their Labours that they should no more give the people Straw to make Brick withall as heretofore they had done but they should gather and provide Straw for themselves and yet notwithstanding they should exact the same tale and number of Bricks of them which they made before and not abate them any thing of it For says he They are idle and therefore they Cry Let us go Sacrifice to the Lord our God I Command you therefore to impose more work upon them that they may have enough to do and may not be at leisure to regard lying words such as this Moses and Aaron tell them who flamm them with stories of their being sent from God The Task-Masters and Officers acquaint the people with this strict and severe Injunction of the King Whereupon a considerable part of them were forced to scatter themselves through all the Land of Egypt to provide Straw and Straw failing they were fain to gather Stubble instead of it And the Task-Masters pressed them on notwithstanding to finish every day as much work as when they had Straw allowed them And when there happened any failure in the Work the Israelitish Officers or Overseers that were set over their Brethren were beaten for it Whereupon these Officers addressed themselves to Pharaoh and humbly Remonstrated That the Egyptian Task-Masters that used to furnish the Israelites with Straw now did not do it and yet they required of them to make the same number of Bricks daily as before which was in a manner impossible for them to do And when they did it not they their Overseers were beaten for it though the fault was not in them but in the Egyptian Task-Masters Pharaoh answered them roughly and tyrannically You are idle You are idle therefore you say Let us go and do Sacrifice to the Lord. Get you gone and see that you finish the Task that is every day required of you and yet you shall have no Straw furnished to you The Officers of the Children of Israel seeing themselves in this very ill condition and having no hope of remedy they go to Moses and Aaron who possibly came out to meet them to see what answer they had from the King and like ignorant passionate men who mistake Occasions for Causes they charge the Injuries of their Enemies upon their best Friends and in an angry and discontented Mood say to Moses and Aaron The Lord look upon you that is the Lord take notice and consider what you have brought upon us and judge you for it You have made us to stink and to be abhorred of Pharaoh and his Servants and have put a Sword into their hands to slay us You have by this your Address to Pharaoh stirred up Him and His Courtiers to tyrannize more over us than they did before Moses being greatly grieved at this their Complaint betook himself to some retired place where by prayer and deep sighs he might present his own and the peoples distress unto the Lord and he said Ah Lord why hast thou thus dealt with thy people against whom Pharaoh's Rage is not at all mitigated but much increased since I mediated for them Why hast thou sent me on such a Message as this which hath not been a means to deliver thy people but much more to afflict them The Lord answered Thou shalt quickly see what I will do unto Pharaoh My Hand shall be so strong and heavy upon him that he shall not only be content to dismiss you as Exod. 3.20 but shall be ready with all his Power to drive you out rather than hold you any longer See Exod. 12.31.33 And the Lord to encourage Moses the more in his Work repeateth his Name to him and the Covenant which he had made with the Fathers He says to him I am theLord I appeared unto Abraham Isaac and Jacob by the Name of Elshaddai God Almighty that is such a God as is All-sufficient and able to perform all my Promises Gen. 17.1 but by my Name Jehovah (q) This cannot be meant of the letters and syllables of that name as if the Patriarchs had never heard of that Name For God called himself Jehovah long before and by that Name confirmed his Promises as appears Gen. 2.4 7 8 9. 15.7 28.12 Gen. 22.14 Ch. 26.24 Ch. 27.20 and that which it importeth (r) Jehovah signifies God's eternal Being in himself his giving being to other things and the performance of his Promises and in regard of this he says He was not known to their Fathers by this Name They being sustain'd by Faith in God's Almighty Power rested upon the Promise not enjoying the thing promised But now to their Children the Promise should be performed and so they should have full knowledge and experience of the efficacy of that Name Jehovah But withall we must know that this is only spoken comparatively as the glorious ministration of the Law is said to have had no glory in respect of the excellent glory of the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.10 So the Fathers are said not to have known God by his Name Jehovah in comparison of what their Posterity knew have not I been made know to them that is so fully as I intend now to be made known to their Posterity to whom I shall really fulfil and give a Being to my Promises by my wonderful Deliverance of them out of Egypt and bringing them at length into the Land of Promise For I made a firm Covenant with those my Servants Abraham Isaac and Jacob and confirmed it by an Oath to give that Land of Canaan wherein they were but Strangers and Sojourners to them and their Posterity for an Inheritance And I have heard the groaning of the Children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage and I have remembered my Covenant Therefore go to them and tell them I am the Lord and I will deliver them from that cruel Servitude under which they groan and will with an out-stretched arm and inflicting terrible Judgments on the Egyptians bring them forth And I will take them to my self for my peculiar people and will be to them a God and they shall assuredly know that 't is I the Lord and none else who did all these great things for them Moses as God had commanded him went to the Children of Israel with this Message but thorow the anguish of their Spirits and the extremity of their Sufferings they regarded not what he said nor were disposed to believe any thing that he spake concerning their Deliverance So greatly prejudicial are the immoderate passions of men not only to God's truth but to their own welfare Then God commands Moses to go and speak to Pharaoh again and to require him to let the people go out of his Land Moses answered That the Children of Israel would not hearken to him how then should he think that Pharaoh would hear him or mind or regard his words and especially seeing he was a man of uncircumcised lips (s) Because
people that were therein and killed them and Samson himself with them So the dead which he slew at his death were more than those he slew in his life His Bretheren and all the house of his Father hearing of his death came down and took his dead body and brought it up and buried it in his Fathers burying place between Zorak and Eshtaol the Philistines by the over-ruling Providence of God not opposing it whose pride and power by this fatal blow given to their Princes and so many of their people was much abated and pulled down so that they thought this was no fit time to provoke the Israelites by denying them such a thing Judg. Ch. 16. whole Chapter SECT CLI First Book of Samuel WE are now come to the first Book of Samuel which contains an History of eighty years forty in the time of Eli in the four first Chapters and forty in the times of Samuel and Saul in the rest of the Book so that the History of these three persons together with some part of the History of David is the chief matter of this Book The two Books of Samuel are thought to be written by Samuel Nathan and Gad one after another 1 Chron. 29.29 yet some passages in these Books may seem to intimate that they were written in latter times as 1 Sam. 5.5 and Ch. 30.25 2 Sam. 6.8 These two Books of Samuel are stiled by the Septuagint and several others the first and second Book of the Kings the first containing all the History of King Saul and part of the History of King David both whom Samuel anointed by Gods appointment and the second the History of King Ishbosheth shortly and of King David at large After Samsons death Eli the High-Priest in whom the High-Priesthood was translated from the stock of Eleazar the Eldest Eli 13 Judg. to the posterity of Ithamar the younger Son of Aaron executed the Office of a Judg in Civil causes and judged Israel forty years He was extraordinarily both High-Priest (a) How he came to be High-Priest we cannot say that Eli was of the posterity of Ithamar Aaron's second Son appears from hence Abiathar who was deposed from being High-Priest by Solomon was of the posterity of Eli 1 King 2.27 and of Abimelech who was the Son of Abiathar it is expresly said 1 Chron. 24.3 that he was of the Sons of Ithamar How the High-Priesthood came to be transferred from the posterity of Eleazar to Eli who was of the house of Ithamar cannot be cleared by any place of Scripture we may conjecture that it so fell out because the High-Priests of Eleazars family had some way or other highly provoked God by their evil courses in the days of the former Judges This was the Series of the High-Priests as appears 1 Chron. 6.4 Aaron Eleazar Phineas Abishua Bukki Uzzi from Uzzi the High-Priesthood was translated to Eli to whom succeeded Achitob to him Achias to him Ahimelech to him Abiathar who was deposed from the Priesthood by Solomon 1 King 2.27 that he might perform the word of the Lord that he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh 1 Sam. 2.31.35 and Judg a good and famous man though faulty in being too indulgent to his Children as we shall see afterwards In his time and under his Government Samuel was born whose History we come now to describe His Father was Elkanah a Levite of the family of the Kohathites of the posterity of of Korah 1 Chron. 6.22 23. who dwelt in Ramathaim-Zophim in Mount Ephraim He had two wives probably Hannah was his first wife and she being barren he afterwards took Peninnah who was fruitful Though the Lord allowed not Polygamy yet he was pleased to tolerate it for a time and possibly the Jews did conceive that Gods promise to Abraham of multiplying his seed as the stars of the heaven did imply a dispensation for them to have more wives than one The Tabernacle was now at Shiloh and there had continued since the seventh year of Joshua Ch. 18.1 thither went Elkanah yearly that is at those three solemn Feasts wherein all the males were bound to appear before the Lord Deut. 16.16 He might possibly go at other times as a Levite to do service in his course but he failed not to go up at those great Solemnities and it seems several of his family used to go up with him yea the women also such was their devotion though not bound thereunto by the Law At those great Feasts he gave to Peninnah and all her Sons and Daughters portions of the Peace-offerings which he offered to the Lord according to the ancient manner of Feasts of which see Gen. 43.34 but unto Hannah who was his best beloved he gave a larger and better portion and possibly of the choicest and best of the Sacrifices Peninnah was angry at this and thereupon quarrelled with and provoked Hannah and upbraided her for her barrenness as an effect of the Lords displeasure against her and as Elkanah did thus continually express his great love to Hannah when he went yearly with his family to the House of God so Peninnah persisted from time to time to vex her with her provocations and possibly upbraided her with her fruitless seeking to God so earnestly at those times for a child this greatly troubled Hannah in so much that she mourned and wept and did not care to eat as others did especially not with any joy and chearfulness as they were bound to do at those solemn Feasts Elkanah perceiving it asked her why she so grieved and wept and so mourned in a time when she ought to have rejoiced 'T is true says he the Lord hath not afforded thee Children but am not I who love thee so dearly better to thee than ten Sons (b) In concorde matrimonio plus boni est quam in ipsa faecunditate Gr. But when Elkanah and his family had eaten and drunk together with whom Hannah sate she being in bitterness of soul went out and prayed unto the Lord and wept sore and she said O Lord of Hosts if thou wilt please to look on the affliction of thy hand-maid and wilt give unto me a man-child I will give him unto thee all the days of his life (c) As to the power of her Vow we must understand that she only vowed to do what in her lay that it might be thus if the Child had no defect either in body or mind and was willing when he came to the years of discretion to take upon him the Vow and provided that her Husband consented thereunto without which the Womans Vow was of no force Numb 30.8 Indeed it is evident in the sequel of Samuels story that he did not always continue in the Tabernacle see Ch. 7.16 but went from year to year in Circuit and judged Israel And hence it seems probable that after he became Judg in Israel he was by special dispensation from God freed from this Vow of
Faith He might assure himself they should be innumerable as the dust of the Earth Ch. 13.16 and as the Sand on the Sea-shore Ch. 22.17 See 1 Kings 4.20 Then Abram believed (b) Here is belief or faith first mentioned in the Old Testament whence Abram is called the Father of all Bâ—lievers Rom. 4.11 12 13. and firmly rested on this great Promise of God and it was imputed to him for Righteousness that is God of his free Grace accepted him as Righteous and justified who had no Righteousness of his own whereby he could stand before Gods Judgment-Seat upon his Faith in Gods Promises and especially the promised Messias God also renewed to him the Promise of the Land of Canaan which his Posterity after 400 (c) See Apostolical History pag. 38. years sojourning and affliction in Lands that were not theirs viz. in Canaan and Egypt should possess namely in the 4th Generation when the Sins of the Amorites and other Inhabitants of Canaan this only by a figurative Speech being put for all should be full then the Lord would judge that Nation that afflicted them and bring them out with great substance Abram desiring and possibly by some special motion of Gods Spirit to be further assured hereof God was pleased hereupon to make a solemn Covenant with him for the performance of it and to confirm it with a sign and a Vision And seeing it was the manner of men when they made a solemn Covenant to cut Beasts in twain and to pass between the parts of them wishing as it were that they might be cut in pieces if they broke the Covenant (d) See Jer. 34.18 so God here was pleased to appoint Abram to take Beasts and divide them laying each piece one against another with a Turtle Dove on one side and a young Pigeon on the other which accordingly he did and when the Birds (e) Aegyptiorum symbola qui erant Hebraeos oppressuri non secus atque aves carnivorae in humanis corporibus insidentes came down upon the Karkasses Abram drove them away and when the Sun went down Abram fell into a deep sleep or Trance and a great horrour seized him shadowing out possibly the great distresses his Posterity should be in through the vexations of their Enemies And then a smoking Furnace and a burning Lamp passed between the pieces of the Beasts intimating the Majesty of God passing between them Then did God make a Covenant with Abram to give to his Seed the Land of Canaan now possessed by the Kenites Kenissites and other Nations (f) Here are reckoned ten sorts of people in Canaan whose Land was promised to Abrams Posterity which by mixture or diminution of some of them were afterwards reduced to seven as they are distinctly named Deut. 7.1 Canaanites are here taken for a particular sort of them who for something notable above the rest retain'd the Name of the whole Nation from the River of Egypt viz. Sichor * Qui dividit Aegyptum a Cananaea Arabia in Sirbonidem paludem refluit Bochart Numb 34.5 Joshua 13.3 unto Euphrates (e) If they possessed not all that was promised the cause was in their breach of Covenant with God not Gods with them And accordingly those Lands so far off became Tributary in Davids and Solomons days 2 Sam. 8.3 1 Kings 4.21 2 Chron. 9.26 Gen. 15. whole Chapter SECT VI. SArai who had a great while earnestly desired and longed for that blessed promised Seed and seeing now ten years gone since their coming into the Land of Canaan and her self still barren and despairing almost as it seems of any from her own Body she without advice from God of her own head counsels her Husband to endeavour the fulfilling of the Promise by such a means which though by many then practised yet was contrary to the first Institution of Marriage namely to take Hagar her Servant an Egyptian born to be a kind of Secondary wife or Concubine to him which he accordingly did But Hagar being with Child by him began to be proud thereof and to despise her Mistress who was barren Sarai though otherwise of a sweet and meek spirit and for her obedience to her Husband propounded as a pattern to other Wives 1 Pet. 3.6 was so transported at this insolent carriage of her Servant that she flies out upon Abram himself who possibly might be a little too indulgent to Hagar being now with child by him and challenges him as if He were the Cause (g) V. 5. Injuria mea super te est h. e. injuriae quam patior tu Causa es quod insolentiam ancillae non Corrigis LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this wrong and injury she sustained and desires the Lord to judge between him and her and to do Her right Abram patiently tells her He left Hagar to her to take what course she pleas'd with her to humble her and make her submit Hereupon Sarai used her with much severity and hardship which she not willing to indure ran away and thought as it seems to go down into Egypt her own Country And accordingly travelling through the Wilderness which was the rode thither and sitting down wearied and full of greif and sorrow by a Fountain of Water the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 the Lord Christ the Son of God called Jehovah vers 10. appears to her and advises her to return and to submit her self to her Mistress telling her that she should bear a Son and call his Name Ishmael signifying God will hear For God had taken notice of her affliction and heard her Cry He further tells her That her Son would be a fierce and wild man and a great Warrior and his hand would be against every man and every mans hand against him * De Ishmaele haec vera sunt de ejus posteris Saracenis Arabibusque but yet he should have a numberless Off-spring and he and his Posterity should exceedingly inlarge the bounds of their Habitation even unto and among their Kindred (h) See Gen. 25.18 of whom they shall not be afraid but shall stoutly face them every where Hagar thereupon called the Name of the Lord that spake with her Thou God seeing me magnifying his Mercy for having so favourable a regard to her in her great affliction and giving her a clear sight of Himself in that place and directing her what to do And she then falls into an admiration that she should live and see the light after she had seen the Lord. (i) V. 13. Nonne etiam video post videntem me i. e. lucem hanc aspicio vivo Miratur Hagar se post Dei visionem vivere quia a conspectu Dei aut Angeli mortem sequi putabant ut ex cap. 32.30 Jud. 13.22 patet So that hereupon she called the Name of the Well Beer-lahai-roi that is the Well of one that liveth after she hath seen (k) Puteus videntis Dei
