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
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
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
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
afforded us viz. Meat and Drink for our money as we passed thorow the out-skirts of their Country But Sihon would not let us pass for the Lord hardned * God cannot be the Author of Sin or the rebellion of the heart but he may being debtor to no man withhold his grace He may leave men to themselves He may permit Satan to work effectually in them See Sect. 59. of Ch. 3. on Exod. 4.21 his Spirit and made his heart obstinate that he might deliver him into our hands as appeareth by the event For Sihon coming out against us with his people to fight us the Lord delivered him into our hands and we smote him and all his Host and we took all his Cities and utterly destroyed Men Women and Children see Deut. 20.14 15 16. as God had commanded us Only we took the Cattel and the Spoil of the Cities to our selves for a Prey But the Land which was on the out-side of the River Jabbock which belonged to the Ammonites Josh 12.2 and those Cities of the Ammonites that lay in that mountainous Country beyond Jabbock and what-ever else was in the possession of the Ammonites did we not at all meddle with or with any thing else that God had forbidden us 5. He reminds them how after they had conquered Sihon they conquered Og Chap. III the Giant King of Bashan the other King of the Amorites When we marched up towards Bashan then says he Og the King thereof with his Army came out against us at Edrei And the Lord commanded us not to be afraid of him though he was a Giant of such a formidable stature And accordingly the Lord delivered him and his people and his Land into our hand and we took all his Cities even threescore Cities all the Region of Argob a Province in Bashan we took all those Cities which were fenced with high walls gates and bars and many unwalled Towns also And we destroyed Men Women and Children as we had before done unto King Sihon and his Subjects but the Cattel and the Spoil of the Cities we took as a Prey to our selves So we took at this time from those two Kings of the Amorites the Land that was on this side Jordan from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon called by the Sidonians Sirion (c) And Ch. 4.48 Sion and by the Amorites Shenir and all the Cities of the Plain and all Gilead And says He there now remained of that Gigantick Race in the Kingdom of Bashan but this Og only whose Bedstead * The Cubit of a man being usually a foot and an half according to this measure his Bedstead was four yards and an half long and two yards broad was of Iron and nine Cubits according to the Cubit of an ordinary man was the length thereof and four Cubits the breadth thereof and it was now kept in Rabbah (d) Possibly this Bedstead was taken in some War between the Ammonites and this King and so kept in Rabbah as a glorious Trophy of their Victory the chief City of the Ammonites from 1. to 12. 6. He shews how he distributed those Countries taken from the two Kings to Reuben Gad and the half Tribe of Manasseh see Numb 32.19 enjoyning them nevertheless to go over Jordan before their Brethren armed and to fight for them and help them against the Canaanites till God had given them that Land quietly to possess and then they should return to their own Possessions on this side Jordan again And says He I appointed in this new Conquest three Cities of Refuge viz. Bezer in the lot of the Reubenites and Ramoth-Gilead in the lot of the Gadites and Golan in Bashan in the lot of the Manaesites from 12 to 21. and Ch. 4. from 14. to 44. 7. He further tells them how he encouraged Joshua who was to be his Successor from what he had seen the Lord do to those two Kings of the Amorites and that consequently he should not fear the other Kings he was to fight with for the Lord would fight for Israel Then he tells them how earnestly he besought the Lord to permit him to go into Canaan I prayed says he O Lord God thou hast begun to shew thy Servant thy greatness and thy mighty hand For what God is there in Heaven or Earth that can do according to thy Works and according to thy Might I pray thee let me go over and see the good Land that is beyond Jordan and that goodly Mountain Lebanon But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes Your murmurings made me sometimes too rash in speaking and sometimes too slow in believing in the Lord which provoked Him against me so that He would not grant my Request but said to me Let it suffice thee speak no more to me of this matter Get thee up to the top of Pisgah and lift up thine eyes West-ward and North-ward East-ward and Southward and behold it with thine eyes for thou shalt not go over this Jordan But give Joshua in Charge what I Command thee and encourage and strengthen him For he shall go over before this people and shall cause them to inherit the Land which thou shalt only see with thine eyes Ch. 3. from 21. to the end 8. From all these Experiences of Gods signal Goodness to them He comes now to exhort them to keep and obey the Statutes and Commandments of the Lord and to teach their Children also to observe them and especially to take heed of Idolatry which was a very provoking sin And that he might excite them the more to the observance of these Precepts he bespeaks them in this wise Hearken O Israel unto the Statutes and Judgments which I am now to teach you and be careful to practise them that ye may live and go in and possess the Land which the Lord God of your Fathers hath given you You shall not add * Improbatur hic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cultus proprio arbitrio excogitatus Confer Deut. 12.8 32. Numb 15.39 40. Prov. 30.5 6. Gal. 3.10 to the words which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it but you must keep close to the Commandments of the Lord which I from Him command you Your eyes have seen the Judgments of God executed upon those that committed Idolatry with Baal-Peor unto which many of Israel declined by the counsel of Balaam But you that did cleave unto the Lord and kept your selves from that Transgression were saved from that destruction Behold I set before you the Statutes †Some by Statutes understand Ornances of divine Worship and by Judgments Laws that concern their duty towards men and the punishment of Transgressors and Judgments which God hath commanded Chap. IV me to give you and which you are to observe in the Land which you are going to possess And carefully to observe them will be a great evidence of your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the Nations that shall
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
surprize me before I was aware so that I should not escape so Achitophel contrived but the Lord was my stay and upon him I did relye and trust The Lord also freed me from the great straits I was in and set me at liberty and that not for any merit in me but of his own free grace and mercy and that he might graciously reward me according to my innocency and integrity so that I may with great thankfulness say The Lord hath rewarded me according to my righteousness †He doth not here speak of his righteousness in reference to God for in this sense he prayeth Psal 143.2 Enter not into judgment with thy servant but of his righteousness as to his enemies though the obedience of Gods servants is a due debt which they owe to God and it is God that enables them to do what they do yet God of his free grace rewards them for their works when they are performed with sincerity though they be far short of what they should be the Lord rewards men according to their works that is acding to the nature and quality of their works though not for any merit in their works If their works be good they shall have a good reward if their works be evil their reward will be accordingly according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me that is according to the righteousness of my cause and the innocence of my intentions and actions as to my enemies I being clear of those faults and crimes they slanderously charged me with I have kept the ways of the Lord that is I have desired to walk in his precepts and the ways by him prescribed and though I have had many slips and failings yet I have not wickedly and presumptuously resolved to go on in them and so to make a desperate defection from God For all his judgments and statutes were before me that is I have set the whole Law of God before me as the rule of my life and actions and do endeavour to observe them one as well as another And though I have had many failings yet what I have done in Gods service hath not been in hypocrisie or dissimulation I was upright before him and kept my self from mine iniquity I restrained my self from that sin * Cavi ne scelus admitterem quod antea admississeÌ„ unto which I was otherwise by nature prone to fall into Therefore the Lord hath recompensed me according to my righteousness according to my innocency which he saw in me He now by an elegant Apostrophe turns his speech to God extolling his goodness and mercy towards the godly and his equal and just dealing with the wicked With the merciful thou wilt shew thy self merciful with the upright thou wilt shew thy self to act uprightly with the pure thou wilt shew thy self to act purely and holily but with the froward and perverse thou wilt shew thy self wayward (†) V. 27. Perverse ages i. e. retribues illi secundum perversitatem ejus and unpleasing inflicting sharp judgments upon them As they walk contrary to thee so thou wilt walk contrary to them crossing them in all that they go about according to Levit. 26.27 28. The afflicted people thou wilt save and preserve but as for the haughty thy eyes are upon them to bring them down He now comes to shew how the Lord was his lamp that enlightened his darkness that is that shined upon him and comforted him in the darkness of his afflictions and directed him what course to take He declares also that it was the Lord that enabled him to run thorough the thickest troops of his enemies and by his assistance he had scal'd their walls and taken their Cities And from his own experience he infers that the Lord is perfect in all his ways not failing in any of his promises and that his word is tried and hath been prov'd to be true by unquestionable proof and experience That he is a buckler and shield to defend all that trust in him Then in a way of thankful admiration he crys out Who is a God save the Lord And who is a rock save our God As for me I do declare that I have had all my streâ—gth and power from him He hath made my way perfect or plain removing impediments and prospering my attempts and undertakings so that I have not failed to perfect what I went about He makes my feet like hinds feet that is swift to escape danger and to stand safe upon my high places as hinds speedily run up to the top of inaccessible rocks and there are safe He teacheth my hands to war he hath given me skill in military affairs and to skill he hath given me strength of body fit for war so that I am able not only to draw a strong and stiff bow of steel but if I please I can break it in pieces Yet I ascribe nothing to my self for thou O Lord hast given me the shield of thy salvation that is thou hast been as a shield to me to defend me against mine enemies and thy gentleness (a) V. 36. Et ex exauditione tua magnum reddebas me Heb. per respondere tuum Pisc hath made me great that is by thy right hand thou hast upholden and strengthened me in the day of battel and by thy hearing of my prayers thou hast made me great and victorious Thou hast enlarged my steps under me or widened my passage given me room to walk steadily and safely in so that I was prosperous and successful in my marches so that I have pursued mine enemies and destroyed them and they are fallen under my feet Thou hast girded me with strength in battel those that rose up against me thou hast subdued under me Thou hast given me the necks of mine enemies and I have prevailed against them when they were in extremity they looked for help from man but there was none to save them and then they cried unto God but he did not answer them Thus being helpless I have beaten them to pieces as the small dust of the earth and stamped them as the mire of the streets and dispersed them as men spread dung on the ground By which Hyperbolical expressions he intimates that he had not only subdued his enemies but in a disgraceful manner trodden and trampled upon them Then he acknowledges how God had delivered him from the strivings of the people viz. in the insurrections of Absalom and Sheba and had brought many Nations of the Heathen to be in subjection to him and to acknowledg him for their Lord and head Strangers * This is true both of David and of Christ of whom David was a type viz. in respect of the conversion of the Gentiles who were aliens and strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel says he will now submit themselves unto me and neighbouring Nations will become Tributary to me as soon as they hear of my coming against them they will yield
receiving it see Mark 7.11 Having spoken of the Ornaments of the Temple it will not be amiss to speak something also of the Temple-Officers The Temple-Officers were Priests Levites Nethinims The Priests were distinguished into Chief Priests Inferiour Priests of the twenty four Courses 1. The chief Priests were two the High Priest and his second The High Priest was by Gods appointment that person who was the right heir in Aaron's line or the Eldest that descended in a direct line from his loyns One great part of his office was upon the day of expiation to perform the solemn rights of that service in entring into the Holy of Holies with blood and to perfume the Oracle Exod. 30.10 Levit. 16.34 Heb. 9.7 2. The second Priest was the most eminent among the rest who in case of the sickness or pollution of the High Priest or any other emergency did supply his place (a) So Annas and Caiphas are called the High Priests Luk. 3.2 not that there were two in that great office at once but the one was a substitute to the other 2 King 25.18 3. The ordinary Priests were such as sprang from the loyns of Aaron and were in a Collateral line of kindred allied to the High Priest they were all Levites as descending from Levi the great Grandfather of Aaron But the Priests were separated from the rest of the Levites for the more immediate service of God and the term Levite is restrained to all others of the posterity of Levi besides the line of Aaron These Priests for the more easie carrying on of Temple-service were divided into twenty four Courses by lot as we have shewed before each Course ministred to the Lord for eight days together viz. from Sabbath to Sabbath The work of the Priests was 1. The Government of the Sanctuary and house of God 1 Chron. 24.5 2. Sacrificing with all its rites on the Altar of Burnt-offering 1 Chron. 6.49 2 Chron. 29.22 3. They set the new prepared shew-bread on the Golden Tables within the Sanctuary every Sabbath and removed the old 4. They ordered the lamps of the Golden Candlesticks 5. They kindled the daily incense to make a sweet perfume in the Temple 6. They were the Judges of Leprosie and jealousie betwixt man and wife Levit. 13.2 3. 7. They blew the Trumpets to the Solemn feasts also before the Ark at its removals and were also to accompany the Captains of the host in war with their silver Trumpets Joel 2.15 2 Chron. 13.12 1 Chron. 15.24 Chap. 16.6 Numb 10.8 Chap. 31.6 8. They were to look to the burning of wood continually upon the brazen Altar that the fire that descended from Heaven might not be extinguished Levit. 6.12 13. 9. They were to make the holy ointment with the appointed spices Exod. 30.22 1 Chron. 9.30 10. They were to instruct the people in the Law of God Mal. 2.7 2. Of the Levites The Levites strictly taken were all such as came from the root of Levi excepting the children of Aaron they were divided into four ranks and accordingly appointed to four sorts of work 1. Some of them were appointed to wait on the Sons of Aaron in the Courts of the Temple and in the Chambers and in the purifying of all the holy things belonging to the service of the house of God 1 Chron. 23. from 28 to the end They were at first to enter upon their office at the age of thirty years but after the days of David at twenty because then they did not carry the Tabernacle nor the vessels thereof 1 Chron. 23. from 24 to 28. Their number in the latter end of David's reign was computed at thirty eight thousand whereof twenty four thousand were appointed for the work and service of the house of God six thousand to be Officers and Judges four thousand to be Porters and four thousand to be Singers and players on Instruments 1 Chron. 23.3 4 5. 2 Chron. 8.14 1 Chron. 16.4 So that out of the Levites were taken their Judges Lawyers Scribes Recorders Genealogists and the greatest dignities and offices excepting only the Royal dignity of the Tribe of Judah were enjoyed by those of this Tribe They were the only persons that preferred learning and knowledg the Schools of the Prophets being under their Institution 3. Of the Nethinims These were the most inferiour sort of persons that were imployed in any Temple-service being the race of the Gibeonites Josh 9.17 and called Nethinims because they were given and delivered over to that service Some think that David a little before his death did dispose them into their set courses as he did other Officers of the Temple see Ezra 8.20 but of this we shall not determine Concerning the Priests garments their solemn times of worship their various Sacrifices and Offerings with their appendant rites and the revenues and profits assigned to the Priests and Levites we have spoken before when we went over Exodus Leviticus and Numbers and shall not need here to repeat them SECT II. IN the 11th year of Solomon 's reign the building of the Temple was finished with all things belonging thereunto having been seven years and an half in finishing 1 King 6.38 2 Chron. 3.2 but the Dedication thereof was put off till the next year because of the Jubilee And in the seventh month (a) The whole Edifice and most material things were now finished but possibly they were perfecting some things till the 8th month 1 King 6.38 of that year call'd Ethanim and the seventh day of that month was the first day whereon Solomon celebrated with great magnificence the Dedication of this glorious Temple so that from the seventh day to the fifteenth the tenth day which was the great fast and day of expiation being excepted * On which the Jubilee was to be proclaim'd with sound of Trumpet Levit. 25.9 was this feast of Dedication celebrated and from the 15th to the 23. was the Feast of Tabernacles and the 23d was the last day of this feast and always very solemnly kept and the day following the people were dismissed Having thus described the parts of the Temple and the Ornaments and Officers thereof we shall now return to speak of the great and magnificent solemnity of this Dedication which was on this wise 1. Solomon assembled the Elders and Heads of all the Tribes and a mighty Congregation of all the Nation to meet at Jerusalem on this solemn occasion 2. By the Ministry of the Priests and by such rites as were appointed by the Law he hallowed the middle of the Priests Court wherein either they did erect other Altars or made use of the pavement for that present occasion because the brazen Altar was too little to receive so many Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings as he intended then to offer 1 King 8.64 2 Chron. 7.7 3. The Princes and Elders of the people being now assembled waited upon the King to Mount Sion where the Ark was and whither as 't
