Tribes and half the Tribe of Manasseh the Tribe of Reuben Gad and the other half Tribe of Manasseh having their lot on the other side Jordan The persons that were to make the division were Eleazar the High Priest Joshua and one Prince of every Tribe who are particularly named The Tribes are here named in their particular Order in which they should inherit the Land their Inheritance abutting one upon another as their Names are here joyned together to make it the more evident to them that they were alloted their Portions by the Wisdom and Providence of God Numb Ch. 34. whole Chapter SECT XC THe Lord further Commands the Israelites to give 48 Cities to the Levites for their Possession He appoints the Suburbs of them to reach a thousand Cubits from the wall of the City on each side so that measuring the length from one end of the lines to the other end opposite against it as from East to West or from North to South there were two thousand Cubits that made the perfect square God also appoints six of these Cities for Cities of Refuge Three in the Land of Canaan and three (b) There was no inequality in this because the portion of the two Tribes and an half without Jordan reached as far in length as theirs in the Land of Canaan though it were nothing so broad Besides if the Lord inlarged their Coasts and gave them all the Land they were to add three Cities more Deut. 19.8 9. on the other side Jordan And those Cities were as we may see afterwards Deut. 4. and Joshua 20. 1. Bezer a City of the Reubenites 2. Ramoth of Gilead of the Gadites 3. Golan in Bashan of the Manassites These three Moses separated Deut. 4.41 43. 4. Kadesh in Galilee in Mount Napthali 5. Shechem in Mount Ephraim 6. Kirjath-arba which is Hebron in the Mount of Judah and these Joshua separated Joshua 20.7 Before these Cities of Refuge were appointed it seems the Altar only was a kind of Sanctuary to those that fled to it see Exod. 21.14 But afterwards these Cities were the chief Sanctuaries to the Children of Israel and the Sojourners and Strangers among them and yet they were such only to those who had killed a man unwittingly And therefore they were not to receive any man till he had professed his Innocency as to this particular see Josh 20.4 And such Cities were purposely appointed as lay at an equal distance in the several parts of the Land that no man driven to make use of them might have too far to go and so might be overtaken by the Avenger of blood who was the next Kinsman to the man slain and might lawfully slay him who had slain his Kinsman if he took him out of the City of Refuge and before he could recover the Sanctuary And the way to these Cities was always to be prepared and made even and plain that the Man-slayer might flee thither without hinderance see Deut. 19.3 When the Man-slayer came thither he was at the entrance of the Gate to shew his Cause to the Elders of the City who were to take him in till he was sent for and fetched to the City where he had done the Fact and there he was to stand before the Congregation Joshua 24.4 6. who if they found him worthy of death were to deliver him to the Avenger to kill him if not they were to return him to the City of Refuge again where he was to live in a kind of exile and imprisonment until the death of the High Priest and might not come out before * If He went out before He forfeited his Priviledge and Protection and the Avenger might lawfully slay him and then He was to have liberty to return to his own house and former dwelling place the High Priest being a Type of the Messias our High Priest and Saviour Jesus Christ who by his death hath blotted out the hand-writing of our Sins and reconcileth us to God But these Cities of Refuge were not intended to be any Protection or Asyle to willful Murderers and such as of malice-prepence slew a man and struck him with an Instrument of Iron or with a Stone or Hand-weapon wherewith in probability a man that is smitten must needs be kill'd Moreover no man was to be put to death on the single testimony of one man alone And no Redemption-money no Bribe or Present was to be taken to spare a murderers life For blood defileth the Land and the Land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein but by the blood of him that shed it And lastly no Redemption-money was to be taken for granting him that was fled to a City of Refuge a Dispensation or Liberty to return to the place of his former abode or habitation before the death of the High Priest Numb 35. whole Chapter and Deut. 4. vers 41 42 43. SECT XCI THe Lord having formerly ordered that Zelophehad's Daughter should have that portion of Land in the Tribe of Manasseh which their Father should have had for his share had he lived the Children of Gilead who were of that Tribe considering that if these Daughters married into any other Tribe this portion of their Land would be quite alienated from