of our April and part of our May. of the second year after their departure out of Egypt God commanded Moses and Aaron and the Heads of the Tribes which were twelve to take the number of all the males of the Children of Israel that were fit for War except the Levites viz. from 20 years old to 60 mustering them according to their Hosts or Tribes and according to their Kindreds and Families which was accordingly performed and the numbers of each Tribe are expressed in particular and of all in general which amounted to 603550 being just the same number (u) Compare Exod. 30.11.12 and Exod. 38.26 which was taken seven months before when they were sessed for a Contribution to the building of the Tabernacle But the Levites God commanded should not be numbred or reckoned in this account being not appointed for War but for the Service of the Tabernacle (x) 'T is called V. 50. The Tabernacle of the Testimony in regard that therein was kept the Testimony of Gods Will viz. the Law written in two Tables and lying in the Ark of the Covenant Heb. 9.4 and Exod. 25.21 't is cal'd the Testimony viz. some of them to set it up and take it down and others of them to remove and carry it from place to place as occasion required And none that were not of the Tribe of Levi might meddle with it or help to take it down or set it up upon pain of death Numb 1. whole Chapter SECT XLIII GOd now prescribes the Order of the Tribes encampâ—â—g about the Tabernacle with their Standards and how the Levites should Encamp nearest to it and the Order to be observ'd by them all in their Marches and to cut off all matter of contention the Lord Himself appoints to every Tribe their several place The Order prescribed for their Encamping was according to this Scheme The Tabernacle Moses Aaron and the Priests Warriors in all 186400. East-ward Judah 74600. Issachar 54400. Zabulon 57400. Levites of Cohath Warriors in all 151450. South-ward Reuben 46500. Simeon 59300. Gad 45650. Levites of Gershon Warriors in all 108100. West-ward Ephraim 44500. Manasses 32200. Benjamin 35400. Levites of Merari Warriors in all 157600. North-ward Dan 62700. Asher 41500. Naphthali 53400. Thus we see in what excellent Order the twelve Tribes were disposed in their Encamping about the Tabernacle The Priests and Levites were to pitch their Tents round about it But the Tribes at some distance from it possibly at the distance of two thousand Cubits which is an English mile for such a space we find was between the Ark and the people when they passed over Jordan Josh 3.4 The Lord commanded that three Tribes should quarter together under one Standard which the Chief of the Three carried and so the whole Host consisted of four great Brigades or Battations The Tribe of Judah out of which the Messias was to spring has the Preheminence and is to March foremost as Captain of the rest and so Judah hath the dignity of the First-born which was taken from Reuben neither can Reuben withstand it because God hath so ordered it And thus we may conceive what a glorious sight it was to behold the Tribes thus orderly disposed in their several places and therefore it is no wonder that Balaam was stricken with admiration to behold it Numb 24.5 6. and that He cried out How goodly are thy Tents O Jacob and thy Tabernacles O Israel c. Numb 2. whole Chapter SECT XLIV IN the next place we have set down the Families and Kindreds of Aaron and Moses Aaron is mentioned in the first place because his Sons as being Priests had the Preheminence of Mose's Posterity who were but ordinarily Levites And though there be no particular mention of Mose's Sons yet they are included among the Cohathites of which Family Moses was vers 27. The Lord orders Moses to give the Levites to Aaron and his Sons to assist them in their Ministration at the Sanctuary and in that Service and Worship which God had given in charge to Aaron and the whole Congregation to perform and they were to have the Sacred things of the Tabernacle under their Custody and Charge which the Children of Israel must have been charged with had not the Levites been separated to take that Charge upon them in their behalf But though the Levites were given to the Priests to be helpful and subservient to them in things that were fit for them to do yet in those things that peculiarly belonged to the Priests Office (y) V. 10. The Levite in respect of the Priests peculiar Office was a stranger they might not intermeddle upon pain of death The Lord further declares That He had taken the Levites to be His in stead of all the first-born Males of the Children of Israel (z) That is in stead of all the first-born Males that were now at present among them For all the first-born Males after this both of Man and Beast were to be redeemed or given to the Priests Numb 18.15 Exod. 13.2 and therefore orders Moses to number all the Male-Levites from one Month old and upwards which was done according to their Families For the Sons of Levi being Gershon Cohath and Merari of them the three Families of the Levites descended The whole number of the Male-Levites thus reckoned was found to be 22300. (a) So much those three sums make mentioned Numb 3. v. 22 28 34. But taking out their first-born namely such first-born as were born to them from the time of their coming out of Egypt when God did first Challenge the First-born to be His in remembrance of his slaying all the First-born among the Egyptians see Exod. 13.2 which were upon that account the Lords as they were the First-born and were not therefore to be reckoned among those that were to be given to Him in stead of the First-born of the other Tribes I say taking out these First-born which were 300 then the number of the Levites given to the Lord amounted only to 22000. * The number of the Male-Levites reckoned from 30 years old to 50 was but 8580. Numb 4.48 All which were assumed to the Service of God in lieu of the First-born of all the rest of the Children of Israel (b) V. 41. 'T is said the Cattel of the Levites shall be taken in stead of all the Firstlings of the Cattel of the Children of Israel that is As the Levites were taken for the first-born of the Israelites so the Levites Cattel were taken in exchange for the first-born of the Israelites Cattel And because the number of the First-born-Males of all the Children of Israel in the twelve Tribes exceeded this number of the Male-Levites 273 see Numb Ch. 3. vers 43. therefore was there laid upon them for every of those supernumerary Heads five Shekels a man by way of Redemption which was the price they afterwards paid for the Redemption of the First-born Numb 18.15 16.
the Principal according to the estimation of the Priest and given to him to whom it appertained And then the Transgressor shall offer for his atonement a Ram without blemish for his Trespass-Offering So that upon the whole matter where either God in the external Duties belonging to his Worship or their Brethren in civil affairs were any way damaged by the Offendor there a Trespass-Offering (k) See further concerning Trespass-Offerings Levit. 7. from 1. to 9. was to be offered for other Transgressions the Sin-Offering sufficed All the remainder of the Sin and Trespass-Offering besides what was offered to the Lord the Priest was to have Skin and all whereas in the Burnt-Offerings he had only the Skin Levit. 6. from 1. to 8. Hitherto the substance and matter of the several sorts of Sacrifices hath been prescribed now the several Rites belonging to each of them are set down more particularly And 1. concerning the daily Burnt-Offering which was to be offered first every Morning and last every Evening see Exod. 29.38 39. and Numb 28.3 The Priest was to burn it with a slow fire and by so many pieces one after another that it might last all night which required his intentive care and vigilancy upon the Service and the fire of the Altar was to be nourished continually and never suffered to go out The Priest also putting on his linnen Garment was to carry forth the ashes without the Camp unto a clean place 2ly Concerning the Meat-Offering whereof the Priest was to burn an handful upon the Altar and the remainder Aaron and his Sons were to eat unleavened in the Court of the Sanctuary And upon this occasion we have the Offering set down that Aaron was to offer to God in the day of his anointing and which his Sons successively who shall come to be High Priests after him shall offer to the Lord in the day of their Consecration viz. the tenth part of an Epha of fine Flower half in the Morning and half at Night and it was to be wholly burnt on the Altar 3ly Concerning the Sin-Offering of which the Priest that offered it might eat except of such Sin-Offerings whereof the blood was to be carried into the Tabernacle viz. for the Transgression of the High Priest or of the whole Congregation Levit. 4. v. 5.16 or the yearly Sin-Offering on the day of Expiation Levit. 16.17 for these were to be burnt without the Camp but of other Sin-Offerings the Sons of Aaron might eat * Nihil cedebat offerentibus ex hostiis pro peccato delicto if they were free from legal uncleanness And if any of the blood of the Sin-Offering was casually sprinkled on any of the Garments of the Priest they were to be washed clean again in the Court of the Tabernacle where the washing-Laver stood If the flesh of the Sin-Offering was boiled in an Iron or Brass-pot it was to be rinsed or scoured but if in an Earthen pot because the liquor might possibly soak into it it was to be broken all which things seem to be appointed to shadow forth the Contagion of Sin Levit. 6. from 8 to the end 4ly Concerning the Trespass-Offering of which every male among the Priests might eat in the holy Place The Text says As is the Sin-Offering so is the Trespass-Offering there is one Law for them both that is the Priest was to have of this as He had of the other As to the Meat-Offerings they were to accompany those Sin and Trespass-Offerings if they were baked or fried and so to be eaten hot they were the Priests portion that offered them who might eat them presently but if the Meat-Offerings were mingled with Oil or were dry Flower not mingled with Oil such as was the Meat-Offering for Sin Ch. 5.11 these might be reserved to be dressed afterwards at their leisure and were equally to be divided among all the Priests 5ly Concerning the Peace-Offerings of which there were three sorts First Thank-Offerings for particular Mercies received which were to be accompanied with unleavened Cakes mingled with Oil and unleavened Wafers anointed with Oil and Cakes mingled with Oil of fine Flower fried And besides these Cakes the Offerer was to offer with his Sacrifice leaven'd bread For because this Meat-Offering was only for food to be eaten and no part of it to be burnt upon the Altar leaven is here allowed though otherwise forbidden as we may see Levit. 2.11 And it was allowed possibly that it might be a sign and intimation that this Oblation was before thought upon solemnly prepared and not suddenly offered And out of the whole Oblation the Offerer is appointed to offer one leavened Loaf for an Heave-Offering to the Lord and it was to go to the Priests that sprinkled the blood of the Peace-Offerings the rest was for the Offerer and his Family as the remainder of the Flesh after the Priest hath had his share was to be also Deut. 27.7 and Deut. 12.6 7. But the flesh of the Sacrifice of this kind of Peace-Offering was to be eaten the same day whereon it was offered both by Priest and people and not any of it to be kept until the next Morning 2ly Peace-Offerings that were offered by way of Vow that is which men vowed that they would give unto God if He would please to grant them such or such a Mercy and which when God had satisfied their desires they were to pay unto Him accordingly For these they had two days allowed them for the eating of them and what was left to the third day was to be burnt with fire * God possibly might intend hereby to teach them that He would be worshipped as He himself appointed and not as they in their own reason might think fit which if they did not observe their Sacrifice should not be imputed or reckoned to them as an acceptable Sacrifice by the Lord but rather as an abomination and such persons should be punished for their Iniquity 3ly Such Peace-Offerings as were brought as a voluntary offering by way of acknowledgment of the Lords goodness to them in the general Now the flesh of the Peace-Offerings not being to be eaten in the holy place but carried out thence after it had been killed at the Tabernacle and the fat burnt upon the Altar and eaten elsewhere see Levit. 10.14 if it were casually touched by any unclean person or thing order is here given that it should not then be eaten as an holy Sacrifice but burnt with fire because being so defiled it was not fit to represent Christ who was perfectly holy and pure But as to the flesh of the Sacrifice which remained clean and fit to be eaten all both Priests and Owners that were clean themselves might eat of it But if any being unclean either by reason of any natural uncleanness that was then upon them or by touch of any unclean thing did yet wittingly (l) If they did it ignorantly and unwittingly a Sacrifice of
on their faces and interceeded with the Lord for them God by his Spirit informs Moses That he had sent a Plague among them and directs him what course to take for the stopping of it Hereupon he calls to Aaron to take his Censer and to put fire into it from off the Altar and to put Incense thereon and to run quickly and make atonement for the people and to stand between the living and the dead (b) Incense was only to be offered upon the Altar of Incense in the Tabernacle but this was done upon an extraordinary occasion and by an extraordinary warrant of divine Inspiration for he tells him Wrath was gone out from the Lord the Plague was begun And Aaron did as Moses commanded him yet the Plague ran so swiftly among the people like fire in a field of Corn that before Aaron could interpose himself to make atonement wherein he was a Figure of Christs Intercession there fell fourteen thousand and seven hundred of those rebellious Murmurers see 1 Cor. 10.10 and then the Plague was stayed and Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tabernacle to acquaint him how he had sped and to return thanks unto the Lord who had so graciously accepted the work of his hands Numb 16. whole Chapter SECT LXIV THat none might for the future presume to usurp the Office of the Priesthood or aspire to it besides Aaron and his Sons God was pleased to enjoyn Moses to take of each Prince of the twelve Tribes a Rod or Staff such as they did usually carry in their hands which were it seems according to the Custom of those times made of Almond-Tree and to write every Princes Name on his Rod and to write Aaron's Name upon the Rod of the Tribe of Levi. He tells him That the mans Rod whom he did choose to serve him in the Priesthood should blossom and the rest remain dry And God orders Moses to lay all the Rods up in the Tabernacle in the most holy place before the Ark of the Testimony where the Lord did use by glorious signs to testifie his Presence and make known his Will unto them see Exod. 25.22 For upon such extraordinary occasions we need not doubt but Moses used to go into the most holy place Accordingly next morning Moses went in thither and he found that the Rod of Aaron had shot forth branches and some of them had buds on them and some blossoms and others yielded Almonds but all the rest of the Rods remaining dry as they were before Then Moses brought out all the Rods and shewed them to the Children of Israel and the Princes took every man his Rod and found them dry sticks as before but Aaron's Rod flourished and had brought forth Buds Blossoms and Fruit by which Miracle they were convinced that God had chosen Aaron and his Sons to be the only Priests that should serve Him at the Altar And hereupon God orders Moses to lay up Aaron's Rod again in the most holy place before the Ark to be kept there * See Apostol Hist on Heb. 9.6 as a Testimony against any such Children of Rebellion as should ever after presume to usurp the Office of the Priesthood And by this means also he might prevent the murmurings and complainings of the people which if they went on in they would thereby bring certain destruction upon their own heads The people hearing these things and being exceedingly terrified with this threatning and the remembrance of those late dreadful Judgments that had carried away so many among them they cry out unto Moses Alas we die we perish we all perish that is we see we are in continual danger of being swept away with terrible Judgments And as men terrified are wont to conceive their danger to be greater than indeed it is they now apprehend that it would be exceeding dangerous for them to come near the Tabernacle or to be present at any Worship or Service there performed and seem to fear that God would not withdraw his Indignation from them until he had destroyed and consumed them all Ch. 17. whole Chapter SECT LXV THe people being under such a fear and consternation the Lord hereupon takes order for the guard of the Sanctuary and injoyns that every one should remain within the Verge and Limits of his duty and so they should be safe and he tells Aaron That He and the Priests and Levites shall bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary that is if any pollution (c) Thus the Lord shews himself reconciled and makes the Priests watch a ground of appeasing both the fear and envy of the people came to it by the people they should answer for it and bear the punishment thereof if they did not take care to prevent it and the Priests should bear the punishment of all Iniquity committed about their Priests Office if they did carry themselves amiss in it or suffer a stranger or Levite to meddle therein He tells them he had joined * Here is an allusion to Levies name which signifies joyned the Levites to them to minister to them in the outward Services of killing and slaying the Sacrifices c. but they themselves only should serve at the Altar and within the holy place before the Ark of the Testimony and the Levites shall observe the Precepts and Charge which he hath given them concerning their Ministry and concerning the sacred things of the Tabernacle which are committed to their Care that so every one keeping his station and doing his duty there may be no wrath any more upon the Children of Israel only they shall not meddle with the Service of the Sanctuary and Altar lest they die And if the Priests did not endeavour to prevent any such Errour or Miscarriage in their Brethren the Levites they should also incur the like danger Thus he appoints the Levites to minister to the Priests and orders that he that is not of the Tribe of Levi shall not be admitted to serve and minister unto them For God having taken the Levites instead of the first-born of the Children of Israel to himself he had given them unto Aaron and his Sons for his own Service and the Service of the Tabernacle Therefore he and his Sons should exercise their Priests Office in all things that concern the Altar of Burnt-Offerings and in all things which are to be done within the outward Veil whereby the holy place is divided from the Court the High Priest in the most holy place and inferiour Priests within the Sanctuary or holy place And God tells Aaron and his Sons That 't is his free Gift and favour to them that he had made choice of them before others for the Priestly Office and that He had ordained That whoever is not of Aaron's Line and goeth about to meddle with the Priestly Office shall be put to death from vers 1. to 8. The Lord having thus set down the Office and Work of the Priests and Levites he
Israelites over against Beth-Peor and there buried it Neither doth any man know the place where he laid it to this day And this the Lord seems to have done that the Israelites might not in a preposterous Zeal give superstitious honour either to his dead body or Sepulchre Indeed 't is said Jude v. 9. That Michael the Arch-Angel contended with the Devil and disputed about the body of Moses whereby it appears that the Devil would have had the place of his burial made known that it might have been the occasion of Idolatry as Chrysostome in his First Homily on Matthew and Theodoret upon Deut. quest 43. with others do conjecture but the Lord prevented the Devils design herein And possibly God foresaw that if the Israelites had known the place where the body of Moses was buried they would in an unwarrantable way have taken it up and carried it with them into the Land of Canaan as they did Joseph's bones whereas God had declared He should not come thither Moses being dead the Israelites mourned for him 30 days * So long they mourned for Aaron Numb 20.28 And there was great reason for it for there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face that is spake to in a wondrous familiar manner with an audible articulate Voice as one friend speaketh to another and discovered to him more of his Glory than ever he did to the eye of mortal man see Exod. 33.20 There was none like unto him if we consider the great Miracles which the Lord inabled him to do in the Land of Egypt before Pharaoh and his Servants and the wonderful Works of mighty Power which he since performed in the Wilderness in the sight of all Israel whereby the Lord magnified his own Majesty and Power and put a great honour on his Servant Moses and his Ministry But though this great Moses was gone yet God left not his people without a Governour for He had before-hand appointed Joshua to succeed him who was a man endued with a great measure of wisdom which the Holy Ghost had given him for the right execution of his Office For Moses had laid his hands on him according to Gods Command Numb 27.18 by that Ceremony consecrating him unto God and engaging him faithfully to administer the Charge and Office He was appointed unto And the Children of Israel hearkned unto him and obeyed him as the Lord commanded Moses to injoyn them SECT XCIV WE are now come to the Book of Joshua The Book of Ioshua which was not probably written by himself (a) If we should suppose this Book for the main to be written by Joshua yet some passages might be inserted afterwards by some other holy Penman So in the Books of Moses we find some passages which could not be written by Moses himself but were afterwards added by some other holy men as Deut. 34.5 Qui hanc historiam ex Sacris Annalibus conscripsit usus est sui seculi nominibus Masius at least not all of it though it contains his Acts and Atchievements Indeed Joshua either wrote himself or ordered some of the Priests to write the words of the Covenant which he caused the people to enter into with all the Circumstances of it Ch. 24.26 in the Book of the Law of God which was written by Moses and put in the side of the Ark that so it might be a Witness against them if they transgressed it But there are some things contained in this Book which are thought to be done after Joshua's death as the conquering of Leshem or Laish by the Danites Ch. 19.47 Judg. 18.7 to 29. and Ch. 24. from 29. to 32. his death and burial are mentioned Some other things seem to argue that it was written by some Prophet * A Propheta aliquo collectus videtur hic liber ex antiquis diariis annalibus Masius long after his death as that phrase (b) See Ch. 4. 6. 6.29 7.26 8.29 9.27 10.27 13.13 14.14 15.63 remains unto this day so frequently used doth intimate And the Book of Jasher (c) See Sect. 102. is here named Ch. 10.13 which seems written at soonest in David's time as recording an Act of his 2 Sam. 1.18 unless we should suppose which is not improbable that this Book of Jasher was begun in Moses's time and continued on and inlarged afterwards by adding several memorable Acts and Passages unto it Joshua was of the Tribe of Ephraim Numb 13.8 He was six full years in Conquering the Land and in the seventh divided it by lot among the nine Tribes and an half And divers years he lived and governed after that time but how many is uncertain yet it is supposed to be about ten years And so this Book contains an History of seventeen years from the beginning of Joshua's Government to his death which happened when he was an hundred and ten years old Ch. 24.29 And so much by way of Preface We now come to the History it self After the death of Moses the Lord spake to Joshua Moses's Minister who had for many years daily and continual conversation with him and so could not but have learned much thereby to fit him for this great Service But whither the Lord spake to him by audible Voice or the secret instinct of his Spirit or in some Dream or by the High Priests inquiring for him by Vrim and Thummim we cannot determine But however it was he spake to him and commanded him to arise and lead His people over into the Land of Canaan which he had before promised them and intended now actually to give them He tells him That every place in the Land which the sole of their foot should tread upon from the Wilderness of Zin which was the South-bound to Lebanon which was the North-bound and the great Sea or Midland-Sea which was the Western-bound and the River Euphrates (d) That the Israelites did never extend their bounds thus far is evident For though in the days of David and Solomon all the Nations as far as Euphrates became Tributary to them 1 Kings 4.21 yet they never destroyed the Inhabitants there and planted themselves in their Country as they did in the Land of Canaan And the reason of this was because the Israelites failed of keeping Covenant with God and it was only upon condition of their Obedience that God promised thus to inlarge their borders which was the Eastern-bound even all the Land of the Hittites which seem here mention'd by a Synecdoche for all the seven Nations should be their Coast The Lord tells him That not a man should be able to stand before him all the days of his life but as He was with Moses so He would be with him and would never leave him nor forsake him He bids him therefore be strong and of a good courage for he should divide the Land of Canaan to the people of
more careful to avoid those ways of injustice and oppression which he had told them before the Kings of the earth were prone unto see Ch. 8.11 As also that he might hereby convince them of their sinful folly in rejecting him and with him the upright and impartial Government of Judges and chusing to be under Kings from many of whom they should find but hard and oppressive usage Having thus justified himself he goes on further to argue with them concerning Gods dealing with them and their carriage towards him Now therefore says he stand still that I may reason with you concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord wherein he hath approved himself faithful and hath performed his Covenant which he made with you and your fathers and hath given you help and deliverance out of the hands of your enemies and therefore you are guilty of great ingratitude in not relying upon him but distrusting him and rejecting his Government Recollect I pray you and call to your remembrance Gods former dealings with you when Jacob was come into Egypt and his posterity exceedingly multiplied they being grievously oppressed cried unto the Lord for deliverance he then made Moses the Governour of his people and Aaron the High-Priest and sent them to deliver your Fathers out of that bondage which they accordingly did and then they led them through the Wilderness and brought them into the Land which the Lord had promised to give unto them And Moses put them in possession of that part of the land which was without Jordan and substituted Joshua in his place who gave them possession of the rest But they soon forgot the kindness of the Lord and regarded not his Commandments So he sold them into the hand of Sisera Captain General to Jabin who dwelt at Hazar and into the hands of the Philistines and into the hand of the King of Moab And when they were in these distresses they cried unto him and confessed their sins and how they had wickedly fallen to Idolatry and had worshipped Baalim and Ashtaroth and then humbly besought him to help them and deliver them out of the hands of their enemies and promised faithfully to serve him The Lord being moved with compassion towards them he sent them several Saviours and Deliverers particularly Jerubbaal or Gideon and Bedan that is Samson so called because he was of the Tribe of Dan and Jephthah * He mentions not these Judges in the order of time in which they lived and insisteth only on some of them to put them in mind of the rest V. 14. Eritis post Jehovam i. e. Jehovah antecedet vos defendet vos Pisc And to come down to your own times I hope I may without vanity mention my self also as one under whose conduct by the blessing of God you have had great deliverances and have enjoyed great tranquillity and safety But when ye understood that Nahash King of the Ammonites was coming against you nothing then would satisfie you but to have a King set over you whereas the Lord your God was your King and held in his own hands the right of governing you and ruled over you by Judges as his Substitutes and Deputies And with his Government you should have been well contented and satisfied till he was pleased to alter it And now behold seeing nothing else would content you he hath set a King over you But though you have greatly offended him and deserve to be rejected of him and cast off from being his people as you have rejected him from being your King yet if you will fear him and serve him and obey his voice the Lord will not forsake you but will be to you and your King a Leader Guide and Protector and you shall continue to be his people following of him as dutiful children do their father which will be a great honour and advantage to you But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God his hand will be against you as it was against your Fathers whom for their disobedience he caused to fall in the Wilderness But possibly you will think that all that I have said unto you in blaming you for desiring a King are but the words of a weak old man but ye shall know that I speak to you from the Lord who hath sent me unto you as his Prophet and Ambassadour and seeing you are so difficult to believe me in this thing except my words be confirmed by Miracles you shall see a Miracle to confirm you Is not this a fair and bright day as the days use to be in Wheat-harvest * Their Wheat-harvest in those dry Countries of Syria and Canaan was in the heat of Summer which dried up the vapours and exhalations that are the causes of thunder at that time especially when the day on which Samuel spake to them was fair there was no likelihood of such weather Tonitru illud tempore messis praeter naturam fuit idâ—oque mirabile propterea quod vere tanâ—um autumno fiunt tonitrua Cujus rei causa est quod concitantur ex conflictu calidi frigidi qui conflictus neque hyeme superante frigore neque aestate superante aestu fieri potest praesertim in aestuosis terris qualis Syria est Castalio you know we use to have no rain or thunder at this time of the year see Prov. 26. you see now no sign of any approaching tempest yet ye shall see me at this time by my prayer obtain both rain and thunder from God by which you may be convinced that your wickedness is great in desiring a King and thereby rejecting the Lord who is so powerful a Protector and hath thunder and rain heaven and earth at his command and is able to destroy all his and his peoples enemies as you have had lately experience Ch. 7.10 as also in rejecting me his Prophet who by my prayers can procure thunder and rain from heaven Samuel accordingly prayed unto the Lord that day and immediately the Lord sent thunder and rain in a very extraordinary manner insomuch that the people were not only convinced thereby that they had heinously sinned in desiring a King but also were much afraid that by this terrible tempest they should be destroyed They hereupon desired Samuel to pray for them saying they had added to all their former sins this also in asking a King (a) They failed in the manner of asking him 1. Asking him very unseasonably not waiting Gods time 2. They askt him with impetuous impatience brooking no delay 3. Proudly they would be like other Nations 4. Distrustfully resting more on their King than on Gods power and promises 5. Rebelliously shaking off Gods Government as weary of it and desiring to exchange it for that of a King and casting off his holy Prophet Samuel a most innocent and upright Judge Samuel encouraged them and bad them not despair of Gods mercy towards them provided they turned not aside from
Son of Nebat for their King But the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin stuck fast to Rehoboam In memorial of this sad rent the Jews afterwards kept a solemn Fast yearly upon the three and twentieth day of the third month called Sivan Rehoboam being come to Jerusalem forthwith raises an Army of an hundred and fourscore thousand valiant men out of Judah and Benjamin to reduce the Ten Tribes back to his subjection but is forbidden to proceed on in that enterprize by the Prophet Shemaiah who told him that the thing was of God who had so ordered it for the punishment of his Fathers defection from him and so the people returned to their own homes But though for the present that design was laid aside yet there followed continual bickerings between the two Kings all their days and the borderers on both sides did continually make inrodes one upon another see Ch. 14.30 Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem and built and fortified fifteen Cities for the defence of Judah and made great warlike provisions and put Garrisons into the Cities and placed Captains and Commanders over them some whereof it seems were his own Sons for 2 Chron. 11.23 't is said He dealt wisely and dispersed all his children thoroughout all the Countries of Judah and Benjamin into every fenced City And in that it must be acknowledged he dealt prudently for in his own Sons he might most securely confide And he stored those Garrisons with plenty of victuals and with wine and oyl and in every Garrison he put Shields and Spears and other Warlike ammunition and made them exceeding strong And many Priests and Levites that were cast off by Jeroboam and his Sons * They probably were placed as Captains in the Cities of Israel as Rehoboam's Sons were in the Cities of Judah who would not suffer them to execute the Priests office in their Cities and many people out of all the Ten Tribes who set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel resorted unto him whereby his Kingdom was much strengthned For three years he and his people walked in the ways of David and in the ways of Solomon viz. his first ways before his fall but afterwards they forsook the Law of the Lord though some particular persons among them undoubtedly remained faithful to God and made themselves high-High-places Images †So that none of the twelve Tribes at this time continued faithful to God the Ten revolted with Jeroboam and these two with Rehoboam and Groves doing according to all the abominations of the Heathen And they did evil in the sight of the Lord and provoked him to jealousie with their sins insomuch that in none of their Fathers days there was such a general apostasie And it seems there were among them some that practised that abominable sin of Sodomy so that they did after all the abominations of the Heathen whom God cast out before their Fathers As for the Domestick affairs of Rehoboam we find that he took eighteen Wives and sixty Concubines and begat twenty eight Sons and sixty Daughters and dispersed his Sons through all the Countries of Judah and Benjamin into the several fenced Cities and there gave them liberal and Princely allowances and sought out many Wives for them out of Noble Families to strengthen their interest by their alliances Of all his Wives he loved Maachah best the daughter of Absalom who was a great Idolatress see 1 King 15.13 and he made Abijah her Son to be chief ruler over his brethren intending he should succeed him in the Throne In the fifth year of his reign because he had so heinously transgressed against the Lord Shishak King of Egypt invited possibly thereunto by Jeroboam who had lived there and been kindly entertained by him before he was made King came up against him with twelve hundred chariots and threescore thousand horsemen and people without number Some of them were Lybians a people in Africa bordering upon Egypt some Suckites otherwise call'd Troglodites a people dwelling in Caves of Rocks and some of them Ethiopians With this great Army invading Judea he took the fenced Cities that were in his way to Jerusalem and then came before that City also The people of Judah being now in great distress Shemaiah the Prophet came to Rehoboam and the Princes * Ver. 6. Princes of Israel that is the Princes of Judah who were Israelites that were gathered together in Jerusalem and spake to them after this manner Thus saith the Lord ye have forsaken me and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak Rehoboam and the Princes upon this humbled themselves and confest their sins and said the Lord is righteous in all the judgments he hath brought upon us Hereupon the Lord spake to Shemaiah again saying They have humbled themselves therefore I will not utterly destroy them but grant them some deliverance and my wrath shall not be poured forth upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak nevertheless they shall be his servants and shall yield to such terms as he shall put upon them that they may know my service and the service of the Kingdoms of the Countries That is that they may know by the hard conditions Shishak will put upon them how much better it had been for them to have served me than by their sins to have brought themselves into bondage to other Nations See Isa 26.13 So Shishak being come before Jerusalem to save the Temple and City from plunder and to regain the Cities he had taken as he came up to them they were forc'd to give him the Treasures †This was the first spoiling of the Temple of the Temple not the holy vessels but such gold and silver and other precious things as were laid up for repairing the Temple and other holy uses as also the Treasures of the Kings house as also the Golden Shields that Solomon had made 1 King 10.16 Instead of these Rehoboam made Shields of Brass and committed them to the hands of the chief of the Guard that kept the door of the Kings house And when the King entred into the house of the Lord the Guard came and fetched them and carried them before him and when he was come back returned them again into his Guard-chamber Thus Rehoboam humbling himself the wrath of God turned from him so as he would not destroy him altogether And after this things began to go well again in Judah for they enjoyed their liberty of serving the true God the benefit of their own Laws and had for the most part peace and prosperity So Rehoboam recovered strength again and repaired and fortified the Cities of his Kingdom yet he did not sincerely set and fix his heart to seek the Lord that is did not endeavour to know him aright to worship him purely to call upon him fervently and to obey him faithfully and in all these to persevere constantly Now the Acts of Rehoboam first and last namely such as were done in his
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
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
Jacob rejoyces at the sight of the Waggons Sect. 43. Jacob goes into Egypt His joy to see his Son Joseph Sect. 44. Joseph brings five of his Brethren to Pharaoh Obtains Goshen for his Brethren Introduces his Father Sect. 45. Joseph's prudent administration in the severe famine He is sent for by his Father Sect. 46. Ephraim and Manasseh blest Jacob's gift to Joseph Sect. 47. Jacob blesses his Sons in order His death Sect. 48. The mourning for and burial of Jacob. Joseph's death Sect. 49. The History of Job Sect. 50. Levi and Amram die Sect. 51. Israel increases Task-masters appointed Sect. 52. Aaron's birth Sect. 53. The Midwives commanded to destroy the Male-children Sect. 54. Moses born He is taken up and educated by Pharaoh's daughter Sect. 55. Moses after forty years leaves the Court and flys into Midian Sect. 56. Moses's marriage His two Sons Sect. 57. Caleb's Birth Sect. 58. The Lord appears to Moses commissions him to deliver Israel enables him to work miracles Sect. 59. Moses confirm'd and encouraged commanded to go to Pharaoh Sect. 60. Moses stopt in his journey His Son circumcised Sect. 61. Aaron meets Moses They declare their commission to the Elders of Israel Sect. 62. They go to Pharaoh The oppression of the Israelites increased Sect. 63. Moses and Aaron go again to Pharaoh The Magicians call'd in Sect. 64. The ten Plagues Chap. IV. From the Israelites departure out of Egypt to the laying the foundation of Solomon's Temple Sect. 1. THe Israelites depart out of Egypt Sect. 2. The Paschal Lamb and Passover appointed Sect. 3. The Lord conducts the Israelites by a Pillar of cloud and fire Joseph's bones carried with them Sect. 4. They encamp at Pihahiroth Pass through the Red-sea The Egyptians drown'd Sect. 5. Moses's Song Miriam a Prophetess Sect. 6. The people marching through Shur murmur for want of water Sect. 7. The twelve Wells and seventy Palm-trees Sect. 8. They turn from Elim to the Red-sea Sect. 9. The people murmur Quails given for one meal Manna falls Sect. 10. Water gushes out of the rock Sect. 11. Moses praying Joshua fights Amalek The Altar call'd Jehova-Nissi Sect. 12. Jethro's story defer'd to Sect. 51. Sect. 13. Moses call'd up to the top of Mount Sinai The terrible sight Sect. 14. The Promulgation of the Law Sect. 15. The people in fear Moses encourages them Sect. 16. Similitudes of God forbidden The Materials for Altars Sect. 17. The Judicial or Political Laws Sect. 18. The Angel of the Covenant promised to guide them The bounds of Canaan Sect. 19. Moses erects an Altar and twelve Pillars Sect. 20. Moses continues in the Mount forty days and forty nights Sect. 21. Directions concerning the Tabernacle and all its utensils and appurtenances Sect. 22. The Golden Calf Sect. 23. Moses comes down breaks the Tables Gods anger Moses intercedes for the people and sees the glory of God Sect. 24. Two new Tables of stone Sect. 25. God renews the Covenant upon Moses's prayer Moses's face shines Sect. 26. The Sabbath anew enjoyned Contribution to the Tabernacle Sect. 27. Bezaleel and Aholihab appointed chief workmen of the Tabernacle Sect. 28. The Tabernacle finished being set up is filled with Gods Glory Sect. 29. Laws given concerning the several sorts of sacrifices Sect. 30. Aaron and his Sons consecrated Sect. 31. Aaron enters upon his office Fire from the Lord. Sect. 32. Nadab and Abihu slain by fire from heaven Sect. 33. Of clean and unclean creatures Sect. 34. Womens separation Sect. 35. Laws concerning Leprosie Sect. 36. Ceremonial uncleanness in men Sect. 37. The Passover celebrated Sect. 38. Several sorts of Laws given Sect. 39. Blasphemy punished in the Son of Shelomith The Law of retaliation Sect. 40. Divers other Laws given Sect. 41. Promises and threatnings More Laws given concerning divers matters Sect. 42. The Book of Numbers Sect. 43. The Encamping of the Tribes Sect. 44. The Levites Charge Sect. 45. The Levites consecrated Sect. 46. The Offerings of the Princes Sect. 47. Laws concerning Jealousie Sect. 48. Concerning Nazarites Sect. 49. The solemn blessing Sect. 50. The Silver Trumpets Sect. 51. Jethro's story and advice Sect. 52. The Camp of Israel marches Jethro leaves them Sect. 53. Upon the moving of the Ark Moses pronounces the blessing Sect. 54. The people murmur at Taberah Sect. 55. Quails given for the space of a month A Plague follows Sect. 56. Miriams Leprosie Sect. 57. Spies search the land Sect. 58. Their different report Sect. 59. The ten Spies smitten Sect. 60. Israel defeated by the Amalekites and Canaanites Sect. 61. The ninetieth Psalm composed Sect. 62. Some Laws explained Sect. 63. The Rebellion of Corah Dathan and Abiram Sect. 64. Aaron's Red blossoming Sect. 65. The work and portion of the Priests and Levites Sect. 66. Water of Purification Sect. 67. Miriams death Sect. 68. They murmur at Kadesh for want of water Moses strikes the Rock in anger is doomed not to enter into Canaan Sect. 69. The King of Edom refuseth them passage Sect. 70. Aaron dies and is buried upon Mount Hor. Sect. 71. Arad the Canaanite vanquished Sect. 72. The Brazen Serpent Sect. 73. Several stations of the Israelites Sect. 74. The Miraculous Well Sect. 75. Sihon slain Sect. 76. Og totally subdued Sect. 77. The Encamping at Abel-shittim Sect. 78. Balaam sent for to curse the Israelites His Ass speaks Sect. 79. Balaam attempts to curse Israel Sect. 80. The Idolatry and Whoredom of the Israelites at Mount Peor Sect. 81. Midian Conquered Sect. 82. Moses and Eleazar number the people Sect. 83. Zelophehad's daughters Sect. 84. Joshua appointed Successor Sect. 85. A repetition of the Law of sacrificing Sect. 86. Laws concerning Vows Sect. 87. The Reubenites and Gadites desire a possession on that side Jordan Sect. 88. The Journal of Israels Travels Sect. 89. The Limits of Canaan Sect. 90. The Levites Cities Sect. 91. Orders concerning the Marriage of Zelophehad's daughters Sect. 92. The Book of Deuteronomy containing Moses's dying speech to Israel Sect. 93. Moses's death Israels mourning for him Sect. 94. Joshua begins his Government Sect. 95. They come near unto and pass the river Jordan Sect. 96. Circumcision enjoyned them Sect. 97. The first Passover in Canaan Manna ceases Sect. 98. Jericho taken burnt and cursed Sect. 99. The Israelites defeated at Ai. Sect. 100. Joshua marches against Ai. Sect. 101. A Monument of stone and an Altar erected and Blessings and Cursings pronounced at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal Sect. 102. The League with the Gibeonites Sect. 103. Adonizedek and his allies besiege Gibeon Their discomfiture Prodigious Hailstones The Sun and Moon stand still at the prayer of Joshua Sect. 104. Several Kings vanquished and their Cities taken Sect. 105. The rise of the Sabbatical year Sect. 106. Joshua's war with the Northern Kings His victory over them Sect. 107. Joshua's rest from war Sect. 108. Joshua divides the land Sect. 109. Joshua and the Elders proceed to divide the land Ephraim and Manasseh complain Sect. 110.
Nimrod See the Kings thereof pag. 15. of Chap. II. The dispersion of the children of Noah The Original of several Nations 1819 Serug born 1846 Nahor born 1878 Terah born 2008 Abraham born The King of Elam and his Allyes conquer the King of Sodom and his Confederates 2078 The Promise made to Abraham in Vr of the Chaldees The Third Age from the Promise made to Abraham in Ur of the Chaldees unto the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt 2094 ABraham's removal to Charran and from thence to Canaan Two Altars there built by him A Promise of that Land made unto his Posterity He goes into Egypt by reason of the Famine in Canaan His Danger there on the account of Sarah his Wife He returns into Canaan vanquishes Chedorlaomer rescues Lot is met by Melchizedec and blessed He takes Hagar Ismael Born 2107 Circumcision Instituted Abraham entertains Three Angels intercedes for Sodom Sodom and Gomorrha Consumed with Fire from Heaven Lots Incest 2108 Isaac Born Hagar and Ismael cast out Abraham's sacrificing Isaac Isaac marries Rebeccah 2168 Esau and Jacob Born Jacob's marriage with Leah and Rachel His hard Servâ—ce under 〈◊〉 2259 Joseph Born Joseph's Dream His Brethren sell him He is sold after to Potiphar His Mistriss 's false Accusation His Imprisonment Pharaoh's Dream Joseph's Interpretation thereof and Advancement The Famine begins Jacob sends his Sons into Egypt to buy Corn. Joseph makes himself known to his Brethren Jacob goes into Egypt He blesses his Sons and dies Joseph dies The History of Job Aaron Born 2418 Moses Born His Education by Pharaoh's Daughter He flies into Midian He is sent by the Lord to deliver Israel He works Miracles before Pharaoh The Ten Plagues 2508 The Israelites departure out of Egypt The Fourth Age from the Departure of the Israelites out of Egypt to the laying the Foundation of Solomon's Temple 2548 THe Paschal Lamb. The Fiery Pillar The Israelites pass through the Red Sea Manna Joshua fights with Amaleck The giving of the Law on Mount Sinai Moses 40 days in the Mount Directions concerning framing the Tabernacle The Golden Calf The History of the Israelites during their 40 years continuance in the Wilderness Moses having governed 40 years dies Joshua succeeds Conquers and divides the Land and governs in all 17 years The Judges 2565 Othniel 40 years 2605 Ehud 80 years The History of Ruth 2685 Deborah 40 y. 2725 Gideon 40 y. 2765 Abimelech 3 y. 2768 Tholah 23 y. 2791 Jair 22 y. 2813 Jephtha 6 y. 2819 Ibzan 7 y. 2826 Elon 10 y. 2836 Abdon 8. y. 2844 Samson 20 y. 2864 Eli 40. y. 2904 Samuel and King Saul 40 y. 2944 King David 40 y. 2985 King Solomon 4 y. 2988 The Foundation of the Temple laid in the 4th year of Solomon's Reign The Fifth Age from the laying the Foundation of Solomon 's Temple to the Destruction of it and the Captivity of Judah Solomon reigned over all Israel from the laying the Foundation of the Temple 36 years The Kingdom divided Kings of Judah 302â— REhoboam reigned 17 years 304â— Abijam 3 y. 3044 Asa 41 y. 3085 Jehoshaphat 25 y. 3106 Jehoram 8. y. 3113 Ahaziah 1 y. 3114 Athaliah 7 y. 3120 Jehoash 40 y. 31â—9 Amaziah 29 y. 31â—9 Vzziah 52 y. 32â—0 Jotham 16 y. 32â—6 Ahaz 16 y. 3271 Hezekiah 29 y. 3300 Manasseh 55 y. 3355 Amon 2 y. 335â— Josiah 31 y. 3387 Jehohaaz 3 mon. 3388 Jehoiakim 11 y. 3398 Jehoiakin or Jechoniah 3 mon. 3â—99 Zedekiah 11 y. Kings of Israel 302â— JEroboam reigned 22 years Nadab 2. y. 304â— Baasha 24 y. Elah 2 y. Zimri 7 days 3044 Omri 12 y. Ahab 22 y. 3085 Ahaziah 2 y. Jehoram 12 y. 3106 Jehu 28 y. 3113 Jehoahaz 17 y. Joah 16 y. 3114 Jeroboam 2d 41 y. 3120 An Interregnum of about Eleven years and an half Zachariah 6 months Shallum 1 month 31â—9 Menahem 10 y. 31â—9 Pekahiah 2 y. 32â—0 Pekah 20 y. 32â—6 Hoshea 9 y. 3271 The Israelites carried into Captivity by the Assyrians in the sixth year of Hezekiah The Jews carried into Captivity by the Babylonians in the 11th year of Zedekiah The Sixth Age from the Captivity of Judah to their Return out of Babylon 3408 JErusalem taken Zedekiah brought to Nebuchadnezzar sees his Children slain then hath his Eyes put out and in Chains is carried to Babylon The City and Temple burnt Seraiah the Chief Priest and other Principal men put to death at Riblah Gedaliah set over the Poor people left in the Land Jeremy upon his own choice stays with them Ismael Conspires against Gedaliah Johanan discovers it to him He believes it not and so is treacherously murder'd Johanan recovers from Ismael his Prisoners but himself escapes Johanan and his Captains and many of the people go into Egypt and carry Jeremy and Baruc with them 3409 Ezekiel utters several Prophesies in Babylon Jeremy about this time writes his Lamentations Tyre besieged by Nebuchadnezzar 3413 Nebuzaradan carries away the last Remainder of the Jews to the number of 745. Nebuchadnezzar invades Egypt and makes great Havock there Having finished his Conquests he returns unto Babylon and there has the Dream of the great Tree whose Destiny was to be cut down He new builds Babylon 3427 He falls distracted and so continues for 7 years He is recovered to his Understanding blesseth God and dies 3435 Evil Merodach succeeds him Jechoniah advanced Zedekiah dies and is honourably Buried Cyrus being made General of the Armies of the Medes and Persians obtains a great Victory over the Babylonians Belshazzar succeeds Evil Merodach In the first year of his Reign Daniel hath the Vision of the four Beasts 3465 Cyrus gives the Babylonians another great Defeat and with a vast Army besieges Babylon Belshazzar carousing with his Nobles sees the Hand-writing on the Wall Daniel interprets it to him and is thereupon advanc'd Belshazzar slain Darius takes on him the Kingdom Cyrus Marries his only Daughter Darius sets over the Provinces an 120 Governors and makes Daniel chief of them all The Princes out of Envy to him move the King to make an Edict That for 30 days no Petition should be made to any God or Man but himself Daniel thereupon cast into the Lyons Den. The 70 years of the Captivity of the Jews draw to an end Daniel Prays for the promised Deliverance The Angel Gabriel is sent to inform him not only concerning that but also the 70 Weeks Darius dies Cyrus is made thereupon Emperor of the East The Jews shew him the Prophesy of Isaiah That He should be their Deliverer with which he is much pleas'd The Seventh Age from the Return out of Babylon to the Death of Christ Or from the end of the Seventy years Captivity unto the end of the Seventy Weeks in Daniel 3478 THE 70 Weeks in Daniel containing 490 years The Persian or Second Monarchy See the Kings thereof in the Appendix Cyrus makes an Edict for the Return of the Jews and that they should go and build their
set a mark upon him possibly some strange trembling of his head or some frightful ghasty look which would make him a horrible Spectacle of Divine Vengeance to terrifie others from so detestable a Crime And whosoever should slay him thus marked and do unto him as he had done to his Brother more then a single Vengeance should be taken of him Gen. 4.15 (q) Seven-fold that is manifold according to the usual expression of the Scripture See Psal 12.6 79.12 Job 5.19 Prov. 26.25 The Lord having and probably in a visible Apparition thus sentenced Cain as soon as he was got out of the place where God manifested his presence He fled as a banished man from his Native Soil and the Land where his Father dwelt to a Land East of Eden which afterwards from his wandring there was call'd the Land of Nod. Sometime after his Wife bare him a Son whom he named Enoch and in process of time He and his Posterity (r) If Abraham's Posterity in less then 400 years amounted to six hundred thousand persons how many might Cain's Posterity be ere he built this City beginning to build a City in that Country He called it by his Sons Name Unto this Enoch was born Irad unto Irad Mehujael unto Mehujael Methusael and unto Mâ—thusael Lamech This Lamech being a Branch of that wicked root of Cain bringeth into the World the Abomination of Polygamy or having more Wives at once than one For He took to himself Ada and Zillah By the former he had Jabal who first invented at least among Cain's Posterity the use of Tents and taught the right ordering of the Flock and Jubal who invented Musical Instruments such as the Harp and Organ By the latter viz. Zillah He had Tubal-Cain (s) Ex quo Gentibus Dei Vulcani nomen who wrought in Brass and Iron and Naamah who they say (t) Hartman found out the way of ordering Wooll and of Carding and Weaving This Lamech presuming possibly upon the strength of his Family and priding himself in the Arts invented by his Sons especially by Tubal-Cain who was an Artificer in Brass and Iron and possibly made Swords and such Instruments of War He thought himself able to resist and oppose any that should offend Him Therefore in a boasting vanting fashion he speaks thus to his wives who seemed afraid of him lest his fierce and boisterous humour should expose him to danger Fear ye not my Wives concerning me For if any man should attempt to set upon me I would slay that man by my wounding him and though a young man I would dispatch him by my hurting him * Vide Frid. in loc pag. 36. And if Cain a Fratricid shall be avenged seven-fold surely Lamech that kills a man in his own defence shall be avenged seventy times seven-fold Gen. 4. from 1. to 25. SECT V. AFter the death of Abel Adam begat Seth in his own likeness and after his own Image (u) Yet God was still the Father and Creator of the Spirits of all Flesh Heb. 12.9 Numb 16.22 that is such as he himself now was namely sinful and not such as he was created Seth was born in the 130th Year of Adam In the Race of Seth the account of Years is carried on from the Creation to the Flood And among these as it seems principally the true worship of God was maintained which by the Race of Cain was very miserably corrupted To Seth at the age of an 105 Years a Son was born whom he called Enoch that is sorrowful intimating thereby the woful and lamentable condition the World was in at that time by reason of the corruption and wickedness that was found in the Progeny of Cain However Seth and his Off-spring did then more openly and solemnly set up and establish the Worship of God than formerly it had been Whence it came to pass that they that persisted in that way of Worship were known by the Name of the Children of God * Deut. 14.1 and they who forsook God and his sincere Worship were called the Children of Men Gen. 6.2 Gen. 4.25 26. SECT VI. ENoch being ninty years old begat Cainan Cainan when he was 70 begat Mahalaleel Mahalaleel at 65 years old had Jared born to Him Jared at 162 years old had Enoch born to him Enoch at 65 years old had Methusalah born to him Methusalah at 187 had Lamech born to him Now Adam the Father of Mankind died when he had lived nine hundred and thirty years Seth the Son of Adam died when he had lived 912 years Noah the tenth from Adam was born when his Father Lamech had lived 182. And his Father prophesied of him that he would be a man of eminent Piety and such a Son as would much comfort his Parents notwithstanding all the miseries labours troubles and sorrows which Sin had brought upon Mankind and notwithstanding the many Evils they met with in that wicked and uncomfortable time Enos the third from Adam died when he had lived 905 years Mahalaleel the fifth from Adam died when he had lived 895 years Jared the sixth from Adam died when he had lived 962 years As for Enoch the seventh from Adam He was a very holy person one that walked with God and followed not the wickedness of that Age but with great courage set himself against it and being a Prophet as we read Jude v. 14 15. He plainly told them of and set before them the day of Judgment Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him I say this holy Person God was pleased to translate immediately into Heaven (x) Per Enochi migrationem beatam patet nimium eos falli qui in hujus mundi caeno spem universam defigunt ut aeternitatis cognitione ex animis omnino deleta And besides this instance before the Law we have a like example of the translation of Elias after the giving of the Law c. 2 Kings 2.11 not suffering him to die as other men ordinarily do when he had lived as many years as there are days in our Year viz. 365. Thus it pleased God to shew to that Age that there was a future Coelestial State of Bliss and Happiness that good men both in Soul and Body shall enjoy hereafter Gen. 5. whole Chapter SECT VII IN the 480th Year of the life of Noah the Lord seeing that the generality of the World had corrupted their ways and that the Professors of his true Worship namely the Posterity of Seth without any regard to their Profession had scandalously and promiscuously (y) Gods Law afterwards forbad such Marriages with such as were out of the Church Deut. 7.3 4. Exod. 34.16 2 Cor. 6.14 married with the Daughters of the profane Race of Cain who
Kings of Pentapolis to wit Sodom Gomorrah Admah Seboim and Bela or Zoar all which served him twelve years Gen. 14. from 1. to 5. SECT IX TErah with Nahor and Abram his two Sons now living at Vr of the Caldees and there according to the custom of that place being Idolaters and serving other Gods Joshuah 24.2 God was pleased of his free Grace and mercy to chuse Abram to be the Father of his peculiar people when there was nothing in him to move the Lord to shew him such special favour And accordingly God was pleased to call * As he raised this righteous man from the East so he called him to his foot to follow him and his direction Esay 41.2 Gen. 15.7 Neh. 9.7 Acts 7.2 3 4. him about the 70th year of his age to leave that Idolatrous place and to go into a Land which he should shew him promising to make of him a great Nation and to bless him and in him (k) That is in his Seed Christ Gen. 18.18 Acts 3.25 26. Gal. 3.18 14. Thus the Gospel was preached to Abram all the Families of the Earth Abram obeying (l) He went out by faith not knowing whither he went Heb. 11.8 this Call perswaded his Father Terah to go along with him and also his Brother Nahor and so with Lot his Nephew the Son of Haran and Sarai his Wife they came from Vr (m) This Ur which they left was the habitation of the Priests and Mathematicians who from their Art were stiled by the name of Chaldâ—ans By which name even in Chaldaea it self those Genetbliaci or Casters of Nativities were distinguished and known from the rest of the Magi or wise men of that Country Dan. 2. v. 2 10. Ch. 4.7 Ch. 5.11 And from these Terah and his Sons seem to have learned their Idolatry Joshua 24.2 to Charran a City in Mesopotamia (n) Mesopotamia is not to be taken only for that Region which lies between Euphrates and Tygris but in a large sense as comprehending Chaldaea under it Acts 7.2 3 4. and there made their abode by reason of the great infirmity and sickliness of Terah who about five years after when he had fulfilled 205 years there died Gen. 11.31 32. Gen. 12. from 1. to 5. CHAP. III. The third Age of the World from the Promise made to Abraham in Ur of the Chaldees unto the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt containing a space of four hundred and thirty years and ending in the 2508th year of the World SECT I. THe Lord having called Abram as we shewed in the foregoing Chapter when he lived at Vr of the Chaldees to leave that Countrey and to go to a place that he should shew him promising to bless him and that in his Seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed Abram readily obeyed this Call and accordingly removed from thence and went to Charran From which Promise and Abrams departure which immediately followed are to be deduced the 430 years which Abram and his Posterity were to spend in foreign Lands See Exod. 12.40 41. And from this Promise and Covenant to the giving of the Law which was three months after the Israelites departure out of Egypt and which could not disannul this Covenant as the Apostle speaks Gal. 3.17 18 were 430 years At Charran Abram stayed about five years till his Father died and then following the Call of God being 75 years of age he took Sarai his Wife and Lot his Nephew with all the substance they had gotten and the Men-servants and Maid-servants they had acquired (o) Animas quas sibi comparaverant vel Emerant quas de idololatria converterant Tenent Hebraei Abram viros Saram mulleres in Dei cultu instituisse atque ita eos Deo procreasse Non enim alios servos habere voluerunt praeter cultores Dei. Hic primum fit servitutis mentio Vatablus in Charran and journied on till at last they came into the Land of Canaan the Canaanites a cursed Idolatrous people being now the Inhabitants thereof thorow which they passed till they came to a place called Sichem and the plain of Moreh where God appearing to Abram promised him that to his Seed he would give that Land (p) Hence called the Land of Promise Heb. 11.9 The Lords Land Hos 9.3 The holy Land Zach. 2.12 The Land of Emmanuel Isa 8.8 And this was a Type of Heaven which Abram looked for Heb. 11.9 10. Whereupon in that place he built an Altar * See Gen. 8.20 to the Lord that He might offer up his Sacrifices Prayers and Thanksgivings and perform the outward Worship God requir'd of Him among his own Company in opposition to the Idolatry of the Canaanites From thence he removed into the Hill-Countrey calld Luz and in after-times known by the name of Bethel Gen. 28.19 where again he built an Altar and called upon the Name of the Lord. And from thence holding on his Journey he came at last into the South part of the Countrey which looks towards Egypt Gen. 12. from 4. to 10. SECT II. IT pleased the Lord now to put Abrams Faith upon a new Trial. For not long after this God visited this Land of Canaan which of it self was very fruitful with a sore Famine being provoked thereunto by the Iniquity of the Inhabitants thereof See Psal 107. v. 33 34. Hereupon to avoid this Calamity Abram was forc'd to go down from thence into Egypt where as Josephus tells us he taught the Egyptians Astrology and Arimethick which before they were ignorant of When he came near unto Egypt he began to be in great apprehensions of the danger his life was in by reason of Sarai if the Egyptians should take her to be his Wife For though she was at this time 65 years old yet she was very fair and beautiful in her self and much more if compared with the swarthy Complexions of the Egyptian-Women Hereupon to prevent danger to himself he desired her to say if she were ask'd That she was his Sister (q) Nepotes Neptesque ab Hebraeis fratres sorores vocantur Gen. 13.8 14.14.16 Now though this was in a sense true as Abraham afterwards told Abimelech upon another occasion Gen. 20.12 because she was his Brothers Daughter and such in those days were usually called Brothers and Sisters yet by her saying She was his Sister Abram intended the Egyptians should understand that she was not his wife but free to be married to another And so thorow his over great fear and sollicitude for himself and too much distrusting Gods Providence and Care over him He exposed her to great and evident danger For Pharaoh King of Egypt being informed of her by his Courtiers He sent for Her to his house (r) In Domum non ad stuprum sed ut esset uxor saltem secundaria Ad se Reges non statim admittebant nisi prius purgatas praeparatas ut patet ex lib.
