Ezek. xxxvi. 20. 22. where the Jews, be- | ing in captivity for their iniquities, gave ground to their enemies to speak evil of God; as alfo by their evil deportment in the time of their captivity: therefore fays he, as it is written; where the apoftic is citing a teftimony for confirmation, fhewing, how fitly that which was spoken of their forefathers might be applied to them, and poffibly is citing Ifa. lii. 5. as it is rendered by the Septuagint. HENCE OBSERVE, I. Hypocrites, as they labour, in all their deportment, fo to carry themfelves as they may have a fair fhew, when they have little fubftance, and ufe all means imaginable, whereby they may keep up a garb, and be efteemed fomebody; fo, among other means, this is one, whereby they think to deceive others, and under which they think to lurk, viz. their giving open teftimony against iniquity, and reproving vice where they fee it; for this is the vizor that the apoftle is taking off their face here. II. If there were no more to give teftimony, or to bear witnefs against wicked livers, who cover their knavery with fair outfide profeffions, there will be as much found even in their carriage, (how unblameable foever they labour to have it) as will stop their mouth fufficiently, and convince them of their guilt, notwithstanding of what they thought to fhelter themselves under; for Paul goes no further to convince thofe folk, but to their own practice and deportment here. III. Seeing it is hard to get a people that have fettled on lies, and made them their refuge, and have fallen asleep upon their privileges and enjoyments, awakened, and made to fee their condition clearly; therefore it is the duty of Chrift's faithful fervants to be dealing effectually and not to dally with them, and to bear in convic tions piercingly, and to prefs them home upon their confciences, as Paul doth here, who puts it home to them sharply, and fays, doft not thou teach thyself? doft thou Steal? &c. by way of question, that it may appear the more abfurd and strange. IV. As knowledge doth lay an obliga tion on folks to practife; fo, whoever take upon them to inftruct and teach others, fhould lay their own heart open to the truth, and they should not overlook themfelves in preffing of duties, as if it was enough in them to lay heavy burdens on others, tho' they never put to one finger themselves; for this was it which is here challenged in them, they taught others, but they did not teach themfelves; they taught that others should not commit adultery or freal, and yet they drank not in thefe truths themselves. V. Folks preffing of duty upon others is fo far from exeeming them from the practice of these duties, and from wrath because of guilt, in not practifing them, that, on the contrary, it tendeth to aggravate and heighten their neglect, for fo much doth the form of speech intimate, thou that teacheft another, doft thou not teach thyself? thou that teachest another should not steal, doft thou fteal? VI. Many may be forward enough in reproving fin in others, and with the Pharifee, perceive a mote in their neighbour's eye, who may look over the fame fin, or a greater, and not fee a beam in their own; and fo ftrong is corruption, that it can carry folk not only over the belly of light, but also light declared by testimony-bearing against thofe courfes; for even he that teacheth, another should not steal nor commit adultery; (and fo is convinced that it is a fin to do fo; and not only fo, but declareth and beareth witness against it) may be guilty of both. VII. There are few or none fo defperately wicked, but they have fomething within them for God; fo that were they in calm blood, and unbiaffed, they could not but condemn themselves, for many of their practices, fo crofs are they to light and reafon; therefore Paul puts the questi on, on, as it were, to themselves to answer; ry here in that point, fhouldst not thou be knowing, that if they would but feriously as tender in another, doft thou commit faconfider the matter with themselves, they crilege? what a heinous aggravated guilt could not but difapprove of their practices; is this? canft thou fay any thing against therefore fays he, dost thou fteal? doft this? thou commit adultery? deft thou commit facrilege? VIII. It is but a falfe and failing ground for folks to build the hopes of their acceptation with God upon, that they abhor or loath at fome one particular vice or other; for as that may flow from fome carnal principle or other, fo it will not fpeak out any real change made thro' the whole man; for there may be other vices as evil or worfe reigning in him, and not fet against; as here, they thought, fince they took a loathing at idols, that all was right; and yet, in the mean time, they were