stoned ver 35. This was the heaviest of all the four kinds of Death that Malefactors suffered in Israel for capital Crimes some were Sentenced to be Strangled others to be Slain with the Sword some to be Burned and others to be Stoned the two last were undoubtedly the most painful because longer in Dying and therefore inflicted upon the grossest Offenders Though in Man's Judgment this might seem too severe a Sentence for such a seeming small Offence yet in God's Judgment it is not a light offence notwithstanding too many men make but little of it to prophane the Sabbath by doing needless Works upon that Holy Day We may well suppose that this Sinner by the Connexion of ver 30. with this Relation sinn'd presumptuously and with publick scandal 5. He was Executed accordingly being carried without the Camp which was a Circumstance aggravating the Punishment being a kind of Reproach as the Apostle noteth Heb. 13.11 12 13. This was done to the Blasphemer before Lev. 24.14 Thus Jezabel did to Naboth under the Notion of Blasphemy 1 King 21.13 and thus the Jews stoned Stephen under the pretence of a Blasphemer without the City both these wicked Deeds were done afterwards However the severity upon this Sinner sheweth of what weight the Commandment touching the Sabbath is the Prophanation whereof God would have thus dolorously to be avenged and it declares the folly and phrensie of the Swedes c. where the baser sort of the People do always break the Sabbath saying that 't is only the Duty of Gentlemen to keep that Day How much better said that poor Indian in New-England soon after its first Plantation by the English who coming by and beholding one of our Countrey-men profaning the Sabbath by felling a Tree said to him Do you not know that this is the Lord's-day Much macket man that is thou very wicked Man what break you God's Day The best and wealthiest of the Jews saith Buxtorf in his Synagogue will with their own Hands sweep the House kindle Fires chop Herbs cleave Wood c. on the Day before the Sabbath call'd their Preparation-day to prevent any servile Work upon their high Sabbath-day This severity doth likewise farther signifie the Eternal Death of such as do not keep the Sabbath of Christ entring into the rest of God by Faith and ceasing from their own Works as God did from his Heb. 4.1 2 3 4 10 11. finding Rest for the Soul in Christ Matth. 11.28 Then after the Violation of the Sabbath thus severely punished God gives a Law of Fringes upon their Garments as a sign of remembrance to help frail sievy memories broken by the fall the Sky colour'd Ribband ver 38. taught them that though their Commoration was on Earth their Conversation must be in Heaven Phil. 3.20 And the Garment taught that they must put on Christ Rom. 13.14 That Wedding-Garment Mat. 22.11 and the new Man Eph. 4.24 and the Armour of God Eph. 6.11 c. 'T is thought Christ wore such a Fringe which the Woman touch'd and was cured c. Luk. 8.44 The next remarkable Occurrence at Kadesh Barnea was the fatal Conspiracy of Korah c. Numb 16. in which the Causes and the Effects or Events thereof are principally to be considered 1. The Causes are three 1. The Efficient 2. The Material 3. The formal Cause 1. The Efficient is either Principal as Korah Cousin-German to Moses and Aaron for Izhar his Father was Brother to Amram their Father ver 1. Exod. 6.18 all of the Tribe of Levi and Hon Dathan and Abiram who were of Reuben's Tribe the Eldest Patriarch and next Neighbours to Korah in the Camp whereby they were the sooner corrupted by him Vvaque corruptâ livorem ducit ab Vvâ For this corrupting of others he is branded as the prime Author of the Rebellion Jude ver 11. Numb 27.3 or less principal ver 2. He decoy'd into his Conspiracy Men of Note and Name famous for their Parts and Parentage whereby the Rebellion was much corroborated as Gen. 6 4. These Men of Name both for Wealth and Wisdom made the Conspiracy stronger against Moses as did that of the Giants against God himself Corruptio optimi est pessima the more famous of Note those Princes and Statesmen were the more notorious became their Sin of Mutiny and Rebellion Of most dangerous consequence was this Conspiracy for as in a Beast the Body will follow the Head so the Mobile Vulgus call'd Bellua multorum Capitum the Multitude follow their Heads Great Men are their looking glasses by which they dress themselves Their Sins do as seldom go unattended as their Persons c. those were two â—â—ndred and fifty Princes in number 2. The Material Cause was Korah's Ambition of the Priesthood ver 3 10. He being a Levite of the Kohathites which was the chief Family of the Levites having the charge of the Ark Table Candlestick Altars and the most Holy things of the Sanctuary took offence and envied at the preferment of Elizaphan the Son of a Younger Brother Vzziel whereas himself was of Izhar Elder than He Numb 3.27 28 29 30 31. This Affectation of Honour was restless and unsatisfiable growing like the Crocodile so long as it lives and lifts up Korah not only against Elizaphan but also against Moses and Aaron in seeking the Priesthood also 3. The Formal Cause Which is expressed in Korah and his Complices accusing Moses and Aaron for unjustly usurping both the chief Magistracy and chief Ministry v. 3. Saying Ye take too much State too much Power too much Honour too much Holiness in appropriating to your selves those publick Administrations wherein all the People being as Holy may partake with you Secondly The Effects of those aforesaid Causes follow namely 1. The correction of those Conspirators and 2. Their confusion First Their Correction is two-fold 1. Humane 2. Divine for First Moses falls upon his face v. 4. and begs of God to direct him how to correct and convince those Conspirators c. This he doth as an humble Supplicant in this lowly posture not only that God might not proceed against them for their sin as he doth v. 22. in conjunction with Aaron but also Addresseth to Korah the Ring-leader of that Rebellion with most moving and Cogent Arguments which God at his desire had directed him to use that he and his Complices might not proceed any farther in their Conspiracy from v. 5 to v. 19. Wherein there is a multifarious fierce altercation pro and con betwixt Korah and Moses More particularly 1. Moses truly retorts upon them the same that they had falsely charged upon him and Aaron v. 7. as Elijah did after upon Ahab 1 King 18.17 18. 2. Out of his particular Faith and Confidence in God who would maintain their Cause and Calling extraordinary against all opposers He telleth Korah that To morrow the Lord will declare manifestly whether he hath made choice of us for those chiefest Offices of Principality
is Confidence the Conclusion can be no better than Confusion The Egyptians came forth as a Whirl-wind to devour Israel Hab. 3.14 15. having got the Ball on the foot and confidently carrying it toward the Goal but God gave them a turn and an overturn and in anger cast them down Psal 56.7 Job 9.4 Prov. 29.1 Isa 6.10 11. The 4th Remark is As the great God distinctly foreknoweth uno quasi intuitu with one glance of his All-seeing Eye all the Consults of wicked Persecutors so he can with the more facility confound their Counsels Thus it was here as God guided Israel into this wandring out of the King's high-way on purpose that hereby as by a Strategem Pharaoh and his Army might be decoyed to pursue them So God foretold what Improvement the Egyptians would make of this conceited Stray and Straits that Moses had mistook his way and they now were intangled in the Wilderness c. Exo. 14.3 4. Hereby Pharaoh hardened his own heart to pursue that he might bring them back to Bondage ver 6 7 8 9. as if they had been no better than so many Run-away-Slaves whereas 't is said v. 8. they marched boldly bravely in Battel-Ray and in a most comely Equipage not with any disorder or confusion of Fugitives Thus God dazles dulls and disannuls the Wisdom of the World's Wizzards not only foreseeing their Consults but also forestalling their Projects catching the crafty in their own craft 1 Cor. 1.19 and Psal 9.15 c. All the haste Pharaoh made in making ready his Chariots and driving furiously after Israel was but an hasting to meet his own destruction The 5th Remark is Sore and grievous Distresses oft bring God's Church and Children into sore and grievous Distractions Israel's distress was great here They türned out of the way to Canaan which lay Northward toward Memphis the chief City of Egypt Southward So that their turning Exod. 14.2 was indeed Returning as they might think well in making such a semicircle in their march Besides Migdol was a Garrison-Tower which they had on one side as the Sea on another and their being before Baalzephon added to their distress for this was the Idol of the Egyptians as Baal-peor was the Idol of the Moabites Numb 25.3 In this Idol as Rabbys say the Egyptians placed great confidence conceiting that he could fetch again Fugitives and therefore thought that now Israel was faln into his fast Custody However 't is probable chat this place was another Garrison of the Egyptians whereby all run-aways might be secured All this was ordered thus not by chance but by providence to infatuate Pharaoh making him fancy that Israel was inclosed with Mountains Seas Desarts and Garrisons and indeed Israel in their unbelief thought no better of themselves ver 9 10 11 12. Whereas the truth is the Lord led them thither beside the Reasons afore-mentioned in the first Remark Because 4. God's Power and Providence might be the more manifested in his marvelous deliverance of his People and in his as marvelous destruction of his and their Enemies Notwithstanding when Pharaoh overtook Israel who had got three days march before his setting out in those frightful Straits they were in great Distress which brought upon them great Distrust as well as Distraction which appeared in their reproachful Expostulation with Moses pretending they had been true Prophets in predicting all this evil which was now come upon them as if Moses by his ignorance or imprudence had drawn so vast a People into this desperate danger against their praemonition given him in Egypt Thus they distrusted God their sin having manifold aggravations As 1. They at once forgot all the wondrous works the Lord had wrought for them in Egypt 2. They unthankfully preferred their Bondage in Egypt before their miraculous Deliverance out of it 3. They murmured against God and his Minister Moses 4. They prophanely scoffed saying Because there were no Graves in Egypt c. ver 10 11 12. 