footing in the land of Chanaā but that you may enioy the same as your owne For truly when mentiō is made of chasing away the nations a quiet and vndisturbed possession is noted Therefore as by diuiding of the riuer God clearly shewed that his power was with the Israelites so the people likewise ought to conceiue hope of continuall aide as if they had alredie seene their enimies vanquished and discomfited For God vseth not to forsake the worke of his hands which he hath taken vpon him maymed and vnperfect God diuided the waters of Iordan to make a drie passage to bring his people into the promised inheritance Therefore what had bene greater frowardnesse than that they should haue stayed in that one transitorie acte and not to haue had sure trust in him alwayes afterward vntill they had obteined full and quiet possession of the lande Wherefore by this example let vs learne wisely to ioyne together such benefits of God as perteine to the summe of our saluation that happie beginnings may nourish in vs an hope of like ending And whereas Iosue doeth say that the people should knowe by that miracle that God was present he doth couertly reproue their distrust because the only promise of God ought to haue ben sufficient to their ful assurance vpō which alone if our faith be not grounded we can not choose but wauer and stagger often times But notwithstanding that our faith ought properly to rest in the onely trueth of God yet that letteth not but triall by experience as a second prop of our weakenesse and a profitable aide for confirmation may help to stay the same For that which God hath promised by his worde he sealeth and confirmeth by the deed it selfe and looke how many documents of his grace and power he setteth foorth vnto vs in actes he would haue them to be so many trialles of his word aids to take away all doubfulnes 11 Behold the Arke c. First he saith the Arke shall goe before them then he declareth for what end namely that Iordane might geue place as astonished at the presence sight of God as it is said in the Psalme As for that storie which is interlaced of the twelue men c. is broken off because he doeth but only touch breefly those matters which afterward he setteth out plainly and more at large Now let vs obserue no more but this that when the Ark went before God shewed his power in gouerning the people And by this meanes was cōmended that religious worship which was according to the lawe when the Israelites did see that it was no vaine thing which God committed to them to be the token of his presence For the riuer Iordane was none otherwise constreined vnto obedience than if it had seene the maiestie of god And yet withall let vs remember that God was not moued in any other respect to set forth his grace in the Arke but because he had placed therein the tables of his couenant And because the matter was hard to be credited Iosue called backe the minds of the people to consider the power of God which ouercōmeth all difficulties For it is no small title The Lord of all the earth which is here geuen to God but it aduaunceth his authoritie ouer all the elementes of the worlde that the Israelites should not doubt seeing that seas and flouds are vnder his dominion but that the waters though of their owne nature they be running yet by his commandement should be made to stand vnmoueable 14 Then when the people were departed from their tentes to goe ouer Iordan the Priests bearing the Arke of the couenant went before the people 15 And as they that bare the Arke came vnto Iordan and the feete of the Priests that bare the Arke were dipped in the brinke of the water for Iordan vseth to fill all his banks all the time of haruest 16 Then the waters that came downe from aboue stayed and rose vp on an heape and departed farre from the citie of Adan that was beside Zaretan but the waters that came downe towarde the Sea of the wildernesse euen the salt Sea failed and were cut off so the people went right ouer against Iericho 17 But the Priests that bare the Arke of the couenant of the Lord stood dry within Iordan redie prepared and all the Israelites went ouer drye vntill all the people were gone cleane ouer through Iordan 15 After they came c. The vertue of the Priests was worthie of no smal cōmendation which went forward boldly into the chanell euen into the water it selfe where manifest daunger of drowning seemed to be For after they had once entred the water with their feete what might they looke for but soone after to fall into the deepe goulfe in which they shoulde be ouerwhelmed ▪ Therefore whereas they were not made afraide when they came to the riuer it selfe but that they kept on their way vnto the place that was appointed them it was a signe of singular good courage which they had conceiued of faith This was moreouer a peculiar temptation that the riuer Iordane had then ouerflowed his bankes as he vseth yearely to doe in the beginning of Summer For the plaine being couered with water the tracte of the bankes coulde not be knowen nor any shallowe be found and the waters being spread all abroade increased feare and carefulnesse And with these lettes would God haue his people and especially the priestes to striue that the victorie of their faith and constancie might be the more excellent