be a prey to their Sword And therefore like persons almost distracted they said one to another Come let us chose to our selves a Captain and under him let us march back again into Egypt see Nehem. 9.17 But they did not consider the difficulties they must needs meet with had they proceeded in such a resolution They could not reasonably expect to be fed with Manna from Heaven in their return being in Rebellion against God nor to have the Red-Sea divided for them again And if they should though very unlikely ever get back into Egypt what scorn and cruel Bondage must they there expect If the Egyptians oppress'd them before how much more hardly and severely would they deal with them now remembring the death of their First-born and the drowning of Pharaoh and his Army in the Red-Sea But men in passion usually lose all consideration Moses and Aaron seeing them in such a rage and mutiny fell down on their faces before them intreating them to desist from such a desperate purpose Moses earnestly perswaded them not to dread the Canaanites for God would go before them and fight for them Deut. 1.29 30 31. and Caleb and Joshua rent their Clothes testifying that their hearts were rent with Grief and Indignation at those blasphemous Speeches the people had uttered against God They tell them the Land they went to search was an exceeding good Land and if the Lord delighted in them He would bring them into it Therefore they should take heed lest by their Rebellion they provoked him to deprive them of it As for the people of the Land they tell them They need not be afraid of them for they were but as bread for them that is their Sword should easily eat and devour them for their defence was departed from them that is God who had hitherto preserved them from being destroyed because their Iniquity was not then full Gen. 15.16 had now upon their great Provocations withdrawn his defence from them and would certainly give them up to destruction And alas say they what are strong Cities or high Walls to defend a people whom God hath forsaken These Discourses of Caleb and Joshua though very rational nothing pacified the inraged multitude but instead thereof like mad men they cried out Stone them stone them see Exod. 17.4 The Lord seeing what danger his faithful Servants and Witnesses were in suddenly caused the Cloud the usual sign when He meant to speak to Moses concerning the people to descend upon the Tabernacle and possibly in a more glorious manner then ordinary thereby to astonish the people and to stop them in their furious attempt And the Lord said unto Moses How long will this people provoke me and how long will it be ere they believe me notwithstanding all the signs and wonders I have shewed among them I am even ready to smite them with the Pestilence and quite disinherit them and deprive them of this good Land I promised to their Fathers and in their stead to make of thee a greater Nation than they Moses humbly intercedes for them and makes use of several Arguments to prevail with the Lord for them First He says Lord if thou shouldest destroy all this people as if they were but one man the Egyptians will hear of it and will take occasion thereupon to reproach thy Name They will say because thou couldst not bring them into the Land which thou swarest to give them therefore thou hast slain them in the Wilderness though they know thou broughtest them by thine Almighty Power out from among them however they will talk insultingly thereof to the Nations who have heard the fame of thee and know that thou art among this people and hast manifested thy presence frequently and apparently among them and that thy Cloud standeth over them and that thou goest before them in the day-time in a Pillar of a Cloud and in a pillar of fire by night 2ly He humbly desires of the Lord that the greatness of his Power and Mercy may be manifested in pardoning this people who by so many and great sins had so highly provoked him according to what he himself had spoken Exod. 34.6 saying The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving Iniquity and Transgression and by no means clearing the Guilty visiting the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation By which words whilst Moses sues for mercy to many of them he seems to intimate an assent to the justice of God If He please to execute it upon some principal Offendors among them which if cut off there would be more safety for the rest Only he desires he would in the midst of Judgment remember Mercy and would manifest as great a willingness and readiness to pardon them now as He had done from Egypt until that time The Lord was pleased to give a gracious Answer to Moses's prayer and accordingly said to him I have pardoned them according to thy word I will not destroy them all as one man at this present I will not cut off the whole Nation as at first I threatned He further tells Moses That He intended to get unto his Name great Glory by the miraculous things that he would do for his people in carrying them into the Land of Canaan and yet withall He would magnifie his Justice and Severity in cutting off those who having seen the Miracles He did for them in Egypt and in the Wilderness had yet tempted Him ten times * 1. At the Red-Sea Exod. 14.11 2. At Marah Exod. 15.23 3. In the Wilderness of Sin Exod. 16.2 4. When they kept Manna till it stank Exod. 16.20 5. When they went out to gather Manna on the Sabbath day Exod. 16.27 6. At Rephidim for want of water Exod. 17.2 7. When they made the golden Calf Exod. 32.1 8. At Taborah Numb 11.1 9. At Kebroth-Hattaavah longing for Quails Numb 11.4 10. At this time after the return of the Spies and therefore they should not enter into the Land but all of them that were twenty years old and upward should die in the Wilderness excepting only Joshua and Caleb who were acted by a better spirit and had followed him fully and done what he required of them see Numb 32.12 These two should enter into the Land and their Seed should possess it but as for the rest of the Murmurers and Mutineers their Carkasses should fall in the Wilderness and their Children that they said would be a prey to the Amorites these He would bring in and they should know and enjoy the good Land which their Fathers had so reproachfully rejected Yet he tells them Their Children should wander in that Wilderness forty years that is till they have made up the years of their wandering in the Wilderness from their coming out of Egypt full forty years and he tells them that during this time These Children should bear their Fathers Whoredoms that is their Fathers Vnfaithfulness Disloyalty and Disobedience
