him who is invisible and so despising earthly things Labour for union with Christ that partaking of his Spirit ye may partake of his holiness and graces and so of his beauty and glory Holiness beautifieth and adorneth the soul and ptepareth it for perfection of heavenly beauty and glory whereas sin doth both defile and disfigure the soul filling it with deformity This being noted in general I intend to mention some few of the particulars First The two precious stones upon the two shoulders of the Ephod or Priestly Robe wherein were ingraven the Names of the twelve tribes of Israel six in one stone and six in the other so that the high-priest bare their Names upon his two shoulders 1. This may note unto us the support which the Lord giveth unto his Church and to all the living members of it He beareth them as it were upon his shoulders Hence it is that his little flock hath been preserved in the midst of so many wolves from age to age Vpon this rock I will build my Church aud the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it What a blessed priviledge have they that are in Christ being built upon him as a rock immoveable and upheld by him born upon his shoulders who is their eternal high-priest 2. See how precious the people of Christ are in his account as if their names were engraven in precious stones and set in ouches or bosses of Gold 2. The breast-plate of Iudgement in which was to be set four rows of precious stones three in a row in all twelve stones of several kinds and in these again were ingraven the twelve names of the twelve Tribes of Israel and so Aaron was to bear the Names of the Children of Israel in the breast-plate of judgment upon his heart when he went into the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually 1. See the tender love and affection which the Lord Christ hath toward his people he beareth them upon his breast upon his heart continually he shall feed his flock like a shepherd he shall gather the Lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom next his heart and therefore it seemeth the Church prayes to Christ set me as a seal upon thine heart that tender love which moved him to let out his heart blood for their redemption is still so powerful and prevailing with him that he beareth them upon his heart in heaven 2. Ought not Christians then to bear Christ upon their hearts to entertain him to dwell in their hearts by faith to cleave unto him in love and walk in him following the guidance of his spirit 3. Christ this eternal high-priest beareth the Names of his people upon his breast-plate or heart now that he is in heaven before his Father for a memorial before his face continually I conceive this noteth Christ his intercession for his people He presenteth their names before his Father in Heaven as the High-priest did in the holy place on the earth which was a figure of Heaven Blessed are they whose Names God the Father readeth engraven upon the breast-plate written upon the heart of his beloved Son in whom he is well-pleased What is there that such may not obtain of the Father through the Son And how should all labour to give in their names and to give up their hearts to Christ that he may bear their names upon his heart for a memorial before the face of God continually Thirdly Vpon the hemme of the High-priests Robe were placed golden Bells and Pomegranates that his sound might be heard when he went in unto the holy place before the Lord and when he came out so the Lord Christ entring in to the most holy place in heaven after his death and resurrection maketh a most sweet and pleasing sound in the ears of his Father far beyond that of golden bells his mediation and intercession in behalf of his people grounded upon the merit of his death sacrifice and satisfaction maketh heavenly melody before his Father Jesus the mediator of the new Covenant and the blood of sprinking which speaketh better things than the blood of Abel And these Pomegranates may well resemble the sweet savour of Christs sacrifice Again Aarons bells were heard to sound not only when he went in to the holy place but also when he came out Now although the Lord Christ as he is man continueth within the most holy place not made with hands and doth not come out again yet he sent down his spirit upon his Apostles soon after and caused these golden bells to give a most pleasant sound throughout the several Quarters of the world publishing the glad tidings of pardon and salvation through Christ to the comfort and refreshing of many thousand souls and the precious promises of the Gospel published in the name of Christ were as Pomegranats that yeilded a pleasant smell to the reviving of many fainting hearts and drooping spirits Had we circumcised hearts and ears gracious spirits heavenly affections how pleasant would the sound of the Gospel preached how sweet would the promises of it be unto us Fourthly The Lord gave this Command Thou shalt make a plate of pure Gold and grave upon it like the engravings of a fignet Holiness to the Lord and this golden plate was put on the forefront of the Mitre and so to be worne on the forehead of the High-priest that he might bear the iniquity of the holy things which the Children of Israel should hallow in all their holy gifts and it was to be always upon his forehead that they might be accepted before the Lord. The Inscription I suppose may be read either Holiness to the Lord or the Holiness of the Lord. 1. Here see how the Lord Christ whose holiness and righteousness