was upon him (d); and the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews (e) ranks him among thofe facred heroes, whofe faith he celebrates. It is then somewhat strange that his daughter having been the first thing he met at his return, he should think himself obliged to offer fo barbarous and fo inhuman a facrifice, merely for the fake of a vow expreffed in a general, and confequently a rafh manner. He could not but know that fuch a facrifice must have been an abomination to the Lord, who hath not made men to deftroy them. God himfelf, by the mouth of his prophet Ifaiah (f), fets human facrifices upon the fame foot with that of a dog, the offering of fwine's blood, and idolatry. And that he takes no pleasure in them, is evident from his bringing a ram to be facrificed in the ftead of Ifaac, whom he commanded to be offered up, with no other intent but only to try Abraham's faith and obedience. If, according to the law (g), there were perfons, and virgins in particular, confecrated to God, upon feveral occafions; it was not that they should be offered up to him in facrifice, but only employed about holy things; and then they might be redeemed, as hath been obferved before, which Jephthah, as being a Hebrew, could not be ignorant of. Thefe reafons have determined fome of the most learned writers (b) to affert, that Jephthah did not vow to facrifice his daughter, but only to confecrate her to God as a virgin for her whole life, which they fuppofe he did. The words of the vow may indeed be tranflated thus, "whatfoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me-shall furely be the Lord's," or "I will offer it for a burnt-offering," the Hebrew particle, which is commonly rendered by and, often fignifying or, according to the obfervation of a late learned author (i). According to this fuppofition, Jephthah's vow was conditional. As he might happen at his return to meet either a human creature, or a beaft, the firft he defigned to confecrate unto God, and offer the latter for a burnt-offering, provided it was clean, or elfe exchange it, if it was unclean. What confirms this opinion is, that in the account of the fulfilling of this vow, there is not the least mention of a burnt-offering (k). Which is such an omiffion as cannot well be accounted for, had the daughter of Jephthah been offered up in facrifice. On the contrary, there is nothing but her virginity mentioned. She went upon the mountains, and bewailed it, because the was condemned to a perpetual one; and the daughters of Ifrael were wont yearly to celebrate this remarkable event four days in a year (1). The only objection that may be advanced against this, is taken from the confternation Jephthah was in, upon meeting his daughter. He rent his clothes, and made great lamentation. But if we reflect upon the temper of that people, and the notions that prevailed in those times, we shall find, that Jephthah having but this one child, it was a great affliction for him to fee himself by this vow deprived of all hopes of a pofterity; (e) Hebr. xi. 32. (d) Ibid. ver. 29. (f) Ifai. lxvi. 3. (b) Mr. Le Clerc, &c. See the margin of our English translation. (i) Reland. For inftances of this, fee Exod. xxi. 15. 17. and i. 10. xii. 5. Ifai. vii. 6, &c. (k) Judg. xi. 34-40. (1) Ibid. ver. 40. rity; and the not redeeming of her, as he might have done, was a very remarkable inftance of his piety and gratitude. We fhall not however determine which of the two opinions is the trueft, but leave it to the learned to decide the matter. To return then from this digreffion. Concerning cirIn giving an account of the holy things of the Jews, cumcifion. we must not pass over circumcifion, fince it was a facrament of Jewish religion, and a feal of the covenant which God made with Abraham and his pofterity (m). It is notwithstanding certain, that it was practifed among other nations, as the Egyptians and Ethiophians (n), but for quite other reasons, and with different circumftances. This however hath occafioned fome difputes concerning the origin of this ceremony. But we shall not examine the arguments that are brought on either fide of the question. Let the Egyptians have borrowed it from the Patriarchs, or the Patriarchs from the Egyptians, feeing God adopted, and even enjoined it upon pain of death (0), this is fufficient to make it be looked upon as of divine inftitution. It is certain that Jefus Chrift doth not carry the origin of it higher than the time of the Patriarchs (p). However it be, circumcifion was a fign and mark whereby God was willing to distinguish a people, with whom he had made a covenant, and out of which the Meffiah was to be born, from all the other nations of the world. It was also a kind of a memorial for the posterity of Abraham, which fhould continually set before their eyes the covenant God had made with that Patriarch, as well as his faith and obedience. It was, in fhort, the feal of Abraham's juftification. For it is to be obferved, that, according