18. SECT LIX MOses being now confirmed partly by Miracles partly by the promise of Divine assistance and having his Brother Aaron given him for his Partner he undertook the Work Returning therefore to his Father-in-law Jethro and concealing as 't is probable from him the glorious Vision he had seen and the honourable Employment he was called unto lest Jethro should by proposing Difficulties and perils in the undertaking discourage him He in a respectful manner desires him to permit him to go into Egypt to visit his Brethren and see how they did Jethro readily consents to it and bids him go in peace Notwithstanding Moses it seems after he had obtained leave of Jethro made not such hast as he ought to have done Therefore God appears to him a second time in Midian and quickens him to the Journey assuring him that all those in Egypt that sought his life were dead Then Moses took his Wife and his two Sons Gershom and Eliezer Exod. 18.3 4. and setting them upon Asses intended to carry them with him into Egypt and he took his Rod with which God appointed him to work Miracles in his hand and the Lord appointed him when he came into Egypt to do all those Wonders and Miracles before Pharaoh which he should put into his hand that is give him Power to do But the Lord tells him That he will harden Pharaoh's heart that is he will withdraw and withhold his Grace from him as by withholding Light he causeth Darkness and would permit Satan to excite and spur on his corrupt Nature so that notwitstanding the many things that should be offer'd to him for his Conviction he should more and more harden his own heart against God and should refuse to let the People go However he commands him to speak thus unto Pharaoh Thus saith the Lord The People or Posterity of Israel are my First-born being chosen of my free Grace first out of all Nations to be my peculiar People and are as dear to me as the First-born are to their Parents Therefore let them go that they may serve me If thou refuse to let them go behold I will slay thy Son even thy First-born and not thine only but the First-born of all the Egyptians thy Subjects also and so accordingly it afterwards came to pass Ch. 4. from vers 18. to 24. SECT LX. AS Moses was now upon his Journey towards Egypt with his Wife and Children the Lord as it seems visibly appeared to him and either by a Sword drawn in his hand or by inflicting some sudden violent Sickness upon him put him in great danger of his life and revealed to him the Cause thereof to be because he had neglected to Circumcise his youngest Son see Gen. 17.14 there being a great Incongruity in it that He should take on him the Government of God's Circumcised People who had neglected to impose this Badge of the Covenant on his own Son 'T is like the reason why Moses neglected to Circumcise this his younger Son was because his Wife had been so highly displeased at his Circumcising of the elder But however it was Zipporah seeing the danger her Husband was now in by reason of this neglect and that he was at this time through sickness so disabled that he himself could not do it she took a sharp Knife possibly made of Flint and Circumcised him her self and then cast the Foreskin newly cut off at her Husbands feet saying in a discontented humour Surely thou art a bloody Husband to me For for thy sake and for the sake of thy Religion I am forced thus to shed the blood of my Son This being done the Lord let Moses go and released him from his Sickness And 't is like upon this occasion and trouble Zipporah with her Children was sent back from thence to her Fathers house again as appears Exod. 18.2 3. Ch. 4. from vers 24. to 27. SECT LXI MOses being now freed from all Incumbrance went on his Journey towards Mount Horeb where his Brother Aaron being before warned of God to come thither met him and at their meeting kissed and embraced him Then Moses acquainted him with all these wonderful Passages and with all that the Lord had said unto him and what Miracles he had impowered him and commanded him to work and what Service he had employed him about and how Aaron was appointed to joyn with him therein This done they went on and when they came into Egypt they called together the Elders of the Children of Israel and Aaron spake to them what Moses had directed him to say from God and Moses wrought as was appointed him those three Miracles before mentioned Sect. 57. for the confirming their Faith See Ch. 4. from vers 2. to the 10. The people of Israel when they heard and saw these things they greatly rejoyced and believed that God had now in mercy visited them and had looked down with Pitty and compassion on their Afflictions and they bowed their heads and worshipp'd God with great Reverence Humility and Thankfulness Ch. 4. from 27. to the end SECT LXII SHortly after this Moses and Aaron make their first Address to Pharaoh several of the Elders of Israel accompanying them therein See Exod. ch 3.18 They Represent to Him that the God of their Fathers had appeared unto them and commanded them to offer a Sacrifice and to celebrate a Religious Feast (p) Part of the Sacrifices were to serve for a Feast and both for the honour of God This Feast they should have celebrated to the Lord but they performed it to an Idol the work of their own hands Exod. 32.6 19. to him in the Wilderness Therefore they humbly beseech him that they may have liberty to go three days Journey in the Desart namely to the Mount Horeb to perform this which the Lord required of them lest if they should neglect to obey Him therein he should punish them with the Pestilence or Sword or some such dreadful Judgment for their Disobedience Pharaoh like a proud and imperious Prince answers Who is the Lord that I should obey his Voice to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Then looking upon Moses and Aaron with Indignation He asks them What they had to do to seduce the People and take them off from their work And then looking upon the People with anger Get you to your Burdens says he and see that you perform your daily Task or I will take a course with you I understand very well that you are a great and numerous People indeed too many and these two men Moses and Aaron design to get ease and rest for you from your Burdens that so you may increase more and possibly may then think of rebelling against me But I shall take Care to prevent that And accordingly that very day he charged the Task-Masters that were Egyptians and the Officers under them which were Israelites appointed to take the Over-sight of their Brethren in
Circumcision was with the Jews a Badge of God's people Therefore those that were not Circumcised were counted profane and their Uncircumcision was counted a grievous blemish Hence it was that in a Figurative Speech they counted those things that had any natural or moral blemish uncircumcised as a Heart or Mind or Tongue uncircumcised Hinc homines viles ad aliquam rem inepti incircumcisi ea parte vocantur and had an imperfection in his speech and utterance and was very unfit to be sent to Pharaoh on such a Message as that was However God bids Him and Aaron go again to the Children of Israel and to encourage them with expectation of Deliverance and to go to Pharaoh to require him in his Name to let them go Moses and Aaron being thus to be imployed as Instruments in the Hand of God of this great Deliverance their Stock and Lineage is here set down to shew that they were both descended of Levi and this might possibly be so ordered by the Spirit of God as an Antidote against the fabulous Reports of Heathen Writers such as Justin and Tacitus who tell false Stories of the Original both of Moses and of the people of the Jews Which things though they happened not till many years after yet were now fore-seen by the Spirit of God who assistâ—â— Moses in penning this History And Moses being to set down his own and Aarons Descent from Levi for orders sake he begins with the Stock of Reuben and Simeon Levi's elder Brothers And possibly in this place he mentions only those three and not the Heads of the other Tribes that it might appear that they were not rejected of God notwithstanding Jacob's severe Commination Gen. 49.3 5. As also to shew that though Reuben and Simeon were elder then Levi yet God had freely chosen out of the Tribe of Levi Moses to be the first Captain of his people and his Brother Aaron the first High Priest to whom his Posterity should succeed in that Office And these are that very Moses and Aaron whom the Lord commanded to bring forth the Children of Israel out of Egypt who were increased now to many thousands so that they might be called the Hosts of the Lord Exod. 12.37 41. Ch. 5. whole Chapter Ch. 6. from vers 1. to 28. SECT LXIII MOses being now 80 (t) The reason why Moses's age is here set down seems to be to shew how long God in his wise Providence had suffered the Egyptians to oppress the Israelites with such cruel bondage even before the birth of Moses till he came to be 80 years of age And the reverence and respect due to the venerable age He and Aaron were of rendred them the more fit to undertake such a service and Aaron 83 years of Age they are commanded by the Lord to go again to Pharaoh to require him to dismiss the people Moses would have excused himself again because he was not Eloquent but the Lord tells him Behold I have made thee a God (u) Quia adversus Pharaonem divinam quandam potestatem exercuit dum ab eo timetur dum oratur dum punit dum medetur dum verbo animalia quasi creat destruit coelum denique ac terram commovet ut explicat Hilarius lib. 7. de Trin. to Pharaoh that is one to whom the Word of God shall come and by whom it shall be made known to Aaron and by him to Pharaoh For Aaron shall be thy Interpreter and Spokes-man But I know that Pharaoh will not hearken unto you but will harden his heart against all that you shall say However be not discouraged thereat for I will multiply my Signs and Wonders in the Land of Egypt and will bring forth my Hosts that is my people the Children of Israel by inflicting great Plagues and Judgments on the Egyptians and they shall know that I am the Lord by the Judgments that I will execute upon them and by which I will at last deliver my people Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them and went again unto Pharaoh requiring him in the Name of the Lord to let the Children of Israel go out of his Land Pharaoh asks them How he shall know that they were sent of God What Miracle could they work to induce him to believe it Moses hereupon gave Aaron his Rod and bad him cast it upon the ground and said It should become a Serpent and Aaron did so before Pharaoh and his Servants and accordingly it became a Serpent (x) It seems the change wrought before Pharaoh was not into an ordinary Serpent called Nehash but into some greater Creature here called a Dragon Tavin Then Pharaoh called for his Magicians and Sorcerers wherewith the Land of Egypt abounded and whereof the chief at that time were Jannes and Jambres 2 Tim. 3.8 and they did the like in outward shew and appearance but not in reality the Devil by whose Power they did work casting a mist before the peoples eyes whereby they thought they saw that which indeed was not I say these Magicians cast down their Rods and they seemed to be turned also into Serpents (y) Dici potest veros dracones sive Serpentes aliunde adductos ope Damonis virgarum loco fuisse substitutos ita fallendo oculos ut nemo praestigias istas animadverteret or Dragons Some aerial Representations possibly of them being there made by the art of the Devil or possibly the Devil might bring thither some true Serpents unperceiveably from other places and might remove the Rods from the peoples eyes But the Dragon or Serpent into which Aarons Rod was turned swallowed (z) Notandum praestigias Magorum non obfuisse Mosi sed magis profuisse Semper enim aliquid adsuit quo divina signa praecellerent Nam Serpens Moysis devoravit eorum Serpentes Aquam illi in sanguinem mutare potuerunt non rursum sanguinem in aquam ranas afferre non tollere Nempe ut per eas plagae augeri possent non minui Post devorationem Virga Aaronis in statum pristinum reversa est up theirs God hereby shewing that the Power whereby Moses and Aaron had wrought their Miracle was infinitely above that of Satan whereby the Magicians had endeavoured to equal the Work which Moses had done Yet notwithstanding this Miracle Pharaoh's heart was still hardened so that he would not let the people go as God had foretold Exod. 6. vers 28 29 30. Exod. 7. from 1. to 14. SECT LXIV PHaraoh continuing still obstinate God sends Moses and Aaron again to him and by their Ministry inflicts ten Plagues successively upon the Eyptians from which the Israelites as 't is probable were wholly exempted See Exod. 8.22 9.26 10.23 All which are reckoned Psal 78. 105. which Plagues were all sent within one month in this Order 1. God Commands Moses and Aaron to go and meet Pharaoh the next Morning First Plague Their waters turned into Bloud
