Tent slew 4000 men and giving an alarm to the whole Army at break of the day safely retreated whereupon the King marched towards him next day and they coming to an engagement Antiochus lost several hundreds more but the Jews seeing themselves overpowered retreated The King then returned to the siege and they not being well stored with provision this being the Sabbatical year at last yielded up the Town upon composition Antiochus having herein placed a Garrison marched up to Jerusalem and there made all provision possible for the gaining of it all manner of Engines being raised for the casting of fire and stones but the besieged defended themselves bravely though provisions were very short with them and the famine prevailed so much among them that they were in danger of falling into the Kings hands but before he could finish his work news came that Philip whom his father had appointed to be Guardian being returned out of Egypt was coming with the forces that Epiphanes had left in Persia and Media to recover his right usurped by Lysias Hereupon both he and his Captains were presently perswaded by Lysias because the place was strong and provisions began to fail in the Leaguer and the affairs of the Kingdom required it to make peace with the besieged and with the whole Nation of the Jews upon such terms as they required Then returning to Ptolemais the inhabitants thereof being great enemies to the Jews stickled hard to perswade him to break the League but Lysias so well argued the matter among them that he quieted their minds and confirmed the peace so that the Investiture of the commanding power in the Hasmoneans took its rise from the time of this peace agreed on betwixt Antiochus Eupator and Maccabeus The King hasting thence towards Antioch brought along with him as a prisoner Menelaus the High Priest whom Lysias accused as an Incendiary and the cause of the war whereupon by order from the King he was let down into a Tower filled with ashes and there miserably ended his life ten years after he had first usurped the Priesthood Menelaus being thus taken out of the way the King substituted in his room one Alcimus a man every whit as bad as he Indeed he was of Aaron's progeny but not of the High Priests blood and Lysias perswaded the King to transfer that dignity into another family Onias the Son of Onias the third seeing the High Priesthood conferred on Alcimus went into Egypt and after he had well insinuated himself into the affections of Ptol. Philometor and Cleopatra his wife obtained of them leave to build a Temple to God in the jurisdiction of Heliopolis answering to that at Jerusalem and that they would constitute him High Priest there See more of this in Vsher p. 467. Antiochus coming to Antioch found Philip Master thereof but setting upon it he took it by force and taking Philip therein put him to death and so quickly quieted those stirs being reserved with Lysias his Guardian though but a little time for others more dangerous Demetrius Soter Son of Seleucus Philopator the right heir to the Kingdom now escaping from Rome quickly got the Kingdom and put to death Eupator and Lysias his Guardian Alcimus who had procured from Eupator to be made High Priest being not now receivâ—d nor owned by the people for that in the days of Epiphanes he had wilfully defiled himself came to Demetrius with other Apostates to get the Priesthood confirmed to him He accused his Countrymen especially the Hasmoneans viz. Judas and his Brethren as guilty of cutting off the Kings friends and banishing them out of the Country Hereupon Demetrius sent Bacchides the Governour of Mesopotamia his trusty friend with great forces into Judea and confirmed the High Priesthood to Alcimus whom he sent back with him All their design was being arrived there by fair speeches to get Judas and his Brethren into their hands but they gave no credit to them Many of the Scribes went out to them to seek peace expecting they should have obtained it of Alcimus who was of the seed of Aaron and had now great power in the army but having gotten them into his hands he most wickedly contrary to agreement and his oath put sixty of them to death all in one day by which perfidiousness many being terrified fled from the City Then Bacchides going from Jerusalem caused many that had fled from him and several others of the Jews to be slain and cast into a great pit and so committing the care of the Country to Alcimus for the defence of which he left him some forces he returned unto the King After his departure Alcimus striving all he could to confirm himself in the Priesthood made great havock of the people Hereupon Judas went out through the whole Country taking vengeance on such as had revolted from him and so terrified those that adhered to Alcimus that they were forced to keep themselves within their Garrisons and durst not make any more incursions into the Country Alcimus apprehending danger to himself from these proceedings goes once more to Demetrius carrying along with him a Crown of Gold to present unto him For Judas and his party increasing in power would not suffer him to come near to the holy Altar at which being enraged he eagerly accused them to the King as authors of all the commotions and disturbances in Judea further complaining that he was deprived of the Priesthood the honour as he said of his Ancestors and further affirmed that as long as Maccabeus lived the Kings affairs could not be secure This being seconded by some ill-willers to the Jews and his friends Demetrius was so inflamed that sending for Nicanor one of his chiefest Princes and a bitter enemy to the Jews made him General against Judea giving him order to destroy Judas and disperse his associates the Assideans and to settle Alcimus in the High Priesthood The Jews upon the report of Nicanors approach and the Association of several Gentiles with him cast dust upon their heads and made their Supplication to God And it so happened that after a short skirmish betwixt Simon Judas's Brother and a party of Nicanors near the Village Dessaro Nicanor understanding the Courage and Resolution of Judas and his Party in defending their Country he was unwilling to run the hazard of a Battel but sent to parle with the Jews and to make peace with them upon mutual engagements of fidelity each to other And Articles being agreed upon between them the two Captains met and the Conference proved very successful and closed in a League without the Kings Privity Nicanor after this abode a while in Jerusalem and dismissed the Companies he had collected and was so taken with Judas that he continued with him some time and loved him in his heart and lived so friendly and familiarly with him that he perswaded him to marry a Wife But when that wretched fellow Alcimus observed this Correspondence between them he addressed
manner and in the sight only of a few who did it hastily to prevent Adonijah from making himself King and therefore this second anointing was done more publickly and more solemnly in the sight of the Princes and Rulers and in a great Assembly of the people And they anointed him unto the Lord that is devoted him solemnly unto the Lord and to be the Ruler of his people under him Then they anointed Zadok to be High-Priest instead of Abiathar who had joined with Adonijah and this was the rather done as we may suppose because the High-Priesthood was now translated into another Family For Abiathar was of the race of Eli and descended from Ithamar second Son of Aaron and Zadok was descended from Phineas who was descended from Eleazar his eldest Son and so the High-Priesthood reverted from the family of Ithamar to that of Eleazar as was foretold by God it should come to pass 1 Sam. 2.33 35. After this Solomon sat on the Throne of the Lord viz. on that Throne to which God had by his especial Providence advanced him and the disposal of which the Lord in a more peculiar manner challenged to himself See Deut. 17.15 And Solomon after this was very prosperous and all Israel obeyed him and all the Princes and mighty men and all the rest of David's Sons submitted themselves unto him And the Lord magnified him exceedingly in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him such royal majesty and greatness as no King of Israel either before him or after him ever had 1 Chron. Ch. 28. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 29. from v. 1 to 26. SECT CCXII. NOW the days of David's departure out of this life drew nigh therefore calling for his Son Solomon he said to him I am going the way that all men living upon the earth must go Be thou therefore couragious and though thou be young in years yet shew thy self a man in understanding and keep the charge of the Lord thy God to wit the commandments which he hath given in charge to be kept and walk in his ways and keep his statutes his judgments and testimonies whereby he testifies what he would have done and observed according as they are written and prescribed in the Laws given by Moses that so thou maist prosper in all that thou dost and in all businesses thou settest thy self unto And so the Lord may be pleased to confirm his word which he spake unto me saying If thy children take heed to their way to walk before me in truth and sincerity with all their heart and all their soul there shall not fail thee a man on the Throne of Israel that is there shall not fail a man of thy posterity to sit upon thy Throne (a) Notandum duo fuisse Davidi promissa Primum absolutè nempe Messiam ex ipso oriturum licet filii ejus mali fuerint Secundum conditionale scil regnum in ejus familia conservandum si posteri se sancte gerant P. Martyr I have now only three things more to give thee in charge before I die The first is concerning Joab thou knowest how insolently he carried himself towards me and how treacherously he slew those two great Capteins Abner and Amasa after I had engaged my faith to them both that they should be safe which wicked practice of his was enough to make the people think that I had secretly an hand in it though I can truly say my soul abhorred it Nay he shed the blood of war in peace that is when there was peace made with these two great men he slew them as if they had been in open hostility against me And he put the blood of war upon his girdle that is He put up his sword all bloody into its scabbard that hung at his girdle and the very shoos on his feet were stained with their blood so impudently he carried out those base murders therefore I charge thee wisely to observe him He is of a turbulent spirit and in all likelihood thou wilt have at one time or other just occasion against him And though he hath been General of my Army almost all my reign yet let not his hoary head go down to the grave in peace but when thou findest just occasion against him cut him off by the sword of justice and so let the blood of Abner and Amasa be revenged upon him 2ly I would have thee to shew kindness to the Sons of Barzillai the Gileadite for they came and brought provisions for me and my followers when I was forced to fly from thy brother Absalom and therefore let them be of the number of those that eat at thy Table 2 Sam. 17.28 29. 3ly Thou hast with thee Shimei the Benjamite who reviled me and cursed me with a bitter curse when I was in great distress flying towards Mahanaim and called me a bloody man and did in effect say I had been the cause of the death of Saul and all his Sons and charged me with crimes I never was guilty of yet afterwards he met me at Jordan and humbled himself and acknowledged his fault and I sware to him by the Lord that I would not put him to death But though I for my time pardoned him yet if he shall attempt any thing against thee after my decease hold him not guiltless Thou art a wise man and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him and if he trespass again and thou findest any other just occasion against him bring down his hoary head to the grave with blood and cut him off by the sword of justice * See 2 Sam. 19.23 David having thus instructed his Son in a short time after departed this life and slept with his fathers that is died as his fathers and predecessors had done before him having reigned in Hebron seven years and six months and thirty three years in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years in all and having made his Son Solomon King in his stead about half a year before his death He died in a good old age full of days riches and honour he died in the seventieth year of his age no King in Israel or Judah after him attaining to his age †Only Uzziah and Manasseh came very nigh it He was buried in his own City of Zion viz. in that part of Jerusalem where he had built a Palace for himself 2 Sam. 1.2 and kept his Court and which he had taken out of the hands of the Jebusites and had built and enlarged and from thence was called after his name the city of David His Sepulcher it seems was made of such durable materials and so well kept and repair'd time after time by his posterity that it was strangely preserved notwithstanding Jerusalem was so often sackt and burnt for it continued unto the Apostles times as the Apostle Peter tells us Act. 2.24 Men and Brethren let me freely speak to you of the Patriarch David that he is both dead and buried and his
in the enterprize But Amaziah was nothing mov'd with what he said for whom God intendeth to destroy he usually first hardens and God intended to punish him for his abominable Idolatry into which he had lately fallen Joash understanding this would not stay till Amaziah came to him but he enters Judah with a strong Army wisely resolving to make his Enemies Country the stage of the war So they met in a pitcht field at Bethshemesh which belongs to Judah and Judah was worsted before Israel and Amaziah himself taken prisoner and brought in Triumph * Thus in this Amaziah the Son of Joash King of Judah God did yet further revenge the death of Zachariah the Son of Jehniada who was most inhumanely and ungratefully murdered in his fathers days according to what he said at his death the Lord will look upon it and require it and withall Amaziah himself was severely punished for his Apostacy to Idolatry to Jerusalem by Joash which City as it seems standing out against him he battered down that part of the wall by the North-gate which was towards Ephraim even four hundred cubits in length and so took the City by force then he seized upon all the gold and silver and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord with the posterity of Obed-Edom who were porters and keepers of the treasures in the Temple 1 Chron. 26.15 as also the treasures of the Kings house And having made what spoil he thought fit in Jerusalem he set Amaziah free upon certain conditions imposed upon him and his subjects and for the surer performance of the Covenants on Judah's part he took hostages of him viz. some noble mens children whom he carried along with him to Samaria And he chose rather to go away with his present spoil than to hazard all by endeavouring to conquer the Kingdom of Judah which he was not like to hold if he did obtain the subjects thereof being so greatly addicted to the house of David Amaziah lived after this fifteen years but a very miserable life for his subjects were so disaffected to him for the Idolatry he had brought in that from that time they began to conspire against him though it broke not forth openly till by his rash unadvised and unprosperous war with Joash he had brought so many miseries upon his Kingdom The conspiracy now breaking forth he fled to Lachish and possibly there hid himself and lived in obscurity so those that had conspired against him as it seems governed the affairs of the Kingdom in his absence About twelve years after these conspirators being men of power in the Kingdom upon some new occasion were so enraged against him that they sent some to Lachish to slay him Amaziah being dead they brought him from Lachish in a Chariot drawn with horses and buried him in Jerusalem with his fathers 2 King 14. from v. 1. to 21. 2 Chron. 25. wh Ch. Tenth King of Judah UZZIAH VZZIAH or Azariah as he is called 2 King 15.1 Son of Amaziah was the next that reigned in Judah In Mat. 1.8 't is said that Vzziah succeeded Joram And Joram begat Ozias whereas there were four that reigned in Judah between Joram and Vzziah viz. Ahaziah Athaliah Joash and Amaziah Some think that these were omitted because of their evil Government and unnatural deaths each of them being slain one after another or because by the mother-side they descended from the stock of wicked Ahab whose house the Lord doomed to be rooted up Vzziah when his Father was slain was about four or five years old and there seems to have been a kind of Interregnum or vacancy in the Throne of Judah for about twelve years viz from the 15th to the 27th year of Jeroboam the second King of Israel at which time Vzziah being sixteen years of age was setled in the Throne by the general consent of the people and not till then And this possibly may be intimated to us by that unusual phrase And all the people of Judah took Vzziah being sixteen years old and made him King instead of his Father 2 King 14.21 And this might happen partly by reason of his minority and partly through the prevalency of some powerful men who perchance had had a hand in putting his Father to death or possibly the Government of the Kingdom might be carried on in his name all that time though he came not to the full exercise of his Regal power till the 27th year of Jeroboam So that the twelve years from his Fathers death which happened in the 15th year of Jeroboam see 2 King 14.23 unto the 27th of Jeroboam when he was put into full possession of the Crown are to be accounted into the number of the fifty two years he is said to have reigned and according to this account in the 26th year of his reign Jeroboam died After which it seems there was an Interregnum or vacancy in the Kingdom of Israel also for about eleven or twelve years viz. to the 38th year of Vzziah's reign After which Zachariah reigned in Israel six months Shallum one month Menahem ten years Pekahiah two years and Pekah had reigned a year or something more before he died which was in the fifty second year of his reign 2 King 15.27 so that he lived in the times of six Kings that sat on the Throne of Israel In the beginning of his reign he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and maintained the worship of God uncorrupt as his Father had done save that the high places were not removed but the people still offered sacrifice and burnt incense on them And during the life of Zachariah Son of that Zachariah that was stoned in the Temple who was an eminent Prophet and had understanding in the visions of God that is was accustomed to see visions and had a singular understanding in ancient Prophesies and so was able to counsel and instruct Vzziah in matters that concerned the knowledg of God and his Laws and possibly was skilful to interpret the dreams and night-visions of others as Joseph and Daniel were I say during the life of this Prophet Vzziah sought the Lord and so long the Lord made him to prosper He recovered Elath a City near the Red-Sea which had been taken from the Crown of Judah by the enemies bordering upon it and repair'd and fortified it In Ahaz's time it was lost again being taken by the Syrians see 2 King 14.22 He was a great warrior he had under his command three hundred seven thousand five hundred fighting men under two thousand and six hundred Captains all which were dispos'd into Regiments and companies and registred that they might be in readiness against any urgent occasion And he furnished all these with Shields and Spears Helmets and Habergeons * Armour for Back and Brest and Bows and Slings to cast stones He was very victorious against the Philistines of whose Towns he brake down the
that oath so long as Darius lived Alexander being very angry hereat swore that as soon as he had taken Tyre he would march against that City Accordingly as soon as he had taken Tyre he marched forthwith into Judea going in person against those places that would not of themselves submit But when he was upon his march to Jerusalem Jaddus the High Priest terrified with his former threats and now more especially fearing his rage betakes himself to God by prayer and was by him warned in a dream that he should make Holy-day in the City and set wide open the Gates and that he and the rest of the Priests every one in his Priestly Vâ—stments and the people all cloth'd in white should go forth to meet him Alexander seeing this company coming meets them and lighting from his horse prostrates himself before the High Priest and adores that God whose name he saw engraven on the golden plate of his Miter At which all his followers being amazed Parmenio askt him the reason thereof to whom he answered That he worshipped not the Priest but the God whom he served for that whilst he was in Greece and consulted about his Expedition into Asia such a man as this and so attired appeaâ—â—d to him and advis'd him to it and promis'd him success Then going up to the City he ascended to the Temple and sacrificed to God as the Priests directed him There they shewed him the Prophesie of Daniel wherein was foretold that a Grecian should obtain the Empire of the Persians he accounting himself the man exceedingly rejoyced thereat and the next day offered the Jews whatsover they would ask of him They requested that they might live after their own laws and customs and that on every seventh year in which they sowed not they might pay no tribute All which he readily granted them He offered them also if they would follow him the free exercise of their Religion whereupon many presently listed themselves to serve him Then leading his forces to the neighbouring Cities he was friendly received by them Having now got all the Towns of Palestine into his hands except Gaza which held out against him he came with his forces and sat down before it after two months he took it himself having received two wounds during the siege The men were slain to the number of 10000 the women and children made slaves furnishing the City with a new Colony gathered out of the places adjacent he made it a Garrison and Magazine for himself Curtius Lib. 4. C. 10. After this he marches for Egypt subdues it builds Alexandria goeth to the Temple of Jupiter Hammon and at his return the war yet depending with Darius he removed to Tyre from thence he passes Euphrates to meet with Darius and beats him again at the Battel at Arbela or Gaugamela and so was declared King of Asia Darius thus vanquished was forced to fly and wandring up and down at last was betrayed by his own servants among whom Bessus was chief and being ignominiously bound with fetters and mortally wounded by them he died after he had reigned seven years And thus the Persian Empire was dissolved when it had lasted about 203 years A. M. 3675. ante C. N. 328. Alexander reigned six years and ten months after the death of Darius as Emperour of the East and then falling into a Fever at Babylon drawn upon himself by intemperate drinking He died A. M. 3681 ante C.N. 322 * About this time and something after flourished many Schools of Greek Philosophers viz. the Academicks Peripateticks Stoicks Epicureans Cynicks Scepticks of whom it is not our business now to speak After Alexander's death his Empire was shared among his great Commanders and was divided for the main into four Kingdoms viz. 1. the Kingdom of Macedonia 2. of Asia Minor 3. of Syria 4. of Egypt These two last the one lying North of the other South of Judea did often grievously afflict that poor people lying between them After Jaddus his Son Onias succeeded him in the Priesthood at Jerusalem Ptolemaeus Lagi the first King of Egypt after Alexander's death subdued Palestine and got Jerusalem by a slight * Viz. He entreth Jerusalem on a sabbath-Sabbath-day under pretense to sacrifice and then surprizes the City and carried thence a vast number of Jews into Egypt out of which he selected many and took them into his army upon greater pay than ordinary And finding that the Jews were most strict observers of any Oaths they had taken he committed many of his Garrisons and Castles to their custody And he placed many of them in Alexandria suffering them to enjoy the same priviledges with the Macedonians He sent many of them also to inhabit Cyrene from whom 't is probable Simon the Cyrenian who bare the Cross of Christ descended Mat. 27.32 And other Cyrenian Jews of whom mention is made Act. 2.10 and Ch. 6.9 Others of the Jews whom he brought out of Judea with him into Egypt he gave away for slaves among his Soldiers not so much of his own inclination as upon their importunity who desired to have them rather than any other for their necessary uses and attendance in things belonging to the war Simon or Simeon the Just succeeded Onias in the Priesthood he was so called because of his great zeal and servency in the worship of God and the exceeding love he ever exprest to his Country-men the Jews About this time as 't is probable arose those three famous Sects of Pharisees Sadduces and Essenes †Among the Jews there were some who thought they ought only to live by the prescript of the Law neither above nor below it Others thought they were not to act according to the bare letter of the Law but according to such consequences as might be deduced from it and accordingly performed over and above what the Law required in the service of God Those that stood to the letter of the Law were called Kerraim Those that besides the letter of the Law did works of Supererogation were named Hasidim or Sancti and afterwards they grew into a body call'd Hasidaeans As long as this voluntary and supererogatory service was free and spontaneous there was no schism but when this Doctrine of the Hasidaeans came to be digested into precepts and Canons many doubts and disputes daily arose whence two Sects had their original One which allowed only the Law it self and another which embraced the glosses and interpretations of it From the latter being that of the Hasidaeans sprang up some who called themselves Peruschim or Separate as those who by reason of their holiness were not only distinct and separated from the vulgar but from others also who would not come up to their strict rules and injunctions These Peruschim came by Greek writers to be called Pharisaei Now as out of the Hasidaeans arose the Pharisees so from among the Karraim the Sadduces so named from Sadoc Antigonus the Master of this Sadoc and Scholar