5. They were too short-spirited in not waiting God's leisure and pleasure for his season Yea 6. They justified their former Incredulity and Repining Speeches in the house of Bondage We may well suppose them distracted with their distress at the sight of Pharaoh's approaching being disâ—spirited with long slavery mostly unarmed and wearied with three days travel on foot with the out-cries of their Wives and Children which was a very distracting distress so as to over-balance all they had seen of Miracles in Egypt and what they then saw of the cloudy Pillar their conduct and covering So that when they cryed to the Lord it was more from sense of danger than from Faith for deliverance it was an howling rather than a right praying Hos 7.16 Psal 107.28 more from fear than from faith The 6th Remark is The marvelous Infatuation upon Pharaoh and his People and the notorious Blindness God struck them with thus hastily to make them Run headlong upon their own destruction They did not only pursue Israel by Land but also into the Red Sea when the Lord had divided it to make a way for his People whose Extremity tho' they little deserved it was God's opportunity Exod. 14.13 14 23. When the Egyptians saw that the Israelites walked upon firm ground God having dryed up the Mud and paving the bottom c. by an East-wind ver 16 21. they did promise unto themselves the same safety and success also Exod. 15.9 vainly singing a Triumph before a Victory which Israel did not there but they were grosly deceived for they sound to their woe that this fair way before them was only to bring them into the Noose or Draw-Net to catch them It was made for Israel who fled from their Enemies to escape out of their bloody hands who would have slain Moses Aaron and the principal Men of the Host but the common People they would have led back to Bondage It was not therefore made for the Egyptians who pursued the Innocent to destroy them The causes of their Blindness and Presumption were these 1. The long-sufferance and forbearance of God towards them which should have led them to Repentance Rom. 2.5 in sparing their lives hitherto and only smiting their Corn Cattle and First-born in those Ten Plagues And as to Pharaoh their Leader who had made his heart harder than was Jeroboam's Altar of Stone which presently clave asunder when the Lord's Prophet cryed unto it 1 King 13.3 But the mighty Hammer of God's Word in the mouth of that great Prophet Moses with ten Miracles gave ten mighty strokes at Pharaoh's hard heart yet could make no impression or entrance God will therefore take now another course with him to get himself a Name and great Honour by subduing such a sturdy Rebel Neh. 9.10 Exod. 14.4 18. a work which Rabbins say converted Jethro and made him the first Gentile Proselyte to the Jewish Church and which caused the Philistines long after to cry out These are the Gods that smote
And as for the latter he prays that God would not shew any sign of accepting the Offering of those presumptuous Levites the two hundred and fifty that intruded into the Priest's Office which God did by sending fire from Heaven to consume the Oblation Then Moses committed the deciding of the Controversie to God himself So 2. The Divine Correction follows the Humane of Moses from ver 16 to 35. No sooner had those Intruders taken their Censers which they had ready provided upon their first Combination to thrust themselves into the Priest's Office and prepared to offer but presently the Glory of the Lord shining in the Cloud over the Sanctuary appeared unto Moses and Aaron standing on one side and these two hundred and fifty on the other side who most impudently stood stouting it out in defiance of God and making an open profession of their gross profaneness in the sight of the Sun ver 17 18 19. They declared their sin as Sodom Isa 3.9 there was no need of digging to find it out as a thing hid Jer. 2.34 for they set it as it were upon the cliff of the Rock Ezek. 24.7 The Rock of Ages now resolves to ruine them commands the credulous of the Congregation whom Korah had wheadled in to countenance his Conspiracy to withdraw from all familiarity with the Rebels ver 20 21 24 26. Moses denounces their Doom to be extraordinary ingageth the honour of his Office upon a Miracle to be wrought by God ver 29 30 c. for the utter Ruine of those presumptuous Rebels and that presently to be done as he had declared ver 5. in the very view of many hundred thousands of People who were all generally over-ready to comply with Korah's Conspiracy and to favour his Attempt he persuading them that God would favour it also His design being to introduce an equal popularity could not want many favourers among the common People yet those that would depart from the society of those sinners ver 24 26 27. were spared at Moses's Mediation for them praying The God of the spirits of all flesh as Zech. 12.1 Heb. 12.9 Job 12.10 Act. 17.25 El Elohei Haruchoth c. All this People have not sinned like Korah the principal Incendiary who hath inflamed so many into this hot Rebellion Thou Lord knows hearts Numb 27.16 that the People have not sinned out of malice but are only coaxed in by Korah 't is convenient for thy Glory to distinguish betwixt the greater and the lesser Sinners c. Thus Moses intercedes ver 22. and the Lord accepts of his Intercession for all those that would save themselves from that untoward Generation Act. 2.40 Rev. 18.4 In the next place follows the Execution of this Divine Correction The Conspirators all perish they and theirs Dathan Abiram and their Accomplices by the opening of the Earth under them ver 31 32 33. and Korah with his Company by fire from Heaven ver 35. This must needs be an undoubted evidence of God's concurrence with the Ministry of Moses and that he had not out of any private affection to his Brother Aaron preferr'd him to the Priesthood and therewithal it was an undoubted Assurance of the Divine Truth of Moses's Writings in the Pentateuch N.B. Moses here had no sooner spoke the word but God made it good by his deed dictum factum at once avouching Moses and Aaron's Authority and Integrity and avenging his own and their Cause in the just and miraculous punishment of the Rebels notorious Impiety Dathan Abiram c. stood impudently in their Tent-doors out-facing Moses and scorning the Judgment threatned ver 27. then they and their whole housholds went down into Sheol a great Grave of God's own making not into Hell as the Papists say for how could their Tents and Goods go down thither Yea their little Infants were not excepted who tho' not guilty of their Parents sin had sin enough in their Nature to deserve the shortning of their Lives and while God in Justice kill'd their Bodies he might in mercy save their Souls Yet their Parents were punished in their deaths in whose well led lives their memory might have flourished but Korah and his two hundred and fifty were kill'd by fire out of the shining Cloud as they sinn'd by fire as Levit. 10.1 2. Psal 106.18 but Kōrah's Children were not kill'd Numb 26.10 11. for either they consented not to their Father's Rebellion or they repented at the warning given by Moses Numb 16.5 their Genealogy is reckoned 1 Chron. 6.22 38. They were singers in the House of God ver 32. and of them came Samuel ver 33. Thus Children by Repentance cut off the Intail of a Curse from sinful Parents c. Lastly The Consequents of this Conspiracy and of God's Correction of the Conspirators which are twofold First A monument and lasting memorial of God's Judgments upon those presumptuous Sinners against their own Souls and of his Vindication of the Innocency of his most faithful Servants is appointed by the Lord that Israel might be warned there by and that none hereafter should dare to sin so presumptuously ver 37 38 39 40 Wherein 1. Eleazar is bid to take up the Censers of those sinners now slain and to scatter the fire out into an unclean place to shew that the Lord rejected their service as profane Aaron must not do this because he was one of the right Offerers ver 17. and must not be polluted by stepping among the dead but Eleazar as a confirmation of his succeeding him in the Priesthood must do it 2. Those Censers must not be converted to common use because they were consecrated not only as they had been offered up to the Lord as Vessels of the holy Ministry but more especially as now God sanctified them to be beaten out into broad Plates to make a covering for the Brazen Altar and so to be a lasting holy sign of this Rebellious sin c. 3. Hereby Israel must be minded that sin is the Soul's Poison as it was in those Sinners against their own Souls and such are all such as spend the span of this transitory Life after the ways of their own hearts and thereby perish for ever Alas how heartily do sinners feed upon this Poison as the Maid in Pliny did upon Spiders and the Turkish Gally-slaves upon Opium as Bread 4. This Monument and Memorial was to make Israel remember the Transgression of those Sinners God cannot abide to be forgotten and they are worthily made Examples that will not be warned to take them Alterius perditio tua fit cautio And Foelix quem facium aliena pericula cautum N.B. The second Captain deservedly perish'd by fire who took no warning by the so perishing of the first 2 King 1.10 11. as being more impudent and obstinate than the former the third was wiser ver 13. 5. Not only the Israelites in general but also all the Levites in particular save Aaron's Sons only are counted strangers in
they sold him into Arabia wishing him scarce so well as Caracalla did his Brother Geta of whom he said Divus sit modò non sit vivus I would he were in Heaven or any where so that I were rid of him let him be Canoniz'd for a God so I may not be troubl'd with his Company as a Man Thus Joseph was a great Eye-sore and the grand Trouble-house as will more appear after when the third thing they sold him out of envy is spoke to even to Judah himself who made this motion of selling him away far from them as well as to the rest of his worse-minded Brethren 4. Consider The Quality and Nature of this motion which God put into Judah's mind and which Judah made manifest in proposing it to his Brethren The motion was both good and evil in various respects 1. It was good in its Nature and Quality yea so good in the General that the Jewish Rabbies do affirm this compassion of Judah in drawing Joseph out of this dry Pit was the cause why Daniel who was of Judah's Tribe was delivered afterwards from the Lions Den but more particularly judicious Pareus doth most solidly demonstrate the goodness of Judah's motion from the three famous Topicks ab utili ab aequo and ab honesto in Moral Philosophy to wit Judah's first Argument to prove and promote his motion of selling Joseph to be their present work and duty was drawn from that common Head ab utili arguing What profit is it if we kill our Brother The Cogency and Force of his Argument lyes in this That all men do in all their actings and undertakings propound some profit to themselves all Thieves and Robbers do promise to themselves some profit in attempting all their Thefts and Robberies and where no prize can be expected there no project will be atempted hence the Poet says cantabit vacuus coram latrone Viator The Purseless Traveller fears not the Purse-Cutter Pirates at Sea will not assault empty Vessels Chrysostom 's Thief Steals not Straw what profit is there in that but Gold Goods and all profitable things On this wise Judah argues Mah Betsang What profit c. what satisfaction or as the word signifies what a wounding will it be That is our wounding of our Brother will be the wounding of our own Consciences what ease and satisfaction will it be to our minds if to appease our grief we Sacrifice Innocent Blood and when our Anger is allayed a Storm of Anguish be raised up in our Consciences which cannot be appeased Our Thirst for Joseph's Blood will be a piercing Sword to wound our Spirits and what profit will this be There may be some profit in selling him but none in killing him ☞ Would to God that we when ever Tempted to any Sin could ask our Hearts Judah's Question Mah Betsang cui Bono What profit to do so and so Our Redeemer requires us to reason thus What profit is it to win the whole World and lose our own Soul Mat. 16.26 the loss of which is both Incomparable and Irreparable If to lose a Mans Life for Money be rightly esteemed a Madness how much more to sell a Mans Soul for such sory simple and insignificant toys and trifles as Christ teacheth us to say What profit is it to lose an Immortal Soul and to purchase