must now for the better understanding this History of Hezekiah look a little into the neighbour Kingdom of Israel We shall find that in the days of Menahem the sixteenth King that there reigned who began to reign in the 39th year of Vzziah that God stirred up the spirit of Pul King of Assyria to invade the Kingdom of Israel 1 Chron. 5.26 and he made great spoil among them Then in the latter end of the reign of Pekah the eighteenth King of Israel who began to reign in the 52 year of Vzziah Tiglath-pileser Son of Pul carried away captive the people of Gilead and Peraea to wit the Reubenites Gadites and half the tribe of Manasseh unto Chabor and Haran and then passing over Jordan possessed himself of Galilee and carried away the inhabitants of Napthali into Assyria So that at this time he subdued in a manner five Tribes of Israel 2 King 15.29 Tiglath-pilesar dying Salmanassar his Son succeeded him who in the ninth year of Hoshea and sixth of Hezekiah after three years siege took Samaria and their King Hoshea and carried away the Israelites captives into his own Country as we shall see more in the life of Hoshea So that the Kingdom of Israel now came to an end Sometime after Salmanassar dies and his Son Sennacherib reigned in his stead whom Herodotus Lib. 2. calleth King both of Assyria and Arabia too Perchance for that the Assyrians at that time together with Peraea or the land of Gilead and Hamath or Ituraea had also under their power a part of Arabia either Petrea or Deserta For Ava or Ivah which Sennacherib so much boasteth of to have been conquered by him or his ancestors 2 King 18.34 and Ch. 19.13 was a Country lying in the desert of Arabia as Fran. Junius affirms upon 2 King 17.24 And the Prophet Isaiah foretelling the calamity which was to befall the Moabites under Salmanassar Isa 15.7 and Ch. 16.14 threatens them that whatever they had laid up in store the Assyrians should carry it away into the valley of the Arabians Sennacherib now about the eleventh or twelfth year of Hezekiah as 't is probable resolving to make war against the Egyptians perhaps because they had been so lately assistant to the Israelites against the Assyrians in the reign of Salmanassar and an occasion of their revolt see 2 King 17.4 and the Philistines as it seems joining with him therein he sends part of his Army under Tartan one of his Generals to besiege Ashdod or Azotus which City Hezekiah had sometime before recovered out of the hands of the Philistines Now that this war lasted three whole years may be gathered out of Isa 20. where the Prophet putting off his coat of hairy cloth belonging to his Prophetical function see Zach. 13.4 from his loins and his shoos from his feet was commanded to walk up and down naked and bare foot as some conceive three days a day being put for a year to signifie to the Egyptians and Ethiopians that when that time was once run out they should in like manner being stript of their clothes and barefoot be led away into captivity and bondage by the King of Assyria which command the Prophet is said to have received in the year when Tartan being sent by Sargon King of Assyria besieged Ashdod and took it Isa 20.1 where by Sargon we must understand Sennacherib himself among whose Commanders this Tartan is particularly named 2 King 18.17 And the King of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish c. Hezekiah whether provoked by Sennacherib's taking of Ashdod so injuriously from him or for other reasons resolves now to shake off the King of Assyria's yoke which his Father Ahaz had taken on him and would no longer pay him Tribute Hereupon Sennacherib in the fourteenth year * Eight years after Shalmanasser had taken Samaria of Hezekiah even after he had made so good an establishment of Religion see 2 Chron. 32.1 bringing his Army out of Egypt where he had made great havock of which calamity the Prophet Nahum seems to speak Ch. 3.10 Yet was she carried away she went into captivity her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets and they cast lots for her honourable men and all her great men were bound in chains invades the Kingdom of Judah and besieges many of their fenced Cities and took many of them Hezekiah bestirs himself with all diligence to defend himself and his Kingdom against him And to that end by the advice of his Captains and Council he fill'd up the fountains and springs that were without the City of Jerusalem and covered them with earth and carried the waters by pipes under ground into the City that so the Assyrians if they came to besiege the City might be distressed for want of water also the brook Gihon or Siloe which ran through the midst of the Country where Jerusalem stood and divided it self into two streams one of them he turned from the usual channel and brought it strait down into the west-side of the City of David 2 Chron. 32.30 and made a great pond to receive the water of it for the benefit of the besieged And the Princes and the people did much assist him therein Also he fortified Jerusalem and built up that part of the wall that was broken down by Joash King of Israel in Amaziah's time which breach it seems was not fully repaired till now and he made the wall strong and high and made also another wall without as an Antimural or outwork see 2 King 25.4 and repaired Millo in the City of David which some think was their Town-house where the people had their general assembly or else some fort in the City he also provided all sorts of arms offensive and defensive and set Officers and Commanders over his Souldiers and calling them together into the broad street that was by the City-gate he spake comfortably to them after this manner My good subjects and faithful souldiers be ye strong and courageous be not afraid of the King of Assyria nor of the great multitude that is with him For there be more with us than with him with him is only the arm of flesh but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battels And the people rested themselves on the words of Hezekiah 2 King 18.13 2 Chron. 32. from v. 1 to 9. Hezekiah seeing how soon the Assyrian had taken many of the fenced Cities of Judah and that proceeding on in his victories he had also laid siege to Lachish he began to entertain thoughts of buying his peace with him Hereupon he sent his Ambassadours to him to acknowledg his offence in denying the tribute and to intreat his favour yielding withal to pay whatever tribute he should impose upon him Sennacherib being puft up with his success requires of him three hundred Talents of Silver and thirty Talents of Gold * Which amounts to
