Idol some of Adonis the Paramour of Venus 4. Their men worshipping the Sun towards the East 2ly He hath a Vision of the judgments that God would execute upon them for their sins In which Vision he hears God commanding six men who had slaughter-weapons in their hands to destroy all except the secret mourners for those abominations the Prophet intercedes for them but the Lord vindicates the equity of his proceedings against them by reason of their sins Chap. 9. 3ly In the tenth Chapter Ezekiel hath a Vision first of the burning coals to be scatter'd over the City 2ly Of the Lords changing his place and leaving them 3ly A Vision of the Wheels and Cherubims representing how things earthly and inferiour as also heavenly and superiour are under the disposal of the Divine Providence Chap. 10. In the 11th Chapter he hath first a Vision of those who gave ill counsel and seduced the people from v. 1 to 4. 2ly Of the judgments denounced against those evil counsellors and devisers of mischief from v. 4 to 13. 3ly He has a Vision of Pelatiah's death the Prophet deprecates the Lords displeasure and pleads with him to spare the residue of Israel The Lord tells him that the people of Jerusalem did not look upon their Brethren that were carried into Babylon as the people of God but challenged the Temple and the land and all in it to be theirs But though those captives were insulted over by them yet God promises to be a sanctuary to them in the Countries whither they were driven and that he would bring them back to their own land and that there they should reform and cast away their detestable things and he would purifie them and give them one heart and put a new spirit within them and take away their stony heart and give them an heart of flesh and they should walk in his statutes and do them and they should be his people and he would be their God 4ly He hath a Vision of the removal and departure of Gods glory from the City to the mountain and so exposing them to the fury and spoil of the Babylonians The Vision vanishing the Prophet is brought back by the Spirit to his people in Chaldea and there declares to them all that God had shewed him Ezekiel 8 9 10 11 whole Chapters God now both by Typical signs as also in plain words foretells Zedekiah's flight by night the putting out his eyes the captivity of himself and his people and the many miseries they were to suffer before all which we have set down in the twelfth Chapter In the beginning of which we have first the Type viz. Ezekiel's removing his houshold stuff and carrying it through the hole of the wall and bearing it upon his shoulders from v. 1 to 10. Then we have the application of this Type both to Prince and people from v. 10. to 15. Moreover he hath a Vision of the sad condition of the people both before and after the captivity of the King whereupon the Prophet is commanded to eat his bread with quaking and to drink his water with trembling Furthermore he confutes those who made an ill construction of his Prophesies and put off all with this by-word If his Prophesies be true yet they belong not to our days but to the days of those that are to be a long while after us or else said his vision faileth and cometh to nothing God tells them he will make that Proverb to cease among them by a sudden and dreadful accomplishment of the Prophesie utter'd by his Prophet and to this matter the seven following Chapters also belong In Chap. 13. he reproves the false Prophets and Prophetesses who taking upon them that office were led by their own private spirits and deceived the people with vain visions and lying divinations The false Prophets he reproves for daubing with untemper'd mortar there being no truth and so no strength in what they said from 1 to 17. And the Prophetesses for sowing pillows under the arms of the people that is by their lyes and flatteries promising them peace and making nightcoifs or kerchiefs for the head of every stature that is suiting their jugling to all sorts both small and great to seduce them In Chap. 14. upon occasion of certain Elders of Israel coming to inquire of him he declares how God abhors to be inquired of by them because of their Idolatry and how he will plague Idolaters and false Prophets except they repent from 1 to 12. And then shews how irrevocably God had decreed to punish them with famine noisome beasts sword and pestilence and that the Intercessions of the most holy men that ever were such as were Noah Daniel and Job would not be able to help them they should only deliver their own souls from 12 to 22. 3ly He foretelleth that some shall be left and shall be carried to their Brethren that were in Babylon who were by this time well accommodated and fitted to entertain them and should be comforted concerning them seeing their repentance In Chap. 15. under the similitude of an useless and fruitless vine-tree fit only for the fire he sets forth the condition of the inhabitants of Jerusalem that they are fit only for judgment In Ch. 16. to make Judah know her abominations by the similitude of a new-born and miserably forsaken young daughter God sets before them their natural state and miserable condition from 1 to 6. and his special love and kindness which he had shewed to them in that wretched state from 6 to 15. and their ungrateful apostasie from God set out under the type of an whore and whoredom signifying their Idolatry and heathenish covenants from 15 to 35. Then he adds a commination of heavy judgments for those sins they being worse than their sisters Sodom and Samaria from 35 to 60. Lastly after he had thunder'd out judgments against the multitude of wicked ones He gives some Evangelical promises of mercy and comfort to revive the spirits of the faithful that either now were or hereafter should be among them from 60. to the end The 17th Chapter contains a denunciation of judgments upon Jerusalem and her King for persidious revolting from the King of Babylon under the parable of two Eagles and a Vine The Parable is propounded from 1 to 11. and expounded and applied in a minatory way from 11 to 22. In the last part of the Chapter there is a promise of Christ and his Kingdom and the happiness of all sorts of people that shall come under his wing and protection from 22 to the end In the 18th Chap. he reproves the Jews in Babylon who instead of being humbled for their sins took up an unjust complaint against God and charged him to deal unjustly with them alledging that their fathers had sinned and they their children suffered for their sins making use of that Proverb The Fathers have eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edg This charge
Royal apparel presented her self in the inner Court before the King as he sat on his royal throne as soon as he saw her his heart was towards her and she obtained favour in his sight which he manifested by stretching forth his golden scepter to her and she went up and touched the end of it in token of her reverence and obedience And if we consider what absolute obedience the Persian Kings required of all their subjects and that Vashti his former Queen was cast off for as small an offence as this of Esthers and that he had not called for her of thirty days before we may well think there was a special hand of God in moving the Kings heart to shew her such favour and that it was a gracious answer to his peoples prayers The King graciously asks her What was the request she had to make to him it should be granted her even to the half of the Kingdom (d) This it seems was a Proverbial speech whereby Princes promised liberally and largely Herod used the sâ—me to the daughter of Herodias Mat. 6.23 She told him that she only desired that his Majesty would please to honour her that day with his presence at a Banquet she had provided and that Haman might come also The King readily accepts her invitation and he and Haman came to her Banquet accordingly At the Banquet the King askt her again what her request was she not finding as yet a fit opportunity to make known her desires to him she told him that her petition and request at present was only this that the King and Haman would favour her once more with their presence at a banquet she should prepare for them the next day and then she would make known her suit unto the King God undoubtedly by the secret instinct of his Spirit inclined her heart thus to put off her petition to another time he intending in the interim to advance Mordecai before her next banquet was prepared Haman went away from this first banquet very joyful and with a glad heart being not a little proud of the honour the Queen had done him in inviting him with the King to her banquet but when he came to the Palace-gate he saw Mordecai refuse to rise up to him which kindled his indignation highly against him When he came home he sent for his wife and his friends and there in a boasting fashion set before them the greatness of his riches the multitude of his children * Ten of his Sâ—ns are reckoned up by name Ch. 9. 6. which he esteemed a great honour to him the great offices the King had conferred on him and how the Queen had invited none to her banquet which she made for the King but himself alone and that on the morrow he was invited again unto her with the King All these he shews them were great things and such as few subjects attained unto yet he could not but tell them that all these honours dignities and preferments did not so much comfort him as the neglect and contempt of that vile Jew Mordecai did vex and trouble him for he would not so much as rise up to him nor pay him the respect that all others did His wife and friends advise him not to trouble himself about him but to get a Gallows of fifty cubits high presently set up and on the morrow to get leave of the King to hang him thereon Haman liked their counsel very well and gave order accordingly to have the Gallows prepared Esther Ch. 5. The wheel of Providence begins now to turn for the deliverance of the Jews as we shall see in the sequel of the story for on that very night Ahasuerus could not sleep being restless he calls for the records to be brought and read unto him to divert him wherein among other things it was recorded how two of his servants viz. Bigthan and Teresh had conspired to take away his life and that Mordecai had revealed this conspiracy and so preserv'd him The King hereupon asks what honour and dignity had been done to Mordecai for this His servants about him tell him none at all It being now as it seems morning the King asks who of his Counsellors were in the outward Court They told him Haman was there for he was come early to beg of the King that Mordecai might be hanged on the Gallows he had provided for him the King sends for him he being come the King asks him what shall be done to the man whom the King delights to honour Haman presently imagining the King intended this honour to him and to no body else he thought he would not give scant measure to himself and therefore says he let the royal robe that the King uses to wear be put upon the man the King delights to honour and let him ride on the Kings own horse and let the Crown royal be set on his head and let one of the Kings most noble and illustrious Princes attend him riding in this state through the streets and proclaim before him Thus shall it be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour Haman having said this the King commands him immediately to take Mordecai whom of all persons in the world he most hated and to do all this for him and that he should not fail in any one particular This was as a dagger to Hamans heart but he durst not refuse doing it and did it accordingly Mordecai having received this strange and unexpected honour returned to his ordinary office and place at the Kings gate again not being at all puft up with it But Haman hasted to his own house being almost heart-broken through grief and vexation and covering his head through shame and discontent Being come home he acquainted his wife and friends with what had hapned to him they told him that if Mordecai before whom he had begun to fall were of the seed of the Jews he would not be able to prevail against him but would certainly be worsted by him For these being as it seems prudent persons and wise in their way had observed formerly Gods wonderful appearing for his people against all their enemies as particularly against those Princes that had plotted against Daniel Dan. 6.4 and thence they infer that 't was probable the Lord would do the like for Mordecai While they were speaking of these things the Kings Chamberlains came to Hamans house to call him away to the Queens banquet Esther Ch. 6. The King and Haman being again royally entertained by the Queen and the King being highly pleased therewith he asked her again what her suit and request was which he assured her should be granted her whatever it was She then humbly prostrating her self at his feet with tears besought him to spare her own life and the lives of her people for says she I and my people are sold to be slain and to be destroyed and had we been sold for bondmen and bondwomen though our condition
could go abrest on it Nehemiah divided the people into two great companies consisting of Priests Levites Princes and people they entred upon the wall about the middle of the west-wall near the dung-gate and there the two Companies parted and each went as in procession in this order The one company had Ezra the Priest before them and other Priests followed after him sounding with their Trumpets after them came the Levites playing on sacred Musical instruments and the Singers all sounding forth Gods praises and their own joy and thankfulness After them came the Princes and Rulers and after them the people and this company went on the right hand Southward by the fountain-gate and about the City of David and all along the South-wall even unto the water-gate on the East The other company went in like manner and Nehemiah himself the last of them And they made their procession on the left hand Northwards from beyond the Tower of the Furnaces even unto the broad wall These two Companies somewhat beyond the Prison-gate met together and in order descended from the East-wall to go into the house of God and that day they offered great sacrifices and greatly rejoiced with feasting and singing for God by his gracious Providence over them gave unto them their wives and children great occasion of rejoicing so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard a great way off and the report of it went into other Nations After they had thus manifested their zeal in dedicating the wall they manifest their piety in providing for the Priests and Levites who had had so great an hand in it and accordingly some faithful Levites were appointed to take care of all such things as by the people should be brought for the Ministers of the house of God and places were appointed to lay up all offerings first fruits and tythes which were brought out of the fields viz. the portions appointed by the Law for the Priests and Levites And the people chearfully brought in the forementioned portions rejoycing that there was care taken to settle the Priests and Levites in their accustomed courses and so to provide for them that they should not be forced to go into the Country to seek maintenance but might now stay their full time and course at the house of God to perform their particular services there And both Singers and Porters kept the watch of their