fcripture the circumcifion (z), and the Jews thofe of the circumcifion (a). For which reafon St. Paul fays, that whoever is circumcifed, is bound to keep the whole law (b); and upont his account, to be circumcised, and to keep the law, are parallel expreffions (c). 2. This was a ceremony whereby not only the Jews, but alfo 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 perfon was allowed to celebrate any of the feftivals, 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 circumcised 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 faid to thofe Ephefian gentiles that had embraced Christianity, that while they were in uncircumcifion, they were excluded out of the commonwealth of Ifrael. 3. Circumcision 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 reason, during the perfecution of Antiochus, the heathens put thofe women to death that caused their children to be circumcised (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 Chriftianity, 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 reasons. It was, as well as baptism (k), a token of purity and holinefs of life. Hence thefe expreffions, "to circumcife the fore-fkin of the heart, the circumcifion of the heart, the circumcifion made without hands ()." It is plain from an excellent paffage of Philo, that the Jews were not ignorant of this mystery (m). The chief particulars to be observed 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 minifter of circumcifion, Acts X. 45. (b) Gal. v. 3. (e) Efther iii. 17. (c) Acts xv. 5 (*) 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. (7) Deut. x. 16. xxx. 6. vii. 51. (m) Philo de circumc. (b) 1 Mac. i. 63. Jof. Antiq. xii. 7. (k) 1 Pet. iii. 21. Jer. iv. 4. Rom. ii. 29. Coloff. ii. 11. A&ts every male-child fhould be circumcifed the eighth (t) 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 child being unclean for the feven first 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 used to drive away the fabbath. This is the reafon 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 gospel that it was ufual to name the child the day he was circumcifed, fince John the Baptift 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 houfes, as well as in the fynagogues; 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 initiation might be more folemn and authentick. 4. It is not well known, whether it was the cuftom, 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 accompanied 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 apostles allowed the Jews converted to Chriftianity 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 unneceffary it is (r), and who makes it confift only in regeneration, of which it was a figure (s), thought it however proper to have Timothy circumcifed (t), becaufe his mother was of Jewish extraction; (†) Including the day in which he was born, and that in which he was cir cumcifed. (1) Gen. xvii. 12. (2) Philip. iii. 5. (5) Gal. v. 6. vi. 15. (0) Levit. xii. 3. (r) 1 Cor. vii. 19. (p) John vii. 22, 23. extraction; and would not, on the other hand, fuffer this ceremony to. be performed on Titus, because he was a Greek (u). Wherein this apoftle hath given the church in all ages a moft excellent pattern, either of condefcenfion, or resolution, in infifting upon, or omitting, things indifferent, according to the variety of times and circumftances. It is generally supposed 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 firft and initiating facrament of the Christian religion, as circumcifion was of the Jewifh. 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 firft inftructed in the principles of religion before they were baptized, and to fome this facrament was not adminiftered till they were at the point of death. But this custom 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 perfons that made the offerings purified themselves, 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. BE Of the Holy Seafons. Of the Jewifh years. EFORE we give an account of the Jewish feftivals, it will be proper to fay fomething of their years, months, weeks, days, and hours. The Hebrews were wont at first to reckon time from fome remarkable epochas. 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 (x) Rom. vi. 3. Gal. iii. 27. I Pet. iii. 21. As years (z) Gal. ii. 3. (*) 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 course the fame as that of the wives. The gospel acknowledges no fuch diftinctions as thefe, they being merely political. (a) Gen. vii. II. (b) Exod. xix. 1. Numb. xxxiii. 38. 1 Kings vi. . (c) 2 Chron. viii. 1. of their kings. 