2. There are Externals in the Law of Christ; such as the Sacraments, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper; Hearing of the Word, External Prayer, and the like. Now the Rule is, that they must be used, but the outward Act not rested in, as a sufficient ground of our Acceptance with God; used they must be in Faith and Obedience, because God hath justified them under great Penalties: As Circumcision, while the Command was in force; Gen. 17. 14. The Man-child, whose Flesh is not circumcised, shall be cut off from his People; He hath broken my Covenant. So Baptism; Mark 16. 16. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned. Not want, but neglect or contempt. Therefore all these Duties must be used as Means of Salvation, and as Expressions of the inward Truth of our Faith in God, and Obedience to him; (we must not cast off Ordinances) but yet they must not be rested in, as sufficient Grounds of our Acceptance with God. While Circumcision was in force, they relied on it, as it distinguished them from other Nations, as the genuine Seed of Abraham, and so reckoned to be within the Covenant. ⟨p. 125⟩But the Servants of God did always disprove this vain Confidence; Rom. 2. 28, 29. 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, and not in the Letter, whose praise is not of Men, but of God. They rejoiced in a shadow, when they wanted the thing signified; if there were no mortification of Sin, or putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh. But not only the Apostle, but the Prophet long before disproveth their vain Confidence. Jer. 9. 25, 26. Behold, the days come, when I will punish them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised, Egypt and Edom, with the Children of Ammon and Moab, are uncircumcised in Flesh, and all the House of Israel is uncircumcised in Heart. God would proceed against wicked Persons and People, circumcised as well as uncircumcised. Were those things spoken to them only, and not to us also? Surely all may learn from hence, that by a bare submission to outward Rites, we are not approved of God, without minding the true Reformation of Heart and Life, and expecting the Pardon of our ⟨p. 126⟩Sins by Jesus Christ. You are baptized; but are you washed from your Sins?
2. There are Externals in the Law of Christ; such as the Sacraments, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper; Hearing of the Word, External Prayer, and the like. Now the Rule is, that they must be used, but the outward Act not rested in, as a sufficient ground of our Acceptance with God; used they must be in Faith and Obedience, because God hath justified them under great Penalties: As Circumcision, while the Command was in force; Gen. 17. 14. The Man-child, whose Flesh is not circumcised, shall be cut off from his People; He hath broken my Covenant. So Baptism; Mark 16. 16. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned. Not want, but neglect or contempt. Therefore all these Duties must be used as Means of Salvation, and as Expressions of the inward Truth of our Faith in God, and Obedience to him; (we must not cast off Ordinances) but yet they must not be rested in, as sufficient Grounds of our Acceptance with God. While Circumcision was in force, they relied on it, as it distinguished them from other Nations, as the genuine Seed of Abraham, and so reckoned to be within the Covenant. ⟨p. 125⟩But the Servants of God did always disprove this vain Confidence; Rom. 2. 28, 29. He is not a Iew, which is one outwardly, neither is that Circumcision, which is outward in the Flesh: but he is a Iew, which is one inwardly; and Circumcision is that of the Heart, in the Spirit, and not in the Letter, whose praise is not of Men, but of God. They rejoiced in a shadow, when they wanted the thing signified; if there were no mortification of Sin, or putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh. But not only the Apostle, but the Prophet long before disproveth their vain Confidence. Jer. 9. 25, 26. Behold, the days come, when I will punish them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised, Egypt and Edom, with the Children of Ammon and Moab, are uncircumcised in Flesh, and all the House of Israel is uncircumcised in Heart. God would proceed against wicked Persons and People, circumcised as well as uncircumcised. Were those things spoken to them only, and not to us also? Surely all may learn from hence, that by a bare submission to outward Rites, we are not approved of God, without minding the true Reformation of Heart and Life, and expecting the Pardon of our ⟨p. 126⟩Sins by Jesus Christ. You are baptized; but are you washed from your Sins?