two Nations are in thy Womb and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels the one people shall be stronger than the other and the elder shall serve the youger And being her self perswaded thereby that God intended the blessing to the younger without doubt she did labour to perswade Isaac thereof But though God inlightned his understanding by a prophetical illumination as concerning the blessing he was to pronounce yet withall he did not so clearly shew him the right person on whom it was to be conferred but left him therein to his own spirit which carried him to consider Esau's Prerogative in being his First-born and having a great affection for him as we have seen Sect. 19. he intended to transmit the blessings and promises made to his Father Abraham unto him But the Providence of God serving it self upon the better illumination and Faith of Rebecca by her means doth disappoint Isaac's purpose that it might appear that it was not by the will of Man but of Gods free Grace and singular favour that Jacob had the blessing But to return Isaac now intending to bless Esau he bad him go out into the Field and take him some Venison and to make him some savoury meat such as he loved For being aged and feeble 't is like he desired this refreshing meat to chear his Spirits that he might be the fitter Instrument of the holy Spirit of God in pronouncing this Prophetical Blessing Rebecca understanding this and being strongly perswaded that the blessing belonged to Jacob 1. By Gods declaring to her when the Children strugled in her Womb That the elder should serve the younger And 2ly By Jacob's holding his Brother by the heel when he was born And 3ly By Esau's selling his Birthright to Jacob. And lastly By Esau's profaneness and Jacob's Piety and perceiving that Isaac was now ready through mistake as much as lay in him to cross the Counsel and purpose of God she resolves to indeavour to disappoint her Husband And though the subtilty and deceit she instructs Jacob to use therein be not justifiable yet thus far she is praise-worthy that understanding rightly the Oracle of God she sought to prevent the Error of her Husband and to procure the blessing for him to whom God had appointed it Hereupon she calls Jacob and bids him fetch her two young Kids from the Flock and she would of them make savoury meat for his Father which he should speedily carry to him and so receive the blessing from him Jacob humbly told her That there was a great deal of difference between Him and his Brother as to their persons For his Brother was an hairy man and He himself was not so and possibly his Father would feel him when he went to carry the meat and so being discovered he should in all likelihod bring a Curse upon himself instead of a blessing His Mother being confident as it seems of a good issue answered Vpon me be thy Curse only obey my voice and do as I command thee Hereupon he fetched the Kids and gave them to her and she made savoury meat of them such as Isaac loved Then she took a Suit of Raiment that belonged to Esau which was there in the house with her and was well sented with Odors and put it upon Jacob. Then she put some part of the skins of the Kids upon his Hands and the smooth of his Neck and so gave him the savoury meat to carry to his Father When he had brought it to him Isaac ask'd him Who he was He answered I am Esau thy First-born I have done according as thou didst command me Arise I pray thee Eat of my Venison that thy Soul may bless me Isaac replies How is it that thou hast found it so quickly my Son Jacob answers Because the Lord thy God hath brought it to me (z) Mendacii peccato Jacobum voluit implicari Deus operibus ne tribueretur aut Electio aut Benedictio Isaacum porro falli ac stupore perstringi ut amoris ipsum puderet in Esau praeposteri tum ut constaret quam frustra obsisteretur Deo Anonym in V. T. And thus out of fear of being discovered he is further insnared Isaac as it seems being yet something doubtful calls him to him that he might feel him and having felt him said The voice is Jacob's voice but the hands are the hands of Esau Yet notwithstanding having some mistrust he asks him Art thou my very Son Esau He answered He was So then Isaac bad him bring him his Venison and he did eat thereof and he brought him Wine and he drank thereof Then being refreshed he bad him come near unto him and kiss him and smelling the smell of his Raiment he said The smell of my Sons Garment is as the smell of a Field which God hath blessed namely with Flowers and Fruits Then in a way both of prayer and prophesie he said (a) The efficacy of the blessing here did not depend upon the intention of Isaac no more doth the efficacy of the Sacrament depend upon the intention of the Minister God give thee of the dew of Heaven and the fatness of the Earth (b) Which Promises of temporal good things were also types of spiritual blessings extending to all that were within the Covenant made to and with Abraham And though these Promises according to the letter were not fulfilled so much in Jacob's person as in his Posterity nevertheless the spiritual benefits typified thereby were common to him with all believers and plenty of Corn and Wine Let people serve thee and Nations bow down unto thee Be thou Lord over thy Brethren and let thy Mothers Sons bow down unto thee cursed be every one that curseth thee and blessed be every one that blesseth thee Isaac had no sooner made an end of blessing Jacob but Esau came with his Venison and desired his Father to eat thereof and bless him When Isaac heard this he trembled exceedingly and in a kind of Consternation asked Where is he that hath taken Venison and brought it me and I have eaten thereof before thou camest and have blessed him yea and he shall be blessed Esau hearing this burst out into a bitter cry and said Bless me even me also O my Father He desires a shate in the Birth-right-blessing though he could not have it alone But He did not consider that he had freely of his own accord sold his Birtht-right to his Brother and consequently the blessing belonging to it Isaac answers His Brother came with subtilty and had taken away the Blessing Esau replies My Brother may well be called Jacob a Supplanter for he hath twice supplanted me first in getting away my Birth-right and now in taking away my Blessing But O my Father says he Hast thou never a blessing reserved for me Isaac answered Behold I have made thy Brother thy Lord and all his Brethren have I given to him for Servants and with Corn