an Ever-living Death the Soul once lost drops down irrecoverably into the Bottomless Pit far worse than this of Joseph's to be tortur'd for ever so the Apostle calls on us to cry out likewise What fruit have ye of those things whereof ye are ashamed Rom. Rom. 6.21 Would men consider the cost of Sin in pain and the Fruit of it in shame more they would stand in more awe and not dare to rush into it as the Horse rusheth into the Battel without either fear or wit so freely and so frequently Had David counted the cost of that one Sin in the matter of Uriah a black bed-roll whereof is recorded 2 Sam. 12.10 11 12. had he but asked What Fruit shall I reap from this four Crab-stock The Traveller ver 4. whether the Devil that World-trudge-over Job 1.7 1 Pet. 5.8 or Concupiscence but a stranger to him no home-dweller in him had never entred into him much less been so courteously entertained by him shame is always one Fruit of Sin 't is a vulgar yet a significant saying where Sin is in the Saddle there Shame will be on the Crupper Sinners look all upon the Honey in the Mouth of Sin in its coming to them but never mind the Sting in its Tail at its parting from them They would have the Sweet but not the Shame of Sin Let Souls Tempted to Sin remember Judah's and Jesus's of the Tribe of Judah's words What profit is it yea what loss every way The Judge will be sure to cast you in treble cost and damages c. and remember the Apostles words what Fruit will grow upon such a Bitter Root Heb. 12.15 nothing but Vanity and Vexation Judah's second Argument had its rise ab aequo for thus he argued 'T is more just and equal for us to sell him than to kill him for saith he we shall not be guilty of shedding his Blood if we only sell him our hands shall not he upon him hereby Judah here Judgeth that there was the more equity in selling Joseph in regard three inconveniences would be avoided by that means As 1. They should thereby be clear from shedding his Blood themselves 2. Yet they should thereby send him far enough off from his Father who so doted upon him as to lay out all his Love upon him and reserv'd little or none for them 3. Hereby also they should disappoint the Dreamer of that Dignity and Dominion he Dreamed of Joseph's being sold for a Slave Judah thought would prevent his preferment Thus he sooth'd them up by sending them but out of one Sin into another He fetcheth them off from slaying him because should they shed his Blood they would find it a matter of great difficulty to conceal his Blood for Murder will out with men sooner or later and could they conceal it from Men yet could they not from God for it will cry up to him for Vengeance against us and should it happen to be brought to light and become known to Men then can we expect nothing but both Reproach and Revenge Gen. 4.10 Job 16.18 Act. 28.4 Judah's third argument was taken from that topick ab Honesto 'T was but an honest act and a religious duty to spare Joseph for saith he Joseph is our Brother and our own Flesh To spare a Brother is honest this argument prevails upon them as the Angels call to Abraham saying Lay not thy hand upon the Lad Gen. 22.12 The strong influence hereof both fetcheth them off from slaying Joseph and fixeth them upon selling him because they were resolv'd that they would be rid of him they much matter'd not how so they see him
c. was call'd Mahaneh-Dan in the Hebrew Judg. 13.25 which had that Name given to it when the Danites went in their Expedition to surprize Laish Judg. 18.11 12. which Expedition saith Bochartus was long before Samson's time and this likewise is a manifest proof that those Stories related in the five last Chapters of Judges were before Samson tho' related after him To the Sixth is added 'T is the Unanimous Opinion of Divines that Dan was cut out of the Roll of God's Sealed Tribes Revel 7. from ver 5. to 9. because he was the first in that shameful Recidivation and Revolt from the true Religion before Idolatry lodg'd in any other Tribe Dying Jacob foresaw this and bewail'd it in that Holy Rapture and Ejaculation upon his Death-Bed Gen. 49.18 nor is there any Account given or any reckoning made of this Tribe as there is of the rest 1 Chron. 7. To the Seventh is added an Eighth Argument the Seventh being only but a probability and having no intimation in Scripture for it namely That Jonathan the Levite spoken of Judges 17.7 and became the Priest of the Idolatrous Danites Judges 18.30 was the Son of Gershom the Son of Moses Exod. 2.22 who was born to him before he went out of Midian into Egypt which was Three Hundred and Eighty Years before Samson Dyed therefore 't is more than Improbable that this Jonathan should be alive after Samson's Death seeing he is call'd but a Young Man Judg. 17.7 we cannot suppose him to be then Two Hundred and Fifty Years Old To this Eighth may be added the Ninth Argument from Sir Walter Rawleigh before mentioned that the War between Benjamin and the rest of Israel did probably fall out in that Interval betwixt Joshua and Othniel for 't is said expresly three times over There was no King in Israel in those Days Judges 17.6 and 18.1 and 21.25 That is no Judge or Supream Magistrate to restrain them from Wickedness but under an Anarchy so to do what they listed without Controul Besides As the Tribe of Judah led the People against the Canaanites Judges 1.3 And so they did against the Benjamites and both by God's Direction Judges 20.18 CHAP. XVII THESE Premises being taken for granted to Regulate the Method and Order of my procedure in this History c. Therefore the next prospect I propose to my self and to my Candid Reader is the Seventeenth Chapter of Judges and so forward to the four following Chapters and then return where I left at Judges 2. ver 11. and so on to Chap. 17. Junius well observeth in the General that the Scope of all these five last Chapters of Judges is to demonstrate how notoriously the Commonwealth of Israel was corrupted both in Religion and Manners while they had no ordinary Supream Magistrate to restrain them and Bochartus adds that all these Narratives of Israel's Corruption were annexed to the end of this Book not because the things related therein were done after Samson's Death But for this cause that the History of the Judges which the Author had principally designed to write might by no means meet with any Interruption Judges the Seventeenth holds forth how the Idolatry of Israel in their Degenerate State began first in a private Family and that by a Woman and likewise in the Tribe of Ephraim ver 1. This one Family founded first the Worship of Idols this small spark once kindled inflames and infects the whole Tribe of Dan and so this Infection spreadeth till the other Tribes were infected also and brought to the Worshiping of Baalim and Ashtaroth Judg. 2.13 How great a fire may be kindled from one single spark and a little leaven may serve to soure a large lump this was Israel's Unhappiness at this time they had no Healer to crush this Cockatrice Egg. According to the old Rule Principiis obsta Venienti Occurrito Morbo They had no Governour to keep them in Awe and Order or to restrain this Micah and his Mother from such wickedness The First Remark is Micah's Mother under this Anarchy devoteth Eleven Hundred Shekles of Silver to the making of an Idol Notwithstanding the Forty Years airing in the Wilderness yet this Old Woman still smells of Egypt's Idolatry and here like Mother like Son Partus sequitur Ventrem The Birth follows the Belly Here was false Play betwixt the Mother and the Son the Son steals from the Mother the Mother Curses the Son though at random not knowing he was the Stealer The Son is startled as dreading to lye under a Mother's Curse confesses his Theft and though it was Sacrilidge in her Eye yet blurts she out a Blessing upon her Son she had newly Cursed ver 1 2 3. Lyra tells us of some supposing this History to succeed in order of time the History of Samson who held that Delilah was the Mother of Micah because she received Eleven Hundred pieces of Silver of each Lord of the Philistines which is computed to be a Thousand Pound a piece to betray Samson into their hands Judg. 16.5 but this blind Guess 't is no better in it self stands upon a bad bottom for Samson's Delilah was long after this Story of Micah's Mother even several Hundreds of Years betwixt Othniel and Samson let it therefore pass for a Jewish Fable Dr. Lightfoot saith better in setting down these three supposed Reasons I omitted to transcribe before why the Holy Ghost laid these Stories which came to pass so soon in so late a place are As First That the Reader observing how their State-policy failed in the Death of Samson who was a Danite might presently be shewed God's Justice in it because their Religion had first failed among the Danites in their Idolatry Secondly That when the Reader observes Eleven Hundred Pieces of Silver were given by every Philistine-Prince for tne ruine of Samson he might presently call to mind these Eleven Hundred pieces of Silver that were given by Micah 's Mother for the making of an Idol which afterwards brought in Idolatry and ruin'd Religion in Samson 's Trihe Thirdly That the Story of Micah one of the Hill-Country of Ephraim Judg. 17.1 the first Destroyer of Religion and the Story of Samuel one also of the Hill-Country of Ephraim 1 Sam. 1.1 and the first Reformer of Religion might be laid together somewhat near It was the Saying of a late Learned Interpreter Praestat mihi Vnus Jeronimus quà m Mille Rabbinici One Jerome is more of value to me than a Thousand Rabbins So I say in this case Plus valet Unus Levipes mecum quà m Mille Anglo-Judaei For Lyra is commonly called the English-Jew The Second Remark is This Micah's Mother was a Wicked Woman or at best a Mongrel in Religion so was Irreligious First That she was a Wicked Woman appeareth in her being a Cursing and a Swearing Woman The Apostle describing a Wicked Person giveth this Character His Mouth is full of Cursing and Bitterness Rom. 3.14 from Psal 10.7 and we
