faith fpeaking on this wife. This is bis commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jefus Chrift, and love one another, as he gave us commandment, John iii. 23. and, this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God, love his brother also, 1 John iv. 21. That we approve the things that are excellent, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jefus Chrift, to the glory and praise of God, Phil. i. 15. 11. Whatfeever things are true, whatsoever things are honeft, whatsoever things are juft, whatfoever things are pure, whatfoever things are love ly, whatfoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praife, mind these things, chap. iv. 8.

And then confidering what abundant provifion the gospel hath made for our attainment of everlafting falvation, we are altogether without excufe, if we pe rifh. Since God hath raised up fo mighty a falvation for us, how shall we efcape? If we die in our fins, it is not because God would not forgive them, but because we would not repent and be faved; the fault is all our own, and we owe it wholly to ourselves, if we be loft and undone for ever. If when life and death, heaven and hell, are fo plainly fet before us, eternal mifery and perdition fall to our lot and portion, it is not because we were not warned of our danger, or because happiness and the things of our peace. were hid from our eyes, but because we have made death and destruction our obftinate and final choice.

But beloved, I hope better things of you, and things which accompany falvation, though I thus speak. Only let your converfation be as becometh the gospel of Chrift; and if we be careful to perform the conditions which the gospel requires on our part, we shall not fail to be made partakers of that eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, hath promised to us, for his mercy's fake in. Jefus Chrift

SER

SERMON

CVI.

Of the nature of regeneration, and its neceffity, in order to juftification and falvation.

GAL. vi. 15:

For in Chrift Jefus, neither circumcifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumcifion, but a new creature.

TH

The first fermon on this text.

Here are two epiftles of St Paul, namely, that to the Romans, and this to the Galatians, which are principally and particularly defigned to confute a falfe perfuafion, which had prevailed a mongst many Chriftians, efpecially thofe who were converted from Judaifm, that it was not enough for men to embrace and confefs the Chriftian religion, unless they kept the law of Mofes, or at least submitted to that great precept of circumcifion; the ne glect whereof, among all the affirmative precepts of the law, was only threatened with excifion, or being cut off from among the people. And of the preva lency of this error, and the great disturbance which it made in the Chriftian church, we have a particular account, Acts xv. where a general council of the Apoftles is called, and a letter written in their names to all the Chriftian churches, to rectify their apprehenfions in this matter, ver. 24 of that chapter: Firafmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, fubverting your fouls, faying, Ye must be circumcifed, and keep the law, to whom we gave no fuch commandment, &c.

And upon this occafion likewife it was, that St. Paul wrote this epiftle to the Galatians, as likewife

thats

that to the Romans: in the former of which, after he had at large confuted this error, (which he calls the preaching of another gospel than what the Apofles had preached, and the Chriftians firft received), in the beginning of the 5th chapter, he exhorts them to af fert the liberty which Christ had purchafed for them, from the obligation of the law of Mofes, ver. 1. 2. Stand faft therefore in the liberty wherewith Chrift hath made us free, and be not intangled again with the yake of bondage. Behold, I Paul fay unto you, that if ye be circumcifed, Chrift fhall profit you nothing. Not that hereby he condemneth circumcifion as a thing evil in itself; for God never inflituted nor commanded any thing that was fo; but he oppofeth the opinion of the neceflity of it to our juftification and falvation, when the gofpel had fo plainly taken away the obligation and ufe of it; and confequently to af firm ftill the ncceffity of it, was really to renounce Christianity. For if Judaifm was ftill the way to falvation, Christianity was to no purpofe; and if Chriftianity be now the way, then the obligation to the Jewish religion was.ceafed. To avoid the force of this reafoning, it was not enough for the falfe apoftles to fay, (as it feems they did), that Chriftians were not obliged univerfally to the whole law of Mofes, but principally to the law of circumcifion; becapfe circumcifion being the fign and badge of that covenant, whoever took that upon him, did thereby own his obligation to the whole law: ver. 3.4 For I teftify again to every man that is circumcifed, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Chrift is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are juftified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. That is, whoever of you expect and profefs to be juftified by the law of Mofes, ye take away the neceflity and ufe of the Chri ftian religion; and are fallen from grace; that is, do in effect renounce the gospel: For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteoufnefs by faith, ver.5. we by the Spirit, in oppofition to circumcifion, which was in the fleh, do expect to be justified by the belief of the gofpel: For in Jefus Chrift, neither cir cumcifion ava leth any thing, nor uncircumcifion, ver. 6.;