Cup wherein he used to drink into the Sack of the youngest And this possibly He did to try how they stood affected to his Father and to his Brother Benjamin conceiving that if they envied Benjamin as formerly they envy'd Him they would be glad to see him apprehended for Theft and cast into Prison This being done early in the morning they began their Journey homeward But they were not gone far out of the City before Joseph's Steward follows after them and overtakes them and then begins to expostulate highly with them and upbraid them that they had so ill requited his Master for his great kindness to them He charges them that they had stolen his Masters silver Cup in which he himself did drink and by which he used to divine (q) It seems the Egyptians thought that by reason of his Skill in Interpreting Dreams He us'd Divinations as their Magicians and Wise men did and possibly Joseph was not unwilling it should be believ d He could do it to keep them in better awe though he only rationally guessed at things and follow'd the guidance and direction of the Spirit of God whose assistance He had great experience of and discover and foretell secret and hidden things The men were strangely surpriz'd and amaz'd at this unexpected Charge and said to him God forbid that thy Servants should be found such manner of men as thou accusest us to be Thou knowest we brought again the money which we found in our Sacks when we came home And therefore surely we cannot with any reason be suppos'd to be men that would steal ought from thy Master We are so well assur'd of our innocency in this matter that let us all be search'd and if thy Masters Cup be found among us let him with whom it is found die for it and all the rest of us will be thy Masters Bondmen The Steward replies He would not deal so rigorously with them but according to their own offer he would search them and He only with whom the Cup was found should be his Servant the rest should be blameless Hereupon immediately they all took down their Sacks and the Steward searched them all beginning at the eldest and so going on to the youngest viz. Benjamin And in his Sack the Cup was found When they saw that they rent their Clothes and in great horrour and amazement loded their Asses again and returned back into the City Then Judah and his Brethren came to Joseph and fell before him on the ground He asks them why they had serv'd Him so Did they not think that such a man as He could discover them Judah answered What shall we say to my Lord what shall we speak or how shall we clear our selves For how innocent soever we think our selves as to this matter yet we can no way clear our selves before man and therefore must acknowledge that God is just in punishing us for our former Sins Gen. 42.21 22. We have therefore no more to say but that we are all my Lords Bondmen both he with whom the Cup was found and all the rest of us also Nay says Joseph That shall not be He only with whom the Cup was found shall be my Bondman as for the rest of you go to your Father in peace Then Judah approached near to him and said O my Lord let thy Servant without offence speak a few words privately to thee and let not thine anger burn against thy Servant Thou art even as Pharaoh being Second to him in Authority and so thine anger to be dread'd even as His. My Lord may please to remember that when we came first down into Egypt thou didst ask thy Servants Have ye a Father living or any other Brother And we said unto my Lord We have a Father an old man and a Brother that is but a Youth (r) Namely in comparison of them being about 24 or 27 years of age being 12 or 13 years younger than Joseph see Gen. 22.5 and having now nine or ten Sons Ch. 46.21 born to our Father in his old age His only Brother both by Father and Mother is dead and he alone is left of his Mothers Off-spring and his Father tenderly loveth him And thou saidst unto thy Servants Bring him down that I may see him We then told my Lord that the lad could not leave his Father without extream danger to his Fathers life and thou toldst us peremptorily That except our youngest Brother came down with us we should see thy Face no more And behold when we came unto thy Servant our Father we told him the words of my Lord. And he was extream unwilling to let our youngest Brother come down with us Yet afterwards the Famine pressing sore upon us He commanded us to go down again into Egypt to buy Food We told him we durst not go again except our youngest Brother went down with us He said Ye know that my wife Rachel first in my choice and dearest in my love bare me two Sons The Eldest went out from me when he was about seventeen years of age and as it seems was torn in pieces of wild Beasts (s) Hereby Joseph saw what they had told his Father when they had sold him namely that some wild Beast had devour'd him See Ch. 37.33 So that I saw him no more And if ye take this Son also from me and mischief befall him you will bring my gray head with sorrow to the Grave I thy Servant engaged my self to my Father for the bringing the lad safe home to him again I told him I would be surety for him and of my hands he should require him Ch. 43.8 9. Now therefore when thy Servants shall come back to our Father and he shall perceive that the lad is not with us his life being bound up in the lads life it will surely be his death and so thy Servants shall bring down the gray head of our Father with sorrow to the Grave Seeing therefore I thy Servant stand ingaged to my Father for the lad accept I pray thee of me for thy Bondam instead of the lad and let the lad go up with his Brethren For I dare not look my Father again in the face except the lad be with me nor can I indure to see the woe and misery that will befall my Father if the lad be left behind Gen. 44. whole Chapter SECT XLII JOseph's heart was so melted with this pathetick Speech of Judah that He was able to refrain no longer but commanding all besides his Brethren to withdraw He gave vent to his passion and bursting out into tears and weeping aloud He told them He was Joseph their Brother and asked them Whether his Father was yet alive They were so astonished and amazed at the strangeness and unexpectedness of the thing and so terrifi'd with the remembrance of their own guiltiness and trespass against him that they could not answer him a word He bids them come near him and tells
