asks Who among them and how many of them did they desire should go Moses tells him They would go up All with their Old and with their Young with their Wives Sons and Daughters with their Flocks and with their Herds For they must make use of some of them for Sacrifice and of part of these Sacrifices they must keep a Riligious Feast unto the Lord. Pharaoh being angry at this motion that they should desire their Children should go also whom he intended to keep as Hostages for their coming back he said in a passion I wish you might find no more savour from God than you are like to find from me in this your Suit to let your Children go also Look to it if you will presume to go in this manner at your own peril be it I shall never consent that you should All go But as for you that are men grown I care not if I permit you to go For that was all as I understood (t) Pharaoh either mislook or perverted the words of Moses and Aaron For they demanded they might all go but they desiring at first that they might go to Sacrifice to the Lord it seems Pharaoh thought that only the men meant to go and not the Women and Children also that at first you desired Moses and Aaron not accepting of this Pharaoh caused them to be driven out of his presence Then Moses stretched forth his Rod over the Land of Egypt and the Lord sent an East-wind which blew very fiercely all day upon that Land and the next morning it brought a vast Army of Caterpillars and Locusts very grievous such as had never been seen there before nor are like ever to be again and they were so many that they in a manner covered the face of the Earth where there was any Herbage and by flying so many together like a Cloud they in a manner darkned the Air and they devoured all the Corn and Grass and Herbs that the Hail had left See Psal 78.46 and Psal 105.34 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in hast and said to them I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you in using you as I have done However pardon the wrong that I have done you and once more intreat the Lord to be favourable to me and remove this deadly Plague from me which consumes and destroys all and is like to bring a grievous and general Famine upon us And Moses went out and intreated the Lord for Pharaoh and the Lord sent a strong West-wind that carried the Grashoppers and Locusts away and cast them into the Red-Sea where they all perished But though this dreadful Judgment was removed yet Pharaoh's hardness was not for he would not yet let the people go Ch. 10. from vers 1. to 21. The Month Abib otherwise called Nisan answering to part of our March and part of our April which before had been the seventh Month as we shewed before was from this time forward made the first Month (u) In rememberance of their miraculous Deliverance out of Egypt they were appointed to begin the Year with this Month. Yet this account was afterwards kept only in Ecclesiastical Affairs For the Jubilees and such other Civil affairs it began as it had done before Lev. 25.8 9 10. of the year and upon the tenth day of this Month or a little before was instituted the Feast of the Passover In Commemoration of God's passing over them and not involving them in the Common Plague that smote the Houses of the Egyptians Touching which Passover several Laws and Directions are given to Moses 1. Concerning the Sacrifice it self or the matter of the Feast viz. a Lamb or Kid of the first year a Male without blemish 2. This must be set apart on the tenth day (x) No mention made of separating the Paschal Lamb from the Flock four days before the Feast in other places where the Passover is commanded of this Month. Thus it was ordered at this time that it might be in readiness and not to seek when they were encumbered with business about their going away 3. If one Houshold was too little for a Lamb they were to joyn the next Houshold to them and they were to make their account proportionably to the Lamb and to the persons that were to eat of it taking care that there might not be too few nor too many for it (y) Which number Josephus reckons to be ten men besides women and children 4. They were to keep the Lamb to the 14th day of the same Month. 