Conference with them the Searchers were sent to rob Micah's House of those Mawmets After this they entice away his Priest all this was grievously resented by Micah who pursues them but to no purpose being over powered he returns home Re Infectd from ver 11. to ver 27. Then follows the Accidents hereof The Danites subdues secure Laish Burns it Rebuilds it and sets up those stolen Idols and Idolatry which establish'd a Schism of a long continuance ver 28. to 31. The Remarks upon these Heads and first upon the Causes are First The Time when these things happened must be not long after the Death of Joshua though here Related after the Death of Samson which was about Two Hundred Years after they were come into Canaan it cannot be judged at all probable that such a potent Tribe as the Danites were could be to seek for an Inheritance as they did here ver 1. after so long a time Their Lot had falen to them before this time Josh 19.40 but not the actual possession of the whole thereof for the Amorites had straitned them ver 47. and Judg. 1.34 this causeth them now to undertake an Inlargement in order hereunto they send out Searchers before the Six Hundred Men of War ver 16. who in their way take up their Lodging in some Neighbouring place to Micah's House in Mount-Ephraim and so near to his Idol-Chappel that these Five Men could over-hear this Priest saying his Idolatrous Service they knew his Voice by the manner of his Pronunciation which was differing and distinguishable in several Tribes Judg. 12.6 Mark 14.70 or from former Acquaintance with this roving Leap-Land Levite They step to him after his Service and asked him what he did there so far from the Tabernacle where the Levite's Work properly lay the same Questions may be asked Non-Residents c. He Answers Micah hath made me his Priest and I officiate with an Ephod Images and Teraphim which last being made like unto a Man wherewith Michal cheated those that Saul sent to search for David putting it into the Bed in David's room to resemble him 1 Sam. 19.13 They used them as Oracles to Divine by them Ezek. 21.21 Hos 3.4 Hereupon those Searchers intreat him to Divine by this Teraphim about their Success ver 2 3 4 5. The Second Remark is This Priest's Answer to their Request of asking Counsel he saith to them Go in Peace before the Lord is your way c. ver 6. This Answer he either fictitiously hammered out of his own Brain the better to gratifie their itching Humour that they might satisfie him with a greater Reward or did indeed by inquiring of his Idol receive this Advice from the Devil who transforms himself into an Angel of Light and in God's Name gave them such Answers as sometimes were true and came to pass this is done by Divine Permission God suffering it both for the proof of his People and for the patefaction and pudefaction of Hypocrites Deut. 13.1 2.3 Thus Jannes and Jambres did turn Water into Blood at least seem'd to do so as well as Moses Exod. 7.22 c. Nor may this Mark be omitted namely the Ambiguity of this Priest's Answer as the Devil's Oracles usually were for those words Before the Lord is your way bear a doubtful sense and may be variously interpreted N. B. For Nochach Jehovah Derekekem may be rendered Obviat Jehovah viae vestrae the Word is doubtful and may be taken either in a good or in an evil sense God might as well obviate them and blast their Enterprize with his Curse as direct and promote it with his Blessing Thus Ambiguous saith Masius were all the Devils Oracles as that was unto Ahab The Lord shall deliver it into the hands of the King 1 Kings 22.12 Yea but that Lying Spirit doth not tell into which Kings Hands whether the King of Israel or the King of Syria And Civil History aboundeth with such like Dubious Sentences from the Devil's Oracle at Delphos as Craesus Halyn penetrans Magnam disperdet opum vim May be meant either well or ill to Craesus that is he shall by Invading that Countrey destroy a vast Treasure but the Devil tells him not whether that shall be his own or his Enemies Treasure And. Aio te Aeacida Romanos vincere posse This Ambiguous Oracle of Apollo to Pyrrhus did delude him for he took it in this sense That the King of the Epires might overcome the Romans and thereupon waged War against them but he found the contrary sense more true to wit That the Romans might overcome him as indeed they did and at last Slew him The like to these was Ibis Redibis nunquam per bella peribis Which by the misplacing of one Comma converts it into a quite contrary sence As thus Thou shalt go thou shalt Return never shalt thou Perish in Battle by removing the Comma before never only behind it and then the Sense is Thou shalt go thou shalt return never thou shalt Die in Battle Thus the wary Devil will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equivocating in his Oracles that however Matters prove well or ill he may still save his Credit And so he saith here God seeth what ye are going about which might be meant for evil as well as for good though those Danites met with good Success and not any evil Disappointment yet was this no sure Evidence that they had pleased God in consulting with the Devil for they being tainted with Idolatry had not retained the truth in the Love of it therefore God sent them those strong Delusions to believe a Lye c. 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. And hereupon A Lapide saith Videntur non minûs leves fuisse quà m levita ille Those Danites were as Wise as this Wandring Levite who hearing of a Teraphim must needs have an Oracle and will believe it though it do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as was said of the Oracle at Delphos that it declared only what favoured King Philip soothing them up in their way And though God permitted a Lying Devil to speak truth here in their successful Undertakings yet that old Character of him holds true Et si Satan semel videatùr verax millies est mendax semper fallax Although the Devil seem once to speak truth yet is he found a Lyar a thousand times for it and always he is fallacious The Third Remark is The Danites robbing Micah of his Mawmets and of his Priest also wherein he had so blessed himself in his blind Devotion Judg. 17.13 the prosperity he promised to himself there proved no better than an Unbearable Robbery to him here from ver 7. unto 26. a brief account whereof is this Those five Searchers being thus flush'd with this flattering Oracle trudge away to Laish call'd Leshhem Josh 19.47 where we have the same Story by way of Anticipation there they find a secure People having no Officer to head them and so far from the Zidonians that
Villany punished according to their Demerit ver 8. and at the same time 't is probable they Vowed also that they would not give any of their Daughters to those Benjamites that escaped the Sword of War or Justice in Marriage to them after they had destroyed all the Women Maids and Children of that Tribe and likewise they Vowed likely to put to the Sword the Men of any Town or City who came not up to assist them in this War which Vows they might ratifie with an Oath as is intimated Chap. 21. ver 1.5 N. B. After this Vow confirmed with an Oath they sent to Shilo for Council from God which of the Tribes should go first to the Battel ver 18. here began Israel's presumption to sprout forth They do not ask of God Shall we go up And shall we prosper For of this they were over confident both from the goodness of their Cause and from the greatness of their Strength Nor do they seek to the Lord of Hosts who giveth Victory as he pleaseth Psal 98.1 by Solemn Fasting and Prayer as they ought to have done in their first Expedition but did presumptuously promise to themselves Victory before the Fight and therefore they strove among themselves for precedency and which of the Tribes should have the honour of the Day so seek to God only to determine this difference among them that there might be no more Contention and Emulation about it which God decided saying Judah shall go up first The Third Remark is The better Cause may sometimes have the worser Success and great loss may by the Providence of God befal a good Cause as here to Israel in their first Battle against Benjamin who were the Abettors of the Belialites of Gibeah and protected those Vilest of Villains from the process of Justice which Israel endeavoured to execute upon them The Reasons were here First God suffered the better Cause to fall before the worser ver 19 20.21 to punish that Pride and Self-Confidence he at this time found in his People who only besought God which Tribe should go up first never doubting of the Victory but not at all for God's assisting presence with them in this present Attempt as if they stood in no need of God's Help The Lord had rejected these their Confidences therefore they could not prosper in them Jerem. 2.37 Secondly Because Israel was at this time generally guilty of Apostacy and Idolatry whereof they had not yet repented nor made their Peace with God but come to God's Work with Polluted Hands and had not pulled those great Beams out of their own Eyes which should have been done before they had gone about to pull the greater Beam out of their Brother Benjamin's Eye Matth. 7.3 4. This should have been first done by deep Humiliation and sincere Repentance Thirdly Had Israel prospered in their first Progress of War against Benjamin they had assuredly ascribed it to their own Power and Prowess and not have given God the Glory of a prevailing Victory Fourthly So great a loss befalls them in so good a Cause to teach both them and others not to judge of the Justice of a cause always by the event thereof seeing these things happen alike to all Eccles 9.1 2. Thus we see all the World over how the Persecutors of God's People do oftentimes prosper and the persecuted remain oppressed and trampled under foot until they be prepared for Mercy and their Oppressors ripened for ruine whose advancement by prosperity is but the fore-runner of a deeper downfal and destruction as in Benjamin here The Fourth Remark is Israel after the loss of Two and Twenty Thousand Men in the first Battle do encourage themselves to a second ver 22. Their great loss wrought in them some Reformation of their former Omissions yet had it not a thorough Work so as to fit them for a Victory For First Though now they weep before the Lord ver 23. yet was it more for their Defeat and Losses than for their Sins and Offences for they do not impute their ill success to their own Back-slidings from God but to their going out to Battle against their own Brethren Therefore Secondly Though their Loss drives them to the Lord to ask Council of him yet it was only because they scrupled the lawfulness of their War against their Brother Benjamin so ask if that were not the cause of their Miscarriage or if they might go up the second time neglecting still to ask what success they might have in this second Enterprize And Thirdly 'T is said they encouraged themselves ver 22. that is in themselves both in the goodness of their Cause and in the Multitude of their Men yet remaining of Four Hundred Thousand They had not still learned David's Art not having David's Heart to encourage themselves in the Lord their God as he did in the Day of his Distress 1 Sam. 30.6 and as they did before the Third Battle ver 26. but at this time we read not that they sought God's Assistance out of a sense of their sins by Fasting and Prayer still relying on an Arm of Flesh Fourthly Though God bid them go up here against Benjamin thy Brother though he be yet as they prayed not for God's Assistance so neither did God promise them any Success but answered them according to their Inquiry and according to the Idols in their Hearts Ezek. 14.3 4. whereof they had not still repented having forgot what Joshua had formerly foretold them If ye forsake God he will do you hurt after he hath done you good Josh 24.19 20. so they presume and are punished the second time ver 24 25. Fifthly And Lastly God suffer'd this second Loss of Eighteen Thousand Men to be added to their former loss of Twenty two Thousand to Avenge his own Cause against Idolatry because Israel was not still stirr'd up to Avenge God's Cause against Idolaters They that could be so sensible of an Injury done to a Sorry Whore in Gibeah still did remain senseless of the Injury done to the Great God of Heaven by Dan's Idolatry N. B. Therefore seeing Vice came still to Correct Sin many Achan's many gross Offenders were still in their Army they could not proceed with any prosperous Success Moreover Divine Providence ought not Atheistically to be denied because the good Cause is defeated twice and the bad Cause becomes Victorious twice also For who knows the mind of the Lord or who hath been his Counsellor Rom. 11.33 34. This might be thus ordered as the Judgments of God which are sometimes Secret but always Just for these Reasons First The Great God governs every stroke that is struck in Battle and every Weapon of War hath a Divine Commission whom to kill of Humane kind Now 't is not improbable but God took this course to cut off the Rottenest Members of that great Body by the Sword of Benjamin in the two Battles which could not but be a great Blessing to the Common-wealth