guilty of facrilege: So that that reformation which is not complete, nor throughout the whole man, is not much to be valued. XI. Hypocrites and fuch as are but void empty veffels may oftentimes give the greateft found, and they may feem to have the fairest flourishes who may be but rotten at the heart, and fuch as are but naught may be moft in fhew, and in outwards; therefore thefe wicked Jews were bo.ifters of the law, they feemed to have fuch a liking of the law as they made it the mater of their gloriation and rejoicing; they were fo full of gladness that they had the law of God, as that they could not but exprefs the fame in exulting and rejoicing. XII. Mens having a fhew and fair outfide profeffion, tho' oftentimes it may have no influence upon their carriage, that it may be fuitable in all points; yet it layeth on a strong obligation to be conform: and IX. Sacrilege, or the robbing or taking where there is not that conformity, and away any thing dedicated to God of what- fuitablenefs betwixt mens practices and foever kind, be it houfes, lands, rents, or profeffions which fhould be, their fair fuch like, for the maintenance of his wor- flourishes will be fo far from faving them fhip and fervice, is a heinous crime, and from the wrath and curfe of God, that, fuch a fin as may undermine all their con- on the contrary, they will prove matter fidence, which they build upon other of further conviction and condemnation; commendable practices; therefore fays he, fo here, thefe made their boast of the law, thou that abhoreft idols, doft thou commit and yet were breakers of it; and this was facrilege this iniquity of theirs in com- fo abominable, that they could not but. be miting facrilege cafts down all their laud- convinced of it themfelves, and there fore able carriage anent idols: See Mal. iii.he propofes the queftion to them, doft 8. 9. &c. thou break the law? XIII. Tho' oftentimes men make a mock at fin, and think it a very light matter; yet the leaft breach of God's law is a dif honour done to God, a defpifing of him and his government, (for fo the word is rendered, James ii. 6.) a putting of God to X. Folks fhewing fome feeming tendernefs and refpect unto God's glory and authority in one particular, fhould engage them to do fo in all refpects, and in every particular; and will do fo where folks tendernefs floweth from a right principle, and is of a right kind, otherwife their feem-hame, fo to fpeak, (for fo it is rendered, ing tenderness and refpect in one particular Acts v. 41.) and an entreating of him famewill but ferve to aggravate their guilt, and fully, (as we have it rendered, Luke xx. 1 1. ftop their mouth in the day of reckoning: by rejecting his yoke, and robbing him of Therefore fays he, thou that abhoreft idols, his fovereign dominion and fupreme authothou that feemeft to be tender of God's glo-rity, and of his glory, as great law-giver, b break breaking of the law difbonoureft thou God? faith the apostle, not as if finners could Tub any affront and difgrace upon God, who is glorious for ever, nor as if fin could any way rob God of his infinite and everlafting bleffedness, but only to fhew, that finners do what in them lies to do fo, by refufing to yield obedience unto his juft and holy commands, and to be in fubjection unto his fovereignty. XIV. Befides the difhonour that profellors do to God by themselves, when they tranfgrefs his holy laws, they difhonour him further, in that, by their finful carriage, they open the mouths of the wicked, and give them occafion to fpeak evil of God; and the opprobrious, wicked, and blafphemous fpeeches which the carnal wicked ones do vent of God, upon the occafion of the finful carriage and deportment of profeffors, will be laid to the charge of fuch profeffors, as guilty of God's dishonour in that: for this in particular is mentioned, as the way of their dishonouring God, that through them the Gentiles took occafion to speak evil of, and defame God, for the name of God is blafphemed among the Heathen by you. XV. Such is the enmity against God in the hearts of wicked, profane, gracelefs perfons, that if they can have the leaft ground and occafion, tho' not in God himfelf, but in any of his followers, or those who profess to be fo, they will vent it, and labour to flander, and speak evil of God, though they fhould have no other ground for it, but the mifcarriage of fuch as profefs themselves to be his: fo did the Heathen blafpheme the name of God, and all thro' them. XVI. This fin of profeffors giving ground to ftrangers to speak evil of God, and of the wicked's venting their malice against God, upon fuch a ground folely, is no new fault, but an old fault; and the longer a fin be lived in, it fhould become the more odious unto