and besides that by these difficulties he extolleth the glorie of the miracle when those waters gaue place at his commaundement and stoode as it were cloddered together on an heape which had before ouerflowed their bankes First therefore he setteth foorth the order of the miracle to take away all doubt least prophane and vnreligious men shoulde seeke out other causes to ouerwhelme the grace of god It may come to passe in deed naturally that for a short time the streame of waters may be stayed and some drie plotte may appeare or else the course of a riuer may be chaunged and turne it selfe an other way But that waters should stande still gathered together on an heape it coulde neuer come to passe naturally or by chaunce After this sort it is saide that the waters which before flowed out of an higher ground so that by their onely fall they sought a continuall course did now stand still not runne And there is no dout but this wonderfull sight was terrible to beholde that the Israelites might the rather acknowledge that they were saued in the middest of death For what other thing seemed that great heape of waters but euen as a graue to ouerwhelme the whole multitude if the waters had once runne downe according to their nature If they had walked vppon the waters faith shoulde haue bene in steede of a bridge vnto them But now while the mountaines of waters
hang ouer their heades it is all one as if they had founde a plaine and easie way vnder waters The place is described betweene two cities that the memorie thereof might neuer be forgotten like as also God woulde haue stones to be set vp there for a perpetuall monument that so wonderfull a benefite might be celebrated and praised of all ages vnto the worldes end Chap. 4. AND when all the people were wholy gone ouer Iordan after the Lorde had spoken vnto Ioshua saying 2 Take you twelue men out of the people out of euerie tribe a man 3 And commaund you them saying Take you hence out of the middest of Iordan out of the place where the Priestes stoode in a readinesse twelue stones which ye shall take away with you and leaue them in the lodging where you shall lodge this night 4 Then Ioshua called the twelue men whome he had prepared of the children of Israel out of euerie tribe a man 5 And Ioshua saide vnto them Goe ouer before the Arke of the Lorde your God euen through the middest of Iordan and take vp euerie man of you a stone vpon his shoulder according vnto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel 6 That this may be a signe among you that when your children shall aske their fathers in time to come saying What meane you by these stones 7 Then ye may aunsweare them that the waters of Iordan were cut off before the Arke of the couenant of the Lorde for when it passed through Iordan the waters of Iordan were cut off Therefore these stones are a memoriall vnto the children of Israel for euer 8 Then the children of Israel did euen so as Ioshua had commanded and tooke vp twelue stones out of the middest of Iordan as the Lorde had said vnto Ioshua according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel and carried them away with them vnto the lodging and layed them downe there 9 And Ioshua set vp twelue stones in the middest of Iordan in the place where the feete of the Priestes which bare the Arke of the couenant stood there haue they continued vnto this day 1 And it came to passe after c. That which he had breefely and darkely touched before concerning the twelue men nowe he setteth it foorth more at large and plainely He had sayd that they were chosen out of euerie tribe but breaking off that speache he declared not for what end they were chosen Now he saith that by the commaundement of Iosue they tooke vp twelue stones and set them vp in Gilgal that they might be a notable monument vnto the posteritie And for somuch as he rehearseth what was done after the people were passed ouer that which is interlaced must be translated by the Preterpluperfectense As for the Coniunction copulatiue it is easie to consider that it may be taken for a Causall or Illatiue The summe is thus muche that before the Priestes remoued one foote cut of the middest of the riuer where they stoode that the stones were taken from their feete and placed in Gilgal that they might be perpetuall witnesses of the miracle and so Iosue did faithfully perfourme that he was commaunded by god Wherefore Iosue calleth the men whom he had chosen out before but not without the commaundement of God that the testimonie might be of greater authoritie For if Iosue had set vp suche a tropheie of his owne minde his godlinesse in deede might well haue beene praised but the instruction perhaps woulde haue ben little set by as erected onely by the will of man But now when God himselfe doeth set vp a monument it is by no meanes tollerable to passe it ouer negligently Wherefore it was a monument woorthie to be diligently considered when he bringeth in their children demaunding of them What these stones meaned 7 Then you may answeare c. Although the stones speake not of them selues yet the monument of them geueth the parents matter of speach to testifie vnto their children what the benefite of God was And in this place are the elder sort charged to set forward the studie of godlinesse