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
had spies that mingled themselves in all companies yea he would sometimes go himself disguised among the people to hear what they said of him and his Government The disaffected to him he took a course to punish and the rest he bound unto him by an oath which he exacted of them After this in the eighteenth year of his reign taking down at least for the most part the old Temple at Jerusalem as Josephus reports Lib. 14. Ch. 14. he built another much more stately and magnificent having provided very great white stones * See Mark 13.1 whereof some were 25 cubits long twelve broad and eight in height and other materials for the work in the space of two years He began to build it forty six years before the first Passover of the Ministry of Christ see Job 2.20 where we may read the words forty and six years reckoning to this time hath this Temple been built The building the Temple under Zerubbabel began in the first year of the Monarchy of Cyrus and was after twenty years time finished in the sixth year of Darius the Son of Histaspis But this magnificent building of Herod's was finished in nine years and an half The inward Temple containing the Holy and Holy of Holies was finished in a year and an half In all which time it 's reported that it never rained in the day-time but only in the nights Then in the eight years following the Porches the Ranges and the rest of the building about the Temple were all finished He celebrated the Dedication of the Temple on his own birth-day sacrificing three hundred Oxen to the great joy of the people These things done Herod sets sail for Italy to salute Caesar and see his Sons and passing by Greece was not only present but made Judg at the Olympick Exercises and bestowing some Annual revenue upon them that they might be the more splendid for this bounty he is declared perpetual Judg of those Exercises Coming to Rome Caesar courteously received him and deliver'd to him his Sons well educated and instructed in all the Liberal Arts and Sciences Being returned home with his Sons Alexander and Aristobulus they being grown to mans estate he provided them wives for Alexander Bernice the daughter of Salome for Aristobulus Glaphira the daughter of Archelaus King of the Cappadocians These young men gained the love and affection of the people exceedingly but Salome and her followers feared they would sometime or other revenge their Mothers death and therefore she and Pheroras Herod's Brother practic'd against them infusing into their father suspition of them as if they were not well affected towards him but exclaimed greatly against the Authors of their Mothers death Herod troubled hereat called to Court Antipater his eldest Son begotten by him when he was a private man whom he had banished the City in favour of these two Sons only giving him liberty to come thither on Festival days that setting him up against them he might make them more careful of their behaviour But they were thereby the more incensed and Antipater making use of his time got more and more into his Fathers affections and at his intreaty brought to Court also his mother Doris whom being a woman of mean parentage Herod put away when he married Mariamne Herod hearing that Agrippa Caesar's great friend and Son-in-law having married Julia his daughter was come into Asia he went to him and invited him into Judea and entertained him magnificently in all the Cities and Castles he had newly built shewing him his buildings and presenting him and his friends with all the delights he could Then conducting him to Jerusalem all the Citizens met him in their best habit with joyful acclamations Agrippa having sacrificed an Hecatomb to God feasted the people and the winter drawing on he made hast to sail to Ionia As soon as it was spring Herod hearing that Agrippa was going with an Army to Bosphorus made hast to go to him he overtook him at Sinope a City in Pontus bringing some Auxiliaries with him for his service Agrippa embraced him with singular affection and made him partaker of his Counsels And afterwards in their return Agrippa was ready to gratifie Herod in any thing and at his intreaty relieved the necessities of many that made use of his Intercession He procured for the Iews that dwelt in Jonia a â—onfirmation of the priviledges formerly granted them which the Grecians would not suffer them to enjoy and that none should molest them for living after their Countries Laws Then with mutual embraces they took their leaves each of other Herod in few days arrived at Caesarea and thence came to Jerusalem where calling the people together he gave them an account of his journey and how he had procured liberty for the Ionian Jews and to ingratiate himself the more with them he declared he was willing to remit unto them the fourth part of their Tribute The people exceedingly pleased herewith wished all happiness to the King Agrippa after ten years Government in Asia being now to return to Rome Herod went again to salute him and take leave of him and taking of all his Sons only Antipater with him he delivered him to Agrippa to be brought to Caesar that he might by his means obtain the Emperour's favour Antipater accordingly was much honoured at Rome being commended to several friends and great persons by his Fathers Letters From thence he was not wanting by his Letters to whet his Fathers displeasure against his Brothers the Sons of Mariamne and seemed very sollicitous of his Fathers safety though aiming at the succession thereby Herod being by these artifices exceedingly incensed against his two Sons Alexander and Aristobulus sailed with them to Rome to accuse them before Caesar and carried with him Nicholas Damascene in the same Ship with whom he studied Philosophy Augustus being gone to Aquileia thither Herod went to him and the young men being there accused before Caesar of an intention to poyson their Father they so cleared themselves and by their tears and other evidences so manifested their innocency that Caesar reconciled them to their Father Then after thanks returned to the Emperour they departed and Antipater with them feigning himself glad that they were received again into favour Herod having given three hundred Talents to Caesar and been very liberal as his custom was in all places to the people of Rome Caesar bestowed on him half the profits of the Mines of Cyprus and gave him liberty to make which of his Sons he pleased his Successor or if he would to distribute his Kingdom among them all which Herod presently would have done but Cesar would not allow that he should part with the Government during his life In Herods absence the Inhabitants of Trachonitis a considerable part of his Kingdom rebelled but were reduced again to obedience by his Captains But some of them leaving their Country fled into Arabia Nabataea where they were entertained by Syllaeus the
Jacob rejoyces at the sight of the Waggons Sect. 43. Jacob goes into Egypt His joy to see his Son Joseph Sect. 44. Joseph brings five of his Brethren to Pharaoh Obtains Goshen for his Brethren Introduces his Father Sect. 45. Joseph's prudent administration in the severe famine He is sent for by his Father Sect. 46. Ephraim and Manasseh blest Jacob's gift to Joseph Sect. 47. Jacob blesses his Sons in order His death Sect. 48. The mourning for and burial of Jacob. Joseph's death Sect. 49. The History of Job Sect. 50. Levi and Amram die Sect. 51. Israel increases Task-masters appointed Sect. 52. Aaron's birth Sect. 53. The Midwives commanded to destroy the Male-children Sect. 54. Moses born He is taken up and educated by Pharaoh's daughter Sect. 55. Moses after forty years leaves the Court and flys into Midian Sect. 56. Moses's marriage His two Sons Sect. 57. Caleb's Birth Sect. 58. The Lord appears to Moses commissions him to deliver Israel enables him to work miracles Sect. 59. Moses confirm'd and encouraged commanded to go to Pharaoh Sect. 60. Moses stopt in his journey His Son circumcised Sect. 61. Aaron meets Moses They declare their commission to the Elders of Israel Sect. 62. They go to Pharaoh The oppression of the Israelites increased Sect. 63. Moses and Aaron go again to Pharaoh The Magicians call'd in Sect. 64. The ten Plagues Chap. IV. From the Israelites departure out of Egypt to the laying the foundation of Solomon's Temple Sect. 1. THe Israelites depart out of Egypt Sect. 2. The Paschal Lamb and Passover appointed Sect. 3. The Lord conducts the Israelites by a Pillar of cloud and fire Joseph's bones carried with them Sect. 4. They encamp at Pihahiroth Pass through the Red-sea The Egyptians drown'd Sect. 5. Moses's Song Miriam a Prophetess Sect. 6. The people marching through Shur murmur for want of water Sect. 7. The twelve Wells and seventy Palm-trees Sect. 8. They turn from Elim to the Red-sea Sect. 9. The people murmur Quails given for one meal Manna falls Sect. 10. Water gushes out of the rock Sect. 11. Moses praying Joshua fights Amalek The Altar call'd Jehova-Nissi Sect. 12. Jethro's story defer'd to Sect. 51. Sect. 13. Moses call'd up to the top of Mount Sinai The terrible sight Sect. 14. The Promulgation of the Law Sect. 15. The people in fear Moses encourages them Sect. 16. Similitudes of God forbidden The Materials for Altars Sect. 17. The Judicial or Political Laws Sect. 18. The Angel of the Covenant promised to guide them The bounds of Canaan Sect. 19. Moses erects an Altar and twelve Pillars Sect. 20. Moses continues in the Mount forty days and forty nights Sect. 21. Directions concerning the Tabernacle and all its utensils and appurtenances Sect. 22. The Golden Calf Sect. 23. Moses comes down breaks the Tables Gods anger Moses intercedes for the people and sees the glory of God Sect. 24. Two new Tables of stone Sect. 25. God renews the Covenant upon Moses's prayer Moses's face shines Sect. 26. The Sabbath anew enjoyned Contribution to the Tabernacle Sect. 27. Bezaleel and Aholihab appointed chief workmen of the Tabernacle Sect. 28. The Tabernacle finished being set up is filled with Gods Glory Sect. 29. Laws given concerning the several sorts of sacrifices Sect. 30. Aaron and his Sons consecrated Sect. 31. Aaron enters upon his office Fire from the Lord. Sect. 32. Nadab and Abihu slain by fire from heaven Sect. 33. Of clean and unclean creatures Sect. 34. Womens separation Sect. 35. Laws concerning Leprosie Sect. 36. Ceremonial uncleanness in men Sect. 37. The Passover celebrated Sect. 38. Several sorts of Laws given Sect. 39. Blasphemy punished in the Son of Shelomith The Law of retaliation Sect. 40. Divers other Laws given Sect. 41. Promises and threatnings More Laws given concerning divers matters Sect. 42. The Book of Numbers Sect. 43. The Encamping of the Tribes Sect. 44. The Levites Charge Sect. 45. The Levites consecrated Sect. 46. The Offerings of the Princes Sect. 47. Laws concerning Jealousie Sect. 48. Concerning Nazarites Sect. 49. The solemn blessing Sect. 50. The Silver Trumpets Sect. 51. Jethro's story and advice Sect. 52. The Camp of Israel marches Jethro leaves them Sect. 53. Upon the moving of the Ark Moses pronounces the blessing Sect. 54. The people murmur at Taberah Sect. 55. Quails given for the space of a month A Plague follows Sect. 56. Miriams Leprosie Sect. 57. Spies search the land Sect. 58. Their different report Sect. 59. The ten Spies smitten Sect. 60. Israel defeated by the Amalekites and Canaanites Sect. 61. The ninetieth Psalm composed Sect. 62. Some Laws explained Sect. 63. The Rebellion of Corah Dathan and Abiram Sect. 64. Aaron's Red blossoming Sect. 65. The work and portion of the Priests and Levites Sect. 66. Water of Purification Sect. 67. Miriams death Sect. 68. They murmur at Kadesh for want of water Moses strikes the Rock in anger is doomed not to enter into Canaan Sect. 69. The King of Edom refuseth them passage Sect. 70. Aaron dies and is buried upon Mount Hor. Sect. 71. Arad the Canaanite vanquished Sect. 72. The Brazen Serpent Sect. 73. Several stations of the Israelites Sect. 74. The Miraculous Well Sect. 75. Sihon slain Sect. 76. Og totally subdued Sect. 77. The Encamping at Abel-shittim Sect. 78. Balaam sent for to curse the Israelites His Ass speaks Sect. 79. Balaam attempts to curse Israel Sect. 80. The Idolatry and Whoredom of the Israelites at Mount Peor Sect. 81. Midian Conquered Sect. 82. Moses and Eleazar number the people Sect. 83. Zelophehad's daughters Sect. 84. Joshua appointed Successor Sect. 85. A repetition of the Law of sacrificing Sect. 86. Laws concerning Vows Sect. 87. The Reubenites and Gadites desire a possession on that side Jordan Sect. 88. The Journal of Israels Travels Sect. 89. The Limits of Canaan Sect. 90. The Levites Cities Sect. 91. Orders concerning the Marriage of Zelophehad's daughters Sect. 92. The Book of Deuteronomy containing Moses's dying speech to Israel Sect. 93. Moses's death Israels mourning for him Sect. 94. Joshua begins his Government Sect. 95. They come near unto and pass the river Jordan Sect. 96. Circumcision enjoyned them Sect. 97. The first Passover in Canaan Manna ceases Sect. 98. Jericho taken burnt and cursed Sect. 99. The Israelites defeated at Ai. Sect. 100. Joshua marches against Ai. Sect. 101. A Monument of stone and an Altar erected and Blessings and Cursings pronounced at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal Sect. 102. The League with the Gibeonites Sect. 103. Adonizedek and his allies besiege Gibeon Their discomfiture Prodigious Hailstones The Sun and Moon stand still at the prayer of Joshua Sect. 104. Several Kings vanquished and their Cities taken Sect. 105. The rise of the Sabbatical year Sect. 106. Joshua's war with the Northern Kings His victory over them Sect. 107. Joshua's rest from war Sect. 108. Joshua divides the land Sect. 109. Joshua and the Elders proceed to divide the land Ephraim and Manasseh complain Sect. 110.
and Ahaziah's brethren Baal's Priests slain Jehu's Idolatry and death 11. Jehoahaz reigns p. 590. The Syrians oppress him He dies 12. Joash p. 591. He visits Elisha Elisha dies Joash takes Amaziah after his conquering the Syrians Joash dies 13. Jeroboam the second p. 593. Jonah Hosea and Amos Prophesie Jeroboam's death The Anarchy or Interregnum 14. Zachariah his short reign p. 598. 15. Shallum is slain by Menahem p. 599. 16. Menahem p. 599. His cruelty The Assyrian invades him He dies 17. Pekaliah p. 600. 18. Pekah reigns p. 600. His victory over Ahaz The Assyrian carries five Tribes into Captivity Pekah slain 19. Hoshea p. 602. He continues Jeroboam's Idolatry Salman after makes him Tributary Upon his revolt Samaria is taken and himself confined The Kingdom of Israel ends New Colonies planted Others sent after them An Anti-Temple built Afterwards destroyed by John Hircanus Chap. VI. The sixth Age from the Captivity of Judah to their return ZEdekiah taken sees his Children slain and then hath his own eyes put out and in chains is carried to Babylon pag. 627. The City of Jerusalem and the Temple burnt Gedaliah set over those poor people that were left in the land to dress the Vineyards and till the ground pag. 630 Seraiah the chief Priest with other principal men carried to Nebuchadnezzar to Riblah and there put to death Ibid. Jeremy had his choice whither he would go into Babylon and there be honourably treated or stay in Judea He chooses the latter Ibid. Ismael conspires against Gedaliah Johanan discovers it But Gedaliah would not believe it and so was treacherously murdered by Ismael pag. 631. Johanan took from Ismael his prisoners but he himself escap'd with eight more to the Ammonites Johanan and his Captains and many of the people go into Egypt and carry Jeremy and Baruck along with them Ezekiel Prophesies of the destruction of the last remainder of the Israelites He threatens murmurers and hypocrites and unfaithful shepherds and the Edomites pag. 632 Obadiah Prophesies against Edom. Ezekiel comforts the captive Israelites promising that God would avenge them on their enemies He prophesies their return out of Babylon though their condition there seem'd as hopeless as of dead men in their graves who are become dry bones pag. 633 He prophesies of their victory over Gog and Magog He prophesies against Egypt He prophesies against the Israelites that were gone into Egypt and against Pharaoh himself The Lamentations of Jeremy pag. 633. Tyre besieged by Nebuchadnezzar Nabuzaradan carried away the remainder of the Jews to the number of seven hundred forty five Ibid. Ezekiel hath that glorious vision of the new Jerusalem and new Temple pag. 634. Tyre taken Nebuchadnezzar invades Egypt makes great havock there Ibid. He returns now into Babylon He hath there the dream of the great Tree whose destiny was to be cut down Ibid. He new builds Babylon He falls distracted and so continues for seven years pag. 635 He returns to his wits Praises God and dies Evilmerodach succeeds him Jechoniah advanc'd Zedekiah dies The King of Babylon engages in a war against the Medes and Persians Of whose Armies Cyrus was made General He obtains a great victory over the Babylonians Ibid. Belshazzar succeeds In Belshazzar's first year Daniel hath the vision of the four Beasts Ibid. In his third year he hath the vision of the Ram and He-goat pag. 636. Cyrus conquers the Babylonians besieges Babylon with a vast Army Belshazzar Carousing with his Nobles sees the hand-writing on the wall Daniel interprets it is thereupon advanc'd pag. 636 Belshazzar slain His Kingdom brought to an end Darius takes on him the Kingdom Cyrus marries Darius's only daughter and so is intitled to the Kingdom of Media Darius sets over the Provinces an hundred and twenty Governours over whom he makes three principal overseers and Daniel the chief of all The Nobles being stirred with a spirit of envy against him move the King to make a decree that for thirty days space no petition should be made to any God or man but to himself Daniel hereupon cast into the Lions den Ibid. The seventy years of the Jews Captivity drawing to an end Daniel prays for the promised deliverance The Angel Gabriel gives him the Prophesie of the Seventy weeks pag. 637. Cyrus upon Darius's death is made absolute Monarch of the East The Jews shew him the Prophesie of Isaiah foretelling that he should be their deliverer He thereupon makes an Edict for their return and that they should go and build their Temple Chap. VII The seventh Age from their return out of Captivity to the death of Christ CYRVS made Zerubbabel chief Captain of those Jews that returned and consigned into his hands the vessels of the Temple The number of them that returned They offer towards the building of the Temple On the first day of the seventh month of the first year of their return they built the Altar and thereon offered sacrifices On the 15th day kept the Feast of Tabernacles In the second month of the second year of their return they lay the foundation of the Temple the old men weeping the young men rejoycing pag. 642 The Cuthaeans or Samaritans offer to joyn with them but being refus'd by their interest in Cambyses's Court give a stop to the work Ibid. Daniel's vision of the Kings of Persia and of Alexander and his successors Ibid. Cyrus dies Cambyses succeeds The Samaritans now frame an open accusation against the Jews pag. 643. Cambyses dies Darius Histaspis succeeds call'd Ahashuerus He marries Alosta or Vashti the daughter of Cyrus In his second year Haggai Prophesies and reproves the Jews for their negligence in not going on with the building of the Temple whereupon Zerubbabel and Joshua took the work in hand afresh pag. 644. In the eighth Month of the same year Zachary began to Prophesie to the same purpose that Haggai did Ibid. In the ninth month of that second year of Darius the Temple began to be rear'd by Zerubbabel and Joshua Upon the same day the two last Prophesies of Haggai were revealed to him The Samaritans viz. Tatnai and Sether-hoznai strive again to hinder them pag. 645 The Prophet Zachary hath a vision of Horsemen and several other visions Ibid. Cyrus's decree being found the King commands the Samaritans not only not to hinder the Jews in building their Temple but that they should furnish them with money out of the Kings Treasure for it pag. 646 Darius in the third year of his reign makes a royal feast for his Princes Vashti refuses to come to him when he sent for her she is thereupon divorced pag. 647. God answers the Jews inquiring concerning their Fasts of the fifth and seventh months In the eighth Chapter of Zachary he tells them he will change their Fasts into days of rejoicing Ibid. In the sixth year of Darius the second Temple was finished and dedicated pag. 650. Upon the 14th day of the first month they celebrated the first Passover in
asks Who among them and how many of them did they desire should go Moses tells him They would go up All with their Old and with their Young with their Wives Sons and Daughters with their Flocks and with their Herds For they must make use of some of them for Sacrifice and of part of these Sacrifices they must keep a Riligious Feast unto the Lord. Pharaoh being angry at this motion that they should desire their Children should go also whom he intended to keep as Hostages for their coming back he said in a passion I wish you might find no more savour from God than you are like to find from me in this your Suit to let your Children go also Look to it if you will presume to go in this manner at your own peril be it I shall never consent that you should All go But as for you that are men grown I care not if I permit you to go For that was all as I understood (t) Pharaoh either mislook or perverted the words of Moses and Aaron For they demanded they might all go but they desiring at first that they might go to Sacrifice to the Lord it seems Pharaoh thought that only the men meant to go and not the Women and Children also that at first you desired Moses and Aaron not accepting of this Pharaoh caused them to be driven out of his presence Then Moses stretched forth his Rod over the Land of Egypt and the Lord sent an East-wind which blew very fiercely all day upon that Land and the next morning it brought a vast Army of Caterpillars and Locusts very grievous such as had never been seen there before nor are like ever to be again and they were so many that they in a manner covered the face of the Earth where there was any Herbage and by flying so many together like a Cloud they in a manner darkned the Air and they devoured all the Corn and Grass and Herbs that the Hail had left See Psal 78.46 and Psal 105.34 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in hast and said to them I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you in using you as I have done However pardon the wrong that I have done you and once more intreat the Lord to be favourable to me and remove this deadly Plague from me which consumes and destroys all and is like to bring a grievous and general Famine upon us And Moses went out and intreated the Lord for Pharaoh and the Lord sent a strong West-wind that carried the Grashoppers and Locusts away and cast them into the Red-Sea where they all perished But though this dreadful Judgment was removed yet Pharaoh's hardness was not for he would not yet let the people go Ch. 10. from vers 1. to 21. The Month Abib otherwise called Nisan answering to part of our March and part of our April which before had been the seventh Month as we shewed before was from this time forward made the first Month (u) In rememberance of their miraculous Deliverance out of Egypt they were appointed to begin the Year with this Month. Yet this account was afterwards kept only in Ecclesiastical Affairs For the Jubilees and such other Civil affairs it began as it had done before Lev. 25.8 9 10. of the year and upon the tenth day of this Month or a little before was instituted the Feast of the Passover In Commemoration of God's passing over them and not involving them in the Common Plague that smote the Houses of the Egyptians Touching which Passover several Laws and Directions are given to Moses 1. Concerning the Sacrifice it self or the matter of the Feast viz. a Lamb or Kid of the first year a Male without blemish 2. This must be set apart on the tenth day (x) No mention made of separating the Paschal Lamb from the Flock four days before the Feast in other places where the Passover is commanded of this Month. Thus it was ordered at this time that it might be in readiness and not to seek when they were encumbered with business about their going away 3. If one Houshold was too little for a Lamb they were to joyn the next Houshold to them and they were to make their account proportionably to the Lamb and to the persons that were to eat of it taking care that there might not be too few nor too many for it (y) Which number Josephus reckons to be ten men besides women and children 4. They were to keep the Lamb to the 14th day of the same Month. 5. Every Master of a Family of all the Congregation of Israel whom it especially concerned was appointed to kill it on the 14th day between the two Evenings (z) About that time our blessed Saviour the true Paschal Lamb was put to death Mat. 27.46 that is between our three a Clock in the Afternoon and Sun-set (a) The natural day from Sun to Sun the Jews divided into four parts The first from Sun-rising to nine in the fore-noon called the third hour The second from nine to twelve called the sixth hour The third from twelve to three in the afternoon called the ninth hour The fourth from three in the afternoon to Sun-setting called the twelfth hour 6. They were to strike and sprinkle with a bunch of Hyssop dipped in the bloud (b) To direct the Faith of the Israelites to the bloud of their great Redeemer thereof the two side-posts and upper door-posts of the door of the House where they did eat it (c) This seems peculiar to the Passover in Egypt 7. None of them were to go out of the House where they did eat it till the morning 8. They were not to break a bone of it 9. They were not to eat it raw or sodden but roasted with fire And they were to rost it whole Head and Leggs with the appurtenance that is the inwards being first taken out and washed 10. They were to eat it with unleavened (d) Leaven haing two Properties to sowr and puff up might well signifie malice and pride which must be laid aside Bread and bitter Herbs 11. They were to eat it with their Loins girded their Shooes on their feet and their Staff in their hand like men in hast and ready to be gone and march out of Egypt (e) These Ceremonies were peculiar to that Passover in Egypt 12. They were to let nothing of it remain unto the morning but if any thing were left after they had eaten it was to be burnt with fire These things being observed by them Moses tells them The Lord intended to pass by all the Houses of the Israelites where the Paschal-Lamb was thus eaten and the doors thus sprinkled but He would smite by his holy Angel all the First-born of the Land of Egypt both of Men and Beasts that remained And he would then execute Judgment on all the Gods of Egypt that is either some such notable Judgment or
