give David speedy notice thereof and advise him not to lodge that night in the plain of the Wilderness but speedily to pass over Jordan lest he should be surprized For though he had at present as he thought diverted them from following Achitophels dangerous counsel yet he knew not how soon their minds might change Jonathan and Ahimaaz of whom before stayed at Enrogel not far from Jerusalem expecting to hear from their Fathers for they durst not come into the City being suspected to be of Davids party Therefore Zadock and Abiathar sent their message to them by a young maid who was not like to be suspected that they might conveigh it speedily to David But it seems a lad accidently saw them at Enrogel and went and gave intelligence of them to Absalom who speedily sent some to surprize them But they understanding some way or other that they were discovered hasted away presently to Bahurim and betaking themselves to a friends house they hid themselves in the well which was in the Court of the house and to conceal them the more the mans wife spread a covering over the wells mouth and spread ground-corn thereon Absalom's servants pursue them thither and inquire diligently after them the woman of the house tells them they were gone over the water telling therein as they call it an officious lye to preserve them and so when they had sought them in vain and could not find them they returned to Jerusalem They being gone Ahimaaz and Jonathan came out of the well and went speedily to David to acquaint him with what Achitophel had counselled against him and shew him that he must speedily arise and pass over Jordan if he intended to preserve himself This therefore David and his followers immediately did that night and by the morning the whole army was past over And the special Providence of God appeared herein that they were all preserved in such a dangerous passage and that in the night When Achitophel saw that his counsel was not followed but Hushai's prefer'd before his and foreseeing that this counsel of Hushai would certainly be their ruin and that David by gaining this time would so strengthen himself that he would be too hard for Absalom when they came to fight it out in the field and concluding that if David prevail'd as 't was most likely he would there was no mercy for him to be expected at his hands who had been so false and treacherous to him he being greatly discontented went to his own City Giloh and there putting his house in order making his will and disposing of his estate and taking care of all things but his soul he hanged himself * Herein he was a Type of Judas and was buried in the Sepulchre of his Father 2 Sam. 17. from v. 1 to 24. David upon occasion of Achitophel's counsel against him compos'd the 55 Psalm 12ly David by this time having gathered a good Army together marched with it to Mahanaim a City in the Tribe of Gad beyond Jordan and was there furnished with provisions by three eminent persons the first was Shobi the Son of Nahash of Rabbah brother of Hanun King of Ammon whom David had deposed for abusing his Messengers and set this Shobi up in his stead in thankful remembrance whereof he now brought provisions to David The second was Machir of Lodebar who was Guardian to Mephibosheth when David came to the Crown see Ch. 9.4 who observing how much David favoured him and what kindness he shewed to him did highly esteem him ever after for it and was the readier as 't is probable to commiserate him in this time of his troubles The third was Barzillai the Gileadite of whom we shall say more when we come to the 19th Chapter These all came to comfort David †Sic solet Deus cum usitata auxilia absunt suis de improviso suecurrere in his great distress when his own unnatural Son sought his life and they brought beds and cups and earthen vessels and wheat barley meal parched corn beans lintils and parched pulse and honey butter and sheep and cheese to refresh David and the people that were with him who they thought must needs be weary and hungry and thirsty having had so long a march thorough the Wilderness where they could not but be in great want From v. 27 to the end 13ly Absalom having now gathered together a mighty Army of the Israelites as Hushai had advised he marches out with them against his Father Amasa (a) 'T is said here that Ithra an Israelite was his father and Abigail sister to Zerviah his mother In 1 Chron. 2.17 this Ithra is call'd Jether the Ishmaelite It seems therefore that he was an Ishmaelite by birth but an Israelite by profession and habitation being become a proselyte or else he was call'd an Ishmaelite because he had lived among the Ishmaelites as upon the same account some were called Hittites and Gittites 'T is said of this I hra that he went in to Abigail and begat this Amasa on her which intimates he was not then married to her 'T is also said of this Abigail that she was daughter to Nahash sister to Zerviah 1 Chron. 2.16 17. 't is evident that both this Abigail and Zerviah were daughâ—ers of Jesse and Sisters to David Either therefore Jesse had also the name of Nahash or his wifes name was Nahash who was the mother of Abigail who was Nephew to David and Cousin-german to Joab being made his General and with them he passed over Jordan and pitched in the land of Gilead 2 Sam. 17. v. 24 25 26. 14ly The Armies of David and Absalom being now near one another David drew out his Army which was at this time much increased by the resort of many out of the two Tribes and half on the other side Jordan unto him and mustering them he set Captains over hundreds and Colonels over thousands and divided his Army into three Battalions appointing three Generals over them viz. Joab Abishai and Ittai Then he told them He would go forth with them in person to encourage them and possibly he inclined the more to it that being present in the Army he might use his best endeavour for the saving of Absalom his great Commanders and Souldiers would by no means consent that he should venture his person in the battel telling him that he was worth ten thousand of them the Commonwealth should receive more damage and the enemy more advantage if he should be kill'd than if ten thousand of them should be slain alas say they if we should flee or half of us be slain the enemy will not much regard it if thou remainest alive who art the mark at which they principally aim and who they know as long as thou livest wilt be able to raise forces and make head against them and therefore we think it much better that thou remain in the City and from thence that thou send us forth succours and
Kings of Pentapolis to wit Sodom Gomorrah Admah Seboim and Bela or Zoar all which served him twelve years Gen. 14. from 1. to 5. SECT IX TErah with Nahor and Abram his two Sons now living at Vr of the Caldees and there according to the custom of that place being Idolaters and serving other Gods Joshuah 24.2 God was pleased of his free Grace and mercy to chuse Abram to be the Father of his peculiar people when there was nothing in him to move the Lord to shew him such special favour And accordingly God was pleased to call * As he raised this righteous man from the East so he called him to his foot to follow him and his direction Esay 41.2 Gen. 15.7 Neh. 9.7 Acts 7.2 3 4. him about the 70th year of his age to leave that Idolatrous place and to go into a Land which he should shew him promising to make of him a great Nation and to bless him and in him (k) That is in his Seed Christ Gen. 18.18 Acts 3.25 26. Gal. 3.18 14. Thus the Gospel was preached to Abram all the Families of the Earth Abram obeying (l) He went out by faith not knowing whither he went Heb. 11.8 this Call perswaded his Father Terah to go along with him and also his Brother Nahor and so with Lot his Nephew the Son of Haran and Sarai his Wife they came from Vr (m) This Ur which they left was the habitation of the Priests and Mathematicians who from their Art were stiled by the name of Chaldâ—ans By which name even in Chaldaea it self those Genetbliaci or Casters of Nativities were distinguished and known from the rest of the Magi or wise men of that Country Dan. 2. v. 2 10. Ch. 4.7 Ch. 5.11 And from these Terah and his Sons seem to have learned their Idolatry Joshua 24.2 to Charran a City in Mesopotamia (n) Mesopotamia is not to be taken only for that Region which lies between Euphrates and Tygris but in a large sense as comprehending Chaldaea under it Acts 7.2 3 4. and there made their abode by reason of the great infirmity and sickliness of Terah who about five years after when he had fulfilled 205 years there died Gen. 11.31 32. Gen. 12. from 1. to 5. CHAP. III. The third Age of the World from the Promise made to Abraham in Ur of the Chaldees unto the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt containing a space of four hundred and thirty years and ending in the 2508th year of the World SECT I. THe Lord having called Abram as we shewed in the foregoing Chapter when he lived at Vr of the Chaldees to leave that Countrey and to go to a place that he should shew him promising to bless him and that in his Seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed Abram readily obeyed this Call and accordingly removed from thence and went to Charran From which Promise and Abrams departure which immediately followed are to be deduced the 430 years which Abram and his Posterity were to spend in foreign Lands See Exod. 12.40 41. And from this Promise and Covenant to the giving of the Law which was three months after the Israelites departure out of Egypt and which could not disannul this Covenant as the Apostle speaks Gal. 3.17 18 were 430 years At Charran Abram stayed about five years till his Father died and then following the Call of God being 75 years of age he took Sarai his Wife and Lot his Nephew with all the substance they had gotten and the Men-servants and Maid-servants they had acquired (o) Animas quas sibi comparaverant vel Emerant quas de idololatria converterant Tenent Hebraei Abram viros Saram mulleres in Dei cultu instituisse atque ita eos Deo procreasse Non enim alios servos habere voluerunt praeter cultores Dei. Hic primum fit servitutis mentio Vatablus in Charran and journied on till at last they came into the Land of Canaan the Canaanites a cursed Idolatrous people being now the Inhabitants thereof thorow which they passed till they came to a place called Sichem and the plain of Moreh where God appearing to Abram promised him that to his Seed he would give that Land (p) Hence called the Land of Promise Heb. 11.9 The Lords Land Hos 9.3 The holy Land Zach. 2.12 The Land of Emmanuel Isa 8.8 And this was a Type of Heaven which Abram looked for Heb. 11.9 10. Whereupon in that place he built an Altar * See Gen. 8.20 to the Lord that He might offer up his Sacrifices Prayers and Thanksgivings and perform the outward Worship God requir'd of Him among his own Company in opposition to the Idolatry of the Canaanites From thence he removed into the Hill-Countrey calld Luz and in after-times known by the name of Bethel Gen. 28.19 where again he built an Altar and called upon the Name of the Lord. And from thence holding on his Journey he came at last into the South part of the Countrey which looks towards Egypt Gen. 12. from 4. to 10. SECT II. IT pleased the Lord now to put Abrams Faith upon a new Trial. For not long after this God visited this Land of Canaan which of it self was very fruitful with a sore Famine being provoked thereunto by the Iniquity of the Inhabitants thereof See Psal 107. v. 33 34. Hereupon to avoid this Calamity Abram was forc'd to go down from thence into Egypt where as Josephus tells us he taught the Egyptians Astrology and Arimethick which before they were ignorant of When he came near unto Egypt he began to be in great apprehensions of the danger his life was in by reason of Sarai if the Egyptians should take her to be his Wife For though she was at this time 65 years old yet she was very fair and beautiful in her self and much more if compared with the swarthy Complexions of the Egyptian-Women Hereupon to prevent danger to himself he desired her to say if she were ask'd That she was his Sister (q) Nepotes Neptesque ab Hebraeis fratres sorores vocantur Gen. 13.8 14.14.16 Now though this was in a sense true as Abraham afterwards told Abimelech upon another occasion Gen. 20.12 because she was his Brothers Daughter and such in those days were usually called Brothers and Sisters yet by her saying She was his Sister Abram intended the Egyptians should understand that she was not his wife but free to be married to another And so thorow his over great fear and sollicitude for himself and too much distrusting Gods Providence and Care over him He exposed her to great and evident danger For Pharaoh King of Egypt being informed of her by his Courtiers He sent for Her to his house (r) In Domum non ad stuprum sed ut esset uxor saltem secundaria Ad se Reges non statim admittebant nisi prius purgatas praeparatas ut patet ex lib.
should be welcome to him Jacob 't is like presently after his coming to Laban acquainted him that He had been bred up in the way of Shepherdry and in ordering of Cattel and if he pleas'd to imploy Him He would stay with Him a month in which time He might make trial of his Skill therein Laban accordingly imploys Him and during that time Jacob being wondrous active and able for business of that Nature did his Uncle excellent service Laban observing it began to cast in his thoughts how he might procure his stay And accordingly tells him it was not fit that he should suffer Him though he was his Nephew * V. 15. My Brother i. e. Kinsman or Nephew see Gen. 13.8 to do him service for nought Therefore if he inclin'd to stay with Him he desires to know what wages would content him Laban having two Daughters viz. Lea who had weak and defective Eyes and Rachel who was very comely and beautiful Jacob began to have a great love and kindness for Rachel and being in a strange place and having nothing else (l) More priscouxores emebant David Michalem centum praeputiis 1 Sam. 18.25 2 Sam. 3.14 vid. Gen. 34.11 12. Hos 3.2 Ita apud Graecos Romanos ut fuse declarat Brissonius Jacob inops erat nec emere poterat itaque pro pretio septennium servit to profer he proffer'd to serve his Uncle seven years if he would please to give him his Daughter Rachel to Wife Laban accepts the proffer saying it was better he should give her to him than to another This Agreement being made Jacob desired to have his designed Wife given unto him presently (m) There are two Opinions concerning the time of Jacob's marrying One is that He did not marry till the end of his first seven years service And then having Leah fraudulently put upon Him instead of Rachel He Contracts anew to have Rachel for other seven years service but marries Her a week after He had taken Leah and performs that seven years service for Her after He had married Her The other is that Jacob in the first year of his coming to Laban married both Leah and Rachel at the beginning of his 14 years service keeping a weeks Feast at the Marriage of the one and so again presently after at the Marriage of the other and then perform'd his two seven years service for them To this latter opinion my judgment inclines But because there are some words in the Text that seem to favour the first opinion which yet I think may receive a commodious Interpretation I will therefore first paraphrase upon them and then give my Reasons against the former Opinion and for my own Jacob coming to Laban for a Wife and falling in love with Rachel 't is like he treated with Him about Her from his first coming and made that proffer to him Vers 18. I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger Daughter Laban having for one month tried his ability about ordering Cattel and his diligence and faithfulness agrees thereunto And Jacob did accordingly afterwards serve seven years for Rachel vers 20. and they seem'd but a few days to him because of the intire love he had for Her and the true content and comfort he took in Her If He had not enjoyed Her at present as his wife seven years would have seem'd a longsome and tedious time For amantibus omnis mora longa gravis Love makes men think every day a year till they enjoy the person loved And if you would understand how this came about you must know that Jacob presently after his coming to Laban having agreed with Him to serve him seven years for Rachel and having gone thorow his month of probation and trial He said to Laban at the end of it vers 21. Give me I pray thee my designed wife for my days of probation (n) So Lidiate understands it of that month or portion of time complete wherein Laban from the beginning intended to make proof of Jacobs industry and sufficiency in the managing of the affairs committed to him before he would bestow his Daughter on him which no doubt was moved presently after his arrival there seeing 't was the chief cause of his coming thither are fulfilled that I may go in unto Her Then Laban invited the chief men of the Neighbourhood to a Feast pretending to marry his Daughter Rachel to Jacob but at night secretly and fraudulently conveighed Leah to his bed In the Morning Jacob highly Expostulates with Laban saying (o) V. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nonne pro Rachele servivi tibi i. e. incepi servire Canon est apud Glassium verba Completiva inchoativè intelligenda esse Et quae actum Complectum significent accipienda quandoque inchoativè sic 1 Reg. 6.1 anno quadringentesimo c. aedificavit Solomon domum Domino i. e. aedificare coepi pag. 233. Vers 25. Have not I serv'd thee that is begun to serve thee and agreed to serve thee for Rachel Why hast thou then beguiled me Laban to excuse himself tells him It was not the custom of the Countrey to give the younger in marriage before the elder But this Custom was only pretended For He seem'd all that day of the Wedding to Celebrate the Nuptials of Rachel whom they all knew to be the younger Daughter But seeing things were as they were He desires Jacob to keep this weeks Feast according to Custom for Leah and thereby Confirm his taking of Her to be his wife and then he should do the same for Rachel and have Her for his wife also provided He would serve him other seven years over and above those before Covenanted for which Jacob agreed unto Having thus paraphras'd the words I now come to give the Reasons why I think the former Opinion cannot stand The former Opinion supposes that Jacob had 12 in the last seven years of his Service viz. Reuben Simon Levi Judah Dan Napthali Gad Asher Issacher Zebulun Dinah Joseph Now Leah after she had born Judah her fourth Son left off Childing for some time Ch. 29.35 Ch. 30.9 And then gave her Maid Zilpah to Jacob who bare unto him Gad and after that she bare him another Son and called him Asher So that allow two years or near it for Leahs resting to bare Children how could she have at several Births three Children more before those seven years expired Besides immediately before she was with Child of Issacher her ninth Son Her eldest Son Reuben was old enough to go into the Fields to gather Mandrakes for Her Which how it could be if all those Children were born within the compass of the last seven years I cannot comprehend And last of all viz. in the last year of the 14 Rachel bore Joseph all which according to that opinion must be done within the space of one seven years which how it can consist with truth and the course of the History is difficult
(i) Qui perfecte legem impleverit adipiscetur vitam aeternam At quis hoc praestat non ergo vitam possumus consequi justitia operum seu legis sed fidei in them See Rom. 10.5 that is the man that doth all things prescribed in the Law exactly and perfectly without ever failing in any one particular shall live thereby that is shall obtain eternal life And on these and no other terms doth the Law promise eternal life which now are not possible to be performed by any meer man since Adam's Fall But this Obedience God required of them as a due debt and to direct them whether to have recourse viz. from the Law to the Messias (k) See Gal. 3.24 by whose Merits and Mediation they may be acquitted when by the Law they are condemned That therefore they may walk in the Statutes and Ordinances of God and not conform to Idolaters they are commanded first to beware of Incestuous Copulations and Marriages or approaching to such of their near Kindred as are here forbidden 1. A man must not marry or lie with with his Fathers wife his Mother in law or his own Mother Levit. 18. v. 7. See 1 Cor. 5.1 Gen. 35.22 Deut. 22.30 27.20 2. Nor with his Sister whether she be Daughter both of Father and Mother or of his Mother only and whether born in Marriage or out of Marriage i. e. by Fornication before Marriage v. 9. 3. Nor with his Grand-daughter by Son or Daughter v. 10. 4. Nor with the Daughter (l) Hoc probibitum erat v 9. Sed vel claritatis vel inculcandi gratia more Scripturae repetitur ut nota Aug. quaest 59. of his Fathers wife begotten by his Father for she is his Sister though begotten of a Mother in law but if his Father marry another wife and she hath a Daughter by another man that Daughter is lawful for him v. 11. 5. Nor with his Aunt the Sister of Father or Mother v. 12 13. 6. Nor with his Uncles wife (m) Wherefore it seems more unlawful for the Uncle and Neice to marry together v. 14. 7. Nor with his Daughter in law his Sons wife v. 15. 8. Nor with his Brothers wife From this Law was excepted (n) See the reasons for it Sect. 35. Ch. 3. afterwards the case of a Brothers dying without Male-Issue for then the next Brother or Kinsman was to marry the Widow of the deceased v. 16. Levit. 20.21 9. Nor with his wives Daughter viz. step-Step-Daughter nor Step-Sons Daughter or the Daughters descending from her vers 17. 10. A man ought not to take one wife to another (o) Polagamy seems here forbidden so Deut. 17.17 that is to have two wives together in marriage that the one may not be a vexation * See 1 Sam. 1. the case of Elkanah a Levite having two wives to the other which is like to be more where two Sisters are so conjoyned as may be seen in Jacob's case Gen. 30. And though some of the Fathers did practise Polygamy and God bore with them yet it was not so from the beginning as our Saviour tells us Mat. 19.8 out of Gen. 2.24 and in the N. T. it is quite abolished vers 18. 2. A man was not to lie with his own wife when she was to be separated by reason of her uncleanness vers 19. See Ch. 12.2 and Ch. 15.24 25. and Ch. 20.18 3. Adultery is forbidden or defiling another mans wife vers 20. 4. Offering their Children to Molech the Idol of the Ammonites called also Milcom 1 Kings 11.5 7. for whose honour and worship the besotted Parents caused their own Children to be burnt alive or as some write to pass betwixt two great Fires to be cleansed or purified thereby as they conceived and as a sign of their Consecration to that Idol And it was a horrible vilifying of the Lord thus to forsake him and to yield such honour to such a base Idol-god See Amos 5.26 'T is thought to be the same Idol that in Scripture is ordinarily called Baal as may appear by comparing 2 Kings 23.10 Jer. 19.5 together See Psal 106.37 38. Levit. 20.3 5. 5. All unnatural Lusts and Copulations From all which sins God dehorts them by telling them that these were the Abominations which He intended to visit upon the Land of Canaan and for which she should vomit and spew out her Inhabitants Therefore they must take heed to themselves that they do not provoke Him by the like sins See Levit. 20.22 23 24. Levit. 18. whole Chapter 4. Sundry Laws are repeated and reinforced Ch. 19. with directions how the Violators of them shall be punished Ch. 20. Some relating to the Moral Law as particularly to the 1. Com. Viz. Not to use Inchantments nor superstitiously to observe times counting some days lucky others unlucky Ch. 19. vers 26. Not to go after Wizards or such as have familiar Spirits Ch. 19.31 Ch. 20.6 for such were to be stoned to death Ch. 20.27 See Exod. 22.18 Not to offer their Children to Molech for such as did so were to be stoned Ch. 20.2 3 4 5. And those that connived at their Idolatry God threatens to set his Face against and to destroy those men and their Families 2. Com. Not to turn to Idols nor make to themselves molten Gods or any Images of Stone to bow down to them Ch. 19.4 See Ch. 26.1 3. Com. Not to swear by Gods Name falsly nor profane His holy Name Ch. 19.12 4. Com. To keep the Sabbath and reverence the Sanctuary that is to come thither with an inward awe and fear of Gods Presence and not to approach it in their uncleanness or any other way to pollute it Ch. 19.3 30. Ch. 26.2 5. Com. Ye shall fear and reverence every man his Mother (p) The Mother is set in the first place because Mothers are usually most despised and his Father Ch. 19.3 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary Head and honour the Face of the old Man Ch. 19.32 He that curseth Father or Mother shall surely be put to Death Ch. 20.9 See Exod. 21.17 Deut. 21.18 19 20 21. 6. Com. Thou shalt not curse or speak evil of the Deaf nor put a Stumbling-block before the Blind that is do Injuries to men in confidence that the injur'd persons shall not know who wrong'd them nor be able to right themselves Ch. 19.14 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer sin upon him Ch. 19.17 See 1 John 3.15 Thou shalt not stand against the blood of thy Neighbour that is stand up in Courts of Justice to take away his life either as a false Accuser or as a false Witness Ch. 19. v. 16. Thou shalt not avenge thy self nor bear any grudge against thy Brother but love thy Neighbour as thy self (q) That is in the same manner heartily sincerely constantly as thou lovest thy self though not
the Statutes and Judgments which the Lord had given them and that with all their Hearts and Souls Which if they really consented to do then they should consider that that day they did in effect renew their Covenant with the Lord and avouch Him to be their God promising to hearken unto his Voice and to obey Him And the Lord did avouch them to be his peculiar people separate from all others and devoted to walk in his Statutes thorow his Grace working in their Hearts and would make them high above all Nations in praise in name and in honour and an holy people unto Himself from vers 16. to the end 20. Having now again assembled the Elders and people of Israel together He Chap. XXVII commands them that after their entrance into Canaan at their first opportunity they should build a Monument of great stones plaistring them with mortar on Mount Ebal and to write the Law of God thereon viz. the ten Commandments very plainly that it might be a Monument * Joshua 8.30 We find this Monument was erected after their taking of Ai. to put them in mind of keeping Gods Law Together with this Monument they were to build an Altar (u) To teach them that Righteousness and Salvation is not to be attained by the works of the Law but to be sought by Christ of whom this Altar was a Type of whole stones and not to lift up any iron Tool upon it see Exod. 20.24 25. and thereon to offer Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings and to eat there and to rejoyce before the Lord their God And because they had at this time renewed their Covenant with God Moses together with the Priests and Levites advise them to take heed unto themselves and to obey the Voice of the Lord their God and to observe his Commandments and Statutes from vers 1. to 11. 21. Moses now injoyns the people that when they had set up this Monument of stones on Mount Ebal and written the Law plainly upon it and had built the Altar before mentioned and had offered Sacrifices thereon as God had commanded them they should then afterwards give their consent to the Blessings * See Deut. 11.29 and Curses that should be pronounced by the Priests upon those that should keep and upon those that should break Gods Laws and the manner injoyned for the doing thereof was this viz. six of the Tribes were to stand upon Mount Gerizim to wit Simeon and Levi Judah and Issachar and Joseph and Benjamin where by the Tribe of Joseph are meant the two Tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh who are here joyn'd together as one because Levi is reckoned as one of the twelve and all these were the Posterity of Leah and Rachel and then the other six Tribes were to stand on Mount Ebal to wit Gad and Asher Dan and Napthali who were the Sons of their Hand-Maids and with them the Tribe of Reuben who for his sin lost his Birth-Right and Zebulun the youngest of Leahs Sons And the Tribes being thus divided the Priests * V. 14. Pronunciabunt Levitae i. e. aliqui sacerdotum qui erant Levitae Caeteri enim erant in monte Gerizim ad benedicendum see Joshua Ch. 8. v. 32 33 34. were to come with them into the little Valley that was between these two Mountains and there first they pronounced the Blessings turning their faces as 't is like towards Mount Gerizim and then all the Tribes that stood on that Mountain answered Amen and then turning their faces towards Mount Ebal they pronounced the twelve Curses here mentioned and then all the Tribes that stood on Mount Ebal answered Amen Moses omits the Blessings possibly because they might be easily enough gathered from the contrary Curses which are here expressed First Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten Image though he keep it never so secret for it is an abomination to the Lord. 2ly Cursed be He that setteth light by his Father or Mother see Exod. 21.17 3ly Cursed be He that removeth his Neighbours Land-mark 4ly Cursed be He that maketh the Blind to wander out of the way and much more those that mislead the people into pernicious Errours or give them knowingly pernicious Counsels 5ly Cursed be He that perverteth the judgment of the Stranger Fatherless and Widow 6ly Cursed be He that lieth with his Fathers wife †V. 20. Quia retexit oram Patris sui i. e. oram vestimenti Patris sui Per vestimentum Patris intelligitur vestimentum quod est in potestate Patris ut possit illud retegere Piscator 7ly Cursed be He that lieth with any manner of Beast 8ly Cursed be He that lieth with his Sister the Daughter of his Father or the Daughter of his Mother that is his half-half-Sister see Levit 1.8 9. 9ly Cursed be He that lieth with his Mother-in-law that is his Wives Mother 10ly Cursed be He that smiteth his Neighbour secretly either by secret practices procuring his blood to be shed or smiting him secretly with his Tongue 11ly Cursed be He that taketh a Reward to slay an innocent person see Ezek. 22.12 12ly Cursed be He that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them To every one of these the people were to say Amen And so subscribe to the justice of Gods Law as it were wishing that the Curses might fall on them if they should in any of these things transgress Gods Commandment from vers 11. to the end Chap. XXVIII Upon observing Gods Commandments He shews them that many blessings would follow and overtake them from vers 1. to 13. particularly these 1. God would set them on high above all Nations both in respect of temporal and spiritual blessings and they shall be the head and not the tail vers 13. that is shall be highly esteem'd above other Nations and not scorned and despised as a base and contemptible people 2. They shall be blessed in the City and in the Field that is whither they dwell in the City or the Country and manage business belonging either to a Citizen or a Farmer 3. They shall be blessed in the fruit of their Bodies their Children in the fruits of their Grounds and the fruits of their Cattel so that they shall abound in all these vers 11.4 They shall be blessed in their Basket wherein they put the fruits of their ground it shall not be empty and in their store they shall have plenty of Provisions they shall be blessed in their Barns and Store-houses vers 8. and God will command his blessing on all that they set their hands unto 5. They shall be blessed when they come in and when they go out see vers 19. that is at home and abroad and in all their employments and businesses publick and private 6. They shall be blessed with Victory over their Enemies who shall flee before them many ways 7. The Lord will establish them for an holy people unto Himself that is will
time the Kingdom of Syria was miserably shaken by intestine Wars raised by the children of these two last Kings that strove for the Kingdom so that it became a prey to Tigranes King of the Parthians 20. Tigranes King of Armenia major with the help of the Parthians gets the Kingdom of Syria He was conquered at last by Pompey and the Kingdom of Syria taken away from him but that of Armenia was restored to him And so the Kingdom of Syria was reduced under the Roman power and made a Province by Pompey 260 years after Alexanders Death KINGS of ASIA minor 1 ANtigonus Bastard to Philip King of Macedon He succeeded Alexander in the Kingdom of Asia and reigned Eleven years 2. Demetrius son of Antigonus he brought almost all Greece under his Power Afterwards by Seleucus Nicanor King of Syria his Son-in-Law he was overcome when he had reigned Thirteen years and being imprisoned Two years he there died And so the Kindgom of Asia came into the power of the Kings of Syria and was joyned to that Kingdom A. M. 3683. KINGS of Egypt or KINGS of the South 1. PTolemeus Lagi son of Lagus a Macedonian called Soter He conquered Palestine and took Jerusalem used the Jews cruelly at first but afterwards was more kind to them He carried a great many of them into Egypt and let them live there with the same freedom as his other Subjects And hereupon many others of the Jews went down into Egypt and lived there Daniel speaks of him Chap. 11. v. 5. 2. Ptolemeus Philadelphus so called because he married his sister Arsinoe He was son of Ptolemaeus Lagi by Bernice his 2d Wife Ptolemaeus Ceraunus eldest son of Ptolemaeus Lagi by Euridice his first Wife being put by He was a very learned King and a great lover of Learned men He married his Daughter Bernice to Antiochus Theos 3d. King of Assyria Dan. 11.6 He founded the famous Library at Alexandria He procured the Translation of the Septuagint He was after this a great Friend to the Jews He redeemed a vast number of them that were Servants from their Masters with his own Money and made them Free and was otherwise very munificent to them 3. Ptolemeus Euergetes son of Philadelphus and his Sister-wife Arsinoe This King carried himself commendably but all the Egyptian Kings after him were debauched persons He led a great Army into Syria against Seleucus Callinicus and overcame him of which Daniel speaks Ch. 11. v. 7. He was poisoned by Ptolemaeus Philopator his son 4. Ptol. Philopater son of Ptol. Euergetes called Philopator per antiphrasin He kill'd his Mother also and his Brother married his Sister He waged War against Antiochus Magnus 6th King of Syria and overcame him After the Victory he would needs offer Sacrifices to God at Jerusalem but he was forbidden by the High Priest to enter into the Temple Hereupon being enraged against the Jews he carries multitudes of them into Egypt to be destroyed of Elephants of him Daniel speaks Chap. 11.11 5. Ptol. Epiphanes son of Ptol. Philopator He was but 5 years old when he began to reign Antioch Mag. hearing of his Fathers death and taking advantage of his Childhood and procuring Philip of Macedon to joyn with him comes against Egypt with a great Army He is met by a great Army of the Egyptians under Scopas their General in the North part of Palestine where the Egyptians are beaten He takes the Tower of Sion and so became Lord of Judea He afterwards marries his Daughter Cleopatra to Ptol. Epiphanes and gives her for Dowry Coelosyria and Judea Of these things Daniel speaks Ch. 11.13 14 15. 6. Ptol. Philometor son of Ptol. Epiphanes he married his own mother Cleopatra and had a Daughter called Cleopatra by her Antiochus Epiphanes 8th King of Syria his Vncle brings a great Army into Egypt against him and takes many of his Cities He marries his Daughter Cleopatra to Alexander Bala the 11th King of Syria The Nuptials were celebrated at Ptolemais to which Jonathan the High Priest was invited by Alexander and gave great Presents to both Kings Ptol. Philometor afterwards finding his Son-in-law treacherous he took his Daughter from him and gave her to Demetrius Nicanor who overcoming Bala by the help of Philometor got the Kingdom of Syria 7. Ptol. Physcon 2d son of Ptol. Epiphanes He married Cleopatra his Neice who whas first married to Alexander Bala then to Demetrius Nicanor 8. Ptol. Lathurus eldest son of Physcon he married first Cleopatra his Sister and then by the perswasion of his mother putting her away he married his younger Sister Salone Afterwards he was driven out of the Kingdom by his mother and fled to Cyprus when Alexander Jannaeus King of the Jews besieged Ptolemais the besieged called Ptol. Lathurus out of Cyprus to their aid He fights with Alexander and overcomes him and slays 30000 of the Jews and used his victory cruelly 9. Ptol. Alexander 2d son of Physcon was set up by his mother whilst his brother Lathurus remained in Cyprus He killed his mother and then was driven out of the Kingdom by the Egyptians and flying to the Island Coos there lived privately to his death 10. Ptol. Lathurus is now called back out of Cyprus and enjoys the Kingdom of Egypt again 11 Ptol. Auletes son of Ptol. Lathurus by Salonice his Sister-Wife he used to contend for mastery with Fidlers thence called Auletes He buys the Friendship of the people of Rome with great gifts which he exacts from his Subjects and so is hated by them and ejected out of his Kingdom He flies to Rome for help but not obtaining it after a long waiting he goes to Ephesus where he carried Letters from Pompey to Gabinus Praefect of Syria that he should use his endeavour to restore him which Gabinus effected yet this Auletes's Son afterwards destroyed Pompey 12. Ptol. Dionysius junior son of Ptol. Auletes his Sister was Cleopatra last Queen of Egypt whom he marries and joyns with himself in the Government by the command of Julius Caesar who had conquered Alexandria and all Egypt He kill'd Pompey flying to him from the Pharsalian Battel Julius Caesar coming with his Army into Egypt this Ptol. Dionysius strives to fly away by Sea and is there drowned 13. Cleopatra daughter of Auletes and Sister and Wife to Ptol. Dionysius After his death Antonius was so enamoured of her that putting away his former Wife Octavia Augustus's Sister he married her whereupon he was engaged in a War with Augustus and being conquered by him in a Naval Fight at Actium he flies into Egypt with Cleopatra where he kills himself and Cleopatra lest she should be carried in Triumph kills her self with Asps and so Egypt was reduced into the Form of a Province by Augustus 3ly We are to shew who were High Priests among the Jews from their return out of the Captivity to Christs time The Catalogue of them follows 1. Joshua the Son of Jozedeck who returned out of Captivity
