The evangelist Luke concluded the gospel of this day with few words, but
they are filled with a manifold power of the heavenly mysteries. He said,
"Postquam consummati sunt dies octo ut circumcideretur puer, vocatum est
nomen ejus Jesus, quod vocatum est ab angelo, priusquam in utero
conciperetur." That is in our tongue, "After that the eight days were
accomplished from the Lord's birth, that he should be circumcised, his name
was called Jesus, that is _Saviour_, by which name he was called by the
angel before he was conceived in the womb."
The patriarch Abraham was the first man circumcised by God's command.
Abraham spake with God, and God held converse most with him after Noah's
flood, and said, "I am the Lord Almighty; walk before me and be perfect.
And I will set my covenant betwixt me and thee, and I will exceedingly
multiply thee, and thou shalt be the father of many nations. Kings shall
spring from thee, and I will set my covenant betwixt me and thee, and thy
offspring after thee, that I am the God of thee and of thy offspring."
Abraham prostrated himself with all his limbs to the earth, and God said to
him, "Hold thou my covenant, and thy offspring after thee in their tribes.
This is my covenant, which ye shall hold betwixt me and you; that every
male child in your tribe shall be circumcised: be that a sign betwixt me
and you. Let every {93} male child, when it is eight nights old, be
circumcised, both the noble-born and the slave; and he who neglecteth this,
his soul shall perish, because he hath disregarded my covenant. Now be thou
henceforth called not Abram, but Abraham, because I will establish thee as
the father of many nations. Nor be thy wife called Sarai, but be called
Sarah; and I will bless her, and of her I will give thee a son whom thou
shalt call Isaac; and I will set my covenant with him and his offspring for
everlasting duration. And after this speech the Almighty went up." On the
same day Abraham was circumcised, and all his household, and afterwards his
son Isaac, on the eighth day from his birth.
Abraham's name was at first spoken with five letters, 'Abram,' that is
_High father_; but God increased his name with two letters, and called him
Abraham, that is _Father of many nations_: for God said that he had
appointed him for father of many nations. His wife was called Sarai, which
is interpreted, _My chief_; but God called her afterwards Sarah, that is
_Chief_; that she might not be exclusively called her family's chief, but
absolutely chief; which is to be understood, mother of all believing women.
An hundred years old was Abraham, and his consort ninety, before they had a
child between them. When a child came to them, it came so much with God's
providence and blessing, that God promised blessing to all mankind through
his kin. Then Abraham's kin ever held God's covenant; and the leader Moses,
and all the tribe of Israel, circumcised their children on the eighth day,
and gave them names, until Christ was born in human nature, who established
baptism, and changed the token of the old law to spiritual righteousness.
It is probable that some of you know not what circumcision is. God
commanded Abraham, that he and his offspring should hold his covenant; that
there might be some sign on their bodies to show that they believed in God,
and commanded him to take a sharp-edged flint, and cut off a {95} part of
the foreskin. And that token was then as great among believing men as is
now the holy baptism, excepting only that no man could go to God's kingdom,
before He came who should confirm the old law, and afterwards, by his
presence, turn it to a spiritual sense: but every holy man abode in
Abraham's dwelling, without torments, although in hell, until the Redeemer
came, who overcame the old devil, and led his chosen to the kingdom of
heaven.
The same Saviour, who now awfully and salutarily cries in his gospel,
"Unless anyone be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot go to
the kingdom of heaven," the same cried of old, through the old law,
"Whatever male child shall not be circumcised in the foreskin of his flesh,
his soul shall perish, because he hath disregarded my covenant." This sign
stood among God's people until Christ himself came, and he himself was
subject to the holy law that he had established, that he might release
those who had necessarily been subjected to the old law. He said that he
came not to overthrow, but to fulfil the old law. Then on the eighth day
from his birth he was bodily circumcised, as he himself had before taught,
and thereby manifested that the old law was holy and good in its time for
those who were obedient to it. It was usual that the parents should give a
name to the child on the eighth day, with circumcision, but they durst not
give any other name to Christ than what the archangel had fixed on for him,
before he was conceived in his mother's womb, that is, JESUS, and in our
tongue, SAVIOUR, because he shall save his people from their sins.
It is not now allowed to christian men to observe circumcision bodily, but,
nevertheless, no man is truly a christian, unless he observe circumcision
in spiritual conduct. What does the amputation of the foreskin betoken but
decrease of lust? This discourse might easily be concealed from the laymen,
were it not for its spiritual signification. To unlearned men it seems
foolish to hear; but if it seems foolish {97} to him, let him chide God,
who established it, not us, who say it. But let everyone know for certain,
unless he diminish his fleshly lusts and wantonness, that he holds not his
christianity with right observance. Of this matter ye have often heard, but
to us your displeasure is more tolerable than the anger of Almighty God, if
we announce not his commandments. If ye will live according to human
reason, then are ye spiritually circumcised; but if ye will be subjected to
your libidinousness, then will ye be as the prophet said, "Man, when he was
in dignity understood it not; he is, therefore, compared with the foolish
beasts, and is become like unto them."
