neceffity of fome new difpenfation, to bring them to the practice of virtue and holiness, in order to regain the favour of God.

He begins his account with the character of the Gentiles.-And these he fhews, from a particular enumeration of their several vices, to be fo depraved both in mind and morals, as, without the intervention of faith and repentance, to be in the utmost danger of perishing for ever.

The Jews were poffeffed of greater advantages; and thought themselves confequently in a fafer condition. They were in covenant with God; and had his law in their hands to direct their conduct. But this law, which they so much gloried in, had no influence on their hearts and lives. Their practices daily contradicted their profeffion; and, instead of doing honour

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to the name of God, brought it into contempt even among the Heathens. Thus they perverted the means of goodness into an occafion of more aggravated guilt; and by that abuse rendered themselves obnoxious to much greater punishments, than those who offended against a less perfect law.

But they deluded themselves into a fatal fecurity; and thought it impoffible they could ever miscarry while they enjoyed the benefit of circumcifion, which entitled them to the privileges of the covenant. To free them therefore from the power of this deceit, the Apostle acquaints them, that "their circumcifion would indeed

profit them if they lived in strict obe"dience to the law; and faithfully per"formed the terms of the covenant ;—but "if they became tranfgreffors of the

"law, and indulged themselves in vice "and immorality; their circumcifion "would be fo far from conveying any " right or benefit to them, that they might "as well not have been circumcifed at

all." Nay, he affures them, that "the "Heathens themselves, if they led better "lives than the Jews-if they were more "obfervant of the law of Nature, than the others were of the law of Mofes "that these Heathens, I fay, though they had no circumcifion in their flefh, were more truly the children of Abraham; " and more entitled to the promises of "Gop; than any of the carnal Jews, who

had the mark of circumcifion upon "them." For, as he concludes in the words of my text, "He is not a Jew, who is one outwardly; neither is that "circumcifion, which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew, who is one in

"wardly;

"wardly; and circumcifion is that of the "the heart, in the fpirit, and not in the "letter, whose praife is not of men, but "of GOD." As if he had faid, Every one that is born a Jew, and can plead his admiffion into the covenant of GOD, is not therefore the real and proper Jew, to whom the benefits of the covenant belong; nor is that the true available circumcifion, which is outwardly apparent in the flesh; but he is the Jew, the Ifraelite indeed, who, in the integrity of his heart, yields obedience to the divine laws, and walks worthy of those high privileges, which God has conferred upon him; and the true acceptable circumcifion is that of him, who cuts off the fuperfluities of naughtiness, and the impurities of fin; -who hath the law of righteousness, of which circumcifion is the fign, imprinted on his inner man, on his Soul B 4 and

and spirit, and who therefore makes it the great business of his life to approve himself to GOD by a diligent difcharge of his various duties.

These are the remonstrances which the Apostle thought fit to make to the Jews. But what are these remonftrances, you'll fay, to us Chriftians? Why, truly, they are important lessons-fuch as we may greatly profit by, if we are not wanting to our own improvement. For, only change the terms-put the word Christian instead of Jew, and Baptifm in the place of Circumçifion, and the text affumes a modern form exactly fits the prefent times—and comes home with full weight into our own bofoms.

Mankind have been always prone to Impose upon themselves in religious mat、

ters