Faith He might assure himself they should be innumerable as the dust of the Earth Ch. 13.16 and as the Sand on the Sea-shore Ch. 22.17 See 1 Kings 4.20 Then Abram believed (b) Here is belief or faith first mentioned in the Old Testament whence Abram is called the Father of all Bâ—lievers Rom. 4.11 12 13. and firmly rested on this great Promise of God and it was imputed to him for Righteousness that is God of his free Grace accepted him as Righteous and justified who had no Righteousness of his own whereby he could stand before Gods Judgment-Seat upon his Faith in Gods Promises and especially the promised Messias God also renewed to him the Promise of the Land of Canaan which his Posterity after 400 (c) See Apostolical History pag. 38. years sojourning and affliction in Lands that were not theirs viz. in Canaan and Egypt should possess namely in the 4th Generation when the Sins of the Amorites and other Inhabitants of Canaan this only by a figurative Speech being put for all should be full then the Lord would judge that Nation that afflicted them and bring them out with great substance Abram desiring and possibly by some special motion of Gods Spirit to be further assured hereof God was pleased hereupon to make a solemn Covenant with him for the performance of it and to confirm it with a sign and a Vision And seeing it was the manner of men when they made a solemn Covenant to cut Beasts in twain and to pass between the parts of them wishing as it were that they might be cut in pieces if they broke the Covenant (d) See Jer. 34.18 so God here was pleased to appoint Abram to take Beasts and divide them laying each piece one against another with a Turtle Dove on one side and a young Pigeon on the other which accordingly he did and when the Birds (e) Aegyptiorum symbola qui erant Hebraeos oppressuri non secus atque aves carnivorae in humanis corporibus insidentes came down upon the Karkasses Abram drove them away and when the Sun went down Abram fell into a deep sleep or Trance and a great horrour seized him shadowing out possibly the great distresses his Posterity should be in through the vexations of their Enemies And then a smoking Furnace and a burning Lamp passed between the pieces of the Beasts intimating the Majesty of God passing between them Then did God make a Covenant with Abram to give to his Seed the Land of Canaan now possessed by the Kenites Kenissites and other Nations (f) Here are reckoned ten sorts of people in Canaan whose Land was promised to Abrams Posterity which by mixture or diminution of some of them were afterwards reduced to seven as they are distinctly named Deut. 7.1 Canaanites are here taken for a particular sort of them who for something notable above the rest retain'd the Name of the whole Nation from the River of Egypt viz. Sichor * Qui dividit Aegyptum a Cananaea Arabia in Sirbonidem paludem refluit Bochart Numb 34.5 Joshua 13.3 unto Euphrates (e) If they possessed not all that was promised the cause was in their breach of Covenant with God not Gods with them And accordingly those Lands so far off became Tributary in Davids and Solomons days 2 Sam. 8.3 1 Kings 4.21 2 Chron. 9.26 Gen. 15. whole Chapter SECT VI. SArai who had a great while earnestly desired and longed for that blessed promised Seed and seeing now ten years gone since their coming into the Land of Canaan and her self still barren and despairing almost as it seems of any from her own Body she without advice from God of her own head counsels her Husband to endeavour the fulfilling of the Promise by such a means which though by many then practised yet was contrary to the first Institution of Marriage namely to take Hagar her Servant an Egyptian born to be a kind of Secondary wife or Concubine to him which he accordingly did But Hagar being with Child by him began to be proud thereof and to despise her Mistress who was barren Sarai though otherwise of a sweet and meek spirit and for her obedience to her Husband propounded as a pattern to other Wives 1 Pet. 3.6 was so transported at this insolent carriage of her Servant that she flies out upon Abram himself who possibly might be a little too indulgent to Hagar being now with child by him and challenges him as if He were the Cause (g) V. 5. Injuria mea super te est h. e. injuriae quam patior tu Causa es quod insolentiam ancillae non Corrigis LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this wrong and injury she sustained and desires the Lord to judge between him and her and to do Her right Abram patiently tells her He left Hagar to her to take what course she pleas'd with her to humble her and make her submit Hereupon Sarai used her with much severity and hardship which she not willing to indure ran away and thought as it seems to go down into Egypt her own Country And accordingly travelling through the Wilderness which was the rode thither and sitting down wearied and full of greif and sorrow by a Fountain of Water the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 the Lord Christ the Son of God called Jehovah vers 10. appears to her and advises her to return and to submit her self to her Mistress telling her that she should bear a Son and call his Name Ishmael signifying God will hear For God had taken notice of her affliction and heard her Cry He further tells her That her Son would be a fierce and wild man and a great Warrior and his hand would be against every man and every mans hand against him * De Ishmaele haec vera sunt de ejus posteris Saracenis Arabibusque but yet he should have a numberless Off-spring and he and his Posterity should exceedingly inlarge the bounds of their Habitation even unto and among their Kindred (h) See Gen. 25.18 of whom they shall not be afraid but shall stoutly face them every where Hagar thereupon called the Name of the Lord that spake with her Thou God seeing me magnifying his Mercy for having so favourable a regard to her in her great affliction and giving her a clear sight of Himself in that place and directing her what to do And she then falls into an admiration that she should live and see the light after she had seen the Lord. (i) V. 13. Nonne etiam video post videntem me i. e. lucem hanc aspicio vivo Miratur Hagar se post Dei visionem vivere quia a conspectu Dei aut Angeli mortem sequi putabant ut ex cap. 32.30 Jud. 13.22 patet So that hereupon she called the Name of the Well Beer-lahai-roi that is the Well of one that liveth after she hath seen (k) Puteus videntis Dei
and returning And in this Vision Jacob saw Jehovah standing on the top of this Ladder and saying to him I am the God of Abraham thy Father and the God of Isaac the Land whereon thou liest to thee will I give it and to thy Seed and thy Seed shall be as the dust of the Earth and shall spread and multiply exceedingly East West North and South and in thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed Thus he renews the promise to him and states it in him which was formerly made to Abraham and Isaac Ch. 12.3 22.18 Acts 3.25 Further the Lord says to him I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whether thou goest and will bring thee again into this Land For I will not leave thee until I have done all that which I have spoken to thee of Jacob awaking and considering the glorious Vision he had seen cried out Assuredly God is in this place in a more peculiar manner though I did not apprehend or imagine to have met with such a glorious manifestation and Revelation of Himself to me here and being struck with a Reverend aw and fear of the Majesty of God who had thus appeared to him he cries out How dreadful is this place This is none other but the House of God the very Gate of Heaven As if he should have said This seemeth to be a place where God manifests himself in a more especial manner to the Children of Men and whence they may by praying unto him and worshipping of him as by a Gate ascend up into Heaven and Converse with him above And upon this account he thinks this a fit place for the building an House to God as we may see vers 22. Rising up therefore early in the Morning he takes the stone which he had laid under his head and set it up as a Pillar (h) This in likelihood being af erwards demolished he erects about 30 years after a new Pillar of stone upon another Apparition in the same place Ch. 35.14 15. This Pillar was a religious Sign and Monument as Altars were Esay 19.19 There were also Pillars for civil use as Rachels Pillar on her Grave Ch. 35.20 And Absolon's Pillar 2 Sam. 18.18 The Pillar Galeed Gen. 31.45 47 52. But when the Law was given by Moses Pillars for religious use were forbidden Levit. 26.1 Deut. 16.22 And the Pillars of Idolaters commanded to be broken down Deut. 12.3 Ch. 7.5 and as a memorial of that Vision and then poured out a little of the oil upon it which he had taken with him for his provision by the way as an Oblation and Offering of thanksgiving to God having no other Sacrifice at hand And he did the same thing afterwards at the same place again about 30 years after see Ch. 35.14 and called the Name of the place Bethel that is the House of God whereas the City near to it was before called Luz Then Jacob made a Vow unto the Lord That if he would please to be with him and to keep him in the way wherein he was now to go and to give him Food and Raiment 1 Tim. 6.8 and bring him back again to his Fathers house in peace it should be a new and strong Obligation and Ingagement upon him to worship and serve the Lord faithfully all his days and that stone or pillar now erected by him should be Gods House (i) See the performance of this Ch. 35.7 viz. that place should be consecrated to his Worship and Service for him and his to worship him in and that he would give the tenth (k) Thus we see Tythes paid by Abraham and Jacob before the Law of Moses Decimas non sacerdoti pendendas sed in usus pios aras holocausta c. Levit 27.30 Numb 18.24 Anonym in loc of all that he should have to God that is for the maintenance of the true Worship of God and for pious and charitable Vses Gen. 27. whole Chapter Gen. 28. from 1. to 6. and from 10. to the end SECT XXIV ESau understanding that his Father Isaac had blessed Jacob and that he had sent him away into Mesopotamia there to take a Wife of his own Kindred expresly forbidding him to marry any of the Daughters of the Canaanites and that Jacob had express'd his readiness to obey his Father and Mother therein He to pacifie his Fathers mind who was much offended with him for taking for his first Wives the Daughters of the Hitties see Sect. 21. went to the Ishmaelites Ishmael himself being now dead and took another Wife viz. Mahalatha the Daughter of Ishmael the Son of Abraham And it seems he did this either to please his Father by matching into his Kindred or else to strengthen himself by this new alliance with the Israelites against his Brother Jacob. Gen. 28. from 6. to 10. SECT XXV JAcob being now comforted and strengthened by the late heavenly Vision went on chearfully in his Journey and at length came near to Haran in Mesopotamia where at a Well in the Fields which was guarded by a great stone he saw a great many Flocks of Sheep which were brought thither to be watered as soon as the Shepherds should have rolled away the stone Jacob asks them civilly Whence they were They answered They belonged to Haran He inquires if they knew Laban the Son of Bethuel and Grand-Child of Nahor They tell him They knew him very well He inquires of his Health They tell him he was in very good health And one of his Daughters viz. Rachel was hard by coming with his Sheep to be watered Jacob tells them it was yet too soon in the day as He apprehended to gather the Flocks together in order to their folding therefore he advises them to water the Sheep and to go and feed them again They tell him They might not their custom or agreement among themselves being otherwise or could not water the Sheep till all the Flocks were come together and all the Shepherds joined their strength to remove the Stone But Jacob seeing Rachel coming with her Fathers Flock he being strong with the help of these Shepherds there present rolled away the Stone and watered her Sheep Then saluting her he acquainted her that he was Son to Rebecca her Father's Sister and wept for joy that he had so soon and so opportunely met his Cosin Rachel She running and acquainting her Father therewith he presently came forth to Jacob and imbraced and kissed him and brought him to his house Then Jacob related to him the state and condition of his Father and Mother and what was the reason and occasion of his Journey and his coming so privately else Laban might have wondred to see him come so unfurnished he having seen Abraham's Servant Eliezer come so richly provided when he fetched thence Rebecca Laban replies That he was satisfied that he was his Nephew his very bone and flesh and whatever was the occasion of his Journey he
Southern part of Canaan and there dwelt he sent Messengers before to him to give him notice of his coming charging them to address themselves to him in a very respectful and submissive manner and to tell him that his Servant Jacob had sojourned with Laban in Mesopotamia for 20 years and God had now blessed Him with Flocks and Herds and with Men-Servants and Maid-Servants and therefore He did not come to beg any thing of him but only desired his favour that he might quietly pass thorow his Country The Messengers having dispatched their Message return and tell him that his Brother Esau was coming to meet him attended with 400 men and 't is like they possessed him that they apprehended he came with no good intention towards him Jacob hearing this was greatly afraid his Guard of holy Angels in likelihood being gone and contriving to secure himself as well as he could he divided the people that were with him and his Flocks into two Bands or Companies thinking that if Esau fell upon the one the other might possibly have time to escape And being in this distress he set himself to call not upon the Angels that had lately appeared to him for their help and mediation but upon the true and ever living God praying unto Him after this manner O God of my Grandfather Abraham and Father Isaac to whom thou hast made many great and glorious Promises and to their Seed Thou commandedst me to leave Mesopotamia and to return to my Fathers house (u) See Ch. 31.13 and didst promise to deal well with me and Lo I am now obeying thy Command I acknowledge I am altogether unworthy of the great Mercies thou hast bestowed on me and of that Faithfulness thou hast expressed towards me For when I came from my Fathers house I was in a mean and poor Condition I passed over the River Jordan that I have now in mine eye only with my Staff in my hand and now behold I am become two Bands And seeing thou hast hitherto been so gracious unto me I humbly pray thee now help me and save me from my Brother Esau who I fear without thy Interposition will come upon me and slay me with my Wives and Children Lord thou hast promis'd to do me good and to keep me in all places Ch. 28.14 15. 31.3 and to make my Seed as the Sand of the Sea Therefore I pray thee of thy great mercy make good these thy gracious Promises unto me Jacob having thus prayed and reposed his Trust in God yet He judged it fit to use all good and fair means for his own Preservation And therefore resolved with himself to send a Present to his Brother to propitiate and atone him And accordingly he cull'd out some of all his Cattel for this purpose but the approaching of the night and his hast to prevent his Brothers coming would not suffer him to make any curious choice However he took out of his Flocks 200 She-Goats and 20 He-Goats 200 Ews and 20 Rams 30 Milch-Camels with their Colts 40 Kine and 10 Bulls 20 She-Asses and and 10 Foles in all 580 Head of Cattel a rich and noble Present being an excellent and large Stock for breed These several sorts of Cattel he delivered into the hands of so many several Servants and charged them to pass over the Ford of Jabbok with them and to put a good distance and space between Drove and Drove that so his Present might make the fairer shew and that by degrees the heat of his Brothers Rage might abate and cool Then he charged the first Servant that went with the first Flock that when he met Esau and he should ask him Whence he came and to whom he belonged he should say This is a Present of thy Servant Jacob sent to my Lord Esau and behold he himself is behind coming to wait upon my Lord. And he charged the rest of the Servants that went with the other Flocks to do accordingly And he thought with himself that by this means in all likelihood he should appease his Brother and melt his Rage and dispose him to be kind and favourable to him The Present being sent away His next care was to pass his Wives and Children and his Company and his Flocks and Substance over the River Jabbok but he himself stayed behind that he might spend the night in private prayer unto God And having wrestled with the Lord several hours by fervent prayer not without many tears as we read Hos 12.4 He wept and made Supplication c. at last the Son of God the Angel of the Covenant appeared to him in an humane shape and set upon him and wrestled with him and he was pleased not to prevail over him with that measure of strength which in that assumed Body he did take and use at that time to intimate to him and to assure him that though he was to wrestle with many Difficulties and many Afflictions yet he should be Victor in them all However to keep him humble and that he should not be exalted above measure but know by whose Indulgence he did prevail he touched the hollow of his Thigh and put it out of joynt and the Sinews shrank so that he halted of it for the present to intimate to him that it was not the hand of a meer man that strove with him Then the Angel speaking to him after the manner of men said Let me go for the day breaketh but Jacob now perceiving the Person he wrestled with to be more than a meer man said I will not let thee go except thou bless me Then the Angel asked him his Name which he knew well enough but to take occasion for what he meant to say concerning the change of his Name He answers Jacob. The Angel replies That his Name should henceforth not only be called Jacob but Israel (x) The Jews are never called Jacobites but Israelites that is One that hath Princely Power with God Gen. 46.2 Ch. 35.10 and should also prevail over men Then Jacob desired the Angel to tell him his Name (y) Some Angels had names as Gabriel Luk. 1.19 Christ the Angel of the Covenant is called Michael Dan. 10.21 Jude v. 9. Apoc. 12.7 hoping he would have given him some peculiar Name whereby he might have the clearer knowledge of Him and might better remember and honour him The Angel refused to satisfie his curiosity in that as likewise He did Judg. 13.17 18. but he blessed him So Jacob called the name of the Place Peniel because he had there seen the Son of God in an humane shape face to face who had there manifested himself more clearly to him than ever before and he had escaped death notwithstanding this glorious sight which the Godly us'd to fear when they saw Visions of God See Exod. 20.19 Judg. 6.22 23. 13.22 And now he looked upon his life as safe and that God would preserve him from Esau Then the Sun rising Jacob passed
should be so dishonoured and abused and upon that account they had done what they did Gen. 34. whole Chapter SECT XXXII JAcob being now perplexed with fear by reason of that which his Sons had done to the Shechemites and perhaps thinking to remove to some other place the Lord appeared to him whither by Vision or Dream is uncertain and appointed him to go to Bethel which was distant from Shechem Southward about 30 English miles and to build there an Altar unto God who appeared to him when he fled from the face of his Brother Esau (q) Ch. 27.43 thereby calling to his remembrance the gracious Promises which God had there made to him and the Vow which he had there made to God and possibly he had delayed to perform it Ch. 28.22 And this Stone which I have set up for a Pillar shall be Gods House c. Then Jacob being quickned by the late danger he was in as likewise by the Lords appearing to him and commanding him to go to Bethel to perform the Vow he had there made He spake to those of his own proper Family and as 't is like to those who appertain'd to him and were of his Retinue and pitched their Tents with him to put away the strange Gods * This He did in performance of that most material part of his Vow Gen. 28.21 Then shall the Lord be my God that were among them that is the Idols which other Nations worshipped but might not be indured among them that worshipped the true God Whether hereby he meant Laban's Gods or Teraphim stolen by Rachel and possibly not before this time known to him or any other brought by some of his Retinue when they came from Laban and Mesopotamia whom he perceived too much addicted to the Superstitions of that Country or some of the Shechemites Idols possibly of Gold or Silver which they had lately plundered and secretly kept is uncertain He commands them also to purifie or wash themselves and to change their Garments putting on others or washing those they had on which external Rite or Ceremony was afterwards injoyned by the Law in divers Cases as we may see Levit. 15.13 Numb 31.23 and imported a change of Mind and Manners and a cleansing themselves from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit which he intimates to them they stood in need of more especially not only by reason of their defilement by Idolatry but in regard of their late base murder committed on the Shechemites And having exhorted them to prepare and sanctifie themselves for that solemn Worship of God which he was to set up and exercise with his Family at Bethel he now incourages them to go up with him thither where he intended to perform his Vow formerly made in that place Ch. 28.17 and to build an Altar to God where before he had only erected a Pillar about 27 years ago Jacob's Family yielded a ready compliance to this his Injunction and brought to him such Idols as they had among them and the Ear-Ornaments (r) Insignia haec erant alicujus superstitionis dicata scil alicui fictitio numini vide Exod. 32.2 or Rings which probably they had plundered from the Shechemites who had worn them in honour of their Idols see Hosea 2.13 And Jacob buried them under an Oak by Shechem from the knowledge of his Family and People that they might never be found or used again Then he and his Company marched towards Bethel formerly called Luz Ch. 12 8. and the terrour of the Lord was upon the Cities that were round about them that they did not pursue after them nor destroy them as they might have done And he built there an Altar to sacrifice thereon where God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his Brother Esau Jacob being now not far from his Father Isaac's House whom in all likelihood he had often visited before this having been seven years at least in Canaan since his return from Laban and had frequent intercourse with him I say being near his Fathers House as it seems Deborah (s) Haec foemina annum saltem pertigit 162. Rebeccas Nurse see Ch. 24.59 came from Isaac's House to visit him and there died and with great mourning was buried under an Oak God now appeared to Jacob again after he was come from Padan-Aram and this is the Seventh time that he had revealed himself to him in an especial manner and confirms the Name Israel to him a second time see Gen. 32.28 And God said unto him I am God Almighty see Ch. 17.1 Be fruitful (t) God doth here ratifie his Father Isaac's blessing which he gave him when he fled into Mesopotamia Ch. 28.3 4. and multiply A Nation yea many Nations shall spring from thee yea even Kings shall come out of thy Loins The Land which I promised to Abraham and Isaac to thee will I give it and to thy Posterity and not to Esau Then the Lord ascended up to Heaven vanishing out of his sight And Jacob set up a Pillar in this Place where the Lord had talked with him as a perpetual Memorial of Gods goodness to him The former which he set up there near thirty years before being in all likelihood demolished and he poured a Drink-Offering and Oil thereon see Gen. 28.18 So that these were in use for Consecration before the Ceremonial Law of Moses And he a second time called the Name of the Place Bethel or the House of God Jacob stayed not long here but travailed from hence to Ephrath or Bethlehem-Ephrata Mich. 5.2 where our Saviour afterwards was born His beloved Rachel when they had almost reached the Place fell in travail and having exceeding hard labour though the Midwife comforted her that she should have another Son which she accordingly brought forth (u) Joseph was now about 13 years of age when Benjamin was born but immediately after finding her self dying and her Soul departing from her Body she called the Name of her Son Benoni that is the Son of my sorrow And thus she died by bearing a Child who before quarrelled with her Husband and said Give me Children or else I die But Jacob would not suffer such a Name to be given to his Son that might continually renew his sorrow for the loss of his dear Wife and therefore called him Benjamin that is the Son of my right hand intimating that he should be his beloved Son tenderly regarded by him and always as it were at his right hand Jacob had now 12 Sons all which are said to born to him in Padan-Aram that is all besides Benjamin by a Synechdoche Afterwards when the 12 Tribes were accounted and setled Ephrahim and Manasseh the Sons of Joseph were put in and Joseph and Levi in a sort left out that is Levi was left out as to having any Land by lot in Canaan They are called the 12 Patriarchs Acts 7.8 and the 12 Tribes Acts 26.7 Their Names were ingraven on 12
afterwards gave him Zipporah (z) Patriarcha ex cognatione suâ filiis uxores capiebant ne illae filios a religione averterent Sed Joseph Moses illo metu liberi ex Gentilibus uxores duxerunt nec ab illis aversi sunt a religione sed eas converterunt his Daughter to wife who bare him a Son whom he called Gershom whereby he intimated that he was a Stranger in that Land and yet God had comfortably provided for him Another Son he had also afterwards by her whom he called Eliezer Ch. 18. 4. by which name He signified that God was his helper In process of time that cruel Tyrant Pharaoh of whom Moses was so much afraid died but though the Tyrant was gone yet the Tyranny remained for another Pharaoh arose who made the Burdens and Afflictions of the Children of Israel as heavy or heavier than they were before They sighed and cried unto the Lord by reason of their Oppressions and God heard their groaning and remembred his Covenant which he had made with Abraham Isaac and Jacob to own them for his People and accordingly resolved to deliver them in such ways as were most for the Honour of his Great Name and for their profit and advantage Exod. 2. from vers 16. to the end SECT LVII ABout this time Caleb the Son of Jephunneh was born viz. forty years before he was sent by Moses to spy out the Land of Canaan See Josh 14.7 10. SECT LVIII MOses since he came into Jethro's Family had as it seems betaken himself to the Pastoral Employment as an exercise that allowed great liberty and opportunity for Contemplation And keeping his Father-in-laws Sheep in the Desert that he might provide fresh Pastures for them he drave them to the further side of the Desert nigh to Mount Horeb. (a) This Mountain seems like Parnassus to have had two tops one called Sinai the other Horeb. Called in this place by anticipation the Mountain of God because here God afterwards in so wonderful a manner appeared to Moses and gave him the Law and made a Covenant with the people Here Christ the eternal Son of God the Messenger or Angel (b) Magni concilii Angelus Dei voluntatem nobis nunâ—iavit of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 appeared to him out of a burning Bush which though it burnt yet it was not consumed Moses being stricken with admiration at the sight and not knowing at first what to think of it he determined to approach nearer to it hoping thereby better to inform himself The Lord calls to him out of the midst of the Bush Moses Moses Moses hearing himself called by his Name answered Here I am The Lord then charged him not to draw too nigh to the Bush but to put off his shooes that is that he should in all humility present himself before Him as a poor Caytiff not worthy to stand in the presence of so great a Majesty He further tells him That the place whereon he stood was holy Ground that is made holy at this time through the presence and apparition of God without which it was but like other Ground And therefore by that outward expression he should testifie the inward reverence of his mind Moreover the Lord said I am the God of thy Fathers the God of Abraham (c) The Lord expressing this as in the present Tense I am the God of Abraham c. speaking of men long since dead it was doubtless not only in regard of the Immortality of their Souls but also in regard of the certain Resurrection of their Bodies too And therefore our Saviour alledges this place to prove the Resurrection of the Body against the Sadduces Mat. 22.31 32. Isaac and Jacob to whom I promised to be their God and the God of their Seed after them Moses hearing this hid his Face (d) So Elijah wrapped his face in a Mantle 1 King 19.13 See Esay 6.3 out of an awful Reverence of so great a Majesty being afraid through a sense of his own vileness to look up towards God The Lord further said unto Moses I have seen the Affliction of my People in Egypt and heard their Cry Then speaking of Himself after the manner of men He tells him He was come down (e) See Gen. 11.7 18.21 35.13 to deliver them out of their Bondage and to bring them into a good and large Land (f) Though Judea contain'd in length from Dan to Bâ—ersheba but an 160 and in breadth from Joppa to Jordan but 60 miles yet it may be called large in respect of Goshen where the Israelites for the most part dwelt See Gen. 13.14 15. a Land flowing with Milk and Honey and He intended to send him to speak to Pharaoh to let his People go So that the secret Inspiration which Moses had before from God Exod. 2.11 is here now advanced to an open Call and full Commission At his first Call he was very forward and killed the Egyptian but since his flight out of Egypt he was become more cautious Therefore he said unto the Lord Who am I a mean man that I should go to Pharaoh a great proud and tyrannical Prince and should think to deliver a distressed People out of his Power The Lord answered I will certainly be with thee so that thou needst not fear either thy own Weakness or the Power of them to whom I send thee And this present Apparition of mine out of the burning but not burned Bush shall be a Token and Evidence to thee that at this time I have sent thee And hereafter when thou hast brought the people out of Egypt this may further serve to strengthen thy Faith in my Power and Providence over them I do now foretell thee Ye shall serve me upon this Mountain Moses conceiving himself now after so many years absence in a manner unknown to the Children of Israel he begins to think that they might question Whither indeed he was sent of God or no and might demand of him under what Name or Title God had made known Himself to him If that should so happen he humbly desires to know by what Name or Title the Lord would please to be mention'd to them seeing many of his Names were abused by application of them to Idols The Lord answers If thou enquirest concerning my Name I am that I am Therefore go and tell the Children of Israel That I AM hath sent thee unto them and further tell them That the Lord God of their Fathers the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob hath sent thee unto them and tell them This is my Name for ever and this is my Memorial unto all Generations that is by this Name shall all Generations remember Me. Go then therefore and call the Heads of the Tribes of the Children of Israel together and deliver this Message to them that they may acquaint their Brethren of the several Tribes here-with and tell them That I have by the watchful Eye
18. SECT LIX MOses being now confirmed partly by Miracles partly by the promise of Divine assistance and having his Brother Aaron given him for his Partner he undertook the Work Returning therefore to his Father-in-law Jethro and concealing as 't is probable from him the glorious Vision he had seen and the honourable Employment he was called unto lest Jethro should by proposing Difficulties and perils in the undertaking discourage him He in a respectful manner desires him to permit him to go into Egypt to visit his Brethren and see how they did Jethro readily consents to it and bids him go in peace Notwithstanding Moses it seems after he had obtained leave of Jethro made not such hast as he ought to have done Therefore God appears to him a second time in Midian and quickens him to the Journey assuring him that all those in Egypt that sought his life were dead Then Moses took his Wife and his two Sons Gershom and Eliezer Exod. 18.3 4. and setting them upon Asses intended to carry them with him into Egypt and he took his Rod with which God appointed him to work Miracles in his hand and the Lord appointed him when he came into Egypt to do all those Wonders and Miracles before Pharaoh which he should put into his hand that is give him Power to do But the Lord tells him That he will harden Pharaoh's heart that is he will withdraw and withhold his Grace from him as by withholding Light he causeth Darkness and would permit Satan to excite and spur on his corrupt Nature so that notwitstanding the many things that should be offer'd to him for his Conviction he should more and more harden his own heart against God and should refuse to let the People go However he commands him to speak thus unto Pharaoh Thus saith the Lord The People or Posterity of Israel are my First-born being chosen of my free Grace first out of all Nations to be my peculiar People and are as dear to me as the First-born are to their Parents Therefore let them go that they may serve me If thou refuse to let them go behold I will slay thy Son even thy First-born and not thine only but the First-born of all the Egyptians thy Subjects also and so accordingly it afterwards came to pass Ch. 4. from vers 18. to 24. SECT LX. AS Moses was now upon his Journey towards Egypt with his Wife and Children the Lord as it seems visibly appeared to him and either by a Sword drawn in his hand or by inflicting some sudden violent Sickness upon him put him in great danger of his life and revealed to him the Cause thereof to be because he had neglected to Circumcise his youngest Son see Gen. 17.14 there being a great Incongruity in it that He should take on him the Government of God's Circumcised People who had neglected to impose this Badge of the Covenant on his own Son 'T is like the reason why Moses neglected to Circumcise this his younger Son was because his Wife had been so highly displeased at his Circumcising of the elder But however it was Zipporah seeing the danger her Husband was now in by reason of this neglect and that he was at this time through sickness so disabled that he himself could not do it she took a sharp Knife possibly made of Flint and Circumcised him her self and then cast the Foreskin newly cut off at her Husbands feet saying in a discontented humour Surely thou art a bloody Husband to me For for thy sake and for the sake of thy Religion I am forced thus to shed the blood of my Son This being done the Lord let Moses go and released him from his Sickness And 't is like upon this occasion and trouble Zipporah with her Children was sent back from thence to her Fathers house again as appears Exod. 18.2 3. Ch. 4. from vers 24. to 27. SECT LXI MOses being now freed from all Incumbrance went on his Journey towards Mount Horeb where his Brother Aaron being before warned of God to come thither met him and at their meeting kissed and embraced him Then Moses acquainted him with all these wonderful Passages and with all that the Lord had said unto him and what Miracles he had impowered him and commanded him to work and what Service he had employed him about and how Aaron was appointed to joyn with him therein This done they went on and when they came into Egypt they called together the Elders of the Children of Israel and Aaron spake to them what Moses had directed him to say from God and Moses wrought as was appointed him those three Miracles before mentioned Sect. 57. for the confirming their Faith See Ch. 4. from vers 2. to the 10. The people of Israel when they heard and saw these things they greatly rejoyced and believed that God had now in mercy visited them and had looked down with Pitty and compassion on their Afflictions and they bowed their heads and worshipp'd God with great Reverence Humility and Thankfulness Ch. 4. from 27. to the end SECT LXII SHortly after this Moses and Aaron make their first Address to Pharaoh several of the Elders of Israel accompanying them therein See Exod. ch 3.18 They Represent to Him that the God of their Fathers had appeared unto them and commanded them to offer a Sacrifice and to celebrate a Religious Feast (p) Part of the Sacrifices were to serve for a Feast and both for the honour of God This Feast they should have celebrated to the Lord but they performed it to an Idol the work of their own hands Exod. 32.6 19. to him in the Wilderness Therefore they humbly beseech him that they may have liberty to go three days Journey in the Desart namely to the Mount Horeb to perform this which the Lord required of them lest if they should neglect to obey Him therein he should punish them with the Pestilence or Sword or some such dreadful Judgment for their Disobedience Pharaoh like a proud and imperious Prince answers Who is the Lord that I should obey his Voice to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Then looking upon Moses and Aaron with Indignation He asks them What they had to do to seduce the People and take them off from their work And then looking upon the People with anger Get you to your Burdens says he and see that you perform your daily Task or I will take a course with you I understand very well that you are a great and numerous People indeed too many and these two men Moses and Aaron design to get ease and rest for you from your Burdens that so you may increase more and possibly may then think of rebelling against me But I shall take Care to prevent that And accordingly that very day he charged the Task-Masters that were Egyptians and the Officers under them which were Israelites appointed to take the Over-sight of their Brethren in
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
Circumcision was with the Jews a Badge of God's people Therefore those that were not Circumcised were counted profane and their Uncircumcision was counted a grievous blemish Hence it was that in a Figurative Speech they counted those things that had any natural or moral blemish uncircumcised as a Heart or Mind or Tongue uncircumcised Hinc homines viles ad aliquam rem inepti incircumcisi ea parte vocantur and had an imperfection in his speech and utterance and was very unfit to be sent to Pharaoh on such a Message as that was However God bids Him and Aaron go again to the Children of Israel and to encourage them with expectation of Deliverance and to go to Pharaoh to require him in his Name to let them go Moses and Aaron being thus to be imployed as Instruments in the Hand of God of this great Deliverance their Stock and Lineage is here set down to shew that they were both descended of Levi and this might possibly be so ordered by the Spirit of God as an Antidote against the fabulous Reports of Heathen Writers such as Justin and Tacitus who tell false Stories of the Original both of Moses and of the people of the Jews Which things though they happened not till many years after yet were now fore-seen by the Spirit of God who assistâ—â— Moses in penning this History And Moses being to set down his own and Aarons Descent from Levi for orders sake he begins with the Stock of Reuben and Simeon Levi's elder Brothers And possibly in this place he mentions only those three and not the Heads of the other Tribes that it might appear that they were not rejected of God notwithstanding Jacob's severe Commination Gen. 49.3 5. As also to shew that though Reuben and Simeon were elder then Levi yet God had freely chosen out of the Tribe of Levi Moses to be the first Captain of his people and his Brother Aaron the first High Priest to whom his Posterity should succeed in that Office And these are that very Moses and Aaron whom the Lord commanded to bring forth the Children of Israel out of Egypt who were increased now to many thousands so that they might be called the Hosts of the Lord Exod. 12.37 41. Ch. 5. whole Chapter Ch. 6. from vers 1. to 28. SECT LXIII MOses being now 80 (t) The reason why Moses's age is here set down seems to be to shew how long God in his wise Providence had suffered the Egyptians to oppress the Israelites with such cruel bondage even before the birth of Moses till he came to be 80 years of age And the reverence and respect due to the venerable age He and Aaron were of rendred them the more fit to undertake such a service and Aaron 83 years of Age they are commanded by the Lord to go again to Pharaoh to require him to dismiss the people Moses would have excused himself again because he was not Eloquent but the Lord tells him Behold I have made thee a God (u) Quia adversus Pharaonem divinam quandam potestatem exercuit dum ab eo timetur dum oratur dum punit dum medetur dum verbo animalia quasi creat destruit coelum denique ac terram commovet ut explicat Hilarius lib. 7. de Trin. to Pharaoh that is one to whom the Word of God shall come and by whom it shall be made known to Aaron and by him to Pharaoh For Aaron shall be thy Interpreter and Spokes-man But I know that Pharaoh will not hearken unto you but will harden his heart against all that you shall say However be not discouraged thereat for I will multiply my Signs and Wonders in the Land of Egypt and will bring forth my Hosts that is my people the Children of Israel by inflicting great Plagues and Judgments on the Egyptians and they shall know that I am the Lord by the Judgments that I will execute upon them and by which I will at last deliver my people Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them and went again unto Pharaoh requiring him in the Name of the Lord to let the Children of Israel go out of his Land Pharaoh asks them How he shall know that they were sent of God What Miracle could they work to induce him to believe it Moses hereupon gave Aaron his Rod and bad him cast it upon the ground and said It should become a Serpent and Aaron did so before Pharaoh and his Servants and accordingly it became a Serpent (x) It seems the change wrought before Pharaoh was not into an ordinary Serpent called Nehash but into some greater Creature here called a Dragon Tavin Then Pharaoh called for his Magicians and Sorcerers wherewith the Land of Egypt abounded and whereof the chief at that time were Jannes and Jambres 2 Tim. 3.8 and they did the like in outward shew and appearance but not in reality the Devil by whose Power they did work casting a mist before the peoples eyes whereby they thought they saw that which indeed was not I say these Magicians cast down their Rods and they seemed to be turned also into Serpents (y) Dici potest veros dracones sive Serpentes aliunde adductos ope Damonis virgarum loco fuisse substitutos ita fallendo oculos ut nemo praestigias istas animadverteret or Dragons Some aerial Representations possibly of them being there made by the art of the Devil or possibly the Devil might bring thither some true Serpents unperceiveably from other places and might remove the Rods from the peoples eyes But the Dragon or Serpent into which Aarons Rod was turned swallowed (z) Notandum praestigias Magorum non obfuisse Mosi sed magis profuisse Semper enim aliquid adsuit quo divina signa praecellerent Nam Serpens Moysis devoravit eorum Serpentes Aquam illi in sanguinem mutare potuerunt non rursum sanguinem in aquam ranas afferre non tollere Nempe ut per eas plagae augeri possent non minui Post devorationem Virga Aaronis in statum pristinum reversa est up theirs God hereby shewing that the Power whereby Moses and Aaron had wrought their Miracle was infinitely above that of Satan whereby the Magicians had endeavoured to equal the Work which Moses had done Yet notwithstanding this Miracle Pharaoh's heart was still hardened so that he would not let the people go as God had foretold Exod. 6. vers 28 29 30. Exod. 7. from 1. to 14. SECT LXIV PHaraoh continuing still obstinate God sends Moses and Aaron again to him and by their Ministry inflicts ten Plagues successively upon the Eyptians from which the Israelites as 't is probable were wholly exempted See Exod. 8.22 9.26 10.23 All which are reckoned Psal 78. 105. which Plagues were all sent within one month in this Order 1. God Commands Moses and Aaron to go and meet Pharaoh the next Morning First Plague Their waters turned into Bloud
for seven days together who would then come to walk by the side of the River Nilus and to tell him That seeing he had refused to obey the Voice of the Lord he would bring a grievous Plague upon Him and his People They had shed the bloud of the Israelites Children and drowned them in that River Therefore God had commanded him to give order to Aaron with his Rod to smite the waters of the River and he accordingly stretched forth his Hand over the Rivers Streams and Ponds probably over some of them in the Name of the rest and striking those Waters they were immediately turned into bloud Yea by the influence of God's Almighty Power upon that percussion all their other Streams and Rivers Ponds and Pools yea Cisterns of water whether of Wood or Stone were turned into bloud for seven days together By which Plague the Fish that were in the River died whereby the Egyptians were deprived of that which was their chief Food (a) The Egyptians abstained from the flesh of many Beasts of Superstition especially such as the Hebrews used in Sacrifice as may be gathered from Numb 11.5 We remember the Fish that we did eat in Egypt freely and Isa 19.8 God threatens this as a great Judgment to Egypt The Fishers shall mourn and all that cast Angles into the Brooks shall lament and they that spread Nets upon the Waters shall languish So that this was a sore Plague on the Egyptians who fed much on Fish and traded much with them and maintained themselves by them And one great evil followed this also for hereupon the River stank so horribly that they could not drink of the waters of it which used to be their ordinary Beverage see Jer. 2.18 but were fain to dig Pits near the River that they might have some water to drink But all this did not work upon Pharaoh's obdurate heart For his Magicians and Sorcerers getting some water either from the Sea or out of the new-digged-Wells or from the houses of the Israelites dwelling here and there intermixed with them did by their Enchantments and the Devil's help get some blood whereby they tinctured the waters or else unperceiveably removed the water and substituted bloud in the place thereof Which when Pharaoh saw done by them he went away to his own house and heeded not nor laid to heart the foregoing Plague inflicted on him by Moses Exod. Ch. 7. from 14. to the end 2. God Commands Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh again Second Plague Frogs and to require him to let his People go and to tell Him That if he refused to do it He would smite all his Borders with Frogs They accordingly resolutely pursue their Commission and evidence their Courage and Fidelity in God's Cause notwithstanding the ill success they had had before But Pharaoh would not give ear to them Hereupon Aaron stretched forth his Rod (b) The Rod is called sometimes the Rod of Moses sometimes of Aaron sometimes of God to shew that it was the Instrument they all used in working these prodigious things over the Rivers (c) Non singulos adiit fluvios sed virga eminus eos intenta designavit extendit eam versus Nilum intentione versus omnes aqas Aegypti over the Streams and over the Ponds and the Frogs came up in great abundance upon the Land namely not only those that were in the Rivers before but an innumerable number of new ones were produced and they crawled into Pharaoh's house and into his Bed-Chamber (d) How easily can God cast contempt upon Princes and how favourable is he to men who by his ordinary Providence makes such Creatures loth to come where man hath to do which are so lothsome to him yea upon his Bed and into the Houses of his Courtiers and the rest of his people yea into their Ovens and Kneading-Troughs so that they were grievously annoyed with them Pharaoh calls for his Magicians to see if they could imitate this Miracle and they by stretching forth their Rods over the River did by the Power of the Devil (e) The Devil it seems much delights in their monstrous shape For we find in the Scripture three unclean Spirits like Frogs coming out of the mouth of the Dragon bring forth some true Frogs by unperceptible Conveyance to the place where the Contest was which possibly at this present was not covered with Frogs by Moses's Working though it is like they were but very few in comparison of those Moses and Aaron had produced And when they had brought them they could not remove them again Pharaoh and his people being thus grievously distressed with this Plague he began to stoop a little and to acknowledge God whom before he would not know and therefore desires Moses and Aaron to intreat the Lord to remove these Frogs and he would let the people go that they may Sacrifice unto the Lord their God Moses knowing that he was constituted as a God to Pharaoh Ch. 7. vers 1. to bring Judgments upon him and romove them at God's appointment and having in him the Faith of Miracles and being directed by the Spirit of God He told Pharaoh He would do him the honour (f) Honorem tibi sume ut des mihi tempus in quo orem pro te to let him appoint the time when he should pray to the Lord for him and by his power deliver him from this Plague And says he if my prayer take no effect then do thou glory over me and say I am no better than one of thy Magicians but if I do deliver thee then own and obey the great God of Heaven whose Servant I am Pharaoh desires the Frogs may be removed by the next Morning Moses Replies Be it according to thy word that thou mayst know that there is none like unto the Lord our God Moses then cried unto the Lord to remove this Plague from Pharaoh and the Lord heard him and immediately the Frogs died that were in the Houses Villages and Fields only some remained in the River and they gathered the dead Frogs together and cast them upon heaps so that the Land stank by reason of them But when this Plague was removed and Pharaoh saw there was some respite he hardened his heart and hearkened not to Moses and Aaron as the Lord had foretold Exod. Ch. 8. from vers 1. to 16. Third Plague Lice 3. Pharaoh having thus mocked God promising and not performing the Lord to manifest his Indignation against him Commands Moses now to strike him with a new Judgment without giving him any warning as at other times he had done Aaron therefore is commanded forthwith to stretch out his Rod and to strike the dust of the Land that it may become Lice through all the Land of Egypt Which Aaron accordingly doing abundance of Lice came on Men and Beasts the dust in very part of the Land that is a great deal of it turning into that
Boils and Blains breaking out upon them So that they were forced to go away and cease fighting against God But yet Pharaoh's heart was so hardned that he would not let the people go for all this Exod. Ch. 9. from 8. to vers 13. Seventh Plague Hail 7. Some few days after God sends Moses again to Pharaoh to require him to let his people go that they may serve him and to let him know that though his Hand had been already heavy upon him yet there were far sorer Plagues still behind which he had determined to bring upon him and his people if he continued obstinate and which should sting him to the very heart And these he would presently pour forth thick and threefold upon him that he might know there is no God like to the great Jehovah in all the World Moses is further commanded to speak thus to Him from the Lord I have stretched out my Hand and destroyed a great part of thy Cattel by Murrain and Pestilence and I should have destroyed thee and thy people thereby also (p) Sic ergo vertendum v. 16. Modo enim cum extendi manum meam percussissem non tantum pecus sed te etiam populum tuum veruntamen seci ut restares c. J. T. as you well deserved but that I have raised thee up for this very purpose that the World might see my Justice in punishing of thee and my Power in my Conquest over thee And dost thou yet so impudently exalt thy self against Me and my People Behold about this time to morrow I will cause it to rain a very grievous Hail upon Thee such as hath not been in Egypt since it became a Land inhabited by Misraim Son of Cham who gave Name to that People and Country And Moses the more to set forth the terrour of this Plague that was coming upon them advises the Egyptians to send for and get home their Cattel and Servants and all that they had in the Field For all that was found there would be destroyed by the Hail Some of Pharaoh's Servants believed this threatening of the Lord and got their Servants and Cattel into houses and so had them preserved but Others regarded it not On the morrow Moses stretched forth his Rod towards Heaven and the Lord sent Thunder and Hail mixed with Fire that ran upon the ground which destroyed not only a great part of their Corn viz. the Barley (q) V. 32. But the Wheat and the Rie were not smitten for they were not grown up that is so much as the Barley It seems in Egypt they sowed their Barley at the same time with their Wheat which we do not and there the Barley would be by far the forwardest Hordeo laeso incolume mansit triticum quippe cum hordei culmus aliquantum arefactus adeoque induratus non cederet grandini sed obniteretur itaque frangebatur Triticum autem tenerum adhuc in herba velut abditum licet non sub terra lenta flexilique sua mollitia procellae impetum devitavit Drufius that was eared and the Flax that was boll'd and in the Stalk and their Herbs but brake a great part of their Trees and killed both Man and Beast that were in the Storm vers 25. so saith the Psalmist Psal 78.47 48. He destroyed their Vines with Hail and their Sycamore-Trees with Hail-stones He gave up their Cattel also to the Hail and their Flocks to the Thunderbolts And this dreadful Hail fell on all the Land of Egppt only in the Land of Goshen there was none Pharaoh terrified with this dreadful Judgment sent for Moses and Aaron and told them He did now plainly see and accordingly did acknowledge That he (r) The Wicked do sometimes confess their sins to God's Glory but will not truly repent and reform that they may be received to Mercy had sinned against God and confess'd That God was Righteous and he and his people wicked He desires them therefore to pray unto the Lord to remove this Judgment and that there might be no more such dreadful Thunder and Hail and he would let them go they should stay no longer Moses promises as soon as he should be out of the City he would stretch forth his hands in prayer to the Lord. He knew by Inspiration from God that then the Thunder and Hail should immediately cease and Pharaoh might hereby be instructed that the Earth is the Lord's and the whole Creation is at his disposal But as for thee and thy Servants says he I know before-hand that ye will be never a whit the better for the removal of this Judgment And the event proved it to be so For when upon Moses's prayer the Thunder and Hail seased the heart of Pharaoh and his Servants were hardened as before and they would not let the people go Exod. Ch. 9. from 13. to the end Eighth Plague Locusts 8. About the seventh day of this Month God sent Moses to Pharaoh again telling him He had hardened (s) See Sect. 58. his heart and the hearts of his Servants that he might glorifie his Power and Justice in bringing more signal Judgments on him However though Pharaoh be obstinate yet thou Moses says God shalt for a remembrance of my Power and Justice declare to thy Children and Childrens Children the Wonders I have done in Egypt upon Pharaoh and his people that so you in your several Generations may know and be assured that I am the Lord. Then Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh again and expostulating with him asked him How long he would refuse to humble himself before the Lord and keep his people from going to serve him They tell him If he continued still obstinate on the morrow the Lord would send Grashoppers and Locusts into all his Quarters and they should be sent in such vast numbers that they should in a manner cover the face of the Earth from man's sight and should devour the residue of the Grass Herbs and what was green on the Trees and the Wheat and Corn which had escaped the Hail and they should fill his house and the houses of his Servants and of all the Egyptians in such a manner that neither he nor his Ancestors nor any that lived in Egypt before him did ever see such vast numbers of Locusts nor any that did did so much mischief as these should do And Moses and Aaron when they had delivered their Message came away and left him Then Pharaoh's Courtiers and Servants said to him How long shall this man Moses be a Snare to us that is an Instrument and means to bring Ruine and Destruction upon us We beseech thee lâ—t these people go Seest thou not that the Land is already almost ruined by the Plagues and Judgments that have been brought upon us Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron again to him and told them He was content they should go and serve the Lord their God But then recalling himself He
asks Who among them and how many of them did they desire should go Moses tells him They would go up All with their Old and with their Young with their Wives Sons and Daughters with their Flocks and with their Herds For they must make use of some of them for Sacrifice and of part of these Sacrifices they must keep a Riligious Feast unto the Lord. Pharaoh being angry at this motion that they should desire their Children should go also whom he intended to keep as Hostages for their coming back he said in a passion I wish you might find no more savour from God than you are like to find from me in this your Suit to let your Children go also Look to it if you will presume to go in this manner at your own peril be it I shall never consent that you should All go But as for you that are men grown I care not if I permit you to go For that was all as I understood (t) Pharaoh either mislook or perverted the words of Moses and Aaron For they demanded they might all go but they desiring at first that they might go to Sacrifice to the Lord it seems Pharaoh thought that only the men meant to go and not the Women and Children also that at first you desired Moses and Aaron not accepting of this Pharaoh caused them to be driven out of his presence Then Moses stretched forth his Rod over the Land of Egypt and the Lord sent an East-wind which blew very fiercely all day upon that Land and the next morning it brought a vast Army of Caterpillars and Locusts very grievous such as had never been seen there before nor are like ever to be again and they were so many that they in a manner covered the face of the Earth where there was any Herbage and by flying so many together like a Cloud they in a manner darkned the Air and they devoured all the Corn and Grass and Herbs that the Hail had left See Psal 78.46 and Psal 105.34 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in hast and said to them I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you in using you as I have done However pardon the wrong that I have done you and once more intreat the Lord to be favourable to me and remove this deadly Plague from me which consumes and destroys all and is like to bring a grievous and general Famine upon us And Moses went out and intreated the Lord for Pharaoh and the Lord sent a strong West-wind that carried the Grashoppers and Locusts away and cast them into the Red-Sea where they all perished But though this dreadful Judgment was removed yet Pharaoh's hardness was not for he would not yet let the people go Ch. 10. from vers 1. to 21. The Month Abib otherwise called Nisan answering to part of our March and part of our April which before had been the seventh Month as we shewed before was from this time forward made the first Month (u) In rememberance of their miraculous Deliverance out of Egypt they were appointed to begin the Year with this Month. Yet this account was afterwards kept only in Ecclesiastical Affairs For the Jubilees and such other Civil affairs it began as it had done before Lev. 25.8 9 10. of the year and upon the tenth day of this Month or a little before was instituted the Feast of the Passover In Commemoration of God's passing over them and not involving them in the Common Plague that smote the Houses of the Egyptians Touching which Passover several Laws and Directions are given to Moses 1. Concerning the Sacrifice it self or the matter of the Feast viz. a Lamb or Kid of the first year a Male without blemish 2. This must be set apart on the tenth day (x) No mention made of separating the Paschal Lamb from the Flock four days before the Feast in other places where the Passover is commanded of this Month. Thus it was ordered at this time that it might be in readiness and not to seek when they were encumbered with business about their going away 3. If one Houshold was too little for a Lamb they were to joyn the next Houshold to them and they were to make their account proportionably to the Lamb and to the persons that were to eat of it taking care that there might not be too few nor too many for it (y) Which number Josephus reckons to be ten men besides women and children 4. They were to keep the Lamb to the 14th day of the same Month. 5. Every Master of a Family of all the Congregation of Israel whom it especially concerned was appointed to kill it on the 14th day between the two Evenings (z) About that time our blessed Saviour the true Paschal Lamb was put to death Mat. 27.46 that is between our three a Clock in the Afternoon and Sun-set (a) The natural day from Sun to Sun the Jews divided into four parts The first from Sun-rising to nine in the fore-noon called the third hour The second from nine to twelve called the sixth hour The third from twelve to three in the afternoon called the ninth hour The fourth from three in the afternoon to Sun-setting called the twelfth hour 6. They were to strike and sprinkle with a bunch of Hyssop dipped in the bloud (b) To direct the Faith of the Israelites to the bloud of their great Redeemer thereof the two side-posts and upper door-posts of the door of the House where they did eat it (c) This seems peculiar to the Passover in Egypt 7. None of them were to go out of the House where they did eat it till the morning 8. They were not to break a bone of it 9. They were not to eat it raw or sodden but roasted with fire And they were to rost it whole Head and Leggs with the appurtenance that is the inwards being first taken out and washed 10. They were to eat it with unleavened (d) Leaven haing two Properties to sowr and puff up might well signifie malice and pride which must be laid aside Bread and bitter Herbs 11. They were to eat it with their Loins girded their Shooes on their feet and their Staff in their hand like men in hast and ready to be gone and march out of Egypt (e) These Ceremonies were peculiar to that Passover in Egypt 12. They were to let nothing of it remain unto the morning but if any thing were left after they had eaten it was to be burnt with fire These things being observed by them Moses tells them The Lord intended to pass by all the Houses of the Israelites where the Paschal-Lamb was thus eaten and the doors thus sprinkled but He would smite by his holy Angel all the First-born of the Land of Egypt both of Men and Beasts that remained And he would then execute Judgment on all the Gods of Egypt that is either some such notable Judgment or
he might try them again and might make them take a second View of that Sea that so their Deliverance thereat might make the deeper impression on them SECT IX THey came now on the fifteenth day of the second month to the eighth place of their Encamping in the Wilderness of Sin which lieth between Elim and Sinai where for want of Food they murmured against Moses and Aaron and wished in a desperate discontent That they had died by the Hand of the Lord in Egypt where they sat by the Flesh-pots (u) V. 2. Murmurabant piscibus in Aegypto volatilibusque assueti At unde Carnium inopia Multa enim illis erant pecora nisi pâ—percisse dicantur vel quia minus foecunda ab inopiam pascuorum vel quod in sacrificia servarent Sed verisimile est alias eos Carnes desiderasse Quales in Aegypto habere poterant Unde Deus noscens quid desiderarent to genere Carnium eos satiat Aug. quaest Exod. 62. They had Cattel in the Desart but if they should have eaten of them they might soon have killed them all up 'T is probable they longed not for such kind of Flesh as they had at hand but for the Flesh of Fowls such as they used to eat in Egypt and wanted now Willet and did eat bread to the full rather than that they had been brought into that Wilderness to die there by hunger The Lord took notice of these their murmurings and was highly offended at them Therefore he said to Moses I have heard the murmurings of the Children of Israel I will yet prove them whether they will walk in my Law or no and therefore tell them at the Evening I will give them Quails and they shall eat Flesh and in the Morning I will rain Bread from Heaven for them and they shall see that glorious Work of mine which I will work for them See Joh. 11.40 Numb 14.21 22. Moses and Aaron acquaint the people herewith and tell them They shall now see that it was the Lord that brought them out of the Land of Egypt and that He and Aaron were but his Instruments and had not done it of their own heads but did only what He commanded them and therefore their murmurings against them were indeed against the Lord Himself Then the Congregation of the Children of Israel being charged to come near before the Lord and there being at that time before the Tabernacle was built no nother visible sign of his Presence among them but only the Pillar of Cloud which was now in the front of their Army leading them towards the Wilderness they turned their faces towards that and perceived that God did in a more glorious manner than ordinary manifest the brightness of his Presence For from thence the Lord tells Moses That He had heard the murmurings of the people and might justly Chastize them for it however he would give them Quails (x) Here God gave them Quails for that one time only but at Kibroth-Hattavah Numb 11.31 they had them for a whole month together in the Evening and Manna in the Morning And accordingly at Even the Quails came and covered their Camp and in the Morning the dew lay round about their Camp and when the dew was gone there lay a small round thing as small as the Hoar-Frost (y) Unde patet fuisse Manna instar grani grandinis vel sacchari minuti on the ground It was a substance so solid that it would endure grinding in a Mill or pounding in a Mortar yet so friable and brittle that it melted at the rising of the Sun It was little and round like Coliander-seed but of a whitish colour like bdellium * Quod est genus gummi pellucidi Numb 11.7 8. It was ready meat to eat when gathered and so eaten the tast of it was like Wafers made with Honey (z) It was a different thing from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the honey-dew called Manna at this day by the Apothecaries which is not Food but Physick The Book Of Wisdom saith Ch. 16.20 21. That it was able to content every mans pallat and agreed to every tast and tempered it self to every mans liking But if God had given this miraculous Bread such an extraordinary gift to satisfie every appetite and to relish according to every mans desire and to tast like any meat they longed for why did the Israelites murmur against Moses that they had no Flesh and repine because they had not the Cucumbers and Melons and Leeks and Onions and Garlick of Egypt Numb 11.4 5. vers 31. but if they baked it in Pans the tast of it was like fresh Oil. But to return In the Morning when the Israelites saw it lying on the ground they said one to another Man-hu (a) Man pro Mah dialecto Aegyptiacâ vel Man ipsum hoc est praeparatum a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praeparare scil cibus praeparatus à Deo vel quod cibus in sâ—ipso praeparatus fuit non indigens alia praeparatione fuit enim in scipso bonus esui aptus Vatablus What is this as if they should have said this is a strange Food prepared and given us from above but we know not particularly what it is or what to name it Moses tells them It is the Bread that God had given them to eat It is Man that is a prepared portion Then Moses gives them some Commands from God concerning it 1. Every man might gather according to his eating that is proportionably as he had more or fewer in his Family The quantity of an Omer the tenth part of an Epha which is thought to be about a pottle of our measure is allowed to every single person as his proportion for a day And the Children of Israel according as their Families were gathered some more some less And when they had brought home what they had gathered the Head of the Family measured it out and gave every one his Omer * An Omer is the tenâ—h part of an Epha or Jewish bushel containing about three of our pecks as his share and proportion and no more So that they that gathered much had but their Omer for their daily allowance and the rest 't is like they gave to them that gathered less that they might have their Omer also (b) Hence it is that the Apostle by this Example of the Israelites helping one another exhorts the Christian Corinthians in like manner to supply the necessities of their Brethren 2 Cor. 8.13.14 15. And though every one had an Omer allowed him which shews how liberal an allowance God did make them for their daily Food yet it cannot be imagined that every one did eat their whole allowance every day but though they did not yet they might not reserve any of it till next day but what they left they were either to burn or cast forth God intending hereby that they should live in daily dependance on his
Providence see Mat. 6.11 However some of them were so Disobedient that they reserved some of it till next morning and it bred Worms and stank which Disobedience of theirs much provoked Moses to be angry with them 2. They were to gather it in the morning betimes For when the Sun waxed hot it melted 3. On the sixth day they were to gather twice as much as on other days namely two Omers for one person which order when the people observed the Elders and Rulers came and told Moses thereof doubting whether they did well therein seeing an Omer and no more was their fixed allowance for one day Hereupon Moses tells them That the next day was an holy Sabbath to the Lord and on that day (c) From whence some infer the antiquity and morality of the Sabbath this happening before the giving the Law on Mount Sinai no Mannah should fall and therefore on the sixth day they had a double allowance and on that day they were to bake or seeth of their Mannah what they thought fit to eat thereof that day and to reserve the remainder for the Sabbath-day and though reserved to that day it should not stink or breed Worms as one other days if kept it would do Yet some of the people were so unbelieving and disobedient that they went out on the Sabbath-day to seek Mannah but found none for which God was angry with them and charged them not to go out on the Sabbath-day any more to seek it but to observe that day unto him which the people accordingly did On this kind of bread they lived afterwards by the space of forty years * Comederant Man 40 annis tanquam cibum ordinarium cui non erat vetitum carnes vel cibos alios adjungere si quos vel venatu vel emptione a vicinis gentibus consequebantur ut apparet ex Deut. 2.6 Janson even till they came to the borders of the Land of Canaan And a Pot containing the quantity of an Omer was afterwards by Gods Command fill'd therewith and reserved by the Ark of Testimony (d) Or Ark of the Testimony because in it were the Tables of Gods Law which testified his Will to his people See Heb. 9.4 See Apostolical History pag. 380. viz. which testified Gods Presence among them to be kept as a Memorial of Gods goodness in thus miraculously feeding of them Exod. 16. whole Chapter SECT X. THeir ninth Remove was to Dophka their Tenth to Alush Numb 33.12 13 14. and their Eleventh to Rephidim a place in the Wilderness near Mount Horeb. Here they wanted water again and this want drove a great many of them into an high discontent and murmuring insomuch as they said Is the Lord among us or not vers 7. Thus they tempted the Lord as the Psalmist says Psal 78.41 and limited the holy One of Israel Then they fell a chiding with Moses saying Give us water that we may drink wherefore hast thou brought us out of Egypt to kill us and our Children and our Cattel with thirst Moses asked them Why they chid with him was it in his power to help them why did they tempt the Lord by their distrust and murmuring And from this distrustful murmuring of the People the place was afterwards called Massa and Meriba signifying Temptation and Chiding Then Moses cried unto the Lord saying What shall I do to this people they are almost ready to stone me God Commands him to take some of the Elders of the people with him and to take his Rod in his hand with which he commanded Aaron to strike the River Nile Ch. 7.20 and to go to Mount Horeb where he would appear to him in the Cloudy Pillar and there to smite the Rock with his Rod and it should give forth water Moses and the Elders accordingly going to Horeb He there in their sight struck the Rock and immediately the waters gushed forth * The Apostle says 1 Cor. 10.4 The Rock followed them and that Rock was Christ see Psal 78.15 16 20. And the Streams issuing thence trailed after them thorow the Wilderness see Psal 105.41 Deut. 9.21 The Cloudy Pillar it seems conducting them in such by-ways in such Levels and Vallies in that Mountainous Country that the water might conveniently be derived after them Exod. 17. from 1. to 8. SECT XI THe Amalekites descended from Timnah Concubine to Eliphaz Esau's eldest Son Gen 36.12 whose Country lay hereabout having an inveterate malice against Jacob and his Posterity fell now upon the Rear of the Israelites they being much spent and tired with their long march and slew some of the feeblest (e) That is of such as were feeble thorow travel not sickness see Psal 105.37 and hindermost of them Deut. 25.17 18 19. Moses hereupon sends Joshua with a chosen Party to fight with them in the Valley and betakes himself to the top of Mount Horeb where with the Rod of God in his hand as a Signal to strengthen the faith of the people in God's Power and Help He lifts up his hands towards Heaven earnestly praying unto the Lord and imploring his Aid and Assistance against their Enemies And whilst Moses's hands were help up Israel prevailed but when they flag'd and fell down Amalek prevailed He therefore being weary with standing so long as well as with lifting up his hands they put a stone under him to sit on and Aaron and Hur (f) See James 5.17 Quare precum comites adhibendi qui nos labantes fulciant supported his hands whereby they were steady to the going down of the Sun and so they obtained a great Victory over the Amalekites And God commanded Moses to write (g) See Exod. 34.27 this for a Memorial in a Book that is in the Chronicles and Annals of time that the wickedness of Amalek in assaulting the people of God may be remembred and to Inculcate it in the ears of Joshua who was to succeed him that He and all his Successors who shall be Generals to the Israelites at any time hereafter may put this his Command in Execution when He shall give them occasion to do it For says God I have determined utterly to put out the remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven (h) Deut. 25.19 See this Command executed by Saul 1 Sam. 15.3 c. that is I have determined that their Honour and Greatness shall be so broken and brought down that they shall not be remembred or made mention of as a flourishing State or Kingdom any more And Moses in thankfulness to God for this great Victory built an Altar in that place and call'd it Jehovah-Nissi as a Memorial to Posterity that there Jehovah had as with a Banner displayed gone forth and fought against the Enemies of his people And because Amalek had lifted up his hand against the Throne of the Lord (i) V. 16. Quia manus Amalec fuit contra solium Domini Sic Jun. Tremel Piscator reddunt hunc
versum in fighting against his peculiar people whose King and Soveraign he had undertaken to be therefore the Lord would have his people maintain a truceless War with Amalek from Generation to Generation Exod. 17. from vers 8. to the end SECT XII THis Story of Jethro contain'd in the next Chapter viz. the 18th seems not to lie in its proper place but ought to come in between the 10th and 11th verses of Numb 10. For in Exod. 18. vers 12. 'T is said Jethro took Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices for God whereas the Law for Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices was not yet given And vers 13. 16. 'tis said Moses sat to judge the people and to make them know the Statutes of God and his Laws whereas the Statutes and Laws of God were not yet given to Moses And further the chusing of Judges and Elders which was upon Jethro's Counsel was not till after their departing from Sinai Deut. 1 7 8 9 See Lightfoot pag. 95. c. whereas 't is here set as before their coming thither Therefore we shall reserve this History till we come to the 10th of Numbers SECT XIII FRom Rephidim which was over against Horeb in the third month after their coming forth out of Egypt they removed to the Desart over against Sinai (k) It seems these were either two Mountains near together or else two tops of the same Mountain one called Horeb the other Sinai which was their Twelfth Encamping where they continued for the space of almost an whole Year The Cloudy Pillar now resting on the top of the Mountain God out of it calls Moses to come up to Him and Commands him to set before the people what great things He had done for them and how he had born them on Eagles wings and carried them as an Eagle doth her young ones on her back viz. speedily and safely out of Egypt and had now brought them unto Himself that is to this place of his Presence and convenient for them to serve him in If therefore they would carefully observe the Covenant which he now intended to make with them they should be his peculiar Treasure his Segullah (l) Deut. 7.6 7 8. Psal 135.4 above all people For all the Earth is His and he can chuse what Nation he pleases to be his peculiar People to serve him and they should be to Him a Kingdom of Priests that is among them he would Reign and set up his Kingdom 1 Sam. 8.7 and they should not be a profane State such as other Kingdoms were but a Kingdom of Priests to Worship Him according to his own Will and to offer the Sacrifices to Him which He should appoint and they should be separated from all other Nations unto Him and his Service Moses comes down and acquaints the people herewith and they readily and with one accord answered That All that the Lord had spoken they would do Moses returned their Answer unto the Lord who tells him He would now speak to him speedily out of a thick Cloud upon the Mount and the people should hear Him speak to him that they might never after doubt or disbelieve that God had sent him to them Then he Commands Moses to go down and to sanctifie and prepare the people two days for their reverend receiving his Law on the day after and that he should give them Orders and Directions how they should behave themselves at that time Moses accordingly commands the people to sanctifie themselves to wash their Cloaths and to forbear the company of their Wives vers 15. till the time appointed signifying how careful they should be to keep their Minds from being distracted with carnal affections and to cleanse themselves from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit especially when they were to present themselves so solemnly before the Lord. Then he sets bounds and limits round about the bottom of Mount Sinai shewing them how near they should approach to the Mount and no further declaring that whatever Man or Beast passed those bounds and touched the Mountain should be stoned or shot to death This was commanded to strike their hearts with the greater Reverence of God and to bridle their Curiosity from searching into Gods Secrets and to teach them to be content with the bounds that he had set them On the third day in the morning after Moses had given them this Charge concerning sanctifying and preparing themselves which as some think was the (m) Sic Jansenius Masius autem quarto die mensis sixth day of the month and fifty days after the Passover on which the Feast of Pentecost was afterwards kept by the ministry of Angels the Trumpet sounded exceeding loud and the people trembling advanced under the Conduct of Moses towards (n) V. 13. Tunc ascendent in montem i. e. adversus montem alioquin repugnaret v. 12. the Mountain so far as their limits and bounds extended Then the Air being fill'd with dreadful Thunderings and Lightnings and the Mountain quaking and trembling and smoaking like a Furnace Psal 68.8 and the Trumpet sounding lowder and lowder the Lord (o) V. 20. Descendit Dominus sâ—u Angelus Dominum repraesentans descendit ex loco aeris celsiore in ipsum montis verticem descended on the Mount that is He there manifested his Glory in a flame of Fire The fight was so exceeding terrible that Moses said I exceedingly fear and tremble Heb. 12.21 The Lord hereupon answered him by a Voice and so in a less terrible manner than by Thunder yet so loud that the people might hear him speaking to him see vers 9. By that Voice the Lord commanded Moses to come up to Him to the top of the Mount And Moses did so The Lord Commands him to go again to the people and to Charge them that they did not break thorow the bounds set them to see and gaze as Moses himself was ready once to do Exod. 3.3 till He was stayed of God lest many of them should thereupon perish see Sam. 6.19 and to Charge the Priests more particularly who used to come near to minister before the Lord that is the First-horn the young men of the Children of Israel whom God had hallowed to himself and who before the separating of the Tribe of Levi for the Priesthood used to administer that Office in their several Families Numb 8.16 Exod. 13.2 Lev. 3.12 and Exod. 24.5 that they especially take care to sanctifie themselves and to be devoutly and holily prepared for this great appearance of God and to keep themselves from being defiled with Sin by touching the Mount presuming too far by reason of their Priviledge lest the Lord break forth in wrath upon them Moses humbly Answers O Lord the people by reason of thy former Prohibition dare not come up to the Mount For thou saidst Set bounds to the Mount and Hallow it that is let the people know that they are to account this Mountain holy by reason of the manifestation of
my glorious Presence here and therefore they must not presume to come to up to it However the Lord chargeth him instantly to go down to them and to urge the same again upon them after which He himself should come up again and should bring Aaron (p) Aaron quoque advocari debibat ut sacerdotium ejus quoque divinitâ—s institutum Constaret Jans with him Exod. 19. whole Chapter SECT XIV THe Lord now with an audible Voice and with great Majesty and Terrour Proclaimed and Promulgated his Moral Law (q) Which nevertheless disanull'd not the promise of Grace made to Abraham 430 years before Gal. 3.17 or Ten Commandments containing the prime Dictates of Natural Reason the chief Rules of Piety towards God Equity towards our Neighbour and Sobriety Chastity and Temperance in the government our Selves (r) This Law is expresly call'd a Covenant with that people He declared unto you his Covenant says the Text which he commanded you to perform even Ten Commandments Deut. 4.13 and accordingly was reposed in the Ark hence as it seems named the Ark of the Covenant Deut. 10.2 He wrote upon the Tables the words of the Covenant the Ten Commandments Exod. 34.28 The end and design of these Precepts was to ground them in the true notions of Piety and Religion and to dispose them to the practice of universal Righteousness Our Saviour did not derogate from this Law but declared his intention only to expound it or to ampliate and extend it There is no Commandment herein howsoever accoding to its immediate sense seeming peculiar to that people which according to good analogy or parity of reason doth not concern us also And therefore 't is said Nehem. 9.13 Thou camest down upon Mount Sinai and gavest them right Judgments and true Laws good Statutes and Commandments And the Apostle Rom. 7.12 says The Law is holy the Commandment holy just and good We shall therefore set down these Laws particularly and give a short Paraphrase of them God spake all these words saying that is God Himself declared his own Mind and Will by a loud Voice distinctly audible and intelligible miraculously formed by himself Deut. 5.24 Behold say the people the Lord our God hath shewed us his Glory and his Greatness and we have heard his Voice out of the midst of the Fire we have seen this day that God doth talk with man and yet he liveth I am the Lord or I am Jehovah thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondage I am Jehovah who indeed am what this my Name importeth the only true and real God Eternal Independent Indefectible in Essence I am that Jehovah to whose words upon all accounts thou owest Submission Attention and Obedience I am Thy God having chosen thee to be a peculiar people to my Self above all people that are upon the face of the Earth and who in pursuance of my singular Favour towards thee and of my Covenant made with thee have brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondage I then being Jehovah the only true God and thy God by Covenant and particular Engagement do now propound my Will unto thee and upon all accounts of Reason Justice and Gratitude do require thy regard and observance of the Precepts I now intend to give thee I. Commandment Thou shalt have no other Gods before me THis Precept as most of the rest is Negative and Prohibitive but supposeth and implyeth some thing Affirmative and Positive as the rest may also be conceived to do It implies this Affirmative Precept Thou shalt have me for thy God and shalt Serve Worship and Love Me with all thy Heart Soul Mind and Might and shalt trust in Me as a Being endued with Attributes and Perfections superlatively excellent and thou shalt not own nor acknowledge any other for God besides Me. Take heed therefore of imitating them who acknowledge not nor Worship any God at all and such are Athiests or acknowledge and adore many Gods and such are Polytheists Take heed also of framing in your Minds any untrue Idea of Me disagreeable to my most excellent Being and infinite Perfections Take heed also of inordinately loving or relying upon any Creature and so making that your God II. Commandment Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image c. THe First Commandment determined the right and true Object of our Worship The Second directs and limits the manner of expressing and exercising it and forbids the manner practised by Heathens of Worshipping their false Gods by Images and Corporeal Shapes and Representations (s) To worship an Idol instead of God is Idolatry forbidden in the First Commandment When the true God is worshipped in or by an Image 't is Idolatry forbidden by the Second Inward Idolatry is opposed to the First Commandment and Outward to the Second We ought not to think says the Apostle Acts 17.29 that the Godhead is like unto Gold or Silver or Stone graven by art or man's device Most reasonable therefore is this Prohibition of making any resemblance of what kind soever by Picture Sculpture or Tusion to represent God or for Religious use (t) The civil use of Images is not forbidden but Images made and used for Divine Worship Neither are those Images only forbidden which are the Images of false Gods but of the true also Papists by worshipping Saints and Angels offend against the first Commandment By making Images of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and worshipping these Images or worshipping God by these Images they offend against the Second As for the Cherubim made by Solomon and the brasen Serpent by Moses they were made by God's special Command but not to be worshipped The Cherubim seem intended as an Emblem to represent the natures and services of the holy Angels and not any likeness of God they being full of zeal and always upon the Wing as it were and ready to obey God's Will The brasen Serpent was made not to be worshipped but as a Type of Christ and now Christ is come all Types are to vanish and to bow down or Prostrate our selves before it For there being but one true Object of our Worship the Eternal Invisible God whose glorious Excellencies infinitely transcend our Comprehension and consequently of whom we cannot devise any resemblance not infinitely beneath him unlike to him and unworthy of him It must needs be therefore a great prophaneness to pretend the representing Him by any Image Moses Deut. 4.15 reports to the people of the Jews the ground of this Prohibition Take good heed to your selves says he for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake to you in Horeb out of the midst of the Fire lest you corrupt your selves and make you a graven Image No shape representing God did then appear at his uttering of these Laws to prevent their framing any resemblance of Him and practising this sort
still enjoy her But the Lord Orders That when himself was set free he should not think under that pretence to deprive his Master of her that was his lawful Servant but should rather endure the continuing of his own Bondage than part from his Wife And this liberty given to a Servant set free to go away and leave his Wife behind him was not an approbation of his forsaking of her but at most only a part and branch of that scope wherein this people were left to themselves for the hardness of their hearts as our Saviour speaks in another Case Math. 19.8 And it was also a great fault in an Israelite if he married a Wife of another Nation and Religion For such Marriages were never pleasing to God But if the Servant shall declare that he loves his Master his Wife and his Children and therefore he will not go free Then his Master shall bring him to the Judges (r) V. 6. before the Gods see Psal 82.1 6. that is before the Magistrates and prove it fairly and openly that it was his Servants free and voluntary act to continue with him And then he shall bring him to the door of his House and bore his Ear thorough with an Awl to shew thereby That he was made fast to that House and tied to serve and obey the Master of it all his life unless the Year of Jubilee fell in the mean time and then all Hebrew Servants were absolutely set free together with their Children Lev. 25.40 41. Exod. 21. from 2. to 7. 2. Concerning buying Women-Servants If an Israelite through extream Poverty should sâ—ll his Daughter under age with intention that she should marry him that buys her if He that buys Her shall afterwards dismiss Her without marrying of Her it shall be upon better terms then he may dismiss an ordinary Servant If she please not her Master so that he doth not betroth (s) Si exosa fuit in oculis heri sui ita at non ducat eam The true reading is so that he doth not betroth her to himself Dr. Willer her to himself then shall he suffer another viz. one of her friends to redeem her but he shall not have power to sell her to a Stranger seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her failing her in that which she expected at his hands And if he shall betroth her to his Son he shall deal with her after the manner of Daughters that is he shall give her a Dowry convenient and all other Priviledges of a free-woman But if having betrothed her to himself he do not in dislike cast her off but yet takes to himself another Wife besides Her however he shall not deny Her Food and Raiment and Câ—njugal Conversation (t) Debitum conjugale 1 Cor. 7.3 If he perform none of these three things unto Her viz. Neither to betroth her to himself nor to his Son nor suffer her to be redeemed she shall go out free without paying any thing at all from vers 7. to 12. 3. He that smiteth a man willingly and maliciously so that he dies shall be surely put to death but if he did not lie in wait for him nor had any intention to kill him but God by his secret Providence delivered (u) Quae putant homines casu fieri providentia Dei fiunt Where a man intendeth not to kill and yet killeth God may be said to deliver him into his hand him into his hand so that he shew him unwittingly and unwillingly then the Lord appointed a place whether he should flee viz. while they were in the Desert to the Altar of Burnt-Offering which was in the outward Court of the Tabernacle but when they came into Canaan to the Altar and Cities of Refuge But if a man came presumptuously upon his Neighbour to slay him with guile he shall be taken from the Altar if he flee thither and put to death See 1 Kings 2.25 v. 12 13 14. 4. He that smiteth his Father or Mother and so likewise he that curseth or maliciously revileth his Father or Mother shall be surely put to death (x) See Prov. 30.17 Vers 15 17. 5. He that stealeth a man (y) See Deut. 24.7 and selleth him or if he be found in his hands he shall be surely put to death vers 16. 6. If two men strive together and one smite the other with a Stone or with his Fist yet so as he presently dies not but only keeps his Bed if he rise again and walk abroad with his Staff then he that smote him shall not be put to death but he shall pay for the loss of his time and shall satisfie him for the damage he sustained by being disabled to go about his business and employment so long and shall take care that he be perfectly healed and cured and shall pay for it vers 18 19. 7. If an Israelite shall so strike his Man-Servant or Maid-Servant namely such as were Strangers (z) For Hebrew-Servants there is another Law given Lev. 25.39 of another Nation and bought with his money that either of them die immediately under his hand he shall be left to the wisdom of the Judges to be punished as they shall see cause But if the Servant so stricken continue a day or two alive it is to be presumed (a) Si virgâ castigavit praesumitur non eo animo percussisse ut occideret at si telo aut gladio percussisset habitus erit homicida Rivet his Masters intention was not to kill him seeing he was purchased with his money and no man would willingly be the occasion of his own loss And if he die afterwards the loss of the Servant shall be deemed sufficient punishment His Master shall not be further punished seeing he had power to Chastise him being bought with his money and make him obey him by force vers 20 21. 8. If a Woman with child come in to help her Husband or Friend when another is fighting with Him or to part them and do casually receive some hurt and by that means miscarries yet so as neither the Woman nor the Child dies or is maimed in this case the party that was the cause of the Womans miscarrying shall pay or suffer what the Womans Husband shall lay upon him provided it be judged fit by the Judges in whose power it shall be to determine whether his demand be reasonable or no. But if any great mischief have happened either to the Mother or Child thereby then Life shall go for Life Eye for Eye Tooth for Tooth Hand for Hand Foot for Foot Burning for Burning Wound for Wound Stripe for Stripe So that this Law directs Magistrates in the ordering of publick Punishments to proceed according to the Law of Retaliation * Lex Talionis permissa est duro populo sed charitas fidelium mitigatrix est hujus legis Lippoman and to punish those who had voluntarily done any hurt to their Neighbours according to the
Hittites and Perizzites Canaanites Hivites and Jebusites and should bring them into the possession of their Land But when they came to enjoy that good Land they must be especially careful not to bow down to their Idols nor Worship them nor to imitate the Idolatry of that Heathenish people (e) Lev. 18.3.25 but contrariwise with detestation to overthrow and break down their Images Lev. 7. And if they were careful to worship the Lord their God and Him only then He would bless their bread and their water and their food to them so that it should nourish them and would give them health and keep evil Diseases from them and would make them very fruitful and preserve their Women and Cattel from miscarrying and abortive Births and would prolong their life so that they should fill up the number of their days which by the course of Nature they might live And He would strike their Enemies with such terrour and fear that they should turn their backs upon them and fly when they came to Encounter them And he would send Hornets (f) De his agitur Deut. 7.20 ubi Vespa eos in angulos pellit ibique latentes sodicat quod de terrore animi dici non potest Non dubito veros snisse Crabrones hanc plagam similem ei Aegyptiacae Exod. 8.21 Impletum hoc quamvis scriptum non meminit quo loco aut tempore factum Numerantur hic tantum tres gentes quia hae solum videntur hoc incommodum sensisse Rivet Masius before them to expel the Canaanites out of the Land viz. Great Venemous Flies * See Josh 24.12 that should sting them to death So that those of their Enemies that should endeavour to hide themselves from them and think thereby to escape should be destroyed by these Hornets see Deut. 7.20 But He tells them He would not drive out these Heathenish Nations all in one year lest the Land should grow to a Wilderness if it should be all at once dispeopled and the wild Beasts in the solitary places would increase which would be a great annoyance to them But he would drive out the Heathen Nations by degrees till Israel were increased and become enow to fill the Land And that they might know how large a Possession he designed for them he tells them the bounds of it should be these The East bound should be the Red-Sea not that that Sea should bound all the East side of it but because the East side of the Land of Canaan should reach to some part of the Red-Sea The West bound should be the Sea of the Philistins or the great Ocean the Mediterranean-Sea The South border should be the Desert towards Egypt which was the Wilderness of Shur or Paran The North bound should be the River Euphrates (g) But of this larger extent of land the Israelites by reason of their sins were not possessed except for a short time under David and Solomon See 2 Sam. 8.10 1 Kings 4.21 2 Chron. 9.26 which extendeth towards the North. Lastly He chargeth them to make no Covenant with these Heathenish Nations nor to yield to Worship their Idols nor to permit them to dwell in the Land lest if they lived among them they might infect them with their Idolatry which would be a great Snare to them and a cause of their fall and ruine Exod. 23. from vers 20. to the end SECT XIX GOd having Himself given to the Children of Israel his Moral Law which is expresly call'd a Covenant Deut. 4.13 and Moses having received these other Commandments and Ordinances from the Lord and having written them in a Book He proposed them unto the People and they readily consented to them saying All the words that the Lord hath said we will do Hereupon the next Morning he rose early and built an Altar see Exod. 20.24 25. at the foot of the Mount to represent God and He set up twelve Pillars according to the twelve (h) V. 4. Duodecem adnumerato Levi. Neque enim ante Numb 1.10 in Tribus distincta binas erat Josephi prosapia Anonym Tribes to represent the People Then he appointed twelve young (i) Young men do not always signifie men young in years but men fit for Service or Ministry to the Elders These were some of the First-born and were chief Assistants to the Father of the Family in offering Sacrifice and when their Fathers were dead succeeded in their Office men of the First-born whom the Lord had consecrated to Himself as Ministers of holy things before the Levetes who came in the place of the First-born Numb 3.41 were set apart for the Priestly Function to offer Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings of Oxen Calves and Goats Heb. 9.19 unto the Lord which they did accordingly Then he took half the bloud of these Sacrifices and put it into Basons and the other half he sprinkled on the Altar and so also on the Book which it seems was laid on the Altar making use of a Sprinkler (k) See more of this in the Apostolical History page 382. 383. Because it was an usual thing in all their legal Expiations to use Hyssop and Wooll to sprinkle with The Apostle received this from the usual custom of the legal Rites as being himself trained and brought up under the Law To this custom of using Hyssop the Psalmist alludeth Psal 51.7 Purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean c. made of Scarlet wooll and a bunch of Hyssop Heb. 9.19 the legal sprinklings being usually so performed Levit. 14.6 7. though Moses here mentions not all these particulars and there was Water also as it seems intermingled with the bloud because otherwise the bloud growing cold would have been thick and so unfit to be sprinkled By all which was signified and sealed God's Favour and Grace to the People if they would be obedient Then reading again to them the Book of the Covenant that is the Book containing those Laws before mentioned which they had covenanted to observe and they promising a second time Obedience thereunto He took the other half of the bloud and sprinkled it on the People that is either on the twelve Pillars representing the twelve Tribes or on the Elders as representing the rest or on all the people promiscuously that in circuitu stood about him saying Behold the bloud of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words and things contained in this Book As if he should have said This bloud is a sign of the Covenant between God and You and a Seal to confirm it and a Ceremony whereby it is established The sprinkling of this bloud upon you may also signifie that the transgression of the Covenant cannot be purged but by the bloud of the Messiah Exod. 24. from 3. to 9. SECT XX. THe Lord having commanded Moses after he had delivered these Ordinances to the people to come up again into the Mount and to bring Aaron
