ei authoritatem coram populo Conciliet and I will be with thee Moses now commands the Priests the Sons of Levi to put this Book of the Law which he had written in some safe Repository or Chest on the outside of the Ark where was the Pot of Manna and Aaron's Rod see Heb. 9.4 Indeed in the Ark it self were only the two Tables 1 Kings 8.9 but on the outside of it and by it was this Volume of the Law to be kept This Book was many years after found in the Treasury of the Temple in Josiah's Reign 2 Kings 22.8 2 Chron. 34.14 and therefore it seems it had been removed from the Ark and kept elsewhere wherein seeing they transgressed the directions that God here gave to the Priests no marvel if this precious Treasure was for some years lost and not looked after Moses having commanded them to place this Book on the outside of the Ark He said to them O Israel if thou art disobedient this Book shall be a witness against thee wherein thou art sufficiently warned to the contrary and shewed the Judgments that will thereupon insue But alas I know thy rebellious Disposition and thy stiff Neck Ye have been rebellious against the Lord while I was with you how much more will ye be so when I am dead Gather therefore unto me all the Elders of your Tribes and your Officers that I may speak unto them and call Heaven and Earth to witness against them For I know that after my death you will corrupt your selves and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you and evil will befal you in the latter days because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord and thereby provoke Him to anger The Elders and Officers of the people being met Moses spake in the ears of all the Congregation of Israel the words of this following Song Ch. XXXII Give Ear O ye Heavens * See Isa 1.2 and I will speak and hear O Earth the words of my mouth He beginneth this Prophetical Song with a Rhetorical Scheme calling the Heavens and Earth and all the Creatures in them to be witnesses of his word the more to affect the hearts of the people to reprove their hardness and to excite their attention I wish says He my Doctrine which I have received from God might so fall upon your hearts as the sweet and gentle Showers and fruitful Dew falleth upon the Herbs and Flowers and Grass of the Earth and causeth them to spring forth and flourish Isa 55.10 Hear therefore for I will now publish unto you the Name of the Lord that is his glorious Excellencies viz. his infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness and therefore see that ye ascribe Greatness and Majesty to Him and that ye magnifie Him as ye ought to do saying Thine O Jehovah is the Greatness and the Power and the Glory 1 Chron. 29.11 and that ye attend to what is spoken with all humility and lay it to heart and yield Obedience thereunto Know ye therefore that God is the Rock * In times of danger men use to fly to Rocks to shelter themselves 1 Sam. 13.6 He is an All-sufficient stable and sure Refuge for all those that fly to Him neither is there any sure Shelter any where else but in Him His Work is perfect for all his ways are Judgment All his Works are perfect (z) Even in those works of God that seem to have some imperfection in them as Children that are born blind or lame c. yet as they are acts of Providence there is a perfection of Wisdom Holiness and Justice in them and there is nothing at all in them for which God can justly be blamed and without any blemish there is no defect or fault to be found in any of them All his ways are Judgment his dealings with his people have been always right and just He is a God of truth and without Iniquity just and right is He. But as for this people they have corrupted themselves by their Idolatry their spot is not the spot of his Children for it proceedeth not of weakness and infirmity to which all are subject but of wilfulness and perverseness and an impenitent heart They are a perverse and crooked Generation for both their hearts and ways are evil and turned aside from the right Rule of Gods Law Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is not God thy Father that made thee Is not He thy Father that hath bought thee that is ransomed and brought thee forth out of Egypt with a mighty Hand and the power of Miracles Hath not He made thee his people and established thee by Covenant to continue so if thou art not wanting to thy self and thy duty Remember the days of old and consider the years of many Generations ask thy Father and he will shew thee thy Elders and they will tell thee how God when by his Providence He disposed the several Nations that came out of the Loins of Adam into several parts of the Earth allotting to one Nation one Country and another to another did then set the bounds of the people according to the number of the Children of Israel that is did then chuse the Children of Israel to be his peculiar people and Inheritance and where they were there it might be said was his people and where their bounds ended there was the end and utmost bound of his people and the bounds of the Heathen then began and according to his secret purpose he gave and allotted to the Canaanites such bounds and limits as he knew would serve for the number of the Israelites For the Lords portion is his people Jacob is the lot of his Inheritance that is the Israelites are that portion of Mankind whom he was pleased to make his peculiar people they are his Inheritance and therefore dear to Him as Inheritances use to be to men which are divided to them by lot and they were to acknowledge no other Lord over them but Himself and they and their Children after them were to be His successively He found them in a desart Land in a wast howling Wilderness inhabited only by wild howling Beasts of Prey He found them there in desperate danger but came in seasonably to their succour when they were ready to perish He led them about he instructed them both by his Word and Works by his Spirit and the several Dispensations of his Providence He kept them as the apple of his eye with tender care and love As an Eagle stirreth up her nest that is awaketh her brood or young ones in her nest rousing them up with the Cry that she maketh to signifie to them that she intends to teach them to fly and spreading abroad her wings taketh them up and beareth them thereon so did the Lord carry Israel towards Canaan leading them Himself thither and there was no strange god with him that is no strange God had any hand in
SECT CXXVIII JOshua being now dead and all that Generation who with Joshua had seen the Wonders God had wrought for them there arose a new Generation who knew not the Lord that is had not such effectual and experimental knowledge of God upon their hearts as the former Generation had Neither had they seen his miraculous Works with their Eyes as their Fathers had done so that now things began to run into Anarchy and Confusion every one doing what seemed good in his own Eyes And then all those Disorders seem to have been committed which are set down in the five last Chapters of this Book As first the Idolatry of Micah a man of Mount Ephraim who made an Idol and set it up in his own House for his own use and possibly for the use of the Neighbourhood It seems Micah's Mother had eleven hundred Shekels of Silver stolen from her and she cursed those who had stolen it and did not restore it Micah having taken it and being touched in conscience for it came to her and said Wretch that I am I had thy Silver and have hitherto detained it but dare no longer lie under a Mothers Curse and therefore am I now come to confess my Sin and restore again the money to thee His Mother answered Blessed be thou of the Lord my Son that is free be thou from my Curse and maist thou be blessed of the Lord because thou hast repented of this Fact and dost so ingenuously offer to restore what thou unadvisedly tookest from me She tells him She had wholly dedicated this Silver to the Lord to make a graven Image (a) Erat haec mulier cultrix veri Dei simul Idolorum quales Cuthaei 2 Reg. 17. In honorem veri Dei frabricavit Idolum volens per cultum Daemonis honorare Deum Sic verus Deus colitur non eo cultu quem ipse praecepit and a molten Image for Him namely to be Representations of Him So that she pretended and possibly intended the Worship of the true God by these Idols She accordingly took two hundred Shekels of the silver and gave them to the Founder who made thereof a graven Image * Duplex Idolum fuit alterum ex marmore sculptum alterum ex argento arte fulsoria Menoch and a molten Image The other nine hundred Shekels 't is like were laid out in providing an Ephod rich and glorious like Aarons Exod. 28.6 and other Ornaments for the Priest and providing their Teraphim †Teraphim were certain Images representing Men Hos 3.4 5. which they made use of as Oracles and received Answers from them in doubtful Cases Ezek. 21.21 Zach. 10.2 Erant Teraphim Idola domestica quae domi colebantur quasi Oracula consulebantur de rebus arcanis futuris quasi Penates Lares and adorning the Chappel which her Son had built for these Superstitious Uses And Micah consecrated one of his own Sons though of the Tribe of Ephraim and not of Aarons Lineage to be his Priest all which he did as a gross Idolater contrary to the express Command of God And 't is no wonder that Idolatry began thus to creep in among them seeing at this time there was no Ruler Governour or Judge no Supream Magistrate * King is not to be taken here properly for such there were none till Saul's Reign among them such as Moses or Joshua were to restrain them to punish Offenders and keep them in Order There was a young Levite that sojourned in Bethlehem in the Tribe of Judah but in those corrupt times a great part of the Maintenance of the Levites being as it seems detained from them He was forced to seek out for a Livelihood where he could get it And coming to Micah's house Micah agrees with him to be his Priest for though he had consecrated one of his own Sons to be his Priest in his Idolatrous Chappel before yet it seems he thought it would be a greater honour to his Idol-Worship to have one of the Tribe of Levi to be his Priest Micah promises to reverence him though young in years as a Father but yet he gives him but a very poor Salary viz. ten Shekels of Silver by the year a Suit of Apparel and his Victuals whereas eleven hundred Shekels were set apart by his Mother as we have seen before to make their Idols and their appurtenances However this poor Levite prostitutes himself to this base Service to be a Priest to their Idol-dunghil-gods and that upon these mean terms But Micah loved him and used him very well and as if he had been one of his own Children and promised himself that the Lord would bless him seeing he had now gotten a Levite for his Priest But he was herein much deceived as we shall shew presently Ch. 17. whole Chapter SECT CXXIX IN the next place we are to shew how the Danites took Micah's Idol from him and set it up publickly in their own Tribe and so the first publick Idolatry was begun among them and therefore that Tribe is not named among the sealed of the Lord Rev. 7. The History of this matter was thus The Danites by reason of the Amorites who had cooped them up in the Mountains see Ch. 1.34 were not got into the possession of a good part of the Inheritance that fell to them by lot And so their present possessions being too scant and strait for them they began to think of enlarging their Borders And accordingly sent out five men of their Family as Spies to search the Land possessed by their Enemies that they might where they could conveniently drive them out and so settle part of their Tribe in their room These Spies coming to Mount Ephraim and near to Micah's house they meet with this Levite whom it seems some of them knew and possibly upon His invitation they turned in thither to lodge They ask him What he did there He tells them Micah had hired him to he his Priest They understanding that Micah had a Chappel or House of gods there and an Ephod and Teraphim which used by Idolaters to be consulted as Oracles and Answers sometimes were given by the subtilty of the Devil or the Priests they being as it seems addicted to Idolatry desired him to inquire of God concerning the Success of the business they were going about He does so or pretends to do so and encouragingly bids them go in peace for the way wherein they went was before the Lord that is his Eyes were upon their way He saw what they were going about and would favour direct and prosper them in their way The Spies much encouraged hereby departed and came to Laish or Leshem Josh 19.47 in the utmost Northern Border of the Land far remote from the body of their own Tribe Here they observed several things First That the people of this place dwelt careless and secure after the manner of the Sidonians who by reason of the great strength
receiving it see Mark 7.11 Having spoken of the Ornaments of the Temple it will not be amiss to speak something also of the Temple-Officers The Temple-Officers were Priests Levites Nethinims The Priests were distinguished into Chief Priests Inferiour Priests of the twenty four Courses 1. The chief Priests were two the High Priest and his second The High Priest was by Gods appointment that person who was the right heir in Aaron's line or the Eldest that descended in a direct line from his loyns One great part of his office was upon the day of expiation to perform the solemn rights of that service in entring into the Holy of Holies with blood and to perfume the Oracle Exod. 30.10 Levit. 16.34 Heb. 9.7 2. The second Priest was the most eminent among the rest who in case of the sickness or pollution of the High Priest or any other emergency did supply his place (a) So Annas and Caiphas are called the High Priests Luk. 3.2 not that there were two in that great office at once but the one was a substitute to the other 2 King 25.18 3. The ordinary Priests were such as sprang from the loyns of Aaron and were in a Collateral line of kindred allied to the High Priest they were all Levites as descending from Levi the great Grandfather of Aaron But the Priests were separated from the rest of the Levites for the more immediate service of God and the term Levite is restrained to all others of the posterity of Levi besides the line of Aaron These Priests for the more easie carrying on of Temple-service were divided into twenty four Courses by lot as we have shewed before each Course ministred to the Lord for eight days together viz. from Sabbath to Sabbath The work of the Priests was 1. The Government of the Sanctuary and house of God 1 Chron. 24.5 2. Sacrificing with all its rites on the Altar of Burnt-offering 1 Chron. 6.49 2 Chron. 29.22 3. They set the new prepared shew-bread on the Golden Tables within the Sanctuary every Sabbath and removed the old 4. They ordered the lamps of the Golden Candlesticks 5. They kindled the daily incense to make a sweet perfume in the Temple 6. They were the Judges of Leprosie and jealousie betwixt man and wife Levit. 13.2 3. 7. They blew the Trumpets to the Solemn feasts also before the Ark at its removals and were also to accompany the Captains of the host in war with their silver Trumpets Joel 2.15 2 Chron. 13.12 1 Chron. 15.24 Chap. 16.6 Numb 10.8 Chap. 31.6 8. They were to look to the burning of wood continually upon the brazen Altar that the fire that descended from Heaven might not be extinguished Levit. 6.12 13. 9. They were to make the holy ointment with the appointed spices Exod. 30.22 1 Chron. 9.30 10. They were to instruct the people in the Law of God Mal. 2.7 2. Of the Levites The Levites strictly taken were all such as came from the root of Levi excepting the children of Aaron they were divided into four ranks and accordingly appointed to four sorts of work 1. Some of them were appointed to wait on the Sons of Aaron in the Courts of the Temple and in the Chambers and in the purifying of all the holy things belonging to the service of the house of God 1 Chron. 23. from 28 to the end They were at first to enter upon their office at the age of thirty years but after the days of David at twenty because then they did not carry the Tabernacle nor the vessels thereof 1 Chron. 23. from 24 to 28. Their number in the latter end of David's reign was computed at thirty eight thousand whereof twenty four thousand were appointed for the work and service of the house of God six thousand to be Officers and Judges four thousand to be Porters and four thousand to be Singers and players on Instruments 1 Chron. 23.3 4 5. 2 Chron. 8.14 1 Chron. 16.4 So that out of the Levites were taken their Judges Lawyers Scribes Recorders Genealogists and the greatest dignities and offices excepting only the Royal dignity of the Tribe of Judah were enjoyed by those of this Tribe They were the only persons that preferred learning and knowledg the Schools of the Prophets being under their Institution 3. Of the Nethinims These were the most inferiour sort of persons that were imployed in any Temple-service being the race of the Gibeonites Josh 9.17 and called Nethinims because they were given and delivered over to that service Some think that David a little before his death did dispose them into their set courses as he did other Officers of the Temple see Ezra 8.20 but of this we shall not determine Concerning the Priests garments their solemn times of worship their various Sacrifices and Offerings with their appendant rites and the revenues and profits assigned to the Priests and Levites we have spoken before when we went over Exodus Leviticus and Numbers and shall not need here to repeat them SECT II. IN the 11th year of Solomon 's reign the building of the Temple was finished with all things belonging thereunto having been seven years and an half in finishing 1 King 6.38 2 Chron. 3.2 but the Dedication thereof was put off till the next year because of the Jubilee And in the seventh month (a) The whole Edifice and most material things were now finished but possibly they were perfecting some things till the 8th month 1 King 6.38 of that year call'd Ethanim and the seventh day of that month was the first day whereon Solomon celebrated with great magnificence the Dedication of this glorious Temple so that from the seventh day to the fifteenth the tenth day which was the great fast and day of expiation being excepted * On which the Jubilee was to be proclaim'd with sound of Trumpet Levit. 25.9 was this feast of Dedication celebrated and from the 15th to the 23. was the Feast of Tabernacles and the 23d was the last day of this feast and always very solemnly kept and the day following the people were dismissed Having thus described the parts of the Temple and the Ornaments and Officers thereof we shall now return to speak of the great and magnificent solemnity of this Dedication which was on this wise 1. Solomon assembled the Elders and Heads of all the Tribes and a mighty Congregation of all the Nation to meet at Jerusalem on this solemn occasion 2. By the Ministry of the Priests and by such rites as were appointed by the Law he hallowed the middle of the Priests Court wherein either they did erect other Altars or made use of the pavement for that present occasion because the brazen Altar was too little to receive so many Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings as he intended then to offer 1 King 8.64 2 Chron. 7.7 3. The Princes and Elders of the people being now assembled waited upon the King to Mount Sion where the Ark was and whither as 't