their Genealogy they were among others as polluted persons put from the Priesthood and the Tirshatha or Governour said that those Priests that could not prove their Genealogy should not eat of the holy things or partake of the priviledg of Priests till there stood up a Priest with Urim and Thummim to inquire of the Lord for them in that difficult case whereby 't is manifest that the Ephod wherein was the Urim and Thummim was now lost yet Zerubbabel seems to hope that it might by the providence of God be again restored to them yet we never read it was the Lord thereby teaching them that the Ceremonies were going and the Messias coming The whole Congregation together was forty two thousand three hundred and threescore (b) If we compare the number that were carried away captive with those that returned back again we shall find a wonderful great increase of them during their captivity for there were carried into captivity at three times four thousand and six hundred Jer. 52.30 but we see how many returned out of it besides men-servants and maid-servants whose number came to 7377 and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women who were imployed in singing at their weddings and funerals and such solemnities see 2 Chron. 35.25 that is reckoning both those of Judah and Benjamin of whom the particular numbers are in those Chapters punctually set down and those also of the other Ten Tribes that are not there mentioned that were captive with the Jews for Salmanasser swept not all away out of all the Tribes but left a remnant of them in their own Country which afterwards together with the Jews and Benjamites and Levites were carried away by Nebuchadnezzar into Babylon and were now dismissed and sent back again by Cyrus After which as in the first year of Cyrus all the Israelites are said to have dwelt in their own Cities Ezra 2.70 So in the sixth year of Darius they are said to have been present at the dedication of the Temple and to have offered there twelve he-goats for the sin of all Israel Ezra 6.16 17. (c) And long after when Christ preached the Gospel in Galilee that Prophesie of Isaiah is said to have been fulfilled of the people of Zebulon and Naphtali who saw a great light Mat. 4.14 15 16. and Anna Luk. 2.76 is said to be of the Tribe of Aser To which we may add Act. 26.7 Unto which promise our twelve Tribes instantly serving God day and night hope to come Ezra 2. from 1 to 68. Nehem. 7. from 6 to 70. The chief men of their fathers families coming to Jerusalem to the place where the house of the Lord formerly stood offered every man according to his ability towards the restauration of the Temple making a treasure for the work to the sum of sixty one thousand drams of Gold (d) The quantity of a dram of gold is 6 s. 3 d. so that by this accompt 61 thousand drams amounts to 19 thousand 62 pounds 10 sh A pound of silver is counted 12 ounces which is 3 l. sterling so that 5000 pound of silver amounts to 15000 pound sterling and five thousand pound of silver and one hundred (e) Their care to provide these giveth evidence of their desire to have the worship of God duly performed That which is here in general noted concerning the gifts given for the house of the Lord is more particularly set down Neh. 7.70 71 72. but in Nehemiah there is less set down than in Ezra by 2400 for Ezra setteth down all that was given by any of any sort But Nehemiah no more than what was given by the Governor some of the chief Fathers and the rest of the people of Judah and Benjamin Priests garments (f) In Ezra are set down only one hundred Priests garments In Nehem. 7.70 71.530 Priests-garments and 67 more in all 527. 't is probable when they came to Jerusalem they observed more Priests than they thought would have come and thereupon the piety of many moved them to increase the number of Priests garments In Nehem. 7.70 mention is made of fifty Basons whereof no mention is made in Ezra And both Priests and Levites and the rest of the people dwelt every man in his own City that is in the Cities appointed for them by their present Governour Ezra 2.68 69 70. Nehem. 7. from 70 to the end On the first day of the seventh month of that year on the Feast of Trumpets the Israelites came all as one man out of their several Cities to Jerusalem and there Joshua and Zerubbabel and his brethren that is the Princes and chief men that were with him built the Altar upon the foundation where Solomons Altar was built and the reason they laid not a new foundation was because they feared if that business was not soon dispatched they should be hindered by the Samaritans their neighbours who already began to threaten them and bandy against them And this being done they every morning and evening offered the daily sacrifice unto God thereby testifying their piety and desire of reconciliation between God and them that so they might obtain his protection against their enemies And upon the fifteenth day of the same month they kept the feast of Tabernacles (g) With what extraordinary solemnity this Feast was afterwards kept we may see Neh. 8. from 13 to the end and offered the particular offerings that were every day of that feast to be offered up see Numb 29.12 c. And when the feast of Tabernacles was ended besides the continual burnt-offering which was every day morning and evening to be offered they celebrated the first day of every month and all the set feasts that were appointed by the Lord to be kept and offered on the Altar such freewill offerings as in testimony of any blessing received or deliverance vouchsafed from any danger were in thankfulness by any of the people offered to God And though the foundation of the Temple was not yet laid yet they would not forbear to perform such services to the Lord as might be done without a Temple Moreover they took care about providing Materials and Workmen for the building of the Temple giving money to Masons and Carpenters and meat and drink and oyl to the men of Tyre and Sidon who had Cedars in great plenty and great skill in squaring them agreeing with them to Bring Cedar-trees from Lebanon to the Port of Joppa for this service see 1 King 5.9 Ezra 3. from 1 to 8. In the second year after their return from Babylon in the second month they appointed Levites to oversee the building of the house of God and all things being prepared they appointed the Priests in their proper robes with Trumpets in their hands and the Levites the Sons of Asaph with Cymbals see 1 Chron. 15.24 to praise the Lord according to the Ordinance of David 1 Chron. 6.31 and they sang by course observing
THE HISTORY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT METHODIZ'D ACCORDING To the Order and Series of Time wherein the several things therein mentioned were transacted IN WHICH The difficult passages are Paraphras'd The seeming Contradictions reconcil'd The Rites and Customs of the Jews opened and explain'd To which is annex'd a SHORT HISTORY OF THE Jewish Affairs FROM THE End of the Old Testament to the Birth of our Saviour And a Map also added of Canaan and the Adjacent Countries very useful for the understanding of the whole History By SAMVEL CRADOCK B. D. Psal 77. v. 5. I have considered the days of old the years of ancient times Sint Castae deliciae meae Scripturae tuae Nec fallar in eis nec fallam ex eis August Confess Lib. 11. Cap. 2. Manifestis pascimur obscuris exercemur Idem Tract 45. in Joh. LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Princes-Armes in Ludgate-Street M.DC.LXXXIII THE PREFACE HAving formerly written the History of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and of his holy Apostles and a Paraphrase upon all the Apostolical Epistles I thought it would be a work not only profitable to my self but useful also to others if I should write the History of the Old Testament Accordingly humbly imploring the Assistance of God I set upon it and my design therein was as follows 1st To Methodize that Sacred History according to the order and series of time wherein the several things therein mentioned were transacted 2ly To Paraphrase and explain the difficult places and passages thereof 3ly To reconcile the seeming contradictions which are not a few 4ly To open the Jewish rites and customs which are very necessary to be known in order to a clear and full understanding thereof Lastly to add a Map of Canaan and those other adjacent Countries which were the stage on which the great things mentioned in the Old Testament were acted Pursuant hereunto I have digested the whole work into seven Chapters containing an History of the Seven Ages of the World from the Creation to the death of our Saviour The first Chapter contains the History of the first Age of the World from the Creation to the Flood comprehending a space of 1656 years The Second Chapter contains the History of the Second Age of the World from the Flood to the Promise made to Abraham in Vr of the Chaldees comprehending a space of 422 years and ending in the 2078 year of the World The Third Chapter contains the History of the Third Age of the World from the Promise made to Abraham in Vr of the Chaldees unto the Israelites departure out of Egypt comprehending a space of 430 years and ending in the 2508 year of the World Within the compass of this Age falls the History of Job whereof I have given a brief Analysis The Fourth Chapter contains the History of the Fourth Age of the world from the coming of the Israelites out of Egypt to the laying the foundation of Solomons Temple in the fourth year of his reign comprehending a space of 480 years and ending the 2988 year of the World The Fifth Chapter contains the History of the Fifth Age of the World from the laying the foundation of Solomons Temple to the destruction of it and Captivity of Judah in the 11th year of Zedekiah containing a space of 420 years Some make this space 424 years vide usserii Annales and ending in the 3408 year of the World The Sixth Chapter contains the History of the Sixth Age of the World from the destruction of Solomons Temple and the Captivity of Judah unto the liberty granted them by Cyrus for their return containing a space of seventy years and ending in the 3478 year of the World The Seventh Chapter contains the History of the Seventh Age of the World from the return of the Jews out of Babylon and the end of the seventy years Captivity to the death of Christ containing a space of 490 years signified by Daniels seventy Weeks Dan. 9. v. 24 25 26 27. and ending in the 3968 year of the World Now though this Age as to the first part of it belongs to the Old Testament yet it extends much further even to the death of Christ which takes up about 33 years of the New Testament-story for the History of the Old Testament reaches no further than the end of the Book of Nehemiah which ends in the 32th year of Artaxerxes Longimanus so that the History of the Old Testament extends but 99 years in the compass of this Age and ends 358 years before the Birth of Christ who being Crucified in the 33th year of his age those three sums viz. 99 358 and 33 make up the 490 years of this interval Now because some may be desirous to know what was the state and condition of the Jews after the end of the Old Testament during those 358 years to the Birth of Christ I have thought fit to set down 1. What Persian Kings succeeded Artaxerxes Longimanus till that Kingdom was Conquered by Alexander the Great in whom the Grecian or Third Monarchy began 2 To shew how after Alexander's death his Empire was divided into four Kingdoms viz. 1. that of Macedonia 2. of Syria 3. of Asia the less 4. of Egypt and to give a Catalogue of the several Kings that reigned successively in those Kingdoms till they were all Conquered by the Romans in whom the Fourth Monarchy began 3 To shew who were High Priests among the Jews after their return from the Babylonish Captivity wherein we have occasion to give a short History of the Maccabees till their power was swallowed up by Herod made King by the Romans in the 35th year of whose reign Christ the Saviour of the World was born As we go along in the History of the Kings we meet with several eminent Prophets whom God raised up both in Judah and Israel after the division of the Kingdom and by considering the temper and condition of those times and the several vices and disorders that then reigned and prevailed we may the better discern the scope and drift of their Prophesies And for the clearer understanding of them I have set down the time wherein they lived and prophesied and have given a brief Analysis of their Prophesies They seem to have Prophesied in this order 1. Jonah in the days of Jeroboam the Second who was Contemporary with Amaziah King of Judah 2 King 14.25 2. Isaiah who Prophesied in the days of Vzziah Jotham Ahaz Hezekiah Kings of Judah 3. Joel in the days of Vzziah 4. Hosea in the days of Vzziah Jotham Ahaz and Hezekiah Kings of Judah and seven Kings of Israel viz. from Jeroboam the Second to Hoshea who was Contemporary with Hezekiah He was sent chiefly to Israel 5. Micah in the days of Jotham Ahaz Hezekiah Kings of Judah 6. Amos lived in the same time with Hosea and was sent principally to the people of Israel 7. Nahum seems to have Prophesied in the days of Hezekiah 8. Habakkuk in
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
Temple He appoints Zerubbabel Chief Captain over those that returned and gave into his hands the Vessels of the Temple In the 7th Month of the first year of their Return they built the Altar and thereon offered and on the 15th day kept the Feast of Tabernacles In the 2d Month of the 2d year of their Return they laid the Foundation of the Temple the Old men weeping the Young men rejoycing The Samaritans offer to joyn with them but being refused by their Interest in the Court they gave a stop to the Work Cyrus dies Cambyses succeeds The Samaritans now frame an Information against the Jews Cambyses dies Darius Histaspis call'd Ahashuerus succeeds He marrys Atossa or Vashti Cyrus's Daughter In his 2d year Haggai Prophesies and reproves the Jews for their negligence in not going on to build the Temple whereupon Zerubbabel and Joshua took the work in hand afresh In the 8th month of the same year Zachary began to Prophesie In the 9th month of the 2d year of Darius the Temple began to be rear'd by Zerubbabel and Joshua Tatnai and Sether-boznai and other Samaritans seek to hinder them Cyrus's Decree being found Darius forbids the Samaritans from hindring them and that they should furnish them with money out of the Kings Treasury for the work Darius in the 3d. year of his reign makes a Royal Feast for his Princes Vashti refuses to come when he sent for her She is thereupon divorc'd In the 6th year of Darius the Second Temple was finished and dedicated Upon the 14th day of the first month they celebrate the Passover in this new Temple In the 7th year of Darius Esther made Queen The History of Queen Esther Ahasuerus dies Zerxes succeeds him He makes Wars upon the Grecians Artaxerxes succeeds him Ezâ—a obtains a large Patent from him to settle the Jewish Common-wealth Ezra with a great number of Jews return out of Babylon having first kept a Fast to seek a Blessing from God When they came to Jerusalem Ezra Mourns and Fasts because he found that many of the Jews had Married Stranâ—-Wives In the 20th year of Artaxerxes Nehemiah his Cup-bearer comes with a Commission to be Governor of Judea and to build the Walls of Jerusalem He going about it Sanballat and Tobiah at first scoff at it then being angry conspire to come and fight the Jews Nehemiah arms the people that so they might be ready for them Sanballat and Tobia and their Accomplices strive now by false Rumors and false Prophesies to terrifie Nehemiah from the Work And some false Brethren also joyn with them The Wall in 52 days was finished and after solemnly dedicated Nehemiah makes a Collection for the Rebuilding of the City On the Feast of Trumpets the Law of God was read by Ezra and others to the People and Expounded at which they were much affected They keep a solemn Fast and make a Covenant with the Lord. Ezra's Prayer thereupon Nehemiah goes back to his Master Artaxerxes and returns and governs the Jews many years In the 12th year of his Government he reformd'd some things in the State and some things to Religion The End of the Old Testament 3608 The Grecian or Third Monarchy See the Kings thereof in the Appendix The History of the Maccabees 3899 The Roman or Fourth Monarchy Julius Caesar 3903 Octavius Caesar Herod made King of Judea by the Râ—mans 3934 Jesus Christ born 3949 Tiberius Caesar 3964 Jesus Christ Baptized 3968 Jesus Christ Crucified A MAP of CANAAN With the Adjacent COUNTRIES Very Usefull for the Understanding of the Old Testament Sold by Tho. Simmons in Lud-gate Street THE HISTORY OF THE Old Testament METHODIZ'D CHAP. I. The First Age of the World from the Creation to the Flood containing a Space of 1656 Years SECT I. THE Eternal and most Glorious God the Incomprehensible and forever Blessed Jehovah being from all Eternity infinitely happy in the Enjoyment of himself when he was pleased to display his Wisdom and communicate his Goodness he did by his Infinite Power create the World out of Nothing and gave a Being and Existence to Things that had none before So the Apostle assures us Acts 17.24 God who made the world and all things therein is Lord of Heaven and Earth And Heb. 11.3 Through Faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God that is the Inferiour Middle and Superiour as the Jews distinguish them so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear This glorious Work of Creation was begun as many Learned Men conceive at that time of the Year which we call Autumn a Mundum Autumni tempore conditum esse censent Scaliger Nicolaus de Lyra Calvisius Helvicus Usserius aliique And that which seems to give countenance to this Conjecture is because at that time of the Year the several kinds of Fruits in most places are in their maturity and ripeness as in all probability they were at their creation being made in their perfection So that all the Fruits of the Garden being now ripe Adam had liberty to eat of any of them the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil only excepted The World therefore began to be created as we may suppose on the first day of the Month called by the Jews Tizri or Ethanim which began about the middle of the Month called by us September and was at first the beginning of the Year and so it continu'd afterwards for Civil Matters b Duplicis anni mentio apud Hebraeos Politici Ecclesiastici Politici Mensis primus Tizri Ecclesiastici Nisan Drusius Observat l. 10. See ch 8. v. 10. Richardson See Levit. 25.8 9 10. But the beginning of the Year was afterwards changed by God's own appointment as to Ecclesiastical Matters upon occasion of his bringing the Children of Israel out of Egypt in the Spring in the Month Abib or Nisan which began about the middle of the Month called by us March and that Month in memorial thereof was made the first Month in the Year Exod. 13.3 Remember this day in which ye came out of Egypt in the Month. Abib Exod. 12.2 This Month shall be the beginning of Months unto you it shall be the first Month of the Year unto you But thougâ— Abib upon this occasion was made the first Month of the Year especially as to Ecâ—lesiastical Matters and the regulating of their Annual Feasts yet naturally the Year did begin from Tizri which is the seventh Month from Abib 1 Kings 8.7 and according to it their Contracts and Bargains about Houses and Lands and such Civil Matters were to be ordered And 't is observable that the Feast of the New Moon in this seventh Month was to be kept with more Solemnity than any other of the New Moons yea even than that of Abib because it was their New-years-day For then besides that they were to blow with Trumpets and offer the special Sacrifices as on other New Moons
were meer natural unregenerate men and that they had taken to them Wives according to the liking of their Eyes without any regard to Piety or Virtue God being highly provoked with this Generation for this and their other great Enormities He declares that having now a long time strove with them both by outward Preaching and Admonitions of the pious Patriarchs as also by the inward Convictions and blessed motions of his own Holy Spirit He should not now continue to strive with them for he perceived they were fleshly walking after their own lusts Jud. v. 16. and not like to reform and amend However of his Mercy he would try them once more and would allow them the space of an 120 Years to repent in * 1 Pet. 3.19 20. If no amendment appeared in that time He determined by an Vniversal Deluge to destroy from the Earth Men and Beasts and creeping things and the Fowls of the Air. 'T is also recorded that there were in those days Men of huge stature and strength far beyond others such as Og and the Anakims afterwards in Moses's time Numb 13.33 and Goliah and Isbi-benoth in Davids 2 Sam. 21.16 who being admired for their bodily strength presumed to oppress others For the Curse of God following those unequal Matches of the Children of Seth with the Children of Cain many of their seed became such Gyants namely fierce and cruel men and played the Tyrants over those among whom they lived God therefore seeing the wickedness of Man to be so exceeding great on the Earth and that his mind was a Mint of evil Imaginations and his Heart a Sink of evil Affections whereby they evidenced the great depravation of mans Nature by the Fall it repented the Lord that he had made Man that is speaking of himself after the manner of men He declares He intended now to do what men that repent and are grieved for what they have done are wont to do namely to destroy the works of his own hands from off the Earth Therefore he speaks thus of himself to the men of that Generation both that he might stoop to their Capacity as also shew unto them the height and hainousness of their sins which had provoked Him to destroy so great a part of those Creatures which he had made for his own Glory and particularly Man from whom he expected more eminent Honour and Service But though God was so highly offended with the generality for their wickedness yet Noah being a just man and upright in his Generation and one that walked with God found Grace in his sight and being a Preacher of Righteousness * 2 Pet. 2.5 to that wicked Age the Lord was graciously pleased to make choice of him and his Family to be a remnant and a seed out of which Mankind and his Church should be increas'd and propagated Gen. 6. from 1. to 14. SECT VIII NOah first began to set his mind to the propagation of an Off-spring when he was 500 years old Gen. 5.32 To whom was born first of all Japheth Gen. 10.21 His second Son was Sem being two years after the Flood an 100 years old Gen. 11.10 His third Son was Ham. God seeing that all Flesh that is all mankind had corrupted their ways and that the Earth was filled with violence through the wickedness of the Children of men he tells Noah that the end of all Flesh was come before him that is that the time of their destruction was at hand and he would destroy them from off the Earth And accordingly he now commands Noah to build an Ark of Gophir-wood and to make it 300 Cubits (z) Understand Sacred Cubits which were double to the common as appears by comparing the 1 Kings 9.15 with 2 Chron. 3.15 some understand hereby the geometrical Cubit six times as long as the common Cubit And thus we may easily conceive the capacity of the Ark to be fully sufficient to hold whatsoever was to be contained in it And no doubt God instructed Noah as to the quality and quantity of Provisions that he was to provide for all that were to be in the Ark. long 50 broad and 30 in height appointing him to make it three stories high with several Rooms in it pitching it within and without So that the length was to be ten times more then the height and six times more than the breadth resembling something as to the fashion of it a mans Coffin Into this Ark Noah was commanded by God to take his Wife and his three Sons and their wives with some of all living Creatures which should by his instinct and moving come unto him of their own accord without his Care The clean Beasts * Here is a distinction of clean and unclean Beasts and Fowls in Noah's time and was instituted in all likelihood soon after the Fall of Man long before Moses's time The use of the seventh of the clean Beasts and Fowls was for Sacrifice Ch. 8.20 Of the other six either four must be for meat and the other two for preservation of seed Or four of those seven might be for encrease of those Beasts and Fowls which were of most use and comfort to Mankind and the other two for present food and the seventh for Sacrifice and Fowls should come by seven and the unclean by two And with Noah God makes a Covenant to preserve Him in case he trusted in Him typifying thereby the spiritual preservation and salvation of true Believers by Christ from the Deluge of Gods wrath 1 Pet. 3.20 21. Heb. 11.7 But the old World in the mean time void of all fear and sense of danger followed their old Course and went on eating and drinking marrying and giving in Marriage Math. 24.38 Gen. 6. from 14. to the end Gen. 7.1 2 3. SECT IX MEthuselah the eight from Adam died in the 969th Year of his Age and so out-went all men in length of life Gen. 5.27 Lamech the ninth from Adam died when he had lived 777 years Gen. 5.31 On the 10th day of the second month in the Year of the World 1656. and in the six hundredth year of the life of Noah God commanded him that he should provide himself to enter into the Ark and take the living Creatures into it that should be preserved in it Upon the 17th day of the same month Noah (a) Ferunt eum duabus columnis uni lateritiae alteri lapideae coelestium rerum scientiam inscripsisse è quibus lapideam suo tempore superfuisse narrat Josephus in Syria and his Wife and Children and the living Creatures of all sorts being entred into the Ark the Lord shut him in that is either by the ministry of Angels or his own immediate power caused the door on the out-side to be made sure and safe against the rain and violence of the waters and so what could not be done by outward means he himself was pleased to supply And thus all vain Cavils and Imaginations which the
