falem which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all." The fame Apostle speaks of visible Chriftians as being vifibly come to the heavenly city, and having joined the glorious company of angels there, and as vifibly belonging to the "general affembly and church of the "firft-born, that are written in heaven, and to the fpi"rits of juft men made perfect," Heb. xii. 22, 23. And elfewhere they are spoken of as being vifibly of the number of thofe who have their "names written in the

book of life," Rev. iii. 5. and xxii. 19. They who truly have their names written in the book of life, are God's true faints, that have faving grace: As is evident by Rev. xiii. 8. "And all that dwell on the earth, "fhall worship him, whose names are not written in the

book of life of the Lamb flain from the foundation of "the world." And chap. xx. 12. "And another "book was opened, which was the book of life." Ver. 15. "And whofoever was not found written in the book of life, was caft into the lake of fire." We are told, in the conclufion of this chapter, how they were difpofed of whofe names were not written in the book of life; and then the prophet proceeds, in the next chapter, to tell us, how they were difpofed whofe names were found there written, viz. that they were admitted into the New Jerufalem. Ver. 27. "And there fhall "in no wife enter into it any thing that defileth, nei"ther whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." And yet in the next chapter it is implied, that fome who were not truly gracious perfons, and fome that should finally perifh, were vitibly of the number of thofe that had both a part in the New Jerufalero, and alfo their names written in the book of life. Ver. 19. "And if any man fhall take away from the words of "the book of this prophecy, God fhall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city." 8. That baptifm, by which the primitive converts were admitted into the church, was used as an exhibition and token of their being vifibly regenerated,

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"dead to fin, alive to God, having the old man cru"cified, being delivered from the reigning power of "fin, being made free from fin, and become the fer"vants of righteousness, thofe fervants of God that "have their fruit unto that holinefs whofe end is ever"lafting life;" as is evident by Rom. vi. throughout. In the former part of the chapter, he fpeaks of the Christian Romans, as "dead to fin, being buried with "Chrift in baptism, having their old man crucified " with Chrift," &c. He does not mean only, that their baptifm laid them under special obligations to these things, and was a mark and token of their engagement to be thus hereafter; but was defigned as a mark, token, and exhibition, of their being vifilly thus already. As is most manifeft by the Apoftle's profecution of his argument in the following part of the chapter. Ver. 14. "For fin fhall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Ver. "God be thanked, ye were the fervants of fin, but ye "have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine " which was delivered you. Being then made free "from fin, ye became the fervants of righteousness.” Ver. 22. "But now being made free from fin, and became fervants to God, ye have your fruit unto holi"nefs, and the end everlasting life."

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17, 18.

9. It is evident, that it is not only a vifibility of moral fincerity in religion, which is the Scripture-qualification of admiffion into the Chriftian church, but a vifibility of regeneration and renovation of heart, because it was foretold that God's people and the minifters of his house in the days of the Meffiah, fhould not admit into the Chriftian church any that were not vifibly circumcifed in beart. Ezek. xliv. 6-9. "And thou fhalt say to the "rebellious, even to the house of Ifrael, Thus faith the "Lord God, O ye house of Ifrael, let it fuffice you of "all your abominations, in that ye have brought into "my fanctuary ftrangers uncircumcifed in heart, and un"circumcifed in flesh, to be in my fanctuary to pollute ❝ it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat,

"and the blood; and they have broken my covenant,
" becaufe of all your abominations: And ye have not
"kept the charge of mine holy things, but ye have set
"keepers of my charge in my fanctuary for yourselves.
"Thus faith the Lord, no ftranger uncircumcifed in heart,
"nor uncircumcifed in flefb, fhall enter into my fanctuary,
"of any stranger that is among the children of Ifrael."
The venerable author of the Appeal to the Learned, fays,
page 10, "That this Scripture has no particular refer-
ence to the Lord's fupper." I answer, though I do not
fuppofe it has merely a reference to that ordinance, yet I
think it manifeft, that it has a reference to admitting per-
fons into the Chriflian church, and to external church-pri-
vileges. It might be eafy to prove, that these nine laft
chapters of Ezekiel must be a vifion and prophecy of the
ftate of things in the church of God in the Meffiah's
days: But I fuppofe it will not be denied, it being a
thing wherein divines are fo generally agreed. And I
fuppofe, none will difpute but that by the house of God
and his fanctuary, which it is here foretold the uncircum-
fed in heart fhould not be admitted into in the days of
the gofpel, is meant the fame houfe, fanctuary, or temple
of God, that the prophet had juft before been speaking
of, in the foregoing part of the fame chapter, and been
defcribing throughout the four preceding chapters.
But we all know, that the New Teftament houfe of God
is his church. Heb. iii. 3. "For this man was counted
"worthy of more glory than Mofes, in as much as he
"who builded the houfe, hath more honour than the
A house." Ver. 6. "But Christ as a Son over his own
boufe, whole boufe are we," &c. 2 Tim. ii. 20.
"In a great houfe there are not only veffels of gold and
filver, but also of wood and of earth," &c. 1 Tim.
iii. 15.
"That thou mayeft 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
"apoftles, Jefus Chrift himself being the chief corner-
ftone; in whom all the building fitly framed together,