and to take paines in the instruction of their children For God would haue this doctrine to be deliuered as it were from hand to hand through out all ages that they which were not yet borne yet beeing instructed by ther parentes might be witnesses of that which they had had hearde although they sawe not the thing with their owne eyes And acording to the number of the tribes the stones were set vp that euerie tribe by their owne token might be stirred vp to thankfulnesse In deed the two tribes and the halfe whose inheritance was allotted to them on the other side of Iordan had no neede of that passage for their owne partes But because the lande of Chanaan was possessed to the common benefite of the whole stocke of Abraham it was not meete that some of them should haue bene seuered from the rest seing there was a common cause perteining to them all And although hitherto there is no mention made but of these twelue men yet by this clause it appeareth that the commandement was geuen to all the people because it is saide that the children of Israel were obedient vnto the wordes of Iosue It is like also that they were chosen by voyces which should carrie these stones in the name of all the rest 9 Twelue stones also c. It seemeth there was no vse of these stones which should lie vnder the water and therfore it was a vaine thing to lay stones to be ouerwhelmed in the deepest place For by the other that were set vp in Gilgal because they were in open sight occasion was geuen to enquire what was the cause of their erection But those that lay in the botome of the riuer hidden from the sight of men were nothing auaileable to stirre vp their mindes I confesse it had beene an vnprofitable monument if it had beene altogether buried in silence but when they rehersed one to another that they had leafce in the chanel of the riuer a token of their passage it was availeable to the confirmation of their faith to heare of that which they saw not The Arke of the couenant was inclosed in the sanctuarie and couered with a vaile that was ouer it and yet that glorie which was hidden was not vnprofitable when they lerned out of the lawe that the couenant of God was there laide vp It may be also that when the waters of the riuer were fallen the heape of stones might be seene at some times But that which I saide before is more like to be true that although Iosue hid stones in the botome of the riuer yet he made thereof a profitable testimonie to the people which afterward might be sett forth in the speach talke of all men 10 So the Priestes which bare the Arke stoâ—â— in the middest of Iordan vntill euerie thing was finished that
commaundeth him simply to subscribe vnto the sentence of God and not to increase his wickednesse by pleading in vaine against it He calleth him sonne neither scornefully nor feignedly but truly and sincerly doth testifie that he bare a fatherly affection toward him whome he condemned to die By which example Iudges are taught so to temper their rigor when they punishe wickednesse that they put not off the affection of humanitie and againe so to be pitifull that they be not slacke and negligent in punishing finally let them in such sort be fathers of them whom they condemne that seueritie by gentlenesse be not much diminished Many with faire wordes flatter the poore wretches feigning that they will forgiue them but when they haue intised them to confesse they deliuer them straightway to the gallowes which hoped in vaine to escape vnpunished But Iosue beeing content to haue cited the guiltie person before the iudgement seate of God doeth not feede him at all with vaine hope of pardon and â—o he is more free to prouounce the sentence which was decreed by GOD against him 20 Achan answeared c. Because he was amazed he seeketh not to hide himselfe nor to extenuate his offence nor to alledge any colour of excuse but rather doth plainely and truely confesse the whole matter So the holy name of God preuailed more to wrest out this confession than any other tormentes And yet this plaine dealing was not a certaine token of repentance but as one astonished with feare he doeth openly confesse that which he would gladly haue couered And it is no new matter that the reprobate after they haue assaide for a time all meanes to escape when they be euen frosen in their vices soudeinely become voluntarie witnesses against themselues not that they come to it of their owne accorde but because God draweth them and in a manner driueth them headlong against their will. Although this his open confession shall condemne the hypocrisie of many which with vaine compasse of words seeke to darken the cleere light For this is an Emphaticall or earnest speache This and that haue I done which signifieth that orderly and distinctly he declared euerie part of the matter how it was done Neither doeth he onely acknowledge the fact but neglecting all defence and excuse he condemneth himselfe also in the qualitie of the facte I haue sinned sayth he which he woulde not haue said but that he acknowledgeth himselfe guiltie of sacrilege whereby it appeareth that he excuseth not him selfe by errour or by ignorance 22 Iosue sent c. Although it be no straunge matter that messengers shew their diligence in running and making speede yet