The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 3 · Section 7
SECT. VII.
THirteen years after this, namely, when Abraham was 99 years old, God appeared to him again in a viſible manner, and ſaid to him, I am God Almighty, able to do all thoſe great things for thee which I have promiſed, how unlikely ſoever they may ſe…m in the eye of Reaſon. Therefore truſt in me; Be ſincere and upright before me, and do all that I command thee, and let thy whole Converſation be always as in my ſight; And I will renew and eſtabliſh my Covenant with thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. *And accordingly out of his Loines came not only the Iſraelites but the Iſhmaelites, the Edomites, and many other Nations by the Children of Keturah.Then Abram fell on his face, and God further talked with Him, ſaying, Behold my Covenant is with thee, and thou ſhall be a Father of many Nations. Neither ſhall thy Name be any more called Abram (ſignifying an higher Father, but it ſhall be called Abraham, ſignifying a Father of a great multitude.(l)By inſerting H the firſt letter of Hamon ſignifying a multitude. This is the firſt name God changed, and hence the cuſtom of giving Names at Circumciſion. And I will multiply thee exceedingly, and will make Nations of thee, and Kings ſhall come out of thee, and I will eſtabliſh my Covenant between me and thee, and thy Seed after thee in their Generations for an everlaſting Covenant, (m)Everlaſting] ſo called, in reſpect of the long continuance of the outward Ceremony of Circumciſion; but for the ſpiritual part of it literally everlaſting in Chriſt, Heb. 13.20. & 9.15.to be a God to thee, and to thy Seed after thee. (n)Which words comprehend all the bleſſings of the Covenant of Grace.And I will give to thee, and to thy Seed after thee, the Land of Canaan (wherein thou art now a ſtranger) for an Everlaſting poſſeſſion.(o)Tempus pro temporis parte aliquando accipitur. Et foreign perpetum tempus de parte quaſi quadam, ſubjectae materiae convenienti dicitur. Sic v. 8 in poſſeſſionem perpetuam, ſcil. quamdiu politia Judaica futura eſt, ad advent…m uſque Meſſiae ſic Circumciſio, & alia Ceremonialia in foedus Olim, i. e. perpetuum ſe… vanda Judaeis data fuerunt, h. e. ſemper & continuo done eſ…rvanda eſſent & non ulterius. Glaſſ. And this I appoint as the Token, Sign and Seal of the Covenant between me and you, that all the Males among you ſhall forthwith be circumciſed, and that every Male-Child among you that ſhall be hereafter born, either of Natives or Proſelites, *Exiſtiment vi…i docti nullum adultum ſervum obligari ad Circumciſionem ſui aut prolis, niſi ſponte conſentiat. Nec talis Circumciſio Sacramentum eſſet foederis Dei niſi volentes complectimur.ſhall be Circumciſed on the eighth day. And this Circumciſion (which figures or repreſents a putting off, and mortifying of the old man with its affections and luſts) ſhall be in your Fleſh for a ſign of that Everlaſting Covenant (p)Foedus, i. e. foederis ſignum, ut fruſtra ſint Pontificii qui jubent a Sacramentis exulare tropos. My Covenant ſhall be in the Fleſh.] that is, the token, ſign and ſeal of my Covenant. For Circumciſion was not the Covenant it ſelf. And ſo God ſpeaketh of other Sacraments. Of the Paſsover, Exod. 13.9. Of the holy Supper, 1 Cor 11.28.I have made with you. And that man among you (being of the Jewiſh Race) who being not Circumciſed (q)Patres ante diluvium habuerunt idem foedus quoad ſubſtantiam, h. e. promiſſionem gratiae per Chriſtum, ſemen mulieris. Non autem iis impoſita fuit circumciſio. Satis erat fidem in Meſſiam teſtari per Sacrificia. Data eſt circumciſio ut ſit ſignum foederis, 1. Memorativum pacti Abrahami cum Deo. 2. Diſtinctivum fidelium ab infidelibus. 3. Demonſtrativum peccati originalis. 4. Praefigurativum Baptiſmi. Adultus qui ritum hunc neglexerit ab Eccleſia Eliminabitur, ſi natus inter Hebraeos fuerit Infantulus non poſuit ſe Circumſecare. Sed adultus negligentiam Parentum ſupplem debuit.in his Childhood, ſhall afterwards wilfully neglect to take on him that ſign, he ſhall be cut off from among you as a Violator of my Covenant. I will not own him as one of my peculiar people, and by you he ſhall be reckoned as an Heathen, and caſt out of the Communion of the Church. Further God tells Abraham that he ſhould not call his Wife any longer Sarai, which ſignifies a Lady or Princeſs of one Family, but Sarah, (r)Addita nimirum eadem litera ה, quae nomini Abrahami acceſſit, ut idem eſſet utrobique earundem promiſſionum ſymbolum. Antea dicebatur Sarai, i. e. Princeps mea, unius tantum Domus mater familias. Poſtea vero dicitur abſolute princeps, i. e. foreign.a Princeſs abſolute. For ſhe was to be a Mother of many Nations, by the ſpreading of Iſaac's Poſterity, her natural Son (and even Kings to ſpring from Her) and Her preheminence was to be of much larger extent upon the account of Her ſpiritual Daughters, 1 Pet. 3.6. Abraham hearing theſe things, fell on his face before the Lord, in an humble expreſſion of reverence and thankfulneſs, and he was ſo tranſported with theſe welcome tydings, (which he firmly believed) that he even laughed for joy. However, though he now believed he ſhould have a Son by Sarah, yet he forgets not Iſhmael, but humbly prays to the Lord for him, O that Iſhmael might live before thee. O that thou wouldſt pleaſe to have a gracious Eye upon him, to protect and bleſs him. God tells him, He would bleſs Iſhmael with Temporal Bleſſings, and would multiply him exceedingly, inſomuch that 12 Princes ſhould ſpring from him (whoſe Names we have ſet down Gen. 25. v. 13, 14, 15, 16.) but his Covenant he would eſtabliſh with Iſaac, whom Sarah ſhould bear unto him next year at this time; which Covenant comprehends not only outward but ſpiritual bleſſings alſo. Then the Lord left off ſpeaking to Abraham, and went up to Heaven in the ſame form and ſhape he had appeared to Him. Abraham now embracing theſe Promiſes, and reſting on them by a lively Faith, cauſed himſelf (being now 99 years old) and his Son Iſhmael (being 13 years old) and all the Males of his houſe to be Circumciſed that very day.(s)Hinc liquet quantus in erudienda Familia fuerit Abrahamus qui eodem die quo inſtitutus eſt adeo triſtem ritum admiſerit. Monym. in loc.
Gen. 17. whole Chapter.