their Labours that they should no more give the people Straw to make Brick withall as heretofore they had done but they should gather and provide Straw for themselves and yet notwithstanding they should exact the same tale and number of Bricks of them which they made before and not abate them any thing of it For says he They are idle and therefore they Cry Let us go Sacrifice to the Lord our God I Command you therefore to impose more work upon them that they may have enough to do and may not be at leisure to regard lying words such as this Moses and Aaron tell them who flamm them with stories of their being sent from God The Task-Masters and Officers acquaint the people with this strict and severe Injunction of the King Whereupon a considerable part of them were forced to scatter themselves through all the Land of Egypt to provide Straw and Straw failing they were fain to gather Stubble instead of it And the Task-Masters pressed them on notwithstanding to finish every day as much work as when they had Straw allowed them And when there happened any failure in the Work the Israelitish Officers or Overseers that were set over their Brethren were beaten for it Whereupon these Officers addressed themselves to Pharaoh and humbly Remonstrated That the Egyptian Task-Masters that used to furnish the Israelites with Straw now did not do it and yet they required of them to make the same number of Bricks daily as before which was in a manner impossible for them to do And when they did it not they their Overseers were beaten for it though the fault was not in them but in the Egyptian Task-Masters Pharaoh answered them roughly and tyrannically You are idle You are idle therefore you say Let us go and do Sacrifice to the Lord. Get you gone and see that you finish the Task that is every day required of you and yet you shall have no Straw furnished to you The Officers of the Children of Israel seeing themselves in this very ill condition and having no hope of remedy they go to Moses and Aaron who possibly came out to meet them to see what answer they had from the King and like ignorant passionate men who mistake Occasions for Causes they charge the Injuries of their Enemies upon their best Friends and in an angry and discontented Mood say to Moses and Aaron The Lord look upon you that is the Lord take notice and consider what you have brought upon us and judge you for it You have made us to stink and to be abhorred of Pharaoh and his Servants and have put a Sword into their hands to slay us You have by this your Address to Pharaoh stirred up Him and His Courtiers to tyrannize more over us than they did before Moses being greatly grieved at this their Complaint betook himself to some retired place where by prayer and deep sighs he might present his own and the peoples distress unto the Lord and he said Ah Lord why hast thou thus dealt with thy people against whom Pharaoh's Rage is not at all mitigated but much increased since I mediated for them Why hast thou sent me on such a Message as this which hath not been a means to deliver thy people but much more to afflict them The Lord answered Thou shalt quickly see what I will do unto Pharaoh My Hand shall be so strong and heavy upon him that he shall not only be content to dismiss you as Exod. 3.20 but shall be ready with all his Power to drive you out rather than hold you any longer See Exod. 12.31.33 And the Lord to encourage Moses the more in his Work repeateth his Name to him and the Covenant which he had made with the Fathers He says to him I am theLord I appeared unto Abraham Isaac and Jacob by the Name of Elshaddai God Almighty that is such a God as is All-sufficient and able to perform all my Promises Gen. 17.1 but by my Name Jehovah (q) This cannot be meant of the letters and syllables of that name as if the Patriarchs had never heard of that Name For God called himself Jehovah long before and by that Name confirmed his Promises as appears Gen. 2.4 7 8 9. 15.7 28.12 Gen. 22.14 Ch. 26.24 Ch. 27.20 and that which it importeth (r) Jehovah signifies God's eternal Being in himself his giving being to other things and the performance of his Promises and in regard of this he says He was not known to their Fathers by this Name They being sustain'd by Faith in God's Almighty Power rested upon the Promise not enjoying the thing promised But now to their Children the Promise should be performed and so they should have full knowledge and experience of the efficacy of that Name Jehovah But withall we must know that this is only spoken comparatively as the glorious ministration of the Law is said to have had no glory in respect of the excellent glory of the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.10 So the Fathers are said not to have known God by his Name Jehovah in comparison of what their Posterity knew have not I been made know to them that is so fully as I intend now to be made known to their Posterity to whom I shall really fulfil and give a Being to my Promises by my wonderful Deliverance of them out of Egypt and bringing them at length into the Land of Promise For I made a firm Covenant with those my Servants Abraham Isaac and Jacob and confirmed it by an Oath to give that Land of Canaan wherein they were but Strangers and Sojourners to them and their Posterity for an Inheritance And I have heard the groaning of the Children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage and I have remembered my Covenant Therefore go to them and tell them I am the Lord and I will deliver them from that cruel Servitude under which they groan and will with an out-stretched arm and inflicting terrible Judgments on the Egyptians bring them forth And I will take them to my self for my peculiar people and will be to them a God and they shall assuredly know that 't is I the Lord and none else who did all these great things for them Moses as God had commanded him went to the Children of Israel with this Message but thorow the anguish of their Spirits and the extremity of their Sufferings they regarded not what he said nor were disposed to believe any thing that he spake concerning their Deliverance So greatly prejudicial are the immoderate passions of men not only to God's truth but to their own welfare Then God commands Moses to go and speak to Pharaoh again and to require him to let the people go out of his Land Moses answered That the Children of Israel would not hearken to him how then should he think that Pharaoh would hear him or mind or regard his words and especially seeing he was a man of uncircumcised lips (s) Because
people that were therein and killed them and Samson himself with them So the dead which he slew at his death were more than those he slew in his life His Bretheren and all the house of his Father hearing of his death came down and took his dead body and brought it up and buried it in his Fathers burying place between Zorak and Eshtaol the Philistines by the over-ruling Providence of God not opposing it whose pride and power by this fatal blow given to their Princes and so many of their people was much abated and pulled down so that they thought this was no fit time to provoke the Israelites by denying them such a thing Judg. Ch. 16. whole Chapter SECT CLI First Book of Samuel WE are now come to the first Book of Samuel which contains an History of eighty years forty in the time of Eli in the four first Chapters and forty in the times of Samuel and Saul in the rest of the Book so that the History of these three persons together with some part of the History of David is the chief matter of this Book The two Books of Samuel are thought to be written by Samuel Nathan and Gad one after another 1 Chron. 29.29 yet some passages in these Books may seem to intimate that they were written in latter times as 1 Sam. 5.5 and Ch. 30.25 2 Sam. 6.8 These two Books of Samuel are stiled by the Septuagint and several others the first and second Book of the Kings the first containing all the History of King Saul and part of the History of King David both whom Samuel anointed by Gods appointment and the second the History of King Ishbosheth shortly and of King David at large After Samsons death Eli the High-Priest in whom the High-Priesthood was translated from the stock of Eleazar the Eldest Eli 13 Judg. to the posterity of Ithamar the younger Son of Aaron executed the Office of a Judg in Civil causes and judged Israel forty years He was extraordinarily both High-Priest (a) How he came to be High-Priest we cannot say that Eli was of the posterity of Ithamar Aaron's second Son appears from hence Abiathar who was deposed from being High-Priest by Solomon was of the posterity of Eli 1 King 2.27 and of Abimelech who was the Son of Abiathar it is expresly said 1 Chron. 24.3 that he was of the Sons of Ithamar How the High-Priesthood came to be transferred from the posterity of Eleazar to Eli who was of the house of Ithamar cannot be cleared by any place of Scripture we may conjecture that it so fell out because the High-Priests of Eleazars family had some way or other highly provoked God by their evil courses in the days of the former Judges This was the Series of the High-Priests as appears 1 Chron. 6.4 Aaron Eleazar Phineas Abishua Bukki Uzzi from Uzzi the High-Priesthood was translated to Eli to whom succeeded Achitob to him Achias to him Ahimelech to him Abiathar who was deposed from the Priesthood by Solomon 1 King 2.27 that he might perform the word of the Lord that he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh 1 Sam. 2.31.35 and Judg a good and famous man though faulty in being too indulgent to his Children as we shall see afterwards In his time and under his Government Samuel was born whose History we come now to describe His Father was Elkanah a Levite of the family of the Kohathites of the posterity of of Korah 1 Chron. 6.22 23. who dwelt in Ramathaim-Zophim in Mount Ephraim He had two wives probably Hannah was his first wife and she being barren he afterwards took Peninnah who was fruitful Though the Lord allowed not Polygamy yet he was pleased to tolerate it for a time and possibly the Jews did conceive that Gods promise to Abraham of multiplying his seed as the stars of the heaven did imply a dispensation for them to have more wives than one The Tabernacle was now at Shiloh and there had continued since the seventh year of Joshua Ch. 18.1 thither went Elkanah yearly that is at those three solemn Feasts wherein all the males were bound to appear before the Lord Deut. 16.16 He might possibly go at other times as a Levite to do service in his course but he failed not to go up at those great Solemnities and it seems several of his family used to go up with him yea the women also such was their devotion though not bound thereunto by the Law At those great Feasts he gave to Peninnah and all her Sons and Daughters portions of the Peace-offerings which he offered to the Lord according to the ancient manner of Feasts of which see Gen. 43.34 but unto Hannah who was his best beloved he gave a larger and better portion and possibly of the choicest and best of the Sacrifices Peninnah was angry at this and thereupon quarrelled with and provoked Hannah and upbraided her for her barrenness as an effect of the Lords displeasure against her and as Elkanah did thus continually express his great love to Hannah when he went yearly with his family to the House of God so Peninnah persisted from time to time to vex her with her provocations and possibly upbraided her with her fruitless seeking to God so earnestly at those times for a child this greatly troubled Hannah in so much that she mourned and wept and did not care to eat as others did especially not with any joy and chearfulness as they were bound to do at those solemn Feasts Elkanah perceiving it asked her why she so grieved and wept and so mourned in a time when she ought to have rejoiced 'T is true says he the Lord hath not afforded thee Children but am not I who love thee so dearly better to thee than ten Sons (b) In concorde matrimonio plus boni est quam in ipsa faecunditate Gr. But when Elkanah and his family had eaten and drunk together with whom Hannah sate she being in bitterness of soul went out and prayed unto the Lord and wept sore and she said O Lord of Hosts if thou wilt please to look on the affliction of thy hand-maid and wilt give unto me a man-child I will give him unto thee all the days of his life (c) As to the power of her Vow we must understand that she only vowed to do what in her lay that it might be thus if the Child had no defect either in body or mind and was willing when he came to the years of discretion to take upon him the Vow and provided that her Husband consented thereunto without which the Womans Vow was of no force Numb 30.8 Indeed it is evident in the sequel of Samuels story that he did not always continue in the Tabernacle see Ch. 7.16 but went from year to year in Circuit and judged Israel And hence it seems probable that after he became Judg in Israel he was by special dispensation from God freed from this Vow of
to revenge Ishbosheth's death Accordingly these Conspirators came to Ishbosheth's house who was then reposing himself on his bed and they came it seems in the disguise or habit of Country men or Merchants that came to buy wheat (h) Non mirum Tirticum in Regia domo repositum esse Nimis delicati sunt antiquae simplicitatis ignavi qui ad hodiernam Aularum elegantiam pristinas Regum Aulas exigunt whereof Ishbosheth's lands yielded great store or of Porters that came to carry some away that had been bought and by this colour having free access into his house and finding him asleep upon his bed they desperately murder'd him and cutting off his head took it away with them and travelling all night from Mahanaim through the Plain of Jericho to Hebron they brought it to David and presented it to him saying Behold the head of Ishbosheth thine enemy who sought thy life and the Lord hath avenged my Lord the King this day on Saul and on his seed David being enraged at this their desperate wickedness and treachery against their Lord and Master said As sure as the Lord liveth who hath hitherto deliverd me out of all my troubles I will inflict upon you the punishment that your heinous crime deserves when the Amalekite came to me and told me that Saul was dead thinking to have brought me acceptable tidings and said moreover that upon Saul's request he had helped to kill him and rid him out of his pain See 2 Sam. 1.10 I took hold of him and slew him in Ziklag though he thought I would have given him a reward for his tidings how much greater reason then have I to execute severe justice on such bloody and wicked Assasinates as you are who have murder'd one that was just and innocent as to you having done you no wrong but contrary deserved well of you and that so basely and treacherously in his own house and upon his bed where he lay secure suspecting no such danger Have not I reason therefore to require his blood at your hands and to take you away from the earth for committing such an abominable villany Having thus spoken he commanded the young men about him to fall upon them and slay them which they immediately did and cut off their hands and their feet and hanged them up over the Pool in Hebron that all men might see how much David abhorred this fact of theirs and how far he was from knowing any thing of it or giving the least encouragement to them that did it As for the Head of Ishbosheth they took and buried it in the Sepulcher of Abner in Hebron 2 Sam. Ch. 4. whole Chapter SECT CLXXXIII IShbosheth being dead the Elders and Heads of the several Tribes of Israel and the Captains and many thousands of the people that bare armes came unto David to Hebron to settle the Kingdom of Saul upon him as God had appointed and some of them addressing themselves to him in the name of the rest spake after this manner We are thy bone and thy flesh that is Israelites as thou art and therefore doubt not but we shall find favour with thee And when Saul was King over us thou wast our Captain and didst lead forth our Armies against our enemies and broughtest them back again crowned with victory and laden with spoil And therefore the experience we have had of thy wisdom and prowess moves us to desire thee for our King And further God did by Samuel appoint thee to rule over us and said unto thee Thou shalt feed my people Israel and be a Captain over them And we are bound to accept him for our King whom God shall chuse for us Deut. 17.15 upon all these accounts we are willing to accept of thee and submit to thee as our King David graciously received them and their address and declar'd himself ready to forget all that was past and to receive them as his subjects into his protection And so he made a league with them promising to govern them according to the rule prescribed in Gods Law and they promised to obey him as his loyal and liege people And this being done with invocation of God as a witness of their league it is said to be done before the Lord and so they anointed * David now a third time anointed David King over all Israel He was thirty years old at this time he had reigned seven years and six months over Judah in Hebron before and after this he reigned over all Israel thirty three years so that his whole reign was almost forty years In the 1 Chron. 12.23 we have the number of those who out of the several Tribes came to Hebron upon this solemn occasion Of the Children of Judah six thousand and eight hundred ready armed they had before anointed David King over them therefore it was not necessary they should appear in greater numbers at this time Of Simeon seven thousand one hundred mighty men of valour Of Levi four thousand and six hundred though this Tribe was set apart peculiarly for the service of God yet many of them being men of valour did it seems go out into the wars and David being now to be inaugurated and anointed King the Levites were willing to shew their forwardness also to establish him in his Kingdom Of the Aaronites or Priests three thousand and seven hundred with Jehojada their leader And Zadok (a) This Zadok seems to be the man who in Davids reign was joined with Abiathar 2 Sam. 8.17 and by Solomon was put into Abiathars room and made High-Priest 1 King 2.35 a young man of great valour was another leader among the Sons of Aaron and with him came twenty two Captains that were Priests and of his Fathers house Of the Chilren of Benjamin three thousand no more of them it seems appeared because they being of the same Tribe with Saul a multitude of them endeavoured to continue the Kingdom in Sauls race (b) V. 29. Observabant observationem domus Saulis i. e. adhaerebant domui Saulis capessentes mandata Ishboshethi Pisc and were unwilling the Royal dignity should go from them Of the Children of Ephraim twenty thousand eight hundred mighty men of valour and famous in their Tribe Of the half Tribe of Manasseh that was seated within Jordan eighteen thousand which were chosen by name to be imployed in this service Of the Children of Issachar that were singularly prudent and able to give advice for the doing of any thing that was to be done in the fittest time * Vide Esth 1.13 and season (c) They had much given themselves to observe seasons wherein matters of moment were meetest to be done and whose brethren were at their command out of the high esteem they had of their prudence and wisdom of these the Heads or Captains were two hundred and therefore undoubtedly had divers thousands under their command who came along with them Of Zebulon no less than
