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the mount where the glory of the Lord abode: for without Jesus, "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," there is no looking into the secrets of heaven, no approaching to the presence of God.-The command of circumcision was not given unto Moses, but to Joshua; nor were the Israelites circumcised in the wilderness, under the conduct of Moses and Aaron, but in the land of Canaan, under their successor; for at that time the Lord said unto Joshua, "Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time," Josh. v. 2; which speaketh Jesus to be the true circumciser, the author of another circumcision than that of the flesh commanded by the law, even 66 the circumcision of the heart in the spirit, and not in the letter;" that which is made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, which is therefore called "the circumcision of Christ."

Thus if we look upon Joshua as the minister of Moses, he is even in that a type of Christ, "the minister of the circumcision for the truth of God." If we look on him as the successor of Moses, in that he representeth Jesus, inasmuch as "the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." If we look on him as now judge and ruler of Israel, there is scarce an action which is not clearly predictive of our Saviour.. He begins his office at the banks of Jordan, where Christ is baptized, and enters upon the public exercise of his prophetical office. He chooseth there twelve men out of the people, to carry twelve stones over with them; as our Jesus thence began to choose his twelve apostles, those foundation-stones in the church of God, whose names are in the twelve foundations of the wall of the holy city, the new Jerusalem," Rev. xxi. 14. It hath been observed, that the saving of Rahab the harlot alive, foretold what Jesus once should speak to the Jews;" "Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and harlots into the kingdom of God before you." Matt. xxi. 31.

go "He said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon and the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day," Jos. x. 12. Which great miracle was not only wrought by the

power of him whose name he bare, but did also signify that in the latter days, toward the setting of the sun, when the light of the world was tending unto a night of darkness, "the Sun of Righteousness should arise with healing in his wings:" and, giving a check to the approaching night, become "the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."

But to pass by more particulars, Joshua smote the Amalekites, and subdued the Canaanites; by the first making way to enter the land, by the second giving possession of it. And Jesus our Prince and Saviour, whose kingdom was not of this world, in a spiritual manner goeth in and out before us against our spiritual enemies, subduing sin and Satan, and so opening and clearing our way to heaven; destroying the last enemy, death, so giving us possession of eternal life. Thus do we believe the man called Jesus to have fulfilled, in the highest degree imaginable, all which was but typified in him who first bare the name, and in all the rest who succeeded in his office, and so to be the Saviour of the world; "whom God hath raised up, an horn of salvation for us, in the house of his servant David, that we should be saved from our enemies, and the hands of all that hate us," Luke i. 69.

The necessity of the belief of this part of the article is not only certain, but evident; because there is no end of faith without a Saviour, and no other name but this by which we can be saved, and no way to be saved by him but by believing in him; for " this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and he that keepeth his commandment dwelleth in him and he in him," 1 John iii. 23. From him then, and from him alone, must we expect salvation, acknowledging and confessing freely there is nothing in ourselves which can effect or deserve it from us, nothing in any other creature which can promerit or procure it to us; for "there is but one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus," 1 Tim. ii. 5. It is only the beloved Son, in whom God is well pleased. He is clothed with a vesture dipt in blood: "he hath trod the wine-press alone." "We like sheep have Div.

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gone astray, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all," Isa. liii. 6. By him God hath reconciled all things to himself, by him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven," Col. i. 20. By him alone is our salvation wrought; for his sake then only can we ask it, from him alone expect it.

Secondly; this belief is necessary, that we may delight and rejoice in the name of Jesus, as that in which all our happiness is involved. At his nativity an angel from heaven thus taught the shepherds, the first witnesses of the blessed incarnation; "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord," Luke ii. 10. And what the angel delivered at present, that the prophet Isaiah, that old evangelist, foretold at distance. When "the people which walked in darkness should see a great light; when unto us a child should be born, unto us a son should be given;" then "should they joy before God according to the joy of harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil," Isa. ix. 2, 6, 3. When "God shall come with recompence," when he shall come and save us ;" then "the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Sion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads," Isa. xxxv. 4, 10.

Thirdly; the belief in Jesus ought to inflame our affection, to kindle our love toward him, engaging us to hate all things in respect of him, that is, so far as they are in opposition to him, or pretend to equal share of affection with him. "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me," saith our Saviour, Matt. x. 37; so forbidding all prelation of any natural affection, because our spiritual union is far beyond all such relations. Nor is a higher degree of love only debarred us, but any equal pretension is as much forbidden. "If any man come to me," saith the same Christ, "and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple," Luke xiv. 26. Is it not this Jesus in whom the

love of God is demonstrated to us, and that in so high a degree as is not expressible by the pen of man? "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son," John iii. 16. Is it not he who showed his own love to us far beyond all possibility of parallel? for "greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends;" but "while we were yet sinners," that is, enemies, "Christ died for us," and so became our Jesus. Shall thus the Father show his love in his Son? shall thus the Son show his love in himself? and shall we no way study a requital? or is there any proper return of love but love? The voice of the church, in the language of Solomon, is, "My love:" nor was that only the expression of a spouse, but of Ignatius, a man, after the apostles, most remarkable. And whosoever considereth the infinite benefits to the sons of men flowing from the actions and sufferings of their Saviour, cannot choose but conclude with St. Paul, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha." 1 Cor. xvi. 22.

Lastly; the confession of faith in Jesus is necessary to breed in us a correspondent esteem of him, and an absolute obedience to him, that we may be raised to the true temper of St. Paul, who "counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord, for whom he suffered the loss of all things, and accounted them but dung, that he might win Christ," Phil. iii. 8. Nor can we pretend to any true love of Jesus, except we be sensible of the readiness of our obedience to him; as knowing what language he used to his disciples, "If ye love me, keep my commandments;" and what the apostle of his bosom spake, "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments," 1 John v. 3. His own disciples once marvelled, and said, "What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?" Matt. viii. 27. How much more should we wonder at all disobedient Christians, saying, What manner of men are these, who refuse obedience unto him whom the senseless creatures, the winds and the sea obeyed? Was the name of Jesus at first sufficient to cast out devils? and shall man be more refractory than

they? Shall the exorcist say to the evil spirit, "I adjure thee by the name of Jesus," Acts xix. 13. and the Devil give place? Shall an apostle speak unto us in the same. name, and we refuse? Shall they obey that name, which signifieth nothing unto them? for "he took not on him the nature of angels," and so is not their Saviour; and can we deny obedience unto him, who "took on him the seed of Abraham, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," for us, that he might be raised to full power and absolute dominion over us, and by that power be enabled at last to save us, and in the mean time to rule and govern us, and exact the highest veneration from us? For "God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth," Phil. ii. 9.

Having thus declared the original of the name Jesus, the means and ways by which he which bare it expressed fully the utmost signification of it; we may now clearly deliver, and every particular Christian easily understand what it is he says, when he makes his confession in these words, I believe in Jesus: which may be not unfitly in this manner described-I believe not only that there is a God who made the world; but I acknowledge and profess that I am fully persuaded of this, as of a certain and infallible truth, that there was and is a man, whose name by the ministry of an angel was called Jesus, of whom, particularly Joshua, the first of that name, and all the rest of the judges and saviours of Israel, were but types. I believe that Jesus, in the highest and utmost importance of that name, to be the Saviour of the world; inasmuch as he hath revealed to the sons of men the only way for the salvation of their souls, and wrought the same way out for them by the virtue of his blood, obtaining remission for sinners, making reconciliation for enemies, paying the price of redemption for captives; and shall at last himself actually confer the same salvation, which he hath promulged and procured, upon all those who unfeignedly and steadfastly believe in him. I acknowledge there is no other way to heaven

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