God that is which by Gods command they were appointed unto taking care that the worship of God should be duly performed and they kept the watch of purification taking care that themselves and the people should be kept from legal uncleanness according to the commandment of David and Solomon his Son who walked in the statutes of David his Father 1 King 3.3 For in the days of David and Asaph Jedathun and Heman with whom David consulted there were some chief Singers appointed who had a charge over the rest to see all things belonging unto the Singers duly and orderly performed and there were Songs of praise and thanksgiving composed and set unto tunes by those Singers And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah gave to the Singers and Porters such portions as were appointed for their daily maintenance And the people set apart holy things for the Levites and the Levites set apart a tenth part of them for the Priests Neh. 12. wh Ch. After these things Nehemiah appointed Hanani who first brought him word of the sad estate of Jerusalem and Hananiah the Ruler of the Palace * i e. Palatii R gii in monte Sion who was a faithful man and one that feared God above many to be Governours over the City and to order the guards and matches thereof and to take care that the Gates were carefully shut and opened in due time Then perceiving that the City was large and great yet but thinly inhabited and that though some fair houses were built before the Temple was finished Hag. 1.4 yet abundance of other houses were not built thereupon God putting it into his heart †Good motions useful and profitable for the Church arise from Gods Spirit he calls together the Nobles and Rulers and people and numbred them that had returned out of the Captivity according to their Genealogies that so it might be known what families formerly appertained to the City that out of them a number might be selected and appointed to settle themselves there again And secondly that as need required others also might be called to dwell there though their Progenitors had not been formerly inhabitants thereof And 3ly that as men were found able they might lend aid towards the rebuilding of those houses in Jerusalem that now lay in rubbish And for their better proceeding in this matter a precedent was sought of their former numbring in the days of Zerubbabel and a Register was found of it which is here set down which in many things differs from that Ezr. 2. therefore 't is thought that that in Ezra was taken and written when they were preparing to come out of Babylon and this when they were come into Judea And there is added to that Register what was given at their first return out of Babylon towards the building of the Temple c. viz. all that was given by the encouragement of Cyrus viz. both by Jews and Persians but here is only set down what was collected after the people were numbred by Nehemiah And as then there was a collection of money and other things made when they were numbred according to their Genealogies in Zerubbabels time Ezra 2.68 so was it now also only that collection was meerly for the building of the Temple and this was partly for the service of the Temple for why else were so many Priests garments given and in part also for the rebuilding of the City See v. 4. Nehem. 7. from 1 to 8. v. 70 71 72. On the first day of the seventh month which was the Feast of Trumpets Levit. 23.24 the Jews were gathered together as one man to Jerusalem and they met both men and women before the water-gate the Court of the Temple not being able to contain so great a multitude and desired Ezra to bring the Book of the Law and to read it and expound it to them See Deut. 31.11 Ezra accordingly brought it and standing upon a pulpit of wood he read therein distinctly before the people and expounded it and gave them the sense of it Ezra also blessed the Lord the great God and all the people answered Amen and Amen with lifting up their hands and they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground And several other persons viz. Priests and Levites stood on his right hand and on his left to be witnesses of the truth of what he delivered and to move the people the better to entertain it And not only Ezra but others of the Priests and Levites also expounded the Law and caused the people to understand
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
Weights and Measures being kept in the Sanctuary hence it is call'd the Shekel of the Sanctuary See Exod. 38.26 The common Shekel is but 1 s. 3 d. The Shekel of the Sanctuary 2 s. 6 d. Nehem. 10.32 the rate is but the third part of a Shekel but here the rate is more upon this extraordinary occasion Some think this Contribution was annual Others only occasional as there was cause to call the people to it see Matth. 17.24 amounted to 15 d. of our money and it was to be imployed for the Service of the Tabernacle and the Rich were not to give more nor the Poor less And this equality seems to be enjoyned that the Rich might not despise the Poor and to shew that the life of a poor man is as precious in the sight of God as a rich mans and both are equally bound to praise God for it And this was also to be done that it might be a Memorial before the Lord of their Obedience and so might move the Lord to be propitious unto them Exod. 30. from vers 11. to 17. 15ly These Commands and Injunctions being given to Moses by the Lord 't is like Moses begain to think with himself where he should find Workmen fit to undertake such curious and difficult Works and that would make them exactly according to the Pattern given Wherefore the Lord tells him He had furnished Men with extraordinary gifts of his Spirit (b) So that quick apprehension and skill in honest Handicrafts and Manufactures is to accounted as a Gift of God consisting in Wisdom Knowledge ready conceiving and skill for the performance of all these things and particularly Bezaleel and Aholiab who should be the principal Workmen and Directors of others and He had put into the hearts of all those that were apt for these businesses a greater apprehension (c) Sapienter excogitare excogitata operari to conceive and contrive and a greater dexterity then they had before to work all these things that He had commanded Exod. 31. from 1. to the 12. 16ly Lastly Though the Work of the Tabernacle was with all care and diligence to be followed and speedily to be done yet the Lord would not have any of it to be done upon the Sabbath-day and therefore he renews his Command about the Observation of that Day telling Moses It was a Sign between Him and them that He had taken them for his peculiar people and they Him for their God whom they had bound themselves withall faithfulness to serve And by his enjoyning them diligently to keep his Sabbath they might know that he intended it as a means to promote their Sanctification Then He urges the Observation of the Sabbath upon them by divers reasons 1. Ab utili It is says He holy unto you that is Ordained for your benefit and profit Mark 2.27 The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath 2. A necessario If they did not keep it He tells them They should surely be put to death See Numb 15.35 (d) Videtur Moses ignorasse speciem mortis aut sceleris gradum sola enim profana contumaxque Sabbathi violatio capitalis est Anonym in loc 'T is observable That death is thrice here threatned to those that defile the Sabbath by doing any profane or unnecessary work thereon 3. From the dedication of this Day unto God It is a Sabbath of Rest consecrated unto God 4. From the Command of God He Commands them to keep the Seventh-day-Sabbath perpetually that is as long as that Dispensation should last the Observation thereof being one Article of the Covenant He had made with them 5. A facili The Lord appointeth but one day in seven for Holy Rest and alloweth Six for labour in our worldly businesses 6. From the Example of God Himself who created the World in six days and rested on the Seventh and was refreshed * This is spoken of God after the manner of men Exod. 31. from 12. to 18. SECT XXII THe people seeing that Moses stayed so long in the Mount and that the Cloud did not move and perhaps conceiving that Moses had forsaken them or despairing of his Return a great number (e) 'T is manifest that all the people did not joyn herein for some of them afterwards at Moses his command were imployed to put the Idolaters to death v. 26. 1 Cor. 10.7 of them as it seems pressed Aaron with great Importunity to make them an Image or visible representation of God (f) V. 1. Gods the plural for the singular by an Hebrew Idiotism Declarant se velle veri unam effigiem Dei divinae symbolum praesentiae sed erat Carnalis Aegyptiorum imitatio qui vitulum colebant Anonym in loc going before them and manifesting his Presence among them and this Image they would have made in the form or shape of a Calf according to the Idolatry they had seen practised in Egypt Aaron to divert them as 't is probable from this wicked Intendment requires the golden Ear-rings from the Ears of their Wives Sons and Daughters to make it with hoping that this demand would make such a mutiny in all their Families that they would have chosen rather to desist from their wicked design than part with those Ornaments wherein they were wont to take so much delight But herein he was much deceived for their Superstition was at this time above their Pride or Covetousness insomuch that they presently broke off their golden Ear-rings and gave them to Aaron who appointed Workmen first to melt the Gold and cast it into the form of a Calf and then to polish and finish it with a graving Tool It seems they desired their Idol should be made in this form in imitation of the Idol Apis the Ox or Calf (g) Thus the Israelites borrowed not all Gold and Silver but some dross from the Egyptians borrowing their Idolatrous Worship from them 1 King 12.28 Ps 106 19 20. Puller the Egyptians used to worship Then encouraging one another and being much pleased with their Idol they said This is thy God O Israel which brought thee out of the Land of Eypt pretending still to worship the true God in and by the Calf Aaron seeing the people thus violently bent on their Idol upon their motion He yields to build an Altar for it and to proclaim an Holy-day and to dedicate a Feast to it To morrow says He is a Feast to the Lord Jehovah pretending all was still intended for the Worship of the true God And accordingly the people rose early the next morning and sacrificed unto their Idol Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings and upon the Altar they feasted together and then rose up to play that is to sing and dance and play about their Idol shouting and making a great Noise vers 17. according to the wild custom and manner of the Heathens in their Idolatrous Feasts Exod. 32. from 1. to 7. SECT XXIII WHen 40 days and 40
(i) Qui perfecte legem impleverit adipiscetur vitam aeternam At quis hoc praestat non ergo vitam possumus consequi justitia operum seu legis sed fidei in them See Rom. 10.5 that is the man that doth all things prescribed in the Law exactly and perfectly without ever failing in any one particular shall live thereby that is shall obtain eternal life And on these and no other terms doth the Law promise eternal life which now are not possible to be performed by any meer man since Adam's Fall But this Obedience God required of them as a due debt and to direct them whether to have recourse viz. from the Law to the Messias (k) See Gal. 3.24 by whose Merits and Mediation they may be acquitted when by the Law they are condemned That therefore they may walk in the Statutes and Ordinances of God and not conform to Idolaters they are commanded first to beware of Incestuous Copulations and Marriages or approaching to such of their near Kindred as are here forbidden 1. A man must not marry or lie with with his Fathers wife his Mother in law or his own Mother Levit. 18. v. 7. See 1 Cor. 5.1 Gen. 35.22 Deut. 22.30 27.20 2. Nor with his Sister whether she be Daughter both of Father and Mother or of his Mother only and whether born in Marriage or out of Marriage i. e. by Fornication before Marriage v. 9. 3. Nor with his Grand-daughter by Son or Daughter v. 10. 4. Nor with the Daughter (l) Hoc probibitum erat v 9. Sed vel claritatis vel inculcandi gratia more Scripturae repetitur ut nota Aug. quaest 59. of his Fathers wife begotten by his Father for she is his Sister though begotten of a Mother in law but if his Father marry another wife and she hath a Daughter by another man that Daughter is lawful for him v. 11. 5. Nor with his Aunt the Sister of Father or Mother v. 12 13. 6. Nor with his Uncles wife (m) Wherefore it seems more unlawful for the Uncle and Neice to marry together v. 14. 7. Nor with his Daughter in law his Sons wife v. 15. 8. Nor with his Brothers wife From this Law was excepted (n) See the reasons for it Sect. 35. Ch. 3. afterwards the case of a Brothers dying without Male-Issue for then the next Brother or Kinsman was to marry the Widow of the deceased v. 16. Levit. 20.21 9. Nor with his wives Daughter viz. Step-Daughter nor Step-Sons Daughter or the Daughters descending from her vers 17. 10. A man ought not to take one wife to another (o) Polagamy seems here forbidden so Deut. 17.17 that is to have two wives together in marriage that the one may not be a vexation * See 1 Sam. 1. the case of Elkanah a Levite having two wives to the other which is like to be more where two Sisters are so conjoyned as may be seen in Jacob's case Gen. 30. And though some of the Fathers did practise Polygamy and God bore with them yet it was not so from the beginning as our Saviour tells us Mat. 19.8 out of Gen. 2.24 and in the N. T. it is quite abolished vers 18. 2. A man was not to lie with his own wife when she was to be separated by reason of her uncleanness vers 19. See Ch. 12.2 and Ch. 15.24 25. and Ch. 20.18 3. Adultery is forbidden or defiling another mans wife vers 20. 4. Offering their Children to Molech the Idol of the Ammonites called also Milcom 1 Kings 11.5 7. for whose honour and worship the besotted Parents caused their own Children to be burnt alive or as some write to pass betwixt two great Fires to be cleansed or purified thereby as they conceived and as a sign of their Consecration to that Idol And it was a horrible vilifying of the Lord thus to forsake him and to yield such honour to such a base Idol-god See Amos 5.26 'T is thought to be the same Idol that in Scripture is ordinarily called Baal as may appear by comparing 2 Kings 23.10 Jer. 19.5 together See Psal 106.37 38. Levit. 20.3 5. 5. All unnatural Lusts and Copulations From all which sins God dehorts them by telling them that these were the Abominations which He intended to visit upon the Land of Canaan and for which she should vomit and spew out her Inhabitants Therefore they must take heed to themselves that they do not provoke Him by the like sins See Levit. 20.22 23 24. Levit. 18. whole Chapter 4. Sundry Laws are repeated and reinforced Ch. 19. with directions how the Violators of them shall be punished Ch. 20. Some relating to the Moral Law as particularly to the 1. Com. Viz. Not to use Inchantments nor superstitiously to observe times counting some days lucky others unlucky Ch. 19. vers 26. Not to go after Wizards or such as have familiar Spirits Ch. 19.31 Ch. 20.6 for such were to be stoned to death Ch. 20.27 See Exod. 22.18 Not to offer their Children to Molech for such as did so were to be stoned Ch. 20.2 3 4 5. And those that connived at their Idolatry God threatens to set his Face against and to destroy those men and their Families 2. Com. Not to turn to Idols nor make to themselves molten Gods or any Images of Stone to bow down to them Ch. 19.4 See Ch. 26.1 3. Com. Not to swear by Gods Name falsly nor profane His holy Name Ch. 19.12 4. Com. To keep the Sabbath and reverence the Sanctuary that is to come thither with an inward awe and fear of Gods Presence and not to approach it in their uncleanness or any other way to pollute it Ch. 19.3 30. Ch. 26.2 5. Com. Ye shall fear and reverence every man his Mother (p) The Mother is set in the first place because Mothers are usually most despised and his Father Ch. 19.3 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary Head and honour the Face of the old Man Ch. 19.32 He that curseth Father or Mother shall surely be put to Death Ch. 20.9 See Exod. 21.17 Deut. 21.18 19 20 21. 6. Com. Thou shalt not curse or speak evil of the Deaf nor put a Stumbling-block before the Blind that is do Injuries to men in confidence that the injur'd persons shall not know who wrong'd them nor be able to right themselves Ch. 19.14 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer sin upon him Ch. 19.17 See 1 John 3.15 Thou shalt not stand against the blood of thy Neighbour that is stand up in Courts of Justice to take away his life either as a false Accuser or as a false Witness Ch. 19. v. 16. Thou shalt not avenge thy self nor bear any grudge against thy Brother but love thy Neighbour as thy self (q) That is in the same manner heartily sincerely constantly as thou lovest thy self though not
