cure the possession to thyself, that the enemy may not pollute the sacrifice, or divide the gift, or question the title; but that I may be wholly thine, and for ever, clarify my understanding, sanctify my will, replenish my memory with arguments of piety; then shall I present to thee an oblation rich and precious as the treble gift of the Levantine princes. Lord, I am thine, reject me not from thy favour, exclude me not from thy presence: then shall I serve thee all the days of my life, and partake of the glories of thy kingdom, in which thou reignest gloriously and eternally. Amen.

171

SECTION V.

Of the Circumcision of Jesus, and his Presentation in the Temple.

1. AND now the blessed Saviour of the world began to do the work of his mission and our redemption and because man had prevaricated all the Divine commandments, to which all human nature respectively to the persons of several capacities was obliged, and therefore the whole nature was obnoxious to the just rewards of its demerits; first, Christ was to put that nature he had assumed into a saveable condition, by fulfilling his Father's preceptive will; and then to reconcile it actually, by suffering the just deservings of its prevarications. He therefore addresses himself to all the parts of an active obedience; and when eight days were accomplished for the circumcision of the child, he exposed his tender body to the sharpness of the circumcising stone, and shed his blood in drops, giving an earnest of those rivers which he did afterwards pour out for the cleansing all human nature, and extinguishing the wrath of God.

2. He that had no sin, nor was conceived by natural generation, could have no adherences to his soul or body which needed to be pared away by a rite, and cleansed by a mystery. Neither indeed do we find it expressed, that circumcision was ordained for abolition or pardon of original sin,' (it is indeed presumed so,) but it was instituted to be

Euseb. lib. ix. c. 22. Præpar. Evangel.

a seal of a covenant between God and Abraham, and Abraham's posterity, a seal of the righteousness of faith; and therefore was not improper for him to suffer who was the child of Abraham, and who was the Prince of the covenant, and the author and finisher of that faith,' which was consigned to Abraham in circumcision. But so mysterious were all the actions of Jesus, that this one served many ends-for 1, It gave demonstration of the verity of human nature; 2, So he began to fulfil the law; 3, And took from himself the scandal of uncircumcision, which would eternally have prejudiced the Jews against his entertainment and communion: 4, And then he took upon him that name which declared him to be the Saviour of the world; which as it was consummate in the blood of the cross, so was it inaugurated in the blood of circumcision. For when the eight days were accomplished for circumcising the child, his name was called Jesus.

3. But this holy family, who had laid up their joys in the eyes and heart of God, longed till they might be permitted an address to the temple, that there they might present the holy babe unto his Father; and indeed that he, who had no other, might be brought to his own house. For although, while he was a child he did differ nothing from a servant, yet he was the Lord of the place: it was his 'Father's house,' and he was the Lord of all.' And therefore, when the days of the purification were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,' to whom he was holy, as being the first born; the first born of his mother, the only begotten Son of his Father, and the first born of every creature.' And they did with him accord

ing to the law of Moses, offering a pair of turtledoves for his redemption.

4. But there was no public act about this holy child, but it was attended by something miraculous and extraordinary. And at this instant the Spirit of God directed a holy person into the temple, that he might feel the fulfilling of a prophecy made to himself, that he might before his death behold the Lord's Christ,' and embrace the glory and consolation of Israel and the light of the Gentiles,' in his arms. For old Simeon came by the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and prophesied, and spake glorious things of that child, and sad things and glorious concerning his mother: that the child was set for the rising and falling of many in Israel, for a sign that should be spoken against;' and the bitterness of that contradiction should ' pierce the heart' of the holy virgin-mother like a sword, that her joy at the present accidents might be attempered with present revelation of her future trouble, and the excellent favour of being the mother of God might be crowned with the reward of martyrdom, and a mother's love be raised up to an excellency great enough to make her suffer the bitterness of being transfixed with his love and sorrow as with a sword.

5. But old Anna the prophetess came also in, full of years and joy, and found the reward of her long prayers and fasting in the temple: the longlooked-for redemption of Israel was now in the temple; and she saw with her eyes the light of the world, the heir of heaven, the long-looked-for Messias, whom the nations had desired and expected till

their hearts were faint, and their eyes dim with looking further, and apprehending greater distances. She also prophesied, and ' gave thanks unto the Lord.' But Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.'

AD. SECTION V.

Considerations upon the Circumcision of the Holy Child Jesus.

1. WHEN eight days were come,' the holy Jesus was circumcised, and shed the first-fruits of his blood, offering them to God like the prelibation of a sacrifice, and earnest of the great seas of effusion designed for his passion: not for the expiation of any stain himself hath contracted, for he was spotless as the face of the sun, and had contracted no wrinkle from the aged and polluted brow of Adam; but it was an act of obedience, and yet of choice and voluntary susception, to which no obligation had passed upon him in the condition of his own person. For as he was included in the verge of Abraham's posterity, and had put on the common outside of his nation, his parents had intimation enough to pass upon him the sacrament of the national covenant, and it became an act of excellent obedience: but because he was a person extraordinary, and exempt from the reasons of circumcision, and himself in person was to give period to the rite, therefore it was an act of choice in him; and in both the capacities becomes a precedent of duty to us, in the first of obedience, in the second of humility.