to St. Paul (q), this father of the faithful having been juftified, whilst he was yet uncircumcifed, he was not fo by virtue of his circumcifion, which was only a fign of his juftification. This is what the Jews did not duly attend to. Instead of imitating the faith and piety of their father Abraham, they fancied that they could be juftified through circumcifion (r), and even boasted of this pretended privilege (s), inftead of being thereby excited to follow his example, as Jefus Chrift tells them they ought to have done (t). When God delivered his law to the children of Ifrael, he renewed the ordinance of circumcifion, and it became a facrament of the Jewish religion. For which reafon St. Stephen calls it "the covenant of circumcifion (u);" and upon this account Jefus Chrift fays, that Mofes inftituted circumcifion, though it came from the Patriarchs (x). Befides the defign which God propofed to himself in establishing this ceremony, he appointed it for fome other ends, fuited to the circumftances of the people of Ifrael. 1. It included in it fo folemn and indispensable an obligation to obferve the whole law, that circumcifion did not profit thofe who tranfgreffed it (y). Hence the. Jewith religion is often ftiled in scripture fcripture the circumcifion (z), and the Jews thofe of the circumcifion (u). For which reafon St. Paul fays, that whoever is circumcifed, is bound to keep the whole law (b); and upont his account, to be circumcifed, and to keep the law, are parallel expreffions (c). 2. This was a ceremony whereby not only the Jews, but also all ftrangers, were to be initiated into the Jewish religion, and without which none could be admitted into the body of the nation (d). No uncircumcifed person was allowed to celebrate any of the festivals, and the paffover in particular. We read in the book of Efther (e), that great numbers of Gentiles became Jews. This the feventy have rendered thus, "they were circumcifed and judaïzed," or turned Jews (f), which fhews that it was by circumcifion men were admitted into the Jewish religion (*). Such of the children of Ifrael as were born in the wildernefs having remained uncircumcifed, Joshua ordered that this ceremony fhould be performed upon them before they were brought into the land of promife; whereupon God told them he had removed, or rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off them (g); that is, they fhould henceforward be looked upon as the people of God, and no longer as the flaves of Egypt. To this St. Paul undoubtedly alluded, when he said to thofe Ephefian gentiles that had embraced Christianity, that while they were in uncircumcifion, they were excluded out of the commonwealth of Ifrael. 3. Circumcifion was an open profeffion of the worship of the true God, and alfo at the fame time a kind of abjuring of idolatry. For which reafon, during the persecution of Antiochus, the heathens put thofe women to death that caufed their children to be circumcifed (b); and fuch Jews as turned pagans took away, as much as poffible, all marks of circumcifion. As circumcifion was an open profeffion of the Jewish religion, fome of those Jews that embraced Christianity, thought that this fuperftition ought to be retained, especially among thofe that were of Jewish extraction. But St. Paul exprefsly forbids it (i). Laftly, circumcifion was appointed for myftical and moral reafons. It was, as well as baptifm (k), a token of purity and holinefs of life. Hence thefe expreffions," to circumcife the fore-skin of the heart, the circumcifion of the heart, the circumcifion made without hands (1)." It is plain from an excellent paffage of Philo, that the Jews were not ignorant of this mystery (m). The chief particulars to be obferved with relation to circumcifion, are as follows; 1. The law had ordered that every (z) Rom. iii. 1. 30. Gal. ii. 7. (a) And thus we find Jefus Chrift called the minister of circumcifion, Acts (e) Efther iii. 17. (c) Acts xv. 5 (d) Gen. xvii. 18—14. (f). Περιετέμοντο καὶ ἰεδαϊζον. (*) For which reafon the newly circumcifed child was called the bridegroom, because he then was, as it were, married to God and his church. (g) Joh. v. 4, 5, 6, 9. (i) 1 Cor. vii. 18. (b) 1 Mac. i. 63. Jof. Antiq. xii. 7. Jer. iv. 4. Rom. ii. 29. Coloff. ii. 11. Acts every male-child fhould be circumcifed the eighth (†) day (n). The reafon why it was fixed to that time, undoubtedly was, because it could not legally be done fooner (o), for the mother of every man chi1 being unclean for the feven firft days after her delivery, the child was confequently fo too. They were not, on the other hand, to do it later, becaufe the newborn infant could not be too foon confecrated to God. The Jews took fuch particular care to do it exactly on that day, that they never neglected it, even though it happened on a fabbath-day, as Jefus Chrift obferved to them when they found fault with him for having healed a man on that day (p). This they termed "driving away the fabbath." When they were any