the Scripture as S. Iames tells us was fulfilled when Abraham offred up his sonne Isaac why was not this testimony of God concerning Abraham reserved to that fact or at least to Abrahams obedience in circumcising himselfe and his sonne Isaac Both these facts include a greater measure of beleife in Gods promises than Abraham gave proofe of in the forecited place and was therefore more capable of that praise or approbation But if that approbation of Abrahams faith had beene deferred untill the Covenant of circumcision had beene subscribed unto by Abraham the Jews might with more probabilitie have conceived that this righteousnesse which God imputes to Abraham had come by the deeds of the Lawes that none but such as are circumcised could be partakers of it Whereas on the contrary this testimony being given unto Abraham before hee was circūcised cuts off the Jews title of boasting in circumcision This is the ground of the Apostles reason Rom 4. 9 10. For wee say that faith was reckoned unto Abraham for righteousnesse How was it then reckoned When he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision Not in circumcision but in uncircumcision And he received the signe of circumcision a seale of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that hee might be the Father of all them that beleeve though they be not circumcised that righteousnesse might be imputed unto them also And againe Gal. 3. 8. And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham 4 Againe God in so disposing of times and seasons that his onely sonne should be circumcised upon the first of January did signifie that interest which the Gentiles or Heathens were to have in this Covenant For this was the day wherein the Romanes in whose dominions and under whose government he was borne did consecrate to Ianus to them a God of peace and prosperitie the day wherein they did mutually present their solemne salutations or good wishes for a happy yeare and for good luck sake as wee say did send gifts one to another as honey and other like sweet meats and coyne ut dulces dies anni à dulcibus rebus auspicarentur as Emblemes of their good wishes for many pleasant and happy dayes And whilest they were thus imployed in preventing each other with gifts and mutuall precations of peace and many happy dayes God gives his only Sonne unto them and to them all who was the Prince of that peace the common fountaine of all that happinesse which they could wish one to another Albeit the Sonne of God were borne eight dayes before yet he was given unto us upon the day of his circumcision His circumcision was the designement or dedication of him for the salvation of mankinde Behold saith the Angel Luke 2. 10 I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people The Prophet Isay foretold this joy not only with reference to the birth but to the circumcision also of the true Emmanuel They joy before thee according to the joy in Harvest and as men rejoyce when they divide the spoile Isa 9. 3. For unto us a Childe is borne unto us a Sonne is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder c ver 6. But some there be who will either denie or not beleeve that our Saviour was circumcised upon the first of January because we have no better warrant for this opinion than the tradition of the church But some of the ancient learned Fathers did think they had the testimony of Scripture besides the tradition of their Ancients For so they interpret those words of S. Iohn Baptist Iohn 3. 30. He must encrease but I must decrease as if they did containe a secret character of the time wherein Iohn Baptist and our Saviour were borne the one upon the longest the other upon the shortest day in the yeare And by this account our Saviour was circumcised upon the eighth day of January For my part I dare not contradict this kinde of interpretation of the Fathers being fully perswaded that the holy Ghost doth oft-times fore-signifie greatest mysteries as well by meere character of words as by words assertive or matter of fact CHAP. 36. Of the name JESVS and the title LORD THE meaning of the name Iesus is expounded by the Angel Math. 1. 11. Shee shall bring forth a sonne and thou shalt call his name Iesus for hee shall save his people from their sinnes But this title of Saviour may admit many degrees partly in respect of the name it selfe in the originall tongue whence it descends unto the Greeke and Latine but more principally in respect of the matter that is the distresse or danger whence men are saved In respect of this later at least Iesus the sonne of Mary far exceeds all others that have beene or hereafter may be termed Saviours But of the danger or misery from which he saved his people there will be better opportunity to speake at large in the Article of his Crosse The explication of the name it selfe is the worke of this time and place Some there be which think this name Iesus must necessarily be derived from the essentiall and proper name of God a name never rightly pronounced by the Jews or by any other as some learned Hebricians think before our Saviours birth but then made effable or utterable as the Authors of this opinion would perswade us who derive this word Iesus from Iehovah by intersertion of one Hebrew letter to wit Shin which is as much as Sh. According to this derivation they would make the compound name to be an Emblem or type of the two natures in Christ Iehovah bearing the type of the divine nature and the letter Shin interserted into this name to be an Emblem of the incarnation or humane nature assumed into the unity of the person of the sonne of God This Etymologie or derivation as the Authors of it imagin best agrees with the Angels interpretation of the name Iesus before cited because Iehovah himselfe saith Isay 45. 21. There is no Saviour besides me If this be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 currant Cabbalisme wee are in speciall beholding to Osiander for it If by sager judgements it happen to be censured for a fancie Iacobus Naclantus a Romish Bishop must share with Osiander in the censure Whatsoever the opinion be in it selfe the allegation for confirmation of it is not concludent For that rightly examined only inferres that Iehovah himselfe hee that was essentially God and none besides him was to be our Saviour or the Saviour of the world This is a truth unquestionable yet a truth which will not conclude that whilest he became the Saviour of the world he was to take no other name or title upon him besides the proper and essentiall name of God only