either to Man or Beast And when all this shall come to pass then says he you shall know how great a difference the Lord doth put between the Israelites and the Egyptians And then shall these thy Servants and Courtiers be sent by thee unto me and shall bow themselves unto me saying Go forth thou and all the people that follow thee over whom thou hast the Government and after that I will go forth with all the people of Israel with me and with all that we have Moses having thus spoken went out from Pharaoh in a great anger i his zeal for the Glory of God heightening his indignation against the obstinacy of Pharaoh Ch. 10. from vers 21. to the end Ch. 11. from vers 4. to the 9. (l) See Numb 12.3 Eph. 4.26 Tenth Plague The destruction of the First-born 10. The Israelites when they first came down down into Egypt being but few part of the Province of Goshen was sufficient for them but afterwards they multiplied so much that they spread all over that Country and besides had many mixed Habitations in other parts of Egypt (m) Habitant Egyptii Hebraeis permixti The evening therefore of this 14th day of this Month being come Moses called for the Elders of Israel to draw out their Lambs according to their Families and to kill the Passover and to sprinkle with a bunch of Hyssop the Door-posts of their Houses with the bloud of the Lamb and that none of them should stir out of the doors where they did meet to eat the Passover till the morning The Children of Israel doing as the Lord had commanded them by Moses at Midnight the Angel of the Lord smote all the First-born (n) Ica nullus Pater alii possit esse solatio cum clades omnibus communis esset in the Land of Egypt from the First-born of Pharaoh that sat on the Throne to the First-born of the Captive that was in the Dungeon and all the First-born of their remaining Cattel Pharaoh upon this and his Servants and the Egyptians rose up in the night and there was a great and hideous Cry thorow out all the Land for there was not an house in Egypt which had a First-born in it where there was not one dead and in houses where there were no Children probably the eldest and chief of the Family was slain Pharaoh hereupon presently sent his Servants that were about him to Moses and Aaron and commanded them to speak to them in his Name That they should presently go away and should take their Wives and Children Herds and Flocks and all that they had along with them and he desires they would bless him and pray for him at their departure that He might not perish by this Plague (o) He had desired their prayers for him several times before Exod. 8.8 9.28 10.16 17. And the Egyptians were very urgent with the Israelites and used humble and earnest Intreaties to them to be gone see Exod. 11.8 saying among themselves that if they did not hasten them away they were all dead men that is in extream danger of death and like to perish The Egyptians being in this dreadful Consternation the Israelites as Moses had commanded them borrowed of them Jewels (p) Solebant Idololatrae in colendis idolis se gemmis in auribus decorare Credebant autem Egyptii hoc petentes Israelitas suis Diis sacrificaturos prout antea fecerant ideoque nec abituros è terra Nam Moses hactenus tridui tantum itineris mentionem fecerat and Vessels of Silver and Vessels of Gold and fine Raiment (q) V. 35. Et Vestem i. e. pretiosiores vestes tapetes similia Jans and rich Furniture and such like precious things for their use in keeping the Festival And God thus disposed their hearts thorow the great and pannick fear they were in For it seems they thought that if the Israelites were not sent away presently the next Plague would destroy them all And besides that the Lord gave the Israelites favour in their eyes so that they very readily lent them and furnished them with any thing they desired of them And possibly they thought the Israelites intended only a three days journey into the Wilderness there to sacrifice unto the Lord and then would return and so they should have their rich things again And that which in likelihood inclined their hearts the more to favour the Israelites was the high opinion that both Pharaoh's Courtiers and the people of Egypt had generally of Moses For him they much honoured and feared in regard of his Wisdom and Conduct and the manifold Miracles that had been wrought by his Ministry both in bringing Judgments and removing them So that whasoever he should ask or require of the Egyptians for himself or the people of Israel was not like to be denied him And thus was fulfilled that which God promised to Abraham Gen. 15.13 14. Thy Seed shall be a stranger in a Land that is not theirs 400 years and that Nation whom they shall serve will I judge and afterwards they shall come out with great substance And the same was also promised Exod. 3.22 and all now exactly performed For now the Israelites carried away a great deal of the riches of the Egyptians and that not only by Gods permission but express Command Ch. 11.2.3 who is the Supream Lord of all and all that is in the World is his and He may do what he will with his own Mat. 20.15 And just it was with the Lord thus to recompence the Israelites for the hard Service Injuries and Oppressions they had suffered in Egypt and as it were to pay them their wages which the Egyptians had most unjustly detained from them Exod. 12. from 29. to vers 37. CHAP. IV. The Fourth Age of the World from the coming of the Israelites out of Egypt to the laying the Foundation of Solomon's Temple in the Fourth Year of his Reign containing a space of 480 Years and ending in the 2988th Year of the World SECT I. THe Egyptians being now in great distraction and fill'd with sorrow for the death of their First-born pressed the Israelites to depart The very next day therefore after the Passover (a) See Numb 33.3 the term of 430 Years from the first Promise made to Abraham and his removing from Vz of the Chaldees being just now compleated (b) See Gal. 3.17 the Israelites carring away with them their unleavened Dough which was not well seasoned nor made up by reason of their hast even lumps of Dough bound up in Cloaths upon their Shoulders together with the Spoils of the Egyptians began their Journey and marched away with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians Numb 33.3 from all Quarters to Rameses their general Rendezvous and there they all met who either dwelt mix'd among the Egyptians see Exod. 3.22 and were scattered up and down in Egypt or else dwelt in
versum in fighting against his peculiar people whose King and Soveraign he had undertaken to be therefore the Lord would have his people maintain a truceless War with Amalek from Generation to Generation Exod. 17. from vers 8. to the end SECT XII THis Story of Jethro contain'd in the next Chapter viz. the 18th seems not to lie in its proper place but ought to come in between the 10th and 11th verses of Numb 10. For in Exod. 18. vers 12. 'T is said Jethro took Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices for God whereas the Law for Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices was not yet given And vers 13. 16. 'tis said Moses sat to judge the people and to make them know the Statutes of God and his Laws whereas the Statutes and Laws of God were not yet given to Moses And further the chusing of Judges and Elders which was upon Jethro's Counsel was not till after their departing from Sinai Deut. 1 7 8 9 See Lightfoot pag. 95. c. whereas 't is here set as before their coming thither Therefore we shall reserve this History till we come to the 10th of Numbers SECT XIII FRom Rephidim which was over against Horeb in the third month after their coming forth out of Egypt they removed to the Desart over against Sinai (k) It seems these were either two Mountains near together or else two tops of the same Mountain one called Horeb the other Sinai which was their Twelfth Encamping where they continued for the space of almost an whole Year The Cloudy Pillar now resting on the top of the Mountain God out of it calls Moses to come up to Him and Commands him to set before the people what great things He had done for them and how he had born them on Eagles wings and carried them as an Eagle doth her young ones on her back viz. speedily and safely out of Egypt and had now brought them unto Himself that is to this place of his Presence and convenient for them to serve him in If therefore they would carefully observe the Covenant which he now intended to make with them they should be his peculiar Treasure his Segullah (l) Deut. 7.6 7 8. Psal 135.4 above all people For all the Earth is His and he can chuse what Nation he pleases to be his peculiar People to serve him and they should be to Him a Kingdom of Priests that is among them he would Reign and set up his Kingdom 1 Sam. 8.7 and they should not be a profane State such as other Kingdoms were but a Kingdom of Priests to Worship Him according to his own Will and to offer the Sacrifices to Him which He should appoint and they should be separated from all other Nations unto Him and his Service Moses comes down and acquaints the people herewith and they readily and with one accord answered That All that the Lord had spoken they would do Moses returned their Answer unto the Lord who tells him He would now speak to him speedily out of a thick Cloud upon the Mount and the people should hear Him speak to him that they might never after doubt or disbelieve that God had sent him to them Then he Commands Moses to go down and to sanctifie and prepare the people two days for their reverend receiving his Law on the day after and that he should give them Orders and Directions how they should behave themselves at that time Moses accordingly commands the people to sanctifie themselves to wash their Cloaths and to forbear the company of their Wives vers 15. till the time appointed signifying how careful they should be to keep their Minds from being distracted with carnal affections and to cleanse themselves from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit especially when they were to present themselves so solemnly before the Lord. Then he sets bounds and limits round about the bottom of Mount Sinai shewing them how near they should approach to the Mount and no further declaring that whatever Man or Beast passed those bounds and touched the Mountain should be stoned or shot to death This was commanded to strike their hearts with the greater Reverence of God and to bridle their Curiosity from searching into Gods Secrets and to teach them to be content with the bounds that he had set them On the third day in the morning after Moses had given them this Charge concerning sanctifying and preparing themselves which as some think was the (m) Sic Jansenius Masius autem quarto die mensis sixth day of the month and fifty days after the Passover on which the Feast of Pentecost was afterwards kept by the ministry of Angels the Trumpet sounded exceeding loud and the people trembling advanced under the Conduct of Moses towards (n) V. 13. Tunc ascendent in montem i. e. adversus montem alioquin repugnaret v. 12. the Mountain so far as their limits and bounds extended Then the Air being fill'd with dreadful Thunderings and Lightnings and the Mountain quaking and trembling and smoaking like a Furnace Psal 68.8 and the Trumpet sounding lowder and lowder the Lord (o) V. 20. Descendit Dominus sâ—u Angelus Dominum repraesentans descendit ex loco aeris celsiore in ipsum montis verticem descended on the Mount that is He there manifested his Glory in a flame of Fire The fight was so exceeding terrible that Moses said I exceedingly fear and tremble Heb. 12.21 The Lord hereupon answered him by a Voice and so in a less terrible manner than by Thunder yet so loud that the people might hear him speaking to him see vers 9. By that Voice the Lord commanded Moses to come up to Him to the top of the Mount And Moses did so The Lord Commands him to go again to the people and to Charge them that they did not break thorow the bounds set them to see and gaze as Moses himself was ready once to do Exod. 3.3 till He was stayed of God lest many of them should thereupon perish see Sam. 6.19 and to Charge the Priests more particularly who used to come near to minister before the Lord that is the First-horn the young men of the Children of Israel whom God had hallowed to himself and who before the separating of the Tribe of Levi for the Priesthood used to administer that Office in their several Families Numb 8.16 Exod. 13.2 Lev. 3.12 and Exod. 24.5 that they especially take care to sanctifie themselves and to be devoutly and holily prepared for this great appearance of God and to keep themselves from being defiled with Sin by touching the Mount presuming too far by reason of their Priviledge lest the Lord break forth in wrath upon them Moses humbly Answers O Lord the people by reason of thy former Prohibition dare not come up to the Mount For thou saidst Set bounds to the Mount and Hallow it that is let the people know that they are to account this Mountain holy by reason of the manifestation of
Weights and Measures being kept in the Sanctuary hence it is call'd the Shekel of the Sanctuary See Exod. 38.26 The common Shekel is but 1 s. 3 d. The Shekel of the Sanctuary 2 s. 6 d. Nehem. 10.32 the rate is but the third part of a Shekel but here the rate is more upon this extraordinary occasion Some think this Contribution was annual Others only occasional as there was cause to call the people to it see Matth. 17.24 amounted to 15 d. of our money and it was to be imployed for the Service of the Tabernacle and the Rich were not to give more nor the Poor less And this equality seems to be enjoyned that the Rich might not despise the Poor and to shew that the life of a poor man is as precious in the sight of God as a rich mans and both are equally bound to praise God for it And this was also to be done that it might be a Memorial before the Lord of their Obedience and so might move the Lord to be propitious unto them Exod. 30. from vers 11. to 17. 15ly These Commands and Injunctions being given to Moses by the Lord 't is like Moses begain to think with himself where he should find Workmen fit to undertake such curious and difficult Works and that would make them exactly according to the Pattern given Wherefore the Lord tells him He had furnished Men with extraordinary gifts of his Spirit (b) So that quick apprehension and skill in honest Handicrafts and Manufactures is to accounted as a Gift of God consisting in Wisdom Knowledge ready conceiving and skill for the performance of all these things and particularly Bezaleel and Aholiab who should be the principal Workmen and Directors of others and He had put into the hearts of all those that were apt for these businesses a greater apprehension (c) Sapienter excogitare excogitata operari to conceive and contrive and a greater dexterity then they had before to work all these things that He had commanded Exod. 31. from 1. to the 12. 16ly Lastly Though the Work of the Tabernacle was with all care and diligence to be followed and speedily to be done yet the Lord would not have any of it to be done upon the Sabbath-day and therefore he renews his Command about the Observation of that Day telling Moses It was a Sign between Him and them that He had taken them for his peculiar people and they Him for their God whom they had bound themselves withall faithfulness to serve And by his enjoyning them diligently to keep his Sabbath they might know that he intended it as a means to promote their Sanctification Then He urges the Observation of the Sabbath upon them by divers reasons 1. Ab utili It is says He holy unto you that is Ordained for your benefit and profit Mark 2.27 The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath 2. A necessario If they did not keep it He tells them They should surely be put to death See Numb 15.35 (d) Videtur Moses ignorasse speciem mortis aut sceleris gradum sola enim profana contumaxque Sabbathi violatio capitalis est Anonym in loc 'T is observable That death is thrice here threatned to those that defile the Sabbath by doing any profane or unnecessary work thereon 3. From the dedication of this Day unto God It is a Sabbath of Rest consecrated unto God 4. From the Command of God He Commands them to keep the Seventh-day-Sabbath perpetually that is as long as that Dispensation should last the Observation thereof being one Article of the Covenant He had made with them 5. A facili The Lord appointeth but one day in seven for Holy Rest and alloweth Six for labour in our worldly businesses 6. From the Example of God Himself who created the World in six days and rested on the Seventh and was refreshed * This is spoken of God after the manner of men Exod. 31. from 12. to 18. SECT XXII THe people seeing that Moses stayed so long in the Mount and that the Cloud did not move and perhaps conceiving that Moses had forsaken them or despairing of his Return a great number (e) 'T is manifest that all the people did not joyn herein for some of them afterwards at Moses his command were imployed to put the Idolaters to death v. 26. 1 Cor. 10.7 of them as it seems pressed Aaron with great Importunity to make them an Image or visible representation of God (f) V. 1. Gods the plural for the singular by an Hebrew Idiotism Declarant se velle veri unam effigiem Dei divinae symbolum praesentiae sed erat Carnalis Aegyptiorum imitatio qui vitulum colebant Anonym in loc going before them and manifesting his Presence among them and this Image they would have made in the form or shape of a Calf according to the Idolatry they had seen practised in Egypt Aaron to divert them as 't is probable from this wicked Intendment requires the golden Ear-rings from the Ears of their Wives Sons and Daughters to make it with hoping that this demand would make such a mutiny in all their Families that they would have chosen rather to desist from their wicked design than part with those Ornaments wherein they were wont to take so much delight But herein he was much deceived for their Superstition was at this time above their Pride or Covetousness insomuch that they presently broke off their golden Ear-rings and gave them to Aaron who appointed Workmen first to melt the Gold and cast it into the form of a Calf and then to polish and finish it with a graving Tool It seems they desired their Idol should be made in this form in imitation of the Idol Apis the Ox or Calf (g) Thus the Israelites borrowed not all Gold and Silver but some dross from the Egyptians borrowing their Idolatrous Worship from them 1 King 12.28 Ps 106 19 20. Puller the Egyptians used to worship Then encouraging one another and being much pleased with their Idol they said This is thy God O Israel which brought thee out of the Land of Eypt pretending still to worship the true God in and by the Calf Aaron seeing the people thus violently bent on their Idol upon their motion He yields to build an Altar for it and to proclaim an Holy-day and to dedicate a Feast to it To morrow says He is a Feast to the Lord Jehovah pretending all was still intended for the Worship of the true God And accordingly the people rose early the next morning and sacrificed unto their Idol Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings and upon the Altar they feasted together and then rose up to play that is to sing and dance and play about their Idol shouting and making a great Noise vers 17. according to the wild custom and manner of the Heathens in their Idolatrous Feasts Exod. 32. from 1. to 7. SECT XXIII WHen 40 days and 40
burn Incense was within the Tabernacle at the Altar of Incense but this was an extraordinary occasion and a means enjoyned for the discovery of the Lords will whither these men or only Aaron and his Sons as formerly should enter into the Tabernacle to execute the Priests Office Corah having assembled his Confederates and the generality of the people before the Tabernacle and not finding Dathan and Abiram there as it should seem went to their Tents to talk with them see Ch. 26.10 and probably from them He went to his own Tent before Moses and the Elders came to the Tabernacle as presently they did In the mean time the 250 Conspirators on the one side taking fire from the Altar and putting it into their Censers and laying Incense thereon and Aaron near to whom Moses stood doing the like on the other God now signifies his approach and the actual manifestation of his Presence by the descending of the Cloud which used to hover over the Tabernacle to the door (x) See vers 42. of this Chap. and Ch. 12.5 thereof And the Lord spake to Moses and Aaron saying Separate your selves from among this Congreation that I may consume these Conspirators and all that joyn with them in a moment Then Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces before the Lord and said O God the God of the Spirits of all Flesh who formest the spirit of man within him Zach. 12.1 and seest and knowest the spirits and hearts of all men and art able to discern between those that sin obstinately and those that are only seduced by others and drawn hither only to see what would be done Shall one man sin viz. Corah the chief Incendiary and wilt thou be wroth with the whole Congregation Upon this intercession the Lord was pleased to spare the people that would depart from these Rebells And then imparting to Moses what He intended to do commands him to warn the Congregation to get away from the Tents of Corah Dathan and Abiram Moses accordingly rose up many of the Elders of Israel accompanying him to denounce the Judgment of God against these Conspirators and he warns the Congregation to depart from the Tents of these wicked men and to get far from them and to touch nothing of theirs as judging all that they have execrable and accursed lest they perish (y) V. 26. Lest you be consumed in all their sins that is lest you be destroyed in the Judgment that will fall upon them for all their sins the cause is here put for the effect in the Judgment which was ready to fall upon them for their great Sins and Provocations The people accordingly did so and fled from the Tents of these men but Dathan and Abiram impudently came out and stood in the doors of their Tents with their Wives and Children as if they intended to out-face Moses and scorned the Judgment he threatned against them Moses then sayed Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me and hath appointed me to take upon my self the Government of this people and hath conferred the Priesthood on Aaron and his Sons and that I have not done these things on my own head If these men die the common and ordinary death of other men then the Lord hath not sent me But if the Lord by his Almighty Power do work a new and hitherto-unheard of Miracle so that the Earth open her mouth and swallow them up quick then you must needs acknowledge that I am innocent and that these men have highly provoked the Lord. Moses having made an end of speaking the Earth immediately opened her mouth and swallowed up * An undoubted evidence of Gods concurrence with the ministry of Moses and withall an undoubted assurance of the divine truth of Moses's Writings these Rebels and all that appertained to them that were there present And the same it seems happened and probably at the same time to Corah and his Family as appeareth Numb 26.10 only some of his Children who as 't is like joyned not in their Fathers sin or if they did soon repented of it and gave over and departed from their Fathers Tent at Moses's warning were spared And of their Race came such as either composed some of the Psalms or at least were famous Singers in the Temple and Samuel also the great Prophet and Judge in Israel was of that Race see 1 Chron. 6.33 to 38. Thus perished the Ringleaders of this Rebellion All the Israelites that were near them fled at the Cry of them fearing lest the Earth should swallow up them also And as a further addition to the dreadfulness of this Judgment there came fire out from the Lord and consumed their 250 Confederates who had offered Incense and usurped the Priests Office They are punished with fire as by fire they had offended see Levit. 10.2 Moses now by Gods Command appointeth Eleazar the Son of Aaron to gather up the Censers from among the ashes of the dead bodies of these men that were burnt and consumed and to scatter the fire that was in them without the Court of the Tabernacle as shewing that God rejected it and their Service and abhorred their Sacrifice And he tells him That the Censers of these Sinners against their own Souls were now hallowed (z) Sanctificata dicuntur quia ex deputatione Dei servire deinceps debebant divina gloriae illustrandae having been presented before the Lord by his Commandment and he orders him to make broad Plates of them for a covering of the Altar (a) A parte anteriori altaris ponebantur ut a populo conspici possint of Burnt-Offerings which was covered with Plates of Brass before see Exod. 27.2 And the less need there was of them the fitter they were to be a sign of Gods Judgment against presumptuous Conspirators and of his vindicating and clearing the innocency of his faithful Servants and to be a Memorial to the Children of Israel that all Israelites and Levites excepting Aaron's Sons are to be reckoned as Strangers in respect of the Priests Office and may not aspire to it lest they perish as Corah and his Confederates did However the very next morning after those dismal Judgments had been executed all the Congregation of the people that were inclined to this Faction whose lives Moses had saved the day before by praying to the Lord for them murmured against Him and Aaron and peremptorily told them That they had killed the Lords people Moses and Aaron being thus injuriously charged looked up to God as having no other Refuge or Shelter to fly unto and immediately behold the Cloud descended upon the Tabernacle as a sign of the approach and actual manifestation of the glorious Presence of God and that he intended to speak something unto them Moses and Aaron presenting themselves before the Lord the Lord bad them get them up presently from among this rebellious Company that he might consume them in a moment But they fell
