the fear of death in liberty and joy. For, in circumcifion the the New Teftament, while they fojourned on this earth, Heb. xiii. 14. "here have we no continuing city." The celebrated interpreter fays well on this place; "it is peculiar to Chriftians, and thofe who join themfelves to Chrift, that they have not here a city. They are without a city in the world. Some may fay, the apoftle denies not that they have a city, but they have no abiding one: nay, he denies, that we have a city here, because no city is abiding." Can I therefore be allowed to affert, that no permanent benefits are bestowed on believers of the New Teftament? I cannot think it. I conclude: It had been much better, the brethren had frankly owned, that the learned author, while he was writing these things, betrayed human frailty, and fpoke uncautioufly, than, by far fetched pretences, to palliate things, which the reformed churches will never acknowledge as their doctrine.

XVI. Secondly, The excellence of the Old Teftament is too much leffened by afferting, that the circumcifion of the heart, mentioned, Deut. xxx. 6. was a bleffing peculiar to the New Teftament. It is worth while to hear, how the learned author explains himself. First, he defires us to obferve, that this verfe treats of the time of the Meffiah, the foregoing figns of whom are explained in the preceding verfes: and therefore he enumerates circumcifion of the heart, mentioned here among the bleffings of the New Teftament, de foed. §. 352. Confequently he fays, "that God hence promifed a kind of circumcifion of the heart, which he would not give till that time," Sum. Theol. c. 53. §. 7. But what is that circumcifion of the heart here promifed? Let us hear the learned author himfelf, when profeffedly commenting on this place. "By circumcifion of the heart we are here to understand, whatever answers to circumcifion, as a figure, and is contained in God's covenant, except thofe things, that do not belong to this life," Ultim. Mof. §. 334. And more clearly ftill: "to sum up the whole briefly, the circumcifion of the heart here promised, ver. 6. is regeneration by the fpirit of adoption. Above all it fignifies regeneration, or fanctification by the fpirit of faith and the love of God. Secondly, it denotes confolation in hope of eternal life, by the expiation of Christ." Ibid. §. 336, 337, 338. From thefe quotations, if duly connected, arifes this argument: The circumcifion of the heart promised, Deut. xxx. 6. is a benefit of the New Teftament, which God did not beftow till then: but regeneration by the fpirit of adoption, or fanctification by the fpirit of faith and of the love of God, and confolation in hope of eternal life by the expiation of Chrift, is the circumcifion of the heart there promifed: therefore fuch regeneration

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regeneration or fanctification and confolation in hope of eternal life is a benefit of the New Teftament, which God did not bestow before that time. This conclufion neceffarily follows from the premises, when placed in due order. But the premises are the very words of the learned author.

XVII. And yet he does not admit the conclufion; but protefts against it. "And the fathers had both; for, they could not, without the Spirit of God 1 Cor. xii. 3. and the creation of a clean heart, Pfal. li. io. and the circumcifion of the heart call Chrift Lord, as David does, Pfal. cx. 1. And they had the hope and joy of Salvation,” Gen. xlix. 19. Pfal. li. 12. Pfal. xvii. 15. Pfal. xlix. 15. Ibid. §. 339. If any can reconcile these things; Iown, I cannot. There is only one way of getting clear; namely, by making a distinction in regeneration, fanctification, and confolation in hope of eternal life; as, that there is a certain regeneration by the spirit of adoption; another from something elfe, than from that Spirit; a certain fanctification by the Spirit of faith and love of God; another not: a certain confolation in the hope of eternal life by the expiation of Chrift; another from fome other way. The former of these are indeed peculiar to the New Teftament; and the latter belong to the Old. But these very learned perfons must excuse me, if I confidently affirm, I never learned from fcripture of any regeneration, but what is from the fpirit of adoption, any fanctification, but what is from the fpirit of faith and love: any hope of eternal life, but what is by the expiation of Chrift, either to be made, or already made.