the days of Manasses and Josiah for he forewarns the Jews of their approaching destruction by the Chaldeans 9. Zephany in the days of Josiah 10. Jeremy began to Prophesie in the 13th year of Josiah and continued Prophesying till the final captivity of Judah and two years after in Egypt The Lamentations seem to be written by him upon Judahs Captivity 11. Ezekiel began to Prophesie in Babylon in the fifth year of Jehoiakin's captivity and continued Prophecying about two and twenty years 12. Obadiah seems to have been Contemporary with Jeremy and Ezekiel for he Prophesies against the Idumeans in almost the same words and phrases that they did Compare his Prophesie with Jer. 49. and Ezek. 25. 13. Daniel in the first year of Belshazzar had the Vision of the four Beasts and in his third year the Vision of the Ram and He-goat And in the first year of Darius the Angel Gabriel informed him concerning the Seventy Weeks These three last Prophesied after the return from Captivity viz. Haggai Zachary Malachi Thus having given a short account of this my undertaking and humbly desiring that God may have glory and my Reader much benefit and advantage thereby I shall conclude this Preface with that short but fervent prayer which that excellent person Nehemiah put up for himself when he concluded his Book and therewith the History of the Old Testament Remember me O my God for Good May 5. 1683. THE CONTENTS OF THE CHAPTERS Chap. I. From the Creation to the Flood Sect. 1. OF the Creation of the World in six days and Gods resting on the seventh and instituting the Sabbath Sect. 2. Gods Covenant with man in the state of Innocence Mans fall The Covenant of Grace Sect. 3. Adam and Eve cast out of the Garden of Eden Sect. 4. Cain and Abel sacrifice Cain kills Abel Cains posterity Lamech brings in Polygamy Sect. 5. Seth born to Adam His race carried on to the Flood Sect. 6. Noah born Enoch's Translation Sect. 7. Giants on the Earth The wickedness of the old World God determines to send the Flood Noah's Character Sect. 8. Noah's three Sons born Japhet Sem and Ham. Noah is commanded to build an Ark. Sect. 9. Noah with his Family enter the Ark. The Flood comes Sect. 10. The Ark rests on Ararat Chap. II. From the Flood to the Promise made to Abram in Ur of the Chaldees Sect. 1. NOah his Family and all living Creatures leave the Ark. Sect. 2. Noah builds an Altar The Rainbow a pledg of Gods Covenant Sect. 3. Noah plants a Vineyard His drunkenness C ham cursed Sect. 4. The Tower of Babel Confusion of Languages Assyrian Monarchy begun A Catalogue of the Kings thereof Sect. 5. The Earth divided among the Sons and Grandchildren of Noah The Original of Nations Sect. 6. Mans life shortened Sem's posterity Sect. 7. Abram and Sarai born Sect. 8. Chedorlaomer subdues the Kings of Pentapolis Sect. 9. Abram called out of Vr of the Chaldees and the great promise that the Messiah should spring from his loyns made to him Chap. III. From the promise made to Abram to the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt Sect. 1. ABram's removal from Vr to Charran from thence to Canaan Two Altars there built by him A promise of that land made to his posterity Sect. 2. Abram goes into Egypt His danger there upon the account of Sarai whom he calls his sister from Pharaoh King of Egypt Sect. 3. Abram Sarai and Lot return into the Southern parts of Canaan Abram and Lot part A new promise of that land made to Abrams posterity Sect. 4. The King of Sodom with the petty Kings of Pentapolis shake off the yoke of Chedorlaomer he comes with an Army to chastise them vanquishes the forces of the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrah plunders those Cities and among other Prisoners carries away Lot who dwelt there Abram pursues Chedorlaomer defeats him rescues Lot and the rest of the Prisoners At his return he is met by Melchizedek and blessed by him Sect. 5. A Son promised to Abram he believes and is justified God makes a Covenant with him to give the land of Canaan to his posterity Confirms it by a sign and a vision Sect. 6. Abram takes Hagar Ishmael born Sect. 7. God appears again to Abram renews his Covenant with him changes his name into Abraham Institutes Circumcision Sect. 8. Abraham entertains three Angels Sarai's laughter Abraham intercedes for Sodom Sect. 9. Two Angels conveigh Lot out of Sodom His wife turned into a Pillar of salt Sodom destroyed Lot's Incest from whence issued Moab and Ammon Sect. 10. Abraham sojourns in Gerar is in danger there again upon the account of his wife from Abimelech King of the place He being punished by God restores Sarah to her husband Abraham prays for him whereupon he and his family are cured Abimelech dismisses him with presents Sect. 11. Isaac born Hagar and Ishmael cast out Abraham makes a Covenant with Abimelech Sect. 12. Abraham commanded to offer up Isaac The place called Jehovah-jireh The promise renewed to him Sect. 13. Sarah dies Abraham buys a burying place for her Sect. 14. Eliezer sent into Mesopotamia to provide a wife for Isaac His presents to Rebeckah Isaac's marriage Sect. 15. Abraham marries Keturah by whom he hath six Sons Sect. 16. Esau and Jacob born Sect. 17. Abraham dies Sect. 18. Heber dies Sect. 19. Esau sells his Birth-right Sect. 20. A famine in the land Isaac goes to Gerar. His danger there on the account of Rebeckah whom he also called his sister He and Abimelech make a Covenant Sect. 21. Esau's displeasing marriages Sect. 22. Ishmael's death Sect. 23. Isaac's dimness Jacob gets the blessing Esau's hating of him Jacob's vision and vow Sect. 24. Esau marries Mahalatha the daughter of Ishmael Sect. 25. Jacob meets Rachel Leah given him for a wife instead of Rachel Leah's four Sons Sect. 26. Rachels barrenness Jacob takes Bilhah and Zilpah Joseph born Sect. 27. Jacob's fourteen years service and great increase Sect. 28. Jacob leaves Laban Rachels Teraphim The Covenant between Jacob and Laban at Galeed Sect. 29. Jacob's vision of Angels His prayer and wrestling Sect. 30. He meets Esau They embrace each other Jacob builds an Altar at Sychar Sect. 31. Dinah ravished Simeon and Levi's revenge Sect. 32. Jacob goes to Bethel Deborah Rebeckahs nurse dies Rachel dies Reuben defiles his Fathers bed Sect. 33. Joseph's dream His Brethren sell him Jacob's mourning Sect. 34. Isaac's death Sect. 35. Judah's incest with Thamar Pharez and Zarah born Sect. 36. Joseph sold to Potiphar His Mistress's false accusation His Imprisonment Sect. 37. The chief Butler and Baker imprisoned Joseph interprets their dreams Sect. 38. Pharaoh's dreams Joseph's advancement and marriage The famine begins Sect. 39. Jacob sends his Sons into Egypt Simeon bound Sect. 40. Jacob sends his Sons into Egypt again Simeon released Benjamin's Mess Sect. 41. The Cup in Benjamin's Sack Judah's intercession for him Sect. 42. Joseph discovers himself
Araunah's floor Sect. 206. David receives the pattern of the Temple makes great preparations for the building of it Sect. 207. Officers appointed for the Temple Sect. 208. Rehoboam born to Solomon Sect. 209. Abishag brought to David Sect. 210. Adonijah aspires to the Crown Solomon anointed Adonijah's submission Sect. 211. David's charge to Solomon Sect. 212. Davids farewell Exhortation to the people His Prayer Solomon's prosperity Sect. 213. David's last words to Solomon His death Sect. 214. The Book of the Psalms Sect. 215. Solomon upon the Throne Adonijah slain Joab slain Shimei's Oath not to pass over Kidron Sect. 216. Hadad the Edomite returns Sect. 217. Solomon's marriage with Pharaoh's daughter Sect. 218. Solomon setled in the Kingdom Gods appearing to him in a dream and asking him what he should give him and Solomon's choosing wisdom Sect. 219. Solomon's judgment on the two Harlots Sect. 220. Hiram's Embassie to Solomon A League between them Sect. 221. Solomon's levy for the Temple Sect. 222. Shimei put to death Chap. V. The fifth Age from the building of the Temple to the destruction of it and Captivity of Judah Sect. 1. THE Temple described with all its parts The Temple-Officers Sect. 2. The Temple finished Solomon's solemn dedication of it Sect. 3. The Lord appears to Solomon again in a dream Sect. 4. Solomon's Palace His stately Throne The house of Lebanon His Golden Targets and Shields Sect. 5. Gezer taken by Pharaoh and given to his daughter Solomon's wife Sect. 6. Hiram dislikes the Cities which Solomon offered him Sect. 7. Solomon removes his Queen to the House built for her The Song of Solomon Sect. 8. Solomon's Navy Sect. 9. Solomon's other buildings Sect. 10. Hamath taken by Solomon's forces Sect. 11. Solomon's care in matters of Religion Sect. 12. Solomon's greatness splendor and glory Sect. 13. Solomon's Wisdom His Proverbs Sect. 14. The Queen of Sheba comes to hear his Wisdom Sect. 15. Solomon's many wives and defection from God Ahijah the Prophet sent to him with a sad Message Sect. 16. Solomon writes his Ecclesiastes Sect. 17. Solomon's Adversaries Ahijah sent to Jeroboam to acquaint him that he should be King of the Ten Tribes Sect. 18. Solomon dies Sect. 19. The division of the Kingdom Kings of Judah 1. Rehoboam is petitioned for ease of Taxes Ten Tribes revolt His Buildings and Wives Shishak King of Egypt plunders the Temple 2. Abijah reigns p. 505. His army and speech to Jeroboam Israel routed 3. Asa reigns pag. 509. His Grandmothers Grove Zerah invades him and is subdued Asa's league with Benhadad and death 4. Jehoshaphat reigns p. 515. Removes all high places used for false Gods His reformation His greatness and riches His affinity with Ahab He goes to Samaria Jehu the Prophet reproves him His care of the Kingdom His Fleet broken His victory and death 5. Jehoram succeeds p. 525. His Idolatry Slays his six Brethren Elijah's Letter to him Edom revolts Libnah revolts Philistines invade him His sad end 6. Ahaziah p. 529. His wickedness Is slain by Jehu 7. Athaliah p. 532. Her Idolatry and cruelty 8. Joash p. 533 He is set up by Jehoiada Athaliah slain Baal's house pull'd down Jehoiada's good instruction of him Collection for the Temple Jehoiada dies Joash's Idolatry Zachariah ston'd The Syrians vanquish him His death 9. Amaziah p. 541. He begins well His war with Edom and victory His Idolatry Joash King of Israel defeats him Amaziah slain 10. Vzziah p. 546. His Coronation He recovers Elath Conquers the Philistines His herds and husbandry Isaiah Prophesies Also Joel Vzziah's pride leprosie and death 11. Jotham p. 554. He subdues the Ammonites Micah Prophesies Jotham dies 12. Ahaz p. 555. His wickedness Syria and Israel invade him Isaiah sent to him Jerusalem's siege rais'd Ahaz forsakes the Lord. His calamities His league with Assyria and death 13. Hezekiah p. 563. His goodness and reformation He shakes off the Assyrian yoke Jerusalem besieged Rabshakeh's blasphemy Hezekiah's prayer Isaiah's message to him Hezekiah's sickness His thanksgiving The Assyrians destroyed Ambassadors from Babylon come to him Manasses born Nahum's Prophesie Hezekiah dies 14. Manasses p. 595. His great Idolatry He is taken captive shortly after is restored His reformation Habakkuk's Prophesie Manasseh dies 15. Amon p. 600. His Idolatry and death 16. Josiah p. 601. His piety Jeremiah Prophesies The Book of the Law found Huldah the Prophetess Josiah throws down Idolatry He goes to Bethel and other places His solemn Passover His death greatly lamented Zephany's Prophesie 17. Shallum or Jehoahaz pag. 611. His Idolatry Jeremy's admonition to him Pharaoh Necho carries him away 18. Jehoiakim p. 612. His Idolatry and oppression Jeremy exhorts him to repentance Vriah's Prophesie Jeremy's bonds and yokes Baruch's roll Nebuchadnezzar conquers the Egyptians Jehoiakim taken prisoner Daniel and others carried to Babylon Jehoiakim burns the roll Nebuchadnezzar returns home His dream of the great Image made of four metals Jehoiakim revolts The Golden Image set up by Nebuchadnezzar to be worshipped Jehoiakim dies 19. Jehoiakin p. 617. His Captivity Cyrus born 20. Zedekiah reigns p. 618. His wickedness Jeremy Prophesies Several Ambassadors come to Zedekiah Hananiah a false Prophet Jeremy's Letter to the Captives in Babylon Shemaiah a false Prophet inveighs against him Jeremy prophesies his death Ezekel's first vision Jerusalem besieged His other visions His Types Zedekiah revolts Judea is invaded Ezekiel's wife dies for whom he is commanded not to mourn Jeremy imprisoned Jerusalem's siege raised The Egyptians are overthrown and the siege renew'd Jeremy put into the dungeon Ezekiel prophesies again Jerusalem taken The Temple burnt The Kingdom of Judah come to an end Kings of Israel 1. Jeroboam chosen by the ten Tribes he fortifies Shechem Sets up the Golden Calves A Prophet sent to him who declares against his Altar His hand withers The Prophet being seduced a Lion slays him Jeroboam's son falls sick and dies His own death 2. Nadab an evil King slain by Baasha p. 508. 3. Baasha reigns p. 509. He doth evil He builds Ramah Jehu's message to him Baasha dies 4. Elah reigns two years p. 511. Zimri slays him 5. Zimri burnt p. 511. 6. Omri made King His Idolatry and burial p. 512. 7. Ahab p. 512. He marries Jezabel Jericho rebuilt Obadiah hides the Prophets Elijah's miracles Elisha called Benhadad conquered A Prophet reproves Ahab Naboth's Vineyard Elijah meets Ahab Ahab slain at Ramoth-Gilead Moab revolts 8. Ahaziah p. 543. His fall His message to Baalzebub Elijah brings down fire upon two companies of fifty He dies 9. Jehoram p. 545. He maintains the Golden Calves Elijah's Translation Elisha takes up his Mantle Elisha's Miracles The Moabites destroy one another The King of Edom sacrifices his Son Elisha works more Miracles A sore famine in Samaria It s miraculous relief The Shunamite returns Benhadad sends to Elisha Hazael stifles Benhadad Jehoram recovers Ramoth-Gilead Jehu anointed Joram slain Ahaziah slain Jezabel's death 10. Jehu made King p. 585. The slaughter of Ahab's off-spring
deprived of all hope of Marriage and living there in that manner without the society of any but themselves it seemed all one to them as if there were not a man upon the Earth besides their Father Hereupon being blinded with fear and passion and desirous to have Children of their own Kin and not of the faithless and cursed Nations they resolve upon a very wicked and detestable course viz. to make their Father drink Wine more than was fit of that they had brought with them from Zoar which possibly they perswaded him the rather unto to drive away his sad thoughts that so being drunk he might lie with them which else they knew he would never do And here observe the just Judgment of God Lot had at Sodom rashly offered to prostitute his two Daughters Chastity to the Rabble there to prevent the violation of his Guests and now here in the Cave His own Chastity is violated by the contrivance of His two Daughters This was just as from God but 't was very wickedly done of these two young women thus to draw their Father to commit Incest with them However from this incestuous Copulation came Moab and Ammon Fathers of the Moabites (f) The Moabites were afterwards Idolaters and Enemies to the Israelites yet from Ruth a Moabitess our Saviour Sprang and Ammonites two great and populous Nations Gen. 19. whole Chapter SECT X. ABraham now his Wife Sarah having as it seems newly conceived removed from the Plains of Mamre towards the South and sojourned in Gerar the Metropolis of the Philistins that dwelt in that Countrey Here He began to be afraid of himself again because of Sarah his Wife who though now near 90 years old yet was still very beautiful He therefore now as before in Egypt see Ch. 12. 13. apprehended that these people would kill him if he were known to be her Husband that so He being taken away she might be free to be married to one of them Hereupon Sarah by his appointment going again under the name of his Sister Abimelech King of that Place hearing of her took a liking to her and took her from her Husband intending shortly after to make her his Wife though he had a Wife before see vers 17. thinking as it seems Polygamy to be no sin Upon this God immediately smote him with a dangerous Sickness and plagued his Court with a strange Disease And in his Sickness God informed him by a dream (g) Dreams are sometimes supernatural and sent of God and bring their own evidence and assurance with them God thereby signifying what he will do or have men to do And thus God sends dreams upon extraordinary occasions to wicked men as here to Abimelech and afterwards to Laban Pharaoh and his Bulter and Baker and to the Midianite Judg. 7.13 To Nebuchadnezzar to Pilat's Wife And all these for the good of his own Servants and People but Principally God sends them to his choice Servants as to Jacob to Solomon to Daniel to Joseph the Son of Jacob and to Joseph the Husband of Mary and this was one of the ordinary ways wherein God revealed his Will to his Prophets Numb 12.6 Joel 2.28 Under which colour Saul complains of the want of them 1 Sam. 28.15 of the Cause why He had laid his hand upon Him telling him he was a dead man if he restored not unto Abraham his Wife And further He tells Him that Abraham was a Prophet one in especial favour with Himself to whom he did often reveal his Will and by whom he did teach and instruct others see Psal 105.15 and He should pray for him if he did restore his Wife to Him again Abimelech being thus restrain'd and prevented by Gods immediate hand from touching of Sarah he pleads his own Innocence before the Lord that in this matter his heart was clear from any adulterous purpose and his body from any unchast action And seeing this sickness on his Family and fearing possibly it to be on the rest of his Subjects who sometimes smart for their Princes sin see Gen. 34.26 c. 2 Sam. 24.17 and here vers 18. he intreats the Lord not to proceed to punish his people that were innocent and guiltless as to this matter Then Abimelech expostulates with Abraham that he should by dissembling his Wife expose Him to so great a sin as Adultery was and consequently bring upon him and his people the dreadful punishment due thereunto (h) See Dutch Annotat. in loc So that we see this Heathen King by the light of Nature even in those days before the Law was given did hold Adultery in a King such an abominable sin as might justly bring a Plague or great Judgment on a whole Nation Abraham excuses himself as well as he could He confesses he was afraid of himself there because he thought the fear of God was not among them and so they would not care what they did And besides it was not altogether false what he had said For Sarah was his Sister in one sense being the Daughter that is the Grand-Child of his Father though not the Daughter or Grand-Child of his Mother Terah having Haran her Father by another Wife than he had Him And he confesses ever since God called him to leave his Fathers House and wander in several Countries thinking he should find little of the fear of God in the places where he was to travel and apprehending danger to himself in respect of the great beauty of Sarah he had desired Her that in all Places where they came and apprehended any such danger she should always say She was his Sister Abimelech then not only return'd Sarah to him again untouch'd but presented him with large and great Gifts and offered him to live in any part of his Country where he pleas'd to so much Civility and Kindness did the Lord dispose the heart of this Heathen King Moreover Abimelech tells Sarah That he had given her Brother as she called him a 1000 pieces of Silver amounting to about 56 l. 5 s. of our money but intimates to her that she ought always to own her Husband in all Companies and he ought to be as a Veil to her to cover her from the Eyes and Desires of all others and a Guardian of her Chastity whereas by denying him she as it were unveiled her self and laid her self open to the unlawful Desires of others Thus was Sarah reprov'd by an Heathen King and taught and instructed to carry her self better for the future Then Abraham prayed for Abimelech and the Lord was graciously pleas'd to take off his hand from him and his Family and so that disability (i) Some think this was more than meer barrenness which was a thing that could not in so short a time either be perceived as a Judgment or discerned as a Cure upon Abraham's prayer therefore they think it was some unusual closing of the Womb for that time Existimo plagam fuisse talem ut
so Jacob required of Joseph Ch. 47.29 to him by putting his hand under his thigh (l) Though the usual custom of swearing was by lifting up the hand to the most high God that he would not take a Wife for his Son of any of the Daughters of the Canaanities because he would not have his Seed mix themselves with that profane and Idolatrous people whose blood his Posterity was to shed without pity and to succeed in their room but should go to his own Country to Charran to seek for a Wife there where was the truest Worship of God next to that in his own Family though indeed very much corrupted as we may see in Laban Ch. 31.30 53. The Servant very discreetly objected that possibly a Woman of that Country would not be willing to come along with him so far nor would marry his Son on such Termes as to leave her own Relations and come and dwell in Canaan Therefore if his Son would have a Wife from thence in all likelihood he must consent to go and dwell there And if they in Mesopotamia should insist on such terms as these he desires to know what his Oath should bind him to Abraham tells him that by no means he must consent that Isaac should go and dwell there both because they were too Corrupt in Religion and because Isaac's going to dwell there would be in a sort to renounce the Land of Promise He must rather live here as a Stranger and Sojourner by Faith as he himself had done But he bids the Servant not to be over-careful in that matter for God would send his holy Angel to guide and direct him and shew him what he was to do And if the Woman he should chuse for a Wife for his Son would not be willing to come along with him he should be free of his Oath On these terms therefore the Servant undertook the business and sware to him to perform what he enjoyn'd him Then providing himself of all things needful for such an undertaking that he might set out in a Port and Equipage agreeable to the greatness and wealth of his Master he took 10 Camels and Servants answerable and furnished himself with Provisions for so long a Journey and carried with him many rich Presents of all sorts to present his Masters Kindred with as there should be occasion and to shew what a mighty man of Wealth his Master was Thus furnish'd he began his Journey and after several days travel he came to Haran where Nahor his Masters Brother dwelt And coming thither about eventide the time that the young women of the City us'd to go out to a Well hard by to fetch Water he caused his Camels to kneel down and be unloaded near that Fountain that so they might bait and be watered and rest themselves This done he betook himself by solemn prayer unto God humbly intreating him to prosper him in the business he came about And then as 't is like by the special motion of Gods Spirit (m) Without the like warrant we may not attempt the like he humbly desired of the Lord to give him a sign whereby he might know the person that his Providence had appointed for Isaac and that this in particular might be the sign namely that that Damosel among those that came out to draw Water who when he intreated her that he might drink of her Pitcher should answer Drink thy self and I will give thy Camels drink also might be the person whom He should look upon as designed for His young Master For that thing would argue her to be of a good ingenuous friendly hospitable nature and disposition Immediately upon this Rebecca Daughter of Bethuel and Grand-Child of Nahor Abraham's Brother came with her Pitcher to draw Water being a Virgin of great beauty and comeliness The Servant seeing Her addresses himself immediately to her and desires to drink of her Pitcher she readily gave it him and freely offered to draw water for his Camels also The man wondering at her Civility and Courtesie began silently to consider with himself whether this was not a clear evidence that God had heard his prayer and made his Journey successful and had now pointed out the Damosel to him that was pointed for Isaac And then asking her whose Daughter she was she told him Bethuels the Son of Nahor by Milca his lawful Wife He then acquainted her as 't is like whose Servant he was and from whom he came and presented her with a Jewel for her Forehead and two Bracelets for her Hands Then secretly worshipping God and praising of him that he had dealt so mercifully with his Master and had led him His Servant in the right way to take his Brothers Grand-Child for his Son he asked her if they had any room in her Fathers house for him and his Company She told him They had And then immediately she ran to tell them of her Mothers house what had happened For it seems it was the custom of those times and places for the Women to dwell in Tents and Houses by themselves apart See v. 67. Rebecca had a Brother whose Name was Laban who hearing these things and seeing the Jewel and Bracelets on the Forehead and Hands of his Sister by the appointment as 't is like of his Father and Mother who were both ancient he went to the Man and saluting him kindly said Come thou blessed of the Lord thou art welcome unto our house which is ready to receive thee Eliezer readily and thankfully accepted his kindness and went along with him unto his House When they were come thither Laban ungirded his Camels and gave them Provender and gave water to Eliezer and the other Servants that were with him to wash their Feet after the manner of those Eastern Countries and then they set Meat before them But Eliezer like a faithful Servant that was more intent upon his business than his belly told them That he would not eat till he had acquainted them with his Errand And then he declared unto them that he was Abraham's Servant that God had extraordinarily blessed his Master with great Riches that his Wife Sarah had born him a Son when she was very aged that this Son was to be his Heir that his Master had made him swear to him that he should not take a Wife for his Son of the Daughters of the accursed Canaanites but of his own Kindred That he had objected to his Master that peradventure such a Damosel would not be willing to come with him so far from her own Relations that his Master had answered That God would send his Angel with him to direct and prosper him and he should find a Wife for his Son among his own Kindred and if he could not find such an one among them that would be willing to come he should be clear of his Oath Upon these terms he undertook this Journey and when he came to the Well without their City he prayed
and returning And in this Vision Jacob saw Jehovah standing on the top of this Ladder and saying to him I am the God of Abraham thy Father and the God of Isaac the Land whereon thou liest to thee will I give it and to thy Seed and thy Seed shall be as the dust of the Earth and shall spread and multiply exceedingly East West North and South and in thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed Thus he renews the promise to him and states it in him which was formerly made to Abraham and Isaac Ch. 12.3 22.18 Acts 3.25 Further the Lord says to him I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whether thou goest and will bring thee again into this Land For I will not leave thee until I have done all that which I have spoken to thee of Jacob awaking and considering the glorious Vision he had seen cried out Assuredly God is in this place in a more peculiar manner though I did not apprehend or imagine to have met with such a glorious manifestation and Revelation of Himself to me here and being struck with a Reverend aw and fear of the Majesty of God who had thus appeared to him he cries out How dreadful is this place This is none other but the House of God the very Gate of Heaven As if he should have said This seemeth to be a place where God manifests himself in a more especial manner to the Children of Men and whence they may by praying unto him and worshipping of him as by a Gate ascend up into Heaven and Converse with him above And upon this account he thinks this a fit place for the building an House to God as we may see vers 22. Rising up therefore early in the Morning he takes the stone which he had laid under his head and set it up as a Pillar (h) This in likelihood being af erwards demolished he erects about 30 years after a new Pillar of stone upon another Apparition in the same place Ch. 35.14 15. This Pillar was a religious Sign and Monument as Altars were Esay 19.19 There were also Pillars for civil use as Rachels Pillar on her Grave Ch. 35.20 And Absolon's Pillar 2 Sam. 18.18 The Pillar Galeed Gen. 31.45 47 52. But when the Law was given by Moses Pillars for religious use were forbidden Levit. 26.1 Deut. 16.22 And the Pillars of Idolaters commanded to be broken down Deut. 12.3 Ch. 7.5 and as a memorial of that Vision and then poured out a little of the oil upon it which he had taken with him for his provision by the way as an Oblation and Offering of thanksgiving to God having no other Sacrifice at hand And he did the same thing afterwards at the same place again about 30 years after see Ch. 35.14 and called the Name of the place Bethel that is the House of God whereas the City near to it was before called Luz Then Jacob made a Vow unto the Lord That if he would please to be with him and to keep him in the way wherein he was now to go and to give him Food and Raiment 1 Tim. 6.8 and bring him back again to his Fathers house in peace it should be a new and strong Obligation and Ingagement upon him to worship and serve the Lord faithfully all his days and that stone or pillar now erected by him should be Gods House (i) See the performance of this Ch. 35.7 viz. that place should be consecrated to his Worship and Service for him and his to worship him in and that he would give the tenth (k) Thus we see Tythes paid by Abraham and Jacob before the Law of Moses Decimas non sacerdoti pendendas sed in usus pios aras holocausta c. Levit 27.30 Numb 18.24 Anonym in loc of all that he should have to God that is for the maintenance of the true Worship of God and for pious and charitable Vses Gen. 27. whole Chapter Gen. 28. from 1. to 6. and from 10. to the end SECT XXIV ESau understanding that his Father Isaac had blessed Jacob and that he had sent him away into Mesopotamia there to take a Wife of his own Kindred expresly forbidding him to marry any of the Daughters of the Canaanites and that Jacob had express'd his readiness to obey his Father and Mother therein He to pacifie his Fathers mind who was much offended with him for taking for his first Wives the Daughters of the Hitties see Sect. 21. went to the Ishmaelites Ishmael himself being now dead and took another Wife viz. Mahalatha the Daughter of Ishmael the Son of Abraham And it seems he did this either to please his Father by matching into his Kindred or else to strengthen himself by this new alliance with the Israelites against his Brother Jacob. Gen. 28. from 6. to 10. SECT XXV JAcob being now comforted and strengthened by the late heavenly Vision went on chearfully in his Journey and at length came near to Haran in Mesopotamia where at a Well in the Fields which was guarded by a great stone he saw a great many Flocks of Sheep which were brought thither to be watered as soon as the Shepherds should have rolled away the stone Jacob asks them civilly Whence they were They answered They belonged to Haran He inquires if they knew Laban the Son of Bethuel and Grand-Child of Nahor They tell him They knew him very well He inquires of his Health They tell him he was in very good health And one of his Daughters viz. Rachel was hard by coming with his Sheep to be watered Jacob tells them it was yet too soon in the day as He apprehended to gather the Flocks together in order to their folding therefore he advises them to water the Sheep and to go and feed them again They tell him They might not their custom or agreement among themselves being otherwise or could not water the Sheep till all the Flocks were come together and all the Shepherds joined their strength to remove the Stone But Jacob seeing Rachel coming with her Fathers Flock he being strong with the help of these Shepherds there present rolled away the Stone and watered her Sheep Then saluting her he acquainted her that he was Son to Rebecca her Father's Sister and wept for joy that he had so soon and so opportunely met his Cosin Rachel She running and acquainting her Father therewith he presently came forth to Jacob and imbraced and kissed him and brought him to his house Then Jacob related to him the state and condition of his Father and Mother and what was the reason and occasion of his Journey and his coming so privately else Laban might have wondred to see him come so unfurnished he having seen Abraham's Servant Eliezer come so richly provided when he fetched thence Rebecca Laban replies That he was satisfied that he was his Nephew his very bone and flesh and whatever was the occasion of his Journey he
to imagine But if we allow Jacob to be married at the beginning of the first seven years and so to have several of his Children within that space of time then the current of the History will run clear A second Argument against that former opinion may be taken from the consideration of Judah's age and the birth of Hezron and Hamul his Grandchildren unto which Jacob went down into Egypt Ch. 46.12 To open this we must first know that Jacob was 76 years old when he went first to Laban which appears thus He was 130 years old when he stood before Pharaoh Ch. 47.9 And then Joseph was 40 years old viz. 30 when he was advanc'd by Pharaoh Ch. 41.46 After which passed seven years of plenty and three of Famine when Jacob came down into Egypt It appears also that he was born in the 14th year after Jacob's coming to Laban Ch. 30.25 Take then those 14 years before Joseph was born and the 40 years of his age when his Father stood before Pharaoh out of his Fathers age at that time which was 130 and it will be clear that Jacob was 76. years old when he first came to Laban Now this being so Judah the fourth Son of Jacob by Leah must needs be according to them who are for the first opinion but three or four years older then Joseph Jacob not marrying Leah as they suppose till after his first seven years of service were ended and so Judah must be but 43 or 44 years old at most when He and his Grandchildren Hezron and Hamul came with Jacob into Egypt To compass this they must cast their reckonings thus viz. that Judah married at 12 years old and had Er at 13 that Er married at 12 years old and Onan his younger Brother married at 12 years old Ch. 38.4 that Tamar remained a Widow and waited till Shelah was grown and during that time Judah's wife died and Tamar bears to Judah Pharez and all this within the compass of three years That Pharez married at 12 years old and begat Hezron and Hamul and supposing them to be Twins that at a year old they were carried into Egypt For thus the reckoning will rise to the 43 or 44th year of Judah's age But these supposed reckonings seem very harsh whereas the addition of the former seven years gives fair way to the birth of all the 12 Children and gives further scope for the birth of Hezron and Hamul in the 50th year of Judah's age And that opinion which makes Judah to be born in the fourth year of the first seven of Jacob's Service and so to be ten years older than Joseph doth give fairer way to the course of the History than the other doth And so the reckoning may be cast thus viz. Judah at 16 years old comes into Canaan and speedily marries the Daughter of Shuah In the next year hath Er. Er marries Tamar at 14. After which suppose four years spent in the matters relating to Onan Er and Shelah and till the birth of Pharez begotten by Judah after the death of his wife upon the body of Tamar And Pharez at 13 years old to marry and in two years to have Hezron and Hamul and then all go down into Egypt and all these things to come to pass by that time that Judah was 50 years of age See Dr. Richardson's Notes on Ch. 38. vers 1. If any acquiesce not in these Reasons for the latter opinion I leave them to the fraud of their own Judgments alledging that his days were fulfilled vers 21. that is the days of his probation and trial or his days were full that is he was of full days being 75 years old and therefore it was high time he should marry as Tremellius interprets it Laban hereupon invited his Friends and Kindred and the principal men of the City and made a great Feast and at night he took Leah being * Nuptiae a nubendo i. e. velando veiled as it seems the manner was in brining Brides to the Bridegrooms Bed and so gave her to Jacob instead of Rachel (p) Peccavit Leah obtemperando Parenti consensit enim in stuprum imo adulterium Menoch having first instructed her as 't is probable either not to speak at all to Him or else only softly to whisper which Jacob might impute to her modesty In the morning Jacob perceived it was Leah that had been put to bed to him Then Jacob highly expostulates with Laban for * Thus He who had deceived His Father by personating his Brother was now Himself deceived by Leah personating her Sister thus beguiling him telling him He had covenanted to serve him for Rachel and not for Leah Laban to excuse himself pretends to him that it was not the Custom of the Country to give the younger in marriage before the Elder But Custom was only here pretended for else why did he call so many together to the Solemnization of the Marriage pretending to marry Rachel to him who they all knew was the younger Daughter However Laban desires him to continue these seven days (q) Judg. 14. vers 12 15 17. of Leahs Wedding-Feast and to keep her with him that so by this his voluntary consent the Marriage might be confirmed * Polygamy God tolerated in the Patriarchs which He simply allowed not being not so from the beginning and then he promises to give him Rachel at the weeks end on condition to serve him seven years more (r) See Gen. 31.41 I served thee fourteen years for thy two Daughters which Jacob consented (s) Noluit ob errorem personae repudiare Leah quod etsi licuerat scandalum tamen perinde voluit atque peccatum devitare unto And the seven years he served for Rachel after he had married her seemed short to him because of the great content and comfort he took in her Laban having now married his two Daughters to Jacob he gave to his Daughter Leah Zilpah for her Hand-maid and to Rachel he gave Bilhah But Leah was less loved (t) So hate is sometimes used for less to love see Luke 14.26 Job 12.25 by Jacob than Rachel whereupon the Lord was pleas'd to make Leah fruitful but Rachel was barren For Leah conceived and bare a Son and gave him a Name according to the sense she had of that mercy calling him Reuben * Reuben Jacob's first Son which signifies Behold a Son as if she would have said though I am less cared for and beloved than my Sister yet behold how graciously the Lord hath dealt with me He hath given me a Son in my affliction therefore I hope now my Husband will love (u) Liberi sunt vincula Parentum Children are a chain to bind Husbands to love their Wives and this Chain is strong with all good men Bishop Babington in loc me more than he did Then she conceived again and bare a second Son and remembring how God had heard her Prayers and regarded her
in loc it pleased the Lord to remember Rachel and to hear her prayers and to open her Womb so that she conceived at which she much rejoyced and said God hath now taken away my Reproach (f) Reproach lay upon barrenness in those times as we may see 1 Sam. 1.6 Isa 4.1 Luke 1.21 and that principally for two Reasons 1. Because they that were barren did seem to be excluded from the promise made to Abraham touching the multiplication of his Seed 2ly Because they were without hope that the Messiah who was to proceed out of the Loins of Abraham should be one of their Posterity And bringing forth a Son she called his name Joseph * Joseph his eleventh Son Natus hic anno 14 ad adventu Jacobi ad Labanem intimating hereby her hope and trust that God would add to her another Son Ch. 30. from 1. to 25. SECT XXVII JAcob having now served his Father-in-law fourteen years and having eleven Sons (g) Whereas 't is said Jacob had twelve Sons born to him in Mesopotamia Gen. 35.22 they are there reckon'd in the round number though Benjamin was certainly born afterwards in the Land of Canaan not far from Bethlehem So the Apostles are counted twelve 1 Cor. 15.5 though Judas was wanting and one Daughter he desir'd he might with his good leave depart and go home to his own Country with his Wives and Children Laban with very kind expressions desires him to tarry longer with him for he observed that the Lord had blessed him for his sake And for wages he would give him whatever he desired Jacob tells him He could not be insensible what Service he had done him and how much He had thriven and prospered since his coming to him For thou hadst says He but little at my coming to thee but now by Gods blessing upon my painful and diligent labour for thee thy Stock is vastly increased and it is time for me being now 90 years old to provide for my own Family Laban asks him again What he should give him to stay with him Jacob tells him He would not desire any set or determined wages from him nor would require any thing out of his present Estate or that which he had already gotten but would receive his wages out of the future increase of his Flocks and that in such a way as in humane probability was not like to be very advantageous to him however therein he would depend on the Providence of God And the way he propounds was this viz. That he would separate all the speckled and spotted Cattel and the brown among the Sheep from those that were all of one colour whether black or white and not at all spotted and those only he would take under his Charge and he would have for his wages only those that should prove speckled and spotted bred of the old ones that had neither speck nor spot in them And he desired doubtless by the direction of God only to have such as these for his share If he took any other to his own use he would be content it should be accounted as if he had stolen them But he hoped his righteous and faithful dealing herein should answer for him at any time hereafter Laban greedily imbraceth the condition and consenteth to the Terms For according to the ordinary course of nature Cattel are wont to bring forth such as themselves are and therefore this was like to be very advantageous to Laban and to be but a poor bargain for Jacob whose service Laban was like to have for very little These Terms being agreed on Laban with the help of Jacob separates all the ringstreaked speckled and spotted from the rest of the Flock and gave them to his Sons to keep committing those of one colour to Jacob's charge And he set a distance of three days journey between the Flocks of Jacob and those his Sons were to keep lest the white ones might come to be mixed with the spotted or brown Jacob now having this Flock of Labans under his charge by direction from God as appears Ch. 31.9 10 11 12. He used this policy for his own benefit He took rods of green poplar hasel and chesnut-tree and peeled part and left part unpeeled so that they were particoloured partly white and partly green and laid them before the Flocks in the Gutters and in the Watering-Troughs in the ramming-time that so by the strength of Imagination they might conceive and bring forth a particoloured-breed which accordingly hapned by the Divine blessing on Jacob. And because all the Flocks would not conceive just at watering-time having gotten some spotted Lambs by his first policy of the peeled Rods he set those spotted Lambs before the faces of Laban's Flock that he had under his Charge at the coupling-time that a greater Impression might be made on their phantasie and that by the sight of these that were speckled the Cattel might bring forth speckled also This was a second policy he used A third was this his own Cattel that were ringstreaked speckled and spotted when they were like to conceive he would not let them be amongst Laban's Cattel lest looking upon them that were all of one colour their imagination might work to a resemblance of them and so should bring forth young ones like them viz. all of one colour and so they would be Laban's and not his And a fourth policy of his was this When the stronger Cattel did Conceive he laid the Rods before their eyes in the Gutters that so their Off-Spring might be his But when the Cattel were feeble he put them not in that so their young ones being all one colour might fall to Laban's share For so he contrived that Laban might have some increase (h) Hanc autem servabat aequitatem Jacob ut in arte illa nova ipse sui laboris praemium acciperet Laban non penitus spoliaretur Jans else he would have been impatient Thus Jacob by the concurrence of the Divine blessing increas'd in Stock and Riches exceedingly Ch. 30. from vers 25. to the end SECT XXVIII JAcob having now served Laban 20 years during the last six years the Sons of Laban envied him exceedingly and murmur'd and repin'd saying That of what was their Fathers he had gotten all his Glory that is all his Wealth which procures men honour and esteem and which worldly men count their Glory And they were ready to slander him as having unjustly gotten what was graciously bestowed on him by the Providence of God Jacob also observ'd that Laban's Countenance was not towards him as formerly it us'd to be but in his very looks he shewed the displeasure of his heart The Lord hereupon warns Jacob to return to his own Country and promises to be with him Jacob upon this sends for his Wives Rachel and Leah into the Field to him and acquaints them with Gods appearing to him and with his purpose of departure He tells them That they
