for the City Timnath-Serah which he chose call'd Timnath heres which signifies the Picture of the Sun which was there worship'd Judg. 2.9 in detestation whereof the Name was altered by tranposition of Letters Here 's for Serah was on old ruinous City which he was forced to repair before he could inhabit it and Masius tells a Story of Paula whom Jerom writes to how she went to visit Joshua's Sepulchre in this City Josh 24.30 and there wondered that he who was the principal Divider of that fruitful Land to others should set out for himself no richer Revenues but the meanest and barrenest part thereof as the Hebrew word Bethubem here signifieth yet lower nor still was this the whole of Joshua's Condescension for he receiv'd this poor pittance not by Lot as the Tribes did their Lands but by Gift The Children of Israel gave an Inheritance to Joshua ver 49. and 50. He acknowledged it a Gift to him from the People over whom God had placed him their Governour and General though it was only the People's free Assent unto the Lord's Promise or Precept for undoubtedly the Lord said the same to Moses concerning Joshua as well as Caleb Josh 14.6 seeing Joshua had shewed the same Courage and Faithfulness in espying out the Land of Canaan which Caleb did Numb 14.6.30 therefore must receive the same equal encouragement and comfort from God at that time namely to have such parts of the Land when it was Conquered as they desired Oh sweet Spirited Modest Humble Low-condescending Joshua in all these aforementioned Particulars But all this was done that there might be the greater Congruity betwixt Joshua the Type and our blessed Jesus the Antitype who did Exouthenize or empty'd himself condescending to come in the form of a Servant to his Redeemed People to whom he saith concerning the work of my hands command ye me Isa 45.11 Christ indeed became poor to make us rich 2 Cor. 8.9 was born lived and died poor c. CHAP. XX. JOshua the Twentieth appointeth the Cities of Refuge according to God's Command Exod. 21.13 Numb 35.6.11.14 c. Deut. 19.2.9 The Remarks upon it are principally Three The First Remark is The end why God appointed those Cities of Refuge was for the preservation of the Life of Man so tender is the Lord of the Effusion of Bloud that he provides six Sanctuaries here to save Mans Life from the Avenger of Bloud least he should take his private revenge while his Bloud waxed hot within him for the loss of some near Kinsman Deut. 19.5 6. Well doth Job Characterize God The Preserver of Men Job 7.20 and well doth the Apostle Adore God's Philanthropy or Love to Mankind Tit. 3 4. So precious is the Bloud not only of his Saints though that be chiefly but of all his Reasonable Creatures in the sight of God Ps 72.14 and 116.15 compared with this care of God to Man in general Here therefore all those Cities of Refuge were placed in open view and as some say paved all the way as a Mark of Direction yea and situated at a just distance that the Innocent Party might repair from all parts in due time without enquiring the way thither least the Pursuer thereby overtake the pursued The Second Remark is The Form or priviledge of this Asylum or Sanctuary teaching 1. Who were capable of it not the wilful Murderer such saith God shall be Haled from the Horns of the Altar Exod. 21.14 as Joab was 1 Kings 2.31.34 but only Casual Manslayers without any premeditated Malice the Lord acting by them as meer Instruments in his hand without any purpose or intention on their part Exod. 21.13 2. What was this Priviledge namely security from the Avenger and a safe Judiciary Tryal if his Slaughter be found Chance-Medley The practice of Princes in protecting wilful Murderers is quite contrary to this Law of God much more the Pope's dispensing with such as if wiser than Solomon who saith A Man that doth Violence to the Bloud of any Person shall flee to the Pit let no Man stay him Prov. 28.17 God's Law is Draw such from the Altar to the Halter least the Land be Defiled with Bloud The Third Remark is How long they were to stay in those Cities and that was to the Death of the High-Priest Numb 35.25 Josh 20.6 then had he a Release after a long confinement which was his punishment for his carelesness c. because the High-Priest was a Type of Christ and so this Release was a shadow of our Redemption by the Death of Christ who was also Typed out by all those six Cities of Refuge 3 on this side Jordan and 3 on that if we run to this Rock for our Refuge we are safe Prov. 18.10 and none can pull us out of his and his Fathers hands Joh. 10.28 29. He is our best Sanctuary when pursued at the Heels by the Avenger of Blood Divine Justice and by the Guilt of our own Evil Consciences c. If we be in Christ the Rock Temptations and Oppositions do as the Waves dash upon us indeed but 't is to break themselves all asunder c. CHAP. XXI JOshua the Twenty first Is a Narrative of the Cities divided and given by Lot unto the Priests and Levites from ver 1. to ver 43. Hence the Remarks are First The Fathers of the Order of Aaron come and make their claim v. 1 2. when the whole Land was now distributed among the several Tribes which they could not do sooner for they were not forgotten in the foregoing division because they were to have their Cities and Inheritances out of the other several Tribes amongst whom they were to be dispers'd according to Jacob's Prophecy Gen. 49.7 that they might the more easily frequently and effectually as they were obliged teach Israel Gods Judgments Deut. 33.10 and that the People might upon all occasions resort to them for learning the sense of the Law of God Mal. 2.7 and they do not here refer themselves to the Charity and Devotion of the People for their Mantenance out of any free Gifts but they ground their claim upon the Command of God to Moses Numb 35.2 nor was this a General Command only of Cities and Suburbs to be given to them and the rest to be referr'd to the pleasure of the People but the number of those Cities are expresly named to be forty eight Cities and their Lands and Suburbs are exactly measured in their extent belonging to the Levites not for Tillage for the Levites were to have no such Employment Numb 18.20.24 but for Pasture Pleasure and other Country Commodities Besides all other means of their maintenance are precisely prescribed as being the portion which God had appropriated to himself and bestowed upon them as his Ministers that administred unto him that so they might not stand to the courtesie of the People but acknowledge the Lord alone to be their only Benefactor The Second Remark is The Children of Israel's readiness to
evil Ghost and overtake them in the punishment as it did Gen. 44.34 and after Isa 59.12 Hereupon the two Tribes unanimously renew their Promise and Covenant shewing thereby their Faith in God and love to their Brethren they were resolved to be in the fore-front of the Battel with their lives in their hands against so many and mighty Enemies of Canaan leaving their weak Families behind them to the Lord's protection N.B. Thus the matter was adjusted betwixt them and Moses yet was it not accomplished under Moses's Ministry figuring that the Law should make nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope Heb. 7.19 it was fulfilled under Joshua who dealt favourably with those two Tribes and did not take all their able Warriours according to the strict letter of their Covenant v. 21. but only forty thousand of them Josh 4.12 13. which was not half of their military number as appeareth by their last muster Numb 26.2 7 18 34. the over-plus of the forty thousand staid behind to guard their weak Families The Fifth Remark concerns the half Tribe of Manasseh whereof no mention is made untill v. 33. where they are named either First Because they joyned themselves to the Petitioners looking upon the Land of Og and Sihon to be too large for the two Tribes only or Secondly Because those Sons of Manasseh shewed much faith and fortitude in conquering Gilead v. 39. and 't is said of Machir the Son of Manasseh that he was a man of war therefore he had Gilead and Bashan Josh 17.1 Thirdly Because this half Tribe abounded with Cattel as did the other two Tribes This half Tribe had also their Inheritance given them upon the like condition with the former two Tribes Josh 4.12 And the Inheritances of all the three was not only Moses's Donation but it had also the Lord's approbation as 't is said the Lord hath given it you Deut. 3.18 The Sixth Remark is Musakkoth Shem Hebr. The changing of the names of those Cities which the two Tribes and half conquered v. 38. for those Amorites on this side Jordan to fill up their Iniquity Gen. 15.16 called their Cities by the Names of the Idols which they Worshipped such as Nebo Isa 46.1 Baal Judg. 6.31 which the Lord would not have to be mentioned by his People Exod. 23.13 Psal 16.4 therefore their names were changed Beside 't is common for Conquerors to change the name of Conquered Cities and Countries to commend their Conquests and their own Names and Fames to Posterity But Jerom's saying absit abore Christiano ut sonet Jupiter Omnipotens Mehercule c. Magis portenta quam Numina is grounded upon the first Reason Heathenish Gods no nor Popish Idols should not be mentioned so honourably by the mouths of Christians yet those old Idolatrous names were revived and retained especially when Israel did degenerate Judg. 13.17 Isa 15.2 Ezek. 25.9 and so it is with us c. The Thirty Third Chapter being the next of Numbers affords some few Remarks The First is Here begins the 43d Lecture of the Law call'd the Journeys which were 42 in number from Egypt to Jordan figuring the Churches unsettled estate under Moses's Law that brings not to rest Deut. 12.9 as the Gospel of the Messias doth Heb. 4 3. Isa 33.20 Heb. 12.27 28. as Moses reckons up 42 removings from Egypt to Canaan so Matthew reckons up 42 Generations from Abraham to Christ Mat. 1. by whom we have entrance into Heaven All those manifold Stations wherein Israel met with manifold Exercises as Hunger Thirst Fiery Serpents Plague c. shew us that through manifold Tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of God Act. 14.22 2 Tim. 3.12 N.B. The Jews do miserably comfort themselves that these 42 Journeys are so distinctly described by Moses to make out the hope of their Redemption by the Messiah yet to come after their long wandrings and that they shall then return into their Promised Land 't were well they would more mind what their own Rabbi Moses Hadarschan most truly saith the true Redeemer was born before He was born that reduced Israel into this last Captivity The last of those Mansions was Abel-Shittim v. 49. so called from their woeful bewailing the sad plague Numb 25.6 The Second Remark is The Command of God for Israel's destroying all the Idols and the Idolaters also out of the Land of Promise from v. 51 to the end And this Command is back'd with a grievous Commination If you dare be sparers of any of them know that those spared will not spare you no not your tenderest parts your eyes to which they will be pricks v. 55. and they will gore your sides also with the sharpest Weapons without either measure or mercy The troubles which those spared Jebusites brought upon Israel are set forth in the Book of the Judges in the History of Jabin Sisera and others N.B. No less pernicious are those spared Jesuites to those Christian States that harbour them An Interpreter saith here Shall we suffer those Vipers to lodge in our bosoms 'till they eat out our bowels This extirpating Command of rooting out those cursed Jebusites is oft repeated by God Exod. 23.33 Deut. 7.1 2 5. and again Deut. 12.2 3. no less will be the preserved Jesuites but pricking Briars and grieving thorns Ezek. 28.24 to the Souls and Bodies of the Church of God as Psalm 106.34 35 36. Nor ought it to be objected Why did not God command Israel to endeavour the Conversion of those Gentiles rather than their confusion and utter extirpation Answer Because 1. The time of persuading Japhet to come over to the Tents of Shem Gen. 9.27 that is of propagating the true Worship of God in the way of the Gospel was not now come 2. Because these Canaanites were the cursed Offspring of Cham and therefore to be cut off lest Israel should be harmed by any sinful Society with such notorious Sinners their Land did spue them out and God who is the true proprietary of all Lands gave it to Israel which was divided by Lot to all the Tribes Numb Chap. 34. and a portion for the Levites and Cities of Refuge Chap. 35. and the inconveniency of alienating the Inheritances of Daughters was remedied by their Marrying in their own Tribe hence the Daughters of Zelophehad Married their Uncle's Sons lest their Inheritance should be removed from their Tribe Chap. 36. All which Divine Commands must certainly corroborate Israel's confidence of a Conquest of Canaan seeing all these Orders were given as if Israel had been now in present possession of the Land already c. Now come we to the last Book of Moses call'd Deuteronomy in Greek signifying the Second Edition of the Law and unto the last two Months of Moses's Life and the two last Months of Israel's forty years wandring in the Wilderness This Book doth plainly appear to be a Rehearsal and Explanation of those Laws God gave Israel mentioned in the three former Books
for the other half thereof had their portion assigned them by Moses long before this on the other side of Jordan Josh 13.29 30. c. Then follows the Inheritance of Benjamin Josh 18. ver 11. to the end His Portion fell betwixt Judah and Joseph ver 11. which Divine Providence ordered being the only place in which that Prophecy Deut. 33.12 could have been accomplished What could God do more for Jacob's Darling than have his Temple built upon Mount Moriah which belonged unto this Tribe placed so near the place where God's honour dwelleth c. In the last place The possession of the Six lesser Tribes do follow Josh 19. 1. That of Simeon ver 1. to 10. 2. That of Zabulon ver 10. to 17. 3. That of Issachar ver 17. to 24. 4. That of Asher ver 24. to 32. 5. That of Napthali ver 32. to 40. 6. That of Dan ver 40. to 49. The Fourth General Remark is Still Levi is left out and yet there be Twelve Tribes without him because Joseph's double Portion maketh two Tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh yet this is not the Reason why the Tribe of Levi had no Inheritance that is no Regions or Parts of the Country distinct from other portions of the Land by which they might live by Tillage and Husbandry as the other Tribes were to do neither Moses nor Joshua gave Levi any such Inheritance but only some Cities to dwell in and the Suburbs belonging to them with some Circuit of ground for the feeding of their Cattel Josh 21. throughout and the Reason is rendred because the Lord himself was their Inheritance Josh 13.14.33 therefore God gave unto the Tribe of Levi all that Remained of the Sacrifices of the Lord to live upon Numb 18.8.10.23 Deut. 10.9 and 18.2 and this passage The Lord is their Inheritance his Sacrifice c. is so oft urged to prevent those Calumnies which God foresaw the Levites were likely to meet with from the Malice Envy or Covetousness of their Brethren And 't is oft repeated to oblige all the other Tribes that they might both conscientiously and cheerfully give to the Levites their Dues seeing they had as good a right and title to them as their Brethren had to their several possessions Besides this was done for the accomplishment of Jacob's Prophecy concerning Simeon and Levi they shall be scattered among the other Tribes Gen. 49.7 for the providence of God ordered so concerning Simeon that he had no distinct part of his own but became an Inmate to Judah Josh 19.1 As this was in part a fulfilling of Jacob's Threatning so there was this mercy in it to Simeon that his weak Tribe should be strengthned by the stronger Tribe of Judah and as to Levi tho' he had his habitation scattered among all the other Tribes yet this Curse was afterwards turn'd into a blessing when they were consecrated as Priests to preserve and present knowledge to their Brethren to teach Jacob God's Judgments and Israel his Law Deut. 33.9 10. Candles bound up in a pound give no light but when each of them is lighted and set up in distinct Rooms they give light unto all the Rooms of the House Thus did the scattered Levites give light unto all the Tribes of Israel on both sides of Jordan which they could not have done had they been bound up in one pound or portion as all the other Tribes were c. After the General Remarks upon the Division of Canaan among the Twelve Tribes in general Now the particular parts and portions of Caleb and Joshua do follow to make particular Remarks upon First upon Caleb The First Remark is His Petition to Joshua the General the subject matter of his Petition was extraordinary to wit the Mountainous Territories not to be given him by the common lot as the Land was dealt out to others but a special deed of gift to him and his and for promoting it the more the chief of his Tribe came along with him as his Advocates to Joshua Josh 14.6 7 8 9 10 11 12. wherein he urgeth his own faithfulness in the matter of the Twelve Spies Numb 13.31 32. and 14.24 He appeals to Joshua himself who then was his Copartner concerning the truth hereof and he alledgeth how he was still compleatly qualified for so great an undertaking so that this special gift was not like to be cast away upon a supernatural and unserviceable Person but above all he reminds Joshua of God's particular promise to him Numb 14.24 Deut. 1.36 By vertuē of which promise he was kept allve to that day as thou thy self art also to whom together with me God promis'd this Prerogative for a reward of our uprightness and sure I am God is no Austeer Lord but a liberal Pay-Master who never sends any of his Servants away having any just cause to complain of an Hard bargain in his service No he is an honourable Master who imploys his Servants in honourable work and will pay them most honourable wages As it is no Ambition in me to require so it can be no injustice in thee to bestow on me this Mountainous Country for as my feet have trodden upon so my Faith hath Triumph'd over it and over Hebron and all the frightful Giants about it The Second Remark is Joshua's Answer to Caleb's Petition Josh 14.13.14.15 wherein is related how Joshua granted his request and prayed God to bless him with good success acknowledging withal his praise-worthy carriage in the business of the Spies together with himself and therefore his Request was but reasonable and so might not be denied Joshua doth not here as some Generals in the like case would have done he doth not blame Caleb here for beeing too hasty saying let thy Betters be served before thee He bids him not stay until himself were first served but grants him Hebron helps him to gain it Josh 10.37 and when gained he wish'd him much joy and a comfortable fruition of it Caleb accordingly succeeded against the Anakims under Joshua his General Josh 11.21 and 15.13 and after Joshua's death also Judg. 1.9 10. to be spoke unto after Secondly The Grand Remark upon Joshua here is his Marvelous Modesty and Holy Humility in this that he who had deserved best and therefore should have been served first can be content to have his part and Portion last after all the Twelve Tribes had theirs assigned before him Josh 19.49 50 51. nor is this all held forth here that he was willing to be served last who had deserved most but that he could be content to chuse for his portion that he petition'd for among the Barren Mountains whereas he might have challeng'd the chiefest Lands in that Champian Country of those Conquered Kingdoms wherein he had been the chief Actor nor did he desire this small portion of barren Land that lay in his own Tribe because of any stately Palace that stood there or any Royal City adorned with Sumptuous Buildings contained therein
