with Cymbals of brass and some with Psalteries on * Alamoth signifies young maidens or Virgins and therefore Expositors hereby understand the Treble because their voice is shril and fittest for that part in Musick See Tit. of 46 Psal Symphonia acuta quam virgines edunt argutissime Alamoth singing the Treble and others on Sheminith or an instrument of eight strings playing the bass to make the Musick more excellent and delightful and some of the Priests did blow with Trumpets And Berechiah and Elkanah were appointed to do the office of Door-keepers to keep the people off from pressing upon the Ark and so were Obed-Edom and Jehiah two of them going before and two behind And when the Levites who carried the Ark perceived after they had gone a little way with it that God was with them and did not strike them with death as he did Vzzah but manifested his favour to them so that they went on without interruption see 2 Sam. 6.13 they made a stand and offered Sacrifices to the Lord by way of thankfulness David ordering it to be done by the Priests who no doubt made an Altar there according to the Law Exod. 20.24 David also clothed himself with a robe of white linnen like to a Priests Ephod and girded it to him with a linnen girdle and so also the Levites and Singers were clothed with robes of white linnen and David transported with an holy joy danced before the Ark of the Lord with all his might It was in those days usual to testifie their thankefulness and joy by dancing * See Psal 149.3 150.4 30.11 Exod. 15.20 and so David did here dancing gravely and decently answerable to the Religious Musick and testifying his zeal for God and his Worship with all his might and his thankefulness that the Lord would please to settle the Ark in his City Thus David and all Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with joyful acclamations and singing and the sound of Cornets Trumpets Cymbals Psalteries and Harps And when the Ark came into the City of David in this solemn manner Michal Saul's daughter looking out at a window and seeing David dancing â Pra gaudio immenso David vehementer saltabat ita ut nasutis non judicantibus recte de pio Davidis zelo regiae dignitatis oblitus videretur and playing on his Harp before the Ark she despised him in her heart So they brought the Ark and set it in the place or Tabernacle David had prepared for it and then they offered Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings before the Lord and then David like a pious Prince blessed the people in the name of the Lord and prayed for their peace and prosperity Then he royally feasted them appointing to each person both man and woman a loaf of bread a good piece of flesh and a flagon of wine and so he dismissed them and they departed to their own houses with great content and satisfaction having performed this publick service David then returned to bless his own house viz. to pray with and for his family as he had done for the people But Michal Saul's daughter too much resembling her Father in evil qualities goes out to meet him and being no longer able to suppress her disdainful thoughts she crys out O how glorious was the King of Israel this day who uncovered himself in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants as one of the vain fellows shamelesly uncovereth (a) V. 20. discooperiens se nudatus est non omnino sed quod deposuisset extimam vestem regalem ut Ephod indueret himself intimating that by laying aside his Princely attire and mixing himself with the multitude and dancing and leaping in the open streets as vain fellows use to do he had thereby exposed himself to the scorn and contempt of every girl that came to see the pomp of this removing the Ark. He tells her that what he had done he had done as in the sight and presence of God and for his glory and he could never honour him sufficiently who had chosen and appointed him to be King and Ruler over Israel and had rejected her father and his house And says he I am so far from thinking it a disgrace to me to honour and glorifie my God though among the meanest of his people and making my self therein as it were equal with them that if that be to be vile I will yet be more vile and will be ready to humble and abase my self more that I may glorifie him And as to the Maid-servants of whom thou speakest as if they laughed at this my carriage I doubt not but the more I humble my self for God the more I shall be had in honour of all my servants For God hath promised that those that honour him he will honour 1 Sam. 2.30 Whither Michal was any thing moved with what David said is uncertain but certain it is she got nothing but a curse for this her scorning of him for the Lord adjudged her from henceforth to perpetual barrenness (b) Michal never had any child those 5 Sons mentioned 2 Sam. 21.8 were the Sons of Merab her sister whom Michal brought up for Adriel Merabs husband 1 Sam. 18.19 and are called Michals Sons because she did educate if not adopt them which was looked upon as no small curse among the Hebrew women but must needs be accounted a greater curse in a Kings wife and the daughter of a King who being of a more Illustrious family than any other of David's wives if she had brought forth a Son he might in likelihood have been heir to the Crown 2 Sam. Ch. 6. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 13. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 15. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 16. from v. 1 to 7. SECT CLXXXVII DAvid now deputes certain of the Levites (a) See 1 Chro. 6.31 there the chief mentioned were Asaph Heman and Ethan call'd also Jeduthun these were famous men and chief Singers and withal Prophets and Penmen of some Psalmes 2 Chron. 29.30 to attend upon the Ark of the Lord and to declare and publish his great and glorious acts in their Songs and Hymns and to praise him with their voices and Musical instruments namely such as were appointed for his servic (b) 1 Chron. 16. v. 42. call'd Musical Instruments of God and that constantly every day at the hour appointed Then David who in regard of that Divine skill he had in composing Psalmes was stiled the sweet Singer of Israel 2 Sam. 23.1 delivered to Asaph and his Brethren a Psalm to have a Tune put to it and to be sung in the service of God which is here recorded the several parts whereof were afterwards much enlarged by him and reduced into several Psalmes as we may see Psal 105. 96. the former part of it to v. 23. is part of Psal 105. and the sum of it is to praise the Lord for publick benefits afforded to his
to imagine But if we allow Jacob to be married at the beginning of the first seven years and so to have several of his Children within that space of time then the current of the History will run clear A second Argument against that former opinion may be taken from the consideration of Judah's age and the birth of Hezron and Hamul his Grandchildren unto which Jacob went down into Egypt Ch. 46.12 To open this we must first know that Jacob was 76 years old when he went first to Laban which appears thus He was 130 years old when he stood before Pharaoh Ch. 47.9 And then Joseph was 40 years old viz. 30 when he was advanc'd by Pharaoh Ch. 41.46 After which passed seven years of plenty and three of Famine when Jacob came down into Egypt It appears also that he was born in the 14th year after Jacob's coming to Laban Ch. 30.25 Take then those 14 years before Joseph was born and the 40 years of his age when his Father stood before Pharaoh out of his Fathers age at that time which was 130 and it will be clear that Jacob was 76. years old when he first came to Laban Now this being so Judah the fourth Son of Jacob by Leah must needs be according to them who are for the first opinion but three or four years older then Joseph Jacob not marrying Leah as they suppose till after his first seven years of service were ended and so Judah must be but 43 or 44 years old at most when He and his Grandchildren Hezron and Hamul came with Jacob into Egypt To compass this they must cast their reckonings thus viz. that Judah married at 12 years old and had Er at 13 that Er married at 12 years old and Onan his younger Brother married at 12 years old Ch. 38.4 that Tamar remained a Widow and waited till Shelah was grown and during that time Judah's wife died and Tamar bears to Judah Pharez and all this within the compass of three years That Pharez married at 12 years old and begat Hezron and Hamul and supposing them to be Twins that at a year old they were carried into Egypt For thus the reckoning will rise to the 43 or 44th year of Judah's age But these supposed reckonings seem very harsh whereas the addition of the former seven years gives fair way to the birth of all the 12 Children and gives further scope for the birth of Hezron and Hamul in the 50th year of Judah's age And that opinion which makes Judah to be born in the fourth year of the first seven of Jacob's Service and so to be ten years older than Joseph doth give fairer way to the course of the History than the other doth And so the reckoning may be cast thus viz. Judah at 16 years old comes into Canaan and speedily marries the Daughter of Shuah In the next year hath Er. Er marries Tamar at 14. After which suppose four years spent in the matters relating to Onan Er and Shelah and till the birth of Pharez begotten by Judah after the death of his wife upon the body of Tamar And Pharez at 13 years old to marry and in two years to have Hezron and Hamul and then all go down into Egypt and all these things to come to pass by that time that Judah was 50 years of age See Dr. Richardson's Notes on Ch. 38. vers 1. If any acquiesce not in these Reasons for the latter opinion I leave them to the fraud of their own Judgments alledging that his days were fulfilled vers 21. that is the days of his probation and trial or his days were full that is he was of full days being 75 years old and therefore it was high time he should marry as Tremellius interprets it Laban hereupon invited his Friends and Kindred and the principal men of the City and made a great Feast and at night he took Leah being * Nuptiae a nubendo i. e. velando veiled as it seems the manner was in brining Brides to the Bridegrooms Bed and so gave her to Jacob instead of Rachel (p) Peccavit Leah obtemperando Parenti consensit enim in stuprum imo adulterium Menoch having first instructed her as 't is probable either not to speak at all to Him or else only softly to whisper which Jacob might impute to her modesty In the morning Jacob perceived it was Leah that had been put to bed to him Then Jacob highly expostulates with Laban for * Thus He who had deceived His Father by personating his Brother was now Himself deceived by Leah personating her Sister thus beguiling him telling him He had covenanted to serve him for Rachel and not for Leah Laban to excuse himself pretends to him that it was not the Custom of the Country to give the younger in marriage before the Elder But Custom was only here pretended for else why did he call so many together to the Solemnization of the Marriage pretending to marry Rachel to him who they all knew was the younger Daughter However Laban desires him to continue these seven days (q) Judg. 14. vers 12 15 17. of Leahs Wedding-Feast and to keep her with him that so by this his voluntary consent the Marriage might be confirmed * Polygamy God tolerated in the Patriarchs which He simply allowed not being not so from the beginning and then he promises to give him Rachel at the weeks end on condition to serve him seven years more (r) See Gen. 31.41 I served thee fourteen years for thy two Daughters which Jacob consented (s) Noluit ob errorem personae repudiare Leah quod etsi licuerat scandalum tamen perinde voluit atque peccatum devitare unto And the seven years he served for Rachel after he had married her seemed short to him because of the great content and comfort he took in her Laban having now married his two Daughters to Jacob he gave to his Daughter Leah Zilpah for her Hand-maid and to Rachel he gave Bilhah But Leah was less loved (t) So hate is sometimes used for less to love see Luke 14.26 Job 12.25 by Jacob than Rachel whereupon the Lord was pleas'd to make Leah fruitful but Rachel was barren For Leah conceived and bare a Son and gave him a Name according to the sense she had of that mercy calling him Reuben * Reuben Jacob's first Son which signifies Behold a Son as if she would have said though I am less cared for and beloved than my Sister yet behold how graciously the Lord hath dealt with me He hath given me a Son in my affliction therefore I hope now my Husband will love (u) Liberi sunt vincula Parentum Children are a chain to bind Husbands to love their Wives and this Chain is strong with all good men Bishop Babington in loc me more than he did Then she conceived again and bare a second Son and remembring how God had heard her Prayers and regarded her
sighs she called his Name Simeon * Simeon his second Son signifying that he was a Son whom God had given her upon his hearing (x) Simeon q. filius exaudientis Dei a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of her prayers Then she conceived again and bare a third Son and called his Name Levi (y) Levi q. adjunctus copulatus that is joyned * Levi his third Son for now she hoped her Husbands heart she having born him three Sons and Rachel none would cleave to her with more cordial love and affection After this she conceived again and bare Jacob a fourth Son and called his Name Judah â Judah his fourth Son signifying Praise for now says she I will in an open and solemn manner praise the Lord for all his great Goodness and Mercy to me And then for some time she ceased bearing any more Gen. 29. whole Chapter SECT XXVI RAchel continuing barren envied her Sister and possibly grew jealous of her Husband and therefore in a Womanish impatience said to him Give me Children or else I die that is let me have Children by thee as well as my Sister or else I shall die for grief and vexation Then Jacob's anger was kindled and he said Am I in Gods stead It is He alone can make thee fruitful and not I. See 1 Sam. 1.5 6. Psal 113.9 Psal 127.3 Then Rachel being inordinately desirous of Children after the example of Sarah Ch. 16.2 gives her Maid Bilhah to her Husbands Bed to be as it were a secondary wife or Concubine to him see Gen. 35.22 intending that the Children she should have by him should be brought up and nursed on her knees as her own And so she made account that some part of the reproach of her barrenness should be put away and some part of her Husbands good will should be turned from her Sister to her self Hereupon Bilhah conceived and bare Jacob a Son At this Rachel greatly rejoyced and said God hath heard my prayers and judged me that is judged and determined the Cause on my side and to my advantage against my Sister who upbraided me with barrenness * As Peninnah did Hannah 1 Sam. 1.6 in that he hath given me a Son and she called his Name Dan (z) Dan his fifth Son signifying a Judge Then Bilhah conceived again and bare Jacob another Son Upon this Rachel said I and my Sister have had many wrastlings and contentions about Children she twitting me for my barrenness but now by my prayers to God and by this means of giving my Maid to my Husband I have prevailed against her Therefore she called his name Naphtali * Naphtali his sixth Son signifying my wrestling (a) Unde perspicuum est Rachelis desiderium non ex libidine sed ex amore prolium fluxisse ut in iis promissa Dei quae a Marito audierat complerentur Jans in loc Leah now finding that she had not for a good while been with Child and that her Sister had by giving her Hand-Maid to Jacob raised up Children to her self she also out of emulation not being content with her former number gave her Maid Zilpah to her Husbands Bed Zilpah hereupon conceived and bearing Jacob a Son she called his name Gad * Gad his seventh Son signifying a Troop intimating that this Son added to her own four would make a Troop After this Zilpah conceived again and bare him another Son and Leah said This is an happy birth also and now women in general will call me blessed for the multitude of my Children and she called his name Asher â Asher his eighth Son that is blessed Reuben the eldest Son of Leah being now as 't is probable about eight or nine years old having seven Brethren at this time born after him viz. three of his own Mother and four by the two Hand-Maids whilst his Mother left off bearing went into the Fields in the time of Wheat-Harvest and found Mandrakes and brought them to his Mother that is some rare beautiful and sweet Flowers (b) Mandragora planta est ferens pomula crocci coloris Notant Dioscorides Aristotels lib. 2. de generatione animalium habere vim ciendi menstrua consequenter purgandi ad Conceptum praeparandi quod cum fortasse sciret Rachel prolis avida fructum illum ardenter appetiit Jansen which possibly were thought to have a vertue to procure love therefore by ancient Writers were called Circea See Canticles 7.13 But whatever these Dudaim or Mandrakes were it seems they were much esteemed among them and therefore Rachel desired her Sister to give her some of her Sons Mandrakes Leah snaps her up what says she Hast thou taken away my Husbands affection from me so that he doth in a manner estrange himself from my Bed through thy procurement and wouldst thou have my Sons Mandrakes also Rachel making an ill use of Jacobs great affection to her takes upon her as if she had the disposal of his person and therefore she tells her Sister If she would give Her some of the Mandrakes her Husband should lie with her that night Leah agreeing hereto goes out to meet Jacob returning from the Field and acquaints him with what had past between her and her Sister and how she had hired him with her Sons Mandrakes to accompany with her that night Jacob accordingly did so and God hearkening unto Leahs prayers she conceived again and bare Jacob a fifth Son and called his name Issachar * Issachar his fifth Son by Leah and in order of his age his ninth Son that is an hire for said she God hath given me my hire that is hath abundantly rewarded me for my Mandrakes (c) Pro Dudaim sive Mandragoris accepit filium In memoriam igitur hujus mercedis qua maritum conduxerat filium suum vocavit Issachar h. e. filium mercedis For when I had left off bearing and had given my Hand-Maid to my Husband to raise up Seed for me not hoping to bear any more my self he hath been pleased beyond my expectation to give me also this Son of my own body And Leah conceived again and bare Jacob a sixth Son and called his name Zebulun * Zebulun his sixth Son by Leah and in order of age His tenth Son signifying dwelling For now said she Will my Husband dwell with me and will not neglect me seeing I have born him six Sons Last of all she bare him one Daughter and called her name Dinah (d) Prophetice forsan sic dicta ab altercatione quae secuta est infra Cap. 34.24 After these things (e) Porro hinc palam est utramque sororem Jacobo nuptum datam anno primo non septimo completo Nam Leah liberos septem peperit ante annum decimum quartum exactum vide v. 25. puerperium tamen intermisit Cap. 29.35 ut annis 14 liberi 12 editi non nisi biennium vacuum reliquerint Anonym
should be so dishonoured and abused and upon that account they had done what they did Gen. 34. whole Chapter SECT XXXII JAcob being now perplexed with fear by reason of that which his Sons had done to the Shechemites and perhaps thinking to remove to some other place the Lord appeared to him whither by Vision or Dream is uncertain and appointed him to go to Bethel which was distant from Shechem Southward about 30 English miles and to build there an Altar unto God who appeared to him when he fled from the face of his Brother Esau (q) Ch. 27.43 thereby calling to his remembrance the gracious Promises which God had there made to him and the Vow which he had there made to God and possibly he had delayed to perform it Ch. 28.22 And this Stone which I have set up for a Pillar shall be Gods House c. Then Jacob being quickned by the late danger he was in as likewise by the Lords appearing to him and commanding him to go to Bethel to perform the Vow he had there made He spake to those of his own proper Family and as 't is like to those who appertain'd to him and were of his Retinue and pitched their Tents with him to put away the strange Gods * This He did in performance of that most material part of his Vow Gen. 28.21 Then shall the Lord be my God that were among them that is the Idols which other Nations worshipped but might not be indured among them that worshipped the true God Whether hereby he meant Laban's Gods or Teraphim stolen by Rachel and possibly not before this time known to him or any other brought by some of his Retinue when they came from Laban and Mesopotamia whom he perceived too much addicted to the Superstitions of that Country or some of the Shechemites Idols possibly of Gold or Silver which they had lately plundered and secretly kept is uncertain He commands them also to purifie or wash themselves and to change their Garments putting on others or washing those they had on which external Rite or Ceremony was afterwards injoyned by the Law in divers Cases as we may see Levit. 15.13 Numb 31.23 and imported a change of Mind and Manners and a cleansing themselves from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit which he intimates to them they stood in need of more especially not only by reason of their defilement by Idolatry but in regard of their late base murder committed on the Shechemites And having exhorted them to prepare and sanctifie themselves for that solemn Worship of God which he was to set up and exercise with his Family at Bethel he now incourages them to go up with him thither where he intended to perform his Vow formerly made in that place Ch. 28.17 and to build an Altar to God where before he had only erected a Pillar about 27 years ago Jacob's Family yielded a ready compliance to this his Injunction and brought to him such Idols as they had among them and the Ear-Ornaments (r) Insignia haec erant alicujus superstitionis dicata scil alicui fictitio numini vide Exod. 32.2 or Rings which probably they had plundered from the Shechemites who had worn them in honour of their Idols see Hosea 2.13 And Jacob buried them under an Oak by Shechem from the knowledge of his Family and People that they might never be found or used again Then he and his Company marched towards Bethel formerly called Luz Ch. 12 8. and the terrour of the Lord was upon the Cities that were round about them that they did not pursue after them nor destroy them as they might have done And he built there an Altar to sacrifice thereon where God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his Brother Esau Jacob being now not far from his Father Isaac's House whom in all likelihood he had often visited before this having been seven years at least in Canaan since his return from Laban and had frequent intercourse with him I say being near his Fathers House as it seems Deborah (s) Haec foemina annum saltem pertigit 162. Rebeccas Nurse see Ch. 24.59 came from Isaac's House to visit him and there died and with great mourning was buried under an Oak God now appeared to Jacob again after he was come from Padan-Aram and this is the Seventh time that he had revealed himself to him in an especial manner and confirms the Name Israel to him a second time see Gen. 32.28 And God said unto him I am God Almighty see Ch. 17.1 Be fruitful (t) God doth here ratifie his Father Isaac's blessing which he gave him when he fled into Mesopotamia Ch. 28.3 4. and multiply A Nation yea many Nations shall spring from thee yea even Kings shall come out of thy Loins The Land which I promised to Abraham and Isaac to thee will I give it and to thy Posterity and not to Esau Then the Lord ascended up to Heaven vanishing out of his sight And Jacob set up a Pillar in this Place where the Lord had talked with him as a perpetual Memorial of Gods goodness to him The former which he set up there near thirty years before being in all likelihood demolished and he poured a Drink-Offering and Oil thereon see Gen. 28.18 So that these were in use for Consecration before the Ceremonial Law of Moses And he a second time called the Name of the Place Bethel or the House of God Jacob stayed not long here but travailed from hence to Ephrath or Bethlehem-Ephrata Mich. 5.2 where our Saviour afterwards was born His beloved Rachel when they had almost reached the Place fell in travail and having exceeding hard labour though the Midwife comforted her that she should have another Son which she accordingly brought forth (u) Joseph was now about 13 years of age when Benjamin was born but immediately after finding her self dying and her Soul departing from her Body she called the Name of her Son Benoni that is the Son of my sorrow And thus she died by bearing a Child who before quarrelled with her Husband and said Give me Children or else I die But Jacob would not suffer such a Name to be given to his Son that might continually renew his sorrow for the loss of his dear Wife and therefore called him Benjamin that is the Son of my right hand intimating that he should be his beloved Son tenderly regarded by him and always as it were at his right hand Jacob had now 12 Sons all which are said to born to him in Padan-Aram that is all besides Benjamin by a Synechdoche Afterwards when the 12 Tribes were accounted and setled Ephrahim and Manasseh the Sons of Joseph were put in and Joseph and Levi in a sort left out that is Levi was left out as to having any Land by lot in Canaan They are called the 12 Patriarchs Acts 7.8 and the 12 Tribes Acts 26.7 Their Names were ingraven on 12
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
Canis enim si fuerit obvia nec immolari poterat imo nec redimi quidem of being sacrificed according to the Law he would offer it up for a Burnt-Offering unto Him Howsoever if it were a thing fit it should be hallowed and consecrated unto Him Jephtah having made this Vow and now engaging with the Children of Ammon the Lord was pleased to deliver them into his hands and he smote them with a very great slaughter and had the chase of them a long way and so the Children of Ammon were subdued that day before the Children of Israel Jephtah now after this great Victory returning to his own house at Mizpeh his Daughter his only Child accompanied with other young Virgins came out to meet him with Timbrels and Dances and chearful Tripudiations according to the Custom of those days wherein Women and Maids after great Victories us'd to sing Songs of Triumph see Exod. 15.20 Judges 5.1 1 Sam. 18.6 When Jephtah saw Her he rent his Clothes expressing thereby the bitterness of his Grief and cried out alas My Daughter thou hast brought me very low and thou art one of them that trouble me Thou art now unwittingly a cause of much sorrow and affliction to me For I have made a Vow to God concerning whatsoever should first come forth to meet me and I cannot reverse it (e) This he speaks not knowing it seems that the Law of God gave him liberty in this case to have redeemed his Daughter with thirty Shekals of silver Levit. 27.4 'T is probable he then told her more particularly the substance of his Vow She tells him That if he had made such a Vow and by that Vow she must be consecrated to God and live a Virgin all her days She freely submitted to it and should do it the more willingly because God had given him so great a Victory over their Enemies And this seems to be the meaning of this passage For we cannot rationally think that Jephtah commended for his Faith Heb. 11.32 should offer his Daughter for a Burnt-Offering seeing that would have been much more odious to the Lord than to have offered to Him Swines blood or a Dogs-head Isa 65.4 and was expresly forbidden by Him as most abominable Deut. 12.31 Jephtah's Daughter therefore being devoted to serve God in a state of Virginity she desires she might have two months time to go up and down in the Mountains with some young Virgins her Companions that in those unfrequented and solitary places she might express her grief and lamentation that she must live and die a Virgin * She speaks not of bewailing her approaching death or being sacrific'd but her Virginity and consequently Barrenness leaving no Posterity behind her which was in those days esteemed one of the greatest of earthly Infelicities When the two months of her Lamentation were ended she returned to her Father who did not redeem her according to the Law Levit. 27.4 but consecrated her to God to serve him as a Virgin in the single life And so she lived a Virgin as her Father had vowed and she consented And the Daughters of Israel went four days in a year to Her partly to Condole with her and partly to Comfort and Chear her up in this her solitary Condition Judg. Ch. 10. from 10. to the end Judg. Ch. 11. whole Chapter SECT CXLV AFter this great Victory obtained by Jephtah the men of Ephraim having passed over Jordan turned Northward into the Land of Gilead and envying Jephtah and the Gileadites the glory of this Victory they began to quarrel with Him that he had not call'd them to assist * Upon the same account they quarrelled with Gideon Ch. 8. him when he went to fight against the Children of Ammon And they were so hot that they threatned to burn his house over his head and they gave the Gileadites opprobrious Language calling them Fugitives of Ephraim as if that half-Tribe of Manasseh beyond Jordan had been no better than Fugities that were run away from them and the meer Refuge and Scum of Ephraim and Manasseh within Jordan And it seems these proud Ephraimites told them That they viz. the men of Gilead were no way to be compar'd with them and therefore ought not to have undertaken a business of such Importance as this War was without first acquainting them with it and desiring their assistance Jephtah tells them He and his people were at great strife with the Children of Ammon about the Land that the Israelites possessed on that side Jordan And he had sent to the men of Ephraim as being their Brethren and Confederates to desire their Aid and Assistance but they had not thought fit to grant it to them Hereupon he gathered together what Forces he could and trusting in God He put his life in his hand and resolved to expose it to the utmost danger in so good a Cause and so went out to fight against the Ammonites and the Lord delivered them into his hands And this being the true state of this business I pray you says he what cause have you to come out in this War-like manner against us who are your Brethren But though Jephtah had reason on his side yet it did nothing move as it seems these haughty Ephraimites Hereupon He immediately gathered together all the men of Gilead that could on so short warning be got together and fell suddenly upon them and gave them a great overthrow and then the Gileadites to prevent those that escaped in the Fight from getting into their own Country took the Fords of Jordan before them and when any straglers came to those Fords to get over the Gileadites to try whither they were Ephraimites or of other Tribes as 't is like they pretended to be made them pronounce Shibboleth The Ephraimites could not pronounce the aspirate but said Sibboleth which was a pronunciation it seems they were accustomed and habituated unto Thereupon they slew them and many of them were here slain So that there were slain in the battel and chase and at these Fords of Jordan forty two thousand of the Ephraimites Jephtah having judged Israel six years died and was buried in one of the Cities of Gilead Judg. Ch. 12. from 1. to 8. SECT CXLVI AFter Jephtah Ibzan of Bethlem judged Israel Ibzan the Ninth Judge He had thirty Sons and thirty Daughters by divers Wives His Daughters he sent out of his own Family bestowing them upon Husbands in other Families and he took in thirty Daughters for his Sons to be Wives to them He judged Israel seven years About the fifth year of his Government the Israelites did evil again in the sight of the Lord and he gave them into the hands of the Philistines which Thraldom lasted forty years The sixth Oppression under the Philistines Judg. 13.1 And indeed Jephtah's slaying forty two thousand of the Ephraimites Ch. 12.6 must needs be a great weakning to the Israelites in those parts and possibly
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
these seem written by Jeremy in the time of the Babylonish captivity after the Temple and City of Jerusalem were destroyed the woful calamities of that City and the people of God being the chief subject thereof That passage Chap. 4.20 The breath of our nostrils the anointed of the Lord was taken in their pits of whom we said under his shadow we shall live among the heathen is more properly applicable to King Zedekiah than Josiah The great City of Tyre was now as it seems besieged by Nebuchadnezzar and the siege lasted thirteen years as Josephus reports Antiq. Lib. 10. Cap. 11. and in the compass of those thirteen years the neighbouring Nations as the Moabites Ammonites and Edomites were also subdued by him according to the prediction of Jeremy and Ezekiel Jer. 27.5 6 7. Jer. 48. whole Chapter Jer. 49. whole Chapter Whilst Nebuchadnezzar lay before Tyre in the three and twentieth year of his reign Nebuzaradan Captain of his Guard carried away all the remainder of the Jews to the number of seven hundred forty five persons unto Babylon These possibly were such as having fled from the Babylonians and hid themselves did return into the land and dwelt therein for some time but were now carried away captive and brought to their Brethren in Babylon And this was the last and extreamest depopulation which caused the very earth to lye until'd as God had before threatned Jer. Ch. 52. v. 30. In the five and twentieth year of the Captivity of Jeconiah the tenth day of the first month fourteen years after the destruction of Jerusalem Ezekiel had that glorious vision of a new Temple surpassing the glory of Zerubbabels of a new worship new land and new City which as here described is uncapable of a literal meaning but signifies the restauration of the Church by Christ with the greatness honour and excellency thereof Possibly the Evangelist alludes to it in his Coelestial Jerusalem Rev. 21.10 c. And as our Saviour said his Kingdom was not of this world so we may say the sense of Ezekiel's Land City and Temple is mystical and spiritual 'T is generally conceived that this vision imports the great enlargement of the Church under the Gospel when the Gentiles shall be called to the knowledg of Christ and the Jews also as mainly concern'd though not solely intended in this vision brought home to the true Messiah not excluding those of the Ten Tribes from having each one a childs portion in the performance of this Prophesie Ezekiel 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 Chapters Tyre at last was given up to Nebuchadnezzar being rendred upon conditions and not taken by force as Josephus reports Lib. 1. contra Apion Nebuchadnezzar laying hold of the troubles and commotions that were in Egypt between the King and his Son Amasis and peradventure solicited by Amasis to assist him against his father he invaded that Country with his Army and having gotten it into his hand even from Siene to the end thereof he made havock not only of the Egyptians but of the Jews that dwelt among them killing some and leading away the rest into captivity according to the several Prophesies of Jeremy and Ezekiel Jer. 43. from 8 to the end Jer. 44. whole Chapter Jer. 46. whole Chapter Ezek. 29. whole Chapter Ezek. 30. whole Chapter Ezek. 31. whole Chapter Nebuchadnezzar having finished his Conquests returned to Babylon and there in his thirty fifth year as he lay at ease in all kind of pleasure in his own house had that remarkable dream of the great Tree whose destiny it was to be cut down the meaning whereof he could not learn from his Magicians and Wizards of Caldea but the Prophet Daniel unfolded it to him and shewed him though with great astonishment that the dream was to be fulfilled in himself and therefore exhorts him to repentance Dan. 4. from 1 to 28. Nebuchadnezzar it seems about this time new-built Babylon in a magnificent manner and raised also there many vast and stately structures among which that famous and so much renowned Garden born upon pillars called the hanging Garden was one which he built in favour to his wife Amyrtis who desired the pleasure of the Hills in that low Country as having been brought up in Media as Berosus reports Vid. Vsher pag. 94. Twelve whole months were no sooner past but Nebuchadnezzar growing proud and insolent and boasting of the magnificence of his buildings fell distracted and being put from his house * Some think he was possessed by an evil spirit and that being mischievous he was driven from among men See Ch. 5.21 and home spent seven years in the woods and fields among beasts but at the end of seven years was restored both to his right wits and Kingdom again and thereupon publickly proclaims Gods great grace and mercy manifested unto him and his power over all Nations and so departed this life when he had reigned about twenty months copartner in the Kingdom with his Father and forty three years by himself alone Dan. 4. from 28 to the end After him came Evilmerodach his Son in the thirty seventh year of the Captivity of Jeconiah He being setled in the Throne gave order for the enlarging of Jeconiah â Zedekiah died in prison at Babylon Jer. 52.11 and had only the honour of being buried as a Prince and lamented at his Funeral by his people Jer. 34.5 Thou shalt die in peace and with the burnings of thy Fathers the former Kings which were before thee so shall they burn odours for thee and they will lament thee saying Ah Lord for I have pronounced the word saith the Lord. on the five and twentieth day of the twelfth month and two days after he was taken out of his prison-clothes and set above all the Princes of the Court and reckoned among the number of the Kings friends so that all his life time after he did eat at the Kings Table and was used with all Princely respect Jer. 52. from 31 to the end 2 King 25. from 27 to the end Evilmerodach being a man much hated for his vicious life had many attempts made upon him and at last was murthered by Neriglissarus his sisters husband when he had reigned little more than two years as Josephus testifies Lib. 1. contra Apion 'T is probable that Jeconiah died much about this time also In the Kingdom of Media upon the decease of Astyages called Tobit 14.17 Assuerus succeeded his son Cyaxares Cyrus's mothers brother called in Daniel Darius The King of Babylon now not only raised his own subjects but also solicited Croesus King of Lydia with the Cappadocians both sorts of Phrygians Carians Paphlagonians and Cilicians on the West and the very Indians on the East-side of him to joyn with him in arms against the Medes and Persians remonstrating to them that they were two great Nations and now linked together by affinity and would if not look'd unto and oppos'd in time over-run and bring
into his Treachery there fell sick Herod visits him and seeks help for him but he died within a few days after whose body was brought to Jerusalem and there honourably buryed by Herod Pheroras dying in this sickness after his death his Wife was accused as if she had poisoned him Herod inquiring into this matter by little and little began to find out a treasonable Conspiracy of his Son Antipater against himself namely how that he going to Rome had delivered a deadly poyson to Pheroras that was sent by Antiphilus one of his Friends out of Egypt to be given to the King in his absence and that it was kept by Pheroras his Wife She being examined confessed the same that it was committed to her charge but added also how that her husband when sick and when Herod came so kindly to visit him was so overcome with his love that he forbad her to give it him Among the accessaries of this Conspiracy was Herods own Wife the daughter of the High Priest Hereupon Herod put her away which was a great favour he put others to death for a lesser matter and deposed her Father from the Priesthood and preferred Matthias the Son of Theophilus to his place and put her Son Herod out of his Will whom he had appointed his Successor and put Doris also Antipaters Mother out of the Court taking her Jewels from her Not long after Bathillus the freed man of Antipater coming from Rome being tortured confessed that he had brought with him a poison to deliver to Pheroras wherewith the King might be certainly and speedily dispatched in case the other should fail Antipater got some to write from Rome to his Father how Archelaus and Philip Herods two younger Sons that were at Rome to study often rub'd up the Sore of the Murder of Alexander and Aristobulus pitying the misfortune of their innocent Brethren and he when he wrote to his Father about them as it were excusing them would impute their speeches to their age During these things JESVS CHRIST the Son of God is born two years after the Wise men came to Herod to Jerusalem and there are taught that the Birth-place of Christ was at Bethlehem they return no more to Herod being so directed by God in a Dream Herod being thus disappointed killed all the Children that were at Bethlehem and in all the Coasts thereof from two years old and under according to the time of the Stars being first seen in the East which he had learned from the Magi. Among which Children 't is said that a young Son of Herods was one which when Augustus heard of he said 'T was better to be Herods Hogg than his Son for under pretence of Religion he would not touch an Hogg or eat Swines flesh but made it no great difficulty to destroy his own Children See Macrob. lib. 2. ch 4. Antipater all this while hears nothing of the death of Pheroras or of those things that were ready to be alledged against him but returns to Jerusalem ignorant of all these Passages When he came thither he entred the Palace in his Purple Garment which he was wont to wear but the Guards at the Gates suffered none of his followers to enter in with him When he addressed himself to his Father he thrust him away from him with indignation reproaching him with the murder of his Brethren and his intention to poison his Father It hapned that Quintillius Varus President of Syria was now at Jerusalem The next day therefore the King and Varus sitting in Judgment Antipater was brought before them and being not able to purge himself all things being made so clear and evident and the poison it self produced which being give to a condemned man dispatched him immediately hereupon he was committed to Prison and Herod signified to Cesar by Letters all these matters and also sent Ambassadors to him who by word of mouth might acquaint him more fully with this cursed Treason of Antipater Herod now falls sick and in his sickness was exceeding impatient but his Distemper was much encreased by this accident Judas the Son of Sariphaeus and Matthias the Son of Margalothus two of the most learned men among the Jews and the best Interpreters of their Law hearing that the Kings sickness was incurable perswaded some young men that were their Scholars to throw down the Golden Eagle that was set up by Herod over the great Gate of the Temple The young men accordingly went up at Noon-day and with Axes hewed down the Eagle a great multitude beholding it Immediately about forty of these young men were taken by the Captain of the Castle and together with their Masters brought before Herod where they confidently defending what they had done he calling the Rulers of the Jews together took away the High Priesthood from Matthias as not altogether a stranger to this business and put Joazar into his place the Brother of his Wife Mariamne the Daughter of Simon the High Priest But he burned alive the other Matthias that was a Promoter of this Sedition and his Companions Then Herods disease began to grow worse for he burned with an inward heat he was vexed with a ravenous and insatiable Appetite he was tortured with Vlcers in his Bowels and pains of the Cholick His Feet swelled and his Thighs his Body rotted and was full of crawling Worms to all which he was troubled with Convulsions and difficulty of breathing He used all means possible for his Recovery and was carried to the hot Baths beyond Jordan Thence he returned to Jericho Perceiving now that he must die and supposing that the Jews would much rejoyce in his death by Proclamation he calls together from every place to Jericho some of the most Noble of the Jews and shuts up those of them that came in the Hippodrome giving command to his Sister Salome and her husband Alexas that as soon as he was dead they should cause all those Jews to be killed that the people might have cause of Lamentation at his death which otherwise he thought they would rejoyce at Before his death he received Letters from Cesar that he might do with his Son Antipater as he pleased Being afresh tormented with his distemper he went to stab himself but was prevented by those about him Antipater thinking his Father had been dead began to tamper with his Keeper about his Liberty that he might seize upon the Kingdom But his Keeper went and revealed it to Herod who was thereupon so inraged that he commanded one of the Guard to go instantly and kill him and that he should be buried in the Castle of Hircanion without any honour which was done accordingly five days before Herod died To such an end came he who had wrought the ruine of his Brethren and had made such sad broils in his Fathers house Herod now makes a new Will in which he leaves the Kingdom to Archelaus his eldest Son by his second wife Mariamne Herod Antipas he makes Tetrarch of
set a mark upon him possibly some strange trembling of his head or some frightful ghasty look which would make him a horrible Spectacle of Divine Vengeance to terrifie others from so detestable a Crime And whosoever should slay him thus marked and do unto him as he had done to his Brother more then a single Vengeance should be taken of him Gen. 4.15 (q) Seven-fold that is manifold according to the usual expression of the Scripture See Psal 12.6 79.12 Job 5.19 Prov. 26.25 The Lord having and probably in a visible Apparition thus sentenced Cain as soon as he was got out of the place where God manifested his presence He fled as a banished man from his Native Soil and the Land where his Father dwelt to a Land East of Eden which afterwards from his wandring there was call'd the Land of Nod. Sometime after his Wife bare him a Son whom he named Enoch and in process of time He and his Posterity (r) If Abraham's Posterity in less then 400 years amounted to six hundred thousand persons how many might Cain's Posterity be ere he built this City beginning to build a City in that Country He called it by his Sons Name Unto this Enoch was born Irad unto Irad Mehujael unto Mehujael Methusael and unto Mâthusael Lamech This Lamech being a Branch of that wicked root of Cain bringeth into the World the Abomination of Polygamy or having more Wives at once than one For He took to himself Ada and Zillah By the former he had Jabal who first invented at least among Cain's Posterity the use of Tents and taught the right ordering of the Flock and Jubal who invented Musical Instruments such as the Harp and Organ By the latter viz. Zillah He had Tubal-Cain (s) Ex quo Gentibus Dei Vulcani nomen who wrought in Brass and Iron and Naamah who they say (t) Hartman found out the way of ordering Wooll and of Carding and Weaving This Lamech presuming possibly upon the strength of his Family and priding himself in the Arts invented by his Sons especially by Tubal-Cain who was an Artificer in Brass and Iron and possibly made Swords and such Instruments of War He thought himself able to resist and oppose any that should offend Him Therefore in a boasting vanting fashion he speaks thus to his wives who seemed afraid of him lest his fierce and boisterous humour should expose him to danger Fear ye not my Wives concerning me For if any man should attempt to set upon me I would slay that man by my wounding him and though a young man I would dispatch him by my hurting him * Vide Frid. in loc pag. 36. And if Cain a Fratricid shall be avenged seven-fold surely Lamech that kills a man in his own defence shall be avenged seventy times seven-fold Gen. 4. from 1. to 25. SECT V. AFter the death of Abel Adam begat Seth in his own likeness and after his own Image (u) Yet God was still the Father and Creator of the Spirits of all Flesh Heb. 12.9 Numb 16.22 that is such as he himself now was namely sinful and not such as he was created Seth was born in the 130th Year of Adam In the Race of Seth the account of Years is carried on from the Creation to the Flood And among these as it seems principally the true worship of God was maintained which by the Race of Cain was very miserably corrupted To Seth at the age of an 105 Years a Son was born whom he called Enoch that is sorrowful intimating thereby the woful and lamentable condition the World was in at that time by reason of the corruption and wickedness that was found in the Progeny of Cain However Seth and his Off-spring did then more openly and solemnly set up and establish the Worship of God than formerly it had been Whence it came to pass that they that persisted in that way of Worship were known by the Name of the Children of God * Deut. 14.1 and they who forsook God and his sincere Worship were called the Children of Men Gen. 6.2 Gen. 4.25 26. SECT VI. ENoch being ninty years old begat Cainan Cainan when he was 70 begat Mahalaleel Mahalaleel at 65 years old had Jared born to Him Jared at 162 years old had Enoch born to him Enoch at 65 years old had Methusalah born to him Methusalah at 187 had Lamech born to him Now Adam the Father of Mankind died when he had lived nine hundred and thirty years Seth the Son of Adam died when he had lived 912 years Noah the tenth from Adam was born when his Father Lamech had lived 182. And his Father prophesied of him that he would be a man of eminent Piety and such a Son as would much comfort his Parents notwithstanding all the miseries labours troubles and sorrows which Sin had brought upon Mankind and notwithstanding the many Evils they met with in that wicked and uncomfortable time Enos the third from Adam died when he had lived 905 years Mahalaleel the fifth from Adam died when he had lived 895 years Jared the sixth from Adam died when he had lived 962 years As for Enoch the seventh from Adam He was a very holy person one that walked with God and followed not the wickedness of that Age but with great courage set himself against it and being a Prophet as we read Jude v. 14 15. He plainly told them of and set before them the day of Judgment Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him I say this holy Person God was pleased to translate immediately into Heaven (x) Per Enochi migrationem beatam patet nimium eos falli qui in hujus mundi caeno spem universam defigunt ut aeternitatis cognitione ex animis omnino deleta And besides this instance before the Law we have a like example of the translation of Elias after the giving of the Law c. 2 Kings 2.11 not suffering him to die as other men ordinarily do when he had lived as many years as there are days in our Year viz. 365. Thus it pleased God to shew to that Age that there was a future Coelestial State of Bliss and Happiness that good men both in Soul and Body shall enjoy hereafter Gen. 5. whole Chapter SECT VII IN the 480th Year of the life of Noah the Lord seeing that the generality of the World had corrupted their ways and that the Professors of his true Worship namely the Posterity of Seth without any regard to their Profession had scandalously and promiscuously (y) Gods Law afterwards forbad such Marriages with such as were out of the Church Deut. 7.3 4. Exod. 34.16 2 Cor. 6.14 married with the Daughters of the profane Race of Cain who
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
where Croesus was King Aram. Of him descended the Aramaeans or Syrians Hence Padan-Aram Gen. 25.20 Aram-Naharaim Ch. 24.10 Aram-Damasar 2 Sam. 8.5 6. Aram-Zobah Psal 60. Aram-Maachah 1 Cron. 19.6 Aram-Beth-Rehob 2 Sam. 10.6 are spoken of as several Provinces of Syria Aram had four Sons which in the 1 Chron. 1.17 are reckoned among the Sons of Sem viz. Huz Hul Gether and Mesech Hur or Vz He by the general consent of the Ancients built Damascus There were two besides of this Name Vz the Son of Nachor the Brother of Abraham Gen. 22.21 Whose Land is called the Land of Vz Job 1.1 There was a man in the Land of Uz whose name was Job This probably was in Arabia the desert And Vz of the Posterity of Esau or Edom Gen. 36.28 who fixed in Arabia the stony on the borders of Canaan from whom Idumaea is called the Land of Vz Lam. 4.21 Rejoyce and be glad O daughter of Edom that dwellest in the Land of Uz. Hul. His Posterity are said to inhabit that part of Armenia which is called the Country of the Palmyrenians Gether He was the Father of the Bactrians a people of Scythia according to Josephus Mesech or Mash whose Posterity inhabited as some think the upper part of Syria between Cilicia and Mesopotamia about the Mountain called Masius Now Arphaxad the third Son of Sem begat Salah and Salah begat Eber and Eber besides Peleg had another Son named Joctan whose thirteen Sons Moses mentioneth as the Founders of so many Nations Their Seat Arabia the happy as the great Bochartus conjectureth Of Sheba one of them came the Sabaeans who dwelt by the Red-Sea This Son of Joctan lived on Robbery The rest by Commerce with other Nations Ophir his 11th Son seems to have given name to that part of Arabia near the Sabaeans where there was much gold Another Ophir there was in India in the Island Taprobane And from this mans Land 't is probable Solomons Ships fetched Gold 2 Chron. 9.10 called also Gold of Parvaim 2 Chron. 3.6 And thus much of the Inheritance of the Sons of Sem. Japhets portion was this To Japhet fell a considerable part of Asia and all Europe His Posterity did spread themselves having first sat down in Asia the less mostly towards the Northern and Western parts Moses reckons seven of his Sons and as many Nephews Gomer This mans Posterity inhabited the North quarter of Asia the less Wherefore they are ranked among the Northern Nations Ezek. 38.6 And therefore to them we may assign Phrygia Pontus Bythinia and part of Galatia And whereas they spread themselves Westward also they are withall held to be the Progenitors of those people whose Countries the Gallo-Grecians afterwards inhabited Magog From him descended the Scythians or Tartarians Gog and Magog being that part of Sythia about Caucasus which the Colchi and Armenians whose Language was half Chaldaean called Gog-Hasan i. e. the Fort of Gog and thence the Greeks Caucasus Madai From whom the Medes descended Javan From him descended the Iones or all that inhabited Greece from Thrace to the Isthums of Corinth the Macedonians being included Alexander is signified by Daniel under the Name of the King of Javan Ch. 8.21 The Sons of Javan were four Elisha From him Elis is denominated the most ancient and ample Region of Peloponnesus Tarshish From whom Tarsus the great City in Cilicia took its name Some understand hereby Tartessus a City of the Iberians or Spaniards Besides this there was another Tarsis in the Indian-Sea whither Ships went from Ezion-Geber 2 Chron. 20.36 Chittim He according to Josephus possessed himself of the Island Cyprus where was a City called Citium the Native place of Zeno the Stoick And from hence according to him the Hebrews called all Islands and Maritime places by the name of Chethim The Romans are by Daniel signified under this name And Chittim imports the same thing with Latium betokening to lie hid The opinion therefore of Josephus is very probable that those Islands and Coasts of the Mediterranean might be known to the Hebrews under the name of Chettim Dodanim or rather Rhodanim The descendents of him Bochartus placeth in Gaul about the River Rhodanus now called Rhene Rhodanim he saith signifies yellow or Saffron-coloured which agreeth well with the colour of the hair of the hair of the ancient Gauls Wherein the Britans also shewed themselves descended of the same stock as Jornandes judges Tubal and Mesech the fifth and sixth Sons of Japhet are joined in Scripture most commonly togther as near to each other Bochartus understands by Tubal and Mesech the Moschi and Tibareni Tubal and Mesech are noted by Ezekiel to abound in Slates and Brass which by the consent of Authors fitly agreeth with the Regions of Cappadocia Thiras From Thiras most Authors derive Thrace By these were the Isles of the Gentiles divided in their Lands Gen. 10.5 Thus the Sons of Japhet according to their several Languages did plant several Colonies in all their Regions and Countries of Europe and those that border the Mediterranean-Sea which are now called the Isles of the Gentiles not properly but because they so lay along the Sea that they might seem to be Islands And thus we have seen what was Japhets portion which was very large For unto it belonged all Europe besides Asia the less Media part of Armenia Iberia Albania and those vast Tracts toward the North inhabited of old by the Scythians and now by the Tartars To say nothing of the new World into which it is probable the Scythians passed by the Streights of Anian To his Posterity also belong the Northern parts which by Jornandes a Gothish Historian are deservedly called the Work-house of people and sheaths of Nations We come now to consider Chams portion Cham's portion Cursed Cham was not excluded from earthly blessings To his lot fell Egypt and all Africk a great part of Syria and Arabia besides Babylonia Susiana Assyria and other Countries which his Grandson Nimrod possessed himself of David often calleth Egypt the Land of Cham or Ham. In Arabia and Africk the name of Ammon the aspiration being taken away was universally known as appeareth by Amon a River there and from the Promontory Ammonium and from the people being called Ammonij and from the Ammonian Country where was the famous Oracle of Ammon nay all Africa was called Ammonia C ham had four Sons Chus Mizraim Phut and Canaan Chus By the Land of Chuz in the Scripture is meant part of Arabia inhabited by the Chusaeans called also Chuthaeans of whom were the Madianites and Sephora the wife of Moses They inhabited above Egypt upon the Persian-Gulf in part of Arabia the Stony and the happy and are thought by some to be the same with the ancient Scenites from their dwelling in Tents Chus had six Sons Seba Havilah Sabtah Raamah Sabtocha and Nimrod And Raamah had two Sheba and Dedan All these inhabited about the Persian-Sea except Nimrod whom Moses
Kings of Pentapolis to wit Sodom Gomorrah Admah Seboim and Bela or Zoar all which served him twelve years Gen. 14. from 1. to 5. SECT IX TErah with Nahor and Abram his two Sons now living at Vr of the Caldees and there according to the custom of that place being Idolaters and serving other Gods Joshuah 24.2 God was pleased of his free Grace and mercy to chuse Abram to be the Father of his peculiar people when there was nothing in him to move the Lord to shew him such special favour And accordingly God was pleased to call * As he raised this righteous man from the East so he called him to his foot to follow him and his direction Esay 41.2 Gen. 15.7 Neh. 9.7 Acts 7.2 3 4. him about the 70th year of his age to leave that Idolatrous place and to go into a Land which he should shew him promising to make of him a great Nation and to bless him and in him (k) That is in his Seed Christ Gen. 18.18 Acts 3.25 26. Gal. 3.18 14. Thus the Gospel was preached to Abram all the Families of the Earth Abram obeying (l) He went out by faith not knowing whither he went Heb. 11.8 this Call perswaded his Father Terah to go along with him and also his Brother Nahor and so with Lot his Nephew the Son of Haran and Sarai his Wife they came from Vr (m) This Ur which they left was the habitation of the Priests and Mathematicians who from their Art were stiled by the name of Chaldâans By which name even in Chaldaea it self those Genetbliaci or Casters of Nativities were distinguished and known from the rest of the Magi or wise men of that Country Dan. 2. v. 2 10. Ch. 4.7 Ch. 5.11 And from these Terah and his Sons seem to have learned their Idolatry Joshua 24.2 to Charran a City in Mesopotamia (n) Mesopotamia is not to be taken only for that Region which lies between Euphrates and Tygris but in a large sense as comprehending Chaldaea under it Acts 7.2 3 4. and there made their abode by reason of the great infirmity and sickliness of Terah who about five years after when he had fulfilled 205 years there died Gen. 11.31 32. Gen. 12. from 1. to 5. CHAP. III. The third Age of the World from the Promise made to Abraham in Ur of the Chaldees unto the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt containing a space of four hundred and thirty years and ending in the 2508th year of the World SECT I. THe Lord having called Abram as we shewed in the foregoing Chapter when he lived at Vr of the Chaldees to leave that Countrey and to go to a place that he should shew him promising to bless him and that in his Seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed Abram readily obeyed this Call and accordingly removed from thence and went to Charran From which Promise and Abrams departure which immediately followed are to be deduced the 430 years which Abram and his Posterity were to spend in foreign Lands See Exod. 12.40 41. And from this Promise and Covenant to the giving of the Law which was three months after the Israelites departure out of Egypt and which could not disannul this Covenant as the Apostle speaks Gal. 3.17 18 were 430 years At Charran Abram stayed about five years till his Father died and then following the Call of God being 75 years of age he took Sarai his Wife and Lot his Nephew with all the substance they had gotten and the Men-servants and Maid-servants they had acquired (o) Animas quas sibi comparaverant vel Emerant quas de idololatria converterant Tenent Hebraei Abram viros Saram mulleres in Dei cultu instituisse atque ita eos Deo procreasse Non enim alios servos habere voluerunt praeter cultores Dei. Hic primum fit servitutis mentio Vatablus in Charran and journied on till at last they came into the Land of Canaan the Canaanites a cursed Idolatrous people being now the Inhabitants thereof thorow which they passed till they came to a place called Sichem and the plain of Moreh where God appearing to Abram promised him that to his Seed he would give that Land (p) Hence called the Land of Promise Heb. 11.9 The Lords Land Hos 9.3 The holy Land Zach. 2.12 The Land of Emmanuel Isa 8.8 And this was a Type of Heaven which Abram looked for Heb. 11.9 10. Whereupon in that place he built an Altar * See Gen. 8.20 to the Lord that He might offer up his Sacrifices Prayers and Thanksgivings and perform the outward Worship God requir'd of Him among his own Company in opposition to the Idolatry of the Canaanites From thence he removed into the Hill-Countrey calld Luz and in after-times known by the name of Bethel Gen. 28.19 where again he built an Altar and called upon the Name of the Lord. And from thence holding on his Journey he came at last into the South part of the Countrey which looks towards Egypt Gen. 12. from 4. to 10. SECT II. IT pleased the Lord now to put Abrams Faith upon a new Trial. For not long after this God visited this Land of Canaan which of it self was very fruitful with a sore Famine being provoked thereunto by the Iniquity of the Inhabitants thereof See Psal 107. v. 33 34. Hereupon to avoid this Calamity Abram was forc'd to go down from thence into Egypt where as Josephus tells us he taught the Egyptians Astrology and Arimethick which before they were ignorant of When he came near unto Egypt he began to be in great apprehensions of the danger his life was in by reason of Sarai if the Egyptians should take her to be his Wife For though she was at this time 65 years old yet she was very fair and beautiful in her self and much more if compared with the swarthy Complexions of the Egyptian-Women Hereupon to prevent danger to himself he desired her to say if she were ask'd That she was his Sister (q) Nepotes Neptesque ab Hebraeis fratres sorores vocantur Gen. 13.8 14.14.16 Now though this was in a sense true as Abraham afterwards told Abimelech upon another occasion Gen. 20.12 because she was his Brothers Daughter and such in those days were usually called Brothers and Sisters yet by her saying She was his Sister Abram intended the Egyptians should understand that she was not his wife but free to be married to another And so thorow his over great fear and sollicitude for himself and too much distrusting Gods Providence and Care over him He exposed her to great and evident danger For Pharaoh King of Egypt being informed of her by his Courtiers He sent for Her to his house (r) In Domum non ad stuprum sed ut esset uxor saltem secundaria Ad se Reges non statim admittebant nisi prius purgatas praeparatas ut patet ex lib.