5. Every Master of a Family of all the Congregation of Israel whom it especially concerned was appointed to kill it on the 14th day between the two Evenings (z) About that time our blessed Saviour the true Paschal Lamb was put to death Mat. 27.46 that is between our three a Clock in the Afternoon and Sun-set (a) The natural day from Sun to Sun the Jews divided into four parts The first from Sun-rising to nine in the fore-noon called the third hour The second from nine to twelve called the sixth hour The third from twelve to three in the afternoon called the ninth hour The fourth from three in the afternoon to Sun-setting called the twelfth hour 6. They were to strike and sprinkle with a bunch of Hyssop dipped in the bloud (b) To direct the Faith of the Israelites to the bloud of their great Redeemer thereof the two side-posts and upper door-posts of the door of the House where they did eat it (c) This seems peculiar to the Passover in Egypt 7. None of them were to go out of the House where they did eat it till the morning 8. They were not to break a bone of it 9. They were not to eat it raw or sodden but roasted with fire And they were to rost it whole Head and Leggs with the appurtenance that is the inwards being first taken out and washed 10. They were to eat it with unleavened (d) Leaven haing two Properties to sowr and puff up might well signifie malice and pride which must be laid aside Bread and bitter Herbs 11. They were to eat it with their Loins girded their Shooes on their feet and their Staff in their hand like men in hast and ready to be gone and march out of Egypt (e) These Ceremonies were peculiar to that Passover in Egypt 12. They were to let nothing of it remain unto the morning but if any thing were left after they had eaten it was to be burnt with fire These things being observed by them Moses tells them The Lord intended to pass by all the Houses of the Israelites where the Paschal-Lamb was thus eaten and the doors thus sprinkled but He would smite by his holy Angel all the First-born of the Land of Egypt both of Men and Beasts that remained And he would then execute Judgment on all the Gods of Egypt that is either some such notable Judgment or
they were on this to offer extraordinary Sacrisices over and above as we may see Numb 29. from 1. to 7. Upon the first day First Day therefore of the World God created the highest Heavens and together with them as 't is probable the invisible Host of Angels according to that of the Apostle Col. 1.16 By him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible all things were created by him and for him The Psalmist also speaketh to the same purpose Psal 148.2 Praise ye him all his Angels praise ye him all his Hosts let them praise the Name of the Lord for he commanded and they were created 'T is true Moses mentions not the creation of Angels and the reason thereof possibly may be that he intended as it seems to relate only the Creation of things corporeal and visible God having therefore finish'd as it were the Roof of this glorious Building he sell in hand with this lowermost Globe consisting of the Deep and of the Earth all the Choire of Angels singing together and magnifying his most glorious Name for this his wonderful Work as we read Job 38.7 Then the Morning-Stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for joy The Earth that is the whole confused Chaos of Earth and Water was now without form and void of all Herbs Flowers and Trees and all living Creatures and was indeed nothing but a great and deep miry Mass cover'd all over with Waters and thick Darkness And the Spirit of God c Spiritus Sanctus vitali infuso Calore prolificam vim aquis largiebatur Menoch the Creator and Vpholder of all Creatures Psal 104.3 by his effectual quickning Power moved upon and gave virtue to that great Mass and Heap whereby it was fitted and prepared for the subsequent Productions On the middle of the first day God created Light d 2 Cor. 4.6 God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness and sever'd it from the Darkness so that whilst there was Light on one side of the Deep there was Darkness on the other And he called the one Day and the other Night And so Darkness being before Light the Darkness or Evening e In that phrase of Moses Gen. 1.5 The Evening and the Morning were the first Day there is a Synechdoche by which the beginning of the Night and of the Day is put for the whole Night and Day is reckoned the beginning or first part of the Natural day of Twenty four Hours Levit. 