Thornes and Thistles it should bring forth to him in abundance and he must now eat of such herbs and fruits as the Earth by tillage and husbandry would produce but not any more of the herbs and fruits of Paradise With labour and the sweat of his brows he must eat his bread and get food and nourishment till he die and his body return to dust out of which it was at first form'd Thus we have seen how God was pleased to relax his own Law and to reprieve our first Parents and not to execute the Sentence of Death immediately upon them For our infinitely-wise and gracious God foresaw how he could bring good out of this great evil and make this fall of our first Parents tend to the manifestation of his own justice and mercy whereas had he instantly destroyed them He had put an end to the World as to mankind and must have made a new new stock and race of men if he would be glorified by them God therefore in his infinite Wisdom and Goodness immediately made another Covenant with our first Parents viz. a Covenant of Grace giving them this glorious promise That the seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents head which imported that all repenting Sinners who should unfeignedly believe in this Seed of the Woman should not perish but have eternal life And all that would desperately go on in their sins not regarding this Saviour should be damned and perish everlastingly These Sentences being passed Adam called the name of his Wife Evah because she was then ordained to be the Mother not only of all Men and Women that should live a natural life but of those that should live a spiritual life by faith (n) So Sarah was afterward call'd the Mother of the faithful 1 Pet. 3.6 in her Seed namely the promised Messias Now the day on which our first Parents fell seemeth to have been the 10th day after the Creation of the World which day probably in Remembrance of so remarkable a thing which brought so much misery on Mankind was appointed afterwards by God himself for the most solemn yearly Fast and the day of Atonement wherein all Strangers as well as Home-born people of the Jews were commanded to afflict their Souls under this severe threatning that every man who did not afflict his soul that day should be destroyed from among the people Levit. 16.29 Ch. 23.29 SECT III. SIn being now come into the World God teacheth Adam and Eve the Rite of Sacrificing and how to cloath themselves with the Skins of the sacrificed Beasts so that the first thing that dieth in the World is a Sacrifice or Christ in a Figure (o) Thus He was a Lamb slain from the beginning of the World Rev. 13.8 not only in Gods decree but in a Type Then the Lord upbraiding our first Parents for their vain Imagination and thinking by eating of the forbidden fruit to become like unto God in an ironical way He says Behold the Man is become like one of us to know good and evil meaning that by their sin they were become most unlike Him And upbraiding them also in like manner for the certainty of Death they had brought upon themselves and lest they should flatter themselves that they might now take of the tree of Life and eat and live for ever as they had flattered themselves about the other tree He ejects them out of the Garden of Eden and set Cherubims with a fiery flaming Sword to keep the way leading to the Tree of Life to shew them they had now no right to it nor might meddle with that Sacramental Seal of Life having by their Disobedience and Sin made themselves justly liable to Death Gen. 3. from 21. to the end SECT IV. ADam being now expell'd Paradise and appointed to till the ground begat of his Wife Cain and Abel though in what Year of the World is not expressed Cain was the first of all Mortal Men that was born of a Woman And next to him Abel Cain was a tiller of the Ground and Abel a keeper of Sheep In Cain evidently appeared the poyson the Devil had breathed into fallen Man And in Abel the Grace which is given to Gods people in and thorow Jesus Christ In process of time they both Sacrifice Cain of the fruits of the Earth Abel of the firstlings of his Flock and of the fat and best thereof And by Faith Abel offered a more excellent Sacrifice then Cain By which he obtained witness that He was Righteous Heb. 11.4 For God shewed by some outward visible sign that he had respect to Abels Sacrifice either by firing (p) See Levit. 9.24 Judg. 6.21 1 King 18.38 it from Heaven as some conceive or some other way but depised wicked Cains This much incensed Cain Whereupon the Lord tells him that he had no reason to be thus angry For if he did well he should surely be accepted but if he did ill the punishment of his sin would lie watching at his door to seize upon him And further to allay his anger towards his Brother He tells him that Abels desire should still be subject to him as to the first born and He should be content that He should be prefer'd before him See Ch. 2.16 But Cain notwithstanding being implacably angry with his Brother meeting him one day in the Field He slew him Having committed this Execrable Murder God calls to him and asks him Where his Brother was He answers I know not Am I my Brothers keeper Then the Lord tells him that the Voice of his Brothers blood cryed unto Heaven for vengeance against him and that He had drawn down upon himself by his hainous transgression this punishment that the Earth that receiv'd his Brothers blood should plague him by being unfruitful under all his pains of husbandry and that he should be a Fugitive and a Vagabond on the Earth Cain being thus sentenced was presently seiz'd with a great terrour and fear and vented the anguish of his Soul in such expressions as these My punishment is greater then I can bear Behold O Lord thou hast driven me out this day from the face of this Earth and Land where I now dwell with my Parents and Kindred and I shall be hid as it were and shut up and excluded from thy Grace and Favour so that thou will not vouchsafe any gracious glance towards me nor accept of any oblation from me and I shall be in a continual fear that every one that meets me will slay me And indeed Seth being born soon after the murder of Abel and in the 130th Year of Adam in that space of time so many might be born as might justly occasion Cain's guilty Conscience to suspect that every one that met him would kill him But God tells him He might be secure as to that for he would have him preserv'd alive as a miserable Spectacle to terrifie others from that hainous Crime of Murder And accordingly he would
instigated by the Devil to do it might as a very officious Instrument of his pluck some of the fruit of this Tree and eat of it in the presence of Eve thereby to shew her that the eating of it did not hurt or bring death upon Him and why then should She fear it would do so upon Her And possibly he might pluck some of the Fruit and offer it to her and tempt her to eat thereof But howsoever it was Eve being Won upon by these fine insinuations began to doubt of the truth of Gods threatning concerning eating of this tree and possibly being tickled also with a secret desire and affectation of an higher estate and greater knowledge which she hoped to attain unto thereby and seeing also the tree to bear a pleasant Fruit to look upon she did venture to eat of it without consulting her husband first as she should have done and then having eaten her self 't is like she was very importunate with her husband to eat also as appears from Gen. 3.17 which He out of his great affection to Her did at last comply with Her in But presently after they had thus eaten their Eyes were opened as the Devil (m) The Devil having made this great and fatal Conquest of our first Parents by the Serpent it seems he much applauded himself therein and therefore would be worshipped among the Heathens in that shape Hence that direful Custom that the Priests of Bacchus must at their Initiation Serpentibus Coronati Evam Evam ingeminare Whence Bacchus is by the Poëts called Evios So also Aesculapius was worshipped under the shape of a Serpent at Epidaurus Salutifero mitis Deus incubat angui says the Poët Much more might be brought out of Clemens Alexandrinus in Exhortatione ad Gentes and out of Eusebius de praeparatione Evangelii upon this Argument to shew the Devils Tyranny over the poor Pagans in this very shape the shape of a Serpent But I do not wonder so much that the Heathens were so deluded by him Since I read what Austin in his Book de Haeresibus reports of certain ancient Hereticks amongst the Christians called Ophitae who says he adorant Serpentem per quem Eva fuit decepta tanquam is esset Christus Et panem Caenae Domini non prius Sanctificatum esse putant quam Serpens ille evocatus lambat attingat eum sive degustet See more in Danaeus's Notes upon him told Eve they should be but after another manner then he had suggested For now their Consciences were enlightned and they saw the enormity of their sin and the woful misery into which they had brought themselves and their Posterity Now they saw they were naked both in Soul and Body and that they were bereaved of the Image of God deprived of the glory in which they were created and subjected to inordinate Lusts Now their bodily Nakedness was shameful to them which was not so before * Ch. 2.25 and they were fain to ty together Figg-Leaves and so make themselves Aprons to cover their nakedness Our first Parents having thus wofully transgressed the Lord now came and walked in the Garden towards the cool of the Evening and whither appearing in a visible shape as our Saviour did often in the Old Testament as a praelude of his Incarnation or otherwise without it yet he made his Voice to be heard by them They being Conscious of their sin and fearing the Majesty of God and being strucken with horrour and amazement knew not what to do and therefore ran and hid themselves among the trees of the Garden God calls to Adam Adam where art thou He comes trembling and says he heard his voice indeed but he hid himself because he was naked Observe here how he begins to shuffle at the very first He imputes his hiding himself to his nakedness He should have said they had grievously sinned and so as guilty persons were afraid to appear in the presence of a righteous and powerful Judge The Lord answers him Thou wert naked before without fear or shame Gen. 2.25 whence comes it that thou art now ashamed Hast thou eaten of the Tree I forbad thee Adam shifts it off from himself to the Woman saying The woman which thou gavest me perswaded me to it and I did eat Then the Woman was call'd and examined she shifts it off from herself to the Serpent saying The Serpent beguiled me and I did eat They having no more to say for themselves Then the Lord gave Sentence upon all three First He sentences the Serpent because he had been so officious an Instrument of the Devils in the seduction of our first Parents that He should be cursed above all Cattle and whereas before his natural gate was otherwise and the green leaves were appointed to him for food as well as to the other Cattle Gen. 1.30 now he should go on his belly and breast and that with more pain and difficulty then other creeping things and should feed on the dust of the earth And beside the natural antipathy that should be between Mankind and Serpents there should a more remarkable enmity appear betwixt Christ who should in the fulness of time be born of a Woman Gal. 4.4 and all true believers that should be Members of him and the Devil and his Angels together with all the wicked who are His Seed and Off-spring Joh. 4.44 You are of your Father the Devil c. And that the Mâ—ssias the promised Seed of the Woman should bruise the Devils Head that is dâ—stroy his Kingdom and thorow the merit of his Death and efficacy of his Spirit dispossess the Devil of all his power and tread him under his Churches feet Heb. 2.14 1 Joh. 3.8 Joh. 12.31 And that the Devil should bruise his heel that is assault Christ himself with temptations and his Members with various troubles which to Him and them should be but as the brusing of the heel So that the Devil and his Seed should persecute Christ and his Church and Members but never be able to extirpate or destroy them 2dly He Sentences the Woman that she should have many troubles and sorrows accompanying her Conception viz. faintness and sick fits and perils of abortion and should have many troubles and sorrows in breeding bearing bringing forth and bringing up her Children And further that her desire should be subject to her husband and upon his will and pleasure it should depend and she should be obliged to bend to her husbands will and he should have Dominion over her and power to command Her which would be now by reason of the corruption of her nature oftentimes troublesome and irksome to Her whereas in the state of Innocency it would have been pleasing and delightful 3ly He passes Sentence on the Man because he had hearkned to the voice of his Wife the Earth should be accursed for his sake so that he should not sustain himself upon it but with a great deal of toil and trouble
