping the commandments of God.

3. That it is very reasonable it fhould be fo.

1. What is implied in this phrafe of a new creature. It is plain at firft fight, that it is a metaphorical expreffion of that great and thorough change which is made in men by the gospel, or the Chriftianreligion,

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religion. The fcripture fets forth to us this changer by great variety of expreffions, by converfion, and turning from our iniquities unto God; by repentance,. (which fignifies a change of our mind and refolution, and is in fcripture called repentance from dead works, and repentance unto life); by regeneration, or being born again; by refurrection from the dead, and rifing: to newness of life; by fanctification, and being washed and cleanfed from all filthinefs and impurity, (which three laft metaphors are implied in baptifm; which is called regeneration, Tit. iii. 5. According to his mercy he faved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft, and our being born a.. gain of water and the Holy Ghoft; John iii. 3. Except a man be born again, &c. and ver. 5. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God; and the purifying of our confciences, Heb. x. 22. Having our hearts Sprinkled from an evil confcience, and our bodies walked with pure water; and the answer of a good confcience › to-wards God, 1 Pet. iii. 21. Baptifm doth now fave us ; 5 not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the anfwer of a good confcience towards God; and finally our being baptized into the death and refurrection of Christ, Rom. vi. 3 4. Know ye not that fo many of us as were baptized into Jefus Chrift, were baptized into his death? therefore we are buried with him by baptifm into death, that like as Chrift was raifed up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even fo we also should's walk in newness of life); and, laftly, this change is fet forth to us by renovation, and our being made new creatures, and new men, 2 Cor. v. 17. There-fore if any man be in Chrift, that is, profeffeth himfelf a Chriftian, he is a new creature; old things are paft away, behold, all things are become new; and fo likewife, Ephef. iv. 22. 23. 24. this great change is expreffed by putting off concerning the former converfation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the lufts of deceit and being renewed in the fpirit of our minds, and putting on the new man, which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness. The ex

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