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
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
and no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him So that all malice spight envy hatred rancor immoderate anger and animosity are here also forbidden VII Commandment Thou shalt not commit Adultery THis Commandment injoyns Chastity of Mind Heart and Body and the preservation of it in our selves and others Whosoever shall attempt the Affection or Chastity of another mans wife highly sinneth against God commits a great trespass against his Neighbour and defiles himself with the foulest turpitude He violates an Institution to which God hath affixed especial marks of respect and sanctity He wounds his Neighbour's Honour and ruines Him in that wherein the great content of his mind and comfort of his life is wound up He offendeth against the welfare of Families breeding horrible Confusions and Dissentions in them Adultery therefore is a lothsome Vnrighteousness most odious to God and a fire that consumeth unto destruction Further this Commandment forbids all sorts of unlawful and irregular satisfactions to lustful Appetite and all kinds of Impurity and Lasciviousness not in act only but in thought in desire (f) Our Saviour extends this Commandment to forbid all unlawful lustings or desires or Inclinations of the heart Mat. 5.28 I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her in his heart in speech or in gesture and what ever tends to foment the fleshly Concupiscence which we ought to endeavour by all good means to quench and suppress VIII Commandment Thou shalt not Steal THis Commandment injoyns that every man should quietly enjoy those supports and conveniencies of his life which in any honest way he hath right unto or is possessed of And it prohibits all Invasion or Vsurpation by any means what ever either by open Violence or by clandestine Fraud of our Neighbour's Goods or Rights Many sorts of Vnrighteousness are reducible to this Commandment as fraudulent Dealing false Weights and Measures over-reaching in Contracts unfaithfulness in matters of Trust Exaction Oppression Extortion and not making Restitution of ill-gotten Goods when there is ability The Positive Duties to be understood are Diligence and Industry in our Callings whereby with God's blessing we may support our selves and prevent the importunate Temptations of Want and Need and may be able to relieve others that are in want and may be well content with our own estates trusting in God and relying on his Providence to take care of us IX Commandment Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour BEaring false Testimony against our Neigbour especially in matters Capital and wherein his life is concern'd is here prohibited And not only that but also defaming him or unjustly detracting from him and breeding in the minds of others an ill opinion of him We are therefore here forbidden to wrong our Neighbour in his Credit and good Name as well as in his Estate We are forbidden to hurt him either in word or deed Charity obligeth us to think the best of our Neighbour to be candid in our Opinions and Discourses concerning Him to forbear all rash and harsh Censures of Him and to abhor affixing any faults upon Him of which He is not guilty To walk Vprightly and to work Righteousness and speak the truth from our hearts are the good man's Character Psal 15. v. 2. X. Commandment Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours House nor his Wife nor his Man-Servant nor his Maid-Servant nor his Ox nor his Asse nor any thing that is thy Neigbours THis Law is very Comprehensive prescribing universal Justice towards our Neighbour and that not only in outward deeds and dealing but in inward thought and desire prohibiting us unlawfully or irregularly to desire any thing that is his to his detriment We are to be so far from depriving our Neighbour of any good thing belonging to him that we are not so much as irregularly to wish or desire it We are not only to abstain from injurious Actions but to repress in our selves all covetous and injurious Inclinations And the Positive Duty here implied is That we should have a delight and complacency in our Neigbour's good not envying him any of his Enjoyments being in our minds well content with the portion God is pleased to vouchsafe to us and intirely trusting in Him that he will supply us with what is needful and fitting for us without the damage of our Neighbour Thus we see that God's Law is as St. Paul observes Spiritual not only restraining exteriour Acts but regulating our inmost Thoughts quelling all inordinate Appetites and Affections of Heart within us And all these Precepts both of the first and second Table are reduced to these two Heads of loving God with all our Hearts Souls and Spirits and loving our Neighbour as our selves SECT XV. THus was this Law promulgated and proclaimed At the dreadful manner whereof of the people were so greatly terrified that they removed and stood afar off from the Mount Then the Heads of the â—ribes and Elders came to Moses and said Behold 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 and have seen this day that God doth talk with Man and yet he remaineth alive This is matter of great wonder to us But yet we are afraid that if we should hear the Voice of the Lord our God again speaking to us in such a dreadful manner the very terrour of it would kill us We are afraid we should be consumed by that great and dreadful Fire out of which we heard the Lord speaking to us For what man is there that ever heard God speaking out of the midst of the Fire as we have done and yet lived Since therefore the Lord hath hitherto been so gracious and propitious to us we humbly intreat him to regard our Infirmity which makes uncapable of enduring his terrible Presence Go thou therefore near unto him and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou (g) This is still the work of the Law to scare men and drive them to seek for a Mediator between God and them And by this Interposition of Moses was figured the necessity of the great Mediator between God and Man Gal. 3.19 Who was also promised on this occasion Deut. 18.15 16. unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it But let not the Lord speak to us any more immediately by Himself lest the terrour of his Presence kill us Moses encourages them and tells them They should not be so much dismayed and affrighted For God had spoken to them with so much terrour to prove them that is to try whether this terrour would produce in them a holy fear and reverence of his Majesty which is the true spring of Obedience that so they might be afraid to sin against Him Then the people standing aloof off Moses drew near to the thick Darkness on
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
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
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
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
those that profess themselves his people to carry themselves as those that serve a holy God with all possible care fear and reverence or else He will manifest his Holiness and Justice in punishing of them see Ezek. 28.22 And He having given them holy Laws as a means of their Sanctification He expects they should walk answerably thereunto and to the great Mercies He had vouchsafed to them Levit. 22. from 17. to the end 11ly Laws concerning the holy days and festival times to be observed by them 1. The weekly Sabbath which was to be observ'd in all their dwelling see Acts 15.21 Levit. 23. from 1. to 4. 2ly The Passover to be kept on the 14th day of the first month at Even or between the two Evenings that is between our Three a Clock in the Afternoon and Sun-set At the latter of these which was the beginning of the fifteenth day the Feast of unleavened bread began and continued seven days The first day of which and the last were to be holy Convocations and they were to do no servile (f) On the rest they might work unless the Sabbath fell on any of them work therein What the Sacrifices were that were to be offered on each of these seven days see Numb 28. from 18. to 26. On the second day of this Feast they were to bring a Sheaf of the First-fruits of their Barley-Harvest which is first ripe (g) See Exod. 9.31 32. Ruth 2.23 Their Wheat-Harvest was at Pentecost in that Country being ready about the end of our March or beginning of our April to the Priest who was to wave it before the Lord and then and not before they might reap their Harvest and dress of the Corn of it for themselves And an He-Lamb was appointed peculiarly to accompany this Sheaf besides the daily Sacrifice and those appointed for every one of the seven days and the Meat-Offering was to be double to the usual proportion in all other Sacrifices of Lambs * See Numb 15.4 perhaps because this was a gratulatory Sacrifice for the Fruits of the Earth And this is injoyn'd to be always observed by them as long as the Levitical Worship was to last From vers 4. to 15. 3ly The Feast of Weeks or Pentecost For from this second day they were to number seven compleat Sabbaths or Weeks which made 49 days then on the morrow after the seventh Sabbath or Week which was the 50th day reckoning the day on which they began their account inclusively they were to keep the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost and to offer a new Meat-Offering unto the Lord viz. two wave-Loaves of two tenth deals of fine Flower to be made in some of their Habitations of the new-wheat of their Land and to be offered as the First-fruits of their Wheat-Harvest which were to be waved by the Priest together with the Peace-Offerings And these Loaves were to be baked with leaven For though the Meat-Offerings which were in part to be burnt upon the Altar were always to be without leaven see Levit. 2.11 yet these of the First-fruits which were wholly for the Priests food were allowed to be leavened They were also to offer with the Bread seven Lambs of the first year and one young Bullock and two Rams for a Burnt-Offering and one Kid for a Sin-Offering and two Lambs of the first year for a Peace-Offering To these in this Feast were to be added other Oblations as we may see Numb 28.27 And whereas ordinarily the Priest had but the right shoulder and breast of the Peace-Offering * Levit. 7.31 32 33. here he was to have all because this was offered in general for the whole Congreation and no man in such a common concernment having right to challenge a singular portion to himself all was assigned to the Priest This Feast was to be kept as an holy Convocation and no servile work to be done thereon partly by way of thankfulness for the Fruits of the Earth and partly in remembrance of the giving of the Law * See Sect. 13. of Ch. 4. at this time of the year at Mount Sinah Levit. 23. from vers 15. to 22. 4ly The Feast of Trumpets on the first day of the seventh month so call'd because solemniz'd with blowing of Trumpets by way of rejoycing as 't is thought thorow all the Cities of Israel see Psal 81.3 It was to be a Sabbath or an holy day and solemn Feast unto the Lord Numb 29.1 and they were to do no servile work thereon and it was to be a Memorial to them that this was the first day of their new Year as to civil affairs * For Ecclesiastical matters God appointed the month Nisan or Abib which answereth to part of our March and part of our April to be the first month of the year and that in remembrance of their coming then out of Egypt Exod. 12.2 The seventh month from thence was called Tizri and began about the middle of our September and had been formerly the first month of their year yea and so continued still for civil affairs See Sect. 1. of Ch. 1. Therefore the Year of Jubilee began still at this month and was on the tenth day thereof viz. on the day of Expiation proclaimed Chap. 25.9 The first day of every month which was their new Moon they kept as an holy day a day of special Solemnity and thereon the Priests did blow with their Silver Trumpets over their Sacrifices see Numb 10.10 But the first day of this seventh month was kept as a far more solemn Festival the reason thereof was because this was the beginning of their new Year as to civil affairs And it was also to put them in mind of the special holiness of this month For as the Seventh day of every week was a Sabbath and every seventh Year a Sabbatical Year so God would have the seventh month of every Year to be holy to Himself in some singular manner above the rest of the months What the Sacrifices appointed for this Feast were see Numb 29. from 1. to 7. Levit. 23. from vers 23. to 26. 5ly The day of atonement on the tenth day of this seventh month on which day they were to afflict their Souls by fasting and abstinence from all fleshly delights as also by the inward duties of Humiliation and Contrition and that under the severe penalty of being cut off in case of presumptuous neglect The Solemnity began on the Evening or foregoing the tenth day Levit. 23.32 but the tenth day to the evening was chiefly allotted for this Service on which there was to be offered to the Lord just as much as on the first day see Numb 29. from 7. to the 12. on this day was the Jubilee to be proclaimed Levit. 25.9 Levit. 23. from vers 26. to 33. 6ly The Feast of Tabernacles which began on the fifteenth day of this month and lasted seven days On this day it seems they made their Booths
or Tabernacles some upon the roof of their Houses and some in the Streets and Courts of Jerusalem and with boughs of Trees they either made or adorned their Booths and carried boughs and branches in their hands as some think in token of joy and rejoycing There were peculiar Offerings appointed for seven days together On the first day was to be an holy Convocation to the Lord and no servile work to be done thereon and on the eighth day another whereon just as much was to be offered as on the new Moon so that this Feast lasted eight days the last whereof was a very solemn Assembly called Joh. 7.37 the last and great day of the Feast and was rather an Appendix to the Feast then properly any part thereof see Numb 29. from vers 12. to the end This Feast was to be kept first in remembrance of Gods Protection over them for forty years together during their travelling thorow the Wilderness see Sect. 2. of Ch. 4. 2ly To testifie their thankfulness to God for the Fruits of the Earth viz. the latter fruits of Vines and Olives which this month they gathered in Deut. 16.13 14. 3ly As a figure of Christ's Incarnation who about this time of the year as learned men conceive came into the World * Calvisius pag. 193. Lightfoot in his Harm pag. 4. see Sect. 10. of Ch. 1. of my Harmony and dwelt in the Tabernacle of our Flesh Levit. 23. from 33. to the end 7ly To these Feasts here mentioned may be added the Feast of the New-Moons (h) Besides these we do not read of any more anniversary Feasts but only that of Purim Ester 9.17 and the Feast of dedication Joh. 10.22 which was constantly to be observed The Sacrifices appointed for this Feast are set down Numb 28. from 11. to 16. Numb 10.10 These are the Feasts the Lord appointed and if any of these Solemnities did fall on the weekly Sabbath the Oblations belonging to the Sabbath did not excuse the Oblations required for the concurrent Festival but were to be performed as if it had happened on another day no voluntary Oblations whither given by vow or without did discharge the Sacrifices due to the solemnity of any special Festival see Levit. 23.38 12ly Laws concerning the Oil to be prepar'd for the golden Candlestick Ch. 24. from 1. to 5. Lastly Laws concerning the Shew-bread of which there were 12 Cakes to be made each containing two Homers or two tenth deales of fine Flower which were to be set in two rows upon the Table with Incense put upon them and to be changed every Sabbath-day and after they had stood a week before the Lord they were to be eaten by the Priests The Flower was to be provided at the common charge of all the twelve Tribes by a perpetual Statute and brought to the Priests but the Cakes were to be made and baked by the Levites of the Family of Cohath as appears from 1 Chron. 9.32 The Incense (i) Vice panis thus adolebatur tum gratum Domino ac si esset holocaustum So that the Bread may be said to be offered with fire because the Incense laid upon it was so offer'd and reckon'd most holy as if it had been of the offerings made by fire see vers 9. that was put upon the Cakes was to be burned upon the Altar when they took away the Bread as a Memorial that God would thorow Christs Merits and Intercession remember his people with thoughts of favour and gracious acceptance Levit. 24. from vers 5. to the 10. SECT XXXIX AT this time the Son of Shelomith whose Father was an Egyptian though his Mother an Israelite falling into contention with one that was an Israelite by both Parents wickedly blasphemed the Name of God and cursed Possibly the Israelite upbraided him with his Idolatrous Father and denied him to be a true Israelite or a Member of the Church of God whereupon in his rage as it seems he spake scornfully and opprobriously of the God of Israel and slighted the Priviledge of being one of his people Hereupon they brought him to Moses to know how they should punish such an abominable Blasphemer as He was and having secured him for a time God Commands Moses that he should be brought out of the Camp and that the Witnesses should lay their hands upon his head to testifie that they laid this sin of Blasphemy truly to his Charge and that he being really guilty thereof deserved to be punished and as a Sacrifice to be offered up to the Justice of God for his sin that so the whole people might not be punished for it And then it was ordered that the whole Congregation should stone him which was done accordingly Levit. 24. from 10 to 15. and vers 23. After this and on this occasion Moses receives from the Lord particular Laws concerning the punishment of Blaspheming and cursing God viz. that such Offenders should be stoned to death vers 15 16. Also Laws concerning the punishing of Murder with Death and that he that killeth a Beast belonging to another man shall make it good Also the Law of requital or retaliation for blemishes called Jus talionis as if a man cause a blemish in his Neighbour as He hath done so it shall be done unto Him viz. an Eye for an Eye a Tooth for a Tooth which was not to be executed by the particular persons that were hurt or injured but by the Magistrate upon due Process And though in Ceremonials Strangers had neither priviledge by the use except they were Proselytes nor hurt by the omission of them yet in Capital Crimes if they and the Israelites sinned alike they were to be punished alike See Exod. 12.49 Levit. 24. from vers 17. to 23. SECT XL. MOses now receives Laws concerning the Sabbatical Year viz. that when they came into the Land of Canaan every seventh year should be a year of rest to the Land which they should observe in sign of Homage to the Lord whose the Land was and in this year the Land should neither be tilled nor sowed see Exod. 23.11 neither might they prune their Vineyards or gather in the Fruits thereof and whatsoever Fruits the Land brought forth they were not to look upon as any ones peculiar Goods as in other years but were to leave them in common for all only taking of them what might serve for their own use and for food for their Cattel And Moses tells them That if they truly observed this Law God would command such a blessing on the sixth year that it should bring forth Fruit for three years viz. from the sixth to the ninth not for three years compleat but for part of three years for the increase of the sixth year served them first for part of the sixth year to wit from Barley-Harvest that year which was about the Passover till the seventh month when the Sabbatical Year began 2ly For all the Sabbatical Year 3ly For the eighth year till
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