Camels 500 Yokes of Oxen 500 She-Asses 3. He had a great many Servants 4. There was great Vnity and Love among his Children they feasting one another in their Courses To which may be added Job's Piety and paternal Care in offering Sacrifices for them 3. Of his wonderful Afflictions Satan obtained a Commission to have Power over his Possessions over his Children and over his own Person yet so as not to take away his life and his own Wife mocked at him Hereupon He curses the day of his Birth and wishes he had died before or immediately after his coming into the World Ch. 1. 2. to the 11 vers and Ch. 3. 4. Of his four Friends coming to him to visit him in this his sad Condition Whereof the three first viz. Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar argue and debate the matter with him and pretend to maintain that he that was so extraordinarily and extremely afflicted by God as Job was must needs either be a great and open Sinner or a Close Hypocrite from vers 11. of Ch. 2. to the end Eliphaz begins and is the first Opponent in this Disputation whose Argument is contained in the 4th and 5th Ch. Job's Answer to him is contained in the 6th and 7th Ch. Bildad is the second Opponent His Discourse is contained in the 8th Ch. And it is mainly a Confutation of Job's Reply to Eliphaz Job's Answer to him is set down in the 9th and 10th Ch. In which like an ingenuous Disputant he grants that which is true in Bildad's Argument and denies what is false Zophar is the third Opponent whose Discourse and Argument is contained in Ch. 11. Job's Answer to him is set down Ch. 22 13 14. and it is framed not only as an Answer to Zophar's Argument but also to what Eliphaz and Bildad had alledged before and he concludes with an humble Supplication to God for a mitigation of his Afflictions Eliphaz speaks again and rejoyns Ch. 15. Job Replies to him Ch. 16 17. Bildad also Rejoyns Ch. 18. Job Answers him Ch. 19. Zophar Rejoyns also Ch. 20. Job Answers him Ch. 21. Eliphaz undertakes him a third time Ch. 22. Job's Answer to him is couched in Ch. 23 24. Bildad also undertakes him a third time Ch. 25. Job Answers him Ch. 26. and that puts an end to the Disputation which Job closes with two Speeches The first is contained in the 27th 28th Ch. wherein he professeth his Integrity and his Resolution to hold it to the end The second is contained in the 29 30 31 Ch. wherein he speaks of his former great Happiness and laments his present miserable Condition both in respect of outward and inward Temptations and asserts the Vprightness and Inoffensiveness of his Carriage The Disputation being ended Elihu who takes upon him to be as it were Moderator begins to speak and he makes four distinct Speeches The first is contained in Ch. 32 33. In the close of which he gives Job leave to make his Defence who not Replying he proceeds to His second Speech contained in Ch. 34. His third is set down in Ch. 35. His fourth in Ch. 36 37. Then the Almighty Himself spake out of the Whirlewind and gave the final and decisive Sentence between Job and his Friends And first the Lord Reproves the Ignorance of Job and shews him how unfit he was to contend with his Maker Ch. 38. 39. Job hereupon humbly abases himself before the Lord and yields the Cause and promises Silence and not to Complain any more Ch. 40. v. 3 4 5. Then the Lord Reproves Job for not being brought to a full acknowledgment of the Exact Justice of his Creator and his own Sinfulness The Lord also manifests and declares his own Power and Job's Weakness Commanding Job by way of Irony to do that which none but God can do Then he Exemplifies his own infinite Power in his having created at first and still having the Government over those two vast Creatures viz. Behemoth and Leviathan from vers 6. of Ch. 40. to the end of 41. 5ly The Conclusion of the History which is contained in Ch. 42. where Job confesseth himself Guilty and humbles himself before the Lord repenting in Dust and Ashes God then Reproves his Friends for not speaking of him the things that were right He Charges them to offer Burnt-Offerings for themselves and to get Job to Intercede for them for him he would accept Job is now delivered from his Affliction and blessed with double as much Estate as he had before and in time with as many Children as He had before viz. with seven Sons and three Daughters His Friends and near Relations visit him and present him with Gifts The years of his life are doubled For he lived an 140 years after his trouble and so was 70 years old when his troubles began and died 210 years old the longest liver born since Terah SECT L. Anno Mundi 2385. ABout this time died Levi in Egypt aged 137 Exod. 6.16 being Grandfather by the Mothers side to Moses and Aaron and great Grandfather by the Fathers For when he had begotten Kohath in Canaan and a Daughter called Jochebed in Egypt Amram the Son of Kohath took to wife Jochebed the Daughter of Levi his own Aunt doing therein that which was then customary though afterwards it was expresly forbidden Lev. 18.12 20.19 and by Her He had Miriam Aaron and Moses and having attained to the age of 137. the just age of His Grandfather Levi He died a little before the Departure of the Israelites out of Egypt See Exod. 6.18 20. SECT LI. THe Children of Israel being now by the especial blessing of God increased in Egypt from 70 Souls to (k) At Gen. 46.25 Numerantur solum sexaginta sex Resp Tot descenderunt cum Jacobo At in Egypto 70. Adde enim duos Josephi silios in Egypto natos ipsum Josephum patrem Jacobum sicque sunt 70. a vast multitude after the death of Joseph and the twelve Patriarchs by degrees fall into great Enormities and Abominations As 1. Many of them began to be Corrupt in their Religion and committed Idolatry with the Idols of Egypt as is intimated Josh 24.14 Put away the Gods which your Fathers served on the other side of the Flood and in Egypt and serve you the Lord. See also Ezek. 20.8 2. Some of them joyned in Marriage with the Egyptians as may appear from Lev. 24.10 And the Son of an Israelitish woman whose Father was an Egyptian For these and their other great Sins and Transgressions the Lord now casteth them into a Furnace of Afflictions partly to punish them for their Sins and partly to keep them from setting their hearts on Egypt and to make them long after Canaan the promised Land And accordingly now there arose a new King in Egypt who knew nor Joseph nor the Services he had done for that Crown who fearing the number and strength of the Israelites did resolve to
with the same degree of love As our Saviour prays Joh. 17.21 that all true Believers might be one with Him and his Father not with the same union but with a likeness of union Ch. 19. v. 18. 7. Com. we are forbidden Fornication with a Bond-Maid betrothed the punishment scourging the way of Expiation by bringing a Ram for a Trespass-Offering Ch. 19.20 21 22 29. Adultery The punishment Death by stoning as may be gathered from Deut. Ch. 22. v. 22 23 24. Joh. 8.4.5 Levit. 20.10 Incest as if a man lie with his Fathers wife or his Daughter-in-law or if he marry Mother and Daughter if all be guilty they shall be burnt or if a man lie with his Sister he shall be immediately put to death and that openly for a warning to others or if a man lie with his Aunt they shall die Childless that is shall be presently put to death that so the Land may not be filled with the Issue of so unclean a mixture Ch. 20.11 12 14 17 19 20 21. Sodomy or lying with Mankind Both are to be put to death Ch. 20.13 Bestiality or lying with Beasts Both Man and Beast to be put to death Ch. 20.15 16. Lying with a woman having her Sickness which if a man did knowingly and the woman consented both were to be put to death (r) Intelligendum est autem de casu quo vel publice constabat vel ad judices res deducta erat Nam pro casibus occultis decernitur supra Cap. 15. v. 24. immunditia semptem dierum post quos ab ea purificandus erat Jansenius But if he knew her not to be in that condition He was only rendred unclean thereby for seven days and to be purified according to the directions given Ch. 15. Levit. 20.18 8. Com. Ye shall not steal nor deal fasly nor lie one to another Ch. 19.11 Thou shall not defraud thy Neighbour nor rob him The wages of him that is hired shall not stay with thee all night till the morning The reason of which Law seems to be because they that work for hire are many times so poor that they have not provision for a day beforehand Ch. 19.13 See Jer. 22.13 Job 7.2 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in Judgment in Meteyard in Weight or in Measure but shall have just Ballances just Weights and a just Epha (s) An Epha answered to our Bushel and an Hin contained six of our Pints and a just Hin Ch. 19.35 36. 9. Com. Thou shalt no go up and down as a Talebearer among thy people Ch. 19.16 See Ezek. 22.9 In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood Some Injunctions are also added relating to the Judicial Law as particularly First That all Justice be impartially administred without respect of persons or considering whither they be Poor or Rich Strangers or of their own Country Ch. 19.15 Ch. 24.22 yea the Strangers sojourning with them were to be used as those born among them and they were to love them as themselves remembring that they themselves were once Strangers in the Land of Egypt Ch. 19.33 24. 2ly To leave the Corners of their Field when they reap and the gleanings thereof and of their Vineyards for the Poor and Stranger Ch. 19.9 10. See Ch. 23.22 3ly Not to permit promiscuous Ingendrings among Cattel nor sow their Fields with mingled seed nor wear Linsiewolsie Garments intimating possibly how all mixtures in Religion of mans devising with Gods Ordinances and all hypocrisie contrary to the sincerity and simplicity which God requires were abominable to Him Ch. 19.19 Deut. 22.11 4ly Fruits of Trees now planted to be accounted uncircumcised and for the first three years to be cast away as an unclean thing even as the Fore-skins of men in Circumcision were cut off and cast away as unclean In the fourth year they were to be holy to praise the Lord withall and given to the Priests as First-fruits who did eat the food prepared for and dedicated unto God Then on the fifth year they might gather the Fruits and eat of them themselves and by Gods blessing this their Obedience should tend to their profit For God would thereupon bless them with increase Ch. 19.23 24 25. 