9. 9ly Concerning the daily Sacrifices to be offered on this Altar constantly besides all other occasional Sacrifices which were to be two Lambs of the first year one to be offered in the Morning (g) A Pattern for our Devotion Morning and Evening the other in the Evening (h) Or between the two Evenings see Ch. 12.6 that is from the beginning of the declining of the Sun viz. three in the Afternoon to Sun-setting Hoc juge Sacrificium singulis diebus nullo intermisso sive Sacro sive prosano osserebatur scil agnus unus mane ante omnia Sacrificia alter vespere post alia Sacrificia for a Burnt-Offering to the Lord with an Omer or Pottle (i) See Notes on Exod. 16.36 of Flour mingled with the fourth part of an Hin (k) An Hin containing six Pints so the fourth part of an Hin is a Pint and half or a Pint and half of pure Oil and a Pint and half of Wine (l) Which was to signifie that Christ by the Oblation of Himself for Us becomes not only Redemption but also Food Gladness and chearing Comfort to be poured upon it and all to be consumed by fire upon the Altar Upon their performance of these things God promises to meet with them there at the door (m) Duobus ergo locis Deus loquebatur primo super Arcam in Sto Storum secundo ad ostium Tabernaculi Utrique loco propinquum erat altare illi thymiamatis huic holocausti In utroque offerebatur juge Sacrificium mane vespere ad colendam illam dignationem praesentiae divinae Jans of the Tabernacle before which the Altar stood and to manifest his gracious Presence and reveal his will to them And by such manifestations of his Glory He would declare that He had made choice of the Tabernacle and Altar for holy Services to Himself and that He had set apart Aaron and his Sons to minister to Him in the Priests Office And He would by such evident Tokens of his Presence dwell (n) Quia Tabernaculum erat quasi tentorium Dei tanquam Principis in medio populi sui habitantis among them and would be their God and manifest his especial Favour to them in directing and protecting them Exod. 29. from vers 38. to the end 10ly Concerning the brasen Laver which was to be made with a foot or base of Brass (o) This was made of the Womens brasen Looking-glasses Exod. 38.8 'T is like the Women did set a piece of shining Brass or burnish'd Metal before their Faces when they dress'd themselves on which it was to stand and Aaron and his Sons before they ministred were to wash their Hands and Feet (p) Hence some collect that the Priests ministred in the Tabernacle being bare-foot or in slight Sandals out of it Probably it had spouts for the water to issue forth at and at the bottom some Vessel to receive the water which the Priests made use of For being lifted up upon its Foot or Base the Priests could not put their Feet into it but probably they were to wash in the water drawn from it and they were to be careful constantly to do it being threatned in case they omitted it with destruction by the Hand of the Lord. Exod. 30. from vers 17. to 22. 11ly Touching the setting apart of Aaron and his four Sons for the Priests Office and concerning the particular Ornaments and Vestments they were to use in their Ministration for their Glory and Honour and to make them more Venerable among the People and to be a sign of their Consecration and Sanctification unto God And these Garments were to be made by such as were wise-hearted and whom God had filled with the Spirit of Wisdom for such a purpose And first Concerning the sacred Attire and Ornaments of the High Priest which are methodically ranked Levit. 8.7 8 9. 1. Linnen Breeches or Drawers next his Flesh 2. A Coat of fine Linnen embroidered over them 3. An embroidered Girdle to gird it withall 4. Over this Coat and Girdle a Robe all of blue which was to have Bells and artificial Pomegranates intermingled in the hem of it that the sound of all the Bells being heard when he went into the holy Place to minister the people might second him with heart and mind in his Sacred Offices and the Lord threatneth death to him if he should enter otherwise into the most holy Place then thus apparalled and so through his disobedience and neglect of Gods Command should be an occasion of the peoples Irreverence and want of Devotion towards God 5. Upon this Robe He was to wear the Ephod which was to be made of Gold of Blue of Purple of Scarlet of fine twined Linnen and to have on the Shoulders thereof two Onix Stones set in ouches of Gold and graven with the Names of the twelve Tribes of Israel to intimate to them that God seeing their Names upon the Shoulders of the High Priest would remember the Covenant He had made with their Fathers and accordingly would do them good 6. To the Ephod with Chains of Gold and golden Rings was to be fastned the Breastplate of Judgment (q) So called because the High Priest did put it on when he inquired of the Lord for the people in doubtful cases to give a right judgment and he could not give Sentence in Judgment without that on his Breast and the Judgment given thereby was called the Judgment of Urim Numb 27.21 wherein were to be set four rows of precious Stones three in a row in which were to be ingraven the Names of the Tribes of the Children of Israel which Aaron was to bear upon his Breast when he went into the Sanctuary and in this Breast-plate was to be the Vrim and Thummim signifying Light and Perfection * Ut significarent in Doctore duo requiri Scientiam vitae puritatem Grot. by which some understand those rows of precious Stones in the Breast-plate before mentioned and so called not only in regard of their brightness and perfection but with respect unto their use which was that by them the High Priest might inquire of God for the people in doubtful Cases and might by the special Inspiration of the Spirit of God be inabled to return them an answer from God (r) Hence it is they say that in the 39. Ch. of Exod. where Moses doth exactly relate how all things were made according to Gods appointment there is no mention made of Urim and Thummin but only of the twelve precious Stones set in the Breast-plate because those Stones were usually called by the people the Urim and Thummim For 't is thought that he earnestly looking upon those rows of precious Stones with respect to the Divine Institution and thereby inviting the Spirit to come upon him his understanding was suddenly so illuminated that he gave a satisfactory Answer in all particulars to the Question propounded and in doubtful
Cases gave a right Judgment (s) Whereas David desiring to consult with the Lord called for the Ephod 1 Sam. 23.9 the reason was because the Breast-plate was fastned to the Ephod So that if he had one he had both Exod. 39.21 1 Sam. 23.6 Abimelech the High Priest being dead Abiathar his Son escaping that danger as he fled took the Ephod out of the Tabernacle at Nob and brought it with him to David wherein Gods Providence appeared that the right Ephod should be preserved and kept with David the true King that he might have means to Consult with God in all his Difficulties See Willet in loc from the Lord when it so pleased him For 1 Sam. 28.6 the Lord would not answer Saul neither by Dreams nor by Vrim nor by Prophets Further the Answers which the High Priests received from the Lord when he consulted the Vrim and Thummim were sometimes made by an audible Voice sometimes secret Inspiration which Answers when He had acquainted the people with the Stones in the Breast-plate as is conceived gave forth an extraordinary lustre and brightness to assure the people that he spake to them the Mind of the Lord like as the extraordinary shining of Moses's face when he came down from the Mount was a Demonstration to the people that He had been with God and what he brought to them came from God (t) Some think that these very words Urim and Thummim were written in some precious matter not made by humane art but by the Almighty Power of God and so were given by God to Moses and by him put into the Pectoral Levit. 8.8 And he put into the Breast-plate the Urim and Thummim and therefore this is not mentioned among those things that were made by the Artificers because this was as the Tables of the Law the Work of God and not of men But this is but a Conjecture Neither can we the Scripture being silent certainly determine what they were When the Jews returned out of Babylon they were lost and therefore some businesses hung in suspence see Ezra 2.63 and could not be determined till there stood up a Priest with Urim and Thummim We do not find in any of the Jewish Rabbins that they themselves did certainly know what they were Quid fuerint Scriptura proculdubio non sine certo consitio reticuit In that place Levit. 8.8 no mention is made of the twelve precious Stones Causa utriusque quod eadem res fuit variis nominibus significata Rivet Minime omisisset Moses Urim Thummim in Exod. 39.10 Si aliud quam 12 Lapides intellexisset cum alia longe minora abjectiora diligentissime recenseat Brentius The Urim and Thummim was lost in the Captivity of Babylon as also the Ark Tables of Stone Aarons Rod and the Pot of Manna After the Captivity they had no Priest with Urim and Thummim Ezra 2.63 The Priest which met Alexander in his glorious Apparel might have precious Stones on his Breast without the Urim and Thummim This Breast-plate of Judgment * V. 30. Judicium i. e. pectorale judicij ut arca dicitur Testimonium i. e. arca Testimonij Metonymice whereby Answers of right Judgment were given to the Israelites Aaron was to wear upon his heart continually when he went to minister in the Tabernacle and he was thereby as it were to present the Children of Israel before the Lord to be graciously remembred by him 7. Aaron was to wear on his Head a Mitre of fine Linnen 8. In the forefront of the Mitre was to be placed a plate of pure Gold two fingers broad which made it shew like a Crown Exod. 29.6 Levit. 8.9 wherein was to be graven Holiness to the Lord as a signification that Aaron as a Type of Christ did bear the Iniquities of the People and did make atonement for them and that as for their other Sins so for the Iniquities committed in their most holy Oblations which they offered and sacrified to the Lord. And this Mitre with this Plate was always to be on his head when he ministred before the Lord as a sign that the people are accepted of God for the Holiness Obedience and Sufferings of the Messias Exod. 28. from 1. to 40. 2. Concerning the Attire and Vestments to be used by the ordinary Priests 1. Coats of fine Linnen for their uppermost Garment called linnen Ephods 1 Sam. 22.18 with Girdles and Bonnets of the same and secondly Linnen Drawers These Garments Aaron and his Sons being first anointed with holy Oil * Of which see the Composition afterwards Exod. 30.23 and consecrated to their Office were to wear when they served in the holy Place and not to neglect them lest they thereupon be forced to bear the punishment of their Iniquity and die for it Exod. 28. from vers 40. to the end 12ly Touching the Sacrifices and Ceremonies to be used in the Consecration of Aaron and his Sons 1. They were to be washed with water out of the brasen Laver before the door of the Tabernacle to signifie the Holiness that God requires in those that were to be Types of Christ 2. Aaron and his Sons were to be clothed with their particular appointed Robes and Ornaments 3. The anointing Oil was to be powred upon the Head of Aaron and his Sons See Exod. 30.30 and Ch. 40. 14 15. And the Priests Office was to be continued in the Line of Aaron and his Sons and of their Successors by a perpetual Statute as long as this Dispensation was to last and till the Messiah should come who was to fulfil what they typified 4. The bloud of the Ram of Consecration of which afterwards was to be put upon the tip of their right ear (u) The ear was to be sanctified for holy hearing and against the hearing of corrupt Communication the hand for Sacrificing the foot for Walking that their Conversation might be holy and their Persons sanctified from head to foot and on the thumb of their right hand and upon the great toe of their right foot and they were to sprinkle some of the bloud and the anointing Oil (x) The spots occasioned in the Priests Garments by the sprinkling of bloud and oil 't is like were very small and so magis ad honorem quam horrorem upon them and their Garments to signifie that by the bloud of Christ they were cleansed and by the Oil of his Grace they were sanctified for the Work of their Ministry The Sacrifices to be used at this time were these Moses having first provided a Basket of unleavened Bread and Cakes unleavened tempered with Oil and Wafers unleavened anointed with Oil he was to take a young Bullock which was to be a Sin-Offering and Aaron and his Sons were to put their hands upon the head of it signifying that they deserved to die like that Sacrifice but did thereby disburden themselves of their Sins and laid them upon the head of the Sacrifice typifying Christ
See Isa 53.6 And Moses himself who was a Levite till Aaron and his Sons were fully consecrated for the Service of the Priesthood was by extraordinary Warrant from God to perform the Work of the Priest in offering these Sacrifices See Psal 99.6 And he was to take of the bloud of the Bullock and put it upon the Horns of the Altar of Burnt-Offerings which stood in the Court of the Tabernacle to purifie consecrate and sanctifie the Altar it self and make it holy to the Lord and so to set it apart for holy Uses that whatsoever was offered thereon according to Gods Institution might be sanctified made holy and accepted as holy by the Lord. See Ch. 30.29 and Matth. 23.19 And the flesh of the Bullock and his skin and dung were to be burnt without the Camp to shew how destable the sin was that was laid as it were upon this Bullock and that the true Sacrifice for our Sins should suffer without the Gates of Jerusalem Heb. 13.11 12 13. 2ly The Sacrifice for Sin being thus first offered he was to offer one Ram for a Burnt-Offering (y) By the Burnt-Offering some understand the ardent love of Christ quo totus in cruce conflagravit and as the Burnt-Offering ascended up in fire so Christ ascended into heaven to make Intercession for us as a savour of rest that is that God being thereby appeased might cease from his anger Not as though the Lord was affected with Smells but it is said to be an acceptable Savour to Him in regard of their Obedience and willing mind and God is is said to be delighted with it when they offered it with Faith and true devotion 3ly He was to take another Ram for a Peace-Offering These were to be offered either to obtain some Blessing or to give thanks for some Blessing already received In both these respects this was offered at the Priests Consecration both by way of thankfulness for the honour done them in calling them to this Dignity and Office as also by way of Supplication humbly to intreat the Lord that he would prosper them in the execution of it Thus at the Consecration of Aaron and his Sons divers sorts of Sacrifices were to be offered because they were ordained to offer them all In this Eucharistical Sacrifice that was now to be offered Moses was only to have the Breast Exod. 29.26 but the right Shoulder and the fat and one loaf of Bread and one Cake of oiled Bread and one Wafer out of the Basket vers 3. were to be waved or shaken towards all the four Quarters of the World to signifie that God is the Lord of the whole Earth and then to be burnt by Him upon the Altar of Burnt-Offering for a sweet savour before the Lord. And upon this occasion an Ordinance is inserted that in Eucharistical Sacrifices namely such as these whereby Aaron and his Sons were to be consecrated for the future the Priests were to have the shaken Breast and the right Shoulder (z) Hinc humerus pectusque populo destinent Sacerdotes Anonym that was lifted up * The rest of the Peace-Offering besides what was the Priests belonged to the Offerer namely to God as his Right and assigned by Him as a Portion to the Priests Levit. 7.31 whereby possibly they were taught that with all their Heart and all their Strength they should give themselves to the Service of the Lord. Another Ordinance is also inserted That the holy Garments of Aaron shall be his Sons after him that He may be anointed and consecrated in them Thus though the High Priest died yet his Son was to appear before the Lord in the same Garments And as the Consecration of Aaron and his Sons continued seven days vers 35. during which time they were to abide at the door of the Tabernacle day and night to keep the Watch of the Lord Levit. 8.33 35. and as on each day of the seven the same Sacrifices and Ceremonies were to be observed as had been on the first day So this Order of Consecration was to be practised towards their Successors when they came into the Land of Canaan and had a setled state there Lastly It is appointed that that part of the Ram of Consecration which should be left after part had been burnt and Moses had had his portion should be sodden in the Court of the Sanctuary and should be eaten there by Aaron and his Sons with the bread that was left in the Basket vers 2 3. Levit. 8.31 And no Stranger viz. None but a Priest was to eat of it whereas in other Peace-Offerings the Offerer did partake And if any part of the Bread or Flesh remained until the Morning they were to burn it with fire This was required lest by reserving any part thereof either they might grow into contempt of holy things making no difference between them and their ordinary Food which they might reserve at their pleasure or lest that which remained might be abused to Superstition And whereas in ordinary Peace-Offerings they might eat of them the next day but not upon the third day see Levit. 7.18 no part of this must be eaten the second day This was to shew that this Ram of Consecration was a more holy thing than their ordinary Peace-Offerings Exod. 29. from 1. to 38. 13ly Touching the holy anointing Oil and the Ingredients of which it was to be made viz. of principal Spices Myrrh Cynamon sweet Calamus (a) Those sweet Odours signified the joyful Graces of Gods Spirit and the anointing therewith the powring out of the holy Spirit upon Christ his Church and Ministers and Cassia and of Oil-Olive And the things to be anointed therewith to Consecrate them to Gods Service and to separate them from common uses were the Tabernacle the Ark the Table the Candlestick with all their Vtensils the Altar of Incense the Laver the Altar of Burnt-Offerings so that whatsoever was brought as an Oblation if it touched any of the hallowed things of the Sanctuary it should be holy to the Lord. Aaron also and his Sons and Successors were to be anointed with this holy Oil but upon no mans flesh else was it to be powred It was not to be used for any civil use as for delight or the like even by the Priests themselves nor any of it to be powred upon Strangers nor any to be made like unto it for any such purposes under penalty of being cut off Exod. 30. from vers 22. to 34. 14ly Touching the half Shekel that all the Children of Israel from 20 years old and upwards when they were numbred were to pay for the ransom of their Souls acknowledging thereby that they held their lives of God and that he had redeemed them out of the House of Bondage And this they were to do that so the Lord might not be provoked for their Ingratitude to send a Plague among them This Didrachma or half Shekel * The Standard of all
Weights and Measures being kept in the Sanctuary hence it is call'd the Shekel of the Sanctuary See Exod. 38.26 The common Shekel is but 1 s. 3 d. The Shekel of the Sanctuary 2 s. 6 d. Nehem. 10.32 the rate is but the third part of a Shekel but here the rate is more upon this extraordinary occasion Some think this Contribution was annual Others only occasional as there was cause to call the people to it see Matth. 17.24 amounted to 15 d. of our money and it was to be imployed for the Service of the Tabernacle and the Rich were not to give more nor the Poor less And this equality seems to be enjoyned that the Rich might not despise the Poor and to shew that the life of a poor man is as precious in the sight of God as a rich mans and both are equally bound to praise God for it And this was also to be done that it might be a Memorial before the Lord of their Obedience and so might move the Lord to be propitious unto them Exod. 30. from vers 11. to 17. 15ly These Commands and Injunctions being given to Moses by the Lord 't is like Moses begain to think with himself where he should find Workmen fit to undertake such curious and difficult Works and that would make them exactly according to the Pattern given Wherefore the Lord tells him He had furnished Men with extraordinary gifts of his Spirit (b) So that quick apprehension and skill in honest Handicrafts and Manufactures is to accounted as a Gift of God consisting in Wisdom Knowledge ready conceiving and skill for the performance of all these things and particularly Bezaleel and Aholiab who should be the principal Workmen and Directors of others and He had put into the hearts of all those that were apt for these businesses a greater apprehension (c) Sapienter excogitare excogitata operari to conceive and contrive and a greater dexterity then they had before to work all these things that He had commanded Exod. 31. from 1. to the 12. 16ly Lastly Though the Work of the Tabernacle was with all care and diligence to be followed and speedily to be done yet the Lord would not have any of it to be done upon the Sabbath-day and therefore he renews his Command about the Observation of that Day telling Moses It was a Sign between Him and them that He had taken them for his peculiar people and they Him for their God whom they had bound themselves withall faithfulness to serve And by his enjoyning them diligently to keep his Sabbath they might know that he intended it as a means to promote their Sanctification Then He urges the Observation of the Sabbath upon them by divers reasons 1. Ab utili It is says He holy unto you that is Ordained for your benefit and profit Mark 2.27 The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath 2. A necessario If they did not keep it He tells them They should surely be put to death See Numb 15.35 (d) Videtur Moses ignorasse speciem mortis aut sceleris gradum sola enim profana contumaxque Sabbathi violatio capitalis est Anonym in loc 'T is observable That death is thrice here threatned to those that defile the Sabbath by doing any profane or unnecessary work thereon 3. From the dedication of this Day unto God It is a Sabbath of Rest consecrated unto God 4. From the Command of God He Commands them to keep the Seventh-day-Sabbath perpetually that is as long as that Dispensation should last the Observation thereof being one Article of the Covenant He had made with them 5. A facili The Lord appointeth but one day in seven for Holy Rest and alloweth Six for labour in our worldly businesses 6. From the Example of God Himself who created the World in six days and rested on the Seventh and was refreshed * This is spoken of God after the manner of men Exod. 31. from 12. to 18. SECT XXII THe people seeing that Moses stayed so long in the Mount and that the Cloud did not move and perhaps conceiving that Moses had forsaken them or despairing of his Return a great number (e) 'T is manifest that all the people did not joyn herein for some of them afterwards at Moses his command were imployed to put the Idolaters to death v. 26. 1 Cor. 10.7 of them as it seems pressed Aaron with great Importunity to make them an Image or visible representation of God (f) V. 1. Gods the plural for the singular by an Hebrew Idiotism Declarant se velle veri unam effigiem Dei divinae symbolum praesentiae sed erat Carnalis Aegyptiorum imitatio qui vitulum colebant Anonym in loc going before them and manifesting his Presence among them and this Image they would have made in the form or shape of a Calf according to the Idolatry they had seen practised in Egypt Aaron to divert them as 't is probable from this wicked Intendment requires the golden Ear-rings from the Ears of their Wives Sons and Daughters to make it with hoping that this demand would make such a mutiny in all their Families that they would have chosen rather to desist from their wicked design than part with those Ornaments wherein they were wont to take so much delight But herein he was much deceived for their Superstition was at this time above their Pride or Covetousness insomuch that they presently broke off their golden Ear-rings and gave them to Aaron who appointed Workmen first to melt the Gold and cast it into the form of a Calf and then to polish and finish it with a graving Tool It seems they desired their Idol should be made in this form in imitation of the Idol Apis the Ox or Calf (g) Thus the Israelites borrowed not all Gold and Silver but some dross from the Egyptians borrowing their Idolatrous Worship from them 1 King 12.28 Ps 106 19 20. Puller the Egyptians used to worship Then encouraging one another and being much pleased with their Idol they said This is thy God O Israel which brought thee out of the Land of Eypt pretending still to worship the true God in and by the Calf Aaron seeing the people thus violently bent on their Idol upon their motion He yields to build an Altar for it and to proclaim an Holy-day and to dedicate a Feast to it To morrow says He is a Feast to the Lord Jehovah pretending all was still intended for the Worship of the true God And accordingly the people rose early the next morning and sacrificed unto their Idol Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings and upon the Altar they feasted together and then rose up to play that is to sing and dance and play about their Idol shouting and making a great Noise vers 17. according to the wild custom and manner of the Heathens in their Idolatrous Feasts Exod. 32. from 1. to 7. SECT XXIII WHen 40 days and 40
nights were now expired and God had made an end of Communing with Moses on the Mount He gave him two Tables of Stone made by his own Hand and wherein He had written with his own Finger the Ten Commandments Commanding him to get him down quickly telling him what the people had done in his absence Thy (h) God seems to disown them now as His people people says He which thou broughtest out of the Land of Egypt have corrupted themselves They have turned aside quickly after their entring into Covenant with Me and promising to keep all my Precepts They have quickly turned out of the way which I commanded them and have made them a molten Calf and have worshipped it and sacrificed unto it Thou seest that this is a very wicked and stiff-necked people therefore interpose not for them nor hinder Me by thy Intercession that I may in mine anger Consume them and I will make of Thee a great Nation yea a greater and mightier than they Deut. 9.14 Moses was wonderfully surpriz'd and astonish'd at the hearing of this and humbly adoring the Lord his God he said Lord why doth thy Wrath wax hot against thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty Hand Wherefore should the Egyptitians say For mischief did He bring them forth to slay them in the Mountains O Lord turn I pray thee from thy fierce Wrath and let not the Evil and Punishment which this people have deserved fall upon them Remember thy Covenant and Promises made to Abraham Isaac and Jacob to whom thou swarest by thine own self to multiply their Seed as the Stars and to give them the Land of Canaan for an Inheritance Thus Moses stood before the Lord in the Breach to turn away his Wrath Psal 106.23 So that the Lord was intreated not to destroy them at this time as he had threatned Then Moses descending out of the Cloud with the Two Tables in his hand and coming to that part of the Mount where Joshua as it seems had waited all this while for him vers 17. Joshua hearing the Noise and Shout of the people and not knowing what it meant He said to Moses Surely there is a noise of War in the Camp But Moses told him It was no such noise but rather of singing and merriment When they came to the Camp and Moses saw the Calf and the people piping and dancing and sporting about it after the manner of the Heathen His anger waxed hot and in an holy Indignation not unadvisedly but by the motion of Gods Spirit see Deut. 9.16 17. He cast the Tables out of his Hands and broke them before their eyes as a sign that the Covenant between God and them was broken by this their hainous Idolatry Then He took the Idol and melted it and made it brittle and fit to be broken or ground to powder and He cast the dust thereof into the water whereof they drank daily and made them drink thereof for the greater detestation that they might understand the variety of such Gods that could be thus swallowed by them as also to intimate to them that they deserved to drink of the Cup of Gods Wrath for so a great Provocation Then He sharply expostulates with Aaron about this horrid Miscarriage What did this people says He do to thee that thou hast brought so great a Sin upon them Aaron humbly deprecates his Anger and excuseth Himself as well as he could upon the mischievous disposition of the people and by a poor slender and imperfect Narration seeks to extenuate his Fact speaking of the Calf as if it had been produced rather by accident than by any design of his I cast the Gold says he into the fire and there came out this Calf Moses seeing that the people had now deprived themselves of Gods protection and were as so many naked and unarmed and dispirited men exposed to be devoured by their Enemies to which Aaron by consenting to their wicked desire had much contributed He stood in the Gate of the Camp and said Who is on the Lords side Let him come unto me summoning thereby all that had not consented to this wicked Fact to take Gods part against the Offendors and to do in this Case what he should require of them Whereupon the Sons of Levi who had kept themselves innocent from this Fact as it seems most of them had though not all as appears from Deut. 33.9 came unto Moses who according to Gods appointment Commands them to take their Swords in their hands and to go throughout the Camp and slay all the Ring-leaders and principal Offenders in this Rebellion and Transgression that they should meet with not sparing for favour or affection either Brother Companion or Neighbour or any other that were nearest or dearest to them And 't is probable God so ordered it by his Providence that none but the guilty came in their way And Moses told them that hereby they should so Consecrate themselves to the Lord and offer a Sacrifice so well pleasing to him that he would immediately set them apart as his peculiar portion to be his Ministers in the sacred Service of the Tabernacle The Children of Levi did as Moses commanded them and there fell that day of the people by their hand about three thousand Moses though he had already so far prevailed with the Lord that he would not presently destroy all the people as He had threatned vers 14. yet considering that the Lords Anger might still be great against them and that he might still proceed further in punishing of them He tells them That on the morrow he resolved to go up again to the Lord and further to intercede for them and to endeavour to atone him that He might not proceed in wrath against them And accordingly going up again into the Mount and humbly prostrating himself before the Lord he acknowledges the greatness and hainousness of their sin and earnestly intreats the Lord freely to forgive them out of his own abundant Mercy which if He would please to do they should always retain a deep sense of that transcendent favour But if he would not forgive them freely Moses out of the exuberance and greatness of his love to that people desires the Lord that he would accept of his life as an atonement for them (i) Dele me de libro vitae v. 32. and blot him out of the Book of the living that is cut him off by his own Hand and so take his life as a Satisfaction for their Sin And in this Moses shewed himself a Figure of our blessed Saviour who laid down his life for his Sheep Joh. 10.15 and redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 But the Lord was not pleased to accept this his Offer but told him That they that had sinned against him should suffer themselves for their sin yet He would spare them at this time but when He began to
Annals and 1775 Shekels of Silver See Exod. 38.25 26. And besides this Poll-money the people both men and women brought in their free-will Offerings very chearfully and presented what was agreeable to their Condition viz. The Princes and Rulers brought precious Stones for the Ephod and Breast-plate Those that were rich offered Gold and Silver the middle sort fine Linnen and Brass and Spices and the meanest Goats Hair and Badgers Skins And all of them contributed these things as willingly now after their Repentance for the Service of the Tabernacle as before they had contributed for the making the golden Calf So that the voluntary Offerings amounted to the Sum of 29 Talents and 730 Shekels of Gold and to 70 Talents and 2400 Shekels of Brass Exod. 38.24 29. And the most skilful and most ingenious of the Women spun Blue and Purple and Scarlet and fine Linnen and Goats hair for this Sacred use In so much that for materials requisite for the framing of the Tabernacle there came in more than enough so that the people were forbidden to bring in any more Ch. 36.5 6 7. Exod. 35. from 1. to 30. SECT XXVII NOw that all things appertaining to the Tabernacle might be exactly framed according to the Pattern given to Moses in the Mount the Lord was pleased as was said before to call and appoint Bezaleel and Aholiab to be the chief Artificers for the performance of all things belonging thereunto filling them with extraordinary Wisdom and Understanding for that great undertaking so that they knew how to devise all curious Works and to work in Gold Silver and Brass to cut Stones to carve Wood to engrave to embroider So that being skilful in all Handicrafts to Work and Headcrafts to Contrive and that by divine Inspiration they were able to teach and instruct others that were ingenious how to work and assist in this great business And accordingly the Artificers now fall to work and in the last six months of this year they finished all things belonging to the Tabernacle viz. the Curtains with the Cherubims the Curtains of Goats hair the Covers of Rams skins and Badgers skins the boards with their Sockets and the bars the Vail and the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy-Seat with the Cherubims the Table of Shew-bread with its Furniture the Candlestick with its Lamps and Vessels the Altars of Incense the Anointing Oil the sweet Incense the Altar of Burnt-Offering the Laver of Brass the Hangings for the Court the Cloaths of Service or Coverings to wrap up the holy things in and the Priests Garments and holy Vestments This is the sum or particular of the holy things belonging to the Tabernacle which were Inventoried as it were by Ithamar at the Commandment of Moses and so delivered into the Custody of the Levites that nothing might be lost All these were finished in the Desert at Mount Sinai and brought unto Moses who upon viewing of them approved them all as made according to Gods appointment And he blessed the people for their forwardness in this Work and the Artificers for their care and exactness in the Workmanship of every particular and as Gods Minister pronounced a blessing on them for it from the Lord. Exod. 35. from 30. to the end Exod. 36. whole Chapter Exod. 37. whole Chapter Ezod 38. whole Chapter Exod. 39. whole Chapter SECT XXVIII ON the first day of the first month of the second Year after their coming out of Egypt the Lord commanded Moses to set up the Tabernacle and to put all things in order belonging thereunto and to anoint the Tabernacle and all the Vessels and Furniture thereof with Oil and so Consecrate them to his Service Also he commanded him to wash Aaron and his Sons and to apparrel them and to anoint and Consecrate them for their Ministry so that the Children and Successors of the ordinary Priests should not need to be anointed but should execute their Office by vertue of this first Vnction of their Fathers Only the High Priests were to be anointed in their following Generations See Levit. 4.3 All which things Moses set himself immediately to perform and the Tabernacle being set up He for the present executed the Priests Office see Exod. 29.10 11. and Psal 99.6 and offered Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings and burnt Incense Then the Cloud the Testimony of Gods Presence covered the Tent of the Congregation and as it were took possession of it see Exod. 25.8 and the Glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle And it seems the manner of the Clouds abode and the Lords appearing in Glory at this time was extraordinary insomuch that Moses could not for the present through the dazeling brightness thereof enter into the Tabernacle But usually and ordinarily it was not so else the holy ministration in that place could not have been performed And whilst the Cloud stayed upon the Tabernacle the people were not to stir but when it removed they were to remove also and to go that way in which it guided them Exod. 40. whole Chapter Numb 9. from 15. to the end SECT XXIX FRom the Mercy-Seat out of the Tabernacle God now at several times uttered his Will and gave to Moses those Commandments and Ordinances concerning the the Levitical Sacrifices and Offerings and the Rites appertaining to them contained in the seven first Chapters of Leviticus (r) Leviticus so denominated because it sets down the Laws Sacrifices and Services of the Levitical Priesthood and the whole form of the Levitical Worship appointed by God to Israel and given in one months space viz. the first month of the second year after their departure out of Egypt whilst they stayed at Mount Sinai These Laws were delivered by God to Moses out of the Tabernacle when it was newly reared up Compare Exod. 40.17 with Numb 1.1 And this is the first Oracle given from the Mercy-Seat 1. Laws are given to him concerning the Holocaust or Burnt-Offering with the form or manner of offering it called in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Ascention because it was all to ascend up in flames and the matter of it was to be either Bullocks Sheep or Goats out of their Herd or Flock and a Male without blemish and to be wholly burnt on the Altar excepting the Skin which the Priest was to have Levit. 7.8 excepting only in the Case mentioned Levit. 4.11 and the inwards and guts which were to be cast away That only of the flesh which is usually eaten by men being to be offered on Gods Altar which is called his Table Mal. 1.2 Or else the matter of this Sacrifice might be Turtle Doves or young Pigeons which seems to be appointed in mercy to the poorer sort who could not offer one of the other kind This was the chief of all their Sacrifices and was offered to make atonement for all Sins in general whereas for special Sins there were special Sacrifices and Sin-Offerings appointed Levit. 1. whole Chapter 2ly Laws concerning
atonement was appointed for them Lev. 5.2 But those that hate to be reformed God will not reckon them among his people In like manner those that partake of the Signs and Seals of Grace unworthily eat and drink judgment to themselves 1 Cor. 11.27 28 29. and presumptuously eat of the Peace-Offerings such persons shall be Excommunicated and cut off from the Communion of Gods people or as some understand it by Divine Vengeance Further God Commands Moses to charge them to forbear eating the fat of any of those Cattel that were appointed for Sacrifice but the fat of such Beasts if they died of themselves or were torn in pieces might be employed to any other use but that kind of fat which we call Suet they might not eat though other fat that was mix'd with the flesh they might eat of And as they were to forbear eating fat so also blood for the Reasons mentioned before Ch. 3. vers 17. see also Gen. 9.4 and Levit. 17.14 Lastly Moses from the Lord gives them this Command that whosoever offered a Peace-Offering should bring it himself in his own person and not another for him and He shall himself with his own hand present that part which is to be an Oblation to the Lord viz. the fat with the Breast and right Shoulder then the Priest shall burn the fat upon the Altar but the Breast being waved before the Lord and the Shoulder elevated or lifted up shall be his Portion See Exod. 29.22 For this He tells them is the portion and reward appointed by God to Aaron and his Sons by virtue of their Vnction to the Priestly-Office and to be paid them by the Children of Israel from the day of their anointing Levit. Ch. 7. whole Chapter SECT XXX MOses now by direction from God gathering the Children of Israel together spends seven days in consecrating Aaron and his four Sons observing the manner and Ceremonies prescribed for their Consecration Exod. Ch. 28. 29. * See Sect. 21. partic 12. viz. 1. He washes them with water 2ly He puts the High Priests Vestments and rich attire upon Aaron 3ly Anointeth the Tabernacle with the Altar and Laver and sprinkles the Altar seven times with the Oil of Consecration because it was consecrated to a more special use than other parts of the Tabernacle 4ly He anointeth Aaron 5ly He puts the holy Garments upon his Sons 6ly He offers for them all a Bullock for a Sin-Offering one Ram for a Burnt-Offering and another Ram for a Sacrifice of Consecration 7ly With the blood of the Ram He sprinkled certain parts of their bodies and their Garments as was prescribed Exod. 29. 8ly He offered a Meat-Offering for them as a Thanksgiving to God for that great favour vouchsafed to them in setting them apart to this holy Function 9ly He charges them to boil and eat their portion of the Sacrifice at the door of the Tabernacle and to continue there seven days and nights to consummate the time of their Consecration All which they perform'd accordingly Levit. Ch. 8. whole Chapter SECT XXXI ON the very next day after the seven days of the Priests Consecration were ended Aaron and his Sons entred upon the Execution of their Office And Aaron first offered for himself a young Calf for a Sin-Offering and a Ram for a Burnt-Offering which intimated that the High Priest was Himself a Sinner and not fit to stand as a Mediator between God and the people 2ly He offered for the people a Kid of the Goats for a Sin-Offering and a Calf and a Lamb for a Burnt-Offering to which was added the Meat-Offering and a Bullock and a Ram for a Peace-Offering Then Aaron lifted up his hands towards the people and blessed them see Numb 6.23 Moses now goes with Aaron into the Tabernacle that He might instruct him concerning the Service he was there to perform viz. about the Lights the Table of Shew-Bread and the Altar of Incense c. And Moses and Aaron when they came out blessed the people again The Glory of the Lord now appeared to all the people and ratified the Priests Consecration and entrance into their holy Function by sending Fire (m) Moses at the Consecration of Aaron and his Sons sacrific'd with common fire as appears Ch. 8.20 21. But upon Aarons first sacrificing Ch. 9.24 Fire came out from the Sanctuary or from Heaven which was not to be suffered afterwards to go out according to Gods appointment Ch 6.13 And therefore as some conceive this Fire was charily carried in some Vessel for the purpose when they journied in the Wilderness and so it continued until the Temple of Solomon was built and then Fire came down again from Heaven 2 Chron. 7.1 which continued unto the Captivity of Babylon and is said to be miraculously renewed 2 Maccab. 1.18 but whither it was or no is uncertain from his glorious Presence that is either from Heaven 2 Chron. 7.1 or out of the Tabernacle which consumed the Burnt-Offering and the fat on the Altar which the people seeing shouted for joy and fell on their Faces giving thanks to the Lord for this great Sign of his favour and acceptance of their Sacrifices Levit. Ch. 9. whole Chapter SECT XXXII THe day following Nadab and Abihu the two eldest Sons of Aaron who went up with their Father to the Mount and had there seen the Glory of God Exod. 24.1 9 10. having undoubtedly been instructed by Moses that when they went to burn Incense in the Tabernacle they should make use only of fire taken from the Altar of Burnt-Offering which had been kindled by Fire from Heaven (n) The Devil is Gods Ape and accordingly He imitated God in his Prescriptions concerning the continual burning of the Fire upon the Altar and that in divers places among the Heathens as among the Persians who made a God of it and among the Grecians who at Delphi worshipped it in the Temple of Apollo and among the Romans who worshipped it under the Name of Vesta committing the Charge of it to the Vestal Virgins where if it went out it was held fatal to their City Rhodig Antiq. c. 14. they it seems rashly and inconsiderately forgetting or neglecting their duty in this particular took some other fire in their Censers that perhaps with which they dress'd the Flesh of their Sacrifices and putting Incense thereon set it upon the Altar of Incense and so offered strange Fire before the Lord that is Fire which he commanded them not For this their great Transression they were immediately struck dead * Tantae vindictae severitate nova disciplina merito sanciri potuit in exemplum aliorum Sanctificatus autem est Dâ—us hac poena quia tali exemplo commendatus est timor ejus inquit Augustinus Rigor hic sub initia necessarius in terrorem posteris tum carnis Laetitia turgeret Aaron Anonym in loc in the place by Fire from the Lord possibly with Lightning yet so as neither
their Bodies nor their Clothes were burnt to ashes vers 5. Moses justifies God before Aaron in this his severe and tremendous stroke declaring that He will be sanctified by them that come nigh him and before all the people He will be glorified see Exod. 19.22 thereby presenting unto Aaron two arguments against Murmuring 1. Because the punishment was just 2. Because God would be glorified thereby and both the people in general and Aaron's Posterity in particular should thereby receive great good and benefit Hereupon Aaron held his peace and laying his hand upon his mouth gave a notable instance of his Piety and quiet submission to the holy will and pleasure of God Then Moses commanded Mishael and Elzaphan Aaron's Cosin-Germans to carry forth their dead Bodies without the Camp and to bury them there And He charges Aaron and his two surviving Sons Eleazer and Ithamar not to mourn for them nor uncover their Heads by taking off their Miters or Bonnets which they wore in the execution of their Priestly-Office nor rend their Clothes nor go out from the door of the Tabernacle upon this sad occasion lest they die for it and thereby also bring wrath upon the people For this was an extraordinary Judgment of God that had befallen their Brothers and they were to testifie their submission thereunto by not openly lamenting their death And they being newly anointed and now at this time prepared for their first entring upon the execution of their Priestly Office they might not break off their Service to attend the burial of their Brothers Yet the whole House of Israel were commanded to lament and bewail this burning which the Lord in consuming Nadab and Abihu had kindled among them and thereby threatned them all if they sinned presumptuously Moses upon this occasion gives to Aaron and his Sons and their Successors a Command to abstain from Wine and strong Drink when they went to minister before the Lord lest they should thorow any distemper or indisposedness (o) From this Ordinance made on this occasion some conclude that Nadab and Abibu were raised up to this presumption thorow the fume of Wine or strong Drink that might arise therefore be disabled from the execution of their Function in the two main parts of it viz. in discerning betwixt Holy and Vnholy Clean and Vnclean and in teaching the Law to the people And that this severe stroke (p) Non satis probari potest eos aeternum damnatos Peccatum enim ipsum quod attinet ex infirmitate videtur commissum non prae ebrietate ut vult R. Solomoh Quicquid igitur peccati huic inadverientiae inerat id omne temporali poena plectitur ut post nihil poena id propter iis luendum restare videatur Freidlibius upon Nadab and Abihu might not so cast down Aaron and his Sons as to make them neglect their meat or intermit their Service or be less lightsome in it then before Moses encourages them to their duty by inviting them to participate of the Provisions of the Lords Table and to eat of the Meat-Offerings and of the Shoulder and Breast of the peoples Peace-Offerings according to the manner that God had prescribed It so happened at this time that Eleazar and Ithamar upon the suddain and dreadful death of their two Brothers had as it seems being under extremity of grief and sorrow burned the Goat of the Sin-Offering mentioned before Ch. 9. vers 15. without the Camp which should not have been done the blood thereof not being carried into the Tabernacle see Levit. 4.16 17. but it should have been eaten by the Priests see Levit. 6.26 30. Moses not knowing what was become of it diligently sought after it out of a care that Gods Ordinance should be exactly observed and the Priests Rights duly maintained and understanding what Eleazar and Ithamar had done He chides them for their failing therein But Aaron extenuates his own and his Sons fault as occasioned thorow grief and the pressure of those doleful things that had befallen them intimating that if they had then eaten of the Sin-Offering it would not have been acceptable to the Lord For that great heaviness and sorrow they were now under made them unfit to eat those holy things as the Lord required who would have them eaten with joyfulness in his Presence see Deut. 12.7 and Moses allows their excuse and so passes the matter by Levit. Ch. 10. whole Chapter SECT XXXIII HItherto we have seen the Laws that concerned the Sanctification of the Priests and the Rites and Ceremonies of the Sacrifices Now general Laws are given concerning the Sanctification of the people and first for avoiding that uncleanness which they might contract from things without them And in giving these Laws God spake both to Moses and Aaron because it belonged both to the Magistrate and the Priest to see them put in execution the Priest being to teach the difference between things clean and unclean see Ezek. 44.23 and the Magistrate to take care that this difference be observed and hence is that Numb 9.6 And certain men that were defiled by the dead body of a man that they could not keep the Passover on that day came before Moses c. First Then here are Laws given what Creatures were to be accounted clean and unclean and how they must not defile themselves either with eating or touching (q) As a moral admonition that they ought to refrain from all fellowship in evil see Isa 52.11 any unclean thing but must walk as an holy people of the most holy God The Laws concerning Creatures which are to be accounted clean (r) No doubt but this distinction of clean and unclean Beasts was by revelation made known to the Fathers from the first whence that direction is given to Noah immediately before the Flood Gen. 7.2 but this seems only in respect of Sacrifices for as to eating or not eating it seems they had no distinction then of clean and unclean Beasts Gen. 9.3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you even as the green herb have I given you all things But now by this Law the Israelites are forbidden the eating of divers meats both Flesh and Fowl and Fish as unclean and that possibly to inure this stubborn people to an absolute dependance on Gods Word and Will in all things as also to restrain them from that which was usually eaten among the Gentiles and to mind them of the difference God had put between them and all other Nations and the special purity He requir'd of them above all other people see Levit. 20.25 26. And therefore the Apostle reckons this among the the legal shadows Acts 2.16 17. Let no man judge you in meat or drink c. which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ See also Acts 10.15 or unclean as to Food may be reduced to these three heads First Concerning fourfooted-Beasts Those are to be accounted clean
cleansing of a Leper and the solemn Rites and Ceremonies that are to be used therein 1. The Priest was to take two live Sparrows and with a Scarlet-thread or lace see Heb. 9.19 to bind a sprinkler of Hyssop to a Cedar-stick and to kill one of the Birds over an Earthen-Vessel that had running-water in it and to dip the other living Bird and the sprinkler in it and so to sprinkle him that was to be cleansed seven times and so pronounce him clean and then to let the living Bird fly away and so the cleansed person was to wash himself and his Clothes and to shave off his hair and then to be admitted into the Camp Town or City but to continue apart by himself in some place or house appointed for the purpose seven days and on the seventh day he was to reiterate and repeat these Ceremonies again And on the eighth day if he were a rich man he was to offer two He-Lambs one for a Trespass-Offering vers 12. the other for a Burnt-Offering vers 19 20. and an Ewe-Lamb for a Sin-Offering and three Omers or Pottles of fine Flower as accessory Meat-Offerings to the three Sacrifices afore-mentioned mingled with a Log or half a pint of Oil. And the Priest was to put some of the blood of the Trespass-Offering upon the tip of his right Ear and Thumb of his right Hand and great toe of his right Foot and to do the same with the Oil upon the same parts where the blood was sprinkled and to pour the remainder of the Oil upon his Head after He had sprinkled some of it with his Finger seven times before the Tabernacle and so the Priest shall make atonement for him If he were poor his cleansing for the form and manner of it was to be the same only the matter of his offering was to be less and of less value Levit. 13. from 1. to 33. Lastly Laws are given concerning the Leprosie that might happen to be in an house (y) Aedes non habebant ante ingressum in Canaan Hanc Lepram vestium domorum non naturae sed Dei immissioni tribuunt voluntque eo fine incussam ut ab his veluti admoniti resipiscerent Muis and the signs and marks whereby it might be known to be in the walls thereof viz. hollow strakes greenish or reddish which in sight are lower than the wall and if it spread in the walls of the house then it is a fretting Leprosie For the cleansing of it the House was to be scraped within round about and that which was scraped off was to be carried out of the City into an unclean place and the stones were to be pulled out and new ones put in and the walls to be new plaistered And if the Plague came again and brake out in the House after this then the Priest was to pronounce it to be a fretting Leprosie and the House to be broken down and Stones and Timber and all carried out of the City into an unclean place The manner of cleansing of it if the Plague were healed and stopped was with Birds and running-water and a sprinkler of Hyssop tied with a Scarlet-thread to a Cedar-stick as before Levit. 14. from 33. to the end SECT XXXVI FIfthly Laws concerning the Ceremonial uncleanness in men by reason of their Issues either thorow weakness and disease or in their sleep and how they make other things and persons unclean and concerning the way of their cleansing by washing their Clothes and bathing their Flesh and on the eighth day offering two young Pigeons one for a Sin-Offering and the other for a Burnt-Offering Also concerning the uncleanness of women in their Flowers and how they make other things and persons (z) 'T is not like the Infants that lay in the arms and suckled on the Breasts of their Mothers when they were in this condition or those that performed a necessary and charitable ministration to them when they were in this condition were thereby rendred unclean unclean and the way of their cleansing by the like Sacrifices Levit. 15. whole Chapter SECT XXXVII ON the 14th day of this month at evening the Passover was celebrated according to Gods express Command (a) It seems they would not have kept this Passover without special warrant because by the first Institution they seem bound only to keep it in the Land of Canaan Exod. 12.25 and after this we find not that they kept any till they came into the Land Joshua Ch. 5. And now they kept it according to all the Rites of it excepting those special Rites which belonged only to the first Passover in Egypt as sprinkling of the door-posts and the eating of it standing c. On which day it seems some of the people complained to Moses and Aaron that they could not keep the Feast at that time with the rest of their Brethren because they were become unclean by touching a dead body and by a Law given Levit. 7.20 since the first institution of that Passover if they medled with holy things they were to be cut off Hereupon a Law (b) And by warrant it seems of this Law in Hezekiah's time there was a Passover kept on the 14th day of the second month when there were other occasions than those here mentioned that disabled them from keeping it at the usual time was made That all such persons that were so defiled or were in a journey or possibly under any other unavoidable hindrance should keep their Passover on the 14th day of the second month because they could not keep it on the day appointed Numb 9. from 1. to the 15. SECT XXXVIII AFter the death of Nadab and Abihu Moses seems to have received all those Laws from the Lord which we find recorded in the XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX XXI XXII XXIII and to the 10 vers of the XXIV Chapters of Leviticus 1. Laws concerning the High Priests coming into the most holy place once (c) Figuring the Sacrifice of Christ once made in the time of his life and no more Heb. 9.7 8 10 12. He was to enter into the most holy but once a year to minister and by way of Priestly ministration and expiation yet upon other occasions he and his Sons probably might enter at other times as at the taking down and setting up of the Tabernacle in their removals and journeys in the Wilderness and when they took thence the Ark upon several occasions as Josh 6.4 1 Sam. 4.3 a year to make an atonement on the tenth day of the seventh month See Exod. 30.10 Heb. 9.7 At which time Aaron was to be clothed not with the glorious Garments * Some Expositors conceive that those linnen Garments here spoken of vers 4. were those mentioned Exod. 28.39 which the High Priest wore under his other rich attire and that together with these here mentioned all His other rich Garments are to be understood also But others by comparing the 4th
and it was given to Aaron and his Sons And 't is like that it was either decided by lot who among them should pay this Redemption-Money and who not or it was paid in common by them all The Levites being thus numbred and their Places and Order how they should pitch about the Tabernacle being prescribed now the time when they should enter upon their Office is appointed At the age of 25 years they were to enter as Novices and Subservients in some inferiour Offices and Ministrations of the Tabernacle Ch. 8.24 but they were not to enter into a full execution of their Office till the age of 30 and then they were to continue in it till 50 and though after 50 they were to be exempted from the harder and most laborious Services of the Tabernacle such as removing and carrying the holy things thereof yet still they were to be assistant to their Brethren as Overseers to see that the Work was done and besides they were still to be imployed in teaching and instructing the people And in their several Cities as being well experienced in the judicial Laws they Were to judge of matters brought before them See Numb 8. from 23. to the end The time of their entring upon their Office being thus ordered in the next place to prevent confusion and ambition among them each Family of the Levites hath its particular Service (c) V 3. All that enter into the Host i. e. qui ingrediuntur in coetum vel turmam mimistrantium in Tabernaculo nempe ut operentur in eo appointed 1. The Charge of the Sons of Gershon were 1. The ten Curtains of fine twined Linnen blue purple and scarlet 2ly The eleven Curtains of Goats hair that were laid over them 3ly The covering of Ram-skins died red 4ly The covering of Badgers-skins which lay over all and the Hangings for the door of the Tabernacle and for the Courts Ch. 3.25 26. and Ch. 4.25 26. 2. The Charge of the Sons of Kohath was the Ark (d) V. 6. Shall put in the staves thereof viz. into the Cases or Coverings prepared for them that so the Levites might not touch so much as the Staves of the Ark uncovered For the Staves were not to be taken out of the Rings of the Ark Exod. 25 15. and the Table of Shew-bread (e) V. 7. And the continual bread shall be thereon intellige cum ad quietem terrae promissionis pervenerint In deserto enim sicut non fiebant Sacrificia in Festis aut Sabbatis ut clare dicitur Acts 7.42 Amos 5.25 ita nec offerebantur panes quod erat genus quoddam Oblationis aut Sacrificij nec thus aut vinum quod adjungi solebat illa enim omnia deerant in deserto ut conqueruntur Numb 21.5 Nam multis annis manserunt in locis prorsus inhabitatis ab omnibus gentibus seperati Jansen and the golded Candlestick and the Altars and all the most holy things When the Tabernacle was to be taken down and removed the Priests only were to do it and wrap up the most holy things in coverings of blue or scarlet and to put coverings of Badgers-skins over them which are called the Clothes of Service Exod. 31.10 and then to deliver them to the Kohathites to bear them on their Shoulders (f) The Ark indeed was sometimes carried by the Priests see Deut. 31.9 so when they passed over Jordan Josh 3.6 and compassed the Walls of Jerico Josh 6.6 but ordinarily this Service was performed by the Levites see Deut. 31.25 especially till the number of the Priests was more increased who might not otherwise touch them upon pain of death So that though their Office was most honourable because they had the charge of the most holy things yet it was also perillous and burdensome Ch. 3.31 Ch. 4.15 3. The Charge of the Sons of Merari were the boards of the Tabernacle the Bars the Pillars the Scockets Pins Cords and Vessels thereof and the Pillars of the Court c. Ch. 3.36 37. Ch. 4.31 32. Eleazar the eldest Son of Aaron was to be Chief over the chief of the Levites viz. the Kohathites that had the Charge of the most holy things and his Brother Ithamar over the Gershonites and Merarites To the inspection and care also of Eleazar was committed the Oil for the Lights the sweet Incense the daily Meat-offering and the anointing Oil and the over-sight of the Tabernacle and to appoint the Kohathites every one to his several burden And Moses and Aaron are charged that all the holy things of the Sanctuary should be so covered that the Kohathites might neither see nor touch what they should not which if they should do they would be in danger of being cut off and to die for it (g) Uzzah though a Levite for such a transgression was smitten dead 2 Sam. 6.6 7. For the holy fire that was always to be kept alive upon the Altar 't is like when the Tabernacle was removed 't was put into some Pot or Vessel and so preserv'd still with supply of wood Numb Ch. 3. whole Chapter Numb Ch. 4. whole Chapter SECT XLV THe Levites thus set apart were with all due Solemnity consecrated to God and his Service But lest they should think themselves equal to the Priests they are neither Consecrated at the same time nor with the same Ceremonies The Consecration of the Priests took up seven days see Exod. 29.35 Levit. 8.33 but this of the Levites was done in one day The manner of it was thus 1. Moses was to take the Levites and to cleanse them which was to be done by sprinkling the water of purifying upon them which was made with the ashes of the red Heifer (h) Therefore directions for making this water were given before this time though not mentioned by Moses till the 19. Ch. of this Book mentioned Ch. 19. and then to shave off all their hair which was another sign of Purification see Levit. 14.8 9. Numb 6.9 and to wash their Clothes By which Rites was signified what great holiness and purity God requires in those that are to be imployed in Sacred Functions 2ly The whole Congregation being there assembled and the Levites being brought before the Lord some of the chief (i) Non omnes sed omnium nomine Principes vel sorte primo-geniti in quorum loco erant Levitae of the Children of Israel in the Name of the rest were to put their hands (k) Which Rite was observ'd in the Ordination of Officers both in the Old T. and the N. Numb 27.23 Act. 6.6 13.3 and in Benedictions Gen. 48.17 upon them thereby testifying that they did now freely offer them to the Lord to be wholly set apart for his Service 3ly Then Aaron was to present them * V. 11. And Aaron shall wave the Levites before the Lord Hac elevatione significabatur eos totius orbis Domino offerri a populo in munus ut scil loco
He was to wave them before the Lord and so they became his portion with the wave-breast and heave-shoulder the rest of the flesh and bread was to be eaten by the Owners that presented them These are the Offerings which a Nazarite who is to be discharged of his Vow is to offer besides what of his own free will he shall vow to give out of the estate which he hath gotten and wherewith God hath blessed him The former Offerings were prescribed by God and so necessarily to be offered both by Poor and Rich but if the Nazarite being rich vowed any more Offerings He must perform his vow accordingly These things being performed the Nazarite was discharged of his vow and had liberty to drink Wine again if he thought good Numb 6. from 1. to 2â— SECT XLIX THe Lord now prescribes to Aaron and his Sons how they should solemnly bless the people viz. lifting up their hands (x) See Levit. 9.22 they should say unto them The Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you The Lord lift up his Countenance upon you and give you peace Thus they were to put Gods Name upon the people that is to bless them in his Name and the Lord promises thereupon to bless them Numb 6. from 22. to the end SECT L. God now Commands two (y) At first there were but two Trumpets appointed viz. for Aaron's two Sons But the number of Priests increasing in Solomons time there were an 120 Priests sounding with Trumpets 2 Chron. 5.12 These Trumpets were signs of the ministry of the Word and the Office of Teaching discharged by men called and fitted silver Trumpets to be made for Aaron's two Sons Eleazar and Ithamar (z) The Priests are appointed to be Trumpeters that the people might entertain the sound thereof as given by the direction of God and accordingly conform themselves thereunto see Numb 31.6 2 Chron. 13.12 The use of these Trumpets was 1. To assemble the Congregation before the Lord in his Sanctuary 2ly To give warning and direction for their marching towards the Land of Canaan 3ly To encourage the people when they went forth to War 4ly To excite their joy and rejoycing at their solemn Festivals They were to blow with both Trumpets when all the people were to assemble at the door of the Tabernacle and to blow but with one Trumpet when only the Princes and Heads of the people were to come together unto Moses And when the Camps were to remove they were to blow an Alarm or Taratantara (a) V. 7. Clangetis non Tarantarizabitis Hic distinguit inter Clangere Taratantizare Freidlib and so the Camps that lay Eastward or Southward Northward or Westward were to move according to the several soundings of the Trumpet But when the Congregation was to be gathered together they were not to sound in that manner And only the Priests were to blow with Trumpets as long as the Priesthood and this Dispensation was to last And wheh the people were to go out to War the Priests were to sound an Alarm which was to be a sign to them that the Lord remembred their danger and would help them against their Enemies They were also to blow with these Trumpets on their solemn Festivals (b) V. 10. In their solemn days wherein honest chearfulness was not only allowed but injoyned Deut. 16.14 and days of rejoycing and on their new Moons over their Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings and this was to be to them for a Memorial before the Lord that is as a sign and token that if they performed this Service in faith of Gods mercy and with joyful and glad hearts the Lord would remember them and would hear their prayers and accept their Sacrifices Numb 10. from 1. to 11. SECT LI. ABout this time Jethro Prince of Midian a Country lying south from hence towards the Red-Sea Father-in-law to Moses repaired hither to give his Son-in-law a visit and brought with him Zipporah his Daughter Mose's wife and his two Sons Gershom and Eliezer which were left with him when Moses went into Egypt See Sect. 60. of Chap. 3. Moses hearing of his coming went out to meet him and did Obeysance to him and kissed him and bringing him into his Tent He acquainted him with all the wonderful things the Lord had done for them Jethro blesses God and Congratulates to Moses and the whole people of Israel their Deliverance out of the Egyptian Bondage he openly declares both by word and deed his Faith and Devotion towards the God of Israel Now says he I am assur'd the God of Israel is greater then all Gods for in the thing wherein the Egyptians were proud and haughty he was above them And Jethro after the manner of the Patriarchs (c) Forsan obtulit non immediate sed per sacerdotes Sic David sacrificasse fertur 2 Sam. 24.25 Solomon 1 Reg. 8.63 nempe mediantibus sacerdotibus offered Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices of Thanksgiving * Ex quibus maxima pars cedebat offerentibus unto God and Aaron and the Elders of Israel came to pay their Respects to him and to Feast with him upon those Sacrifices before the Lord (d) See Deut. 12.6 7. 1 Chron. 29.21 that is in the fear of the Lord and having the Lord in their eyes and being sensible of the Majesty of God appearing in the Cloudy Pillar On the morrow after Moses sat to judge the people and the people stood by him from Morning to Evening Jethro observing this and how the people came to Moses to inquire of the Lord for them both concerning religious and civil Affairs he fairly Chides him for his wearing out himself with continual imployment and the people with continual attendance and therefore advises him to take a better Course which he doubted not but by the blessing of God would be much for his own and the peoples ease Be thou says he for the people God-ward that is in matters of greater difficulty and importance where there is need of one to inquire of God there do thou still imploy thy self in seeking to the Lord for them and in returning answers from the Lord to them and shew them the way wherein they should walk and the work that they should do But as to other matters of lesser moment and easily to be decided chuse out from among the people able men men fearing God and men of truth and fidelity and hating Covetousness and make some of them Rulers over Thousands others over Hundreds others over Fifties and others over Tens and let them Judge the people at all seasons in matters of less difficulty but matters of greater moment let them bring to thee And so these Rulers will bear some part of the burden with thee and all will not lie on thy shoulders as now it does and the people hereby will have their matters sooner determined and dispatched without so
long attendance and so will go to their several Tents and Dwellings in peace having their minds quieted Moses consulting with the people about this Proposal they liked it very well see Deut. 1.13 14. and so he immediately put it in practice substituting such Governors under himself so that every Tribune appointed to Judge over a thousand Families had under him ten Centurions or Judges that were over an hundred Families a piece and every Centurion had under him two Rulers that were over fifty Families a piece and every Ruler over fifty had under him five Rulers which were set over ten (e) Parallel to this was the original Institution of our English Tything-men a word still in use in the West-Country being an Officer to oversee ten men with their Families This Tythingman is the same Officer which in other places is call'd the Petty Constable Families a piece And so it is like the inferour Officers gave account of those under their Care to their immediate Superiors Deut. 1. from 9. to 19. Exod. 18. whole Chapter SECT LII ON the 20th day of the second month of the second year after their coming out of Egypt the Cloudy-Pillar arising from off the Tabernacle and going in the forefront of their Camp the Israelites removed from Sinai where they had staid in that their 12th station a whole year (f) They came into the Wilderness of Sinai in the beginning of the third month of the first year see Deut. 1.6 7 8. and Sect. 13. of Ch. 4th within 13 days see Exod. 19.1 towards the Wilderness of Paran (g) In this Wilderness they journied a long time and in several places of it pitched their Tents They marched in such order and array as God had appointed by the direction of Moses Their Camp was divided into four Squadrons every Squadron consisting of three Tribes In the Van marched the Tribe of Judah with its associate Tribes Issachar and Zebulon under their respective Commanders of Thousands and Hundreds with a Standard having the figure of a Lion Immediately after them marched the Gershonites and Merarites who had the charge of the outward Tabernacle They marched formost of all the Levites that so they might be ready when the Army stayed to set up the Tabernacle against the Ark and the other holy things came that were carried by the Kohathites The Tribe of Reuben led the second Squadron in like manner with its associate Tribes Simeon and Gad with a Standard bearing the figure of a man as the Jewish Writers tell us Next to this Standard and so in the middle of the Camp marched the Kohathites bearing the Ark and the most holy Vtensils of the Tabernacle on their shoulders The Tribe of Ephraim led the third Squadron with their associate Tribes Manasseh and Benjamin with a Standard bearing the figure of an Ox. The Tribe of Dan with their associate Tribes Asher and Naphtali made up the fourth Squadron and brought up the Rear with a Standard bearing the figure of an Eagle The Army being thus set in Order and ready to march Moses desires Jethro * Called also Hobab see Sect. 56. of Ch. 3. his Father-in-law to go along with them telling him They would do him good and no hurt for God had promised to be gracious unto them and to own them for his people But Jethro refused to go telling him He would return to his own Country Moses presses him again to go with them telling him He might be in stead of Eyes to them in that howling Wilderness thorow which they were to march that is his prudent Counsel of which they had newly had experience might very much advantage them especially in things not particularly directed by God And if he would please to go along with them what goodness and bounty the Lord should shew to them he should share in and partake of But it seems he refused to go along with them being desirous to return to his own Countrey see Exod. 18.27 However either He or some of his Family returned afterwards unto the Israelites For his Posterity in after-times dwelt among the Israelites in the Land of Canaan as we may see Judg. 1.16 and Judg. 4.11 17. and 1 Sam. 15.6 Numb Ch. 10. from 11. to 33. SECT LIII MOses and the Children of Israel now depart from the Mount of the Lord viz. from Sinai and Horeb where He had appear'd so Eminently to them and given them his Law and the Ark (h) Profecta est in conspectu eorum i. e. arca in mediis castris a sacerdotibus gestata versabatur in oculis omnium Malvenda Pro uno reputantur arca columna cum arca semper sub Columna procederet Bochart went before them or in their sight and the Cloudy-Pillar over that for three days together when they marched to find out a fit place for them to pitch their Tents in And when the Cloud was lifted up and the four Squadrons with the Ark set forward and marched Moses said Arise O Lord and let thine Enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee flee before thee And when the Ark rested according to the direction of the Cloud he said Return (i) Revertere respondet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 surge Nam qui surgit quasi abiturus surgit Certo Nubes cum se attolleret abire videbatur Dr. O Lord unto the many thousands of Israel that is Return I pray thee and remain among thy people for in thy presence their chief joy and safety consist see Exod. 33.14 15 16. Numb 10. from the 33. to the end SECT LIV. THe people being now wearied with their three days march it seems some that were in the rear of the Camp began to murmur that they were forced to so long and tedious marches whereupon the anger of the Lord was kindled against them and He either poured down fire upon them from Heaven or caused it to break forth upon them from the Earth and it consumed many of them see Psal 78.21 The Israelites not knowing what to do run to Moses having a great opinion of his holiness and especial interest in the favour of God and intreat him to intercede with the Lord for them which he accordingly does and so the fire ceased The place where this Judgment was executed was hereupon called Taberah signifying a burning because the fire of the Lord here brake out upon them and consumed many among them Numb Ch. 11. from 1. to 4. SECT LV. THe people not having now any other Food but Manna to eat the mixt multitude among them of which see Exod. 12.38 not being sufficiently warned by the former Judgment began to loath it and to murmur that they had nothing else to eat And the Israelites it seems soon joyned with them in this their Complaint and murmuring saying in a discontented humor Who shall give us flesh to eat as if they had said we had plenty of Flesh in Egypt and great variety of Fowl We
remember also the great store of Fish which we had there whereof we did eat very freely we had also Cucumbers and Melons Leeks and Onions and Garlick in great abundance but now our Soul is dried away that is our Life languishes and pines away for want of that change and variety of diet wherewith we were there refreshed now our eyes see nothing but this Manna neither have we any thing else wherewith to satisfie our Appetites And what was this Manna they thus loath and speak so disdainfully of why it was like Coriander-seed and for the colour it was white like Bdellium it was as sweet as Honey-wafers unbaked but when baked it had the tast of fresh Oil it might be dressed several ways and always was a delicious food So that these unthankful Wretches had little reason thus to complain However Moses heard them openly complaining in the doors of their Tents That they had nothing but Manna nothing but Manna to eat Hereupon the anger of the Lord was kindled against them and Moses was greatly troubled so that complainingly he said to the Lord Wherefore dost thou thus afflict thy Servant to lay the burden of all this people upon me why have not I found so much favour in thine Eyes as to be exempted from this great Charge who am so unfit to bear it See Exod. 4.13 Have I begotten all this people that thou shouldst say to me carry them them in thy Bosom as a Nursing-Father beareth the sucking-Child unto the Land which I have sworn unto their Fathers to give them Alas whence should I have Flesh to give unto this vast multitude who murmur and complain and Cry to me for it I am not able alone to undergo the burden of Governing Conducting and Providing for all this people it is too heavy for me And if thou wilt thus deal with me and still thus employ me I pray thee rather take me hence then let me live to see and feel my misery and wretchedness thus daily growing and increasing upon me But though this Speech of Moses was so full of distemper and passion yet the Lord graciously passed it by and pittying his infirmity and weakness Commands him to chuse out 70 men of the Elders of Israel whom he knew to be Elders not only in respect of their years but in respect of their singular gravity and wisdom and who had been on that account chosen to be Officers and Governors over the people and these he should bring and present before the Tabernacle as persons fit to be helpers and assistants to him in governing of the people that so the burden might not lie wholly on his shoulders Indeed as we have seen before Sect. 51. upon Jethro's counsel there were certain men chosen to be Rulers and Judges over the people for the ease of Moses see Exod. 18.25 26. But those were only chosen to judge and determine of lesser matters But these now chosen were to be Judges in the greater and most difficult Cases either of religious or civil Concernment which were formerly wholly referred to Moses And they were therefore chosen out of those that had been already in those inferior places of Government as being fittest by reason of their former experience in governing to be employ'd in weightier matters And it seems from hence in after-ages the Jews took their rise of Constituting their Synedrion or Sanhedrin their Senate and Supream Court of Judicature in that Nation consisting of 70 * V. 16. Septuaginta in memoriam Septuaginta qui descenderant in Aegyptum Exod. 1.5 Quidam aiunt è singulis Tribubus sex electos ut summa fuerit LXXII numerumque hic rotundari Confer Exod. 24.9 Anonym in loc Elders which was continued among them to the days of Herod God further tells Moses That when he had chosen these 70 men and prsented them before the Tabernacle He would reveal Himself to him there in the Glory of His Majesty and would confirm their Election by giving them such Gifts and Graces of his Spirit (k) Spiritus hoc loco Propheticus est ut satis patet ex v. 25. quo populum regere dubia explicare occulta cognoscere futura praevidere Dei laudes eodem spiritu dictante exequi potuerunt as he had given unto him and by these extraordinary Gifts He would fit them to be Coadjutors to him in the governing of the people God further Commands Moses to speak to the people to prepare (l) V. 18. Sanctificate vos Commissi peccati paenitentia Cajet themselves that so they may be fit to receive that great and marvellous blessing which He intended to give them the next day For he intended then to give them Flesh and to continue it to them for a whole month together But he foresaw that they would eat so greedily of it and so fill themselves with it that the offensiveness of their full and loaded Stomachs would fume and steam up with an unsavory scent into their Nostrils or it would come up by vomit thorow their mouths and nostrils as a just punishment of their Rebellion against Him and despising the Manna He had provided for them Moses hearing that they should eat Flesh for a whole month together distrustfully asks the Lord Whither all the Flocks (m) He thought not it seems of any supply by Fowls or Birds and Herds they had brought with them out of Egypt should be kill'd for their use or whither all the fish (n) 1 Cor. 15.39 There is one flesh of Beasts another of Fishes another of Birds c. of the Sea should be gathered together to satisfie them they being six hundred thousand men besides women and children * God here winks at Moses's distrust and bears with his weakness but when he was not better instructed by His patience and the continual experience he had of his All-sufficiency He is afterwards punished Numb 20.12 His passion was before too strong and his faith is now too weak God tells him His hand was not shortned and therefore what he had promised they should see exactly performed Moses now appoints those 70 (o) The name of the whole number is given to the greater part though there were two wanting as we shall see afterwards persons before mention'd to come before the Lord at the door of the Tabernacle that it might appear to the people that they were set apart to this work of Government and that the people might acknowledge them in their places as set over them by God who now came down in the Cloud to the door of the Tabernacle and there bestowed the Gifts of his Spirit upon them to make them fit for their Office and Charge They having now received the gift of Prophesie their Minds were thereby supernaturally inlightned and their Hearts filled with spiritual raptures and their Tongues stirred up to set forth the high Praises of God in Songs and Psalms see 1 Sam. 10.5 10. 1
Chron. 25.1 3. and possibly they foretold things to come and declared to the people the Word of God to their great Edification and Comfort and all in such a manner that they might easily be discerned to speak as men inspired by the Spirit of God Thus these men prophesied and did not cease that is continued all that day prophesying without intermission and this seems to be added because their continuing so long in this supernatural Exercise did much confirm their Call to their Office But two of these Elders that were chosen for this Employment and inrolled by Moses among his seventy Assistants did not come to the door of the Tabernacle as they were appointed to do 'T is probable they did forbear to come not out of contempt of Gods Command for then it is not likely they would have had the same Gift of the Spirit bestowed upon them as the others had but out of modesty * See a Case something like this 1 Sam. 10.22 and distrust of their own sufficiency for so great a Charge However these two whose names were Eldad and Medad received the same Spirit of Prophesie with the rest of the Seventy and accordingly prophesied in the Camp out of Moses's sight and without his knowledge as the others did at the door of the Tabernacle in his presence A report of this being brought to Moses and Joshuah his Servant suspecting it might be prejudicial to the Dignity and authority of his Master seeing these two seemed to do it without any dependency on him which the others had manifested in coming at his appointment to the door of the Tabernacle and there receiving this Gift and Authority from God he desired him to forbid * See a parallel Instance to this in the Disciples Mark 9.38 Luke 9.49 John 3.26 them But Moses meekly replied Envyest thou these men this Gift for my sake I am so far from envying or grudging at them for it that I could even wish if it so pleased the Lord that all his people had the same Gift Moses and the Elders of Israel now returning into the Camp God by his Almighty Power causes a strong Wind to blow from the Sea-ward viz. the Red-Sea which lay Southward of the Israelites Camp at this present and therewith brought a vast number of Quails among them and round about their Camp a days journey in circuit or compass insomuch that in many places they lay in heaps two Cubits high The Psalmist tells us Psal 78.27 He rained Flesh upon them as dust and feathered Fowls as the sand of the Sea The people seeing this in all hast rose up and fell to gather them and the gathering continued all that day and the next night and the day after And that Master of a Family with his Company that gathered least gathered ten Homers or heaps whereby possibly is to be understood a very great many And when they had gathered them they spread them abroad round about their Camp and layed them thin that they might not putrifie But it seems they were as miraculously preserved as they were sent else they would never have lasted good a whole month together About a year ago see Exod. 16.13 God gave them one meal of them at their eighth station in the Wilderness of Sin before they come to Sinai but now they eat of them a whole month together and having satisfied their greedy lust and appetite feeding without fear Jude v. 12. so long together with this kind of food at last the Wrath of the Lord brake out upon them and he smote them with a very great Plague while the flesh was between their teeth The Psalmist says He slew the wealthiest and the fattest of them Psal 78.31 'T is like He permitted them to surfeit by their greedy feeding and so thereby many of them died and therefore the place was called from thence Kibroth-Hattaavah that is the Graves of these men of lust and inordinate appetite See Psal 78. from 26. to 32. and Psal 106. v. 14 15. Numb 11. whole Chapter SECT LVI FRom Kibroth-Hattaavah they removed to Hazeroth At this place some emulation or contention arising as it seems between Miriam Moses's Sister and Zippora his Wife Miriam first and then Aaron stirred up by her spake against Moses because he had married a woman of Ethiopia so they seem to call her in contempt because she was of Midian a part of the Eastern Ethiopia otherwise called Arabia and was not one of Abraham's holy stock But seeing she had submitted her self to the Law of God she was to be held as an Israelitish-woman as Rahab and Ruth were However upon this occasion they quarrel with Moses and would equal themselves unto him What say they hath God only spoken by Moses hath he not spoken also by us Am not I says Miriam a Prophetess see Exod. 15.20 and hath not God promised to be with Aaron's mouth and that he should be a mouth to his Brother Moses Exod. 4.15 16. and hath not he been imployed by God together with Moses in bringing the Israelites out of Egypt What reason then that Moses should be all in all who hath matched himself to one that is a stranger to the holy Seed of Israel Moses being a very meek * It may seem strange that Moses should thus commend himself But let it be considered thâ—t either he did it by the immediate inspiration of the Spirit of God that his meekness might be a Pattern to the Church in all Ages as he does elsewhere relate his sins and weaknesses for the Instruction of the Church or else it may be conceived without wronging the authority of Moses's Writings that here and there by Joshuah or some other of the sacred Writers after him some passages were inserted which Moses himself wrote not such as that Deut. 34. concerning his death and burial See Mr. Jackson's Notes on the place and humble man was content to put up all this bearing it patiently and making no Complaint but the Lord would not let it so pass Therefore commanding Moses Aaron and Miriam to come all three together to the Tabernacle of the Congregation and the Cloud descending to the door thereof the Lord now calls to Aaron and Miriam to stand forth and then declares to them that he did not manifest his Will to Moses in Dreams (p) Visions were Revelations to such as were awake Dreams to those that were asleep Dominus aliquando apparuit Prophetis in Ecstasi aliquando per somnium dormientibus aliquando vigilantibus in aliqua similitudine sed sine locutione ut Jeremiae Ezekieli Somnia plerumque erant aenigmatica ut scala Jacobi c. and Visions as to other Prophets but he spake to him with an audible Voice out of the Cloud and out of the Tabernacle very plainly and clearly as one Friend uses to speak to another and had at times discovered to him more of his Glory than ever he did to any mortal
man see Exod. 33.20 And when he spake to him he did not make known his mind to him in obscure figurativ expressions as he did to some of the Prophets see Ezek. 17.3 but plainly and clearly and seeing he had manifested so great favour to Moses How comes it to pass says the Lord that ye were not afraid to speak against my Servant Moses And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them and the Cloud the sign of his presence removed from the door of the Tabernacle and possibly for some time disappeared God intending thereby to testifie his Indignation against them And immediately Miriam became Leprous and white as Snow * See Deut. 24.9 God was pleased to spare Aaron though Partner with his Sister in this Sin lest in his Dishonour the Priesthood should suffer Aaron intreats Moses to Intercede with the Lord for them that the punishment of this sin wherein they had done foolishly may not be laid upon them He begs that Miriam may not by the continuance of this white Leprosie upon her be as a Child dead in the Womb whose flesh when it comes into the World looks white and putrified as if it were sodden and half consumed And though says He she is for the present alive yet as one dead she is to be excluded from the Communion of the Church see Numb 5.2 and this fretting Plague if it continue upon her will in the end utterly consume and kill her Moses was prevailed with to pray for Her and upon his prayer the Lord was pleased to heal her of her Plague yet gives order that she should be carried out of the Camp for the present For says God if her earthly Father had in great displeasure spit in her face surely she would have been ashamed to shew her self for a time and therefore much more fit is it that in such a Case as this she should be secluded from the Congregation to instruct all the people to take heed of being corrupted with Her example The people upon this Sentence mourned for Her and journied not till she was brought into the Camp again which argued the great honour and respect they had for Her being a Prophetess and the Sister of Moses and Aaron After this the people removed from Hazeroth and pitched in another place in the Wilderness of Paran called Rithmath see Ch. 33.18 Numb 12. whole Chapter SECT LVII THe people being now come near to the Mountain of the Amorites upon the Borders of Canaan Moses encourages them to go up and take possession of the Land which God had promised them Deut. 1.20 21. but they fearing the Event desire that they may first send some Spies to search the Land Moses not knowing their distrustful hearts likes well their motion Deut. 1.23 and seeking Counsel of the Lord about it the Lord was pleased to permit it though in displeasure and accordingly Commands that at the time when Grapes first grew ripe they should send twelve Principal men such as were of authority and esteem among them of every Tribe one of which Caleb was for the Tribe of Judah being then forty years old see Joshua 14.7 and Hoshea (q) Hoshea signifies a Saviour but by adding Jah the Contract of Jehovah which is the proper Name of God Psal 68.4 thereby was signified that He should by the help and assistance of God be a Saviour of the people the Son of Nun whom Moses called Jehoshua or Joshua for the Tribe of Ephraim to discover and spy out the Land These men accordingly went entring into Canaan by the Desart of Zin lying on the South and so went quite thorow it to the very North part thereof even to Rehob 'T is probable they divided themselves else 't is like they would have been suspected neither could they otherwise have viewed the whole Country in so short a time Numb 13. from 1. to 23. SECT LVIII THese Spyes after forty days return from searching the Land and come to the Camp at Kadesh bringing with them one branch of a Vine with one Cluster or Bunch of Grapes upon it which was so big that they carried it between two of them upon a staff with some Pomegranates and Figgs of the Land Ten of these twelve Spies that were sent praised indeed the goodness of the Land but magnified also the strength of the Cities thereof and the Giant-like stature of the Inhabitants thereby disheartning the people from marching any further towards it At Hebron a City in the South-parts of it which was one of the ancientest Cities in the World being more ancient then Zoan the chief City of Egypt which vaunted it self to be of very great Antiquity see Isa 19.11 they tell them they met with Giants the Sons of Anak men of mighty stature in comparison of whom they seemed but like Grashoppers They tell them The Cities of the Canaanites were great and walled up to Heaven Deut. 1.28 They further tell them That the Amalekites dwelt in the South Country the Hittites Jebusites and Amorites in the Mountains nigh unto the Wilderness where the Israelites now lay so that there would be no entring the Land on the South because of those mighty Nations that would be there ready to oppose them And in case they should think to fetch a compass about and to enter in on the East-side there they would be kept out by the River Jordan which ran along on that side and the dead-Sea and by the Canaanites who dwelt by the Sea and by the Coast of Jordan and they being a valiant and a strong people would improve those advantages for the best defence of their Country Thus these ten Spies discouraged the people bringing an evil Report upon the Land telling them It was a Land that eateth up the Inhabitants thereof by reason of the Civil Wars and frequent intestine Commotions that arose among them and by reason of the Tyranny of the Gyants who oppressed those that were less powerful than themselves And if several of the Natives of the Land were expos'd to so much danger how much more had they need to fear that were Strangers and were held their Common Enemies and what could they expect but to be eaten up with continual Wars The people at this Relation being greatly terrified Caleb and Joshua rose up and contradicted this false Report and encouraged the people telling them they might easily by Gods assistance Conquer the Land see Ch. 14.6 7. They said all that they could to still and quiet them and to hearten them to go on but all in vain For they now fall into an high rage and discontent and murmur against Moses and Aaron and wish they had died in Egypt or the Wilderness Nay their discontent and impatience grew so high that they said Deut. 1.27 Because the Lord hated us he hath brought us out of the Land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorite to destroy us and that our selves our Wives and Children should
of the Lord concerning the matter and by Gods own Sentence he was adjudged to be stoned (t) Prudens est Cajetani observatio severius semper Deum animadvertisse in primos legum snarum transgressores by the Congregation without the Camp which was done accordingly from 32. to 37. 7ly A Law is given injoyning them to make Fringes with blue Ribbands or Laces on the borders of their Garments that by looking on them they might remember all the Commandments of the Lord and do them These Fringes were to mind them that they ought to be content with what was commanded injoyned and limited by the Law of God and must not run out into any superstitious Inventions Additions or Devices of their own in his Worship Which Inventions being delightful to their eyes and hearts He knew they were very prone to go a whoring after them and therefore more strictly forbids And another reason why He injoyned these Fringes was that they might be distinguished in their habit from strangers and those that were Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and might remember that they were a people federally holy and peculiarly devoted to God Numb 15. whole Chapter SECT LXIII COrah Dathan and Abiram and On with 250 others of prime note and authority among the Israelites rise up now against Moses and Aaron envying Moses the Government and Aaron the Priesthood Corah it seems was the Ringleader and first Mover of this Sedition which is therefore called the gain-saying of Corah Jude v. 11. 23. He was a Levite and Cosin-German to Moses and Aaron For Amram the Father of Moses and Aaron and Izhar the Father of this Corah were Brothers the Sons of Kohath Exod. 6.18 The Jewish Writers say That this Corah had long since taken offence that Elizaphan was by Moses preferred to be Prince of the Families of the Kohathites see Numb 3.30 whereas Elizaphan was descended of the youngest Brother Vzziel and He was of Izhar who was elder than he which grudge though it lay buried for a time in his breast yet now it brake forth and nothing less than the Priesthood will content him and his Abettors As for Dathan Abiram and On they were all descended from Reuben and therefore possibly under the pretence of Reuben's Birthright they were the more easily drawn to oppose Moses as supposing that the Government belonged to them and not to him These Conspirators now come to Moses and Aaron and in an high and proud manner tell them They took too much upon them seeing all the Congregation were holy and therefore might approach to God and offer their own Sacrifices themselves as well as they and they saw no reason that the Priesthood should be tied to Aron's Posterity only Then the Reubenites under pretense of Reuben's Birthright seeking as 't is probable to wrest the Supream Magistracy from Moses to themselves they also Charge both Moses and Aaron for taking too much upon them and ask them Wherefore they lifted themselves above the Congregation Moses at this carriage of theirs was exceedingly troubled and withdrawing himself as it seems into privacy He fell down on his face before the Lord in prayer seeking direction from Him what he should do on this important occasion and there it was revealed to him what he should say unto Corah and his Accomplices Moses accordingly coming out to them tells them That on the morrow God would decide this Controversie and shew who were His and who were the Men that He had separated to the Priests Office and would allow to come near and to minister unto him He bids them therefore to come to morrow with their Censers and to put fire in them and Incense upon them and come with them before the Lord seeing they thought themselves so fit for the Priesthood and then they should soon see who it was that God had chosen to be a Priest (u) V. 7. Erit sanctus i. e. segregatus ad sacerdotium unto him by accepting his Incense and they should know to their Cost that not He and Aaron but that they the Sons of Levi had taken too much upon them in aspiring to the Priesthood What says he seems it a small thing to you Ye Children of Levi that God hath separated you from the rest of the people of Israel to bring you near to Himself to do the Service of the Tabernacle as Assistants to the Priests to stand before the Congregation to minister for them that is to do in their name and stead what they themselves were otherwise bound to have done in the Service of God What! is all this so small a thing in your eyes that it will not content you but you must have the Priesthood also And what is Aaron I pray you and what hath he done or what hath he assum'd to himself that the Lord hath not freely given him Therefore if you murmur against him you murmur against God himself See Exod. 16.7 8. After this first attempt of theirs was over it seems Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram possibly thinking to deal with them privately and to perswade them to desist from this wicked undertaking But they do not only refuse to come but return him a bitter and scornful answer They scoff at his promise of bringing them into a Land flowing with Milk and Honey and giving them Fields and Vineyards They tell him He had indeed brought them out of such a Land as did really flow with Milk and Honey which was Egypt and had brought them into a dry and barren Wilderness and here He had made himself a Prince and a Ruler over them And did he now think to put out their eyes and the eyes of those that joyned with them in this Complaint that they should not see and perceive the wrongs and injuries he had done them Moses at this was very wroth and prayed unto the Lord saying I pray thee O Lord accept not the Incense which these wicked Conspirators shall offer before thee to morrow but declare by thy refusing of it that thou disallowest this their rebellion As for me thou knowest I have not usurped Authority over them neither have I abused my Authority in the least by doing them any manner of wrong I have not taken the vilest Beast no not so much as an Asse from any of them neither can they justly Charge me with any injury I have done them On the next morning Corah having gathered together not only his 250 Accomplices but the people in general to be Spectators of the business in hand perswading them 't is like that God would own their Cause and give Judgment on their side and these 250 having as it should seem got such Consers as they could provide since the time Moses had appointed this way for the deciding of this Controversie they came with them to the door of the Priests Court whither the people used to bring their Sacrifices 'T is true the appointed place for the Priests to