it to be agreeable to the will of God he desired the Ark might be brought up to Jerusalem For says he from the days of Saul (a) Indeed ever since the days of Samuel the Ark had been in the house of Abinadab but he desired rather to accuse themselves that were then living than their forefathers Besides in the days of Samuel by reason of the wars they had continually with the Philistines they had not so good opportunity to remove the Ark as they had afterwards hitherto we have suffered the Ark to continue in a private house and have not inquired at it nor sought Oracles of God from it as we should have done but have contented our selves to worship God at the Tabernacle in Gibeon though the Ark the Testimony of his Presence was not there Let us therefore send to our * David though a King accounts his Subjects who came from the same Father to be his Brethren Brethren in the land and to the Priests (b) V. 2. In urbibus suburbanis suis q.d. ad omnes ubicunque habitant and Levites to gather themselves to us that we may in a solemn manner bring up the Ark of God hither The proposal highly pleased all the Congregation there present and they declared themselves very willing to have it done Sometime after therefore David sent forth his Messengers through all the land of Israel from Shikar a river of Egypt which was the utmost Southern bound unto the entring of Hamath which was the utmost Northern to invite them to come up to Jerusalem upon this solemn occasion And the people came in a vast number no less than thirty thousand of Nobles Magistrates and chief men with many of the common people David being come with all that great multitude to Baal of Judah that is Kirjath-jearim see 1 Chron. 13.6 he arose and went with them from thence to carry the Ark to Jerusalem at which the name of the Lord of hosts who dwelleth between the Cherubims was called upon intending to place it in a Tabernacle or Tent that he had prepared for it In order hereunto they having taken the Ark out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah viz. an hill so called in Kirjath-jearim they placed it in a new Cart * It seems they thought they might safely do what the Philistines had done before them without any danger How easily may multitudes of Gods people err if they do not examin things by the rule of the Word as the Philistines had before done 1 Sam. 6.7 8. therein manifestly transgressing the Law of God which required that the Levites should carry it upon their shoulders see Numb 4.15 7.9 Vzzah and Ahio the Sons of Abinadab drave the Cart Ahio went before to look to the Oxen and Vzzah behind to take care of the Cart and the Ark that was in it And David and all this great company went before the Ark the Symbol of the Divine Presence playing on all sorts of Musical instruments then in use among them and praising the Lord and singing probably the first verse of the 68 Psalm Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered and let them that hate him flee before him which was to be used as appears Numb 10.35 at every removal of the Ark. When they came to Nachons threshing-floor the Oxen stumbling shook the Ark whereupon Vzzah laid hold on it to stay it for fear it should have fallen and God smote him dead †Some think God only took occasion from hence to punish him for some former fault Sic Augustine upon the place for his rashness (c) By this judgment executed on one he brought David and the rest to see their sin in laying hold (d) Non legimus eum sic percussum esse ut nihil ei fuerit temporis ad cognoscendum deplorandum peccatum suum Probabile est hoc fecisse Deum ad constituendum disciplinam in populo suo on the Ark which no man might touch but the Priests only see Numb 4.15 David was much disquieted and startled at this heavy judgment wherewith God had broken forth upon Vzzah and he called the name of the place Perez-Vzzah or a breach upon Vzzah in memorial of Gods judgment upon Vzzah And David was sore afraid lest the anger of the Lord should fall upon himself that day and that he was not pleased that the Ark should be carried to Jerusalem But it was not the act it self but the ill manner of performing it that displeased God However David thought it safer at present to desist from his purpose and so he carried it aside to the house of Obed-Edom (e) A Levite and one of the Porters and Singers 1 Chr. 15.18 21. the Gittite that is of Gath-rimmon a City of the Philistines near Gath and appropriated to the Levites Josh 21.24 who considering there was no danger in harbouring the Ark provided they carried themselves with that respect and reverence towards it which God required he gladly received it into his house where it continued three months and God wonderfully blessed (f) They shall be no losers that give to God or any belonging unto him due intertainment As we see the instances of Potiphars entertaining Joseph and Laban Jacob and the widdow-woman Elijah the Shunamite Elisha him and his house viz. his wife children servants cattel and all that he had and all his affairs for the Arks sake And this blessing was so remarkable that it was not only discerned by himself but by his neighbours also who acquainted David therewith David now saw there was no danger in removing or entertaining the Ark but only in the miscarriages about it which he now purposed to avoid for he saw that none ought to carry the Ark of God but the Levites whom God had appointed to that ministry as long as the Mosaical dispensation lasted therefore setting afresh upon the work and assembling the people he taketh order to have it brought from Obed-Edom's house to Jerusalem with all solemnity as is more fully exprest 1 Chron. Ch. 15. Ch. 16. In order hereunto he calls for Zadock the High-Priest and Abiathar his Deputy and the heads of the Priests and Levites and requires them to sanctifie and prepare themselves for this holy service by outward ceremonial purifications and by inward purifications of soul For because it was not so done at first he says God had made a breach upon them even because they had not Religiously examin'd what the Law of God required of them in that case and had not performed this service in a right manner according to his will Accordingly the Priests and Levites did sanctifie themselves and then the Levites did bear the Ark upon their shoulders He appointed also that some of the Levites should go before the Ark sounding with Psalteries Harps and Cymbals and singing thereunto with joyful and chearful spirits The several Singers played upon several instruments some
the Kings Sons and Joab and Abiathar and many Captains of the host and behold they eat and drink before him and say God save King Adonijah Surely this is not done with thy allowance for matters of so great moment thou didst not use to transact without consulting me first about them Then the King called for Bathsheba and said to her As the Lord liveth who hath redeemed me out of all former distresses as I sware to thee that Solomon should sit on my Throne after me so it shall be Then Bathsheba bowed her face to the earth and said Let my Lord King David live for ever As if she should have said Long may the King live and I wish if it were the will of God we might never lose him Then the King call'd for Zadok Nathan and Benaiah and commanded them to take with them his Life-guard viz. the Cherethites and Pelethites and to set Solomon on his own Mule and to carry him to Gihon (a) A Mount with a rivulet close by it on the West-side of Jerusalem and that Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet should there anoint him King over all Israel and when that was done they should blow with the Trumpet and say God save King Solomon and then says he ye shall attend him back in state to Jerusalem that he may come and sit on my Throne and be thereby declared King in my stead For I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah * It seems there was emulation between Judah and the other Tribes before the division of the Kingdom See 2 Sam. 19.41 Benaiah the Son of Jehoiada hearing the King speak thus answered in his own and the name of the rest Amen The Lord God confirm what the King hath said As the Lord hath been with my Lord the King so may he be with Solomon also and make his Throne greater than the Throne of his Father Then Zadok Nathan Benaiah and the Kings Life-guard carried Solomon to Gihon and there Zadok the Priest anointed him with oyl taken out of the Tabernacle viz. the Tabernacle which David had set up for the Ark 2 Sam. 6.17 for oyl being kept there for several holy uses Zadok took an horn full of it and therewith anointed the King Which done they blew the Trumpet and all the people there present shouted God save King Solomon Then they carried him in state towards Jerusalem and the people followed after piping with Pipes and rejoicing with great joy and they shouted so loud that the earth even rent (a) An Hyperbolical expression setâ—ing forth the greatness of their acclamations with the sound of their acclamations Adonijah and the company that were with him just as they were concluding their great Feast heard this extraordinary noise and acclamation and Joab heard the sound of the Trumpet and wondred what the matter was and thought there might be some uproar in the City but immediately Jonathan the Son of Abiathar came to them Adonijah seeing him O come in says he for thou art a good (b) Hebr. a man of vertue man and bringest good tidings The tidings says Jonathan that I bring are that David hath made Solomon King and Zadok Nathan and Benaiah have anointed him in Gihon and they came up with him from thence rejoicing and shouting so loud that the City rang again and this is the noise ye heard and Solomon sits now on the Throne and is in actual possession of the Kingdom and the Kings servants came and blest our Lord King David and rendred him humble thanks for setting Solomon on the Throne and pray'd that the Lord would make the name of Solomon more famous than he had made Davids and his Kingdom greater and the King bowed himself upon his bed and worshipped and praised God saying Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath setled my Son Solomon this day on my Throne my own eyes seeing it The Guests that were with Adonijah hearing this had enough of their Feast and began to be sore afraid and got themselves away as fast as they could to their own houses leaving Adonijah to shift for himself Adonijah then not well knowing what to do and being sorely afraid that Solomon would take away his life he fled to Gibeon where the Tabernacle of Moses now was 1 Chron. 21.29 and there took hold on the horns of the Altar For though we read of no express Law that God ever gave to his people that those that fled to the Altar should be there secured yet that it was a custom for malefactors to fly to the Altar as to an Asylum or place of refuge may be gathered from Exod. 21.14 and the Altar being the place where God did shew forth the riches of his grace in accepting a sacrifice for sin this hanging upon the horns of it was a kind of pleading that mercy should be shewed them for Gods sake And accordingly Adonijah fled to the Altar and being there he desireth that King Solomon so he acknowledgeth him would swear to him that he would not put him to death Solomon sent him word that if he would shew himself a worthy man and a loyal subject for the future not an hair of his head should fall to the ground but if he appeared to be wicked and disloyal after this he should surely die Upon this promise they brought Adonijah from the Altar to Solomon to whom he bowed himself and Solomon bad him go to his own house and there live peaceably and quietly 1 King Ch. 1. from v. 5 to the end SECT CCX DAvid having now caused Solomon to be anointed King he giveth him in charge the building of the Temple speaking to him after this manner My Son it was in my heart to build an house for the Lord but the Lord would not permit me to do it because I had been engaged in many wars and had shed much blood (c) God does not upbraid David for shedding blood in his own cause Saul and Ahab for sparing blood lost their Kingdoms 1 Sam. 15.23 1 King 20.22 42. The Levites for their fact in shedding blood Exod. 32. and Phineas for his Numb 25. have the Priesthood setled on them and so was not so fit to build a Temple to him which was to be a figure of the Messias the Prince of Peace But he said to me a Son shall be born to thee who shall be a man of rest and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about his name shall be call'd Solomon that is peaceable for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days he shall build an house for my name he shall be my Son and I will be his Father and I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom over Israel for ever that is for a long time and as long as the Kingdom of Judah shall continue one of Solomon's posterity shall sit in the Throne of David (a) Possibly none of
used were here carefully preserved 7. The Courts Buildings and Cloysters about the Temple A Court consisted of an open space in the middle exposed to wind and weather and a Covert or Cloysters on the sides thereof whither in heat or rain men might retire for shade or shelter Solomon made two of these on the East of the Temple 1. The Inner Court or Court of the Priests 2 Chron. 4.9 built with three rows of hewn stone and a row of Cedar-beams 1 King 6.36 We must understand these three rows as being in height one above another Probably certain ascents led to them out of the outward Court as there did also into the Temple hence the phrase of going up to Gods-house But how many these stairs or steps were is uncertain though some will have them fifteen according to the number of the Psalmes of degrees and these were the steps whereon as some conceive the Levites sang the fifteen Psalmes of degrees This inner Court was only for the Priests to enter into yet it seems the Common people made a tumultuous incursion into it when they stoned Zachariah at the command of King Joash in the Court of the house of the Lord even betwixt the Temple and the Altar 2 Chron. 24.21 2. The greater or outward Court * In Solomon's days we read but of these two Courts but in the days of the succeeding Kings some think there were added two Courts more viz. the Court of the women and the Court of the Gentiles of which mention is made 2 Chron. 4.9 was of the same form for building with the Inner this Court was large an hundred cubits square at the least yet this seems not large enough to contain all Israel except the people were successively admitted to this place Ascents and Stairs did also lead into this Court but possibly they were but low This Court was by successive Kings especially by Hezekiah who cased the pillars thereof with silver see 2 King 18.16 improved to more beauty than it had in Solomon's days though the covered Temple had no addition made to it There was a stately ascent from the Kings Palace to this Court. It was at first made by King Solomon and was then so stately a structure that among other things the Queen of Sheba was ravished with admiration at the sight thereof when she beheld the ascent by which Solomon went up into the house of the Lord 1 King 10.5 and yet afterwards it was made more magnificent and Terrassed on both sides with Pillasters made of those Almug-trees which were brought from Ophir by the servants of Hiram 2 Chron. 9.11 and 1 King 10.11 12. which if odoriferous as some will have it made that passage as sweet to the smell as specious to the sight Several fair Gates on all sides gave entrance into the Courts of Solomon's Temple 8. The Gates of the outward great Court and the Porters belonging to them and the doors or folding leaves were overlaid with brass 2 Chron. 4.9 the Gates were these 1. The East-gate where Shelemiah was Porter 1 Chron. 26.14 this Gate was set in the front leading directly to the Temple King Jotham rebuilt it 2 King 15.35 2 Chron. 27.3 At this Gate there were six Levites to watch Some think it was called the Kings-gate not that the King went in that way but because King Solomon built it in a more sumptuous and extraordinary manner than the rest In some one of the Chambers of this Gate sat the Sanedrim and sometimes also in the East-gate of the Inner or higher Court as some gather by comparing Jer. 35.4 Ch. 36.10 together 2. The Northgate where Zachariah the Son of Shelemiah a wise Counsellor was Porter here there were four Levites placed in daily watch 1 Chron. 26.14 17. 3. The South-gate attended on by the Sons of Obed-Edom here there were four Levites also in constant watch The house of Asuppim rendred by Hierom and Pagnine a Council-house by Tremellius Aerarium the Treasury was for conveniency united to their charge A place probably of entrance from the City but certainly of great consequence as needing constantly a Guard about Possibly here were two little Gates and two Porters assigned to each v. 17. 4. The West-gate where Shuppim and Hosah were Porters there were also four Porters constantly to attend It was called Shallecheth from Shalach to cast up it was so denominated from the famous causey which Solomon cast up or made here to pass from his own house over the valley into the mountain of the Temple Each side of this Causey was planted with Oaks and Teyl-trees there were also made stately Rails of Almug-trees of which before this was the passage to the house of the Lord from the Kings house Lastly we come to Parbar 1 Chron. 26.18 seated on the West but whither Porters Lodg Priests Vestry or place where sacrificing instruments were laid up is not certain however it seems to have something of the nature of a Gate because two Levites daily attended at it So that there were four prime Gates which respected the four Cardinal Winds and three lesser ones towards the West besides In all seven and twenty four Levites in their constant order and course watched at them according to the lot of their Fathers house and their several divisions Both Courts were paved with stones and adorned with Porches and Cloysters and Chambers as 't is probable round about them In the buildings of the outward Court were Chambers and Lodgings for the Levites especially in those near the Gates where their offices lay Some places 't is like were imployed as Treasuries wherein consecrated things were laid up and Ministerial vessels and the utensils of the Sanctuary Other rooms might be for fine Flower Salt Wine Oyl Frankincense Spices c. 1 Chron. 9. from v. 27 to 32. The Priests also and the Singers and players on instruments as 't is like had their Chambers here Possibly after the death of Solomon the first Temple might by succeeding Kings have another Court added to it whereof we find a double intimation in Scripture one when Jehoshaphat is said to stand in the house of the Lord before the new Court 2 Chron. 20.5 which probably about his reign was added to the first Fabrick Another at the Coronation of Joash at which time Jehojadah gave order that the Priests alone should come into the house of the Lord to wit the Inner Court whilst the people should be in the Courts of the house of the Lord importing two Courts at least into which the people at that time had free access 2 Chron. 23.5 6. Having thus spoken of the several parts of the Temple we come now to speak of the Furniture Ornaments Vtensils and Vessels belonging to them In the Porch 1. Of the Porch there were two great brazen pillars set up for height eighteen cubits a piece each of them twelve cubits in compass bearing about four cubits in diameter they