5ly Not to round (t) Radulphus asserit Gentiles cum se daemonibus consecrabant capita sua in rotundum totondisse censebant enim Deos gaudere figura rotundâ utpote perfectissima Hic Diis Templa rotunda extruebant Numa vestae Augustus omnibus Diis Bochartus Deus ut suos quam remotissime ab impiis profanis Gentilium ritibus abstraheret opposita praecepit ut in multis aliis ita ut in capillorum barbae figura Nam Nazaraeatus i. e. intonsio a Deo idcirco videtur probata Jansen the corners of their Heads and Beards after the superstitious manner and custom of the Heathen who offered to their Idol-gods not only their Locks but their Beards also especially the first down of them as Plutarch in Theseo and Sueton in Nerone relate Or possibly they were not to shave off the hair of their Heads and Beards when they were in mourning and extream heaviness as was the custom of the Heathen Isa 15.2 Jer. 48.37 Neither were they to make cuttings in their Flesh for the dead as the Heathens used to cut and lance themselves in their mourning Deut. 14.1 Jer. 16.6 1 King 18.28 Nor to imprint Marks upon their Flesh by cutting themselves and then filling up the place with black or some other colour that the Marks thereof might remain which were tokens of Idolatry and Superstition and desperate effects of immoderate mourning Ch. 19.27 28. Ch. 21.5 6ly Laws concerning the Priests mourning for the dead 1. The inferiour Priests were not to defile themselves by touching the dead (u) Which was an admonition of an especial purity required in the Priests as being Types of Christ or lamenting or being at their burial or within the place or Tent where any dead body lay by which was contracted a Ceremonial uncleanness for seven days see Numb 19.14 16. yet the Priest though he might not mourn for any of the people he might mourn for his Mother Father Son Daughter Brother Sister being a Virgin Nevertheless for these he was not to mourn after the Idolatrous manner of the Heathens by cutting his Hair Beard and Flesh as they used to do He being a chief man among his people and appointed to offer Sacrifices on the Altar and Shew-bread on the Table of the Lord therefore a more especial degree of holiness was required of him Chap. 21. from 1. to 7. 2ly They were not to marry a Whore or a profane Woman or one divorc'd from her Husband yea it seems they might not marry a Widow except it were a Priests Widow Ezek. 44.22 This was injoyned to maintain the dignity of the Priesthood that they might be fitter to be Types of Christ and the people accordingly are enjoyned to account and esteem
them holy they offering the Bread of God and being his Ministers who is holiness it self vers 7 8. 3ly The Priests Daughter if she play'd the whore was to be burnt because she dishonoured the Priest-hood (x) For which cause the Connivance and Indulgence of old Eli to his wicked Sons was the more displeasing to God and it may well be thought by the parity of reason that the same punishment was to be inflicted on the Priests wife and on his Sons if guilty of the like Crimes and the sacred Office of her Father whereas other persons were not to be put to death for simple Fornication neither the man nor the woman Exod. 22.16 17. Levit. 21. vers 9. 4ly The High Priest (y) The High Priests refraining from mourning at Funerals was apishly followed by the Devils Priests Gell. Noct. Attic Lib. 10. Cap. 15. must not defile himself by mourning for any dead whatsoever though of his nearest Kindred for the Crown (z) This may have respect to the golden Plate fastened to his Miter which was upon his head when he was anointed and is called the holy Crown Exod. 29.6 7. Unctus est oleo quod et est vice Coronae diadematis quibus Reges insigniantur of the anointing Oil of God is upon him and he is to be noted and observed rather for qualifications of Grace and Holiness than for natural Affections being a Type of Christs Royal Priesthood therefore he shall not forsake the Sanctuary when he should serve there or uncover his head after the manner of Mourners or indanger himself to be defiled by any such mourning and so profane the Sanctuary vers 10 11 12. 5ly The High Priest was to take only a Virgin (a) So his wife was a figure of the Church which is to be Chast pure and holy 2 Cor. 11.2 to wife no Widow or divorced Woman or Harlot might he take because any blemish in his wife would tend to the reproach and dishonour of his Children born of her And thus profaning his seed he would render them unfit to succeed him in that sacred Office to which being advanc'd by God she should be carful no way to dishonour it vers 13 14 15. 6ly They of the Sons of Aaron that had any bodily blemishes deformities or defects were to be excluded from the Priests Office (b) To signifie the perfection of Christ of whom the Priests were Types and to signifie how pure they should be that are imployed in sacred Functions from any thing that may be a blemish to their Profession and Ministry Under the Gospel bodily blemishes do not disable from the Ministry but blemishes in the mind or manners will render them unfit to be Teachers or Examples to the Flock yet they were allowed to eat of the holy things and to eat the bread of God both the most holy and the holy that is of the Shew-bread and Meat-Offerings and part of the Sin-Offerings and Trespass-Offerings Levit. 2.3 and of the First-fruits Tythes and Thank-Offerings but they were not to serve in the Tabernacle from vers 16. to the end 7ly Laws injoyning the Priests when they were unclean to abstain from holy things whether that uncleanness happened to them by Leprosie Issue touching of the dead or eating any thing that died of it self or was torn with Beasts in which cases they were to be unclean until the evening and then to wash their Flesh and so to eat of the holy things Chap. 22. from 1. to 10. 8ly No stranger that is not a Priest (c) Herein was the difference between the portion of the Priests and of the people though in the same Sacrifice that the Priests portion was only to be eaten by them of his own Family but the portion which belonged to him that brought the Offering might be imparted to any Israelites if they were not debarred by some legaâ— uncleanness nor of the Family of the Priests though living in the same house no Sojourner or Guest or Servant hired by the day was to eat of the holy things belonging to the Priest but the bought Servant and he that was born in his house might eat of them The Priests Daughter married to a stranger might not eat of them but if she be a Widow or divorced or without Children and returned to her Fathers house to live there as she did in her youth she may eat of her Fathers meat See Levit. 10.14 Levit. 22. from 10. to 14. 9ly If a man who ought not did unwittingly and thorow mistake eat of the holy things belonging to the Priest he was to repay the full price of what he had eaten and to add a fifth part over and above as a forfeiture for the offence and a Caveat against offending in the like kind for time to come There was also a Ram to be offered for his sin see Ch. 5.15 And the Priests were to take all the care they could that the people did not bring upon themselves guilt by eating what they ought not and so make themselves liable to bear the punishment of their trespass vers 14 15 16. 10ly Laws concerning the Sacrifices that were to be brought for a Vow or a Free-will-Offering which they might offer at their own discretion how they were to be conditioned 1. They must be always males (d) In other Sacrifices a female was sometimes accepted but not in this of Beeves Sheep or Goats 2ly They must be without blemish neither blind nor lame or scabbed c. yet in Peace-Offerings that were not for a Vow but for a Free-will-Offering though no blemish was allowed yet the Sacrifice which had something superfluous or lacking in his parts was accepted but a blemisht Sacrifice that was bruis'd or broken would not be accepted either for an Israelite or a Proselite (e) V. 25. The bread of your God bread is taken for an Oblation see Levit. 21.6 Panis i. e. Sacrificia Menoch 3ly The Beasts to be sacrificed were to be eight days old at least before they were offered because till then they were not fit to be eaten by men being too tender and waterish see Exod. 22.30 4ly The Dam and the young One were not to be kill'd in one day By this as by the Ordinance against blood God intended to admonish his people of Mercy and to restrain them from Cruelty see Deut. 22.6 Lastly When they offered a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving it was all to be eaten the same day none of it to be reserved to the morrow which might make them the more willing to call the Poor to eat with them because the remainders were not to be reserved for themselves but to be burnt These things they were commanded carefully to observe and to take heed of profaning the Name of God or causing it to be blasphemed by the Nations about them by their ill lives For God declares That He will be hallowed among the Children of Israel that is He will have all
Child or Brother or other of his blood and if there be no such Kinsman to be found then must the recompence be made to the Lord that is to the Priests whom the Lord had appointed to be his Receivers And it is no otherwise ordered in this than in other things For God had appointed the Priests to receive in his Name whatsoever was due unto Him all the Offerings Heave-Offerings and whatsoever was not burnt for his Service upon the Altar the Priest was to have with the First-fruits and things vowed So that whatsoever any man gave the Priest as due to God the Priest was to have for himself for to him God * See Ezâ—k 44.30 hath given it Numb Ch. 5. from 5. to 11. 3ly Concerning the Husbands jealousie and suspition of his Wives honesty and the means how to clear her There is a strict Order (s) Why there was not such a Law appointed for the trial of the Husband if his Wife were jealous of him these reasons are given 1. Because women by reason of their subjection to their husbands were not fit to have this liberty to call their Husbands to such a Trial. 