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flesh made with hands was but a fhadow or SER M. figurative Representation. For circumcifion, fays the Apostle, Rom. ii. 28. is not That which is outward in the flesh; but ------circumcifion is That of the Heart, in the Spirit, and not in the letter; whofe praise is not of men, but of God. The character therefore of the Christian Worship, fet forth in the Text under the prophetick figures of Incense and a Pure Offering, is, that it confifts in what St Paul calls Lifting up Holy bands, 1 Tim. ii. 8. without Wrath and Doubting; It confifts in approaching God, not with the Sacrifices of Beafts, or Offerings of the Fruits of the Earth; but with the offering up of Ourselves to his Service, in all, holiness and righteousness of Life; Approaching him with Minds duly fenfible of the inexpreffible Excellency of the Divine Majefty, with Hands clear from all iniquity and unjuft Practices, with Hearts free from all Impurity and Moral Turpi tude. This is the Pure Offering, truly acceptable unto God: And This, he foretells by the Prophet, fhall in due time be offered

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SER M. offered unto his Name in every place, from the rifing of the Sun, even unto the going down of the fame; for my Name fhall be great among the Heathen, faith the Lord of Hofts. The Promife is indeed here made particularly to the Gentiles: But from feveral other paffages of Scripture, parallel to This, there seems reason to expect, that God's Antient people also shall be converted, when once the fulness of the Gentiles is come in. If. xlix. 22. and xí. 12. and lx. 10. Thus faith the Lord God; Behold, I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles, and fet up my ftandard to the Nations; and they shall bring thy Sons in their arms, and their Daughters fhall be carried upon their shoulders. And be shall Set up an enfign for the Nations, and shall affemble the Outcasts of Ifrael, and gather together the difperfed of Judah from the four Corners of the Earth. And the Sons of Strangers fhall build up thy Walls, and their Kings fhall minifter unto thee; For in my wrath I fmote thee, but in my Favour have I had mercy on thee. viour himself predicts fomething

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fame

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fame nature, Luk. xxi. 24. Jerufalem fhall S ER M. be troden down of the Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And St Paul seems to intimate the fame thing, Rom. xi. 25. Blindness in part is happened to Ifrael, until the Fulness of the Gentiles be come in. After which Great Event, the Scripture is full of very Sublime Defcriptions of a State of extraordinary Happiness to enfue. I. xi. 6. and lx. 18. The Wolf alfo fhall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard fhall lie down with the Kid;-----and a little child fhall lead them. They shall not hurt nor deftroy in all my Holy Mountain; for the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the Waters cover the Sea: And------thou shalt call thy Walls Salvation, and thy Gates Praise :------Thy people alfo fhall be All righteous, they shall inherit the Land for

ever.

WHATEVER be the true Meaning of These and the like Prophecies: Whether there be a time ftill to come, wherein they fhall be accomplished literally; Or whether they are intended only to exprefs H 4

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ŞER M. the natural and genuine Tendency of the V. univerfal and fincere Practice of Chriftianity in the prefent World, and the real Effect which shall be obtained by it in the World to come: Whatever, I say, be the strict and literal Meaning of these Prophecies; it becomes not Us to be too curious and inquifitive after the particular Times and Seafons which the Father has put in his own Power; But in general, the Ufes we are to make of all these Predictions, are very obvious. In the

ift place, 'Tis Our Duty, in our whole Behaviour and Practice, to promote, as much as in Us lies, the Knowledge of God, and the Intereft of True Virtue and Righteousness amongst Men. This is contributing Our Part, towards the introducing That Happy State and Consti tution of things, which is the accomplishment of the fore-mentioned Prophecies. And when we have thus done our Own Duty, we are then to remember the Admonition of our Saviour, Luk. xxi. 19. In your patience poffefs ye your Souls; and rely upon the Providence of God, to ac

complish

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complish the Great Events which he has SER M. promised, in his own Manner and at his own Time. In matters of This nature, which have not a conditional dependence upon the Behaviour of fingle perfons, but relate to the General Scheme of Providence in the Government of the World; In These things, I fay, the Gifts and Calling of God are without Repentance, Rom. xi. 29. The Promises of God will certainly be accomplished, and his Purpose shall not fail. But because it is not for Us to know beforehand, the exact Times and Seafons which God has appointed; the Duty therefore of every particular Christi an, whatever be the Circumstances of Time and Place in which Providence has fixed him, is to take care that He himself be in the Number of those, who, in all Holy converfation and godliness, look for, and hafte unto, the Coming of the day of God, 2 Pet. iii. 12.

2dly, ANOTHER Inference arifing from the confideration of fuch Predictions as This in the Text, is, that we may hence learn to justify to ourselves the various Methods,