6 7. 6 The summe of all that the Iew or heathen can object against us for thus interpreting this place or for adoring Christ Iesus whom they crucified as the very God here meant by the Psalmist must amount from that generall prohibition as they will interpret it ver 3. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the sonne of man in whom there is no helpe or no salvation But yee Christians will they say put your trust in the sonne of man in the sonne of Mary a woman and therefore transgresse the Psalmists precept But admitting these words Put not your trust in Princes c. had beene exprest in this universall forme Put not your trust in any Princes nor in any sonne of man whomsoever for there is no help in any of them Yet such universall rules do usually admit some exception or an exception of some principall particular As when it is said he hath put all things under his feet it is manifest saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 27. that he is excepted who put all things under him though He be more then all things that are put under him And when our Apostle tells us that wee must utterly renounce all workes and only rely on the mercy of God in Christ Yet the renouncing of all workes which is the greatest of all workes must be excepted from this generall rule For he that renounceth this worke cannot come to Christ cannot be partaker of Gods mercy in him And so in this generall prohibition of the Psalmist put not your trust in Princes nor in any son of man that sonne of man must be excepted who is also more then the sonne of man more then any Prince the sonne of God the Lord God of Israell In all other Princes besides this one Prince who was to raigne for ever there is no help no salvation and because they are voyd of help and salvation they are uncapable of our confidence wee may not safely repose our trust in them or upon them But I would demand of the Iew what opinion his Forefathers in the time of Moses Samuel David and the Prophets had of their expected Messias What opinion the seed of Abraham this day living have of the sonne of David whom they expect shal raigne over them Was he in the opinion of their forefathers to be no more then the sonne of man though the son of David If he were to be no more then so there was no confidence by the Psalmists rule to be placed in him they were not to expect help or salvation from him he could be but another David another Sampson another Ioshuah or Moses If he were to be but a King on Earth as many others have beene before him though all others though put together of much lesse power then they expect he shall be yet their expectation of him is fuller fraught with revenge and malice towards others then with hope of any great good unto themselves if so he were to be but a mighty Prince or Monarch not truely God or if his Kingdome were but of this world or to be bounded within the sphere of the Moone for so he might bruise and crush the Nations as Ioshua the Canaanites or David his enemies he could not make all his own followers Kings and Monarchs Nor could Monarchies or Kingdomes make them happy on whom he did bestow them there could be no help or salvation generall either in Prince or Subject The more bountifull he were in bestowing temporall blessings wealth power or honour upon the seed of Abraham after the flesh the greater calamity he should bring upon other Nations How then could he be that promised seed of Abraham in whom all the Nations of the earth were to be blessed Finally if the ancient Iews as I think these moderne Iews will not deny expected help and salvation from their Messias if they taught their posterity to put trust in this promised seed of Abraham whensoever he should be revealed then it is concluded that their expected Messias was to bee that God of Israel whom the Psalmist in the 146. Psalme describeth And this is the fundamentall article of Christian faith unto the acknowledgement whereof this Lord God of Israel in his good time bring the seed of Abraham after the flesh and all others which either deny it or are ignorant of it CHAP 22. That the God of Israel was to become a servant and a subject to humane infirmities was foretold by the Prophets according to the strictest literall sense THough all these Prophecies were punctually fulfilled according to the strict proprietie of the literall sense of God incarnate or whilest he converst with men here on earth in the forme of a Servant which is somewhat more then the forme and essence of a man yet other prophecies there be which more punctually referre unto this estate in particular and unto those grievances which it was impossible for him that was truely God to suffer unjust for any man to suffer who was not by estate and condition a true servant in the strictest sense of this word Now wee read that when Iesus had said to one sick of the Palsey Bee of good Cheere thy sins are forgiven thee the Scribes and Pharisees who were then present begun to reason saying Who is this that speaketh blasphemy who can forgiue sinnes but God alone Luke 5. 21. And for thus censuring his speech they presume they had the warrant of God himselfe Esay 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will remember thy sinnes no more It was most true what from this place they collect to wit that God alone could forgive sins But from the present miracle and the manner of our Saviours conversation with them here on earth and their most wicked dealing with him had they compared these with the words immediately precedent in the Prophet it had beene easy for them to have gathered that he was that only God which did forgive sinnes For so the Prophet had said to this people in the person of his only God Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thy iniquities This in particular is one of those many places which even by the Jews confession could be literally meant of none but God himselfe and yet could never be literally and punctually fulfilled or verified but of God incarnate For this people did never make God to serve under their sinnes he was never wearied with their iniquities save only whilest he took the forme of a servant upon him and did beare their sinnes in the substance of their flesh 2 Of the same observation is that other place Esay 63. 9 10. In all their affliction he was afflicted and the Angell of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and caryed them all the dayes of old But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit Therefore he was turned