2ly Because the Adultery of the Wife is more mischievous to that particular Family than the Adultery of the Husband in regard that a Bastard-issue is brought in thereby to inherit the Estate Yet we find that the woman could divorce her Husband Mark 10.12 appointed by the Lord for her Trial in this case And possibly it was prescribed the rather at this time both to prevent the defiling of the Camp by such Vncleanness as also to keep Wives in awe with the fear of this Trial and to prevent the inconveniences that might arise by the jealousie of men where their Tents and dwellings were so near together And possibly God allowed them to bring their Wives whom they suspected to this Trial partly for the hardness of their hearts and partly least their Wives should be subject to a greater mischief for want of such a Trial to wit of being cast off or killed or otherwise injur'd by their Husbands in the rage of their jealousie The jealous Husband was therefore to bring his suspected Wife to the Priest and the Priest was to bring her to the door of the Tabernacle that so perceiving her self as it were before Gods Tribunal the very fear of Gods all-seeing Eye and the shame that would fall upon her in the eyes of all the Congregation now gazing upon her might deter her from submitting her self to this Trial if she knew her self guilty Then the Priest was to offer an Offering for her viz. the tenth part of an Ephab of Barley-meal The intent of this Offering seems to be that it might be a testimony that she did willingly offer her self to be tried by the Lord to whom she presented this Offering by way of atonement for her other sins desiring thereby mercy from the Lord for them for the sake of the Messias promised but as to this particular she left her self to him to be dealt with according to her deserts And whereas other Meat-Offerings were of fine Wheat-flower and to be accompanied with Oil and Frankincense signs of joy and gladness of heart this was to be of Barley-meal without either of them to express the sad and doleful condition of this suspected woman and it being an Offering of Jealousie occasioning iniquity to be remembred therefore nothing implying sweetness or joy was to be joyned to this Offering And the Priest was to take water out of the holy Laver and to put it into an earthen Vessel and to mix with it the dust of the floor of the Tabernacle The drink was in this manner to be made distastful to put her in mind of the bitter Curse that would follow upon her drinking of it if she were guilty No doubt all these things were thus to be done to strike a greater terror into her and that if she were guilty she might not dare to put her self upon this severe Trial. Then the Priest was to set her before the Lord and to uncover her head not only thereby to expose her to the view of all the people but to make other women also carful not to give their Husbands occasion of jealousie as also to signifie to her that it was in vain for her any longer to hide her sin if she were guilty for God would now lay open and discover what she was to the eyes of all Israel Then the Priest putting the Offering of Jealousie into her hands and taking the bitter water that causes the Curse into his own He was to adjure her upon her Oath to declare Whither she were innocent or no saying to her after this manner If thou be innocent thou shalt be free from the bitter effects of this water thou art to drink but if thou be guilty the Lord make thee a Curse and an Oath among thy people that is make thee a fearful example of his wrath and indignation by causing thy Thigh to rot and thy Belly to swell that in time to come when any of the people are so ill dispos'd as to use a fearful Curse and Imprecation upon any persons whatsoever they may make mention of thee desiring that such a Plague may fall upon them as fell upon thee see Jerem. 29.22 The Priest having thus spoken the Woman was to answer hereunto Amen Amen that is be it unto me as thou denouncest Then the Priest was to write these Curses in a scroll of Parchment and sprinkling some of the bitter water upon the writing He was to scrape it off into the water which the woman was to drink thereby to assure Her that the Curse threatned would certainly fall upon her if she were guilty and as sure as she saw the writing of the Scroll scraped off into the Cup so sure the water and the Curse with it would pass into her bowels Then the Priest was to take the Offering of Jealousie out of her hand and to wave it before the Lord and then to offer it upon the Altar having first taken an handful out of it to burn (s) Pars Sacrificii farinacei fuit Deo cremata reliquo cedente in usum sacerdotis Janson upon the Altar as a Memorial to the Lord to be gracious to Her if she were innocent These things being done the Priest was to give the bitter water to the woman to drink and she was to drink it accordingly And if she were innocent the water did no way hurt her nay if she had been barren before it made her fruitful God thereby recompencing her for the shame she had undergone by being suspected and thus severely tried But if she were guilty the dreadful punishment before threatned certainly fell upon her and her Husband was held guiltless and blameless in putting Her upon this Trial though it is probable that Husbands were not allowed to bring their Wives to this dreadful Trial unless they could shew that their
Priest should have come to him and his by descent because he was the eldest Son of Eleazar Aaron's eldest Son yet that it should not be removed to another Family for want of Issue that was of Gods special goodness and is here promised as the reward of Phineas's zeal Yet we must not understand this Promise so absolutely but that his Posterity might by their sins for a time deprive themselves of this Dignity as it afterwards fell out when Eli was made High Priest who was of the Family of Ithamar see 1 Chron. 24.3 God having thus manifested his favour to Phineas for this heroick act of zeal which was counted to him for righteousness Psal 106.31 and having punished his own people for their sins he now decrees Vengeance against their Enemies And accordingly he commands the Israelites forthwith to vex the Midianites that is to make War upon them which Command implyed also a promise of Victory For their newly professed Friendship towards them was but feigned and they plotted their ruine according to the Counsel of Balaam and distressed them with their wiles and devices though not with War neither need it seem strange that the Israelites are not commanded to War against the Moabites * Nondum completa erat mensura Moabitarum as well as the Midianites because God had expresly forbidden them Deut. 2.9 And 2ly Because the Midianites seem to have had the chief hand in this mischief as seems probable from Balaam's stay among them Numb 25. whole Chapter SECT LXXXI GOd now to shew unto Moses how tender he was of his own people and how severe against all those that did seek to hurt them he commands him to make War and to avenge his Quarrel upon the Midianites (x) Scopus enim Midianitarum fuit ut a Domini culta per filias suas avellerent Israelitas in Idololatriam impingerent quae vero Duâ— maxime injuriosa Jans who had been the occasion of so much mischief to them And when that was done he tells him He should be gathered to his godly fore-Fathers long since dead that is to the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 Moses hereupon having received as it seems particular directions from God that he should send out but 12 thousand of the Israelites against them that the hand of God in the Victory might more eminently appear see Judg. 7.2 and should take them equally out of every Tribe one thousand that no one Tribe might exalt it self above another for this Victory He accordingly did so and appointing Joshua as 't is probable for General he likewise sent Phineas with them to encourage them who had lately manifested his zeal against that Midianitish Harlot Ch. 25.6 with one of the holy Instruments that is a silver Trumpet in his hands see Ch. 10.2 Hereupon these twelve thousand of the Israelites ingaging with the Midianites they slew all the Males of them that they could lay their hands on (y) Many of them running for â—efuge into other Countries escaped for the present and afterwards in the time of Gideon returned and vexed the Israelites see Judg. 6. and among them five Kings of Midian who were formerly as it seems Vassals to Sihon and therefore are called only Dukes of Sihon Josh 13.21 but Sihon himself being sometime before slain it seems they became now absolute Kings among whom was Zur the Father of Cozbi whom Phineas slew Ch. 25.15 Balaam also fell with them in this battel who being their Counsellor in sin became now a Partner with them in their punishment As for the Midianitish-Women and Children the Israelites took them Captives and burning their Cities and Castles they carried away great Spoils of their Goods and Cattel All these Captives and Spoils they brought to Moses and to the Camp of Israel now encamped in the Plains of Moab Moses was angry with the Officers of the Army for saving the Women alive who had before insnared the people and therefore above all others should have been slain He thereupon gives order undoubtedly by Gods special direction that all the male Children (z) Etiam parvulos ad majorem detestationem facinoris Parentum in ipsis punitionem ne parvuli Parentum necem ulciscerentur should be put to death as also all the Women that were of years fit for the knowledge of Man only the Women-Children should be spared to wit to make them Servants or Wives if they would learn the knowledge of the true God Moses also injoyns the Souldiers to abide out of the Camp seven days to purifie themselves their Captives and Spoils and shews them the manner how it must be done namely Gold and Silver and such things as could pass thorow the fire * Duo credita vim habere purgandi ignis exurendo aqua eluendo Grot. should be purified by fire and they themselves should be cleansed with the water of separation see Ch. 19.11 c. And Eleazar tells them That God had given Moses an express Commandment concerning these things which himself as the Lords High Priest was to make known unto them and to see them observed accordingly Moreover the Lord Commands Moses That the Prey taken in this Expedition which was very great viz. of Beasts and Women-kind 800 and 40 thousand should be divided into two equal parts the one for those that went out to the War which were twelve thousand and the other for the rest of the people that stayed at home which were a vast multitude as appears Ch. 26.51 And further that he should levy a Tribute for the Lord out of both parts which He being the Inheritance of the Priests and Levites intended for them see Gen. 14.20 orders him to take out of their part that went to War but one in 500 either of Persons or Cattel but out of the othâ—r part one in 50. And accordingly the smaller levy out of their half that went to War was given to Eleazar that is to him and the rest of the Priests who being but few had therein a liberal share But the greater levy out of the peoples half was given to the Levites because they were many So that the Levites had one in 50 the Priests only one in 500 the same proportion being observed here that was observed in their Tythes the Levites having the Tythes or Tenths of the people and the Priests but the tenth of their Tythes see Numb 18.21 These things thus done the Captains of Israel numbred their Souldiers and found that they missed not a man which might sufficiently shew them that it was the Lords doing that the Midianites were thus vanquished and might be a great encouragement to them resolutely to go on and to fight the residue of the Lords battels They therefore having besides the Cattel above mentioned which were brought to a common Stock gotten every man for himself very rich spoils of Jewels Bracelets and Chains of Gold c. in testimony of their great thankfulness to