Chest of Shittim-wood to keep those Tables in viz. the Ark of the Testimony which he took care to have made by Bezaleel and there he placed them and there he tells them they were at that day Further he shews them That the Children of Israel having gone many Journeys forward and backward in the Wilderness as the Lord commanded them at last they went from Beeroth (q) Contentus hoc loco Moses recitatione historiarum seu rerum neque superstitiosè circumstantias locorum tractavit Non fuit illi propositum mansiones recensere sed beneficia Dei in certis mansionibus praestita celebrare Gerar. of the Children of Jaakan to Mosera (r) Abulensis duo distincta loca conjectat Mosera Moseroth Illum locum quendam in monte Hor hunc mansionem Israelitarum vide Numb 33.30 quae solutio videtur probabilis which was a part of the same Mountain with Hor though it had different names and there Aaron died and was buried and this might humble them for the sin of the golden Calf whereby God was so displeas'd with Aaron that he would not permit him to go into Canaan Yet that God permitted Eleazar his Son to succeed him in the Office of the High Priest was a proof of his being reconciled to them upon Moses's prayer Moreover he shews how they removed from Gudgodah and God brought them to Jotbath a Land of waters which was a great mercy to them in their travels through the Wilderness and another proof of his grace and favour to them and that he had regard to their Infirmity that they might not have occasion to murmur against Him for want of water as formerly they had done Then returning to the history of things done at Mount Sinai He instances in the separating the Tribe of Levi wherein not only the Levites but the Priests also are comprehended to bear the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to stand before the Lord to minister unto him in divine Offices and to bless the people in his Name as a special sign of Gods having received them into Favour again upon his prayer and intercession And because the Tribe of Levi are thus to be imployed He shews they are to have no part of the Spoils taken in War no Inheritance in the Land of Canaan which was to be divided among the other Tribes see Numb 18.20 26.53 57. 35.2 Deut. 18.1 but the Lord himself would be their Inheritance maintaining them by the First-fruits Tythes Vows and Oblations made unto Himself These Gifts the Lord hath given him they are his Inheritance see Numb 18.8 9 c. Deut. 12.19 And Moses further shews them That God did manifest he had received them into Favour again in that He said unto him Arise take thy journey before the people that they may go in and possess the Land which I sware unto their Fathers to give them whereby the Lord intimated that he was willing they should presently have entred into the Land had not they by their murmuring excluded themselves for many years after Ch. 10. from 1. to vers 12. 15. He now presses them with many pathetical Arguments sincerely to love and obey the Lord. And now O Israel says he what does the Lord require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his ways to love him and serve him with all thine heart and with all thy Soul to keep his Commandments and Statutes which I command thee this day for thy good Behold the visible Heaven and the Empiraean or third Heaven the Heaven of Heavens is the Lords thy God and the Earth with all that therein is He is Lord of all and he needeth not any of his Creatures And he set his love on thy Fathers and chose their Seed after them out of his free Grace above all other Nations to be his peculiar people Circumcise therefore the fore-skin of your hearts that is put away from your heart all that opposeth his holy Will and be no more stiff-necked and disobedient to his Will For the Lord your God is Lord of Lords a great and mighty and terrible God who regardeth not persons meerly for their outward Condition nor taketh Reward that is will not pervert Judgment by condemning the Innocent or acquitting the Wicked for Gifts or Rewards as unrighteous Judges use to do He doth execute righteous Judgment to all that are oppressed Psal 103.6 particularly to the Fatherless and Widow and loveth the Stranger and giveth him Food and Baiment Ye shall therefore in imitation of Him love Strangers for ye your selves were sometime Strangers in the Land of Egypt Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him and cleave to him and swear by his Name Ch. 16.13 He is thy praise that is He it is whom thou oughtest to praise continually and in whom thou art to glory And this shall be thy chief glory and praise among other Nations that this great and mighty Jehovah is thy God and that thou art his people He is the God that hath done for thee these great and wonderful things so terrible to thine Enemies which thine eyes have seen Remember thy Fathers that went down into Egypt were but threescore and ten * See Notes on Gen. 46.27 persons and now the Lord hath made thee as the Stars of Heaven for multitude 16. He addresses his Speech to the ancienter sort who being under twenty years Chap. XI old when they came out of Egypt and of capacity then to observe had seen how miraculously God delivered them out of that house of Bondage and whose Eyes had seen all the great things the Lord had done for them in the Wilderness And to you says He of the ancienter sort I now direct my Speech To you I speak and not to your Children who have not known nor seen all that the Lord did for his people nor the Miracles and wonderful things which He did in Egypt by his mighty Hand and out-stretched Arm and how he destroyed Pharaoh and his Host in the Red-Sea so that you injoy the benefit of that destruction that fell upon the Egyptians even to this day their Power being thereby so sweakened that they have not been able since to attempt any thing against you You also have seen what He hath done for you in the Wilderness till you came even to this place You have seen also what he did to Dathan and Abiram the Sons of Eliab the Son of Reuben how the Earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up and their Housholds and their Tents and all the substance that was in their possession in the midst of Israel These glorious Acts that God did in the Wilderness you have seen and therefore have great reason to be obedient to his Commandments that ye may be strengthened both in body and spirit to go into the good Land that floweth with Milk and Honey and may fight against your Enemies and subdue them and may possess
turn away from thee from vers 12. to 15. Another Law He gives them concerning Servants Thou shalt not deliver to his Master the Servant that is escaped from his Master unto thee This is to be understood of Servants that fled from Heathenish Masters who tyrannized over them and oppressed them and so they fled to the Israelites and were willing to embrace the Jewish Religion For it was more Charity to keep them among the true worshippers of God then to return them to their cruel tyrannical and idolatrous Masters Therefore says He when thou hast upon examining the matter found that the Servant had a sufficient and warrantable ground to leave his Master thou shalt permit him to live in any of thy Cities or dwelling-places where it liketh him best and thou shalt not oppose him vers 15 16. In the next place He prohibits tolerating of Whoredom or Sodomy among them and by consequence permitting such filthiness to be practised by any of other Nations that should live among them vers 17. An Harlot was by no means to offer to God the hire or wages of her Whoredom nor was the price of a Dog which was an unclean Creature to be offered to Him God intending hereby to teach them to reverence his Sanctuary and not to offer to him any thing that had been sinfully gotten or was base and unworthy or that might make his Worship vile and contemptible vers 17 18. In the next place He commands them to lend to their poor Brethren freely * See Exod. 22.25 Levit. 25.36 Psal 15.5 and not to take again any thing more than what was lent Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy Brother neither Money nor Victuals But to Gentiles that were Infidels they might lend upon Vsury And this they were to observe that the Lord might bless them in all that they set their hand unto vers 19 20. Another Law He gives them concerning Vows When thou vowest a Vow to the Lord viz. of a thing possible and lawful thou must not be slack to pay it Far the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee and to neglect to pay it would be sin in thee and consequently would be inquir'd into and punished by God But if thou forbear to vow it shall be no sin in thee That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform and pay thy free-will-Offering which thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God vers 21 22 23. Another Law He gives them concerning Trespasses When thou art hired to work in thy Neighbours Vineyard (o) Lex generalis est non ad conductitios restringenda Fertilior ibi agrorum vinearum proventus minori labore partus quam in nostris terris thou mayst eat of the fruit thereof Or when thou occasionally travellest through his Vineyards and Corn-fields thou mayst for the refreshing thy self in time of need gather and eat but thou maist not carry any home for thy self or any other When thou comest into the standing Corn of thy Neighbours thou mayst pluck the ears (p) See Matth. 12.1 The Pharisees charged not our Saviours Disciples for doing what ought not be done viz. for plucking ears of Corn but for doing it on the Sabbath-day with thy hand but thou shalt not move a Sickle into thy Neighbours standing Corn vers 24 25. Chap. XXIV In the next place He gives directions concerning Divorce If a man have married a wife and afterwards finds something in her person or qualities which before was unknown to him upon which he grows into a dislike of her and resolves to put her away in that case he must write her a Bill of Divorce (q) Yet this which was thus tolerated was sinful in the Husband and displeasing unto God see Mal. 2.16 and only permitted by Moses for the hardness of their hearts Matth. 19.8 and for preventing greater inconveniences to the wife And yet even this toleration of causeless Divorces was abrogated by our Saviour Matth. 5.31 32. Dicuntur Hebraei Polygamiam a Majoribus sed repudia ab Aegyptiis didicisse Anonym and give it into her hand and so send her out of his house that she may have this as a Testimony for her that she had not of her own accord forsaken her Husband but was put away by him and so being now free might lawfully marry another And if it should so happen that her second Husband should put her away also or should die her first Husband notwithstanding may not take her to wife again after she hath been another mans wife (r) V. 4. Quia polluta est non absolutè sed quantum ad primum maritum per concubitum cum altero marito for this is an abominable thing in the sight of God and brings guilt upon the Land and so makes it liable to punishment Ch. 24. from 1. to 5. 2ly Concerning a man that had newly married a wife Such an one was not to be sent out to War the first year nor charged with any publick Imployment that would necessarily cause him to be absent from his wife But he was to be free * See Ch. 20.7 Prov. 5.18 19. for one year that He might live at home and chear up his wife who being newly taken from her Fathers House and Family and transplanted into a new stock might be subject on that account to Melancholy and so had need have the Company of her Husband to chear her up And besides by living lovingly together the first year their love to each other would in all likehood be so firmly setled that there would be no great danger but that it would so continue afterwards vers 5. 3ly He injoyns that no man shall take his Neigbours nether or upper Millstone * See Exod. 22.26 to pledge for one of the Millstones being gone the other is unuseful And by consequence the taking of any thing as a Pledge that is of like necessary use for the exercise of a mans Calling or support of his life is here forbidden For he that doth so takes a mans life to Pledge that is that by which he lives and maintains his life vers 6. 4ly If any man be a plagiary that is steal away any of the Children of Israel and sell him that man shall die for it see Exod. 21.16 The reason why this kind of theft was only punishable with death among the Hebrews was this because it was a debasing of man made after the Image of God to be sold like a beast and much more was it a great indignity to sell one of their Brethren that were Gods people and the selling them to Heathens for none of their Brethren in likelihood would buy them was an evident exposing their Souls to extream danger besides the miseries they were like to indure in such cruel bondage vers 7. 5ly In the Plague of Leprosie he shews them they were to observe diligently what the Priests and Levites should teach