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
on so sad an occasion The Sons of Jacob when they heard of it were greatly vexed and very wroth that Shechem had committed so great folly and iniquity and thereby offended God and brought such a stain and blot on their Family Notwithstanding Hamor the Father of Shechem who should have express'd his high Displeasure against his Son for so great a Transgression comes to Jacob and his Sons and Communes with them and Requests them That Dinah might be given to his Son to Wife And further desires That they might freely make Marriages interchangeably between them and so grow into a Kindred and Friendship the one with the other He further tells them on these Conditions the Land should be free for them to dwell in and to Trade in and therein to get Possessions Shechem also seconded his Fathers motion and told them If he might find so much favour in their eyes as to obtain their Sister for his Wife he would do any thing they should desire of him Whatever Dowry they required he should give Her or whatever Gift in recompence of the Injury he had done her he was willing to give her provided he might have her Jacob permitting his Sons to give the Answer they having laid their Heads together and being not only averse to the Match but designing Revenge answered cunningly and deceitfully and which was worse they covered their deceit with the colour of Religion They tell Hamor and Shechem That they could not without dishonour to their Religion give their Sister to a Person Vncircumcised But if they would consent that all the Males among them should be Circumcised and so become like unto them then they would make Marriages with them (t) Similis praetextus 2 Sam. 15.7 Judah enim Simeon Canaanitidas postea duxere c. 38. 2. 46. 10. and dwell with them and they would become one People l Thus they would have this holy Sacrament of Circumcision the Seal of Gods Covenant profaned and obtruded upon Vnbelievers and all to accomplish their wicked design of Revenge But if they would not consent to this they would take the Daughter of their Family and depart from them and would have no more to do with them These hard Conditions Hamor and Shechem agree unto and Shechem out of the great love and kindness he had for Dinah immediately applies himself to get his Peoples consent also And being a young Prince greatly esteemed and honoured among them He with his Father came to the Gate of their City where their Civil Affairs were usually transacted and where were their Publick Assemblies and Courts of Justice and there spake to them after this manner These Israelites that are lately come among us are for ought I perceive very peaceable and quiet Men. I see no reason therefore but that they should be permitted to dwell in the Land and to trade with us Nay I think it for our Interest to make a straight League with them and to make Marriages interchangeably with them taking their Daughters to us for Wives and giving our Daughters to them And so by Commerce and Trafficking with them and by making Marriages with them in time their Cattel and Substance will come to be our So that there is a fair Prospect of great profit that will accrue to us by thus associating with them But there is one Difficulty in the Case These men being Jews and so by the Rite of their Religion being all Circumcis'd will by no means associate with us except we Consent to be like them and that all the Males among us will be Circumcised This I confess is something hard for us to submit unto However go alone consider of the matter among your selves and speak your minds freely This Condition undoubtedly could not but seem very hard to the Shechemites but the honour and respect they had for Hamor and Shechem and the Prospect of Profit that was before them so prevail'd upon them that they consented to it and accordingly all the Males of their City that us'd to go in and out at the Gates of it were forthwith Circumcised On the third day after this was done when usually Wounds are most sore and painful two of the Sons of Jacob viz. Simeon and Levi to whom Dinah was Sister both by Father and Mother taking their Swords in their hands (m) Simeon about 21 Levi about 20 years of age Hinc palam est â—eam Jacobo Nuptam anno primo quo venerat ad Labanam non septimo Neque enim Simeon si tunc natus esset id atatis esse poterat ut hoc patraret Anonym in loc and being attending as 't is like by some of their Brethren and other Assistants fell boldly and fiercely upon the City and slew all the Males (n) Non omnes Masculi aut Circumcisi aut intersecti erant sed ii tantum qâ—i per portam egrediebantur ac nubiles erant Walther God might justly suffer this for the Shechemites own sins though he took occasion to do it from the sin of their Prince See 2 Sam. 24.1 15 17. Quod unus fecit Civibus in genere imputatur quod hoc flagitium nec impedirent nec punirent sed de eo potius gloriati sunt viz. that were of riper years and lately Circumcised and who by reason of their Soreness were not able to make Resistance and among them Hamor and Shechem and took away their Sister Dinah out of Shechem's House where she had been kept since the day he had seiz'd upon her till now Then they plundered the City and carried away not only their Goods and Houshold-stuff but what was in the Fields their Sheep Oxen and Asses and took also their Wives and little Ones Captive (o) 'T is very like that many of the Captive Women and Children were by Jacob sent back to the City with a proportion of the Spoil for their necessary Maintenance keeping what he thought fit to serve as a Recompence for the wrong done to his deflowred Daughter Jacob understanding this was highly incens'd against his Sons and told them that which they had done did exceedingly trouble him and vex him at the very heart They had render'd him odious and made him even stink among the Inhabitants of the Land And his Family bring but few in comparisom of them they had expos'd him and all that belonged to him to that eminent danger of being fallen upon and destroyed by them And 't is likely he shewed them also the hainousness of their Sin against God and the odiousness of their Treachery (p) For this Fact 't is like he deprived them of their Birthright as he did Reuben for his sin and conferred it on Judah Gen. 49. and Cruelty which he afterwards solemnly Cursed Gen. 49.5 6 7. Cursed be their wrath for it was fierce and their anger for it was cruel c. But they gave him a stubborn and churlish Answer That they were not able to bear that their Sister
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
afterwards gave him Zipporah (z) Patriarcha ex cognatione suâ filiis uxores capiebant ne illae filios a religione averterent Sed Joseph Moses illo metu liberi ex Gentilibus uxores duxerunt nec ab illis aversi sunt a religione sed eas converterunt his Daughter to wife who bare him a Son whom he called Gershom whereby he intimated that he was a Stranger in that Land and yet God had comfortably provided for him Another Son he had also afterwards by her whom he called Eliezer Ch. 18. 4. by which name He signified that God was his helper In process of time that cruel Tyrant Pharaoh of whom Moses was so much afraid died but though the Tyrant was gone yet the Tyranny remained for another Pharaoh arose who made the Burdens and Afflictions of the Children of Israel as heavy or heavier than they were before They sighed and cried unto the Lord by reason of their Oppressions and God heard their groaning and remembred his Covenant which he had made with Abraham Isaac and Jacob to own them for his People and accordingly resolved to deliver them in such ways as were most for the Honour of his Great Name and for their profit and advantage Exod. 2. from vers 16. to the end SECT LVII ABout this time Caleb the Son of Jephunneh was born viz. forty years before he was sent by Moses to spy out the Land of Canaan See Josh 14.7 10. SECT LVIII MOses since he came into Jethro's Family had as it seems betaken himself to the Pastoral Employment as an exercise that allowed great liberty and opportunity for Contemplation And keeping his Father-in-laws Sheep in the Desert that he might provide fresh Pastures for them he drave them to the further side of the Desert nigh to Mount Horeb. (a) This Mountain seems like Parnassus to have had two tops one called Sinai the other Horeb. Called in this place by anticipation the Mountain of God because here God afterwards in so wonderful a manner appeared to Moses and gave him the Law and made a Covenant with the people Here Christ the eternal Son of God the Messenger or Angel (b) Magni concilii Angelus Dei voluntatem nobis nunâ—iavit of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 appeared to him out of a burning Bush which though it burnt yet it was not consumed Moses being stricken with admiration at the sight and not knowing at first what to think of it he determined to approach nearer to it hoping thereby better to inform himself The Lord calls to him out of the midst of the Bush Moses Moses Moses hearing himself called by his Name answered Here I am The Lord then charged him not to draw too nigh to the Bush but to put off his shooes that is that he should in all humility present himself before Him as a poor Caytiff not worthy to stand in the presence of so great a Majesty He further tells him That the place whereon he stood was holy Ground that is made holy at this time through the presence and apparition of God without which it was but like other Ground And therefore by that outward expression he should testifie the inward reverence of his mind Moreover the Lord said I am the God of thy Fathers the God of Abraham (c) The Lord expressing this as in the present Tense I am the God of Abraham c. speaking of men long since dead it was doubtless not only in regard of the Immortality of their Souls but also in regard of the certain Resurrection of their Bodies too And therefore our Saviour alledges this place to prove the Resurrection of the Body against the Sadduces Mat. 22.31 32. Isaac and Jacob to whom I promised to be their God and the God of their Seed after them Moses hearing this hid his Face (d) So Elijah wrapped his face in a Mantle 1 King 19.13 See Esay 6.3 out of an awful Reverence of so great a Majesty being afraid through a sense of his own vileness to look up towards God The Lord further said unto Moses I have seen the Affliction of my People in Egypt and heard their Cry Then speaking of Himself after the manner of men He tells him He was come down (e) See Gen. 11.7 18.21 35.13 to deliver them out of their Bondage and to bring them into a good and large Land (f) Though Judea contain'd in length from Dan to Bâ—ersheba but an 160 and in breadth from Joppa to Jordan but 60 miles yet it may be called large in respect of Goshen where the Israelites for the most part dwelt See Gen. 13.14 15. a Land flowing with Milk and Honey and He intended to send him to speak to Pharaoh to let his People go So that the secret Inspiration which Moses had before from God Exod. 2.11 is here now advanced to an open Call and full Commission At his first Call he was very forward and killed the Egyptian but since his flight out of Egypt he was become more cautious Therefore he said unto the Lord Who am I a mean man that I should go to Pharaoh a great proud and tyrannical Prince and should think to deliver a distressed People out of his Power The Lord answered I will certainly be with thee so that thou needst not fear either thy own Weakness or the Power of them to whom I send thee And this present Apparition of mine out of the burning but not burned Bush shall be a Token and Evidence to thee that at this time I have sent thee And hereafter when thou hast brought the people out of Egypt this may further serve to strengthen thy Faith in my Power and Providence over them I do now foretell thee Ye shall serve me upon this Mountain Moses conceiving himself now after so many years absence in a manner unknown to the Children of Israel he begins to think that they might question Whither indeed he was sent of God or no and might demand of him under what Name or Title God had made known Himself to him If that should so happen he humbly desires to know by what Name or Title the Lord would please to be mention'd to them seeing many of his Names were abused by application of them to Idols The Lord answers If thou enquirest concerning my Name I am that I am Therefore go and tell the Children of Israel That I AM hath sent thee unto them and further tell them That the Lord God of their Fathers the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob hath sent thee unto them and tell them This is my Name for ever and this is my Memorial unto all Generations that is by this Name shall all Generations remember Me. Go then therefore and call the Heads of the Tribes of the Children of Israel together and deliver this Message to them that they may acquaint their Brethren of the several Tribes here-with and tell them That I have by the watchful Eye
the top of the Mount where God manifested his glorious Presence and the Lord said unto him I have heard the words of this people which they have spoken unto thee viz. That thou should be a Mediator between Me and them and therein a Type of the promised Messias and they have done well in what they desired And O that there were such an heart (h) Humanitùs optanda non speranda designat in them that they would fear me always and keep my Commandments that it might go well with them and with their Children from Generation to Generation Then commanding that the people should return into their Tents He tells Moses He will speak unto him all the rest of his Commandments Statutes and Judgments and he shall impart them unto the people So that God spake no more than these Ten Commandments immediately by Himself unto the Children of Israel and in an audible Voice Deut. 5.22 the rest He spake unto them by Moses Exod. 20. from vers 18. to 22. Deut. 5. from vers 22. to 32. SECT XVI GOd further Commands Moses to tell the Children of Israel That they had heard Him speak to them out of Heaven that is from on high in the Air but they saw no Image nor Similitude of Him Therefore they should take heed of corrupting themselves in making any Similitude (i) See Deut. 4.15 or Figure of Him or any Image or Idol of Gold or Silver to represent Him or to be worshipped with Him 2ly For such Altars as they should be appointed to make as they were upon the way whereon to Sacrifice their Burnt-Offerings (k) Gen. 8.20 and Peace-Offerings (l) Lev. 3.1 their Oxen and Sheep or upon any extraordinary occasion before they should come to the place which He should chuse to settle his Worship there they must make them either of Earth (m) Such as Samuel and Elias made Afterwards the Altar of the Tabernacle was made of of Shitimwood to be overlaid with Brass Exod. 27.1 and for the Temple of Brass 2 Chron. 4.1 or of rough unpolished Stone for if they lifted a tool upon them to polish them they polluted (n) Curiosity in God's Service against his Command is not an Ornament but a Defilement vers 25. Non ex politis lapidibus cujus nulla ratio dari potest a natura rei desumpta sed tantum ex ordinatione Dei contra quam si quis eat etiam in levissimis per se indifferentibus ea profana fiunt Rivet them by transgressing the Commandment of God and so instead of making them holy they profaned them And the reason of this Injunction seeming to be that the meanness of the matter might shew that God did not intend those Altars should be places of his constant Worship but only for the present time And that the people should not have any superstitious conceit in time to come of the places where these Altars had been raised which might divert their hearts from the only Altar upon which he delighted to be ordinarily served Deut. 12.5 which was a Figure of the Cross of Christ And that they might not think strange at the meanness of these Altars He promises that in all places indifferently where he shall appoint them to build an Altar and where He shall cause his Name to be remembred and called upon He will accept of their Sacrifices and Service and hear them and bless them even in one place as well as in another Lastly He Commands that these Altars should not be so made that the Priests must go up by wide and far distant Stairs (o) V. 26. Ascensus non erit intercisus per gradus longe distantes ut cogeris magnos facere passus ne nudentur verenda tua usus enim foemoralium nondum introductus erat Lyra. and Steps or by Ladders unto them (p) This Institution was in part changed and revoked afterwards For Solomon's Altar was 10 Cubits high 2 Chron. 4.1 and the Priests went up by some steps and stairs to it and accordingly were ordered to wear linnen Breeches Exod. 28 42 43. And the Altar which Moses made for the Tabernacle was three Cubits high Exod. 27.1 But this was for the perpetual use of the Tabernacle and not for a time only and suddenly to be dissolved again as these occasional Altars were lest their nakedness should be discovered thereby which might impair the Honour of those Sacred Rites and would symbolize and agree too much with the lewd and shameful behaviour which the Idolatrous Heathenish Priests used in their Sacrifices Exod. 20. from 22. to the end SECT XVII NOw the Lord gives unto Moses the Judicial or Political Laws the civil Constitutions Ordinances and Statutes contained in the three next Chapters according to which the Magistrates and Judges were to Govern the people The chief Heads of which are as follow 1. Concerning buying Men-Servants A man might not buy an Israelite but either first when he willingly sold himself through extreme Poverty see Deut. 15.12 Exod. Ch. 21. Levit. 25.39 or when he was sold against his Will by the Magistrate for Theft which he was not able to make satisfaction for Or 3ly For Debt which he was not able to pay In such a Case they and their Children might be sold as Servants for satisfaction of the Debt see 2 Kings 4.1 Math. 18.25 Now if it should so happen that an Israelite became a Servant upon any of these accounts here is a Law given concerning the time of his Service namely that he should serve him that had bought him only six years and that in the seventh he should be set free for nothing except the Year of Jubilee fell within the compass of these years and in that Case he should be set free at that time Lev. 25.40.41 Now the reason why the Lord would not have the Israelites serve any longer is expressed Levit. 25.55 namely because they were his Servants and so the Lord would teach the Jews to put a difference between his people and others that were not his people Furthermore the Lord Orders That if the Servant came into Servitude unmarried he shall so go out if he were married his Wife if she were an Israelite shall go out free with him (q) See Deut. 15.12 for only Hâ—athens might be kept in Bondage Lev. 25.44 46. but with an Hebâ—ew-woman they could not do thus as ap-appears v. 7. But if his Master have given him a Wife in the time of his Service viz. an Heathen Bond-woman and she have born him Sons and Daughters in this case the man was to be set free alone and his Wife and Children were to continue Servants to his Master For the Children born of the Bondwoman are Bondmen and Bondwomen also as the example of Ishmael whom Abraham begat of Hagar sheweth Gen. 21.9 10. Yet no man by this Law was forced to leave his Wife for by continuing in his former Service he might
still enjoy her But the Lord Orders That when himself was set free he should not think under that pretence to deprive his Master of her that was his lawful Servant but should rather endure the continuing of his own Bondage than part from his Wife And this liberty given to a Servant set free to go away and leave his Wife behind him was not an approbation of his forsaking of her but at most only a part and branch of that scope wherein this people were left to themselves for the hardness of their hearts as our Saviour speaks in another Case Math. 19.8 And it was also a great fault in an Israelite if he married a Wife of another Nation and Religion For such Marriages were never pleasing to God But if the Servant shall declare that he loves his Master his Wife and his Children and therefore he will not go free Then his Master shall bring him to the Judges (r) V. 6. before the Gods see Psal 82.1 6. that is before the Magistrates and prove it fairly and openly that it was his Servants free and voluntary act to continue with him And then he shall bring him to the door of his House and bore his Ear thorough with an Awl to shew thereby That he was made fast to that House and tied to serve and obey the Master of it all his life unless the Year of Jubilee fell in the mean time and then all Hebrew Servants were absolutely set free together with their Children Lev. 25.40 41. Exod. 21. from 2. to 7. 2. Concerning buying Women-Servants If an Israelite through extream Poverty should sâ—ll his Daughter under age with intention that she should marry him that buys her if He that buys Her shall afterwards dismiss Her without marrying of Her it shall be upon better terms then he may dismiss an ordinary Servant If she please not her Master so that he doth not betroth (s) Si exosa fuit in oculis heri sui ita at non ducat eam The true reading is so that he doth not betroth her to himself Dr. Willer her to himself then shall he suffer another viz. one of her friends to redeem her but he shall not have power to sell her to a Stranger seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her failing her in that which she expected at his hands And if he shall betroth her to his Son he shall deal with her after the manner of Daughters that is he shall give her a Dowry convenient and all other Priviledges of a free-woman But if having betrothed her to himself he do not in dislike cast her off but yet takes to himself another Wife besides Her however he shall not deny Her Food and Raiment and Câ—njugal Conversation (t) Debitum conjugale 1 Cor. 7.3 If he perform none of these three things unto Her viz. Neither to betroth her to himself nor to his Son nor suffer her to be redeemed she shall go out free without paying any thing at all from vers 7. to 12. 3. He that smiteth a man willingly and maliciously so that he dies shall be surely put to death but if he did not lie in wait for him nor had any intention to kill him but God by his secret Providence delivered (u) Quae putant homines casu fieri providentia Dei fiunt Where a man intendeth not to kill and yet killeth God may be said to deliver him into his hand him into his hand so that he shew him unwittingly and unwillingly then the Lord appointed a place whether he should flee viz. while they were in the Desert to the Altar of Burnt-Offering which was in the outward Court of the Tabernacle but when they came into Canaan to the Altar and Cities of Refuge But if a man came presumptuously upon his Neighbour to slay him with guile he shall be taken from the Altar if he flee thither and put to death See 1 Kings 2.25 v. 12 13 14. 4. He that smiteth his Father or Mother and so likewise he that curseth or maliciously revileth his Father or Mother shall be surely put to death (x) See Prov. 30.17 Vers 15 17. 5. He that stealeth a man (y) See Deut. 24.7 and selleth him or if he be found in his hands he shall be surely put to death vers 16. 6. If two men strive together and one smite the other with a Stone or with his Fist yet so as he presently dies not but only keeps his Bed if he rise again and walk abroad with his Staff then he that smote him shall not be put to death but he shall pay for the loss of his time and shall satisfie him for the damage he sustained by being disabled to go about his business and employment so long and shall take care that he be perfectly healed and cured and shall pay for it vers 18 19. 7. If an Israelite shall so strike his Man-Servant or Maid-Servant namely such as were Strangers (z) For Hebrew-Servants there is another Law given Lev. 25.39 of another Nation and bought with his money that either of them die immediately under his hand he shall be left to the wisdom of the Judges to be punished as they shall see cause But if the Servant so stricken continue a day or two alive it is to be presumed (a) Si virgâ castigavit praesumitur non eo animo percussisse ut occideret at si telo aut gladio percussisset habitus erit homicida Rivet his Masters intention was not to kill him seeing he was purchased with his money and no man would willingly be the occasion of his own loss And if he die afterwards the loss of the Servant shall be deemed sufficient punishment His Master shall not be further punished seeing he had power to Chastise him being bought with his money and make him obey him by force vers 20 21. 8. If a Woman with child come in to help her Husband or Friend when another is fighting with Him or to part them and do casually receive some hurt and by that means miscarries yet so as neither the Woman nor the Child dies or is maimed in this case the party that was the cause of the Womans miscarrying shall pay or suffer what the Womans Husband shall lay upon him provided it be judged fit by the Judges in whose power it shall be to determine whether his demand be reasonable or no. But if any great mischief have happened either to the Mother or Child thereby then Life shall go for Life Eye for Eye Tooth for Tooth Hand for Hand Foot for Foot Burning for Burning Wound for Wound Stripe for Stripe So that this Law directs Magistrates in the ordering of publick Punishments to proceed according to the Law of Retaliation * Lex Talionis permissa est duro populo sed charitas fidelium mitigatrix est hujus legis Lippoman and to punish those who had voluntarily done any hurt to their Neighbours according to the
He was to wave them before the Lord and so they became his portion with the wave-breast and heave-shoulder the rest of the flesh and bread was to be eaten by the Owners that presented them These are the Offerings which a Nazarite who is to be discharged of his Vow is to offer besides what of his own free will he shall vow to give out of the estate which he hath gotten and wherewith God hath blessed him The former Offerings were prescribed by God and so necessarily to be offered both by Poor and Rich but if the Nazarite being rich vowed any more Offerings He must perform his vow accordingly These things being performed the Nazarite was discharged of his vow and had liberty to drink Wine again if he thought good Numb 6. from 1. to 2â— SECT XLIX THe Lord now prescribes to Aaron and his Sons how they should solemnly bless the people viz. lifting up their hands (x) See Levit. 9.22 they should say unto them The Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you The Lord lift up his Countenance upon you and give you peace Thus they were to put Gods Name upon the people that is to bless them in his Name and the Lord promises thereupon to bless them Numb 6. from 22. to the end SECT L. God now Commands two (y) At first there were but two Trumpets appointed viz. for Aaron's two Sons But the number of Priests increasing in Solomons time there were an 120 Priests sounding with Trumpets 2 Chron. 5.12 These Trumpets were signs of the ministry of the Word and the Office of Teaching discharged by men called and fitted silver Trumpets to be made for Aaron's two Sons Eleazar and Ithamar (z) The Priests are appointed to be Trumpeters that the people might entertain the sound thereof as given by the direction of God and accordingly conform themselves thereunto see Numb 31.6 2 Chron. 13.12 The use of these Trumpets was 1. To assemble the Congregation before the Lord in his Sanctuary 2ly To give warning and direction for their marching towards the Land of Canaan 3ly To encourage the people when they went forth to War 4ly To excite their joy and rejoycing at their solemn Festivals They were to blow with both Trumpets when all the people were to assemble at the door of the Tabernacle and to blow but with one Trumpet when only the Princes and Heads of the people were to come together unto Moses And when the Camps were to remove they were to blow an Alarm or Taratantara (a) V. 7. Clangetis non Tarantarizabitis Hic distinguit inter Clangere Taratantizare Freidlib and so the Camps that lay Eastward or Southward Northward or Westward were to move according to the several soundings of the Trumpet But when the Congregation was to be gathered together they were not to sound in that manner And only the Priests were to blow with Trumpets as long as the Priesthood and this Dispensation was to last And wheh the people were to go out to War the Priests were to sound an Alarm which was to be a sign to them that the Lord remembred their danger and would help them against their Enemies They were also to blow with these Trumpets on their solemn Festivals (b) V. 10. In their solemn days wherein honest chearfulness was not only allowed but injoyned Deut. 16.14 and days of rejoycing and on their new Moons over their Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings and this was to be to them for a Memorial before the Lord that is as a sign and token that if they performed this Service in faith of Gods mercy and with joyful and glad hearts the Lord would remember them and would hear their prayers and accept their Sacrifices Numb 10. from 1. to 11. SECT LI. ABout this time Jethro Prince of Midian a Country lying south from hence towards the Red-Sea Father-in-law to Moses repaired hither to give his Son-in-law a visit and brought with him Zipporah his Daughter Mose's wife and his two Sons Gershom and Eliezer which were left with him when Moses went into Egypt See Sect. 60. of Chap. 3. Moses hearing of his coming went out to meet him and did Obeysance to him and kissed him and bringing him into his Tent He acquainted him with all the wonderful things the Lord had done for them Jethro blesses God and Congratulates to Moses and the whole people of Israel their Deliverance out of the Egyptian Bondage he openly declares both by word and deed his Faith and Devotion towards the God of Israel Now says he I am assur'd the God of Israel is greater then all Gods for in the thing wherein the Egyptians were proud and haughty he was above them And Jethro after the manner of the Patriarchs (c) Forsan obtulit non immediate sed per sacerdotes Sic David sacrificasse fertur 2 Sam. 24.25 Solomon 1 Reg. 8.63 nempe mediantibus sacerdotibus offered Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices of Thanksgiving * Ex quibus maxima pars cedebat offerentibus unto God and Aaron and the Elders of Israel came to pay their Respects to him and to Feast with him upon those Sacrifices before the Lord (d) See Deut. 12.6 7. 1 Chron. 29.21 that is in the fear of the Lord and having the Lord in their eyes and being sensible of the Majesty of God appearing in the Cloudy Pillar On the morrow after Moses sat to judge the people and the people stood by him from Morning to Evening Jethro observing this and how the people came to Moses to inquire of the Lord for them both concerning religious and civil Affairs he fairly Chides him for his wearing out himself with continual imployment and the people with continual attendance and therefore advises him to take a better Course which he doubted not but by the blessing of God would be much for his own and the peoples ease Be thou says he for the people God-ward that is in matters of greater difficulty and importance where there is need of one to inquire of God there do thou still imploy thy self in seeking to the Lord for them and in returning answers from the Lord to them and shew them the way wherein they should walk and the work that they should do But as to other matters of lesser moment and easily to be decided chuse out from among the people able men men fearing God and men of truth and fidelity and hating Covetousness and make some of them Rulers over Thousands others over Hundreds others over Fifties and others over Tens and let them Judge the people at all seasons in matters of less difficulty but matters of greater moment let them bring to thee And so these Rulers will bear some part of the burden with thee and all will not lie on thy shoulders as now it does and the people hereby will have their matters sooner determined and dispatched without so
epulis Deut. 12.12 17. praecipue 14. 22. 3. Decima de decimâ quae â—at sacerdotum 4. Decima trieterica tertio quovis anno from him which were to be the means of his livelihood all the time they should live upon the Land He shews they might kill and eat for their own refreshing whatsoever they desired at home and when they had a purpose to offer Peace-Offerings and by way of thankfulness to God for some eminent mercy to rejoyce together if the holy place were too far from them they might feast together upon their Cattel which they might kill for food only then they must be sure not to eat them as holy things but even as they would eat the Roe-Buck or Hart. Only says he as I said before be sure you eat not the blood for the blood is the vehicle of the animal life and therefore you may not eat it with the flesh And you must observe this Precept that it may go well with you and your Children (g) A man cannot better bless his Children than by his own Obedience to his heavenly Father after you continually As for their Burnt-Offerings He shews them they must offer the flesh and blood together upon the Altar and the blood of their other pacifick Sacrifices and Peace-Offerings must be poured out upon the Altar and then they might eat of the flesh of * For only the fl sh of these Sacrifices was to be eaten by the Owners Levit. 15. them Further he shews them That when the Lord their God shall have destroyed the Nations before them whose Land they go to possess then they must especially take heed that they be not insnared by following their Idolatry Therefore says He I advise you not to inquire after their gods or how they worshipped them thinking to serve the true God as they served their Idols For they use to perform such Rites and Services to their Idols which are most abominable to the Lord particularly they burn their Sons and Daughters * Of this abomination practis'd by the Heathâ—n and imitated by the backsliding Jews see Jer. 7.31 19.5 in the fire to their gods Take heed therefore of following them in these or any other of their abominations do what I command you from the Lord neither add it to it nor diminish from it 18. He comes now to expound and dilate upon the Third Commandment The Third Commandment by prohibiting Chap. XIII the abuse of the Lords Name which was profaned by false Prophets Revolters and Inticers to Idolatry Having given the people warning to take heed of being seduced to Idolatry by Strangers of other Nations here he gives them the like warning to take heed of being seduced by any that should arise among their own Brethren If there shall arise saith he among you any that shall pretend himself to be a Prophet and shall say that God hath appeared to him a Vision or a Dream and he giveth you a sign or wonder (h) Such as the cleaving Jeroboam's Altar which the Prophet told them of before hand 1 Kings 13.3 as a sure sign that God had sent him that is laboureth to confirm what he saith he had by Vision or Dream by foretelling some wonderful and supernatural thing that shall come to pass though this sign and wonder come to pass yet if withall he shall perswade you to worship false gods or to worship the true God in a false manner you shall not because of his signs and wonders regard what he saith if his Doctrine be not according to the truth which God hath taught you For the Lord may by the Spirit of Prophesie reveal things to come to wicked men and false Prophets as he did to Balaam and Caiaphas He knowing how thereby to bring Glory to Himself though they intend only to corrupt and seduce thereby For the Lord may suffer the Devil and false Prophets thus to abuse men to try and make known whether they love the Lord their God with all their Hearts and Souls and will cleave to him For those whose hearts are upright towards God will not be drawn away from the true Doctrine he hath taught them by such delusions see Gal. 1.8 Therefore he injoyns them to put to death every Dreamer or false Prophet that shall endeavour to seduce them from the true Worship and Service of God unto Idolatry and in so doing they shall not only justly punish evil doers but prevent the hurt which they would do among the people And He tells them That not only the false Prophet but all others whatsoever were to be put to death that should seduce them though secretly to Idolatry and they were not to spare those that were dearest to them in this case If thy Brother says he or thy Son or Daughter or the Wife of thy bosome or thy Friend which is as thine own Soul entice thee secretly saying Let us go and serve other gods of what Nation soever thou shalt not consent and hearken unto him neither shall thine eye pity him neither shalt thou spare or conceal him thou shalt certainly procure his death by declaring the thing to the Magistrate and informing and bearing Testimony against him and procuring justice to be executed upon him according to this Law and as his just Accuser thou shalt throw the first stone at him see Deut. 17.7 and then the rest of the people shall stone him And all Israel shall hear and fear and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you Further that he may manifest Gods extream hatred and detestation of Idolatry he tells them That if in any of their Cities they shall hear of the revolt of any other of their Cities through the instigation of some wicked men Sons of Belial that went out from among them separating themselves from Gods people in point of Religion they must first inquire diligently concerning the truth of the thing and if they find it certain that such abomination is wrought among them then they shall smite the Inhabitants of that City with the edge of the Sword destroying it utterly and all that is therein and the Cattel thereof and they shall gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof and shall burn with fire the City and all the spoil thereof every whit for the honour of God and in Obedience unto his Command thereby offering it up as a Sacrifice to Him and that City shall be a ruinous heap for ever and shall not be built again They must not take to themselves or their own use any part of the accursed goods of the City see Josh 6.17 that so the Lord may turn from the firceness of his anger which oftentimes is kindled not only against the Sinners themselves but all Israel for their sakes see Joshua 7.1 11 12. Chap. XIV 19. He comes now to give them some Precepts concerning their Conversation among themselves which he shews should be holy
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.