23.32 From Even unto Even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath c. Gen. 1. from 1. to 6. On the second day Second Day God created the Expansum commonly called the Firmament stretching out the Heavens as a Curtain and spreading them out as a Tent to dwell in Isa 40.22 By the Expanse or Firmament taken in a large sense we are to understand whatever is contain'd in that vast Space from the surface of the Earth to the uppermost Heavens For there are three Heavens First The Heaven of Heavens the highest Heaven called the third Heaven 2 Cor. 12.2 I knew a man caught up into the third Heaven So Isa 66.1 Thus saith the Lord Heaven is my Throne c. Secondly The Sky or Aether where the Stars are placed which is called the second Heaven or Coelum Stellatum Thirdly The Air under it which reacheth from thence to the surface of the Earth and Water whereof there are three Regions First The highest or uppermost which is clear and aethereal The second called the Middle Region where God hath placed the Clouds Job 26.8 He bindeth up the Waters in thick Clouds And the third or lower Region that wherein the Fowls do fly Now part of those Waters of the Deep fore-mentioned being lifted up by the Power of God and spread above and bound up in thick Clouds whilst others were disposed of here below to make up with the Earth one Globe God was pleased to order that that Expanse or lower Region of the Air called Gen. 1.20 The open Firmament of the Heaven should divide and sepâ—rate those Clouds and Waters above from those beneath And accordingly the Psalmist cries out Psal 148.4 Praise him ye Heavens of Heavens and ye Waters that be above the Heavens Thus God made a separation of the Waters above from the Waters beneath which are enclosed in the Earth and with it make one entire Globe But here is not added God saw that it was good which yet is doubled on the third day possibly because the separation of the Waters begun on this day was not perfected till the third day and is only once repeated on each of the other four days with addition of very good in the end of all Gen. 1. from 6. to 9. On the third day Third Day God commanded those Waters that were beneath to run together into one place and the dry Land to appear This confluence of Waters he called a Sea sending out from thence the Rivers which were to run thither again as Solomon speaks Eccles 1.7 All the Rivers run into the Sea yet the Sea is not full unto the place from whence they came thither they return again And he caused the Earth to bring forth all kinds of Herbs and Plants with Seeds and Fruits in perfection which before were not in the Earth nor could have been except he had given power to the Earth to produce them For there had not been as yet any of those ordinary means whereby the Earth is now made fruitful viz. Rain and the labour and help of Man who was not yet made neither had there so much as a Mist f Junius reddit ו non et sed aut Aut vapor ascendens â— terra c. Gen. 2.6 gone up to water the Earth Thus we see that God made them all by his own Almighty Power and that before the Sun was created that we might learn to ascribe the Production of the Fruits of the Earth to God originally and not to the Sun And thus he made ready all kind of Food and Provision for the living Creatures which he intended to create on the sixth day But above all he enriched the Garden of Eden g A Country in Thelassar the upper part of Chaldea as may be seen 2 Kings 19.12 Isaiah 37.12 and is distinguish'd from another Eden by Damascus in Syria Amos 1.5 and is Eastward from the Wilderness where 't is probable Moses wrote his History Eden juxta Haran seu Charras with variety of Plants This Garden is by the Greek Interpreters call'd Paradise and for the pleasantness of it made a Figure of Heaven Luke 23.43 To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise 2 Cor. 12.4 He was caught up into Paradise In this Garden God planted the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil The one as it should seem to be a Sacramental Sign annexed to the Covenant of Works which he intended to
21.28 And if it were shed by man of man it should be required let the Murtherer be of what quality or condition soever He further declares That whoso sheds mans blood that is wittingly wilfully and unlawfully by man that is by the Magistrate * See Numb 35.19 21 27. Rom. 13.4 shall his blood be shed For God made man in his own Image and though that Image be much impaired by the Fall yet there are still some remainders of it in man which God cannot endure should be defaced And further God was now pleased to make a Covenant with Noah and his Posterity and with every living Creature which as for mans sake they were at first created so for mans sin they had been in the Flood destroyed that he would not any more destroy Man and Beast by an Vniversal Deluge which should cover the whole Earth with waters though he might punish particular Countries with Floods and Inundations And as a sign and pledge of this Covenant He would give them the Rain-bow which though it was naturally in the Clouds before yet now it should be a particular token of this Covenant and of Gods Oath * See Esay 54.9 annexed to it and should assure the truth