burn Incense was within the Tabernacle at the Altar of Incense but this was an extraordinary occasion and a means enjoyned for the discovery of the Lords will whither these men or only Aaron and his Sons as formerly should enter into the Tabernacle to execute the Priests Office Corah having assembled his Confederates and the generality of the people before the Tabernacle and not finding Dathan and Abiram there as it should seem went to their Tents to talk with them see Ch. 26.10 and probably from them He went to his own Tent before Moses and the Elders came to the Tabernacle as presently they did In the mean time the 250 Conspirators on the one side taking fire from the Altar and putting it into their Censers and laying Incense thereon and Aaron near to whom Moses stood doing the like on the other God now signifies his approach and the actual manifestation of his Presence by the descending of the Cloud which used to hover over the Tabernacle to the door (x) See vers 42. of this Chap. and Ch. 12.5 thereof And the Lord spake to Moses and Aaron saying Separate your selves from among this Congreation that I may consume these Conspirators and all that joyn with them in a moment Then Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces before the Lord and said O God the God of the Spirits of all Flesh who formest the spirit of man within him Zach. 12.1 and seest and knowest the spirits and hearts of all men and art able to discern between those that sin obstinately and those that are only seduced by others and drawn hither only to see what would be done Shall one man sin viz. Corah the chief Incendiary and wilt thou be wroth with the whole Congregation Upon this intercession the Lord was pleased to spare the people that would depart from these Rebells And then imparting to Moses what He intended to do commands him to warn the Congregation to get away from the Tents of Corah Dathan and Abiram Moses accordingly rose up many of the Elders of Israel accompanying him to denounce the Judgment of God against these Conspirators and he warns the Congregation to depart from the Tents of these wicked men and to get far from them and to touch nothing of theirs as judging all that they have execrable and accursed lest they perish (y) V. 26. Lest you be consumed in all their sins that is lest you be destroyed in the Judgment that will fall upon them for all their sins the cause is here put for the effect in the Judgment which was ready to fall upon them for their great Sins and Provocations The people accordingly did so and fled from the Tents of these men but Dathan and Abiram impudently came out and stood in the doors of their Tents with their Wives and Children as if they intended to out-face Moses and scorned the Judgment he threatned against them Moses then sayed Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me and hath appointed me to take upon my self the Government of this people and hath conferred the Priesthood on Aaron and his Sons and that I have not done these things on my own head If these men die the common and ordinary death of other men then the Lord hath not sent me But if the Lord by his Almighty Power do work a new and hitherto-unheard of Miracle so that the Earth open her mouth and swallow them up quick then you must needs acknowledge that I am innocent and that these men have highly provoked the Lord. Moses having made an end of speaking the Earth immediately opened her mouth and swallowed up * An undoubted evidence of Gods concurrence with the ministry of Moses and withall an undoubted assurance of the divine truth of Moses's Writings these Rebels and all that appertained to them that were there present And the same it seems happened and probably at the same time to Corah and his Family as appeareth Numb 26.10 only some of his Children who as 't is like joyned not in their Fathers sin or if they did soon repented of it and gave over and departed from their Fathers Tent at Moses's warning were spared And of their Race came such as either composed some of the Psalms or at least were famous Singers in the Temple and Samuel also the great Prophet and Judge in Israel was of that Race see 1 Chron. 6.33 to 38. Thus perished the Ringleaders of this Rebellion All the Israelites that were near them fled at the Cry of them fearing lest the Earth should swallow up them also And as a further addition to the dreadfulness of this Judgment there came fire out from the Lord and consumed their 250 Confederates who had offered Incense and usurped the Priests Office They are punished with fire as by fire they had offended see Levit. 10.2 Moses now by Gods Command appointeth Eleazar the Son of Aaron to gather up the Censers from among the ashes of the dead bodies of these men that were burnt and consumed and to scatter the fire that was in them without the Court of the Tabernacle as shewing that God rejected it and their Service and abhorred their Sacrifice And he tells him That the Censers of these Sinners against their own Souls were now hallowed (z) Sanctificata dicuntur quia ex deputatione Dei servire deinceps debebant divina gloriae illustrandae having been presented before the Lord by his Commandment and he orders him to make broad Plates of them for a covering of the Altar (a) A parte anteriori altaris ponebantur ut a populo conspici possint of Burnt-Offerings which was covered with Plates of Brass before see Exod. 27.2 And the less need there was of them the fitter they were to be a sign of Gods Judgment against presumptuous Conspirators and of his vindicating and clearing the innocency of his faithful Servants and to be a Memorial to the Children of Israel that all Israelites and Levites excepting Aaron's Sons are to be reckoned as Strangers in respect of the Priests Office and may not aspire to it lest they perish as Corah and his Confederates did However the very next morning after those dismal Judgments had been executed all the Congregation of the people that were inclined to this Faction whose lives Moses had saved the day before by praying to the Lord for them murmured against Him and Aaron and peremptorily told them That they had killed the Lords people Moses and Aaron being thus injuriously charged looked up to God as having no other Refuge or Shelter to fly unto and immediately behold the Cloud descended upon the Tabernacle as a sign of the approach and actual manifestation of the glorious Presence of God and that he intended to speak something unto them Moses and Aaron presenting themselves before the Lord the Lord bad them get them up presently from among this rebellious Company that he might consume them in a moment But they fell
comes now to set out their portion which they should have as a reward of their Service And first He tells Aaron that for the sake of his Office to which he was anointed and because He and his Sons were separated from worldly Imployments to attend upon holy things therefore they should have a part in every Meat-Offering Sin-Offering Trespass-Offering and in the Court * See Levit. 6.16.26 Lev. 7.6 Ezek. 42 13 14. of the Tabernacle or Tents round about it called here the most holy place comparatively in respect to the Camp of Israel and the great Court for the people which was without the Priests Court they might eat of them 2ly They should have the Heave-Offerings and Wave-Offerings that is the right Shoulder and wave-breast of the Peace-Offerings with all other Gifts that were heaved and waved no part thereof being burnt upon the Altar And of these the Priests Daughters might eat whilst they remained in their Fathers house but being married to strangers they might not eat of the holy things see Levit. 22.12 13. Neither might any unclean person eat thereof 3ly They should have the first-fruits Some of the first-fruits of the Land were brought to the Lord at their three great Feasts as a sheaf of their Barley at the Feast of the Passover Levit. 23.10 And two loaves of their new-Wheat at the Feast of Pentecost vers 17. And the first of their Wine and Oil at the Feast of Tabernacles But these were brought in the name of all the Inhabitants of the Land in general Besides these particular men were of their own Corn and Fruits to bring the first-fruits unto the Lord as is enjoyned Exod. 22.29 23.19 concerning which there is no other direction given but that they should be of the first and of the best the quantity being left to the liberty and discretion of the Owner to bring according as he had found the blessing of God upon his Grounds 4ly They should have all things devoted that is all votive and freewill-Offerings see Levit. 27.28 except such things as were devoted as a Sacrifice unto God 5ly The first-born of men and beasts The first-born * The first-born of men before they were redeemed were to be presented before the Lord in the Temple Exod. 13.12 Levit. 2.22 And that could not be done before the Mother was purified which required forty days time Levit. 12.4 The first-born of the Tribe of Levi were free from this Redemption of men they were to permit to be redeem'd at a month old (d) V. 16. Secundum aestimationem seu ordinationem tuam Refero ad illud post mensem q. d. Constitues diem quando velles eum redimi Hic dies Communi usu erat 40 a partu ut eadem opera mater purificaretur filius redimeretur Bonfrerius for five Shekels see Levit. 27.6 and the firstlings of unclean Beasts they were to permit to be redeemed after eight days at a lower price but the firstlings of Cows Sheep and Goats were not to be redeemed they must be sacrific'd and their blood sprinkled and their fat burnt on the Altar that they may be a sweet savour to the Lord but their flesh should go to the Priests God tells them He had allotted them these things for their Maintenance (e) The Hebrew Doctors write of 24 Gifts which God bestowed on the Priests with the order and use of them See Ainsworth pag. 113. for ever that is whilst this Dispensation lasted by a perpetual and unchangeable Covenant called a Covenant of Salt because firm and incorruptible Salt having a vertue to preserve any thing from corruption God further tells Aaron That when the Land shall be divided by Lot there shall be no lot for the Levites They should have no Inheritance in it He himself would be their part and portion Indeed they had Cities (f) Concerning the 35 Cities and Suburbs of the Levites and 13 Cities and Suburbs of the Priests See Richardson pag. 32. and Suburbs but they were given them by the other Tribes The Lord further tells Aaron That He had given the Levites all the Tenths or Tythes of the Children of Israel (g) V. 24. Which they offered as an Heave-offering that is an Oblation to the Lord and a sign of their homage and subjection and thankfulness to him for his blessings as a reward of their Service Levit. 27.30 And straitly charges that no Israelite that is not of that Tribe presume to come nigh to the Tabernacle to do any part of the Service belonging to the Levites lest they die for it And He tells him That the Levites should bear the punishment of their own Iniquity if they should transgress yea and of the peoples too if by their not watching over the holy things they suffered the people to transgress about them He further injoyns that the Levites shall offer as an Oblation to the Lord and pay a tenth of all the Tythes they receive unto the Priests and this the Lord would accept at their hands no less than if having Lands as others had they should pay Tythe of the increase of them as the rest of the people did to them and hereby they should testifie their homage and thankfulness to God And they were to offer and separate out of the Tythes paid to them for the hallowed part to be paid to the Priests that which was of all the best And the Priests might eat of these Tythes indifferently in any place And He further declares That if the Levites do heave or separate a tenth part of the best of their Tythes for the Priests use they shall not expose themselves to punishment which they would else do if they neglected it In conclusion here is added a general warning that both Priests and Levites should take heed of polluting or profaning the holy things or suffering them to be profaned by others which might be done many ways that so they might prevent wrath from falling on themselves and others Ch. 18. whole Chapter SECT LXVI THe Lord having appointed the Priests and Levites to do the Service of the Tabernacle and to watch over the people that they might not trangress about any of the holy things He here appoints a water of separation to be made that so if any of the people had contracted any legal uncleanness by the sprinkling of this water upon them they might be cleansed and so might come freely again to the Service of God in the Tabernacle without fear of those Plagues which otherwise their pollutions might bring upon them For the making of this water a red Heifer was to be provided and that by the common charge of all the Children of Israel because it was to be for the common good of them all and for the cleansing of any one among them that was by any accident legally unclean It must be an Heifer without spot and upon which never came yoke For they used in those times to
plow and draw their Carts with Heifers and Cows as well as with Oxen see Judg. 14.18 This Heifer was to be given to Eleazar because by doing this Service that was now to be done he was to be unclean and 't was fit that he rather than Aaron should be defiled She must also be carried out of the Camp as an accursed thing figuring Christs being made a Curse and suffering without the City Heb. 13.12 And Eleazar was to sprinkle of her blood seven times turning his face towards the Tabernacle of the Congregation And her skin and her flesh her blood and her dung were all to be burnt in his sight And Eleazar was to take Cedar-wood and Hyssop and Scarlet and to cast them into the midst of the burning of the Heifer to signifie that these things should be used for a sprinkle in sprinkling the unclean with the water of separation see Levit. 14.4 And Eleazar was to wash his Clothes and bath his flesh and to be unclean unto the evening * The like is injoyned to him that burnt this Heifer v. 8. and to him that gathered up the ashes v. 10. and to him that sprinkled an unclean person with the water made of those ashes v. 21. This might intimate to them that it was not so much the water made with the ashes of this Heifer as the thing signified thereby that had vertue in it to purifie those that were spiritually unclean and consequently to shew the imperfection of the legal Priesthood because they that were imployed in preparing this water which was for the cleansing of others were themselves defiled 'T was further injoyned That the ashes of this Heifer should be gathered up by a man that was clean and laid up without the Camp in a clean place (h) As for the place where those ashes were kept when they came into the Land of Canaan it is not expressed Some hold that those ashes were dispers'd into all the Cities that those who were unclean might have wherewith to purifie and cleanse themselves because they were now conseerated to an holy use However the man that gathered them up was thereby made unclean because they were the remainders of an Heifer slain for the sins of the people And the Statute of making and reserving of these ashes for a water of separation was to bind both the Israelite and the Proselyte or Stranger that sojourned with them as long as this Dispensation lasted By this Law it was further injoyned That he that touched the dead body of a man was to be unclean seven days and he was to purifie himself with this water on the third day and on the seventh day vers 19. and then he was to be clean else not And whoever having contracted this kind of uncleanness and doth not make use of this way to purifie himself but cometh in that state into the Court of the Tabernacle he shall be cut off by the Sentence of the Judge if it be proved that he did it presumptuously because he despiseth not only the Ceremonial purifying but the thing signified thereby viz. the spiritual cleansing thorow the blood of the Messias Otherwise if he did it ignorantly he was to bring such a Sacrifice as is injoyn'd Levit. 5.3 6. Further if any man came into the Tent of a dead man it rendred him unclean yea and all that was in the Tent Every open Vessel that takes in the air of the Tent was ceremoniously unclean Or if a man touched a dead body or the bone of a dead man it rendred him unclean And thus hereby was figured the spreading and infectious nature of sin And one of the Priests that was clean was to put running water to the ashes of the burnt-Heifer and with a bunch of Hyssop tied to a Cedar-stick with a Scarlet-thread to sprinkle the person or Tent or Vessels that were unclean and then to be himself unclean until the evening because he had touched the water of separation And whatsoever any unclean person touched was to be held unclean to signifie the contagion of sin spreading from one to another Numb 19. whole Chapter SECT LXVII THe Camp now advanced to Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin which was near to the Land of Edom in the first month of the fortieth year after their coming out of Egypt and there Miriam died and was buried four months before her Brother Aaron and eleven months before her Brother Moses She was the eldest of the three she attained to the age of 130 see Exod. 2.4 7. she was a Prophetess and by her also God guided the Israelites in their Travels see Mich. 6.4 she in all likelihood was the Girl that was set to watch what would become of Moses when he was expos'd in an Ark of Bulrushes on the River Nile see Exod. 2.4 c. Numb 20. vers 1. SECT LXVIII AT this Kadesh (i) So that in their Travels from Kadesh-barnea where the Spies came back to Moses to this Kadesh in the Desart of Zin there were about 38 years spent and most of their Fathers that were numbred at their coming out of Egypt were in this time dead the people for want of water murmur again against Moses and Aaron With the same want God had tried their Fathers in the first year after their coming out of Egypt Exod. 17.4 and they murmured then as their Children do now and they had water given them out of a Rock But these their Children were worse than their Fathers because the supply their Fathers had from God in that extremity should have been an argument and encouragement to them to rely on his Providence now and not to have distrustfully murmured or wished so desperately as they did Would God say they we had died with our Brethren whom God suddenly destroyed in the Insurrection of Corah and at other times thereby as it were slighting that fearful Judgment of being cut off in Gods firery Indignation in comparison of being pinch'd with a present want of water They highly expostulate with Moses and Aaron for bringing them into that barren Wilderness which was no place to sow seed in or plant Figg-Trees Vines or Pomegranates but a Land of Desarts a Land of Drought and where there was no water a Land thorow which no man passed and where no man dwelt see Jer. 2.6 Moses and Aaron hereupon betake themselves unto the door of the Tabernacle to intercede with God as formerly for this rebellious people And the Lord immediately signified his approach and the actual manifestation of his glorious Presence by the descending of the Cloud to the door of the Tabernacle see Ch. 14.10 and Ch. 16.19 And here He Commands Moses to take the Rod viz. Aaron's Rod which budded out of the Tabernacle * See Numb 20. v. 9. Ch. 17.10 and with that Rod in his hand to speak to the Rock before the Children of Israel and it should give forth water Moses indeed with his miraculous Rod at
and so the Israelites possessed themselves of all their Cities utterly destroying all the Inhabitants thereof and his Country unto the borders of the Amorites which was strong and therefore Sihon had not encroached upon their Country as he had upon the Moabites at least not beyond the River Jabbock Among other Cities which they took Heshbon was one which Sihon took from the former King of the Moabites who was King before their present King Balak and so both Heshbon and the Country adjoyning was the possession of Sihon when the Israelites took it To prove this Moses alledgeth the proverbial or aenigmatical Song which it seems was first made and used by the Amorites by way of triumph over the vanquished Moabites Come into Heshbon let the City of Sihon be built and prepared implying that though Heshbon perished * Vers 30. being in Moabs hands yet now it should be more fairly built and fortified being in Sihons hands For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon a flame from the City of Sihon it hath consumed Ar of Moab and the Lords of the high places of Arnon that is the fury of War which was kindled and began in the subversion and laying waste of Heshbon brake out from thence and consumed the Country of the Moabites as far as Ar a chief City of theirs and the Lords of the high places of Arnon that is their great men and Priests that sacrificed in their high places Woe unto thee O Moab thou art undone O people of Chemosh In this clause of their Song the Amorites scoff at Chemosh the God of the Moabites (n) See Jer. 48.7 13. The Ammonites god was Milcom 1 Kings 11.5 1 Kings 11.7 because he was not able to help them but had permitted those of them that escaped the Sword to be taken Captives by Sihon They further triumphantly add We have shot at them that is all their Country between Heshbon and Dibon one of their high places in the Land of Moab we have taken from them And we have wasted their Country even unto Nophah which reacheth unto Medeba (o) See Isa 15.2 Jer. 48.18 22. another City in the Land of Moab Numb 21. from 18. to 31. SECT LXXVI AFter this Moses sent his Spies to Jaazer a City also that had been Moabs Jer. 48.31 32. but now was the Amorites which they took with the Towns thereunto belonging and cast out thence the Amorites from the River Arnon which is the bound of Moab to the Brook of Jabbock which parteth it from Arnon yet medled not with the Country lying upon the River Jabbock neither with any of the Lands belonging at that time to the Children of Ammon or Moab as God commanded them After this the Children of Israel marched to Bashan a rich Country famous for its huge Oaks Ezek. 27.6 and rich Pastures which nourished strong and great Cattel Deut. 32.14 Amos 4.1 Og King of this Country being a remnant of the Giants whose Bedsted was of Iron nine Cubits in length and four in breadth Deut. 3.11 came out against them and fought with them at Edrei and was there with all his people utterly vanquished and destroyed by Moses and the Israelites whom God encouraged to go out against him and they possessed themselves of all his Country to wit sixty Cities and all that Coast as far as Argob Deut. 3. from vers 1. to 18. Numb 21. from vers 31. to the end SECT LXXVII AFter these Victories the Israelites encamped in the plains (p) So called becase they had been sometimes Moabs though since the Amorites and now the Israelites by Conquest of Moab on this side of the Ford of Jordan right over against Jerico at Abel-Shittim which was their 42d Encamping Here they continued till after Moses's death and till under the Conduct of Joshua they passed over Jordan unto the Land of Canaan In which time many notable things fell out even all recorded from this place to the end of Deuteronomy Numb 22. vers 1. SECT LXXVIII THe Moabites had no reason to be afraid of the Israelites because God had commanded them not to meddle with them and accordingly they had peaceably passed by their Country Yet their minds were stricken with such a terrour from God that all this could not quiet them They saw the Israelites were a numerous and mighty people They had already vanquished two Kings they were still upon their borders Thus God made good his Promise to his people Exod. 15.15 As for the mighty men of Moab trembling shall take hold upon them all the Inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away and Deut. 2.25 This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the Nations that are under the whole Heaven who shall hear report of thee and shall tremble and be in anguish because of thee Balak King of Moab and his people being under these fears they send to the Elders of the Midianites to joyn with them against the Israelites telling them That this vast Company were like to lick up all about them as the Ox licketh up the grass of the field 'T is very plain that the Midianites had no manner of reason to joyn with them For first They were allied to the Israelites being the Posterity of Midian who was the Son of Abraham by his wife Keturah Gen. 25.12 Secondly The Israelites had not hitherto medled with them Thirdly The Israelites Conquest of the Amorites was an advantage to them because they were by this means freed from Sihons Tyrannical Yoke under whom as it appears they were before in bondage However after Consultation it seems they joyned together in this business and Balak and they sent for Balaam a Southsayer who was at that time famous for his Inchantments and Divinations and dwelt at Pethor a City in Mesopotamia his native Country (q) In Mesopotamia or Aram Abraham first dwelt Acts 7.2 Gen. 24.4 10. and there he served strange Gods Josh 24.2 In this Country all the Patriarchs the Sons of Jacob except Benjamin were born and brought up Gen. 35.26 till Jacob their Father fled the Land Gen. 31.21 Jacob's Posterity hereupon professed their Father to be an Aramite Deut. 26.5 And from Aram is now Balaam sent for to curse them The Eastern-Country was infamous for Divination and such like Arts Isa 2.6 scituate upon the River Euphrates to come and curse the Israelites purposing afterwards to make War upon them The Messengers carrying with them large Presents to satisfie him for his Divinations call'd by the Apostle the wages of unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2.15 come to Him and tell him That there was a mighty great people come out of Egypt which covered the face of the Earth and they were now encamped over against Moab They tell Him they came to him from Balak King of Moab and from the Midianites to desire him to come over and curse this people For they were confident he was able by his Curses and
sin that is he died a natural death when his time was come as being by sin liable to death as all other men are They further urge that except this be granted them the Name of their Father wil be quite extinct Moses inquiring of the Lord concerning this Case it pleased the Lord to grant these Daughters of Zelophehad their desire which was afterwards punctually performed Joshua as we may read Josh 17.4 According to the Command of the Lord he gave them an Inheritance among the Brethren of their Father Yet withall there was afterwards a Caution added to wit that they might not marry out of their own Tribe * Hence some conclude that when a man died without Issue and his Brother married his Widow to raise up Seed unto his Brother whose Estate he inhetlted his first Son in their Genealogies was reckoned to be the Son of him that died without Issue So it was in this case The first Sons of those that married the Daughters of Zelophehad were accounted the Sons of Zelophehad and so under his Name did inherit his Land see Ch. 36.6 And upon this occasion was the Law for succession in Inheritances made and ordained Numb 27. from 1. to 12. SECT LXXXIV GOd now signifies to Moses that he should die and accordingly Commands him to go up to that Tract of the Mountains of Abarim * See Ch. 33.47 Deut. 32.49 34.1 which are in the Land of Moab over against Jerico and on one of the highest of them called Nebo whose top was called Pisgah he should see that good Land into which he might not enter And when he had seen it his Soul should be gathered unto the Souls of his pious Ancestors who died before him For He and Aaron had rebelled against his Commandment see Ch. 20.12 which was that they should by Faith sanctifie * We sanctifie the Lord when we conceive aright of his Nature and Attributes and when we speak so reverently of Him as to cause his Name to be praised and magnified among men him in the eyes of the people at the Wilderness of Zin but they sanctified him not Moses humbly and earnestly begs of the Lord that he might be permitted to go over and see that good Land Deut. 3.23 25. but the Lord was not pleased to grant his Request Humbly therefore submitting to his holy Will he now earnestly prays to God Who is the God of the Spirits of all flesh and not only the Creator but the Searcher and Trier of men spirits and knows what is in man and can frame and fashion mens spirits as he pleases and give them Gifts and Graces requisite for the Places he calls them unto to appoint a Successor to him that might as a good Shepheard go out and in before the Flock God upon his prayer appoints Joshua to succeed him a man in whom was the Spirit that is the Spirit of Wisdom and understanding the Spirit of Counsel and Might the Spirit of Knowledge and the fear of the Lord. God Commands him therefore to lay his hands * The like Ceremony was afterwards used in the days of the Gospel when men were separated and set apart to Preach the Gospel 1 Tim. 4.14 upon Joshua to intimate to Him by this Ceremony that the hand of God should be upon him to defend and prosper him in all his ways and that he would confer upon him a great measure of the Gifts of his Spirit answerable to the Dignity whereunto he had advanced Him and accordingly 'tis said Deut. 34.9 That Joshua the Son of Nun was full of Wisdom for Moses had laid his hands on him Moses was also to set him before Eleazar and the Congregation and to give him a Charge concerning what he was to do and what to forbear in the administration of his Office And Moses was further commanded to put some of his own honour upon him that is admit him into some Partnership of Authority and Dignity with himself and so cause the people to give him that Honour that was due unto Moses's Successor and the Judge Elect of Israel And Moses tells him further That upon occasion he shall present himself before Eleazar that he may inquire of the Lord for him after the Judgment of Vrim that is putting on the Ephod to which the Pectoral * See Pharaphrase on Exod. 28.30 was fastened wherein was the Vrim and Thummim And at Eleazar's word speaking from the Lord He and the people shall go out to War or return from it and so in all weighty Affairs which were extraordinary by his direction they should govern themselves And Moses did all these things which the Lord commanded him Numb 27. from 12. to the end SECT LXXXV THe Children of Israel having as it seems omitted their Sacrifices and solemn Feasts the most part of the 38 years last past by reason of their travels wherein the Sanctuary the Alar and other holy things were made up fit for removal from place to place And the most part of the Generation from twenty years old and upward that had been mustered in Sinai being now dead see Ch. 26.64 The Lord hereupon causeth the Law of sacrificing to be again here repeated thereby intimating to them that when they came into the Land which he promised them they must not any longer neglect his Ordinances as they had done in the Wilderness see Deut. 12.8 And therefore first in the general he charges them that they be sure to give Him all the Sacrifices and Offerings which he had at several times appointed them to offer And then 2ly He sets down particularly what they were to offer First For their daily Sacrifice from vers 3. to 9. Secondly For their weekly Sacrifice every Sabbath * The Sacrifices appointed for every Sabbath-day are full double to those appointed for every day And yet the daily Sacrifice the continual Burnt-Offering was not then to be omitted day from vers 9. to 10. Thirdly For their monthly Sacrifice every new Moon from 11. to 16. And fourthly For their yearly Sacrifices First At the Passover from vers 16. to 26. 2ly At Pentecost from 26. to the end 3ly He mentions the Offering appointed at the Feast of Trumpets Ch. 29. from 1. to 7. 4ly The Offering on the day of Expiation from 7. to 12. 5ly On the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles from vers 12. to 39. Numb Ch. 28. whole Chapter Numb Ch. 29. from 1. to 39. SECT LXXXVI BEsides those set and solemn Sacrifices which God Himself had injoyned there were other Sacrifices which were to be offered to the Lord namely such as men voluntarily offered or upon a particular Vow Ch. 29. v. 39. And upon this occasion it seems several Precepts concerning Vows were added to shew who were necessarily obliged to perform their Vows and who not And Moses made known these Laws to the Heads of the Tribes because they were the men that according to these Laws were
to judge the people and either to bind them to their Vows or free them from them Now Vows were either Obligatory or reversible according to the condition of the person that made them 1. If the Votary were a man of grown years having power over himself and had strengthened his Vow with an Oath he must not fail to perform what he had vowed and sworn to do and that without delay Deut. 23.21 provided the thing in it self were lawful and honest otherwise not as in the Case mentioned Acts 23.21 2. If the Votary be a young Woman under the power of her Father if her Father by his silence seemed to consent to it though in words he did not expresly approve it her Vow standeth firm But if he disallow it it is void and the Lord will not impute it as a sin to her seeing her Father refuseth to let her keep it 3. If the Votary were a married Wife her Husband had power either to ratifie or make void her Vow 4. If the Votary were a Widow or a divorced Woman her Vow must stand And because married Women might be apt to make large Vows what they would do if they came to be free again and then being free might make light of performing their Vows under pretense that those Vows were made while there were under the power of their Husbands To prevent that the Law does here direct that in case a Woman vowed in her Husbands house if her Husband held his peace then all her Vows should stand viz. after her Husband is dead or after she is made free by Divorce for every Vow and every binding Oath to afflict the Soul her Husband may establish or make void But if any Husband having heard his Wives Vow and not contradicted it shall afterwards refuse to let her perform it he shall bear her Iniquity and the Sin shall be imputed unto Him Numb Ch. 30. whole Chapter SECT LXXXVII THe Rubenites and Gadites now petition Moses to give them their Possession on this side Jordan in the Land already Conquered which the Lord smote before the Congregation of the Children of Israel according to the Promise made to Abraham Gen. 15.21 alleding how convenient it would be for them in regard it was a Country very fit for the keeping of Cattel whereof they had the greatest store Moses not apprehending as it seems their drift which was plain and honest accuses them of great injustice that they should desire to injoy peaceable Possessions at present whilst their Brethren must fight for theirs which would in all likelihood tend to discourage the hearts of the people from going over into the Land which the Lord had given them And herein he tells them They would be like the Spies * See Ch. 13.24 their Ancestors who brought up an evil Report on this good Land and so disheartened the people that the Lords anger was kindled against them for it And if you should do thus says he you will shew that you are risen up in your Fathers stead an increase of sinful men to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord toward Israel And assure your selves if ye turn away from following the Lord He will leave Israel yet to wander in this Wilderness as their Fathers did until they all be consumed And by this means you will occasion them to sin and so to be destroyed The Reubenites and Gadites humbly reply That it was far from their thoughts to desert their Brethren on this occasion 'T is true say they we meant to leave our Cattel our Wives and Children behind us and to that end we purposed to build Sheepfolds here for our Cattel and Cities for our Wives and little Ones that is to repair and fortifie those Cities of the Amorites in this Country which lie now ruinated But for our selves we are ready to go arm'd along with our Brethren yea before them and if it be thought fit to go in the forefront and to expose our selves to the greatest danger But when they say they were ready to go along with their Brethren we must understand it so that their meaning was only that so many of them should go as should be thought requisite for the Aid of their Brethren against the Inhabitants of Canaan For 't is plain they meant to leave Garrisons behind them for the defence of their Wives and Children and for the guarding of the Country in case any of the neighbouring Nations should invade the Land when they were gone And therefore Joshua 4.13 it is expresly said That there went of those Tribes along over Jordan with their Brethren only about forty thousand armed men whereas in the Tribe of Reuben alone there was above forty thousand fighting men see Ch. 26.7 Moses tells them That if they will go armed before the Lord to War that is before the Ark the sign of his Presence and so aid and assist their Brethren in their Wars against the Canaanites and will continue with their Brethren till they have subdued the Land then they shall have this Land on this side Jordan as they desire for their lot and portion see Deut. 3.18 But if they will not do so he tells them Behold ye have sinned against the Lord and be sure your sin will find you out However He acquaints them that these two Tribes must not think to have all this Land to themselves but part of it must be reserved for half the Tribe of Manasseh and that because they by a particular Expedition had vanquished that part of the Land particularly Iair had conquered Argob and the Towns belonging to it and called it Bashan-Havoth-Iair after his own Name as Nobah did Kenah and called it also after his own Name having driven from thence the Amorites as is express'd vers 39. Numb 32. whole Chapter SECT LXXXVIII MOses now by the Lords Commandment wrote this following Journal of the Israelites Travels from Egypt to the Land of Canaan wherein are set down all the several Stations or Places where they pitched their Tents and abode for some time And this was done the better to assure Posterity of the wonderful Deliverance of the Jews out of Egypt and of Gods leading them thorow the Wilderness to the Land of Promise and that by this express Description of their several Stations not only the certainty of this story might be evidenced but that they might be put in mind of the Rebellion of their fore-Fathers and of Gods severity in Chastizing them for it as also of his Goodness and Faithfulness manifested to the Seed of Abraham notwithstanding their many Provocations Their most remarkable Stations were these First Rameses * See Sect. 1. of Chap. 4. whether they resorted by Moses's Direction from all parts of the Land of Goshon And the reason is intimated why they went out with an high hand in the presence of the Egyptians they not opposing them namely because God had pulled down their pride by slaying their First-born yea upon
whom was the Spirit of God and an extraordinary measure of Grace he employs that short time in faithfully instructing the people and earnestly exhorting them to walk steadfastly in the ways of God He rehearses to them several remarkable Occurrences and passages of divine Providence which had happened to them during their forty years travels in the Wilderness not binding himself always to exact order as to times and places in his Narration that they might remember them for their benefit And this being for the most part a new Generation the old rebellious Stock having perished in the Wilderness He sets himself to instruct them in the Laws and Statutes of God not only repeating them to them but explaining and amplyfying many of them and adding some new ones * Hence this Book is call'd Deuteronomy or a second Declaration of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi secunda vel secundaria Lex Repetitio est praecipuarum Legum ac monitorum in eorum gratiam qui tempore promulgatae Legis aut nondum nati aut per aetatem intelligendi incapaces erant Cum quibus Moses hic instaurat foedus praeterea quaedam hic nova addita to them He causes them to enter into a solemn Covenant to serve the Lord faithfully He Predicts and foretells what would befal them hereafter and solemnly blesses them before his death Chap. I And first He reminds them of Gods calling Israel from Horeb to march towards Canaan He tells them how when they had continued well nigh a full year at Horeb * In journying from Egypt to Kadesh-barnea they spent about two years and from thence to the fields of Moab about 38 years whereas from Horeb or Sinai to Canaan it was but about 11 or 12 days Journey had they not provoked God by their sins to keep them wandring in the Wilderness so long God commanded them to march towards Canaan the borders of which he describes towards the South West North and East Deut. Ch. 1. from 1. to 9. 2. He reminds them how about that time by the advice of Jethro his Father-in-law he set Judges and Officers over the people For says he finding my self not able to bear the weight and burden of governing so great a people alone I said unto you The Lord hath multiply'd you as the Stars of Heaven and the Lord God of your Fathers make you a thousand times so many more as you are and bless you choose out therefore from among you wise and understanding men and I will make them Heads over you I will Constitute some of them to be Rulers over Thousands others to be Rulers over Hundreds others Rulers over Fifties and others to be Rulers over Tens And I charged the Judges at that time that they should judge rightâ—ously between man and man and not respect persons in Judgment but should hear the small as well as the great that they should not be afraid of men for the Judgment is Gods that is it is ordained by him and to be executed in his Name and the Judges representing his Person and sitting in his Seat should in judging follow the Rule by him prescribed and should judge justly as God Himself would do see 2 Chron. 19.6 And I further said If ye find any Cause too hard for you to determine bring it unto me And many other things I delivered and taught the Judges their duty in a more full and ample manner than now I express Deut. Ch. 1. from 9. to 19. 3. He shews them that when they left Horeb they marched thorow all that great and terrible Wilderness a Land where no man dwelt and wherein were fiery Serpents and Scorpions Deut. 8.15 a Land extream barren and destitute of all things necessary for the sustenance of man except by miraculous supply and came to Kadesh-Barnea Then says he I said unto you Ye are come to the Mountain of the Amorites the border of the Land which the Lord our God hath given unto us Go ye up therefore and possess it as God has commanded you fear not nor be discouraged But ye desired that Spies * Atque hic certum est Exploratores esse exigente populi incredulitate missos Deum Ducem sequi dâ—bebant Cananaeos fidenter aggredi Sed Dei promissis fidem non habebant Deut. 9.23 might first be sent to search the Land and to inform you concerning it and concerning the way wherein you must go up to take possession of it and what Cities you must first assault And I having inquired of the Lord concerning it Numb 13.3 and the Lord giving way to it or at least permitting it I was content with it and took twelve men one of a Tribe and they went up into the Mountain and came to the Valley of Eshcol And the Spies brought back some of the fruits of the Land namely Grapes Pomegranates and Figgs and said The Land was a very good Land But ye refused to go up and so rebelled against the Commandment of the Lord. And ye murmured in your Tents and said Because the Lord hated us he hath brought us forth out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites and to destroy us You further said Our Brethren whom we sent as Spies have discouraged us viz. all of them but Caleb and Joshua They tell us The people of that Land are greater and taller then we their Cities are great and walled up to Heaven moreover they tell us That the Sons of the Anakims those great Giants are there Then said I dread them not nor be afraid of them For the Lord your God goeth before you and will fight for you as he did in Egypt and as he hath hitherto done for you in the Wilderness there you have seen how the Lord by his Almighty Power hath born you as a Father takes up and carries his Child in his arms and hath born with your manners and perverseness as a tender Father doth with a froward Child Yet notwithstanding this incouragement you did not believe * This unbelief the Apostle notes to be the cause why they entred not into the Land of Promise Heb. 4.6 in the Lord your God who went before you to search out a place for you to pitch your Tents in in a Pillar of Cloud by day and a Pillar of Fire by night And the Lord was angry at your Murmurings and Vnbelief and sware there should not one of that evil Generation see that good Land Numb 14.23 save Caleb the Son of Jephunneh who followed the Lord fully and Joshua the Son of Nun Numb 14.6 30 38. And says he the Lord hath since that time at the other Kadesh been angry with me for your sakes For being moved with your Provocations I offended both in unadvised Speeches and distrust and thereupon the Lord said I should not go into the Land Numb 20.1 2 12. But Joshua who is continually about me to minister unto me He should go into it therefore
I am to incourage him for he shall cause Israel to inherit it Moreover the Lord said Your little Ones which ye said would be a Prey to the Amorites and which had then no knowledge between Good and Evil they shall go in thither and possess it But as for you the Lord said Turn you back again into the Wilderness into the way that leadeth towards the Red-Sea ye shall not go forward directly towards Canaan see Sect. 60. Then ye said We have sinned against the Lord we will go up and fight as the Lord hath commanded us And when ye had girded every man his Sword upon his thigh ye were ready to go up to the Hill to fight with your Enemies But the Lord forbad you to go up saying He would not be among you with his blessing and gracious assistance if ye did yet you would not hearken but went up presumptuously unto the Hill and the Amorites which dwelt in the Mountain came out against you and chased you as Bees * See Psal 118.12 use to do who being angred come out in great swarms against them that disturbe them and the Amorites killing many of you pursued the rest unto Hormah And when you repented and wept the Lord would not hearken to you And ye abode in the Wilderness of Kadesh many days as the number of the days you abode there doth sufficiently manifest For ye were made to wander near 38 years after this in the Wilderness from vers 19. to the end Chap. II 4. He then relates their march from Kadesh-Barnea and their compassing Mount Seir * Mons Seir i. e. Idumaea Idumaea dicitur mons quia Regio est Montosa many days and how they were forbidden to meddle with the Edomites Moabites or Ammonites He goes on with his Speech After this says he we turned into the Wilderness of Kadesh where after we had wandred a long time almost 38 years going forward and backward in that mountainous Country of Seir we returned by Gods Command Northward towards Canaan to pass between the Coasts of Edom on the one hand and of Moab and Ammon on the other and so we came to Sihon the Amorites Land And God commanded us seeing we were to pass by the borders and out-skirts of the Land of the Edomites and they would be afraid of us that we should not meddle with them †Though afterwards when their Posterity had filled up the measure of their sins they might be expelled out of their Possession see 1 Chron. 18.13 And this present Charge seems limited to those Edomites that lived about Mount Seir. For the Amalekites were the Children of Esau Gen. 36.12 and those God commanded them to destroy Exod. 17.14 for He would not give us any part of their Land no not so much as a foot-breadth He declared He had given Mount Seir to Esau for a Possession Joshua 24.4 Gen. 36.8 and at this time he would secure their Possession to them that we should not invade it But he said to us Ye shall buy meat of them for money that ye may eat * Hereby it is evident that the Israelites did not eat only Manna in the Wilderness but other meat also when it could be gotten and ye shall buy water of them for money that ye may drink For the Lord hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hands and prospered thee so that thou art able to pay for what thou hast occasion for The Lords eye hath been upon thee to take care of thee in all thy travels thorow this Wilderness and these forty years He hath been with thee and supplied thee thou hast lacked nothing therefore thou needest not seek to supply thy self in an unlawful way And says He when we had passed by as God had commanded us from our Brethren the Children of Esau who were unkind to us Numb 20.14 18. we turned and passed thorow the Wilderness of Moab then the Lord charged us we should not distress the Moabites nor contend with them in battel for He would not give us their Land having given the City Ar †Ar was a chief and Royal City of the Moabites and so it is here put for the whole County and the Country belonging to it to the Children of Lot for a Possession And he had driven out of it the Emims that tall and mighty people and of a Gigantick stature like the Anakims whom the Ammonites call Zamzummims vers 20. that is presumptuous wicked ones who dwelt there in time past and had given it to them and therefore it was not to be taken from them by the Israelites And the like He had done for the Children of Esau driving out the Horims by them out of Mount Seir that they might dwell in their Land And as the Edomites had done to the Horims so saith He hath Israel done to Sihon and Og whose Lands they have already taken as part of their possession which the Lord hath given them And thus the Caphtorims that is the Philistins see Gen. 10.14 destroyed the Auites the former Inhabitants of their Country vers 23. By all which you may understand that as God hath cast out great and warlike People out of several Countries and Places and given their Lands to others so He can and will do for you if ye will trust in him and obey him And further says He when we came to the Brook Zered see Numb 21.12 I exhorted you to go over and we passed over And the time we spent since we came from Kadesh-Barnea and in our marches from thence to the River Zered is 38 years In which time all that Generation of men that were fit for War who were numbred by Gods appointment Numb 1.3 from twenty years old and upward have been destroyed for their Murmurings and Disobedience as God had sworn Further says he when we came to the River Arnon I incouraged you to pass over telling you That God had given into your hands Sihon King of the Amorites and his Land therefore you should fight with him and gain it from him And to encourage you the more hereunto I told you That God would from that day forward put the fear and dread of you upon all the Nations that are under the whole Heaven unto whom the Report of what He hath done for you shall come And says he you know that before we made War upon Sihon I sent Messengers with words of peace to him see Deut. 20.10 desiring him that we might pass quietly thorow his Land promising that we would go directly along the High-way and not turn out of the Rode into the Fields or Vineyards to the right hand or to the left and that we would pay for the meat and water we had of him and his people and that we would ask nothing more of him but that we might pass thorow his Country on our feet and herein we desired no more of him than the Children of Esau and the Moabites
it is this day And it shall be that if thou do forget the Lord thy God and walk after other Gods and serve them and worship them I testifie against you this day that you shall surely perish because ye would not be obedient to the Voice of the Lord your God 13. He admonishes them to walk humbly with God laying aside all conceits of Chap. IX their own worth and righteousness To this end they should remember their many rebellions against God Hear O Israel says He thou art now shortly to pass over this Jordan to go in and possess the Lands of Nations greater and mightier than thy self whose Cities are great and fenced up to Heaven Ch. 1.28 and the people great and tall the Children of the Anakims of whom thou hast heard it spoken by way of Proverb Who can stand before the Children of Anak understand this therefore thou must not expect to Conquer these great and potent Nations by thy own strength or power but the Lord thy God will go over before thee as a consuming fire to destroy them before thy face and thou shalt drive out quickly and destroy those people whom thou shalt fight with immediately upon thy entrance into Canaan though all the Inhabitants of the Land shall not be quickly destroyed but by little and little see Deut. 7.22 And when thou hast by the miraculous power and assistance of God thus cast them out take heed of saying in thy heart for my Righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this good Land For know that not for thy righteousness or the uprightness of thy heart the Lord will do this but to punish the wickedness of the Inhabitants of the Land and that he may perform his Word which he sware unto thy Fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Remember thou art a stiff-necked people and didst highly provoke the Lord thy God in the Wilderness yea from the day you came out of Egypt even unto this place ye have in many things been rebellious against the Lord. Remember how in Horeb ye provoked the Lord your God so that he was ready to have destroyed you when I was gone up into the Mount to receive the Tables of Stone even the Tables of the Covenant which the Lord made with you I abode there 40 days and 40 nights and did neither eat bread nor drink water And the Lord delivered to me two Tables of Stone on which were written with his own Finger the ten Commandments word for word as he spake them from the Mount out of the midst of the fire on the day when ye assembled at the foot of the Mount to hear the Law from his mouth At the end of 40 days and 40 nights God gave me these two Tables and said unto me Arise get thee down quickly from hence for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them They have made unto themselves a molten Image Further the Lord said unto me I have seen this people that they are a stiff-necked people Let me alone that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under Heaven Intercede no more for them and I will make of thee a Nation mightier and greater than they Then I prayed unto the Lord for you that ye might not be destroyed Exod. 32.11 14. And I came down from the Mount with two Tables in my hands and the Mount burned with fire the terrour of which sight one would think might have kept you from Idolatry but I beheld and lo you had made you a molten Calf and I took the two Tables and cast them out of my hands and brake them before your eyes And I took your Sin that is the Calf wherein you had so hainously sinned Idolatrously worshipping it instead of the true God and burnt it with fire and stamped it and ground it very small even until it was as small as dust and I cast the dust thereof into the Brook that descended out of the Mount and made the people to drink thereof to make them loath and detest so great an abomination And I went up into the Mountain a second time and fasted 40 days and 40 nights more by reason of this great sin of the people and I fell down before the Lord as at first and interceeded for them being much afraid of the great anger which the Lord had conceived against them And I prayed unto the Lord and said O Lord God destroy not thy people and thine Inheritance which thou hast redeemed by thy great Power and brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand Remember thy Servants Abraham Isaac and Jacob look not unto the stubbornness of this people nor unto their wickedness nor to their sin Lest the Land whence thou broughtest us out say because the Lord was not able to bring them into the Land which he promised them and because he hated them he hath brought them out to slay them in the Wilderness Remember O Lord they are thy people and thine Inheritance which thou broughtest out of Egypt by thy mighty Power and by thy stretched-out Arm. The Lord was pleased to hearken unto me at that time also And the Lord was very angry with Aaron who made the Calf for them and was ready to have destroyed him but I interceded for him also and prevailed But though I insist chiefly on this sin at Horeb because it was a most transcendent and grievous Transgression yet alas many other Rebellions of yours I might reckon up as particularly at Taberah Numb 11.1 3. at Massah Exod. 17.7 at Kibroth-Hattaavah Numb 11.34 likewise at Kadesh-Barnea when the Lord commanded you to go and take possession of the Land that He had given you you would first send Spies to search the Land and ten of them discouraged you from entring into it Whereupon you rebelled against the Lord your God and believed him not nor hearkned to his Voice see Numb Ch. 13. Ch. 14. You have been a rebellious people all along since I had the Charge and Government of you Chap. X 14. Having mentioned their many Rebellions he comes now to shew them Gods great Kindness to them notwithstanding and especially in renewing the two Tables of the Law In leading them on towards Canaan in continuing the Priesthood in separating the Tribe of Levi and in hearkening unto his Prayer not to destroy them He further tells them How upon his earnest intercession for them the Lord was pleased to be reconciled to them and this he proves to them by several instances As 1. That the Lord gave him charge to hew out two new Tables of Stone (p) Herein they differed from the first Tables which were the work of God Exod. 32.16 and to come up with them into the Mount and He would write on them the words of the first Tables which he had broken and He commanded him also to make an Ark or
it and prolong your days in it And further to press them to Obedience He tells them The Land they were going to possess was not like the Land of Egypt whence they came out which having but little rain Zach. 14.18 and being watered with the overflowing of Nilus occasioned the people to put their feet to the Spade to dig Trenches and Channels to derive water to their grounds when they had sown their Seed to which the overflowing of Nilus did not reach so that they took pains to water them as if a man should water a Garden of Herbs But they were going to a Land which was continually watered with rain from Heaven a Land of Hills and Vallies commodious healthful and fruitful and a Land not watered as Egypt by the art and industry of men but by the special Care and Providence of God whose eyes are upon it all the year long to send rain at all times when it needeth it And when they came into that good Land if they would be obedient unto God He * V. 14 15. Moses having hitherto spoken to the people in his own name here he speaks to them as in the person of God would give them rain in due season the (s) Sub quibus extremis omnis pluvia opportuna comprehenditur first rain after the sowing of their Seed to bring it out of the ground and the latter a little before Harvest for the plumping and ripening of the Corn and He will send grass in the Field for the Cattel that so they may have plenty and abundance Take heed therefore says he to your selves that your hearts be not deceived and that ye turn not aside and serve other gods and worship them and so the Lords wrath be kindled against you and he shut up the Heavens that there be no rain and make the Land not to yield her fruit and so you may perish quickly through scarcity from off the good Land which the Lord hath given you Further he exhorts them to lay up these his words in their hearts and to bind them as a sign upon their hands and set them as frontlets between their eyes to write them upon the door-posts of their Houses and upon their Gates (t) See particular 10. and Ch. 6.8 that is to use all due means to keep them in continual remembrance and to teach them diligently to their Children speaking of them when they sit in their house and when they walk by the way when they lie down and when they rise up that so their days and the days of their Children may be multiplied as the days of Heaven upon the Earth that is that they and their Posterity may continue in that good Land as long as the Heavens shall continue in their place over the Earth namely as long as the world shall last (u) Had not the Jews provoked God by their Disobedience to cast them out of that good land this Promise should have been made good to them And from this Promise some conceive and hope that upon the Repentance of the Jews and their embracing of Christ they shall be again re-established in this Land and therein continue with great glory to the end of the world see Psal 89.29 He tells them if they shall diligently keep the Commandments of the Lord and walk in his ways and cleave unto him then will He drive out all these Nations before them and they shall possess the Lands of greater and mightier Nations than themselves Every place within the compass of the promised Land whereon the soles of their feet shall tread shall be theirs from the Wilderness of Paran the Southern border unto Lebanon the Northern from the River Euphrates the Eastern to the outermost Sea or main Ocean the Western bound of the Inheritance promised them (x) See this Promise fulfilled 2 Chron. 9.26 in Solomon's Reign There shall none be able to stand before them for the Lord will put the fear and dread of them upon all the Inhabitants of the Land they shall tread upon as He hath promised Further he tells them He sets before them this day a Blessing and a Curse that is He shews them what are the Promises of God to them on the one hand if they will be Obedient and what are his Threatnings on the other hand in case they be Disobedient and follow after other gods which were Strangers to them and of whose god-head they never had any proof or experience And by shewing them both the one and the other he instructs them in the Choice which they should make Moreover he gives them in Charge that when they came into Canaan they should cause the blessings which the Lord had promised to them that keep his Laws to be pronounced on Mount Gerizim * Two Hills near together in the Tribe of Ephraim and the Curses which He had threatned against the Disobedient to be pronounced on (y) This is afterwards injoyn'd again Deut. 27.12 c. where 't is more fully express'd how it was to be done and Josh 8.33 how it was accordingly done And it seems from this Commandment given to Moses concerning Mount Gerizim the Samaritans many Ages after took occasion to build a Temple there as taking that Hill to be a blessed place compare Joh. 4.3 20. with Judg. 9.7 2 Macc. 6.2 Mount Ebal and so should make these two Mountains to be as it were continual Remembrancers to the people that when they see Mount Gerizim they may think of the Blessings set before them and when they see Mount Ebal may think of the Curses Those two Mountains he tells them are on the other side Jordan West-ward near unto Shechem see Gen. 12.6 7. 17. Having spoken so much by way of explanation of the First Commandment Chap. XII He comes now to expound and dilate upon the Second Second Commandment exhorting them to abolish all false Worship and all Monuments of Idolatry and to apply themselves to worship God only according to his own Will In order hereunto he informs them of some particular Statutes and Judgments which the Lord requir'd them to observe when they came into the Land of Canaan 1. They must utterly destroy all places wherein the Nations whose Lands they should possess served their Idol-gods viz. all places reared up and fitted for Idol-Temples and all places they used for their Idolatrous Worship either upon high Mountains and Hills or under green Trees and this was injoyn'd them to shew how God detested Idolatry and to prevent the Israelites from being tempted to worship Him in those places Further he tells them They must overthrow their Altars and break their Pillars or standing Statues and burn their Groves and hew down their Images and destroy their very Names and memory out of the Land Ye must remember says he that ye must not so serve the Lord your God as the Heathens served their gods who practic'd their Idolatry in all places where they lived
but you shall come to the place (z) Now these places were first Shilo Josh 18.8 where the Ark continued to the days of Samuel viz. 243 years Then Nob 1 Sam. 21.6 lastly Jerusalem which the Lord your God shall chuse out of all your Tribes namely the place where the Ark of the Covenant by his appointment shall rest where he will manifest the signs of his powerful Presence and will make known his Name that is his Glory to you which place shall be called by his Name viz. the House of God and shall be consecrated to his Worship and Service And ye shall come to this His Habitation or Dwelling-place (a) The reasons why the Lord appointed his people to offer Sacrifices in one place only were 1. Because he would teach them that there was but one only way to obtain pardon for their Sins and acceptance of any Service they performed unto God and that was by Christ their promised Messias of whom the Tabernacle and Temple was a Type 2. Because hereby they might be kept to an uniform way of Worshipping God that corruptions in his Worship might be prevented whereinto they might easily fall had they been allowed to offer their Sacrifices some in one place and some in another For this cause it was that the Kings of Judah were so often blamed because they did not remove the high-places but suffered the people to Sacrifice there to serve Him and ask Counsel of Him And hither ye shall bring your Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices as Sin-Offerings Trespass-Offerings c. and your Tythes viz. your second Tythes the Tythe (b) For â—hat or the money for which they sold it they were to carry up yearly to Jerusalem and therewith to keep a holy Feast before the Lord see Ch. 14. vers 22 27. of that which remained after the first Tythe was paid to the Levites see Deut. 14.23 see also vers 17. of this Chapter and the Heave-Offerings of your hands that is the several first-fruits which you are to bring in your hands and heave them before the Lord and then leave them to the Priests for their portion and your Vows or Free-will-Offerings that is all such Sacrifices and Offerings as you shall extraordinarily bring either upon some Vow you have made or freely and on your own accord and the firstlings of your Herds and Flocks see Numb 18.17 18. And when you have carried your Sacrifices and Offerings to the place the Lord shall chuse there shall you and your Housholds (c) Though the Males only were bound thrice a year to appear before the Lord Exod. 23.17 yet at these times the Masters of Families were wont of their own accord to carry their Wives Daughters and Maid-Servants with them as Elkanah did 1 Sam. 1.4 Feast with your holy things and rejoyce before the Lord praising of him and ye shall rejoyce in all the good things which you have gotten through the Lords blessing upon your labours Furthermore you must know That God will be served after a more exact manner when you come into Canaan than you serve him now For now many Sacrifices Rites and Feasts cannot be observed by reason of your unsetled state so that every man does in a manner what seems right in his own eyes but when you come to be setled in the Land of Canaan you must not think to do thus For ye are not yet come to the place of Rest and the Inheritance which the Lord your God intendeth to give you But when the Lord hath brought you thither and hath given you rest from all your Enemies round about then there shall be a Place which the Lord will chuse and shall be call'd his House or dwelling-Dwelling-Place the place where he will manifest his Name * Nomen quod implorant illic orantes Tum si qui sint alibi praecati mentem tamen huc atque oculos oportebat inflectere 1 Reg. 8.29 44. and Glory and thither shall ye bring all your Sacrifices and Oblations and your choice things that you freely vowed to offer unto the Lord. And ye shall rejoyce before the Lord your God ye and your Sons and Daughters your Men-Servants and Maid-Servants and ye shall make the Levite that dwells within your Cities or Habitations to rejoyce also in the participation of the Offerings forasmuch as he hath no part nor Inheritance with you in the Land but must live upon what is offered to the Lord as he hath appointed see Ch. 10.9 Take heed therefore of offering your Burnt-Offerings Sacrifices and Oblations in any other place than that which God shall chuse But in your own private dwellings you may kill and eat of those kinds of Beasts which are appointed for Sacrifice as freely as of the Roe-buck and Hart which are not to be sacrificed yet allowed to your Table Neither shall there be any difference of persons observed in those private meals in respect of legal cleanness or pollution but all may partake of any of them according as through the Lords blessing they can provide for themselves Only ye shall not eat the blood †This restraint possibly was laid upon them to make them the more fearful of shedding mans blood ye shall pour it upon the Earth as water and cover it with dust Levit. 17.13 Further he shews them That they may not eat within their Gates the Tythe (d) Non sunt hic intelligendae decimae Levitis Sacerdotibus debitae sed aliae quas post solutas decimas ordinarias solvâ—bant Deut. 14.22 23. Ex illis instituebant â—pulas Fridlib of their Corn or Wine or Oil that is the second Tythe of those things the first being paid to the Levites nor the firstlings (e) Quae deo osterre debueris vel volueris ad locum constitutum deferas vel ea vel pecuniam qua ea commutaveris of their Herds and Flocks by which he means not those firstlings spoken of Numb 18.17 18. which as holy things consecrated to God were allotted for the Priests portion but either the Female firstlings the Male-firstlings being only challenged by the Lord as his own Exod. 13.12 or the First-born after those first which were given to the Lord which indeed were the first that were the owners own or the chief and best of their Lambs Kids and Calves call'd here the Firstlings by way of excellency Nor any of their vowed or free-will-Offerings or Heave-Offerings but must eat them before the Lord in the place which he shall chuse they and their Housholds and the Levite together and there they should rejoyce in all that the Lord allows them to put their hand to and to eat and partake of Further he cautions them to take heed of forsaking the Levite by withholding their Offerings and Oblations (f) Decimarum varia erant gen ra 1. Decima Levitica quae tota Levitis cedebat 2. Decima secundaria quae post primam separabatur absumenda in his
and therefore they should not hold Communion with Idolaters nor conform themselves to them in their Rites and Vsages Ye are the Children of God says he he hath chosen you to Himself for his peculiar people above all the Nations of the Earth therefore you shall not as the Heathens do cut themselves or make any incision in your flesh at the death of any of your dearest Friends Levit. 19.28 nor make any baldness between your eyes nor mourn so inordinately as they do who have no hope of a blessed Resurrection or eternal life These customs God forbids them to take up not only because they were the desperate effects of immoderate mourning but also because they were the customs of Idolaters and He would not have his people to conform themselves to them in these things lest they should from thence grow to a conformity to them in their Idolatrous worshipping of false gods In the next place he shews them That they may not eat any abominable thing namely such as God hath forbidden them And therefore here he sets down what may and what may not be eaten of Beasts of Fowls of Fishes of all which see Sect. 33. and Levit. 11. If any clean Creature died of it self it might be sold to or eaten by a stranger but not by themselves which restraints were to mind them of the difference God put between them and other Nations and the especial purity he required of them above other people Further he tells them They shall not seethe a * Id est cum matre lactante q. d. satis tibi sit comedere haedum abstine a matre Hoc enim prae se fâ—rt crudelitatem quandam Sic praecepit pullas avium comprehendere in nido matre dimissa Deut. 22.6 Kid in its Mothers milk that is they shall not be cruel as to seethe a Kid in that milk of its Dam which was given it for its nourishment see Sect. 17. of Ch. 4. Further he injoyns them to tythe all the increase of their Seed that the Field bringeth forth year by year and that not only the first tythe which they were to pay yearly to the Levites in the several places of their Habitations Numb 18.24 but the second Tythe taken after that which they should spend in holy Feastings before the Lord in the place which he shall chuse together with the firstlings of their Herds and Flocks that is either the Female-firstlings or the first-born after the Male-firstlings were paid to the Priest see Ch. 12.17 And the reason he gives why they should go up to the place the Lord had chosen and there feast together with these their holy things is that they might learn to fear the Lord their God always because the presenting themselves thus yearly before the Lord with their Sacrifices and Offerings must needs be of it self a good means to keep their hearts in a continual awe and reverence of God and at that holy place and in those holy Convocations the Priests were to instruct them in the Law and the Promises concerning the Messiah and in their Sacrifices they might behold a shadow of their Redemption by him all which must needs conduce to teach them the fear of the Lord. But in case they dwelt very far from the House of the Lord and their Tythes and Firstlings were so many that they could not well carry them so far then they might sell those things and carry the money with them and buy †Praetextu Legis hujus irrepsit improba consâ—etudo Joh. 2.14 therewith what they were to use there namely Oxen or Sheep or Wine or strong Drink or what else they desired to make a chearful Feast that they might rejoyce together before the Lord. And says he remember that thou forsake not nor neglect the Levite that is not only pay him the first Tythes but communicate to him also of these second Tythes that he may be sufficiently provided to eat and drink and rejoyce before the Lord as well as thy self seeing he is to have no Land of Inheritance among you to supply this unto him And every third year after the Sabbatical when the Land is to rest and so in the sixth year after that thou shalt bring forth all * Da decimas ut ditescas proverbium Judaeorum the Tythe of thy increase that year that is separate a third Tythe (i) So that every third year they separated three several Tythes The first was the Levites yearly livelihood The second they carried up with them to Jerusalem therewith to feast before the Lord. The third was laid up for the Poor which shall be laid up in some publick place in the Towns and Cities where they dwelt and that not only for the Levite but also for the Stranger the Fatherless and Widow Deut. 26.12 that they may eat and be satisfied And in so doing they might expect the Lord would please to bless them and prosper the works of their hands Chap. XV He amplifies and inlarges upon the Fourth Commandment dilating upon the Rites and Observances requir'd in the seventh or Sabbatical year At the end of every seventh year reckoning inchoative from the Sabbatical year says he thou shalt make a release that is every Creditor that lendeth ought unto his Neighbour shall release it He shall not exact it of his Neighbour or his Brother that is of any Israelite whatsoever because the Lord hath ordained it to be a year of Release But of a Foreigner or Heathen not proselyted thou mayst require what is thine with him And the end why ye shall so release is this that there may not be through your exacting debts of your Brethren any of them brought to extream poverty And if in this and other things they were obedient to Gods Laws He tells them God would so abundantly bless them that they should be well able to forbear the exacting of their debts and it should be no prejudice at all to them He would so bless them that they should have enough to lend (k) See Deut. 28.12 to many Nations and should not need to borrow of them and as otherways so particularly in lending to them says he thou shalt reign over them for the Borrower is Servant to the Lender Prov. 22.7 but they shall not reign over thee If there be a poor man of thy Brethren within any of thy Gates thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thy hand from him but shalt open it wide unto him and shalt lend him sufficient for his need Beware therefore lest there be such a wicked thought in thine heart saying The seventh year the year of Release is at hand and thy eye be evil against thy poor Brother so that thou lookest doggedly upon him and givest him naught and he Cry unto the Lord against thee and it be sin unto thee that is a great sin for which thou shalt be punished No on the contrary thou shalt surely give him * See Esay
58.10 11. and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him and for this thing the Lord shall bless thee in all thy Works and in all that thou puttest thy hand unto For the Poor shall never cease out of the Land (l) Mark 14.7 Matth. 26.11 Joh. 12.8 for God will suffer it so to be to make trial of the Charity and Compassion of the Rich towards them therefore the Lord commands thee to open thy hand wide unto thy poor and needy Brother And if an Hebrew-man or woman be sold unto thee and serve thee six years from the year of Release in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free and thou shalt not let him go away empty but shalt furnish him liberally out of thy Flock and out of thy Floor and out of thy Wine-presses and with such things as the Lord hath blessed thee with And to make thee the more willing hereunto thou shalt remember that thou thy self wast once a Bondman in Egypt and the Lord thy God graciously redeemed thee out of that miserable Servitude and did not send thee away empty and therefore 't is fit thou shouldst imitate the Mercy and Compassion of God which he manifested towards thy self But if this Servant shall say unto thee I am not willing to go away from my Master for I love him and his house and it is well with me see Exod. 21.6 then thou shalt take an awle and thrust it through his Ear and fasten it unto the door and this shall be a signification that he yieldeth himself to be a perpetual Servant in thy house all the days of his life And to thy Maid-Servant * Some think that her Ear was to be bored for a perpetual Servant if she refused to go out at the six years end that is an Israelite and sold unto thee thou shalt do likewise setting her free at the six years end and shalt furnish her liberally at her going from thee And he tells them That this kind usage which they were injoyn'd to use to a Servant that was sold to them and had served them six years ought not to seem a hard Injunction because such an one had been worth to them double (m) Among us the Service of an Apprentice is counted more profitable than that of an hired Servant to what an hired Servant was For hired Servants had great wages besides meat and drink which Servants that were sold to them had not from 1. to 19. Having given them these Laws concerning the poor and the Israelitish Servants he now reinforceth a Law which concerned the relief of the Priests that served the Lord and his people He injoyns them to sanctifie unto the Lord that is to set apart for his use the firstling-Males that came of their Herd and Flocks see Deut. 12.6 The ground of this Law was because God smote all the first-born of Egypt from man to beast but spared the Israelites Thou shalt therefore says he do no work with the firstling of thy Bullock nor shear the firstling of thy Sheep because these Beasts were the Lords they were not to use them as their own for their own profit or service These being the Priests they were to eat them they and their Housholds year by year in the place that God shall chuse to put his Name and place his Sanctuary there But if any of these firstlings be lame or blind or otherwise blemished they were not to sacrifice them to the Lord see Levit. 22.19 but in such a case the Priests * V. 20. Is not spoken to the Owner but to the Priest to whom God gave all the firstlings of Israel Numb 1.15 17 18. may eat them in any of their ordinary Habitations as freely as any ordinary meat the unclean and the clean may eat of them together Only the blood they must not eat but must pour it out as water upon the ground Chap. XVI He comes now to give them several Ordinances concerning the three solemn Feasts and the several Offerings to be then offered And first he charges them to observe the month Abib (n) When the Barley-Harvest began to be ripe and the first Ears were to be offered on the second day of the Feast of unleavened-bread Levit. 23.10 viz. on the 16th day of that month answering to part of our March and part of our April and the Feast * All which Festival time is call'd the Passover and so Joh. 18.28 of the Passover then to be celebrated for in that month God brought them out of Egypt by night (o) Noctu surgebant occisis media nocte primogenitis profectionem anspicabantur licet Egypto non exierint ante diem Vide Exod. 12.29 30 41 42. and after they had eaten the Paschal-Lamb they were to keep a Feast for seven days with other Sacrifices of the Flock and Herd such as are appointed Numb 28.18 c. and this they were to do in the place (p) Id est In loco Tabernaculi aut Templi ubi stabiliter coli invocari voluit which the Lord should choose to place his Name there and no where else And for these seven days they were to eat only unleavened-bread the bread of affliction viz. which should be a Memorial to them of their great affliction in Egypt this being usually the bread of those that lived in affliction and poverty not being toothsome or pleasant to the Palat or tast and of their hasty coming out from thence before their bread had time to be leavened Exod. 12.15 During this Feast they were not to have any leaven in their houses They were to kill the Passover that is the Paschal-Lamb at the even of the fourteenth day of this month at the going down of the Sun at the time they were preparing to come out of Egypt (q) V. 6. Egresti sunt i. e. inchoativè quia vespere egressum praeparabant and that only at the place which the Lord should chuse as he did Jerusalem * There in any private house they might kill and eat the Passover Matth. 26.18 only their Sacrifices that they offered at that Feast might only be offered in the Temple afterwards and they were not to reserve any part of the flesh of it till the morning And the morrow after this Feast which was to continue seven days was ended they might depart to their several dwellings Yet they were to observe that the last day of the seven was to be an holy Convocation to the Lord wherein they were not to do any servile or unnecessary work Ch. 16. from vers 1. to 9. 2ly He comes now to speak of the Feast of Weeks * Call'd the Feast of Weeks because it was seven weeks after the bringing of the sheaf at the Passover and it was on the fiftieth day after and so call'd Pentecost Acts 2.1 The Moral Law was given at this time of the year see Sect. 13. of Ch. 4. Exod. 23.16
or Pentecost see Levit. 23.10 15. which was to be reckoned from the second day of the Feast of unleavened-bread see note a and from thence they were to reckon seven compleat Sabbaths or Weeks which made 49 days then on the morrow after the seventh Sabbath or Week which was the fiftieth day reckoning the day on which they began their account inclusively they were to keep the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost This Feast they were to keep unto the Lord with the Tribute of a free-will-Offering of their Fruits according as the Lord had blessed them over and above the Sacrifices appointed for the day Levit. 23.17 20. and with those they were to rejoyce together before the Lord in chearful feasting they and their Families and the Levite Stranger Widow and Fatherless in the place which the Lord should chuse remembring how their Fathers were Bondmen in Egypt and how wonderfully God had delivered them from thence from vers 9. to 13. Next he comes to the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths made with the boughs of Trees Levit. 23.34 40. which they were to observe seven days after they had gathered in their Corn and the fruit of their Vines and this Feast they were to Celebrate not only with inward joy but with the outward expressions thereof viz. by Sacrifices of Thanksgiving unto the Lord with sober and religious feasting of the Poor and the Levites the Stranger and the Widow rejoycing before the Lord in contemplation that he had so eminently blessed their increase Three times a year viz. at these three solemn Feasts He tells them All the Males shall appear before the Lord in the place which he shall choose and they must not appear before Him empty but every one must come with such a Gift and Oblation as he was able and willing to give from vers 13. to 18. He comes now to shew them That they must appoint Judges to sit in the Gates the usual places of Judicature in all their Towns and Cities who must judge the people with just Judgment and not wrest or pervert Judgment nor partially respect Persons in Judgment nor take Bribes For a Gift blindeth the eyes of the wise that is of those that seemed so to be making them judge otherwise than they ought to do being byassed by the love of lucre and maketh those that should be righteous in Judgment to pass a perverse Sentence But it must not be so with their Judges but they must follow that which is altogether just that they may live and inherit the Land which the Lord shall give them Further he tells them They must not plant Groves * Notwithstanding the Israelites corrupted themselves herein several times as Judg. 3.7 6.25 1 Kings 14.15 23. and there were Prophets of the Groves 1 Kings 18.19 They planted Groves placed Idols in them served them as the Canaanites and other Heathens did Deut. 12.2 Thus it was in the times of the Judges Ch. 3.7 In the times of the Kings of Israel throughout 2 Kings 17.16 This was in them gross Idolatry Yet the Patriarchs did formerly worship God in Groves and that without sin near to the Altar or Temple which might seem in sanctity to vie with them and be an occasion of Idolatry and would be an imitation of the Heathens who us'd to have their Idols in Groves (r) V. 21. Non plantabis lucum Ne in ritibus colendi veri Dei Idolatras imitari videamini Illis enim familiare erat in lâ—cis Sacra sua mixime obscaena peragere Eadem de causa vetat ne constituant sibi statuam qum instar Idoli more gentilitio colant Jans And further that they should not set up any Image or Statue to Worship as the Heathen did which thing the Lord hateth from vers 18. to the end He now comes to shew them that the things sacrificed to the Lord must be without Chap. XVII blemish Thou shalt not says he sacrifice to the Lord thy God any Bullock or Sheep wherein is any blemish or any ill-favouredness for that is an abomination to the Lord see Levit. 22.20 21. Deut. 15.21 He shews that if any among them were found guilty of Idolatry in that they had worshipped the Sun or Moon or any of the Host of Heaven and consequently any other Creature they must be ston'd to death whether it were Man or Woman because they had wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord and transgressed his Covenant whereby they had bound themselves in Obedience unto God and did openly as it were renounce God and the true Religion and chuse unto themselves other gods If he be convicted by the testimony of two or more credible Witnesses one not being sufficient the Witnesses shall throw the first stones at him which was to make them more afraid to bear false witness and to bring the guilt of innocent blood on their own heads and then the rest of the people assembled were to have a hand in the execution of him hereby to inure them to be fervent and zealous in Gods Cause against all those that should despise and disregard his Laws and so they should put away evil from among them He further shews them That when in their Towns or Cities any difficult matter did arise as in the case of bloodshed it being doubtful whether it were to be reckoned Murder or only Chance-medly or concerning any plea about their Estates or any stroke given or any thing of the like nature in that case they were to go to the place which God should chuse which in the after-times was Jerusalem and there resort to the Priests as Expounders of the Law and to the Judge or Judges as the civil Magistrates who were to shew them the Sentence of Judgment that is what is just and right in this matter that so the thing in question might be decided see 2 Chron. 19.8 9 10. and they were to do according to the Sentence which the Priests and Judges should give because in cases of greater difficulty the Priests were to inquire of the Lord that they might not give wrong Judgment And death was to be inflicted on him that would not hearken to the Priest so expounding the Law or the Judge passing Sentence according to it especially if he stubbornly and presumptuosly opposed their Judgment though they proved it never so clearly out of the Law and the Priest had inquired of the Lord about it And all the people shall hear and fear and do no more presumptuously Further when they were come into Canaan and should desire to have a King over them like other Nations he prescribes certain Laws and Rules to them concerning their electing of him and His duty And first he injoyns that they set only such an one to be King over them who is one of their Brethren and Nation an Israelite not a Stranger lest he change their Religion into Idolatry and so bring them into Sin and Slavery and only such an
* See Prov. 22.28 Hos 5.10 V. 14. Non transferes terminos i. e. lapides vel alia signa quae fixa fuerint ad distinguendos agros tuos ab agris proximi hoc enim genus furti infame quod difficulter convinci potest see Deut. 27.17 which would be a piece of great injustice and might occasion quarrels about the bounds of their Lands and Possessions Next he declares That the testimony of a single man rising up as a witness against another shall not be admitted as sufficient to prove the Crime laid to his Charge and to cause him to be condemned for it But by the testimony of two or three witnesses matters shall be established setled confirmed and stand good see Joh. 8.17 And in case two or more witnesses did rise up against a man and only one of them spake home as to the proof of that whereof he was accused if here the party accused did alledge that this man bare false witness against him then both these men between whom the Controversie is shall stand before the Lord that is shall be brought to the place which the Lord shall choose and shall be set before the Ark or Sanctuary and there the witness shall be examined as in the presence of God and possibly if they could not find out the matter by examination then the Priest was to inquire of the Lord according to that 1 Kings 8.31 32. And if the Judges find that the man hath testified falsly against his Brother then they shall do unto him as he thought to have done to his Brother that is the civil Magistrate (f) Indeed the Pharisees in Christ's time expounded this of private revenge viz. that a private person might take life for life eye for eye tooth for tooth c. this is that which our Saviour condemns Matth. 5.38 39. shall without tenderness or pity inflict such punishment on him as should have been inflicted on the party accused had he been found guilty according to that Law Exod. 21.23 And so they should put away evil from among them and those which remain should hear and fear and should no more commit any such abominable thing Chap. XX In the next place he comes to give them directions concerning War and how it should be managed 1. The Priests * Ordinarily some of the Priests went along with the Army with the holy Trumphets to animate them to the battel see Numb 10.9 31.6 should encourage the people when they drew nigh to battel with their Enemies exhorting them not to be afraid though they were more than they And they should say to them Hear O Israel you approach this day unto battel against your Enemies Let not your hearts faint fear not neither be ye terrified because of them For the Lord your God is with you and goeth forth with you to fight for you against your Enemies and to save you 2ly The Officers should proclaim to the people before the battel That if there were any man there that had built a new house and had not dedicated (g) Dedicari res dicitur quando cum solenni aliquo ritu vel convivio usus inchoatur Menoch See Title of Psalm 30. and Neh. 12.27 it or initiated it that is taken possession of it and begun to use it and dwell in it which was to be done with praying singing Psalms and feasting he might go home if he would (h) Ratio hujus legis 1. Ne quis otiosus fruatur alienis laboribus 2. Ne desiderio eorum remissius agerent in praelio sibique parrentes vel etiam fugam capessentes aliis scandalo essent damno God in this and the two next particulars manifesting a special Compassion that men should not suddainly be taken off from those Comforts which they had long laboured for even when they were first entring upon the fruition of them that being threatned as a Curse Ch. 28.30 Thou shalt build an house and shalt not dwell therein Or if any man had planted a Vineyard (i) They might not in the Land of Canaan eat of any Trees they had planted till they had consecrated the fourth years fruit unto the Lord. The fruit of the first three years was lost as uncircumcised The fourth years fruit was holy to be given to God and then the fruit of the fifth year was free for the Owner and others to eat Levit. 19.23 c. and it was not yet made common that is such as himself and others might freely eat of which he could not do by the Law till the fifth year from the planting of it he might also return to his house lest he should die in the battel and another injoy his Vineyard Or if any man had betrothed a Wife * The ancient custom was to have some time interposed between betrothing and marriage see Deut. 22.23 Matth. 1.18 whither Maid or Widow and had not yet taken her to himself he might have liberty to go home also and take her to wife And lastly If any were fearful and faint-hearted they might also depart if they would lest by their fear and faint-heartedness they should infect their Brethren also God hereby testifying how much he disliked a timerous fearful spirit in those that serve Him whom he would have by faith to trust in him and to rest secure of his Protection see Judg. 7.3 The Officers having proclaimed these things they were then to order the battel and appoint every Captain in his place to lead the several Companies of Souldiers from 1. to 10. Further he injoyns them that when they went to besiege any City out of the Land of Canaan they should first proclaim peace (k) See Richardson's Notes on vers 10. to it And if it did accept of the conditions of peace proffered to them then they should spare that City and only make them Tributary to them But if they refused the Conditions of peace tendred to them then if God delivered them into their hands they should kill every Male they found there but the Women little Ones and Cattel and all the Spoil of the City they should take unto themselves and so they should eat and injoy the Spoil of their Enemies which the Lord had given them But when they went to besiege any of the Cities of the seven Nations * Unto which the Hebrews add from Deut. 25.19 the Amalekites in the Land of Canaan see Ch. 7.1.2 which God had commanded them to destroy then they were not to spare Man Woman or Child lest being left alive they should teach them to do after their abominations which they had practised towards their gods and so occasion them to sin against the Lord. Further he injoyns them that when they besieged a City they should not cut down the Fruit-Trees that grow about it for their use in the siege except upon unavoidable necessity because those are very useful for mans food and with these the Land could not be
pollute it more if they should die upon it and were therefore to be trussed up in the Air as not fit to be among men that others might look upon them as Spectacles of Gods Indignation and Curse because of the wickedness they had committed which was not so legible and apparent in other kinds of death And therefore they were to bury them that were hanged that very day that the Land might not be defiled which otherwise it might be by such a monument of Gods Curse remaining so visibly upon it And the burial was to abolish the Curse from appearing in the Lords Land from vers 22. to the end He now prescribes love and faithfulness in one Neighbour towards another which Chap. XXII they were to testifie in these or the like cases When thou seest saith he thy Brothers Ox * Hinc nostra Lex de proclamandis ut vocant pecudibus erraticis or his Sheep go astray thou shalt not demean thy self as not concerned or as if thou hadst not seen them yea though he be thine Enemy Exod. 23.4 but shalt bring them again to him And if the Owner dwell afar off or be altogether unknown to thee then thou shalt drive the Cattel home to thine own house and keep them there till the Owner doth seek them and then thou shalt restore them And thus they were to do by any thing else of their Brothers that was lost whither Rayment or any such thing they were not to conceal it but restore it And so if they saw their Brothers Ox or Asse fall by the way they were not to refrain from helping him up again vers 1 2 3 4. Further he injoyns that the difference of Apparel to distinguish the Sexes should be constantly observed * This Precept concerneth natural honesty and seemliness which hath a perpetual equity in it and it is injoyned to prevent many evils which might arise if men and women were clad alike and never altered except in case of necessity and to avoid some present and suddain mischief The woman sayes he shall not wear that which appertaineth to a man nor a man put on a womans Garment for all that do so are abomination to the Lord vers 5. In the next place he injoyns them that when they find a Birds-nest they should not destroy the Dam with her young ones or with her Eggs in breeding-time but should let the Dam go taking only the young ones because she might ere long have other young ones and so might still continue the store of Birds for the good of men This Law might intimate unto them how well pleasing it was unto God that his people should be merciful and pitiful and in so doing it should be well with them and they should prolong their days vers 6 7. Furthermore the houses of the Israelites being usually built flat on the tops on which they used to walk and recreate themselves and sometimes to pray see Acts 10.9 they are here injoyned to make battlements round about their house tops to prevent the casual falling of any from thence and so to prevent all occasions of bloodshed and other evils that might redound to their Brethren through their default vers 8. In the next place he tells them they must not sow their Vineyards with divers Seeds * Agrum vintae non seres alio aliquo semine ut oriatur mixtura quaedam ex jacto semine vitibus that is with Seeds different and divers from that of the Vine see Levit. 19.19 for that is the way to have the Seeds and consequently the Fruits to be mixed and not pure and so defiled and rendred unfit to be offered to the Lord in the first-fruits or otherwise vers 9. Further they must not plow with an Ox and an Asse together †God hereby seemeth to intimate how simple and sincere he would have the state of the Church to be God would not have his Church mixed with profane and unbelievers He seems also hereby to warn them against mixtures in Religion and Manners with other Nations the one being a clean Creature the other unclean hereby God seems to intimate that ye would not indure the unequal yoking of his people with Infidels see 2 Cor. 6.14 vers 10. Further they must not wear a Garment of divers sorts * See Levit. 19.19 as of Woollen and Linnen together This Law seems also to be figurative and to intimate to them what simplicity and sincerity God requir'd in them that were his peculiar people vers 11. In the next place he injoyns them to make Fringes upon the four quarters of their Vestures and Garments The end of those Fringes was to put them in mind of the Commandments of God see Numb 15.38 39. and that they might remember by looking on them that they were Gods peculiar people and by these Fringes distinguished in their habits from other Nations vers 12. He comes next to shew how that man shall be dealt with that slandereth his wife pretending he found her not a Virgin when he married her In that case the Parents of the Damsel shall produce the Cloth containing the Tokens of her Virginity and attested by good witnesses to be so as the Hebrews say which they carefully kept for their own honour and the honour of their Daughter Then the Elders of the City shall Chastise that man and amerce him at an hundred Shekels of silver to be paid to the Father of the Damsel because he hath defamed her and she shall continue to be his wife all her life He shall not send her away by a Bill of Divorce as other men were permitted to do Deut. 24.1 But if she be guilty and no Tokens of her Virginity were found when he married her then she shall be stoned before the dâ—or of her Fathers house because she hath wrought folly in Israel and hath play'd the whore in her Fathers house So says He shall ye put away evil from among you from vers 13. to 22. Next he injoyns That Adultery both in man and woman shall be punished with death see Levit. 20.10 vers 22. Or if a man lie with a Damsel in the City betrothed to another man they shall both be stoned to death she because she cryed out not He because he hath humbled his Neighbours wife For so she is to be reckoned after betrothing which was done by mutual promise in the presence of witnesses before marriage Matth. 1.18 But if a man find a betrothed Damsel in the field and force her and she Cry out then the man only shall die If an unmarried man find a Damsel that is a Virgin which is not betrothed and lay hold on her and lie with her and this be discovered then the man that lay with her shall give to the Damsels Father fifty Shekels of silver and she shall be his wife because he hath humbled her He may not put her away all his days from vers 22. to 28.