is like they had brought the Tabernacle with all the things appertaining to it from Gibeon The Priests * 2 Chron. 5.4 'T is said the Levites took up the Ark because the Priests were also Levites that is of the Tribe of Levi. took up the Ark on their shoulders the Levites according to their several appointed ranks carried the Tabernacle with the boards and curtains and the holy vessels belonging thereunto The King and the Elders walked after in a solemn procession to Mount Moriah (a) The Temple to speak properly was not built on Mount Sion but on Mount Moriah but because the whole City of Jerusalem is usually called Sion and Mount Sion from that Mount that was a chief part of it thence it is that the Temple Gods dwelling place is usually said to have been in Sion where the Temple was built whither being come the Priests carried the Ark into the Oracle or most holy place and set it under the wings of the Golden Cherubims But they drew out the staves of the Ark something from under the wings of the Cherubims that they might be seen in the holy place which was before the Oracle but they were not seen as taken out of the Ark 2 Chron. 5.9 And possibly these staves were the rather thus disposed to remember the people that if they brake Gods Covenant the staves yet remained within the rings of the Ark ready to bear away the Symbol of Gods gracious presence from them The Levites also disposed those things which they carried belonging to the (b) The Tabernacle was carried about in the Wilderness forty years it remained in Gilgal about fourteen years it remain'd in Shiloh till Samuels time 1 Sam. 4.4 it then remain'd in Nob till Saul destroyed that place 1 Sam. 22.19 it was in Gibeon all Davids time from thence it was brought into Zion and from thence into the Treasuries of the Temple Tabernacle into the Treasuries of the Temple there to remain as Sacred things not again to be removed When the Priests had set the Ark in its place and were come out immediately an hundred and twenty of them with silver Trumpers and the Levite-singers viz. Asaph Heman and Jeduthun with their Sons and Brethren being arrayed in white linnen and having Cymbals Psalteries and Harps in their hands stood at the East-end of the Altar and the Trumpets sounding and they playing on their Instruments and lifting up their voices with one consent and making one melodious harmony sang as it seems the 136 Psalm the burden of which is For he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Whilst they were thus employed suddenly the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud which was an extraordinary manifestation of the presence of God 2 Chron. 5.14 't is said the glory of God filled the house which intimated that the brightness of his glory was such that if it were not clouded over no mortal eyes could behold it It seems the cloud was such and so amazing that the Priests could not continue to minister in the Sanctuary where the cloud was and by this visible sign of his presence the Lord did sanctifie to himself this place see Exod. 40.34 and shewed his approbation of all that was done Solomon standing upon a Brazen Scaffold made for him in the outward Court right before the door of the Priests Court through which he might look and apprehending this cloud to be a manifestation of Gods gracious presence and acceptance of the house he had built for his service in a rapture of joy he brake out into these words The Lord said he is pleased to dwell in thick darkness Levit. 16.2 and by a cloud he hath usually testified his presence among his people as when he led the Israelites by a cloud Exod. 13.21 In a cloud he appeared at the giving of the Law Exod. 19.16 In a cloud he appeared that covered and filled the Tabernacle as soon as it was reared up by Moses Exod. 40.34 and therefore doubtless in this cloud the Lord doth now appear unto us and testifies his favourable acceptance of our service in building this house for his name Then directing his speech to God he said O Lord I have built a Temple for thee to manifest thy gracious presence in an house not to be removed as the Tabernacle was but a setled place for thee to abide in (c) Officium Templi non est prastare Deo habitationem sed hominibus directionem ad soliâ—m divinum sempiteruâ—â— quod in câ—lo est Cajet to be there ready on all occasions to resolve us in such cases as we shall humbly propound unto thee and to hear such prayers as we shall make unto thee and to grant such blessings as we shall humbly crave of thee and to accept such sacrifices and services as we shall there offer up and present unto thee And O Lord I pray thee accept this house for thine and ever manifest thy gracious presence therein as long as this dispensation we are now under shall last and till the truth of this type shall be exhibited Then the King turned his face to the people standing about him and blessed them and said Blessed and praised be the Lord God of Israel who spake to David my Father that I should build a Temple for his great name and hath by his good hand upon me enabled me to do it The Lord also said since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt I chose no City out of all their Tribes in which I appointed an house to be built that my name might be there in a peculiar manner worshipped But having chosen David to be King over my people it was in his heart to build an house for my name And thereupon I said to him whereas it was in thine heart to build an house to my name I like it well that it was in thine heart to do it Nevertheless thou shalt not build this house for me but thy Son that shall come out of thy loins he shall build it And the Lord hath now graciously performed the word that he spake and I am risen up in my fathers room to sit on the Throne of Israel and have built an house for the Lord as he promised I should do and an abiding place for the Ark wherein are the two Tables of the Law which the Lord gave as a Covenant to his people requiring obedience on their part and promising many blessings on his part to the obedient Then Solomon turned his face towards the Altar of Burnt-offering and towards the most holy place and having stood a while he then kneeled down and spreading forth his hands towards heaven poured forth this Divine Prayer saying O Lord God of Israel there is no God like thee in heaven above or in earth beneath who keepest Covenant and shewest mercy to thy servants that walk before thee in the integrity of their hearts Thou hast kept thy
Thus Solomon finished the Lords house and his own house and all that came into his heart to do he prosperously effected 2 Chron. 7.11 having spent full twenty years in this kind of work 1 King 9.10 whereof seven and an half upon the Temple and about twelve and an half upon his own houses and buildings 1 King Ch. 7. from v. 1 to 13. 1 King Ch. 10. from v. 16 22. 1 Chron. Ch. 9. from v. 15 to 21. SECT V. WHilst Solomon was busied about his Magnificent buildings it seems Gezer a City allotted to the Levites in the Tribe of Ephraim Josh 21.20 21. but never recovered out of the possession of the Canaanites gave to the King some great distaste so that not being at leisure himself he intreated Pharaoh his Father-in-law to take it in for him by his Armes and to rid him of those troublesome neighbours Pharaoh accordingly did it and burnt the City or some part of it with fire and put the inhabitants thereof to the sword and so gave it for a present to his daughter Solomon's wife 1 King 9.16 SECT VI. HIram King of Tyre having furnished Solomon towards these magnificent buildings with Cedar-trees and Firr-trees and sixscore Talents of Gold Solomon in a grateful retribution and to make him amends gave him twenty Cities or Towns in the land of Galilee which were not as it seems a part of the land which God had given for an inheritance to his people but lay in a tract of ground on the outside of the borders of Asher Josh 19.24 betwixt them and mount Libanus and being now reduced under Solomon's Dominion he presented them to Hiram that he might by them receive satisfaction for what he had had of him But it seems Hiram when he saw them liked them not possibly because they stood in a moorish ground or because he thought it would be long e're he should from them receive that satisfaction which he expected Therefore he return'd them to Solomon again and chose rather to expect satisfaction from him some other way and thereupon Solomon repair'd and enlarged them and planted certain colonies of the Israelites in them See 2 Chron. 8.1 2. whereas before they were inhabited only by the Heathen and now that tract of ground was counted a part of Galilee which 't is thought was the reason why Galilee was called Galilee of the Gentiles 1 King Ch. 9. from v. 10 to 15. SECT VII SOlomon having now finished his own houses and built an house for his Queen Pharaohs daughter he remov'd her and brought her up thither out of the City of David for he said My wife shall not dwell in the house of David King of Israel because the places whereunto the Ark of the Lord hath come are more holy than other places 'T is true Davids house ceased to be holy in that respect after the Ark was removed thence yet Solomon out of his superabundant respect to that sign of Gods presence thought it not fit to make that a dwelling place for his Queen and her followers who were aliens and strangers to the house of Israel and possibly retain'd some of their Egyptian profaneness which had been the holy dwelling place of the most High 2 Chron. 8.11 Solomon as it seems reflecting on his Marriage with Pharaohs daughter and his bringing her up to the stately house he had built and prepared for her took occasion from thence to pen that excellent Song called the Song of Songs or the Canticles being the chiefest of those one thousand * See 1 King 4.32 and five Songs composed by him and the most excellent of them all And this Song he composed after he had built his Summer-house in Lebanon as may be gathered by some passages in it see Ch. 4.8 Come with me from Lebanon my Spouse with me from Lebanon And Ch. 7. 4. Thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon This Song is clearly a Marriage-song and much of the same nature with the 45 Psalm which is called a Song of Loves And it is a kind of Pastoral composed in the way of Dialogue where the speakers are the Bridegroom and the Bride represented sometimes under the quality of a Shepherd and Shepherdess or Country-damsel and the Bride-men and Bride-maids the friends of the Bridegroom and companions of the Bride And though the most proper aim of it seemeth to be at higher and diviner matters than an earthly marriage and a greater than Solomon is here yet Solomon thought fit to make his marriage with Pharaohs daughter a type of that sublime and spiritual marriage between Christ and his Church The Song is a continued Allegory and full of obscurities yea here we have all the Rhetorick of love and such affectionate compellations and Elogies as are not elsewhere to be found The flowers and ornaments of language used in the praises both of Bridegroom and Bride are not appliable to natural beauties but are mystical representations and emblems of higher things Indeed this Book is all mystical and therefore the Jews forbad the reading of it by any under thirty years of age Here between Christ and his Church are interchangings of mutual praises gloriations and congratulations His divine and glorious excellencies in himself and rich bounties and blessings to her and her precious graces and endowments are in an high character in lofty and stately sayings and similitudes set forth both by him and her And yet withal her failings and his withdrawings from her thereupon and returnings to her again upon her repentance are not omitted In all the interlocutions betwixt them she speaks nine times and he seven In the first Chap. from v. 1 to the 8. the Spouse speaks expressing her ardent desires after Christ and vindicates her own deformities and defects against the uncharitable censures of others and petitions him for further counsel and direction From the v. 8 to the 12. the Bridegroom speaks granting her request and giving her great commendations and making rich promises to her From v. 12 to the 15. the Spouse speaks again then the Bridegroom at v. 15. In the two first verses of Ch. 2. Christ speaks characterizing himself and his Church and then the Church speaks from the v. 3. to the end and throughout all the third Chapter speaking sometimes of Christ and sometimes unto him At Ch. 4. Christ speaks from v. 1 to 15. and at v. 15 16. the Church At Ch. 5. v. 1. Christ granteth the request of the Church and cometh into his Garden and accepteth her entertainment and bringeth his friends with him and feasteth them but this kindness it seems was not so well improved by her as it deserved for she is surprized with a fit of drowsie negligence and so is brought into danger of losing him who after much patient waiting knocking and calling upon her and her unkind answer becomes angry and being not received when he tendred himself departs displeased and is hardly reconciled though she afterwards expresses much care and
of the people to be judged and to suborn against him two false witnesses wicked fellows Sons of Belial that would swear any thing for money that should witness that he blasphemed God * Lev. 24.15 16. Exod. 21.17 Exod. 22.28 and the King And that upon this evidence they should condemn him and then immediately carry him out and stone him as a blasphemer These Magistrates being it seems themselves wicked men having received these orders and being desirous to ingratiate themselves with Jezebel and possibly willing and forward enough to take off so good and conscientious a man as Naboth was did readily execute her bloody purpose in all particulars Accordingly they proclaimed a Fast and then arraigned innocent Naboth and condemned him upon the testimony of two false witnesses by themselves suborned and then stoned him and which was mor cruel and barbarous with him as it seems his Sons also see 2 King 9.36 which was directly against the Law of God Deut. 24.16 and against all humanity justice and common equity If this were done as some interpreters from the forementioned place suppose 't is like the reason of it was that none might be left to lay claim to the Vineyard and so it might be forfeited to the King These things being done these good Magistrates gave notice to Jezebel that they had executed her commands and Naboth was dead Jezebel hearing this went to Ahab and bad him go and take possession of Naboths Vineyard for now it was his Ahab accordingly goes down to Jezreel for that purpose At the same time the word of the Lord came to Elijah and bad him go and meet Ahab whose chief residence was at Samaria but he was now in Jezreel and at this present in the Vineyard of Naboth which he was gone to take possession of and possibly was now giving orders about it The Lord bad him when he came to him to speak to him after this manner What! hast thou killed and taken possession Well I tell thee from the Lord according †V. 19. Aliqui vertunt propterea quod aut eo quod aut quemadmodum Vide Belgic Annot. Poli. as the dogs have licked the blood of Naboth so shall they lick thy blood even thine * And thus the dogs licked the blood of Ahab in the Pool of Samaria Ch. 22.38 and the dogs licked the blood of Joram Ahabs Son 2 King 9.26 And his dead body was cast out into that very place of ground where Naboth was stoned it was also in part fulfilled in Jezebel her self See v. 33. of that Chapter It argued a mighty faith and courage in Elijah that he durst deliver such a message as this to Ahab his servants and Courtiers being about him But Gods holy Prophets when strengthned by him were as bold as Lions Ahab hearing the Prophet speak thus to him What says he hast thou found me O mine enemy What shall I never be at quiet for thee Thus wicked men count those their enemies who tell them of their faults Elijah replies Yes indeed I have found thee and am come to denounce Gods judgments against thee because thou hast sold thy self to do evil †If Ahab was not acquainted with the design of murthering Naboth yet he punished not the actors of it but approv'd and ratify'd it by taking possession of his Vineyard and as it were wholly yielded up thy self to the service of the Devil to do his will and to work that which is evil in the sight of the Lord see 2 King 17.17 therefore thus saith the Lord I will bring evil upon thee and take away thy posterity and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall (a) See Notes on Ch. 14.10 and him that is shut up and left in Israel And will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the Son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha (b) See Ch. 16.3 4 11. the Son of Ahijah for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger and thereby hast made Israel to sin And as for Jezebel the dogs shall eat her by the wall of Jezreel And as for him of the house of Ahab that dieth in the City the dogs shall eat (c) None need wonder at these dreadful things denounced against Ahab for there was none of the Kings of Israel before him like unto him for he sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord Jezebel his wise stirring him up He did very abominably in following Idols and that after the manner of the Amorites even the worst of the heathens whom God cast out before the children of Israel and him that dieth in the fields the fowls of the air shall eat Elijah having delivered this dreadful message departed Ahab hearing these dismal words rent his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went softly that is slowly and heavily as sorrowful men and mourners used to do Thus Ahab humbled himself out of fear of the vengeance threatned against him but did not truly repent of his sins he had committed However hereupon the Lord spake to Elijah again saying Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me That the world therefore may see how well I accept of true repentance and serious humiliation I will so far regard this seeming humiliation of his though I know he is not truly penitent that I will defer these my threatned judgments during his life and will in his Sons days bring these evils upon his hous◠'T is like Elijah was to acquaint Ahab herewith and thus God makes his Prophets messengers of good tidings as well as of evil And from hence we may observe how effectual true repentance and serious humiliation and contrition is and what it may assuredly expect from God when such an humiliation as this of Ahabs was so far regarded 1 King 21. wh Ch. We have shewed before that upon the Covenant made between Ahab and Benhadad Ch. 20.34 there was a cessation of arms between them for three years but Ramoth-Gilead * It was a goodly City and belonged to the Levites and was a City of refuge Josh 21.38 therefore no wonder he was unwilling it should be any longer in the hands of the Syrians not being all this while restored by Benhadad Ahab at last resolved to take it out of his hands by force It seems Jehoshaphat King of Judah was now come to visit Ahab 'T was strange that a King of Judah should go down to visit a King of Israel none of his predecessors had ever done it before him but more strange that a worshipper of the true God should go to visit such an Idolater as Ahab was See 2 Chron. 19.2 However Jehoshaphat being there Ahab took occasion to speak to his Counsellors of State after this manner Do you not forget that Ramoth-Gilead that goodly City a City of the Levites and a City of refuge is ours and should have been restored to
