curse them viz. those named Num. XXII 41. and chap. XXIII 14. and 28. but those places were not between Shittim and Gilgal but eastward of Shittim to the west of which Gilgal was and if it be said that it is meant that thence he might see their camp as it lay between Shittim and Gilgal it will be again answered that the camp then pitched in the plains of Moab did not reach farther then Shittim nor seems to have been extended farther towards Gilgal Others therefore both Iews and Christians disjoining the words from Shittim unto Gilgal from these and what Balaam answered him and repeating the word remember as again having influence on these thus supply the sense And remember those things which I did for thee in the way from Shittim to Gilgal from Shittim in the plains of Moab cast of Iordan where they sinned in the matter of Peor Num. XXV 3. 18. and deserved all to be cut off had not God been merciful to them unto Gilgal on the other side of Iordan in the promised land At Shittim they abode till after Moses his Death From thence after Moses's Death Iosuah conducted them over Iordan the waters of which were as formerly the waters of the Red Sea under the conduct of Moses miraculously divided to let them pass through as on dry land unto Gilgal where they first incamped in and took firm possession of that promised land which ever since they had enjoy'd and there God renewed his Covenant with them by renewing Circumcision which had been omitted in their journeyings through the wilderness and so rolled away from off them the reproach of Egypt for which cause the place had its name Gilgal which signifieth rolling Ios. V. 9. So that as in the former words they are put in mind of all the great things that God did for them under the conduct of Moses and in his time summed up Ios. XXIV 6. c. so in these of those under the conduct of Ioshuah and after his Death and so in summ of all that he did from his first beginning to redeem them from bondage and bringing them out of Egypt through the Red Sea through the desert and through Iordan till he had setled them in the promised land and so consequently of all that he did afterwards for them there in driving out to their Enemies and setling them in it till this very time wherein they had so far provoked him by their unthankful and rebellious behaviours that he thought of casting them again out of it and threatned by the mouths of this and other Prophets so to do except they should prevent it by serious and speedy repentance and new obedience which all the Prophets calling on them in his name could not perswade them to All these things with the notorious circumstances attending them and variety of transactions whereby God manifested his infinite wisdom power justice mercy and truth in his miraculous preservation of them and destruction of and defeating the counsels of their Enemies in his punishing them sometimes for their rebellions yet in great mercy sparing and preserving the main body of them and not suffering any good promise that he had made to their Fathers to fail till he had fulfilled all do these comprehensive heads of the story expressed put them in mind of There was no need of reciting all particulars they being things that they could not be ignorant of being recorded in the Books of the Law and Ioshuah and by mouth from the Fathers according to God's command all along from the time that they were first done related to them only they laid them not to heart to make that use of them as they ought to have done thence to take occasion of continued thankfulness expressed in faithful adherence and obedience to God so that they might justly be thought and said to have forgotten them and therefore are by a brief mention of these main heads put in mind of them and bid to remember them that so they might know the righteousness of the Lord. Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousnesses a word of latitude according to several Acts in which righteousness shews it self as of giving or doing what is right just uprightness in dealing justice in judgments and in dispensing punishments and rewards mercy and beneficence fidelity and veracity and justness in a cause and to all 't is appliable according as the place where it is used requires and is here therefore differently interpreted by expositors Some his just dealings in all matters betwixt Israel and their Enemies and in what concerned them among themselves according to their different behaviour when they rebelled and when they obeyed when they sinned and when they repented Some the great mercies of the Lord shewed to them and benefits conferred on them Some the faithfulness of the Lord in making good all his promises made to their forefathers notwithstanding all those impediments which stood in their way through the Enemies endeavours and their own rebellions and Sins Whichsoever of these be taken the thing will be true and the word may well be taken in its full latitude as it comprehends all these and ought of like kind for examples of all its meanings and all that it can import will be afforded in the histories pointed out and they will instruct them to know the righteousness of the Lord taken in what sense or notion you will yea though we should not look back on all those passages from Egypt to Gilgal but only on those from Shittim to Gilgal as some seem more particularly to refer these words only to them So the Chaldee paraphrase Have not great things been done for you from the plain of Shittim to the house or place of Gilgal that the righteousness of the Lord might be made known and some Christian interpreters who for making the words as they suppose the plainer though the usual reading seem more plain render thus That thou mayest acknowledge tâ—e righteous dealings of the Lord from Shittim to Gilgal and say c. But though all these may as we said agree to the sense of the words and be looked on as true yet if we look to the words foregoing wherein God saith that he hath a controversie with Israel and calls on them as it were to plead the case and debate the matter with him before witnesses that it may appear on which part the right stood or the fault lay that he hath taken up a quarrel against them it will seem perhaps a closer and more natural way of making the inference or giving the meaning to expound them that ye may know or that it may be known for the word is only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lemaan Daat to know or for knowing without expressing the person the righteousness of the Lord i. e. that the right of the cause is on his side and he is very just in what he doth now in accusing