for seven days together who would then come to walk by the side of the River Nilus and to tell him That seeing he had refused to obey the Voice of the Lord he would bring a grievous Plague upon Him and his People They had shed the bloud of the Israelites Children and drowned them in that River Therefore God had commanded him to give order to Aaron with his Rod to smite the waters of the River and he accordingly stretched forth his Hand over the Rivers Streams and Ponds probably over some of them in the Name of the rest and striking those Waters they were immediately turned into bloud Yea by the influence of God's Almighty Power upon that percussion all their other Streams and Rivers Ponds and Pools yea Cisterns of water whether of Wood or Stone were turned into bloud for seven days together By which Plague the Fish that were in the River died whereby the Egyptians were deprived of that which was their chief Food (a) The Egyptians abstained from the flesh of many Beasts of Superstition especially such as the Hebrews used in Sacrifice as may be gathered from Numb 11.5 We remember the Fish that we did eat in Egypt freely and Isa 19.8 God threatens this as a great Judgment to Egypt The Fishers shall mourn and all that cast Angles into the Brooks shall lament and they that spread Nets upon the Waters shall languish So that this was a sore Plague on the Egyptians who fed much on Fish and traded much with them and maintained themselves by them And one great evil followed this also for hereupon the River stank so horribly that they could not drink of the waters of it which used to be their ordinary Beverage see Jer. 2.18 but were fain to dig Pits near the River that they might have some water to drink But all this did not work upon Pharaoh's obdurate heart For his Magicians and Sorcerers getting some water either from the Sea or out of the new-digged-Wells or from the houses of the Israelites dwelling here and there intermixed with them did by their Enchantments and the Devil's help get some blood whereby they tinctured the waters or else unperceiveably removed the water and substituted bloud in the place thereof Which when Pharaoh saw done by them he went away to his own house and heeded not nor laid to heart the foregoing Plague inflicted on him by Moses Exod. Ch. 7. from 14. to the end 2. God Commands Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh again Second Plague Frogs and to require him to let his People go and to tell Him That if he refused to do it He would smite all his Borders with Frogs They accordingly resolutely pursue their Commission and evidence their Courage and Fidelity in God's Cause notwithstanding the ill success they had had before But Pharaoh would not give ear to them Hereupon Aaron stretched forth his Rod (b) The Rod is called sometimes the Rod of Moses sometimes of Aaron sometimes of God to shew that it was the Instrument they all used in working these prodigious things over the Rivers (c) Non singulos adiit fluvios sed virga eminus eos intenta designavit extendit eam versus Nilum intentione versus omnes aqas Aegypti over the Streams and over the Ponds and the Frogs came up in great abundance upon the Land namely not only those that were in the Rivers before but an innumerable number of new ones were produced and they crawled into Pharaoh's house and into his Bed-Chamber (d) How easily can God cast contempt upon Princes and how favourable is he to men who by his ordinary Providence makes such Creatures loth to come where man hath to do which are so lothsome to him yea upon his Bed and into the Houses of his Courtiers and the rest of his people yea into their Ovens and Kneading-Troughs so that they were grievously annoyed with them Pharaoh calls for his Magicians to see if they could imitate this Miracle and they by stretching forth their Rods over the River did by the Power of the Devil (e) The Devil it seems much delights in their monstrous shape For we find in the Scripture three unclean Spirits like Frogs coming out of the mouth of the Dragon bring forth some true Frogs by unperceptible Conveyance to the place where the Contest was which possibly at this present was not covered with Frogs by Moses's Working though it is like they were but very few in comparison of those Moses and Aaron had produced And when they had brought them they could not remove them again Pharaoh and his people being thus grievously distressed with this Plague he began to stoop a little and to acknowledge God whom before he would not know and therefore desires Moses and Aaron to intreat the Lord to remove these Frogs and he would let the people go that they may Sacrifice unto the Lord their God Moses knowing that he was constituted as a God to Pharaoh Ch. 7. vers 1. to bring Judgments upon him and romove them at God's appointment and having in him the Faith of Miracles and being directed by the Spirit of God He told Pharaoh He would do him the honour (f) Honorem tibi sume ut des mihi tempus in quo orem pro te to let him appoint the time when he should pray to the Lord for him and by his power deliver him from this Plague And says he if my prayer take no effect then do thou glory over me and say I am no better than one of thy Magicians but if I do deliver thee then own and obey the great God of Heaven whose Servant I am Pharaoh desires the Frogs may be removed by the next Morning Moses Replies Be it according to thy word that thou mayst know that there is none like unto the Lord our God Moses then cried unto the Lord to remove this Plague from Pharaoh and the Lord heard him and immediately the Frogs died that were in the Houses Villages and Fields only some remained in the River and they gathered the dead Frogs together and cast them upon heaps so that the Land stank by reason of them But when this Plague was removed and Pharaoh saw there was some respite he hardened his heart and hearkened not to Moses and Aaron as the Lord had foretold Exod. Ch. 8. from vers 1. to 16. Third Plague Lice 3. Pharaoh having thus mocked God promising and not performing the Lord to manifest his Indignation against him Commands Moses now to strike him with a new Judgment without giving him any warning as at other times he had done Aaron therefore is commanded forthwith to stretch out his Rod and to strike the dust of the Land that it may become Lice through all the Land of Egypt Which Aaron accordingly doing abundance of Lice came on Men and Beasts the dust in very part of the Land that is a great deal of it turning into that
Boils and Blains breaking out upon them So that they were forced to go away and cease fighting against God But yet Pharaoh's heart was so hardned that he would not let the people go for all this Exod. Ch. 9. from 8. to vers 13. Seventh Plague Hail 7. Some few days after God sends Moses again to Pharaoh to require him to let his people go that they may serve him and to let him know that though his Hand had been already heavy upon him yet there were far sorer Plagues still behind which he had determined to bring upon him and his people if he continued obstinate and which should sting him to the very heart And these he would presently pour forth thick and threefold upon him that he might know there is no God like to the great Jehovah in all the World Moses is further commanded to speak thus to Him from the Lord I have stretched out my Hand and destroyed a great part of thy Cattel by Murrain and Pestilence and I should have destroyed thee and thy people thereby also (p) Sic ergo vertendum v. 16. Modo enim cum extendi manum meam percussissem non tantum pecus sed te etiam populum tuum veruntamen seci ut restares c. J. T. as you well deserved but that I have raised thee up for this very purpose that the World might see my Justice in punishing of thee and my Power in my Conquest over thee And dost thou yet so impudently exalt thy self against Me and my People Behold about this time to morrow I will cause it to rain a very grievous Hail upon Thee such as hath not been in Egypt since it became a Land inhabited by Misraim Son of Cham who gave Name to that People and Country And Moses the more to set forth the terrour of this Plague that was coming upon them advises the Egyptians to send for and get home their Cattel and Servants and all that they had in the Field For all that was found there would be destroyed by the Hail Some of Pharaoh's Servants believed this threatening of the Lord and got their Servants and Cattel into houses and so had them preserved but Others regarded it not On the morrow Moses stretched forth his Rod towards Heaven and the Lord sent Thunder and Hail mixed with Fire that ran upon the ground which destroyed not only a great part of their Corn viz. the Barley (q) V. 32. But the Wheat and the Rie were not smitten for they were not grown up that is so much as the Barley It seems in Egypt they sowed their Barley at the same time with their Wheat which we do not and there the Barley would be by far the forwardest Hordeo laeso incolume mansit triticum quippe cum hordei culmus aliquantum arefactus adeoque induratus non cederet grandini sed obniteretur itaque frangebatur Triticum autem tenerum adhuc in herba velut abditum licet non sub terra lenta flexilique sua mollitia procellae impetum devitavit Drufius that was eared and the Flax that was boll'd and in the Stalk and their Herbs but brake a great part of their Trees and killed both Man and Beast that were in the Storm vers 25. so saith the Psalmist Psal 78.47 48. He destroyed their Vines with Hail and their Sycamore-Trees with Hail-stones He gave up their Cattel also to the Hail and their Flocks to the Thunderbolts And this dreadful Hail fell on all the Land of Egppt only in the Land of Goshen there was none Pharaoh terrified with this dreadful Judgment sent for Moses and Aaron and told them He did now plainly see and accordingly did acknowledge That he (r) The Wicked do sometimes confess their sins to God's Glory but will not truly repent and reform that they may be received to Mercy had sinned against God and confess'd That God was Righteous and he and his people wicked He desires them therefore to pray unto the Lord to remove this Judgment and that there might be no more such dreadful Thunder and Hail and he would let them go they should stay no longer Moses promises as soon as he should be out of the City he would stretch forth his hands in prayer to the Lord. He knew by Inspiration from God that then the Thunder and Hail should immediately cease and Pharaoh might hereby be instructed that the Earth is the Lord's and the whole Creation is at his disposal But as for thee and thy Servants says he I know before-hand that ye will be never a whit the better for the removal of this Judgment And the event proved it to be so For when upon Moses's prayer the Thunder and Hail seased the heart of Pharaoh and his Servants were hardened as before and they would not let the people go Exod. Ch. 9. from 13. to the end Eighth Plague Locusts 8. About the seventh day of this Month God sent Moses to Pharaoh again telling him He had hardened (s) See Sect. 58. his heart and the hearts of his Servants that he might glorifie his Power and Justice in bringing more signal Judgments on him However though Pharaoh be obstinate yet thou Moses says God shalt for a remembrance of my Power and Justice declare to thy Children and Childrens Children the Wonders I have done in Egypt upon Pharaoh and his people that so you in your several Generations may know and be assured that I am the Lord. Then Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh again and expostulating with him asked him How long he would refuse to humble himself before the Lord and keep his people from going to serve him They tell him If he continued still obstinate on the morrow the Lord would send Grashoppers and Locusts into all his Quarters and they should be sent in such vast numbers that they should in a manner cover the face of the Earth from man's sight and should devour the residue of the Grass Herbs and what was green on the Trees and the Wheat and Corn which had escaped the Hail and they should fill his house and the houses of his Servants and of all the Egyptians in such a manner that neither he nor his Ancestors nor any that lived in Egypt before him did ever see such vast numbers of Locusts nor any that did did so much mischief as these should do And Moses and Aaron when they had delivered their Message came away and left him Then Pharaoh's Courtiers and Servants said to him How long shall this man Moses be a Snare to us that is an Instrument and means to bring Ruine and Destruction upon us We beseech thee lâ—t these people go Seest thou not that the Land is already almost ruined by the Plagues and Judgments that have been brought upon us Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron again to him and told them He was content they should go and serve the Lord their God But then recalling himself He