there whereupon the dead man as soon as he touched the bones of Elisha revived and stood upon his feet By this miracle God gave testimony to the sanctity and holiness of Elisha that the people might be induced to believe what he had Prophesied concerning their smiting the Syrians and hereby also he confirmed to them the hope of a resurrection and a future life after this But to proceed though Hazael oppressed Israel all the days that Jehoahaz reigned alone as we shewed before yet it pleased the Lord to make Joash very successful against the Syrians so that in the days of Benhadad Son of Hazael he did according to Elisha's Prophesie obtain three notable victories over them and recovered out of their hands the Cities his Father had lost For the Lord was gracious unto the Israelites and had compassion on them because of his Covenant * This Covenant is often set down as the ground of Gods doing good to Israel Psa 105.8 with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and would not destroy them as yet nor cast them out of his favour nor out of the land which he had chosen for his habitation though he did it afterwards they persisting in their Idolatry and other sins Joash also conquered Amaziah King of Judah and took him prisoner and brake down four hundred cubits of the wall of Jerusalem even from the Gate of Ephraim to the corner-gate And having gotten from him all the Treasure both of the Temple and of the Kings house returned to Samaria as is more fully related in the life of Amaziah Joash now died and was buried in Samaria and Jeroboam his Son reigned in his stead 2 King 13. from 10 to the end 2 King 14. from 8 to the 17. JEroboam the second the third of the race of Jehu reigned forty one years to wit fourteen years and upwards with Amaziah The 13th King of Israel JEROBOAM the second and twenty seven in the days of Vzziah he did evil in the sight of the Lord and followed the Idolatry of Jeroboam the first the Son of Nebat 2 King 14.23 24. In his days those three eminent Prophets Jonah Hosea and Amos Prophesied God sending to Israel extraordinary Prophets and more in number than he did to the Kingdom of Judah intending by them to supply the defect and want of the ordinary Priests and Levites Jonah The Prophesie of JONAH was of Gath-Hepher a Town in the Tribe of Zebulun in Galilee of the Gentiles Isa 9.1 which confutes that of the Pharisees to Nicodemus Joh. 7.52 who said that out of Galilee arose no Prophet This Prophet when the Syrians sorely oppressed Israel foretold that Jeroboam Joash's Son should deliver Israel out of their hands and avenge the wrongs they had done them We read not indeed before of any such Prophesie but hence it is certain that there was such an one and it might be in the days of Jehoahaz when in his trouble he prayed unto the Lord and the Lord heard him Ch. 13.3 4. Jeroboam accordingly recovered all the land of the two Tribes and half beyond Jordan taken by the Syrians even from Hamath a City near Damascus which was the Northern entrance into Canaan to the Sea of the Plain or Dead-Sea in the South and also so far prevailed against them that he recovered from them Damascus and Hamath which formerly belonged to Judah and joined them to his own Kingdom see 2 Sam. 8.6 2 Chron. 8.3 for the Lord saw the affliction of Israel which in the days of Jehoahaz not long before this was very bitter for at that time none were safe whether shut up in a place of defence or left abroad neither could the King of Israel or any of his Princes help them against their enemies nor could they get any foreign succour And the Lord had not as yet determin'd to blot out the name of Israel from under heaven nor utterly to destroy them from being a Kingdom though afterwards he did so determine they going on in their sins and therefore for the present he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam 2 King 14. from 25 to 29. The Israelites continuing as it seems impenitent under the preaching of Jonah the Lord sent him to Nineveh the Metropolis and chief City of the Assyrian Empire to cry against it for its great wickedness But being afraid to go he fled to Joppa and there taking ship intended to go to Tarshish in Cilicia the clean contrary way but he was followed with a tempest and being thrown overboard was swallowed up by a Whale he continued in the Whales belly three days and three nights which was a resemblance of Christs lying in the grave and to that end thrice alluded unto and alledged by our Saviour himself Mat. 12.40 Ch. 16.4 Luk. 11.29 * Not that the correspondence is in all points exact and absolute either for the space of three whole days or three whole nights but this of Jonas was the fittest and nearest shadow of Christs lying in the grave that the Scripture did afford Being miraculously kept alive in the Whales belly he prayeth earnestly to the Lord to have pity upon him and so the Whale vomited him out upon the dry land Being sent a second time to Nineveh he obeys and going thither He cried Forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed This threatning implied a condition viz. if they did not repent in that time †Intelligenda est haec comminatio rebus sic manentibus Deum autem miserturum si resipiscerent And they repenting God spared the City for that time and justified his sparing of them against the angry Prophets repining at it And this is the sum of the History of Jonab but there is no Prophesie of his left either against Israel or Judah Another eminent Prophet whom the Lord raised up at that time was HOSEA The Prophesie of HOSEA he Prophesied very many years some think about seventy in the days of four Kings of Judah viz. from Vzziah to Hezekiah and of seven Kings of Israel viz. from this Jeroboam the second to Hoshea He threatens the ruin and desolation of this Kingdom of Israel though it was now in its highest flourish under Jeroboam the most prosperous and victorious King that ever reigned over the Ten Tribes which ruin he himself lived to see continuing in his Prophetick function to the reign of Hezekiah in the sixth year of whose reign the Kingdom of Israel came to its final end He is sent principally to Israel yet hath a word of Prophesie to Judah also This Prophet delivers his Prophesie 1. In types and figurative representations in his three first Chapters 2. In plain and express terms in which he charges them with their heinous Idolatry and other horrible iniquities against both Tables whereof all conditions among them were guilty He threatens judgments exhorts them to repent promises mercies to the penitent All these are intermix'd and gone over and over again in the
Idolatrous Ahab and curs'd Jezabel But O how often and how easily does interest of State and worldly policy make Religion truckle under it And the Kingdom felt the sad effects of this match not long after About the 17th year of his reign and the 22th of Ahab making his Son Jehoram Viceroy in his absence with a great train and as it seems accompanied with some troops of Souldiers he went down to Samaria to visit Ahab None of his Predecessors had ever done so before and for Jehoshaphat a worshipper of the true God to go down to such an Idolater as Ahab was may seem very strange But being come to Samaria Ahab entertained him and his followers very magnificently and killed sheep and oxen in abundance to feast them But had not the Lord been more merciful to Jehoshaphat than he was wise for himself he had paid dear for his entertainment for when he was there Ahab perswaded him to go up with him to fight against the Syrians and to take in Ramoth-Gilead where Jehoshaphat was in great danger and Ahab was killed as we may see more particularly in the life of Ahab When Jehoshaphat returned home the Prophet Jehu the Son of Hanani who reproved Asa 1 Chron. 16.7 met him and said to him Shouldst thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord was it for thee to join thy self in such a strict league of friendship with such an Idolatrous wretch such an enemy to God and all goodness as Ahab was Therefore is wrath * Jehoshaphat soon felt the effects of this denunciation in that invasion of the Moabites and Ammonites which followed after 1 Chro. 20.1 and in the dissention that began at present among his own sons which was the seed of that horrible slaughter which his Eldest Son afterwards made of them 1 Chron. 21.4 coming upon thee from the Lord that is God is highly displeased with thee and hath determined to pour out his displeasure upon thee Nevertheless there are good things found in thee in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land and hast prepared thine heart to seek the Lord therefore the Lord will deal gently with thee and even in judgment remember mercy Jehoshaphat being awakened with this reproof of the Prophet he went out and visited his Kingdom from Beersheba the South border to Mount Ephraim the North border thereof and reduced those who he understood had revolted from the Lord unto Idolatry false worship or wickedness of life and reformed what he found out of order among them He also set up Judges in all the fenced Cities of Judah and said to them Take heed what you do ye judg not for man that is meerly in the name and by the authority of man but for the Lord to whom ye must give account and who is with you in the judgment seeing all ye do and is ready to protect you if you judg uprightly and to punish you if you deal unjustly Wherefore let the fear of the Lord be upon you be afraid to do any thing that may offend him Take heed to your office and execute it justly and as you ought to do For there is no iniquity with the Lord our God neither will he favour it therefore let there be none in you God is no respecter of persons nor will be swayed with outward considerations nor will be bribed to do any thing that is unjust and therefore see that you imitate him therein Jehoshaphat had also an especial care over his great City Jerusalem to keep it in good order And therefore when he and those that attended him returned thither he there set up the high Court or Council call'd the Sanhedrin consisting of Levites Priests and the Elders of the people to which all appeals were to be made from inferiour Courts and to which all causes of difficulty were to be referred So that they were for the judgment of the Lord that is to judge in matters Ecclesiastical concerning which God had determined in his word what should be done and for controversies that is to judge in matters meerly civil And he charged them saying Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord faithfully and with an upright heart whatever cause shall come before you of your brethren between blood and blood that is between blood shed willingly and unwillingly and casually or between Law and commandment statute and judgment that is when each party shall pretend they have the Law on their side and so one shall alledge one Law and another another ye shall rightly interpret the Law to them and warn them that they trespass not against the Lord by wresting the Law to what it never intended If you do otherwise wrath from the Lord will come upon you and your brethren But if you rightly warn and direct the people ye shall not trespass therein either against God or your brethren And behold Amariah the chief Priest is over you in all matters of the Lord that is in all matters Ecclesiastical that concern Religion and the worship of God and Zebadiah the Son of Ishmael a chief ruler of the house of Judah is over you for all the Kings matters that is for all matters of State or controversies or pleas that concern the Crown and the Levites shall be Officers for you and ready to attend you and to carry your orders and directions unto others and to see them executed Lastly let me exhort you to do courageously and assure your selves the Lord shall be with the good and such as are careful and conscientious in the doing of their duties to assist and protect them and to bless their persons and endeavours About the 18th year of his reign there being no King in Edom 1 King 22.47 but only a Deputy set over them by the King of Judah Jehoshaphat took that advantage to build for himself a Fleet at Ezion-Geber which was in Edoms Territories to go to Tarshish and Ophir to fetch Gold Ahaziah the wicked Son of Ahab desired to go sharer with him in that Fleet and that his servants might go along with Jehoshaphats servants 1 King 22.49 At first Jehoshaphat refused it but afterwards as it seems upon Ahaziahs importunity consented to it See 2 Chron. 20.35 36. Thereupon the Prophet Eleazar came to him and reproved him for it and foretold him that his ships should be broken which accordingly so came to pass in the very Port of Ezion-Geber 2 Chron. 20. from v. 25 to the end Sometime after the Moabites and with them probably some of the Syrians and especially of the Edomites that dwelt on mount Seir. See v. 10. gathered together to invade Judea Possibly Jehoshaphat's late aiding Ahab in his wars against Syria gave occasion to this invasion Immediately Jehoshaphat was inform'd that a very formidable and great multitude was coming against him from the other side of the Dead Sea out of Syria * Syria must be here taken in a general and large
taking this advantage forthwith she laid hold on the Princes of the blood and those of the Royal family that remained in Judah and slew them although some of them as 't is like her own Grandchildren so cruel and bloody are the minds of Idolaters But by the wonderful Providence of God it happened that Joash an infant-son of Ahaziah escaped her hands for Jehoshaba the wife of Jehoiada the High Priest got him away and hid him with his nurse in a private Chamber belonging to the Temple Athaliah did these strange and unnatural things that she might quietly possess the Royal Throne and set up the worship of Baal again in the Kingdom And some conjecture that she had Sons by some other man besides Jehoram whom she desired to promote to the Crown perhaps some of those who brake up the house of God and bestowed the dedicated things thereof upon Baal as we read 2 Chron. 24.7 For the Sons of Athaliah that wicked woman had broken up the house of God and all the dedicated things thereof did they bestow upon Baalim Athaliah having thus usurped the Crown she reigned about six years 2 Chron. 22.10 11 12. 1 King 11. from 1 to 4. The 8th that reigned in Judah was JOASH AThaliah having usurped the Crown and reigned about six years during which time she had much promoted the worship of Baal in Judah at length Jehoiada the High Priest began to think of setling this young Joash in the Throne to whom it did belong not only by natural right being the former Kings Son but by vertue of the promise made by God to David and his posterity 2 Sam. 7.13 16. Having therefore imparted this secret to five Captains of the land in whose fidelity he had most confidence and he and they having made a Covenant to do their utmost to depose Athaliah the Vsurper and to set up Joash and to pull down Idolatry and establish the true Religion afterwards by their means he drew in others of the principal men of the Kingdom both Levites and others procuring them to meet at Jerusalem in order to the carrying on of the design And accordingly they being met together in some Chamber of the Temple and having taken an Oath of secresie and fidelity he shewed them the Kings Son Then they resolved how the business should be manag'd the next Sabbath-day in every particular The Levites were by an order long since established among them by David divided in twenty four Companies which did in their courses each company a week perform the service of the Temple the rest abiding in their private dwellings in the several Cities of Judah and so every Sabbath-day they that served the week before went out and another company came in to serve in their rooms In each company there were a great many of these Levites besides Porters and Singers Now because Jehoiada and his Associates were not able to bring together secretly so many trusty and serviceable hands of the Country as would be sufficient to manage this great business therefore he resolv'd to arm the Levites for the work having secretly laid in the Chambers of the Temple some arms and weapons for the purpose And that the Levites whom he intended to employ in this business might be the stronger he took in the new company that were to come in on the Sabbath-day and did not dismiss the old that should have gone out but retained them still and so by that means without any noise he made up such a number as he thought would be able to deal with the Queens ordinary Guards if need should be All these Levites therefore he disposes under the command of several Captains either such as were principal men among the Levites or others whom he had sworn his associates in this design in this manner Those that were to enter into the service of the Temple that Sabbath-day he divided into three Companies One Company whereof he assigned to watch at the Gate of the outer Court viz. the North-gate that led to the Kings Palace where Athaliah now was Another company he assign'd to the East * Call'd the Gate of Shur or the Gate of the foundation 2 King 11.6 Gate that led into the City A third company to the South-gate Those Levites that should have gone out from the service of the Temple he divided into two companies and appointed them to be a Guard in the Temple unto the Kings person the one on his right hand and the other on his left Then he gave to the Captains for themselves and their men King David's Spears and Shields See 1 Sam. 21.9 2 Sam. 8.7 viz. such weapons as were there reserved as Trophies and monuments of David's victories which weapons of war were some of those things dedicated by David and brought into the Temple by Solomon 1 King 7.51 Thus this Guard of Levites stood every man with his weapon in his hand and Jehoiada charged them to look to it that their watches were not disordered by the breaking in of any body and that if any offered to break through their ranks by force they should slay them Things being thus ordered he brought forth the Kings Son to them and set him on the Brazen Scaffold and Jehoiadah and his Sons anointed him and put the Crown upon his head and gave into his hands the Testimony that is the Book wherein the Law of God was written and wherein was testified what God required of his people and what they might expect from him in case of obedience These things being done all there present made a great acclamation and cried out God save the King Then Jehoiada made a Covenant between the Lord and the King and the people viz. that the King should serve the Lord and maintain his pure worship and root out Idolatry and that the people should join with him therein and should fear and serve the Lord and him only and every way carry themselves as became his peo-people Then he made a Covenant between the King and the people viz. that the King should govern them righteously and that they should yield due obedience unto him Athaliah being at the Palace which was near the Temple and hearing these great loud acclamations of the peo-people and of such as in the great Court stood about the King she with a few of her servants that were about her rusht into the Temple through the Guards and when she came to the great Court she saw the King standing by the Pillar on the Brazen Scaffold with the Crown on his head and the Trumpeters about him blowing and all the people there present wonderfully rejoicing upon this she rent her clothes and cried out Treason Treason Jehoiada immediately commanded the Officers and Commanders to lay hold on her and to have her out of the ranges and and to kill any man that offered to rescue her and to carry her out of the Temple and to slay her which accordingly they did in the