5. The beginning of the Babylonish captivity (d). The rebuilding of the temple after their return from captivity. In procefs of time they had other epochas, as the times of Alexander the Great, and of the monarchies that sprung up out of the ruins of his empire. Ever fince the compiling of the thalmud, the Jews have reckoned their years from the creation of the world. The year was by them divided into a holy or ecclefiaftical, and a civil year. The first began in the month of Nifan (e) or Abib, which anfwers to part of our March or April, because this was the time of the year when the children of Ifrael came out of Egypt. From this alfo they reckoned their feafts. The fecond began in the month Tifri, about the middle of our September, because there was an ancient tradition among them that the world was created about that time. All contracts were dated and the Jubilees counted according to this year. It would be little to our purpose to give an account of the (*) folar and lunar years of the Jews, or of their way of intercalating (†). This is a very obfcure and intricate point, about which neither the Jews themselves, nor the moft learned Chriftian writers are agreed. The Jewish year confifted of twelve months, unless Of their months. it happened to be intercalary, for then it had thirteen. The ancient Hebrews were wont to regulate their months by the course of the fun, and each of them had 30 days. But after their deliverance out of Egypt, they made ufe of lunar months, which were fometimes of thirty, and at other times of twenty-nine days. The time of the newmoon was formerly difcovered by its phafis or firft appearance, as it it ftill at this day by the Caraïtes; but the Rabbinifts or traditionary Jews have recourfe to an astronomical calculation to find it out. The names and order of the Jewish months, according to the ecclefiaftical computation, are as follows. The 1ft. called (Nifan or Abib.) The 2d. (Jyar or Ziph.) The 3d. (Sivan.) The 4th. (Tamus.) The 5th. (Ab or Av.) The 6th. (Alul.) The 7th. (Tifri.) The 8th. (Marchefvan or Bul.) The 9th. (Cifleu.) The roth. (Tebbeth.) The 11th. (Schebbat.) The 12th. (Adar.) (d) Ezek. xxxiii. 21. xl. 1. Answers to part of March and April. (e) Exod. xii. 1, 2. The (*) The folar year confifted of 365 days, 5 hours, and fome minutes. The lunar year was of 354 days, 8 hours, and fome odd minutes, according to the Jewish computation. (†) To intercalate was the adding of a month to the year, between Febru ary and March; which was done, when the corn could not be ripe at the passover, nor the fruits at the pentecoft. The origin of weeks is of the fame ftanding as the world Of weeks. itfelf (f). The Jews had two forts of them, fome confifting of feven days, and others of feven years. These are called in fcripture weeks of years. At first the Hebrews had no particular name for the days of the week. They were wont to fay, the firft, the fecond day of the week, &c. as is evident from feveral places of the New Teftament (g). We learn from the Revelations of St. John (h), that the first day of the week was as early as that time called the Lord's-day, because it was on that day, our blessed Lord rofe again from the dead. There are two forts of days; the natural, which is the fpace Of days. of four and twenty hours, from one fun-fet to another; the other called artificial or civil, confifts of twelve hours (i), from the rifing to the fetting of the fun. The civil day, that is the fun's ftay above the Horizon, was by the Jews divided into four parts (k), each of which confifted of three hours, that were longer or thorter according to the different feafons of the year. The first was from fix o'clock in the morning till nine. And therefore they called the third hour (1), what we call nine o'clock, because three hours were past from fun-rifing to that time. The fecond part of the day lafted from nine of the clock till noon. The third from noon till three. This they called the ninth hour of the day (m), because it actually was the ninth from the morning. The fourth was from three o'clock till fix in the evening. They gave the name of hour to each of these four parts, as well as to the hours properly fo called. Some authors are of opinion, that the four parts of the day were otherwife divided by the Jews. Whether they were, or not, it is of little moment. But it will be very proper here to reconcile St. Mark, who affirms (n), that it was the third hour, when they crucified JESUS CHRIST, with St. John (), who fays that it was about the fixth hour. This may be done feveral ways. Befides the method which we have followed in our notes on thofe two evangelifts, it may be faid that by crucifying, St. Mark did not mean the nailing of CHRIST to the cross, for according to St. Luke (p), it was not till the fixth hour, that is, noon, but only all the preparations towards it, after fentence had paffed upon him. We must here obferve, that in feveral Greek manufcripts of the gofpel according to St. John, the third is read inftead of the fixth hour, as we have obferved in our note on that place. The Jews divided alfo their nights into four parts, which they called watches (*). The 1ft was named the evening; the 2d the middle-watch, or midnight; the 3d the cock-crowing, from midnight till three in the morning; the 4th the morning, or, break of day. As the evangelifts, in the account which they have given of St. Peter denying our Sa (f) Gen. ii. 2, 3. viii. 10. xxix. 27, 28. Levit. xxiii. 8. (b) Rev. i. 10. () Matth. xx. 3. (i) John xi. 9. (p) Luke xxiii. 44. (0) John xix. 14. (*) Matth. xiv, 25. Mark xiii. 35. Luke xii. 38. VOL. III. (k) Nehem. ix. 3. viour, |