that

that is, now under the difpenfation of the gofpel by Chrift Jefus, it fignifies nothing to a man's juftification or falvation, whether he be circumcifed or not circumcifed, whether he be a Jew or a Gentile. All

that the gospel requires as necessary to these purpofes, is, that we perform the conditions of the gospel, that fo we may be capable of being made partakers of the bleffings of it.

Now, as the great bleffing and benefit of the gofpel is variously expreffed, as by the forgiveness of our fins, by our acceptance with God, or (which comprehends both) by our juftification, fometimes by adoption, and our being made the fons and children of God, fometimes by redemption, and (which is theconfummation of all) by falvation and eternal life; I fay, as the bleffing and benefit of the gofpel is in fcripture expreffed to us by these feveral terms, which do in effect all fignify the fame thing; fo our duty, and the condition the gofpel requires on our part, is likewife as varioufly expreffed; fometimes, and that very frequently, by the word faith, as being the great fource and principle of all religious acts and performances; but then this faith must not be a bare affent and perfuafion of the truth of the gofpel, but fuch an effectual belief, as expreffeth itfelf in fuitable acts of obedience and holiness, fuch as the Apostle here calls πίσις δὲ ἀγάπης ενεργεμένη, a faith which work eth by love, a faith that is infpired and acted, or rather confummate and made perfect by charity, (for fo the word doth often fignify); and then this phrafe will be just of the fame importance with that of St James, chap. ii. 22. By works is faith made perfect. Sometimes, and that alfo very frequently, the condition of the gofpel is expreffed by words which import and fignify the change of our ftate, as by repentance, converfion, regeneration, renovation, fanétification, the new creature, and the new man; which expreffions are all fo well known, that I need not refer to particular texts. Sometimes the condition of the gofpel is expreffed by the visible and fenfible effects of this inward change in our outward life and actions;

as

as namely, by obedience and keeping the commandments of God. So Heb. v. 9. Chrift is faid to be the author of eternal falvation to them that obey him: where obedience is plainly put for the whole condition of the gospel, the performance whereof intitles us to eternal life and happiness.

Now, that by thefe various expreffions one and the fame thing is certainly intended and meant, viz. the condition of the gofpel, that which is required. on our part, in order to our full and perfect juftification and acceptance with God, is evident beyond all denial, by comparing the three different ways whereby St Paul doth exprefs the fame propofition for fenfe and fubftance: in which he tells us, what it is that will avail to our juftification under the gofpel, that is, according to the terms of the Chriftian religion; that it is neither here nor there; that it fignifies nothing whether a man be circumcifed or not, but that we be fo qualified as the gofpel requires, that the conditions upon which the bleffings of the gospel are promifed be found in us. And there are three texts, wherein the fame thing is plainly intended in three very different expreffions, Gal. v. 6. In Jefus Chrift neither circumcifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumcifion, but faith which is confummate, or made perfect by charity. Gal. vi. 15. For in Chrift Jefus, neither circumcifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumcifion, but a new creature. 1 Cor. vii. 19. Circumcifion is nothing, and uncircumcifion is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. It is evident, that in these three texts the Apoftle defigns to fay the fame thing, and confequently that faith which is made perfect by charity, and the new creature, and keeping of the commandments of God, are the fame in fenfe and fubftance, viz. the condition of our juftification and acceptance with God under the covenant of the gofpel, or in the Chriftian religion.

I fhall at prefent, by God's affiftance, handle the fecond of these texts, In Christ Jefus neither circumcifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumcifion; but a And here the condition of the gospel B b

new creature. VOL. V.

is