and performance of it Gen. 8. from 20. to the end Gen. 9. from 1. to 18. SECT III. NOah now began to fall to Husbandry and planted a Vineyard But it seems not knowing at first the Property Quality and Virtue of the Wine which was the fruit of his Vineyard and possibly being over-joyed when he tasted such excellent and delicious Fruits of his own Labours and allowing himself a little more freedom in drinking thereof then in all likelihood he would have done had he known the power and strength of the Wine He did it seems drink something too liberally of it and was thereby so disordered that in his drunken-sleep he unawares uncovered himself which his wicked Son C ham seeing in a way of derision spake of it to his Brothers But they were so far from joyning with him in this his ungracious behaviour towards his Father that they took a Garment and laying it upon both their Shoulders with their faces turned from their Father they went backed toward him and when they came at him let it fall upon him and so covered him However this base behaviour of Cham coming to Noah's knowledge He does as a Prophet by the inspiration of Gods Spirit denounce a Curse upon him And though he names him not but Cainan his 4th Son * Gen. 10.6 who possibly might joyn with his Father Cham in this wicked fact yet he denounces a Curse upon him and his Posterity and particularly and most remarkably on the Canaanites who were afterwards conquered and subdued by the Israelites called here Cainan's Brethren because they were the Posterity of Shem who was Brother of Cham and Father of Cainan yea and by those Western Nations also that were the Posterity of Japhet So that Cainan should be a Servant of Servants and his lot should be a servile and slavish condition Noah having thus cursed Cham He in the next place solemnly and prophetically blesses Shem out of whose Loines the Messias was to spring He declares by the Divine Illumination of the Spirit that God would enter into a special Covenant with the Posterity of Shem * This Shem lived to the 50 year of Isaac Gen. 11.10 and is the only person mentioned in the Scripture that lived to see his Posterity of the 10th Generation taking them for his peculiar people and binding himself to be their God And therefore speaking of this Extraordinary Priviledge belonging to Shem He breaks forth into a solomn thanksgiving to God for it saying Blessed be the Lord God of Shem intimating that Shem must needs be blessed to whom God would be a God in Covenant see Psal 144.15 Having thus blessed Shem he comes then to Japhet (d) Frequent mention of Japetus among the Heathen Son of Titan and Terra concerning whom He prophesies That God would perswade Japhet to dwell in the Tents of Shem that is that the Gentiles the Posterity of Japhet after they had bin a long time separated from the Church of God namely the Israelites Shem's Off-spring should at last be perswaded by the preaching of the Gospel to joyn with them in the worship of the same God and in the profession of the same Faith and so should become Fellow-members of the same Church See Eph. 2.13 So that this Prophesie was not to be fulfilled till the Gentiles became converts to Christ and so came into the Tents of Shem that is into the Communion of the true Church and people of God Gen. 9. from 18. to the end SECT IV. NOah (e) Noah is thought to be the person whom the Heathens meant by Saturn under whom they say was the Golden Age. From Noah's being once overtaken with Wine the liberty of Saturnalia might take rife A feast of five days and a time of great revelâ—ing and libâ—â—ty kept in Deceâ—â—â—r from the Flood to the Division of the Earth had a natural Dominion over all Mankind and in that Age there was but one Language Two years after the Flood Shem being an hundred years old begat Arphaxad who is thought to be his eldest Son see Gen. 11.10 though Elam and Assur be named before him Gen. 10.22 the Scripture in Genealogies not always observing the Order of Birth Arphaxad at the age of 35 begat Salah Gen. 11.12 Between these is inserted Cainan as the Son of Arphaxad and Father of Salah Luke 3.35 36. The Evangelist herein following the Translation of the Septuagint (f) See my Hâ—rmony of Four Evangelists pag. 20. where much more is spoken to this particular which was then much in use and possibly more known then the authentick Hebrew Text Salah at the age of 30 years begat Heber Gen. 11.14 When Heber had lived 34 years He had a Son born whom he called Peleg foreseeing that in his days the Earth would be divided Gen. 11.16 10.25 and 1 Chr. 1.19 About the time of Pelegs birth about an 100 years after the Flood the whole Earth