for seven days together who would then come to walk by the side of the River Nilus and to tell him That seeing he had refused to obey the Voice of the Lord he would bring a grievous Plague upon Him and his People They had shed the bloud of the Israelites Children and drowned them in that River Therefore God had commanded him to give order to Aaron with his Rod to smite the waters of the River and he accordingly stretched forth his Hand over the Rivers Streams and Ponds probably over some of them in the Name of the rest and striking those Waters they were immediately turned into bloud Yea by the influence of God's Almighty Power upon that percussion all their other Streams and Rivers Ponds and Pools yea Cisterns of water whether of Wood or Stone were turned into bloud for seven days together By which Plague the Fish that were in the River died whereby the Egyptians were deprived of that which was their chief Food (a) The Egyptians abstained from the flesh of many Beasts of Superstition especially such as the Hebrews used in Sacrifice as may be gathered from Numb 11.5 We remember the Fish that we did eat in Egypt freely and Isa 19.8 God threatens this as a great Judgment to Egypt The Fishers shall mourn and all that cast Angles into the Brooks shall lament and they that spread Nets upon the Waters shall languish So that this was a sore Plague on the Egyptians who fed much on Fish and traded much with them and maintained themselves by them And one great evil followed this also for hereupon the River stank so horribly that they could not drink of the waters of it which used to be their ordinary Beverage see Jer. 2.18 but were fain to dig Pits near the River that they might have some water to drink But all this did not work upon Pharaoh's obdurate heart For his Magicians and Sorcerers getting some water either from the Sea or out of the new-digged-Wells or from the houses of the Israelites dwelling here and there intermixed with them did by their Enchantments and the Devil's help get some blood whereby they tinctured the waters or else unperceiveably removed the water and substituted bloud in the place thereof Which when Pharaoh saw done by them he went away to his own house and heeded not nor laid to heart the foregoing Plague inflicted on him by Moses Exod. Ch. 7. from 14. to the end 2. God Commands Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh again Second Plague Frogs and to require him to let his People go and to tell Him That if he refused to do it He would smite all his Borders with Frogs They accordingly resolutely pursue their Commission and evidence their Courage and Fidelity in God's Cause notwithstanding the ill success they had had before But Pharaoh would not give ear to them Hereupon Aaron stretched forth his Rod (b) The Rod is called sometimes the Rod of Moses sometimes of Aaron sometimes of God to shew that it was the Instrument they all used in working these prodigious things over the Rivers (c) Non singulos adiit fluvios sed virga eminus eos intenta designavit extendit eam versus Nilum intentione versus omnes aqas Aegypti over the Streams and over the Ponds and the Frogs came up in great abundance upon the Land namely not only those that were in the Rivers before but an innumerable number of new ones were produced and they crawled into Pharaoh's house and into his Bed-Chamber (d) How easily can God cast contempt upon Princes and how favourable is he to men who by his ordinary Providence makes such Creatures loth to come where man hath to do which are so lothsome to him yea upon his Bed and into the Houses of his Courtiers and the rest of his people yea into their Ovens and Kneading-Troughs so that they were grievously annoyed with them Pharaoh calls for his Magicians to see if they could imitate this Miracle and they by stretching forth their Rods over the River did by the Power of the Devil (e) The Devil it seems much delights in their monstrous shape For we find in the Scripture three unclean Spirits like Frogs coming out of the mouth of the Dragon bring forth some true Frogs by unperceptible Conveyance to the place where the Contest was which possibly at this present was not covered with Frogs by Moses's Working though it is like they were but very few in comparison of those Moses and Aaron had produced And when they had brought them they could not remove them again Pharaoh and his people being thus grievously distressed with this Plague he began to stoop a little and to acknowledge God whom before he would not know and therefore desires Moses and Aaron to intreat the Lord to remove these Frogs and he would let the people go that they may Sacrifice unto the Lord their God Moses knowing that he was constituted as a God to Pharaoh Ch. 7. vers 1. to bring Judgments upon him and romove them at God's appointment and having in him the Faith of Miracles and being directed by the Spirit of God He told Pharaoh He would do him the honour (f) Honorem tibi sume ut des mihi tempus in quo orem pro te to let him appoint the time when he should pray to the Lord for him and by his power deliver him from this Plague And says he if my prayer take no effect then do thou glory over me and say I am no better than one of thy Magicians but if I do deliver thee then own and obey the great God of Heaven whose Servant I am Pharaoh desires the Frogs may be removed by the next Morning Moses Replies Be it according to thy word that thou mayst know that there is none like unto the Lord our God Moses then cried unto the Lord to remove this Plague from Pharaoh and the Lord heard him and immediately the Frogs died that were in the Houses Villages and Fields only some remained in the River and they gathered the dead Frogs together and cast them upon heaps so that the Land stank by reason of them But when this Plague was removed and Pharaoh saw there was some respite he hardened his heart and hearkened not to Moses and Aaron as the Lord had foretold Exod. Ch. 8. from vers 1. to 16. Third Plague Lice 3. Pharaoh having thus mocked God promising and not performing the Lord to manifest his Indignation against him Commands Moses now to strike him with a new Judgment without giving him any warning as at other times he had done Aaron therefore is commanded forthwith to stretch out his Rod and to strike the dust of the Land that it may become Lice through all the Land of Egypt Which Aaron accordingly doing abundance of Lice came on Men and Beasts the dust in very part of the Land that is a great deal of it turning into that
but you shall come to the place (z) Now these places were first Shilo Josh 18.8 where the Ark continued to the days of Samuel viz. 243 years Then Nob 1 Sam. 21.6 lastly Jerusalem which the Lord your God shall chuse out of all your Tribes namely the place where the Ark of the Covenant by his appointment shall rest where he will manifest the signs of his powerful Presence and will make known his Name that is his Glory to you which place shall be called by his Name viz. the House of God and shall be consecrated to his Worship and Service And ye shall come to this His Habitation or Dwelling-place (a) The reasons why the Lord appointed his people to offer Sacrifices in one place only were 1. Because he would teach them that there was but one only way to obtain pardon for their Sins and acceptance of any Service they performed unto God and that was by Christ their promised Messias of whom the Tabernacle and Temple was a Type 2. Because hereby they might be kept to an uniform way of Worshipping God that corruptions in his Worship might be prevented whereinto they might easily fall had they been allowed to offer their Sacrifices some in one place and some in another For this cause it was that the Kings of Judah were so often blamed because they did not remove the high-places but suffered the people to Sacrifice there to serve Him and ask Counsel of Him And hither ye shall bring your Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices as Sin-Offerings Trespass-Offerings c. and your Tythes viz. your second Tythes the Tythe (b) For â—hat or the money for which they sold it they were to carry up yearly to Jerusalem and therewith to keep a holy Feast before the Lord see Ch. 14. vers 22 27. of that which remained after the first Tythe was paid to the Levites see Deut. 14.23 see also vers 17. of this Chapter and the Heave-Offerings of your hands that is the several first-fruits which you are to bring in your hands and heave them before the Lord and then leave them to the Priests for their portion and your Vows or Free-will-Offerings that is all such Sacrifices and Offerings as you shall extraordinarily bring either upon some Vow you have made or freely and on your own accord and the firstlings of your Herds and Flocks see Numb 18.17 18. And when you have carried your Sacrifices and Offerings to the place the Lord shall chuse there shall you and your Housholds (c) Though the Males only were bound thrice a year to appear before the Lord Exod. 23.17 yet at these times the Masters of Families were wont of their own accord to carry their Wives Daughters and Maid-Servants with them as Elkanah did 1 Sam. 1.4 Feast with your holy things and rejoyce before the Lord praising of him and ye shall rejoyce in all the good things which you have gotten through the Lords blessing upon your labours Furthermore you must know That God will be served after a more exact manner when you come into Canaan than you serve him now For now many Sacrifices Rites and Feasts cannot be observed by reason of your unsetled state so that every man does in a manner what seems right in his own eyes but when you come to be setled in the Land of Canaan you must not think to do thus For ye are not yet come to the place of Rest and the Inheritance which the Lord your God intendeth to give you But when the Lord hath brought you thither and hath given you rest from all your Enemies round about then there shall be a Place which the Lord will chuse and shall be call'd his House or Dwelling-Place the place where he will manifest his Name * Nomen quod implorant illic orantes Tum si qui sint alibi praecati mentem tamen huc atque oculos oportebat inflectere 1 Reg. 8.29 44. and Glory and thither shall ye bring all your Sacrifices and Oblations and your choice things that you freely vowed to offer unto the Lord. And ye shall rejoyce before the Lord your God ye and your Sons and Daughters your Men-Servants and Maid-Servants and ye shall make the Levite that dwells within your Cities or Habitations to rejoyce also in the participation of the Offerings forasmuch as he hath no part nor Inheritance with you in the Land but must live upon what is offered to the Lord as he hath appointed see Ch. 10.9 Take heed therefore of offering your Burnt-Offerings Sacrifices and Oblations in any other place than that which God shall chuse But in your own private dwellings you may kill and eat of those kinds of Beasts which are appointed for Sacrifice as freely as of the Roe-buck and Hart which are not to be sacrificed yet allowed to your Table Neither shall there be any difference of persons observed in those private meals in respect of legal cleanness or pollution but all may partake of any of them according as through the Lords blessing they can provide for themselves Only ye shall not eat the blood †This restraint possibly was laid upon them to make them the more fearful of shedding mans blood ye shall pour it upon the Earth as water and cover it with dust Levit. 17.13 Further he shews them That they may not eat within their Gates the Tythe (d) Non sunt hic intelligendae decimae Levitis Sacerdotibus debitae sed aliae quas post solutas decimas ordinarias solvâ—bant Deut. 14.22 23. Ex illis instituebant â—pulas Fridlib of their Corn or Wine or Oil that is the second Tythe of those things the first being paid to the Levites nor the firstlings (e) Quae deo osterre debueris vel volueris ad locum constitutum deferas vel ea vel pecuniam qua ea commutaveris of their Herds and Flocks by which he means not those firstlings spoken of Numb 18.17 18. which as holy things consecrated to God were allotted for the Priests portion but either the Female firstlings the Male-firstlings being only challenged by the Lord as his own Exod. 13.12 or the First-born after those first which were given to the Lord which indeed were the first that were the owners own or the chief and best of their Lambs Kids and Calves call'd here the Firstlings by way of excellency Nor any of their vowed or free-will-Offerings or Heave-Offerings but must eat them before the Lord in the place which he shall chuse they and their Housholds and the Levite together and there they should rejoyce in all that the Lord allows them to put their hand to and to eat and partake of Further he cautions them to take heed of forsaking the Levite by withholding their Offerings and Oblations (f) Decimarum varia erant gen ra 1. Decima Levitica quae tota Levitis cedebat 2. Decima secundaria quae post primam separabatur absumenda in his
Misrephothmaim a place near Zidon and to the Valley of Mizpeh near Mount Hermon and they smote them till they left none of them remaining in the Field And Joshua did unto them as the Lord commanded him both as to houghing their Horses and burning their Chariots (n) In future times the Israelites made use of Horse and Chariots in War and that without sin but God would not allow it at this time that the less provided they were for the Conquest of these Nations the more his Power might appear in the subduing of them and the less cause would they have to glory in themselves Then Joshua turned back with his Army and took Hazor the Head of all those Kingdoms and slew the King thereof and the Inhabitants thereof and burned the City (o) Concerning the rebuilding of this City and another Jabins reigning in it and mightily oppressing Israel see Judg. 4.2 And the rest of the Cities of those Kings that combined against him Joshua took them and utterly destroyed them as Moses the Servant of the Lord had commanded Numb 33.52 53. Deut. 7.2 20.16 17. But as for those Cities that yielded themselves or were not beaten down and ruined by the violence of War in the taking of them the Israelites burned not but reserved for their own use So Joshua in the compass of about six years took all the places of Canaan before-mentioned and the Hills and all the South-Country and the Land of Goshen situate in the mountainous parts of Judah famous for the Land about it and the Valley and the Plain and the Mountain of Israel and the Valley of the same that is the Mountain where old Jacob once lived and so called from Him and the Valley thereunto belonging He took all the Land from the Mountain Halak that goeth up to Seir which is the Frontier of Edom unto Baal-Gad in the Valley of Lebanon which lieth under the Hill Hermon Joshua Ch. 11. from 1. to 21. SECT CVII JOshua having now so far subdued the Land that none of the Inhabitants durst any more take up Arms against them though there were some Places that the Canaanites had still in their possession as is shew'n Ch. 13. yet they durst not stir against the Israelites So that now the Land had rest from open Wars therefore in the Twelfth Chapter there is presented briefly as in a Table or Map the several Countries and Kings vanquished by Moses Joshua and the Israelites that so beholding them all together Gods goodness and faithfulness to his people might the more eminently appear In that Chapter 't is said That Moses took two Kings on the East-side of Jordan viz. Sihon and Og and disposed of their Countries to the Reubenites Gadites and half the Tribe of Manasseh and that Joshua took 31 Kings on the West-side Of these some were not mentioned in the Victories before related which sheweth that not every particular but only the general Heads of things were touched before Now whereas here are mentioned 31 Kings subdued by Joshua many of which reigned over divers Towns besides their chief Cities this may shew us the wonderful fertility and fruitfulness of this Soil that in so small a compass of Land which was but an 160 miles in length from Dan to Beersheba and only 60 in breadth from Joppa to Jordan there should such a vast multitude of people so plentifully be provided for Josh Ch. 12. whole Chapter SECT CVIII JOshua having so far conquered the Land as we have shewed and being now well in years God calls him to divide the Land by lot among the nine Tribes and an half for he had promised he should do it Ch. 1.6 And therefore he commands him to go about it now and not to defer it till they were possessed of all as possibly Joshua thought he must have done He commands him to divide those parts that were not subdued nor should be in his life time as if they were already conquered He tells him He had not promised him that he should Conquer the whole Land which he had given to his people but only that he should bring them into it Deut. 31.23 and divide it for an Inheritance among them He tells him how much of the Land remained yet unconquered which notwithstanding he intended should be divided among them and they should have it in their Charter and it should be given them in the division and this might be a spur to them to endeavour the gaining of it and to drive out the old Inhabitants Now the Land yet unconquered He tells him was this first the Land of the Philistins that lay a long the Coasts of the Midland-Sea from Sihor which divides Palestine from Egypt and the Land of Geshuri in Syria and bordering on the Northern part of Canaan This Land of the Philistines He shews him belongs to Canaan and consequently to the Israelites though as yet they have not taken it For the Philistines called Caphtorim because they came from Caphtor Amos 9.7 entred upon this part of Canaan drave out the old Inhabitants and dwelt in it themselves Deut. 2.23 and now this Land was under five Lords of the Philistins yet unsubdued There were also the Avites who being expelled out of their Land by the Philistins did yet it seems continue in some portion of their Land adjoyning to the Philistins All this Land lying along the Sea-Coasts from the South unto Mearah or the Cave which is by the Sidonians and Aphek a Town not far from Sidon and so to the Borders of the Amorites for there were Amorites on both sides of Jordan And the Land of the Giblites a people that inhabited Gebal Psal 83.7 a Promontory near Sidon and all Lebanon towards the East was not conquered and so easterly as far as Hamath where even in David's time there was a Canaanitish King 2 Sam. 8.9 All these God promises to drive out before the Children of Israel provided they continued faithful in keeping Covenant with Him But they failing herein never came to possess the Lands of all those Nations though in David's and Solomon's time they brought them to be Tributary to them However God injoyns Joshua to divide that Land before spoken of though not yet conquered among the nine Tribes and the half Tribe of Manasseh on the West-side of Jordan for the Reubenites and Gadites with the other half Tribe of Manasseh had already received their Inheritance on the other side which Moses had given them And having mentioned their Inheritance he first describes the whole Land without Jordan from Arnon to Lebanon and then shews what each of them severally had The border of the Geshurites and Maachathites are here mentioned as a part of the Land without Jordan belonging to the two Tribes and half planted there because given to them by Moses with the rest but they did not drive them out For these Geshurites and Maachathites dwelling in the out-skirts of their Country and they having Land enough