is of infinite worth and value the holiness and righteousness of Iehovah of him who is very God taketh away the iniquities and pollutions of the duties services spiritual sacrifices offered by his people Aaron did bear these but in a figure and in a way of representation Christ did really bear them and his holiness and righteousness of Jehovah is imputed to them and is alone sufficient to take away all their uncleanness and to procure acceptance for them How should Christians be humbled that such is the corruption of their natures and imperfection of their graces that the best of their services the holiest of their offerings have such iniquity cleaving to them that they need the imputation of Christs righteousness to cover them And again this may comfort them that are in Christ and are sincere in their services and stir them up to thankfulness that such a precious remedy is provided them in this case even the Holiness of Jehovah 2. This golden plate with this Inscription on the forehead of the High-priest may intimate unto us that God the
for the Success of the Gospel in all places particularly in the place where they live that those that are unclean may become an acceptable offering unto the Lord being sanctified by the holy Ghost Is it not much to be lamented that where there are many people living under the Gospel the Lord should have so few offerings that so few shloud give clear evidence that they are as fine flower sifted from the bran of their natural corruption and so fit to be presented as meat-offerings to the Lord and how restless should each particular soul be until 't is thus sifted and sanctified by the holy spirit that it may be a holy offering unto the Lord. 2. Oyl was to be poured upon the fine flower This may signifie the annointing of Christ concerning whom it is said God even thy God hath annointed thee with the Oyle of gladness above thy fellows Those pretious graces of the spirit poured forth abundantly upon Christ were resembled by oyle and therefore it is said of him He is full of grace and Truth and of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace He hath an overflowing fulness of this heavenly oyl of these spiritual graces enough for all that are united to him for God giveth not the fpirit by measure unto him Let all be stirred up to come to Christ and turn unto him that they may receive of his fulness grace for grace They that are wholly empty of saving grace may receive from him they that have some beginnings may receive increase from him Is it not want of exercising faith upon Christ and keeping close to him that maketh Christians so defective in grace It is said the pretious ointment upon the head of Aaron the High-priest went down to the skirts of his garment The unconceivable fullness of grace poured upon Christ the eternal High-priest is ready to distill upon his members if they be not wanting to themselves 3. There was also frankincense put upon this meat-offering so the Lord Christ gave himself for his people an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling favour and God the Father proclaimed from heaven concerning him This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased The sweet odour and savour of Christs sacrifice is so pleasing unto the Father that he is appealed toward all that are truly united to Christ and reconciled to him by Christ and this also maketh the services of such well-pleasing to the Lord the sweet savour of Christ his Sacrifice perfumeth their offerings 4. An handful of this meat-offering was to be burnt upon the Altar as a memorial and the rest belonged to the Priests the Sons of Aaron 1. The memorial may signifie that the Lord is moved to remember his Covenant of grace by the merit of Christ his sacrifice Not that the Lord is subject to forgetfulness or needeth to be put in remembrance but it is spoken after the manner of men and to help the weak faith of his people and therefore they may assure themselves that the Lord will ever be mindful of his Covenant and shew himself faithful in his promises Again in a Secondary way it may be a ground of much comfort to the people of God in respect of their duties and services which they offer up to God by Christ in sincerity The Lord will have them in remembrance the Lord hear thee in the day of trouble remember all thine offerings So the Angel told Cornelius Thy Prayers and thine Alms are come up for a memorial before the Lord. 5. The remnant of the meat offering was to be Aarons and his Sons who were Priests of the Lord. The Apostle inspired and directed by the holy Spirit argueth thus from hence Do ye not know that those which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they which wait on the Altar are partakers with the Altar Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel They that did service at the Altar under the old Testament did partake with the Altar as here in the meat offerings the Altar had part and they that waited on the Altar had part So the Apostle shews that it is the Lords own ordinance that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel They therefore that oppose the maâ—ntenance of the preachers of the Gospel do resist the ordinance of God and presumptuously oppose his supream authority 6 The meat offering was to be seasoned with salt Yea it seemeth this was to be used not only in this case but also generally in all Sacrifices for so it is said Every oblation of this meat offering shalt thou season with salt neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the Covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat-offering With all thy offerings thou shalt offer salt 1. Salt consumeth crude and raw humours and preserveth from putrefaction and rottenness so Christ by his spirit seasoneth the souls of true believers and worketh out the natural corrupt distempers of their hearts and where the spirit of Christ is wanting men are left to the bent of their own spirits How wofully are they filled with corruption and rottenness and therefore it is said Have salt in your selves get the graces of the spirit to season your hearts 2. Salt maketh things savory and of good relish How unsavory and loathsome is a carnal unregenerate soul in Gods account that savoureth not the things of Christ his spirit for they that are after the flesh do mind or savour the things of the flesh They are loathsome and unsavory unto the Lord they have not salt in themselves But they that are after the spirit do mind or savour the things of the spirit they have salt in themselves though not of themselves they have it of Christ yet they have it in themselves 3. Salt when it meeteth with sores causeth smart The grace of the spirit and the word of grace in which the spirit worketh seemeth smarting to corrupt hearts yea to gracious hearts so far as they have corruptions remaining in them but they that will present themselves living holy acceptable sacrifices to God through Christ must be willing to be salted with the grace of Christ his spirit and with the word of grace though the flesh smart For every one shall be salted with fire and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt Every one that will be acceptable to God must be salted with fire the power of Christs spirit as a fire from heaven to consume the dross of their lusts and to refine their souls And every sacrifice c. Every one that will be a pleasing sacrifice to God must be salted with this salt of the sanctuary He must have the graces of Christ to mortifie his corruptions and to cause him to savour the things that be
any flee from sin and not rather add sin to sin doing evil that good may come that Gods grace may be the more manifested to his glory The Apostle rejecteth these with detestation shewing that notwithstanding all their perverse cavils they shall find God a severe judge and that their damnation is just for it doth no way lessen the guilt of sin that God getteth glory by it for sin in its own nature tendeth to the darkning of Gods Glory and men by sinning dishonour God but such is the infinite perfection of God that as he commanded the light to shine out of darkness though darkness be contrary to the light so he can work good and get himself glory out of the evil of sin which in it self tendeth to rob him of his glory So in the sixth Chapter of this Epistle shall we continue in sin that grace may abound The Apostle had shewed before that all had sinned in Adam besides the guilt of their own actual sins yea even such as lived before the Law was given by Moses and that by the publishing of the Law sin abounded the guilt of sin increased but then withal he added that where sin abounded grace did much more abound the free love and favour of God was gloriously manifested in pardoning sin thus heightned and aggravated by the express Law and in freely justifying sinners condemned by the written Law Hence this Question or Objection to which the Apostle answers with detestation as before and withal sheweth that they who are justified by the righteousness of Christ have received the Spirit and so dye to sin and live to righteousness and are engaged hereunto by their Baptisme and therefore it is in vain for any to hope for justification and pardon of sin through Christ who yeild themselves up to the service of sin So verse 14th he saith to Believers Ye are not under the Law but under Grace Hence again a Question or Objection of corrupt nature or carnal reason What then Shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under Grace May we not therefore sin securely if we be free from the Law if the Law have no power nor authority over us to condemn us The Apostle answereth this after his usual manner with detestation and then more fully Know ye not that to whom ye yeild your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness They that are justâ—fied by Christ and freed from the curse the condemnation and rigour of the Law are the Members of Christ and servants of righteousness but they that sin securely upon a conceit that they are freed from the Law are indeed the servants of sin and this service of sin tendeth to everlasting death The Reason of this in general is the contrariety of mans nature unto God and his Truth since the fall since the Image of God was defaced and the Nature of man corrupted by sin so that the powers of the soul thus degenerated are become cross and opposite unto the counsel and truth of God They are of the world therefore speak they of the world and the world heareth them we are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the spirit of Truth and the spirit of Error all of us are naturally of the world and all remain so unless the Lord do effectually by his grace call them out of the world and so their worldly minds and hearts are unsutable and opposite unto the mind and truth of God More particularly 1. Ignorance is a great cause why men deprave the Scriptures and pervert the Truths of God the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not All are naturally