being then of one Language the Grand-Children of Noah went from those Eastern Parts whither they first repaired from the Mountains of Ararat unto the plain of Shinar or Chaldea where they impiously laid their Heads together to do something remarkable that might get them a Name and be a Monument of their Prowess to after Ages And whereas hitherto the Heads of Families did in a mild and gentle way order the rest and rather by the voluntary submission of those that were governed then by the compulsion of power now at the instigation of Nimrod * He is thought to be the Bacchus celebrated by the Poets being Bar Chus the Son of Chus Son of Chus and Grand-Child of Cham who was a great Tyrant Oppressor and Hunter of men See Jer. 16.16 and that openly without
Goshen near Rameses where they were at first placed by Joseph Gen. 47.11 they being in all six hundred thousand men of the Israelitish Race besides Women and Children and to them a mixed multitude voluntarily joyned themselves viz. Servants and Strangers who were willing to go away with them and doubtless the rather because Egypt must needs be now in a sad condition by reason of the many Plagues God had lately inflicted on them And which speaks the wonderful Providence of God over this people in that vast multitude there was not one sick or feeble person among them as we read Psal 105. vers 37. Exod. 12. from vers 34. to 43. SECT II. FRom Rameses this vast multitude with their Flocks and Herds and much Cattel remove to Succoth which signifies Booths because here they made themselves Booths of the Boughs of Trees in remembrance of which the Feast of Tabernacles was afterwards appointed as we may see Lev. 23.42 43 Here Moses receives some further Commands and Directions concerning the Passover 1. No Stranger or Forreigner was to eat thereof unless he were first Circumcised and so incorporated into the Jewish Church 2ly Servants that were Strangers after they were well instructed and circumcised might eat thereof and that no Forreigner or Hireling might on other terms oat thereof 3ly Every Lamb was to be eaten by one Company in the same house and none of it to be carried out to be eaten abroad 4ly No bone of it was to be broken (c) A Figure of Christ whose bones were not broken as the two Thieves bones were Joh. 19.33 to shew that no man had power to take away his life but that he voluntarily laid it down John 10.18 5ly All the Congregation of Israel were to prepare themselves and to eat the Passover as the Lord had Commanded and he that neglected it was to be cut off Numb 9.13 6ly The circumcised Stranger shall enjoy the same right and benefit with the native Jews one Law shall be to them both God also Commands That all their First-born males of Man and Beast shall be consecrated unto him in a thankful Memorial that he saved their First-born when he destroyed the First-born of the Egyptians and therefore such might not be given as a Vow or Free-will-Offering being before the Lords by a peculiar Right Lev. 27.26 Yet the Firstling of an Ass and so of all other unclean Beasts Numb 18.15 they might redeem with a Lamb * But if they would not redeem it they were to bâ—eak its neck because it was not fit that that which of right belonged unto God should be put to any other ordinary use and the First-born of Man they might redeem with five Shekels of Silver Numb 18.16 He Commands also That the day of their going out of Egypt shall be had in perpetual Remembrance and that the Feast of Vnleavened Bread shall be yearly kept in the Land of Canaan that so that Deliverance may never be forgotten and that they shall acquaint their Children from Generation to Generation with the Story and the wonderful manner thereof and shall instruct them in the meaning and signification of this Paschal-Solemnity which was Instituted upon that occasion telling them That this Passover (d) Which was Oommemorative f their Deliverance and Prefigurative of the Death and Passion of Christ ought to be such a kind of remembrance unto them of Gods extraordinary Mercy in delivering their Fathers out of the Bondage of Egypt as if they wore any Signet or Token upon their Hands or any Frontlet or Jewel upon their Foreheads between their Eyes (e) Vide Deut. 6.8 11.18 Pharisaei qui haec carnaliter crasso modo intelligebant alligabant Brachiis Fronti sua Phylacteria quae carpit Christus Math. 23.5 to put them in mind of some important thing which they ought by no means to forget And so it will come to pass that they will delight to think and speak of the Law and Commandments of God to the Observance of which this admirable Deliverance will be a strong engagement Exod. 12. from vers 43. to the end Exod. 13. from vers 1. to 17. SECT III. FRom Succoth they march on in good array that is as 't is probable in five Bodies (f) Vers 18. Quini ascenderunt i. e. in quincurias dispositi Rivet Quinque turmis ascenderunt Munsterus See also Dutch Annotations in loc or Brigads towards Etham in the edge of the Wilderness where was their next Encamping the Lord conducting (g) Here it 's said v. 21. that the Lord led them by this Pillar Ch. 14. 