Faith was reckoned to him for Righteouſneſs : Now there. ueſtion is, Whether this Bleſeaneſs of Juſtificationbelongs
to the Circumcis'd only, or to the Uncircumcis'd allo. 10 How was it then reckoned ? when he was 1n cir- cumciſion or in uncircumſion? Not in circumciſion, bur
in uncircumciſion 5.
s And if this be the Queſtion, the way to Reſolve it,is,To Con- ſider in what Circumſtances Abraham was, when his Faith wa; thu reckon'd to him for Righteouſneſs; it was a long time before he wis Circumcis'd, The Promiſe to which Abraham's Faith had reſpet}, was made to him Fourteen Years at leaſt, before his Circumci/mn: Compare Gen 15. 2. and 17. 24, 25. - Alſo, wid. Gen. 16. 16, It the Bleſſedneſs therefore of Juſtification, was not Annext to Cirum ciſion, the Gentiles are no leſs capable of it than the Jews,
11 And * hereceived the ſign r of circumciſion, a fel of the righteouſneſs of the faich which /e had yet being uncircumciſed : that he might be the father « of «ll them that believe, though they be not circumciſed ; that rigfts-
ouſneſs might be imputed to them allo. : Or, Circumciſion which is a Sign, T'wo things are here Affrm'l of Circumcifion : 1. That it wass Sign; Of what ? Of the Circmir ſion of the Heart, of original Sin and its Cure, 2. That 1t wis: Seal ; Of what? Of rhe Righteouſneſs of Faith; Of the meaning 0 which ſee the Notes on «<<. 1. 179. This isa Periphraiis of the C0- venant of Grace, wherein Righteouſneſs is promis'd, and r1ade oe! to usin a way of believing : And this is not the only Place where the Righteouſneſs of Faith is put for the New Covenant, vid Rom. 10. 6. and the Notes there. Circumciſion is called a Seal, be cauſe it was a Confirmation of the Covenant of Grace, and the Righe reouſneſs therein promis'd. The common Uſe of a Seal amongſt Men is to Confirm and Ratifie a Matter, and make it more Fm Sure : Iris join'd often with an Earneſt, which is for the {ame £1 ; and purpoſe. The Corinthians Converſion is faid to be the as” x Paul's Apoſtleſhip, i. e. It was a Confirmation of it, and mave . more Evident that he was Sent of God. What the Apoſtle __ an Oath, that we may ſay of a Seal ; Ir is for Confirmation, a putting things out of Controverſie, When God made a HOON Abraham, He Confirm'd it with an Oath; and when he made -" venant with him, and with his Seed, He Confirm'd it by a Seal, = that was Circumciſion z; which he calls in Geneſis the Covenant of Vows and here the Seal thereof, And what is ſaid of Cirenmci/i9n, 7 = ſpoken of it barely as Circumciſion, but as a Sacrament ; and gone? = Nature and Uie of all Sacraments, both of the Old _ the New ; that they are Seals of the New Covenant. That _ = Apoſtle mentions here of Circumciſion, hath nothing Prope! _y 6 culiar in it to Circumciſion as ſuch ; bur it may with equal bo FP; be apply'd to any other Sacrament : It belongs as wel tO © an” over, yea to Baptiſm, and the Lord's Supper, ® 8- In he. LS firſt calls Circumciſion a Sigy, ſo was the Paſſeuer, 1018 B30#)W _ - the Lord's Snpper. Again, he calls it 4 Seal of the Rigrrrbn tu
; | © is each of Faith, or of the New Covenant, as before; and 10 15 ect tn
SETTING Qu: 9. Go
-\[ts rhe Cup the rein, the N:w Teft.omen? or Covenant, that is, It is a
m:de | nd Confirmation thereof And what is here Affthrm'd of Abra- $o4! NE » -ell of cl h that 1, may be Affirm d as well of the Eunuch, or the Faylor, or any cati. Capris Perſon ; he receiv'd the $:3nof Baptiſm, a Seal of the Righrte « Ce Of of Faith, and of Remiſſion of Sins, &c. u 4, e. That he might 4 824/015 © oh be the Fath - e IN its '.-nownor declared to be the Fatherof ſuch; ſee che like Phraſe, nd 1; \;t £459 Though many of the Fathers did believe before Abra- keth, __ 'ver none of them are ſaid to be the Fathers of the Faithful, as Hams ,
: | ahem Was, becauſe God made to none of them the like Promilſe' 5 of 0; concerning their Poſterity,as he did to Abramam.See the next Verſe.
hout/x; |» AnJ the father of CirC1mcilion tothem who are nor " of the circumCcition only, but who allo walk in the ſteps ns the 1 that faith of our father Abraham 2, which be bad be- —_ ; in 1/7 uncircumciſed. Fe a Wes | ©, The former Verſe tells you he was the Facher of the Believing Sue Gmtiles, for the Covenane Was made with him tor all his Believing Wuteth «./ when he was Uncircumciſed, which ſhews, That Righteouſneſs s nerc | 2 and may be imputed to them alſo, without any outward Circum- S.- | Th, and then he is the Farther of the Believing 7ews ; . eſpecially lorgi. © 1 many of them, ws unto Circumci//on do add the Imitation of tis Faith. " Who (betides Circumciſion which they deriv'd from him) wells 7 alſo Tranſcribe his divine Copy, and follow his Example of
mit Stn, | Fich and Obedience : That leave their Sins. as he did his Coun-