the Lord therefore was his sin highly aggravated and this brand and black mark set on him This is that King Ahaz viz. that trespassed so heinously against the Lord. When Ahaz had thus made himself a vassal and tributary to the King of Assyria which vassalage his Son soon shook off See 2 King 18.7 he quickly found that he had received more hurt than help from him as the Prophet had before intimated to him Isa 7.20 In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired namely by them beyond the River by the King of Assyria the head and the hair of the feet and it shall also consume the beard For though the King of Assyria to serve his own turn vanquished Damascus yet he impoverish'd Ahaz and did not restore to him any of those Cities which his enemies had taken from him nor did him any other good in recompence of those great treasures which he had given him and perhaps he did otherways distress him As Tiglath-pileser went up against Damascus and took it and slew Rezin as hath been said before so he shortly after as it seems invaded the land of Israel and made that great havock of which we read 2 King 15.29 In the days of Pekah King of Israel came Tiglath-pileser King of Assyria and took Ijon and Abel-beth-Maacah and Junoah and Kedesh and Hazor and Gilead and Galilee all the land of Naphtali and carried them captive to Assyria See more hereof in the life of Pekah Ahaz towards the latter end of his reign set up a stately Dial which afterwards afforded a miraculous sign to his Son Hezekiah though he himself refus'd to ask a sign In the last year of his reign he set up his Son Hezekiah with him in the Kingdom Ahaz now dying was buried in Jerusalem but not among the Kings he having been so great an Idolater The Prophet Isaiah this year forewarns the Moabites of a great calamity that would befall them within three years after See Isaiah 15.1 Ch. 16.14 2 King 16. wh Ch. 2 Chron. 28. whole Chapter Isai 7. from v. 1 to 17. The 13th that reigned in Judah HEZEKIAH HEZEKIAH being taken by his Father into the Government in the last year of his reign from that time being the latter end of the third year of Hoshea * Though Hoshea was confirmed King in the twelfth year of Ahaz and so is said then to begin to reign in Samaria yet because he reigned then only as Viceroy under the King of Assyria the nine years of his absolute reign are not reckoned till he cast off the Assyrian Yoke and took upon him to reign as absolute King which was it seems two years after viz. in the 14th year of Ahaz and so the third of Hoshea was indeed the first of Hezekiah's reign King of Israel he reigned twenty nine years in Jerusalem His Mother's name was Abi or Abijah the daughter of Zachariah If she was as 't is supposed the daughter of that Zachariah by whom so long as he lived Vzziah was kept in the way of truth 2 Chron. 26.5 we may well think that her piety manifested in this religious education of her Son was a chief means under God that he proved so zealous for the cause of true Religion though his Father was so extreamly wicked He was twenty five years old when he began to reign and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that David his Father had done and removed the high places which neither Jehoshaphat nor any of the good Kings of Judah had done before 2 K. 18. fr. 1 to 4. 2 Chr. 29.1 2. In the first year of his reign in the first month Abib he opened the doors of the Lords house which his Father had caused to be shut up 2 Chron. 28.24 and repaired and adorned them by overlaying them with Gold Then assembling the Priests and Levites together in the East-street * The Street before the entrance to the great gate of the House of the Lord. whom his Father had forced to abide in their Cities and suburbs shutting them out of the house of the Lord he like a pious and prudent Prince spake to them after this manner Hear now ye Priests and Levites and attend unto the words which I shall speak unto you I require you in the first place to sanctifie your selves and to sanctifie the house of the Lord God of your Fathers and to carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place that is to cleanse it of all Idols and all those things which Idolaters used in their worship For our Fathers both mine and yours have trespassed and done that which was evil in the sight of the Lord and have forsaken him and have turn'd away their faces from the habitation of the Lord and turned their backs upon it that is have openly basely and opprobriously forsaken the worship appointed by him in his Temple see Jer. 2.27 and have shut up the doors of the Porch and not suffered the lamps to be lighted in the Temple nor the incense to be burnt neither have they offered the burnt-offerings unto the Lord in the holy place as they should have done therefore the wrath of God was upon Judah and Jerusalem and he hath delivered them up to great trouble even to the astonishment and hissing of strangers as you have seen with your eyes For lo our Fathers have fallen by the sword and our wives sons and daughters have been led into captivity for their great transgressions Now seeing Reformation is a special means to divert the wrath of God it is in my heart to make a Covenant with the Lord God of Israel and thereby to engage my self and my people to a real reformation that so his fierce wrath may turn away from us Wherefore my Sons stir up your selves be not ye negligent for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him and to burn incense unto him therefore be not wanting to your duties and to perform the ordinances of his house as he requires The King having ended his speech several of the Priests and Levites taking courage thereat sanctified themselves and according to the Kings command which they saw was agreeable to the word of God they came to cleanse the Temple and upon the eighth day of the first month entring in at the Porch they began to cleanse the house of the Lord and spent eight days in cleansing the Holy of Holies and the holy place and the Porch and then spent eight days more in cleansing the Courts appertaining to the house and having brought out all the uncleanness and filthiness and Idolatrous trash they found in the Temple the Levites carried it out and threw it into the brook Kidron Then they came to the King and told him what they had done viz. that they had cleansed the whole house of the Lord and the Altar of Burnt-offering with all the vessels thereto appertaining
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
them that led them away and God will move their hearts to let them return and come again into their own land For the Lord our God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you if you turn unto him by true repentance So the Posts passed from City to City through the Country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun but most of them it seems laughed them to scorn and mocked at them for this their message However divers of Asher Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves under the hand of God for their former sins and came to Jerusalem But in Judah the hand and power of God eminently appeared in making them unanimous and giving them as it were one heart and one mind to do the commandment of the King and of his Princes which was guided by and grounded on the word of the Lord. And there assembled at Jerusalem very many people to keep the Feast of the Passover in the second month and being there met they arose and took away the Altars that were in Jerusalem viz. those that Ahaz had made both the Altars of burnt-offerings and the Altars of incense and cast them into the brook Kidron Then they killed the Passover on the 14th day of the second month and the Priests and the Levites that had been before backward were now asham'd of their backwardness seeing the forwardness of other Levites and of the people themselves and they sanctified themselves and brought in the burnt-offerings into the house of the Lord and did what belonged to their office And they stood and officiated in their proper places wherein each order was appointed to stand as they were accustom'd to do before Ahaz's time who put them all out of order The Porters stood in their places the Singers in theirs and the Levites that assisted the Priests in theirs according to the ordinances delivered by Moses The Priests also sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice upon the Altar having received it from the hands of the Levites And then there being many of the Priests that were not sanctified the Levites that were sanctified had the charge of killing the Paschal lambs and other sacrifices that were to be offered And this was done to keep the sacrifices from being polluted as they would have been if unsanctified persons had offered them And many of the people that were of the Tribe of Ephraim and Manasseh Issachar and Zebulun had not cleansed themselves according to those rites that were enjoined to such as were to eat of the Passover and yet through ignorance did adventure to eat of the Passover whereupon God gave some visible evidence of his displeasure against them which Hezekiah observing prayed to the Lord for them saying Good Lord pardon every one that setteth his heart in truth and sincerity to seek the Lord God of his Fathers though he hath failed through ignorance in the use of those external rites of cleansing required of him and is not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary nor hath used such means of purifying himself as are prescrib'd to such as come to Gods holy place And the Lord heard the prayer of Hezekiah and remov'd the judgment he had inflicted on them So they kept the Feast of the Passover seven days with great gladness and the Priests and the Levites praised the Lord day by day singing and praising the Lord on loud instruments of musick And Hezekiah encouraged and spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledg of the Lord and the people did eat joyfully every day of the Feast and offered peace-offerings and made confession of their sins to the Lord. And the King Princes and Priests and all the chief of the assembly advising together resolved to keep other seven days to the Lord which though it was besides the Law yet the case being extraordinary God accepted their holy zeal and they did accordingly keep them with great gladness And the King gave to that great assembly and congregation a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep and the Princes gave them a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep that they might offer part to the Lord and eat the remainder themselves in those days of Feasting and that those of the Ten Tribes that were there present might be the better entertained And a great number of Priests though they were backward before yet now seeing the great need of their pains and beholding the zeal of others they sanctified themselves and put themselves on to forward the service of the Lord. And that vast congregation of all sorts there met together greatly rejoiced and there was such joy in Jerusalum at this time as since the days of Solomon and the division of the Kingdoms there had not been the like And the Priests that descended from Levi blessed the people according to Numb 6.23 c. and their voice was heard and their prayer came up to Gods holy dwelling place even to Heaven and the blessing which the Priests pronounced God was pleased to ratifie 2 Chron. 30. wh Ch. When these things were finished all the Israelites which were there present about the end of the 2d said month being incouraged by the King went forth through all the other Cities of Judah and brake down the Images and cut down the Groves and destroyed the high places and Altars throughout the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and even throughout all the Cities of Ephraim and Manasseh that were under the dominion of the King of Judah until they had finished the work they went about which being done they returned every one to his own home in their several Countries 2 Chron. 31.1 Hezekiah went yet further and brake in pieces the brazen Serpent which Moses had set up Numb 21.9 to cure such as were stung with fiery Serpents which being kepâ— as a monument of Gods grace goodnâ—ss and mercy to them many of the people were so superstitious as to yield to it Divine honour this good King therefore brake it in pieces that God might be no longer dishonoured by it For when things lawful and useful are perverted to Idolatry they may lawfully be destroyed And Hezekiah called it Nehustan that is a little piece of brass intimating to them there was no deity in it and therefore no worship to be done unto it 2 King 18.4 Then King Hezekiah took order that the Priests and Levites should serve every one of them in his office and course and should minister and do the service belonging to their places and praise the Lord in the gates of the tents of the Lord that is within the gates of the Temple which by reason of the several Courts and buildings and Chambers belonging to it were as Tents in a Camp for the several orders of Ministers that belonged to it to lodg in And whereas the morning and evening-sacrifice and the sacri ices appointed for the Sabbaths and New-Mâ—ons and other set and solemn Festivals were ordinarily to
be taken out of the offerings which were laid up in the Treasuries of the Temple and those being much exhausted by Ahaz and the people being much impoverished by inrodes of enemies Hezekiah for the ease of the people appointed a portion for and towards these sacrifices out of his own revenue He commanded also the people that dwelt at Jerusalem to give to the Priests and Levites the portion and maintenance that by the Law belonged to them that so being freed from distracting worldly cares they might the better attend to their work and might search into and study and meditate on the Law of God and faithfully expound it to the people teaching them to perform the duties therein commanded And the children of Israel in and about Jerusalem when this command was first given brought in abundance of the first-fruits of corn wine and oyl and honey and of the things that grew out of the earth and the tythe of all things that were by the Law injoined And those that dwelt in the Cities of Judah brought in the tythe of oxen and sheep and all other things which were ordained to be set apart from the rest of their goods as being consecrated unto God and given to the Priests and Levites And they brought in so abundantly that they laid them by heaps and they began to make those heaps and to bring in their tythes to the house of the Lord in the third month which was the beginning of their harvest and finished them in the seventh month when they gathered all other fruits of the land and which was counted the last of their harvest And therefore the Feast of Tabernacles which was in that month was called the feast of ingathering in the end of the year Exod. 23.16 When Hezekiah and the Princes came and saw those heaps which were many and great ones they blessed the Lord for stirring up the people to bring in their tythes so chearfully and so plentifully and blessed the people for their forwardness therein Then the King asked the Priests and Levites how it came to pass seeing there were many of them that they had spent no more of the provisions brought in for them Azariah the chief Priest of the house of Zadock made this answer Be Be pleas'd to understand O King that since the people began to bring in their first-fruits and tythes into the house of the Lord we have had enough to eat and have left a great deal besides For God hath so abundantly blessed his people that their offerings have not only yeilded us sufficient provision but this overplus which thou seest here is also left Then the King commanded that they should prepare Chambers and storehouses wherein to lay up what remained for the future and ordered that the tythes and offerings and dedicate things should be laid up in them and appointed Cononiah the Levite and Shimei his brother to be Treasurers and to keep an account of what was brought in and what was delivered out according to the order established 1 Chron. 26.20 Then there are ten set down by name who were overseers under them by the command of the King and the high Priest who had the chief rule over those that belonged to the house of the Lord. And Core who was Porter at the East-gate and six under him had charge to distribute the oblations and tythes to the Priests and Levites and that to all sorts of them as they were set in their several courses both great and small viz. to every one what was sufficient for him And they were to distribute them also to the young ones who were in their Genealogies of males from three years old and upward and to those that were registred in the Genealogies of Priests and Levites from twenty years old and upward who came in their particular courses to do service in the house of the Lord. Nay further they were to distribute them to all their little ones that were registred though under three years and to their wives sons and daughters throughout the whole multitude or congregation of Priests and Levites for they having sanctified themselves in their distinct offices for the holy service of the Temple they had not time or leisure to provide temporal things for themselves their wives and children as others had And besides those persons before mentioned that were to distribute the holy things to those that dwelt at Jerusalem or came up thither in their several courses to perform their service at the Temple there were others also of the Priests chosen that dwelt in the other Cities of the Kingdom that were to give portions to the Priests and Levites whose names were registred according to their Families who were then abiding in those places and not attending at the Temple This care did Hezekiah take throughout all Judah and he did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord and he did it in truth and sincerity And in every work that he began relating to the service of the house of the Lord and to the observance of the Moral Law and the ordinances about Divine worship by all which he took care that God might be duly sought unto and honoured and obeyed he did it uprightly and with a fervent zeal and the Lord prospered him therein 2 Chron. 31. from v. 2 to the end About this time as 't is supposed that Copy of Solomon's Proverbs mentioned Prov. 25.1 was found and transcribed by some of Hezekiah's servants out of the old Manuscript which was as 't is like much spotted and soiled with time and neglect Further we are to observe what an excellent character is given of Hezekiah 2 King 18.5 6. viz. that he trusted in the Lord God of Israel so that after him there was none like him among all the Kings of Judah since the rent of the Kingdoms nor before him He excelled those that went before him in removing the high places which neither Jehoshaphat nor any of the good Kings of Judah had hitherto done But as for those that were after him some may object that which is said of Josiah 2 King 23.25 viz. that there was no King before him like unto him But to this we may answer that though Josiah excelled Hezekiah in some things yet in other things Hezekiah excelled him For Hezekiah was the first that removed the high places but when Josiah removed them he had Hezekiah's example to encourage him therein and Hezekiah was more successful in war than Josiah They were indeed both excellent Princes though in some things the one might excell the other 'T is further said of Hezekiah that he clave to the Lord and departed not from following him but kept his commandments And the Lord was with him and he prospered him in all his enterprizes As in particular in his wars against the Philistines against whom he mightily prevailed and took all those Cities from them which they had taken from his father Ahaz see 2 Chron. 28.18 But we