afforded us viz. Meat and Drink for our money as we passed thorow the out-skirts of their Country But Sihon would not let us pass for the Lord hardned * God cannot be the Author of Sin or the rebellion of the heart but he may being debtor to no man withhold his grace He may leave men to themselves He may permit Satan to work effectually in them See Sect. 59. of Ch. 3. on Exod. 4.21 his Spirit and made his heart obstinate that he might deliver him into our hands as appeareth by the event For Sihon coming out against us with his people to fight us the Lord delivered him into our hands and we smote him and all his Host and we took all his Cities and utterly destroyed Men Women and Children see Deut. 20.14 15 16. as God had commanded us Only we took the Cattel and the Spoil of the Cities to our selves for a Prey But the Land which was on the out-side of the River Jabbock which belonged to the Ammonites Josh 12.2 and those Cities of the Ammonites that lay in that mountainous Country beyond Jabbock and what-ever else was in the possession of the Ammonites did we not at all meddle with or with any thing else that God had forbidden us 5. He reminds them how after they had conquered Sihon they conquered Og Chap. III the Giant King of Bashan the other King of the Amorites When we marched up towards Bashan then says he Og the King thereof with his Army came out against us at Edrei And the Lord commanded us not to be afraid of him though he was a Giant of such a formidable stature And accordingly the Lord delivered him and his people and his Land into our hand and we took all his Cities even threescore Cities all the Region of Argob a Province in Bashan we took all those Cities which were fenced with high walls gates and bars and many unwalled Towns also And we destroyed Men Women and Children as we had before done unto King Sihon and his Subjects but the Cattel and the Spoil of the Cities we took as a Prey to our selves So we took at this time from those two Kings of the Amorites the Land that was on this side Jordan from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon called by the Sidonians Sirion (c) And Ch. 4.48 Sion and by the Amorites Shenir and all the Cities of the Plain and all Gilead And says He there now remained of that Gigantick Race in the Kingdom of Bashan but this Og only whose Bedstead * The Cubit of a man being usually a foot and an half according to this measure his Bedstead was four yards and an half long and two yards broad was of Iron and nine Cubits according to the Cubit of an ordinary man was the length thereof and four Cubits the breadth thereof and it was now kept in Rabbah (d) Possibly this Bedstead was taken in some War between the Ammonites and this King and so kept in Rabbah as a glorious Trophy of their Victory the chief City of the Ammonites from 1. to 12. 6. He shews how he distributed those Countries taken from the two Kings to Reuben Gad and the half Tribe of Manasseh see Numb 32.19 enjoyning them nevertheless to go over Jordan before their Brethren armed and to fight for them and help them against the Canaanites till God had given them that Land quietly to possess and then they should return to their own Possessions on this side Jordan again And says He I appointed in this new Conquest three Cities of Refuge viz. Bezer in the lot of the Reubenites and Ramoth-Gilead in the lot of the Gadites and Golan in Bashan in the lot of the Manaesites from 12 to 21. and Ch. 4. from 14. to 44. 7. He further tells them how he encouraged Joshua who was to be his Successor from what he had seen the Lord do to those two Kings of the Amorites and that consequently he should not fear the other Kings he was to fight with for the Lord would fight for Israel Then he tells them how earnestly he besought the Lord to permit him to go into Canaan I prayed says he O Lord God thou hast begun to shew thy Servant thy greatness and thy mighty hand For what God is there in Heaven or Earth that can do according to thy Works and according to thy Might I pray thee let me go over and see the good Land that is beyond Jordan and that goodly Mountain Lebanon But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes Your murmurings made me sometimes too rash in speaking and sometimes too slow in believing in the Lord which provoked Him against me so that He would not grant my Request but said to me Let it suffice thee speak no more to me of this matter Get thee up to the top of Pisgah and lift up thine eyes West-ward and North-ward East-ward and Southward and behold it with thine eyes for thou shalt not go over this Jordan But give Joshua in Charge what I Command thee and encourage and strengthen him For he shall go over before this people and shall cause them to inherit the Land which thou shalt only see with thine eyes Ch. 3. from 21. to the end 8. From all these Experiences of Gods signal Goodness to them He comes now to exhort them to keep and obey the Statutes and Commandments of the Lord and to teach their Children also to observe them and especially to take heed of Idolatry which was a very provoking sin And that he might excite them the more to the observance of these Precepts he bespeaks them in this wise Hearken O Israel unto the Statutes and Judgments which I am now to teach you and be careful to practise them that ye may live and go in and possess the Land which the Lord God of your Fathers hath given you You shall not add * Improbatur hic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cultus proprio arbitrio excogitatus Confer Deut. 12.8 32. Numb 15.39 40. Prov. 30.5 6. Gal. 3.10 to the words which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it but you must keep close to the Commandments of the Lord which I from Him command you Your eyes have seen the Judgments of God executed upon those that committed Idolatry with Baal-Peor unto which many of Israel declined by the counsel of Balaam But you that did cleave unto the Lord and kept your selves from that Transgression were saved from that destruction Behold I set before you the Statutes †Some by Statutes understand Ornances of divine Worship and by Judgments Laws that concern their duty towards men and the punishment of Transgressors and Judgments which God hath commanded Chap. IV me to give you and which you are to observe in the Land which you are going to possess And carefully to observe them will be a great evidence of your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the Nations that shall
spoken Jer. Ch. 35. Judg. Ch. 1. vers 16. SECT CXXV AS Simeon had before assisted Judah in clearing his lot so now Judah assists Simeon in clearing his And joyning together they first Conquer Hormah and utterly destroy it and the reason hereof seems to be because of the Vow which the Israelites had made long since when Arad a King of the Canaanites had made War against them see Numb 21.3 They took also Gaza and Askelon and Ekron with their Coasts though it seems the Philistines soon recovered these three Cities again and drave out the Israelites before they had well setled themselves in them see Ch. 3.1 2 3. 1 Sam. 6.17 and the reason hereof was because the Israelites soon provoked the Lord by their Sins As for Ekron it was in Dan's lot Josh 19.43 Therefore it seems the Tribe of Judah joyned with those of Dan as well as with those of Simeon to help them to clear their Coasts The Lord being thus with Judah they drave out the Canaanites that dwelt in the mountainous Country but their own fears disabling them and God for their sins withdrawing his help from them they could not drive them out of the Vallies and Plains not daring it seems to set upon them because of their Iron-Chariots of which see Josh 17.16 Whereas this was no just cause to deter them seeing they had God's Promise of Victory It was therefore their own sinful fear and want of Faith in Gods Promises that hindred them from driving them out Judges 1.17 18 19. SECT CXXVI THe several Tribes are now working themselves into a settlement in their several lots but are not careful to root out the Canaanites but suffer'd them to live among them notwithstanding Gods Command which injoyned them utterly to destroy them and root them out And particularly the Children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited that part of Jerusalem which was in their lot viz. The Castle and Fort Josh 15.63 so that the Jebusites dwelt there unconquered till David's time 2 Sam. 5.6 7. And the Tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh went up against Bethel to take it because it belonged to their lot Josh 16.2 And their Spies catch'd a man that came out of the City and they told him If he would shew them how they might enter the City that is some weak place thereof where they might make their Entry the Gates being lock'd and bar'd they would shew him mercy and not only spare his life but the lives of those that belonged to him The man hereupon did shew them where they might enter the City and they entring accordingly smote it with the edge of the Sword but let the man * Non ut Rahab se ex fide Hebraeis adjungit sed avaritia ductus aut pavore prodidit Patriam Civitatem cujus tamen excitat memoriam sic Salamina posuit Teucer in Cypro Nov. and all his Family go so the man and his Company went among the Hittites who inhabited on the North-side of Mount Ephraim and there being as it seems a rich man with his Family Friends and Allies who were spared for his sake built a City and call'd it Luz after the name of the City in which probably he was born and bred that the memory of it might not perish but be preserved to Posterity Further that half-Tribe of Manasseh that dwelt in Canaan having disabled themselves by their Sins and so deprived themselves of God's Assistance drave not out the Canaanites out of Bethshean Taanach Dor Ibleam and Megiddo but they would dwell there either by Force or by Composition see Josh 17.11 12. And when the Israelites were grown strong and so by God's assistance might easily have driven them out if they had had an heart to set about it they out of Sloth Cowardliness or Covetousness let them alone on condition they would pay them Tribute Neither did the Children of Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer viz. out of the City but they possessed it till Pharaoh took it and burnt it 1 Kings 9.16 Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites out of his lot but only made them Tributary which shews that they might have subdued them seeing they could force them to pay them Tribute Neither did Asher drive out the old Inhabitants out of his lot but they were forc'd to live intermixed with them Neither did Naphtali drive the Canaanites out of his portion but only made them Tributary And though the Children of Dan had at first prevailed against the Amorites and possessed themselves of their Country yet afterwards the Amorites getting more strength recovered the best part of it namely the Vallies and forced the Danites into the Mountains where being much straitened they took occasion to enlarge their possessions by making that Expedition unto Laish mentioned Ch. 18. but the more fruitful Mountains of Heres they would not be driven out of till the House of Joseph assisting the Danities they so far prevailed that they made them Tributary And thus the Israelites by their own sloth suffered themselves to be hemmed in with those accursed Canaanites contenting themselves if they would pay them some small Tribute And this was the first step of their defection from God which did afterwards lead them into greater and grosser Enormities Judg. 1. from 21. to the end SECT CXXVII THe people of Israel now finding themselves sorely annoyed by the Canaanites in several parts of the Land there was it seems an Assembly called of the Heads of all the Tribes to Shiloh that they might Consult what was fit for them to do in this case The Lord was pleased to send the Angel of the Covenant to them in an Humane shape the same Angel that appeared to Joshua at Gilgal Josh 5.14 and therefore is here said to come up from Gilgal who sharply reproves them for their remisness and carelesness in executing the Commands of God He tells them He brought them up out of Egypt into that good Land and He would never break his Covenant with them if they did not first break their Covenant with Him He had commanded them That they should make no League with the Canaanites Deut. 7.2 but should throw down their Altars Deut. 11.3 but they had not obeyed his Voice therein Therefore says he I said I will not drive out the Inhabitants of the Land before you but they shall be as Thornes in your Sides and their gods shall be a Snare unto you to intangle you in their Idolatry to your perdition Exod. 23.33 34.12 The people being convinc'd by the Angel's words of their great Sin they lifted up their Voice and wept and they called the place upon that occasion Bochim * Called so v. 1. by anticipation and here from the event because the Israelites did weep abundantly in this place viz. the place of Weepers And here they offered Sacrifices to the Lord to make Attonement for their sins Judg. 2. from 1. to 6.