pleased But this He speaks as taking it for granted that his Daughter would be guided by him that he that took it should have his Daughter Achsah to wife Hereupon Othniel the Son of Kenaz younger Brother to Caleb took it It was surely by some special instinct and direction of Gods Spirit that Caleb gave unto Othniel this occasion of innobling his Valour and Vertue in the sight of the people He intending afterwards to raise him up after Caleb's death to be their Judge and Deliverer see Judges 3.9 Othniel thus obtaining Achsah for his wife Caleb gave with her a good Dowry of Land 'T is true Caleb had Sons see 1 Chron. 4.13 and they might not give away any part of their Inheritance from their Sons to their Daughters see Numb 27.8 9. therefore the Land which Caleb now gave his Daughter was given her only as a Dowry for term of life or till the year of Jubilee But it seems she was not content with the portion her Father now gave her and therefore moved her Husband as they were riding away from her Father's house to make suit to her Father for another Field to be added to what he had already given her But when she perceived that he was loth to do it or perswaded her rather to do it her self she went back and alighting off from her Asse addressed her self to make that Request to her Father who ask'd her What she would have She answered Give me I pray thee a Blessing that is another Gift or Boon with thy fatherly blessing upon it Gen. 33.11 Thou hast given me a Southland give me also I pray thee Springs of Water intimating that the portion he had given her was dry and not well watered the Southern-parts of Judah's portion being dry and barren or at least the Southern parts of Caleb's portion were such And therefore she desires him to give her Springs of Water that is some portion of Land that was well watered Hereupon out of his great love to her He gave her some Springs or watered Grounds on each side of the Land he had before given her both above it and below it But though Caleb thus cleared his particular portion yet the Children of Judah though they took some part * The Northern and greatest part of the City of Jerusalem was in Benjamin's lot but the Southern wherein was the Fort Sion was in Judah's lot of the City of Jerusalem and burnt it Judg. 1.8 yet the Fort of Sion which was the chief strength of the City was not then taken by them but the Jebusites forced the Israelites to let them there dwell with them for a long time after and there they were when this story was written (r) Whereby it appears that this story was not written by Ezra seeing he lived many years after David and were not cast out till David's time 2 Sam. 5.6 7. Had the Children of Judah done their endeavour and not been wanting to themselves they might have cast them out sooner but failing in their duty and growing slothful and faint-hearted by these and their other sins they provoked God to withdraw his gracious assistance from them and so then indeed they could not drive them out according to that Judg. 2.20 21. because this people has transgressed my Covenant therefore I will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the Nations which Joshua left when he died And it was not only thus with the Children of Judah but the Ephraimites also did not drive out the Canaanites out of Gezer a City in their Tribe Josh 16.10 but suffered them to live there only paying them some Tribute expresly against God's Command Deut. 7.2 and there they continued till Solomons time when Pharaoh King of Egypt expelled them out and gave the City for a Present to his Daughter Solomon's wife 1 Kings 9.16 And thus it was also with the Manassites Ch. 17.12 13. who could not for the same Reasons drive out the Canaanites out of their lot but they would dwell with them yet they afterwards made them Tributary and with that they contented themselves through Sloth Cowardize and Covetousness as their Brethren the Ephraimites had done Josh Ch. 14. from 6. to the end Josh Ch. 10. vers 21 22. Josh Ch. 15. from vers 13. to 20. Josh Ch. 1. from vers 9. to 16. SECT CXI THe Israelites having drawn these three lots before-mentioned which fell upon Judah Ephraim and half the Tribe of Manasseh they drew no more at this time It seems the other seven Tribes that were yet to have their lots perceiving what a large circuit of Land was given to Judah they began to apprehend that there would not be left an equal share for them and therefore pretending there could not be any equal division made till the remote parts of the Land which were yet in the Enemies possession were better known to them they desired some stay of the Work till they had further prevailed and might know the Land they were to divide better then yet they could do SECT CXII THis Year being the seventh from the first wherein they began to till the Ground in Canaan was the first Sabbatical year which was kept among them they being by Joshua who was a Type of Christ now brought into this place of Rest which was a Type and Figure of that eternal Sabbath and Rest which the true Jesus was to bring the people of God into Heb. 4.9 And from hence also the Year of Jubilee which happened every fiftieth year is to be reckoned see Levit. 25. from 8. to 14. SECT CXIII UPon the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Israelites kept the Feast of Tabernacles in Booths made of boughs of Trees according to the Law Levit. 23.39 40. and much more solemnly than was afterwards used in the times of the Judges or Kings see Neh. 8.17 SECT CXIV HItherto both Camp and Tabernacle had remained at Gilgal Now by God's appointment they remove to Shiloth a City in the South of Ephraim's lot This was the Place that God chose to place his Name there Deut. 12.5 and from 8. to 12. Jer. 7.12 that is his Tabernacle where he would be worshipped and have his Name solemnly called upon And therefore marching to Shiloh there they fixed the Tabernacle of the Congregation after the Land thereabout was wholly subdued to them and the Canaanites that dwelt further off were so stricken with terrour from the Lord that they durst not molest them At Shiloth the Tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant continued 328 years till the death of Eli 1 Sam. 1.3 9 24. Joshua Ch. 18. vers 1. SECT CXV THere remained now among the Israelites seven Tribes which had not yet received their Inheritance and as it seems being weary of the War which had lasted long and being full of Spoil and wanting nothing they did not press to have their Inheritances allotted to them which negligence Joshua reproves them for shewing them there was no
Thummim whither they should go up any more against the Benjamites The Lord bids them go up for to morrow he would deliver the Benjamites into their hands The Israelites having this Promise from God undoubtedly were much encouraged thereby however they resolved not to neglect any good means to obtain the Victory but by Policy and Military Stratagems to get all advantage they could of their Enemies Accordingly they divided their Army into three parts the one was laid in Ambush in the Medows of Gibeah vers 33. the second was sent against Gibeah with Orders that they should presently fly before the Benjamites that so they might draw them far off from the City vers 30 31. and the third which was the main body was to stay at Baal-tamar and to renew the battel when the Benjamites came thither in pursuit of the Israelites that fled before them Things being thus ordered that part of the Army that was to make the first On-set upon the Benjamites and then presently to fly and give back * See a like Stratagem in the taking of Ai Josh 8. marched up against the City and accordingly flying when the Benjamites came out against them the Benjamites eagerly pursued them and killed about thirty men and thought they should have cut them down as they did before But being drawn a good way off from the City the Ambush arose being ten thousand men and suddenly took the City and set it on fire which when they had done they put themselves between the City and the Army of the Benjamites to hinder their retreat The Benjamites that pursued the Israelites little thought of this or that evil was so near them For on a suddain the flying Israelites turned head and with the main body of the Army that stayed at Baal-tamar renewed the battel with great Courage and Violence The Benjamites looking back saw the smoke of the City ascending at which being much terrified they fled before the Israelites who destroyed eighteen thousand †V. 15. The Children of Benjamin were twenty six thousand and seven hundred Of these the Israelites slew when they prevailed against them twenty five thousand and one hundred v. 35. six hundred of them only saved themselves in Rimmon It seems therefore that the other thousand was slain in the two first battels wherein the Benjamitâ—s overcame the Israelites for 't is not like they could conquer them in two battels without some loss of them in the chase those that came out of the Cities to assist the Israelites hemming them in on every side vers 42. and vers 44. and five thousand more of them they killed in the High-ways as they found them in the pursuit scattered here and there vers 45. and two thousand more they slew at Gidom vers 45. and the odd hundred * Vers 46. Here the greater or round number is only expressed and not the odd 100. which is not expressed in particulars was slain as it seems some in one place and some in another so that of the Benjamites there fell that day twenty five thousand and one hundred six hundred of them only escaping who fled to Rimmon a City built on a Rock betwixt Gibeah and Bethel and abode there four months The Israelites not satisfied with the slaughter of the men of Gibeah and the Benjamites that came to fight in their Defence they fell upon all other Cities in that Tribe because they had sent Aids and had assisted their Brethren in this War and in their Rage slew Man Woman and Child and even the very Beasts and setting fire on their Cities spared no living thing that came in their way being transported with Fury that the Benjamites had undertaken the Defence of so horrible a Villany and that they had slain no less then forty thousand of the Israelites in this War Thus when the Lord had made use of Benjamin to execute his Justice upon Israel for not punishing Idolatry and for their other sins He then uses Israel to punish Benjamin for not delivering the men of Gibeah up to justice Judg. 20. whole Chapter SECT CXXXII THe Israelites having thus destroyed all the Men Women and Children of Benjamin excepting only those six hundred that fled to Rimmon they now began to consider into what a strait they had brought themselves For having slain all the Women of Benjamin and having made a Vow that none of them should give their Daughters in marriage to the Men of that Tribe either those six hundred men must take themselves Wives from the Heathens which was unlawful and the holy Seed would be thereby polluted or else a Tribe must perish from Israel and so their Body Politick which God had formed would be dismembred or themselves must break an Oath which they had solemnly taken in the presence of God Being exceedingly perplexed about this matter they thereupon went with their whole Army to the House of God in Shiloh there to bewail their Case and to inquire of the Lord what they should do in these Difficulties They rose therefore early the next morning and built there an Altar and offered thereon Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings because the Altar in the Tabernacle was not sufficient for the Offering up such a vast multitude of Sacrifices as were now brought in by the people after they had prevailed against the Benjamites see a like thing done 1 Kings 8.64 and the rearing Altars upon such extraordinary Occasions was not unlawful see Exod. 20.24 Then they began to consider what City or Town in all their Tribes had sent none to help them against the Benjamites For there had been a solemn Oath sworn by them all at Mizpeh before they engag'd in this War and it was taken with a severe Execration against any that should break it that whatsoever City or Town did not come in to help and assist them in this Quarrel should be destroyed Upon inquiry they found that Jabesh-Gilead on the other side Jordan had sent none to their assistance Hereupon they sent twelve thousand valiant men to destroy that City giving them order that they should destroy all the Men and all the Women thereof that had known man but the Virgins that were marriageable they should spare not doubting but of those there would be enough found to make Wives for the six hundred Benjamites But it seems there were were only four hundred such found in that City So that there being not Wives enough for them the Israelites much blamed themselves that they had in their rage destroyed all the Benjamitish-Women see vers 22. These four hundred Virgins being brought to Shiloh the Israelites sent a kind Message to the Benjamites at Rimmon to come to them who accordingly coming they gave to four hundred of them these four hundred Virgins to make them Wives wherein they conceived that they broke not their Oath because they were not their own Daughters But these being not enough for the remaining Benjamites the Israelites much repented their
dealing with Benjamin both that they had in the heat of War slain their Brethren with so great a slaughter and more especially because they had killed the Women and knew not how in regard of their Oath to furnish those that remain'd of them with Wives This made them bewail that the Lord for their sins had made such a Breach among them They fell therefore into consideration what they should do for these two hundred Benjamites that yet wanted Wives They said Those that were escap'd of Benjamin must keep the whole Inheritance that was allotted to them no part of it might be given to any other Tribe and their portion being so large and they that were to inherit it so few in number they ought to be provided of Wives that the Tribe might continue in being and that they might people their Inheritance the sooner They pitch therefore at last upon this way to supply the two hundred remaining Benjamites with Wives It seems it was a Custom at the Feast of Tabernacles for the young Virgins of Shiloh to dance among themselves at a place nigh the Town They advise that these two hundred Benjamites should come at that time and hide themselves in the Vineyards thereabouts and so when the Daughters of Shiloh came forth to dance then they should suddainly rise up and catch every man one of them and so carry them away 'T is strange they should satisfie their Consciences with such a shift as this For what difference was there between giving their own Daughters to the Benjamites and appointing them with their consent to go and take them themselves by force 'T is strange they could satisfie their Consciences to permit the Benjamites in a way of Rape without the particular consent either of Parties or Parents thus to provide themselves Wives But it was a rash and unlawful Oath they had taken and therefore could not bind them to that which was evil How much better had it been to have acknowledged their sin in making this rash Oath and to have repented of it and so to have taken the liberty which God gave them to free themselves from it But men are naturally more inclined to stop the mouth of Conscience with some device of their own than to see their own folly or judge themselves for their former Errour However one thing is remarkable in the Israelites that they permitted not these Benjamites to take any more than every one one Virgin to wife Which shews that though Polygamy was practised by some among them yet it was not publickly approved in those times And yet there was more than ordinary cause to have allowed it now to these Benjamites to increase and multiply their Tribe reduced to so small a number and to replenish their Inheritances which were otherwise like to lie wast and destitute of Inhabitants Things being thus contriv'd the Elders of Israel acquaint the Benjamites with this their Project and to encourage them in it they tell them That if the Parents or Brethren of any of the young Virgins whom they should seize came to them to complain thereof they would say to them Be favourable to these Benjamites for our sakes that you may free us from that Guilt which otherwise will lie upon us For we have brought this necessity upon them by destroying their women and not reserving a sufficient number for them and besides 't is no breach of your Oath to permit it so to be For you did not give your Daughters to these Benjamites but they themselves took them by force The Benjamites readily agreed hereunto and accordingly took them Wives answerable to their number of the Virgins that danced at Shiloh and so returned unto their Inheritance and repaired their Cities and dwelt in them Indeed these seem to be strange kind of Matches For what ground could the men have to believe that they should love their Wives it not being permitted them to chuse the fittest whom they liked but being necessitated to catch the first they could lay their hands on Or what ground could they have to believe that they should be beloved by their Wives whom they took by storm and force and not by a fair Treaty And the case was much the same on the Womens part But what ever conditioned Husbands these new Brides met with yet they had one thing to comfort them viz. they were all married to rich and great landed-men seeing the fair large and fruitful Inheritance of the Tribe of Benjamin was to be shar'd among six hundred of them as the sole Survivors and absolute Heirs of the whole Country Ch. 21. whole Chapter SECT CXXXIII BY these preceding Disorders we may see how corrupt this new Generation was For they turned quickly out of the way their Fathers had walked in and forsook the Lord and served Baal and Ashtaroth (f) Baalim was the common name of the Heathenish gods and Ashtaroth of their Goddesses see 1 King 11.5 They ceased not from their own doings nor from their stubborn way They went a whoring after other gods basely and unlawfully joyning themselves to Idols though they had formerly entred into Covenant with God and therefore should have kept themselves wholly to Him as a chast Wife to her own Husband And the anger of the Lord was hot against them and he delivered them into the hands of Spoilers that spoiled them of their goods and he sold them into the hands of their Enemies round about see Psal 44.12 And his Hand was sore against them as he had threatned it should be upon such Provocations Levit. 26. Deut. 28. and they were greatly distressed In these their Distresses they cried unto Him and humbled themselves before Him and upon their altering their course and returning unto Him by Repentance He also altered his course of proceeding against them and shewed them Mercy And this was the course they usually held with God and God with them throughout this whole Book In the time of their Distresses God sometimes raised them up Judges to avenge them of their Enemies and to Govern them according to his Laws endowing them with the Gifts of his Spirit and fitting them for those great Imployments And though for a time they hearkened to their Judges yet they soon returned to their former evil ways and relapsed to Idolatry God being highly provoked by their breach of Covenant with Him would not drive out the Nations out of the Land which Joshua left when he died but suffered them to continue there to prove Israel by them that is to try whither they would be drawn away by their Idolatries or no and suffering these Canaanites greatly to Vex and Oppress them He thereby proved them whether by these Afflictions they would be brought to repent and turn unto Him And further He left these Nations in the Land that the present Generation might be made careful to train up their Children in War and Martial Discipline that so they might be the better able in
Canis enim si fuerit obvia nec immolari poterat imo nec redimi quidem of being sacrificed according to the Law he would offer it up for a Burnt-Offering unto Him Howsoever if it were a thing fit it should be hallowed and consecrated unto Him Jephtah having made this Vow and now engaging with the Children of Ammon the Lord was pleased to deliver them into his hands and he smote them with a very great slaughter and had the chase of them a long way and so the Children of Ammon were subdued that day before the Children of Israel Jephtah now after this great Victory returning to his own house at Mizpeh his Daughter his only Child accompanied with other young Virgins came out to meet him with Timbrels and Dances and chearful Tripudiations according to the Custom of those days wherein Women and Maids after great Victories us'd to sing Songs of Triumph see Exod. 15.20 Judges 5.1 1 Sam. 18.6 When Jephtah saw Her he rent his Clothes expressing thereby the bitterness of his Grief and cried out alas My Daughter thou hast brought me very low and thou art one of them that trouble me Thou art now unwittingly a cause of much sorrow and affliction to me For I have made a Vow to God concerning whatsoever should first come forth to meet me and I cannot reverse it (e) This he speaks not knowing it seems that the Law of God gave him liberty in this case to have redeemed his Daughter with thirty Shekals of silver Levit. 27.4 'T is probable he then told her more particularly the substance of his Vow She tells him That if he had made such a Vow and by that Vow she must be consecrated to God and live a Virgin all her days She freely submitted to it and should do it the more willingly because God had given him so great a Victory over their Enemies And this seems to be the meaning of this passage For we cannot rationally think that Jephtah commended for his Faith Heb. 11.32 should offer his Daughter for a Burnt-Offering seeing that would have been much more odious to the Lord than to have offered to Him Swines blood or a Dogs-head Isa 65.4 and was expresly forbidden by Him as most abominable Deut. 12.31 Jephtah's Daughter therefore being devoted to serve God in a state of Virginity she desires she might have two months time to go up and down in the Mountains with some young Virgins her Companions that in those unfrequented and solitary places she might express her grief and lamentation that she must live and die a Virgin * She speaks not of bewailing her approaching death or being sacrific'd but her Virginity and consequently Barrenness leaving no Posterity behind her which was in those days esteemed one of the greatest of earthly Infelicities When the two months of her Lamentation were ended she returned to her Father who did not redeem her according to the Law Levit. 27.4 but consecrated her to God to serve him as a Virgin in the single life And so she lived a Virgin as her Father had vowed and she consented And the Daughters of Israel went four days in a year to Her partly to Condole with her and partly to Comfort and Chear her up in this her solitary Condition Judg. Ch. 10. from 10. to the end Judg. Ch. 11. whole Chapter SECT CXLV AFter this great Victory obtained by Jephtah the men of Ephraim having passed over Jordan turned Northward into the Land of Gilead and envying Jephtah and the Gileadites the glory of this Victory they began to quarrel with Him that he had not call'd them to assist * Upon the same account they quarrelled with Gideon Ch. 8. him when he went to fight against the Children of Ammon And they were so hot that they threatned to burn his house over his head and they gave the Gileadites opprobrious Language calling them Fugitives of Ephraim as if that half-Tribe of Manasseh beyond Jordan had been no better than Fugities that were run away from them and the meer Refuge and Scum of Ephraim and Manasseh within Jordan And it seems these proud Ephraimites told them That they viz. the men of Gilead were no way to be compar'd with them and therefore ought not to have undertaken a business of such Importance as this War was without first acquainting them with it and desiring their assistance Jephtah tells them He and his people were at great strife with the Children of Ammon about the Land that the Israelites possessed on that side Jordan And he had sent to the men of Ephraim as being their Brethren and Confederates to desire their Aid and Assistance but they had not thought fit to grant it to them Hereupon he gathered together what Forces he could and trusting in God He put his life in his hand and resolved to expose it to the utmost danger in so good a Cause and so went out to fight against the Ammonites and the Lord delivered them into his hands And this being the true state of this business I pray you says he what cause have you to come out in this War-like manner against us who are your Brethren But though Jephtah had reason on his side yet it did nothing move as it seems these haughty Ephraimites Hereupon He immediately gathered together all the men of Gilead that could on so short warning be got together and fell suddenly upon them and gave them a great overthrow and then the Gileadites to prevent those that escaped in the Fight from getting into their own Country took the Fords of Jordan before them and when any straglers came to those Fords to get over the Gileadites to try whither they were Ephraimites or of other Tribes as 't is like they pretended to be made them pronounce Shibboleth The Ephraimites could not pronounce the aspirate but said Sibboleth which was a pronunciation it seems they were accustomed and habituated unto Thereupon they slew them and many of them were here slain So that there were slain in the battel and chase and at these Fords of Jordan forty two thousand of the Ephraimites Jephtah having judged Israel six years died and was buried in one of the Cities of Gilead Judg. Ch. 12. from 1. to 8. SECT CXLVI AFter Jephtah Ibzan of Bethlem judged Israel Ibzan the Ninth Judge He had thirty Sons and thirty Daughters by divers Wives His Daughters he sent out of his own Family bestowing them upon Husbands in other Families and he took in thirty Daughters for his Sons to be Wives to them He judged Israel seven years About the fifth year of his Government the Israelites did evil again in the sight of the Lord and he gave them into the hands of the Philistines which Thraldom lasted forty years The sixth Oppression under the Philistines Judg. 13.1 And indeed Jephtah's slaying forty two thousand of the Ephraimites Ch. 12.6 must needs be a great weakning to the Israelites in those parts and possibly
present in the possession of the Philistines and there sees a Daughter of the Philistines whom he likes and acquainting his Father and Mother therewith he desires them to procure her for him to wife They were much troubled that he should have thoughts to marry with a Daughter of the uncircumcised Philistines and therefore sought to divert him from it but it seems Samson had an especial warrant from God either by revelation or some extraordinary motion of his Spirit for what he did For hereby he sought an occasion against the Philistines though his Parents understood not that it was of the Lord who hereby intended to give Samson an opportunity to perform what he called him unto Samsons Parents being now perswaded by him or at least yielding to his desires went down with him to Timnah in pursuance of this business When they came to the Vineyards belonging to that City Samson going aside upon some occasion a young Lion came roaring out against him and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him and he rent him with his naked hands as if he had been a tender Kid. Thus God by this victory over the Lion encouraged him against those Encounters with the Philistines which he was afterwards to be engaged in But he told not his Father and Mother what he had done Samson and his Parents being come to Timnah they began to treat with the young Maid and her Parents about this match It seems they soon agreed on it and the time was set when the young persons should be married Accordingly at the time appointed Samson went down with his Father and Mother to solemnize the Marriage And coming near the place where he had before kill'd the Lion he stept aside to see what was become of the carcass and behold there was a swarm of Bees and honey in the carcass that is in the bones * of it as they lay fastened still together In corpore osseo the flesh probably being eaten or dried away And he took of the honey and came eating of it and brought some of it to his Father and Mother who did also eat of it but he told them not whence he had it Samson being now come to marry this young woman he made a Wedding-Feast that lasted seven days as young men or their Parents for them used to do in those times on such occasions See Gen. 29.22 When the Brides friends and kindred saw that Samson was come to take his wife they provided thirty young men (d) Some think that the Philistines brought these 30 companions to be with Samson under pretence of respect and the custom used at Marriage-solemnities but indeed to be a Guard upon him according to custom to be his Companions and Bridemen called the children of the Bride-chamber or friends of the Bridegroom Mark 2.19 Mat. 9.15 to attend upon him and to rejoice with him It seems it was the custom of those times at Wedding-Feasts especially for the exercise of their wits †See 1 King 10.1 Queen of Sheba come to prove Solomon with hard Questions and to get the mastery to try one another in resolving of dark and intricate questions and riddles Samson accordingly on the first day of his Wedding-Feast propounds to his companions a riddle agreeing with them that if they could within the seven days of the Feast find out the meaning of it he would give them thirty shirts and thirty changes of garments that is upper Vestments which they often changed putting them on and off according to their occasions But if they could not within that time declare it they should give him as many This being agreed on on both sides he propounded his riddle to them which was this Out of the eater came forth meat * The more unexspectedly good comes to us out of evil the more thankful to God should we be for it and out of the strong came forth sweetness They tried their wits in vain for the three first days of the Feast and could not find it out On the fourth day they began to deal under-hand with his wife earnestly pressing her to get out of him the meaning of it but when the seventh day was come despairing to find it out themselves they came again to his wife and threatned to burn her and her fathers house if she did not with her importunity wring it out of him This they spake to terrifie her that she might be the more importunate with her husband What say they hast thou thy father and friends under shew of love and friendship to us invited us to your Feast that you may make a prey of us and take what we have If we cannot find out the meaning of this riddle we shall pay dear for our coming hither These men were to lose every one of them but only one Shirt and one upper garment if they could not solve the riddle but if Samson lost he alone was to pay thirty of them And yet they pretend they should be undone if they failed of solving the Riddle Samsons wife with all blandishments and importunity sought to get it out of him and added tears to her importunity nay plainly told him 't was a sign he did not love her in concealing so pertinaciously from her such a small thing He told her he had not acquainted his own Parents with it whom he ought most to reverence and of whose piety and care of him and faithfulness to him he had had so long experience and therefore she need not wonder if he concealed it from her with whom he had been but a little while acquainted and had small knowledg as yet of her fidelity and secresie But though she prest him with great importunity to reveal it to her all the days of the Feast from the day that his companions began first to imploy her which was the fourth day yet on the last day she plyed him with such intolerable importunity and with such a flood of tears that he could conceal it no longer from her but told her the meaning of it and she presently told it to the young men So Samsons companions that were chosen out of the City to accompany him at his Wedding-feast came to him on the seventh day before the Sun was set and told him they could expound this riddle What is sweeter say they than honey and what is stronger than a Lion He tells them that if they had not plowed with his heifer and made use of the help of his wife they had never by their own wit found it out So the Spirit of the Lord coming upon him and inciting him to go down to Ashkalon he there slew thirty men of the Philistines and gave their shirts and upper garments to those that had expounded the riddle What Samson did in this matter he did undoubtedly by the special motion of the Spirit of God and therefore he made no scruple though a Nazarite to take the garments off the dead bodies of
resolution concerning his Son what say they shall Jonathan die who hath wrought this great Salvation in Israel Shall he die that is innocent and hath committed no offence that deserveth death Shall he die that is so brave a Prince and worthy of all honour and reward seeing the Lord by him hath given a great and miraculous deliverance to his people when they were in a forlorn and desperate condition As the Lord liveth there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground for he hath wrought with God that is under God and by his help and assistance a great deliverance for us So the people rescued Jonathan that he was not put to death Thus Saul ceased from pursuing the Philistines any further at present and so the rest of them got back to their own Country However Saul being by this glorious victory better confirm'd and setled in the Royal Throne he took upon him the managing of all the affairs of the Kingdom and especially shewed himself very valiant and active in fighting against all the enemies of it particularly against Moab and the children of Ammon bordering on the East of Canaan against Edom bordering on the South against the Kings of Zobah on the North and against the Philistines on the West and though he did not wholly vanquish and subdue them becaused God had reserved that work and the glory of it for David yet he sore vexed them and much weakened them so that they did not with that courage and success fight against Israel as before they had done And all this came to pass through Gods free mercy to his people giving good success to Saul in his Wars though a wicked man for their sakes And besides the forementioned successes Saul gathered a great host and smote the Amalekites as appeareth in the following Chapter and here is spoken of by way of anticipation that his warlike exploits might be summed up together In the next place Saul's Sons are mentioned that followed their Father in the War and like valiant Souldiers lived and died with him as Jonathan Ishui who is called Abinadab Ch. 31.2 and Melchishua Ishbesheth is not here named though now above twenty years of age see 2 Sam. 2 10. possibly because he followed not his Father in the Wars Neither are his Children by Rizpah here mentioned because she was not his Wife but only his Concubine The Daughters he had by his Wife whose name was Ahinoam were Merab and Michal The Captain of his host was Abner his Cousin-german Son to his Uncle Ner. And when he saw any strong or valiant man he took him into his service 1 Sam. Ch. 14. whole Chapter SECT CLXVI SOmetime after Samuel by Gods appointment sendeth Saul to destroy the Amalekites but before he telleth him what God commanded him to do he putteth him in mind of Gods singular favour towards him and the high honour he had exalted him unto that thereby he might move him to perform what God commanded him with the more diligence and chearfulness And though he had formerly failed in his duty yet now remembring what the Lord had done for him he should be sure strictly to observe his Commands and Injunctions Samuel now tells him that the Lord would send him against Ameleck three several times the Lord declared that he would destroy the Amalekites Exod. 17.14 Numb 24.20 and Deut. 25.19 And now Saul is sent to execute that vengeance upon them which the Lord had so long ago at several times threatned and though the present King and subjects of Amalek had been cruel and bloody adversaries to the people of God as Samuel intimates v. 33. As thy sword hath made many women childless so shall thy mother be childless and so deserved to be destroyed for their own sins yet because the Lord would have the Israelites know that he had not forgot the former injury of their Ancestors towards his people though 't was four hundred years since it was done he resolves now to visit it upon them and he mentions one circumstance that greatly aggravated it viz. that when his poor people had been long under a miserable bondage in Egypt and were newly escaped from it yet even then they came out against them and sought to destroy them Nor need it seem strange that the present Amalekites should be utterly destroyed for that which their Ancestors had done so many years before For though God destroys none everlastingly but for their own sins yet with temporal punishments he doth usually punish the Children for the sins of their Ancestors especially when the Children go on in their Fathers steps as by that which is said of Agag v. 33. it seems those Amalekites did Samuel therefore commands Saul from the Lord to go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they had and not to spare Man Woman or Child no not so much as their very Cattle †V. 7. Jumenta Bruta pereunt quippe possessiones organa fulcra gaudia peccantium For he had anathematiz'd and devoted them all to destruction as he did Jericho Saul hereupon gathers a great Army and numbers them in the Plains of Telaim or Telem a City in the Tribe of Judah Josh 15.24 and finds them to be two hundred thousand footmen besides ten thousand men of Judah (a) The men of Judah are reckoned apart from the men of Israel 1. Because they usually had the priviledg of going first against the enemy in any common danger 2. Because the Messias was to come of his Tribe Saul marching his Army and coming near to the chief City of Amalek he sent to the Kenites the posterity of Jethro who lived in Tents see Judg. 4.17 among these Amalekites to depart and get them out from among them if they loved their lives for Jethro and his family had shewed kindness to the Israelites when they came out of Egypt he himself came out with much joy to meet Moses and to congratulate all the goodness which the Lord had shewed to Israel therefore now Saul gave them warning to remove away that they might not suffer with the Amalekites whom God intended at this time to punish for the wrong their Progenitors had done to his people but he was willing to spare the Kenites for the kindness their Ancestors had shewn to them The Kenites accordingly removed from them soon after Saul in the valley of their chief City fought (b) V. 5. Vajareb pugnavit contendit scil cum eo with the Amalekites and discomfited them and took their King Agag prisoner and pursued them from Havilah to Shur which is over against Egypt and destroyed all that came out with Agag to fight against them with all others they could meet with and destroyed also their Cities and Towns But that many of them did escape this slaughter is manifest from Ch. 27.8 and Ch. 30.1 as we shall see afterwards Saul having taken their King whom he should above all the rest have slain he and