Exod. 24.14 And we are told also that the Frantick People when mad of making a Golden Calf Exod. 32. did destroy this good old man because he would not comply with Aaron in promoting their Calf-Idolatry therefore we hear no more of him in Scripture-Record after that as we do of Moses and Aaron However Joshuah whom the Holy Ghost calleth in Greek Jesus Act. 7.45 Heb. 4.8 and whom Moses before that call'd his name Jesus or Oshea that is Saviour Numb 13.16 was a figure of Jesus Christ the Saviour of the World both in his Name and Actions in fighting the Battels of the Lord and in bringing the Lord's People into the promised Canaan 'T is not Moses or the Law can do it The 3d. Remark is The Effects of this double manner Moses's precando and Joshua's praeliando This we have an account of When Moses held up his hands in Prayer Israel prevailed c. v. 11. Which shews that the power of Moses's Prayer prevailed more against their Enemies than did all the pushes of Israel's Pikes Moses orat vincit cessat vincitur saith Bucholcer Moses Prays and Conquers especially when Aaron and Hur joyn'd in Prayer with him N.B. In the Congregation where Saints are praying together with fervency of Faith there the Arrow Shield and Spear are broken Psal 76.2.3 Thus are the Peoples words to David 'T is better thou succour us out of the City 2 Sam. 18.3 interpreted that thy Prayers in the City shall prevail with God for our assistance in the Battel Thus Knox's prayers were more feared than ten thousand Souldiers and Gustavus said the greater our Army of Prayers are the greater be our Victories Prayer is the best of Duties if any duty be a penny this is a pound and such as with Peter have neither Silver nor Gold to pay Taxes with may yet pay the subsidy of Prayer pray for the peace of Sion c. Psal 122.6 God will honour Prayer because it honours God giving him the Glory of Victory as the Lord of Hosts and for these things God will be enquired Ezek. 36.37 Great Constantine after all his Victories would not as other Conquering Emperors be coined upon his current Money in a posture of Triumphing but Praying ascribing more to Prayer than to his Sword And David a Man of Prayer Psal 109.4 breaks through many Hosts in Conquest The 4th Remark is The various success of this Spiritual Engine Moses's Prayer his hands were heavy v. 12. so that he could neither bear up his Standard the Rod of God nor continue instant in Prayer Rom. 12.12 and then Amalek prevailed God would have the Victory to follow the lifting up or falling down of Moses's hands his gesture in Prayer to testifie that the Victory was only from God to whom Moses prayed His hands wax'd not heavy through old age being now 80 years old for 40 years after this when he was an 120. his natural strength was not abated Deut. 34.7 But it was from Humane infirmity which cannot hold out long in Spiritual Exercises It is a praise proper to God only that his hand is stretched out still but the best of Men are but Men at the best though the Spirit in them be willing yet the Flesh is weak Mat. 26.41 43. and cannot continue long intent in devotion beside there might be this mystery in it Moses hands waxed heavy to teach that the Law of Moses could bring nothing to perfection Heb. 7.19 However it plainly demonstrates that Prayer is not effectual unless it be fervent and constant When Moses's zeal and fervency abated then his heavy hands were let down and the Enemy got the better and won ground thus it is with us when we are made able to lift up our hearts and hands to God in prayer by a lively and fervent faith so long do we overcome our spiritual as well as temporal Enemies but when our faith flaggs and faints our zeal and devotion abate then they prove prevalent therefore 't is dangerous to faint in Prayer Gal. 6.9 Luke 18.1 2 3. be importunate c. the Prayer of the Righteous avails much to which is added if it be fervent Jam. 5.16 Alass God may complain our Spirits are not stedfast Psal 78.7 37. nor our hearts fixed on God as Psal 57.7 and 108.1 and 112.7 The 5th Remark is The Means whereby Moses was supported in a steady posture of Prayer 'till Amalek was discomfited they took aâ— stone and put it under him c. Moses was wearied both ways both with standing so long and with holding up his hands all that time therefore First They put under him a Stone to sit upon Under which similitude of a Stone Christ is oft signified Isa 28.16 Psal 118.22 1 Pet. 2.4 Zech. 3.9 upon whom our weak faith is supported in prayer and by whose Spirit our infirm Spirits are sustained therein Joh. 14.13 14 16 17. Rom. 8.26 and Secondly Aaron and Hur on each side upheld his hands in a steady posture who well resembled Faith and Patience sustaining our heavy hearts in praying work 't were well if we could say Lo here these two Graces are as Revel 13.10 and 14.12 contributing their assistance and vigour to our duty of Prayer No doubt saith Calvin but Aaron and Hur did not only hold up Moses's hands but also joyned with him their earnest Prayers It may hold forth Mystically that the grace of the Gospel was represented by the Stone whereon Moses sate for by it the Law of Moses was fulfilled and likewise Morally how godly Ministers ought to animate and assist one another in the exercises of piety Distance and division greatly hinders prayer Yea and Doctrinally that he who endureth to the end shall be saved Mat. 24.13 To all which may well be added as Moses the Prophet Hur the Prince and Aaron the Priest thus concur'd to discomfit Amalek upon the fortieth day after their coming out of Egypt All three put together are a Type of Christ who on the fortieth day after his Resurrection ascended into the Mount of Heaven where as our Prophet Priest and Prince he holds up the hands of intercession for his Church Militant while she fights here below with Spiritual Amalek Antichrist Sin World Flesh and Devil c. The 6th Remark is the event and issue of all which was not only Amalek's present discomfiture but also God's Decree to root him up for the future as Rab Eliezer saith out of this World and out of the World to come v. 13 14. This is testified not only by Recording God's Decree in this Pentateuch the most Ancient Book that is extant in the World But also Secondly By Moses's Altar call'd Jehovah Nissi the Lord is my Banner ver 15. which was both a lasting monument of God's mercy in that first Victory and of his Decree against Amalek from Age to Age and Thirdly God lays his hand upon his own Throne swearing to accomplish this Decree because Amalek's hand was lifted up
Light and Truth of the Gospel Till then the Tribe of Levi prayed for and preached to the People And because Ministers shall be sure to have many Enemies for so doing therefore must the People pray for them and if Man will not Right them Light being offensive to sore Eyes c. God himself will by striking through the Loins of those that injure them v. 11. as Korah Dathan and Abiram were done to Levi had no Portion but the Lord who therefore was their Avenger The 5th Remark is the Publick Exercise of Religion promised to Benjamin ver 12. who had been his old Father's Darling Gen. 42.4 and now must become a Darling to God himself Benjamin must live by Levi because the Temple wherein the Levites ministred stood upon Mount Moriah in the Tribe of Benjamin being the Northern Part of Jerusalem though the Southern Part wherein Mount Sion stood belonged to Judah's Tribe The Valley of Millo betwixt those two Hills Mount Sion and Moriah being filled up and made plain by Solomon whereby those two Hills might seem to be but one and the greater communicating its Name to the lesser hereupon God is said Synechdochically to dwell upon Mount Sion Thus Benjamin did dwell betwixt the two Shoulders of the Lord those two Holy Hills from both sides of the Temple as the Head on the Body The 6th Remark is the Blessing of Joseph in both his Sons Ephraim and Manasseh wherein is promised 1. A Confluence of all Creature-comforts from Earth and Heaven ver 13 14 15 16. and 2. A most potent Kingdom ver 17. Moses prays here that the Sun with its warmth and the Moon with its moisture may make Joseph's Land fruitful and that the Messiah who appeared to him in the Bush Exod. 3.2 might both preserve Joshuah of Joseph's Tribe in his Wars as the Bush in the Flame and bless him with a Conquest over Canaan as with the Horn of an Vnicorn c. The 7th and 8th Remarks relate to Zabulon and Issachar both Sons of Leah whom Moses joins together in one Blessing ver 18 19. to whom he promiseth vast Treasures by Sea-Traffick Zabulon was foretold to dwell by the Sea Shore Gen. 49.13 Issachar had also some Cities by the Sea side though they mostly delighted in a quiet Country Life of feeding Sheep and tilling the Ground from whence they sucked in prodigious Profits Both those Tribes shall not forget to return their Praises to God from whom they received all those Profits They shall call the People to the Mount of God The 9th Remark respecteth Gad to whom is promised 1. most renowned Victories ver 20. and 2. a most Reverend Prophet to Spring out of that Tribe to wit Elijah the Thisbite ver 21. who executed the Lord's Vengeance upon Baal's Priests 1 Kings 18. as likewise of a most resolute Prince namely Jehu of this Tribe who furiously poured forth God's Fury upon the Idolatrous House of Ahab c. 2 Kings 9 and 10. Chap. And though this Tribe had their Portion on this side Jordan where their Law-giver Moses had his Lot to die and be buried in yet were they as couragious as any to conquer Canaan for their Brethren Numb 32.23 29 33. 1. Chro. 12.8 and 5.18 to 22. The 10th Remark relateth to Dan to whom Military Prowess is promised ver 22. who is by Jacob called a Serpent Gen. 49.17 for his subtil and secret surprizing of his Adversaries But here by Moses he is likened to a Lion that lurketh in Bashan the Place where Lions were bred and suddenly jumped upon their Prey that passed by So Dan jumped suddenly on Laish Josh 18. The 11th Remark concerneth Naphthali to whom is promised all sorts of Prosperity even to full satisfaction ver 23. For they laying upon the Sea and trading with Tyre Sidon c. could not well want the most contentful Provisions both for quantity and quality more especially coming with the Favour of God to them There the light of God's Favour in Christ appeared Matth. 4.13.16 The 12th and last Remark upon the Tribes is on Asser or Ashur ver 24 25. to whom is promised a plentiful Portion both above Ground for Fruits and under Ground for Metals together with Multitudes of Children This Tribe had now 53 Thousand and four hundred Men of War Numb 26.47 and is farther promised That while their Days lasted their Strength should last also As Moses was lusty in his old Age Deut. 34.7 The third Part of Deut. 33. is the Epilogue or Conclusion wherein Moses gives 1st a graphical Character of the high Praises of the most high God both in his own Nature and Majesty ver 26 27. and in his transcendent loving kindness to his People Israel ver 28. and 2dly shuts up all with a most elegant Epiphonema which is Eucharistical ver 29. Remarks hereon are 1st This Conclusion concerneth all the Tribes of Israel in general unanimously celebrating the Glory of God in his goodness to his Church in the Wilderness they all partaking thereof to their everlasting Happiness Jeshurun the Chaldee explains it Israel and the Greek translates it Beloved Or it comes of Jashar Hebr. Righteous for they were beloved of God and righteous in his Eyes Yet soon they lost their Uprightness and kicked against God like a Shar Hebr. Bullock or young Mule qui matrem suis regratulatur calcibus that kicks his Dam after he hath suck'd her Dugs Deut. 32.15 The 2d Remark is God was an All-sufficient Succour to Israel while they retained their Uprightness God riding upon the Heavens ver 26. was an evidence of Triumph 2 Sam. 22.11 Hab. 3.8 Revel 6.2 and 19.11 16. having all the Celestial Creatures for his Cavalry or Horsemen and all the Terrestrial for his Infantry or Footmen What Foe can stand before him and his c. The third Remark is the Safety of the Church under such a Protector the Ancient of Days is their Refuge ver 27. Their Protection is both above and below them a Child of God cannot fall so far as to fall below the everlasting Arms of God Cant. 2.6 much less can all his Children Christ destroyeth the Devil that hath the Power of Death Heb. 2.14 and with him all their Enemies are destroyed The fourth Remark is God's Church is a People separated from the World that lays in Wickedness 1 Joh. 5.19 They dwell alone ver 28. Numb 23.9 they mingle not with the Heathen nor meddle with their Worship or Manners Esth 3.8 being a peculiar Treasure to God Exod. 19.5 Tit. 2.14 having a better Fountain to feed on than the broken Cisterns of the World No Foe shall Usurp their place The fifth and last Remark from the Epiphonema is God's People are the World's Paragons None-such ver 29. such as the World is not worthy of Heb. 11.38 in their having Ossensive as well as Defensive Armour whereby they pull down the strong holds of Satan 2 Cor. 10.4 5. As 't is God's Glory to tread
grant this claim of the Levites thus grounded upon and backed with God's Command ver 2. they gave them most willingly all those Cities and Suburbs c. which God commanded and not only the bare use of them but an absolute propriety in them which they might upon necessity mortgage yet those Lands c. when Mortgag'd must in the Jubilee return to the Levites as to their proper Owners Levit. 25.33 34. N. B. The Liberality both of God and of his People to the Ministers of God is here very Marvelous in giving 48 Cities to this one Tribe of Levi which was the least of all the Tribes yet have they the most Cities given to them ver 4.10.41 because it was the Lord's Pleasure to have this Tribe provided for in an honourable manner seeing he himself took upon him to be their portion and made choice of them for his peculiar Service therefore did he deal thus bountifully with his Ministers partly to put Honour upon those whom he foresaw many would be prone to despise and partly that by this liberality they being freed from wordly Distractions might more entirely devote themselves to God's Service and to the Instruction of Souls There liberal maintenance did not hinder their Legal Ministry nor was the Lord's Bounty to those Levites then look'd upon as a Burden to them as too many pretending Conscience do dare to affirm at this Day a Lesson they have learnt from Julian the Apostate whose Project it was to take away Ministers Maintenance that thereby no Ministry might stand in his way to oppose his reducing Christianity back to Paganism Whereas it must be argued on this wise if the Lord allowed the Levites under the Law such a Liberal and Honourable Maintenance as Cities Suburbs and Lands for their Cattle c. beside all the rest of their Incomes by Sacrifices Free-will-Offering c. all due to them by vertue of God's Command whom only and not the People they were to own and acknowledge for their Patron and Benefactor Assuredly the Lord hath not made worse Provisions for the Ministers of the Gospel than he did here for the Priests of the Law Seeing that if the Gospel is a more Glorious Dispensation than this of the Law And this great point of a comfortable competency for Gospel Ministers the Apostle strenuously demonstrates Gal. 6.6 and 1 Cor. 9. throughout from whence it may well be argued to allow the Oxe nothing but the Straw for his treading out the Corn and only so much Straw and no more than what the People please this is a sure sign of a Gasping Devotion and of cursed covetousness as the same great Apostle concludeth 2 Cor. 9.5 't is well observed by an Interpreter that in former and darker times amongst us in our Land the Statute of Mortmain was Enacted in Parliament which provided that Men should give no more to the Church as if they had given enough already and wanted rather a Bridle than a Spur So liberal were our fore-Fathers to the Ministers of the Church in those times but now Tempora mutantur nos mutamur in illis Times are so changed in these latter times that their Posterities stand in more need of a Spur than a Bridle the Spring of that Ancient Bounty is dryed up so as Men commonly grudge their Ministers now a competent Subsistency but we have a better and a more ancient Instance of an Act of Restraint made in the like case with our Statute of Mortmain namely that made by Moses to restrain the People when they had brought enough and too much towards the making of a Worldly Sanctuary as t is call'd Hebr. 9.1 They did and over did Exod. 36.5 6 7. Their Liberality then condemneth the backwardness of many narrow-soul'd Men now The Third Remark is The Marvelous Providence of God in ordering not only the Priests to be placed in those three Tribes Judah Simeon and Benjamin that were nearest the Tabernacle and Temple that they always might be ready at hand to do their Sacerdotal Service in God's Sanctuary with more ease to themselves and with better content to the People but also that all the Levites who were not Priests should be placed by Lot all the Land over as the Kohathite Priests had Thirteen Cities given them ver 4. and ver 9 to 20. So the Kohathite Levites being of an Inferiour Order had Ten Cities given to them in the Tribes of Ephraim Dan and Manasseh ver 5. and ver 20. to 27. Then the Gershonite Levites had Thirteen Cities out of Issachar Asher and the other half Tribe of Manasseh ver 6. and ver 27. to 34. Lastly The Merarite Levites had Twelve Cities out of Reuben Gad and Zebulon ver 7. and ver 34. to 43. Thus the Levites were dispersed throughout the Land not unlike to Salt that is sprinkled upon Meat to keep it from putrifying and thus our Lord saith of his Ministers Ye are the Salt of the Earth Matth. 5.13 We may well suppose that as those Cities of Refuge given also to the Levites were so conveniently seated at a due distance for the best advantage of the pursued Man slayer as before So those other forty two Cities given to them also were likewise situated at a due distance one from another in every part of the Land that the People might resort to them with most ease for their Instruction in the good ways of God N. B. Oh how happy would England be if every Congregation had a faithful Minister The Lord of the Harvest must be earnestly intreated to thrust out Loiterers and send in Labourers Matth. 9.37 38. many places putrifie for want of Spiritual Salt c. CHAP. XXII THE Two and Twentieth of Joshua declareth First the dismission of the two Tribes and half to their Land beyond Jordan from ver 1. to ver 10. and Secondly The Consequences of their departure thither they building an Altar of Remembrance and being misunderstood therein by the Ten Tribes had like to have occasion'd a Civil War betwixt them but the Quarrel was fairly composed by an Amicable Treaty c. from ver 10. to ver 31. The Remarks on the First Part are First The Time when Joshua disbanded and dismissed them this was done when the War was done which lasted Seven Years as is observed above from Josh 11.18 and 14.10 then had God perform'd his Promise of the Conquest of Canaan and had given his People Peace and Rest so that they had no farther need of the Assistance of those Reubenites c. to fight for them Therefore is it the more probable that those two Tribes and half stayed not till the new conquer'd Canaan was divided among the other Ten Tribes for these Reasons 1. This Division of the Land as 't is judged took up as much time as the Conquest had done other Seven Years 2. They were not so much concern'd in the dividing of Canaan wherein they expected no share as they were under more
