238 The Gofpel of the Peace-Ofering. Brethren, Te fhall eat the Fat of the Land ; that is, the belt of it. So all the Fat of the Oyl, and all the Fat of the Wine, and of the Wheat, Numb. iß. ra. for fo the Margin from the Hebrew reads it, denotes the heft Oyl, the befl Wine, the belt Wheat, as the Tranflation well explains it. Hence it is faid of Abel by way of Commendation, Gen. 4.4. That he brought and offered unto the Lord of the Firftlings of his Flock, and of the Fat thereof. Thus the Lord's challenging the Fat of all the Sacrifices peculiarly to himfelf, may inftruá and teach us thus much : That we mull ferve God with the beft we have, the bell of our time and flrengtb, the vigour of our Spirits, the belt of our Endeavours fhould be the Lords. For Men to fpend their Youth in the fervice of their Lufts, and then at laft bring their decrepit old Age unto God ; this is to give the Fat of their Sacrifice to the Devil, and the Lean unto God. But with filch Sacri- fices God will not be well-pleafed. And yet when we have brought the Fat, the belt we have unto the Lord, it is accepted not for our own fakes, but through Cbrifl. As the Fat in the Peace-Offerings was burnt upon the Altar upon the Burnt- Offering, for a fweet favour unto the Lord. z. The Scripture fometimes fpeaks of Fat in deteriorem partem, in an evil fenfe: So it is faid of Wicked Men, Their Heart is as fat as Greafe, but. I delight in thy Law, Pfal. 119. 7o, So Deut. 32. 15. But Jefurun waxed fat and kicked ; thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatnefs, Ifa. 6. io. Jkíake the Heart of this People fat, left they underftand with their Heart, and convert and be healed. So it denotes a fenfelefs hard Heart, the Fat in the Body having little fenfe. A Fat Heart in this fenfe, is oppofed to a flefhy Heart : So it denotes hardnefs, infenliblenefs, unbelief. Now then the Fat being burnt upon the Altar, teacheth us, That our Corruptions muft be burnt up by the Spirit of God, as a Spirit of Burn- ing, and of Judgment. And it is the Fat of the Inward Parts, andof the Kidneys, and Li- ver, which are the feat of Luft and Concupifcence. We may learn from hence, That even fecret Sins in the Inward Parts mutt be deftroy- ed and mortified. It is not enough to avoid open and outward Sins, but inward Heart -Hypocrofy ; fecret Lulls muff be burnt before the Lord upon the Altar, deftroyed and mortified by the Spirit. God tries the Heart, fearcheth the Reins, fees into the Inward Parts. That fatnefs of the Heart muff be confumed, thole Inward innings unto Sin, deffroy.ed and mortified. 5. The
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