thus to defie the armies of the Living God And possibly he inquired after the reward promised only to let the standers-by perceive that he himself had some thoughts of undertaking the combate but not so much for the sake of the reward as to vindicate the honour of God and his people The people told him the King would enrich that man with great riches that should undertake it and would give him his daughter to wife and make his Fathers house free in Israel that is free from Taxes and other impositions and so innoble his family Eliab David's eldest brother perceiving by the manner of his talking with the people that he had some inclination to undertake this Giant his anger was kindled against him and very sternly he askt him for what purpose he came thither and with whom had he left sheep he was appointed to keep intimating that he was fitter to keep sheep and play on his harp than to be a Souldier and then upbraiding him with arrogance and ambition I know says he thy pride and the naughtiness of thy heart for thou art come hither that thou maist see the battel and try if thou canst by some desperate action get thy self a name David meekly answers What have I done to deserve so sharp a reproof from thee Is there not sufficient cause that I should come when my Father hath sent me and being come have I not cause to be concern'd with other Israelites and to speak as I have done when I hear God thus dishonoured and his own peculiar people thus scorn'd and reproach'd by a blasphemous wretch an uncircumcised Infidel Then David finding such harsh usage from his brother turned from him to others to whom he spake after the same manner he had done before and intimated his willingness to fight with this Giant if no body else would undertake him and 't is like he spake the more freely that so what he said might come to the Kings ears Saul hearing of it sent for him to whom humbly addressing himself he said My Lord let no mans heart fail him because of this hideous monster for I my self though the weakest of many trusting in Gods power and assistance will encounter him if no body else will do it Saul said alas thou art not able to go against him for thou art but a youth and not bred in war and he a man of full age and vast stature and trained up in war from his youth David humbly replies that he had had experience of Gods extraordinary assistance vouchsafed to him for keeping his Fathers sheep there came a Lion and a Bear one at one time and the other at another and seising each of them a Lamb out of the flock he pursued after them and when the Lion turned upon him he took him by the beard or hair of his nether chap and slew him and took the prey from him and so served the Bear also and he doubted not but this blasphemous miscreant who defyed the armies of the Living God should through the Divine assistance be as easily conquered as one of them for that God says he who delivered me out of the paw of the Lion and the paw of the Bear will I trust deliver me also out of the hands of this uncircumcised Philistine Saul hearing him express so great courage and confidence in God and that grounded upon the former experience he had had of his extraordinary assistance he gave him leave to enter the lists with this Giant and wished him good success and prayed that God would be with him in it But he thought fit first to arm David well with armour taken out of his own armoury and so he put on his head an helmet of brass and armed him with a coat of mail and David girded his sword upon his armour and assayed to go with his armour on but he quickly found himself uneasie and therefore said I cannot go * V. 39. Non sum assuâ—factus talia ferre Vatab. with these having not been used to wear such arms they are a burden to me So he put them off and took his staff in his hand and his sling and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook and put them into his shepherds bag and so went out to meet the Philistine When Saul saw him thus going forth he askt Abner whose Son he was for it seems having been distempered with frantick fits he had forgotten him though he had formerly known him and greatly loved him and Abner being General of the Army and so much absent from Court had not it seems taken any notice of him when he was there and therefore told the King he knew not Saul bad him enquire whose Son that stripling was David now armed only with his staff and sling goes out to meet the Philistine who came up towards him with his armour-bearer carrying his great shield before him V. 43. Baculis Enallage numeri est ut Gen. 21.7 when this monstrous Giant saw David come towards him who was but a youth and his countenance rather amiable than terrible not like the countenance of a Souldier he disdained him and said What am I a dog that thou comest out to me with a staff then cursing him by his gods he said let Dagon and the other gods we worship confound thee Come to me and I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the air and beasts of the field David reply'd Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the Armies of Israel whom thou hast defyed This day will the Lord deliver thee into my hand I know it by the inspiration of the Spirit of God and I will smite thee and take off thine head and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air and to the wild beasts of the field that all the earth may know that there is a God who is Almighty and the only true God who watcheth over Israel and all this present assembly both of Israelites and Philistines shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword or spear but he can save without these and is not tyed to such outward means for the battel is the Lords and he governeth it and giveth victory to whom he pleaseth and I know that he will this day give you Philistines into our hands Goliath now prepared himself for the Combat and came and drew night to meet David and David accordingly hasted to meet him and putting his hand into his Bag he took thence a stone and slung it with extraordinary force and smiting the Philistine in his forehead the stone sunk into his head God so guiding and directing it and he fell upon his face to the earth then David ran to him and trampled upon him and having no sword with him he drew out the Philistines sword out of its
my self worthy to be husband to a Kings daughter So far was he from aspiring to this honour though so justly due to him But though David sufficiently approved his valour in fighting the Lords battels and contrary to Saul's expectation escaped many dangers and won much honour yet Saul perfidiously broke his promise with him and at the very time when he should have married his daughter he gave her to Adriel the Son of Barzillai the Ephraimite born at Meholah see Judg. 7.22 David bears this great indignity patiently without expressing any unbeseeming resentment of it But God to whom vengeance belongeth would not suffer the malice and wickedness of Saul exprest herein to go unpunished for all the five Sons (d) They were certainly Adriels Sons by Merab though they were brought up by Michal of which see the note on 2 Sam. 21. that Adriel had by this daughter of Saul were hanged up to satisfie the Gibeonites for the cruelties which Saul had exercised upon them as we may see 2 Sam. 21.8 17 18 19. 4ly David being thus treacherously defeated of Merab Michal Saul's youngest daughter falls in love with him This being made known to Saul he seemed to like it very well hoping by that means to bring his purpose about of destroying David So pleasing to a malicious mind is the very hope of doing mischief to a person whom he hates Saul therefore resolves to give this daughter to David to wife that she might be a snare to him and a means one way or other to run him into danger and he hoped that she being his daughter would be brought to complot and join with him in effecting his ruin but it pleased the Lord to cross his design in this also for he made Michal an instrument of preserving him from the snare which her Father had laid for him Chap. 19.11 12. But to proceed Saul carrying on this treacherous design against David in his mind he tells him that though he failed him before yet now he would make him amends he had but two daughters and one of them he resolv'd he should have and if he became his Son-in-law by marrying either of them he supposed it would be no great wrong to him though he had not the elder David was not very forward to believe Saul in this proposal nor greedy to embrace this motion having been before deceived by him Saul perceiving this set his Courtiers to perswade him as of themselves that the King very much delighted in him and that all his servants loved and highly valued him and therefore why should he not readily accept of this honour that was offered him to be the Kings Son-in-law David answers them Seemeth it to you a light and small thing to be Son-in-law to a King and do you think me worthy of it who am a poor man and not able to give a Dowry (e) In those days and long before it was the custom to give Dowâ—ies to their wives and not as now to receive portions See Gen. 34.12 Exod. 22.16 Deut. 22.29 and the Dowry was at the womans disposing and if her husband died before her served for her maintenance and education of her children if no other portion were left them fit for the Kings daughter and possibly upon that account I was slighted before when I should have had his other daughter The Courtiers relate to Saul what David had said Saul bids them go to him again and tell him that he desired not any Dowry for his daughter but only an hundred foreskins of the Philistines to take thereby some revenge on them they being his and his peoples enemies This was that which Saul hypocritically pretended whereas his great design was to make David fall in the attempt or else to provoke the surviving Philistines to revenge themselves on him if he did effect it And observable it is that he requires their foreskins not their heads the more to enrage them against David for he knew that the circumcising and cutting off the foreskins of the slain Philistines would be looked upon by their surviving brethren as a matter of the greatest scorn and disgrace that could be put upon them However David hearing on what terms he might be the Kings Son-in-law namely if he brought him so many foreskins of the Philistines within such a time and finding the time was not yet expired he accepts the terms and accordingly went out with his men and slew of the Philistines two hundred and brought their foreskins and gave them in full tale to the King and having thus perform'd double to what was required of him and within the time limited Saul had no colour or pretense to deny him his daughter and therefore forthwith gave him Michal to wife However Saul seeing and finding by continual experience that God prospered David in all his ways and blessed him in all his concernments he was the more afraid of him apprehending that he was the man whom God would set up in his stead and upon that account he became his implacable enemy The Princes of the Philistines besides former provocations being now extreamly enraged at the slaughter David had lately made among them when he kill'd two hun-hundred of them and especially at the dishonour he had put upon their Nation by cutting off their foreskins and bringing them to Saul they with their forces invade the land of Israel and David though a new married man and so by the Law Deut. 24.5 exempted from going to war this year yet it seems readily went out and behaved himself more prudently and valiantly in this expedition than any of Saul's Commanders so that his name became very precious and renowned among the Israelites from v. 20 to the end 5ly Saul now seeing that none of his secret designs against David took effect but that he prospered in all his undertakings and so gained more and more reputation among his Courtiers and all the people he now openly gives command to Jonathan and to his servants to kill him Jonathan who truly loved and much delighted in David gives him notice of his Fathers bloody purpose towards him and advises him to look to himself that night following and to hide himself in some Cave or secret place of the field where Saul was wont to walk and take the air and thither he himself would accompany him and would speak to him in his behalf and what he saw to be his temper and inclination towards him he would discover to him Jonathan accordingly waited upon his Father into the field and there spake good of David to him and though he knew he was sometimes troubled with frantick fits and might in a rage do him a mischief for it yet he resolves to hazard that rather than desert his friend in a righteous cause 'T is true whilst David was esteem'd a favourite with Saul all his Courtiers carried it fair towards him Ch. 18.5 and faun'd upon him but now when Saul had openly discovered his ill will to
fair daughter call'd Tamar 2 Sam. Ch. 3.3 and Ch. 13.1 SECT CLXXIX AFter Ishbosheth's two years quiet reign there grew a long war between those that adhered to him and those that adhered to David Joab the Son of Zerviah (b) She was mother also of two other valiant Sons viz. Abishai and Asahel Davids sister bearing up the one side and Abner the other And accordingly Abner led forth an Army from Mahanaim to Gibeon to fight against David where Joab with an Army met him the one pitching on the one side of the pool of Gibeon and the other on the other side The Armies being thus near together Abner sent a Challenge to Joab to wit that a certain number of their young gallants on each side might come forth and skirmish together and by a trial of their valour and skill in Armes shew both Armies some sport and pastime And this no doubt he did in a bravery as hoping by this vaunting flourish of the courage of his men to daunt those that were with Joab but Joab no way discouraged readily accepted the Challenge and sent forth twelve of his men to enter the lists with twelve of Abners These young men running fiercely upon one another and catching every one his Antagonist by the head they thrust their swords into one anothers sides and so fell down dead all together By which sad event of this combate God declar'd how much he abhor'd such vain glorious Challenges The field where they fell was from henceforth call'd Helkath-hazzarim or the field of strong and valiant men The two Armies being enrag'd at the death of their fellows slain in this Combate they presently with great fury fall upon each other and so there was a sore battel and at last Joab and his men won the field and Abner was beaten and his Army put to flight In the pursuit Asahel Joab's brother who was as light of foot as a wild Roe and also a man of his hands and valiant (c) And therefore reckoned among Davids Worthies 1 Chron. 11.26 hotly pursued Abner ambitiously aspiring as it should seem to take the General of the field prisoner Abner looking behind him and seeing him thus hotly pursue him he call'd to him and bad him turn either to the right hand or the left and lay hold on one of the young men that followed him and take his Armour As if he should have said set upon one that is thine equal and content thy self with taking the spoil of his Armour from him and do not provoke an old experienced Souldier to thy great danger and peril I am loth to kill thee if thou dost not too much provoke me to it for thy brothers sake For if I should kill thee how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother and how could I expect any peace or reconciliation with him But Asahel would not turn aside from pursuing him wherefore Abner turned upon him and with the hinder end of his Spear smote him under the fifth rib and he fell down dead immediately Joab's Souldiers who pursued when they came to the place where Asahel lay dead they stood still and ceased their pursuit gazing upon this sad spectacle and lamenting his death Joab also himself and Abishai his brother pursued after Abner and the Sun went down when they were come to the Hill of Ammah whither Abner had retreated and there the children of Benjamin and his other broken companies rallying themselves together and having the advantage of the upper ground made head again against Joab Then Abner as it seems desired a parley with Joab and spake to him after this manner What shall the sword devour for ever Knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end the shedding so much Israelitish blood whatever you now may think of it in the heat of pursuing your victory yet it will prove like such meats as are sweet in the mouth but breeding choler are bitter in the stomack slaughter and revenge may now seem sweet unto you but the effects thereof will be sad and bitter therefore I advise thee rather to desist from the pursuit and to command thy Souldiers to return from following their brethren Joab replied as sure as God liveth if thou hadst not sent us a Challenge and provoked us to the Combat of the young men the people with me were so far from desiring to shed the blood of their brethren that purposely to prevent it we were minded to have retired in the morning before the battel was fought And to shew thee that I am more for peace than war I shall now give over the chase of you So Joab caused his Trumpeter to sound a retreat and they ceased from pursuing and fought no more with Israel at this time though afterwards the War was renewed again And Abner and his men marched back to Mahanaim and Joab mustering his forces upon the place found he had lost but nineteen men besides Asahel but of Abners men they found there were three hundred sixty slain Joab then took up the body of Asahel and buried it in the Sepulcher of his Father at Bethlem and so marched back with his Army to Hebron 2 Sam. from v. 12 to the end SECT CLXXX AFter this there was long War between the house of Saul and the house of David which lasted five years and odd months from this time to the death of Ishbosheth Davids house waxing stronger and stronger and Saul's weaker and weaker David whilst he was exil'd and persecuted by Saul had no children though he had two wives with him God in his wise Providence so ordering it whilst Children might have been an occasion of much care and incumbrance unto him but when he was chosen King over Judah and setled in Hebron he had six Sons born to him in his seven years and six months reign there His first born was Amnon by Ahinoam his second Chileab call'd Daniel 1 Chron. 3.1 by Abigail his third Absalom by Maacha daughter of the King of Geshur his fourth Adonijah by Haggith his fifth Shephatiah by Abital his sixth Ithream by Eglah * Besides these six Sons which he had at Hebron of six wives he had four at Jerusalem by Bathsheba besides the Sons of his Concubines and his daughter Tamar 1 Chron. 3. from v. 1 to 9. 2 Sam. Ch. 3. from 1 to 6. SECT CLXXXI ABner during the War between David and Ishbosheth acted very valiantly and strenuously for the house of Saul and stored himself with Armes and Ammunition for that purpose so that he had cause to think he deserved well of Ishbosheth but at last it seems Ishbosheth began to be jealous of him and to look upon him as one that aspired to the Crown and charged him whither he had ground for it or no is uncertain that he had gone in to his Fathers Concubine which he took to be a dishonour to Saul his Father and a sign that he had some high thoughts
in his mind a (d) So we read of Adonijah affecting the Kingdom of David by the like practise 1 King 2.22 Abner was exceedingly provoked and enrag'd at this and angerly reply'd What am I a dogs-head am I so mean and vile a person in thine eyes that I should be school'd and reprehended for such a matter as this I that have shewed such kindness unto the house of thy Father and to his brethren and friends and have so strenuously stood up against the Tribe of Judah who made David King and have made thee King over the rest of Israel and hitherto supported thee in thy Kingdom and have not delivered thee into the hands of David as I might have done What! am I so mean and contemptible a person that thou shouldst think it a disgrace to thy family that I should lye with one of thy Fathers Concubines God do so to me and more also if I do not translate the Kingdom from the house of Saul to the house of David and make him King over all Israel even from Dan to Beersheba as the Lord hath sworn he should be So that it is plain that Abner knew very well that God had chosen and appointed David to be King and yet all this while he had opposed him against his own knowledg and conscience for his own worldly and wicked ends But though he behaved himself thus insolently yet Ishbosheth being a low and poor-spirited man durst not answer him a word he stood in such fear of him Abner pursuant to what he had threatned sent messengers to David by whom he made his acknowledgment that the whole land did indeed belong to him whom God by Samuel had anointed to be King over Israel and therefore he resolved his hand should be with him to bring all Israel to be subject unto him provided he would make a League and Covenant with him to pardon all that was past and to receive him into his favour David returned him an answer that all that he desired was granted only he must not expect to see his face except he brought Michal Saul's daughter along with him That David insisted upon this condition needs not seem strange if we consider first that she had beeen his first wife and had been faithful to him in preserving his life 1 Sam. 19.11 12. and had been forced by her father to marry another man when he was fled 1 Sam. 25.44 And 2ly David could no way better express his love to her than by rescuing her from the sin and misery of living in adultery 3ly He saw in policy it imported him to ingratiate himself with and gain the love of Sauls kindred and allies which he could no way better do than by this means 4ly He thought he should hereby try the fidelity of Abner Abner it seems hereupon advised David to send to Ishbosheth for his wife and then he would second the motion and procure it to be done David accordingly sent Messengers to Ishbosheth desiring to have his wife Michal delivered to him which he had espoused to him for an hundred (e) David was enjoined only to bring an 100 but he brought 200 1 Sam. 18.25 27. foreskins of the Philistines Ishbosheth being perswaded by Abner to gratifie David therein immediately sent and took her away from Phaltiel her husband who went along with her as far as Bahurim a Town in the Tribe of Benjamin weeping and lamenting that a wise so noble and beautiful should be taken away from him But Abner bad him return and comfort himself for 't was in vain to weep for that which could not be helped Then Abner in pursuance of his design to come in to David had communication with the Elders of Israel and said to them Many of you long ago sought to have David to be King over you now then I pray let us all agree to it for the Lord (f) We do not read in the Sacred story where this is expresly spoken but Josephus saith it was spoken by Samuel and commonly known among the people hath spoken of David saying by the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hands of the Philistines and out of the hands of all their enemies He having thus spoken received a satisfactory answer from them viz. that they would receive David for their King Then he addresseth himself to the Tribe of Benjamin speaking to them to the same purpose and he thought it needful to address himself in an especial manner to them because Saul had been of their Tribe and so was chiefly in their favour and therefore if they gave way to Davids Title and submitted to his government little doubt was to be made but that the rest of the Tribes would submit also Having therefore received such an answer from the Elders of Israel and Benjamin as satisfied him he to shew his great diligence and faithfulness in managing Davids business went himself to carry the news of his good success to David at Hebron reporting to him all that Israel and especially Benjamin had said being attended with twenty men and as 't is probable carried Michal along with him David received him very graciously and made a great feast for him and his company when that was over Abner told him he would go and endeavour to get all Israel to accept him for their King and to make a league with him to be subject to him that he might reign over them all even according to his own hearts desire so David dismissed him in peace Joab with a Brigade of his Souldiers now returning home from pursuing a Troop of the Philistines or some other enemies that had invaded the land and bringing a great spoil along with them he was told that Abner had been newly with the King and had been graciously received by him and honourably dismist Joab was enraged at this and therefore in a bold and insolent manner he came to the King and asked him what he had done He wondered at his imprudence in sending away so dangerous an enemy as Abner was when he had him in his hands Thou mightest well have known says he if thou hadst considered it that Abner is a subtile and politick man and came not for any good end but to deceive thee and as a spy to discover thy counsels and the course of thy actions and proceedings Thus he pretends only David's good but 't is like he feared lest Abner by this important service of coming in to him himself and bringing in the other Israelites should insinuate himself into David's favour and so prove a corrival to him in his honours and preferments and besides the death of his brother Asahel killed by Abner stuck in his stomack David it seems was not much moved by what he said wherefore Joab flinging away in a discontent when he was come out from the King he sent Messengers after Abner and possibly in the Kings name who knew nothing of it who brought him
with Cymbals of brass and some with Psalteries on * Alamoth signifies young maidens or Virgins and therefore Expositors hereby understand the Treble because their voice is shril and fittest for that part in Musick See Tit. of 46 Psal Symphonia acuta quam virgines edunt argutissime Alamoth singing the Treble and others on Sheminith or an instrument of eight strings playing the bass to make the Musick more excellent and delightful and some of the Priests did blow with Trumpets And Berechiah and Elkanah were appointed to do the office of Door-keepers to keep the people off from pressing upon the Ark and so were Obed-Edom and Jehiah two of them going before and two behind And when the Levites who carried the Ark perceived after they had gone a little way with it that God was with them and did not strike them with death as he did Vzzah but manifested his favour to them so that they went on without interruption see 2 Sam. 6.13 they made a stand and offered Sacrifices to the Lord by way of thankfulness David ordering it to be done by the Priests who no doubt made an Altar there according to the Law Exod. 20.24 David also clothed himself with a robe of white linnen like to a Priests Ephod and girded it to him with a linnen girdle and so also the Levites and Singers were clothed with robes of white linnen and David transported with an holy joy danced before the Ark of the Lord with all his might It was in those days usual to testifie their thankefulness and joy by dancing * See Psal 149.3 150.4 30.11 Exod. 15.20 and so David did here dancing gravely and decently answerable to the Religious Musick and testifying his zeal for God and his Worship with all his might and his thankefulness that the Lord would please to settle the Ark in his City Thus David and all Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with joyful acclamations and singing and the sound of Cornets Trumpets Cymbals Psalteries and Harps And when the Ark came into the City of David in this solemn manner Michal Saul's daughter looking out at a window and seeing David dancing †Pra gaudio immenso David vehementer saltabat ita ut nasutis non judicantibus recte de pio Davidis zelo regiae dignitatis oblitus videretur and playing on his Harp before the Ark she despised him in her heart So they brought the Ark and set it in the place or Tabernacle David had prepared for it and then they offered Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings before the Lord and then David like a pious Prince blessed the people in the name of the Lord and prayed for their peace and prosperity Then he royally feasted them appointing to each person both man and woman a loaf of bread a good piece of flesh and a flagon of wine and so he dismissed them and they departed to their own houses with great content and satisfaction having performed this publick service David then returned to bless his own house viz. to pray with and for his family as he had done for the people But Michal Saul's daughter too much resembling her Father in evil qualities goes out to meet him and being no longer able to suppress her disdainful thoughts she crys out O how glorious was the King of Israel this day who uncovered himself in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants as one of the vain fellows shamelesly uncovereth (a) V. 20. discooperiens se nudatus est non omnino sed quod deposuisset extimam vestem regalem ut Ephod indueret himself intimating that by laying aside his Princely attire and mixing himself with the multitude and dancing and leaping in the open streets as vain fellows use to do he had thereby exposed himself to the scorn and contempt of every girl that came to see the pomp of this removing the Ark. He tells her that what he had done he had done as in the sight and presence of God and for his glory and he could never honour him sufficiently who had chosen and appointed him to be King and Ruler over Israel and had rejected her father and his house And says he I am so far from thinking it a disgrace to me to honour and glorifie my God though among the meanest of his people and making my self therein as it were equal with them that if that be to be vile I will yet be more vile and will be ready to humble and abase my self more that I may glorifie him And as to the Maid-servants of whom thou speakest as if they laughed at this my carriage I doubt not but the more I humble my self for God the more I shall be had in honour of all my servants For God hath promised that those that honour him he will honour 1 Sam. 2.30 Whither Michal was any thing moved with what David said is uncertain but certain it is she got nothing but a curse for this her scorning of him for the Lord adjudged her from henceforth to perpetual barrenness (b) Michal never had any child those 5 Sons mentioned 2 Sam. 21.8 were the Sons of Merab her sister whom Michal brought up for Adriel Merabs husband 1 Sam. 18.19 and are called Michals Sons because she did educate if not adopt them which was looked upon as no small curse among the Hebrew women but must needs be accounted a greater curse in a Kings wife and the daughter of a King who being of a more Illustrious family than any other of David's wives if she had brought forth a Son he might in likelihood have been heir to the Crown 2 Sam. Ch. 6. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 13. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 15. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 16. from v. 1 to 7. SECT CLXXXVII DAvid now deputes certain of the Levites (a) See 1 Chro. 6.31 there the chief mentioned were Asaph Heman and Ethan call'd also Jeduthun these were famous men and chief Singers and withal Prophets and Penmen of some Psalmes 2 Chron. 29.30 to attend upon the Ark of the Lord and to declare and publish his great and glorious acts in their Songs and Hymns and to praise him with their voices and Musical instruments namely such as were appointed for his servic (b) 1 Chron. 16. v. 42. call'd Musical Instruments of God and that constantly every day at the hour appointed Then David who in regard of that Divine skill he had in composing Psalmes was stiled the sweet Singer of Israel 2 Sam. 23.1 delivered to Asaph and his Brethren a Psalm to have a Tune put to it and to be sung in the service of God which is here recorded the several parts whereof were afterwards much enlarged by him and reduced into several Psalmes as we may see Psal 105. 96. the former part of it to v. 23. is part of Psal 105. and the sum of it is to praise the Lord for publick benefits afforded to his
the plea of an Elder Brother and has Abiathar and Joab on his side if he can strengthen himself by this marriage he will not then fear to shew himself and endeavour to get the Kingdom for himself and then Abiathar and Joab will King it under him Then falling into a passion he said God do so to me and more also and bring upon me greater misery than I dare now mention see Ruth 1.17 if I do not make it appear to all the world that Adonijah hath spoken this word against his own life For as the Lord liveth who hath set me on the Throne of my Father and made me a family and Court according to the dignity of a King as he promised 2 Sam. 7.12 13. Adonijah shall surely this day be put to death So he immediately gave order to Benaiah Captain of his Guard to fall upon him and kill him which accordingly he did * Thus what Nathan threatned against David 2 Sam. 12.10 viz. that the sword should not depart from his house was fully verified Then sending for Abiathar he told him He was worthy to be put to death also for thus joining with Adonijah in this conspiracy but says he I will not at this time put thee to death because thou didst bear the Ark of God before my Father David and hast been a great sharer with him in all his afflictions and sufferings therefore get thee to Anathoth a City in the Tribe of Benjamin which with the fields about it belongs to the Priests and there live a private life and meddle no more with the Priesthood or Civil affairs And thus Solomon by thrusting out Abiathar from his office and placing Zadok in his room fulfilled the word of the Lord which he spake concerning Eli 1 Sam. 2.31 when the Tabernacle was at Shiloh and concerning Phineas Numb 25.13 These things being thus transacted tidings came presently to Joab that Adonijah was slain and Abiathar confin'd to Anathoth whereupon being conscious of his own guilt in joining with Adonijah in his aspiring to the Crown though he would not join with Absalom in the like case he fled to the Tabernacle at Gibeon and there laid hold on the horns of the Altar thinking possibly by that means the rather to escape because Adonijah had there not long before found favour 1 King 1.52 Solomon hearing where he was presently sends Benaiah and commands him to kill him there Benaiah coming to the Tabernacle would have perswaded Joab to come forth thence but he utterly refused it saying if he must die he would die there which possibly he spake hoping that by hanging on the horns of the Altar he should save his life and not imagining that they would put him to death there And thus it seems he forgot what God himself had said Exod. 21.14 That he that hath slain a man wilfully shall be taken from the Altar Benaiah being loth of his own head to shed blood at the Altar went back to the King and told him what Joab said The King replied Do unto him as he hath said that is seeing he resolves to die there let him die there and there fall upon him and kill him and then bury him decently for the honour of his place and his former services and so thou wilt take away from me and my fathers house the guilt of that innocent blood which he so barbarously shed and so the Lord will return blood upon his head who fell upon two men more righteous and better than himself for in that cause for which he killed them they were innocent He slew Abner for fear lest David should prefer him above himself And he slew Amasa because my Father had preferred him to the place of General in his room So that they were both innocent and not worthy of death upon that account he shall die therefore that their innocent blood may return upon his head and that the blot and stain of it may remain upon his posterity and accordingly they shall feel the sad effects of it for many generations And I doubt not but that upon the house of David and upon his Throne and upon his family there will be peace and prosperity for a long time from the Lord. For by executing judgment on murderers guilt is taken away from the Magistrate and from the Land Numb 35.33 So Benaiah went up to the Altar at Gibeon and as 't is like dragging Joab from thence he slew him and buried him in his own house in the wilderness and the King made Benaiah General of the Army in his room Then the King called for Shimei and said to him Build thee an house in Jerusalem and dwell there and go not forth thence any whither for it shall be that the day thou goest out and passest over the Brook Kidron (a) Solomon would not permit him to go over Kidron which was the way to Bakurim his own city lest he should raise some sedition there where was his own inheritance 2 Sam. 16.5 Kidron was about a mile from Jerusalem so that Shimei had room enough thou shalt surely die and thy blood shall be upon thine own head thou thy self wilt be the only cause thereof Shimei said unto the King The saying is good thy command is just and equal As my Lord the King hath said so will I do and I do bind my self by a solemn Oath which I now make unto thee in the presence of the Lord That I will not go out of the limits thou hast set me v. 42. But how he performed his Oath and promise we shall see afterwards Sect. 221. 1 King Ch. 2. from v. 12 to 39. SECT CCXV HAdad the Edomite who in the days of David had fled into Egypt and had been there for a great while kindly entertained when he heard that both David and Joab were dead he returned into his own Country and proved afterwards a great enemy to Solomon as we shall see hereafter 1 King Ch. 11. v. 21 22. SECT CCXVI SOlomon now contracts affinity with Pharaoh King of Egypt by marrying his Daughter and he brought her into Sion into the Palace of David intending afterwards to build a stately house for her when he had finished the Temple the wall of Jerusalem and his own Palace And he preferred her before the rest of his wives they being of Nations that were his subjects but she the daughter of a potent King And by this match and affinity with such a great neighbour Prince he designed to secure himself the better against foreign enemies 'T is not said whether she had embraced the Religion of the Israelites when he took her to wife yet considering that he is no where blamed for this marriage 't is most like she forsook her Idolatry and that either before or after her marriage she became a Proselyte and worshipped the true God because Solomon in this marriage is made a type of Christ wooing the Gentiles to make them his Spouse and calling them
Thus Solomon finished the Lords house and his own house and all that came into his heart to do he prosperously effected 2 Chron. 7.11 having spent full twenty years in this kind of work 1 King 9.10 whereof seven and an half upon the Temple and about twelve and an half upon his own houses and buildings 1 King Ch. 7. from v. 1 to 13. 1 King Ch. 10. from v. 16 22. 1 Chron. Ch. 9. from v. 15 to 21. SECT V. WHilst Solomon was busied about his Magnificent buildings it seems Gezer a City allotted to the Levites in the Tribe of Ephraim Josh 21.20 21. but never recovered out of the possession of the Canaanites gave to the King some great distaste so that not being at leisure himself he intreated Pharaoh his Father-in-law to take it in for him by his Armes and to rid him of those troublesome neighbours Pharaoh accordingly did it and burnt the City or some part of it with fire and put the inhabitants thereof to the sword and so gave it for a present to his daughter Solomon's wife 1 King 9.16 SECT VI. HIram King of Tyre having furnished Solomon towards these magnificent buildings with Cedar-trees and Firr-trees and sixscore Talents of Gold Solomon in a grateful retribution and to make him amends gave him twenty Cities or Towns in the land of Galilee which were not as it seems a part of the land which God had given for an inheritance to his people but lay in a tract of ground on the outside of the borders of Asher Josh 19.24 betwixt them and mount Libanus and being now reduced under Solomon's Dominion he presented them to Hiram that he might by them receive satisfaction for what he had had of him But it seems Hiram when he saw them liked them not possibly because they stood in a moorish ground or because he thought it would be long e're he should from them receive that satisfaction which he expected Therefore he return'd them to Solomon again and chose rather to expect satisfaction from him some other way and thereupon Solomon repair'd and enlarged them and planted certain colonies of the Israelites in them See 2 Chron. 8.1 2. whereas before they were inhabited only by the Heathen and now that tract of ground was counted a part of Galilee which 't is thought was the reason why Galilee was called Galilee of the Gentiles 1 King Ch. 9. from v. 10 to 15. SECT VII SOlomon having now finished his own houses and built an house for his Queen Pharaohs daughter he remov'd her and brought her up thither out of the City of David for he said My wife shall not dwell in the house of David King of Israel because the places whereunto the Ark of the Lord hath come are more holy than other places 'T is true Davids house ceased to be holy in that respect after the Ark was removed thence yet Solomon out of his superabundant respect to that sign of Gods presence thought it not fit to make that a dwelling place for his Queen and her followers who were aliens and strangers to the house of Israel and possibly retain'd some of their Egyptian profaneness which had been the holy dwelling place of the most High 2 Chron. 8.11 Solomon as it seems reflecting on his Marriage with Pharaohs daughter and his bringing her up to the stately house he had built and prepared for her took occasion from thence to pen that excellent Song called the Song of Songs or the Canticles being the chiefest of those one thousand * See 1 King 4.32 and five Songs composed by him and the most excellent of them all And this Song he composed after he had built his Summer-house in Lebanon as may be gathered by some passages in it see Ch. 4.8 Come with me from Lebanon my Spouse with me from Lebanon And Ch. 7. 4. Thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon This Song is clearly a Marriage-song and much of the same nature with the 45 Psalm which is called a Song of Loves And it is a kind of Pastoral composed in the way of Dialogue where the speakers are the Bridegroom and the Bride represented sometimes under the quality of a Shepherd and Shepherdess or Country-damsel and the Bride-men and Bride-maids the friends of the Bridegroom and companions of the Bride And though the most proper aim of it seemeth to be at higher and diviner matters than an earthly marriage and a greater than Solomon is here yet Solomon thought fit to make his marriage with Pharaohs daughter a type of that sublime and spiritual marriage between Christ and his Church The Song is a continued Allegory and full of obscurities yea here we have all the Rhetorick of love and such affectionate compellations and Elogies as are not elsewhere to be found The flowers and ornaments of language used in the praises both of Bridegroom and Bride are not appliable to natural beauties but are mystical representations and emblems of higher things Indeed this Book is all mystical and therefore the Jews forbad the reading of it by any under thirty years of age Here between Christ and his Church are interchangings of mutual praises gloriations and congratulations His divine and glorious excellencies in himself and rich bounties and blessings to her and her precious graces and endowments are in an high character in lofty and stately sayings and similitudes set forth both by him and her And yet withal her failings and his withdrawings from her thereupon and returnings to her again upon her repentance are not omitted In all the interlocutions betwixt them she speaks nine times and he seven In the first Chap. from v. 1 to the 8. the Spouse speaks expressing her ardent desires after Christ and vindicates her own deformities and defects against the uncharitable censures of others and petitions him for further counsel and direction From the v. 8 to the 12. the Bridegroom speaks granting her request and giving her great commendations and making rich promises to her From v. 12 to the 15. the Spouse speaks again then the Bridegroom at v. 15. In the two first verses of Ch. 2. Christ speaks characterizing himself and his Church and then the Church speaks from the v. 3. to the end and throughout all the third Chapter speaking sometimes of Christ and sometimes unto him At Ch. 4. Christ speaks from v. 1 to 15. and at v. 15 16. the Church At Ch. 5. v. 1. Christ granteth the request of the Church and cometh into his Garden and accepteth her entertainment and bringeth his friends with him and feasteth them but this kindness it seems was not so well improved by her as it deserved for she is surprized with a fit of drowsie negligence and so is brought into danger of losing him who after much patient waiting knocking and calling upon her and her unkind answer becomes angry and being not received when he tendred himself departs displeased and is hardly reconciled though she afterwards expresses much care and