before them the Lords great goodness to them and the several gracious manifestations of his favour towards them as he conducted them along from Egypt to Canaan First He came and appeared to them from Sinai where he gave them his Law 2ly He further manifested Himself to them from Mount Seir when He commanded the brasen Serpent to be set up by which those among them were cured that were mortally bitten with fiery Serpents and thereby He gave them a notable Type of the promised Messiah 3ly He shined forth from Mount Paran that is repeated and explained the Law to them by the Ministry of Moses in the Wilderness of Paran who exhorted them to yield Obedience to it And when the Lord gave them his Law at Sinai He tells them He came attended with Royal Majesty with an infinite number of glorious Angels who are here called Saints because of their purity and holiness see Acts 7.53 From his right hand went a fiery Law for them that is He spake it to them out of the midst of the fire Deut. 5.22 And yet that giving them his Law was a singular effect of his special love to them He thereby testified his great kindness to them and so he did also in His protecting of them from their Enemies and therefore we may truly say All Israels Saints are under thy Care and Protection O Lord. They sat at thy feet they attended upon thee at the foot of Mount Sinai as Scholars at the feet of their Master and all that are true Israelites will receive instruction from thy words And such Israelites will readily declare That God gave them his Law by the ministry of Moses even the Inheritance of the Congregation of Jacob that is which is as dear to them as an Inheritance is to any man They will declare That He gave it them as a rare and precious Treasure and not for their use only but for the use and instruction also of their Posterity after them And they do acknowledge that Moses was King in Jeshurun that is chief King and Magistrate in Israel by Gods own appointment when the Heads of the people and the Tribes were gathered together to receive the Law at Mount Sinai And they acknowledging Him to be a person so extraordinarily favoured guided and assisted by God could not but receive what he delivered unto them as spoken by God himself from vers 1. to 6. He comes now to bless the Tribes particularly He begins with Reuben Let Reuben live and not die and let not his men be few Jacob had prophesied of this Tribe that they should lose the Dignity of the Birth-right and should never come to any eminency among the Tribes either for number of people or any other excellency and that because of Reuben's Incest with his Fathers Concubine see Gen. 49.4 Now therefore for the comfort of this Tribe Moses pronounces this blessing upon them Let Reuben live that is though Reuben by his Incest brough that Curse upon him pronounced by his Father yea though by the sin of the Reubenites in adhering to Corah they deserved that God should utterly destroy them yet says he the Name and Tribe of Reuben shall still continue among the people of God and though for his sin he lost the glory of excelling the other Tribes in number of men which as the first-born he might otherwise have expected however he shall continue a numerous Tribe 2ly He comes next to Judah because the honour of the Birth-right was partly given from Reuben to Judah and in his Tribe the Regal Power was afterwards setled Hear Lord says he the voice of Judah * Audi Domine preces Jehudae scil cum egressus fuerit ad bellum reduc eum scil a bello incolumem ad fratres suos Oleaster that is the Prayers that this Tribe shall make to thee particularly that the promised Messiah may according to thy Promise come of their stock and that they may have Victory over their Enemies and grant them O Lord sufficient strength to stand in the day of battel thou being their Helper and when thou shalt suffer this Tribe with that of Benjamin to be carried by the Babylonians into Captivity bring them back again in thy due time to their people that is to the poor that were left in Judea to husband the Land Jer. 39.10 40.7 52.16 3ly He blesses Levi Let thy Vrim and thy Thummim be with thy holy one that is let the High Priesthood to which appertained the Breast-plate in which was the Vrim and Thummim Exod. 28.30 be continued in Aaron's Posterity and let them be furnished with those Gifts and Graces with that Knowledge and Piety which is requisite for their high Calling and signified by Vrim and Thummim Whom thou didst prove at Massah and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah that is whose Faith thou didst try at Meribah-Kadesh see Numb 20. and sharply reprove both Moses and Him for their Infidelity Who said to his Father and his Mother I have not seen him This may have reference either to the Law forbidding the High Priest to defile himself by mourning for the dead see Levit. 21.11 Neither shall he go into any dead body nor defile himself for his Father or Mother Or else to that notable fact of the Levites Exod. 32. who were so impartial in Gods Cause as not to spare any though nearly related to them who they found had worshipped the golden Calf For they observed thy Word and kept the Covenant which they made with thee Exod. 24.8 Let them therefore teach Jacob that is the Posterity of Jacob thy Judgments or Statutes and Israel thy Laws Let them put Incense before and whole Burnt-Offerings upon thy Altar Bless Lord their substance and accept the work of their hands that is bless them in their outward Estate and accept in good part the Work and Service they do for thee and thy people Smite thorow the loins of those that rise up against them and hate them that is break the Power of those that oppose them in the faithful discharge of their Duty and Office see Jer. 15.10 4ly He comes to Benjamin of whom he saith The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him that is as Benjamin was his Fathers darling when Joseph was supposed to be dead so he is much beloved of the Lord and therefore shall dwell safely by him that is near his Temple which was built in his portion and the Lord shall cover him all the day long that is protect and defend him and he shall dwell between his shoulders that is God will chuse for Himself an Habitation in the chief City of this Tribe For though the South part of Jerusalem where was Mount Sion * God is said to dwell in Mount Sion and thence some conceive his Temple was situate upon it but where it is so said the word Sion must not be taken strictly for the hill Sion but
Jordan and there Encamped that night Joshua commands them to sanctifie and prepare themselves by bringing their hearts into an holy frame that with reverence they might observe the great things God would do for them the next day He also gave Orders to the people that when they saw the Ark of the Covenant born by the Priests to remove they should then prepare to follow it but yet so as there should be a space of about 2000 Cubits interpos'd between it and them to teach them to fear the Lord their God of whose presence among them the Ark was a sign and that the Lord by the Ark that went before them might shew them a safe way for them to go in before they set one foot in the Channel and intimates to them they needed this Guidance having never passed this way before Now the Lord tells Joshua That He would that day magnifie him in the sight of all Israel that they might know that He was with him as He was with Moses Joshua then commanded the Priests to take up the Ark and when they came to the brink of the waters of Jordan they should make a little stand upon their first setting their feet into the waters which then overflowed * By reason probably of the melting of the Snow from the neighbouring Mountains the Banks vers 15. it being the time of Barley-Harvest (g) 'T is very observable that the Lord brought his people into Canaan in Harvest-time when the Land was ready furnished with the Fruits of the Earth that were to be for their provision and store the following year which in that Country was in the month Abib namely till of the Lord had miraculously divided the waters and opened a passage for them and the people to go thorow Then Joshua call'd the people together and said to them Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Nations that now possess this Land of Canaan behold the Ark of the Covenant even the Ark of the Lord of all the Earth passeth over before you into Jordan And take ye twelve men out of the Tribes of Israel out of every Tribe a man that they may go along with the Priests and may be present and Eye-witnesses of this miraculous Work of Gods dividing the River of Jordan For as soon as the soles of the Priests feet that bear the Ark shall rest in the waters of Jordan the waters that are above shall stand upon an heap firm as a wall swelling continually and rising higher and higher even as far backward (h) Psal 114.5 What aileth thee O Jordan that thou art driven back as from the City Adam that is besides Zaretan unto the place where you are to pass over And by reason of the successive coming down of the waters from above and their stay in that place you will discern that they were bounded and barred up by the Almighty Power of God And as for the waters below according to their ordinary course they shall pass away and run towards the Dead-Sea and so shall fail being cut off as it were from and not supplied by the waters from above And accordingly it came to pass as Joshua foretold them And on the tenth day of the first month the Israelites by the leading of Joshua a Type of Jesus Christ went up out of the River of Jordan into the promised Land of Canaan a Type of Heaven In this passage the people hasted and passed over immediately to the other side right against Jericho But the Priests that bare the Ark stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan till all the people were passed over which commends the strength of their Faith Patience and Obedience in that they stirred not till Joshua call'd them to come up out of the River notwithstanding the dreadful sight of those hideous Mountains of water which were every minute ready to overwhelm them unless they had been miraculously stayed by the Hand of God When the people were all passed over Joshua by Gods direction appoints the twelve men before mentioned vers 12. to take out of the River of Jordan where the Priests feet stood twelve great stones and carrying them upon their Shoulders to Gilgal where they were to Incamp that night there to set them up in that place He also ordered twelve great stones to be set up in the midst of Jordan where the Priests stood which possibly at a low Ebb might be seen afterwards on the Shore Both these were to be a Monument to the Children of Israel that when their Children in after-times should ask their Fathers the meaning of them they should tell them These were a Memorial of this great Miracle which the Lord was pleased to work when he divided Jordan before the Ark that the twelve Tribes might pass over And they should say to them The Lord dried up the waters of Jordan before you vers 23. until ye were passed over as the Lord did formerly at the Red-Sea that is in as much as he did it for your Ancestors he did it for you who were then in their Loins And He did it that all the Earth might know his Almighty Power and that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever Thus as Moses had commanded Joshua to see that all things should be done according to the direction of the Lord so Joshua in this their passage over Jordan did all things as the Lord commanded The Children of Reuben and Gad and the half-Tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the Children of Israel as they had promised Moses they would do Numb 32.27 About forty thousand of them ready armed for battel passed over which were but few more than one third part of their military men see Numb 26.7 18 34. The rest stayed behind to defend their Wives and Children and to look to their Cattel In that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel and they feared and reverenc'd him as they did Moses all the days of his life All these things being done Joshua commanded the Priests that bare the Ark to come up out of Jordan which as soon as they had done the waters that were before restrain'd and kept back by the power of God flowed down according to their ordinary course and at last flowed over all the Banks as they did before When the Kings of the Amorites and Canaanites heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan for the Children of Israel to pass over their hearts fainted neither was there any more spirit or courage in them Joshua Ch. 3. whole Chapter Joshua Ch. 4. whole Chapter and Ch. 5. v. 1. SECT XCVI THe next day Joshua is commanded by God to renew the use of Circumcision which had been forborn and intermitted these forty years last past and to Circumcise (i) Sensus est revoca consuetudinem circumcidendi longo tempore in
for their present use out of an act of base sloth suffered them to roost among them and did not endeavour to drive them out Moses in the division of that Land without Jordan gave no part to the Tribe of Levi that is no Regions or Parts of the Country as he did to the other Tribes upon which they might live by Tillage and Husbandry but only some Cities to dwell in and the Suburbs belonging to them with some circuit of Ground for the feeding of their Cattel because God himself was to be their Portion and the Sacrifices and other Oblations due unto God were to be for their Maintenance Now the bounds of the Lands given to each Tribe beyond Jordan by Moses are particularly set down to prevent all strife and division among them for the future Joshua 13. whole Chapter SECT CIX JOshua now with Eleazar the High Spirit and the Elders of the Tribes who were expresly chosen and named by the Lord for this purpose Numb 34.17 c. at Gilgal set upon this great Work of dividing the Land on this side Jordan among the nine Tribes and an half And accordingly first they cast the Land into so many several Portions or Provinces as were the number of the Tribes that were to inhabit it yet so as the certain bounds of each Portion or Province were not certainly limited and appointed till they knew which Tribes the Lord would by the designation of the lot settle in each of them and then they were to inlarge or lessen the Portion according as the number of the Tribe that was there to be setled was greater or less so that the lots were only to determine in what part of the Country each Tribe should be planted and afterwards the quantity of the Land which each Tribe was to enjoy was to be set out by Joshua Eleazar and the Heads of the Tribes as was appointed Numb 26.55 56. What manner of Lottery they used in this business is no where expressed The common Opinion of the Hebrew Writers is That there were two Pots or Vrnes set before the Tabernacle the one having the Names of the Tribes in it that were to have their portion of Land assigned to them the other had just so many lots in each of which such and such a part of the Land was described and that some man appointed to that Service probably Eleazar the High Priest drew out first out of one Pot one of the Tribes then out of the other Pot one of the lots there and so that Tribe had their portion assigned them in that part of the Land described and set forth in that lot and accordingly they did by the rest And though this way and method be not any where particularly expressed in this Book yet the phrase that is often used in the following Chapters that such a lot came out and such a lot came up may seem covertly to imply it see Ch. 19.1 10 17. And herein the Hand of God in ordering the lots was the more wonderful and the Prophesies of Jacob and Moses concerning the several Inheritances of the Tribes were more evidenced to be of God Joshua therefore and the Elders now setting upon this Work the first lot came out for the Tribe of Judah and his lot fell out in the richest and best part of the Kingdom whereby the purpose of God in exalting this Tribe above the rest was made very apparent The largeness of Judah's lot and the bounds of it and the Cities thereof are set forth Chap. 15. The next two lots that were drawn were for Ephraim and Manasseh the Sons of Joseph immediately one after the other upon whom God transferred a part of Reuben's Birth-right as is expressed 1 Chron. 5.1 2. The Writer of this Book first shews joyntly where the Inheritance of those two Tribes lay and then afterwards shews severally what each of them had for their portion Chap. 16. at vers 5. He begins the Discription of Ephraim's lot which came out before the other For though he was younger than Manasseh yet he was prefer'd before him by Jacob's appointment Gen. 48 19. and besides the Cities that stood within his own lot he had many Cities allotted him within the portion of Manasseh vers 9. The lot that fell to Manasseh is described Ch. 17. and 't is said to be for Machir the only Son of Manasseh whence the whole Tribe beareth the Name of Machir Judg. 5.14 and because Machir that is the Machirites his Posterity were a Warlike people they had Gilead and Bashan allotted to them that is half of it which they did win by dispossessing the Enemy of it see Numb 32.39 40. Therefore half of the Posterity of Machir being setled on the East-side of Jordan the other half were according to Gods appointment to have their portion and lot on the West-side And there fell ten portions to Manasseh that is their Land was divided into six parts according to the number of the Sons of Gilead mentioned vers 2. And Hepher's part who was one of them was divided into five parts or portions and given to his Son Zelophehad's five Daughters and so they were ten portions in all see Numb 26.33 The Cities and Country of Ephraim and Manasseh were much intermixed one with the other These two Tribes complained to Joshua that the quantity of Land assign'd to them for their portion was not sufficient for them They alledged that it was no more than might have been well assigned to one Tribe Why hast thou say they given us but one lot and one portion to inherit seeing we are a great people But Joshua and the rest of the Commissioners had not given them too little circuit of Land to inhabit but indeed part of it was over-grown with Woods and a great part of it was yet in the possession of the Canaanites who had the advantage of Iron-Chariots to fight with Also in their portion there were the Perizzites a wild and savage people much given to Spoil and Prey and the Rephaims or Giants with whom they were not very willing to encounter These things considered these two Tribes thought they had reason to alledge That they had no more given them than would well serve for one populous Tribe Joshua retorts the strength of their argument upon themselves If says he ye be so great a people as you alledge then you are the more able to drive out the Canaanites out of those places allotted to you for your portion and the greater will be your shame if you let them alone and yet complain of the narrowness of your lot If you are so great a people get you up to the Wood-Country and cut down the Woods and make the ground fit for Tillage and build Houses and Cities upon it and drive out and destroy the Canaanites that lurk there and so you may have Land enough to dwell in and need not complain that your portion is too straight for you The Children of Joseph reply