convinced that the keeping of the Ark among them was the true cause of their present calamities they resolved to send it back and thereupon called for their Priests and Diviners to advise them in what manner they should do it that they might appease the wrath of the God of Israel and that he might heal their land and remove their plagues The Priests advise them that if they did resolve to send it back they should not send it without some gift or present or trespass-offering because they had trespassed against the God of Israel by carrying away his Ark captive and had not given it that honour and respect that was due to it And then say they ye shall be healed if his hand has been upon you by reason of your detaining his Ark but if it were upon you for any other cause it will be upon you still after the Ark is sent home Thus the alwise-Providence of God causeth these Idolatrous Priests who were enemies to him and his true Worship to give such counsel as tended to his honour and the shame of their Idols and false worship The Philistines ask their Priests what Trespass-offering they should send They answer five golden Emerods and five golden Mice according to the number of the Princes of the Philistines and the five principal Cities with their villages that were under their command For one and the same plague was on them all see v. 17 18. even on all the land of the Philistines which extendeth unto the great stone of Abel that is mourning see v. 19. so called from the peoples great lamentation for the slaughter God made among them upon an occasion which we shall speak of afterwards By these presents they acknowledged that the God of Israel brought upon them those plagues of the Emerods and Mice for their detaining his Ark and so by them they gave glory to his great name see Josh 7.19 'T is possible Satan might instigate these Diviners to send such absurd and ridiculous gifts as these with the Ark in contempt of God but if it were so that which Satan intended as a dishonour the Lord by his over-ruling Providence so disposed of as tended to his glory seeing the Philistines themselves were made to send into the land of Israel such things which would there remain as perpetual Monuments and Memorials of those shameful punishments wherewith God had humbled them However this is the course these Priests advise them to take at this time and peradventure say they God will hereupon lighten his hand from off you and from off your Gods so that it seems not only Dagon but several other of their Idol-gods were thrown down and broken to pieces by a secret hand of God in all their Cities whither the Ark was brought as 't is probable the like was formerly done in Egypt see Exod. 12.12 and Numb 33.4 But though many of the Philistines were for sending back the Ark presently yet it seems some of them were of a contrary judgment and stiffly opposed it wherefore the Priests blamed them for thus hardning their hearts against the means which God had afforded them to convince them of their sin why will you say they retain the Ark after you have suffered such great and grievous punishments by it herein resembling Pharaoh and the Egyptians who held the people of Israel in cruel bondage notwithstanding Gods hand was so heavy upon them till at last going on in their sin their whole Army was drown'd in the Sea If you would avoid the like heavy Judgments do not imitate them in their sin Now therefore take our advice make a new Cart which hath never yet been put to any common use and take two young heifers on which there hath come no yoke and fastning the Cart to them shut up their Calves at home from them and take the Ark and put it into the Cart and put those Jewels of Gold viz. those Golden Images of Emerods and Mice which ye return for a Trespass-offering in a little Coffer by the side thereof and send it away that it may go and by this experiment ye shall discern whither the God of Israel hath inflicted these punishments upon us or no. If these young heifers untamed and untrained quietly bear the yoke and carry the Ark directly in the way that leadeth to Bethshemesh a City belonging to the Priests †Josh 21.16 of Judah and if the kine do carry the Ark thitherward not offering to go out of the way or to return to their sucking Calves shut up at home it will then be evident that their natural love and affection to their young ones is restrained by a Supernatural power and that the kine would never have done it if Gods hand had not been in the business and so we may conclude that it was he that smote us whilst we kept the Ark. But if things happen otherwise then we may conclude that it was not his hand that smote us but it was only a chance that happened to us The Philistines agree to do as their Priests directed them and all things being prepar'd the Kine went directly to Bethshemesh as if they had been sent thither by God to deliver the Ark into their hands to whom it belonged to take care of it But yet by a natural instinct they sometimes lowed after their Calves left behind them but notwithstanding went on directly in the way towards Bethshemesh not turning to the right hand or left into any cross or by-ways being moved to go on with the Cart and to carry the Ark thither by the all-powerful Providence of God And the Lords of the Philistines went after them unto the borders of Bethshemesh to observe the issue of this experiment and then returned home v. 16. The men of Bethshemesh were at this time reaping their Wheat-harvest * Wheat-harvest in that Country used to be in our May at the Feast of Pentecost Lev. 23.16 whence we may gather that the Ark was taken about November before seeing it was seven months in the custody of the Philistines but lift up their eyes to their great astonishment and joy they saw the Ark coming towards them and the Cart came into the Field of Joshua a Bethshemite and stood there where there was a great stone and the Priests who were of the Tribe of Levi came and took down the Ark of the Lord and the Coffer that was with it and set them on the great stone and they clave the wood of the Cart and offered the Kine as a Burnt-offering to the Lord. 'T is true the Law did command that only males should be offered in Burnt-offerings Levit. 1.3 but this seems to be an extraordinary act of devotion whereunto the Priests were led by reasons grounded upon this strange and extraordinary work which God had wrought and perhaps by a special instinct of his Spirit and is not therefore to be judged of according to the rules of ordinary Burnt-offerings They considered
Raiment When he came into the Kings Presence Pharaoh told him he had dreamed a Dream which much troubled his spirit and he could meet with no man among all his Magicians and Wise-men that could Interpret it and he had heard of him that he could understand a Dream and interpret it Joseph humbly answered That he durst not assume so much wisdom to himself (s) Non mihi tribuo a Deo expectandum est see Dan. 2.30 but doubted not but God who is the Revealer of Secrets would give to Pharaoh such an Answer as should quiet his troubled mind concerning his Dream Then Pharaoh told him both his Dreams viz. That of the Kine and that of the Ears of Corn. Joseph making as 't is probable a little Pause told him Both his Dreams signifi'd one and the same thing and that God did thereby intend to shew and declare unto him what he was about to do The seven fat Kine and seven good Ears signifi'd seven years of wonderful and incredible plenty and the seven lean Kine and seven lank Ears signifi'd seven years that should succeed them of very sore and extreme Famine in so much that the plenty of the former years should be forgotten and it should consume many both men and beasts in the Land And for that the Dream was doubled it was to assure Pharaoh that the thing was firmly decreed of God (t) Quod firmissimum sit coeleste decretum Vatab. and that he would certainly and shortly bring it to pass Then by the guidance and direction of the Spirit of God he humbly advises Pharaoh to look out a wise and discreet man and to set him over the Land of Egypt and to appoint faithful Officers under him who in the seven years of plenty should take up a fifth part of the Fruits of the Land and of all manner of Provision the Ground afforded which might serve for Food (u) 'T is like that other great Men and private persons in the Land did resolve to be Buyers and Storers in the years of Plenty and all little enough as appeared afterwards which they should lay up in Granaries at the Kings Charge and sell it again afterwards to his Subjects in the time of Dearth at a reasonable price that so the Land perish not throw Famine What Joseph said was highly pleasing and acceptable to Pharaoh and all his Court. And he said to his Servants Where can we find such another man as this is (x) Thus God wrought upon and disposed the Heart of Pharaoh for the executing his own Counsel a man of such Wisdom and Prudence and Sagacity which I perceive God by his Spirit (y) It is the same Spirit that maketh holy that maketh wise hath bestowed on him in an extraordinary manner Then turning to Joseph he said Forasmuch as I see that God hath indowed thee with extraordinary Gifts I know no man so wise and discreet as thou art Therefore thou shalt be over my House yea I set thee over all the Land of Egypt and according to thy word and direction shall all my People be governed only in the Throne I will be greater than thou Then Pharaoh took off his Ring from his Hand and put it upon Joseph's and arrayed him in Silk and fine Linnen and put a Gold Chain about his Neck and appointed him to ride in the second Chariot to His own and they cryed before him Bow the Knee (z) Mira Aulicorum modestia qui Juveni succumbant Inquilino and so he was made Ruler (a) As Dreams before were the occasion of his Bondage so now they are of his Exaltation under Pharaoh over all the Land of Egypt (b) He continued in his Government and Honour 80 years Thus Joseph was made the second Man in the Kingdom as Daniel was the third Man upon something a like occasion Dan. 5.29 Further the King said I am Pharoah and as sure as I am King so sure without thy advise and authority not the least thing shall be done in matter of Government no man shall do any thing or go any whither without thy Order and Pharaoh gave him a new Name and called him Zaphnath paaneah that is a Revealer of Secrets see Dan. 1.7 And he gave him to Wife Asenah the Daughter of Potipherah Priest of On * Called also Aven Ezek. 30.17 and Heliopolis the City of the Sun now probably Damiata and so matched him into an honourable Family As for Joseph's marrying with this Egyptian Woman it must be considered it was an extraordinary Case there being no other in the Land of Egypt to marry with neither could he go elsewhere to seek a Wife without deserting that great Office whereto for the benefit of the Church God had advanc'd him And besides he might possibly by some special instinct or revelation from God be moved to accept Pharaoh's favour therein as the like might be in Hesters marrying with Ahasuerus and possibly by Joseph's wise and pious Instructions his Wife might soon become a Proselyte to her Husbands Religion as his Steward in all likelihood was of whom we read Ch. 43.23 And we see the Children of this marriage were afterwards by Jacob accounted as the Fathers of two Tribes in Israel Ch. 48.16 Joseph being now instaled by Pharaoh in his Government over all the Land of Egypt at the 30th year of his age thirteen years after he was sold by his Brethren Ch. 37.2 He now went forth from the face of Pharaoh and went thorow the Land in pursuance of the Kings Command to appoint Officers every where and to prepare Store-houses to lay up Corn conveniently in And the seven years of plenty beginning the Earth brought forth wonderfully even by handfuls that is they had instead of one grain as it were as many as would fill the hand During these seven years Joseph gathered together very carefully the fifth part of all the Fruits of the Earth and bestowed them in convenient Granaries in the several Cities and Places fit for receipt of them And the quantity of Corn that was gathered was so immense that it was even like the Sand of the Sea not to be counted or numbred Joseph had two Sons by his Lady the Daughter of Potipherah before the years of Famine began the first-born he called Manasseh that is making to forget for says he God hath made me now forget all the Troubles and Hardships I have undergone here in Egypt and all the Injuries I received from my Fathers House which I do not now think of by way of Offence but as a merciful Dispensation to me seeing they have been the means of my Advancement And he called His second Son Ephraim viz. fruitful For says he God hath made me fruitful even in this very Land where I have been before much oppressed (c) That Joseph neither in the 13 years of his Affliction nor in the 8 years of his Exaltation should ever send to his Father may