on their faces and interceeded with the Lord for them God by his Spirit informs Moses That he had sent a Plague among them and directs him what course to take for the stopping of it Hereupon he calls to Aaron to take his Censer and to put fire into it from off the Altar and to put Incense thereon and to run quickly and make atonement for the people and to stand between the living and the dead (b) Incense was only to be offered upon the Altar of Incense in the Tabernacle but this was done upon an extraordinary occasion and by an extraordinary warrant of divine Inspiration for he tells him Wrath was gone out from the Lord the Plague was begun And Aaron did as Moses commanded him yet the Plague ran so swiftly among the people like fire in a field of Corn that before Aaron could interpose himself to make atonement wherein he was a Figure of Christs Intercession there fell fourteen thousand and seven hundred of those rebellious Murmurers see 1 Cor. 10.10 and then the Plague was stayed and Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tabernacle to acquaint him how he had sped and to return thanks unto the Lord who had so graciously accepted the work of his hands Numb 16. whole Chapter SECT LXIV THat none might for the future presume to usurp the Office of the Priesthood or aspire to it besides Aaron and his Sons God was pleased to enjoyn Moses to take of each Prince of the twelve Tribes a Rod or Staff such as they did usually carry in their hands which were it seems according to the Custom of those times made of Almond-Tree and to write every Princes Name on his Rod and to write Aaron's Name upon the Rod of the Tribe of Levi. He tells him That the mans Rod whom he did choose to serve him in the Priesthood should blossom and the rest remain dry And God orders Moses to lay all the Rods up in the Tabernacle in the most holy place before the Ark of the Testimony where the Lord did use by glorious signs to testifie his Presence and make known his Will unto them see Exod. 25.22 For upon such extraordinary occasions we need not doubt but Moses used to go into the most holy place Accordingly next morning Moses went in thither and he found that the Rod of Aaron had shot forth branches and some of them had buds on them and some blossoms and others yielded Almonds but all the rest of the Rods remaining dry as they were before Then Moses brought out all the Rods and shewed them to the Children of Israel and the Princes took every man his Rod and found them dry sticks as before but Aaron's Rod flourished and had brought forth Buds Blossoms and Fruit by which Miracle they were convinced that God had chosen Aaron and his Sons to be the only Priests that should serve Him at the Altar And hereupon God orders Moses to lay up Aaron's Rod again in the most holy place before the Ark to be kept there * See Apostol Hist on Heb. 9.6 as a Testimony against any such Children of Rebellion as should ever after presume to usurp the Office of the Priesthood And by this means also he might prevent the murmurings and complainings of the people which if they went on in they would thereby bring certain destruction upon their own heads The people hearing these things and being exceedingly terrified with this threatning and the remembrance of those late dreadful Judgments that had carried away so many among them they cry out unto Moses Alas we die we perish we all perish that is we see we are in continual danger of being swept away with terrible Judgments And as men terrified are wont to conceive their danger to be greater than indeed it is they now apprehend that it would be exceeding dangerous for them to come near the Tabernacle or to be present at any Worship or Service there performed and seem to fear that God would not withdraw his Indignation from them until he had destroyed and consumed them all Ch. 17. whole Chapter SECT LXV THe people being under such a fear and consternation the Lord hereupon takes order for the guard of the Sanctuary and injoyns that every one should remain within the Verge and Limits of his duty and so they should be safe and he tells Aaron That He and the Priests and Levites shall bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary that is if any pollution (c) Thus the Lord shews himself reconciled and makes the Priests watch a ground of appeasing both the fear and envy of the people came to it by the people they should answer for it and bear the punishment thereof if they did not take care to prevent it and the Priests should bear the punishment of all Iniquity committed about their Priests Office if they did carry themselves amiss in it or suffer a stranger or Levite to meddle therein He tells them he had joined * Here is an allusion to Levies name which signifies joyned the Levites to them to minister to them in the outward Services of killing and slaying the Sacrifices c. but they themselves only should serve at the Altar and within the holy place before the Ark of the Testimony and the Levites shall observe the Precepts and Charge which he hath given them concerning their Ministry and concerning the sacred things of the Tabernacle which are committed to their Care that so every one keeping his station and doing his duty there may be no wrath any more upon the Children of Israel only they shall not meddle with the Service of the Sanctuary and Altar lest they die And if the Priests did not endeavour to prevent any such Errour or Miscarriage in their Brethren the Levites they should also incur the like danger Thus he appoints the Levites to minister to the Priests and orders that he that is not of the Tribe of Levi shall not be admitted to serve and minister unto them For God having taken the Levites instead of the first-born of the Children of Israel to himself he had given them unto Aaron and his Sons for his own Service and the Service of the Tabernacle Therefore he and his Sons should exercise their Priests Office in all things that concern the Altar of Burnt-Offerings and in all things which are to be done within the outward Veil whereby the holy place is divided from the Court the High Priest in the most holy place and inferiour Priests within the Sanctuary or holy place And God tells Aaron and his Sons That 't is his free Gift and favour to them that he had made choice of them before others for the Priestly Office and that He had ordained That whoever is not of Aaron's Line and goeth about to meddle with the Priestly Office shall be put to death from vers 1. to 8. The Lord having thus set down the Office and Work of the Priests and Levites he
David 1 Chron. 18.13 and thereupon he sung that triumphant Song Psal 60.8 Moab is my washpot that is I have so subdued them that I use them in my meanest services as a vessel to wash my feet in over Edom will I cast my shooe that is I will trample upon the Edomites as a vanquished people He says therefore Out of the house of Jacob shall come one that shall have the Dominion and shall destroy the Edomites and not only those that are found in Arms in the Field but those also that remain in the several Cities and fortified Places that shall oppose him Then looking towards the Country of the Amalekites the Posterity of Esau Gen. 36.12 He uttered this Parable or Prediction concerning them Amalek was the first of the Nations that warred against Israel see Exod. 17. but he is appointed to be destroyed till he be rooted from the face of the earth This was fulfilled in part by Saul 1 Sam. 15. and after in Mordecai's time see Esther 7. Then he looked towards the Country of the Midianites called here Kenites from one principal Family or People among them which is put for the whole Nation and predicted this of them Thy dwelling is strong thou buildest thy Nest or Habitation like Eagles among the Rocks yet thou shalt endure much at the hand of several Enemies which was in part accomplished when the Midianites were vanqished by Gideon Judg. 7.2 and shalt at length be carried away Captive by the Assyrians who with the Jews carried away all the Nations round about them compare Jer. 25.9 with 1 Chron. 2.55 And he further added Alas who shall live that is who almost can escape when God shall do this intimating the greivous Calamity of that time when the Assyrians shall make this havock And Ships shall come from the Coast of Chittim and shall afflict Ashur and shall afflict Eber and he shall also perish for ever that is the great Empire of Asia first held by the Assyrians afterwards by the Chaldeans and last of all by the Persians shall be destroyed by the Greeks and Macedonians properly called Chittim (u) Chittim was one of the Sons of Javan the Son of Japhet who seated themselves in Macedonia and the Greek Islands Afterwards the Greeks passing over from thence into Italy and planting themselves there even Italy was also called Chittim Gen. 10.4 Isa 23.1.12 under Alexander the Great and afterwards by the Romans who came into Asia out of the Harbours of Greece Dan. 11.30 And the Jewish Nation and their Country shall be much infected and evil intreated by the Grecians of Syria and Egypt Dan. 8.11 11.31 and much more by the Romans under Vespasian and Titus The Greeks also at last shall be ruined by the Romans and their Empire shall be overthrown by them As for the Roman Empire it self it is now much fallen and the usurping State thereof under the Papacy God will at last consume with the breath of his mouth 2 Thess 2.8 Thus Balaam as he began with the blessing of Israel so he endeth with the destruction of their Enemies Then he went away with a purpose to return home but was stayed as it seems by the Midianites and among them was afterward killed by the Sword of Israel Numb 31.8 Numb 23. whole Chapter Numb 24. whole Chapter SECT LXXX ISrael now being encamped at Abel-Shittim see Ch. 33.49 in the very borders of the promised Land the Women of Moab and Midian were set on work according to the wicked Counsel of Balaam see Numb 31.16 Rev. 2.14 to turn the people to Idolatry and to allure them to commit folly with them that so the Favour of God being thereby turned away from them they might be exposed to mischief from their Enemies And accordingly a great number of the people did commit Whoredom with them and being invited by them to their Idolatrous Feasts made upon Sacrifices offered to their Gods at length were drawn to open Idolatry also see Exod. 34.15 and to bow down to their Gods and worship them Thus a great many of the Israelites worshipped Baal-Peor * See Hosea 9.10 which was the Idol-god of the Moabites so called from Mount-Peor where this Idol was worshipped and the anger of the Lord was greatly kindled against them for it And he commanded Moses to call the Heads and Princes of the people together and by their assistance to take all the Ringleaders of this disorder and to hang them up before the Sun that is openly in the sight of all men that as they had sinned openly they might be punished openly for the terrour of others and this was accordingly done Then Moses gave order to the Judges and Rulers to put to death all such of them that were under their several Commands whom they found to have joyned themselves to Baal-Peor And last of all God sent a Plague among them whereof there died 23000 men in one day see 1 Cor. 10.8 which added to them that were hanged and killed by the Sword amounted in all to 24000. During these dreadful Judgments and Executions Zimri a Prince of Renown in the Tribe of Simeon openly and impudently in the sight of Moses and all the Congreation who were weeping before the door of the Tabernacle under a sense of the wrath of God whereby so many of their Brethren had been cut off carried Cozbi the Daughter of a Prince of Midian into his Tent to commit folly with her Phineas the Son of Eleazar understanding this being stirred up with an holy zeal for God and by the special motion of his Spirit he took a Javelin in his hand and ran into the Tent and slew them both in the very act of their Villany and by this heroick act of Phineas the wrath of God was appeased and the Plague stayed see Psal 106.30 And God was so well pleased therewith that he commands Moses to make known for Phineas's incouragement that he had given unto him his Covenant of peace for the setling of the Priesthood in his Posterity and to be continued in his Seed as long as ever the Levitical Priesthood should continue * V. 13. Sempiternum id dicitur quod diutuâ—num admodum Nam post pronepotem Phinees translatus erat Pontificatus ad Eli qui erat de familia Ithamari ut patet 1 Paralip 24.3 Foedus ergo hoc conditionatum fuit nempe si posteri in fide perseveraverint Ad tempus interruptum orat sed post quatuor Pontifices vi hujus foederis resipiscentibus posteris Phineas rediit tempore Davidis Solomonis ad Sadoc ex Eleazari Phinees familia in qua deinceps postea mansit ad Herodis tempora usque ad Christum provided they walked in ways pleasing unto God And he call it his Covenant of Peace First Because they should peaceably injoy it 2ly Because the work of the Priest was to make peace between God and the people Now though the Dignity of being High
their Gods also He had executed Judgment causing possibly some such notable accident to befal the Egyptian Idols as did the Philistines Dagon which fell down before the Ark see Exod. 12.12 Their second Station was Succoth their third Etham where the Lord began first to go before them by day in a Pillar of Cloud and by night in a Pillar of fire From Etham they turned unto Pihahiroth a narrow passage between two ledges of Mountains into which being entred Pharaoh overtook them with a great Army and thought they could not have escap'd him but God divided the Red-Sea which the Israelites passing thorow the Egyptians assayed to follow them and there were miserably drowned The Israelites having past thorow the Sea went three days journey in the Wilderness of Etham without any water and pitched in Marah Here they found the Waters very bitter insomuch that they began to murmur against Moses but God sweetened the Waters by the casting in of a Tree Exod. 15.23 From Marah they came to Elim where were twelve Fountains of Water From Elim they encamped by the Red-Sea †See Sect. 8. of this Book and from thence removed to the Wilderness of Sin so called from Sin a City in Egypt over against which this Wilderness lay Hither they came just a month after their departure from Rameses Here they murmur grievously for want of Food and God gave them Quails for one meal and Manna from Heaven which was continued till they came into Canaan From Sin they came to Dophkah and from thence to Alush and from thence to Rhepidim * See Sect. 10. of this Book where wanting water again they were ready to stone Moses but water was fetched for them miraculously out of a Rock in Horeb. Here they had a Victory over the Amalekites who set upon them From Rephidim they came to the Wilderness of Sinai Hither they came at the beginning of the third month Exod. 19.1 and stayed till the second day of the second month of the second year Numb 10.11 12. Here the Law was given and the Tabernacle framed and the people punished for making and worshipping a golden Calf and Nadab and Abihu smitten dead for offering strange fire Here the people were first numbred and then ordered as to their Encampings about the Tabernacle and in their Journeys towards the Land of Canaan From Sinai they marched by Taberah signifying a burning because there the fire of God till quenched by Moses's prayer consumed the hindermost in the Camp for their murmuring and so they came to Kibroth-Hattavah Here the people fell a lusting for Flesh again And God now gave them Quails for a whole month together in great abundance whereon they surfeited and died miserably with the flesh between their teeth Then they came to Hazeroth Here Aaron and Miriam murmured against Moses and she was smitten with Leprosie Numb 12. Then they came to Rithmath in the Wilderness of Paran near Kadesh-barnea whence Spies were sent to search the Land Upon the evil report of ten of them the people horribly murmur God was very wroth with them for it and appoints Moses to return again to the Red-Sea and declares That not one of that Generation save Caleb and Joshua should enter into Canaan Then they came to Rimmon-Parez and from thence to Libnah call'd Laban Deut. 1.1 and then to Rissah then to Kehelatha thence to Mount Shapher thence to Haradah and pitched in Makheloth signifying Assemblies so called as some think because of the mutinous Assemblies of Corah Dathan and Abiram in that place Thence to Tahath and pitched at Tarah thence to Mithcah and pitched at Hashmonah and encamped at Maseroth and then came to Bene-Jaakan and incamped at Hor-gidgad from thence to Jothathah a Land of Rivers of waters Deut. 10.7 Here the Rock Rephidim-water as it seems stopped its course * See Dr. Fuller's Pisgah-sight God suspending Miracles when he affords means and as 't is probable the Israelites drank of the water of the Country till they came to Kadesh Then they encamped at Ebronah from thence they marched to Eziongaber a place by the Red-Sea where was a Harbour for Ships in Edom's Land 1 Kings 9.26 From thence to Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin Here Miriam died The people in this place wanting water murmur again and had water again given them out of a Rock Here God was very angry with Moses and Aaron for their unbelief and here they had the Sentence of Death passed on them though reprieved for a time and rendred uncapable of entring into Canaan They came hither in the beginning of the 40th year and hence they sent to crave a passage thorow Edoms Land but it was denied them God Commands them not to force it but to find another way From Kadesh they removed to Mount Hor in the edge of the Land of Edom where Aaron died Then they came to Zalmonah so called possibly of Zolom an Image For this is thought to be the place where the Israelites for murmuring again for want of water and loathing Manna were stung with fiery Serpents and the brasen Serpent was by God's direction erected for their Cure and help As for their five following Stages viz. Punon Oboth Jie-abarim and Dibon-Gad so called because it was repaired and possessed by the Tribe of Gad Ch. 32.34 and Almon-Diblathaim we find no memorable accident happening at them Thence they came to the Mountains of Abarim and then to the Plains of Moab And here God commanded Moses to charge the Israelites to drive out the Inhabitants of the Land viz. by destroying them Deut. 7.22 23. and to destroy their Pictures and molten Images and High Places and to divide their Land by lot among themselves But if they did not take care to drive them out then he declares The Canaanites should be pricks in their Eyes and thorns in their Sides and a continual Vexation to them and He would bring that destruction on them for their Disobedience which he thought to bring on the Canaanites viz. root them out of the Land Numb 33. whole Chapter SECT LXXXIX THe Lord now by Moses declareth unto Israel the Bounds (a) V. 3. The Wilderness of Zin lay at the very East-end of the South-border in the corner whereof it joyned with the East-border right against the South-end of the Salt-Sea that is the Lake of Sodom called also the Dead-Sea see Gen. 14.3 V. 7. This was not that Mount Hor where Aaron died which was South-wâ—rd in the edge of Edoms Land Ch. 33.37 38. but another Mountain on the North-side of Canaan by some supposed to be Libanus and by other Mount Hermon and Limits of the Land of Canaan lying within Jordan which he intended to give them that they might be assured they should possess it and might know how far they were to proceed in their Conquests and where to stay and according to these Bounds and Limits might make a division of the Land among the nine
suddainly stor'd again Therefore they must take heed that in their rage they did not so wast the Land as to prejudice Posterity But with other Trees that were not Fruit-Trees they might build Bulwarks about a City which they besieged till it was subdued from vers 10. to the end He now gives directions concerning uncertain Murder how it is to be expiated Chap. XXI If one be found slain and lying in a field and it be not known who hath slain him then the Elders and Judges of the Towns and Cities round about shall for the better satisfaction of them all come forth and see the measure taken between the dead body and the Cities round about it if it be doubtful what City is nearest because the next City is to make expiation for the Murder in manner following viz. The Elders of that City shall take an Heifer that hath not been wrought with and which hath not drawn in the Yoke and they shall bring down the Heifer unto a rough and obscure Valley that lies neglected and uncultivated to make the thought of Murder more horrible and dreadful and there they shall strike off the Heifers neck signifying that the Murderer ought so to be used could he be found out and that if they had him in their hands they would so serve him And the Priests the Sons of Levi shall come near whom the Lord hath chosen to minister unto Him and to bless the people in his Name to shew by their presence that this was an extraordinary Sacrifice and that the Elders might before them as in Gods presence protest their Innocence and to see that all things were done according to Law and to satisfie the Elders in any thing that might seem doubtful For by their word and Sentence as Expounders of Gods Law any thing in Controversie or any Stroke must be judged or tried And all the Elders of that City which was nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the Heifer thereby intimating that they were innoceâ—â— of the blood of the slain man see Matth. 27.24 and they shall solemnly declare and protest That their hands have not shed that blood neither have their eyes seen it shed by any other Then the Priest shall say Be merciful O Lord unto thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed and lay not innocent blood unto their Charge Impute not that to them which hath not been done by them and lay not the punishment thereof upon them And so they shall put away the guilt of innocent blood from among them that is they shall be discharged from the guilt of this murther and shall not be punished for it they performing all these things which are here commanded by God from vers 1. to 10. 2ly He gives direction that when they go out to War with a foreign Nation and among the Captives see a beautiful Woman * It was not lawful for them to contract any alliance by marriage with the Amorites see Exod. 34.16 Deut. 7.3 which one of them hath a desire to make his wife In such case he shall bring her home to his house and she shall shave her Head and pare her Nails and shall put off the Heathenish Garment wherein she was taken and shall bewail her Father and Mother a full month as if they were dead she being to bid farewel for ever to them by all which things was intimated that she must renounce her Heathenism and all the corrupt Customs and Superstitions thereof and forsaking her Fathers house must be ingrafted into the Israel of God and must worship God as they did These things being performed she might become his wife But if after he had consummated the marriage †This liberty for Israelites to marry Heathenish Captive-women is like that of Divorce Deut. 24. which was only suffered for the hardnâ—ss of their hearts and is only to be understood of the Captives of foreign Nations not of the Canaanites who were all to be destroy'd with her he should find no content in her and was desirous to put her away he might do it but must then freely set her at liberty to go whether she would because he had humbled her He must not sell her for money under pretence that she was his Captive and Servant from vers 10. to 15. 3ly If a man have two wives which though contrary to God's first Institution Gen. 2.22 23 24. yet He for a time suffered but approved not as appears Mal. 2.15 Matth. 19.4 5. and one of them was better beloved by him than the other and he have Sons by them both He commands that the Son by the first wife though less beloved shall not lose his right of Primogeniture but he shall injoy the right of the first-born which by the Law of Nature belonged unto him and his Father shall give him a double portion of all that he hath For he is the beginning of his strength from vers 15. to 18. 4ly If any man have a stubborn and rebellious Son which will not obey the voice of his Father or the voice of his Mother and that when they have chastened him will not hearken unto them then shall his Father and Mother bring him to the Elders of the City and shall say unto them This our Son is stubborn and rebellious he will not obey our voice he is a Glutton and a Drunkard Then the Elders of the City shall examine the matter brought against him and if they find it true the men of the City shall stone him with stones that he die So shall ye put away evil from among you and all Israel shall hear and fear By the severity of this Law Children were taught to be more obedient to their Parents and Parents were taught to be more careful in a right Education of their Children from vers 18. to 22. 5ly If any man have committed some notorious Offence that deserveth the judgment of death and being condemned for it be hanged on a Tree His body shall not remain all night upon the Tree but they must in any wise bury him that day for he that is hanged is accursed of God that the Land be not defiled This kind of death was usually the punishment only of those who had by some notorious wickedness provoked God to pour out his Wrath upon the whole Land and so were hanged up to appease his Wrath as we may see Numb 25.4 2 Sam. 21.6 And it was esteemed the most shameful and accursed * Hence it was that God would have his dear Son our blessed Lord and Saviour suffer this kind of death that even hence it might be more evident that in his death he bare the Curse due to our sins according to that of the Apostle Gal. 3.13 because the very manner of this death did intimate that such men as were thus executed were such execrable and accursed Wretches that they did as it were defile the Earth with treading on it and would
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.