in erudienda Familia fuerit Abrahamus qui eodem die quo institutus est adeo tristem ritum admiserit Monym in loc Gen. 17. whole Chapter SECT VIII THe Son of God and two holy Angels (t) Thus he intertained Angels unawares Heb. 13.2 accompanying him appear now unto Abraham in the shape of three men in the plain of Mamre as he sat in the door of his Tent at Noon tide He apprehending them to be Strangers travelling that way who possibly might be weary and faint and they seeming to him to be persons worthy of respect he addresses himself to them with great Reverence and one of them appearing with greater signs of excellency and dignity than the rest He directs his Speech to him My Lord says He if I have found favour in your sight stay with me and rest your selves under that Tree for a while and let a little water be brought to wash your Feet According to the Custom of those Eastern Countries and accept of a little refreshment from me to strengthen you in your Journey seeing Providence hath led you this way They intimate their willingness to accept his kind offer Hereupon he hastens to Sarah and orders her forthwith to make ready some Cakes to be baked on the Hearth and he orders one of his Servants presently to kill a Calf and dress it and that it should be made ready These things being done He then set these Provisions before them with Butter and Milk and he himself stood by to wait upon them and serve them And they did eat see Ch. 19.3 having true Bodies for that time and for the present dispensation of that Service For though a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones Luke 24.39 yet Spirits may and by Gods appointment sometimes do assume humane Bodies which are erewhile to be dissolved again by the power of God when the work and service is done for which they were assumed V. 9. They said i. e. one of them said When therefore they had eaten then One of them viz. the Lord asked him where Sarah his Wife was By naming her he shewed he was more than a Man Abraham said she was at hand in the Tent. The Lord said I will certainly return unto thee not by a New Apparition but by accomplishing the thing promised viz. that thou shalt have a Son by thy Wife Sarah and it shall be accomplished so many months hence as is usual according to the course of Nature for a Woman to go from her Conception to the bringing a Child into the World Sarah hearing this in her Tent-door laughed within her self not out of Faith and Joy as Abraham had done before Ch. 17.17 but thinking it a thing very unlikely by reason of her great age if not impossible But though she laughed only within her self and did not break out into a loud and open laughter yet the Lord discerned it and took notice of it and ask'd her Why she laughed Did she look more upon her own and her Husbands decayed Natures and age than upon the power of God Sarah being thus reprov'd she out of shame and weakness in that sudden disturbance of her mind denies that she laughed But though she did not openly yet she did within her self and she began now to be ashamed because she perceived the person that spake to Her was more than a man because he could discern her inward affections But she did presently as it seems recollect her self when she understood who it was that spake and made this Promise and accordingly believed it and therefore her Faith is commended Heb. 11.11 Through Faith Sarah her self received strength to conceive Seed And afterwards she laughed for joy as we find Ch. 21.6 These things being done These three Persons that were in the shape of Men arose and Abraham in civility accompanying them some part of the way The two holy Angels went on directly towards Sodom but the Lord staid communing with Abraham and tells him he would not hide (u) Amos 3.7 from him what Judgments he now intended to execute upon Sodom and those Neighbouring wicked Cities For he had appointed him to be the stock of a great and mighty Nation his peculiar people yea the stock out of whom the blessed seed should spring in whom all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed And he knew that he would instruct and command his Children (x) Deut. 6.7 Deut. 32.46 and his Houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord and to do justice and judgment Then the Lord speaking to him after the manner of men as one that had no mind to punish without first inquiring into the matter of Fact He tells him He will go down and see whether their wicked deeds were answerable to the Cry that was come up into his Ears concerning them Then Abraham drew near unto the Lord and began to plead for these Cities especially for Sodom as being in likelihood touched with a greater concern for his Nephew Lot who dwelt therein intreating the Lord that the Righteous should not be dealt with as the Wicked that is taken away in wrath and Vengeance (y) The Righteous are sometimes taken away by the same publick Calamity that the wicked are but the one is taken away in mercy the other in judgment but that the City might be spared for the sake of the Righteous therein And to urge his plea further He humbly represents to Him that possibly there might be to the number of fifty Righteous persons found therein God tells him he would certainly spare them if such a number could there be found Then Abraham said Behold now I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord who am but dust and ashes peradventure there may be 45 found there The Lord answered He would not destroy it if 45 were there found Then Abraham descends to 40 to 30 to 20 and at last to 10 and if there had been but so many to be found there God would have spared them (z) Sometimes God forbids his Prophets to pray for such Jer. 15.1 Ezek. 14.14 but seeing there were not so many He intimates to Abraham that they must not expect to be spared Then God departed from Abraham and he returned to his own Place Gen. 18. whole Chapter SECT IX THe two Angels before mentioned in humane shape that went towards Sodom came thither in the Evening and Lot sitting in the Gate of the City and seeing of them and supposing them by their outward appearance to be Strangers of quality he went towards them and giving them civil honour and respect by bowing to them with his face towards the ground after the manner of those Eastern Countries he courteously invited them to his house and to Lodge with him that night They seemed unwilling (a) A slight invitation may be seriously refused and yet that which is pressing be afterwards accepted see Luke 21.28 29. and this without Popish Equivocation or
a Grove intending it for a place of Prayer and Religious Worship that under the shade of those Trees they might more commodiously call upon the Name of the Lord the everlasting God and perform all other publick Duties of His Worship and Service which within their Tents they could not so conveniently do So that at this time the use of Groves was not unlawful But afterwards when men began superstitiously to think that God was better worshipped in them than in other places and possibly did it in imitation of the Idolatrous Nations who set up their Idols in Groves and there sacrificed to false Gods the Lord did thereupon forbid his people all planting of Groves for Religious Vses Deut. 16.21 Thou shalt not plant thee a Grove of any Trees near the Altar c. And this planting of Groves was afterwards one of the Abominations for which God was angry with the Children of Israel 1 Kings 14.15 God will root up Israel out of his good Land which he gave to their Fathers because they have made their Groves (t) Gods people were hardly kept from planting Groves and placing their Idols in them and serving them even as the Canaanites and the other Heathens did Deut. 12.2 Thus it was in the times of the Judges Ch. 3.7 In the times of the Kings of Israel throughout 2 Kings 17.16 especially in the Reigns of Jeroboam 1 Kings 14.15 and of Ahab whose Queen Jezabel had 400 Prophets of the Groves that did eat meat at her Table Yea and in the Reigns of the Kings of Judah especially of Ahaz and Manasseh But the godly Kings of Judah cut them down and burnt them as Jehoshaphat Hezekiah and Josiah And Asa put down his Grandmother Maachah from being Queen because she had made an Idol in a Grove provoking him to anger Gen. 21. whole Chapter SECT XII SOme time after this when Isaac was well grown up but of what age is not certain God was pleas'd though he knew the heart of Abraham perfectly yet to manifest the strength of his Faith and the unfeignedness of his Obedience both for his own Glory and the benefit of his whole Church in after Ages to put Abraham upon an extraordinary trial Wherefore he commands him and in such a manner that he could not but be assur'd it was the Command of God and no Satanical illusion to take Isaac his only Son by Sarah his lawful Wife the Son whom he had so long expected whom he so dearly and tenderly loved the Son by whom God had promised to multiply his Seed as the Stars of Heaven and from whom the Messiah was to Spring in whom all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed which could not be if Isaac died without Issue yet notwithstanding God commands him to take this Son this dearly beloved Isaac and to go to the Land of Moriah and upon one of the Mountains there which he would point out to him viz. the very place where Jerusalem and the Temple were afterwards built 2 Chron. 3.1 to slay him first with his own hand and then to burn his dead body to ashes on the Altar as a Burnt-Offering unto Him See the Law of Burnt-Offerings Levit. 6.9 10. Here all that was in Abraham either as a Man or a Father or an Husband or a Believer or Professor of true Religion were put to it And he must not do it presently neither but must go three days journey with Isaac before he did it during all which time surely he found many strange struglings and workings of affection in himself However being well assured it was God that commanded him to do it and Grace in him having got the upper hand of Nature and firmly believing that God would raise him up from the dead if he did sacrifice him (u) Non haesitavit quia sibi reddi possit immolatus qui dari potuit non speratus Divino intonante praecepto obediendum est non disputandum August Heb. 11.17 19. I say Abraham beliving this rose up early in the morning without acquainting Sarah therewith who in all likelihood would have strove with all her might to divert him from it and taking Isaac and two Servants with him and as 't is probable some lesser quantity of dry Wood to begin the fire which was carried on the Ass resolving to furnish himself with the rest upon the Mountain they travailed three days and at last came within sight of the place At which nothing appall'd he bad the young Men his Servants stay with the Ass at the bottom of the Hill telling them that he and Isaac would go to the Mountain to worship and then return to them again (x) Abraham intended really to offer up his Son the special Issue of this work was unknown to him However He believed God was able to restore Him his Son again And thus without knowing what should be done He foretold what would come to pass Then laying the Wood of the Burnt-Offering on Isaac and taking fire in his hand and a knife they went towards the Mountain As they went along Isaac said to him My Father here is Fire and Wood but where is the Lamb for the Burnt-Offering Abraham answers My Son God will provide a Lamb. Hereupon it is likely Abraham by degrees began to acquaint him with Gods Command and shewed him the necessity of Obedience and submission thereunto and set before him the Promises and Power of God and whatever else might dispose him to yield Obedience Isaac meekly submits and suffered his Father to proceed without making any resistance and therein was an eminent Type of Christ who went forth bearing his Cross Joh. 19.17 Acts 8.32 When they were come to the top of the Mountain Abraham built an Altar probably of Turf and Stones which he found there and having laid the Wood in order he bound Isaac and laid him thereon Then stretching forth his hand to have slain and sacrific'd him Jam. 2.21 22 23. Christ the Angel of the Covenant (y) Who swears by himself and promises as God and is called Jehovah v. 16. calls to him and bids him hold his hand telling him Now I know (z) Cognovi i. e. certissimo experimento deprehendi vel cognosci seci scil a te aliis Nec propter se Deus sed propter alios tentat ut probat Vires enim dilectionis suae hominem latent nisi divino experimento eidem innotescant More hominum loquitur qui cujus rei periculum fecerunt id se novisse perfecte putant that thou truly fearest Me seeing thou hast not withholden thine only Son from me when I requir'd Him of thee As if He should have said Now I know this by a visible experiment though I know the integrity of thy heart before and by this extraordinary Trial have given occasion to have the same made manifest unto others Abraham hearing this Voice from Heaven look'd about him and behind him he espied a Ram caught
by his Horns in a Thicket which he took as sent by God to supply the room and place of Isaac and accordingly offered him up for a Burnt-Offering instead of his Son (a) The main thing hereby signifi'd was this That God the Father would in the fulness of time give his only begotten Son to be a Sacrifice for the sins of Men. And till that time came he would accept of Rams and Lambs and such like Sacrifices which should prefigure and typifie this death of his Son And Abraham called the Name of that place Jehovah-jireh that is the Lord will see or provide And thence came afterwards that Speech to be used proverbially In the Mountain of the Lord it shall be seen that is in due time God will provide help for his Children though they be for the present brought into great straits and difficulties and He will help them in such a manner that they shall plainly see his Hand therein After this the Angel of the Covenant called to Abraham a second time and said By my self have I sworn because thou hast done this thing for I accept of thy Will for the Deed I will greatly bless and multiply thy Seed even as the Stars of Heaven and as the Sand upon the Sea-shore and they shall possess the Gates of their Enemies that is shall subdue them and bring both their strength and policy under their Command the Gates of Cities being the places of greatest strength and places commonly of Consultation where the Magistrates used to meet see Deut. 32.15 Math. 16.18 and in thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth he blessed Then Abraham and Isaac and the Servants returned to Beersheba where Abraham dwelt a good while after Gen. 22. from 1. to 20. SECT XIII AFter this Sarah (b) As Abraham is Registred for the Father of the Faithful Rom. 4.11 So is Sarah for the Mother of them 1 Pet. 2.3 upon some occasion as it seems went to Kirjath-arba afterwards called Hebron (c) A City afterwards allotted to the Tribe of Judah not far from the Okefield of Mamre where Abraham had formerly lived being 127 years of Age and there she fell sick and died She is the only Woman whose full and intire Age is recorded in Scripture Abraham hearing of it came thither to weep and mourn for her and having sat sometime as 't is like on the Earth in token of the great sorrow and affliction he was under by reason of her death he at length rose up and took order to have her honourably interr'd Accordingly he applies himself to the Governors and Elders of the Hittites the Inhabitants of Hebron of the Progeny of Cham Gen. 10.6 15. and told them that he being a Stranger among them did humbly desire this favour of them that he might be permitted to buy of them a small piece of ground Namely so much as would make a burying-place that he might bury his dead out of his sight For though he had now liv'd 62 years in Canaan yet he never went about to purchase a foot of Land in it before The Children of Heth answer That he was a mighty Prince among them and he might freely make use of any of their Sepulchres even the choicest (d) Faviliis erant sua singulis distincta seorsim Sepulchreta Ita mortem in vita meditati sunt Ethnici simile quid est Math. 27.60 Anonym in loc of them upon this occasion (e) Abraham would not by any bounty of theirs injoy one foot of that Land which God had given him intire for his possession but the time of possession according to the grant and promise being not yet come without any distrust of Gods promise or renunciation of his own Right he buys a parcel of the Land for his own present necessity But Abraham being willing rather to pay for a piece of Ground that might be his own Propriety than to hold any in Common with the Heathens though it were but by burying his dead among them he humbly bowed himself to them as acknowledging their kindness and requested them that they would intercede with Ephron a chief person among them who sat at that time in their Assembly though Abraham knew it not that he might purchase of him the Cave of Machpelah for a burying-place and he was willing to give him as much money for it as it was worth Ephron being there present (f) V. 10. sic redde And Ephron sat among the Children of Heth. told Abraham in the audience of the Inhabitants of the City that he did freely give him that Cave and the Field belonging to it Abraham bowing himself again in token of thankfulness told him (g) The like striving in kindness is between David and Araunah 2 Sam. 24 21 c. That if he were that Ephron of whom he had before spoken he would willingly pay him for it and did not desire to have it on any other Termes Ephron told him the Land was worth about 400 Shekels (h) The common Shekel was about 1 s. 3 d. of our money amounting to about 25 l. of our money and that was but a trifle between them two Abraham however resolved to pay him a just value for it and accordingly paid him by weight not by tale as is now usual the 400 Shekels and so the Field with the Trees growing thereon and the Cave was made sure to Abraham by payment of the money the Inhabitants of the City being Witnesses without Deeds or Writings which were not then as afterwards in use See Jer. 32.9 10. Abraham having thus bought this Field and Cave he therein buried (i) Afterwards he himself was buried there and Isaac and Rebecca Jacob and Leah Gen. 25.9 Ch. 49.31 50.13 They testifying thereby their Faith in Gods Promises for the Inheritance of this Land and of the heavenly Canaan figured thereby This made Joseph also give charge to have his bones carried thither the body of his beloved Sarah Gen. 23. whole Chapter SECT XIV ABraham being now 140 years old and the Lord having blessed him in all things he began to think of providing a fit Wife for Isaac his Son who was at this time 40 years of age And understanding that his second Brother Nahor whom he had left at Haran in Mesopotamia when he first came into Canaan had by Milchah his Wife eighth Sons whereof one was Bethuel Father of Rebecca and four by Reumah his Concubine I say hearing these tyding of his Brother and of his numerous Off-spring he had a mind to send his chief Servant and Steward supposed to be Eliezer who had the Charge of all his Concerns to his Kindred there to seek a Wife among them for his Son Therefore calling him to him and acquainting him with the business he required him to swear (k) A practice used by Masters of Families in taking an Oath of any of their houshold in token of homage subjection and faithfulness
so Jacob required of Joseph Ch. 47.29 to him by putting his hand under his thigh (l) Though the usual custom of swearing was by lifting up the hand to the most high God that he would not take a Wife for his Son of any of the Daughters of the Canaanities because he would not have his Seed mix themselves with that profane and Idolatrous people whose blood his Posterity was to shed without pity and to succeed in their room but should go to his own Country to Charran to seek for a Wife there where was the truest Worship of God next to that in his own Family though indeed very much corrupted as we may see in Laban Ch. 31.30 53. The Servant very discreetly objected that possibly a Woman of that Country would not be willing to come along with him so far nor would marry his Son on such Termes as to leave her own Relations and come and dwell in Canaan Therefore if his Son would have a Wife from thence in all likelihood he must consent to go and dwell there And if they in Mesopotamia should insist on such terms as these he desires to know what his Oath should bind him to Abraham tells him that by no means he must consent that Isaac should go and dwell there both because they were too Corrupt in Religion and because Isaac's going to dwell there would be in a sort to renounce the Land of Promise He must rather live here as a Stranger and Sojourner by Faith as he himself had done But he bids the Servant not to be over-careful in that matter for God would send his holy Angel to guide and direct him and shew him what he was to do And if the Woman he should chuse for a Wife for his Son would not be willing to come along with him he should be free of his Oath On these terms therefore the Servant undertook the business and sware to him to perform what he enjoyn'd him Then providing himself of all things needful for such an undertaking that he might set out in a Port and Equipage agreeable to the greatness and wealth of his Master he took 10 Camels and Servants answerable and furnished himself with Provisions for so long a Journey and carried with him many rich Presents of all sorts to present his Masters Kindred with as there should be occasion and to shew what a mighty man of Wealth his Master was Thus furnish'd he began his Journey and after several days travel he came to Haran where Nahor his Masters Brother dwelt And coming thither about eventide the time that the young women of the City us'd to go out to a Well hard by to fetch Water he caused his Camels to kneel down and be unloaded near that Fountain that so they might bait and be watered and rest themselves This done he betook himself by solemn prayer unto God humbly intreating him to prosper him in the business he came about And then as 't is like by the special motion of Gods Spirit (m) Without the like warrant we may not attempt the like he humbly desired of the Lord to give him a sign whereby he might know the person that his Providence had appointed for Isaac and that this in particular might be the sign namely that that Damosel among those that came out to draw Water who when he intreated her that he might drink of her Pitcher should answer Drink thy self and I will give thy Camels drink also might be the person whom He should look upon as designed for His young Master For that thing would argue her to be of a good ingenuous friendly hospitable nature and disposition Immediately upon this Rebecca Daughter of Bethuel and Grand-Child of Nahor Abraham's Brother came with her Pitcher to draw Water being a Virgin of great beauty and comeliness The Servant seeing Her addresses himself immediately to her and desires to drink of her Pitcher she readily gave it him and freely offered to draw water for his Camels also The man wondering at her Civility and Courtesie began silently to consider with himself whether this was not a clear evidence that God had heard his prayer and made his Journey successful and had now pointed out the Damosel to him that was pointed for Isaac And then asking her whose Daughter she was she told him Bethuels the Son of Nahor by Milca his lawful Wife He then acquainted her as 't is like whose Servant he was and from whom he came and presented her with a Jewel for her Forehead and two Bracelets for her Hands Then secretly worshipping God and praising of him that he had dealt so mercifully with his Master and had led him His Servant in the right way to take his Brothers Grand-Child for his Son he asked her if they had any room in her Fathers house for him and his Company She told him They had And then immediately she ran to tell them of her Mothers house what had happened For it seems it was the custom of those times and places for the Women to dwell in Tents and Houses by themselves apart See v. 67. Rebecca had a Brother whose Name was Laban who hearing these things and seeing the Jewel and Bracelets on the Forehead and Hands of his Sister by the appointment as 't is like of his Father and Mother who were both ancient he went to the Man and saluting him kindly said Come thou blessed of the Lord thou art welcome unto our house which is ready to receive thee Eliezer readily and thankfully accepted his kindness and went along with him unto his House When they were come thither Laban ungirded his Camels and gave them Provender and gave water to Eliezer and the other Servants that were with him to wash their Feet after the manner of those Eastern Countries and then they set Meat before them But Eliezer like a faithful Servant that was more intent upon his business than his belly told them That he would not eat till he had acquainted them with his Errand And then he declared unto them that he was Abraham's Servant that God had extraordinarily blessed his Master with great Riches that his Wife Sarah had born him a Son when she was very aged that this Son was to be his Heir that his Master had made him swear to him that he should not take a Wife for his Son of the Daughters of the accursed Canaanites but of his own Kindred That he had objected to his Master that peradventure such a Damosel would not be willing to come with him so far from her own Relations that his Master had answered That God would send his Angel with him to direct and prosper him and he should find a Wife for his Son among his own Kindred and if he could not find such an one among them that would be willing to come he should be clear of his Oath Upon these terms he undertook this Journey and when he came to the Well without their City he prayed
unto the Lord to prosper him in his business and that by such a sign he might know the Damosel God had appointed for his Masters Son and this sign he found pointed him clearly to Rebecca These things being all true and real he desired them that they would please to deal kindly and uprightly with his Master and to let him have a direct answer concerning this great and weighty matter that he might know whether to turn to the right hand or to the left that is that if they consented not he might somewhere else look for a Wife for his young Master Then Laban who as 't is like had the managing of all their affairs his Father being old spake in the Name of them all and told the Servant that the thing seemed to proceed from the Lord and from his all-wise Providence and therefore they could not speak unto him either good or bad Good reasons they had none against this motion and bad they would not urge so that they had nothing to say against it And therefore he should have their free consent to have Rebecca for his Masters Son provided she were willing seeing God had declared his good pleasure therein by pointing Her out to him by that sign When Eliezer heard this he worshipped God bowing himself to the ground Then he presented Rebecca with some rich picces of Gold and Silver plate and with rich Suits of apparel and presented her Mother also and her Brother with rich Gifts All things having thus prosperously succeeded Eliezer and his Company were now willing to eat and drink with Laban which having done they reposed themselves there that night Then rising early the next Morning Eliezer like a man that seriously minded his business desired them to hasten him away with his young Mistress Her Mother and Brother were not willing so soon to part with her but desired that she might stay with them at least ten days before she went But Eliezer was impatient of so long a stay and therefore intreated them that seeing the Lord had so eminently prospered him in his business hitherto he might now hasten home to his Master They replied They would call Rebecca and see what she said to it Rebecca expressing a modest willingness to go provided it might be with their good liking They said They saw the thing was of God and therefore she should go Then solemnly blessing her and praying that she might be the Mother of thousands of Millions that is of an innumerable Posterity who might possess the Gates of their Enemies they forthwith sent her away with Deborah her Nurse and some young Maids to attend her Rebecca with Her Attendants being thus committed to the Care of Eliezer they began their Journey towards Canaan and after some days travel they drew near to Beersheba where Abraham and Isaac dwelt It being now Eventide Isaac was walking in the Fields to pray and meditate His walk was in the way (n) Veniebat ea via qua itur ad puteum that leads to the Well Lahai-roi where on a sudden lifting up his eyes he saw the Camels coming towards him Rebecca seeing him at some distance ask'd Eliezer who He was and he telling her it was Isaac his young Master she immediately lighted off from her Camel and took a Veil and covered her face in token of modesty and subjection When they met the Servant told Isaac all that had happened and presented Rebecca to Him Isaac joyfully receiv'd and welcom'd Her and forthwith conducted her into his Mother Sarahs Tent (o) Women it seems had their Tents apart see Ch. 31.33 which it seems at her death about three years before had been reserv'd with its Furniture for his Wife And soon after He took her for his Wife by solemn marrying of her and loved her exceedingly and was highly pleased with Her So that the great grief he had before lien under for his dear Mothers death was now well mitigated and abated by the Comforts he had in his new Wife Ch. 24. whole Chapter SECT XV. ABraham having thus happily dispatched that weighty business of his Sons marriage he took to himself another Wife (p) Non libidine motus sed amore prolis ex divino instinctu ut ex eo semen inter gentes quoque multiplicaretur by name Keturah when he was about 140 years old For though forty years before that time his body was as it were dead Rom. 4.19 as to any humane likelihood of begetting Children yet God who strengthen'd him then to beget Isaac did it seems now renew that Masculine vigor and strength to him to make good his Promise of multiplying his Seed Ch. 17. 5. in others also though principally in Isaac that he inabled him to beget six Sons of Keturah in his old age To these he gave portions as he had done before to Ishmael the Son of Hagar being his Children by his Concubines (q) By this it appears that not only they were called Concubines who as Hagar were taken after a man was married to be as it were partner-wives or by-wives for the right of the Bed and propagation of Children though not solemnly betrothed nor taken with Dowry nor to be partners in the Government of the Family but to be subject to the lawful Wife and their Children were not to inherit except the Father pleased as Bilhah's and Zilpah's did extraordinarily becoming heads of Tribes I say not only such as these were called Concubines but second Wives taken after the first was dead were so called because their Children had no right of Inheritance and before his death sent them away into the East-Country into part of Arabia a good way off from Isaac the Heir of the Promise whom he made the sole and full heir of all his remaining Estate thus testifying his Faith that only Isaac and his Seed should enjoy the Land of Canaan Chap. 25. from 1. to 7. SECT XVI REbecca continued 19 years barren after her Marriage but at last upon Isaac's prayer who had prayed many years for her the Lord was intreated to bless her with power to Conceive and she conceived Twins who strugling in her Womb she said If it be so why am I thus that is if it be so that I am indeed with child why am I thus what is the reason I feel such a strange and extraordinary and painful strugling in my Womb more than other women do that are in my Condition Hereupon she betook her self either by her own private prayer or by some Prophet to inquire of the Lord what the meaning of it should be The answer she received was That she had two Sons in her Womb that should be the heads of two several Nations viz. Edomites and Israelites that these two Nations should differ very much one from the other They should be divided in habitation and should differ very much in their Laws Religion and Manners that Esau for some time should be greater than Jacob
on so sad an occasion The Sons of Jacob when they heard of it were greatly vexed and very wroth that Shechem had committed so great folly and iniquity and thereby offended God and brought such a stain and blot on their Family Notwithstanding Hamor the Father of Shechem who should have express'd his high Displeasure against his Son for so great a Transgression comes to Jacob and his Sons and Communes with them and Requests them That Dinah might be given to his Son to Wife And further desires That they might freely make Marriages interchangeably between them and so grow into a Kindred and Friendship the one with the other He further tells them on these Conditions the Land should be free for them to dwell in and to Trade in and therein to get Possessions Shechem also seconded his Fathers motion and told them If he might find so much favour in their eyes as to obtain their Sister for his Wife he would do any thing they should desire of him Whatever Dowry they required he should give Her or whatever Gift in recompence of the Injury he had done her he was willing to give her provided he might have her Jacob permitting his Sons to give the Answer they having laid their Heads together and being not only averse to the Match but designing Revenge answered cunningly and deceitfully and which was worse they covered their deceit with the colour of Religion They tell Hamor and Shechem That they could not without dishonour to their Religion give their Sister to a Person Vncircumcised But if they would consent that all the Males among them should be Circumcised and so become like unto them then they would make Marriages with them (t) Similis praetextus 2 Sam. 15.7 Judah enim Simeon Canaanitidas postea duxere c. 38. 2. 46. 10. and dwell with them and they would become one People l Thus they would have this holy Sacrament of Circumcision the Seal of Gods Covenant profaned and obtruded upon Vnbelievers and all to accomplish their wicked design of Revenge But if they would not consent to this they would take the Daughter of their Family and depart from them and would have no more to do with them These hard Conditions Hamor and Shechem agree unto and Shechem out of the great love and kindness he had for Dinah immediately applies himself to get his Peoples consent also And being a young Prince greatly esteemed and honoured among them He with his Father came to the Gate of their City where their Civil Affairs were usually transacted and where were their Publick Assemblies and Courts of Justice and there spake to them after this manner These Israelites that are lately come among us are for ought I perceive very peaceable and quiet Men. I see no reason therefore but that they should be permitted to dwell in the Land and to trade with us Nay I think it for our Interest to make a straight League with them and to make Marriages interchangeably with them taking their Daughters to us for Wives and giving our Daughters to them And so by Commerce and Trafficking with them and by making Marriages with them in time their Cattel and Substance will come to be our So that there is a fair Prospect of great profit that will accrue to us by thus associating with them But there is one Difficulty in the Case These men being Jews and so by the Rite of their Religion being all Circumcis'd will by no means associate with us except we Consent to be like them and that all the Males among us will be Circumcised This I confess is something hard for us to submit unto However go alone consider of the matter among your selves and speak your minds freely This Condition undoubtedly could not but seem very hard to the Shechemites but the honour and respect they had for Hamor and Shechem and the Prospect of Profit that was before them so prevail'd upon them that they consented to it and accordingly all the Males of their City that us'd to go in and out at the Gates of it were forthwith Circumcised On the third day after this was done when usually Wounds are most sore and painful two of the Sons of Jacob viz. Simeon and Levi to whom Dinah was Sister both by Father and Mother taking their Swords in their hands (m) Simeon about 21 Levi about 20 years of age Hinc palam est âeam Jacobo Nuptam anno primo quo venerat ad Labanam non septimo Neque enim Simeon si tunc natus esset id atatis esse poterat ut hoc patraret Anonym in loc and being attending as 't is like by some of their Brethren and other Assistants fell boldly and fiercely upon the City and slew all the Males (n) Non omnes Masculi aut Circumcisi aut intersecti erant sed ii tantum qâi per portam egrediebantur ac nubiles erant Walther God might justly suffer this for the Shechemites own sins though he took occasion to do it from the sin of their Prince See 2 Sam. 24.1 15 17. Quod unus fecit Civibus in genere imputatur quod hoc flagitium nec impedirent nec punirent sed de eo potius gloriati sunt viz. that were of riper years and lately Circumcised and who by reason of their Soreness were not able to make Resistance and among them Hamor and Shechem and took away their Sister Dinah out of Shechem's House where she had been kept since the day he had seiz'd upon her till now Then they plundered the City and carried away not only their Goods and Houshold-stuff but what was in the Fields their Sheep Oxen and Asses and took also their Wives and little Ones Captive (o) 'T is very like that many of the Captive Women and Children were by Jacob sent back to the City with a proportion of the Spoil for their necessary Maintenance keeping what he thought fit to serve as a Recompence for the wrong done to his deflowred Daughter Jacob understanding this was highly incens'd against his Sons and told them that which they had done did exceedingly trouble him and vex him at the very heart They had render'd him odious and made him even stink among the Inhabitants of the Land And his Family bring but few in comparisom of them they had expos'd him and all that belonged to him to that eminent danger of being fallen upon and destroyed by them And 't is likely he shewed them also the hainousness of their Sin against God and the odiousness of their Treachery (p) For this Fact 't is like he deprived them of their Birthright as he did Reuben for his sin and conferred it on Judah Gen. 49. and Cruelty which he afterwards solemnly Cursed Gen. 49.5 6 7. Cursed be their wrath for it was fierce and their anger for it was cruel c. But they gave him a stubborn and churlish Answer That they were not able to bear that their Sister
it seems before they sat down to eat had upon some pretence slip'd away from them intending without their knowledge to take Joseph out of the Pit but he being absent and these Merchants coming by Judah said to them What profit would it be to us to kill our Brother and then conceal his death we should remember that he is our own Flesh and Blood In my opinion we had better sell him to these Merchants and so rid our selves of him To this motion they readily agreed and accordingly drawing Joseph out of the Pit they sold him to these Merchants for 20 pieces of Silver (c) Joseph herein a Type of Christ sold for 30 pieces of silver See Acts 7.9 amounting to about 1 l. 5 s. of our money who carried him down into Egypt and there sold him to Potiphar * Ps 105.17 an Officer of Pharoahs and Captain of his Guard Reuben not long after Joseph was gone knowing nothing of what they had done came to the Pit and not finding him there he rent â See v. 34. of this Ch. and Ch. 44.13 2 Sam. 3.31 his Clothes as they used to do in cases of great and extream sorrow to intimate how their hearts were rent and torn with grief and came to his Brethren and told them their Brother was not in the Pit and he suppos'd they had slain him in his absence as at first they intended But when they had told him that they had only sold him to the Ishmaelites and had not kill'd him he consented with them to Conceal this their Fact from their Father and to deceive him with a forged Tale. For they killed a Kid and dipped Joseph's Coat in the blood of it and sent it to their Father by Messengers of their own appointing who bringing it to Him told him They had found it and desired to know of him whether it was his Son Josephs Coat or no. Old Jacob immediately knew it and cry'd out O my Son Joseph is dead doubtless He is rent in pieces by wild Beasts Then He rent his Clothes and put Sackcloth upon his Loins and mourned for him many days And all his Sons and their Wives with Dinah his Daughter rose up to comfort him but he refused to be comforted that is his Passions did so far prevail over him that he minded not what they said but gave way to the extremity of his sorrow He told them He should carry this sorrow with him to his grave and should go mourning into the state of the dead to his dear Son All which did much aggravate the wickedness of his Sons who had brought this great sorrow upon their aged Father yea and upon Isaac their Grandfather also who lived some years after this and therefore had his share doubtless in this great Affliction Gen. 37. whole Chapter SECT XXXIV NOt long after this Jacob goeth to the Valley of Mamre near Hebron to visit his Father who shortly after died and was gathered unto his People that is to the society of the Just such as he Himself was aged 180 years and was buried in Hebron by his two Sons Jacob and Esau (d) Gen. 35.19 as Isaac and Ishmael buried Abraham Gen. 25.9 See Sect. 17. When the Funeral was over Esau removed out of that Land with his Wives and his Substance to Mount Seir * See Sect. 29. so called from a man of that Name in the Southern Border of Canaan which Land God gave to Esau Deut. 2.5 12. Jos 24.4 partly because His and his Brother Jacob's Riches and Stock were so increased that they could not conveniently dwell together in the same Land and especially God in his all-wise Providence thus disposed and inclined Esau's heart to it that he might leave Jacob in the Possession of Canaan which was appointed for his Posterity and that when the Israelites should come afterwards to inherit that Land Esau's Posterity might neither be destroyed nor displaced Esau was called Edom as we have seen before Gen. 25.30 and from him Idumaea took its Name The Dominion of this Land was first in the hands of Seir the Horite whose Race is set down among whom Ana is reckon'd Esau's Father in law who first found out or devised the joyning of a Mare and an He-Ass together whence issued a kind of beast half-Ass and half-Horse (e) This after was forbidden Lev. 19.19 Thou shalt not let thy Cattel gender with a diverse kind called Mules that never bred of themselves and are only thus begotten And thus the Temporal blessings promised unto Esau by his Father Isaac Gen. 27.39 had their full accomplishment in due time As likewise the Promise to Abraham Gen 22.17 I will multiply thy Seed as the Stars of Heaven and as the sand upon the Sea-shore As also the Oracle given to Rebecca Gen. 20.22 Two Nations are in thy Womb and two manner of People shall be separated from thy bowels c. Esau had a great Posterity Many Dukes descended from him as we find Gen. 36. from vers 15. to 20. and after Dukes there were eight Kings of his Posterity vers 31. which bare successively a golden Scepter while Jacob's Posterity was in bondage in Egypt and before there reigned any Kings over the Children of Israel and after Kings Dukes again So that we see the accomplishment of the Promise made to Abraham Gen. 17.16 That Kings should proceed from Sarah Gen. 36. whole Chapter 1 Chron. 1. from vers 35. to the end SECT XXXV JVdah having shewed himself very unnatural as we have seen before Sect. 33. towards his Brother Joseph we come now to observe how he was punished in his Children He had at that time (f) Facta haec erant paulo post venditionem Josephi eodem ipso anno intra spatium 23 annorum omnia ista peragi poterant Erat tum Judas 19 vel 20 annorum Tribus primis annis genuit tres filios potuit Er uxorem ducere anno 17 Onan 18 qui revera multi dies possunt dici Tamar ex Juda concipere parere anno 21 post venditionem Josephi Quod spectat ad filios Pharez dicendum natos eos quemadmodum decem filios Benjaminis in Aegypto nempe intra annos 17 quibus Jacob in Aegypto vixit ideoque in Aegyptum ingressi dicuntur River namely since Jacob's return out of Mesopotamia and coming into Canaan contrary to Gods Command and the good example of his Progenitors and doubtless without if not against his Fathers advise and consent married a Canaanitish woman who bare him three Sons Er Onan and Shelah The eldest of these he married to Tamar but He being very wicked the Lord by some remarkable judgment slew him Then He spake to his second Son Onan to marry her and to raise up Seed to his deceased Brother * For the condition of such a Marriage was that the first-born was to be counted the deceased Brothers Son according to the use and custom
of that time which 't is like was at first prescribed to them by God but when it was prescribed doth not appear and was confirmed afterwards by an express Law see Deut. 25.5 6. Ruth 1.11 Math. 22.24 and this was to preserve the Preheminence of the First-born as a Type of Christ otherwise and in any other case the Brothers marrying of the dead Brothers Widow was forbidden Levit. 18.16 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy Brothers Wife it is thy Brothers nakedness And this Law seems to be of a moral nature and perpetually binding and hereupon Herod was reproved by John Baptist for marrying his Brother Philips Wife but the former was prescribed to the Jews only upon that particular reason before mentioned and being only a temporary exception or dispensation from a perpetual Precept concern'd only their peculiar state and with it it is at an end But Onan though he married her as his Father injoyn'd him yet wickedly envying the honour of his dead Brother he resolved not to be the Father of any Child that should be reputed His Brothers and not his own and therefore rather than he would raise up seed unto his Brother he spilt his seed on the ground For which great wickedness God cut him off with sudden Vengeance Onan being dead his third Son Selah was to marry her but Judah it seems fearing the like ill hap to him which had befallen his elder Brothers and suspecting perhaps some fault in her or that some unluckiness followed her he perswades her to go to her Fathers House and there continue till his Son Shelah was grown up pretending to her He should then marry her but intending no such thing Shortly after Judah's own Wife the Daughter of Shuah died and when his mourning for her was over he went up to his Sheep-Shearers at Timna at which time they used to feast and rejoyce with their Friends Tamar understanding this and perceiving how Judah had dealt with her as to Selah she putting off her Widows Apparel and putting on a Veil and disguising her self she sat in an open place in the way to Timna where Judah was to pass both to tempt and be tempted Judah not knowing her thus veiled and taking her for an Harlot he applies himself to her accordingly and promises to send her a Kid from his Flock for a Reward She as it seems whispering or changing her voice and tone that he might not discern who she was consents to him on condition he would give her a Pledge viz. his Signet his Bracelets and his Staff that he would perform what he promised Hereupon He lay with her and she conceived by him and went her way and took her Widows Apparel again Judah sends the Kid to her by his friend intending to take up his Pledge But he not finding her Judah said Let her take it and keep it to her self lest by overmuch inquiry after her my folly with her be discovered so much are men more afraid of shame before men than of sinning against God About three months after it was told Judah that Tamar was with child by Whoredom When He heard this He was very angry and said Bring her forth and let her be burnt that is let her be carried before the Magistrate that so she may be punished as an Adulteress with burning according to the Law of the Country (g) It seems it was either law or practise even among the Canaanites to punish Adultery with death and sometimes with fire In such detestation have some Heathens had that sin see Jer. 29.22 23. So Moses's Law after Deut. 22.22 23. condemned them to be stoned and a Priests Daughter for Fornication to be burnt Levit. 21.9 For in regard of the promise that Judah had made of his third Son Selah to her for an Husband and she had accepted of it she was in the case of a betrothed Woman and so her fault was to be reputed Adultery for which Crime no less punishment was thought fit even before the Law was given Judah herein bewrays his own partiality in his own sin and inhumane cruelty in thus judging her to fire and the fruit of her Womb yet unborn and that before he had heard what she could say for her self never minding how unjustly he had dealt with her in not giving Shelah to her and possibly being willing to rid her out of the way because he was unwilling to match Shelah to her But Tamar being brought forth sent to her Father-in-law the Signet Bracelets and Staff affirming that by the Man to whom those belonged she was with Child Judah being thus convicted did not shuffle as many would have done in such a case but being conscious of his Crime he acknowledges those things to be His and thus she convicts by his own Seal entangles him with his own Bracelets and beats him with his own staff He now acknowledges she was more Righteous than himself because he had fail'd to give his Son Shelah to her which if he had performed her Chastity might possibly have bin preserved And thus the cause fell when the Prosecutor was turned from charging her to accuse himself wherein he testifi'd his Repentance and as an evidence thereof he ceas'd from offending in that kind again with her and wherein he had done amiss resolved to do so no more see Job 34.32 Shelah was after married and probably to Tamar See Numb 26.20 Tamars time of travail now drawing nigh behold Twins were in her Womb. Her travail was very painful and perillous by the strife of the Twins in her body and by that God seem'd to Chastize her for her great offence One of the Children putting forth his hand which was not according to the ordinary course of Nature the Midwife bound a Scarlet thread upon it by that mark to discover him from the other saying This comes forth first for so she perswaded her self it would be But He drawing in his hand again behold his Brother came out Then she said How is it that thou art first broken forth This breach is thine or thou art first broken forth into the World and hast put back thy Brother and thou shalt bear the name of it and shalt be called Pharez which signifies a breach Then came forth the other with the Scarlet thread whom they called Zarah (h) Zarah signifies risen or sprung up as the Sun is said to rise from a word signifying to appear because he first appeared and in part came forth first All these things seem here so punctually related to shew the birth of Pharez who was one of our Saviours Progenitors and to intimate to us that it is of meer Grace that one of Judah's Family the fruit of Incest was chosen to be the Stock from whom the Messiah should Spring as also to assure us that Christ will not reject great Sinners who repenting of their Sins fly unto him for pardon seeing he would as to his humane Nature descend of such as
Jacob might possibly have many grounds of fear 1. Because in the like necessity Isaac was forbidden to go thither Gen. 26.2 2. Because this removal with his whole Family was a kind of forsaking the Land of Promise which must needs be the more grievous because the Land of Canaan was a Sacramental Pledge of the heavenly Canaan 3. He might remember what God had foretold to Abraham Gen. 15.13 That his Seed should be afflicted in Egypt many years 4. He might fear his Children might be infected with the Idolatry or other Sins of Egypt However Gods bids him not to fear to go down thither not to go down into Egypt I will there make of thee which I have not promised thee before a great Nation (c) This was wonderfully fulfilled in that of 70 Souls that went down in the space of 210 years there came out 600000 men Exod. 12.37 Deut. 10.22 I will go down with thee and will guide and conduct thee and will assuredly bring thee up again that is thy dead body shall be brought out of Egypt and buried in the Land of Canaan and I will afterwards bring thy Posterity out of that Land (d) Viz. By the Hand of Moses Exod. 12.37 and by Joshua shall bring them into Canaan And he further tells him That his Son Joseph should close his eyes and so he should die in peace in Joseph's life time and presence and in the presence of his other Children Jacob having received this Encouragement from the Lord with his Sons and their Wives and their Children travailed towards Egypt They taking with them their Cattel and the Goods (e) No doubt but they had some Servants with them they had got in the Land of Canaan Their Names and number are carefully set down here and elsewhere by Moses 1. That he might shew God's wonderful Power and Mercy in multiplying the Seed of Abraham as he had promised 2. To distinguish the Tribes in regard of the Royal Dignity and Priesthood 3. To shew the descent of the Messiah according to the Flesh All the Souls that came with Jacob into Egypt viz. that came out of his Loins were 66 vers 26. But if we reckon in himself and Joseph and his two Sons they were altogether when in Egypt 70 Souls as we read Deut. 10.22 Thy Father went down into Egypt with threescore and ten Persons The Septuagint have added five more 1 Chron. 7.14 Namely the five Grandchildren that were born to Joseph * Hi hic numerantur propter honorem Josephi quia nati sunt vivente Josepho avo in Egypt to wit Shutelah and Tachon the Sons of his Son Ephraim and Hadan the Son of Shutelah Numb 26.36 And Machir the Son of Manasseh and Gilead Manasseh's Grandchild 1 Chron. 7.14 Which reckoning the Evangelist Luke follows and reckons them in all seventy five Persons (f) Compare the Names in this Genealogy with the Repetitions hereof Numb 26. 1 Chron. 6.7 8. Chapt. Jacob being now come into some part of the Land of Egypt he sent his Son Judah to Joseph to give him notice thereof and to intreat Him to direct his face that is to give him directions how he should set his face and whether he should next march Joseph hearing of his being come forthwith gave Command that his Chariot should be made ready and so he hasted to meet and wait upon his Father When he was come to the place where Jacob was with a lowly Reverence he presented himself to him Jacob fell on his Neck and kissed Him and wept with tears of Joy and Ravishment to see his dear Joseph alive who he thought had been dead many years before And now says the good old man I am willing to die having seen the face of my beloved Joseph in the Land of the living When these endearing Caresses were over and Joseph had stayed a convenient time with his Father and Brethren he told them he would go and acquaint Pharaoh that they were come and would intimate to Him that their Trade had been about Cattel and that they had brought their Flocks and their Herds along with them Thus we see that Joseph in all his height and greatness was not ashamed of his Kindred nor of their mean Trade and Condition Joseph also gave Instructions to his Brethren that when they came before Pharaoh and he should inquire What their Occupation was they should say Thy Servants Trade hath been about Cattel from our Youth to this day And this he intimates would be a means to dispose and incline Pharaoh to order their dwelling in the Land of Goshen which was a fruitful Pasture-Country And further 't is like he told them that by their living there together they would be less in danger of being corrupted with the Idolatry and Superstition of the Egyptians and less offensive to them by their Trade of Shepherdy Every Shepherd (g) See Notes on Gen. 43.32 It is evident the Egyptians had Flocks of Sheep both the King and People For Chap. 47.6 Pharaoh proffers Joseph to make his Brethren Rulers over his Cattel and among the rest over their Sheep But it seems they kept them rather for their Wooll and Milk than any thing else and haply those that kept them were Strangers rather than Egyptians as the Hebrews generally were being an abomination to the Egyptians on the account before mentioned Sect. 39. Gen. 46. whole Chapter SECT XLIV JOseph being come to Pharaoh he acquaints him That his Father and his Brethren were come into Egypt that their Occupation and Trade being about Cattel they had brought their Flocks and Herds with them and for the present they were ia the Land of Goshen and whether they should stay there or how they should be disposed of he humbly desires to know his Majesties Pleasure Then he presents five of his Brethren to Pharaoh who inquiring of what Profession they were They said Thy Servants are Shepherds both we and our Fathers and the Famine being sore in Canaan we had no Pasture there for our Flocks and so have brought them hither Wherefore we humbly beseech thee Let thy Servants dwell in the Land of Goshen Pharaoh turning unto Joseph told him That the Land of Egypt was before him In the best of the Land he might place his Father and his Brethren and if they liked the Land of Goshen better than any other they might freely dwell there And understanding they were Shepherds he gives order to Joseph that if any among them were men of activity he should make them Rulers over his own Cattel Shortly after Joseph brought his Father and presented him before Pharaoh The good old man having made his lowly Reverence to the King began to bless him praying the God of Heaven to accumulate all manner of Mercies and Blessings upon him who had been so munificently bountiful to his Son Joseph and so kind and gracious to him and the rest of his Children Pharaoh then asked Jacob
