We must have " our hearts circumcised unto the Lord :" we must " mortify our earthly members g," and " put off the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts11." What- ever pain it may occasion us to part with " our besetting sins," (for circumcision was a painful rite,) it must be submitted to, even as a man gladly parts with a diseased member for the preservation of his whole body. Our blessed Lord assures us, that if we wilfully retain one bosom lust, wre must perish in that " fire that never shall be quenched1."]
This awful truth being so strongly marked in our text, we shall proceed to shew,
II. The connexion between these duties and the Divine favour —
In its primary sense, the threatening in our text maybe considered as denouncing temporal judgments on the Jewish nation : but it must also be understood in reference to those eternal judgments which we all have merited by our iniquities. For the averting of those judgments, repentance and amendment are in- dispensably necessary :
1. Not, however, in a way of meritorious efficiency —
[It is not possible for man to merit any thing at God's hands. As transgressors of his law, we are justly exposed to his everlasting displeasure k : and, if we could perfectly obey his law in future, our obedience would no more cancel our obligation to punishment for past disobedience, than our future abstinence from incurring debts would discharge the debts already incurred. But the truth is, that every thing we do is imperfect, and needs forgiveness on account of its imperfection: and therefore to dream of meriting pardon by deeds which themselves stand in need of pardon, must be folly in the ex- treme. There is but one way of obtaining deliverance from the punishment of sin, and that is through the blood and righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is his meritorious sacrifice which alone expiates the guilt of sin : and, if we look to any thing else, either in whole or in part, for pardon and acceptance, we effectually cut ourselves off from all hope of his salvation. However we may " plough up the fallow ground, and sow in righteousness, we must reap in mercy," and in mercy alone1. Salvation is altogether of grace, through faithm: and in point of dependence, we must renounce our best actions as much as our vilest sins.]
g Col. iii. 5. Gal. v. 24. h Eph. iv. 22. » Mark ix. 43—48. k Rom. iii. 19. ! Hos. x. 12. m Eph. ii. 8, 9.
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