religious towards God Prov. 29.2 Ch. 16.12 2. Just Prov. 24.23 Ch. 17.15 Prov. 29.14 Eccles 4.1 Eccles 5.8 Prov. 18.5 Ch. 28.21 Ch. 31.8 9. Prov. 28.15 Ch. 21.15 Ch. 22.22 3. Merciful Prov. 20 28. 3. He shews what duties those that are under authority owe to their Magistrates 1. Reverence Prov. 24.21 2. Obedience in lawful things Eccles 8.4 And so much concerning the Proverbs of Solomon SECT XIV SOlomon's fame being now spread far and wide the Queen of Sheba a Country that lay South * See Mat. 12.42 and far remote from Jerusalem probably in Arabia the happy hearing of his renown and the glorious Temple he had built for the name of the Lord she out of her noble spirit took a long and tedious journey sparing neither pains nor cost and came to Jerusalem to see him and hear his wisdom She came with a great train and with many Camels laden with Spices Gold Precious stones and such rich things to present to Solomon and being come she communed with him and propounded to him many hard and difficult questions to make trial of his wisdom and for her own information And Solomon resolved all her questions there was nothing so dark or hard propounded by her to him that was hid from his knowledg or understanding When she had been there some time and had diligently observed the great evidences of his wisdom and had seen the glorious Temple he had built and all the Courts and other excellent things thereunto appertaining so far as by a stranger they might be seen with the other stately Palaces he had built and particularly that stately Terrace or Gallery whereby he ascended from his own Palace to the outward Court of the Temple the pillars on each side being made of †This is called the Kings Entry 2 King 6.18 precious wood Ch. 9.12 and had observed what a Royal house he kept and the variety and plenty of dishes at his Table the attendance of his servants and the richness and costliness of their attire according to their several degrees and places and what plenty and variety of Plate bread and wine his Cup-bearers and Butlers set out and the sitting of his Courtiers and Servants at Table to eat and in what decent order all things were managed and disposed there was no more spirit in her she was so astonished with admiration And she said unto the King It was a true report I heard of thee in my own Country and of thy wisdom and glory But I did not believe it till I came hither and saw it with my own eyes And now I can truly say that the one half was not told me of what I here find Thy wisdom and prosperity far exceedeth what I heard of it Happy are thy subjects happy are thy servants that stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom Blessed be the Lord thy God who set his favour upon thee and advanced thee to the Throne of thy Father and made thee King over Israel his peculiar people that thou shouldst execute the office of a King for him and under him as his deputy 'T is a manifest sign that the Lord thy God loved Israel in that he hath made thee King over them to do judgment and justice and to manage the affairs of the Kingdom with so much prudence and righteousness 'T is a great sign that God intends to establish your Nation and to make them a lasting and a long flourishing people when he sets such wise and good Governours over them Then she presented the King with some rare jewels and precious stones and with an hundred and twenty Talents of Gold and with very great store of excellent spices such as had not been brought thither before Solomon kindly accepted her presents and fully requited her for them and gave her of his Royal bounty some rare and precious things and denied her not any thing she desired of him So she took her leave of him and returned with her servants to her own Country 1 King Ch. 10. from v. 1 to 11. v. 13. 2 Chron. Ch. 9. from v. 1 to 10. v. 12. SECT XV. HItherto we have seen the singular piety the extraordinary wisdom and the wonderful prosperity and glory of King Solomon who might well be call'd Jedidjah the beloved of God 2 Sam. 12.15 But alas we come now to speak of that which is strange and wonderful to be found in Solomon viz. his revolt from God in the latter part of his life and after he had received so many signal and extraordinary favours from him the Lord was pleased to permit him to fall (a) Labi Deus eum voluit ne prudentiae humanae nimium tribueretur Anonym that all posterity might learn how frail man is even the wisest of men when left to himself and if God withdraw his supporting hand from him The occasion of his fall was his inordinate loving of many strange women besides the daughter of Pharaoh women of the Moabites Ammonites Edomites Zidonians and Hittites So that he sinned first in having so many wives contrary to the Law Deut. 17.17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself 2ly In that his wives and concubines were strange women not Israelites and of Idolatrous Nations and such as God had charged the Israelites not to mix in marriage with lest they should turn their hearts from him to their Idols Exod 34.16 David had but six wives see 2 Sam. 3. but Solomon had such a prodigious number as scarce ever was heard of The Text says 700 wives and 300 concubines In Cant. 6.8 he mentions only threescore Queens and fourscore Concubines and Virgins without number So that possibly he had but threescore wives or Queens whom by marrying he had made Princesses if they were not so before and the rest that made up the number 700 were young maidens and virgins that attended on them He had also fourscore Concubines (b) Uxores hae erant secundariae ac legitima or wives of an inferiour degree and they had maidens to attend them that made up their number 300. 3ly He loved them too inordinately (c) Disce hinc carnis affectus non obsequendo sed potius reluctando obtundendo imminui nam cum eis quis cesserit indies majores vehementiores illos experitur P. Martyr and which is strange in his old age (d) Solomon in senectate otio marcescens insanis amoribus operam dabat when those affections use to languish in others it seems they were strong in him 4ly He permitted them to worship Idols they by their cunning and subtilty taking advantage of his weakness in his old age won upon him to give way to their Idolatry Not that he was ever brought to esteem their Idols as Gods or that he himself did worship them for if he had done so 't is like he would have brought them into the Temple but he gave way to the open and publick Idolatrous worship of his
out of his sight that is out of that land where he manifested the evidences of his gracious presence 'T is further added that when the Lord had rent Israel from the house of David they made Jeroboam the Son of Nebat King and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the Lord and made them sin a great sin And the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did they departed not from them until the Lord removed them out of his sight as he had threatned by all his servants the Prophets And for these reasons was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria where they remained as exiles when this History was written 2 King 17. from 7 to the 24. 2 King 18.10 11 12. This was the end of the Kingdom of Israel when it had stood severed from the Kingdom of Judah by the space of two hundred fifty four years Their many great and crying sins highly provoked the Lord against them especially their notorious idolatry their contempt of the Lords Prophets and their contumacy and bold persisting in their wicked ways For after the great blow they received by Tiglath-Pilesâ—r 2 King 15.29 they were so far from any amendment that they used in the pride of their hearts that Proverb Isa 9. v. 10. The bricks are fallen down but we will build with hewn stones the sycamores are cut down but we will change them into cedars intimating thereby that they would build their towns that were spoiled better than they were before For these sins therefore the Lord was provoked to reject and cast them off and to suffer them to be led away captive Tobit or Tobias the elder saith of himself that he at this time with Anna his wife and his Countrymen the Naphtalites was carried away into the land of Assyria and there made purveyor or provider of corn and other victuals for Salmanasser's houshold and also that he was carried into Media and there placed in a principal City called Ruges c. Tobit Ch. 1. Salmanasser having thus carried away the Israelites captives he planted Colonies there of five Nations of his own people taking them out of Babylon Cutha Ava Emath and Sepharvaim and placed them in the Cities of Samaria in the room of the Israelites And these were they that after this time were called Cuthaeans by a Synecdoche because the major part of them came out of Cutha a Country in Persia many of these at their first coming thither not fearing the Lord nor worshipping the true God of Israel were devoured by Lions therefore a Jewish Priest was at the request of the rest of them sent out of Assyria to teach them the manner how the God of Israel would be worshipped But this being as it seems one of Jeroboam's Priests and making his residence at Bethel he taught them not the pure worship of God nor to serve him as they ought in his Temple at Jerusalem but in their own Country after the way of Jeroboam Neither were these people brought to worship the true God alone but every City had also a several Idol of their own which they worshipped according to the custom of the Nations from which they were descended and from whence they had been transported So though they feared the Lord that is acknowledged the God of Israel to be the true God yet they served their own gods also after the manner of the Nations from whence they came * Ex ritu Gentium illarum unde ipsos deportaverant vel è quibus deportati fuerant Pisc And as for the Israelites that were carried away captive into Assyria they were nothing amended by their captivity but 't is said of them 2 King 17.34 That unto this day they do after their former manners they fear not the Lord neither do they after their statutes or after their ordinances appointed and enjoin'd them by God or after the Law and Commandments which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob whom he named Israel to observe with whom he made a Covenant and charged them saying Ye shall not fear other gods nor bow your selves to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them But the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm him shall ye fear and him shall ye worship and to him shall ye do sacrifice And the statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandments which he wrote for you ye shall observe to do for evermore * Viz. as long as that dispensation shall last and ye shall not fear other gods And the Covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget neither shall ye fear other gods but the Lord your God shall ye fear and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies Howbeit they did not hearken but they did after their former manner But as for those Nations whom the King of Assyria brought out of other Countries and placed in Samaria they went on in their mungrel way of Religion they and their children from generation to generation After these first Colonies there were other Colonies brought thither by Esarhaddon King of Assyria who was also called Asnapper the Great Ezra 4.2.10 Son of Sennacherib and Grandchild to Salmanasser This seems to be the last of the Assyrian Kings and the person that carried Manasseh prisoner to Babylon which was then under the Assyrian Empire 2 Chron. 33.11 So that the Prophesie of Isaiah seems now to be fulfilled Chap. 7.8 The head of Syria is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken that it be not a people For though the greatest part of the Israelites were carried away by Salmanasser some years before and their Kingdom utterly abolished yet among them that were left there remained some shew of a Government But now by reason of the great multitude of forreigners which came to dwell there the small remainder of the Ephramites were accounted as nothing yet they were not utterly extinct in their own Country as appears from 2 Chron. 34.6 7. v. 33. Chap. 35.18 2 King 23.19 20. 2 King 17. from 24 to the end These Samaritans before mentioned were succeeded by a second sort of Heretical Samaritans in the time of the Government of Nehemiah in whose time one of the Sons of Ioiada the Son of Eliashib the High Priest married the daughter of Sanballat the Horonite and therefore he chased him from him Neh. 13.28 This Priest thus driven away from Ierusalem went with other Iews that had made the like mungrel marriages to the Samaritans their wives kindred who there as the Iewish Writers relate assisted them in building an Anti-Temple on mount Gerizim where a medly Nation devised a Miscellaneous worship of God rejecting all the Scriptures save the five Books of Moses and maintaining many abominable superstitions So that between these Samaritans and the Iews there grew
Son of Nebat for their King But the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin stuck fast to Rehoboam In memorial of this sad rent the Jews afterwards kept a solemn Fast yearly upon the three and twentieth day of the third month called Sivan Rehoboam being come to Jerusalem forthwith raises an Army of an hundred and fourscore thousand valiant men out of Judah and Benjamin to reduce the Ten Tribes back to his subjection but is forbidden to proceed on in that enterprize by the Prophet Shemaiah who told him that the thing was of God who had so ordered it for the punishment of his Fathers defection from him and so the people returned to their own homes But though for the present that design was laid aside yet there followed continual bickerings between the two Kings all their days and the borderers on both sides did continually make inrodes one upon another see Ch. 14.30 Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem and built and fortified fifteen Cities for the defence of Judah and made great warlike provisions and put Garrisons into the Cities and placed Captains and Commanders over them some whereof it seems were his own Sons for 2 Chron. 11.23 't is said He dealt wisely and dispersed all his children thoroughout all the Countries of Judah and Benjamin into every fenced City And in that it must be acknowledged he dealt prudently for in his own Sons he might most securely confide And he stored those Garrisons with plenty of victuals and with wine and oyl and in every Garrison he put Shields and Spears and other Warlike ammunition and made them exceeding strong And many Priests and Levites that were cast off by Jeroboam and his Sons * They probably were placed as Captains in the Cities of Israel as Rehoboam's Sons were in the Cities of Judah who would not suffer them to execute the Priests office in their Cities and many people out of all the Ten Tribes who set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel resorted unto him whereby his Kingdom was much strengthned For three years he and his people walked in the ways of David and in the ways of Solomon viz. his first ways before his fall but afterwards they forsook the Law of the Lord though some particular persons among them undoubtedly remained faithful to God and made themselves High-places Images †So that none of the twelve Tribes at this time continued faithful to God the Ten revolted with Jeroboam and these two with Rehoboam and Groves doing according to all the abominations of the Heathen And they did evil in the sight of the Lord and provoked him to jealousie with their sins insomuch that in none of their Fathers days there was such a general apostasie And it seems there were among them some that practised that abominable sin of Sodomy so that they did after all the abominations of the Heathen whom God cast out before their Fathers As for the Domestick affairs of Rehoboam we find that he took eighteen Wives and sixty Concubines and begat twenty eight Sons and sixty Daughters and dispersed his Sons through all the Countries of Judah and Benjamin into the several fenced Cities and there gave them liberal and Princely allowances and sought out many Wives for them out of Noble Families to strengthen their interest by their alliances Of all his Wives he loved Maachah best the daughter of Absalom who was a great Idolatress see 1 King 15.13 and he made Abijah her Son to be chief ruler over his brethren intending he should succeed him in the Throne In the fifth year of his reign because he had so heinously transgressed against the Lord Shishak King of Egypt invited possibly thereunto by Jeroboam who had lived there and been kindly entertained by him before he was made King came up against him with twelve hundred chariots and threescore thousand horsemen and people without number Some of them were Lybians a people in Africa bordering upon Egypt some Suckites otherwise call'd Troglodites a people dwelling in Caves of Rocks and some of them Ethiopians With this great Army invading Judea he took the fenced Cities that were in his way to Jerusalem and then came before that City also The people of Judah being now in great distress Shemaiah the Prophet came to Rehoboam and the Princes * Ver. 6. Princes of Israel that is the Princes of Judah who were Israelites that were gathered together in Jerusalem and spake to them after this manner Thus saith the Lord ye have forsaken me and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak Rehoboam and the Princes upon this humbled themselves and confest their sins and said the Lord is righteous in all the judgments he hath brought upon us Hereupon the Lord spake to Shemaiah again saying They have humbled themselves therefore I will not utterly destroy them but grant them some deliverance and my wrath shall not be poured forth upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak nevertheless they shall be his servants and shall yield to such terms as he shall put upon them that they may know my service and the service of the Kingdoms of the Countries That is that they may know by the hard conditions Shishak will put upon them how much better it had been for them to have served me than by their sins to have brought themselves into bondage to other Nations See Isa 26.13 So Shishak being come before Jerusalem to save the Temple and City from plunder and to regain the Cities he had taken as he came up to them they were forc'd to give him the Treasures †This was the first spoiling of the Temple of the Temple not the holy vessels but such gold and silver and other precious things as were laid up for repairing the Temple and other holy uses as also the Treasures of the Kings house as also the Golden Shields that Solomon had made 1 King 10.16 Instead of these Rehoboam made Shields of Brass and committed them to the hands of the chief of the Guard that kept the door of the Kings house And when the King entred into the house of the Lord the Guard came and fetched them and carried them before him and when he was come back returned them again into his Guard-chamber Thus Rehoboam humbling himself the wrath of God turned from him so as he would not destroy him altogether And after this things began to go well again in Judah for they enjoyed their liberty of serving the true God the benefit of their own Laws and had for the most part peace and prosperity So Rehoboam recovered strength again and repaired and fortified the Cities of his Kingdom yet he did not sincerely set and fix his heart to seek the Lord that is did not endeavour to know him aright to worship him purely to call upon him fervently and to obey him faithfully and in all these to persevere constantly Now the Acts of Rehoboam first and last namely such as were done in his
were suspected not to be firm against Judah and therefore were slain by the men of Moab and Ammon fell unexpectedly upon them like men that rise suddenly out of an ambush upon their enemies and when they had destroyed them they fell out among themselves and destroyed one another The Army of Jehoshaphat coming now to the Watch-tower of Ziz in the Wilderness they looked towards the formidable army of their enemies and they saw none but dead bodies on the ground they saw none flying or escaping whom they needed to pursue or fall upon and so that was accomplished which the Prophet foretold v. 17. Ye shall not need to fight in the battel When Jehoshaphat and his people came to the field where their enemies lay slaughtered they found very rich spoils among the dead bodies viz. rings on their fingers chains about their necks jewels in their ears besides the wealth and riches they brought on their beasts and in their carts and carriages and their being so vast a number of the enemy slain the Israelites could not carry away all in one day but were three days in gathering the spoil it was so much so God not only freed them from their enemies but greatly enriched them by them On the fourth day they marched to the valley of Berachah or blessing and there solemnly praised the Lord for this great victory and from thence that valley had this name given it Then they all marched with great joy to Jerusalem Jehoshaphat marching in the front of them for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies And they came to Jerusalem playing on Psalteries and Harps and with the sound of Trumpets and so went to the house of the Lord to offer up there their more solemn praises and sacrifices of thanksgiving And the fear of the Lord fell on all the Kingdoms round about when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of his people So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet for his God gave him rest round about But notwithstanding this signal deliverance and though Jehoshaphat had been reproved by the Lord for joining first with wicked Ahab and then with Ahaziah his wicked Son in building and fitting out Ships to go to Tarshish yet he fell again a third time into the like sin by assisting Jehoram the second Son of Ahab who succeeded Ahaziah and going forth with him and the King of Edom against the Moabites In which expedition he and the two other Kings were in great danger of perishing for want of water had they not been supplied by the prayers of Elisha the Prophet who had a great regard for Jehoshaphat 2 King 3.14 and so they obtained a great victory over their enemies 2 King 3. from v. 4 to the end Of this we may see more in the life of Jehoram King of Israel This seems to have happened about the 22th year of Jehoshaphat and then 't is probable he set up his Son Jehoram again as his Viceroy or took him into Copartnership with him in the Kingdom 2 King 8.16 as he had made him his Viceroy before when he went to visit Ahab Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 21.2 is call'd King of Israel that is of the Israelites that lived in the Kingdom of Judah He reigned 25 years and they buried him with his Fathers in the City of David and his Son Jehoram succeeded him who reigned eight years which together are 33 years Yet in Chronological account there were not above 29 years in the reigns of them both because Jehoshaphat did set up his Son Jehoram as partner with him in the Kingdom whilst he himself was alive see 2 King 8.16 which was about the 22th year of his reign so that the four last years of his reign and the four first of his Son Jehoram's were not eight but only four years seeing both of them reigned together at the same time 1 King 22. from 41 to 51. 2 Chron. 17. whole Chapter 2 Chron. 18. wh Ch. 2 Chron. 19. wh Ch. 2 Chron. 20. wh Ch. 2 Chron. 21.1 The 5th King that reigned in Judah was JEHORAM JEhoshaphat had designed his Son Jehoram to be King and appointed him to govern the Kingdom in his absence in the 17th year of his reign a little before he went with Ahab against Ramoth-Gilead thence the beginning of the reign of Jehoram King of Israel is counted to be both in the 18th year of Jehoshaphat * 2 King 3.1 and in the second year of Jehoram †2 King 1.17 Son of Jehoshaphat but at his return resumed the Royal power wholly to himself not communicating the same again to his Son until the fifth year of Jehoram King of Israel which was the 22th of Jehoshaphats own reign and then this King being old took Jehoram his Son as partner with him in the Government The cause whereof in all probability was some discord or differences that brake out even then between him and his younger Brethren which moved Jehoshaphat to give to his younger Sons great gifts of gold and silver and jewels and to commmit to their custody some strong fenced Cities in Judah 2 Chron. 21.3 the better to secure them against the power of their Elder Brother and on the other side he put his Eldest Son into the possession of the Kingdom whilst himself was living for fear of tumults and commotions that might arise after his death Jehoram therefore being 32 years old succeeded his Father and reigned eight years in Jerusalem to wit four years together with his Father and four years by himself alone He walked in the Idolatrous ways of the Kings of Israel as did the house of Ahab whose daughter he had married viz. Athaliah and a vertuous daughter she was like to be that sprang from the cursed root of Ahab and Jezebel she soon drew him to follow her Fathers courses so great an influence have bad wives upon their husbands to draw them to evil He did that which was very evil and provoking in the sight of the Lord howbeit the Lord would not destroy the house of David because of the Covenant he had made with him to give him always a light that is a royal glory in a successor and to continue the Soveraignty in his race as long as that Kingdom should last See 1 King 11.36 When he was setled in the Kingdom he sought to make himself strong as Jeroboam did 2 Chron. 13.7 that he might the better effect his mischievous intents and purposes and accordingly getting his six younger brethren into his hands he like a cruel Tyrant slew them and many also of the great men of the land who he thought favoured them and had a kindness for them He made great innovations in Religion erecting those Idolatrous places in mountains which his Father and Grandfather had with so much zeal destroyed He caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit spiritual fornication in worshipping of Baal and to embrace that Idolatry which himself had learned from
Father had done For such as his Father was such was he His Father a while out of respect to men viz. as long as Jehoiada lived did that which was right but afterwards fell away to Idolatry and so did he As his Father did not suppress the worship of God in high places no more did he As soon as he was setled in the Government he put to death those that had killed the King his Father who it seems were great men and had Court-offices and therefore call'd his servants whom at first for fear of danger he forbore to meddle with but when he saw a fit opportunity and felt his own strength he dealt with them yet spared their children according to the Law of God Deut. 24.16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children neither shall the children for the fathers every man shall be put to death for his own sin About the 13 or 14 year of his reign he resolved to make war upon the Edomites who in his Grandfather Jehoram's time had rebelled against the Kingdom of Judah and so continued unto this time In order hereunto he musters three hundred thousand choice men of his own subjects such as were able for war and could handle spear and shield and made Colonels over thousands and Captains over hundreds according to the dignity of their families But notwithstanding he had so great an Army it seems he did not much confide in them but thought it better in point of policy to manage this war by Auxiliaries and accordingly hired an hundred thousand able valiant men of the Israelites who in those times by reason of their successful wars against the Syrians were accounted excellent Souldiers to go with him against the Edomites and gave them an hundred talents of silver * That is thirty seven thousand five hundred pound sterling See 1 Chron. 22.14 So every Regiment consisting of a thousand had a Talent of silver that is 375 l. to engage them in this service A Prophet comes to him from the Lord and advises him to dismiss these Israelites for the Lord was not with them †2 Chron. 25.7 to wit with any of the children of Ephraim Ephraim is here put for the ten Tribes being the greatest Tribe of the ten and having the priviledg of the first born Gen. 48.19 God did not love them because they were Idolaters though he did sometimes prosper them in their wars against the cruel Syrians But says he if thou wilt go up to fight against the Edomites with these Israelites contrary to the declared mind of God do it at thy own peril and make thy self as strong as thou canst for the battel and see what will come of it Assure thy self God will make thee fall before the enemy For God alone hath power to help or cast down success in war is wholly ordered by him The King was something startled at this message but says he if I should dismiss them what shall I do for the hundred Talents that I have given them I know not how to recover them from such a numerous company without much hazard and much bloodshed The Prophet answers The Lord is able to give thee much more than this So Amaziah separated them from his own Army to which they were joined and sent them home again But they being thus dismissed were exceeding angry and lookt upon themselves as slighted and scorned as if their aid and assistance had not been of any value wherefore in their return home they fell upon the Cities of Judah viz. such as were the frontier Towns bordering all along the breadth thereof upon the Kingdom of Israel and slew three thousand of the subjects of Judah and carried away much spoil Amaziah having dismissed the Israelites marches with his own Army into the Edomites Country and there obtain'd a great victory over them wherein he slew ten thousand of them and took ten thousand prisoners whom he cast down from the Rock Selah and so broke them in pieces Possibly he us'd them with the greater severity because of their revolt from the Crown of Judah and their unwillingness to return to their obedience thereunto Having thus conquered the Edomites among other spoils he brought away their Gods also and by a monstrous impiety set them up to be his Gods and bowed down before them and burnt incense unto them David did not use to do so but burnt the gods of his enemies which he took see 1 Chron. 14.12 But this man seems more infatuated and bewitched with Idolatry than Ahab himself The anger of the Lord was hereupon exceedingly kindled against Amaziah and he sent a Prophet to him who said to him Why hast thou sought after the gods of the Edomites which could not deliver their own people viz. the people that worshipped them out of thy hands The King being vexed at this free reproof of the Prophet would not let him go on but said Who made you of the Kings councel I charge thee forbear speaking any many or speak at thy own peril So the Prophet forbore and only said I know that the Lord hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this great wickedness in setting up these Idols and now refusest to hearken to my counsel Amaziah being puft up and grown insolent upon his good success against the Edomites and taking advice of some such Counsellors as Rehoboam did in a vain and proud manner sends a challenge to Joash King of Israel saying to him Come let us look one another in the face and meet in a pitched field with our Armies Probably the injury done him by the Israelites whom he dismissed when he undertook his late expedition against the Edomites was that which provoked him to challenge Joash and this late wrong might probably bring other old matters to remembrance Joash who was a Prince as proud and haughty every whit as Amaziah answers him in a scornful manner by a Parable The Thistle says he that was in Lebanon sent to the Cedar saying Give thy daughter to my son to wife and there passed by a wild beast and trod down the Thistle Whereby he intimates that it would be insufferable pride in the Thistle to presume to desire the Cedars daughter as a wife for his son For he that seeks to match his child with another mans supposes himself equal to that other man But he takes it in great scorn that Amaziah should think himself equal to him But if it be too much presumption for the Thistle to offer to make affinity with the Cedar how much more presumption is it to make war against him which he would have Amaziah to know was his present case He further tells him Indeed he had smitten the Edomites and thereupon he perceived his heart was proud and much lifted up But however he advises him to content himself with that victory and to tarry at home and not meddle with him to his hurt lest he and Judah with him fall
be taken out of the offerings which were laid up in the Treasuries of the Temple and those being much exhausted by Ahaz and the people being much impoverished by inrodes of enemies Hezekiah for the ease of the people appointed a portion for and towards these sacrifices out of his own revenue He commanded also the people that dwelt at Jerusalem to give to the Priests and Levites the portion and maintenance that by the Law belonged to them that so being freed from distracting worldly cares they might the better attend to their work and might search into and study and meditate on the Law of God and faithfully expound it to the people teaching them to perform the duties therein commanded And the children of Israel in and about Jerusalem when this command was first given brought in abundance of the first-fruits of corn wine and oyl and honey and of the things that grew out of the earth and the tythe of all things that were by the Law injoined And those that dwelt in the Cities of Judah brought in the tythe of oxen and sheep and all other things which were ordained to be set apart from the rest of their goods as being consecrated unto God and given to the Priests and Levites And they brought in so abundantly that they laid them by heaps and they began to make those heaps and to bring in their tythes to the house of the Lord in the third month which was the beginning of their harvest and finished them in the seventh month when they gathered all other fruits of the land and which was counted the last of their harvest And therefore the Feast of Tabernacles which was in that month was called the feast of ingathering in the end of the year Exod. 23.16 When Hezekiah and the Princes came and saw those heaps which were many and great ones they blessed the Lord for stirring up the people to bring in their tythes so chearfully and so plentifully and blessed the people for their forwardness therein Then the King asked the Priests and Levites how it came to pass seeing there were many of them that they had spent no more of the provisions brought in for them Azariah the chief Priest of the house of Zadock made this answer Be Be pleas'd to understand O King that since the people began to bring in their first-fruits and tythes into the house of the Lord we have had enough to eat and have left a great deal besides For God hath so abundantly blessed his people that their offerings have not only yeilded us sufficient provision but this overplus which thou seest here is also left Then the King commanded that they should prepare Chambers and storehouses wherein to lay up what remained for the future and ordered that the tythes and offerings and dedicate things should be laid up in them and appointed Cononiah the Levite and Shimei his brother to be Treasurers and to keep an account of what was brought in and what was delivered out according to the order established 1 Chron. 26.20 Then there are ten set down by name who were overseers under them by the command of the King and the high Priest who had the chief rule over those that belonged to the house of the Lord. And Core who was Porter at the East-gate and six under him had charge to distribute the oblations and tythes to the Priests and Levites and that to all sorts of them as they were set in their several courses both great and small viz. to every one what was sufficient for him And they were to distribute them also to the young ones who were in their Genealogies of males from three years old and upward and to those that were registred in the Genealogies of Priests and Levites from twenty years old and upward who came in their particular courses to do service in the house of the Lord. Nay further they were to distribute them to all their little ones that were registred though under three years and to their wives sons and daughters throughout the whole multitude or congregation of Priests and Levites for they having sanctified themselves in their distinct offices for the holy service of the Temple they had not time or leisure to provide temporal things for themselves their wives and children as others had And besides those persons before mentioned that were to distribute the holy things to those that dwelt at Jerusalem or came up thither in their several courses to perform their service at the Temple there were others also of the Priests chosen that dwelt in the other Cities of the Kingdom that were to give portions to the Priests and Levites whose names were registred according to their Families who were then abiding in those places and not attending at the Temple This care did Hezekiah take throughout all Judah and he did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord and he did it in truth and sincerity And in every work that he began relating to the service of the house of the Lord and to the observance of the Moral Law and the ordinances about Divine worship by all which he took care that God might be duly sought unto and honoured and obeyed he did it uprightly and with a fervent zeal and the Lord prospered him therein 2 Chron. 31. from v. 2 to the end About this time as 't is supposed that Copy of Solomon's Proverbs mentioned Prov. 25.1 was found and transcribed by some of Hezekiah's servants out of the old Manuscript which was as 't is like much spotted and soiled with time and neglect Further we are to observe what an excellent character is given of Hezekiah 2 King 18.5 6. viz. that he trusted in the Lord God of Israel so that after him there was none like him among all the Kings of Judah since the rent of the Kingdoms nor before him He excelled those that went before him in removing the high places which neither Jehoshaphat nor any of the good Kings of Judah had hitherto done But as for those that were after him some may object that which is said of Josiah 2 King 23.25 viz. that there was no King before him like unto him But to this we may answer that though Josiah excelled Hezekiah in some things yet in other things Hezekiah excelled him For Hezekiah was the first that removed the high places but when Josiah removed them he had Hezekiah's example to encourage him therein and Hezekiah was more successful in war than Josiah They were indeed both excellent Princes though in some things the one might excell the other 'T is further said of Hezekiah that he clave to the Lord and departed not from following him but kept his commandments And the Lord was with him and he prospered him in all his enterprizes As in particular in his wars against the Philistines against whom he mightily prevailed and took all those Cities from them which they had taken from his father Ahaz see 2 Chron. 28.18 But we