their Tribe therefore they made it their suit that some order might be taken to prevent this mischief For by like accidents the portion of every Tribe might in time be changed and so at length all may come to confusion and the very end of Gods appointing every Tribe to have their portion apart by themselves might be quite made void And further whereas by the Law of God it was appointed that at the year of Jubilee which was every fiftieth year what ever Land was alienated from any Tribe should return to that Tribe again by such marriages as these Inheritances would pass over from one Tribe to another without possibility of restitution at the year of Jubilee and so this Law would become void which seem'd purposely intended to prevent the confusion of the Inheritances of the Tribes Moses having ask'd Counsel of the Lord answered them as God had commanded viz. That the Daughters of Zelophehad should marry only in the Tribe of their Father which they accordingly afterwards did and further orders That every Daughter that possesseth an Inheritance in any Tribe should marry only unto one of that Tribe But if she was not an Inheritrix she might marry into any other Tribe And thus Inheritances would not be removed from one Tribe to another Numb Ch. 36. whole Chapter SECT XCII WE are now come to the Book of Deuteronomy which contains Moses's dying Speech and pathetical Exhortation to the Children of Israel He had brought them to the Plains of Moab and to the very borders of Canaan He knew by divine Revelation he must not go over thither but must die on this side Jordan Having therefore now but a little time to live viz. about five weeks like a man in
afraid to execute justice upon thee for the doing justice upon such offenders and wicked wretches as thou art is the way by the blessing of God to have my Kingdom established to me and to my posterity after me in the sight of the Lord that is his gracious Providence continually watching over us So the King commanded Benaiah to kill him which accordingly he did And so the Kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon his chief and capital enemies being now cut off 1 King Ch. 2. from v. 39 to the end CHAP. V. The fifth Age of the World from the beginning of the building of the Temple in the fourth year of Solomons reign unto the destruction of it and Captivity of Judah in the 11th year of Zedekiah containing a space of 420 years SECT I. IN the year 480 from the coming of the children of Israel out of Egypt in the fourth year of the reign of King Solomon on the second day of the second Month called Zif answering as some think to our 21 of May the foundation of the Temple was laid in Mount Moriah the very place where Abraham was commanded to offer up his Son Isaac see Gen. 22.2 and in the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite about the year of the world 2988. This foundation was laid with great and costly hewed stones brought thither by the Kings command 1 King 5.17 and this glorious structure with all things belonging to it took up in the building and finishing of it seven years and an half The length of this magnificent building was sixty cubits besides ten cubits allowed for the Porch which made the whole length to be seventy cubits 1 King 6.2 3. The cubits after which the Temple was built it's probable were after the first measure 2 Chron. 3.3 and double to the ordinary cubits which reached only from the Elbow to the tip of the longest finger and equal to our English yard If any shall think this sacred pile to be but little in comparison of other Fanes and Temples let them consider the stateliness of this Temple did not consist so much in the greatness of it as the exquisite workmanship symetry and costly furniture thereof 2ly It was big enough for the uses it was intended for namely to contain the holy vessels with sufficient space between them and to receive such Priests as did officiate therein For the Holy of Holies was accessible only to the High-Priest and that but once a year and into the holy or inward house only such Priests entred as by lot or course came thither to do the service they were appointed unto viz. to light lamps to set shew-bread to offer inincense as appeareth by Zacharies sole staying therein whilst the whole multitude of the people were praying without 3ly The great latitude and capacity of the Temple consisted in the outward Courts with the stately buildings and Cloysters about them which were of such receipt as to entertain multitudes of men sub dio in the open air and so it equalled the greatest buildings in the world But though the covered Temple was not great yet it was more than twice as big as the Tabernacle made by Moses which was only thirty cubits in length ten in breadth and as many in height Both Jewish and Christian writers place the ends or length of the Temple East and West the sides or breadth North and