them to observe and do lest God should smite them with Leprosie as he did Miriam who was by Gods special Command shut out of the Camp seven days until she had been purified according to the Law And if she could not be exempted none of them must hope for exemption in that case from what the Law required vers 8 9. 6ly When a man did lend any thing to his Brother upon a Pledge he was not to go into his house and pick and chuse what Pledge he pleased but should be content with that which the Borrower brought out to him poor men being unwilling that strangers should see their penury and want And if the man were very poor so that he gave his Covering or Garment wherein he lodged to Pledge see Exod. 22.26 the Lender was to return it to him again before the Sun went down that he may sleep in his own Rayment and so may bless the Lender and pray for him for his mercifulness to him and it should be esteemed as a righteous * See Psal 106.31 thing and a good work in him before the Lord who will reward him for it from vers 10. to 14. 7ly They were not to oppress an hired Servant whither of their own Brethren or a Stranger that was poor and needy but to pay him his wages †See Levit. 19.13 at the day appointed and not put him off further For being poor he setteth his heart upon his hire as that by which he must maintain himself If they did otherwise the poor man might Cry unto the Lord against them and God might thereupon be provok'd to punish them for their unmercifulness vers 14 15. 8ly Neither the Fathers * Ad judices haec dici patet ex sequentibus Regula haec ordinaria est Interim in casibus quibusdam extraordinariis Magistratibus mandatum fuit filios cum Parentibus occidere vide Deut. 13. Jos 7. Judic 20.21 2 Sam. 21. shall be put to put to death for the sin of the Children nor the Children for the sin of the Fathers but every man shall suffer for his own sin vers 16. 9ly They were not to pervert the Judgment of the Fatherless or Stranger or take a Widows Garment to Pledge but should remember how they themselves were Bondmen in Egypt and how God delivered them thence and therefore they should be merciful to others vers 17 18. 10ly In time of Harvest if they have forgotten a sheaf in the Field they shall not go and fetch it but leave it for the Stranger Fatherless and Widow that God may bless them in all the works of their hands Levit. 19.9 23.22 And so when they gather their Grapes and Olives they shall leave the gleanings for the poor vers 19. to the end 11ly The Judges are appointed to judge righteously in all cases that shall come Chap. XXV before them to justifie the Righteous and condemn the Wicked And if a wicked man or Malefactor deserve to be beaten they shall order him to receive forty stripes and no more lest if they should proceed to what extremity they listed their Brother should seem vile in their eyes and fit to be used with no more regard than if he were a beast The Jews were so superstitiously careful not to transgress this Law that their custom was to stay at 39 stripes even when they meant to go as high as they might and that for fear they should exceed from vers 1. to 4. 12ly They were not to muzzle the Ox when he treadeth out the Corn. The Israelites used not to thresh their Corn with Flails as we do but trod it out with the feet of Beasts Hosea 10.11 yea sometimes with Cart-wheels see Isa 28.27 28. By this Law the Lord taught them to be merciful to the bruit Beasts they had occasion to make use of and by necessary consequence to beware of depriving their Brethren of that which was due to them for the service they did them but to let them eat and enjoy the fruit of their Labours see 1 Cor. 9.9 13ly If a man die leaving no Child his wife may not marry out of her Husbands Family but her Husbands next Brother or next Kinsman shall marry her and the first-born which she beareth him shall be counted the legal Son of his Brother * Hence Obed whom Boaz begat of Ruth is said to be Naomi's Son Ruth 4.17 because he was counted the legal Son of Elimelech her deceased Son Ruths former Husband though he was withall counted the natural Son of Boaz Luke 3.32 See Sect. 35. of the third Chapter of this History that died without Issue that so his name may be continued in Israel But if the next Brother refuse to marry her she shall complain to the Elders and if he still persist in it before them that he will not take her to wife she shall loose his shoe (s) In all resignations of House or Land from one man to another this Ceremony was used so that He that did resign the House or Land pulled off his shoe and gave it to his Neighbour to whom he passed it over Ruth 4.7 thereby signifying that He passed it over Ruth 4.7 thereby signifying that He would from thence forward be disabled from going any more upon such Land or into such a House or any part of the Estate from off his foot as intimating thereby that he was unworthy to enter upon and possess his Brothers Estate and shall spit in his face (t) This was only done when the woman did claim and press her right before the Elders and the next Kinsman did obstinately refuse her For when by free agreement the next Kinsman did resign his right to another the Widow also consenting then this note of Infamy was not put upon Him as we may see Ruth 4.8 where no spitting on the face of the next Kinsman is mentioned but only by pulling off his shoe he resigned his right to Boaz and so he married Ruth by way of disgrace and contempt thereby declaring him a man unworthy to shew his face among his Brethren and shall say Thus shall it be done to the man that refuses to build up his Brothers house And when in after-times this mans Family shall be spoken of they shall speak of it as the House or Family of a man that had his shoe loosed and so a note of Infamy shall rest upon him and his Family that men may thereby be made the more careful to submit to the directions of Gods Law from vers 5. to 11. 14ly If a woman see a man beating her Husband and run in to help him she may not take him that strove with her Husband by the Secrets thinking thereby to make him give over smiting him if she do her hand shall be cut off by the Magistrate without pity God thereby intimating to them how much he abhorred all bold shameless and impure behaviour in those that professed themselves to be his people
that they should forsake the Lord to follow them though it were left to their own choice He intimates to them that except they chose the Lord for their God and served Him out of judgment and their own choice V. 15. Eligite Tenta vita dictum ut Ruth 1.15 Joh. 6.67 and willingly and freely without any constraint God would not regard their outward compliance Well says he whatever you shall determine for your selves and your own practise I do declare to you That this is my firm Resolution That as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. The Elders of the people hearing these things said God forbid that ever we should forsake the Lord that brought us and our Fathers out of Egypt and has done such great things in our sight and has hitherto preserved us and driven out the Amorites and Canaanites for us God forbid that ever we should be so wicked as to forsake Him and serve Idols No the Lord is our God and Him we are resolved to serve Joshua advises them them to consider well what they said He tells them They cannot serve the Lord if they retained Idols in their Houses or in their Hearts and mingled false Worship with the true For God says he is an holy and jealous God and will no more admit of mixture of true and false Worship than a jealous Husband will of a Corrival in his love or that his Wife should divide her self between him and a stranger I tell you plainly God will not forgive your Transgressions nor your Sins if you continue in them and if you turn from Him and serve other gods He will turn from doing you good and will severely punish and chastise you The people answered Nay but we are firmly resolved to serve the Lord and Him only Then Joshua said You are â—itnesses against your selves this day if you do otherwise For ye have freely chosen the Lord to be your God and have faithfully promised to serve Him They said We do acknowledge it and if we do otherwise we are Witnesses against our selves and our own Consciences will convince and condemn us Well says he if ye be willing to renew your Covenant with God this day then let me in the first place strictly charge you if there be any Idols secretly kept and worshipped among you that they be put away presently and let them have no place in yours hearts and affections but incline your hearts faithfully to serve the Lord God of Israel The people answered The Lord God will we serve and his Voice alone will we obey Then Joshua as God's Servant and Minister caused the people to renew their Covenant with God and probably it was done in a very solemn manner being accompanied with Sacrifices and the usual Rites of that sacred Service and He established and confirmed it as a standing and perpetual Law for them and their Posterity that they should constantly continue in the Service of the Lord God alone as became his peculiar people and utterly renounce all Idols and all Idolatry whatsoever And Joshua either wrote himself or caused some of the Priests to write in the Book of the Law which was written by Moses and put on the side of the Ark these Promises of the people and the whole carriage of this business and how solemnly they renewed their Covenant with God that the people knowing there was such a Record kept of this matter and the circumstances thereof in God's Tabernacle might be the more careful to keep their Covenant Then Joshua took a great stone and set it up there under an Oak that was by the Sanctuary of the Lord as a Memorial of this Covenant now thus solemnly renewed between God and this people Some think this was the very Oak under which Jacob had many years since buried all the Idolatrous trash which he found among those of his Family Gen. 35.4 and that Joshua did purposely for that cause set up this Stone under that Oak * Hic Abrahamo Deuâ— apparuisse creditur Gen. 12.6 7. In future times this place where this Stone was set up was from hence called the Oak of the Pillar Judg. 9.6 And Joshua said This stone shall be a witness unto you for it hath heard (t) Hyperbolica Contestatio vide Deut. 4.26 all the words of the Lord that is of the Covenant between the Lord and you and it shall serve as a Witness to convince you of your Sin if you do not keep your Covenant seeing all men in future Ages will take notice that it was purposely erected to be a Monument and Memorial thereof and this stone when you see it shall represent to your Minds and Consciences the Covenant which ye have now made as if it could both hear and speak so that if in after-times you deny your God and fall into Idolatry this very stone will witness against you See a like expression to this Jer. 2.12 These things being done they now solemnly interred the bones of Joseph which they had brought with them out of Egypt (u) See Sect. 48. of Chap. 3. in that parcel of ground here at Shechem that Jacob * Whereas 't is said Acts 7.15 16. that the Fathers were laid in the Sepulchre that Abraham bought c. the meaning is which one of the Posterity of Abraham viz. Jacob bought of the Sons of Hamor See Apost Hist on the place bought of the Sons of Hamor see Gen. 33.19 and which He upon his death-bed gave to Joseph as a special Legacy Gen. 48.22 and was now within the lot of the Sons of Joseph And it seems from Acts 7.15 16. That the bodies of all the rest of the Patriarchs the Sons of Jacob were brought up also out of Egypt and here likewise buried When these things were done Joshua dismist the people to their own Inheritances Shortly after this the great Joshua dies aged an 110 about ten years as is conceived after the Conquest of the Land He had approved himself a faithful Servant of God all his days living in his Fear and dying in his Favour and was buried in his own Inheritance in Timnath-serah (x) Timnath-serah vox imaginem solis denotat quae Joshua Sepulchro erat imposita ob celebris illius solstitii Memoriam Josh 10.13 in Mount Ephraim Some say the Israelites placed upon his Monument the Figure of the Sun as a Memorial of the great Miracles of the Suns standing still at his prayer And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua * Non autem multo diuitius ut patet ex Jud. 2.8 9 10. Hinc patet quantum sit in unius hominis probitate positum qui in republica dominatur Masius and of the Elders that out-lived Joshua who had known all the Works of the Lord which he had done for them Not long after Eleazar the High Priest died also and they buried him in an Hill in Mount Ephraim which by special and extraordinary Gift
possibly that these Kine had been given up by the Philistines to the service of the Lord to bring home the Ark and having been imployed in so sacred a service it was not fit they should be imployed to any other use and therefore they resolved by this way of an extraordinary Burnt-offering to give them up to the Lord. And besides this Burnt-offering of the Kine the men of Bethshemesh brought their own Oblations to the Priests who offered Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings to the Lord that day for them as an expression of their thankfulness to God for the return of the Ark. But it seems some of the men of Bethshemesh were so presumptuous as to open the Ark and to look into it whereas it was not lawful for any but the Priests no not for the Levites themselves who carried it to look upon it bare and uncovered see Numb 4.20 yet it seems these bold Bethshemites not only took liberty without any fear or reverence to gaze and stare upon it but proceeded further even to look into it possibly to see whether the Philistines had taken any thing out of it or put any thing into it which they should not have done but only the Priests Hereupon God smote seventy (a) v. 19. Textus sic se habet percussit de populo 70 viros 50 millia virorum i. e. percussit de populo in quo erant viri 50 mille viros 70. Syr. Ar. legunt 5 millia 70 viros Sic pro chamishim legunt duntaxat chamish q. d. percussit de populo Bethshemitico in quo erant 5 mille viros 70. ut sensus sit Deum pro indulgentia sua noluisse in omnes reos animadvertere sed in partem tantum eorum Ergo supplenda est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ante 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reddenda si sequamur Syr. Ar. quinque mille Quis enim credaâ— ex oppido non admodum copioso 50 millia mortuos esse plurimos relictos qui eorum funera lugerent Secundum aliquoâ— sensus loci est illos 70 viros tales fuisse ut a quipararentur 50 millibus de plebeiis vide 2 Sam. 18.3 of them who it seems were most presumptuous though there were many thousands of them that had adventured to look upon it uncovered He smote of the people the Text says that were fifty thousand or as the Syriack and Arabick read it five thousand †These were not all probably the inhabitants of Bethshemesh but many of them such as â—â—ooked from the neighbouring Countries to see the Ark when returned seventy persons And the Bethshemites bewailed this sad slaughter God had made among them in a complaining manner they said Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God who manifesteth himself from between the Cherubims and to whom shall the Ark which is the sign and pledg of his Presence go up from us Intimating that people would be afraid to entertain it seeing such direful things following of it So they went to the Inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim a City in the Tribe of Judah not far from them to desire them to fetch the Ark thither pretending possibly it was a place of much more safety for it to be in than their City was The men of Kirjath-jearim were so far from opposing the bringing of the Ark to their City notwithstanding the sad calamity that had befallen so many of the Bethshemites that they themselves fetched it thither and undoubtedly with much joy the Priests of Bethshemesh carrying it as believing that it was not the presence of the Ark among the men of Bethshemesh but their irreverent carriage in gazing upon it or looking into it that was the cause of their misery When they had brought it to their City they placed it in the house of Abinadab a Levite and a man as 't is like of singular holiness whose house was on a hill and possibly fenced in and called Gibeah 2 Sam. 6.3 a place of strength and safety for the Ark to be kept in Having carried it into his house they sanctified Eleazar his Son to keep it that is they chose him to be set apart to this holy imployment to give continual attendance upon the Ark that he might keep others from coming near to pollute or defile it and they caused him to prepare himself for this Sacred charge by washing his garments and other such like Ceremonies of Legal purifying It may seem strange that they did not carry the Ark back to the Tabernacle in Shiloh but it seems the Lord would shew his indignation against the former wickedness of that place by not suffering the Ark to be carried thither again So he forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh c. Psal 78.60 And the Ark being thus separated from the Tabernacle they continued divided for ever after for 't is said that David prepared a new Tent for it 1 Chron. 