darkness and therefore full of contrariety to the light and truth of God ye were sometimes darkness saith the Apostle to those that then were light in the Lord the best of those whom God hath savingly inlightned by his spirit were sometimes darkness Lye not one to another seeing that 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 They that are regenerated are renewed as in other regards so in knowledge This sheweth that the old man is possessed with darkness Corrupt Nature is void of saving knowledge and therefore in that condition men are apt to put light for darkness and darkness for light The Sadduces that denied that great Mystery of the Resurrection of the body I conceive were much pleased with an Argument whereby they hoped to non-plus the Lord Jesus Christ they seemed not directly to deny the Resurrection but only to desire a Resolution in a difficult case concerning â—a woman that had seven husbands out-liv'd them all The Question was which of those seven should enjoy her for his wife at the Resurrection but the Lord Christ telleth them they shewed gross ignorance in that wherein they thought themselves veâ—y acute saith he Ye do err not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God and first sheweth them how by the Almighty power of God the bodies of the Saints at the Resurrection should be so wonderfully transformed and glorified that they should not need nor desire marriage or other things of the like natrue no more then the Angels do which are Spirits and have no bodies then he proveth by the Scripture that the dead shall rise Now this ignorance is more or less gross in several persons some that are not so grossely ignorant as others yet being weak in knowledge and judgement are apt to miscarry in this kind First by misunderstanding some Texts or passages of holy Scripture so it seemeth the Saints at Thessalonica mistook what the Apostle had written to them in his former Epistle when speaking of the last day he saith This we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air. Where twice he speaketh of himself if we look on the bare words as if he should live to the end of the world as if Christ should come in glory before Paul should leave this world I conceive he spake by way of supposition that if he and other Believers then living should remain to the last day then they should be thus translated to Glory and as he saith elsewhere they should not dye but should be changed and this he might do to teach others by his example to live in a continual expectation
so far from this that when Christ according to the antient Prophesies and types had offered up himself in Sacrifice for the sins of the world they made his death an occasion of stumbling and took that to be an argument that he was not the Christ which was one of the main evidences that he was the Christ. In their legal washings how did they rest in the purifying of the flesh without any care to wash their hearts from wickedness Did not they rest in the High-priest of the order of Aaron without minding an eternal High-priest after the order of Melchisedeck A multitude of such instances might be given Thirdly They seemed to have minded the outward observation of these ceremonial ordinances more than the keeping of the moral Law So the Lord complaineth by the Prophet Isaiah that they rebelled against him knew him not forsook him provoked him to anger revolted from him had hands full of blood and yet it seemeth they were very forward in the ceremonial observances bringing a multitude of Sacrifices burnt offerings of Rams fat of fed beasts Bullocks Lambs He-Goats Though these were more costly yet they were more forward in these services than in moral duties cleansing their hearts and hands from sin c. Is there not a notable evidence of this in the actings of those Iews who killed the Lord of life They seemed to be so scrupulous in point of Ceremony that they would not enter into the Court or Judgement-Hall least they should be defiled but that they might eat the Passeover and therefore Pilate the Judge was fain to come out of the Court and wait upon them to hear what they could say against him and it seemeth being wearied with going in and out at last he removed and sate upon a Judgement-Seat without doors in the mean time these wicked murtherers were so violently bent to shed innocent blood that they defiled themselves with the guilt of a most heinous sin straining at a Gnat and swallowing of a Camel Fourthly It seemeth they relied upon these Ceremonies or the observation of them as a part of that righteousness whereby they hoped to be justified in the sight of God The Lord having planted a Church at Antioch Certain men which came down from Iudea taught the Brethren Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved Saith the Apostle I testifie again to every man that is Circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole Law Christ is become of none effect to you Whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from Grace Doth not this intimate that they relied on the Ceremony of Circumcision in part for justification and under Circumcision I understand other Ceremonies of the Law Fifthly I conceive it is very clear that they thought these legal Ceremonies were to be obserfor ever unto the end of the world So in the place mentioned before they said Except ye be Circumcised c. And so it seemeth they counted it blasphemy to say that the Lord Jesus should change the customes delivered by Moses Thirdly The