South making the Porch or entrance on the east-East-end and the Holy of Holies on the West-end as is gathered from Ezek. 8.16 Ch. 44.1 Ch. 47.1 We shall now describe the parts of this Temple particularly and shall speak first of the Porch 1. The Porch In the Book of Kings 1 King 6.3 we meet with the length and breadth of the Porch but no height thereof mentioned In Chronicles we find the length and height thereof but there the breadth is omitted Thus we see that by comparing one Scripture with another we may come to find out the truth This Porch was twenty cubits in length for its length ran parallel to the breadth of the house from North to South ten in breadth from East to West and an hundred and twenty in height being four times as high as the body of the Temple see 2 Chron. 3.4 not that it was all empty and void to the top but probably had Chambers in it and winding stairs ascending up to the roof The height of the lowest room within might perhaps be equal to the rest of the House viz. thirty cubits The battlements on the top might have stately railes of stone besides other ornaments and Pinacles There was a magnificent entrance into it raised by many steps out of the Area of the Priests Court This Porch viz. the arched Portal Solomon overlaid within with pure gold 2 Chron. 3.4 That is gilded it all over it having plates of silver underneath For David is said to have provided seven thousand talents of refined silver to overlay the walls of the houses withal 1 Chron. 29.4 Thus it took its denomination of gold from the metal which was most precious and most visible on the surface of it And so all the several rooms of the Temple might be overlaid with pure gold The Porch with leaf the inward house with plate the Holy of Holies with the most refined gold of Parvaim The Holy or inward House had forty cubits in length the breadth twenty cubits 2. The Sanctuary or inward house or middle part between the Porch and the Oracle adaequate to the general dimensions of the Temple For the wall the out-side of it which was expos'd to open view was as is conceiv'd of white polisht marble or made of some excellent stone for strength and the timber and boards within were all Cedar The Cedar was curiously carved with the Imagery of Flowers Palmes and Cherubims and those figures being outwardly imbossed with visible prominences the plates of gold being of the purest and most flexible metal applied themselves so close to each line in the Sculpture that they set it off and expressed the carved work with advantage abating nothing of the art and adding much to the beauty and richness thereof 1 King 6.18 29. And in some select places as it seems it was most gloriously adorn'd and garnisht with precious stones 2 Chron. 3.6 For Solomon intended this Temple should be very glorious it being built for the honour of the all-glorious God Of the same curiosity for carving were the two doors with folding leaves made of firr-tree and overlaid with gold which led out of the Porch into the Temple The workmanship of these doors and the wall being in all particulars so alike that when they were shut no breach appeared in them Posts of Olive-tree four square were made for these doors to turn upon 1 King 6. from the 31 to the 36. The floor hereof was made of boards of Firr and they were faced and all overlaid with gold 1 King 6.15 30 * V.
their eleventh station at Rephidim by Mount Sinai struck the Rock in Horeb as God commanded Him and water came forth And he named the place Massah or Meribah But here at this their 33th station 38 years after with Aaron's budded Rod having his spirit provoked by these rebellious people He smites the Rock twice without any such Command or Commission from God to smite it at all And he and Aaron likewise as it seems speak unadvisedly with their lips * See Psal 106.33 uttering words of passion and distrust possibly to this purpose Hear now ye Rebels must we fetch you water out of this Rock Never imagine that God will work such a Miracle for such a rebellious Crew as ye are However the Rock gave forth water abundantly God was very angry with Moses and Aaron that they had thus distrusted him and had not sanctified * V. 12. Ut sanctificaretis me alloquendo Petram Et miraculum cum fiducia praedicendo Ita mortem His interminatur ut populus intelligeret sibi non parciturum Deum qui viris tantis non pepercerit Porro haec Feri allegoria uti non Moses Hebraeos sed Joshua perduxit in Palestinam ita non Lex in caelum nos verum Christus evehit Demum hinc palam est quo spiritu haec Moses scripserit qui vitia net celet sua nec suorum Vide Cap. 12.1 Anonym in loc Publice peccarunt ideoque severius cum iis egit Deus quam alibi cum Moses infidelitatem proderet Numb 11.22 23. quia tum primum peccavit him inwardly in their hearts by trusting in Him 1 Pet. 3.15 nor glorified him outwardly by ascribing to him the glory of his truth and