had been done and the reason of it And accordingly they sent Phineas the Son of Eleazar and ten Princes of each chief House a Prince unto them When they came to them Phineas in the name of the rest spake to them after this manner What Trespass is this Brethren that you have committed against the God of Israel in building you an Altar that you might rebel this day against the Lord Is it not enough and too much that we did many years since highly provoke God to Displeasure against us by suffering our selves to be drawn by the Daughters of Moab to the Worship of Baal-Peor and shall we now afresh provoke Him against us by a new Rebellion against his Law and by a new way of Idolatry The stain and infamy of that sin of Peor still lies upon us and we have all cause to blush at the remembrance of it even now at this day And I am afraid the Infection of that Idolatry does still cleave to some particular persons among us And seeing ye have now rebelled against the Lord this I tell you before-hand will be the fruit and effect of it He will immediately and forthwith be angry with the whole Congregation of Israel and we must expect a dreadful punishment to fall upon us all for this your Transgression as you may remember when Achan transgressed in taking the accursed thing Ch. 7.1 wrath fell on the whole people for it and that Man perished not alone for that Sin but several others with him If you think the Land without Jordan unclean because you have not Gods Tabernacle and Altar with you as we have then pass over to us We had rather diminish our own Inheritances to give you a share of them than that you should fall off from the true Worship of God Gods Glory and your Salvation obliges us to make this kind motion to you The Children of Reuben Gad and the half-Tribe of Manasseh having heard these words made this reply First They appeal to the great God the Searcher of all Hearts that they had not built this Altar with any such intent as their Brethren suspected The Lord God of Gods say they the Lord God of Gods he knows how hateful the very thought of any such thing is unto us and you our Brethren shall know by our constancy in the Worship of God how far we were from building that Altar with any intent to Sacrifice thereon If we did it in rebellion against the Law of God we desire the Lord should not spare us but punish us according to the hainousness of so great a Sin Alas say they our true and only intent in doing it was this for fear lest in time to come your Children might say to our Children What have you to do with the Lord God of Israel The Lord hath made Jordan a border between you and us You have no part in the Lord. And thus in Generations to come your Children may come not to suffer our Children to offer their Sacrifices on God's Altar alledging They were not of the Church and People of God nor of Abraham's Seed and so shall your Children make our Children cease from fearing and serving the Lord. Therefore we agreed to build this Altar not to offer any Sacrifice thereon but only to be a Memorial and Witness between you and us and our Generations after us That we were the people of God as well as you and had liberty to come and offer our Sacrifices on the Altar that is before the Tabernacle equally with you and that your Children might not in after Ages bar our Children from this Priviledge Phineas and the Princes that were sent with him hearing this were very glad and much pleased therewith and Phineas replied This day we perceive the Lord is indeed among us in that He hath kept you from falling into that scandalous Sin which we feared you had committed Now we perceive that you have delivered the Children of Israel out of the Hand of the Lord by having kept your selves from that Sin which might have drawn some heavy Judgment not only upon your selves but upon the whole body of the people had you fallen into it Then Phineas and the Princes took their leave of them and returning to Shiloh made their Report hereof to the Elders of Israel there met who were exceedingly well satisfied therewith and blessed God who had hereby prevented them from going against their Brethren And so the Altar was called Ed that is a Witness or Token that they did all on both sides Jordan acknowledge and own Jehovah for the true God and their God whom they would Worship in no other way than that which He Himself had prescribed Josh Ch. 22. whole Chapter SECT CXX JOshua rebuilt the City of Timnath-serah in Mount Ephram in which he dwelt several years after God had given rest to the Israelites And having lived 110 years which was the age of Joseph and finding his death to approach He called for all Israel that is the representative body of the people viz. the Elders of each Tribe with their Magistrates Judges and Officers to come to him He tells them He was now old and stricken in years They had seen the great things the Lord had done for them and how he had fought for them and vanquished the Canaanites 'T is true they were not all yet subdued but yet He had divided the Inheritances of those that remained unto them by lot and though he died and left the Work unfinished yet they might assure themselves if they continued stedfast to the Lord He would in due time perfect the Work He had begun and perform all that He had promised and drive out the Nations that were not yet driven out He bids them therefore to be of good courage and carefully to observe the Commandments of the Lord not turning aside from them to the right hand or to the left He exhorts them to take heed of any familiar Converse with those Nations that remain'd among them or to make Marriages with them or to have any thing to do with their gods He would not have them so much as to take the Name of their false gods into their Lips with any liking of them see Psal 16.4 nor cause the men of these Nations to swear by their Idols to justifie their Sayings or confirm their Promises Neither should the Judges admit of an Oath by their Idols in the trial of any Cause much less should they bow down to them and serve them but they should cleave to the Lord their God as they had done since they came under his Government * Since that time we read not of any notable Rebellion of this people against God see Judg. 2.7 The Lord says He has driven out for you great and potent Nations None of them that you encountred were able to stand before you And He will still be with you if you will be faithful unto Him He will so Arm you with
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
day she had rested her self in the House or Hovel where the Reapers did eat their meat Boaz hereupon spake kindly to her and bad her not go to any other Field but His to glean in and to abide fast by his Maidens that follow'd the Reapers and gathered up the Corn. He tells her He had charged his men that they should not hinder her nor do her any wrong And says he when thou art athirst go and drink of the Vessels of water that my Servants have brought for themselves Ruth hereupon bowed her self and fell on her face to the ground before him and said What an extraordinary thing is this that I being a Stranger should find so much favour from thee Boaz told her He understood how faithful and affectionate she had been to her Mother-in-law and how piously she had demeaned her self towards her in her old age and how she had left her Father and Mother and the Land of her Nativity to come to a people whom she knew not Now therefore says he the Lord Recompence thy work and labour of Love and let the God of Israel bountifully Reward thee of his free Grace under whose Wings thou art come to trust and to commit thy self to his Providence and Care having left thy own Country and joyned thy self to the Church and people of God She Replies Though I be unworthy of the kindness thou hast already shewed me yet seeing thou art pleased of thy meer goodness to vouchsafe it to me I pray thee continue thy favour still to me though I be meaner than one of thy Hand-Maids Boaz bids her at meal-times to come to that Tent or Hovel where his Reapers did eat and to partake of their Food and Provisions and to dip her Morsel in the sauce made with Vinegar wherewith in those hot Countries they were much refreshed Or possibly he intends she should freely eat of the morsels of meat that were provided and dip them in Vinegar as others did She accordingly came and sate by the Reapers but did not boldly thrust her self in among them but sate down somewhere besides them to receive what they would give her Boaz perceiving her modesty reached her parched Corn that is new Corn dried over the fire an usual Food in those Countries see 1 Sam. 17.17 1 Sam. 25.18 2 Sam. 17.28 and she did eat and satisfied her hunger and what she left she carried to her poor Mother vers 18. Boaz then commanded his Servants that they should permit her to glean even among the Sheaves and not rebuke her for it yea to let fall some handfuls on purpose for her So she gleaned unto the Evening and then beat out her Gleanings which came to about an Ephah or three pecks of our Measure see Exod. 16.36 which with her reserved Provisions before-mentioned she brought to her Mother and told her in whose Field she had gleaned and what great kindness she had met with from Boaz and how he bad her follow his Reapers and his Maidens that gathered up the Corn and to glean no where else but in his Fields Naomi hearing this said Blessed be Boaz of the Lord who hath not left off his kindness to the living nor to the dead see 2 Sam. 9.7 He seems to remember my Husband and thine to whom he was near of Kin * The next Kinsman had Right by the Law to redeem any House or Land which should be sold by those of his Kindred if they were not able to redeem it themselves see Levit. 25.25 And so also to marry the Widow of him that should die without Cildren that so he might raise up Seed to his Brother Deut. 25.5 And thus she gives Ruth an hint of what she afterwards more fully imparted to her viz. how Boaz was by the Law of God to marry her that he might raise up Seed to her deceased Husband and for their sakes to do us good And seeing he has courteously invited thee to glean in his Fields and to go no where else I advise thee that thou go out with his Maidens and only follow them lest if they should see or meet thee in another mans Field and tell it to their Master He should take it ill from thee and look upon it as a slighting of his kindness So Ruth continued gleaning in Boaz's Fields to the end of Harvest Ruth Ch. 2. whole Chapter Naomi now tells Ruth that seeing Boaz was so near of Kin to her Husband He was bound by the Law of God to marry her and no doubt would do so if the business were wisely managed And says he shall not I do what I can to effect it that so thou maist have rest and live in plenty whereas now thou art exposed to many Hardships Therefore take this course that I advise thee to Behold this night Boaz keepeth his Winnowing-Feast and useth to be merry at it and to lodge in his Threshing-floor (n) Their Threshing-floors in those times wherein they winnowed their Corn and where probably they kept this their Feast which as it seems was at the end of their winnowing were usually in the open Fields and the chief time of winnowing in those hot Countries was towards the Evening when the Wind begins to arise and it seems Boaz did use at that time to lodge in the Threshing-floor Moris tum fuit ut Patres-familias etiam divites urgentibus negotiis rusticanis in areis etiam ipsis quietem caperent Ut usurpari poterit illud Ovid. Fast 1. Non pudor in stipula placidam cepisse quietem Nec foenum capiti supposuisse suo possibly in some straw there so that thou maist have the more easie and private access to him Dress thy self therefore handsomely in thy best Attire and perfume thy self that thou maist be the more pleasing in his eyes Go down to the Floor but do not appear in his sight till after he is gone to take his rest And then go and lie down at his Feet (o) The way she took in regard of some circumstances seems unwarrantable and savoured much of womanish weakness 1. It had an appearance of scandal and therefore Boaz was loth to have it known vers 14. 2. It might have been an occasion of sin It seems an immodest thing in Ruth to cast her self down at a mans feet in the night and to uncover his feet 3. It might have been a means of allenating Boaz's affection from her and might have given him suspition that she was not so modest and chast as she seemed to be had not God by his secret Providence turned it all to good and lift up the Clothes that lie on his Feet to cover them that so he awaking may look about and take notice who uncovered them I confess this Counsel I give thee if I were not well assured of the Piety Gravity and Wisdom of Boaz as also of thy modesty and inviolable Chastity would not seem convenient nor decent nor free from scandal But being
of divers Colours of divers Colours of Needle-work so wrought that both sides are alike and of equal beauty and fit to be worn about the Necks of those to whom the best Prey belongeth as great Officers and Commanders and such as have done best Service in the Fight But alas she will find her self miserably deceived and her Son to be in another condition So let all thine Enemies perish O Lord but let them that love thee become Prosperous Glorious and Renowned and let their Prosperity grow and increase daily as the Sun when it riseth in a clear Morning doth shine brightly and gloriously and that more and more until it shew it self in its greatest strength and brightness at Noon-day Prov. 4.18 And upon this Victory the Land had Rest until forty years were up since the former Rest or Peace restored by Ehud Ch. 5. whole Chapter SECT CXXXVIII Fourth Oppression under the Midianites seven years THe Children of Israel falling again to Idolatry and doing evil in the sight of the Lord He delivered them into the hands of the Midianites who oppressed them seven years We read not indeed that they brought them into such Bondage as other Oppressors had done but only made every year Inroads into their Land and so robbed and pillaged their Country The Midianites though the Posterity of Abraham were always deadly Enemies to the Israelites and in the latter days of Moses the Israelites had destroyed multitudes of them as we may see Numb 31.17 Possibly the Midianites resolved now to take Revenge on them for it However when the Lord intends to punish a people for their sins he can raise up against them what Nation he pleases And in this time that the Midianites thus vexed Israel many of those Dens and Caves and strong Holds in Rocks which were in the Land of Canaan were made by the Israelites to hide themselves and their Goods from the Midianites These Midianites having got as it seems some of those Eastern Nations that bordered upon them as the Ishamelites Arabians c. to join with them who dwelt not in Cities or Towns but in Tents only which they used to remove from one place to another every Spring when the Israelites had sown their Corn these Midianites and their Confederates came with their Tents and Camels and Cattel that they might eat up the increase of the Land and therefore are compared to Grashoppers or Locusts vers 5. And they entred on the East passing over Jordan and went quite through the Land even as far as Gaza that lay on the Western-Sea destroying all as they went leaving in a manner no sustenance for Israel or very little and driving away their Cattel So that the Israelites were hereby greatly impoverished In this their Distress they cried unto the Lord and he sent a Prophet unto them his Name is not recorded who said to them Thus saith the Lord I brought you out of Egypt and delivered you from all those that oppressed you and drave out the Canaanites before you and gave you their Land and said to you I am the Lord your God See that you Worship not the gods of the Amorites in whose Land you dwell Because Religious Worship is always accompanied with fear and reverence of that God whom we worship therefore fear is often put for the whole Worship that we give to God but you have not obeyed my Voice and therefore you need not wonder at what is come upon you Sometime after this the Angel of the Covenant the Son of God called Jehovah vers 24. appeared unto Gideon the Son of Joash of the Family of Abiezer of the Tribe of Manasseh at Ophrath where he dwelt and not desiring to seem to Gideon any other than some Prophet sent to him by God He sate down under an Oak as a man wearied with travel and that desired to rest himself having as a Traveller a Staff in his hand Thus the Son of God did often in the Old Testament take on him an humane shape to prefigure his Incarnation And accordingly now he appeared unto Gideon who was threshing Wheat by the Wine-press to hide it from the Midianites By which it appears that Gideon though a man of Note and having many Servants under him vers 27. yet was a man also of an humble spirit and disdained not to employ himself in any honest labour The Angel salutes him thus The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of Valour Gideon the Fourth Judge this He spake as pre-signifying that great Courage and Valour the Lord intended to endow him with Gideon reply'd Oh my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all this befallen us where are all the Miracles our Fathers told us of but the Lord hath now forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites The Angel replies Thus saith the Lord go in this thy might which I have given thee and rely on my Promise to assist thee in this great Work which I call thee to and thou shalt save Israel from the hands of the Midianites Have not I sent thee and therefore having both Authority from Me and a Promise of Success thou maist without all scruple undertake this Service And he said unto him O Lord wherewith shall I save Israel These words of Gideon seem to proceed from weakness of Faith but do not argue a total want of it for his Faith is commended Heb. 11.32 but as a man apprehensive of his own weakness he desires Direction how to carry on so great a Work and what means he should use for the atchieving so great a Design Alas says he the thousand that I belong to is poor in Manasseh I am not only weak in my self but also in Friends and Allies The Lord said unto him I will be with thee and I am All-sufficient and able to give thee such Wisdom and Power as is requisite for thee to effect it I will surely be with thee and thou shalt smite the Midianites as easily as if thou hadst to do but with one man Gideon said If I have found Grace in thy sight I pray thee shew me a sign that thou talkest with me from God and art sent of Him thus to speak unto me and tarry I pray thee a little that I may entertain thee with such Provisions as I can on a suddain make So Gideon went in and made ready a Kid and unleavened Cakes of which he provided a large quantity * V. 19. Of an Ephah of flour intending possibly to oblige this Stranger to take some of them with him to sustain him in his Journey see Gen. Ch. 18. 19. and Judg. 13.15 The Flesh and Cakes he put in a Basket and the Broth in a Pot and brought it out to Him sitting under the Oak and presented it to him For apprehending Him at present to be only a Prophet sent of God to him He desireth to give Him such Entertainment as was fit for him to
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
convinced that the keeping of the Ark among them was the true cause of their present calamities they resolved to send it back and thereupon called for their Priests and Diviners to advise them in what manner they should do it that they might appease the wrath of the God of Israel and that he might heal their land and remove their plagues The Priests advise them that if they did resolve to send it back they should not send it without some gift or present or trespass-offering because they had trespassed against the God of Israel by carrying away his Ark captive and had not given it that honour and respect that was due to it And then say they ye shall be healed if his hand has been upon you by reason of your detaining his Ark but if it were upon you for any other cause it will be upon you still after the Ark is sent home Thus the alwise-Providence of God causeth these Idolatrous Priests who were enemies to him and his true Worship to give such counsel as tended to his honour and the shame of their Idols and false worship The Philistines ask their Priests what Trespass-offering they should send They answer five golden Emerods and five golden Mice according to the number of the Princes of the Philistines and the five principal Cities with their villages that were under their command For one and the same plague was on them all see v. 17 18. even on all the land of the Philistines which extendeth unto the great stone of Abel that is mourning see v. 19. so called from the peoples great lamentation for the slaughter God made among them upon an occasion which we shall speak of afterwards By these presents they acknowledged that the God of Israel brought upon them those plagues of the Emerods and Mice for their detaining his Ark and so by them they gave glory to his great name see Josh 7.19 'T is possible Satan might instigate these Diviners to send such absurd and ridiculous gifts as these with the Ark in contempt of God but if it were so that which Satan intended as a dishonour the Lord by his over-ruling Providence so disposed of as tended to his glory seeing the Philistines themselves were made to send into the land of Israel such things which would there remain as perpetual Monuments and Memorials of those shameful punishments wherewith God had humbled them However this is the course these Priests advise them to take at this time and peradventure say they God will hereupon lighten his hand from off you and from off your Gods so that it seems not only Dagon but several other of their Idol-gods were thrown down and broken to pieces by a secret hand of God in all their Cities whither the Ark was brought as 't is probable the like was formerly done in Egypt see Exod. 12.12 and Numb 33.4 But though many of the Philistines were for sending back the Ark presently yet it seems some of them were of a contrary judgment and stiffly opposed it wherefore the Priests blamed them for thus hardning their hearts against the means which God had afforded them to convince them of their sin why will you say they retain the Ark after you have suffered such great and grievous punishments by it herein resembling Pharaoh and the Egyptians who held the people of Israel in cruel bondage notwithstanding Gods hand was so heavy upon them till at last going on in their sin their whole Army was drown'd in the Sea If you would avoid the like heavy Judgments do not imitate them in their sin Now therefore take our advice make a new Cart which hath never yet been put to any common use and take two young heifers on which there hath come no yoke and fastning the Cart to them shut up their Calves at home from them and take the Ark and put it into the Cart and put those Jewels of Gold viz. those Golden Images of Emerods and Mice which ye return for a Trespass-offering in a little Coffer by the side thereof and send it away that it may go and by this experiment ye shall discern whither the God of Israel hath inflicted these punishments upon us or no. If these young heifers untamed and untrained quietly bear the yoke and carry the Ark directly in the way that leadeth to Bethshemesh a City belonging to the Priests †Josh 21.16 of Judah and if the kine do carry the Ark thitherward not offering to go out of the way or to return to their sucking Calves shut up at home it will then be evident that their natural love and affection to their young ones is restrained by a Supernatural power and that the kine would never have done it if Gods hand had not been in the business and so we may conclude that it was he that smote us whilst we kept the Ark. But if things happen otherwise then we may conclude that it was not his hand that smote us but it was only a chance that happened to us The Philistines agree to do as their Priests directed them and all things being prepar'd the Kine went directly to Bethshemesh as if they had been sent thither by God to deliver the Ark into their hands to whom it belonged to take care of it But yet by a natural instinct they sometimes lowed after their Calves left behind them but notwithstanding went on directly in the way towards Bethshemesh not turning to the right hand or left into any cross or by-ways being moved to go on with the Cart and to carry the Ark thither by the all-powerful Providence of God And the Lords of the Philistines went after them unto the borders of Bethshemesh to observe the issue of this experiment and then returned home v. 16. The men of Bethshemesh were at this time reaping their Wheat-harvest * Wheat-harvest in that Country used to be in our May at the Feast of Pentecost Lev. 23.16 whence we may gather that the Ark was taken about November before seeing it was seven months in the custody of the Philistines but lift up their eyes to their great astonishment and joy they saw the Ark coming towards them and the Cart came into the Field of Joshua a Bethshemite and stood there where there was a great stone and the Priests who were of the Tribe of Levi came and took down the Ark of the Lord and the Coffer that was with it and set them on the great stone and they clave the wood of the Cart and offered the Kine as a Burnt-offering to the Lord. 'T is true the Law did command that only males should be offered in Burnt-offerings Levit. 1.3 but this seems to be an extraordinary act of devotion whereunto the Priests were led by reasons grounded upon this strange and extraordinary work which God had wrought and perhaps by a special instinct of his Spirit and is not therefore to be judged of according to the rules of ordinary Burnt-offerings They considered
