The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

§. Water.

As the form of the Church was changed at the coming of Christ, from Jewish to Chri∣stian, and from Legal to Evangelical, so is it no wonder if the Sacraments were changed therewithal. For if Christ were to give a new law, as Moses did the old, which the Jews themselves confess that he must, and the Prophets had foretold that he should do; it was also necessary that he should give these new, as well as other things. But it is some wonder, that seeing he instituted the Sacrament that should succeed the Passover so near to the nature of the Passover, as that it was a supper as well as it, that there should such a main distance and difference be between Baptism and Circumcision, the one of which should succeed the other; for what affinity betwixt washing with water, and cutting off of the foreskin? For the better viewing of the reason of which difference, it will be ne∣cessary to consider the main particulars of either Sacrament apart, and then may the Rea∣der compare them together in their variety.

First, then, Circumcision to Abraham was a seal of the promise, thou shalt be the father of many Nations: but to his seed, of the promise of the Land of Canaan, I will give to thee, and to thy seed, all the Land of Canaan: therefore thou and thy seed after thee, shall keep my Covenant, Gen. 17. 8, 9. And such a different end may be observed in the ad∣ministration of baptism to Christ himself, and the administring of it unto Christians. The Text alledged sealeth the lease of the Land of Canaan to the seed of Abraham with the seal of Circumcision, and confineth that Ceremony only to that Land, and only to their continuance there. And upon this inference, [I will give thy seed the Land of Canaan; therefore shall they keep my Covenant] it was that Joshua, as soon as ever they had set foot upon that Land, was commanded to circumcise them, Josh. 5. And from hence it will follow, first, that that Land must be considered dilated, as far as Circumcision went with the seed of Abraham, in Ishmaelites, Midianites, Edomites and others.

Secondly, Hence they will be found to erect circumcision again in the Church of Christ, that hold the called Jews shall have a temporal Kingdom again in the Land of Canaan.

And, thirdly, hence it may be resolved why that Sacrament was deferred so long, and not given to the World before. Adam, Enoch, Noah, Eber, &c. were not circumcised; because to them a fixed and setled place for the Church to reside together was not designed, but when such a one is designed to Abraham, then circumcision is given also.

The Land of Canaan was bequeathed to Sem by his father Noah, the occasion was, be∣cause Cham, and his Son Canaan derided Noahs nakedness as he lay asleep in the midst of his Tent: when therefore that Land is to be setled upon the right heirs of Sem, to which God in the Prophetick spirit of Noah intended it, a seal, and an assurance there∣of is given in that member, which had been derided by Canaan, to his loss of that Land, and to his perpetual slavery. This was a main reason, why Males alone were circumcised, and why in that member; because a male alone, and that member in him was so derided. Other reasons of the institution of the Ceremony, and only for masculines, and in that part, might concur for instruction [such as are given by Lumbard, Aquinas, Biel, Lyra and others] but that they were not of the nature or essence of the Sacrament, and that this forementioned was the vigor and spirit of it, may be concluded by these two things.

First, That Circumcision concerned not the children of Israel only, but the whole seed of Abraham: For those children of his by his Concubines, that lived in Arabia, as

Ismaelites, Dedanites, Medianites, Midianites, Shuhites, Amalekites, and the rest were circum∣cised as well as Israel in Palestina. Those Countries whither Abraham had sent them to in∣habite were once in the possession of Canaanites, till he obtained them by conquest of the four Kings, Gen. 14. and thither he sendeth them with the seal of Circumcision upon them, which gave them interest in the Land there, as well as Isaac had elswhere: Abraham taught his children, and his houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord, Gen. 18. 19. which though this off-spring of his in Arabia did not long in other things, yet in circumcision it did. So that from hence may result the observation of another end, and reason of the institution of this Ceremony, namely, for distinction, not of Israel from other Nations, as Lyranus would have it, but of the seed of Abraham from all other people.

Secondly, Howsoever all the Israelites dwelling before the coming of our Saviour out of the Land of Canaan, as both of the Babylonian and Grecian dispersion, used Cicum∣cision in Heathens Lands, and used it lawfully; yet it was because their claim and interest to the Land of Canaan did still continue: nay, this was one reason why it held up some store of years after Christ his coming and ascension: but when Jerusalem was destroyed, and their lease of that Land of promise, either expired or forfeited, or both; then did this seal of it fall and come to ruine also, and might not lawfully be used ever after: and when they must for ever relinquish the Land, they must for ever also relinquish this seal or Ceremony that had assured it. This well considered, will cause us also to observe:

First, That the interest of Israel in the holy Land began to shake, when baptism came to shoulder out Circumcision. Secondly, That John most properly preached much of the Kingdom of Heaven, for their earthly one began to cease when baptism began to extin∣guish Circumcision.

As Circumcision it self had relation to the inheritance of the Land of the Canaanites: so the fixed time for the administration of it; namely, the eighth day seemeth also to have some aim and respect to the same thing. For seven nations were in that Land, which the Children of Abraham were to subdue and dwell in their stead, Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites, Deut. 7. 1. Josh. 3. 10. In cor∣respondency to this number of seven Nations that were to be subdued, Jericho the first field fought in that Land, is compassed seven days, and seven - times the seventh day. And in like answerableness, every child of Abraham for seven days, was like the chil∣dren of those seven Nations, but on the eighth day he was to receive circumcision the pledge of that interest and claim that he had in that Land, which those seven Nations had usurped.