power before the Children of Israel and therefore He tells them They shall not bring that people into Canaan see Deut. 3.25 26. And as the former place at Rephidim was called Massah and Meribah viz. a place of Strife and Contention because the people there strove with the Lord that is contended with Moses his Servant which he accounts as contending with Himself so shall this also be called And thus the Lord was sanctified in them or among them that is among the Israelites by giving them water and thereby manifesting his Almighty Power Faithfulness and his Goodness and Compassion towards them notwithstanding their great Provocations Numb 20. from 1. to 14. SECT LXIX MOses now by Gods direction sends Messengers to the King of Edom to desire Him that He would please to permit them who were His own flesh and blood as being descended from Jacob Brother to Esau to pass thorow his Country that being the nearest and most convenient way into Canaan And they amiably desire this because God had charged them that they should not meddle with the Sons of Esau or their possession Deut. 2.4 5. He tells him He cannot but have heard of their sore and long Troubles and Oppressions which they suffered in Egypt and how upon their crying unto the Lord he sent his Angel viz. his own eternal Son the Angel or Mediator of the Covenant of Grace see Exod. 3.2 and Mal. 3.1 who conducted them in the way by a Cloud and Pillar of fire He tells him They would not turn aside into their Fields or Vineyards to do them any damage and would drink only of their Rivers that were common and not meddle with their Wells digged for their private use which were very precious in those hot and dry Countries without paying for it But the King of Edom would not consent to it so they were forc'd to fetch a compass thorow the Wilderness which lay about the Land of Edom. Notwithstanding as they went along their Coasts in the out-skirts of their Country the Edomites afforded them Victuals for their money Deut. 2.29 though they did not come forth to meet them with bread and water as men use to do who wish success and prosperity to those to whom they bring it see Deut. 23.3 4. Numb 20. from vers 14. to 22. SECT LXX FRom Kadesh the Camp removes to mount Hor. * A hill in Mosera Deut. 10.6 or whos 's other top was called Moscra From this Mount Hor the people that were driven out of this Country by Esau were called Horims Deut. 2.12 and Esau is called the Horite Gen. 36.20 Here God tells Moses That Aaron should be gathered unto his people that is his godly fore-Fathers that died before him see Gen. 25.8 Heb. 12.23 He commands him to bring Aaron and Eleazar his Son up to the top of Mount Hor. And they accordingly went up in the sight of all the Congregation Here Aaron being attired in all his glorious Vestments Moses strips him of them and puts them upon Eleazar his Son to shew that God had appointed him to succeed in his Fathers Office and that the High Priests eldest Son (k) Eleazar's Sons did succeed him to the time of the Judges Then the High Priesthood was translated to the Posterity of Ithamar the other Son of Aaron for Eli was of the stock of Ithamar or the next Heir of their Family unless rendred uncapable by some blemish was still to succed in that Office Thus on the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year after their coming out of Egypt Aaron being an 123 years old (l) See Numb 33.38 died seven months and seven days before Moses and was there buried and the whole Congregation mourned for him 30 days * So long they mourned for Moses Deut. 34.8 Numb 20. from vers 22. to the end SECT LXXI AT this time King Arad the Canaanite whose Country lay in the South of Canaan understanding by the Spies he had sent forth to observe the course of the Israelites V. 1. By the way of the Spies it might be a way so called and well known by that name at that time that they were turned back again from the Red-Sea and marched directly upon the South of Canaan not knowing of Moses's purpose to compass the Land of Edom he immediately marched forth with his Army as far as Mount Hor in the edge of the Desart where the Israelites now lay and there fought with them and took some of them Prisoners The Israelites intending to renew the battel and again once more to encounter Arad and his Army they call'd upon the Lord for help and vowed unto Him that if he would please to deliver these Enemies into their hands they would utterly destroy and burn their Cities and that nothing of their Goods should be reserved for their own private use The Lord was pleased to hear their prayer so that in the second battel they vanquish'd and overcame them But how could the Israelites being so far off in the Wilderness destroy their Cities lying in Canaan Numb 33.40 into which they came not till after Moses's death It seems the performance of this Vow was long after made viz. when they were come unto the Land For the King of
