Mather - Houston-Packer Collection BS478 .M3 1705

I92 TheGofpel ofCircumcifion. You know he was circumcifed the eighth Day, and fo it had a refped to that, to shadow forth that, and the whole State of his Humiliati- on : And fo it was forcepart of that Attonement and Expiation which Chrift made for our Sins. It is not only the last A& and the ¡ail- Suf- fering, the feparation of his Soul and Body ; but all his Sorrow he underwent from the Cradle to his Grave : All thefe were parts of the Trice paid to God's Juftice for us. Now Circumcifion did forefhew this, for it was a Sacrament very painful to the Flefh, and a Sacra- ment wherein force Blood was fhed in the circumcifed part. 3. It did in a fpecial mannerfhadowforth the great andglorious Righ- teoufnefs whichwe receive by.Faith, the Righteoufnefs ofyefus Chriflfor our y- fiification. The Apoftle is exprefs in Rom.4.I I. He received the Sign of Circumcifion, á Seal of the Righteoufnefs of Faith. Circumcifion was not a Seal to Abraham before he did believe, that were a ftrange thing in- deed : But in the true nature of the Thing.; and in the Defign and In- tendment of the Ordinance, it was a Sign and Seal of the Righteouf- nefs of Faith. We are jnftified by Chrift's Righteoufnefs, and that Righteoufnefs we - believe in, is imputed to us for our Juftification Therefore the Apoftle difputes very clearly and ftrongly, That Abra- ham did receive Circumcifion after he did firft believe unto Righteouf- nefs; and fo Circumcifion was a Seal of that Righteoufnefs which he was pofl'eft of, before his Circumcifion ; Rom. 4. for they were all to look to Chrift by Faith, by virtue of their Circumcifion ; and if they did not, it was their great Sin, Folly and Error,. as indeed the carnal Yews did not. 4. Circumcifon had a fpecial Refpet to another great Bleffing of the Covenant, and that is, Mortification, or the cutting of the fuperfluity of Naugbtinef andCorruption. Therefore the Lord promifes to Circum- cife their Hearts, or to cut ofFthe Foreskin of their Hearts, Dent. 3o. 6, therefore he often blames them, that they were not circumcifed in Heart. That thews that Circumcifion did look at the Work of Morti- fication in the Heart ; and not only at Mortification, but alfo at Ho- liners or Regeneration of the Heart, Life and whole Man :.It looks at the cutting ofFthe fuperfiuity of finful Corruption, therefore Cor- ruption is expreft in that way of Uncircumcifion : The UnfanEtified- nefs of any part, is in Scripture expreft by theUncircumcifednefs of it; I am a Man ofuncircumcifed Lips : You knowhis Complaint, that is, corrupt, not fo mortified as I thould be. Aa.7. 51. reIli f necked and uncircumcifed in Heart and Ears. This is called the Circumcifion made without Hands, Col. a. II. In whom alfo ye are circumcifed with the :Circumcißon made without Hands. What doth he mean by this ? But

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