Question is How the Doctrine of the Gospel concerning free justification through the righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith doth establish this Law of Ceremonies To this I Answer 1. Negatively 2. Affirmatively 1. Negatively This doctrine of the Gospel doth not establish the Law of Ceremonies by confirming and continuing the observation of it but on the contrary take it away So Stephen bâ—ing accused for saying that Jesus Christ should change the customes delivered by Moses told the Iews that Moses said unto the children of Israel A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me him shall ye hear The Lord Christ was the great Propher by whose spirit Moses and the rest of the Prophets were inspired And as he had directed Moses to deliver these Ceremonial ordinances to Israel to be observed untill his manifestation in the flesh and departure out of the world again so now he was to be heard as one of unquestionable authority declaring unto the Church his will and pleasure concerning the ceasing of these observances That passage between the Lord Christ and the woman of Samaria is notable to this purpose He by telling her of her sinful course had convinced her thus far that she made this acknowledgement Sir I perceive thou art a Prophet and therefore it seemeth thought that he might be able to resolve a Question of great moment wherein she desired satisfaction and that was this Our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain and ye say that in Hierusalem is the place wherein men out to worship the Father I conceive the occasion of this controversie between the Iews and Samaritans was this The Samaritans were the posterity of those Heathens whom Salmanasser King of Assyria had placed there instead of the Israelites whom he carried away Captive and embraced a corrupt Religion mixed of Heathenisme and Judaisme Toward the end of the Persian Monarchy Manasses the Brother of Iaddus the High-Priest married the Daughter of Sanballat a prime man of Samaria whereupon he was required of his Brother to lay down his office his Marriage being condemned by the Law Manasses acquainted Sanballat with his loss and let him know that though he loved his Daughter yet he would not for her sake lose so great a dignity as that of the Priesthood Sanballat answered him that if he would keep his Daughter for his wife he would make him an High-priest and with the license and consent of Darius King of Persia build a Temple upon Mount Gerizim for that purpose But Darius being overthrown in battel soon after by Alexander of Macedon he made this suit to him bringing him eight thousand Souldiers to serve him in the Wars and readily obtained his desire So that this became a receptacle to divers fugitive or apostate Iews who were guilty of breaking the Law by proâ—aning the Sabbath eating meats forbidden or the like crimes This Temple having stood about 200 years was ruined by Hircanus about a hundred years before Christ his coming in the flesh or more Now as they that embrace errours and corrupt inventions of men in things pertaining to Religion and religious worship are obstinate in cleaving to their fancies so the Samaritans would make comparisons between their Temple which was founded without warrant from God yea against his word and the Temple of Hierusalem which the Lord owned for the peculiar place of his worship Yea and after their Temple was laid desolate they seemed to please themselves with the imagination of the holiness of the ground on which it once stood and therefore saith the woman our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain c. as if Mount Gerizim were still an holy Mount though the Temple was down and so there was great enmity between the Iews and Samaritans But observe the Answer which the
Lord Christ gave her Jesus saith unto her Woman beleeve me the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Hierusalem worship the Father Ye worship ye know not what we know what we worship for salvation is of the Iews But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and Truth for the Father seeketh such to wrship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in Truth The woman saith unto him I know that Messias cometh which is called Christ when he is come he will tell us all things Iesus saith unto her I that speak unto thee am he I conceive in this Answer the Lord Christ sheweth 1. That both the Iews and Samaritans were in an errour for it seemeth both of them thought that the Lord had confined his most solemn worship to one certain place throughout all ages as one party said at Mount Gerizim the other at Hierusalem and that the Ceremonies and Sacrifices there used should be alwaies continued Bus the Lord Christ told the woman that God had not limited himself to either of these places and that the time was now at hand when it should be as free to worship God in any other place as in either of these 2. He passeth sentence for the Iews against the Samaritans in this Controversie So far as concerned the present state of things saith he ye scil ye Samaritans worship ye know not what We scil we Iews know what we worship for salvation is of the Iews Ye Samaritans do ye know not what in your worshipping ye know not God aright ye have no warrant from his word either for your Temple once standing on this Mount or for limiting the worship of God to this place or for the way of worship Ye blindly follow the groundless Traditions of your Fathers But we know what we worship we follow