aim at the same thing though in sound they differ Now the whole of that duty is here comprehended in three parts or summed up under three heads First To do justly Secondly To love mercy Thirdly To walk humbly with God To which will easily be reduced all the commandments of the law those concerning our duty to our neighbour and our behaviour towards him to the two former those concerning our duty to God and our carriage before him to the last To do justly to give to every one whether superiors equals or inferiors their due to do in all things what is equal and right not oppressing any nor defâ—auding them in dealing with them in any kind not to hurt them by word or deed nor injure them in their persons estates or good name or any thing belonging to them It comprehends saith a learned Iew all those commands which are concerning a Mans behaviour or dealing between a Man and his neighbour Another saith that what it imports is justice and equity and implyes the taking away all fraud and injuriousness between Men and likewise comprehends the avoiding such greediness in following the desires or lusts as is hurtful to the Soul and such excess in pursuit even of such things as are needful as is hurtful to the body in as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mishphat Judgment right or just dealing is the bringing of every one that hath right to his right Some Christians so far extend it as to comprehend all that is due from a man to God to men and to himself that in all these he give to each what is his due and right and perform what Justice requires Others restrain it to a mans doing justice or judgment in judging himself impartially for his sins not indulging to them or sparing them for his own sake or the love he hath to them but condemning them in himself and himself for them and so labouring by judging himself by casting away his sins and repenâ—ing of them to prevent that he be not judged of the Lord. In all these waies the word may be perhaps not unfitly applyed and in other like which it may in its latitude comprehend and so as some will have the meaning to be to require obedience to God in all that he requires to be done all his commandments being true just and righteous and the perfect rule of justice But comparing these words with those that follow vers 10 11 12. we may think doing justly to be more particularly here referr'd to what is required in mens dealings between themselves and others or their behaviour in their dealing with them and so are a summing up of the duties of all the Commandments of the second Table containing our duty towards our neighbour and requiring the performance of them according to the rule of justice And if there be ought which the rule of Charity may add in the performing of them above what men willing to do no more then in rigour of justice they may think required of them that is shewed in the next words to be amongst that good which God also requires of them viz. To love mercy not only to give to every one what they might in justice according to mens Laws and known right require but to be kind merciful pittiful exercising all acts of Charity and beneficence which the Letter of the Law would not force them to whereby they might be in any kind helpful to any and remitting of their own right for the good of others not being harsh cruel hard hearted toward them or exacting upon them and this willingly cheerfully and out of choice and without expecting recompense from them as the word Love imports And this also referres to the Commandments of the second Table as the meaning of them is summed up by our Saviour Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Mat. XXII 39. Marke XII 31. agreeable to that comprehensive rule of his All things whatsoever you would that men should do to you do ye even so to them Mat. VII 12. and to that precept of the Apostle To do good and to communicate forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. XIII 16. Such he here requires For the question being put concerning what Sacrifices would be acceptable to God the answer mentioneth not any such as were named as by them intended but shews this to be good and required These two heads seeming thus to refer to and comprehend the duties of the second Table the third comprehends those of the first viz. And to walk humbly with thy God or to humble thy self to walk or in walking with thy God To walk with God is to frame the life and conversation in respect to God or for what concerns a mans behaviour bâ—fore him or towards him in all things that maâ— concern a man betwixt him and God or pertains to his duty towards him so the sense here seems to require that it be understood though elsewhere it may seem to signify to adhere to God and to please him as Gen. V. 24. it is said Enoch walked with God which by the Apostle is interpreted â—e pleased God Hebr. XI 5. In or for such walking it is required of a man that he humble himself This humbling himself or humility is requisite and is to be shewed in his doing in his suffering and in his assent or believing 1 st In doing by his ready taking on him his yoke and submitting to all his Commandments without grudging or resisting contrary to that stiff-neckedness so often complained of in the Jews and not looking on his own performances as profitable to God or deserving ought from him but saâ—ing when he hath done all I am an unprofitable servant I have done what was my duty to do as our Saviour teacheth us to say Luke XVII 10. contrary to pride or confidence in his own doings and requiring an abasement of himself out of consciousness of his own ill deservings and a relyance only on Gods mercy and goodness for acceptance and so working out his Salvation with fear and trembling â—hil II. 12. Secondly in sâ—ffering viz. that he take in good part whatsoever God shall please to lay on him and humble himself in the sight of God James IV. 10. and uâ—der his mighty â—and I. Peter V. 6. and in whatsoever he shall suffer according to the will of God committing the keeping of his Soul to him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator 1 Pet. IV. 19. without grudging and repining against him as if he suffered more then he deserved Thirdly in his assent and believing by not replying in any thing against God Rom. IX 20. nor murmuring nor disputing against any of his commands Phil. II. 14. bâ—t reâ—dily assenting to all that he hath said or required to be believed as undoubtedly true and to what soever he hath commanded as necessary to be obeyed and performed however