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
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
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
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
and valour 4. Four thousand to be Singers and Players on Instruments therewith to praise the Lord whereof two hundred eighty eight were eminent men for skill and possibly Teachers of the rest These also were divided into twenty four courses and so served about eightscore in every course and the twenty four Sons of Asaph Jeduthun and Heman three great Masters of Musick were to be the chief Heads of their Courses or Companies and to Prophesie with Cymbals See 1 Sam. 10.5 So for every Course of the Priests there was also appointed a Course of Levite-Singers and these were assign'd to their several Courses by lot also And as David appointed their Courses so he gave them also Psalmes penned by himself to sing assigning some for the Sons of Asaph others for the Sons of Jeduthun and Heman as by the Titles of many Psalmes does appear (a) 1 Chron. 25.5 All these were the words of Heman the Kings Seer in the words of the Lord to lift up the Horn. He was call'd the Kings Seer in the words of God because employed in that Prophetical work of setting forth the praises of God and singing Psalmes composed by men inspir'd by God and therefore call'd thence the words of God And to lift up the Horn whereby some Musical Instrument seems to be meant as the Cornet c. These Singers are said to Prophesie because in their Musick they were acted with an holy zeal such as Prophets in their Prophesies us'd to be acted with 1 Chron. Ch. 23. from v. 2 to the end 1 Chron. Ch. 24. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 25. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 26. whole Chapter SECT CCVII. SOlomon being now about twenty years of age Rehoboam is born to him of Naamah an Ammonitish woman as appears by Rehoboam's age at the beginning of his reign 1 King 14.21 where 't is said He was forty one when be began to reign We are now come to the first Book of Kings The united State of the Kingdom of Israel as it began under King Saul and increased under King David hath been described in the two Books of Samuel and how it came to its height under King Solomon is described in the Eleven first Chapters of the first Book of Kings and how it came to be divided and upon that division decreased and came to ruin at last we shall find described in the remaining Chapters of these two Books The first Book of the Kings contains an History of 126 years viz. forty years of Solomon's reign over all Israel after him the Kingdom being divided we have from Chap. 12. to the end the Lives and Acts of four Kings of Judah and eight Kings of Israel according to this following Scheme Solomon reigned forty years over all Israel Kings of Judah Kings of Israel  Years  Years Rehoboam 17 Jeroboam 22. Abijam 3. Nadab 2. Asa 41. Baasha 24. Jehoshaphat 25. Elah 2.   Zimri seven days    Omri 12.   Ahab 22.   Ahaziah 2. SECT CCVIII DAvid being now seventy years of age and broken with continual cares wars and troubles was grown so weak and feeble that applying warm clothes would hardly keep any heat in him whereupon by the advice of his Physicians a well-complexioned-young-Virgin was sought out for him who being taken by him as a wife or concubine might lye in his bosom and cherish him And such an one was found out viz. Abishag the Shunamite who did accordingly lye in his bosom and cherish him and ministred unto him but he knew her not 2 King Ch. 1. from v. 1. to 5. SECT CCIX. A Donijah David's Eldest Son now living seeing his Father decline so fast began to have aspiring thoughts after the Crown and understanding that Solomon was designed to succeed his Father he resolved to prevent it if he could by making himself King before his Fathers death In order hereunto he provides himself chariots and horses and fifty men for a guard as his brother Absalom had done before him And 't is like his Fathers former over great indulgence to him did the more embolden him though it also aggravated his fault that he durst do a thing so contrary to his Fathers mind who had been so kind to him He was also a goodly man of person and as that might be one cause that made David so much to dote on him and Absalom so it made him the more acceptable to the people In order therefore to the carrying on of his design he consulted with Joab the General of the Army and with Abiathar the High-Priest about it who it seems encouraged him in it and promised him their best assistance But Zadok and Nathan and Benaiah Captain of the Kings guard with the mighty men that were under his command joined not with him Adonijah having the General of the Army and the High-Priest on his side he now thus contrives his matters He makes a great Feast near Enrogel on the East-side of Jerusalem to which he invites all his Brothers the Kings Sons except Solomon and all the Officers and people of the Court that he thought would join with him intending there to be Installed King Nathan hearing of this went immediately to Bathsheba and asked her if she did not hear that Adonijah reigned and took upon him to be King She was strangely surpriz'd at this having heard nothing of it He advises her if she intended to save her own and her Sons life to go presently to the King and to ask him whither he did not swear solemnly to her that Solomon should reign after him And if he did how was it that Adonijah took upon him to be King surely it is without the Kings privity and consent And says Nathan while thou art speaking to him I will come in and confirm thy words and further add what I conceive requisite to be added Bathsheba accordingly went to the King and making a very low reverence to him she told him that he had solemnly sworn to her that Solomon her Son should reign after him but behold says she Adonijah has at this very time made a great Feast to which he has invited the Kings Sons and Joab and Abiathar in order to be by them Installed King And my Lord O King the eyes of all Israel are upon thee to observe whom thou wilt declare for thy Successor in the Kingdom and the people are generally inclined to yield to that which thou shalt determine therein and if thou dost not confirm what thou didst formerly swear concerning Solomon when thou diest I and my Son shall be counted Traytors and accus'd for endeavouring to get the Kingdom from Adonijah While she was speaking Nathan came in who bowing himself before the King with his face to the ground in a respectful manner askt the King whither he had appointed that Adonijah should succeed him in the Throne I do assure thee says he he hath made a great Feast this day and to it hath invited
will readily assist thee about things of Gold Silver Brass Wood or any other materials And I doubt not but the Princes and all the people will be wholly at thy command Then David turned his speech again to the whole Assembly and said to them Solomon my Son whom God alone hath chosen to succeed me is yet young and tender the work that he is to do is great For this Palace or Royal Temple that he is to build is not to be built for man but for the Lord God and therefore must be most magnificent As for my self I have provided with all my might and to the uttermost of my power for the building of it and the finishing of all things appertaining to it And I declare before you all not out of pride or ostentation but to stir you up to follow my example that I have provided gold and silver and brass and iron and timber and marble stones in abundance for this great work yea I have provided all manner of precious stones as Onix-stones and glittering stones of divers colours Yea I have so set my heart on the building of this house for God that I have of my own proper goods which I had gathered for my self * David got very rich spoils in the many wars he was engaged in and the wealthy enemies he conquered after I had consecrated to God his part which was the greatest given three thousand talents of Gold viz. of the Gold of Ophir seven thousand talents of refined silver The gold is for to overlay in thin plates the walls of the Temple and the silver to overlay the walls of some particular rooms in the houses and buildings adjoining And now let me exhort you all to follow my example and to assist my Son with heart and hand with your counsel and with your purses in this great work And truly you have great reason to do it Is not the Lord your God among you to bless you Hath he not given you rest on every side Hath he not given the people the inhabitants of the land into my hand so that they peaceably submit to my government Is not the land subdued before the Lord and before his people so that being freed from their enemies they may quietly enjoy their possessions Therefore set your hearts to seek the Lord your God and faithfully to serve him Arise and build the Sanctuary of the Lord your God and bring the Ark and the holy vessels of God into it And now let me see who among you is willing to fill his hand with gifts this day and freely to offer them to the Lord for the building of this house Upon this motion of the Kings the Princes Rulers and Captains and all sorts offered very willingly and liberally for the service of the house and 't is like subscribed what they intended to give and that which they gave amounted to five thousand talents of Gold and ten thousand drams and ten thousand talents of silver and eighteen thousand talents of brass and one hundred thousand talents of iron And they that had precious stones gave them to the Treasure of the house of the Lord for this sacred use And there was great joy among all the people because of the great willingness and forwardness that was in all sorts to contribut to this work And David also rejoiced exceedingly at it and was much pleased with their large free and willing contribution Whereupon he brake out into an holy and zealous praising of the Lord for it and said Blessed be thou Lord God of Israel our Father for ever and ever To thee O Lord belongs greatness power glory majesty and victory For all that is in heaven or in the earth is thine Thine is the Kingdom O Lord and we do willingly exalt thee and acknowledg thee to be head above all and higher than all Both riches and honour come from thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might In thine hand it is to make great and to give strength to all to whom thou pleasest Now therefore O Lord we exalt and praise thy name for thy glorious excellencies and thy benefits conferred on us But who am I and what is my people that we should have hearts and abilities to offer so freely and so largely as we have done And yet we have no manner of cause to boast or glory For all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee We do acknowledg that we are not proprietors of the goods that we possess but only thy stewards The land we dwell in is thine we are but strangers before thee and sojourners as all our fathers were And our days on the earth are as a shadow and there is no abiding for us here and therefore seeing we are to continue but a short time in this life and have but a short enjoyment of the things of this world how can we better dispose of them than for thy service who art able to give us in exchange for them an eternal inheritance in thy Kingdom O Lord we do willingly acknowledg that all this great store we have provided for the building of an house for thy holy name was given us by thy free bounty and is all thine own and therefore we present unto thee only what thou thy self didst first give us I know O Lord thou triest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightness As for my self in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things and now to my great joy and comfort I have also seen this people here present to offer willingly unto thee O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob our Fathers I pray thee keep and preserve this holy zeal in the minds and hearts of this people and establish their hearts and make them ever firm to thy self And give unto Solomon my Son an upright heart to keep thy commandments testimonies and statutes and to do all things required of him and enable him to build and finish this stately Palace for thy name for which I have made so great provision David having ended his prayer he call'd to the whole Congregation to bless the Lord which accordingly they did with loud acclamations and bowed down their heads and worshipped the Lord with divine honour and adoration which being done they bowed themselves to the King and paid him civil honour and respect and so departed The next day they sacrificed Sacrifices and offered Burnt-offerings unto the Lord namely a thousand bullocks a thousand rams and a thousand lambs with the drink-offerings appertaining to them which they offered in the name of all the people and in such abundance that all the Israelites there present might eat of the Peace-offerings that were then offered And they did eat and drink before the Lord that day with great gladness of heart and anointed Solomon a second time King his first anointing having been done on the sudden and almost in a tumultuary
she to avoid that came secretly as I have reason to believe in the dead of the night and took my Son from my bosom whilst I was fast asleep and laid her dead child in my bosom in the room of it for she had rather I suppose have a living child though anothers than her own dead and had rather nurse up my child instead of her own than have it said that by her own carelesness and negligence she had been the cause of the death of her own Son And when I arose in the morning to give my child suck behold I found it dead but when I had better considered of the matter and laid circumstances together I found it was not my Son that I did bear and I hope I shall find so much justice from the King as to return my own child to me again Then the other woman spake for her self and said Nay but my Lord O King let this woman say what she will I do peremptorily affirm that the living child is my Son and the dead is hers Thus they contested before the King both the one and the other challenging the living child for hers the case was very difficult for first both the children were almost of an age 2ly Their features in their infancy might be something alike 3ly No body was by when this fact was done that might give evidence on either side 4ly The mother that challenged the living child confessed she was asleep and so did not see when her child was stollen away 5ly The parties contending for the child were of a like reputation the one deserving no more credit than the other All these things considered the case seem'd so difficult that one would have thought the wit of man could not determine it Solomon having heard what they said on both sides according to the wisdom that God had given him presently call'd for a sword and bad one of his servants take the living child and divide him in twain and give half to the one and half to the other But the woman whose the living child really was found her bowels so yerning upon this that she cried out O my Lord give her I pray thee the child let her take him whole in no case divide him I had rather she should have him whole than that he should be slain But the other woman being of an envious disposition and not willing that her neighbour should enjoy what she wanted she cried out For my part seeing the King hath so determined the matter let the Kings sentence stand let it be neither mine nor hers but let it be divided The King by the different affection that he discerned in these two women quickly perceived which was the true mother and accordingly gave the living child unto her And all Israel heard of the judgment the King had given in this case and all sorts of persons highly honoured him for it for they saw that an extraordinary measure of the wisdom of God was in him that enabled him to give righteous judgment 1 King Ch. 3. from v. 16 to the end SECT CCXIX. HIram King of Tyre as also of Zidon for the Sidonians likewise were his subjects v. 9. had been always a great lover of David and hearing that Solomon his Son was advanc'd to the Throne of Israel he sent his Ambassadours to congratulate him Solomon receiv'd them very kindly and having entertained them for some time by them he sent a message to their Master to this effect He acquaints him that his Father David by reason of the many wars wherein he was almost continually engaged could not build an house for the Lord as he really intended and he supposed his Father had acquainted him with that his intention there being so great a friendship between them but the Lord having now advanc'd him to the Throne in his Fathers room and having given him rest on every side so that he had neither adversary nor evil occurrent to hinder him he resolv'd to fall upon the work and to build an house for the glory of the Lord his God as the Lord had promised unto his Father he should do he therefore requested this favour of him that as he had helped his Father to Timber (a) It seems most of Lebanon was in the land of Tyre though it were the Northern bound of the land of Canaan and though David in his life-time had provided many materials as Cedar-trees and many workmen yet it seems more were wanting which Solomon now takes care to provide wherewith to build his own Palace so he would please to help him also to Timber to build the house that he intended to build for the honour of God For the house says he that I intend to build must be great and magnificent the God for whose Worship I intend it being great above all Gods And indeed who is able to build an house for him seeing the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him It were a vain thing for me to think of building an house for him who is infinite except only to worship him in and that is the end I aim at Send me therefore I pray thee a man skilful to work in Gold and Silver in Brass and Iron in Purple Crimson and Blew and one that can grave that he may join with the cunning men that are here with me in Judah and Jerusalem whom my Father did provide for this purpose See 1 Chron. 22.15 And I pray thee grant me Cedar-trees Firr-trees and Algum-trees for this work and command thy servants to cut them down and hew them for me and I will send my servants to help and assist them therein and I will give thy servants twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat * That is of wheat beaten out of the ear and severed from the chaff we call it clean wheat and as many of barley and twenty thousand baths of wine and as many of oyl for their wages and provision or if this do not like thee I will give whatsoever thy self shall appoint Hiram sent an answer to Solomon and writ to him after this manner It is a great sign and evidence to me that God loves that people because he hath made thee King over them And blessed be the Lord God of Israel who made Heaven and Earth for giving to David such a wise Son and for enduing him with so great a measure of prudence and understanding that he might build an house for the honour of God and for the honour of his Kingdom As for thy request to me concerning Cedar-trees Firr-trees and Timber for that great work behold all thy desires are granted My servants shall cut down and hew out sufficient Timber for thee and I will convey it to thee by Sea in flotes to Joppa or any other place thou shalt appoint I have also sent thee a very skilful and expert artificer whose name is Hiram whose Father was of the Tribe †He is called a Tyrian because he lived there