Vermine (g) V. 17. All the dust of the Land became Lice An hyperbolical Speech The Magicians also try their Skill again and accordingly they smote the dust of the ground with their Rods as Aaron had done and endeavoured to do the like but all in vain (h) Non potuerunt Deo eos impediente ut se ostenderet maximum in minimis For here God confounded their Enchantments in a thing most vile wherein yet he honoured himself For he so restrained the Devil and disabled these Magicians his Servants that they could neither make Lice nor make a shew of them So that they were forced to acknowledge to Pharaoh That this was the Finger of God (i) Fuit haec non productio naturalis sed divina Creatio qualis hominis ex pulvere and that this Miracle was wrought by the Power of the Almighty and not by Art or Sorcery which they should have acknowledged of all the rest of the Miracles wrought by Moses and Aaron but their Master the Devil would not permit them to do it However though the Lice continued both upon Man (k) Such little Creatures armed with Power from God can punish the greatest Tyrant as Herod Acts 12.23 and Beast yet Pharaoh's heart was still hardened so that he would not hearken unto Moses as the Lord had before told him Exod. Ch. 8. from 16. to 20. Fourth Plague Flies Wasps and Hornets 4. It being usual with Pharaoh to walk in the Morning by the River-side Moses is sent again to meet him there and to require him in the Lords Name to let the people go and to acquaint Him That if he refused to do it God would send upon him and his people swarms of Flies Wasps and Hornets and such noysome Insects which should fill their Houses and vex and sting them and they should swarm in all the Land where the Egyptians dwelt but should not come into Goshen where the Israelites dwelt and then they should know to their Cost that the Lord Jehovah was the only Ruler in the whole Earth and that he would put a difference between his own People and the Egyptians and would deliver them from that Judgment which should be the portion of the Egyptians And he tells him This thing should come to pass the next morning Pharaoh not regarding this threatning the very next morning there came a grievous swarm of divers sorts of Flies (l) We read not of any use made of Moses s Rod to bring this Plague and 't is like it was not used that it might appear the power of those Plagues was not in the Rod but in the Hand of God see Psal 78.45 Psal 105.31 into the house of Pharaoh and his Servants and into all the Land of Egypt So that the people of Egypt were wonderfully annoyed with them and as it seems several of them destroyed by them Pharaoh being now terrified with this Plague He yields thus far That the Israelites should have liberty to Sacrifice to the Lord their God provided they went not out of Egypt to do it (m) So that it seems they were not suffered during their bondage in Egypt openly to offer Sacrifice to the Lord. What they did this way was done in a private manner This Moses would not accept of but requires they may have liberty to go three days Journey into the Wilderness to offer this Sacrifice For says he if we should in Egypt offer unto our God Oxen Cows Calves and Bullocks which the Egyptians exhibit Divine Honour unto it would seem an abominable thing unto them and they would be ready to stone us Pharaoh tells them They shall then go into the Wilderness provided they would not go very far and would pray for him that this Plague may be removed Moses promises that they would pray for him but intreats him to be true and faithful to his word and promise and not to deal any more deceitfully with them Moses goes out accordingly and and intreats the Lord to remove this Plague from Pharaoh and his People and the Lord was pleased presently to do it So that the next day this dreadful host of Flies Wasps and Hornets was quite gone But though the Plague was removed yet Pharaoh's obstinacy was not for he would not yet let the People go Exod. Ch. 8. from 20. to the end 5. Fifth Plague Murrain on Beasts Upon the first day of the seventh Month which was shortly after made the first month of the Year God Commands Moses to go to Pharaoh again and to tell him That if he would not let his People go but did obstinately keep them still he would smite all sorts of his Cattel with a grievous Murrain viz. Horses Asses Camels Oxen and Sheep and this Judgment he tells him shall be inflicted the very next day And so accordingly it was by which the generality (n) V. 6. All his Cattel died all is here to be taken Communiter not Universaliter viz. for the greater or most considerable number For some Cattel were assuredly killed by the Hail as we find Exod. 9.25 And in the tenth Plague the First-born of Beasts were destroyed by the Angel of the Cattel of the Egyptians died but of the Cattel of tne Children of Israel died not one And Pharaoh sent into Goshen to see whether the Cattel of the Children of Israel had escaped and he found it was so Yet notwithstanding his heart was hardened and swelled with pride and malice against the Children of Israel so that he would not let them go Exod. Ch. 9. from vers 1. to 8. 6. Sixth Plague Blains and Boils About the third day of this Month God intending to bring a Sixth Plague upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians He Commands Moses and Aaron to go to him and to take handfuls of ashes out of the Furnace and to sprinkle the ashes towards Heaven to intimate to Pharaoh that the Plague came from the God of Heaven and that as he and his people had oppressed the Israelites with Furnace-work in forcing them to burn Brick for them so they now should be punished with burning Sores (o) Ulceribus calore saniâ— turgidis caused by ashes taken out of the Furnace And Moses and Aaron did as God commanded and they sprinkled handfuls of ashes towards Heaven which miraculously by the mighty Power of God became a Cloud of small dust over-spreading the whole Land of Egypt and so fell down both upon Man and Beast And this dust where it fell caused Blains and Boils and as it seems of an extraordinary nature for they are thus described Deut. 28.27 The Boils of Egypt which cannot be cured And the Magicians themselves who it seems continued to harden and embolden Pharaoh not to be moved with the things done by Moses telling him as 't is probable that they were done by Magick and were still at hand to resist Moses and Aaron as far as they could were now smitten with these
either to Man or Beast And when all this shall come to pass then says he you shall know how great a difference the Lord doth put between the Israelites and the Egyptians And then shall these thy Servants and Courtiers be sent by thee unto me and shall bow themselves unto me saying Go forth thou and all the people that follow thee over whom thou hast the Government and after that I will go forth with all the people of Israel with me and with all that we have Moses having thus spoken went out from Pharaoh in a great anger i his zeal for the Glory of God heightening his indignation against the obstinacy of Pharaoh Ch. 10. from vers 21. to the end Ch. 11. from vers 4. to the 9. (l) See Numb 12.3 Eph. 4.26 Tenth Plague The destruction of the First-born 10. The Israelites when they first came down down into Egypt being but few part of the Province of Goshen was sufficient for them but afterwards they multiplied so much that they spread all over that Country and besides had many mixed Habitations in other parts of Egypt (m) Habitant Egyptii Hebraeis permixti The evening therefore of this 14th day of this Month being come Moses called for the Elders of Israel to draw out their Lambs according to their Families and to kill the Passover and to sprinkle with a bunch of Hyssop the Door-posts of their Houses with the bloud of the Lamb and that none of them should stir out of the doors where they did meet to eat the Passover till the morning The Children of Israel doing as the Lord had commanded them by Moses at Midnight the Angel of the Lord smote all the First-born (n) Ica nullus Pater alii possit esse solatio cum clades omnibus communis esset in the Land of Egypt from the First-born of Pharaoh that sat on the Throne to the First-born of the Captive that was in the Dungeon and all the First-born of their remaining Cattel Pharaoh upon this and his Servants and the Egyptians rose up in the night and there was a great and hideous Cry thorow out all the Land for there was not an house in Egypt which had a First-born in it where there was not one dead and in houses where there were no Children probably the eldest and chief of the Family was slain Pharaoh hereupon presently sent his Servants that were about him to Moses and Aaron and commanded them to speak to them in his Name That they should presently go away and should take their Wives and Children Herds and Flocks and all that they had along with them and he desires they would bless him and pray for him at their departure that He might not perish by this Plague (o) He had desired their prayers for him several times before Exod. 8.8 9.28 10.16 17. And the Egyptians were very urgent with the Israelites and used humble and earnest Intreaties to them to be gone see Exod. 11.8 saying among themselves that if they did not hasten them away they were all dead men that is in extream danger of death and like to perish The Egyptians being in this dreadful Consternation the Israelites as Moses had commanded them borrowed of them Jewels (p) Solebant Idololatrae in colendis idolis se gemmis in auribus decorare Credebant autem Egyptii hoc petentes Israelitas suis Diis sacrificaturos prout antea fecerant ideoque nec abituros è terra Nam Moses hactenus tridui tantum itineris mentionem fecerat and Vessels of Silver and Vessels of Gold and fine Raiment (q) V. 35. Et Vestem i. e. pretiosiores vestes tapetes similia Jans and rich Furniture and such like precious things for their use in keeping the Festival And God thus disposed their hearts thorow the great and pannick fear they were in For it seems they thought that if the Israelites were not sent away presently the next Plague would destroy them all And besides that the Lord gave the Israelites favour in their eyes so that they very readily lent them and furnished them with any thing they desired of them And possibly they thought the Israelites intended only a three days journey into the Wilderness there to sacrifice unto the Lord and then would return and so they should have their rich things again And that which in likelihood inclined their hearts the more to favour the Israelites was the high opinion that both Pharaoh's Courtiers and the people of Egypt had generally of Moses For him they much honoured and feared in regard of his Wisdom and Conduct and the manifold Miracles that had been wrought by his Ministry both in bringing Judgments and removing them So that whasoever he should ask or require of the Egyptians for himself or the people of Israel was not like to be denied him And thus was fulfilled that which God promised to Abraham Gen. 15.13 14. Thy Seed shall be a stranger in a Land that is not theirs 400 years and that Nation whom they shall serve will I judge and afterwards they shall come out with great substance And the same was also promised Exod. 3.22 and all now exactly performed For now the Israelites carried away a great deal of the riches of the Egyptians and that not only by Gods permission but express Command Ch. 11.2.3 who is the Supream Lord of all and all that is in the World is his and He may do what he will with his own Mat. 20.15 And just it was with the Lord thus to recompence the Israelites for the hard Service Injuries and Oppressions they had suffered in Egypt and as it were to pay them their wages which the Egyptians had most unjustly detained from them Exod. 12. from 29. to vers 37. CHAP. IV. The Fourth Age of the World from the coming of the Israelites out of Egypt to the laying the Foundation of Solomon's Temple in the Fourth Year of his Reign containing a space of 480 Years and ending in the 2988th Year of the World SECT I. THe Egyptians being now in great distraction and fill'd with sorrow for the death of their First-born pressed the Israelites to depart The very next day therefore after the Passover (a) See Numb 33.3 the term of 430 Years from the first Promise made to Abraham and his removing from Vz of the Chaldees being just now compleated (b) See Gal. 3.17 the Israelites carring away with them their unleavened Dough which was not well seasoned nor made up by reason of their hast even lumps of Dough bound up in Cloaths upon their Shoulders together with the Spoils of the Egyptians began their Journey and marched away with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians Numb 33.3 from all Quarters to Rameses their general Rendezvous and there they all met who either dwelt mix'd among the Egyptians see Exod. 3.22 and were scattered up and down in Egypt or else dwelt in