pollute it more if they should die upon it and were therefore to be trussed up in the Air as not fit to be among men that others might look upon them as Spectacles of Gods Indignation and Curse because of the wickedness they had committed which was not so legible and apparent in other kinds of death And therefore they were to bury them that were hanged that very day that the Land might not be defiled which otherwise it might be by such a monument of Gods Curse remaining so visibly upon it And the burial was to abolish the Curse from appearing in the Lords Land from vers 22. to the end He now prescribes love and faithfulness in one Neighbour towards another which Chap. XXII they were to testifie in these or the like cases When thou seest saith he thy Brothers Ox * Hinc nostra Lex de proclamandis ut vocant pecudibus erraticis or his Sheep go astray thou shalt not demean thy self as not concerned or as if thou hadst not seen them yea though he be thine Enemy Exod. 23.4 but shalt bring them again to him And if the Owner dwell afar off or be altogether unknown to thee then thou shalt drive the Cattel home to thine own house and keep them there till the Owner doth seek them and then thou shalt restore them And thus they were to do by any thing else of their Brothers that was lost whither Rayment or any such thing they were not to conceal it but restore it And so if they saw their Brothers Ox or Asse fall by the way they were not to refrain from helping him up again vers 1 2 3 4. Further he injoyns that the difference of Apparel to distinguish the Sexes should be constantly observed * This Precept concerneth natural honesty and seemliness which hath a perpetual equity in it and it is injoyned to prevent many evils which might arise if men and women were clad alike and never altered except in case of necessity and to avoid some present and suddain mischief The woman sayes he shall not wear that which appertaineth to a man nor a man put on a womans Garment for all that do so are abomination to the Lord vers 5. In the next place he injoyns them that when they find a Birds-nest they should not destroy the Dam with her young ones or with her Eggs in breeding-time but should let the Dam go taking only the young ones because she might ere long have other young ones and so might still continue the store of Birds for the good of men This Law might intimate unto them how well pleasing it was unto God that his people should be merciful and pitiful and in so doing it should be well with them and they should prolong their days vers 6 7. Furthermore the houses of the Israelites being usually built flat on the tops on which they used to walk and recreate themselves and sometimes to pray see Acts 10.9 they are here injoyned to make battlements round about their house tops to prevent the casual falling of any from thence and so to prevent all occasions of bloodshed and other evils that might redound to their Brethren through their default vers 8. In the next place he tells them they must not sow their Vineyards with divers Seeds * Agrum vintae non seres alio aliquo semine ut oriatur mixtura quaedam ex jacto semine vitibus that is with Seeds different and divers from that of the Vine see Levit. 19.19 for that is the way to have the Seeds and consequently the Fruits to be mixed and not pure and so defiled and rendred unfit to be offered to the Lord in the first-fruits or otherwise vers 9. Further they must not plow with an Ox and an Asse together †God hereby seemeth to intimate how simple and sincere he would have the state of the Church to be God would not have his Church mixed with profane and unbelievers He seems also hereby to warn them against mixtures in Religion and Manners with other Nations the one being a clean Creature the other unclean hereby God seems to intimate that ye would not indure the unequal yoking of his people with Infidels see 2 Cor. 6.14 vers 10. Further they must not wear a Garment of divers sorts * See Levit. 19.19 as of Woollen and Linnen together This Law seems also to be figurative and to intimate to them what simplicity and sincerity God requir'd in them that were his peculiar people vers 11. In the next place he injoyns them to make Fringes upon the four quarters of their Vestures and Garments The end of those Fringes was to put them in mind of the Commandments of God see Numb 15.38 39. and that they might remember by looking on them that they were Gods peculiar people and by these Fringes distinguished in their habits from other Nations vers 12. He comes next to shew how that man shall be dealt with that slandereth his wife pretending he found her not a Virgin when he married her In that case the Parents of the Damsel shall produce the Cloth containing the Tokens of her Virginity and attested by good witnesses to be so as the Hebrews say which they carefully kept for their own honour and the honour of their Daughter Then the Elders of the City shall Chastise that man and amerce him at an hundred Shekels of silver to be paid to the Father of the Damsel because he hath defamed her and she shall continue to be his wife all her life He shall not send her away by a Bill of Divorce as other men were permitted to do Deut. 24.1 But if she be guilty and no Tokens of her Virginity were found when he married her then she shall be stoned before the dâ—or of her Fathers house because she hath wrought folly in Israel and hath play'd the whore in her Fathers house So says He shall ye put away evil from among you from vers 13. to 22. Next he injoyns That Adultery both in man and woman shall be punished with death see Levit. 20.10 vers 22. Or if a man lie with a Damsel in the City betrothed to another man they shall both be stoned to death she because she cryed out not He because he hath humbled his Neighbours wife For so she is to be reckoned after betrothing which was done by mutual promise in the presence of witnesses before marriage Matth. 1.18 But if a man find a betrothed Damsel in the field and force her and she Cry out then the man only shall die If an unmarried man find a Damsel that is a Virgin which is not betrothed and lay hold on her and lie with her and this be discovered then the man that lay with her shall give to the Damsels Father fifty Shekels of silver and she shall be his wife because he hath humbled her He may not put her away all his days from vers 22. to 28.
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I should think
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 †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 †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 Ecclâ—siasticus 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malui legere quod est in margine quomodo Hieron Septuaginta verterunt quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
were of her making and given to him by her hand than if made or brought to him by any other David out of his great indulgence to him sends his daughter Tamar to him 'T is much that David being a wise man should suspect nothing but when God intends to punish a man he hides wisdom from him and it could not but afterwards much add to Davids sorrow that he himself was made an instrument to further such an execrable fact and that by his command he had cast his poor daughter into such a snare Tamar accordingly coming to her Brother Amnons house provided him Cakes making them for him with her own hands in his sight as he desired Amnon then commanding all about him to go out and bidding his Sister to bring the Cakes into an inner Chamber he there instead of eating the Cakes took hold of her and told her she must lye with him She poor Lady was strangely surprized at this and used all manner of arguments and intreaties she could devise to disswade him from so unnatural a villany First she tells him he was her brother and therefore should be so far from dishonouring her himself that he should be ready even with the hazard of his life to protect her against any that should offer her so foul an indignity 2ly He being her brother he should consider it would be incest in him to defile her if she should be so wicked as to consent but to force her and to incest to add rape was such a transcendent villany that the very Heathens would abhor 3ly He knew very well that no such thing ought to be done in Israel Gen. 34.7 for they were Gods own peculiar people and professed holiness above all Nations in the earth therefore an example of so abominable a wickedness committed among them and especially by one of such eminency as he was would bring a shameful scandal upon their whole Nation and cause their Religion and even the name of God to be blasphemed 4ly He should consider that by the Law of God which they were under both incest and rape were to be punished with death see Levit. 18 6 9. Deut. 22.25 Levit. 20.17 5ly She desires him to have some pity upon her and some regard to her honour and reputation for how should she ever cause her shame to pass away if she should be so defiled It would be a blot upon her for ever and none fit for her would ever be induc'd to marry her 6ly She desires him to have some sense of his own honour for how would he be esteemed a very fool who when he might have his choice of wives where he pleased with their love and liking yet would not take that course which God himself had appointed but would do such a lothed and abominable act as this He should consider that the greatest sins are the greatest folly and expose a man to the greatest shame And if such a person as he was should be guilty of such a crime he would be lookt upon among all wise and good men as a most notorious infamous wretch and a son of Belial and one utterly unworthy to succeed his Father in the Kingdom 7ly When none of these arguments would prevail she being in a great straight adviseth him to desire her of his Father for his wife not thinking as 't is like that this could ever be done but only to gain time and allay the present rage of his lust and escape his present violence not doubting but for the future she should be kept out of his hands But his lust was so impetuous and his heart by the instigation of the Devil so bent on wickedness that he was deaf to all her perswasions and being stronger than she he brutishly forc'd her Having committed this abominable wickedness his eyes that were before blinded with lust began to be opened and he now saw what an indelible reproach and shame he had brought upon himself and being fill'd with horrour he now hated his fair sister more than before he loved her he could not now endure to see her whose beauty had been the occasion to draw him into so much shame and infamy and there was an especial hand of God in this that his sin and shame might hereby be discovered and a way made for the bringing upon David those judgments which God had threatned against his Family But so it was Amnons rage of lust was now turned into the fury of folly And he was so infatuated that he endeavoured not to keep her in his Chamber till her grief and passion was somewhat abated nor seeks to perswade her for her own and his credit to conceal the matter but as if he had intended to proclaim both his and her shame to all the world he bids her presently be gone She tells him there was no cause to thrust her out of doors so hastily being in such a woful condition this would be a greater injury to her in some respects than the very defiling of her for though that was an irreparable injury to her yet to thrust her out of doors in such a condition as she was now in was the way not only to discover that she had been defiled but probably would raise an opinion in some that she had consented thereunto and so was cast off as a strumpet which would be a greater inhumanity and barbarity than the other was But say what she would he was nothing moved therewith but like a mad man commanded his servants to turn her out of doors and bolt the door after her she being apparrel'd with a garment of divers colours such as Kings daughters that were virgins us'd to wear she tore her garment and put ashes on her head and laying her hands thereon went crying out as women in extremity of sorrow us'd to do see Jer. 1.37 In this sad plight she comes to her Brother Absalom who instantly understanding from her how she had been abus'd did what he could to comfort and quiet her telling her it was a force practised upon her and so her affliction and not her fault and therefore advised her to be patient and to hold her peace seeing Amnon was her brother and his shame would be the shame of their whole family But she notwithstanding continued very disconsolate none being able to comfort her Absalom though he said little at present yet was so highly enrag'd at this abominable injury done to his sister that he resolv'd to revenge it which he afterwards did to purpose but for the present he dissembled his anger and seem'd to take no notice of it to his brother Amnon But David when he heard of it was extreamly angry and offended at it and 't is like did express his great displeasure against Amnon for it yet for all his anger it seems he let him go unpunished and was too indulgent to him like old Eli whereas he ought to have executed the Law upon him being so notorious an offender though he