vers 11 12. 15ly He forbids all fraud in buying and selling and commands that they should not have divers Weights and Measures to wit great ones to buy with and small ones to sell with or great ones to shew to the Officers when they come to view and try their Weights and Measures and less to sell their Wares by They are commanded to do just things that so their days may be lengthened in the Land which the Lord giveth them For all that do such things and deal unrighteously are an abomination to the Lord from vers 13. to 17. 16ly He puts them in mind of executing what God had declared against Amalek who smote the hindmost and feeblest of them when they came out of Egypt see Sect. 11. of Ch. 4. which was a great act of inhumanity and cruelty to seek to hurt them that had been lately so horribly oppressed in Egypt and it was a sign the Amalekites feared not God who had so visibly owned that people and so in fighting against the Israelites they fought against God Himself Therefore when they were peaceably setled in the Land which God intended to give them they should blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven This Judgment God appointed Saul to execute 1 Sam. 15.2 3. but he failed in the performance of it as we may see vers 9. Afterwards God stirred up the Simeonites in Hezekiah's days to do it who smote the rest of the Amalekites 1 Chron. 4.42 43. And what befel Haman and his Sons is largely related in the third Chapter of the Book of Esther from vers 17. to the end Chap. XXVI 17ly He gives directions that when they were come into the Land of Canaan every man should every year bring a Basket of his first-fruits at the Feast of Tabernacles Exod. 23.16 to the Priest to be by Him presented to the Lord as an acknowledgment that the Lord had freely given them this Land as He had promised to their Fathers and that of Him they still held it and therefore to Him as Lord in Chief by way of Tribute they brought these first-fruits testifying also thereby that to him they owed the yearly fruitfulness of their Land And when the Priest hath set down the Basket before the Altar the Offerer shall make this solemn Profession Our Ancestor Jacob was forced to fly into Syria and in respect of his long abode and continuance there with his Uncle Laban he may well be call'd a Syrian though born in the Land of Canaan There he was near lost and ready to perish by reason of the wrongs he received from his hard Father-in-law When he returned thence into the Land of Canaan after a few years by extremity of Famine he was constrain'd to remove into Egypt and there sojourned with a few who afterwards became a great mighty and populous Nation Then the Egyptians evil intreated us and laid upon us hard Bondage but when we cried unto the Lord He looked down with pity upon our Affliction and Labour and Oppression And brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty Hand and an out-stretched Arm and with great terribleness and with Signs and Wonders and hath brought us into this good Land flowing with Milk and Honey And behold I have brought to thee the first-fruits of the Land which thou O Lord hast given me Then leaving his Basket before the Altar for the use of the Priest who with the rest of his Brethren was afterwards to eat of them all first-fruits by Gods appointment appertaining to them Deut. 18.4 and humbly worshipping the Lord He shall depart and after he hath thus testified his thankfulness and done this Service he shall go and feast with the Levites and Strangers upon the Peace-Offerings He had brought thither even as they used to do at all other Feasts rejoycing in every good thing which the Lord hath given them see Deut. 16.11 15. from vers 1. to 12. 18ly He comes now to shew what profession and prayer that man was to make that paid his third years Tythes In the two first years after the Sabbatical year there were only two Tythes to be separated from their Estates The first for the Levites the second to be spent in their Journeys to Jerusalem and in holy feasting there before the Lord. But in the third year they were to separate a third Tythe which was for the Poor in the places where they dwelt The first of these Tythes was wholly the Levites * Out of this the Levitâ—s paid a tenth part again to the Priests Numb 18.24 to 29. Neh. 10.37 38. portion and therefore often called the Lords Inheritance the second or the price of it was to be carried up by the Owners to the Lords dwelling-dwelling-place and there spent in holy feasting before the Lord but this third Tythe †Therefore this third year was peculiarly call'd the year of Tything because this year they separated three Tythes from their Increase one more than in other years The first was the Levites yearly livelihood the second was to be expended in their Journey to Jerusalem and feasting before the Lord there The third was to be laid up for the Poor see Deut. 14.28 was to be laid up in some publick place in the Towns and Cities where they dwelt and was not only for the use of the Levites but also of the Stranger Fatherless and Widdow as is said vers 12. that they might eat also within their Gates and be filled He that paid this third years Tythe was to make such a profession as this O Lord I have brought away the hallowed things out of my house and have given them to the Levites the Stranger the Fatherless and the Widow according to thy Commandments I have not transgressed thy Commandments nor forgotten them I have not eaten thereof in my mourning that is in my greatest wants and necessities and when I was in the greatest straits I have not ventured to supply my self from them Neither has it caused any mourning * Scil. pressus dolorâ— luctu quod tantum deberem auferre bonis meis aliis elargiri Jansen or repining in me that I was bound to part with so much of my Increase to the Poor Neither have I taken ought thereof for any unclean use that is for any use besides that for which they were appointed nor given ought thereof for the dead that is for the burying of the dead or to be provisions for a Funeral Feast †Non expendi in rem Funebrem Pompum vel Convivium de quo Jer. 16.7 Ezek. 24.17 Hos 9.4 Having made this solemn Protestation that He had not failed in paying his Tythes exactly according to the Law He was then to add this Prayer Lord look down from thy holy Habitation from Heaven and bless thy people Israel and this Land which thou hast given us as thou swearest to our Fathers from vers 12. to 18. 19ly He exhorts them to observe all
be made their Slaves and Vassals see Psal 31.7 8. And the Israelites may well say If our God had not done it the Idol gods of the Heathens could never have made them so Victorious over us For their Rock is not as our Rock Our God is of infinite Power and therefore able to make his people Victorious over their Enemies when He pleases but their Idol-gods on which they rely cannot make them to prevail over us except our God withdraw his help and give us up into their hands And this is so clear that our Enemies themselves cannot deny it But if any shall ask How came the Lord to be so incensed against Israel as to give them up into the hands of their Enemies The reason was because their Vine is the Vine of Sodom and of the Fields of Gomorrah their Grapes are Grapes of gall their Clusters are bitter that is they are of like nature and disposition and their lives and doings are like theirs of Sodom and Gomorrah and therefore no wonder if God be so highly offended with them their Wine is * This may have respect to their bitter and deadly malice against the Prophets and other faithful Servants of God in future times but especially against Christ and his Apostles the poyson of Dragons and the cruel venome of Asps that is their Works are distastful to God and deadly to themselves and others And says the Lord though for a time I forbear to punish these cursed Works of theirs yet let them not therefore think totally to escape For all their Transgressions are laid up in store with me and I keep them sealed up among my Treasures that is a Memorial of them is kept among the unsearchable Treasures of my Wisdom and Knowledge see Col. 2.3 To me belongeth Vengeance and Recompence that is the work of punishing wickedness they shall not stand stedfast in the prosperous Estate they now are in their foot shall slide in due time they shall certainly fall when my time is come and the day of their Calamity is at hand that is after they are grown thus desperately wicked it shall not be long ere this Calamity here threatned shall overtake them and the things that shall come upon them make hast But if they shall repent of their evil deeds and turn unto me I will take pity on them in the height of their misery and will change the course of my Administration towards them and will take Vengeance on their Oppressors and Adversaries And especially when I see their power is gone and there is none shut up or left viz. in Garrisons or Cities to defend themselves but all are in a manner overthrown and ruined then will I arise and help them for my great Name sake Then will I say to the Heathen Where are your gods your Rocks in whom ye trusted which did eat the fat of your Sacrifices and drank the Wine of you Drink-Offerings that is where are your Idols to whom ye burned the fat of your Sacrifices and poured out the Wine of your Drink-Offerings let them now rise up and help you and be your Protection if they can You shall know That I am the true God and there is none besides me I kill and I make alive I wound and I heal 1 Sam. 2.6 neither can any deliver out of my hands I lift up my hand to Heaven and sware by my Self As sure as I live for ever I will do what I now say If I whet my glittering Sword and my Hand take hold on the Weapons of Judgment I will render Vengeance to mine Enemies and will reward them that hate me I will make mine Arrows drunk with blood and that with the blood of the slain and of the Captives that is both with the blood of those that are slain in the field and of those that are hurt in battel and thereupon taken Captive and my Sword shall devour much flesh from the beginning of revenges upon the Enemy that is from the time that I begin to take Vengeance on mine and my peoples Enemies and I will revenge all the wrongs that my people have suffered from their Enemies even from their first beginning to oppress them And seeing it shall be so Rejoyce O ye Nations with this people that is both Jews and Gentiles rejoyce and praise God together for his great goodness to his people in taking Vengeance on their Enemies and being so propitious and favourable unto them and hereby possibly is intimated that the time should come when both Jews and Gentiles should joyn together in praising the Lord namely when they shall be both his Church and people and therefore the Apostle alledgeth this place to prove the calling of the Gentiles Rom. 15.10 This was the Song that Moses spake in the ears of the Children of Israel Joshua standing by and as it were assenting to what he spake Moses further said unto them Set your hearts to all the words which I testifie among you this day and command your Children also to observe all the Precepts of this Law for it is not a vain thing for you so to do it is your life that is 't is the best way and means to prolong your days in the Land which you are going to possess God now gives Moses a Charge to go up to Mount Nebo to view the Land of Canaan telling him That there he should die and be gathered unto his people that is his godly fore-Fathers and the society of the Souls of just men made perfect as Aaron his Brother died on Mount Hor. And he gives him a reason why they both were excluded the Land of Canaan namely because they trespassed against Him at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh and sanctified Him not in the midst of the people see Numb 20.11 12. that is they did not at that time publickly shew before the people such an affiance in Him nor did so glorifie his great Name as they should have done Moses the man of God * He is so stiled that the Isâ—aelites might assure themselves that what he spake to them in these Prohetical blessings he spake by the authority of God Samuel is so stiled 1 Sam. 9.6 7. see 1 Tim. 6.11 viz. the Prophet of the Lord having received that Charge Ch. XXXIII to go up to Mount Nebo where he was to die He now immediately before his death solemnly blesses the twelve Tribes pronouncing such Prophetical blessings upon them as might allay in good part the bitterness of the fore-going Predictions Indeed the Tribe of Simeon is not at all here mentioned but the reason of it seems to be because this Tribe was to have their Inheritance within the Inheritance of the Sons of Judah Jos 19.1 Whence it was that they went joyntly together to fight against the Canaanites Judg. 1.3 and consequently this Tribe was blessed with that of Judah among whom they were to dwell And first as an Introduction or Preface to his Prophetick Benediction he sets
by a Synecdoche for the whole City of Jerusalem and therewith for the Temple founded on Mount Moriah called the City of God in a more especial manner was in the Tribe of Judah yet the Northern part with Mount Moriah where the Temple stood was in the Tribe of Benjamin and being set upon that Hill it was conspicuously eminent as the Head placed above and between the shoulders and in that sense God may be said to dwell between his shoulders 5ly He comes now to Joseph whose two Sons Ephraim and Manasseh were Heads of two Tribes of whom he saith Blessed of the Lord be his Land and let it be blessed with the most excellent things of Heaven that is with Rains and Dews that fall from Heaven and let it be blessed with the deep that coucheth beneath that is with springs arising from the deep let it be blessed with precious Fruits brought forth by the heat and influence of the Sun and the kindly moistures of the Night and the influence of the Moon Let it be blessed with the chief things of the ancient Mountains and with the precious things of the lasting Hills that is with the choicest Trees and Fruits and Herbs that grow on Hills such as are Vines Olives Cedars Pines Cypress and other useful Trees and with Mines of Gold and Silver and other metals which are usually found in Hills †See Gen. 49.26 and Mountains And let the Posterity of Joseph be blessed not only with the good things of the Earth and with plenty of them but with the good-will of Him that dwelt in the Bush In the Bush God appeared to Moses as the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the good-will of God thus manifested viz. as a God in Covenant with them was that which alone could make them truly happy see Psal 106.4 Let this blessing says he come on the head of Joseph that is on his Posterity whose Father was separated from his Brethren and advanced by the Lord to an high and singular degree of Honour above them His glory shall be like the firstling of his Bullock that is of a fair young Bullock in his best strength and his horns like the horns of Vnicorns that is his Power shall be great and irresistible wherewith he shall Conquer far remote Nations Now these horns of his he shews are the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh 6ly He comes to Zebulun of whom he says Rejoyce Zebulun in thy going out and Issachar in thy Tents Here he blesses two Tribes together Of Zebulun he Prophesies That they shall be happy in their going forth to Trade and in their merchandising by Ships agreeable to what Jacob prophesied of them Gen. 49.13 Zebulun shall dwell at the harbour of the Sea he shall be for an Haven of Ships And of Issachar he Prophesies That they should be happy in their Tents that is in their quiet life at home and in their Husbandry and Tillage and breeding and feeding of Cattel Both their ways of living should yield them matter of rejoycing in the goodness and bounty of God to them Issachar shoul be happy in their Husbandry Zebulun in following their Merchandise They should suck of the abundance of the Seas that is of the Riches and Wealth brought over the Seas and of the Treasures hid in the sand that is brought from such Cities as were seated upon the Sea-shore in sandy-ground They shall call the people unto the Mountain there they shall offer Sacrifices of Righteousness herein he Prophesies of their religious thankfulness to God for his great blessings to them They should duly go to Mount Sion to worship the Lord and should invite their Brethren and possibly strangers of other Nations to go along with them though they were seated by the Sea-side in the outmost parts of the Land and so far off from the Temple of Jerusalem yet at times appointed they should readily go up to the House of God and there offer the Sacrifices and Thank-Offerings which were justly due to God and agreeable to what his Law prescribed 7ly He comes to Gad of whom he says Blessed be He that inlargeth Gad namely the Lord who hath bestowed upon Gad a large and spacious Country and though it lay upon the Frontiers and therefore was liable to frequent Incursions of Enemies yet they should have heart and courage to defend themselves Therefore he Prophesies of Gad That he shall dwell as a Lion that is bold and undaunted and as a Lion teareth sometimes the Arm sometimes the Crown of the Head that is sometimes in one place sometimes in another so this Tribe should divers ways spoil their Enemies He provided the first part for himself that is the first part of the conquered Land which was the Country of Sihon and this Tribe may be said to have provided for themselves because they desired it of Moses for their Inheritance and this part of the Country of Canaan being without Jordan was that alone which God permitted Moses the Law-giver to come into and allowed him to give unto them for their Inheritance and being thus provided they went with the Heads of the people armed * Moses here speaks of a thing to come as if it had been already done foreseeing by the Spirit of Prophesie that it would be so before their Brethren and executed the justice of the Lord and his judgments upon the accursed Canaanites 8ly He comes to Dan of whom he says Dan is a Lions whelp he shall leap from Bashan Bashan was a place where were many Lions though not in Dan's possession but Manasseh's see Deut. 3.13 The Danites are therefore here compared to Lions rushing suddenly out of the Forrests and Dens of Bashan who seize upon those that pass by ere they were aware Thus the Danites should leap unexpectedly out of their Forts and fastnesses and secret places where they lay in ambush and should seize upon their Enemies when they least expected them see Gen. 49.17 Josh 19.47 Judg. 18.27 29. 9ly He comes to Naphtali of whom he says O Naphtali satisfied with favour and full with the blessing of the Lord wherein he Prophesies of the fruitfulness of the Soil wherein this Tribe should have their portion Therefore Jacob compares them to a Hind let loose that hath a large walk and so in choice Pastures finds plenty of feeding Gen. 49.21 He therefore here breaks out into an admiration of the great plenty and abundance of blessings which their Inheritance should yield them but intimates that their blessings should not consist so much in their having such plenty and fulness of outward blessings as in their being fully satisfied and contented therewith and that the thing which should yield such satisfaction to their Souls was not so much the blessings themselves as the singular love and favour of God whereof to them these Blessings were Pledges He further adds Possess thou the West and the South intimating to them thereby that their lot
deserto intermissum Non jubetur idem homo iterum circumcidi sed idem populus those that were born in their Travels thorow the Wilderness who had not been hitherto circumcised And the Reasons why it was now injoyned as we may suppose were these 1. That this might signifie to them that it was by vertue of that Covenant which God had made with their Fathers whereof Circumcision was an outward Seal that they were now put into the possession of the Land of Canaan 2ly That they might more couragiously Encounter the Canaanites having upon them this Badge of their Adoption 3ly Because on the fourteenth day of this month at even they were to eat the Passover of which none might eat that were not circumcised Exod. 12.48 4ly When they came into the Land of Canaan they were to observe all the Precepts of the Ceremonial Law Deut. 12.8 9 10. and therefore this of Circumcision among the rest 5ly Circumcision was now injoyn'd them that hereby God might make trial of their Faith and Obedience And indeed a very hard trial it was if we consider that those that were the very flower and strength of their Armies were now to be circumcised viz. all that were under forty years of age and when they lay sore how easie had it been for their Enemies to have overcome them as may appear from the slaughter Simeon and Levi made upon the Sechemites when they lay in the same condition Gen. 34.25 26. So that nothing could be more dangerous in the eye of reason than that which God now injoyn'd them But thus God was pleased to try their Faith viz. whither in confidence of his Protection they would do what he injoyn'd them though it seem'd in it self so exceeding perillous Joshua therefore in Obedience to Gods Command and for these Reasons before-mentioned renewed now this Sacrament of Circumcision and 't is probable that all that were before circumcised were imployed in this Service that it might be the sooner dispatched and so the place where this was done was upon this occasion call'd the Hill of Fore-skins because there they did cast away or bury the Fore-skins of those that were that day circumcised The Israelites thus circumcised abode in their places in the Camp till they were whole no Enemy attempting any thing against them or once offering to molest them no not so much as to scare them or put them in any fright This being done the Lord said to Joshua This day have I rolled away from you the Reproach of Egypt as if he should have said Had these Israelites continued in their Vncircumcision they would rather have seemed to be uncircumcised Egyptians than the Israel of God but now being circumcised this Reproach of Egypt is rolled away from them see 1 Sam. 17.26 Gen. 34.14 Josh Ch. 5. from 1. to 10. SECT XCVII UPon the fourteenth day of this first month in the evening the Israelites celebrated their first Passover * Which was likewise intermitted in the Wilderness saving only the second year see Numb 9.1 2. in the Land of Canaan and on the morrow after did eat both unleavened Cakes of the old Corn and parched Corn of the new even the very same day whereon the Sheaf of the first-fruits of their Harvest was offered to the Lord after the offering whereof they might lawfully eat of the new Corn and not till then And Manna ceased the very day after they began to eat of the Fruits of the Land so that after that they saw it no more By which it was evident to them that Manna came not all that time they had injoyed it from any natural Cause in the Clouds but was provided for them in an extraordinary way by the Almighty Power of God Josh Ch. 5. vers 10 11 12. SECT XCVIII JOshua now approaching nearer to Jericho possibly to observe the Country about it and to contrive how he might best assail it and perhaps retiring a little alone to pray unto the Lord for direction in this matter on a sudden he beheld a man standing over against him with his Sword drawn in his hand Joshua went to him and said Art thou for us or for our Adversaries The man said Nay but as a Captain of the Host of the Lord am I come unto thee Then Joshua fell on his face to the Earth and worshipping him said What saith my Lord to his Servant And he said Loose thy shooe from off thy foot for the place whereon thou standest his holy and Joshua did so This Captain of the Lords Host was not Gabriel or any other created Angel but Michael the Arch-Angel Jude v. 9. the great Prince of Gods people Dan. 10.21 12.1 the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 Christ the eternal Son of God who appeared here and sundry other times in the shape of a man as a foregoing Presage and pre-signification of his future Incarnation and this appeareth by Joshua's adoring him as the Lord Jehovah Ch. 6.2 and his acceptance of it which a created Angel would have refused Rev. 19.10 and by his commanding Joshua to put off his shoes because the place was holy like to that Exod. 3.5 not that the place was capable of any inherent holiness in it self but hallowed by Gods holy presence in it and in relation to that only to be so esteemed and which ceased to be so when his appearance was withdrawn from it This Captain instructs Joshua about the manner of besieging and conquering Jericho He commands him for six * Thus God loves to try the saith and patience of his people to see whither they will wait for the accomplishment of his Promises when they are not presently fulfilled days together to march his Army round about the City that the Priests should carry the Ark about it and seven Priests with Trumpets of Rams-horns should blow before it and on the seventh day to do it seven several times At the last of which when the Priests blew with a long blast all the people should give a great shout at which the Walls of Jericho should fall down and so the Israelites should enter into it and destroy it Joshua having received these Directions from the Lord acquaints the people with them who believed the Lord would work this Miracle for them as he had newly divided the waters of Jordan and therefore the Apostle says Heb. 11.30 By Faith the walls of Jericho fell down Joshua tells them That the Lord would give the City into their hands but it should be accursed or devoted †See Levit. 27.28 even it and all that was therein to the Lord except Rahab and her Family who hid the Spies that is shall be offered to divine Justice as a kind of First-fruits thereby intimating that the whole Land was his but that he was pleased to give it them He tells them All the Silver and Gold and Vessels of Brass and Iron were to be consecrated to the Lord and brought into his Treasury
Therefore says he keep your selves all of you from the accursed thing Take none of the accursed banned things to your own use lest you bring a Curse upon your selves and upon the Camp of Israel thereby Joshua having given the people these Instructions he gave order to the Army to march round about the City seven days in the manner that was prescribed the Sabbath-day being one of them and that by Command of him who is Lord of the Sabbath The armed-men marched before the Ark and the remainder of the people that were in the Rear not armed followed after and thus they did six days on the seventh day they rose early and compassed the City after the same manner seven times and at the seventh time when the Priests that blew with the Trumpets made a long blast Joshua bad them shout for the Lord had given them the City The people hereupon gave a great shout and the wall of the City fell down flat viz. all that part of it over against which the Israelites in a long train marched and so all the armed men went up every man right from the place where they were and entred in at the breach into the City And they utterly destroyed all that was in the City Men Women young and old and the Oxen and Asses and Sheep and what ever they met with excepting Rahab and her Family whom Joshua sent the two Spies unto whom she had preserved to bring them forth and to leave them without the Camp till they were cleansed from their former pollutions according to the Law Numb 31.19 and were instructed in the Israelites Religion and admitted into the Congregation and so they and their Posterity continued among the Israelites and Rahab was afterwards married to Salmon a Prince of the Tribe of Judah one of Christs Progenitors Matth. 1.5 Luke 3.32 Then they burnt the City with fire and all that was therein excepting only the Silver and Gold and Iron and Brass which were reserved to be put into the Treasury of the House of the Lord none of them offering to meddle with one jot of the Spoil save only Achan of whom more presently In the judgment of reason one would have thought it must needs be grievous to the Israelites to destroy so brave a City and so goodly Houses wherein they might so conveniently have setled themselves and the Prey and Spoil of so fair and rich a City whereby they might have so greatly inriched themselves The more remarkable therefore and commendable was their ready Obedience herein to Gods Commands And Joshua by a special Inspiration of the Holy Ghost adjured them not to go about to build that City again and pronounced a Curse upon that man that by rebuilding it should as it were endeavour to blot out the memorial of this miraculous Work of God in giving this Idolatrous City after so strange a manner into their hands Whosoever shall go about to do it says He he shall lay the Foundation thereof in his First-born and in his youngest Son shall he set up the Gates thereof that is it shall cost him the loss of his Children of the first when he begins it of the other as he goeth forward with the work and of the youngest when he finisheth it and hangeth up the Gates thereof This Curse afterwards fell upon Hiel the Bethelite who in Ahab's Reign built this City again 1 Kings 16.34 This man was very ignorant if he knew not of this Curse but if he did know of it he was very audacious and impudently profane in not regarding it But though he was in his own particular severely punish'd for thus transgressing Gods Command and neglecting this Curse yet the City being rebuilt it was afterward allowed for a fit Habitation even for good men to lodge in as Elijah and Elisha 2 Kings 2.4 18. yea our Saviour himself did honour this City with his presence and Miracles Luke 19.1 5. Josh Ch. 5. from 13. to the end Josh Ch. 6. whole Chapter SECT XCIX JOshua now sent Spies to Ai not to go into it as those sent to Jericho did but to bring him Intelligence in what posture the City and Country thereabout was The Spies return and make a Report as if the place were of no great strength and might easily be taken by a few of the Israelites and therefore there was no need to carry up the whole Host of Israel against it Let only about two or three thousand say they go up and finite it Joshua accordingly sent up about three thousand against it But the men of Ai couragiously sallying out upon them the Israelites fled presently before them which plainly shewed that God being offended with them for something amiss among them did in an extraordinary manner strike them with fear and astonishment The men of Ai chased them from their City Gates to Shebarim and killed 36 of them in the going down of the Hill so that it seems the Israelies fled at the first On-set and were slain only in flying The whole people of Israel were extreamly terrified and dismaid at this For God seemed to have withdrawn his supporting Hand from them and in such a case the most stout and valiant will soon shrink and be afraid Joshua and the Elders of Israel hereupon rent their Clothes * A Ceremony used in great Mournings see 2 Sam. 1.11 Job 2.12 Ezek. 27.30 put dust upon their Heads and fell to the earth on their faces before the Ark. Neither was it their loss so much as the apprehension of Gods displeasure that so much afflicted them God had promised that no man should stand before them Ch. 1.5 and that they should drive out the Inhabitants out of the Land Their flying therefore now before the Enemy especially in such an inglorious manner was a plain Demonstration that God was offended with them and had withdrawn his gracious presence from them And the smallest Affliction if it be looked upon as an effect of Gods anger is very dreadful Joshua lying thus prostrate before the Lord said Alas O Lord God wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us I wish we had been content to have staid and dwelt on the other side Jordan * Joshua seems here a little too much transported thorow humane frailty O Lord what shall I say when Israel turneth their backs before their Enemies For the Canaanites the Inhabitants of this Land will hear of it and will inviron us round and cut off our Name and Memorial from off the Earth and what wilt thou then do to thy great Name How wilt thou preserve thy Glory when the Canaanites shall say Thou hadst not power to subdue them nor defend us against them and thou wast not able to give us this Land which thou hadst promised us See Deut. 33.27 Then the Lord spake to Joshua saying Get thee up why liest thou prostrate on thy face
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
HEre the History * Some think Samuel the Pen-man of this History of Ruth according to the judgment of learned men falls in which serves mainly to declare how Ruth being married to Boaz Son to Salmon a Prince of the Tribe of Judah who married Rahab that entertained the Spies at Jericho bore unto him Obed who was the Grandfather of David of whom according to the Flesh Christ came Matth. 1.5 As also to shew that Christ deriving his Humanity from the Gentiles as well as the Jews Ruth being a Moabitess Salvation by Christ belongs not only to the Jews but to the Gentiles also The History of Ruth is in brief this God at this time it seems for the sins of the people of Israel had sent a Famine among them Upon this Elimelech of Bethlem-Judah or Bethlem-Ephrata so called to distinguish it from another Bethlem in Zebulun Josh 19.15 with his wife Naomi and his two Sons Mahlon and Chilion went over into the Land of Moab to Sojourn there during the Famine Here Elimelech dies and after his decease his two Sons married to two Daughters of Moab (i) If they had embraced the true Religion before they married them doubtless they offended against the law Deut. 7.2 Nehem. 13.23 That Ruth had embraced the true Religion appeareth plain v. 16. Ch. 2.12 of Orpah the case is doubtful Ch. 1.15 whose Names were Orpah and Ruth and having lived there with them about ten years both these young men died without Children Thus Naomi lost both her Husband and her two Sons in this Country She hearing at last that the Lord had visited his people in mercy and sent them plenty again she resolves to return to her own Country It seems both her Daughters-in-law did intend at first to have gone with her into the Land of Judah and did both of them accompany her part of the way thither But she advised them both to return to their own Mothers for 't was pity they should leave them and go with a Mother-in-law into a strange Country Therefore she said to them Return back and the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with your Husbands my Sons that are now dead and as ye have dealt with me My prayer to the Lord is that He would please to provide you good Husbands with whom ye may live comfortably and who may be able to defend you from Injuries and provide things necessary for you that so your Husbands houses may be places of rest and true content unto you Then she kissed them to take her farewel of them but they lifted up their Voice and wept and said They would not leave her but would go along with her to her people Naomi pressed them again to return Alas says she there are no more Sons in my Womb that according to the Law Deut. 25.5 6 might make you Husbands There is no expectation of any such thing from me who am old Besides if it should be supposed that I should be married to an Husband this night and should have Sons by him surely you would not stay for them till they were of age fit to make you Husbands Therefore return to your own Friends For though the Hand of God is gone out against me and is heavy upon me and He hath brought me low yet it grieves me not so much for my self as for you that I am not able to yield you any comfort or support at all Then they lift up their Voice and wept again being much affected with these tender Speeches of Hers to them Quia non Religione sed humanitate mota fuit ad sequendum socrum However Orpah thinking it best for her to return kissed her Mother-in-law and took a final Farewel of her but Ruth clave to her and told Her She would not forsake her Naomi told her She saw her Sister was gone back to her people and the Country where the (k) Possibly Orpah after her Husbands death had fallen back to the Idolatry of the Moabites gods of the Moabites were worshipped Go thou therefore says she after her (l) V. 15. Tentativè dictum non positivé Ruth desir'd her not to press her to leave her For says she whither thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge thy people shall be my people and thy God my God Where thou diest I will die and where thou art buried there will I be buried also The Lord do so to me (m) A form of an Oath which not only the Jews but other Nations used by which they prayed God to send some great evil upon them if they did not speak truly see 1 King 19.2 20.10 But they were naturally afraid to mention the evil they wished to themselves or others not daring to use such desperate particular Imprecations as the prodigious Wretches of our Age do and more also if ought but death part thee and me Naomi perceiving her stedfastness left off pressing her further and so they went on till they came to Bethlem When they came thither the Inhabitants of that Town were amaz'd to see her who had lived in so good fashion among them and went out with her Husband and two Sons return now in so poor a Condition with only a young Widow hanging on her And they ask'd with some admiration Is this Naomi She answered Call me not Naomi which signifies Pleasant but Mara which signifies Bitter for the Lord hath brought many bitter Sorrows and Afflictions upon me I went out full but the Lord hath brought me home empty The Lord hath testified his Displeasure against me and convinc'd me of my Sins by laying these sharp Afflictions on me Ruth 1. 'T was about the beginning of Barley-Harvest in the Month Nisan answering to part of our March and part of our April when they came to Bethlem and there lived as it seems in a very poor Condition Ruth told her Mother-in-law She had a mind to go out and Glean if she could find a mans Field who would so much favour her as to give her leave And herein she expressed her humility and modesty that she would not make use of the liberty allowed by the Law Levit. 19.9 without the leave and consent of the Owner Her Mother bids her go She accordingly went and it happen'd that she lighted upon a Field that belonged to Boaz a rich Kinsman of Elimelech's and making suit to the Overseer of the Reapers that she might have leave to glean after them she obtained her desire Boaz coming to see his Reapers said to them The Lord bless and prosper you and your labour They answered The Lord multiply his blessings on thee Boaz ask'd his Bailiff Who that Damsel was who was there gleaning He told him She was the Moabitess that came back with Naomi out of Moab to whom he had given leave to glean and she had followed her gleaning hard from morning to that time only now in the heat of the
give to a Stranger and a Traveller as Abraham Lot and Manoah in like Cases did The Angel bids him take the Flesh and unleavened Cakes and to lay them upon the Rock that was hard by and then to pour out the Broth upon them Which being done the Angel with the end of his Staff that was in his hand touched the Flesh and the unleavened Cakes and there arose up fire (y) Here fire comes out of a Rock as water formerly did Exod. 17.6 out of the Rock and immediately consumed them and then He presently vanished out of his sight Thus what Gideon intended for a Feast was miraculously turned by the Angel into a kind of Burnt-Offering or Sacrifice that thereby his Faith might be strengthened and that he might be assured that the Service God called him to should be accepted and that he should have good Success in it Gideon perceiving now that it was an Angel that had talked with him both by his miraculous consuming the Provisions he had brought as also by his sudden vanishing out of his sight he was sorely afraid Oh says he because I have seen an Angel of the Lord face to face in that visible form which he assumed I shall surely die In those days it seems it was a receiv'd Opinion among the Jews that if they had seen an Angel * Vetustissimus hic hominum metus ne morte aut male aliquo gravi afficerentur conspecto coelitus aliquo quod indignos se tali spectaculo crederent ut docet Callimachus Grot. it was very perillous to their lives see Judg. 13.22 and Deut. 5.24 26. The Lord seeing Gideon in so great a perplexity about this Vision the next Night comforts him and bids him not be afraid for he should not die Then he Commands him these three things First To take his Fathers young Bullock the second in order of those that were prepared and set apart to be sacrificed to Baal see vers 28. and of seven years old and to offer her in Sacrifice unto the Lord intimating possibly that the Midianites Tyranny that had lasted now seven years should have an end and together with it there should be a suppression of Baal's Worship in the Land 2ly He Commands him to throw down Baal's Altar which his Father had made for his Family and the Inhabitants of Ophrath and to cut down the Grove by it For before Gideon might go to fight against the Midianites the Enemies of God and his people he must first set on foot the Reformation of Religion and the Extirpation of Superstition and Idolatry which had provoked the Lord to Displeasure against them And he must begin at Home viz. with his own Family and Friends 3ly When he had done this He must build an Altar to the Lord in that very place upon the top of the Rock where the Lord had before ordered him to place the Provisions he had brought and given him a sign by causing fire to come out of the Rock and consume them And on this Altar he must offer the Bullock before-mentioned for a Burnt-Offering with the wood of the Grove which he should cut down Gideon having received these Commands took ten of his Servants who it seems were ready to joyn with him in this Enterprize and fearing lest those of his Fathers house or the Inhabitants of the City should hinder or interrupt him in what he had to do he took the advantage of the Night to do it in and setting so many hands at work the business was done before any of the City knew it to make Opposition or Resistance And having built an Altar to the Lord and sacrificed (z) Here Gods special Command was a sufficient warrant for what Gideon did though otherwise it was not lawful for any but a Priest to offer Sacrifice or to do it any where but in the Tabernacle the Bullock thereon as he was commanded he called it Jehovah-Shalom as if he should have said The Lord send peace which Name continued when this History was written The people of the City understanding next morning that Baal's Altar was thrown down and his Grove also cut down and the second Bullock offered upon a new Altar built on the Rock they inquired who had done these strange things It was told them That Gideon had done them They hereupon run violently to Joash requiring him to bring forth his Son that he may be put to death for casting down the Altar and Grove of Baal And this they require before they heard what he could say for himself so unreasonable are men when transported with an Idolatrous Rage Joash though it seems before he had been himself a Worshipper of Baal yet now his mind being extraordinarily changed possibly upon Gideon's acquainting him with the Vision he had seen He resolutely opposes them What says he will ye dare to plead for Baal will ye go about to save him For my part he that will plead for Baal let him be put to death and that presently without any further delay I wonder what aileth you If Baal be a god let him plead for himself and revenge the wrong that is done to him in throwing down his Altar but if he be not he is not worthy to be defended by you who is unable either to defend you or himself Having said these things in memory of that Heroick Fact done by Gideon and in honour of Him Joash that day call'd Him Jerubbaal saying Let Baal plead against him if he can Then the Midianites and the Amalekites and their Confederates came over Jordan into Canaan and pitched in the Valley of Jezreel in the Tribe of Manasseh not far from Ophrah where Gideon dwelt And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and acting him above himself he blew a Trumpet and Abiezer that is those of his own Family gathered themselves unto Him and he sent Messengers throughout the Tribe of Manasseh Asher Zebulun and Naphtali viz. to all the Neighbouring-Tribes excepting Ephraim which occasioned afterwards a great Quarrel between them as we shall see Chap. 8. and many of those Tribes came and joyned themselves with the Forces he had got together Gideon being now shortly to engage in battel against the Midianites He desires to be further assur'd of God's Mind as to the event of the Fight for the confirmation of his own Faith and for the Encouragement of his Followers For though the Apostle Heb. 11.32 commendeth him for his Faith yet he did not attain to the strength of it all at once but by degrees as he was more and more confirm'd by God In the mean time he needed all these helps to support him against his Doubts and Faintings Gideon therefore prays unto the Lord and beseeches him that if he intended to save Israel by his hand He would please to give him this sign thereof He would put a Fleece of Wool in the Floor and if in the morning there were dew on the Fleece only and
hundred men that were with him approached the Enemies Camp about Midnight when they had newly set the Watch and spreading themselves round the Camp as far as their number could extend and breaking their Pitchers and discovering their Lights and blowing their Trumpets cried out The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon The Enemy in the dead of the night being terrified at the sight of so many Lights on a suddain burning about them and hearing so many Trumpets sounding and so many men crying out The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon could not but apprehend they were encompassed with a mighty Army and thereupon all the Host made an hideous Out-cry and ran and fled and shifted for themselves as well as they could In this great Consternation the Lord by his Providence ordered it so that they fell one upon another and slew their Friends instead of their Enemies See the like 1 Sam. 14.15 20. 2 Chron. 20.23 And some of the Midianites fled to one place and some to another in the Tribe of Manasseh where the Over-throw was given The men of Israel hearing of this great Defeat and routing of the Midianitish-Army gathered themselves presently together out of Naphtali Asher and Manasseh to assist Gideon in the pursuit And Gideon sent Messengers through all Mount Ephraim to desire them to come in to his Assistance and especially to take care to stop the Midianites at all the Fords and Passages of the River Jordan that reached down as far as Beth-barah The Ephraimites did as He desired them and accordingly took at the Fords of Jordan Oreb and Zeeb two of their Princes with many others so that there were no less than an hundred and twenty thousand of the Midianites and their Confederates destroyed within Jordan And they slew Oreb on the Rock Oreb and Zeeb at the Wine-press of Zeeb places so called in after-times upon this occasion and lying at the East-end of Mount Ephraim near Jordan Gideon understanding that many of the Midianites to the number of fifteen thousand together with their Princes Zeba and Zalmunna had escaped over Jordan before the Passages could be secured He with his three hundren men went in pursuit after them and coming near to Succoth a City in the Tribe of Gad and his Souldiers being faint he desired the men of that City to give them some Loaves of bread for their present refreshment for they were very weary and faint and so it would be an act of mercy to relieve them and they were in pursuit of the Common Enemy and so it would be but an act of Justice to strengthen their hands in so good a Design But the men of Succoth * Which had its name from Booths which Jacob made there at his return from Mesopotaemia Gen. 33.17 answered him Churlishly What say they are Zeba and Zalmunna thy Prisoners Are they in thy Power that should respect thee as Victor over them or rather have we not cause to fear they will recruit their Army and return and revenge it upon us if we shew thee any kindness Thus they incensed Gideon by refusing him Succour and that with contemptuous Scorn and in favour of their Tyrannical Enemies see the like 1 Sam. 25.10 Whereupon he told them That when the Lord had delivered Zeba and Zalmunna into his hands he would for this tear their Flesh with the Thornes and Briers of the Wilderness Then he marched up to Penuel a City also in the same Tribe and desired some Relief of them for his Souldiers in this their extremity and they answered him with the like scorn and contempt that the men of Succoth had done He told them That when he returned in peace that is safe and victorious he would for this barbarous Usage destroy them and break down their strong Tower or Fort in which they had so much confidence Zeba and Zalmunna with those fifteen thousand that had escaped were got to Karkor a City on the other side of Jordan towards the East Gideon fearing he should be discovered if he followed right on towards them He fetched a compass about by the way of the Arabians that dwelt in Tents and so came upon them on the East-side viz. on the East of Nobah and Jogbehah from whence they feared no Enemy and so were very secure not imagining that they had been pursued by the Israelites Gideon being thus come up to them he fell upon them on the sudden probably in the night discomfited all their Host and in the pursuit took Zeba and Zalmunna After this Victory carrying these two Kings along with him he marched in the night towards Succoth that he might surprize them And coming near the City before the Sun was up he took a young man that was come out of the City and examining him strictly concerning the Elders of the City he gave him their Names in writing which were 77 in all and possibly told him where they dwelt and how they might be known For Gideon knowing the Magistrates only to be in fault that he was so scornfully denied a little refreshing for his Souldiers therefore he was the more careful to inquire after their Names that none might suffer but those that were guilty Gideon having got this Intelligence entred the City of Succoth and then told them They might now behold Zeba and Zalmunna with whom they did before upbraid him and asked him in scorn Whether they were his Prisoners He should now teach them what it was to use their Brethren that were fighting for them so scornfully and unworthily So he took the Elders of Succoth and with the Briars and Thornes of the Wilderness which lay between Succoth and Penuel he caused them to be scourged to death * For being equal in guilt with the men of Penuel in reason we cannot suppose that their punishment was less than theirs see vers 17. and by this severe Punishment inflicted on them he taught the rest of the people to take heed for time to come of committing any such hainous Trespass against God and their Brethren or slighting those whom God imploys Then he went to Penuel and slew the Magistrates of that City also as he had done before at Succoth and threw down their Tower or Fort. These Executions being over Gideon now calls Zeba and Zalmunna to account for what they had done He tells them He had heard that in their last Invasion they had put many of those Israelites to death who had hid themselves in those strong Holds and Caves of Mount Tabor and fearing lest his own Brethren were of the number of those whom they had thus slain because they had not been heard of since He asks them What manner of men they were that they had slain at Tabor They answered As thou art so were they that is they were of a goodly and comely Personage as thou art and such as might well beseem men of a Princely and Royal Stock He then perceived they were his Brethren He
Family in Shechem that we must serve him is He not the Son of a Concubine And what is this Zebul but his Officer his Creature his Tool to tyranize by And must such an ancient and brave City as Shechem be inslav'd to every domineering Officer that this Son of an Hand-Maid shall set over you If you have a mind to give away your Liberty and be in Bondage you had better call in the old Lords of this place the Descendents of Hamor the Father of Shechem and serve them than serve this new base upstart Abimelech Well! if you men of Shechem would all put your selves under my Government I would quickly ease you of this Abimelech He should not long King it over you Then in a Bravado he cries out O Abimelech make thy self as strong as thou canst with all thine Allies and Friends and then come out and fight with me if thou darest Zebul the Ruler of the City hearing of these vaunting words of Gaal was greatly inrag'd and sent secret Intelligence to Abimelech How Gaal and his Adherents were fortifying the City against him He advises him therefore to come by night against Shechem with all his Army and having laid the greatest part of them in Ambush He should the next morning shew himself with the rest before the City against whom when Gaal came forth as undoubtedly he would He would fall unexpectedly into the snare Abimelech accordingly marched with his Army in the night towards Shechem and divided his Men into four Companies and laying three of them in Ambush He marched only with the fourth in the morning towards the City Gaal going early to the Gate of the City and Zebul the Major of the Town being by He said to him Behold there come people down from the top of the Mountains Zebul jeeringly replied Surely thou takest the shadows of the Mountains for Men. Gaal presently in some consternation cries out There was another Company coming by the middle of the Land and another by the Plain Then Zebul tauntingly ask'd him Where is now thy mouth wherewith thou saidst who is Abimelech that we should serve him where are thy great Brags and Boastings now Is not this the people whom thou didst so contemptuously despise Go out now and fight with them and shew thy valour if thou hast any Shew that thou canst fight as well as talk Gaal upon this got as many of the men of Shechem together as he could and marched out before them to fight with Abimelech But Abimelech quickly routed him and slew and wounded many of his men and chased the rest even to the Gates of the City Then Abimelech for the present withdrew his Forces to Aramah a place not far from Shechem to refresh them after the Fight and to wait for some better opportunity of surprizing the City The people of Shechem being now greatly vex'd and inraged at their Defeat 't is like Zebul suggested to them that the Cowardize and ill Conduct of Gaal and his Brethren had been the cause thereof and so he easily procur'd them to be cashier'd and sent away out of the City The Shechemites then choosing for themselves a new Commander in whom they might more confide and having recruited their Army resolved to march out the next morning to be revenged on Abimelech for their former loss and to drive him out of the Country Abimelech hearing they were come out against him He marched towards them and then dividing his Army into three parts He designed with one of them which he kept with himself to lie in Ambush and to surprize the City on a suddain whilst the Shechemites were ingaged with the other two Brigades of his Army or at least to keep them from sallying forth to assist those that were ingaged in the Fight and to prevent those in the Field from making any Retreat if they were worsted Accordingly whilst Abimelech and those that were with him ran and got to the Gate of the City his other two Parties ran upon the Shechemites in the Field and made a great slaughter of them Having thus vanquished the Field-Army he fought against the City all that day and at last took it and put to the Sword all that came in his way Many of the Shechemites had it seems got into the Tower of Shechem or House of Millo to secure themselves but hearing the dreadful Cries and Shreekes of their dying Fellow-Citizens they forsook that and betook themselves to the House of Baal-berith either trusting more to the strength of the Place or else flying to it as to a Sanctuary in this their great Extremity Abimelech hereupon went to Mount Zalmon a Hill near Shechem and cut down a Tree and laid it on his Shoulder and encouraged his Souldiers to do the like and with those he fired the House of Baal-berith and there destroyed about a thousand men and women of the Shechemites He then ras'd the City of Shechem to the ground and in detestation and for an exemplary Punishment he sowed it with Salt as a sign of an utter Vastation and perpetual Desolation But herein he failed of his end for it was afterwards rebuilt by Jeroboam 1 Kings 12.25 and inhabited 2 Chron. 10.1 Jer. 21.5 and afterwards it was called Sychar Joh. 4.5 Some of the Inhabitants of Shechem had it seems during these Disasters betaken themselves to Thebez a Town near Shechem which had a strong Fort or Castle in it Thither now Abimelech marches with his Army The people of Thebez betook themselves to the Castle as the only place of Security Abimelech resolving to set fire on the Gate of it went so near to it himself to give Orders about it that a woman from the top of the Tower cast a piece of a Mill-stone upon him and brake his Skull * Thus Phyrrhus was slain by a woman casting a Tile on his head at the taking of Argos He finding he had received his deaths wound bad his Armour-Bearer run him through with his Sword that it might not be said that a woman kill'd him (b) De Abimelech verum erat illud ingressus est ut vulpes regnavit ut Leo mortuus est ut Canis Thus we see how Jotham's Prophesie was fulfilled That a fire should come out from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and a fire should come out from the men of Shechem and should devour Abimelech Thus He who had slain his Brethren all upon one stone receives his own death by a stone He that had before managed this War politickly and successfully now by one rash unadvised Action going too near to the Gate of the Castle is ignominiously destroyed When the people that followed Abimelech saw he was dead they departed every one to his own home Judg. Ch. 9. whole Chapter SECT CXLII AFter Abimelech Tola the Son of Puah a man of the Tribe of Issachar Tola the Sixth Judge was raised up by God to Judge Israel and fitted with Heroick Gifts of Wisdom
encouraged the Philistines to invade their Land soon after Jephtah's death At this time there was a certain man of Zorah of the Family of the Danites whose Name was Manoah and his Wife was barren (f) Sarah Rebecca Rachel the Wife of Manoah Hanna the Shunamite Elizabeth long barren Women had at last notable Children To her the Son of God (g) He is called by Manoah Elohim vers 22. by his Wife Jehovah vers 23. Himself saith his Name is Secret or Wonderful which is one of the Names given to Christ Isa 9.6 the great Angel of the Covenant appeared who in those times often appeared in humane shape and told her She should conceive and bare a Son but she must not drink Wine or strong Drink * Non tam ad robur haec spectant quam ad Sanctimoniam nor eat any unclean thing such as were forbidden to the Nazarites either while she was with Child of him or while she gave him Suck because all that time he was to have his nourishment from her and God appointed he should be from his Conception a Nazarite unto him and no Razour should come upon his head and he should begin h to deliver the Israelites out of the hands of their Oppressors The woman came and told her Husband That a Man of God had appeared to her whose Countenance was very Venerable and full of Majesty like that of an Angel and wrought in her a kind of astonishment and fear But he neither told her Whence he came nor what was his Name Manoah hearing this earnestly prayed unto the Lord that this Man of God might come to them again (k) The work of shaking off the Yoke of the Philistines was begun by Sampson and was carried on afterwards in the days of Eli Samuel Saul till at length they were perfectly subdued by David and might teach them what they should do unto the child that should be born to them Shortly after the Angel appeared again unto the Woman as she sate in the field She ran and call'd her Husband who coming to him askt him if he was the man of God that had before appeared unto his Wife and had told her those things concerning the child that should be born to them He said he was Manoah upon this crys out let thy words come to pass and if it will be so I pray thee shew us how we should order the child when he is born The Angel answers let thy wife abstain from all those things which I forbad her while she is with child and while she giveth suck viz. wine strong drink and eating any unclean thing and afterwards let her take care that her son refrain from them also seeing God hath extraordinarily called him and appointed him to be a Nazarite to himself to whom by the Law all these things are forbidden Therefore what hath forbidden to thy Wife thy Son must also abstain from seeing they are forbidden to her only for his sake Manoah not knowing he was an Angel desires him that he would please to stay a little while till they could make ready a Kid to entertain him and express their respects to him See Gen. 18.8 19.3 The Angel tells him he should not eat with him If he would needs be at that cost to provide a Kid he should bestow it in such a way as would be more acceptable to God and profitable to himself namely by offering it as a Sacrifice unto God to express his thankfulness for so great a benefit as God had now promised unto him Then Manoah humbly desires to know his name that when that which he had told them should come to pass they might do him honour and might make report to others concerning his skill in foretelling future things that so he might be highly honoured as a Prophet of the most High The Angel replies Why askest thou after my name seeing it is secret that is not to be search'd into or Wonderful and Incomprehensible Isa 9.6 My name says he is not to be too curiously inquir'd into but I shall make known my self presently to thee by my wonderful actions So Manoah took a Kid and a Meat-offering and offered it upon a Rock that was hard by to the Lord. 'T is true neither the person sacrificing nor the place where this Sacrifice was offered were warrantable by the Law but the Angels command was sufficient warrant for both And it came to pass when the flame ascended from off the Altar the Angel ascended up to Heaven in the flame which wonderful sight discovered to Manoah and his Wife that he was the Angel of the Covenant the Son of God who does present our prayers and services before the Lord and procures them to be graciously accepted by him Manoah and his Wife seeing this fell on their faces to the ground and he said to his Wife we shall surely die because we have seen God He fears according to an ancient opinion that ran among them see Judg. 6.22 Exod. 33.20 that they must die because they had seen such a vision of which they were most unworthy His Wife comforts him saying If the Lord intended to kill us surely he would not have received a Burnt-offering and a Meat-offering at our hands And he hath testified his acceptance of it by ascending in the flame of it to carry it up as it were to Heaven with him and to present it unto God for us Further she argues if God had intended to kill them he would not have promised them a Son who should begin to save Israel nor would he have given her directions how she should order her self and the child when he was born These arguments 't is like satisfied Manoah So shortly after the Woman conceived and bare a Son and called his name Sampson and the child grew and the Lord blessed him and indued him with admirable strength of body courage of mind and all other gifts requisite for those high services he intended him for And when he was very young in the Camp of the Danites which they had formed to withstand the incursions of the Philistines the Spirit of God began at times to move and excite him to strange and admirable exploits even beyond the ordinary courage and strength of man Ch. 12. from 8 to 11. Ch. 13. whole Chapter SECT CXLVII AFter Ibzan Elon a Zebulonite judged Israel ten years Elon 10th Judg. After him Abdon of Pyrathon * Benaiah Davids Worthy was born here 2 Sam. 23.30 Abdon 11 Judg. that lay Westward of Samaria and Sechem on a high Mountain formerly inhabited by the Amalekites and called by their name judged Israel eight years He had forty Sons and thirty Grandsons that rode upon Ass-colts which shewed them to be persons of Dignity and Estate Ch. 12. from 11 to the end SECT CXLVIII SAmson being now about twenty years of age Samson 12th Judg. goes down to Timnah a City in the Tribe of Dan but at
to give them satisfaction and to appease their wrath that so they might withdraw their Army from them Samson consents to it provided they would swear to him not to fall on him themselves for then he should be constrained to resist them and possibly hurt some of them in his own defence They promised him they would not So they bound him with two new cords and brought him bound from the Rock Etam and delivered him to the Philistines at Lehi where they were now encamped the Philistines shouted for joy when they saw their great enemy thus brought bound to them But as soon as he came among them the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him and he snapt the cords wherewith he was bound asunder as easily as if they had been threds of sindged flax and catching up a jaw-bone of an Ass that lay there he slew with it a thousand of the Philistines whereupon 't is like the rest ran away Then he said by this weak and contemptible instrument through Gods Almighty power and assistance I have slain a thousand of His and his peoples enemies laying their bodies heap upon heap so he called that place Ramah-lehi that is the lifting up of the jaw-bone This great labour and pains in this execution made him extreamly thirsty so that through thirst and faintness he was almost ready to die thus God is wont usually to humble his servants when they have done him any memorable service that they may not be puffed-up therewith but seeing their own weakness may ascribe all the glory unto him Samson being thus extream thirsty prayed unto the Lord saying O Lord thou hast given this great deliverance to thy people by the hand of thy poor servant and shall I now die for thirst and shall the Philistines triumph over me I will trust in thy power and goodness to help me now as thou hast done at other times See Heb. 11.32 So the Lord was pleased to cleave a hollow place in this field called Lehi and a fountain sprang up out of it with which Samson being refresht his fainting Spirits revived and he became strong and vigorous as before wherefore he called that fountain En-Hakkore or the well of him that cried unto the Lord. This name he gave it in memorial of Gods great mercy to him and to testifie his thankfulness and as a perpetual monument of the efficacy of Prayer Thus Samson judged Israel twenty years in the days wherein the Philistines held them in subjection and tyranniz'd over them and in some degree he gave them deliverance though he did not fully free them from their Tyranny Judges Ch. 14. v. 20. Ch. 15. whole Chapter SECT CL. SAmson now going secretly to Gaza but for what purpose is not mentioned he was on a sudden intangled with the fight of an harlot and so drawn to commit folly with her The Gazites hearing that he was come into their City they took order that the Gates should be shut and narrowly watched intending in the morning to surprize and kill him Samson knowing as it seems by some instinct from God that they lay in wait for him he rose at midnight and finding the Gate locked barr'd and bolted he pulled up the two posts upon which it hung and carried all away posts gate and bar upon his shoulders the watchmen probably running away to the top of an Hill that lay Eastwards of Gaza and from whence Hebron might be seen Samson after this falls in love with a woman in the valley of Sorek (a) Where there were excellent Vines The river or torrent of this name divides Dan and Simeon a Philistine Harlot whose name was Dalilah the Lords of the Philistines understanding this came to her and promised to give her each of them an eleven hundred pieces of silver which at 2 s. 6 d. per shekel come to 687 l. 10 s. of our money if she would intice him to discover to her wherein his great strength lay and by what means they might prevail against him that so they might bind him and humble him She accepts the terms and accordingly applys her self to Samson and allures him with all signs of her love and probably in a way of sport to discover to her for the satisfaction of her curiosity wherein his great strength lay and whither any thing could weaken it and make him like other men promising its like most solemnly and swearing to him that she would keep it to her self as a great secret Samson tells her that if they bound him with seven green withes he should be as other men 't is like he hoped this would have satisfied her without making any trial thereof But therein he was deceived for the Lords of the Philistines having furnished her with green withes she bound Samson with them and having laid some Philistines ready at hand to seize upon him if she found he could not break his bands she cried out as if she had been in sport Samson the Philistines are upon thee what wilt thou do now and he brake the withes as easily as if they had been a thread of tow so where his strength lay was not made known to her Some time after probably in a way of sportful dalliance she renews her desire to him telling him he had before deceived her and mocked her but she would not be so put off again He tells her that if they bound him with new ropes that never had been used then he should be as weak as other men She accordingly bound him with such cords and then to try the experiment and as it were in jest cried out again Samson the Philistines are upon thee how wilt thou now help thy self and he snapt the ropes in sunder like a thread She sets upon him a third time and then tells him he had hitherto deceived her with lyes but now she desires him to tell her truly how he might be bound He tells her if she weaved the seven locks of his hair with a web and did wind them both about the beam of the Loom he should be then unable to stir and as weak as other men She tryes this also and for more security fastened the beam with a pin that when Samson arose it might not turn or move she crys again Samson the Philistines are upon thee and he awaking bore away pin and web and beam upon which his hair was wound She set upon him a fourth time and told him that surely he did not love her whatever he pretended seeing he had deceived her now three times and would not tell her where his great strength lay so urging him again and following him with incessant importunity his mind was so perplex'd he knew not what to do being extream loath to discover to her a secret which so much concern'd him and yet unwilling to displease her upon whom he so impotently doted So that this perplexity and distraction of thoughts was almost as bitter as death to him Hereupon being tired
Eucharisticum ut Luc. 1.46.68 unto him to continue his life and to bless him she begins her Song (a) There is in many passages a great harmony between this Song and that of the Blessed Virgin Luk. 1.46 thus My heart rejoiceth in the Lord mine born is exalted in the Lord whereby she intimates that through the Lords goodness to her in giving her a Son she was become stronger and more renowned than before for children are the strength and glory of their Parents and that she had cause now to triumph over her enemies who had before upbraided her for her barrenness My heart is enlarged over mine enemies whereby she intimates that she had enough now to say wherewith to stop the mouth of her insulting adversaries There is none holy as the Lord for there is none besides thee that is there is none essentially and perfectly holy besides the Lord who is the fountain of all the holiness that is in others For there is no God besides thee neither is there any rock like our God He is our only refuge in all our troubles and he only can deliver us out of them all He is the rock says she on which I rested and relyed when I was ready to sink in the time of my trouble Let not my adversaries therefore Peninnah or any others talk any more so exceeding proudly against me let not arrogancy come out of their lips for the Lord is a God of Knowledg that is He knows all that in your pride and arrogancy you think or speak or attempt against his poor servants And by him actions are weighed that is He exactly ponders all the actions of men and will therefore as a just Judg recompence them as he finds them good or evil yea according to the degree of goodness or badness that he finds in them Then she goes on to shew what strange and unexpected alterations God maketh among men By him says she the bows of the mighty are broken that is God doth many times break the strength of the mighty and blast their attempts and makes them successless just as when the bow of a mighty man breaks all his endeavours to shoot come to nothing And on the other hand they that stumbled are girt with strength that is He many times so strengthens the feeble that of themselves were ready to stumble or at least so prosper their weak endeavours that unexpectly they bring mighty things to pass and so those that were weak and feeble in themselves being strengthened by the power of God overcome great difficulties even such as by the power of nature they were not able to overcome as I my self can abundantly testifie They that were full have hired out themselves for bread that is they that were rich he sometimes brings to poverty so that they are fain to work like hired servants to relieve their wants and they that were hungry ceased to be so and were plentifully provided for She that was barren has born many Seven in Scripture is usually put for many as Deut. 28.7 children and they that have had many children are either grown weak and so through feebleness have left off bearing or else have buried the children they have had and so have lost their strength as children are esteemed to be to their Parents Possibly Hannah had assurance by the Spirit of Prophesie that God would give her many children more as indeed we find v. 21. of this Chapter that she had after this three Sons and two Daughters The Lord killeth and maketh alive He bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up that is the Lord bringeth some into desperate dangers into grievous and heavy afflictions and yet delivereth them out of them See Ch. 20.3 Hos 6.2 Isa 26.17 and Gods power is most manifested when men are recovered from such desperate distresses God doth sometimes seem to kill men and then revives them again He maketh poor and maketh rich He bringeth low and raiseth up He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the beggar from the dunghill to set them among Princes and to make them inherit the throne of glory that is He raiseth some from beggery to Soveraignty and from the dunghill to the throne For the pillars of the earth are the Lords and he hath set the world upon them that is Though the earth hangs in the midst of the air having nothing to support it but the Almighty power of God yet it stands firm (c) Habet terra suos polos quibus aut sustinet se in quiete aut ut alii volunt in motu se librat Gr. and fast upon its center as if it were supported with pillars and therefore 't is no wonder God should sometimes turn things upside down in the government of the world since he that made the world at first must needs be of power sufficient to do what he will for with his own why should he not do what himself pleaseth He will keep the feet of his Saints that is He will guide and protect his people and keep them from falling And the wicked shall be silent in darkness that is overwhelmed with confusion and astonishment in the great calamities that shall befall them Eccles 5.17 Zeph. 1.15 Jer. 8.14 or cut off from the land of the living for such are said to dwell in silence Psal 94.17 For by strength shall no man prevail that is by his own strength For if the Lord did not preserve his Saints by their own strength they could not keep themselves neither can the wicked by their own strength secure themselves against Gods hand And if any man prevail in any of his enterprises let him not assume the glory of it to himself but ascribe it intirely unto God The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces out of heaven shall he thunder upon them This clause seems to be a Prophesie and may have reference to that particular judgment upon the enemies of Gods people in the time of Samuels Government 1 Sam. 7.10 when the Lord thundered with a great thunder on the Philistines and discomfited them and they were smitten before Israel yet it may be meant generally of the Lords pouring down vengeance on his adversaries See 2 Sam. 22.14 15. And because God destroyed his enemies often by thunder it grew it seems into a Proverb that the Lord would thunder upon them when he meant terribly to destroy them The Lord shall judg the ends of the earth and he shall give strength unto his King and exalt the horn of his Anointed This seems to be a Prophesie concerning the Exaltation and Kingdom of the Messiah and 't is the first place in the Old Testament where he is mentioned under that name The Lord will rule the world and judg all the inhabitants of the world and particularly those that are in the uttermost parts of the earth by the Messiah his Anointed King who though he shall at first live in a low and
it were but in some of the meanest services of the Temple only that they may eat bread see Ezek. 44.13 14. 1 Sam. 2. from 12. to 18. and from 22. to the end SECT CLIV. THE impiety and wickedness of the times was now so great that the word of the Lord was precious there was no open vision that is there was not a man openly known to whom the Lord appeared in Visions or whom he sent forth among the people with a word of Prophesie in his mouth So that the Lord did not now reveal his mind to them by his Prophets as he used to do at other times See Psal 74.9 And this is mentioned probably for the honour of Samuel to whom the Lord was pleased to appear at such a time as this and to re-establish in him the Prophetick Office See 2 Chron. 35.18 and Act. 3.24 And the particular time when the Lord appeared to him is also set down which was when Eli being very old and his eyes dim was laid down in his place that is to take his rest in that place and in that lodging which belonged to him as High-Priest near unto the Court of the Tabernacle and it was towards the morning before the Lamps that were in the Golden Candlestick in the Tabernacle were gone out or the oyl spent See Exod. 30.7 Samuel being laid down to sleep in a Chamber near unto him the Lord calls him who awaking and supposing his Master Eli had called him ran to him but Eli told him that he did not call him and therefore bids him lye down again The Lord calls Samuel a second time and he runs again to Eli who tells him he did not call him and bids him go to his bed again Samuel was not yet acquainted with that way whereby the Lord did use to make known himself to his Prophets viz. by Visions neither had there been as yet any such revelation made unto him The Lord calls him a third time and he running again to Eli supposing that he had called him Eli then perceived that the Lord had appeared unto him he bids him therefore go and lye down again and if he heard the voice calling him any more he should say Speak Lord for thy servant heareth Samuel lying down again the Lord came and stood and called Samuel Samuel appearing possibly in a visible shape he answered as Eli had bidden him Speak Lord for thy servant heareth then the Lord said to him Behold I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle See 2 King 12.12 meaning the discomfiture of the Israelites the taking of the Ark the death of Eli's Sons and Eli's falling down backward and breaking his neck his daughter-in-law Phinehas's wife falling presently into the pains of Travel and dying Judgments so dreadful and hideous that every one that heard of them must needs be filled with horrour and astonishment And then will I perform against Eli all things that I have spoken concerning his house And though it may be some time e're I begin thus to visit him yet when I have once begun I will not cease till I have made an end For I have told him that I will judg his house for ever that is punish it till it be utterly ruined for the iniquity which he knew his Sons committed and yet he restrained them not neither chiding them severely as he was a Father nor deposing them from their office as he was the High-Priest nor punishing them corporally as he was a Judg. Therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli 's house shall not be purged with Sacrifice nor offering for ever that is that the temporal punishment denounced against them should not be kept off or averted by any Sacrifices or Oblations whatsoever though by their unfeigned repentance they may prevent their eternal misery Samuel having heard these sad words rose in the morning and opened the doors of the Tabernacle which seems at this time to be housed as we shewed before but he was affraid to acquaint Eli with the things revealed to him in this Vision because he knew that such tidings would wound his heart and he feared to offend him by bringing such a displeasing message unto him Eli therefore call'd him and charg'd him to declare all that the Lord had said unto him for being conscious of his Sons leudness and his own too great indulgence towards them he apprehended that some heavy sentence was denounced from the Lord against him and therefore he was so eager to know it that he said God do so to thee and more (a) See Notes on Ruth 1.17 also if thou hidest any thing from me Hereupon Samuel told him all Eli in an humble submissive manner replies It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good After this Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and suffered none of his words to fall to the ground but exactly perform'd what he had foretold by him and all Israel even from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a Prophet of the Lord and effectually call'd and sent to execute this office among them and that God had firmly setled him in it by making good his own word in his mouth So that after the long intermission and cessation of Prophetical Vision whereby the word of the Lord was become rare and precious as we have shew'd before the Lord renewed this gift of Prophesie by appearing in Shiloh unto Samuel and revealing his mind and will unto him by Prophetical Visions and Inspirations (b) v. 21. By the word of the Lord some understand that God did by his Eternal and Essential Word viz. Christ the Wisdom of the Father reveal his mind to Samuel that he might reveal it unto the people 1 Sam. Ch. 3. whole Chapter SECT CLV AS Samuel had before made known the word of the Lord to Eli so he does now to all Israel reproving them for their sins and telling them before hand what Judgments would fall upon them if they did not speedily repent but they not reforming the Philistines who it seems during the forty years of Eli's Government had been pretty quiet possibly because of the great slaughter Samson had made of their Lords and chief men at his death see Judg. 16.30 now begin again to invade their Land and being entred with an Army the Israelites gather themselves together to fight with them and pitch their Camp at a place which was afterward call'd Eben-ezer the occasion whereof we may see afterwards Ch. 7.11 and the Camp of the Philistines was in Aphek a City in the Tribe of Judah The Armies joining Battel the Israelites were smitten before the Philistines and lost 4000 men The Israelites having rallied their scattered forces the Elders of the people began to inquire with some astonishment why the Lord had thus left them and suffered the Philistines to prevail over them though
old heavy and corpulent and falling down backward he broke his neck and died having judged Israel forty years Samuel the 14th Judg. His daughter-in-law Phinehas's wife was with child and ready to be delivered who when she heard those dismal tidings of the taking of the Ark the death of her father-in-law and husband she bowed her self and the pains of travel came upon her and being delivered yet so as she was ready to expire the women about her sought to comfort her telling her that she had borne a Son but she regarded it not only named the child Iehabod that is where is the glory (c) v. 22. Quod capta esset Arca Dei illud imprimis eam cruciabat nam domesticam calamitatem publicae postponebat Eliciamus hinc documentum lamentandi potius spiritualia dona quam temporalia Mendoz. intimating that the Ark being taken b which was the sign of Gods presence the glory was departed from Israel and so she gave up the Ghost 1 Sam. Ch. 4. whole Chapter SECT CLVI THE Philistines having taken the Ark they carried (a) Illa lex de non tangenda Area ad solos Israelitas spectavit unde Philistini Arcam tangentes non dederunt poenas quia culpam non contraxerunt Mendoz. it undoubtedly with great Triumph to Ashdod since call'd Azotus Act. 8.40 and placed it in the Temple of Dagon their God presenting it as a captive before their Idol by whose help possibly they perswaded themselves they had overcome the Hebrews and their God yet possibly they had some kind of reverence for it and therefore feared to offer any violence to it or to open it or take forth the Tables of the Law that were in it but however that was they placed it near unto Dagon The Priests of Dagon rising early the next morning and coming to see how the Ark and their Idol had agreed together they found that Dagon was fallen on his face to the earth before the Ark whereby the Lord did discover to them what a vain Idol their Dagon was and that the God of Israel was the only true Almighty God and that he had cast down their Idol-god in his own Temple The Priests took their Idol and set it up again and no doubt used all their skill to fasten it and make it sure from falling any more But coming again the next morning they found their Dagon fallen again upon his face to the ground before the Ark and his head and both the palmes of his hands (e) Gravius secunda vice mutilatur Dagon ut sic intelligerent Azotii veri Numinis potentiam Idoli sui vanitatem Fag cut off and cast at the threshold of the House only the stump and lower part of him was left intire Their Dagon being thus broken to pieces the Priests could not set him up again nor conceal his ruin from the people as possibly before they had done they might see now that it was not by any Casualty but by the will and power of God that he was thus thrown down But though God had cast the head and hands of Dagon to the threshold that so they might as it were be despised and trodden upon by those that came into that house yet the Priests and the people of Ashdod were so superstitious (d) Nulla Miracula satis magna sunt ad animum impium emendandum citra Dei spiritum P. Martyr even to the time when this History was written that they would not so much as tread on the threshold of that Temple accounting it sanctified by the touch of the head and hands of their Idol And thus by the over-ruling Providence of God even their superstition became a means to perpetuate the memory of this wonderful work of God in confounding their Idol which otherwise might in some short time have been forgotten The Lord having thus clearly discovered to the men of Ashdod that their Dagon was a vain Idol and that the God of Israel whose Ark they had boldly surprized was the only true God which he had sufficiently demonstrated first by casting down their Idol before his Ark and at last by breaking it in pieces yet notwithstanding they continued as superstitiously devoted to their Idol as they were before and were not afraid still to detain the Ark of God in captivity Therefore the Lord resolved to punish them severely for it and accordingly his hand was heavy upon the City of Ashdod and upon the Coasts thereof and he destroyed and wasted their land by sending multitudes of Mice among them Ch. 6.5 and smote them with the Emerods a disease not only painful but as the Psalmist intimates Psal 78.66 disgraceful also and to many of them mortal as appears from v. 10. The men of Ashdod seeing in what a sad condition they were they openly said the Ark of the God of Israel should not abide among them for they plainly saw that his hand was heavy upon themselves by inflicting this strange disease upon them and that it had been heavy also upon Dagon their God wherefore they convened the Lords of the Philistines to consult together what course was fit to be taken in this case These Lords agreed that the Ark should be carried from thence to Gath another of their five principal Cities situate upon an hill near unto the Sea see Amos 6.2 resolving thereby to try whither it was the presence of the Ark that had caused those plagues or whither they came by any other accident The Ark being brought to Gath God smote the inhabitants thereof both small and great with Emerods in their secret parts hereupon they sent away the Ark to Ekron another of the principal Cities of the Philistines when it was come thither the Ekronites cry'd out they have brought the Ark of the God of Israel to us to bring upon us the same plagues that they have been plagued with because of it And it fell out accordingly for immediately there was a deadly destruction throughout the City possibly some mortal contagion reigned among them and the men that died not of that plague were yet smitten with the Emerods so that the cry of the city went up to heaven hereupon they also convened the Lords of the Philistines and desired them to send away the Ark to its own place viz. to the land of the Israelites that they might not be destroyed by reason of it But these Lords being very loth to part with so glorious a Trophie of their victory desired yet to try a little further and therefore sent it after this to Gaza and Askelon as appears Ch. 6.4 17. which Cities felt the same plagues by reason of the Ark which the other had done Thus the Ark of the Lord was in the Country of the Philistines seven months (a) Miruâ— hic stupor quod tam diu in suo consilio pertinaces haereant tot hominum funere suam insaniam tueri vellent Sanctius but they being at last
possibly that these Kine had been given up by the Philistines to the service of the Lord to bring home the Ark and having been imployed in so sacred a service it was not fit they should be imployed to any other use and therefore they resolved by this way of an extraordinary Burnt-offering to give them up to the Lord. And besides this Burnt-offering of the Kine the men of Bethshemesh brought their own Oblations to the Priests who offered Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings to the Lord that day for them as an expression of their thankfulness to God for the return of the Ark. But it seems some of the men of Bethshemesh were so presumptuous as to open the Ark and to look into it whereas it was not lawful for any but the Priests no not for the Levites themselves who carried it to look upon it bare and uncovered see Numb 4.20 yet it seems these bold Bethshemites not only took liberty without any fear or reverence to gaze and stare upon it but proceeded further even to look into it possibly to see whether the Philistines had taken any thing out of it or put any thing into it which they should not have done but only the Priests Hereupon God smote seventy (a) v. 19. Textus sic se habet percussit de populo 70 viros 50 millia virorum i. e. percussit de populo in quo erant viri 50 mille viros 70. Syr. Ar. legunt 5 millia 70 viros Sic pro chamishim legunt duntaxat chamish q. d. percussit de populo Bethshemitico in quo erant 5 mille viros 70. ut sensus sit Deum pro indulgentia sua noluisse in omnes reos animadvertere sed in partem tantum eorum Ergo supplenda est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ante 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reddenda si sequamur Syr. Ar. quinque mille Quis enim credaâ— ex oppido non admodum copioso 50 millia mortuos esse plurimos relictos qui eorum funera lugerent Secundum aliquoâ— sensus loci est illos 70 viros tales fuisse ut a quipararentur 50 millibus de plebeiis vide 2 Sam. 18.3 of them who it seems were most presumptuous though there were many thousands of them that had adventured to look upon it uncovered He smote of the people the Text says that were fifty thousand or as the Syriack and Arabick read it five thousand †These were not all probably the inhabitants of Bethshemesh but many of them such as â—â—ooked from the neighbouring Countries to see the Ark when returned seventy persons And the Bethshemites bewailed this sad slaughter God had made among them in a complaining manner they said Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God who manifesteth himself from between the Cherubims and to whom shall the Ark which is the sign and pledg of his Presence go up from us Intimating that people would be afraid to entertain it seeing such direful things following of it So they went to the Inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim a City in the Tribe of Judah not far from them to desire them to fetch the Ark thither pretending possibly it was a place of much more safety for it to be in than their City was The men of Kirjath-jearim were so far from opposing the bringing of the Ark to their City notwithstanding the sad calamity that had befallen so many of the Bethshemites that they themselves fetched it thither and undoubtedly with much joy the Priests of Bethshemesh carrying it as believing that it was not the presence of the Ark among the men of Bethshemesh but their irreverent carriage in gazing upon it or looking into it that was the cause of their misery When they had brought it to their City they placed it in the house of Abinadab a Levite and a man as 't is like of singular holiness whose house was on a hill and possibly fenced in and called Gibeah 2 Sam. 6.3 a place of strength and safety for the Ark to be kept in Having carried it into his house they sanctified Eleazar his Son to keep it that is they chose him to be set apart to this holy imployment to give continual attendance upon the Ark that he might keep others from coming near to pollute or defile it and they caused him to prepare himself for this Sacred charge by washing his garments and other such like Ceremonies of Legal purifying It may seem strange that they did not carry the Ark back to the Tabernacle in Shiloh but it seems the Lord would shew his indignation against the former wickedness of that place by not suffering the Ark to be carried thither again So he forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh c. Psal 78.60 And the Ark being thus separated from the Tabernacle they continued divided for ever after for 't is said that David prepared a new Tent for it 1 Chron. 15.1 and it remained at Kirjath-jearim twenty years (d) This cannot be meant of the whole time of the Arks remainning at Kirjath-jearim for tween the death of Eli shortly after which the Ark was brought to this place and the beginning of Davids reign when it was removed thence 2 Sam. 6.2 3. there must needs be forty years allowed for the Government of Saul and Samuel Act. 13.21 all which time the Ark continued in Kirjath-jearim unless when it was for a while carried forth into the Camp in the War against the Philistines Ch. 14.18 before the people could be won to that solemn repentance and conversion recited in the following verses But though the Ark was at Kirjath-jearim yet the Tabernacle and publick worship of God was at Shiloh 1 Sam. Ch. 5. wh Ch. Ch. 6. wh Ch. Ch. 7. ver 1 2. SECT CLVII FOR twenty years together after the Ark was removed to Kirjath-jearim the Isralites were grievously oppressed by the Philistines but at length by the exhortation of Samuel and the troubles they had felt they were brought to repentance and lamented after the Lord that is humbling themselves cried and called unto him for help and deliverance The Elders therefore of Israel resorting to Samuel he exhorted them to put away their strange Gods and Goddesses see Judg. 2.13 14. and to prepare and compose their hearts to serve the Lord intirely in a setled course of new obedience and then he doubted not but he would deliver them out of the hands of the Philistines Accordingly they did abandon and cast away their Idols and served the Lord only as his Law required Samuel hereupon summons the whole body of the people to Mizpeh * Situate in the confines of Judah and Benjamin and therefore reckoned among the Cities of both Tribes see Josh 15.38 18.26 that there they might together renew their Covenant with God which they had so shamefully broken and joining together in serious and solemn humiliation they might by fasting and prayer implore mercy and forgiveness from God with a return of his
former favour to them and might also consider and consult together of the best means that were to be used to deliver themselves from the Philistines Tyranny And accordingly being met together at Mizpeh they there kept a solemn fast and humbled themselves exceedingly before the Lord insomuch that they are said to have drawn water that is plenty of tears from their contrite hearts and to have poured them out before the Lord †See Jer. 9.1 Job 16.20 Psal 6.6 using withal perhaps some external effusion or pouring forth of water to represent and signifie their inward repentance and mourning for their sins And after they had reconciled themselves to God Samuel as a Judge composed and arbitrated the controversies and private differences that were among the people The Philistines hearing that the Israelites were met together at Mizpeh they presently suspected that they were plotting some rising and contriving some means to deliver themselves from under their yoke and to prevent this they presently raised their forces and marched to suppress them (c) Habrei cum paenitentiam egerunt gravius a Philistinis oppugnantur Sic qui ad meliorem frugem redire volunt acrius a Diabolo tentantur majores ab hominibus persecutiones patiuntur Samuel dum studet populum liberare videtur accersisse ei gravissimum periculum Illum igitur imprudendentiae temeritatis accusare possent Quare cum inimus consilia quae Deus approbat si quid sinistri contigerit ne paeniteat nos facti neque a recta via deflectamus sed voluntati Dei acquiescamus Calv. The children of Israel hearing of their coming were very much afraid knowing the strength of their enemies and their own present weakness and unpreparedness being met together to pray and not to fight In this extremity they desire Samuel to be instant in prayer to the Lord for them for they had no hope but in his help and assistance who is the Lord of Hosts and giver of victory Samuel hereupon took a sucking Lamb and either caused it to be offered by a Priest not being of that order himself or did it as a Prophet immediately inspired by God and warranted to do it by some special dispensation as Elijah also did 1 King 18.31 32 c. see also Judg. 6.26 Upon the same warrant likewise he offered his Burnt-offering here at Mizpeh on an Altar of his own erecting and not on the Altar in the Tabernacle And Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel and the Lord heard him as appears by what followed for the Army of the Philistines drawing near the Israelites as it seems put themselves into the best posture they could to resist them and the Lord thundred with a terrible thunder upon the Philistines see Ch. 2.10 striking them as 't is like with dreadful Hailstones * See Josh 10 11. and Thunderbolts so that they were discomfited that day before Israel and the rest of the Israelites that stayed at Mizpeh upon the news of their defeat came out and joined in the pursuit and slaughter of them and they pursued them till they came under Bethear which it seems was a Rock where the Philistines having a garrison the Israelites were hindred from prosecuting their victory any further The Army of the Philistines being thus discomfited Samuel as a Monument of their victory and in thankefulness to God for his gracious assistance by which alone they had obtained it took a great stone * Idem fecerunt Jacob. Gen. 28.18 35.14 Josh 4.8 9. and set it up between Mizpeh and Shen which was a Rock over against it calling it Eben-ezer that is the stone of help saying hitherto God has helped us And 't is remarkable that in the very same place where before the Israelites were vanquished and the Ark taken captive Ch. 4.1 they should now erect a Trophy of victory by them obtained The Philistines were so subdued at this time that they came no more into the land while Samuel governed alone †After Saul was chosen to be their King 't is plain they did often with their Armies enter the Land for they saw the hand of the Lord was against them and they restored to Israel the Cities they had formerly taken from them reserving only some places of strength see 1 Sam. 10.5 wherein they kept Garrisons for the better awing of the Israelites And after this there was a cessation from open War between the Israelites and the Philistines and possibly the rest of the Canaanites who being terrified with this victory which God had from Heaven given the Israelites ceased for the present from troubling of them 1 Sam. Ch. 7. from v. 3 to 15. SECT CLVIII SAmuel from the time he was made Judge judged Israel to the day of his death For though Saul after he was made King had the Supreme Power in his hands yet Samuel as long as he lived exercised the jurisdiction of a Judge which God had called him unto as appears by his killing of Agag whom Saul had spared Ch. 15.32 33. And also as a Prophet he directed him in his Government admonished him of his duty reproved him when he did amiss Ch. 15.23 13.13 yea threatned him when he rebelled against Gods command with the loss of his Kingdom Ch. 15.28 and anointed David King in his stead Ch. 16.13 Sometimes indeed they joined together in the Government as in making War against Nabash the Ammonite and relieving Jabesh-Gilead when it was besieged Ch. 11.7 and in this regard the years of both their Governments are joined in the same account of forty years as we may see Act. 13.20 21. Samuel therefore went as a Judge from year to year in circuit to Bethel Gilgal and Mizpeh to hear and determine the causes of the people and as a Prophet to teach and direct them Neither was Samuel bound by his Mothers Vow Ch. 1.11 22. whereby he was devoted to the service of the Sanctury to continue his residence there and that not only because for the sins of the Priests and people the Lord had withdrawn the Ark the visible sign of his Presence from the Tabernacle at Shiloh but also because the Lord himself had taken him off from that Levitical service and called him to another imployment namely to be an holy Prophet and a Judge over his people When he had gone his Circuit he returned to Ramah where his usual dwelling was and his most ordinary place of Judicature and there he built an Altar * Thus we read of divers Altars erected as by Joshua upon mount Ebal Josh 8.30 by Gideon Judg. 6.24.26 by Samuel here and Ch. 11.15 Ch. 16.2 5. by David 2 Sam. 24.25 by Solomon 1 King 8.64 by Elijah 1 King 18.32 to offer Sacrifices Indeed God appointed but one Altar to be ordinarily used for Sacrifices as there was but one Tabernacle but upon extraordinary occasions he allowed holy men by a particular dispensation to build other Altars when it