of Naphtali 1 King 7.14 and his Mother of the Tribe of Dan and who was one of my Fathers workmen who is skill'd to work in gold silver iron brass stone timber in purple blue fine linnen or crimson and to grave any manner of graving and one that can work not only according to the pattern set before him but can also invent other curious works fit and proper for the main design I know he will be ready to join with the cunning workmen provided by thy Father and thy self As for the reward thou dost promise my servants for their labour and pains I do willingly accept of it and let my Lord the King be pleased to send it to them But I must make one request to thee for my self viz. that thou wilt grant me liberty yearly to transport out of thy Country a certain quantity of provision viz. of wheat and oyl for my own houshold our Country not being well furnish'd with those things * See Ezek. 27.17 Ezra 3.7 Act. 12.20 Solomon having receiving his Letter agreed to what Hiram desired of him and accordingly gave him twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat †Beaten wheat that is wheat beaten out of the ear and severed from the chaff we call it clean wheat and twenty measures of pure oyl yearly And Solomon and Hiram made a firm league together and Hiram besides allowing Solomon Timber to build with furnish'd him with six score talents of gold towards the defraying of the charge 1 King 9.14 1 King Ch. 5. from v. 1 to 13. 2 Chron. Ch. 2. from v. 1 to 17. SECT CCXX SOlomon also raised a levy (a) The people yielded willingly to this levy for the Temple but when it was still continued by Solomon for his own house and his other buildings it seems they grudged at it as we may gather from what they said to Rehoboam 1 King 12.4 See also 1 King 9.15 among the people towards the building of the house of the Lord and other great buildings he designed See 1 King 9.15 and having provided stones of several sorts and sizes and having obtained leave of Hiram to cut down Timber in Lebanon viz. Cedar-trees Firr-trees and Algum-trees he falls now in hand with the work and employs a vast army of workmen therein 1. For servile work an hundred and fifty thousand whereof fourscore thousand were hewers in the mountains and threescore and ten thousand bearers of burdens all these were strangers that dwelt among the Israelites and submitted to their Laws and had been by David before appointed for this service 1 Chron. 22.2 2ly For plain work thirty thousand Israelites were imployed yet with such alternation that being divided into three parts they stayed ten thousand of them at a time one month in mount Lebanon and the other two at home 1 King 5.13 14. 3ly For carved works the Sidonians only were imployed whose number though not specified must needs be great if we may guess the men by the proportion of victuals allowed to them 2 Chron. 2.10 4ly For overseeing all the former three thousand three hundred Officers were appointed 1 King 5.16 but in the 2 Chron. 2.18 we read of 3600 possibly upon a review 300 might be added for the better carrying on of the business or these last 300 might be appointed as extraordinary to be in readiness in case any of the ordinary should fail by sickness death or any other accident Thus the ordinary overseers would be each man over forty five workmen or thereabout (a) Those Officers viz. 550 1 King 9.23 seem to be the chief of the Officers that were over Solomons other works when he builded his own house and that for Pharaohs daughter and his other buildings besides the Temple ver 15 17 18 19. So that these supervised those that wrought in these works And the 250 2 Chron. 8.10 seem to be the chief of his Officers that bear rule over those Canaanites that Solomon had made Tributaries v. 7 8. and so differed from the former 550. If any wonder at the vastness of this army of workmen let them consider how that thorough scarcity of horses at that time in Judea though plenty was brought out of Egypt towards the latter end of Solomons reign massie timber was to be managed by the main strength of men 2ly All things were before-hand so to be fitted and framed in mount Lebanon which might occasion many chargeable Essays and trials that not so much as the sound of an Ax or Hammer was heard in Jerusalem when the Temple came to be erected 1 King 6.7 that is there was small noise in comparison of so great a work and not obstreperous to a publick disturbance by hewing or squaring of timber or stone the parts being fitted or matched before Besides Solomon in framing this great fabrick that was to be built for the honour of God consulted magnificence and not frugality 1 King Ch. 5. from v. 13 to the end 2 Chron. Ch. 2. v. 17 18. SECT CCXXI SHimei of whom before Sect. 214. had carefully kept himself within the bounds prescribed for about three years But at the end of that time two of his servants it seems ran away from him having as 't is like stollen something considerable from him and fled to Achish King of Gath there being at that time peace between the Israelites and Philistines so that the one might freely pass to the other or possibly they might be native Philistines Shimei being inform'd where they were and being enrag'd at them for so serving him and having an over-covetous desire to regain them and the things they had stollen from him and not imagining that Solomon he having kept himself within his bounds for three years did still strictly watch him or sought an occasion against him to cut him off as his Father had injoin'd him and possibly thinking to go so secretly and to come again so quickly that his going should not be observed or however it was he sadles his Ass and ventures to go to Gath where he met with his servants and brought them back again but the fetching of them cost him dear for Solomon being inform'd that he had gone out of his bounds he presently sent for him and said unto him Did not I protest to thee that if thou didst pass the limits I had set thee thou shouldest surely die didst not thou say the thing I required of thee was but just and reasonable And over and above didst not thou swear to me by the Lord that thou wouldest not transgress why then hast thou violated the oath that thou swarest to me in the presence of the Lord and why hast thou disobeyed the commandment that I so solemnly gave thee under so great a penalty Thou canst not but remember the wickedness of thy heart and how basely thou didst revile my Father in his distress and therefore the Lord will now return thy wickedness upon thy own head And I am not
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
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
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
Lord is with you while ye be with him and that while you walk in his ways he will not fail to bless you If ye seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you You may see a clear instance of this in the Kingdom of Israel who for above thirty years last past namely since their revolt under Jeroboam have lived without the publick pure worship of God not having his Priests to instruct them nor regarding his Law to direct them but if they would repent and return to God undoubtedly he would be ready to receive them into his favour again For in former times viz. the times of the Judges when the Israelites were in great trouble and under sore oppressions so that there was no peace to him that went out or came in but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of those Countries and Nation was destroyed of Nation and City of City God vexing them with sore adversity yet even then when they did seek to the Lord and turn'd unto him he had mercy upon them and did afford them help and deliverance And so if the ten Tribes that have thus forsaken the Lord would turn to him he would surely have mercy upon them But whatever they do let me advise thee O King and thy subjects to go on courageously with the work of reformation begun by you and assure your selves that God will still be with you to bless you whilst you are for him When Asa heard these words together with the Prophesie of Oded the Father of this Azariah which it seems he declared unto him at this time and added it to his own exhortation Asa took courage and made a more diligent search throughout all his Kingdom and put away the remaining Idols that were found among them and that not only out of the land of Judah and Benjamin but out of the Cities which either his Father Abijam or he himself had taken about Mount Ephraim See 2 Chron. 13.19 17.2 And he renewed and repaired the Altar of the Lord that Solomon had built in the Priests Court which now by continual use was something decayed and he summoned all Judah and Benjamin and such of the ten Tribes as were within his Dominions for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance when they saw that the Lord so eminently blessed him and on the third month in the fifteenth year of his reign which was the 35th * For Rehoboam reigned 17 years Abijah 3 Asa 15 at this present since the Kingdom of Judah and Israel were divided 2 Chron. 15.19 he and his people offered unto the Lord of the spoils they had gotten seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep and entred into a Covenant to seek the Lord God of their Fathers with all their heart and all their soul and that whosoever should worship any false Gods either publickly or privately should be put to death according to the Law Deut. 17.2 c. And they sware unto the Lord with a loud voice and with shouting and with Trumpets and Cornets sounding And all Judah rejoiced at the Oath for they had sworn with all their heart and sought the Lord with their whole soul and he was found of them and heard their prayers and granted their desires accepted what they did and prospered their endeavours and he gave them rest round about There had been no war betwixt Israel and Judah in Asa's time till the 15th year of his reign * 2 Chron. 15.19 for There was no more war read there had been no war viz. betwixt Israel and Judah till the 15th year of Asa Bellum enim non fuerat usque ad annum trigessimum quintum regni Asae Tremel But now about the sixteenth year of Asa and 36th since the division of the Kingdoms Baasha King of Israel perceiving how potent Asa began to be and how fast the Israelites revolted to him and how they had all entred into a Covenant to serve the Lord he began to arm against them in the fourteenth year of his reign and from this time there was war between Baasha and Asa all their days 1 King 15.16 And Baasha having gotten Ramah which was one of the Cities of Benjamin from the King of Judah fearing the greatness of Asa and the revolt of the Israelites to him he resolved to fortifie it and put a Garrison into it that he might keep his own people from flying to him Asa to divert him from building and fortifying of Ramah takes out the silver and gold that were in the Treasures of the Temple and the Kings house and sent them to Benhadad King of Syria to hire him to break his League with Baasha King of Israel He represents to him that there was a League between Benhadad and him as there had been between their Fathers he desir'd him therefore to break the League he had with the King of Israel and to invade his Country that he might depart from him for he was come down to his very borders Doubtless for Asa to be so much afraid of the Israelites and to rob the Temple and therewith to hire an Infidel to break his Covenant with them and to make war upon them and that soon after God had given him so great a victory over that vast host of the Ethiopians Lubims Arabians and Philistines and had manifested so great a readiness to help him was a great sin Benhadad accordingly having received this present not regarding his faith or league made with the Israelites forthwith invaded and took many of their Cities Baasha upon this left off fortifying Ramah and went against Benhadad to defend his own Country †And afterwards when he had secured his own land he went and dwelt at Tirzah In the mean time Asa by Proclamation gathered together all that were able in Judah to go up to Ramah to demolish it and the men of Judah and Benjamin went up thither and fetched away the timber and stones that Baasha had provided to build and fortifie it with and Asa built therewith Geba and Mizpah * See Jer. 41.9 where we read of a pit that Asa had in Mizpah that continued unto the Captivity two Cities in the Tribe of Benjamin Hanani the Seer father of the Prophet Jehu 1 King 16. came hereupon to Asa and said to him Thou hast done ill to distrust the Lord and to relye on the King of Syria to deliver thee from Baasha For hadst thou suffered Benhadad to continue firm to his league with Baasha they both would have invaded thy land and thou shouldst have overcome them both as thou didst the great Army of the Ethiopians whereas now by making an agreement with Benhadad thou hast cut off that advantage from thy self and so his host is escaped out of thy hands Thou maist remember how God gave thee victory over that vast Army of the Ethiopians because thou didst relye on him For the eyes of the Lord
and the shew-bread-table with the utensils belonging to it Moreover say they all the holy vessels which Ahaz in his transgression did cut in pieces and cast away we have repaired and renewed and fitted and sanctified for the holy use to which they were appointed Behold they are before the Altar of the Lord and ready to be set in their proper places 2 Chron. 29. from v. 12 to 20. The next morning King Hezekiah called together all the Rulers of the City and went up with them to the house of the Lord where he together with the people by the Ministry of the Priests and Levites offered seven Bullocks seven Rams seven Lambs and seven He-goats as a sin-offering upon the Altar of the Lord to make atonement 1. For the King his counsellors and officers and family 2. For the sins and abominations that were committed in the Temple by Idolatry and false worship 3. For the sins of Judah that is of the whole people And the Priests killed the Bullocks and Rams and sprinkled the blood on the Altar and they brought forth the he-goats before the King and all the congregation and they laid their hands on them thereby acknowledging their sins and that this sacrifice was offer'd up in their stead and the Priests killed them and made reconciliation for the people with their blood For the King commanded that the burnt-offering and the sin-offering should be offered for the whole people that atonement might be made for all that the plaister might be as large as the sore And he took care also to have the praises of the Lord solemnly sung by the Levite-singers and that they should be ready with their Cymbals Psalteries and Harps to do it as David Gad and Nathan being all inspired by God had directed The Levites therefore standing ready with their instruments and the Priests with their Trumpets when the burnt-offering began to be offered then the Song of the Lord began to be sung viz. the 136 Psalm the Trumpets sounding and the Levites singing and playing on their instruments the more to excite their spirits and all this continued till the burnt-offering was offered and then the King and all the people bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord. And the King and his Nobles commanded the Levites that they should sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David and Asaph the Seer which accordingly they did with great gladness of heart bowing also their heads and worshipping Then the King spake to the Priests saying Ye have now consecrated your selves as it were a new to the Lord therefore approach his Altar and bring in the sacrifices and thank-offerings which the people shall be willing to offer The whole congregation being much wrought upon by the Kings words presented their sacrifices and thank-offerings very freely and those that were of a more free and forward spirit offered whole burnt-offerings wherein there was more respect manifested to God than in other sacrifices for in these the offerers themselves had a part but in the other all was consumed on the Altar and yet the number of these burnt-offerings that were now offered was very great viz. seventy bullocks and an hundred rams and two hundred lambs But the other sacrifices of several sorts that were offered viz. peace-offerings and free-will offerings were very numerous viz. six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep But the Priests were too few to slay all the burnt-offerings therefore the Levites did help them * This they did in this particular case it was not their ordinary work till the work was ended and till other Priests had sanctified themselves For the Levites were more forward to sanctifie themselves than the Priests and so there were more of them at this present sanctified than of the Priests Besides the burnt-offerings were very many and the fat of the peace-offerings was to be pulled off and burnt upon the Altar and drink-offerings to be added to every burnt-offering all which required much work which those few Priests were not able to perform at this time Thus the service of the house of the Lord was set in order by good Hezekiah And the King rejoiced and all that were truly pious with him that the Lord had put such a good inclination and zeal into the hearts of the people whereby they were so willing and so readily inclined to this work of reformation And it was evident that the thing was of God because it was done sooner and with more speed than could reasonably have been expected considering how much before under Ahaz they had been corrupted with Idolatry And to have their hearts so soon and so wonderfully changed was an extraordinary work of the Spirit of God 2 Chron. 29. wh Ch. Hezekiah now resolves to have the Passover solemnly celebrated but it could not be kept at the time appointed viz. on the 14th day of the first Month because the purgation of the Temple was not finished until the 16th day of that month neither had the Priests sanctified themselves sufficiently neither were all the males gathered together to Jerusalem according to the Law as they ought to be at that great Festival therefore the King Priests and representative body of the people appointed to keep the Passover on the 14 day of the second month and in order hereunto the King sent to Judah and Benjamin and to all the Israelites that had join'd themselves to them and sent Letters also to the remainder of the ten Tribes that were not carried away by Tiglath-pilesar King of Assyria as many of their brethren were See 2 King 15.29 even to all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba inviting them to come to the house of the Lord to keep the Passover For they had not done it of a long while in such sort as was prescribed So the Posts went out with Letters from the King and his Princes inviting the Israelites to come and keep this solemn Festival at Jerusalem His Letters ran thus Ye children of Israel I exhort you to turn again unto the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and he will return in grace and mercy to the remnant of you that are escaped out of the hand of Pul and Tiglath-pilesar Kings of Assyria 2 King 15.29 1 Chron. 5.26 And be not like your Fathers and your brethren which trespassed against the Lord who therefore gave them up to desolation as you see at this day Neither be ye stiff-necked as your Fathers were but yield your selves unto the Lord and willingly give up your selves in obedience unto him and enter into his Sanctuary and Temple which he hath consecrated to himself for a place of workship even as long as it shall stand and there appear before him viz. in the Court of the people and serve the Lord your God that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you For if you turn again unto the Lord your brethren and your children that are led away captive shall find compassion from
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
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
might remain to support the faith and keep up the spirits of the Jews in a long captivity First He promises the reduction of the Jews into their own Country but before that they were to endure many calamities from the Babylonians during that day of Jacobs trouble but they should at last be saved out of it God promises to break the King of Babylons yoke from off Jacobs neck and that these Chaldeans shall no longer serve themselves of him But that his posterity shall serve the Lord their God and such of Davids lineage as he shall from time to time set over them but more especially the Messias who should come of Davids stock He promises to correct them in measure and yet not to leave them altogether unpunished He promises many great blessings that he would bestow on his Church notwithstanding their great miseries troubles breaches wounds but that Gods wrath shall remain on the wicked In the next Chapter is contain'd the restauration of Israel and the publication thereof After Rachels lamentation for her Sons as lost followeth Gods consolation of her puting her in hope of their return Ephraim repenting is to be brought home again Christ is promised The Lord will create a new thing in the earth a woman shall compass a man And this shall be the Covenant he will make with his people after those days he will write his law in their hearts and will be their God and this Covenant shall be stable and his Church shall be enlarged Jer. 29. from 24 to the end Jer. 30. whole Chapter Jer. 31. whole Chapter God also by his Prophet Jeremy foretels that Babylon and the land of Caldea shall be over-run and wasted by the Medes and Persians and comforts his own people with the sweet promises of their deliverance Jer. 50. whole Chapter Jer. 51. from 1 to 59. Zedekiah in the fourth year of his reign either went himself or which is more probable sent * Jer. 51.59 When he went with Zedekiah or on behalf of Zedekiah Seraiah a person of great quality about him to Babylon to whom Jeremy delivered the foresaid Prophesies of the destruction of Babylon written in a Book to be first read and then to be thrown into the river Euphrates to signifie that Babylon should so sink and not rise again Jer. 51. from 59 to the end In the beginning of the thirtieth year from that solemn renewing of the Covenant and restauration of the worship of God in the eighteenth year of Josiah which falls in with the fifth of Jehoiakins captivity on the fifth day of the fourth Month God vouchsafed the first vision to Ezekiel one of the captives in Babylon by the river Chebar and from thence he was sent to execute the office and function of a Prophet among the Jews of the Captivity He began thirty four years after Jeremy and continued his Prophetick office about two and twenty years namely to the twenty seventh year of Jehoiakins captivity Ezek. 29.17 It seems many at this time both among the Jews at Jerusalem and among the captives in Babylon murmured and complained against Jeremy as a false Prophet that had misled the people and betrayed them and caused them to yield themselves to the King of Babylon seeing now five years were past and yet Jerusalem stood still Jeremy being thus cried down both at home and abroad especially by false Prophets it pleased the Lord to raise up Ezekiel and pouring out his spirit upon him to set him on work to prophesie and foretell the same things in Babylon that Jeremy had done in Judea though in a more vehement manner so that Jeremy's Prophesies were confirm'd and justified by Ezekiel's The Prophet Ezekiel therefore going to execute his function among the Jews dwelling at Telabib near the river Chebar when he was come thither he sat him down as a man disheartned for the space of seven days After which time God again put him in mind of his charge both with gracious promises if he undertook it and severe threatnings if he refused and then confirmed him with a new sign shewed unto him and gave him courage and boldness by his word and ratified his vocation by a new command Ezek. 1. whole Chapter Ezek. 2. whole Chapter Ezek. 3. whole Chapter Ezekiel is now commanded to make a draught of the siege of Jerusalem in a table of Tile or Slate and to lye along upon one side three hundred and ninety days typifying thereby Gods patience in bearing with the sins and provocations of the Kingdom of Israel 390 years before he destroyed that Kingdom which was the full time from the revolt of the Ten Tribes to their Captivity When he had lain 390 days on his left side he was to turn himself on his right side and to lye so forty days more to typisie Gods patience in bearing with the sins and provocations of the Kingdom of Judah from the time that Iosiah and his people renewed solemnly their Covenant with the Lord unto the Captivity of Zedekiah which was just forty years Then he sets out the grievous famine that should be in the City during the siege Chap. 4. In the three following Chapters he pursues the same matter viz. Ierusalems misery In the fifth he is commanded to cut off his hair and to divide it into three parts by which he was to signifie three dreadful judgments that were to be inflicted on Jerusalem by pestilence sword and dispersion In the sixth Chapter first he threatens desolation to the land of Judea viz. to the Idols Altars and people thereof 2ly Promises mercy to a few that should repent of their evil ways and come to a right knowledg of the Lord from v. 8 to 11. 3ly He sets forth the grief and vexation the rest should feel from the sore judgments that should come upon them from 11 to the end In the seventh Chapter he Prophesies again of the destruction of the Jews and their land from v. 1 to 16. And of the pitiful lamentation that they shall make that escape from v. 16 to 20. And of the pollution of the Sanctuary by their enemies from v. 20 to 23. And of their bondage under the worst of heathens which is represented by a chain from v. 23 to the end Ezek. 4. whole Chapter Ezek. 5. whole Chapter Ezek. 6. whole Chapter Ezek. 7. whole Chapter In the sixth year of Jeconiahs Captivity the sixth month the fifth day of the month Ezekiel was carried in a Vision to Jerusalem and shewed the horrible Idolatry there practised and the plagues that were to befall the City for the same The Vision hath four parts 1. The Prophet is shewn the abominable Idolatry of the Jews in these notorious instances 1. Their having the Image of Jealousie or the Image of Baal among them which highly provoked God to jealousie 2. Their Chambers of Imagery having Idols privately in their Chambers 3. Their women weeping for Tammuz * Some understand it Osiris the Egyptian