XVIII. What does he then intend, when he denies, that the fathers had circumcifion of heart? I know not whether, in what I am to fay, I fhall exprefs the whole of his meaning; but I had rather err on this fide, in not faying the whole, than in charging the author with what either he has not faid, or I have not fufficiently understood. "It appears," fays he, " that here a fpiritual grace is fignified, in fome measure common to those under both Teftaments, but in its fulness peculiar to those under the New: and that this fometimes is promifed to be fuperadded to what they had received, peculiar to the New Testament," Ibid. §. 335. They had therefore regeneration, fanctification and confolation, but in fome meafure only. But what is there to be fuperadded to what they had received? That must be fome third thing, even that which the circumcifion of the heart denotes; namely, "the removing the vail from the eyes, and the yoke from the confcience, in order to ferve God without taking away the fleshy fubftance doubtlefs fignifies freedom from the yoke of fuch a law," ibid. §. 340.

XIX. But we diftinctly offer the following confiderations against fuch intricate notions. Ift, Thus the circumcifion of the heart is a bleffing of the covenant of grace as fuch, and equally belongs to believers of both Teftaments. Which we make appear thus. The forefkin of the heart always fignifies in fcripture that impurity and depravation, which is naturally inherent in the foul, and is increafed by repeated evil actions: but the circumcifion of the heart is nothing but the taking away that foreskin, that is, that depravation; which is done by regeneration and fanctification." This Mofes declares,

Deut. x. 16. " circumcife therefore the forefkin of your heart, and be no more ftiff-necked.' And Paul, in like manner, Col. ii. 11. defcribes the circumcifion of the heart, which is done without hands, to be the putting off the body of the fins of the flefb. But that this was the privilege of believers in all ages, appears from this, because without it none can be a Jew, whofe praife is of God, Rom. ii. 28, 29. But none will deny, that, in confequence of the covenant of grace, there were always fuch. And as circumcifion of the heart, is this very regeneration and fanctification, without which none can fee God, we must of neceffity say, that it is the privilege of all those that were faved at any time. A greater or lefs degree of fanctification alters not the fpecies. Nor do I imagine any believer at this time will, even as to the degrees of fanctification, claim to himself a fuperiority above David, or Mofes, or Abraham. Who will afcribe the circumcifion of the heart, to himself, and refuse it to those heroes, who were alfo partakers of the fame grace with them, though not in an equal degree.

XX. 2dly, Befides, to understand by circumcifion of the heart, the removing the vail and yoke, or which is the fame, the abrogation of the ceremonies, is contrary to all found divinity and reafon. For, ift, Let but one fingle teftimony of fcripture be produced, where the Holy Spirit thus explains it. 2dly, We are, on the contrary, taught, that circumcifion was, as it were, the entrance to the obfervance of that law, in which it was a yoke, Gal. v. 3. How then could it fignify to the Ifraelites on their receiving it, the abrogation of that yoke? 3dly, Circumcifion itself was a great part of the yoke, Acts xv. 5. compared with verfe 10. Besides, what is more abfurd, than that the receiving the 'yoke fhould fignify the removal of it? What facramental analogy is there here? 4thly, As there is a relation between circumcifion and uncircumcifion, if circumcifion be the abrogation of the ceremonies, it neceffarily follows, that the ceremonies themselves are the forefkin, or uncircumcifion of the heart, than which what can be more contrary to fcripture

Book IV. fcripture language? 5thly, If it be objected, that the ceremonial law is called a carnal commandment, Heb. vii. 16. therefore its abrogation was fitly prefigured by cutting away a small part of the flesh. I fhall invert the argument, and conclude; therefore it hath its confirmation in that act, which, if any thing, fhould be accounted among the carnal, as it was performed in the flesh; wherefore it is alfo called the covenant of God in the fef of the defcendants of Abraham, Gen. xvii. 13. For, the apoftle calls that commandment carnal, which, as to the external rites, is performed not in the fpirit or mind, but in the members of the body. Otherwife it might, with equal reason, be faid, that the killing and burning the facrifices prefigured the abrogation of the carnal ceremonies which is unworthy divines. There was, indeed, that in circumcifion, as alfo in the other ceremonies, which might difcover imperfection, and give hope of a more joyful time and prefignify, that when that time fhould come; the ceremonies were to be abrogated; yet the thing fignified was not the abrogation of the fame.