This then was the ground-work and Original of that Sacrament, that every Son of Abraham might bear in his body the seal of the inheritance of the Land of promise, and the badge of distinction from all other people, and that this visible sign might make him strive after the invisible grace which it sealed, the inheritance of Heaven, and walking as the peculiar of the Lord. From which appropriated and restrictive ends of the Rite, the necessity of the changing of it at the coming of Christ doth plainly ap∣pear: for when there was to be no more distinction betwixt the children of Abraham, and other people, and no one land more peculiarized then another, but of every Land and Nation he that feareth God, and worketh righteousness is accepted of him; that badge of appropriation, and seal of singularity, must either clean come to nothing, or become unnecessary.

Now that baptism did succeed in the stead thereof, some reasons may be given. As, first, because the Sacraments of the New Testament were to be gentle and easie, in stead of the smart and burdensom ones of the Law. Secondly, Because God would comply with men even in their own common custom, of washing children when they are newly born, Ezek. 16. 4. 9. and turn the common to a sacred use, thereby to catch and win them the more. But, thirdly, this one main reason may serve for all; namely, the near correspon∣dency that is between the Sacrament, and the thing signified, and the full significancy that the element beareth of the grace that it signeth forth. To which, fourthly, might be added, that baptism took place in the Christian Church, to fulfil the types and predicti∣ons that had gone before of it under Moses Law, and before. As in the flood and Ark, 1 Pet. 3. 21. in the passage through the red Sea and Jordan, 1 Cor. 10. 2. in the purificati∣ons and sprinklings at the Sanctuary: But especially in four remarkable particulars, was this fore-signified and typed out in a special manner.

First, In Jacobs admission of the preserved Sichemites to his family and communion, Gen. 35. 2. And Jacob said to his houshold, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange Gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments. Wherein he injoyneth them three things for their admission to his Church. 1. To relinquish their idolatry. 2. To wash or baptize their bodies, for so must the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Make your selves clean, be understood, and so it is well rendred by Aben Ezra. Especially, 3. Since he giveth

order for the changing of their garments: All three containing the cleansing of their minds, bodies and cloaths. And there observe, first, that when Circumcision in the next Chapter before had proved a Sacrament of death to the Sichemites; Jacob useth baptism for admission of Proselytes in the stead thereof. Secondly, That the company to be ad∣mitted are females, [unless there were some Syrian male Idolaters] for all the males of Sechem were slain, Gen. 34. 25. or at the least, the most of them, and therefore he useth a Sacrament which women also might come under, for under circumcision they did not come.

Secondly, In the admission of the Israelites to the hearing of the Law, by sanctification and washing, Exod. 19. 10. from which the Jews themselves did ground the baptizing of Proselytes, as a special ground.

Thirdly, At the making of the Covenant at Sinai, the introduction of Israel to the vi∣sible Church, was by baptism, or the sprinkling of water as well as of blood, as saith St. Paul, Heb. 9. 19. yea, and even the Jews themselves. Our Rabbins teach, saith Rabbi Solomon, that our Fathers entred into the Covenant, and baptism, and sprinkling of blood: for there was no sprinkling of blood without baptism. R. Sol. in loc. 4. In that in the times of David and Solomon, when heathens were converted to the Jews Religion by multitudes, their admission to their Church was by baptism, and not by circumcision. And the groundwork of this their practise, was, because, Israel coming out of Egypt washed their garments; and the Priests coming from their common employments, to their function, washed their bodies: Let all be concluded in the words of the Talmud, Rabbi Akiba said, O Israel you are blessed: Before whom are ye justified or cleansed? Or who is he that cleanseth you? It is your heavenly Father, as it is said, I will pour clean water upon you. In Kip∣purim.

Our Masters say, That bastards and Gibeonites, shall be all iustified in time to come. And this is the doctrine of Ezekiel, as it is written, I will pour clean water upon you. In Kiddushin.

Matth. 3. ver. 11. Unto repentance.

Here the Schools think they find a main difference between the baptism of John, and the baptism used in the Christian Church; because that was only the baptism of repen∣tance, and the other of grace, and remission of sins: but that there was no essential or substantial difference between them, shall be seen anon.

Luke 3. ver. 16. But one mightier then I cometh.

Though by this mightiness of Christ above the Baptist, his omnipotency or all-power∣fulness as he is God, may well and truly be understood, as many Expositors do take it, yet since John speaketh of him, as he should shew himself among the people when he came, and in comparison with himself as concerning preaching and baptizing, it cannot be but his words have respect to some particular things, wherein Christ shewed this migh∣tiness above John, yea, even conversing among men in his humane flesh, and in what re∣spected his preaching and ministerial Office. And these may be reduced unto these four heads.

First, The power of miracles, which Christ had, but John had not: For John wrought no miracle, Joh. 10. 41. Nor was it fit he should, since he in whom that power rested as in its proper center, was so near to come, and so ready to shew it.

Secondly, In the different power of the Preaching of John, and of our Saviour, and their conversion of the people, John many, but Christ far more, as Joh. 3. 26.

Thirdly, In the seal and confirmation of their Doctrine and Ministry; for whereas John sealed it with his death, our Saviour did not only so, but also with his resur∣rection.

Fourthly, In continuance and increase of their preaching, and Disciples, and this dif∣ference John sheweth himself, Joh. 3. 30. To which may be annexed the excellency of Christs baptism above that of Johns, which is the very thing that is in comparison, I baptize you with water, but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.