birth, than to diftinguish them by a relation to "this bleffed feed, which he promised them; as "God defigned, without all queftion, by that

means, to oblige the Jews to remember the first

promise made to mankind; so no doubt, he in"tended by it to fix their minds upon the confi"deration of that favour he had fhewed to them, "as well as to Abraham, to distinguish them from "all the people of the earth, that the Deliverer "of the world might be born in their common"wealth, and from one of their pofterity. It "was the fame profpect of the Meffiah, which "made God condemn thofe to death, who fhould "either remain uncircumcifed themselves, or leave "their children fo "."

IX. The mode of fwearing obferved by fome of the patriarchs, deferves our attention here. It would appear, that the most ancient and most ordinary custom was, to lift up the hand. Hence Abraham faid to the king of Sodom; "I have "lifted up mine hand to JEHOVAH, the moft

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high God, the poffeffor of heaven and earth v." But afterwards we find the fame patriarch obferving a different mode. When he employed his fteward Eliezer to take a wife to his fon of the daughters of his own people, he faid to him; "Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh; "and I will make thee fwear by JEHOVAH, &c. “—And the fervant put his hand under the thigh "of

a Reflections on the Books of Scripture, Vol. i. Part 2. chap. 15. ▾ Gen. xiv. 22.

"of his mafter, and fware to him concerning that "matter w." Some view this rite merely as a token of fubjection, as being the manner in which inferiors fwore to their fuperiors. Others, with much more probability, confider it as having a myftical reference. It has accordingly been interpreted, as either referring to the fign of circumcifion, or to the promife of the Meffiah. Did it immediately refpect circumcifion? It appears, then, from what we have already feen, that it must have ultimately referred to the promised feed. It is, however, the judgment of fome learned writers, that to this it directly referred. The Meffiah was to come out of Abraham's loins or thigh. For, with refpect to defcent, thefe are used as fynonymous terms. Therefore the posterity of Jacob are called the "fouls that came out of Ja"cob's thigh," as the word literally fignifies Y. The fame expreffion is used as to the feventy fons of Gideon "." It is probable, that the patriarchs ftill continued to fwear by the hand lifted up, in ordinary or civil matters; but that they ufed the other mode, when fwearing in things pertaining to the covenant and promife. As the oath taken by the fervant of Abraham, had this reference, because he wished to prevent Ifaac from mingling with the idolatrous Canaanites; the other inftance, which we have recorded, was of the fame kind. Jacob, when dying, took an oath of Joseph, that he should not bury him in Egypt, but with

w Gen. xxiv. 2. 9. x Hiedegger Hiftor. Patriarch. Vol, 2. p. 135. y Gen. xlvi. 26.; alfo Exod. i. 5. 2 Judg. viii. 30.

with his fathers in the land of promife 2. Now, as it is faid of Jofeph himself, that " by faith he gave commandment concerning his bones b;" we cannot reasonably fuppofe that the conduct of his father, in requiring an oath from him with. the fame view, proceeded from any inferior principle. From the manner in which Jacob addreffed Jofeph, it can fcarcely be supposed, that he asked him to fwear in this peculiar form in token of inferiority. Jacob was ftill his father. But fo great was the dignity of Jofeph, that Jacob fpeaks to him as one foliciting a fignal favour from his fuperior : "If now I have found grace in thy "fight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh,-bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt."

x. The custom obferved among the pofterity of Jacob, of not eating of the finew that shrank, deferves particular notice. This custom originated from the wonderful ftruggle that their ancestor had with the Angel-Redeemer, which we have already confidered. "The hollow of Jacob's thigh "was out of joint, while he wrestled with him.— "Therefore the children of Ifrael eat not of the "finew which fhrank, which is upon the hollow "of the thigh, unto this day because he touch"ed the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the finew "that fhrank." It has been fuppofed, that Jacob, by divine infpiration, enjoined this abftinence on his pofterity: and indeed the words may be read, "The children of Ifrael may not

a Gen. xlvii. 29.-31.

"eat

b Heb. xi. 22. c Gen. xxxii. 25. 32.

The mention

"eat of the finew which fhrank." here made of this rite, if not an exprefs approbation of it, at leaft implies no cenfure. It muft at any rate be fuppofed, that there was a fpecial providence of God overruling the obfervance of this rite, as a perpetual memorial of that unparal leled interview, and of its defign. The children, feeing their fathers carefully abftain from eating of this finew, would as naturally fay, as concerning the paffover, "What mean ye by this?" They could not but reply, that they did it in remembrance of Jacob's wrestling with God in the appearance of man: and in as far as their knowledge or faith reached, they would explain the relation of this manifeftation to the future appearance of the God of Jacob in human nature.

Various have been the opinions entertained, as to the reafon of Jacob's receiving the mark of weakness in this part of his body. I fhall venture a conjecture, which feems to arife from what has been already obferved, in regard to the fingular mode of fwearing used by him, as well as by his grandfather. As the Meffiah, the promised feed, was to fpring from his thigh; might not the allwife God fet this fignal mark of human imbecility here, ftill to remind Jacob and his pofterity, that, although he had received the promise of this peculiar bleffing, and a renewed confirmation of it on this occafion, it was not his natural birthright, nor procured by his own merit or power, but wholly of grace? According to this view, it might be the will of God, that Jacob should bear a mark

of

of weakness, as to that very point in which he was to be honoured above all other men; and have a perpetual lesson of humility, in regard to what would be most apt to excite his natural pride.

This great doctrine, of the incarnation of a divine Perfon, was revealed comparatively in an obfcure manner to the patriarchs and under the law. Yet believers, who lived in thefe ages, faw the day of Chrift; they faw it afar off, and were glad. The promise of the incarnation of Chrift was the ground of their hope. This, as connected with a perfuafion of his prefence in the Church, as that divine Perfon who should at length actually affume human nature, was the foundation of their triumph over all the enemies who threatened her deftruction d. Is not the ground of our triumph greatly enlarged? Is not the evidence of our fecurity wonderfully confirmed? God hath been "manifefted in the flesh." Jefus is known as Immanuel. Are not we, then, under still stronger obligations to fing; "The LORD of hosts is with "us, the God of Jacob is our refuge?"

We have seen, that there were many preludes of the incarnation. Thus he, who from eternity engaged himself as our Surety, early manifefted his love to the children of men. Thefe were all teftimonies of the infinite pleasure he had in the profpect of his work of mediation in our world. Thus he anticipated his habitation among men.

Did

d Ifa. vii. 11. 14.; viii. 9, 10.