Abraham the first time at their entrance into Canaan Josh 8.30.33 And here have we his second Renewing and Ratifying of this ancient and solemn League and Covenant ver 25. so sollicitous was he of the publick weal both of Church and State after his Decease well knowing that this was a blessed means to bind their treacherous hearts to a better behaviour which otherwise would be ready enough to slip the old Collar if new Bonds were not laid upon them Whereupon Joshua brings Israel twice into the Bonds of the Covenant so called Ezek. 20.37 because such Bonds of Vows and Covenants rightly made and renewed are of singular use to keep the minds of Men within the bounds of obedience and to make Men more firm constant and peremptory in ways of well doing This Three fold Cord cannot quickly be broken Eccles 4.12 The Second Remark is The Place where this Covenant was Renewed namely at Shechem ver 1. Thither Joshua calls and convenes his Second Parliament as the First is supposed to be at Shilo ten Miles distant from Shechem as Jerom affirms for tho' Shilo was the place in Ordinary of Joshua's Assembling the Congregatson of Israel together Josh 18.1 because the Tabernacle was then fixed there having the Ark the visible sign of God's presence in it yet Shechem is expresly said to be the place of this New Convention and where the Old Covenant must be renewed which was an extraordinary Occasion and thereupon it was in the power of Joshua to remove the Ark thither as was done under the Government of Eli 1 Snm. 4.3 and of David 2 Sam. 15.24 upon great Emergencies therefore it is said they presented themselves before the Lord at Shechem ver 1. and by the Sanctuary of the Lord ver 26. For this Sacred Assembly met together for such a Religious Exercise of Contracting a Covenant with God and having the Ark of Gods presence with them might well be said to present themselves before God who is present in all such Assemblies Exod. 20.24 Ps 82.1 Math. 18.20 So the Name of God's Sanctuary is given to it Moreover there be many Reasons why this Parliament was held at Shechem as at a place convenient for it because First It was the Chief City of Ephraim Joshua's Tribe so this Noble City was the fittest to entertain such a Noble Assembly Secondly It was near to Joshua's City whose Age had now made him infirm and therefore the ease of Israel's Supream Governour must be consulted in the choice of a place for his Presence Thirdly Shechem was a Levitical City given to the Tribe of Levi as an Academy and one of the Cities of Refuge which were Sanctuaries appointed of God Josh 20.7 and 21.21 so a fit place Fourthly This City was the Place where was the solemn Burial of Blessed Joseph's Bones as is implied here ver 32. and for the Burial of the rest of the Patriarchs Acts 7.15 16. Therefore was it designed for this last solemn Convention Fifthly Above all Shechem being the very place where the Covenant was first contracted betwixt God and Abraham Gen. 12.6 7. and being the very place where the same Covenant was Renewed again betwixt God and Israel Abraham's Seed at their first entrance into this Land of Promise Josh 8.30.33 between the two Mountains of Ebal and Gerizzim which were very near to Shechem as appeareth from Judg. 9.6 7. where Jotham spoke his Parable from the top of Mount Gerizzim to the Men of Shechem Anointing Abimelech that Bastard in the Valley which lay betwixt it and Mount Ebal a place employed for Religious Services Deut. 11.29 and 27.12 therefore Joshua might well judge this place most proper both for Reviving the Remembrance of God's Covenant with Abraham there and for reminding this same People of their former Obligations unto the Lord there as likewise to engage them in a farther ratification of them in their Faith c. The Third Remark is The August and Elegant Oration which dying Joshua spake to this Parliament at Shechem beside what he had spoken in the foregoing Chapter upon this occasion of Renewing the Covenant wherein observe 1. His Exordium he begins in the Name of the Lord and not in his own Name ver 2. and 2. His Proposition Exhorting Israel to a perseverance in the pure Worship of God ver 14. 3. This Proposition he confirms both by Argument and by Example By Argument First Demonstrating how God had obliged them to a constant obedience by his manifold Mercies that Mercy might enforce them the firmer to duty Then gives them an Historical Narrative of what God had done for them and for their Fore-Fathers beginning at God's call of Abraham out of his Idolatrous Country ver 2 3. giving him Isaac the Heir of the Covenant and of a numerous Offspring which God brought out of Egypt ver 4 5 6 and destroyed the Egyptians ver 7. nourish'd them in the Wilderness and gave them Victory over the Amorites ver 8. and turn'd Balaam's Curse into a Blessing and gave them Canaan ver 9 10 to 14. Then Secondly He confirms his Proposition by Example as well as by Argument laying before them the pattern of their Predecessors how ill it fared with them while Idolaters and how well when purged from Idolatry ver 14. and not only so but he lays his own example before them ver 15. Telling them likewise that it was impossible for them to serve both God and Idols for God would be served truly without halting and throughly without halving ver 19. and that God would severely judge them if they proved Apostates ver 20. The Fourth Remark is Israel's Ready obedience unto all that Joshua commanded them in the Name of the Lord. They voluntarily enter into the Bonds of the Covenant and make a solemn profession of their Faith and faithfully promise a firm perseverance in the pure Worship of the true God ver 16 17 18 21 24. N. B. Joshua in bidding them chuse you whom ye will serve ver 15. doth not leave them to their own free choice to do either but proveth hereby their voluntary and professed subjection to the true Religion that their own free choice thereof might more powerfully oblige them to a constancy in their Covenant And they answer we will serve the Lord and God forbid we should do otherwise ver 16.21.24 This was well resolved had it been as well performed They seem to bind themselves again and again that they would keep touch with God by an Unalterable Resolution but alass soon after Joshua's death they started aside like a broken how Ps 78.57 Hos 7.16 As plainly appeareth in their serving of Baalim Judg. 2.10 11 12 13 c. The Fifth Remark is Joshua's Ratifying this Renewed Covenant its Renovation must be corroborated with a Ratification Joshua as God's Vicar General ratified this Covenant by a Three-fold means First By Preaching to the People pressing hard upon them again and again as in a Dialogue or Conference with
the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King he will save us Isa 33.22 While they kept close to God and his Covenant These are call'd Judges here because they executed God's just Judgments upon Israel's Enemies c. The Third Remark is The time of these Judges Judging Israel is affirmed by the Apostle to be about four hundred and fifty years Acts 13.19 20. Whereas this Book sets down the History of the space of two hundred ninety nine years only under thirteen several Judges called out by God from several Tribes as in those sums and parcels appeareth I. Othniel of Judah Judged Israel forty years Chap. 3.11 II. Ehud of Benjamin And III. Shamgar Chap. 3.30 31. 80 years IV. Deborah and Barack of Napthali 40 years Chap. 5.31 V. Gideon of Manasseh 40 years Chap. 8.28 VI. Abimelech Gideon's Son 3 years Chap. 9.22 VII Tola of Issachar 23 years Chap. 10.2 VIII Jair of Manasseh 22 years Chap. 10.3 IX Jephtah of Manasseh 6 years Chap. 11.1 and 12.7 X. Ibsan of Judah 7 years Chap. 12.8 9. XI Elon of Zebulon 12 years Chap. 12.11 12. XII Abdon of Ephraim 8 years Chap. 12.13 14. XIII Samson of Dan 20 years Chap. 13.2 and 16.31 The Total Sum is Two Hundred Ninety Nine Years unto which if the Forty Years of Eli's Judging Israel with Samuel mentioned 1 Sam. 4.18 be added it makes Three Hundred Thirty Nine Years Now add the Years of the Oppressors as they are expressed I. Eight years Chap. 3.8 II. Eighteen years Chap. 3.14 III. Twenty years Chap. 4.3 IV. Seven years Chap. 6.3 V. Eighteen years Chap. 10.8 VI. Forty years Chap. 13.1 In all an Hundred and Eleven Years which being added to the Three Hundred Thirty Nine makes up the Four Hundred and Fifty that Paul speaks of Acts 13.20 Such Harmony there is betwixt the Old and New Testament in a Congruous Chronology The Fourth General Remark is the Causes of Israel's Corruption and of its Calamity by consequence is described at large in this Book The Corruption of the Church and its general Apostacy in its Causes which are two fold 1. Privative and 2. Positive First The Privative Cause was the Death of Joshua and of the Elders that were contemporary with him Judg. 2.7 who had hitherto prohibited Corruption Their Death was the Removens Prohibens Removing that Remora and Rampart which hindred Iniquity to come in like a flood upon the Church of God but when God gave them Godly Judges then the Spirit of the Lord did lift up a Standard against it Isa 59.19 Nor was this all but there was a second Privative Cause to wit the want of a King or Supream Magistrate and therefore the Holy Ghost rendreth this very reason of their wickedness no fewer than three times in the History of Micha's Idolatry and of the Gibeonites lasciviousness Judg. 17.61 and 18.1 and 21.25 Hence it is the Opinion of Sir Walter Rawleigh that the War between the Benjamites in the defence of lustful Gibeah and the other Tribes of Israel did likely fall out betwixt the times of Joshua and Othniel for then saith he there was no King in Israel and the Tribe of Judah who led the People against the Canaanites Judg. 1. ver 2 3. led them also against the Benjamites Judg. 20.18 and both these things of Judah's Conduct was by God's direction but Secondly The Positive Cause both of their Corruption and of their Calamity thereby was 1. Their Neglect of God's Command in driving out the Cursed Canaanites they became sloathful consulting their own ease and contenting themselves with what they had already got in their possessions they began to converse familiarly with those Nations which God had charged them to destroy root and branch and so it came to pass that 2. They mixed Marriages with them Judg. 3.6 whereby they became notoriously debauched both in their Worship and in their Manners Israel now fouly degenerates 1. In their Worship they serve Baalim and Ashtaroth c. Judg. 2.11 12 13 17. And particularly Idolatry was found in Micha's Family Judg. 17. And so it spread into the whole Tribe of Dan who 1. Rob Micah of his Graven Image his Ephod and Teraphim and his Molten Image 2. Entice away his Idolatrous Priest and 3. Establish Idolatry in their Tribe which made a Schism of a long continuance Judg. 18. 2dly In their Manners oh what wickedness was committed in that one City Gibea Judg. 19. besides the obstinacy of the other Tribes in their Sins so that they repented not neither at the reproof of an Angel nor of a Prophet but went on in their own stubborn ways Judg. 2.2.19 for which God punish'd them not only by selling them into Oppressors hands but also in their Battel against Benjamin The Particular Remarks now follow the General which will add a farther illustration to their darkness c The First Chapter of Judges holds forth Israel's negligence in expelling the Canaanites and because contraria juxta se posita magis Elucescunt one contrary gives light and lustre to another when they are aptly placed together therefore Israel's Valour and Victory is first related from ver 1. to ver 18. in the Expedition of Judah's Tribe to which is subjoined the same success in Joseph's Tribe from ver 22. to ver 26. that it might the more manifestly appear what little Reason Israel had for their following slothfulness in neglecting to extirpate those Nations which they contrary to God's Command spared as is Recorded from ver 19. and so on ver 21.27 28. to 36. Their foregoing Successes were a sufficient Demonstration that the reason why they Conquered no more was because in God's Name they undertook no more to Conquer from Love of Ease or Cowardly fear c. The First Remark is Here we have Israel's first Expedition against the Canaanites after Joshua's Death which could not but encourage the Enemy and discourage Israel For the Canaanites might happily hope to hold their own now that the Lyon was dead who had so lately and largely devoured their Land and the Israelites might well have misgiving fears that the loss of so Valiant and Victorious a General may prove the loss and ruine of the Common-wealth of Israel This hath befallen some other States in the World whose Weal hath been wrapped up in the Life of a brave Leader Joshua had told them before of his Death that those Nations yet left in the Land must be subdued Josh 23.5 and now all the Tribes were so encreased that they wanted room therefore a War must be undertaken now for inlarging their Quarters which might not be done before Exod. 23.29.30 and because the Success of this first Expedition had so much influence for encouraging or discouraging the Enemy hanging upon it therefore they solemnly seek Counsel of God by Vrim and Thummim which Tribe should begin this Expedition and Judah the Royal Tribe is chosen by God for that Work to avoid Emulation among the Tribes and this
the first Offender yet this the offended Husband will condescend to do either out of pity to her or from his want of her Company he offers Reconcilement ver 3. whence some say his Concubine had not committed Adultery for in that case no Reconciliation ought to be offered for Adultery was severely punished by the Law of God c. However he would Imitate God in alluring her c. Hos 2.14 therefore brings he a Beast to ride upon home a couple of Asses though possibly she ran from him on Foot N. B. The Father in-Law rejoiced to behold Reconciliation brought home to him though all this while he had not stir'd out of Doors to fetch it Now must they all rejoyce together in this new Reconcilement the Levite is content to spend three Days therein on his own Voluntary Accord but he must spend other Days more though unwillingly being over-born with the Importunity of his Father-in-Law ver 4 5 6 7 8 9. still the Father in Law presseth his stay so long upon the last Day and all that this renewed Love might be the more confirmed by his kind Entertainment that it was a time sitter to take up Lodging than to begin a Journey but the Levite was resolute and will stay no longer ver 10. and here begins the sad Tragical Story Note here by the way Delays are many times dangerous had they set out betimes and not staid till the Afternoon they might haply have got home that Night and the following Mischiefs might have been prevented Semper nocuit differe paratis N. B. Thus the Devil usually Courteth and Cozeneth those that would look toward Heaven our best Home just as this Old Man did the Levite Be content I pray thee c. What haste In space comes Grace and hereafter is time enough Thus one Delay begets another as one Link in a Chain draws on another Qui non est Hodiè cras minus Aptus erit He that is not fit to Day will be less fit to Morrow and oft times our choice may be made our Judgment For if lingring and loitering in Matters of Salvation be our voluntary choice one Day God may justly inflict it as a Judgment upon us the next day Our delaying to Day may become the hardening of our Hearts to Morrow To Day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Hebr 3.15 Now is the accepted time and now is the Day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 Dr. Hall hath an excellent Note here It is good hearing when the Levite maketh hast home an Honest Man's Heart is where his Calling is such an one is like a Fish in the Air whereinto if it come for Necessity or Recreation yet it soon returneth into its own Element again This Office by how much more sacred it is so much the more attendance it requireth even a Day breaketh square with the truly Conscientious as it did in this Levite who rose up early two Mornings together to Depart and to return to his charge ver 5.8 but the Old Man his Father-in-Law detained him against his Inclinations Hinc illae lacrimae from hence sprang all the following Mischief and Miseries No doubt but the Old Father might out of a good Mind constrain their stay N. B. Would to God we could thus constrain Christ to stay with us as the two Disciples did at Emmaus not by force but by friendly Intreaties Luk. 24.28.29 that the hearts of the Levite and his Concubine might be the better reunited and their Mutual Loves be the more reciprocally renewed As a Bone once broken becomes stronger after setting and as Boards well Glued together will not easily be dissevered However this over affectionate Father soon felt the sad effects of his fond Affections both in detaining his Daughter four Months before and now in detaining her Husband with her other five Days until the Day was declined upon the fifth Day for he soon after even that very Night lost his Daughter as well as the Levite lost his Concubine and that after a more than bruitish and barbarous manner which happened thus The Day was far spent when they came toward Jebus the Levite dare not lodge there because it was Inhabited by the Jebusites though the City Jerusalem had been taken by Caleb c. Judg. 1.8 therefore Adonibezek was brought to Jerusalem because it was then in Israel's hands ver 7. yet could they not quite drive out the Jebusites neither the Tribe of Judah out of their part Josh 15.63 nor the Benjamites out of their part Judg. 1.21 And the Jebusites did Inhabit that City until David's day 2 Sam. 5. ver 6 7 8. which was the upper part the strong Fort of Zion from whence probably they much molested the lower part and afterwards by God's Permission drove out the Israelites that dwelt there for the punishment of their Sin Therefore this Levite durst not lodge with those Cursed Canaanites ver 10.11 12. but piously resolveth to lodge in a City belonging to God's People so pitches upon Gibeah belonging to Benjamin ver 13 14 15. where he expected better Entertainment but by an over-ruling Providence of God his choice here proved pernicious to himself to his Wife and to many Thousands of his People If this City were one that was given to the Levites as some suppose from Josh 21.17 no wonder if he turn'd in thither hoping to find some of his fellow Levites there to have the comfort of their Company If so either the Backsliding Benjamites had Banish'd them thence or themselves were become as bad as the Benjamites and the following wickedness was so much the worse Where can a Man be safe from the Devil and his Imps and what place excepting Hell it self can afford a worse Creature than an Apostate Israelite a profligate Professour and a Depraved Priest or Levite Here N. B. This Levite leaning upon his own Vnderstanding in his choice of Lodging Prov. 3.5 and not desiring God's Direction Prov. 16.9 and 19. â—1 and 20.24 Jerem 10.23 goes to Gibeah where he found none so kind as to entertain him there being no Inns in those times as are now but if no Man took them in Travellers lay in the Streets Gen. 19.2 though he would not have been at all chargeable save only for House-room having all Accommodations of his own for his Journey so that there was no reason to refuse him Lodging There was no Job among all the Benjamites who suffered not Strangers to lodge in the Streets but opened his Door to Travellers Job 31.32 Nor was there a Lot to entertain a Levite an Angel Gen. 19.3 Hebr. 13.2 until he came who was an Old Man yet a Work-man yea at Field-work and that till the Evening whereas the other Citizens were Idle and Luxurious and he was also of Mount-Ephraim as the Levite was which might make him the more kind to his Country-man who after some needful Questions asked and understanding he was going to the House of the Lord