granted they acquaint him that it was their Fathers Command before he died that they should humbly beg his pardon and forgiveness of them and accordingly they did earnestly beg it at his hands and they hoped he would not deny it them seeing they were his Brethren and served the same God that He did namely the God of his Father and were truly penitent for their former hainous Transgression against Him Then falling down at his Feet they told him They were his Servants Joseph could not forbear weeping at this their behaviour towards him and pittying their Perplexity and being grieved that they should in the least doubt of his kindness towards them He told them It was true He was in great Power there yet he was under God (g) Masius sic reddit v. 19. Annon sub Deo sum under His All-seeing-Eye and bound to give an account of his actions unto Him who had forbiden him all Revenge and had wonderfully raised him up not only that he might do good to the Egyptians but especially to them that were his own Flesh and Blood And he had no cause to be offended at what they had For whatever their intent was God meant it for good both to him and them And therefore bad them be of good courage and not at all to fear any hurt from him For he would be so far from hurting them that he would nourish them and their Children And accordingly He did so for 54 years after his Fathers death All which time even unto his own death he continued his kindness to them and continued in his Authority and Government and saw his Son Ephraim's Children to the third Generation (h) To wit Shutelah and Tachon the Sons of his Son Ephraim and Haden the Son of Shutelah Numb 26.36 And Machir the Son of Manasseh and Gilead Manasseh's Grandchild From whence it is that the Greek Expositors speaking of the Families of Jacob and Joseph which were said to consist of 70 Souls Gen. 46.27 Deut. 10.22 have added thereunto these five that were born to Joseph in Egypt 1 Chron. 7.14 which reckoning Luke follows Acts 7.14 reckoning them in all 75 Persons and the Children of Machir the Son of Manasseh his other Son were also brought up upon his Knees that is he took pleasure in their Infancy to let them sit upon his Knees and to dandle them see Ch. 30.3 Joseph having now arrived at the age of an 110 and having Governed Egypt under several Kings 80 years and finding his death approaching he told his Brethren That God would surely visit them in mercy and would bring them out of that Land into Canaan which he had promised to Abraham Isaac and Jacob that He would give it them And therefore to testifie his Own and confirm their Faith concerning the Promises of Canaan which was a Type of Heaven he commanded that his body should be kept and carried into Canaan when God brought them out of Egypt and carried them thither see Heb. 11.20 He took also an Oath of them to perform it which Oath as 't is like was Recorded and transmitted to succeeding Generations that they in whose time that Deliverance should be brought to pass should perform it And accordingly his Body was embalmed and kept in a Chest until the time it might be carried into the Land of Canaan and was afterwards carried thither and buried at Shechem see Josh 24.32 Jacob's Purchase and Joseph's Inheritance And there also as 't is probable the Bodies of the other Patriarchs Jacob's Sons and Joseph's Brethren were buried see Acts 7.16 their Bodies being carried up into Canaan with His. Thus died Joseph in (i) Eusebius in his Chronicle hath this passage concerning Joseph Joseph says he was made Governour of Egypt in the 30th year of his age when his Father Jacob was 122 years old which Government he held 80 years After whose decease the Hebrews were held in Bondage by the Egyptians 144 years So that the whole time which the Hebrews spent in Egypt was 215 years reckoned from the time that Jacob and his Sons went down into Egypt the 2369th Year of the World 16 years before the Death of Levi 60 years before the Birth of Moses 140 years before the Israelites coming out of Egypt As may be gathered from Gen. 15.13 Exod. 12.41 Ch. 50. whole Chapter SECT XLIX WIth the Life of Joseph endeth the First Book of Moses's History called Genesis which containeth a space of Two thousand three hundred sixty nine years from the Creation of the World The next to it in order of time is the Book of Job as Learned Men conceive 'T is likely that Job lived when the Israelites were in Egypt and that he lived in the Land of Vz in Idumea or Arabia bordering upon it See Lam. 4.21 Where he had such bad Neighbours the Chaldeans on the one side and Sabeans on the other The Book of Job is undoubtedly a true History and accompanied fully with all the Circumstances requisite to a true History from first to last and attested so to be by the Prophet Ezekiel Chap. 14.14 Though these three men Noah Daniel and Job were in it they should deliver but their own Souls by their Righteousness saith the LORD And by the Apostle James Ch. 5.11 Behold we count them happy which endure Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy This Book is written in the judgment of the Learned in Prose to vers 3. of Chap. 3. And in Verse from thence to Chap. 42. vers 6. and then it concludes in Prose The Penman of it seemeth to be Elihu one of the Speakers in it as may be gathered from Chap. 32. vers 15. They were amazed they answered no more they left off speaking Vers 16. When I had waited for they spake not but stood still and answered no more Vers 17. I said I will answer also my part I also will shew mine Opinion So that he seemeth here to speak of himself as the Writer of this History Job was the Son of Nahor Abraham's Brother descended from him by his Son Huz Gen. 22.21 Huz his First-born and Buz his Brother c. Three of his Friends most likely were of the Posterity of Abraham viz. Eliphaz and Zophar of the Posterity of Esau Gen. 36.10 These are the Names of Esau's Sons Eliphaz the Son Adah the wife of Esau Bildad of Abraham's Race by Keturah And Elihu the fourth of the Race of Nahor Abraham's Brother The Book consists of these general Parts 1. A Description of Job's Vprightness He was an upright man fearing God and eschewing evil Vers 3. Orientalium i. e. in genere neglecto Judaeae situ ad quam erat haec austrina Regio 2. Of his Prosperity 1. He had a numerous Issue seven Sons and three Daughters 2. For Estate He was the greatest man in the East having 7000 Sheep 3000
Camels 500 Yokes of Oxen 500 She-Asses 3. He had a great many Servants 4. There was great Vnity and Love among his Children they feasting one another in their Courses To which may be added Job's Piety and paternal Care in offering Sacrifices for them 3. Of his wonderful Afflictions Satan obtained a Commission to have Power over his Possessions over his Children and over his own Person yet so as not to take away his life and his own Wife mocked at him Hereupon He curses the day of his Birth and wishes he had died before or immediately after his coming into the World Ch. 1. 2. to the 11 vers and Ch. 3. 4. Of his four Friends coming to him to visit him in this his sad Condition Whereof the three first viz. Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar argue and debate the matter with him and pretend to maintain that he that was so extraordinarily and extremely afflicted by God as Job was must needs either be a great and open Sinner or a Close Hypocrite from vers 11. of Ch. 2. to the end Eliphaz begins and is the first Opponent in this Disputation whose Argument is contained in the 4th and 5th Ch. Job's Answer to him is contained in the 6th and 7th Ch. Bildad is the second Opponent His Discourse is contained in the 8th Ch. And it is mainly a Confutation of Job's Reply to Eliphaz Job's Answer to him is set down in the 9th and 10th Ch. In which like an ingenuous Disputant he grants that which is true in Bildad's Argument and denies what is false Zophar is the third Opponent whose Discourse and Argument is contained in Ch. 11. Job's Answer to him is set down Ch. 22 13 14. and it is framed not only as an Answer to Zophar's Argument but also to what Eliphaz and Bildad had alledged before and he concludes with an humble Supplication to God for a mitigation of his Afflictions Eliphaz speaks again and rejoyns Ch. 15. Job Replies to him Ch. 16 17. Bildad also Rejoyns Ch. 18. Job Answers him Ch. 19. Zophar Rejoyns also Ch. 20. Job Answers him Ch. 21. Eliphaz undertakes him a third time Ch. 22. Job's Answer to him is couched in Ch. 23 24. Bildad also undertakes him a third time Ch. 25. Job Answers him Ch. 26. and that puts an end to the Disputation which Job closes with two Speeches The first is contained in the 27th 28th Ch. wherein he professeth his Integrity and his Resolution to hold it to the end The second is contained in the 29 30 31 Ch. wherein he speaks of his former great Happiness and laments his present miserable Condition both in respect of outward and inward Temptations and asserts the Vprightness and Inoffensiveness of his Carriage The Disputation being ended Elihu who takes upon him to be as it were Moderator begins to speak and he makes four distinct Speeches The first is contained in Ch. 32 33. In the close of which he gives Job leave to make his Defence who not Replying he proceeds to His second Speech contained in Ch. 34. His third is set down in Ch. 35. His fourth in Ch. 36 37. Then the Almighty Himself spake out of the Whirlewind and gave the final and decisive Sentence between Job and his Friends And first the Lord Reproves the Ignorance of Job and shews him how unfit he was to contend with his Maker Ch. 38. 39. Job hereupon humbly abases himself before the Lord and yields the Cause and promises Silence and not to Complain any more Ch. 40. v. 3 4 5. Then the Lord Reproves Job for not being brought to a full acknowledgment of the Exact Justice of his Creator and his own Sinfulness The Lord also manifests and declares his own Power and Job's Weakness Commanding Job by way of Irony to do that which none but God can do Then he Exemplifies his own infinite Power in his having created at first and still having the Government over those two vast Creatures viz. Behemoth and Leviathan from vers 6. of Ch. 40. to the end of 41. 5ly The Conclusion of the History which is contained in Ch. 42. where Job confesseth himself Guilty and humbles himself before the Lord repenting in Dust and Ashes God then Reproves his Friends for not speaking of him the things that were right He Charges them to offer Burnt-Offerings for themselves and to get Job to Intercede for them for him he would accept Job is now delivered from his Affliction and blessed with double as much Estate as he had before and in time with as many Children as He had before viz. with seven Sons and three Daughters His Friends and near Relations visit him and present him with Gifts The years of his life are doubled For he lived an 140 years after his trouble and so was 70 years old when his troubles began and died 210 years old the longest liver born since Terah SECT L. Anno Mundi 2385. ABout this time died Levi in Egypt aged 137 Exod. 6.16 being Grandfather by the Mothers side to Moses and Aaron and great Grandfather by the Fathers For when he had begotten Kohath in Canaan and a Daughter called Jochebed in Egypt Amram the Son of Kohath took to wife Jochebed the Daughter of Levi his own Aunt doing therein that which was then customary though afterwards it was expresly forbidden Lev. 18.12 20.19 and by Her He had Miriam Aaron and Moses and having attained to the age of 137. the just age of His Grandfather Levi He died a little before the Departure of the Israelites out of Egypt See Exod. 6.18 20. SECT LI. THe Children of Israel being now by the especial blessing of God increased in Egypt from 70 Souls to (k) At Gen. 46.25 Numerantur solum sexaginta sex Resp Tot descenderunt cum Jacobo At in Egypto 70. Adde enim duos Josephi silios in Egypto natos ipsum Josephum patrem Jacobum sicque sunt 70. a vast multitude after the death of Joseph and the twelve Patriarchs by degrees fall into great Enormities and Abominations As 1. Many of them began to be Corrupt in their Religion and committed Idolatry with the Idols of Egypt as is intimated Josh 24.14 Put away the Gods which your Fathers served on the other side of the Flood and in Egypt and serve you the Lord. See also Ezek. 20.8 2. Some of them joyned in Marriage with the Egyptians as may appear from Lev. 24.10 And the Son of an Israelitish woman whose Father was an Egyptian For these and their other great Sins and Transgressions the Lord now casteth them into a Furnace of Afflictions partly to punish them for their Sins and partly to keep them from setting their hearts on Egypt and to make them long after Canaan the promised Land And accordingly now there arose a new King in Egypt who knew nor Joseph nor the Services he had done for that Crown who fearing the number and strength of the Israelites did resolve to
the top of the Mount where God manifested his glorious Presence and the Lord said unto him I have heard the words of this people which they have spoken unto thee viz. That thou should be a Mediator between Me and them and therein a Type of the promised Messias and they have done well in what they desired And O that there were such an heart (h) Humanitùs optanda non speranda designat in them that they would fear me always and keep my Commandments that it might go well with them and with their Children from Generation to Generation Then commanding that the people should return into their Tents He tells Moses He will speak unto him all the rest of his Commandments Statutes and Judgments and he shall impart them unto the people So that God spake no more than these Ten Commandments immediately by Himself unto the Children of Israel and in an audible Voice Deut. 5.22 the rest He spake unto them by Moses Exod. 20. from vers 18. to 22. Deut. 5. from vers 22. to 32. SECT XVI GOd further Commands Moses to tell the Children of Israel That they had heard Him speak to them out of Heaven that is from on high in the Air but they saw no Image nor Similitude of Him Therefore they should take heed of corrupting themselves in making any Similitude (i) See Deut. 4.15 or Figure of Him or any Image or Idol of Gold or Silver to represent Him or to be worshipped with Him 2ly For such Altars as they should be appointed to make as they were upon the way whereon to Sacrifice their Burnt-Offerings (k) Gen. 8.20 and Peace-Offerings (l) Lev. 3.1 their Oxen and Sheep or upon any extraordinary occasion before they should come to the place which He should chuse to settle his Worship there they must make them either of Earth (m) Such as Samuel and Elias made Afterwards the Altar of the Tabernacle was made of of Shitimwood to be overlaid with Brass Exod. 27.1 and for the Temple of Brass 2 Chron. 4.1 or of rough unpolished Stone for if they lifted a tool upon them to polish them they polluted (n) Curiosity in God's Service against his Command is not an Ornament but a Defilement vers 25. Non ex politis lapidibus cujus nulla ratio dari potest a natura rei desumpta sed tantum ex ordinatione Dei contra quam si quis eat etiam in levissimis per se indifferentibus ea profana fiunt Rivet them by transgressing the Commandment of God and so instead of making them holy they profaned them And the reason of this Injunction seeming to be that the meanness of the matter might shew that God did not intend those Altars should be places of his constant Worship but only for the present time And that the people should not have any superstitious conceit in time to come of the places where these Altars had been raised which might divert their hearts from the only Altar upon which he delighted to be ordinarily served Deut. 12.5 which was a Figure of the Cross of Christ And that they might not think strange at the meanness of these Altars He promises that in all places indifferently where he shall appoint them to build an Altar and where He shall cause his Name to be remembred and called upon He will accept of their Sacrifices and Service and hear them and bless them even in one place as well as in another Lastly He Commands that these Altars should not be so made that the Priests must go up by wide and far distant Stairs (o) V. 26. Ascensus non erit intercisus per gradus longe distantes ut cogeris magnos facere passus ne nudentur verenda tua usus enim foemoralium nondum introductus erat Lyra. and Steps or by Ladders unto them (p) This Institution was in part changed and revoked afterwards For Solomon's Altar was 10 Cubits high 2 Chron. 4.1 and the Priests went up by some steps and stairs to it and accordingly were ordered to wear linnen Breeches Exod. 28 42 43. And the Altar which Moses made for the Tabernacle was three Cubits high Exod. 27.1 But this was for the perpetual use of the Tabernacle and not for a time only and suddenly to be dissolved again as these occasional Altars were lest their nakedness should be discovered thereby which might impair the Honour of those Sacred Rites and would symbolize and agree too much with the lewd and shameful behaviour which the Idolatrous Heathenish Priests used in their Sacrifices Exod. 20. from 22. to the end SECT XVII NOw the Lord gives unto Moses the Judicial or Political Laws the civil Constitutions Ordinances and Statutes contained in the three next Chapters according to which the Magistrates and Judges were to Govern the people The chief Heads of which are as follow 1. Concerning buying Men-Servants A man might not buy an Israelite but either first when he willingly sold himself through extreme Poverty see Deut. 15.12 Exod. Ch. 21. Levit. 25.39 or when he was sold against his Will by the Magistrate for Theft which he was not able to make satisfaction for Or 3ly For Debt which he was not able to pay In such a Case they and their Children might be sold as Servants for satisfaction of the Debt see 2 Kings 4.1 Math. 18.25 Now if it should so happen that an Israelite became a Servant upon any of these accounts here is a Law given concerning the time of his Service namely that he should serve him that had bought him only six years and that in the seventh he should be set free for nothing except the Year of Jubilee fell within the compass of these years and in that Case he should be set free at that time Lev. 25.40.41 Now the reason why the Lord would not have the Israelites serve any longer is expressed Levit. 25.55 namely because they were his Servants and so the Lord would teach the Jews to put a difference between his people and others that were not his people Furthermore the Lord Orders That if the Servant came into Servitude unmarried he shall so go out if he were married his Wife if she were an Israelite shall go out free with him (q) See Deut. 15.12 for only Hâathens might be kept in Bondage Lev. 25.44 46. but with an Hebâew-woman they could not do thus as ap-appears v. 7. But if his Master have given him a Wife in the time of his Service viz. an Heathen Bond-woman and she have born him Sons and Daughters in this case the man was to be set free alone and his Wife and Children were to continue Servants to his Master For the Children born of the Bondwoman are Bondmen and Bondwomen also as the example of Ishmael whom Abraham begat of Hagar sheweth Gen. 21.9 10. Yet no man by this Law was forced to leave his Wife for by continuing in his former Service he might
still enjoy her But the Lord Orders That when himself was set free he should not think under that pretence to deprive his Master of her that was his lawful Servant but should rather endure the continuing of his own Bondage than part from his Wife And this liberty given to a Servant set free to go away and leave his Wife behind him was not an approbation of his forsaking of her but at most only a part and branch of that scope wherein this people were left to themselves for the hardness of their hearts as our Saviour speaks in another Case Math. 19.8 And it was also a great fault in an Israelite if he married a Wife of another Nation and Religion For such Marriages were never pleasing to God But if the Servant shall declare that he loves his Master his Wife and his Children and therefore he will not go free Then his Master shall bring him to the Judges (r) V. 6. before the Gods see Psal 82.1 6. that is before the Magistrates and prove it fairly and openly that it was his Servants free and voluntary act to continue with him And then he shall bring him to the door of his House and bore his Ear thorough with an Awl to shew thereby That he was made fast to that House and tied to serve and obey the Master of it all his life unless the Year of Jubilee fell in the mean time and then all Hebrew Servants were absolutely set free together with their Children Lev. 25.40 41. Exod. 21. from 2. to 7. 2. Concerning buying Women-Servants If an Israelite through extream Poverty should sâll his Daughter under age with intention that she should marry him that buys her if He that buys Her shall afterwards dismiss Her without marrying of Her it shall be upon better terms then he may dismiss an ordinary Servant If she please not her Master so that he doth not betroth (s) Si exosa fuit in oculis heri sui ita at non ducat eam The true reading is so that he doth not betroth her to himself Dr. Willer her to himself then shall he suffer another viz. one of her friends to redeem her but he shall not have power to sell her to a Stranger seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her failing her in that which she expected at his hands And if he shall betroth her to his Son he shall deal with her after the manner of Daughters that is he shall give her a Dowry convenient and all other Priviledges of a free-woman But if having betrothed her to himself he do not in dislike cast her off but yet takes to himself another Wife besides Her however he shall not deny Her Food and Raiment and Cânjugal Conversation (t) Debitum conjugale 1 Cor. 7.3 If he perform none of these three things unto Her viz. Neither to betroth her to himself nor to his Son nor suffer her to be redeemed she shall go out free without paying any thing at all from vers 7. to 12. 3. He that smiteth a man willingly and maliciously so that he dies shall be surely put to death but if he did not lie in wait for him nor had any intention to kill him but God by his secret Providence delivered (u) Quae putant homines casu fieri providentia Dei fiunt Where a man intendeth not to kill and yet killeth God may be said to deliver him into his hand him into his hand so that he shew him unwittingly and unwillingly then the Lord appointed a place whether he should flee viz. while they were in the Desert to the Altar of Burnt-Offering which was in the outward Court of the Tabernacle but when they came into Canaan to the Altar and Cities of Refuge But if a man came presumptuously upon his Neighbour to slay him with guile he shall be taken from the Altar if he flee thither and put to death See 1 Kings 2.25 v. 12 13 14. 4. He that smiteth his Father or Mother and so likewise he that curseth or maliciously revileth his Father or Mother shall be surely put to death (x) See Prov. 30.17 Vers 15 17. 5. He that stealeth a man (y) See Deut. 24.7 and selleth him or if he be found in his hands he shall be surely put to death vers 16. 6. If two men strive together and one smite the other with a Stone or with his Fist yet so as he presently dies not but only keeps his Bed if he rise again and walk abroad with his Staff then he that smote him shall not be put to death but he shall pay for the loss of his time and shall satisfie him for the damage he sustained by being disabled to go about his business and employment so long and shall take care that he be perfectly healed and cured and shall pay for it vers 18 19. 7. If an Israelite shall so strike his Man-Servant or Maid-Servant namely such as were Strangers (z) For Hebrew-Servants there is another Law given Lev. 25.39 of another Nation and bought with his money that either of them die immediately under his hand he shall be left to the wisdom of the Judges to be punished as they shall see cause But if the Servant so stricken continue a day or two alive it is to be presumed (a) Si virgâ castigavit praesumitur non eo animo percussisse ut occideret at si telo aut gladio percussisset habitus erit homicida Rivet his Masters intention was not to kill him seeing he was purchased with his money and no man would willingly be the occasion of his own loss And if he die afterwards the loss of the Servant shall be deemed sufficient punishment His Master shall not be further punished seeing he had power to Chastise him being bought with his money and make him obey him by force vers 20 21. 8. If a Woman with child come in to help her Husband or Friend when another is fighting with Him or to part them and do casually receive some hurt and by that means miscarries yet so as neither the Woman nor the Child dies or is maimed in this case the party that was the cause of the Womans miscarrying shall pay or suffer what the Womans Husband shall lay upon him provided it be judged fit by the Judges in whose power it shall be to determine whether his demand be reasonable or no. But if any great mischief have happened either to the Mother or Child thereby then Life shall go for Life Eye for Eye Tooth for Tooth Hand for Hand Foot for Foot Burning for Burning Wound for Wound Stripe for Stripe So that this Law directs Magistrates in the ordering of publick Punishments to proceed according to the Law of Retaliation * Lex Talionis permissa est duro populo sed charitas fidelium mitigatrix est hujus legis Lippoman and to punish those who had voluntarily done any hurt to their Neighbours according to the
(i) Qui perfecte legem impleverit adipiscetur vitam aeternam At quis hoc praestat non ergo vitam possumus consequi justitia operum seu legis sed fidei in them See Rom. 10.5 that is the man that doth all things prescribed in the Law exactly and perfectly without ever failing in any one particular shall live thereby that is shall obtain eternal life And on these and no other terms doth the Law promise eternal life which now are not possible to be performed by any meer man since Adam's Fall But this Obedience God required of them as a due debt and to direct them whether to have recourse viz. from the Law to the Messias (k) See Gal. 3.24 by whose Merits and Mediation they may be acquitted when by the Law they are condemned That therefore they may walk in the Statutes and Ordinances of God and not conform to Idolaters they are commanded first to beware of Incestuous Copulations and Marriages or approaching to such of their near Kindred as are here forbidden 1. A man must not marry or lie with with his Fathers wife his Mother in law or his own Mother Levit. 18. v. 7. See 1 Cor. 5.1 Gen. 35.22 Deut. 22.30 27.20 2. Nor with his Sister whether she be Daughter both of Father and Mother or of his Mother only and whether born in Marriage or out of Marriage i. e. by Fornication before Marriage v. 9. 3. Nor with his Grand-daughter by Son or Daughter v. 10. 4. Nor with the Daughter (l) Hoc probibitum erat v 9. Sed vel claritatis vel inculcandi gratia more Scripturae repetitur ut nota Aug. quaest 59. of his Fathers wife begotten by his Father for she is his Sister though begotten of a Mother in law but if his Father marry another wife and she hath a Daughter by another man that Daughter is lawful for him v. 11. 5. Nor with his Aunt the Sister of Father or Mother v. 12 13. 6. Nor with his Uncles wife (m) Wherefore it seems more unlawful for the Uncle and Neice to marry together v. 14. 7. Nor with his Daughter in law his Sons wife v. 15. 8. Nor with his Brothers wife From this Law was excepted (n) See the reasons for it Sect. 35. Ch. 3. afterwards the case of a Brothers dying without Male-Issue for then the next Brother or Kinsman was to marry the Widow of the deceased v. 16. Levit. 20.21 9. Nor with his wives Daughter viz. Step-Daughter nor step-Step-Sons Daughter or the Daughters descending from her vers 17. 10. A man ought not to take one wife to another (o) Polagamy seems here forbidden so Deut. 17.17 that is to have two wives together in marriage that the one may not be a vexation * See 1 Sam. 1. the case of Elkanah a Levite having two wives to the other which is like to be more where two Sisters are so conjoyned as may be seen in Jacob's case Gen. 30. And though some of the Fathers did practise Polygamy and God bore with them yet it was not so from the beginning as our Saviour tells us Mat. 19.8 out of Gen. 2.24 and in the N. T. it is quite abolished vers 18. 2. A man was not to lie with his own wife when she was to be separated by reason of her uncleanness vers 19. See Ch. 12.2 and Ch. 15.24 25. and Ch. 20.18 3. Adultery is forbidden or defiling another mans wife vers 20. 4. Offering their Children to Molech the Idol of the Ammonites called also Milcom 1 Kings 11.5 7. for whose honour and worship the besotted Parents caused their own Children to be burnt alive or as some write to pass betwixt two great Fires to be cleansed or purified thereby as they conceived and as a sign of their Consecration to that Idol And it was a horrible vilifying of the Lord thus to forsake him and to yield such honour to such a base Idol-god See Amos 5.26 'T is thought to be the same Idol that in Scripture is ordinarily called Baal as may appear by comparing 2 Kings 23.10 Jer. 19.5 together See Psal 106.37 38. Levit. 20.3 5. 5. All unnatural Lusts and Copulations From all which sins God dehorts them by telling them that these were the Abominations which He intended to visit upon the Land of Canaan and for which she should vomit and spew out her Inhabitants Therefore they must take heed to themselves that they do not provoke Him by the like sins See Levit. 20.22 23 24. Levit. 18. whole Chapter 4. Sundry Laws are repeated and reinforced Ch. 19. with directions how the Violators of them shall be punished Ch. 20. Some relating to the Moral Law as particularly to the 1. Com. Viz. Not to use Inchantments nor superstitiously to observe times counting some days lucky others unlucky Ch. 19. vers 26. Not to go after Wizards or such as have familiar Spirits Ch. 19.31 Ch. 20.6 for such were to be stoned to death Ch. 20.27 See Exod. 22.18 Not to offer their Children to Molech for such as did so were to be stoned Ch. 20.2 3 4 5. And those that connived at their Idolatry God threatens to set his Face against and to destroy those men and their Families 2. Com. Not to turn to Idols nor make to themselves molten Gods or any Images of Stone to bow down to them Ch. 19.4 See Ch. 26.1 3. Com. Not to swear by Gods Name falsly nor profane His holy Name Ch. 19.12 4. Com. To keep the Sabbath and reverence the Sanctuary that is to come thither with an inward awe and fear of Gods Presence and not to approach it in their uncleanness or any other way to pollute it Ch. 19.3 30. Ch. 26.2 5. Com. Ye shall fear and reverence every man his Mother (p) The Mother is set in the first place because Mothers are usually most despised and his Father Ch. 19.3 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary Head and honour the Face of the old Man Ch. 19.32 He that curseth Father or Mother shall surely be put to Death Ch. 20.9 See Exod. 21.17 Deut. 21.18 19 20 21. 6. Com. Thou shalt not curse or speak evil of the Deaf nor put a Stumbling-block before the Blind that is do Injuries to men in confidence that the injur'd persons shall not know who wrong'd them nor be able to right themselves Ch. 19.14 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer sin upon him Ch. 19.17 See 1 John 3.15 Thou shalt not stand against the blood of thy Neighbour that is stand up in Courts of Justice to take away his life either as a false Accuser or as a false Witness Ch. 19. v. 16. Thou shalt not avenge thy self nor bear any grudge against thy Brother but love thy Neighbour as thy self (q) That is in the same manner heartily sincerely constantly as thou lovest thy self though not
them holy they offering the Bread of God and being his Ministers who is holiness it self vers 7 8. 3ly The Priests Daughter if she play'd the whore was to be burnt because she dishonoured the Priest-hood (x) For which cause the Connivance and Indulgence of old Eli to his wicked Sons was the more displeasing to God and it may well be thought by the parity of reason that the same punishment was to be inflicted on the Priests wife and on his Sons if guilty of the like Crimes and the sacred Office of her Father whereas other persons were not to be put to death for simple Fornication neither the man nor the woman Exod. 22.16 17. Levit. 21. vers 9. 4ly The High Priest (y) The High Priests refraining from mourning at Funerals was apishly followed by the Devils Priests Gell. Noct. Attic Lib. 10. Cap. 15. must not defile himself by mourning for any dead whatsoever though of his nearest Kindred for the Crown (z) This may have respect to the golden Plate fastened to his Miter which was upon his head when he was anointed and is called the holy Crown Exod. 29.6 7. Unctus est oleo quod et est vice Coronae diadematis quibus Reges insigniantur of the anointing Oil of God is upon him and he is to be noted and observed rather for qualifications of Grace and Holiness than for natural Affections being a Type of Christs Royal Priesthood therefore he shall not forsake the Sanctuary when he should serve there or uncover his head after the manner of Mourners or indanger himself to be defiled by any such mourning and so profane the Sanctuary vers 10 11 12. 5ly The High Priest was to take only a Virgin (a) So his wife was a figure of the Church which is to be Chast pure and holy 2 Cor. 11.2 to wife no Widow or divorced Woman or Harlot might he take because any blemish in his wife would tend to the reproach and dishonour of his Children born of her And thus profaning his seed he would render them unfit to succeed him in that sacred Office to which being advanc'd by God she should be carful no way to dishonour it vers 13 14 15. 6ly They of the Sons of Aaron that had any bodily blemishes deformities or defects were to be excluded from the Priests Office (b) To signifie the perfection of Christ of whom the Priests were Types and to signifie how pure they should be that are imployed in sacred Functions from any thing that may be a blemish to their Profession and Ministry Under the Gospel bodily blemishes do not disable from the Ministry but blemishes in the mind or manners will render them unfit to be Teachers or Examples to the Flock yet they were allowed to eat of the holy things and to eat the bread of God both the most holy and the holy that is of the Shew-bread and Meat-Offerings and part of the Sin-Offerings and Trespass-Offerings Levit. 2.3 and of the First-fruits Tythes and Thank-Offerings but they were not to serve in the Tabernacle from vers 16. to the end 7ly Laws injoyning the Priests when they were unclean to abstain from holy things whether that uncleanness happened to them by Leprosie Issue touching of the dead or eating any thing that died of it self or was torn with Beasts in which cases they were to be unclean until the evening and then to wash their Flesh and so to eat of the holy things Chap. 22. from 1. to 10. 8ly No stranger that is not a Priest (c) Herein was the difference between the portion of the Priests and of the people though in the same Sacrifice that the Priests portion was only to be eaten by them of his own Family but the portion which belonged to him that brought the Offering might be imparted to any Israelites if they were not debarred by some legaâ uncleanness nor of the Family of the Priests though living in the same house no Sojourner or Guest or Servant hired by the day was to eat of the holy things belonging to the Priest but the bought Servant and he that was born in his house might eat of them The Priests Daughter married to a stranger might not eat of them but if she be a Widow or divorced or without Children and returned to her Fathers house to live there as she did in her youth she may eat of her Fathers meat See Levit. 10.14 Levit. 22. from 10. to 14. 9ly If a man who ought not did unwittingly and thorow mistake eat of the holy things belonging to the Priest he was to repay the full price of what he had eaten and to add a fifth part over and above as a forfeiture for the offence and a Caveat against offending in the like kind for time to come There was also a Ram to be offered for his sin see Ch. 5.15 And the Priests were to take all the care they could that the people did not bring upon themselves guilt by eating what they ought not and so make themselves liable to bear the punishment of their trespass vers 14 15 16. 10ly Laws concerning the Sacrifices that were to be brought for a Vow or a Free-will-Offering which they might offer at their own discretion how they were to be conditioned 1. They must be always males (d) In other Sacrifices a female was sometimes accepted but not in this of Beeves Sheep or Goats 2ly They must be without blemish neither blind nor lame or scabbed c. yet in Peace-Offerings that were not for a Vow but for a Free-will-Offering though no blemish was allowed yet the Sacrifice which had something superfluous or lacking in his parts was accepted but a blemisht Sacrifice that was bruis'd or broken would not be accepted either for an Israelite or a Proselite (e) V. 25. The bread of your God bread is taken for an Oblation see Levit. 21.6 Panis i. e. Sacrificia Menoch 3ly The Beasts to be sacrificed were to be eight days old at least before they were offered because till then they were not fit to be eaten by men being too tender and waterish see Exod. 22.30 4ly The Dam and the young One were not to be kill'd in one day By this as by the Ordinance against blood God intended to admonish his people of Mercy and to restrain them from Cruelty see Deut. 22.6 Lastly When they offered a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving it was all to be eaten the same day none of it to be reserved to the morrow which might make them the more willing to call the Poor to eat with them because the remainders were not to be reserved for themselves but to be burnt These things they were commanded carefully to observe and to take heed of profaning the Name of God or causing it to be blasphemed by the Nations about them by their ill lives For God declares That He will be hallowed among the Children of Israel that is He will have all
and so the Israelites possessed themselves of all their Cities utterly destroying all the Inhabitants thereof and his Country unto the borders of the Amorites which was strong and therefore Sihon had not encroached upon their Country as he had upon the Moabites at least not beyond the River Jabbock Among other Cities which they took Heshbon was one which Sihon took from the former King of the Moabites who was King before their present King Balak and so both Heshbon and the Country adjoyning was the possession of Sihon when the Israelites took it To prove this Moses alledgeth the proverbial or aenigmatical Song which it seems was first made and used by the Amorites by way of triumph over the vanquished Moabites Come into Heshbon let the City of Sihon be built and prepared implying that though Heshbon perished * Vers 30. being in Moabs hands yet now it should be more fairly built and fortified being in Sihons hands For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon a flame from the City of Sihon it hath consumed Ar of Moab and the Lords of the high places of Arnon that is the fury of War which was kindled and began in the subversion and laying waste of Heshbon brake out from thence and consumed the Country of the Moabites as far as Ar a chief City of theirs and the Lords of the high places of Arnon that is their great men and Priests that sacrificed in their high places Woe unto thee O Moab thou art undone O people of Chemosh In this clause of their Song the Amorites scoff at Chemosh the God of the Moabites (n) See Jer. 48.7 13. The Ammonites god was Milcom 1 Kings 11.5 1 Kings 11.7 because he was not able to help them but had permitted those of them that escaped the Sword to be taken Captives by Sihon They further triumphantly add We have shot at them that is all their Country between Heshbon and Dibon one of their high places in the Land of Moab we have taken from them And we have wasted their Country even unto Nophah which reacheth unto Medeba (o) See Isa 15.2 Jer. 48.18 22. another City in the Land of Moab Numb 21. from 18. to 31. SECT LXXVI AFter this Moses sent his Spies to Jaazer a City also that had been Moabs Jer. 48.31 32. but now was the Amorites which they took with the Towns thereunto belonging and cast out thence the Amorites from the River Arnon which is the bound of Moab to the Brook of Jabbock which parteth it from Arnon yet medled not with the Country lying upon the River Jabbock neither with any of the Lands belonging at that time to the Children of Ammon or Moab as God commanded them After this the Children of Israel marched to Bashan a rich Country famous for its huge Oaks Ezek. 27.6 and rich Pastures which nourished strong and great Cattel Deut. 32.14 Amos 4.1 Og King of this Country being a remnant of the Giants whose Bedsted was of Iron nine Cubits in length and four in breadth Deut. 3.11 came out against them and fought with them at Edrei and was there with all his people utterly vanquished and destroyed by Moses and the Israelites whom God encouraged to go out against him and they possessed themselves of all his Country to wit sixty Cities and all that Coast as far as Argob Deut. 3. from vers 1. to 18. Numb 21. from vers 31. to the end SECT LXXVII AFter these Victories the Israelites encamped in the plains (p) So called becase they had been sometimes Moabs though since the Amorites and now the Israelites by Conquest of Moab on this side of the Ford of Jordan right over against Jerico at Abel-Shittim which was their 42d Encamping Here they continued till after Moses's death and till under the Conduct of Joshua they passed over Jordan unto the Land of Canaan In which time many notable things fell out even all recorded from this place to the end of Deuteronomy Numb 22. vers 1. SECT LXXVIII THe Moabites had no reason to be afraid of the Israelites because God had commanded them not to meddle with them and accordingly they had peaceably passed by their Country Yet their minds were stricken with such a terrour from God that all this could not quiet them They saw the Israelites were a numerous and mighty people They had already vanquished two Kings they were still upon their borders Thus God made good his Promise to his people Exod. 15.15 As for the mighty men of Moab trembling shall take hold upon them all the Inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away and Deut. 2.25 This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the Nations that are under the whole Heaven who shall hear report of thee and shall tremble and be in anguish because of thee Balak King of Moab and his people being under these fears they send to the Elders of the Midianites to joyn with them against the Israelites telling them That this vast Company were like to lick up all about them as the Ox licketh up the grass of the field 'T is very plain that the Midianites had no manner of reason to joyn with them For first They were allied to the Israelites being the Posterity of Midian who was the Son of Abraham by his wife Keturah Gen. 25.12 Secondly The Israelites had not hitherto medled with them Thirdly The Israelites Conquest of the Amorites was an advantage to them because they were by this means freed from Sihons Tyrannical Yoke under whom as it appears they were before in bondage However after Consultation it seems they joyned together in this business and Balak and they sent for Balaam a Southsayer who was at that time famous for his Inchantments and Divinations and dwelt at Pethor a City in Mesopotamia his native Country (q) In Mesopotamia or Aram Abraham first dwelt Acts 7.2 Gen. 24.4 10. and there he served strange Gods Josh 24.2 In this Country all the Patriarchs the Sons of Jacob except Benjamin were born and brought up Gen. 35.26 till Jacob their Father fled the Land Gen. 31.21 Jacob's Posterity hereupon professed their Father to be an Aramite Deut. 26.5 And from Aram is now Balaam sent for to curse them The Eastern-Country was infamous for Divination and such like Arts Isa 2.6 scituate upon the River Euphrates to come and curse the Israelites purposing afterwards to make War upon them The Messengers carrying with them large Presents to satisfie him for his Divinations call'd by the Apostle the wages of unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2.15 come to Him and tell him That there was a mighty great people come out of Egypt which covered the face of the Earth and they were now encamped over against Moab They tell Him they came to him from Balak King of Moab and from the Midianites to desire him to come over and curse this people For they were confident he was able by his Curses and
epulis Deut. 12.12 17. praecipue 14. 22. 3. Decima de decimâ quae âat sacerdotum 4. Decima trieterica tertio quovis anno from him which were to be the means of his livelihood all the time they should live upon the Land He shews they might kill and eat for their own refreshing whatsoever they desired at home and when they had a purpose to offer Peace-Offerings and by way of thankfulness to God for some eminent mercy to rejoyce together if the holy place were too far from them they might feast together upon their Cattel which they might kill for food only then they must be sure not to eat them as holy things but even as they would eat the Roe-Buck or Hart. Only says he as I said before be sure you eat not the blood for the blood is the vehicle of the animal life and therefore you may not eat it with the flesh And you must observe this Precept that it may go well with you and your Children (g) A man cannot better bless his Children than by his own Obedience to his heavenly Father after you continually As for their Burnt-Offerings He shews them they must offer the flesh and blood together upon the Altar and the blood of their other pacifick Sacrifices and Peace-Offerings must be poured out upon the Altar and then they might eat of the flesh of * For only the fl sh of these Sacrifices was to be eaten by the Owners Levit. 15. them Further he shews them That when the Lord their God shall have destroyed the Nations before them whose Land they go to possess then they must especially take heed that they be not insnared by following their Idolatry Therefore says He I advise you not to inquire after their gods or how they worshipped them thinking to serve the true God as they served their Idols For they use to perform such Rites and Services to their Idols which are most abominable to the Lord particularly they burn their Sons and Daughters * Of this abomination practis'd by the Heathân and imitated by the backsliding Jews see Jer. 7.31 19.5 in the fire to their gods Take heed therefore of following them in these or any other of their abominations do what I command you from the Lord neither add it to it nor diminish from it 18. He comes now to expound and dilate upon the Third Commandment The Third Commandment by prohibiting Chap. XIII the abuse of the Lords Name which was profaned by false Prophets Revolters and Inticers to Idolatry Having given the people warning to take heed of being seduced to Idolatry by Strangers of other Nations here he gives them the like warning to take heed of being seduced by any that should arise among their own Brethren If there shall arise saith he among you any that shall pretend himself to be a Prophet and shall say that God hath appeared to him a Vision or a Dream and he giveth you a sign or wonder (h) Such as the cleaving Jeroboam's Altar which the Prophet told them of before hand 1 Kings 13.3 as a sure sign that God had sent him that is laboureth to confirm what he saith he had by Vision or Dream by foretelling some wonderful and supernatural thing that shall come to pass though this sign and wonder come to pass yet if withall he shall perswade you to worship false gods or to worship the true God in a false manner you shall not because of his signs and wonders regard what he saith if his Doctrine be not according to the truth which God hath taught you For the Lord may by the Spirit of Prophesie reveal things to come to wicked men and false Prophets as he did to Balaam and Caiaphas He knowing how thereby to bring Glory to Himself though they intend only to corrupt and seduce thereby For the Lord may suffer the Devil and false Prophets thus to abuse men to try and make known whether they love the Lord their God with all their Hearts and Souls and will cleave to him For those whose hearts are upright towards God will not be drawn away from the true Doctrine he hath taught them by such delusions see Gal. 1.8 Therefore he injoyns them to put to death every Dreamer or false Prophet that shall endeavour to seduce them from the true Worship and Service of God unto Idolatry and in so doing they shall not only justly punish evil doers but prevent the hurt which they would do among the people And He tells them That not only the false Prophet but all others whatsoever were to be put to death that should seduce them though secretly to Idolatry and they were not to spare those that were dearest to them in this case If thy Brother says he or thy Son or Daughter or the Wife of thy bosome or thy Friend which is as thine own Soul entice thee secretly saying Let us go and serve other gods of what Nation soever thou shalt not consent and hearken unto him neither shall thine eye pity him neither shalt thou spare or conceal him thou shalt certainly procure his death by declaring the thing to the Magistrate and informing and bearing Testimony against him and procuring justice to be executed upon him according to this Law and as his just Accuser thou shalt throw the first stone at him see Deut. 17.7 and then the rest of the people shall stone him And all Israel shall hear and fear and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you Further that he may manifest Gods extream hatred and detestation of Idolatry he tells them That if in any of their Cities they shall hear of the revolt of any other of their Cities through the instigation of some wicked men Sons of Belial that went out from among them separating themselves from Gods people in point of Religion they must first inquire diligently concerning the truth of the thing and if they find it certain that such abomination is wrought among them then they shall smite the Inhabitants of that City with the edge of the Sword destroying it utterly and all that is therein and the Cattel thereof and they shall gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof and shall burn with fire the City and all the spoil thereof every whit for the honour of God and in Obedience unto his Command thereby offering it up as a Sacrifice to Him and that City shall be a ruinous heap for ever and shall not be built again They must not take to themselves or their own use any part of the accursed goods of the City see Josh 6.17 that so the Lord may turn from the firceness of his anger which oftentimes is kindled not only against the Sinners themselves but all Israel for their sakes see Joshua 7.1 11 12. Chap. XIV 19. He comes now to give them some Precepts concerning their Conversation among themselves which he shews should be holy
suddainly stor'd again Therefore they must take heed that in their rage they did not so wast the Land as to prejudice Posterity But with other Trees that were not Fruit-Trees they might build Bulwarks about a City which they besieged till it was subdued from vers 10. to the end He now gives directions concerning uncertain Murder how it is to be expiated Chap. XXI If one be found slain and lying in a field and it be not known who hath slain him then the Elders and Judges of the Towns and Cities round about shall for the better satisfaction of them all come forth and see the measure taken between the dead body and the Cities round about it if it be doubtful what City is nearest because the next City is to make expiation for the Murder in manner following viz. The Elders of that City shall take an Heifer that hath not been wrought with and which hath not drawn in the Yoke and they shall bring down the Heifer unto a rough and obscure Valley that lies neglected and uncultivated to make the thought of Murder more horrible and dreadful and there they shall strike off the Heifers neck signifying that the Murderer ought so to be used could he be found out and that if they had him in their hands they would so serve him And the Priests the Sons of Levi shall come near whom the Lord hath chosen to minister unto Him and to bless the people in his Name to shew by their presence that this was an extraordinary Sacrifice and that the Elders might before them as in Gods presence protest their Innocence and to see that all things were done according to Law and to satisfie the Elders in any thing that might seem doubtful For by their word and Sentence as Expounders of Gods Law any thing in Controversie or any Stroke must be judged or tried And all the Elders of that City which was nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the Heifer thereby intimating that they were innoceââ of the blood of the slain man see Matth. 27.24 and they shall solemnly declare and protest That their hands have not shed that blood neither have their eyes seen it shed by any other Then the Priest shall say Be merciful O Lord unto thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed and lay not innocent blood unto their Charge Impute not that to them which hath not been done by them and lay not the punishment thereof upon them And so they shall put away the guilt of innocent blood from among them that is they shall be discharged from the guilt of this murther and shall not be punished for it they performing all these things which are here commanded by God from vers 1. to 10. 2ly He gives direction that when they go out to War with a foreign Nation and among the Captives see a beautiful Woman * It was not lawful for them to contract any alliance by marriage with the Amorites see Exod. 34.16 Deut. 7.3 which one of them hath a desire to make his wife In such case he shall bring her home to his house and she shall shave her Head and pare her Nails and shall put off the Heathenish Garment wherein she was taken and shall bewail her Father and Mother a full month as if they were dead she being to bid farewel for ever to them by all which things was intimated that she must renounce her Heathenism and all the corrupt Customs and Superstitions thereof and forsaking her Fathers house must be ingrafted into the Israel of God and must worship God as they did These things being performed she might become his wife But if after he had consummated the marriage â This liberty for Israelites to marry Heathenish Captive-women is like that of Divorce Deut. 24. which was only suffered for the hardnâss of their hearts and is only to be understood of the Captives of foreign Nations not of the Canaanites who were all to be destroy'd with her he should find no content in her and was desirous to put her away he might do it but must then freely set her at liberty to go whether she would because he had humbled her He must not sell her for money under pretence that she was his Captive and Servant from vers 10. to 15. 3ly If a man have two wives which though contrary to God's first Institution Gen. 2.22 23 24. yet He for a time suffered but approved not as appears Mal. 2.15 Matth. 19.4 5. and one of them was better beloved by him than the other and he have Sons by them both He commands that the Son by the first wife though less beloved shall not lose his right of Primogeniture but he shall injoy the right of the first-born which by the Law of Nature belonged unto him and his Father shall give him a double portion of all that he hath For he is the beginning of his strength from vers 15. to 18. 4ly If any man have a stubborn and rebellious Son which will not obey the voice of his Father or the voice of his Mother and that when they have chastened him will not hearken unto them then shall his Father and Mother bring him to the Elders of the City and shall say unto them This our Son is stubborn and rebellious he will not obey our voice he is a Glutton and a Drunkard Then the Elders of the City shall examine the matter brought against him and if they find it true the men of the City shall stone him with stones that he die So shall ye put away evil from among you and all Israel shall hear and fear By the severity of this Law Children were taught to be more obedient to their Parents and Parents were taught to be more careful in a right Education of their Children from vers 18. to 22. 5ly If any man have committed some notorious Offence that deserveth the judgment of death and being condemned for it be hanged on a Tree His body shall not remain all night upon the Tree but they must in any wise bury him that day for he that is hanged is accursed of God that the Land be not defiled This kind of death was usually the punishment only of those who had by some notorious wickedness provoked God to pour out his Wrath upon the whole Land and so were hanged up to appease his Wrath as we may see Numb 25.4 2 Sam. 21.6 And it was esteemed the most shameful and accursed * Hence it was that God would have his dear Son our blessed Lord and Saviour suffer this kind of death that even hence it might be more evident that in his death he bare the Curse due to our sins according to that of the Apostle Gal. 3.13 because the very manner of this death did intimate that such men as were thus executed were such execrable and accursed Wretches that they did as it were defile the Earth with treading on it and would
