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

First, That the gofpel hath taken away the obligation of the law of Mofes. In Chrift Jefus neither circumcifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumcifion.

Secondly, That according to the terms of the Chriftian religion, nothing will avail to our juftification 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 gospel hath taken away the obligation of the law of Mofes. In Chrift Jefus, that is, now under the difpenfation of the gofpel, neither circumcifion 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 gospel, many of the Jewish Chriftians would have brought the Gentiles under this yoke; pretending that Chriftianity was but a fuperftructure upon the law of Mofes, which, together with the gospel, 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 the Apostle takes notice of in the iv. chap. 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 bleffed Saviour was circumcifed, but not to fignify 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 righteousness himself. And therefore the Apoftle in this epiftle, 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 thofe who were under it, from the fervitude of it; he was made under the B b 2

law,

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

But how did his being made under the law qualify him to redeem those 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 enmity against it; as he himself expreffes it, that he came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it. And being fulfilled, and having ferved the time and end for which God intended it, it expired of itfelf; 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 gospel to the whole world, he put 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 afcenfion into heaven, upon which followed the general publication of the gofpel, the law of Mofes ceafed, 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 himfelf to the whole world by his Son, and offers falvation to all mankind, Gentiles as well as Jews, the wall of feparation 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

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

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 those 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 neceflàry to the falvation of men, that they fhould be cir cumcifed, and keep that law. And though it was once enjoined by God himself to the Jews, and their obedience to it was neceffary to their acceptance with God; yet now by Chrift Jefus, God hath 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 provided they performed the condition of this new covenant of the gofpel, 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

Second particular in the text, namely, that according to the terms of the gofpel, and the chriftian religion, nothing will avail to our juftification 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:

First, Shew what is implied in this phrafe of a new

creature.

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

Thirdly, 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 gofpel, or the Chrifti B.b 3

an

an religion. The fcripture fets forth to us this change 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 Scripture 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 filthiness 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 regenera tion, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft, and our being `born again 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 sprink led from an evil confcience, and our bodies washed with pure water; and the answer of a good confcience towards God, 1 Pet. iii. 21. Baptifm doth now fave us; not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good confcience towards God; and finally our being baptifed into the death and refur rection 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 with him by baptifm into death, that like as Chrift was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newnefs of life.) And lastly, this change is fet forth to us by renovation, and our being made new creatures, and new men, 2 Cor. v. 17. Therefore if any man be in Chrift, that is, profeffeth himself a Chriftian, he is a new creature; old things are past away, behold all things are become new. And fo likewise, Ephef. iv. 22, 23, 24. this great change is expreйt by putting off concerning the former conversation, the old man which is corrupt according to the lufts of deceit, and being renewed in the spirit of our minds, and putting on the new man, which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness. The expreffion

preffion is very emphatical, renewed in the Spirit of our minds, that is, in our very minds and fpirits, to fignify to us, that it is a moft inward and through change, reaching to the very center of our fouls and fpirits. And Colof. iii. 9, 10, 11. it is reprefented much after the fame manner, Seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcifion nor uncircumcifion, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Chrift is all and in all. Which is the fame with what the Apostle fays here in the text, that in Chrift Jefus neither circumcifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumcifion; but a new creature; that is, thefe external marks and differences fignify nothing: But this inward change, the new creature, Chrift formed in us, this in the Chriftian religion is all in all.

But that we may the more clearly understand the juft importance of this metaphor of a new creature, or a new creation, I fhall,

Firft, Confider what it doth certainly fignify, by comparing this metaphorical phrase with other plain texts of fcripture.

And fecondly, That it doth not import what fome would extend it to, fo as to found doctrines of great confequence upon the fingle ftrength of this and the like metaphors in fcripture, without any manner of countenance from plain texts:

First, I fhall confider what this metaphor doth certainly import, fo as to be undeniably evident from other more clear and full texts of fcripture, namely thefe two things:

1. The greatnefs of this change.

2. That it is effected and wrought by a divine power.

1. The greatness of this change; it is called naivà uliois, a new creation; as if the Chriftian doctrine, firmly entertained and believed, did as it were mould and fashion men over again, transforming them into a quite other fort of perfons, than what they were before, and made fuch a change in them, as the cre

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