the ViFs and the Bap Or | fign the apn forn heco Chr newr and Reſu Whic {elve the & tb, from 15 N01 but j the r; of cor he [Þ Wrou: kutive Irradi Point I1ghte as the Object,
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Chap. I.
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COL OY 11 In whom aifo r ye are
the body of the tins of the fleſh r, by the circumcition of Chrilt z. - y He removes what they who are addited to fuperfrition might luggeſt, as if there were ſomewhat defective to a com- pleatneſs in Chriſt : by ſhewing there was no need of any addi- tion to what he required in the Goſpel. /{ For that they might moft plaulibly urge of circumcition, as being the ſeal of the old covenant, and an obligation to the whole Law, Gl. 5. 3- which ſome preſſed as necetfary to Salvation, Acts 15. I, 24. he here ſhews was altogether needleſs now , that they were fanified and had the thing fignitied by it, the circumcition ot the heart, Rom. 2. 28, 29. Phil. 2. 3. and were compleat in Chrifr without it, yea that the urging of that, and other cere- monies now , was a pernicious error , tending to annihilate the Croſs of Chrift, and overthrow the whole myſtery of his grace. "Tis true it was appointed to the 2s a figure of a .thing av- ſent, they therefore who retain that figure after the coming 0t Chriſt, deny thar to be compleat which it doth figure, and ſo aboliih the preſence of the truth 3 by frickling for the thadow, they i-t £0 the ſubſtance, viz. the Circumcition not made by the operation of Man, but of God ; not with the Knife of Moſes, but the word of Chrift, ſharper than any two-2dged Sword, Heb. 4.12. And if we compare this with the verſe following, and Phil. 3. 2. the Apoſtle intimates that Baptiſm is the ſame to us Chriftians which Circumciſion was to the Fews, and that is often aſcribed to the external adminiſtration , that is only the internal operation of the Spirit, as R9m. 6. 3, 4 Gil. Je» 275 23. Tit. 3-5. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Now though there was during the ſhadow of it, Zeb. 19. 1. under the old Teſtament the circum- cifjon of the heart as well as under the New, Deut. 19. 16. and 20. 6. Fer. 4» 4» yet under the N., T. Chrift the ſubſtance (who ras only before in the promiſe) being now exhibited , ha- ring aboliſhed the old ſymbol, and inftitured Baptiſm in the room of it ; that with the hands in the fleſh, Eph. 2, 11. which they who received not the promiſe, 7. e. th M:fiaþ promiſed, uſed, Hb. 11.39. was to beno more urged, now the kenefit by the merit of his obedience unto the death of the Croſs, where- by he circumciſeth from fin, might be enjoyed, as was ſignified by Baptiſm appointed to this end, Mit. 28. 19. Ads 2.33. Roms 6. 2, 4+ Gal. 5. 27. 1 Per. 2.21. t Hence he doth illuſtrate this ſpiritual circumciſion by deſcribing the parts of it, begin- ning with the mortification of the old Man,- corrupted nature, containing not only the body and ſenſes, but the Soul taint- ed with che defilements of fin, < 2.5. Rom. 6. 6. Gil, 5. 195 20, 2.4 Eph.'4. 22. The body of fins, which do moſtly exert themielves in the fleſh, every member and pow2r whiles unre-
circamciſed with the circumcifion made without hands , in putting off
S 1 A Ne Chap
{ce Eph. 2. 1,5.) were by nature ſpiritually acad 1n ſins, de-
priv'd of the lite of grace, and ſeparated from t':-"i%2 of glory
b And having the forestin of their fleſh i CA_ANLIN WHICH was true litcrally, but conſidering the intern! circumcil.vti, vs 11s the Apoſtle's expreſſion here is to be exyuunded of th: '- mal corruption of our nature, the uncircumciſed heart, 01.44! cor- ruption deriv'd unto all by carnal propagation- which 13 predo- minant in the unregenerate. Theſe bcing dead az to the life of Grace, Mat. 8. 22. Fohn 5.25, Rom. $.7. 1 Cor. 2« 14+ 1 Tits
5,6. c You who were ſtrangers from the life of God, Eph. 4. 138, hath he now quicken'd or revir'd to a ſpiritual life with him here, and hereafter to eternal life, 1 Cor. 15. 22. d Ha- ving freely pardon'd to you (the word noting a free affe&ion to give and forgive, 2 Cor. 2. 10. Eph. 4.32.) all your fins, after as well as before Baptiſm (which is the tign and ſeal of it) Pſa.
103- 3+ fo that the ſpirit of Chritt doth nor orily infuſe a prin- ciple of grace, and implant a living and abiding ſeed to work out vitious habits, but God upon the account -of Chriſt's plenary fatisfaction * doth freely remove all the guilt that binds over ts eternal death, and doth not impute to believers any of thcit fins in whole or in part, but treateth them as if they had com- mirted nonear all, Mi. 25.2%. Adis ro. 43. Eph. 1. 7. Feb. g. 15. and will remember them no more, fo that when they are tought tor they ſhall not be found, Fer. 31. 24- and 50. 25: £725. 10.17. what the Papiſts ſay, of the f:iult being remitted, when the puniſhment may be exatted cither in whole or in part, that they may have a pretence for human ſatisfactions (th? groundleſneſs of which was hinted, ch. 1. 24.) is a meer figment. of the >chools, againſt Scripture and rzaſon.
14 BloiLing out the haad-writi:g of ordinances. e, that was again{t us f, which was contrary to us g, and took It out of the way h, nailing it to his croſs, z.
_e Having juſt before manif-fted God's grace in the free for- glvenels of all their treſpaſles, he doth here adjoyn the foundation and means of this remithon, viz. 17hipize out the Bill of decrees (as one reads)or effacing and cancelling rhe hand-writing that was apainſt us, which was contrary: to v8 in traditions, as another, - pointing at- ter Chirograph or hand-writing ; upon the matter in the expla- nation there will be no difference from our reading of it. Sir 12 Scripture is frequently accounted a debt, and the acquitting the pardoning of it, Mzt. 6. *2. Lute 11. 4. and 12. 4+ as the debtor is oblig'd to payment, lo the finner to puniſhment z only 'tis to be remembred, that though a private creditor may for- give his debt, yet unleſs the conſervator of publick juſtice do exempt an oftender againſt the law, he is not acquitted, but is irill under an obligation, bond or' hand-writinz, having as they
ol, I - . S, . under the Myj.z/ct law profeſſed allegiance, Exod. 24. 7. which
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upon default was an evidence of this guilt to avenging juice.
generate being active in the committing of tin, till the new man
be put on, Eph. 4. 24. and the dominion of it be ſubdued. # Not
by any natural power which a Man hath of himielf for that pur-