Magistracy among the Israelites unto the tenth Generation Deut. 23.32 yet their present necessity or possibly some warrant from God * Deus hominibus non sibi legem praescripsit Dispensavit de lege sua made them dispence with the severity and rigor of this Law the end and equity whereof was to shew how much God abhorred all Whoredom and Vncleanness to make the people more careful to avoid it and not to inflict a punishment on the person so begotten if he abhorred his Fathers sin and served God in holiness and righteousness Jephtah seems to wonder they should come to him upon such an account What says he did not you hate me and expel me out of my Fathers House and do you come to me now in your Distress The Elders of Israel replied They did acknowledge that what He had said was true and therefore to make amends for their former unkindness to Him they desired his aid now upon no other Condition but that he should be Head over all the Inhabitants of Gilead Jephtah asks them If they would be as good as their word to make him Governour of the Land of Gilead if the Lord inabled him to vanquish the Ammonites They replied They would and further said Let the Lord be Witness between us and let Him as a just Judge punish us if we do not keep Covenant with thee and make thee our Head Hereupon Jephtah went along with them to the Assembly of the Princes and people met at Mizpeh and there He repeated all that had passed between him and the Messengers that were sent unto him The Assembly of the Princes agreeing thereunto both he and they solemnly bound themselves to perform that which was agreed on and probably they confirmed it mutually by Oath as in the presence of God Jephtah the Eighth Judge And so he was made Head and Captain over them Jephtah being thus instated in the Government he resolved first to try fair ways with the Ammonites before he ingages in a War against them see Deut. 20.10 11. Accordingly he sends Messengers to the King of the Ammonites to know what just Cause he had or could pretend for invading their Country and making War upon them The King of the Ammonites returned this Answer That he did it because a great part of that Land which the Israelites took from Sihon King of the Ammonites and from Og King of Bashan had been before by those Kings taken from the Ammonites and especially from the Moabites Numb 21.26 Josh 13.25 all which the King of the Ammonites now Claims as belonging to Him being also at this time as it seems King of the Moabites * For Chemosh the Idol of the Moabites is called his god Now therefore says he I require that those Lands be forthwith restored to me if you will have Peace with me To this Jephtah made this Return That Israel took not away the Land of Moab or the Land of the Children of Ammon as might plainly appear to him if he would consider that when Israel came out of Egypt and travelled through the Wilderness unto the Red-Sea Numb 33.35 and came to Kadesh bordering upon the Land of Edom they sent Messengers to the King of Edom to desire leave of him to pass through his Land Numb 20.14 In like manner they sent to the King of Moab to desire the same favour of Him but they both denying them passage they put themselves to the trouble of fetching a great compass about the Land of Edom and Moab rather than they would be any way injurious to either of them so that the Israelites were far from offering Violence to any of the Nations that bordered upon Canaan and particularly they came not within the Borders of Moab They sent also to Sihon to desire of him that they might quietly pass through his Land but he gathered all his people together and came out and fought against them And having through the assistance of God conquered Him in a lawful War they by the Law of Arms justly possessed themselves of all those Lands which were His which lie within Arnon on the South Jabbock on the North the Wilderness of Arabia on the East and Jordan on the West And God having thus dispossessed the Amorites and given their Land to the Children of Israel why says he should the King of the Ammonites now Claim them Doth not the King of Ammon think that he may justly possess all that which his Idol Chemosh as He falsly conceives hath given him 'T is true the Lord gave to the Children of Moab the Emims Land for a Possession as He gave the Land of the Zamzumminis to the Children of Ammon see Deut. 2.9 10 19 20. but they ascribed their Victories to their Idols and possessed those Lands as their Gift How much more may we Israelites lawfully possess all that Jehovah the true God hath given unto us Further says he I demand whither the King of Ammon hath more right to this Land than Balak had that was King of Moab yet he would never fight against Israel to recover this Land out of their hands which they had taken from the Amorites Indeed he opposed the Israelites for fear they would have entred his Land but neither He nor any of his Posterity did ever make War with them after they were setled in the Land of the Amorites under pretence that that Land was theirs Lastly Jephtah pleads Prescription He tells him The Israelites had peaceably injoyed these Lands three hundred †Non loquitur praecise sed numero rotundo per annos trecentos i. e. circiter Nam ut doctissimi sentiunt deficiunt aliquot anni magis tamen ad trecentos quam ducentos accedebant years and if they viz. the Ammonites had any Title to them why did they not seek to recover them all this while Therefore says he we have not done thee any wrong but thou dost us great wrong in making War now upon us The great God the Judge of all the World be Judge between you and us in this matter But notwithstanding this rational Plea of Jephtah the King of the Ammonites would not regard any thing he said Jephtah having tried fair means and they not succeeding a mighty Spirit of Wisdom and Fortitude from the Lord came upon him so that gathering his Army together He marched with them through Gilead and Mansseh to fight the Ammonites And before the battel he made a Vow that if the Lord would please to deliver the Ammonites into his hands when he returned from the Victory whatsoever came first out of his doors to meet him should surely be consecrated to the Lord and if it were a thing which was capable (d) The Law forbad that men or any of mankind or any unclean beasts should be sacrificed to God see Levit. 27.11 12 13. v. 31. Summa loci est aut Deo quovis modo sacrabitur aut idoneum si fuerit erit in holocaustum
thousand and the men of Judah (a) Where by the way we may observe the humble submission of the Tribe of Judah to the Government of Saul notwithstanding they had the promise of the Kingly Scepter because they saw it thus determined by the pleasure of God thirty thousand having got this great Army together Saul and Samuel sent away the messengers that came from Jabesh-Gilead to inform the Inhabitants thereof that on the morrow by that time the Sun was well up they might expect them to come for their help The messengers returning to the City with this news the Inhabitants thereof were wonderfully revived at it and sent to Nahash who besieged them that on the morrow they would come out to him meaning and understanding thereby if no help came for them in the mean time But this they concealed (b) Sic non tam ipsi decipiebant suos hostâ—s quam permittebant ut ipsi deciperentur that nothing might be presently attempted against them and to make their enemies the more secure that Saul might have the greater advantage against them Saul dividing his Army into three parts and marching as it seems all night by the morning-watch he came upon the enemy and surprized them unawares and slew a vast number of them and so scattered the rest that there were very few of them left together And thus he raised the siege of Jabesh and freed the Inhabitants thereof from that horrid cruelty intended against them (a) How thankful the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead were afterwards to Saul for this great benefit we may see Ch. 31.11 12 13. The Israelites were so transported with joy for this victory and so taken with the prudence and brave conduct of Saul in the obtaining of it that some of them came to Samuel and said Where are the men that said Saul shall not reign over us bring them forth that we may put them to death But Saul said There shall not a man be put to death this day on my account I shall never consent that a day of so much joy and triumph and wherein God has so eminently shewed himself gracious unto us shall be stained with severity against those that slighted me or with the least sorrow or mourning among the people And here we see again what a difference there was betwixt Saul in his first Government and what he was afterwards when the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him Now none more humble and gentle than he not a man shall be put to death for him but afterwards in his dealing with David and the Priests of the Lord he was another man even blood-thirsty cruel and implacable beyond measure But to go on Samuel upon this victory spake to the people after this manner Come says he let us go to Gilgal and renew the Kingdom there that is let us by a general consent confirm Saul's Election and settle and invest him in the Kingdom Accordingly the people went to Gilgal and there they made Saul King before the Lord * V. 15. that is in a solemn manner as in Gods presence and possibly before the Ark the sign of his presence which by Samuel's appointment might be brought hither at this time that they might consult with God as occasion served in this weighty business and also it may be that it might grace the action that is they anointed him publickly as before Samuel had done privately and performed all other Solemnities requisite for his Inauguration sacrificing Sacrifices of Peace-offerings and Thanksgiving before the Lord and rejoicing and praising him for their late victory and for their new King by whose conduct under God they had obtained it and praying to the Lord for him and craving his blessing upon his Government 1 Sam. Ch. 11. whole Chapter SECT CLXIII THE Children of Israel being at this time wonderfully transported with joy for their new King and possibly flattering themselves that God was well pleased with them for asking a King seeing he had given them one by whom they had obtained so great a victory Samuel thought fit to take this occasion to make them sensible of their mistake and that they had grievously sinned in asking a King whereby they rejected God from reigning over them as their Soveraign and himself as his Deputy and Vicegerent Behold says he I have hearkened to your voice and have according to your desire the Lord also permitting it set a King over you And now you have a King setled among you to govern you and go before you as your General to war And as for my self I have very great cause to be well pleased being old and gray-headed that the burden of the Government is taken off from my shoulders And as for my Sons behold they are with you now not as rulers but as private men they are before you to give account to you and your King of their former behaviour and carriage and to make satisfaction (a) q. d. Filios meos habetis in potestate vestra Si quid dignum severo supplicio commiseâ—int non substraham eòs legitimae satisfactioni Si enim quid perperam in sua gubernatione commiserint id me praeceptore non didicerunt neque talia excusabo for any thing they have done amiss whilst they were in place of Government And as for my self I may truly say that I have endeavoured faithfully and in the uprightness of my heart to perform the duties of my place in the sight of you all both in the service of the Sanctuary in my younger days when I was a Levite and in my riper age by administring justice since I was called to be a Judg. And seeing the Government is transferred from me to another you need not now fear to speak your minds of me and therefore if you can justly accuse me of any evil speak it freely and witness it against me before the Lord and before his anointed whose Ox * A rare precedent for such to look upon as are in any publick place or office I pray you or whose Asse have I wrongfully taken away whom have I defrauded or whom have I oppressed of whom have I received bribes to blind mine eyes †See Deut. 16.19 and to cause me to wrest judgment If any such injurious dealing can be proved against me here I am ready to make restitution and to give satisfaction The people answered Thou hast not defrauded or oppressed us at all neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hand to pervert justice Well then says he let the Lord be witness and let his anointed here present be witness that you acknowledg and declare that you have not found any injustice or injurious dealing in me They answered let them be witnesses Possibly he desired thus to justifie and clear himself as to the whole course of his Government as Moses likewise had done Numb 16.15 both that he might be an example to their new King and make him the
Son David David answers It is my voice my Lord O King And I pray thee wherefore doth my Lord thus pursue after his servant What have I done or what evil is in my hand Now therefore let my Lord the King vouchsafe to hear the words of his servant If the Lord hath stirred thee up against me let him receive an offering * Placato iram ejus Sacrificio munere Chald. Paraph. suspiciat oblationem meam cum voluntate that is let him be appeased with a sacrifice and oblation which I will offer for the sin whereby I have provoked him But if they be Court-Sycophants and malicious persons that by their lyes and slanders have incensed thee against me I leave them as cursed creatures to Gods just vengeance who will plead my cause against them For they have endeavoured to drive me out from abiding in the Inheritance of the Lord and from enjoying his Ordinances and by forcing me as an exile to flee into Idolatrous Countries They have in effect said to me Go and serve other Gods And now seeing thou knowest my innocency let not my blood I pray thee be shed without cause for the Lord will see it and will not let it go unpunished Besides it is not honourable for the King of Israel to pursue me with so many men who have so little power to hurt him For I am but as a flea forced to skip hither and thither to save my self or a partridge on the mountains forced to flee from place to place to escape thy hands Then said Saul I have sinned Return my Son David to thy former condition for I will no more do thee harm seeing my life was precious in thine eyes this day and thou hast spared me when it was in thy power to kill me Behold I have played the fool and erred exceedingly I do acknowledg my fault and folly and openly take shame to my self for it in the hearing of all that are about me David desires him to send one of his young men to fetch his Spear having taken it from him only to evidence his innocence and that he had no evil intention in his heart against him And therefore says he let the Lord recompence every man according to his righteousness and faithfulness Thy life was indeed in my power this day but I would not stretch forth my hand against the Lords anointed And as thy life was precious in mine eyes so let my life be precious in the eyes of the Lord my God and let it please him to preserve it though thou shouldst fail of thy promises made to me and shouldst seek again to take it away Then Saul said unto David Blessed be thou my Son David thou shalt do great things and shalt at last prevail maugre all the malice of thine enemies Then David retired and betook himself to some place of safety not trusting Saul for all his goodly words and promises having formerly found him so false and malicious And Saul returned to Gibeah where he kept his Court. 1 Sam. Ch. 26. whole Chapter 12ly David now seriously considering the condition of his affairs began through the weakness of his faith to think that he should at one time or other notwithstanding all his former deliverances perish by the hand of Saul if he did not speedily get himself out of his reach therefore he thought there was nothing more adviseable in his present circumstances than that he should send to the King of the Philistines and try if he could be received with his forces into his protection This indeed was no warrantable course that he now pitched upon for his preservation For first God had once before commanded him by the Prophet Gad to abide in the land of Judah see Chap. 22.5 2ly He having before been such a formidable enemy to the Philistines and having so hardly escaped with his life once before when he sought privately to shelter himself among them there was no likelihood he should be entertained by them on any other terms than that he and his Souldiers should turn to the Philistines and declare themselves enemies to Saul and the people of Israel 3ly This must needs tend to the great grief of those that were righteous in the land and would give his enemies occasion exceedingly to triumph and to say that now he discovered what he was seeing he had deserted his own people and religion and had joined himself to their uncircumcised enemies But thus it is when mens hearts sink through distrust of God as it seems Davids now did they seek to help themselves by any means they can David therefore having as 't is probable sent his Agents before hand to the King of the Philistines and having obtained assurance from him under the publick faith that he and his Souldiers should live safely in his land which 't is like out of meer policy he consented unto knowing the hatred that Saul bear him and believing that David and his forces would be ready to join with him and his subjects against Saul he passed over with six hundred men that followed him to Achish King of Gath. He carried also his two wives along with him Ahinoam and Abigail and his followers likewise carried their wives and families not thinking it safe to leave them behind them in the land of Israel and for some time by Achish's permission they dwelt in Gath or about it When it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath he gave over any further thoughts of seeking after him he being in the land of his enemies and so out of his reach David being desirous to dwell apart by himself with those that followed him that he might have the more freedom for the exercise of his Religion and might keep his Souldiers from being corrupted with the Vices and Idolatries of the Philistines and that he might from thence go out and prey the more secretly upon the enemies of Gods people without having any notice taken of it he humbly desired Achish that his Officers might assign him and his followers some place in the Country to live in it not being fit for him a stranger to live with the King in the Royal City especially having so many people with him who must needs be burdensome and might sometimes prove offensive to him and the inhabitants of his City Achish consents thereunto and accordingly gave him Ziklag which being allotted to the Tribe of Judah Josh 15.31 was afterwards given to Simeon Josh 19.5 but the Philistines having gotten possession of it had kept it to this day and now Achish giveth it unto David and so it was not only joined to Judah's portion * Hac donatione justos ad Heredes rediit Achish dedit Davidi non solum ad inhabitandum sed ut in illius dominium cederet but was also upon this occasion designed to be ever after a part of the Crown-land of the Kings of Judah Here David dwelt a full year and four months
17. Faciet enim tibi dominus Strigelius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malui legere quod est in margine quomodo Hieron Septuaginta verterunt quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tertia persona sumitur pro secunda sic mos Hebraeis permutandi personas Saul then perceived him in that form though it were not the true Samuel but the Devil in his likeness and stooped with his face to the earth and bowed himself to him This counterfeit Samuel now asked him Why he had disquieted him to bring him up thither Saul answered I am sore distressed the Philistines make war upon me and God is departed from me and answereth me no more either by Prophets or Dreams therefore have I called for thee that thou maist make known to me what I should do The evil spirit now counterfeiting not only Samuel's person but his words and actions replied Why dost thou ask counsel of me seeing the Lord is departed from thee and become thine enemy Alas I cannot help thee for the Lord will do to thee as he hath spoken by me He will rend the Kingdom out of thine hand and give it to thy neighbour even to David because thou obeyest not his voice nor executest his fierce wrath upon Amalek and therefore it is that this judgment will fall upon thee And moreover the Lord will deliver Israel with thee into the hands of the Philistines and to morrow (h) To morrow is not to be understood precisely of the next day following but indefinitely of some time near approaching So to morrow is taken Exod. 13.14 Mat. 6.34 and so here to be understood For it was not the next day after that Saul and his Sons were slain in which the Philistines were but preparing for the battel and sent away David from among them see Ch. 29. but as it seemeth by the History some few days after thou and thy sons shall be with me (i) First God may reveal things future and contingent unto Satan who may reveal them to Witches and to Sorcerers before they came to pass to encourage and harden their hearts in their Diabolical practices and the hearts of others also that resort unto them 2ly God sometimes useth Satan as an instrument to execute his judgments as he did in the case of Job and the four hundred false Prophets that were deluded by him 1 King 22.22 and then 't is easie for him to reveal those things he hath in commission to execute Permittit Deus Daemones aliquando responsa dare Idololatris quia ex malitia sua demerentur ut sic in erroribus exerceantur ut Ancilla illa Act. 16. quae nisi vera prae dixisset magnum Dominis suis quaestum non prae buisset Multa de oraculo Delphico referant omnes Historiae Craeso sciscitanti num futurum esset ut filius mutus loqueretur respondit infausto die loquuturum esse quod accidit that is shall be dead as the true Samuel was who was personated by this evil spirit Saul hearing these dismal tidings and being very faint through fasting all the day before even to that time of the night he fell on the ground in a swoon and there was no strength in him The Witch hereupon came to him and told him that she had so far obeyed him as to put her life into his hands therefore she desired him so far to gratifie her as to receive a little refreshment from her that he might have strength to return to the army But he utterly refused it till his servants together with the woman by their earnest importunity prevailed with him so he arose from the earth and sat upon the bed and the woman having a fatted calf in the stall she caused it presently to be kill'd and drest and prepar'd some of it and took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened * Panes azymos quos statim curavit coquendos non enim expectavit donec farinae illa subacta fermentaretur bread thereof and so brought her provisions and set them before Saul and his servants and they did eat of them and then arose and went their way 1 Sam. Ch. 28. from v. 1 to the end 14. The Philistines now gathered all their forces together to Aphek a Town in the Tribe of Asher and the Israelites pitched by a fountain near Jezreel The Four Lords of the Philistines led up their forces and marched with their hundreds and thousands but David and his men marched in the rear with Achish who seems to be chief among them if not their General The Princes of the Philistines observing this askt in some passion what those Hebrews did among them Achish reply'd the chief commander of them was David a servant of Saul's a man of great wisdom and fortitude who had been with him some days or rather some years he having dwelt with him one full year and four months see Ch. 27.7 and in all that time since he fell to him he had found no fault in him But the Princes of the Philistines were not satisfied with that but imagined that Achish was meerly deluded by him and that he would endanger their Army therefore they urge Achish to send him back and to cause him to return to the place he had appointed for him viz. to Ziklag lest in the battel he should fall off from them and help their enemies For how can he better contrive say they to reconcile himself to his master than by betraying the lives of this whole Army into his hands They further add that he was a most dangerous person of whose abilities they ought to be very apprehensive being highly renown'd for his military prudence and valour among his own Nation insomuch that the women sang of him in their dances Saul hath slain his thousands but David his ten thousands See Ch. 18.7 21.11 Hereupon Achish called David and told him that as sure as the Lord lived he had found him faithful to him and he could not but highly approve all his carriage since he came into the Army nay he had found no evil in him since the first day he came up to him Nevertheless he must acquaint him that the Lords of the Philistines favoured him not therefore he advised him to return with his forces to Ziklag that he might not give them any further cause of jealousie David replies what evil hast thou found in thy servant since I have been with thee even unto this day that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my Lord the King (k) Necessaria querela ne si taceret suspitionibus Philistaeonum suffragari videretur Menoch Achish answers I protest thou seemest unto me to be a person of such excellencies of such probity and goodness as if thou wert an Angel (l) Hunc loquendi modum Philistaei a vicinis hauserunt Hebraeis Conterminae enim regiones ut experientia docet multas voces phrases communes habent sent from heaven unto me I