XXI. 3dly, And though fometimes circumcifion of the heart was the fame thing as taking away the vail and yoke; yet it is not promised in that fenfe, Deut. xxx. 6. For, God himself explains it otherwife in the following words, which runs thus: "and Jehovah thy God will circumcife thine heart, and the heart of thy feed, to love Jehovah thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy foul, that thou mayeft live." That circumcifion, therefore, is meant, whofe immediate effect is the fincere love of God, and the more remote life, or falvation. Now what is this but regeneration, or fanctification, without which there can neither be the love of God, nor life. But both may be, where the vail and yoke of ceremonies are not yet removed. The Jewish doctors alfo agree, that here fanctification is meant; though they give it too great an extent, and think that a perfect fanctification is here promifed. We fhall not fcruple to transcribe a few things out of Mofes Gerundenfis. "Their heart will defire nothing, but what, in every respect, is virtuous. And this is the circumcifion, mentioned here. For concupifcence and appetite are the forefkin of the heart: but to circumcife the heart is to fet it free from that appetite and concupifcence."

XXII. 4thly, If we grant, that fomething is here promised, which was to be performed to the elect Ifraelites in the time of the Meffiah: yet this by no means proves, that this benefit was peculiar to that time, and was not beftowed on their ancestors before. I shall not go far to fhew the weakness of that confequence. In ver. 8. God promifed converfion to the Ifraelites

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of that time, that they might hearken to the voice of Jehovah and do all his commandments. Yet fuch a converfion is no peculiar benefit of the New Teftament: because in almoft the fame words, the Lord afcribes to the Jews in the Babylonish captivity, verfe 2. Therefore we conclude, that they by no means fpeak according to fcripture, who deny that circumcifion of the heart, in whatever fenfe performed, had place under the Old Teftament.

XXIII. Thirdly, In the fame bafe manner, they make the writing the law on the heart, a bleffing peculiar to the New Teftament: because Heb. viii. 10. it is faid from Jer. xxxi. 34. "for this is the covenant, that I will make with the house of Ifrael after those days, faith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts:" that is, fays our author in Jer. xxxi. §. 61. "I will cause them to receive my law, delight therein, and not forget it." If thefe words be taken as they lie, it follows, that the ancient believers, who lived before the times of the New Teftament, did not receive the law of God, nor delight in it but forgot it. But that these things are most eminently falfe, appears from the example of David alone : who profeffes, that he received the law, when he fays, Pfal. cxix. II. thy word have I hid in my heart :" and adds ver. 16. I will delight myfelf in thy ftatutes, I will not forget thy word." How then is this a bleffing peculiar to the New Testament, in which David claims an intereft in fo many words.

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XXIV. But there is fomething elfe implied. Here, fays the celebrated interpreter, the law of the love of God is spoken of. But that commandment" thou fhalt love the Lord thy God," Deut. vi. could not, under the Old Teftament, have its full efficacy on the hearts of believers: because where there is fear (which they who differed nothing from fervants, could not be without Gal iv. 1.) there is no perfect love, 1 John iv. 18. And when "the love of God is fhed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghoft," Rom. v. 5. and the love of God is not beftowed with fadnefs, as formerly, but with the exceeding joy of fons, it is excellently, and as it were, peculiarly faid, that the law of God is written in the heart. All this we may find in Sum. de foed. §. 352.

XXV. But I do not meet with these things in the facred writings; for they declare that even the ancient believers loved God, Pfal. xviii. 1. and Pfal. cxvi. 1. And that as their Father, Ifa. Ixiii. 16. and with the exceeding joy of fons, Pfal. xliii. 4. and without any fear, that did become the children of God," Pfal. xlvi. 2, and Pfal. xxxiii. 3. nay, that they had a joyful fenfe of the love of God, fed abroad in their hearts, Pfal. iv. 7. and hear God, "faying to their fouls, I am thy falvation," Pfal. xxxv. 3.

word,