I Cor.

I Pet.

"groweth into an holy temple in the Lord." iii. 9. "Ye are God's building." Ver. 16. "Know ye not, that ye are the temple of God?" ii. 5. "Ye alfo as lively ftones are built up a fpiritual houfe." Chap. iv. 17. "For the time is come, that "judgment muft 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 pricft over the house "of God." Ezekiel's temple is doubtlefs the fame that it is foretold the Meffiah fhould build. Zech. vi. 12, 13. "The Man whofe name is the Branch-he fhall build the temple of the Lord, even he shall build the temple of the Lord." And what the temple that Chrift builds is, the Apoftle tells us, Heb. iii. 3. 6. The temple that Ezekiel in his vifion was bid to obferve the measures of, as it was measured with a reed, (Ezek. xl. 3, 4.) we have reason to think, was the fame the Apoftie John in his vifion was bid to measure with a reed, Rev. xi. 1. And when it is here foretold, that the uncircumcifed in heart fhould not enter into the Chriftian fanctuary or church, nor have communion in the offerings of God's bread, of the fat and blood, that were made there, I think fo much is at least implied, that they should not have communion in those ordinances of the Christian fanctuary, in which that body and blood of Chrift were fymbolically reprefented, which used of old to be symbolically represented by the fat and the blood. For the admiffion into the Chriftian church here fpoken of, is an admiffion into the visible, and not the mystical church; for such an admiffion is spoken of as is made by the officers of the church. And I fuppofe it will not be doubted, but that by circumcifion of heart is meant the spiritual renewing of the heart; not any common virtues, which do not in the leaft change the nature, and mortify the corruption of the heart; as is held by all orthodox divines, and as Mr. Stoddard in particular abundantly infifted. However, if any body difputes it, I defire that the Scripture may be allowed to speak for itself; for it very often speaks of circumci

fion of heart, and this every where, both in the Old Teftament and New, manifeftly fignifies that great change of heart that was typified by the ceremony of circumcifion of the flefb: The fame which afterwards was fignified by baptifm, viz. regeneration, or elfe the progrefs of that work in fanctification; as we read of the washing of regeneration, &c. The Apostle tells us what was fignified both by circumcifion and baptifm, Col. ii. 11, 12. " In whom also ye are circumcifed with the circumcifion made without "hands, in putting off the fins of the flesh by the circum"cifion of Christ, buried with him in baptifm; wherein also

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you are rifen with him, through the faith of the ope"ration of God." Where I would obferve by the way, he fpeaks of all the members of the church of Coloffe as vifibly circumcifed with this circumcifion; agreeable to Ezekiel's prophecy, that the members of the Chriftian church fhall visibly have this circumcifion. The Apoftle fpeaks, in like manner, of the members of the church of Philippi as fpiritually circumcifed (i. e. in profeffion and vifibility), and tells wherein this circumcifion appeared. Philip. iii. 3. "For we are the circumcifion, which wor"fhip God in the fpirit, and rejoice in Christ Jefus,

and have no confidence in the flefh." And in Rom. . 28, 29. the Apoftle fpeaks of this Chriftian circumcifion and Jewish circumcifion together, calling the former the circumcifion of the heart. "But he is not a Jew "which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcifion «which is outward in the FLESH; but he is a Jew, « which is one inwardly, and circumcifion is that of THE HEART, in the fpirit, not in the letter; whofe praife is not of men, but of God." And whereas in this prophecy of Ezekiel it is foretold, that none fhould enter into the Chriftian fanctuary or church, but fuch as are circumcifed in heart and circumcifed in flesh; thereby I fuppofe is intended, that none fhould be admitted but fuch as were vifibly regenerated, and alfo bap❤ tifed with outward baptism.

By the things which have been obferved, I think it abundantly evident, that the faintship, godliness, and holi