neglect of such Lawful Means as may be subservient to his Providence Hence we may learn the difference betwixt true Faith and vain presumption the latter is bold grounded upon Humane Strength and Natural Abilities which makes it so oft precipitant and rushing headlong upon such weak and false grounds thinking the end may be accomplish'd without the use of those Means that should advance it N. B. Thus the Devil tempted Christ to leap from the Pinacle of the Temple when there was an ordinary way at hand to descend by Stairs down to the ground this our Lord flatly calleth a Tempting of God Matth. 4.5 6 7. and is the sin of a vain presumption whereas true Faith when it hath God's Promise to depend upon is no less careful to use all Lawful Means than if there were no promise of God at all well knowing that ordinarily God appointeth the means and the end to go together and that the certainty of God's Purposes and Promises doth not excuse but rather oblige Man's diligent use of fit means for the Accomplishment of them as we see in Acts 27.30 31. Except these stay in the Ship ye cannot be saved Though God be not bound up to Means yet doth he not usually work without them God works here by this Stratagem against Gibeah as he had done before by the like against Ai Joshua 8.4 5. c. The Sixth Remark is The many Remarkable Branches of this Third Battle As First The Time when it was fought 't is said to be upon the third Day ver 30. for after their last Defeat they spent one Day in marching up to Shilo and the second Day was spent in deep Humiliation before the Lord in Shilo and on the third Day they renew their Fiâ—ht against Gibeah or it is callâ—d the third Day of Battle in respect of the two Battle Days they had before Secondly That Army of Israel who were ordered to feign a Flight made according to their Orders a preposterous Retreat this did flush the Benjamites and made them cry Victoria too soon ver 31.39 and so eager they were of pursuing those Counterfeit Cowards that the whole Garrison of Gibeah was drained dry Thirdly This gave a fair opportunity for the Liers in wait to arise out of the Meadows and Storm the City and then Fire it which was the Sign for those that fled to make a stand turn Head and renew the Battle as soon as they saw the Smoak of the City ascending Hereby the Benjamites were struck with Horrour being disappointed of their Pursuit they had made in the two former Battles and beholding this Third Battle to begin both before them and behind them they fled yet knew not wither for in flying from Death they fled the faster to it so that Day there fell of them Twenty five Thousand besides the Thousand that were slain in the two other Battles ver 38.46 Fourthly God's Presence made Israel's Victory easie here ver 43. In the two former Battles wherein they wanted Divine Assistance to concur with their Humane Endeavours they found it too hard a work for them to overrome their Enemies but now they tread them down without difficulty Fifthly This Slaughter of the Benjamites ceased not in the Field not only upon those that came to Gibeah but pursued them home to their several Cities unto which they fled out of the Battle ver 48. where the Israelites slew Man Woman and Child and all the Cattle that came to hand and burnt the Cities with fire because they had sent Aid to Gibeah All this seemeth harsh bloody and unlike an Isrealite to his Brother if it were not done by the Command of God but out of a Military fury they were certainly blame worthy However we may learn hence N. B. 1. Earnestly to pray that God may prevent Civil War which is always Utrinque triste sad on both sices 2. That such abominable Wickedness may neither be practised among us nor much less protected and patrooniz'd for which Divine Vengeance as well as Humane Revenge cut off the whole Tribe save a few yea their very Infants which was not unusual in such cases Numb 31.17 1. Sam. 15.3 Josh 7.15 and Deut. 13.15 God bid it be done there in a Parallel Case 3. It teacheth us what God will do with the Rod wherewith he Chastises his Children The Rod of the Wicked shall not always rest upon the lot of the Righteous Psal 125.3 when his chastizing work is done he casts the Rod into the fire and burns it as he doth Benjamin here whom God first made use of to execute his Justice upon Israel for their not punishing Idolatry among them and then God useth Iâ—rael to Plague Benjamin for not delivering up the Delinquents of Gibeah to Justice yea that Rod wherewith God had most severely Corrected Israel he here casts into the fire when Israel was low enough and Benjamin high enough and so burns it that nothing but a small stump remained unburned namely the Six Hundred Men in the Rock Rimmon ver 47. This brings in the last part namely the Consequents of this third Battle whereof we have an Account in the next Chapter CHAP. XXI of Judges JVdges the Twenty First which Relateth how the Tribe of Benjamin now almost extinct came to be restored In this Relation or Narrative the Causes thereof are declared which be two First The Efficient Cause namely Israel's Repentance and deep Sorrow at those sad Issues their Rash and Uncharitable Oath disturbs them on one hand and their Pity and Compassion to their Brother Benjamin whose utter extirpation they never designed though it fell out very near it in the heat and fury of War beyond their expectation this even distracted them on the other hand therefore come they to Shilo not so much to praise God for their late woful Victory but more especially now to seek God's Direction how they might extricate themselves out of this present Labyrinth to this end they spend a whole Day in Praying Weeping Sacrificing and Deploring the deplorable case of their Brother Benjamin ver 1 2 3 4 5 6. All these Actions were Signs of Israel's Sorrow The Second is The Material Cause or the Means by which the Tribe of Benjamin now shrunk up into a small Remnant was restored namely by providing Wives for them and these were of two sorts 1. Some were given to them freely to wit such as were the Daughters of Jabesh Gilead whose Males c. Israel destroyed because they assisted not in the War against Benjamin ver 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. And 2. When still Two Hundred of that Tribe could not be provided by this Gift others must be stolen and taken by force to save them from the Curse they had Imprecated on themselves in their Oath that they would not give them Wives of their own Daughters therefore are they ordered to commit Two Hundred Rapes upon the Damosels that came to Dance their Dances at the Feast in
of Shilo may by a Rape be caught that the Remnant of Benjamin may be supplyed his Relation here agreeth well with the Scripture of truth as the same Story is recorded Judg. 21.17 18 19 20. to the end Israel's great Cry was now that the Lord had made a Breach upon the Tribes ver 15. Benjamin was the begetter and beginner of the sin God was owned here the chief Author of the punishment and Iseael were but his Executioners Hereby Benjamin is shrunk up into a small room and reduced to a very narrow number they complain the Women were destroy'd out of Benjamin ver 16. So the Two Hundred could not hope to have Wives out of their own Tribes They further urge One Tribe must not be lost out of the Twelve ver 17. because both Jacob and Moses promised an Inheritance to Benjamin and Joshua performed their Promise to him their Land cannot be alienated from them nor can it be possess'd by any other Tribe Their State must not be dismembred there must be Twelve whole Tribes to serve God instantly Day and Night as was said by a Benjamite afterward Acts 26.7 whence those Wives could come to recruit the Tribe in the Overplus number of Benjamites unprovided they knew not that they must have none of our Daughters given them by us because we have sworn to the contrary ver 18. and seconded our Oath with a Curse upon him that durst break it Then comes in Josephus's great Projector with his Grand Salvo at the Feast of Shilo c. ver 19.20 21 22 23. This Oath though Unlawful as above must by no means forsooth be broken yet a Violent Rape is devised to elude the Oath which was far worse for hereby they added to their Perjury for it was the Common-Council's Decree that gave those Dancing Damsels to the Benjamites the sin of Rape Fraud and deceitful Dealing The Benjamites have now got a Decree in Council of the Elders to lie lurking in the Vineyards and these Damsels that came by them to their Dances they were authorized to take them by force as their Wives without either Consent of Parents or Parties and undoubtedly to the great Grief of both and when any of their Relations came to complain as they had just cause to do against these Plagiaries or Kid-nappers it was ordered to answer them Be favourable to them c. that is we have wronged them in not reserving Wives sufficient for them either out of their own Tribe or out of Jabesh-Gilead N B. Whose Widows their Husbands being slain might have served them Wives when the number of Virgins was not found sufficient c. And they are told also Ye are not guilty of the Oath because ye did not give them but they werr taken against your Wills c. And so indeed they were Innocent but so were not they that used this Plea seeing they had contrived this Rape but this they conceal least it should make them odious to the Complainers and so harder to pacifie Inferences from this History are these First That Israel's Anarchy begat a General Ataxy They having no King or Judge to Govern them from thence came all those Disorders aforementioned Their Apostacy from God was Cursed with Manifold Confusions Civil-Wars c. Secondly In those dark Times they still held that great Truth that Parents have the power of Giving their Children in Marriage This was the Grand Ground of their Oath and of their Scruples concerning it So much Light yet remained among them that it was Unlawful for Children to Marry without the Consent of their Parents Thirdly A Violent Rape of Daughters without Parents Consent was even in this Degenerate Day lookt upon as Unlawful and therefore did they use those Wiles to appease those Parents whose Daughters were taken from them against their Wills not being altogether ignorant of the Law against Man-stealing Deut. 24.7 nor how heavily Jacob took it to be Robb'd of his Daughter Dinah Gen. 34. Children are a chief part of their Parents Goods therefore the Civil Law punishes Rapes with Death Much mischief hath followed Rapes and many Bloudy Wars the Rape of Helena out of Greece by Paris King Priamus's Son did cost the Destruction of Troy And later What a Woful War broke out between the Emperour Maximilian and Charles the Eigth King of France who violently took away Anne the only Daughter of the Duke of Britanny which had been Espoused to the Emperour c. N. B. How these Couples could fadge is hard to tell An After-Consent might salve all which only made Jacob's Marriage with Leah to be Lawful c. Fourthly Their Superstition brought upon them this great Folly to hinder their Daughters from great preferment for here they had a fair opportunity of making their Daughters Mistresses of very large Inheritances seeing the copious Inheritance of the whole Tribe of Benjamin was to be divided among Six Hundred Men none of the other Tribes must have any share in it therefore the share of many Thousands did fall to those few Hundreds yet so Superstitiously scrupulous were they to disown it c. Fifthly Notwithstanding the darkness of those Times yet was there so much light as to look upon Polygamy Unlawful and Impracticable Fot the Decree ran thus Catch ye every Man his Wife c. ver 21. no more but one Wife for a Man is mentioned which shews though Polygamy was practised by some yet was it not approved even in those Times yea and in this case never more needful cause was found for the allowance of it because the Benjamites were now reduced to a very small number yet had very great and extraordinary Work that lay before them namely the Rebuilding of their Ruined Cities the Re-peopling of them when Rebuilt and the Replenishing of that Wide Inheritance which now did almost lie wholly waste therefore if ever it was now necessary for one Man to have many Wives for a Greater Increase Sixthly and Lastly Nor were those Times so bad as to allow of mixed Dancings like the Dancings of our Days between Men and Women which in all Ages of the Church hath been condemned as Wanton and Lascivious but the Dancings of those Damsels was Sober Modest and Acted only by themselves whereby indeed they were the more exposed to this Rape we oft read of Virgins Dancing by themselves Exod. 15.20 Judg. 11.34 1 Sam. 18 26. and 2 Sam. 6.20 22. but not any where of any mixed Dances as is the corrupt Custom of our Times c. Judges CHAP. II. Verse 11. NOW return we to the History Recorded from Judg. 2.11 unto Judg. 3.11 under the Government of Othniel whom God made their First Judge after Joshua Famous Sir Walter Rawleigh saith here 'T is not improbable that the War betwixt Benjamin and the other Tribes of Israel brake forth between the Times of Joshua and Othniel for then there was no King in Israel and the Tribe of Judah which led the People against the