the use of her Legs to reach her Land-lords Door where she falls down Dead ver 26. a just Judgment of God upon her Whore-mongers and Adulterers God will judge Hebr. 13.4 as she had too often fallen down in a way of sinning at last she falls down in a way of Suffering whether she repented before she Died is unrevealed if Charity do grant it then her Suffering saith great Grotius was only a Fatherly Chastisement not properly a Punishment But the Psalmist saith better God pardons eternally yet punishes temporally Psal 99.8 for evil doers God will punish for the publick good of Humane Society That she stay'd not still among those Miscreants but was more minded to return to her Husband might be some Indication of her Penitency yet hardly reaching the Door where he was so feeble their Villany had made her that she was not able to cry Open the Door nor to knock for its opening otherwise the Levite doubtless would have let her in because he had sent her out among them to save himself from Buggery This is the more probable because 't is said ver 27. that her Lord was the first up in the House and opened the Door 't is likely to see what was become of his Wife that they might go on their Journey but finding her at the Door-Threshold in a sleeping posture he calls to awake her and to raise her up ver 28. supposing she was come too late at Night to be let in and so was there fallen asleep but lying in that place and posture from Day-break to Sun-Rise he found her in her long Sleep indeed and neither so asleep as to be awakened nor sick of the Sullens to be fetched out N. B. Hereupon he takes up her Dead Body lays it upon an Ass and carries it home to Mount-Ephraim and there in a pang of Zeal divides the dead Carcase into Twelve pieces and sends a piece to each Tribe yea one to Benjamin it self ver 29. for Levi was dispersed among the other Tribes and there could not be Twelve without Benjamin presuming that the whole Tribe would abhor the Villanous Action of this one City of their Tribe as much as any of the other Tribes especially considering how the Messengers by whom the pieces of the Corps were sent did aggravate the Villany saying in the person of the Levite that sent them I came to Gibeah and the Varlets thereof surrounded my Lodging Threatned to kill me if I would not prostitute my Body to their Vnnatural Lust or deliver up my Concubine to them which I was forced to do and they have forced her so that she is Dead Judg. 20.5 This Aggravation he hoped might Exasperate Benjamin against this their own wicked City seeing a visible yet horrid Spectacle was presented to their Eyes which much more affects the Mind than a bare Report only related to their Ears could have done A seeing so sad a sight might stir up some Zeal against the Offenders c. Besides if one part had not been sent to the Tribe of Benjamin as well as to the other Eleven they might seem to be slighted and reputed as Enemies which would doubtless have been deemed a sort of provocation to desert the other Tribes as they causelesly did they neither went nor sent to the Solemn Assembly Judg. 20.3 not once making use of any such Apology N. B. This Fact of the Levite is variously ventilated whether it were lawful or unlawful First Those for the Negative say it was a Barbarous Bloudy and an Inhumane Act in it self to be done by a Strangers Hand much more by the Hand of an Husband to mangle the Dead Body of his Wife after so brutish a manner which is both against the Law of God that commands Burial of the Dead though they be executed Malefactors Deut. 21.23 and also against the common Principles of Humanity and Honesty which do condemn all such Savage Manglings of Dead Bodies But Secondly It may be said for the Affirmative that it was Lawful in the Levite's Case For 1. This was in a time of Israel's Anarchy when there was neither King nor Judge to Head the People or to whom the Levite might apply himself for a Redress of his Grievances and therefore was constrained to make his Applications unto every Tribe distinctly 2. Though this might have been done by Messengers as indeed was done by the Levite herein yet in such a profound Lethargy did all Israel lie at this Time that a bare Message by word of Mouth only could not possibly rouze them out of it and therefore this Levite from a Divine Impulse and Zeal for Justice might judge this Horrid Spectacle also necessary and most effectual 3. Nor did he do this out of any design to Dishonour the Dead but for the benefit of the Living to bring those Belialists to Condign Punishment least the very Air should be poisoned by the Breath of those Pests if permitted any longer to live in the Land and more especially least the dreadful Judgments of God should fall upon the whole Land for Indemnifying Delinquents of the greatest Magnitude And thus for publick good the Law allows of Anatomies that Dead Bodies may be Dissected that by searching out the Secrets of Nature both Physicians and Chirurgeons may learn more skill out of the Bodies of the Dead either to prevent or to cure those Diseases that are Incident to the Bodies of the Living The Levite's Intelligence which he sent to all the Tribes in so marvelous a manner sounds a loud Alarm to the whole Land of Promise insomuch that all Israel do universally acknowledge there was never the like Horrid Villany neither done nor seen neither in their own times nor in the time of their Ancestors Hereupon it was generally concluded to hold a Solemn Assembly wherein this lamentable Tragedy might be seriously search'd into every Man speaking freely and to have speedy Justice executed upon those desperate Delinquents the Actors of it that the Land might not be liable to the Wrath of God if unpunished CHAP. XX. JUdges the Twentieth is a Narrative of the punishment upon Gibeah for this most Horrible Villany and upon the whole Tribe of Benjamin for patronizing that wicked and wretched Town Wherein observe 1. The Antecedents 2. The Concomitants 3. The Consequents First The Antecedents are The General Convention of all the Tribes of Israel excepting Benjamin to consult what was to be done in punishing this abominable Action This is described 1. By the Persons who Convened namely both the People and the Princes ver 1 2. 2. By the Number how many Four hundred Thousand ver 2. 3 By the place where at Mizpeh ver 1.3 4. By the Acts that passed at this General Convention namely 1. They Cite the Benjamites to appear ver 3.2 They hear the Levites complaint ver 4 5 6 7.3 They demand the Benjamites to deliver up the Delinquents ver 12 13.4 They Decree War against Benjamin for their Contumacy
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
Abimelech by a Witty and Woody Wile makes a shift to burn both the Tower and the Sacred Fort wherein about a Thousand Men and Women were burned and Baal-Berith their helpless Block became a Burnt-Offering with them From thence Abimelech marches to Thebez near Millo out of which fire came forth and devoured him according to Jotham's Prophetick Curse ver 20. The Towns People ran into their strong Tower that were not slain in the taking the Town taking up great Stones to the top of the Tower which was flat Roof'd to beat off the Assailants Abimelech Intoxicated with his former Success was not Timerous but too Temerarious he being Fool-hardy went har'd to the Door to burn it also but a Woman throws down a piece of a Mill-stone upon his Head and breaks his Scull There lay this Bramble Brained and this brings in the last part of his History i. e. his Death described by its Concomitants and Consequents First The Concomitants He Died desperately in his sin his Wicked Life ended in a Woful Death he taketh care of his Credit but none of his Soul saying to his Armour-bearer Slay thou me and let it not be said a Woman slew me Yet this means whereby he thought to smother it did divulge it the more 2 Sam. 11.21 N. B. Behold the Just Hand of God upon him he had slain his Seventy Brethren upon a Stone ver 5. and now he loseth his own Life by a Stone his Head had stoln the Crown of Israel and now a Woman of Israel breaks his Head into pieces for so doing His Sin was writ upon his Punishment Secondly The Consequents of his Death his Army immediately dispersed not staying to take the Tower c. to Revenge their King's Death but likely were glad to be rid of such a Tyrant who Entred like a Fox Reigned like a Lyon and Died like a Dog This Cursed Bramble was fit for nothing but as to burn others so to be burnt it self for the wrong done to his Father That Hainous Sin had an Heavy Punishment and Jotham proves a True Prophet though it was three Years after he had uttered his Prophecy ver 46 47 48 49 50. to the end Judges CHAP. X. JUdges the Tenth relateth Israel's Relapsing and Repenting in general for they enjoyed Peace under their Seventh Judge Tolah and under their Eighth Judge Jair but after them they Relapsed into Idolatry and were oppressed by the Ammonites c. Therefore in this Chapter is the double State of Israel to be considered First The State of their Liberty 1. Under Judge Tola And 2. Under Judge Jair from ver 1. to ver 6. The Remarks upon this first State be First This Tola is described by his Parents Ancestors Tribe and Seat ver 1. and by his Life Death and Burial ver 2. He thrust not himself into this Office as Abimelech the Usurper had done but was raised up by God and was accordingly qualified to Reduce Israel into Right Order when notoriously disordered by Abimelech's Tyranny to abolish Idolatry which much abounded during Abimelech's Licentious Monarchy and to Restore Religion to its Native Purity c. Here was work enough for Tola though he had not as we read any Oppressing Enemies to deliver Israel from in his Day N. B. He beareth the Name of the first born of Issacher Gen. 46.13 A Tribe of a sluggish Disposition Gen. 49.14 fitter for Subjection in Couching than for Dominion in Commanding and not much Memoriz'd in her Men any where Deborah doth indeed celebrate them in her Song for having Valiant Princes and People that assisted her Judg 5.15 and David made great account of them in his Day for their understanding in the times c. 1 Chron. 12.32 This Tola likely was such an one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of Eminency who knew what Israel ought to do and who by a prudent and pious Government kept them from Sedition and Civil Wars from Oppression and Tyranny as also from Idolatry for Twenty and Three Years while he lived in Samaria where likewise he lay buried ver 1 2. The Second Remark relateth to Judge Jair who was a Man of great Wealth and Worth in Gilead having Thirty Son that were Lords of Thirty Cities and that rode upon Thirty Mules of State like Judges or Men of the greatest Figure and Quality as Judg 5.10 and 12.14 2 Sam. 13.29 and 18.9 1 Kings 1.33.38 44. and these were all Princes Subordinate to Judge Jair N. B. Note well This was not that Jair whom Moses mentioned Numb 32.41 for that was above Three hundred Years before this and he had but Twenty Three small Towns Conquered from the Canaanites 1 Chron. 2.22 But this Man's Sons had Thirty Cities supposed to be the same with Addition but now Wall'd about and Fortified for this Judge Jair's Honour and therefore were called Hanoth-Jair after his Name given them by his Honourable Ancestors and now both Increased Beautified and Fortified in his Day This Judge was of the Tribe of Manasseh beyond Jordan he Judged Israel Twenty and Two Years appeasing all Tumults such as had broke forth in Abimelech's Tyranny restoring the true Religion and administring Justice according to God's Law N. B. The Sequel demonstrates that Judge Jair could not reclaim them all his Days though he did his Endeavour Then this Judge died and so went to be Judged at the Tribunal of the Supream Judge ver 4 5. Hebr. 9.27 The Second State of Israel was their State of Slavery after a long State of Liberty The Lord sold them again into the hands of their Enemies This State is described 1. By its Cause ver 6 7. 2. By its Adjuncts of Time Persons and Place ver 8 9. And 3. By its Effects bringing Israel to Repentance c. ver 10. to 16 c. The First Remark hereupon is The Moving Cause of their Bondage now was the breaking forth of their old Itch of Idolatry and that worse than ever after a long Restraint for they Worship not only Baalim and Ashtaroth as formerly but they must have Cheimosh and Molcch and Dagon also mean while they quite forsook the Lord because his Service was too severe but the Service of Idols was more Flesh-pleasing allowing of Stage-Plays Dancings Comedies Tragedies and such like Mad Merriments and because they saw those Idol-Worshipers flourish in Wealth and Honour while themselves were Poor and Contemptible and lastly because themselves were but few compared with the Idolatrous World therefore the Lord sold them into the hands of those with whom they hoped to Ingratiate by serving their Gods The Second Remark is 'T is said That Year they vexed them ver 8. both the Persons vexing and the time of their being vexed are just matter of Inquiry As to the Persons vexing it is Answered Though the Philistines be named in ver 7. as well as the Ammonites to be the vexing Persons yet in the History of Jephtab the Ammonites were the principal Persons that
both First It was Secret so not to be pryed into by Curiosity Deut. 29.29 And Secondly Wonderful so that it cannot be comprehended by any Humane Understanding and therefore 't is rather to be adored than searched into ver 15 16 17 18. This Wonderful Angel manifested his Name to Manoah after in his wonderful Actings Then Manoah took a Kid c. though he was no Priest nor had he nigh him the Altar of God's appointing to offer his Sacrifice upon Deut. 12 13 14 c. N. B. Yet Christ standing by him gives a sufficient Warrant to him ver 16. so that he dispensed with his own Law and made both this extraordinary Sacrificer and the extraordinary Altar to be both Lawful and Acceptable ver 19. This Acceptance more plainly appeared in the wonderful Actings of this Angel for no sooner was Manoah's Kid laid upon the Rock as a Sacrifice but presently fire is fetched out of the Rock in a miraculous manner and consumed the Kid-flesh and the Angel ascended up to Heaven in the Flame thereof while Manoah and his Wife looked on ver 20 whereby they knew he was more than a Man of God even the Angel of the Lord yea the Lord of Angels All this could not but be a strong Confirmation of their Faith in having their promised Son and that their Prayers and Oblations were assuredly accepted of God seeing Christ himself had carried them up along with him to present them to the Father N. B. And this is Christ's Work still for his Praying Servants he is our High-Priest that both brings and Burns our Sacrifices to God and perfumes our Prayers so with the sweet Odours of his Merits and Mediation Revel 5.8 and 8.3 Psal 14.12 that they cannot fail or fall short of going up with Acceptance upon God's Altar the Flame of this Altar doth sweetly represent the Office of Christ in his procuring Acceptance with God both for our Prayers and Persons c. N. B. However the Effect of this Wonderful Ascension became a dreadful Consternation in both the Beholders so that they both fell upon their Faces to the ground ver 20. possibly the fire flaming forth out of the Rock and turning their Sacrifice into Ashes as Psal 20.3 might fright them at the first into this prostrate posture and both of them were struck with a Religious fear of Death as is expressed ver 22. and out of a Reverence to that glorious presence manifested in such a wonderful manner they humble themselves to the Earth in Supplication to God for the prevention of Death N. B. The Sign of this Malady was more manifest in Manoah who was in the deeper Consternation than the Woman as appeareth by his lamentable Out-cry We shall surely die because we have seen God ver 22. and no wonder he cryed so to his Wife when Gideon a Man of a more Martial and Magnanimous a Spirit said as much in effect Judg. 6.22 N. B. This General Notion was grounded as 't is supposed from the mistaking of that Text There shall no Man see God and live Exod. 33.20 for though no Mortal Man can behold God in his Majesty yet Jacob Moses and others saw God in such Simulachra's whereby he made himself visible to them yet their Lives were preserved The Rabbins say of them they saw Merchabab velo Rochab only the Chariot God Rode in but not the Rider N. B. But Manoah's Wife recover'd her self first out of the Consternation and having got her Faith above her Fear labours to recover her Husband by applying a fit Remedy to his Malady It seemeth here that the weaker Vessel had the stronger Faith ver 23. where she brings forth pregnant Arguments to shore up her Husband 's fainting Faith which be First From God's receiving their Oblation And the Second is From God's Revealing such Secrets to them about having a Son c. And her Third was And both these in a time of Grievous Common Calamities when open Vision was not Therefore she concludes We shall not Die The last Remark is upon the second part of this Thirteenth Chapter namely the Consequents of this Wonderful Apparition As First Manoah's Wife notwithstanding her Fright both asked and bears a Son by the force of her Faith and calls his Name Samson Hebr. Shimshon which signifies Solilus N. B. A Little Son for Shemesh Hebr. signifies a Son thus he was a Type of Christ who had promised him to his Parents even that Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 N. B. Josephus Interprets this Name Robustus Strong because Samson was strong even to a Proverb As strong as Samson and as the Sun in its strength Judg. 5.31 is irresistible even so was Samson whom the Lord blessed with growth ver 24. both in Invincible Valour of Mind and in Impregnable Strength of Body N. B. So that like a little Sun he began to shine forth toward Israel's Deliverance N. B. Or Shemesh Hebr. signifies a Servant for the Sun is the grand Servant of the World lending light to Man in all his Labours who is said to go forth to his Work and to his Labour until the Evening or Sun-setting Psal 104.23 So Samson was a great Servant of God for Israel's good The Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times ver 25. that is to inspire him with all Gifts and Graces needful for that high employ of Israel's Judge and Deliverer N. B. What God call'd him to he qualified him for so that while he was yet but a Stripling he manifested some Mighty Marks of a most Military Martial Mind in some Matchless Exploits as is supposed against the Philistines which the next Chapter maketh apparent God making use of those his Youthful Essays as Praeludes of Samson's future Valour and Victory over those Philistines whom he hereby provoked and made a Challenge to a Duel c. N. B. Those early Attempts of his were in the Camp of Dan so call'd Judg. 18.11 12. which Story though placed after this was done before it as above In this very place near Hebron the Danites had formed another Camp to give some check to the Incursions of the Philistines which might occasion this Youth to exert his Valour in sight of the Danites N. B. Oh Happy Youth that has the Spirit of God moving them betimes while Young c. Judges CHAP. XIV JUdges the Fourteenth contains Samson's Marriage whereof the Antecedents the Concomitants and the Consequents are very considerable First The Antecedents of it afford Remarks As First Samson went down to Timnath ver 1. a City given by Lot to the Tribe of Dan Josh 19.43 but they being not able it seems to drive out its Inhabitants the Philistines lived there still and now by God's Just Judgements for Israel's new sins they were Lords over Israel ver 4. yet they paying their Tribute duly and truly they were suffered to Trade with them therefore Samson when grown up to Maturity went down thither whether to the Market or to the
