with Christ; but if he be a breaker || Exod. vi. 12, 30. The fruit of the of the law, his circumcision is made Hebrews' trees was uncircumcised, or uncircumcision; is of no avail to his polluted, three years after they began present or eternal happiness: and if to bear,-to commemorate Adam's uncircumcised Gentiles keep the law, fall, and to point out to us how defiltheir uncircumcision is counted for cir-ed these enjoyments are, which we cumcision; they are as readily accepted of God, and rendered happy, as if they were circumcised Jews, Rom. ii. 25, 26. Neither circumcision, nor uncircumcision, availeth any thing; no man is a whit more readily accepted of God, or saved by him, that he is either a Jew or a Gentile, Gal. v. 6. and vi. 15. 1 Cor. vii. 19.

Besides the outward circumcision of the flesh, we find an inward one mentioned, which is what was signified by the other. It consists in God's changing our state and nature, through the application of the blood and Spirit of his Son. By this we are made God's peculiar people, have our corruptions mortified, and our souls disposed to his service; and, for this reason, the saints are called the circumcision; while the Jews, with their outward circumcision, are, in contempt called the concision, Phil. iii. 2, 3.

UNCIRCUMCISED; (1.) Such who had not their foreskin cut off; the Gentiles, Gal. ii. 7. Eph. ii. 11. Such were detested of the Jews, and divinely prohibited to eat the passover, Judg. xiv. 3. 1 Sam. xvii. 26. Exod. xii. 48. (2.) Such as had not their nature changed, nor their inward corruptions subdued and mortified, nor their soul disposed to a ready hearing and belief of the gospel, are called uncircumcised in heart and ears, Jer. ix. 29. and vi. 10. Acts vii. 51. Such who are inwardly unregenerate, and outwardly scandalous, are uncircumcised in heart and flesh, Ezek. xliv. 7. The corruption of nature is called the uncircumcision, or foreskin of the|| flesh; Col. ii. 13. Moses was of uncircumcised lips; stammered in his speech; or, by the largeness of his lips, spoke disagreeably, or spoke unhandsome language, abounding with superfluities fit to be retrenched,

come too hastily at, Lev. xix. 23. All the nations descended from Abraham, except perhaps the Edomites, long retained the use of circumcision.

The Arabs and the Turks, who learned it from them, still retain the use of it; but it is no where commanded by their Koran or Bible, nor have they a fixed time for it; and it is rarely performed, till the child be at least five or six years of age. The Jews, with great zeal, and a multitude of ceremonies unworthy of our rehearsal, still practise it. It is said the natives, in some places of the West Indies, lately practised it. It is more certain, that it was used by the Egyptian priests; and that it has been long practised in Abyssinia, perhaps from the days of Solomon.

CIRCUMSPECT; cautious, seriously advertent to every precept of God's law, and every circumstance of things to be done or forborne, Exod. xxiii. 13. Eph. v. 15.

CISTERN; [a reservoir or large vessel to retain water]. were very necessary in Canaan, where fountains were scarce; and some of them were 150 paces long, and 60 broad, 2 Kings xviii. 31. The left ventricle of the heart which retains the blood, till it be redispersed through the body, is called a cistern, Eccl. xii. 6.* Wives are called cisterns; they when dutiful, are a great pleasure, assistance, and comfort to their husbands, Prov. v. 15. Idols, armies, and outward enjoyments, are broken cisterns that can hold no water; they can afford no solid or lasting happiness and comfort, Jer. ii. 13.

it is replenished with bood which it sends *The heart may be called a oistern as to and receives from all parts of the body.

are her streets and towers; God himself, his salvation, providential preservation, and system of sacred government, are her walls; Jesus himself is her gates; his ordinances of dispensing word and sacrament, and of exercising government and disci pline, her keys, Isa. lxii. 14. She is called a great city, because of her extent, and the vast number of her members, Rev. xxi. 10; a holy city, because of the holiness of her founder, laws, ordinances, members, and end of erection, Rev. xi. 2; and the city of God, because he planned, built, peopled, rules, protects, and dwells in her, Heb. xii. 22. The Antichristian state is called a great city, because of her great extent and power, and the marvellous connection of her members, chiefly her clergy and devotees, Rev. xvi. 19. and xi. 8. The cities of the nations fell; the power and wealth of the Antichristian, Mahometan, and Heathen party were ruined, and a number of their cities destroyed, by earthquakes, sieges, &c. Rev. xvi. 19. The names of cities, whether general or particular, are often put for the inhabitants, Gen. XXXV. 5. Isa. xiv. 31. Jer. xxvi. 2.A man's wealth, and power are his strong city: in them he delights, and trusts for accommodation and protection, Prov. x. 15. He that hath no rule over his own spirit, is like a city broken down, and without walls; he is inwardly full of confusion, and most wretchedly exposed to every danger, Prov. xxv. 28. Sundry great men have explained the little city, saved by the wisdom of a poor wise man of the church, delivered by Christ; but perhaps it is better to consider it as a real fact, that happened in or before the age of Solo