them to observe and do lest God should smite them with Leprosie as he did Miriam who was by Gods special Command shut out of the Camp seven days until she had been purified according to the Law And if she could not be exempted none of them must hope for exemption in that case from what the Law required vers 8 9. 6ly When a man did lend any thing to his Brother upon a Pledge he was not to go into his house and pick and chuse what Pledge he pleased but should be content with that which the Borrower brought out to him poor men being unwilling that strangers should see their penury and want And if the man were very poor so that he gave his Covering or Garment wherein he lodged to Pledge see Exod. 22.26 the Lender was to return it to him again before the Sun went down that he may sleep in his own Rayment and so may bless the Lender and pray for him for his mercifulness to him and it should be esteemed as a righteous * See Psal 106.31 thing and a good work in him before the Lord who will reward him for it from vers 10. to 14. 7ly They were not to oppress an hired Servant whither of their own Brethren or a Stranger that was poor and needy but to pay him his wages â See Levit. 19.13 at the day appointed and not put him off further For being poor he setteth his heart upon his hire as that by which he must maintain himself If they did otherwise the poor man might Cry unto the Lord against them and God might thereupon be provok'd to punish them for their unmercifulness vers 14 15. 8ly Neither the Fathers * Ad judices haec dici patet ex sequentibus Regula haec ordinaria est Interim in casibus quibusdam extraordinariis Magistratibus mandatum fuit filios cum Parentibus occidere vide Deut. 13. Jos 7. Judic 20.21 2 Sam. 21. shall be put to put to death for the sin of the Children nor the Children for the sin of the Fathers but every man shall suffer for his own sin vers 16. 9ly They were not to pervert the Judgment of the Fatherless or Stranger or take a Widows Garment to Pledge but should remember how they themselves were Bondmen in Egypt and how God delivered them thence and therefore they should be merciful to others vers 17 18. 10ly In time of Harvest if they have forgotten a sheaf in the Field they shall not go and fetch it but leave it for the Stranger Fatherless and Widow that God may bless them in all the works of their hands Levit. 19.9 23.22 And so when they gather their Grapes and Olives they shall leave the gleanings for the poor vers 19. to the end 11ly The Judges are appointed to judge righteously in all cases that shall come Chap. XXV before them to justifie the Righteous and condemn the Wicked And if a wicked man or Malefactor deserve to be beaten they shall order him to receive forty stripes and no more lest if they should proceed to what extremity they listed their Brother should seem vile in their eyes and fit to be used with no more regard than if he were a beast The Jews were so superstitiously careful not to transgress this Law that their custom was to stay at 39 stripes even when they meant to go as high as they might and that for fear they should exceed from vers 1. to 4. 12ly They were not to muzzle the Ox when he treadeth out the Corn. The Israelites used not to thresh their Corn with Flails as we do but trod it out with the feet of Beasts Hosea 10.11 yea sometimes with Cart-wheels see Isa 28.27 28. By this Law the Lord taught them to be merciful to the bruit Beasts they had occasion to make use of and by necessary consequence to beware of depriving their Brethren of that which was due to them for the service they did them but to let them eat and enjoy the fruit of their Labours see 1 Cor. 9.9 13ly If a man die leaving no Child his wife may not marry out of her Husbands Family but her Husbands next Brother or next Kinsman shall marry her and the first-born which she beareth him shall be counted the legal Son of his Brother * Hence Obed whom Boaz begat of Ruth is said to be Naomi's Son Ruth 4.17 because he was counted the legal Son of Elimelech her deceased Son Ruths former Husband though he was withall counted the natural Son of Boaz Luke 3.32 See Sect. 35. of the third Chapter of this History that died without Issue that so his name may be continued in Israel But if the next Brother refuse to marry her she shall complain to the Elders and if he still persist in it before them that he will not take her to wife she shall loose his shoe (s) In all resignations of House or Land from one man to another this Ceremony was used so that He that did resign the House or Land pulled off his shoe and gave it to his Neighbour to whom he passed it over Ruth 4.7 thereby signifying that He passed it over Ruth 4.7 thereby signifying that He would from thence forward be disabled from going any more upon such Land or into such a House or any part of the Estate from off his foot as intimating thereby that he was unworthy to enter upon and possess his Brothers Estate and shall spit in his face (t) This was only done when the woman did claim and press her right before the Elders and the next Kinsman did obstinately refuse her For when by free agreement the next Kinsman did resign his right to another the Widow also consenting then this note of Infamy was not put upon Him as we may see Ruth 4.8 where no spitting on the face of the next Kinsman is mentioned but only by pulling off his shoe he resigned his right to Boaz and so he married Ruth by way of disgrace and contempt thereby declaring him a man unworthy to shew his face among his Brethren and shall say Thus shall it be done to the man that refuses to build up his Brothers house And when in after-times this mans Family shall be spoken of they shall speak of it as the House or Family of a man that had his shoe loosed and so a note of Infamy shall rest upon him and his Family that men may thereby be made the more careful to submit to the directions of Gods Law from vers 5. to 11. 14ly If a woman see a man beating her Husband and run in to help him she may not take him that strove with her Husband by the Secrets thinking thereby to make him give over smiting him if she do her hand shall be cut off by the Magistrate without pity God thereby intimating to them how much he abhorred all bold shameless and impure behaviour in those that professed themselves to be his people
HEre the History * Some think Samuel the Pen-man of this History of Ruth according to the judgment of learned men falls in which serves mainly to declare how Ruth being married to Boaz Son to Salmon a Prince of the Tribe of Judah who married Rahab that entertained the Spies at Jericho bore unto him Obed who was the Grandfather of David of whom according to the Flesh Christ came Matth. 1.5 As also to shew that Christ deriving his Humanity from the Gentiles as well as the Jews Ruth being a Moabitess Salvation by Christ belongs not only to the Jews but to the Gentiles also The History of Ruth is in brief this God at this time it seems for the sins of the people of Israel had sent a Famine among them Upon this Elimelech of Bethlem-Judah or Bethlem-Ephrata so called to distinguish it from another Bethlem in Zebulun Josh 19.15 with his wife Naomi and his two Sons Mahlon and Chilion went over into the Land of Moab to Sojourn there during the Famine Here Elimelech dies and after his decease his two Sons married to two Daughters of Moab (i) If they had embraced the true Religion before they married them doubtless they offended against the law Deut. 7.2 Nehem. 13.23 That Ruth had embraced the true Religion appeareth plain v. 16. Ch. 2.12 of Orpah the case is doubtful Ch. 1.15 whose Names were Orpah and Ruth and having lived there with them about ten years both these young men died without Children Thus Naomi lost both her Husband and her two Sons in this Country She hearing at last that the Lord had visited his people in mercy and sent them plenty again she resolves to return to her own Country It seems both her Daughters-in-law did intend at first to have gone with her into the Land of Judah and did both of them accompany her part of the way thither But she advised them both to return to their own Mothers for 't was pity they should leave them and go with a Mother-in-law into a strange Country Therefore she said to them Return back and the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with your Husbands my Sons that are now dead and as ye have dealt with me My prayer to the Lord is that He would please to provide you good Husbands with whom ye may live comfortably and who may be able to defend you from Injuries and provide things necessary for you that so your Husbands houses may be places of rest and true content unto you Then she kissed them to take her farewel of them but they lifted up their Voice and wept and said They would not leave her but would go along with her to her people Naomi pressed them again to return Alas says she there are no more Sons in my Womb that according to the Law Deut. 25.5 6 might make you Husbands There is no expectation of any such thing from me who am old Besides if it should be supposed that I should be married to an Husband this night and should have Sons by him surely you would not stay for them till they were of age fit to make you Husbands Therefore return to your own Friends For though the Hand of God is gone out against me and is heavy upon me and He hath brought me low yet it grieves me not so much for my self as for you that I am not able to yield you any comfort or support at all Then they lift up their Voice and wept again being much affected with these tender Speeches of Hers to them Quia non Religione sed humanitate mota fuit ad sequendum socrum However Orpah thinking it best for her to return kissed her Mother-in-law and took a final Farewel of her but Ruth clave to her and told Her She would not forsake her Naomi told her She saw her Sister was gone back to her people and the Country where the (k) Possibly Orpah after her Husbands death had fallen back to the Idolatry of the Moabites gods of the Moabites were worshipped Go thou therefore says she after her (l) V. 15. Tentativè dictum non positivé Ruth desir'd her not to press her to leave her For says she whither thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge thy people shall be my people and thy God my God Where thou diest I will die and where thou art buried there will I be buried also The Lord do so to me (m) A form of an Oath which not only the Jews but other Nations used by which they prayed God to send some great evil upon them if they did not speak truly see 1 King 19.2 20.10 But they were naturally afraid to mention the evil they wished to themselves or others not daring to use such desperate particular Imprecations as the prodigious Wretches of our Age do and more also if ought but death part thee and me Naomi perceiving her stedfastness left off pressing her further and so they went on till they came to Bethlem When they came thither the Inhabitants of that Town were amaz'd to see her who had lived in so good fashion among them and went out with her Husband and two Sons return now in so poor a Condition with only a young Widow hanging on her And they ask'd with some admiration Is this Naomi She answered Call me not Naomi which signifies Pleasant but Mara which signifies Bitter for the Lord hath brought many bitter Sorrows and Afflictions upon me I went out full but the Lord hath brought me home empty The Lord hath testified his Displeasure against me and convinc'd me of my Sins by laying these sharp Afflictions on me Ruth 1. 'T was about the beginning of Barley-Harvest in the Month Nisan answering to part of our March and part of our April when they came to Bethlem and there lived as it seems in a very poor Condition Ruth told her Mother-in-law She had a mind to go out and Glean if she could find a mans Field who would so much favour her as to give her leave And herein she expressed her humility and modesty that she would not make use of the liberty allowed by the Law Levit. 19.9 without the leave and consent of the Owner Her Mother bids her go She accordingly went and it happen'd that she lighted upon a Field that belonged to Boaz a rich Kinsman of Elimelech's and making suit to the Overseer of the Reapers that she might have leave to glean after them she obtained her desire Boaz coming to see his Reapers said to them The Lord bless and prosper you and your labour They answered The Lord multiply his blessings on thee Boaz ask'd his Bailiff Who that Damsel was who was there gleaning He told him She was the Moabitess that came back with Naomi out of Moab to whom he had given leave to glean and she had followed her gleaning hard from morning to that time only now in the heat of the
assured of both these I am not discouraged from giving thee this advice to draw on Boaz to marry thee who by the Law ought to do it Ruth follows the advice of her Mother-in-law and when Boaz was gone to take his rest at the end of the heap of Corn she came softly and uncovered his Feet and laid her down by him At midnight Boaz awakes and being much surpriz'd to find that a Woman lay at his Feet He asks Who she was She answers I am Ruth thy Hand-Maid Spread I pray thee thy Skirt (p) A proverbial Speech signifying the taking of One into Protection over me that is accept me for thy Wife and perform to me what so near a Kinsman as thou art ought to do viz. to marry me and so to raise up Seed to my deceased Husband Boaz said Blessed be thou of the Lord my Daughter for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than in the beginning as if he should have said Thou shewedst much kindness to thy Husband whilst he lived and since his death in leaving thy Country and coming along with his Mother hither yet thy present Act of chast love exceedeth all the rest and in thy preferring me an old man before young men who are more suitable to thy age and that out of love to thy deceased Husband to revive his Name among the people of God Therefore fear not I will do what lies in me to satisfie thy desire according to God's Law in procuring for thee such an Husband as it requireth For this whole Town speaks thee to be a vertuous Woman And I must tell thee though I be near of Kin to thee yet there is one nearer than my self who ought to be preferred before me and to marry thee and to redeem the Land thy Mother will sell Therefore in the morning I will inquire whether he will perform that part of a Kinsman to thee and if not then will I do it my self Lie down therefore and take thy rest until the morning and then thou shalt know further concerning this matter But let it not be known that thou camest hither and layest at my Feet For next to the keeping of a good Conscience we must be careful to keep and preserve a good Name Ruth accordingly reposes her self there till towards the morning and then rising to go away Boaz bids her stay a little and bring her Apron and according to the honest plain bounty of those Times he gave her six Measures of Barley as a Token of his love and for a present supply of Hers and her Mothers wants Ruth coming to her Mother-in-law so very early in the morning she hardly knew her at first and therefore asked who she was Ruth relates to her all that had happened Then Naomi bad her rest satisfied with what was already done and quietly expect what issue God would give unto it and to stay within that she might be in a readiness if Boaz should send for her For she believed He would not be quiet till he had brought this business to some issue Ruth Ch. 3. whole Chapter Boaz the next morning went to the Gate of the City and there sitting down he waited for his Kinsmans passing by who was nearest of Kin to Ruths Husband and was like to go forth that way into the Field about his occasions as also that he might meet with such Elders of the City as did usually sit in that place of Judicature and were fit to be called together for the hearing and determining that great and weighty business which he had in hand of which number He called together ten And immediately as he expected this Kinsman came by to whom he applied himself and told him That the Widow Naomi who was lately returned out of Moab had a piece of Land made over to her for a Joynture or Dowry by her Husband Elimelech which she was to enjoy for term of life and then it was to descend to Mahlon her eldest Son but he was now dead He tells him This Joynture Naomi being poor intended now to sell to maintain her self and her Daughter-in-law He acquaints him that the right of Redeeming it belonged to him as next Kinsman to Elimelech but if he refused to redeem it then it belonged to himself as next of Kin after him to Elimelech The Kinsman hearing this said He would buy it of Naomi Boaz told him If he would buy it of Naomi he must buy it of Ruth the Widow of Mahlon the Son of Elimelech who had also a Right in it and so coming in as next Kinsman to buy her Husbands Land he was bound as next Kinsman also to marry her that he might raise up Seed to her deceased Husband and so continue his Name to his Inheritance For as Naomi had enjoyed this parcel of Land as Elimelech's Widow so it seems it was ordered that Ruth should enjoy it after her as Mahlon's Widow and he that would Challenge from Ruth the Priviledge of next Kinsman in the purchase of her Land was also to perform the duty of the next Kinsman to her in marrying of Her The Kinsman hearing this and perceiving whither it tended told Boaz He could not buy this Land clogged with such a Condition If he should he might thereby mar his own Inheritance For his marrying with Ruth a poor Widow would be a great hindrance to his Estate which might be much advanced by a rich Wife and besides if he should marry her and have but one Son by her that Son of his would be called by the Name of Mahlon Ruths former Husband and he should want an Heir begotten by himself to bear his own Name which was Onans fear Gen. 38.9 Therefore he freely renounced his Right which he had as next Kinsman unto Boaz and in token thereof as the manner was in all other Alienations he plucked off his own shoe (q) When the Widow complained to the Elders and the next Kinsman notwithstanding refused to marry her in that case the Woman was to pull off his shoe and spit in his face Deut. 25.9 But here there was no such thing done but the man pulled off his own shoe and gave it to Boaz The ground of which Custom was this the shoe signified the Right that a man had to go and walk at pleasure upon any parcel of Land as his proper Demeans for possessio is quasi pedum positio And the pulling off his shoe and giving it to his Neighbour intimated that he did forgo his own Right and resigned it to his Neighbour and gave him power to go upon the ground as his own see Psal 60.8 and gave it to Boaz thereby signifying that he willingly resigned his Right unto him Boaz as it seems hereupon bought of Naomi the Land before-mentioned and called the Elders there present to be Witnesses thereof and as a Consequent thereof he tells them He had purchased Ruth to himself for a Wife the Widow of Mahlon to
raise up the Name of the dead upon his Inheritance that it may not be cut off from among his Brethren and from the Gate of his Place that is from among the Inhabitants of Bethlehem who daily go in and out at the Gates of the City and upon all civil Occasions resort thither as to their place of Judicature Hereupon the Elders and all the people there present declared that they were all Witnesses to these Transactions And so they wished Boaz all happiness with Ruth whom he intended to take for his Wife praying unto the Lord that she might be to him what Rachel * Here Rachel is named before Leah because she was Jacob's true and lawful wife Leah was fraudulently put upon him and Leah which two did build the House of Israel were to Jacob viz. that she might be very loving and comfortable to him and might bear him many Children as they did that thereby the Israel or Church of God might be increased Then speaking to Him they said As for thy self we heartily wish thou mayest do worthily in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem We heartily wish thy House may be like the House of Pharez â See Sect. 35. of Chap. 3. that is as Pharez of whose Stock thou art was blessed in his Posterity though his Mother was a Stranger and not of the Stock of Israel so that his Children and Childrens Children have been most honourable in the Tribe of Judah so we wish that thou maist be blessed in thy Children begotten of this poor Stranger and that they may still uphold the Honour of that House So Boaz took Ruth to wife and God gave her to conceive and she bare him a Son Upon this the Women congratulated Naomi saying Blessed be the Lord who hath not left thee this day without a Kinsman a pious Kinsman indeed who hath raised up Seed to his Kinsman thy Son deceased and let his Name be famous in Israel for it He will comfort and revive thee and restore thee as it were to a new life He will be a Nourisher of thy old age and make thee as it were young again For Ruth thy beloved Daughter-in-law who is better to thee than seven Sons hath now born him * Vers 15. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã poterit verti peperit ei scil vindici Pronomen enim affixum saepe ponitur Et exponendum est per dativum separatum Capel a Son which must needs be matter of great joy to him Then Naomi took the Child and laid him in her Bosom and became a dry-Nurse to him And the Women her Neighbours said There is a Son born to Naomi because this Son of Ruth was to raise up the Name of her deceased Husband Mahlon the Son of Naomi and to be accounted his Son rather than the Son of Boaz. However they gave their advice that his Name should be called Obed importing that they hoped he would be very serviceable to his Mother and Grand-Mother Indeed every where in the Genealogies Obed is reckoned the Son of Boaz but that is because there it is fit the line should be drawn according to the natural Descents that we may truly know the Ancestors of whom Christ came without any respect to this legal Ordination This Obed was the Father of Jesse who was the Father of David The principal end of setting down this Genealogy â By the Genealogy of David set down in the end of this Book 't is manifest it was written after David's time unless that were added to the Book in succeeding times by some other Author here seems to be to shew the truth of Jacob's Prophesie concerning Christ's coming of the Tribe of Judah and therefore it begins with Pharez Juda's Son and so descendeth to David of whose Stock it was also known that the Messiah was to come Ruth Ch. 4. whole Chapter SECT CXXXVI WE return now to the History of the Judges When Ebud was dead the Children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord. Vnder none of the Judges did they enjoy so long a peace as in the days of Ehud as we may see Ch. 3.30 viz. 80 years And now we shall shew how ill they requited the Lord for so great a Mercy As standing waters are wont to putrifie so they were corrupted by their long Peace and by degrees fell off from God unto Idolatry as they formerly had done Upon this God gave them up into the hands of Jabin King of Canaan that is of those Canaanites that dwelt in the Northern parts Successor to that Jabin slain by Joshua whose chief City Hazor he burnt Josh 11.1 10 11 12. yet this Son or Successor of his it seems re-inforcing himself recovered from the Israelites that part of Land and Territory that lay about Hazor and repairing the City reigned there as his Predecessors had done And now at last not contented with his own Kingdom he made War against the Israelites in general and brought them into Subjection to him and cruelly oppressed them in Revenge no doubt of what Joshua had formerly done against that Kingdom and City The Text says He mightily oppressed them vers 3. which Expression is no where used concerning any other Bondage the Children of Israel were under and he oppressed them a long while viz. twenty years Third Oppression under Jabin twenty years and this Oppression must needs be the more grievous to them because they were brought under the Canaanites that accursed Nation whom God promised to cast out before them and would have done it had not they by their grievous Sins prevented their own Mercies And observable it is that whereas their first Bondage under Cushan-rishathaim King of Mesopotamia continued but seven years the next under Eglon continued eighteen years and this under Jabin continued twenty years Thus we see when lighter Corrections did no good the next were sorer and of longer continuance and because they abused God's Mercy and readiness to withdraw his Hand when they cried unto him therefore he continued the next Judgments longer upon them But to go on The Captain of Jabin's Host was Sisera who dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles in the lot of Naphtali whither many of the Canaanites in the timâ of Israels prevailing fled as unto a place of Strength and there fortified themselves Jabin had a great Army and 900 Chariots of Iron and continuing to Oppress Israel very sorely they cried unto the Lord and humbled themselves Deborah the Third Judge and He was at length pleased to hear their Cry and send them a Deliverer It seems at this time * Namely whilst Jabin oppressed them so that those 20 years or within ãâã those 40 yâars of Dâbrorah vers 31. Populum judicabat sine Principatu tamen Jus populo dixit litesque composuit sed absque jurisdictione sive potestate judiciariâ Quia Prophetissa mulier prudens erat sponte populus ad eam controversias suas detulit Judices
Israel many years He had many Wives by whom he had sixty nine Sons and one Concubine who dwelt at Shechem whom he took as a secundary Wife and in an inferiour degree having been before his Maid-Servant Ch. 9 18. by whom he had Abimelech At length Gideon died in a good old age and was buried in the Sepulchre of his Father at Ophra Ch. 8. from vers 22. to the 33. SECT CXLI PResently after Gideon was dead the Israelites fell to Idolatry again and went a whoring after Baalim and worshipped Baal-Berith for their god the Idol of the Shechemites signifying the Lord of the Covenant so called possibly because when they made choice of him to be their Idol-god they bound themselves by Covenant to serve him which possibly the Devil put them upon in imitation of God and so by adhering to him they broke their Covenant with God And they were now so besotted with Idolatry that they forgot the only true God their great Deliverer and wholly neglected his Worship and Service and worshipped only Idols Neither shewed they themselves grateful to Gideon who had deserved so well of them neither did they shew kindness or seek the good and welfare of his Family The people being thus generally corrupted as the Lord had formerly punished their Idolatry and Apostacy by suffering some of the Neighbour-Nations to Invade them and sorely Afflict them so now he resolved to punish them by the Tyranny of One from among themselves even by Abimelech the Son of Gideon their late Judge who upon his Fathers death attempted to get to himself the Regal Power which his Father had so lately refused To make way hereunto he went presently to Shechem and there began to tamper with his Vncles his Mothers Brothers and the rest of her Kindred and employed them as his Instruments being possibly of some Rank and Esteem in Shechem to see if they could draw the Inhabitants of that City to Aid and Assist him in his Project not doubting but if he could effect this he should be able well enough to accomplish the rest of his Design And thus by the Miseries which this Son of a Concubine brought upon his Fathers House and the whole Kingdom we may see that God did even in those Times testifie his Displeasure against their having several Wives and Concubines though for the present He did permit it But to proceed Abimelech being come to Shechem and addressing himself to his Kindred and acquainting them with his Design He desires them to perswade the men of Shechem to make him King He tells them That though his Father had in modesty refused the Kingdom yet it was fit now according to their Profer they should settle it upon his Posterity Secondly He perswades them that his Brethren had a Plot upon the Kingdom to divide it among themselves though it does not appear they had any such thought and he shews them that it were better for them to settle the Government upon Him alone then to suffer themselves to be under the Command of all Gideon's Sons 3ly He tells them He was bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh and being of their own blood they might expect all kindness and favour from him and further it would be a great honour and advantage to them to have a King so nearly allied to them Abimelech's Kindred seemed much pleased with what he had said to them and accordingly moved the business to the rest of the men of Shechem whose hearts readily inclined to favour Abimelech's design because he was their Kinsman And in order to the carrying on thereof they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the Treasure of their Idol-god Baal-Berith wherewith he hired vain and light persons to follow him and these he armed that he might by their Aid and Assistance accomplish what he had designed And thus the money that had been given to their Idol-god became the first fewel for the kindling of that fire in the Land wherewith the Lord intended to punish the Idolatry and other Sins of the people With these Forces and the assistance of some of the Shechemites V. 5. Being threescore and ten persons 'T is usual in Scripture to put a perfect and round number for an imperfect see Gen. 42.13 Numb 14.32 33. 1 Cor. 15.5 Abimelech went to Ophra and there seizing all his Fathers Sons excepting Jotham the youngest and pretending something against them under a pretence of Justice as if they had had some Plot upon the State tending to the ruine of it he put them all to death and executed them all in one place upon one Stone This being done the men of Shechem gathered themselves together and the Magistrates of the City who were wont to meet in a Town-House or Common-Hall called the House of Millo and made Abimelech King Abimelech the Fifth Judge if at least He may be so esteemed seeing He was not set up by the appointment of God and so proclaimed him in the Field near Shechem where Joshua in former time had erected a great stone under an Oak Josh 24.26 Indeed it may seem strange that the Inhabitants of one City should dare to do this alone of themselves it being expresly also against the Law of God Deut. 17.14 15. Thou shalt in any wise set him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall chuse But though the Shechemites possibly at first made him King only over their own City yet afterwards it seems many other Israelites of other Towns and Tribes did come in moved by their Example and Perswasion and joyned with them and accepted him for their King and the rather because they generally began to be weary of the Government God had established among them and longed to be like other Nations in having a King to Reign over them Abimelech therefore daily gathering more and more strength at last he usurped the Title of King over the whole Nation whence he is said to have reigned three years over Israel vers 22. The Lord now intending to punish Abimelech and the Shechemites for changing the Government which he had established among them and especially for the barbarous Murther committed upon the Sons of Gideon by a special Instinct of his Spirit He moved Jotham who of all the Sons of Gideon had escaped the hands of Abimelech to go to the Inhabitants of Shechem and to give them warning before-hand of the Calamities and Judgments that were like to befal them if they did not repent of this their great wickedness Accordingly going to Mount Gerizim which was near Shechem and at a time as it seems when the Shechemites upon some publick Festivity or such solemn occasion were there * From the Mountain of Blessings they now hear a Curse denounced against them met together He lift up his Voice and spake to them saying Hearken to me ye men of Shechem that God may hearken unto you intimating to them that God had sent him to them with that
Courage Fortitude and Zeal for the Execution of his Office And indeed the people at that time needed a wise and able Judge to reduce them to their former Government overthrown by Abimelech and to abolish Idolatry which much prevailed in his licentious Reign and to restore God's pure Worship which 't is like had been much corrupted Though there is no mention made of Enemies that invaded the Land during his Government yet there might be some such Invasions and Oppressions though not so vexatious as the former He dwelt in Shamir a Town bordering on Mount Ephraim that so he might be near the Tabernacle at Shiloh and there was buried having judged Israel three and twenty years Judg. 10. vers 1 2. SECT CXLIII AFter Tola arose Jair dwelling in Gilead in the Tribe of Manasseh Jair the Seventh Judge beyond Jordan and judged Israel twenty two years It seemed he was a man of great Quality before he was raised to be Judge for he had thirty Sons to wit by several Wives that rode on Asse-Colts which was a token of Dignity and Authority He was descended it seems of that Jair who having taken the Cities of Argob called them after his own Name Havoth-Jair that is the Villages of Jair Numb 33.41 Deut. 3.14 Those Villages were at first only twenty three 1 Chron. 2.22 but this Jair coming to inherit these Towns which his Ancestor had taken from the Amorites divided them among his Sons and they were increased either by themselves their Father or Grandfather to thirty and the old Name continued to them In this time it seems the Israelites were horribly corrupt and their Apostacy and Idolatry was far worse than that of their fore-Fathers * Israelitae admodum proni erant in Idolatriam cujus causae erant 1. Quia finitimas gentesâ Idolatricas florere videbant se autem inopia premi 2. Multitudo Idololatrarum collata cum ipsorum paucitate 3. Cultus Dei severior erat tristior Non in eo Theatra Saltationes Comaediae vel Tragaediae qua omnia erant in cultibus Idolorum immo etiam saepe turpia libidinosa P. Martyr For now they worshipped all the Idols of the Nations round about them Baalim and Ashtaroth the Idols of Syria Zidon Moab Ammon and the Philistines and so wholly gave themselves up to the Worship of false gods that at length they quite laid aside the Worship of the true God in the Tabernacle And therefore the Text says They forsook the Lord and served him not 'T is like Jair did what he could to restrain them from this abominable Idolatry but was over-born by them So that about the beginning of the fifth year of his Government the Lord being extremely angry with them sold them into the hands of the Ammonites who oppressed (c) The years of the Oppressions are not to be reckones apart from the years of the Judges see in Chap. 3.11 them sorely on the other side of Jordan and into the hands of the Philistines who invaded those Tribes that were within Jordan so that they were invaded both on East and West on the West by the Philistines on the East by the Children of Ammon The fifth Oppression by the Ammonites The Ammonites having oppressed the two Tribes and half without Jordan for eighteen years and Jair dying they proceeded further and passed over Jordan and oppressed the Israelites within Jordan also Judg. Ch. 10. from vers 3. to 10. SECT CXLIV THe Children of Israel being now sorely distressed they cry unto the Lord and acknowledge their Sin and the Lord either by some Prophet or by the High Priest who inquired for them returned them this Answer Have I not delivered you from the Egyptians AmoritEs the Children of Ammon the Philistines the Zidonians (d) Divers of these Deliverances we do not find mentioned before So that this people had received from the Lord many more Favours and Blessings than are here recorded Amalekites and the Maonites * Possibly hereby are meant the Canaanites that inhabited the Wilderness of Maon 1 Sam. 23.24 and yet ye have forsaken me and followed other gods Go and cry unto the gods ye have chosen let them deliver you in the time of your Tribulation I will deliver you no more This Threatning was not absolute but conditional though the condition be not expressed but is thus to be understood viz. except ye truly repent and forsake your Idolatry and amend that which has been so much amiss among you They answered O Lord we humbly acknowledge that we have hainously sinned against thee and do thou punish us hereafter as thou pleasest if we do not continue in thy true and pure Worship utterly renouncing all false gods only make trial of us this once by delivering us out of the hands of our Enemies Then they putting away their strange gods and setting upon a real Reformation the Lord was touched with Compassion towards them and his Soul â This is spoken of God after the manner of men and by way of comparison only affirmed of him was grieved for the miseries they suffered About this time the Children of Ammon gathered themselves together and incamped in the Land of Gilead which now it seems they claimed as belonging unto them see Ch. 11. vers 13. The Children of Israel gathered what Forces they could together to oppose them and encamped at Mizpeh in Mount Gilead in the Tribe of Manasseh beyond Jordan Then they begun to consider who should be their Leader in this Expedition against Ammon and they declared That who-ever being able and fit would undertake it he should be the Head or Judge over all the Inhabitants of Gilead But there were none there present willing to undertake it the Service being very dangerous therefore they resolved to send to Jephtah being a skilful Commander and of known Valour Jephtah was a Gileadite his Fathers name being Gilead and probably he was born in the City of Gilead His Mother was an Harlot It seems in process of time his Brethren that his Father had by his lawful Wife being grown up did by the help and decree of the Magistrates of Gilead see vers 17. bar him of any share of the Inheritance of his Father and denied him any portion for a Livelihood among them Jephtah being thus used betook himself into the Land of Tob a Country lying along Mount Gilead not far from the Ammonites at the entrance of Arabia the Desart and a Company of idle Fellows that had no Means or took no Course for a Livelihood listed themselves under him as their Captain and with them he us'd to Inrode Prey upon and Spoil the Ammonites And he grew to a great Fame for these Exploits and was held a mighty man of Valour Upon this account the Elders of Gilead now came and intreated him to be their Captain-General against the Ammonites For though the Law forbad that any Bastards should be admitted to any Place of
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
his Mother That is he shall not stay till the usual years of other Levites which was 25 or 30 years of age but shall be brought to the Tabernacle and trained up there even from his Childhood and all that while shall continue under the strict vow of a Nazarite which ordinarily the Levites were not bound unto It seems at this very time when Hannah poured forth her prayer to the Lord and made this Vow that Eli the High-Priest sate upon a seat by a post of the Temple of the Lord that is the Tabernacle which possibly at this time had some house built for it to preserve it from weather for Ch. 3.15 we read that Samuel opened the doors of the house of the Lord whereas the Tabernacle had no Gates but only a Vail that was hung up at the entring of it Exod. 26.36 Eli sitting upon his seat and seeing Hannah stand a great while near him mumbling with her lips after an unusual manner and possibly expressing some incomposedness in her gesture through the vehemency of her affection he thought she had been drunk wherefore he said unto her How long wilt thou continue here in thy drunkenness and profane this holy place thou art come into go home and sleep out thy distemper and then come with a penitent heart and make thy peace with God Hannah replys No my Lord I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit and therefore very unlikely to be guilty of such an excess I have neither drunk wine nor strong drink this day but have been pouring * Psal 62.8 Lam. 2.19 forth my soul before the Lord count me not therefore I pray thee such a daughter of Belial nor imagine me guilty of so great a crime as drunkenness is I have only been opening my griefs and sorrows to the Lord and have been earnestly imploring help from him Eli hearing this said Go in peace and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition which thou hast asked of him Hannah desires him that he would always retain that good opinion of her and would still pray to the Lord in her behalf so being encouraged by the Spirit of God upon the prayer she had poured forth and the gracious encouragement she had received from the High-Priest she departed with inward joy and did eat bread and her countenance was no more sad The next morning Elkanah and his family before they set forth on their journey homewards presented themselves before God in the Tabernacle to worship him and to pray for a prosperous journey and success in all their other lawful affairs leaving therein to posterity a good precedent for their imitation When they were come home Hannah conceived by Elkanah the Lord remembring her and hearing her prayer and when the time was come about for her delivery she bare a Son and called his name Samuel â We read not that Samuel ever was High-Priest but an extraordinary Prophet and Judg in Israel A Sacrificer though only a Levite a rare and worthy person that is asked of God rejoicing most in this that this Son was given her in answer to her prayer Elkanah with several of his family went up to the Tabernacle to offer unto the Lord the yearly Sacrifice and his vow that is besides the yearly and ordinary Sacrifice some other oblation that he had vowed namely a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving for the birth of his Son But Hannah desired of her Husband that she might not go up till the child was weaned (d) V. 22. Educatus i. e. eo usque provectus ut ministrare possit Nam ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã non tantum est a mamma disjungere sed educare 1 Reg. 11.20 donec maturescat sive maturus siat puer ministerio Nazaraeatui Donec efformetur puer ie ut satis membris robore efformetur ad ministrandum in Tabernaculo Mas 'T is like she would not wean him and so put him from her till he was of some age to shift for himself among strangers being also before that time unable to do service in the Tabernacle A like example we have in Sarah who would not wean her beloved Isaac till he was of some more than ordinary years for a weanling See Gen. 21.8 9. and educated and fitted in some measure to do some kind of service in the Tabernacle and then she would carry him thither and leave him there that he might continue in the service of the Lord for ever that is all the days of his life But 't is plain that Samuel sometime dwelt in Ramah and there judged Israel which hapned either after the age of fifty which was the time prefixed for the Levites service Numb 8.25 or by Gods especial dispensation who dispensed with his Vow to make him a Magistrate Elkanah consents to what his wife desired viz. that she should stay till the Child was weaned and educated Only says he let the Lord establish his word whereby he seems to mean that especial promise which God had made either to him or his wife before or after the conception and birth of the child though it be not expressed particularly what it was When Hannah had weaned and educated her Son she took him with her to Shiloh there to present him to the Lord according to her Vow and she took with her three Bullocks one Ephah of flour and a bottle of wine One of these Bullocks was offered when they presented the child and delivered him up to the service of the Lord the other 't is like were offered in other Oblations or the one might be offered as a Burnt-offering the other two for a Peace-offering The Ephah of flour contained ten Omers or tenth-deals now the Law prescribing three tenth-deals to be offered with a Bullock Numb 15.9 nine tenth-deals of this Ephah were for the three Bullocks and the other tenth-deal which was overplus might be intended for a voluntary meat-offering The bottle of wine was to be used in their meat and drink and Peace-offerings Then Hannah presenting her Son to Eli she said O my Lord as sure as thou art alive I am the woman that stood by thee here praying for this child and the Lord having granted my petition I have lent him to the Lord as long as he liveth that is I have dedicated him to his service having asked him of the Lord for that very end that I might return him to him again As he was freely given so he shall be freely devoted to Gods service And Elkanah Worshipped the Lord there and thankfully praised him for giving him this Son and also prayed unto him for his blessing upon him and that he would sanctifie him by his Spirit and inable him in an holy manner to perform that Religious service unto which he and his wife had devoted him 1 Sam. Ch. 1. whole Chapter SECT CLII. THese things being done Hannah now in a solemn manner praises the Lord for giving her a Son and prays * Orandi genââ
it were but in some of the meanest services of the Temple only that they may eat bread see Ezek. 44.13 14. 1 Sam. 2. from 12. to 18. and from 22. to the end SECT CLIV. THE impiety and wickedness of the times was now so great that the word of the Lord was precious there was no open vision that is there was not a man openly known to whom the Lord appeared in Visions or whom he sent forth among the people with a word of Prophesie in his mouth So that the Lord did not now reveal his mind to them by his Prophets as he used to do at other times See Psal 74.9 And this is mentioned probably for the honour of Samuel to whom the Lord was pleased to appear at such a time as this and to re-establish in him the Prophetick Office See 2 Chron. 35.18 and Act. 3.24 And the particular time when the Lord appeared to him is also set down which was when Eli being very old and his eyes dim was laid down in his place that is to take his rest in that place and in that lodging which belonged to him as High-Priest near unto the Court of the Tabernacle and it was towards the morning before the Lamps that were in the Golden Candlestick in the Tabernacle were gone out or the oyl spent See Exod. 30.7 Samuel being laid down to sleep in a Chamber near unto him the Lord calls him who awaking and supposing his Master Eli had called him ran to him but Eli told him that he did not call him and therefore bids him lye down again The Lord calls Samuel a second time and he runs again to Eli who tells him he did not call him and bids him go to his bed again Samuel was not yet acquainted with that way whereby the Lord did use to make known himself to his Prophets viz. by Visions neither had there been as yet any such revelation made unto him The Lord calls him a third time and he running again to Eli supposing that he had called him Eli then perceived that the Lord had appeared unto him he bids him therefore go and lye down again and if he heard the voice calling him any more he should say Speak Lord for thy servant heareth Samuel lying down again the Lord came and stood and called Samuel Samuel appearing possibly in a visible shape he answered as Eli had bidden him Speak Lord for thy servant heareth then the Lord said to him Behold I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle See 2 King 12.12 meaning the discomfiture of the Israelites the taking of the Ark the death of Eli's Sons and Eli's falling down backward and breaking his neck his daughter-in-law Phinehas's wife falling presently into the pains of Travel and dying Judgments so dreadful and hideous that every one that heard of them must needs be filled with horrour and astonishment And then will I perform against Eli all things that I have spoken concerning his house And though it may be some time e're I begin thus to visit him yet when I have once begun I will not cease till I have made an end For I have told him that I will judg his house for ever that is punish it till it be utterly ruined for the iniquity which he knew his Sons committed and yet he restrained them not neither chiding them severely as he was a Father nor deposing them from their office as he was the High-Priest nor punishing them corporally as he was a Judg. Therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli 's house shall not be purged with Sacrifice nor offering for ever that is that the temporal punishment denounced against them should not be kept off or averted by any Sacrifices or Oblations whatsoever though by their unfeigned repentance they may prevent their eternal misery Samuel having heard these sad words rose in the morning and opened the doors of the Tabernacle which seems at this time to be housed as we shewed before but he was affraid to acquaint Eli with the things revealed to him in this Vision because he knew that such tidings would wound his heart and he feared to offend him by bringing such a displeasing message unto him Eli therefore call'd him and charg'd him to declare all that the Lord had said unto him for being conscious of his Sons leudness and his own too great indulgence towards them he apprehended that some heavy sentence was denounced from the Lord against him and therefore he was so eager to know it that he said God do so to thee and more (a) See Notes on Ruth 1.17 also if thou hidest any thing from me Hereupon Samuel told him all Eli in an humble submissive manner replies It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good After this Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and suffered none of his words to fall to the ground but exactly perform'd what he had foretold by him and all Israel even from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a Prophet of the Lord and effectually call'd and sent to execute this office among them and that God had firmly setled him in it by making good his own word in his mouth So that after the long intermission and cessation of Prophetical Vision whereby the word of the Lord was become rare and precious as we have shew'd before the Lord renewed this gift of Prophesie by appearing in Shiloh unto Samuel and revealing his mind and will unto him by Prophetical Visions and Inspirations (b) v. 21. By the word of the Lord some understand that God did by his Eternal and Essential Word viz. Christ the Wisdom of the Father reveal his mind to Samuel that he might reveal it unto the people 1 Sam. Ch. 3. whole Chapter SECT CLV AS Samuel had before made known the word of the Lord to Eli so he does now to all Israel reproving them for their sins and telling them before hand what Judgments would fall upon them if they did not speedily repent but they not reforming the Philistines who it seems during the forty years of Eli's Government had been pretty quiet possibly because of the great slaughter Samson had made of their Lords and chief men at his death see Judg. 16.30 now begin again to invade their Land and being entred with an Army the Israelites gather themselves together to fight with them and pitch their Camp at a place which was afterward call'd Eben-ezer the occasion whereof we may see afterwards Ch. 7.11 and the Camp of the Philistines was in Aphek a City in the Tribe of Judah The Armies joining Battel the Israelites were smitten before the Philistines and lost 4000 men The Israelites having rallied their scattered forces the Elders of the people began to inquire with some astonishment why the Lord had thus left them and suffered the Philistines to prevail over them though
old heavy and corpulent and falling down backward he broke his neck and died having judged Israel forty years Samuel the 14th Judg. His daughter-in-law Phinehas's wife was with child and ready to be delivered who when she heard those dismal tidings of the taking of the Ark the death of her father-in-law and husband she bowed her self and the pains of travel came upon her and being delivered yet so as she was ready to expire the women about her sought to comfort her telling her that she had borne a Son but she regarded it not only named the child Iehabod that is where is the glory (c) v. 22. Quod capta esset Arca Dei illud imprimis eam cruciabat nam domesticam calamitatem publicae postponebat Eliciamus hinc documentum lamentandi potius spiritualia dona quam temporalia Mendoz. intimating that the Ark being taken b which was the sign of Gods presence the glory was departed from Israel and so she gave up the Ghost 1 Sam. Ch. 4. whole Chapter SECT CLVI THE Philistines having taken the Ark they carried (a) Illa lex de non tangenda Area ad solos Israelitas spectavit unde Philistini Arcam tangentes non dederunt poenas quia culpam non contraxerunt Mendoz. it undoubtedly with great Triumph to Ashdod since call'd Azotus Act. 8.40 and placed it in the Temple of Dagon their God presenting it as a captive before their Idol by whose help possibly they perswaded themselves they had overcome the Hebrews and their God yet possibly they had some kind of reverence for it and therefore feared to offer any violence to it or to open it or take forth the Tables of the Law that were in it but however that was they placed it near unto Dagon The Priests of Dagon rising early the next morning and coming to see how the Ark and their Idol had agreed together they found that Dagon was fallen on his face to the earth before the Ark whereby the Lord did discover to them what a vain Idol their Dagon was and that the God of Israel was the only true Almighty God and that he had cast down their Idol-god in his own Temple The Priests took their Idol and set it up again and no doubt used all their skill to fasten it and make it sure from falling any more But coming again the next morning they found their Dagon fallen again upon his face to the ground before the Ark and his head and both the palmes of his hands (e) Gravius secunda vice mutilatur Dagon ut sic intelligerent Azotii veri Numinis potentiam Idoli sui vanitatem Fag cut off and cast at the threshold of the House only the stump and lower part of him was left intire Their Dagon being thus broken to pieces the Priests could not set him up again nor conceal his ruin from the people as possibly before they had done they might see now that it was not by any Casualty but by the will and power of God that he was thus thrown down But though God had cast the head and hands of Dagon to the threshold that so they might as it were be despised and trodden upon by those that came into that house yet the Priests and the people of Ashdod were so superstitious (d) Nulla Miracula satis magna sunt ad animum impium emendandum citra Dei spiritum P. Martyr even to the time when this History was written that they would not so much as tread on the threshold of that Temple accounting it sanctified by the touch of the head and hands of their Idol And thus by the over-ruling Providence of God even their superstition became a means to perpetuate the memory of this wonderful work of God in confounding their Idol which otherwise might in some short time have been forgotten The Lord having thus clearly discovered to the men of Ashdod that their Dagon was a vain Idol and that the God of Israel whose Ark they had boldly surprized was the only true God which he had sufficiently demonstrated first by casting down their Idol before his Ark and at last by breaking it in pieces yet notwithstanding they continued as superstitiously devoted to their Idol as they were before and were not afraid still to detain the Ark of God in captivity Therefore the Lord resolved to punish them severely for it and accordingly his hand was heavy upon the City of Ashdod and upon the Coasts thereof and he destroyed and wasted their land by sending multitudes of Mice among them Ch. 6.5 and smote them with the Emerods a disease not only painful but as the Psalmist intimates Psal 78.66 disgraceful also and to many of them mortal as appears from v. 10. The men of Ashdod seeing in what a sad condition they were they openly said the Ark of the God of Israel should not abide among them for they plainly saw that his hand was heavy upon themselves by inflicting this strange disease upon them and that it had been heavy also upon Dagon their God wherefore they convened the Lords of the Philistines to consult together what course was fit to be taken in this case These Lords agreed that the Ark should be carried from thence to Gath another of their five principal Cities situate upon an hill near unto the Sea see Amos 6.2 resolving thereby to try whither it was the presence of the Ark that had caused those plagues or whither they came by any other accident The Ark being brought to Gath God smote the inhabitants thereof both small and great with Emerods in their secret parts hereupon they sent away the Ark to Ekron another of the principal Cities of the Philistines when it was come thither the Ekronites cry'd out they have brought the Ark of the God of Israel to us to bring upon us the same plagues that they have been plagued with because of it And it fell out accordingly for immediately there was a deadly destruction throughout the City possibly some mortal contagion reigned among them and the men that died not of that plague were yet smitten with the Emerods so that the cry of the city went up to heaven hereupon they also convened the Lords of the Philistines and desired them to send away the Ark to its own place viz. to the land of the Israelites that they might not be destroyed by reason of it But these Lords being very loth to part with so glorious a Trophie of their victory desired yet to try a little further and therefore sent it after this to Gaza and Askelon as appears Ch. 6.4 17. which Cities felt the same plagues by reason of the Ark which the other had done Thus the Ark of the Lord was in the Country of the Philistines seven months (a) Miruâ hic stupor quod tam diu in suo consilio pertinaces haereant tot hominum funere suam insaniam tueri vellent Sanctius but they being at last
Dei dispositus hoc factum qui neque Davidi quicquam perire voluit neque aliis propter Davidem and Davids men took all the flocks and herds which the Amalekites had taken from other places besides Ziklag and drove them before those Cattel which they had taken from Ziklag which belonged to David and his followers extolling David and proclaiming this is Davids spoil that is which belongeth to him by the Souldiers free consent and gift and accordingly afterwards he bestowed it on whom he pleased David with his men now returning with the captives and spoils they had taken he came at last to the place where he left the two hundred weary men who came forth with great joy to meet David and the people that were with him When they came near him he spoke kindly and courteously to them that they might not be discouraged at the thoughts of their absence from the fight seeing it was occasion'd by their weariness They desiring to have a part in the spoils some of the four hundred who had with David vanquished the Amalekites being wicked men and sons of Belial exprest an unwillingness that they should have any share therein but only their wives and children again though it was not cowardize but meer faintness that made them stay behind and their staying behind with the carriages to defend the stuff and being in readiness to aid and assist their fellows if they had been forc'd to retire might be lookt upon as a good service David mildly speaks to these murmurers saying to them Ye shall not do so my Brethren with the spoil the Lord hath given us and which we have gotten not by our own valour and strength but by Gods gracious favour who hath preserved us and given our enemies into our hands the thing you propose is unreasonable and unjust therefore I shall decide the matter thus As his part is that goeth down to the battel so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff that is the men that tarried behind and abode with the baggage shall have their share of the prey as well as those that marched out with me unto the battel And so from that day he revived and ratified a statute formerly made by God Numb 31.27 Josh 22.8 that the spoil should be divided betwixt those that fought with the enemy and those that stayed with the stuff And when David was return'd to Ziklag he sent some of the spoils he had taken to the Elders of Judah his friends partly by way of restitution because the Amalekites had taken much of this prey from the South parts of Judah and partly by way of thankfulness for the many kindnesses he had received from them when Saul hunted him from place to place and partly in a way of prudence to make them hereby the more firm to him and more ready to give him their assistance when he should stand in need of it Thus as it is always darkest just before day dawneth so God useth to visit his servants with greatest afflictions when he intends their speedy advancement 1 Sam. Ch. 20. whole Chapter 16. We return now to the Philistines and Israelites whom we left nigh to each other Ch. 29. who joining battel at the very time as Josephus says when David was victorious over the Amalekites the Israelites were smitten and Saul's three Sons Jonathan (a) By Jonathan's death the Lord cleared the way for Davids advancement to the Kingdom For if Ishbosheth a worthless man found so many of the people ready to side with him against David what would they have done for Jonathan so brave and worthy a Prince if he had out-liv'd his Father And Jonathan was no loser by it for instead of an earthly God gave him an Heavenly Kingdom Aminadab and Melchishua slain And the battel went sore against Saul himself for the Archârs hit him and sore wounded him he saw his Army routed his friends and followers slain his dear Sons killed before his face he found himself sore wounded and inviron'd with enemies and apprehending no possibility of escaping he bad his Armour-hearer take his sword and run him thorough lest the uncircumcised Philistines should take him and put him to some ignominious death but his Armour-bearer utterly refusing to do it he fell upon his own sword And thus Saul with the sword he had drawn against David slew himself and so concluded a wicked life with a desperate death the Lord in a just judgment giving him up to act this horrid murder on himself as a punishment of his former wickedness therefore 't is said 1 Chron. 10.14 that the Lord slew him His Armour-bearer seeing what he had done followed his wicked example and fell likewise upon his own sword and killed himself Thus died Saul and his three Sons and his Armour-bearer and most of his family and kindred most of his Courtiers and Commanders with a great part of his army see 1 Chron. 10.6 And when the Israelites who dwelt on each side of this valley of Jezreel where the battel was fought and they that dwelt in it 1 Ch. 10.7 saw that their army was routed and that Saul and his Sons were slain they forsook their Cities and Towns and fled for their lives and the Philistines entred into them and possessed them On the morrow after the battel was fought the Philistines coming to strip the bodies of the slain they found Saul and his three Sons fallen in mount Gilboa and they cut off Sauls head and stript off his armour His head they carried about as a Trophy and shewed it in all parts of their Country publishing their victory and the death of Saul and his Sons in a way of joy and triumph in the houses of their Idols (b) Heb. Terrors so called because they possess the minds and hearts of their superstitious worshippers with terrors and fears and do neither teach nor comfort them Hinc superstitio ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã dicitur i. e. Daemonium pavor and afterwards set it up in the house of Dagon their God thereby ascribing to him the glory of their victory as appeareth 1 Chron. 10.10 so David had before served the head of Goliath which he carried to Jerusalem Ch. 17.54 They plac'd his Armour in the house of Ashtaroth see the Note on Judg. 2.13 his body and the bodies of his Sons they fastened to the wall of Bethshan (c) A Town that belonged to the lot of Manasseh but not recovered from the Philistines in the first conquest Judg. 1.27 nor to this day as was said before of Ziklag Ch. 27.6 viz. in a street that was by the City-wall see 2 Sam. 21.12 And when the Inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to the bodies of Saul and his three Sons in gratitude to Saul who had rescued them from Nahash King of the Ammonites when he had straitly besieged their City Ch. 11.11 all the valiant men of that City arose and march'd all night and
fair daughter call'd Tamar 2 Sam. Ch. 3.3 and Ch. 13.1 SECT CLXXIX AFter Ishbosheth's two years quiet reign there grew a long war between those that adhered to him and those that adhered to David Joab the Son of Zerviah (b) She was mother also of two other valiant Sons viz. Abishai and Asahel Davids sister bearing up the one side and Abner the other And accordingly Abner led forth an Army from Mahanaim to Gibeon to fight against David where Joab with an Army met him the one pitching on the one side of the pool of Gibeon and the other on the other side The Armies being thus near together Abner sent a Challenge to Joab to wit that a certain number of their young gallants on each side might come forth and skirmish together and by a trial of their valour and skill in Armes shew both Armies some sport and pastime And this no doubt he did in a bravery as hoping by this vaunting flourish of the courage of his men to daunt those that were with Joab but Joab no way discouraged readily accepted the Challenge and sent forth twelve of his men to enter the lists with twelve of Abners These young men running fiercely upon one another and catching every one his Antagonist by the head they thrust their swords into one anothers sides and so fell down dead all together By which sad event of this combate God declar'd how much he abhor'd such vain glorious Challenges The field where they fell was from henceforth call'd Helkath-hazzarim or the field of strong and valiant men The two Armies being enrag'd at the death of their fellows slain in this Combate they presently with great fury fall upon each other and so there was a sore battel and at last Joab and his men won the field and Abner was beaten and his Army put to flight In the pursuit Asahel Joab's brother who was as light of foot as a wild Roe and also a man of his hands and valiant (c) And therefore reckoned among Davids Worthies 1 Chron. 11.26 hotly pursued Abner ambitiously aspiring as it should seem to take the General of the field prisoner Abner looking behind him and seeing him thus hotly pursue him he call'd to him and bad him turn either to the right hand or the left and lay hold on one of the young men that followed him and take his Armour As if he should have said set upon one that is thine equal and content thy self with taking the spoil of his Armour from him and do not provoke an old experienced Souldier to thy great danger and peril I am loth to kill thee if thou dost not too much provoke me to it for thy brothers sake For if I should kill thee how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother and how could I expect any peace or reconciliation with him But Asahel would not turn aside from pursuing him wherefore Abner turned upon him and with the hinder end of his Spear smote him under the fifth rib and he fell down dead immediately Joab's Souldiers who pursued when they came to the place where Asahel lay dead they stood still and ceased their pursuit gazing upon this sad spectacle and lamenting his death Joab also himself and Abishai his brother pursued after Abner and the Sun went down when they were come to the Hill of Ammah whither Abner had retreated and there the children of Benjamin and his other broken companies rallying themselves together and having the advantage of the upper ground made head again against Joab Then Abner as it seems desired a parley with Joab and spake to him after this manner What shall the sword devour for ever Knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end the shedding so much Israelitish blood whatever you now may think of it in the heat of pursuing your victory yet it will prove like such meats as are sweet in the mouth but breeding choler are bitter in the stomack slaughter and revenge may now seem sweet unto you but the effects thereof will be sad and bitter therefore I advise thee rather to desist from the pursuit and to command thy Souldiers to return from following their brethren Joab replied as sure as God liveth if thou hadst not sent us a Challenge and provoked us to the Combat of the young men the people with me were so far from desiring to shed the blood of their brethren that purposely to prevent it we were minded to have retired in the morning before the battel was fought And to shew thee that I am more for peace than war I shall now give over the chase of you So Joab caused his Trumpeter to sound a retreat and they ceased from pursuing and fought no more with Israel at this time though afterwards the War was renewed again And Abner and his men marched back to Mahanaim and Joab mustering his forces upon the place found he had lost but nineteen men besides Asahel but of Abners men they found there were three hundred sixty slain Joab then took up the body of Asahel and buried it in the Sepulcher of his Father at Bethlem and so marched back with his Army to Hebron 2 Sam. from v. 12 to the end SECT CLXXX AFter this there was long War between the house of Saul and the house of David which lasted five years and odd months from this time to the death of Ishbosheth Davids house waxing stronger and stronger and Saul's weaker and weaker David whilst he was exil'd and persecuted by Saul had no children though he had two wives with him God in his wise Providence so ordering it whilst Children might have been an occasion of much care and incumbrance unto him but when he was chosen King over Judah and setled in Hebron he had six Sons born to him in his seven years and six months reign there His first born was Amnon by Ahinoam his second Chileab call'd Daniel 1 Chron. 3.1 by Abigail his third Absalom by Maacha daughter of the King of Geshur his fourth Adonijah by Haggith his fifth Shephatiah by Abital his sixth Ithream by Eglah * Besides these six Sons which he had at Hebron of six wives he had four at Jerusalem by Bathsheba besides the Sons of his Concubines and his daughter Tamar 1 Chron. 3. from v. 1 to 9. 2 Sam. Ch. 3. from 1 to 6. SECT CLXXXI ABner during the War between David and Ishbosheth acted very valiantly and strenuously for the house of Saul and stored himself with Armes and Ammunition for that purpose so that he had cause to think he deserved well of Ishbosheth but at last it seems Ishbosheth began to be jealous of him and to look upon him as one that aspired to the Crown and charged him whither he had ground for it or no is uncertain that he had gone in to his Fathers Concubine which he took to be a dishonour to Saul his Father and a sign that he had some high thoughts
His heart was so overwhelmed with grief and sorrow that he could not speak much now but afterwards he confessed his sin more fully to the whole Church in the 51 Psalm wherein he acknowledges the greatness of his transgression and professes his unfeigned repentance for it And this Psalm he committed to the chief Musician to be sung publickly in the Congregation as one of the Penitential Psalms Nathan perceiving him truly penitent tells him the Lord had put away his sin out of his sight it should not be imputed to him to hinder his eternal blessedness neither should he die by the sudden stroke of some temporal judgment as his sin deserved even according to his own sentence Howbeit says the Lord because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to my enemies to blaspheme and to speak evil of what I have done in raising thee up and favouring thee so highly seeing thou hast committed such heinous sins and they will thereupon blaspheme the Religion I have appointed and the professors of it as though it either taught or favoured such wickedness or at least that the professors of it were all hypocrites making only a shew of godliness and honesty but not practising it see Rom. 2.24 therefore by many severe corrections inflicted on thee I will vindicate my justice and the truth of my Religion against all the reproaches and calumnies of wicked men And pursuant hereunto I will first smite the child begotten by thee in adultery with death Nathan having faithfully delivered his message departed and immediately the child fell sick And though Nathan had told David the child should die yet he apprehending as it seems the threatning to be only conditional and that upon his tears and repentance the sentence might be revers'd (d) As was that of Hezekiahs death and the destruction of Nineveh and though the child if he lived was like continually to grieve them by daily representing to them their sin and shame yet he prayed and fasted and humbled himself greatly both with inward contrition and outward afflicting of his body begging the life of the child (e) Fuisse Davidem liberorum amantissimum non ex hac tantum historia sed ex indulgentia circa Absolomum Adonijam apparet because the innocent babe was threatned with death as a punishment for their sin However as God had threated on the seventh day after he was born or after he fell sick the child died Davids servants at first feared to tell him of it lest they should too much grieve him but upon his strict inquiry they told him he was dead When the will of the Lord was plainly manifested he patiently submitted to it and arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his apparel and went into the house of the Lord the Tent which he had erected for the Ark to worship that he might further bewail and acknowledg his sin before God and beg his pardon and intreat him that he would please to lighten and lessen those punishments he had threatned against his family or at least sanctifie them to him and give him strength and patience to bear them And though he had fasted seven days while the child lay sick taking only some small repast in the evening yet now so earnest he was to ratifie his peace with God that he would not taste any food before he had been at Gods house and then he commanded them to set bread before him and he did eat His servants wondring at this carriage of his as something strange he tells them that whilst the child was alive he fasted and wept hoping that God would reverse the sentence of death passed upon him but now he was dead wherefore says he should I fast I cannot bring him back again I shall go to him viz. into the state of the dead but he shall not return to me into the state of the living Bathsheba being much dejected under a sense of her sin and the displeasure of God threatned against them and begun to be executed in taking away their child David like an indulgent husband laboured to comfort her and went in again unto her and she conceived and bare him a Son whom he by Gods direction called Solomon that is peaceable because the Lord intended when he came to the Crown to give him rest from all his enemies round about and to give peace and quietness to Israel in his days see 1 Chron. 22.9 And the Lord sent Nathan to David to tell him that this his Son should not only be called Solomon but Jedijah that is beloved of the Lord. Thus the Lord manifested his love to Solomon before he had done either good or evil 2 Sam. Ch. 12. from v. 1 to the 26. SECT CXCV. GOD now inflicts upon David many sore and grievous chastisements to punish him for his heinous sins of adultery and murder First Amnon his Eldest Son ravishes his Sister Tamar David had two Children by Maacha the daughter of Talmai King of Geshur viz. Absalom and Tamar and he was sorely punished in them both as we shall see in the sequel of the story Tamar was a very beautiful young woman and Amnon David's Eldest Son by Ahinoam the Jezrelites was smitten with an unlawful love to her but she being a Virgin and carefully kept being David's only Daughter for ought appears among so many Sons he despaired of having an opportunity to satisfie his lust with her whereupon he droop'd (a) Medici morbis aâcensent eum qâi ex amore contrahitur Pallidus in Lyâlcen silvis errabat Orion and pin'd away with vexation Amnon had a friend who was his Cousin-german with whom he was very intimate Jonadab by name who though a very subtil man and wise to do evil was no true friend to him for a true friend advises to nothing but that which is good Jonadab perceiving by his carriage that he was rather sick in mind than body said to him Why art thou being the Kings Son lean from day to day surely thou that art the Kings Son yea his Eldest Son and heir to the Crown maist have what thou wilt therefore what is it that thou art troubled about Amnon told him he was in love with Tamar but knew not how to accomplish his desire upon her Jonadab advises him to counterfeit himself sick and when his Father came to see him as undoubtedly he would he should desire him to permit his sister Tamar to come and dress him some meat which he should like better from her hand than any bodies else Amnon accordingly feigns himself sick Indeed it had been better for David and himself too that he had been really sick for a naughty child is better sick than well however it being given out that he was sick his Father came to see him of whom he earnestly desired that his sister Tamar might come to him and make a couple of Cakes for him pretending they would do him more good if they
were of her making and given to him by her hand than if made or brought to him by any other David out of his great indulgence to him sends his daughter Tamar to him 'T is much that David being a wise man should suspect nothing but when God intends to punish a man he hides wisdom from him and it could not but afterwards much add to Davids sorrow that he himself was made an instrument to further such an execrable fact and that by his command he had cast his poor daughter into such a snare Tamar accordingly coming to her Brother Amnons house provided him Cakes making them for him with her own hands in his sight as he desired Amnon then commanding all about him to go out and bidding his Sister to bring the Cakes into an inner Chamber he there instead of eating the Cakes took hold of her and told her she must lye with him She poor Lady was strangely surprized at this and used all manner of arguments and intreaties she could devise to disswade him from so unnatural a villany First she tells him he was her brother and therefore should be so far from dishonouring her himself that he should be ready even with the hazard of his life to protect her against any that should offer her so foul an indignity 2ly He being her brother he should consider it would be incest in him to defile her if she should be so wicked as to consent but to force her and to incest to add rape was such a transcendent villany that the very Heathens would abhor 3ly He knew very well that no such thing ought to be done in Israel Gen. 34.7 for they were Gods own peculiar people and professed holiness above all Nations in the earth therefore an example of so abominable a wickedness committed among them and especially by one of such eminency as he was would bring a shameful scandal upon their whole Nation and cause their Religion and even the name of God to be blasphemed 4ly He should consider that by the Law of God which they were under both incest and rape were to be punished with death see Levit. 18 6 9. Deut. 22.25 Levit. 20.17 5ly She desires him to have some pity upon her and some regard to her honour and reputation for how should she ever cause her shame to pass away if she should be so defiled It would be a blot upon her for ever and none fit for her would ever be induc'd to marry her 6ly She desires him to have some sense of his own honour for how would he be esteemed a very fool who when he might have his choice of wives where he pleased with their love and liking yet would not take that course which God himself had appointed but would do such a lothed and abominable act as this He should consider that the greatest sins are the greatest folly and expose a man to the greatest shame And if such a person as he was should be guilty of such a crime he would be lookt upon among all wise and good men as a most notorious infamous wretch and a son of Belial and one utterly unworthy to succeed his Father in the Kingdom 7ly When none of these arguments would prevail she being in a great straight adviseth him to desire her of his Father for his wife not thinking as 't is like that this could ever be done but only to gain time and allay the present rage of his lust and escape his present violence not doubting but for the future she should be kept out of his hands But his lust was so impetuous and his heart by the instigation of the Devil so bent on wickedness that he was deaf to all her perswasions and being stronger than she he brutishly forc'd her Having committed this abominable wickedness his eyes that were before blinded with lust began to be opened and he now saw what an indelible reproach and shame he had brought upon himself and being fill'd with horrour he now hated his fair sister more than before he loved her he could not now endure to see her whose beauty had been the occasion to draw him into so much shame and infamy and there was an especial hand of God in this that his sin and shame might hereby be discovered and a way made for the bringing upon David those judgments which God had threatned against his Family But so it was Amnons rage of lust was now turned into the fury of folly And he was so infatuated that he endeavoured not to keep her in his Chamber till her grief and passion was somewhat abated nor seeks to perswade her for her own and his credit to conceal the matter but as if he had intended to proclaim both his and her shame to all the world he bids her presently be gone She tells him there was no cause to thrust her out of doors so hastily being in such a woful condition this would be a greater injury to her in some respects than the very defiling of her for though that was an irreparable injury to her yet to thrust her out of doors in such a condition as she was now in was the way not only to discover that she had been defiled but probably would raise an opinion in some that she had consented thereunto and so was cast off as a strumpet which would be a greater inhumanity and barbarity than the other was But say what she would he was nothing moved therewith but like a mad man commanded his servants to turn her out of doors and bolt the door after her she being apparrel'd with a garment of divers colours such as Kings daughters that were virgins us'd to wear she tore her garment and put ashes on her head and laying her hands thereon went crying out as women in extremity of sorrow us'd to do see Jer. 1.37 In this sad plight she comes to her Brother Absalom who instantly understanding from her how she had been abus'd did what he could to comfort and quiet her telling her it was a force practised upon her and so her affliction and not her fault and therefore advised her to be patient and to hold her peace seeing Amnon was her brother and his shame would be the shame of their whole family But she notwithstanding continued very disconsolate none being able to comfort her Absalom though he said little at present yet was so highly enrag'd at this abominable injury done to his sister that he resolv'd to revenge it which he afterwards did to purpose but for the present he dissembled his anger and seem'd to take no notice of it to his brother Amnon But David when he heard of it was extreamly angry and offended at it and 't is like did express his great displeasure against Amnon for it yet for all his anger it seems he let him go unpunished and was too indulgent to him like old Eli whereas he ought to have executed the Law upon him being so notorious an offender though he
were his own Son that by such an exemplary punishment others might be deterred from offending in the like kind But though he did not punish him yet his Son Absalom did as we come now to shew After two years were past Absalom had a sheep-shearing feast as the manner was in that Country to entertain his friends and encourage his servants To this feast Absalom invites David and all his Sons with their retinue to avoid all suspition of any ill intention against Amnon David tells him if they should all come they should be too chargeable to him and therefore he himself would not come however he blessed him and wished him much joy in his Feast Then Absalom ernestly intreated him that his brother Amnon being his Eldest Son might come and so representing his person might grace and honour his Feast This might considering former carriages have given both David and Amnon some suspition and jealousie that he intended some mischief but God intending to punish them both for their former sins hid this from their eyes Therefore upon his great importunity David consented that Amnon and all his Sons should go with him They being come Absalom gave command to some of his servants as evil masters are usually attended with such servants as will comply with them in any wickedness that when they saw Amnon merry with wine they should fall upon him and kill him he bids them be courageous and to do their work thoroughly seeing he had commanded them and would bear them out in it And though the revenging of his sister Tamars rape might be the chief thing he aimed at yet possibly an ambitious desire of the Crown might further this his resolution of cutting off his Elder Brother The servants did as Absalom commanded them and accordingly dispatched Amnon Upon this murder all the rest of Davids Sons got every one upon his Mule (a) Though the Israelites were forbidden to suffer Cattel of divers kinds to engender together Lev. 19.19 yet they might use the Cattel so engendred and such Mules were see Gen. 36.24 and fled not knowing how far Absalom's bloody treachery might extend This gave such a warm alarm to the Country round about that presently tidings came to David that Absalom had slain all his Sons The King upon this surprizing news tore his garments and fell upon the earth and his servants stood about him with their clothes rent Jonadab standing by desired the King not to believe that all his Sons were slain but only Amnon and he did suppose that he indeed was slain because Absalom had threatned to be reveng'd on him ever since he forced his sister Tamar Presently the Kings Sons that fled came to him and with many tears told him what Absalom had done to their brother Amnon and the King and all his servants wept very sore And David mourned for the death of his Son Amnon so treacherously slain very many days Then Absalom that he might escape the hand of justice fled to Talmai King of Geshur his Grandfather by the mothers side and there he remained three years 2 Sam. Ch. 13. from v. 1. to 39. SECT CXCV. It seems Chileab Davids second Son see Ch. 3.3 was now dead IN length of time Davids grief for Amnon by degrees wore off so that he began now to wish that he had his Son Absalom at home with him again and had it not been for shame he could have found in his heart to have gone himself and fetcht him Joab perceiving that the Kings heart was much towards Absalom and that he earnestly desired to have him brought back again if it could be done handsomely and without scandal he therefore that he might gratifie the King and ingratiate himself with Absalom now heir apparent (b) The City where the Prophet Amos lived Amos 1.1 to the Crown sets himself to contrive a way how it might be done Accordingly he sent to Tekoah c a City in Judah and fetched thence a woman that was famous for her wisdom and acquainting her with his design he put words into her mouth and directed her what she should say to the King in order to the bringing about his end she undertakes the business and being well instructed beforehand in a mourning habit and seeming very disconsolate she comes to David and falling down on her face before him cries out Help O King and succour thine afflicted handmaid The King asks her what ailed her she answers I am a widow and thy handmaid had two Sons who going into the field together and falling out they fought and none being by to part them the one of them happened to kill the other and now all my family and kindred are risen up to prosecute my remaining Son that he may be put to death and so the inheritance may come to them for so they give out that they will destroy the heir also and if they should be suffered to kill this surviving Son who is the only comfort that is left me in this world they will wholly extinguish my husbands name which by this Son as by one poor coal that lyeth hid under an heap of ashes can only be blown up again kept alive and preserved The King tells her that he would give order that her case should be heard and examined She desires him not to put her off or scruple to grant her request for if there were any iniquity or sin in sparing her Son she would take the guilt of it * See Gen. 27.13 Mat. 27.25 wholly upon her self the King and his Throne should be guiltless But therein she engag'd for more than she could make good for if it were unjust God would punish her for desiring and endeavouring it and David also for granting it see Numb 35.17 18 21 31 33. However the King seeing her so importunate he bad her go home and if any persons further troubled her she should bring them to him for as the Lord liveth saith he not one hair of thy Son shall fall to the earth Then the woman said let the King remember the word that he hath promised unto his handmaid in the presence of the Lord that he will not suffer the avengers of blood to destroy my Son And now having obtained my request let thy handmaid speak one word more to my Lord the King How comes it to pass that thou hast passed so favourable a sentence in reference to my Son and yet entertainest thoughts in thy mind against thy own Son which are far different and very prejudicial to the good and welfare of thy people Give me leave to say that the King doth speak this thing as one that is faulty he hath given a just sentence in the case of my Son but fails in giving the same sentence when it comes to the case of his own Son the King would have no rigor us'd against my Son for killing his brother because it would tend to my great grief and damage and yet can be content
and shall fell every good tree This by the general rule of the Law Deut. 20.19 they might not do viz. in those Countries they should subdue for their own use and habitation but here the Prophet by special direction from God injoin'd them to do it for the punishing of the Moabites being a people devoted by him to ruin and destruction Further he tells them they shall stop up their wells and mar and spoil the best pieces of their land by casting stones into them Accordingly the next morning about the time of the ordinary morning sacrifice â Virtus sacrificii cooperata est ad hoc miraculum signum est Elisaum tunc preces suas conjunxisse cum precibus populi in Templo orantis Videntur omnes fideles Israelitae ubicunque suissent illis horis Deum pro necessitatibus Ecclesiae atque Reipublicae orasse ut suas preces una cum illis qui praesentes oblationibus aderant copularent Martyr which was offered on on the Altar at the Temple see Exod. 29.39 when the faithful servants of God were at their devotions they saw water running along from the Country of Edom down to this wilderness there being no spring-head or river or such like means from whence it could come and yet the valley was filled with water And this is the fourth miracle wrought by Elisha The Moabites understanding that these three Kings were come to fight against them they gathered together all that were able to put on armour or use weapons both younger and elder and they stood at the border of their land to defend their Country and keep out their enemies And rising early in the morning to see whither the enemy were near them when the Sun arose its beams shining upon the waters made them seem to them at that distance as if it had been blood So that they thought the place where the Israelites were was all bloody * There use to arise some vapours out of the waters which the Sun at its rising not dispelling but shining weakly through them it makes them appear read as blood which they thought had happened by their slaughtering one another And that which induc'd them the rather to think so was because the like had before befallen their people when they went with the Ammonites and Edomites against Jehoshaphat at which time dissention arising amongst them they fell upon and slew one another see 2 Chron. 20.22 23. And they thought the like had now happened among these Kings that had combined against them not imagining there could be any water in those dry and sandy deserts Hereupon they encourag'd one another and gave the word Moab to the spoil So leaving their own borders they came to the Camp of the Israelites whom they found contrary to their expectation ready to receive them and by them they were totally routed and vanquished and pursued into their own Country and then the Israelites performed what the Prophet had before told them they should do concerning beating down their Cities and cutting down their Trees and stopping up their wells and where ever they came in the land of Moab they did what they could to spoil their Country at last they laid siege with all their three Armies to Kirharaseth the chief City of the Moabites see Isa 16.7 whither the King of Moab had fled with a party of his Souldiers and though they could not presently take it nor demolish the Stone-walls thereof yet the Slingers went about it that is the Engineers who with violence shooting stones out of their Engines did much batter it When the King of Moab saw that his enemies were too strong for him and like to take the City he sallied forth with 700 men upon that quarter where the King of Edom lay hoping to break through and so to escape But he found Edom's quarter better man'd and stronger than he imagined so as he was forc'd to retreat back into the City Being now straitly begirt and not knowing what course to take to help himself in this his desperate distress he took his own son * Had it been the King of Edoms Son as some imagin from Amos 2.1 this barbarous fact would have so inraged him and the other two Kings that they would have prest the Siege the more vehemently that they might have been revenged on the King of Moab for it As for that place Amos 2.1 it speaks of burning the King of Edom not the King of Edoms Son and therefore seems to be meant of some other savage act of cruelty in the Moabites against the King of Edom. and heir and according to the blind and abominable superstition of the Gentiles sacrific'd him as a burnt-offering on the wall to his Idol Chemosh see 2 King 23.13 that with so precious a sacrifice he might prevail with him for help After this prodigious act of blind superstition both the King of Moab and the inhabitants of the City were more bitterly enraged against the Israelites than ever and were resolved to fight it out to the last man rather than yield which the Israelites understanding and being perhaps moved with some compassion upon that lamentable spectacle they had seen of the burning the young Prince of Moab upon the wall they raised the siege and went away home And it seems the Kings of Judah and Edom were greatly incens'd against the King of Israel because his wrath against Moab had given occasion to this horrid act 2 King 3. from v. 4 to the end Elisha now returning out of Moab into Israel a certain widdow of one of the Prophets cried unto him saying Thy servant my husband is dead and died in debt being not able to pay what he owed but he would willingly have payed it if he could for thou knowest he was a man that truly feared the Lord. And now behold my husbands creditor not finding goods sufficient with me to discharge the debt is come to take my two Sons for bondmen either that he himself may use them as such or sell them to others to repay himself for that I owe him * Liberi jure Hebraeo res parentum ob parentum debita vendi poterant ut patet ex Isa 50.1 Mat. 18.25 See Levit. 25.39 Elisha answered What shall I do for thee what hast thou in the house which may go towards the payment of thy debt She said I have nothing of any value in the house besides the beds we lye on and some few other necessaries save only one pot of oyl He bad her go and borrow of all her neighbours empty vessels and to borrow a good many he intending she should have enough to discharge the debt to the full And says he when thou art come in thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy two Sons that the work the Lord intends to do for thee may not be interrupted nor any others come in and seek to share with thee in the oyl the Lord intends to
Joram to fly drew a bow with his full strength and smote him in the back between his shoulders and the arrow went out at his heart and he sank down in his Chariot and died Jehu âhen call'd to Bidkar his Captain to take and cast his body in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite for remember says he when thou and I being Commanders under his Father and following him as his attendants at that time when he took possession of Naboths vineyard * Which was the day after his death heard this dreadful judgment (c) The Lord laid this burden on him v. 25. Onus Vocat Prophetiam gravem onerosam denounced against him by Elijah from the Lord Surely I have seen the blood of Naboth and the blood of his Sons who it seems were put to death with him that none of them might afterwards challenge the inheritance â Filii ejus contra legem Deut. 24. una interfecti erant licet nulla hujus caedis mentio facta est 1 Reg. 21.13 Sic multa a sacâis historicis omissa videmus que ab aliis per occasionem dicta sunt Sanctius and I will requite thee in this plat now therefore cast him into that portion of ground according to the word of the Lord that the dogs may lick his blood see 1 King 21.19 When Ahaziah King of Judah saw this he fled but they pursuing him first wounded him and afterwards killed him in Megiddo as may be seen more fully in his life Then Jehu march'd into Jezreel and Jezebel hearing of his coming painted her face and tired her head thinking possibly by her Majestick bravery to daunt him and looking out of the window when Jehu entred the Gate of her Palace she cried out Had Zimri peace who slew his Master see 1 King 16.10 as if she should have said Remember what he did and fear the like event Jehu looking up to the window askt who is there on my side who Two or three Eunuchs (a) Such were Chamberlains of Queens and Princesses for the most part in those times attendants on the Queen looking out he call'd to them to throw her down which they God so working upon their hearts and possibly fearing Jehu immediately did And he and his followers trod her under their horses feet and so pash'd her to pieces that some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses Jehu having done this great work and having taken much pains in this expedition from Ramoth to Jezreel and seeing all was quiet in the City and that none oppos'd him he went now to refresh himself After a little time he bad some about him to go look after the body of that cursed woman Jezebel and to take it up and bury it for says he she was a Kings daughter viz. the King of Zidon's This order 't is like he gave on the sudden not remembring the Prophecy of Elijah nor what the Prophet that anointed him said unto him ver 10. but they bringing him back word that the dogs had eaten all but her scull and feet and the palms of her hands then he said this is the word of the Lord which he spake by Elijah saying Near * â Reg. 21.23 In pro juxta In eo territorio in quo injuste damnatus est Naboth the portion of Naboth in Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel and so much of her body as is left by the dogs shall be as dung upon the face of the field and shall lye and rot in the open air so that none shall be able to say of it this is Jezebel 2 King 8.28 29. 2 King 9. wh Ch. JEHV being thus come to the Crown The 10th King of Israel JEHU and having already executed his Commission on Jehoram Ahaziah and Jezebel he now proceeds on to root out the house of Ahab It seems Ahab had many Sons born to him of several wives and many grand-children in all about seventy who were bred up under several great men and some of them Rulers in Jezreel who upon these distractions fled with them to Samaria a well fortified City to secure them there Jehu understanding this wrote a Letter to those who had the tuition of these children and to the Elders of Samaria which spake after this manner Seeing your Masters Sons are with you and there are with you chariots and horses and you are in a fenced City and have arms look out therefore the best and meetest of your Masters Sons and set him on his Fathers Throne and fight for your Masters house This he wrote in an Ironical way but gave them thereby an intimation that if they stood out against him or offered to oppose him he doubted not but he should easily subdue them And indeed the Lord having appointed him to destroy the whole stock of Ahab did in order thereÌunto put such a fear into the hearts of these Rulers that they said among themselves Behold two Kings could not stand before him how then shall we be able to deal with him Hereupon he that was chief over all those that appertained to Ahabs house and the chief Magistrate of Samaria and the Senators of the City and the Governours of the Kings childreâ returned this tame answer to Jehu we are thy servants and will do whatever thou commandest us they interpose no such condition as this if the thing be honest and just or the like so slavish does fear make men we will make no King nor set up any to oppose thee thou maist do what thou pleasest as for us we are ready to obey thee in every thing Jehu then wrote another Letter wherein he told them that if they were his servants in reality and would be obedient to him as they professed then he required them forthwith to cut off the heads of those seventy Sons and Grandchildren of Ahab and to bring them to him to Jezreel the next day This was indeed a very severe command and 't is strange they did not utterly refuse to obey it but they ââgarding more their own safety then either humanity or the charge and trust committed to them without any more ado complied with it and cutting off the heads of these young Princes put them in baskets and sent them to Jezreel and followed after them themselves When they were come thither a messenger acquainted Jehu that these Rulers of Samaria had brought the heads of the Kings Sons unto him according to his command It being as it seems late Jehu ordered that they should be laid in two heaps at the entring of the Gate till the morning certainly a most sad and ruful spectacle it was to see so many young Princes heads lying on heaps together but this seems so ordered by Providence that all the people might see the dreadful judgment of God upon the house of Ahab for his cruelty and Idolatry and might be deterred from going on in it In the morning Jehu went out
out of his sight that is out of that land where he manifested the evidences of his gracious presence 'T is further added that when the Lord had rent Israel from the house of David they made Jeroboam the Son of Nebat King and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the Lord and made them sin a great sin And the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did they departed not from them until the Lord removed them out of his sight as he had threatned by all his servants the Prophets And for these reasons was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria where they remained as exiles when this History was written 2 King 17. from 7 to the 24. 2 King 18.10 11 12. This was the end of the Kingdom of Israel when it had stood severed from the Kingdom of Judah by the space of two hundred fifty four years Their many great and crying sins highly provoked the Lord against them especially their notorious idolatry their contempt of the Lords Prophets and their contumacy and bold persisting in their wicked ways For after the great blow they received by Tiglath-Pilesâr 2 King 15.29 they were so far from any amendment that they used in the pride of their hearts that Proverb Isa 9. v. 10. The bricks are fallen down but we will build with hewn stones the sycamores are cut down but we will change them into cedars intimating thereby that they would build their towns that were spoiled better than they were before For these sins therefore the Lord was provoked to reject and cast them off and to suffer them to be led away captive Tobit or Tobias the elder saith of himself that he at this time with Anna his wife and his Countrymen the Naphtalites was carried away into the land of Assyria and there made purveyor or provider of corn and other victuals for Salmanasser's houshold and also that he was carried into Media and there placed in a principal City called Ruges c. Tobit Ch. 1. Salmanasser having thus carried away the Israelites captives he planted Colonies there of five Nations of his own people taking them out of Babylon Cutha Ava Emath and Sepharvaim and placed them in the Cities of Samaria in the room of the Israelites And these were they that after this time were called Cuthaeans by a Synecdoche because the major part of them came out of Cutha a Country in Persia many of these at their first coming thither not fearing the Lord nor worshipping the true God of Israel were devoured by Lions therefore a Jewish Priest was at the request of the rest of them sent out of Assyria to teach them the manner how the God of Israel would be worshipped But this being as it seems one of Jeroboam's Priests and making his residence at Bethel he taught them not the pure worship of God nor to serve him as they ought in his Temple at Jerusalem but in their own Country after the way of Jeroboam Neither were these people brought to worship the true God alone but every City had also a several Idol of their own which they worshipped according to the custom of the Nations from which they were descended and from whence they had been transported So though they feared the Lord that is acknowledged the God of Israel to be the true God yet they served their own gods also after the manner of the Nations from whence they came * Ex ritu Gentium illarum unde ipsos deportaverant vel è quibus deportati fuerant Pisc And as for the Israelites that were carried away captive into Assyria they were nothing amended by their captivity but 't is said of them 2 King 17.34 That unto this day they do after their former manners they fear not the Lord neither do they after their statutes or after their ordinances appointed and enjoin'd them by God or after the Law and Commandments which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob whom he named Israel to observe with whom he made a Covenant and charged them saying Ye shall not fear other gods nor bow your selves to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them But the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm him shall ye fear and him shall ye worship and to him shall ye do sacrifice And the statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandments which he wrote for you ye shall observe to do for evermore * Viz. as long as that dispensation shall last and ye shall not fear other gods And the Covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget neither shall ye fear other gods but the Lord your God shall ye fear and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies Howbeit they did not hearken but they did after their former manner But as for those Nations whom the King of Assyria brought out of other Countries and placed in Samaria they went on in their mungrel way of Religion they and their children from generation to generation After these first Colonies there were other Colonies brought thither by Esarhaddon King of Assyria who was also called Asnapper the Great Ezra 4.2.10 Son of Sennacherib and Grandchild to Salmanasser This seems to be the last of the Assyrian Kings and the person that carried Manasseh prisoner to Babylon which was then under the Assyrian Empire 2 Chron. 33.11 So that the Prophesie of Isaiah seems now to be fulfilled Chap. 7.8 The head of Syria is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken that it be not a people For though the greatest part of the Israelites were carried away by Salmanasser some years before and their Kingdom utterly abolished yet among them that were left there remained some shew of a Government But now by reason of the great multitude of forreigners which came to dwell there the small remainder of the Ephramites were accounted as nothing yet they were not utterly extinct in their own Country as appears from 2 Chron. 34.6 7. v. 33. Chap. 35.18 2 King 23.19 20. 2 King 17. from 24 to the end These Samaritans before mentioned were succeeded by a second sort of Heretical Samaritans in the time of the Government of Nehemiah in whose time one of the Sons of Ioiada the Son of Eliashib the High Priest married the daughter of Sanballat the Horonite and therefore he chased him from him Neh. 13.28 This Priest thus driven away from Ierusalem went with other Iews that had made the like mungrel marriages to the Samaritans their wives kindred who there as the Iewish Writers relate assisted them in building an Anti-Temple on mount Gerizim where a medly Nation devised a Miscellaneous worship of God rejecting all the Scriptures save the five Books of Moses and maintaining many abominable superstitions So that between these Samaritans and the Iews there grew
Son of Nebat for their King But the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin stuck fast to Rehoboam In memorial of this sad rent the Jews afterwards kept a solemn Fast yearly upon the three and twentieth day of the third month called Sivan Rehoboam being come to Jerusalem forthwith raises an Army of an hundred and fourscore thousand valiant men out of Judah and Benjamin to reduce the Ten Tribes back to his subjection but is forbidden to proceed on in that enterprize by the Prophet Shemaiah who told him that the thing was of God who had so ordered it for the punishment of his Fathers defection from him and so the people returned to their own homes But though for the present that design was laid aside yet there followed continual bickerings between the two Kings all their days and the borderers on both sides did continually make inrodes one upon another see Ch. 14.30 Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem and built and fortified fifteen Cities for the defence of Judah and made great warlike provisions and put Garrisons into the Cities and placed Captains and Commanders over them some whereof it seems were his own Sons for 2 Chron. 11.23 't is said He dealt wisely and dispersed all his children thoroughout all the Countries of Judah and Benjamin into every fenced City And in that it must be acknowledged he dealt prudently for in his own Sons he might most securely confide And he stored those Garrisons with plenty of victuals and with wine and oyl and in every Garrison he put Shields and Spears and other Warlike ammunition and made them exceeding strong And many Priests and Levites that were cast off by Jeroboam and his Sons * They probably were placed as Captains in the Cities of Israel as Rehoboam's Sons were in the Cities of Judah who would not suffer them to execute the Priests office in their Cities and many people out of all the Ten Tribes who set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel resorted unto him whereby his Kingdom was much strengthned For three years he and his people walked in the ways of David and in the ways of Solomon viz. his first ways before his fall but afterwards they forsook the Law of the Lord though some particular persons among them undoubtedly remained faithful to God and made themselves High-places Images â So that none of the twelve Tribes at this time continued faithful to God the Ten revolted with Jeroboam and these two with Rehoboam and Groves doing according to all the abominations of the Heathen And they did evil in the sight of the Lord and provoked him to jealousie with their sins insomuch that in none of their Fathers days there was such a general apostasie And it seems there were among them some that practised that abominable sin of Sodomy so that they did after all the abominations of the Heathen whom God cast out before their Fathers As for the Domestick affairs of Rehoboam we find that he took eighteen Wives and sixty Concubines and begat twenty eight Sons and sixty Daughters and dispersed his Sons through all the Countries of Judah and Benjamin into the several fenced Cities and there gave them liberal and Princely allowances and sought out many Wives for them out of Noble Families to strengthen their interest by their alliances Of all his Wives he loved Maachah best the daughter of Absalom who was a great Idolatress see 1 King 15.13 and he made Abijah her Son to be chief ruler over his brethren intending he should succeed him in the Throne In the fifth year of his reign because he had so heinously transgressed against the Lord Shishak King of Egypt invited possibly thereunto by Jeroboam who had lived there and been kindly entertained by him before he was made King came up against him with twelve hundred chariots and threescore thousand horsemen and people without number Some of them were Lybians a people in Africa bordering upon Egypt some Suckites otherwise call'd Troglodites a people dwelling in Caves of Rocks and some of them Ethiopians With this great Army invading Judea he took the fenced Cities that were in his way to Jerusalem and then came before that City also The people of Judah being now in great distress Shemaiah the Prophet came to Rehoboam and the Princes * Ver. 6. Princes of Israel that is the Princes of Judah who were Israelites that were gathered together in Jerusalem and spake to them after this manner Thus saith the Lord ye have forsaken me and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak Rehoboam and the Princes upon this humbled themselves and confest their sins and said the Lord is righteous in all the judgments he hath brought upon us Hereupon the Lord spake to Shemaiah again saying They have humbled themselves therefore I will not utterly destroy them but grant them some deliverance and my wrath shall not be poured forth upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak nevertheless they shall be his servants and shall yield to such terms as he shall put upon them that they may know my service and the service of the Kingdoms of the Countries That is that they may know by the hard conditions Shishak will put upon them how much better it had been for them to have served me than by their sins to have brought themselves into bondage to other Nations See Isa 26.13 So Shishak being come before Jerusalem to save the Temple and City from plunder and to regain the Cities he had taken as he came up to them they were forc'd to give him the Treasures â This was the first spoiling of the Temple of the Temple not the holy vessels but such gold and silver and other precious things as were laid up for repairing the Temple and other holy uses as also the Treasures of the Kings house as also the Golden Shields that Solomon had made 1 King 10.16 Instead of these Rehoboam made Shields of Brass and committed them to the hands of the chief of the Guard that kept the door of the Kings house And when the King entred into the house of the Lord the Guard came and fetched them and carried them before him and when he was come back returned them again into his Guard-chamber Thus Rehoboam humbling himself the wrath of God turned from him so as he would not destroy him altogether And after this things began to go well again in Judah for they enjoyed their liberty of serving the true God the benefit of their own Laws and had for the most part peace and prosperity So Rehoboam recovered strength again and repaired and fortified the Cities of his Kingdom yet he did not sincerely set and fix his heart to seek the Lord that is did not endeavour to know him aright to worship him purely to call upon him fervently and to obey him faithfully and in all these to persevere constantly Now the Acts of Rehoboam first and last namely such as were done in his
the house of Ahab and compelled the people of Judah thereunto by force persecuting such as refused A Letter whilst he was going on in these abominable ways comes to him from Elijah who before his translation saw by the spirit of Prophesie what great wickedness this Jehoram would commit and what punishments the Lord would inflict upon him for it This Letter was written by Elijah * Probabile est Eliam hoc Scriptum commisisse Elisaeo quia certo aliud ei commisit post mortem peragendum nempe ut Hazaeli indicaret ipsum futurum Regem Syriae whilst he lived upon the earth neither need that seem strange seeing Isaiah wrote before hand concerning Cyrus Isa 45.1 and the Prophet that was sent to Jeroboam prophesied of Josiah many years before he was born 1 King 13.2 Elijah having written it committed it either to Elisha or some other of the Prophets and by them it was now sent to Jehoram whose insolent cruelty was such that he would hardly endure the reproof of a living Prophet In that Letter Elijah speaks thus to him Thus saith the Lord God of David thy Father because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat â To degenerate from the example of pious Ancestors is a great provocation thy Father nor the ways of Asa thy Grandfather but hast walked in the ways of the Kings of Israel and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring and commit spiritual fornication like the house of Ahab and hast also slain thy brethren of thy Fathers house which were better than thy self behold with a great plague will the Lord smite thee and will punish thee in thy people and thy children and thy wives and all thy goods and thou shalt have great sickness by a disease of thy bowels who hast had no bowels towards thy own brethren and thou shalt day by day without intermission be tormented with it till thy bowels fall out This was the threatning of Elijah the Prophet against him and we shall now see how it was fulfilled 1. The Edomites who from Davids time had ever been in subjection to the Kingdom of Judah see 2 Sam. 8.14 and had been Tributaries thereunto and had been governed by a Viceroy set over them by them 1 King 22.47 now fell off and revolted from him and made a King over themselves Jehoram to reduce them went over to Zair a City in Idumea and took with him all the Chariots and Horsemen and Souldiers he could provide and he arose by night that he might come upon them suddenly and unexpectedly but the Edomites were so numerous and so well prepared that they compassed his army round about However his Souldiers so manfully stood to it that they put the Edomites to flight and slew many of them and thereupon the Captains of the Edomites Chariots and many of their Souldiers fled to their own houses But though Joram overthrew them at this time yet they retiring into places of advantage persisted resolutely in their revolt and so he was forced to return again into his own land without conquering of them And thus according to the Prophesie of Isaac Gen. 27.40 By thy sword thou shalt live and serve thy Brother and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck They for ever after shook off his yoke 2. Whilst he was endeavouring to reduce the Edomites Libnah a great City within Judah one of the Royal Cities of Canaan Josh 10.29 30. and given to the Priests Josh 21.13 now rebelled against him possibly because he had made such innovations in Religion and forced the people to Idolatry and had forsaken the Lord God of his Fathers The revolt of this City was a matter of great moment it being a Frontier City and one of those which the King of Assyria set upon when he came with his huge host to have taken Jerusalem 2 Chron. 32.9 It is much indeed that one City alone should venture upon such an attempt but perhaps the Kings absence whilst he was in Edom and the discontent of the people yea perhaps some correspondence they might have with the Philistines who soon after invaded the land gave them hope of some abettors and how they sped in the conclusion the Scripture no where expresses 3ly God stirred up against him the spirit of the Philistines and Arabians who bordered upon the Ethiopians and had been Tributaries to the Kings of Judah and they ran through the land so far as to come up to Jerusalem and plundered and carried away all the substance they found in the Kings house and carried away all his sons * Here we ought to take notice of the righteous judgment of God against him He slew all his Brethren and all his Sons were slain by the Philistines and Arabians excepting his youngest Ahaziah and he was slain afterwards by Jehu 2 Chron. 22.9 And all the Sons of Ahaziah were slain by their Grandmother Athaliah excepting Joash who was hid from her and afterwards Crowned King And Joash himself was at last slain by his own servants but the youngest call'd Ahaziah â And herein appeared the Divine Providence for the accomplishment of the promise to David whom it seems they could not find and all his wives they could lay their hands on but it seems they unhappily mist Athaliah who remained to usurp the Crown and to be a scourge to the Nation afterwards 4ly After all this the Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease his malady was very tormenting and after two years continuance a long time for a man to lye under such a sharp disease his torment was so great that at last it forced out his very guts and bowels from him and so he died under the heavy hand of God The great sins he had committed against God the great wrongs he had done to his subjects and the great judgments he had brought upon the land turned the hearts of his people from him so that they shewed him little respect when he was dead making no burning for him like the burning made for his Father See 2 Chron. 16.14 And so he departed without being desired or lamented Howbeit they buried him in the City of David but obscurely not in the Sepulchers of his Ancestors the Kings of Judah and without the lamentations and solemnities that had been used at the Funerals of other Kings He reigned eight years four in his Fathers life time and four after which though a short reign in its self yet seem'd undoubtedly long to the poor people that were so ill treated by him All the time of this Kings reign another King of the same name reigned in Israel to wit Joram the Son of Ahab his wives brother 2 King 8. v. from 16 to 25. 2 Chron. 21. wh Ch. The sixth that reign'd in Judah was AHAZIAH AHAZIAH call'd Jehoahaz 2 Chron. 21.17 and Azariah 2 Chron.
taking this advantage forthwith she laid hold on the Princes of the blood and those of the Royal family that remained in Judah and slew them although some of them as 't is like her own Grandchildren so cruel and bloody are the minds of Idolaters But by the wonderful Providence of God it happened that Joash an infant-infant-son of Ahaziah escaped her hands for Jehoshaba the wife of Jehoiada the High Priest got him away and hid him with his nurse in a private Chamber belonging to the Temple Athaliah did these strange and unnatural things that she might quietly possess the Royal Throne and set up the worship of Baal again in the Kingdom And some conjecture that she had Sons by some other man besides Jehoram whom she desired to promote to the Crown perhaps some of those who brake up the house of God and bestowed the dedicated things thereof upon Baal as we read 2 Chron. 24.7 For the Sons of Athaliah that wicked woman had broken up the house of God and all the dedicated things thereof did they bestow upon Baalim Athaliah having thus usurped the Crown she reigned about six years 2 Chron. 22.10 11 12. 1 King 11. from 1 to 4. The 8th that reigned in Judah was JOASH AThaliah having usurped the Crown and reigned about six years during which time she had much promoted the worship of Baal in Judah at length Jehoiada the High Priest began to think of setling this young Joash in the Throne to whom it did belong not only by natural right being the former Kings Son but by vertue of the promise made by God to David and his posterity 2 Sam. 7.13 16. Having therefore imparted this secret to five Captains of the land in whose fidelity he had most confidence and he and they having made a Covenant to do their utmost to depose Athaliah the Vsurper and to set up Joash and to pull down Idolatry and establish the true Religion afterwards by their means he drew in others of the principal men of the Kingdom both Levites and others procuring them to meet at Jerusalem in order to the carrying on of the design And accordingly they being met together in some Chamber of the Temple and having taken an Oath of secresie and fidelity he shewed them the Kings Son Then they resolved how the business should be manag'd the next Sabbath-day in every particular The Levites were by an order long since established among them by David divided in twenty four Companies which did in their courses each company a week perform the service of the Temple the rest abiding in their private dwellings in the several Cities of Judah and so every Sabbath-day they that served the week before went out and another company came in to serve in their rooms In each company there were a great many of these Levites besides Porters and Singers Now because Jehoiada and his Associates were not able to bring together secretly so many trusty and serviceable hands of the Country as would be sufficient to manage this great business therefore he resolv'd to arm the Levites for the work having secretly laid in the Chambers of the Temple some arms and weapons for the purpose And that the Levites whom he intended to employ in this business might be the stronger he took in the new company that were to come in on the Sabbath-day and did not dismiss the old that should have gone out but retained them still and so by that means without any noise he made up such a number as he thought would be able to deal with the Queens ordinary Guards if need should be All these Levites therefore he disposes under the command of several Captains either such as were principal men among the Levites or others whom he had sworn his associates in this design in this manner Those that were to enter into the service of the Temple that Sabbath-day he divided into three Companies One Company whereof he assigned to watch at the Gate of the outer Court viz. the North-gate that led to the Kings Palace where Athaliah now was Another company he assign'd to the East * Call'd the Gate of Shur or the Gate of the foundation 2 King 11.6 Gate that led into the City A third company to the South-gate Those Levites that should have gone out from the service of the Temple he divided into two companies and appointed them to be a Guard in the Temple unto the Kings person the one on his right hand and the other on his left Then he gave to the Captains for themselves and their men King David's Spears and Shields See 1 Sam. 21.9 2 Sam. 8.7 viz. such weapons as were there reserved as Trophies and monuments of David's victories which weapons of war were some of those things dedicated by David and brought into the Temple by Solomon 1 King 7.51 Thus this Guard of Levites stood every man with his weapon in his hand and Jehoiada charged them to look to it that their watches were not disordered by the breaking in of any body and that if any offered to break through their ranks by force they should slay them Things being thus ordered he brought forth the Kings Son to them and set him on the Brazen Scaffold and Jehoiadah and his Sons anointed him and put the Crown upon his head and gave into his hands the Testimony that is the Book wherein the Law of God was written and wherein was testified what God required of his people and what they might expect from him in case of obedience These things being done all there present made a great acclamation and cried out God save the King Then Jehoiada made a Covenant between the Lord and the King and the people viz. that the King should serve the Lord and maintain his pure worship and root out Idolatry and that the people should join with him therein and should fear and serve the Lord and him only and every way carry themselves as became his peo-people Then he made a Covenant between the King and the people viz. that the King should govern them righteously and that they should yield due obedience unto him Athaliah being at the Palace which was near the Temple and hearing these great loud acclamations of the peo-people and of such as in the great Court stood about the King she with a few of her servants that were about her rusht into the Temple through the Guards and when she came to the great Court she saw the King standing by the Pillar on the Brazen Scaffold with the Crown on his head and the Trumpeters about him blowing and all the people there present wonderfully rejoicing upon this she rent her clothes and cried out Treason Treason Jehoiada immediately commanded the Officers and Commanders to lay hold on her and to have her out of the ranges and and to kill any man that offered to rescue her and to carry her out of the Temple and to slay her which accordingly they did in the
Father had done For such as his Father was such was he His Father a while out of respect to men viz. as long as Jehoiada lived did that which was right but afterwards fell away to Idolatry and so did he As his Father did not suppress the worship of God in high places no more did he As soon as he was setled in the Government he put to death those that had killed the King his Father who it seems were great men and had Court-offices and therefore call'd his servants whom at first for fear of danger he forbore to meddle with but when he saw a fit opportunity and felt his own strength he dealt with them yet spared their children according to the Law of God Deut. 24.16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children neither shall the children for the fathers every man shall be put to death for his own sin About the 13 or 14 year of his reign he resolved to make war upon the Edomites who in his Grandfather Jehoram's time had rebelled against the Kingdom of Judah and so continued unto this time In order hereunto he musters three hundred thousand choice men of his own subjects such as were able for war and could handle spear and shield and made Colonels over thousands and Captains over hundreds according to the dignity of their families But notwithstanding he had so great an Army it seems he did not much confide in them but thought it better in point of policy to manage this war by Auxiliaries and accordingly hired an hundred thousand able valiant men of the Israelites who in those times by reason of their successful wars against the Syrians were accounted excellent Souldiers to go with him against the Edomites and gave them an hundred talents of silver * That is thirty seven thousand five hundred pound sterling See 1 Chron. 22.14 So every Regiment consisting of a thousand had a Talent of silver that is 375 l. to engage them in this service A Prophet comes to him from the Lord and advises him to dismiss these Israelites for the Lord was not with them â 2 Chron. 25.7 to wit with any of the children of Ephraim Ephraim is here put for the ten Tribes being the greatest Tribe of the ten and having the priviledg of the first born Gen. 48.19 God did not love them because they were Idolaters though he did sometimes prosper them in their wars against the cruel Syrians But says he if thou wilt go up to fight against the Edomites with these Israelites contrary to the declared mind of God do it at thy own peril and make thy self as strong as thou canst for the battel and see what will come of it Assure thy self God will make thee fall before the enemy For God alone hath power to help or cast down success in war is wholly ordered by him The King was something startled at this message but says he if I should dismiss them what shall I do for the hundred Talents that I have given them I know not how to recover them from such a numerous company without much hazard and much bloodshed The Prophet answers The Lord is able to give thee much more than this So Amaziah separated them from his own Army to which they were joined and sent them home again But they being thus dismissed were exceeding angry and lookt upon themselves as slighted and scorned as if their aid and assistance had not been of any value wherefore in their return home they fell upon the Cities of Judah viz. such as were the frontier Towns bordering all along the breadth thereof upon the Kingdom of Israel and slew three thousand of the subjects of Judah and carried away much spoil Amaziah having dismissed the Israelites marches with his own Army into the Edomites Country and there obtain'd a great victory over them wherein he slew ten thousand of them and took ten thousand prisoners whom he cast down from the Rock Selah and so broke them in pieces Possibly he us'd them with the greater severity because of their revolt from the Crown of Judah and their unwillingness to return to their obedience thereunto Having thus conquered the Edomites among other spoils he brought away their Gods also and by a monstrous impiety set them up to be his Gods and bowed down before them and burnt incense unto them David did not use to do so but burnt the gods of his enemies which he took see 1 Chron. 14.12 But this man seems more infatuated and bewitched with Idolatry than Ahab himself The anger of the Lord was hereupon exceedingly kindled against Amaziah and he sent a Prophet to him who said to him Why hast thou sought after the gods of the Edomites which could not deliver their own people viz. the people that worshipped them out of thy hands The King being vexed at this free reproof of the Prophet would not let him go on but said Who made you of the Kings councel I charge thee forbear speaking any many or speak at thy own peril So the Prophet forbore and only said I know that the Lord hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this great wickedness in setting up these Idols and now refusest to hearken to my counsel Amaziah being puft up and grown insolent upon his good success against the Edomites and taking advice of some such Counsellors as Rehoboam did in a vain and proud manner sends a challenge to Joash King of Israel saying to him Come let us look one another in the face and meet in a pitched field with our Armies Probably the injury done him by the Israelites whom he dismissed when he undertook his late expedition against the Edomites was that which provoked him to challenge Joash and this late wrong might probably bring other old matters to remembrance Joash who was a Prince as proud and haughty every whit as Amaziah answers him in a scornful manner by a Parable The Thistle says he that was in Lebanon sent to the Cedar saying Give thy daughter to my son to wife and there passed by a wild beast and trod down the Thistle Whereby he intimates that it would be insufferable pride in the Thistle to presume to desire the Cedars daughter as a wife for his son For he that seeks to match his child with another mans supposes himself equal to that other man But he takes it in great scorn that Amaziah should think himself equal to him But if it be too much presumption for the Thistle to offer to make affinity with the Cedar how much more presumption is it to make war against him which he would have Amaziah to know was his present case He further tells him Indeed he had smitten the Edomites and thereupon he perceived his heart was proud and much lifted up But however he advises him to content himself with that victory and to tarry at home and not meddle with him to his hurt lest he and Judah with him fall
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
into subjection all Countries far and near Whereupon Cyrus was by his Fatheâ Cambyses and the Council of the Kingdom made General of the Persian forces and sent away into Media with thirty thousand Souldiers and one thousand Commanders and when he came thither he was by his Uncle Cyaxares who had sent for him made General of the Median forces also and the management of the war against the Babylonians wholly committed to him Cyaxares and Cyrus march against the Babylonian King and against Croesus and the rest of the Confederates and gain'd a great victory over them The King of Babylon fell in the battel Croesus with those of his people that were left brake up his Camp by night and fled Cyrus having made a league with the Hircanians who had fallen over to him from the Babylonians using their help and guidance in the way pursued the enemy that was fled overtook them and fought them and again overthrew them The Hircanians fell upon the Companies of the Cappadocians and Arabians and slew both their Kings Cyrus sparing the lives of such as were either taken by force or had yielded to mercy divided the spoil of the field among his Souldiers Herod Lib. 3 4. Belshazzar Grandchild to Nebuchadnezzar by his son Evilmerodach succeeds in the Kingdom In the first year of this Kings reign Daniel had the vision shew'd him of the four Beasts signifying the four Monarchies of the World and of Gods delivering over all power and Soveraignty to the Son of Man Dan. 7. whole Chapter In the third year of Belshazzar Daniel had the vision of the Ram and He-goat foreshewing the destruction of the Persian Monarchy by Alexander and that he being dead and his horn broken four horns should arise instead thereof denoting four Kingdoms and that out of one of them a little horn should come forth viz. Antiochus Epiphanes which should prevail to take away the daily Sacrifice and bring much misery upon the people of God This was shew'd to Daniel then living at Susa in the Province of Elam upon the bank of the river Vlai which was then in the hands of the King of Babylon under whom Daniel lived And the Angel Gabriel comforted Daniel and interpreted the vision to him by the command of Christ Dan. 8. whole Chapter In the year of the world three thousand four hundred sixty five Cyrus and Belshazzar those two great Lords of the world fought a pitched battel near Babylon and the Caldeans being worsted retired to the City where Cyrus besieged them with a vast army When he had viewed the wall he concluded there was no storming of it and therefore resolved that the best way was to pine and starve them out at which the besieged scoffed as thinking themselves utterly out of danger But Cyrus taking notice how the river ran through the City caused deep ditches to be made which by draining rendred it fordable and taking advantage of a solemn Feast which they kept entred by night and surprized them whilst they were banqueting and reveling and in their cups And so vastly big was the City that when the skirts of it were surprized and taken they who dwelt in the heart of the City heard not of it to which that of Jeremiah seemeth to have reference Jer. 51.31 that post upon post and messenger upon messenger should run to tell the King of Babylon that all the skirts of the City were possessed by the enemies Belshazzar was at this time as it seemeth feasting with his Nobles and had caused to be brought forth the vessels of silver and gold which his Grandfather * For that he was his Sons Son may be gathered out of Jer. 27.7 And all Nations shall serve him and his Son and his Sons Son until the very time of his land come and then many Nations and great Kings shall serve themselves of him Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the Temple at Jerusalem that he his nobles his wives and concubines might drink in them But God suddenly sent a hand to write upon the wall where the King and his Nobles sat drinking Mene Mene Tekel Vpharsin Hereby evidently declaring that sudden destruction should fall upon him But his Wizards of Caldea could not read the writing hereupon his Queen advised him to send for Daniel who came and both read the writing as also gave the interpretation thereof and for his pains was presently proclaimed the third man in the Kingdom Presently after this in this very night was Belshazzar slain by the Souldiers of Gobrias and Gadales who having been formerly injured by him had revolted to Cyrus And so the Babylonish Kingdom came to an end as had been sundry times foretoââ by Isaiah Chap. 13. Chap. 14. Chap. 21. Chap. 34. Chap. 46. Chap. 47. By Habakkuk Chap. 2. and by Jeremy Chap. 25. Ch. 50 51. Dan. 5. from 1 to 31. The Babylonish Empire being now translated to the Medes and Persians Darius the Mede Son of Ahashuerus otherwise called Cyaxares the Son of Astyages took upon him the Kingdom which was delivered to him by Cyrus the Conquerour And the Angel in this first year of his reign is said to have confirmed and strengthened him in his Kingdom After which he reigned two years Dan. 5.31 Dan. 9.1 Dan. 11.1 Cyrus having set all things in order at Babylon went into Media and married the only daughter and heir of Darius and for dowry had the whole Kingdom of Media given him with her and the marriage finished he returned with her to Babylon Darius now set over the Kingdom a hundred and twenty Princes or Governours and over all the Governours he made three Overseers the principal of which was Daniel whereupon the rest of the Governours being stirred up by a spirit of envy against him moved the King to make a decree that for thirty days space no petition should be made to any God or man but to himself alone which decree when Daniel had broken by making his prayer to God three times a day he was cast into the Lions den and thence delivered without any hurt at all done to him and then Darius having caused those malicious plotters to be cast into the same Lions den published that memorable decree through all his dominions that every man therein should reverence and stand in awe of Daniels God Dan. 6. whole Chapter Towards the end of the first year of the reign of Darius over the Babylonish Empire the seventy years of the captivity of the Jews drew towards a period and this was the last of those years of their calamty specified by Jeremy Chap. 25.12 And it shall come to pass when seventy years are accomplished that I will punish the King of Babylon and that Nation saith the Lord for their iniquity c. And Chap. 29.10 c. For thus saith the Lord that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you and perform my good word towards you in causing you to return to
some of the Rulers of the people some pious and prudent men be appointed to sit daily here in Jerusalem for the hearing of this business and to take cognizance who they are that have married strange wives viz. such as have not imbraced the faith of Israel or that since their marriage have relapsed to Idolatry and let those that are found guilty herein in every City be brought hither in their turns to appear before these Elders and let the chief men in every City testifie against them if they have found them guilty and so let the business be dispatched first with one City and then with another until at length all the strange wives be put away that so the fierce wrath of our God may be turned from us Hereupon four men being chosen viz. two Priests and two Levites to set forward this business the children of the captivity agreed that the forementioned course should be taken And Ezra with certain chief of the Fathers were chosen and set apart to that great work and began it on the first day of the tenth month and made an end of it on the first day of the first month and so were three whole months about it And upon examination even among the Sons of the Priests who should have known and practised better things there were found some who had taken strange wives yea some of the Sons of Joshua the good high Priest who assisted Zerubbabel were guilty in this matter and divers of their brethren in that function also They being found guilty offered a ram of the flock for their transgression and gave their hands that they would put away their Idolatrous wives And 't is like many others whose names are there recorded did the same though it be not here expressed And some of the Levites who ministred to the Priests and some of the Singers and Porters were also guilty herein and put away their Idolatrous wives yea though they had children by them Ezra Ch. 10. from 6 to the end We are now come to the Book of Nehemiah As in the Book of Ezra we had a relation of the building of the Temple by Zerubbabel and of reforming Religion by Ezra so in this we have a relation of the building of the City and the walls thereof and setling the Commonwealth and redressing many disorders by Nehemiah who came to Jerusalem thirteen years after Ezra's first coming thither In the 20th year of Artaxerxes in the ninth month answering to part of our November and part of our December Hanani and some other Jews came to Nehemiah who was one of the Kings Cup-bearers being then at Shushan the Winter-mansion of the Persian Monarchs and acquainted him that those that were left of the Captivity in the Province of Judah were under great affliction and reproach and that their neighbours round about them did exceedingly despise and wrong them and that which encouraged them the more in those insolences was because the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and the gates thereof burnt with fire by Nebuchadnezzar and so they continued still So that the Jews were disabled to defend themselves against their enemies Nehemiah was so affected herewith that he sat down and wept and mourned certain days and fasted and prayed prostrating himself before the God of heaven with his face towards the Temple the place of Gods presence see 1 King 8.44 and he said O Lord God of Heaven the great and terrible God that keepeth Covenant and mercy for them that love thee and keep thy Commandments let thine ears be attentive to the prayer of thy servant which I make before thee day and night for the children of Israel and wherein I confess and humbly bewail our sins which we have committed against thee Both I and my Fathers have sin'd against thee and dealt very corruptly and have not kept either the moral ceremonial or judicial laws which thou gavest us Yet remember I pray thee the word thou spakest by thy servant Moses Deut. 4.25 saying if you transgress I will scatter you abroad among the Nations but if ye turn unto me and keep my Commandments and do them though you were scattered to the remotest parts of the earth yet thence will I gather you and bring you to the place that I have chosen to put my name there Now O Lord we are thy people whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power and by thy strong hand Therefore I beseech thee let thine ear be attentive to the prayer of me thy servant and to the prayer of thy servants that desire to fear thy name and prosper me and grant me favour and mercy in the sight of the King to whom I intend to address my self that he may grant the request that I shall make to him Nehem. Chap. 1. About four months after when the time came that Nehemiah in his course was to attend upon the King and to minister to him as his Cup-bearer both King and Queen took notice of his sorrowful and dejected looks The King asked him the reason of it Nehemiah replied Let the King live for ever * That is very long an usual salutation given to Kings See 1 King 1.1.31 Dan. 6.21 There is reason my countenance should be sad when the City the place of my fathers sepulchres where my ancestors lived and died lyeth waste and the gates thereof being formerly consumed with fire are not repaired The King asked him what he desired of him Nehemiah lifting up his heart to God in a fervent Ejaculation (b) The Ejaculation of the heart may be as fervent and as prevalent as a solemn prayer uttered with the mouth witness that of Moses Exod. 14.15 to which God made this answer Why criest thou unto me yet no words of prayer were then uttered by Moses This frequently and heartily used argueth an heavenly mind and 't is one way whereby we may pray always or con inually that is at all times and in all places and on all occasions that he would please to direct him rightly to order his petition to the King and incline the Kings heart to grant it said If it please the King and thy servant hath found favour in thy sight I pray thee that thou wouldst send me to Jerusalem the City of my Fathers sepulchers that I may build it The King said how long wilt thou be absent and when wilt thou return Nehemiah set him a time which it's like was not long and at that time did accordingly return but from this time forward it seems he continued Governour of Judea under the King for the space of twelve years or more during which time 't is probable he often went into Persia to wait upon the King The King graciously granting his request he then humbly besought him that he might have letters to the Governours beyond the river to conduct him (c) This Ezra would not desire when he went to Jerusalem because he had occasionally spoken to the King of
they think to finish this work they have begun and by sacrifices to dedicate it to God as they use to do other great buildings surely we shall hinder them from that except they can hope to finish their work in one day or a very short time And besides they will want materials for such a work except they can raise up again the burnt stones that made the former wall out of the heaps of the rubbish Tobiah being by when Sanballat thus scoffed he said Let them alone alas the walls they build are so weak that if a Fox should go upon them he would break them down Nehemiah hearing of these scorns and contempt of their enemies betook himself to God by prayer and humbly pleaded that relation that was between God and them Hear O our God says he for we are despised and turn their reproach upon their own head and let scorn and contempt fall on them and let them be carried away captive and there made a prey to their enemies And cover not their iniquity nor let it go unpnished and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee except they repent and cease to proceed on in this their impiety For in reproaching the builders of thy City imployed by thy appointment they have reproached thee so that we desire they may be punished not out of any private grudg or desire of revenge but that thy glory may be vindicated Thus prayed Nehemiah And the builders went on with the work and all the wall was joyn'd together unto the half height thereof for the people had a mind to the work and where there is a willing mind much will be done in a little time But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and Ammonites and Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up and that the breaches began to be stopped they were very angry and conspired together to come and to fight against Jerusalem and to hinder the work But Nehemiah and the Jews made their prayer unto God and set a watch day and night because of them About this time also another trouble arose to Nehemiah for the men of Judah who had the oversight of the work and such also as laboured in the work complained that there was still so much rubbish unremoved and the strength of the bearers of burdens being much decayed they thought they should never be able to go through with the work or to build the walls so as to make them a defence to the City They further added that if the Trench without the wall were not cleared of rubbish all that they had done would be to little purpose This added much to Nehemiah's grief that the workmen themselves should thus complain and mutter He understood also that their adversaries said this of them among themselves They shall not know nor see till we come in the midst of them and slay them and cause the work to cease And the Jews that dwelt among the Samaritans when they came to Jerusalem often * V. 12. Ten times that is many times told their brethren there of the contrivances of these their enemies and said to them From all places by which a man may come from thence hither and go from hence thither they will assault you therefore look to your selves Nehemiah hereupon caused the people for the present to give over their work and to arm themselves that the enemy might not surprize them and to that end he set some of them beneath behind the wall and others above in the towers and other fortifications with their swords arrows and bows in their hands And he spake unto the Nobles and Rulers and the rest of the people saying Be not afraid of them remember the Lord who is great in power and terrible to his enemies and fight for your brethren your sons and your daughters your wives and your houses But when the enemy heard that their design was made known to the Jews and that thereupon they were ready and prepared to defend themselves they laid it aside And God having thus brought their counsel to naught the Jews returned every one to his work at the wall again Yet they were careful still to be in a readiness to resist the enemy in case he should assault them And particularly Nehemiah employed only half of his servants in building the wall the other half stood always ready armed to keep off the enemy if occasion should be and those that were imploy'd in building were also arm'd with swords the Rulers being at their backs to encourage them so that they may he said as it were to have wrought in the work with one hand and to have held a weapon in the other because whilst they were busiest in building they had their weapons ready to defend themselves And he that sounded with the Trumpet kept near to Nehemiah that upon any danger he might give warning to all the people to be ready Nehemiah further said to the Nobles Rulers and rest of the people the work is large and great and we are separated upon the walls one from another in what place therefore ye shall hear the sound of the Trumpet resort thither unto us and our God will fight for us And thus they went on with the work some being in arms from morning to evening and some working at the wall Nehemiah also gave charge to all Masters that had servants and to all workmen that had labourers under them that they should all lodg in the City that so they might be in readiness and at hand both to keep their turns of watching by night and of working by day And Nehemiah though the Governour spared not himself but what he required of others he himself was ready to do And both himself his kindred servants and guard that attended him were so watchful and diligent in this time of danger that they slept in their clothes and did not put them off except when need required that they should be washed Nehem. Ch. 4. whole Chapter The Adversaries of the Jews hearing that the walls of Jerusalem were now almost finished Sanballat and Geshem sent unto Nehemiah that they might have a conference with him near to Ono a City in Benjamin pretending a willingness to be reconciled but intending to do him a mischief he suspecting their design sent them word he was about a great work which he could not leave therefore they must not expect him They sent again and again to him even no less than four times importuning him to come but he still returned the same answer Then Sanballat sent his servants to him a fifth time with an open letter possibly that they might shew it to other Jews before they came to him and so might with the contents thereof discourage them The letter spake after this manner It is reported among the Heathen and Geshem the Arabian affirmeth it that thou and the Jews think to rebell and that thou hast built the wall of Jerusalem that
time the Kingdom of Syria was miserably shaken by intestine Wars raised by the children of these two last Kings that strove for the Kingdom so that it became a prey to Tigranes King of the Parthians 20. Tigranes King of Armenia major with the help of the Parthians gets the Kingdom of Syria He was conquered at last by Pompey and the Kingdom of Syria taken away from him but that of Armenia was restored to him And so the Kingdom of Syria was reduced under the Roman power and made a Province by Pompey 260 years after Alexanders Death KINGS of ASIA minor 1 ANtigonus Bastard to Philip King of Macedon He succeeded Alexander in the Kingdom of Asia and reigned Eleven years 2. Demetrius son of Antigonus he brought almost all Greece under his Power Afterwards by Seleucus Nicanor King of Syria his Son-in-Law he was overcome when he had reigned Thirteen years and being imprisoned Two years he there died And so the Kindgom of Asia came into the power of the Kings of Syria and was joyned to that Kingdom A. M. 3683. KINGS of Egypt or KINGS of the South 1. PTolemeus Lagi son of Lagus a Macedonian called Soter He conquered Palestine and took Jerusalem used the Jews cruelly at first but afterwards was more kind to them He carried a great many of them into Egypt and let them live there with the same freedom as his other Subjects And hereupon many others of the Jews went down into Egypt and lived there Daniel speaks of him Chap. 11. v. 5. 2. Ptolemeus Philadelphus so called because he married his sister Arsinoe He was son of Ptolemaeus Lagi by Bernice his 2d Wife Ptolemaeus Ceraunus eldest son of Ptolemaeus Lagi by Euridice his first Wife being put by He was a very learned King and a great lover of Learned men He married his Daughter Bernice to Antiochus Theos 3d. King of Assyria Dan. 11.6 He founded the famous Library at Alexandria He procured the Translation of the Septuagint He was after this a great Friend to the Jews He redeemed a vast number of them that were Servants from their Masters with his own Money and made them Free and was otherwise very munificent to them 3. Ptolemeus Euergetes son of Philadelphus and his sister-Sister-wife Arsinoe This King carried himself commendably but all the Egyptian Kings after him were debauched persons He led a great Army into Syria against Seleucus Callinicus and overcame him of which Daniel speaks Ch. 11. v. 7. He was poisoned by Ptolemaeus Philopator his son 4. Ptol. Philopater son of Ptol. Euergetes called Philopator per antiphrasin He kill'd his Mother also and his Brother married his Sister He waged War against Antiochus Magnus 6th King of Syria and overcame him After the Victory he would needs offer Sacrifices to God at Jerusalem but he was forbidden by the High Priest to enter into the Temple Hereupon being enraged against the Jews he carries multitudes of them into Egypt to be destroyed of Elephants of him Daniel speaks Chap. 11.11 5. Ptol. Epiphanes son of Ptol. Philopator He was but 5 years old when he began to reign Antioch Mag. hearing of his Fathers death and taking advantage of his Childhood and procuring Philip of Macedon to joyn with him comes against Egypt with a great Army He is met by a great Army of the Egyptians under Scopas their General in the North part of Palestine where the Egyptians are beaten He takes the Tower of Sion and so became Lord of Judea He afterwards marries his Daughter Cleopatra to Ptol. Epiphanes and gives her for Dowry Coelosyria and Judea Of these things Daniel speaks Ch. 11.13 14 15. 6. Ptol. Philometor son of Ptol. Epiphanes he married his own mother Cleopatra and had a Daughter called Cleopatra by her Antiochus Epiphanes 8th King of Syria his Vncle brings a great Army into Egypt against him and takes many of his Cities He marries his Daughter Cleopatra to Alexander Bala the 11th King of Syria The Nuptials were celebrated at Ptolemais to which Jonathan the High Priest was invited by Alexander and gave great Presents to both Kings Ptol. Philometor afterwards finding his Son-in-law treacherous he took his Daughter from him and gave her to Demetrius Nicanor who overcoming Bala by the help of Philometor got the Kingdom of Syria 7. Ptol. Physcon 2d son of Ptol. Epiphanes He married Cleopatra his Neice who whas first married to Alexander Bala then to Demetrius Nicanor 8. Ptol. Lathurus eldest son of Physcon he married first Cleopatra his Sister and then by the perswasion of his mother putting her away he married his younger Sister Salone Afterwards he was driven out of the Kingdom by his mother and fled to Cyprus when Alexander Jannaeus King of the Jews besieged Ptolemais the besieged called Ptol. Lathurus out of Cyprus to their aid He fights with Alexander and overcomes him and slays 30000 of the Jews and used his victory cruelly 9. Ptol. Alexander 2d son of Physcon was set up by his mother whilst his brother Lathurus remained in Cyprus He killed his mother and then was driven out of the Kingdom by the Egyptians and flying to the Island Coos there lived privately to his death 10. Ptol. Lathurus is now called back out of Cyprus and enjoys the Kingdom of Egypt again 11 Ptol. Auletes son of Ptol. Lathurus by Salonice his sister-Sister-Wife he used to contend for mastery with Fidlers thence called Auletes He buys the Friendship of the people of Rome with great gifts which he exacts from his Subjects and so is hated by them and ejected out of his Kingdom He flies to Rome for help but not obtaining it after a long waiting he goes to Ephesus where he carried Letters from Pompey to Gabinus Praefect of Syria that he should use his endeavour to restore him which Gabinus effected yet this Auletes's Son afterwards destroyed Pompey 12. Ptol. Dionysius junior son of Ptol. Auletes his Sister was Cleopatra last Queen of Egypt whom he marries and joyns with himself in the Government by the command of Julius Caesar who had conquered Alexandria and all Egypt He kill'd Pompey flying to him from the Pharsalian Battel Julius Caesar coming with his Army into Egypt this Ptol. Dionysius strives to fly away by Sea and is there drowned 13. Cleopatra daughter of Auletes and Sister and Wife to Ptol. Dionysius After his death Antonius was so enamoured of her that putting away his former Wife Octavia Augustus's Sister he married her whereupon he was engaged in a War with Augustus and being conquered by him in a Naval Fight at Actium he flies into Egypt with Cleopatra where he kills himself and Cleopatra lest she should be carried in Triumph kills her self with Asps and so Egypt was reduced into the Form of a Province by Augustus 3ly We are to shew who were High Priests among the Jews from their return out of the Captivity to Christs time The Catalogue of them follows 1. Joshua the Son of Jozedeck who returned out of Captivity
to his posterity â David in the 68. Psal 32. v. useth the word Hasmonim to express Princes and great men Mattathias was earnestly prest by the Kings Officers to sacrifice on the Heathen Altars but he utterly refused to do it yea he proceeded so far as to kill a certain Jew whom he beheld so sacrificing and after that he slew the Kings Commissioner who forced the people to sacrifice and threw down the Altar Being so far engaged he exhorted all that had any zeal for the Law of God to follow him and so with his five Sons he fled into the Mountains leaving all their goods behind them in the City Many went after him and lived with their wives and children in dens and caves which when it was discovered to Philip Governour for the King at Jerusalem the Garrison-Souldiers were presently drawn out to pursue them who falling on many of them on the Sabbath-day and they not at all resisting in honour to the day they destroyed the number of about a thousand persons of them When Mattathias and his friends were informed of this they much lamented the case of their Brethren and decreed that from thence forward if they should be assaulted by their enemies on the Sabbath-day they would resist them with arms Then the Asidaeans a sort of religious men joyning with him and several others who daily fled out of the Country he made up a little army and therewith prosecuted the wicked ones and marching up and down threw down Altars circumcised all children whom they found uncircumcised in the coasts of Israel and pursued the sons of pride and the work succeeded very prosperously in their hands After Mattathias had been Captain of this wandring company for the space of a year he died having first exhorted his Sons to piety and a valiant defence of the Law of God and having appointed his Son Simon for a Counsellor and his Son Judas Sirnamed Maccabeus for a Captain to them His Sons buried him in the Sepulchers of their Fathers at Modin and the Israelites bewailed him with great lamentation 1 Mac. 2. Judas being assisted by his Brethren and such as followed his Father fell upon the enemy burnt divers of their Towns and seized upon several commodious places coming usually upon them in the night insomuch that he forced many of them to quit the land Apollonius the Governour of Samaria coming against him Judas overthrew and slew him and getting his Sword ever after used it in the wars After this he overthrew Seron the Governour of Caelosyria who marched against him with the forces under his command his whole army was routed by Judas and eight hundred slain on the place the rest fled into the land of the Philistines near the Sea-coast Antiochus hearing of this success of Judas was exceedingly enraged at it and levying all the strength of his Kingdom and giving them a years pay he commanded them to be in readiness he purposed to have marched immediately against Maccabeus but he found his Treasury much exhausted by the pay of his Army and he saw he had lost 300 Talents of yearly tribute by the Jews revolting from him and much also which he was wont to receive from other places who were in combustion because he would force them to quit their ancient rites For his persecution raged even in the Grecian Cities insomuch that he spared not the very Gentiles but endeavoured to make them abjure their ancient superstitions and to come up to a conformity of worship with himself and by these things his revenues were much impaired Fearing therefore he should not have enough to defray his charges and gratuities wherein he took a pride to exceed all his Ancestors he resolved to make a progress first into Persia and the upper Countries to gather the Tributes thereof and fill his coffers But before his departure he made Lysias his kinsman Governour of the Regions betwixt Euphrates and Egypt committing to his care his young Son Eupator and gave him half his forces and this also in charge to blot out the Nation of the Jews utterly and to give their Country to be inhabited by strangers Philip the Governour of Jerusalem observing how that Judas grew stronger and stronger every day wrote unto Ptolemy Son of Dorymenes Governour of Coelosyria and Cilicia to lend his helping hand to the Kings affairs who presently dispatching Nicanor one of his chiefest friends with 20000 men purposed to root out the whole stock of the Jews and to him also he joyned Gorgias a man of great experience in Military affairs Lyfias also dispatched away Ptolomy himself as a reserve to them so that under these three Commanders Ptolomy Nicanor and Gorgias were mustered 40000 foot and 7000 horse who marching with this their great army pitched by Emmaus in the plain Country Antiochus was at this time behind hand with his tribute to the Romans the sum of 2000 Talents and Nicanor making sure of the victory before hand resolved to wipe off that score by the sale of the captive Jews and to that end invited out of the Cities near the Sea-coast a thousand Merchants promising that he would allow ninety slaves for a Talent which was no sooner divulged but the Merchants of the Country with their Attendants repair to the Camp to purchase the Jews for slaves great Companies also flocked out of Syria and other parts to barter for the same commodities The Heathen now holding Jerusalem and the Temple Judas Maccabeus in this great extremity removed with his Army to Mizpeh for there before the building of the Temple was the Israelites place of Worship 1 Sam. 7.5 6. and there he proclaimed a fast and with most servent prayers importuned the Lords help against this formidable host for he had with him but six or seven thousand against the vast power of the enemy After this such as had betrothed wives planted vineyards or were fearful he dismissed according to the Law Deut. 20 6 7 8. and then divided his army into four Squadrons and appointing his Brothers to command them committed to each 1500 Souldiers so the Army removed and pitched on the South-side of Emmaus opposite to the enemy That night Gorgias had a design to surprize them unawares and to that end took along with him 5000 foot and a 1000 choice horse and came towards the Jews Camp having the Garrison-Souldiers of Sion-fort for his convoy Judas having notice hereof wisely turned it to his advantage resolving to march straightways to Emmaus and so to fall upon Nicanor in the absence of the other who was the more experienced Captain Gorgias arriving at the Jews Camp and finding no body there thought they had fled for fear of him into the mountains and so he sought for them there but they being got to Nicanor engaged him in the morning Judas having first encouraged his men and given the word in the help of God through the assistance of the Almighty they routed Nicanor's whole army laying above
Tent slew 4000 men and giving an alarm to the whole Army at break of the day safely retreated whereupon the King marched towards him next day and they coming to an engagement Antiochus lost several hundreds more but the Jews seeing themselves overpowered retreated The King then returned to the siege and they not being well stored with provision this being the Sabbatical year at last yielded up the Town upon composition Antiochus having herein placed a Garrison marched up to Jerusalem and there made all provision possible for the gaining of it all manner of Engines being raised for the casting of fire and stones but the besieged defended themselves bravely though provisions were very short with them and the famine prevailed so much among them that they were in danger of falling into the Kings hands but before he could finish his work news came that Philip whom his father had appointed to be Guardian being returned out of Egypt was coming with the forces that Epiphanes had left in Persia and Media to recover his right usurped by Lysias Hereupon both he and his Captains were presently perswaded by Lysias because the place was strong and provisions began to fail in the Leaguer and the affairs of the Kingdom required it to make peace with the besieged and with the whole Nation of the Jews upon such terms as they required Then returning to Ptolemais the inhabitants thereof being great enemies to the Jews stickled hard to perswade him to break the League but Lysias so well argued the matter among them that he quieted their minds and confirmed the peace so that the Investiture of the commanding power in the Hasmoneans took its rise from the time of this peace agreed on betwixt Antiochus Eupator and Maccabeus The King hasting thence towards Antioch brought along with him as a prisoner Menelaus the High Priest whom Lysias accused as an Incendiary and the cause of the war whereupon by order from the King he was let down into a Tower filled with ashes and there miserably ended his life ten years after he had first usurped the Priesthood Menelaus being thus taken out of the way the King substituted in his room one Alcimus a man every whit as bad as he Indeed he was of Aaron's progeny but not of the High Priests blood and Lysias perswaded the King to transfer that dignity into another family Onias the Son of Onias the third seeing the High Priesthood conferred on Alcimus went into Egypt and after he had well insinuated himself into the affections of Ptol. Philometor and Cleopatra his wife obtained of them leave to build a Temple to God in the jurisdiction of Heliopolis answering to that at Jerusalem and that they would constitute him High Priest there See more of this in Vsher p. 467. Antiochus coming to Antioch found Philip Master thereof but setting upon it he took it by force and taking Philip therein put him to death and so quickly quieted those stirs being reserved with Lysias his Guardian though but a little time for others more dangerous Demetrius Soter Son of Seleucus Philopator the right heir to the Kingdom now escaping from Rome quickly got the Kingdom and put to death Eupator and Lysias his Guardian Alcimus who had procured from Eupator to be made High Priest being not now receivâd nor owned by the people for that in the days of Epiphanes he had wilfully defiled himself came to Demetrius with other Apostates to get the Priesthood confirmed to him He accused his Countrymen especially the Hasmoneans viz. Judas and his Brethren as guilty of cutting off the Kings friends and banishing them out of the Country Hereupon Demetrius sent Bacchides the Governour of Mesopotamia his trusty friend with great forces into Judea and confirmed the High Priesthood to Alcimus whom he sent back with him All their design was being arrived there by fair speeches to get Judas and his Brethren into their hands but they gave no credit to them Many of the Scribes went out to them to seek peace expecting they should have obtained it of Alcimus who was of the seed of Aaron and had now great power in the army but having gotten them into his hands he most wickedly contrary to agreement and his oath put sixty of them to death all in one day by which perfidiousness many being terrified fled from the City Then Bacchides going from Jerusalem caused many that had fled from him and several others of the Jews to be slain and cast into a great pit and so committing the care of the Country to Alcimus for the defence of which he left him some forces he returned unto the King After his departure Alcimus striving all he could to confirm himself in the Priesthood made great havock of the people Hereupon Judas went out through the whole Country taking vengeance on such as had revolted from him and so terrified those that adhered to Alcimus that they were forced to keep themselves within their Garrisons and durst not make any more incursions into the Country Alcimus apprehending danger to himself from these proceedings goes once more to Demetrius carrying along with him a Crown of Gold to present unto him For Judas and his party increasing in power would not suffer him to come near to the holy Altar at which being enraged he eagerly accused them to the King as authors of all the commotions and disturbances in Judea further complaining that he was deprived of the Priesthood the honour as he said of his Ancestors and further affirmed that as long as Maccabeus lived the Kings affairs could not be secure This being seconded by some ill-willers to the Jews and his friends Demetrius was so inflamed that sending for Nicanor one of his chiefest Princes and a bitter enemy to the Jews made him General against Judea giving him order to destroy Judas and disperse his associates the Assideans and to settle Alcimus in the High Priesthood The Jews upon the report of Nicanors approach and the Association of several Gentiles with him cast dust upon their heads and made their Supplication to God And it so happened that after a short skirmish betwixt Simon Judas's Brother and a party of Nicanors near the Village Dessaro Nicanor understanding the Courage and Resolution of Judas and his Party in defending their Country he was unwilling to run the hazard of a Battel but sent to parle with the Jews and to make peace with them upon mutual engagements of fidelity each to other And Articles being agreed upon between them the two Captains met and the Conference proved very successful and closed in a League without the Kings Privity Nicanor after this abode a while in Jerusalem and dismissed the Companies he had collected and was so taken with Judas that he continued with him some time and loved him in his heart and lived so friendly and familiarly with him that he perswaded him to marry a Wife But when that wretched fellow Alcimus observed this Correspondence between them he addressed
about Tryphon having brought his design thus far on as to break the power of Demetrius and having to that end desired the friendship of Jonathan he now desired his ruine above all things as standing in his way and likely to hinder his intended Treason For he resolved to seize upon the Kingdom himself but fearing lest Jonathan should stand fast to the Interest of the young King and oppose him he came down with his forces to Bethsan thinking to surprize Jonathan but he hearing of his coming made towards him with 40 thousand choice men which so disheartned Tryphon that he was so far from daring to attempt any thing against him that he treated him very honourably and with Presents and other kindnesses so dissembled with him that he perswaded him at last to dismiss his army and taking only a selected party along with him to go to Ptolemais which he promised to put into his hands Jonathan consenting hereunto sent all his men back but a 1000 whom he took along with him but as soon as he entred Ptolemais Tryphon commanded the Gates to be shut and cut off all his men and kept him Prisoner Then Tryphon invaded Judea with a great Army carrying Jonathan with him Prisoner to oppose whom Simon the Brother of Jonathan was chosen General in his stead by the people But Tryphon seeing the Jews prepared for resistance feigned as if Jonathan was only detained for a 100 Talents of Silver which he was in arrear which if they would send to him together with Jonathans two Sons for Hostages as a security that Jonathan should not attempt to revenge his Imprisonment after he got his liberty he promised he should be released Simon though he distrusted him yet least it should be said he neglected any thing for his Brothers safety sent his Nephews with the money which when Tryphon had received he most perfidiously slew Jonathan and then returned into Syria Jonathan lived after the decease of his Brother Judas 17 years and enjoyed the High-Priesthood about nine years he was put to death near Bascha in the Country of Gilead and there buried Simon some time after sent to fetch away the body of his Brother Jonathan and buried it at Modin the City of their Ancestors and all Israel lamented him many days Simon also built a stately Monument over the Sepulchre of his Father and his Brothers exceeding high of white stone polished all over He erected also seven Pyramids all of a row in memory of his Father and Mother and Brothers To these he addded a Porch of great Pillars on which he caused the Portraiture of Armies and Ships to be engraven Josephus says this rare Sepulchre of Modin lasted to his time Tryphon now makes away young Antiochus giving out that he was troubled with the Stone and under pretence of cutting him for it he caused the Physicians to kill him This done he put the Crown upon his own head Simon being so highly disobliged by him and accounting him a great Tyrant and Robber he sent to make his peace with Demetrius presenting him with a Crown of Gold Demetrius considering the great Respect the Romans had lately shewed the Nation of the Jews and particularly to the Ambassadors Jonathan had lately sent to confirm the League with them promised to bury all things in oblivion and confirmed to Simon the Immunities before granted to Jonathan The year after he had the Castle of Jerusalem surrendred to him The Gentiles within having been pent up for two years without any relief were most of them consumed with Famine Simon having cleansed the Fort of all the Pollution of Idols entred in with Branches of Palms Harps Cymbals Viols Hymns and Songs He ordained also an Anniversary Solemnity for this day Which done he afterwards repaired and fortified it together with the Hill of the Temple and there dwelt himself with his attendants After he had been High Priest three years by a publick instrument of the Priests Nobles and Elders of the people after a recapitulation of his merits and great services performed for his Nation he was made their Prince and High Priest perpetual till God should raise up the true Prophet and all ornaments and prerogatives of Majesty were given unto him This instrument being made in brass was fastened to the wall that encompassed the Sanctuary and a Copy thereof was laid up in the Treasury Thus was the yoke of the Heathen taken off from Israel and the people began to date their instruments and contracts from the years of their High Priests after this manner viz. In the first year of Simon being the great High Priest General and Leader of the Jews 1 Mac. 14. Simon seeing his Son John Sirnamed afterwards Hircanus to be a very valiant man appointed him Captain over all his forces Demetrius being invited by the Macedonians to come and head them against the Parthians and being with great alacrity received and assisted by them he overthrew the Parthians in several Battels till at last being circumvented by the cunning of one of their Princes and having lost his Army he fell into their hands and was cast into Prison Arsaces King of the Parthians having got him thus into his hands afterwards sent him into Hircania where he caused him to be treated with respect due to a King and afterwards gave him his daughter to wife promising to restore unto him the Kingdom of Syria which Tryphon had dispossessed him of The Souldiers in Syria growing weary of Tryphon's Government revolted from him to Cleopatra wife of Demetrius who then lived in Seleucia with her children Cleopatra taking it in great disdain that Demetrius her husband had married the King of Parthia's daughter in a strange revenge sent to his Brother Antiochus called Sidetes or the Hunter second Son of Demetrius Soter offering her self in marriage to him and with her self the Kingdom also Antiochus willingly accepted the offer and marrying of her took the name of King upon him Then writing Letters to Simon the High Priest and Ruler of the Jews and designing to make him his friend he confirms unto him not only all the priviledges and immunities which other Kings of Syria had granted but added also a priviledg of coyning money with his own stamp Simon now sent Ambassadours to Rome for himself and the people of the Jews to renew their League and Amity with the Romans These Ambassadours carried with them a great shield of gold of a thousand pound weight to present to the Roman Senate The present was very kindly accepted and Lucius the Consul gave them Letters to the Neighbouring Kings and Provinces prohibiting them from attempting any thing which might prejudice the Jews or abetting and assisting any that should fight against them And if at any time any Runnagado-Jews should flee out of Judea and come into their Territories they should deliver them up to Simon the High Priest to be proceeded against according to the Laws of their Country Antiochus Sidetes having married
being gone to Cyprus and his Mother to Egypt he fell upon Gaza for calling in Lathurus to their help against him In the mean time Apollodorus their General broke out into his Camp by night with a very strong party and as long as night lasted had the better of it but as soon as it was day the Jews uniting themselves charged the Gazaeans so stoutly that they slew a thousand of them The City held out a good while but was at last taken by the treachery of Lysimacus Brother to Apollodorus whom out of envy for being in so much favour with the people he murdered and then getting a party about him delivered up the place Alexander at first marched in very calmly and peaceably but after a while let loose his Soldiers to fall upon the Citizens without controul who sold their Lives as dear as they could destroying many of the Soldiers He cut the Throats of many Senators who were met in Apollo's Temple and after he had sack'd the City he returned to Jerusalem Alexander was hated by his own Subjects and being injuriously used by them on the Feast of Tabernacles he is reported to have slain six thousand of them having furnished himself with Guards hired out of Pisidia and Cilicia for the purpose He overthrew the Arabians and imposed Tribute upon the Moabites and Gileadites He was troubled with intestine Broils from his own Subjects stirred up principally by the Pharisees who had been provoked by his Father Hircanus which Broils continued six years during which time they fought often but he usually had the better of it 'T is said that in that time he destroyed no less than fifty thousand of them It troubled him thus to destroy the strength of his own Kindom therefore he endeavoured to compose matters with them and asked them Wherewith he should appease them They answered If he would kill himself for scarce could they pardon him tho' he were dead At last they called in Demetrius Encaerus son of Antiochus Gryphus made King of Syria by Ptol. Lathurus to their assistance and by the help of his Army overthrew Alexander But many of them being touched with compassion towards their King after this defeat about 6000 of them went over to him which so discouraged Demetrius that he thereupon retired into his own Country The Pharisees being thus left by Demetrius forthwith waged War with Alexander by themselves but still had the worst of it and many of them being taken by him were nailed to Crosses and their Wives and their Children slain before their faces During these stirs he lost all that he had got in the Arabian and Moabitish Regions Yet afterwards gathering together his forces he wan divers Towns and reduced under his power the valley called Antiochus's Valley and the Fort Gamala and outed Demetrius Lord of those places and then returned home and was joyfully received by his Subjects for the good success he had had in that Expedition At this time the Jews possessed many Cities in Syria Idumaea Phoenicia and other Countries a Catalogue of which Josephus hath left us among which Pella a Town of Moab being one they destroyed it because the Inhabitants refused to receive the Jewish Rites Anna a Prophtess Daughter of Phanuel her Husband being dead went not out of the Temple but served God day and night for 84 years together until she saw Christ in the Temple Alexander towards his latter end giving himself to intemperate courses contracted a quartan Ague which held him three years Yet for all this he followed on his Wars and laid siege to Ragala Castle beyond Jordan but being at last overcome by the force of his disease he died there before the Walls of that place in the 27th year of his reign about 76 years before the birth of Christ Alexander a little before his death when he saw he must die advised his Wife to keep close his death till the place should be gained and then going victoriously to Jerusalem to send for the chief of the Pharisees whom both he and his Father had grievously offended and to express kindness to them and give them the disposal of his Corps and to assure them that she would not act any thing in State matters but by their advice This advice she punctually followed and thereby so gained the love of the Pharisees that they cryed up Alexander for a good King among the people and bewailed his death and provided a more stately and sumptuous funeral for him than they had made for any King before him Alexander left two Sons Hircanus and Aristobulus but to his Wife he left the management of the Kingdom Hircanus was of a dull and heavy temper Tho' therefore she made him High-Priest yet she kept the Government in her own hands tho' indeed all things were ordered at the will and pleasure of the Pharisees whom the people were commanded to obey and against whom whatever Ordinances were made by Hircanus were now abolish'd The Queen kept in pay a great number of Foreigners and so increased her Power that she became formidable to the neighbouring Princes and took Hostages of them yet no great matters were done by her abroad but sufficient stirs happened at home For the Pharisees knowing no moderation in the prosecution of their ambitious and envious designs procured the Queen to put to death many of those who had counselled her Husband to deal so cruelly with their adherents Hereupon those of them who were most obnoxious being backed by Aristobulus made their Address to the Queen beseeching her that either they might be all slain there or else that they might be dispersed severally into Castles where they might pass the remainder of their lives in some security from the Treachery of their Enemies The Queen not well knowing what to do in this Exigent resolved at last to intrust them with the command of all the Castles excepting Hircania Alexandrium and Machaerus After this Alexandra falling grievous sick Aristobulus judged that now or never was the time for him to do some thing for the setting up of himself Whereupon departing privately by night with only one Servant to attend him he went to those Castles which his Fathers Friends had the command of and in a short time got them into his power The news of this being brought to the Queen she and the Pharisees were exceedingly troubled at it knowing that if he had got the Kingdom into his hands he would call them to a strict account for the hard usage of his Friends Hircanus the High Priest and the Elders of the Jews having secured Aristobulus's Wife and Children in the Castle at Jerusalem make their Address to the Queen desiring her speedy direction what they should do in these State Emergencies She told them They might do what in their Judgments they thought fit and most conducing to the publick good and might imploy the Arms and Treasure of the Kingdom as they saw occasion But for her part she was in
own Country he presently found some who out of desire of Innovation sided with him among whom was Pitholaus the Governour of Jerusalem who left the Romans and revolted to him with a thousand men He quickly got together 8000 men well armed so that when the Romans followed him he gave them Battel in which he fought stoutly till his men being over-powered 5000 of them were slain upon the place near 2000 fled to a certain Mountain from whence they got away and provided for their own safety as well as they could The rest with Aristobulus fled to Machaerus and began to fortifie the Castle but being not able to hold out the siege above two days having received many wounds he was taken Prisoner with his Son Antigonus and brought to Gabinius who sent them both to Rome The Senate kept him Prisoner but sent his Son immediately back again into Judea because they understood by Gabinius's Letters that he had promised his Mother so much for the delivery of the Castles Gabinius now prepared an expedition against the Parthians but passing over Euphrates was hired by Ptol. Auletes who brought Letters to him from Pompey to reduce him into his Kingdom In this expedition he made use of Hircanus especially Antipater who furnished him with Supplies both of men and Provision and prevailed with the Jews inhabiting about Pelusium to give him passage and so he presently became Master of Egypt which he delivered to Ptolemy During his absence and tarrying in Egypt Alexander the Son of Aristobulus seized upon the Government and having gotten together a great number of the Jews he put to death all the Romans he could meet with and besieged all those that fled to mount Gerizim Gabinius sent Antipater before knowing his great Wisdom to see if he could reduce the people to obedience and he effected it with many But Alexander having gotten together an army of 30000 Jews he came out and gave battel to the Romans near the mountain Isabyr in which Fight the Jews lost ten thousand men Then Gabinius having ordered the affairs of the City of Jerusalem by Antipater's advice went against the Nabathaeans whom he overcame in one Battel Then returning to Rome he left his Province to Crassus his Successor Crassus intended first an Expedition against the Parthians but hearing of the Riches of the Temple which Pompey like a brave and gallant man had left untouch'd he turned aside into Palestine and came to Jerusalem and spoiled the Temple not only of those 2000 Talents which Pompey had spared but of all the Gold which he found there besides which amounted to the Sum of 8000 Talents more tho' Eleazer the Treasurer had given him a Beam of Gold weighing 750 common pounds as a ransom for all the rest and he had bound himself by an Oath therewith to be satisfied and not to meddle with any thing else but going against the Parthians he received the reward of his Sacriledge and Perjury for there he lost his life Crassus being dead one Head of Varro's three-headed Faction was cut off and a Foundation laid of the Civil Wars between Pompey and Cesar Cassius who was Treasurer to Crassus and he that together with Brutus afterwards killed Julius Cesar now took on him the Government of Syria He being come to Tyre visited also Judea and therein took Tarichaea and led from thence many of the Jews Prisoners and slew Pitholaus who had assisted Aristobulus at the desire of Antipater who now grew very considerable having entred into Confederacy and Allyance with divers Princes especially with the Arabian out of whose Country he had married a Wife of Noble Extraction by name Cypris by whom he had four Sons Phasaelus Herod Joseph and Pheroras and a Daughter named Solome His Sons he sent into Arabia and committed them to the Custody of the King thereof whilst he was engaged in the War with Aristobulus The Civil Wars between Pompey and Caesar now beginning and Pompey being driven beyond the Ionian Sea and Cesar having got Rome into his power he set Aristobulus at liberty and with two Legions sent him back into Syria hoping that all that Country round about Judea might be brought under by him yet he was frustrated of his hopes Aristobulus being poisoned by the Pompeians in the way and buried after by the Cesareans in the Sepulchre of his Ancestors This Expedition proved fatal not only to Aristobulus but to his son Alexander also who was beheaded by Scipio at Antioch by order from Pompey beig first arraigned and condemned for what he had done against the Romans Ptolemy Mennaeus the Governour of Chalcis under Mount Libanus sent Philippio his Son to Ascalon to Aristobulus's Wife for her Son Antigonus and her two Daughters and courteously entertained them the youngest of which named Alexandra Philippio fell in love with and married But Ptolemy's Passion overcoming both Reason and Nature he killed his Son and took the Lady to himself Pompey being now murdered on the Egyptian shore Antipater betook himself to Cesar as his Interest led him and by his great services purchased his favour Cesar Warring with young Ptolemy in Egypt after the death of Pompey Antipater joyned with Mithridates of Pergamus who went down thither to him with supplies and brought a supply of 3000 Jews for his assistance At Pelusium he did special service being the first that broke down the Wall and entred And whereas the Jews inhabiting the Country of Onias hindred them from going any further he prevailed with them not to oppose Cesar yea to furnish his Army with Provisions At the Battel at Delia he recovered the Battel almost lost by Mithridates and afterwards behaved himself very gallanty for Cesar having received many wounds as the tokens of his valour Antigonus the Son of Aristobulus coming unto Cesar complained to him of the hard Fate his Father had met with for taking his side that he was poisoned by the Pompeians and his Brother beheaded by Scipio he desired him that he would have pity on him being cast out of his Fathers Kingdom He also accused Hircanus and Antipater that they had by force got the Government But Antipater so pleaded his cause and indeed the Wounds he had received and the pains he had taken in Cesars service so pleaded for him that Cesar confirmed Hircanus in the High-Priesthood and offer'd Antipater what Government he would desire and made him Procurator of Judea and gave him leave to re-build the walls of Jerusalem thrown down by Pompey and caused these Grants to be registred in the Capitol and seconded them with divers decrees made both by himself and the Senate in favour of him and the Jews Antipater then bringing Cesar on in his Journey as far as the borders of Syria returned and fell to building up the walls of Jerusalem and going about the Country by threatnings and other Policy contained the people in obedience otherwise ready to Rebel Hircanus being heavy and dull and unfit to manage the
of a Civil War And therefore Malichus stifly denying he had any hand in Antipaters death they seemed satisfied with his justifications and Phasaelus set himself to erect a Monument for his Father Not long after the Feast of Penticost approaching Herod came up to Jerusalem with a company of Soldiers at his Heels Malichus hearing of his coming in this Equipage was much startled at it and perswaded Hircanus not to suffer him to enter the City and Hircanus accordingly forbad him to approach so holy a solemnity with a Profane rout of Strangers But he notwithstanding got in by night and so affrighted Malichus that he betook himself to his old Trade of dissembling and openly bewail'd with Tears the death of Antipater as his great Friend So that for that time it was thought fit by Herods friends for the shunning of Suspicion to treat him fairly Yet Herod by Letters signified his Fathers death to Cassius who willed him by all means to revenge it and gave order to the Tribunes then lying at Tyre to assist him in his just endeavours Cassius not long after having taken Laodicea the Governours came flocking from all places to him bringing Crowns and Money and Herod expected now that Malichus should be punished for the Murder of his Father Malichus being apprehensive of the danger he was in began to cast about for his own security And his Son being at that time kept in Tyre as an hostage he resolved to go in and get him out by stealth and carry him into Judea whilst Cassius was busied in the War against Antonius to stir up the Nation of the Jews to revolt from the Romans and then to depose Hircanus and get the Kingdom to himself Herod understanding something of his design prevented him For inviting Hircanus and him to Supper with their company in Tyre he sent to the Tribunes to come out to meet them who remembring the Commands of Cassius encountered Malichus on the Shore and slew him there Hircanus much startled at this fact asks Who had slain Malichus One of the Tribunes answered The Command of Cassius At which he replied Then Cassius hath saved both me and my Countrey from him that plotted the destruction of both After Cassius was gone out of Syria there arofe a great stir at Jerusalem For Felix who was left thereby Cassius with Soldiers in revenge of Malichus's death set upon Phasaelus and it hapned that at that very time Herod being at Damascus with Fabius the Roman Captain was fallen sick and so unable to come and help his Brother Notwithstanding Phasaelus was hard enough for Felix and forced him into a Tower where he gave him quarter and let him go with his life But he expostulated highly with Hircanus objecting ingratitude to him for taking Felix's part and suffering the Brother of Malichus to seize divers Castles which he held at this present and Massada among the rest the strongest of all But Herod upon his recovery gained from him all those Castles and let him go out of Massada upon composition Antigonus the Son of Aristobulus about this time so bribed Fabius that he suffered him to get for himself an army He was also aided by Ptol. Mennaeus who by Cassius's means had subjected Tyre and divers places in Syria and three Castles in Galilee and adher'd to him for the hatred he bore to Herod But Herod going against those Castles had them surrendred to him by the Tyrians whom he dismissed very graciously out of respect to their City and then marched against Antigonus whom he overthrew in battel presently after he had entred the Coasts of Judea Going to Jerusalem he was very honourably received not only by the People but by Hircanus also who had of late agreed to receive him into his Family having consented to a Contract between him and Mariamne the Daughter of Alexander eldest Son of Aristobulus whom with young Aristobulus her brother he had by Alexandra Hircanus's own Daughter Herod by this Wife had afterwards three Sons and two Daughters having by a former Wife and his own Country-woman Doris his eldest Son Antipater Within a while after Cassius and Brutus were overthrown at Philippi by Cesar and Antony of whom the former returning into Italy the other came over into Asia which gave occasion to new stirs in Judea Anthony being come into Bithinia Ambassadors were sent thither to him from all Countries and among the rest some came from the chief of the Jews to accuse Phasaelus and Herod who usurped as they said all the Power and Hircanus reigned only in shew Herod went thither to defend himself and so prevailed with his money that his Accusers could do nothing against him Anthony being come to Ephesus an Ambassy was dispatched to him in the name of Hircanus and the whole Nation of the Jews desiring that all Captives that Cassius had carried away out of Judea might he set at liberty which he readily granted and sent his Letters throughout the Provinces to effect it As he was travelling into Syria Cleopatra met him in Cilicia to whose Allurements he wholly gave up himself Being come to Daphne near Antioch an hundred of the most considerable men among the Jews came to him to complain of Phasaelus and Herod but Anthony who knew their Father and had been obliged by him when he served in Egypt under Gabinius made them both Tetrarchs leaving unto them the Government of all Judea and clapt up fifteen of their Adversaries in Prison and would have put them to death had not Herod interceeded for them Yet notwithstanding the Jews were not so discouraged as to desist for instead of an hundred now a thousand resolved to go to Tyre there to complain to Anthony against the two Brothers but he being already sufficiently bribed by them commanded the Magistrates of the place to kill them as persons that attempted Innovations Herod coming to the Jews advised them to withdraw themselves and Hircanus also who was there shewed them the danger they were in if they should go on in their Purpose But they contemning this advice were presently fallen upon by some of their own Countrymen that were there as also by the Inhabitants of the Town and part of them being slain and others taken the rest got away and returned home The people exceedingly clamour'd against Herod for this at which Anthony was so far incensed that he slew those he had in hold A year or two after Pacorus son to the King of Parthia and Barzaphernes one of his great Officers seized upon Syria Antigonus the Son of Aristobulus bargains with the Parthians promising them a 1000 Talents to settle him in the Kingdom of Judea and to kill Herod with his Friends The Parthians undertake it and in order to effect it march with their Army into Judea A strong party of horse under the command of Pacorus Butler to the King of Parthia are sent before to make discoveries The Jews about Carmel and divers others joyn with them for
had spies that mingled themselves in all companies yea he would sometimes go himself disguised among the people to hear what they said of him and his Government The disaffected to him he took a course to punish and the rest he bound unto him by an oath which he exacted of them After this in the eighteenth year of his reign taking down at least for the most part the old Temple at Jerusalem as Josephus reports Lib. 14. Ch. 14. he built another much more stately and magnificent having provided very great white stones * See Mark 13.1 whereof some were 25 cubits long twelve broad and eight in height and other materials for the work in the space of two years He began to build it forty six years before the first Passover of the Ministry of Christ see Job 2.20 where we may read the words forty and six years reckoning to this time hath this Temple been built The building the Temple under Zerubbabel began in the first year of the Monarchy of Cyrus and was after twenty years time finished in the sixth year of Darius the Son of Histaspis But this magnificent building of Herod's was finished in nine years and an half The inward Temple containing the Holy and Holy of Holies was finished in a year and an half In all which time it 's reported that it never rained in the day-time but only in the nights Then in the eight years following the Porches the Ranges and the rest of the building about the Temple were all finished He celebrated the Dedication of the Temple on his own birth-day sacrificing three hundred Oxen to the great joy of the people These things done Herod sets sail for Italy to salute Caesar and see his Sons and passing by Greece was not only present but made Judg at the Olympick Exercises and bestowing some Annual revenue upon them that they might be the more splendid for this bounty he is declared perpetual Judg of those Exercises Coming to Rome Caesar courteously received him and deliver'd to him his Sons well educated and instructed in all the Liberal Arts and Sciences Being returned home with his Sons Alexander and Aristobulus they being grown to mans estate he provided them wives for Alexander Bernice the daughter of Salome for Aristobulus Glaphira the daughter of Archelaus King of the Cappadocians These young men gained the love and affection of the people exceedingly but Salome and her followers feared they would sometime or other revenge their Mothers death and therefore she and Pheroras Herod's Brother practic'd against them infusing into their father suspition of them as if they were not well affected towards him but exclaimed greatly against the Authors of their Mothers death Herod troubled hereat called to Court Antipater his eldest Son begotten by him when he was a private man whom he had banished the City in favour of these two Sons only giving him liberty to come thither on Festival days that setting him up against them he might make them more careful of their behaviour But they were thereby the more incensed and Antipater making use of his time got more and more into his Fathers affections and at his intreaty brought to Court also his mother Doris whom being a woman of mean parentage Herod put away when he married Mariamne Herod hearing that Agrippa Caesar's great friend and Son-in-law having married Julia his daughter was come into Asia he went to him and invited him into Judea and entertained him magnificently in all the Cities and Castles he had newly built shewing him his buildings and presenting him and his friends with all the delights he could Then conducting him to Jerusalem all the Citizens met him in their best habit with joyful acclamations Agrippa having sacrificed an Hecatomb to God feasted the people and the winter drawing on he made hast to sail to Ionia As soon as it was spring Herod hearing that Agrippa was going with an Army to Bosphorus made hast to go to him he overtook him at Sinope a City in Pontus bringing some Auxiliaries with him for his service Agrippa embraced him with singular affection and made him partaker of his Counsels And afterwards in their return Agrippa was ready to gratifie Herod in any thing and at his intreaty relieved the necessities of many that made use of his Intercession He procured for the Iews that dwelt in Jonia a âonfirmation of the priviledges formerly granted them which the Grecians would not suffer them to enjoy and that none should molest them for living after their Countries Laws Then with mutual embraces they took their leaves each of other Herod in few days arrived at Caesarea and thence came to Jerusalem where calling the people together he gave them an account of his journey and how he had procured liberty for the Ionian Jews and to ingratiate himself the more with them he declared he was willing to remit unto them the fourth part of their Tribute The people exceedingly pleased herewith wished all happiness to the King Agrippa after ten years Government in Asia being now to return to Rome Herod went again to salute him and take leave of him and taking of all his Sons only Antipater with him he delivered him to Agrippa to be brought to Caesar that he might by his means obtain the Emperour's favour Antipater accordingly was much honoured at Rome being commended to several friends and great persons by his Fathers Letters From thence he was not wanting by his Letters to whet his Fathers displeasure against his Brothers the Sons of Mariamne and seemed very sollicitous of his Fathers safety though aiming at the succession thereby Herod being by these artifices exceedingly incensed against his two Sons Alexander and Aristobulus sailed with them to Rome to accuse them before Caesar and carried with him Nicholas Damascene in the same Ship with whom he studied Philosophy Augustus being gone to Aquileia thither Herod went to him and the young men being there accused before Caesar of an intention to poyson their Father they so cleared themselves and by their tears and other evidences so manifested their innocency that Caesar reconciled them to their Father Then after thanks returned to the Emperour they departed and Antipater with them feigning himself glad that they were received again into favour Herod having given three hundred Talents to Caesar and been very liberal as his custom was in all places to the people of Rome Caesar bestowed on him half the profits of the Mines of Cyprus and gave him liberty to make which of his Sons he pleased his Successor or if he would to distribute his Kingdom among them all which Herod presently would have done but Cesar would not allow that he should part with the Government during his life In Herods absence the Inhabitants of Trachonitis a considerable part of his Kingdom rebelled but were reduced again to obedience by his Captains But some of them leaving their Country fled into Arabia Nabataea where they were entertained by Syllaeus the
Administrator of the Kingdom who was an enemy to Herod because he denyed him his Sister Salome to Wife and he granted them a place well fortified Herod being returned into Judea he called the Chief men of the Jews together and told them what had passed in his late Voyage and declared unto them that his Sons should reign after him first Antipater then Alexander and then Aristobulus whom he had by Mariamne Caesarea Stratonis was now finished in the 28th year of his reign for the Dedication of which there were very solemn and most pompous Preparations Musicians and Wrestlers and Sword-Players and Wild Beasts and whatever was in account of that kind either at Rome or in other Nations being now brought thither These sports were consecrated to Cesar and to be renewed every fifth year The day he spent in Sports and the night in Banquets and Revellings and so between both he spent his time very well After this he began to build another Town in a Field called Capharsala which after his Fathers name he called Antipatris and a Castle which after his Mothers name he called Cyprus In honour also of his dead Brother he built a fair Town which he called Phasaelus in the valley of Jericho from whence the Country thereabouts is called Phasaelis Having wasted his wealth by his extravagant expences and now wanting money after the example of John Hircanus by night without the knowledge of the people he opened Davids Sepulchre in which he found no money but store of costly attire and Ornaments of Gold which he took away After this 't was observed that his Family was grievously afflicted nothing being heard among them but Broils and Accusations one of another As for Antipater he accused and calumniated his Brother Alexander insomuch that his Father committed him to Prison Those of Trachonitis who had fled to Syllaeus being encreased in number infested not only Judea but Coelosyria also with Inrodes and Incursions Syllaeus is hereupon complained of by Herod to Saturnius and Volumnius Presidents of Syria Herod requires the 60 Talents which he had lent Obodas King of Arabia under Syllaeus's Security and demands also That the Plunderers protected by him should be delivered up The matter being debated before the Presidents they determined that Herods demands were reasonable and that Syllaeus should perform them Syllaeus unwilling to stand this their Determination went to Rome The Presidents therefore gave Herod leave to enter Arabia with an Army and to prosecute those obstinate people there which he accordingly did and suddenly took the Castle which those Plunderers kept But an Arabian Captain with his forces coming to their aid Herod joyns Battel with him and overthrows him the Captain himself being slain and his forces routed But Letters were speeded to Rome to Syllaeus which represented things far otherwise and aggravated every thing in so odious a manner that Cesar by those Lyes and such false representations as Syllaeus had made unto him was so incensed against Herod that he wrote to him menacing Letters because he had presumed to march with an Army out of his own Kingdom and thrice denyed his Ambassadors audience that were sent by him to acquaint him with the true State of things The Rebels and Arabians taking hold of this occasion did him much mischief which he was glad to put up for the present for fear of further provoking Cesar but sent Nicholas Damascenus to Rome to plead his cause who so laid open Syllaeus's Forgeries and how he had circumvented the Emperor in the cause of Herod that Cesar condemned Syllaeus remanding him again into the Province that when he had satisfied the Debt before mentioned he might be punished and was perfectly reconciled to Herod Whilst Herod was thus out with Cesar the former discords in his Family were exceedingly heightned by the Artifices of Eurichus a Lacedemonian who winding himself into Alexanders acquaintance betrayed him first to Antipater and then to Herod himself Herod making inquiry into his Sons actions put to death by the vehemency of Tortures many both of his own and his Sons Friends Alexander being examined denyed all Accusations except that he intended with his Wife to fly to Archelaus King of Cappadocia her Father Herod sends Letters to Cesar complaining of his Sons and desires his Imperial Majesty to give him direction what to do in that difficult affair The Emperor returns answer That he should call a Council at Beritus and joyn with them the Presidents of Syria and Archelaus King of Cappadocia and other Noble men his Friends and that they should together determine concerning that matter Herod hereupon convened all those Cesar had appointed except only Archelaus to Berytus and in an Assembly of 150 Men declaimed most furiously against his Sons not producing any Proof at all more than that they intended to fly and not suffering them to be present to answer for themselves Saturninus who had been Consul and had run through all honours gave his opinion that the Sons of Herod were to be condemned but not to be put to death and his three Sons were of the same opinion But Volumnius declared that they ought to be punished with death whose opinion the major part followed Then the King took his Sons along with him to Tyre where an old Soldier named Tyro smartly reprehended him for the severity intended towards his Sons Alexander and Aristobulus being led to Sebaste were there strangled by their Fathers command and their bodies buried in the Castle Alexandrion where Alexander their Grandfather by their Mothers side and many others of their Progenitors were buried Antipater after the death of his Brothers began now to plot the Destruction of his Father and drew Pheroras the Brother of Herod to his side and some of the Kings Women that were most addicted to the Sect of the Pharisees but not Salome who constantly adhered to her Brother Herod The Pharisees had refused to swear fealty to the King who being for this fined the Wife of Pheroras paid their Fine to whom in requital they being accounted wise to know things to come they foretold that the Kingdom should be taken from Herod and his Children and should be transferred on her and that her Husband and their Children These things Salome made known to Herod and they had sollicited and corrupted many of his Courtiers with Bribes in which fault Herod having taken some of the Pharisees he put them to death and some others also whom he found had conspired with them Then he urged Pheroras to put away his Wife which he refusing to do he forbad Antipater Pheroras's company Antipater that he might remove all suspicion of his Father from him procured by his Friends at Rome to be sent for thither by Cesar He accordingly going Herod sent by him great Presents and his Will in which he declared that Antipater should be King but if he died then Herod his Son by Mariamne daughter of Simon the High Priest Pheroras being banished
establish them for a people that may be His in a peculiar manner and may appertain to Him as his peculiar Treasure to serve him faithfully and to enjoy the blessings of his Covenant see Ch. 7.6 And all Nations shall see by the singular blessings that shall be heaped upon this people that God did indeed own them for his peculiar people and that they were called by his Name and so owned as his Children and thereupon called the Children of God upon which account other Nations should be afraid of them 8. They shall be blessed with rain The Lord will open to them his good Treasures the Heavens shall give them rain in due season The Heavens are called the Lords Treasure because He keepeth therein those things wherewith He causeth the Earth to be fruitful as rain to water the ground and snow to make it fertil and the heat of the Sun and influences of the Moon and Stars to make all things therein to grow and prosper 9. They shall so increase in riches that they shall lend unto many Nations and shall not borrow of them Ch. 15.6 These blessings he shews would follow and overtake them if they walked faithfully in Gods Statutes and did not turn aside from them either to the right hand or to the left nor did decline to other gods from vers 1. to 15. But if they were Disobedient then he tells them Such Judgments and Curses should pursue them and overtake them as were directly contrary to these Blessings First God would send upon them cursing vexation and rebuke in all that they set their hands unto He would send the Pestilence into their Cities and Towns and would command it to cleave to them and to continue long among them 2ly He would smite them with the Consumption Feaver Inflammation and extream burning and with Drought Blasting and Mildew 3ly The Heaven should be as Brass and the Earth as Iron and the Lord would make the rain of their Land powder and dust that is instead of rain the dust being driven by the wind in time of drought should fall upon their Grounds Trees and Plants c. 4ly They shall flee before their Enemies and shall be scattered into the several Nations of the Earth and those of them that should be slain by the Enemy their Carcasses should lie unburied and should be meat for the Fowls of the Air and Beasts of the Field none fraying them away 5ly God would smite them with the botch of Egypt that is with Boils breaking forth with Blains see Exod. 9.9 and with the Emrods or Piles with the Scab and with an incurable Itch. 6ly With madness blindness and astonishment of heart that is God would deprive them of the use of their understandings that they should stand like blind men or men amazed and astonished not knowing which way to turn themselves and should do such things which if they were not blind or mad they would never do And as an effect of this bruitish stupidity they should grope at noon-day that is should not apprehend their danger nor discern the right ways of helping themselves they should be oppressed and spoiled and none should succour them 7ly He threatens to deprive them of things very dear to them even then when they were in expectation to injoy them They should betroth wives and others should enjoy them they should build Houses but not dwell in them plant Vineyards but not gather the Grapes of them their Oxen Asses and Sheep should be violently taken away from them 8ly Their Sons and Daughters should be led into Captivity and their eyes should look earnestly and even fail with longing for their return and there should be no might or power in their hands to rescue or recover them again out of the hands of their Enemies They should be oppressed and crushed by a Nation they knew not who should eat the fruit of their Land and of their labour so that they should be even mad and distracted by reason of the dreadful Calamities which they should be constrained to behold with their eyes 9ly The Lord would smite them with a sore and incurable Botch from the crown of the Head to the sole of the Foot 10ly They and their King as it happened to Manassah Jehoiachim and Zedekiah and their Sons and their Daughters should be carried into Captivity and there they should be either inticed or forced to serve other gods viz. Wood and Stone and their Calamities should be so great that their very Enemies should be astonished at them and they should be flouted and scorned and made a laughing-stock in those places where they should be Captive 1 Kings 9.7 11ly Hurtful Vermine such as Locusts and Worms should devour the fruits of their Fields and Vineyards and their choice Trees should cast their fruit 12ly The Strangers that were left among them should prevail against them and be Lords over them and should be in a far better state than themselves And all these Curses which should overtake them should be upon them and their Seed as a sign of Gods great Indignation against them and for a wonder that a people who were once so high in his Favour should be so unwise and wicked as to provoke Him to bring such a Change upon them And because they served not the Lord with joyfulness and gladness of heart with delight and thankfulness for the abundance of all good things he gave them that therefore they should be forced to serve their Enemies in hunger and thirst nakedness and want of all things and that their Enemies should put a yoke of Iron upon their Necks and keep them in bondage till they were destroyed see Neh. 9.25 26 27. Jer. 28.13 14. 13ly God would suffer them to be invaded by a powerful foreign Enemy who should come as swift as an Eagle that is suddainly unexpectedly and with irresistible Violence viz. the Babilonians * Described Dan. 7.4 to be a Lion with Eagles wings see Ezek. 17.3 12. Forsan ad Romanos allusit aquilis suis notissimos a quibus haec passi sunt Tremel whose Language they understood not and so would be extreamly troubled how to speak to them or beg any favour of them A Nation of a fierce Countenance which should not regard the person of the Old nor shew favour to the Young who should wast their Country and eat up the fruits of their Cattel and of their Land and should besiege them in all their Cities * V. 52. In omnibus portis tuis i. e. civitatibus Synecdoche membri and batter down their high and fenced Walls wherein they trusted and then all the Evils and Calamities incident to places straitly besieged should fall upon them Parents should eat the fruits of their own Bodies the flesh of their Sons and Daughters The man that was tender among them and very delicate dainty and voluptuous should grudge â V. 54. Malignas erit oculus ejus i. e. invidebit fratri c.