15.1 and it remained at Kirjath-jearim twenty years (d) This cannot be meant of the whole time of the Arks remainning at Kirjath-jearim for tween the death of Eli shortly after which the Ark was brought to this place and the beginning of Davids reign when it was removed thence 2 Sam. 6.2 3. there must needs be forty years allowed for the Government of Saul and Samuel Act. 13.21 all which time the Ark continued in Kirjath-jearim unless when it was for a while carried forth into the Camp in the War against the Philistines Ch. 14.18 before the people could be won to that solemn repentance and conversion recited in the following verses But though the Ark was at Kirjath-jearim yet the Tabernacle and publick worship of God was at Shiloh 1 Sam. Ch. 5. wh Ch. Ch. 6. wh Ch. Ch. 7. ver 1 2. SECT CLVII FOR twenty years together after the Ark was removed to Kirjath-jearim the Isralites were grievously oppressed by the Philistines but at length by the exhortation of Samuel and the troubles they had felt they were brought to repentance and lamented after the Lord that is humbling themselves cried and called unto him for help and deliverance The Elders therefore of Israel resorting to Samuel he exhorted them to put away their strange Gods and Goddesses see Judg. 2.13 14. and to prepare and compose their hearts to serve the Lord intirely in a setled course of new obedience and then he doubted not but he would deliver them out of the hands of the Philistines Accordingly they did abandon and cast away their Idols and served the Lord only as his Law required Samuel hereupon summons the whole body of the people to Mizpeh * Situate in the confines of Judah and Benjamin and therefore reckoned among the Cities of both Tribes see Josh 15.38 18.26 that there they might together renew their Covenant with God which they had so shamefully broken and joining together in serious and solemn humiliation they might by fasting and prayer implore mercy and forgiveness from God with a return of his
Israelites home with them While David and his forces were here about Keilah Abiathar the Son of Ahimelech who only escaped of the Priests at Nob being now High-Priest in his Fathers room came to David and brought the Ephod with him which was a visible pledge that God had forsaken Saul and would be with David to direct him in all his ways So that David hath now the High-Priest and a Prophet in his army Abiathar relates to him the sad story of Saul's destroying Nob and the Priests that were there David replies I fear'd when I was at Nob that Doeg would acquaint Saul therewith Alas I must needs say to my great grief and sorrow that I have been the occasion though not intentionally of the death of thy Fathers family seeing they suffered these calamities not only for my sake but partly through my fault However abide thou under my protection and I shall take care of thee that I may as much as lyes in me make thee some amends Thou maist assure thy self that I will be as careful of thy safety as of my own for I know that he that seeks my life seeks thine also 1 Sam. Ch. 23. from 1 to 7. Ch. 22. from v. 20 to the end 7ly Saul now understanding that David with his forces had got into the City of Keilah which he had lately rescued from the Philistines he said God * Hypocritae semper praedicare solent Deum a se stare sibi esse propitium hath delivered him into my hands for he is shut in being entred into a Town that hath gates and bars He thought it seems he had him in such a trap that he could not escape Saul immediately therefore gathers a great army together to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men David by secret intelligence understood that Saul was contriving mischief against him therefore he call'd to Abiathar the High-Priest to bring the Ephod and to put it on and to inquire of the Lord for him by Vrim and Thummim and David joyning his request to the Lord said O Lord God of Israel thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul intendeth to come to Keilah to destroy the City for my sake I pray thee inform me by thine holy Oracle whither he will come or no and in case he do come whither the men of Keilah will be treacherous to me and endeavour to deliver me into his hands The Lord who by his Prescience * Deus â—erto praescit non solum quae re ipsa absoluâ—e futura sunt sâ—d etiam quae quavis conditione posita futura essent A Lap. knoweth future contingents which will come to pass in a course of natural causes if not prevented or crossed by other contingents he telleth him that Saul would come thither that is if he viz. David staid there and the men of Keilah would deliver him into Saul's hands that is if their intention and purpose were not prevented and crossed by his speedy departure from them David having received this answer he with his men which were now about six hundred †Semper in cruce crescit numerus pionum quod ex omnibus sacris Historiis facile possumus intelligere P. Martyr arose and departed out of Keilah and went whither soever they could go and sought up and down for some place to shelter themselves in and Saul hearing they were gone from Keilah forbear to go with his army thither 1 Sam. Ch. 23. from v. 7 to 14. 8ly David intending only to stand on his own defence and not to raise an offensive war betakes himself with his forces to the strong holds in the Wilderness of Ziph in the Tribe of Judah and particularly to Hachilah-Hill South of Jessimon And Saul continually sought his life but the Lord delivered him not into his hands Jonathan having as it 's probable secret intelligence from David where he was he went privately to him and strengthened his hands in God by putting him in mind of the promises of God and assuring him of his protection and favour and thereby strengthening his faith he filled his heart with comfort and courage He bad him be of good courage for the hand of Saul his Father should not find him to do him any hurt Thou shalt says he be King over Israel and that my Father knows very well from the words of Samuel Ch. 15.28 see also Ch. 20.30 31. and I shall be next unto thee Of this it seems he conceived some hope grounded on David's great love to him and possibly on some particular promise he had made to him and the firm Covenant that was between them though he had no assurance of it God having made no such promise to him but intending otherwise to dispose of him and to take him to a better Kingdom so that he lived not to see David sit on Israel's Throne Jonathan having spoken after this manner to David they renewed and confirmed their Covenant in the presence of the Lord which they had formerly made and Jonathan went to his own house David abiding still in the Wood. The Ziphites being terrified possibly with that severity Saul had used against Nob and the Priests of the Lord there Ch. 22.18 19. they come now and acquaint him that David did hide himself in the Wood near them and if he would please to come down with his forces thither they would do their utmost to deliver him into his hands Saul took their message very kindly Blessed be ye says he of the Lord for ye have compassion on me Go therefore and prepare or order the matter with care and diligence before hand and observe all his haunts and lurking places that we may not misse of him For I understand he is very cùnning and subtile in his proceedings when you have found out these things come to me again with certain intelligence of them and I will go along with you and will find him out if he be above ground though he lurks in the most secret corner of the land So these Ziphites went before to do as Saul had injoin'd them But David understanding that they had discovered him to Saul * Upon this occasion he composed the 54 Psalm as the Title doth shew and that Saul was coming with an army to take him he removed with his forces from that place which was near Hachilah-Hill to a Plain in the Wilderness of Maon which lay Southward from Jeshimon Saul pursues after him thither and at last there was only a hill between them and that not likely to keep them long asunder seeing Saul's men being many in number began to compass David and his men round about David was here in great fear of being surprized and therefore made all the hast he could to get further out of Saul's reach Just in this nick of time God so ordering it by his Providence news came to Saul that the Philistines had invaded the land which caused him speedily to draw off his
word and performed thy promise to thy servant David in raising me his Son up to build a Temple for thee perform also I pray thee unto my father what thou didst further promise him * 2 Sam. 7.13 to wit that there shall not fail a man lineally descended from him to sit upon the Throne of Israel and to reign in thy sight provided his children take heed to their way to walk before thee with that integrity that he did Now let thy word I pray thee be verified and fulfilled which thou spakest to my father concerning this matter But why do I speak of my building an house for thee Will God indeed dwell on earth Behold thou art an infinite and immense being Thou canst not be contained within any compass or space The Heaven and Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee much less this house that I have builded But though thou canst not be contained within this house yet I pray thee have regard to the prayer and humble supplication of me thy poor servant which I make to thee in behalf of this house namely that the eyes of thy favour and providence may be open towards it day and night seeing thou hast said of it that thy name †Deut. 12.11 shall be there call'd upon and worshipped I humbly beseech thee therefore when ever either my self or any of thy people shall pray unto thee in this place or towards it (a) V. 30. Versus hunc locum quasi respiciens ad promissionem praesentiae tuae in hoc loco exemplum in Daniele cap. 6. v. 10. that then thou wouldst please to hear in Heaven thy dwelling place where thy glory is most eminently manifested and when thou hearest be pleased to forgive and pardon our transgressions against thee For there is no comfort in obtaining any other mercy if our sins be not forgiven Particularly I humbly request of thee that if any man be charged that he hath trespassed against his neighbour and he be brought before thine Altar (b) Tacto Altare jurare mos omnium prope Gentium Intrepidi quicunque altaria tangunt Juv. in the Court of this house to clear himself by Oath sufficient proof by witnesses being wanting that thou wouldst please to deal with him according to innocence or guiltiness punishing him if he be faulty and bringing his wicked way upon his own head but justifying and acquitting him if he be innocent Or if thy people be smitten before their enemies in the field because they have sinned against thee and shall turn again to thee and confess thy name to wit thy justice in suffering their enemies to prevail against them and shall acknowledg thy mercy and power and so seek to thee for pardon and help and shall make supplication to thee turning their faces towards this house then hear thou in heaven and forgive their sin and bring them again into the land which thou gavest to their fathers Or when the heaven is shut up and there is no rain because thy people have sinned against thee if they shall pray towards this place and confess thy justice in punishing of them and turn from their sin then hear thou in heaven and forgive their sin and teach them the good way (c) V. 36. Et ostende eis viam bonam wherein they should walk and then give rain upon the land which thou hast given thy people for an inheritance Or if any of these great judgments fall upon the land to wit famine pestilence and blasting or if there be any plague or sickness upon thy people what prayer and supplication shall be made by any man singly or by all thy people jointly who shall know every man the plague (d) 2 Chron. 6.29 When every one shall know his own sore and his own grief Grief is put for that which should cause grief viz. Sin of his own heart to wit the sins for which he is punished and shall spread forth his hands towards this house then hear thou in heaven and forgive and do what in thy infinite wisdom seemeth good and give to every man according to his ways not his former sins but his present repentance whose heart thou seest to be sincere and upright For thou and thou only O Lord knowest the hearts of all the children of men And I humbly beseech thee to deal thus mercifully with thy people that they may fear thee and walk in thy ways all the days of their lives Moreover if a stranger that is not of thy people Israel who hears of thy wondrous works and righteous Laws and this holy house shall come from his own Countrey to testifie his high esteem of thy great name and to worship and praise thee and shall pray towards this house (a) Or in this house viz. in the Court of the Gentiles then hear thou in heaven and grant all that he shall pray unto thee for which is agreeable to thy holy will that all the people of the earth may know thy name and learn to fear thee as do thy people Israel and that they may know that thy name is called upon in this house that I have built to wit that it is call'd the Temple of the Lord and the house of God and is so in reality by thy hearing the prayers that are here made unto thee Furthermore if thy people shall go out to battel against their enemies and shall pray unto thee and seek thy favour and help in that enterprize looking towards this City and this house which I have built for thy great name then hear thou in heaven their prayer and supplication and maintain their just and righteous cause by giving them good success But if they by their sins provoke thee for there is no man that sinneth not so that thou givest them up into the hands of their enemies and they carry them away captive either further off or nearer hand however if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive and shall repent and make supplication to thee saying we have sinned and done perversly we have committed wickedness and so shall return unto thee with all their heart and all their soul and shall pray unto thee looking towards this land this City and this house then hear thou in heaven their prayer and supplication and maintain their cause taking part with thy people that repent and pray unto thee against the unjust oppression of their enemies and then turn thou O Lord the hearts of their enemies towards them that they may have pity and compassion on them For remember O Lord they are thy people and thine inheritance (b) This people were to God as a mans inheritance is to him which he hath bought and made his own for ever See Dâ—ut 32.9 which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt even out of an iron furnace (c) Deut. 4.20 And furthermore let the eyes (d) 2 Chron. 6.40 of thy favour be upon me thy poor servant