seat of his Pride and Impudence when no other part of Goliah was capable of danger he being wholly Immured from Top to Toe as it were in a Wall of Brass that the Stone did sink into his Forehead v. 49. N. B. As a stone doth naturally and speedily fink into the soft Water so it sank into his hard Skull and through that into his Brain also But suppose he had his Helmet pull'd down over his Forehead and Face as some say he had this renders the Wonder more Wonderful that a Sling stone should pierce through his Helmet of Brass which was harder than his Skull surely David by the Spiritual force of his most Heroick Faith makes this Stone fly at the Face of his Adversary and he seemed no otherwise than to have wrapped up in his Sling not a Stone only but with Reverence be it spoken even the Blessed God himself he hurl'd the Almighty Power of his God at the Head of Goliah and this bâ—â—ke through all Seventhly No sooner had this Stone pierced through the Pia Mater which compasseth the Brain like a Swathing Cloth which Solomon calls The Golden Bowl Eccles 12.6 if that be broken the Wound is Mortal and Goliah with this Wound was deprived of all sense and motion so that he fell flat with his Face on the ground and there lay the Greatness of Great Goliah N. B. No doubt but he caus'd an Earthquake by his great fall considering both the Bulk of his Body and Weight of his Armour Eighthly Observe how David prevailed over the Philistine with a Sling and a Stone v. 50. which were unlikely means to prostrate so Bulky a Body in so strong a Garrison as it was wrap'd up in such strong Armour All this did David by the help of his God and by the force of his Faith Hebr. 11.32 So Shamgar had obtained a great Victory over those Philistines with an improbable Weapon namely an Oxes-Goad and Samson the like with a like contemptible Instrument to wit the Jaw-bone of an Ass 'T is no matter what the Tool be if God take it in his Hand God oft useth such contemptible means the more to manifest his own Power and Glory 2 Cor. 12 9. Ninthly Observe how Goliah's Head was cut off with his own Sword v. 51. So soon as David saw Goliah lay sprawling upon the ground saith Josephus then David ran and drew out the Gyants Sword out of its Sheath which Goliah had not as yet drawn out designing first to begin the Fight with his Spear and not to use his Sword till he came to a closer Combat but David's Sling-stone had prevented that and now David doth draw it for him to cut off his own Head with his own Sword N. B. This argues that David was a strong Man if he were a little Man as most imagine otherwise he had not been able to have wielded a Giant 's Sword as he did here for cutting off the Giant 's Head and we read he was able to wear it after Chap. 21.9 N. B. Thus Goliah Propriis pennis configitur as Julian the Apostate said when the Christians consuted his Heathens by their own Arts and Authors alluding to that Adage A Fowl may be shot with an Arrow that is Feather'd out of its own Wing So Goliah was first stunn'd with the stone out of David's Sling is now Beheaded with his own Sword which he had designed for the Death of David and for the Destruction of God's People Thus Haman was Hang'd upon his own Gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai See Psal 9.16 They are Snared in their own Snares Tenthly Observe how David's fighting and prevailing against Goliah was a singular Type of Christ who fighting against Satan Sin the World and Death doth Vanquish them with their own Weapons N. B. For By his Death he destroyed him that had the power of Death to wit the Devil Heb. 2.14 He swallowed up Death in Victory Hosea 13.14 and took away Sin Isa 25.18 which is the sting of Death and the strength of Sin which is the Law 1 Cor. 15.54 55. He hath Cancell'd this Handwriting of the Law and Nail'd it to his Cross Col. 2.14 15. and finally he hath broke open the Prison of the Grave and so hath set all his Elect at Liberty as a Learned Annotator here saith No doubt but the Israelites run as fast to Insult over Goliah when now Dead as they had sled from him for fear of him before while he was alive v. 11.24 Christ hath kill'd Death for us c. so we ought not to fear Death Mors Mortis Morti Mortem quoque Morte dedisset N. B. See more of this Monomachy in the Third Volume upon that Duel fought betwixt Christ and the Devil Matth. 4. where our Saviour throws three smooth stones the three Scriptum est's at Satan wherewith he broke the Serpent's Head the Type and Antitype agrees c. Now the third part of this Chapter is the Consequents of all Remarks hereupon are First No sooner did that vast Host of the Philistines behold their Champion their Idol in whom alone they put all their Confidence fall down Dead and Beheaded by David but they all fled out of the Field v. 51. yielding the Victory to Israel partly as the Condition of the Covenant at the undertaking of this Duelling Combat did oblige them v. 8 9. and partly yea more especially because the Lord struck them with a Panick Terrour otherwise the loss of one Man could never have so daunted such a Prodigious Army as they were c. The Second Remark is The Army of Israel pursues and makes a dreadful Slaughter of Thirty Thousand Men saith Josephus even to the Gates of Gath and Ekron v. 52. and then return'd to take the Plunder of their Camps v. 53. This Pursuit was prudently manag'd by Saul who suffer'd not his Soldiers to Plunder till the Victory was compleated The Third Remark is David's Triumph v. 54. David brought Goliah's Head to Jerusalem and set it up upon some Pinacle as a Trophy of his Victory and to terrifie the Jebusites that still held the strong hold of Sion 2 Sam. 5.7 though the City had been won before by the Tribe of Judah and Benjamin Judg. 1.21 and 19.10 and put his Armour in his Tent either that Tent he had at his Father's House or that Tabernacle he erected afterwards N. B. Then David penn'd the Ninth Psalm the Title being Muthlaben the Death of the Champion c. and some say the Hundred and forty fourth Psalm also for the Chaldee reads v. 10. From the Sword of Goliah The Fourth Remark is David's Honours from Saul v. 55. to the end which are related in the two first Verses of the Eighteenth Chapter upon these last Verses here N. B. A Doubt is moved How Saul could be ignorant who David was when he lived at the Court Chap. 16.21 Answer 1. David was not constantly at Court till after this Conquest chap. 18.2 but
and thereby to incense Saul yet more against him whom he saw already beyond measure inraged c. No Ahimelech will rather dye than discover the infirmities of such an Holy Man as David was to such a wickeed Tyrant as Saul The Fifth Circumstance is The bloody Execution of this Barbarous Sentence Now wants Saul nothing but Executioners hereupon he commands 1st His Footmen the Runners Hebr. that had run to fetch the Priests from Nob to Saul to kill the Priests of the Lord ver 17. which had such an emphatical sound Priests of the Lord that it struck those Footmen into such a fear they durst not lift up an hand against them as probably they might have done had they been Priests of Baal or Priests of the Devil and not of the Lord but because they were so they had such a veneration both for the innocency of their persons and for the fanctity of their Office that they refused to obey the Royal Command and the rather because all those Priests appeared as Sanctius supposeth in their Sacerdotal Habits seeing they are said to wear the Linnen Ephod ver 18. N. B. They all appeared before the King thus Apparell'd saith Sanctius 1. For the honour of their High Priest 2. For Reverence to the King And 3. For pacifying the King's wrath suspecting their Summons was upon David's account though that expression holds out only their wearing an Ephod in the Sanctuaries service Exod. 28.40 41. yet if they so appeared here no wonder if Saul's Footmen were loth to dye their white Ephods red with their own blood N. B. However they chused rather to obey God who had forbidden Murther than this wicked Tyrant who would make them his Agents and Instruments in such an horrid Massacre this was well thus far but Chrysostom blames them for not steping farther in an effectual pleading with Saul to save the Priests c. Secondly Upon the Footmens refusal Saul turns to dogged Doeg ver 18. being sure he would do it himself seeing he was resolv'd to have it done N. B. Some do probably suppose that Saul committed here the unpardonable Sin his malice extending against the Lord himself in his saying Slay the Priests of the Lord as if he had said the Lord favours David and rejects me because my rage cannot reach the Lord himself I will be reveng'd upon his Priests N. B. Note well And who but such a damnable Hypocrite as Saul could be liker to sin that sin against the Holy Spirit he out of a seeming Kingly Compassion would spare Agag whom God had destinated to be destroyed yet now is so flesh'd in blood and cruelty that he sticks not in his furious malice to murther the Priests of the Lord in despite and defiance of the Lord himself whom they served and into whose protection they betrusted their lives This was much like the Devil's doings who when he must not meddle with Job's self falls foul upon Job's Servants thus Saul seems to be Sataniz'd here N. B. And Doeg the Edomite must be his tool to work with who is call'd so ver 18. on purpose to wipe off the stain from the Israelitish Nation of so bloody a Butchery intimating that a true Israelite would abhor such barbarous villany none but an Edomite one of that bloody Off-spring of Prophane Esau who had an implacable hatred against Israel would dare to perpetrate such an unparalleld a Massacre not only of those 85 Priests of the Lord but also a great multitude of many more Innocents when Doeg at the Devil's command as well as Saul's destroyed the City Nob the Men Women Children and Sucklings ver 19. leaving the Tabernacle desolate of either place or Priest says Josephus N. B. Whether Doeg could do all this execution with his own hands only some question no doubt but he might do much mischief with the Devil's help where he met with no resistance it may be Saul had more Edomites than Doeg attending him or such degenerate Israelites as he had debauched for his Tyrannical practices 't is probable Saul was thus severe against this City Nob in terrorem to afright all his Subjects from assisting David The last Remark is The issue of this Tragedy ver 20 21. wherein mark First How God over-shoots the Devil in his own Bow while this bloody Villain Doeg and his cruel Master Saul or Satan in him the Devil in both thought of nothing but of glutting their blood-thirsty minds they are unwittingly over-ruled to be but the Executioners of God's just yet severe Sentence against Ely's Family Chap. 2.31 God used them as Physicians do Leeches to suck blood for their Patients health so God did those blood-suckers for his own glory c. N. B. Secondly Yet Abiathar who now was High-Priest by his Fathers death must by a singular providence escape from this general Massacre for God had promised to preserve some of Eli's House Chap. 2.33 Though God had long suspended that direful threatning against Eli's Family for the outragious villanies of his profligate Sons c. Yet now suffers this Divine Vengeance which had slept for a great while now to awake and break forth in this brutish manner but in wrath God remembers mercy Hab. 3.2 N. B. Thirdly Abiathar escapes and comes to David as he was going to Keilah Chap. 23.6 7. and tells him the sad Tragedy hereupon David becomes heartily sorry saying tho' Saul and Doeg as I feared when I saw him at the Tabernacle be the cause of all this blood shed yet have I been the occasion of it by deluding Ahimelech with my untruths for which as I am much to be blamed so am I greatly humbled So he promiseth N. B. Fourthly To Abiathar that he would repair his loss by making him his High-Priest thus when David had ascribed the whole guilt of this Massacre to himself the Lord extracts this good out of that evil for encouraging discourag'd David that now he that an High-Priest in his Army as well as a Prophet to counsel and comfort him So Christ our Mystical David saith to us With me ye shall be in safety c. as literal David said to Abiathar N. B. Fifthly How Doeg dyed by his own hands with Saul his bloody Master see Chap. 31. Remark the Fourth 1 Sam. CHAP. XXIII THis Chapter containeth Saul's pursuing David through Inhabited Places and Vninhabited Desarts The first was Keilah an Inhabited City in the Tribe of Judah thither Saul pursued David upon which are these Remarks as First The Occasion of Saul's pursuit which was David's delivering this City from its Enemies Wherein are Remarkable First The Antecedents of this Deliverance by David Tydings were brought him that the Philistines fought against Keilah and plundered all about it v. 1. This City was in Judah Josh 15.44 and lay nigh Hareth Forrest where David now was Chap. 22.5 and being besieged by the Philistines who had seized upon all their Corn in the Fields where it was to be Thrashed and Winnowed
I shall one day perish c. Wherein Mark First David instead of Consulting with God either by the Prophet Gad or by the High-Priest Abiathar with the Vrim and Thummim doth consult here with the Carnal Reason of his own Heart which is the worst Counselor in the World David did not trust in God when afraid as Psal 56.3 And Josephus tells us he took Counsel from his Company none of the best such as Abishai who had twice counselled him to kill the King Secondly Mark here David's mighty mistake in saying from the dictates of such blind councel aforesaid There is nothing better for me than to flee to the Philistines When indeed there was nothing worse for him upon many accouâ—â—â— N. B. Note well The sum of the Reasons demonstrating how David ran upon a desperate Rock here briefly be First He forsakes the place where God had settled him by the Prophet Gad chap. 22.3 5. and had given him assurance of Divine Protection by a special promise yea and much experience of manifold deliverances from Saul by Gods Providence The Second Reason is Seeing God had check'd David for living with the Moabites which was more tolerable as being the Posterity of Righteous Lot c. How could David devise it the best for him to flee unto the Philistines who were of the number of those Cursed Nations whom God had devoted to utter destruction and with whom God had forbidden Israel to make Leagues or to live among them The Third Reason is David well knew what a professed Enemy to them they looked upon him to be both for his killing their Goliah and for his slaying Two Hundred of them whom he Circumcised after they were slain which was the highest Affront to that uncircumcised Nation besides all other slaughters he made among them in other Battles and Victories 'T is strange how David could expect any safety among such a People after so many unpardonable provocations and say 'T is best for me to flee thither The Fourth Reason is This act of David was a scandal to the weak and a scorn to the wicked As his own Nation on the one hand could not but be offended at David's deserting the cause of God and exposing them now weakned by his withdrawment with a considerable company of their most expert and most experienced Souldiers to the Invasions and Incursions of their Enemies round about c. So on the other hand the Philistines could not but scorn David and call him a Turn-Coat so wound Religion and the Professors of it through his sides as if they were a pack and parcel of Men who notwithstanding their plausible pretences of Profession would tack about to the Enemies side for their own safety and advantage and so betray the cause of God and of his People The Fifth Reason is Hereby David voluntarily incurred the penalty of that direful Curse and Doom which his own mouth had denounced against Doeg and the other Court-Sycophants of Saul for driving him out of God's Inheritance and tantamont for commanding Him to go and Worship other Gods chap. 26.19 And now David does that to himself for which he Curseth them The Sixth Reason is Hereby David involved himself unavoidably into that odious sin of ingratitude Ingratum si dixeris omnia dixeris which hath all sins in the Belly of it by his present procuring protection and provision from that very People whom be knew God would have him when he came to be King to fight against as God's and his mortal Enemies Where was David's gratitude to them then for this their present protection of him from Saul's persecution The Seventh Reason is How could this be the best for David to do which did expose him to so many Snares and Sins As the Sequel of this History doth Demonstrate The Second Remark is David departs to Achish King of the Philistines c. v. 2 3. Where Observe First Whether this doing was best or worst for David he thought himself forced to do it through his fear of Saul's irreconcilable Rage which made him so fickle in all his Oaths and Promises of Friendship Secondly No doubt but David did first obtain the publick Faith of this King by his Agents that had agreed upon Terms for his safe abode in Gath the Capital City c. Thirdly David might well hope Achish would be glad to entertain him partly because he freed himself from the most formidable Enemy he had in all Israel now when he was designing a War against them He feared David more than Saul And partly because David came not now alone as he did before chap. 21.12 but now brought pledges enough of his Fidelity So Achish before David's Fear became now his Friend The Third Remark is These Tidings being told Saul that David was fled to the Philistines he sought no more after him v. 4. Which implyeth Saul would have sought him again had David staid within Sauls Dominions so restless and irreconcilable was hi Malice against him notwithstanding all his Oaths and Promises to the contrary therefore David had some pretence of fear and so got Himself and his Six Hundred Souldiers with their Wives c. out of his reach The Second â—art of this Chapter is the Accidents that befel David in this place of his Retirement Remarks upon it are First David's Humble and Modest Petition to Achish for a place to dwell in not liking to dwell in the Roral City v. 5. For 1. David found Gath where the King had his Court a bad Air to breath in for his own and his Friends Devotion Exeat ex Aulâ qui volet esse pius He that would be truly Religious must not resort to an Irreligious Court c. No doubt but as Lot was in Sodom he was also vexed with Court-Vices 2. He might fear that his Friends and Followers would soon be corrupted with both the Idolatry and Immorality of the City 3. He might desire a distinct place for himself and all his Men c. where they should Worship God freely and not offend the Philistines 4. That he might not be ensnared to fight for the Philistines against Israel which he now knew they were designing to do 5. That he might make unknown Incursions into neighbouring Nations such as God had devoted to Destruction c. The Second Remark is Achish's Liberality unto David in granting his Petition and bestowing so great a City as Ziklag upon him so capacious as to receive David and his Six Hundred Souldiers with all their Wives and Children v. 6. N. B The King gave David Ziklag not only to Inhabit in for the present but to Possess it as his own to oblige him the more whom he knew well able to serve him in his Wars N. B. Though this City had been given to the Tribe of Judah Josh 15.31 and after to the Tribe of Simeon mingled with Judah Josh 19.1 5. yet had the Philistines kept Possession of it until this time the Israelites not