were four fingers thick of solid metal and hollow within there is some appearing difference in the measure of their height it being variously presented unto us in 1 King 7. from 15 to 23. and 2 Chron. 3.15 In the first place 't is said he cast two pillars of brass of eighteen cubits high a piece In the second 't is said he made two pillars of thirty and five cubits high To reconcile this difference some probably conjecture that in Chronicles the height of both pillars are counted together And whereas 18 and 18 make 36 one cubit more than the number mentioned in the Book of Chronicles 't is conceiv'd that each Chapiter did sink half a cubit within the socket of the Cylinder for their fastening So that only so much as appeared of these pillars is reckoned each of them having half a cubit of their shaft lost in their height and running in and hid in his Chapiter grafted upon it The Chapiters of these Pillars were curiously adorn'd with Net-work Chain-work and rows of Pomegranates Lilies also were made on the top of these Chapiters And whereas 't is said 2 King 25.17 that each Chapiter was but three cubits high it is to be understood of the stately embroidery and ornaments of Net-work Chains and Pomegranates which were at the beginning of the third cubit The Pillar that stood on the right hand in the Porch was called Jachin that is he will establish and the other on the left hand Boaz that is in him is strength 1 King 7.21 both those pillars there set up signified Gods protection of the place 2. The Furniture of the Sanctuary or Inner Temple 1. There were placed there ten Candlesticks of pure gold the Tabernacle had but one Exod. 37.17 five on the right side and five on the left each of them no doubt fashioned like that which Moses made viz. sevenfold with a great shaft for the body in the midst and three stemms on each side branching out thereof in some resemblance perhaps of the seven Planets among which the Sun the great stock of light is in the midst and three of them on each side above and beneath it 1 King 7.49 Besides these ten standing Candlesticks of Gold there were many more moveable ones but all those made of silver which the Priests in the night might carry about with them 1 Chron. 28.15 2. The Tables of shew-bread which Solomon made of Gold his Father David having peculiarly provided Gold for that purpose 1 Chron. 28.16 as he provided silver for the Tables of silver of whose use and situation we read not Possibly they might be used in the Chambers belonging to the Temple In the 1 King 7.48 we read but of one Table of shew-bread but in the 2 Chron. 4.8 we find expresly ten in number together with their situation five on the right and five on the left side of the Sanctuary The description of Moses's one Table may be seen in the 25 of Exodus from 23 to 29. But the dimensions of Solomon's we have not though perhaps double to Moses's according as the place wherein they were set was double to his in capacity Some think that Moses's Golden Table was one of these and the other nine framed according to that size On these Tables the shew-bread was set on each Table twelve cakes were daily presented unto God The Priests were allowed by God when new was substituted in the room of the former to eat those loaves which were taken away 3. The most eminent utensil in the Sanctuary was the Altar of Incense standing before the Oracle 1 King 6.22 on which was daily burnt the perfume see Exod. 30.34 c. The Altar of Incense which Moses made was made of Shittim-wood and overlaid with pure gold round about David prepared refined Gold on purpose for the making of this Altar 1 Chron. 28.18 and Solomon made his altar of incense of Cedar and overlaid it with Gold 1 King 7.48 2 Chron. 4.19 1 King 6.20 Besides for the services of the Golden Altar the Tables and the Candlesticks there were made by Solomon many other excellent vessels of pure Gold which were appointed by his Father as as an hundred basons of gold bowls censers cups flowers lamps for the Candlesticks snuffers spoons tonges all of pure gold besides some basons of silver 1 King 7.49 50. 1 Chron. 28.13 17. 2 Chron. 4.8 20 21 22. Be it premised that both the Sanctuary and the Oracle were adorned on all sides within with Cherubims and Palm-trees carved in Cedar and overlaid with Gold But though Solomon altered and enlarged the utensils in the Sanctuary and outward Courts yet in the Holy of Holies he made use of the very same that Moses had made only for the more magnificence he added two extraordinary Cherubims of which more presently But to speak of the sacred things in the Oracle or Holy of Holies more particularly First The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord was set in this most holy place 3. The Ornaments of the Oracle or Holy of Holies under the wings of the Cherubims the very same that Moses made in the Wilderness of which see more Sect. 21. of Chap. 4. pag. 132. In this Ark there were the two Tables of stone which Moses put therein at Horeb whereon were engraven the Ten Commandments on all the four sides of them being the work of God himself and written with his own finger It seems they were not very ponderous and large because Moses carried them both in one hand They were call'd the Tables of the Covenant and the Ark wherein they lay the Ark of the Covenant because they contained the Ten Commandments which if they kept God made a Covenant with them to bless them There was nothing else put within this Ark or holy Chest 1 King 8.9 2 Chron. 