Part I. M E T A p H 0 R s FROM SACRED RITES. GifcUmcijion, '"X"e'""""1w made without Hands, in putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flejb, by the Circumcijion ofChrift,andVerfe 12. adjoinsBapti(nza principal Medium gf Renovation, &c. As the Jews were metonyn>ically called the Circumcijioll, of which we have fpoke in the Chapter of that 'J'rope, fo Chriflians are metaphorically fo called, Phi!. iii. 3· and the Prophane and Wicked are called the U~tcircumcijiolt, Lev. xxvi. 41. !fa. lii. r. Jer. iv. 4· vi. ro. and ix. 26. Ezek. xliv. 9· A&ls vii. 5r. Col. ii. I3· Mofes is faid to be of uncircumcifed Lips, Exod. vi. 12, 30. that is, dull of Speech or not eloquent.-Of the Circumcijing of 'frees we have treated before. SPRINKLING upon the People either by Blood, as Exod. xxiv. 8. and xxix. 2 r. Lev. xiv. 7, &c. or by Water mixt with the Ajhes of a red Heifer, Numb. xix. Heb. ix. '3· &c. becaufe it was a Type of Clemljzng by Chrift from Sin, is metapho really put for it, !fa. Jii. 15. Heb. x. 22. and xii. 2f· I Pet. i. 2. In this are three T iings remarkable. ( 1.) The Satisfa&lim: and Merit ofChrifl, called thee Blood of Sprinkling, Heb. xii. 4· compared, Heb. ix. 13, 14. (2.) The evangelical Word of Chrifl which (is as it were Hyjfop, Pfal.li. 7· which the Priefl fprinkled upon unclean Things as the Cha!dee paraphrafes it. See the foregoing and following Verfes) is Jpri~tkled (as it were) upon the Soul in order to its cleanfing from Sin. See Ronz. xvi. 25, 26, &c. Gal. iii. 2, 5, &c. (g.) 'frue Faith, which is that very Sprinkling of the Blood of Chrift by the Holy' Spirit, or the Application of his Merits and Satisfaction, therefore they are joined to; gether, Heb. x. 22. ANOIN1'ING or UNC1'ION, becaufe it was ufed to Kings, r Sanz. x. r. and xvi. '3· 1 Kings xix. r6. To the Chief or High Prieft, Exod. xl. 12, &c. And to Prophets, I Kings xix. I 6. metaphorically denotes any that have a fingular Call or Confecration to God, who are called Z:::l'nll/0 Anointed, Pfal. cv. 15. lfa. xlv. 1. and by Way of Excellency the Mejjiah (n'IIIO Xe•ro;, Un&lus,) our chief Priejf, King, and Prophet, blef– fed for ever, is fa called as the Word denotes, Dan. ix. 24. Pfal. ii. 2. John i. 42. and iv. 25. Hence the Name of the Anointed One, is commonly given him in theNeiV Teflamenc, Matt. i. 16, I7· ii. 4· xi. I6. and xxii. 42. Luke ii. 26. See alfo Pfal. ii. 6. and xlv. 7, 8. lfa. lxi. r. Dan. ix. 25. L~ke iv. I8. Afts x. 38. Heb. i. 9· See Col. ii. 9· and Johll iii. 34, 35· From our Lord Chrift we are called Cbriftians, becaufe we believe in him, Afts xi. 26. being made Partakers ·• of that Holy Anointing, Heb. i. 9· John ii. 20. Hence made Kings and Priefts, Rev. i. 6. See !fa. lxi. 3· 2 Cor. i. 21, 22. Rom. v. 5, &c. 3· HOLY DAYS and 'l'imes; Of thefe the Sabbath is moll eminent being a Day of Rejf, the feventh in a Week, in!l:ituted by God upon the cornpleating of his creating Work, Gen. ii. 3· and mo[t exaCl:ly to be obferved by the People of Ifrael by the Com– mand of God ; this is metaphorically tranfiated to exprefs New 'feftament Worjhip, !fa. lvi. +· and to denote the Rejf of eternal Blelfednefs, !fa. lxvi. 23. (where there is Men– tion alfo of a New Moon in the fame Senfe, which was a Jewifh Holy-day likewife.) Hence it is faid, Heb. iv. 9· That there is a. Sabbati(m left for the People of God. From the Jewifh PASS-0!7ER, to which the days of unleavened Bread were joined, the Apoflle makes a fair allegorical Exhortation, I Cor. v. 7, 8. where Chrifl is called ~ur Pafs-over, becaufe he was facrificed and fiain for us, as the Pafehal Lambs which were Types of the Mejjiah, were fiain in the Old Teftament. 'fhe FEAS1' of 'fABERNACLES is put for the whole fpiritual Worfhip of the Old Teflament, Zech. xiv. I6, 18, I9· All Chriflians while they fojourn as Strangers and Pilgrims in this World, do celebrate a Feafl of 'fabernacles, whilfl they long for the heavenly City to which they haflen not with the Feet of the Body, bur by the Affection of the Heart, and the Progrefs of Piety and good Works. See Gen. x.lvii. 9· Pfal. xxxix.
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