by the murdering violently or unjustly putting to death the owners thereof which they did so frequently that blood touched blood Hos. IV. 2. or by money which they took of Murtherers to save them contrary to the law which required life for life blood for blood Others think that the word blood is not necessarily here to be properly taken but more largely as elsewhere for bloody hainous sins of several sorts and Others more particularly for violence fraud and oppression by which the goods which are taken from the poor owners that should thereby sustain the life of themselves and their families were as their blood and the taking them from them as shedding their blood Others refer the word build not to those unjust rulers spoken of but to God the builder of Zion and to be spoken by way of admiration or interrogation to this sense Shall God or shall I as in the person of God build up or establish Zion with blood and Ierusalem with iniquity that is when such sins are committed in it or Did he build Zion with blood or Ierusalem with iniquity And this sense would well agree with what preceeds and follows but the other meaning is more received 11 The heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among us no evill can come upon us The heads thereof judge for reward c. He proceeds to declare the Sins of all sorts of those by whom the People ought to have bin governed and directed in the right way The Heads who were by the law forbidden to take any gift lest they should be perverted according to what is said Exodus XXIII 8. Thou shalt take no gift for the gift blindeth the wise and perverteth the words of the righteous and again to the very same purpose is repeated Deut. XVI 19. do judge for reward and accordingly for gain wrest judgment being guided in their sentence by the bribe they receive and not by the merits of the cause The Priests whose lips should keep knowledge and at whose mouths they should seek the Law as being the messengers of the Lord of Hosts and by him given for teachers and right interpreters of his Law Mal. II. 7. They teach for hire their mouths are opened only to those that will give to them and then will teach them not so much the truth as pleasing things such as they shall desire not what they ought to hear And whereas no Prophet should undertake that function but such as were sent by God and such should impartially deliver his message without respect of persons fear or flattery or any by-ends there were among them many that pretended to be Prophets who divined for money and that they might get thereby vented false visions and feigned messages from God who never sent them See Ezek. XIII 6. c. following the waies of Balaam who lov'd the waies of unrighteousness 2 Pet. II. 15. To any that would believe them and put into their mouths V. 5. and reward them for it they would undertake to foretel such things as should best like and please them and sooth them up in their waies to others the clean contrary in summ all these in that corrupt state so without regard to justice and truth made their gain not Gods glory their end and yet for all this would flatter themselves with vain hope of security and confidence in God and his presence among them He had own'd them for his People chosen Sion for his habitation promised to dwell in the Temple at Ierusalem they had there the Ark of his Covenant and the signs of his Majestatick presence so that they thought him even tied to a perpetual residence among them and so long as he was among them they thought themselves sure that no evil could come upon them he would not cast of his People nor let his City and his Temple be destroyed Such vain confidence in the Lord by them who forsook the Lord and his waies and yet hoped not to be forsaken by him see described likewise Ieremiah VII 4. and 8. c. where he sheweth on what terms only he would continue his presence with them and defend them which conditions seeing these here observe not how vain and groundless their confidence is the issue shall shew and that is in the next words declared 12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field and Ierusalem shall become heaps and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forrest Therefore shall Zion for your sake c. They seem'd to think for Zions sake and Ierusalem's and the house of the Lords sake they should be secure however they behaved themselves but God declareth that on the contrary for their sakes and the evill of their doings whereby they had made those places which should have been kept holy to him a den of Robbers of Murderers Adulterers Idolaters and the like even those places themselves should be given up to utter ruine and destruction his anger toward the People should extend it self even to the place it self which was defiled by them it no longer retaining its holiness then they continued holy For your sake shall Zion be plowed as a field c. These words are cited Ier. XXVI 18. where it is shewed that they were spoken in the daies of King Hezekiah Plowed as a field the buildings thereof being all thrown down it shall be laid plain as a field which shall be plowed or which the Enemy shall plow up that he may leave no sign of a place ever inhabited or a sign that it should never more be inhabited And Ierusalem as an heap of stones the stately buildings thereof being demolished not one stone left in order on another but all thrown down Mat. XXIV 2. and laid in rude heaps And the mountain of the House The mount Moriah on which the glorious Temple stood As the high places of the forrest as hillocks on which trees and weeds should grow as in a wild place not regarded or inhabited by Men but only by wild beasts Hos. II. 12. All these are expressions of utter ruine and desolation The latter words rendred high places of the forrest or of a wood a learned Iew saith may be rendred as high places of the boar of the forrest in reference to what was done to that place by Adrian the Emperour who to make the place more odious to the Iews set up in several places of the City the Images of Hogges and other things detestable to them and he would have this Prophecy to respect what was by the Roman Emperours done when they destroyed Ierusalem when one under Titus who destroy'd it plowed up the ground where it stood in token that none might without the Emperours leave build any more any house there