thousand and the men of Judah (a) Where by the way we may observe the humble submission of the Tribe of Judah to the Government of Saul notwithstanding they had the promise of the Kingly Scepter because they saw it thus determined by the pleasure of God thirty thousand having got this great Army together Saul and Samuel sent away the messengers that came from Jabesh-Gilead to inform the Inhabitants thereof that on the morrow by that time the Sun was well up they might expect them to come for their help The messengers returning to the City with this news the Inhabitants thereof were wonderfully revived at it and sent to Nahash who besieged them that on the morrow they would come out to him meaning and understanding thereby if no help came for them in the mean time But this they concealed (b) Sic non tam ipsi decipiebant suos hostâ—s quam permittebant ut ipsi deciperentur that nothing might be presently attempted against them and to make their enemies the more secure that Saul might have the greater advantage against them Saul dividing his Army into three parts and marching as it seems all night by the morning-watch he came upon the enemy and surprized them unawares and slew a vast number of them and so scattered the rest that there were very few of them left together And thus he raised the siege of Jabesh and freed the Inhabitants thereof from that horrid cruelty intended against them (a) How thankful the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead were afterwards to Saul for this great benefit we may see Ch. 31.11 12 13. The Israelites were so transported with joy for this victory and so taken with the prudence and brave conduct of Saul in the obtaining of it that some of them came to Samuel and said Where are the men that said Saul shall not reign over us bring them forth that we may put them to death But Saul said There shall not a man be put to death this day on my account I shall never consent that a day of so much joy and triumph and wherein God has so eminently shewed himself gracious unto us shall be stained with severity against those that slighted me or with the least sorrow or mourning among the people And here we see again what a difference there was betwixt Saul in his first Government and what he was afterwards when the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him Now none more humble and gentle than he not a man shall be put to death for him but afterwards in his dealing with David and the Priests of the Lord he was another man even blood-thirsty cruel and implacable beyond measure But to go on Samuel upon this victory spake to the people after this manner Come says he let us go to Gilgal and renew the Kingdom there that is let us by a general consent confirm Saul's Election and settle and invest him in the Kingdom Accordingly the people went to Gilgal and there they made Saul King before the Lord * V. 15. that is in a solemn manner as in Gods presence and possibly before the Ark the sign of his presence which by Samuel's appointment might be brought hither at this time that they might consult with God as occasion served in this weighty business and also it may be that it might grace the action that is they anointed him publickly as before Samuel had done privately and performed all other Solemnities requisite for his Inauguration sacrificing Sacrifices of Peace-offerings and Thanksgiving before the Lord and rejoicing and praising him for their late victory and for their new King by whose conduct under God they had obtained it and praying to the Lord for him and craving his blessing upon his Government 1 Sam. Ch. 11. whole Chapter SECT CLXIII THE Children of Israel being at this time wonderfully transported with joy for their new King and possibly flattering themselves that God was well pleased with them for asking a King seeing he had given them one by whom they had obtained so great a victory Samuel thought fit to take this occasion to make them sensible of their mistake and that they had grievously sinned in asking a King whereby they rejected God from reigning over them as their Soveraign and himself as his Deputy and Vicegerent Behold says he I have hearkened to your voice and have according to your desire the Lord also permitting it set a King over you And now you have a King setled among you to govern you and go before you as your General to war And as for my self I have very great cause to be well pleased being old and gray-headed that the burden of the Government is taken off from my shoulders And as for my Sons behold they are with you now not as rulers but as private men they are before you to give account to you and your King of their former behaviour and carriage and to make satisfaction (a) q. d. Filios meos habetis in potestate vestra Si quid dignum severo supplicio commiseâ—int non substraham eòs legitimae satisfactioni Si enim quid perperam in sua gubernatione commiserint id me praeceptore non didicerunt neque talia excusabo for any thing they have done amiss whilst they were in place of Government And as for my self I may truly say that I have endeavoured faithfully and in the uprightness of my heart to perform the duties of my place in the sight of you all both in the service of the Sanctuary in my younger days when I was a Levite and in my riper age by administring justice since I was called to be a Judg. And seeing the Government is transferred from me to another you need not now fear to speak your minds of me and therefore if you can justly accuse me of any evil speak it freely and witness it against me before the Lord and before his anointed whose Ox * A rare precedent for such to look upon as are in any publick place or office I pray you or whose Asse have I wrongfully taken away whom have I defrauded or whom have I oppressed of whom have I received bribes to blind mine eyes †See Deut. 16.19 and to cause me to wrest judgment If any such injurious dealing can be proved against me here I am ready to make restitution and to give satisfaction The people answered Thou hast not defrauded or oppressed us at all neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hand to pervert justice Well then says he let the Lord be witness and let his anointed here present be witness that you acknowledg and declare that you have not found any injustice or injurious dealing in me They answered let them be witnesses Possibly he desired thus to justifie and clear himself as to the whole course of his Government as Moses likewise had done Numb 16.15 both that he might be an example to their new King and make him the
him to salute and welcome him Samuel understanding how things had gone angryly said to him What hast thou done Saul tells him that having waited for him till a great part of the seventh day was spent he conceived he would not come within the time appointed and so being constrained by necessity even against his will (c) The true cause why he hastened to Sacrifice seems to be because his Soldiers run away so fast from hâ—m in whom he put more confidence than in God he had offered Sacrifice (d) V. 12. Roboravi itaque me i. e. Obfirmavi animum q. d. etiam reclamante animo obtuli holocaustum prae timore Quare cum inter se confligerent voluntas necessitas tandem vicit necessitas sed nulla erat necessitas offerendi Sacrificia contra voluntatem divinam Tali enim Sacrificio non placatur Deus sed irritatur V. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat durationem longam non tamen aeternam q. d. longo tempore dignitas illa Regia mansisset in tua stirpe In sempiternum i. e. quam diu Saulis posteritas viveret Gr. for how could he stay any longer except he would have had the enemy to come upon him and his weak and unarmed company before he had made supplication to the Lord for them and sued for his help which would have been the way to expose them to ruin and destruction Samuel said Thou hast done foolishly in not waiting full seven days as I appointed thee from the Lord Ch. 10.18 Hadst thou obeyed the Commandment of the Lord herein he would have established thy Kingdom over Israel for ever that is for a long time even as long as any of thy posterity lived But now thy Kingdom shall not continue that is shall not be established upon thee and thy posterity but shall be rent from thee and given to another It may perhaps seem strange that Saul should lose his Kingdom for this which to the eye of reason appears not so great a transgression if we consider what Saul pleaded for himself but we must also consider that there may be much wickedness of heart in doing that which outwardly seems but a small offence and Saul being the first King of Israel God was pleased by this severity against him for his violation of his command to make him an example to all that should afterwards succeed in that Throne that they might fear to transgress the Commandment of the Lord as he had done Thus the Lord did with great severity punish the first sin of Nadab and Abihu Levit. 10.1 that all the succeeding posterity of Aaron might take warning thereby and beware how they carried themselves in their Priestly Office But to go on Samuel tells Saul that because he had not obeyed the Lord he knew by revelation that the Lord intended to reject him and that he had found out a man after his own heart though he knew not at present who it was whom he had appointed and designed to be King and Captain over his people in his stead Samuel having delivered to him this sad message went up from thence to Gibeah Saul now numbring the Souldiers he had left found them to be but about six hundred the rest of his two thousand being run away with this small party he goes up to Gibeah where Jonathan joins with him the Philistines great Army was now encamped at Michmash from whence they sent out parties to spoil the Country and to fetch in booty to their Camp and therefore they went out three several ways one to Ophrah a City of Benjamin that lay North-â—ast from Michmash the other to Bethoron a City of Ephraim that lay North-west and the third towards the Valley of Zeboim which was South-East Saul had but a very small Army as we have seen before and those only armed with Clubs Bows or Slings not a Sword or Spear found among any of them but only Saul and Jonathan and the reason of it was this The Philistines when they gave the Israelites that great defeat Ch. 4.10 and took the Ark of God they disarmed them taking away their iron armes and weapons and to keep them from getting any more for the future they took away all their Smiths and would not let one of that Trade live among them lest they should make them Swords and Spears (a) The chief victory that the Israelites got over the Philistines after this was miraculous not gotten with Sword or Spear but with thunder from heaven 1 Sam. 7.10 Nebuchadnezzar also carried away the Craftsmen and Smiths out of the land of Israel possibly for the same reason 2 King 24.14 Naâ— the Israelites were in such miserable bondage that they were feign to go to the Smiths that were in the Philistines Garrisons to sharpen their Shares and Coulters their Axes and Mattocks only they allowed them Files at their own houses to sharpen their Tools when they were blunted 1 Sam. Ch. 13. from v. 1 to 23. SECT CLXV THE body of the Philistines Army remaining in the Plains about Michmash it seems a party of them went and took a passage near to them which was the passage from Michmash towards Gibeah and kept it against the Israelites Jonathan the Son of Saul being moved by a special instinct of the Spirit of God and endued not only with Heroick gifts of valour and fortitude but also with an extraordinary strong faith in Gods promises that if his people obeyed him One of them should chase a thousand of their enemies and two of them put ten thousand to flight Deut. 32.30 He had a design in his head to set upon that Court of Guard of the Philistines which kept the Michmash-passage but he acquaints not his Father with it who in likelihood would have disswaded him from undertaking so dangerous and desperate an enterprize Saul was now encamped with his six hundred men in some field or plain near unto Gibeah called Migron where having fortified himself he observ'd the motions of the enemy Abiah (a) God threatned Eli that his children should die in the slower of their age See 1 Sam. 2.21 23. the Son of Ahitub the eldest Son of Phinehas being now High-Priest came thither with the Ephod and Ark for the peoples better encouragement Jonathan now acquaints his Armour-bearer with his design Come says he let thou and I go and surprize that Court of Guard which the uncircumcised * For being aliens and not in Covenant with God they are not under his protection and we being His people and in Covenant with him have his promise that he will give us victory over his and our enemies yea a special promise that Saul shall save us out of the hand of the Philistines Ch. 9.16 Philistines keep near Michmash come let us try it may be the Lord will work for us for there is no restraint to him to save by many or by few His Armour-bearer replied Do all that is in thine heart
servants along with him * See v. 2. and Mat. 12.3 4. and some few others that voluntarily joined themselves to him 1. He first flies to Nob a City in the Tribe of Benjamin near to Anathoth about twelve miles from Gibeah whither it seems the Tabernacle was now removed from Shiloh though the Ark still remained at Kirjath-jearim see Chap. 7.1 and possibly Saul caused it to be removed hither for his own conveniency that he might with more speed and ease upon all occasions resort to it And hence it was that there were so many Priests now dwelling here namely that they might attend upon the service of the Tabernacle David being resolved to fly for his safety out of the land came hither first not only to get some supply of his present want but also to visit the Tabernacle that he might there worship the Lord before his departure and seek unto him for help and comfort in this his day of adversity Leaving therefore his small company in some place nigh he went himself to Ahimelech the High-Priest at Nob It seems Ahiah his brother being dead he was High-Priest in his room who it seems was also call'd Abiather see Mark 2.26 and had a Son also of that name as we may see Ch. 22.20 Ahimelech was much troubled when he saw David come to him alone fearing that he was fled from Saul upon some displeasure and if so it would be dangerous for him to entertain him He asks him therefore how it came to pass that he was alone David replies that the King had sent him about a secret business and enjoined him to let no body know of it and so he had appointed his servants to stay for him in a place nigh at hand This was indeed a direct lye and proved afterwards the occasion of that horrible Massacre which Saul made of Ahimelech and the rest of the Priests of that City even eighty five persons that wore a linnen Ephod yea of the utter destruction of the City and the inhabitants thereof both men and women and children yea even of the very beasts as we read Ch. 22.18 19. Just cause had David to bewail this pernicious lye of his as long as he lived and so no doubt he did for he charges it upon himself when Abiathar the Son of Ahimelech brought him the sad tidings thereof Ch. 22.22 I have occasioned says he the death of all the persons of thy Fathers house And 't is supposed that the remorse for this very sin was fresh in his heart when he wrote that passage in the 119. Psal v. 28 29. My soul melteth away for heaviness strengthen thou me according to thy word Remove from me the way of lying c. David now desires Ahimelech to furnish him with some bread and provisions for himself and his servants that were at hand they being in great want of food Ahimelech tells him he had no bread there at the Tabernacle but the shew-bread * Davids hast was such thorough the apprehension of danger that he must presently be gone therefore he could not stay for other bread which was not to be eaten by any but the Priests see Levit. 24.9 much less by any that were unclean Yet considering that charity is to be preferred before all ceremonies and that in case of necessity the Ceremonial Law was to give way to the Moral he condescends in this exigence to relieve them with the shew-bread and what he did therein is approved by our Saviour Mat. 12.3 4. provided the young men had kept themselves from their wives (a) Hic sacerdos ni nis videtur scrupulosus Quid enim si David fuisset immundus Ideone voluit illum fame mori which it seems the Priests that were to eat the shew-bread thought themselves bound to do by a laudable custom grounded on Exod. 19.15 though not expresly by the Law commanded And it seems the High-Priest thought that if the young men had not thus abstained they would be under a double impediment David tells him 't was three days since they came out and all that time they had been absent from their wives therefore the bodies of the young men were clean and on this account not unfit to eat of this bread Besides says he the shew-bread is in this case of necessity to us but as common bread so as we may lawfully eat of it especially seeing it is this day (b) Hereby it appeareth that it was the Sabbath-day on which David came to Nob whereon new shew-bread was put in the place of the old removed from standing upon the Table before the Lord and there is other bread consecrated according to the Law and set hot in the room of it upon these considerations the High-Priest gave him the shew-bread But it so happened that there was one of the servants of Saul there that day by name Doeg the chiefest of Saul's herdsmen by Nation an Edomite but by profession a Proselyte to the Religion of the Israelites yet a notorious wicked man and a great enemy to David it seems he was detained there before the Lord that is in the Court of the Tabernacle to pay some Vow he had made or to offer some Sacrifice he was engag'd to offer This man diligently observed David and his actions that he might relate them to Saul David askt Ahimelech whether he had not there a Sword or Spear that he could lend him for he told him he had not brought his Sword or his weapons with him because the Kings business required hast Thus one lye making a breach in the Conscience another quickly follows it and finds an easie passage thorough it The High-Priest told him there was no Sword there but Goliaths (c) The rest of Goliath's armour David had dispos'd of elsewhere see Ch. 17.54 but his sword was brought to the Tabernacle there to be reserved as a memorial of that victory to the praise of God which was wrapt in a cloth and kept behind that holy place where the Sacred Vestments and Ornaments were laid up of which the Ephod was the chiefest see Exod. 28.4 6. if he pleased he might have that David answered There is none like to that give it me for as oft as I look upon it it will put me in mind of Gods wonderful assistance vouchsafed to me in conquering Goliath and will strengthen my faith and affiance in him that he will help me in the like difficulties and dangers Ch. 21. from 1 to 10. 2ly Having gotten Goliath's sword he now flies into the Country of Achish King of Gath call'd also Abimeleck which was the common name of the Kings of the Philistines here he hoped to have sojourned at least for a time secretly and undiscovered It seems he had more hope of safety there than in his own Country at present The servants of Achish after some time discover who he was and apprehend him Possibly Goliath's sword might be some means of discovering of him and so
Israelites home with them While David and his forces were here about Keilah Abiathar the Son of Ahimelech who only escaped of the Priests at Nob being now High-Priest in his Fathers room came to David and brought the Ephod with him which was a visible pledge that God had forsaken Saul and would be with David to direct him in all his ways So that David hath now the High-Priest and a Prophet in his army Abiathar relates to him the sad story of Saul's destroying Nob and the Priests that were there David replies I fear'd when I was at Nob that Doeg would acquaint Saul therewith Alas I must needs say to my great grief and sorrow that I have been the occasion though not intentionally of the death of thy Fathers family seeing they suffered these calamities not only for my sake but partly through my fault However abide thou under my protection and I shall take care of thee that I may as much as lyes in me make thee some amends Thou maist assure thy self that I will be as careful of thy safety as of my own for I know that he that seeks my life seeks thine also 1 Sam. Ch. 23. from 1 to 7. Ch. 22. from v. 20 to the end 7ly Saul now understanding that David with his forces had got into the City of Keilah which he had lately rescued from the Philistines he said God * Hypocritae semper praedicare solent Deum a se stare sibi esse propitium hath delivered him into my hands for he is shut in being entred into a Town that hath gates and bars He thought it seems he had him in such a trap that he could not escape Saul immediately therefore gathers a great army together to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men David by secret intelligence understood that Saul was contriving mischief against him therefore he call'd to Abiathar the High-Priest to bring the Ephod and to put it on and to inquire of the Lord for him by Vrim and Thummim and David joyning his request to the Lord said O Lord God of Israel thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul intendeth to come to Keilah to destroy the City for my sake I pray thee inform me by thine holy Oracle whither he will come or no and in case he do come whither the men of Keilah will be treacherous to me and endeavour to deliver me into his hands The Lord who by his Prescience * Deus â—erto praescit non solum quae re ipsa absoluâ—e futura sunt sâ—d etiam quae quavis conditione posita futura essent A Lap. knoweth future contingents which will come to pass in a course of natural causes if not prevented or crossed by other contingents he telleth him that Saul would come thither that is if he viz. David staid there and the men of Keilah would deliver him into Saul's hands that is if their intention and purpose were not prevented and crossed by his speedy departure from them David having received this answer he with his men which were now about six hundred †Semper in cruce crescit numerus pionum quod ex omnibus sacris Historiis facile possumus intelligere P. Martyr arose and departed out of Keilah and went whither soever they could go and sought up and down for some place to shelter themselves in and Saul hearing they were gone from Keilah forbear to go with his army thither 1 Sam. Ch. 23. from v. 7 to 14. 8ly David intending only to stand on his own defence and not to raise an offensive war betakes himself with his forces to the strong holds in the Wilderness of Ziph in the Tribe of Judah and particularly to Hachilah-Hill South of Jessimon And Saul continually sought his life but the Lord delivered him not into his hands Jonathan having as it 's probable secret intelligence from David where he was he went privately to him and strengthened his hands in God by putting him in mind of the promises of God and assuring him of his protection and favour and thereby strengthening his faith he filled his heart with comfort and courage He bad him be of good courage for the hand of Saul his Father should not find him to do him any hurt Thou shalt says he be King over Israel and that my Father knows very well from the words of Samuel Ch. 15.28 see also Ch. 20.30 31. and I shall be next unto thee Of this it seems he conceived some hope grounded on David's great love to him and possibly on some particular promise he had made to him and the firm Covenant that was between them though he had no assurance of it God having made no such promise to him but intending otherwise to dispose of him and to take him to a better Kingdom so that he lived not to see David sit on Israel's Throne Jonathan having spoken after this manner to David they renewed and confirmed their Covenant in the presence of the Lord which they had formerly made and Jonathan went to his own house David abiding still in the Wood. The Ziphites being terrified possibly with that severity Saul had used against Nob and the Priests of the Lord there Ch. 22.18 19. they come now and acquaint him that David did hide himself in the Wood near them and if he would please to come down with his forces thither they would do their utmost to deliver him into his hands Saul took their message very kindly Blessed be ye says he of the Lord for ye have compassion on me Go therefore and prepare or order the matter with care and diligence before hand and observe all his haunts and lurking places that we may not misse of him For I understand he is very cùnning and subtile in his proceedings when you have found out these things come to me again with certain intelligence of them and I will go along with you and will find him out if he be above ground though he lurks in the most secret corner of the land So these Ziphites went before to do as Saul had injoin'd them But David understanding that they had discovered him to Saul * Upon this occasion he composed the 54 Psalm as the Title doth shew and that Saul was coming with an army to take him he removed with his forces from that place which was near Hachilah-Hill to a Plain in the Wilderness of Maon which lay Southward from Jeshimon Saul pursues after him thither and at last there was only a hill between them and that not likely to keep them long asunder seeing Saul's men being many in number began to compass David and his men round about David was here in great fear of being surprized and therefore made all the hast he could to get further out of Saul's reach Just in this nick of time God so ordering it by his Providence news came to Saul that the Philistines had invaded the land which caused him speedily to draw off his
While he was here divers of Saul's own Tribe and kindred resorted unto him who are named before the men of Gad who had fallen to him before because these mens coming to him was more strange and remarkable And all who favoured his cause had here opportunity to resort to him as we may see 1 Chron. 12. from v. 1 to 22. Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag and were among the mighty men helpers in the war They were armed with bows and could use both the right hand and left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow even of Sauls brethren of Benjamin The chief was Ahiezer then Joash c. and Ismaiah the Gibeonite a mighty man among the thirty Captains that came out of Benjamin to David and was Colonel over them There are but twenty three Benjamites named the other seven which should make up the thirty are not set down And some of the Gadites also separated themselves unto David when he was in the hold or fortress of Ziklag in the Wilderness of Judea men of might and trained up to war fit to order a battel and that could handle shield and buckler and whose faces were like the faces of lions that is undaunted fierce and terrible to their enemies and as swift as Roes †Some take the word Roes for Goats which very readily and swiftly climb over high rocks implying that these Gadites could easily scale high walls forts or towers and soon take them upon the mountains Of these Gadites there are eleven named who had command over several Companies of Souldiers they were all made Captains of Bands after David began to reign in Hebron some of them over an hundred and some of them over a thousand These are they that came over Jordan in the first month called Abib when it had overflown all its banks so that thereby they would not be kept from coming to assist David and they put to flight such of Sauls Souldiers as were in those troublesome times appointed to lye in the vallies near the banks of Jordan to guard the fords and passages lest any well-affected to David should from those parts come over to his aid upon these Souldiers of Saul's these Gadites came suddenly and scattered them some flying one way and some another There came also some other Benjamites besides those mentioned v. 2. that were not so nearly linked to Saul but bordering upon Judah joyned with some of that Tribe and jointly came to assist David David hearing of their coming went out to meet them and said unto them If ye be come in a peaceable and friendly manner to help me I shall love you intirely but if ye be come to betray me to mine enemies seeing I have done no wrong to Saul or any of you the God of our Fathers look thereon and rebuke you and manifest his displeasure against you for it Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Amasai * He is in other places called Amasa whom Absolom made General of his Army 2 Sam. 17.25 and whom David intended to make General instead of Joab but he was treacherously slain by Joab 2 Sam. 20.3 10. who was chief of all these brave men and he answered with great boldness and assurance Thine are we David and on thy side thou Son of Jesse Peace and all manner of prosperity be unto thee and to thy helpers and assistants and all that heartily join with thee We have observed that God hath hitherto wonderfully prospered thee and we heartily wish it may be so still Then David joyfully received them and so far trusted them that he gave every one of them a place of command in his Army Some of the Manassites also and some others came in day by day to David insomuch that his Army began now to be considerable His forces being thus encreased he would not let them be idle but under pretence of invading Judea he sent them another way and smote the Amalekites and others that are suppos'd to be the remainders of the Canaanites viz. the Geshurites namely such as dwelt formerly at Geshur in Gilead Josh 12.5 and the Gezrites whose ancestors dwelt in Gezer which belonged to Ephraim Josh 16.3 who perhaps at the first coming of the Israelites fled thence to the Amalekites and had ever since dwelt among them these Amalekites Saul was commanded to root out Ch. 15.2 3. but he left some alive and now David smote as many of them as he could light on with other the inhabitants of that place and left neither man nor woman alive viz. of such as he met with scattered in several places of that solitary Wilderness God having devoted these accursed Nations to utter destruction and hereby he took care that none should carry tidings of his proceedings to Achish who would have been highly offended if he had heard that these Nations who were either his confederates or as 't is probable his Tributaries were destroyed by David David also carried away their sheep oxen and asses and camels and apparel and returning to Achish whom possibly he perswaded that he had got that plunder out of the coasts of Judah he offered as 't is probable a part of the spoils unto him And after this when ever Achish asked him Whither have ye made a rode to day He answered that sometimes he made a rode against the South of Judah and sometimes against the South of the Jerahmeelites who were a particular family of that Tribe 1 Chron. 2.25 and sometimes against the South of the Kenites and thus either he told Achish direct lyes to secure himself and his followers from danger or at least he purposely deceived him with ambiguity of words intending that Achish should so understand him as if he had invaded the South parts of Judah whereas he meant he had invaded those bordering Countries * Aequivoce loquitur nam terminos Hi pâ—r vim occuparant qui jure spectabant ad Tribum Judae that lay Southward of Judah and of the Jerahmeelites and of the Kenites and these were indeed the people whom he invaded and not the Israelites and of these he spared none of all that he met with to bring tidings to Gath for he thought with himself that if any of them remained alive they would come and make a heavy complaint to Achish against him and say Thus did David to our Country and this will be his manner and constant course all the while he is permitted to dwell among you But Achish believed that David had invaded the people of the Jews and accordingly said Surely he hath made his own people utterly to abhor him and can never hope that they will be reconciled to him he shall therefore remain with me to do me service as long as he liveth 1 Sam. Ch. 27. wh Ch. 1 Chron. 12. from v. 1. to 23. 13ly About this time not only Achish King of Gath but with him all the other four Princes of the Philistines
the God of Heaven and earth O ye unfortunate mountains of Gilboa let no dew or rain ever fall upon you more be ye cursed with drought and barrenness (c) Gravitas doloris etiam rebus inanimatis maledicere consuevit vid. Job 3.3 as a sad and woful monument of this calamity and let there be no fruitful plots or fields found among you that may yield offerings of first fruits (d) Poëtica exclamatio cum hyperbolica imprecatione ad figurandum horrorem quo pii recordantes accepti mali percelluntur and Tythes May those hills which have given so much occasion of sorrow never afford any matter of rejoicing for there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away viz. when the Israelites were routed in the field yea the shield of Saul as though he had not been anointed with oyl that is there Saul himself dropt his shield and fell contemptibly as though he had been a common ordinary man and not a King It was far otherwise formerly For Jonathan's bow and Sauls sword used not to return empty from the blood of the slain and from the fat * Eat is mentioned to signifie men healthful lusty and strong of the mighty that is they did usually devour the blood and flesh of their stoutest enemies Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives that is they dearly loved one another though Saul in his frantick fits was sometimes enraged against Jonathan yet no doubt he dearly loved him when those fits were over And in their deaths they were not divided that is they fell together in the field They were swifter than Eagles and stronger than Lions that is they were nimble and active in pursuing their enemies and strong and valiant in subduing them Ye daughters of Israel weep over Saul who clothed you in scarlet with other delights and gave you ornaments of gold upon your apparel remember the peace you enjoyed under his Government which was accompanied with great plenty and abundance of all things both for necessity and delight remember how he enriched the land with the spoils of the enemy But O sad and deplorable how are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battel O Jonathan how wert thou slain upon those cursed high mountains I am distressed exceedingly distressed for thee my Brother Jonathan Very pleasant hast thou been unto me Thy love to me was wonderful exceeding the love of women whose affections usually are very strong How are the mighty fallen and the weapons of war lost viz. the armes that were brought by the Israelites to the battel and became a spoil to the Philistines to the great dishonour and weakning of Gods own people O tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askalon 2 Sam. Ch. 1. from 17 to the end SECT CLXXVI DAvid now inquires of the Lord by the Ephod whither he should go up to any of the Cities of Judah and he receives directions from God to go up to Hebron (a) This was at present the chief City of the Tribe of Judah and was withal the place where Abraham Isaac and Jacob were buried accordingly he with his two wives and his followers with their families went up to that City The men of Judah presently flocked thither and anointed David King over them For though before he had been anointed by Samuel yet that they might testifie their approbation of what God had appointed they chearfully now consent to accept him for their King and Soveraign and he reigned over them in Hebron seven years and six months before the rest of the Israelites did generally submit to him Soon after the men of Judah had thus acknowledged him he made inquiry after the Bodies of Saul and his Sons intending as 't is probable to have honourably buried them and he was told what had been done concerning them by the men of Jabesh Gilead of which before 1 Sam. 31.11 12 13. Hereupon he sent Messengers to them to thank them for the kindness they had shewed to Saul desiring the Lord to recompence it unto them and to manifest his mercy and faithfulness to them for it And he being now anointed King over Judah would not have them entertain any thoughts of jealousie as if he would bear them any spleen or ill will for their kindness shewed to Saul but to believe that he would the rather endeavour to manifest all kindness to them and to requite them for it 2 Sam. Ch. 2. from 1 to 8. SECT CLXXVII ABner Saul's Cousin-german who in Saul's life-time had been General of his Army fearing that if David were made King he should be displaced or disregarded and knowing he could not in reason expect that favour and preferment under David which he might under a King of his own kindred and family especially if he himself were the chief instrument to make him King and further considering that Mephibosheth Jonathans Son the heir apparent to Saul was but five years old and now lately lamed in his feet and so unfit for his purpose see Ch. 4.4 therefore he thought it best to take Ishbosheth who was the only Son of Saul that was now left except those he had by his Concubines and to make him King and to that end he took and carried him to Mahanaim a City in Gilead in the Tribe of Gad beyond Jordan chusing there to settle his new King where he might be safest and at the greatest distance from Davids party Abner well knew that David was anointed by Samuel to succeed Saul in the Throne see Chap. 3.4 but being an ambitious and atheistical man he regarded not what God had appointed and seeing Ishbosheth to be a weak and poor-spirited man he thought he might make use of him as a shadow and in the mean time rule all himself And accordingly in that City he made him King over all Israel Judah excepted who to their great praise stuck to David whom God had appointed to be King though they knew it was like to prove the occasion of a Civil War and of much danger to them however they resolved to do their duty and to leave the event to God Ishbosheth was forty years old when he began to reign and he reigned two years quietly without any quarrel with the house of David 2 Sam. 2. from 8 to 11. SECT CLXXVIII DAvid now the better to strengthen himself in his new Kingdom contracts affinity with Talmai King of Geshur (a) Israelitis ut puto era vectigalis Rex Geshur eumque ut sibi devinciret David Ishboshetho adversarium faceret filiam ejus Maacham sibi in uxorem deposcit Tirinus Geshur pars est Syriae contermina Gileadi in Trachionitide Deut. 3.14 There were also Geshurites on the South-side of Canaan towards Egypt 1 Sam. 27. and from whom David being at Ziklag fetched great store of prey a City lying in the North in the borders of Gilead and marries his daughter Maacha who bare him Absalom and a
1 Chron. 14.1 2. SECT CLXXXV THE Philistines who during the Civil Wars between David and Ishbosheth were content to look on when they saw that Ishbosheth was dead and the people had generally received David for their King who was a great warrior and that he had driven the Jebusites out of the strong Fort of Sion and that the King of Tyre had made a league with him they thought it was time for them to bestir themselves and to oppose his growing power And herein the Providence of God was remarkable that they began with him and not he with them to whom he had been formerly obliged and so might have seemed ungrateful if it had been otherwise They therefore having raised a great Army invaded the land of Israel and came to seek David to fight with him When David heard of it he went to a Fort or strong-hold near the Cave of Adullam see 2 Sam. 23.13 there to muster and arm his Soldiers and the Philistines spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim which was in the way to Bethlem and they had their Head-quarters in Bethlem it self The Israelites being as it seems at this time something distressed through want of water it being hot weather and harvest-time David wished he had a draught of the well of Bethlem but not with any intent as 't is probable to stir up any of his Souldiers to adventure to fetch it for him however three of his valiant Commanders who are supposed to be Adino Eleazar and Shammah see 1 Chron. 11.19 2 Sam. 23.13 who were the chief over the thirty Colonels or Commanders having heard him express his desire of that water they ventured to break through the host of the Philistines and came to Bethlem and drew of the water which was by the Gate and brought it unto him but David when he understood the extreme danger they had gone thorough to procure it was very sorry he had given occasion to such a rash enterprize and had thereby so dangerously exposed the lives of his great Captains therefore he would not drink of it but took it and poured it on the ground as an offering of Thanksgiving unto God for delivering them from that great danger saying Far be it from me O Lord to drink that water which was procured with the extreme hazard of these mens blood (a) 2 Sam. 23.17 Is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives and lives (b) Aquam tam pretiosam dignam judicavit quae Domino libaretur Then David enquired of the Lord by Abiathar the High-Priest whither he should go up against the Philistines or no For though he had a great Army yet he relyed not upon it but seeks to God for direction and without that would not stir He receives answer from God that he should go up and be victorious Then David came to Baalperazim whether the Philistines were now come from the valley of Rephaim 1 Chron 14.11 and David smote them there with a great slaughter whereupon he said the Lord hath broken in upon mine enemies by my hand like the breaking forth of waters signifying thereby the sense he had of Gods hand and power in driving away his enemies as waters when they break through the bank do sweep away all before them Thence this place was called afterwards Baal-perazim * The name is taken from the Idol Baal who with his Idolatrous worshippers was there destroyed see Is 28.21 And there the Philistines left their Images and Idols which they had brought with them and trusted in as their Titular Gods which were neither able to defend their vain worshippers nor themselves and David commanded his men to burn them see Deut. 7.25 1 Chron. 14.12 The Philistines shortly after recruiting their scattered Army came again to provoke the Israelites to fight with them in the very same place where they had received their former defeat though they had no provocation from David to do so he having not hotly pursued his former victory but though David had gotten a great victory over them before yet he was not so puffed up with it as to relye on his own strength therefore he would not engage with them again without first inquiring of the Lord. The Lord bids him not go up openly and directly against them as formerly but to fetch a compass and so to come upon them behind over against the Mulberry Trees where they look'd not for him and when he heard the sound of a going on the tops of the Mulberry Trees viz. of an Army of Horsemen and Chariots marching over the tops of the Trees like that 2 King 7.6 which should be a sign to him that the Lord is gone forth with his holy Angels to destroy the Philistines before him then he should bestir himself and fet upon them for says the Lord I will give thee victory over them And David did accordingly and smote the Philistines from Geba or Gibeah in Benjamin where the fight began unto Gazer situate in the west of Ephraim which was then possessed by the Philistines So that the fame of David went into all lands and God brought the fear of him upon all Nations round about him 2 Sam. Ch. 5. from v. 17. to the end 2 Sam. Ch. 23. from v. 13 to the 18. 1 Chron. Ch. 11. from v. 15 to the 20. 1 Chron. Ch. 14. from v. 8 to the end SECT CLXXXVI DAvid now enjoying peace and quietness began to take into his pious thoughts the bringing up the Ark from Kirjath-jearim and placing it in the Fort of Sion which he had lately taken from the Jebusites The Tabernacle was now at Gibeon 2 Chron. 1.3 whither it had been removed from Nob after that bloody slaughter of the Priests by Saul 1 Sam. 22. And there was the great Altar for Burnt-offerings to which the people frequently went contenting themselves therewith and not regarding the Ark the principal evidence of Gods presence among them and whereat Divine Oracles and directions were given it being now lodged in a private house Upon what occasion the Ark was removed to the house of Abinadab in Kirjath-jearim we may see Sect. 153. and 1 Sam. 7. where it continued about fourtysix years saving only when upon extraordinary occasions it was brought into the Camp see 1 Sam. 14.8 viz. thirtynine in the days of Samuel and Saul and seven in the days of David David therefore judged it more for the honour of God and of the Ark that it should not lye hid in a private family which possibly had occasion'd the people so much to neglect it but be setled in the chief City of the Kingdom in a place purposely appointed for it that the people might more conveniently resort unto it wherefore calling his great Commanders and the Elders and Heads of the people together he imparted his design unto them and desired their advice upon it He told them that if it seem'd good to them and they apprehended
Church and people in regard whereof in times of great joy they used it seems to sing this Psalm as may be gathered from Isa 12.4 it begins Give thanks unto the Lord call upon his name make known his deeds among the people set forth his glorious Attributes seek to know the Lord and his strength and resort to the Ark from whence he uses to give forth his Oracles Exod. 25.22 and is the Symbol of his Almighty presence among us and therefore call'd the Ark of his strength Psal 132.8 yea seek his favour continually day after day as occasion requires Remember the judgments of his mouth which he first threatned and then executed O ye seed of Jacob who are his adopted and peculiar people freely chosen by him He is our God he executeth his judgments on his enemies throughout the whole world O let us be mindful always of his Covenant wherein he hath declared what duties he expects from us and what rewards we may expect from him upon our obedience Gen. 17.7 9. which Covenant he hath commanded to be observed by us and the generations following us even the Covenant which he made with Abraham Gen. 17.7 15.18 and his Oath unto Isaac Gen. 26.3 4. renewing the same Covenant to him which by Oath he had confirmed unto Abraham Gen 22.16 17. and which he gave to Jacob for a Law or Statute and to Israel for an everlasting Covenant Gen. 28.13 saying unto thee and thy seed will I give the land of Canaan for an inheritance And this promise he made to them when they were but few in number and strangers in the land and when they travelled from Nation to Nation and from one Kingdom to another his Providence was visibly and remarkably over them He suffered not the Inhabitants of the places where they sojourned to do them wrong but reproved Kings for their sakes as particularly Pharaoh Gen. 12.17 and Abimelech Gen. 20.3 saying Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm that is wrong not those whom I have consecrated to my self by the anointing of my holy Spirit and to whom I do familiarly reveal my will in dreams visions and by the ministry of my holy Angels that they may teach and instruct others and God did thus defend them because by special Covenant he had taken them under his protection That which follows from hence to the 34 ver the Psalmist it seems afterwards made a new Psalm of viz. the 96 the drift of which is to stir up all Nations to praise the Lord and consequently includes a Prophesie of Christ and the gathering all Nations into the Church by the Preaching of the Gospel It begins Sing unto the Lord all ye Nations of the earth shew forth from day to day and time to time as occasion is offered his salvation viz. the redemption and salvation purchased by the Messias Great is the Lord and greatly to be feared above all Gods For the Gods of the heathen are Idols but our God made the Heavens God is a King of infinite Majesty Glory and honour most strong and mighty the fountain of all strength and gladness to his people such his people find him in his Sanctuary where he reveals himself unto them and such with glad hearts they acknowledg him to be See Psal 96.6 O ye kindreds and families of the earth ascribe unto the Lord glory and strength give unto him the glory due unto his name that is which is due unto him in respect of his Glorious Attributes bring an offering and come into his Court the place appointed for his solemn Worship and worship him in his glorious holy Sanctuary (c) 1 Chron. 16. v. 29. Worship him in the beauty of holiness Sanctitas pro Sanctuario per metonymiam adjuncti vel in ornatu sanctitatis i. e. pura mente Fear before him all ye inhabitants of the earth by him the world was made at first and by his supporting Providence it is established and firmly setled and therefore we need not fear but he will also support his Church and people Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice and let men say one to another the Lord reigneth Let the Sea roar (a) Humane affections are here ascribed to insensible creatures thereby to set out mans duty with the fulness thereof that is with all that therein is thereby as it were expressing its joy Let the fields also rejoice and the trees of the wood sing out before the Lord when he cometh to judg the world that is to rule and govern it which he will do with righteousness and faithfulness O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good his mercy endureth for ever Save us O God of our Salvation and gather us together and firmly unite us who have been before too much rent and divided and deliver us from the Heathen that we may glory in thy praise-worthy works and count it our happiness and glory that we may serve and praise thee Blessed be God for ever and ever and let all the people say Amen 1 Chron. Ch. 16. from v. 4 to the end SECT CLXXXVIII DAvid at this present enjoying peace and quietness being not disturb'd with the invasion of neighbouring Nations he began to take into his pious thoughts the building of a Temple for God and his Ark. In order hereunto he sent for Nathan the Prophet to advise with him about it He tells him he was come to dwell in a stately house which he had built for himself Hiram King of Tyre having furnished him with Cedar-trees and Carpenters and Masons for that purpose but he thought it unfit that he should dwell in so stately a Palace and the Ark of God should be lodged in the mean time only in a Tabernacle covered with Skins and Curtains Indeed while the Israelites were in the Wilderness in a flitting condition the publick place of Gods Worship was only a Tent or Tabernacle which might easily be removed with them but now they were setled in Canaan he thought it more suitable to their present state that the house allotted to Gods service should be no longer a Moveable Tabernacle but a standing Temple especially considering that he had said that when they were come into the land of their inheritance he would chuse out a place for them to cause his name to dwell there Deut. 12.10 11 14. And therefore upon these considerations and in zeal to the honour of God he had thoughts of building a Temple for his publick Worship Nathan was much pleased with the design and greatly encouraged him in it saying to him Go on (b) Hence it appears that the Prophets had not always the spirit of Prophesie upon them but spake sometimes as private men as Samuel did 1 Sam. 26.6 build an house for the Lord as thou hast designed he seems to have moved thee to it and undoubtedly will answer thee in it This approbation of Nathan so far encouraged David that as some think he
bound himself by a solemn vow that he would not rest till he had set himself upon the accomplishment of it as they gather from Psal 132.2 3 4. But God delayed not to bring David quickly out of his mistake and therefore that very night he spake to Nathan to go to him and to speak to him after this manner Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name thou didst well that it was in thine heart 1 King 8.18 but it shall not be done by thee but by thy Son 2 Chron. 6.7 8 9. it is not my pleasure that thou shouldest do it and that for these reasons 1. Because thou hast been a martial man and hast shed much blood (c) Haec verba non leguntur 2 Sam. 7. Ergo pertinent ad Paralipomena i. e. ad praetermissa unde hi duo libri nomen acceperunt which though it was the blood of mine and my peoples enemies and so was a service well pleasing to me yet the Temple being to be a Type of the Body of the Messias the Prince of Peace it shall be built by a Peaceable Prince 2ly Though thou enjoyest peace now yet thou hast many wars to wage with the Nations about thee that are not yet subdued and so canst not have leisure to go through with so great a work as that is 3ly I have not made choice of any standing permanent house wherein to manifest my gracious presence to this day but have manifested my self in a Tabernacle flitting and removing from place to place yet all that while I have been present with my people ever since coming out of Egypt as their God Alsufficient therefore there is no absolute need at present of building any other house for me which shall be done when my own time is come 4ly I did never speak to any of the Tribes of Israel or to the Judges whom I appointed as faithful shepherds to govern and provide for my people that an House of Cedar should be built for me Moreover do not think that my forbidding thee to do it proceeds from want of love to thee for thou maist remember how I have taken thee from the sheep-coat from following the sheep to be ruler over my people and have prospered thee in all thine enterprizes and have destroy'd all thine enemies that rose up against thee and have made thee famous and formidable to the Nations round about thee and have given thee a name like the name of the great Princes and Potentates of the earth And as I have already multiplied many blessings upon thee so I am still ready to do it for time to come Moreover I have not only blessed thee but I will bless the whole Nation under thy Government As I have appointed a place (a) V. 10. I have appointed a place for my people So the Dutch Annotations read it In the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 posui a good land for them so I will plant (b) How was this promise fulfill'd that the Lord would so plant them in a place of their own that they shouâ—d thence move no more and that the children of wickedness should not afflict them any more as in former times c. when after Solomons days both the Kingdom of Israel and Judah were often invaded and wasted by many of the neighbouring Nations and the people at last carried away captive to Assyria and Babylon Either this promise therefore must be restrain'd to the times of David and Solomon in whose days they did enjoy the land as their own without molestation from the neighbouring Nations or else it must be understood as a conditional promise viz. if they were obedient else God reserved liberty to himself to deal otherwise with them them there and so settle them in the land that they shall quietly enjoy it as their own lawful inheritance and not be dispossessed of it and tossed up and down as formerly they have been neither shall they be molested and vexed continually by their oppressing neighbours the children of wickedness as they have been ever since I appointed Judges to rule over them even unto this time that I have set thee over them and have given thee rest from all thine enemies round about And seeing thou hadst a purpose to build an house for me I will saith the Lord make thee an house that is I will establish and continue thy Kingdom in thy posterity and which is far more raise up out of thy seed the Messiah who shall be an everlasting King over his people And when thy days be fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy Fathers I will set up one of thy Sons viz. Solomon on the Throne after thee and will establish his Kingdom and he shall build an house for my name for my worship and service and I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom for ever (c) This is proper and peculiar to Christs Kingdom alone and cannot be literally understood of Solomons seeing the Kingdom continued in his posterity only to Zedekiah therefore the promises here are some peculiar to Solomon and some to Christ and some to both I will be to him a Father (d) This promise belonged both to Solomon and Christ to Solomon as we read 1 Chron. 28. to Christ as we read Heb. 1.5 To Solomon by grace and adoption to Christ by natural eternal generation and he shall be my Son and if he commit iniquity (c) This is to be understood of Solomon and not of Christ who committed no sin I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men that is I will correct him for his sin as a loving Father doth his beloved Son with Fatherly chastisements for his amendment and not in wrath for destruction but I will not quite cast him out of my favour and deprive him of his Kingdom as I did Saul And thine house and thy Kingdom shall be establisht for ever before thee that is thy Kingdom shall be establisht in thy self unto the day of thy death and shall in thy sight be setled upon Solomon thy Son 1 King 1.28 whence thou maist assure thy self of the continuance of it in thy posterity for a long time (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apud Hebraeos non semper significat tempus infinitum sed pro materia de qua agitur aliquando solum tempus bene longum Thus Nathan faithfully delivered unto David all that was revealed unto him in the vision he had from the Lord though it was contrary to the advice which he himself had before privately given him David having received this message went into the Tent where the Ark was and having for some time sat down and meditated on the great goodness and mercy of God to him he then addressed himself in prayer unto the Lord after this manner Who am I O Lord God and what is my Fathers house that thou hast brought me
the port and state of a Prince the people might look upon him as next heir to the Crown and give him answerable respect For the people are very apt to be taken with outward pomp and bravery and to judge those that use it to be men of brave and noble spirits David being much blinded with affection towards him takes no notice of this his ambition and popularity 2ly He cunningly insinuates himself into the hearts of the people for rising early and standing at the Kings Gate when any Suitors came to the King for justice and to do them right he would in a friendly and obliging manner inquire of their matters and where they lived When he heard their cause he would tell them their cause was good and just but the misery of it was there was none deputed by the King to hear the causes of those that repaired thither for justice that would hear them impartially and do them right Which was a base slander of a graceless Son against his Father of whom it is said Ch. 8.15 That he executed judgment and justice to all the people Then he would say O that I were made judg in the land that every one that hath any cause or suit might come unto me I would be sure to do them right 3ly When any man came nigh him and did him obeisance and paid him respect he would lovingly take him by the hand and kiss him And thus continually courting the people he stole away their hearts and drew their affections from the King to himself David all this while through the just judgment of God was so blinded that he minded it not 4ly Having by these popular ways and arts brought his business as he thought to some ripeness and maturity he now tells the King that he had made a vow when he was in Geshur that if the Lord would please to bring him back again to Jerusalem he would offer to him certain Peace-offerings and Gratulatory Sacrifices and he desired leave of him that he might go to Hebron the place where he was born and which was one of the chief high places in the Tribe of Judah about sixteen miles from Jerusalem whither in those times they resorted to offer Sacrifice there to perform that vow This was forty years (a) Being then about 22 or 23 years of age and about 7 years before he began his reign in Hebron and so about the 33 of his reign and about 7 years before his death after David was first anointed by Samuel in Bethlem and about seven years before his death David bids him go in peace Absalom accordingly went thither and it being the custom when they offered these Peace-offerings to make great feasts therewith Absalom under that colour invited many of his friends and followers and many of the people whom he hoped to win to join with the rest in his intended Conspiracy and to perswade them to make him King Then he sent spies thorough all the Tribes of Israel who at the set time agreed on when the Trumpets should sound in every Tribe and the people wonder what the matter was these spies should inform them that Absalom was anointed King in Hebron with all Regal Ceremonies and Solemnities and was so accepted and proclaimed by the people There were two hundred that were invited by Absalom to his feast of Peace-offerings at Hebron that went in the simplicity of their hearts meerly as invited guests knowing nothing of his intended Conspiracy He hoped it seems that these when they came thither and saw what the rest did would join with them However by inviting such known faithful men he thought his intended Plot would be the better concealed He sent also for Achitophel who had been formerly one of his Fathers prime Counsellors and much esteemed by him for wisdom but for some reasons as it seems was now laid aside and dwelt privately at his own City Giloh in the Tribe of Judah And thus the Conspiracy grew strong for many daily flocked in to Absalom 2 Sam. Ch. 15. from 1 to 13. SECT CXCVII THese things thus going on there came a Messenger to David from Hebron to inform him what had passed there and to acquaint him that the hearts of the people were generally for Absalom David upon this surprizing news knew not well what to do but concluded that present flying * The third Psalm is said to be penned on this occasion wherein by faith he relyed on God as his shield was the safest and securest way both for his own preservation and the good of the City He knew not what party Absalom might have in the City he thought it not safe therefore to trust himself there at present but to go out and encamp abroad in the fields and deserts He desired also to preserve the City from being spoiled and plundred which they might be exposed unto if they stood on their own defence The King therefore departing with his servants and retinue he left ten of his Concubines in his Palace taking as 't is like his other wives along with him thinking that Absalom's party would not be so barbarous and inhumane as to offer any violence to them both because they were women and also stood in so near a relation to the King But there was an over-ruling Providence in this for the bringing about that which God had threatned against David Ch. 12.11 I will take thy wives and give them to thy neighbour and he shall lye with them From Davids departure from Jerusalem for fear of Absalom there happened many remarkable things which we shall here set down in order 1. The King with his servants and guards having marched some reasonable distance from the City there they made a stand and thither to him resorted most of the Citizens that were truly loyal to him and with them six hundred Gittites (a) Sic vocantur auxiliares illorum Philistinorum quos in nuperis bellis David subegerat regno suo adjecerat born possibly at Gath or the Territories of it and who were become proselytes with Ittai their Captain who is supposed to be the King of Gaths Son and a proselyte also he was a wise and valiant man and much in the Kings favour The King seeing him there told him that he had no reason to expose himself to so much danger as they were like to meet with in their flight he being a stranger and an exile and but newly come to him it were better for him to return to Jerusalem and seek to be advanced by the new King who undoubtedly would kindly receive him and his followers seeing they were strangers Take therefore says he thy Countrymen and Souldiers and go back to him and the God of mercy and truth preserve thee Ittai replied As the Lord liveth and as my Lord the King liveth nothing shall make me leave thee but I will stick to thee both in prosperity and adversity both in life and unto death David seeing him so
of the Giant Rapha Jonathan the son of Shimea called Shammah 1 Sam. 16.9 slew this vast Giant These four fell by the hands of David and his servants For though David did not kill any of them himself yet their death is ascrib'd to him as well as to his Captains because they fought in his quarrel and under his command 2 Sam. Ch. 21. from v. 15 to the end 1 Chron. Ch. 20. from v. 4 to the end SECT CC. DAvid being now delivered from all his enemies on every side both within and without his Kingdom and calling to mind Gods wonderful mercies to him he in a grateful remembrance of them composed a Triumphant Song or Psalm of Thanksgiving that God might have the glory of all that he had done for him This Song is the same for substance with the 18th Psalm only there are some clauses here that are exprest there in other words and in some places a clause is now and then added in one of them which is not in the other So that possibly this Psalm was penned by him many years before when he was delivered from his mighty potent enemy Saul and is here with some little alteration repeated again In this Song first he declares his firm confidence in God and that he might shew what an alsufficient defence he esteemed the Lord to be unto him he useth variety of expressions to set it forth as not being able by one or two to express it He calls the Lord his rock his fortress his deliverer his shield the horn (a) Horn signifies power and glory Christ is call'd the horn of salvation Luk. 1.69 of his salvation by whose assistance he had been enabled both to defend himself and push down his enemies his tower his refuge and his saviour whence he infers that he will still trust in him and call upon him who was worthy to be praised Secondly he sets forth the woful straits and dangers he had been in his enemies came upon him like violent floods of water and like waves rouling one upon the neck of another threatning present death to him he acknowledges their roaring rage made him afraid but that fear drave him to God He says that death-threatning sorrows and dangers so encompassed him that there seemed no more likelihood for him to escape than there is of a sick man that hath the pangs of death upon him he intimates that Saul and his other enemies had so subtilly contriv'd his death and laid their snares so cunningly for him that all means of escaping seem'd to be prevented In these my great distresses says he I cry'd unto the Lord and he heard me and appear'd for me out of his Temple * Heaven is call'd the Temple of God 1st as being the place of his special presence 2. In regard of the the exceeding glory of Heaven which to shadow forth the Temple was built so exceeding glorious 3. In regard of the transient holiness of heaven that is out of Heaven and from thence manifested his power for my deliverance Then the earth shook and trembled and the foundations of heaven mov'd and shook because he was wroth that is the Lord in his hot displeasure fought against my enemies and poured forth his vengeance upon them This vengeance he sets forth under the similitude of a prodigious storm or tempest when the earth quakes and the air is covered with thick black and dark mists and when the Heavens send forth wind rain thunder and lightning (b) David here in sublime expressions sets forth not what historically happened but an a Poetical manner Gods mighty assistance and concurrence with him in his victories over his enemies by all which he intimates that the wrath of the Lord was evidently seen and manifested in the destruction of his enemies as if he had sent such an horribla storm and tempest upon them and so visibly destroyed them The foundations of the heavens shook and were moved In the 18 Psalm v. 7. he says the foundations of the hills moved that is the hills were shaken from their very foundations or bottoms These hills are here call'd the foundations of heaven (a) Job 26.11 calls that the pillars of Heaven because the tops of high mountains seem to touch the clouds and the heavens seem to lean upon them There went up a smoke out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured coals were kindled by it that is he gave forth such testimonies of his anger and indignation against mine enemies so vehement was his wrath that even smoke seem'd to speak after the manner of men to come out of his nostrils and so hot a fire out of his mouth that even coals were kindled by it He bowed the heavens also and came down and darkness was under his feet that is the lower part of the heavens was so affected as if God to manifest his power had come down into it and if we may describe him according to our weak apprehensions under his feet in the lower region of the air there were dark mists and clouds He rode upon a cherub and did fly yea he did fly upon the wings of the wind * See Psal 18.10 that is he used the ministry of his holy Angels and by them he raised violent and strong winds He made darkness pavillions round about him dark waters and thick clouds of the skies that is as men are wont by Tents and Pavillions to shelter themselves and to hide themselves from the view of others so did the Lord cast darkness and thick clouds about the place of his appearance Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled that is the Lord sent out his flashes of lightning with the flames whereof much combustible matter was kindled The Lord thundered from heaven and the most high uttered his voice he sent out his arrows and scattered them that is his thunderbolts out of the clouds as arrows from his bow He sent out his lightning and discomfited them The channels of the Sea appeared the foundations of the world were discovered at the rebuke of the Lord at the blast of the breath of his nostrils that is by this raging tempest the waters and waves were raised up so high that the very channels and bottom of the Sea was discovered and laid bare By these Hyperbolical expressions he signifies and sets forth the fierce anger of God against his enemies then he comes to set forth the wonderfulness of his deliverance being like a man ready to be drowned and perish in deep waters had not God as it were with his arm stretched out from heaven pull'd him out of them God delivered me says he from many enemies yea from my strong enemies such as Goliath Doeg Saul and Achitophel who would have been too strong for me if he had not of his great mercy helped me In the day of calamity and distress they thought by their subtilty to prevent me from saving my self and to
was going to destroy that City David and the Elders thereof being clothed in sackcloth lift up their eyes and saw the Angel standing between Heaven and Earth near the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem whereupon they fell on their faces and Araunah and his four Sons saw the Angel also and his Sons hid themselves through fear Then Then David spake to the Lord saying It is I O Lord it is I that commanded the people to be numbred It is I that have sinned but as for these sheep what have they done Let thy hand I pray thee be on me and my Fathers house but not on thy people that they should be plagued Then the Angel commanded Gad to speak to David that he should presently set up an Altar in the threshing floor of Araunah and thereon offer sacrifices intimating to him that there was no other way for them to obtain the pardon of their sins and the removal of the present judgment but by faith in that propitiatory sacrifice which their promised Messias was to offer up for them The Tabernacle and the Altar of Burnt-offerings was at this present at Gibeon but David could not now go thither for fear of the slaughter and dreadful execution that might be made by the Angel in the mean time therefore no place at present was fitter to rear an Altar in than that where the Angel appeared with a drawn sword and the Lord it seems would have that place as it were consecrated and endeared to the people by a sacrifice that should procure a very great blessing for them namely the staying of this raging plague because he determined in that very place to have his Temple built See 2 Chron. 3.1 David accordingly went forthwith to Araunah (a) This Araunah or Ornan seems to be descended of the Royal blood of the Jebusites and now was the chief of the Jebusites that enjoy'd Estates in and about Jerusalem under a Tribute who seeing the King come to him attended with his servants went out towards him and bowed himself to the ground and said Wherefore is my Lord the King come unto me The King said I am come to buy of thee thy threshing floor there to build an Altar to the Lord that the plague may be stayed Araunah answered Let the King freely take it and offer up there what sacrifices he pleases Behold here be also my oxen which thou maist take for burnt offerings and take also the wooden instruments which are used in this work which being dry will soon take fire and expedite the business and take wheat also for a Meat-offering I freely give thee all All these did Araunah as free as a Prince profer unto David adding the Lord graciously accept thee and the sacrifices thou art about to offer But the King said Nay but surely I will buy it of thee at a price neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord of that which cost me nothing So David bought of him the threshing floor and the oxen and materials for sacrifice for fifty shekels of silver and David built an Altar there to the Lord and called upon the Lord and offered burnt-offerings which were miraculously consumed by fire from heaven whereby God testified his acceptance of the sacrifice and granted his desire for the staying of the Plague and the Lord repented (a) That is did as men do when they repent viz. cease to proceed on so the Lord ceased from punishing the people neither was there any change in Gods Decree for he decreed to cease punishing when he had brought David and the people to unfeigned repentance him of the evil and punishment he had brought upon them and said to the Angel It is enough stay now thine hand and put up thy sword into the sheath So the Lord was intreated for the land and the plague was stayed Then David offered Peace-offerings on the same Altar by way of Thanksgiving for so great a mercy And possibly God made known to David by Gad at this time that in that very place (b) This was upon mount Moriah where Abraham intended to have offered up Isaac who was a Type of Christ he would have the Temple built and thereupon David purchased of Ornan the whole place or plot of ground with all the buildings gardens and all things belonging to it containing a large compass and a sufficient circuit of ground for the building of the Temple upon it with all the Courts thereof and for this he gave him six hundred shekels of Gold whereas the meer Threshing-floor with the oxen and materials of Sacrifice cost him but fifty shekels of Silver as we said before And possibly David might give more for it than the real worth out of his Royal bounty 2 Sam. Ch. 24. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 21. whole Chapter SECT CCV DAvid now knowing that this Threshing-floor of Araunah which he had purchased was the place where the Temple was to be built he said of it This is the house of the Lord and this is the Altar of the Burnt-offering for Israel that is this is the place of which God long since spake by his servant Moses that he would have an house there built which should be the setled place of his Worship and where there should be an Altar not this I have now set up but another whereon only they should offer Sacrifices unto him see Deut. 12.11 Not long after it seems he received from the Lord by the illumination of his Spirit * Except we may suppose that this pattern set down in writing was brought him by some Prophet See 2 Chr. 29.25 the pattern or model whereby the Temple was to be built and this he set down in a draught or plat-form and afterwards delivered it to his Son Solomon as we shall see 1 Chron. 28.11 12 13. In order therefore to the carrying on of this great work David prepared materials in great abundance and called the strangers that were in the land and employ'd them in hewing of stone and timber and such like works He also prepared iron in abundance and brass without weight that is it was so much they would not trouble themselves to weigh it Also abundance of Cedar-trees which he had from the Tyrians and Zidonians And he said Solomon my Son is yet young and tender and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceeding magnificent and must excell all others †Thus it was in the service it self and in the ornaments appertaining thereunto It was one of the worlds wonders It was far more excellent than the Tabernacle and in its dimensions far exceeding it There were some greater Buildings in the world yet there was never any that had such costly materials such curious workmanship such divine services such representations of Gods Majesty and mercy and which prefigured such Mystical Spiritual and Caelestial things as this Temple had that
from their Idolatries to serve the true and living God And hereunto the Psalmist seems to allude Psal 45.10 Hearken O daughter and consider incline thine ear Forget thine own people and thy fathers-house 1 King Ch. 3. v. 1. SECT CCXVII SOlomon was now quietly setled and strengthened in his Kingdom and the Lord was with him and magnified him exceedingly and he loved the Lord and walked in the ways and statutes wherein David his Father walked It seems the people after the Ark and Tabernacle were separated did not think themselves bound to bring their Sacrifices to the Altar at the Tabernacle but did offer them in such places as they thought meetest for such services to wit upon high hills and mountains Indeed the high places of the heathen-Idolaters were always abominable to the Lord and those God commanded the Israelites to destroy and pull down Numb 33.52 But there other high places it seems were thought at this time lawful (a) See 1 Sam. 9.12 c. and Ch. 10.5 13. and accordingly resorted unto but when the Temple was built then all other high places for Gods solemn and prescribed worship and service were counted abominable (b) And in this sin the Ten Tribes lived they made Priests of high places in the mountains and in all the Cities of Samaria and their Altars were as heaps in the furrows of the fields 1 King 13.32 Hos 12.11 Yea Solomon himself in his latter days fearfully offended in permitting this kind of Idolatry 1 King 11.7 8. And Judah it self fell into this sin in Rehoboams reign 1 King 14.23 and in aftertimes they built high-places to Baal and to the Idols of the neighbouring Nations 2 Chron. 25.14 And especially in the reigns of Ahaz Joram and Manasseh It seems Solomon and the people did offer sacrifice and burn incense on such high places as these before mentioned that were devoted to the service of the true God and Gibeon it self where the Tabernacle and Altar now were was accounted the great high place the most famous and most resorted unto Solomon therefore now gathering together the Princes and Rulers and Judges of the land and the chief Captains and Commanders of the people with them he went up to Gibeon there in solemn manner to praise the Lord for his great mercy to him in thus peaceably setling him in the Throne And there on the Brasen Altar made by Moses which he and the great Congregation now with him chose to worship God at rather than any other Altar he offered a thousand burnt-offerings to the Lord in the time he stayed there And in that night after they had made an end of offering those burnt-offerings God appeared to him in a dream Among the manifold ways whereby God of old made known his mind to his people dreams was one And in dreams sometimes men heard a voice and apprehending the sense thereof returned an answer thereunto and the things God so made known unto them were true and certain and his servants to whom he made them known were assured thereof God therefore in such a dream appearing to Solomon and asking him what he should give him He answered O Lord thou hast shewed to David my Father great mercy according as he walked before thee in truth and righteousness (c) All these must be understood of Davids inward disposition outward conversation as to the general course of his life his frailties and failings still excepted and uprightness of heart and hast reserved for him this great kindness to set his Son upon his Throne after him as it is this day which is a favour thou didst not vouchsafe to Saul And now O Lord thou having graciously made me King instead of my Father I am sensible that I am as it were but a little child and unfit to sway so great a scepter as this is how shall I be able to go out or come in before this great people How shall I be able to lead them or govern them without thine especial direction and assistance I am indeed set up as supream Governour under thee of this vast multitude which thou hast chosen for thy peculiar people and hast so increased them that they are almost innumerable according to thy gracious promise Gen. 15.5 Give therefore thy servant I pray thee an understanding heart that I may rightly discern between good and evil for who is able rightly to judg and govern this great people without wisdom given him from thy self Solomon having thus prayed the Lord was well pleased with the request he had made and said to him Because thou hast not asked for thy self long life nor riches nor victory over thine enemies but hast asked an understanding heart that thou maist rightly govern this people and in hearing causes maist know what judgment to give behold thy request is granted I will give thee a wise and an understanding heart and such a measure of wisdom and knowledg as no King before thee ever attained unto neither shall any after thee be like (a) Some Heathen Monarchs that possibly exceeded Solomon in riches came far short of him in wisdom unto thee see Chap. 4.29 30 31. Moreover I will give thee that which thou didst not ask viz riches and honour so that there shall not be any of the Kings of Israel like unto thee either for riches or glory see 2 Chron. 1.12 And if thou wilt walk in my ways and keep my statutes as thy Father David did I will lengthen out thy days also Then Solomon awoke and perceived that God had indeed appeared to him in this wonderful dream and he returned to Jerusalem with his Nobles and there before the Ark of the Covenant offered up many Burnt-offerings Peace-offerings in way of thankfulness to the Lord for this great and extraordinary kindness manifested to him and he made a great Feast for his Nobles and Officers and the Rulers of the people that were there gathered together 1 King Ch. 3. from v. 2 to 16. 2 Chron. Ch. 1. from v. 1 to 13. SECT CCXVIII SOlomon being now come to Jerusalem a very difficult case was brought before him in the deciding of which he gave a great evidence of that extraordinary wisdom the Lord had furnisht him with There came to him two women that were as it seems Victuallers by profession but secretly Harlots and one of them said to him O my Lord the King this woman and I dwell together in the same house and I was delivered of a child she being present at my Labour and three days after she was delivered of a child also and both our children were boys and we were all alone in the house there was no stranger with us And thus O King it happened as I verily believe and am confident this woman over-laying her own child in the night and awaking and finding it dead by her and being afraid of the disgrace that was like to fall upon her for her carelesness about her child
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
were four fingers thick of solid metal and hollow within there is some appearing difference in the measure of their height it being variously presented unto us in 1 King 7. from 15 to 23. and 2 Chron. 3.15 In the first place 't is said he cast two pillars of brass of eighteen cubits high a piece In the second 't is said he made two pillars of thirty and five cubits high To reconcile this difference some probably conjecture that in Chronicles the height of both pillars are counted together And whereas 18 and 18 make 36 one cubit more than the number mentioned in the Book of Chronicles 't is conceiv'd that each Chapiter did sink half a cubit within the socket of the Cylinder for their fastening So that only so much as appeared of these pillars is reckoned each of them having half a cubit of their shaft lost in their height and running in and hid in his Chapiter grafted upon it The Chapiters of these Pillars were curiously adorn'd with Net-work Chain-work and rows of Pomegranates Lilies also were made on the top of these Chapiters And whereas 't is said 2 King 25.17 that each Chapiter was but three cubits high it is to be understood of the stately embroidery and ornaments of Net-work Chains and Pomegranates which were at the beginning of the third cubit The Pillar that stood on the right hand in the Porch was called Jachin that is he will establish and the other on the left hand Boaz that is in him is strength 1 King 7.21 both those pillars there set up signified Gods protection of the place 2. The Furniture of the Sanctuary or Inner Temple 1. There were placed there ten Candlesticks of pure gold the Tabernacle had but one Exod. 37.17 five on the right side and five on the left each of them no doubt fashioned like that which Moses made viz. sevenfold with a great shaft for the body in the midst and three stemms on each side branching out thereof in some resemblance perhaps of the seven Planets among which the Sun the great stock of light is in the midst and three of them on each side above and beneath it 1 King 7.49 Besides these ten standing Candlesticks of Gold there were many more moveable ones but all those made of silver which the Priests in the night might carry about with them 1 Chron. 28.15 2. The Tables of shew-bread which Solomon made of Gold his Father David having peculiarly provided Gold for that purpose 1 Chron. 28.16 as he provided silver for the Tables of silver of whose use and situation we read not Possibly they might be used in the Chambers belonging to the Temple In the 1 King 7.48 we read but of one Table of shew-bread but in the 2 Chron. 4.8 we find expresly ten in number together with their situation five on the right and five on the left side of the Sanctuary The description of Moses's one Table may be seen in the 25 of Exodus from 23 to 29. But the dimensions of Solomon's we have not though perhaps double to Moses's according as the place wherein they were set was double to his in capacity Some think that Moses's Golden Table was one of these and the other nine framed according to that size On these Tables the shew-bread was set on each Table twelve cakes were daily presented unto God The Priests were allowed by God when new was substituted in the room of the former to eat those loaves which were taken away 3. The most eminent utensil in the Sanctuary was the Altar of Incense standing before the Oracle 1 King 6.22 on which was daily burnt the perfume see Exod. 30.34 c. The Altar of Incense which Moses made was made of Shittim-wood and overlaid with pure gold round about David prepared refined Gold on purpose for the making of this Altar 1 Chron. 28.18 and Solomon made his altar of incense of Cedar and overlaid it with Gold 1 King 7.48 2 Chron. 4.19 1 King 6.20 Besides for the services of the Golden Altar the Tables and the Candlesticks there were made by Solomon many other excellent vessels of pure Gold which were appointed by his Father as as an hundred basons of gold bowls censers cups flowers lamps for the Candlesticks snuffers spoons tonges all of pure gold besides some basons of silver 1 King 7.49 50. 1 Chron. 28.13 17. 2 Chron. 4.8 20 21 22. Be it premised that both the Sanctuary and the Oracle were adorned on all sides within with Cherubims and Palm-trees carved in Cedar and overlaid with Gold But though Solomon altered and enlarged the utensils in the Sanctuary and outward Courts yet in the Holy of Holies he made use of the very same that Moses had made only for the more magnificence he added two extraordinary Cherubims of which more presently But to speak of the sacred things in the Oracle or Holy of Holies more particularly First The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord was set in this most holy place 3. The Ornaments of the Oracle or Holy of Holies under the wings of the Cherubims the very same that Moses made in the Wilderness of which see more Sect. 21. of Chap. 4. pag. 132. In this Ark there were the two Tables of stone which Moses put therein at Horeb whereon were engraven the Ten Commandments on all the four sides of them being the work of God himself and written with his own finger It seems they were not very ponderous and large because Moses carried them both in one hand They were call'd the Tables of the Covenant and the Ark wherein they lay the Ark of the Covenant because they contained the Ten Commandments which if they kept God made a Covenant with them to bless them There was nothing else put within this Ark or holy Chest 1 King 8.9 2 Chron. 5.10 2. Over this holy Chest there was laid a covering of pure beaten Gold called the Mercy-seat or Propitiatory equal in its measures of length and breadth to the Ark Exod. 37.6 3. At the two ends of this Mercy-seat stood the two Cherubims of Moses's making both of beaten Gold their faces were opposite one to the other and made looking down upon the Mercy-seat with their wings over-shadowing it Between whose wings upon the Mercy-seat the Majesty of God is said to sit The Mercy-seat signified Jesus Christ the Mediator between God and man interposing betwixt Gods wrath and our persons who have broken the Commandments which lay within the Ark Exod. 37.7 8 9. 1 Sam. 4.4 Isa 37.16 Secondly There were besides Moses's Cherubims standing on the Ark two other Cherubims made by Solomon standing on the ground or Golden floor and each of them was ten cubits or thirty foot in height they were made of Olive-tree within but overlaid with Gold and their faces were towards the Sanctuary or holy place Each wing of these Cherubims was five cubits long All their four wings were extended to the length of twenty cubits
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
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
and upon this thy people and let thine ears be attentive unto the supplications we shall make unto thee and hearken to us in all that we shall pray unto thee for according to thy will For thou didst separate us unto thy self from among all the Nations of the earth to be thy peculiar people and inheritance as thou spakest by thy servant Moses Solomon having ended this his devout prayer rose up from his knees and standing with his face toward the Temple he repeated part of the 132 Psalm saying Arise O Lord and take possession of this house which I have built for thee as a resting place and fixt habitation and not an ambulatory and moving one as the Tabernacle was And let thy Ark whereon thou dost manifest thy glory (e) Psal 78.61 He delivereth his strength into captivity and his glory into the enemies hands strength and power for the good of thy people be here setled and constantly abide Let thy Priests O Lord God be clothed and adorned with such graces as may bring salvation to themselves (f) Psal 132.9 This clause is thus expressed Let thy Priests be clothed with righteousness and may enable them to be instrumental in the saving of others and let thy Saints rejoice in thy goodness and favour manifested unto them O Lord God hear me I pray thee and turn not away the face of thine anointed with shame and confusion by denying me my request but remember the promises thy mercy moved thee to make to David my Father and to his posterity Solomon having ended his prayers the Sacrifices were brought in and laid upon the Altar and immediately fire came down from Heaven and consumed them and the glory of the Lord probably covered with a cloud filled the house and such an orient splendour shone through it that the Priests could by no means enter into the Temple The people seeing the fire came down from Heaven and the glory of the Lord upon the house they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground and worshipped and praised God and sang as 't is probable the 136 Psalm as the Singers had done before the burthen or foot whereof was For he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Then Solomon turned his face and blessed all the Congregation of Israel again as he had done at the beginning and said Blessed be the Lord God who hath given rest to his people Israel as he promised of old And indeed he hath not failed of performing any of his gracious promises which he made to his people by the ministry of his servant Moses Now therefore the Lord our God be with us as he was with our Fathers and let him not leave us nor forsake us but let him incline our hearts to walk in his ways and to keep his commandments * Viz. The Moral Ceremonial and Judicial Laws statutes and judgments which he commanded our Fathers And let my words wherewith I have made supplication to the Lord this day be in his mind and memory continually that he may maintain the cause of me his servant and the cause of his people Israel at all times as the matter shall require and as it shall appear just and equal to him that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord he is the only true God from whom all blessings come and that there is no other God besides him Let your heart therefore be upright and sincere before the Lord and walk in his statutes and keep his commandments as now you do Then the King the Princes and people offered abundance of Peace-offerings (a) They were call'd Peace-offerings because God having bestowed some benefit upon them seemed to be appeased towards them and they were offered as a kind of retribution and to return thanks to God for it And in offering the same they also testified their hope that God was reconciled towards them to the Lord and kept this feast of Dedication seven days During which time they offered unto the Lord two and twenty thousand oxen and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep By a multitude of Sacrifices the pious Jews were wont to testifie their zealous and grateful affection towards God and we never read of any Sacrifice like this And thus Solomon the Princes and people by their joint prayers praises and sacrifices dedicated the house of God and set it apart for his worship and service And they rejoiced before the Lord seven days and seven that is they kept the first seven days as the Feast of Dedication and the next seven as the Feast of Tabernacles And the day after Solomon dismissed the people to their own homes and they blessed the King and prayed unto the Lord for him and went home with joyful and glad hearts rejoicing in the goodness which the Lord had manifested to the house of David and to Solomon and to all the people of Israel 1 King Ch. 8. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 5. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 6. whole Chapter 2 Chron. Ch. 7. from v. 1 to 11. SECT III. SHortly after * Some read 1 King 9.1 And it came to pass when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord and afterwards finished the Kings house and all his desire which he was pleased to do that the Lord appeared to him the second time c. Solomon had made that devout prayer before mentioned the Lord as it seems appeared to him in a dream (b) Ch. 6.11 We read that the word of the Lord came to Solomon but that was by some messenger or Prophet sent unto him but this was the second time that the Lord appeared to him in a Vision as he had done before at Gibeon 1 King 3.4 5. and the Lord said I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication which thou hast made before me and I have hallowed this house and set it apart to those holy uses which thou didst intend it for and it shall be called by my name as long as it shall last and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually I will always be ready to take notice of the prayers there made and the services there performed and will graciously accept them And if I shall shut up heaven at any time so that there be no rain or send the locusts or pestilence among my people that are called by my name if they shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear in heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land And if thou wilt walk before me in integrity and uprightness as thy Father David did and keep my statutes and judgments then I will establish the Throne of thy Kingdom for ever that is thou and thy posterity shall continue time after time to be Kings over Israel so as no other stock but thine shall sit on that Throne so long as the Kingdom of Judah shall remain as I
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
as were not of the Tribe of Levi but of other Tribes Indeed the basest of the people were Priests good enough for his Golden Calves but because he pretended to have erected them for the worship of the true God this also is charged upon him as a provocation And he ordained a Feast to be kept in the eighth month in imitation of the Feast of Tabernacles which God ordained to be kept on the 15th day of the 7th month Levit. 23.34 he ordains it to be kept in another month that the people might not take it for the same Feast of Tabernacles and so think themselves obliged to go to Jerusalem to keep it And to grace this Idolatrous worship that he had set up even he himself did sacrifice upon the Altar that he had built to work in his peoples minds an higher esteem of it and also burnt incense to his Idols whereby he usurpt the Priests office * So did Uzziah 2 Chro. 26.16 intrude himself into the Priests office Whilst he was thus sacrificing at Bethel a certain Prophet sent by God out of Judah came unto him thus timely did the Lord give him warning and called him to repentance and in the zeal and fervency of his spirit he cried in the word of the Lord inventing nothing of his own head against this Altar saying O Altar Altar thus saith the Lord Behold a child shall be born unto the house of David Josiah †About 300 years after this Prophesie was fulfilled See 2 King 23.16 by name and upon thee shall he offer the bones of the Priests of the high-High-places that do now or shall hereafter burn incense upon thee so that this Altar shall one day have a goodly sacrifice burnt upon it viz. the bones of the Priests that sacrific'd upon it and the defiling and polluting of this Altar in this manner will be a sacrifice very pleasing unto God Possibly O Jeroboam says he thou wilt not believe this therefore I will give thee a sign from the Lord that this shall certainly come to pass Behold this Altar shall now be rent in sunder and the ashes upon it shall fall upon the ground to signifie the utter demolishing of it hereafter Jeroboam hearing this and being enraged at the Prophet put forth his hand from the Altar where he was burning incense and cried out lay hold on him and immediately his hand was dried up and the flesh withered and the sinnes shrank so that he was disabled from hurting the Prophet himself and the people were scared from obeying their King in what he required And immediately the Altar was rent and clave asunder The King then intreated the Prophet to pray * 1 King 13.6 To intreat the face of one that is offended is earnestly to desire the change of his countenance that his angry look may be turned into smiling for him that his hand might be restored which he accordingly did and it was upon his prayer restored and became whole as it was before The King was so taken with this kindness that he invited the Prophet to come home with him and to refresh himself and he would reward him for it The Prophet replied If thou wilt give me half thine house I will not go with thee neither will I eat bread or drink water in this City for so God hath commanded me intending I should shew my detestation of your Idolatry by avoiding all communion with such Idolaters And he hath commanded me also that I should not return the way I came but some other way as abhorring the very way that brought me to the sight of such abominations So he returned another way and not the way by which he came to Bethel Now there dwelt an old Prophet in Bethel whose Sons came to him and told him all that this Prophet had said to the King and what he had done to the Altar and in healing Jeroboams hand the old Prophet presently enquired which way this Prophet went and commanding his Asse to be presently sadled he rode thereon and following after him found him sitting under an oak and then invited him to come home with him to eat bread He told him could not do it for he was expresly forbidden it by the Lord. The old Prophet said I am a Prophet as well as thou art and an Angel spake unto me by the command of the Lord that I should bring thee back to my house to eat bread and drink water But he lyed unto him However the poor deluded Prophet upon this did go back with him and did eat bread and drunk water And as they sat at the Table the word of the Lord came to the Prophet that fetcht him back by some internal inspiration or Prophetick extasie whereby he was as it were constrained to denounce against his deluded guest the judgment that would fall upon him for coming back and eating and drinking with him and so consequently to condemn himself for the gross lye he had told He tells him thus saith the Lord seeing thou hast not kept my commandment but camest back and hast eaten and drunk in this place that I forbad thee behold thy carcass shall not come into the Sepulcher of thy Fathers and thou shalt not die among thy own kindred nor be buried with thy progenitors which intimated to him that he should die in his return before he gat home to his own land and this was a gracious warning to him that he might repent of his sin before his death So when they had eaten and drunken the old Prophet caused his own Ass to be sadled for the Prophet he had brought back and so dismissed him He was not gone far from the old Prophets house before a Lion met him and slew him and his body being fallen in the way the Ass stood by it as also the Lion That the Ass should not fly from the Lion nor the Lion prey upon the living Ass nor the dead body of the Prophet but that both of them should stand rather as a guard to preserve it from other creatures and that the Ass should stay there as it were on purpose to carry back the dead Prophets body to Bethel to be buried there these are strange passages of Providence and do shew that 't was not hunger that provoked the Lion to kill the Prophet but the over-ruling hand of God and that God had regard to the Prophets body and would preserve it for burial though he testified his displeasure against his sin for the warning of others And behold men passed by and saw the carcass cast in the way and the Lion standing by the carcass and they came and told it in the City where the old Prophet dwelt who thereupon said undoubtedly it is the man of God that was disobedient unto the word of the Lord therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the Lion which hath slain him as the Lord threatned So he went immediately and found his carcass cast in the way
