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the Lord's supper." I answer, though I do not suppose it has merely a reference to that ordinance, yet I think it manifest, that it has a reference to admitting persons into the Christian church, and to external church privileges. It might be easy to prove, that these nine last chapters of Ezekiel must be a vision and prophecy of the state of things in the church of God in the Messiah's days: But I suppose it will not be denied, it being a thing wherein divines are so generally agreed. And I suppose, none will dispute but that by the house of God and his sanctuary, which it is here foretold the uncircumcised in heart should not be admitted into in the days of the gospel, is meant the same house, sanctuary, or temple of God, that the prophet had just before been speaking of, in the foregoing part of the same chapter, and been describing throughout the four preceding chapters. But we all know, that the New Testament house of God is his church. Heb. iii. 3. "For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who builded the house, hath more honor than the house." Ver. 6. “ But Christ as a son over his own house, whose house are we," &c. 2 Tim. ii. 20. In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth," &c. 1 Tim. iii. 15. "That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God." Eph. ii. 20, 21. "And are built upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together, groweth into an holy temple in the Lord." 1 Cor. iii. 9. “ Ye are God's building." Ver. 16. Know ye not, that ye are the temple of God?” 1 Pet. ii. 5. "Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house." Chap. iv. 17. « For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: And if it begin at us, what shall the end be?" &c. Heb. x. 21. "And having an high priest over the house of God." Ezekiel's temple is doubtless the same that it is foretold the Messiah should build. Zech. vi. 12, 13. The man whose name is the branch....he shall build the temple of the Lord, even he shall build the temple of the Lord." And what the temple that Christ

The temple that

measures of, as it

builds is, the apostle tells us, Heb. iii. 3, 6. Ezekiel in his vision was bid to observe the was measured with a reed, (Ezek. xl. 3, 4) we have reason to think, was the same the Apostle John in his vision was bid to measure with a reed, Rev. xi. 1. And when it is here foretold, that the uncircumcised in heart should not enter into the Christian sanctuary or church, nor have communion in the offerings of God's bread, of the fat and blood, that were made there, I think so much is at least implied, that they should not have communion in those ordinances of the Christian sanctuary, in which that body and blood of Christ were symbolically represented, which used of old to be symbolically represented by the fat and the blood. For the admission into the Christian church here spoken of, is an admission into the visible, and not the mystical church; for such an admission is spoken of as is made by the officers of the church. And I suppose it will not be doubted, but that by circumcision of heart is meant the spiritual renewing of the heart; not any common virtues, which do not in the least change the nature, and mortify the corruption of the heart; as is held by all orthodox divines, and as Mr. Stoddard in particular abundantly insisted. However, if any body disputes it, I desire that the scripture may be allowed to speak for itself; for it very often speaks of circumcision of heart; and this every where, both in the Old Testament and New, manifestly signifies that great change of heart that was typified by the ceremony of circumcision of the flesh: The same which afterwards was signified by baptism, viz. regeneration or else the progress of that work in sanctification; as we read of the washing of regeneration, &c. The apostle tells us what was signified both by circumcision and baptism, Col. ii. 11, 12. "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, buried with him in baptism; wherein also you are risen with him, through the faith of the operation of God." Where I would observe by the way, he speaks of all the members of the church of Colosse as visibly circumcised with this circumcision; agreeable to Ezekiel's prophecy, that the mem

bers of the Christian church shall visibly have this circumci sion. The apostle speaks in like manner, of the members of the church of Philippi as spiritually circumcised (i. e. in profession and visibility) and tells wherein this circumcision appeared. Philip. iii. 3. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." And in Rom. ii. 28, 29, the apostle speaks of this Christian circumcision and Jewish circumcision together, calling the former the circumcision of the heart." But he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the FLESH ; but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." And whereas in this prophecy of Ezekiel it is foretold, that none should enter into the Christian sanctuary or church, but such as are circumcised in heart and circumcised in flesh; thereby I suppose is intended, that none should be admitted but such as were visibly regenerated, and also baptised with outward baptism.

By the things which have been observed, I think it abundantly evident, that the saintship, godliness, and holiness, of which, according to scripture, professing Christians and visible saints do make a profession and have a visibility, is not any religion and virtue that is the result of common grace, or moral sincerity (as it is called) but saving grace. Yet there are many other clear evidences of the same thing, which may in some measure appear in all the following part of this discourse. Wherefore,

II. I come now to another reason, why I answer the question at first proposed, in the negative, viz. That it is a duty which in an ordinary state of things is required of all that are capable of it, to make an explicit open profession of the true religion, by owning God's covenant; or, in other words, professedly and verbally to unite themselves to God in his covenant, by their own public act.

Here I would (first) prove this point; and then (secondly) draw the consequence, and shew how this demonstrates the thing in debate.

First....I shall endeavor to establish this point, viz. That it is the duty of God's people thus publicly to own the covenant; and that it was not only a duty in Israel of old, but is so in the Christian church, and to the end of the world; and that it is a duty required of adult persons before they come to sacraments. And this being a point of great consequence in this controversy, but a matter seldom handled (though it seems to be generally taken for granted) I shall be the more particular in the consideration of it.

This not only seems to be in itself most consonant to reason, and is a duty generally allowed in New England, but is evidently a great institution of the word of God, appointed as a very important part of that public religion by which God's people should give honor to his name. This institution we have in Deut. vi. 13. «Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name." It is repeated, chap. x. 20. "Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name." In both places it might have been rendered; thou shalt swear in his name, or into his name. In the orig

inal, bishmo, the prefix is beth, which signifies in or into, as well as by. And whereas, in the latter place, in our translation, it is said, to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name, the words are thus in the Hebrew, ubho thidhbak ubhishmo tissi.bheang. The literal translation of which is, into him shalt thou cleave [or unite] and into his name shalt thou swear. There is the same prefix, beth, before him, when it is said, thou shalt cleave to him, as before his name, when it is said, thou shalt swear by his name. Swearing into God's name, is a very emphatical and significant way of expressing a person's taking on himself, by his own solemn profession, the name of God, as one of his people; or by swearing to or covenanting with God, uniting himself by his own act to the people that is called by his name. The figure of speech is something like that by which Christians in the New Testament are said to be baptized to ovoμa, into the name of the

Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. to be baptized into Christ, Gal. iii. 17.

So Christians are said
This swearing by the

"That

name, or into the name of the Lord, is so often, and in such a' manner spoken of by the prophets as a great duty of God's solemn public worship, as much as praying or sacrificing, that it would be unreasonable to understand it only, or chiefly, of occasionally taking an oath before a court of judicature, which, it may be, one tenth part of the people never had occasion to do once in their lives. If we well consider the matter, we shall see abundant reason to be satisfied, that the thing intended in this institution was publicly covenanting with God. Covenanting in scripture is very often called by the name of swearing, and a covenant is called an oath.* And particularly God's covenant is called his oath, Deut. xxix. 12. thou shouldst enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath." Ver. 14. "Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath." 1 Chron. xvi. 15, 16. "Be ye mindful always of his covenant: Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac." 2 Chron. xv. 12. "And they entered into covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers." Ver. 14, 15. "And they sware unto the Lord with a loud voice: And all Judah rejoiced at the oath." Swearing to the Lord, or swearing in, or into the name of the Lord, are equipollent expressions in the Bible. The prefixes beth and lamed are evidently used indifferently in this case to signify the same thing. Zeph. i. 5. "That swear by the Lord, and that swear by Malcham." The word translated to the Lord, is Laihovah, with the prefix lamed; but to Malcham is Bemalcham with the prefix beth into Malcham. In 1 Kings xviii. 32, it is said, " Elijah built an altar in the name of the Lord;" beshem. Here the prefix beth is manifestly of the same force with lamed, in 1 Kings viii. 44. "The house I have built for thy name or to thy name;" leshem.

God's people in swearing to his name, or into his name, according to the institution, solemnly professed two things, viz. their faith and obedience. The former part of this profession of religion was called, Saying, the Lord liveth. Jer. v.

* As Gen. xxi. 23, to the end, xxvi. 28, to the end, xxxi. 44. 53. Josh. ii. 12, &c. 1 Sam. xx. 16, 17: 42. 2 Kings xi. 4. Eccl. viii. 2. Ezek. xvi. 59, xvii. 16, and many other places.

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