the directions of God himself delivered by Moses and the Prophets both for the place and manner of Gods worship for salvation is of the Iews They are the Church of God to whom God hath committed his oracles teaching the way of Salvation and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ the Saviour of the world was to come 3. He confirmeth and amplifieth the first part of his Answer shewing that the Lord in a short time would set up a more spiritual way of worship in his Church more sutable to his spiritual Nature to which these carnal ordinances and Ceremonial ordinances should give place Secondly I Answer affirmatively that the doctrine of the Gospel and in particular this Gospel-doctrine of free justification through the righteousness of Christ doth establish the Ceremonial Law For 1. Then is a thing established when it attaineth its proper end Now by the Gospel the Law of Ceremonies attained its proper end For 1. The end of it was to be a School-master to bring men to Christ. Circumcision sealed the righteousness of faith which Circumcision it self could not give but was to be found in Christ it taught men to look after the Circumcision of the heart which was to be had in Christ alone by union with him by faith and partaking of his spirit The Passeover pointed out unto them Christ the Lamb of God without spot which taketh away the sins of the world The Sacrifices directed them to Christ the perfect Sacrifice The blood of the Sacrifices led them to the sprinkling of the blood of Christ which alone was sufficient to take away sin Now these and other Ceremonies attained their end in Christ and in the justification of sinners through the blood death satisfaction righteousness of Christ apprehended and applied by faith according to the doctrine of the Gospel and so this Law of Ceremonies was established and the validity of it declared But on the other side they that pretend so much zeal for Circumcision and other Ceremonies of the Law making it a part of the matter of their justification and resting in the bare outward observance as pleasing to the Lord in it self did cross the main end of the Ceremonial Law and propose such false ends as were impossible to be attained Secondly The doctrine of the Gospel making Christ the end of the Law for righteousness in whom wisdom righteousness sanctification redemption and salvation alone is to be had sheweth that the Ceremonial Ordinances were no empty shadowes and vain appearances like those of the Heathen but significant signs and Types full of deep Mysteries of exceeding great weight and importance pointing at the person of the Lord Jesus his office his actings his sufferings and the fruits and benefits of these whereas they that so stiffely opposed the strict observation of the Ceremonies of the Law against the doctrine of Christ delivered in the Gospel what did they make of them but begerly elements empty appearances without fruit use or profit So that the Preachers of the Gospel did honour the Ceremonial Law though they took away the observation of them by declaring the substance whereof they were shadowes and the observers of the Ceremonies in the times of the Gospel did greatly disparage them Thirdly The doctrine of the Gospel doth still establish the Ceremonial Law as an illustration of the mystery of Christ in the Gospel and sheweth that great use may still be made of them that way for the Ceremonies were as it were visible Prophesies of Christ and the things of Christ. And as Prophesies are dark before they are fulfilled but clear after they are accomplished and do much illustrate the events so these Ceremonies were obscure resemblances of Christ but now since what they signified is fulfilled the comparing the Types with the Antitypes giveth much light The Use which I intend to make of this point is to compare some of the principal Ceremonies of the old Testament with the Mysteries of the Gospel that so we may more clearly see how they are established by Christ and that we may improve them for our edification And first to begin with the Sacraments of the Ceremonial Law and there in 1. Circumcision The institution of this Sacrament is laid down Genesis the sevententh saith the Lord to Abraham This is my Covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every man child among you shall be Circumcised and ye shall Circumcise the flesh of your foreskin and it shall be a token of the Covenant betwixt me and you And elsewhere Moses saith to the people of Israel Circumcise the foreskin of your heart and be no more stiffe-necked This sheweth that the Circumcision of the flesh directed them to the inward Circumcision of the heart the mortification of sinful lusts inordinate affections and all sorts of corruptions To which agreeth that of the Apostle Circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not