Joram to fly drew a bow with his full strength and smote him in the back between his shoulders and the arrow went out at his heart and he sank down in his Chariot and died Jehu â—hen call'd to Bidkar his Captain to take and cast his body in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite for remember says he when thou and I being Commanders under his Father and following him as his attendants at that time when he took possession of Naboths vineyard * Which was the day after his death heard this dreadful judgment (c) The Lord laid this burden on him v. 25. Onus Vocat Prophetiam gravem onerosam denounced against him by Elijah from the Lord Surely I have seen the blood of Naboth and the blood of his Sons who it seems were put to death with him that none of them might afterwards challenge the inheritance †Filii ejus contra legem Deut. 24. una interfecti erant licet nulla hujus caedis mentio facta est 1 Reg. 21.13 Sic multa a sacâ—is historicis omissa videmus que ab aliis per occasionem dicta sunt Sanctius and I will requite thee in this plat now therefore cast him into that portion of ground according to the word of the Lord that the dogs may lick his blood see 1 King 21.19 When Ahaziah King of Judah saw this he fled but they pursuing him first wounded him and afterwards killed him in Megiddo as may be seen more fully in his life Then Jehu march'd into Jezreel and Jezebel hearing of his coming painted her face and tired her head thinking possibly by her Majestick bravery to daunt him and looking out of the window when Jehu entred the Gate of her Palace she cried out Had Zimri peace who slew his Master see 1 King 16.10 as if she should have said Remember what he did and fear the like event Jehu looking up to the window askt who is there on my side who Two or three Eunuchs (a) Such were Chamberlains of Queens and Princesses for the most part in those times attendants on the Queen looking out he call'd to them to throw her down which they God so working upon their hearts and possibly fearing Jehu immediately did And he and his followers trod her under their horses feet and so pash'd her to pieces that some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses Jehu having done this great work and having taken much pains in this expedition from Ramoth to Jezreel and seeing all was quiet in the City and that none oppos'd him he went now to refresh himself After a little time he bad some about him to go look after the body of that cursed woman Jezebel and to take it up and bury it for says he she was a Kings daughter viz. the King of Zidon's This order 't is like he gave on the sudden not remembring the Prophecy of Elijah nor what the Prophet that anointed him said unto him ver 10. but they bringing him back word that the dogs had eaten all but her scull and feet and the palms of her hands then he said this is the word of the Lord which he spake by Elijah saying Near * â— Reg. 21.23 In pro juxta In eo territorio in quo injuste damnatus est Naboth the portion of Naboth in Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel and so much of her body as is left by the dogs shall be as dung upon the face of the field and shall lye and rot in the open air so that none shall be able to say of it this is Jezebel 2 King 8.28 29. 2 King 9. wh Ch. JEHV being thus come to the Crown The 10th King of Israel JEHU and having already executed his Commission on Jehoram Ahaziah and Jezebel he now proceeds on to root out the house of Ahab It seems Ahab had many Sons born to him of several wives and many grand-children in all about seventy who were bred up under several great men and some of them Rulers in Jezreel who upon these distractions fled with them to Samaria a well fortified City to secure them there Jehu understanding this wrote a Letter to those who had the tuition of these children and to the Elders of Samaria which spake after this manner Seeing your Masters Sons are with you and there are with you chariots and horses and you are in a fenced City and have arms look out therefore the best and meetest of your Masters Sons and set him on his Fathers Throne and fight for your Masters house This he wrote in an Ironical way but gave them thereby an intimation that if they stood out against him or offered to oppose him he doubted not but he should easily subdue them And indeed the Lord having appointed him to destroy the whole stock of Ahab did in order thereÌ„unto put such a fear into the hearts of these Rulers that they said among themselves Behold two Kings could not stand before him how then shall we be able to deal with him Hereupon he that was chief over all those that appertained to Ahabs house and the chief Magistrate of Samaria and the Senators of the City and the Governours of the Kings childreâ— returned this tame answer to Jehu we are thy servants and will do whatever thou commandest us they interpose no such condition as this if the thing be honest and just or the like so slavish does fear make men we will make no King nor set up any to oppose thee thou maist do what thou pleasest as for us we are ready to obey thee in every thing Jehu then wrote another Letter wherein he told them that if they were his servants in reality and would be obedient to him as they professed then he required them forthwith to cut off the heads of those seventy Sons and Grandchildren of Ahab and to bring them to him to Jezreel the next day This was indeed a very severe command and 't is strange they did not utterly refuse to obey it but they â—â—garding more their own safety then either humanity or the charge and trust committed to them without any more ado complied with it and cutting off the heads of these young Princes put them in baskets and sent them to Jezreel and followed after them themselves When they were come thither a messenger acquainted Jehu that these Rulers of Samaria had brought the heads of the Kings Sons unto him according to his command It being as it seems late Jehu ordered that they should be laid in two heaps at the entring of the Gate till the morning certainly a most sad and ruful spectacle it was to see so many young Princes heads lying on heaps together but this seems so ordered by Providence that all the people might see the dreadful judgment of God upon the house of Ahab for his cruelty and Idolatry and might be deterred from going on in it In the morning Jehu went out
Lord is with you while ye be with him and that while you walk in his ways he will not fail to bless you If ye seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you You may see a clear instance of this in the Kingdom of Israel who for above thirty years last past namely since their revolt under Jeroboam have lived without the publick pure worship of God not having his Priests to instruct them nor regarding his Law to direct them but if they would repent and return to God undoubtedly he would be ready to receive them into his favour again For in former times viz. the times of the Judges when the Israelites were in great trouble and under sore oppressions so that there was no peace to him that went out or came in but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of those Countries and Nation was destroyed of Nation and City of City God vexing them with sore adversity yet even then when they did seek to the Lord and turn'd unto him he had mercy upon them and did afford them help and deliverance And so if the ten Tribes that have thus forsaken the Lord would turn to him he would surely have mercy upon them But whatever they do let me advise thee O King and thy subjects to go on courageously with the work of reformation begun by you and assure your selves that God will still be with you to bless you whilst you are for him When Asa heard these words together with the Prophesie of Oded the Father of this Azariah which it seems he declared unto him at this time and added it to his own exhortation Asa took courage and made a more diligent search throughout all his Kingdom and put away the remaining Idols that were found among them and that not only out of the land of Judah and Benjamin but out of the Cities which either his Father Abijam or he himself had taken about Mount Ephraim See 2 Chron. 13.19 17.2 And he renewed and repaired the Altar of the Lord that Solomon had built in the Priests Court which now by continual use was something decayed and he summoned all Judah and Benjamin and such of the ten Tribes as were within his Dominions for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance when they saw that the Lord so eminently blessed him and on the third month in the fifteenth year of his reign which was the 35th * For Rehoboam reigned 17 years Abijah 3 Asa 15 at this present since the Kingdom of Judah and Israel were divided 2 Chron. 15.19 he and his people offered unto the Lord of the spoils they had gotten seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep and entred into a Covenant to seek the Lord God of their Fathers with all their heart and all their soul and that whosoever should worship any false Gods either publickly or privately should be put to death according to the Law Deut. 17.2 c. And they sware unto the Lord with a loud voice and with shouting and with Trumpets and Cornets sounding And all Judah rejoiced at the Oath for they had sworn with all their heart and sought the Lord with their whole soul and he was found of them and heard their prayers and granted their desires accepted what they did and prospered their endeavours and he gave them rest round about There had been no war betwixt Israel and Judah in Asa's time till the 15th year of his reign * 2 Chron. 15.19 for There was no more war read there had been no war viz. betwixt Israel and Judah till the 15th year of Asa Bellum enim non fuerat usque ad annum trigessimum quintum regni Asae Tremel But now about the sixteenth year of Asa and 36th since the division of the Kingdoms Baasha King of Israel perceiving how potent Asa began to be and how fast the Israelites revolted to him and how they had all entred into a Covenant to serve the Lord he began to arm against them in the fourteenth year of his reign and from this time there was war between Baasha and Asa all their days 1 King 15.16 And Baasha having gotten Ramah which was one of the Cities of Benjamin from the King of Judah fearing the greatness of Asa and the revolt of the Israelites to him he resolved to fortifie it and put a Garrison into it that he might keep his own people from flying to him Asa to divert him from building and fortifying of Ramah takes out the silver and gold that were in the Treasures of the Temple and the Kings house and sent them to Benhadad King of Syria to hire him to break his League with Baasha King of Israel He represents to him that there was a League between Benhadad and him as there had been between their Fathers he desir'd him therefore to break the League he had with the King of Israel and to invade his Country that he might depart from him for he was come down to his very borders Doubtless for Asa to be so much afraid of the Israelites and to rob the Temple and therewith to hire an Infidel to break his Covenant with them and to make war upon them and that soon after God had given him so great a victory over that vast host of the Ethiopians Lubims Arabians and Philistines and had manifested so great a readiness to help him was a great sin Benhadad accordingly having received this present not regarding his faith or league made with the Israelites forthwith invaded and took many of their Cities Baasha upon this left off fortifying Ramah and went against Benhadad to defend his own Country †And afterwards when he had secured his own land he went and dwelt at Tirzah In the mean time Asa by Proclamation gathered together all that were able in Judah to go up to Ramah to demolish it and the men of Judah and Benjamin went up thither and fetched away the timber and stones that Baasha had provided to build and fortifie it with and Asa built therewith Geba and Mizpah * See Jer. 41.9 where we read of a pit that Asa had in Mizpah that continued unto the Captivity two Cities in the Tribe of Benjamin Hanani the Seer father of the Prophet Jehu 1 King 16. came hereupon to Asa and said to him Thou hast done ill to distrust the Lord and to relye on the King of Syria to deliver thee from Baasha For hadst thou suffered Benhadad to continue firm to his league with Baasha they both would have invaded thy land and thou shouldst have overcome them both as thou didst the great Army of the Ethiopians whereas now by making an agreement with Benhadad thou hast cut off that advantage from thy self and so his host is escaped out of thy hands Thou maist remember how God gave thee victory over that vast Army of the Ethiopians because thou didst relye on him For the eyes of the Lord
