Chapter IX.-The Spiritual Meaning of Circumcision.

He speaks moreover concerning our ears, how He hath circumcised both them and our heart. The Lord saith in the prophet, "In the hearing of the ear they obeyed me."¹⁰⁵ And again He saith, "By hearing, those shall hear who are afar off; they shall know what I have done."¹⁰⁶ And, "Be ye circumcised in your hearts, saith the Lord."¹⁰⁷ And again He says, "Hear, O Israel, for these things saith the Lord thy God."¹⁰⁸ And once more the Spirit of the Lord proclaims, "Who is he that wishes to live for ever? By hearing let him hear the voice of my servant."¹⁰⁹ And again He saith, "Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth, for God¹¹⁰ hath spoken."¹¹¹ These are in proof.¹¹² And again He saith, "Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of this people."¹¹³ And again He saith, "Hear, ye children, the voice of one crying in the wilderness."¹¹⁴ Therefore He hath circumcised our ears, that we might hear His word and believe, for the circumcision in which they trusted is abolished.¹¹⁵ For He declared that circumcision was not of the flesh, but they transgressed because an evil angel deluded them.¹¹⁶ He saith to them, "These things saith the Lord your God"-(here¹¹⁷ I find a new¹¹⁸ commandment)-"Sow not among thorns, but circumcise yourselves to the Lord."¹¹⁹ And why speaks He thus: "Circumcise the stubbornness of your heart, and harden not your neck? "¹²⁰ And again: "Behold, saith the Lord, all the nations are uncircumcised¹²¹ in the flesh, but this people are uncircumcised in heart."¹²² But thou wilt say, "Yea, verily the people are circumcised for a seal." But so also is every Syrian and Arab, and all the priests of idols: are these then also within the bond of His covenant?¹²³ Yea, the Egyptians also practise circumcision. Learn then, my children, concerning all things richly,¹²⁴ that Abraham, the first who enjoined circumcision, looking forward in spirit to Jesus, practised that rite, having received the mysteries¹²⁵ of the three letters. For [the Scripture] saith, "And Abraham circumcised ten, and eight, and three hundred men of his household."¹²⁶ What, then, was the knowledge given to him in this? Learn the eighteen first, and then the three hundred.¹²⁷ The ten and the eight are thus denoted-Ten by I, and Eight by H.¹²⁸ You have [the initials of the, name of] Jesus. And because¹²⁹ the cross was to express the grace [of our redemption] by the letter T, he says also, "Three Hundred." He signifies, therefore, Jesus by two letters, and the cross by one. He knows this, who has put within us the engrafted¹³⁰ gift of His doctrine. No one has been admitted by me to a more excellent piece of knowledge¹³¹ than this, but I know that ye are worthy.