5.10 2. Over this holy Chest there was laid a covering of pure beaten Gold called the Mercy-seat or Propitiatory equal in its measures of length and breadth to the Ark Exod. 37.6 3. At the two ends of this Mercy-seat stood the two Cherubims of Moses's making both of beaten Gold their faces were opposite one to the other and made looking down upon the Mercy-seat with their wings over-shadowing it Between whose wings upon the Mercy-seat the Majesty of God is said to sit The Mercy-seat signified Jesus Christ the Mediator between God and man interposing betwixt Gods wrath and our persons who have broken the Commandments which lay within the Ark Exod. 37.7 8 9. 1 Sam. 4.4 Isa 37.16 Secondly There were besides Moses's Cherubims standing on the Ark two other Cherubims made by Solomon standing on the ground or Golden floor and each of them was ten cubits or thirty foot in height they were made of Olive-tree within but overlaid with Gold and their faces were towards the Sanctuary or holy place Each wing of these Cherubims was five cubits long All their four wings were extended to the length of twenty cubits
the twentieth of Jotham because according to them Jotham still had the title of King though he had resigned the Kingdom four years before 'T is said indeed in 2 King 17.1 that Hoshea began to reign in the twelfth year of Ahaz because though he thrust himself into the Kingdom before yet he was opposed as an usurper till the twelfth of Ahaz at which time it seems he had the Crown confirmed to him and afterwards reigned four years in Ahaz's time and five in Hezekiah's in all nine years 2 King 15.30 31. HOSHEA the Son of Ela having murdered Pekah got the Kingdom into his own hand The 19th King of Israel HOSHEA in the fourth year of Ahaz yet by reason of stirs and tumults that arose hereupon he could not quietly enjoy it but that State continued in confusion and a kind of Anarchy for the space of nine years Hoshea having at length composed all differences at home began now quietly to reign in the latter end of the twelfth year of Ahaz and reigned nine years He did evil in the sight of the Lord but not as the Kings of Israel that were before him for though he continued Jeroboam's Idolatry of the Golden Calves yet he abandoned the grosser Idolatries of many of his Predecessors And besides he suffered such of his subjects as had a mind to it to go up to Jerusalem to worship there which the former Kings of Israel would not permit For when Hezekiah had proclaimed a solemn Passover many of the Ten Tribes went up to keep their Passover in Jerusalem as we read 2 Chron. 30.11 Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulon humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem 2 King 17.1 2. Tiglath-Pileser after he had reigned nineteen years dying Salmanasser his Son succeeded him This Salmanasser * This seemeth to be that Shalman who in the Prophesie of Hosea Chap. 10.14 is said to have laid waste the house of Arbeb to wit the Country of Arbela in the land of Assyria beneath Arpad either invited by the people or taking advantage of those late broils in the Kingdom of Israel came up now against Hoshea and at length prevailed so far that Hoshea was content to become his servant and pay him tribute 2 King 17.3 But sometime after Hoshea confederating with the King of Egypt resolved to cast off his yoke and refused to pay him tribute any longer Salmanasser understanding this resolved to revenge this injury Wherefore first of all making sure of all the land of the Moabites that he might have no enemy on his back to annoy him and rasing to the ground their two chief Cities Ar and Kirharaseth according to the Prophesie of Isaiah Chap. 15. he then went through and wasted all the land of Israel and at last marched to Samaria in the fourth year of Hezekiah and seventh of Hoshea and besieged it three years viz. in the seventh eighth and ninth year of Hoshea which were concurrent with the fourth fifth and sixth of Hezekiah Isa 15. whole Chapter 2 King 17.4 5. 