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
thou maist set thy self up as their King according to the report that goes of thee And thou hast appointed Prophets to preach thee up at Jerusalem and to tell the people that there is now a King in Judah of their own Nation so that they shall not be in bondage any longer to forreign Princes And this will accordingly be reported to the King of Persia and so is like to bring great mischief on all us on this side the river therefore let us meet and take counsel together how we may prevent this great evil Nehemiah returned Sanballat this answer That there was nothing true of what he reported 't was all a fiction of his own head Thus the enemie sought to make them afraid by such reports as these but Nehemiah prayed to the Lord to disappoint their plots and to strengthen his own and his Countryment hands in the work The enemies of the Jews seeing their former plots did not take now betake themselves to a new stratagem viz. to hire false Prophets to terrifie Nehemiah with apprehensions of eminent danger to his own person Accordingly they hired Shemaiah and other false Prophets to assist them in their design Shemaiah was a Priest of the course of Delaiah 1 Chron. 24.18 and pretended to be a Prophet though he was a false one It seems he shut up himself thereby to signifie to Nehemiah that there was such danger approaching as there would be no safety in being abroad Accordingly he sends to Nehemiah to come to him who being come he perswades him to hide himself with him within the Temple and to shut up the doors for he tells him his enemies will seek to slay him yea that very night they would come to slay him Nehemiah replies Should such a man as I flee who am called of God to do what I do and being at present the chief Magistrate and Governour of this City am to take care for the defence of the people and to give them all possible encourageragement both by word and deed What good man is there that being in the place that I am would flee into the Temple to save his life Assure thy self I will not do it But for all his pretended Prophesies Nehemiah perceived the Lord had not sent him both by the nature of the advice he gave him which tended to terrifie him from the work God had called him unto as also from the event for the enemy did not come that night to seize him as Shemaiah prophesied he saw therefore that the enemy hired this false Prophet to make him afraid and to desist from his work and so sin against God in omitting his duty and that they might have matter for an evil report against him and so might reproach him Whereupon he humbly desires the Lord to think upon Tobiah and Sanballat and to deal with them answerably to these their evil works and so likewise with the Prophetess Noadiah who also was hired as it seems to prophesie to Nehemiah after the same manner and with the rest of the false Prophets who had conspired with Shemaiah to put him in fear But all that the enemies could do could not hinder the work for the whole work was finished on the 25th day of the month Elul agreeing with part of our August which shews that they began the work in the height of Summer when the days were at the longest and the season every way most fit for building and so all was dispatched in 52 days which was not full two months and this great dispatch need not seem incredible if we consider that the walls and towers of Jerusalem were not wholly demolished but only in many places broken down 2ly That there was a vast multitude of people that round about the City in several places at one time were employed in the work and did with all earnestness follow it 3ly And above all Gods more than ordinary blessing accompanying them and helping of them in the work I say if we consider all these things we need not wonder that it was finished to the astonishment of the enemy before they dreamed it could have been done see v. 16. so that they were forced to confess that there was more than an ordinary hand of God in it When Nehemiah had overcome all these difficulties he met with one more and that was this At that time some of the Nobles of Judah who possibly had married strange wives and so were something infected with the customs of the Heathen held correspondence with Tobiah and had bound themselves by oath to prosecute his designs he having married the daughter of Sheconiah some great man among the Jews and Johanan his Son having married the daughter of Meshullam * See the mischiefs of forbidden marriages and the hypocrisie of some who made a fair shew before men who had helped to build the wall Chap. 3.4 These men told Nehemiah fair stories of Tobiah and sent back what he said to Tobiah whereupon Tobiah sent threatning letters to him but he was not terrified by any thing that he wrote nor discouraged in his work Nehem. Ch. 6. whole Chapter See Deut. 20.5 Psal 30. the Title The wall being now finished Nehemiah and the Jews resolved to make a solemn dedication of it to the Lord praying unto him that he would please to make it a means of safety to his holy Temple and to the City and the inhabitants thereof Now because the Priests and Levites were to have a chief hand therein he first sets down their Genealogies that it might the better appear that they were true Priests and Levites And here are two pedigrees set down one of such as came up with Zerubbabel to Jerusalem and the other of such as were in the days of Joakim * The prime Priests that were then heads of Families are now set down in number only twenty from v. 12. to 21. yet the number of the courses of the Priests appointed by David was to be 24. See 1 Chron. 24. from 7 to 18. that the number of Priests was now but few that place Ezra â— 15 doth import the Son of Joshua The Priests and Levites being by their distinct orders set down in the former part of the Chapter the dedication it self is now related which was after this manner First they assembled all the Levites together from their several habitations to celebrate this dedication with gladness and thanksgivings and singing with Cymbals Psalteries and Harps and the Priests and Levites being called to this holy service first purified themselves by washing their clothes Exod. 19.10 and their flesh Numb 19.7 and by sprinkling themselves with that purifying water mentioned Numb 19.9 and by all other means both of moral and legal purifying Then they purified the people by such rites as they purified themselves by and purified the gates and the wall recommending them to Gods custody and protection with solemn prayer Then the wall being thick and broad so that many
may do him good And all the Congregation said Amen and praised the Lord that the offenders were brought to see their sin and to reform and that hereby the oppressed were relieved Moreover Nehemiah that he might convince them how unreasonable it was for the richer sort to exact thus upon the poorer he tells them that since the time he was first appointed by Artaxerxes to be their Governour which was now twelve years he and his family had not eaten the bread of the Governour that is the allowance of bread and other provisions which had been usually paid by the people for the Governours maintenance but had lived wholly upon his own estate which the former Governours that had been before him had not done but had been chargeable to the people and had taken of them a certain quantity of bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver or 5 l. a day yea even their servants bear rule over the people and exacted of them what they pleased but he did not so because of the fear of the Lord that ruled in his heart Yea when the wall of this City was building he was continually imployed in the oversight of the work and was still with the workmen to direct and encourage them yea his servants were imployed also where most need was to help in the work yet he had no allowance for this And further though the people being many of them much indebted he might have had great bargains of them yet he bought no land which might convince them that he sought not to advance himself but sought only their good Furthermore he shews them that there were usually at his Table an hundred and fifty of the Jews besides strangers and his daily provisions were one ox six choice sheep and variety of fowls and besides this his ordinary and daily provision every tenth day he feasted them more liberally and gave them store of all sorts of wine (d) Magnificus ergo erat Nehemias Et hinc colligo eum non fuisse in civitate totos 12 annos Quomodo enim tam diu sustinuisset hos sumptus Sanctius Which he mentions not out of vanity but to shew them that yet for all this he required not the allowance that the former Governours had because he would not add to the peoples burdens which he knew were very heavy And doing what he did with an eye to Gods glory he humbly implores the Lord to think upon him for good according to all that he had done for that people Not that he thought that he thereby merited at the hands of God but because God had graciously promised to reward whatsoever good is done unto his people Nehem. Ch. 5. whole Chapter He comes now to reform the enormities that were crept in among them in matters of Religion In Chap. 9. 2. we read that the children of Israel had humbled themselves for their former sins and had separated themselves from all strangers viz. from their strange wives and the children born of them as also such strangers that were Idolaters and had mixed themselves with them but now they had relapsed into the same evils * We see how prone men are to relapse and revolt from good purposes promises vows and Covenants yea and beginnings of reformation See Chap. 10.30 again which Nehemiah understanding he causes the Book of the Law to be read and expounded to them again there being no better way to convince a sinner of his sins than by the word of God In that Book it was written that the Ammonites and Moabites viz. such as retained their Idolatrous principles and practices should not come into the Congregation †Deut. 23.34 that is into their civil assemblies to partake of their offices and priviledges for ever that is so long as the Politie of the Jews remained because they met not the children of Israel with bread and water when they had fought against the Kings of the Ammorites and had destroyed them but hired Balaam against them that he should curse them though God turned his curse into a blessing This passage concerning the Ammonites and Moabites seems here alledged rather than any other because it did so expresly discover the great sin of Eliashib mentioned afterwards in joyning himself in affinity with Tobiah who is often called the servant of the Ammonites Now when the people heard these words of the Law they separated such strangers from them as had been unduly joyned to them whither strange husbands or strange wives or strange children even all those with whom God had forbidden them to have communion or society V. 4. Chamber is indefinitely taken for all the Chambers But sometime before this Eliashib the Priest who had the oversight of the Chambers of the House of God was allied unto Tobiah Eliashib's son having married the daughter of Tobiah and he made ready and furnisht for this his friend and allie Tobiah the Ammonite a great Chamber even in the Chambers of the Temple where aforetime they laid the meal and flower and frankincense and some vessels belonging to the Temple and several sorts of Tythes c. which was done it seems by laying many Chambers into one the partitions being taken down see v. 9. Nehemiah understanding this was greatly grieved at this strange miscarriage of the high Priest it being very dishonourable to God and immediately cast out all the houshold-stuff of Tobiah out of the Chamber with indignation and caused the Levites to cleanse the Chambers possibly by sprinkling them with the water of purifying because they had been polluted and profaned by the lodging of strangers therein that were not of the seed of Israel and he brought thither again the vessels of the house of God and such things as had been before remov'd from thence Nehemiah also understood that the portion of the Levites had not of late been paid them though the people had not long before bound themselves by covenant with God to do it Ch. 10. 35. Yet it seems out of indignation against Eliashib for lodging Tobiah in the Treasuries of the Temple and because they feared thereupon that what they brought thither would be diverted another way and not employed as it ought they forbare to bring in the Levites portions as they had formerly done Then Nehemiah contended with the Rulers and Governours who had before made a solemn Covenant Chap. 10. 39. that they would not forsake the house of God therefore he upbraids them with their own words and condemns them out of their own mouths asking them why is the house of God forsaken that is why did they withdraw maintenance from the Ministers of Gods worship and so in effect hinder the worship it self Then he prays to the Lord to remember him concerning this and not to wipe out his good deeds that he had done for the house of God and for the offices thereof and to procure that his holy ordinances should be duly observed Nehemiah also at that time
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
mean condition yet when he hath finished the work of mans Redemption he shall then be exalted above all Principalities and Powers and shall sit down at the right hand of his Father all power being given unto him both in heaven and earth he shall gather his people from all Nations and govern them by his Word and Spirit and destroy his and their enemies Hannah having ended her Song Elkanah and she departed to their house at Ramah and left their young Son Samuel to minister unto the Lord before Eli the Priest to wit in such services of the Tabernacle as by degrees he grew able to perform The Levites indeed did not enter on that service till they were twenty-five years old as we shewed before but Samuels case was extraordinary because by the special vow of a Nazarite he was even from his tender years consecrated to the service of the Lord. And though by the Law there were no linnen Ephods appointed for the Levites but for the inferior Priests only Exod. 39.27 either therefore afterwards when the Tabernacle came to be setled in the land of Canaan it was so ordered by the Lord that the Levites should also wear such linnen Ephods when they attended upon the service of the Tabernacle or else Samuel was by special dispensation because of the Nazarites vow or some other reason appointed to wear this holy vestment which yet seems not very probable because the linnen Ephod was so commonly worn by all that were employed in holy services that even David when he danced before the Ark 2 Sam. 6.14 was girded with a linnen Ephod But however it was 't is plain that Samuel in his younger years did attend upon the service of the Tabernacle viz. in such services as he could then perform and that before Eli the Priest that is as he was ordered and directed by him who undertook it training of him up and upon whom he chiefly attended in the service he performed And his mother when she came to Shiloh with her husband to offer the yearly Sacrifice used to bring him a new coat as a pledg of her motherly love to him and there Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife and said unto him The Lord give thee seed of this woman for the Son thou hast lent to the Lord. And the Lord visited * Visitare hic sumitur in bonam partem Hannah in mercy and according to Eli's blessing made her fruitful so that for that one Son she had given to the Lord he gave her three Sons and two Daughters more so powerful are the prayers of such good men as Eli was And the child Samuel as he grew in years so he grew in grace and godliness whereby he became acceptable both to God and man see Luk. 2.52 1 Sam. Ch. 2. from v. 1. to 12. and v. 18 19 20 21. SECT CLIII ELI was at this time as we have shewed Judg of Israel and he was High-Priest also but how he came to be so (a) Quomodo ab Aarone oriundus sit Eli nondum liquet ut ejus ex industria videatur obliterata genealogia Tantilla est solius loci non doctrinae morumque successio Anonym in loc we cannot give any certain account the Scripture being therein silent He had two Sons Hophni and Phineas who as Secondary Priests did the service of the Sanctuary under their Father but these were very wicked men Sons of Belial that had no lively knowledg nor apprehension of God nor did fear and honour him as God For though they did profess to worship God yet in their works they denied him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate The sins and provocations of these Sons of Eli are set forth in several particulars they were not content with the breast and shoulder and the checks * See Deut. 18.3 with the tongue which only were the Priests portion of the Peace-offerings Levit. 7.31 32 c. but they used to challenge of that which was seething for the Sacrifices as their just fees all that their flesh-hook could take out having no Law of God for it and this they did not only now and then but constantly practised it unto all the Israelites that came to Shiloh to worship v. 14. And sometimes they would have this their overplus-portion before the flesh was put into the pot or kettle that they might roast it yea before the fat was taken off and burnt and so before the Lord had his due directly against the Law Levit. 7.31 which may be the reason why v. 29. they are said to have made themselves fat with the chiefest of the offerings and if any denied to give them what they required they threatned to take it by force and violence God was very angry at these miscarriages of these young men whereby they caused the people to neglect the Worship and service of God and even to abhor his Sacrifices when they saw them profaned by such abominable courses Eli was very old and heard of these great miscarriages of his Sons and of some other abominations that they were guilty of viz. that they lay with the women that came to the door of the Tabernacle to offer Sacrifices and to perform other duties of worship and service unto God which wickedness was the more abominable because they had wives of their own as we may see Ch. 4.19 Old Eli did indeed reprove his Sons for these their scandalous miscarriages but he did it too mildly and gently saying to them Nay my Sons it is no good report I hear of you ye make the Lords people to transgress by your wicked example and to forbear bringing their Sacrifices to the Lord being so highly scandalized at your ill managing of sacred things But Eli being not only a Father but also a chief Magistrate and Judg should not only have reproved them sharply but should have punished them severely by casting them out of the Priests Office which they had so shamefully profaned yea should have put them to death for their adultery according to the Law Levit. 20.10 but he only mildly reproved them for such great enormities He told them that if one man sin against another the Judg shall judg him that is an umpire may come and take up the controversie and the offending party may be adjudged to make satisfaction and so there will be an end of that quarrel but if a man sin against the Lord who shall entreat for him that is no mediation or satisfaction of man can here make his peace with God no reconciliation can here be hoped for but upon his repentance and turning to God and resting on the alsufficient merits and intercession of the Messias But let Eli say what he would they hearkened not to the voice of their father which plainly shewed that the Lord determined to destroy them for being grievously provoked by their sins he resolved as a righteous Judg to leave them to themselves and to the wickedness of