ei authoritatem coram populo Conciliet and I will be with thee Moses now commands the Priests the Sons of Levi to put this Book of the Law which he had written in some safe Repository or Chest on the outside of the Ark where was the Pot of Manna and Aaron's Rod see Heb. 9.4 Indeed in the Ark it self were only the two Tables 1 Kings 8.9 but on the outside of it and by it was this Volume of the Law to be kept This Book was many years after found in the Treasury of the Temple in Josiah's Reign 2 Kings 22.8 2 Chron. 34.14 and therefore it seems it had been removed from the Ark and kept elsewhere wherein seeing they transgressed the directions that God here gave to the Priests no marvel if this precious Treasure was for some years lost and not looked after Moses having commanded them to place this Book on the outside of the Ark He said to them O Israel if thou art disobedient this Book shall be a witness against thee wherein thou art sufficiently warned to the contrary and shewed the Judgments that will thereupon insue But alas I know thy rebellious Disposition and thy stiff Neck Ye have been rebellious against the Lord while I was with you how much more will ye be so when I am dead Gather therefore unto me all the Elders of your Tribes and your Officers that I may speak unto them and call Heaven and Earth to witness against them For I know that after my death you will corrupt your selves and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you and evil will befal you in the latter days because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord and thereby provoke Him to anger The Elders and Officers of the people being met Moses spake in the ears of all the Congregation of Israel the words of this following Song Ch. XXXII Give Ear O ye Heavens * See Isa 1.2 and I will speak and hear O Earth the words of my mouth He beginneth this Prophetical Song with a Rhetorical Scheme calling the Heavens and Earth and all the Creatures in them to be witnesses of his word the more to affect the hearts of the people to reprove their hardness and to excite their attention I wish says He my Doctrine which I have received from God might so fall upon your hearts as the sweet and gentle Showers and fruitful Dew falleth upon the Herbs and Flowers and Grass of the Earth and causeth them to spring forth and flourish Isa 55.10 Hear therefore for I will now publish unto you the Name of the Lord that is his glorious Excellencies viz. his infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness and therefore see that ye ascribe Greatness and Majesty to Him and that ye magnifie Him as ye ought to do saying Thine O Jehovah is the Greatness and the Power and the Glory 1 Chron. 29.11 and that ye attend to what is spoken with all humility and lay it to heart and yield Obedience thereunto Know ye therefore that God is the Rock * In times of danger men use to fly to Rocks to shelter themselves 1 Sam. 13.6 He is an All-sufficient stable and sure Refuge for all those that fly to Him neither is there any sure Shelter any where else but in Him His Work is perfect for all his ways are Judgment All his Works are perfect (z) Even in those works of God that seem to have some imperfection in them as Children that are born blind or lame c. yet as they are acts of Providence there is a perfection of Wisdom Holiness and Justice in them and there is nothing at all in them for which God can justly be blamed and without any blemish there is no defect or fault to be found in any of them All his ways are Judgment his dealings with his people have been always right and just He is a God of truth and without Iniquity just and right is He. But as for this people they have corrupted themselves by their Idolatry their spot is not the spot of his Children for it proceedeth not of weakness and infirmity to which all are subject but of wilfulness and perverseness and an impenitent heart They are a perverse and crooked Generation for both their hearts and ways are evil and turned aside from the right Rule of Gods Law Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is not God thy Father that made thee Is not He thy Father that hath bought thee that is ransomed and brought thee forth out of Egypt with a mighty Hand and the power of Miracles Hath not He made thee his people and established thee by Covenant to continue so if thou art not wanting to thy self and thy duty Remember the days of old and consider the years of many Generations ask thy Father and he will shew thee thy Elders and they will tell thee how God when by his Providence He disposed the several Nations that came out of the Loins of Adam into several parts of the Earth allotting to one Nation one Country and another to another did then set the bounds of the people according to the number of the Children of Israel that is did then chuse the Children of Israel to be his peculiar people and Inheritance and where they were there it might be said was his people and where their bounds ended there was the end and utmost bound of his people and the bounds of the Heathen then began and according to his secret purpose he gave and allotted to the Canaanites such bounds and limits as he knew would serve for the number of the Israelites For the Lords portion is his people Jacob is the lot of his Inheritance that is the Israelites are that portion of Mankind whom he was pleased to make his peculiar people they are his Inheritance and therefore dear to Him as Inheritances use to be to men which are divided to them by lot and they were to acknowledge no other Lord over them but Himself and they and their Children after them were to be His successively He found them in a desart Land in a wast howling Wilderness inhabited only by wild howling Beasts of Prey He found them there in desperate danger but came in seasonably to their succour when they were ready to perish He led them about he instructed them both by his Word and Works by his Spirit and the several Dispensations of his Providence He kept them as the apple of his eye with tender care and love As an Eagle stirreth up her nest that is awaketh her brood or young ones in her nest rousing them up with the Cry that she maketh to signifie to them that she intends to teach them to fly and spreading abroad her wings taketh them up and beareth them thereon so did the Lord carry Israel towards Canaan leading them Himself thither and there was no strange god with him that is no strange God had any hand in
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