the haste that is here mentioned doeth shewe that they were all diligent with feare with all speede to take away the curse from among them Therefore because that seuere threatning did vexe and greeue them I will not be with you vntill you be purged froÌ„ the cursed things not onely to execute the commaundement of Iosue but muche rather to appease the wrath of God they ranne with all speede so when they see before their eyes the things that were stollen the cause of the shame and ouerthrow which they susteined was openly shewed them For it was saide that therefore they turned their backes to their enimies because that being polluted with the things accursed they were forsaken of the accustomed helpe of god Now when they see the stollen thinges it was easie to knowe that GOD was iustly offended with them Thereby also they were admonished that the first fruites of all the lande of Chanaan should be offered to him wholy vntouched that the memorie of his liberalitie might neuer fall out of their mindes They learned also that seeing the knowledge of GOD doeth pearce into the most secrete corners that all coueringes and coloures are in vaine to escape the seueritie of his iudgement 24 Therfore Iosue c. For two causes he is carried out of the host first least they should be defiled with his bloud as God would alwayes haue some shewe of humanitie to appeare euen in lawfull executions and secondly that no infection of the cursed thinges should remaine among the people Therefore it was an vsuall thing to doe execution vpon offenders without the host that they might more abhorre from shedding of bloud But now a rotten member was cut off from the body and the host purged of filthinesse And by this we may knowe that it was a notable example that the place receiued the name thereby If the extremitie of the punishment trouble or offend any man we must alwayes remember that though our reason come short of the iudgements of God yet our boldenesse must be restrained with the bridle of godly modestie and sobernes that we take not vpon vs to disallowe that which pleaseth god It semeth in deed an hard thing yea a cruell and barbarous thing that young children which were without fault should be drawen to so extreme punishment to be stoned and burned But that the like extremitie was shewed vpon the brute beastes it was not so much meruell for as they were created for mans cause so they do iustly followe their owners Therfore whatsoeuer Achan possessed perished with him as accessarie But that the children should bee stoned and burned for their fathers offence it was an extreme kind of execution And here God did openly take punishment of the children for their parents crime contrarie to that which he pronounceth by Ezechiel But after what manner he destroyeth no innocent and yet casteth the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children I haue breefely declared when I spake of the common destruction of the citie and the slaughter of all sortes of people We lament the infantes and children which were then slaine with the sword as murthered vniustly because there appeareth no fault in them But if we do consider how much deeper the knowledge of God pearceth than the vnderstanding of our mind we will rather stay in his decree than by aduancing our selues with rashnesse and mad pride and presumption cast our selues headlong into destruction Doubtlesse God was not moued with vnaduised hatred to kill the children of Achan so vnmercifully But although they were the workemanship of his owne handes and circumcision also was grauen in their flesh which was no deceiueable token of adoption yet he adiudgeth them to death What remaineth here for vs but to acknowledge our infirmitie and giue place to his incomprehensible counsell It may be that death was profitable for them as a medicine But if they were reprobates their damnation could not be to soone Hereto ioyne that the life which God hath geuen he may take away as often as it pleaseth him not onely by sicknesse but by any other kinde of death A wilde beast shall stay an infant and rend him in peeces A poysonous serpent shall bite another and kill him One shall fall into the water another into the fire another shal be smothered by his nourse
another shal be brused with a stone yea vnto some the wombe is their graue before they see the light It is certeine that none of these kindes of death doe happen but by the will of god Yet for all this who shall be so bolde as to pleade against him And if any bee so mad that he doe what shall he preuaile Hereof we must be persuaded that none perish by his commandement but such as he hath appointed to die But whereas his oxen his asses his sheepe are rehearsed we may gather that he was rich inough that pouertie could not prouoke him to committe this wicked fact wherein his vnsattable couetousnesse be wrayed it selfe that he desired stollen goodes not for necessitie but for rioâ—â—e and excesse 25 Iosue saide c. This seemeth to be to harde an insultation as though he purposed to driue the miserable man whom he shoulde haue exhorted to patience almost into furie and madnesse Howbeit I doubt not but that he spake this for the peoples sake that it might be a profitable example for them all I iudge therefore that he meant not to