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with Ifaac, whom Sarah fhall bear unto thee: 1 will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his feed after him *.”—“ In Ifaac fhall thy feed be called." It was perpetuated in the family of Ifaac and Jacob, until the end for which the feed of Abraham was feparated from the reft of mankind was accomplithed.-Should any enquire, Why did this ordinance extend only to males? I would anfwer, It was fo ordered, to fhew, that an actual participation of facraments is not effential to falvation: For females were as really the daughters of Abraham as males were his fons, when they acted faith upon those promifes which were made to him: And, although they were not circumcifed formally, in their own perfons; yet were they circumcifed virtually, in their fathers and husbands: So they might not be given in marriage to the uncircumcifed. This ordinance was alfo confined to males, to fhew the imperfection of that œconomy: Under that oeconomy the preference was given to males; but, under the "there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Chrift Jefus t."

better one,

3. THE time for the celebration of this ordinance to infants, fixed by divine appointment, was the eight day: "He that is eight days old fhall be circumcifed." God did not re

* Gen. xvii. 21. and verfe 19. + Gal. iii. 28.

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quire it fooner, out of regard to the tender infant; and he would not fuffer it to be deferred any longer, left men fhould contemn it, by deferring it for ever. If any did, God appointed him to be CUT OFF from among his people *: That is, the parent who neglected to circumcife his child fhould be held as a heathen-man and a publican, by the Church of God, until he complied with the divine inftitution. The original word does not always import a cutting off by death; but the fufpending or diffolving a relation, whether it be by excommunication or otherways. And Paul feems to allude unto it, when he faid unto the Galatians, "I would they were even CUT OFF that trouble you †."

The original word is n, and, literally, fignifies to lop off a branch from a tree. But it is more frequently used in a metaphorical fenfe. When God himself is faid to CUT OFF, it feems to import death from his immediate hand: At other times it may import death at the hands of men. It cannot always be taken either in the one or the other of thefe fenfes, however; but must fometimes fignify A CUTTING OFF by church-cenfure. In the cafe before us, the perfons, who neglected to circumcife their feed, were to be excluded themselves from the fociety of the Church, as contemners of the initiating feal of God's Covenant; and their feed kept out of it until they were circumcifed by others: Or, if it was neglected till they grew up, until they did it themselves. Vide Gilesp. Aaron's Rod. Lib. 1. chap. v. Leidekk. De Rep. Heb. Lib. II. cap. viii. thef. 7.

† Gal. v. 12.

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II. It was also propofed, on this head, to flew, How this ordinance Ratified this covenant. It was not an infignificant rite nobly expreffive of privileges conveyed by this tranfaction, and alfo a feal for the confirmation of it.

1. CIRCUMCISION fealed this covenant, as it prefigured the blood and righteoufnefs of the Meffiah, by which the promifes fhould be ratified in due time: " and he received the fign of circumcifion, a feal of the righteoufnefs of faith, which he had, being yet uncircumcifed." As Abraham was a type of Christ, because the promises were made unto him ag well as unto Chrift; fo he was likeways a type of him, as he and all his covenanted feed fled their blood for the ratification of thefe promifes. But their being typical in one refpect does not imply, that they were fo in all things: For they enjoyed fpiritual privileges, as well as typical ones; and they performed moral as well as ceremonial worship in like manner.

2. CIRCUMCISION fealed this covenant, as it contained an emblematical reprefentation of mortification of the body of fin, which is one of the diftinguished bleffings of it. In this facrament there was a cutting off a part of the natural body; and the thing fignified is ex

* Rom. iv. II

preffed

preffed by the name of this ordinance, in the facred oracles*. Hence, the precept, circumcife the fore-ikin of your heart, is of the fame import with " Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth.

3. THIS ordinance confirmed the covenant, as, by the obfervance of it, perfons declared their acceptance of covenant-promises and privileges; and their engagement to the performance of all covenant-duties. Accordingly, the circumcifed perfon became bound to fulfil the whole law. Circumcifion was not only a token for good to the perfon, as it the gave worthy receiver an affurance of the accomplishment of God's promifes; but also a badge of the profeffion of the true religion, restored to, and preferved in the family of Abraham.

FOURTHLY, The OCCASIONS of this Covenant are to be confidered in the last place.

It was

1. THIS Covenant-renovation with Abraham obtained after he had been guilty of Adultery with Hagar. This part of his conduct implied in it a complication of evils. not only a diftruft of God's promise respecting his feed, by taking improper means for the accomplishment of it; but alfo a down-right violation of that order which God established,

* Deut. xxx. 6.

when

when he created man male and female. Tho' the patriarch was a graat believer; yet he greatly failed in that very grace in which he excelled Though he was ftrong in faith; yet fo weak as to yield to Sarah's folicitations, when the propofed an unlawful expedient for the accomplishment of a former covenantgrant. But his tranfgreffion could not make the covenant of none effect. This renovation of it was a new proof of God's fovereignty and faithfulness.

2. IT was renewed after Abraham had been chaftifed for his adultery, by the difcord which took place in his family. While Hagar valued herself on her conception, her miftrefs was despised in her eyes: and her contempt of Sarai could not fail to draw down her mistress's refentment, both on Abraham and the handmaid. Abraham delivered the hand-maid into the power of her miftrefs: Sarah afflicted her fo feverely, that fhe fled from her prefence; and would have gone back to her native country, had fhe not been prohibited by an angel of the Lord. Thefe vehement contefts could not but fill the patriarch's mind with bitter remorfe; and leave a fting in his confcience for violating, at once, the law of nature and his marriage-covenant.

3. In one word, This covenant-renovation obtained in the ninetieth and ninth year of Abraham's

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