might remain to support the faith and keep up the spirits of the Jews in a long captivity First He promises the reduction of the Jews into their own Country but before that they were to endure many calamities from the Babylonians during that day of Jacobs trouble but they should at last be saved out of it God promises to break the King of Babylons yoke from off Jacobs neck and that these Chaldeans shall no longer serve themselves of him But that his posterity shall serve the Lord their God and such of Davids lineage as he shall from time to time set over them but more especially the Messias who should come of Davids stock He promises to correct them in measure and yet not to leave them altogether unpunished He promises many great blessings that he would bestow on his Church notwithstanding their great miseries troubles breaches wounds but that Gods wrath shall remain on the wicked In the next Chapter is contain'd the restauration of Israel and the publication thereof After Rachels lamentation for her Sons as lost followeth Gods consolation of her puting her in hope of their return Ephraim repenting is to be brought home again Christ is promised The Lord will create a new thing in the earth a woman shall compass a man And this shall be the Covenant he will make with his people after those days he will write his law in their hearts and will be their God and this Covenant shall be stable and his Church shall be enlarged Jer. 29. from 24 to the end Jer. 30. whole Chapter Jer. 31. whole Chapter God also by his Prophet Jeremy foretels that Babylon and the land of Caldea shall be over-run and wasted by the Medes and Persians and comforts his own people with the sweet promises of their deliverance Jer. 50. whole Chapter Jer. 51. from 1 to 59. Zedekiah in the fourth year of his reign either went himself or which is more probable sent * Jer. 51.59 When he went with Zedekiah or on behalf of Zedekiah Seraiah a person of great quality about him to Babylon to whom Jeremy delivered the foresaid Prophesies of the destruction of Babylon written in a Book to be first read and then to be thrown into the river Euphrates to signifie that Babylon should so sink and not rise again Jer. 51. from 59 to the end In the beginning of the thirtieth year from that solemn renewing of the Covenant and restauration of the worship of God in the eighteenth year of Josiah which falls in with the fifth of Jehoiakins captivity on the fifth day of the fourth Month God vouchsafed the first vision to Ezekiel one of the captives in Babylon by the river Chebar and from thence he was sent to execute the office and function of a Prophet among the Jews of the Captivity He began thirty four years after Jeremy and continued his Prophetick office about two and twenty years namely to the twenty seventh year of Jehoiakins captivity Ezek. 29.17 It seems many at this time both among the Jews at Jerusalem and among the captives in Babylon murmured and complained against Jeremy as a false Prophet that had misled the people and betrayed them and caused them to yield themselves to the King of Babylon seeing now five years were past and yet Jerusalem stood still Jeremy being thus cried down both at home and abroad especially by false Prophets it pleased the Lord to raise up Ezekiel and pouring out his spirit upon him to set him on work to prophesie and foretell the same things in Babylon that Jeremy had done in Judea though in a more vehement manner so that Jeremy's Prophesies were confirm'd and justified by Ezekiel's The Prophet Ezekiel therefore going to execute his function among the Jews dwelling at Telabib near the river Chebar when he was come thither he sat him down as a man disheartned for the space of seven days After which time God again put him in mind of his charge both with gracious promises if he undertook it and severe threatnings if he refused and then confirmed him with a new sign shewed unto him and gave him courage and boldness by his word and ratified his vocation by a new command Ezek. 1. whole Chapter Ezek. 2. whole Chapter Ezek. 3. whole Chapter Ezekiel is now commanded to make a draught of the siege of Jerusalem in a table of Tile or Slate and to lye along upon one side three hundred and ninety days typifying thereby Gods patience in bearing with the sins and provocations of the Kingdom of Israel 390 years before he destroyed that Kingdom which was the full time from the revolt of the Ten Tribes to their Captivity When he had lain 390 days on his left side he was to turn himself on his right side and to lye so forty days more to typisie Gods patience in bearing with the sins and provocations of the Kingdom of Judah from the time that Iosiah and his people renewed solemnly their Covenant with the Lord unto the Captivity of Zedekiah which was just forty years Then he sets out the grievous famine that should be in the City during the siege Chap. 4. In the three following Chapters he pursues the same matter viz. Ierusalems misery In the fifth he is commanded to cut off his hair and to divide it into three parts by which he was to signifie three dreadful judgments that were to be inflicted on Jerusalem by pestilence sword and dispersion In the sixth Chapter first he threatens desolation to the land of Judea viz. to the Idols Altars and people thereof 2ly Promises mercy to a few that should repent of their evil ways and come to a right knowledg of the Lord from v. 8 to 11. 3ly He sets forth the grief and vexation the rest should feel from the sore judgments that should come upon them from 11 to the end In the seventh Chapter he Prophesies again of the destruction of the Jews and their land from v. 1 to 16. And of the pitiful lamentation that they shall make that escape from v. 16 to 20. And of the pollution of the Sanctuary by their enemies from v. 20 to 23. And of their bondage under the worst of heathens which is represented by a chain from v. 23 to the end Ezek. 4. whole Chapter Ezek. 5. whole Chapter Ezek. 6. whole Chapter Ezek. 7. whole Chapter In the sixth year of Jeconiahs Captivity the sixth month the fifth day of the month Ezekiel was carried in a Vision to Jerusalem and shewed the horrible Idolatry there practised and the plagues that were to befall the City for the same The Vision hath four parts 1. The Prophet is shewn the abominable Idolatry of the Jews in these notorious instances 1. Their having the Image of Jealousie or the Image of Baal among them which highly provoked God to jealousie 2. Their Chambers of Imagery having Idols privately in their Chambers 3. Their women weeping for Tammuz * Some understand it Osiris the Egyptian
together set upon Jerusalem and getting the City into his hands forced Menelaus into the Castle and then made slaughters not as if he had been among his own Countrymen and kindred but among enemies and forreigners yet he got not the Priesthood but was forc'd to betake himself back again into the Country of the Ammonites where being accused before Aretas King of the Arabians he fled from place to place like a Vagabond hated of all men as a forsaker of the Law and publick enemy to his Country and died at last at Lacedemon Antiochus hearing in Egypt that the Jews rejoyced at the report of his death and suspecting by the sedition stirred up by Jason that Judea would revolt in a great rage departed thence and came and sat down before Jerusalem and took it by force and giving no quarter for three days space there were forty thousand slain and as many more taken prisoners and sold and not contenting himself with this he presumed to go into the Temple having that Arch-Traytor Menelaus for his guide and rifled it of the holy vessels particularly he took away the Golden Altar of Incense and the golden Candlesticks with all the vessels belonging to them the Table of the Shew-bread and the Vail and the Crowns and the golden Ornaments that were fastned to the Temple-doors he pulled off the gold from every thing that was covered with it and likewise took the silver vessels and all the hidden treasure which he could find He also killed swine upon the Altar and with the broath of the flesh of them he sprinkled the Temple And having taken 1800 talents out of the Temple he speedily went to Antioch leaving behind him to afflict the people Philip a Phrygian by Nation but by manners a Barbarian and Andronicus and besides them Menelaus more grievous unto and more spightful against his own Countrymen than either of the other Two years after he sent Apollonius a cruel man with an Army of 22000 into Judea commanding him to put to death all the young men he could meet with and to sell the women and children for slaves Apollonius coming to Jerusalem kept himself still until the Sabbath and then taking the opportunity of the solemnity of the day he destroyed all that came to perform Religious duties and marching with his forces about the City he put to death a great multitude and plundering the City he set it on fire in several places destroying the houses and demolishing the walls round about and led away many women and children into captivity seizing on their cattel whilst Antiochus his Master was busie again in his attempts upon Egypt During these horrid outrages Judas Maccabeus departed with some others and liv'd in the mountains three years and six months for which space of time the daily sacrifice ceased and the Sanctuary lay desolate and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled and their City became an habitation of strangers The Samaritans seeing the Jews so miserably handled professed themselves to be by descent Sidonians and thereupon obtained Letters from Antiochus to Apollonius his President that they should not be involved in the calamities of the Jews and that their Temple on Mount Gerizim as yet not honoured with the title of any God should from thenceforth be called the Temple of the Grecian Jupiter After this in the year of the World 3837 Antiochus by a publick Edict commanded all Nations that were subject unto him to observe the same way of worship that he did and laying aside their peculiar customs to profess the same Religion with the Greeks and to conform thereunto threatning death to all