for the correction only and not destruction of his people v. 12. Then after an humble expostulation with the Lord that he should use such wicked instruments as executioners of his judgments upon his own people that were more righteous than they He expresses his resolution to wait with patience for the Lords answer from v. 13. to the end and Ch. 2. v. 1. 4ly We have Gods answer to the Prophets replication which he commands him to publish expound and make plain to his Auditors telling him that the accomplishment of the vision should not be presently but in Gods due time and therefore it would be a sign of a proud and impatient heart in them not to wait for it whereas 't is the duty of the godly to live by faith in the worst of times Then the Lord shews that he will punish the Chaldeans for their intemperance pride and insatiableness for their covetousness haughtiness and bloody cruelty for their drunkenness and notorious gross Idolatry The Prophet acquiesces in this answer from the Lord and testifies his submission in an holy prayer which he thereupon makes wherein having shew'd how much he was affected at the hearing of Gods decree to punish the Jews by the Chaldeans he prays notwithstanding that the Lord would please to revive his Church in their troubles and make known his love and favour to them in the midst of their punishment and in wrath remember mercy He urges his petition with arguments taken from Gods bringing Israel out of Egypt from the glorious manifestation of himself at Sinai at the giving of the Law from his active power and strength metaphorically set forth by his having horns coming out of his hands from the effects of his power having variety of plagues at his command and from his ruling over all Nations and setting them their bounds and giving Canaan to Israel making a path for them thorough the Red-sea and the river Jordan giving his people water out of the rock and destroying the Canaanites to give them possession of their land giving mighty victories to his people when their enemies were strong and confident Hereupon he expresses that Gods judgments now threatned against his people being so different from his former dealings with them were matter of great astonishment to him yet he must rest satisfied that the day of their trouble would come and could not be prevented In the conclusion of his prayer for a pattern to the faithful he elegantly sets forth the triumph of his own faith in and over all those sad calamities Though the fig-tree should not blossom neither should fruit be in the vine though the labour of the olive should fail and the fields should yield no meat though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there should be no herd in the stall yet he would rejoice in the Lord in the God of his salvation Ch. 3. Manasseh dying was buried in the Garden of his own house called the Garden of Vzzah 't is like this was done by his own appointment after his repentance as judging himself unworthy to be buried in the sepulchres of the Kings of Judah because of the abominations of his younger years 2 King 21.17 18. 2 Chron. 33.20 The 15th King that reigned in Judah was AMON AMON was one and twenty years old when he began to reign and reigned two years He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the evil ways his Father had walked in and served the Idols his Father had served and worshipped them and forsook the Lord God of his Fathers and walked not in his ways He renewed such Idolatrous carved images as his Father had made and sacrificed to them He did evil as his Father had done but he repented not nor humbled himself before the Lord as his Father had done but trespassed more and more 2 King 21 from 19 to 23. 2 Chron. 33. from 21 to 24. This impious King was at last slain by his own servants in his own house and his death was revenged on those servants by the people of the land who made his Son Josiah King in his stead He was buried in the same Garden his Father Manasseh was buried in 2 King 21. from v. 19. to the end 2 Chron. 33 from v. 24 to the end IOSIAH The 16th King that reigned in Judah was JOSIAH was eight years old when he began to reign the youngest King that ever sat upon the Throne of Judah and reigned thirty one years in Jerusalem He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the ways of David his Father In the eighth year of his reign and sixteenth of his life he began to seek after the God of David his Father and to inquire how he might serve the Lord aright and did openly declare and manifest his Religious care to set up and further the true worship of God and in the twelfth year of his reign and twentieth of his life he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places and the groves and the carved and molten images and from all that filth of Idolatry wherein they had so long lain which he did with a great deal of zeal and fervency of spirit 2 Chron. 34.1 2 3. 2 King 22.1 2. In the thirteenth year of his reign the Prophet Jeremy began to Prophesie Jer. 1.2 by whom doubtless Josiah was much encouraged in the ways of Piety The Collector of his Prophesies did not set down all things in the order of time as they were done but possibly as they came to his hands Jeremy Prophesied eighteen years in Josiah's time eleven in Iehoiakim's and eleven in Zedekiah's so that he bore the iniquity of the house of Iudah forty years see Ezek. 4.6 In the eighteenth year of his reign and twenty sixth of his life he began to set upon repairing of the Temple and sent Shaphat the Scribe and Maaseiah and Ioah great officers of State 2 Chron. 34.8 to Hilkiah the High Priest that the money that had been collected for that use might be delivered into the hands of the overseers of the work who were faithful men therewith to buy materials to repair the Temple (a) We do not read of any solemn repairing of it since the days of Joash 2 King 12.2 5. and now above two hundred years had passed between Joash and Josiah So that the Temple might well stand in need of repair at this time See 2 King 12.15 and the Chambers of the Priests and Levites which some of the Idolatrous Kings of Iudah had suffered to run to decay and to pay the workmen that so the work might go on Hilkiah doing accordingly and going in hand with the work as he was searching into those parts of the Temple that needed repair he found the original copy of the Law written by Moses which was at first laid up in the side of the Ark of the Covenant Deut. 31.24 25 26. which
seemeth to have been missing ever since the beginning of Manasseh's reign who possibly at first endeavoured to burn all the Books of the Law and so this Book was hid in some secret place of the Temple by some faithful Priest that it might be preserved for future times Hilkiah having found it he sent it by Shaphan the Scribe unto the King who having heard it read all over to him was exceedingly affected therewith and rent his clothes and more especially as 't is likely at those dreadful threatnings against Idolatry which are written in Levit. 26. Deut. 28. Hereupon he immediately sent to (b) Miriam and Deborah and Anna were all Prophetesses Thus the Lord is pleas'd to endue some women with the spirit of Prophesie to shew that he is not tyed to any sex Huldah a famous Prophetess who dwelt in Ierusalem in the suburbs or second part and desired her to ask counsel of the Lord for him Ieremy possibly being not then at Ierusalem but at Anathoth For Iosiah hearing those curses in the Law denounced against Idolatry and knowing how much some of his Predecessors had been guilty thereof he much seared lest the judgments threatned in that Book might fall upon him and his people and desired to know whither there might be any means to pacifie Gods wrath and prevent those judgments Huldah returned this answer Thus saith the Lord Behold I will bring evil upon this place and upon the inhabitants thereof even all the curses written in the Book which the King of Judah hath read because they have forsaken me and burnt incense to other gods and have provoked me to anger with the works of their hands viz. their idols and altars therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place and shall not be quenched intimating the utter extirpation of the Jews out of that good land but to the King of Judah who sent you say to him Thus saith the Lord as touching the words and threatnings which thou hast heard read out of the Book because thy heart was tender and soon moved at the hearing of my threatnings and thou hast humbled thy self before me when thou heardest what I spake against this place and the inhabitants thereof that they should become a desolation and a curse that is have the curses written in this Book executed upon it and hast rent thy clothes and wept before me Behold I will gather thee unto thy pious ancestors in heaven before these dreadful calamities shall fall upon this place and people and thou shalt be gathered unto thy grave in peace This answer of Huldahs being brought to the King his heart was so affected with it that to prevent if it were possible this judgment threatned he called together the Elders of Judah and Jerusalem together with the Priests and Prophets viz. Jeremy Baruck Zephany and Vriah and the people both small and great and caused one of the Levites to read in their ears all the words of the Book of the Covenant * The Law is called a Cove an t because obedâ—ence was therein requir'd on the peoples part and a blessing thereupon promised on Gods part so called because it contained the Covenant that God made with the people of Israel See 1 King 8.9 And the King stood by the Pillar on the Brasen Scaffold or on some Throne erected by a pillar in the Temple for him to stand upon at that time and there solemnly made a Covenant before the Lord in his own name and the name of the people to walk after the Lord that is to observe what he prescrib'd unto them and to keep his commandments testimonies and statutes with all their heart and with all their soul and to perform the words of the Covenant written in that Book and he caused all that were present to give their consent to it and the inhabitants of Jerusalem were the most forward to engage themselves to walk according to the Covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers and did accordingly so walk Then the King commanded Hilkiah the High Priest and the Priests that were next unto him and the Levites to bring forth out of the Temple * Josiah did begin to purge Judah and Jerusalem of Idols in the twelfth year of his reign six years before the Book of the Law was found but upon hearing those dreadful threatnings in the Law against Idolatry he now proceeded further and perfected that reformation which was then begun Therefore the Penman of the Sacred History of the Chronicles relating the Reformation that Josiah wrought in the twelfth year of his reign adds also what was done afterwards when the Book of the Law was found and speaking how he suppressed Idolatry upon the hearing of the Law read to him he joins many things of the same nature that were done in the twelfth year of his reign that all his zealous acts in rooting out Idolatry might he related together all the vessels that were made for Baal and used in his worship or in the Idolatrous worship of the Groves or of the Host of Heaven and he burnt them in the field by which the river Kidron did run and carried the ashes of them to Bethel therewith to defile the prime seat of Jeroboams Idolatry These things had been us'd by Manasseh and Amon but were set aside as it seems in some by-place of the Temple in Josiah's time and seeing still they remained there this good King's zeal would not permit them to be there any longer And he put down the Idolatrous Priests or Chemarim whom the Kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in high places in the Cities of Judah and in places round about Jerusalem He put down those also who burnt incense to Baal or to the Sun Moon and the Planets and host of heaven and he brought out the Image whereon a grove was engraven which it seems was hung up in the Temple and stampt it to powder and cast the dust thereof upon the graves of those that had worshipped Idols and sacrificed unto them 2 Chron. 34.4 And he brake down the Tents of the Sodomites that were in the grove by the house of the Lord and where the women wove hangings for those filthy tents so that in that grove they not only worshipped Idols but as it seems defiled themselves also with all manner of abominable uncleanness And he brought all the Priests that were the Sons of Aaron and had served the true God in high places out of the Cities where they had exercised that false worship and would not suffer them to live there and he defiled the high places even from Geba the North border of the Kingdom of Judah to Beersheba the South-border and beat down their Altars and burned dead mens bones on them v. 14. to make them unclean and brake down the high places that were erected at the entring of the Gates by Joshua the Governour of the City whither it seems many of the people used to
first Month in the presence of the people of Judah and Israel and the inhabitants of Jerusalem he kept the Feast of the Passover And he set the Priests in their charges and encouraged them to perform the service of the house of the Lord. And he said to the Levites that is to the Priests of the Tribe of Levi who prepared the holy things of the Lord Put the holy Ark in the house of the Lord. It seems the Ark in Amon's reign had been carried out of the most holy place possibly that some Idol might be set up in its room Or else it had been purposely carried out by some pious Priests that it might not stand there among those heathenish Idols that were brought into the Temple and now Josiah orders it to be restored to its proper place again telling the Priests that it would not now be a burden unto them it must abide in the Temple and not be carried from place to place upon their shoulders as formerly it had been before the Temple was built and they being now delivered from that burden should serve the Lord their God more faithfully and cheerfully and should serve his people also by diligently instructing them and performing those services for them that tended to their spiritual good And because several families of the Levites were appointed to attend upon the sacrifices and offerings of several families of each Tribe some being to be imploy'd in that holy service for such and such families V. 6. Prepare for your brethren Praeparate agnos pro fratribus vestris J. T. and others for others therefore he appoints them to stand in the holy place and to attend the service that was to be done according to the divisions of the families of the people and according to the division of their own families He exhorts them also to sanctifie themselves and to prepare the sacrifices for the Priests to offer that they might do their duty as God had enjoyn'd them Then Josiah gave to the people for Passover offerings viz. of lambs and kids for either of these kinds might be offered thirty thousand and for other offerings three thousand bullocks all of the herds and flocks that belonged to the King see 2 Chron. 30.24 and his Princes gave also willingly and liberally to the Priests Levites and the people and Hilkiah the High Priest and Zachariah and Jehiel who with the High Priest were Rulers over other Priests and Levites in the house of God gave to the inferiour Priests two thousand and six hundred small cattle and three hundred oxen And six eminent Levites who were Fathers and Rulers over the rest of the Levites gave unto the inferiour Levites for Passover-offerings five thousand small cattel and for other offerings five hundred oxen So all things fit and requisite for a solemn Passover were provided and made ready and the Priests stood in their place and the Levites in their order according to the Kings Commandment So they kill'd the Passover every father of a family for himself and his family and the Levites for themselves and for other Levites who were otherwise imployed and the Priests sprinkled the blood on the Altar which they received from their hands and the Levites flayed the sacrifices and they separated such sacrifices as were to be eaten from the burnt-offerings which were wholly to be consumed on the Altar that so of the rest they might give to the people partly for Paschal lambs partly for peace-offerings whereof both Priests and people were to have a share And they rosted the Passover with fire but so much of the peace-offerings as was to be prepar'd for the offerers to eat before the Lord they sod in pots and chaldrons and pans and so divided them among the people Afterwards the Levites made ready for themselves V. 15. Jeduthun is call'd the Kings Ster Heman Asaph also had this Title the reason of which see 2 King 17.13 and for the Priests who being imployed even until night in offering the burnt-offerings and the fat c. had no time to provide for themselves And the Singers stood in their places to perform their service according to the commandment of David The Porters also attended at the Gates and did not depart from their service during that solemnity and thereupon the Levites prepared for them as they had done for the Priests Thus all things that appertained to the service and worship of God and to the keeping the Passover and the offering of the burnt-offerings were duly performed that day according to the Kings command And so they kept the Passover at that time and the feast of unleavened bread seven days after And there was no Passover like to this kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the Prophet neither did any of the Kings of Israel either David or Solomon or any of the Kings of Judah since the division of the Kingdom keep such a Passover as Josiah now kept if we consider the multitude of sacrifices that were offered and freely given by the King Princes Priests and Levites and the exceeding joy of the good people that Religion was restored again to its purity among them Furthermore Josiah took away all witches and sooth-sayers all images and dunghil-gods and all abominations which were found in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem that he might perform all the words that were written in the Book that was found by Hilkiah the Priest in the house of the Lord. And there was no King that was before him in the Throne of Judah like unto him or that followed after him if we consider the fervency of his zeal for the rooting out of Idolatry and other abominations which had prevailed before his time and if we consider the innocence and integrity of his life and his diligent heeding the law of the Lord. We have indeed observed upon 2 King 18.5 that in some particulars Hezekiah excelled him but in others Josiah excelled Hezekiah as in his contrition and deep humiliation for the wickedness that prevailed before his time see 2 King 22.19 His solemn making a Covenant with the Lord and engaging his subjects therein to reform their ways his solemn keeping of the Passover his zealous purging not only Judah and Benjamin from Idolatry but the Cities of Israel under his power besides he was not puft up with pride as Hezekiah was But though Josiah was in his own person so excellent a Prince yet it seems the people though they yielded to his reformation out of awe and respect to him yet in their hearts many of them did still approve Manasseh's wicked ways * 2 Reg. 23.26 Proptet irritationes Manassis quia is Idololatriae ingentem saevitiam addiderat approbante magna parte populi and this soon appear'd after Josiah's death for all his children did quickly return to Manasseh's Idolatry and followed him in his abominations but not in his repentance and conversion The Lord thereupon said I will remove Judah out