the death of Saul and his dear Friend Jonathan together with Israel's Choicest Worthies and Men of their Chiefest Chivalry v. 17 19 20. to 27. wherein is Remarkable First David is the Author of this lamentable Epitaph because he had both a Poetick and a Prophetick gift and because he was most deeply concerned as Son-in-Law and Successor to Saul and as a great loser in the loss of his best beloved Jonathan who was the next subject of this sad Tragedy Secondly The Matter of this sad Sonnet is a mixture of Poetical Exclamations and Hyperbolical imprecations all composed in a concise Meetre which makes the meaning thereof the more cloudy being the extatick expressions of one overwhelmed with grief for the death of his dearest Friends Thirdly Beside these general Raptures David particularly bewails First The death of Saul commending him for the laudable Vertues which he had which made him amiable and obliging to his Subjects as for those foul affronts offer'd to himself and to Jonathan he candidly covers them as being only the efforts of his sudden passion by which his ordinary temper ought not to be measured and of his jealousie of a Corrival to the Crown for which he ought to be excused but not one word of any piety in Saul which he had not doth David mention N. B. Note well A fair Caution for flattering Preachers of Funeral Sermons 'T is too Pharisaical to beautifie the Tombs of the dead whose lives were bad Mat. 23 29. Secondly the death of Jonathan he more passionately deplores because frater quasi ferè alter he almost lost himself in the loss of him who had he lived would assuredly have given David a peaceable possession of the Kingdom after his Father's death according to the Covenant between them whereas by the death of Jonathan he look'd for long interruptions from it by Abner c. And he makes Rhetorical Flourishes upon Jonathan's Cordial Love to him as transcending the Love of Women Naturalists say of Females quicquid volunt valdè volunt their affections are more earnest than those of Males Yet Jonathan loved David more affectionately than ever did any Woman either her Child or her Husband Fourthly David did not so despond with dolour but being now King he Commands that the Men of Judah his own and now the Royal Tribe should learn the use of their Armour v. 18. because they bordered upon the Philistines upon whom they might retrieve their lost Honour and he instances in the Bow both in Honour of Jonathan who was so skilful at it ver 22. and that they might match the Philistines Archers who had beeen so mischievous to their Mighty ones This the General Chronicle amplifies Josh 10.13 mentions this Book of Jasher which signifies Recti the Book of Right or of the Law a Directory for Prince and People to right Duties on both sides The Jews take it for Genesis the story of Abraham Isaac and Jacob those three Righteous Men but then it should not be Jasher but Jasharim plural it is Rather the Blessing of Jacob Gen. 49.8 Judah's Hands shall be on the Neck of his Enemies so David of that Tribe was to be In this was inserted this Song the foot and burden whereof was How are the Mighty faln oft repeated v. 19.25 27. This Book taught the use of the Bow and Artillery but is now lost being no part of the Canonical Scripture c. 2 Samuel CHAP. II. THIS Chapter contains David's coming to the Kingdom of Judah and the beginning of his State of Exaltation as before is recorded the whole History of David's State of Humiliation a perfect Type of Christ his Antitype who passed likewise out of the one into the other This Chapter consists of three Parts Antecedents Concomitants and Consequents First The Antecedents have these Remarks as First David's beginning at the right end and laying the foundation of his promised Kingdom in consulting with God according to God's own Ordinance Numb 27.21 and notwithstanding all his peerless persecutions he dare not now stir one step without Divine direction v. 1. having smarted so much for following his own Humane Policy and Prudence 1 Sam. 27.1 He asks God To what City of Judah shall I go God Answers To Hebron Ziklag was only Achish's Donative to David a remote place so not for his present purpose But God's gift to him was Hebron the Metropolis of Judah more antient than Zoan of Egypt Numb 13.22 a City of Refuge Josh 20.7 and more Renowned because the Patriarchs to whom Canaan was promised lay Buried there and thereby as it were held possession of it The Second Remark is Thither David went as God directed him into the very heart of his own Tribe whence he expected most Acceptance and Assistance and his two Wives with him ver 2. to share with him in his Prosperity as they had done in his Adversity N. B. Note well Wherein we have a Type of Christ and his Church which when It hath Suffered with him shall also Reign with him 2 Tim. 2.12 Luk. 22.28 29. Our Lord will remove his Spouse from the Land of her Banishment from the Ashes of her forlorn Ziklag to the Hebron of her Peace and Glory he hath taken order for it already Joh. 17.24 and is gone a little before to Prepare Mansions for her Joh. 14.2 3. yea and counteth not himself compleat Till he hath us all with him Ephes 1.23 Nor doth David Cashier those his Men that had Mutinied at Ziklag but brings them all along with him ver 3. and Billets them in the Country-Villages that he might not be burdensome to Hebron in Quartering too great a Company upon them Thus our Lord forgets and forgives our many Murmurings c. and leads us into the Land of Bliss The Third Remark is Not only the Men of Judah Universally v. 4. but also many Worthies out of several Tribes resorted to David 1 Chron. 12.1 2 3 22. who all joined together to Elect him King over Judah which Act might have been of pernicious consequence seeing the Right of Election belonged to all the Tribes had not the Oracle of God directed David hereunto and therefore it was no Sinful Schism Yet notwithstanding not only Ambitious Abner took advantage at this Act to raise a Rebellion against David among the other Tribes v. 8 9. but also it became an ill president and as it were a preparative to that fatal Schism in Rehoboam's Reign which could never be patch'd up again The Second Part is the Concomitants The Remarks of it are First The Elders of Judah with the Concurrence of the Worthies out of other Tribes Anoint David King over Judah v. 4. This was David's second Anointing to be King Samuel had Annoited him privately before which only gave Jus ad Rem not Jus in Re a Right Title to it but not an Actual Possession of it as this second Anointing did Now David was King both de Jure and de Facto David had
in so coldly and by halves as ye here do Mark Fifthly The Men of Israel reply 'T is true as David is a private Person your part is more than ours in him but as a publick King our ten parts is more than your two so should not be thus slighted as being the greatest part of his Subjects beside we made the first motion of recalling the King v. 10 11. before ye could be drawn to it therefore to have no vote in the act is inexcusable and seems the more unsufferable Mark Sixthly The Holy Spirit saith v. 43. the words of the Men of Judah were fiercer c. The Men of Judah instead of mollifying them with meek words spake arrogantly and insolently to them and as the Rabbins say gave them the Lye leaning on the King as their Kinsman and being backed with his Guard In a word both Parties were so hot that David durst not interpose as loth to displease either of them Peter Martyr saith David seem'd something to connive at his own Tribe and thence arose the Rebellion Chap. 20. 2 Samuel CHAP. XX. THIS Chapter is a relation of Sheba's Rebellion consisting of Two Parts First its Rise and Secondly its Ruine Remarks on the first part are First The Trumpet of this new Rebellion was a Son of Belial Sheba the Son of Bichri whom God by his providence ordered to be present when this Paroxism or hot fit of contention happened betwixt the Tribe of Judah and the Tribes of Israel as before N. B. The Devil who loves to fish in troubled waters strikes in with this opportunity as a fit hour of temptation for him and excites this Belialist to blow a Trumpet and to sound a Retreat in the ears of those Israelites saying Seeing the Men of Judah say that we have no part in David but they do Monopolize him to themselves let them have him and let us chuse another for our selves hoping that they would chuse him because he was a Benjamite a Kin to Saul and suppos'd to be the chiefest Captain under Amasa to Absolom v. 1. The Second Remark is This Belialist so called was for casting off the Yoke of David as the Hebrew word Belial signifies and being grieved that the Kingdom was translated from Saul's House to David he bespatters David calling him the Son of Jesse a private person so the Crown could not descend upon David by inheritance and therefore saith he we are at liberty to chuse a new King N. B. This opprobrious Title that Sheba gave David here did savour of Saul who had oft call'd him so in contempt and of the old enmity and possibly Sheba might aggravate to those Israelites that David had sent Zadock and Abiathar to the Men of Judah that they might be perswaded to fetch back the King but he sent them not to our Elders therefore seeing he hath so slighted us let us look to our own concerns and let him look to his v. 1. The Third Remark is Behold how great a flame of fire a little spark doth kindle Jam. 3.5 when God gives way thereunto Sheba's presence and influence upon those Israelites tho' casual in it self and as to Men yet was it ordered so by the Providence of God who permitted the Devil to blow up this blast of rebellion for several Reasons saith Peter Martyr as First For a further exercise of David's Faith and Patience Secondly To purge out of David's Kingdom all factious and seditious Spirits Thirdly To punish Sheba the Ringleader of those Rebels Fourthly To Animadvert David of his betraying Vriah and of his sparing Shimei and as some add of his unjust dealing with his dear Mephibosheth c. for these and other sins of David God was pleased to correct him again with this new affliction before he was well got out of the old thus unda supervenit undae one wave comes at the heels of another and falls upon the neck of David not suffering him a little breathing time as he complains Psal 42.7 and 88.7 2 Sam. 22.5 The Third Remark is the Inconstancy of the common People here Neutrum modo mas modo Vulgus the Vulgar Mobile are mighty fickle and mutable Those very Men who as they had of late rejected David and rebelled against him with Absalom so just now they come out of an hot Contention with the Men of Judah for their greatest share and interest in David yet no sooner do the same Men hear this Trumpet sounded but they take Fire and follow this Son of Belial v. 2. N. B. Thus the Type David corresponds with the Antitye Christ call'd the Son of David unto whom the People sang Hosanna and blessed him one day Matth. 21.9 Yet the next day cried out Crucifie Christ Matth. 27.23 Well are they called the Mobile they are so soon moved The Fourth Remark is This Rebel Sheba turns off from David with the Discontented and Disobliged Israelites marcheth from Tribe to Tribe to stir them up to Rebellion especially where most of his Friends and Acquaintance were as being most implacable against David and thus he marched from place to place to gather more Forces until he came to Abel v. 14. A City in Naphtali's Tribe in the Northern Border of Canaan toward Syria c. N. B. Note well Thus the Seed of Sedition was sown against David who was now like a broken Bone newly set before it had time enough to knit together David was now not well settled on his Throne nor were his Subjects settled in their Allegiance when this new Rupture began the second part is the Suppression of this new Sedition c. Remarks upon it are 1. The Time of it namely when David was returned to his House which had been in his Banishment basely defiled and now at his return newly Dedicated Psal 30. title Those ten Concubines contaminated by Absalom Chap. 16.22 He casteth out of his House and commits them to close Custody to the Day of their Death v. 3. Divorcing himself from them and not suffering them to be seen lest the Memory of his Son's filthiness should be renewed thereby We do not read that these Concubines cried out as God's Law requireth Deut. 22.26 27. when Absalom ravish'd them and that in so publick a place where the People might hear their out-cries as well as see the Villany They ought rather to have died than have yielded to his Lust especially in so open a manner If it were done with their Consent they deserved to be stoned or burnt by the Law but David takes it for granted that they were forced so remitts the Punishment and only inflicts Imprisonment for Life allowing them Victum Amictum c. Food and Raiment The Second Remark is the Instruments wherewith David the principal Agent suppressed this Sedition of Sheba Those are three First Amasa is made General in Joab's place as David had promised him Chap. 19.13 David commands him a short time for a long task to Assemble the Army of
House of Joseph whereby being of an Ambitious and Aspiring Mind as the Prophet secretly Taxeth him ver 37. He had many opportunites to asperse Solomon's Government for laying such heavy Taxes upon his People to maintain his seven hundred Wives and his three hundred Concubines Peter Martyr saith He traduced his Master Solomon to his Subjects as Absalom had done his Father David before him Mark 3. That which flush'd him more toward a Rebellion was Ahijah's Prophecy to him being added to Solomon's preferment of him For God's Providence ordered a Private Conference of the Prophet Ahijah and Jeroboam going to take his Principality upon him the Prophet rends his new Garment into twelve Pieces and gives ten of them to Jeroboam Doing this for a Sign of what God said ver 11. shewing that the Kingdom though it was new fresh and strong upon the Shoulders as 1 Sam. 15.28 and like a goodly glittering and glorious Mantle yet saith the all disposing God I will rend it thus and thou shalt have Ten Parts or Tribes c. N. B. God gives to every Man his Measure as he is the Most High Psal 115.3 Dan. 5.21 c. Mark 4. God's respect to David for his Integrity in the main He therefore shall have a Light continued ver 36. So is a good King a Light in Counsel and Comfort to his People 2 Sam. 21.17 1 King 15.4 Psal 132.17 N.B. Peter Martyr saith David and Solomon shone splendidly like the Sun whereas their Successors were but lesser Lights and Lanthorns comparatively Mark 5. The Prophet makes a fair promise of an Established Throne to a woful Sinner ver 38. wherein God declares his gracious Disposition to all the Children of Men indefinitely either to allure Jeroboam to obedience or to aggravate his disobedience and so to justifie God's Justice in inflicting his Judgments upon him for his Rebellion against him Mark 6. Tho' the House of David was afflicted for Solomon's sins and for the People 's also by his Example ver 33. yet should it not be for ever v. 39. For some Kings of Judah grew very great as did Asa Hezekiah Josiah the last of which recover'd Samaria and the Regions that belonged to the Ten Tribes c. N.B. About 256 years after this the Ten Tribes were carried into perpetual Captivity whereby all their Contentions with Judah were finally concluded yea and the Jews of Judah returning from Babylon did almost recover the whole Kingdom of Israel N.B. But more especially saith P. Martyr this word for ever must relate to the Messiah that Son of David in whom the Glory of David's House was restored and such as never any mortal King had even greater than Solomon's who united the Two broken Sticks of Judah and Joseph and Ruleth still both over Jews and Gentiles Mark 7. Solomon understood all this private Conference c. Kings have long Ears It may be Jeroboam blab'd it out of Pride and to make a Party out of Policy Hence Solomon sought to slay him ver 40. which was a fond Act in so wise a Man God's Purpose cannot be cross'd by Man's Projects as himself saith Prov. 21.30 Hereupon Jeroboam fled to Egypt and Ahijah too with him saith the Chaldee Paraphrast whom Shishak entertaineth till Solomon's Death perhaps being offended that he had taken so many Wives to his Sister or as some say Daughter as is here noted in ver 1. The third part of this Chapter is Solomon's Death ver 41 42 43. wherein his Time of Reigning his Death and Burial and his Successor are all mentioned but his Repentance is not expresly recorded among his other Acts. N.B. From whence some have rashly Judged that he was damned But on the contrary Consider 1. The Book of Chronicles mentions not Solomon's fall yet none doubt but he did so 2. No mention is made of the Repentance of Adam Noah Lot yet none damns them for their sins 3. Solomon's Way is mentioned with honour 2 Chron. 11.17 where 't is joyned with the Way of David 4. Solomon's Ecclesiastes is all penitential a Monument of his Repentance as Psal 51 c. are of David's 5. He was a Natural Progenitor of Christ Luke 3.23 who were Elect Persons all accounted 6. As he penned part of Sacred Scripture so he is call'd an Holy Man 2 Pet. 1.21 7. He was Jedidiah beloved of God and whom God loveth once he loveth ever Joh. 13.1 c. 8. God his Father forsook him not finally 2 Sam. 7.14 15. Psal 27.10 89.33 9. Nor did any complain of his not Reforming Idolatry chap. 12.4 c. where his Subjects Rose up in Rebellion and laid Lord of Accusations against him for his Misgovernment in Sacred as well as Civil Matters so they might have blamed him had he failed therein 1 Kings CHAP. XII THIS Chapter describeth the Division of the Kingdom of Israel betwixt Rehoboam and Jeroboam 2 Chron. 10. Remark first upon Rehoboam as First The three first Kings Saul David and Solomon had Reigned hitherto over all the Twelve Tribes of Israel but Rehoboam was the very first that Reigned over two Tribes only Some suppose it an over sight in wise Solomon that he had not before his Death settled his Son King over Israel as David had settled him before he died 1 Kings 1.38 39 c. to prevent all Sedition But God's holy Hand was in this Infatuated over-sight Remark the Second However this Divine Infatuation was more manifest in his Son who being the undoubted Heir of the Kingdom settled by God upon Solomon and his Heirs 2 Sam. 7.12 13. yielded to meet the Seditious Elders at Shechem ver 1. a fatal City both for the Ravishing of Dinah and for the Sale of Joseph and for the Tyranny of Abimclech as Peter Martyr noteth Had Rehoboam been a Prudent Man he might well have suspected some danger in going thither he should rather have Summon'd them up to Jerusalem the Capital City by his Royal Authority But there is no Wisdom against the Lord. Prov. 21.30 Jeroboam might think himself unsafe at Jerusalem but safe enough at Shechem a City of Ephraim a turbulent Tribe wherein he was powerful Remark the Third is the double Wonder here First That Solomon should not fill his Royal Place with plenty of Heirs by the Bodies of 700 Wives and 300 Concubines yet by all these we read only of one Son and that by an Ammonitess and he none of the wisest but a Silly Child when at the Age of above Forty Years as is after mentioned upon Chap. the 14. ver 21 to 31. Dr. Hall noteth well many a poor Man hath an House full of Children by one Wife whereas this great King hath but one Son by many House-fulls of Wives Well did David Document his Son Lo Children are the Heritage of the Lord and the Fruit of the Womb is his Reward Psal 127.3 God oft denies this Heritage of Heirs where he gives the largest Heritage of Lands and gives most of