that rigor shall be us'd towards his own Son Absalom and will not fetch him home again from his banishment though it redound exceedingly to the detriment and grief of the whole Commonwealth Thou knowest O King that we must all die at one time or other and when we are dead there is no recalling us to life again no more than water that is spilt on the ground can be again gathered up And thou maist die as well as any of us and if thou shouldst die while we are in this unsetled state we shall be miserable And as for Absalom seeing God hath not taken away his life in all these three years of his banishment he seems by his Providence to have provided a way that he may be restored to thee again namely by my mediation for him at this time The King may something wonder that I presume to speak thus boldly to him but the truth is the people are so full of jealousies and discontent fearing lest Absalom living so long among Idolaters should be corrupted in his Religion and so may corrupt the people if he come to reign over them that I was really afraid and durst hold my tongue no longer and knowing the King to be so just that he will always hear the cause of the oppressed and right their wrongs I thought it best in a Parabolical way to propound this matter to thee that thou mightest the better judg of it And I doubted not but that I should receive a gracious answer from thee for I know that the King for wisdom to judg and discern between right and wrong is as an Angel †T was a Proverbial speech us'd to express a mans excellency in any thing see 1 Sam. 29.9 2 Sam. 19.27 of heaven and therefore I doubt not but the Lord thy God will bless and prosper thee in thy Government Then the King said to the woman tell me true Is not the hand of Joab in all this She answered as thy soul liveth O King none can evade what thou hast said by turning to the right hand or to the left for thou hast hit the very right and the truth for thy servant Joab set me on work and put words into my mouth to speak unto thee And however I have delivered my self I know my Lord the King is wise even as an Angel of God to know all things that are to be done by him upon the earth in the administration of his Government Then the King called for Joab and told him he had granted his request made to him by the woman for the return of Absalom Therefore go says he and fetch him home Joab fell to the ground on his face before the King and professed that he accepted it with much thankfulness and as a testimony of the Kings great favour to him that he was pleased to grant his request Then Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem When he was returned the King gave order he should go to his own house but said he should not see his face which David did as 't is probable to avoid the scandal of being too easily reconciled to him who had committed so foul a fault But in all Israel there was no man so eminent for beauty and comeliness of person as Absalom was for from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him this was one thing possibly that made him so proud and insolent and made him so popular and attracted the peoples affections so much to him He used to poll his head and cut off his hair it growing else too heavy for him once a year and when cut off it weighed two hundred shekels after the Kings weight viz. after the common shekel which weighed a quarter of an ounce and so weighed about four pound weight at sixteen ounces the pound And Absalom had three Sons * Ch. 18.18 'T is said he had no Son it seems by that time they were all dead and one fair Daughter named Tamar So Absalom dwelt two years after this in Jerusalem and was not all that time admitted into the Kings presence At last being impatient of this restraint and growing discontented and ill-affected towards his Father and entertaining thoughts of rebellion against him and not seeing any means of compassing his design whilst he was kept from the Court where he might make friends by his popular carriage he contrives how he might come thither and in order thereunto he sends to Joab to come to him that by his mediation he might be recovered into the Kings favour But Joab like an old Polititian fearing to displease the King would not come at him He sent to him a second time but he would not come He then bad his servants to go and set Joab's Barley field which was near to his on fire designing by that means to bring him to him as God brings people home to himself by afflictions Joab then comes and asks him why he had fired his Corn He tells him because he had sent for him once and again and he would not come at him he tells him he sent for him to represent his condition to the King and to know of him why he was pleased to send for him from Geshur and yet still all this while withdrew his face and favour from him He tells him it had been better for him to have stayed there still than to be thus used Help me says he to see the Kings face once again and if he think me not worthy to live let him put me upon a legal trial and take away my life I had rather die than live in this manner that I now do Joab hereupon comes to the King and tells him how heavily Absalom took it that he was debar'd from his presence David hearing this sent for him who coming bowed himself to the ground before the King and as 't is like humbly beg'd his pardon whereupon the King kissed him in token that he was fully reconciled to him 2 Sam. Ch. 14. whole Chapter SECT CXCVI. ABsalom being now admitted to come to Court contrives to get his Fathers Kingdom from him And thus God executes upon David the heavy doom which he had threatned viz. That he would raise up evil against him out of his own house Ch. 12.11 Absalom remembring the displeasure his Father had shewed against him for murthering his Brother Amnon and fearing lest for that he judged him unfit to succeed him in the Government and having possibly some intimation that Solomon was designed for the Crown being so much beloved of his Father he resolved if he could to get into present possession of the Throne during his Fathers life And to accomplish this ambitious design he puts divers policies in practice First he gets a Princely retinue and provides himself Chariots and Horses which yet the Law did not allow and a guard of fifty men to go before him that taking upon him
the port and state of a Prince the people might look upon him as next heir to the Crown and give him answerable respect For the people are very apt to be taken with outward pomp and bravery and to judge those that use it to be men of brave and noble spirits David being much blinded with affection towards him takes no notice of this his ambition and popularity 2ly He cunningly insinuates himself into the hearts of the people for rising early and standing at the Kings Gate when any Suitors came to the King for justice and to do them right he would in a friendly and obliging manner inquire of their matters and where they lived When he heard their cause he would tell them their cause was good and just but the misery of it was there was none deputed by the King to hear the causes of those that repaired thither for justice that would hear them impartially and do them right Which was a base slander of a graceless Son against his Father of whom it is said Ch. 8.15 That he executed judgment and justice to all the people Then he would say O that I were made judg in the land that every one that hath any cause or suit might come unto me I would be sure to do them right 3ly When any man came nigh him and did him obeisance and paid him respect he would lovingly take him by the hand and kiss him And thus continually courting the people he stole away their hearts and drew their affections from the King to himself David all this while through the just judgment of God was so blinded that he minded it not 4ly Having by these popular ways and arts brought his business as he thought to some ripeness and maturity he now tells the King that he had made a vow when he was in Geshur that if the Lord would please to bring him back again to Jerusalem he would offer to him certain Peace-offerings and Gratulatory Sacrifices and he desired leave of him that he might go to Hebron the place where he was born and which was one of the chief high places in the Tribe of Judah about sixteen miles from Jerusalem whither in those times they resorted to offer Sacrifice there to perform that vow This was forty years (a) Being then about 22 or 23 years of age and about 7 years before he began his reign in Hebron and so about the 33 of his reign and about 7 years before his death after David was first anointed by Samuel in Bethlem and about seven years before his death David bids him go in peace Absalom accordingly went thither and it being the custom when they offered these Peace-offerings to make great feasts therewith Absalom under that colour invited many of his friends and followers and many of the people whom he hoped to win to join with the rest in his intended Conspiracy and to perswade them to make him King Then he sent spies thorough all the Tribes of Israel who at the set time agreed on when the Trumpets should sound in every Tribe and the people wonder what the matter was these spies should inform them that Absalom was anointed King in Hebron with all Regal Ceremonies and Solemnities and was so accepted and proclaimed by the people There were two hundred that were invited by Absalom to his feast of Peace-offerings at Hebron that went in the simplicity of their hearts meerly as invited guests knowing nothing of his intended Conspiracy He hoped it seems that these when they came thither and saw what the rest did would join with them However by inviting such known faithful men he thought his intended Plot would be the better concealed He sent also for Achitophel who had been formerly one of his Fathers prime Counsellors and much esteemed by him for wisdom but for some reasons as it seems was now laid aside and dwelt privately at his own City Giloh in the Tribe of Judah And thus the Conspiracy grew strong for many daily flocked in to Absalom 2 Sam. Ch. 15. from 1 to 13. SECT CXCVII THese things thus going on there came a Messenger to David from Hebron to inform him what had passed there and to acquaint him that the hearts of the people were generally for Absalom David upon this surprizing news knew not well what to do but concluded that present flying * The third Psalm is said to be penned on this occasion wherein by faith he relyed on God as his shield was the safest and securest way both for his own preservation and the good of the City He knew not what party Absalom might have in the City he thought it not safe therefore to trust himself there at present but to go out and encamp abroad in the fields and deserts He desired also to preserve the City from being spoiled and plundred which they might be exposed unto if they stood on their own defence The King therefore departing with his servants and retinue he left ten of his Concubines in his Palace taking as 't is like his other wives along with him thinking that Absalom's party would not be so barbarous and inhumane as to offer any violence to them both because they were women and also stood in so near a relation to the King But there was an over-ruling Providence in this for the bringing about that which God had threatned against David Ch. 12.11 I will take thy wives and give them to thy neighbour and he shall lye with them From Davids departure from Jerusalem for fear of Absalom there happened many remarkable things which we shall here set down in order 1. The King with his servants and guards having marched some reasonable distance from the City there they made a stand and thither to him resorted most of the Citizens that were truly loyal to him and with them six hundred Gittites (a) Sic vocantur auxiliares illorum Philistinorum quos in nuperis bellis David subegerat regno suo adjecerat born possibly at Gath or the Territories of it and who were become proselytes with Ittai their Captain who is supposed to be the King of Gaths Son and a proselyte also he was a wise and valiant man and much in the Kings favour The King seeing him there told him that he had no reason to expose himself to so much danger as they were like to meet with in their flight he being a stranger and an exile and but newly come to him it were better for him to return to Jerusalem and seek to be advanced by the new King who undoubtedly would kindly receive him and his followers seeing they were strangers Take therefore says he thy Countrymen and Souldiers and go back to him and the God of mercy and truth preserve thee Ittai replied As the Lord liveth and as my Lord the King liveth nothing shall make me leave thee but I will stick to thee both in prosperity and adversity both in life and unto death David seeing him so
soever they be they are all thy servants and ready to be imploy'd at thy command and therefore if thou dost this thing I am afraid thou wilt be a cause of trespass (c) Sed quid in to commisit populus consensit assentatus est Regi Merc. unto Israel and wilt hereby occasion them to be too carnally confident and to relye too much on the arm of flesh But the King declar'd he would have it done though Joab and the Captains that were with him did what they could to disswade him from it Joab seeing the King so bent upon it like a servile Courtier though the Kings command was abominable to him 1 Chron. 21.6 and his judgment against it and his mind did presage that some judgment would come upon the Kingdom for it yet to please the King he and the Captains with him set upon it and so taking their journey towards the East they passed over Jordan and began the work at Aroer a City of the Gadites situate on the river Arnon thence marching to Gazer they passed Northward and entred into Gilead and so came to Dan in the North of Palestine and then turned towards the Mediterranean Sea and so came along the Northern Coasts by Zidon and Tyre and then came to the South of Judah even to Beersheba and so after nine months and twenty days Joab came to Jerusalem and gave in the sum of the number of the people unto the King The sum that he gave in as it is here set down 2 Sam. 24.9 was in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword and in Judah five hundred thousand But in 1 Chron. 21.5 't is said he gave in the number of Israel eleven hundred thousand and in Judah only four hundred threescore and ten thousand so that here is a double diversity three hundred thousand short in the one and thirty thousand over in the other For the reconciling of this some think that Joab when he gave in the account eight hundred thousand he left out the Trained bands which were before enrolled and did their service in Jerusalem every month of which there were twenty four thousand for every month which will make 288000 and left out also their Colonels Captains Commanders and Officers of all sorts which might amount to twelve thousand more and so make up three hundred thousand which being added to the eight hundred thousand make up altogether eleven hundred thousand As for the other diversity concerning Judah viz. that in the Chronicles he is said to have given in of them only four hundred threescore and ten thousand and in Samuel five hundred thousand for the reconciling of that possibly when he came first to Jerusalem he gave in but only four hundred threescore and ten thousand but then there was an addition of thirty thousand more out of Jerusalem which made it up five hundred thousand But yet he did not number Levi and Benjamin which still join'd themselves to Judah being weary of the work and the plague soon after breaking out he gave it quite over The total of all was sixteen hundred thousand scarce a Kingdom in the world of no larger extent was ever so prodigiously fruitful The next morning after the number of the people was given in to the King the Prophet Gad was sent unto him by the Lord to make known his sin and how God intended to punish him for it Hereupon David's heart smote him and he humbly confessed and acknowledged he had sinned greatly and done foolishly and earnestly begged pardon of the Lord. The Prophet Gad tells him that the Lord was resolved severely to chastise him but yet he would offer him his choice of three judgments viz. either * In 2 Sam. 24.13 't is seven years famine as if God should have said you have lately suffered three years famine for the sin of Saul against the Gibeonites and this fourth year being a Sabbatical year hath an harvest indeed but for want of seed sown a very poor one and no ways able to supply the necessities of the land Now to these four years of famine art thou willing the Lord should add three years of famine more which will make the famine continue in all upon the land seven years three years famine or to fly three months before the enemy who should overtake and slaughter his people in the flight or three days pestilence (b) Not an ordinary pestilence arising from the infection of the air but by the immediate stroke of an Angel See 1 Chron. 21.12 So that the Lord now dealt with David as a Father doth that bringeth forth three or four rods some greater than others though he means to use but one of them and possibly the least yet thereby he doth the more scare his child and humble him with the fear of his anger thus the Lord shewed three dreadful judgments to David but yet he manifested so much gentleness and kindness as to permit him to chuse which of them he had rather suffer David upon this message said I am in a great straight for these are all such sore judgments that I know not which to chuse He knew the Pestilence might destroy as many in three days as the sword in three months or the famine in three years but at last he chose the Pestilence and that because he judged it better to fall into the hands of God (c) Like a loving child David chuses to be chastised by his Father rather than by the hand of a servant or a slave whose mercies are great then into the hands of men 'T is true the sword and famine are sent by God yet in them he useth other instruments besides and when the Lord punisheth by men he usually suffers them to deal with great severity and cruelty even more than himself is wont to deal with when he takes them into his own hand and this was the main cause why David chose the Pestilence yet withal this is to be observ'd that he chose such a calamity as would not spare the Prince any more than the people For no antidotes or preservatives could secure him against the sword of the Angel whereas in war he might have got into some strong fort and in famine might have stored up provision for himself and so have escaped but what fence is there against the destroying Angel but only the protection of the Almighty David therefore having chosen that judgment the Lord sent a Pestilence from the morning of that day that Gad came first to him until the evening of the third day after and there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand And thus was David punished in the very way wherein he had sinned His heart was proud and lifted up because of the number of his people and now their number is sadly diminished by this sore judgment The Angel went still on destroying and at last stretched out his hand over Jerusalem and as he