they think to finish this work they have begun and by sacrifices to dedicate it to God as they use to do other great buildings surely we shall hinder them from that except they can hope to finish their work in one day or a very short time And besides they will want materials for such a work except they can raise up again the burnt stones that made the former wall out of the heaps of the rubbish Tobiah being by when Sanballat thus scoffed he said Let them alone alas the walls they build are so weak that if a Fox should go upon them he would break them down Nehemiah hearing of these scorns and contempt of their enemies betook himself to God by prayer and humbly pleaded that relation that was between God and them Hear O our God says he for we are despised and turn their reproach upon their own head and let scorn and contempt fall on them and let them be carried away captive and there made a prey to their enemies And cover not their iniquity nor let it go unpnished and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee except they repent and cease to proceed on in this their impiety For in reproaching the builders of thy City imployed by thy appointment they have reproached thee so that we desire they may be punished not out of any private grudg or desire of revenge but that thy glory may be vindicated Thus prayed Nehemiah And the builders went on with the work and all the wall was joyn'd together unto the half height thereof for the people had a mind to the work and where there is a willing mind much will be done in a little time But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and Ammonites and Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up and that the breaches began to be stopped they were very angry and conspired together to come and to fight against Jerusalem and to hinder the work But Nehemiah and the Jews made their prayer unto God and set a watch day and night because of them About this time also another trouble arose to Nehemiah for the men of Judah who had the oversight of the work and such also as laboured in the work complained that there was still so much rubbish unremoved and the strength of the bearers of burdens being much decayed they thought they should never be able to go through with the work or to build the walls so as to make them a defence to the City They further added that if the Trench without the wall were not cleared of rubbish all that they had done would be to little purpose This added much to Nehemiah's grief that the workmen themselves should thus complain and mutter He understood also that their adversaries said this of them among themselves They shall not know nor see till we come in the midst of them and slay them and cause the work to cease And the Jews that dwelt among the Samaritans when they came to Jerusalem often * V. 12. Ten times that is many times told their brethren there of the contrivances of these their enemies and said to them From all places by which a man may come from thence hither and go from hence thither they will assault you therefore look to your selves Nehemiah hereupon caused the people for the present to give over their work and to arm themselves that the enemy might not surprize them and to that end he set some of them beneath behind the wall and others above in the towers and other fortifications with their swords arrows and bows in their hands And he spake unto the Nobles and Rulers and the rest of the people saying Be not afraid of them remember the Lord who is great in power and terrible to his enemies and fight for your brethren your sons and your daughters your wives and your houses But when the enemy heard that their design was made known to the Jews and that thereupon they were ready and prepared to defend themselves they laid it aside And God having thus brought their counsel to naught the Jews returned every one to his work at the wall again Yet they were careful still to be in a readiness to resist the enemy in case he should assault them And particularly Nehemiah employed only half of his servants in building the wall the other half stood always ready armed to keep off the enemy if occasion should be and those that were imploy'd in building were also arm'd with swords the Rulers being at their backs to encourage them so that they may he said as it were to have wrought in the work with one hand and to have held a weapon in the other because whilst they were busiest in building they had their weapons ready to defend themselves And he that sounded with the Trumpet kept near to Nehemiah that upon any danger he might give warning to all the people to be ready Nehemiah further said to the Nobles Rulers and rest of the people the work is large and great and we are separated upon the walls one from another in what place therefore ye shall hear the sound of the Trumpet resort thither unto us and our God will fight for us And thus they went on with the work some being in arms from morning to evening and some working at the wall Nehemiah also gave charge to all Masters that had servants and to all workmen that had labourers under them that they should all lodg in the City that so they might be in readiness and at hand both to keep their turns of watching by night and of working by day And Nehemiah though the Governour spared not himself but what he required of others he himself was ready to do And both himself his kindred servants and guard that attended him were so watchful and diligent in this time of danger that they slept in their clothes and did not put them off except when need required that they should be washed Nehem. Ch. 4. whole Chapter The Adversaries of the Jews hearing that the walls of Jerusalem were now almost finished Sanballat and Geshem sent unto Nehemiah that they might have a conference with him near to Ono a City in Benjamin pretending a willingness to be reconciled but intending to do him a mischief he suspecting their design sent them word he was about a great work which he could not leave therefore they must not expect him They sent again and again to him even no less than four times importuning him to come but he still returned the same answer Then Sanballat sent his servants to him a fifth time with an open letter possibly that they might shew it to other Jews before they came to him and so might with the contents thereof discourage them The letter spake after this manner It is reported among the Heathen and Geshem the Arabian affirmeth it that thou and the Jews think to rebell and that thou hast built the wall of Jerusalem that
found some treading wine-presses on the Sabbath-day and bringing in sheaves and wine and grapes and figs and all manner of burdens into Jerusalem on that day and he testified his dispeasure against them as also against those that sold victuals on the Sabbath-days He understood also that some of Tyre brought fish and other wares to sell on the Sabbath-days and that in Jerusalem it self he chides the Nobles and Rulers of Judah for permitting these things and suffering the Sabbath to be so prophaned Did not your fathers says he do thus and did not God for these sins * See Jer. 17.27 among others bring the captivity upon us And for you to return to the same sins for which such judgments have been executed is the way to incense God the more against you and to pull down the heaviest judgments upon you Therefore to redress this great evil on the evening before the Sabbath when it began to be dark at which time the Sabbath began †Levit. 23.32 he commanded the gates to be shut and that they should not be opened that is set wide open that all might have egress and regress as on other days till the Sabbath was ended and set some of his servants at the Gate that there should be no burden brought in on the Sabbath-day So the Merchants and sellers of all kind of wares lodged once or twice without Jerusalem and he testified against them and asked them why they lodged about the wall so that the Jews that dwelt about the wall might be tempted to buy of them on the Sabbath-day He tells them that if they did so again he would lay hands on them and cast them into prison Hereupon from thence forward they came no more on the Sabbath-day Further he commanded the Levites that they should sanctifie themselves and keep the gates of the house of God that no unclean persons might enter into them in that great concourse of people that resorted to them on the Sabbath-days He desires the Lord also to remember him concerning this and to spare him according to the greatness of his mercy He saw also some that had married wives of Ashdod of Ammon and of Moab and their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod and could not speak in the Jews language but according to the language of those people so that they had a mixture of the manners as well as of the language of their heathen mothers And he contended and highly expostulated with them and reviled them and caused some of them that were most obstinate to be beaten according to the Law Deuteron 25.2 and commanded those that were to beat them to pluck off their hair and made them sware * So they had sworn before Ch. 10.29 30. by God that they should not for the future make interchangeable marriages with them He asks them whither Solomon did not sin by these things yet among many Nations there was no King like him who was beloved of his God and God made him King over all Israel nevertheless even him did outlandish women seduce and cause to sin Is it fit therefore says he that we should yield to you in this matter and suffer you to do the like even to marry strange wives you being more liable to be seduced than wise Solomon was He found also that one of the Grand-children of Joiada whose name was Manasses as Josephus reports and brother to Jaddua the high Priest had married the daughter of Sanballat and was not willing to put her away whereupon he caused him to be excommunicated and banished from among them * But that he might not turn away his wife which either he must do or be turned out of his Priesthood his Father-in-law Sanballat undertook to build a Temple on Mount Gerizzim hard by the City Sichem wherein Manasses should be the chief Priest which he accordingly did and many other Priests and Israelites that had married strange wives resorted to him and hereupon there grew a deadly feud between the Samaritans and Jews which lasted to our Saviours times See Job 4 20. Hereupon he desires the Lord to remember those men and to punish them who had defiled the Priesthood by such unlawful marriages and that more special and strict Covenant that God had made with Aaron and his seed together with the Levites concerning their holy function see Levit. 21.6 7. and Numb 25.12 13. Thus Nehemiah cleansed all Priests and Levites from all strangers that is forced them to put away their strange wives and such children as they had by them or else forced them to leave the Temple and the land Further he appointed such courses of the Priests and Levites as David had formerly appointed 1 Chron. 23.24 c. and ordered that every one should do the work of his own place and function and took care about the wood-offering and the first-fruits of which before Chap. 10.34 35. He closes the whole Book with this Prayer Remember me O my God for good Nehem. Ch. 13. whole Chapter The Prophet MALACHI the last of all the Prophets seems to have been Contemporary with Nehemiah The Prophesie of MALACHI For he no where exhorts the people to the building of the Temple as Haggai and Zachary had done He reproves those disorders that Nehemiah in the last Chapter of his Book saith he found in his absence to be crept in among the Jews as particularly marriage with strange women Chap. 2. 11. with-holding Tythes Chap. 3. 8. and corruptions in the worship of God Chap. 1. 13. and Chap. 2. 8. His Prophesie is call'd The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by the hand of Malachi Who ever he was his Prophesie is authentick and the authority thereof notably confirm'd by being so often alledged in the New Testament as in Mat. 11.10 Mark 1.2 Luk. 1.16 17. The occasion and scope of it was this The Jews being newly return'd from Captivity did for a while heartily serve God they built the Altar laid the foundation of the Temple but then for a good while the work ceased partly through the opposition of the Samaritans and partly through their own sluggishness till Haggai and Zachary stirring them up and Darius encouraging them they finished it and set up the worship of God therein aright but after relapsed to corruption and hypocrisie in Gods worship and to loosness in their lives by mixt marriages adultery divorces polygamies and other enormities Hereupon God raised up this Prophet who by his Ministry endeavours to reclaim them and to reform those corruptions In this his Prophetick Sermon he proceeds much in the way of Dialogue In it we may observe two parts 1. A Reproof 2. The effect of it In his Reproof we may take notice of these particulars 1. He aggravates the ungrateful wickedness of the Jews from Gods singular love in electing them in Jacob to be his people and making a Covenant with them when he rejected the Edomites in
he sent with them ten Bedsteads with silver feet and rich furniture thereunto belonging a cup of thirty talents ten vests of scarlet and a Crown richly wrought and about one hundred pieces of very fine linnen and by his letters desired him that if any of those Interpreters had at any time a desire to come and visit him he would not hinder them for he much desired to converse with such kind of men and had rather spend his money upon them than any other way Antiochus Theos third King of Syria gave the Jews living in Ionia equal rights and priviledges with the Gentiles and suffered them to enjoy their own Religion He made sundry times war upon Ptol. Philadelphus and fought with him with all the forces he could raise out of the Oriental parts Wherefore Ptolemy desirous to put an end to this bloody war gave him his daughter Berenice to wife while his former wife Laodice was yet living by whom he had Seleucus Callinicus and Antiochus Hierax with an huge portion which gives light to Dan. 11. v. 5 6. But afterwards he put her away and took Laodice again and she was at last slain by the procurement of Seleucus Callinicus who succeeded his father in the Kingdom which was the Original of many wars between the Kings of Syria and Egypt Manasses Eleazar's Uncle Brother to Onias the first and S on of Jaddus succeeded in the Priesthood at Jerusalem Ptol. Euergetes Son to Ptol. Philadelphus marches into Syria to revenge his Sisters death and over-runs and conquers all before him and then came down to Jerusalem and there offered many sacrifices of thanksgiving unto God and dedicated to him many gifts in acknowledgment of so great a victory and then returned into Egypt carrying with him many rich spoils and Images of their gods which Cambyses heretofore had taken out of Egypt at his being there being called back by a sedition of his own people See Dan. 11.6 7 8 9. Ptol. Euergetes followed his father Philadelphus's steps in promoting learning and the magnificence of the Library begun by him at Alexandria He sent for Eratosthenes Cyrenaeus from Athens and made him keeper of it He took great care to get into his Library the works of ancient writers where ever they could be procured He borrowed from Athens the works of Sophocles Euripides and Aeschylus only to transcribe and left them fifteen Talents in pawn and then caused them to be written out very fair in parchment and then retaining the Originals he sent the Transcripts back desiring them to keep his pawn of fifteen Talents and to suffer the Originals to remain with him Onias the second son of Simon the Just after that Eleazar had executed the office of High Priest because he was then but a child when his father died and after him also Manasses because when he came to age he proved but a half-witted man yet at last came to be High Priest among the Jews in which office he carried himself very unworthily and basely and by his covetousness drew the anger of Ptol. Euergetes upon him for he refused to pay the tribute of twenty Talents of silver which his Predecessors ever used to pay out of their own store for the ease of their people Hereupon Pt. Euergetes in a great rage sent to him that if he did not speedily send him his arrears of tribute he would forthwith give away all his land amongst his Souldiers and plant new Colonies of his own there Josephus the son of Tobias a young man of singular prudence and virtue being advertised by his mother who was the sister of this Onias and daughter of Simon the Just of the coming of these messengers he presently came to Jerusalem and undertook to go in an Embassie to Euergetes about this matter and being come thither he so far insinuated himself into the good liking and favour of the King and Cleopatra the Queen that he not only diverted this storm which threatned his Country but also obtained a company of 2000 Souldiers to levy the tributes and other dues belonging to the King out of Coelosyria Phoenicia Samaria and Judea In which office he continued by the space of twenty two years and in that time doubled the Kings Revenues and brought them from 8 to 16 thousand Talents by the year and brought into the Kings Exchequer all the goods of Felons and other Confiscations which formerly the Exchequer-men swallowed up and shared among themselves Joseph 16. Ch. 3.4 After the decease of Onias the second his son Simon the second succeeded in the Priesthood About the year of the world 3787 when the second Carthaginian war began between Annibal and the Romans the Roman name began to be famous in the world and their power look'd upon as formidable as any of the Kings either of Egypt Syria or Macedon Ptol. Philopator overthrew Antiochus Magnus King of Syria in a great fight near Raphia a City in Syria and so got Raphia and those places round about The Jews sending some of their Sanedrin to render him their service and to congratulate him after so great a victory he promised to go thither and to honour their City with his presence When he came he admired the beauty of their Temple and would fain have gone into the Sanctum Sanctorum whereinto it was not lawful for any to go save the High Priest only The Jews vehemently opposing him therein the King was more earnest and bent upon it whereupon all the Temple was filled with cryings and howlings and the City with tumult Then Simon the High Priest kneeling down between the Temple and the Altar humbly sought help from God in that time of trouble Whereupon the King fell into such an horrour of mind that he was unable to speak and so was carried half dead out of the Temple 2 Mac. Ch. 1. 2. Ptol. Philopator being returned into Egypt fell into all manner of loose living and debauchery and sought by all means to turn the Jews of Alexandria from the worship of the true God and some of those that would not turn he caused to be slain and some he marked with hot irons on their faces and some with the sign of an Ivy-leaf because that was the badg of Bacchus Hereupon many abandoned their Religion in compliance to the King's will Others bought their peace and saved their lives and escaped their marking with hot irons for their money But they who continued constant in the Religion of their forefathers continued also constant in their allegiance to the King but would not converse in any kind with those of their own Nation who had apostatized from their Religion whereupon their enemies presently made this construction of it that they opposed the King in his power and Government and sought to turn away his subjects from their obedience Upon this Philopator growing angry with the Jews not only in Alexandria but even throughout all Egypt sent out orders to have them all gathered together into one
a great Marriage and bring the Bride from Medaba with great Pomp being the Daughter of one of their Noblest Princes they went and hiding themselves under the Covert of the Mountain when the Bridegroom and his Friends came forth with Timbrels and Instruments of Musick rose up out of the Ambush slew 400 of them and took the Spoil So having revenged the death of their Brother they returned again into the Marshes of Judea 1 Mac. 9. When Bacchides heard this he marched down and came thither with a great Army upon the Sabbath-day and Jonathan being beset behind and before by the enemy and on each side with the River and Marshes yet encouraged his men to fight and after having slain about a 1000 of them seeing himself too weak for the enemy He and his men leaped into Jordan and got over to the other side neither did the enemy attempt to follow him As for Bacchides he returned to Jerusalem and built fenced Cities in Judea and a Fort in Jericho and other places and garrison'd them all that by their Sallies and Incursions they might annoy the Israelites He fortifyed also the Cities of Bethsura and Gazara with the Castle at Jerusalem where he placed Soldiers and Provisions and taking the Sons of the chief of the Country for Hostages he put them in ward in the Tower of Jerusalem 1 Mac. 9. The Ambassadors sent from Judas Maccabaeus to Rome were kindly received and concluded a League of Association with the Romans the Tenor of which was That they should mutually assist and succour each other against the common Enemy And the Articles were written in Tables of Brass The Senate also wrote Letters to Demetrius That he should forbear to oppress the Jews any further being their Confederates otherwise they vvould vvage War upon him both by Land and Sea And this vvas the first League that vvas ever knovvn to be betvven the Romans and the Jews About this time as it should seem Alcimus commanded the wall in the Temple which severed the Court of the People from that of the Gentiles to be pulled down which had been built by Zerubbabel and the Prophets whose Monuments he began also to pull down and destroy But at the same time he was so smitten that he could not open his own mouth nor so much as give orders concerning his own House but died in great Torment the third year after he had usurped the High-Priesthood After his death Jerusalem was seven years without any High-Priest at all But then Jonathan put on the High-Priests Robes After Alcimus's death Bacchides returned to Demetrius For two years the land of Judea continued quiet but at the end thereof certain wicked Jews sent for Bacchides again acquainting him that he might easily apprehend Jonathan and his Company in one night Whereupon Bacchides made towards them with a great force and sent privily Letters to his Friends in Judea to assist him in this Enterprize But their Plot was discovered to Jonathan and his Company and he taking 50 of the Contrivers of that Villany put them all to death Then Jonathan and Simon and those that were with him removed to Bethbasin in the Wilderness and repaired the walls thereof and fortified it which Bacchides having notice of went down thither and besieged it But such was his Entertainment from the besieged who sallying out burnt his Engines and killed many of his men that having lain before the place a long time to no purpose and being thus disappointed in his hopes he turn'd his anger against those that had procur'd him to make this Expedition in so much that he slew many of them and purposed to return into his own Land Jonathan having notice thereof sent to him to treat of peace and to exchange Prisoners which he gladly accepted of protesting he would not any more disturb Jonathan all the days of his life So he returned home into his own land and never after entred into Judea with an Army The Wars thus composed in Judea Jonathan dwelt at Michmash in the Tribe of Benjamin and began to judge the people and to take away the Wicked out of Israel About this time Alexander Bala crying himself up for the Son of Antiochus Epiphanes seized upon Ptolemais a City in Phaenicia Demetrius hearing of this began to prepare to fight with him and sent Letters also to Jonathan whereby he renewed peace with him and gave him Authority to levy forces and provide Arms that he might assist him in his War against Alexander He commanded also that the Hostages which were kept in the Fort should be released which was accordingly done and he delivered them to their Parents Jonathan improving this opportunity began to re-edifie and repair Jerusalem and to build up the Walls And the Aliens that were in the Forts which Bacchides built quitted them and hasted away to their own land Alexander having notice of Demetrius's Message to Jonathan he courts him likewise and desires his Friendship and Association And among many other Priviledges and Immunities which he granted to that Nation he appointed him to be the High-Priest sending him Purple and a Crown of Gold and honoured him with the Title of being called the Kings Friend So in the seventh month of the 160th year of the Seleucides Jonathan put on the holy Robe in the nineth year after the death of his brother Judas the Priesthood having been vacant seven years from the death of Alcimus being the first of the Hasmoneans that arrived at this dignity as being descended from Jehojarib of the Priests family indeed but not from Jaddus the High-Priest whose Heir Onias now lived in Egypt with Ptol. Philometor The Jews now disclaiming Demetrius of whose hatred to them they had had sufficient experience stick close to Alexander and from that time forward continued his Confederates in the War Alexander Bala having gotten an Army together made up partly of the Soldiers that revolted to him from Demetrius and partly of the Auxiliaries of Attalus King of Pergamus Ariarathes King of Cappadocia and Jonathan and especially Ptol. Philometor encountred Demetrius and conquering his Army killed him in the Fight after he had reigned in Syria twelve years And so Alexander obtained the Kingdom Alexander shortly after remembring how much he was engaged to Ptol. Philometor for his assistance sent to him to desire his Daughter to make him a Wife which he willingly assented to and brought her to Ptolemais in Phoenicia and there married her to him with Royal and magnificent Solemnity Jonathan being by Alexander invited to this Wedding he brought with him great Presents of Gold and Silver and several other things which he presented to both the Kings and their Friends so that thereby he much wrought himself into their favour At the same time several vile male-contents came out of Judea to accuse Jonathan but Alexander was so far from listning to any Tales against him that he caused him to be clothed with Purple and to set next to
about Tryphon having brought his design thus far on as to break the power of Demetrius and having to that end desired the friendship of Jonathan he now desired his ruine above all things as standing in his way and likely to hinder his intended Treason For he resolved to seize upon the Kingdom himself but fearing lest Jonathan should stand fast to the Interest of the young King and oppose him he came down with his forces to Bethsan thinking to surprize Jonathan but he hearing of his coming made towards him with 40 thousand choice men which so disheartned Tryphon that he was so far from daring to attempt any thing against him that he treated him very honourably and with Presents and other kindnesses so dissembled with him that he perswaded him at last to dismiss his army and taking only a selected party along with him to go to Ptolemais which he promised to put into his hands Jonathan consenting hereunto sent all his men back but a 1000 whom he took along with him but as soon as he entred Ptolemais Tryphon commanded the Gates to be shut and cut off all his men and kept him Prisoner Then Tryphon invaded Judea with a great Army carrying Jonathan with him Prisoner to oppose whom Simon the Brother of Jonathan was chosen General in his stead by the people But Tryphon seeing the Jews prepared for resistance feigned as if Jonathan was only detained for a 100 Talents of Silver which he was in arrear which if they would send to him together with Jonathans two Sons for Hostages as a security that Jonathan should not attempt to revenge his Imprisonment after he got his liberty he promised he should be released Simon though he distrusted him yet least it should be said he neglected any thing for his Brothers safety sent his Nephews with the money which when Tryphon had received he most perfidiously slew Jonathan and then returned into Syria Jonathan lived after the decease of his Brother Judas 17 years and enjoyed the High-Priesthood about nine years he was put to death near Bascha in the Country of Gilead and there buried Simon some time after sent to fetch away the body of his Brother Jonathan and buried it at Modin the City of their Ancestors and all Israel lamented him many days Simon also built a stately Monument over the Sepulchre of his Father and his Brothers exceeding high of white stone polished all over He erected also seven Pyramids all of a row in memory of his Father and Mother and Brothers To these he addded a Porch of great Pillars on which he caused the Portraiture of Armies and Ships to be engraven Josephus says this rare Sepulchre of Modin lasted to his time Tryphon now makes away young Antiochus giving out that he was troubled with the Stone and under pretence of cutting him for it he caused the Physicians to kill him This done he put the Crown upon his own head Simon being so highly disobliged by him and accounting him a great Tyrant and Robber he sent to make his peace with Demetrius presenting him with a Crown of Gold Demetrius considering the great Respect the Romans had lately shewed the Nation of the Jews and particularly to the Ambassadors Jonathan had lately sent to confirm the League with them promised to bury all things in oblivion and confirmed to Simon the Immunities before granted to Jonathan The year after he had the Castle of Jerusalem surrendred to him The Gentiles within having been pent up for two years without any relief were most of them consumed with Famine Simon having cleansed the Fort of all the Pollution of Idols entred in with Branches of Palms Harps Cymbals Viols Hymns and Songs He ordained also an Anniversary Solemnity for this day Which done he afterwards repaired and fortified it together with the Hill of the Temple and there dwelt himself with his attendants After he had been High Priest three years by a publick instrument of the Priests Nobles and Elders of the people after a recapitulation of his merits and great services performed for his Nation he was made their Prince and High Priest perpetual till God should raise up the true Prophet and all ornaments and prerogatives of Majesty were given unto him This instrument being made in brass was fastened to the wall that encompassed the Sanctuary and a Copy thereof was laid up in the Treasury Thus was the yoke of the Heathen taken off from Israel and the people began to date their instruments and contracts from the years of their High Priests after this manner viz. In the first year of Simon being the great High Priest General and Leader of the Jews 1 Mac. 14. Simon seeing his Son John Sirnamed afterwards Hircanus to be a very valiant man appointed him Captain over all his forces Demetrius being invited by the Macedonians to come and head them against the Parthians and being with great alacrity received and assisted by them he overthrew the Parthians in several Battels till at last being circumvented by the cunning of one of their Princes and having lost his Army he fell into their hands and was cast into Prison Arsaces King of the Parthians having got him thus into his hands afterwards sent him into Hircania where he caused him to be treated with respect due to a King and afterwards gave him his daughter to wife promising to restore unto him the Kingdom of Syria which Tryphon had dispossessed him of The Souldiers in Syria growing weary of Tryphon's Government revolted from him to Cleopatra wife of Demetrius who then lived in Seleucia with her children Cleopatra taking it in great disdain that Demetrius her husband had married the King of Parthia's daughter in a strange revenge sent to his Brother Antiochus called Sidetes or the Hunter second Son of Demetrius Soter offering her self in marriage to him and with her self the Kingdom also Antiochus willingly accepted the offer and marrying of her took the name of King upon him Then writing Letters to Simon the High Priest and Ruler of the Jews and designing to make him his friend he confirms unto him not only all the priviledges and immunities which other Kings of Syria had granted but added also a priviledg of coyning money with his own stamp Simon now sent Ambassadours to Rome for himself and the people of the Jews to renew their League and Amity with the Romans These Ambassadours carried with them a great shield of gold of a thousand pound weight to present to the Roman Senate The present was very kindly accepted and Lucius the Consul gave them Letters to the Neighbouring Kings and Provinces prohibiting them from attempting any thing which might prejudice the Jews or abetting and assisting any that should fight against them And if at any time any Runnagado-Jews should flee out of Judea and come into their Territories they should deliver them up to Simon the High Priest to be proceeded against according to the Laws of their Country Antiochus Sidetes having married
of a Civil War And therefore Malichus stifly denying he had any hand in Antipaters death they seemed satisfied with his justifications and Phasaelus set himself to erect a Monument for his Father Not long after the Feast of Penticost approaching Herod came up to Jerusalem with a company of Soldiers at his Heels Malichus hearing of his coming in this Equipage was much startled at it and perswaded Hircanus not to suffer him to enter the City and Hircanus accordingly forbad him to approach so holy a solemnity with a Profane rout of Strangers But he notwithstanding got in by night and so affrighted Malichus that he betook himself to his old Trade of dissembling and openly bewail'd with Tears the death of Antipater as his great Friend So that for that time it was thought fit by Herods friends for the shunning of Suspicion to treat him fairly Yet Herod by Letters signified his Fathers death to Cassius who willed him by all means to revenge it and gave order to the Tribunes then lying at Tyre to assist him in his just endeavours Cassius not long after having taken Laodicea the Governours came flocking from all places to him bringing Crowns and Money and Herod expected now that Malichus should be punished for the Murder of his Father Malichus being apprehensive of the danger he was in began to cast about for his own security And his Son being at that time kept in Tyre as an hostage he resolved to go in and get him out by stealth and carry him into Judea whilst Cassius was busied in the War against Antonius to stir up the Nation of the Jews to revolt from the Romans and then to depose Hircanus and get the Kingdom to himself Herod understanding something of his design prevented him For inviting Hircanus and him to Supper with their company in Tyre he sent to the Tribunes to come out to meet them who remembring the Commands of Cassius encountered Malichus on the Shore and slew him there Hircanus much startled at this fact asks Who had slain Malichus One of the Tribunes answered The Command of Cassius At which he replied Then Cassius hath saved both me and my Countrey from him that plotted the destruction of both After Cassius was gone out of Syria there arofe a great stir at Jerusalem For Felix who was left thereby Cassius with Soldiers in revenge of Malichus's death set upon Phasaelus and it hapned that at that very time Herod being at Damascus with Fabius the Roman Captain was fallen sick and so unable to come and help his Brother Notwithstanding Phasaelus was hard enough for Felix and forced him into a Tower where he gave him quarter and let him go with his life But he expostulated highly with Hircanus objecting ingratitude to him for taking Felix's part and suffering the Brother of Malichus to seize divers Castles which he held at this present and Massada among the rest the strongest of all But Herod upon his recovery gained from him all those Castles and let him go out of Massada upon composition Antigonus the Son of Aristobulus about this time so bribed Fabius that he suffered him to get for himself an army He was also aided by Ptol. Mennaeus who by Cassius's means had subjected Tyre and divers places in Syria and three Castles in Galilee and adher'd to him for the hatred he bore to Herod But Herod going against those Castles had them surrendred to him by the Tyrians whom he dismissed very graciously out of respect to their City and then marched against Antigonus whom he overthrew in battel presently after he had entred the Coasts of Judea Going to Jerusalem he was very honourably received not only by the People but by Hircanus also who had of late agreed to receive him into his Family having consented to a Contract between him and Mariamne the Daughter of Alexander eldest Son of Aristobulus whom with young Aristobulus her brother he had by Alexandra Hircanus's own Daughter Herod by this Wife had afterwards three Sons and two Daughters having by a former Wife and his own Country-woman Doris his eldest Son Antipater Within a while after Cassius and Brutus were overthrown at Philippi by Cesar and Antony of whom the former returning into Italy the other came over into Asia which gave occasion to new stirs in Judea Anthony being come into Bithinia Ambassadors were sent thither to him from all Countries and among the rest some came from the chief of the Jews to accuse Phasaelus and Herod who usurped as they said all the Power and Hircanus reigned only in shew Herod went thither to defend himself and so prevailed with his money that his Accusers could do nothing against him Anthony being come to Ephesus an Ambassy was dispatched to him in the name of Hircanus and the whole Nation of the Jews desiring that all Captives that Cassius had carried away out of Judea might he set at liberty which he readily granted and sent his Letters throughout the Provinces to effect it As he was travelling into Syria Cleopatra met him in Cilicia to whose Allurements he wholly gave up himself Being come to Daphne near Antioch an hundred of the most considerable men among the Jews came to him to complain of Phasaelus and Herod but Anthony who knew their Father and had been obliged by him when he served in Egypt under Gabinius made them both Tetrarchs leaving unto them the Government of all Judea and clapt up fifteen of their Adversaries in Prison and would have put them to death had not Herod interceeded for them Yet notwithstanding the Jews were not so discouraged as to desist for instead of an hundred now a thousand resolved to go to Tyre there to complain to Anthony against the two Brothers but he being already sufficiently bribed by them commanded the Magistrates of the place to kill them as persons that attempted Innovations Herod coming to the Jews advised them to withdraw themselves and Hircanus also who was there shewed them the danger they were in if they should go on in their Purpose But they contemning this advice were presently fallen upon by some of their own Countrymen that were there as also by the Inhabitants of the Town and part of them being slain and others taken the rest got away and returned home The people exceedingly clamour'd against Herod for this at which Anthony was so far incensed that he slew those he had in hold A year or two after Pacorus son to the King of Parthia and Barzaphernes one of his great Officers seized upon Syria Antigonus the Son of Aristobulus bargains with the Parthians promising them a 1000 Talents to settle him in the Kingdom of Judea and to kill Herod with his Friends The Parthians undertake it and in order to effect it march with their Army into Judea A strong party of horse under the command of Pacorus Butler to the King of Parthia are sent before to make discoveries The Jews about Carmel and divers others joyn with them for
set a mark upon him possibly some strange trembling of his head or some frightful ghasty look which would make him a horrible Spectacle of Divine Vengeance to terrifie others from so detestable a Crime And whosoever should slay him thus marked and do unto him as he had done to his Brother more then a single Vengeance should be taken of him Gen. 4.15 (q) Seven-fold that is manifold according to the usual expression of the Scripture See Psal 12.6 79.12 Job 5.19 Prov. 26.25 The Lord having and probably in a visible Apparition thus sentenced Cain as soon as he was got out of the place where God manifested his presence He fled as a banished man from his Native Soil and the Land where his Father dwelt to a Land East of Eden which afterwards from his wandring there was call'd the Land of Nod. Sometime after his Wife bare him a Son whom he named Enoch and in process of time He and his Posterity (r) If Abraham's Posterity in less then 400 years amounted to six hundred thousand persons how many might Cain's Posterity be ere he built this City beginning to build a City in that Country He called it by his Sons Name Unto this Enoch was born Irad unto Irad Mehujael unto Mehujael Methusael and unto Mâ—thusael Lamech This Lamech being a Branch of that wicked root of Cain bringeth into the World the Abomination of Polygamy or having more Wives at once than one For He took to himself Ada and Zillah By the former he had Jabal who first invented at least among Cain's Posterity the use of Tents and taught the right ordering of the Flock and Jubal who invented Musical Instruments such as the Harp and Organ By the latter viz. Zillah He had Tubal-Cain (s) Ex quo Gentibus Dei Vulcani nomen who wrought in Brass and Iron and Naamah who they say (t) Hartman found out the way of ordering Wooll and of Carding and Weaving This Lamech presuming possibly upon the strength of his Family and priding himself in the Arts invented by his Sons especially by Tubal-Cain who was an Artificer in Brass and Iron and possibly made Swords and such Instruments of War He thought himself able to resist and oppose any that should offend Him Therefore in a boasting vanting fashion he speaks thus to his wives who seemed afraid of him lest his fierce and boisterous humour should expose him to danger Fear ye not my Wives concerning me For if any man should attempt to set upon me I would slay that man by my wounding him and though a young man I would dispatch him by my hurting him * Vide Frid. in loc pag. 36. And if Cain a Fratricid shall be avenged seven-fold surely Lamech that kills a man in his own defence shall be avenged seventy times seven-fold Gen. 4. from 1. to 25. SECT V. AFter the death of Abel Adam begat Seth in his own likeness and after his own Image (u) Yet God was still the Father and Creator of the Spirits of all Flesh Heb. 12.9 Numb 16.22 that is such as he himself now was namely sinful and not such as he was created Seth was born in the 130th Year of Adam In the Race of Seth the account of Years is carried on from the Creation to the Flood And among these as it seems principally the true worship of God was maintained which by the Race of Cain was very miserably corrupted To Seth at the age of an 105 Years a Son was born whom he called Enoch that is sorrowful intimating thereby the woful and lamentable condition the World was in at that time by reason of the corruption and wickedness that was found in the Progeny of Cain However Seth and his Off-spring did then more openly and solemnly set up and establish the Worship of God than formerly it had been Whence it came to pass that they that persisted in that way of Worship were known by the Name of the Children of God * Deut. 14.1 and they who forsook God and his sincere Worship were called the Children of Men Gen. 6.2 Gen. 4.25 26. SECT VI. ENoch being ninty years old begat Cainan Cainan when he was 70 begat Mahalaleel Mahalaleel at 65 years old had Jared born to Him Jared at 162 years old had Enoch born to him Enoch at 65 years old had Methusalah born to him Methusalah at 187 had Lamech born to him Now Adam the Father of Mankind died when he had lived nine hundred and thirty years Seth the Son of Adam died when he had lived 912 years Noah the tenth from Adam was born when his Father Lamech had lived 182. And his Father prophesied of him that he would be a man of eminent Piety and such a Son as would much comfort his Parents notwithstanding all the miseries labours troubles and sorrows which Sin had brought upon Mankind and notwithstanding the many Evils they met with in that wicked and uncomfortable time Enos the third from Adam died when he had lived 905 years Mahalaleel the fifth from Adam died when he had lived 895 years Jared the sixth from Adam died when he had lived 962 years As for Enoch the seventh from Adam He was a very holy person one that walked with God and followed not the wickedness of that Age but with great courage set himself against it and being a Prophet as we read Jude v. 14 15. He plainly told them of and set before them the day of Judgment Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him I say this holy Person God was pleased to translate immediately into Heaven (x) Per Enochi migrationem beatam patet nimium eos falli qui in hujus mundi caeno spem universam defigunt ut aeternitatis cognitione ex animis omnino deleta And besides this instance before the Law we have a like example of the translation of Elias after the giving of the Law c. 2 Kings 2.11 not suffering him to die as other men ordinarily do when he had lived as many years as there are days in our Year viz. 365. Thus it pleased God to shew to that Age that there was a future Coelestial State of Bliss and Happiness that good men both in Soul and Body shall enjoy hereafter Gen. 5. whole Chapter SECT VII IN the 480th Year of the life of Noah the Lord seeing that the generality of the World had corrupted their ways and that the Professors of his true Worship namely the Posterity of Seth without any regard to their Profession had scandalously and promiscuously (y) Gods Law afterwards forbad such Marriages with such as were out of the Church Deut. 7.3 4. Exod. 34.16 2 Cor. 6.14 married with the Daughters of the profane Race of Cain who