Canaanites as it is supposed under the Conduct of Caleb their General Judg. 1 2. did likewise lead up the People in the War against Benjamin Judg. 20.18 but Dr. Lightfoot steps farther beyond Sir Walter Rawleigh's Probability and fixeth those Stories in this place as most proper which he proveth by many Arguments aforementioned Judg. 2. from ver 11. to the end together with the Seven first Verses of Judg. 3. give us a General Account of the History of the Judges whom the Lord raised up successively after this time when God had been so highly provoked by his Covenanted People in their Manifold Apostacies and Idolatries as to sell them several times into Oppressours Hands for Judg. 2.16 is an Epitome of the whole History of the Judges saying Nevertheless the Lord raised up Judges who delivered them c. which containeth the Stories of all the Judges from Joshua to Samson from hence to the end of the Sixteenth Chapter clearly demonstrating that marvelous Circle which God went in with his People When they sinned they were cast down into the hands of Tyrants when they Repented God raised them up by sundry Judges out of the Tyrant's Hands as there is a Vicissitude of Nights and Days so there was of Israels Miseries and Mercies God checkered his Providences toward them sometime with Black and sometimes with White and Checker'd-Work is beautiful Work when Miseries and Mercies are after a comely Manner interwoven and God's People have their Interchanges of Joys and Sorrows while they are below Psal 55.19 Men fear God by having changes with David not otherwise c. Thus it was with Israel in Canaan that Land of Hills and Vales of Vp 's and Down's Deut. 11.11 Sometimes they were up on Hills of Prosperity and at other times they were down in the Valleys of Adversity God goes in a Circle with them and when they were brought to the lowest Ebb He that was seen in the Mount with Isaac Gen. 22.14 was seen in the Valley with Israel to mount them up again God by every Judge he raised up for them in their low Estate turned Israel's Sighing into Singing their Musing into Musick their Tears into Triumph and their wringing of Hands for Grief into clapping of Hands for Joy c. Judges CHAP. III. JUdges the Third gives a Narrative of three several Slaveries and most grievous Oppressions into which God sold his People for their most Grievous Sins As 1. By the Syrians from ver 1. to the 11th 2. By the Moabites from ver 12. to ver 30. 3. By the Philislines ver 31. The first under the Syrians is described First By the Causes of that Slavery As 1 The Procuring Cause namely Israel's sins such as their toleration of those wicked Nations among them ver 5. their Marriages with them whereby they became corrupted ver 6. and then their Apostacy and Idolatry ver 6 7. 2. The Efficient Cause the Lord sold them for those aforesaid sins into the hands of the Syrians 3. The Material Cause they were made Slaves and Vassals to the King Cushan-Reshathaim whom they served eight Years ver 8. Secondly Their Deliverance from this Slavery is described 1. By the Deliverer the Lord. 2. The Motive thereunto the Penitent Cries of his People 3. The Instrument in God's Hand to work their Deliverance was Othniel ver 9. whom the Lord qualified with the Gifts of his Spirit for that work he call'd him unto and who subdued the Oppressour ver 10. and gave rest to the Land Forty Years and then Died verse 11. Remarks hereupon are First This was the first Servitude and Slavery of the Israelites ever since they came out of their House of Bondage in Egypt For now such Detestable Apostacy was found in Israel as Heaven and Earth had cause to be ashamed of Jerem. 2.12 13. therefore is he made a Slave and Servant ver 14. The spreading of Idolatry from Micah's House over the whole Tribe of Dan was mentioned before upon Judg. 17. and 18. Now have we an account how Idolatry did spread over all the other Tribes how mixed Marriages with the Cursed Canaanites did undo Israel and brought them to serve Baalim and Ashtaroth the He-Gods and the She-Gods of the Heathen or the Sun and Moon which many of the Pagans Worshipped all which was expresly contrary both to God's Command Deut. 4.19 and 7.1.3 5. and Exod. 34.13.16 c. and likewise contrary to their own Solemn Covenant made first at Mount Sinai in Moses's time and lately renewed and ratified once and again in the Days of Joshua Now because they forgot their Covenant and forsook their God turning to Dumb Idols c. They that would not serve the Lord in the Abundance of all things with Gladness shall serve their Enemies in the want of all things with sadness Deut. 28.47 48. therefore God forsook them that they might know the Worth of his Service by the Want of it under Woful Miseries 2 Chron. 12.8 The Second Remark is As this was the first Oppression that Israel met with after their coming out of Egypt so this King of Syria was their Oppressor His Name is Notable and Terrible Cushan Reshathaim which the Chaldee rendreth Chusan Impij a wicked King of Reshang wicked Hâ—br and this teacheth how Tyrants delight in Terrible Names and Titles His Name here is Verbum sesqui pedale as Horace doth Phrase it a bombasting Name that fills the mouth of the pronouncer of it top full and the very sound of it was terrible to the Israelites so oft as they heard its big pronunciation not unlike to that formidable Name of the Zanzummime Giants Deut. 2.20 The Country of this King is call'd Mesopotamia Hebr. Aram-Naharaim that is the Country of Syria which is Situated between the two Famous Rivers Tigris and Euphrates from whence it hath its Name in the Dual Number This was the Country where Abraham lived with Terah Nahor and Lot before he removed to Canaan Gen. 11.32 and 12.4 5. and Acts 7.2 3 4. and afterwards Jacob Sojourned in the same place with Bethuel and Laban Gen. 28.2.5 As Laban the Syrian had been exceeding injurious to Jacob's Posterity their Slavery at this time and place might mind them of that of their Patriarch long before to hide Pride from them Job 33.17 N. B. This King had God's Commission as well as his Permission to oppress Israel for God sold them into this King's hands renouncing his own right in them and delivering them up to him as the Seller the thing sold into the hands of the Buyer and yet was he but a Lessee his Possession was by vertue of a Lease and that only a Lease limited to eight years which some Interpreters suppose was the very term of time wherein so long Israel had served Idols in the Groves the Prince of Darkness directing them to those Dark Places the Thick Groves wherein his Children of Darkness might more closely commit their deeds of darkness It surely
c. pretending great profit to him for thereby he might lay a Tax upon every Poll and much enrich his own Coffers Hereupon David bids Joab to do it Secondly How God had his Holy Hand in the Punishment appears after Objection How could this Act of David being but a Civil Act and frequently practised by Kings be so great a Sin to deserve so great a Plague Answer 'T is true it hath been the practice of great Princes to Tax their People with an Universal Tax by Poll This is certified not only by Civil but also by Sacred Story The Holy Scriptures tell us of Agustus Caesar's Taxing the Subjects of his Dominions far larger than that of David his being of the whole Roman World both of Jews and Gentiles Luk. 2.1 and probably with far more Pride and Vain Glory than this was done by David yet was it not imputed to him as any heinous sin Yea and Moses Numbered the People of Israel without sin Numb 1. ver 2 3. and this was done to prevent a Plague every Head paying the Redemption of their Souls Exod. 30.11 Answer the Second Though all this be granted yet David doubtless sinned in thus doing for that expression of his That I may know the Number of the People ver 2. seems to point directly at David's Sin in that matter seeing there was then no important Reasons either for Church or State to require it at this time therefore must it proceed either from his Curiosity or from Vain Glory or Carnal Confidence in the Number of the Creature with a distrust of God's Providence which an All-seeing God distinctly observed and something thereof Job himself suspected And though Caesar did so for his pleasure without punishment yet David shall not do so God will bear with that in others he will not bear in his own Amos. 3.2 The Philistines may Cart the Ark of God but if David do so he smarts for it and as to Moses God bid him do so but David did this of his own Head without any Divine Direction Answer the Third How could this Action of David be good when General Joab a Man more a Souldier than a Casuist Souldiers use not to trouble themselves with Cases of Conscience saw it to be evil and unseasonable ver 3 4. and 1 Chron. 21.3 Wherein Mark First Joab Judges there was no just cause for so tedious and troublesome a task at this time seeing there was now no fear of any Sedition but the whole Tribes of Israel were entirely devoted to be the Subjects of David and not now blowing up in any part any new Rebellion Mark Secondly This will create saith Joab an endless disturbance to thy Subjects and give them a grievous Avocation from their necessary Employments by their Daily Attendance for many Months to be Polled in every City This will make them murmur Mark Thirdly Besides their dissatisfaction with the Vanity and Vain Glory of this Action it will also involve the People into a participation of thy Pride and Curiosity if not of thy Creature-confidence so God may punish them for this sin as he commonly doth People suffer for their Prince's sins 1 Chron. 