Therefore has God given reason to men that they might acknowledge their
Creator, and by observance of his commandments, merit eternal life. Verily
the wicked man is more miserable than any beast, because the beast has no
soul, nor will ever be quickened again, nor suffer future punishments. But
we, who are created after God's likeness, and have an unperishable soul, we
shall arise from death, and render to God an account of all our thoughts,
and words, and works. Therefore we should not merely be circumcised in one
member, but should constantly diminish foul libidinousness, and turn our
eyes from evil seeing, and ears from evil hearing; our mouth from leasing
speeches, hand from wicked deeds; our footsteps from the deadly path, our
hearts from guile. If we are thus circumcised from sins, then will a new
name be given us, as the prophet Isaiah said, "God will call his servants
by other names." Again, the same prophet said, "Thou shall be called by a
new name, which the mouth of God hath named." That new name is
'Christianus,' that is, _Christian_. We are all from Christ called
christians, but we should adorn that honourable name with exalted morals,
that we be not false christians. If we observe this spiritual circumcision
in our morals, then are we of Abraham's kin, in true faith; as the apostle
of the gentiles, Paul, said to {99} the faithful, "If ye are Christ's, then
are ye of Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Peter the
apostle also exhorted faithful women to humility and modesty, thus saying,
"As Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord, whose daughters ye are, well
doing and not fearing any affliction."
The eighth day, on which the child was circumcised, betokened the eighth
age of this world, in which we shall arise from death, parted from every
earthly corruption and pollution of our body. The stone knife, which
circumcised the child, betokened the stone of which the apostle said, "The
stone verily was Christ." He said _was_, meaning a type, not in substance.
Through belief, and hope, and true love of Christ, are pious hearts
cleansed, by daily circumcision, from their sins, and through his grace
enlightened.
We have often heard that men call this day the day of the year, as if this
day were first in the circuit of the year; but we find no explanation in
christian books, why this day is accounted the beginning of the year. The
old Romans, in heathen days, begun the circuit of the year on this day; and
the Hebrew nations on the vernal equinox; the Greeks on the summer
solstice; and the Egyptians begun their year at harvest. Now our calendar
begins, according to the Roman institution, on this day, not for any
religious reason, but from old custom. Some of our service-books begin on
the Lord's Advent; but not on that account is that the beginning of the
year, nor is it with any reason placed on this day; though our calendars,
in this place, repeat it. Most rightly it has been thought that the
beginning of the year should be observed on the day that the Almighty
Creator placed the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the beginning of
all the seasons; that is on the day that the Hebrew people begin the
calculation of their year; as the leader Moses has written in the books of
laws. Verily God said to Moses concerning that month, "This month is the
beginning of months, and it {101} is first of the months of the year." Now
the Hebrew people held the first day of the year on the vernal equinox,
because on that day the yearly seasons were set.
The eighteenth day of the month that we call March, which ye call Hlyda,
was the first day of this world. On that day God made light, and morning,
and evening. Then three days went forth without any measure of times; for
the heavenly bodies were not created before the fourth day. On the fourth
day the Almighty fixed all the heavenly bodies, and the yearly seasons, and
commanded that they should be for a sign, for days, and for years. Now the
Hebrews begin their year on the day when all the seasons were appointed,
that is on the fourth day of the world's creation, and the doctor Beda
reckons, with great discretion, that that day is the twenty-first of March,
the day which we celebrate in honour of the holy man Benedict, for his
great excellencies. Aye, the earth also makes known by her plants, which
then return to life, that the time at which they were created is the most
correct beginning of the year.
Now foolish men practise manifold divinations on this day, with great
error, after heathen custom, against their christianity, as if they could
prolong their life or their health, while they provoke the Almighty
Creator. Many are also possessed with such great error, that they regulate
their journeying by the moon, and their acts according to days, and will
not undertake anything on Monday, because of the beginning of the week;
though Monday is not the first day in the week, but is the second. Sunday
is the first in creation, in order, and in dignity. Some foolish men also
say, that there are some kinds of animals which one should not bless; and
say that they decline by blessing, and by cursing thrive, and so enjoy
God's grace to their injury, without blessing, with the devil's
malediction. Every blessing is of God, and curse of the devil. God created
all creatures, and the devil can create no creatures, for he is an inciter
to evil, {103} and worker of falsehood, author of sins, and deceiver of
souls.
The creatures that are thought monstrous have been created for punishment
of evil deeds. Holy men often dwelt in the waste among fierce wolves and
lions, among all the beast kind and the worm kind, and nothing might harm
them; but they tore the horned serpents with their naked hands, and the
great snakes they easily slew, without any hurt, through God's might.
Woe to the man who uses God's creatures, without his blessing, with
diabolical charms, when the apostle of the gentiles, Paul, has said,
"Whatsoever ye do in word or in work, do always in the name of the Lord,
thanking the Almighty Father through his Son." That man's christianity is
naught, who passes his life in diabolical charms; he is in appearance a
christian man, and is a miserable heathen; as the same apostle said of
such, "I believe that I laboured in vain when I inclined you to God, now ye
observe days and months with vain auguries."
Every bodily creature in the creation which the earth produces, is,
however, according to nature, fuller and stronger in full moon than in
decrease. Thus trees also, if they are felled in full moon, are harder and
more lasting for building, and especially if they are made sapless. This is
no charm, but is a natural thing from their creation. The sea too agrees
wonderfully with the course of the moon; they are always companions in
their increase and waning. And as the moon rises daily four points later,
so also the sea flows always four points later.
Let us set our hope and our happiness in the providence of the Almighty
Creator, who hath placed all creatures in three things; that is in measure,
and in number, and in weight. Be to him glory and praise ever to eternity.
Amen.
* * * * *
{104} VIII. I[=D]. JAN.