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
ei authoritatem coram populo Conciliet and I will be with thee Moses now commands the Priests the Sons of Levi to put this Book of the Law which he had written in some safe Repository or Chest on the outside of the Ark where was the Pot of Manna and Aaron's Rod see Heb. 9.4 Indeed in the Ark it self were only the two Tables 1 Kings 8.9 but on the outside of it and by it was this Volume of the Law to be kept This Book was many years after found in the Treasury of the Temple in Josiah's Reign 2 Kings 22.8 2 Chron. 34.14 and therefore it seems it had been removed from the Ark and kept elsewhere wherein seeing they transgressed the directions that God here gave to the Priests no marvel if this precious Treasure was for some years lost and not looked after Moses having commanded them to place this Book on the outside of the Ark He said to them O Israel if thou art disobedient this Book shall be a witness against thee wherein thou art sufficiently warned to the contrary and shewed the Judgments that will thereupon insue But alas I know thy rebellious Disposition and thy stiff Neck Ye have been rebellious against the Lord while I was with you how much more will ye be so when I am dead Gather therefore unto me all the Elders of your Tribes and your Officers that I may speak unto them and call Heaven and Earth to witness against them For I know that after my death you will corrupt your selves and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you and evil will befal you in the latter days because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord and thereby provoke Him to anger The Elders and Officers of the people being met Moses spake in the ears of all the Congregation of Israel the words of this following Song Ch. XXXII Give Ear O ye Heavens * See Isa 1.2 and I will speak and hear O Earth the words of my mouth He beginneth this Prophetical Song with a Rhetorical Scheme calling the Heavens and Earth and all the Creatures in them to be witnesses of his word the more to affect the hearts of the people to reprove their hardness and to excite their attention I wish says He my Doctrine which I have received from God might so fall upon your hearts as the sweet and gentle Showers and fruitful Dew falleth upon the Herbs and Flowers and Grass of the Earth and causeth them to spring forth and flourish Isa 55.10 Hear therefore for I will now publish unto you the Name of the Lord that is his glorious Excellencies viz. his infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness and therefore see that ye ascribe Greatness and Majesty to Him and that ye magnifie Him as ye ought to do saying Thine O Jehovah is the Greatness and the Power and the Glory 1 Chron. 29.11 and that ye attend to what is spoken with all humility and lay it to heart and yield Obedience thereunto Know ye therefore that God is the Rock * In times of danger men use to fly to Rocks to shelter themselves 1 Sam. 13.6 He is an All-sufficient stable and sure Refuge for all those that fly to Him neither is there any sure Shelter any where else but in Him His Work is perfect for all his ways are Judgment All his Works are perfect (z) Even in those works of God that seem to have some imperfection in them as Children that are born blind or lame c. yet as they are acts of Providence there is a perfection of Wisdom Holiness and Justice in them and there is nothing at all in them for which God can justly be blamed and without any blemish there is no defect or fault to be found in any of them All his ways are Judgment his dealings with his people have been always right and just He is a God of truth and without Iniquity just and right is He. But as for this people they have corrupted themselves by their Idolatry their spot is not the spot of his Children for it proceedeth not of weakness and infirmity to which all are subject but of wilfulness and perverseness and an impenitent heart They are a perverse and crooked Generation for both their hearts and ways are evil and turned aside from the right Rule of Gods Law Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is not God thy Father that made thee Is not He thy Father that hath bought thee that is ransomed and brought thee forth out of Egypt with a mighty Hand and the power of Miracles Hath not He made thee his people and established thee by Covenant to continue so if thou art not wanting to thy self and thy duty Remember the days of old and consider the years of many Generations ask thy Father and he will shew thee thy Elders and they will tell thee how God when by his Providence He disposed the several Nations that came out of the Loins of Adam into several parts of the Earth allotting to one Nation one Country and another to another did then set the bounds of the people according to the number of the Children of Israel that is did then chuse the Children of Israel to be his peculiar people and Inheritance and where they were there it might be said was his people and where their bounds ended there was the end and utmost bound of his people and the bounds of the Heathen then began and according to his secret purpose he gave and allotted to the Canaanites such bounds and limits as he knew would serve for the number of the Israelites For the Lords portion is his people Jacob is the lot of his Inheritance that is the Israelites are that portion of Mankind whom he was pleased to make his peculiar people they are his Inheritance and therefore dear to Him as Inheritances use to be to men which are divided to them by lot and they were to acknowledge no other Lord over them but Himself and they and their Children after them were to be His successively He found them in a desart Land in a wast howling Wilderness inhabited only by wild howling Beasts of Prey He found them there in desperate danger but came in seasonably to their succour when they were ready to perish He led them about he instructed them both by his Word and Works by his Spirit and the several Dispensations of his Providence He kept them as the apple of his eye with tender care and love As an Eagle stirreth up her nest that is awaketh her brood or young ones in her nest rousing them up with the Cry that she maketh to signifie to them that she intends to teach them to fly and spreading abroad her wings taketh them up and beareth them thereon so did the Lord carry Israel towards Canaan leading them Himself thither and there was no strange god with him that is no strange God had any hand in
Israelites over against Beth-Peor and there buried it Neither doth any man know the place where he laid it to this day And this the Lord seems to have done that the Israelites might not in a preposterous Zeal give superstitious honour either to his dead body or Sepulchre Indeed 't is said Jude v. 9. That Michael the Arch-Angel contended with the Devil and disputed about the body of Moses whereby it appears that the Devil would have had the place of his burial made known that it might have been the occasion of Idolatry as Chrysostome in his First Homily on Matthew and Theodoret upon Deut. quest 43. with others do conjecture but the Lord prevented the Devils design herein And possibly God foresaw that if the Israelites had known the place where the body of Moses was buried they would in an unwarrantable way have taken it up and carried it with them into the Land of Canaan as they did Joseph's bones whereas God had declared He should not come thither Moses being dead the Israelites mourned for him 30 days * So long they mourned for Aaron Numb 20.28 And there was great reason for it for there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face that is spake to in a wondrous familiar manner with an audible articulate Voice as one friend speaketh to another and discovered to him more of his Glory than ever he did to the eye of mortal man see Exod. 33.20 There was none like unto him if we consider the great Miracles which the Lord inabled him to do in the Land of Egypt before Pharaoh and his Servants and the wonderful Works of mighty Power which he since performed in the Wilderness in the sight of all Israel whereby the Lord magnified his own Majesty and Power and put a great honour on his Servant Moses and his Ministry But though this great Moses was gone yet God left not his people without a Governour for He had before-hand appointed Joshua to succeed him who was a man endued with a great measure of wisdom which the Holy Ghost had given him for the right execution of his Office For Moses had laid his hands on him according to Gods Command Numb 27.18 by that Ceremony consecrating him unto God and engaging him faithfully to administer the Charge and Office He was appointed unto And the Children of Israel hearkned unto him and obeyed him as the Lord commanded Moses to injoyn them SECT XCIV WE are now come to the Book of Joshua The Book of Ioshua which was not probably written by himself (a) If we should suppose this Book for the main to be written by Joshua yet some passages might be inserted afterwards by some other holy Penman So in the Books of Moses we find some passages which could not be written by Moses himself but were afterwards added by some other holy men as Deut. 34.5 Qui hanc historiam ex Sacris Annalibus conscripsit usus est sui seculi nominibus Masius at least not all of it though it contains his Acts and Atchievements Indeed Joshua either wrote himself or ordered some of the Priests to write the words of the Covenant which he caused the people to enter into with all the Circumstances of it Ch. 24.26 in the Book of the Law of God which was written by Moses and put in the side of the Ark that so it might be a Witness against them if they transgressed it But there are some things contained in this Book which are thought to be done after Joshua's death as the conquering of Leshem or Laish by the Danites Ch. 19.47 Judg. 18.7 to 29. and Ch. 24. from 29. to 32. his death and burial are mentioned Some other things seem to argue that it was written by some Prophet * A Propheta aliquo collectus videtur hic liber ex antiquis diariis annalibus Masius long after his death as that phrase (b) See Ch. 4. 6. 6.29 7.26 8.29 9.27 10.27 13.13 14.14 15.63 remains unto this day so frequently used doth intimate And the Book of Jasher (c) See Sect. 102. is here named Ch. 10.13 which seems written at soonest in David's time as recording an Act of his 2 Sam. 1.18 unless we should suppose which is not improbable that this Book of Jasher was begun in Moses's time and continued on and inlarged afterwards by adding several memorable Acts and Passages unto it Joshua was of the Tribe of Ephraim Numb 13.8 He was six full years in Conquering the Land and in the seventh divided it by lot among the nine Tribes and an half And divers years he lived and governed after that time but how many is uncertain yet it is supposed to be about ten years And so this Book contains an History of seventeen years from the beginning of Joshua's Government to his death which happened when he was an hundred and ten years old Ch. 24.29 And so much by way of Preface We now come to the History it self After the death of Moses the Lord spake to Joshua Moses's Minister who had for many years daily and continual conversation with him and so could not but have learned much thereby to fit him for this great Service But whither the Lord spake to him by audible Voice or the secret instinct of his Spirit or in some Dream or by the High Priests inquiring for him by Vrim and Thummim we cannot determine But however it was he spake to him and commanded him to arise and lead His people over into the Land of Canaan which he had before promised them and intended now actually to give them He tells him That every place in the Land which the sole of their foot should tread upon from the Wilderness of Zin which was the South-bound to Lebanon which was the North-bound and the great Sea or Midland-Sea which was the Western-bound and the River Euphrates (d) That the Israelites did never extend their bounds thus far is evident For though in the days of David and Solomon all the Nations as far as Euphrates became Tributary to them 1 Kings 4.21 yet they never destroyed the Inhabitants there and planted themselves in their Country as they did in the Land of Canaan And the reason of this was because the Israelites failed of keeping Covenant with God and it was only upon condition of their Obedience that God promised thus to inlarge their borders which was the Eastern-bound even all the Land of the Hittites which seem here mention'd by a Synecdoche for all the seven Nations should be their Coast The Lord tells him That not a man should be able to stand before him all the days of his life but as He was with Moses so He would be with him and would never leave him nor forsake him He bids him therefore be strong and of a good courage for he should divide the Land of Canaan to the people of
was given to Phineas his Son with whom 't is probable his Father lived For though the Priests had their Cities by lot in other Tribes namely Judah Simeon and Benjamin see Ch. 21.4 yet that the High Priest might be near to Joshua the Governour who dwelt in Mount Ephraim and that he might enquire of the Lord for him upon any special occasion and that he might be near to the Tabernacle which at this time was in Shiloh 't is like Eleazar (y) Donarunt forsan hunc locum honorarium Eleazaro ut Joshuae contiguus habitaret qui tamen est a Filio cognominatus in posterum Anonym in loc here lived and was now here buried Josh Ch. 24. whole Chapter SECT CXXII WE are now come to the Book of Judges The Book of Iudges which comprehends an History of the Common-wealth of Israel from the death of Joshua to the days of Eli containing the space of 299 years during which time they lived under the Government of certain Judges whom God successively and extraordinarily raised up and endowed with a Spirit of Wisdom and Courage to Rule over them as His Deputies and Vicegerents There are twelve of these mentioned in this Book viz. 1. Othniel whose Government from the death of Joshua is reckoned to be 40 years 2. Ehud 80 3. Deborath 40 4. Gideon 40 5. Abimelech 3 6. Thola 23 7. Jair 22 8. Jephtha 6 9. Ibzan 7 10. Elon 10 11. Abdon 8 12. Sampson 20 299 Within which space of time we are to comprehend the Six Oppressions of the Israelites mentioned in this Book and not to reckon them apart but as included within the years of the Judges and the Rest of the Land viz. Under Cushan 8 years Eglon 18 Jabin 20 Midian 7 Ammonites 18 Philistines 20 To the twelve Judges before-mentioned Eli and Samuel succeeded whose Acts are not here set down but in the First Book of Samuel Now there being 480 to be reckoned from the coming of the Israelites out of Egypt to the building of Solomon's Temple 1 Kings 6.1 we may compute them thus 40 years spent in the Wilderness 17 in Joshua's Government 299 in the times of the twelve Judges 40 in Eli's time 40 in Samuel and Saul's 40 in David's 4 in Solomon's in the Fourth Year of whose Reign the Foundation of the Temple was laid 480 As to the Pen-man of this Book of Judges 't is very uncertain who it was But it seems to be gathered by some Prophet of God out of the Publick Records and Registers that were kept of their Affairs Some think Samuel was the Compiler of it SECT CXXIII JOshua being now dead and having a little before his death encouraged the people to expel the Canaanites that remained out of the Land though they had no man at present chosen of God and set over them to Command them in chief as Moses and Joshua did and finding that it was fit for them to go on with the War they assembled together as it seems at Shiloh to consult about this matter And because the success of their first Attempts would be of great consequence either to encourage or dishearten their Enemies they thought fit that Phineas the High Priest should enquire of the Lord for them by Vrim and Thummim which of their Tribes should first begin and set upon the Canaanites that still remained among them and the Lord appointed that the Tribe of Judah the Royal Tribe and the strongest and most populous of them all should begin the War and first clear his portion of the Enemy Caleb the Son of Jephunneh is chosen General for the Tribe and the Simeonites who had their lot within theirs being invited to joyn with them they readily agreed to it the Tribe of Judah promising to assist them afterwards in clearing their lot In this Expedition they took the City of Bezek * Bezek a City in the Tribe of Judah not far from Jerusalem and after they had taken it in the pursuit when the King thereof with many of his people fled to save his life they killed ten thousand men They also took their King Adonibezek and cut off his Thumbs and his great Toes having as it seems when they took the City found some of those poor Captive Kings that had been thus inhumanely used by him or else had heard of the Tyranny he had exercised upon them in that kind and therefore thought fit according to the Law of Retaliation Exod. 21.24 to serve him after the same manner Adonibezek could not but acknowledge the justice of God upon him herein For says He threescore and ten Kings (z) Reguli diversarum urbium Ante Ninum teste Justino quisque Rex terminis civitatis suae contentus erat Petty Kings of particular Cities not that he had so many at once under this base slavery but in the whole course of his life some after others 't is like he did it in a base sporting cruelty or else thereby to unfit them for War unde homines viles defides Italis Gallis Poltroni vocantur id est pollice trunci having their Thumbs and great Toes cut off gathered their meat under my Table as I have done to them so God hath requited me Then the men of Judah carried this great Tyrant and shewed him before Jerusalem to strike the greater terrour into the Jebusites and there they killed him and then sacked and burnt that City viz. that part of it which was in their Tribe For though the former King of it had been slain in the Field Josh 10. yet was not the City taken nor it nor any other City fired in Joshua's time but only Jericho Ai and Hazor and therefore the eighth verse should be read And the Children of Judah warred against Jerusalem and took it and smote it c. not as if it had been taken before Judges 1. from 1. to 9. * For these Verses from v. 9. to 16. see Sect. 108. because the Author of this History was here to relate the memorable Exploits that were done by the men of Judah therefore together with those noble Acts which they did after the death of Joshua He repeats also those which were done by them whilst Joshua lived under the command of Caleb both against Hebron and Debir that He might set forth the glory of this Tribe more fully SECT CXXIV JEthro's Family call'd Kenites that had come up with Joshua and Israel into the Land of Canaan and dwelt in their Tents which was ever their way of living about Jericho the City of Palm-Trees among the people of the Tribe of Judah and Judah having now cleared his portion in so good a measure that they began to spread into new Plantations These Kenites went along with them and setled themselves with them in the South upon the Coasts of the Amalekites and so in Saul's time were mingled among them see 1 Sam. 15.6 These Kenites were the root of the Rechabites of whom more is
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
thousand and the men of Judah (a) Where by the way we may observe the humble submission of the Tribe of Judah to the Government of Saul notwithstanding they had the promise of the Kingly Scepter because they saw it thus determined by the pleasure of God thirty thousand having got this great Army together Saul and Samuel sent away the messengers that came from Jabesh-Gilead to inform the Inhabitants thereof that on the morrow by that time the Sun was well up they might expect them to come for their help The messengers returning to the City with this news the Inhabitants thereof were wonderfully revived at it and sent to Nahash who besieged them that on the morrow they would come out to him meaning and understanding thereby if no help came for them in the mean time But this they concealed (b) Sic non tam ipsi decipiebant suos hostâ—s quam permittebant ut ipsi deciperentur that nothing might be presently attempted against them and to make their enemies the more secure that Saul might have the greater advantage against them Saul dividing his Army into three parts and marching as it seems all night by the morning-watch he came upon the enemy and surprized them unawares and slew a vast number of them and so scattered the rest that there were very few of them left together And thus he raised the siege of Jabesh and freed the Inhabitants thereof from that horrid cruelty intended against them (a) How thankful the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead were afterwards to Saul for this great benefit we may see Ch. 31.11 12 13. The Israelites were so transported with joy for this victory and so taken with the prudence and brave conduct of Saul in the obtaining of it that some of them came to Samuel and said Where are the men that said Saul shall not reign over us bring them forth that we may put them to death But Saul said There shall not a man be put to death this day on my account I shall never consent that a day of so much joy and triumph and wherein God has so eminently shewed himself gracious unto us shall be stained with severity against those that slighted me or with the least sorrow or mourning among the people And here we see again what a difference there was betwixt Saul in his first Government and what he was afterwards when the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him Now none more humble and gentle than he not a man shall be put to death for him but afterwards in his dealing with David and the Priests of the Lord he was another man even blood-thirsty cruel and implacable beyond measure But to go on Samuel upon this victory spake to the people after this manner Come says he let us go to Gilgal and renew the Kingdom there that is let us by a general consent confirm Saul's Election and settle and invest him in the Kingdom Accordingly the people went to Gilgal and there they made Saul King before the Lord * V. 15. that is in a solemn manner as in Gods presence and possibly before the Ark the sign of his presence which by Samuel's appointment might be brought hither at this time that they might consult with God as occasion served in this weighty business and also it may be that it might grace the action that is they anointed him publickly as before Samuel had done privately and performed all other Solemnities requisite for his Inauguration sacrificing Sacrifices of Peace-offerings and Thanksgiving before the Lord and rejoicing and praising him for their late victory and for their new King by whose conduct under God they had obtained it and praying to the Lord for him and craving his blessing upon his Government 1 Sam. Ch. 11. whole Chapter SECT CLXIII THE Children of Israel being at this time wonderfully transported with joy for their new King and possibly flattering themselves that God was well pleased with them for asking a King seeing he had given them one by whom they had obtained so great a victory Samuel thought fit to take this occasion to make them sensible of their mistake and that they had grievously sinned in asking a King whereby they rejected God from reigning over them as their Soveraign and himself as his Deputy and Vicegerent Behold says he I have hearkened to your voice and have according to your desire the Lord also permitting it set a King over you And now you have a King setled among you to govern you and go before you as your General to war And as for my self I have very great cause to be well pleased being old and gray-headed that the burden of the Government is taken off from my shoulders And as for my Sons behold they are with you now not as rulers but as private men they are before you to give account to you and your King of their former behaviour and carriage and to make satisfaction (a) q. d. Filios meos habetis in potestate vestra Si quid dignum severo supplicio commiseâ—int non substraham eòs legitimae satisfactioni Si enim quid perperam in sua gubernatione commiserint id me praeceptore non didicerunt neque talia excusabo for any thing they have done amiss whilst they were in place of Government And as for my self I may truly say that I have endeavoured faithfully and in the uprightness of my heart to perform the duties of my place in the sight of you all both in the service of the Sanctuary in my younger days when I was a Levite and in my riper age by administring justice since I was called to be a Judg. And seeing the Government is transferred from me to another you need not now fear to speak your minds of me and therefore if you can justly accuse me of any evil speak it freely and witness it against me before the Lord and before his anointed whose Ox * A rare precedent for such to look upon as are in any publick place or office I pray you or whose Asse have I wrongfully taken away whom have I defrauded or whom have I oppressed of whom have I received bribes to blind mine eyes †See Deut. 16.19 and to cause me to wrest judgment If any such injurious dealing can be proved against me here I am ready to make restitution and to give satisfaction The people answered Thou hast not defrauded or oppressed us at all neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hand to pervert justice Well then says he let the Lord be witness and let his anointed here present be witness that you acknowledg and declare that you have not found any injustice or injurious dealing in me They answered let them be witnesses Possibly he desired thus to justifie and clear himself as to the whole course of his Government as Moses likewise had done Numb 16.15 both that he might be an example to their new King and make him the
coming to Bethshan took and carried away their dead bodies and brought them to Jabesh and burnt them there that is burnt the flesh of them which having hung some days in the Sun was putrified and stinking and so could not be embalmed and the flesh being burnt from the bones they gathered up their bones and solemnly buried them under a Tree in Jabesh and there they continued till towards the end of Davids reign when he took them up and buried them in the Sepulchre of Kish the father of Saul 2 Sam. 21.12 14. Then the men of Jabesh-Gilead to express their sorrow for the death of Saul and his Sons and that they might implore mercy from God in behalf of the whole land which was now in a very sad condition they afflicted themselves with fasting for seven days together only taking still at night some small refreshment 1 Sam. Ch. 31. whole Chapter SECT CLXXIII MEphibosheth the Son of Jonathan being five years old at this time upon the dismal tidings of these disasters his Nurse catching him up and flying away with him in that great fright and consternation she let him fall out of her arms and he became lame of his feet ever after 2 Sam. 4.4 SECT CLXXIV WE are now come to the Second Book of Samuel The Second Book of Samuel so called because it containeth the History of David's reign who was chosen of God to succeed Saul in the Kingdom and anointed thereunto by Samuel and because it relates how those things which Samuel promised unto him from God were really made good unto him It contains an History of forty years from the death of Saul to the death of David As for the Author of it some think it was the office of the High-Priest to register the History of the Jewish Church and the remarkable occurrences that hapned in his time Others think it was pen'd by Nathan the Prophet and Gad the Seer as is intimated in the first of Chron. 29.29 Now the Acts of David the King first and last behold they are written in the Book of Samuel the Seer and in the Book of Nathan the Prophet and in the Book of Gad the Seer * See more concerning the Title of this Book Sect. 149. The first thing here related is how the tidings of the death of Saul and his Sons were brought to David whilst he was yet at Ziklag (a) Which was not as it seems so totally burnt down but that some of it was standing in which David thought better to remain with his men than to go to any other Town of the Philistines whether he was newly returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites and had been preparing and sending away presents to his friends in Judah of the spoils he had taken in that Expedition on the third day after a young man came out of the Camp with his clothes rent and earth upon his head to testifie the dismalness of the tidings he brought and when he came to David he fell on the earth and did obeisance David understanding he came out of the Camp of Israel askt him how matters went He told him the Israelites were vanquished many of them killed and Saul and his Son Jonathan slain David astonisht at this askt him how he knew it to be so This young man to ingratiate himself with David who was by general fame known to be the man whom Samuel had anointed to succeed Saul and apprehending that if he should carry the first tidings of Saul's death to him he should not miss of a great reward he tells him that being on mount Gilboa he found Saul leaning on his Spear * The Reader may compare this whole narration with that he will find 1 Sam. 31 4. and then judg what truth there is in the thing as not being able to stand because of the deadly wounds the Archers had given him and the Chariots and Horsemen pursuing him so fast he call'd unto him and desired him to stand over him and slay him for he was in great anguish and trouble that his life was yet whole and intire in him and accordingly he dispatcht him as Saul desired of him for he was sure he could not live after he was fallen And he took off the Coronet he wore on his head and the Bracelets which he wore on his arm and here says he I present them unto my Lord the King David then took hold of his Clothes and rent them and so did all the men that were with him and they mourned and wept and fasted unto the evening for Saul and Jonathan his Son and for the people of the Lord that were fallen in the battel and that by the hands of the Uncircumcised Philistines which was an evidence of Gods wrath against the Land David angrily askt this young man how he durst presume to stretch forth his hand against the Lords anointed 'T is like the Amalekite thought David would have been highly pleas'd with him for doing it but David upon Saul's death being come into the actual possession of the Regal rights and this man having confest the crime himself David bad one of the young men about him to fall upon him and kill him which he accordingly did and David said thy blood be upon thy own head * See Josh 2.19 for thy own mouth hath testified against thee that thou hast slain the Lords Anointed 2 Sam. Ch. 1. from v. 1. to 17. SECT CLXXV DAvid now laments the death of Saul and Jonathan and the men of Israel in a Funeral Song having first given order that the children of Judah should be taught the use of the bow and the rather because Saul and Jonathan had been overcome by the Archers among the Philistines therefore he desired they should be expert in that Art that they might match their enemies in that military skill for time to come Which order is further recorded in the Civil Annals or the General Chronicle of the Memorable Acts of the Nation called the Book of Jasher * Which Book with divers others particularly some composed by Solomon were burnt in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans which was continued as is probable from time to time by the Prophets See Note on Josh 10.13 David begins his Funeral Elegy thus O how are Saul Jonathan and many other valiant men of Israel who were the beauty ornament and glory of the land fallen on the mountains of Gilboa O tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askalon lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph as they us'd to do in their dances and songs see Note on 1 Sam. 18.6 O if it were possible that this thing might be conceal'd from the enemies of God and his people lest they triumph and insult over them see Judg. 16.23 Mich. 1.10 ascribing the glory of this victory to their Idol-gods to the great dishonour of the only true God