own bottoms Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness hath not attained to the Law of righteousness Wherefore Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law Those Israelites that were zealous of the Law and sought to be justified by it while they were not in Christ their zeal was not according to knowledge and they might take a great deal of pains and use earnest endeavours to attain Righteousness to approve themselves just in the sight of God but all was in vain they attained not to such a Righteousness as could bear them out in the sight of God the righteous Judge of all the world They were like men that run very swiftly but run quite out of the way and never come near the mark But some may say Our case is not like that of the unbelieving Israelites for we look for justification forgiveness of sin and salvation by Jesus Christ. I Answer It is not the hearing of Christ preached nor an historical faith believing that none can be justified but by the righteousness of Christ no nor a conceipt that we are justified by him that makes your case differ in the main from that of unbelieving Israelites ye have some Notions which they had not but ye are in the same state wherein they were i. e. ye are out of Christ and therefore while ye content your selves with this condition your endeavours after righteousness are like those that run out of the way And therefore in the second place See your extream need of the Lord Iesus and go out of your selves flee to him and give your souls no rest untill ye are found in him Consider as ye cannot be justified by your own righteousness or works done in obedience to the Law whether ye look upon your selves as ye are in your selves or upon the purity perfection and severity of the Law or upon the infinite justice holiness or majesty of God so on the contrary Christ and none but Christ is able to justifie you by his righteousness in all these respects 1. He is a Lamb without spot and blemish and that from the first moment of his conception So the Angel said to Ioseph Thou Son of David fear not to take unto thee Mary thy Wife for that which is conceived in her is of the holy Ghost the blessed Spirit framing a body for Christ in the womb of a Virgin free from all stain of sin There was never any thing in him contrary to the perfect purity of the Law no inclination to evil Saith he The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me Satan could find nothing of his in Christ to fasten upon no sinful infirmities or Corruption in the least degree and therefore in respect of Christ himself he could have no power by his instruments to take away his life but in regard of the sins of others which he took upon himself and for which he voluntarily gave himself an offering and a sacrifice 2. If we look to the Law Christ hath that in him which is wanting in us he answereth the exactest Purity and highest perfection of the Law He was perfect in Love That which we have Psal. 40. is applied to Christ by the Apostle Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire mine ears hast thou opened burnt offering and sin-offering hast thou not required then said I Lo I come in the volumn of the Book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart his heart was filled with the love of God and full of the Law of God he was freely ready to do or suffer any thing for his Fathers glory As the Law is holy so he is the holy and the just one As the Law is spiritual so he was annointed with the holy Ghost He received the spirit not by measure He is a quickning spirit As the Law is a perfect rule of Righteousness so Christ fulfilled all Righteousness 3. He endured the uttermost rigour and severity of the Law He bare the penalty of it Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Then it followeth Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree The Curse of the Law is enough to swallow up all the guilty souls in the world and to keep them under for ever but Christ bare this Curse and overcame it he payed the uttermost farthing that was due to the justice of God for the sins of his people he fully discharged all those vast summs wherein they were indebted Saith the Apostle Christ hath loved us and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor Christ through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God What tongues of men or Angels are able to declare the weight and worth of that which is noted in this expression That Christ gave himself an offering and sacrifice for sins What could the extreamest severity of the Law require more than this when the Son of God gave himself to satisfie it 4. He is every way able and fit to stand before the infinite justice purity holiness Majesty of God he is the express Image of his Fathers person and the brightness of his glory and he is able to bear the brightness of his glory Of him the Father witnessed This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased He being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God He being God and man as he was man did undergo the penalty and Curse of the Law and by the power of his Godhead overcame it and being God and man he is able to bear the brightness of his Fathers glorious Majesty and to stand before his perfect justice saith the Scripture When he had by himself purged our sin he sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high Now then in as much as the Lord Christ is every way a compleat and most perfect Saviour Labour out of a deep sense of your lost condition in your selves and your extream need of him his satisfaction and righteousness to go out of your selves to break off your sins by repentance to flee to Christ to close with him by faith unfeigned that being found in him his righteousness may be imputed to you of God and accounted yours and ye may be accepted through him Be exceedingly earnest with the Lord to work in you that pretious faith of his elect Cry unto him to stretch out his hand to put forth the divine power of his spirit and grace to draw you effectually that you may come to Christ and being cloathed with his righteousness ye may not be found naked but the shame of your sins may be