the Kings Sons and Joab and Abiathar and many Captains of the host and behold they eat and drink before him and say God save King Adonijah Surely this is not done with thy allowance for matters of so great moment thou didst not use to transact without consulting me first about them Then the King called for Bathsheba and said to her As the Lord liveth who hath redeemed me out of all former distresses as I sware to thee that Solomon should sit on my Throne after me so it shall be Then Bathsheba bowed her face to the earth and said Let my Lord King David live for ever As if she should have said Long may the King live and I wish if it were the will of God we might never lose him Then the King call'd for Zadok Nathan and Benaiah and commanded them to take with them his Life-guard viz. the Cherethites and Pelethites and to set Solomon on his own Mule and to carry him to Gihon (a) A Mount with a rivulet close by it on the West-side of Jerusalem and that Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet should there anoint him King over all Israel and when that was done they should blow with the Trumpet and say God save King Solomon and then says he ye shall attend him back in state to Jerusalem that he may come and sit on my Throne and be thereby declared King in my stead For I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah * It seems there was emulation between Judah and the other Tribes before the division of the Kingdom See 2 Sam. 19.41 Benaiah the Son of Jehoiada hearing the King speak thus answered in his own and the name of the rest Amen The Lord God confirm what the King hath said As the Lord hath been with my Lord the King so may he be with Solomon also and make his Throne greater than the Throne of his Father Then Zadok Nathan Benaiah and the Kings Life-guard carried Solomon to Gihon and there Zadok the Priest anointed him with oyl taken out of the Tabernacle viz. the Tabernacle which David had set up for the Ark 2 Sam. 6.17 for oyl being kept there for several holy uses Zadok took an horn full of it and therewith anointed the King Which done they blew the Trumpet and all the people there present shouted God save King Solomon Then they carried him in state towards Jerusalem and the people followed after piping with Pipes and rejoicing with great joy and they shouted so loud that the earth even rent (a) An Hyperbolical expression setâ—ing forth the greatness of their acclamations with the sound of their acclamations Adonijah and the company that were with him just as they were concluding their great Feast heard this extraordinary noise and acclamation and Joab heard the sound of the Trumpet and wondred what the matter was and thought there might be some uproar in the City but immediately Jonathan the Son of Abiathar came to them Adonijah seeing him O come in says he for thou art a good (b) Hebr. a man of vertue man and bringest good tidings The tidings says Jonathan that I bring are that David hath made Solomon King and Zadok Nathan and Benaiah have anointed him in Gihon and they came up with him from thence rejoicing and shouting so loud that the City rang again and this is the noise ye heard and Solomon sits now on the Throne and is in actual possession of the Kingdom and the Kings servants came and blest our Lord King David and rendred him humble thanks for setting Solomon on the Throne and pray'd that the Lord would make the name of Solomon more famous than he had made Davids and his Kingdom greater and the King bowed himself upon his bed and worshipped and praised God saying Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath setled my Son Solomon this day on my Throne my own eyes seeing it The Guests that were with Adonijah hearing this had enough of their Feast and began to be sore afraid and got themselves away as fast as they could to their own houses leaving Adonijah to shift for himself Adonijah then not well knowing what to do and being sorely afraid that Solomon would take away his life he fled to Gibeon where the Tabernacle of Moses now was 1 Chron. 21.29 and there took hold on the horns of the Altar For though we read of no express Law that God ever gave to his people that those that fled to the Altar should be there secured yet that it was a custom for malefactors to fly to the Altar as to an Asylum or place of refuge may be gathered from Exod. 21.14 and the Altar being the place where God did shew forth the riches of his grace in accepting a sacrifice for sin this hanging upon the horns of it was a kind of pleading that mercy should be shewed them for Gods sake And accordingly Adonijah fled to the Altar and being there he desireth that King Solomon so he acknowledgeth him would swear to him that he would not put him to death Solomon sent him word that if he would shew himself a worthy man and a loyal subject for the future not an hair of his head should fall to the ground but if he appeared to be wicked and disloyal after this he should surely die Upon this promise they brought Adonijah from the Altar to Solomon to whom he bowed himself and Solomon bad him go to his own house and there live peaceably and quietly 1 King Ch. 1. from v. 5 to the end SECT CCX DAvid having now caused Solomon to be anointed King he giveth him in charge the building of the Temple speaking to him after this manner My Son it was in my heart to build an house for the Lord but the Lord would not permit me to do it because I had been engaged in many wars and had shed much blood (c) God does not upbraid David for shedding blood in his own cause Saul and Ahab for sparing blood lost their Kingdoms 1 Sam. 15.23 1 King 20.22 42. The Levites for their fact in shedding blood Exod. 32. and Phineas for his Numb 25. have the Priesthood setled on them and so was not so fit to build a Temple to him which was to be a figure of the Messias the Prince of Peace But he said to me a Son shall be born to thee who shall be a man of rest and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about his name shall be call'd Solomon that is peaceable for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days he shall build an house for my name he shall be my Son and I will be his Father and I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom over Israel for ever that is for a long time and as long as the Kingdom of Judah shall continue one of Solomon's posterity shall sit in the Throne of David (a) Possibly none of
the plea of an Elder Brother and has Abiathar and Joab on his side if he can strengthen himself by this marriage he will not then fear to shew himself and endeavour to get the Kingdom for himself and then Abiathar and Joab will King it under him Then falling into a passion he said God do so to me and more also and bring upon me greater misery than I dare now mention see Ruth 1.17 if I do not make it appear to all the world that Adonijah hath spoken this word against his own life For as the Lord liveth who hath set me on the Throne of my Father and made me a family and Court according to the dignity of a King as he promised 2 Sam. 7.12 13. Adonijah shall surely this day be put to death So he immediately gave order to Benaiah Captain of his Guard to fall upon him and kill him which accordingly he did * Thus what Nathan threatned against David 2 Sam. 12.10 viz. that the sword should not depart from his house was fully verified Then sending for Abiathar he told him He was worthy to be put to death also for thus joining with Adonijah in this conspiracy but says he I will not at this time put thee to death because thou didst bear the Ark of God before my Father David and hast been a great sharer with him in all his afflictions and sufferings therefore get thee to Anathoth a City in the Tribe of Benjamin which with the fields about it belongs to the Priests and there live a private life and meddle no more with the Priesthood or Civil affairs And thus Solomon by thrusting out Abiathar from his office and placing Zadok in his room fulfilled the word of the Lord which he spake concerning Eli 1 Sam. 2.31 when the Tabernacle was at Shiloh and concerning Phineas Numb 25.13 These things being thus transacted tidings came presently to Joab that Adonijah was slain and Abiathar confin'd to Anathoth whereupon being conscious of his own guilt in joining with Adonijah in his aspiring to the Crown though he would not join with Absalom in the like case he fled to the Tabernacle at Gibeon and there laid hold on the horns of the Altar thinking possibly by that means the rather to escape because Adonijah had there not long before found favour 1 King 1.52 Solomon hearing where he was presently sends Benaiah and commands him to kill him there Benaiah coming to the Tabernacle would have perswaded Joab to come forth thence but he utterly refused it saying if he must die he would die there which possibly he spake hoping that by hanging on the horns of the Altar he should save his life and not imagining that they would put him to death there And thus it seems he forgot what God himself had said Exod. 21.14 That he that hath slain a man wilfully shall be taken from the Altar Benaiah being loth of his own head to shed blood at the Altar went back to the King and told him what Joab said The King replied Do unto him as he hath said that is seeing he resolves to die there let him die there and there fall upon him and kill him and then bury him decently for the honour of his place and his former services and so thou wilt take away from me and my fathers house the guilt of that innocent blood which he so barbarously shed and so the Lord will return blood upon his head who fell upon two men more righteous and better than himself for in that cause for which he killed them they were innocent He slew Abner for fear lest David should prefer him above himself And he slew Amasa because my Father had preferred him to the place of General in his room So that they were both innocent and not worthy of death upon that account he shall die therefore that their innocent blood may return upon his head and that the blot and stain of it may remain upon his posterity and accordingly they shall feel the sad effects of it for many generations And I doubt not but that upon the house of David and upon his Throne and upon his family there will be peace and prosperity for a long time from the Lord. For by executing judgment on murderers guilt is taken away from the Magistrate and from the Land Numb 35.33 So Benaiah went up to the Altar at Gibeon and as 't is like dragging Joab from thence he slew him and buried him in his own house in the wilderness and the King made Benaiah General of the Army in his room Then the King called for Shimei and said to him Build thee an house in Jerusalem and dwell there and go not forth thence any whither for it shall be that the day thou goest out and passest over the Brook Kidron (a) Solomon would not permit him to go over Kidron which was the way to Bakurim his own city lest he should raise some sedition there where was his own inheritance 2 Sam. 16.5 Kidron was about a mile from Jerusalem so that Shimei had room enough thou shalt surely die and thy blood shall be upon thine own head thou thy self wilt be the only cause thereof Shimei said unto the King The saying is good thy command is just and equal As my Lord the King hath said so will I do and I do bind my self by a solemn Oath which I now make unto thee in the presence of the Lord That I will not go out of the limits thou hast set me v. 42. But how he performed his Oath and promise we shall see afterwards Sect. 221. 1 King Ch. 2. from v. 12 to 39. SECT CCXV HAdad the Edomite who in the days of David had fled into Egypt and had been there for a great while kindly entertained when he heard that both David and Joab were dead he returned into his own Country and proved afterwards a great enemy to Solomon as we shall see hereafter 1 King Ch. 11. v. 21 22. SECT CCXVI SOlomon now contracts affinity with Pharaoh King of Egypt by marrying his Daughter and he brought her into Sion into the Palace of David intending afterwards to build a stately house for her when he had finished the Temple the wall of Jerusalem and his own Palace And he preferred her before the rest of his wives they being of Nations that were his subjects but she the daughter of a potent King And by this match and affinity with such a great neighbour Prince he designed to secure himself the better against foreign enemies 'T is not said whether she had embraced the Religion of the Israelites when he took her to wife yet considering that he is no where blamed for this marriage 't is most like she forsook her Idolatry and that either before or after her marriage she became a Proselyte and worshipped the true God because Solomon in this marriage is made a type of Christ wooing the Gentiles to make them his Spouse and calling them
from their Idolatries to serve the true and living God And hereunto the Psalmist seems to allude Psal 45.10 Hearken O daughter and consider incline thine ear Forget thine own people and thy fathers-house 1 King Ch. 3. v. 1. SECT CCXVII SOlomon was now quietly setled and strengthened in his Kingdom and the Lord was with him and magnified him exceedingly and he loved the Lord and walked in the ways and statutes wherein David his Father walked It seems the people after the Ark and Tabernacle were separated did not think themselves bound to bring their Sacrifices to the Altar at the Tabernacle but did offer them in such places as they thought meetest for such services to wit upon high hills and mountains Indeed the high places of the heathen-Idolaters were always abominable to the Lord and those God commanded the Israelites to destroy and pull down Numb 33.52 But there other high places it seems were thought at this time lawful (a) See 1 Sam. 9.12 c. and Ch. 10.5 13. and accordingly resorted unto but when the Temple was built then all other high places for Gods solemn and prescribed worship and service were counted abominable (b) And in this sin the Ten Tribes lived they made Priests of high places in the mountains and in all the Cities of Samaria and their Altars were as heaps in the furrows of the fields 1 King 13.32 Hos 12.11 Yea Solomon himself in his latter days fearfully offended in permitting this kind of Idolatry 1 King 11.7 8. And Judah it self fell into this sin in Rehoboams reign 1 King 14.23 and in aftertimes they built high-places to Baal and to the Idols of the neighbouring Nations 2 Chron. 25.14 And especially in the reigns of Ahaz Joram and Manasseh It seems Solomon and the people did offer sacrifice and burn incense on such high places as these before mentioned that were devoted to the service of the true God and Gibeon it self where the Tabernacle and Altar now were was accounted the great high place the most famous and most resorted unto Solomon therefore now gathering together the Princes and Rulers and Judges of the land and the chief Captains and Commanders of the people with them he went up to Gibeon there in solemn manner to praise the Lord for his great mercy to him in thus peaceably setling him in the Throne And there on the Brasen Altar made by Moses which he and the great Congregation now with him chose to worship God at rather than any other Altar he offered a thousand burnt-offerings to the Lord in the time he stayed there And in that night after they had made an end of offering those burnt-offerings God appeared to him in a dream Among the manifold ways whereby God of old made known his mind to his people dreams was one And in dreams sometimes men heard a voice and apprehending the sense thereof returned an answer thereunto and the things God so made known unto them were true and certain and his servants to whom he made them known were assured thereof God therefore in such a dream appearing to Solomon and asking him what he should give him He answered O Lord thou hast shewed to David my Father great mercy according as he walked before thee in truth and righteousness (c) All these must be understood of Davids inward disposition outward conversation as to the general course of his life his frailties and failings still excepted and uprightness of heart and hast reserved for him this great kindness to set his Son upon his Throne after him as it is this day which is a favour thou didst not vouchsafe to Saul And now O Lord thou having graciously made me King instead of my Father I am sensible that I am as it were but a little child and unfit to sway so great a scepter as this is how shall I be able to go out or come in before this great people How shall I be able to lead them or govern them without thine especial direction and assistance I am indeed set up as supream Governour under thee of this vast multitude which thou hast chosen for thy peculiar people and hast so increased them that they are almost innumerable according to thy gracious promise Gen. 15.5 Give therefore thy servant I pray thee an understanding heart that I may rightly discern between good and evil for who is able rightly to judg and govern this great people without wisdom given him from thy self Solomon having thus prayed the Lord was well pleased with the request he had made and said to him Because thou hast not asked for thy self long life nor riches nor victory over thine enemies but hast asked an understanding heart that thou maist rightly govern this people and in hearing causes maist know what judgment to give behold thy request is granted I will give thee a wise and an understanding heart and such a measure of wisdom and knowledg as no King before thee ever attained unto neither shall any after thee be like (a) Some Heathen Monarchs that possibly exceeded Solomon in riches came far short of him in wisdom unto thee see Chap. 4.29 30 31. Moreover I will give thee that which thou didst not ask viz riches and honour so that there shall not be any of the Kings of Israel like unto thee either for riches or glory see 2 Chron. 1.12 And if thou wilt walk in my ways and keep my statutes as thy Father David did I will lengthen out thy days also Then Solomon awoke and perceived that God had indeed appeared to him in this wonderful dream and he returned to Jerusalem with his Nobles and there before the Ark of the Covenant offered up many Burnt-offerings Peace-offerings in way of thankfulness to the Lord for this great and extraordinary kindness manifested to him and he made a great Feast for his Nobles and Officers and the Rulers of the people that were there gathered together 1 King Ch. 3. from v. 2 to 16. 2 Chron. Ch. 1. from v. 1 to 13. SECT CCXVIII SOlomon being now come to Jerusalem a very difficult case was brought before him in the deciding of which he gave a great evidence of that extraordinary wisdom the Lord had furnisht him with There came to him two women that were as it seems Victuallers by profession but secretly Harlots and one of them said to him O my Lord the King this woman and I dwell together in the same house and I was delivered of a child she being present at my Labour and three days after she was delivered of a child also and both our children were boys and we were all alone in the house there was no stranger with us And thus O King it happened as I verily believe and am confident this woman over-laying her own child in the night and awaking and finding it dead by her and being afraid of the disgrace that was like to fall upon her for her carelesness about her child