and therefore they should not hold Communion with Idolaters nor conform themselves to them in their Rites and Vsages Ye are the Children of God says he he hath chosen you to Himself for his peculiar people above all the Nations of the Earth therefore you shall not as the Heathens do cut themselves or make any incision in your flesh at the death of any of your dearest Friends Levit. 19.28 nor make any baldness between your eyes nor mourn so inordinately as they do who have no hope of a blessed Resurrection or eternal life These customs God forbids them to take up not only because they were the desperate effects of immoderate mourning but also because they were the customs of Idolaters and He would not have his people to conform themselves to them in these things lest they should from thence grow to a conformity to them in their Idolatrous worshipping of false gods In the next place he shews them That they may not eat any abominable thing namely such as God hath forbidden them And therefore here he sets down what may and what may not be eaten of Beasts of Fowls of Fishes of all which see Sect. 33. and Levit. 11. If any clean Creature died of it self it might be sold to or eaten by a stranger but not by themselves which restraints were to mind them of the difference God put between them and other Nations and the especial purity he required of them above other people Further he tells them They shall not seethe a * Id est cum matre lactante q. d. satis tibi sit comedere haedum abstine a matre Hoc enim prae se fâ—rt crudelitatem quandam Sic praecepit pullas avium comprehendere in nido matre dimissa Deut. 22.6 Kid in its Mothers milk that is they shall not be cruel as to seethe a Kid in that milk of its Dam which was given it for its nourishment see Sect. 17. of Ch. 4. Further he injoyns them to tythe all the increase of their Seed that the Field bringeth forth year by year and that not only the first tythe which they were to pay yearly to the Levites in the several places of their Habitations Numb 18.24 but the second Tythe taken after that which they should spend in holy Feastings before the Lord in the place which he shall chuse together with the firstlings of their Herds and Flocks that is either the Female-firstlings or the first-born after the Male-firstlings were paid to the Priest see Ch. 12.17 And the reason he gives why they should go up to the place the Lord had chosen and there feast together with these their holy things is that they might learn to fear the Lord their God always because the presenting themselves thus yearly before the Lord with their Sacrifices and Offerings must needs be of it self a good means to keep their hearts in a continual awe and reverence of God and at that holy place and in those holy Convocations the Priests were to instruct them in the Law and the Promises concerning the Messiah and in their Sacrifices they might behold a shadow of their Redemption by him all which must needs conduce to teach them the fear of the Lord. But in case they dwelt very far from the House of the Lord and their Tythes and Firstlings were so many that they could not well carry them so far then they might sell those things and carry the money with them and buy †Praetextu Legis hujus irrepsit improba consâ—etudo Joh. 2.14 therewith what they were to use there namely Oxen or Sheep or Wine or strong Drink or what else they desired to make a chearful Feast that they might rejoyce together before the Lord. And says he remember that thou forsake not nor neglect the Levite that is not only pay him the first Tythes but communicate to him also of these second Tythes that he may be sufficiently provided to eat and drink and rejoyce before the Lord as well as thy self seeing he is to have no Land of Inheritance among you to supply this unto him And every third year after the Sabbatical when the Land is to rest and so in the sixth year after that thou shalt bring forth all * Da decimas ut ditescas proverbium Judaeorum the Tythe of thy increase that year that is separate a third Tythe (i) So that every third year they separated three several Tythes The first was the Levites yearly livelihood The second they carried up with them to Jerusalem therewith to feast before the Lord. The third was laid up for the Poor which shall be laid up in some publick place in the Towns and Cities where they dwelt and that not only for the Levite but also for the Stranger the Fatherless and Widow Deut. 26.12 that they may eat and be satisfied And in so doing they might expect the Lord would please to bless them and prosper the works of their hands Chap. XV He amplifies and inlarges upon the Fourth Commandment dilating upon the Rites and Observances requir'd in the seventh or Sabbatical year At the end of every seventh year reckoning inchoative from the Sabbatical year says he thou shalt make a release that is every Creditor that lendeth ought unto his Neighbour shall release it He shall not exact it of his Neighbour or his Brother that is of any Israelite whatsoever because the Lord hath ordained it to be a year of Release But of a Foreigner or Heathen not proselyted thou mayst require what is thine with him And the end why ye shall so release is this that there may not be through your exacting debts of your Brethren any of them brought to extream poverty And if in this and other things they were obedient to Gods Laws He tells them God would so abundantly bless them that they should be well able to forbear the exacting of their debts and it should be no prejudice at all to them He would so bless them that they should have enough to lend (k) See Deut. 28.12 to many Nations and should not need to borrow of them and as otherways so particularly in lending to them says he thou shalt reign over them for the Borrower is Servant to the Lender Prov. 22.7 but they shall not reign over thee If there be a poor man of thy Brethren within any of thy Gates thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thy hand from him but shalt open it wide unto him and shalt lend him sufficient for his need Beware therefore lest there be such a wicked thought in thine heart saying The seventh year the year of Release is at hand and thy eye be evil against thy poor Brother so that thou lookest doggedly upon him and givest him naught and he Cry unto the Lord against thee and it be sin unto thee that is a great sin for which thou shalt be punished No on the contrary thou shalt surely give him * See Esay
the men of War from Gilgal till they were come so near Ai that they might the following night go up to it Then he sent from thence that night thirty thousand of his choicest men with a Charge that taking the advantage of the night they should lay an Ambush of five thousand in the West part of the City between Bethel and Ai and the other 25 thousand should stay somewhere near them that they might assist them in case the Inhabitants of the City should discover them and come out with all their Power against them Joshua lodged that night with the rest of the Army and early next morning before it was day he went up after this thirty thousand and joyning as it is probable with the 25 thousand pitched on the North-side of Ai but in a place where the men of Ai could not yet discover them there being a Valley between them and the City vers 10 11. Having thus set the Ambush on the West-side and the body of the Army on the North-side of the City Joshua early in the morning * Visitavit v. 10. visited his Army to fee if they were all ready and in good array and then went presently himself into the midst of the Valley with a small party with him purposing that as soon as it was day to shew themselves to the men of Ai that they might thereupon be the more encouraged to sally out against them The King of Ai hearing of this small Party in the Valley He gave Order that all the Garrison-Souldiers should be presently got ready at such a time and accordingly they all met and together with their King sallied forth and set upon the Israelites Joshua and the rest that were with him designedly fled before them towards the body of their Army left on the Hill beyond the Plain to draw them off from the City It being once noised that the Israelites fled all that could bear Arms in Ai were instantly called to pursue after them there was not a Souldier left in Ai or Bethel for it seems the Inhabitants of that Town being near Ai had joyned with them but all ran eagerly after the Israelites leaving the City open Joshua with his Party being retir'd to the body of the Army he turned his face and stretched his Spear towards Ai upon which Signal his Souldiers as 't is probable gave a mighty Shout which the Ambush of 5000 men hearing knew thereby it was time for them to run and take the City which accordingly they did and presently set some one or more houses therein on fire that by the smoke ascending the Israelites might perceive the City was taken the men of Ai that pursued Joshua looking back and seeing the smoke of their City ascending were quite disheartned Then Joshua and his Army fell upon them and the five thousand that had entred the City issued out upon their backs so that they were hemm'd in behind and before and so the Israelites made a vast Slaughter of them and spared none they could lay their hands on save only their King whom they took alive and brought to Joshua Then the Israelites went up to Ai and smote it with the edge of the Sword so that all that fell that day both in the Field and in the City were about twelve thousand For Joshua drew not his hand back but with his Spear stretched forth led them on in the Chase and Slaughter of their Enemies till they were destroyed The Cattel and Spoil of the City the Israelites took to themselves as God had commanded But Joshua burnt the City and made it an heap and a desolation for a very long time * V. 28. By this word for ever here as in many other places of Scripture a long time only is signified though afterwards in the days of Nehemiah it was rebuilt and inhabited by the Benjamites as we find Neh. 11.31 and then it was not called Ai but Aijah above a thousand years after it was demolished Joshua hanged the King of Ai upon a Tree till eventide and when the Sun was set he commanded him to be taken down †See Deut. 21.23 and to be cast at the entrance of the Gate of the City and that a great heap of Stones should be raised over Him Josh 8. from 1. to 30. SECT CI. MOses having before his death charged the Israelites that when they came into the Land of Canaan they should buid a Monument of great Stones and write the Law thereon and at the same time should build an Altar of whole stones and offer Sacrifices thereon and that on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal where this was to be done the people should in a solemn manner give their consent to certain Blessings and Curses that should be read in their hearing Therefore Joshua after the taking of Ai finding the way to these Mountains clear and open by reason of the terrour wherewith the Enemy was now stricken took this time to go up with the people thither to perform this Service which upon the first opportunity he knew they were bound to perform And accordingly going thither He built there this Monument and writ the Law thereon and built the Altar and offered Sacrifices thereon and the people of Israel according to Gods Command having assembled themselves together with their Women little Ones and Strangers half of them stood over against Mount Gerizim and half of them over against Mount Ebal that is not upon the top of these Mountains but upon their ascent near unto the bottom that they might be the nearer one to another and both of them to the Ark which was placed in the Valley between them and might the more conveniently hear the Blessings and Cursings pronounced by the Priests at Joshua's appointment These things being done accordingly the people gave their assent unto the Blessings and Cursings and performed all things according to Moses's direction given Deut. 11.29 and Deut. 27. from 2. to 9. Josh Ch. 8. from 30. to the end SECT CII THe Kings of Canaan affrighted at this great Success of the Israelites now at last begin to combine together and to make War against them But the Inhabitants of Gibeon * Afterwards allotted to Benjamin which was a great and strong City having other Neighbouring-Towns under its Government hearing of the Israelites taking Jericho and Ai and what they did to them yet their hearts were not so hardned as the hearts of the other Canaanites were to fight against Israel but they were willing to submit to them and to sue to them for Conditions of Peace which plainly shews that it was of God and not of themselves that these Gibeonites were thus wise and careful to provide for their own safety They concluded there was no resisting such a people for whom God himself fought and therefore they determined to try if they could by any means make Peace with them And whence could this be but from God who taught
