pale, but by the circumciſion of Chriſt, not properly that whereby
b2 kimſclf was circumciſed in the fleſh the eighth day, but that
which he hath indiſpentably required to have admitſion into h15
Kingdom, Fohy 3. 3. and which he himſelf is the worker of, doth
procure by his merit, and effe& by his ſpirit, which all the 1tua-1 1201 of the ſublimeſt Philoſophers, and devotion of fuperſtitt-
ous ones cannot do.
12 Buried with him in baptiſm w, wherein alſo
b:7-ye are riſen with im x, through the * faith of the _ operation of God y, who harh raiſed him from the
dead z.
m He ſhews that in Chriſt they who are found, have not only the thing ſignified , but right to the outward fign and {eal, viz. Baptiſm in the room of Circumciſion aboliſhed : the death and burial of Chriſt is not only the exemplar; but the cauſe of the death of the old man, jfigned and ſealed in Baptiſm z or by Baptiſm into death, Rom. 6. 3, 4. - Analogically, or ſymbolically, or ſacramentaily, when the Lord, togeth2r with the external fin, conferrech his grace fiznified by that fignz for even then the fins of ſuch an one are buried with Chritt ſo as they ſhould appear no more, either to his eternal condemnation, or in their former dominion, Rom. 6. 6, 9, 14. x In or by which Baptiſm becoming effectual, having” mortified the body of fin, like as Chriſt was raifed from the dead, ye are quickn'd and rais'd to newneſs of life, Kom. 6. 4. Gal. 2. 27, 23, 29. Eph. 4. 23, 24 and 5. 14, 26, 27. and Chap. 2. 10, 11, By virtue of Chriſt's Relurrection, a ſpiritual and myſtical one is produc'd in you, wiich hath a reſemblance and analozy to his. y Not of your ſelves, but through faithy #ph. 2. $. and that wrought in you by the energy or efficacy of God, Fohn 6. 29. Phil 1.29. and 2. 13- Feb, 12, 2. 3 Who did exert his power in raifing up Chriſt from the dead, comp. Rom. 4+ 24» With Eph. 1. 19, 20. This faith 15 not only wrought by God, as the circumciſion without hands, but it doth reſpe& that wonderful power of God put forth in the raifing of Chriſt, as the ſubje, which he mentions by way of congruity, ſpeaking of our reſurre@ion, and of Chriſt's. And he ſpecifieth faith rather than love, or other graces which are wrought alſo by God, becaule in this grace, which is the confti- tuave part of the new creature , God comes in with a greater radiation upon the Soul, being it hath not one fragment or point of nature to ſtand upon; carnal reaſon and meer moral righteouſneſs being oppoſite to it, whereas other graces are but - = re&ifying of the paſſions, and ſetting them upon right
FctS,
' 13 And you being dc:0d in your fins a, and the un- circumciſion of your fielh 6, hath he quickned together Wit him c, havius forgiven you all treſpaiſes 4.
.4 He farther ſhews ti2y had no need of circumciſion m the **N, Eph. 2. 11, having ail in Chrit for juſtification 2s well > andhification , ſo that thongh ihev fas well as the Epkeſizns,
'That law preſcribed by the miniſtration of Mjzs, was appen- daged with many ceremonial ordinances, to the obſervation of all which, circumcifion did oblige ; this obligation interpreta- tively was an hand-writing which did publickly teſtifie a Man's native pollution , and was a publick confeſſion of his fin and miecry, as waſhings did teftifie the filth of his tins, and ſacrifices Capital guilc to them, who liv'd undzr it, and did not perform ic, that they were accuried, Gl. 5. 1c, 19. under a miniftrati- on ot death, 2 Cor. 3.7, 9. Whiles by laying their hands on the ſacrifices, f they did as it were {ign a Bill or Bond azainft them- ſelves, whereby conſcience of guilt was retained, 2h. 19: 2, 3- and a con:cience. of fin renew'd, fo that the heart could not be ftablithed in any ficm peace, and g. 9g. #26. 19. 2. but they did con- fel tin to remain, and that they did want a removal of the curſe by a better >acrince. Upon the offering up of this, the law of commandments was blotted out, cancelled or aboliſh:d (faith the Apoſtle eliewhere) ſee Eph. 2. 15. even that contained in ordinances, compared with v. 16, 20, 21. of this Chapter 3 and therefore there 15 no condemaation to them that are circumct- ſed with the circumcition of Chrift, being found in him, v. 11 with Rome. $8. 1. and 7.4. g £0 that however the law which was in 1t ſelf holy, juſt and good, through fin became in ſome ſort contrary, or ſub-contrary to us, in that it did ſerve to convid and terrifie with the cure for our default, Rom. 7. 5, 9. aggra- vating all by its ceremonies, and ſhutting the Gate of God's Houle againſt the Gemtiles, of whoſe number the- Coloſſ.,ms were, ſtrangers to the covenants of promiſe, Eph. 2.12. yet this ob- ligation was abrogated -and annulled by the dcath of Chriſt: as the Apoſtle exprefleth it with great elegancy, having not only ſaid that the debt was wip'd out, defac'd by th2 blood of Chrift being drawn over it, as they us'd to blot out debts or draw red lines a-crols them 3 but he adds, þ Taken our of the way, as the debtor's bond or obligation is, being cancell'd and torn to pieces, 10 that there is no memorial or evidence of the debt doth remain, all matter of controverſie being aitogether remov'd, Yet (it it may be) to ſpeak more fully and ſatisfa&to- rily, heannexeth, i And faſten'd it ro Fs Croſs, What could be more fignifticant? implying that Chrift by once offering him- ſelf a Sacrifice on the Croſs, had difarm'd the law, and taken away its condemning power, AG. 7. 4. Gal. 3 -$3« It beings (cuſtomary as learned men ſay) of o!d, clpecially in Af: to pierce cancell'd obligations and antiquated writings with nails; Chriſt by his plenary -ſatisfaction, did not only diicharge from the con- d2mnation of the law, Rom. $. 1, 34. but h- did effettually with th nails with which he himlelt was crucified, by interpretation fatren the hand-writing of ordinances to his Croſs, and aboliſhed th2 ceremonial law in every regard , fince the ſubliance of is was come, and that which it tended to, was accompliſhed in giving himſelf a ranſom for all, x 7. 2. 6. to the putting away of tin, Zeb. 9. 25, and obtaining- eternal redemption , {1{iÞs 9. I2,
15 Aad * having ſpoiled þ DI tC powers mz, he made a iÞþew of them 0
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