CITY; a walled town. Here the people have much trade, wealth, and honour; they are subject to their proper rulers, and have distinguished privileges. The most noted cities, now destroyed, were Thebes, Memphis, and Alexandria, in Egypt; Jerusalem and Samaria, in Canaan; Babylon, in Chaldea; Nineveh, in Assyria; Shusham, Persopolis, and Rey, in Persia; Antioch, in Syria; Ephesus, Philadelphia, Pergamos, and Troy, in Lesser Asia. The chief cities now existent, are, Cairo, in Egypt; Ispahan, in Persia; Delli, in India; Pekin and Nankin, in China;|| Constantinople, in Turkey; Rome, Paris, London, &c. in Christendom. Jerusalem was called, The holy city, city of God, city of solemnities; because there the temple of God was built, his holy and solemn ordinances observed, Matth. v. 35. and xxvii. 53. Isaiah xxxiii. 20. She is called faithful, a city of righteousness, or an oppressing city, from the temper of her inhabitants, Isa. i. 26. Zeph. ii. 1. Rome is called a great city, because her inhabitants were once very numerous, and their power and glory extremely extensive, Rev. xvii. Damascus is called a city of praise and joy, because of the great mirth that abounded in it, and the pleasantness thereof, Jer. xlix. 25.Heaven is represented as a city, a city with twelve foundations, a holy eity: what glory, order, safety, and happiness, are there enjoyed by the multitudes of saints! how perfect and durable their state of felicity! and all of it founded on the person and purchase of Christ! None but holy persons do ever enter it, nor is aught but holiness ever practised therein, Heb. xi. 10, 16. The church on earth is called a city. How beauti-mon, Eccl. ix. 14, 15. Jeremiah ful the order, laws, and privileges thereof! God her King dwells in her; angels and ministers are her watchmen and guard; believers are her free CITIZENS, entitled to all the fulness of God; divine ordinances

18.

was like a defenced city, iron pillar, and brazen wall, against the Jewish nation; God preserved his life and faithful boldness, notwithstanding all their threats and persecution, Jer. i. 18.

CITIZEN. (1.) One that is born, || or dwells in a city, Acts xxi. 39.(2.) One that has the freedom of trade, and other privileges belonging to a city; so Paul was a citizen of Rome, Acts xxii. 28. (3.) Subjects, Luke xix. 14. The saints are called citizens, because they are entitled to all the privileges of the church militant and triumphant, Eph. ii. 29.Satan is a citizen of this world; he has liberty to act in it, and is much esteemed by the men of it, Luke xv. 15.

CLAMOUR; quarrelsome and loud talk, Eph. iv. 31. CLAMOROUS; full of loud talk, Prov. ix. 13.

CLAUDA; a small island hard by Crete, and now called Gozo. Paul and his companions sailed by it, in their voyage to Rome, Acts xxvii. 16. CLAUDIA; a Roman lady, who, it is said, was converted to Christianity by Paul, 2 Tim. iv. 21.

CLAUDIUS CÆSAR; the fifth emperor of the Romans. He succeeded the mad Caligula, A. D. 41, and reigned thirteen years. The senate had designed to assert their ancient liberty; but, by the army and populace, and the craft of Herod Agrippa, Claudius obtained the imperial throne. To mark his gratitude to Agrippa, he gave him the sovereignty of Judea, and gave the kingdom of Chalcis to his brother Herod; he also confirmed the Alexandrian Jews in their privileges, but discharged those at Rome to hold any public meetings. Sometime after, he again reduced Judea to a Roman province, and ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome. His reign was noted for almost nothing but a terrible famine, and for his own timorousness, and for the abominable disorders of Messalina and Agrippina, his wives, Acts xi. 28. and xviii. 2.

murder Paul, Lysias rescued him out of their hands, bound him with chains, and carried him to the garrison's fort of Antonia; he then ordered Paul to be scourged, till they should extort a confession from him; but, upon information that he was a Roman, he forbore; and next day brought him out to the council.-Finding Paul's life in danger among them, he again, by force, carried him back to the fort. Soon after, he was informed, that above forty Jews had sworn neither to eat nor drink till they had murdered Paul. Lysias therefore sent him off to Felix at Cæsarea, under the protection of a strong guard, Acts xxi. xxii. xxiii.