things shall go better with them At the evening time it shall be light he prophesies also that the Doctrine of Salvation shall spread to all parts of the world and that Christ shall be King over all the earth and shall be acknowledged as the only Saviour both by Jews and Gentiles and that his name only shall be preached invocated and worshipped and that Idols shall be rejected Further a particular promise is made of the exaltation restitution and safety of converted Israel v. 10 11. and sore judgments are threatned against the enemies of the Church viz. that they shall be cut off as by a consumption v. 12. by intestine discord v. 13. by the hand of the Church v. 14. and that the stroke should reach all those means they had imployed against the Church viz. their very beasts for carriage and service should share in the plague v. 15. Next there is a promise of the conversion of many of these enemies of the Church when they shall see Gods judgments on the rest and that they shall acknowledg Christ and joyn with the Church in this publick spiritual worship which is expressed in terms taken from the outward ceremonial worship of the old Testament v. 16. And if they did not God would impart none of his blessings to them but inflict a curse upon them v. 17 18 19. Lastly there is a promise of the holiness and purity of the Church in that day there shall be upon the bells of the horses holiness to the Lord that is all the superfluities of these new converts shall be turn'd into charity and so consecrated to God and they shall offer frequent sacrifices of thanksgiving described in a way of allusion to the ancient ceremonial service and that in the time of the Messiah no people or Nation shall be excluded from the worship of God for the Nations that were before unclean shall then be holy to the Lord. Chap. 14. whole Chapter Sixth year of Darius In the sixth year of Darius towards the latter end thereof on the third day of the twelfth Month called Adar was the structure of the Temple finished about twenty years after the foundation was laid The Dedication whereof the Israelites which returned out of the Captivity celebrated with great joy and abundance of Sacrifices though it was not to be compared to the magnificent dedication of Solomons Temple of which we read 1 King 8.5 v. 63. 2 Chron. 7.5 And they set the Priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses for the service of the Temple according as Moses had enjoyned Upon the 14th day of the first Month they and the proselytes that had joyned themselves to them celebrated the first Passover in the second Temple keeping also the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great joy for that God had turned the heart of the Emperour of Persia who was now also King of Assyria towards them whereas Cambyses's had been turned against them Ezra 6. from 19 to the end The seventh year of Darius In the seventh year of Ahashuerus's reign when Esther was brought unto the King she obtained favour in his eyes above all other damsels insomuch that he put the Crown of the Kingdom upon her head and made her Queen in the room of Vashti Esth 2. from 12 to 18. Ahashuerus in honour of his new Espousals made a most sumptuous feast for all his Princes and servants and called it Esther's feast at which he eased the Provinces of many Taxes and gave gifts answerable to the state and magnificence of so great a King Esth Ch. 2. v. 18. When there was a second gathering of Virgins possibly to chose some out of them to attend upon Queen Esther Mordecai was one of the Kings Porters and attended at the Gate of the Palace It so happened that two of the Kings Chamberlains being exceedingly offended as 't is probable at the Kings putting away of Vashti on whom as 't is like they had attended and at his taking of this new Queen who was crowned with so great solemnity they conspired to take away his life This as Josephus thinks was discovered to Mordecai by a Jew who was servant to one of them Mordecai immediately discovered it to the Queen and she to the King acquainting him that Mordecai had done him this faithful service that so she might bring him into his favour Inquisition being made about this matter and it being found to be true the Conspirators were both hanged and the thing was registred in the Book that continually lay before the King for him to read in at his pleasure Esth 2. from 19 to the end Sometime after as it seems Ahashuerus promoted Haman the Son of Amadetha of the Royal stock of Agag King of the Amalekites who were ever bitter enemies to the Jews as may appear Deut. 25.17 19. and advanced him above all his Princes and commanded his servants to bow unto him and do him more than ordinary reverence Mordecai was not satisfied in conscience to pay him that respect because he was a professed enemy of Gods people and withal one of that accursed Nation against whom the Jews were by the Law bound to oppose themselves in perpetual enmity Exod. 17.16 The Apocryphal Additions of Esther do assign this as the true reason of Mordecai's refusal whom they bring in saying thus Chap. 13.12 13 14. O Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that it was neither in contempt nor pride nor for any desire of glory that I did not bow down to proud Haman I could have been content with good will for the salvation of Israel to have kissed the soles of his feet but I did this that I might not prefer the glory of man above the glory of God So far that Author But however it was Haman was desperately enraged at it yet thought it a mean revenge for him to destroy Mordecai alone and therefore resolved for his sake to be reveng'd on all his Nation and if possible to root it quite it out And for the better executing of this his bloody purpose that he might find out the most lucky and successful time as he superstitiously thought for the accomplishing of it on the first month Nisan in the twelfth year of Ahashuerus about four years after Esther was married to him he caused Pur that is a lot to be cast before him which was a kind of divination used in those times to find out what month and day would be most lucky for the accomplishing his intended revenge And the lot fell upon the twelfth and last month of the year and the thirteenth day of it And thus by the Providence of God over-ruling the superstition of this wretch a way was made for the preservation of the Jews as we shall see afterwards Haman having found out the lucky time as he thought for the accomplishing his wicked intent he comes now to the King to get leave and authority from him to put it
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
Tent slew 4000 men and giving an alarm to the whole Army at break of the day safely retreated whereupon the King marched towards him next day and they coming to an engagement Antiochus lost several hundreds more but the Jews seeing themselves overpowered retreated The King then returned to the siege and they not being well stored with provision this being the Sabbatical year at last yielded up the Town upon composition Antiochus having herein placed a Garrison marched up to Jerusalem and there made all provision possible for the gaining of it all manner of Engines being raised for the casting of fire and stones but the besieged defended themselves bravely though provisions were very short with them and the famine prevailed so much among them that they were in danger of falling into the Kings hands but before he could finish his work news came that Philip whom his father had appointed to be Guardian being returned out of Egypt was coming with the forces that Epiphanes had left in Persia and Media to recover his right usurped by Lysias Hereupon both he and his Captains were presently perswaded by Lysias because the place was strong and provisions began to fail in the Leaguer and the affairs of the Kingdom required it to make peace with the besieged and with the whole Nation of the Jews upon such terms as they required Then returning to Ptolemais the inhabitants thereof being great enemies to the Jews stickled hard to perswade him to break the League but Lysias so well argued the matter among them that he quieted their minds and confirmed the peace so that the Investiture of the commanding power in the Hasmoneans took its rise from the time of this peace agreed on betwixt Antiochus Eupator and Maccabeus The King hasting thence towards Antioch brought along with him as a prisoner Menelaus the High Priest whom Lysias accused as an Incendiary and the cause of the war whereupon by order from the King he was let down into a Tower filled with ashes and there miserably ended his life ten years after he had first usurped the Priesthood Menelaus being thus taken out of the way the King substituted in his room one Alcimus a man every whit as bad as he Indeed he was of Aaron's progeny but not of the High Priests blood and Lysias perswaded the King to transfer that dignity into another family Onias the Son of Onias the third seeing the High Priesthood conferred on Alcimus went into Egypt and after he had well insinuated himself into the affections of Ptol. Philometor and Cleopatra his wife obtained of them leave to build a Temple to God in the jurisdiction of Heliopolis answering to that at Jerusalem and that they would constitute him High Priest there See more of this in Vsher p. 467. Antiochus coming to Antioch found Philip Master thereof but setting upon it he took it by force and taking Philip therein put him to death and so quickly quieted those stirs being reserved with Lysias his Guardian though but a little time for others more dangerous Demetrius Soter Son of Seleucus Philopator the right heir to the Kingdom now escaping from Rome quickly got the Kingdom and put to death Eupator and Lysias his Guardian Alcimus who had procured from Eupator to be made High Priest being not now receivâ—d nor owned by the people for that in the days of Epiphanes he had wilfully defiled himself came to Demetrius with other Apostates to get the Priesthood confirmed to him He accused his Countrymen especially the Hasmoneans viz. Judas and his Brethren as guilty of cutting off the Kings friends and banishing them out of the Country Hereupon Demetrius sent Bacchides the Governour of Mesopotamia his trusty friend with great forces into Judea and confirmed the High Priesthood to Alcimus whom he sent back with him All their design was being arrived there by fair speeches to get Judas and his Brethren into their hands but they gave no credit to them Many of the Scribes went out to them to seek peace expecting they should have obtained it of Alcimus who was of the seed of Aaron and had now great power in the army but having gotten them into his hands he most wickedly contrary to agreement and his oath put sixty of them to death all in one day by which perfidiousness many being terrified fled from the City Then Bacchides going from Jerusalem caused many that had fled from him and several others of the Jews to be slain and cast into a great pit and so committing the care of the Country to Alcimus for the defence of which he left him some forces he returned unto the King After his departure Alcimus striving all he could to confirm himself in the Priesthood made great havock of the people Hereupon Judas went out through the whole Country taking vengeance on such as had revolted from him and so terrified those that adhered to Alcimus that they were forced to keep themselves within their Garrisons and durst not make any more incursions into the Country Alcimus apprehending danger to himself from these proceedings goes once more to Demetrius carrying along with him a Crown of Gold to present unto him For Judas and his party increasing in power would not suffer him to come near to the holy Altar at which being enraged he eagerly accused them to the King as authors of all the commotions and disturbances in Judea further complaining that he was deprived of the Priesthood the honour as he said of his Ancestors and further affirmed that as long as Maccabeus lived the Kings affairs could not be secure This being seconded by some ill-willers to the Jews and his friends Demetrius was so inflamed that sending for Nicanor one of his chiefest Princes and a bitter enemy to the Jews made him General against Judea giving him order to destroy Judas and disperse his associates the Assideans and to settle Alcimus in the High Priesthood The Jews upon the report of Nicanors approach and the Association of several Gentiles with him cast dust upon their heads and made their Supplication to God And it so happened that after a short skirmish betwixt Simon Judas's Brother and a party of Nicanors near the Village Dessaro Nicanor understanding the Courage and Resolution of Judas and his Party in defending their Country he was unwilling to run the hazard of a Battel but sent to parle with the Jews and to make peace with them upon mutual engagements of fidelity each to other And Articles being agreed upon between them the two Captains met and the Conference proved very successful and closed in a League without the Kings Privity Nicanor after this abode a while in Jerusalem and dismissed the Companies he had collected and was so taken with Judas that he continued with him some time and loved him in his heart and lived so friendly and familiarly with him that he perswaded him to marry a Wife But when that wretched fellow Alcimus observed this Correspondence between them he addressed
which was the whole breadth of the Oracle Their two inward wings touched each other and the two ends of their outward wings touched the wall of the house Under their two inward wings stood Moses's Ark and Cherubims These Cherubims were so made as the parts of them might be taken asunder See 2 Chron. 3.10 and they were the most splendid ornament of the whole Temple and carried away as 't is probable by the rapacious Babylonians at the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar 1 King 6. from 23. to 29. 2 Chron. 3. from 10. to the 14. These four Cherubims in the 1 Chron. 28.18 are likened to a Chariot of four wheels whereon the Divine Majesty did sit or ride and uttered intelligibly his Sacred Oracles See Psal 99.1 Thirdly Besides the Ark and these glorious Cherubims it appears from Heb. 9.4 that within the Holy of Holies was placed Aaron's Rod that budded and the pot of Manna * See the Apostolical History on Heb. 9.4 Numb 17.10 and the Golden Censer of Aaron Lastly In the time of Moses there was also the Book of the Law call'd by some Deuteronomion laid on the side of the Ark see Deut. 31.26 But whither it was placed there in Solomon's days we do not yet we find in Josiah's reign when the Temple was purged the Book of the Law was found in the Temple by Hilkiah the Priest though no express mention is made that it was found in the Oracle So that by the side of the Ark or before the Testimony in Solomon's Temple were placed as it seems the pot of Manna Aaron's Rod the Golden Censer and the Book of the Law as they had formerly been in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle 4. Of the Vessels in the Priests Court 1. There we find the Altar of Brass which was twenty cubits in length twenty in breadth and ten in height 2 Chron. 4.1 It s situation was before the Porch whereon the Sacrifices were daily offered to God 2 Chron. 8.12 As for the Sacrifices we read of many instruments that were used about them as flesh-hooks of Gold 1 Chron. 28.17 also pots shovels and basons of bright brass 1 King 7.45 2. The next vessel to be considered was the molten Sea a most rare and admirable piece of solid brass cast in the clay ground in the plains of Jordan It was five cubits high and ten over from side to side being round and thirty cubits in compass containing two thousand baths * A Bath contained about 8 gallons 4 baths made a barrel so that there were usually put into this Sea 500 barrels of water and if filled up to the brim it would contain 750. namely as they usually filled it for ordinary use but if it had been filled up to the brim it would then contain three thousand viz. a third part more 1 King 7.23.26 2 Chron. 4.5 therefore 't was called a Sea for the largeness thereof It 's brim was wrought about with Lilly-work under the brim thereof were brazen knobs round about resembling the heads of oxen These were cast together with the vessel It stood upon twelve brazen oxen which by four several Threes respected the four quarters of the world The use of this vessel was for the Priests to wash in 2 Chron. 4.6 10. that is by water derived to them by a pipe and cock out of it they did wash their hands and feet for that they did wash their whole bodies in it seems not very probable (a) See Mr. Lee pag. 86 'T is like the Gibeonites or Nethinims whose office it was to be drawers of water for the Congregation Josh 9.27 did out of the fountain of Siloam or pool of Bethesda hard by fill this Sea and furnished all other Lavatories with water about the Temple 3. In this Court also were placed ten lavers appointed for the washing of the Sacrifices in the Tabernacle there were none of these that single laver made by Moses for the Priests service answering only to the molten Sea These lavers of brass contained forty haths apiece each set op his basis with wheels for their more convenient removal if need were though generally their station was five on the one side and five on the other in the Court of the Priests and East of the covered Temple they were adorn'd with brazen borders engraven with Lions Oxen Cherubims and Palm-trees had pillars and wheels and other curiosities which we cannot well here describe 1 King 7. from v. 27 to 40. 5. Of the Furniture Utensils and Chambers in the outward Court In the outward Court or Court of Israel many no doubt were the utensils there used Tremellius thinks the brazen scaffold made by Solomon for himself to stand and pray upon 2 Chron. 6.12 13. with the Kings pillar was placed in this Court. Also Pulpits and Desks wherein the Priests expounded the Law to the people The Chambers in the outward Courts were severally imployed for sundry uses as for laying up of Tythes First-fruits Wood Salt and other requisites for the Sacrifices Of Salt a mass was spent in the Temple seeing no Offering was acceptable without it Mark 9.49 Some rooms 't is like were imployed to contain the Musical Instruments whereof thirteen sorts are mentioned and explained by Mr. Fuller Ch. 10. Book 3. In other Chambers undoubtedly the standards of all measures were carefully kept for we find that the inferiour Levites among other services had a superintendency over all manner of measures and sizes 1 Chron. 23.29 It belonged to their office to set out the pars quota the exact quantity of the meal oyl and wine that was to be used in their several sacrifices therefore they were highly concerned to be skilful in measures 'T is likely that the Book of the description of the land into several parts by lot as being of publick concernment and use was preserved in some room of the Temple See Josh 18.9 Some Chambers 't is like were for lodgings for the Priests and Levites that attendded on the holy service in the Temple and others for refectories and rooms wherein the Priests had their repast or hallowed food as on shew-bread c. which though shifted but once a week by Gods command Lev. 24.8 yet by his Providence was doubtless preserved that it lost nothing of its goodness There was also as it seems an Armory in the Temple furnished with weapons to guard the Treasure there kept David provided Spears and Bucklers and Shields for that purpose and Joash by the assistance of those weapons recovered the Crown Many other Vtensils were added to the Temple after Solomon's death by succeeding Kings as occasion did require as particularly that Chest which in the reign of King Jehoash was made by Jehoiada to receive the peoples free offerings for the repair of the Temple A Chest with an hole in the lid thereof 2 King 12.9 In after ages it was called Corban which signifies sometimes the gift it self sometimes the vessel