2 King 18.9 10. Toward the end of the third year of the siege the sixth of the reign of Hezekiah and ninth of Hoshea Salmanasser took Samaria and their King Hoshea and then shut him up and bound him in prison †2 King 17. latter part of v. 4. those words are spoken by way of anticipation as Josephus says lib. 9. and carried away the Israelites captives into his own country and planted them in Chalachochabor and Nehar-Gozan cities of Assyria whither Tiglath-Pileser had before transported the inhabitants of Perea and in the Cities of Media If any such inquire why the Lord did thus deliver up the Israelites into the hands of their enemies the reason is here fully rendred because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord their God but transgressed his Covenant and all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded and would not hear them nor do them 2 King 18.12 And 2 King 17.7 c. For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharoah King of Egypt and they feared other gods and walked in the statutes of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before them and of the Kings of Israel who made statutes for Idolatry And besides their open Idolatry they did secretly many things which were not right against the mind and will of the Lord their God and they built them high places in all their Cities from the tower of the watchmen †A Proverbial speech whereby the extent of their Idolatry is set forth to their fenced Cities And they set them up Images and groves in every high hill and under every green tree And there they burnt incense in all the high places as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger Yea they served Idols whereof the Lord had said unto them ye shall not do this thing Notwithstanding the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah by all the Prophets and by all the Seers whom he sent unto them saying Turn ye from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes according to what I commanded your fathers in the wilderness and which I have often since inculcated upon you by my servants the Prophets time after time But they would not hear but hardened their necks as their fathers did who did not believe in the Lord their God And they rejected his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and his testimonies †In which respect Ezek. 20.25 Gods statutes are said not to be good that is through the wickedness of the people they prov'd hurtful to them and sentenced them to death whereby he testified against their transgressions and they followed vanity and became vain and went after the heathen that were round about them concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like unto them And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God and made them molten images even two Calves and made a grove and worshipped all the host of heaven and served Baal And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire and used divination and inchantments and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight there was none left but the Tribe of Judah only And another cause of Israels ruin was they were an ill example to Judah and infected that Nation And hereupon Judah also kept not the commandments of the Lord their God but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made So the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers until he had cast them
which was the whole breadth of the Oracle Their two inward wings touched each other and the two ends of their outward wings touched the wall of the house Under their two inward wings stood Moses's Ark and Cherubims These Cherubims were so made as the parts of them might be taken asunder See 2 Chron. 3.10 and they were the most splendid ornament of the whole Temple and carried away as 't is probable by the rapacious Babylonians at the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar 1 King 6. from 23. to 29. 2 Chron. 3. from 10. to the 14. These four Cherubims in the 1 Chron. 28.18 are likened to a Chariot of four wheels whereon the Divine Majesty did sit or ride and uttered intelligibly his Sacred Oracles See Psal 99.1 Thirdly Besides the Ark and these glorious Cherubims it appears from Heb. 9.4 that within the Holy of Holies was placed Aaron's Rod that budded and the pot of Manna * See the Apostolical History on Heb. 9.4 Numb 17.10 and the Golden Censer of Aaron Lastly In the time of Moses there was also the Book of the Law call'd by some Deuteronomion laid on the side of the Ark see Deut. 31.26 But whither it was placed there in Solomon's days we do not yet we find in Josiah's reign when the Temple was purged the Book of the Law was found in the Temple by Hilkiah the Priest though no express mention is made that it was found in the Oracle So that by the side of the Ark or before the Testimony in Solomon's Temple were placed as it seems the pot of Manna Aaron's Rod the Golden Censer and the Book of the Law as they had formerly been in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle 4. Of the Vessels in the Priests Court 1. There we find the Altar of Brass which was twenty cubits in length twenty in breadth and ten in height 2 Chron. 