ouerwhelme Achan with disperation but in his person to shewe how greeuous an offence it was to trouble the Church of god Although it may be that the proude man complained that his satisfaction was not receiued wherby he thought to haue bene discharged and that therefore Iosue either to reforme or breake his pride and stubbornesse inueihed more sharpely against him For by the interrogation it semeth that he did expostulate with him and when he called God the Iudge he seemeth to stop the obstinate mans mouth That all the people threwe stones it was done in signe of detestation as if they would testifie that they were most clere of that crime which they did reuenge in another and still did abhorre it The heape of stones was partly a monument to the posteritie partly for this cause that if the place had ben voâ—de some man vnawares might gather vp the parcelles of gold and siluer For although God at the first commaunded the gold and the siluer to be offered vnto him yet would he not haue his sanctuarie polluted with thefte Chap. 8. AFTER the Lorde saide vnto Ioshua Feare not neither be thou faint hearted take all the men of warre with thee and arise goe vp to Ai behold I haue giuen into thine hande the King of Ai and his people and his Citie and his lande 2 And thou shalt doe to Ai and to the King thereof as thou diddest to Iericho to the King thereof neuerthelesse the spoile thereof the cattell thereof shall ye take vnto you for a pray thou shalt lie in waite against the Citie on the backeside thereof 3 Then Ioshua arose and all the men of warre to goe vp against Ai and Ioshua chose out thirtie thousande strong men and valiant and sent them away by night 4 And he commaunded them saying Beholde ye shall lie in waite against the Citie on the backeside of the Citie goe not verie farre from the Citie but be ye all in a readinesse 5 And I and all the people that are with me will approche vnto the Citie and when they shall come out against vs as they did at the first time then will we flee before them 6 For they will come out after vs till we haue brought them out of the citie for they will say They flee before vs as at the first time so we will flee before them 7 Then you shall rise vp from lying in waite and destroy the citie for the Lord your God will deliuer it into your hand 8 And when ye haue taken the citie ye shall set it on fire according to the commaundement of the Lord shall ye doe beholde I haue charged you 9 Ioshua then sent them forth and they went to lie in waite and abode betweene Beth-el and Ai on the West side of Ai but Ioshua lodged that night among the people 10 And Ioshua rose vp earely in the morning and numbered the people and he and the Elders of Israel went vp before the people against Ai. 11 Also all the men of warre that were with him went vp and drewe neere and came against the citie pitched on the North-side of Ai and there was a vallie betweene them and Ai 12 And he tooke about fiue thousand men and set them to lie in waite betweene Beth-el and Ai on the West side of the citie 13 And the people set all the host that was on the Northside against the citie and the liers in waite on the West against the citie and Ioshua went the same night into the middest of the vallie 14 And when the King of Ai sawe it then the men of the citie hasted and rose vp earely and went out against Israel to battell he and all his people at the time appointed before the plaine for he knew not that any lay in waite against him on the backside of the citie 15 Then Ioshua and all Israel as beaten before them fled by the way of the wildernesse 16 And all the people of the citie were called together to pursue after them and they pursued after Ioshua and were drawen away out of the citie 17 So that there was not a man left in Ai nor in Beth-el that went not out after Israel and they left the citie open and pursued after Israel 18 Then the Lord said vnto Ioshua Stretch out the speare that is in thine hand toward Ai for I will geue it into thine hand and Ioshua stretched out the speare that he had in his hand toward the citie 19 And they that lay in wayte arose quickly out of their place and ranne as soone as he had stretched out his hand they entred into the citie and tooke it and hasted and set the citie on fire 20 And the men of Ai looked behinde them and sawe it for loe the smoke of the citie ascended vp to heauen and they had no power to flee this way or that way for the people that fled to the wildernesse turned backe vpon the pursuers 21 When Ioshua and all Israel sawe that they that lay in wayte had taken the citie and that the smoke of the citie mounted vp then they turned againe and slue the men of Ai. 22 Also the other issued out of the citie against them so were they in the middest of Israel these being on the one side and the rest on the other side and they slue them so that they let none of them remaine nor escape 23 And the King of Ai they tooke aliue and brought him to Ioshua 24 And when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field that is in the wildernesse where they chased them and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword vntill they were consumed all the Israelites returned vnto Ai and smote it with the edge of the sworde 25 And all that fell that day