marrying a wife from thence did soon set up his wifes Idolatry in the land and the worship of the true God was in a manner neglected and disregarded and the Prophets and servants of God that would not bow to Baal were persecuted see Ch. 19.10 yet there were never more Prophets sent to them than at this time we see Ch. 18.13 that Obadiah had hid an hundred of them in caves nor never more eminent ones than now And of all the Prophets that God raised up in the Kingdom of Israel we find not any of whom so strange things are recorded both for courage and miracles as there are of Elijah And therefore at the Transfiguration of Christ Mat. 17. Elijah as chief of the Prophets appeared together with Moses talking with Christ to signifie that both Moses and the Prophets had in their several seasons given testimony of him This Prophet Elijah was at this time sent to the Israelites a man of transcendent courage and zeal as being fitted for those corrupt times whence 't is said of the Baptist who in his Ministry was very zealous and fervent Luk. 1.17 that he should go before our Saviour in the spirit and power of Elias Ahab and Jezebel were very zealous to promote Idolatry and now God raises up a Prophet as zealous to oppose it and to defend Gods own worship Elijah seeing how things went in the Kingdom of Israel and being exceedingly moved with the horrible wickedness of Ahab and Jezabel and particularly perhaps with the contempt and scorn they cast upon Gods Prophets did it seems by the instinct of Gods Spirit pray that the Lord would shut up the heavens for some years and not suffer it to rain till he sought unto him for it that so the wrath of God against the iniquity of that time might be discovered and the precious account he makes of his Prophets might be manifested And being by the same Spirit of God assured that his prayer was heard he came to Ahab and threatned him beforehand that he might see it was of God with an approaching drought for three years and an half and a great famine that should ensue thereupon As the Lord God of Israel liveth saith he whom I continually serve and in whose presence I now stand and who is a witness of the truth of what I say there shall not be dew or rain these ensuing years but according to my words and as I have declared to thee from God And according as he threatned so it came to pass For during the space of three years and six months it rained not See Jam. 5.17 * See Luk. 4.25 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months The drought now beginning and Ahab seeing there was no rain for some time together as Elijah had threatned he was greatly enraged against him and being also stirred up as 't is probable by Jezabel his wife he sent presently out to take him that he might be revenged on him See Ch. 18.10 but the Lord foreseeing what would happen gave his Prophet warning of it and appointed him to withdraw and hide himself by the brook Cherith in Manasseh beyond Jordan that is in some solitary place or cave near the brook where he should be fed by Ravens with bread and flesh morning and evening and should drink of the brook Elijah did as the Lord commanded him and was accordingly fed by Ravens who being a very greedy and ravenous kind of bird so that they often neglect the feeding of their young ones to feed themselves it was the more miraculous that God should make them Caterers for Elijah and in such an orderly manner to bring him his provision morning and evening he directing them where they should have it possibly out of some rich mans pantry or storehouse Thus we see by what unlikely means God can provide for his servants when they are in their straits After some time possibly about six Months the brook quite dried up thus the Lord was pleased again to try the faith of his servant Elijah Then the Lord commands him to go to a widow of Sarepta in the Country of Sidon telling him that he would command her that is dispose her heart to entertain him Accordingly he went thither and when he came to the Gate of the City he found a widow-woman gathering sticks he desired her to fetch him a little water She going for it he desired her to bring him also a morsel of bread She knowing him by his habit to be a Prophet of the Lord she said to him As the Lord thy God liveth I have not a cake to give thee I have but an handful of meal in a barrel and a little oyl in a cruse and behold I am gathering two or three sticks that I may go and dress it for my self and my son that we may eat it and so die Hereby its manifest that the drought * There is not the least intimation of any want of rain that was in the land of Judah at this time and yet Elijah is sent to a stranger rather than to the widows of Israel or Judah such an one being very unlikely to relieve him especially the famine being there as well as in Israel but herein was shaddowed forth Gods further mercy intended to the Gentiles when the Jews should be rejected whence that of our Saviour Luk. 4.25 26. and famine was in the Country of Tyre and Sidon as well as among the Israelites and indeed it being sent among the Israelites for the Idolatry of Baal which Jezabel the daughter of the King of the Sidonians had brought in among them no marvel if the Sidonians were involv'd in the same judgment Elijah bids the woman not to fear but to do as she intended but only to make for him a little cake first for saith he thus saith the Lord God of Israel The barrel of meal which thou hast shall not wast nor the cruse of oyl fail until the day that the Lord sendeth rain on the earth The woman did as Elijah enjoined her and she and her house did eat thereof many days viz. for about three years neither the meal nor oyl failing but being miraculously supplied and renewed This recompence had this poor widow for entertaining the Lords Prophet she for giving unto him one meal hath many meals from him and by his procurement But great blessings are oftentimes mixed with some imbittering afflictions For some time after the Prophet had been with her the womans Son fell sick and died Upon this she comes to the Prophet and crys out What have I done to thee thou man of God wherein have I offended thee art thou come to bring my sins to remembrance †When God punisheth any for their sins whom for a while he did forbear he is said in the Scripture to remember
their sins 1 Sam. 15.2 before the Lord and to punish me for them by taking away my Son Possibly she thought that Elijah had besought God thus to punish her as by his prayer he had brought the drought and famine upon the land or that he was sent as the minister of Gods wrath to take away her Son from her Elijah said to her Give me thy Son and he took him out of her bosom and carried him to an upper loft and laid him on his own bed and cried unto the Lord and said O Lord my God let me humbly plead with thee why hast thou brought so great an evil upon this widow with whom I sojourn as to take away her Son I am afraid thy name will hence come to be blasphemed and thy Prophets despised and it will be said it had been well for this woman if this Prophet had never come into her house Having thus said he stretched himself upon the child three times putting his mouth upon the childs mouth and his eyes upon the childs eyes and his hands upon the childs hands and he cried unto the Lord and said O Lord I pray thee let this childs soul come into him again And the Lord graciously heard his prayer and the soul of the child came immediately into him again and he revived So the Prophet took the child and deliverd him to his mother alive * See the like miracle wrought by Elisha 2 King 4.34 and by Paul Act. 20.10 See also Heb. 11.35 Cum graves imminerent vexationes religionem magis indies piis Deus aperire aliquid voluit de immortalitate animarum Grot. Then said the woman By this I know that thou art a true Prophet and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth namely the things that were foretold by thee concerning the continuance of the drought and the increase of my meal and oyl And this child is the first that we read of in the Scriptures that being dead was restored to life again The drought having now continued well nigh three years and six months Elijah goes to present himself unto Ahab and to give notice to him that they should have rain that so what he had said to him before might be made good to wit that there should be no rain but according to his word The Governour of Ahabs house at this time was Obadiah an excellent person and one who feared the Lord greatly and worshipped him in spirit and truth and kept himself from the Idolatry of the times though he went not up to Jerusalem to peform the Ceremonial worship there required 'T is a wonder there should be such a pious person in so corrupt a Court but God ordered it so by his alwise Providence for the good of his Prophets For when Jezabel slew and cut off the Prophets †They that gave themselves to be throughly instructed in the will of God and were ready on all occasions to declare the same to others were stiled Prophets of the Lord he took a hundred of them and hid them by fifty in a cave and fed them with bread and water 'T is like some other pious men also in Israel besides Obadiah hid and preserved several Prophets of the Lord from her fury But the drought now being very sore Ahab ordered Obadiah to go one way as he himself would another that so traversing all the land of Israel they might find herbage and water for their horses and mules which were ready to perish for want of it Elijah meets Obadiah who knowing him fell on his face before him and said to him Art not thou my Lord Elijah He answered I am and I desire thee to go and tell thy Lord and Master that Elijah is here Obadiah answered Wherein have I so offended thee that thou shouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab to slay me I protest unto thee that my Lord the King hath sought thee not only in the land of Israel but also in all the neighbouring Countries and among all the Nations that are in league with him and he hath pressed them so far that they were fain upon their oaths to avow that they knew nothing of thee (a) How Elijah was concealed in Sarepta we need not inquire seeing he being inform'd of his danger the widow might use means to hide him and now why enjoynest thou me to go and tell Ahab that thou art here Possibly as soon as I am gone from thee the Spirit of the Lord (b) What was done by any supernatural working of God they used to say was done by the Spirit of God that is some wind from the Lord or some Angel will take thee up (c) It seems in those times Elijah was usually thus miraculously caught up and so perhaps other Prophets too and carried from one place to another whence it was that when Elijah was at last taken up into heaven the young Prophets would needs send out to seek him 2 King 2.16 The like we read of Philip Act. 8.19 and carry thee to some other place and then the King will slay me either because I did not apprehend thee when I saw thee or because I shall seem to have deluded him by telling him that which he will not find upon search to be true I thy servant have desired to fear the Lord from my youth and to cleave unto him and have been kind to his servants the Prophets in hiding many of them from the fury of Jezebel as I suppose thou hast heard and I may be further useful to them and therefore I hope thou wilt not lay upon me so perilous a command Elijah assures him he was resolved to shew himself unto Ahab Hereupon Obadiah went and acquainted the King therewith who presently came out to him and in a very angry manner said What! art thou he that troubles Israel No says Elijah thou and thy Fathers house have troubled Israel in forsaking God and following Baal After some vehement contest between them about the Baal-worship the Prophet having doubtless received it in charge from God before as may appear from ver 36. propounds to the King a way of trial to be peformed on mount Carmel which stood near the Sea whither God were God or Baal were God The God answering by fire says he and consuming the sacrifice from heaven let him be acknowledged for the true God The King being confident that the way of his worship was right agrees thereto and possibly the natural desire that is in all men to see things strange and unusual as this trial was might the more incline him to it Accordingly he assembles the Prophets of Baal viz. those that lived dispers'd up and down in the Country and the heads of the people to see the issue of this strange trial Elijah when the people were met together spake to them saying How long will ye halt between two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal
us by Benhadad had he perform'd his Covenant made with us but he perfidiously keeps it from us and we are still and quiet Then addressing himself to Jehoshaphat he asks him if he would please to join with him to recover it and would go in person with him to besiege it Jehoshaphat replied I am as thou art my people as thy people my horses as thy horses As if he should have said I my self my people and my horses are all at thy service and ready to go and do as thou shalt order even as if they were thine own But he desired before they engaged in this enterprize that he would presently send to some holy Prophet and enquire by him after the mind of the Lord whether it were his will they should undertake this war and whether he would prosper them in it Ahab thereupon gathers together his 400 Baalitish Prophets viz. those of the Groves which were reserv'd from appearing to Elijah's Challenge Ch. 18.19 20. thinking possibly that Jehoshaphat by such a multitude would be the better perswaded of the truth of what they said and spake unto them after this manner What say ye shall we go against Ramoth-Gilead to battel or shall we forbear They presently said Go up for the Lord will deliver it into thy hand But though they made use of the name of the Lord yet they received not this answer from him but spake as they thought was most agreeable to Ahab's humour Jehoshaphat was not satisfied with what they said but suspecting their word was not from the Lord he askt if there were not besides these a Prophet of the Lords in the land that they might enquire of Ahab told him there was indeed one in Samaria Michaiah * Some think this Michaiah was the Prophet that denounced the judgment against Ahab Ch. 20.42 and that thereupon he had put him in prison in Samaria till now by name but says he I hate him for he doth not use to prophesie good concerning me but evil Jehoshaphat replied Let not the King say so we ought not to hate the Prophets of the Lord because they speak sometimes things that do not please us If they be the faithful servants of the Lord they must speak the truth whatever it be God forbid therefore the King should hate them for that Ahab hearing him say so commanded an Officer to fetch Michaiah to him Then both the Kings sitting on Chairs of State clad in their Royal Robes in a void place at the entrance of the Gate of Samaria all the 400 Prophets of Baal before mentioned came and Prophesied before them that is by strange affected passionate gestures made shew of Prophetical raptures And Zedekiah the chief of them made him horns * Solebant Prophetae verbis signis eventus praedicere of iron thereby to signifie the power of these two Kings and said to Ahab Thus saith the Lord with these shalt thou push the Syrians until thou hast destroyed them And all the rest of those Prophets prophesied accordingly saying Go up to Ramoth-Gilead and prosper for the Lord shall deliver it into the Kings hands The messenger that went for Micaiah as he was bringing him to the King said to him Behold the rest of the Prophets have spoken good things to the King and that with one consent let thy word therefore I pray thee be like theirs and speak things pleasing to him and to the people Micaiah replied As the Lord liveth what the Lord saith unto me that will I speak So Micaiah came to the King who spake to him after this manner Come Micaiah what saist thou to our design shall we go against Ramoth-Gilead or shall we forbear He answered Go and prosper the Lord will deliver it into thy hands if that which thy Prophets have told thee be true The King said unto him How oft shall I adjure thee that thou deal really with me and tell me nothing but that which is true and which thou hast received from the Lord. Micaiah then said to him I saw in a vision all Israel scattered upon the hills as sheep that have no shepherd implying that the King who was as the shepherd of the people should be slain and thereupon the people should fly and be scattered When I saw this says he the Lord said to me These have no Master that is their King is slain let them return every man to his own house in safety and escape with their lives See v. 36. Ahab turning to Jehoshaphat said Did not I tell thee that he would prophesie no good to me but only evil Micaiah upon this said seeing thou hast adjured me to tell thee the truth in the name of the Lord I now will do it fully and plainly I saw in a vision the Lord sitting on his Throne †Visio parabolica ut Job 1.6 dicuntur hac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad indicandum varios providentiae divinae modos quibus decreta sua ad exitum perducit and all the host of heaven viz. the good Angels and Saints attending him on his right hand and on his left and some evil spirits were mixed among them And the Lord said who will perswade Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead and some of them spake on this manner and others on that At length there came an evil spirit and stood before the Lord and said I will perswade him The Lord askt him How he would do it He answer'd I will go forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets that is I will urge them and put them on to lye to him and deceive him For false Prophets are instructed and moved by evil spirits as true Prophets are by the Spirit of God The Lord answers I permit thee to go and to delude Ahabs Prophets with lyes and by them to delude Ahab himself and thou shalt not miss but shalt effectually perswade and prevail Go forth therefore and do as thou intendest for it is an act of justice seeing Ahab hated my Prophets and would not believe them that therefore he should be given up to believe lyes According to this vision O King the Lord hath permitted a lying spirit to enter into all these thy Prophets who hath possest their hearts and tongues and they speak meer lyes unto thee when they tell thee that thou shalt prosper in this expedition For assure thy self the Lord hath determined evil against thee Zedekiah hearing this stept to him and smote him on the cheek and said to him which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak to thee Micaiah returneth not blow for blow but tells him thou shalt find to thy cost that I have the Spirit of God and do declare the truth of God when thou shalt see my Prophesie exactly fulfilled and when Ahab shall be slain and his army worsted on that day thou shalt hide thy self in an inner Chamber from Ahabs children and friends
himself to see these heads and abundance of people being gathered together to gaze on this lamentable spectacle he there took occasion before them all to justifie himself and his proceedings speaking to them after this manner As for you says he that are here spectators of this woful spectacle I do pronounce you all clear and innocent touching the death of these Sons of Ahab But possibly you will say that I my self am not innocent and that I have conspired against the King my Master and have slain him and you will say also tha I have slain all these whose heads lye here for who else hath slain them but my self seeing they were put to death by my command I do therefore declare before you all that all these strange things which I have done I have not done them on my own head but by the command of God and only to execute what he had determin'd should be done against the house of Ahab and which he threatned against it openly and publickly by his Prophet Elijah 1 King 21.21 And you may plainly see that these seventy persons could not so easily have lost their lives nor those that have cut off their heads been so easily drawn to do it seeing they had many ways to have avoided it if there had not been an extraordinary hand of God therein to accomplish his own purposes Therefore neither they nor I have done ought herein but what God would have done and that is abundantly sufficient to excuse both them and me 2 King 10. from 1 to 11. Jehu in the next place falls upon Ahab's great men in Jezreel that is such as he had raised to great places and offices and upon his kinsfolk and his houshold-Priests and cut them off v. 11. Having setled things at Jezreel he goes now to Samaria and in the way unexpectedly meets forty two Sons of the brethren of Ahaziah whom he slew because they were of the cursed stock of Ahab v. 12 13 14. See more hereof in the life of Ahaziah When he was gone a little further he met Jehonadab Son of Rhecab who was coming to meet him This Jehonadab was a Kenite of the stock of Jethro 1 Chron. 2.55 and either now or afterwards impos'd upon his Sons an austere rule of life as we read Jer. 35.6 viz. That they should drink no wine nor build houses nor sow seed nor plant vineyards nor have any and that they should all their days dwell in tents and that as 't is probable the better to secure them from being corrupted with the growing luxury of those times and to inure them beforehand to hardness that they might be the better able to endure the misery he foresaw the sins of the people would bring upon them This pious and good man coming to meet him he kindly saluted him and blessed him for Jehu was now the greater man and the less was to be blessed of the greater Heb. 7.7 He asks him Is thy heart right as my heart is with thy heart that is Is thy heart faithful towards me as mine is towards thee Jehonadab answers It was If it be says Jehu give me thy hand and he gave him his hand as a further assurance thereof Then Jehu to testifie his high esteem of him as a person of great piety and prudence took him up into his chariot and said to him Come along with me and see my zeal for the Lord and when he came to Samaria he slew all that he found were allied or any way appertained to Ahab and destroyed all that might be any way accounted his according to the saying of the Lord which he spake to Elijah v. 15 16 17. Jehu having thus destroyed the posterity of Ahab who had been always the great promoters of the Idolatry of Baal 't is like the Baalites in all places began to shift for themselves and to hide their heads in corners as fearing what he would do to them therefore that he might catch them all in a trap together he now pretends himself to be altered in his judgment from what he was lately and to be for the worship of Baal * Mendacium hoc erat perniciosum quia erat simulatio professio Idololatriae ideoque scandalum publicum A Lapide yea to be very zealous for it declaring that Ahab served Baal but a little to what he would do and that he would serve him much more and knowing the people to be much addicted to this Idolatry he called them together to make this profession before them His end might possibly be good to destroy the worshippers of Baal but his lying and dissembling was very evil for he ought not to have done evil that good might come thereby After this he proclaimed a solemn Assembly for the worship of Baal and required all the Priests and Prophets of Baal to be present at it and that none should be absent upon pain of death Hereupon they all came apprehending no cause to distrust the reality of the Kings intentions †As for his cutting off the Priests of Ahabs family before possibly they thought that the cause of that was their special relation to that family so that Baals house or Temple in Samaria was full from one end to the other God suffering them thus to be beguiled that they might be destroyed for their Idolatry Jehu now gave order to him that had the keeping of all such things as appertained to the worship of Baal that he should bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal which was accordingly done Then Jehu and Jehonadab went into the house of Baal and bad them search diligently whether there were none there that called themselves Prophets of the Lord for he would not have the worship of Baal prophaned as he pretended by the presence of any that were not cordial to his service These things being done when the Priests of Baal were gone in to offer sacrifice Jehu appointed fourscore of his Souldiers to stand at the doors of Baals house and charged them to keep them all in and declared that he whoever let any man among them escape his life should go for his that escaped As soon as Baals chief Priest had made an end of offering the burnt-offerings to Baal Jehu commanded those Officers and Souldiers to enter in immediately into the house of Baal and to destroy all they found there and not to spare a man which they did accordingly and then cast out their dead bodies out of the house that it might be seen what a slaughter they had made Then this guard went to some City near Samaria which was particularly dedicated to Baal and where his chief Temple was and brought forth the Images out of it and burnt them and broke down the Image of Baal and brake down this house of Baal and made it a draught-house or jakes thereby to express their great detestation of that vile Idolatry wherewith the Kingdom of Israel had been so long defiled Thus Jehu
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
the twentieth of Jotham because according to them Jotham still had the title of King though he had resigned the Kingdom four years before 'T is said indeed in 2 King 17.1 that Hoshea began to reign in the twelfth year of Ahaz because though he thrust himself into the Kingdom before yet he was opposed as an usurper till the twelfth of Ahaz at which time it seems he had the Crown confirmed to him and afterwards reigned four years in Ahaz's time and five in Hezekiah's in all nine years 2 King 15.30 31. HOSHEA the Son of Ela having murdered Pekah got the Kingdom into his own hand The 19th King of Israel HOSHEA in the fourth year of Ahaz yet by reason of stirs and tumults that arose hereupon he could not quietly enjoy it but that State continued in confusion and a kind of Anarchy for the space of nine years Hoshea having at length composed all differences at home began now quietly to reign in the latter end of the twelfth year of Ahaz and reigned nine years He did evil in the sight of the Lord but not as the Kings of Israel that were before him for though he continued Jeroboam's Idolatry of the Golden Calves yet he abandoned the grosser Idolatries of many of his Predecessors And besides he suffered such of his subjects as had a mind to it to go up to Jerusalem to worship there which the former Kings of Israel would not permit For when Hezekiah had proclaimed a solemn Passover many of the Ten Tribes went up to keep their Passover in Jerusalem as we read 2 Chron. 30.11 Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulon humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem 2 King 17.1 2. Tiglath-Pileser after he had reigned nineteen years dying Salmanasser his Son succeeded him This Salmanasser * This seemeth to be that Shalman who in the Prophesie of Hosea Chap. 10.14 is said to have laid waste the house of Arbeb to wit the Country of Arbela in the land of Assyria beneath Arpad either invited by the people or taking advantage of those late broils in the Kingdom of Israel came up now against Hoshea and at length prevailed so far that Hoshea was content to become his servant and pay him tribute 2 King 17.3 But sometime after Hoshea confederating with the King of Egypt resolved to cast off his yoke and refused to pay him tribute any longer Salmanasser understanding this resolved to revenge this injury Wherefore first of all making sure of all the land of the Moabites that he might have no enemy on his back to annoy him and rasing to the ground their two chief Cities Ar and Kirharaseth according to the Prophesie of Isaiah Chap. 15. he then went through and wasted all the land of Israel and at last marched to Samaria in the fourth year of Hezekiah and seventh of Hoshea and besieged it three years viz. in the seventh eighth and ninth year of Hoshea which were concurrent with the fourth fifth and sixth of Hezekiah Isa 15. whole Chapter 2 King 17.4 5. 2 King 18.9 10. Toward the end of the third year of the siege the sixth of the reign of Hezekiah and ninth of Hoshea Salmanasser took Samaria and their King Hoshea and then shut him up and bound him in prison †2 King 17. latter part of v. 4. those words are spoken by way of anticipation as Josephus says lib. 9. and carried away the Israelites captives into his own country and planted them in Chalachochabor and Nehar-Gozan cities of Assyria whither Tiglath-Pileser had before transported the inhabitants of Perea and in the Cities of Media If any such inquire why the Lord did thus deliver up the Israelites into the hands of their enemies the reason is here fully rendred because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord their God but transgressed his Covenant and all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded and would not hear them nor do them 2 King 18.12 And 2 King 17.7 c. For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharoah King of Egypt and they feared other gods and walked in the statutes of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before them and of the Kings of Israel who made statutes for Idolatry And besides their open Idolatry they did secretly many things which were not right against the mind and will of the Lord their God and they built them high places in all their Cities from the tower of the watchmen †A Proverbial speech whereby the extent of their Idolatry is set forth to their fenced Cities And they set them up Images and groves in every high hill and under every green tree And there they burnt incense in all the high places as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger Yea they served Idols whereof the Lord had said unto them ye shall not do this thing Notwithstanding the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah by all the Prophets and by all the Seers whom he sent unto them saying Turn ye from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes according to what I commanded your fathers in the wilderness and which I have often since inculcated upon you by my servants the Prophets time after time But they would not hear but hardened their necks as their fathers did who did not believe in the Lord their God And they rejected his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and his testimonies †In which respect Ezek. 20.25 Gods statutes are said not to be good that is through the wickedness of the people they prov'd hurtful to them and sentenced them to death whereby he testified against their transgressions and they followed vanity and became vain and went after the heathen that were round about them concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like unto them And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God and made them molten images even two Calves and made a grove and worshipped all the host of heaven and served Baal And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire and used divination and inchantments and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight there was none left but the Tribe of Judah only And another cause of Israels ruin was they were an ill example to Judah and infected that Nation And hereupon Judah also kept not the commandments of the Lord their God but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made So the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers until he had cast them
first three good years in his two next evil years and in his other years following them they are written by Shemaiah the Prophet and Iddo the Seer in their Book of Genealogies or Pedegrees or Histories of Kings and other great persons who were famous among the Israelites in those times Thus Rehoboam having reigned seventeen years and for the most part wickedly Abijah his Son reigned in his stead 1 King 12. from 1 to 25. 1 King 14. from 21 to the end 2 Chron. 10. whole Chapter 2 Chron. 11. wh Ch. 2 Chron. 12. wh Ch. The second King of Judah Abijah called also Abijam ABijah began to reign in the 18th year of Jeroboam and that was the first year of his reign the 19th of Jeroboam was the second year of his reign and the twentieth was his third and though in that year he died and Asa his Son succeeded him yet having reigned two years compleat and some part of the third year he is said to have reigned three years His mothers name was Maachah the daughter of Abishalom * 2 Chron. 13.2 she is called Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah Some think she was the daughter of Tamar the only daughter of Absalom whose husband this Uriel of Gibeah was and so she was the daughter of Uriel and withal the daughter that is the Grandchild of Absalom And this seems the more probable because the mother of Absalom was call'd Maachah 2 Sam. 3.3 and he walked in all the sins of his Father For though Rehoboam and his Princes humbled themselves before the Lord upon the Preaching of Shemaiah when the King of Egypt made such a dangerous incursion into their land 2 Chron. 12.6 yet when that danger was over he soon returned to his former evil ways and this his Son likewise trod in his steps and his heart was not upright with the Lord as was the heart of David Nevertheless the Lord for his promise made to David 2 Sam. 7.16 did give him a lamp in Jerusalem that is continued his posterity to sit one after another upon his Throne and to reign in Kingly splendor and established Jerusalem in its former Political and Ecclesiastical state and preserved therein the true Religion because David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not from any thing he commanded him all the days of his life save only in the matter of Vriah that is he did not fall into any heinous and enormous crimes whereby his profession was notoriously blemished all the days of his life save only in the matter of Vriah and the sins appendant thereunto There had been during the life of Rehoboam many bickerings between the two Kingdoms but now in the first year of Abijah's reign Jeroboam raised a vast army intending to fall upon Abijah in the infancy of his reign Abijah accordingly prepares as strong an Army as he could to resist him and defend his Kingdom The two Armies met in the field Abijah's army consisted of four hundred thousand valiant men which was a very great Army but Jeroboam's consisted of as many more viz. eight hundred thousand Both the Armies being drawn forth and set in battel-array the one against the other Abijah by his Herolds or messengers desired a Parley before the fight began or at least liberty to say somewhat to Jeroboam and his chief Commanders which being granted he betook himself to mount Zemaraim which is part of mount Ephraim as the fittest place from whence he might be heard and there spake to Jeroboam and his Commanders after this manner Hear me thou Jeroboam and all Israel Ought you not to know that the Lord gave the Kingdom over all Israel to David and his Sons for ever by a Covenant of Salt * As that which is salted does not use to perish or corrupt See Numb 18.19 that is by a lasting and never-failing Covenant †Hoc ex parte falsum erat Non enim Deus promisit se totam Israelem conservaturum in familia Davidis si ipsa descisseret Osiand by a perpetual Covenant not to be abrogated or annull'd yet Jeroboam the Son of Nebat the servant of Solomon is risen up and hath rebelled against his Lord and there are gathered to him a company of vain men children of Belial who by mutual agreement combined and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam when he first entred upon the Government being then unexperienced in matters of State (a) Yet Rehoboam was 41 years of age when he began to reign 1 King 14.21 and much more in warlike affairs having been bred up delicately in the peaceful reign of Solomon and being tender-hearted and soon daunted and wanting stoutness of spirit he could not withstand them and so like rebellious subjects they fell off from him And this is now your case But do you think to go on in this course and to withstand the Kingdom of the Lord in the hands of the Sons of David and with all your might and power to oppose it Indeed you are a great multitude and I perceive you have brought into your Camp the Golden Calves which Jeroboam hath made for you for Gods But do you think that these are able to help you you have cast off the Priests of the Lord the Sons of Aaron and the Levites and have made to your selves Priests after the manner of other Nations that have no stock or family among them to which the Priesthood is tyed and you in like manner choose whom you will to be Priests Whosoever cometh to consecrate himself for a Priest and bringeth a young bullock as was enjoined under the Law Exod. 29.1 and seven rams whereas the Law required but two at the most (b) Hypocrites can observe some rites prescribed by God but in external rites they often exceed Gods prescriptions See Numb 23. Exod. 29.15 19. he may be a Priest of your Idols that are no Gods But as for us the Lord is our God (a) This must be understood by their outward profession for Abijah's heart was not upright before the Lord 1 K. 15.3 and we have not forsaken him For the true Religion is openly professed among us and the true worship of the true God is incorruptibly maintained in the Temple And the Priests which minister unto the Lord for us are the Sons of Aaron and the Levites wait upon their business and do the services which in special belong to them And they burn unto the Lord every morning and evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense they also set the shew-bread upon the Golden Table (b) There were in the Temple ten Tables of Shew-bread and ten Golden Candlesticks by a Synecdoche the singular number may be here us'd for the Plural and they cause the lamps in the Golden Candlesticks to burn every evening For we observe those Ordinances the Lord hath given us in charge but you have forsaken him And behold God himself is with us for our Captain
and his Priests with sounding Trumpets * See Numb 10.9 to cry an alarm against you Consider O children of Israel what ye do fight ye not against the Lord God of your Fathers and assure your selves that if you persist ye shall not prosper Thus Abijah spake to Jeroboam and the Israelites but they were so far from being mov'd with any thing he said that Jeroboam in the mean time drew an Ambushment behind the Camp of Judah so that the main Battalia of the Israelites faced them and an Ambushment was secretly laid behind them to fall upon their reer When the fight began the Army of Abijah beheld and lo the battle was both before them and behind them Then they cried unto the Lord for help and trusted in him and the Priests sounded with their Trumpets to strengthen their faith in the Lords promise Numb 10.9 So the men of Judah giving a great shout and falling on the Lord smote Jeroboam and all his Army with such a dreadful fear that they fled before Abijah and Judah and were discomfited and Abijah and his Soldiers slew them with a great slaughter and cut off no less than five hundred thousand of them so that they slew more than every one his man Thus the children of Judah prevailed at this time because they trusted and relyed on the Lord God of their Fathers Abijah pursuing his victory took from Jeroboam several of his Cities viz. Bethel where one of his Golden Calves was set up Jeshanah and Ephraim with the Towns belonging to them Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah Abijah now waxed mighty He married fourteen Wives partly before he was King and partly after and begat twenty two Sons and sixteen Daughters And the rest of the Acts of Abijah and his ways and his sayings are they not written in the History of the Prophet Iddo see Ch. 12.15 So Abijah having reigned three years slept with his Fathers and they buried him in the City of David And Asa his Son reigned in his stead 1 King 15. from 1 to 9. 2 Chron. 13. wh Ch. The third King of Judah ASA IN the 20th year of Jeroboam Asa began to reign over Judah and he reigned 41 years He began his reign in the time of the first King of Israel and continued to the reign of the eighth In which time the Kingdom of Israel was in three several families viz. Jeroboam's Baasha's and Omri's 'T is probable that he was very young when he came to the Crown and that hereupon Maachah his Grandmother the wife of Rehoboam his mother possibly being dead was made Queen Regent during his minority But when he came to some ripeness of years he shewed that his heart was upright before the Lord and that he was an enemy to the Idolatry that was in the land and desired to maintain the true worship of God a thing the more to be wondred at he having such a Father and such a Grandmother His Grandmother it seems had out of her zeal to Idolatry set up some new abominable Idol in a Grove He though young took courage and assuming the Government into his own hands deposed her from being Queen Regent and destroyed her Idol and burnt it by the Brook Kidron and stampt it to powder out of indignation and cast the dust thereof into the Brook He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and reformed those things that were out of order in matters of Religion and removed all the Idols that his Fathers had made yet the high places where the people worshipped the true God of Israel were not removed the people being very loth to be tyed to one place for the offering of their Sacrifices but the high places that were dedicated to the worship of strange gods he took away He took away also all the Sodomites out of the land which he could discover see Ch. 14.24 but some it seems remained till his Son Jehoshaphat came to the Crown and then he removed them 1 King 22.46 During this time of peace which the Lord had given them he exhorted his subjects to assist him in fortifying several Cities in his Kingdom and to make about them Walls Towers Gates and Bars while yet the land was quiet before them For says he we have sought the Lord and he hath given us rest on every side therefore let us make a good improvement of this mercy by preparing in time of peace for war 2 Ch. 14.6 7. After this he brought into the Lords house the things that his Father after his famous victory over Jeroboam had dedicated adding something more of his own free gift viz. silver and gold and vessels for the services of the Temple For ten years he enjoyed peace during which time Jeroboam died and Nadab his Son succeeded him Nadab two years after was slain by Baasha who reigned in his stead When those ten years were expired some enemy or other made war against him but who it was is not expressed And afterwards about the fourteenth year of his reign Zerah the Ethiopian with a vast Army of the Arabians as it seems and Philistines joining with him invaded the Kingdom of Judah with an host according to common fame of a thousand thousand and with a thousand †Supple mille 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut patet ex Cap. 16.8 and three hundred Chariots and Horsemen proportionable Ch. 16.8 * See Ch. 16.8 Asa met them with an Army of five hundred and eight thousand levied out of Judah and Benjamin all mighty men of valour And at Mareshah a City in Judah they set their armies in battle-array to fight Then Asa cried unto the Lord his God and prayed saying It is nothing with thee to help whither with many or them that have no power Help us O Lord our God for we rest on thee and in thy name we go out against this great multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man prevail against thee So the Lord smote the Ethiopians with such a dreadful fear that they fled before Asa and the men of Judah and so many of them were slain and the rest routed that they could not rally or make head again So the men of Judah pursued them to Gerar a City of the Philistines and spoiled it and the Cities round about it and carried away very much spoil from them for a great terrour from the Lord fell upon them so that they durst not resist And the men of Judah fell also upon the Tents of the Arabians who had joined with these Ethiopians and took from them abundance of sheep and camels and so laden with spoils marched back to Jerurusalem Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Azariah the Son of Oded and he went out to meet Asa and his Army at their return and lest they should be too much puffed up with this great victory he said unto Asa and his Soldiers You see by experience that the
run to and fro through the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is perfect towards him Herein therefore thou hast done foolishly and from henceforth thou shalt have wars with Baasha 1 King 15.16 Asa was very wroth with the Seer for this his plain and faithful dealing with him and put him into prison and dealt very harshly also with some of his subjects at the same time who possibly shewed their dislike of these his proceedings In the 39th year of his reign he was diseased in his feet probably with the Gout and his disease proving exceeding painful he sought not so much to the Lord for help as to the Physicians He died in the forty first year of his reign having reigned in the time of seven Kings of Israel viz. in some part of Jeroboam's and all the time of Nadab Baasha Elah Zimri Omri and in some part of Ahab's and they buried him in a Sepulcher which he had made for himself in the City of David and they laid him in the Bed or Coffin which was filled with all kinds of odours and sweet spices prepared by the Art of the Apothecaries and they made a great burning for him that is they burnt sweet perfumes at his burial in very great abundance and Jehoshaphat his Son reigned in his stead 1 King 15. from v. 9 to 25. 2 Chron. 14. wh Ch. 2 Chron. 15. wh Ch. 2 Chron. 16. whole Chapter The 4th King that reigned in Judah was JEHOSHAPHAT JEhoshaphat began his reign in the fourth year of the reign of Ahab he was thirty five years old when he began to reign and reigned twenty five years in Jerusalem He walked in the ways of Asa his Father doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord. And the Lord was with him because he walked in the first ways of David his Father which were purer and more free from sin than were his latter days He sought not to Baal as did Ahab but sought to the Lord and walked in his ways and commandments and not after the doings of Israel And the Lord established the Kingdom in his hand and all Judah brought him presents and he had riches and honour in abundance and his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord that is he was very zealous and couragious in the cause of God and went on with an high and magnanimous spirit without any fear or discouragement At his first coming to the Crown he placed forces in all the fenced Cities of Judah and Garrison'd the Cities of Ephraim which his Father Asa had taken See 2 Chron. 15.8 And strengthened himself against Israel The remnant of the Sodomites which remain'd in the days of his Father he took out of the land He took away also such high-places as were dedicated to the worship of strange gods but those wherein the people served the true God of Israel he took not away but the people offered and burnt incense still in them See 1 King 22.43 'T is true his Father had twice removed them 2 Chron. 14.5 15.8 16. yet it seems some escaped or else the people in his Fathers declining time when he was diseased in his feet renewed them But those high-places wherein they served the true God of Israel he took not quite away but the people offered and burnt incense still in them for they had not at least not a great many of them disposed their hearts to follow the Lord intirely and his commandments and injunctions See 2 Chron. 20.33 Some reformation indeed they had yielded unto but yet their hearts hankered still after their old superstition See 2 Chron. 15.17 And though Jehoshaphat did endeavour to reform what was amiss among them yet from the high-high-places * Docemur hinc Deo displicere Electitios cultus a Deo non prascriptos Osiander the people would not be reclaimed In the third year of his reign finding as we said before that the people were in many places much addicted to Idolatry and had set up the high-places which his Father Asa had pulled down he sent some choice Priests and Levites as Visitors into several parts of his Kingdom to see whither they were rightly taught and instructed and by their own personal teaching to confirm those that were well instructed and to convince those that were corrupted or misled and to shew them how expresly the Law did forbid and threaten all Idolatry whatsoever and with them he sent some Princes and men of note to countenance and encourage them and possibly to punish those who should oppose them or be obstinate in their errors Jehoshaphat thus setting himself to the work of Reformation a great terror from the Lord fell upon all the Kingdoms round about him so that they made no war nor gave any disturbance to him Also some Philistines that were deadly enemies to the Jews brought presents to him and tribute-silver Asa having subdued a considerable part of them as we may see 2 Chron. 14.14 And the Arabians brought him flocks their chief calling being to breed and feed cattel and so brought such presents as they had viz. seven thousand and seven hundred rams and as many he-goats These were all clean cattel and so fit both for meat and sacrifice Jehoshaphat now waxed great exceedingly great in riches great in power and great in honour and esteem and he built Castles in Judah and Cities of store viz. to lay up his ammunition and provisions in And he had much business in the Cities of Judah that is he took great care himself and employ'd others under him about such things as were of publick concernment for the good of those Cities in particular and the whole Kingdom in general but his chief Commanders and Captains with some choice Companies of Souldiers he kept about his own person in Jerusalem Moreover he had a great Militia ready to attend him upon any emergent occasion and these were under the command of five able leaders successively The Trained bands of Judah being first under the command of Adnah and when Adnah was dead under the command of Jehohanan and when he was dead under Amaziah the Son of Zichri who willingly offered himself to the Lord viz. to fight the Lords battels against the enemies of the land So likewise the Trained bands of Benjamin were first under Eliada and next after him under Jehozabad and their numbers were in the several times of these Generals sometimes more and sometimes less This was his Militia besides the Souldiers he had in Garrisons and these in their courses some at one time and some at another came up to Jerusalem to wait upon the King About the eighth year of his reign he join'd in affinity with Ahab and married his eldest Son Jehoram to Athaliah Ahab's daughter It may seem strange that so pious a King as Jehoshaphat was should ever be induc'd to marry his Son and heir of his Crown to the daughter of wicked and
way that horses came into the Kings Palace Thus as she was like her mother in sin so she was not much unlike her in her death See 2 King 9.33 Jehojada then appointed Officers for the watch of the Lords house to prevent any danger that might happen upon this sudden change and the rites of Coronation being finished and the aforesaid Covenants made and Athaliah slain Jehoiada and the Rulers and Officers brought the King down to his Royal Palace and set him upon his Throne and no disturbance followed thereupon but the City was quiet and the people rejoiced Joash was seven years old when he was Crowned and reigned forty years Jehoiada now bestirs himself to rectifie things that had been disordered in Athaliah's reign and first he restores the true worship of God and takes care to have the services of the Temple duly performed Then the people went into the house of Baal and brake it down with its Altars and Images which by the encouragement of Athaliah had been set up and they slew Mattan the Priest of Baal even before the Altars to manifest their greater detestation of that Idolatry and possibly in imitation of Jehu who had with so much zeal suppressed that Idolatry in Israel Joash when he was grown up took two wives whom Jehoiada chose for him and he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada who ceased not to instruct him in the ways of the Lord. But the high places wherein they worshipped the true God were not taken away For the people having been so long used to offer Sacrifices and burn incense on them it seems Jehoiada durst not advise the King to proceed to a reformation of this evil The Temple at this time was fallen into great decay either by the negligence of former Kings or through the wickness of Athaliah whose Sons had broken up the house of God and had bestowed the dedicate things thereof upon Baalim 2 Chron. 14.7 Joash therefore now takes order for the repair of it And indeed it was fit he should be very careful to uphold the Temple that had been the nursery of his infancy and the best means under God of securing his life and upholding his just title to the Crown In order therefore hereunto he enjoined the Priests carefully to gather all the mony of the dedicated things that is all the money dedicated to the service and repair of the Temple Particularly 1. The money of every one that passeth the account that is the half shekel that they were to pay when they were numbred from twenty years old and upwards Exod. 30.12 13. which is therefore called the collection of Moses the servant of the Lord and of the Congregation of Israel for the Tabernacle of witness * So call'd in regard of the Ark and the Tables of stone in it which contain'd the Covenant between God and his people and was a witness between them laid upon the people when the Tabernacle was building So in a like case 't was thought reasonable that a like course should be taken for the Temple 2ly The money that every one is set at that is the money which any man shall by the Priest be appointed to pay for his redemption when he hath vowed himself to God according to the Law Levit. 27.2 3ly All the money that cometh into any mans heart to bring into the house of the Lord that is which any man shall voluntarily give for the repair of the Temple This threefold collection Joash appointed the Priests to gather from year to year in the several Cities where they dwelt and were well known among the people and with this money he orders them to repair the breaches of the Temple as there was need and to expedite it with all convenient speed But it seems the Priests were negligent herein when therefore in the twenty third year of his reign he saw that nothing considerable was done he supposed that either the Priests had been exceeding remiss in gathering this money or had not faithfully paid in what they had received or at least that the people suspecting they did convert it to their own private use did not pay it so willingly as otherwise they would have done He thereupon took the work out of their hands commanding them to pay in what they had received and appointed another way for the gathering of it And that was this the King by the advice of Jehoiada made a great Chest and bored a hole in the lid of it and set it in the great Court at the entrance of the Priests Court and into this Chest for preventing of all fraud in this business he orders that all the money that was brought in for the repair of the house of the Lord should be put The Priests readily consented to this course being willing to be excused from the care and trouble of collecting this money Whereupon a Proclamation was issued out through the whole Kingdom that every man should bring in to this Chest his appointed contribution or voluntary offering which accordingly was done with much alacrity and willingness and they continued their contributions till all that needed repairing was finished And thus money came in in abundance And when they perceived there was much money in the Chest the Kings Secretary and the High-Priest came and took it out and told the money and put it up in bags and gave it into the hands of the Master-workmen that therewith they might provide materials and pay the inferiour workmen And they had such experience of the honesty and fidelity of these Master-workmen into whose hands they committed the money that they expected no particular account of them how it was laid out And till the Temple was fully repair'd they would not employ any of the money so collected to other uses but when it was fully done and the house of God set into as good state as it was before then these overseers of the work brought in the remaining money and with it they made vessels for the Temple such as were made by Solomon viz. Incense-cups Spoons Censers and other utensils of gold and silver But though these contributions of the people before mentioned were brought into this Chest yet the trespass-mony * That is the money which by the Law those men were to pay by way of satisfaction according to the estimation of the Priests that had any way wronged the Lord in his holy things Levit. 5.15 whether it were done ignorantly or wittingly In both cases satisfaction was to be made and the one of these is call'd trespass-money and the other sin-money and sin-money was not brought into it it being properly the Priests Thus when they had made the Temple fit for the service of God they daily performed such worship therein as was required by the Law and this they did continually all the days of Jehoiada Jehoiada being now very old and full of days having lived an hundred
in the enterprize But Amaziah was nothing mov'd with what he said for whom God intendeth to destroy he usually first hardens and God intended to punish him for his abominable Idolatry into which he had lately fallen Joash understanding this would not stay till Amaziah came to him but he enters Judah with a strong Army wisely resolving to make his Enemies Country the stage of the war So they met in a pitcht field at Bethshemesh which belongs to Judah and Judah was worsted before Israel and Amaziah himself taken prisoner and brought in Triumph * Thus in this Amaziah the Son of Joash King of Judah God did yet further revenge the death of Zachariah the Son of Jehniada who was most inhumanely and ungratefully murdered in his fathers days according to what he said at his death the Lord will look upon it and require it and withall Amaziah himself was severely punished for his Apostacy to Idolatry to Jerusalem by Joash which City as it seems standing out against him he battered down that part of the wall by the North-gate which was towards Ephraim even four hundred cubits in length and so took the City by force then he seized upon all the gold and silver and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord with the posterity of Obed-Edom who were porters and keepers of the treasures in the Temple 1 Chron. 26.15 as also the treasures of the Kings house And having made what spoil he thought fit in Jerusalem he set Amaziah free upon certain conditions imposed upon him and his subjects and for the surer performance of the Covenants on Judah's part he took hostages of him viz. some noble mens children whom he carried along with him to Samaria And he chose rather to go away with his present spoil than to hazard all by endeavouring to conquer the Kingdom of Judah which he was not like to hold if he did obtain the subjects thereof being so greatly addicted to the house of David Amaziah lived after this fifteen years but a very miserable life for his subjects were so disaffected to him for the Idolatry he had brought in that from that time they began to conspire against him though it broke not forth openly till by his rash unadvised and unprosperous war with Joash he had brought so many miseries upon his Kingdom The conspiracy now breaking forth he fled to Lachish and possibly there hid himself and lived in obscurity so those that had conspired against him as it seems governed the affairs of the Kingdom in his absence About twelve years after these conspirators being men of power in the Kingdom upon some new occasion were so enraged against him that they sent some to Lachish to slay him Amaziah being dead they brought him from Lachish in a Chariot drawn with horses and buried him in Jerusalem with his fathers 2 King 14. from v. 1. to 21. 2 Chron. 25. wh Ch. Tenth King of Judah UZZIAH VZZIAH or Azariah as he is called 2 King 15.1 Son of Amaziah was the next that reigned in Judah In Mat. 1.8 't is said that Vzziah succeeded Joram And Joram begat Ozias whereas there were four that reigned in Judah between Joram and Vzziah viz. Ahaziah Athaliah Joash and Amaziah Some think that these were omitted because of their evil Government and unnatural deaths each of them being slain one after another or because by the mother-side they descended from the stock of wicked Ahab whose house the Lord doomed to be rooted up Vzziah when his Father was slain was about four or five years old and there seems to have been a kind of Interregnum or vacancy in the Throne of Judah for about twelve years viz from the 15th to the 27th year of Jeroboam the second King of Israel at which time Vzziah being sixteen years of age was setled in the Throne by the general consent of the people and not till then And this possibly may be intimated to us by that unusual phrase And all the people of Judah took Vzziah being sixteen years old and made him King instead of his Father 2 King 14.21 And this might happen partly by reason of his minority and partly through the prevalency of some powerful men who perchance had had a hand in putting his Father to death or possibly the Government of the Kingdom might be carried on in his name all that time though he came not to the full exercise of his Regal power till the 27th year of Jeroboam So that the twelve years from his Fathers death which happened in the 15th year of Jeroboam see 2 King 14.23 unto the 27th of Jeroboam when he was put into full possession of the Crown are to be accounted into the number of the fifty two years he is said to have reigned and according to this account in the 26th year of his reign Jeroboam died After which it seems there was an Interregnum or vacancy in the Kingdom of Israel also for about eleven or twelve years viz. to the 38th year of Vzziah's reign After which Zachariah reigned in Israel six months Shallum one month Menahem ten years Pekahiah two years and Pekah had reigned a year or something more before he died which was in the fifty second year of his reign 2 King 15.27 so that he lived in the times of six Kings that sat on the Throne of Israel In the beginning of his reign he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and maintained the worship of God uncorrupt as his Father had done save that the high places were not removed but the people still offered sacrifice and burnt incense on them And during the life of Zachariah Son of that Zachariah that was stoned in the Temple who was an eminent Prophet and had understanding in the visions of God that is was accustomed to see visions and had a singular understanding in ancient Prophesies and so was able to counsel and instruct Vzziah in matters that concerned the knowledg of God and his Laws and possibly was skilful to interpret the dreams and night-visions of others as Joseph and Daniel were I say during the life of this Prophet Vzziah sought the Lord and so long the Lord made him to prosper He recovered Elath a City near the Red-Sea which had been taken from the Crown of Judah by the enemies bordering upon it and repair'd and fortified it In Ahaz's time it was lost again being taken by the Syrians see 2 King 14.22 He was a great warrior he had under his command three hundred seven thousand five hundred fighting men under two thousand and six hundred Captains all which were dispos'd into Regiments and companies and registred that they might be in readiness against any urgent occasion And he furnished all these with Shields and Spears Helmets and Habergeons * Armour for Back and Brest and Bows and Slings to cast stones He was very victorious against the Philistines of whose Towns he brake down the
their sins intermixing exhortations and consolations to the penitent 2. From the 13. Ch. to the 29. he Prophesies against the bordering Nations that were enemies to the Jews viz. the Babylonians Philistines Moabites Syrians Assyrians Ethiopians Egyptians Arabians Tyrians and lastly against the Israelites of the Ten Tribes 3. From the 29. Ch. to the 40. he Prophesies of the Conquest of the Jews by the Babylonians and their leading them Captive into Babylon In which there are four Historical Chapters viz. Ch. 36 37 38 39. occasionally interposed about the invasion of Judea by Senacherib of which we shall speak more particularly in the life of Hezekiah 4. From Ch. 40. to 49. he foretels the deliverance of the people of the Jews from the Babylonish Captivity 5. From 49. to the end are contained Prophesies of the Messiah and his Kingdom This Prophesie was always of very great account in the Church our Saviour himself whose Sermons were all Text took his Text out of this Prophet Luk. 4.17 18. The Ethiopian Eunuch read this Prophet in his Chariot Act. 8.27 30. 'T is oftner quoted in the New Testament than any Book of the Old excepting the Psalms which are quoted sixty four times and this Prophesie of Isaiah no less than sixty as the learned Alsted observes * In Praecogn Theolog lib. 2. cap. 122. And this is all we shall say at present concerning this Prophet Another eminent Prophet whom God raised up at this time and sent him to Prophesie to Judah and Jerusalem was Joel The Prophet JOEL He sets forth to them how the fierce anger of God was manifested against them in that terrible judgment of dearth and famine now upon them occasioned by an extream drought and swarms of Caterpillars with Lionlike teeth and other such destroying insects the one devouring what the other had left Thereupon he exhorts them to true repentance and deep humiliation before the Lord shewing it must be general of all sorts and conditions because they had generally offended and it must be serious and hearty testified by fasting weeping and mourning to which they must join earnest prayer and supplication for mercy which if they would do he promises not only deliverance to them from that terrible plague but that their losses should be repaired and made up to them again by a wonderful plenty And from a promise of these temporal blessings he rises to shew them what spiritual blessings in their due time the true Israel of God should enjoy under the Messiah foretelling the plentiful effusion of the gifts of the Holy Ghost which should then be poured forth viz. on the day of Pentecost He also tells them they should have deliverance from their enemies the heathen round about them and that God himself would judg their adversaries and take vengeance upon them for the wrongs they had done to his people And so much concerning that Prophet Vzziah who had before shewed himself to be a worthy Prince towards the latter end of his reign after he had been so wonderfully helped and blessed by the Lord and made so prosperous grew proud and his heart was lifted up to his destruction so prone are men to abuse the mercies of God to pride and presumption which is usually a forerunner of ruin Vzziah would needs now out of a strange arrogance usurp the Priests office and go into the Temple to burn incense Accordingly he goes presumptuously into the holy place to the Altar of Incense which none but the Priests might do The High Priest as soon as he understood whither he was gone immediately followed after him attended with eighty Priests men of courage who coming to him just as he was ready with a Censer in his hand to burn incense they withstood him and plainly told him he had highly trespassed in coming thither it appertained not to him but to the Priests only and that by Gods appointment to burn incense Therefore they advise him to go presently out of the Temple for he would receive no honour from God for what he had done but contrarily might expect some severe punishment Vzziah was very wroth at this their reprehension Kings and great men usually scorning to be stopt in the career of their sins by the servants of God but his wrath against them did but the more incense the wrath of God against him for immediately the Lord smote him with a leprosie in his forehead as he stood besides * V. 19. Megnal pro Inal juxta the Altar of Incense And thus having sinned with so bold a face and so much arrogance he was punished in his forehead that his sin might be read in his punishment The Priests seeing this and being encouraged by Gods so eminently owning of them and appearing for them they thrust him out of the Temple yea he himself hasted to go out perceiving that the Lord had smitten him And from hence forward to the day of his death he was a leper and dwelt in an house apart by himself and so was cut off from the house of the Lord and he that had so presumptuously gone into the holy place was now excluded from going even to the Court of the people there to worship God Vzziah being thus smitten of the Lord Jotham his Son as Viceroy and Deputy-King governed the Kingdom in his stead as 't is thought about four years Vzziah's Acts were written by Isaiah the Prophet though that Book seems not now extant as not necessary for the use of the Church as neither that of Jasher mentioned 2 Sam. 1.18 Vzziah being dead they buried him in the field where the Sepulchers of the Kings were but in some remote corner thereof where none of the former Kings Sepulchers were because he was a Leper †Supplicium triplex lepra excommunicatio funus inglorium ut a populo vivum lepra defunctum a Regibus aliis dimoverit Anonym in loc When this King died it seems the Philistines greatly rejoiced and triumphed because he had been such a scourge to them as is related 2 Chron. 26.6 Whereupon Isaiah Prophesied that a King should spring from this Vzziah viz. Hezekiah the Son of his Grandchild Ahaz who should sting them worse than ever he had done Isa 14.29 Rejoice not thou whole Palestina because the rod of him that smote thee is broken for out of the serpents root shall come forth a cocatrice and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent 2 King 14.21 22. 2 King 15. from v. 1 to 8. 2 Chron. 26. wh Ch. The 11th King of Judah JOTHAM JOTHAM was twenty five years old when he began to reign and he reigned sixteen years He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord as his father had done before him that is he maintained and encouraged the true worship of God as his Father had done but did not go into the Temple to burn incense as his Father had done so that he was like him not in the evil he
did but in the good only Howbeit the people did yet very corruptly and by their Priests who too much complied with them therein offered sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places which had Jotham removed he might have prevented the people's corrupting themselves in that thing and therefore his not doing it is noted as a blemish of his government About this time namely in the year wherein Vzziah died the Prophet Isaiah saw that glorious vision of the Lord sitting on his throne and compassed about with his holy Angels singing Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath And he foresaw the people of the Jews from this time forward growing more and more obdurate and blind every day than other resisting the counsel of the Prophets and so obstructing the means God afforded them for their conversion and healing Isa 6. Jotham was a great builder he built or renewed and repaired the high-gate of the house of the Lord which was as it seems the Gate whereby they went into the Kings Palace 2 Chron. 23.20 And on the wall of Ophel * Ophel was a Tower on the outside of the City and was the place where in those times the Nethinims dwelt Nehem. 3.26 he built much He built also divers Cities in the hills of Judah and in the Forrests he built Castles and Towers to prevent incursions of enemies He subdued the Ammonites and forced them to pay him tribute by the space of three years viz. an hundred talents of silver and of wheat and barley ten thousand measures of each So he became mighty because he ordered his counsels and actions as in the sight of the Lord and so as he might please him The Prophet MICAH In his days the Prophet Micah began to Prophesie and under him and his two next successors he executed his Prophetick function together with Isaiah and Hosea He prophesied a great while as appears Jer. 26.18 He is very like the Prophet Isaiah both in matter and loftiness of stile He prophesied both against Judah and Israel He declareth Gods wrath against them he laments their condition and foretells their destruction and captivities by the Assyrians and Babylonians for the manifold sins that all sorts had committed viz. Princes Prophets and people Ch. 1.2 3. Then he comforteth those that repent with promises of temporal blessings and deliverances from their enemies but chiefly with promises and predictions of Christ foretelling the place of his nativity and the manifold blessings of his Kingdom Ch. 4. 5. In the next place he expostulates with all sorts for their so ill requiting Gods great kindness and mercy to them and provoking him so highly by their manifold sins Ch. 6. Then he complains of the paucity and scarceness of good men and he endeth his Prophesie with consolations to the Church exhorting her to expect Gods time to plead her cause to the shame of her insulting enemies and her own marvellous comfort Ch. 7. Towards the latter end of Jotham's reign Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel began to conspire against Judah but they did not invade the land till his Sons days the Lord therein shewing mercy to him in taking him away before those heavy calamities fell upon Judah He was buried in the City of David and Ahaz his Son reigned in his stead 2 King 15. from 32 to the end 2 Chron. 27. whole Chapter The 12th that reigned in Judah AHAZ AHAZ succeeded his father Jotham in the very end of the seventeenth year of Pekah He was twenty * Object If he was only 20 years old when he began to reign and reigned only 16 years then how could his Son Hezekiah be 25 when he began to reign 2 King 18.2 for then he must be born when Ahaz was but 11 years old Ans Ahaz was 20 years old when he was first designed King in his Fathers life time it being the manner of Kings in those troublesome times to set up their Sons in the Throne with themselves in their life time that they might hold it the more sure after their death But when he began to reign by himself alone after his fathers death from which the 16 years of his reign must be reckoned he might be 24 or 25 and so his Son Hezekiah might well be 25 at his death years old when he began to reign and reigned sixteen years He did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord his God like David his Father The Lord was his God as to outward profession and David was his Father by lineal descent but he would neither faithfully serve God nor imitate David Soon after his Father was dead Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel confederated together and conspired against him intending with their joint forces to go up and besiege Jerusalem and to depose him and to make the Son of Tabeal probably some eminent Syrian King in his stead The King and people of Judah were exceedingly startled at these tidings as apprehending a sudden and final destruction of their Kingdom God hereupon sends the Prophet Isaiah to Ahaz to comfort him and bids him take his Son Shear-jashub along with him whose name intimated that though the Jews should be brought low yet a remnant of them at least should return to their former condition again and should encrease and enjoy the happiness of being a people and a Commonwealth of themselves It seems the names of Isaiahs Sons (a) The Sons of Isaiah were for signs and for wonders C. 8. 18. by reason of the signification of their names which presignified the goodness of God to the Jews were imposed upon them by a spirit of Prophesie and so they were for signs and significations of the goodness of God which he intended to the Jews see Isa 8.18 And thus Isaiah brought his Son Shear-jashub to Ahaz to confirm him and his people with this sign that they should not utterly be destroyed by these two confederate Kings Therefore he advises him to take heed of distrusting God and to be quiet and not to be afraid of those two Tails or ends of smoking fire-brands viz. Rezin and Pekah whom he so calls because they should soon be extinct and their attempts vanish into smoke though they thought to have burnt up all before them For within the compass of 65 years reckoning from the Earthquake in the 22 year of Vzziah's reign * See more hereof in the life of Uzziah the Kingdom of Syria shall be swallowed up by the Assyrian and Ephraim shall be broken †This was brought to pass by Salmanassar 2 King 17.6 that it be not a people But Ahaz seems still incredulous and believed not the Prophets words Isaiah therefore tells him if he doubted of the truth of what he had said to him in Gods name he might freely ask a sign of the Lord to be shewn him either in the heaven or in the earth for the confirmation of his faith But he
in a seeming piety said he would not tempt the Lord by desiring a sign whereas they do not tempt God who ask a sign when he allows them as we see in the instances of Gideon Judg. 6.36 37. and Hezekiah 2 King 20.8 but they that will not believe he will save them according to his promise except he shews them a miracle to confirm his promise as may be gathered from Luk. 11.16 Seeing therefore Ahaz refused to ask a sign when the Lord permitted him to do it Isaiah tells him that the Lord himself would give him a sign without asking and that was this Behold one that is now a (a) Though in the first sense the Virgin here meant was the Virgin which Isaiah afterwards took to wife by whom he had a Son call'd Immanuel whose name was to signifie to the Jews that the Lord would be with them yet in a second and more sublime sense the Virgin Mary is here signified who was a Virgin and a Mother both in sensu composito as the School speaks that is a Virgin even when she was a Mother And the Son who was to be born of her was Immanuel not only in name but in deed For he was true God and being made man dwelt with us and among us men and came into the world to be our Saviour of whom Immanuel the Son of Isaiah was but a Type And he was not only signum portendens but signum operans a sign not only foreshewing but working out our Redemption Virgin shall be married * Some understand this of that Prophetes whom Isaiah possibly being at this time a widower immediately after took to wife See Ch. 8 v. 3. and shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his name Immanuel This Son shall be born before Rezin and Pekah shall lay siege to Jerusalem and the childs name Immanuel shall signifie that God will be with the Jews to help them Further the Prophet tells him that this child shall eat butter and hony therefore there shall be plenty of food in Jerusalem during the siege And before the child shall come to the use of reason and know how to refuse evil and choose good the lands of Syria and Israel which Ahaz so much abhorred and dreaded shall be rid of both their Kings and they shall be taken away by a violent death This was the sign the Lord would give him And accordingly these two Kings came up and besieged Jerusalem but could not prevail against it and were fain to return without taking of it and what became of them afterwards we shall see in the sequel of the story This wicked King Ahaz was no sooner delivered from this great danger but he forsook God his deliverer and forthwith walked in the ways of the Kings of Israel and set up the Idolatrous worship of Baal and made molten images for that Idol and offered sacrifice in the valley * This was a valley near Jerusalem See 2 Chr. 33.6 'T was call'd Tophet from Toph a Drum because they used Drums other sounding Instruments to drown the cry of the child that was sacrificed See Jer. 7.31 Thence Gehenna came to signifie Hell and Tophet to be used in the like sense Isa 30.33 of Benhinnom and made one of his Sons to pass through the fire and offered him as a sacrifice to Molech contrary to the express Law of God Lev. 18.21 even after the abomination of the heathen whom God had cast out before the children of Israel and he offered sacrifices in the high places and upon the hills under every green tree †Non tantum in lucis sed etiam sub magnis arboribus sacra saciebant Grot. which in height and shade excelled others and seemed fit for that purpose see Deut. 12.2 When Ahaz had thus forsaken God God also forsook him whereupon Rezin and Pekah dividing their forces came again up against him and overcame him which before when both joined together they could not do For the Lord being provoked by his grievous sins first gave him up into the hands of the Syrians who having worsted him carried away a great multitude of his people captive to Damascus Then Rezin at the same time as it seems subdued Elath which Vzziah had recovered to Judah and built it a new and placed his Syrians to dwell there The Lord also gave him up into the hands of the King of Israel who made a great slaughter of his people God therein using one Idolater to scourge another for Pekah slew in one day an hundred and twenty thousand of them Zickri a man of Ephraim slaying one of the Kings Sons and two other great officers of the Kings which is mentioned for his particular honour and the King of Israel carried away two hundred thousand prisoners of the Jews among whom were many women and children There was at that time a Prophet of the Lord in Samaria whose name was Oded whereby we see that God was not wanting to send the Israelites Prophets to admonish them even then when they were most corrupt This Prophet met the host of Israel coming triumphantly with their spoils and captives towards Samaria to whom he spake after this manner Because the Lord was wroth with Judah he hath delivered them into your hands and ye have slain them with a rage reaching up to heaven And now I perceive ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and to make the captives ye have taken bondmen and bondwomen whereas the Law of God forbids you Levit. 25.39 40 41. to make any of your brethren bondmen But consider I pray you are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God Now therefore hearken unto me I advise you to send back these prisoners and captives of your Brethren which ye have taken or else assure your selves the fierce anger of the Lord will fall upon you It seems some eminent men of great authority in Samaria whose names to their lasting honour are set down 2 Chron. 28.12 met the Army also at the same place with many others of the City and hearing what the Prophet had said they were so mov'd thereby that they stood up against the Army and told them they should not carry their prisoners into the City for say they we have offended against the Lord already and have sins too many upon us to answer for and ye if you go on according to your intentions will add more to our sins For our trespasses are great and there is fierce wrath from the Lord hanging over our heads for the cruelty we have already exercised against our Brethren and therefore you shall carry these prisoners no further The Providence of God so wrought upon the hearts of the Commanders and Souldiers of the Army that they presently submitted and left their prisoners and spoils to those Princes and the people there present to dispose of them as they should think fit Hereupon these Governours took those of the
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
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
225000 l. of our money as some compute Hezekiah to raise this sum was forced to take the treasures of the Lords house and cut off the Gold even from the doors of the Temple and from the pillars which himself had overlaid But the King of Assyria having gotten the Gold and Silver into his hands notwithstanding most perfidiously went forward in his enterprize of subduing them And therefore he not only continued the siege of Lachish but sent a great Army under the command of three of his Captains whereof Rhabsheka was chief and therefore only mentioned by Isaiah Ch. 36.2 to besiege Jerusalem Rhabsheka at his first coming before the City desired a Treaty with the King and three of the Kings Officers of State viz. Eliakim Joah and Shebna being sent out to him in a proud imperious and braggadocian manner he spake thus to them Tell your King Hezekiah thus saith the great King the King of Assyria what confidence is this wherein thou trustest Thou saist possibly but they are but vain words I have counsel and strength for the war whereas alas thou hast neither Or it may be thou trustest in some foreign aid or else surely thou never durst have rebelled against me And the aid thou expectest I suppose is from Egypt but alas therein thou trustest but upon a staff or stalk of a broken reed on which if a man lean it will not support him but run into his hands and pierce him even such and no other is the King of Egypt to all that trust on him But possibly thou wilt say we trust in the Lord our God but this is a vain confidence also for 't is he whose high places and altars thou hast taken away and therein highly offended him †Vitio illi vertit quod erat laudandum and hast said to the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem ye shall perform your solemn worship before this Altar in Jerusalem and not in other places therefore thou hast little reason to trust in thy God And as for thy own strength it is meer weakness I will deliver thee two thousand horses which thou shalt keep if thou art able to set riders on them provided thou wilt give hostages to my Master to return them again if thou canst not as I am confident thou canst not how then canst thou think to turn away the face of the least of my Masters Captains Possibly thou puttest thy trust in Egypt †Hezekiah sought not at all to Egypt at this time for chariots and horsemen but alas they will miserably fail thee And as for thy confidence in thy God that also is vain for I am not come up without commission from him to destroy this City 'T is he that hath sent me against this land to destroy it Thus spake this bold presumpouous wretch grounding his confidence only on their former success Then turning his speech to the people on the wall and speaking to them aloud in the Hebrew tongue Wherein says he do ye trust that ye think to abide and subsist in the siege of Jerusalem Doth not Hezekiah perswade you when he perswades you to hold out to give over your selves to die by famine and by thirst telling you that the Lord your God will deliver you out of the hand of the King of Assyria Hear you what my Master now speaks to you by me his servant Know you not what I and my Fathers have done unto all the people of other lands Were the Gods of those Nations able to deliver them out of my hands who was there of all the Gods of those Nations which my Fathers destroyed that could deliver their people out of our hands how much less shall your God deliver you Thus blasphemously spake Rabsheka against the Lord and against his servant Hezekiah speaking of the God of Israel as of the gods of the Nations which were wood and stones and the work of mens hands Then Hezekiah's Messengers desired him to speak in the Syrian language for that they understood and not in the Hebrew tongue to affright the people on the wall else they would be gone and break off the Treaty Rabsheka hereupon said to one of them What hath my Master sent me to speak to thy Master only hath he not sent me to speak to them on the wall also that they may know they shall eat their own dung and drink their own piss if they do not yield So he lifted up his voice louder and said to the Souldiers that were on the wall Hearken not unto Hezekiah but unto the King of Assyria who says thus to you by me his servant make an agreement with me by a present and come forth to me and deliver this City into my hands and then ye shall eat every man of his own vine and of his own figtree and shall drink every one waters out of his own cistern And this happiness ye shall enjoy till I come and carry you to a land like your own a land of corn and wine a land of bread and vineyards a land of oyl olive and honey and so ye may live plentifully otherwise ye must expect nothing but desolation and death And do not let Hezekiah deceive you by telling you the Lord will deliver you Hath any of the gods of the Nations delivered his land out of the hands of the Kings of Assyria Where are the gods of Hamath or Arpad Cities of the Syrians or of Sepharvaim Hena and Ivah have they delivered Samaria out of my hands though those gods were there worshipped Thus this Blasphemer went on venting his rage and blasphemies but the people as the King commanded answered him not a word Then the Kings Messengers return'd to him with their clothes rent and told him the words of Rabshekah Hezekiah deeply perplexed hereat being clothed in sackcloth went to the Temple there humbly to seek unto the Lord for help in this woful distress and withal sent Eliakim and Shebna and the Elders and the Priests clothed also in sackcloth to the Prophet Isaiah who said unto him This is a day of great trouble unto us and a day of sad rebuke and a day of blasphemy for Rabshakeh hath blasphemed the living God Therefore we beseech thee pray earnestly to the Lord for us for the children are come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth that is our sorrow is extream our danger desperate we are brought into such extremities that except help come presently from the Lord and he be pleased miraculously to save us we are sure to perish It may be the Lord will manifest that he hath heard the blasphemous words of Rabshakeh by punishing him for them wherefore lift up thy prayer and pray earnestly for the remnant of the people that are left thou seest the Ten Tribes have been carried away captive and only Judah and Benjamin are left and of them great havock hath been made by the Assyrians in many of their Cities therefore pray earnestly
for us Isaiah bids them return this answer to Hezekiah Thus saith the Lord Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard wherewith the servants of the King of Assyria have blasphemed behold I will send a blast upon him which shall blow him out of this land as the dust or chaff is blown before the wind and he shall hear a rumour of the destruction of a vast number of his Souldiers and Commanders in one night and shall return to Nineveh his chief City and there I will cause him to fall by the sword 2 King 18. from v. 13. to the end 2 King 19. from v. 1 to 8. Isai 36. whole Chapter Isai 37. from v. 1 to 8. Rabshakeh finding that he could neither threaten nor flatter the inhabitants of Jerusalem into a surrender leaving his Army before the City he went presently to Sennacherib whom he found risen from before Lachish and besieging Libna to inform him of the state of things at Jerusalem as also perhaps to confer with him about opposing Tirhakah King of Ethiopia who as he understood was now coming with his Army against them Sennacherib therefore that he might use all possible means to terrifie Hezekiah into a speedy surrender that so he might the better attend the motion of Tirhakah's Army he sends other messengers to him who brought a threatning message by word of mouth and spake to him after the same rate that Rabshakeh had done before they did not indeed mention the persidiousness of Egypt nor the weakness of Hezekiab's Army as Rabshakeh had done but understanding that Hezekiah relyed wholly on God therefore they endeavour to affright him from that confidence by telling him with what ill success other Nations had relyed on their gods instancing in Gozan and Haran Rezeph and the people of Eden all as 't is like regions of Mesopotamia and several other people and therefore they would have perswaded him that he had little reason to trust and relye on his God They also brought with them a blasphemous and threatning Letter from the King of Assyria which Hezekiah having received and read he went up to the Temple and there spread it before the Lord and poured forth unto him a most fervent prayer with many tears humbly and earnestly begging his help in this his great extremity He humbly intreats the Lord to take notice of and to revenge the horrible blasphemies of that daring wretch the King of Assyria against his great and glorious Majesty His prayer was after this manner O Lord of hosts God of Israel who dwellest between the Cherubims on the Mercy-seat and thence art wont to manifest thy gracious presence and thy power to thy poor people Thou art God even thou alone and all the Kingdoms of the earth are thine Thou hast made heaven and earth and all things therein are subject unto thee Incline thine ear O Lord and hear the blasphemous words of Sennacherib's Letter which I here present before thee and open thine eyes and see the blasphemies he hath written therein Hear I pray thee and take notice of all these blasphemous railings wherewith he hath blasphemed and reproached thee the living God Of a truth O Lord the Kings of Assyria have laid wast the Nations they warred against and have cast their gods into the fire for they were no gods but the works of mens hands wood and stone and therefore 't is no wonder they destroyed them But thou art the ever living and true God a God of infinite power and might Therefore we pray thee save us save us out of the hands of the King of Assyria that all the Kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art God and thou only Hezekiah having ended his prayer Isaiah sent unto him this message Thus saith the Lord God of Israel whereas thou hast prayed unto me against Sennacherib King of Assyria this is the word which I have spoken concerning him The virgin-daughter of Sion * The inhabitants of any City or Country are call'd the virgin-daughter of it because delicately and tenderly brought up by their mother as a virgin-daughter and because Jerusalem was fair beautiful and comely as a virgin useâ—h to be in regard of the Temple and other excellencies thereof shall (a) Isaiah Ch. 37.22 Hath despised thee Enallage temporis a praeterperfect Tense for a future despise and laugh thee to scorn O King of Assyria and shake her head at thee to wit when she shall see thine Army destroyed And consider O thou blasphemous wretch who it is whom thou hast reproached and blasphemed and against whom thou hast lifted up thine eyes so high and carried thy self so proudly is it not against the holy one of Israel By Rabshakeh and his companions thy servants thou hast reproached the Lord and hast said By the multitude of my Chariots am I come up to the heigth of the mountains as if thou shouldest have said the strongest places of the Kingdom have I subdued and passed through as a conquerour even those that seemed most inaccessible and am come to the sides of * From the famous Forrest of Lebanon Jerusalem is here call'd Lebanon by a Metaphor Lebanon that is to their chief City and strength the City of Jerusalem where the King his Nobles and Princes dwell are like tall cedars and firr-trees in Lebanon and will cut down the tall-cedars and the choice firr-trees thereof that is I will destroy the Nobles and Princes of Jerusalem and will enter into the lodgings of his border that is will possess my self of his frontier-Towns and will enter into the forrest of his Carmel or by an hypallage into the Carmel of his forrest that is his most excellent and pleasant hill viz. mount Sion on which the most pleasant objects in Jerusalem were seated Thou further sayest I have digged and drunk strange waters and with the soles of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of besieged places that is when I have come to places destitute of water even there have I digged up new fountains where none were before and where Cities have been invironed with great and deep waters no sooner have I set my foot there to besiege them but with the multitude of my Souldiers I have dried them up †Hereby an intimation is given that he laughed to scorn Hezekiah's policy in cutting off the waters about Jerusalem and in Thrasonical manner seems to boast that there was nothing he could not do by his own strength nor any places he could not subdue by his own power But though thou boastest so much of thy power in subduing Cities and Countries hast thou not heard that I the Lord of Heaven and Earth long ago contriv'd and determin'd what thou shouldst do viz. that thou shouldst lay wast defenced Cities and turn them into ruinous heaps see Isa 10.5 c. And accordingly I have now brought it to pass And thence it was that the inhabitants of those places were of so small
Nations that God had cast out before the children of Israel And moreover Manasseh shed much innocent blood viz. of the Prophets that condemned his wicked courses and of others that opposed his evil ways insomuch that he filled Jerusalem with such kind of slaughters And among others whom he put to death he caused the Prophet Isaiah to be sawn asunder with a wooden saw as the Babylonish Talmud Justin Martyr Jerome and others report who suppose so much may be gathered from Heb. 11.37 They were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the sword Manasseh being guilty of such high and great abominations God sent his Prophets * Thus merciful was God to send his Prophets both to Judah and Israel even in the worst of times to draw them from their impieties to him to declare that because he had done these abominable things which the Lord abhorred and had exceeded the very Amorites and worst of the heathens in their impieties whom God cast out of the land of Canaan for their sins and had made Judah to sin with his Idols therefore he would bring such evil upon Judah and Jerusalem that whosoever heard of it both his ears should tingle with the affrighting news thereof He would stretch over Jerusalem the line †That is the line of confusion as 't is Isa 34.11 whereby he would meet out what was to be pulled down And the plummet of the house of Ahab that is a line with a plummet at the end of it The Prophets in their similitudes have more respect to the things signified by their similitudes than to the things from which they take them and so it is here of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab that is would deal with Jerusalem as he dealt with Samaria and with the house of Manasseh as he had dealt with the house of Ahab And he would wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish wiping it and turning it upside down that is would utterly overthrow the state of Jerusalem turning it upside down and would clear that City of all her wealth and of all her inhabitants and would forsake the remnant of his inheritance that is the two Tribes of Judah and Benjamin which only remained of the children of Israel in whom he did formerly delight as a man doth in his inheritance and would deliver them into the hands of their enemies and they should become a prey and spoil to them and all this because they had done that which was evil in his sight and had one generation after another provoked him to anger even ever since he first brought them out of Egypt 2 King 21. from 1 to 17. 2 Chron. 33. from 1 to 11. 2 King 24.3 4. The King of Assyria now sending fresh Colonies into the land of Israel and with them possibly some forces to settle them there it seems some of his chief Commanders with a party of Souldiers made a sudden inrode into the land of Judea with an intent to surprize Manasseh and they came so suddenly upon him that he was forced to fly and hide himself in some wood or thicket to save himself but thither they pursued him and took him and bound him with fetters and carried him prisoner to Babylon (a) So that it seems the King of Babylon was now King of Assyria When he was in this affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly (b) What the word of the Prophets could not do the rod of God did before him and prayed (c) There is a prayer of his set down in the Apocrypha but 't is doubtful whither it be his or no. earnestly unto him and the Lord was intreated of him and heard his supplication and brought him again to Jerusalem into his Kingdom whereby he was convinced that the Lord was the only true God For the Lord by his all-powerful providence so moved the heart of the King of Babylon that he was content to set him free upon condition that he would oppose the King of Egypt which may be the reason why Josiah some years after would needs fight against Pharoah Necho 2 Chron. 35.20 'T is probable that Manasseh's captivity lasted not long because 't is said 2 King 21.1 That he reigned fifty five years in Jerusalem and there is no mention there made of this his captivity After his return he took away the strange gods and the Idol out of the house of the Lord which himself had before set up and all the altars he had built in mount Moriah and in Jerusalem and cast them out of the City This is a good evidence of the truth of any mans repentance when he puts away those evils that formerly he had done with detestation Furthermore Manasseh repaired the Altar of the Lord and sacrificed thereon peace-offerings and thank-offerings and commanded Judah to serve the Lord. As by his example and command he had before caused them to sin so now by both he labours to reform them Yet the people did still sacrifice in the high places but to the Lord only They were brought to embrace the true Religion though they had still a mixture of will-worship with it Manasseh also fortified Jerusalem and other places and put Captains of war into all the fenced Cities of Judah So that he who was before a monster for all manner of evil and wickedness proved now a very commendable Prince so great and happy a change does true conversion make in men 2 Chron. 33. from 11 to 20. The Prophet Habakkuk The Prophesie of HABAKKUK seems about this time to have Prophesied for he speaks of the coming of the Chaldeans against Judah yet not so plainly of the captivity of the Jews in Babylon as Jeremy did Therefore 't is supposed he might be somewhat before him His Prophesie is called the burden * There are four Prophesies in the Volume of the lesser Prophets whose Prophesies are in whole or part called burdens viz. Nahum Habakkuk Malachi and Zachary which Habakkuk the Prophet did see that is his Prophesie was a burdensome Prophesie first to the Jews and then to the Chaldeans His Prophesie is set forth Dialogue-wise between the Prophet and God himself wherein the Prophet first as jealous of Gods honour complains of the extream wickedness of the Jews Ch. 1. from 1 to 5. 2ly We have Gods answer to this complaint wherein he declares that he will punish them by the Chaldeans whom he describes by their bitterness hastiness tyrannicalness and power to bear down all before them as the East-wind and by their pride and haughtiness upon their success robbing God of the glory due to him and ascribing it to their Idols from v. 5 to 12. 3ly We have the Prophets replication to Gods answer wherein he expresses his hope that the Jews should not perish by those threatned calamities grounding his hope on Gods Covenant power and providence and he hoped the Lord ordained the Chaldeans
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