of his reign and destroyed all the house of Jeroboam Ch. 15.27 over Israel that shall cut off the house of Jeroboam If thou askest when or at what time this shall come to pass I answer very quickly and sooner than you do expect And the Lord will smite Israel as a reed is shaken in the water He will afflict both Prince and people with uncessant wars and troubles both intestine and forreign so that they shall never abide long in any setled condition but as reeds that grow in the water are continually shaken so shall it be with this Kingdom partly by the frequent transferring the Crown from one family to another and partly by the frequent invasions of the men of Judah or some other neighbouring Nation And the Lord will root up (b) First by Tiglath-pilesar in the days of Pekak King of Israel 2 King 15.29 the greatest part after by Salmanassar in the days of Hoshea 2 K. 17.6 Israel out of this good land which he gave to their Fathers and will scatter them beyond the river to wit Euphrates into the land of Assyria Mesopotamia and Media whither they shall be carried captive because they have made Groves for Idols thereby provoking him to anger And he will give up Israel into the hands of their enemies because they consented to the Idolatry of Jeroboam who did sin highly against God and made Israel to sin by causing them to leave the Temple of the Lord and to worship the calves he hath set up Ahijah having thus spoken Jeroboam's wife departed and as she came to the door of her house her Son died And they buried him and all Israel lamented for him as God had foretold by the ministry of his Prophet There were many bickerings and continual hostility between Jeroboam and Rehoboam all their days and the borderers on both sides did continually invade one another but after Rehoboam's death Jeroboam in the eighteenth year of his reign gathered together a vast army of eight hundred thousand men to set upon Abijah Rehoboam's Son newly come to the Crown and Abijah met him with four hundred thousand and with them discomfited his mighty Army and slew five hundred thousand of them and pursuing his victory took from him Bethel and two other Cities as may be more fully seen in the life of Abijah Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again during Abijah's reign Jeroboam at last was stricken with some extraordinary sickness or disease from the Lord in the days of Abijah but he died not till the second year of Asa Son of Abijah and it seems he died not an ordinary death He reigned 22 years and Nadab his Son succeeded him 1 King 12. from 12 to the end 1 King 13. wh Ch. 1 King 14. from 1 to 21. 2 Chron. 13. wh Ch. NAdab began his reign in the second year of Asa Second King of Israel Nadab and reigned only two years namely in part of the second and third year of Asa He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his Father Gibbethon a City belonging to the Tribe of Dan Josh 19.44 was in the days of David and Solomon in the Israelites possession but now it seems the Philistines had gotten it Nadab therefore and all Israel with him went and laid siege to it to recover it and here during the Siege he was treacherously slain by Baasha of the Tribe of Issachar and so the siege as it seems was raised for twenty six years after or thereabouts the Son of Baasha did again lay siege to this City as we may see Chap. 16.15 Baasha now setting up himself in the Throne he smote all the house of Jeroboam according to the Prophesie of Ahijah 1 King 14.10 Behold I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall and him that is shut up and left in Israel and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam as a man taketh away dung till it be all gone So with Nadab the Regal power in Jeroboam's house ended And thus the Idolatry wherewith Jeroboam thought to have established the Kingdom to himself and his posterity was the very cause of the ruin of his family and the transferring the Kingdom to another 1 King 15. from 25 to 32. BAasha the Son of Ahijah of the Tribe of Issachar began his reign in the third year of Asa Third King of Israel Baasha and reigned twenty and four years He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of Jeroboam In the thirty sixth year of Asa's Kingdom as it stood divided from the Kingdom of Israel but in the sixteenth year of Asa's own reign and about the fourteenth of Baasha's he perceiving Asa to grow potent and that many of his subjects fell off to him he began to arm against him and never ceased from henceforward to make war upon him all his days and he went up to build Ramah which lay between Samaria and Jerusalem that he might suffer no man to come out from or go unto Asa King of Judah but he was fain to give it over being recalled by an invasion made into his Country by Benhadad King of Syria hired thereunto by Asa 2 Chron. 16. from 1 to 7. and 1 King 15.32 Jehu the Son of Hanani the Prophet delivers him a sad message from the Lord concerning the destruction of his house for his Idolatry and killing of Nadab (a) For though Baasha did herein what God had decreed yet he had no command from God to do it but did it only to serve his own ends and to get the Kingdom Saepe Deus decreta sua exequitur per malos homines qui longe aliud agentes sua quaerunt ideoque poena digni sunt Impii saepe imprudentes serviunt voluntati Dei quam in lege patefactam scientes oppugnant This Jehu was that Prophet that was sent afterwards to Jehoshaphat to reprove him for his league with Ahab 2 Chr. 19.2 and he that wrote the Chronicles of those times 2 Chron. 20.34 And his father Hanani was the Prophet that reproved Asa for seeking to Benhadad for aid against Baasha so that both Father and Son were eminent Prophets of the Lord at the same time and both sent to the Kings of Israel to whom the Lord was pleased to send many Prophets to reclaim them Jehu coming to Baasha tells him Thus saith the Lord forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust and from a mean condition made thee Prince (b) For it was the Providence of God that made Baasha's attempt against Nadab so successful Collatio regni Deo doll vero parricidium Baasae attribuuntur over my (c) They were Gods people by Covenant and outward profession and they retained still Circumcision and the Laws of Moses and there were many pious Prophets and some good people among them people Israel and thou hast walked in
Souldiers into Samaria than there are handfuls of dust in that City Ahab hearing of this proud speech of his bad them say to him Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he may do that putteth it off intimating thereby that the issue of war was uncertain and 't was a foolish thing to triumph before the battel was ended Benhadad and the petty Kings that were with him were drinking themselves up to drunkenness in his Pavilion when this was told them from Ahab whereupon in a rage he charged those of his Commanders that were about him to attack the City presently and to place their Engines against it to batter it down to the ground It seems there was at this very time a true Prophet of the Lords secretly lurking in Samaria and being sent of the Lord to Ahab he went confidently to him though he knew he had cut off many of the Lords Prophets before Ch. 18.4 and said unto him Thus saith the Lord Hast thou seen from the towers of Samaria all this vast host and great multitude of the enemy I will deliver them into thy hand this day and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that give victory and not Baal Ahab greedily asks him by whom this deliverance should be wrought he tells him he should not by his experienced Captains or old Souldiers prevail over the Syrians but by a forlorn of the young men that waited on the Princes of the Provinces Ahab then asks him who shall order the battel He tells him he himself should do it Whereupon Ahab numbred the young men before mentioned and found them 232 then he numbred all the rest that were fit to bear arms in Samaria and found them to be seven thousand And at noon they marched out first the young men as the forlorn and then the body of the Army followed Benhadad understanding that there was a party come out of the City he gives this insolent order that if they came out to sue for conditions of peace they should take them prisoners and bring them to him though it was against the Law of Arms and if they came out as Souldiers he commands his men thinking it scorn to fight with them to take them all alive that so he might put them to cruel deaths or imprison them or deal with them as he saw cause The forlorn and the army of the Israelites now approaching the enemies Camp fell upon them and slew every man his man that is as many of the enemies as they themselves were in number viz. 7232 whereupon a panick fear seising upon the rest of the Syrians they fled and Benhadad himself made shift to escape with his Horsemen to his own Country Ahab with such Troops of Horse as he had pursued them and smote many of their Horses and Chariots and slew them with a very great slaughter Shortly after this the Prophet that had foretold this victory to Ahab having by Divine revelation knowledg of the enemies intentions and designs he came to him again and said Go strengthen thy self and be not secure and careless as if thou wert free from all danger for at the return of the year when the time is seasonable the King of Syria will come up against thee again Accordingly the servants of the King of Syria were forward to engage their Master to another encounter telling him that the gods of the Israelites were Gods of the hills possibly they thought so because the Israelites did use to worship God and sacrifice to him on hills and high places They reflect not at all on the true cause of their overthrow viz. their own sensuality pride and insolence but assign this only for the cause of it viz. the Gods of the Israelites were Gods of the hills and this battel being fought in an hilly Country they were worsted but say they let us fight with them in the plain and then surely we shall be stronger than they Further they desired the King that if he intended to make a new invasion into the Israelites Country that he would please to dismiss those petty Kings he had in his Army before who were fitter to drink than fight and to put valiant Captains and experienced Souldiers into their rooms and to provide such an Army both of Horse Foot and Chariots as he had before and then say they we will fight them in the plain and doubt not but we shall prevail against them Benhadad hearkened to their counsel and accordingly at the return of the year he mustered a great Army and marched with them to Aphek in the Tribe of Asher and he intended if he could to fight with the Israelites thereabout not only because it was a plain Country but because this was one of those Cities which his Father had formerly taken away from the Israelites and hither they might fly as to a place of retreat if the battel should go against them Upon this second invasion the children of Israel put themselves into the best array they could to resist the Syrians and all the Israelites that were appointed came to their general Rendezvous and they divided their forces into two bodies and they were but like two little flocks of kids before the Syrians that filled the Country Then the Prophet before mentioned came again to Ahab and said to him Thus saith the Lord because the Syrians have said the Lord is God of the hills but not of the vallies therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thy hands and though you by reason of your great wickedness deserve not this favour at my hands yet to confute this blasphemy of the Syrians even in the vallies I will overthrow them and thereby give you a plain evidence and demonstration that I am the only true God So the two Armies faced one the other for seven days and on the seventh day the battel was joined and the Israelites slew of them an hundred thousand footmen in one day so that they slew now many more than every one his man and the rest fled to Aphek and Benhadad himself among them who was fain to hide himself in an inner chamber in a private house in the City The Israelites drawing up their forces now to Aphek and the Syrians as it seems placing themselves round about upon the wall of the City to defend it the wall either by an earthquake or some immediate hand of God fell upon twenty seven thousand of them and killed them Benhadad being now in a deadly fear of being taken his servants that were about him gave him this advice The Kings of Israel say they as we have heard are merciful Kings * It seems their merciful dealing with those they had taken in battel had got them this good report Let us therefore put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on our necks and go out to the King of Israel peradventure he will be perswaded to save thy life Benhadad consenting hereunto in this abject posture they
shew him which of them were for the King of Israel and secretly gave him intelligence One of them replied Thou hast no cause to suspect that any of us are treacherous or false to thee for assure thy self we are not but there is one Elisha a Prophet in Israel who by the inspiration of God can discern the most secret things that are done in any place and I believe telleth the King of Israel the very words thou speakest in thy bed-chamber The King of Syria being enraged at this bad them go and inquire where he was for he would endeavour to catch him and if he once had him in his hands he would do well enough with him They told him they heard he was in Dathan a City not far from Samaria Immediately he sent horses and chariots and a considerable host by night to encompass the City that they might take him Elisha's servant whom he had chosen to attend him in Gehazi's room going out early in the morning saw a great host about the City whereupon he ran back and told his Master thereof and cry'd out Alas Master what shall we do Elisha bad him fear nothing for says he those that be with us are more than those that be with them Then Elisha going out of the â—ity with his servant prayed unto the Lord that his servants eyes might be opened that he might see that great host of Angels that were sent for their defence and the young mans eyes being opened he saw the mountains near Dothan full of horses and chariots of fire the holy Angels appearing in that shape because the enemy that incompassed the City had horses and chariots and those appeared to him to incompass his Master Elisha to * Solum visio fuit vidit imaginem â—eu speciem Elisei residentem in medio castrorum quem defendebat ille exercitus ut nemo hostium illi nocere potuerit Munsterus secure and defend him Elisha being come out of the City some of the host of Syria seeing him but not knowing him came to him to inquire about the Town and about the Prophet He then prayed to the Lord to smite them with blindness which immediately he did but not with a perfect blindness but only such a dazeling of their sight * Such a blindness as the Sodomites were striken with Gen. 19.11 that they could not well discern things or persons He told them that was not the way they must go neither was that the City wherein they might expect to find Elisha Follow me says he and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek They accordingly following him he led them to Samaria 'T is like he sent a messenger to Jehoram who was now in that City to give him notice that he was bringing his enemies into Samaria that so he might have all his militia in readiness against they came When he had brought them into that City he prayed to the Lord to open their eyes which being done they saw themselves to their great astonishment in the midst of Samaria and so in the midst of their enemies Jehoram having them now in his hands spake to Elisha saying My Father shall I smite them shall I smite them What says Elisha wouldest thou smite them If thou hadst taken them prisoners with thy sword and with thy how having given them quarter surely thou wouldst not kill them much less oughtest thou now to do it seeing by an extraordinary providence they are brought unto thee surely thou shalt not smite them Thus easily the Prophet forgives their mischievous intention who came out on purpose to carry him prisoner to his enemies Instead of smiting them he advises Jehoram to set bread and water before them that they might eat and drink and go back to their King and declare what kindness they had found in Israel notwithstanding their ill intentions towards it Jehoram hereupon made great provisions for them and feasted them royally and then peaceably dismissed them After this the Syrians gave over their inrodes into the land and came no more as yet †So these words v. 23. are to be interpreted See Lightfoot pag. 69. into the land of Israel And thus we see how many miracles were wrought about this one matter 1. The Prophet discovered the King of Syria's secret plots and contrivances 2ly The Angels appeared as an host for his defence 3ly His servants eyes were opened to see those Angels 4ly The Syrians were smitten with blindness 5ly Their eyes were opened again and all this upon the prayer of Elisha 2 King 6. from v. 8. to the 24. Benhadad King of Syria who had once before besieged Samaria in Ahab's time 1 King 20.1 but was then repulsed with shame and loss being now desirous as it seems to blot out the reproach of that his shameful flight and being encourag'd perhaps by the great overthrow he had given the Israelites at the battel at Ramoth-Gilead wherein Ahab was slain 1 King 22.34 he now attempts to besiege this City again with a collection of all his forces During which siege Samaria was so sorely distressed with famine that an Asses-head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver * Which was as some account about ten pounds of our money though an unclean and forbidden meat Exod. 13.13 and the fourth part of a cab or pottle of corn which they had taken out of the crop of Doves (a) Quidam esse ervum credunt quo saginantur columbae that is a kind of pulse or tares wherewith they fed Pidgeons which in that extremity they were glad of for food for themselves for five pieces of silver (b) Which was about 12 s. 6 d. of our money One day as the King was walking upon the wall to see whither the Soldiers duly kept the watches a woman cried unto him Help my Lord O King The King replied Alas if the Lord do not help thee how shall I be able to help thee I cannot supply thee either from the barn-floor or the wine-press But tell me what aileth thee she said This woman my neighbour and I being extreamly distressed with famine agreed between our selves that my Son should be first killed and eaten by us and afterwards her Son accordingly we boiled my Son and did eat him but when her Son should have been eaten by us she hid him to save him alive or else did eat him alone by her self and gave me none of him The King hearing these sad words of the woman his heart was so deeply pierced with them that he rent his upper garment so that the sackcloth that he had next his flesh appeared which he wore as a sign of his humiliation and affliction for the present distress of his people though he was not so truly penitent for his sins as he should have been Then he said The Lord do so to me and more also if I do not take off the head of Elisha before night for I look upon him as
himself to see these heads and abundance of people being gathered together to gaze on this lamentable spectacle he there took occasion before them all to justifie himself and his proceedings speaking to them after this manner As for you says he that are here spectators of this woful spectacle I do pronounce you all clear and innocent touching the death of these Sons of Ahab But possibly you will say that I my self am not innocent and that I have conspired against the King my Master and have slain him and you will say also tha I have slain all these whose heads lye here for who else hath slain them but my self seeing they were put to death by my command I do therefore declare before you all that all these strange things which I have done I have not done them on my own head but by the command of God and only to execute what he had determin'd should be done against the house of Ahab and which he threatned against it openly and publickly by his Prophet Elijah 1 King 21.21 And you may plainly see that these seventy persons could not so easily have lost their lives nor those that have cut off their heads been so easily drawn to do it seeing they had many ways to have avoided it if there had not been an extraordinary hand of God therein to accomplish his own purposes Therefore neither they nor I have done ought herein but what God would have done and that is abundantly sufficient to excuse both them and me 2 King 10. from 1 to 11. Jehu in the next place falls upon Ahab's great men in Jezreel that is such as he had raised to great places and offices and upon his kinsfolk and his houshold-Priests and cut them off v. 11. Having setled things at Jezreel he goes now to Samaria and in the way unexpectedly meets forty two Sons of the brethren of Ahaziah whom he slew because they were of the cursed stock of Ahab v. 12 13 14. See more hereof in the life of Ahaziah When he was gone a little further he met Jehonadab Son of Rhecab who was coming to meet him This Jehonadab was a Kenite of the stock of Jethro 1 Chron. 2.55 and either now or afterwards impos'd upon his Sons an austere rule of life as we read Jer. 35.6 viz. That they should drink no wine nor build houses nor sow seed nor plant vineyards nor have any and that they should all their days dwell in tents and that as 't is probable the better to secure them from being corrupted with the growing luxury of those times and to inure them beforehand to hardness that they might be the better able to endure the misery he foresaw the sins of the people would bring upon them This pious and good man coming to meet him he kindly saluted him and blessed him for Jehu was now the greater man and the less was to be blessed of the greater Heb. 7.7 He asks him Is thy heart right as my heart is with thy heart that is Is thy heart faithful towards me as mine is towards thee Jehonadab answers It was If it be says Jehu give me thy hand and he gave him his hand as a further assurance thereof Then Jehu to testifie his high esteem of him as a person of great piety and prudence took him up into his chariot and said to him Come along with me and see my zeal for the Lord and when he came to Samaria he slew all that he found were allied or any way appertained to Ahab and destroyed all that might be any way accounted his according to the saying of the Lord which he spake to Elijah v. 15 16 17. Jehu having thus destroyed the posterity of Ahab who had been always the great promoters of the Idolatry of Baal 't is like the Baalites in all places began to shift for themselves and to hide their heads in corners as fearing what he would do to them therefore that he might catch them all in a trap together he now pretends himself to be altered in his judgment from what he was lately and to be for the worship of Baal * Mendacium hoc erat perniciosum quia erat simulatio professio Idololatriae ideoque scandalum publicum A Lapide yea to be very zealous for it declaring that Ahab served Baal but a little to what he would do and that he would serve him much more and knowing the people to be much addicted to this Idolatry he called them together to make this profession before them His end might possibly be good to destroy the worshippers of Baal but his lying and dissembling was very evil for he ought not to have done evil that good might come thereby After this he proclaimed a solemn Assembly for the worship of Baal and required all the Priests and Prophets of Baal to be present at it and that none should be absent upon pain of death Hereupon they all came apprehending no cause to distrust the reality of the Kings intentions †As for his cutting off the Priests of Ahabs family before possibly they thought that the cause of that was their special relation to that family so that Baals house or Temple in Samaria was full from one end to the other God suffering them thus to be beguiled that they might be destroyed for their Idolatry Jehu now gave order to him that had the keeping of all such things as appertained to the worship of Baal that he should bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal which was accordingly done Then Jehu and Jehonadab went into the house of Baal and bad them search diligently whether there were none there that called themselves Prophets of the Lord for he would not have the worship of Baal prophaned as he pretended by the presence of any that were not cordial to his service These things being done when the Priests of Baal were gone in to offer sacrifice Jehu appointed fourscore of his Souldiers to stand at the doors of Baals house and charged them to keep them all in and declared that he whoever let any man among them escape his life should go for his that escaped As soon as Baals chief Priest had made an end of offering the burnt-offerings to Baal Jehu commanded those Officers and Souldiers to enter in immediately into the house of Baal and to destroy all they found there and not to spare a man which they did accordingly and then cast out their dead bodies out of the house that it might be seen what a slaughter they had made Then this guard went to some City near Samaria which was particularly dedicated to Baal and where his chief Temple was and brought forth the Images out of it and burnt them and broke down the Image of Baal and brake down this house of Baal and made it a draught-house or jakes thereby to express their great detestation of that vile Idolatry wherewith the Kingdom of Israel had been so long defiled Thus Jehu
