XI.

ning of forrows to the Son of God, and DISC. the beginning of joy, because the beginning of redemption, to the fons of men, for whom the first blood of the all-propitiating victim was now fhed. A ftumbling block it may prove to the Jew, foolishness it may appear to the Greek, and to all thofe, who, like the one, defire a fign of earthly fplendor and magnificence, or, like the other, feek after the wisdom of false philofophy but to the intelligent, and therefore humble believer, Chrift, in this ftate of weakness, pain, and forrow, is "the wisdom of God" to contrive," and "the power of God" to effect the deliverance of his people.

It is obfervable, that whenfoever, in the Scriptures, mention is made of any particular relative to the abasement, the infirmity, and the fhame fubmitted to by Christ, it is presently contrafted by fomething concerning his exaltation, his power, and his glory; that fo, the objection arifing in the mind from a view of the former, may

be

DISC. be obviated at once by the confideration of

XI.

the latter, and the Chriftian may never lose fight of that capital article of his faith, the union of the two natures, divine and human, in the perfon of his Saviour. Thus we behold him in fwaddling clothes; but instantly we hear the heavenly host finging an Hallelujah to him. He lies in a manger; but the brightest ftar in the firmament points the way to his abode. He expires upon the cross; but all nature fuffers with him, almoft to a diffolution. And thus, in the inftance now before us, he is circumcifed indeed on earth, as the fon of Abraham; but a name is given him from heaven, as the Son of God. For in these lowly and ignominious circumftances, he receives the name enjoined before to be, imposed on him by the angel; a name above every name; a name which evil fpirits fear, and good ones adore; a name, at which every knee should rejoice to bow, and which every tongue fhould exult to confefs: fince it is by this name that glory is given to God in the highest, peace reftored

ftored to earth at war with it's Maker, and DISC. good will ftream forth to finful men.

In order to unfold the mystery of the circumcifion of Chrift, it will be neceffary to enquire into the inftitution of this rite, with the reafon and end thereof. "Mofes (faith our Lord to the Jews) gave

you circumcifion, not because it is of "Mofes, but of the fathers;" this being one of the many legal ceremonies, which were originally communicated to the ancient patriarchs, and afterwards re-ordained in writing by Mofes. The first account of it occurs in the history of our father Abraham; and St. Paul difcourfing at large upon the point, informeth us, that it was given as a " fign or feal of the

righteousness, which is by faith." Now the object of Abraham's faith was redemption by the promised Seed, that is to fay, by Meffiah, who fhould fpring from his loins; and in whom, by reafon of that redemption, all the nations of the earth

XI.

XI.

DISC. "were to be blefied" with the bleffings of eternity. And the righteousness, which is by fuch faith, confifteth in the juftification of believers by the cutting off and doing away the body of fin through the facrifice of Christ, by which they are pardoned and made holy, being feparated from fin, and fin from them, in order to a final feparation from every thing that offendeth, at the refurrection of the juft. "righteoufnefs of faith,"

This is "the

with which

Abraham having been before invested, he received circumcifion, not as any thing which could make him righteous, but as a fign and feal of that evangelical righteoufnefs, "which he had being yet uncircum"cifed; to the end that he might be the "father of all them who believe, though

they be not circumcifed;" and that we Gentiles, as well as the Jews, might become the children, and inherit the bleffing of Abraham. But from the inftitution of this rite to the manifeftation of the promifed Seed, it became to the natural defcendants of the patriarch Abraham, what baptifm

XI,

baptifm hath been ever fince to the fpiri- DISC. tual progeny of him, who is, in a much higher fenfe, the father of us all; it became the facrament of initiation into the true church and faith. Now, in a facrament, the outward and visible fign is intended to introduce us to the inward and fpiritual grace figured by it as a fign, conveyed by it as a means, and infured by it as a pledge. And what the inward and fpiritual grace fignified by circumcifion was, not only St. Paul, but Mofes himself will tell us, who in the book of Deuteronomy expreffeth himself in these terms; "Cir"cumcife the forefkin of your heart, and "be no more ftiff necked. And again; "The Lord thy God will circumcife thine

66

heart, and the heart of thy feed, to love "the Lord thy God with all thine heart, “and with all thy foul, that thou mayeft "live"" From these paffages laid together, the following truths feem to be fairly deducible; namely, Firft, That circumcifion was an outward and vifible fign of an

• Deut. x. 16.

X 2

d Deut. xxx. 6.

inward