business successfully Achitophel advises him to defile his Fathers Concubines whom he had in his Palace and that publickly and in the sight of the people that so the breach between him and his Father might be made desperate and so says he the people that follow thee will go on couragiously and confidently when they see that by this fact thou hast made thy self so odious to thy Father that there is no possibility of reconciliation between you whereas if there be but the least hope left that thou shouldst ever make thy peace with him then all thy followers and abettors will be in extream danger to be ruin'd by him Besides the people will be shy and fearful to join with thee till they see that thou and David can never be reconciled Absalom likes and follows this damnable advice and so they spread a Tent for him upon the roof of the Palace from which place as 't is probable David first espied Bathsheba washing her self and lusted after her and there not hurried thereunto violently by the strength of lust but advisedly and upon Politick considerations in the sight of the people and to the blushing of the Sun he lay with his Fathers Concubines And thus what God had threatned against David Ch. 12.11 was accomplished I will take thy wives before thine eyes and give them to thy neighbour and he shall lye with them in the sight of the Sun This was the villainous counsel that Achitophel gave him who was counted so great a Politician both while he was with David and after with Absalom that his counsel was looked upon for the successfulness of it as if it had come from the very Oracle of God 2 Sam. Ch. 16. from v. 20 to the end 11ly Achitophel seeing that Absalom had so readily followed his former counsel he now gives him a new advice and most dangerous and pernicious to David had it been followed He advises him to let him chose out twelve thousand men out of his Army and with them he would go in person and pursue David that very night and says he I will surprize him while he and his followers are weary and faint and I know that his Army will be so terrified with the suddenness of my coming upon them that they will flee and scatter leaving him to shift for himself and his army being defeated he may easily be taken and killed and accordingly I my self may kill him and when the King is slain I will proclaim pardon to the people that followed him and so reduce them all under thy obedience for thou maist easily apprehend that the doing of this one thing viz. the taking off the King is in effect the reducing of all the people who will be quiet and embrace thee for their King when David is gone This counsel hugely pleased Absalom and those that were about him though it was so highly villainous and tended to cut off the life of his Father by a sudden surprize But yet God so over-ruled his heart that he would needs send for Hushai who was also reputed a very wise man to hear what he would say to it When he came Absalom tells what Achitophel had advised and asks his opinion of it Hushai tells him that Achitophel was indeed a very wise and able man but the counsel which he had given was not in his opinion good at this time for says he thou knowest that thy Father and his men are mighty men of valour and they are now chaffed in their minds and their spirits are so enraged at their being forc'd to leave their wives and children and their habitations that they are like a Bear robbed of her whelps and so will redouble their strength and resolution to recover what they have lost Thou maist easily understand that it is a dangerous thing to fight with desperate men alas it will not be so easie a matter to terrifie them and to make them flee as Achitophel supposes Besides thy Father is an old experienced Commander wise and cautious and thou maist assure thy self that he will not at this time lodg in the Camp among the common Souldiers for fear there should be any concealed Traytors among them but will secure himself in some secret pit or cave or some unknown place as he used to do in the days of Saul so that it will not be so easie a matter to seize upon him and so put an end to the war as Achitophel apprehends Furthermore we are to consider how dangerous and perillous to any side the first overthrow is which is usually lookt upon as a presage of future success Those twelve thousand whom Achitophel would lead forth are but a few to go out against thy Fathers army and if some of them should be overthrown at the first a report will presently fly abroad that Absaloms forces are beaten and then the hearts of thy most valiant Souldiers whose hearts are now like the heart of a lion will soon melt and be dissolved and thorough fear they will scatter and flee away Therefore my counsel to thee is to assemble all the people from Dan to Beersheba and to gather an army like the sand that is on the sea-shore for multitude and this is the way to make sure work in a matter of such great consequence as this is and when thou hast got such a vast army together then I advise thee to go out thy self in person and command them as General and so thou thy self wilt have the honour of the victory and thy valour and conduct will be renown'd in the world And when thou hast gotten such a vast army under thy command fear not we shall find thy Father out where ever he is for as dew when it falls overspreads the face of the whole earth so we shall overspread the face of the whole Country and if he be any where in the fields we shall light upon him and neither he nor any that are with him shall escape us and if he be fled into any City we will bring ropes to that City and will draw it into the river and will pull it down until there be not left one stone upon another Thus Hushai concluded his speech and with such big and swelling words he sought to blow up the spirit of this proud young Prince and to humour his vain glory and ambition but his main end was to gain time knowing that in a little time such a vast army could not be gathered together that so David in the mean while might gather strength and increase his forces Hushai having delivered himself thus eloquently Absalom and those about him were much taken with him and said the counsel of Hushai is better than the counsel of Achitophel Thus the Providence of God over-ruled their hearts that the Politick counsel of Achitophel which had been good for the accomplishing Absalom's ends had it been followed might be defeated Hushai presently acquaints Zadock and Abiathar with what had passed that they might