their chief Leader and Reformer 4. Lavater adds God withdrew from Elijah which caused Elijah that he withdrew from his Work and God did so to teach him his own Nothingness in himself and that all his late wonderful Works were wrought by no Power of his own but by a Power borrow'd from God And Gregory doubts not to say That Elijah began to be tickled with some high Conceits of himself for the great Acts which he had done therefore was he suffer'd thus to fear and to fall beneath himself for his humiliation lest he should be exalted above measure as Paul 2 Cor. 12.7 Elias ille fulminator ad mulierculae scilicet Jezebelis minas nunc trepidat factus est seipso Imbecillior This thundring Prophet now trembles at Jezebel's Threats and becomes unlike himself in weakness and cowardice c. The like we find in Peter likewise who was frighted from his Duty into Sin of a gross nature and that only by a weak silly Wench Matth. 26.71 72. N. B. Learn hence our daily dependency upon divine Influence for every new day-duty If left to our selves we are as weak as water c. The Places that Elijah fled to were Three first to Beersheba ver 3. Remarks upon it are first This City was the utmost Confine of the Ten Tribes where Jeroboam had set up one of his Calves as the other at Dan bordering upon Judah had Elijah's Errand been hither to pull down Calf-Worship here in the name of the Lord he had then acted like himself but he came as a Renegado not as a Reformer Remark the Second What this Reformado did here we are not told save only the leaving his Servant there 1. He thought not himself safe there from the Fury of Jezebel yet his Boy the supposed Son of the Sareptan Widow might be over-look'd 2. A kind Master will not expose his Servant to the Hardships of a Desart as he would himself 3. Lest the Man should discover the Master but 4. That he might more freely converse with God all alone The second Place Elijah fled to was the Wilderness ver 4. Whereon Remarks are First The best of Men when left of God are but changeable Mortals as Elijah here quantùm mutatus ab illo how is he changed from what he was before Oh how bold and couragious had Elijah been in telling Ahab to his Teeth I am not but thou art the Troubler of Israel in carrying the Contest all alone against all apostatizing Idolatrous Israel and in slaughtering with his own single Sword four hundred and fifty Prophets of Baal c. but now behold He is so timerous and dastardly that he flees from place to place at the frowns of a weak and wicked Woman He dare not tarry at Beersheba no nor take that Boy with him whom he had rais'd from Death to Life as some say lest his own Life should be betrayed into the hands of Jezebel thereby N.B. He durst not stay in Judah though good Jehosaphat reigned there because he was allied to Ahab and being a Man of a facile Temper Elijah fear'd Ahab might easily circumvent him and so seize his Person Hereupon He flees from thence a days Journey into the Wilderness even into that very Wilderness wherein Israel had wandred forty Years and lays himself down weary and hungry under a Juniper-tree which Serpents naturally avoid saith Pliny and therefore he might Promise to himself a safe and secure sleeping under it's shadow Remark the Second Here he earnestly desired to die that He might be freed from his fears c. which was the fruit of his Frailty as was done by Jonah afterwards Jon. 4.3 for if he really and deliberately desired it and not in a Pang of Passion only it was but his returning to Jezebel and she would readily grant his Request N.B. But Peter Martyr qualifies this passionate Petition saying 1. He feared should he fall into the clutches of Jezebel and her Priests they might have put him to some cruel kind of Death for his slaying so many of Baal's Prophets 2. It was look'd upon as exceeding ignoble to die by the Hands of a Woman Judg. 9.54.3 He desired rather to die by the most noble hands of God's immediate stroke which he look'd on as a more honourable kind of Death And thus had Jacob faln in his Conflict with the Messiah Gen. 32.24 he would have this Honour to fall by noble hands 4. But especially He desir'd thus to die from his Zeal for God's Glory lest Jezebel and her Chimney-Chaplain's should Triumph over his Death by their hands and say now Baal prevails over Jehovah and Baal's Prophets prove too strong for this Prophet of the Lord. Besides 5. He was now a very old Man elder than most of his Predecessors who had lost their lives by Jezebel and other Persecutors and seeing as he said it is enough I can do no more service for God Israel is resolvedly relaps'd into Idolatry And I can no longer expect any Joy of my miserable and mortal Life therefore he press'd this Petition Remark the Third But God's Thoughts were not like Elijah's Isa 55.8 for God had not only more Work for him in this World as the anointing of Hazael John and Elisha c. ver 15 16 17 c. but also God determined to deliver him both from Jezebel and from Death it self which devoureth all Men He should have a greater Honour conferr'd upon him than all his fore-fathers that he mentioned namely be bodily translated into Heaven which he never thought of Remark the Fourth However Elijah's dolour and toilsome Travel lull'd him asleep under the sweet and secure shade of his Juniper-tree ver 5. so while he earnestly calls for Death sleep which is the Image of Death Mortis imago sopor comes to him uncalled N.B. The Angel of God waits on him there as one of God's ministring Spirits to an Heir of Salvation in this wild Wilderness Heb. 1.14 and thinks himself happy in this Office of providing the Prophet's Breakfast which he brings him piping hot as out of an Oven ver 6. not Dainties but Necessaries yet surely most excellently cooked by such a Coelestial Cook this was Angels Food indeed of an Angelical Dress Peter Martyr marks here the marvelous Care and Providence of God towards this Prophet God had provided for him before by a Raven Chap. 17.6 and by the Widow of Sareptah ver 15. and now here by an Angel nor was this all N.B. But afterwards in Mount Horeb God himself fed him with the sight of God's Face and with the hearing of his Word for we find not that Elijah did eat any thing at that time for forty Days and Nights together The Ravens and the Sareptan Widow provided for the Prophet while he was waking saith Dr. Hall but this Angel did so while he was sleeping Needs must Elijah Eat Drink and Sleep with much Comfort while he saw such an Attendant Guardian and Purverour The first time
World abounds with Courtesies that be no better than Cruelties Remark the Second This proud and prophane Captain with his fifty Elijah destroys by Fire from Heaven as 1 Kings 18.38 which was his Ninth Miracle ver 10. Vatablus saith here Thou thinks me not a man of God but scornfully calls me so yet God will prove me to be so by Fire from Heaven This Judgment was the greater wherein not one of the one and fifty were spared N. B. Nor did the Prophet pray for it out of any Carnal and Revengeful Passion but from a pure Zeal to vindicate God's Name and Glory which was so notoriously dishonoured and from a motion of God's Spirit whereof God gave his Approbation in a miraculous Answer to his Prayer Therefore Christ doth not condemn this Fact of Elijah saith Peter Martyr when he reproved his Disciples for desiring such a Deed from private Revenge and not from a divine Impulse nor suitable to a Gospel-Spirit much differing from Elijah's Severity Luke 9.54 55. Remark the Third Neither Oracles nor Miracles can mend this mad King though he lay on his Death-bed yet is nothing moved saith Peter Martyr at the loss of his Subjects by so dreadful a Judgment as Sodom was destroyed with Gen. 19.24 the whole World will be so 2 Pet. 3.7 yea and the Torments of Hell are resembled by it Mark 9.43 Notwithstanding Ahaziah in his Phrenzy exposes one Company after another and this second Captain was more impudent than the first saying Come down quickly ver 11. as if he had said or I will fetch thee down with a Vengeance therefore did Elijah most justly fetch down Fire upon him and his with a Vengeance and worthily made him an Example to his Successor who would not take the Example of his Predecessor to beware c. ver 12. This was Elijah's Tenth Miracle Remark the Fourth This frantick King doth desperately expose a Third Captain and his Company ver 13 14. Ahaziah c. could not be ignorant how Elijah had made fire fall down to consume the Sacrifice at Carmel 1 Kings 18.38 so powerful was this Prophet's Prayer James 5.17 and now again he had done the like twice to lick up the two Bands of Soldiers at Carmel also yet the King in despight of God and his Prophet sends a Third Captain with his Company This Captain took caution and considered what a sorry thing Man is in the Hands of his Maker who by a flash of Lightning had lick'd up two Captains with their Companies therefore he prostrates himself before God's miraculously protected Prophet expressing a Reverence to his Person and a belief of his Power with a dread of God's Wrath. N. B. Hereupon some think it was good Obadiah who the King knew could best prevail with the Prophet to come along with him to the Court He saw nothing could be got by strong hand so tries what might be done by Suit and he sues more for own Life than for Elijah's Company God and not he must direct him therein He saw the Mad King incapable of Admonition but fears not to find Elijah inexorable Remark the Fifth God commands Elijah by his Angel to go without fear ver 15. What could he expect at Court from a raging King a Jezebel at his Elbow c. but such hot service as the Captains had found in coming to summon and apprehend him N. B. Yet having the Angels Protection as well as Warrant his Faith was grown above his former fear when he fled from the face of Jezebel 1 Kings 19.3 He comes confidently into the King's Bed-chamber ver 16. tells the King to his Face his whole errand not abating a Word The King as daunted with the Prophet's presence and message is strangely manucled and muzzl'd he neither speaks nor acts against him N.B. The stoutest and stubbornest Stomachs must stoop when God takes them to task Prov. 16.1 and 21.1 Ahaziah died away ver 17. undoubtedly so affrighted with Elijah's Words as it hastened his Death whereas he might have recovered as did Hezekiah had he sought to God and not to the Devil Now dies he childless and leaves his Throne to his Brother Jehoram c. 2 Kings CHAP. II. THIS Chapter treats first upon Elijah's Translation and secondly upon the Miracles wrought by Elisha his Successor As to the first Part namely Elijah's Rapture the Antecedents the Concomitants and the Consequents are considerable Remarks upon the Antecedents of his Rapture are First Before Elijah left this lower World he resolves to visit the Schools of the Prophets that he might strengthen their Hands and Hearts in God's Work and bestow his last farewel upon them on Earth before his Chariot of Triumph came to fetch him home to Heaven This last Journey of his Peter Martyr saith was Circular after a sort for He went from Gilgal near Jordan thence to Bethel and Jericho and then returned to Jordan again from ver 1 to the 8. Remark the Second 'T is a marvelous good Providence of God saith Peter Martyr that any true Prophets should be preserved in those places when Idolatry abounded and the false Prophets of Baal were so Triumphant yea and Jezebel her self who persecuted them to Death was alive And though Obadiah had hid an hundred in Caves yet now to find open Schools of them especially in Bethel where one of Jeroboam's Golden Calves was set up yea and in that cursed City Jericho is matter of great Admiration N.B. Yet God over-ruled Matters to preserve them to a Prodigy lest his People should wholly want the Light of his Word Remark the Third This is no less marvelous that the two Prophets of the ten Tribes Elijah and Elisha did far outshine all those Prophets that belong'd to the two Tribes in their manifold Miracles the Reasons are supposed 1. Because Idolatry was more grievous in the former than in the latter and where Sin did most abound there God gave the greater Grace to stop the Inundation of it And 2. The truly pious Israeli es were more grievously tempted to forsake God than the Jews were c. Remark the Fourth Elijah bids Elisha three Times do that which he deny'd to do First He bids him carry at Gilgal Secondly At Bethel And Thirdly At Jericho but Elisha gave Elijah three Denials to His command and not barely in Negatives but each time He confirms his Denial with an Oath also Though this may seem strange that so good a Servant dare thus peremptorily disobey the Commands of so good a Master Yet was this an Holy and Zealous Disobedience for Lavater Vatablus Peter Martyr Piscator c. Say 1. That God had revealed to Elisha the Rapture of Elijah as well as to the Sons of the Prophets ver 3 5. 2. He knew that his Master did bid him tarry only to try the Truth of his Love whether He would leave him or no. 3. And that it was rather to kindle in him a more ardent Affection to cleave close to him
to keep it ever-burning upon God's Altar Lev. 6.12 13. besides there was Fire in other Places for Pots to boil with 1 Sam. 2.15 2 Chron. 35.13 c. so much Wood was used as also for Burning of Sacrifices but the common Store of the Temple now failing they bind themselves to provide it in their Courses that God's Service might by no means be neglected N. B. As they took great Care for fuel to nourish God's Fire here that it might not be put out So no less ought we to do to feed our Faith Love and Zeal which Solomon calls the flame of God Cant. 8.6 Waters must not quench it Cant. 8.7 10. nor must Ashes cover it 2 Tim. 1.6 we may not wiâ—h-draw the fewel of God's Ordinances or pour on the puddle-water of gross-sins but feed it as well as the Gentiles did the Vestal Fire which was never to dye out for want of fresh fuel Mark 6. The Sixth Particular Branch of the Covenant was for paying their first Fruits ver 35 36 37. that the Priests rights might be firmly assured and they not be defrauded of any part thereof all the Particulars of the first Fruits are distinctly described here that none might pretend Ignorance in withholding the Priests-due which at this Time the People were prone to Practise either through Poverty or a Penurious or a Prophane Disposition But the first-born of their Sons and of their Cattel both great and small if unclean might be redeemed Exod. 13.2 13. yea the first Fruits of their Dough that the Priest might have a Cake as oft as they Baked N. B. Thus God required the firstlings of all to shew how he highly values the kindness of our Youth Jer. 2.1 2. Mark 7. The Seventh Branch they bound themselves unto by this Covenant was the Payment of Tythes ver 37 38 39. which the Law gave the Levites for their maintenance Numb 18.24 28. and they paid the Tenth of their Tenths to the Priests all this was done by the Inspection of the High-Priest call'd here by way of Eminency the Son of Aaron saith Grotius and though they paid Tribute at this Time to the King of Persia N. B. Yet they thus solemnly bind themselves by Oath that they would not defraud the Lord of his Part but render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are Gods Matth. 22.21 and God's part was laid up in God's House which they promis'd to frequent themselves and to see that none of his Servants should forsake it for want of maintenance which yet they did out of want Chap. 13.10 Nehemiah CHAP. XI THIS Chapter is a Sacred Narrative which seemeth to divide it self into two formal Parts the First is An Account of those Persons that dwelt in the City And the Second is Of those also that dwelt in the Countrey Remarks upon the first Part are First The City is said to be large and great but the People were few that dwelt therein Chap. 7.4 therefore was it Nehemiah's double Diligence when he had once repaired it in all its Parts then his Care was to Repeople it also In Order hereunto he Orders the Rulers especially those that made up the great Council or Sanhedrim to dwell in Jerusalem This they could not well but willingly embrace saith Sanctius because 1. This was the Royal Seat and the most beautiful City and therefore the most suitable Place for the Nobles as is usual in all Nations to take up their Residences there And 2. These were Voluntiers likewise in obeying this Order that this Capital City might be better defended by their Presence and Influence whereby saith Wolphius they declared themselves brave Patriots and grateful Citizens for the Publick Good Remark the Second This Holy City as 't is call'd here ver 2. and many other Places of Scripture because the Temple stood in it with all its Holy Ordinances c. was the principal But or Mark that all the Jews Enemies chiefly shot at therefore so few of either the Princes or People durst make it their free Choice to dwell there both because of the Danger they were mostly expos'd to in that Place and because at present it was rather Chargeable than Beneficial to its Inhabitants in Repairing and Watching whereas in the Countrey they could live at more Ease Plenty and Safety therefore were there so few that offered themselves willingly to secure this so much envied City save only such as were truly publick-spirited and those were they whom the People blessed God for ver 2. that they had such Zeal for the common Cause given them and pray'd God to bless them with Safety and Success Remark the Third Because they that offer'd themselves voluntarily to dwell at Jerusalem were too few to replenish and defend that large and fair City then it was ordered say Grotius and Menochius that every Tenth Man out of the rest of the People should dwell there ver 1. and that none might rationally repine at this Order and to prevent all Murmuring the matter was manag'd by casting Lots the Dispose whereof is wholly from the Lord Prov. 16.33 that so it might appear God himself would have such and such to dwell at Jerusalem as the Apostles knew the Mind of God by the same Means Acts 1.24 26. This Oracle of God answer'd all their Doubts As 1. Of their Desires of enjoying the Profit and Pleasure of the Countrey And 2. Of their Fears to live in the City lest it should be Besieged c. then Conquered and so they Captivated again this made many loath to Adventure there to inhabite save only those few whose Faith was above their Fear and whom God enabled to Roll themselves upon his precious Promise I will be a Wall of Fire round about Jerusalem Zech. 2.5 N. B. This one of Ten or Hebr. Teshang Haiadoth nine Hands saith Montanus or Parts that were left by Lot to live in the Countrey when only one part was chosen by God to dwell in this Earthly Jerusalem is an excellent shadow and figure of the Paucity or fewness of those whom the Lord chuseth to inhabit the Heavenly Jerusalem according to Isa 6.13 Jer. 3.14 c. Many are called but few chosen Matth. 7.13 and 20.16 and 22.14 Remark the Fourth The Description of those that were chosen to reside in the City 1. Those of Judah's Tribe from ver 4 to ver 7. yea and of the Children of Ephraim and of Manasseh too 1 Chron. 9.3 where the same is set down as here but the number is greater because here only those are reckoned who inhabited Jerusalem by Lot but there the Voluntiers also as Masius well observes out of Junius and therefore the Name Israel is used ver 3. to intimate saith Menochius out of Lyra that such of the Ten Tribes as for Religion's sake were moved to leave their own Tribes and to join themselves with the Men of Judah as many did 2 Chron. 11.16 and 30.11 c. And