such as should be found unconformable And he appointed Overseers over every people and Nation who should compel them to uniformity 1 Mac. 1.41 c. Into Judea and Samaria he sent an old man of Athens that he should force the Jews to depart from the observation of the Divine Law and defile the Temple at Jerusalem and impose the name of Jupiter Olimpius upon it And upon the Temple of Gerizim he imposed the name of Jupiter Hospitalis or Protector of strangers He also commanded the sacrifices to be left off he prohibited the Sabbath he commanded them to defile the Sanctuary to erect Altars Groves and Chappels to Idols and that they should sacrifice swine and other unclean beasts and should suffer their children to remain uncircumcised and should forget the Law and the Ordinances of God and made it a crime to profess the Jewish Religion Moreover order was sent to the Neighbouring Cities of the Greeks that they should compell the Jews to partake of their sacrifices and kill those that would not come over to their rites so that many of the Jews for fear obeyed and sacrificed to Idols The Temple was now filled with riot and revelling by the Gentiles who within the circuit thereof defiled themselves with women and committed other abominations And on the 15th day of the month Casleu they erected the Abomination of Desolation that is the detestable Idol of Jupiter Olympius upon the Altar and built Idol-altars throughout the Cities of Judah and burnt incense at the doors of their houses and in the streets and some were compelled to go in procession to Bacchus carrying Ivy they cut in pieces the Books of the Law which they found and burnt them in the fire and with whomsoever they were found or whoever approved of them they were by the Kings command to be put to death Yet notwithstanding there were many that stood out and would not conform to the Kings Edict nor defile themselves at which the King being enraged he caused divers to be brought before him resolving to inforce them by torments to taste impure meats and to abjure Judaism and upon refusal he racked them and put them to death Among others Eleazar of the Priestly family an eminent Scribe and expert in the knowledg of the Law of ninety years of age was very eminent for his courage who neither yielding to eat swines flesh nor dissembling to have eaten it chose rather to undergo the most cruel torments than to violate the Law After him seven young men that were Brethren together with their most courageous Mother were brought before Antiochus at Antioch who refusing to eat swines flesh after they had been exquisitely tortur'd with new-invented torments rendred their pious souls unto God The Martyrdom of those persons is described in the seventh Chapter of the second Book of Maccabees The rage of this persecution coming to Modin a Town situate between Rama and Emmaus it there found some opposition Mattathias the Son of Jonathan a Priest of Jerusalem of the family of Joarib which was the first among the 24 courses 1 Chron. 24.7 dwelt here at this time with his five Sons among whom his Son Judas was called Maccabeus and Josephus says their Father Mattathias was the son of Asamoneus * Or rather the Grandâ—on of Simeon Sirnamed Asomonaeus and from him that Sirname descended
in divers engagements and taking Jazer with the Territories thereunto belonging returned into Judea Timotheus the General of the Ammonites hereat enraged and gathering together multitudes of forreign forces came as if he would devour Judea But Judas and those that were with him having humbled themselves and sought to the Lord for help marched out of Jerusalem against them and being encouraged by an Apparition of Horsemen in the Heavens fighting for them they slew of the enemy 20500 Foot and 600 horse Timotheus himself fled to Gazara a strong Garrison kept by his Brother but that being taken he was pulled out of a cave where he had hid himself and slain with his Brother After this the Gentiles about Galaad and Galilee sorely afflicting the Jews of those parts Maccabaeus divided his Army into three Brigades one whereof consisting of 3000 men he gave to his Brother Simon to relieve them of Galilee the second to Joseph the Son of Zachariah to defend Judea charging them not to fight with any enemy till his return with the third he marched himself to the succour of those of Galaad Simon notwithstanding fought many Battels with the enemy and killed many of them And Judas had the like success taking many Towns and putting many thousand to the sword But those that were left at home desiring upon the report of these things to atchieve some military glory marched to Jamnia whence Gorgias issuing out put them to flight and following the chase as far as the borders of Judea killed about 2000 of them So dangerous a thing is presumption and vain-glory Lysias the Kings Protector and chief Minister was extreamly vexed to hear of Judas's success therefore mustering together near eighty thousand men and all the horse he could make marches into Judea resolving to make Jerusalem an habitation for the Greeks and the Temple Tributary and to set the High Priesthood to sale every year Being entred into Judea he lays siege to Bethsura nigh to Jerusalem But Maccabaeus engaging with him killed 11000 of his foot with 1600 horsemen and forced him with the rest many of them being wounded and disarmed to shift for themselves Lysias considering with himself what loss he had sustained and how God fought for the Jews he sent to them to treat of peace and according to his promise brought the King to yield to such reasonable terms as were demanded by Maccabaeus but this peace was quickly broken by those of the Kings Captains that had the command of the places adjacent who would not suffer the Jews to be quiet And the Citizens of Joppa also having by fair speeches inticed two hundred Jews which dwelt among them into their ships put from shore and threw them all over-board When Judas heard of this piece of villany he came by night to Joppa and fired their Port and Navy And understanding that the inhabitants of Jamnia had some such design against those Jews that lived with them he did the same by night to their Port and Fleet also Judas now marching against Timotheus the Nomades of Arabia set upon him to the number of 5000 Foot and 500 Horse where after an hot dispute the Arabians were worsted but afterwards upon an engagement to supply him with Cattel obtained a peace from him Shortly after this he stormed the City Caspis wherein was such a slaughter made of the inhabitants that a lake thereto adjoyning seemed to be full of blood Removing from thence he came to the Jews called Tobieni inhabiting the land of Tob concerning which mention is made in the Book of Judges Ch. 11. Timotheus was drawn off from that place but had left behind him a very strong Garrison which Dositheus and Sosipater two of Judas's Captains ventured upon and taking it put to the sword about 10000 men Upon this Timotheus levies a new Army consisting of 120000 Foot and 2500 Horse of all Nations round about him and mercenary Arabians sending the women and children into a strong Town called Carnion He incamped against Raphon on the other side the Brook Judas approaching with his forces gave this great Army such a total rout that some fled one way and some another and Judas pursued them with such earnestness that he slew near thirty thousand of them and Timotheus himself falling into the hands of Dositheus and Sosipater obtained his liberty upon promise of setting at liberty such of the Jews as he had in his power Judas then proceeding took Carnion whither many of the enemy had fled he put to the sword 25000 men fired their Temple and demolished their City After this he gathered together all the Jews with their wives and children which were in Galaad to bring them into Judea And being come as far as Ephron which was a great City well fortified through which they were to pass the Citizens denied them passage and shut their gates against them hereupon they assaulted the City and took it after a day and a nights battery and demolished the City to the ground took all the spoil killed all the males near 25000 in number and so marched to Jerusalem to the Feast of Pentecost The Feast being over Judas taking 3000 Foot and 400 Horse along with him went and fought with Gorgias whom Dositheus had once taken but leading him away a Thracian Trooper made up towards him and cut off his shoulder and so rescued Gorgias who made his escape into Marissa After this victory the Jews coming to strip and bury such of their own party as had fallen that day found under their coats certain things dedicated to the Idols of Jamnia which was prohibited them by the Law Deut. 7.25 26. so that it appeared to them that this was the cause of their death they therefore betook themselves by prayer unto God intreating him that this miscarriage might not be charged upon them all After this Judas with his Brethren subdued the Edomites and the Philistines burnt their Idols and overthrew their Altars and then returned into Judea and observing that Antiochus's Souldiers which were Garrison'd in the Tower at Jerusalem did infest the Jews about the Sanctuary he with all the people besieged them close but some of them with certain Jewish fugitives getting out went strait to Antiochus Eupator and perswaded him with expedition to come and give a check to the growing power of the Jews Antiochus gathering together all his friends and Captains and a mighty Army concerning the number of which the two Books of Maccabees differ in a great rage marched thither intending to deal worse with the Jews than his Father had done And with him Menelaus the usurping High Priest joyned hoping thereby to recover the Priesthood Judas hearing of these preparations commanded the people that they should call upon God day and night that he would please to grant them his wonted assistance Antiochus marching into Judea assaults Bethsura or Bethhoron where Judas by night with a choice party fell upon his Camp and piercing as far as his own