Horam King of Gezer a City near to Lachish understanding this comes forth with his Forces to relieve it but Joshua utterly routed and defeated him and then the day after the Lord delivered Lachish into his hands whose Inhabitants he utterly destroyed as he had done those of Libnah Then he marched to Eglon (f) A City in the Tribe of Judah Ch. 15.39 five Leagues Southward from Jerusalem and took it the very day he encamped against it and put all to the Sword he found there From thence he marched to Hebron (g) A famous ancient City see Numb 13.23 in the Tribe of Judah call'd formerly Kirjath-jearim The King hereof was one of those hanged at Makkedah but He being dead either his Heir succeeded him or they chose another How this City is afterwards said to be taken by Caleb see Notes on Ch. 15.13 14. and took it with the new King thereof for the old one was lately hanged at Makkedah and all the Cities it had under its Jurisdiction and utterly destroyed all the Inhabitants thereof Joshua then bending his Course towards Gilgal he took Debir (h) A City in the Confines of Judah butting upon Simeon before call'd Kirjah-sepher Josh 15.15 five or six miles Southward of Hebron and the King thereof and all the Towns belonging to it utterly destroying all the people therein and as he had done to the King of Libnah so he did to the King of Debir All these Kings and their Land did Joshua take in one Expedition because the Lord fought for Israel He subdued also all that part of the Country which lay to the South both those Cities that were built on Hills and those that were seated in the Plains He subdued and vanquish'd all from Kadesh-Barnea the utmost Southern bound unto Gaza upon the Sea-Coast and all the Country of Goshen in the mountainous parts of Judah even to Gibeon and destroyed their Inhabitants to a vast number doing therein according to what the Lord God of Israel had commanded him Deut. 20.16 17. Then Joshua returned with his Army to the Camp at Gilgal Joshua Ch. 10. from 28. to the end SECT CV FRom the Autumn of this year wherein after the failing of Manna they began to till the Ground and sow it is to be reckoned the first year of their Tillage and the rise of the Sabhatical year is hence to be taken Exod. 23.10 11. Levit. 25. from 2. to 7. SECT CVI. THe five Southern Kings being thus destroyed all the rest of the Northern Kings combined together against the Israelites and with them Joshua had a long War see vers 18. which lasted till about the end of the sixth year of his Government by which time He subdued them Very observable was the Providence of God that he did not suffer all the Kings of the Canaanites at once to joyn their Forces together against the Israelites but ordered it so that only some of them fought against Israel at one time and some at another by which means the Israelites were heartned with frequent Victories and had leisure to refresh themselves between them And though Joshua's wonderful Successes and Victories are succinctly related in this Chapter one after another yet these Wars lasted a great while after the Battel of the waters of Merom and there were about six years spent in the subduing these Nations as may appear by considering Caleb's age of which more afterwards see Ch. 14. from vers 6. to 15. 'T is true God could have subdued these Nations in a shorter time but he was pleased to have it done by degrees that the greater Opposition and Difficulty the Israelites met with in the Work the more they might own his Power and Providence in carrying them thorow All. The Lord also hereby exercised their Faith and Patience and stirred up the Spirit of prayer in them and drew forth their Dependance and Reliance on Himself And hereby also He discovered the obstinacy of the Canaanites which rendred them the more inexcusable The Lord also had determined that they should drive out these Nations by little and littlâ— and not consume them all at once lest the wild Beasts might increase upon them for want of people to inhabit the Land see Deut. 7.22 And we may add this as a reason to all the former why the War continued so long namely God leaving these Canaanites to the hardness of their own hearts none of them besides the Gibeonites desired to make Peace with the Israelites but desperately and obstinately resolved to fight with them and to oppose them to the uttermost and God did judicially thus suffer them to harden their hearts more and more that so they might have no favour but be utterly destroyed vers 20. But to return The Northern Kings that had combined against Israel were Jabin King of Hazor a City lying in the upper Galilee not far from Kadesh who sent to Jobab King of Madon (i) A City near Dan. and to the King of Shimron (k) A City in Zebulun near Mount Carmel call'd Shimron-meron Ch. 12.20 and to the King of Ackshaph (l) In Asher near Accho or Ptolemais and to the Kings that were towards the North on the Mountains and those that were in the Plains that lay on the South-side of the Country of Cinneroth called afterwards Tiberias and Genne-sereth and in the Valley or low Grounds and in the Borders of Dor (m) A City and County in the Tribe of Manasseh on the Coast of the Mediterranean-Sea on the West and to the Canaanites that dwelt both on the East and West and to the Amorite Hittite Perizzite and Jebusite in the Mountains and to the Hivite under Hermon a Hill in the North of Canaan which were another sort of Hivites much differing from those of Gibeon who had submitted to Joshua All these upon Jabin's Sollicitation combined together and went out against Israel with a mighty Army even like the sand that is upon the Sea-shore for multitude that is with such a vast number as was not easily to be numbered and they had Horses and Chariots very many They pitched together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel Joshua might possibly be now in some apprehension how the Israelites that were all Foot should be able to encounter so vast an Army as this which consisted so much of Horse and had so many Iron-Chariots But the Lord bad him not be afraid of them for on the morrow by that time he would deliver them up into his hands and He should hough their Horses that is cut their hamstrings and so make them unserviceable either in War or for any other use and burn their Chariots Accordingly Joshua very early next morning fell upon them with his whole Army probably before they were in any Order and made a vast Slaughter among them and chased them to Zidon * The Metropolis of Phaenicia Tyre is call'd the Daughter of it Isa 53.12 the Great and to
17. Faciet enim tibi dominus Strigelius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malui legere quod est in margine quomodo Hieron Septuaginta verterunt quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tertia persona sumitur pro secunda sic mos Hebraeis permutandi personas Saul then perceived him in that form though it were not the true Samuel but the Devil in his likeness and stooped with his face to the earth and bowed himself to him This counterfeit Samuel now asked him Why he had disquieted him to bring him up thither Saul answered I am sore distressed the Philistines make war upon me and God is departed from me and answereth me no more either by Prophets or Dreams therefore have I called for thee that thou maist make known to me what I should do The evil spirit now counterfeiting not only Samuel's person but his words and actions replied Why dost thou ask counsel of me seeing the Lord is departed from thee and become thine enemy Alas I cannot help thee for the Lord will do to thee as he hath spoken by me He will rend the Kingdom out of thine hand and give it to thy neighbour even to David because thou obeyest not his voice nor executest his fierce wrath upon Amalek and therefore it is that this judgment will fall upon thee And moreover the Lord will deliver Israel with thee into the hands of the Philistines and to morrow (h) To morrow is not to be understood precisely of the next day following but indefinitely of some time near approaching So to morrow is taken Exod. 13.14 Mat. 6.34 and so here to be understood For it was not the next day after that Saul and his Sons were slain in which the Philistines were but preparing for the battel and sent away David from among them see Ch. 29. but as it seemeth by the History some few days after thou and thy sons shall be with me (i) First God may reveal things future and contingent unto Satan who may reveal them to Witches and to Sorcerers before they came to pass to encourage and harden their hearts in their Diabolical practices and the hearts of others also that resort unto them 2ly God sometimes useth Satan as an instrument to execute his judgments as he did in the case of Job and the four hundred false Prophets that were deluded by him 1 King 22.22 and then 't is easie for him to reveal those things he hath in commission to execute Permittit Deus Daemones aliquando responsa dare Idololatris quia ex malitia sua demerentur ut sic in erroribus exerceantur ut Ancilla illa Act. 16. quae nisi vera prae dixisset magnum Dominis suis quaestum non prae buisset Multa de oraculo Delphico referant omnes Historiae Craeso sciscitanti num futurum esset ut filius mutus loqueretur respondit infausto die loquuturum esse quod accidit that is shall be dead as the true Samuel was who was personated by this evil spirit Saul hearing these dismal tidings and being very faint through fasting all the day before even to that time of the night he fell on the ground in a swoon and there was no strength in him The Witch hereupon came to him and told him that she had so far obeyed him as to put her life into his hands therefore she desired him so far to gratifie her as to receive a little refreshment from her that he might have strength to return to the army But he utterly refused it till his servants together with the woman by their earnest importunity prevailed with him so he arose from the earth and sat upon the bed and the woman having a fatted calf in the stall she caused it presently to be kill'd and drest and prepar'd some of it and took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened * Panes azymos quos statim curavit coquendos non enim expectavit donec farinae illa subacta fermentaretur bread thereof and so brought her provisions and set them before Saul and his servants and they did eat of them and then arose and went their way 1 Sam. Ch. 28. from v. 1 to the end 14. The Philistines now gathered all their forces together to Aphek a Town in the Tribe of Asher and the Israelites pitched by a fountain near Jezreel The Four Lords of the Philistines led up their forces and marched with their hundreds and thousands but David and his men marched in the rear with Achish who seems to be chief among them if not their General The Princes of the Philistines observing this askt in some passion what those Hebrews did among them Achish reply'd the chief commander of them was David a servant of Saul's a man of great wisdom and fortitude who had been with him some days or rather some years he having dwelt with him one full year and four months see Ch. 27.7 and in all that time since he fell to him he had found no fault in him But the Princes of the Philistines were not satisfied with that but imagined that Achish was meerly deluded by him and that he would endanger their Army therefore they urge Achish to send him back and to cause him to return to the place he had appointed for him viz. to Ziklag lest in the battel he should fall off from them and help their enemies For how can he better contrive say they to reconcile himself to his master than by betraying the lives of this whole Army into his hands They further add that he was a most dangerous person of whose abilities they ought to be very apprehensive being highly renown'd for his military prudence and valour among his own Nation insomuch that the women sang of him in their dances Saul hath slain his thousands but David his ten thousands See Ch. 18.7 21.11 Hereupon Achish called David and told him that as sure as the Lord lived he had found him faithful to him and he could not but highly approve all his carriage since he came into the Army nay he had found no evil in him since the first day he came up to him Nevertheless he must acquaint him that the Lords of the Philistines favoured him not therefore he advised him to return with his forces to Ziklag that he might not give them any further cause of jealousie David replies what evil hast thou found in thy servant since I have been with thee even unto this day that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my Lord the King (k) Necessaria querela ne si taceret suspitionibus Philistaeonum suffragari videretur Menoch Achish answers I protest thou seemest unto me to be a person of such excellencies of such probity and goodness as if thou wert an Angel (l) Hunc loquendi modum Philistaei a vicinis hauserunt Hebraeis Conterminae enim regiones ut experientia docet multas voces phrases communes habent sent from heaven unto me I