and the shew-bread-table with the utensils belonging to it Moreover say they all the holy vessels which Ahaz in his transgression did cut in pieces and cast away we have repaired and renewed and fitted and sanctified for the holy use to which they were appointed Behold they are before the Altar of the Lord and ready to be set in their proper places 2 Chron. 29. from v. 12 to 20. The next morning King Hezekiah called together all the Rulers of the City and went up with them to the house of the Lord where he together with the people by the Ministry of the Priests and Levites offered seven Bullocks seven Rams seven Lambs and seven He-goats as a sin-offering upon the Altar of the Lord to make atonement 1. For the King his counsellors and officers and family 2. For the sins and abominations that were committed in the Temple by Idolatry and false worship 3. For the sins of Judah that is of the whole people And the Priests killed the Bullocks and Rams and sprinkled the blood on the Altar and they brought forth the he-goats before the King and all the congregation and they laid their hands on them thereby acknowledging their sins and that this sacrifice was offer'd up in their stead and the Priests killed them and made reconciliation for the people with their blood For the King commanded that the burnt-offering and the sin-offering should be offered for the whole people that atonement might be made for all that the plaister might be as large as the sore And he took care also to have the praises of the Lord solemnly sung by the Levite-singers and that they should be ready with their Cymbals Psalteries and Harps to do it as David Gad and Nathan being all inspired by God had directed The Levites therefore standing ready with their instruments and the Priests with their Trumpets when the burnt-offering began to be offered then the Song of the Lord began to be sung viz. the 136 Psalm the Trumpets sounding and the Levites singing and playing on their instruments the more to excite their spirits and all this continued till the burnt-offering was offered and then the King and all the people bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord. And the King and his Nobles commanded the Levites that they should sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David and Asaph the Seer which accordingly they did with great gladness of heart bowing also their heads and worshipping Then the King spake to the Priests saying Ye have now consecrated your selves as it were a new to the Lord therefore approach his Altar and bring in the sacrifices and thank-offerings which the people shall be willing to offer The whole congregation being much wrought upon by the Kings words presented their sacrifices and thank-offerings very freely and those that were of a more free and forward spirit offered whole burnt-offerings wherein there was more respect manifested to God than in other sacrifices for in these the offerers themselves had a part but in the other all was consumed on the Altar and yet the number of these burnt-offerings that were now offered was very great viz. seventy bullocks and an hundred rams and two hundred lambs But the other sacrifices of several sorts that were offered viz. peace-offerings and free-will offerings were very numerous viz. six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep But the Priests were too few to slay all the burnt-offerings therefore the Levites did help them * This they did in this particular case it was not their ordinary work till the work was ended and till other Priests had sanctified themselves For the Levites were more forward to sanctifie themselves than the Priests and so there were more of them at this present sanctified than of the Priests Besides the burnt-offerings were very many and the fat of the peace-offerings was to be pulled off and burnt upon the Altar and drink-offerings to be added to every burnt-offering all which required much work which those few Priests were not able to perform at this time Thus the service of the house of the Lord was set in order by good Hezekiah And the King rejoiced and all that were truly pious with him that the Lord had put such a good inclination and zeal into the hearts of the people whereby they were so willing and so readily inclined to this work of reformation And it was evident that the thing was of God because it was done sooner and with more speed than could reasonably have been expected considering how much before under Ahaz they had been corrupted with Idolatry And to have their hearts so soon and so wonderfully changed was an extraordinary work of the Spirit of God 2 Chron. 29. wh Ch. Hezekiah now resolves to have the Passover solemnly celebrated but it could not be kept at the time appointed viz. on the 14th day of the first Month because the purgation of the Temple was not finished until the 16th day of that month neither had the Priests sanctified themselves sufficiently neither were all the males gathered together to Jerusalem according to the Law as they ought to be at that great Festival therefore the King Priests and representative body of the people appointed to keep the Passover on the 14 day of the second month and in order hereunto the King sent to Judah and Benjamin and to all the Israelites that had join'd themselves to them and sent Letters also to the remainder of the ten Tribes that were not carried away by Tiglath-pilesar King of Assyria as many of their brethren were See 2 King 15.29 even to all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba inviting them to come to the house of the Lord to keep the Passover For they had not done it of a long while in such sort as was prescribed So the Posts went out with Letters from the King and his Princes inviting the Israelites to come and keep this solemn Festival at Jerusalem His Letters ran thus Ye children of Israel I exhort you to turn again unto the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and he will return in grace and mercy to the remnant of you that are escaped out of the hand of Pul and Tiglath-pilesar Kings of Assyria 2 King 15.29 1 Chron. 5.26 And be not like your Fathers and your brethren which trespassed against the Lord who therefore gave them up to desolation as you see at this day Neither be ye stiff-necked as your Fathers were but yield your selves unto the Lord and willingly give up your selves in obedience unto him and enter into his Sanctuary and Temple which he hath consecrated to himself for a place of workship even as long as it shall stand and there appear before him viz. in the Court of the people and serve the Lord your God that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you For if you turn again unto the Lord your brethren and your children that are led away captive shall find compassion from
residul exulibus insultabant tolerantia Dei abutebantur magis obdurescebant that should be valued the other as refuse that should be cast away intimating that those that went into captivity should be brought back again and established in their own possessessions and that the Lord would give them an heart to know him and to turn to him But as for those that remained in the land viz. Zedekiah his Princes and people he threatens them with exile ignominy and scorn and destruction by sword famine and pestilence Jer. 24. wh Ch. In the beginning also of Zedekiah's reign the Prophesie concerning the Elamites or Persians viz. both of their fall and rising again was uttered by the Prophet Ieremy Ier. 49. from v. 34 to the end For Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Astyages the whole Province of Elamais with the City Susa the Metropolis thereof which was seated upon the river Vlai and annexed it to the Empire of the Chaldeans as we may see from Ier. 25.25 compared with Dan. 8.1 2. But afterwards those Elamites combining with the Medes against the Babylonians see Isa 21.2 when Belshazzar was destroyed recovered their State again under Cyrus and their chief City Susa was made by him the seat of the Persian Empire as Strabo in his fifteenth Book declareth Ambassadours now come in the first year of Zedekiah but the fourth after the Sabbatical course or seventh years rest Ier. 28.1 from the several Kings of Edom Moab Ammon Tyre and Sidon to Ierusalem to visit the new King Zedekiah and to perswade him to revolt from the King of Babylon but God appoints Ieremy to deliver to every one of them bonds and yokes to be presented to their several Masters commanding them withal to submit themselves to Nebuchadnezzar and not to give ear any longer to their wizards and stargazers their diviners and dreamers who advised them to the contrary and Prophesied a lye to them in the name of the Lord though he sent them not He advises also Zedekiah to be faithful and to hold himself fast and firm to the King of Babylon and not to believe false Prophets and lastly both by threats and promises he perswades all sorts of people to submit unto and obey the King of Babylon Jer. 27. the whole Chapter In the fifth month of the same year Hananiah a false Prophet Prophesieth other manner of things viz. that the power of the King of Babylon should be broken and declares that at the end of two years all the vessels and furniture of the Lords house and Ieconiah and all the people that were carried away captive to Babylon should return and be brought home again And when Ieremy gainsaid him he took a yoke of wood which he had put about his own neck and brake it saying Thus shall the Lord break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar within two years from off the neck of all Nations which he hath brought under his power Ieremy says Amen to this Prophesie wishing from his heart it might prove true but intimates that he vehemently suspected it of falshood and refers it to the event For he shews that Prophets are to be judged whether they are true or false by the event of their Prophesies But the word of the Lord coming anew to Ieremy he declares that God instead of that wooden yoke would put an iron one upon the neck of all those Nations under which they should bow and serve the King of Babylon and to assure the people that Hananiah had prophesied falsely and had made them trust in a lye he foretelleth that he shall die that very year because he had taught rebellion against the Lord that is had encouraged the people to rebell against the admonitions given them by his Prophets and accordingly so it came to pass in the seventh month of that year Ier. 28. whole Chapter Zedekiah now sends Ambassadors to Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon and by them Ieremy sent a Letter to the Elders Priests and Prophets and the rest of the people who had been carried away captive in which he instructs them how to demean themselves in that condition of their captivity viz. that they should build themselves houses and plant gardens and marry wives and give wives to their sons that they might increase and multiply there and advises them that they should seek the peace of the City Babylon whither they were carried captive and pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof they should have peace Then he comforts them with promises of deliverance at the expiration of seventy years then the Lord would perform his good word towards them in causing them to return He foretels them of the grand calamities that would befall Zedekiah and those Iews that were left behind and of the miserable end that Ahab and Zedekiah two false Prophets among them should come unto he shews that for their Prophesying lyes and for their adulteries with their neighbours wives they should fall into the King of Babylons hands and he should rost them with fire and their names and memories should be used afterwards in forms of execration and cursing viz. people should say when they curs'd a man The Lord make thee like Ahab and Zedekiah whom the King of Babylon rosted in the fire Jer. 29. from 1 to 24. Shemaiah another false Prophet among the captives in Babylon sent a Letter as it seems by Zedekiah's Ambassadors when they returned unto Zephaniah who was the second chief Priest 2 King 25.18 and the rest of the Priests at Ierusalem bitterly inveighing against what Ieremy had written to them He sets before Zephaniah the duty of his place which was to punish every man that of his own head made himself a Prophet but was indeed none intimating that Ieremy was such a kind of person The Lord says he hath made thee Priest instead of Iehoiada c. that thou shouldst put in prison and in the stocks every man that is mad or a Fanatick and maketh himself a Prophet c. He reprehends him for not using Ieremiah after that manner Why hast thou not reproved Ieremiah says he who maketh himself a Prophet to you but is none He hath written to us to build houses and plant gardens and marry wives intimating that our captivity will be long and thereby thou maist see what manner of Prophet he is Zephaniah reading this Letter to Jeremy he presently denounced a heavy judgment from the Lord upon Shemaiah saying Thus saith the Lord Behold I will punish Shemaiah and his seed he shall not have a man to dwell among this people neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people because he hath taught rebellion against the Lord Jer. 29.32 Whereby the Prophet intimates that neither he nor his posterity should live to see the promis'd deliverance And at this time as it seems were given to Jeremy those other notable Prophesies contained in the two next Chapters which he is commanded to write in a Book that they
done the Prophet humbly prays unto God expressing a great admiration of his Majesty and works and representeth unto him the great conflict he had in his spirit for this thing Whereupon God assureth him he will indeed first punish his people for their great sins but afterwards perform his promise of their return and moreover will bestow on his Church the grace of the new Covenant He will give them one heart and one way that they may fear him all their days for the good of themselves and their children after them Jer. 32. During his imprisonment the Prophet hath another promise made to him of their return from their captivity also of the blessed joyful and quiet state they should be in under Christ the branch of righteousness whose name is The Lord our Righteousness whose Priesthood and Kingdom should be continued and his seed be blessed Jer. Ch. 23. Ch. 32. Ch. 33. Zedekiah being now besieged in Jerusalem Pharaoh Hophra King of Egypt came with an army to relieve him The Babylonians thereupon raise their siege and go out to meet the Egyptians Jeremy upon the raising of the siege being set at liberty Zedekiah sent messengers to him to desire him to pray for them and to intercede with the Lord for their deliverance from their enemies But the Prophet returned him answer that those succours out of Egypt should return into Egypt again and that the Chaldeans should return to Jerusalem and take the City and burn it with fire Jer. Ch. 37. from 1 to 11. The men of Jerusalem seeing the siege raised presently took back their Hebrew servants again whom they had formerly set at liberty according to the Law and made them serve as before contrary to their Covenant for which as for an impious act Jeremy reproves them and to requite them according to their doings he from the Lord proclaims a liberty to the Sword Pestilence and Famine to destroy them telling them withal that the Chaldeans should come again to the siege and should take their City and utterly demolish it Jer. 34. from 11 to the end Whilst the Chaldeans who had raised their siege were gone to encounter the Egyptian army Jeremy intended to go out of the City to save himself knowing the City would be taken But Irijah a Captain took him and brought him before the Princes and charged him that he intended to go to the Chaldeans They being highly enraged at him smote him and put him into the dungeon that was in the prison in the house of Jonathan the Scribe and there he lay many days Jer. Ch. 37. from 11 to 17. Nebuchadnezzar at his going out against the Egyptian army took eight hundred thirty two men which had fled out of Jerusalem to him for safety and sent them all away to Babylon Jer. Ch. 52. v. 29. In the tenth year of the Captivity of Jeconiah on the twelfth day of the tenth month Ezekiel uttered his Prophesie against Pharaoh and all Egypt declaring that he should prove but a staff of reed to the house of Israel and that Pharaoh should have an overthrow given him in the desert of Lybia and that Egypt should be miserably wasted by the Babylonians and that that desolation should last forty years Ezek. 29. from 1 to 17. Nebuchadnezzar having routed the Egyptian army returned and laid siege again to Jerusalem The Prophet Jeremy having remained in the dungeon many days the King sent and took him out and askt him privately whither he had any word of Prophesie from the Lord he tells him he had and it was this that he must be delivered up into the hands of the King of Babylon Moreover Jeremy said unto the King Wherein have I offended against thee or against thy servants or against this people that ye have put me in prison where are now your Prophets which prophesied unto you saying the King of Babylon shall not come against you nor against this land Therefore hear now I pray thee O my Lord the King let my supplication be accepted before thee that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the Scribe lest I die there Then Zedekiah the King commanded that they should commit Jeremiah unto the Court of the prison and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the Bakers street until all the bread of the City were spent and so