were meer natural unregenerate men and that they had taken to them Wives according to the liking of their Eyes without any regard to Piety or Virtue God being highly provoked with this Generation for this and their other great Enormities He declares that having now a long time strove with them both by outward Preaching and Admonitions of the pious Patriarchs as also by the inward Convictions and blessed motions of his own Holy Spirit He should not now continue to strive with them for he perceived they were fleshly walking after their own lusts Jud. v. 16. and not like to reform and amend However of his Mercy he would try them once more and would allow them the space of an 120 Years to repent in * 1 Pet. 3.19 20. If no amendment appeared in that time He determined by an Vniversal Deluge to destroy from the Earth Men and Beasts and creeping things and the Fowls of the Air. 'T is also recorded that there were in those days Men of huge stature and strength far beyond others such as Og and the Anakims afterwards in Moses's time Numb 13.33 and Goliah and Isbi-benoth in Davids 2 Sam. 21.16 who being admired for their bodily strength presumed to oppress others For the Curse of God following those unequal Matches of the Children of Seth with the Children of Cain many of their seed became such Gyants namely fierce and cruel men and played the Tyrants over those among whom they lived God therefore seeing the wickedness of Man to be so exceeding great on the Earth and that his mind was a Mint of evil Imaginations and his Heart a Sink of evil Affections whereby they evidenced the great depravation of mans Nature by the Fall it repented the Lord that he had made Man that is speaking of himself after the manner of men He declares He intended now to do what men that repent and are grieved for what they have done are wont to do namely to destroy the works of his own hands from off the Earth Therefore he speaks thus of himself to the men of that Generation both that he might stoop to their Capacity as also shew unto them the height and hainousness of their sins which had provoked Him to destroy so great a part of those Creatures which he had made for his own Glory and particularly Man from whom he expected more eminent Honour and Service But though God was so highly offended with the generality for their wickedness yet Noah being a just man and upright in his Generation and one that walked with God found Grace in his sight and being a Preacher of Righteousness * 2 Pet. 2.5 to that wicked Age the Lord was graciously pleased to make choice of him and his Family to be a remnant and a seed out of which Mankind and his Church should be increas'd and propagated Gen. 6. from 1. to 14. SECT VIII NOah first began to set his mind to the propagation of an Off-spring when he was 500 years old Gen. 5.32 To whom was born first of all Japheth Gen. 10.21 His second Son was Sem being two years after the Flood an 100 years old Gen. 11.10 His third Son was Ham. God seeing that all Flesh that is all mankind had corrupted their ways and that the Earth was filled with violence through the wickedness of the Children of men he tells Noah that the end of all Flesh was come before him that is that the time of their destruction was at hand and he would destroy them from off the Earth And accordingly he now commands Noah to build an Ark of Gophir-wood and to make it 300 Cubits (z) Understand Sacred Cubits which were double to the common as appears by comparing the 1 Kings 9.15 with 2 Chron. 3.15 some understand hereby the geometrical Cubit six times as long as the common Cubit And thus we may easily conceive the capacity of the Ark to be fully sufficient to hold whatsoever was to be contained in it And no doubt God instructed Noah as to the quality and quantity of Provisions that he was to provide for all that were to be in the Ark. long 50 broad and 30 in height appointing him to make it three stories high with several Rooms in it pitching it within and without So that the length was to be ten times more then the height and six times more than the breadth resembling something as to the fashion of it a mans Coffin Into this Ark Noah was commanded by God to take his Wife and his three Sons and their wives with some of all living Creatures which should by his instinct and moving come unto him of their own accord without his Care The clean Beasts * Here is a distinction of clean and unclean Beasts and Fowls in Noah's time and was instituted in all likelihood soon after the Fall of Man long before Moses's time The use of the seventh of the clean Beasts and Fowls was for Sacrifice Ch. 8.20 Of the other six either four must be for meat and the other two for preservation of seed Or four of those seven might be for encrease of those Beasts and Fowls which were of most use and comfort to Mankind and the other two for present food and the seventh for Sacrifice and Fowls should come by seven and the unclean by two And with Noah God makes a Covenant to preserve Him in case he trusted in Him typifying thereby the spiritual preservation and salvation of true Believers by Christ from the Deluge of Gods wrath 1 Pet. 3.20 21. Heb. 11.7 But the old World in the mean time void of all fear and sense of danger followed their old Course and went on eating and drinking marrying and giving in Marriage Math. 24.38 Gen. 6. from 14. to the end Gen. 7.1 2 3. SECT IX MEthuselah the eight from Adam died in the 969th Year of his Age and so out-went all men in length of life Gen. 5.27 Lamech the ninth from Adam died when he had lived 777 years Gen. 5.31 On the 10th day of the second month in the Year of the World 1656. and in the six hundredth year of the life of Noah God commanded him that he should provide himself to enter into the Ark and take the living Creatures into it that should be preserved in it Upon the 17th day of the same month Noah (a) Ferunt eum duabus columnis uni lateritiae alteri lapideae coelestium rerum scientiam inscripsisse è quibus lapideam suo tempore superfuisse narrat Josephus in Syria and his Wife and Children and the living Creatures of all sorts being entred into the Ark the Lord shut him in that is either by the ministry of Angels or his own immediate power caused the door on the out-side to be made sure and safe against the rain and violence of the waters and so what could not be done by outward means he himself was pleased to supply And thus all vain Cavils and Imaginations which the
establish them for a people that may be His in a peculiar manner and may appertain to Him as his peculiar Treasure to serve him faithfully and to enjoy the blessings of his Covenant see Ch. 7.6 And all Nations shall see by the singular blessings that shall be heaped upon this people that God did indeed own them for his peculiar people and that they were called by his Name and so owned as his Children and thereupon called the Children of God upon which account other Nations should be afraid of them 8. They shall be blessed with rain The Lord will open to them his good Treasures the Heavens shall give them rain in due season The Heavens are called the Lords Treasure because He keepeth therein those things wherewith He causeth the Earth to be fruitful as rain to water the ground and snow to make it fertil and the heat of the Sun and influences of the Moon and Stars to make all things therein to grow and prosper 9. They shall so increase in riches that they shall lend unto many Nations and shall not borrow of them Ch. 15.6 These blessings he shews would follow and overtake them if they walked faithfully in Gods Statutes and did not turn aside from them either to the right hand or to the left nor did decline to other gods from vers 1. to 15. But if they were Disobedient then he tells them Such Judgments and Curses should pursue them and overtake them as were directly contrary to these Blessings First God would send upon them cursing vexation and rebuke in all that they set their hands unto He would send the Pestilence into their Cities and Towns and would command it to cleave to them and to continue long among them 2ly He would smite them with the Consumption Feaver Inflammation and extream burning and with Drought Blasting and Mildew 3ly The Heaven should be as Brass and the Earth as Iron and the Lord would make the rain of their Land powder and dust that is instead of rain the dust being driven by the wind in time of drought should fall upon their Grounds Trees and Plants c. 4ly They shall flee before their Enemies and shall be scattered into the several Nations of the Earth and those of them that should be slain by the Enemy their Carcasses should lie unburied and should be meat for the Fowls of the Air and Beasts of the Field none fraying them away 5ly God would smite them with the botch of Egypt that is with Boils breaking forth with Blains see Exod. 9.9 and with the Emrods or Piles with the Scab and with an incurable Itch. 6ly With madness blindness and astonishment of heart that is God would deprive them of the use of their understandings that they should stand like blind men or men amazed and astonished not knowing which way to turn themselves and should do such things which if they were not blind or mad they would never do And as an effect of this bruitish stupidity they should grope at noon-day that is should not apprehend their danger nor discern the right ways of helping themselves they should be oppressed and spoiled and none should succour them 7ly He threatens to deprive them of things very dear to them even then when they were in expectation to injoy them They should betroth wives and others should enjoy them they should build Houses but not dwell in them plant Vineyards but not gather the Grapes of them their Oxen Asses and Sheep should be violently taken away from them 8ly Their Sons and Daughters should be led into Captivity and their eyes should look earnestly and even fail with longing for their return and there should be no might or power in their hands to rescue or recover them again out of the hands of their Enemies They should be oppressed and crushed by a Nation they knew not who should eat the fruit of their Land and of their labour so that they should be even mad and distracted by reason of the dreadful Calamities which they should be constrained to behold with their eyes 9ly The Lord would smite them with a sore and incurable Botch from the crown of the Head to the sole of the Foot 10ly They and their King as it happened to Manassah Jehoiachim and Zedekiah and their Sons and their Daughters should be carried into Captivity and there they should be either inticed or forced to serve other gods viz. Wood and Stone and their Calamities should be so great that their very Enemies should be astonished at them and they should be flouted and scorned and made a laughing-stock in those places where they should be Captive 1 Kings 9.7 11ly Hurtful Vermine such as Locusts and Worms should devour the fruits of their Fields and Vineyards and their choice Trees should cast their fruit 12ly The Strangers that were left among them should prevail against them and be Lords over them and should be in a far better state than themselves And all these Curses which should overtake them should be upon them and their Seed as a sign of Gods great Indignation against them and for a wonder that a people who were once so high in his Favour should be so unwise and wicked as to provoke Him to bring such a Change upon them And because they served not the Lord with joyfulness and gladness of heart with delight and thankfulness for the abundance of all good things he gave them that therefore they should be forced to serve their Enemies in hunger and thirst nakedness and want of all things and that their Enemies should put a yoke of Iron upon their Necks and keep them in bondage till they were destroyed see Neh. 9.25 26 27. Jer. 28.13 14. 13ly God would suffer them to be invaded by a powerful foreign Enemy who should come as swift as an Eagle that is suddainly unexpectedly and with irresistible Violence viz. the Babilonians * Described Dan. 7.4 to be a Lion with Eagles wings see Ezek. 17.3 12. Forsan ad Romanos allusit aquilis suis notissimos a quibus haec passi sunt Tremel whose Language they understood not and so would be extreamly troubled how to speak to them or beg any favour of them A Nation of a fierce Countenance which should not regard the person of the Old nor shew favour to the Young who should wast their Country and eat up the fruits of their Cattel and of their Land and should besiege them in all their Cities * V. 52. In omnibus portis tuis i. e. civitatibus Synecdoche membri and batter down their high and fenced Walls wherein they trusted and then all the Evils and Calamities incident to places straitly besieged should fall upon them Parents should eat the fruits of their own Bodies the flesh of their Sons and Daughters The man that was tender among them and very delicate dainty and voluptuous should grudge †V. 54. Malignas erit oculus ejus i. e. invidebit fratri c.
his Brother nay the Wife of his bosom and his remaining Children any share of the Child he shall eat having nothing else left to feed upon in that Extremity The tender and delicate woman * Contigerunt iis ad literam in obsidione Samariae 4 Reg. 6. v. 29. in obsidione Jerusalem per Babilonios Threnorum 2. v. 20. in Romanâ apud Josephum Threnorum 2. dicuntur parvuli ad mensuram palmae comesti i. e. etiam imperfecti per aborsum abjecti Et tales videntur vocari hic illo versu 57 illuvies secundarum nempe proles adhuc secundis seu secundinis sordibus involuta ideo immundissima abominanda potius quam ad cibum expetenda Jans among them that would not adventure to set the sole of her foot on the ground for delicateness and tenderness she should grudge the Husband of her bosom and her Children grown up any share of her young Children which she should eat in secret in that extream Famine from vers 15. to 58. He further tells them That if they did not set themselves to fear the glorious God V. 58. That thou mayst fear this glorious and fearful Name the Lord thy God by the Name of God is to be understood the Lord Himself whose Name is Jehovah He would make their Plagues wonderful and would bring upon them and their Children great Plagues and Sicknesses and of long continuance yea the strange evil Diseases wherewith God plagued the Egyptians of which they were so much afraid should cleave unto them yea more Plagues should fall on them then are written in this Book And whereas they were as the Stars of Heaven for multitude they should be so wasted and destroyed that they should come to be but few in number And as the Lord formerly rojoyced over them to do them good and to multiply them so now He would rejoyce in their destruction and the execution of his Justice upon such Despisers of his Mercy and they should be plucked off from the Land which God gave them for an Inheritance viz. Canaan and so should lose the Pledge of their Adoption which would be a sad sign to them that their heavenly Father had disinherited them and cast them off And they should be dispersed and scattered abroad into many Nations and in their exile they should be inticed or forced to worship Wood and Stone and among those Nations they should find no ease or rest but should be hurried from place to place so that their hearts should tremble †Judaea tremen Juv. Satyr 6. and their eyes fail with extream weeping and their minds be fill'd with sorrow and vexation And they should be in continual doubt and fear both day and night of losing their lives which must needs make their condition exceeding grievous to them In the morning they should wish it were even and at even they should wish it were morning thorow the terrors of their minds and by reason of the dismal things they should see with their eyes And the Lord would cause them to be carried again by Ships into Egypt whither he had said they should return no more * God promised they should not return again thither on condition they were Obedient see Ch. 17.16 The Lord hath said unto you Ye shall henceforth return no more that way that is into that Country This was verified when the Jews after the destruction of Jerusalem were carried in Ships to Egypt and there fold for Slaves †There were then 97 thousand Captives of the Jews but they were so vile and contemptible that many would not proffer any money for them even to be their Slaves and none would buy them with an intent to set them at liberty from vers 58. to the end Chap. XXX He further declares to them That when in their exile they shall reflect upon the experience they had of Gods blessing them so eminently while they continued Obedient and how severely He punished them when they were Disobedient and shall thereupon truly repent and seriously turn unto the Lord both they and their Children and shall serve the Lord with all their Heart and Soul then the Lord will have compassion on them and will turn their Captivity and gather them from all the Nations under Heaven whither he had scattered them and from thence will fetch them back to their own Country see Neh. 1.9 And He will Circumcise †Promissio haec est spiritualium beneficiorum per Christum Conser Rom. 2.29 Col. 2.11 12. their hearts and the hearts of their Children that is will purge them of their Corruptions by the Grace of his Spirit and renew them and incline them to a ready Obedience to his Will that it may go well with them And his Curses shall fall on their Enemies and on those that persecuted them But they shall be blessed in the fruit of their Bodies of their Cattel and of their Land and these blessings shall be given them in mercy and shall tend to their good and not their hurt And the Lord will rejoce over them to do them good as he rejoyced over their Fathers And lest any of them should object and say they would willingly obey the Commandments of the Lord if they knew them He tells them That the directions he had given them concerning the way and means of Salvation by Faith in the Messias and the moral Law which he had given them as the rule * Loquitur de tota in genere Dei Doctrina quae Evangelium sub se Comprehendit ut clare ostendit Paulus Rom. 10.8 of their Obedience they could not pretend to be ignorant of Neither were those things hidden from them so that the knowledge of them need be fetched down from Heaven or from some remote Country for them for they were sufficiently revealed to them the word was very nigh them in their mouths and in their heart It was plainly reveal'd to them frequently read and expounded to them by the Levites so that they could not but talk of it and remember it And if they were obedient to this Law they should be happy but if they turned from the Lord to worship other gods and serve them they should not prolong their days in the Land which they were now going to possess He calls Heaven and Earth to witness that he had dealt faithfully with them He had on the one side set life before them with all manner of blessings attending it if they would be Obedient and on the other side death and misery if they were Disobedient He exhorts them to choose the one and to avoid the other and to cleave to the Lord with all their hearts for He was their life and the length of their days that is as He is the giver of life so He is the maintainer and prolonger of it And that they might injoy the fore-mentioned Chap. XXIX Blessings and escape the Curses He calls them now to
That if those woody Hills and Mountains were made fit to inhabit and were added to their portion yet there would not be Land enough for them And as for the Canaanites that dwelt in the Valleys and Champion-Countries they were not so easily to be conquered for they were a formidable people and used Iron-Chariots in their Wars which having Hooks and Sythes fastened to them did usually do great Execution in a Fight and mowed down all before them Joshua tells them He could give them no other Answer than he had done They were a great people and had great Power they excelled in number and strength and had no cause to complain that they had but only one lot or that their portion was too straight for them for if their own Sloth Cowardize and Diffidence of Gods Power and Providence did not hinder them they might inlarge it when they would If they were not wanting to themselves they would find the portion allotted to them was more than one lot for if they took the course he prescribed them the mountainous Country would be theirs they might plant it and possess it from one end to the other and all the adjacent Vallies and Champion-Country would be theirs also seeing if they did with Courage and Faith in God attempt to gain it God would surely enable them to drive out the Canaanites notwithstanding all their strength and the advantage they had by their Iron-Chariots Thus we see how uprightly Joshua carried himself in this matter being no ways partial to his own Tribe the Tribe of Ephraim nor to that of Manasseh so nearly allied to him Joshua 14.1 to 6. Ch. 15. from 1. to 13. and from 20. to 63. Ch. 16. from 1. to 10. Ch. 17. from 1. to 12. from vers 14. to the end SECT CX WE return now to the Tribe of Judah whose lot as we have shewn falling to them in the richest and best part of Canaan an eminent Person of this Tribe namely Caleb descended of Kenaz 1 Chron. 4.13 15. attended with the chief Men and Elders of Judah made his Address to Joshua and spake to him after this manner Thou maist remember the thing that the Lord spake to Moses the Man of God at Kadesh-Barnea concerning thee and me when we returned thither from searching the Land namely that we only of all those that were above twenty years old at that time should see this good Land Numb 14.30 I was forty years old when I was sent by Moses to spy out the Land (p) The Israelites after this wandring 38 years in the Wilderness this must needs be the seventh year since they came into Canaan and I brought him word again as it was in my heart I told him faithfully what I thought of the Land and did neither for fear nor favour of any man speak otherwise than I thought in my Conscience My Brethren that went up with me viz. ten of them made the hearts of the people melt and faint within them by telling them of the invincible strength of the Canaanites but I wholly followed the Lord my God as thou also didst and shewed my Obedience to him faithfully and perswaded the people without fear to enter into the Land resting upon the Promises and powerful Assistance of the Almighty And Moses sware to me on that day to wit by the motion and direction of God saying Surely the Land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine Inheritance and thy Childrens for ever namely some special part of it and particularly that wherein Hebron (q) And this place of the Land was given him rather than any other because when the other Spies had seen those Giants the Anakims Numb 13.23 near Hebron and had thereupon discouraged the people Caleb resolutely opposed these his faint-hearted Brethren and when they objected the invincible strength of the place and people He encouraged the Israelites and told them they might with God's help easily vanquish them And hereupon it seems there was some particular promise made to him concerning this Inheritance Josh 15.13 is situate because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God Thus Moses sware to me And now behold the Lord hath kept me alive these forty and five years since He spake this word unto Moses so that I am now fourscore and five years old and yet I am as strong this day as I was on the day Moses sent me As my strength was then so is it now both for War or any other business Thus the Lord hath wonderfully preserv'd my life and strength and reserv'd me as it were to enjoy that portion of Land which was then promised me Give me therefore I pray thee this mountainous Country where Hebron and Debir are situate and if the Lord will please to be with me as I trust He will I make no doubt but that I shall be able to drive out these Anakims and get this portion for an Inheritance to me and my Children as the Lord graciously promised me Joshua readily granted his Request and blessing him gave him Hebron for an Inheritance that is the Country and Territory in which Hebron and Debir were situate with the Towns belonging to them It is plain that Hebron and Debir were taken by Joshua and the Israelites in their Expedition against those five Kings that had joyned their Forces together to besiege Gibeon as we may see Ch. 10.36 37 38. He then took Hebron and cut off many of the Anakims from the Mountains about it but in process of time the Israelites as it seems not leaving Garrisons in those Towns the Inhabitants that got away and especially the remaining Anakims did again sieze upon Hebron and repossess it Wherefore Joshua would not permit Caleb alone without the assistance of some of his own Tribe to go up and assault it but he himself went with his Army and took it and he utterly destroyed the Anakims and their Fortresses and cleared the Country of them saving only that there remained some of them in Gaza Gath and Ashdod Cities of the Philistines There these Giants remained many years after For Goliah was of Gath 1 Sam. 17.14 and those four huge Giants mentioned 2 Sam. 21.16 c. were all of the Philistines Joshua having taken Hebron gave it to Caleb namely the Land and Villages thereunto adjoyning reserving the City it self and the Suburbs thereof for the Priests and to be a City of Refuge Josh 21.11 12. Hebron being thus retaken 't is probable Joshua sent a great Brigade of his Army under the Command of Caleb who had been very active with the assistance of those of his own Tribe as it seems before in slaying the three Sons of Anak Sheshai Ahiman and Talmai and driving their Adherents out of the Coasts of Hebron to take in Debir where He to excite the valour of his Souldiers promised to give his consent * See Judges 1.12 We cannot hence infer that he might lawfully force upon his Daughter what Husband he
Administrator of the Kingdom who was an enemy to Herod because he denyed him his Sister Salome to Wife and he granted them a place well fortified Herod being returned into Judea he called the Chief men of the Jews together and told them what had passed in his late Voyage and declared unto them that his Sons should reign after him first Antipater then Alexander and then Aristobulus whom he had by Mariamne Caesarea Stratonis was now finished in the 28th year of his reign for the Dedication of which there were very solemn and most pompous Preparations Musicians and Wrestlers and Sword-Players and Wild Beasts and whatever was in account of that kind either at Rome or in other Nations being now brought thither These sports were consecrated to Cesar and to be renewed every fifth year The day he spent in Sports and the night in Banquets and Revellings and so between both he spent his time very well After this he began to build another Town in a Field called Capharsala which after his Fathers name he called Antipatris and a Castle which after his Mothers name he called Cyprus In honour also of his dead Brother he built a fair Town which he called Phasaelus in the valley of Jericho from whence the Country thereabouts is called Phasaelis Having wasted his wealth by his extravagant expences and now wanting money after the example of John Hircanus by night without the knowledge of the people he opened Davids Sepulchre in which he found no money but store of costly attire and Ornaments of Gold which he took away After this 't was observed that his Family was grievously afflicted nothing being heard among them but Broils and Accusations one of another As for Antipater he accused and calumniated his Brother Alexander insomuch that his Father committed him to Prison Those of Trachonitis who had fled to Syllaeus being encreased in number infested not only Judea but Coelosyria also with Inrodes and Incursions Syllaeus is hereupon complained of by Herod to Saturnius and Volumnius Presidents of Syria Herod requires the 60 Talents which he had lent Obodas King of Arabia under Syllaeus's Security and demands also That the Plunderers protected by him should be delivered up The matter being debated before the Presidents they determined that Herods demands were reasonable and that Syllaeus should perform them Syllaeus unwilling to stand this their Determination went to Rome The Presidents therefore gave Herod leave to enter Arabia with an Army and to prosecute those obstinate people there which he accordingly did and suddenly took the Castle which those Plunderers kept But an Arabian Captain with his forces coming to their aid Herod joyns Battel with him and overthrows him the Captain himself being slain and his forces routed But Letters were speeded to Rome to Syllaeus which represented things far otherwise and aggravated every thing in so odious a manner that Cesar by those Lyes and such false representations as Syllaeus had made unto him was so incensed against Herod that he wrote to him menacing Letters because he had presumed to march with an Army out of his own Kingdom and thrice denyed his Ambassadors audience that were sent by him to acquaint him with the true State of things The Rebels and Arabians taking hold of this occasion did him much mischief which he was glad to put up for the present for fear of further provoking Cesar but sent Nicholas Damascenus to Rome to plead his cause who so laid open Syllaeus's Forgeries and how he had circumvented the Emperor in the cause of Herod that Cesar condemned Syllaeus remanding him again into the Province that when he had satisfied the Debt before mentioned he might be punished and was perfectly reconciled to Herod Whilst Herod was thus out with Cesar the former discords in his Family were exceedingly heightned by the Artifices of Eurichus a Lacedemonian who winding himself into Alexanders acquaintance betrayed him first to Antipater and then to Herod himself Herod making inquiry into his Sons actions put to death by the vehemency of Tortures many both of his own and his Sons Friends Alexander being examined denyed all Accusations except that he intended with his Wife to fly to Archelaus King of Cappadocia her Father Herod sends Letters to Cesar complaining of his Sons and desires his Imperial Majesty to give him direction what to do in that difficult affair The Emperor returns answer That he should call a Council at Beritus and joyn with them the Presidents of Syria and Archelaus King of Cappadocia and other Noble men his Friends and that they should together determine concerning that matter Herod hereupon convened all those Cesar had appointed except only Archelaus to Berytus and in an Assembly of 150 Men declaimed most furiously against his Sons not producing any Proof at all more than that they intended to fly and not suffering them to be present to answer for themselves Saturninus who had been Consul and had run through all honours gave his opinion that the Sons of Herod were to be condemned but not to be put to death and his three Sons were of the same opinion But Volumnius declared that they ought to be punished with death whose opinion the major part followed Then the King took his Sons along with him to Tyre where an old Soldier named Tyro smartly reprehended him for the severity intended towards his Sons Alexander and Aristobulus being led to Sebaste were there strangled by their Fathers command and their bodies buried in the Castle Alexandrion where Alexander their Grandfather by their Mothers side and many others of their Progenitors were buried Antipater after the death of his Brothers began now to plot the Destruction of his Father and drew Pheroras the Brother of Herod to his side and some of the Kings Women that were most addicted to the Sect of the Pharisees but not Salome who constantly adhered to her Brother Herod The Pharisees had refused to swear fealty to the King who being for this fined the Wife of Pheroras paid their Fine to whom in requital they being accounted wise to know things to come they foretold that the Kingdom should be taken from Herod and his Children and should be transferred on her and that her Husband and their Children These things Salome made known to Herod and they had sollicited and corrupted many of his Courtiers with Bribes in which fault Herod having taken some of the Pharisees he put them to death and some others also whom he found had conspired with them Then he urged Pheroras to put away his Wife which he refusing to do he forbad Antipater Pheroras's company Antipater that he might remove all suspicion of his Father from him procured by his Friends at Rome to be sent for thither by Cesar He accordingly going Herod sent by him great Presents and his Will in which he declared that Antipater should be King but if he died then Herod his Son by Mariamne daughter of Simon the High Priest Pheroras being banished
into his Treachery there fell sick Herod visits him and seeks help for him but he died within a few days after whose body was brought to Jerusalem and there honourably buryed by Herod Pheroras dying in this sickness after his death his Wife was accused as if she had poisoned him Herod inquiring into this matter by little and little began to find out a treasonable Conspiracy of his Son Antipater against himself namely how that he going to Rome had delivered a deadly poyson to Pheroras that was sent by Antiphilus one of his Friends out of Egypt to be given to the King in his absence and that it was kept by Pheroras his Wife She being examined confessed the same that it was committed to her charge but added also how that her husband when sick and when Herod came so kindly to visit him was so overcome with his love that he forbad her to give it him Among the accessaries of this Conspiracy was Herods own Wife the daughter of the High Priest Hereupon Herod put her away which was a great favour he put others to death for a lesser matter and deposed her Father from the Priesthood and preferred Matthias the Son of Theophilus to his place and put her Son Herod out of his Will whom he had appointed his Successor and put Doris also Antipaters Mother out of the Court taking her Jewels from her Not long after Bathillus the freed man of Antipater coming from Rome being tortured confessed that he had brought with him a poison to deliver to Pheroras wherewith the King might be certainly and speedily dispatched in case the other should fail Antipater got some to write from Rome to his Father how Archelaus and Philip Herods two younger Sons that were at Rome to study often rub'd up the Sore of the Murder of Alexander and Aristobulus pitying the misfortune of their innocent Brethren and he when he wrote to his Father about them as it were excusing them would impute their speeches to their age During these things JESVS CHRIST the Son of God is born two years after the Wise men came to Herod to Jerusalem and there are taught that the Birth-place of Christ was at Bethlehem they return no more to Herod being so directed by God in a Dream Herod being thus disappointed killed all the Children that were at Bethlehem and in all the Coasts thereof from two years old and under according to the time of the Stars being first seen in the East which he had learned from the Magi. Among which Children 't is said that a young Son of Herods was one which when Augustus heard of he said 'T was better to be Herods Hogg than his Son for under pretence of Religion he would not touch an Hogg or eat Swines flesh but made it no great difficulty to destroy his own Children See Macrob. lib. 2. ch 4. Antipater all this while hears nothing of the death of Pheroras or of those things that were ready to be alledged against him but returns to Jerusalem ignorant of all these Passages When he came thither he entred the Palace in his Purple Garment which he was wont to wear but the Guards at the Gates suffered none of his followers to enter in with him When he addressed himself to his Father he thrust him away from him with indignation reproaching him with the murder of his Brethren and his intention to poison his Father It hapned that Quintillius Varus President of Syria was now at Jerusalem The next day therefore the King and Varus sitting in Judgment Antipater was brought before them and being not able to purge himself all things being made so clear and evident and the poison it self produced which being give to a condemned man dispatched him immediately hereupon he was committed to Prison and Herod signified to Cesar by Letters all these matters and also sent Ambassadors to him who by word of mouth might acquaint him more fully with this cursed Treason of Antipater Herod now falls sick and in his sickness was exceeding impatient but his Distemper was much encreased by this accident Judas the Son of Sariphaeus and Matthias the Son of Margalothus two of the most learned men among the Jews and the best Interpreters of their Law hearing that the Kings sickness was incurable perswaded some young men that were their Scholars to throw down the Golden Eagle that was set up by Herod over the great Gate of the Temple The young men accordingly went up at Noon-day and with Axes hewed down the Eagle a great multitude beholding it Immediately about forty of these young men were taken by the Captain of the Castle and together with their Masters brought before Herod where they confidently defending what they had done he calling the Rulers of the Jews together took away the High Priesthood from Matthias as not altogether a stranger to this business and put Joazar into his place the Brother of his Wife Mariamne the Daughter of Simon the High Priest But he burned alive the other Matthias that was a Promoter of this Sedition and his Companions Then Herods disease began to grow worse for he burned with an inward heat he was vexed with a ravenous and insatiable Appetite he was tortured with Vlcers in his Bowels and pains of the Cholick His Feet swelled and his Thighs his Body rotted and was full of crawling Worms to all which he was troubled with Convulsions and difficulty of breathing He used all means possible for his Recovery and was carried to the hot Baths beyond Jordan Thence he returned to Jericho Perceiving now that he must die and supposing that the Jews would much rejoyce in his death by Proclamation he calls together from every place to Jericho some of the most Noble of the Jews and shuts up those of them that came in the Hippodrome giving command to his Sister Salome and her husband Alexas that as soon as he was dead they should cause all those Jews to be killed that the people might have cause of Lamentation at his death which otherwise he thought they would rejoyce at Before his death he received Letters from Cesar that he might do with his Son Antipater as he pleased Being afresh tormented with his distemper he went to stab himself but was prevented by those about him Antipater thinking his Father had been dead began to tamper with his Keeper about his Liberty that he might seize upon the Kingdom But his Keeper went and revealed it to Herod who was thereupon so inraged that he commanded one of the Guard to go instantly and kill him and that he should be buried in the Castle of Hircanion without any honour which was done accordingly five days before Herod died To such an end came he who had wrought the ruine of his Brethren and had made such sad broils in his Fathers house Herod now makes a new Will in which he leaves the Kingdom to Archelaus his eldest Son by his second wife Mariamne Herod Antipas he makes Tetrarch of