having an high priest over the house of God." Ezekiel's temple is doubtless the same which 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 builds is, the apostle tells us, Heb. iii. 3, 6. The temple that Ezekiel in his vision was bid to observe the measures of, as 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 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 members of the Christian church shall visibly have this circumcision. 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, 40

VOL. IV.

and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." And in Rom. ii. 28, 29, the apostle speaks of this Christian and Jewish circumcision together, calling the former the circumcision of the heart. "But he is not a Jew who 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, as well as baptised with outward baptism.

By what has 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.

SECT. II.

All who are capable of it are bound to make an explicit open profession of the true religion.

I come 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 show how this demonstrates the thing in debate.

First, I shall endeavour 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 This institution we people should give honour to his name. 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 original, bishmo, with the prefix 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 thidhbák ubhishmo tisshàbhéang. The literal translation of which is, into him shalt thou cleave (or There is the same unite,) and into his name shalt thou swear. 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 are called by his name. The figure of speech is something like that by which Christians in the New Testament are said to be baptized, ε15 To ovoμa, INTO THE NAME of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, So Christians are said to be baptized into Christ, Gal. iii. 17. This swearing by the 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 And parname of swearing, and a covenant is called an oath.* ticularly God's covenant is called his oath, Deut. xxxix. 12. "That thou shouldest enter into covenaut with the Lord thy God, and into his oath." Ver. 14. "Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath." I Chron. xvi. 15, 16. "Be

*As Gen. xxi. 23. to the end; xxvi. 28. to 12, &c. 1 Sam. xx. 16, 17. 42. 2 Kings xi. 4. xvii. 16. and in many other places.

the end; xxxi. 44. 53. Josh. ii. Eccl. viii. 2. Ezek. xvi. 59;

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. 2. "And though they say, The Lord liveth, yet surely they swear falsely." Verse 7. "They have sworn by them that are no gods: " that is, they had openly professed idol worship. Chap. iv. 2. "Thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judg ment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless them. selves in him, and in him shall they glory." (Compare this with Isaiah xlv. 23, 24, 25.) Jer. xliv. 26. "Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the Lord, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord liveth;" i. e. they shall never any more make any profession of the true God, and of the true religion, but shall be wholly given up to Heathenism. See also Jer. xii. 16, and xvi. 14, 15. and xxiii. 7, 8. Hos. iv. 15. Amos viii. 14. and ver. 5.

These words, CHAI JEHOVAH, Jehovah liveth, summarily comprehend a profession of faith in that all-sufficiency and immutability of God, which is implied in the name JEHOVAH, and which attributes are very often signified in Scripture by God's being the LIVING GOD, as is very manifest from Josh. iii. 10. 1 Sam. xvii. 26, 36. 2 Kings xix. 4, 16. Dan. vi. 26. Psalm xviii. 46. and innumerable other places.

The other thing professed in swearing into the Lord was obedience, called, Walking in the name of the Lord. Micah iv. 5. "All people will walk every one in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever." Still with the prefix beth, beshem, as they were said to swear beshem, in the name, or into the name of the Lord.

This institution, in Deuteronomy, of swearing into the name of the Lord, or visibly and explicitly uniting themselves to him in covenant, was not prescribed as an extraordinary duty, to be performed on a return from a general apostacy, and some other extraordinary occasions: but is evidently mentioned in the institution, as a part of the public worship of God to be performed by all God's people, properly belonging to the visible worshippers of Jehovah; and so it is very often mentioned by the prophets, as I observed before, and could largely demonstrate, if there was occasion for it, and would not too much lengthen out this discourse.

And this was not only an institution belonging to Israel under the Old Testament, but also to Gentile converts, and Christians under the New Testament. Thus God declares concerning the Gentile nations, Jer. xii. 16. "If they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to SWEAR BY MY Name, the Lord LIVETH, as they taught my people to swear by Baal: then shall they be built in the midst of my people," i. e. they shall be added to my church; or, as the apostle Paul expresses it, Eph. ii. 19-22." They shall be no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, and be built upon the foundation of Christ; in whom all the BUILDING fitly framed together, &c. In whom they also shall be BUILDED for an habitation of God through the Spirit." So it is foretold, that the way of public covenanting should be the way of the Gentiles joining themselves to the church in the days of the gospel, Isaiah xliv. 3, 4, 5. “I will pour wa ter upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring, and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water-courses; one shall say, I am the Lord's, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord,"-as subscribing an instrument whereby they bound themselves to the Lord. This was subscribing and covenanting themselves into the name of Israel, and swearing into the name of the Lord, in the language of those forementioned texts in Deuteronomy. So taking hold of God's covenant, is foretold as the way in which the sons of the stranger in the days of the gospel should be joined to God's church, and brought into God's sanctuary, and to have communion in its worship and ordinances, in Isaiah lvi. 3, 6, 7. So in Isaiah xix. 18, the future conversion of the Gentiles in the days of the gospel, and their being brought to profess the true religion, is expressed by saying, that they should SWEAR TO THE LORD OF HOSTS. "In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear