burn Incense was within the Tabernacle at the Altar of Incense but this was an extraordinary occasion and a means enjoyned for the discovery of the Lords will whither these men or only Aaron and his Sons as formerly should enter into the Tabernacle to execute the Priests Office Corah having assembled his Confederates and the generality of the people before the Tabernacle and not finding Dathan and Abiram there as it should seem went to their Tents to talk with them see Ch. 26.10 and probably from them He went to his own Tent before Moses and the Elders came to the Tabernacle as presently they did In the mean time the 250 Conspirators on the one side taking fire from the Altar and putting it into their Censers and laying Incense thereon and Aaron near to whom Moses stood doing the like on the other God now signifies his approach and the actual manifestation of his Presence by the descending of the Cloud which used to hover over the Tabernacle to the door (x) See vers 42. of this Chap. and Ch. 12.5 thereof And the Lord spake to Moses and Aaron saying Separate your selves from among this Congreation that I may consume these Conspirators and all that joyn with them in a moment Then Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces before the Lord and said O God the God of the Spirits of all Flesh who formest the spirit of man within him Zach. 12.1 and seest and knowest the spirits and hearts of all men and art able to discern between those that sin obstinately and those that are only seduced by others and drawn hither only to see what would be done Shall one man sin viz. Corah the chief Incendiary and wilt thou be wroth with the whole Congregation Upon this intercession the Lord was pleased to spare the people that would depart from these Rebells And then imparting to Moses what He intended to do commands him to warn the Congregation to get away from the Tents of Corah Dathan and Abiram Moses accordingly rose up many of the Elders of Israel accompanying him to denounce the Judgment of God against these Conspirators and he warns the Congregation to depart from the Tents of these wicked men and to get far from them and to touch nothing of theirs as judging all that they have execrable and accursed lest they perish (y) V. 26. Lest you be consumed in all their sins that is lest you be destroyed in the Judgment that will fall upon them for all their sins the cause is here put for the effect in the Judgment which was ready to fall upon them for their great Sins and Provocations The people accordingly did so and fled from the Tents of these men but Dathan and Abiram impudently came out and stood in the doors of their Tents with their Wives and Children as if they intended to out-face Moses and scorned the Judgment he threatned against them Moses then sayed Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me and hath appointed me to take upon my self the Government of this people and hath conferred the Priesthood on Aaron and his Sons and that I have not done these things on my own head If these men die the common and ordinary death of other men then the Lord hath not sent me But if the Lord by his Almighty Power do work a new and hitherto-unheard of Miracle so that the Earth open her mouth and swallow them up quick then you must needs acknowledge that I am innocent and that these men have highly provoked the Lord. Moses having made an end of speaking the Earth immediately opened her mouth and swallowed up * An undoubted evidence of Gods concurrence with the ministry of Moses and withall an undoubted assurance of the divine truth of Moses's Writings these Rebels and all that appertained to them that were there present And the same it seems happened and probably at the same time to Corah and his Family as appeareth Numb 26.10 only some of his Children who as 't is like joyned not in their Fathers sin or if they did soon repented of it and gave over and departed from their Fathers Tent at Moses's warning were spared And of their Race came such as either composed some of the Psalms or at least were famous Singers in the Temple and Samuel also the great Prophet and Judge in Israel was of that Race see 1 Chron. 6.33 to 38. Thus perished the Ringleaders of this Rebellion All the Israelites that were near them fled at the Cry of them fearing lest the Earth should swallow up them also And as a further addition to the dreadfulness of this Judgment there came fire out from the Lord and consumed their 250 Confederates who had offered Incense and usurped the Priests Office They are punished with fire as by fire they had offended see Levit. 10.2 Moses now by Gods Command appointeth Eleazar the Son of Aaron to gather up the Censers from among the ashes of the dead bodies of these men that were burnt and consumed and to scatter the fire that was in them without the Court of the Tabernacle as shewing that God rejected it and their Service and abhorred their Sacrifice And he tells him That the Censers of these Sinners against their own Souls were now hallowed (z) Sanctificata dicuntur quia ex deputatione Dei servire deinceps debebant divina gloriae illustrandae having been presented before the Lord by his Commandment and he orders him to make broad Plates of them for a covering of the Altar (a) A parte anteriori altaris ponebantur ut a populo conspici possint of Burnt-Offerings which was covered with Plates of Brass before see Exod. 27.2 And the less need there was of them the fitter they were to be a sign of Gods Judgment against presumptuous Conspirators and of his vindicating and clearing the innocency of his faithful Servants and to be a Memorial to the Children of Israel that all Israelites and Levites excepting Aaron's Sons are to be reckoned as Strangers in respect of the Priests Office and may not aspire to it lest they perish as Corah and his Confederates did However the very next morning after those dismal Judgments had been executed all the Congregation of the people that were inclined to this Faction whose lives Moses had saved the day before by praying to the Lord for them murmured against Him and Aaron and peremptorily told them That they had killed the Lords people Moses and Aaron being thus injuriously charged looked up to God as having no other Refuge or Shelter to fly unto and immediately behold the Cloud descended upon the Tabernacle as a sign of the approach and actual manifestation of the glorious Presence of God and that he intended to speak something unto them Moses and Aaron presenting themselves before the Lord the Lord bad them get them up presently from among this rebellious Company that he might consume them in a moment But they fell
first fitted for that glorious state and there shall live with God in everlasting bliss and glory Elisha seeing his Master thus ascend to heaven he cried out My father my father the Chariot of Israel and the Horsemen thereof so he stiles him in allusion to the present manner of his triumphant ascending in a fiery chariot into heaven as also in allusion to his former course of life who by his prayers and other good endeavours to bring men unto God had been a better defence to Israel than visible Chariots and Horsemen could possibly be Elijah thus vanishing out of his sight Elisha took hold of his own clothes and rent them in testimony of his great grief for the loss of his Master Elijah's mantle as he went up to heaven fell from him which Elisha readily took up and as 't is probable afterwards wore it as a token that God had design'd him to succeed in his place * Elisha began to be a famous Prophet in the second year of Jehoram and continued so about sixty years and died in the days of Joash Grandson of Jehu Elisha having now seen this glorious translation of Elijah he returned to Jordan and with Elijah's mantle in his hand standing on the bank of the river he said Where is the Spirit of the Lord God of Elijah O that the Lord would now please to work by me as he did by him So that his words are not to be lookt upon as words of distrust but as words of invocation As if he should have said O Lord who by thy servant Elijah didst divide these waters make it now manifest by inabling me to work the same miracle that thou hast given me the spirit of Elijah my Master Then smiting the waters with Elijah's mantle the waters immediately parted asunder and so he went over and this was the first miracle that he wrought When the fifty Prophets before mentioned who were come come out to see Elijah's assumption and dwelt at Jericho saw him come through Jordan they said the spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha that is such gifts of the Spirit as were bestowed on Elijah are now conferred on Elisha for like miracles argue a like spirit Then they went to meet him and bowing themselves to the ground before him congratulated the gift the Lord had bestowed on him It had been revealed to them as we shewed before that Elijah should be carried up to Heaven but whither he should be so taken up as there to remain for ever or only for a certain time that it seems they knew not wherefore they had a mind to go and see whither they could not find him set down some where or other on the earth again accordingly they said to Elisha Behold there are with us thy servants no less than fifty strong men fit to undertake a journey let us go we pray thee and seek thy Master for possibly he is not taken away from thee for ever but for a certain time only possibly the Spirit * What was done by the supernatural power and working of God they us'd to say was done by the Spirit of God of God hath carried him to some remote place as he used sometimes to be carried see 1 King 18.12 â The like we read concerning Philip when he had baptiz'd the Ethiopian Eunuch Act. 8.39 and hath set him down upon some mountain or some valley and there we may find him He tells them that he knew that Elijah was carried up both in soul and body to heaven and was there to remain for ever and it would be in vain to seek him on the earth any more But they urged him still to let them go insomuch that he was ashamed they should be so importunate without any reason however seeing they were so bent upon it he let them go that they might by their own experience see their error and folly and might be the more fully assured of Elijah's ascent into heaven ever after They accordingly went out and sought Elijah very diligently three days Elisha tarrying at Jericho till their return but they found him not and so through their error and mistake the ascension of Elijah to heaven was the more confirmed as was our Saviours Resurrection by Thomas's doubting The men of Jericho now possibly to try whither Elisha had indeed the Spirit of Elijah told him the situation of their City was pleasant as he knew very well but the water was naught and the ground about it barren The sins of the inhabitants and perhaps the presumptuous reedifying of Jericho by Hiel the Bethelite in the days of Ahab 1 King 26.34 had brought this curse upon the place Elisha being willing to exercise the power of that Spirit the Lord had given him bad them bring him a new cruse and putting salt therein he went to the spring-head and cast salt thereinto being directed by God to use that means and he said thus saith the Lord I have healed these waters there shall not be henceforth any deadly or poysonous quality in them neither shall the land here about be barren Accordingly the waters were healed and made good and so continued even to the time that this History was written And this was Elisha's second miracle Then from Jericho he went to Bethel to visit the Colledg of the Prophets there and to confirm them in the truth by his counsel and exhortations As he was going up to the City some young children that were as 't is like the children of Idolaters or other wicked men that lived there who it seems had by their example taught their children to scoff at the Lords Prophets and to laugh at the report spread abroad of Elijah's being carried up to Heaven cried after Elisha and said Go up thou bald-head Go up thou bald-head as if they should have said You that report your Master is gone up to heaven why do not you follow him and go up after him Elisha turn'd and lookt upon them and by a special instinct and commission from God He cursed them in the name of the Lord who now intended to punish the wickedness of the Parents in the death of their ill nurtured children and to shew how severely he would revenge the reproaching of his servants the Prophets and immediately there came forth two she-bears out of the wood that was hard by and tore two and forty of them to pieces And this was Elisha's third miracle Then he went into the City 'T is strange he durst go into Bethel after he had brought such a death upon so many of their children But he went under Gods protection who he knew was able to defend him as he had done his Master against the fury of Ahaziah And accordingly neither the Parents of these children thus destroyed nor any other Idolatrous persons in that City durst set upon him God so over-awed their spirits From Bethel he went to mount Carmel whither Elijah often resorted having as 't is probable an
make with Man assuring to him the continuance of his Life and Happiness upon condition he performed perfect Obedience to the Will of his Creator as the other Tree namely that of Knowledge of Good and Evil should signifie and assure unto him death and damnation in case of his disobedience Gen. 2.8 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every Tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food The Tree of Life also in the midst of the Garden and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Garden being in the lower part of the Country of Eden a River ran down out of it to water it and from thence was parted into four Capital Streams or Rivers The name of the first was Phasis h See D. More 's Triplex Cabala or Phasi-Tygris which compasses the whole Land of the Chaldeans where there is excellent Gold and Bdellium and the Onyx-stone The name of the second is Gihon which encompasses the Arabian Ethiopia The name of the third is Tygris that is it which goeth toward the East of Assyria And the fourth is Euphrates On the fourth day Fourth Day the Sun Moon and Stars were created to make a difference between Day and Night and to garnish the World They were made also for Signs of Weather for the causing variety and different temperature of Seasons for setting Periods to Days Months and Years and also to exert their Influence Vertue and Efficacy on things below Psal 104.19 He appointeth the Moon for Seasons the Sun knoweth his going down that is where and when he is to go down in all the Seasons of the Year The Sun is the greatest of all the heavenly Lights and the Moon is the least except Venus and Mercury of all the Planets and is made lightsom by the Suns shining upon it and so by reflexion shines upon the Earth Moses therefore here speaks of the Sun and Moon as they appear to the Eye of Man to which the Moon seemeth the greatest Light next to the Sun because 't is nearest to the Earth of all the Planets Gen. 1. from 14. to 20. Fifth Day On the fifth day Fish and flying Fowl were created and God blessed them and commanded them to be fruitful and multiply The Fowl were created out of the Waters and out of the Ground also Gen. 2.19 Out of the Ground the Lord God formed every Beast of the Field and every Fowl of the Air. For though the Waters did at first bring them forth yet there was in those Waters of which they were made a mixture of Earth and in that regard it might be said that they were also formed out of the Ground Sixth Day On the sixth day God commanded the Earth to bring forth all sorts of Creeping things and Four-footed Beasts And last of all he made Man the Master-piece and Chief of all his Creatures here below His Body he made of the Dust of the Ground working it to such a Temper that it was fit Matter whereof to make the Body of Man And by his Almighty Power he created and infused into that yet liveless Body a living reasonable Soul which being instantly united to it in a wonderful manner his Body was quickned and enlivened which soon appear'd by the Breath in his Nostrils so Adam became a living Soul that is by a Synechdoche of the Part for the Whole a living Man and his name was called Adam because he was made of red Earth Thus we see his Soul was not as his Body made of the Earth but created by the Insuffiation of God and had its immediate Original from the Father of Spirits Heb. 12.9 Numb 16.22 Eccl. 12.7 And to this purpose Elihu speaks Job 33.4 The Spirit of God hath made me and the Breath of the Almighty hath given me life I have made the Earth and created Man upon it saith the Lord Isa 45.12 Moreover this is farther to be remembred concerning the Creation of Man That God created him after his own Image which consisted principally in the divine knowledge * Col. 3.10 Ephes 4.24 Gen. 1.26 of his Mind and in the natural sanctity of his Will and in the Dominion he gave him over the Creatures here below And in making of Mankind he made not only the Males after his own Image but the Females also Adam presently after he was created had all living Creatures by the Power of God brought before him as to a Lord appointed over them and he gave them Names either agreeable to their Natures or such whereby they might be fitly distinguish'd one from the other But though God had placed Adam in so delightful a Paradise yet he saw that his Happiness would be imperfect except he had a fit Companion Therefore to the high commendation of Matrimony the Lord said It is not good for Man to be alone I will make him an help meet for him And accordingly casting him into a deep sleep and taking one of his Ribs out of his Side whilst he slept he fashion'd it into a Woman and gave her to him for a Wife Whereupon Adam said This is Bone of my Bone and Flesh of my Flesh Then God establishing a Law of Marriage between Man and Woman Matth. 19.4 5. He that made them at first made them Male and Female therefore shall a Man leave Father and Mother and cleave to his Wife and they twain shall be one Flesh He blessed them and said unto them Increase and multiply and replenish the Earth and subdue it Gen. 1.28 that is Keep it in a State of subjection to you For he had given them Dominion over all living Creatures here below and for them he had provided a large proportion of Sustenance and Food i That Food they were to live upon at first But after the Fall Beasts and Birds of Prey and Fishes devoured one another to live upon namely the Fruits of the Earth But to Man and Woman as 't is probable he allowed liberty to eat Flesh For though Gen. 1.29 only Herbs and Fruits are mentioned as given them for Food and Living things are not mentioned as given for Meat as after the Flood they were Gen. 9.3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you even as the green herb have I given you all things yet we may also take notice that neither Corn nor Bread nor other things are named which no doubt were in use before the Flood And Abel being a Keeper of Sheep surely he did not keep them that their Bodies might only rot above or under ground And Mans Body being in a decaying condition since the Fall stood in more need of nourishing Meats than while he abode in Innocency Neither were the Herbs or Fruits of that vertue for his nourishment after the Curse as before Neither is it likely that Man should be barr'd so needful a nourishment as Flesh or Fish for so long a time as till after the Flood because they were
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
of my Providence mercifully visited them and have observed what hath been done unto them in Egypt and that I do intend assuredly to deliver them out of the House of Bondage and will bring them into Canaan a Land abounding with all things serving both for Necessity and Delight And the Elders of the People shall hearken unto thee and shall go along with thee to Pharaoh (g) The deniall of this will make Pharaoh the more inexcusable and the Justice of God more manifest upon him and you shall say unto him The Lord God of the Hebrews hath appeared to us and commanded us to offer to Him a Sacrifice and to celebrate to Him a Feast thereon and hath commanded Us to come to thee and to request of Thee so much liberty that we may go three days Journey (h) Viz. To Horeb v. 12. which was but a three days Journey from Egypt had they gone the direct way But because of troubles and fears they were led about Exod. 13.17 18. So that they came not thither till the third month Exod. 19.1 into the Wilderness to perform this Sacrifice (i) In Egypt they could not do it without danger from the Egyptians to whom their Sacrifices were such an abomination that to offer them before their eyes might provoke them to stone them Exod. 8.26 to the Lord our God The Lord further adds I know Pharaoh will be so obstinate that he will not let you go no not by a mighty Hand that is no not though divers great and heavy Plagues be inflicted on him For I will stretch out my Hand upon Egypt and will smite them with all those great and smarting Plagues which I intend to bring upon them and I know that not till after the last and tenth Plague viz. the slaying of their First-born will he let you go And I will before I bring you out of Egypt give you favour in the eyes of the Egyptians and they shall be willing to lend (k) Annon dolo malo usi sunt qui haec petebant cum aliud in animo haberent Non est mendacium sed silentium integrae veritatis Non dixerunt se hoc tantum facturos partem consilii aperit Deus Tyranno partem celat quia est liberrimus Deut. 2.30 1 Sam. 16.1 you any thing you shall desire of them viz. Jewels of Silver and of Gold and fine Raiment and you shall put them upon your Sons and upon your Daughters and so you shall come forth with great Substance as I have promised Gen. 15.14 (l) This was no Theft or Sin God having commanded it who is Lord Paramount of all and likewise intended hereby to recompence his People for the Injuries they had received from the Egyptians and that by these Spoils they might be furnished with precious Materials for the Tabernacle and shall spoil the Egyptians Moses Replies That he feared his Country-men the Hebrews would be very difficult at first to believe him or that God had indeed appeared to him and humbly desires to know what he should do in that case The Lord to incourage him against his fears furnishes him with Power to work Miracles which might be an Evidence of the Divine Presence with him and a Seal to the Israelites that he came with Commission from God and that God had sent him Accordingly first he bids him throw down his Rod or Staff which he had in his hand upon the ground and suddenly it became a Serpent (m) To change one Creature into another not in appearance only but really requires a Divine Power so that Moses was ready to fly from it out of fear But God Commands him to take it by the tail which he accordingly did and it became immediately a Rod again Then God commanded him to put his hand into his Bosom which when he plucked it out again it was become as white and leprous as Snow Then God commanded him to put it into his Bosom again and when he drew it out this second time behold it was as whole and sound as his other hand Then the Lord tells him That if the Children of Israel were not wrought upon nor did incline to believe him for the first Sign possibly they would for the second But if it should so happen that they should not be brought to believe him for either of these when he came into Egypt he should take of the water of the River Nilus and pour it upon the ground and it should presently become blood upon the dry Land which should be a further Demonstration to them that God had sent him Moses being still fearful Replied Ah Lord I am not Eloquent (n) Indeed Stephen said of him Acts 7.22 That he was mighty in words that is He was an excellent Speaker as to the substance of what he spake yet some defect he had as to his utterance Some think he had a stammering Tongue which made him say Ch. 6.12 How shall Pharaoh hear me who am of uncircumcised lips I am not a man of a free and ready Speech as those should be who are employed to speak to Princes I am slow of speech I was so formerly neither do I find the matter much mended with me since thou didst vouchsafe to speak to me and Call me to this great Service The Lord answered Who hath given to man the faculty of Speech or who deprives him of that faculty and so of Hearing or Seeing Do not I the Lord give these Abilities and take them away at my pleasure Now therefore Go I will be with thy mouth and will teach thee what thou shalt say But Moses being still under great fears and deeply apprehensive of his own unfitness for so difficult a Service He cried out Ah Lord I pray thee send by the Ministry of such an one whom thou wilt find fitter for this great Service than I am whoever he be and send not by me who am so unfit and so unable Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses for this his distrustful Despondency (o) Modeste renuentem passus est Mosen Deus non obstinatius reluctantem and He said Is not Aaron the Levite thy Brother I know that he is a good Spokes-man and he shall be joyned in Commission with thee and I will by an inward motion of my Spirit cause him to come forth to meet thee and he will be heartily glad to see thy face again and thou shalt instruct him concerning this your common Commission and I will teach you both what you shall do He shall speak to the people as from thee and thou shalt give Direction and Counsel to him as from Me revealing my Mind and Will unto him and acquainting him what he shall say to Pharaoh Ch. 7. 1. And thou shalt take this Rod of thine in thy hand and with it thou shalt do Signs and Wonders before Pharaoh and the Egyptians Ch. 3. whole Chapter Ch. 4. from vers 1. to vers
Circumcision was with the Jews a Badge of God's people Therefore those that were not Circumcised were counted profane and their Uncircumcision was counted a grievous blemish Hence it was that in a Figurative Speech they counted those things that had any natural or moral blemish uncircumcised as a Heart or Mind or Tongue uncircumcised Hinc homines viles ad aliquam rem inepti incircumcisi ea parte vocantur and had an imperfection in his speech and utterance and was very unfit to be sent to Pharaoh on such a Message as that was However God bids Him and Aaron go again to the Children of Israel and to encourage them with expectation of Deliverance and to go to Pharaoh to require him in his Name to let them go Moses and Aaron being thus to be imployed as Instruments in the Hand of God of this great Deliverance their Stock and Lineage is here set down to shew that they were both descended of Levi and this might possibly be so ordered by the Spirit of God as an Antidote against the fabulous Reports of Heathen Writers such as Justin and Tacitus who tell false Stories of the Original both of Moses and of the people of the Jews Which things though they happened not till many years after yet were now fore-seen by the Spirit of God who assistââ Moses in penning this History And Moses being to set down his own and Aarons Descent from Levi for orders sake he begins with the Stock of Reuben and Simeon Levi's elder Brothers And possibly in this place he mentions only those three and not the Heads of the other Tribes that it might appear that they were not rejected of God notwithstanding Jacob's severe Commination Gen. 49.3 5. As also to shew that though Reuben and Simeon were elder then Levi yet God had freely chosen out of the Tribe of Levi Moses to be the first Captain of his people and his Brother Aaron the first High Priest to whom his Posterity should succeed in that Office And these are that very Moses and Aaron whom the Lord commanded to bring forth the Children of Israel out of Egypt who were increased now to many thousands so that they might be called the Hosts of the Lord Exod. 12.37 41. Ch. 5. whole Chapter Ch. 6. from vers 1. to 28. SECT LXIII MOses being now 80 (t) The reason why Moses's age is here set down seems to be to shew how long God in his wise Providence had suffered the Egyptians to oppress the Israelites with such cruel bondage even before the birth of Moses till he came to be 80 years of age And the reverence and respect due to the venerable age He and Aaron were of rendred them the more fit to undertake such a service and Aaron 83 years of Age they are commanded by the Lord to go again to Pharaoh to require him to dismiss the people Moses would have excused himself again because he was not Eloquent but the Lord tells him Behold I have made thee a God (u) Quia adversus Pharaonem divinam quandam potestatem exercuit dum ab eo timetur dum oratur dum punit dum medetur dum verbo animalia quasi creat destruit coelum denique ac terram commovet ut explicat Hilarius lib. 7. de Trin. to Pharaoh that is one to whom the Word of God shall come and by whom it shall be made known to Aaron and by him to Pharaoh For Aaron shall be thy Interpreter and Spokes-man But I know that Pharaoh will not hearken unto you but will harden his heart against all that you shall say However be not discouraged thereat for I will multiply my Signs and Wonders in the Land of Egypt and will bring forth my Hosts that is my people the Children of Israel by inflicting great Plagues and Judgments on the Egyptians and they shall know that I am the Lord by the Judgments that I will execute upon them and by which I will at last deliver my people Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them and went again unto Pharaoh requiring him in the Name of the Lord to let the Children of Israel go out of his Land Pharaoh asks them How he shall know that they were sent of God What Miracle could they work to induce him to believe it Moses hereupon gave Aaron his Rod and bad him cast it upon the ground and said It should become a Serpent and Aaron did so before Pharaoh and his Servants and accordingly it became a Serpent (x) It seems the change wrought before Pharaoh was not into an ordinary Serpent called Nehash but into some greater Creature here called a Dragon Tavin Then Pharaoh called for his Magicians and Sorcerers wherewith the Land of Egypt abounded and whereof the chief at that time were Jannes and Jambres 2 Tim. 3.8 and they did the like in outward shew and appearance but not in reality the Devil by whose Power they did work casting a mist before the peoples eyes whereby they thought they saw that which indeed was not I say these Magicians cast down their Rods and they seemed to be turned also into Serpents (y) Dici potest veros dracones sive Serpentes aliunde adductos ope Damonis virgarum loco fuisse substitutos ita fallendo oculos ut nemo praestigias istas animadverteret or Dragons Some aerial Representations possibly of them being there made by the art of the Devil or possibly the Devil might bring thither some true Serpents unperceiveably from other places and might remove the Rods from the peoples eyes But the Dragon or Serpent into which Aarons Rod was turned swallowed (z) Notandum praestigias Magorum non obfuisse Mosi sed magis profuisse Semper enim aliquid adsuit quo divina signa praecellerent Nam Serpens Moysis devoravit eorum Serpentes Aquam illi in sanguinem mutare potuerunt non rursum sanguinem in aquam ranas afferre non tollere Nempe ut per eas plagae augeri possent non minui Post devorationem Virga Aaronis in statum pristinum reversa est up theirs God hereby shewing that the Power whereby Moses and Aaron had wrought their Miracle was infinitely above that of Satan whereby the Magicians had endeavoured to equal the Work which Moses had done Yet notwithstanding this Miracle Pharaoh's heart was still hardened so that he would not let the people go as God had foretold Exod. 6. vers 28 29 30. Exod. 7. from 1. to 14. SECT LXIV PHaraoh continuing still obstinate God sends Moses and Aaron again to him and by their Ministry inflicts ten Plagues successively upon the Eyptians from which the Israelites as 't is probable were wholly exempted See Exod. 8.22 9.26 10.23 All which are reckoned Psal 78. 105. which Plagues were all sent within one month in this Order 1. God Commands Moses and Aaron to go and meet Pharaoh the next Morning First Plague Their waters turned into Bloud
for seven days together who would then come to walk by the side of the River Nilus and to tell him That seeing he had refused to obey the Voice of the Lord he would bring a grievous Plague upon Him and his People They had shed the bloud of the Israelites Children and drowned them in that River Therefore God had commanded him to give order to Aaron with his Rod to smite the waters of the River and he accordingly stretched forth his Hand over the Rivers Streams and Ponds probably over some of them in the Name of the rest and striking those Waters they were immediately turned into bloud Yea by the influence of God's Almighty Power upon that percussion all their other Streams and Rivers Ponds and Pools yea Cisterns of water whether of Wood or Stone were turned into bloud for seven days together By which Plague the Fish that were in the River died whereby the Egyptians were deprived of that which was their chief Food (a) The Egyptians abstained from the flesh of many Beasts of Superstition especially such as the Hebrews used in Sacrifice as may be gathered from Numb 11.5 We remember the Fish that we did eat in Egypt freely and Isa 19.8 God threatens this as a great Judgment to Egypt The Fishers shall mourn and all that cast Angles into the Brooks shall lament and they that spread Nets upon the Waters shall languish So that this was a sore Plague on the Egyptians who fed much on Fish and traded much with them and maintained themselves by them And one great evil followed this also for hereupon the River stank so horribly that they could not drink of the waters of it which used to be their ordinary Beverage see Jer. 2.18 but were fain to dig Pits near the River that they might have some water to drink But all this did not work upon Pharaoh's obdurate heart For his Magicians and Sorcerers getting some water either from the Sea or out of the new-digged-Wells or from the houses of the Israelites dwelling here and there intermixed with them did by their Enchantments and the Devil's help get some blood whereby they tinctured the waters or else unperceiveably removed the water and substituted bloud in the place thereof Which when Pharaoh saw done by them he went away to his own house and heeded not nor laid to heart the foregoing Plague inflicted on him by Moses Exod. Ch. 7. from 14. to the end 2. God Commands Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh again Second Plague Frogs and to require him to let his People go and to tell Him That if he refused to do it He would smite all his Borders with Frogs They accordingly resolutely pursue their Commission and evidence their Courage and Fidelity in God's Cause notwithstanding the ill success they had had before But Pharaoh would not give ear to them Hereupon Aaron stretched forth his Rod (b) The Rod is called sometimes the Rod of Moses sometimes of Aaron sometimes of God to shew that it was the Instrument they all used in working these prodigious things over the Rivers (c) Non singulos adiit fluvios sed virga eminus eos intenta designavit extendit eam versus Nilum intentione versus omnes aqas Aegypti over the Streams and over the Ponds and the Frogs came up in great abundance upon the Land namely not only those that were in the Rivers before but an innumerable number of new ones were produced and they crawled into Pharaoh's house and into his Bed-Chamber (d) How easily can God cast contempt upon Princes and how favourable is he to men who by his ordinary Providence makes such Creatures loth to come where man hath to do which are so lothsome to him yea upon his Bed and into the Houses of his Courtiers and the rest of his people yea into their Ovens and Kneading-Troughs so that they were grievously annoyed with them Pharaoh calls for his Magicians to see if they could imitate this Miracle and they by stretching forth their Rods over the River did by the Power of the Devil (e) The Devil it seems much delights in their monstrous shape For we find in the Scripture three unclean Spirits like Frogs coming out of the mouth of the Dragon bring forth some true Frogs by unperceptible Conveyance to the place where the Contest was which possibly at this present was not covered with Frogs by Moses's Working though it is like they were but very few in comparison of those Moses and Aaron had produced And when they had brought them they could not remove them again Pharaoh and his people being thus grievously distressed with this Plague he began to stoop a little and to acknowledge God whom before he would not know and therefore desires Moses and Aaron to intreat the Lord to remove these Frogs and he would let the people go that they may Sacrifice unto the Lord their God Moses knowing that he was constituted as a God to Pharaoh Ch. 7. vers 1. to bring Judgments upon him and romove them at God's appointment and having in him the Faith of Miracles and being directed by the Spirit of God He told Pharaoh He would do him the honour (f) Honorem tibi sume ut des mihi tempus in quo orem pro te to let him appoint the time when he should pray to the Lord for him and by his power deliver him from this Plague And says he if my prayer take no effect then do thou glory over me and say I am no better than one of thy Magicians but if I do deliver thee then own and obey the great God of Heaven whose Servant I am Pharaoh desires the Frogs may be removed by the next Morning Moses Replies Be it according to thy word that thou mayst know that there is none like unto the Lord our God Moses then cried unto the Lord to remove this Plague from Pharaoh and the Lord heard him and immediately the Frogs died that were in the Houses Villages and Fields only some remained in the River and they gathered the dead Frogs together and cast them upon heaps so that the Land stank by reason of them But when this Plague was removed and Pharaoh saw there was some respite he hardened his heart and hearkened not to Moses and Aaron as the Lord had foretold Exod. Ch. 8. from vers 1. to 16. Third Plague Lice 3. Pharaoh having thus mocked God promising and not performing the Lord to manifest his Indignation against him Commands Moses now to strike him with a new Judgment without giving him any warning as at other times he had done Aaron therefore is commanded forthwith to stretch out his Rod and to strike the dust of the Land that it may become Lice through all the Land of Egypt Which Aaron accordingly doing abundance of Lice came on Men and Beasts the dust in very part of the Land that is a great deal of it turning into that
Hand O Lord is become Glorious in Power Thy right Hand hath broken and destroyed the Enemy and by thy glorious and excellent Power thou hast overthrown the Egyptians who in rising up against thy people did rise up against thee Thou didst send forth thy Wrath which consumed them utterly and speedily even as stubble is consumed by the fire With the blast of thy Nostrils the Waters were gathered together that is by a mighty Wind raised by thine Almighty Power accompanied with a great Noise (p) To this the Prophet seems to have reference Hab. 3. 10. the Sea was divided and the Waters were heaped up on either side and stood like congealed or compacted Walls in the heart of the Sea The Enemy said I will pursue overtake and divide the Spoil my lust shall be satisfied upon them I will draw my Sword my Hand shall destroy them But thou O Lord didst soon confound their vain Imaginations For thou didst blow with a mighty Wind and immediately the Waters came together again and the Sea covered them they sank as lead in the deep Waters Who is like unto thee O Lord among the Gods who among all the false Gods of the Heathen or the mightiest men on the Earth is in any degree worthy to be compared to Thee who art glorious in holiness fearful in praises that is to be praised with a great measure of filial fear and awfulness doing Wonders Thou stretchedst out thy Hand and the Earth swallowed them that is those of them whose bodies were cast up by the Waves upon the shore were thrown into Pits by us and there buried Thou in thy great Mercy hast brought forth thy people whom thou hast redeemed out of the Land of Egypt and hast thus far led them by thine Almighty Power and Strength towards the Land of Canaan where thou hast determined to set up thy holy Temple thy resting Place Psal 132.14 The Place which thou hast chosen where thy holy Worship shall be set up and established and where thou hast promised to dwell that is to afford thy special Presence See 1 Kings 9. vers 3. The Second Part of this Song is Prophetical beginning at v. 14. The people shall hear and be afraid sorrow shall take hold on the Inhabitants of Palestina That is the report of this dreadful overthrow of Pharaoh shall so amaze and astonish the Inhabitants of Palestina the Dukes of Edom and the mighty men of Moab (q) See this Prophesie fulfilled Numb 22.3 Josh 2.9 5.1 and the Inhabitants of Canaan that their very hearts shall faint and melt with fear as wax does before the fire insomuch that they shall be as still as a stone and Israel shall pass over Jordan into Canaan without opposition Thou wilt bring them in and plant them in the Mountain of thine Inheritance that is in Canaan a mountanous Country Deut. 11.11 and particularly thou wilt bring them to Mount Moriah which thou hast chosen as thine Inheritance and where by thy own Hands and Power thou intendest to establish thy Sanctuary and where thou hast promised to dwell and to afford thy gracious Presence The Lord will Reign for ever and ever in spight of all his Enemies Miriam (r) She was the Sister of Moses also but her reference to Aaron was best known by reason of Moses's absence She is said to be the wife of Hur by the Hebrews the Sister of Aaron who had the Spirit of Prophesie Numb 12.2 and was one of the three Principal Guides which God gave his people Mich. 6.4 took a Timbrel in her hand and the Women followed her playing on their Timbrels also according to the Custom in publick Rejoycings Judg. 11.34 and they expressed their exultation and rapture of Mind by lively motions and tripudiations of their Bodies and when the Men had sang a Verse of this Song then She with the Women sung it over again at least they repeated the first Verse of it Sing to the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the Horse and his Rider hath he thrown into the Sea And possibly they added For his Mercy endureth for ever as 't is Psal 136. 2 Chron. 5.13 With this Song of Moses for Victory over the Egyptian-Pharaoh the Holy Ghost compares the Song of them that shall be Victorious over the Spiritual Pharaoh viz. the Beast and Antichrist Rev. 15. from 1. to 5. Exod. 15. from 1. to 22. SECT VI. THe Israelites being now come on the other side of the Red-Sea they marched three whole days thorow the Wilderness of Shur (s) Called also the Wilderness of Etham Numb 33.8 one might be the general name of the whole Wilderness and the other of some part of it It seems the Wilderness on both sides of the Red-Sea was called the Wilderness of Etham but found no water all the way As for Food 't is probable they were sustained with that unleavened Bread and other provisions they had brought with them out of Egypt At last they came to Marah their fifth Encamping where they found water indeed but it was so bitter they could not drink it hereupon they murmur against Moses asking him in a discontented mood What they should drink Moses upon this Cries unto the Lord who shewed him a Tree which when he had cast into the waters the waters were made sweet But the changing of the nature and tast of the waters was to be attributed to the Power of God and not to any vertue in that Tree After God had thus tried them and proved them not only by their want of water but by his present favourable dealing with them in not punishing them for their murmuring as he might justly have done He then admonishes them by Moses to take heed of this sin of murmuring against Him or distrusting of Him and to carry themselves more obediently towards Him for the future And so he made this a Statute and an Ordinance That if they would do that which was right in his sight and would obey his Commandments and keep all his Statutes he would bring none of those Diseases and Plagues upon them which he had brought on the Egyptians For He was their Healer (t) V. 26. Medicus quia ex omnibus periculis malis tam animarum quam corporum quae morbis morti saepe comparantur homines sibi confisos liberat Psal 103. v. 3. Glasius and could heal not only their Bodies but their Souls also by forgiving their sins and sanctifying their natures Exod. 15. from 22. to 27. SECT VII FRom Marah they removed to Elim their sixth Station famous for twelve Wells of water and 70 Palm-Trees And here it seems they stayed many days because the Place was so pleasant and convenient by reason of the waters and the shade Exod. 15. vers 27. SECT VIII FRom Elim they turned back again to the Red-Sea which was their seventh Station as appears from Numb 33.10 the Lord so ordering it as 't is probable that
versum in fighting against his peculiar people whose King and Soveraign he had undertaken to be therefore the Lord would have his people maintain a truceless War with Amalek from Generation to Generation Exod. 17. from vers 8. to the end SECT XII THis Story of Jethro contain'd in the next Chapter viz. the 18th seems not to lie in its proper place but ought to come in between the 10th and 11th verses of Numb 10. For in Exod. 18. vers 12. 'T is said Jethro took Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices for God whereas the Law for Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices was not yet given And vers 13. 16. 'tis said Moses sat to judge the people and to make them know the Statutes of God and his Laws whereas the Statutes and Laws of God were not yet given to Moses And further the chusing of Judges and Elders which was upon Jethro's Counsel was not till after their departing from Sinai Deut. 1 7 8 9 See Lightfoot pag. 95. c. whereas 't is here set as before their coming thither Therefore we shall reserve this History till we come to the 10th of Numbers SECT XIII FRom Rephidim which was over against Horeb in the third month after their coming forth out of Egypt they removed to the Desart over against Sinai (k) It seems these were either two Mountains near together or else two tops of the same Mountain one called Horeb the other Sinai which was their Twelfth Encamping where they continued for the space of almost an whole Year The Cloudy Pillar now resting on the top of the Mountain God out of it calls Moses to come up to Him and Commands him to set before the people what great things He had done for them and how he had born them on Eagles wings and carried them as an Eagle doth her young ones on her back viz. speedily and safely out of Egypt and had now brought them unto Himself that is to this place of his Presence and convenient for them to serve him in If therefore they would carefully observe the Covenant which he now intended to make with them they should be his peculiar Treasure his Segullah (l) Deut. 7.6 7 8. Psal 135.4 above all people For all the Earth is His and he can chuse what Nation he pleases to be his peculiar People to serve him and they should be to Him a Kingdom of Priests that is among them he would Reign and set up his Kingdom 1 Sam. 8.7 and they should not be a profane State such as other Kingdoms were but a Kingdom of Priests to Worship Him according to his own Will and to offer the Sacrifices to Him which He should appoint and they should be separated from all other Nations unto Him and his Service Moses comes down and acquaints the people herewith and they readily and with one accord answered That All that the Lord had spoken they would do Moses returned their Answer unto the Lord who tells him He would now speak to him speedily out of a thick Cloud upon the Mount and the people should hear Him speak to him that they might never after doubt or disbelieve that God had sent him to them Then he Commands Moses to go down and to sanctifie and prepare the people two days for their reverend receiving his Law on the day after and that he should give them Orders and Directions how they should behave themselves at that time Moses accordingly commands the people to sanctifie themselves to wash their Cloaths and to forbear the company of their Wives vers 15. till the time appointed signifying how careful they should be to keep their Minds from being distracted with carnal affections and to cleanse themselves from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit especially when they were to present themselves so solemnly before the Lord. Then he sets bounds and limits round about the bottom of Mount Sinai shewing them how near they should approach to the Mount and no further declaring that whatever Man or Beast passed those bounds and touched the Mountain should be stoned or shot to death This was commanded to strike their hearts with the greater Reverence of God and to bridle their Curiosity from searching into Gods Secrets and to teach them to be content with the bounds that he had set them On the third day in the morning after Moses had given them this Charge concerning sanctifying and preparing themselves which as some think was the (m) Sic Jansenius Masius autem quarto die mensis sixth day of the month and fifty days after the Passover on which the Feast of Pentecost was afterwards kept by the ministry of Angels the Trumpet sounded exceeding loud and the people trembling advanced under the Conduct of Moses towards (n) V. 13. Tunc ascendent in montem i. e. adversus montem alioquin repugnaret v. 12. the Mountain so far as their limits and bounds extended Then the Air being fill'd with dreadful Thunderings and Lightnings and the Mountain quaking and trembling and smoaking like a Furnace Psal 68.8 and the Trumpet sounding lowder and lowder the Lord (o) V. 20. Descendit Dominus sâu Angelus Dominum repraesentans descendit ex loco aeris celsiore in ipsum montis verticem descended on the Mount that is He there manifested his Glory in a flame of Fire The fight was so exceeding terrible that Moses said I exceedingly fear and tremble Heb. 12.21 The Lord hereupon answered him by a Voice and so in a less terrible manner than by Thunder yet so loud that the people might hear him speaking to him see vers 9. By that Voice the Lord commanded Moses to come up to Him to the top of the Mount And Moses did so The Lord Commands him to go again to the people and to Charge them that they did not break thorow the bounds set them to see and gaze as Moses himself was ready once to do Exod. 3.3 till He was stayed of God lest many of them should thereupon perish see Sam. 6.19 and to Charge the Priests more particularly who used to come near to minister before the Lord that is the First-horn the young men of the Children of Israel whom God had hallowed to himself and who before the separating of the Tribe of Levi for the Priesthood used to administer that Office in their several Families Numb 8.16 Exod. 13.2 Lev. 3.12 and Exod. 24.5 that they especially take care to sanctifie themselves and to be devoutly and holily prepared for this great appearance of God and to keep themselves from being defiled with Sin by touching the Mount presuming too far by reason of their Priviledge lest the Lord break forth in wrath upon them Moses humbly Answers O Lord the people by reason of thy former Prohibition dare not come up to the Mount For thou saidst Set bounds to the Mount and Hallow it that is let the people know that they are to account this Mountain holy by reason of the manifestation of
of Idolatrous Worship For God foresaw that men would be very prone to be pleased with and to dote upon sensible Representations and averse from raising up their minds to Him as endued with pure intellectual and spiritual Perfections So that He expresly forbids making any Images or Similitudes in order to worship Him thereby * Neque tantum imagines faciebant multorum Deorum Cultores sed magico ritu existimabant spiritum quendam aetherium in eas deduci imagines Tertullianus libro de spectaculis Daemones ait operari in simulacris Minutius Foelix isti impuri spiritus sub statuis imaginibus consecratis delitescunt Et huc pertinet ni failor locus Zach. 10.2 Grotius in explicatione Decalogi And in this Prohibition we may conceive this positive Precept to be also implied and intended viz. that in our Devotions and Religious Services which we perform to God we should raise our minds above gross sense and phantasie and should labour for high and worthy Conceptions of God and should apprehend Him incomparably superiour to all things which we do see and know and we should direct our minds to him as to a Being transcendently perfect in Wisdom Holiness Goodness Justice and Power and should as our Saviour Commands Worship him in spirit and truth Joh. 4.24 and perform such Worship to him as is agreeable to his spiritual Nature and is commanded by Himself And the Lord was pleased to add this reason to this Prohibition For I the Lord thy God am a jealous (u) There is great danger in Idolatrous Worship lest the heart of the Creature be thereby drawn away from God Therefore the breach of this Commandment is called Scortatio Persidia Violatio foederis conjugalis God is angry for the breach of any Commandment but he is jealous lest his Worship be corrupted and his Glory given to Creatures God that is a God very tender of my Honour and of my Right impatient of any Competitor or Sharer with Me in the Duties and Services which properly and incommunicably are due unto Me. I am the Lord saith God by the Prophet Isaiah that is my Name and my Glory I will not give to another nor my Praise to graven Images Isa 42.8 This jealousie doth imply not only a great dislike but a fierce displeasure against the Infringers of this Law Visiting the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate (x) Populus Dei sponsa vocatur foedus conjugium Idololatria scortatio Quemadmodum amoris signum est fidelitas conjugalis sic fidei violatio odii testimonium est Riv. Deum odisse in sacris literis peculiariter imo unicè ait Maimonides illi dicuntur qui falsos deos colunt me God hereby intimates that he shall look upon those that transgress this Law and commit this kind of Idolatry here forbidden as Enemies and haters (x) Populus Dei sponsa vocatur foedus conjugium Idololatria scortatio Quemadmodum amoris signum est fidelitas conjugalis sic fidei violatio odii testimonium est Riv. Deum odisse in sacris literis peculiariter imo unicè ait Maimonides illi dicuntur qui falsos deos colunt of him because their actions signifie a disposition of mind in them repugnant to his Mind and Will When a man loveth God less than his Idol that may well be esteemed hatred of God 2ly He declares That He will not only punish these persons themselves who commit this Idolatry whereby He is so much wronged and dishonoured but to deter men the more from it He declares That it shall go ill with their Posterity for their sakes Their Children to the third and fourth Generation shall be more strictly and severely dealt with and upon this score shall receive less of Favour and Mercy from him than otherwise they might have received Not that God will arbitrarily inflict undeserved Punishments upon the Children of bad men for the Faults of their Ancestors He disclaims such kind of dealing Ezek. 18.20 Deut. 24.16 Jer. 31.30 The Son shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father the Soul that sinneth it shall die Every one shall die for his own Iniquity Every man that eateth sowre Grapes his own teeth shall be set on edge c. But notwithstanding God may justly for the Sin of the Parents withhold his free Favours from their Children which else according to the general course of his goodness they might have been capable of As particularly He may withhold that measure of Grace from them that might have effectually retained them from Sin and consequently have prevented their Guilt and so their Punishment But if such Children do fall into personal sins God may without Impeachment of his Justice and Goodness severely visit them and sharply punish them for them and that not only upon their own but their Fathers account also And therefore the Lord is pleased to add this Commination the more to deter and restrain men from committing this sin of Idolatry it being like to bring damage to their Children and Posterity (y) Examples of which proceeding do in the Divine History often occur As in Solomon in Rehoboham in Baasha in Ahab in Jehu of whom Parents of all things use to have the tenderest regard and are afraid to be the causes of their Ruine and Calamity Shewing mercy unto Thousands of them love me and keep my Commandments And as God deters from violation of this Precept by threatening a long train of Punishments to the Transgressors of it so he encourageth to yield Obedience to it by a Declaration of his intention not only graciously to Reward the obedient Persons themselves but their Posterity also unto a thousand Descents God will shew mercy and deal more favourably with the Children of good Parents for a long tract of time for their Father's sake And though God will punish the offending Children of good Parents yet their Misdeeds shall not interrupt his kindness towards the rest of their Posterity or quite abolish the remembrance of their Fathers (z) So we may see that God dealt with Abraham and the Patriarchs passing by in memory of their faithful Obedience to him the manifold Provocations of their Cildren goodness And here we may take notice how the expressions of God's Mercy do exceed those of his Justice He will visit the Iniquities of disobedient Fathers unto the third or fourth Generation but He will shew Mercy to a thousand Generations of them that love and obey Him And further we may observe That loving God and keeping his Commandments are conjoyned as terms equivalent They are indeed inseparably connected Love being a certain cause of Obedience and Obedience an infallible sign of Love See Joh. 14.21 III. Commandment Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes his Name in vain HEre is first a Precept 2. A Reason deterring
on their faces and interceeded with the Lord for them God by his Spirit informs Moses That he had sent a Plague among them and directs him what course to take for the stopping of it Hereupon he calls to Aaron to take his Censer and to put fire into it from off the Altar and to put Incense thereon and to run quickly and make atonement for the people and to stand between the living and the dead (b) Incense was only to be offered upon the Altar of Incense in the Tabernacle but this was done upon an extraordinary occasion and by an extraordinary warrant of divine Inspiration for he tells him Wrath was gone out from the Lord the Plague was begun And Aaron did as Moses commanded him yet the Plague ran so swiftly among the people like fire in a field of Corn that before Aaron could interpose himself to make atonement wherein he was a Figure of Christs Intercession there fell fourteen thousand and seven hundred of those rebellious Murmurers see 1 Cor. 10.10 and then the Plague was stayed and Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tabernacle to acquaint him how he had sped and to return thanks unto the Lord who had so graciously accepted the work of his hands Numb 16. whole Chapter SECT LXIV THat none might for the future presume to usurp the Office of the Priesthood or aspire to it besides Aaron and his Sons God was pleased to enjoyn Moses to take of each Prince of the twelve Tribes a Rod or Staff such as they did usually carry in their hands which were it seems according to the Custom of those times made of Almond-Tree and to write every Princes Name on his Rod and to write Aaron's Name upon the Rod of the Tribe of Levi. He tells him That the mans Rod whom he did choose to serve him in the Priesthood should blossom and the rest remain dry And God orders Moses to lay all the Rods up in the Tabernacle in the most holy place before the Ark of the Testimony where the Lord did use by glorious signs to testifie his Presence and make known his Will unto them see Exod. 25.22 For upon such extraordinary occasions we need not doubt but Moses used to go into the most holy place Accordingly next morning Moses went in thither and he found that the Rod of Aaron had shot forth branches and some of them had buds on them and some blossoms and others yielded Almonds but all the rest of the Rods remaining dry as they were before Then Moses brought out all the Rods and shewed them to the Children of Israel and the Princes took every man his Rod and found them dry sticks as before but Aaron's Rod flourished and had brought forth Buds Blossoms and Fruit by which Miracle they were convinced that God had chosen Aaron and his Sons to be the only Priests that should serve Him at the Altar And hereupon God orders Moses to lay up Aaron's Rod again in the most holy place before the Ark to be kept there * See Apostol Hist on Heb. 9.6 as a Testimony against any such Children of Rebellion as should ever after presume to usurp the Office of the Priesthood And by this means also he might prevent the murmurings and complainings of the people which if they went on in they would thereby bring certain destruction upon their own heads The people hearing these things and being exceedingly terrified with this threatning and the remembrance of those late dreadful Judgments that had carried away so many among them they cry out unto Moses Alas we die we perish we all perish that is we see we are in continual danger of being swept away with terrible Judgments And as men terrified are wont to conceive their danger to be greater than indeed it is they now apprehend that it would be exceeding dangerous for them to come near the Tabernacle or to be present at any Worship or Service there performed and seem to fear that God would not withdraw his Indignation from them until he had destroyed and consumed them all Ch. 17. whole Chapter SECT LXV THe people being under such a fear and consternation the Lord hereupon takes order for the guard of the Sanctuary and injoyns that every one should remain within the Verge and Limits of his duty and so they should be safe and he tells Aaron That He and the Priests and Levites shall bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary that is if any pollution (c) Thus the Lord shews himself reconciled and makes the Priests watch a ground of appeasing both the fear and envy of the people came to it by the people they should answer for it and bear the punishment thereof if they did not take care to prevent it and the Priests should bear the punishment of all Iniquity committed about their Priests Office if they did carry themselves amiss in it or suffer a stranger or Levite to meddle therein He tells them he had joined * Here is an allusion to Levies name which signifies joyned the Levites to them to minister to them in the outward Services of killing and slaying the Sacrifices c. but they themselves only should serve at the Altar and within the holy place before the Ark of the Testimony and the Levites shall observe the Precepts and Charge which he hath given them concerning their Ministry and concerning the sacred things of the Tabernacle which are committed to their Care that so every one keeping his station and doing his duty there may be no wrath any more upon the Children of Israel only they shall not meddle with the Service of the Sanctuary and Altar lest they die And if the Priests did not endeavour to prevent any such Errour or Miscarriage in their Brethren the Levites they should also incur the like danger Thus he appoints the Levites to minister to the Priests and orders that he that is not of the Tribe of Levi shall not be admitted to serve and minister unto them For God having taken the Levites instead of the first-born of the Children of Israel to himself he had given them unto Aaron and his Sons for his own Service and the Service of the Tabernacle Therefore he and his Sons should exercise their Priests Office in all things that concern the Altar of Burnt-Offerings and in all things which are to be done within the outward Veil whereby the holy place is divided from the Court the High Priest in the most holy place and inferiour Priests within the Sanctuary or holy place And God tells Aaron and his Sons That 't is his free Gift and favour to them that he had made choice of them before others for the Priestly Office and that He had ordained That whoever is not of Aaron's Line and goeth about to meddle with the Priestly Office shall be put to death from vers 1. to 8. The Lord having thus set down the Office and Work of the Priests and Levites he
their eleventh station at Rephidim by Mount Sinai struck the Rock in Horeb as God commanded Him and water came forth And he named the place Massah or Meribah But here at this their 33th station 38 years after with Aaron's budded Rod having his spirit provoked by these rebellious people He smites the Rock twice without any such Command or Commission from God to smite it at all And he and Aaron likewise as it seems speak unadvisedly with their lips * See Psal 106.33 uttering words of passion and distrust possibly to this purpose Hear now ye Rebels must we fetch you water out of this Rock Never imagine that God will work such a Miracle for such a rebellious Crew as ye are However the Rock gave forth water abundantly God was very angry with Moses and Aaron that they had thus distrusted him and had not sanctified * V. 12. Ut sanctificaretis me alloquendo Petram Et miraculum cum fiducia praedicendo Ita mortem His interminatur ut populus intelligeret sibi non parciturum Deum qui viris tantis non pepercerit Porro haec Feri allegoria uti non Moses Hebraeos sed Joshua perduxit in Palestinam ita non Lex in caelum nos verum Christus evehit Demum hinc palam est quo spiritu haec Moses scripserit qui vitia net celet sua nec suorum Vide Cap. 12.1 Anonym in loc Publice peccarunt ideoque severius cum iis egit Deus quam alibi cum Moses infidelitatem proderet Numb 11.22 23. quia tum primum peccavit him inwardly in their hearts by trusting in Him 1 Pet. 3.15 nor glorified him outwardly by ascribing to him the glory of his truth and power before the Children of Israel and therefore He tells them They shall not bring that people into Canaan see Deut. 3.25 26. And as the former place at Rephidim was called Massah and Meribah viz. a place of Strife and Contention because the people there strove with the Lord that is contended with Moses his Servant which he accounts as contending with Himself so shall this also be called And thus the Lord was sanctified in them or among them that is among the Israelites by giving them water and thereby manifesting his Almighty Power Faithfulness and his Goodness and Compassion towards them notwithstanding their great Provocations Numb 20. from 1. to 14. SECT LXIX MOses now by Gods direction sends Messengers to the King of Edom to desire Him that He would please to permit them who were His own flesh and blood as being descended from Jacob Brother to Esau to pass thorow his Country that being the nearest and most convenient way into Canaan And they amiably desire this because God had charged them that they should not meddle with the Sons of Esau or their possession Deut. 2.4 5. He tells him He cannot but have heard of their sore and long Troubles and Oppressions which they suffered in Egypt and how upon their crying unto the Lord he sent his Angel viz. his own eternal Son the Angel or Mediator of the Covenant of Grace see Exod. 3.2 and Mal. 3.1 who conducted them in the way by a Cloud and Pillar of fire He tells him They would not turn aside into their Fields or Vineyards to do them any damage and would drink only of their Rivers that were common and not meddle with their Wells digged for their private use which were very precious in those hot and dry Countries without paying for it But the King of Edom would not consent to it so they were forc'd to fetch a compass thorow the Wilderness which lay about the Land of Edom. Notwithstanding as they went along their Coasts in the out-skirts of their Country the Edomites afforded them Victuals for their money Deut. 2.29 though they did not come forth to meet them with bread and water as men use to do who wish success and prosperity to those to whom they bring it see Deut. 23.3 4. Numb 20. from vers 14. to 22. SECT LXX FRom Kadesh the Camp removes to mount Hor. * A hill in Mosera Deut. 10.6 or whos 's other top was called Moscra From this Mount Hor the people that were driven out of this Country by Esau were called Horims Deut. 2.12 and Esau is called the Horite Gen. 36.20 Here God tells Moses That Aaron should be gathered unto his people that is his godly fore-Fathers that died before him see Gen. 25.8 Heb. 12.23 He commands him to bring Aaron and Eleazar his Son up to the top of Mount Hor. And they accordingly went up in the sight of all the Congregation Here Aaron being attired in all his glorious Vestments Moses strips him of them and puts them upon Eleazar his Son to shew that God had appointed him to succeed in his Fathers Office and that the High Priests eldest Son (k) Eleazar's Sons did succeed him to the time of the Judges Then the High Priesthood was translated to the Posterity of Ithamar the other Son of Aaron for Eli was of the stock of Ithamar or the next Heir of their Family unless rendred uncapable by some blemish was still to succed in that Office Thus on the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year after their coming out of Egypt Aaron being an 123 years old (l) See Numb 33.38 died seven months and seven days before Moses and was there buried and the whole Congregation mourned for him 30 days * So long they mourned for Moses Deut. 34.8 Numb 20. from vers 22. to the end SECT LXXI AT this time King Arad the Canaanite whose Country lay in the South of Canaan understanding by the Spies he had sent forth to observe the course of the Israelites V. 1. By the way of the Spies it might be a way so called and well known by that name at that time that they were turned back again from the Red-Sea and marched directly upon the South of Canaan not knowing of Moses's purpose to compass the Land of Edom he immediately marched forth with his Army as far as Mount Hor in the edge of the Desart where the Israelites now lay and there fought with them and took some of them Prisoners The Israelites intending to renew the battel and again once more to encounter Arad and his Army they call'd upon the Lord for help and vowed unto Him that if he would please to deliver these Enemies into their hands they would utterly destroy and burn their Cities and that nothing of their Goods should be reserved for their own private use The Lord was pleased to hear their prayer so that in the second battel they vanquish'd and overcame them But how could the Israelites being so far off in the Wilderness destroy their Cities lying in Canaan Numb 33.40 into which they came not till after Moses's death It seems the performance of this Vow was long after made viz. when they were come unto the Land For the King of
sin that is he died a natural death when his time was come as being by sin liable to death as all other men are They further urge that except this be granted them the Name of their Father wil be quite extinct Moses inquiring of the Lord concerning this Case it pleased the Lord to grant these Daughters of Zelophehad their desire which was afterwards punctually performed Joshua as we may read Josh 17.4 According to the Command of the Lord he gave them an Inheritance among the Brethren of their Father Yet withall there was afterwards a Caution added to wit that they might not marry out of their own Tribe * Hence some conclude that when a man died without Issue and his Brother married his Widow to raise up Seed unto his Brother whose Estate he inhetlted his first Son in their Genealogies was reckoned to be the Son of him that died without Issue So it was in this case The first Sons of those that married the Daughters of Zelophehad were accounted the Sons of Zelophehad and so under his Name did inherit his Land see Ch. 36.6 And upon this occasion was the Law for succession in Inheritances made and ordained Numb 27. from 1. to 12. SECT LXXXIV GOd now signifies to Moses that he should die and accordingly Commands him to go up to that Tract of the Mountains of Abarim * See Ch. 33.47 Deut. 32.49 34.1 which are in the Land of Moab over against Jerico and on one of the highest of them called Nebo whose top was called Pisgah he should see that good Land into which he might not enter And when he had seen it his Soul should be gathered unto the Souls of his pious Ancestors who died before him For He and Aaron had rebelled against his Commandment see Ch. 20.12 which was that they should by Faith sanctifie * We sanctifie the Lord when we conceive aright of his Nature and Attributes and when we speak so reverently of Him as to cause his Name to be praised and magnified among men him in the eyes of the people at the Wilderness of Zin but they sanctified him not Moses humbly and earnestly begs of the Lord that he might be permitted to go over and see that good Land Deut. 3.23 25. but the Lord was not pleased to grant his Request Humbly therefore submitting to his holy Will he now earnestly prays to God Who is the God of the Spirits of all flesh and not only the Creator but the Searcher and Trier of men spirits and knows what is in man and can frame and fashion mens spirits as he pleases and give them Gifts and Graces requisite for the Places he calls them unto to appoint a Successor to him that might as a good Shepheard go out and in before the Flock God upon his prayer appoints Joshua to succeed him a man in whom was the Spirit that is the Spirit of Wisdom and understanding the Spirit of Counsel and Might the Spirit of Knowledge and the fear of the Lord. God Commands him therefore to lay his hands * The like Ceremony was afterwards used in the days of the Gospel when men were separated and set apart to Preach the Gospel 1 Tim. 4.14 upon Joshua to intimate to Him by this Ceremony that the hand of God should be upon him to defend and prosper him in all his ways and that he would confer upon him a great measure of the Gifts of his Spirit answerable to the Dignity whereunto he had advanced Him and accordingly 'tis said Deut. 34.9 That Joshua the Son of Nun was full of Wisdom for Moses had laid his hands on him Moses was also to set him before Eleazar and the Congregation and to give him a Charge concerning what he was to do and what to forbear in the administration of his Office And Moses was further commanded to put some of his own honour upon him that is admit him into some Partnership of Authority and Dignity with himself and so cause the people to give him that Honour that was due unto Moses's Successor and the Judge Elect of Israel And Moses tells him further That upon occasion he shall present himself before Eleazar that he may inquire of the Lord for him after the Judgment of Vrim that is putting on the Ephod to which the Pectoral * See Pharaphrase on Exod. 28.30 was fastened wherein was the Vrim and Thummim And at Eleazar's word speaking from the Lord He and the people shall go out to War or return from it and so in all weighty Affairs which were extraordinary by his direction they should govern themselves And Moses did all these things which the Lord commanded him Numb 27. from 12. to the end SECT LXXXV THe Children of Israel having as it seems omitted their Sacrifices and solemn Feasts the most part of the 38 years last past by reason of their travels wherein the Sanctuary the Alar and other holy things were made up fit for removal from place to place And the most part of the Generation from twenty years old and upward that had been mustered in Sinai being now dead see Ch. 26.64 The Lord hereupon causeth the Law of sacrificing to be again here repeated thereby intimating to them that when they came into the Land which he promised them they must not any longer neglect his Ordinances as they had done in the Wilderness see Deut. 12.8 And therefore first in the general he charges them that they be sure to give Him all the Sacrifices and Offerings which he had at several times appointed them to offer And then 2ly He sets down particularly what they were to offer First For their daily Sacrifice from vers 3. to 9. Secondly For their weekly Sacrifice every Sabbath * The Sacrifices appointed for every Sabbath-day are full double to those appointed for every day And yet the daily Sacrifice the continual Burnt-Offering was not then to be omitted day from vers 9. to 10. Thirdly For their monthly Sacrifice every new Moon from 11. to 16. And fourthly For their yearly Sacrifices First At the Passover from vers 16. to 26. 2ly At Pentecost from 26. to the end 3ly He mentions the Offering appointed at the Feast of Trumpets Ch. 29. from 1. to 7. 4ly The Offering on the day of Expiation from 7. to 12. 5ly On the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles from vers 12. to 39. Numb Ch. 28. whole Chapter Numb Ch. 29. from 1. to 39. SECT LXXXVI BEsides those set and solemn Sacrifices which God Himself had injoyned there were other Sacrifices which were to be offered to the Lord namely such as men voluntarily offered or upon a particular Vow Ch. 29. v. 39. And upon this occasion it seems several Precepts concerning Vows were added to shew who were necessarily obliged to perform their Vows and who not And Moses made known these Laws to the Heads of the Tribes because they were the men that according to these Laws were
afforded us viz. Meat and Drink for our money as we passed thorow the out-skirts of their Country But Sihon would not let us pass for the Lord hardned * God cannot be the Author of Sin or the rebellion of the heart but he may being debtor to no man withhold his grace He may leave men to themselves He may permit Satan to work effectually in them See Sect. 59. of Ch. 3. on Exod. 4.21 his Spirit and made his heart obstinate that he might deliver him into our hands as appeareth by the event For Sihon coming out against us with his people to fight us the Lord delivered him into our hands and we smote him and all his Host and we took all his Cities and utterly destroyed Men Women and Children see Deut. 20.14 15 16. as God had commanded us Only we took the Cattel and the Spoil of the Cities to our selves for a Prey But the Land which was on the out-side of the River Jabbock which belonged to the Ammonites Josh 12.2 and those Cities of the Ammonites that lay in that mountainous Country beyond Jabbock and what-ever else was in the possession of the Ammonites did we not at all meddle with or with any thing else that God had forbidden us 5. He reminds them how after they had conquered Sihon they conquered Og Chap. III the Giant King of Bashan the other King of the Amorites When we marched up towards Bashan then says he Og the King thereof with his Army came out against us at Edrei And the Lord commanded us not to be afraid of him though he was a Giant of such a formidable stature And accordingly the Lord delivered him and his people and his Land into our hand and we took all his Cities even threescore Cities all the Region of Argob a Province in Bashan we took all those Cities which were fenced with high walls gates and bars and many unwalled Towns also And we destroyed Men Women and Children as we had before done unto King Sihon and his Subjects but the Cattel and the Spoil of the Cities we took as a Prey to our selves So we took at this time from those two Kings of the Amorites the Land that was on this side Jordan from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon called by the Sidonians Sirion (c) And Ch. 4.48 Sion and by the Amorites Shenir and all the Cities of the Plain and all Gilead And says He there now remained of that Gigantick Race in the Kingdom of Bashan but this Og only whose Bedstead * The Cubit of a man being usually a foot and an half according to this measure his Bedstead was four yards and an half long and two yards broad was of Iron and nine Cubits according to the Cubit of an ordinary man was the length thereof and four Cubits the breadth thereof and it was now kept in Rabbah (d) Possibly this Bedstead was taken in some War between the Ammonites and this King and so kept in Rabbah as a glorious Trophy of their Victory the chief City of the Ammonites from 1. to 12. 6. He shews how he distributed those Countries taken from the two Kings to Reuben Gad and the half Tribe of Manasseh see Numb 32.19 enjoyning them nevertheless to go over Jordan before their Brethren armed and to fight for them and help them against the Canaanites till God had given them that Land quietly to possess and then they should return to their own Possessions on this side Jordan again And says He I appointed in this new Conquest three Cities of Refuge viz. Bezer in the lot of the Reubenites and Ramoth-Gilead in the lot of the Gadites and Golan in Bashan in the lot of the Manaesites from 12 to 21. and Ch. 4. from 14. to 44. 7. He further tells them how he encouraged Joshua who was to be his Successor from what he had seen the Lord do to those two Kings of the Amorites and that consequently he should not fear the other Kings he was to fight with for the Lord would fight for Israel Then he tells them how earnestly he besought the Lord to permit him to go into Canaan I prayed says he O Lord God thou hast begun to shew thy Servant thy greatness and thy mighty hand For what God is there in Heaven or Earth that can do according to thy Works and according to thy Might I pray thee let me go over and see the good Land that is beyond Jordan and that goodly Mountain Lebanon But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes Your murmurings made me sometimes too rash in speaking and sometimes too slow in believing in the Lord which provoked Him against me so that He would not grant my Request but said to me Let it suffice thee speak no more to me of this matter Get thee up to the top of Pisgah and lift up thine eyes West-ward and North-ward East-ward and Southward and behold it with thine eyes for thou shalt not go over this Jordan But give Joshua in Charge what I Command thee and encourage and strengthen him For he shall go over before this people and shall cause them to inherit the Land which thou shalt only see with thine eyes Ch. 3. from 21. to the end 8. From all these Experiences of Gods signal Goodness to them He comes now to exhort them to keep and obey the Statutes and Commandments of the Lord and to teach their Children also to observe them and especially to take heed of Idolatry which was a very provoking sin And that he might excite them the more to the observance of these Precepts he bespeaks them in this wise Hearken O Israel unto the Statutes and Judgments which I am now to teach you and be careful to practise them that ye may live and go in and possess the Land which the Lord God of your Fathers hath given you You shall not add * Improbatur hic ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã cultus proprio arbitrio excogitatus Confer Deut. 12.8 32. Numb 15.39 40. Prov. 30.5 6. Gal. 3.10 to the words which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it but you must keep close to the Commandments of the Lord which I from Him command you Your eyes have seen the Judgments of God executed upon those that committed Idolatry with Baal-Peor unto which many of Israel declined by the counsel of Balaam But you that did cleave unto the Lord and kept your selves from that Transgression were saved from that destruction Behold I set before you the Statutes â Some by Statutes understand Ornances of divine Worship and by Judgments Laws that concern their duty towards men and the punishment of Transgressors and Judgments which God hath commanded Chap. IV me to give you and which you are to observe in the Land which you are going to possess And carefully to observe them will be a great evidence of your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the Nations that shall
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
by a Synecdoche for the whole City of Jerusalem and therewith for the Temple founded on Mount Moriah called the City of God in a more especial manner was in the Tribe of Judah yet the Northern part with Mount Moriah where the Temple stood was in the Tribe of Benjamin and being set upon that Hill it was conspicuously eminent as the Head placed above and between the shoulders and in that sense God may be said to dwell between his shoulders 5ly He comes now to Joseph whose two Sons Ephraim and Manasseh were Heads of two Tribes of whom he saith Blessed of the Lord be his Land and let it be blessed with the most excellent things of Heaven that is with Rains and Dews that fall from Heaven and let it be blessed with the deep that coucheth beneath that is with springs arising from the deep let it be blessed with precious Fruits brought forth by the heat and influence of the Sun and the kindly moistures of the Night and the influence of the Moon Let it be blessed with the chief things of the ancient Mountains and with the precious things of the lasting Hills that is with the choicest Trees and Fruits and Herbs that grow on Hills such as are Vines Olives Cedars Pines Cypress and other useful Trees and with Mines of Gold and Silver and other metals which are usually found in Hills â See Gen. 49.26 and Mountains And let the Posterity of Joseph be blessed not only with the good things of the Earth and with plenty of them but with the good-will of Him that dwelt in the Bush In the Bush God appeared to Moses as the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the good-will of God thus manifested viz. as a God in Covenant with them was that which alone could make them truly happy see Psal 106.4 Let this blessing says he come on the head of Joseph that is on his Posterity whose Father was separated from his Brethren and advanced by the Lord to an high and singular degree of Honour above them His glory shall be like the firstling of his Bullock that is of a fair young Bullock in his best strength and his horns like the horns of Vnicorns that is his Power shall be great and irresistible wherewith he shall Conquer far remote Nations Now these horns of his he shews are the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh 6ly He comes to Zebulun of whom he says Rejoyce Zebulun in thy going out and Issachar in thy Tents Here he blesses two Tribes together Of Zebulun he Prophesies That they shall be happy in their going forth to Trade and in their merchandising by Ships agreeable to what Jacob prophesied of them Gen. 49.13 Zebulun shall dwell at the harbour of the Sea he shall be for an Haven of Ships And of Issachar he Prophesies That they should be happy in their Tents that is in their quiet life at home and in their Husbandry and Tillage and breeding and feeding of Cattel Both their ways of living should yield them matter of rejoycing in the goodness and bounty of God to them Issachar shoul be happy in their Husbandry Zebulun in following their Merchandise They should suck of the abundance of the Seas that is of the Riches and Wealth brought over the Seas and of the Treasures hid in the sand that is brought from such Cities as were seated upon the Sea-shore in sandy-ground They shall call the people unto the Mountain there they shall offer Sacrifices of Righteousness herein he Prophesies of their religious thankfulness to God for his great blessings to them They should duly go to Mount Sion to worship the Lord and should invite their Brethren and possibly strangers of other Nations to go along with them though they were seated by the Sea-side in the outmost parts of the Land and so far off from the Temple of Jerusalem yet at times appointed they should readily go up to the House of God and there offer the Sacrifices and Thank-Offerings which were justly due to God and agreeable to what his Law prescribed 7ly He comes to Gad of whom he says Blessed be He that inlargeth Gad namely the Lord who hath bestowed upon Gad a large and spacious Country and though it lay upon the Frontiers and therefore was liable to frequent Incursions of Enemies yet they should have heart and courage to defend themselves Therefore he Prophesies of Gad That he shall dwell as a Lion that is bold and undaunted and as a Lion teareth sometimes the Arm sometimes the Crown of the Head that is sometimes in one place sometimes in another so this Tribe should divers ways spoil their Enemies He provided the first part for himself that is the first part of the conquered Land which was the Country of Sihon and this Tribe may be said to have provided for themselves because they desired it of Moses for their Inheritance and this part of the Country of Canaan being without Jordan was that alone which God permitted Moses the Law-giver to come into and allowed him to give unto them for their Inheritance and being thus provided they went with the Heads of the people armed * Moses here speaks of a thing to come as if it had been already done foreseeing by the Spirit of Prophesie that it would be so before their Brethren and executed the justice of the Lord and his judgments upon the accursed Canaanites 8ly He comes to Dan of whom he says Dan is a Lions whelp he shall leap from Bashan Bashan was a place where were many Lions though not in Dan's possession but Manasseh's see Deut. 3.13 The Danites are therefore here compared to Lions rushing suddenly out of the Forrests and Dens of Bashan who seize upon those that pass by ere they were aware Thus the Danites should leap unexpectedly out of their Forts and fastnesses and secret places where they lay in ambush and should seize upon their Enemies when they least expected them see Gen. 49.17 Josh 19.47 Judg. 18.27 29. 9ly He comes to Naphtali of whom he says O Naphtali satisfied with favour and full with the blessing of the Lord wherein he Prophesies of the fruitfulness of the Soil wherein this Tribe should have their portion Therefore Jacob compares them to a Hind let loose that hath a large walk and so in choice Pastures finds plenty of feeding Gen. 49.21 He therefore here breaks out into an admiration of the great plenty and abundance of blessings which their Inheritance should yield them but intimates that their blessings should not consist so much in their having such plenty and fulness of outward blessings as in their being fully satisfied and contented therewith and that the thing which should yield such satisfaction to their Souls was not so much the blessings themselves as the singular love and favour of God whereof to them these Blessings were Pledges He further adds Possess thou the West and the South intimating to them thereby that their lot
two Cities of this Name One fell to the lot of the Ephraimities and the other to the Benjamites So that it seems there were an upper and nether Beth-horon which were afterwards rebuilt beautified and fortified by Sherah a famous woman of the stock of Ephraim 1 Chron. 7.24 and smote them unto Azehah and Makkedah And as they fled some towards the upper and some towards the nether Beth-horon the Lord cast down great and prodigious Hail-stones upon them which destroyed more of them than the Israelites had killed with the Sword This storm of Hail was miraculous not only in regard of the exceeding greatness of the stones but in that they fell only on the Canaanites and not on the Israelites who pursued after them Joshua being now with his Army in the heat of pursuit and execution of their Enemies and fearing he should want day-light to finish his Work His spirit was excited humbly to beg of God that the Sun and Moon might stand still in the Heavens and give them light till they had done their work The Lord was pleased by some special instinct of his Spirit to assure him that his Request was granted whereupon in the presence of his Souldiers and for their future Encouragement looking up to Heaven He said Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou Moon in the Valley of Ajalon â This was a Plain into which men descended from Beth-horon v. 11. and in respect of the small distance between it and Gibeon it is by the Prophet who alludeth to this story call'd the Valley of Gibeon Isa 28.21 And accordingly the Sun and Moon stood still and the whole frame of the Heavens by the space of almost an whole day till they had avenged themselves on their Enemies So that both these great Lights beginning and ending their standing still together the Astronomical Account was no way confounded by this stay even as in Musick the Harmony is not in any sort broken if all the Voices rest at the same time and then begin again every man in his own part going on until the end of the Lesson as Laurentius Codomannus observes This is written in the Book of Jasher * Fuit hic liber quasi Sanctorum Catalogus de Heroum Sanctorum gestis-scriptâs metrico versu Bonfrerius which seems to be some continued Chronicle of the memorable Acts of Gods Worthies in those times which Book is since lost though 't is mentioned again 2 Sam. 1.18 see also Numb 21.14 And there was no day like this either before it or after it wherein God at the prayer of a man made the Sun and Moon to stand still and made the day twice as long as it should have been Indeed in Hezekiah's time the day was miraculously lengthened by the Suns going backward 2 Kings 20.11 and Isaiah the Prophet cried unto the Lord and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward by which it had gone down in the Dial of Ahaz and yet it was not lengthened so much by far then as it was now to wit not above two hours and an half Neither was that done in such a manner as this was viz. upon Joshua's prayer to God first desiring it and then commanding in his Name that it should be done see Hab. 3.11 Joshua having the day thus miraculously lengthened out for him and following the Chase those five Kings fled to a Cave in the Country belonging to Makkedah and there hid themselves Joshua being informed thereof commanded that the entrance into the Cave should be rammed up with great stones and a Guard set upon it but that the rest of the Army should pursue after their Enemies and smite the hindmost of them and not suffer them to get into their fenced Cities lest they should put them to a new trouble For says he God fights for us and hath delivered these our Enemies into our hands therefore let us not by sloth and negligence lose this opportunity of destroying them which he now affordeth us Accordingly Joshua and his Souldiers made that day a great Slaughter of their Enemies so that only a few of them escaped which got into their fenced Cities For though he at present destroyed the Enemy in the Field yet it seems he did not take their fenced Cities till some time after though they are related in this Chapter as taken presently because the Writer of this Book did resolve to give as it were one short Draught of the War Now those whom Joshua had sent forth to pursue the Enemy returned to him in peace that is sound and safe to Makkedah where his Camp was at present And now the Canaanites were very quiet and durst not offer the Israelites the least Disturbance no not so much as a Dog barked against them to allude to that proverbial Speech Exod. 11.7 Then Joshua caused the five Kings to be brought out of the Cave to him and He called for his Captains and chief Commanders and bad them put their feet upon their Necks not in a proud insulting manner but to teach them that they were to shew no mercy to this people and to intimate to them that thus they should tread all their Enemies under their feet Then Joshua commanded that these five Kings should be slain and hanged * Quia Regum stagitia plurimis exemplo nocent ideo acerbiore supplicio merito debebant Expiari Masius on five Trees where they hung till evening and then they took them down and cast them into the Cave where they had been hid and laid great stones in the Caves mouth which remained when this History was written See Josh 8.29 and Psal 91.13 and Psal 149.8 110.1 Joshua 10. from 1. to 27. SECT CIV JOshua like a prudent General pursueth his Victory while the Canaanites were under so great a terrour and consternation upon the defeat of the five Kings and their Armies And therefore now He resolves to set upon their Cities And first He took Makkedah (c) A City in the uttermost Confines of the Tribe of Judah towards the West see Ch. 15.41 and destroyed all the people therein Men Women and Children reserving the Cattel to themselves for a Prey see Ch. 11.14 And he did unto the King thereof as he had done unto the King of Jericho that is He hanged â Hoc non indicat Scriptura ex caeterorum tamen Regum exemplo colligunt eum suspensum fuisse Bonfrerius him From Makkedah he marched the whole Army that was with him to Libnah (d) A City situate in the Tribe of Judah Ch. 15.42 and given to the Priests Ch. 21.13 and the Lord delivered that City also into his hands and he put all to the Sword he found therein and did unto their King as he did unto the King of Makkedah From Libnah he marched to Lachish (e) A strong City in the Confines of Judah restor'd Ch. 15.39 whose King was one of those that made War against Gibeon and besieged it
Horam King of Gezer a City near to Lachish understanding this comes forth with his Forces to relieve it but Joshua utterly routed and defeated him and then the day after the Lord delivered Lachish into his hands whose Inhabitants he utterly destroyed as he had done those of Libnah Then he marched to Eglon (f) A City in the Tribe of Judah Ch. 15.39 five Leagues Southward from Jerusalem and took it the very day he encamped against it and put all to the Sword he found there From thence he marched to Hebron (g) A famous ancient City see Numb 13.23 in the Tribe of Judah call'd formerly Kirjath-jearim The King hereof was one of those hanged at Makkedah but He being dead either his Heir succeeded him or they chose another How this City is afterwards said to be taken by Caleb see Notes on Ch. 15.13 14. and took it with the new King thereof for the old one was lately hanged at Makkedah and all the Cities it had under its Jurisdiction and utterly destroyed all the Inhabitants thereof Joshua then bending his Course towards Gilgal he took Debir (h) A City in the Confines of Judah butting upon Simeon before call'd Kirjah-sepher Josh 15.15 five or six miles Southward of Hebron and the King thereof and all the Towns belonging to it utterly destroying all the people therein and as he had done to the King of Libnah so he did to the King of Debir All these Kings and their Land did Joshua take in one Expedition because the Lord fought for Israel He subdued also all that part of the Country which lay to the South both those Cities that were built on Hills and those that were seated in the Plains He subdued and vanquish'd all from Kadesh-Barnea the utmost Southern bound unto Gaza upon the Sea-Coast and all the Country of Goshen in the mountainous parts of Judah even to Gibeon and destroyed their Inhabitants to a vast number doing therein according to what the Lord God of Israel had commanded him Deut. 20.16 17. Then Joshua returned with his Army to the Camp at Gilgal Joshua Ch. 10. from 28. to the end SECT CV FRom the Autumn of this year wherein after the failing of Manna they began to till the Ground and sow it is to be reckoned the first year of their Tillage and the rise of the Sabhatical year is hence to be taken Exod. 23.10 11. Levit. 25. from 2. to 7. SECT CVI. THe five Southern Kings being thus destroyed all the rest of the Northern Kings combined together against the Israelites and with them Joshua had a long War see vers 18. which lasted till about the end of the sixth year of his Government by which time He subdued them Very observable was the Providence of God that he did not suffer all the Kings of the Canaanites at once to joyn their Forces together against the Israelites but ordered it so that only some of them fought against Israel at one time and some at another by which means the Israelites were heartned with frequent Victories and had leisure to refresh themselves between them And though Joshua's wonderful Successes and Victories are succinctly related in this Chapter one after another yet these Wars lasted a great while after the Battel of the waters of Merom and there were about six years spent in the subduing these Nations as may appear by considering Caleb's age of which more afterwards see Ch. 14. from vers 6. to 15. 'T is true God could have subdued these Nations in a shorter time but he was pleased to have it done by degrees that the greater Opposition and Difficulty the Israelites met with in the Work the more they might own his Power and Providence in carrying them thorow All. The Lord also hereby exercised their Faith and Patience and stirred up the Spirit of prayer in them and drew forth their Dependance and Reliance on Himself And hereby also He discovered the obstinacy of the Canaanites which rendred them the more inexcusable The Lord also had determined that they should drive out these Nations by little and littlâ and not consume them all at once lest the wild Beasts might increase upon them for want of people to inhabit the Land see Deut. 7.22 And we may add this as a reason to all the former why the War continued so long namely God leaving these Canaanites to the hardness of their own hearts none of them besides the Gibeonites desired to make Peace with the Israelites but desperately and obstinately resolved to fight with them and to oppose them to the uttermost and God did judicially thus suffer them to harden their hearts more and more that so they might have no favour but be utterly destroyed vers 20. But to return The Northern Kings that had combined against Israel were Jabin King of Hazor a City lying in the upper Galilee not far from Kadesh who sent to Jobab King of Madon (i) A City near Dan. and to the King of Shimron (k) A City in Zebulun near Mount Carmel call'd Shimron-meron Ch. 12.20 and to the King of Ackshaph (l) In Asher near Accho or Ptolemais and to the Kings that were towards the North on the Mountains and those that were in the Plains that lay on the South-side of the Country of Cinneroth called afterwards Tiberias and Genne-sereth and in the Valley or low Grounds and in the Borders of Dor (m) A City and County in the Tribe of Manasseh on the Coast of the Mediterranean-Sea on the West and to the Canaanites that dwelt both on the East and West and to the Amorite Hittite Perizzite and Jebusite in the Mountains and to the Hivite under Hermon a Hill in the North of Canaan which were another sort of Hivites much differing from those of Gibeon who had submitted to Joshua All these upon Jabin's Sollicitation combined together and went out against Israel with a mighty Army even like the sand that is upon the Sea-shore for multitude that is with such a vast number as was not easily to be numbered and they had Horses and Chariots very many They pitched together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel Joshua might possibly be now in some apprehension how the Israelites that were all Foot should be able to encounter so vast an Army as this which consisted so much of Horse and had so many Iron-Chariots But the Lord bad him not be afraid of them for on the morrow by that time he would deliver them up into his hands and He should hough their Horses that is cut their hamstrings and so make them unserviceable either in War or for any other use and burn their Chariots Accordingly Joshua very early next morning fell upon them with his whole Army probably before they were in any Order and made a vast Slaughter among them and chased them to Zidon * The Metropolis of Phaenicia Tyre is call'd the Daughter of it Isa 53.12 the Great and to
for their present use out of an act of base sloth suffered them to roost among them and did not endeavour to drive them out Moses in the division of that Land without Jordan gave no part to the Tribe of Levi that is no Regions or Parts of the Country as he did to the other Tribes upon which they might live by Tillage and Husbandry but only some Cities to dwell in and the Suburbs belonging to them with some circuit of Ground for the feeding of their Cattel because God himself was to be their Portion and the Sacrifices and other Oblations due unto God were to be for their Maintenance Now the bounds of the Lands given to each Tribe beyond Jordan by Moses are particularly set down to prevent all strife and division among them for the future Joshua 13. whole Chapter SECT CIX JOshua now with Eleazar the High Spirit and the Elders of the Tribes who were expresly chosen and named by the Lord for this purpose Numb 34.17 c. at Gilgal set upon this great Work of dividing the Land on this side Jordan among the nine Tribes and an half And accordingly first they cast the Land into so many several Portions or Provinces as were the number of the Tribes that were to inhabit it yet so as the certain bounds of each Portion or Province were not certainly limited and appointed till they knew which Tribes the Lord would by the designation of the lot settle in each of them and then they were to inlarge or lessen the Portion according as the number of the Tribe that was there to be setled was greater or less so that the lots were only to determine in what part of the Country each Tribe should be planted and afterwards the quantity of the Land which each Tribe was to enjoy was to be set out by Joshua Eleazar and the Heads of the Tribes as was appointed Numb 26.55 56. What manner of Lottery they used in this business is no where expressed The common Opinion of the Hebrew Writers is That there were two Pots or Vrnes set before the Tabernacle the one having the Names of the Tribes in it that were to have their portion of Land assigned to them the other had just so many lots in each of which such and such a part of the Land was described and that some man appointed to that Service probably Eleazar the High Priest drew out first out of one Pot one of the Tribes then out of the other Pot one of the lots there and so that Tribe had their portion assigned them in that part of the Land described and set forth in that lot and accordingly they did by the rest And though this way and method be not any where particularly expressed in this Book yet the phrase that is often used in the following Chapters that such a lot came out and such a lot came up may seem covertly to imply it see Ch. 19.1 10 17. And herein the Hand of God in ordering the lots was the more wonderful and the Prophesies of Jacob and Moses concerning the several Inheritances of the Tribes were more evidenced to be of God Joshua therefore and the Elders now setting upon this Work the first lot came out for the Tribe of Judah and his lot fell out in the richest and best part of the Kingdom whereby the purpose of God in exalting this Tribe above the rest was made very apparent The largeness of Judah's lot and the bounds of it and the Cities thereof are set forth Chap. 15. The next two lots that were drawn were for Ephraim and Manasseh the Sons of Joseph immediately one after the other upon whom God transferred a part of Reuben's Birth-right as is expressed 1 Chron. 5.1 2. The Writer of this Book first shews joyntly where the Inheritance of those two Tribes lay and then afterwards shews severally what each of them had for their portion Chap. 16. at vers 5. He begins the Discription of Ephraim's lot which came out before the other For though he was younger than Manasseh yet he was prefer'd before him by Jacob's appointment Gen. 48 19. and besides the Cities that stood within his own lot he had many Cities allotted him within the portion of Manasseh vers 9. The lot that fell to Manasseh is described Ch. 17. and 't is said to be for Machir the only Son of Manasseh whence the whole Tribe beareth the Name of Machir Judg. 5.14 and because Machir that is the Machirites his Posterity were a Warlike people they had Gilead and Bashan allotted to them that is half of it which they did win by dispossessing the Enemy of it see Numb 32.39 40. Therefore half of the Posterity of Machir being setled on the East-side of Jordan the other half were according to Gods appointment to have their portion and lot on the West-side And there fell ten portions to Manasseh that is their Land was divided into six parts according to the number of the Sons of Gilead mentioned vers 2. And Hepher's part who was one of them was divided into five parts or portions and given to his Son Zelophehad's five Daughters and so they were ten portions in all see Numb 26.33 The Cities and Country of Ephraim and Manasseh were much intermixed one with the other These two Tribes complained to Joshua that the quantity of Land assign'd to them for their portion was not sufficient for them They alledged that it was no more than might have been well assigned to one Tribe Why hast thou say they given us but one lot and one portion to inherit seeing we are a great people But Joshua and the rest of the Commissioners had not given them too little circuit of Land to inhabit but indeed part of it was over-grown with Woods and a great part of it was yet in the possession of the Canaanites who had the advantage of Iron-Chariots to fight with Also in their portion there were the Perizzites a wild and savage people much given to Spoil and Prey and the Rephaims or Giants with whom they were not very willing to encounter These things considered these two Tribes thought they had reason to alledge That they had no more given them than would well serve for one populous Tribe Joshua retorts the strength of their argument upon themselves If says he ye be so great a people as you alledge then you are the more able to drive out the Canaanites out of those places allotted to you for your portion and the greater will be your shame if you let them alone and yet complain of the narrowness of your lot If you are so great a people get you up to the Wood-Country and cut down the Woods and make the ground fit for Tillage and build Houses and Cities upon it and drive out and destroy the Canaanites that lurk there and so you may have Land enough to dwell in and need not complain that your portion is too straight for you The Children of Joseph reply
due time to perform what God commanded them in driving out the Canaanites out of the Land Now the Canaanites that were left in the Land and not cast out were these viz. five Lords of the Philistines viz. the Lords of Ashdod Gaza Askelon Gath and Ekron and the Canaanites Sidonians and Hivites that dwelt about Libanus and from Mount Baal-hermon on the East of Libanus to the entring in of Hamath a City in the North of Canaan afterwards call'd Antiochia The Children of Israel dwelling thus among the Canaanites grew extreamly corrupt so that they served their gods and the Idols which they set up and worshipped in Groves and made interchangeable Marriages with them Upon which great Provocations the Lord gave them up into the hands of Chushan-rishathaim King of Mesopotamia 'T is like he first brake in upon the Tribes that lay on the other side of Jordan and then incroached upon those within Jordan by degrees And this was their first Servitude (g) First Servitude under Cushan eight years Othniel first Judge which continued eight years Then returning unto the Lord and crying unto Him for Mercy and Forgiveness He was pleased to raise up for them a Saviour and Deliverer namely Othniel the Son of Kenaz Caleb's Nephew and Son in law see Ch. 1.13 so that to the great Honour of the Children of Judah the first Judge after Joshua was of their Tribe Thus that Prophesie was made good Gen. 49.8 Judah thou art He whom thy Brethren shall praise thy Hand shall be in the Neck of thine Enemies thy Fathers Children shall bow down before thee Othniel being thus raised up by God to this high Office The Spirit of the Lord came upon him that is he was furnished with those Gifts and Graces that were requisite to make him a wise and valiant General in War and a prudent Governour in Peace and the Lord gave Cushan into his hands so that he prevailed against him and delivered the Israelites out of their Bondage under Him And so the Land had rest forty years Not as if there were forty years of Peace in the Land uninterrupted from this time but the Land had Rest till forty years were expired from the first Rest wherein it was setled by Joshua before his death And then Othniel died Judg. 2. from 11. to the end Ch. 3. from 1. to 12. SECT CXXXIV AFter the death of Othniel the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord and He stirred up Eglon King of Moab and gave him Courage and Resolution to go against Israel and he joyning with the Ammonites and Amalekites overthrew them and took Jericho that is possessed himself of the Lands and Territories thereabout where the City of Jericho once stood and possibly built some great Fortress there that he might have the Command of the Fords of Jordan that being the passage over to his own Country Second Oppression under Eglon eighteen years Ehud second Judge And this second Oppression continued eighteen years The Israelites then crying unto the Lord for help he raised up for them Ehud Son of Gera of the Tribe of Benjamin which was but a little before almost wholly destroyed a man left-handed By Him the Children of Israel sent a Present to Eglon which Opportunity he readily embraced having a design to kill Him And being stirred up as 't is probable by the Spirit of God to do it He accordingly provided himself of a Dagger fit for the purpose Then going with the Present to Eglon and humbly presenting it to Him He with those that brought it take their leave and depart When they were come as far back as the Quarries by Gilgal He himself returns again to the King who was in his Summer-Parlour and addressing himself to him tells him He had a secret Message to him The King bids him forbear delivering his Message till his Servants and Attendants were gone out of the Room They being gone Ehud tells him He had a Message from God to him Eglon hearing this rose up as if he would give some respect to such a Messuage Ehud then drawing out his Dagger thrust it into his Belly and gave him such a deadly blow that he left him who had so long oppressed the people of God wallowing in his own blood and dung Then shutting the door after him and locking it having as 't is probable a Spring-lock he quietly and with a composed Countenance passed away The Servants finding the door shut and locked they concluded that the King covered his feet in his Summer-Chamber that is that He had laid himself down to sleep because when they did so they used to cast some covering over their feet as it is said of Ruth when she went to lie down by Boaz as he lay sleeping at the end of his heap of Corn Ruth 3.7 That she uncovered his feet and laid her self down So when Saul went into the Cave where David and his men were 1 Sam. 24.3 't is said Saul went in to cover his feet that is to lie down and sleep there for a while else how could David cut off the Skirt of his Garment and not be perceived if he had not been asleep The Servants having staid a great while and finding the King did not open the door they began to be ashamed they had stayed so long and not looked after their Master sooner fearing that some evil had befallen him Then taking a Key it being usual in Kings Houses for the Servants to have Keys to their Masters doors and opening the door they found their Lord dead Ehud thus escaping He came to Mount Ephraim and there blew a Trumpet and gathering the Children of Israel together He tells them what he had done and that the Lord had delivered the Moabites into their hands Then bidding them follow him he went down with them and took the Fords of Jordan that neither the Moabites now in Canaan might escape to their own Country nor those in the Land of Moab pass over Jordan to aid their Brethren in Canaan Then he fell with his Forces upon the Moabites and the Israelites slew ten thousand of them at that time even lusty and stout men So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel and the Land had rest fourscore years to wit after the former rest and Deliverance procured to them by Othniel In the time of those 80 years the Philistines making some Inroads into the Lands of the Israelites Shamgar the Son of Anath who seems to be some Country-man or Farmer of Note did on a suddain raise the Country thereabouts and they (h) Some think that this Victory of Shamgar's was miraculous and that he himself slew 600 as Sampson slew a 1000 of them with the Jaw-bone of an Asse Ch. 15.15 16. with their Ox-goads set upon the Philistines and slew 600 of them So that He was a Deliverer though not a Judge Judg. Ch. 3. from 12. to the end SECT CXXXV The Book of Ruth
of divers Colours of divers Colours of Needle-work so wrought that both sides are alike and of equal beauty and fit to be worn about the Necks of those to whom the best Prey belongeth as great Officers and Commanders and such as have done best Service in the Fight But alas she will find her self miserably deceived and her Son to be in another condition So let all thine Enemies perish O Lord but let them that love thee become Prosperous Glorious and Renowned and let their Prosperity grow and increase daily as the Sun when it riseth in a clear Morning doth shine brightly and gloriously and that more and more until it shew it self in its greatest strength and brightness at Noon-day Prov. 4.18 And upon this Victory the Land had Rest until forty years were up since the former Rest or Peace restored by Ehud Ch. 5. whole Chapter SECT CXXXVIII Fourth Oppression under the Midianites seven years THe Children of Israel falling again to Idolatry and doing evil in the sight of the Lord He delivered them into the hands of the Midianites who oppressed them seven years We read not indeed that they brought them into such Bondage as other Oppressors had done but only made every year Inroads into their Land and so robbed and pillaged their Country The Midianites though the Posterity of Abraham were always deadly Enemies to the Israelites and in the latter days of Moses the Israelites had destroyed multitudes of them as we may see Numb 31.17 Possibly the Midianites resolved now to take Revenge on them for it However when the Lord intends to punish a people for their sins he can raise up against them what Nation he pleases And in this time that the Midianites thus vexed Israel many of those Dens and Caves and strong Holds in Rocks which were in the Land of Canaan were made by the Israelites to hide themselves and their Goods from the Midianites These Midianites having got as it seems some of those Eastern Nations that bordered upon them as the Ishamelites Arabians c. to join with them who dwelt not in Cities or Towns but in Tents only which they used to remove from one place to another every Spring when the Israelites had sown their Corn these Midianites and their Confederates came with their Tents and Camels and Cattel that they might eat up the increase of the Land and therefore are compared to Grashoppers or Locusts vers 5. And they entred on the East passing over Jordan and went quite through the Land even as far as Gaza that lay on the Western-Sea destroying all as they went leaving in a manner no sustenance for Israel or very little and driving away their Cattel So that the Israelites were hereby greatly impoverished In this their Distress they cried unto the Lord and he sent a Prophet unto them his Name is not recorded who said to them Thus saith the Lord I brought you out of Egypt and delivered you from all those that oppressed you and drave out the Canaanites before you and gave you their Land and said to you I am the Lord your God See that you Worship not the gods of the Amorites in whose Land you dwell Because Religious Worship is always accompanied with fear and reverence of that God whom we worship therefore fear is often put for the whole Worship that we give to God but you have not obeyed my Voice and therefore you need not wonder at what is come upon you Sometime after this the Angel of the Covenant the Son of God called Jehovah vers 24. appeared unto Gideon the Son of Joash of the Family of Abiezer of the Tribe of Manasseh at Ophrath where he dwelt and not desiring to seem to Gideon any other than some Prophet sent to him by God He sate down under an Oak as a man wearied with travel and that desired to rest himself having as a Traveller a Staff in his hand Thus the Son of God did often in the Old Testament take on him an humane shape to prefigure his Incarnation And accordingly now he appeared unto Gideon who was threshing Wheat by the Wine-press to hide it from the Midianites By which it appears that Gideon though a man of Note and having many Servants under him vers 27. yet was a man also of an humble spirit and disdained not to employ himself in any honest labour The Angel salutes him thus The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of Valour Gideon the Fourth Judge this He spake as pre-signifying that great Courage and Valour the Lord intended to endow him with Gideon reply'd Oh my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all this befallen us where are all the Miracles our Fathers told us of but the Lord hath now forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites The Angel replies Thus saith the Lord go in this thy might which I have given thee and rely on my Promise to assist thee in this great Work which I call thee to and thou shalt save Israel from the hands of the Midianites Have not I sent thee and therefore having both Authority from Me and a Promise of Success thou maist without all scruple undertake this Service And he said unto him O Lord wherewith shall I save Israel These words of Gideon seem to proceed from weakness of Faith but do not argue a total want of it for his Faith is commended Heb. 11.32 but as a man apprehensive of his own weakness he desires Direction how to carry on so great a Work and what means he should use for the atchieving so great a Design Alas says he the thousand that I belong to is poor in Manasseh I am not only weak in my self but also in Friends and Allies The Lord said unto him I will be with thee and I am All-sufficient and able to give thee such Wisdom and Power as is requisite for thee to effect it I will surely be with thee and thou shalt smite the Midianites as easily as if thou hadst to do but with one man Gideon said If I have found Grace in thy sight I pray thee shew me a sign that thou talkest with me from God and art sent of Him thus to speak unto me and tarry I pray thee a little that I may entertain thee with such Provisions as I can on a suddain make So Gideon went in and made ready a Kid and unleavened Cakes of which he provided a large quantity * V. 19. Of an Ephah of flour intending possibly to oblige this Stranger to take some of them with him to sustain him in his Journey see Gen. Ch. 18. 19. and Judg. 13.15 The Flesh and Cakes he put in a Basket and the Broth in a Pot and brought it out to Him sitting under the Oak and presented it to him For apprehending Him at present to be only a Prophet sent of God to him He desireth to give Him such Entertainment as was fit for him to
give to a Stranger and a Traveller as Abraham Lot and Manoah in like Cases did The Angel bids him take the Flesh and unleavened Cakes and to lay them upon the Rock that was hard by and then to pour out the Broth upon them Which being done the Angel with the end of his Staff that was in his hand touched the Flesh and the unleavened Cakes and there arose up fire (y) Here fire comes out of a Rock as water formerly did Exod. 17.6 out of the Rock and immediately consumed them and then He presently vanished out of his sight Thus what Gideon intended for a Feast was miraculously turned by the Angel into a kind of Burnt-Offering or Sacrifice that thereby his Faith might be strengthened and that he might be assured that the Service God called him to should be accepted and that he should have good Success in it Gideon perceiving now that it was an Angel that had talked with him both by his miraculous consuming the Provisions he had brought as also by his sudden vanishing out of his sight he was sorely afraid Oh says he because I have seen an Angel of the Lord face to face in that visible form which he assumed I shall surely die In those days it seems it was a receiv'd Opinion among the Jews that if they had seen an Angel * Vetustissimus hic hominum metus ne morte aut male aliquo gravi afficerentur conspecto coelitus aliquo quod indignos se tali spectaculo crederent ut docet Callimachus Grot. it was very perillous to their lives see Judg. 13.22 and Deut. 5.24 26. The Lord seeing Gideon in so great a perplexity about this Vision the next Night comforts him and bids him not be afraid for he should not die Then he Commands him these three things First To take his Fathers young Bullock the second in order of those that were prepared and set apart to be sacrificed to Baal see vers 28. and of seven years old and to offer her in Sacrifice unto the Lord intimating possibly that the Midianites Tyranny that had lasted now seven years should have an end and together with it there should be a suppression of Baal's Worship in the Land 2ly He Commands him to throw down Baal's Altar which his Father had made for his Family and the Inhabitants of Ophrath and to cut down the Grove by it For before Gideon might go to fight against the Midianites the Enemies of God and his people he must first set on foot the Reformation of Religion and the Extirpation of Superstition and Idolatry which had provoked the Lord to Displeasure against them And he must begin at Home viz. with his own Family and Friends 3ly When he had done this He must build an Altar to the Lord in that very place upon the top of the Rock where the Lord had before ordered him to place the Provisions he had brought and given him a sign by causing fire to come out of the Rock and consume them And on this Altar he must offer the Bullock before-mentioned for a Burnt-Offering with the wood of the Grove which he should cut down Gideon having received these Commands took ten of his Servants who it seems were ready to joyn with him in this Enterprize and fearing lest those of his Fathers house or the Inhabitants of the City should hinder or interrupt him in what he had to do he took the advantage of the Night to do it in and setting so many hands at work the business was done before any of the City knew it to make Opposition or Resistance And having built an Altar to the Lord and sacrificed (z) Here Gods special Command was a sufficient warrant for what Gideon did though otherwise it was not lawful for any but a Priest to offer Sacrifice or to do it any where but in the Tabernacle the Bullock thereon as he was commanded he called it Jehovah-Shalom as if he should have said The Lord send peace which Name continued when this History was written The people of the City understanding next morning that Baal's Altar was thrown down and his Grove also cut down and the second Bullock offered upon a new Altar built on the Rock they inquired who had done these strange things It was told them That Gideon had done them They hereupon run violently to Joash requiring him to bring forth his Son that he may be put to death for casting down the Altar and Grove of Baal And this they require before they heard what he could say for himself so unreasonable are men when transported with an Idolatrous Rage Joash though it seems before he had been himself a Worshipper of Baal yet now his mind being extraordinarily changed possibly upon Gideon's acquainting him with the Vision he had seen He resolutely opposes them What says he will ye dare to plead for Baal will ye go about to save him For my part he that will plead for Baal let him be put to death and that presently without any further delay I wonder what aileth you If Baal be a god let him plead for himself and revenge the wrong that is done to him in throwing down his Altar but if he be not he is not worthy to be defended by you who is unable either to defend you or himself Having said these things in memory of that Heroick Fact done by Gideon and in honour of Him Joash that day call'd Him Jerubbaal saying Let Baal plead against him if he can Then the Midianites and the Amalekites and their Confederates came over Jordan into Canaan and pitched in the Valley of Jezreel in the Tribe of Manasseh not far from Ophrah where Gideon dwelt And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and acting him above himself he blew a Trumpet and Abiezer that is those of his own Family gathered themselves unto Him and he sent Messengers throughout the Tribe of Manasseh Asher Zebulun and Naphtali viz. to all the Neighbouring-Tribes excepting Ephraim which occasioned afterwards a great Quarrel between them as we shall see Chap. 8. and many of those Tribes came and joyned themselves with the Forces he had got together Gideon being now shortly to engage in battel against the Midianites He desires to be further assur'd of God's Mind as to the event of the Fight for the confirmation of his own Faith and for the Encouragement of his Followers For though the Apostle Heb. 11.32 commendeth him for his Faith yet he did not attain to the strength of it all at once but by degrees as he was more and more confirm'd by God In the mean time he needed all these helps to support him against his Doubts and Faintings Gideon therefore prays unto the Lord and beseeches him that if he intended to save Israel by his hand He would please to give him this sign thereof He would put a Fleece of Wool in the Floor and if in the morning there were dew on the Fleece only and
Magistracy among the Israelites unto the tenth Generation Deut. 23.32 yet their present necessity or possibly some warrant from God * Deus hominibus non sibi legem praescripsit Dispensavit de lege sua made them dispence with the severity and rigor of this Law the end and equity whereof was to shew how much God abhorred all Whoredom and Vncleanness to make the people more careful to avoid it and not to inflict a punishment on the person so begotten if he abhorred his Fathers sin and served God in holiness and righteousness Jephtah seems to wonder they should come to him upon such an account What says he did not you hate me and expel me out of my Fathers House and do you come to me now in your Distress The Elders of Israel replied They did acknowledge that what He had said was true and therefore to make amends for their former unkindness to Him they desired his aid now upon no other Condition but that he should be Head over all the Inhabitants of Gilead Jephtah asks them If they would be as good as their word to make him Governour of the Land of Gilead if the Lord inabled him to vanquish the Ammonites They replied They would and further said Let the Lord be Witness between us and let Him as a just Judge punish us if we do not keep Covenant with thee and make thee our Head Hereupon Jephtah went along with them to the Assembly of the Princes and people met at Mizpeh and there He repeated all that had passed between him and the Messengers that were sent unto him The Assembly of the Princes agreeing thereunto both he and they solemnly bound themselves to perform that which was agreed on and probably they confirmed it mutually by Oath as in the presence of God Jephtah the Eighth Judge And so he was made Head and Captain over them Jephtah being thus instated in the Government he resolved first to try fair ways with the Ammonites before he ingages in a War against them see Deut. 20.10 11. Accordingly he sends Messengers to the King of the Ammonites to know what just Cause he had or could pretend for invading their Country and making War upon them The King of the Ammonites returned this Answer That he did it because a great part of that Land which the Israelites took from Sihon King of the Ammonites and from Og King of Bashan had been before by those Kings taken from the Ammonites and especially from the Moabites Numb 21.26 Josh 13.25 all which the King of the Ammonites now Claims as belonging to Him being also at this time as it seems King of the Moabites * For Chemosh the Idol of the Moabites is called his god Now therefore says he I require that those Lands be forthwith restored to me if you will have Peace with me To this Jephtah made this Return That Israel took not away the Land of Moab or the Land of the Children of Ammon as might plainly appear to him if he would consider that when Israel came out of Egypt and travelled through the Wilderness unto the Red-Sea Numb 33.35 and came to Kadesh bordering upon the Land of Edom they sent Messengers to the King of Edom to desire leave of him to pass through his Land Numb 20.14 In like manner they sent to the King of Moab to desire the same favour of Him but they both denying them passage they put themselves to the trouble of fetching a great compass about the Land of Edom and Moab rather than they would be any way injurious to either of them so that the Israelites were far from offering Violence to any of the Nations that bordered upon Canaan and particularly they came not within the Borders of Moab They sent also to Sihon to desire of him that they might quietly pass through his Land but he gathered all his people together and came out and fought against them And having through the assistance of God conquered Him in a lawful War they by the Law of Arms justly possessed themselves of all those Lands which were His which lie within Arnon on the South Jabbock on the North the Wilderness of Arabia on the East and Jordan on the West And God having thus dispossessed the Amorites and given their Land to the Children of Israel why says he should the King of the Ammonites now Claim them Doth not the King of Ammon think that he may justly possess all that which his Idol Chemosh as He falsly conceives hath given him 'T is true the Lord gave to the Children of Moab the Emims Land for a Possession as He gave the Land of the Zamzumminis to the Children of Ammon see Deut. 2.9 10 19 20. but they ascribed their Victories to their Idols and possessed those Lands as their Gift How much more may we Israelites lawfully possess all that Jehovah the true God hath given unto us Further says he I demand whither the King of Ammon hath more right to this Land than Balak had that was King of Moab yet he would never fight against Israel to recover this Land out of their hands which they had taken from the Amorites Indeed he opposed the Israelites for fear they would have entred his Land but neither He nor any of his Posterity did ever make War with them after they were setled in the Land of the Amorites under pretence that that Land was theirs Lastly Jephtah pleads Prescription He tells him The Israelites had peaceably injoyed these Lands three hundred â Non loquitur praecise sed numero rotundo per annos trecentos i. e. circiter Nam ut doctissimi sentiunt deficiunt aliquot anni magis tamen ad trecentos quam ducentos accedebant years and if they viz. the Ammonites had any Title to them why did they not seek to recover them all this while Therefore says he we have not done thee any wrong but thou dost us great wrong in making War now upon us The great God the Judge of all the World be Judge between you and us in this matter But notwithstanding this rational Plea of Jephtah the King of the Ammonites would not regard any thing he said Jephtah having tried fair means and they not succeeding a mighty Spirit of Wisdom and Fortitude from the Lord came upon him so that gathering his Army together He marched with them through Gilead and Mansseh to fight the Ammonites And before the battel he made a Vow that if the Lord would please to deliver the Ammonites into his hands when he returned from the Victory whatsoever came first out of his doors to meet him should surely be consecrated to the Lord and if it were a thing which was capable (d) The Law forbad that men or any of mankind or any unclean beasts should be sacrificed to God see Levit. 27.11 12 13. v. 31. Summa loci est aut Deo quovis modo sacrabitur aut idoneum si fuerit erit in holocaustum
present in the possession of the Philistines and there sees a Daughter of the Philistines whom he likes and acquainting his Father and Mother therewith he desires them to procure her for him to wife They were much troubled that he should have thoughts to marry with a Daughter of the uncircumcised Philistines and therefore sought to divert him from it but it seems Samson had an especial warrant from God either by revelation or some extraordinary motion of his Spirit for what he did For hereby he sought an occasion against the Philistines though his Parents understood not that it was of the Lord who hereby intended to give Samson an opportunity to perform what he called him unto Samsons Parents being now perswaded by him or at least yielding to his desires went down with him to Timnah in pursuance of this business When they came to the Vineyards belonging to that City Samson going aside upon some occasion a young Lion came roaring out against him and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him and he rent him with his naked hands as if he had been a tender Kid. Thus God by this victory over the Lion encouraged him against those Encounters with the Philistines which he was afterwards to be engaged in But he told not his Father and Mother what he had done Samson and his Parents being come to Timnah they began to treat with the young Maid and her Parents about this match It seems they soon agreed on it and the time was set when the young persons should be married Accordingly at the time appointed Samson went down with his Father and Mother to solemnize the Marriage And coming near the place where he had before kill'd the Lion he stept aside to see what was become of the carcass and behold there was a swarm of Bees and honey in the carcass that is in the bones * of it as they lay fastened still together In corpore osseo the flesh probably being eaten or dried away And he took of the honey and came eating of it and brought some of it to his Father and Mother who did also eat of it but he told them not whence he had it Samson being now come to marry this young woman he made a Wedding-Feast that lasted seven days as young men or their Parents for them used to do in those times on such occasions See Gen. 29.22 When the Brides friends and kindred saw that Samson was come to take his wife they provided thirty young men (d) Some think that the Philistines brought these 30 companions to be with Samson under pretence of respect and the custom used at Marriage-solemnities but indeed to be a Guard upon him according to custom to be his Companions and Bridemen called the children of the Bride-chamber or friends of the Bridegroom Mark 2.19 Mat. 9.15 to attend upon him and to rejoice with him It seems it was the custom of those times at Wedding-Feasts especially for the exercise of their wits â See 1 King 10.1 Queen of Sheba come to prove Solomon with hard Questions and to get the mastery to try one another in resolving of dark and intricate questions and riddles Samson accordingly on the first day of his Wedding-Feast propounds to his companions a riddle agreeing with them that if they could within the seven days of the Feast find out the meaning of it he would give them thirty shirts and thirty changes of garments that is upper Vestments which they often changed putting them on and off according to their occasions But if they could not within that time declare it they should give him as many This being agreed on on both sides he propounded his riddle to them which was this Out of the eater came forth meat * The more unexspectedly good comes to us out of evil the more thankful to God should we be for it and out of the strong came forth sweetness They tried their wits in vain for the three first days of the Feast and could not find it out On the fourth day they began to deal under-hand with his wife earnestly pressing her to get out of him the meaning of it but when the seventh day was come despairing to find it out themselves they came again to his wife and threatned to burn her and her fathers house if she did not with her importunity wring it out of him This they spake to terrifie her that she might be the more importunate with her husband What say they hast thou thy father and friends under shew of love and friendship to us invited us to your Feast that you may make a prey of us and take what we have If we cannot find out the meaning of this riddle we shall pay dear for our coming hither These men were to lose every one of them but only one Shirt and one upper garment if they could not solve the riddle but if Samson lost he alone was to pay thirty of them And yet they pretend they should be undone if they failed of solving the Riddle Samsons wife with all blandishments and importunity sought to get it out of him and added tears to her importunity nay plainly told him 't was a sign he did not love her in concealing so pertinaciously from her such a small thing He told her he had not acquainted his own Parents with it whom he ought most to reverence and of whose piety and care of him and faithfulness to him he had had so long experience and therefore she need not wonder if he concealed it from her with whom he had been but a little while acquainted and had small knowledg as yet of her fidelity and secresie But though she prest him with great importunity to reveal it to her all the days of the Feast from the day that his companions began first to imploy her which was the fourth day yet on the last day she plyed him with such intolerable importunity and with such a flood of tears that he could conceal it no longer from her but told her the meaning of it and she presently told it to the young men So Samsons companions that were chosen out of the City to accompany him at his Wedding-feast came to him on the seventh day before the Sun was set and told him they could expound this riddle What is sweeter say they than honey and what is stronger than a Lion He tells them that if they had not plowed with his heifer and made use of the help of his wife they had never by their own wit found it out So the Spirit of the Lord coming upon him and inciting him to go down to Ashkalon he there slew thirty men of the Philistines and gave their shirts and upper garments to those that had expounded the riddle What Samson did in this matter he did undoubtedly by the special motion of the Spirit of God and therefore he made no scruple though a Nazarite to take the garments off the dead bodies of
to give them satisfaction and to appease their wrath that so they might withdraw their Army from them Samson consents to it provided they would swear to him not to fall on him themselves for then he should be constrained to resist them and possibly hurt some of them in his own defence They promised him they would not So they bound him with two new cords and brought him bound from the Rock Etam and delivered him to the Philistines at Lehi where they were now encamped the Philistines shouted for joy when they saw their great enemy thus brought bound to them But as soon as he came among them the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him and he snapt the cords wherewith he was bound asunder as easily as if they had been threds of sindged flax and catching up a jaw-bone of an Ass that lay there he slew with it a thousand of the Philistines whereupon 't is like the rest ran away Then he said by this weak and contemptible instrument through Gods Almighty power and assistance I have slain a thousand of His and his peoples enemies laying their bodies heap upon heap so he called that place Ramah-lehi that is the lifting up of the jaw-bone This great labour and pains in this execution made him extreamly thirsty so that through thirst and faintness he was almost ready to die thus God is wont usually to humble his servants when they have done him any memorable service that they may not be puffed-up therewith but seeing their own weakness may ascribe all the glory unto him Samson being thus extream thirsty prayed unto the Lord saying O Lord thou hast given this great deliverance to thy people by the hand of thy poor servant and shall I now die for thirst and shall the Philistines triumph over me I will trust in thy power and goodness to help me now as thou hast done at other times See Heb. 11.32 So the Lord was pleased to cleave a hollow place in this field called Lehi and a fountain sprang up out of it with which Samson being refresht his fainting Spirits revived and he became strong and vigorous as before wherefore he called that fountain En-Hakkore or the well of him that cried unto the Lord. This name he gave it in memorial of Gods great mercy to him and to testifie his thankfulness and as a perpetual monument of the efficacy of Prayer Thus Samson judged Israel twenty years in the days wherein the Philistines held them in subjection and tyranniz'd over them and in some degree he gave them deliverance though he did not fully free them from their Tyranny Judges Ch. 14. v. 20. Ch. 15. whole Chapter SECT CL. SAmson now going secretly to Gaza but for what purpose is not mentioned he was on a sudden intangled with the fight of an harlot and so drawn to commit folly with her The Gazites hearing that he was come into their City they took order that the Gates should be shut and narrowly watched intending in the morning to surprize and kill him Samson knowing as it seems by some instinct from God that they lay in wait for him he rose at midnight and finding the Gate locked barr'd and bolted he pulled up the two posts upon which it hung and carried all away posts gate and bar upon his shoulders the watchmen probably running away to the top of an Hill that lay Eastwards of Gaza and from whence Hebron might be seen Samson after this falls in love with a woman in the valley of Sorek (a) Where there were excellent Vines The river or torrent of this name divides Dan and Simeon a Philistine Harlot whose name was Dalilah the Lords of the Philistines understanding this came to her and promised to give her each of them an eleven hundred pieces of silver which at 2 s. 6 d. per shekel come to 687 l. 10 s. of our money if she would intice him to discover to her wherein his great strength lay and by what means they might prevail against him that so they might bind him and humble him She accepts the terms and accordingly applys her self to Samson and allures him with all signs of her love and probably in a way of sport to discover to her for the satisfaction of her curiosity wherein his great strength lay and whither any thing could weaken it and make him like other men promising its like most solemnly and swearing to him that she would keep it to her self as a great secret Samson tells her that if they bound him with seven green withes he should be as other men 't is like he hoped this would have satisfied her without making any trial thereof But therein he was deceived for the Lords of the Philistines having furnished her with green withes she bound Samson with them and having laid some Philistines ready at hand to seize upon him if she found he could not break his bands she cried out as if she had been in sport Samson the Philistines are upon thee what wilt thou do now and he brake the withes as easily as if they had been a thread of tow so where his strength lay was not made known to her Some time after probably in a way of sportful dalliance she renews her desire to him telling him he had before deceived her and mocked her but she would not be so put off again He tells her that if they bound him with new ropes that never had been used then he should be as weak as other men She accordingly bound him with such cords and then to try the experiment and as it were in jest cried out again Samson the Philistines are upon thee how wilt thou now help thy self and he snapt the ropes in sunder like a thread She sets upon him a third time and then tells him he had hitherto deceived her with lyes but now she desires him to tell her truly how he might be bound He tells her if she weaved the seven locks of his hair with a web and did wind them both about the beam of the Loom he should be then unable to stir and as weak as other men She tryes this also and for more security fastened the beam with a pin that when Samson arose it might not turn or move she crys again Samson the Philistines are upon thee and he awaking bore away pin and web and beam upon which his hair was wound She set upon him a fourth time and told him that surely he did not love her whatever he pretended seeing he had deceived her now three times and would not tell her where his great strength lay so urging him again and following him with incessant importunity his mind was so perplex'd he knew not what to do being extream loath to discover to her a secret which so much concern'd him and yet unwilling to displease her upon whom he so impotently doted So that this perplexity and distraction of thoughts was almost as bitter as death to him Hereupon being tired
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
Eucharisticum ut Luc. 1.46.68 unto him to continue his life and to bless him she begins her Song (a) There is in many passages a great harmony between this Song and that of the Blessed Virgin Luk. 1.46 thus My heart rejoiceth in the Lord mine born is exalted in the Lord whereby she intimates that through the Lords goodness to her in giving her a Son she was become stronger and more renowned than before for children are the strength and glory of their Parents and that she had cause now to triumph over her enemies who had before upbraided her for her barrenness My heart is enlarged over mine enemies whereby she intimates that she had enough now to say wherewith to stop the mouth of her insulting adversaries There is none holy as the Lord for there is none besides thee that is there is none essentially and perfectly holy besides the Lord who is the fountain of all the holiness that is in others For there is no God besides thee neither is there any rock like our God He is our only refuge in all our troubles and he only can deliver us out of them all He is the rock says she on which I rested and relyed when I was ready to sink in the time of my trouble Let not my adversaries therefore Peninnah or any others talk any more so exceeding proudly against me let not arrogancy come out of their lips for the Lord is a God of Knowledg that is He knows all that in your pride and arrogancy you think or speak or attempt against his poor servants And by him actions are weighed that is He exactly ponders all the actions of men and will therefore as a just Judg recompence them as he finds them good or evil yea according to the degree of goodness or badness that he finds in them Then she goes on to shew what strange and unexpected alterations God maketh among men By him says she the bows of the mighty are broken that is God doth many times break the strength of the mighty and blast their attempts and makes them successless just as when the bow of a mighty man breaks all his endeavours to shoot come to nothing And on the other hand they that stumbled are girt with strength that is He many times so strengthens the feeble that of themselves were ready to stumble or at least so prosper their weak endeavours that unexpectly they bring mighty things to pass and so those that were weak and feeble in themselves being strengthened by the power of God overcome great difficulties even such as by the power of nature they were not able to overcome as I my self can abundantly testifie They that were full have hired out themselves for bread that is they that were rich he sometimes brings to poverty so that they are fain to work like hired servants to relieve their wants and they that were hungry ceased to be so and were plentifully provided for She that was barren has born many Seven in Scripture is usually put for many as Deut. 28.7 children and they that have had many children are either grown weak and so through feebleness have left off bearing or else have buried the children they have had and so have lost their strength as children are esteemed to be to their Parents Possibly Hannah had assurance by the Spirit of Prophesie that God would give her many children more as indeed we find v. 21. of this Chapter that she had after this three Sons and two Daughters The Lord killeth and maketh alive He bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up that is the Lord bringeth some into desperate dangers into grievous and heavy afflictions and yet delivereth them out of them See Ch. 20.3 Hos 6.2 Isa 26.17 and Gods power is most manifested when men are recovered from such desperate distresses God doth sometimes seem to kill men and then revives them again He maketh poor and maketh rich He bringeth low and raiseth up He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the beggar from the dunghill to set them among Princes and to make them inherit the throne of glory that is He raiseth some from beggery to Soveraignty and from the dunghill to the throne For the pillars of the earth are the Lords and he hath set the world upon them that is Though the earth hangs in the midst of the air having nothing to support it but the Almighty power of God yet it stands firm (c) Habet terra suos polos quibus aut sustinet se in quiete aut ut alii volunt in motu se librat Gr. and fast upon its center as if it were supported with pillars and therefore 't is no wonder God should sometimes turn things upside down in the government of the world since he that made the world at first must needs be of power sufficient to do what he will for with his own why should he not do what himself pleaseth He will keep the feet of his Saints that is He will guide and protect his people and keep them from falling And the wicked shall be silent in darkness that is overwhelmed with confusion and astonishment in the great calamities that shall befall them Eccles 5.17 Zeph. 1.15 Jer. 8.14 or cut off from the land of the living for such are said to dwell in silence Psal 94.17 For by strength shall no man prevail that is by his own strength For if the Lord did not preserve his Saints by their own strength they could not keep themselves neither can the wicked by their own strength secure themselves against Gods hand And if any man prevail in any of his enterprises let him not assume the glory of it to himself but ascribe it intirely unto God The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces out of heaven shall he thunder upon them This clause seems to be a Prophesie and may have reference to that particular judgment upon the enemies of Gods people in the time of Samuels Government 1 Sam. 7.10 when the Lord thundered with a great thunder on the Philistines and discomfited them and they were smitten before Israel yet it may be meant generally of the Lords pouring down vengeance on his adversaries See 2 Sam. 22.14 15. And because God destroyed his enemies often by thunder it grew it seems into a Proverb that the Lord would thunder upon them when he meant terribly to destroy them The Lord shall judg the ends of the earth and he shall give strength unto his King and exalt the horn of his Anointed This seems to be a Prophesie concerning the Exaltation and Kingdom of the Messiah and 't is the first place in the Old Testament where he is mentioned under that name The Lord will rule the world and judg all the inhabitants of the world and particularly those that are in the uttermost parts of the earth by the Messiah his Anointed King who though he shall at first live in a low and
mean condition yet when he hath finished the work of mans Redemption he shall then be exalted above all Principalities and Powers and shall sit down at the right hand of his Father all power being given unto him both in heaven and earth he shall gather his people from all Nations and govern them by his Word and Spirit and destroy his and their enemies Hannah having ended her Song Elkanah and she departed to their house at Ramah and left their young Son Samuel to minister unto the Lord before Eli the Priest to wit in such services of the Tabernacle as by degrees he grew able to perform The Levites indeed did not enter on that service till they were twenty-five years old as we shewed before but Samuels case was extraordinary because by the special vow of a Nazarite he was even from his tender years consecrated to the service of the Lord. And though by the Law there were no linnen Ephods appointed for the Levites but for the inferior Priests only Exod. 39.27 either therefore afterwards when the Tabernacle came to be setled in the land of Canaan it was so ordered by the Lord that the Levites should also wear such linnen Ephods when they attended upon the service of the Tabernacle or else Samuel was by special dispensation because of the Nazarites vow or some other reason appointed to wear this holy vestment which yet seems not very probable because the linnen Ephod was so commonly worn by all that were employed in holy services that even David when he danced before the Ark 2 Sam. 6.14 was girded with a linnen Ephod But however it was 't is plain that Samuel in his younger years did attend upon the service of the Tabernacle viz. in such services as he could then perform and that before Eli the Priest that is as he was ordered and directed by him who undertook it training of him up and upon whom he chiefly attended in the service he performed And his mother when she came to Shiloh with her husband to offer the yearly Sacrifice used to bring him a new coat as a pledg of her motherly love to him and there Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife and said unto him The Lord give thee seed of this woman for the Son thou hast lent to the Lord. And the Lord visited * Visitare hic sumitur in bonam partem Hannah in mercy and according to Eli's blessing made her fruitful so that for that one Son she had given to the Lord he gave her three Sons and two Daughters more so powerful are the prayers of such good men as Eli was And the child Samuel as he grew in years so he grew in grace and godliness whereby he became acceptable both to God and man see Luk. 2.52 1 Sam. Ch. 2. from v. 1. to 12. and v. 18 19 20 21. SECT CLIII ELI was at this time as we have shewed Judg of Israel and he was High-Priest also but how he came to be so (a) Quomodo ab Aarone oriundus sit Eli nondum liquet ut ejus ex industria videatur obliterata genealogia Tantilla est solius loci non doctrinae morumque successio Anonym in loc we cannot give any certain account the Scripture being therein silent He had two Sons Hophni and Phineas who as Secondary Priests did the service of the Sanctuary under their Father but these were very wicked men Sons of Belial that had no lively knowledg nor apprehension of God nor did fear and honour him as God For though they did profess to worship God yet in their works they denied him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate The sins and provocations of these Sons of Eli are set forth in several particulars they were not content with the breast and shoulder and the checks * See Deut. 18.3 with the tongue which only were the Priests portion of the Peace-offerings Levit. 7.31 32 c. but they used to challenge of that which was seething for the Sacrifices as their just fees all that their flesh-hook could take out having no Law of God for it and this they did not only now and then but constantly practised it unto all the Israelites that came to Shiloh to worship v. 14. And sometimes they would have this their overplus-portion before the flesh was put into the pot or kettle that they might roast it yea before the fat was taken off and burnt and so before the Lord had his due directly against the Law Levit. 7.31 which may be the reason why v. 29. they are said to have made themselves fat with the chiefest of the offerings and if any denied to give them what they required they threatned to take it by force and violence God was very angry at these miscarriages of these young men whereby they caused the people to neglect the Worship and service of God and even to abhor his Sacrifices when they saw them profaned by such abominable courses Eli was very old and heard of these great miscarriages of his Sons and of some other abominations that they were guilty of viz. that they lay with the women that came to the door of the Tabernacle to offer Sacrifices and to perform other duties of worship and service unto God which wickedness was the more abominable because they had wives of their own as we may see Ch. 4.19 Old Eli did indeed reprove his Sons for these their scandalous miscarriages but he did it too mildly and gently saying to them Nay my Sons it is no good report I hear of you ye make the Lords people to transgress by your wicked example and to forbear bringing their Sacrifices to the Lord being so highly scandalized at your ill managing of sacred things But Eli being not only a Father but also a chief Magistrate and Judg should not only have reproved them sharply but should have punished them severely by casting them out of the Priests Office which they had so shamefully profaned yea should have put them to death for their adultery according to the Law Levit. 20.10 but he only mildly reproved them for such great enormities He told them that if one man sin against another the Judg shall judg him that is an umpire may come and take up the controversie and the offending party may be adjudged to make satisfaction and so there will be an end of that quarrel but if a man sin against the Lord who shall entreat for him that is no mediation or satisfaction of man can here make his peace with God no reconciliation can here be hoped for but upon his repentance and turning to God and resting on the alsufficient merits and intercession of the Messias But let Eli say what he would they hearkened not to the voice of their father which plainly shewed that the Lord determined to destroy them for being grievously provoked by their sins he resolved as a righteous Judg to leave them to themselves and to the wickedness of
whereby he signified that God had chosen him to that high Office and would pour upon him an extraordinary measure of his Spirit figured by oyl thereby to inable him for that great service whereunto he had called him which accordingly Saul had soon experience of as we may see v. 9. Then Samuel kissed (d) In times of Idolatry they kissed their Idols by way of adoration and religious worship 1 King 19.18 Hos 13.2 him not only to testifie his great love and kindness to him and to congratulate his advancement to this high dignity but to signifie also his willing homage and subjection to him see Psal 2.12 And Samuel tells him he us'd these Ceremonies towards him because it was not he but the Lord that had chosen him to be King and it was Gods inheritance over whom he was to reign see Deut. 32.9 These things being done Samuel now by a Prophetical spirit giveth unto Saul certain signs (a) Omnia sunt de rebus libere futuris ac proinde quae a solo Deo praesciuntur a solo vero Prophaeta infallibiliter evulgantur which should occur to him in his return homeward that when he saw them accordingly happen as he foretold him his faith might be strengthned that other things likewise foretold him concerning his Kingdom would certainly come to pass and so he might be encouraged with confidence to undertake the Charge which God had called him unto trusting in his power and help notwithstanding the difficulties he was like to meet with in his way First he tells him that when he came to Rachels Sepulchre near Bethlem in the border of Benjamin * Or near it for these two Tribes viz. Benjamin and Judah bordered upon and were intermingled one with another there he should meet two men who would tell him that the Asses which he went to seek were found and that his Father was full of care and sollicitude about him saying what shall I do for my Son Secondly when going on he should come to the Plains of Tabor he should meet three men going up to sacrifice to God at Bethel (b) Either the place properly so called where Jacob saw the Vision Gen. 18.19 or appellatively the house of God and that either Shiloh where the Tabernacle was or Kirjath-jearim where the Ark was one carrying three Kids and another carrying three Loaves of bread and a third carrying a bottle of Wine these men though strangers to him would salute him and present him with two loaves of bread which he advises him to receive at their hands The more wonderful this thing was which Samuel foretold the more it must needs confirm Saul's faith when he saw it come to pass and especially that Strangers should thus carry themselves towards him and their hearts should be thus secretly mov'd to honour him and as it were to do him homage though they knew nothing of the dignity to which God had advanc'd him Thirdly he tells him he should come at last to the hill of God where is the Garrison of the Philistines (c) In conditionibus pacis nuper inter Hebraeos Philistinos initae ita urbes redditae sunt Hebraeis ut praesidium in Gabaa fortasse in aliis locis relinqueretur Meliores erant Philistini quam nunc multi Christanorum Parcebant enim iis locis in quibus degebant viri studiis divinis dediti that is to Gibeah for there was a Garrison of the Philistines kept see Ch. 13.3 't was call'd the Hill of God because there was in that place a Colledg of Prophets consecrated to the service of God as also because of the high-place there wherein the people used to offer Sacrifices He tells him that when he was come thither he should meet a company of the Prophets coming down from the high-place There were as it seems in those times many Colledges erected (d) Licet ante Samuelem erant Prophetae is tamen primus Prophetarum collegia fundavit secundum Gerebradum wherein many holy men lived being consecrated to God whose continual imployment was to study the Law and other holy writings to teach and instruct others therein to sing in a solemn manner Psalms and Hymes of praise to God and to train up other young Students who studied this way of Prophesying under them One of these Colledges was here another at Bethel and a third at Jericho 2 King 2.3 a fourth at Naioth in Ramah over which Samuel himself was President Ch. 19.19 20. and upon many of these Prophets the Lord also bestowed that extraordinary gift of foretelling things to come (e) Prophetae proprie dicuntur qui futura praedicunt Hic autem Prophetae sunt qui erant Sacrarum literarum studiosi vide Numb 11.25 Prophetae hic dicuntur qui laudibus divinis celebrandis vacabant quod quibusdam quasi canticis vaticinati sunt quod a Sibillis etiam factum a Daemone in Oraculis apud Herodotum alios ipsi Poetae Prophetae dicti Hi Prophetae Hymnos Laudes Deo concinebant tum voce tum instrumentis musicis Horum autem Prophetarum fuerunt quaedam collegia instituta ut in illis ad Dei Laudes concinendas exercerentur ut in arte Musica Harmonica occuparentur vid. Cap. 19.20 2 Reg. 2.3 Cap. 6. pracedebanâ eos varia musica instrumenta quod spiritus Dei non insiliat in eos qui maesto sunt corde sed in hilares ut Kimki docet His utebantur pro incitamentis ut pacet ex 2 Reg. 3.15 quando Deo gratiae de beneficio aliquo agebantur vid. Jud. 11.34 praeterea ea vis est quorundam sonorum ut animum concitatum âranquillent 1 Sam. 16.16 as appears 2 King 2.3 5. and such as these were the Prophets that met Saul for they had a Psaltery Tabret Pipe and Harp playing before them and possibly they made use of this Musick to tune and rightly temper and excite their hearts and the hearts of the people before they Prophesied as Elisha did 2 King 3.15 and to make them more chearful in Religious duties Now Samuel tells Saul that when he met these Prophets the Spirit of the Lord should come upon him and he should Prophesie with them that is the Spirit of Prophesie should come upon him inabling him to join with these Prophets in singing Gods praises though he had not been taught and trained up in those Spiritual Exercises and possibly he might also for that time (f) Credo hoc donum fuisse in Saule per modum actus transeuntis non per modum habitus permanentis Ex Rustico scil pecudum custode Psaltes factus have the gift of foretelling things to come See Numb 11.25 Further he tells him he should be turned into another man that is not only be endued with the present gift of Prophesying but with the spirit of wisdom and magnanimity and courage and other qualifications befitting his
thousand and the men of Judah (a) Where by the way we may observe the humble submission of the Tribe of Judah to the Government of Saul notwithstanding they had the promise of the Kingly Scepter because they saw it thus determined by the pleasure of God thirty thousand having got this great Army together Saul and Samuel sent away the messengers that came from Jabesh-Gilead to inform the Inhabitants thereof that on the morrow by that time the Sun was well up they might expect them to come for their help The messengers returning to the City with this news the Inhabitants thereof were wonderfully revived at it and sent to Nahash who besieged them that on the morrow they would come out to him meaning and understanding thereby if no help came for them in the mean time But this they concealed (b) Sic non tam ipsi decipiebant suos hostâs quam permittebant ut ipsi deciperentur that nothing might be presently attempted against them and to make their enemies the more secure that Saul might have the greater advantage against them Saul dividing his Army into three parts and marching as it seems all night by the morning-watch he came upon the enemy and surprized them unawares and slew a vast number of them and so scattered the rest that there were very few of them left together And thus he raised the siege of Jabesh and freed the Inhabitants thereof from that horrid cruelty intended against them (a) How thankful the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead were afterwards to Saul for this great benefit we may see Ch. 31.11 12 13. The Israelites were so transported with joy for this victory and so taken with the prudence and brave conduct of Saul in the obtaining of it that some of them came to Samuel and said Where are the men that said Saul shall not reign over us bring them forth that we may put them to death But Saul said There shall not a man be put to death this day on my account I shall never consent that a day of so much joy and triumph and wherein God has so eminently shewed himself gracious unto us shall be stained with severity against those that slighted me or with the least sorrow or mourning among the people And here we see again what a difference there was betwixt Saul in his first Government and what he was afterwards when the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him Now none more humble and gentle than he not a man shall be put to death for him but afterwards in his dealing with David and the Priests of the Lord he was another man even blood-thirsty cruel and implacable beyond measure But to go on Samuel upon this victory spake to the people after this manner Come says he let us go to Gilgal and renew the Kingdom there that is let us by a general consent confirm Saul's Election and settle and invest him in the Kingdom Accordingly the people went to Gilgal and there they made Saul King before the Lord * V. 15. that is in a solemn manner as in Gods presence and possibly before the Ark the sign of his presence which by Samuel's appointment might be brought hither at this time that they might consult with God as occasion served in this weighty business and also it may be that it might grace the action that is they anointed him publickly as before Samuel had done privately and performed all other Solemnities requisite for his Inauguration sacrificing Sacrifices of Peace-offerings and Thanksgiving before the Lord and rejoicing and praising him for their late victory and for their new King by whose conduct under God they had obtained it and praying to the Lord for him and craving his blessing upon his Government 1 Sam. Ch. 11. whole Chapter SECT CLXIII THE Children of Israel being at this time wonderfully transported with joy for their new King and possibly flattering themselves that God was well pleased with them for asking a King seeing he had given them one by whom they had obtained so great a victory Samuel thought fit to take this occasion to make them sensible of their mistake and that they had grievously sinned in asking a King whereby they rejected God from reigning over them as their Soveraign and himself as his Deputy and Vicegerent Behold says he I have hearkened to your voice and have according to your desire the Lord also permitting it set a King over you And now you have a King setled among you to govern you and go before you as your General to war And as for my self I have very great cause to be well pleased being old and gray-headed that the burden of the Government is taken off from my shoulders And as for my Sons behold they are with you now not as rulers but as private men they are before you to give account to you and your King of their former behaviour and carriage and to make satisfaction (a) q. d. Filios meos habetis in potestate vestra Si quid dignum severo supplicio commiseâint non substraham eòs legitimae satisfactioni Si enim quid perperam in sua gubernatione commiserint id me praeceptore non didicerunt neque talia excusabo for any thing they have done amiss whilst they were in place of Government And as for my self I may truly say that I have endeavoured faithfully and in the uprightness of my heart to perform the duties of my place in the sight of you all both in the service of the Sanctuary in my younger days when I was a Levite and in my riper age by administring justice since I was called to be a Judg. And seeing the Government is transferred from me to another you need not now fear to speak your minds of me and therefore if you can justly accuse me of any evil speak it freely and witness it against me before the Lord and before his anointed whose Ox * A rare precedent for such to look upon as are in any publick place or office I pray you or whose Asse have I wrongfully taken away whom have I defrauded or whom have I oppressed of whom have I received bribes to blind mine eyes â See Deut. 16.19 and to cause me to wrest judgment If any such injurious dealing can be proved against me here I am ready to make restitution and to give satisfaction The people answered Thou hast not defrauded or oppressed us at all neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hand to pervert justice Well then says he let the Lord be witness and let his anointed here present be witness that you acknowledg and declare that you have not found any injustice or injurious dealing in me They answered let them be witnesses Possibly he desired thus to justifie and clear himself as to the whole course of his Government as Moses likewise had done Numb 16.15 both that he might be an example to their new King and make him the
Samuel v. 32. thee and thou shalt be deprived of thy Kingdom Saul hearing this said unto Samuel I perceive now that I have sinned and have transgressed the Commandment of the Lord and have not oserved the orders that thou gavest me from him Indeed I feared the people and obeyed their voice which was a great fault in me however I intreat thee earnestly to pray to the Lord for me that he would please to pardon my sin and be reconciled to me and I beseech thee go with me to Gilgal that there we may together praise God for our late victory and also pray unto him for the pardon of this great sin which my self and the people have committed Samuel replies I will not go with thee I will have no conversation with thee who hast shewed thy self such a rebel against God lest I should seem any way to allow or approve what thou hast done And undoubtedly Samuel really meant â Non intendebat reverti sed postea mutavit propositum ex causis quae dicentur v. 31. sic Christus Joh. 7. dixit ego non ascendam sed statim postea ascendit to do as he said and accordingly turned about to go away But Saul was extream loth that he should thus go away from him in an anger and that the people should take notice of his and consequently of Gods displeasure against him wherefore he laid hold on the skirt of his mantle to detain him and using some force to hold him the mantle rent Samuel tells him that this was a sad Omen (a) The Hebrews add that it was also to shew that the man that should hereafter tear off the the skirt of his garment should be the man that should succeed him in the Throne and hence was that which Saul said Ch. 24.20 Now behold I know that thou shalt be King c. from the Lord against him and signified that the Kingdom should be rent from him and given to a neighbour of his that was better than he viz. to David who was not yet known either to Saul or Samuel himself And Samuel to assure him that what he had denounced against him would certainly come to pass he tells him that God who is the strength of Israel was absolutely able to effect what he had threatned and he would not lye nor repent nor alter his decree (b) Mutat aliquando Deus sententiam per Prophetas significatam non autem consilium and purpose as weak men oftentimes do Saul hereupon confesses again his sin and though the sentence of his deposing was so firmly decreed that it could not be altered yet he intreats Samuel for the present to uphold his credit with the people and to grace him with his presence and and to accompany him in worshipping God Samuel being thus importun'd went along with him (c) Non intendebat reverti sed postea mutavit propositum to preserve his Government for the present from the disrespect and contempt of the people and that he might perform what Saul had omitted namely to destroy Agag Samuel therefore being come to Gilgal commanded that Agag should be brought to him Agag came to him delicately that is in the attire and with the gesture and gate of a King thinking surely that the bitterness of death had been past seeing he was to be brought not before the King that took him prisoner but before the old Prophet who he thought as 't is like would only reprehend him When he came before Samuel he said to him As thy sword hath made many women childless so shall thy mother be childless among women then by an extraordinary motion of the Spirit of God he hewed him in pieces * See a like instance 1 Kin. 18.40 in the presence of the Lord and his people Then Samuel went to Ramah and Saul to his own house at Gibeah and Samuel never went after to visit Saul to instruct him and direct him in his affairs or to ask counsel of the Lord for him as formerly he had done He did indeed afterwards see him at Naioth but it was accidentally and unawares Ch. 19.24 However Samuel mourned exceedingly for him and was grieved at his disobedience whereby he had so highly provoked God 1 Sam. Ch. 15. whole Chapter SECT CLXVII THE Lord now makes known to Samuel that all his mourning for Saul was but in vain partly because he continued still obstinate and impenitent and partly because the Lord had absolutely determined to take the Kingdom from him In which case though Samuel might bewail Saul's condition yet he might not bewail it in that manner as might imply an unwillingness to submit to the good pleasure and determination of God therein And though the Lord intended not that Saul should presently be deposed from being King * See Ch. 24.6 yet he orders Samuel presently to fill his horn with oyl and to go to Jesse the Bethlemite for he had chosen one of his Sons to be King over Israel and he should anoint him to that office whom he should point out unto him that as he had anointed Saul so by anointing one of another family by Gods appointment to succeed him in the Throne he might testifie that God had rejected Sauls posterity Indeed Saul was chosen by the Lord to be King of Israel but it was upon the violent importunity of the people that would needs have it so and would not be beaten off from it So that Saul was the peoples King rather than Gods and given to them in wrath but David was meerly chosen of God who did of his own free will no body thinking any thing of it send Samuel to anoint him And so he was a King of Gods own providing the King in whose seed the Kingdom was to be established and one who would in his Government carefully perform the will of God See Ch. 13.14 Samuel was something afraid to go upon this enterprize and therefore he said Lord how can I go if Saul hear of it he will certainly kill me The Lord instructs him how to avoid this danger he bids him to go to Bethlem and to take an heifer and say he came to offer a Sacrifice there that is a Sacrifice (d) Authoritas Prophetae facit ut Sacrificium ubicunque is adest imperat rite fiat subsunt enim Prophetae imperio leges rituales fatenâibus Hebraeis Samuel ex peculiari mandato hoc fecit of Thanksgiving or a Peace-offering after which followed a Feast made of the remainders of the Sacrifice see Ch. 9.12 He orders him to invite Jesse and his Sons to this Feast Thus the Lord directed him to conceal the principal cause of his coming and to pretend only that business which might be safely made known Samuel accordingly goes to Bethlehem the Elders of the City trembled when they saw him fearing lest some heinous sin committed among them had drawn him thither and that he came to deliver some sad
message from the Lord against them therefore they presently asked him whether he came peaceably he said yes for I come to sacrifice unto the Lord sanctifie therefore your selves and come with me to the Sacrifice and particularly let Jesse and his Sons prepare and sanctifie themselves both legally and spiritually that they may eat of the Sacrifice 'T is like Samuel had acquainted Jesse privately with the cause of his coming and that thereupon Jesse brought in his Sons one by one into some private place whether before they sat down to eat of the Sacrifice they had retired themselves for that purpose that that person might be anointed whom God should point out to Samuel Accordingly Eliab Jesse's eldest Son was first brought forth when Samuel saw him he thought within himself surely this is the man the comeliness of his person made him think this was he whom God had chosen but herein he was led and guided only by his own spirit for the Lord presently said to him Look not on his countenance or the heighth of his stature consider the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but God looketh on the heart Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him appear before Samuel and Samuel was admonished by a secret voice of Gods Spirit that neither was this the man whom he had chosen Then Shammah was called he also was refused Jesse then called four more of his Sons in order and set them one after another before Samuel but he told him never an one of these was the person whom the Lord had chosen Jesse wondring at this Samuel asked him whether these were all his Sons DAVID chosen to be King and first anointed by Samuel He told him he had one more viz. the youngest whom he imployed in keeping his sheep he had omitted to bring him as imagining it could not in any likelihood be he of all the rest whom God would chose and this possibly was so ordered by Providence that it might more evidently appear that David was meerly chosen of God Samuel orders that this youngest Son should be immediately sent for for says he we will not sit down till he come At last David came who was of a ruddy and beautiful * Solet pulcher animus etiam in vultu apparere vide Platonis convivium Erat in Davide forma non mollis sed virilis militaris Oculi ipsius bellicam quandam ferociam spirare videbantur Unctus est non ut statim regnaret sed ut Sauli morienti in regno succederet countenance and comely to look on and as it is probable about twenty two years of age The Lord now by a secret voice of his Spirit said unto Samuel This is the man arise and anoint him then Samuel took the horn of oyl and anointed him in the midst of his Brethren whereby he incurred their envy see Ch. 17.28 no less than Joseph did of his Brethren And from the very day of his anointing the Spirit of the Lord came upon him namely the Spirit of Wisdom Courage and Fortitude so that he was moved and led on by the Spirit of God to undertake great and noble enterprizes such as was that of killing a Lion and a Bear For it seems as he was keeping his fathers sheep there came a Lion at one time and a Bear at another and took a Kid out of his flock and he pursued after them and when the Lion turned upon him he took him by the beard and slew him and took the prey from him which he had selzed upon and so he served the Bear also see Ch. 17.35 36. and other famous and valourous exploits it seems he atchieved soon after he was anointed whereby he became famous even among Saul's Courtiers see v. 18. and probably from that time forward he had an extraordinary measure of the gifts and graces of the Spirit poured forth upon him and particularly the Spirit of Prophesie and the gift of Poetry and composing Divine Psalms and Hymns together with the gift of Musick wherein afterwards he became very eminent insomuch that he was called the sweet Singer of Israel and has left such Divine Psalms and Hymns as may serve to instruct the people of God to the end of the world Samuel having thus anointed David he returned to his own house at Ramah 1 Sam. Ch. 16. from v. 1 to 14. SECT CLXVIII SAVL now was bereaved of those Heroical gifts that God had before bestowed upon him and Satan by Gods permission taking advantage of his extream melancholy and discontent for the loss of Gods favour and his Kingdom filled him with frights and fears with disquietness of mind and grief of heart which so distempered and distracted him that he fell into fits of Phrensie and sometimes grew outragious and ready to kill any body that came in his way and was for a time as one possessed with a Devil He had preferred his own reason before Gods directions in the business of the Amalekites and so made an Idol of it and now God justly deprives him of the use of it His Physicians tell him that an evil spirit sent of the Lord to execute his righteous judgment troubled him and therefore advise him to seek out a man that was skilful to play on the Harp who by his Musick might chear and revive his spirits and allay his melancholy passions and thereby he would be less subject to the Devils operations One of Saul's servants that stood by said he had seen a Son of Jesse that was very skilful in playing on the Harp and was also a man of war and prudent in matters (e) Ego existimo ex quo David cum unctione alia quoque dona accepit plane rara eum viciniâ fuisse notissimum nam eximia erant illa dona inopinata atque nova Sanct. and a comely person and the Lord was with him and assisted him in all his designs and prospered him in all his enterprizes Saul hearing this sent messengers to Jesse to desire him to send that Son of his that kept his sheep (f) Hereby we see that tho' David was chosen by God and anointed King yet in humility of spirit he returned unto his former employment of keeping his fathers sheep waiting upon God till it should be his good pleasure in his own way to raise him to the Kingly dignity unto him Jesse sent his Son David to him with a small present (g) Such a Present Jacob sent to Joseph under the notion of the Lord of all Egypt that his Sons might find favour with him Gen. 43.11 namely an Asse laden with bread and a bottle of wine and a Kid for great persons do many times kindly accept of small presents from their inferiours seeing they are signs that they do respect and honour them But Jesse knowing that God had anointed his Son David to succeed Saul in the Kingdom might well have been afraid to put him into
sheath and slew him and cut off his head therewith Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone God using such contemptible means the more to manifest his own power and glory The Philistines seeing their Champion thus conquered and being stricken with a secret terrour from the Lord they immediately fled and the army of the Israelites with a great shout pursued after them and did great execution upon them insomuch that the wounded of the Philistines fell and were scattered all along in the way of Shaaraim a City in the Tribe of Judah even unto Gath and Ekron V. 54. David some years after when he was constituted King and had taken Zion from the Jebusites 2 Sam. 5.7 brought the head of this Giant to Jerusalem and put his armour in the Tent which he there provided for the Ark of God 1 Chron. 15.1 But Goliath's Sword was laid up in the Tabernacle of the Lord at Nob 1 Sam. 21.9 The Philistines being thus discomfited the Israelites returned and spoiled their Tents Abner now brought David before Saul with the Head of the Giant in his hands Saul asked him whose Son he was he told him he was the Son of Jesse the Bethlemite Saul had now much discourse with him and so many excellent endowments of wisdom courage zeal for the glory of God and faith and confidence in his protection and assistance appearing in him all which shewed him a person precious in the eyes of God Jonathan's heart and affections were in an extraordinary manner drawn forth towards him so that his soul was knit with the soul of David and hereby God provided David a friend in Saul's Court to plead for him and to reveal Saul's plots and evil intendments against him and to be by his true and real love a comfort and support to him in all his approaching troubles and distresses And Jonathan and he made a Covenant of entire friendship and brotherly love Saul also now resolv'd to keep him in his Court and that he should go no more home to his Father and made him a Captain over some of his Troops and David behaved himself so wisely that he was highly valued by all the people and even by Saul's servants themselves Jonathan also to testifie his true and great love to David stript himself of his own robe and gave it to him and gave him also his Sword and his Bow and his Military Girdle so that he put him both into a Courtiers and Souldiers Garb. These things being done they now march from the Camp to Gibeah where Saul dwelt As they passed along the women came forth out of all the Towns by the way as the custom * It seems it was the custom in those times that when God had given them any great victory over their enemies the women were wont with dances and songs of triumph to celebrate the praises of God See Exod. 15.20 Judg. 11.32 As women have usually the heaviest share in the calamities of a Land that is over-run by an enemy and that because they are least able to resist and are frequently taken for slaves or ravisht and abus'd in a savage manner so likewise they have the greatest cause to rejoice when the enemy is vanquished and hence it may be arose this custom of the womens triumphing at every great victory was with Instruments of Musick singing in Triumphing Songs Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands they ascribe so much to David because by his killing Goliath he was under God the cause of routing the whole army of the Philistines And so solemn and glorious was this Triumph of the Israelites that this passage in the womens song came to be repoted and known among the Philistines as we may see Ch. 21.11 and Ch. 29.5 But this thing greatly offended Saul and he said they have ascribed to David ten thousands and to me but thousands what can he have more but the Kingdom From thenceforth therefore he began to have an evil eye against David and to suspect that he was the man of whom Samuel had told him that he should be King in his room Ch. 13. v. 14. 1 Sam. Ch. 17. wh Ch. and Ch. 18. from 1 to 10. SECT CLXX SAVL's jealousie of David and his hatred against him doth now every day more and more appear and it manifested it self in these Particulars following 1. The evil spirit coming upon him he prophesied (a) Extra se rapitbatur spiritu malo incitus ita sermones actusque suos componebat ut boni Prophetae solent acti a spiritu bono in the midst of the house not as he had done before Chap. 10.10 when Samuel had newly anointed him for then being inspired with Gods Spirit and endued with common graces he prophesied and praised God together with the rest of the Prophets but now that Spirit being departed from him and an evil spirit being permitted by God to possess him he fell into strange extasies and raptures and had such kind of motions and actions as the Prophets when ravished out of themselves used to have see 2 King 9.11 and while David played on his harp to compose his spirit and allay his raging passions as he had formerly done Saul having a Javelin in his hand cast it at him intending to kill him and this he attempted two several times but David nimbly avoided the stroke Ch. 18.10 11. 2ly Saul seeing how the Lord was with David and preserved him from great dangers he feared he was the man whom God had chosen to be King in his room and therefore having failed in these violent attempts against him he resolves to try other ways to destroy him therefore he made him one of his Colonels hoping he would at one time or other meet with his death in the Battel And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways and the Lord was with him and he led forth his Souldiers bravely to Battel and as bravely brought them off again and acted all his Military affairs with such prudence and wise conduct and was so prosperous in them that the people generally loved him ver 12 13 14 15 16. 3ly Saul under pretence of performing that promise made to him of giving him his daughter if he killed Goliath he now offers him his eldest daughter Merab in marriage but with design to expose him thereby to the Sword of the Philistines (b) Incidit Saul in soveam quam Davidi fecerat nam ipse a Philistae is postea occisus est He tells him he shall have her but then he expects he shall be valiant for him and not stick to expose himself to any dangers and ready upon all occasions to fight the Lords battels Thus he hypocritically pretended zeal for Gods glory when he maliciously intended David's ruin David humbly answers What is my parentage education or condition of life * Ver. 18. est Enallage numeri ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that I should think
him not a man among them would open his mouth for him or do any thing to prevent the danger he was in however Jonathan that truly loved him resolv'd to speak for him and therefore he said to his Father Let not the King sin against his servant against David for he hath not sinned against thee but his works and deeds have been very good towards thee for he put his life in his hand and slew the Philistine and the Lord wrought a great Salvation for all Israel thereby thou sawest it and didst rejoice therein Wherefore then wilt thou sin against God and shed innocent blood and slay David without a cause How high a degree of ingratitude and injustice will it be so ill to requite so noble an exploit which did at that time so exceedingly affect thee Saul was so melted with these words of Jonathan that he solemnly sware to him at that time that David should not die but great and frequent swearers do often forget what they have sworn and do not stick to forswear themselves and break their Oaths as we shall see Saul soon did However Jonathan not knowing what was in his heart calls David and acquaints him with what his Father had said and promised and so he brought him again to the Court and he was in the presence of Saul as in time past During his continuing there the Philistines again made an inroad into the Land and David went out and fought against them with great courage and slew them with a great slaughter and the rest of them fled to their own Country Ch. 19. from 1 to 9. 6ly The evil spirit being again upon Saul and he having a Javelin in his hand as David played upon his harp before him in a frantick fit he ran his Javelin so violently at him as if he intended to have pinned him to the wall but David nimbly avoiding the stroke the Javelin ran into the wall And this was the third time that Saul had sought to kill him with his own hand David therefore thought it now high time to shift for himself and so he left the Court and went to his own house From v. 9 to 11. 7ly Saul then sent messengers to David's house to lye in wait about the house in the night and to slay him in the morning when he came out Michal either casually discovering Saul's servants watching about the house and guessing at their errand or else having some secret intelligence from Court of Saul's design against her husband she acquaints David with it that he might look to himself and then to prevent his present danger she let him down thorough a window * See Act. 9.25 and so he fled and escaped And further to delude the watchmen if by violence they should break into the house and to gain longer time for David to escape she laid an Image (b) Humanam quidem non Idololatricam qualis illa Gen. 31.19 in a bed and put a pillow of Goats-hair under the head of it and covered it with a cloth thereby intending to make them believe that David was sick in bed and therefore in all humanity at present not to be disturb'd When the messengers whom Saul had sent to watch about the house had waited till morning and saw he came not forth as they expected they went and told Saul of it who sent them back again with a new commission to enter his house and take him Michal thinking sickness a fair pretence to keep them from too eager pressing upon him that she might gain the more time for his escape told them he was sick in bed they thinking it had been so returned and acquainted Saul therewith Saul suspecting it was but a pretence of Michal's to preserve her husband sends them back again to see whither it was so or no however if he were sick he charges them to bring him with them though they brought him in his bed They coming again to the house and going up to lay hold on him behold there was no David but only an Image in the bed They then carry Michal before Saul who angerly asks her why she had deceived him and sent away his enemy she answers He threatned to kill her if she would not let him go Here by the way we may observe that though her intire love to her husband be highly to be commended yet her telling lyes to preserve him cannot be excused and further we may take notice that if people once allow themselves in lying it will encrease upon them and one lye will draw on another and a lesser will draw on a greater and. louder as we see here in this example of Michal who first told an officious lye as they call it to save her husband and now tells a pernicious lye to save her self she should rather have imitated her brave brother Jonathans example who spake boldly to his father in defence of her husbands innocence From 11 to 18. David was so affected with this deliverance that he composed the 59 Psalm upon this occasion of Saul's sending to his house to kill him as may appear by the Title 8ly David thus escaping fled to Ramah to acquaint Samuel with all that had passed and with what Saul had done unto him and to crave his advice and counsel in these dangers and difficulties Hereupon he and Samuel went down to Naioth near Ramah where was a Colledg of Prophets but some body or other quickly informed Saul that David was come thither and he presently sent messengers to take him there when the messengers came thither and found the Prophets prophecying that is praising God with Psalms and Hymns and speaking of Divine matters and Samuel among them sitting as President over them and governing this holy assembly the Spirit of the Lord fell upon them and they instead of apprehending David which was the business they were sent about prophesied also Saul hearing of this sent other messengers upon the same errand a second and a third time and they prophesied * The like example we have in the High-Priests Officers who were sent to apprehend Christ Joh. 7.45 46. also that is praised God with Psalms and Hymns and magnified his name as the other before had done Saul might by this miracle have been convinc'd of his sin and folly in pursuing after David when he saw him thus miraculously preserved and protected by God but being thus disappointed by his messengers and his heart being hardened he resolves to go thither himself and to fetch David thence even out of his Sanctuary but it fell out quite contrary to his expectation for whereas his messengers did not prophesie till they came into the company of the Prophets at Naioth the Spirit of the Lord now falling upon him he prophesied â Donum Prophetandi aliquando Impiis concedit Deus ut Balaamo vide Mat. 7.22 before he came thither even in the way and was chang'd from a Persecutor into a Prophet which plainly
While he was here divers of Saul's own Tribe and kindred resorted unto him who are named before the men of Gad who had fallen to him before because these mens coming to him was more strange and remarkable And all who favoured his cause had here opportunity to resort to him as we may see 1 Chron. 12. from v. 1 to 22. Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag and were among the mighty men helpers in the war They were armed with bows and could use both the right hand and left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow even of Sauls brethren of Benjamin The chief was Ahiezer then Joash c. and Ismaiah the Gibeonite a mighty man among the thirty Captains that came out of Benjamin to David and was Colonel over them There are but twenty three Benjamites named the other seven which should make up the thirty are not set down And some of the Gadites also separated themselves unto David when he was in the hold or fortress of Ziklag in the Wilderness of Judea men of might and trained up to war fit to order a battel and that could handle shield and buckler and whose faces were like the faces of lions that is undaunted fierce and terrible to their enemies and as swift as Roes â Some take the word Roes for Goats which very readily and swiftly climb over high rocks implying that these Gadites could easily scale high walls forts or towers and soon take them upon the mountains Of these Gadites there are eleven named who had command over several Companies of Souldiers they were all made Captains of Bands after David began to reign in Hebron some of them over an hundred and some of them over a thousand These are they that came over Jordan in the first month called Abib when it had overflown all its banks so that thereby they would not be kept from coming to assist David and they put to flight such of Sauls Souldiers as were in those troublesome times appointed to lye in the vallies near the banks of Jordan to guard the fords and passages lest any well-affected to David should from those parts come over to his aid upon these Souldiers of Saul's these Gadites came suddenly and scattered them some flying one way and some another There came also some other Benjamites besides those mentioned v. 2. that were not so nearly linked to Saul but bordering upon Judah joyned with some of that Tribe and jointly came to assist David David hearing of their coming went out to meet them and said unto them If ye be come in a peaceable and friendly manner to help me I shall love you intirely but if ye be come to betray me to mine enemies seeing I have done no wrong to Saul or any of you the God of our Fathers look thereon and rebuke you and manifest his displeasure against you for it Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Amasai * He is in other places called Amasa whom Absolom made General of his Army 2 Sam. 17.25 and whom David intended to make General instead of Joab but he was treacherously slain by Joab 2 Sam. 20.3 10. who was chief of all these brave men and he answered with great boldness and assurance Thine are we David and on thy side thou Son of Jesse Peace and all manner of prosperity be unto thee and to thy helpers and assistants and all that heartily join with thee We have observed that God hath hitherto wonderfully prospered thee and we heartily wish it may be so still Then David joyfully received them and so far trusted them that he gave every one of them a place of command in his Army Some of the Manassites also and some others came in day by day to David insomuch that his Army began now to be considerable His forces being thus encreased he would not let them be idle but under pretence of invading Judea he sent them another way and smote the Amalekites and others that are suppos'd to be the remainders of the Canaanites viz. the Geshurites namely such as dwelt formerly at Geshur in Gilead Josh 12.5 and the Gezrites whose ancestors dwelt in Gezer which belonged to Ephraim Josh 16.3 who perhaps at the first coming of the Israelites fled thence to the Amalekites and had ever since dwelt among them these Amalekites Saul was commanded to root out Ch. 15.2 3. but he left some alive and now David smote as many of them as he could light on with other the inhabitants of that place and left neither man nor woman alive viz. of such as he met with scattered in several places of that solitary Wilderness God having devoted these accursed Nations to utter destruction and hereby he took care that none should carry tidings of his proceedings to Achish who would have been highly offended if he had heard that these Nations who were either his confederates or as 't is probable his Tributaries were destroyed by David David also carried away their sheep oxen and asses and camels and apparel and returning to Achish whom possibly he perswaded that he had got that plunder out of the coasts of Judah he offered as 't is probable a part of the spoils unto him And after this when ever Achish asked him Whither have ye made a rode to day He answered that sometimes he made a rode against the South of Judah and sometimes against the South of the Jerahmeelites who were a particular family of that Tribe 1 Chron. 2.25 and sometimes against the South of the Kenites and thus either he told Achish direct lyes to secure himself and his followers from danger or at least he purposely deceived him with ambiguity of words intending that Achish should so understand him as if he had invaded the South parts of Judah whereas he meant he had invaded those bordering Countries * Aequivoce loquitur nam terminos Hi pâr vim occuparant qui jure spectabant ad Tribum Judae that lay Southward of Judah and of the Jerahmeelites and of the Kenites and these were indeed the people whom he invaded and not the Israelites and of these he spared none of all that he met with to bring tidings to Gath for he thought with himself that if any of them remained alive they would come and make a heavy complaint to Achish against him and say Thus did David to our Country and this will be his manner and constant course all the while he is permitted to dwell among you But Achish believed that David had invaded the people of the Jews and accordingly said Surely he hath made his own people utterly to abhor him and can never hope that they will be reconciled to him he shall therefore remain with me to do me service as long as he liveth 1 Sam. Ch. 27. wh Ch. 1 Chron. 12. from v. 1. to 23. 13ly About this time not only Achish King of Gath but with him all the other four Princes of the Philistines
gathered their armies together to fight against Israel being encouraged no doubt thereunto by the distractions that were now in the land and the weak state of the Kingdom by reason of them Achish sending for David acquainted him that he resolv'd that he and his men should go along with him in this expedition David being unwilling to displease him by a direct refusal answered ambiguously and told him that if he commanded him to attend him in this war he should see what his servant could do Achish thereupon being confident of his fidelity to him told him he would make him keeper of his head for ever that is Captain of his Life-guard and would commit the chief care of his person to him as long as they both lived The Philistines accordingly now invading the land Saul was in great perplexity for Samuel was dead whom though he disregarded in his life-time yet now he finds himself extreamly to want his counsel and advice The Philistines pitched in Shunem a City in the border of Issachar and Saul having gathered an army out of all the Tribes of Israel pitched in Gilboa a mountainous place in the Tribe of Issachar near Jezreel And his iniquity being now come to its full measure he was exceedingly afraid the guilt of his conscience suggesting dreadful things to him in this distress he enquired of the Lord (a) 1 Chron. 10.14 'T is said he enquired not of the Lord. Indeed he pretended so to do but he did it not sincerely nor in faith and so it is reckoned as not done partly as 't is probable by prayer and partly by consulting with the Priests and Prophets that yet remained in the land and putting them upon seeking to God in his behalf but the Lord answered him not neither by dreams or by Vrim for Abiathar had carried away the Ephod to David or by Prophets giving them any answer so that the Lord answered him not either one way or other * See Lamentations Ch. 2. 9. which was an evidence that he was highly displeased with him Saul had sometime before out of a seeming zeal and pretence of obedience to God put away those that had familiar spirits (b) See Levit. 19.31 20.6 27. Deut. 18.11 and wizards out of the land (c) Out of a like zeal he had destroyed the Gibeonites 2 Sam. 21.1 2. namely as many of them as he could meet with but yet it could not be doubted but that there were still some of them that secretly lurked among the people wherefore being forsaken of heaven he now resolves to seek to hell â Divinatio ex mortuis omnium divinationum antiquissima signum creditae durationis animarum post mortem Grot. for help and thereupon bad his servants seek him out a woman that had a familiar spirit (d) This is recorded as the last and most desperate wickedness he fell into before his death and one that wrought by Necromancy or raising Apparitions and Ghosts of the dead â Divinatio ex mortuis omnium divinationum antiquissima signum creditae durationis animarum post mortem Grot. and consulting with them see Isa 8.19 for he intended to go and enquire of her what he should now do they told him they heard there was such an one at Endor a Town of the Manassites within Jordan wherefore disguizing himself and putting on other clothes that the woman might not know him and possibly that others might not discover his gross hypocrisie and impiety in going now to witches for counsel whom he had before persecuted to the death and taking two servants along with him he came to the woman by night * Flectere si nequeam superos Acheronta movebo and desired her to cause the spirit or ghost of a dead man whom he should name to her to come up and appear before him of whom he would enquire several things The woman told him he could not be ignorant what Saul had done in persecuting those that had familiar spirits and therefore she asks him why he laid a snare for her life Saul sware to her as the Lord liveth there should no punishment befall her neither would he discover her if she would comply with him in this matter The woman having this assurance given her asked him whom she should call up He said old Samuel our late eminent Prophet She accordingly by her Diabolical art (e) Quis credet faeminae quae se Diabolo manciparat tantam potestatem fuisse in animam Samuelis in caeleste regnum jam receptam Quis credet in manu Diaboli esse mortuos vita donare Proinde an piis molestum est jussa Dei exequi An ulla molestia in beatas animas cadit Nemo itaque non videt non verum sed fictum Samuelem comparuisse Freidlib caused an evil spirit who took on him the shape and form of Samuel * For they that die in the Lord are under his protection and their souls out of Satans reach in heaven and without the soul the body cannot act any thing And as the Devil had no power to bring Samuel so it is not probable that the Lord did send him For seeing he refused to answer Saul in an ordinary way by Dreams or Prophets it is unlikely he would do it in an extraordinary and miraculous way by raising the Prophet Samuel from the dead to appear For 't is no way likely that the Lord who had so lately refused to answer Saul by the Prophets would now raise up Samuel from the dead to answer him Had Samuel been raised up by God to appear to Saul he would never have said as this counterfeit Samuel did Why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up It was therefore by the enchantments of the Witch that this counterfeit Samuel was raised or the Devil (f) All which shews that the Author of the Apocryphal Book Ecclâsiasticus wrote not by the inspiration of the Spirit of God who saith of Samuel in relation to this History Ch. 46.20 After his death he prophesied and shewed the King his end in Samuel's likeness and therefore called Samuel here and when he was raised it seems the Witch was presently possest with a spirit of Divination and thereby knew that it was Saul for whom she had done this and thereupon cried out as apprehending he was come to ensnare her why hast thou deceived me for thou art Saul Saul bad her not be afraid and asked her what she saw she said she saw Gods that is one of the Gods or some magistrate or personage of great honour such being called Gods Psal 82.6 ascending out of the earth Saul not yet seeing him asked her of what form or shape he was she said he appeared like an old man covered with a mantle (g) We cannot think that the true Samuel was buried in his mantle but the Devil thickning the air might form such a likeness and representation of him V.
17. Faciet enim tibi dominus Strigelius ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã malui legere quod est in margine quomodo Hieron Septuaginta verterunt quam ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Tertia persona sumitur pro secunda sic mos Hebraeis permutandi personas Saul then perceived him in that form though it were not the true Samuel but the Devil in his likeness and stooped with his face to the earth and bowed himself to him This counterfeit Samuel now asked him Why he had disquieted him to bring him up thither Saul answered I am sore distressed the Philistines make war upon me and God is departed from me and answereth me no more either by Prophets or Dreams therefore have I called for thee that thou maist make known to me what I should do The evil spirit now counterfeiting not only Samuel's person but his words and actions replied Why dost thou ask counsel of me seeing the Lord is departed from thee and become thine enemy Alas I cannot help thee for the Lord will do to thee as he hath spoken by me He will rend the Kingdom out of thine hand and give it to thy neighbour even to David because thou obeyest not his voice nor executest his fierce wrath upon Amalek and therefore it is that this judgment will fall upon thee And moreover the Lord will deliver Israel with thee into the hands of the Philistines and to morrow (h) To morrow is not to be understood precisely of the next day following but indefinitely of some time near approaching So to morrow is taken Exod. 13.14 Mat. 6.34 and so here to be understood For it was not the next day after that Saul and his Sons were slain in which the Philistines were but preparing for the battel and sent away David from among them see Ch. 29. but as it seemeth by the History some few days after thou and thy sons shall be with me (i) First God may reveal things future and contingent unto Satan who may reveal them to Witches and to Sorcerers before they came to pass to encourage and harden their hearts in their Diabolical practices and the hearts of others also that resort unto them 2ly God sometimes useth Satan as an instrument to execute his judgments as he did in the case of Job and the four hundred false Prophets that were deluded by him 1 King 22.22 and then 't is easie for him to reveal those things he hath in commission to execute Permittit Deus Daemones aliquando responsa dare Idololatris quia ex malitia sua demerentur ut sic in erroribus exerceantur ut Ancilla illa Act. 16. quae nisi vera prae dixisset magnum Dominis suis quaestum non prae buisset Multa de oraculo Delphico referant omnes Historiae Craeso sciscitanti num futurum esset ut filius mutus loqueretur respondit infausto die loquuturum esse quod accidit that is shall be dead as the true Samuel was who was personated by this evil spirit Saul hearing these dismal tidings and being very faint through fasting all the day before even to that time of the night he fell on the ground in a swoon and there was no strength in him The Witch hereupon came to him and told him that she had so far obeyed him as to put her life into his hands therefore she desired him so far to gratifie her as to receive a little refreshment from her that he might have strength to return to the army But he utterly refused it till his servants together with the woman by their earnest importunity prevailed with him so he arose from the earth and sat upon the bed and the woman having a fatted calf in the stall she caused it presently to be kill'd and drest and prepar'd some of it and took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened * Panes azymos quos statim curavit coquendos non enim expectavit donec farinae illa subacta fermentaretur bread thereof and so brought her provisions and set them before Saul and his servants and they did eat of them and then arose and went their way 1 Sam. Ch. 28. from v. 1 to the end 14. The Philistines now gathered all their forces together to Aphek a Town in the Tribe of Asher and the Israelites pitched by a fountain near Jezreel The Four Lords of the Philistines led up their forces and marched with their hundreds and thousands but David and his men marched in the rear with Achish who seems to be chief among them if not their General The Princes of the Philistines observing this askt in some passion what those Hebrews did among them Achish reply'd the chief commander of them was David a servant of Saul's a man of great wisdom and fortitude who had been with him some days or rather some years he having dwelt with him one full year and four months see Ch. 27.7 and in all that time since he fell to him he had found no fault in him But the Princes of the Philistines were not satisfied with that but imagined that Achish was meerly deluded by him and that he would endanger their Army therefore they urge Achish to send him back and to cause him to return to the place he had appointed for him viz. to Ziklag lest in the battel he should fall off from them and help their enemies For how can he better contrive say they to reconcile himself to his master than by betraying the lives of this whole Army into his hands They further add that he was a most dangerous person of whose abilities they ought to be very apprehensive being highly renown'd for his military prudence and valour among his own Nation insomuch that the women sang of him in their dances Saul hath slain his thousands but David his ten thousands See Ch. 18.7 21.11 Hereupon Achish called David and told him that as sure as the Lord lived he had found him faithful to him and he could not but highly approve all his carriage since he came into the Army nay he had found no evil in him since the first day he came up to him Nevertheless he must acquaint him that the Lords of the Philistines favoured him not therefore he advised him to return with his forces to Ziklag that he might not give them any further cause of jealousie David replies what evil hast thou found in thy servant since I have been with thee even unto this day that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my Lord the King (k) Necessaria querela ne si taceret suspitionibus Philistaeonum suffragari videretur Menoch Achish answers I protest thou seemest unto me to be a person of such excellencies of such probity and goodness as if thou wert an Angel (l) Hunc loquendi modum Philistaei a vicinis hauserunt Hebraeis Conterminae enim regiones ut experientia docet multas voces phrases communes habent sent from heaven unto me I
Church and people in regard whereof in times of great joy they used it seems to sing this Psalm as may be gathered from Isa 12.4 it begins Give thanks unto the Lord call upon his name make known his deeds among the people set forth his glorious Attributes seek to know the Lord and his strength and resort to the Ark from whence he uses to give forth his Oracles Exod. 25.22 and is the Symbol of his Almighty presence among us and therefore call'd the Ark of his strength Psal 132.8 yea seek his favour continually day after day as occasion requires Remember the judgments of his mouth which he first threatned and then executed O ye seed of Jacob who are his adopted and peculiar people freely chosen by him He is our God he executeth his judgments on his enemies throughout the whole world O let us be mindful always of his Covenant wherein he hath declared what duties he expects from us and what rewards we may expect from him upon our obedience Gen. 17.7 9. which Covenant he hath commanded to be observed by us and the generations following us even the Covenant which he made with Abraham Gen. 17.7 15.18 and his Oath unto Isaac Gen. 26.3 4. renewing the same Covenant to him which by Oath he had confirmed unto Abraham Gen 22.16 17. and which he gave to Jacob for a Law or Statute and to Israel for an everlasting Covenant Gen. 28.13 saying unto thee and thy seed will I give the land of Canaan for an inheritance And this promise he made to them when they were but few in number and strangers in the land and when they travelled from Nation to Nation and from one Kingdom to another his Providence was visibly and remarkably over them He suffered not the Inhabitants of the places where they sojourned to do them wrong but reproved Kings for their sakes as particularly Pharaoh Gen. 12.17 and Abimelech Gen. 20.3 saying Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm that is wrong not those whom I have consecrated to my self by the anointing of my holy Spirit and to whom I do familiarly reveal my will in dreams visions and by the ministry of my holy Angels that they may teach and instruct others and God did thus defend them because by special Covenant he had taken them under his protection That which follows from hence to the 34 ver the Psalmist it seems afterwards made a new Psalm of viz. the 96 the drift of which is to stir up all Nations to praise the Lord and consequently includes a Prophesie of Christ and the gathering all Nations into the Church by the Preaching of the Gospel It begins Sing unto the Lord all ye Nations of the earth shew forth from day to day and time to time as occasion is offered his salvation viz. the redemption and salvation purchased by the Messias Great is the Lord and greatly to be feared above all Gods For the Gods of the heathen are Idols but our God made the Heavens God is a King of infinite Majesty Glory and honour most strong and mighty the fountain of all strength and gladness to his people such his people find him in his Sanctuary where he reveals himself unto them and such with glad hearts they acknowledg him to be See Psal 96.6 O ye kindreds and families of the earth ascribe unto the Lord glory and strength give unto him the glory due unto his name that is which is due unto him in respect of his Glorious Attributes bring an offering and come into his Court the place appointed for his solemn Worship and worship him in his glorious holy Sanctuary (c) 1 Chron. 16. v. 29. Worship him in the beauty of holiness Sanctitas pro Sanctuario per metonymiam adjuncti vel in ornatu sanctitatis i. e. pura mente Fear before him all ye inhabitants of the earth by him the world was made at first and by his supporting Providence it is established and firmly setled and therefore we need not fear but he will also support his Church and people Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice and let men say one to another the Lord reigneth Let the Sea roar (a) Humane affections are here ascribed to insensible creatures thereby to set out mans duty with the fulness thereof that is with all that therein is thereby as it were expressing its joy Let the fields also rejoice and the trees of the wood sing out before the Lord when he cometh to judg the world that is to rule and govern it which he will do with righteousness and faithfulness O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good his mercy endureth for ever Save us O God of our Salvation and gather us together and firmly unite us who have been before too much rent and divided and deliver us from the Heathen that we may glory in thy praise-worthy works and count it our happiness and glory that we may serve and praise thee Blessed be God for ever and ever and let all the people say Amen 1 Chron. Ch. 16. from v. 4 to the end SECT CLXXXVIII DAvid at this present enjoying peace and quietness being not disturb'd with the invasion of neighbouring Nations he began to take into his pious thoughts the building of a Temple for God and his Ark. In order hereunto he sent for Nathan the Prophet to advise with him about it He tells him he was come to dwell in a stately house which he had built for himself Hiram King of Tyre having furnished him with Cedar-trees and Carpenters and Masons for that purpose but he thought it unfit that he should dwell in so stately a Palace and the Ark of God should be lodged in the mean time only in a Tabernacle covered with Skins and Curtains Indeed while the Israelites were in the Wilderness in a flitting condition the publick place of Gods Worship was only a Tent or Tabernacle which might easily be removed with them but now they were setled in Canaan he thought it more suitable to their present state that the house allotted to Gods service should be no longer a Moveable Tabernacle but a standing Temple especially considering that he had said that when they were come into the land of their inheritance he would chuse out a place for them to cause his name to dwell there Deut. 12.10 11 14. And therefore upon these considerations and in zeal to the honour of God he had thoughts of building a Temple for his publick Worship Nathan was much pleased with the design and greatly encouraged him in it saying to him Go on (b) Hence it appears that the Prophets had not always the spirit of Prophesie upon them but spake sometimes as private men as Samuel did 1 Sam. 26.6 build an house for the Lord as thou hast designed he seems to have moved thee to it and undoubtedly will answer thee in it This approbation of Nathan so far encouraged David that as some think he
unto me Thus the glory and strength of the Heathens shall by little and little fade and decay and though they be in places of strength yet even in those close places their fortified Cities and Towers they shall be no less afraid then if they were only in some poor unwalled villages He now concludes his Song praising God for all the benefits before recited The Lord liveth and blessed be my Rock and exalted be the God who is the rock of my Salvation It is God who avengeth me and bringeth down the people under me and who bringeth me forth and delivereth me out of the hands of mine enemies notwithstanding all their power and policies Thou hast lifted me up on high over those that rose up against me Thou hast delivered me from the violent man viz. from Saul my most violent and deadly enemy Therefore I will give thanks unto the Lord among the heathen that is I will labour to spread the knowledg of thee and so to exalt thy praise among the Heathen Nations â See Apostol Hist on Rom. 15.9 This David speaks by a spirit of Prophesie having respect to the calling of the Gentiles whom thou hast brought into subjection to me God is the Tower of Salvation for his King that is he is as a Tower in which he is safe and sheweth mercy unto his anointed unto David and to his seed for evermore that is God will manifest his favour to him to his posterity after him and principally to Christ who was to be of his seed according to the flesh Rom. 1.3 and to all the faithful members of Christ who are also by faith his seed See Isa 53.10 and Heb. 2.13 2 Sam. Ch. 22. whole Chapter SECT CCI. DAvid now towards his latter end apprehending his death approaching in imitation of Jacob and Moses leaves behind him a kind of Testamentary Prophesie that his Kingdom and Throne should be established for ever namely in the person of the Messias who was to come of him according to Gods Covenant 2 Sam. 7.16 and he Prophesies of the righteousness glory and prosperity of that Kingdom and these were the last words he wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost for the use of the Church In the Preface to this Prophesie he first sets down his own Titles saying I am the Son of Jesse by birth yet by the grace and favour of God exalted to be King of Israel and who have been enabled by the Spirit of God to compose many Divine Hymns and Psalms for the benefit of the Church and thereupon have been call'd the sweet Psalmist of Israel I David do now declare that the Spirit of the Lord did formerly speak by me and his word was in my tongue when I uttered those Divine composures And the same God of Israel who is the Rock of Israel hath now spoken to me and I am to declare that there shall be a ruler over men a righteous person that shall rule them in the fear of God (a) These words are unstood by learned men as a promise of the Messiah Quid dominabitur in timore Domini cum spiritu timoris Domini unctus sit quid subditos suos ita spiritu suo gubernavit ut ex vero Dei timore sanctitati vitae studeant Osiand And he shall reign prosperously and still increase in glory his glory shall be like the morning light that shines more and more unto perfect day and shall daily increase like the grass that hath seasonably the moistning rain and warming Sun to make it sprout up and grow And though my house be not so with God as it should be but I and mine have been guilty of many great sins and transgressions yet God hath made with me an everlasting Covenant viz. that my Kingdom and Throne shall be established for ever in the person of the Messiah who shall come out of my loyns Ch. 7.16 and this Covenant is well ordered in all things for the glory of God and Salvation of man and sure to be performed And this promise of God that the Messiah should spring from my loyns and come into the world to save sinners is that on which my hope of Salvation is firmly grounded and this thing I wish and desire above all things though God do not make the glory of my Temporal Kingdom to grow and increase But as for those sons of Belial those prophane graceless and stubborn wretches who will not submit to the Kingdom of the Messiah they shall be all of them as thorns plucked up and cast away because they are so intractable that they cannot be taken with hands but the man that shall go about to touch them had need have his hands armed with some iron glove or gantlet and to have a staff in his hands like the staff of a Spear wherewith to thrust them into the oven And these intractable thorns shall be burnt and consumed in the same place where they grew Whereby as some think he Prophesied of the destruction of the obstinate Jews who were by the Romans destroyed in the same place or City where they lived and by wicked hands had crucified the Lord of life 2 Sam. Ch. 23. from v. 1. to 8. SECT CCII. HEre now follows a Catalogue of David's Worthies men renowned for valour and admirable exploits and such as were great supports to him in all his troubles 1 Chron. 11.10 These are the chief of the mighty men whom David had who held strongly with him in his Kingdom and join'd with the Elders of the people to make him King they were in all thirty seven whereof Joab was the chief being Captain General of the Host 1 Chron. 11.6 Next to him were six chief Colonels and of them the first three were above the other three The first three were Adino Eleazar and Shammah This Adino was call'd the Eznite from the Country where he was born or bred and the Tachmonite or Hackmonite from his Father being the Son of one Tachmani or Hackmani And also Jashobeam or Josheph-Bassebet because he sat in the Chair and was President of the Council of War Concerning his Exploits 't is said of him 2 Sam. 23.8 That he lifted up his Spear against eight hundred and slew them In the 1 Chron. 11.11 There are only 300 mentioned Therefore either 800 were slain by him at one time and 300 at another or else he discomfited 800 whereof only 300 were slain outright by himself and the rest by others which yet are said to be slain by him because they were slain by those that fought under him The Second of the first three was Eleazar one of the posterity of Ahoah a Benjamite 1 Chron. 8.4 he was with David at Pasdammim when the Philistines were gathered together in battel against him and there defended a field of barley against them when the rest of the people fled away and slew so many of them that at last the people returned to the spoil of the enemy
as were not of the Tribe of Levi but of other Tribes Indeed the basest of the people were Priests good enough for his Golden Calves but because he pretended to have erected them for the worship of the true God this also is charged upon him as a provocation And he ordained a Feast to be kept in the eighth month in imitation of the Feast of Tabernacles which God ordained to be kept on the 15th day of the 7th month Levit. 23.34 he ordains it to be kept in another month that the people might not take it for the same Feast of Tabernacles and so think themselves obliged to go to Jerusalem to keep it And to grace this Idolatrous worship that he had set up even he himself did sacrifice upon the Altar that he had built to work in his peoples minds an higher esteem of it and also burnt incense to his Idols whereby he usurpt the Priests office * So did Uzziah 2 Chro. 26.16 intrude himself into the Priests office Whilst he was thus sacrificing at Bethel a certain Prophet sent by God out of Judah came unto him thus timely did the Lord give him warning and called him to repentance and in the zeal and fervency of his spirit he cried in the word of the Lord inventing nothing of his own head against this Altar saying O Altar Altar thus saith the Lord Behold a child shall be born unto the house of David Josiah â About 300 years after this Prophesie was fulfilled See 2 King 23.16 by name and upon thee shall he offer the bones of the Priests of the High-places that do now or shall hereafter burn incense upon thee so that this Altar shall one day have a goodly sacrifice burnt upon it viz. the bones of the Priests that sacrific'd upon it and the defiling and polluting of this Altar in this manner will be a sacrifice very pleasing unto God Possibly O Jeroboam says he thou wilt not believe this therefore I will give thee a sign from the Lord that this shall certainly come to pass Behold this Altar shall now be rent in sunder and the ashes upon it shall fall upon the ground to signifie the utter demolishing of it hereafter Jeroboam hearing this and being enraged at the Prophet put forth his hand from the Altar where he was burning incense and cried out lay hold on him and immediately his hand was dried up and the flesh withered and the sinnes shrank so that he was disabled from hurting the Prophet himself and the people were scared from obeying their King in what he required And immediately the Altar was rent and clave asunder The King then intreated the Prophet to pray * 1 King 13.6 To intreat the face of one that is offended is earnestly to desire the change of his countenance that his angry look may be turned into smiling for him that his hand might be restored which he accordingly did and it was upon his prayer restored and became whole as it was before The King was so taken with this kindness that he invited the Prophet to come home with him and to refresh himself and he would reward him for it The Prophet replied If thou wilt give me half thine house I will not go with thee neither will I eat bread or drink water in this City for so God hath commanded me intending I should shew my detestation of your Idolatry by avoiding all communion with such Idolaters And he hath commanded me also that I should not return the way I came but some other way as abhorring the very way that brought me to the sight of such abominations So he returned another way and not the way by which he came to Bethel Now there dwelt an old Prophet in Bethel whose Sons came to him and told him all that this Prophet had said to the King and what he had done to the Altar and in healing Jeroboams hand the old Prophet presently enquired which way this Prophet went and commanding his Asse to be presently sadled he rode thereon and following after him found him sitting under an oak and then invited him to come home with him to eat bread He told him could not do it for he was expresly forbidden it by the Lord. The old Prophet said I am a Prophet as well as thou art and an Angel spake unto me by the command of the Lord that I should bring thee back to my house to eat bread and drink water But he lyed unto him However the poor deluded Prophet upon this did go back with him and did eat bread and drunk water And as they sat at the Table the word of the Lord came to the Prophet that fetcht him back by some internal inspiration or Prophetick extasie whereby he was as it were constrained to denounce against his deluded guest the judgment that would fall upon him for coming back and eating and drinking with him and so consequently to condemn himself for the gross lye he had told He tells him thus saith the Lord seeing thou hast not kept my commandment but camest back and hast eaten and drunk in this place that I forbad thee behold thy carcass shall not come into the Sepulcher of thy Fathers and thou shalt not die among thy own kindred nor be buried with thy progenitors which intimated to him that he should die in his return before he gat home to his own land and this was a gracious warning to him that he might repent of his sin before his death So when they had eaten and drunken the old Prophet caused his own Ass to be sadled for the Prophet he had brought back and so dismissed him He was not gone far from the old Prophets house before a Lion met him and slew him and his body being fallen in the way the Ass stood by it as also the Lion That the Ass should not fly from the Lion nor the Lion prey upon the living Ass nor the dead body of the Prophet but that both of them should stand rather as a guard to preserve it from other creatures and that the Ass should stay there as it were on purpose to carry back the dead Prophets body to Bethel to be buried there these are strange passages of Providence and do shew that 't was not hunger that provoked the Lion to kill the Prophet but the over-ruling hand of God and that God had regard to the Prophets body and would preserve it for burial though he testified his displeasure against his sin for the warning of others And behold men passed by and saw the carcass cast in the way and the Lion standing by the carcass and they came and told it in the City where the old Prophet dwelt who thereupon said undoubtedly it is the man of God that was disobedient unto the word of the Lord therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the Lion which hath slain him as the Lord threatned So he went immediately and found his carcass cast in the way
marrying a wife from thence did soon set up his wifes Idolatry in the land and the worship of the true God was in a manner neglected and disregarded and the Prophets and servants of God that would not bow to Baal were persecuted see Ch. 19.10 yet there were never more Prophets sent to them than at this time we see Ch. 18.13 that Obadiah had hid an hundred of them in caves nor never more eminent ones than now And of all the Prophets that God raised up in the Kingdom of Israel we find not any of whom so strange things are recorded both for courage and miracles as there are of Elijah And therefore at the Transfiguration of Christ Mat. 17. Elijah as chief of the Prophets appeared together with Moses talking with Christ to signifie that both Moses and the Prophets had in their several seasons given testimony of him This Prophet Elijah was at this time sent to the Israelites a man of transcendent courage and zeal as being fitted for those corrupt times whence 't is said of the Baptist who in his Ministry was very zealous and fervent Luk. 1.17 that he should go before our Saviour in the spirit and power of Elias Ahab and Jezebel were very zealous to promote Idolatry and now God raises up a Prophet as zealous to oppose it and to defend Gods own worship Elijah seeing how things went in the Kingdom of Israel and being exceedingly moved with the horrible wickedness of Ahab and Jezabel and particularly perhaps with the contempt and scorn they cast upon Gods Prophets did it seems by the instinct of Gods Spirit pray that the Lord would shut up the heavens for some years and not suffer it to rain till he sought unto him for it that so the wrath of God against the iniquity of that time might be discovered and the precious account he makes of his Prophets might be manifested And being by the same Spirit of God assured that his prayer was heard he came to Ahab and threatned him beforehand that he might see it was of God with an approaching drought for three years and an half and a great famine that should ensue thereupon As the Lord God of Israel liveth saith he whom I continually serve and in whose presence I now stand and who is a witness of the truth of what I say there shall not be dew or rain these ensuing years but according to my words and as I have declared to thee from God And according as he threatned so it came to pass For during the space of three years and six months it rained not See Jam. 5.17 * See Luk. 4.25 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months The drought now beginning and Ahab seeing there was no rain for some time together as Elijah had threatned he was greatly enraged against him and being also stirred up as 't is probable by Jezabel his wife he sent presently out to take him that he might be revenged on him See Ch. 18.10 but the Lord foreseeing what would happen gave his Prophet warning of it and appointed him to withdraw and hide himself by the brook Cherith in Manasseh beyond Jordan that is in some solitary place or cave near the brook where he should be fed by Ravens with bread and flesh morning and evening and should drink of the brook Elijah did as the Lord commanded him and was accordingly fed by Ravens who being a very greedy and ravenous kind of bird so that they often neglect the feeding of their young ones to feed themselves it was the more miraculous that God should make them Caterers for Elijah and in such an orderly manner to bring him his provision morning and evening he directing them where they should have it possibly out of some rich mans pantry or storehouse Thus we see by what unlikely means God can provide for his servants when they are in their straits After some time possibly about six Months the brook quite dried up thus the Lord was pleased again to try the faith of his servant Elijah Then the Lord commands him to go to a widow of Sarepta in the Country of Sidon telling him that he would command her that is dispose her heart to entertain him Accordingly he went thither and when he came to the Gate of the City he found a widow-woman gathering sticks he desired her to fetch him a little water She going for it he desired her to bring him also a morsel of bread She knowing him by his habit to be a Prophet of the Lord she said to him As the Lord thy God liveth I have not a cake to give thee I have but an handful of meal in a barrel and a little oyl in a cruse and behold I am gathering two or three sticks that I may go and dress it for my self and my son that we may eat it and so die Hereby its manifest that the drought * There is not the least intimation of any want of rain that was in the land of Judah at this time and yet Elijah is sent to a stranger rather than to the widows of Israel or Judah such an one being very unlikely to relieve him especially the famine being there as well as in Israel but herein was shaddowed forth Gods further mercy intended to the Gentiles when the Jews should be rejected whence that of our Saviour Luk. 4.25 26. and famine was in the Country of Tyre and Sidon as well as among the Israelites and indeed it being sent among the Israelites for the Idolatry of Baal which Jezabel the daughter of the King of the Sidonians had brought in among them no marvel if the Sidonians were involv'd in the same judgment Elijah bids the woman not to fear but to do as she intended but only to make for him a little cake first for saith he thus saith the Lord God of Israel The barrel of meal which thou hast shall not wast nor the cruse of oyl fail until the day that the Lord sendeth rain on the earth The woman did as Elijah enjoined her and she and her house did eat thereof many days viz. for about three years neither the meal nor oyl failing but being miraculously supplied and renewed This recompence had this poor widow for entertaining the Lords Prophet she for giving unto him one meal hath many meals from him and by his procurement But great blessings are oftentimes mixed with some imbittering afflictions For some time after the Prophet had been with her the womans Son fell sick and died Upon this she comes to the Prophet and crys out What have I done to thee thou man of God wherein have I offended thee art thou come to bring my sins to remembrance â When God punisheth any for their sins whom for a while he did forbear he is said in the Scripture to remember
their sins 1 Sam. 15.2 before the Lord and to punish me for them by taking away my Son Possibly she thought that Elijah had besought God thus to punish her as by his prayer he had brought the drought and famine upon the land or that he was sent as the minister of Gods wrath to take away her Son from her Elijah said to her Give me thy Son and he took him out of her bosom and carried him to an upper loft and laid him on his own bed and cried unto the Lord and said O Lord my God let me humbly plead with thee why hast thou brought so great an evil upon this widow with whom I sojourn as to take away her Son I am afraid thy name will hence come to be blasphemed and thy Prophets despised and it will be said it had been well for this woman if this Prophet had never come into her house Having thus said he stretched himself upon the child three times putting his mouth upon the childs mouth and his eyes upon the childs eyes and his hands upon the childs hands and he cried unto the Lord and said O Lord I pray thee let this childs soul come into him again And the Lord graciously heard his prayer and the soul of the child came immediately into him again and he revived So the Prophet took the child and deliverd him to his mother alive * See the like miracle wrought by Elisha 2 King 4.34 and by Paul Act. 20.10 See also Heb. 11.35 Cum graves imminerent vexationes religionem magis indies piis Deus aperire aliquid voluit de immortalitate animarum Grot. Then said the woman By this I know that thou art a true Prophet and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth namely the things that were foretold by thee concerning the continuance of the drought and the increase of my meal and oyl And this child is the first that we read of in the Scriptures that being dead was restored to life again The drought having now continued well nigh three years and six months Elijah goes to present himself unto Ahab and to give notice to him that they should have rain that so what he had said to him before might be made good to wit that there should be no rain but according to his word The Governour of Ahabs house at this time was Obadiah an excellent person and one who feared the Lord greatly and worshipped him in spirit and truth and kept himself from the Idolatry of the times though he went not up to Jerusalem to peform the Ceremonial worship there required 'T is a wonder there should be such a pious person in so corrupt a Court but God ordered it so by his alwise Providence for the good of his Prophets For when Jezabel slew and cut off the Prophets â They that gave themselves to be throughly instructed in the will of God and were ready on all occasions to declare the same to others were stiled Prophets of the Lord he took a hundred of them and hid them by fifty in a cave and fed them with bread and water 'T is like some other pious men also in Israel besides Obadiah hid and preserved several Prophets of the Lord from her fury But the drought now being very sore Ahab ordered Obadiah to go one way as he himself would another that so traversing all the land of Israel they might find herbage and water for their horses and mules which were ready to perish for want of it Elijah meets Obadiah who knowing him fell on his face before him and said to him Art not thou my Lord Elijah He answered I am and I desire thee to go and tell thy Lord and Master that Elijah is here Obadiah answered Wherein have I so offended thee that thou shouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab to slay me I protest unto thee that my Lord the King hath sought thee not only in the land of Israel but also in all the neighbouring Countries and among all the Nations that are in league with him and he hath pressed them so far that they were fain upon their oaths to avow that they knew nothing of thee (a) How Elijah was concealed in Sarepta we need not inquire seeing he being inform'd of his danger the widow might use means to hide him and now why enjoynest thou me to go and tell Ahab that thou art here Possibly as soon as I am gone from thee the Spirit of the Lord (b) What was done by any supernatural working of God they used to say was done by the Spirit of God that is some wind from the Lord or some Angel will take thee up (c) It seems in those times Elijah was usually thus miraculously caught up and so perhaps other Prophets too and carried from one place to another whence it was that when Elijah was at last taken up into heaven the young Prophets would needs send out to seek him 2 King 2.16 The like we read of Philip Act. 8.19 and carry thee to some other place and then the King will slay me either because I did not apprehend thee when I saw thee or because I shall seem to have deluded him by telling him that which he will not find upon search to be true I thy servant have desired to fear the Lord from my youth and to cleave unto him and have been kind to his servants the Prophets in hiding many of them from the fury of Jezebel as I suppose thou hast heard and I may be further useful to them and therefore I hope thou wilt not lay upon me so perilous a command Elijah assures him he was resolved to shew himself unto Ahab Hereupon Obadiah went and acquainted the King therewith who presently came out to him and in a very angry manner said What! art thou he that troubles Israel No says Elijah thou and thy Fathers house have troubled Israel in forsaking God and following Baal After some vehement contest between them about the Baal-worship the Prophet having doubtless received it in charge from God before as may appear from ver 36. propounds to the King a way of trial to be peformed on mount Carmel which stood near the Sea whither God were God or Baal were God The God answering by fire says he and consuming the sacrifice from heaven let him be acknowledged for the true God The King being confident that the way of his worship was right agrees thereto and possibly the natural desire that is in all men to see things strange and unusual as this trial was might the more incline him to it Accordingly he assembles the Prophets of Baal viz. those that lived dispers'd up and down in the Country and the heads of the people to see the issue of this strange trial Elijah when the people were met together spake to them saying How long will ye halt between two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal
us by Benhadad had he perform'd his Covenant made with us but he perfidiously keeps it from us and we are still and quiet Then addressing himself to Jehoshaphat he asks him if he would please to join with him to recover it and would go in person with him to besiege it Jehoshaphat replied I am as thou art my people as thy people my horses as thy horses As if he should have said I my self my people and my horses are all at thy service and ready to go and do as thou shalt order even as if they were thine own But he desired before they engaged in this enterprize that he would presently send to some holy Prophet and enquire by him after the mind of the Lord whether it were his will they should undertake this war and whether he would prosper them in it Ahab thereupon gathers together his 400 Baalitish Prophets viz. those of the Groves which were reserv'd from appearing to Elijah's Challenge Ch. 18.19 20. thinking possibly that Jehoshaphat by such a multitude would be the better perswaded of the truth of what they said and spake unto them after this manner What say ye shall we go against Ramoth-Gilead to battel or shall we forbear They presently said Go up for the Lord will deliver it into thy hand But though they made use of the name of the Lord yet they received not this answer from him but spake as they thought was most agreeable to Ahab's humour Jehoshaphat was not satisfied with what they said but suspecting their word was not from the Lord he askt if there were not besides these a Prophet of the Lords in the land that they might enquire of Ahab told him there was indeed one in Samaria Michaiah * Some think this Michaiah was the Prophet that denounced the judgment against Ahab Ch. 20.42 and that thereupon he had put him in prison in Samaria till now by name but says he I hate him for he doth not use to prophesie good concerning me but evil Jehoshaphat replied Let not the King say so we ought not to hate the Prophets of the Lord because they speak sometimes things that do not please us If they be the faithful servants of the Lord they must speak the truth whatever it be God forbid therefore the King should hate them for that Ahab hearing him say so commanded an Officer to fetch Michaiah to him Then both the Kings sitting on Chairs of State clad in their Royal Robes in a void place at the entrance of the Gate of Samaria all the 400 Prophets of Baal before mentioned came and Prophesied before them that is by strange affected passionate gestures made shew of Prophetical raptures And Zedekiah the chief of them made him horns * Solebant Prophetae verbis signis eventus praedicere of iron thereby to signifie the power of these two Kings and said to Ahab Thus saith the Lord with these shalt thou push the Syrians until thou hast destroyed them And all the rest of those Prophets prophesied accordingly saying Go up to Ramoth-Gilead and prosper for the Lord shall deliver it into the Kings hands The messenger that went for Micaiah as he was bringing him to the King said to him Behold the rest of the Prophets have spoken good things to the King and that with one consent let thy word therefore I pray thee be like theirs and speak things pleasing to him and to the people Micaiah replied As the Lord liveth what the Lord saith unto me that will I speak So Micaiah came to the King who spake to him after this manner Come Micaiah what saist thou to our design shall we go against Ramoth-Gilead or shall we forbear He answered Go and prosper the Lord will deliver it into thy hands if that which thy Prophets have told thee be true The King said unto him How oft shall I adjure thee that thou deal really with me and tell me nothing but that which is true and which thou hast received from the Lord. Micaiah then said to him I saw in a vision all Israel scattered upon the hills as sheep that have no shepherd implying that the King who was as the shepherd of the people should be slain and thereupon the people should fly and be scattered When I saw this says he the Lord said to me These have no Master that is their King is slain let them return every man to his own house in safety and escape with their lives See v. 36. Ahab turning to Jehoshaphat said Did not I tell thee that he would prophesie no good to me but only evil Micaiah upon this said seeing thou hast adjured me to tell thee the truth in the name of the Lord I now will do it fully and plainly I saw in a vision the Lord sitting on his Throne â Visio parabolica ut Job 1.6 dicuntur hac ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ad indicandum varios providentiae divinae modos quibus decreta sua ad exitum perducit and all the host of heaven viz. the good Angels and Saints attending him on his right hand and on his left and some evil spirits were mixed among them And the Lord said who will perswade Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead and some of them spake on this manner and others on that At length there came an evil spirit and stood before the Lord and said I will perswade him The Lord askt him How he would do it He answer'd I will go forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets that is I will urge them and put them on to lye to him and deceive him For false Prophets are instructed and moved by evil spirits as true Prophets are by the Spirit of God The Lord answers I permit thee to go and to delude Ahabs Prophets with lyes and by them to delude Ahab himself and thou shalt not miss but shalt effectually perswade and prevail Go forth therefore and do as thou intendest for it is an act of justice seeing Ahab hated my Prophets and would not believe them that therefore he should be given up to believe lyes According to this vision O King the Lord hath permitted a lying spirit to enter into all these thy Prophets who hath possest their hearts and tongues and they speak meer lyes unto thee when they tell thee that thou shalt prosper in this expedition For assure thy self the Lord hath determined evil against thee Zedekiah hearing this stept to him and smote him on the cheek and said to him which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak to thee Micaiah returneth not blow for blow but tells him thou shalt find to thy cost that I have the Spirit of God and do declare the truth of God when thou shalt see my Prophesie exactly fulfilled and when Ahab shall be slain and his army worsted on that day thou shalt hide thy self in an inner Chamber from Ahabs children and friends
habitation there and that being a private place possibly Elisha chose now to go thither that he might be the more retired and might the more give himself to prayer from thence after some time he went to Samaria in which being a populous City he had more work to do and more opportunity to instruct the people and from thence he went along with the Army that shortly after went against the Moabites which undoubtedly he did by the special instinct and direction of the Spirit of God 2 King Ch. 2. whole Chapter Mesha King of Moab upon Ahab's death refused to pay the Tribute which the Moabites formerly paid to the Kings of Israel see v. 5. and Ahaziah being King but a little while and most part of that time possibly bedrid by reason of the hurt received by his fall he could not undertake the reducing of them Jehoram therefore now attempts it as soon as he came to the Crown * The Moabites being formerly Tributary to David and Solomon they had revolted from the King of Judah and given themselves to be vassals to Jeroboam and his Successors and so had continued till this time wherefore going through all the Tribes of Israel he mustered all that were fit for war and sent to Jehoshaphat King of Judah to desire his assistance in this war against the Moabites who were enemies to both Nations and had not long before join'd with Ammon and Edom against him See 2 Chron. 20. Jehoshaphat sent him word he would willingly join with him against them and that himself his people and his horses should be ready to go and do for him according as he should order and as if they were all his own See 1 King 22.4 It may seem strange Jehoshaphat should so readily join with Jehoram having been so sharply reproved before from the Lord for joining with Ahab his Father see 2 Chron. 19.2 and afterwards punished by the Lord for joining with Ahaziah his Son to make ships to go to Tarshish 2 Chron. 20.3 But possibly he thought this Jehoram a better man than either his Father or Brother seeing he had put down the image and worship of Baal and so had given some hopes he would proceed to a further reformation When their Armies were met together Jehoram askt him which way they should go up to fight against Moab Jehoshaphat advised that they should go through the Wilderness of Edom that they might take the King or Viceroy of Edom and his forces along with them who at this time were Tributaries to Judah and so might come upon the Moabites by a way they little expected They agree to take this course and so they fetcht a compass of seven days march about the Wilderness of Edom at last when they came near the Moabites they were sore distressed for water insomuch that all these three Armies and their horses were in great danger of perishing for want of it Jehoram seeing their present distress cried out Alas that the Lord should bring three Kings together to deliver them into the hands of the Moabites we are so infeebled through want of water that we can neither go forward nor can return back and so must needs become a prey to our enemies Thus he impiously reflecteth the blame of their distress upon God and not on their own sins that had brought them into this great strait And God hereby discovered to Jehoshaphat his sin in joining with Jehoram without consulting him first about it but now being by this judgment made wiser he asks Is there not some holy Prophet here who may inquire of the Lord for us and direct us what we should do One of the Kings servants answered Here is Elisha who poured water * Sic solvere corrigium calceamenti idem est quod servire on the hands of Elijah that is ministred unto him and was his servant It was undoubtedly by the special instinct of the Spirit of God that Elisha was come along with the Army into these deserts of Edom and that he was not far from the Camp at this time Jehoshaphat was glad to hear that he was there being the disciple of so great a Prophet and possibly known at this time by his own fame for says he the word of the Lord is with him intimating that he was a Prophet of the true God and consequently able to counsel them from God Upon this all these three Kings went down to him to speak with him 'T is strange they did not send for him to come to them But possibly Jehoshaphat knowing how much the Prophets of the Lord were at that time slighted and despised advised the other Kings rather to go to him that by doing him this great honour they might let the people see how much they esteem'd him When these Kings were come to Elisha he looking upon Jehoram said What have I to do with thee Get thee to the Prophets of thy Idolatrous Father and Mother whom thou toleratest in Israel and some of which are now in the Camp and see if they can help thee in this thy extremity Jehoram mildly answered nay Elisha do not speak of these things now the Lord hath brought us three Kings together with our Armies and hath brought us into such great straights that we are like to fall into the hands of the Moabites if he do not presently help us Elisha replies As the Lord of hosts liveth before whom I stand were it not that I respect the presence of Jehoshaphat King of Judah I would not look towards thee nor regard thee Having said thus and finding his spirit something disturb'd at the thoughts of Jehoram's Idolatry he calls for a Minstril that is one skilful in singing or playing on instruments to compose and calm his affections And when the Minstril played and possibly sang some songs of praise to God the hand of the Lord was upon Elisha viz. the spirit of Prophesie came upon him * Prophetia est donum actuale non habituale whereby he was inabled to give counsel and advice to these Kings and to foretell what should come to pass Which abilities the Prophets had not at all times but only then when it pleased the Lord to give them to them and sometimes they were to prepare themselves for the receiving of them Elisha hereupon being instructed from the Lord bids them make the valley where they were full of ditches and though they should perceive no wind which is the ordinary means of gathering the clouds together and causing them to shower down rain nor see any rain falling from heaven yet the valley should be fill'd with water so that they and their cattel should be abundantly supplied Nay says he besides the mercy which ye so much desire viz. a supply of water the Lord will do a greater thing for you than that viz. He will deliver the Moabites into your hands and ye shall smite every fenced City and every choice City that had the fairest Edifices in it
17.21 Then going to her husband but not acquainting him with the death of the child she desired him to let her have one of the servants out of the field to attend her and one of the asses that she might make hast to the man of God and she would speedily come again Her husband not imagining as it seems that the child had been so sick much less that he had been dead asks her why she would go then it was neither New-Moon nor Sabboth on which days they usually went as it seems to the Prophets to be instructed and not often on other days She replied It will be well enough the Prophet will take no offence at my coming Then she ordered her asse to be immediately sadled and getting up spake to her servant that rode on another asse before her that he should ride apace and not slack except she called to him to do it When they came near to mount Carmel where Elisha dwelt he it seems was sitting at his door talking with his servant and seeing her coming at some distance said to Gehazi Behold yonder comes the Shunamite who hath shewed us so much kindness run and meet her and ask her if all be well with her and with her husband and the child Gehazi accordingly meeting her and asking her that question she answered him very briefly It is well as not being willing by talking to him to be hindred from going to the Prophet his Master and her answer must be understood as directed to the two former questions concerning her self and her husband as for the last she reserved her answer to that till she should come to speak with the Prophet himself When she was come to him being transported with the vehemency of her passion she kneeled down and caught hold of his legs intimating she would not leave him till she had some comfortable answer from him Gehazi apprehending her to be too troublesome to his Master came near to thrust her away But Elisha bad him let her alone for says he I perceive her spirit is much grieved within her and the Lord hath not revealed unto me what the matter is Then she told him Her Son was dead And says she if I had been like Rachel Gen. 30.1 inordinately desirous of a Son I might justly think that to be the reason that I was so soon deprived of him But this Son being freely given me without any request of mine and of thy own motion without my asking Why am I now so soon bereft of him I hope thou wilt by thy prayers endeavour to have him restored to me again And this was a great evidence of her faith by which she received her dead raised to life again Heb. 11.35 Then Elisha spake to his servant saying Gird up thy loins and take my staff in thine hand and go with all hast to the house where the dead child is not staying by the way to offer or answer any courtesies or civilities and when thou art come thithither lay my staff on the face of the child But the mother said as the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth I will not leave thee till thou go with me thy self The Prophet thereupon arose and went with her but Gehazi got thither before them and laid the staff on the face of the child but no evidence of life followed thereupon for the child neither spake nor heard any noise Possibly had not Elisha yielded to go himself the staff might have been effectual but now the Lord was pleased to withhold his power and help till the Prophet himself came Wherefore Gehazi seeing he could not raise the child to life again went to meet his master and told him the child was not restored to life by the means he had used Elisha coming to the house found the child dead and laid upon his bed shutting therefore the door to himself he prayed unto the Lord and then laid himself upon the child putting his mouth to the childs mouth and his eyes and hands upon the childs eyes and hands as near as he could in imitation possibly of his Master Elijah 1 King 17.21 and stretching himself upon the child his flesh began to be warm this was the first sign that life began to come into him then taking two or three turns in his Chamber he stretched himself upon the child again then the child neesed seven times and opened his eyes which was a sign that he was perfectly restored to life Then he bad his servant call the Shunamite who being come he bad her take up her Son who was now alive again She transported with joy fell at his feet in token of her reverence and thankfulness and taking up her Son and hugging him in her arms brought him down into the house This was Elisha's seventh Miracle 2 King 4. from v. 8 to 38. Elisha not long after tells this Gentlewoman that God for the sins of the people had called for a famine to come upon the land which would last seven years and therefore bad her go with her family where she could be best accommodated till the famine was over and accordingly she believing the Prophet went with her family her husband as 't is probable being now dead and sojourned in the land of the Philistines there being peace as it seems at this time between them and the Israelites and no famine in their Country For though they were a wicked people yet God was more provoked by the Idolatry and other wickednesses of his own people than by them who had not the means of grace which his own people enjoyed 2 King 8.1 2. The famine being now in the land Elisha goes to Gilgal to visit the colledg of the Prophets there and they sat before him to be instructed by him He bad his servant set on the great pot and seeth pottage for the Sons of the Prophets It happened that one going forth to gather herbs for the pottage chanced to light upon Coloquintida somewhat like a vine the gourds that is the leaves and branches thereof being bitter and poysonous and gathering a lap-full of them not knowing their nature shred them into the pottage When the Sons of the Prophets came to eat of it finding it of so bitter and of so unsavoury a tast they cried out to Elisha O thou man of God death is in the pot we fear our broth is poysoned and will poyson all of us that eat of it The Prophet bad them cast meal into the pot Not that meal had in it self any vertue to draw out bitterness or poyson but that it might appear that the virtue of healing their pottage came from God alone the Prophet commanded them to use that means They doing as he bid them and he knowing that all danger was now over said to them Pour out now for the Sons of the Prophets and they did eat thereof and found no harm thereby This was Elisha's eighth Miracle 2 King 4. from 38 to 42. About this time
accordingly told his servant he should have not only one but two Talents of silver that each of the young Prophets might have one a piece Gehazi seem'd very modest and unwilling to have more than one Talent which was all as he pretended that his Master desired But Naaman to testifie his great gratitude and high respects to Elisha urged him to take two So ordering them to be put into two bags which must needs be great ones that could contain three hundred seventy and five pounds a piece and giving him also two changes of garments he commanded two of his servants to bear them before Gehazi and when they came to the Tower possibly some out-house belonging to the place where the Prophet dwelt he took the silver and the garments from the servants and bestowed them in the house and so dismissed the men not suffering them to come any nearer the house lest Elisha his Master should see them Then he went in and stood before his Master very confidently as if he had done nothing amiss Elisha mildly asks him where he had been he answers thy servant hath been no where pretending he had not stirred out of the house Elisha hearing this What says he darest thou tell me so went not my heart with thee when the man turned again from his Chariot to meet thee know thou therefore that by a divine vision in my spirit I saw thee run after Naaman and saw him light out of his Chariot to meet thee I saw what he gave thee and where thou laidst it I tell thee I saw all this in a vision of my spirit though thou thoughtest to hide and conceal it all from me And further the Lord hath revealed to me what thou didst intend to do with the money thou hadst of Naaman viz. to buy thee oliveyards and vineyards and sheep and oxen and leaving my service to go and live by thy self and to have men-servants and maid-servants to attend thee But Gehazi is this a time for thee to receive such gifts and to have such worldly designs as these in thy mind Thou knowest on what grounds I had refused these things and thy receiving them now hath crossed all my ends in refusing of them Thou knowest Naaman himself is but a new convert and I refused his gifts to bring the more honour to God and to our Religion Thou knowest we live here among Idolaters and therefore we ought to give no occasion to them to think that we the Prophets of the Lord are a covetous sort of people as their Idolatrous Priests are I would not have it thought that I design any worldly advantage to my self by the exercise of that heavenly power which the Lord hath freely given me and whereby he enables me to work miracles Therefore seeing thou hast so heinously transgress'd the leprosie of Naaman shall cleave unto thee By thy coveting his goods and lying unto him thou hast got his leprosie which shall cleave unto thee and thy children after thee for a long while * In sempiternum non absolute sed in longissimum tempus in tertiam vel quartam generationem juxta Exod. 34.7 as an example of Gods just judgment against covetousness and lying So Gehazi went out from his presence a leper as white as snow And here we may take notice of the wonderful power of God manifested in his servant the Prophet who enabled him to inflict the leprosie as well as to take it away as he enabled Moses to bring plagues on Egypt and to remove them And this was Elisha's eleventh miracle 2 King Ch. 5. wh Ch. The succession of two such famous Prophets as Elijah and Elisha and the many miracles wrought by them had as it seems drawn many â Qui vacabant divinis literis laudibus precihus mittebantur saepe ad plebem aedificandam confirmandam c. even in that corrupt time to join themselves to the Schools of the Prophets which were at Jericho and Gilgal and several of them 't is like were of Manual Trades and even now maintained themselves thereby that they might not be burdensome to others Some of these Sons of the Prophets came to Elisha and told him that the place where they dwelt with him and were instructed by him as his disciples and scholars was too strait for them they desired him therefore that they might go to the banks of Jordan and there cut down and carried away some timber to make them an house there 'T is like some of them had sufficient skill to square and frame and fit timber for a building and to cover it also and to make it fit for habitation but here mention is only made of cutting down timber because of the miracle that followed Possibly they intended only to make some slight building that might serve for then present use and accommodation The Prophet bad them go One of them then intreated him that he would please to go along with them they being desirous to have as much of his company as they could So he went along with them It happened as one of them was felling a tree to make a beam that his ax-head fell into the water upon this he cried O my Master what shall I do for this ax was borrowed and things borrowed must be restored This man seems to intimate that he believed the Prophât could help him to it again though it was fallen to the bottom of a deep water Elisha asks where it fell in and when they had shewed him the place he cut down a stick and casting it in thither the ax rose up and swum upon the water and so the man that worked with it took it up This was Elisha's twelfth Miracle 2 King 6. from v. 1 to 8. The King of Syria bearing still an inveterate hatred against the King of Israel invaded his Country again and upon advice with his Commanders resolved upon a place where he would lye in ambush to surprize him having some intelligence that the King of Israel with his followers did intend to pass that way Elisha understanding by the inspiration of God the secret projects of the Syrians advised the King of Israel that he should by no means go to that place for thither the Syrians were come and designed there to surprise him Jehoram something doubting the truth of this sent some scouts to the place the man of God had warned him of and found it to be as he had told him and thereupon did forbear to go thither and so following the Prophets counsel he saved himself from the enemies ambushments and that not only this once but several times after The King of Syria was much enrag'd that his designs were so often disappointed and thereupon began to suspect he had some about him that were false to him and gave secret intelligence to the Israelites and accordingly calling the great officers of his Army together and expostulating with them he askt them why they would not
first three good years in his two next evil years and in his other years following them they are written by Shemaiah the Prophet and Iddo the Seer in their Book of Genealogies or Pedegrees or Histories of Kings and other great persons who were famous among the Israelites in those times Thus Rehoboam having reigned seventeen years and for the most part wickedly Abijah his Son reigned in his stead 1 King 12. from 1 to 25. 1 King 14. from 21 to the end 2 Chron. 10. whole Chapter 2 Chron. 11. wh Ch. 2 Chron. 12. wh Ch. The second King of Judah Abijah called also Abijam ABijah began to reign in the 18th year of Jeroboam and that was the first year of his reign the 19th of Jeroboam was the second year of his reign and the twentieth was his third and though in that year he died and Asa his Son succeeded him yet having reigned two years compleat and some part of the third year he is said to have reigned three years His mothers name was Maachah the daughter of Abishalom * 2 Chron. 13.2 she is called Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah Some think she was the daughter of Tamar the only daughter of Absalom whose husband this Uriel of Gibeah was and so she was the daughter of Uriel and withal the daughter that is the Grandchild of Absalom And this seems the more probable because the mother of Absalom was call'd Maachah 2 Sam. 3.3 and he walked in all the sins of his Father For though Rehoboam and his Princes humbled themselves before the Lord upon the Preaching of Shemaiah when the King of Egypt made such a dangerous incursion into their land 2 Chron. 12.6 yet when that danger was over he soon returned to his former evil ways and this his Son likewise trod in his steps and his heart was not upright with the Lord as was the heart of David Nevertheless the Lord for his promise made to David 2 Sam. 7.16 did give him a lamp in Jerusalem that is continued his posterity to sit one after another upon his Throne and to reign in Kingly splendor and established Jerusalem in its former Political and Ecclesiastical state and preserved therein the true Religion because David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not from any thing he commanded him all the days of his life save only in the matter of Vriah that is he did not fall into any heinous and enormous crimes whereby his profession was notoriously blemished all the days of his life save only in the matter of Vriah and the sins appendant thereunto There had been during the life of Rehoboam many bickerings between the two Kingdoms but now in the first year of Abijah's reign Jeroboam raised a vast army intending to fall upon Abijah in the infancy of his reign Abijah accordingly prepares as strong an Army as he could to resist him and defend his Kingdom The two Armies met in the field Abijah's army consisted of four hundred thousand valiant men which was a very great Army but Jeroboam's consisted of as many more viz. eight hundred thousand Both the Armies being drawn forth and set in battel-array the one against the other Abijah by his Herolds or messengers desired a Parley before the fight began or at least liberty to say somewhat to Jeroboam and his chief Commanders which being granted he betook himself to mount Zemaraim which is part of mount Ephraim as the fittest place from whence he might be heard and there spake to Jeroboam and his Commanders after this manner Hear me thou Jeroboam and all Israel Ought you not to know that the Lord gave the Kingdom over all Israel to David and his Sons for ever by a Covenant of Salt * As that which is salted does not use to perish or corrupt See Numb 18.19 that is by a lasting and never-failing Covenant â Hoc ex parte falsum erat Non enim Deus promisit se totam Israelem conservaturum in familia Davidis si ipsa descisseret Osiand by a perpetual Covenant not to be abrogated or annull'd yet Jeroboam the Son of Nebat the servant of Solomon is risen up and hath rebelled against his Lord and there are gathered to him a company of vain men children of Belial who by mutual agreement combined and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam when he first entred upon the Government being then unexperienced in matters of State (a) Yet Rehoboam was 41 years of age when he began to reign 1 King 14.21 and much more in warlike affairs having been bred up delicately in the peaceful reign of Solomon and being tender-hearted and soon daunted and wanting stoutness of spirit he could not withstand them and so like rebellious subjects they fell off from him And this is now your case But do you think to go on in this course and to withstand the Kingdom of the Lord in the hands of the Sons of David and with all your might and power to oppose it Indeed you are a great multitude and I perceive you have brought into your Camp the Golden Calves which Jeroboam hath made for you for Gods But do you think that these are able to help you you have cast off the Priests of the Lord the Sons of Aaron and the Levites and have made to your selves Priests after the manner of other Nations that have no stock or family among them to which the Priesthood is tyed and you in like manner choose whom you will to be Priests Whosoever cometh to consecrate himself for a Priest and bringeth a young bullock as was enjoined under the Law Exod. 29.1 and seven rams whereas the Law required but two at the most (b) Hypocrites can observe some rites prescribed by God but in external rites they often exceed Gods prescriptions See Numb 23. Exod. 29.15 19. he may be a Priest of your Idols that are no Gods But as for us the Lord is our God (a) This must be understood by their outward profession for Abijah's heart was not upright before the Lord 1 K. 15.3 and we have not forsaken him For the true Religion is openly professed among us and the true worship of the true God is incorruptibly maintained in the Temple And the Priests which minister unto the Lord for us are the Sons of Aaron and the Levites wait upon their business and do the services which in special belong to them And they burn unto the Lord every morning and evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense they also set the shew-bread upon the Golden Table (b) There were in the Temple ten Tables of Shew-bread and ten Golden Candlesticks by a Synecdoche the singular number may be here us'd for the Plural and they cause the lamps in the Golden Candlesticks to burn every evening For we observe those Ordinances the Lord hath given us in charge but you have forsaken him And behold God himself is with us for our Captain
and his Priests with sounding Trumpets * See Numb 10.9 to cry an alarm against you Consider O children of Israel what ye do fight ye not against the Lord God of your Fathers and assure your selves that if you persist ye shall not prosper Thus Abijah spake to Jeroboam and the Israelites but they were so far from being mov'd with any thing he said that Jeroboam in the mean time drew an Ambushment behind the Camp of Judah so that the main Battalia of the Israelites faced them and an Ambushment was secretly laid behind them to fall upon their reer When the fight began the Army of Abijah beheld and lo the battle was both before them and behind them Then they cried unto the Lord for help and trusted in him and the Priests sounded with their Trumpets to strengthen their faith in the Lords promise Numb 10.9 So the men of Judah giving a great shout and falling on the Lord smote Jeroboam and all his Army with such a dreadful fear that they fled before Abijah and Judah and were discomfited and Abijah and his Soldiers slew them with a great slaughter and cut off no less than five hundred thousand of them so that they slew more than every one his man Thus the children of Judah prevailed at this time because they trusted and relyed on the Lord God of their Fathers Abijah pursuing his victory took from Jeroboam several of his Cities viz. Bethel where one of his Golden Calves was set up Jeshanah and Ephraim with the Towns belonging to them Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah Abijah now waxed mighty He married fourteen Wives partly before he was King and partly after and begat twenty two Sons and sixteen Daughters And the rest of the Acts of Abijah and his ways and his sayings are they not written in the History of the Prophet Iddo see Ch. 12.15 So Abijah having reigned three years slept with his Fathers and they buried him in the City of David And Asa his Son reigned in his stead 1 King 15. from 1 to 9. 2 Chron. 13. wh Ch. The third King of Judah ASA IN the 20th year of Jeroboam Asa began to reign over Judah and he reigned 41 years He began his reign in the time of the first King of Israel and continued to the reign of the eighth In which time the Kingdom of Israel was in three several families viz. Jeroboam's Baasha's and Omri's 'T is probable that he was very young when he came to the Crown and that hereupon Maachah his Grandmother the wife of Rehoboam his mother possibly being dead was made Queen Regent during his minority But when he came to some ripeness of years he shewed that his heart was upright before the Lord and that he was an enemy to the Idolatry that was in the land and desired to maintain the true worship of God a thing the more to be wondred at he having such a Father and such a Grandmother His Grandmother it seems had out of her zeal to Idolatry set up some new abominable Idol in a Grove He though young took courage and assuming the Government into his own hands deposed her from being Queen Regent and destroyed her Idol and burnt it by the Brook Kidron and stampt it to powder out of indignation and cast the dust thereof into the Brook He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and reformed those things that were out of order in matters of Religion and removed all the Idols that his Fathers had made yet the high places where the people worshipped the true God of Israel were not removed the people being very loth to be tyed to one place for the offering of their Sacrifices but the high places that were dedicated to the worship of strange gods he took away He took away also all the Sodomites out of the land which he could discover see Ch. 14.24 but some it seems remained till his Son Jehoshaphat came to the Crown and then he removed them 1 King 22.46 During this time of peace which the Lord had given them he exhorted his subjects to assist him in fortifying several Cities in his Kingdom and to make about them Walls Towers Gates and Bars while yet the land was quiet before them For says he we have sought the Lord and he hath given us rest on every side therefore let us make a good improvement of this mercy by preparing in time of peace for war 2 Ch. 14.6 7. After this he brought into the Lords house the things that his Father after his famous victory over Jeroboam had dedicated adding something more of his own free gift viz. silver and gold and vessels for the services of the Temple For ten years he enjoyed peace during which time Jeroboam died and Nadab his Son succeeded him Nadab two years after was slain by Baasha who reigned in his stead When those ten years were expired some enemy or other made war against him but who it was is not expressed And afterwards about the fourteenth year of his reign Zerah the Ethiopian with a vast Army of the Arabians as it seems and Philistines joining with him invaded the Kingdom of Judah with an host according to common fame of a thousand thousand and with a thousand â Supple mille ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ut patet ex Cap. 16.8 and three hundred Chariots and Horsemen proportionable Ch. 16.8 * See Ch. 16.8 Asa met them with an Army of five hundred and eight thousand levied out of Judah and Benjamin all mighty men of valour And at Mareshah a City in Judah they set their armies in battle-array to fight Then Asa cried unto the Lord his God and prayed saying It is nothing with thee to help whither with many or them that have no power Help us O Lord our God for we rest on thee and in thy name we go out against this great multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man prevail against thee So the Lord smote the Ethiopians with such a dreadful fear that they fled before Asa and the men of Judah and so many of them were slain and the rest routed that they could not rally or make head again So the men of Judah pursued them to Gerar a City of the Philistines and spoiled it and the Cities round about it and carried away very much spoil from them for a great terrour from the Lord fell upon them so that they durst not resist And the men of Judah fell also upon the Tents of the Arabians who had joined with these Ethiopians and took from them abundance of sheep and camels and so laden with spoils marched back to Jerurusalem Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Azariah the Son of Oded and he went out to meet Asa and his Army at their return and lest they should be too much puffed up with this great victory he said unto Asa and his Soldiers You see by experience that the
acception for those Countries that lay beyond Jordan but Westward something Southward and that some of them were already come to Engedi a City on the West-side of that Sea Jehoshaphat was hereat much startled and being greatly afraid he set himself to seek help from the Lord and proclaimed a â See Judg. 20.26 1 Sam. 7.6 Ezra 8.21 23. Neh. 1.4.9.11 Esth 4.9 Fast throughout all Judah that they might all joyn in humbling thomselves before the Lord and earnest supplication to him for mercy and so their prayers might be the more prevalent and effectual And Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the Cities and Towns that belong'd to Jehoshaphat's jurisdiction and came to Jerusalem to the Temple to seek the Lord and to beg help of him And Jehoshaphat stood before this great Assembly probably upon the Brazen Scaffold in the great Court (a) We read Chap. 15.8 that Asa renewed the Altar of the Lord which stood in this Court He might also repair the whole Court Or perhaps Jehoshaphat himself had done it Others understand it of the Court of the people which had been lately repaired and perhaps divided into two Courts the one being appointed for the men and the other for the women For though when Solomon built it it was but one Court yet afterwards they say it was divided into two where the people used to meet which was before the Priests Court newly repaired and beautified and prayed unto the Lord saying O Lord God of our Fathers art not thou God in heaven and rulest thou not over all the Kingdoms of the heathen and in thy hand is there not power and might so that none is able to withstand thee Art not thou our God who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend * This Title is three times given to Abraham here and Isa 41.8 and Jam. 2.3 Thus our Saviour stiled Lazarus Friends Joh. 11.11 and his Disciples Friends Joh. 15.15 for ever â That is to the coming of the Messiah And they dwell therein and have built a Temple therein for the honour of thy name and they humbly desired of thee when they consecrated it 1 King 8.30 that if any evil came upon them at any time as the sword pestilence or famine or any other dreadful judgment and they stood before this house in which thy name is call'd upon and cried unto thee in their affliction that then thou wouldst please to hear and help them And now behold O Lord the children of Moab and Ammon and Mount Seir whom thou wouldst not permit Israel to invade when they came out of the land of Egypt but didst command them to turn from them and not to destroy them behold how they now reward us who are coming in this hostile manner to cast us out of the possession which thou hast given us O our God wilt not thou judge them and punish them for this As for our selves we must needs acknowledg that we have no might or power comparatively to resist this vast body of people that cometh against us we know not what to do but our eyes are upon thee on thee only we rest and depend and from thee alone we humbly expect help Thus all Judah for some from every place were there present stood before the Lord with their wives and little ones For in times of publick humiliations they us'd to bring their little ones to the publick assemblies see Joel 2.16 that their own bowels might be the more moved at the sight of their children now in danger to be cruelly butchered by the enemy and so their hearts might be stirred up to be more serious and earnest in their supplications to God for help Immediately the spirit of Prophesie fell upon Jehaziel a Levite of the Sons of Asaph as he stood in midst of the Congregation and he spake to the King and all the Congregation Thus saith the Lord Be not afraid nor dismaid by reason of this great multitude for the battel is not yours but Gods God himself will fight for you he will not so much as use you for instruments to vanquish this great host To morrow go ye down against them behold they come by the cliff of Ziz and ye shall find them at the end of the valley before the wilderness of Israel Ye shall not need to fight in this battel Compose your selves quietly to expect the deliverance that God will give you Stand ye still fly upon your enemies you shall see the salvation of the Lord will be with you and he will deliver you therefore fear not nor be dismaid Jehoshaphat hearing this joyful news bowed his head with his face to the ground and all the people also fell down before the Lord and worshipped him and the Levite-singers stood up to praise the Lord with an high and loud voice accounting the victory already gotten because promised by one of the Lords Prophets And so they departed with great comfort for that time The next morning they rose very early and marched forth into the Wilderness of Tekoa betwixt which and Israel was the Cliff of Ziz and as they marched forth Jehoshaphat said to them Believe and trust in the Lord your God so shall ye be established and your minds setled believe his Prophets particularly what Jahaziel yesterday prophesied unto you and so shall ye prosper And when he had consulted with the Commanders of the Army what was fit for them to do he as being by faith assured of the victory appointed some of the Levite-singers to go before the Army and to sing the high praises of God and to praise the Lord in whom is the beauty and perfection of holiness * V. 21. Some by the beauty of holiness understand Gods most holy Majesty who dwelleth in Heaven where is the beauty of Holiness and to do it according to that beautiful and holy order that was prescribed in the Temple and especially to sing praise ye the Lord for his mercy endureth for ever which was the foot of several Psalmes of Thanksgiving composed by David and particularly of the 136 Psalm It might seem a strange thing for an Army to march against a potent enemy in such a manner as this but Jehoshaphat firmly relying on what God had promised he found the success answering his faith for when the Levites began to sing praises unto the Lord and as it were to triumph before hand for the victory promised the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon Moab and Mount Seir that is sent a spirit of discord and dissention among them so that the Ammonites and Moabites suspecting those of Mount Seir * The Edomites that join'd now with the Moabites and Ammonites against Jehoshaphat might be only some voluntarie mercenaries not sent out by the State of Edom that was in subjection to the Kingdom of Judah and it seems they
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.
and thirty years he died He was about ten or eleven years old at Solomons death and lived in the reigns of eight Kings of Judah It was a great blessing to that Kingdom that he lived so long And they buried him in the City of David among the Kings which was an high honour to him because he had done good in Israel both towards God in restoring his worship and towards his house in causing it to be repaired Now after the death of Jehoiada that wise godly and zealous Governour several of the Princes of Judah who as it seems had concealed their impious mind and hollow heartedness in Religion before came now to Joash and making a low obeisance to him and presenting unto him a flattering address they petitioned him as appears by what follows that they might have leave to set up the Idolatry of Baal again in the land and to worship God in the high places after the manner of their fathers because it was burdensome to go up from all parts to the Temple The King being prevailed upon by their flatteries * Multorum Principum aures nihil accipiunt nisi jucundum lâsurum Tacitus granted their request and so they left the Temple the house of the God of their Fathers and served Idols in Groves and thereby brought the wrath of the Lord upon Judah and Jerusalem by this their great trespass For shortly after Hazael King of Syria see 2 King 12.17 invaded the land and took Gath (a) This City David recovered from the Philistines 1 Chr. 18.1 and the Kings of Judah held it to this time It was one of the Cities Rehoboam fortified 2 Chr. 11.8 and was preparing to go against Jerusalem So formidable to Joash was this approach of Hazael that he was forc'd to purchase his peace with him by making him a present of all the hallowed things and of all the gold that was found in the Treasuries of the Temple and in his own house (b) 2 Chron. 24.27 The greatness of the burdens laid upon him may hereby be meant which are mentioned in some Civil Records Sundry Prophets and extraordinary messengers God sent to them one after another to reclaim the King and his people from those evil ways and to bring them again to the Lord. And these Prophets (c) So the Lord dealt with the Ten Tribes 2 King 17.13 and with the men of Judah after this 2 Chron. 36.15 16. did faithfully declare their sin to them even to their very faces and foretold them of the judgments God would bring upon them if they did not repent however they would not hearken to them but by an obstinacy in sin pull'd down vengeance on their own heads At length Zachariah the Son of Jehoiada was by the Spirit of God stirred up to admonish them of their wickedness who accordingly did it with great boldness and courage and standing up in an high place in the Court of the Temple and speaking to the King his Nobles and people he told them Thus saith the Lord why do ye so transgress the commandments of the Lord that ye cannot prosper because ye have forsaken the Lord he hath forsaken you and given you over into the hands of the Syrians Hereupon these Idolatrous Princes and the people that were like them being enraged immediately consulted together to destroy him and probably complained grievously to the King of him representing him as the manner of such persons is as a man highly disaffected to the Kings person and government and an enemy to the State And having by this means inflam'd the King against him they askt him if they should presently stone him which he agreeing to and commanding they furiously rushed into the Priests Court whither Zachariah had betaken himself and with most daring impiety stoned him between the Temple and the Altar * See Mat. 23.35 But before he expired he said The Lord will look upon it and require it that is he will severely avenge my blood upon you Thus Joash remembred not the kindness which Jehoiada the Father of Zachariah had done for him who had nourished him in the Temple in his infancy and with extream hazard to himself set him upon the Throne and instructed him in the ways of God and had been his most faithful counsellor and a means of procuring many blessings to him and yet notwithstanding all this he now cruelly consents to the murdering of his Son and that only for giving him faithful counsel But though Joash was thus abominably ungrateful yet the Lord would not let it so pass For before that year was expired the Syrians invaded the land again and executed the judgment of God upon them with great severity For though they came only with a small company of men intending possibly to pillage rather than to perform any great action and Joash went out against them with a very great army yet this small band of the Syrians overthrew that great host of Judah because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers The Syrians being highly encouraged with this victory they went up against Jerusalem and destroyed all the Princes of the people on whom they could lay their hands who had been the great instruments to draw away their King from the worship of the true God to Idolatry and they sent the spoil of them to the King of Damascus And when they departed they left Joash in sore diseases perhaps by reason of some wounds he had received in the fight which advantage two of his own servants laying hold upon slew him in his bed and thereby avenged the blood of the Son * V. 25. For the blood of the Sons of Jehoiada i. e. one of his Sons the Plural numâer for the Singular of Jehoiada the Priest he was slain in the beginning of the fortieth year of his reign And they buried him in the City of David but not in the Sepulchres of the Kings He reigned twenty two years with Jehu the rest in the time of Jehoahaz Jehu's Son and Jehoash his Grandchild and Amaziah his Son succeeded him 1 King 11. wh Ch. 2 King 12. wh Ch. 2 Chron. 23. wh Ch. 2 Chron. 24. wh Ch. The 9th King of Judah AMAZIAH AMAZIAH the Son of Joash was twenty five years old when he began to reign and reigned twenty nine years â T is said that in the second year of Joash King of Israel he began to reign that is in the second year of Joaâh after he began to reign alone his father Jehoahaz being dead For Joa h began to reign three years before hâs father died and that was the 37th year of Joash King of Judah the father of Amaziah who reigned forty years compleat In the beginning of his reign he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord viz. that which was for the substance of it good and approved of God yet not with an upright heart like David but according to what Joash his
and the shew-bread-table with the utensils belonging to it Moreover say they all the holy vessels which Ahaz in his transgression did cut in pieces and cast away we have repaired and renewed and fitted and sanctified for the holy use to which they were appointed Behold they are before the Altar of the Lord and ready to be set in their proper places 2 Chron. 29. from v. 12 to 20. The next morning King Hezekiah called together all the Rulers of the City and went up with them to the house of the Lord where he together with the people by the Ministry of the Priests and Levites offered seven Bullocks seven Rams seven Lambs and seven He-goats as a sin-offering upon the Altar of the Lord to make atonement 1. For the King his counsellors and officers and family 2. For the sins and abominations that were committed in the Temple by Idolatry and false worship 3. For the sins of Judah that is of the whole people And the Priests killed the Bullocks and Rams and sprinkled the blood on the Altar and they brought forth the he-goats before the King and all the congregation and they laid their hands on them thereby acknowledging their sins and that this sacrifice was offer'd up in their stead and the Priests killed them and made reconciliation for the people with their blood For the King commanded that the burnt-offering and the sin-offering should be offered for the whole people that atonement might be made for all that the plaister might be as large as the sore And he took care also to have the praises of the Lord solemnly sung by the Levite-singers and that they should be ready with their Cymbals Psalteries and Harps to do it as David Gad and Nathan being all inspired by God had directed The Levites therefore standing ready with their instruments and the Priests with their Trumpets when the burnt-offering began to be offered then the Song of the Lord began to be sung viz. the 136 Psalm the Trumpets sounding and the Levites singing and playing on their instruments the more to excite their spirits and all this continued till the burnt-offering was offered and then the King and all the people bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord. And the King and his Nobles commanded the Levites that they should sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David and Asaph the Seer which accordingly they did with great gladness of heart bowing also their heads and worshipping Then the King spake to the Priests saying Ye have now consecrated your selves as it were a new to the Lord therefore approach his Altar and bring in the sacrifices and thank-offerings which the people shall be willing to offer The whole congregation being much wrought upon by the Kings words presented their sacrifices and thank-offerings very freely and those that were of a more free and forward spirit offered whole burnt-offerings wherein there was more respect manifested to God than in other sacrifices for in these the offerers themselves had a part but in the other all was consumed on the Altar and yet the number of these burnt-offerings that were now offered was very great viz. seventy bullocks and an hundred rams and two hundred lambs But the other sacrifices of several sorts that were offered viz. peace-offerings and free-will offerings were very numerous viz. six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep But the Priests were too few to slay all the burnt-offerings therefore the Levites did help them * This they did in this particular case it was not their ordinary work till the work was ended and till other Priests had sanctified themselves For the Levites were more forward to sanctifie themselves than the Priests and so there were more of them at this present sanctified than of the Priests Besides the burnt-offerings were very many and the fat of the peace-offerings was to be pulled off and burnt upon the Altar and drink-offerings to be added to every burnt-offering all which required much work which those few Priests were not able to perform at this time Thus the service of the house of the Lord was set in order by good Hezekiah And the King rejoiced and all that were truly pious with him that the Lord had put such a good inclination and zeal into the hearts of the people whereby they were so willing and so readily inclined to this work of reformation And it was evident that the thing was of God because it was done sooner and with more speed than could reasonably have been expected considering how much before under Ahaz they had been corrupted with Idolatry And to have their hearts so soon and so wonderfully changed was an extraordinary work of the Spirit of God 2 Chron. 29. wh Ch. Hezekiah now resolves to have the Passover solemnly celebrated but it could not be kept at the time appointed viz. on the 14th day of the first Month because the purgation of the Temple was not finished until the 16th day of that month neither had the Priests sanctified themselves sufficiently neither were all the males gathered together to Jerusalem according to the Law as they ought to be at that great Festival therefore the King Priests and representative body of the people appointed to keep the Passover on the 14 day of the second month and in order hereunto the King sent to Judah and Benjamin and to all the Israelites that had join'd themselves to them and sent Letters also to the remainder of the ten Tribes that were not carried away by Tiglath-pilesar King of Assyria as many of their brethren were See 2 King 15.29 even to all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba inviting them to come to the house of the Lord to keep the Passover For they had not done it of a long while in such sort as was prescribed So the Posts went out with Letters from the King and his Princes inviting the Israelites to come and keep this solemn Festival at Jerusalem His Letters ran thus Ye children of Israel I exhort you to turn again unto the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and he will return in grace and mercy to the remnant of you that are escaped out of the hand of Pul and Tiglath-pilesar Kings of Assyria 2 King 15.29 1 Chron. 5.26 And be not like your Fathers and your brethren which trespassed against the Lord who therefore gave them up to desolation as you see at this day Neither be ye stiff-necked as your Fathers were but yield your selves unto the Lord and willingly give up your selves in obedience unto him and enter into his Sanctuary and Temple which he hath consecrated to himself for a place of workship even as long as it shall stand and there appear before him viz. in the Court of the people and serve the Lord your God that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you For if you turn again unto the Lord your brethren and your children that are led away captive shall find compassion from
begun in Manasseh his Son's time 2 Chron. 33.11 and further accomplished in Jehoiakims and Zedekiahs time as we shall see more afterwards and they shall be ministers and servants in the Palace of the King of Babylon 2 King 24. 25. Hezekiah was wounded to the heart with this dreadful message however he meekly replied Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken that is it is just and righteous and no more than what I and my people had deserved Then humbling himself for his pride and vanity and the people joining with him therein 2 Chron. 32.26 it pleased the Lord by the Prophet to declare to him that the judgment denounced should not come in his days Whereupon he said that though it was a grievous thing to him to think of those judgments that should befall those who were to come after him yet he acknowledged it as a great mercy of God that there should be peace and truth in his days 2 King 20. from 12 to 20. 2 Chron. 32.31 Isa 39. wh Ch. Hezekiah three years after his recovery had his Son Manasses by Hephzibah twelve years before his death 2 King 21.1 In the days of Hezekiah as 't is thought lived NAHVM the Prophet he Prophesied of the destruction of Nineveh and the Assyrian Monarchy and comforted the Jews with a promise of deliverance from the Assyrian Tyranny He mentioneth the evil counsel of Sennacherib against the Lord and foretelleth his death in his Idol-temple Nahum 1.11 There is one come out of thee that imagineth evil against the Lord a wicked counsellor and ver 14. The Lord hath given a commandment concerning thee that no more of thy name be sown Out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image I will make thy grave for thou art vile This Prophet denounceth destruction to Nineveh in very plain terms They had repented formerly at the Preaching of Jonah but now had relapsed to their former wickedness The Israelites had been much oppressed by them First by Pul 2 King 15.19 then by Tiglath-pileser 2 King 16. at last by Salmanassar who carried away the Ten Tribes captives 2 King 17.18 After this Sennacherib invaded Judea and besieged Jerusalem and grew to be like a great cedar in Lebanon Ezek. 31.3 and now the Prophet Nahum declares Gods great power and the furious revenge he would take upon his enemies and that he would make an utter end of Nineveh Affliction should not rise up the second time and no more of the name of the Assyrian should be sown and this should be for Iudahs consolation His Prophesie contains first a general denunciation of Ninevehs destruction and consequently of the Assyrian Monarchy He shews their destruction shall be sudden total irresistible Chap. 1. and the effect of it shall be that the people of Iudah hearing these glad tidings of her destruction proclaimed openly as upon the tops of mountains shall exceedingly rejoice at them as at tidings of peace to them and shall then without disturbance keep their solemn feasts and perform their vows unto the Lord their enemies who disquieted them being cut off Chap. 1. Secondly He gives a particular description of the destruction of Nineveh and lively sets it forth by the dreadful approach of the enemy the terror of their army the taking of the City and the captivity of Huzzah the Queen and her maids and their mournful deportment under their captivity groaning and bemoaning their condition with the mournful voice of Doves and Tabering or beating upon their breasts to express their sorrow Then he describes the spoiling and plundering of the City the astonishment of the inhabitants and how their faces would gather blackness Also the insulting of the enemy at the desolation of this City which had been an habitation of Lions that is of cruel oppressors Ch. 2. Thirdly He sets forth the causes of Ninevehs ruin the Lord setting himself against her for her great sins viz. her cruelty and blood-guiltiness her falshood her robbery and oppression and her filthy Idolatries for all which she should be made a shameful spectacle And lest Nineveh presuming upon her own strength should think these calamities should not befall her he shews she was not comparable to populous No or Alexandria in Egypt which yet was ruined and so should she notwithstanding all her strong holds her numerous inhabitants strong gates repaired towers multitude of Merchants and her many Counsellors Princes and Commanders So that her bruise should be incurable and her wound mortal Chap. 3. Hezekiah now dies his acts were written by Isaiah and by those that wrote the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah He was buried in the chiefest of the Sepulchres of the Sons of David and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him all the honour they possibly could at his death he having been so pious and good a King and Manasseh his Son reigned in his stead 2 Chron. 32.32 33. 2 King 20.20 21. The 14th that reigned in Judah MANASSEH MANASSEH was twelve years old when he began to reign about twenty four years after the ruin of the Ten Tribes and he reigned fifty five years and so longer than any of the Kings of Judah He did worse than all the Kings that went before him being carried away as 't is probable by such Nobles about him as did not in their hearts approve the reformation of his good Father He again set up the high places which his Father had pulled down he reared up Altars for Baal and made a grove as Ahab had done 1 King 16.33 to the honour of Idols he built altars to all the host of heaven to the Sun Moon and the rest of the Planets in the two Courts of the Lords house where God had said that he would put his name that he alone might be there worshipped He made one of his Sons pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom sacrificing him to Molech so that it seems he continued long in his Idolatry for he could not have a Son in the beginning of his reign being but twelve years of age He observed times esteeming some days as lucky others as unlucky he used enchantments and dealt with such as had familiar spirits and with wizards he set up a graven image in the Temple containing a representation of the Idolatrous grove he had made * See 2 King 23.6 where 't is said Josiah brought out the grove from the house of the Lord unto the brook Kidron and burnt it though God had said to David and Solomon that he had chosen that house to put his name there and would have his name alone there worshipped as long as that dispensation should last and promised upon their obedience that he would not suffer them to be carried away captive to other lands But they obeyed not and Manasseh seduced them and made Judah and Jerusalem go astray and do worse than all the
seemeth to have been missing ever since the beginning of Manasseh's reign who possibly at first endeavoured to burn all the Books of the Law and so this Book was hid in some secret place of the Temple by some faithful Priest that it might be preserved for future times Hilkiah having found it he sent it by Shaphan the Scribe unto the King who having heard it read all over to him was exceedingly affected therewith and rent his clothes and more especially as 't is likely at those dreadful threatnings against Idolatry which are written in Levit. 26. Deut. 28. Hereupon he immediately sent to (b) Miriam and Deborah and Anna were all Prophetesses Thus the Lord is pleas'd to endue some women with the spirit of Prophesie to shew that he is not tyed to any sex Huldah a famous Prophetess who dwelt in Ierusalem in the suburbs or second part and desired her to ask counsel of the Lord for him Ieremy possibly being not then at Ierusalem but at Anathoth For Iosiah hearing those curses in the Law denounced against Idolatry and knowing how much some of his Predecessors had been guilty thereof he much seared lest the judgments threatned in that Book might fall upon him and his people and desired to know whither there might be any means to pacifie Gods wrath and prevent those judgments Huldah returned this answer Thus saith the Lord Behold I will bring evil upon this place and upon the inhabitants thereof even all the curses written in the Book which the King of Judah hath read because they have forsaken me and burnt incense to other gods and have provoked me to anger with the works of their hands viz. their idols and altars therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place and shall not be quenched intimating the utter extirpation of the Jews out of that good land but to the King of Judah who sent you say to him Thus saith the Lord as touching the words and threatnings which thou hast heard read out of the Book because thy heart was tender and soon moved at the hearing of my threatnings and thou hast humbled thy self before me when thou heardest what I spake against this place and the inhabitants thereof that they should become a desolation and a curse that is have the curses written in this Book executed upon it and hast rent thy clothes and wept before me Behold I will gather thee unto thy pious ancestors in heaven before these dreadful calamities shall fall upon this place and people and thou shalt be gathered unto thy grave in peace This answer of Huldahs being brought to the King his heart was so affected with it that to prevent if it were possible this judgment threatned he called together the Elders of Judah and Jerusalem together with the Priests and Prophets viz. Jeremy Baruck Zephany and Vriah and the people both small and great and caused one of the Levites to read in their ears all the words of the Book of the Covenant * The Law is called a Cove an t because obedâence was therein requir'd on the peoples part and a blessing thereupon promised on Gods part so called because it contained the Covenant that God made with the people of Israel See 1 King 8.9 And the King stood by the Pillar on the Brasen Scaffold or on some Throne erected by a pillar in the Temple for him to stand upon at that time and there solemnly made a Covenant before the Lord in his own name and the name of the people to walk after the Lord that is to observe what he prescrib'd unto them and to keep his commandments testimonies and statutes with all their heart and with all their soul and to perform the words of the Covenant written in that Book and he caused all that were present to give their consent to it and the inhabitants of Jerusalem were the most forward to engage themselves to walk according to the Covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers and did accordingly so walk Then the King commanded Hilkiah the High Priest and the Priests that were next unto him and the Levites to bring forth out of the Temple * Josiah did begin to purge Judah and Jerusalem of Idols in the twelfth year of his reign six years before the Book of the Law was found but upon hearing those dreadful threatnings in the Law against Idolatry he now proceeded further and perfected that reformation which was then begun Therefore the Penman of the Sacred History of the Chronicles relating the Reformation that Josiah wrought in the twelfth year of his reign adds also what was done afterwards when the Book of the Law was found and speaking how he suppressed Idolatry upon the hearing of the Law read to him he joins many things of the same nature that were done in the twelfth year of his reign that all his zealous acts in rooting out Idolatry might he related together all the vessels that were made for Baal and used in his worship or in the Idolatrous worship of the Groves or of the Host of Heaven and he burnt them in the field by which the river Kidron did run and carried the ashes of them to Bethel therewith to defile the prime seat of Jeroboams Idolatry These things had been us'd by Manasseh and Amon but were set aside as it seems in some by-place of the Temple in Josiah's time and seeing still they remained there this good King's zeal would not permit them to be there any longer And he put down the Idolatrous Priests or Chemarim whom the Kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in high places in the Cities of Judah and in places round about Jerusalem He put down those also who burnt incense to Baal or to the Sun Moon and the Planets and host of heaven and he brought out the Image whereon a grove was engraven which it seems was hung up in the Temple and stampt it to powder and cast the dust thereof upon the graves of those that had worshipped Idols and sacrificed unto them 2 Chron. 34.4 And he brake down the Tents of the Sodomites that were in the grove by the house of the Lord and where the women wove hangings for those filthy tents so that in that grove they not only worshipped Idols but as it seems defiled themselves also with all manner of abominable uncleanness And he brought all the Priests that were the Sons of Aaron and had served the true God in high places out of the Cities where they had exercised that false worship and would not suffer them to live there and he defiled the high places even from Geba the North border of the Kingdom of Judah to Beersheba the South-border and beat down their Altars and burned dead mens bones on them v. 14. to make them unclean and brake down the high places that were erected at the entring of the Gates by Joshua the Governour of the City whither it seems many of the people used to
God clears himself of and shews that he is most just both in punishing and rewarding and that every one shall bear the punishment of his own sins and not of anothers and that if an unjust man repent of his evil ways he shall find mercy for God hath no pleasure at all that the wicked should die see Chap. 33.11 and if a man that is esteemed a just man turn from his righteousness he shall have judgment wherefore he exhorts all to repent and so iniquity shall not be their ruin And to cast away their transgressions and to make them a new heart and a new spirit * That is to endeavour to get a new frame of heart and spirit seeking to the Lord to work it in them by the power of his grace for God hath no pleasure in the death of him that dies The 19th Chap. contains a lamentation for the Princes of Judah under the Parable of Lions whelps taken in a pit from 1 to 10. 2ly A lamentation for Jerusalem under the Parable of a wasted vine Ezek. Ch. 12. Ch. 13. Ch. 14. Ch. 15. Ezek. Ch. 16. Ch. 17. Ch. 18. Ch. 19. About this time as it seems Zedekiah through a vain confidence of help and assistance from the King of Egypt revolted from Nebuchadnezzar not regarding the Covenant he had made with him nor the oath of fealty and fidelity which he had sworn to him 'T is said 2 King 24.20 that through the anger of the Lord against Judah and Jerusalem for their heinous sins it came to pass that he permitted Zedekiah to rebell against the King of Babylon intending thereby to cast them out of that good land where he had in an especial manner manifested his presence The Prophet Ezekiel Ch. 17. v. 15.16 says of him He rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar in sending his Embassadors into Egypt that they might give him horses and much people shall he prosper shall he escape that doth such things or shall he break the Covenant and be delivered As I live saith the Lord God surely in the place where the King dwelleth that made him King whose oath he despised and whose covenant he brake even with him in the midst of Babylon be shall die 2 Chron. 36.13 2 King 24.20 Ezek. 17. from 11 to 21. In the seventh year of Jeconiahs captivity on the tenth day of the fifth month Ezekiel reproved the Elders for their gross hypocrisie who came again to him requesting him to ask counsel of the Lord for them Ezek. Ch. 20. in which Chapter he sets before them a summary of the rebellions of their forefathers in Egypt in the wilderness and in Canaan and shews them how they trod in their fathers steps for which abominations he severely threatens them He promises to preserve his Church and his true worship therein notwithstanding and to gather his people again by the Gospel He foretels Jerusalem's destruction under the Type of a forrest burnt by fire Chap. 21. He is commanded to prophesie very sharply against Jerusalem and to declare to them that God had drawn out his sword against them therefore he was to sigh with the breaking of his loyns as a sign unto them of their approaching calamity He foretels that the King of Babel shall consult by divination whether he should first set upon Jerusalem or the land of the Ammonites and that he shall first set upon Jerusalem because of their perjury He prophesies again against the Kingdom of Judah as also of the coming of the Messiah and that God will overturn that Kingdom so that it shall never be restor'd to its former luster till he comes whose right it is that is the Messiah to whom it belongeth as Davids successor according to the flesh He prophesies also against the Moabites Chap. 22. He sets down a Catalogue of the sins that reigned in Jerusalem for which God will burn them as dross in the furnace and there he sets down the general corruption of Prophets Priests Princes and people none standing in the gap to divert his wrath Chap. 23. The Idolatrous defection both of Israel and Judah is set forth under the type of two women notorious for whoredoms viz. Aholah and Aholibah the Idolatry of Israel is set forth from v. 1 to the 9. and her overthrow by her lovers the Assyrians v. 9 10. The Idolatry of Judah worse than Israels is set forth from ver 11 to 22. who is therefore threatned with ruin by her lovers the Chaldeans from v. 22 to 36. The Idolatries of them both are repeated and judgments threatned against them both from 36 to the end Ezek. Ch. 20. Ch. 21. Ch. 22. Ch. 23. In the ninth year of Zedekiah Nebuchadnezzar invades Judea again to be revenged on him for his breach of faith This being a Sabbatical year the men of Jerusalem hearing that Nebuchadnezzar approached with his army proclaimed liberty to their servants according to the Law Exod. 21.2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant six years he shall serve and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing And Deut. 15.12 And if thy brother an Hebrew man or an Hebrew woman be sold unto thee and serve thee six years then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee Nebuchadnezzar having wasted all the Country and taken their strong holds came now before the walls of Jerusalem on the tenth day of the tenth month and raised forts round about it In memorial whereof a fast was afterwards kept during the Captivity Zach. 8.19 Thus saith the Lord of hosts the fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness and chearful feasts therefore love the truth and peace 2 King 25.1 2. Jer. 39.1 Jer. 52.4 5. Jer. 34.8 9 10. Ezekiel upon the self-same day the siege was laid to Jerusalem hath it revealed to him in Babylon namely in the ninth year of Jeconiah and the utter destruction of it also represented to him by the type of an hot seething pot with pieces of flesh and bones in it And that evening his wife died for whose death he was charged not to mourn thereby signifying the grievous calamity of the Jews to be such as might justly drown all private sorrow Ezek. 24. whole Chapter The siege being now laid to Jerusalem the Prophet Jeremy was commanded by God to foretel to Zedekiah the utter destruction of it by the Babylonians and that Zedekiah himself should be carried away prisoner to Babylon and there should end his days and yet be honourably interred Jer. 34. from 1 to 8. The Prophet for this his faithful dealing was by Zedekiah clapt up in the Court of the prison of the Kings house where at Gods command he buyeth a field of Hanamael his Uncles son taketh witnesses of it and delivereth the writing to be kept as a token that the Jews should return into their own Country again This being
he confirmeth his decree with a great penalty that it might be the more carefully observed saying Whosoever shall go about to alter that word or decree let the timber be pulled down from his house and set up as a Gibbet and let him be hanged thereon and let his house be made a dunghill and the God that hath formerly caused his glory to dwell in that house and hath manifested his gracious presence there destroy all Kings and people that shall put to their hands either to alter and so turn to another use or to destroy this house of God which is building at Jerusalem Thus says the King I have decreed and I require and command that my decree be speedily and effectually executed Tatnai and Shetharboznai receiving this command durst not disobey it but forthwith furnished the Jews with moneys as the King commanded and so the Jews being thus encouraged by the Prophesies of Haggai and Zachary and thus countenanced by the decrees of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes * Whereas 't is said v. 14. And Artaxerxes King of Persia c. This Artaxerxes in likelihood was one of those seven Princes that had put down Smerdis Magus of whom before and in a sort at the beginning was partaker in the Empire with Darius But Darius afterwards delivered himself from the power of those Princes and made himself absolute went on courageously to the finishing of the work Ezra 6. from 1 to 15. Darius or Ahasuerus as he is called in Scripture in the third year of his reign as he sat in his Palace at Susa being in peace and quietness Third year of Darius to shew the glory of his Kingdom and the greatness of his state The Book of Esther which was written as some conceive by Mordecai see Ch. 9.20 21. or at least he wrote a relation of these things from whence the Pen-man of this Book whether Ezra or any other did by the instinct of Gods Spirit gather together these remarkable passages that are here recorded It hath been received as a part of the Sacred Oracles of God committed to the Jews and by them faithfully preserved though the name of the Lord Jehovah be not mentioned in it made a feast for all the Governours and great men of his dominions which lasted an hundred and eighty days or near half a year After this Royal feast and entertainment given to his Nobles he made another of seven days long for all the people both great and small in the Court of the Garden of the Kings house where were white and green and blew hangings fastned with cords of fine linnen and purple to silver-rings and pillars of marble and the beds or couches were of gold and silver standing upon a pavement of red and blew white and black marble At this feast they had plenty of the best wine enough and served to them in golden cups according to the Royal state of the King but the King commanded that none should be compelled to drink more than they had a mind to which may sufficiently condemn our intemperate Health-drinkers who so tyrannically impose their Healths on others thereby usurping upon their liberty and many times shamefully occasioning their debauchery The Queen also made a feast for the women within the Palace and there entertained them Upon the last day of this feast the King being something high-flown with wine would needs shew the beauty of his Queen which was very great to the men and accordingly sent for her to come to him But she it seems not being in humour refused to come Thereupon the King being exceedingly enraged consulted his wise men who were skill'd in the Histories of ancient times it being his manner to consult such in all difficult cases as knew the Law and were able to give just and righteous judgment He consulted also the seven Princes of Persia and Media who were nearest about him and had always free access to him and askt them what he might do by law unto the Queen who had exprest such a contempt and disobedience towards him Memucan one of them answered that the Queen had not only done that which was injurious to the King but had injur'd all persons of authority and dignity throughout the Kingdom (a) Observa quam facile regis voluntas aliorum ad se judicia trahit Novit hic non ingratam Regi irato hanc futuram sententiam In gratiam Regis locutus est nam imbecillium est sequens argumentum for this her disobedience being so publick was enough to infect all the women in the Empire and to encourage them to despise their husbands and from this day forward if their husbands shall require any thing at their hands they will say they will not do it encouraging themselves from the Queens Example And by this means wives may be brought to despise their husbands and too much wrath may be kindled in husbands against their wives If it therefore please the King let a Royal commandment go forth from him and let it be written among the Laws of the Medes and Persians and so not to be altered that Vasthi shall be divorced from the King and that her Royal Estate shall be given to another who is more humble and will be more obedient to the King and the publishing this decree will make all the wives throughout the Empire to give honour to their husbands by constantly obeying them This counsel pleased the King and accordingly he divorced and put her away making moreover a Law that every man hereafter should be Master in his own house and that whatever he commanded provided it were honest and just should be yielded unto by his wife children and servants Esther 1. whole Chapter Atossa or Vashti being thus divorced there was enquiry made among all the fair damsels that were any where to be found in Ahasuerus's dominions for a fit consort for the King in Vashti's room and among others Esther a fair damsel of the Jewish Nation was taken into consideration who was Cousin-german to Mordecai whose great Grandfather Kish was carried away captive with Jechoniah King of Judah This Esther being a very beautiful young Virgin through the over-ruling Providence of God she first finds favour with Hegai the keeper of the women and he speedily gave her all things requisite for her purification viz. sweet odours and perfumes see v. 12. and whatever might make her acceptable to the King and seven maids to attend her and preferred her and her maids to the best place of the house of the women but by Mordecai's direction she did not discover her self to be of Jewish race that people being then despised and Mordecai feared she might fare something the worse upon that account if her Parentage were known Esther 2. from 1 to 12. Fourth year of Darius In the fourth year of Darius the fourth day of the ninth month when the Jews by Sharezer and Regem-meleck consulted with the Priests and Prophets
it And because they could not all conveniently hear Ezra they divided themselves into several companies and in each of them there were Pulpits or Scaffolds erected as may be gathered from Ch. 9.4 from whence they expounded the Law unto them there being several teachers in each place that successively discharged that work And in these holy exercises and duties they continued from morning till noon viz. about five or six hours The people were exceedingly affected at the hearing of the Law expounded to them being thereby convinced of their sins and their liableness to the dreadful judgments of God for them and fell a weeping and wept very sore but Nehemiah the Tirshatha or Governour and Ezra the Priest and those Levites that instructed the people comforted and encouraged them telling them that God was merciful to the penitent and that that was a day holy to the Lord their God and therefore on that day they should rejoyce and not mourn and weep So Nehemiah dismissed them and bad them go their way and eat the fat and drink the sweet that is feast together with their peace-offerings and send portions to them for whom nothing is provided see Deut. 16.14 for this day says he is holy unto the Lord our God neither be ye sorry for the joy of the Lord is your strength that is the Lord would have you rejoyce in his goodness and manifold mercies which he has conferred on you and does still continue to you and thereby to comfort your hearts So the people were quieted understanding Gods readiness to forgive them upon their repentance and went and did as Nehemiah directed them Nehem. 8. from 1 to 13. Upon the second day of the same month Ezra was consulted by the Elders of the Families and by the Priests and Levites concerning certain doubts arising upon the reading of the Law the day before and particularly concerning the Feast of Tabernacles whereof as it seems Ezra had purposely spoken to instruct the people about it because that Feast was now at hand Whereupon Ezra shewed them that they were bound to keep that Feast on the 15th day of the seventh month abroad and in booths made of boughs of trees according to the Law Levit. 23.34 v. 40. The people yielded a ready obedience hereunto and accordingly went forth and fetcht in Olive-branches and Pine-branches and Mirtle-branches and Palm-branches and branches of thick trees and made themselves booths upon the roof of their houses and in their Courts and in the Courts of the house of God and in the streets all over the City from one end of it to another and sat under their booths to eat their meat and take their rest and there was great joy and gladness among them so that from the days of Joshua until this time the children of Israel had not kept this Feast * They kept this Feast Ezr. 3.4 1 King 8.65 and at sundry other times with so much devotion and solemnity as now they did for the Law required that only the first and last day of the Feast should be more solemn convocations Levit. 23.35 36. and great holy days whereon they might do no work and their manner it seems had been to assemble the people and on those days only to read the word and though on other days they were to offer sacrifices yet they might therein do the works of their particular callings but such was Ezra's zeal that he did now on every day of the Feast read the Book of the Law and expound it to them and as he was willing to preach so they were willing to hear every day And they kept the eighth day also as a solemn assembly according to the manner which God had enjoyned and his people from time to time had practised On that day they used to beg the pardon of all their sins and failings and to crave a blessing also from the Lord upon themselves and their families for the future Nehem. 8. from 13 to the end The Jews having been so careful according to the Law to keep the Feast of Trumpets on the first day of the month and the Feast of Tabernacles on the 15th 't is likely they omitted not to keep the tenth day which was the day of atonement whereon they were to afflict their souls very solemnly But yet having heard the Law day by day all the Feast of Tabernacles expounded to them Ch. 8.18 and finding thereby how grievously they had sinned and how far short they still were of what God required of them they resolved now to keep a solemn Fast before this great Assembly now gathered together departed to their own houses And accordingly on the 24th of this month they again assembled to keep a solemn fast and to renew their Covenant with God It seems they had not performed what they so solemnly covenanted Ezra 10.3 But by hearing the Law so plainly expounded to them they came to understand how great a sin their taking and living with strange wives was and what great judgments they were liable unto by reason thereof And being deeply priced in their hearts for the same they humbled themselves before the Lord and testified their humiliation by fasting and putting on sackcloth and earth upon their heads thereby acknowledging that they were more worthy to be under the earth than above it And they separated themselves from their strange wives and the children they had by them as also from such strangers as had mixed themselves with them and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers who had given them such an ill example The people stood up in their several places of meeting and being divided as it seems into eight several congregations accordingly eight Levites stood up each of them upon a Scaffold or Pulpit erected for them and the day among the Jews consisting of twelve hours or four Trihoria the first three hours were allotted for the morning sacrifice and the three last for the evening-sacrifice and the other two fourth parts were thus imploy'd one fourth-part the Priests and Levites read in the Law of God and another fourth-part prayed and praised God Thus they continued in these holy exercises from morning to evening The Priests standing upon their several Scaffolds cried unto the Lord with fervency of spirit and extention of voice And they stirred up the people to bless the Lord who liveth for ever and ever going before them in such words as these Blessed be thy glorious name O Lord which is exalted above all blessing and praise and is so high and glorious that we cannot sufficiently praise the same The eight Levites before mentioned had their several companies before whom they prayed and read and expounded the Law But 't is like Ezra did all this before the heads and Governours and other chief men of Judah and that he made the prayer following before them for all that congregation could not hear one man together at one time In this
9. 9ly Concerning the daily Sacrifices to be offered on this Altar constantly besides all other occasional Sacrifices which were to be two Lambs of the first year one to be offered in the Morning (g) A Pattern for our Devotion Morning and Evening the other in the Evening (h) Or between the two Evenings see Ch. 12.6 that is from the beginning of the declining of the Sun viz. three in the Afternoon to Sun-setting Hoc juge Sacrificium singulis diebus nullo intermisso sive Sacro sive prosano osserebatur scil agnus unus mane ante omnia Sacrificia alter vespere post alia Sacrificia for a Burnt-Offering to the Lord with an Omer or Pottle (i) See Notes on Exod. 16.36 of Flour mingled with the fourth part of an Hin (k) An Hin containing six Pints so the fourth part of an Hin is a Pint and half or a Pint and half of pure Oil and a Pint and half of Wine (l) Which was to signifie that Christ by the Oblation of Himself for Us becomes not only Redemption but also Food Gladness and chearing Comfort to be poured upon it and all to be consumed by fire upon the Altar Upon their performance of these things God promises to meet with them there at the door (m) Duobus ergo locis Deus loquebatur primo super Arcam in Sto Storum secundo ad ostium Tabernaculi Utrique loco propinquum erat altare illi thymiamatis huic holocausti In utroque offerebatur juge Sacrificium mane vespere ad colendam illam dignationem praesentiae divinae Jans of the Tabernacle before which the Altar stood and to manifest his gracious Presence and reveal his will to them And by such manifestations of his Glory He would declare that He had made choice of the Tabernacle and Altar for holy Services to Himself and that He had set apart Aaron and his Sons to minister to Him in the Priests Office And He would by such evident Tokens of his Presence dwell (n) Quia Tabernaculum erat quasi tentorium Dei tanquam Principis in medio populi sui habitantis among them and would be their God and manifest his especial Favour to them in directing and protecting them Exod. 29. from vers 38. to the end 10ly Concerning the brasen Laver which was to be made with a foot or base of Brass (o) This was made of the Womens brasen Looking-glasses Exod. 38.8 'T is like the Women did set a piece of shining Brass or burnish'd Metal before their Faces when they dress'd themselves on which it was to stand and Aaron and his Sons before they ministred were to wash their Hands and Feet (p) Hence some collect that the Priests ministred in the Tabernacle being bare-foot or in slight Sandals out of it Probably it had spouts for the water to issue forth at and at the bottom some Vessel to receive the water which the Priests made use of For being lifted up upon its Foot or Base the Priests could not put their Feet into it but probably they were to wash in the water drawn from it and they were to be careful constantly to do it being threatned in case they omitted it with destruction by the Hand of the Lord. Exod. 30. from vers 17. to 22. 11ly Touching the setting apart of Aaron and his four Sons for the Priests Office and concerning the particular Ornaments and Vestments they were to use in their Ministration for their Glory and Honour and to make them more Venerable among the People and to be a sign of their Consecration and Sanctification unto God And these Garments were to be made by such as were wise-hearted and whom God had filled with the Spirit of Wisdom for such a purpose And first Concerning the sacred Attire and Ornaments of the High Priest which are methodically ranked Levit. 8.7 8 9. 1. Linnen Breeches or Drawers next his Flesh 2. A Coat of fine Linnen embroidered over them 3. An embroidered Girdle to gird it withall 4. Over this Coat and Girdle a Robe all of blue which was to have Bells and artificial Pomegranates intermingled in the hem of it that the sound of all the Bells being heard when he went into the holy Place to minister the people might second him with heart and mind in his Sacred Offices and the Lord threatneth death to him if he should enter otherwise into the most holy Place then thus apparalled and so through his disobedience and neglect of Gods Command should be an occasion of the peoples Irreverence and want of Devotion towards God 5. Upon this Robe He was to wear the Ephod which was to be made of Gold of Blue of Purple of Scarlet of fine twined Linnen and to have on the Shoulders thereof two Onix Stones set in ouches of Gold and graven with the Names of the twelve Tribes of Israel to intimate to them that God seeing their Names upon the Shoulders of the High Priest would remember the Covenant He had made with their Fathers and accordingly would do them good 6. To the Ephod with Chains of Gold and golden Rings was to be fastned the Breastplate of Judgment (q) So called because the High Priest did put it on when he inquired of the Lord for the people in doubtful cases to give a right judgment and he could not give Sentence in Judgment without that on his Breast and the Judgment given thereby was called the Judgment of Urim Numb 27.21 wherein were to be set four rows of precious Stones three in a row in which were to be ingraven the Names of the Tribes of the Children of Israel which Aaron was to bear upon his Breast when he went into the Sanctuary and in this Breast-plate was to be the Vrim and Thummim signifying Light and Perfection * Ut significarent in Doctore duo requiri Scientiam vitae puritatem Grot. by which some understand those rows of precious Stones in the Breast-plate before mentioned and so called not only in regard of their brightness and perfection but with respect unto their use which was that by them the High Priest might inquire of God for the people in doubtful Cases and might by the special Inspiration of the Spirit of God be inabled to return them an answer from God (r) Hence it is they say that in the 39. Ch. of Exod. where Moses doth exactly relate how all things were made according to Gods appointment there is no mention made of Urim and Thummin but only of the twelve precious Stones set in the Breast-plate because those Stones were usually called by the people the Urim and Thummim For 't is thought that he earnestly looking upon those rows of precious Stones with respect to the Divine Institution and thereby inviting the Spirit to come upon him his understanding was suddenly so illuminated that he gave a satisfactory Answer in all particulars to the Question propounded and in doubtful
Cases gave a right Judgment (s) Whereas David desiring to consult with the Lord called for the Ephod 1 Sam. 23.9 the reason was because the Breast-plate was fastned to the Ephod So that if he had one he had both Exod. 39.21 1 Sam. 23.6 Abimelech the High Priest being dead Abiathar his Son escaping that danger as he fled took the Ephod out of the Tabernacle at Nob and brought it with him to David wherein Gods Providence appeared that the right Ephod should be preserved and kept with David the true King that he might have means to Consult with God in all his Difficulties See Willet in loc from the Lord when it so pleased him For 1 Sam. 28.6 the Lord would not answer Saul neither by Dreams nor by Vrim nor by Prophets Further the Answers which the High Priests received from the Lord when he consulted the Vrim and Thummim were sometimes made by an audible Voice sometimes secret Inspiration which Answers when He had acquainted the people with the Stones in the Breast-plate as is conceived gave forth an extraordinary lustre and brightness to assure the people that he spake to them the Mind of the Lord like as the extraordinary shining of Moses's face when he came down from the Mount was a Demonstration to the people that He had been with God and what he brought to them came from God (t) Some think that these very words Urim and Thummim were written in some precious matter not made by humane art but by the Almighty Power of God and so were given by God to Moses and by him put into the Pectoral Levit. 8.8 And he put into the Breast-plate the Urim and Thummim and therefore this is not mentioned among those things that were made by the Artificers because this was as the Tables of the Law the Work of God and not of men But this is but a Conjecture Neither can we the Scripture being silent certainly determine what they were When the Jews returned out of Babylon they were lost and therefore some businesses hung in suspence see Ezra 2.63 and could not be determined till there stood up a Priest with Urim and Thummim We do not find in any of the Jewish Rabbins that they themselves did certainly know what they were Quid fuerint Scriptura proculdubio non sine certo consitio reticuit In that place Levit. 8.8 no mention is made of the twelve precious Stones Causa utriusque quod eadem res fuit variis nominibus significata Rivet Minime omisisset Moses Urim Thummim in Exod. 39.10 Si aliud quam 12 Lapides intellexisset cum alia longe minora abjectiora diligentissime recenseat Brentius The Urim and Thummim was lost in the Captivity of Babylon as also the Ark Tables of Stone Aarons Rod and the Pot of Manna After the Captivity they had no Priest with Urim and Thummim Ezra 2.63 The Priest which met Alexander in his glorious Apparel might have precious Stones on his Breast without the Urim and Thummim This Breast-plate of Judgment * V. 30. Judicium i. e. pectorale judicij ut arca dicitur Testimonium i. e. arca Testimonij Metonymice whereby Answers of right Judgment were given to the Israelites Aaron was to wear upon his heart continually when he went to minister in the Tabernacle and he was thereby as it were to present the Children of Israel before the Lord to be graciously remembred by him 7. Aaron was to wear on his Head a Mitre of fine Linnen 8. In the forefront of the Mitre was to be placed a plate of pure Gold two fingers broad which made it shew like a Crown Exod. 29.6 Levit. 8.9 wherein was to be graven Holiness to the Lord as a signification that Aaron as a Type of Christ did bear the Iniquities of the People and did make atonement for them and that as for their other Sins so for the Iniquities committed in their most holy Oblations which they offered and sacrified to the Lord. And this Mitre with this Plate was always to be on his head when he ministred before the Lord as a sign that the people are accepted of God for the Holiness Obedience and Sufferings of the Messias Exod. 28. from 1. to 40. 2. Concerning the Attire and Vestments to be used by the ordinary Priests 1. Coats of fine Linnen for their uppermost Garment called linnen Ephods 1 Sam. 22.18 with Girdles and Bonnets of the same and secondly Linnen Drawers These Garments Aaron and his Sons being first anointed with holy Oil * Of which see the Composition afterwards Exod. 30.23 and consecrated to their Office were to wear when they served in the holy Place and not to neglect them lest they thereupon be forced to bear the punishment of their Iniquity and die for it Exod. 28. from vers 40. to the end 12ly Touching the Sacrifices and Ceremonies to be used in the Consecration of Aaron and his Sons 1. They were to be washed with water out of the brasen Laver before the door of the Tabernacle to signifie the Holiness that God requires in those that were to be Types of Christ 2. Aaron and his Sons were to be clothed with their particular appointed Robes and Ornaments 3. The anointing Oil was to be powred upon the Head of Aaron and his Sons See Exod. 30.30 and Ch. 40. 14 15. And the Priests Office was to be continued in the Line of Aaron and his Sons and of their Successors by a perpetual Statute as long as this Dispensation was to last and till the Messiah should come who was to fulfil what they typified 4. The bloud of the Ram of Consecration of which afterwards was to be put upon the tip of their right ear (u) The ear was to be sanctified for holy hearing and against the hearing of corrupt Communication the hand for Sacrificing the foot for Walking that their Conversation might be holy and their Persons sanctified from head to foot and on the thumb of their right hand and upon the great toe of their right foot and they were to sprinkle some of the bloud and the anointing Oil (x) The spots occasioned in the Priests Garments by the sprinkling of bloud and oil 't is like were very small and so magis ad honorem quam horrorem upon them and their Garments to signifie that by the bloud of Christ they were cleansed and by the Oil of his Grace they were sanctified for the Work of their Ministry The Sacrifices to be used at this time were these Moses having first provided a Basket of unleavened Bread and Cakes unleavened tempered with Oil and Wafers unleavened anointed with Oil he was to take a young Bullock which was to be a Sin-Offering and Aaron and his Sons were to put their hands upon the head of it signifying that they deserved to die like that Sacrifice but did thereby disburden themselves of their Sins and laid them upon the head of the Sacrifice typifying Christ
one whom the Lord should choose * Which was observ'd accordingly in Saul but fully in David and his Progeny And this was thus appointed because the Kings of Judah were to be Types of Christ 2ly The King thus chosen was not to multiply horses to himself viz. in a greater proportion than the state of a King requires lest he should put confidence in worldly strength whereof horses for War were a principal part and not in God And that he might not hereby be puffed up and exalted in mind to the despising and perhaps oppressing of his Subjects and might not by the excessive Charge thereof be burdensome to his people (s) Herein Solomon did not keep so close to this Rule as he ought to have done in that he had forty thousand stalls of horses for his Chariots and twelve thousand horse-men 1 Kings 4.26 and in that he fetched his horses out of Egypt 2 Chron. 1.16 He shall not cause his Subjects to go down into Egypt to buy horses where there was great plenty of them and they counted the strength of their Country lest they be corrupted with the Idolatry and other sins of the Egyptians * So Jeremy from the Lord disswaded the Jews from going into Egypt Jer. 42.15 c. For God would have them to have such a sense of their former Deliverance out of that Bondage as to abhor the very thought of going thither again For besides all former intimations from the Lord to the same purpose (t) See Exod. 13.17 the Lord had now commanded him to say unto them That they should henceforth return no more that way viz. which leadeth down to Egypt Further he injoyns That their King shall not multiply Wives (u) Si ne Regi quidem permissa sit polygamia quid aliis indultum credimus Confer Lev. 18.18 to himself that his heart turn not away from the Lord to sensual pleasures nor to Idolatry by the allurement of his Wives as Solomons did 1 Kings 11.4 Neither shall he too too excessively desire to multiply to himself Silver and Gold lest by such an extraordinary greediness after riches he oppress the people and heap up Gold and Silver by rapine and unjust exactions and so his mind be pufft up with pride by reason of his wealth Further he was to send for the Original Copy of this Law which was to remain with the Priests and to be kept in the Sanctuary Deut. 31.26 and to write or cause to be written a Copy of it for his own use and he was to read therein all the days of his life that he might learn to fear the Lord and to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to do them That his heart be not lifted up above his Brethren and that he turn not aside from the Commandment to the right hand or to the left and that he may prolong his days Chap. XVIII In the next place he shews them that seeing the Priests are to have no part nor Inheritance with the rest of the Tribes they shall eat of the Offerings made by fire on the Altar as the Meat-Offering Sin-Offering and Trespass-Offering Numb 18.9 and of all other things (x) Of these see Numb 18. where as some reckon 24 Gifts were bestowed on the Priests which the Lord challengeth to himself as his Right and Inheritance and hath reserved for his Service and the sustenance of his Servants the Priests for God would not have them cumbred with the affairs of this life lest by them they should be hindred from doing their duties Therefore he declares that He himself will be their Inheritance and will supply all their wants out of his abundance And this shall be the Priests due from them that bring a Sacrifice of a Peace-Offering They shall give to Him the Shoulder the two Cheeks and the Maw The wave-breast mentioned elsewhere is here left out possibly as comprehended under the Shoulder to which it is joyned in the Sheep being both parts of the same quarter But the Maw and two Cheeks added here are no where else mention'd Further he tells them They were to give to the Priest the first fruit of their Corn of their Wine and Oil and the first of the fleece of their Sheep see Exod. 22.29 Numb 18.12 Because the Lord hath call'd them to stand and minister in his Name that is by authority received from him see Deut. 10.8 Further he orders That when ever any of the Tribe of Levi out of his own voluntary devotion had an earnest desire to come and serve in the Tabernacle or Temple they should be admitted to live of the holy things there even as the rest did that in their turns (y) There seems some order observ'd in this at first though by David afterwards this was more exactly contriv'd when they were divided into 24 Courses 1 Chron. 23. did serve in that place For such as out of singular devotion to the Service of the Sanctuary did go up to serve there God would have them to live of the Altar and not be put thereby to spend their own private estate what ever it was or that money which came of the sale of their private Patrimony (z) Forte Levitae morantes in loco Tabernaculi negarent illi partem suam quod secum haberet pecuniam sive pretium rei domus vel agri venditae Statuit ergo Lex sive habeat pretium sive non habiturum tamen portionem suam q. d. Ne exluditor a parte commodi quod habeat unde se alere possit Fruatur ea pecunia propria insuper portione ei ex ministerio debita quia qui Sacris ministrat is debt ex Sacris non ex bonis paternis vivere quia rem venditam redimendi jus perpetuum habet Levit. 25.32 redimere autem non possit si absumeretur pretium rei venditae from 1. to 9. In the next place he exhorts them to take heed of doing after the abominations of the Canaanites Let not there be found among you any one says he who makes his Son or Daughter to pass through the fire to Saturn or Moloch (a) Haec hostia petita est partim ab exemplo Abrahami partim quod audierint non nisi sanguine humano humanum scelus olim expiandum Inde Galli teste Caesare lib. 6. de bello Gallico Diti suo quam maxime innocuos immolabant see Levit. 18.21 2 Kings 16.3 or that practices Divination (b) This sin was common among the Heathen practis'd among the wisest of them Numb 24.1 1 Kings 20.33 see 1 Sam. 6.2 Ezek. 21. 21 22. by making use of familiar Spirits 1 Sam. 6.2 1 Sam. 28.8 or an Observer of Times crying up some days for lucky others unlucky or an Inchanter using Songs or Verses or other words or Ceremonies to produce supernatural Effects or a Witch or a Charmer or a Consulter with familiar Spirits or a Wizard or a
Necromancer who by raising the dead did consult with them about secret things see 1 Sam. 28.7 These Nations whose Land thou art going to possess hearkned to these but thou shalt be upright and sincere before the Lord and devote thy self intirely to him who will not suffer thee to imitate them in these abominations And he shews them they should have no need to seek to such Enchanters and Diviners because God would still raise up Prophets from among themselves of their own Brethren to reveal his Will to them and at last about 1400 years after this would send them the great Prophet (c) Per hunc Prophetam aliqui intelligunt Joshuam alij omnes Prophetas Mosen secutos Hic locus aliquo modo ad omnes Prophetas referri potest maximè tamen imprimis ad Christum referri debet the Messias see Acts 3.22 7.37 Joh. 1.45 Joh. 5.46 And though the Prophets sent to Israel were not equal to Moses Deut. 34.10 yet they were like him being men sent from God as he was and raised up from among their Brethren as he was And so Christ was an High Priest taken from among men Heb. 5.1 and like unto Moses yet above him As Moses brought them the Law from God so Christ the Gospel out of the bosome of the Father Joh. 6.40 And he shews how faithful these Prophets would be that he should send to them to deliver what ever he gave them in Charge and nothing else but what he should put into their mouths And this was most eminently verified in Christ Joh. 15.15 All things that I have heard of my Father have I made known unto you He further shews That God will severely punish those that will not hear his Prophets speaking to them in his Name And this was principally to be fulfilled upon the Jews who would not hearken to the words of Christ for which God destroyed their City and Sanctuary as was prophesied Dan. 9.26 And further lest false Prophets should arise and come to them in the Lords Name he gives them a Rule how they should discover them If any of them should predict or foretel any strange and miraculous thing (d) Referendum ad ea quae per naturam fieri non possunt ut virgam in colubrum converteâe Talia enim si praedicantur in Dei nomine non permittet ea fieri Deus ne tentationem inferat insuperabilem that should come to pass as a proof that they were truly sent of God if these things did not accordingly come to pass they might be sure they were false Prophets And they might know them also by this if they strove to turn them from the true God and his Law But in other Predictions as in foretelling some Judgment that should befal men that which they foretold might not come to pass and yet they that foretold these things might be the true Prophets of God for all that For thus it was with Jonah who prophesied Forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed Jon. 3.4 And so Isaiah Who told Hezekiah that he should die of his sickness 2 Kings 20.1 For in all such Predictions the people might know that those things were conditionally foretold though the condition were not always expressed and therefore that in case they repented God would not inflict the evil denounced against them But as for false Prophets that prophesied presumptuously fathering their own Phantasies and wild Conceits on the true God they should not need to fear them nor their Predictions nor fear to put them to death when they found them upon clear proof so to be Having before assigned them three Cities of Refuge in the Land without Jordan Chap. XIX which they had already vanquished Deut. 4.41 now he gives direction that when they had possessed themselves of the Land of Canaan within Jordan they should there also set apart three Cities of Refuge more and they should take care that from all parts of the Country round about these Cities there should be a direct plain broad fair High-way or Cawsey leading to these Cities setting up marks whereby the way might be known leading thither to the end that the Man-slayer might not be hindred in his flying thither And because the Land within Jordan was much more long than broad it was to be divided into three equal parts and the Cities of Refuge which were afterwards Kadesh Shechem and Hebron were to be in three places equally distant and so commodious for men to fly unto The persons that were to injoy the Priviledge of those Cities were only such as killed a man unwittingly * By the rule of proportion we may probably conceive that the like Priviledge was afforded to him that killed a man in his own defence when he had no quarrel with him but only sought to secure his own life by Chancemedly as we call it and not out of malice or on purpose And they were to appoint these Cities of Refuge in the three several divisions of the Land lest if the person that had killed a man unwittingly had too far to fly ere he could come to one of them the Avenger that is one of the Kinsmen of the dead while his heart was hot might pursue him and overtake him before he could get thither and so slay him though he had not deserved death inasmuch as he hated him not in times past And though they were at first commanded to set apart only three Cities of Refuge within Jordan yet he commands them that if afterwards the Lord should inlarge their Coast viz. by giving them the Land from the River of Egypt to the great River Euphrates (e) Conditionally promised to them Gen. 15.18 if they continued in obedience to God The Jews by their disobedience and breach of Covenant with God never got possession of the utmost bounds of those Lands conditionally promised them then they should separate three Cities of Refuge more in those Quarters that innocent blood might not be shed in the Land which the Lord would give them for an Inheritance and so blood be upon them But on the other side if any man did hate his Neighbour and lie in wait for him and rise up against him and smite him mortally so that he died and then fled unto any of these Cities in such a case the Elders of the City or place where the slayer dwelleth and unto which he belongeth should send and fetch him thence viz. from the City of Refuge yea or from the Altar of the Lord Exod. 21.14 and deliver him into the hands of the Avenger of blood that he might slay him In such case they must not pity him upon any pretence whatsoever and so they should put away the guilt of innocent blood from among them that it might go well with them from 1. to 14. And to prevent occasions of quarrelling and blood-shed in the next place he charges them that no man should remove his Neighbours Land-mark
convinced that the keeping of the Ark among them was the true cause of their present calamities they resolved to send it back and thereupon called for their Priests and Diviners to advise them in what manner they should do it that they might appease the wrath of the God of Israel and that he might heal their land and remove their plagues The Priests advise them that if they did resolve to send it back they should not send it without some gift or present or trespass-offering because they had trespassed against the God of Israel by carrying away his Ark captive and had not given it that honour and respect that was due to it And then say they ye shall be healed if his hand has been upon you by reason of your detaining his Ark but if it were upon you for any other cause it will be upon you still after the Ark is sent home Thus the alwise-Providence of God causeth these Idolatrous Priests who were enemies to him and his true Worship to give such counsel as tended to his honour and the shame of their Idols and false worship The Philistines ask their Priests what Trespass-offering they should send They answer five golden Emerods and five golden Mice according to the number of the Princes of the Philistines and the five principal Cities with their villages that were under their command For one and the same plague was on them all see v. 17 18. even on all the land of the Philistines which extendeth unto the great stone of Abel that is mourning see v. 19. so called from the peoples great lamentation for the slaughter God made among them upon an occasion which we shall speak of afterwards By these presents they acknowledged that the God of Israel brought upon them those plagues of the Emerods and Mice for their detaining his Ark and so by them they gave glory to his great name see Josh 7.19 'T is possible Satan might instigate these Diviners to send such absurd and ridiculous gifts as these with the Ark in contempt of God but if it were so that which Satan intended as a dishonour the Lord by his over-ruling Providence so disposed of as tended to his glory seeing the Philistines themselves were made to send into the land of Israel such things which would there remain as perpetual Monuments and Memorials of those shameful punishments wherewith God had humbled them However this is the course these Priests advise them to take at this time and peradventure say they God will hereupon lighten his hand from off you and from off your Gods so that it seems not only Dagon but several other of their Idol-gods were thrown down and broken to pieces by a secret hand of God in all their Cities whither the Ark was brought as 't is probable the like was formerly done in Egypt see Exod. 12.12 and Numb 33.4 But though many of the Philistines were for sending back the Ark presently yet it seems some of them were of a contrary judgment and stiffly opposed it wherefore the Priests blamed them for thus hardning their hearts against the means which God had afforded them to convince them of their sin why will you say they retain the Ark after you have suffered such great and grievous punishments by it herein resembling Pharaoh and the Egyptians who held the people of Israel in cruel bondage notwithstanding Gods hand was so heavy upon them till at last going on in their sin their whole Army was drown'd in the Sea If you would avoid the like heavy Judgments do not imitate them in their sin Now therefore take our advice make a new Cart which hath never yet been put to any common use and take two young heifers on which there hath come no yoke and fastning the Cart to them shut up their Calves at home from them and take the Ark and put it into the Cart and put those Jewels of Gold viz. those Golden Images of Emerods and Mice which ye return for a Trespass-offering in a little Coffer by the side thereof and send it away that it may go and by this experiment ye shall discern whither the God of Israel hath inflicted these punishments upon us or no. If these young heifers untamed and untrained quietly bear the yoke and carry the Ark directly in the way that leadeth to Bethshemesh a City belonging to the Priests â Josh 21.16 of Judah and if the kine do carry the Ark thitherward not offering to go out of the way or to return to their sucking Calves shut up at home it will then be evident that their natural love and affection to their young ones is restrained by a Supernatural power and that the kine would never have done it if Gods hand had not been in the business and so we may conclude that it was he that smote us whilst we kept the Ark. But if things happen otherwise then we may conclude that it was not his hand that smote us but it was only a chance that happened to us The Philistines agree to do as their Priests directed them and all things being prepar'd the Kine went directly to Bethshemesh as if they had been sent thither by God to deliver the Ark into their hands to whom it belonged to take care of it But yet by a natural instinct they sometimes lowed after their Calves left behind them but notwithstanding went on directly in the way towards Bethshemesh not turning to the right hand or left into any cross or by-ways being moved to go on with the Cart and to carry the Ark thither by the all-powerful Providence of God And the Lords of the Philistines went after them unto the borders of Bethshemesh to observe the issue of this experiment and then returned home v. 16. The men of Bethshemesh were at this time reaping their Wheat-harvest * Wheat-harvest in that Country used to be in our May at the Feast of Pentecost Lev. 23.16 whence we may gather that the Ark was taken about November before seeing it was seven months in the custody of the Philistines but lift up their eyes to their great astonishment and joy they saw the Ark coming towards them and the Cart came into the Field of Joshua a Bethshemite and stood there where there was a great stone and the Priests who were of the Tribe of Levi came and took down the Ark of the Lord and the Coffer that was with it and set them on the great stone and they clave the wood of the Cart and offered the Kine as a Burnt-offering to the Lord. 'T is true the Law did command that only males should be offered in Burnt-offerings Levit. 1.3 but this seems to be an extraordinary act of devotion whereunto the Priests were led by reasons grounded upon this strange and extraordinary work which God had wrought and perhaps by a special instinct of his Spirit and is not therefore to be judged of according to the rules of ordinary Burnt-offerings They considered
possibly that these Kine had been given up by the Philistines to the service of the Lord to bring home the Ark and having been imployed in so sacred a service it was not fit they should be imployed to any other use and therefore they resolved by this way of an extraordinary Burnt-offering to give them up to the Lord. And besides this Burnt-offering of the Kine the men of Bethshemesh brought their own Oblations to the Priests who offered Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings to the Lord that day for them as an expression of their thankfulness to God for the return of the Ark. But it seems some of the men of Bethshemesh were so presumptuous as to open the Ark and to look into it whereas it was not lawful for any but the Priests no not for the Levites themselves who carried it to look upon it bare and uncovered see Numb 4.20 yet it seems these bold Bethshemites not only took liberty without any fear or reverence to gaze and stare upon it but proceeded further even to look into it possibly to see whether the Philistines had taken any thing out of it or put any thing into it which they should not have done but only the Priests Hereupon God smote seventy (a) v. 19. Textus sic se habet percussit de populo 70 viros 50 millia virorum i. e. percussit de populo in quo erant viri 50 mille viros 70. Syr. Ar. legunt 5 millia 70 viros Sic pro chamishim legunt duntaxat chamish q. d. percussit de populo Bethshemitico in quo erant 5 mille viros 70. ut sensus sit Deum pro indulgentia sua noluisse in omnes reos animadvertere sed in partem tantum eorum Ergo supplenda est ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ante ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã reddenda si sequamur Syr. Ar. quinque mille Quis enim credaâ ex oppido non admodum copioso 50 millia mortuos esse plurimos relictos qui eorum funera lugerent Secundum aliquoâ sensus loci est illos 70 viros tales fuisse ut a quipararentur 50 millibus de plebeiis vide 2 Sam. 18.3 of them who it seems were most presumptuous though there were many thousands of them that had adventured to look upon it uncovered He smote of the people the Text says that were fifty thousand or as the Syriack and Arabick read it five thousand â These were not all probably the inhabitants of Bethshemesh but many of them such as ââooked from the neighbouring Countries to see the Ark when returned seventy persons And the Bethshemites bewailed this sad slaughter God had made among them in a complaining manner they said Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God who manifesteth himself from between the Cherubims and to whom shall the Ark which is the sign and pledg of his Presence go up from us Intimating that people would be afraid to entertain it seeing such direful things following of it So they went to the Inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim a City in the Tribe of Judah not far from them to desire them to fetch the Ark thither pretending possibly it was a place of much more safety for it to be in than their City was The men of Kirjath-jearim were so far from opposing the bringing of the Ark to their City notwithstanding the sad calamity that had befallen so many of the Bethshemites that they themselves fetched it thither and undoubtedly with much joy the Priests of Bethshemesh carrying it as believing that it was not the presence of the Ark among the men of Bethshemesh but their irreverent carriage in gazing upon it or looking into it that was the cause of their misery When they had brought it to their City they placed it in the house of Abinadab a Levite and a man as 't is like of singular holiness whose house was on a hill and possibly fenced in and called Gibeah 2 Sam. 6.3 a place of strength and safety for the Ark to be kept in Having carried it into his house they sanctified Eleazar his Son to keep it that is they chose him to be set apart to this holy imployment to give continual attendance upon the Ark that he might keep others from coming near to pollute or defile it and they caused him to prepare himself for this Sacred charge by washing his garments and other such like Ceremonies of Legal purifying It may seem strange that they did not carry the Ark back to the Tabernacle in Shiloh but it seems the Lord would shew his indignation against the former wickedness of that place by not suffering the Ark to be carried thither again So he forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh c. Psal 78.60 And the Ark being thus separated from the Tabernacle they continued divided for ever after for 't is said that David prepared a new Tent for it 1 Chron. 15.1 and it remained at Kirjath-jearim twenty years (d) This cannot be meant of the whole time of the Arks remainning at Kirjath-jearim for tween the death of Eli shortly after which the Ark was brought to this place and the beginning of Davids reign when it was removed thence 2 Sam. 6.2 3. there must needs be forty years allowed for the Government of Saul and Samuel Act. 13.21 all which time the Ark continued in Kirjath-jearim unless when it was for a while carried forth into the Camp in the War against the Philistines Ch. 14.18 before the people could be won to that solemn repentance and conversion recited in the following verses But though the Ark was at Kirjath-jearim yet the Tabernacle and publick worship of God was at Shiloh 1 Sam. Ch. 5. wh Ch. Ch. 6. wh Ch. Ch. 7. ver 1 2. SECT CLVII FOR twenty years together after the Ark was removed to Kirjath-jearim the Isralites were grievously oppressed by the Philistines but at length by the exhortation of Samuel and the troubles they had felt they were brought to repentance and lamented after the Lord that is humbling themselves cried and called unto him for help and deliverance The Elders therefore of Israel resorting to Samuel he exhorted them to put away their strange Gods and Goddesses see Judg. 2.13 14. and to prepare and compose their hearts to serve the Lord intirely in a setled course of new obedience and then he doubted not but he would deliver them out of the hands of the Philistines Accordingly they did abandon and cast away their Idols and served the Lord only as his Law required Samuel hereupon summons the whole body of the people to Mizpeh * Situate in the confines of Judah and Benjamin and therefore reckoned among the Cities of both Tribes see Josh 15.38 18.26 that there they might together renew their Covenant with God which they had so shamefully broken and joining together in serious and solemn humiliation they might by fasting and prayer implore mercy and forgiveness from God with a return of his