that the prerogative promised to Isaac was firme and not subject to contingencie it is further repeated ver 21. But my Covenant will I establish with Isaac which Sarah shall beare unto thee at this set time in the next yeare 2. It is very observable that whereas the Hebrew mentions only the Covenant betwixt God and Abraham and his seed after him the Chaldee paraphrase hath it expresly that God did make this Covenant betwixt his Word and Abraham as ver 2. Dabo foedus meum inter verbum meum et interte And ver 10. Hoc est foedus meum quod servabitis inter verbum meum et inter vos atque inter filios tuos post te ut circumcidatur in vobis omnis masculus What manner of Covenant or rather league this was betwixt God Abraham comes to be discussed in the unfolding of Gods oath to Abraham the consecration of Abrahams seed to his everlasting Priesthood of everlasting blessing The legal covenant afterwards cōfirmed by oath was now begun solemnized on Abrahams part as solemne leagues in those Easterne Countries usually were by effusion of blood his owne and his families and so to be continued in his posterity throughout their generations And in as much as circumcision was the signe or solemne ceremony of this mutuall league betweene God and Abraham and Abrahams seed it is necessarily implyed by the tenour of the same mutuall Covenant that God should subscribe or seale the league after the same manner and to receive the same signe of circumcision in his flesh which Abraham and his seed had done Againe in as much as this league was established with Isaac Abrahams sonne by promise this likewise includes that the only sonne of God who was to be Abrahams seed should be circumcised in his flesh as Isaac had beene And this part of the Covenant was performed on Gods part in the person of his Sonne at the circumcision of the childe Iesus It was impossible that the Covenant should be fully accomplished so long as Abrahams corruptible seede did only beare the seale or signe For it was to be an everlasting Covenant and to seale an everlasting Covenant with an everlasting seale in Abrahams seed or successour according to the flesh was a matter as difficult as to imprint a permanent stamp or character upon a streame of running water This Covenant could not begin to be in esse or beare a true and solid everlasting date untill it were sealed in the flesh of the promised seed As was his person in whom this Covenant was to be accomplished such was the seale and such did the Covenant thus sealed become truely immortall and everlasting never to be reiterated after it was once accomplished in him which was not done but begun upon the eight day after our Saviours birth That which was now begun by him and in part sealed by him by the seale of circumcision in his flesh was afterwards to be accomplished and finally sealed by his bloudy sacrifice upon the Crosse The continuall practise of circumcision by the Jew though he be senselesse and blinde and perceiveth it not is unto us a legible character and an undoubted visible pledge that God who made this Covenant with Abraham was to be incarnate or to assume flesh by assuming Abrahams seed to the end he might interchangeably seale this Covenant in his flesh But seeing as well Abrahams present seed as their Families were still subject to mortality it was most fitting requisite that circumcision should be continued throughout all their generations in testification of their hope and expectance of the promised seed unto whose flesh the seale of circumcision being once put the Covenant sealed was to stand fast for ever without reiteration or addition of any other seale In Him all Gods promises are yea and Amen Whilest hee was circumcised God was circumcised and man was circumcised and this Covenant or league betweene God and man was mutually sealed by God and man with one and the same numericall seale Howbeit as was intimated before this glorious Covenant thus joyntly sealed up in him was not to beare its everlasting date untill it were further ratified and finally sealed by his bloudy sacrifice upon the Crosse unto which service he was initiated by his circumcision The Sacrament of circumcision was not so properly abolished as changed into the Sacrament of Baptisme and so changed by that Commission which this our everlasting Priest gave to his Apostles and Ministers after his resurrection Go yee therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Math. 28. 19. It was by this new Commission so changed that he which now seekes to circumcise others or suffers himselfe to be circumcised doth but labour as much as in him lyes to dissolve and dissipate this glorious Covenant betwixt God and man thus joyntly sealed up in one and the same individuall person with one and the same numericall seale and afterwards authentiquely and finally sealed by the bloudy sacrifice of the same person God and man vpon the Crosse And however the Mahumetans the Sarazens and Persians with other preposterous imitatours of Abrahams faith have run mad with love of this ceremonie of circumcision sometimes most loathsome and odious to flesh and bloud whilest it was pleasing unto God yet the practise of it is now more abominable unto God that gave it for a signe of his everlasting Covenant than it was pleasing to him or displeasing to men whilest the Law of ceremonies was in force And for this reason S. Paul wisheth the same curse or punishment unto such as pressed the necessity of circumcision upon Christs Church which God himselfe had threatned unto such as during the time of the Law did neglect contemne or omit it The uncircumcised manchilde saith God to Abraham Gen. 17. 14. whose flesh of his fore-skin is not circumcised that soule shall be cut off from his people I would saith S. Paul Gal. 5. 12. or as some read I would to God they were even cut off that trouble you Such he meanes and such alone as did trouble them by pressing the necessity of circumcision upon them which had beene baptized in Christ 3 That the Heathens were concluded in this league the moderne Jew cannot deny For not only Abrahams sonnes but every Male in his Family though bought with money was to receive the signe of this Covenant in his flesh But saith the Jew seeing they came into this league by receiving circumcision what is this to you Gentiles which will not be circumcised The Apostle S. Paul hath most divinely dissolved this knot Rom. 4. 10. His words are so plaine that they need no Comment but onely to adde this circumstance which is likely S. Paul tooke for granted when he made that excellent Comment upon Moses his words Gen. 15. 6. Abraham saith Moses beleeved in God and it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse Seeing