19. 't is said the Angel of the Lord went before them This therefore was the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 the Eternal Son of God 1 Cor. 10.9 them by a Pillar of a Cloud by day which was also a Pillar of Fire to them by Night and a Sign of his gracious Presence with them This Sign of his Presence was like a Pillar ascending round and straight from the Earth towards Heaven by Night it had the appearance of Fire Numb 9.15 In the day time it seems it dispersed it self abroad when need was like a Cloud and so shaddowed them from the Sun see Psal 105. vers 39. when they were to rest or stay in any place it removed back into the midst of the Camp and after the Tabernacle was made it rested upon that and when it was taken up and moved whether by day or night they were to march see Numb 9.18 21. And out of this Cloudy Pillar the Lord spake to them Psal 99.7 Numb 12.5 10. Deut. 31.15 The Lord therefore as we said before by this Pillar conducted the Israelites to Etham from whence through the Land of the Philistins was the nearest and directest way to Canaan But the Lord was not pleased to lead them that way fore-seeing the Philistins were like to deny them passage thorow their Country so that they must fight their way thorow them who were a Warlike People if they intended to pass And the Lord foresaw that the meeting with so formidable a difficulty at the first might possibly discourage the Children of Israel and make them repent that they left Egypt and might dispose them to return thither again For this and other reasons the Lord was pleased to order the people to march back from Etham to the Wilderness of the Red-Sea And they carried Joseph's bones with them according to the Command given them Gen. 50. And 't is probable they carried the bones of the other Patriarchs the Sons of Jacob along with them also according to what Stephen relates Acts 7.15 16. Exod. 13. from vers 17. to the end SECT IV. FRom Etham the Lord Commands them to turn back again and to Encamp before Pihahiroth between Migdol and the Sea over against Baal-Zephon This was a narrow passage between two ledges of Mountains with the Sea before them It seems it was now told Pharaoh that the people
and Princes to hear what she had to say concerning this great Work which God had done for Israel and she addresseth her Speech the rather to them because they are wont oftentimes in their Pride to Oppress others and therefore she desires they might understand what God had done to Jabin and Sisera and so might take heed of provoking God by Oppressing his people as these had done And the better to express how terrible God had now been to their Adversaries she compares the Terrors of this day with those when the Law was given on Mount Sinai Lord when thou camest out of Seir when thou marchedst out of the Field of Edom the Earth trembled that is when the Children of Israel stood at Mount Sinai from the East where was Edom and Mount Seir a divine Splendor from the fiery Cloud began first to appear to them and seeming to come from that Region drew nigher and nigher to them till it rested on the Mountain see Deut. 33.2 Psal 86.7 8. Then the Earth trembled and the Heavens dropped that is the Clouds seem'd to be dissolved into extraordinary Showers and Storms The Mountains melted and trembled and shook even Sinai it self (s) Elegans poëtica Hyperbole Etiam Reges ferocientes comparantur montibus Psal 68.17 and seem'd to flow away at thy presence And as thou didst at that time wonderfully appear at Sinai causing those prodigious Effects of thy Presence to be felt so did thy Majesty and Power now at this battel no less appear for us against our Enemies She goes on The Case was very sad with us before For from the days of Shamger who was indeed a Deliverer of us from our Enemies unto this present time wherein Jael appeared and shewed her self a worthy Instrument of our good we lay under great Oppressions insomuch that the High-ways being kept by Souldiers all Trading was cut off people not daring to travel but in by-ways nor to live in Villages but only in walled-Cities whither they fled to secure themselves till God was pleased by me a poor woman to set on