could not but know how he had served their Father with all his power and yet their Father had dealt most injuriously with him and had changed his Wages and the Conditions made between them many times (i) Ten times may be here put for many times as it is elsewhere Job 19.3 Numb 14.22 Levit. 26.26 Zach. 8.23 though the Providence of God did not suffer him to hurt him thereby At first says he your Father agreed that I should have all the speckled spotted or brown Cattel for my wages but when he saw that most of the Cattel bare such then he would restrain me only to the ringstreaked such as had a round streak like a ring of a different colour about their legs And when that hard Condition was impos'd upon me then it pleased God that most of the Cattel brought forth ringstreaked And that it may appear to you that this is so come to pass by the immediate hand and blessing of God and that is is He alone that hath given me this great increase and hath taken from your Father and given to me I shall acquaint you with a Vision I had in a Dream several years ago I saw the Rams and He-goats that at the ramming-time leap'd on the Cattel to be all ringstreaked and the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Christ call'd me to him and bad me take notice of it telling me He had observ'd how unjustly Laban had dealt with me and therefore he would by his own Hand do me right and to Him alone I owe these Riches I have gotten And now this good God hath appeared to me again Stiling himself the God of Bethel and thereby putting me in mind of my Promise and Vow there made unto him and intimating his acceptance and approving thereof see Ch. 28. v. 18. I say This God hath appeared to me again and commanded me forthwith to arise and return into the Land of my Nativity Then Rachel and Leah answered What Portion or Inheritance can we expect from our Father seeing he doth grudge us the Wages he agreed to give thee and hath so often chang'd and alter'd the Conditions He hath dealt with us as Strangers rather than Children He hath not dispos'd of us like Daughters giving us fitting Dowries but hath sold us to thee for 14 years service and the money and profit which he hath gotten by the sale of us he hath quite devoured that is converted to his own use whereas of right he should have given it to us in portions He hath very little reason therefore to complain of the Riches God hath taken from him and given to thee for thy last six years service Therefore do as God hath commanded thee we are very ready to comply with thee therein Then Jacoh setting his Wives and Children on Camels went away privately (k) V. 20. Furatus est Cor Labanis i. e. fefellit clandestina fuga videtur hic quaedam esse Hypallage furare aliquem est furari se ab aliquo with all his Family Cattel and Substance which he had there gotten intending to go to his Father Isaac in the Land of Canaan His Wife Rachel out of some kind of Superstition in which she had been bred in her Fathers house took along with her without her Husbands knowledge her Fathers Teraphim (l) Deos penates This is the first place where the Scripture makes mention of Idols though they were in use before See also Judg. 17.5 Ezek. 21.21 or Idols or Houshold-gods viz. some Images in the shape of Men or Angels of which they used to inquire concerning things to come and received from them the Devils answer see Zach. 10.2 Jacob having thus privately stolen away and passing over Euphrates he had gone three days journey ere his departure was known to Laban who was then shearing his Sheep but hearing of it he gathered together some of his Friends and Kindred and pursued after him and after seven days journey overtook him in the Mount Gilead * A tract of Mountains eastward of Jordan running thorow the Kingdoms of Sibon and Ogg and having in several Parts several names as Gilead Seir Hermon and Libanus here called Gilead by anticipation which took its Name from the event of this their meeting there Before Laban quite overtook Jacob God warned him in a Dream that he should not hurt him nor seek to divert him from his intended journey neither by flattering Speeches nor Threatnings However Laban being come up to Him expostulates highly with him that he had stolen away so privately from him and carried away his Daughters as if they had been Captives taken in War and so carried away by force against their Wills whereas they went away very willingly as may be seen vers 14.15 16. He tells him If he had acquainted him with his purpose of departing he should never have gone away in such a pittiful manner He would have sent him away with Mirth and Songs with Tabret and Harp Thus dissemblingly he speaks though he had no such mind or willingness to part with him had not God overpowred him Further Laban tells him That in stealing away so secretly he had not given him opportunity so much as to kiss his Sons and Daughters at their departure nor bid them farewel which was very ill done of him And he had power now in his hands to have hurt him and to make him feel his resentment of these his ill carriages but God had the night before warn'd him to the contrary However he asks him Why to all the rest of his unhandsome dealings he would add * Possibly Laban's Idolatry might not go so far as to worship the Pagans false Gods but to worship the true God by certain Representations and Remembrances See Exod. 32.4 5. 2 Kings 10.28 29. that also of stealing away his Gods (m) Summa caecitas Deos vocat quos furtim auferre posse agnovit Jacob answers That He had indeed stolen away from him privately and he did it because he was afraid if He had been acquainted with his intention he would have taken his Daughters from him by force and so done what lay in him to hinder his departure But as for stealing away his Gods knowing his own innocency and detesting Theft and much more Idolatry and presuming that none of his Family would be guilty of so vile an act he more rashly than wisely says With whomsoever thou findest them let him not live not imagining in the least that his beloved Rachel had stolen them Further says Jacob Here before our Brethren I give my full consent that thou shouldst search us all If thou canst find any thing that is thine take it with all my heart Laban hereupon searched their Tents one after another and at last came to Rachels Tent who perceiving her Father intended to search there for his Images she put them in the Camels Saddle-furniture and sat upon them and excusing her self for not rising to
him and paying him the duty and respect she owed him because the Custom (n) Non tam menses simulat ac ventriculi dolores of women was upon her Levit. 15.19 he did not disturbe Her but searching in other places found none Then Jacob's anger was kindled and he could not but express his great resentment of Laban's injurious dealing with him and accordingly ask'd him What Trespasses he had been guilty of that he had so hotly pursued after him Thou hast says he searched all my stuff and what hast thou found of thine I have served thee 20 years and that with great diligence and faithfulness I have carefully kept thy Cattel thy Ews and She-goats have rarely cast their young Thy Rams I have preserved That which was torn of wild Beasts I brought it not in account to thee but made it good my self though strict justice would not oblige me to it See Exod. 22.10 11 13. How painful my Service hath been is not unknown to thee In the day the drought consumed me and in the night the frâ—st and my sleep departed from mine eyes And in this manner have I served thee 14 years for thy two Daughters and six years for such a portion of thy Flock as by Providence should fall to my share according to the Conditions agreed on between us and yet these terms hast thou very injuriously changed several times And truly except God even the God of Abraham and the God whom my Father Isaac serves with so much fear and reverence as the only God who is to be feared and worshipped had been with me and had extraordinarily blessed me thou hadst sent me away empty But the Lord hath taken notice of thy hard dealing with me notwithstanding all my faithfulness and diligence and painful labour in thy Service and accordingly did yesternight rebuke thee for thy evil intendment towards me Laban being something melted with these words said Well these Women thy Wives are my Daughters and their Children they have born unto thee I account them as my Children my self being their remote Parent and thy Cattel thou hadst all from me He takes no notice of what Jacob had deserved of him or of what God had so wonderfully given him and all that thou hast is mine (o) Thus He boasts But yet notwithstanding it were a foolish thing for me to go about to hurt thee or thy Wives or Children for in so doing I should but hurt my self (p) But he was not of this mind when he first went out to pursue Jacob and therefore Jacob may thank God for all who had thus bridled if not altered him Therefore let us make a Covenant one with another and raise an heap of stones on this Mountain to be a Monument thereof that I shall not pass over this place to hurt thee nor thou to hurt me If either of us do so he shall forfeit his fidelity and be liable to divine Vengeance for his perjury Jacob readily agreed hereto and immediately spake to his own Company and to Laban's also to joyn in gathering an heap of stones which might serve as a Memorial hereof And this heap of stones Jacob in the Hebrew * Neque annis viginti mutavit vel religionem Jacob vel dialectum Tongue called Galeed (q) By a littâ—e change afterwards was framed the word Gilead and Laban in the Syrian Tongue call'd it Jegar-Sahadutha both signifying an heap of Witnesses that is an heap to be a witness and to be a memorial of this Covenant here made And Jacob also called it Mizpah (r) q. d. Deus intutatur that is a Watch-Tower whereupon Laban said The Lord watch between me and thee that we may keep this Covenant inviolable and that when we are absent one from another neither of us may design any hurt to each other And Laban further said If thou shalt afflict my Daughters or take other Wives besides my Daughters then God who knoweth and rewardeth Wickedness especially Treachery punish thee as thou deservest Thus He who had been a very unkind Father whilst his Daughters were with him now pretends great tenderness of affection to them and conditions with Jacob against that whereunto his own covetousness had forced him before Then they sware the Covenant agreed on between them Laban sware by the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor and the God of Terah ther Father Thus he intermixeth the God of Abraham the only true God with the Idols which Terah Nahor and Abraham himself before God called Him had served in Chaldea Jos 24.2 But Jacob sware only by the fear of his Father Isaac that is the only true God whom his Father Isaac feared and worshipped Then Jacob killed Beasts and provided a Feast such being usual at the making of Covenants see Gen. 26.30 and invited Laban and his Company to eat with him who tarried all night upon the Place Early in the morning Laban (s) Thus God over-rules the hearts of wicked men so ch 33.4 So he turned Balaam's Curse into a Blessing Numb 23.11 Deut. 23.5 so the minds of the Barbarians towards Paul Acts 28.4 took an affectionate farewel of Jacob kissing his Sons and Daughters and blessed them wishing to them all happiness and prosperity and so departed to his own place Gen. 31. whole Chapter SECT XXIX JAcob being sent away by Laban in peace continued his Journey towards Canaan and as he went on he had a Vision of an Army of holy Angels appearing in Humane shape that met him to encourage him against his future fears and dangers whereupon he called the name of the place Mahanaim that is two Hosts intimating how two Hosts there met viz. one of the holy Angels the other of his own Company and Followers And here afterwards was a City built called by that Name And being to pass thorow the Country that was at present inhabited by his Brother Esau (t) Called here the Land of Seir not from Esau but from Seir an Horite ch 14.6 and ch 36.20 21. which Horites Esau drave thence Deus 2.22 And there now Esau dwelt and through which Country Jacob must pass Est Idumaea una orientalis de qua hoc loco agitur alia australis Has Regiones non simul sed vicissim Idumaei habitarunt Tandem orientalem deseruerunt australem occuparunt ante exitum Israelitarum ex Aegyto nam ingressis Israelitis in terram promissam non ibi erant Idumaei sed Sihon Og c. His adde quod Job erat Idumaeus de stirpe Esau habitavit in terra Hus quae erat trans Jordanem non procul a monte Galaad Ergo tum ibi habitarunt Idumaei indeque postea migrarunt Tantum difficultas esse potest ex Thren 4.21 Edom quae habitas in terrâ Hus. Sed verisimile est Idumaeos mutata habitatione nomina priorum locorum multis locis indidisse Bochart though he and his Posterity afterwards removed to the