resort so that in his reformation he spared neither the high places of great or small And the Priests of these high places he permitted not to offer sacrifice at the Altar in the Temple yet he permitted them to eat of the unleavened bread that is of the shew-bread and such provisions * Species hic Synecdochice ponitur pro genere q.d. participes erant omnium illorum quibus alii sacerdotes vesci poterant Tirinus as were allotted for the maintenance of the Priests Also he defiled Tophet an high place in the valley of the Son of Hinnon near Jerusalem Josh 15.8 by casting dead mens bones into it that none might hereafter sacrifice his Son to Molech in that place as they had us'd to do Moreover he took away the horses that had been nourished and kept to carry men with speed from the Gate of the house of the Lord †Equitabant ab ingressa Templi ad cameram Nathan-Melech vel ad suburbia Munster to the chamber or house of Nathan-Melech the Chamberlain which was in the suburbs of the City of David where they might see the Sun rise and so might worship it at its first appearing which was an Idolatrous practice of the Persians and it seems the Israelites had learned it from them And he burnt the Chariots wherein the worshippers of the Sun were carried by the help of those horses to see the Sun rise or perhaps the Idolatrous Israelites might set a glorious image of the Sun in one of those Chariots which at sometimes was drawn up and down by those horses for all sorts of people to see and adore And therefore he is said to have burnt the Chariots but to have taken away the horses Furthermore the Altars that were on the flat roof of an upper Chamber of Ahaz which possibly he made to sacrifice thereon to the Sun Moon and Stars see Jer. 19.13 Zeph. 1.4 5. And the Altars which Manasseh had made in the two Courts of the Lords house did he break to pieces For though Manasseh after his repentance did cast out of the City all the Idolatrous Altars that he had made see 2 Chron. 33.15 yet possibly Amon his Son might restore them to their places again and so they might have continued until now but Josiah now tumbleth them down breaks them to pieces and beats them to powder and casts the dust of them into the brook Kidron And the high places which were near Jerusalem on the right hand of the mount of corruption viz. Mount Olivet so called because it was so full of Idols in the days of Solomon * See 1 King 11.7 wherewith the people corrupted themselves Deut. 32.5 he defiled as he had done other high places before 'T is like those high places were defac'd by Asa or Jehoshaphat or Hezekiah but Amon might put them to those Idolatrous uses for which they were before erected and thereupon Josiah took occasion utterly to demolish them that they might never again be used for any such purpose Thus we see how zealously this good King endeavoured a thorough reformation by breaking in pieces Idolatrous Images and cutting down Idolatrous Groves and defiling those those places with dead mens bones that they might never be used for those purposes again 2 King 22. from 3 to the end Chap. 23. from 1 to the 15. 2 Chron. 34. from 8 to the end Josiah now proceeds further in his reformation even to the Cities of the Ten Tribes which he had any power over and first he went to Bethel where coming to the high-place which Jeroboam the first had there made and seeing many sepulchres in the mount of the Idolatrous Priests that had been there buried He undoubtedly by a special instinct from God caused their bones to be taken up and burnt them on that Altar and thereby polluted it according to the word of the Lord which the man of God spake 1 King 13.2 Who cried against that Altar in the word of the Lord and said O Altar Altar thus saith the Lord Behold a child shall be born unto the house of David Josiah by name and upon thee shall he offer the Priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee and mens bones shall be burnt upon thee Then looking about he saw an inscription upon a monument and inquiring what it signified the men of the City told him it was the sepulchre of the man of God who came from Judah and foretold that Josiah should do these things And the old Prophet that seduced him buried him in that sepulchre and gave order that he himself should be there buried also and that there should be an inscription made declaring that there the man of God was buried that when the time came that the things which he had prophesied should be fulfilled his sepulchre might hereby be known from the rest and so neither the bones of the man of God nor his own bones might be disturbed Josiah being satisfied by the inscription whose sepulchre it was he gave order that the bones of those two Prophets should not be disturbed and so the old Prophets desire was fulfilled see 1 King 13.31 32. Then he brake down the high place and the Altar and stampt it small to powder and burnt the Grove where the high place was Then he proceeded to the Cities of Manasseh Ephraim and Simeon even unto Naphtali and caused the Altars and graven Images to be broken down with mattocks and did unto them as he had done at Bethel And such Idolatrous Priests as he met with who sacrificed to false gods and opposed him in this reformation he slew upon their Altars and therein fulfilled what was long since prophesied 1 King 13.1 2. And Josiah took away all the abominations out of the Countries that belonged to the children of Israel over which he had power and caused all of them as much as he could to serve the Lord their God and all his days they departed not from following the Lord God of their Fathers 2 Chron. 34.33 Whereby it appears that though the Ten Tribes were carried away captive into Assyria yet there were some both of the Priests and people that either were left behind or return'd * Abeuntibus Assyriis multi profugi exules qui antea fuga alio alio dilapsi sunt ad suas sedes redierunt cum suis sacerdotibus ibi que ut ante idola sua coluerunt again into the land of Samaria It appears also that the greatest part of the Kingdom of Samaria was at this time under the power of Josiah which possibly the King of Babylon who set Manasseh at liberty might give him with his liberty on condition that he should defend his Territories against the Egyptians who began in those times with great power and success to oppose the Babylonians 2 King 23. from 15 to 21. 2 Chron. 34. from 4 to 8. In the same 18th year of his reign on the 14th day of the
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
Son Shallum having his name changed into Iehoahaz perhaps because of the ill fate of Shallum the Son of Iabesh King of Israel who reigned but one month and was murdered by Menahem 2 King 15.13 was anointed King by the people though he was the youngest of Iosiah's Sons either because he was best affected to the King of Babylon or most warlike and valiant and so most likely to defend them against Necho King of Egypt He was twenty three years old when he began to reign and reigned only three months He quickly fell to do that which was evil in the sight of the Lord and presently set up the Idolatry that his Father Iosiah had suppressed It seems he also grievously oppressed the people and therefore he is compared to a young lion which devoureth men Ezek. 19.2 3 4. The Prophet Ieremy is sent by the Lord to the new Kings Palace earnestly to exhort him and his Courtiers and all the people to repentance and amendment of their lives foretelling them that Shallum or Iehoahaz should be carried away captive into Egypt and bidding the people not to weep for him that is departed meaning Iosiah but for him that is to depart meaning Iehoahaz because he shall return no more to see his native soil Ier. 22. from 1 to 13. Pharoah Necho returning with victory from Charchemish where he vanquished the Babylonians was desirous to revenge the opposition he had received from Iosiah who sought to stop him in his passage through his Country and therefore making use of the dissention that was between Iehoahaz and Eliakim his Elder Brother and getting Iehoahaz or Shallum into his power he presently deposed him as if the Kingdom of Iudea had been at his diposal and set up his Eldest Brother Eliakim changing his name into Iehoiakim and then imposing upon the land a Tribute of an hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold he put Shallum or Iehoahaz into fetters at Riblah and carried him away with him prisoner into Egypt where he ended his life 2 King 23. from 30 to 36. 2 Chron. 36. from 1 to 5. The 18th that reigned in Judah JEHOIAKIM JEHOIAKIM was twenty five years old when he began to reign and reigned eleven years in Ierusalem He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord being an Idolater and a cruel oppresser of the people and possibly the more out of revenge because they had preferred his younger brother before him his oppressions are notably set forth Ier. 22. from 13 to 20. and Ezek. 19. from 5 to 10. But herein he manifested the greatness of his impiety that when the Prophets denounced the judgments of God against him and his people for their evil ways he would not endure it but persecuted them for it as we shall shew afterwards He pays the King of Egypt the hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold which he had imposed upon him but he taxed the land for it and exacted it of the people 2 King 23.35 36 37. 2 Chron. 36. v. 5. In the beginning of his reign Ieremy was commanded by God to stand in the Court of the Temple and there to exhort the people assembled together out of all the Cities of Iudah to repentance it being then the Feast of Tabernacles Thus saith the Lord stand in the Court of the Lords house and speak unto all the Cities of Iudah which come to worship in the Lords house all the words that I command thee to speak unto them diminish not a word If so be they will hearken and turn every man from his evil way that I may repent me of the evil which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings and thou shalt say unto them Thus saith the Lord if ye will not hearken to me to walk in my Law which I have set before you to hearken to the words of my servants the Prophets whom I sent unto you rising up early and sending them * That is continually and carefully sending them a Metaphor taken from careful housholders who with the soonest seek to redress mischiefs causing their servants for that end to rise betimes then will I make this house like Shiloh and will make this City a curse to all the Nations of the earth So the Priests and the Prophets and all the people heard Ieremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. And it came to pass when Ieremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak unto the people the Priests and the Prophets and the people took him saying thou shalt surely die Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord saying This house shall be like Shiloh and this City shall be desolate without an inhabitant And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord. When the Princes of Judah heard these things they came up from the Kings house unto the house of the Lord and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the Lords house to understand what the matter was Then spake the Priests and the Prophets unto the Princes and to all the people saying This man is worthy to die for he hath prophesied against this City and ye have heard it with your ears Then spake Jeremiah unto the Princes and to all the people saying The Lord sent me to prophesie against this house and against this City all the words that ye have heard Therefore now amend your ways and your doings and obey the voice of the Lord your God and the Lord will repent him of the evil he hath pronounced against you As for me behold I am in your hands do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you But know ye for certain that if ye put me to death ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon your selves and upon this City and upon the inhabitants thereof for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears Then said the Princes and the people unto the Priests and Prophets This man is not worthy to die for he hath spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God Then rose up certain of the Elders of the land and spake to all the assembly of the people saying Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah King of Judah and spake to all the people of Judah saying Thus saith the Lord of hosts Zion shall be plowed like a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forrest Did Hezekiah King of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death did he not fear the Lord and besought the Lord and the Lord repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them Therefore if we should proceed with that rigour you would have us against Jeremy we might procure great evil against our own souls Vriah also about the same time Prophesied against
of their forefather Ionadab they were wont to dwell came into Ierusalem and by their obedience in refusing to drink wine God condemneth the disobedience of the Iews Ier. 35. wh Ch. Nebuchadnezzar having brought his forces before Ierusalem in a short time takes it and Iehoiakim prisoner whom he bound in chains intending at first as it should seem to carry him to Babylon but was afterwards intreated upon his submission and promises of subjection to leave him as his vassal and so Iehoiakim became his servant and tributary three years to wit the fifth sixth and seventh years of his reign From which entring of the King and people of the Iews into subjection to Nebuchadnezzar The beginning of the seventy years Captivity according to the Learned Usher some think the seventy years of the Captivity are to be reckoned which were foretold by the Prophet Ieremy Chap. 25.11 And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment and these Nations shall serve the King of Babylon seventy years Ver. 12. And it shall come to pass when seventy years are accomplished that I will punish the King of Babylon and that Nation saith the Lord for their iniquity and the land of the Chaldeans and will make it perpetual desolations And Chap. 29.10 Thus saith the Lord after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you and perform my good word towards you in causing you to return to this place 2 Chron. 36.6 2 King 24.1 Nebuchadnezzar carried away at this time part * Some were left and carried away in Jehoiakim's time 2 King 24.13 and some in Zedekiah's Jer. 52.17 c. of the vessels and furniture of the Lords house and gave command to Ashpenaz the Overseer of the Eunuchs or Pages that he should carry from thence some of the choicest boys both for beauty and wit that he could find and such as were of the Royal blood and of the noblest families as had been expresly foretold by the Prophet Isa 39.7 And of thy Sons that shall issue from thee which thou shalt beget shall they take away and they shall be Eunuchs in the palace of the King of Babylon which being by his care educated for three years in the language and sciences of the Chaldeans might be fit afterwards to wait upon him in his Palace Among whom of the Tribe of Judah were Daniel whom the overseer of the Eunuchs call'd Belteshazzar and Hananiah whom he call'd Shadrach Mishael whom he call'd Meshach and Ananiah whom he call'd Abednego every one of them having his name changed at his discretion These with several others Nebuchadnezzar carried away at this time Dan. 1. from 1 to 8. 1 Chron. 36.7 In the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim there was a solemn fast proclaimed to all the people at Ierusalem in remembrance as it seems of the taking of the City a year before in the same month at which time Baruc standing at the Gate of the house of the Lord read out of a roll or book all the words of the Lord which he had taken from the mouth of Jeremy the Prophet in the audience of all the people who were then assembled out of all the Cities of Judah whereof the Princes being advertis'd called Baruc unto them and caused him to read to them the same book but when they heard the contents thereof they advised him and Jeremy to hide themselves out of the way for fear of the Kings displeasure But the King himself having heard some inkling of it would needs have the roll or book read unto him and having heard some part of it he was so inrag'd at it that he cut the roll through with a pen-knife and then threw it into the fire and burnt it Jer. 36. from 9 to 26. The King having thus burnt the Book he gave order for the apprehending of Baruc the writer and Jeremy the Prophet but God hid them and denounced a heavy judgment against that impious King for it And God commands Ieremy to take another roll and Baruc wrote therein from the mouth of the Prophet all the words of the Book which Jehoiakim had burnt adding many like things thereunto Jer. 36. from v. 26 to the end Nebuchadnezzar pursuing the victory he had gotten over the Egyptians took from them all that they possessed between Egypt and Euphrates so that from thence forward Necho was fain to keep himself within his own bounds in Egypt 2 King 24.7 While these things were doing Nabopolassar the father of Nebuchadnezzar dies which news coming to Nebuchadnezzar he made no delay but after he had given order for the bringing away of the captives as well Jews as others he posted with a small company the nearest way through the desert and came to Babylon before them and being received there as sole Lord of all his fathers large Dominions he afterwards disposed of the captives when they were brought thither here and there as he thought fit And the Sacred vessels and other furniture of the Temple which he had taken away from Jerusalem he disposed into the Temple †By the Divine Providence they were there reserved to be carried back again to Jerusalem See Ezra 1.7 8 c. But Nebuchadnezzar intended service of his Idol and Belshazzar his Grandchild most profanely abused them Dan. 5.2 of his god Belus Dan. 1.2 2 Chron. 36.7 Daniel and his three fellow Nobles being brought to Babylon refuse the Court-diet provided for them and content themselves with pulse and water and yet were found to look better than those that did eat of the Kings fare And when afterwards at the time appointed they were brought to attend the King they appeared in all matters of knowledg wisdom and sciences to excell all the Magicians and Astronomers that were in the Kingdom And Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams Dan. 1. from 8 to the end Nebuchadnezzar in the second * See Richardson on Dan. 2.1 Anno secundo cum vixi tanquam consiliarius in regno Nebuchadnessaris non autem cum vixi in regno Cyrl cujus mentio proxime praecessit v. ult cap. praeced year after the three years of Daniels education were past and he brought to stand before the King which falls in with the fifth year of his reign dreamt his dream of the great image made of divers metals and forgetting the particulars of his dream though in the general it much affected him he would needs know of his Magicians and Astronomers both what his dream was and what it meant And when they could not satisfie him in so unreasonable a demand he like a great Tyrant commanded them all to be put to death But Daniel when he saw the execution preparing and understood the cause thereof humbly moved the King to forbear a while and joining in prayer with his fellows unto God obtained both to have the dream it self and the interpretation thereof revealed to him And accordingly he declared to the King
first the particulars of his dream and then the interpretation thereof shewing him how the four Monarchies which were in their order to succeed one another was the thing signified by that great image made up of divers metals which he saw in his dream Whereupon the King enriched him presently with great gifts and made him Governour of all the Province of Babylon and chief over all the wisemen thereof And moreover at his request made his three Companions Shadrach Meshach and Abednego principal officers in all that Province Dan. 2. wh Chap. Jehoiakim for three years viz. the fifth sixth and seventh of his reign was Tributary to Nebuchadnezzar but the King of Egypt who had set him up could not bear this and therefore threatned as it seems to restore Jehoahaz his Brother whom he still held prisoner in Egypt And though Jeremy had Prophesied it should never come to pass as we find Jer. 22.11 Thus saith the Lord touching Shallum the Son of Josiah King of Judah which reigned instead of Josiah his Father and who went forth out of this place he shall not return hither any more but shall die in the place whither they have led him captive and shall see this land no more yet the fear of it did much perplex him so that he was now in a great straight he was in danger of the Egyptians if he kept faith with the Babylonians and of the Babylonians if he should revolt again to the Egyptians at length namely in the eighth year of his reign hearing perhaps of great preparations made by the Egyptians against the Babylonians he renounced his subjection to the Babylonians and sided with the Egyptians again 2 King 24.1 Nebuchadnezzar in the sixth year of his reign seems to have erected that huge golden image in the plains of Dura a Province of Babylon to be worshipped Daniel's three companions that were newly advanced are accused for not worshipping of it 'T is like out of envy to them and to entrap them some of the Babylonians got the King to erect this idolatrous image These three worthies being brought before Nebuchadnezzar make a stout profession of their resolution to own and serve only the true God Hereupon they are cast into a fiery furnace but are miraculously preserved and delivered by God The King seeing the miracle was exceedingly astonished at it and blessed and praised God Dan. 3. wh Ch. Nebuchadnezzar being detained for three years after Jehoiakim's revolt by other occasions at last in the seventh year of his reign and the eleventh of Jehoiakim's with an army consisting of several Nations he invades Judea and besieges Jerusalem and takes it and Jehoiakim in it and being enraged against him for his perfidiousness he caused him to be bound in chains intending to carry him captive to Babylon But Jehoiakim through grief as 't is probable suddenly after dying he caused his dead body to be dragged out of the Gate of Jerusalem and cast into the fields to be devoured by birds and beasts so that having no burial he may be said to be buried like an Ass as Jeremy had before prophesied of him Jer. 22.18 19 Ch. 36.30 though he dying of himself and not by violence he also may be said to have slept with his Fathers or to have fallen asleep and died as his fathers did Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and the abominations that he did viz. his killing of Vriah the Prophet and his perfidiousness to Nebuchadnezzar and other evils that were found in him behold they are written in the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah 2 King 24. from 1 to 7. 2 Chron. 36.6 Nebuchadnezzar carried away at this time three thousand twenty and three Jews prisoners in the latter end of the seventh year of his reign Jer. 52.28 JEhoiakin was called Jeconiah * In the Genealogy of Christ Jehoiakim the Son of Josiah seems quite to be left out Mat. 1.11 And Josias begat Jeconias and his brethren c. for the resolving of which doubt some conceive that Jehoiakim the Father was called Jeconiah as well as Jehoiakin the Son and so whereas it is said that Josias begat Jeconias and his brethren it must be understood of Jehoiakin the Son of Josias who had several brethren whereas Jehoiakim had none And then that which follows ver 12. And after they were brought to Babylon Jeconias begat Salathiel must be understood of Jehoiakin the Son some learned men viz. Beza and Pareus have been ready to think there is an errour in the generallty of the Greek copies crept in by some unadvised scribe leaving out Jehoiakim the father of Jeconias And Rob. Stephen in his Diversae Lectiones collected out of old Copies readeth that eleventh ver thus Josias begat Jakim which is the contract of Jehoiakim and Jakim begat Ieconias and his brethren and some colour there may seem to be for it because otherwise there is one wanting to make up the third or last fourteenth generation mentioned by the Evangelist which he intended as appears ver 18. So all the Generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen Generations and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen Generations 1 Chron. 3.16 and Coniah by way of contempt The 19th that reigned in Judah was JEHOIAKIN Son of JEHOIAKIM Jer. 22.24 As I live saith the Lord though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim King of Judah were as the signet upon my right hand yet would I pluck him thence This Jehoiakin was eighteen years old when he began to reign that is when he began to reign alone after his fathers death for in his fathers life-time as it seems he was crowned King ten-years before this when he was but eight years old as we have shewed before in the life of Jehoiakim He reigned only three months and ten days and did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord as his father had done before him Against him therefore a dreadful decree went out from the Lord dooming him childless that is as some interpret it that none of his race should succeed him in the Regality to sit on the throne of David though in a kind of Soveraignty Zerubbabel the son or Grandchild rather of Salathiel by Pedaiah did succeed him 2 King 24.8 9. 2 Chron. 36.9 Jer. 22. from 24 to the end 'T is not expressed whether Jehoiakin were made King by Nebuchadnezzar when he last took Jerusalem and bound his Father in chains or was set up by the people when the Babylonians were marched away from the City If he were set in the throne by Nebuchadnezzar it may well be as Josephus thinks that the King of Babylon shortly after his departure bethinking himself how dangerous it might be to leave the Son in the Throne whose Father he had lately taken and cast his dead body out unburied he changed his purpose and presently sent his Captains back with
an Army against Jerusalem to whom himself in person came a while after and being come again before the City Jehoiakin and his mother and his servants and courtiers went out to him as the Prophet Jeremy advised and yielded themselves to him 2 King 24.10 11 12. Nebuchadnezzar therefore in the eighth year of his reign taking Jehoiakin with his mother and his wives and his courtiers carried them away captive to Babylon also out of Jerusalem he took the Magistrates and every man of strength to the number of ten thousand men and all the Carpenters and Smiths leaving none behind but the poorer sort of people And out of other parts of the land he carried away seven thousand men of able bodies and of Smiths and Carpenters one thousand all strong men and fit for the wars Among which captives Kish Grandfather to Mordecai of the Tribe of Benjamin was one Esth 2.5 6. and Ezekiel the Priest another who therefore in his Prophesie reckons the time all along from this captivity Ezek. 1.2 3. and calls it his deportation Ezek. 33.21 and Ch. 40.1 with these captives Nebuchadnezzar now carried away the treasures of the Lords house †2 King 24.13 't is said He carried away all the treasures of the Lords house viz. all that he pleased For this all must be understood with some limitation for he carried not away all now as may appear from Ier. 27.18 and the treasures of the Kings house and brake in pieces many of the Golden vessels and furniture which Solomon had made for the Temple of the Lord as Isaiah had Prophesied Chap. 39.6 Behold the days come that all that is in thine house and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day shall be carried to Babylon nothing shall be left saith the Lord. 2 King 24. from 13 to 17. 2 Chron. 36.10 Ier. 29.1 2. The King of Babylon having thus carried away Jehoiakin he set up his Uncle Zedekiah in his place and Iehoiakin after thirty seven years of captivity was highly honoured and raised up by Evil-merodach as we shall see hereafter 1 King 24.17 2 Chron. 36.10 The beginning of the Babylonish Captivity of 70 years according to Helvicus From this carrying away of Jeconiah Helvicus begins the Babylonian captivity that was to last seventy years grounding his opinion on these Scriptures Ezek. 1.2 In the fifth day of the month which was the fifth year of King Jehoiakins captivity Jer. 29.1 now these are the words of the Letter that Jeremiah the Prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the Elders which were carried away captives and to the Priests and Prophets and to all the People whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon after that Jeconiah the King and the Queen and the Eunuchs the Princes of Judah and the Carpenters and Smiths were departed from Jerusalem by the hand of Elasah the Son of Shaphan and Gemariah the Son of Hilkiah whom Zedekiah King of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon saying For thus saith the Lord after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you and perform my good words towards you in causing you to return to this place And Jer. 24.5 Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel like these good figs so will I acknowledg them that are carried away captive of Judah whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good But to go on whilst Nebuchadnezzar thus prevailed against the Jews God prepared a worm which should eat into this spreading tree Psal 137.8 O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us For in this year was Cyrus the Perso-median born whose Father was a Persian and his mother a Mede and he was by the Prophet Isaiah called by his proper name of Cyrus and stiled the deliverer of the Jews so many years before as we may see Isa 44.28 Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer that saith of Cyrus he is my shepherd and shall perform all my pleasure saying to Jerusalem thou shalt be built and to the Temple thy foundation shall be laid And Chap. 45.1 Thus saith the Lord to his anointed (a) That is whom he intended to make a great King to Cyrus whose right hand I have (b) That is whose right hand I will hold Enallage Temporis that is strengthen to subdue Nations holden to subdue Nations before him and I will loose the loyns (c) i. e. For whose sake I will strike fear and terrror into Kings that they may open to him the Gates of their Cities they shall not be shut against him of Kings to open before him the two leaved gates and the gates shall not be shut And God himself gives the reason of this so unusual a revelation at the fourth verse For Jacob my servants sake and Israel mine Elect I have even called thee by thy name I have sirnamed thee though thou hast not known me (d) Cyrus at first was ignorant of the Lord but afterwards he came to know so much by the Iews that he acknowledged the Lord for the true God Creator of Heaven and earth Ezra 1.2 The 20th and last that reigned in Iudah was ZEDEKIAH NEbuchadnezzar as was shewed before when he carried away Iehoiakin prisoner made Mattaniah Son of Iosiah and Uncle to Iehoiakin King in his stead He is called Brother to Iehoiakin 2 Chron. 36.10 because he was his Fathers Brother and so near of kin to him and he is call'd his Son 1 Chron. 3.16 because he succeeded him in the Kingdom Nebuchadnezzar changed his name into Zedekiah which signifies the justice of Lord for having made a Covenant with him and taken an oath of fidelity from him by the imposition of this name he purposed to mind him that the just judgment of God would fall upon him in case he did violate his oath 2 King 24.17 Jer. 37.1 Ezek. 17.11 12 13 14. Zedekiah was twenty one years old when he began to reign and reigned eleven years and did evil in the sight of the Lord and humbled not himself before Ieremiah speaking to him from the mouth of the Lord. 2 Chron. 36.11 12. 2 King 24. 18 19. About the beginning of his reign the people it seems began to insult over Ieremy and to reproach him because Iehoiakin with many of his subjects were carried away captive and had yielded themselves to Nebuchadnezzar upon his perswasion Whereupon the Prophet under the type of good and bad figs foretelleth it should be better with those that were gone into captivity than with those that were left behind that the former were as good figs * Comparative hic loquitur Propheta cum alios bonos alios malos vocat nec tam de culpa loquitur quam de poena hoc Deus ostendit Prophetae tum quia captivos desperatio obruere poterat tum quia
Idol some of Adonis the Paramour of Venus 4. Their men worshipping the Sun towards the East 2ly He hath a Vision of the judgments that God would execute upon them for their sins In which Vision he hears God commanding six men who had slaughter-weapons in their hands to destroy all except the secret mourners for those abominations the Prophet intercedes for them but the Lord vindicates the equity of his proceedings against them by reason of their sins Chap. 9. 3ly In the tenth Chapter Ezekiel hath a Vision first of the burning coals to be scatter'd over the City 2ly Of the Lords changing his place and leaving them 3ly A Vision of the Wheels and Cherubims representing how things earthly and inferiour as also heavenly and superiour are under the disposal of the Divine Providence Chap. 10. In the 11th Chapter he hath first a Vision of those who gave ill counsel and seduced the people from v. 1 to 4. 2ly Of the judgments denounced against those evil counsellors and devisers of mischief from v. 4 to 13. 3ly He has a Vision of Pelatiah's death the Prophet deprecates the Lords displeasure and pleads with him to spare the residue of Israel The Lord tells him that the people of Jerusalem did not look upon their Brethren that were carried into Babylon as the people of God but challenged the Temple and the land and all in it to be theirs But though those captives were insulted over by them yet God promises to be a sanctuary to them in the Countries whither they were driven and that he would bring them back to their own land and that there they should reform and cast away their detestable things and he would purifie them and give them one heart and put a new spirit within them and take away their stony heart and give them an heart of flesh and they should walk in his statutes and do them and they should be his people and he would be their God 4ly He hath a Vision of the removal and departure of Gods glory from the City to the mountain and so exposing them to the fury and spoil of the Babylonians The Vision vanishing the Prophet is brought back by the Spirit to his people in Chaldea and there declares to them all that God had shewed him Ezekiel 8 9 10 11 whole Chapters God now both by Typical signs as also in plain words foretells Zedekiah's flight by night the putting out his eyes the captivity of himself and his people and the many miseries they were to suffer before all which we have set down in the twelfth Chapter In the beginning of which we have first the Type viz. Ezekiel's removing his houshold stuff and carrying it through the hole of the wall and bearing it upon his shoulders from v. 1 to 10. Then we have the application of this Type both to Prince and people from v. 10. to 15. Moreover he hath a Vision of the sad condition of the people both before and after the captivity of the King whereupon the Prophet is commanded to eat his bread with quaking and to drink his water with trembling Furthermore he confutes those who made an ill construction of his Prophesies and put off all with this by-word If his Prophesies be true yet they belong not to our days but to the days of those that are to be a long while after us or else said his vision faileth and cometh to nothing God tells them he will make that Proverb to cease among them by a sudden and dreadful accomplishment of the Prophesie utter'd by his Prophet and to this matter the seven following Chapters also belong In Chap. 13. he reproves the false Prophets and Prophetesses who taking upon them that office were led by their own private spirits and deceived the people with vain visions and lying divinations The false Prophets he reproves for daubing with untemper'd mortar there being no truth and so no strength in what they said from 1 to 17. And the Prophetesses for sowing pillows under the arms of the people that is by their lyes and flatteries promising them peace and making nightcoifs or kerchiefs for the head of every stature that is suiting their jugling to all sorts both small and great to seduce them In Chap. 14. upon occasion of certain Elders of Israel coming to inquire of him he declares how God abhors to be inquired of by them because of their Idolatry and how he will plague Idolaters and false Prophets except they repent from 1 to 12. And then shews how irrevocably God had decreed to punish them with famine noisome beasts sword and pestilence and that the Intercessions of the most holy men that ever were such as were Noah Daniel and Job would not be able to help them they should only deliver their own souls from 12 to 22. 3ly He foretelleth that some shall be left and shall be carried to their Brethren that were in Babylon who were by this time well accommodated and fitted to entertain them and should be comforted concerning them seeing their repentance In Chap. 15. under the similitude of an useless and fruitless vine-tree fit only for the fire he sets forth the condition of the inhabitants of Jerusalem that they are fit only for judgment In Ch. 16. to make Judah know her abominations by the similitude of a new-born and miserably forsaken young daughter God sets before them their natural state and miserable condition from 1 to 6. and his special love and kindness which he had shewed to them in that wretched state from 6 to 15. and their ungrateful apostasie from God set out under the type of an whore and whoredom signifying their Idolatry and heathenish covenants from 15 to 35. Then he adds a commination of heavy judgments for those sins they being worse than their sisters Sodom and Samaria from 35 to 60. Lastly after he had thunder'd out judgments against the multitude of wicked ones He gives some Evangelical promises of mercy and comfort to revive the spirits of the faithful that either now were or hereafter should be among them from 60. to the end The 17th Chapter contains a denunciation of judgments upon Jerusalem and her King for persidious revolting from the King of Babylon under the parable of two Eagles and a Vine The Parable is propounded from 1 to 11. and expounded and applied in a minatory way from 11 to 22. In the last part of the Chapter there is a promise of Christ and his Kingdom and the happiness of all sorts of people that shall come under his wing and protection from 22 to the end In the 18th Chap. he reproves the Jews in Babylon who instead of being humbled for their sins took up an unjust complaint against God and charged him to deal unjustly with them alledging that their fathers had sinned and they their children suffered for their sins making use of that Proverb The Fathers have eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edg This charge
God clears himself of and shews that he is most just both in punishing and rewarding and that every one shall bear the punishment of his own sins and not of anothers and that if an unjust man repent of his evil ways he shall find mercy for God hath no pleasure at all that the wicked should die see Chap. 33.11 and if a man that is esteemed a just man turn from his righteousness he shall have judgment wherefore he exhorts all to repent and so iniquity shall not be their ruin And to cast away their transgressions and to make them a new heart and a new spirit * That is to endeavour to get a new frame of heart and spirit seeking to the Lord to work it in them by the power of his grace for God hath no pleasure in the death of him that dies The 19th Chap. contains a lamentation for the Princes of Judah under the Parable of Lions whelps taken in a pit from 1 to 10. 2ly A lamentation for Jerusalem under the Parable of a wasted vine Ezek. Ch. 12. Ch. 13. Ch. 14. Ch. 15. Ezek. Ch. 16. Ch. 17. Ch. 18. Ch. 19. About this time as it seems Zedekiah through a vain confidence of help and assistance from the King of Egypt revolted from Nebuchadnezzar not regarding the Covenant he had made with him nor the oath of fealty and fidelity which he had sworn to him 'T is said 2 King 24.20 that through the anger of the Lord against Judah and Jerusalem for their heinous sins it came to pass that he permitted Zedekiah to rebell against the King of Babylon intending thereby to cast them out of that good land where he had in an especial manner manifested his presence The Prophet Ezekiel Ch. 17. v. 15.16 says of him He rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar in sending his Embassadors into Egypt that they might give him horses and much people shall he prosper shall he escape that doth such things or shall he break the Covenant and be delivered As I live saith the Lord God surely in the place where the King dwelleth that made him King whose oath he despised and whose covenant he brake even with him in the midst of Babylon be shall die 2 Chron. 36.13 2 King 24.20 Ezek. 17. from 11 to 21. In the seventh year of Jeconiahs captivity on the tenth day of the fifth month Ezekiel reproved the Elders for their gross hypocrisie who came again to him requesting him to ask counsel of the Lord for them Ezek. Ch. 20. in which Chapter he sets before them a summary of the rebellions of their forefathers in Egypt in the wilderness and in Canaan and shews them how they trod in their fathers steps for which abominations he severely threatens them He promises to preserve his Church and his true worship therein notwithstanding and to gather his people again by the Gospel He foretels Jerusalem's destruction under the Type of a forrest burnt by fire Chap. 21. He is commanded to prophesie very sharply against Jerusalem and to declare to them that God had drawn out his sword against them therefore he was to sigh with the breaking of his loyns as a sign unto them of their approaching calamity He foretels that the King of Babel shall consult by divination whether he should first set upon Jerusalem or the land of the Ammonites and that he shall first set upon Jerusalem because of their perjury He prophesies again against the Kingdom of Judah as also of the coming of the Messiah and that God will overturn that Kingdom so that it shall never be restor'd to its former luster till he comes whose right it is that is the Messiah to whom it belongeth as Davids successor according to the flesh He prophesies also against the Moabites Chap. 22. He sets down a Catalogue of the sins that reigned in Jerusalem for which God will burn them as dross in the furnace and there he sets down the general corruption of Prophets Priests Princes and people none standing in the gap to divert his wrath Chap. 23. The Idolatrous defection both of Israel and Judah is set forth under the type of two women notorious for whoredoms viz. Aholah and Aholibah the Idolatry of Israel is set forth from v. 1 to the 9. and her overthrow by her lovers the Assyrians v. 9 10. The Idolatry of Judah worse than Israels is set forth from ver 11 to 22. who is therefore threatned with ruin by her lovers the Chaldeans from v. 22 to 36. The Idolatries of them both are repeated and judgments threatned against them both from 36 to the end Ezek. Ch. 20. Ch. 21. Ch. 22. Ch. 23. In the ninth year of Zedekiah Nebuchadnezzar invades Judea again to be revenged on him for his breach of faith This being a Sabbatical year the men of Jerusalem hearing that Nebuchadnezzar approached with his army proclaimed liberty to their servants according to the Law Exod. 21.2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant six years he shall serve and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing And Deut. 15.12 And if thy brother an Hebrew man or an Hebrew woman be sold unto thee and serve thee six years then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee Nebuchadnezzar having wasted all the Country and taken their strong holds came now before the walls of Jerusalem on the tenth day of the tenth month and raised forts round about it In memorial whereof a fast was afterwards kept during the Captivity Zach. 8.19 Thus saith the Lord of hosts the fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness and chearful feasts therefore love the truth and peace 2 King 25.1 2. Jer. 39.1 Jer. 52.4 5. Jer. 34.8 9 10. Ezekiel upon the self-same day the siege was laid to Jerusalem hath it revealed to him in Babylon namely in the ninth year of Jeconiah and the utter destruction of it also represented to him by the type of an hot seething pot with pieces of flesh and bones in it And that evening his wife died for whose death he was charged not to mourn thereby signifying the grievous calamity of the Jews to be such as might justly drown all private sorrow Ezek. 24. whole Chapter The siege being now laid to Jerusalem the Prophet Jeremy was commanded by God to foretel to Zedekiah the utter destruction of it by the Babylonians and that Zedekiah himself should be carried away prisoner to Babylon and there should end his days and yet be honourably interred Jer. 34. from 1 to 8. The Prophet for this his faithful dealing was by Zedekiah clapt up in the Court of the prison of the Kings house where at Gods command he buyeth a field of Hanamael his Uncles son taketh witnesses of it and delivereth the writing to be kept as a token that the Jews should return into their own Country again This being
this place And so that came to pass which God threatned Levit. 26.34 35. Then shall the land enjoy her Sabbaths as long as it lyeth desolate it shall rest because it did not rest in your Sabbaths when ye dwelt upon it * See Pag. 169. Hereupon many begin the seventy years captivity from the destruction (c) Here many begin the Seventy years captivity though some begin it from the carrying away of Jeconiah 2 King 24.12 of Jerusalem which are called the seventy years of the desolations of Jerusalem Dan. 9.2 Now the desolation of that City was not till the last fatal destruction of it And the same term also of seventy years is set for the subjection of the neighbouring Nations as we find Isai 23.15 And it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years according to the days of one King after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot c. CHAP. VI. The sixth Age of the World containing the space of time from the carrying of Judah into Captivity unto the liberty granted by Cyrus for their return and consists of seventy years ending in the 3478 year of the World THE City of Jerusalem and the Temple being thus destroyed and burnt down to the ground by Nebuzaradan he left only a few and those of the poorer sort of the people there to dress the Vineyards and to be husbandmen over whom Gedaliah the Son of Ahikam a man of the same Nation was placed Governour but as a Provincial Governour only without any badg of Regality or Kingly Title 'T is like this Gedaliab was one of those that followed the advice which the Prophet Jeremy gave both to Zedekiah and the rest Jer. 21.8 9 10. And unto this people thou shalt say thus saith the Lord Behold I set before you the way of life and the way of death He that abideth in this City shall die by the sword and by the famine and by the pestilence but he that goeth out and falleth to the Caldeans that besiege you he shall live and his life shall be unto him for a prey For I have set my face against this City for evil and not for good saith the Lord it shall be given into the hand of the King of Babylon and he shall burn it with fire 'T is like therefore that upon this account he was made Governour by Nebuchadnezzar's command Jer. 39.10 Jer. 40.5 2 King 25.12 22. Seraiah the chief Priest and Zephaniah the second Priest and the three Keepers of the Gate of the Temple and other principal men by whose counsels Zedekiah had been much led to resist the King of Babylon contrary to Jeremy's warnings Nebuzaradan took and carried them to Riblah to Nebuchadnezzar and there they were put to death But Jehozadak the Son of Seraiah who after him came to be High Priest was carried away prisoner to Babylon 2 King 25. from 18 to 22. Jer. 52. from 24 to 28. 1 Chron. Ch. 6.15 The Prophet Jeremy being bound with chains was carried with the rest as far as Rama towards Babylon and had there his irons knocked off and was set at liberty and had his choice given him whither he would go on to Babylon and there to be honourably treated or stay in Judea with those poor people that were there left And he choosing to stay was sent back with money in his purse to Gedaliah the Governour who made his residence at Mizpeh in the Tribe of Benjamin Jer. 39. from 11 to 15. Jer. 40. from 1 to 7. Some of those Captains and Souldiers which upon the taking of Jerusalem had fled away by night and were scattered over the Country and some of the Jews that had fled to the Moabites and Ammonites and other neighbouring Nations returned after a while to Gedaliah into their own Country where they had good provision of wine and oyl and other summer-fruits to subsist withal Gedaliah made his residence at Mizpeh in the Tribe of Benjamin leaving the rest of the Jews that were with him to live in such Towns as they thought fit Jer. 40. from 7 to 13. 2 King 25.23 24. Ismael the Son of Nethaniah of the race of the Kings of Judah had it seems during the siege of Jerusalem kept himself out of the storm with Baalis King of the Ammonites Jer. 40.14 and being of the Royal seed he envied that the Government of the Jews should be committed to Gedaliah who seems to have been but of private condition and being stirred up likewise as 't is probable by the King of Ammon he made a conspiracy with some few more to slay him Johanan of whom mention is made 2 King 25.23 came and discovered this conspiracy to Gedaliah and offered his help to dispatch Ismael to prevent it but Gedaliah would not believe it but thought he spake falsely of Ismael and would by no means consent he should be taken off Not long after Ismael came to him with ten resolute fellows to Mizpeh where Gedaliah friendly entertained him giving no credit to such as informed him of his treacherous intentions against him and in the seventh month Ismael with his associates taking their opportunity wickedly murdered Gedaliah and such Jews and Caldeans as he had then about him And a day or two after fourscore Jews coming from several places of the Kingdom in a most sad and mournful manner with their beards shaven and clothes rent and having cut themselves deploring the desolation that was fallen upon Jerusalem and bringing certain offerings and incense with them which they purposed to offer to the Lord in the place where the Temple before stood now lying in its dust Ismael having notice of their coming went out to meet them and with counterfeit tears making shew that he also bore a part with them in their sorrow he invited them to go with him to Gedaliah feigning himself to be one of his friends thereby to try how they stood affected to him and having gotten them within the City of Mizpeh he and his companions slew them all there in the open streets ten only excepted whom he spared because they promised to discover to him some treasure hid in the fields during the war and the bodies of the slain he threw into King Asa's pit * In the days of King Baasha Asa King of Judah it seems made a pit in Mizpâ—h for a hiding place in case of danger of which we find no mention but only here which he made in Mizpeh for fear of Baasha See 1 King 15.22 Jer. 40. from 13 to the end Jer. 41. from 1 to 10. 2 King 25.25 Ismael having now taken the Kings daughters whom the Caldeans had left behind being hidden possibly at first and afterwards coming forth had committed themselves to the care of Gedaliah and many others of the people captive he was returning with them as his prisoners to the King of Ammon but Johanan meeting him with a band of men
this place For I know the thoughts that I think towards you thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end Then shall ye call upon me and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you And ye shall seek me and find me when you shall search for me with all your heart and I will be found of you and I will turn your captivity and I will gather you from all the Nations and from all the places whither I have driven you saith the Lord and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive Upon consideration of which time now so near approaching Daniel with fasting sackcloth and ashes poured out a most fervent prayer to the Lord for the remission of his own sins and the sins of the people and for the promised deliverance out of their captivity Whereupon the Angel Gabriel brought him an answer not only concerning this but also concerning the spiritual deliverance of the Church to be wrought at last by the death of the Messias uttering that most famous and memorable Prophesie of the seventy weeks recorded Ch. 9. v. 24 Daniels Seventy weeks 25 26 27. which are generally understood not of weeks of days but of years each day being put for a year and seventy being multiplied by seven every week consisting of seven days do make 490 that is 490 years And 't is usual in Scripture to signifie years by days as may appear from Numb 14.34 and Ezek. 4.5 6. Now for the finding out the meaning of these words we shall enquire 1. When those seventy weeks did begin 2. When they did end 3. What is the meaning of that section or division of the seventy weeks into seven weeks sixty two weeks and one week First the seventy weeks did begin when the Commandment went forth to restore and build Jerusalem vers 25. which was at the end of the seventy years captivity and in the first year of the Monarchy of Cyrus Ezra 1.1 where although express mention was not made for the building of Jerusalem but of the Temple yet it was implied because they had liberty to build themselves houses in Jerusalem and accordingly they did upon that grant go about the building of the City as well as of the Temple Ezra 4.1 12. Neither were they charged by their malicious adversaries for going beyond their commission in building the City more than in building the Temple And 2ly it was prophesied and foretold long before of Cyrus that he should build not the Temple only but the City also Isai 44.28 Chap. 45.13 So much for the beginning of these weeks 2ly The seventy weeks did end at the death and passion of Christ which I shall labour to prove by these reasons 1. Because the things the Angel mentions v. 24. are properly the effects of Christs death Particularly 1 the Text says seventy weeks are determined to finish transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity All which expressions seem to hold out one and the same thing For our Saviour by his death made satisfaction and wrought redemption for his people as may appear from these places Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 20 21 22. Heb. 9.26 1 Joh. 1.7 Rev. 1.5 2 To bring in everlasting righteousness now Christs satisfaction is the ground of our being righteous or justified before God Rom. 3.25 Phil. 3.9 2 Cor. 5.21 2 Pet. 1.1 3 To seal * Ut obsignet visionem i. e. ut reipsa praestet Prophetias de perpessionibus Gloria Messiae 1 Pet. 1.11 Vatab. the vision and prophesie that is thereby all the visions and prophesies concerning the Messias were sealed confirmed and accomplished 4 To anoint †Ut ungat sanctum i. e. ut per ascensionem suam in coelum consecret illud ad cultum Dei illic ab electis in illud assumptis peragendum Sicut Moses olim unxit sacratissimam Tabernaculi partem ad cultum Ceremonialem c. Pisc the most holy Our Saviour by his blood may truly be said to have anointed the most holy that is Heaven as the High Priest being a type of him did anoint the most holy place in the Sanctuary by presenting and sprinkling of blood as the Apostle Heb. 9. from 1 to 13. doth make the parallel between them The reason of the Angels mentioning the destruction of the City and Sanctuary ver 26. is conceived by divers learned men to be chiefly to set out the dreadful vengeanc of God that should fall on the Jews for putting the Messiah to death and therefore 't is not necessary that the destruction of the City and Sanctuary should come within the compass of the seventy weeks but did follow after as the fruit of their cruelty towards him Lastly 't is said v. 27. that in the last week the Messiah should confirm the Covenant and cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease Now when was the Covenant confirmed but at and by the death of Christ as the Apostle speaks expresly Heb. 9.16 17. And when were the Sacrifices or Oblations made to cease but when Christ did offer up himself a sacrifice to God upon the Cross Heb. 10.5 10. For the body or truth being come the shadows and types were to be abolished Col. 2.17 But if the seventy weeks did not end before the destruction of the City then the confirmation of the Covenant and the causing of the Sacrifices and Oblations to cease which we say was done by the death of Christ could not be in the last week as the Angel said for the destruction of Jerusalem was not as is generally acknowledged till about forty years after the death of Christ For the meaning of that section and division of the seventy weeks into 7 62 and 1 for so the Angel doth parcel and divide them we must know that the first section being seven weeks which make 49 years may possibly signifie the time from the return out of Babylon when liberty was granted to the Jews for the building of the Temple unto the finishing of it in the sixth year of Darius see Ezra 6.15 For after they had begun the work there in a short time they were forced to give it over through the complaint and opposition of their adversaries until the second year of Darius which might be about 46 years from the first year of Cyrus and then Darius making a new decree for the furtherance of the building it was set upon afresh and finished in the space of three years or little more viz. in the sixth year of Darius So that in all from the first year of Cyrus wherein they might begin the work unto the sixth year of Darius wherein it was finished there might be 49 years or seven weeks The second Section is of 62 weeks after the former seven viz. from the sixth year of Darius when the Temple was finished to the week wherein the Messias was to be cut off The
third Section is of one week which is the last of the seventy wherein the Messiah was to be cut off This week the Angel seems to divide into two halves intimating some special thing that was to happen about the middle of it and that might possibly be the Baptism of Christ and his entring on his Prophetick office to preach and work miracles and then that in the end of that week which was the other half he should be slain and cut off and so by his death cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease And that space of three years and an half from the Baptism of Christ to his death may be gathered from the four Passovers which he celebrated after his Baptism Now in the compass of these seventy weeks or 490 years there flourished 1 the Persian Monarchy 2 the Grecian or Macedonian and 3 the Roman was begun Dan. 9. whole Chapter About this time Cyrus his own Father Cambyses being dead in Persia and Darius his Father-in law and Vncle in Media had all the Empire and Monarchy of the East in his hands and this the Scripture reckons as the first year of his reign namely as absolute Monarch It seems by Daniel or some other of the Jews it was discovered to him that many years before God had revealed to his Prophet Isaiah see Ch. 44.28 and Ch. 45 1 2 3 4 5. v. 14. that he was ordained and appointed by God to vanquish Babylon and to deliver the Jews out of their captivity and to cause their City and Temple to be rebuilt This Prophesie they shewed him as Josephus reports Lib. 11. Antiq. Ch. 1. And when he had read it he was much affected with it and God stirred up his spirit to deliver the Jews and set them free Accordingly in this year came forth that renowned Edict of his mentioned 2 Chron. 36.23 of which we shall speak more afterwards And in this year the seventy years of the Babylonish captivity being expired Cyrus gave leave to all the Jews dwelling any where in his Dominions to return into their own Country The end of the Seventy years Captivity and commanded such as did return to fall in hand with reedifying of the Temple And he allowed the charge thereof out of his own Treasure and restored to them all the Vessels of the Lords house which Nebuchadnezzar had brought from thence Dan. 9. whole Chapter 2 Chron. 36.22 23. Ezra 1. from 1 to 5. CHAP. VII The seventh Age of the World from the return out of Babylon and the end of the Seventy years Captivity to the death of Christ containing a space of Four hundred and ninety years signified by Daniel's Seventy Weeks mentioned Chap. 9. v. 24 25 26 27. THE Jews had now free leave by Cyrus's Royal Proclamation given them to return to their own Country * The first year after the conquest of Babylon was reckoned at the first year of Cyrus for he was esteemed as Monarch of those Kingdoms though he was not absolute Monarch till the death of his Uncle Darius in which he speaks after this manner That God having given all the Kingdoms of the Earth that were near him or round about him into his hands and having charged him as he understood from the Prophesie of Isaiah Ch. 44.28 Ch. 45.13 to build a Temple for his Worship at Jerusalem he was willing to do it and therefore declares that whoever among his people the Jews were willing to return to their own Country and to build an house for their God who is the only true God he gave them free leave to do it and desired the Lord to prosper them therein And as for all such Jews as were not house-keepers but strangers and sojourners in any part of his dominions and had a mind to return to Jerusalem he gave license to the men of that place where they were sojourners to furnish them with silver and gold and all necessary provisions and horses to carry them and their goods and declares that they shall have free liberty to carry away these things and if any other persons have a mind to send by them a freewill offering for the building of the Temple they may freely do it The Jews upon this gracious Proclamation being well accommodated with Necessaries †They had Horses 736 Mules 245 Camels 435 Asses 6720. See Ezr. 2.66 67. for their journey by those among whom they lived prepare to return unto their own Country namely all such among them whose spirit God raised to go up for some of them being well setled there were loth to remove and over them that were minded to return Cyrus made Zerubbabel the Son of Salathiel and Grandchild to Jechoniah being the chief Prince of the Tribe of Judah Governour and Chieftain and his Lieutenant so that the Government was still in the Tribe of Judah see Gen. 49.10 And into his hands did the Kings Treasurer by the Kings command consign all the vessels belonging to the Temple the whole number of which reckoning the vessels here named and others added thereunto amounted to four thousand and four hundred to be carried back to Jerusalem Ezra Ch. 1. Ch. 5. v. 13 14 15. 'T is like they began their return in the first month of the year which was in the spring-time and they might be about four months in their travel as Ezra and his company were Ch. 7.9 The number of those that returned with Zerubbabel their Captain and Joshuah their High-Priest we have set down in the second Chapter of Ezra and the seventh of Nehemiah (a) There is some difference between the Catalogue in Nehemiah and this set down here as at Ezra 2.5 775 of the children of Arah and Neh. 7.10 652 only are mentioned 'T is like so many gave up their names in Babylon that they would return but only 652 mentioned in Nehemiah came up into Judea the rest either changing their mind or dying by the way So 2.6 compared with Nehem. 7.11 there are found six more when they came into Judea than had given up their names in Babylon The like must be understood concerning ver 10 11 13 14 15 17 19 35 41 65. At v. 55. there is mention made of the children of Solomons servants that is the strangers and proselytes that were imployed by Solomon in the building of the Temple and having lived long among the children of Judah were now reckoned among them At v. 61. there is mention made of the children of Barzillai Some conceive that these Priests marrying into the noble family of Barzillai and disregarding the honour of the Priesthood because in the Captivity they were not imployed as Priests neither had profit or honour by being Priests did therefore choose to be called after the family of their wives but now being returned to Judea and the Priesthood growing into request again these degenerate Priests would fain have taken place among the Priests of the Lord but not being able to prove
concerning the Fast appointed to be kept upon the day of the destruction of the City and Temple of Jerusalem God answered them that those Fasts of the fifth and seventh Months which they had observed for 70 years space were no way pleasing to him he had not commanded them He puts them in mind of their obstinacy and impenitence and going on in their sins which he had forbidden them which had brought that terrible desolation and all their calamities upon them Zach. 7. whole Chapter In the eight Chapter God tells them that he would restore Jerusalem and put an end to all their former miseries and that he would change their Fasts as well that of the fourth Month on the ninth day whereof the City was taken as that of the fifth Month upon the tenth whereof the Temple was burned and that of the seventh Month whereon the remnant of the people upon the murder of Gedaliah were scattered among the Nations and that of the tenth month upon the tenth day whereof the City in the reign of Zedekiah began to be besieged by Nebuchadnezzar into mirth and would give joy and gladness and â—â—berty unto his people Instead of those Fasts he enjoins the more necessary and substantial duties of Religion urging them from the approach of such times wherein ceremonies should cease and wherein the Gentiles should be converted to make up a glorious Church with the Jews Zach 8. whole Chapter The Prophet now encourages them to go on in the work first by Prophesying of the calamities that would come on the enemies bordering about them Particularly 1 on the land of Hadrack * So call'd from the name of some of their Idols or Syria whereof Damascus was the chief City 2 On Hamath a Country lying to the North betwixt Judea and Syria 3 On Tyre and Zidon whose prudence strength and riches should not preserve them 4 On Askelon and the Philistines who should be affrighted destroyed and made desolate and strangers should possess their Cities whereby their pride should be stained and their cruelty repaid and that in the midst of all these calamities the Church should increase and be protected Secondly He prophesieth for their encouragement of the coming of the Messiah who is described from his Kingly office and his properties of justice power to save and lowliness which he manifests by riding on an ass and the foal of an ass He further prophesies of the Kingdom of the Messiah He shews that their deliverance out of Babylon had been by vertue of his blood typified by that which was sprinkled on the people Exod. 24.8 That he will be the deliverer of his Church and people and they may hope for a rich recompence of their sufferings from him He promises also that he will strengthen them against their enemies and will be their General and will appear for them in fight and will give them victory and satiate them with spoils which victory shall tend to Gods glory and their honour for they shall be preserved by God as his own flock and as his Crown and he will give them cause to glorifie him for this as also for the fruitfulness of their land Chap. 9. In the next place he shews them that they are to seek to God in all their necessities and not to Idols He then prosecutes his former Prophesie concerning Israels restitution and victories and that he will recollect them and joyn them with Judah He shews them that he can easily do it v. 8. and make them increase as formerly that he will preserve them in their scattering as seed in the ground till the time of their conversion and restitution doth come That he will remove difficulties and impediments out of the way and that by these promises the truly godly among them shall be encouraged and strengthned to persevere in faith and obedience Zach. 10. whole Chapter He utters now a Prophesie of the desolation of the land and destruction of the City and people of the Jews by the Romans for their horrid ingratitude in rejecting Christ who was appointed of the Father to be the shepherd of that people and executed that charge so as might reclaim them but they would not be reclaimed wherefore he threatens to break his two staves viz. beauty and bands and so to deprive them of the benefit of his Government and care especially because of their crucifying the Lord of life and selling him for thirty pieces of silver He also threatens to give them up to wicked Rulers in Church and State for their destruction Zach. 11. whole Chapter In the next place he Prophesies that God will destroy the enemies of the Christian Church to whom she shall be a cup of trembling a burdensome stone and as a torch of fire in a sheaf that he will defend his people and increase their strength in straits lastly that he will pour upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication so that they shall mourn exceedingly for their piercing and crucifying Christ yea they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only Son and this mourning shall be very vehement and sincere as when the people lamented the death of their good King Josiah and general throughout all ranks and families and that not only in a publick way but also by private humiliations in their private houses and habitations Zach. 12. whole Chapter In the first part of the next Chapter he declares that there is a fountain opened for sinners in the blood of Christ and that remission of sins is obtainable for the penitent by faith in his blood He prophesies also that they shall be delivered from Idolatry and false Prophets some of whom shall be convinc'd of the evil of their way and shall quit it betaking themselves to their callings again and shall acknowledg the equity of the severity used against them from v. 1 to 7. In the second part there is a Prophesie of the suffering and death of Christ the shepherd shall be smitten and of the scattering of the visible Church and of his care of his own v. 7. that the greater part of them shall be cut off and but a few preserved who being purg'd by afflictions shall increase in holiness and in the sense of Gods favour towards them Zach. 13. whole Chapter Lastly he prophesies again of the destruction of Jerusalem with a promise nevertheless that the Lord would save and preserve a remnant that the instruments of this destruction should not go unpunished nor the Church perish by this stroke but thereby the way of Salvation should be made clear to the Gentiles and a free and large passage opened for them to come into the Church of Christ with whom the converted Jews should joyn He Prophesies also that the state and condition of the Church under the Gospel should be unsetled and mixed of variety of dispensations the light shall not be clear nor dark yet so as in the end
the Providence of their God over them that served him Therefore if he had desired a guard 't is supposed they would have derided his former confidence in Gods protection But Nehemiah's case was different having no cause to suspect any such things besides he was a person of great quality about the King and it was for the honour of the King to have his immediate attendants safe guarded and respected safe till he came to Judea As also letters to Asaph the keeper of the Kings Forest viz. Lebanon requiring him to furnish him with timber to make beams for the Gates of the Temple which looked towards the Palace and for the Gates of the walls of the City and for the house that he should enter into and there make his abode And by the good Providence of God the King granted him all his desires and over and above sent a guard with him to conduct him safe to the river Euphrates which was more than he desired of him from whence he was by the Governours beyond the river to whom he delivered the Kings letters conveyed safe to Jerusalem Sanballat the Horonite (d) Of Horonaim a City of Moab See Isa 15.5 who it seems was the Kings Lieutenant or Deputy-Governour over the Moabites and had insinuated himself so into the Jews that there was an alliance between him and the high Priest see Neh. 13.28 and Tobiah (e) This Tobiah his wife being a Jew had often intelligence of their affairs and so wrought them great mischief who was the Kings servant or Deputy-Governour over the Ammonites to whom the high Priest was also allied see Neh. 13.4 being both of them secret and inveterate enemies to the Jews when they knew that Nehemiah was come to Jerusalem they were greatly vext at it especially that there was a man come from the King to seek and endeavour the welfare of the children of Israel Nehemiah being come to Jerusalem rested himself there three days after his long journey Then he arose in the night with some few only with him and taking the advantage of a Moon-shine night and to avoid noise no horse but that himself rode on he went to view the ruins of the walls round about and the circuit of the City that so he might consider whither they were able in likelihood to go through with such a work as the repairing of them and what provision was requisite in order thereunto and what places were most necessary to be first and with most speed repaired All which he desired to be privately informed of before any body knew of his purpose and that he might be the better able to answer any objection that should be made against it and that there might be no talk of it till they were ready to set about it lest their enemies should thereupon seek to hinder them and on these accounts 't is like it was that he carried the business so privately and did not acquaint the Rulers nor the Priests nor so much as the workmen that were afterwards imployed in the work with his intentions and purposes Having thus seen the ruins and acquainted himself with all things he thought requisite he calls the Nobles and Rulers and Priests together and spake to them after this manner You see my Brethren the distress that we are in how Jerusalem lyeth wast the walls ruin'd and the Gates thereof are burnt with fire Come let us build up the walls again that we be no more a reproach and scorn to our adversaries Then he told them all the providences of God about his coming thither how he heard of their affliction and how he petitioned the King and how graciously the King answered him and what encouragement he had given him When the Jews heard these things they were mightily animated and said one to another come let us rise up and build the walls of our City So they took courage and resolution and prepared themselves for the work But when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Kings Deputy among the Arabians heard of their intention they scoffed at them for undertaking such a business which they were never like to effect and despising them said What do these people intend to do Do they intend to rebell against the King If they do we shall quickly take a course with them Nehemiah understanding this couragiously sent them this answer The God of heaven we trust will prosper us therefore we his servants will arise and build But as for you you have no portion nor right nor memorial in Jerusalem that is you are appointed Governours in other Countries look to your own charges you have no interest or concern in Jerusalem neither is their any memorial of you or your Progenitors to be found among us why therefore do you meddle with that which belongs not unto you Nehem. Ch. 2. whole Chapter Nehemiah and the Jews notwithstanding the opposition of their enemies resolve now to set upon the building the walls of Jerusalem Eliashib the Grandchild of Joshua the high Priest with his brethren the Priests undertook the building of the sheep-gate which was near the sheep-market and having at their own charges built it and set up the doors of it they by prayer dedicated it to the Lord. The inhabitants of Tekoa a City in Benjamin were well affected to the work and some of them built the wall in one place and some of them repaired another part of the wall v. 27. but to the disgrace of the Nobles among them 't is said that they put not their necks to the work of the Lord that is they refused to help therein and out of their greatness pretended they would not be taxed to the work nor have any such burden imposed upon them v. 8. The men of Gibeon and Mispeh repaired to the Throne of the Governour on this side the river that is to the place where the Governour appointed by the Persian King on that side of the river did use to sit v 7. Shallum was another eminent repairer who was Ruler of half Jerusalem * Jerusalem being part in Judah part in Benjamin might have two Rulers and his pious daughters out of their zeal were willing to let some part of their portions go to the work v. 12. 'T is recorded also to Baruck's great commendation that he earnestly repaired his part that is with more than ordinary zeal and heartiness Some of the Priests built the wall over against their own houses and Meshullam who it seems was but a lodger over against his own Chamber And thus by several persons the walls and gates of Jerusalem were built Nehem. Ch. 3. whole Chapter Sanballat hearing what progress the Jews had made in building their walls was very angry and scornfully scoffed at it and before his own Countrymen and the army that quartered in the City of Smaria and when ever he had occasion he would say What do these feeble Jews intend to do Do they intend to fortifie themselves Do
being gone to Cyprus and his Mother to Egypt he fell upon Gaza for calling in Lathurus to their help against him In the mean time Apollodorus their General broke out into his Camp by night with a very strong party and as long as night lasted had the better of it but as soon as it was day the Jews uniting themselves charged the Gazaeans so stoutly that they slew a thousand of them The City held out a good while but was at last taken by the treachery of Lysimacus Brother to Apollodorus whom out of envy for being in so much favour with the people he murdered and then getting a party about him delivered up the place Alexander at first marched in very calmly and peaceably but after a while let loose his Soldiers to fall upon the Citizens without controul who sold their Lives as dear as they could destroying many of the Soldiers He cut the Throats of many Senators who were met in Apollo's Temple and after he had sack'd the City he returned to Jerusalem Alexander was hated by his own Subjects and being injuriously used by them on the Feast of Tabernacles he is reported to have slain six thousand of them having furnished himself with Guards hired out of Pisidia and Cilicia for the purpose He overthrew the Arabians and imposed Tribute upon the Moabites and Gileadites He was troubled with intestine Broils from his own Subjects stirred up principally by the Pharisees who had been provoked by his Father Hircanus which Broils continued six years during which time they fought often but he usually had the better of it 'T is said that in that time he destroyed no less than fifty thousand of them It troubled him thus to destroy the strength of his own Kindom therefore he endeavoured to compose matters with them and asked them Wherewith he should appease them They answered If he would kill himself for scarce could they pardon him tho' he were dead At last they called in Demetrius Encaerus son of Antiochus Gryphus made King of Syria by Ptol. Lathurus to their assistance and by the help of his Army overthrew Alexander But many of them being touched with compassion towards their King after this defeat about 6000 of them went over to him which so discouraged Demetrius that he thereupon retired into his own Country The Pharisees being thus left by Demetrius forthwith waged War with Alexander by themselves but still had the worst of it and many of them being taken by him were nailed to Crosses and their Wives and their Children slain before their faces During these stirs he lost all that he had got in the Arabian and Moabitish Regions Yet afterwards gathering together his forces he wan divers Towns and reduced under his power the valley called Antiochus's Valley and the Fort Gamala and outed Demetrius Lord of those places and then returned home and was joyfully received by his Subjects for the good success he had had in that Expedition At this time the Jews possessed many Cities in Syria Idumaea Phoenicia and other Countries a Catalogue of which Josephus hath left us among which Pella a Town of Moab being one they destroyed it because the Inhabitants refused to receive the Jewish Rites Anna a Prophtess Daughter of Phanuel her Husband being dead went not out of the Temple but served God day and night for 84 years together until she saw Christ in the Temple Alexander towards his latter end giving himself to intemperate courses contracted a quartan Ague which held him three years Yet for all this he followed on his Wars and laid siege to Ragala Castle beyond Jordan but being at last overcome by the force of his disease he died there before the Walls of that place in the 27th year of his reign about 76 years before the birth of Christ Alexander a little before his death when he saw he must die advised his Wife to keep close his death till the place should be gained and then going victoriously to Jerusalem to send for the chief of the Pharisees whom both he and his Father had grievously offended and to express kindness to them and give them the disposal of his Corps and to assure them that she would not act any thing in State matters but by their advice This advice she punctually followed and thereby so gained the love of the Pharisees that they cryed up Alexander for a good King among the people and bewailed his death and provided a more stately and sumptuous funeral for him than they had made for any King before him Alexander left two Sons Hircanus and Aristobulus but to his Wife he left the management of the Kingdom Hircanus was of a dull and heavy temper Tho' therefore she made him High-Priest yet she kept the Government in her own hands tho' indeed all things were ordered at the will and pleasure of the Pharisees whom the people were commanded to obey and against whom whatever Ordinances were made by Hircanus were now abolish'd The Queen kept in pay a great number of Foreigners and so increased her Power that she became formidable to the neighbouring Princes and took Hostages of them yet no great matters were done by her abroad but sufficient stirs happened at home For the Pharisees knowing no moderation in the prosecution of their ambitious and envious designs procured the Queen to put to death many of those who had counselled her Husband to deal so cruelly with their adherents Hereupon those of them who were most obnoxious being backed by Aristobulus made their Address to the Queen beseeching her that either they might be all slain there or else that they might be dispersed severally into Castles where they might pass the remainder of their lives in some security from the Treachery of their Enemies The Queen not well knowing what to do in this Exigent resolved at last to intrust them with the command of all the Castles excepting Hircania Alexandrium and Machaerus After this Alexandra falling grievous sick Aristobulus judged that now or never was the time for him to do some thing for the setting up of himself Whereupon departing privately by night with only one Servant to attend him he went to those Castles which his Fathers Friends had the command of and in a short time got them into his power The news of this being brought to the Queen she and the Pharisees were exceedingly troubled at it knowing that if he had got the Kingdom into his hands he would call them to a strict account for the hard usage of his Friends Hircanus the High Priest and the Elders of the Jews having secured Aristobulus's Wife and Children in the Castle at Jerusalem make their Address to the Queen desiring her speedy direction what they should do in these State Emergencies She told them They might do what in their Judgments they thought fit and most conducing to the publick good and might imploy the Arms and Treasure of the Kingdom as they saw occasion But for her part she was in
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
it He made him ride on the high places of the Earth that is he inabled them to subdue and conquer the mountainous places and the high-walled Cities of their Enemies and to possess a Land far excelling others in all Commodities whatsoever He made him to eat of the increase of the Earth to suck Honey out of the Rock that is of Bees nestling in the holes of Rocks and Oil of Olive-Trees that grow in stony places He made him to eat of Butter of Kine and Milk of Sheep with the fat of Lambs and Rams of the choice breed of Bashan and Bread made of the finest plumpest and largest kernels of Wheat resembling Kidneys in shape and to drink the pure blood of the Grape that is the choicest red Wine But Jeshurun * Jeshurun derived from Josher signifying Righteousness intimates that by their calling they ought to be a righteous people and to walk uprightly in Gods ways but Moses here by giving them this Title seems to upbraid them that they were so unlike the people they should have been being waxed fat kicked that is hath behaved himself wantonly forsaking God that made him contemptuously and lightly esteeming the Rock of his Salvation in whom alone was his help They provoked Him to jealousie and made him exceeding angry by their spiritual Fornication and worshipping strange gods They sacrificed unto Devils that is unto Idols wherein the Devil was served and not God Levit. 17.7 1 Cor. 10.20 They sacrificed to gods whom they knew not nor had any knowledge or experience of any good from them to new gods newly come up for though they had continued many hundred years in the World yet if compared to the Eternal ever-living God they might be said to be newly come up and to be meer up-starts and such as their Fathers slighted as Vanities Of the Rock that is of the strong God that created them and begat them they were unmindful and forgot Him that formed them and made them his people Isa 43.21 When the Lord saw this he abhorred them because of the provoking of his Sons and Daughters that is of those that professed themselves to be his people And he said I will hide my face from them I will see what their end will be that is I will let them see what a miserable end they will come to when I forsake them For they are a very froward Generation Children in whom there is no faithfulness or fidelity or stedfastness to keep their Covenant with me They have moved me to jealousie with that which is not god that is provoked me to Displeasure by giving that worship which is only due to me to Idols which are no gods and so preferring mear Vanities viz. Stocks and Stones before their Creator Therefore he says he would move them to jealousie that is vex and disquiet them with those that are not a people †The Jews understand this of the Chaldeans who carried them Captive and so grieved them But the Apostle understands it of the Jews rejection for refusing Christ and of the calling of the Gentiles at which the Jews were very angry see Rom. 11.14 Completum hoc cum ab Ethnicis infesterentur Judaei deinde in Gentium vocatione Confer Hos 1.10 Rom. 10.19 Anonym even with a foolish Nation that is by calling the Gentiles who were not now his people and were despised by the Jews for their blindness and folly Rom. 10.19 For a fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn unto the lowest Hell and shall consume the Earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the Mountains that is the Judgments which God in his anger would bring upon them should be most vehement and dreadful and should utterly destroy the Land and therefore this desolation and destruction is set forth in expressions resembling the Conflagration of the World at the last day He further adds I will heap mischiefs upon them I will spend mine arrows upon them that is I will strike them with many Plagues and they shall be wounded with them as with Arrows suddainly and unexpectedly They shall be burnt with hunger that is consumed with Famine see Lam. 4.8 and devoured with burning heat and bitter destruction that is with burning Carbuncles and fiery Vlcers on their Bodies I will send the teeth of Beasts upon them with the poyson of Serpents of the dust viz. that hide themselves in the dust and feed on the dust and assault suddainly They that are abroad shall be slain by the Sword and they that are within shall die with terrour and fear and this misery and calamity shall fall on all sorts old and young I said I would scatter them into Corners and make the remembrance of them cease from among men were it not that I feared the wrath of the Enemy lest the Adversaries of my people should behave themseves strangely and lest they should say Our hand is high and the Lord hath not done this God here speaks of Himself after the manner of men who oftentimes desist from doing what otherwise they intended to do for fear of encouraging the pride and insolency of wicked men And therefore God would not bring his people so near to utter destruction as their sins deserved lest their Enemies should thereupon exalt themselves as if by their own power alone or the help of their Idols they had vanquished Israel and done all that they had done see Psal 140.8 And the reason why God was so far provoked as to be ready almost utterly to destroy the Israelites had not respect to his own glory restrained him was because they were a Nation void of Counsel neither was there any understanding in them that is they went on blindly and desperately in wickedness without considering what would be the issue of it O that they were wise says God that they would consider what will befal them in the latter end if they go on in their Rebellions against me that so by true Repentance they may prevent these miseries For if they had not by their frequent and high Transgressions extreamly provoked me their Enemies should never have had that power over them that they have had seeing I had promised them in case they were obedient that an hundred of them should put ten thousand of their Enemies to flight Josh 23.10 Levit. 26.8 and this they have found true in many strange Victories which they have gotten wherein a few of them have defeated whole Armies of their Adversaries And how could it come to pass quite contrary that one of their Enemies should chase a thousand of them and that two of their Enemies should put ten thousand of them to flight except their Rock had sold them and the Lord had shut them up that is except the Lord who is their Rock and their only Stay and Strength had delivered them up into the hands and power of their Enemies to be captivated and imprisoned by them at their will and to
And therefore God upbraiding the King of Tyre with his pride and arrogancy Behold saith he thou art wiser than Daniel no secret can be hid from thee therefore I will bring strangers upon thee the terrible of the Nations and they shall bring thee down c. Ezek. Ch. 26. Ch. 27. Ch. 28. In the same year also in the third month God revealed his will to Ezekiel of sending Nebuchadnezzar against Pharoah to the ruin of the Egyptians In the same month also God declared that the Egyptians could no more avoid his decree and determination than the Assyrians had done before Ezek. Ch. 30. Ch. 31. In the eleventh year of Zedekiah the ninth day of the fourth month when the famine grew extream in the City and the pestilence as 't is like very hot Jerusalem was broken up and the Caldeans entred it Ezek. 4. from 9 to the end Lament 4.10 2 King 25.2 3 4. Jer. 52.5 6 7. Jer. 39.2 3. The City being taken Zedekiah and all the men of war fled away by night by the way of the Gate between two walls which was by the Kings garden being it seems a secret way provided on purpose for escape in such a time of danger but the Caldeans pursuing after them took Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho and brought him prisoner to Riblah where Nebuchadnezzar lay where having judgment passed upon him for his perjury and having seen his children first slain before his eyes to his extream torment together with the Nobles of Judah he had then his own eyes put out and being clogged with chains and fetters he was carried away from thence to Babylon so the Prophesies before utter'd concerning him were fulfilled viz. that with his eyes he should see the King of Babylon and speak with him mouth to mouth Jer. 32.4 34.3 But Babylon he should not see though he should die there For so the Prophet Ezekiel foretold Ch. 12.13 My net also will I spread upon him and he shall be taken in my snare and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Caldeans yet shall he not see it though he shall die there 2 King 25. from 4 to 8. Jer. 39. from 4 to 8. Jer. 52. from 7 to 12. Upon the seventh day of the fifth month Nebuzaradan Captain of the Guard sent by Nebuchadnezzar made his entry into the City and on the tenth day he set fire on the Temple and on the Kings Palace and upon all the Noblemens houses in Jerusalem and burnt all down to the ground and brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about In remembrance of which dismal calamity the Fast of the fifth month was ordained to be kept Zach. 7.3 v. 5. Zach. 8.19 Thus was the glorious Temple destroyed in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzars reign and four hundred twenty four years three months and eight days after that Solomon laid the first stone thereof 2 King 25.8 9 10. Jer. 52.12 13 14. Jer. 39.8 In the same fifth month the walls of Jerusalem being broken down all that were left in the City and all that had before fled over to Nebuchadnezzar and all the common people of the City with all the treasure of the King and his Nobles and furniture of the Temple did Nebuzaradan carry away to Babylon and thus was Judah for their sins removed out of her own land four hundred sixty eight years after David began to reign over it From the division of the Ten Tribes from the Tribe of Judah three hundred eighty eight years and from the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel one hundred thirty four years If any shall enquire why the Lord gave up this his own people into the hands of their enemies you may find 2 Chron. 36. from v. 12 to 20. that the high provocations both of King and people were the cause thereof Zedekiah did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the Prophet speaking to him from the mouth of the Lord and he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear by God but he stiffned his neck and hardned his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel Moreover all the chief of the Priests and the people transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers rising up betimes (a) That is continually and carefully sendding them a Metaphor taken from careful housholders who with the soonest seek to redress mischiefs causing their servants for that end to rise betimes and sending because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place but they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people and there was no remedy * After that there remain'd nothing but expectation of judgment Therefore he brought upon them the King of the Caldees who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their Sanctuary (b) That is the Temple whither 't is like many of them fled for refuge and had no compassion upon young man or maiden old man or him that stooped for age he gave them all into his hand And all the vessels of the house of God great and small and the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the King and of his Princes all these he brought to Babylon And they burnt the house of God and brake down the walls of Jerusalem and burnt all the Palaces thereof with fire and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof Jer. 39.9 Jer. 52.15 2 King 25. from 11 to 18. 2 Chron. 36. from 14 to 22. The Scripture saith that they that were carried away captive to Babylon in the eleventh year of Zedekiah were to continue seventy years in their captivity 2 Chron. 36.20 21. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the Kingdom of Persia To fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremy until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths for as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath to fulfill threescore and ten years Where by those words until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths we are to understand that so long as the people were kept out of it the land rested there being none to plow or dig it up and so it continued for the most part till the expiration of seventy years as Jeremy had Prophesied Jer. 25.11 And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment and these Nations shall serve the King of Babylon seventy years And Chap. 29.10 Thus saith the Lord after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you and perform my good word towards you in causing you to return to
into subjection all Countries far and near Whereupon Cyrus was by his Fatheâ— Cambyses and the Council of the Kingdom made General of the Persian forces and sent away into Media with thirty thousand Souldiers and one thousand Commanders and when he came thither he was by his Uncle Cyaxares who had sent for him made General of the Median forces also and the management of the war against the Babylonians wholly committed to him Cyaxares and Cyrus march against the Babylonian King and against Croesus and the rest of the Confederates and gain'd a great victory over them The King of Babylon fell in the battel Croesus with those of his people that were left brake up his Camp by night and fled Cyrus having made a league with the Hircanians who had fallen over to him from the Babylonians using their help and guidance in the way pursued the enemy that was fled overtook them and fought them and again overthrew them The Hircanians fell upon the Companies of the Cappadocians and Arabians and slew both their Kings Cyrus sparing the lives of such as were either taken by force or had yielded to mercy divided the spoil of the field among his Souldiers Herod Lib. 3 4. Belshazzar Grandchild to Nebuchadnezzar by his son Evilmerodach succeeds in the Kingdom In the first year of this Kings reign Daniel had the vision shew'd him of the four Beasts signifying the four Monarchies of the World and of Gods delivering over all power and Soveraignty to the Son of Man Dan. 7. whole Chapter In the third year of Belshazzar Daniel had the vision of the Ram and He-goat foreshewing the destruction of the Persian Monarchy by Alexander and that he being dead and his horn broken four horns should arise instead thereof denoting four Kingdoms and that out of one of them a little horn should come forth viz. Antiochus Epiphanes which should prevail to take away the daily Sacrifice and bring much misery upon the people of God This was shew'd to Daniel then living at Susa in the Province of Elam upon the bank of the river Vlai which was then in the hands of the King of Babylon under whom Daniel lived And the Angel Gabriel comforted Daniel and interpreted the vision to him by the command of Christ Dan. 8. whole Chapter In the year of the world three thousand four hundred sixty five Cyrus and Belshazzar those two great Lords of the world fought a pitched battel near Babylon and the Caldeans being worsted retired to the City where Cyrus besieged them with a vast army When he had viewed the wall he concluded there was no storming of it and therefore resolved that the best way was to pine and starve them out at which the besieged scoffed as thinking themselves utterly out of danger But Cyrus taking notice how the river ran through the City caused deep ditches to be made which by draining rendred it fordable and taking advantage of a solemn Feast which they kept entred by night and surprized them whilst they were banqueting and reveling and in their cups And so vastly big was the City that when the skirts of it were surprized and taken they who dwelt in the heart of the City heard not of it to which that of Jeremiah seemeth to have reference Jer. 51.31 that post upon post and messenger upon messenger should run to tell the King of Babylon that all the skirts of the City were possessed by the enemies Belshazzar was at this time as it seemeth feasting with his Nobles and had caused to be brought forth the vessels of silver and gold which his Grandfather * For that he was his Sons Son may be gathered out of Jer. 27.7 And all Nations shall serve him and his Son and his Sons Son until the very time of his land come and then many Nations and great Kings shall serve themselves of him Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the Temple at Jerusalem that he his nobles his wives and concubines might drink in them But God suddenly sent a hand to write upon the wall where the King and his Nobles sat drinking Mene Mene Tekel Vpharsin Hereby evidently declaring that sudden destruction should fall upon him But his Wizards of Caldea could not read the writing hereupon his Queen advised him to send for Daniel who came and both read the writing as also gave the interpretation thereof and for his pains was presently proclaimed the third man in the Kingdom Presently after this in this very night was Belshazzar slain by the Souldiers of Gobrias and Gadales who having been formerly injured by him had revolted to Cyrus And so the Babylonish Kingdom came to an end as had been sundry times foretoâ—â— by Isaiah Chap. 13. Chap. 14. Chap. 21. Chap. 34. Chap. 46. Chap. 47. By Habakkuk Chap. 2. and by Jeremy Chap. 25. Ch. 50 51. Dan. 5. from 1 to 31. The Babylonish Empire being now translated to the Medes and Persians Darius the Mede Son of Ahashuerus otherwise called Cyaxares the Son of Astyages took upon him the Kingdom which was delivered to him by Cyrus the Conquerour And the Angel in this first year of his reign is said to have confirmed and strengthened him in his Kingdom After which he reigned two years Dan. 5.31 Dan. 9.1 Dan. 11.1 Cyrus having set all things in order at Babylon went into Media and married the only daughter and heir of Darius and for dowry had the whole Kingdom of Media given him with her and the marriage finished he returned with her to Babylon Darius now set over the Kingdom a hundred and twenty Princes or Governours and over all the Governours he made three Overseers the principal of which was Daniel whereupon the rest of the Governours being stirred up by a spirit of envy against him moved the King to make a decree that for thirty days space no petition should be made to any God or man but to himself alone which decree when Daniel had broken by making his prayer to God three times a day he was cast into the Lions den and thence delivered without any hurt at all done to him and then Darius having caused those malicious plotters to be cast into the same Lions den published that memorable decree through all his dominions that every man therein should reverence and stand in awe of Daniels God Dan. 6. whole Chapter Towards the end of the first year of the reign of Darius over the Babylonish Empire the seventy years of the captivity of the Jews drew towards a period and this was the last of those years of their calamty specified by Jeremy Chap. 25.12 And it shall come to pass when seventy years are accomplished that I will punish the King of Babylon and that Nation saith the Lord for their iniquity c. And Chap. 29.10 c. For thus saith the Lord that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you and perform my good word towards you in causing you to return to