it to be agreeable to the will of God he desired the Ark might be brought up to Jerusalem For says he from the days of Saul (a) Indeed ever since the days of Samuel the Ark had been in the house of Abinadab but he desired rather to accuse themselves that were then living than their forefathers Besides in the days of Samuel by reason of the wars they had continually with the Philistines they had not so good opportunity to remove the Ark as they had afterwards hitherto we have suffered the Ark to continue in a private house and have not inquired at it nor sought Oracles of God from it as we should have done but have contented our selves to worship God at the Tabernacle in Gibeon though the Ark the Testimony of his Presence was not there Let us therefore send to our * David though a King accounts his Subjects who came from the same Father to be his Brethren Brethren in the land and to the Priests (b) V. 2. In urbibus suburbanis suis q.d. ad omnes ubicunque habitant and Levites to gather themselves to us that we may in a solemn manner bring up the Ark of God hither The proposal highly pleased all the Congregation there present and they declared themselves very willing to have it done Sometime after therefore David sent forth his Messengers through all the land of Israel from Shikar a river of Egypt which was the utmost Southern bound unto the entring of Hamath which was the utmost Northern to invite them to come up to Jerusalem upon this solemn occasion And the people came in a vast number no less than thirty thousand of Nobles Magistrates and chief men with many of the common people David being come with all that great multitude to Baal of Judah that is Kirjath-jearim see 1 Chron. 13.6 he arose and went with them from thence to carry the Ark to Jerusalem at which the name of the Lord of hosts who dwelleth between the Cherubims was called upon intending to place it in a Tabernacle or Tent that he had prepared for it In order hereunto they having taken the Ark out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah viz. an hill so called in Kirjath-jearim they placed it in a new Cart * It seems they thought they might safely do what the Philistines had done before them without any danger How easily may multitudes of Gods people err if they do not examin things by the rule of the Word as the Philistines had before done 1 Sam. 6.7 8. therein manifestly transgressing the Law of God which required that the Levites should carry it upon their shoulders see Numb 4.15 7.9 Vzzah and Ahio the Sons of Abinadab drave the Cart Ahio went before to look to the Oxen and Vzzah behind to take care of the Cart and the Ark that was in it And David and all this great company went before the Ark the Symbol of the Divine Presence playing on all sorts of Musical instruments then in use among them and praising the Lord and singing probably the first verse of the 68 Psalm Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered and let them that hate him flee before him which was to be used as appears Numb 10.35 at every removal of the Ark. When they came to Nachons threshing-floor the Oxen stumbling shook the Ark whereupon Vzzah laid hold on it to stay it for fear it should have fallen and God smote him dead †Some think God only took occasion from hence to punish him for some former fault Sic Augustine upon the place for his rashness (c) By this judgment executed on one he brought David and the rest to see their sin in laying hold (d) Non legimus eum sic percussum esse ut nihil ei fuerit temporis ad cognoscendum deplorandum peccatum suum Probabile est hoc fecisse Deum ad constituendum disciplinam in populo suo on the Ark which no man might touch but the Priests only see Numb 4.15 David was much disquieted and startled at this heavy judgment wherewith God had broken forth upon Vzzah and he called the name of the place Perez-Vzzah or a breach upon Vzzah in memorial of Gods judgment upon Vzzah And David was sore afraid lest the anger of the Lord should fall upon himself that day and that he was not pleased that the Ark should be carried to Jerusalem But it was not the act it self but the ill manner of performing it that displeased God However David thought it safer at present to desist from his purpose and so he carried it aside to the house of Obed-Edom (e) A Levite and one of the Porters and Singers 1 Chr. 15.18 21. the Gittite that is of Gath-rimmon a City of the Philistines near Gath and appropriated to the Levites Josh 21.24 who considering there was no danger in harbouring the Ark provided they carried themselves with that respect and reverence towards it which God required he gladly received it into his house where it continued three months and God wonderfully blessed (f) They shall be no losers that give to God or any belonging unto him due intertainment As we see the instances of Potiphars entertaining Joseph and Laban Jacob and the widdow-woman Elijah the Shunamite Elisha him and his house viz. his wife children servants cattel and all that he had and all his affairs for the Arks sake And this blessing was so remarkable that it was not only discerned by himself but by his neighbours also who acquainted David therewith David now saw there was no danger in removing or entertaining the Ark but only in the miscarriages about it which he now purposed to avoid for he saw that none ought to carry the Ark of God but the Levites whom God had appointed to that ministry as long as the Mosaical dispensation lasted therefore setting afresh upon the work and assembling the people he taketh order to have it brought from Obed-Edom's house to Jerusalem with all solemnity as is more fully exprest 1 Chron. Ch. 15. Ch. 16. In order hereunto he calls for Zadock the High-Priest and Abiathar his Deputy and the heads of the Priests and Levites and requires them to sanctifie and prepare themselves for this holy service by outward ceremonial purifications and by inward purifications of soul For because it was not so done at first he says God had made a breach upon them even because they had not Religiously examin'd what the Law of God required of them in that case and had not performed this service in a right manner according to his will Accordingly the Priests and Levites did sanctifie themselves and then the Levites did bear the Ark upon their shoulders He appointed also that some of the Levites should go before the Ark sounding with Psalteries Harps and Cymbals and singing thereunto with joyful and chearful spirits The several Singers played upon several instruments some
