THE CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART. ROM. ii. 29.
_Circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter._
1. ’TIS the melancholly remark of an excellent man, that “He who now preaches the most essential duties of Christianity, runs the hazard of being esteemed by a great part of his hearers, _a setter forth of new doctrines_.” Most men have so _lived away_ the substance of that religion, the profession whereof they still retain, that no sooner are any of those truths proposed, which difference the Spirit of _Christ_ from the Spirit of the world, than they cry out, _Thou bringest strange things to our ears; we would know what these things mean_.――Though he is only preaching to them _Jesus and the resurrection_, with the necessary consequence of it. If _Christ_ be risen, ye ought then to die unto the world, and to live wholly unto God.
2. A hard saying this to the _natural man_, who is alive unto the world, and dead unto God, and one that he will not readily be persuaded, to receive as the truth of God, unless it be so qualified in the interpretation, as to have neither use nor significancy left. He _receiveth not the_ words _of the Spirit of God_, taken in their plain and obvious meaning. _They are foolishness unto him: neither_ indeed _can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned_: They are perceivable only by that spiritual sense, which in him was never yet awakened; for want of which he must reject as idle fancies of men, what are both the _wisdom_ and the _power of God_.
3. That _circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter_; that the distinguishing mark of a true follower of _Christ_, of one who is in a state of acceptance with God, is not either outward circumcision or baptism, or any other outward form, but a right state of soul, a mind and spirit renewed after the image of him that created it, is one of those important truths, that can only be _spiritually discerned_. And this the apostle himself intimates in the next words, _whose praise is not of men, but of God_. As if he had said, “Expect not, whoever thou art, who thus followest thy great Master, that the world, the men who follow him not, will say, _well done, good and faithful servant_! Know that the _circumcision of the heart_, the seal of thy calling, _is foolishness with the world_. Be content to wait for thy applause, ’till the day of thy Lord’s appearing. In that day shalt thou _have praise of God_, in the great assembly of men and angels.”
I design, first, particularly to enquire, wherein this circumcision of heart consists: And, secondly to mention some reflections, that naturally arise from such an enquiry.
I. 1. I am, first, to enquire, wherein that circumcision of heart consists, which will receive the praise of God. In general we may observe, it is that habitual disposition of soul, which in the sacred writings is termed holiness, and which directly implies, the being cleansed from sin, _from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit_, and by consequence, the being endued with those virtues, which were also in _Christ Jesus_, the being so _renewed in the image of our mind_, as to be _perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect_.
2. To be more particular, Circumcision of heart implies humility, faith, hope, and charity. Humility, a right judgment of ourselves, cleanses our minds from those high conceits of our own perfections, from that undue opinion of our own abilities and attainments, which are the genuine fruit of a corrupted nature. This entirely cuts off that vain thought, I am _rich_ and _wise_, and _have need of nothing_; and convinces, us, that we are by nature _wretched, and poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked_. It convinces us, that in our best estate, we are of ourselves all sin and vanity; that confusion, and ignorance and error, reign over our understanding; that unreasonable, earthly, sensual, devilish passions, usurp authority over our will: in a word, that there is no whole part in our soul, that all the foundations of our nature are out of course.
3. At the same time we are convinced, that we are not sufficient of ourselves to help ourselves; that without the Spirit of God we can do nothing but add sin to sin: that it is he alone _who worketh in us_ by his almighty power, either _to will or do_ that which is good; it being as impossible for us even to think a good thought, without the supernatural assistance of his Spirit, as to create ourselves, or to renew our whole souls in righteousness and true holiness.