Nations that God had cast out before the children of Israel And moreover Manasseh shed much innocent blood viz. of the Prophets that condemned his wicked courses and of others that opposed his evil ways insomuch that he filled Jerusalem with such kind of slaughters And among others whom he put to death he caused the Prophet Isaiah to be sawn asunder with a wooden saw as the Babylonish Talmud Justin Martyr Jerome and others report who suppose so much may be gathered from Heb. 11.37 They were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the sword Manasseh being guilty of such high and great abominations God sent his Prophets * Thus merciful was God to send his Prophets both to Judah and Israel even in the worst of times to draw them from their impieties to him to declare that because he had done these abominable things which the Lord abhorred and had exceeded the very Amorites and worst of the heathens in their impieties whom God cast out of the land of Canaan for their sins and had made Judah to sin with his Idols therefore he would bring such evil upon Judah and Jerusalem that whosoever heard of it both his ears should tingle with the affrighting news thereof He would stretch over Jerusalem the line †That is the line of confusion as 't is Isa 34.11 whereby he would meet out what was to be pulled down And the plummet of the house of Ahab that is a line with a plummet at the end of it The Prophets in their similitudes have more respect to the things signified by their similitudes than to the things from which they take them and so it is here of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab that is would deal with Jerusalem as he dealt with Samaria and with the house of Manasseh as he had dealt with the house of Ahab And he would wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish wiping it and turning it upside down that is would utterly overthrow the state of Jerusalem turning it upside down and would clear that City of all her wealth and of all her inhabitants and would forsake the remnant of his inheritance that is the two Tribes of Judah and Benjamin which only remained of the children of Israel in whom he did formerly delight as a man doth in his inheritance and would deliver them into the hands of their enemies and they should become a prey and spoil to them and all this because they had done that which was evil in his sight and had one generation after another provoked him to anger even ever since he first brought them out of Egypt 2 King 21. from 1 to 17. 2 Chron. 33. from 1 to 11. 2 King 24.3 4. The King of Assyria now sending fresh Colonies into the land of Israel and with them possibly some forces to settle them there it seems some of his chief Commanders with a party of Souldiers made a sudden inrode into the land of Judea with an intent to surprize Manasseh and they came so suddenly upon him that he was forced to fly and hide himself in some wood or thicket to save himself but thither they pursued him and took him and bound him with fetters and carried him prisoner to Babylon (a) So that it seems the King of Babylon was now King of Assyria When he was in this affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly (b) What the word of the Prophets could not do the rod of God did before him and prayed (c) There is a prayer of his set down in the Apocrypha but 't is doubtful whither it be his or no. earnestly unto him and the Lord was intreated of him and heard his supplication and brought him again to Jerusalem into his Kingdom whereby he was convinced that the Lord was the only true God For the Lord by his all-powerful providence so moved the heart of the King of Babylon that he was content to set him free upon condition that he would oppose the King of Egypt which may be the reason why Josiah some years after would needs fight against Pharoah Necho 2 Chron. 35.20 'T is probable that Manasseh's captivity lasted not long because 't is said 2 King 21.1 That he reigned fifty five years in Jerusalem and there is no mention there made of this his captivity After his return he took away the strange gods and the Idol out of the house of the Lord which himself had before set up and all the altars he had built in mount Moriah and in Jerusalem and cast them out of the City This is a good evidence of the truth of any mans repentance when he puts away those evils that formerly he had done with detestation Furthermore Manasseh repaired the Altar of the Lord and sacrificed thereon peace-offerings and thank-offerings and commanded Judah to serve the Lord. As by his example and command he had before caused them to sin so now by both he labours to reform them Yet the people did still sacrifice in the high places but to the Lord only They were brought to embrace the true Religion though they had still a mixture of will-worship with it Manasseh also fortified Jerusalem and other places and put Captains of war into all the fenced Cities of Judah So that he who was before a monster for all manner of evil and wickedness proved now a very commendable Prince so great and happy a change does true conversion make in men 2 Chron. 33. from 11 to 20. The Prophet Habakkuk The Prophesie of HABAKKUK seems about this time to have Prophesied for he speaks of the coming of the Chaldeans against Judah yet not so plainly of the captivity of the Jews in Babylon as Jeremy did Therefore 't is supposed he might be somewhat before him His Prophesie is called the burden * There are four Prophesies in the Volume of the lesser Prophets whose Prophesies are in whole or part called burdens viz. Nahum Habakkuk Malachi and Zachary which Habakkuk the Prophet did see that is his Prophesie was a burdensome Prophesie first to the Jews and then to the Chaldeans His Prophesie is set forth Dialogue-wise between the Prophet and God himself wherein the Prophet first as jealous of Gods honour complains of the extream wickedness of the Jews Ch. 1. from 1 to 5. 2ly We have Gods answer to this complaint wherein he declares that he will punish them by the Chaldeans whom he describes by their bitterness hastiness tyrannicalness and power to bear down all before them as the East-wind and by their pride and haughtiness upon their success robbing God of the glory due to him and ascribing it to their Idols from v. 5 to 12. 3ly We have the Prophets replication to Gods answer wherein he expresses his hope that the Jews should not perish by those threatned calamities grounding his hope on Gods Covenant power and providence and he hoped the Lord ordained the Chaldeans
And therefore God upbraiding the King of Tyre with his pride and arrogancy Behold saith he thou art wiser than Daniel no secret can be hid from thee therefore I will bring strangers upon thee the terrible of the Nations and they shall bring thee down c. Ezek. Ch. 26. Ch. 27. Ch. 28. In the same year also in the third month God revealed his will to Ezekiel of sending Nebuchadnezzar against Pharoah to the ruin of the Egyptians In the same month also God declared that the Egyptians could no more avoid his decree and determination than the Assyrians had done before Ezek. Ch. 30. Ch. 31. In the eleventh year of Zedekiah the ninth day of the fourth month when the famine grew extream in the City and the pestilence as 't is like very hot Jerusalem was broken up and the Caldeans entred it Ezek. 4. from 9 to the end Lament 4.10 2 King 25.2 3 4. Jer. 52.5 6 7. Jer. 39.2 3. The City being taken Zedekiah and all the men of war fled away by night by the way of the Gate between two walls which was by the Kings garden being it seems a secret way provided on purpose for escape in such a time of danger but the Caldeans pursuing after them took Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho and brought him prisoner to Riblah where Nebuchadnezzar lay where having judgment passed upon him for his perjury and having seen his children first slain before his eyes to his extream torment together with the Nobles of Judah he had then his own eyes put out and being clogged with chains and fetters he was carried away from thence to Babylon so the Prophesies before utter'd concerning him were fulfilled viz. that with his eyes he should see the King of Babylon and speak with him mouth to mouth Jer. 32.4 34.3 But Babylon he should not see though he should die there For so the Prophet Ezekiel foretold Ch. 12.13 My net also will I spread upon him and he shall be taken in my snare and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Caldeans yet shall he not see it though he shall die there 2 King 25. from 4 to 8. Jer. 39. from 4 to 8. Jer. 52. from 7 to 12. Upon the seventh day of the fifth month Nebuzaradan Captain of the Guard sent by Nebuchadnezzar made his entry into the City and on the tenth day he set fire on the Temple and on the Kings Palace and upon all the Noblemens houses in Jerusalem and burnt all down to the ground and brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about In remembrance of which dismal calamity the Fast of the fifth month was ordained to be kept Zach. 7.3 v. 5. Zach. 8.19 Thus was the glorious Temple destroyed in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzars reign and four hundred twenty four years three months and eight days after that Solomon laid the first stone thereof 2 King 25.8 9 10. Jer. 52.12 13 14. Jer. 39.8 In the same fifth month the walls of Jerusalem being broken down all that were left in the City and all that had before fled over to Nebuchadnezzar and all the common people of the City with all the treasure of the King and his Nobles and furniture of the Temple did Nebuzaradan carry away to Babylon and thus was Judah for their sins removed out of her own land four hundred sixty eight years after David began to reign over it From the division of the Ten Tribes from the Tribe of Judah three hundred eighty eight years and from the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel one hundred thirty four years If any shall enquire why the Lord gave up this his own people into the hands of their enemies you may find 2 Chron. 36. from v. 12 to 20. that the high provocations both of King and people were the cause thereof Zedekiah did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the Prophet speaking to him from the mouth of the Lord and he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear by God but he stiffned his neck and hardned his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel Moreover all the chief of the Priests and the people transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers rising up betimes (a) That is continually and carefully sendding them a Metaphor taken from careful housholders who with the soonest seek to redress mischiefs causing their servants for that end to rise betimes and sending because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place but they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people and there was no remedy * After that there remain'd nothing but expectation of judgment Therefore he brought upon them the King of the Caldees who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their Sanctuary (b) That is the Temple whither 't is like many of them fled for refuge and had no compassion upon young man or maiden old man or him that stooped for age he gave them all into his hand And all the vessels of the house of God great and small and the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the King and of his Princes all these he brought to Babylon And they burnt the house of God and brake down the walls of Jerusalem and burnt all the Palaces thereof with fire and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof Jer. 39.9 Jer. 52.15 2 King 25. from 11 to 18. 2 Chron. 36. from 14 to 22. The Scripture saith that they that were carried away captive to Babylon in the eleventh year of Zedekiah were to continue seventy years in their captivity 2 Chron. 36.20 21. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the Kingdom of Persia To fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremy until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths for as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath to fulfill threescore and ten years Where by those words until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths we are to understand that so long as the people were kept out of it the land rested there being none to plow or dig it up and so it continued for the most part till the expiration of seventy years as Jeremy had Prophesied Jer. 25.11 And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment and these Nations shall serve the King of Babylon seventy years And Chap. 29.10 Thus saith the Lord after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you and perform my good word towards you in causing you to return to