h Sc did the Kings of Iſrael and Judah, of Edem, of the Saracens, 9 , and the Meſſias, who is King of kings, and Lord of lords. * Chap:
; . x 35: 11: 7 And I will eſtabliſh covenant between me and the thee, and thy ſeed after thee, in their Generations, for ail everlaſting covenant ; to be a God unto thee z, and to'thy ſeed after. thee. Z (2. e.) Whatſoever I am or have, all that ſhall be thine, and ſhajl} be emp!oyed for thy. Proteftion, Conſolation, and Salvation. This Phzaſe contains init the confluence of all blefſiags, Temporal, Spirirual, and Ecernal. See Levit; 26; 12: Pſal. 33: 12. and 144: 15: Fer: 312 33. | | > And * I will giveunto thee, and to thy ſeed Þ after * Chap? thee, the land f wherein thou arta ſtranger, allthe land + Heb of of Canaan, for an everlaſting poſlefion & ; and 1 will hy ſejeetind be their God. | | ings, 3 T Uaro thee, not in thy own Perſon, bur in thy Seed. See Gen: 13: 15,17. k Uponcondition of their Obedienceto God, as is oft expreſſed: W herein ſeing they ſonotoriouſly failed, itis no wonder if they peſt zt but alittle while, as the Propher complains; Iſa: 63: 18; 9 {\ And God faid unto Abraham, Thou ſhalt keep my covenant therefore, thou/l, and thy ſeed after thee, in their generations. | I The agreement is mutual : My part was expreſſed before ; now follows thy part, and the conditioato which my promile and bleſſing IS annexed. | 10 Thisis my covenant » which ye ſhall keep between me and you, and thy ſeed afrer thee ; Every *man-child
f Heb. multitude of nations.
m Circumciſion is here called the Covenant by an uſual Metonymy, becauſe ic is the Condirion; Sign, and Seal of the Covenant; » the pledge of God's Promiſe and Man's Duty, And upon. the ſame grounds the Cup, 7. e the Wine, is called he New Teſtament in Chriſt's Blood, Luke 22: 20, Or, which is all one, Chriſt's Blood in the New. Teftamens, Matti: 26: 28. 1 It 1s evident that Women as well as Men were comprehended in this Covenant, from Gen: 34: 14; Exod: 12: 3, 4: Joel 2: 15, 16: Yer Circumciſion 1s given enly tothe Males, partly becaule it could nor, at leaſt not conveniently be adminiſtred to. Females ; partly, becauſe Man 1s the principal Cauſe of the propa- gation of Children, and conſequently of the propagation of that (Original Corruption which cleaves to them ; party, to ſigaifie thar all Perſons begotten by Man ſhould be pollured by Sin, rhough not all conceived by a Woman, . as Chriſt was : And partly, becauſe Man is the Head of rhe Woman, and of the Family, upon whom all their concerns are devolved, and from whom the diſtiaction of Families
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11 And ye ſhall circumciſe the fleſh of your fore-$skin | 0, and it ſhall be a * token of the covenant p betwixc *AQs 7.84 me and you | Roma9#!
o (7.e. ) By anvſual Hypallage, the fore-skin of your fleſh : And the 113 » * * word Fleſb.is here pur for tne geniral Parr, as it is Levzt. 15: 2, I9: a Ezek: 16: +6: and 23: 20: and elſewhere. This parr God ſingled one for this Ordinance, becauſe it is and was a grear Inftrumear both in the commiſſion of attual Sins, and in the propagation of original Sin ; and rherefore it was very proper to apply to it the Sea) of God's gracious Covenant for the Remiſſion of Sins Paſt, and theExrirpation of Sin tor the furure. p(z.e.) A lign, evidence, and aſſurance, both of the bleſſiag promiſed by that God who appointed this Ordi- . .. © nance, and of Man obligation ro the duties required, which is + Heb ſignified by his acceprance of, and ſubmiſſion to this Ordinance. And , ſon of, + here we have the Nature and Definition of a Sacrament, viz. that it eight dayt, 15 a figure or token of Gad's Covenant, . Bfeviie
12 AndFhe that is eight days old 7,*ſhall be circumcis 7 LY :
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he that is born in the houſe, or bought with money of any ſtranger s, which 7s not of thy ſeed.
'q Not before that time, becauſe of the Childs Weakneſs and Imperfe&ion, and Impurity too, Exod: 22: 30: Levit: 12: 3: for which
Exod: 22: 30. r Succeſlively, until the M:ſias come who ſhall circum- ciſe your hearts, and change this Ordinance for another. 5 Theſe were of two ſorts : 1. Children, who being entirely his poſſcſſion, and having not underſtanding to diſcern, nor will to chuſeor refuſe, were to be circumciſed. 2. Grown Perſons, who were not to be ompelled to be circumciſed, but if they refuſed .it, were not to be Apron to dwell in his Family, left they ſhould infe& orkers, but were to be ſold to Scrangers, as the Hebrew DoQors teach. Bur as for Abraham's Servants here, they were thoroughly inſtrufed in Religron, Gen: 18: 19: and doubtleſs did willingly embrace it, and ſubmit to Chis Sacrament. _ 6 4 : ' 23 He that is born in thy houſe, and he that 15 bought with thy money, muſt needs be circumciſed : and my covenant ſhall be in your fleſh for an everlaſting
coycnant 7. £ So it was, and is properly inregardof the thing ſignified to all true Believers ; and for the ſign, it 1s ſo called, becauſe it was to endure through all Generations till the coming of the Meſſias : The word Olam here and elſewhere rendred everla#ing, or for ever, being "oft uſed toexpreſsnot only ſimple eternity, but any long continuance for many ages, yea ſomerimes for a Man's life. See Exod; 21: 6: Deut: 15: 17: 1 Kings 9: 3+ : ot 14 Andthe uncircumciſed man-child, * whoſe fleſh of bis fore-skin is not circumciſed «, that ſoul ſhall be cut