with Cymbals of brass and some with Psalteries on * Alamoth signifies young maidens or Virgins and therefore Expositors hereby understand the Treble because their voice is shril and fittest for that part in Musick See Tit. of 46 Psal Symphonia acuta quam virgines edunt argutissime Alamoth singing the Treble and others on Sheminith or an instrument of eight strings playing the bass to make the Musick more excellent and delightful and some of the Priests did blow with Trumpets And Berechiah and Elkanah were appointed to do the office of Door-keepers to keep the people off from pressing upon the Ark and so were Obed-Edom and Jehiah two of them going before and two behind And when the Levites who carried the Ark perceived after they had gone a little way with it that God was with them and did not strike them with death as he did Vzzah but manifested his favour to them so that they went on without interruption see 2 Sam. 6.13 they made a stand and offered Sacrifices to the Lord by way of thankfulness David ordering it to be done by the Priests who no doubt made an Altar there according to the Law Exod. 20.24 David also clothed himself with a robe of white linnen like to a Priests Ephod and girded it to him with a linnen girdle and so also the Levites and Singers were clothed with robes of white linnen and David transported with an holy joy danced before the Ark of the Lord with all his might It was in those days usual to testifie their thankefulness and joy by dancing * See Psal 149.3 150.4 30.11 Exod. 15.20 and so David did here dancing gravely and decently answerable to the Religious Musick and testifying his zeal for God and his Worship with all his might and his thankefulness that the Lord would please to settle the Ark in his City Thus David and all Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with joyful acclamations and singing and the sound of Cornets Trumpets Cymbals Psalteries and Harps And when the Ark came into the City of David in this solemn manner Michal Saul's daughter looking out at a window and seeing David dancing †Pra gaudio immenso David vehementer saltabat ita ut nasutis non judicantibus recte de pio Davidis zelo regiae dignitatis oblitus videretur and playing on his Harp before the Ark she despised him in her heart So they brought the Ark and set it in the place or Tabernacle David had prepared for it and then they offered Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings before the Lord and then David like a pious Prince blessed the people in the name of the Lord and prayed for their peace and prosperity Then he royally feasted them appointing to each person both man and woman a loaf of bread a good piece of flesh and a flagon of wine and so he dismissed them and they departed to their own houses with great content and satisfaction having performed this publick service David then returned to bless his own house viz. to pray with and for his family as he had done for the people But Michal Saul's daughter too much resembling her Father in evil qualities goes out to meet him and being no longer able to suppress her disdainful thoughts she crys out O how glorious was the King of Israel this day who uncovered himself in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants as one of the vain fellows shamelesly uncovereth (a) V. 20. discooperiens se nudatus est non omnino sed quod deposuisset extimam vestem regalem ut Ephod indueret himself intimating that by laying aside his Princely attire and mixing himself with the multitude and dancing and leaping in the open streets as vain fellows use to do he had thereby exposed himself to the scorn and contempt of every girl that came to see the pomp of this removing the Ark. He tells her that what he had done he had done as in the sight and presence of God and for his glory and he could never honour him sufficiently who had chosen and appointed him to be King and Ruler over Israel and had rejected her father and his house And says he I am so far from thinking it a disgrace to me to honour and glorifie my God though among the meanest of his people and making my self therein as it were equal with them that if that be to be vile I will yet be more vile and will be ready to humble and abase my self more that I may glorifie him And as to the Maid-servants of whom thou speakest as if they laughed at this my carriage I doubt not but the more I humble my self for God the more I shall be had in honour of all my servants For God hath promised that those that honour him he will honour 1 Sam. 2.30 Whither Michal was any thing moved with what David said is uncertain but certain it is she got nothing but a curse for this her scorning of him for the Lord adjudged her from henceforth to perpetual barrenness (b) Michal never had any child those 5 Sons mentioned 2 Sam. 21.8 were the Sons of Merab her sister whom Michal brought up for Adriel Merabs husband 1 Sam. 18.19 and are called Michals Sons because she did educate if not adopt them which was looked upon as no small curse among the Hebrew women but must needs be accounted a greater curse in a Kings wife and the daughter of a King who being of a more Illustrious family than any other of David's wives if she had brought forth a Son he might in likelihood have been heir to the Crown 2 Sam. Ch. 6. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 13. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 15. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 16. from v. 1 to 7. SECT CLXXXVII DAvid now deputes certain of the Levites (a) See 1 Chro. 6.31 there the chief mentioned were Asaph Heman and Ethan call'd also Jeduthun these were famous men and chief Singers and withal Prophets and Penmen of some Psalmes 2 Chron. 29.30 to attend upon the Ark of the Lord and to declare and publish his great and glorious acts in their Songs and Hymns and to praise him with their voices and Musical instruments namely such as were appointed for his servic (b) 1 Chron. 16. v. 42. call'd Musical Instruments of God and that constantly every day at the hour appointed Then David who in regard of that Divine skill he had in composing Psalmes was stiled the sweet Singer of Israel 2 Sam. 23.1 delivered to Asaph and his Brethren a Psalm to have a Tune put to it and to be sung in the service of God which is here recorded the several parts whereof were afterwards much enlarged by him and reduced into several Psalmes as we may see Psal 105. 96. the former part of it to v. 23. is part of Psal 105. and the sum of it is to praise the Lord for publick benefits afforded to his