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. 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. The name of "Jew," and the rite of "circumcision," were designed as outward symbols of a separation from the irreligious and ungodly world unto holy devotedness in heart and life to the God of salvation. Where this is realized, the signs are full of significance; but where it is not, they are worse than useless.
Remarks:
(1) Amidst all the inequalities of religious opportunity measured out to men, and the mysterious bearing of this upon their character and destiny for eternity, the same great principles of judgment, in a form suited to their respective discipline, will be applied to all, and perfect equity will be seen to reign throughout every stage of the divine administration.
(2) Of the three deep foundations on which all revealed religion reposes, we had two in the first chapter of this Epistle-the Physics and the Metaphysics of Natural Theology (Romans 1:19-20). Here we have the third-the Ethics of Natural Theology. The testimony of these two passages is to the theologian invaluable, while in the breast of every teachable Christian it wakens such deep echoes as are inexpressibly solemn and precious.
(3) High religious professions are a fearful aggravation of the inconsistencies of such as make them; and the instinctive disgust which they beget in those who flatter themselves that because they make no religious profession they cannot at least be charged with hypocrisy-though that affords no excuse for shameless irreligion-is but an echo of the divine abhorrence of those who "have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof."
(4) As no external privileges or badges of discipleship will shield the unholy from the wrath of God, so neither will the lack of them shut out from the kingdom of heaven such as have experienced without them that change of heart which the seals of God's covenant were designed to mark. In the sight of the great Searcher of hearts, the Judge of quick and dead, the renovation of the character in heart and life is all in all. In view of this, have not all baptized, sacramented disciples of the Lord Jesus, who "profess that they know God, but in works deny Him," need to tremble-who, under the guise of friends, are "the enemies of the cross of Christ?"