us: therefore to this the apostle addeth, as it is written, where by he fheweth, that it was with them as with their forefathers, and that made their fault the greater. XVII. Though gracelefs profeffors will not take it well to have their iniquities in a lively manner decyphered and laid open to life, with all the aggravating circumftances and fad confequences thereof; yet it becometh the faithful fervants of Christ to be free, and charge home guilt to the full on them: for though thefe Jews were not like to take it well to have it laid to their charge, that they occafioned the blafpheming of God's name (as is clear from this that Paul must prove it from Scripture) yet the apoftle tells them plainly, (think of it what they will) that the name of God was blafphemed among the Gentiles through them. XVIII. As in faftening convictions deeply upon finners, minifters ought to be clear, and walk upon Scripture-grounds, and make no more of folks mifcarriages than Scripture warranteth; fo it becometh people to fit down, and take with fuch convictions of guilt, when they fee it warranted from the word: therefore fays Paul, as it is written, both to clear that their fins did give fuch occafion, and that this, as it is written, was fufficient to convince them. VERSES 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. For circumcifion verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcifion is made uncircumcifion. Therefore, if the uncircumcifion keep the righteoufnefs of the law, fhall not his uncircumcifion be counted for circumcifion? And fhall not uncircumcifion which is by nature, if it fufil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcifion doft tranfgrefs the law? For he is not a few, which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcifion, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a few, which is one inwardly; and circumcifion is that of the heart, in 1 the fpirit, and not in the letter, whose fuppofed) fhould never be a whit the lefs praife is not of men but of God. accepted of God for their want of circumcifion. 2. Yea moreover, fuch uncircumcised ones, if they could keep the law, fhould bear witnefs against thee who art circumcifed and keeps it not, and abundantly ftop thy mouth. Next he fheweth, verfes 28. 29. what circuncifion it is that God will regard, and what Jew; not that Jew who is only one outwardly circumcifed, but who is a Jew inwardly, who is one heartily devoted to God, and hath the grace of God at his heart-roots, and is really what he profeffeth to be, and looketh not fo much after the praife and applause of men, as of God: and then that circumcifion which God will look to and regard moft, is not that which is outward only, in the forefkin of the flefh, nor in the letter, that is, only in the bare external literal obfervation of the rites, or in the dead write, which is of itfelf cold and lifelefs: but it is that of the heart, when there is a change and reformation upon the heart, and that is circumcifed, according to that, Jer. iv. 4. circumcife yourselves to the Lord, and take away the forefkins of your heart; and of the fpirit, that is the thing meant and chiefly held forth by the outward circumcifion of the flesh, the fpiritual thing understood. N this last part of the chapter, the apoftle is anfwering one main objection or ground whereupon the Jews thought to have rested, and upon which they did expect juftification, without faith in Chrift, by the works of the law; and upon which they might have thought that the apoftle did wrong them, in that he was fo far from having any better hopes of them than of the blind Gentiles, that he put them all in one rank and category, and it is this; they might have faid, But we have the feal of the covenant, a fpecial teftimony of God's love towards us, we are circumcifed, the Gentiles are not, and fo there is a clear difference betwixt our cafe and theirs; and feeing we are a people in covenant with God, having his badge and livery carrying about us, whereby we are diftinguished from other nations, and looked upon as God's peculiar people, we are in a better condition than they, and nearer to juftification, and fur ther from condemnation. In these verses, the apoftle anfwereth, and taketh this out of the way, and therefore he granteth that circumcifion hath fome advantage with it, but it is to fuch as fulfil the condition of the covenant whereof it is a feal; it is (fays he) profitable to fuch as keep the law; but if not, it will ftand in no more avail to thee than if thou had never been circumcifed; it will not do thy turn if thou look for juftification by the works of the law, for thou must then refolve to keep the law perfectly, for that will not be accepted in lieu of it, verse 25. and this he cleareth fur ther, verfes 26. 27. by two propofitions, or confectaries drawn from this; 1. The Lord doth fo little regard your being circumcifed, where there is no more, that even those who never were circumcifed, if they could perfectly fulfil the law (which indeed is impoffible, and only here OBSERVATIONS. I. Men who fettle upon lyes in building their carnal confidence, make ufe of many falfe props to that effect, and when their grounds are proving fandy, fo loth are they to fake off their confidence, that if they can get no more to build on, they will fettle upon their being within the visible church, enjoying the privileges of churchmembers, and having the feals of the covenant which God hath made with them, and that they look upon as an impregnable rock for here, after Paul hath driven them from many fhelters, he comes to this at the laft, and fpeaks moft of it, becauf they thought moft of it. II. How II. However we ought to have high, and reverent thoughts of the ordinances instituted and appointed by Chrift, and be forry to utter any thing that may feem in the leaft to derogate from them; yet we fhould fo fpeak of them and handle them, as they may still be in their own place, and may not fhoulder out Chrift, and become any ground for carnal men to truft unto and fettle upon, who love not to go further: therefore doth Paul fay, circumtifion verily profiteth, left he fhould be thought to derogate from that ordinance; but he addeth, if thou keep the law; that fo he may give it its due, and thew their folly in refting upon it, as if it alone could do their turn. III. As the covenant whereunto the facraments are annexed as feals, is a mutual covenant, wherein the Lord promifeth to be our God, and we, upon the other part, reftipulate to be his people; fo the facraments do not feal up God's being ours in a faving manner, unless we perform our part of the covenant, and when we have performed the condition required of us in the covenant, then do they feal and be come a confirming pledge unto us of God's being ours according to his promife: for, faith the apoftle, circumcifion verily profitb if thou keep the law; it profiteth then as a confirming ratifying feal of the truth of the covenant, and of all that is therein promifed, if thou perform the condition required of thee. et b IV. As the facraments of themselves can confer no grace upon the receivers; fo the receivers of them, however before men, and as to external privileges, they may receive fome advantage by them; yet as to juftification before God, and falvation, they will be no more the better of them than if they had never received them, for if bou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcihon is made uncircumcifion;) if fo be the condition of the covenant be not perform ed, and they become not the Lord's according to the obligation. V. Tho' we fhould not contemn nor defpife the facraments, feeing they are inftituted and appointed of God; yet we may not lay fo much weight upon them, as to account them abfolutely neceffary unto falvation, fo as none without them could be faved; feeing fuch as have never been partakers of them, if they by faith flee into Christ who hath fulfilled the law, fhall be juftified and faved no whit lefs than if they had received the facraments; for even the uncircumcifed, if they shall keep the righteousness of the law, their uncircumcifion shall be counted for circumcifion. VI. Seeing fome may attain unto juftification and falvation, viz. thro' faith in Jefus Chrift, tho', thro' fome one invincible impediment or other, they have never received the feals of the covenant; we fhould be abundantly convinced of the folly of doting upon thefe outward privileges, and of a neceffity of looking to fomething beyond them: for this is the ftrength of the argument. VII. So ftrong is corruption in many, that it will carry them to tranfgrefs the law of God, over all means and engagements to the contrary; for we fee fome that are faid to be tranfgreffors of the law, howbeit they had the letter, that might fhow them the contrary, and were circumcifed, and fo engaged by covenant to obedience, who by the letter and circumcifion doft tranfgrefs the law? VIII. Tho' many may conclude well of themfelves, becaufe living amongst the throng of ordinances, and taking on vows and engagements upon themfelves; yet thefe will be fo far from faving them in the day of accounts, that others that have outftripped them, and have not had fuch occafions as they have had, fhall condemn them, and abundantly ftop their mouth : fhall not uncircumcifion which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee who by the letter and circumcifion doft tranfgrefs the law? IX. There is a vifible church, whose mem |