his Brother nay the Wife of his bosom and his remaining Children any share of the Child he shall eat having nothing else left to feed upon in that Extremity The tender and delicate woman * Contigerunt iis ad literam in obsidione Samariae 4 Reg. 6. v. 29. in obsidione Jerusalem per Babilonios Threnorum 2. v. 20. in Romanâ apud Josephum Threnorum 2. dicuntur parvuli ad mensuram palmae comesti i. e. etiam imperfecti per aborsum abjecti Et tales videntur vocari hic illo versu 57 illuvies secundarum nempe proles adhuc secundis seu secundinis sordibus involuta ideo immundissima abominanda potius quam ad cibum expetenda Jans among them that would not adventure to set the sole of her foot on the ground for delicateness and tenderness she should grudge the Husband of her bosom and her Children grown up any share of her young Children which she should eat in secret in that extream Famine from vers 15. to 58. He further tells them That if they did not set themselves to fear the glorious God V. 58. That thou mayst fear this glorious and fearful Name the Lord thy God by the Name of God is to be understood the Lord Himself whose Name is Jehovah He would make their Plagues wonderful and would bring upon them and their Children great Plagues and Sicknesses and of long continuance yea the strange evil Diseases wherewith God plagued the Egyptians of which they were so much afraid should cleave unto them yea more Plagues should fall on them then are written in this Book And whereas they were as the Stars of Heaven for multitude they should be so wasted and destroyed that they should come to be but few in number And as the Lord formerly rojoyced over them to do them good and to multiply them so now He would rejoyce in their destruction and the execution of his Justice upon such Despisers of his Mercy and they should be plucked off from the Land which God gave them for an Inheritance viz. Canaan and so should lose the Pledge of their Adoption which would be a sad sign to them that their heavenly Father had disinherited them and cast them off And they should be dispersed and scattered abroad into many Nations and in their exile they should be inticed or forced to worship Wood and Stone and among those Nations they should find no ease or rest but should be hurried from place to place so that their hearts should tremble â Judaea tremen Juv. Satyr 6. and their eyes fail with extream weeping and their minds be fill'd with sorrow and vexation And they should be in continual doubt and fear both day and night of losing their lives which must needs make their condition exceeding grievous to them In the morning they should wish it were even and at even they should wish it were morning thorow the terrors of their minds and by reason of the dismal things they should see with their eyes And the Lord would cause them to be carried again by Ships into Egypt whither he had said they should return no more * God promised they should not return again thither on condition they were Obedient see Ch. 17.16 The Lord hath said unto you Ye shall henceforth return no more that way that is into that Country This was verified when the Jews after the destruction of Jerusalem were carried in Ships to Egypt and there fold for Slaves â There were then 97 thousand Captives of the Jews but they were so vile and contemptible that many would not proffer any money for them even to be their Slaves and none would buy them with an intent to set them at liberty from vers 58. to the end Chap. XXX He further declares to them That when in their exile they shall reflect upon the experience they had of Gods blessing them so eminently while they continued Obedient and how severely He punished them when they were Disobedient and shall thereupon truly repent and seriously turn unto the Lord both they and their Children and shall serve the Lord with all their Heart and Soul then the Lord will have compassion on them and will turn their Captivity and gather them from all the Nations under Heaven whither he had scattered them and from thence will fetch them back to their own Country see Neh. 1.9 And He will Circumcise â Promissio haec est spiritualium beneficiorum per Christum Conser Rom. 2.29 Col. 2.11 12. their hearts and the hearts of their Children that is will purge them of their Corruptions by the Grace of his Spirit and renew them and incline them to a ready Obedience to his Will that it may go well with them And his Curses shall fall on their Enemies and on those that persecuted them But they shall be blessed in the fruit of their Bodies of their Cattel and of their Land and these blessings shall be given them in mercy and shall tend to their good and not their hurt And the Lord will rejoce over them to do them good as he rejoyced over their Fathers And lest any of them should object and say they would willingly obey the Commandments of the Lord if they knew them He tells them That the directions he had given them concerning the way and means of Salvation by Faith in the Messias and the moral Law which he had given them as the rule * Loquitur de tota in genere Dei Doctrina quae Evangelium sub se Comprehendit ut clare ostendit Paulus Rom. 10.8 of their Obedience they could not pretend to be ignorant of Neither were those things hidden from them so that the knowledge of them need be fetched down from Heaven or from some remote Country for them for they were sufficiently revealed to them the word was very nigh them in their mouths and in their heart It was plainly reveal'd to them frequently read and expounded to them by the Levites so that they could not but talk of it and remember it And if they were obedient to this Law they should be happy but if they turned from the Lord to worship other gods and serve them they should not prolong their days in the Land which they were now going to possess He calls Heaven and Earth to witness that he had dealt faithfully with them He had on the one side set life before them with all manner of blessings attending it if they would be Obedient and on the other side death and misery if they were Disobedient He exhorts them to choose the one and to avoid the other and to cleave to the Lord with all their hearts for He was their life and the length of their days that is as He is the giver of life so He is the maintainer and prolonger of it And that they might injoy the fore-mentioned Chap. XXIX Blessings and escape the Curses He calls them now to
That if those woody Hills and Mountains were made fit to inhabit and were added to their portion yet there would not be Land enough for them And as for the Canaanites that dwelt in the Valleys and Champion-Countries they were not so easily to be conquered for they were a formidable people and used Iron-Chariots in their Wars which having Hooks and Sythes fastened to them did usually do great Execution in a Fight and mowed down all before them Joshua tells them He could give them no other Answer than he had done They were a great people and had great Power they excelled in number and strength and had no cause to complain that they had but only one lot or that their portion was too straight for them for if their own Sloth Cowardize and Diffidence of Gods Power and Providence did not hinder them they might inlarge it when they would If they were not wanting to themselves they would find the portion allotted to them was more than one lot for if they took the course he prescribed them the mountainous Country would be theirs they might plant it and possess it from one end to the other and all the adjacent Vallies and Champion-Country would be theirs also seeing if they did with Courage and Faith in God attempt to gain it God would surely enable them to drive out the Canaanites notwithstanding all their strength and the advantage they had by their Iron-Chariots Thus we see how uprightly Joshua carried himself in this matter being no ways partial to his own Tribe the Tribe of Ephraim nor to that of Manasseh so nearly allied to him Joshua 14.1 to 6. Ch. 15. from 1. to 13. and from 20. to 63. Ch. 16. from 1. to 10. Ch. 17. from 1. to 12. from vers 14. to the end SECT CX WE return now to the Tribe of Judah whose lot as we have shewn falling to them in the richest and best part of Canaan an eminent Person of this Tribe namely Caleb descended of Kenaz 1 Chron. 4.13 15. attended with the chief Men and Elders of Judah made his Address to Joshua and spake to him after this manner Thou maist remember the thing that the Lord spake to Moses the Man of God at Kadesh-Barnea concerning thee and me when we returned thither from searching the Land namely that we only of all those that were above twenty years old at that time should see this good Land Numb 14.30 I was forty years old when I was sent by Moses to spy out the Land (p) The Israelites after this wandring 38 years in the Wilderness this must needs be the seventh year since they came into Canaan and I brought him word again as it was in my heart I told him faithfully what I thought of the Land and did neither for fear nor favour of any man speak otherwise than I thought in my Conscience My Brethren that went up with me viz. ten of them made the hearts of the people melt and faint within them by telling them of the invincible strength of the Canaanites but I wholly followed the Lord my God as thou also didst and shewed my Obedience to him faithfully and perswaded the people without fear to enter into the Land resting upon the Promises and powerful Assistance of the Almighty And Moses sware to me on that day to wit by the motion and direction of God saying Surely the Land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine Inheritance and thy Childrens for ever namely some special part of it and particularly that wherein Hebron (q) And this place of the Land was given him rather than any other because when the other Spies had seen those Giants the Anakims Numb 13.23 near Hebron and had thereupon discouraged the people Caleb resolutely opposed these his faint-hearted Brethren and when they objected the invincible strength of the place and people He encouraged the Israelites and told them they might with God's help easily vanquish them And hereupon it seems there was some particular promise made to him concerning this Inheritance Josh 15.13 is situate because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God Thus Moses sware to me And now behold the Lord hath kept me alive these forty and five years since He spake this word unto Moses so that I am now fourscore and five years old and yet I am as strong this day as I was on the day Moses sent me As my strength was then so is it now both for War or any other business Thus the Lord hath wonderfully preserv'd my life and strength and reserv'd me as it were to enjoy that portion of Land which was then promised me Give me therefore I pray thee this mountainous Country where Hebron and Debir are situate and if the Lord will please to be with me as I trust He will I make no doubt but that I shall be able to drive out these Anakims and get this portion for an Inheritance to me and my Children as the Lord graciously promised me Joshua readily granted his Request and blessing him gave him Hebron for an Inheritance that is the Country and Territory in which Hebron and Debir were situate with the Towns belonging to them It is plain that Hebron and Debir were taken by Joshua and the Israelites in their Expedition against those five Kings that had joyned their Forces together to besiege Gibeon as we may see Ch. 10.36 37 38. He then took Hebron and cut off many of the Anakims from the Mountains about it but in process of time the Israelites as it seems not leaving Garrisons in those Towns the Inhabitants that got away and especially the remaining Anakims did again sieze upon Hebron and repossess it Wherefore Joshua would not permit Caleb alone without the assistance of some of his own Tribe to go up and assault it but he himself went with his Army and took it and he utterly destroyed the Anakims and their Fortresses and cleared the Country of them saving only that there remained some of them in Gaza Gath and Ashdod Cities of the Philistines There these Giants remained many years after For Goliah was of Gath 1 Sam. 17.14 and those four huge Giants mentioned 2 Sam. 21.16 c. were all of the Philistines Joshua having taken Hebron gave it to Caleb namely the Land and Villages thereunto adjoyning reserving the City it self and the Suburbs thereof for the Priests and to be a City of Refuge Josh 21.11 12. Hebron being thus retaken 't is probable Joshua sent a great Brigade of his Army under the Command of Caleb who had been very active with the assistance of those of his own Tribe as it seems before in slaying the three Sons of Anak Sheshai Ahiman and Talmai and driving their Adherents out of the Coasts of Hebron to take in Debir where He to excite the valour of his Souldiers promised to give his consent * See Judges 1.12 We cannot hence infer that he might lawfully force upon his Daughter what Husband he
pleased But this He speaks as taking it for granted that his Daughter would be guided by him that he that took it should have his Daughter Achsah to wife Hereupon Othniel the Son of Kenaz younger Brother to Caleb took it It was surely by some special instinct and direction of Gods Spirit that Caleb gave unto Othniel this occasion of innobling his Valour and Vertue in the sight of the people He intending afterwards to raise him up after Caleb's death to be their Judge and Deliverer see Judges 3.9 Othniel thus obtaining Achsah for his wife Caleb gave with her a good Dowry of Land 'T is true Caleb had Sons see 1 Chron. 4.13 and they might not give away any part of their Inheritance from their Sons to their Daughters see Numb 27.8 9. therefore the Land which Caleb now gave his Daughter was given her only as a Dowry for term of life or till the year of Jubilee But it seems she was not content with the portion her Father now gave her and therefore moved her Husband as they were riding away from her Father's house to make suit to her Father for another Field to be added to what he had already given her But when she perceived that he was loth to do it or perswaded her rather to do it her self she went back and alighting off from her Asse addressed her self to make that Request to her Father who ask'd her What she would have She answered Give me I pray thee a Blessing that is another Gift or Boon with thy fatherly blessing upon it Gen. 33.11 Thou hast given me a Southland give me also I pray thee Springs of Water intimating that the portion he had given her was dry and not well watered the Southern-parts of Judah's portion being dry and barren or at least the Southern parts of Caleb's portion were such And therefore she desires him to give her Springs of Water that is some portion of Land that was well watered Hereupon out of his great love to her He gave her some Springs or watered Grounds on each side of the Land he had before given her both above it and below it But though Caleb thus cleared his particular portion yet the Children of Judah though they took some part * The Northern and greatest part of the City of Jerusalem was in Benjamin's lot but the Southern wherein was the Fort Sion was in Judah's lot of the City of Jerusalem and burnt it Judg. 1.8 yet the Fort of Sion which was the chief strength of the City was not then taken by them but the Jebusites forced the Israelites to let them there dwell with them for a long time after and there they were when this story was written (r) Whereby it appears that this story was not written by Ezra seeing he lived many years after David and were not cast out till David's time 2 Sam. 5.6 7. Had the Children of Judah done their endeavour and not been wanting to themselves they might have cast them out sooner but failing in their duty and growing slothful and faint-hearted by these and their other sins they provoked God to withdraw his gracious assistance from them and so then indeed they could not drive them out according to that Judg. 2.20 21. because this people has transgressed my Covenant therefore I will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the Nations which Joshua left when he died And it was not only thus with the Children of Judah but the Ephraimites also did not drive out the Canaanites out of Gezer a City in their Tribe Josh 16.10 but suffered them to live there only paying them some Tribute expresly against God's Command Deut. 7.2 and there they continued till Solomons time when Pharaoh King of Egypt expelled them out and gave the City for a Present to his Daughter Solomon's wife 1 Kings 9.16 And thus it was also with the Manassites Ch. 17.12 13. who could not for the same Reasons drive out the Canaanites out of their lot but they would dwell with them yet they afterwards made them Tributary and with that they contented themselves through Sloth Cowardize and Covetousness as their Brethren the Ephraimites had done Josh Ch. 14. from 6. to the end Josh Ch. 10. vers 21 22. Josh Ch. 15. from vers 13. to 20. Josh Ch. 1. from vers 9. to 16. SECT CXI THe Israelites having drawn these three lots before-mentioned which fell upon Judah Ephraim and half the Tribe of Manasseh they drew no more at this time It seems the other seven Tribes that were yet to have their lots perceiving what a large circuit of Land was given to Judah they began to apprehend that there would not be left an equal share for them and therefore pretending there could not be any equal division made till the remote parts of the Land which were yet in the Enemies possession were better known to them they desired some stay of the Work till they had further prevailed and might know the Land they were to divide better then yet they could do SECT CXII THis Year being the seventh from the first wherein they began to till the Ground in Canaan was the first Sabbatical year which was kept among them they being by Joshua who was a Type of Christ now brought into this place of Rest which was a Type and Figure of that eternal Sabbath and Rest which the true Jesus was to bring the people of God into Heb. 4.9 And from hence also the Year of Jubilee which happened every fiftieth year is to be reckoned see Levit. 25. from 8. to 14. SECT CXIII UPon the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Israelites kept the Feast of Tabernacles in Booths made of boughs of Trees according to the Law Levit. 23.39 40. and much more solemnly than was afterwards used in the times of the Judges or Kings see Neh. 8.17 SECT CXIV HItherto both Camp and Tabernacle had remained at Gilgal Now by God's appointment they remove to Shiloth a City in the South of Ephraim's lot This was the Place that God chose to place his Name there Deut. 12.5 and from 8. to 12. Jer. 7.12 that is his Tabernacle where he would be worshipped and have his Name solemnly called upon And therefore marching to Shiloh there they fixed the Tabernacle of the Congregation after the Land thereabout was wholly subdued to them and the Canaanites that dwelt further off were so stricken with terrour from the Lord that they durst not molest them At Shiloth the Tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant continued 328 years till the death of Eli 1 Sam. 1.3 9 24. Joshua Ch. 18. vers 1. SECT CXV THere remained now among the Israelites seven Tribes which had not yet received their Inheritance and as it seems being weary of the War which had lasted long and being full of Spoil and wanting nothing they did not press to have their Inheritances allotted to them which negligence Joshua reproves them for shewing them there was no
of their City and their great Wealth lived voluptuously without fear of any Enemy and after the same manner lived the Inhabitants of Laish 2ly They observed they had no Magistrate in the Land that might put them to shame in any thing and so restrain them from Vice for shame doth oftentimes more restrain men from sin than smart or corporal punishment 3ly They observed they were far from the Sidonians with whom possibly they had a League or had some dependance on them and therefore they could not suddainly come to aid them 4ly They observed they had neither League nor Commerce with their Neighbours either of which might have obliged them to afford them help in their need Having taken notice of these things they return to their Brethren who sent them out and tell them what they had observed concerning this people They tell them the Land was a very good Land a place where there was no want of any thing that is in the Earth and if they would go up they need not doubt of obtaining it for say they God hath given it into your hands This confidence of theirs possibly was grounded partly on what they observed when they were among the people and partly from the encouragement that Micah's Priest had given them Whereupon 600 men of them well armed went up from thence upon this Expedition In their march they first pitched at Kirjath-jearim in the Confines of Judah Dan and Benjamin Thence they passed to Mount Ephraim and came near the house of Micah When they came thither the five Spies told them there was in one of those houses of Micah an Ephod and Teraphim a graven and a molten Image Now therefore consider say they what ye have to do consider whither this will not be a good Booty for us and whither we should not take all these along with us to use them in the Places where we shall come as in our former Journey we asked Counsel by them of God and received an Answer that our Journey should be Prosperous The Souldiers hearing these things went presently to Micah's house and the 600 Men placing themselves at the Gate the five Spies went in and saluted Micah and probably acquainted him with their design and then brought out his Priest to their Brethren whom He kindly saluted and as 't is probable wished them good success in their Enterprise and discoursed with them In the mean time the five Spies went back into the house and took away the Ephod and Teraphim and the Images graven and molten The Priest seeing this asked them what they did They bid him hold his peace and go along with them and be to them a Father and a Priest They tell him It was much better for him to be a Priest to a whole Tribe than to one man The Priest notwithstanding the kindness and respect Micah had shewen him hoping to have more advantage by these Danites than He had by Him away he goes with them and immediatly placed himself with this Idolatrous Trash in the midst of their Army either for the better defence of his Person and these Trinkets or else in a kind of Apish imitation of the Israelites who carried the Ark in the midst of their Host When they departed from Micah's house they ordered that their Wives * The bringing of their Wives little Ones and Cattel with them shews with what assurance of success they went up against Laish little Ones and Cattel and their Carriages should march before their Army For they feared not any Enemy before them but supposed that Micah with all the strength he could make would pursue after them Micah accordingly with what Company of his Neighbours he could get together pursued after them and when He came up to them the Danites asked Him What ailed him and why He came after them with such a great Company He cries out Ye have taken away my gods and my Priest and do you now ask me What aileth me Alas I esteem all that ye have left me as nothing now my gods and my Priest are gone The Danites answered Let not thy Cry be heard among us lest some angry Fellows of our Company run upon thee and destroy thee and thy Houshold When Micah saw they were too strong for him he turned back and so the Danites carried away the Priest and the Images with them to Laish When they came thither they easily took the City and smote the Inhabitants thereof with the edge of the Sword there being none to deliver them out of their hands And though in taking of it they burnt it yet afterwards they built it again and called it Dan in honour of Dan from whom they were descended And then they set up the graven Image there which they had taken from Micah and established this Idolatrous Worship of their false gods among them and so this Levite whose Name was Jonathan the Son of Gershom and his Posterity were Priests unto these Idolatrous Danites all the time the Tabernacle remained at Shiloh till the Captivity of the Land that is till the Ark was taken and carried away by the Philistines 1 Sam. 4.10 11. which was at the death of Eli at which time there was a great slaughter of the Israelites and no doubt many of them were carried away Captive together with the Ark and all this befel them because of the Idolatry that was then practised in the Land Psal 78.58 59. But though this Idol was pulled down as 't is probable in Samuel's time or Saul's when the Tabernacle was at Nob 1 Sam. 21. yet these Idolatrous Priests might in secret especially continue to do this impious Service for the Danites unto the times of Jeroboam and then might be employed as Priests for his golden Calf which he here erected 1 Kings 12.29 and so they might continue till the general Captivity of the ten Tribes Judg. Ch. 18. whole Chapter SECT CXXX THe Israelites tolerating this Idolatry of Micah and the Danites and never stirring against it this Toleration breedeth all Iniquity in so much that Gibeah a City in Benjamin becometh as abominable as Sodom as appears by the story following It happened in those days when there was no Supream Magistrate to curb and restrain the Disorders and evil Manners of the people that a certain Levite that sojourned in Mount Ephraim had taken to himself a Concubine from Bethlehem-Judah Some Concubines there were among the Hebrews that were esteemed lawful Wives as to the right of the Bed and their Children were accounted Legitimate though they were not esteemed in the rank of other Wives principally and most properly so called For they had not the honour of being accounted the Mothers of the Family neither had they the Rule in the Family nor their Children any Inheritance but only Gifts or Portions The case of Jacob's Sons by Bilhah and Zilpah was extraordinary See Sect. 15. of Ch. 3. Other Concubines there were that were plain Whores or Harlots but this
Levites Concubine was of the former sort viz. a secundary Wife for the Levite is called her Husband vers 3. and Ch. 20.4 This Concubine as it seems was false to the Levite her Husband and play'd the Whore whereupon a Quarrel arising between them she left him and went home again to her Fathers house who was too ready to entertain her Though it was usual for all sorts even the Levites themselves at that time to take Concubines yet the sad effects that followed hereupon shewed that God was not pleased with it From the beginning it was not so says our Saviour Matth. 19.8 The Levite follows after her to see if he could by fair means bring her to repent and amend and to return to him again He being willing to be reconciled to her rather than forsake her if it were possible When he came to her Fathers house He received him and entertained him very kindly and he stayed with him three days On the fourth day in the morning the breach being as it seems made up and he ready to depart with his Wife His Father-in-law desired him to comfort his heart with a morsel of bread and so they sate down and did eat and drink together and upon his further importunity he stayed with him that night also On the next day he entertained him again and engaged him to stay till the Afternoon and would have had him lodged there that night also seeing the Sun was then declining But he would not but took his leave of him and departed with his Wife and Servant When they came over against Jebus or Jerusalem which was now in the possession of the Jebusites (b) For though the Children of Judah had taken from the Jebusites that part of the City which was in their Tribe see Jud. 1.8 yet out of that part which belonged to Benjamin on which side the Levite was now travelling the Jebusites were not expelled see Judg. 1.21 his Man advised that they should turn into that City and lodge there that night but the Levite said We will not turn into a City inhabited by the accursed Canaanites estranged from God and his Laws we will go to Gibeah * The best Counsel sometimes may have the worst success to teach us that there is a secret hand of God that over-rules all Events not far from hencc and in our way to Mount Ephraim It was Sun-set by the time they came thither When they came into the Street of the City they met with no man that had so much Humanity or Hospitality in him as to invite them to his house At last an old man of Mount Ephraim a Sojourner in that City coming from his work out of the Fields and seeing the Levite asked him Whence he came and whither he was going He told him he dwelt in Mount Ephraim but he meant to go first to Shiloh where the Tabernacle then was to perform his Service there and then to go on in his Journey home-ward But says he here is no man for ought I perceive has so much kindness as to receive us into his house though we should put him to little or no charge for we have brought from whence we came a bundle of Straw and Provender for our Asses and we have Bread and Wine sufficient for our selves The old man said Peace be unto thee let all thy wants lie upon me that is take no further care either for Lodging or Provision I will take the care of all upon my self to provide all Necessaries for thee and all that belong unto thee Therefore turn in unto my house which accordingly they presently did and there he took care of their Asses and then washing their Feet according to the Rites of Hospitality practised in that hot Country he entertained them and they sat down to eat and drink with Him Now as they were making their hearts merry certain Sons of Belial following the example of their good Brethren and Predecessors of Sodom Gen. 19.4 beset the house round requiring the old man to bring forth the Levite to them that they might abuse him by unnatural lust The old man came out to them and entreated them not to do so abominable a thing He tells them He had in his house a Daughter a Maiden and there was also the Levite's Concubine He would bring them both out to them and they might humble them and do what they would to them but he desired them to spare his Guest the Levite and not make him the Subject of their base Villany But though the old man was to be commended for his desire to observe the Laws of Hospitality yet the means he used are to be condemned as very sinful seeing we may not do evil that good may come thereof Rom. 3.8 Of the evils of punishment indeed we may chuse the less that we may avoid the greater but of the evils of Sin we must chuse neither seeing the least sin is worse than the greatest punishment But these Sons of Belial were nothing moved with what He said therefore the Levite to prevent evil to his courteous Host brought forth his own Concubine (c) See Sect. 9. of Ch. 3. Suam Levita producit ut Hospiti Consulat Ita divinitus ordinatum ut scortando scortum intereat to them and they took her and abused her all night until the morning in a most inhumane and detestable manner Thus the Providence of God rescued the old mans Daughter who was innocent from the rage and lust of these wicked Villains and the storm fell on the Levites Concubine who though her Husband had pardoned yet God now punished Vncleanness was her sin and uncleanness was now the cause of her death Culpa libido fuit poena libido fuit In the morning she came and fell down at the old mans door The Levite seeing her lie all along with her hands on the Threshold he bad her arise that they might be gone But she not answering He perceived she was dead Then carrying her upon his Asse he went home and when he was come thither he took a Knife and cut her body into twelve pieces and sent to each Tribe a piece of her that so horrible a Spectacle might incense their wrath and stir up their spirits to take sharper Revenge on the Actors of so detestable a Villany and that they might not suffer those Pests to live and poison the Air with their breath and so pull down Gods fearful Judgments on the whole Land The Messengers acquainting the Tribes with the cause why the Levite had done this all that heard of it cried out That there was never such a horrid Villany done or seen among them since they came out of Egypt * Hosea 9.9 They have deeply coârupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah And therefore stirring up one another not to let it pass unrevenged they said Let us consider of it take advice and speak our minds that we may take the best
the ways of Jeroboam and hast made my people to sin by thy example and hast provoked me to anger behold I will cut off thy posterity and will make thy house as the house of Jeroboam And as this judgment was pronounced against Jeroboam 1 King 14.11 viz. that such of his house as died in the City the dogs should eat and such as died in the fields the fowls of the air should eat that is they should die unhappy deaths and not come to an honourable burial the very same judgment must I pronounce against thee and in the same words see v. 4. because thou persistest in the same sins Baasha died in the twenty fourth year of his reign and was buried in Tirzah and his Son Elah reigned in his stead 1 King 15.33 34. 1 King 16. from 1 to 8. ELAH began to reign in the 26th year of Asa Fourth King of Israel Elah and reigned two years though not compleat Being upon the Throne his servant Zimri Captain of half his Chariots conspired against him and as he was drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza his Steward he slew him in the second year of his reign his forces lying then encamped against Gibbethon and then Zimri immediately by the assistance of the Souldiers that were under his command slew all his kindred and near relations and so destroyed all the house of Baasha he left him not one that pisseth against a wall by which Proverbial speech an utter destruction of all that belonged to him is to be understood Thus the Lord dealt with the house of Baasha For as Baasha slew Nadab when he had reigned two years and that whilst he was laying siege to Gibbethon and then immediately destroyed all the rest of his family so Zimri slew Elah the Son of Baasha in the second year of his reign and then immediately cut off the rest of his family and friends and that whilst his army lay encamped against Gibbethon And thus God destroyed both the house of Baasha and Elah for their great sins and transgressions whereby they had provoked him and particularly by their vanities that is Image-gods and Idols 1 King 16. from 8 to 15. ZIMRI having thus wickedly made himself King Fifth King of Israel Zimri his reign continued but a week for notice that the King was slain coming to the Camp at Gibbethon all the host of Israel that were there encamped presently made Omri their General King over Israel Omri hastens with his Army to Tirzah to besiege Zimri and so the siege of Gibbethon was a second time raised Zimri when he saw the City was taken by storm betook himself to the Kings Palace and burnt himself with it that he might not fall into the hands of his enemies Thus those that are cruel to others are oftentimes given over to be cruel at last to themselves But though Zimri reigned but seven days before Omri was proclaimed King by the Soldiers yet perhaps it was longer e're he was forced to burn himself And besides within the space of those seven days he might by his Edicts make known to the people his resolution to continue the worship of Jeroboam's Calves and might destroy the family of Baasha 1 King 16 v. 17 18 19 20. Things being now at this pass the people of Israel were much divided some of them misliked that the Souldiers should choose a King for them and they chose Tibni for their King Between Tibni and Omri there were continual wars for about four years till at last Omri prevailed and Tibni dying Omri reigned alone 1 King 16. from 15 to 23. OMRI reigned twelve years Sixth King of Israel Omri reckoning from his first election whereof six years in Tirzah Zimri having burnt the Royal Palace in that City he removed the Seat of his Kingdom from thence to Samaria which he built in the hill which he bought of Shemer for two Talents of Silver * A Talent of Silver was reckoned at 375 l. sterling but a Talent of Gold at 3750 l. so he paid 750 l. sterl for the Hill and so made that his Royal City and the Metropolis of his Kingdom He did evil in the sight of the Lord and worse than all that went before him For it seems he did not only obstinately continue in the Idolatry of Jeroboam himself but with violence forced and pressed the people thereunto notwithanding all the judgments he had seen on all the former Kings of Israel for that sin In Micah 6.16 we read of the Statutes of Omri to wit concerning their Idolatrous worshipping of the Golden Calves He was buried in Samaria and Ahab his Son succeeded him 1 King 16. from 23 to 29. AHAB in the thirty eight year of Asa began to reign Seventh King of Israel Ahab and reigned two and twenty years over Israel He did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that went before him and as if it had been a small thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam he took to wife Jezebel * Who was a most wicked woman Jehu complain'd of her Witchcrafts and Whoredoms 2 King 9.22 and she is often mentioned as a great persecutor of Gods Prophets and a great promoter of the Idolatry of Baal and therefore St. John calls that false Prophetess who in his time had seduced many to Uncleanness and Idolatry in the Church of Thyatira Jezabel Rev. 2.20 the daughter of the King of the Sidonians and served Baal the Idol-god of that people and built an house and an Altar for him in Samaria Now this Idolatry was far worse than that of Jeroboam's for in that though they had Idols to wit the Golden Calves yet they pretended still to worship the true God but in this they worshipped Baal as their God In his days did Hiel the Bethelite which shews the horrible prophaneness and contempt of God at this time adventure to rebuild Jericho which though belonging to the Tribe of Benjamin yet it seems was at this time under the power of the King of the Ten Tribes notwithstanding Joshuah's curse pronounced against any that should attempt it and therefore it had continued a heap of rubbish from that time till this but now that bold wretch Hiel that dwelt at Bethel undertook the work and paid dear for it as Joshua had threatned for it cost him the loss of all his sons of the first-born when he began it and of some more of them as he went forward with the work and of the youngest when he finished it and hung up the Gates of it Josh 6.26 And Joshua adjured them at that time saying Cursed be the man before the Lord that riseth up and buildeth this City Jericho he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first-born and in his youngest Son shall be set up the gates of it Though the Israelites were at this present fallen to the horrid Idolatry of worshipping Baal â ãâã was the God of the Sidonians Ahab
marrying a wife from thence did soon set up his wifes Idolatry in the land and the worship of the true God was in a manner neglected and disregarded and the Prophets and servants of God that would not bow to Baal were persecuted see Ch. 19.10 yet there were never more Prophets sent to them than at this time we see Ch. 18.13 that Obadiah had hid an hundred of them in caves nor never more eminent ones than now And of all the Prophets that God raised up in the Kingdom of Israel we find not any of whom so strange things are recorded both for courage and miracles as there are of Elijah And therefore at the Transfiguration of Christ Mat. 17. Elijah as chief of the Prophets appeared together with Moses talking with Christ to signifie that both Moses and the Prophets had in their several seasons given testimony of him This Prophet Elijah was at this time sent to the Israelites a man of transcendent courage and zeal as being fitted for those corrupt times whence 't is said of the Baptist who in his Ministry was very zealous and fervent Luk. 1.17 that he should go before our Saviour in the spirit and power of Elias Ahab and Jezebel were very zealous to promote Idolatry and now God raises up a Prophet as zealous to oppose it and to defend Gods own worship Elijah seeing how things went in the Kingdom of Israel and being exceedingly moved with the horrible wickedness of Ahab and Jezabel and particularly perhaps with the contempt and scorn they cast upon Gods Prophets did it seems by the instinct of Gods Spirit pray that the Lord would shut up the heavens for some years and not suffer it to rain till he sought unto him for it that so the wrath of God against the iniquity of that time might be discovered and the precious account he makes of his Prophets might be manifested And being by the same Spirit of God assured that his prayer was heard he came to Ahab and threatned him beforehand that he might see it was of God with an approaching drought for three years and an half and a great famine that should ensue thereupon As the Lord God of Israel liveth saith he whom I continually serve and in whose presence I now stand and who is a witness of the truth of what I say there shall not be dew or rain these ensuing years but according to my words and as I have declared to thee from God And according as he threatned so it came to pass For during the space of three years and six months it rained not See Jam. 5.17 * See Luk. 4.25 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months The drought now beginning and Ahab seeing there was no rain for some time together as Elijah had threatned he was greatly enraged against him and being also stirred up as 't is probable by Jezabel his wife he sent presently out to take him that he might be revenged on him See Ch. 18.10 but the Lord foreseeing what would happen gave his Prophet warning of it and appointed him to withdraw and hide himself by the brook Cherith in Manasseh beyond Jordan that is in some solitary place or cave near the brook where he should be fed by Ravens with bread and flesh morning and evening and should drink of the brook Elijah did as the Lord commanded him and was accordingly fed by Ravens who being a very greedy and ravenous kind of bird so that they often neglect the feeding of their young ones to feed themselves it was the more miraculous that God should make them Caterers for Elijah and in such an orderly manner to bring him his provision morning and evening he directing them where they should have it possibly out of some rich mans pantry or storehouse Thus we see by what unlikely means God can provide for his servants when they are in their straits After some time possibly about six Months the brook quite dried up thus the Lord was pleased again to try the faith of his servant Elijah Then the Lord commands him to go to a widow of Sarepta in the Country of Sidon telling him that he would command her that is dispose her heart to entertain him Accordingly he went thither and when he came to the Gate of the City he found a widow-woman gathering sticks he desired her to fetch him a little water She going for it he desired her to bring him also a morsel of bread She knowing him by his habit to be a Prophet of the Lord she said to him As the Lord thy God liveth I have not a cake to give thee I have but an handful of meal in a barrel and a little oyl in a cruse and behold I am gathering two or three sticks that I may go and dress it for my self and my son that we may eat it and so die Hereby its manifest that the drought * There is not the least intimation of any want of rain that was in the land of Judah at this time and yet Elijah is sent to a stranger rather than to the widows of Israel or Judah such an one being very unlikely to relieve him especially the famine being there as well as in Israel but herein was shaddowed forth Gods further mercy intended to the Gentiles when the Jews should be rejected whence that of our Saviour Luk. 4.25 26. and famine was in the Country of Tyre and Sidon as well as among the Israelites and indeed it being sent among the Israelites for the Idolatry of Baal which Jezabel the daughter of the King of the Sidonians had brought in among them no marvel if the Sidonians were involv'd in the same judgment Elijah bids the woman not to fear but to do as she intended but only to make for him a little cake first for saith he thus saith the Lord God of Israel The barrel of meal which thou hast shall not wast nor the cruse of oyl fail until the day that the Lord sendeth rain on the earth The woman did as Elijah enjoined her and she and her house did eat thereof many days viz. for about three years neither the meal nor oyl failing but being miraculously supplied and renewed This recompence had this poor widow for entertaining the Lords Prophet she for giving unto him one meal hath many meals from him and by his procurement But great blessings are oftentimes mixed with some imbittering afflictions For some time after the Prophet had been with her the womans Son fell sick and died Upon this she comes to the Prophet and crys out What have I done to thee thou man of God wherein have I offended thee art thou come to bring my sins to remembrance â When God punisheth any for their sins whom for a while he did forbear he is said in the Scripture to remember
Galilee and Petrea or the Country beyond Jordan Philip he makes Tetrarch of Trachonitis Gaulonitis Batanea that is the Land called Basan and Paneada nearer the heads of Jordan To Salome his Sister he gave Jamnia Azotus and Phasaelis and fifty thousand drachms to several of his Kindred he gave money and yearly Pensions and to Cesar and Livia his Wife he left great Legacies Herod having thus ordered matters five days after he had put Antipater to death he died himself about the 25th of our November having enjoyed the Kingdom 34 years from his Conquest over Antigonus but 37 years from the time he was first made King by the Romans and about the 70 year of his age Solome and Alexas before the death of the King was known discharged those Nobles that were shut up in the Hippodrome Then was the Kings death declared and all the Soldiers called into the Theater at Jericho and there they first read the Kings Letters to the Soldiers in which giving them thanks for their fidelity and love to him he desires them that they would do the like for his Son Archelaus whom he had appointed his Successor in the Kingdom Then the Kings Testament was read then was there a shout for joy that Archelaus was King the people praying God to prosper him A Royal Funeral was prepared by Archelaus for his Father The Body was carried in Funeral Pomp from Jericho to the Castle Herodion where he himself had appointed it to be buried they going each day but Eight Furlongs or an Italian Mile It was carried in a Golden Litter set with precious Stones Bearing-Cloth of Purple The Body also was cloathed with Purple and a Diadem on his head and a Scepter in his right hand and over his head hung a Crown of Gold His Son and Kindred marched about the Litter then followed the Soldiers marshalled according to their several Nations then 500 Servants bearing Perfumes The Ceremony of the Funeral being ended Archelaus coming to Jerusalem solemnized a Mourning for his Father seven days according to the Jewish Custom and at the end of the Mourning made a Funeral Banquet to the multitude After this going up to the Temple and there sitting on a Golden Throne he spake very graciously to the people but withal said He would not take upon him the name of King till Cesar had confirmed his Fathers Testament FINIS Some BOOKS Printed for and Sold by Thomas Simmons at the Princes-Arms in Ludgate-street 1. THE Lives of sundry Eminent Persons in this latter Age in two Parts I. Of Divines viz. Mr. Hugh Broughton Mr. Rob. Boid Dr. âwiss Mr. Tho. Wilson Dr. Sam. Bolton Mr. Richard Vines Mr. Richard Blackerby Mr. Ralph Robinson Mr. John Janeway Mr. John Machia Dr. Sam. Winter Mr. Tho. Tregoss Mr. Rich. Mather Mr. Joseph Allein Dr. Staunton Mr. Sam. Fairclough Mr. Tho. Wadsworth Mr. O. Stockton and Mr. Tho. Gouge To which are added some remarkable passages in the Lives and Deaths of divers Eminent Divines in the Church of Scotland viz. Mr. John Scringer Mr. Rob. Blair Mr. Andr. Steward Mr. John Welch Mr. Hugh Kennedy Mr. Rob. Bruce Mr. Davidson and Mr. Patr. Simpson Together with an account of several Providences strange and extraordinary II. Of Nobility and Gentry of both Sexes viz. Sir Phil. Sidney Sir Charles Coot Mr. John Lamot Sir N. Bernardiston Mr. John Rowe Sir Mat. Hale Mrs. Mary Gunter Lady Alice Lucy Lady Mary Vere Mrs. Kath. Clark Countess of Warwick Mrs. Marg. Baxter Lady Armine Lady Langham and Countess of Suffolk by Samuel Clark sometimes Pastor of Bennet-Fink London To which is added the Life of the Author In Folio 2. Church-History of the Government of Bishops and their Councils abbreviated including the chief part of the Government of Christian Princes and Popes and a true account of the most troubling Controversies and Heresies till the Reformation By Richard Baxter a Hater of false History In Quarto 3. A Treatise of Episcopacy confuting by Scripture Reason and the Churches Testimony that sort of Diocesan Churches Prelacy and Government which casteth out the Primitive Church Species Episcopacy Ministry and Discipline and confounds the Christian World by corruption Usurpation Schism and Persecution Meditated in the year 1640 when the Et caetera Oath was imposed written 1671 and cast by Published 1680 by the importunity of our Superiors who demand the Reasons of our Nonconformity By Rich. Baxter In Quarto 4. Forgetfulness of God the great Plague of mans heart and Consideration of the principal means to cure it By W.D. M.A. and once fellow of Kings Col. Cambridge 5. Londinum Triumphans or an Historical Account of the grand influence the Actions of the City of London have had upon the affairs of the Nation for many ages past Shewing the antiquities honour glory and renown of this famous City the grounds of her rights priviledges and franchises the foundation of her Charter the improbability of its forfeiture or seisure the power and strength of the Citizens and the several contests that have been betwixt the Magistracy and the Commonalty Collected from the most authentick Authors and illustrated with variety of remarks worthy the perusal of every Citizen By Will. Gough Gent. In Octavo 6. The five days Debate at Cicero's house in Tusculum 1. Upon Comforts against Death 2. Patience under pain 3. The cure of Discontent 4. The Government of the Passions 5. The chief end of man Between Master and Sophister In Oct. 7. The Samaritan shewing that many and unnecessary Impositions are not the oyl that must heal the Church together with the way or means to do it By a Country-Gentleman who goes to Common-Prayer and not to Meetings In Octavo 8. A Private Psalter or Manual of Devotion composed by a Minister under the apprehension of the Stone which may serve for all Christians with the omission of any such petition which is peculiar or not suitable and the addition of others as are suitable to every ones proper condition In Octavo 9. Magna Charta made in the ninth year of King Henry the Third and confirmed by King Edward the First in the 28th year of his Reign With some short but necessary observations from the L. Chief Justice Cook 's Comments upon it Faithfully translated for the benefit of those that do not understand the Latin By Edw. Cook of the Middle-Temple Esq In Octavo 10. The Plea of the Children of Believing Parents for their interest in Abraham's Covenant their right to Church-membership with their Parents and consequently their title to Baptism The cause of publishing this Discourse after so many Learned men have laboured in this Province is declared in the Preface to the Reader By Giles Firmin In Octavo 11. The Traveller's Guide and the Countries safety Being a Declaration of the Laws of England against High-way men or Robbers upon the Road what is necessary and requisite to be done by such persons as are robbed in order to the recovering of their damages against whom