Jeremiah remained in the Court of the Prison Jer. 37. from 16 to the end The siege continuing Zedekiah sent again to Jeremy but he returning the same answer viz. that both King and people must fall into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and that they that would stay in the City should perish either by famine sword or pestilence but they that would go out should have their lives saved The Princes were so exceedingly enraged against him for this answer that they desired of the King that he might be put to death looking upon him as a person that weakned the hands and hearts of the people and the King leaving it to them they cast Jeremy into Malchias dungeon which was in the Court of the prison into which being let down by cords his feet sank in the mire when he came to the ground from which lothsome dungeon he was delivered by the intercession and help of Ebedmelech one of the Kings Eunuchs and put again into the Court of the prison Jer. 21. whole Chapter Jer. 38. from 1 to 14. Zedekiah sends for Jeremy once more and in the principal entry of the Lords house privately consults him The Prophet expressing his fear that the King would kill him or give him into the hands of those men that sought his life if he dealt faithfully with him The King thereupon sware to him saying as the Lord liveth who made us this soul no such thing shall happen to thee whereupon he counselled the King by yielding himself to save his life The King having commanded the Prophet to conceal what passed between them from the Princes he departed and Jeremy continued in the Court of the prison to the day the City was taken Jer. 38. from 14 to the end Jeremy remaining thus in the Court of the prison he assures Ebedmelech who had been so kind to him from the Lord that he should be free from all danger and harm in that approaching calamity because he had put his trust in the Lord. Jer. 39. from 15 to the end In the eleventh year of the Captivity of Jeconiah the first month God by Ezekiel foretels the calamity of the City of Tyre which much rejoiced at the miseries the Jews were fallen into by the Babylonians that she also should fall by the same hand And he foretels also that the like misery should befall the Sidonians their neighbours to the glory of God and comfort of the Church At that time it seems the fame of Daniel's wisdom was grown so great even in foreign Nations that they used to say by way of Proverb As wise as Daniel
together with all his allies and friends to make war upon the Grecians according to the Prophesie of Daniel Ch. 11.2 And now will I shew thee the truth behold there shall stand up yet three Kings in Persia and the fourth shall be far richer than they all and by his strength through his richer he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia Zerxes Zerxes having reigned twelve years was slain by Artabanus Captain of his Guard and immediately after Darius his eldest Son was dispatched also and so the Kingdom came to Artaxerxes Artaxerxes his second Son called Longimanus In the seventh year of Artaxerxes Ezra the Priest the Grandchild of Seraiah being a Scribe (a) As among the Grecians their wise and learned men were called Philosophers and among the Chald ans Magi so among the Jews their great Doctors were called Scribes that is an acute learned and ready expounder of the Law and one that had prepared his heart to understand it and to yield obedience to it and to instruct the people in the knowledg thereof obtained a large Patent * Ch. 7. v 6. 't is said The King granted him all his request according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him that is according as the Lord favoured and prospered him from the King and his seven Counsellors impowering him to go to Jerusalem and to reform things that were amiss there which Patent ran thus Artaxerxes King of Kings unto Ezra the Priest a Scribe of the Law of the God of Heaven perfect peace I make a decree that all those of the people of Israel whether Priests Levites or others scattered up and down in my dominions if they are willing to it may go up with thee to Jerusalem For thou art sent of the King and his seven Counsellors to make inquiry whither all things be done in Judah and Jerusalem according to the rule and direction of Gods Law wherein thou art very skilful and which thou hast always before thee and to carry the silver and the gold which the King and his Counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel whose habitation is in Jerusalem as also all the silver and gold that thou findest hath been collected or thou thy self canst collect in all the Province of Babylon with all the free-will offerings that either Priests or people of the Jewish Nation shall offer for the service of the house of the Lord. And thou hast liberty with this money to buy bullocks rams or lambs and to offer them with their meat-offerings and drink-offerings upon the altar at Jerusalem And as for the rest of the money thou and thy brethren the Priests may dispose of it as you think most agreeable to the will of your God And the vessels that are given thee and intrusted to thee for the service of the house of thy God those deliver thou faithfully at the Temple where God most eminently manifests his presence And whatever more money shall be needful to be laid out for the service of the house of thy God shall be allowed thee out of my Exchequer (b) What King of Israel could have manifested more respect to the house of God And I command all the Receivers of my Tribute customs and taxes beyond the river that whatever Ezra the Priest shall have need of in order hereunto they speedily furnish him with it even to an hundred Talents of silver (c) That is 37 thousand five hundred pound sterling See 1 Chron. 22.14 and to an hundred measures (d) That is an 100 Cors a Cor was about ten bushels that is a thousand bushels of wheat of wheat and to an hundred baths (e) A Bath contained eight Gallons that is eight hundred Gallons of wine and for salt (f) Because they us'd much salt in their sacrifices to give them whatever they need And whatever is agreeable to the command of the God of Heaven let it be carefully done for his house For if we should do otherwise we may bring the wrath (g) This King stood more in fear of Gods wrath than many Kings do of God upon the realm and upon me and my children Further we declare it to be our will and pleasure that no tribute toll or custom shall be impos'd on any of the Priests Levites Singers Porters Nethinims or other Minesters of the house of God And thou Ezra according to the wisdom which God hath given thee and agreeably to his word which is in thy hand set such Magistrates and Judges over the people as know and understand the Laws of God and take care to have the ignorant instructed in those Laws And whoever will not obey the Law of God and the Law of the King let judgment be executed speedily upon him either by death or banishment or confiscation of his goods or imprisonment according to the merit of his offence This was the purport of the Kings Patent which was in the Chaldee Dialect the History following is in the Hebrew Ezra having received this large Patent or Commission he falls into admiration of Gods gracious providence to him therein and crys out Blessed be the Lord God of our Fathers who hath put such a thing as this into the Kings heart and the hearts of his Counsellors and great Princes to shew us favour and kindness Hereupon he took courage perceiving how the Lord was with him and gathered together many of the chief men among the Jews to go up with him to Jerusalem Ezra 7. whole Chapter In the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes the first day of the first month * See Ezra Ch. 7. v. 7 9. Ezra with a great number of Jews set out from Babylon to go to Jerusalem The numbers mentioned in the eighth Chapter besides such as are expressed by name make one thousand four hundred ninety and six males besides women The place appointed for their general rendezvouz from all parts was by the river Ahava and here they abode in tents three days waiting to see whither any more of their Brethren would come thither to them And when Ezra had viewed the whole number he found no Levites among them which much troubled him for he found he had special need of them for the instructing of the people in the Law of God and the reforming of those things that were amiss at Jerusalem according to the rule and direction of the word of God Hereupon he sent eleven chosen men to a place called Casiphia where he knew there lived many Levites with Iddo their chief Doctor and President He sent therefore these men to desire Iddo that he would send him some Levites to go up with him to Jerusalem that might assist him in that great work he had now undertaken Iddo accordingly sent them 38 Levites and 220 Nethinims for the service of the Levites Joshua did first appoint them to this service but David and the Princes in his time did confirm them
in execution he tells him there were a certain people scattered * For though some were returned out of captivity into the land of Judah yet many of them especially of the Ten Tribes did remain dispersed here and there not embracing the liberty proffered them up and down his dominions whose laws were diverse from the laws of his Kingdom and who observ'd not his laws 'T is true in matters of divine worship they did not observe them nor could they do it with a good conscience but otherwise they did observe the laws of the land as which concerned the peace and tranquility thereof See Jer. 29.7 Haman further suggests that it was not for the Kings profit to suffer those Jews to live among his own subjects lest they should draw them from their obedience to him Therefore he intreats the King that his subjects among whom the Jews lived might fall upon them and destroy them And whereas it might be objected that the Jews paid a great tribute which the King would lose if they were destroyed therefore in recompence of that loss he proffers to pay ten thousand talents of silver himself into the hands of the Kings receivers Haman had at this time such an ascendent over the King being his chief favourite that he took off his ring from his hand and gave it unto him therewith impowering him to seal what decree he thought fit to make touching this matter and as for the money he proffered the King bad him keep it to himself telling him that that sum was freely given to him and the people of the Jews also to do with them what seemed good unto him 'T is like the King did not yet understand that his Queen was of the Jewish Nation for that Mordecai advised her to conceal So on the 13th day of the first month the Kings Secretaries were called and the decree concerning the destruction of the Jews was written and sealed and Haman took care to have it presently published and sent to all the Lord Lieutenants and Governours of Provinces authorizing them that they should destroy and kill all the Jews both young and old little children and women in one day viz. the 13th of the last or twelfth month and to take the spoil of them to themselves for a prey And 't is like Haman did expedite the sending out of this decree lest the King by the counsel of others or from some relenting in himself or by some means or other should alter his mind The bloody decree being sent forth the King and Haman sit down to drink so far were they from any remorse or touch of conscience for what they had done but the inhabitants of the City of Shushan were greatly perplexed at it Chap. 3. whole Chapter Mordecai understanding what was done rent his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes on his head and went into the midst of the City and cried with a loud and bitter cry and in this mournful posture came before the Kings Gate for into it clothed with sackcloth he might not enter the Persian Kings not allowing their Court-pleasures to be interrupted with any thing that had an appearance of sorrow or sadness And in every Province where the decree came there was great mourning among the Jews and fasting weeping and wailing and many lay in sackcloth and ashes Queen Esther understanding the great mourning of Mordecai and his being in sackcloth was much surprized at it and sent to know the reason of it and withal sent him new raiment to cloth him but that raiment being unsuitable to his present condition he would not receive it Mordecai coming to her informed her what Haman had done and what a sum of money he had proffered to the King for liberty to destroy the Jews and what a decree he had obtained of him for their destruction And soon after he sent her a copy of that bloody decree and charged her to go to the King to make supplication to him for her people He now thought it necessary she should make known to him of what stock and Nation she was though before he thought it not convenient that she should do it The Queen sends him word that he could not be ignorant that whosoever whither man or woman came unto the King into the inner Court where was his apartment without being called for was to be put to death except the King shall of his Royal favour hold out his golden scepter to them And she had not been called to come unto the King these thirty days last past and therefore she did not know whither the Kings affection towards her might not be somewhat abated and if so her going to him uncalled might be very hazardous to her But Mordecai the people of God being in so great danger would accept of no excuse but sent her word that she her self must not think to escape more than the rest of the Jews the Kings house could be no protection to her against this bloody decree and Hamans malice For the decree being general against all the Jews without any exception it might reach her as well as others He further tells her that if she altogether held her peace at such a time as this and would not venture her self when all her people were in such extream danger he doubted not but deliverance would arise to them from another place and some other way but as for her and such of her kindred as were about her he believed they would be destroyed for their faint heartedness and cowardize and not affording what help they could to the people of God in their great extremity And lastly he tells her that she should consider that possibly she came to the Kingdom for such a time as this and that the preservation of Gods people was the end God aimed at in advancing her to be Queen Mordecai's words wrought so powerfully on Esther that she resolved to do what he required yet like a pious and prudent Lady she resolved first to use due means for the obtaining the blessing of God upon her endeavours and to that purpose she sends to all the Jews in Shushan desiring them to keep a solemn fast three days together and neither to eat (a) That is not to take their ordinary repasts but to eat sparingly and to afflict their souls by true repentance and humiliation nor drink night nor day and earnestly to seek to the Lord for her And says she I and my maids (b) 'T is like her maids were Jews or such as she had instructed in the true Religion will fast also and so I will go unto the King though it be not according to law and if I perish I perish (c) That is I will embrace my death quietly and contentedly seeing I could not avoid it without failing in my duty Mordecai and the Jews at Shushan did as Esther desired Esth Ch. 4. whole Chapter This being done Queen Esther on the third day having put on her