4.1 It s situation was before the Porch whereon the Sacrifices were daily offered to God 2 Chron. 8.12 As for the Sacrifices we read of many instruments that were used about them as flesh-hooks of Gold 1 Chron. 28.17 also pots shovels and basons of bright brass 1 King 7.45 2. The next vessel to be considered was the molten Sea a most rare and admirable piece of solid brass cast in the clay ground in the plains of Jordan It was five cubits high and ten over from side to side being round and thirty cubits in compass containing two thousand baths * A Bath contained about 8 gallons 4 baths made a barrel so that there were usually put into this Sea 500 barrels of water and if filled up to the brim it would contain 750. namely as they usually filled it for ordinary use but if it had been filled up to the brim it would then contain three thousand viz. a third part more 1 King 7.23.26 2 Chron. 4.5 therefore 't was called a Sea for the largeness thereof It 's brim was wrought about with Lilly-work under the brim thereof were brazen knobs round about resembling the heads of oxen These were cast together with the vessel It stood upon twelve brazen oxen which by four several Threes respected the four quarters of the world The use of this vessel was for the Priests to wash in 2 Chron. 4.6 10. that is by water derived to them by a pipe and cock out of it they did wash their hands and feet for that they did wash their whole bodies in it seems not very probable (a) See Mr. Lee pag. 86 'T is like the Gibeonites or Nethinims whose office it was to be drawers of water for the Congregation Josh 9.27 did out of the fountain of Siloam or pool of Bethesda hard by fill this Sea and furnished all other Lavatories with water about the Temple 3. In this Court also were placed ten lavers appointed for the washing of the Sacrifices in the Tabernacle there were none of these that single laver made by Moses for the Priests service answering only to the molten Sea These lavers of brass contained forty haths apiece each set op his basis with wheels for their more convenient removal if need were though generally their station was five on the one side and five on the other in the Court of the Priests and East of the covered Temple they were adorn'd with brazen borders engraven with Lions Oxen Cherubims and Palm-trees had pillars and wheels and other curiosities which we cannot well here describe 1 King 7. from v. 27 to 40. 5. Of the Furniture Utensils and Chambers in the outward Court In the outward Court or Court of Israel many no doubt were the utensils there used Tremellius thinks the brazen scaffold made by Solomon for himself to stand and pray upon 2 Chron. 6.12 13. with the Kings pillar was placed in this Court. Also Pulpits and Desks wherein the Priests expounded the Law to the people The Chambers in the outward Courts were severally imployed for sundry uses as for laying up of Tythes First-fruits Wood Salt and other requisites for the Sacrifices Of Salt a mass was spent in the Temple seeing no Offering was acceptable without it Mark 9.49 Some rooms 't is like were imployed to contain the Musical Instruments whereof thirteen sorts are mentioned and explained by Mr. Fuller Ch. 10. Book 3. In other Chambers undoubtedly the standards of all measures were carefully kept for we find that the inferiour Levites among other services had a superintendency over all manner of measures and sizes 1 Chron. 23.29 It belonged to their office to set out the pars quota the exact quantity of the meal oyl and wine that was to be used in their several sacrifices therefore they were highly concerned to be skilful in measures 'T is likely that the Book of the description of the land into several parts by lot as being of publick concernment and use was preserved in some room of the Temple See Josh 18.9 Some Chambers 't is like were for lodgings for the Priests and Levites that attendded on the holy service in the Temple and others for refectories and rooms wherein the Priests had their repast or hallowed food as on shew-bread c. which though shifted but once a week by Gods command Lev. 24.8 yet by his Providence was doubtless preserved that it lost nothing of its goodness There was also as it seems an Armory in the Temple furnished with weapons to guard the Treasure there kept David provided Spears and Bucklers and Shields for that purpose and Joash by the assistance of those weapons recovered the Crown Many other Vtensils were added to the Temple after Solomon's death by succeeding Kings as occasion did require as particularly that Chest which in the reign of King Jehoash was made by Jehoiada to receive the peoples free offerings for the repair of the Temple A Chest with an hole in the lid thereof 2 King 12.9 In after ages it was called Corban which signifies sometimes the gift it self sometimes the vessel