His heart was so overwhelmed with grief and sorrow that he could not speak much now but afterwards he confessed his sin more fully to the whole Church in the 51 Psalm wherein he acknowledges the greatness of his transgression and professes his unfeigned repentance for it And this Psalm he committed to the chief Musician to be sung publickly in the Congregation as one of the Penitential Psalms Nathan perceiving him truly penitent tells him the Lord had put away his sin out of his sight it should not be imputed to him to hinder his eternal blessedness neither should he die by the sudden stroke of some temporal judgment as his sin deserved even according to his own sentence Howbeit says the Lord because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to my enemies to blaspheme and to speak evil of what I have done in raising thee up and favouring thee so highly seeing thou hast committed such heinous sins and they will thereupon blaspheme the Religion I have appointed and the professors of it as though it either taught or favoured such wickedness or at least that the professors of it were all hypocrites making only a shew of godliness and honesty but not practising it see Rom. 2.24 therefore by many severe corrections inflicted on thee I will vindicate my justice and the truth of my Religion against all the reproaches and calumnies of wicked men And pursuant hereunto I will first smite the child begotten by thee in adultery with death Nathan having faithfully delivered his message departed and immediately the child fell sick And though Nathan had told David the child should die yet he apprehending as it seems the threatning to be only conditional and that upon his tears and repentance the sentence might be revers'd (d) As was that of Hezekiahs death and the destruction of Nineveh and though the child if he lived was like continually to grieve them by daily representing to them their sin and shame yet he prayed and fasted and humbled himself greatly both with inward contrition and outward afflicting of his body begging the life of the child (e) Fuisse Davidem liberorum amantissimum non ex hac tantum historia sed ex indulgentia circa Absolomum Adonijam apparet because the innocent babe was threatned with death as a punishment for their sin However as God had threated on the seventh day after he was born or after he fell sick the child died Davids servants at first feared to tell him of it lest they should too much grieve him but upon his strict inquiry they told him he was dead When the will of the Lord was plainly manifested he patiently submitted to it and arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his apparel and went into the house of the Lord the Tent which he had erected for the Ark to worship that he might further bewail and acknowledg his sin before God and beg his pardon and intreat him that he would please to lighten and lessen those punishments he had threatned against his family or at least sanctifie them to him and give him strength and patience to bear them And though he had fasted seven days while the child lay sick taking only some small repast in the evening yet now so earnest he was to ratifie his peace with God that he would not taste any food before he had been at Gods house and then he commanded them to set bread before him and he did eat His servants wondring at this carriage of his as something strange he tells them that whilst the child was alive he fasted and wept hoping that God would reverse the sentence of death passed upon him but now he was dead wherefore says he should I fast I cannot bring him back again I shall go to him viz. into the state of the dead but he shall not return to me into the state of the living Bathsheba being much dejected under a sense of her sin and the displeasure of God threatned against them and begun to be executed in taking away their child David like an indulgent husband laboured to comfort her and went in again unto her and she conceived and bare him a Son whom he by Gods direction called Solomon that is peaceable because the Lord intended when he came to the Crown to give him rest from all his enemies round about and to give peace and quietness to Israel in his days see 1 Chron. 22.9 And the Lord sent Nathan to David to tell him that this his Son should not only be called Solomon but Jedijah that is beloved of the Lord. Thus the Lord manifested his love to Solomon before he had done either good or evil 2 Sam. Ch. 12. from v. 1 to the 26. SECT CXCV. GOD now inflicts upon David many sore and grievous chastisements to punish him for his heinous sins of adultery and murder First Amnon his Eldest Son ravishes his Sister Tamar David had two Children by Maacha the daughter of Talmai King of Geshur viz. Absalom and Tamar and he was sorely punished in them both as we shall see in the sequel of the story Tamar was a very beautiful young woman and Amnon David's Eldest Son by Ahinoam the Jezrelites was smitten with an unlawful love to her but she being a Virgin and carefully kept being David's only Daughter for ought appears among so many Sons he despaired of having an opportunity to satisfie his lust with her whereupon he droop'd (a) Medici morbis aâ—censent eum qâ—i ex amore contrahitur Pallidus in Lyâ—lcen silvis errabat Orion and pin'd away with vexation Amnon had a friend who was his Cousin-german with whom he was very intimate Jonadab by name who though a very subtil man and wise to do evil was no true friend to him for a true friend advises to nothing but that which is good Jonadab perceiving by his carriage that he was rather sick in mind than body said to him Why art thou being the Kings Son lean from day to day surely thou that art the Kings Son yea his Eldest Son and heir to the Crown maist have what thou wilt therefore what is it that thou art troubled about Amnon told him he was in love with Tamar but knew not how to accomplish his desire upon her Jonadab advises him to counterfeit himself sick and when his Father came to see him as undoubtedly he would he should desire him to permit his sister Tamar to come and dress him some meat which he should like better from her hand than any bodies else Amnon accordingly feigns himself sick Indeed it had been better for David and himself too that he had been really sick for a naughty child is better sick than well however it being given out that he was sick his Father came to see him of whom he earnestly desired that his sister Tamar might come to him and make a couple of Cakes for him pretending they would do him more good if they
were his own Son that by such an exemplary punishment others might be deterred from offending in the like kind But though he did not punish him yet his Son Absalom did as we come now to shew After two years were past Absalom had a sheep-shearing feast as the manner was in that Country to entertain his friends and encourage his servants To this feast Absalom invites David and all his Sons with their retinue to avoid all suspition of any ill intention against Amnon David tells him if they should all come they should be too chargeable to him and therefore he himself would not come however he blessed him and wished him much joy in his Feast Then Absalom ernestly intreated him that his brother Amnon being his Eldest Son might come and so representing his person might grace and honour his Feast This might considering former carriages have given both David and Amnon some suspition and jealousie that he intended some mischief but God intending to punish them both for their former sins hid this from their eyes Therefore upon his great importunity David consented that Amnon and all his Sons should go with him They being come Absalom gave command to some of his servants as evil masters are usually attended with such servants as will comply with them in any wickedness that when they saw Amnon merry with wine they should fall upon him and kill him he bids them be courageous and to do their work thoroughly seeing he had commanded them and would bear them out in it And though the revenging of his sister Tamars rape might be the chief thing he aimed at yet possibly an ambitious desire of the Crown might further this his resolution of cutting off his Elder Brother The servants did as Absalom commanded them and accordingly dispatched Amnon Upon this murder all the rest of Davids Sons got every one upon his Mule (a) Though the Israelites were forbidden to suffer Cattel of divers kinds to engender together Lev. 19.19 yet they might use the Cattel so engendred and such Mules were see Gen. 36.24 and fled not knowing how far Absalom's bloody treachery might extend This gave such a warm alarm to the Country round about that presently tidings came to David that Absalom had slain all his Sons The King upon this surprizing news tore his garments and fell upon the earth and his servants stood about him with their clothes rent Jonadab standing by desired the King not to believe that all his Sons were slain but only Amnon and he did suppose that he indeed was slain because Absalom had threatned to be reveng'd on him ever since he forced his sister Tamar Presently the Kings Sons that fled came to him and with many tears told him what Absalom had done to their brother Amnon and the King and all his servants wept very sore And David mourned for the death of his Son Amnon so treacherously slain very many days Then Absalom that he might escape the hand of justice fled to Talmai King of Geshur his Grandfather by the mothers side and there he remained three years 2 Sam. Ch. 13. from v. 1. to 39. SECT CXCV. It seems Chileab Davids second Son see Ch. 3.3 was now dead IN length of time Davids grief for Amnon by degrees wore off so that he began now to wish that he had his Son Absalom at home with him again and had it not been for shame he could have found in his heart to have gone himself and fetcht him Joab perceiving that the Kings heart was much towards Absalom and that he earnestly desired to have him brought back again if it could be done handsomely and without scandal he therefore that he might gratifie the King and ingratiate himself with Absalom now heir apparent (b) The City where the Prophet Amos lived Amos 1.1 to the Crown sets himself to contrive a way how it might be done Accordingly he sent to Tekoah c a City in Judah and fetched thence a woman that was famous for her wisdom and acquainting her with his design he put words into her mouth and directed her what she should say to the King in order to the bringing about his end she undertakes the business and being well instructed beforehand in a mourning habit and seeming very disconsolate she comes to David and falling down on her face before him cries out Help O King and succour thine afflicted handmaid The King asks her what ailed her she answers I am a widow and thy handmaid had two Sons who going into the field together and falling out they fought and none being by to part them the one of them happened to kill the other and now all my family and kindred are risen up to prosecute my remaining Son that he may be put to death and so the inheritance may come to them for so they give out that they will destroy the heir also and if they should be suffered to kill this surviving Son who is the only comfort that is left me in this world they will wholly extinguish my husbands name which by this Son as by one poor coal that lyeth hid under an heap of ashes can only be blown up again kept alive and preserved The King tells her that he would give order that her case should be heard and examined She desires him not to put her off or scruple to grant her request for if there were any iniquity or sin in sparing her Son she would take the guilt of it * See Gen. 27.13 Mat. 27.25 wholly upon her self the King and his Throne should be guiltless But therein she engag'd for more than she could make good for if it were unjust God would punish her for desiring and endeavouring it and David also for granting it see Numb 35.17 18 21 31 33. However the King seeing her so importunate he bad her go home and if any persons further troubled her she should bring them to him for as the Lord liveth saith he not one hair of thy Son shall fall to the earth Then the woman said let the King remember the word that he hath promised unto his handmaid in the presence of the Lord that he will not suffer the avengers of blood to destroy my Son And now having obtained my request let thy handmaid speak one word more to my Lord the King How comes it to pass that thou hast passed so favourable a sentence in reference to my Son and yet entertainest thoughts in thy mind against thy own Son which are far different and very prejudicial to the good and welfare of thy people Give me leave to say that the King doth speak this thing as one that is faulty he hath given a just sentence in the case of my Son but fails in giving the same sentence when it comes to the case of his own Son the King would have no rigor us'd against my Son for killing his brother because it would tend to my great grief and damage and yet can be content
Is the young man Absalom safe Ahimaaz answers that when Joab sent away Cushi the Kings servant and him to bring tidings he saw a great tumult but knew not what the matter was He knew undoubtedly of Absalom's death but through humane frailty fearing to displease the King he here miserably faulters Then came Cushi who cried out Good tidings my Lord the King for the Lord hath avenged thee this day of all those that rose up against thee Then said the King is the young man Absalom safe Cushi replied let the enemies of my Lord the King and all that rise up against him be as that young man is David was smitten with a wonderful consternation at this news and his grief and passion brake out so violently that it almost overwhelmed him he now retires into the Chamber over the Gate there in secret to pour out his sorrow and as he went up he cried out O my Son Absalom my Son Absalom would God I had died for thee my Son Absalom if my temporal death would have saved thee from eternal misery 2 Sam. Ch. 18. whole Chapter 15. The King taking on so immoderately for the death of Absalom his excessive grief came to be known in the Army and caused great trouble of spirit among them also so that the victory was turned into mourning neither came they up like a victorious army with joy and triumph to the City but dispersing themselves secretly stole into it not as if they had been Conquerours but rather as if they had been beaten and fled away from their enemies The King still took on excessively and covered his head in token of extream sorrow and cried out O my Son Absalom O Absalom my Son my Son Joab understanding this and seeing in what a discontent the Souldiers were hereupon and how their hearts began to be alienated from the King so that they were even ready to fall quite off from him he comes in a great rage to him and highly expostulates with him and tells him He had shamed the faces of all his faithful servants that day who had saved his life and the lives of his wives and children with the extreme hazard of their own and had frustrated them of their deserved praise and reward this strange carriage of thine saith he sheweth as if thou lovedst thy enemies in that thou mournest so excessively for this Traytor Absalom and hatedst thy friends seeing thou dost thus discountenance their faithful service Thou seemest not to regard thy faithful subjects let them be of what degree or quality they will I perceive that if that Arch-Rebel Absalom had lived thou hadst not much cared if all we had died I solemnly protest to thee if thou wilt not give over thy whining for that Rebel and go forth presently and speak comfortably to thy people and congratulate their victory and give them thanks for their venturing their lives for thee I believe they will all forsake thee as a person unfit to govern them who canst not govern thine own passions and possibly they will think of chusing another * Prospicient sibi de alio rege site aequum habere non possint and that will be worse to thee than all the afflictions thou hast hitherto met with in all thy life David being startled at this bold speech of Joab's which though harsh and tart yet was needful at this time he took his counsel and went and sat in the Gate and there shaking off sorrow manifested his kindness and grace to his Souldiers to win their hearts again to him As for those that had followed Absalom and escaped in the battel they were fled to their own houses 2 Sam. Ch. 19. from v. 1 to 9. 16. The people now through all the Ten Tribes of Israel began to blame one another for siding with Absalom against his Father and to call upon one another and upon their Elders and Officers to submit themselves unto David and to go and fetch him back again to the City of Jerusalem with honour they began to recount the great and manifold benefits they had enjoyed under his Government and how he had saved them out of the hands of their enemies especially the Philistines And they saw that God was against them in that attempt of making Absalom King and therefore there was great reason they should go and seek reconciliation with David whom they had so highly injured and offended This resolution of the Israelites to fetch their King home with honour coming to his ears and he perceiving that the men of Judah who had been first and chief in siding with Absalom and had delivered up to him the City of Jerusalem and the strong fort of Sion being conscious to themselves of their great ingratitude against him were now afraid to address themselves to him or to go to fetch him home therefore he sent to Zadock and Abiathar who had stayed all this while at Jerusalem that they should acquaint the Elders of Judah how ready he was to pardon them and to forget all that was past They were also to assure them of his singular affection to them they being his brethren and of the same Tribe therefore he would not have them to be the last in fetching home their King who ought to be the first He sends also unto Amasa whom Absalom had made General of his Army and who if he should despair of pardon might draw a great party of the Israelites after him to assure him that he was ready to receive him into his favour and to regard him as his nephew nay he intended to prefer him and to make him General of his Army as long as he lived in the place of Joab Indeed Joab had incurred his displeasure by killing Abner and several other unjustifiable acts yet he had also done him great services and had been always faithful to him whereas Amasa had been faithless and rebellious Besides the place of General belonged to Joab both by Davids promise and his own purchase he having hazarded his life in that dangerous service of assaulting and taking the strong fort of Sion However David being now offended with him for killing Absalom he resolv'd to prefer Amasa before him thinking by that policy to reduce all Absaloms party that stood out against him under his obedience By this kind message to the men of Judah and to Amasa David bowed the hearts of the men of Judah even as the heart of one man so that they sent this word unto the King Return thou and all thy servants we are most willing to receive thee and submit unto thee David considered that it might cost a great deal of blood to subdue them by force therefore he thought it best by these tenders of grace to bow their hearts to him and it happened according to his desire for the men of Judah now agreed to meet together at Gilgal and from thence they passed over the river Jordan to meet the King and to bring him
Joram to fly drew a bow with his full strength and smote him in the back between his shoulders and the arrow went out at his heart and he sank down in his Chariot and died Jehu â—hen call'd to Bidkar his Captain to take and cast his body in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite for remember says he when thou and I being Commanders under his Father and following him as his attendants at that time when he took possession of Naboths vineyard * Which was the day after his death heard this dreadful judgment (c) The Lord laid this burden on him v. 25. Onus Vocat Prophetiam gravem onerosam denounced against him by Elijah from the Lord Surely I have seen the blood of Naboth and the blood of his Sons who it seems were put to death with him that none of them might afterwards challenge the inheritance †Filii ejus contra legem Deut. 24. una interfecti erant licet nulla hujus caedis mentio facta est 1 Reg. 21.13 Sic multa a sacâ—is historicis omissa videmus que ab aliis per occasionem dicta sunt Sanctius and I will requite thee in this plat now therefore cast him into that portion of ground according to the word of the Lord that the dogs may lick his blood see 1 King 21.19 When Ahaziah King of Judah saw this he fled but they pursuing him first wounded him and afterwards killed him in Megiddo as may be seen more fully in his life Then Jehu march'd into Jezreel and Jezebel hearing of his coming painted her face and tired her head thinking possibly by her Majestick bravery to daunt him and looking out of the window when Jehu entred the Gate of her Palace she cried out Had Zimri peace who slew his Master see 1 King 16.10 as if she should have said Remember what he did and fear the like event Jehu looking up to the window askt who is there on my side who Two or three Eunuchs (a) Such were Chamberlains of Queens and Princesses for the most part in those times attendants on the Queen looking out he call'd to them to throw her down which they God so working upon their hearts and possibly fearing Jehu immediately did And he and his followers trod her under their horses feet and so pash'd her to pieces that some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses Jehu having done this great work and having taken much pains in this expedition from Ramoth to Jezreel and seeing all was quiet in the City and that none oppos'd him he went now to refresh himself After a little time he bad some about him to go look after the body of that cursed woman Jezebel and to take it up and bury it for says he she was a Kings daughter viz. the King of Zidon's This order 't is like he gave on the sudden not remembring the Prophecy of Elijah nor what the Prophet that anointed him said unto him ver 10. but they bringing him back word that the dogs had eaten all but her scull and feet and the palms of her hands then he said this is the word of the Lord which he spake by Elijah saying Near * â— Reg. 21.23 In pro juxta In eo territorio in quo injuste damnatus est Naboth the portion of Naboth in Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel and so much of her body as is left by the dogs shall be as dung upon the face of the field and shall lye and rot in the open air so that none shall be able to say of it this is Jezebel 2 King 8.28 29. 2 King 9. wh Ch. JEHV being thus come to the Crown The 10th King of Israel JEHU and having already executed his Commission on Jehoram Ahaziah and Jezebel he now proceeds on to root out the house of Ahab It seems Ahab had many Sons born to him of several wives and many grand-children in all about seventy who were bred up under several great men and some of them Rulers in Jezreel who upon these distractions fled with them to Samaria a well fortified City to secure them there Jehu understanding this wrote a Letter to those who had the tuition of these children and to the Elders of Samaria which spake after this manner Seeing your Masters Sons are with you and there are with you chariots and horses and you are in a fenced City and have arms look out therefore the best and meetest of your Masters Sons and set him on his Fathers Throne and fight for your Masters house This he wrote in an Ironical way but gave them thereby an intimation that if they stood out against him or offered to oppose him he doubted not but he should easily subdue them And indeed the Lord having appointed him to destroy the whole stock of Ahab did in order thereÌ„unto put such a fear into the hearts of these Rulers that they said among themselves Behold two Kings could not stand before him how then shall we be able to deal with him Hereupon he that was chief over all those that appertained to Ahabs house and the chief Magistrate of Samaria and the Senators of the City and the Governours of the Kings childreâ— returned this tame answer to Jehu we are thy servants and will do whatever thou commandest us they interpose no such condition as this if the thing be honest and just or the like so slavish does fear make men we will make no King nor set up any to oppose thee thou maist do what thou pleasest as for us we are ready to obey thee in every thing Jehu then wrote another Letter wherein he told them that if they were his servants in reality and would be obedient to him as they professed then he required them forthwith to cut off the heads of those seventy Sons and Grandchildren of Ahab and to bring them to him to Jezreel the next day This was indeed a very severe command and 't is strange they did not utterly refuse to obey it but they â—â—garding more their own safety then either humanity or the charge and trust committed to them without any more ado complied with it and cutting off the heads of these young Princes put them in baskets and sent them to Jezreel and followed after them themselves When they were come thither a messenger acquainted Jehu that these Rulers of Samaria had brought the heads of the Kings Sons unto him according to his command It being as it seems late Jehu ordered that they should be laid in two heaps at the entring of the Gate till the morning certainly a most sad and ruful spectacle it was to see so many young Princes heads lying on heaps together but this seems so ordered by Providence that all the people might see the dreadful judgment of God upon the house of Ahab for his cruelty and Idolatry and might be deterred from going on in it In the morning Jehu went out
begun in Manasseh his Son's time 2 Chron. 33.11 and further accomplished in Jehoiakims and Zedekiahs time as we shall see more afterwards and they shall be ministers and servants in the Palace of the King of Babylon 2 King 24. 25. Hezekiah was wounded to the heart with this dreadful message however he meekly replied Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken that is it is just and righteous and no more than what I and my people had deserved Then humbling himself for his pride and vanity and the people joining with him therein 2 Chron. 32.26 it pleased the Lord by the Prophet to declare to him that the judgment denounced should not come in his days Whereupon he said that though it was a grievous thing to him to think of those judgments that should befall those who were to come after him yet he acknowledged it as a great mercy of God that there should be peace and truth in his days 2 King 20. from 12 to 20. 2 Chron. 32.31 Isa 39. wh Ch. Hezekiah three years after his recovery had his Son Manasses by Hephzibah twelve years before his death 2 King 21.1 In the days of Hezekiah as 't is thought lived NAHVM the Prophet he Prophesied of the destruction of Nineveh and the Assyrian Monarchy and comforted the Jews with a promise of deliverance from the Assyrian Tyranny He mentioneth the evil counsel of Sennacherib against the Lord and foretelleth his death in his Idol-temple Nahum 1.11 There is one come out of thee that imagineth evil against the Lord a wicked counsellor and ver 14. The Lord hath given a commandment concerning thee that no more of thy name be sown Out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image I will make thy grave for thou art vile This Prophet denounceth destruction to Nineveh in very plain terms They had repented formerly at the Preaching of Jonah but now had relapsed to their former wickedness The Israelites had been much oppressed by them First by Pul 2 King 15.19 then by Tiglath-pileser 2 King 16. at last by Salmanassar who carried away the Ten Tribes captives 2 King 17.18 After this Sennacherib invaded Judea and besieged Jerusalem and grew to be like a great cedar in Lebanon Ezek. 31.3 and now the Prophet Nahum declares Gods great power and the furious revenge he would take upon his enemies and that he would make an utter end of Nineveh Affliction should not rise up the second time and no more of the name of the Assyrian should be sown and this should be for Iudahs consolation His Prophesie contains first a general denunciation of Ninevehs destruction and consequently of the Assyrian Monarchy He shews their destruction shall be sudden total irresistible Chap. 1. and the effect of it shall be that the people of Iudah hearing these glad tidings of her destruction proclaimed openly as upon the tops of mountains shall exceedingly rejoice at them as at tidings of peace to them and shall then without disturbance keep their solemn feasts and perform their vows unto the Lord their enemies who disquieted them being cut off Chap. 1. Secondly He gives a particular description of the destruction of Nineveh and lively sets it forth by the dreadful approach of the enemy the terror of their army the taking of the City and the captivity of Huzzah the Queen and her maids and their mournful deportment under their captivity groaning and bemoaning their condition with the mournful voice of Doves and Tabering or beating upon their breasts to express their sorrow Then he describes the spoiling and plundering of the City the astonishment of the inhabitants and how their faces would gather blackness Also the insulting of the enemy at the desolation of this City which had been an habitation of Lions that is of cruel oppressors Ch. 2. Thirdly He sets forth the causes of Ninevehs ruin the Lord setting himself against her for her great sins viz. her cruelty and blood-guiltiness her falshood her robbery and oppression and her filthy Idolatries for all which she should be made a shameful spectacle And lest Nineveh presuming upon her own strength should think these calamities should not befall her he shews she was not comparable to populous No or Alexandria in Egypt which yet was ruined and so should she notwithstanding all her strong holds her numerous inhabitants strong gates repaired towers multitude of Merchants and her many Counsellors Princes and Commanders So that her bruise should be incurable and her wound mortal Chap. 3. Hezekiah now dies his acts were written by Isaiah and by those that wrote the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah He was buried in the chiefest of the Sepulchres of the Sons of David and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him all the honour they possibly could at his death he having been so pious and good a King and Manasseh his Son reigned in his stead 2 Chron. 32.32 33. 2 King 20.20 21. The 14th that reigned in Judah MANASSEH MANASSEH was twelve years old when he began to reign about twenty four years after the ruin of the Ten Tribes and he reigned fifty five years and so longer than any of the Kings of Judah He did worse than all the Kings that went before him being carried away as 't is probable by such Nobles about him as did not in their hearts approve the reformation of his good Father He again set up the high places which his Father had pulled down he reared up Altars for Baal and made a grove as Ahab had done 1 King 16.33 to the honour of Idols he built altars to all the host of heaven to the Sun Moon and the rest of the Planets in the two Courts of the Lords house where God had said that he would put his name that he alone might be there worshipped He made one of his Sons pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom sacrificing him to Molech so that it seems he continued long in his Idolatry for he could not have a Son in the beginning of his reign being but twelve years of age He observed times esteeming some days as lucky others as unlucky he used enchantments and dealt with such as had familiar spirits and with wizards he set up a graven image in the Temple containing a representation of the Idolatrous grove he had made * See 2 King 23.6 where 't is said Josiah brought out the grove from the house of the Lord unto the brook Kidron and burnt it though God had said to David and Solomon that he had chosen that house to put his name there and would have his name alone there worshipped as long as that dispensation should last and promised upon their obedience that he would not suffer them to be carried away captive to other lands But they obeyed not and Manasseh seduced them and made Judah and Jerusalem go astray and do worse than all the
