456 STATE AND ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH [EXERC. XIX.
they were now no more as the Keyptians, wncirewmeised. And it was their glory, both because God made it the token of his receiv- ing them to be his peculiar people out of all the nations of the earth, as also because it was the pledge of their obedience unto God; which is the glory of any person or people. But their posterity, being car- nal, and degenerating from the faith and obedience of Abraham, having quite lost the grace betokened by it,—which, as Moses often declares unto them, was the circumcision of their hearts to hear and obey the voice of God,—did yet, and do yet to this day, boast of it as a sign of their separation unto God from other people; not con- sidering that these things were mutual, answering one another, and that this latter is nothing when the former is not also attended unto.
11. And these are the chief heads that are looked upon by our apostle in the call of Abraham; which also we have been more brief in the explication of, because its consideration hath elsewhere oc- curred unto us. Now, from this call of Abraham unto the deliver- ance of the children of Israel out of Egypt, was, as Moses assures us, four hundred and thirty years, Exod. xii. 40, 41; and so saith our apostle, Gal. iii.17, But because the Lord tells Abraham that his posterity should be afflicted in a strange land four hundred years, Gen. xv, 13,—which words are repeated by Stephen in his sermon to the Jews, Acts vil. 6,—the reason of this different account may be briefly inquired after. Here is a double limitation of time;—(1.) Of four hundred and thirty years, by Moses and Paul; (2.) Of four hun- dred years, by God himself unto Abraham, repeated by Stephen. The words of Moses are recorded Exod. xii. 40, 41, “ Now the so- journing of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hun- dred and thirty years. And it came to pass, at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the self-same day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LorD went out from the land of Egypt.” It is evident that there is an ambiguity in the words of Moses; for if awd, “the sojourning,” or dwelling, in the beginning of verse 40, do relate unto D892 320, “dwelt in Egypt,” it can design no longer space of time than they dwelt there after the descent of Jacob; which, by an evident computation of the times, containeth but half the space limited of four hundred and thirty years. If it refer only to the “ children of Israel,” then it takes in all the sojournings and peregrinations of that people “ who dwelt in Egypt,” from the first day of their being the people of God. Now, this ambiguity is perfectly re- moved by our apostle, Gal. ili. 16, 17, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made...... And the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul.” The giving of the law was, as we shall see, immediately upon their coming out of Egypt; and saith he, the four hundred and thirty years are to be reckoned from the call of
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SECT. 11, 12.] BEFORE THE GIVING OF THE LAW. 457
Abraham, when God first entered into covenant with him, Gen. xii. 1-8. From thence unto the departure out of Egypt and the giving of the law that ensued are four hundred and thirty years. It is evident, then, that by the “sojourning” and peregrination of the chil- dren of Israel, not their mere abode in Egypt,—which after their going down, Gen. xlvi., was only two hundred and fifteen years, or thereabouts,—but the whole course of that people after they were in Abraham called from their own country, and a certain habitation therein, until their leaving of Egypt, in order unto their taking pos- session of the land of Canaan as a perpetual inheritance (that is, commensurate unto the duration of the especial covenant made with them), is intended. It remains, then, that we consider the other space of time assigned by God in vision unto Abraham, for the affliction of his seed under persecution, namely, four hundred years, Gen. xv. 13. Now, herein either the round number of four hundred is put for four hundred and thirty, or thirty years are to be abated out of the latter number, for some special cause and reason. The former seems not probable, because Moses doth so emphatically note that it was in the four hundred and thirtieth year, that very same day, or night ; and therefore thirty years must be taken off, either from the beginning or end of the latter number. To detract it from the end there is no reason; nor will Moses his exact observation of that period allow us so to do. It must, there- fore, be from the beginning. Now, this prediction of God unto Abraham about the affliction or persecution of his seed for four hundred years was given him before the birth of Isaac, who, being of his seed according to the promise, was to have his share in this affliction, yea, it was to begin with him. He was born, as was proved, twenty-five years after the promise, so that the thirty years to be taken off from the four hundred and thirty fall out in the fifth year of his life, which was the time when the persecution began in the mocking of Ishmael, Gen. xxi. 9; which the apostle expressly * ‘calleth persecution, and that upon the account of Isaac’s being the heir of the promise, Gal. iv. 29. Then began the four hundred years of their affliction, which ended with the four hundred and thirtieth of their peregrination.