did but in the good only Howbeit the people did yet very corruptly and by their Priests who too much complied with them therein offered sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places which had Jotham removed he might have prevented the people's corrupting themselves in that thing and therefore his not doing it is noted as a blemish of his government About this time namely in the year wherein Vzziah died the Prophet Isaiah saw that glorious vision of the Lord sitting on his throne and compassed about with his holy Angels singing Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath And he foresaw the people of the Jews from this time forward growing more and more obdurate and blind every day than other resisting the counsel of the Prophets and so obstructing the means God afforded them for their conversion and healing Isa 6. Jotham was a great builder he built or renewed and repaired the high-gate of the house of the Lord which was as it seems the Gate whereby they went into the Kings Palace 2 Chron. 23.20 And on the wall of Ophel * Ophel was a Tower on the outside of the City and was the place where in those times the Nethinims dwelt Nehem. 3.26 he built much He built also divers Cities in the hills of Judah and in the Forrests he built Castles and Towers to prevent incursions of enemies He subdued the Ammonites and forced them to pay him tribute by the space of three years viz. an hundred talents of silver and of wheat and barley ten thousand measures of each So he became mighty because he ordered his counsels and actions as in the sight of the Lord and so as he might please him The Prophet MICAH In his days the Prophet Micah began to Prophesie and under him and his two next successors he executed his Prophetick function together with Isaiah and Hosea He prophesied a great while as appears Jer. 26.18 He is very like the Prophet Isaiah both in matter and loftiness of stile He prophesied both against Judah and Israel He declareth Gods wrath against them he laments their condition and foretells their destruction and captivities by the Assyrians and Babylonians for the manifold sins that all sorts had committed viz. Princes Prophets and people Ch. 1.2 3. Then he comforteth those that repent with promises of temporal blessings and deliverances from their enemies but chiefly with promises and predictions of Christ foretelling the place of his nativity and the manifold blessings of his Kingdom Ch. 4. 5. In the next place he expostulates with all sorts for their so ill requiting Gods great kindness and mercy to them and provoking him so highly by their manifold sins Ch. 6. Then he complains of the paucity and scarceness of good men and he endeth his Prophesie with consolations to the Church exhorting her to expect Gods time to plead her cause to the shame of her insulting enemies and her own marvellous comfort Ch. 7. Towards the latter end of Jotham's reign Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel began to conspire against Judah but they did not invade the land till his Sons days the Lord therein shewing mercy to him in taking him away before those heavy calamities fell upon Judah He was buried in the City of David and Ahaz his Son reigned in his stead 2 King 15. from 32 to the end 2 Chron. 27. whole Chapter The 12th that reigned in Judah AHAZ AHAZ succeeded his father Jotham in the very end of the seventeenth year of Pekah He was twenty * Object If he was only 20 years old when he began to reign and reigned only 16 years then how could his Son Hezekiah be 25 when he began to reign 2 King 18.2 for then he must be born when Ahaz was but 11 years old Ans Ahaz was 20 years old when he was first designed King in his Fathers life time it being the manner of Kings in those troublesome times to set up their Sons in the Throne with themselves in their life time that they might hold it the more sure after their death But when he began to reign by himself alone after his fathers death from which the 16 years of his reign must be reckoned he might be 24 or 25 and so his Son Hezekiah might well be 25 at his death years old when he began to reign and reigned sixteen years He did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord his God like David his Father The Lord was his God as to outward profession and David was his Father by lineal descent but he would neither faithfully serve God nor imitate David Soon after his Father was dead Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel confederated together and conspired against him intending with their joint forces to go up and besiege Jerusalem and to depose him and to make the Son of Tabeal probably some eminent Syrian King in his stead The King and people of Judah were exceedingly startled at these tidings as apprehending a sudden and final destruction of their Kingdom God hereupon sends the Prophet Isaiah to Ahaz to comfort him and bids him take his Son Shear-jashub along with him whose name intimated that though the Jews should be brought low yet a remnant of them at least should return to their former condition again and should encrease and enjoy the happiness of being a people and a Commonwealth of themselves It seems the names of Isaiahs Sons (a) The Sons of Isaiah were for signs and for wonders C. 8. 18. by reason of the signification of their names which presignified the goodness of God to the Jews were imposed upon them by a spirit of Prophesie and so they were for signs and significations of the goodness of God which he intended to the Jews see Isa 8.18 And thus Isaiah brought his Son Shear-jashub to Ahaz to confirm him and his people with this sign that they should not utterly be destroyed by these two confederate Kings Therefore he advises him to take heed of distrusting God and to be quiet and not to be afraid of those two Tails or ends of smoking fire-brands viz. Rezin and Pekah whom he so calls because they should soon be extinct and their attempts vanish into smoke though they thought to have burnt up all before them For within the compass of 65 years reckoning from the Earthquake in the 22 year of Vzziah's reign * See more hereof in the life of Uzziah the Kingdom of Syria shall be swallowed up by the Assyrian and Ephraim shall be broken †This was brought to pass by Salmanassar 2 King 17.6 that it be not a people But Ahaz seems still incredulous and believed not the Prophets words Isaiah therefore tells him if he doubted of the truth of what he had said to him in Gods name he might freely ask a sign of the Lord to be shewn him either in the heaven or in the earth for the confirmation of his faith But he
himself as 't is thought to meet him with his Army and having discomfited him he led away abundance of them captives in such scornful manner as is expressed Isa 20.4 So shall the King of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners and the Ethiopians captive young and old naked and barefoot even with their buttocks uncovered to the shame of Egypt And the Jews were ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and Egypt their glory Isa 20. from 3 to the end After this victory over the Ethiopians and Egyptians it seems the Assyrians did reinforce their siege of Jerusalem begirting it with a vast host of men though Sennacherib himself in person did not come thither as may be gathered from Isa 37.33 Thus saith the Lord concerning the King of Assyria he shall not come into this City nor shoot an arrow there nor come before it with shields nor cast a bank against it But though he was not there himself yet his Army prest on the siege with great vigor and when there was no likelihood in an humane way but that the City should be taken by this great host then did the Lord by his holy Angel in one night destroy an hundred fourscore and five thousand of them and among them many of their Captains and Leaders and in the morning when the men of Jerusalem went out they saw all these lying dead on the ground and those few that had escap'd the sword of the Angel were fled Isa 37.36 2 King 19.35 2 Chron. 32.21 Sennacherib hearing of this prodigious slaughter of his men with shame of face returned out of the land of Iudah and went to Nineveh his chief City And the Book of Tobit tells us that at his return he in a rage slew many of the Israelites whom he had there captive Tob. 1.18 And if the King Sennacherib had slain any when he was come and fled from Iudea I buried them privately for in his wrath he killed many but the bodies were not found when they were sought for of the King Not long after Tobit says fifty-five days when he was at his Idolatrous worship in his Idol-temple two of his own Sons Adrimelech * 'T is a Tradition among the Jews that they killed their Father because he had vowed to offer them as a sacrifice to his God Nisroch if he would appease the minds of those of his subjects that were incens'd against him For many of them who had lost their Sons and Brothers and Kinsmen in the late slaughter made by the Angel at Jerusalem were highly offended with him as being the cause thereof and Sharezer slew him with the sword which done they fled presently into the land of Ararat or Armenia and Esarhaddon his Son reigned in his stead 2 King 19.36 37. 2 Chron. 32.21 Isa 37.37 38. Thus God preserved Hezekiah and his people in Ierusalem miraculously from the Assyrians and as 't is probable much enriched them by the spoil of their Camp and he manifested his favour to them by saving them out of the hands of all others also and by guiding them and guarding them on every side and taking care of them And many of Hezekiah's subjects understanding this great goodness of the Lord to him came to Ierusalem and brought offerings to the Lord in token of their thankfulness and presents to the King So that from henceforward he grew exceeding rich and made himself Treasuries for Silver and Gold and precious stones and jewels and rare spices and perfumed ointments and made himself Armories and storehouses for corn wine and oyl and stalls for all manner of beasts as horses and camels and cotes for sheep and goats Moreover he provided for himself also fenced Cities and had great abundance of flocks and herds and all sorts of worldly substance So that he was magnified in the sight of all Nations from henceforth and he prospered exceedingly in all that he went about 2 Chron. 32.22 23 27 28 29 30. Hezekiah being now become the wonder of the world for the Suns going back for his sake and Gods fighting immediately for him against his enemies and being grown rich and wealthy his heart was lifted up with pride and self-confidence and he rendred not unto the Lord according to the benefit done unto him therefore God was angry with him and his anger being kindled by his pride and ingratitude and the sins of the people he afterwards in a just judgment brought on the whole Nation the Babylonish Captivity 2 Chron. 32.25 Sennacherib being now dead as is before related and Esarhaddon his third Son succeeding him in the Kingdom it seems Merodach or Berodach Baladan Sennacherib's Lieutenant or Viceroy in Babylon taking advantage of the loss of the Assyrians before Jerusalem and of the young Kings weakness and contention with his Brothers revolted from him and made himself King of Babylon And being thus possessed of that Kingdom and informed by his Chaldeans the great Astronomers of those times of that wonderful strange alteration in the Sun's motion of which we have spoken before and hearing that it was done by the God of the Jews to assure their King of his recovery from a desperate sickness he took this occasion to send his Ambassadors to Hezekiah both to congratulate his recovery as also to inquire about this wonder of the Sun's Retrogradation and withal doubtless to assure to himself the friendship of such a King who was a known enemy to the Assyrians from whom he had lately revolted Now here God left Hezekiah to himself that he might know what was in his heart †Ita Deo deserente prodente carne Satana denuo insidiante pii labascunt and how weak and frail he was that so he might thereupon humble himself For in a vain glorious ostentation he shewed these Ambassadours all his Treasuries and riches that were in his own Palace at Jerusalem or in other houses which he had in any part of the Kingdom and he was too ambitious as it seems to assure to himself the friendship of this new King of Babylon which argued too much trust and confidence in the Babylonish aid and too much distrust of Gods care over him which was the more blame-worthy in Hezekiah who had had such large experience of Gods protection of him and of his Kingdom And it seems Hezekiah did not own the Lord in all his deliverances and mercies and magnifie him before these Ambassadors so much as he should have done Hereupon God sends the Prophet Isaiah unto him who inquires of him who these Ambassadors were and from whence they came and what they had seen Hezekiah tells him they came from Babylon and that he had shewed them all his Treasuries The Prophet then delivers to him a sad message from the Lord Behold says he the days are coming when the King of Babylon shall carry away this people and all their riches unto Babylon and thy Sons which shall issue from thee shall they make captives * This was
of their forefather Ionadab they were wont to dwell came into Ierusalem and by their obedience in refusing to drink wine God condemneth the disobedience of the Iews Ier. 35. wh Ch. Nebuchadnezzar having brought his forces before Ierusalem in a short time takes it and Iehoiakim prisoner whom he bound in chains intending at first as it should seem to carry him to Babylon but was afterwards intreated upon his submission and promises of subjection to leave him as his vassal and so Iehoiakim became his servant and tributary three years to wit the fifth sixth and seventh years of his reign From which entring of the King and people of the Iews into subjection to Nebuchadnezzar The beginning of the seventy years Captivity according to the Learned Usher some think the seventy years of the Captivity are to be reckoned which were foretold by the Prophet Ieremy Chap. 25.11 And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment and these Nations shall serve the King of Babylon seventy years Ver. 12. And it shall come to pass when seventy years are accomplished that I will punish the King of Babylon and that Nation saith the Lord for their iniquity and the land of the Chaldeans and will make it perpetual desolations And Chap. 29.10 Thus saith the Lord after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you and perform my good word towards you in causing you to return to this place 2 Chron. 36.6 2 King 24.1 Nebuchadnezzar carried away at this time part * Some were left and carried away in Jehoiakim's time 2 King 24.13 and some in Zedekiah's Jer. 52.17 c. of the vessels and furniture of the Lords house and gave command to Ashpenaz the Overseer of the Eunuchs or Pages that he should carry from thence some of the choicest boys both for beauty and wit that he could find and such as were of the Royal blood and of the noblest families as had been expresly foretold by the Prophet Isa 39.7 And of thy Sons that shall issue from thee which thou shalt beget shall they take away and they shall be Eunuchs in the palace of the King of Babylon which being by his care educated for three years in the language and sciences of the Chaldeans might be fit afterwards to wait upon him in his Palace Among whom of the Tribe of Judah were Daniel whom the overseer of the Eunuchs call'd Belteshazzar and Hananiah whom he call'd Shadrach Mishael whom he call'd Meshach and Ananiah whom he call'd Abednego every one of them having his name changed at his discretion These with several others Nebuchadnezzar carried away at this time Dan. 1. from 1 to 8. 1 Chron. 36.7 In the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim there was a solemn fast proclaimed to all the people at Ierusalem in remembrance as it seems of the taking of the City a year before in the same month at which time Baruc standing at the Gate of the house of the Lord read out of a roll or book all the words of the Lord which he had taken from the mouth of Jeremy the Prophet in the audience of all the people who were then assembled out of all the Cities of Judah whereof the Princes being advertis'd called Baruc unto them and caused him to read to them the same book but when they heard the contents thereof they advised him and Jeremy to hide themselves out of the way for fear of the Kings displeasure But the King himself having heard some inkling of it would needs have the roll or book read unto him and having heard some part of it he was so inrag'd at it that he cut the roll through with a pen-knife and then threw it into the fire and burnt it Jer. 36. from 9 to 26. The King having thus burnt the Book he gave order for the apprehending of Baruc the writer and Jeremy the Prophet but God hid them and denounced a heavy judgment against that impious King for it And God commands Ieremy to take another roll and Baruc wrote therein from the mouth of the Prophet all the words of the Book which Jehoiakim had burnt adding many like things thereunto Jer. 36. from v. 26 to the end Nebuchadnezzar pursuing the victory he had gotten over the Egyptians took from them all that they possessed between Egypt and Euphrates so that from thence forward Necho was fain to keep himself within his own bounds in Egypt 2 King 24.7 While these things were doing Nabopolassar the father of Nebuchadnezzar dies which news coming to Nebuchadnezzar he made no delay but after he had given order for the bringing away of the captives as well Jews as others he posted with a small company the nearest way through the desert and came to Babylon before them and being received there as sole Lord of all his fathers large Dominions he afterwards disposed of the captives when they were brought thither here and there as he thought fit And the Sacred vessels and other furniture of the Temple which he had taken away from Jerusalem he disposed into the Temple †By the Divine Providence they were there reserved to be carried back again to Jerusalem See Ezra 1.7 8 c. But Nebuchadnezzar intended service of his Idol and Belshazzar his Grandchild most profanely abused them Dan. 5.2 of his god Belus Dan. 1.2 2 Chron. 36.7 Daniel and his three fellow Nobles being brought to Babylon refuse the Court-diet provided for them and content themselves with pulse and water and yet were found to look better than those that did eat of the Kings fare And when afterwards at the time appointed they were brought to attend the King they appeared in all matters of knowledg wisdom and sciences to excell all the Magicians and Astronomers that were in the Kingdom And Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams Dan. 1. from 8 to the end Nebuchadnezzar in the second * See Richardson on Dan. 2.1 Anno secundo cum vixi tanquam consiliarius in regno Nebuchadnessaris non autem cum vixi in regno Cyrl cujus mentio proxime praecessit v. ult cap. praeced year after the three years of Daniels education were past and he brought to stand before the King which falls in with the fifth year of his reign dreamt his dream of the great image made of divers metals and forgetting the particulars of his dream though in the general it much affected him he would needs know of his Magicians and Astronomers both what his dream was and what it meant And when they could not satisfie him in so unreasonable a demand he like a great Tyrant commanded them all to be put to death But Daniel when he saw the execution preparing and understood the cause thereof humbly moved the King to forbear a while and joining in prayer with his fellows unto God obtained both to have the dream it self and the interpretation thereof revealed to him And accordingly he declared to the King