21.3 c. N. B. Joab hath here more Piety at least more Policy than Holy Wise David had and declines this God-displeasing Act. N. B. 2. Joab very judiciously having a Nail to drive in disswading David from this design dips it first in Oyl that it might drive the deeper saying The Lord thy God how many soever they be make them an Hundred times more this he wisely wisht lest David should suspect that he Disswaded him out of Dis-affection to him N. B. Thirdly Joab had more sagacity and sapience saith Peter Martyr for his Soveraign than he had for himself saying Why doth my Lord the King delight in this thing that is to be so set upon it without colour of cause and meerly for thy mind's sake This would oft have been happy Counsel to himself had he not been better at giving than at taking Counsel N. B. Fourthly The best Kings may sometimes be too Soveraign as the School-Man phraseth it both Grace and Wit being asleep in one of the best of Human breasts as here in David's a Man after God's own Heart The Third Remark is The accomplishment of this unalterable resolve-Royal in Numbering the People at the King's importunity Mark First Joab perceiving David would not be disswaded neither by him nor by the Captains of the Host that did second him loth he was to lose again the King's favour by farther disputing or disobeying his commands ver 4. Hereupon they like obsequious Courtiers began their computation of Polling the People in the Eastern part of David's dominions beyond Jordan ver 5. Mark Secondly Joab took the Captains of the Host and their Companies with him therefore 't is said they pitch'd in Aroer probably saith Peter Martyr to over-awe the People who might be unwilling enough to be put to this unnecessary trouble and more especially to pay Poll-Money if required of them No wonder if Joab went thus well guarded not only for the pomp of a General but for his safety also in fear of Resistance c. Mark Thirdly Joab passeth through the other parts of Israel to Poll the People according to the King's Command Behold how Joab differed from himself as Peter Martyr well observes when David bewailed the Death of Absalom he could handle the King couragiously and with his roughness reduced David out of his Melancholick Dumps for then was he but acting the part of too Fond a Father But now coming to act the Part of a Resolute King Joab opposeth him molliori Brachio with a softer Hand though he knew it was against the Law and though he had found already how hateful a thing this Poll-Tax was to the People beyond Jordan yet he tamely here not only receives the King's Commission against the light of his own Conscience but Executes it also in other parts of the Kingdom on this side Jordan that he might not lose the King's favour Mark Fourthly The time taken up for this Poll-Tax was Nine Months and Twenty Days ver 6 7 8. So that Joab's counting time was much near the counting time of a Woman with Child and then he brought forth his Number as his Child N. B. So long did David lay again insensible of his Sin in numbring the People as he had done before about the same term of Time after he had committed Adultery with Bathsheba He lay senseless of that Sin till the Child was born as is noted before upon that Story and repented not all those intervening Months which shews that God's Children may not only be deeply Drenched in the Waves of Sin but even lay under them for some time and perhaps sink twice to the Bottom c. notwithstanding all this yet Sin did not dwell in David as an Owner or Home-dweller 't was only a Stranger or a Traveller to him Chap. 12.4 Mark
the living Possessions where he gives least of the dead c. The second Wonder is That so wise a Father should have so foolish a Son As the greatest Persons cannot give themselves Children so the wisest cannot give Wisdom to their Children This was Solomon's complaint That he knew not whether his Heir and Successor would prove a wise Man or a Fool Eccles 2.18 19. Solomon the Father was a Man for Wisdom while he was but a Child in Years short of twenty Years old when Rehoboam the Son was but a Child for Folly when he was grown up to manly Maturity even to the Forty-first Year of his Age 2 Chron. 12.13 and yet call'd a Child c. 2 Chron. 13.7 Remark the Fourth This Factious Assembly at Shechem sends for Jeroboam out of Egypt ver 2 3. where he had laid lurking till Solomon's Death in the House of Solomon's Brother or Father-in-Law who nourished this Serpent in his Bosom that stung so fatally Solomon's Successor c. This Jeroboam comes to Shechem the place stained with Perficiousness of old and becomes the Mouth of this many-headed Multitude which would have done better had they presented Rehoboam with the Head of this Fugitive and Traytor to Solomon than in making him the Head of their Faction and Rebellion But they pitch upon him who had been a prime Officer among them and as one that had suffered Banishment for speaking freely for them to Solomon and who was a mighty Man of Valour Chap. 11.26 28. Yea and of the same Tribe of Ephraim also But probably most of all because he had God's Promise of the Kingdom by the Prophet Ahijah Remark the Fifth This Seditious Assembly at Shechem sent for Rehoboam thither as well as Jeroboam pretending to Crown him and to perform all the Solemnities usual at a King's Coronation if he would grant their Requests but indeed intending a Defectiâ—n whatsoever Answer Rehoboam should make Jeroboam being made the Peoples Mouth Petitions Rehoboam to ease them of the heavy Taxes his Father had laid upon them ver 4. This Crafty Fox had undoubtedly troubled the Waters of Israel that he might fish the better for a Kingdom therein therefore comes he in their Name with a design to Cavil N.B. 'T was true thus far that Solomon had levied great Taxes upon them for his many Works Wars and Wives but they had forgot who it was that had filled all their Coffers with such a prodigious Plenty of Gold and Silver wherewith with chearfully they might have born their Imposts nor do they mention one word of the Idolatry set up among them in Solomon's declining days as any grievance to them They could be thus Careful for Redress in Civil Matters but over Careless in the Converns of Religion brooking Idolatrous Worship well enough which sheweth how fast they Ripened for those dreadful Judgments of God which are now hastning upon them Remark the Sixth is Rehoboam's Answer from ver 5 to 14. wherein Mark 1. He begs time for Deliberation ver 5. no doubt but Rehoboam was perplexed to meet with this Complaint of his Father's Government in the first Place instead of a Congratulation of him his Son to the Crown and Kingdom If Rehoboam yield he blemisheth his Father if he deny he endangers his Kingdom Here he sticks and craves three Days for Advice This seems a Word of Wisdom not to give a sudden Resolve in a Case of Importance but P. Martyr calls it an Act of Imprudence to give a raging People such a space for their Consults seeing they now well understood the King bare no good Mind to them otherwise he would not have delayed answering their Designs at first Mark 2. the Misimprovement Rehoboam made of his three Days desired First he consulted with Solomon's old Counsellors ver 6. this was a right step had he stood to their Counsel Their conversing so long with such a wise King had made them wise saith Grotius With the Antient is Wisdom c. Job 12.12 13. Their Advice to him was from the Advice of his Father A soft Answer turns away Wrath c. Prov. 15.1 Namely to give them now good words and he would gain them for ever ver 7. To purchase a lasting Allegiance with one mouthful of good words as soon spoke as bad and no harder Task for the tongue is an easie Price for a Kingdom Mark 3. But this foolish King forsook their sage Counsel ver 8 with whom he had consulted for fashion-sake only being resolved before-hand to stand upon his Punctilio's of Majesty and looking upon it as below a Royal Person to truckle to his Subjects Therefore Secondly he consults with Greener Heads than those other grave and gray-headed States-men and these gratified his Ambitious Humour saying 'T is uncomely for a King to admit such a sawcy Address of his Subjects and 't is but Prince-like to crush this Presumption in the Egg and Embryo c. ver 9 10 11. Mark 4. When the third Day came this young King thus flush'd with his rash and raw headed Counsellers spake roughly to Jeroboam and the People that came then for his Answer ver 12 13 14 He now can speak nothing but Daggers to them every word hath its sting nothing but Burdens and Scourges and Scorpions to they hear from him being less wise but more wilful than his Father Solomon Mark 5. Here was a Prince and a People well met As the latter the People was all for their Penny nothing for Purity and Piety no complaint their Religion was corrupted with Idolatry no Petitioning the King to begin his Reign with God to Purge his Church of Idol-mongers and whole Piles of Abominations c. So the former the Prince was all for his Will and Pleasure sic Volo sic Jubeo for an absolute Sovereignty and no doubt but Jeroboam in his Plot was well pleased with this Imperious Answer Remark the Seventh There be two causes of Israel's Revolt from Rehoboam here the first is the Causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or external Cause namely Rehoboam's roughness one churlish Word lost him now the Ten Tribes whom he would but might not recover with Sword and Blood afterwards As his changing of Counsellors from the Old to the Young did argue great weakness of Judgment whereas had he on the other hand changed them from the Young to the Old this had been both his Prudence and Honour c. N.B. So his rash rude rough rugged Answer to a People even at this Juncture fully fledge and ripe for Rebellion did plainly proclaim Rehoboam's sublime Simplicity No doubt but Jeroboam had plied his Plot warmly all the three days respite and had prepared the People for a Combustion against that time wherein he expected a peremptory Resolution of Rigour would drop from Rehoboam But the Causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Internal Cause was the great God ver 15. there was a wheel within a wheel Ezek. 1.16 For 1. God with held Wisdom