Judah and Jerusalem agreeably to what Jeremy had done for which the King sought to put him to death but he flying thereupon into Egypt the King by his messengers fetcht him back again and slew him with the sword and cast his dead body among the vilest sepulchres of the common people but Ahikam who had been of great authority with King Josiah 2 King 22.12 stickled so for Jeremy that he was not delivered over to the people to be put to death Jer. 26. whole Chapter In the beginning also of this Kings reign the word of the Lord came to Jeremy and gave him a Prophesie which was afterwards to be executed in the days of Zedekiah whereby he intimated to him that Zedekiah should be King of Judah and Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon and that he should subdue the neighbouring Nations and bring them under his power In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the Son of Josiah King of Judah says he came this word unto me from the Lord Make thee bonds and yokes and put them upon thy neck and send them to the King of Edom and to the King of Moab and to the King of the Ammonites and to the King of Tyrus and to the King of Zidon by the hand of the messengers which came to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah King of Judah and command them to say unto their Masters thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel I have made the earth the man and the beast that are upon the ground by my great power and by my out-stretched arm and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me and now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon my servant (a) That is whom I am resolv'd to make use of for the executing my judgments upon many Nations and the beasts of the field (b) That is I have given him power over these Nations and all that they have have I given him also to serve him And all Nations shall serve him and his son and his sons son until the very time of his land come (c) The time appointed by God for his visitation and then many Nations and great Kings shall serve themselves of him (d) Such as serv'd that State before shall then subdue it And it shall come to pass that the Nation and Kingdom which will not serve Nebuchadnezzar and will not put their neck under his yoke that Nation will I punish saith the Lord with the sword and with the famine and with the pestilence until I have consumed them Therefore hearken not to your Prophets nor to your diviners nor to your dreamers nor to your enchanters no to your sorcerers which speak unto you saying Ye shall not serve the King of Babylon for they prophesie a lye unto you to remove you far from your land (e) Not that they properly intended it but that would undoubtedly be the issue of what they animated them unto and that I should drive you out and ye should perish But the Nations that bring their neck under his yoke and serve him those will I let remain still in their own land saith the Lord and they shall till it and dwell therein Jer. 27. from v. 1 to 12. Jehoiakim in the second year of his reign according to the accustomed policy of his forefathers the better to prevent all changes and settle the Kingdom in his line made his Son Jehoiakin or Jeconiah King with him being then but eight years old 2 Chron. 36.9 In the latter end of the third and beginning of the fourth year of Jehoiakim Nebuchadnezzar being joined with his father in the administration of the Kingdom of Babylon the things that he was to act are presently revealed to the Prophet Jeremy namely that he should overthrow the Egyptians first at the river Euphrates which immediately after followed he cutting off the forces that Pharoah Necoh left at Carchemish that very year and then that he should conquer the Egyptians in their own Country which came not to pass till after the taking of Tyre in the 27th year of the captivity of Jeconiah as we find Ezek. 29. from 17 to 21. Jer. 46. from 1 to 27. In the self-same fourth year of Jehoiakim which was the first of Nebuchadnezzar * It seems the first year of Nebuchadnezzar concurred with the end of the third and beginning of the fourth year of Jehoiakim see Dan. 1.1 King of Babylon the Prophet Ieremy reproving the Iews for not hearkning to the word of the Lord which from time to time he had spoken to them even from the thirteenth year of King Iosiah to that present fourth year of Iehoiakim which was three and twenty years and for that they had shewed themselves stubborn and refractory to his admonitions as also to the warnings of all the other Prophets the Lord had sent unto them he then again told them of the coming of Nebuchadnezzar upon them and that they should be carried away captive to Babylon and that captivity should last seventy years which term Judah first and then the other Nations there mentioned every one in their order were to serve the King of Babylon and at last the Kingdom of Babylon it self should be destroyed An intimation of which seventy years captivity was long before made by the Prophet Isa 23.15 And it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years according to the days of one King (a) That is so long as one King and his â—ace shall reign viz. Nebuchadnezzar and his seed And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years that the Lord will visit Tyre and she shall turn to her hire and shall commit fornication (b) That is shall trade and traffick and merchandize with all the Kingdoms of the world with all the Kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth Jer. 25. wh Ch. In the same year also Baruch wrote in a roll or scrole of parchment from the mouth of the Prophet Jeremy all the words of the Lord which he had spoken to him concerning Israel and Iudah from the time of Iosiah to that day and he read them in the Court of the house of the Lord in the audience of all the people which were there assembled out of all their Cities on the day of their solemn fast which they yearly kept upon the tenth day of the seventh month As for Baruch himself who was extreamly afflicted in his soul with the apprehension of those direful judgments he had written the Prophet Ieremy comforted him and assured him of his own life amidst all these calamities Ier. 36. from 1 to 9. Ier. 45. wh Ch. Nebuchadnezzar having vanquished the Egyptians about the banks of Euphrates Ier. 46.1 2. and approaching now with his forces towards Iudea to besiege Ierusalem the Recabites of the posterity of Ionadab the Son of Recab 2 King 10.15 leaving their Tents wherein by the rule
first the particulars of his dream and then the interpretation thereof shewing him how the four Monarchies which were in their order to succeed one another was the thing signified by that great image made up of divers metals which he saw in his dream Whereupon the King enriched him presently with great gifts and made him Governour of all the Province of Babylon and chief over all the wisemen thereof And moreover at his request made his three Companions Shadrach Meshach and Abednego principal officers in all that Province Dan. 2. wh Chap. Jehoiakim for three years viz. the fifth sixth and seventh of his reign was Tributary to Nebuchadnezzar but the King of Egypt who had set him up could not bear this and therefore threatned as it seems to restore Jehoahaz his Brother whom he still held prisoner in Egypt And though Jeremy had Prophesied it should never come to pass as we find Jer. 22.11 Thus saith the Lord touching Shallum the Son of Josiah King of Judah which reigned instead of Josiah his Father and who went forth out of this place he shall not return hither any more but shall die in the place whither they have led him captive and shall see this land no more yet the fear of it did much perplex him so that he was now in a great straight he was in danger of the Egyptians if he kept faith with the Babylonians and of the Babylonians if he should revolt again to the Egyptians at length namely in the eighth year of his reign hearing perhaps of great preparations made by the Egyptians against the Babylonians he renounced his subjection to the Babylonians and sided with the Egyptians again 2 King 24.1 Nebuchadnezzar in the sixth year of his reign seems to have erected that huge golden image in the plains of Dura a Province of Babylon to be worshipped Daniel's three companions that were newly advanced are accused for not worshipping of it 'T is like out of envy to them and to entrap them some of the Babylonians got the King to erect this idolatrous image These three worthies being brought before Nebuchadnezzar make a stout profession of their resolution to own and serve only the true God Hereupon they are cast into a fiery furnace but are miraculously preserved and delivered by God The King seeing the miracle was exceedingly astonished at it and blessed and praised God Dan. 3. wh Ch. Nebuchadnezzar being detained for three years after Jehoiakim's revolt by other occasions at last in the seventh year of his reign and the eleventh of Jehoiakim's with an army consisting of several Nations he invades Judea and besieges Jerusalem and takes it and Jehoiakim in it and being enraged against him for his perfidiousness he caused him to be bound in chains intending to carry him captive to Babylon But Jehoiakim through grief as 't is probable suddenly after dying he caused his dead body to be dragged out of the Gate of Jerusalem and cast into the fields to be devoured by birds and beasts so that having no burial he may be said to be buried like an Ass as Jeremy had before prophesied of him Jer. 22.18 19 Ch. 36.30 though he dying of himself and not by violence he also may be said to have slept with his Fathers or to have fallen asleep and died as his fathers did Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and the abominations that he did viz. his killing of Vriah the Prophet and his perfidiousness to Nebuchadnezzar and other evils that were found in him behold they are written in the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah 2 King 24. from 1 to 7. 2 Chron. 36.6 Nebuchadnezzar carried away at this time three thousand twenty and three Jews prisoners in the latter end of the seventh year of his reign Jer. 52.28 JEhoiakin was called Jeconiah * In the Genealogy of Christ Jehoiakim the Son of Josiah seems quite to be left out Mat. 1.11 And Josias begat Jeconias and his brethren c. for the resolving of which doubt some conceive that Jehoiakim the Father was called Jeconiah as well as Jehoiakin the Son and so whereas it is said that Josias begat Jeconias and his brethren it must be understood of Jehoiakin the Son of Josias who had several brethren whereas Jehoiakim had none And then that which follows ver 12. And after they were brought to Babylon Jeconias begat Salathiel must be understood of Jehoiakin the Son some learned men viz. Beza and Pareus have been ready to think there is an errour in the generallty of the Greek copies crept in by some unadvised scribe leaving out Jehoiakim the father of Jeconias And Rob. Stephen in his Diversae Lectiones collected out of old Copies readeth that eleventh ver thus Josias begat Jakim which is the contract of Jehoiakim and Jakim begat Ieconias and his brethren and some colour there may seem to be for it because otherwise there is one wanting to make up the third or last fourteenth generation mentioned by the Evangelist which he intended as appears ver 18. So all the Generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen Generations and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen Generations 1 Chron. 3.16 and Coniah by way of contempt The 19th that reigned in Judah was JEHOIAKIN Son of JEHOIAKIM Jer. 22.24 As I live saith the Lord though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim King of Judah were as the signet upon my right hand yet would I pluck him thence This Jehoiakin was eighteen years old when he began to reign that is when he began to reign alone after his fathers death for in his fathers life-time as it seems he was crowned King ten-years before this when he was but eight years old as we have shewed before in the life of Jehoiakim He reigned only three months and ten days and did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord as his father had done before him Against him therefore a dreadful decree went out from the Lord dooming him childless that is as some interpret it that none of his race should succeed him in the Regality to sit on the throne of David though in a kind of Soveraignty Zerubbabel the son or Grandchild rather of Salathiel by Pedaiah did succeed him 2 King 24.8 9. 2 Chron. 36.9 Jer. 22. from 24 to the end 'T is not expressed whether Jehoiakin were made King by Nebuchadnezzar when he last took Jerusalem and bound his Father in chains or was set up by the people when the Babylonians were marched away from the City If he were set in the throne by Nebuchadnezzar it may well be as Josephus thinks that the King of Babylon shortly after his departure bethinking himself how dangerous it might be to leave the Son in the Throne whose Father he had lately taken and cast his dead body out unburied he changed his purpose and presently sent his Captains back with
near Gibeon took from him all his prisoners and set them at liberty and Ismael with only eight men more escaping his hands fled to the Ammonites Jer. 41. from 10 to 16. Johanan and his Captains with the rest of the people remaining for a while about Bethlem fearing at last that the Caldeans would send in some forces upon them to revenge the death of Gedaliah and the Caldeans that were slain with him and so utterly destroy all the Jews that were in the land they thought it best to fly with the people that were left into Egypt But first they consult Jeremy about it and desire him to ask counsel of the Lord for them in that matter Hereupon they promising faithfully to conform themselves to the will of God whatever it should be he after ten days brought them an answer advising them all not to stir out of their own Country assuring them if they staid of Gods protection there but telling them that if they went into Egypt they should there every man of them perish either by sword famine or some other kind of death But notwithstanding their former promise they would needs go down into Egypt and carried Jeremy and Baruc against their wills along with them And when they were come to Taphnes Jeremy sharply reprov'd them and there declar'd to them under a type of great stones hid in clay in a brick-kiln the destruction of Egypt even by Nebuchadnezzar The death of Jeremy of whom they were so much afraid And there as 't is thought he was stoned to death by his own ungrateful Countrymen Jer. 41. from 16 to the end Jer. 42. whole Chapter Jer. 43. whole Chapter 2 King Ch. 25. v. 26. In the twelfth year of Jeconiah's captivity the fifth day of the tenth month tidings came to Ezekiel of the taking of Jerusalem and then he prophesied of the utter destruction which should befall the last remainder of the Israelites for their sins even of those few who remained in their desolate Country after the departure of those before mentioned who went into Egypt The evening before these tidings came to him his mouth was opened again to prophesie to his own people which he had not done since the day that Nebuchadnezzar first laid siege to Jerusalem three years ago whereof one year and an half was taken up in that siege and the rest of the time had passed since the City was taken Ezek. 33. from 21 to 30. The Prophet now after so long a silence having his mouth opened and being appointed a watchman and willing to perform his duty he declareth first to murmurers and hypocrites among the captive Jews that God dealeth justly both with penitents and back-sliders that he delighteth not in the death of a sinner that his ways are just and equal notwithstanding their calumnies He threatens such as mocked the Prophets and went on in their wickedness and hypocrisie Ezek. 33. from 1 to 21. And from v. 30 to the end In the next place he threatens the shepherds of Israel both Civil and Ecclesiastical for their unfaithfulness to the flock Ch. 24. from 1 to 11. He shews the tender care that God himself will have of his flock from v. 11 to 23. He promises to raise up and send the chief shepherd and Prince of his Church Jesus Christ under whose Government his sheep shall be blessed from v. 23 to the end Ezek. 24. whole Chapter He also threatens the Ammonites and Moabites and mount Seir or Edom and the Philistines for their pride hatred and cruelty against Israel Ezek. 25. whole Chapter The Prophesie of OBADIAH Obadiah also as 't is probable about this time uttered his Prophesie against Edom which shamefully insulted over the calamities of the Jews when Jerusalem was destroyed He threatens they shall be totally spoiled even more than an house by night-robbers or a vine by grape-gatherers He foretells that their counsellors wisdom shall fail and their Souldiers and that they shall be destroyed by the Caldeans as it afterwards happened After the minatory part the Lord by his Prophet comforts his afflicted Church with a promise of deliverance and victory over their enemies and enlargement of their possessions most truly fulfilled in the calling of the Gentiles and of the Lords dominion over all And the like did Jeremy and also the Authors of those Psalms Psal 79. 137. who wrote as it seemeth all about the same time And hitherto possibly the 63. of Isaiah is referrable though prophesied long before Obadiah whole Chapter Jer. 49. from 7 to 23. Psal 79. Psal 137. Isa 63. from 1 to 7. Ezekiel now comforts the people of Israel promising them that the Lord would avenge them of their enemies who had so spitefully used them He promises restauration and prosperity unto them in their own land He shews that God was necessitated to punish and chastise them for their sins for the honour of his name But he will again out of his free grace and mercy abundantly bless them both with spiritual and temporal blessings Ezek. 36. whole Chapter He Prophesies also of their return out of Babylon though their condition therein was as hopeless as of dead men in their graves who are become dry bones And by the type of two sticks becoming one in the Prophets hand he shews the union and incorporation of Israel into Judah and possibly the uniting Jews and Gentiles together under one King viz. Christ the true Messias Ezek. 37. whole Chapter Further he prophesies of a glorious victory they shall have over Gog and Magog who shall distress them after their return from captivity whereby some understand the Scythians and Tartars that shall distress the Jews converted unto Christ toward the latter end of the world Ezek. 38. whole Chapter Ezek. 39. whole Chapter In the twelfth year of Jeconiahs captivity on the first day of the twelfth month Ezekiel uttered his Prophesie concerning the grievous calamity Nebuchadnezzar should bring upon Egypt And upon the 15th day he Prophesies against Egypt again and foretels that Pharoah and his people should be brought down as low as hell with the rest of the uncircumcised Nations Ezek. 32. whole Chapter Jeremy had it seems some time before prophesied of the destruction which should follow the Israelites that were in Egypt for their desperate obstinacy and Idolatry there practised saying it went well with them when they sacrificed to the Queen of heaven and for a sure sign of their misery gave them Pharoah himself whom they should see brought to all extremities before their eyes Jer. 44. whole Chapter The Lamentations of Jeremy it's probable were written about this time The Lamentations of JEREMIAH These are not those of Jeremy for Josiah mentioned 2 Chron. 35.25 And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah and all the singing men and the siging women spake of Josiah in their Lamentations to this day and made them an Ordinance in Israel and behold they are written in the Lamentations But
this place For I know the thoughts that I think towards you thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end Then shall ye call upon me and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you And ye shall seek me and find me when you shall search for me with all your heart and I will be found of you and I will turn your captivity and I will gather you from all the Nations and from all the places whither I have driven you saith the Lord and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive Upon consideration of which time now so near approaching Daniel with fasting sackcloth and ashes poured out a most fervent prayer to the Lord for the remission of his own sins and the sins of the people and for the promised deliverance out of their captivity Whereupon the Angel Gabriel brought him an answer not only concerning this but also concerning the spiritual deliverance of the Church to be wrought at last by the death of the Messias uttering that most famous and memorable Prophesie of the seventy weeks recorded Ch. 9. v. 24 Daniels Seventy weeks 25 26 27. which are generally understood not of weeks of days but of years each day being put for a year and seventy being multiplied by seven every week consisting of seven days do make 490 that is 490 years And 't is usual in Scripture to signifie years by days as may appear from Numb 14.34 and Ezek. 4.5 6. Now for the finding out the meaning of these words we shall enquire 1. When those seventy weeks did begin 2. When they did end 3. What is the meaning of that section or division of the seventy weeks into seven weeks sixty two weeks and one week First the seventy weeks did begin when the Commandment went forth to restore and build Jerusalem vers 25. which was at the end of the seventy years captivity and in the first year of the Monarchy of Cyrus Ezra 1.1 where although express mention was not made for the building of Jerusalem but of the Temple yet it was implied because they had liberty to build themselves houses in Jerusalem and accordingly they did upon that grant go about the building of the City as well as of the Temple Ezra 4.1 12. Neither were they charged by their malicious adversaries for going beyond their commission in building the City more than in building the Temple And 2ly it was prophesied and foretold long before of Cyrus that he should build not the Temple only but the City also Isai 44.28 Chap. 45.13 So much for the beginning of these weeks 2ly The seventy weeks did end at the death and passion of Christ which I shall labour to prove by these reasons 1. Because the things the Angel mentions v. 24. are properly the effects of Christs death Particularly 1 the Text says seventy weeks are determined to finish transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity All which expressions seem to hold out one and the same thing For our Saviour by his death made satisfaction and wrought redemption for his people as may appear from these places Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 20 21 22. Heb. 9.26 1 Joh. 1.7 Rev. 1.5 2 To bring in everlasting righteousness now Christs satisfaction is the ground of our being righteous or justified before God Rom. 3.25 Phil. 3.9 2 Cor. 5.21 2 Pet. 1.1 3 To seal * Ut obsignet visionem i. e. ut reipsa praestet Prophetias de perpessionibus Gloria Messiae 1 Pet. 1.11 Vatab. the vision and prophesie that is thereby all the visions and prophesies concerning the Messias were sealed confirmed and accomplished 4 To anoint †Ut ungat sanctum i. e. ut per ascensionem suam in coelum consecret illud ad cultum Dei illic ab electis in illud assumptis peragendum Sicut Moses olim unxit sacratissimam Tabernaculi partem ad cultum Ceremonialem c. Pisc the most holy Our Saviour by his blood may truly be said to have anointed the most holy that is Heaven as the High Priest being a type of him did anoint the most holy place in the Sanctuary by presenting and sprinkling of blood as the Apostle Heb. 9. from 1 to 13. doth make the parallel between them The reason of the Angels mentioning the destruction of the City and Sanctuary ver 26. is conceived by divers learned men to be chiefly to set out the dreadful vengeanc of God that should fall on the Jews for putting the Messiah to death and therefore 't is not necessary that the destruction of the City and Sanctuary should come within the compass of the seventy weeks but did follow after as the fruit of their cruelty towards him Lastly 't is said v. 27. that in the last week the Messiah should confirm the Covenant and cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease Now when was the Covenant confirmed but at and by the death of Christ as the Apostle speaks expresly Heb. 9.16 17. And when were the Sacrifices or Oblations made to cease but when Christ did offer up himself a sacrifice to God upon the Cross Heb. 10.5 10. For the body or truth being come the shadows and types were to be abolished Col. 2.17 But if the seventy weeks did not end before the destruction of the City then the confirmation of the Covenant and the causing of the Sacrifices and Oblations to cease which we say was done by the death of Christ could not be in the last week as the Angel said for the destruction of Jerusalem was not as is generally acknowledged till about forty years after the death of Christ For the meaning of that section and division of the seventy weeks into 7 62 and 1 for so the Angel doth parcel and divide them we must know that the first section being seven weeks which make 49 years may possibly signifie the time from the return out of Babylon when liberty was granted to the Jews for the building of the Temple unto the finishing of it in the sixth year of Darius see Ezra 6.15 For after they had begun the work there in a short time they were forced to give it over through the complaint and opposition of their adversaries until the second year of Darius which might be about 46 years from the first year of Cyrus and then Darius making a new decree for the furtherance of the building it was set upon afresh and finished in the space of three years or little more viz. in the sixth year of Darius So that in all from the first year of Cyrus wherein they might begin the work unto the sixth year of Darius wherein it was finished there might be 49 years or seven weeks The second Section is of 62 weeks after the former seven viz. from the sixth year of Darius when the Temple was finished to the week wherein the Messias was to be cut off The