CLAWS of four-footed beasts, are their hoofs, Deut. xiv. 6. Claws of birds are their talons, whereby they, with their feet, scratch, seize, and hold fast their prey. To tear claws in pieces, is to devour outrageously, and cut off every means of protection, resistance, or conquest, Zech. xi. 16.

CLAY; an earthly substance, whereof mortar, brick, potters' vessels are formed, Nah. iii. 14. Jer. xviii. 4. Men are likened to clay; their bodies are formed of it; they are vile, frail, unworthy, and easily undone, Isa. Ixiv. 8. and xxix. 16. and xli. 25. The Roman state is compared to a mixture of iron and miry clay, to denote, that, notwithstanding its being once very powerful, yet it should become weak, and be easily destroyed by the barbarous Goths, Huns, Vandals, Heruli, &c. Dan. ii. 33, 34, 35, 42. Trouble is like miry clay; it is very uncomfortable; men gradually sink into it, and with difficulty can they escape it, Psal. xl. 2. Wealth, and other worldly enjoyments, are likened to a load of thick clay; they are of small value for an immortal soul, and are often polluting, enslavthing, and burdensome, Hab. i. 6. The clay, wherewith Jesus anointed the eyes of the blind man, may denote ordinances, which are contemptible in

CLAUDIUS LYSIAS; a tribune of the Roman guard at Jerusalem. With a great price he obtained his freedom of Roman cittzen, Acts xxii. 28. | when the Jewish mob thought to

the view of worldly men; or convic- || fear, lies in freedom from error and tions, which render men blind in their sinful defilement, Psal. xii. 6. and xix. own view, John ix. 6, 15. The earth. 8. Jam. i. 27. The cleanness of is turned up as clay to the seal; when Christ's blood and Spirit, lies in their it is fresh ploughed, it is ready to re-infinite native purity, and their unceive any impression; and when the bounded virtue to purge away our warmth of summer returns, it as-guilt and corruption, Ezek. xxxvi. sumes a comely appearance, Job Xxxviii. 14.

25. Cleanness of teeth, is want of provision to eat, Amos iv. 6. Clean, purely, also denote full, fully, Lev. xxiii. 23. Josh. iii. 17. Isa. i. 25.

CLEAN; PURE; (1.) Free from natural filth, chaff, or dross, Prov. xiv. 4. Isa. xxx. 14. (2.) Free from ceremonial defilement, Lev. x. 14.—make pure or clean. (1.) To make

CLEANSE, PURGE, PURIFY; to

Rom. xiv. 20. (3.) Free from mo- free from natural filth or dross, Mark ral filth, corruption, and vanity, Job vii. 19. Mal. iii. 3. (2.) To consecrate xiv. 4. and xxv. 5. (4.) Innocent; to an holy use, and render, free from righteous; free from guilt, Acts xviii. ceremonial pollution, Ezek. xliii. 20, 6. and xx. 26. Wine is pure when 26. Lev. viii. 15. Numb. viii. 12.not mixed with water, Deut. xxxii. (3. To remove the guilt of sin, by 14. Metal is pure when without the application of Jesus's blood, Heb. dross. Oil, myrrh, and frankincense, ix. 14. 1 John i. 9; and the power are pure, when without refuse or mix-and pollution of it, by the regenerature, Exod. xxv. 17, 31.-Provender tion and sanctification of our nature or grain is clean, when it is without and life, John xv. 2. Tit. iii. 5. Christ chaff or sand, Isa. xxx. 24. Meats are purges our sin, by making atonement pure, when lawful to be used. The for it by his blood, Heb. i. 3. He and ancient sacrifices, priests, and other his father also cleanse men by the persons, were pure, when without powerful application of his blood and ceremonial pollution, Ezra vi. 20.- Spirit, by means of his word, Ezek. The purity of the saints lies in their xxxvi. 25. Rev. i. 5; and we cleanse having a clean heart, and pure hands; ourselves, by receiving and improvin having their conscience purgeding his word, blood, and Spirit, to from guilt, by the application of the promote the purity of our conscience, righteousness of Jesus; their mind, and the sanctification of our heart and will, and affections, sanctified by his life, 2 Cor. vii. 1. 1 Pet. ii. 22. Stripes Spirit, endowed with implanted grace, cleanse the inward parts of the belly; and freed from the love and power of afflictions are useful [to bring us to a sinful corruption; and their outward distressing sense of the evil of sin, to conversation holy and blameless, Prov. make us watch against it, and imxx. 9. Job xvii. 9. 1 Tim. i. 5. Matth. prove] Jesus Christ as our righteousTo the pure all things are pure : |ness and sanctification, Prov. xx. 30. to these, whose conscience and heart || Isa. xxvii. 9. By mercy and truth iniare purified by the blood and Spirit of quity is purged: by God's display of Jesus, all meats are lawful, Tit. i. 15. mercy and truth, in making Christ a Give alms, and all things are clean to propitiation for us, it is atoned for: you turn your fraud into honesty by the faith of this mercy and truth, and charity, and then you need not is the propitiation received, and our fear eating with unwashen hands. soul purged from the guilt, love, and Luke xi. 41. The purity of prayer, power of sin; by the exercise of merlics in its proceeding from a pure cy and truth in our practice, iniquity heart, and requesting lawful things is excluded from our heart and life, for lawful ends, Job xvi. 17. The pu- and the efficacy and fulness of the arity of God's word, law, religion, and tonement manifested, Prov. xvi. 6.—

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(4.) A land is purged, when wicked furniture, after being unclean seven men who defile it, are cut off by death days were to be sprinkled with the or captivity, Ezek. xx. 38; or the water of separation; and a person idols, and other occasions of wicked- was to be sprinkled therewith, on the ness are destroyed, 2 Chron. xxxiv. third and the seventh day, Lev. xii. Ministers are purified, when they Numb. xix. When one was cleanare eminently reformed by Christ, sed from leprosy, he was to be seven and fitted with gifts and graces for times sprinkled with a mixture of wa their work, Mal. iii. 3. Hypocrites ter, blood of a slain bird, cedar-wood, are purged from their old sins, when scarlet, and hyssop. On the first day, they receive baptism, which repre- he washed his whole body and clothes sents the washing away of sin; when in water, and shaved off all his nair; they solemnly engage and profess to on the seventh, he repeated this washbe holy; and when they have their ing and shaving; on the eighth, he lives outwardly reformed, 2 Pet. i. 9. offered three lambs for a burnt-offerThe method of purification from ings, a trespass-offering, and sin-offerceremonial defilement, was very dif-ing; or, if poor, a turtle-dove, or piferent in form: but all represented the gradual purging of our conscience, heart, and life, by the word, the blood, and Spirit of Jesus Christ. He that offered the expiation-goat, or sprinkled his blood; he that led the scapegoat into the wilderness; he that burnt the flesh of a sin-offering for the high-priest, or congregation; and the person or garment, merely suspected of leprosy, was purified by a simple washing in water. The bra- many superstitious purifications; as The Jewish elders added a great zen pot, wherein the flesh of a sin-of- WASHING of hands up to the elbow befering had been boiled, was to be wash-fore meals; washing of pots, cups, ed and rinsed in water, Lev. xvi. and and tables, Mark vii. 2-8. vi. 28. and xiii. and xiv. He that

geon, for a burnt-offering, and another for a sin-offering. of his right ear, thumb, and toe, were The extremities anointed with the blood of his trespassoffering, and then with part of the log of oil that attended it. The sprinkling of a leprous house, with the abovementioned mixture of water, bird's blood, cedar, scarlet, and hyssop, rendered it clean, Lev. xiv.

from guilt, and blame, Gen. xxiv. 8.] To CLEAR; to free from guilt or blame, God will by no means clear the guilty; will not pardon, without full satisfaction for their offences. But the text might be read, In destroying he will not destroy the guilty, Exod. xxxiv. 7.

burnt the red heifer, or cast the cedar-ing, Song vi. 10. (2.) Innocent; free CLEAR; (1.) [Bright and shinwood, scarlet, or hyssop into the fire; he that carried her ashes; he that sprinkled, or unnecessarily touched, the water of separation; he that did eat or touch any part of the carcase of an unclean beast; he that used the marriage-bed, or had any involuntary pollution happening him by night; he that had any way approached to a running issue, or was defiled by means of one that had it, washed himself in water, and continued unclean until the even, Numb. xix. Lev. xi. and xv.— Deut. xiv. and xxiii.

To purify a woman who had lain in of child-birth, she was to offer a lamb, turtle, or pigeon, for a burnt-offering, and a turtle or pigeon for a sin-offering. To purge away the defilement contracted by dead bodies, an house and

to divide it into parts, Gen. xxii. 3. CLEAVE. To cleave a thing, is To cleave to a person or thing, is to stick fast to, abide with, or love ardently, 1 Kings xi. 2. To cleave to closely unite with his person, hold inthe Lord, is firmly to believe his word, timate fellowship with him, in his fulness, receive and retain his Spirit, and faithfully adhere to his truths, follow his example, and obey his commands. Cloven-footed beasts under the law,