In theſe Verſcs the Blefſed Virgin celebrateth God's Mercy toge- ther with his truth 5 withal ſhe hath here a reſpe& to God's particu- Jar goodneſs, and Mercy in the ſending of the Redeemer. The Word which we here tranſlate hath helped, fignificth he hath ſuſtain- ed, oras it were lifted up with his hand, his Servant Iſrael, or his child Iſrael ; he calleth Ephraim, his dear Son, his pleaſant Child, But by Tract he mcancth Believers, thoſe of Abrahams Seed that lived in the Faith, Hope, and Expe&ation of the Meſſiah the children of the Promiſe, Rom.s. 8. thoſe who are Jews inwardly, Rom. 2, 2g.. the true Circumciſion, Phil. 3+ 3» ?raelites indeed, John 1. 47. This ſhe ſaith God had done, not in remembrance of their merits, but his own Mercy, Ezeh. 35. 32. but of his own free goodneſs, and Mercy, ard in the jufiling of his Promiſe made to Abraham, Gen. 17. 15, the extent of which Promiſc is declared, Rom. 5. 6, 7,89. and that ſeed of Abraham, his ſeed as the Father of the Fairbſul, ſhall be for ever, and the virtue of the Promiſe ſhall hold to then: tor ever.
56 And Mary abode with her about three monchs,
and returned to her own houſe.
It is moſt probable that ſhe ſtaid with her until ſhe was brought to Bed, not leaving her juſt at the time of her Travail, but ſhe ſtaid not long after but went home 3 by this time ſhemuſt her ſelf know that ſhe was with Child, and here in the trae order of the Hiſtory cometh in what we had, Matth. 1. 18, 19,20, 21, 22, 23, 24+ Sce the Notcs thcre. |
57 Now Elizabeths full time came that ſhe ſhould be delivered, and ſhe brought forth a ſon.
58 And her neighbours, and her couſins heard how the Lord had ſhewed great mercy upon her; and
* they rejoyced with her.
The Angel told Mary, v. 36. That it was then the ſixth Month with her; after this Mary was with her about three Months, which made up her full time ; ſo ſhe was delivered, and brought forth a Son, to ſhew the truth of God's promiſes, that we may all learn to zive credit to his Word. For the Neighbours and Kinſwomen of Elizabeth to come, and to rejoyce with her, was but according to the ordinary cuſtom of friends to this Day, like enough to hold fo the end of the World. But the Religion of Perſons in that age poſſibly is not in ſo ordinary a praftice,in I mean the taking notice of the influence and goodneſs of God to thoſe who receive ſuch Mer- cies, Weare fallen into an age, where congratulations madeto tricnds, upo2 any good things happening to them are ordinary, and meetings alſo to make merry, (as they call 1t ) upon ſuch occafions ; but at! how little is that God, who openeth the Womb, and a reward from whom Cinidren are, taken notice of 2 how [little is his rower, and gooancls 12 ſuch Providences taken notice of, in tuch mectings, and made the ſubje&t of the diſcourſes there had 2? Elizabeths Neighb ours and Couſins, take notice | haw the Lord had ſhewed great Mercy unto her. | The Mercy of a Child, of a ſafe deli- very 18 the Birth of a Child, are great Mercics, and ought to be the firſt and principal things taken notice of ia ſach rejoycing meetings, otherwiſe the Mecting 15 more like a Meeting of Pagans, than of Chriſtians.
59 Anditcame to paſs, that on the eighth day they came to circumciſe the child; and they called him Za- Charizs, after the name of his father.
K E.
he ſhall be called John. | | 61 And they aid unto her, There is none of th kindred that is called by this name. l The Law for Circumciſion, Gen. 17..12, Levit. 12, ly for it to be performed the ezzhth day. We find nothi cd in Scripture, either as to the Perſon who was to perfor office of the Circumciſer, or as to the place, Exod. 4. 24, » m the met Moſes in the Inn, and ſought to kill him, becauſe he had - God cumciſed his Child, and Zipporah his Wife did it. It is ſaig wa Cir- terwards did it in the Synagogues, but there is no Divine.” af- in the caſe. That the name was gtven to the Child upon its > 4, ciſfion, appeareth not from Scripture. It is ſaid, Gen.21.,, =
3+ Was firja. ng COmmang.
Abraham called his Son TJaac, and. then, v. 4. he Circamcies * Son Iſaac being eight Days old, We read of no name glvcn by Zim PP
rah, to her Child when ſhe Circumciſed him : But the name +, at Circumciſion declared. It is moſt certain that John was circa, ciſed in his Fathers houſe, for we fin his Motver was preſent = at that time was not ina condition to ftir abroad, They called hi Name Zaeharias 3 whence we may obſerve the ancient uſage of "ny ing to Children the names of their Fathers, and kindreg, Than all probability is the reaſon of ſo many odd, and unjuſtifabt Names given co Perſors, (ſuch as are Namcs of Heathenith Gods and Goddeſles, not fit to be named amongſt Chrittians, 75 ) = derive from Pagans z and tho ſome Heathens changed their "ion when they turned Chriſtians, yet many (probably) did not and by a long traduRion, (the Names of Parents being given to Children the Names of Pagan Idols, ſuch as Fortane, Diana, and the like are by a moſt ſordid practice made the Names of Chriſtigns: a thing which certainly ought to be reformed; for it is a doing hone to thoſe Idols, if the giving a Perſons Name to a Child, be (as we ordinarily account it) an honour done to the Perſon wliofe Name is ſo given. The Jews from their beginning ſeem to have had a ke. ligiun as to this, giving Names to their Children, either ſignificatize of God's mercy to them or their Children, or their own duty t, Gd 3 and the Names of the Parents, or ſome of the Kindred, were in honour to them given to their Children ; therefore when Eling- beth (who knew the Counſel of God as to this Child, either by ſome Writing from Zachariah, or ſome Revelation to her heard thcm call him Zachariab, ſhe contradifted them in this thing, and nameth him ſobn z They obje& that none of her kindred 1;;. called by that name.
62 And they made ſigns to his father how he woul have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing-table, and wrote,
all.
It was the Parents place (the Fathers eſpecially ) to give Ci. dren their Names. Zachariah was Dumb as yet, they therefore make Signs to him 3 he by Writing declareth, that his Name waz Trim that is, He was ſo named already by the Anz-l, therefore there ns; to be no furti2er diſpute about it. The Friends marvel at the ©. ſent of beth the Parents in the caſe, declining all the Names of ther Kindred.