in execution he tells him there were a certain people scattered * For though some were returned out of captivity into the land of Judah yet many of them especially of the Ten Tribes did remain dispersed here and there not embracing the liberty proffered them up and down his dominions whose laws were diverse from the laws of his Kingdom and who observ'd not his laws 'T is true in matters of divine worship they did not observe them nor could they do it with a good conscience but otherwise they did observe the laws of the land as which concerned the peace and tranquility thereof See Jer. 29.7 Haman further suggests that it was not for the Kings profit to suffer those Jews to live among his own subjects lest they should draw them from their obedience to him Therefore he intreats the King that his subjects among whom the Jews lived might fall upon them and destroy them And whereas it might be objected that the Jews paid a great tribute which the King would lose if they were destroyed therefore in recompence of that loss he proffers to pay ten thousand talents of silver himself into the hands of the Kings receivers Haman had at this time such an ascendent over the King being his chief favourite that he took off his ring from his hand and gave it unto him therewith impowering him to seal what decree he thought fit to make touching this matter and as for the money he proffered the King bad him keep it to himself telling him that that sum was freely given to him and the people of the Jews also to do with them what seemed good unto him 'T is like the King did not yet understand that his Queen was of the Jewish Nation for that Mordecai advised her to conceal So on the 13th day of the first month the Kings Secretaries were called and the decree concerning the destruction of the Jews was written and sealed and Haman took care to have it presently published and sent to all the Lord Lieutenants and Governours of Provinces authorizing them that they should destroy and kill all the Jews both young and old little children and women in one day viz. the 13th of the last or twelfth month and to take the spoil of them to themselves for a prey And 't is like Haman did expedite the sending out of this decree lest the King by the counsel of others or from some relenting in himself or by some means or other should alter his mind The bloody decree being sent forth the King and Haman sit down to drink so far were they from any remorse or touch of conscience for what they had done but the inhabitants of the City of Shushan were greatly perplexed at it Chap. 3. whole Chapter Mordecai understanding what was done rent his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes on his head and went into the midst of the City and cried with a loud and bitter cry and in this mournful posture came before the Kings Gate for into it clothed with sackcloth he might not enter the Persian Kings not allowing their Court-pleasures to be interrupted with any thing that had an appearance of sorrow or sadness And in every Province where the decree came there was great mourning among the Jews and fasting weeping and wailing and many lay in sackcloth and ashes Queen Esther understanding the great mourning of Mordecai and his being in sackcloth was much surprized at it and sent to know the reason of it and withal sent him new raiment to cloth him but that raiment being unsuitable to his present condition he would not receive it Mordecai coming to her informed her what Haman had done and what a sum of money he had proffered to the King for liberty to destroy the Jews and what a decree he had obtained of him for their destruction And soon after he sent her a copy of that bloody decree and charged her to go to the King to make supplication to him for her people He now thought it necessary she should make known to him of what stock and Nation she was though before he thought it not convenient that she should do it The Queen sends him word that he could not be ignorant that whosoever whither man or woman came unto the King into the inner Court where was his apartment without being called for was to be put to death except the King shall of his Royal favour hold out his golden scepter to them And she had not been called to come unto the King these thirty days last past and therefore she did not know whither the Kings affection towards her might not be somewhat abated and if so her going to him uncalled might be very hazardous to her But Mordecai the people of God being in so great danger would accept of no excuse but sent her word that she her self must not think to escape more than the rest of the Jews the Kings house could be no protection to her against this bloody decree and Hamans malice For the decree being general against all the Jews without any exception it might reach her as well as others He further tells her that if she altogether held her peace at such a time as this and would not venture her self when all her people were in such extream danger he doubted not but deliverance would arise to them from another place and some other way but as for her and such of her kindred as were about her he believed they would be destroyed for their faint heartedness and cowardize and not affording what help they could to the people of God in their great extremity And lastly he tells her that she should consider that possibly she came to the Kingdom for such a time as this and that the preservation of Gods people was the end God aimed at in advancing her to be Queen Mordecai's words wrought so powerfully on Esther that she resolved to do what he required yet like a pious and prudent Lady she resolved first to use due means for the obtaining the blessing of God upon her endeavours and to that purpose she sends to all the Jews in Shushan desiring them to keep a solemn fast three days together and neither to eat (a) That is not to take their ordinary repasts but to eat sparingly and to afflict their souls by true repentance and humiliation nor drink night nor day and earnestly to seek to the Lord for her And says she I and my maids (b) 'T is like her maids were Jews or such as she had instructed in the true Religion will fast also and so I will go unto the King though it be not according to law and if I perish I perish (c) That is I will embrace my death quietly and contentedly seeing I could not avoid it without failing in my duty Mordecai and the Jews at Shushan did as Esther desired Esth Ch. 4. whole Chapter This being done Queen Esther on the third day having put on her
together set upon Jerusalem and getting the City into his hands forced Menelaus into the Castle and then made slaughters not as if he had been among his own Countrymen and kindred but among enemies and forreigners yet he got not the Priesthood but was forc'd to betake himself back again into the Country of the Ammonites where being accused before Aretas King of the Arabians he fled from place to place like a Vagabond hated of all men as a forsaker of the Law and publick enemy to his Country and died at last at Lacedemon Antiochus hearing in Egypt that the Jews rejoyced at the report of his death and suspecting by the sedition stirred up by Jason that Judea would revolt in a great rage departed thence and came and sat down before Jerusalem and took it by force and giving no quarter for three days space there were forty thousand slain and as many more taken prisoners and sold and not contenting himself with this he presumed to go into the Temple having that Arch-Traytor Menelaus for his guide and rifled it of the holy vessels particularly he took away the Golden Altar of Incense and the golden Candlesticks with all the vessels belonging to them the Table of the Shew-bread and the Vail and the Crowns and the golden Ornaments that were fastned to the Temple-doors he pulled off the gold from every thing that was covered with it and likewise took the silver vessels and all the hidden treasure which he could find He also killed swine upon the Altar and with the broath of the flesh of them he sprinkled the Temple And having taken 1800 talents out of the Temple he speedily went to Antioch leaving behind him to afflict the people Philip a Phrygian by Nation but by manners a Barbarian and Andronicus and besides them Menelaus more grievous unto and more spightful against his own Countrymen than either of the other Two years after he sent Apollonius a cruel man with an Army of 22000 into Judea commanding him to put to death all the young men he could meet with and to sell the women and children for slaves Apollonius coming to Jerusalem kept himself still until the Sabbath and then taking the opportunity of the solemnity of the day he destroyed all that came to perform Religious duties and marching with his forces about the City he put to death a great multitude and plundering the City he set it on fire in several places destroying the houses and demolishing the walls round about and led away many women and children into captivity seizing on their cattel whilst Antiochus his Master was busie again in his attempts upon Egypt During these horrid outrages Judas Maccabeus departed with some others and liv'd in the mountains three years and six months for which space of time the daily sacrifice ceased and the Sanctuary lay desolate and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled and their City became an habitation of strangers The Samaritans seeing the Jews so miserably handled professed themselves to be by descent Sidonians and thereupon obtained Letters from Antiochus to Apollonius his President that they should not be involved in the calamities of the Jews and that their Temple on Mount Gerizim as yet not honoured with the title of any God should from thenceforth be called the Temple of the Grecian Jupiter After this in the year of the World 3837 Antiochus by a publick Edict commanded all Nations that were subject unto him to observe the same way of worship that he did and laying aside their peculiar customs to profess the same Religion with the Greeks and to conform thereunto threatning death to all such as should be found unconformable And he appointed Overseers over every people and Nation who should compel them to uniformity 1 Mac. 1.41 c. Into Judea and Samaria he sent an old man of Athens that he should force the Jews to depart from the observation of the Divine Law and defile the Temple at Jerusalem and impose the name of Jupiter Olimpius upon it And upon the Temple of Gerizim he imposed the name of Jupiter Hospitalis or Protector of strangers He also commanded the sacrifices to be left off he prohibited the Sabbath he commanded them to defile the Sanctuary to erect Altars Groves and Chappels to Idols and that they should sacrifice swine and other unclean beasts and should suffer their children to remain uncircumcised and should forget the Law and the Ordinances of God and made it a crime to profess the Jewish Religion Moreover order was sent to the Neighbouring Cities of the Greeks that they should compell the Jews to partake of their sacrifices and kill those that would not come over to their rites so that many of the Jews for fear obeyed and sacrificed to Idols The Temple was now filled with riot and revelling by the Gentiles who within the circuit thereof defiled themselves with women and committed other abominations And on the 15th day of the month Casleu they erected the Abomination of Desolation that is the detestable Idol of Jupiter Olympius upon the Altar and built Idol-altars throughout the Cities of Judah and burnt incense at the doors of their houses and in the streets and some were compelled to go in procession to Bacchus carrying Ivy they cut in pieces the Books of the Law which they found and burnt them in the fire and with whomsoever they were found or whoever approved of them they were by the Kings command to be put to death Yet notwithstanding there were many that stood out and would not conform to the Kings Edict nor defile themselves at which the King being enraged he caused divers to be brought before him resolving to inforce them by torments to taste impure meats and to abjure Judaism and upon refusal he racked them and put them to death Among others Eleazar of the Priestly family an eminent Scribe and expert in the knowledg of the Law of ninety years of age was very eminent for his courage who neither yielding to eat swines flesh nor dissembling to have eaten it chose rather to undergo the most cruel torments than to violate the Law After him seven young men that were Brethren together with their most courageous Mother were brought before Antiochus at Antioch who refusing to eat swines flesh after they had been exquisitely tortur'd with new-invented torments rendred their pious souls unto God The Martyrdom of those persons is described in the seventh Chapter of the second Book of Maccabees The rage of this persecution coming to Modin a Town situate between Rama and Emmaus it there found some opposition Mattathias the Son of Jonathan a Priest of Jerusalem of the family of Joarib which was the first among the 24 courses 1 Chron. 24.7 dwelt here at this time with his five Sons among whom his Son Judas was called Maccabeus and Josephus says their Father Mattathias was the son of Asamoneus * Or rather the Grandâ—on of Simeon Sirnamed Asomonaeus and from him that Sirname descended
himself a third time to Demetrius and accused Nicanor as having some treacherous Design in agitation against the King who was so inraged by those Calumnies that he sent Nicanor word That he took very ill those his Intercourses with Judas commanding him forthwith to send him to him bound to Antioch Nicanor was very loath to do this because it was a violation of the Articles of Peace between them which Judas had not in the least manner broken yet because he knew not how to resist the Kings command he watched a convenient time to do it by a Stratagem Judas observing how Nicanor was grown more reserved to him than formerly and that his dealings were more rough than usually they had been began to suspect something and gathering together many of his Associates he withdrew himself Nicanor following him with a great party to Jerusalem under pretence of a Parle with him had prepared some to seize upon him which Judas having notice of got away and would see him no more When Nicanor saw his design was discovered he marched with his forces against Judas and fought with him near Caphersalama in which Encounter Nicanor lost near 5000 of his men and the rest fled to the City of David After this Nicanor came up to Mount Sion and some of the Priests with the Elders of the people went forth of the Sanctuary to salute him peaceably and shew him the Burnt-Offering that was offered for the King But he jearing and scoffing at it demanded Judas to be delivered unto him And they affirming with an Oath that they knew not where he was he stretched out his hand against the Temple and swore that except Judas and his Associates were delivered up unto him he would when he should return in peace set the Sanctuary on fire demolish the Altar and build there a stately Temple to Bacchus The Priests hearing this went in and standing before the Altar with Tears begged of God That he would frustrate this wicked mans intention and avenge his Blasphemies on him and his host Nicanor hearing that Judas was gone from Jerusalem into the parts of Samaria he went and pitched his Tents in Bethoron where he met new supplies out of Syria But Judas pitched in Hadasa with only 3000 men Nicanor did what he could to engage in battle on the Sabbath-day vvhich the Jews vvho vvere constrained to follovv him friendly dehorting him from out of reverence to the day and to God the Institutor thereof he with most horrid Blasphemy slighted what they said As for Maccabaeus he encouraged his Party recalling to their minds their former Encounters and declaring unto them a Dream of his wherein there was represented unto him Onias the 3d. praying for the people and the Prophet Jeremy reaching unto him a golden Sword whereby he much cheared their Spirits The Jews being now well armed with Prayers and a sure confidence in God on the 13th day of the last month Adar fell upon the Enemy Nicanor himself was one of the first that fell in the fight which when his Army saw they cast away their Arms and fled and the Israelites following the chase slew 30000 of them Then they fell upon the Spoil and finding Nicanors Body they cut off his head and hands and carried him to Jerusalem where they hung his head upon an high Tower with his right hand which he had stretched out so proudly against the House of God and his blasphemous Tongue Judas commanded should be chopp'd in pieces and given to the Birds of the Air. In commemoration of this Victory it was Enacted That the 13th day of the month Adar the day before the Feast of Mordecai should be yearly kept as a day of thanksgiving and publick rejoycing as the Author of the second Book of Maccabees tells us who with this story finished his Work being the Epitome of the Five Books of Jason a Jew of Cyrene After Nicanor's death Judea for a while had rest from Wars During which time Judas hearing of the great power of the Romans and their Humanity towards such as were in distress understanding also in what great fear Demetrius stood of them he sent Eupolemus the son of John and Jason son of Eleazer as Agents to the Senate of Rome in the name of himself his Brother and the Common-wealth of the Jews to negotiate an Alliance and Association with them hoping thereby to free their necks from that heavy yoak of Demetrius and the Empire of the Greeks After Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his Army were cut off in the late fight with Judas he dispatch'd Bacchides and Alcimus a second time into Judea and with them the right wing and better part of his Army who marching on the way that leads to Galgala took in their march Massadath which is in Arbela and put multitudes to the Sword From thence they removed to Jerusalem and from thence to Berea with Twenty thousand Foot and Two thousand Horse to seek out Maccabaeus Judas pitched in Eleasa having only 3000 men with him The Jews seeing the number of the enemy so great began to be afraid and many of them fled away in so much that all forsook Judas save only 800 with these he charged Bacchides's great Army and fought from morning to night and routed the right wing in which Bacchides himself was but they on the left wing perceiving this and pressing hard upon Judas and those that were with him slew him fighting valiantly and as soon as he fell the rest of his men fled and shifted for themselves Judas was slain in the 6th year after he had led the people from the death of his Father and A. M. 3844. After the death of Judas wicked men discovered themselves in all the Coasts of Israel who before play'd least in sight for fear of Him And by reason of the great Famine that hapned in those days almost the whole Country joyned with them and submitted themselves to Bacchides that they might the more commodiously be supplied with provision Bacchides advanced those wicked men to be Governours in the Country who when they lighted upon any of Judas's Friends brought them to him who reviled them and revenged himself upon them so that there had not been so great an Affliction since the days that the Prophets ceased from among them 1 Mac. 9.23 27. But such of the Jews as could do it assembled themselves together and chose Jonathan Judas's Brother Captain in his room which Bacchides hearing of sought to kill him but he understanding thereof fled into the desert of Tekoa and sent his Brother John with a bâ—â—d of Soldiers to desire the Nabathites that were Arabians that they might leave their Carriages with them But the Children of Iambri out of Medaba met with them upon the way and slew John and his Company and having seized upon the Spoil went their way But no great joy had they of their Booty for Jonathan and his Brother Simon hearing they were about to make
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-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
Affairs of Government Antipater made his Son Phasaelus Captain of Jerusalem and the Country adjacent and committed Galilee to the Custody of his second Son Herod being then about 25 years of Age. Herod at the very first gave evidence of what Spirit and heigth of courage he was For there being at that time one Hezekias a notable Thief who with a great company of followers used to infest the Country of Syria he took him and put him to death with many others of that Rout which thing much endeared him to the Syrians and thereby he became known to Sextus Cesar the President and Kinsman to the Dictator Phasaelus his Brother was hereby much stirred up to Emulation and carryed himself very obligingly and honourably towards those of his Jurisdiction so that their Father was honoured by the people as a King and yet preserved his fidelity intire to Hircanus But divers of the Nobles and chief men of the Jewish Nation understanding how he flourished both upon his own account and that of his Sons inwardly fretted at it and the rather because he made use of Hircanus for his own ends as they conceived having contracted friendship with the Roman Generals and perswaded him to send money to them yet got to himself the credit of the President But especially the forward and bold disposition of Herod affrighted them whom they looked upon as a young and growing Tyrant They make their Addresses to Hircanus complaining to him bitterly against Antipater as one who carried away all the profit of the Kingdom They further complained of that bold act of Herods in putting to death Hezekias with many others without any Commission received from Hircanus in contempt of the Laws by which no man is to suffer tho' he were never so wicked till he had a legal Tryal and were condemned by the Sentence of the Judge Hircanus being at last wrought upon by these complaints summoned Herod to Jerusalem to give an account of these his actions before the Council Herod having settled the affairs of Galilee appeared at Jerusalem but with a Guard as his Father had advised him by Letter yet a moderate one lest he should affright Hircanus When he appeared before the Sanhedrin in his Royal Robes and with his Guard no body had the courage to say any thing to him or accuse him till one of the Council called Sameas a just man and yet no hot-spirited man as the Jewish Proverb shews Be thou humble as Hillel and not angry as Sameas rising up inveighed against him for the manner of his Appearance not suitable to the condition of a person summoned to answer for his faults and blamed both Hircanus and the Council for their too great Indulgence which he feared they would afterwards pay dearly for And the event proved his words true that very Council and Hircanus himself being afterwards put to death by Herod when he was King The Council being inflamed with Sameas's words had certainly now condemned him had not Hircanus foreseeing it put off the business till the next day and in the mean time privately advised Herod to shift for himself Herod thereupon retired to Damascus and visited Sextus Cesar who loved him as his own Son and then gave out That he would no more appear though he were cited at which they at Jerusalem fretted and perswaded Hircanus That all these things tended to his ruine Herod having purchased of Sextus Cesar the Government of Coelosyria disdaining now that he had been commanded to come and plead his cause at Jerusalem marches towards the City with an Army and if his Father and Brother had not met him and otherwise perswaded him he had made mischief enough Having therefore made a shew of his power he retreated About this time Caelicius Bassus in favour of Pompey made away Sextus Cesar and got his Army to submit to him but divers of Cesars party came to revenge his Kinsmans death and a War ensued about Epamea whither Antipater mindful of the Benefits he had received from Cesar sent his Sons with aid to assist Cesars Captains The War being drawn out in length Statius Marcus was sent to succeed Sextus and in the mean time Julius Cesar was stab'd in the Senate-house which as it bred trouble and disturbance to the whole Roman Empire so neither did Judea escape without its share thereof A Civil War insuing the chief Captains on both sides ran up and down to provide themselves for it Cassius one of them that slew Cesar came into Syria where raising the Seige before Apamea he drew both Marcus and Bassus to his Party and then taking upon him the Power of a General and Title of Proconsul he reduced to his obedience all the Cities of Syria and levied men and exacted grievous Contributions But especially he afflicted Judea levying a Tax of above 700 Talents upon it Antipater seeing the Commonwealth in trouble and fearing Cassius's Threats appointed his two Sons to gather part of the money and Malichus a Jew that was an enemy of his to gather another part and some others another part But Herod bringing first of all an 100 Talents which were imposed upon Galilee which belonged to his Government became thereby much in Cassius's favour But under the other Governours divers Cities were set to Sale to make up the Sum. And the Tax as it should seem came in so slowly that Cassius was exceedingly enraged and was about to put Malichus one of the Collectors to death had not Hircanus by sending to him a 100 Talents of his own money by Antipater appeased his fury But Antipater was ill requited by Malichus for this For as soon as Cassius left Judea Malichus practiced to take away Antipaters life thinking that he being removed out of the way they should better provide for the security of Hircanus's Government Antipater having an inckling of it passed over Jordan and gathered an Army intending to revenge the Treachery but Malichus being a crafty Dissembler so denyed the matter with Oaths to his two Sons that they reconciled him to their Father who by his Intercession saved him out of the Hands of Marcus President of Syria who understanding that Malichus attempted some Innovations in Judea had resolved to put him to death But Antipater preserved him to his own Destruction Cassius and Marcus having gathered an Army made Herod for his good services Governour of Coelosyria and gave him forces both of Horse and Foot and also Ships at Sea and promised to make him King of Judea if they got the better against Anthony and young Cesar Antipater not long after being feasted by Hircanus at Jerusalem Malichus corrupting the Kings Butler poisoned Antipater and gathering a Band of Soldiers seized on the Government of the City Antipaters Sons having notice of their Fathers death Herod would have revenged it out of hand and that by open force but Phasaelus thought it better to circumvent the Murderer in some more private way lest they should seem the beginners
honourable persons and after the feast was ended and the Guests gone and himself had retired to his Lodging the Room in which they had supped being now empty of Company fell down and did no body any harm whereupon he was accounted as one especially owned by God who had so wonderfully preserved him Not long after he got five Towns into his hands wherein he put to the Sword 2000. Garrison Soldiers and then went against Pappus whom Antigonus had sent into Samaria Pappus gave him Battel very boldly but his Army was overthrown by him and himself taken Prisoner and Herod in revenge of his Brothers death did great Execution upon them by which defeat Antigonus's Interest was quite broken Next day he cut off Pappus's Head and sent it to his Brother Pheroras in revenge of his Brother Josephs death whom it seems Pappus slew The extremity of the Weather being over Herod marches up to Jerusalem and lays siege to it in the third year after he had been declared King by the Romans intending to use the same manner of assault that Pompey had made formerly against the Temple Socius also came up to him to Jerusalem so that both carried on the siege with an army of eleven Legions and 6000 horse The Defendants with great courage made resistance doing all that could reasonably be expected from them though much straitned for provisions it being the Sabbatical year They held out five months though there was so great an army besieging them At length twenty of Herods stoutest Souldiers got upon the walls and then the Centurions of Socius The outward part of the Temple being taken and the lower City the Jews fled into the inward part at length by a general assault that was taken also and then all places were filled with slaughters the Romans being enraged that they had held out so long and the Jews out of malice and particular grudges seeking to destroy all of the contrary faction the reverence of the Temple not abating their rage Antigonus came and fell at Socius's feet who insulting over him called him Madam Antigona and put him in prison and set keepers over him Herod did what he could to restrain the Souldiers from exercising such extream violence and to keep the profane multitude from violating the Temple and from plundring the City asking Socius If the Romans intended to make him King of a wilderness and added that he should think the victory worse than an overthrow if they proceeded to such extremities At length he was fain to redeem the City from further plunderings by his own moneys wherewith he rewarded the Romans and sent them away sufficiently inriched Socius having offered a Crown of Gold to God departed from Jerusalem leading Antigonus with him prisoner to Antony This disaster befell Jerusalem in the third month on the 28th day of which the Jews were wont to celebrate a solemn fast in memory of the Roll that was burnt by Jehoiakim and it was taken on the same day it had been taken by Pompey several years before Herod fearing that if Anthony should carry Antigonus to Rome he would there obtain favour of the Senate as being of the Royal race and procure the Kingdom at their hands if not for himself yet for his children who never had ill deserved of the Romans he procured Antony to dispatch him out of the way who pretending the unquietness of the Jews for his sake caused him to be beheaded at Antioch And so the Principality of the Asmonaeans came to an end after it had stood 126 years and had been freed from the yoke of Syria 98 years and Herod a forreigner was confirmed in the Soveraignty over Judea by the Romans Of these miserable times among others were spectators Zachary the Priest with his wife Elizabeth of the relicts of Davids stock Heli and Joseph Anna also the Prophetess of the Tribe of Asser and Simeon who was assur'd from God he should not see death till he had seen the Lords Christ Herod being thus setled in the Kingdom in the third year after he was made King by the Romans advanced those of his own faction and put to death many of the contrary party among others he put to death all those Judges of the great Sanhedrin who had accused him of capital crimes before he was King except Pollio the Pharisee and his disciple Sameas whom he highly honoured During these things the King of the Parthians had courteously treated the captive High-Priest Hircanus who hearing that Herod was made King began to conceive hopes of favour from him because he had saved his life when he was called into question and therefore thought of returning into his own Country To which he was at last perswaded having received courteous invitations from Herod who strove to get the poor old man into his clutches and when he came Herod received him with all honour and respect and gave him the upper hand in all Assemblies and calling him Father lull'd him on lest he should suspect any treachery Then he preferred to the High-Priesthood an old friend of his one Ananelus sending for him from Babylon a man of obscure parentage derived from those Jews that were carry'd away beyond Euphrates but of the race of the Priests passing by Aristobulus the Grandson of Aristobulus the King and Brother to his own wife Mariamne Alexandra the Mother of Mariamne being exceedingly enraged at this and Mariamne continually following him with intreaties that he would restore the High Priesthood to her Brother to whom of right it belonged whither moved by these things or that Antony desiring to see the youth Aristobulus for the same of his beauty he feared the Romans might advance him or however it was to stay him at home he gave him the Priesthood putting out Ananelus and excused his not sending him to Antony by the inclination of the Jews to rebellion Perceiving him therefore to be in extraordinary favour with the Jews and that Alexandra plotted the escape of her self and her Son into Egypt where she expected aid and assistance from Cleopatra Herod caused him to be duckt to death as he was bathing himself in the eighteenth year of his age and then feigning to be very sorrowful for his death he buried him with a most magnificent funeral and then made Ananelus High-Priest again Alexandra certifies Cleopatra by Letters of this horrid treachery of Herod who exceedingly pittying her misfortune urged Antony exceedingly to revenge the young mans death Antony when he came into Laodicea sent for Herod to come to him to answer the crime objected against him He therefore leaving the care of the Kingdom to his Vncle Joseph gave him private instructions that if any thing otherwise than well should befall him he should put his wife Mariamne to death for he so loved her that he would not have any one to enjoy her though after his death And then going to Antony he quickly appeased him by gifts and presents and made his peace