Circumcision - Covenant Blessings for Children.

Lev. 26: 41 If then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: 42 Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.

1 K. 8: 23 He said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart.

Ps. 78: 10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law.

Rom. 2: 28 He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Gal. 3: 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

[See 502.]

119. Circumcision, the seal of the Abrahamic Covenant.

Gen. 17: 10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you, and thy seed after thee; every manchild among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man-child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger which is not of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

Rom. 4: 11 He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed unto them also.

120. Did the Abrahamic covenant include blessings for the posterity of believers ?

Gen. 17: 7 I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant; to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son

Good and Bad.

indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. · 26: 24 The LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed, for my servant Abraham's sake.

Dt. 30: 19 Choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.

2 K. 13: 23 The LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.

Ps. 103: 17 The mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; 18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

Is. 59: 21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.

Ac. 2: 39 The promise is unto you and to your children. Gen. 26: 24. [See 496.]

121. The covenant between God and the Abrahamic church permanent.

Rom. 15: 8 Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.

Gal. 3: 17 This I say, That the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 29 If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

COMPANIONS.

122. Good companions to be chosen — bad to be avoided.

Ex. 34: 12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee.

Ps. 1: 1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. - 26: 4 I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers. 5 I have hated

Good and Bad.

the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked. 101: 7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. 119: 115 Depart from me, ye evil-doers: for I will keep the commandments of my God. - 139: 19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me, therefore, ye bloody

men.

Pr. 1: 10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swal

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low them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: 15 My son walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood: 18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. 4: 14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. 15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. 16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. 17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. -7: 24 Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. 25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. 26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. 12: 11 He that followeth vain persons is void of understanding. 13: 20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Go from the presence of a foolish man when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge. 22:24 Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: 25 Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul. 24: 1 Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them: 2 For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. 21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king and meddle not with them that are given to change.-28: 7 Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father. 19 He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.-29: 3 Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.

14: 7

Condescension required-Duty of Confessing sin.

1 Cor. 15: 33 Evil communications corrupt good manners. [See 112, 115.]

CONDESCENSION.

123. Condescension required.

Lk. 14: 13 When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; 14 And thou shalt be blessed: for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

Jn. 13: 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

Rom. 12: 16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. [See 61, 228.]

CONFESSION OF SIN.

124. Duty and encouragement to confess sin.

Lev. 26: 40 If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; 41 And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: 42 Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.

Pr. 28: 13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Dan. 9: 20 While I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God; 21 Yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

Hos. 5: 14 I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him. 15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

Jam. 5: 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.

1 Jn. 1: 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [See 537, 603.]

CONSCIENCE.

125. The faculty of conscience belongs to all.

Pr. 20: 27 The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

Is. 5: 3 0 inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

Jn. 8: 9 They which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one.

Rom. 2: 14 When the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto themselves. 15 Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing, or else excusing one another.

2 Cor. 4: 2 Have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty; not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but, by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. [See 632.]

126. A seared and defiled conscience.

Jer. 6: 15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush.

Žep. 3: 5 The unjust knoweth no shame.

1 Cor. 8: 7 Their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Heb. 9: 14.

1 Tim. 4: 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron.

Tit. 1: 15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

127. Conscience, when misinformed, misleads.

Jn. 16: 2 The time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God service.

Ac. 26: 9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the