way compelled to perform circumcifion either fooner or later, they looked upon it as a misfortune, and did not reckon fuch a circumcifion fo good as that which was done the eighth day. And when this ceremony was put off, it never was ufed to drive away the fabbath. This is the reason why we find St. Paul accounting it no fmall privilege to have been circumcifed the eighth day (q), as we have obferved on that place. Accordingly Jefus Chrift and John the Baptift were circumcifed exactly upon it. 2. It is evident from the gofpel that it was ufual to name the child the day he was circumcifed, fince John the Baptist and Jefus Chrift were named upon the performance of this ceremony. We learn from the fame hiftory that it was commonly the father, or fome near relation, that gave the name. 3. Circumcifion was reckoned fo abfolutely neceffary, that it could be done in any place, in private houses, as well as in the synagogues; and by all forts of perfons, provided they were Jews, and qualified for it. There was notwithstanding a man appointed for this employment, who did it in the prefence of feveral witneffes, that the ini tiation might be more folemn and authentick. 4. It is not well known, whether it was the custom, in the time of Jefus Chrift, that the child fhould have a God-mother that brought him to the door of the fynagogue, and no farther, becaufe fhe was not allowed to go in, and a God-father that held him during the ceremony. Which was accompa nied with prayers and vows, and before and after it there were great rejoicings. As neceffary as circumcifion was while the ceremonial law remained in force, it became as indifferent and unneceflary upon the abrogating of that law by the deftruction of the temple. Till that time the apoftles allowed the Jews converted to Christianity the use of it, but they exprefsly ordered that this yoke fhould not be put upon the necks of the Gentile converts. And therefore St. Paul, who hath fully proved how unprofitable and unneceflary it is (r), and who makes it consist only in regeneration, of which it was a figure (s), thought it however proper to have Timothy circumcifed (t), because his mother was of Jewish extraction; (†) Including the day in which he was born, and that in which he was cir cumcifed. (p) John vii. 22, 23. (z) Gen. xvii. 12. (9) Philip. iii. 5. (5) Gal. v. 6. vi. 15. (0) Levit. xii. 3. Y Cor. vii. 19. extraction; and would not, on the other hand, fuffer this ceremony to be performed on Titus, because he was a Greek («). Wherein this apoftle hath given the church in all ages a moft excellent pattern, either of condefcenfion, or refolution, in infifting upon, or omitting, things indifferent, according to the variety of times and circumftances. It is generally fuppofed that baptifm fucceeded circumcifion, though there is nothing faid about it in the gofpel. There is indeed a great conformity between these two ceremonies. 1. Baptifm is the first and initiating facrament of the Chriftian religion, as circumcifion was of the Jewish. 2. It is by baptifm men are confecrated to Jefus Chrift, admitted into the Chriftian religion, and publickly received as members of his church. 3. Baptifm is a token of our regeneration, of our dying to fin, and rifing again unto righteoufnefs in Jefus Chrift (x). But thefe ceremonies difagree alfo in fome particulars. 1. Baptifm is adminiftered to both fexes (*). 2. There is no particular day or feafon appointed for baptifm; grown perfons were at first inftructed in the principles of religion before they were baptized, and to fome this facrament was not administered till they were at the point of death. But this cultom is of a later date than the apoftolical age. 3. Water was never ufed in circumcifion. It is true that the child was carefully washed, and the persons that made the offerings purified themfelves, but then it was in order to fit and prepare themfelves for the ceremony, and not upon account of the ceremony itself, wherein wine and not water was ufed. We may then fafely affirm, that baptifm hath fome conformity both with circumcifion and the baptifm of the profelytes, which hath been fpoken of before. Of the Holy Seasons. EFORE we give an account of the Jewish fefti- Of the JewBEvo R will be proper to lay fomething of their ifh years. years, months, weeks, days, and hours. The Hebrews were wont at first to reckon time from fome remarkable epochas. As 1. The lives of the Patriarchs or other illuftrious perfons (a). 2. The coming out of Egypt (b). 3. The building of the temple (c). 4. The years (u) Gal. ii. 3. (*) Rom. vi. 3. Gal. iii. 27. 1 Pet. iii. 21. (*) We learn from hiftory, that among fome nations the women were circumcifed. But in inftituting this ceremony the law had chiefly the men in view, whofe condition was of courfe the fame as that of the wives. The gospel acknowledges no fuch diftinctions as thefe, they being merely political. (a) Gen. vii. 11. (b) Exod. xix. 1. Numb.xxxiii. 38. 1 Kings vi. 1. (c) 2 Chron. viii. 1. |