from the Judgment threatned ver 32. by ordering them to be buried with the Bones of this Man of God having a Superscription upon the Tomb-stone for saving it c. 2 Kings 23.17 c. 1 Kings CHAP. XIV THIS Chapter is a Commemoration of the two first Kings of Israel and Judah describing their Acts Lives and Deaths The first is of Jeroboam the two last Verses of the foregoing Chapter and here from ver 1 to ver 20. The second is of Rehoboam from ver 21 to ver 31. First of the first Remark the First All those wonderful Works for warning Jeroboam to break off his Sins by Repentance and Reformation were as God's Hammers which did but beat upon cold Iron 't was all lost Labour making no Impression at all ver 33 34 of Chap. 13. The Cause of his Obstinacy saith P. Martyr was his Ambition He made his Hedge Priests by Bribery without any Regard to Learning or Honesty to Tribe or Family being resolved to carry on his Idolatry notwithstanding his shew of Repentance which he made Chap. 13.6.7 because the Renouncing of that evil way would as he said Chap. 12.26 27 28. endanger his Kingdom Thus wicked Men was worse and worse 2 Tim. 3.13 Remark the Second Though Jeroboam persisted in this indelible Evil of Idolatry and prospered better than the true Heirs of David for he lived to see three Successions upon the Throne of Judah yet God's Favour is not to be measured by the line of worldly Welfare The same Divine Power which before had stricken his Hand now strikes his Son his best Son and Heir of the Crown Abijah ver 1. The Father walked contrary unto God and now God also walks as contrary to him and scourgeth him upon his Son 's back who was a piece of himself in another Skin Remark the Third Jeroboam is sorry for his sick Son Bad Men may have natural Affections which even brute Beasts have towards their own Young Yet he thinks not on God to pacifie his Anger but only of his Prophet for the Recovery of his Son as he had foretold him of his being King vainly respecting the Servant more than the Master 'T is a wonder he made not his moan to the old Prophet at hand in Bethel No in his Extremity he is driven to this true Prophet ver 2. that as the Prayers of a Prophet had healed his Hand so might they no less save his Son and none must be the Messenger but his Wife and that disguised too upon a double Account the First is The Messenger must not be known to the People lest they should on all Occasions go to the true Prophets and Priests of the Lord as he himself did Regis ad exemplum c. If he forsake his new Gods as Dunghill Deities why may not we they might say And Secondly nor must it be known to the Prophet from whom he could expect no other Answer save what Jehoram had from Elisha 2 Kings 3.13 no Prophet of God could speak comfortably to a Founder of Idolatry she therefore goes to Shilo in the Dress of a Peasant and not of a Queen with a poor Country-Present ver 3. that she might seem none other than a plain Country Woman yet grateful to the Prophet for she would not go to God's Seer without a Gift as 1 Sam. 9.7 Remark the Fourth is the Event of this Disguise ver 4 5 6. Mark 1. The same Prophet Ahijah that had foretold Jeroboam of his coming to the Kingdom was now retired into the solitary Place of Shilo there to bewail the Idolatry of Israel saith P. Martyr which weeping might further the failure of his Eyes which might well be wept out with much weeping Mark 2. Though Jeroboam's Wife was a Queen yet partly out of Obedience to her Husband and partly out of natural Affection to her Son she is contented to go on foot all alone a masked Pilgrimage to Shiloh wherein she exposed her self to manifold Hazards either of that Lion in the way that had lately torn the good Prophet or of Robbers in the High way or of being Ravished as Dinah Jacob's Daughter was by Shechem when all alone yet casts she off all those fears Mark 3. Ahijah the Seer now could not see having his Eyes now set in his Head and therefore her Disguise was now needless all dresses being alike to a blind Man however needful before among the Courtiers Hence some suppose this must be done at the latter end of Jeroboam's Reign when Ahijah was blind with Age. Mark 4. What a foolish thing is the Disguise of Hypocrisie She feigns her self here to be another Woman not presenting to the Prophet Jewels or Gold or such Presents as Naaman did to Elisha 2 Kings 5.5 15. this would have discovered her to be some Person of Quality but only some Country Commodities to make him think she was some Country Bumkin to cozen the Seer if she could But this blind Prophet had inward Visions from God so that as soon as he hears the sound of her Feet she hears from him the sound of her Name Come in thou Wife of Jeroboam whereby he discovered her Deceit that she might saith P. Martyr the better believe his following sad Oracle N. B. Thus Hypocrites would cozen the God of Heaven if they could but the Lord laughs at those double-minded Dissemblers and both Detects and Defeats them Remark the Fifth The hard Message God gave to Jeroboam for hardning his own Heart against God's Fear first denounced and after inflicted upon his Son and upon his Family ver 7 to 18. Mark 1. The discovery of her Name under this Disguise must needs strike her with Astonishment and prepared her for her following dismal Doom God upbraids her wicked Husband with his notorious Ingratitude who in no other case upbraideth any Man James 1.5 in marring God's own People by his Idolatry tho Israel had cast off God thereby yet God had not cast off them but still calls them My People Israel And the same Ahijah that had foretold his Rise from being a Peasant Chap. 11.28 a Servant to make him a Prince c. doth now as earnestly foretel his Ruine Mark 2. God arraigns him here of his Diabolical Recompencing God evil for good illustrating it by both falling far short of David who though he sinned yet cordially repented of his involuntary Infirmities so was the best of Kings and also by his becoming far worse than the worst of those Kings that went before him ver 7 8 9. Wicked Saul never set up false Gods as he hath done no Sin incenseth God to Anger more than Idolatry He hath cast me behind his back as not worth regarding Mark 3. The direful Doom denounced against his whole Family in general not so much as a Dog of Jeroboam's shall escape ver 10 11. God will sweep his House clean from all the Dung and Defilements even with a Besom of Destruction to make the Pavement pure
wretch Ahaz makes unto God for vouchsafing him all those Mercies Mark 1. No sooner had Tiglath-pileser taken Damascus but away hastens Ahaz thither to congratulate his Victory and to ingratiate himself farther with his great Deliverer 2 Kings 16.10 but God cross'd him of his Expectation of a farther continuance of Assyrian Favour for that King distressed him but strengthened him not 2 Chron. 28.20 N.B. This Assyrian Beast observing the Hedge to be now low went over it and though he had help'd Ahaz against the Syrians yet hereby he smoothed his own way into Canaan for Syria laying between them had hitherto been a Bulwark against the Assyrians So that though the Syrians had been troublesome the Assyrians became much more invading the Land in the very next Reign Mark 2. Ahaz seeing an Altar of an excellent structure in Damascus sends the pattern of it to Vrijah the Temporizing High Priest who complying with the King's Command contrary to God's Command and the Light of his own Conscience if he were the same mentioned Isa 8.1 2. This new Altar he made ready for Ahaz's returning from Complimenting Tiglath pileser a Kings 16.11 12. Mark 3. Ahaz himself offers upon this new Altar the Apostate Vrijah suffering him to do so whereas zealous Azariah would not suffer Ahaz's his Grandfather Vzziah a far better man to do it and though Vzziah was smitten with Leprosie for so doing yet Ahaz was smitten with a far worse Plague to wit with an incurable Obduration 2 Chron. 28.22 as appears in the fifth Mark and here he sacrifices to the Syrian Gods ver 13. that could not save themselves Mark 4. Instead of a Reformer he turns Deformer of God's Temple thrusting God's Altar out of it's Place and Use to make room for his Syrian and finer one ver 14 15. And of the Brazen Altar Lyra saith he made his famous Dyal mentioned Chap. 20.11 He also removed Musach Sabbati the Covert wherein the Priests reposed themselves and the Gallery 'twixt his Palace and the Temple and all this he did to ingratiate himself with Tiglath-pilezer by all this publick contempt cast on God's worship Vrijah having once Debauch'd his Conscience conforms to all ver 16 17 18. Mark 5. Though God plagued him with many Adversaries as Edomites Philistines and Assyrians 2 Chron. 28.16 17 18 19 20 21. yet so stubborn and stiffnecked was Ahaz that his Distress made him worse ver 22. resolving rather to break than bend so that this Monster of Mankind became a branded Belialist This is that King Ahaz stigmatiz'd to make up a Triumvirate 1. Cain Gen. 4 15. 2. Dathan Numb 26.9 And 3. Ahaz here who shut up the House of God c. ver 23 24 25. yet dy'd a natural Death though a detestable Wretch All changing their Temporal into Eternal Woe c. God puts off punishing some Wicked Men here for hereafter 2 Kings CHAP. XVII THIS Chapter contains the Expiration and Extirpation of the Kingdom of Samaria or that of the ten Tribes wherein Antecedents Concomitants and Consequents are very considerable Remarks first upon the Antecedents are First A Description of this last King of Israel Hoshea whose Name signifies Salvation yet his Traiterous and King-killing Nature quite contrary to his Name brought and wrought Destruction both to himself and to his Samaritan Kingdom Though this King was bad enough in slaying his Soveraign Chap. 15.30 and setting himself in his stead reigning four Years in the Days of Ahaz and five Years in the Days of Hezekiah ver 14. yet was he not so bad as those Kings that went before him ver 2. for he suffer'd his Subjects to go up to the Passover saith Lavater celebrated by Hezekiah when he invited them 2 Chron. 30.11 Remark the Second Notwithstanding this Hoshea was not so notoriously bad as Jeroboam had been who forbad the ten Tribes to worship God at Jerusalem 1 Kings 12.28 yet the measure of the Israelites Sin◠being now full Vengeance comes upon them without Remedy Chap. 23.26 of 2 Kings for now the Lord let loose Shalmaneser the Son of Tiglath pilezer and Father to Sennacherib he comes up against him and brings him into Vassalage ver 3. and executed many other outragious Cruelties intimated in Hos 10.14 N.B. This sheweth that God executeth his Judgments not only for the Sins of the present times but also for the Sins of former times Hoshea's smaller Sins added to the greater Sins of his Predecessors they were now greater Aggravations and did still more highly provoke the Lord to greater Indignation Remark the Third Though this Hoshea was Content to pay Tribute according to his Covenant sworn to the King of Assyria yet soon was he weary of that Vassalage and thereupon sends to So King of Egypt betwixt whom and the King of Assyria there was continual Emulation for his Aid and Assistance ver 4. which being promis'd Hoshea by So he paid no more the Annual Tribute to Assyria according to Custome and Covenant this enraged Shalmaneser whereupon he came up and besieged Samaria the Septuagint reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to hedge up the City and so strong and well fortified was Samaria that it held out three Years Siege ver 5. at the end the King of Assyria took it put Hoshea in Prison to make sure of him when he had compleated his Conquest over the Country as well as City and when he had done that Work he then carries away both the King till then fettered in Prison and his Subjects also all Captives into Assyria and into Media then in Subjection to the Assyrians ver 6. not only to replenish those Countrys but also to cut off all Hopes of their returning into their own Country seeing those Captives were removed so far distant from Canaan Remark the Fourth The procuring Cause of this Utter Rejection of Israel or the Ten Tribes is described from ver 7. to ver 18. Mark 1. God Accuseth them for Worshipping strange Gods after the manner of the Heathen ver 7.8 which Grotius calleth Gravis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gravium Malorum a grievous Catalogue of the Peoples grievous Sins and their long continuance in them even from the time of their coming out of Egypt which Deliverance did much aggravate their so soon learning to be Idolatrous after it Ezek. 20.8 c. but much more their continuing so long to be such tho' God long before this had Threatned that their Land should spue them out for such Abominations Lev. 18.26 28. Mark 2. They are blamed both for affronting the Right Object and for Debauching the Right Office and Action of Divine Worship ver 9.10 11 12. The first they did in contemning God's Temple preferring their High Places before God's House and adoring their own Images before Himself the Most High And they did the second in working wicked things on purpose to prooke God instead of worshipping Him according to God's Word with any purpose to