foot this glorious Work of our Deliverance who as a Prophetess teaching them God's Will and what He would have them to do and with no less care seeking their good than a loving Mother doth her dear Childrens I encouraged them to this War which hath succeeded so well If any ask a reason of the Calamities we were under Alas we must needs acknowledge the Israelites by shameful Apostacy fell away from God and his true Worship and worshipped Heathen Idols hereupon the Lord raised against them cruel Enemies on every side who made Inroads into their Land and many times came up to the very Gates of their Cities And they were so dispirited with fear and faintness of heart that not a man among the many thousands of Israel durst take up a Shield or Spear against their Enemies see Levit. 26.36 She goes on I cannot but highly honour the Heads and Rulers of the people who though having great Estates were as willing to hazard themselves in this War as the meaner sort who have scarce any thing to lose and such grave and ancient Persons are not usually so fit for War as younger men and therefore it argued an Heroick Spirit in them to put to their helping hand among the meanest in this Cause of God and their Examples no doubt had a great influence to draw on many of the meaner sort And says she let all those men of honour and eminency viz. Magistrates and Judges that sit in the Seat of Judgment and use to ride up and down on white Asses * Riding on Asses was it seems a Note of great and honourable Persons in that time see Judg. 12.14 and it seems white Asses were in principal esteem and so likewise let all the common sort of people that travel on foot from one place to another let them all in their several places speak of this great Deliverance which God hath wrought for his people For whereas before all the High-ways of the Land were pestered with Souldiers so that there was no stirring with any safety from one place to another and so all the whole course of Justice was in a manner stopped now the Judges might sit in Judgment as formerly and might ride up and down upon their white Asses according to their wonted manner which before they could not do and the common people of all sorts might now pass to and fro and travel safely about their occasions Now the Country-people that us'd to be assaulted and surprized by their Enemies when they went to the Wells and Fountains to fetch water are delivered from this danger and may freely go thither and there declare the righteous Acts of God in destroying their Enemies and may also now freely frequent the Cities on Court or Market-days Upon consideration of all these Mercies Deborah rouses up her self to praise the Lord with all her Soul and Strength Awake Deborah awake utter thy Song Arise Barak and lead thy Captivity Captive that is now after thy Victory lead those Captive that kept us formerly in Captivity Psal 68.18 And after thou hast led them in Triumph let those of the Canaanites whom thou hast taken be slain as God hath commanded and let those of other Nations that are taken with them be reserved for Slaves Thus God made the poor despised remainders of his people rescued by this Victory out of the Tyranny of the Canaanites to have Dominion over their Nobles even their great and mighty men Yea the Lord hath made me says Deborah though a weak woman to have Dominion over the Mighty and by my Counsel and Encouragement to subdue great Princes and Commanders Then Deborah relates how the several Tribes acquitted themselves in this Expedition praising or blaming them according to their Deserts First She begins with Ephraim out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek that is one rising of the Israelites against our Enemies did spring up from Ephraim and those of this Tribe that armed themselves for the War were assign'd by Barak to go against the Amalekites to Encounter them and keep them from coming and joyning their Forces with those of Jabin's whilst Barak with his Army went against Sisera Machir was the only Son of Manasseh and so by the Children of Machir are meant the Tribe of Manasseh And after thee that is after you of Ephraim were in Arms some of Benjamin came and mixt themselves among you to go against Amalek And out of Machir that is out of the half-Tribe of Manasseh seated within Jordan some of them yea even of their Governors came down to assist Barak and out of Zebulun even some of their Doctors Scribes and Lawyers and others that were better at their Pen than Sword yet came among them to assist in this Cause And both the Princes and common people also of the Tribe of Issachar did readily come in to Deborah and Barak with