And therefore God upbraiding the King of Tyre with his pride and arrogancy Behold saith he thou art wiser than Daniel no secret can be hid from thee therefore I will bring strangers upon thee the terrible of the Nations and they shall bring thee down c. Ezek. Ch. 26. Ch. 27. Ch. 28. In the same year also in the third month God revealed his will to Ezekiel of sending Nebuchadnezzar against Pharoah to the ruin of the Egyptians In the same month also God declared that the Egyptians could no more avoid his decree and determination than the Assyrians had done before Ezek. Ch. 30. Ch. 31. In the eleventh year of Zedekiah the ninth day of the fourth month when the famine grew extream in the City and the pestilence as 't is like very hot Jerusalem was broken up and the Caldeans entred it Ezek. 4. from 9 to the end Lament 4.10 2 King 25.2 3 4. Jer. 52.5 6 7. Jer. 39.2 3. The City being taken Zedekiah and all the men of war fled away by night by the way of the Gate between two walls which was by the Kings garden being it seems a secret way provided on purpose for escape in such a time of danger but the Caldeans pursuing after them took Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho and brought him prisoner to Riblah where Nebuchadnezzar lay where having judgment passed upon him for his perjury and having seen his children first slain before his eyes to his extream torment together with the Nobles of Judah he had then his own eyes put out and being clogged with chains and fetters he was carried away from thence to Babylon so the Prophesies before utter'd concerning him were fulfilled viz. that with his eyes he should see the King of Babylon and speak with him mouth to mouth Jer. 32.4 34.3 But Babylon he should not see though he should die there For so the Prophet Ezekiel foretold Ch. 12.13 My net also will I spread upon him and he shall be taken in my snare and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Caldeans yet shall he not see it though he shall die there 2 King 25. from 4 to 8. Jer. 39. from 4 to 8. Jer. 52. from 7 to 12. Upon the seventh day of the fifth month Nebuzaradan Captain of the Guard sent by Nebuchadnezzar made his entry into the City and on the tenth day he set fire on the Temple and on the Kings Palace and upon all the Noblemens houses in Jerusalem and burnt all down to the ground and brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about In remembrance of which dismal calamity the Fast of the fifth month was ordained to be kept Zach. 7.3 v. 5. Zach. 8.19 Thus was the glorious Temple destroyed in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzars reign and four hundred twenty four years three months and eight days after that Solomon laid the first stone thereof 2 King 25.8 9 10. Jer. 52.12 13 14. Jer. 39.8 In the same fifth month the walls of Jerusalem being broken down all that were left in the City and all that had before fled over to Nebuchadnezzar and all the common people of the City with all the treasure of the King and his Nobles and furniture of the Temple did Nebuzaradan carry away to Babylon and thus was Judah for their sins removed out of her own land four hundred sixty eight years after David began to reign over it From the division of the Ten Tribes from the Tribe of Judah three hundred eighty eight years and from the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel one hundred thirty four years If any shall enquire why the Lord gave up this his own people into the hands of their enemies you may find 2 Chron. 36. from v. 12 to 20. that the high provocations both of King and people were the cause thereof Zedekiah did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the Prophet speaking to him from the mouth of the Lord and he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear by God but he stiffned his neck and hardned his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel Moreover all the chief of the Priests and the people transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers rising up betimes (a) That is continually and carefully sendding them a Metaphor taken from careful housholders who with the soonest seek to redress mischiefs causing their servants for that end to rise betimes and sending because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place but they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people and there was no remedy * After that there remain'd nothing but expectation of judgment Therefore he brought upon them the King of the Caldees who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their Sanctuary (b) That is the Temple whither 't is like many of them fled for refuge and had no compassion upon young man or maiden old man or him that stooped for age he gave them all into his hand And all the vessels of the house of God great and small and the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the King and of his Princes all these he brought to Babylon And they burnt the house of God and brake down the walls of Jerusalem and burnt all the Palaces thereof with fire and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof Jer. 39.9 Jer. 52.15 2 King 25. from 11 to 18. 2 Chron. 36. from 14 to 22. The Scripture saith that they that were carried away captive to Babylon in the eleventh year of Zedekiah were to continue seventy years in their captivity 2 Chron. 36.20 21. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the Kingdom of Persia To fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremy until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths for as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath to fulfill threescore and ten years Where by those words until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths we are to understand that so long as the people were kept out of it the land rested there being none to plow or dig it up and so it continued for the most part till the expiration of seventy years as Jeremy had Prophesied Jer. 25.11 And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment and these Nations shall serve the King of Babylon seventy years And Chap. 29.10 Thus saith the Lord after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you and perform my good word towards you in causing you to return to
the Providence of their God over them that served him Therefore if he had desired a guard 't is supposed they would have derided his former confidence in Gods protection But Nehemiah's case was different having no cause to suspect any such things besides he was a person of great quality about the King and it was for the honour of the King to have his immediate attendants safe guarded and respected safe till he came to Judea As also letters to Asaph the keeper of the Kings Forest viz. Lebanon requiring him to furnish him with timber to make beams for the Gates of the Temple which looked towards the Palace and for the Gates of the walls of the City and for the house that he should enter into and there make his abode And by the good Providence of God the King granted him all his desires and over and above sent a guard with him to conduct him safe to the river Euphrates which was more than he desired of him from whence he was by the Governours beyond the river to whom he delivered the Kings letters conveyed safe to Jerusalem Sanballat the Horonite (d) Of Horonaim a City of Moab See Isa 15.5 who it seems was the Kings Lieutenant or Deputy-Governour over the Moabites and had insinuated himself so into the Jews that there was an alliance between him and the high Priest see Neh. 13.28 and Tobiah (e) This Tobiah his wife being a Jew had often intelligence of their affairs and so wrought them great mischief who was the Kings servant or Deputy-Governour over the Ammonites to whom the high Priest was also allied see Neh. 13.4 being both of them secret and inveterate enemies to the Jews when they knew that Nehemiah was come to Jerusalem they were greatly vext at it especially that there was a man come from the King to seek and endeavour the welfare of the children of Israel Nehemiah being come to Jerusalem rested himself there three days after his long journey Then he arose in the night with some few only with him and taking the advantage of a Moon-shine night and to avoid noise no horse but that himself rode on he went to view the ruins of the walls round about and the circuit of the City that so he might consider whither they were able in likelihood to go through with such a work as the repairing of them and what provision was requisite in order thereunto and what places were most necessary to be first and with most speed repaired All which he desired to be privately informed of before any body knew of his purpose and that he might be the better able to answer any objection that should be made against it and that there might be no talk of it till they were ready to set about it lest their enemies should thereupon seek to hinder them and on these accounts 't is like it was that he carried the business so privately and did not acquaint the Rulers nor the Priests nor so much as the workmen that were afterwards imployed in the work with his intentions and purposes Having thus seen the ruins and acquainted himself with all things he thought requisite he calls the Nobles and Rulers and Priests together and spake to them after this manner You see my Brethren the distress that we are in how Jerusalem lyeth wast the walls ruin'd and the Gates thereof are burnt with fire Come let us build up the walls again that we be no more a reproach and scorn to our adversaries Then he told them all the providences of God about his coming thither how he heard of their affliction and how he petitioned the King and how graciously the King answered him and what encouragement he had given him When the Jews heard these things they were mightily animated and said one to another come let us rise up and build the walls of our City So they took courage and resolution and prepared themselves for the work But when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Kings Deputy among the Arabians heard of their intention they scoffed at them for undertaking such a business which they were never like to effect and despising them said What do these people intend to do Do they intend to rebell against the King If they do we shall quickly take a course with them Nehemiah understanding this couragiously sent them this answer The God of heaven we trust will prosper us therefore we his servants will arise and build But as for you you have no portion nor right nor memorial in Jerusalem that is you are appointed Governours in other Countries look to your own charges you have no interest or concern in Jerusalem neither is their any memorial of you or your Progenitors to be found among us why therefore do you meddle with that which belongs not unto you Nehem. Ch. 2. whole Chapter Nehemiah and the Jews notwithstanding the opposition of their enemies resolve now to set upon the building the walls of Jerusalem Eliashib the Grandchild of Joshua the high Priest with his brethren the Priests undertook the building of the sheep-gate which was near the sheep-market and having at their own charges built it and set up the doors of it they by prayer dedicated it to the Lord. The inhabitants of Tekoa a City in Benjamin were well affected to the work and some of them built the wall in one place and some of them repaired another part of the wall v. 27. but to the disgrace of the Nobles among them 't is said that they put not their necks to the work of the Lord that is they refused to help therein and out of their greatness pretended they would not be taxed to the work nor have any such burden imposed upon them v. 8. The men of Gibeon and Mispeh repaired to the Throne of the Governour on this side the river that is to the place where the Governour appointed by the Persian King on that side of the river did use to sit v 7. Shallum was another eminent repairer who was Ruler of half Jerusalem * Jerusalem being part in Judah part in Benjamin might have two Rulers and his pious daughters out of their zeal were willing to let some part of their portions go to the work v. 12. 'T is recorded also to Baruck's great commendation that he earnestly repaired his part that is with more than ordinary zeal and heartiness Some of the Priests built the wall over against their own houses and Meshullam who it seems was but a lodger over against his own Chamber And thus by several persons the walls and gates of Jerusalem were built Nehem. Ch. 3. whole Chapter Sanballat hearing what progress the Jews had made in building their walls was very angry and scornfully scoffed at it and before his own Countrymen and the army that quartered in the City of Smaria and when ever he had occasion he would say What do these feeble Jews intend to do Do they intend to fortifie themselves Do
Tent slew 4000 men and giving an alarm to the whole Army at break of the day safely retreated whereupon the King marched towards him next day and they coming to an engagement Antiochus lost several hundreds more but the Jews seeing themselves overpowered retreated The King then returned to the siege and they not being well stored with provision this being the Sabbatical year at last yielded up the Town upon composition Antiochus having herein placed a Garrison marched up to Jerusalem and there made all provision possible for the gaining of it all manner of Engines being raised for the casting of fire and stones but the besieged defended themselves bravely though provisions were very short with them and the famine prevailed so much among them that they were in danger of falling into the Kings hands but before he could finish his work news came that Philip whom his father had appointed to be Guardian being returned out of Egypt was coming with the forces that Epiphanes had left in Persia and Media to recover his right usurped by Lysias Hereupon both he and his Captains were presently perswaded by Lysias because the place was strong and provisions began to fail in the Leaguer and the affairs of the Kingdom required it to make peace with the besieged and with the whole Nation of the Jews upon such terms as they required Then returning to Ptolemais the inhabitants thereof being great enemies to the Jews stickled hard to perswade him to break the League but Lysias so well argued the matter among them that he quieted their minds and confirmed the peace so that the Investiture of the commanding power in the Hasmoneans took its rise from the time of this peace agreed on betwixt Antiochus Eupator and Maccabeus The King hasting thence towards Antioch brought along with him as a prisoner Menelaus the High Priest whom Lysias accused as an Incendiary and the cause of the war whereupon by order from the King he was let down into a Tower filled with ashes and there miserably ended his life ten years after he had first usurped the Priesthood Menelaus being thus taken out of the way the King substituted in his room one Alcimus a man every whit as bad as he Indeed he was of Aaron's progeny but not of the High Priests blood and Lysias perswaded the King to transfer that dignity into another family Onias the Son of Onias the third seeing the High Priesthood conferred on Alcimus went into Egypt and after he had well insinuated himself into the affections of Ptol. Philometor and Cleopatra his wife obtained of them leave to build a Temple to God in the jurisdiction of Heliopolis answering to that at Jerusalem and that they would constitute him High Priest there See more of this in Vsher p. 467. Antiochus coming to Antioch found Philip Master thereof but setting upon it he took it by force and taking Philip therein put him to death and so quickly quieted those stirs being reserved with Lysias his Guardian though but a little time for others more dangerous Demetrius Soter Son of Seleucus Philopator the right heir to the Kingdom now escaping from Rome quickly got the Kingdom and put to death Eupator and Lysias his Guardian Alcimus who had procured from Eupator to be made High Priest being not now receivâ—d nor owned by the people for that in the days of Epiphanes he had wilfully defiled himself came to Demetrius with other Apostates to get the Priesthood confirmed to him He accused his Countrymen especially the Hasmoneans viz. Judas and his Brethren as guilty of cutting off the Kings friends and banishing them out of the Country Hereupon Demetrius sent Bacchides the Governour of Mesopotamia his trusty friend with great forces into Judea and confirmed the High Priesthood to Alcimus whom he sent back with him All their design was being arrived there by fair speeches to get Judas and his Brethren into their hands but they gave no credit to them Many of the Scribes went out to them to seek peace expecting they should have obtained it of Alcimus who was of the seed of Aaron and had now great power in the army but having gotten them into his hands he most wickedly contrary to agreement and his oath put sixty of them to death all in one day by which perfidiousness many being terrified fled from the City Then Bacchides going from Jerusalem caused many that had fled from him and several others of the Jews to be slain and cast into a great pit and so committing the care of the Country to Alcimus for the defence of which he left him some forces he returned unto the King After his departure Alcimus striving all he could to confirm himself in the Priesthood made great havock of the people Hereupon Judas went out through the whole Country taking vengeance on such as had revolted from him and so terrified those that adhered to Alcimus that they were forced to keep themselves within their Garrisons and durst not make any more incursions into the Country Alcimus apprehending danger to himself from these proceedings goes once more to Demetrius carrying along with him a Crown of Gold to present unto him For Judas and his party increasing in power would not suffer him to come near to the holy Altar at which being enraged he eagerly accused them to the King as authors of all the commotions and disturbances in Judea further complaining that he was deprived of the Priesthood the honour as he said of his Ancestors and further affirmed that as long as Maccabeus lived the Kings affairs could not be secure This being seconded by some ill-willers to the Jews and his friends Demetrius was so inflamed that sending for Nicanor one of his chiefest Princes and a bitter enemy to the Jews made him General against Judea giving him order to destroy Judas and disperse his associates the Assideans and to settle Alcimus in the High Priesthood The Jews upon the report of Nicanors approach and the Association of several Gentiles with him cast dust upon their heads and made their Supplication to God And it so happened that after a short skirmish betwixt Simon Judas's Brother and a party of Nicanors near the Village Dessaro Nicanor understanding the Courage and Resolution of Judas and his Party in defending their Country he was unwilling to run the hazard of a Battel but sent to parle with the Jews and to make peace with them upon mutual engagements of fidelity each to other And Articles being agreed upon between them the two Captains met and the Conference proved very successful and closed in a League without the Kings Privity Nicanor after this abode a while in Jerusalem and dismissed the Companies he had collected and was so taken with Judas that he continued with him some time and loved him in his heart and lived so friendly and familiarly with him that he perswaded him to marry a Wife But when that wretched fellow Alcimus observed this Correspondence between them he addressed