2. Of the Tribe of Benjamin ver 7 8 9. this little Benjamin so called Psalm 68.27 the smallest of the Tribes of Israel 1 Sam. 9.21 yeilds more by half than Judah as Wolphius well observeth for that Tribe affords only four hundred and sixty eight whereas this Tribe hath nine hundred and twenty eight And 3. Of Levites from ver 10 to 25. as Jerusalem stood within both these Tribes of Judah and Benjamin therefore are they reckon'd first the Total Summ of both Tribes amounting to one thousand three hundred and ninety six so the Levites are reckon'd next whose number amounted to one thousand four hundred and seventy six beside the one hundred and seventy two Porters who were all Levites also so that the Total Summ of the Levites exceeded that of the Lay-People so called N. B. These were the Salt of the City Matth. 5.13 to keep the Citizens from Putrifying by their Holy Instructions The Second Part is a Description of those that were left by Lot c. to live in the lesser Cities and Villages of the Countrey and this also is threefold both in respect of their Persons and of their Places and Offices Remark the First Those of the Tribe of Judah from ver 25 to ver 31. the Persons of this Tribe are said to be assigned to their several Cities Beiad Hammelek Hebr. by the Hand of the King ver 24. for Nehemiah saith Masius was the King of Persia's Viceroy and acted all these things as his Deputy and Chief Commissioner in Judea which is here call'd a Province ver 3. belonging to the Kingdom of Persia therefore these Orders of Nehemiah are said to be by the King's Commandment ver 23. assigning sundry Seats to the Men of Judah Remark the Second The Tribe of Benjamin comes next from ver 31 to ver 36. and they have Cities also and their Daughters appointed for them the Hebrew calleth Villages Daughters because as Daughters are under a Mother so are Villages under a City adjoining to them saith Mariana Among other Cities Bethel was assigned to those of Benjamin it was in the out-Coasts of that Tribe and thereupon surprized by the ten Tribes in their Revolt who set up one of their Golden Calves there 1 Kings 12.29 Remark the Third Concerning the Levites ver 36. who had their Divisions both in Judah and in Benjamin having Cities and Suburbs given them as being of great usefulness thoughout the Countrey to instruct the People besides those that were settl'd in Jerusalem N. B. 1. Many of those Cities and Villages had been destroyed by the Chaldean when they over-ran the Countrey in Nebuchadnezzar's Day but now upon their return from Captivity they had repaired them again c. N. B. 2. The King of Persia impower'd Nehemiah to do what he saw fit to be done giving him the same Commission which he had formerly given to Ezra Ezra 7.18 20 23. and therefore Nehemiah most piously and prudently judg'd it meet to disperse those Levites among these two Tribes knowing that Candles in a Pound give no Light but when lighted up one in one Room and another in another all the House is lighted thereby c. Nehemiah CHAP. XII THE principal Scope and main Design of this Chapter is to declare the solemn Dedication of the new repaired Walls of Jerusalem In which Narrative are First The Antecedents Secondly The Concomitants And Thirdly The Consequents Remarks first upon the Antecedents are First The Genealogy of the Priests and Levites begins this Chapter because they had a principal Part in Repairing the Walls but more especially in their Dedication and their Genealogy is first Recorded that it might be the more manifest they were the true Priests and Levites who were thus employed in this Holy Work Remark the Second Their Pedigree is reckoned under three High Priests 1. Under Jehoshua ver 1 to 12. 2. Under Joiakim from ver 12 to ver 21. and 3. Under Eliashib from ver 22 to 26. Mark 1. The Ancestors of those that Dedicated the Wall namely those that came up with zerubbabel c. together with those that came up with Ezra Ezra 8.2 3 18 19. are so distinctly described not only for Reverence-sake to themselves but also to demonstrate that those now employed in this Consecrating Work were no Interlopers but their Successors by a Right Descent and entring into that Office by a right Door N. B. Such as intrude themselves into the Ministry and enter not in by Christ the Door into the Office of an under-Shepherd are but Thieves and Robbers John 10.2 8. Wanting his Call Mission and Commission Mark 2. In these Catalogues of right-descended Priests there be fewer courses Recorded than were appointed by David who nameth twenty four 1 Chron. 24.7 c. by Divine Direction Now the Reason rendred why here are fewer than twenty four here is that some of David's Courses were either extinct in the Captivity or died without Posterity and 't is said that Ezra found but few of them when he gather'd them all together at his return Ezra 8.15 Mark 3. Eliashib is reckoned one in this Catalogue ver 10. who proved a very wicked Priest Chap. 13.4 5. and his Son Joiada was little better by his being allied to Sanballat Chap. 13.28 a base Apostate saith Josephus but more of that in its proper Place Mark 4. Jaddua is mention'd also ver 11. who is generally supposed to be the same High-Priest that met Alexander the Great in his Pontisicalibus or Sacerdotal Formalities and prevailed with him to spare the City Jerusalem and not only so but also to confirm the Privileges thereof as Josephus relateth at large c. Objection How could Nehemiah mention this Man here who was not High-Priest until many Years after Nehemiah's Death Answer the First Though some say this will make Nehemiah to live till he was two hundred Years Old which is improbable for so long did the Persian Monarchy continue after Cyrus before Alexander came to Conquer it Yet Scaliger on the other hand affirms that this King of Persia with whom Nehemiah was such a Favourite was that Artaxerxes who Reigned a little while before Alexander which at most could be saith Piscator no more than sixty Years Answer the Second Grotius saith that Nehemiah lived after this to the times of Darius the last King of Persia of whom he speaketh ver 22. and who was Conquer'd by Alexander and he mentions Jadduah also as above saith Dr. Lightfoot that High-Priest whom Alexander had in so great Veneration c. so Nehemiah might live to see Jaddua a Boy though not yet an High-Priest which might be many Years after therefore is Jaddua barely named here as born of Jonathan but not called High-Priest here Answer the Third Some suppose God might give this good Man Nehemiah the Blessing of a very long Life for the good of his Church in such a Time as this wherein she much needed Nehemiah's help both for Counsel and for
the lustre and variety of precious Graces Accordingly saith Junius Ezekiel here doth by a most apposite Type of the Judaical Church which once flourish'd under David and Solomon describe the Glory of the Evangelical Church its Antitype and as it were the Third Temple To which Capellus addeth that though the restoring of Solomon's Temple be related here yet must it have a more Mystical meaning that the Jewish Synagogue shall rather be restored by the Church of Christ because now God was not so well pleased with those Carnal commands and with the Flesh of Bulls and Goats as with the Sacrifice of his own Son c. Polanus steps farther saying though something of a second Temple was indeed begun after the return of the Jews from Babylon yet the Glory of this latter House came not till Christ was come into it Hag. 2.6 7 9. Isa 66.11 12 22. therefore must we ascend from the Shadow to the Substance from the Earthly to the Heavenly Jerusasalem as Rev. 21. and 22. do expound this whole Vision in Christ's Kingdom begun here but perfected hereafter Remark the Seventh Many Reasons may be rendred why this Vision must not be meant Literally but Mystically As First This new Temple of Ezekiel is bigger in its Dimensions than the old Jerusalem was and this new Jerusalem is bigger than all the Land of Canaan yea some Rabbin's reckon it larger than all the World from Ezek. 48.35 it being round about eighteen thousand Measures c. however this Temple is judg'd four Miles in Compass and this City thirty six Miles at the least or fifty four by common Computation of ver 32. so large is the City of God which is prefigured by it Secondly The Waters that flowed from this new Temples Threshold Ezek. 47.1 to 9 growing to a great River and sweetning the Mare Mortnum by running into it such as never was nor could be seen in the Litteral Temple must be meant the Gifts of the Spirit c. and the Trees growing upon the Bank of the River must be Trees of Righteousness of the Lord 's Planting c. Isa 61.3 and 44.3 4. and 55.11 Rev. 22.2 Thirdly The East gate always shut Ezek. 44.2 was only for Messiah the Prince and to whom he having the Keys of David shall open it Psalm 118.20 Isa 26.2 Heb. 6.20 and 10.20 c. No meer Man enters into God's City but by Emmanuel c. Fourthly The Inhabitants of this new City are the ten Tribes as well as the two as Chap. 47. and 48. teach us whereas we read nothing of their return and this Division of the Land differs much from that of old and Levi here hath a Gate into the City Ezek. 48.31 Though he had no Lot in the Land c. Fifthly The Strangers Gentiles that never had any Inheritance with the Jews in Old Testament Times though they lived with them yet here they shall have equal Inheritance Ezek. 47.22 which is a plain Prediction of a perfect Abrogation of the Mosaical Polity and of a new Church by the Messiah Sixthly The Longitude of each Tribe's Lot is described Ezek. 48.2 c. but not the Latitude to denote that Christs Kingdom is Limitless and his Dominion without Dimension 't is universal he is Lord of all Persons and things Acts 10.36 c. Seventhly Jehovah Shammah the Lord is there is the true Church's Name Ezek. 48.35 whereas the Lord was there in the Jewish Church but is not God will not leave his Gospel-Church as he did that Synagogue Lo I am with you always even to the end of the World Matth. 28.20 and at this World's end he will then hand his Church up into Heaven a better World into Mansions of Glory c. Rev. 21. and 22 c. AN EXACT INDEX OF THE SCRIPTURES Explained in the Whole or in Part in my three Volumes of the Old Testament The three Numbers 1. 2. 3. signifie the first second and third Volume wherein the Explanation is found in the Title Page of each Volume distinct GENESIS CHap. Verse Vol. Page 1. 1. 1. 1 2 c. 3. 16. 1. 216. 4. 17. 1. 168. 5. 29. 1. 123. 7. 19 20. 1. 126. 8. 9 11 19. 1. 128. 9. 3. 1. Ibid. 11. 2 4 c. 1. 134. 12. 3. 1. 129. Â 4. 1. 159. Â 10. 1. 161. 14. 4 15 17. 1. 138. 16. 1 2. 1. 160. 17. 17. 1. 159. Â 2. 1. 180. 18. 24 to 32. 1. 130. 20. 16. 1. 162. 22. 6. 1. 148. Â 14. 1. 156. 23. 16 20. 1. 138. 25. 11. 1. 215. Â 23. 1. 216. Â 26. 1. 226. 27. 4. 1. 225. Chap. Verse Vol. Page 28. 12. 1. 255. 30. all 1. 273. 31. 10 c. 1. 275. 32. 31. 1. 52. Â 1 2 6. 1. 281. Â 9 10 12. 1. 285. 33. 8 9. 1. 282. 34. all 1. 311. 35. 8 16. 1. 322. Â 22. 1. 324. 36. 6. 1. 237. Â 7 8. 1. 330. 37. all 1. Ibid. Â 28. 1. 336 c. Â 19. 1. 352 c. 39. 9. 1. 371. 41. 9. 1. 390. 45. 26. 1. 405. 46. 1 2 c. 1. 406. 47. 19 to 28. 1. 405. 48. 21 22. 1. 419. 49. all 1. 423 c. Â 23. 1. 465 c. 50. all 1. 427. EXODVS all 1 439 Chap. Verse Vol. Page 1 all 1 430 438 Â 8 14 1 439 2 all 1 Ibid. 3 2 3 1 434 4 3 4 5 1 442 5 2 1 443 6 3 1 441 7 9 1 443 9 27 1 Ibid. 12 13 all 1 447 16 11 23 27 1 36 37 20 11 1 36 32 10 1 107 33 18 19 1 16 34 6 LEVITICVS the whole 1 438 Chap. Verse Vol. Page 14 34 41 45 1 103 17 3 4. 1 65 NVMBERS the whole 1 438 Chap. Verse Vol. Page 31 23 1 103 DEVTERONOMY all 1 438 439 Chap. Verse Vol. Page 7 7 8 1 203 16 16 17 1 65 32 4 1 4 JOSHVA Chap. Verse Vol. Page 24 2 1 136 JVDGES Chap. Verse Vol. Page 13 22 23 1 168 RVTH Chap. Verse Vol. Page 1 SAMVEL Chap. Verse Vol. Page 10 23 1 73 15 29 1 100 16 6 7 1 73 17 28 1 Ibid. 2 SAMVEL Chap. Verse Vol. Page 11 2 1 15 1 KINGS Chap. Verse Vol. Page 18 23 38 1 168 2 KINGS Chap. Verse Vol. Page 1 CHRONICLES Chap. Verse Vol. Page 2 CHRONICLES Chap. Verse Vol. Page EZRA Chap. Verse Vol. Page NEHEMIAH Chap. Verse Vol. Page ESTHER Chap. Verse Vol. Page 2 15 1 161 JOB Chap. Verse Vol. Page 26 13 1 2 33 4 24 1 40 35 10 1 2 36 10 15 1 16 40 41 per totum 1 67 42 2 1 3 PSALMS Psalms Verse Vol. Page 8 5 6 8 1 22 49 12 1 40 50 21 1 171 78 41 1 141 119 37 1 15 123 2 1 124 127 3 1 54 128 3 4 PROVERBS Chap. Verse Vol. Page 8 13 1 18 10 22 1 37 12 2 1 76 15 8 1 Ibid. ECCLESIASTES Chap. Verse Vol. Page 7 29 1 30 40
by Ezekiel Chap. 48.31 and more fully Amplified by John Rev. 21. ver 12.14 16. where the New Jerusalem is the Emblem is described to consist of 12 Gates which are 12 Pearls and had 12 Angels to watch them The Wall of that Holy City hath 12 Foundations whereon were written those 12 Apostles answering the 12 Tribes of Israel And the measure of this City is 12 Thousand Furlongs Then again Rev. 22.2 The Tree of Life that stood in the midst of the Street of that Holy City beareth 12 manner of Fruits yea and yieldeth its Fruits in every of the 12 Months of the Year in Winter as well as in Summer So that all along here is Relation to the affairs of the Church God seemeth to affect the number of 12 above all others Note From which weighty consideration Dr. Potter doth wittily and learnedly make his Remarkable conclusions both about the Measure of the Wall of this New Jerusalem and about the number of the Apocalyptick Beast Saying to the first That the measure of the Wall of the City is said to be 144 Cubits which cannot be the measure of the compass it being too little for that nor either of the heigth or breadth of the Wall it being as much too great for both of them therefore must it be meant of the Square-measure or Root-number of 12 For 12 times 12 make 144. So that the Wall was 12 Cubits high and 12 Cubits broad Rev. 21.17 The like observation that Doctor makes upon the 144 Thousand the number of Christ's sealed Servants Rev. 7.4 and of his Holy Retinue that would not comply with Antichristian Idolatry Rev. 14.3 4. The Square Root of which number is 12 also But on the contrary as the latter The number of the Beast is said to be 666 Rev. 13.18 The Square Root of which number saith he is 25 a number that is much affected by Antichrist in his 25 Parishes Cardinals Gates Windows Altars Articles Holy days c. As the number 12 is by our Lord Christ Matthias must be chosen to make up the Eleven remaining Apostles the Round and Root-number of Twelve and because no Apostle had power to ordain another the Lord himself must make the choice by ordering the lot to fall upon this Man Pro. 16. last Acts 1.26 And he must be such a Man as had been an Eye-witness of the Lord's Resurrection Acts 1.22 which was a point not only of greatest difficulty to be believed but also of weightiest importance for supporting the Christian Faith and not only of that but also of the whole Doctrine Life Death Resurrection and Ascension too whereof Matthias was one of the Spectators upon Mount Olivet which was the place from whence he Ascended into Heaven Mark 16.19 Luke 24.51 Acts 1.19 12. Bethany laying in the bottom of it and the Garden wherein he had his Agony and was betrayed c. And this Mount our Lord chused to Ascend upon be cause it was in the view of Jerusalem where he had been scorned condemned and crucified about the same distance from the City as was betwixt the Ark and the People Joshua 3.4 From hence the rather our Lord Ascended that he might begin to receive his Crown and Glory nigh to the place where he had endured his Cross and Contempt c. Because I did adjourn our Lord's Ascension to this proper place where we have not only the Twelve Apostles those same principal secretaries of the Spirit and therefore his Successors but also many more Disciples eye-wittnesses thereof let me here give a distinct Discourse upon it as before upon his Resurrection The Grand Remarks upon Christ's Ascension be reducible to those three Heads 1. The Antecedents 2. The Concomitants 3. The Consequents of it which was the Second degree of his State of his Exaltation as his Resurrection was the first And his sitting down at God's Right-hand a place higher than that of Angels those Ministring Spirits that stand about the Caelestial Throne is the Third degree In the general first Matthew saith nothing at all of our Saviour's Ascension nor doth John give us any account thereof Mark is very brief Mark 16.19 20. But Luke is large upon it both in his Gospel Luke 24.50 51 c. and in his Acts of the Apostles the undoubted Author of which Book was that Evangelist as the Preface plainly implies where he gives a more full History of Christ's Ascension Acts 1. from ver 1. to ver 13. Note The commonly received opinion is that St. Matthew wrote his Gospel Eight years after Christ St. Mark his Ten after St. Luke his Fifteen after and St. John his Forty two years after our Lord's Death St. Matthew wrote his Gospel in Judea so mentioneth nothing of Christ's Ascension because there was none in that Countrey who doubted of it being seen of above 500 so nigh Jerusalem c. But Mark and Luke wrote theirs out of that Countrey where they found many that heard nothing of it And seeing they both had recorded it There was no need for John to mention it whose principal work was to Relate such passages as had been omitted by all the other three The hardned Jews will by no means believe the Ascension of Christ into Heaven but on the contrary do make his Descent into Hell their principal and unquestioned Article blasphemously affirming that our Christ is tormented there in boyling and scalding Zoah or Dung because he received not the Traditions of their Chachamims or Elders yea they make him a false Prophet and a Prophane wretch like Esau aying The Soul of Esau entred into the Body of Christ for this cause they call Christians Edomites as the Jew of Maroceo pag. 172.173 saith More particularly now The first Remark of his Ascension is the Antecedents thereof which have a short relation by St. Mark Chap. 16.19 after the Lord had spoken to them to wit when he had delivered all the precepts and promises which his pleasure was to deliver to his Disciples during the 40 days he endured upon Earth N.B. though immediatly when he rose from the Grave his Right was to go up to Heaven but he waved his own Glory so long for the Churche's good Now having nothing more to say or do for settling his Church save only to Seal up all by sending the Holy Spirit he Ascends up into Heaven Luke Chap 24.50 51 is more large Relating how he led his Disciples forth as far as that part of the Mount of Olives which belonged to the Village of Bethany being a place where he had oft been praying and where as some say he mounted the Ass and Rode in Triumph to the City here will he take his Chariot of State and ride in Triumph up from thence into Heaven but first he doth lift up his hands and blesseth his Disciples here which was not so much the posture Accommodated to the Religious Action of his praying for them but rather a more Authoritative Act in the most