ACQUIRED BY EXCHANGE

. SACEED HISTOEY:
OR TBE
HISTORICAL PART
OF
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
OF TEE
OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS;
DIGESTED INTO DUE METHOD
WITH BESPECT TO
ORDER OF TIME AND PLACE.
WITH
OBSBRYATIONS,
TENDING TO ILLUSTRATE SOME PASSAGES THEREIN.

BY THOMAS ELLWOOD.
COMPLETE IN TWO VOLUMES.
, VOL. I.
From the first Amencany compared vnth ihe last London Edition.

MOUNTPLEASANT OHIO.
REPUBLISHED BY ENOCH ANp EMILY M. HAEEIS.
M.DCCC.LIII.

Stereotyped, Printed and Bound,
By Enoch Harris,
Mountpleasant, Iefferson County, Omo.

ADVERTISEMENT.

In presenting the public with this edition of Ell-wood's Sacred
History, — the first in the present form of two volumes, within their
knowledge — the Publishers hope that they will be rendering some ser
vice to the reading community, and especially to their young friends,
who may be desirous of studying the Holy Scriptures.
The Greek quotations contained in the second volume of the Sa-
gbed History, have, in this edition, been printed in italic characters.
Mountpleasaut, Ohio, 6th month. 1853,

PREFACE.  =8^^ 

What Cicero saith of history in generd, namely, that it is, Tem^
porum testis, lux veritatis, vita memorim, magistra vita, and nuncia
arUiquitatis ; i. e. The vritness of time, tlie light of truth, the life of
memory, the mistress of life, and the messenger of antiquity, cannot
be so well verified of any particular history, as of that which, being
written hy divinely inspired penmen, is contained in the books of the
Old and New Testament : tiie former of which is the subject of this
volume. Of the matter nothing need be said, nothing perhaps can be said, to
add to the excellency or credit thereof: but of the motive of induce
ment to this undertaMng, somewhat, peradventure, may be necessary
to be hinted.
Two things more especially led me to it :
One, that the divine providence, the wisdom, power, goodness,- and'
favour of God, in ordering, disposing, providing for, preserving, de
fending, and wonderfiilly delivering his servants and people out of the'.
greatest straits, difficulties, hardships, dangers and sufferings, b.eing .
more directly, and in a continued series and course of actions, set be
fore the reader's eye ; he might be thereby the more stirred up and en
gaged to admire and magnify, to love, reverence,, and fear the Lord,
and be the more careful not to offend him".
The other motive was, that all, the youth' especially, of either sex,
under whatsoever religious denomination they go, might be furnished
with such an entertainment, as might jdeld them at once both profit and
delight. For havingj not without imeasiness; of mind, observed how much
too many, not to say most, mis-spend their precious time ; some in
reading vain fictions (call romances) lewd novels, lascivious poema»
and vice-promoting play-books ; others, more soberly and religiously
inclined, in reading other books, if not much hurtful, yet not much in
structive and beneficial ; I hoped I should do no unacceptable service^
at least to some, in- presenting them with the sacred history, so di
gested, as might both invite their attention, and recompense their
pains in reading, with- the double advantages of godly instruction ancb
Tirtuous pleasure. ( » )

n PKEFACE-.
If any shall think the undertaking needless, because the history is
already extant in the bible ; I intreat such to consider, that although the
bible be, or may be, in every hand, and ought to be read (by all that
can read) -with diligence and attention of mind ; yet since the history
lies diffused and scattered throughout the whole book, it is no small
discouragement to the reader, that is desirous to peruse the history in a
regular course, to find the thread thereof frequently cut off by the in
terposition of other matters, as genealogies of persons, derivations of
families and colonies, ceremonial laws, peculiarly adapted to the Mo
saic dispensation and abrogated with it, prophetic denunciations of
judgments against some persons or people, of whom scarce any fror-
ther memorial now remains than their bare name.
To remove all such discouragements, I have in this work- endeav
oured to draw together the dispersed parts of the history ; connecting
them into a continued series, and reducing, as near as I could, each
part in its due place, with respect to the right order of time. But this
perhaps may be thought to relate rather to another head, the manner.
of performance.
Of that I shall not say much, but leave it to the reader's judgment,
when he shall have gone through the whole. Yet some few things for
his information, it may be needful he should be told beforehand, viz.
1. That in digesting the following history, I have not strictly tied
myself to the letter, and very syllables of the text : but, with all due
circumspection, -and care to retain the matter and sense, have some
times varied the expression, as I thought might be most beneficial to
the reader; sparing, by that means, many circumlocutions and repeti
tions of the same matter.
2. Where I have at all left the last English translation, I have follow
ed, for the most part, some other, English or Latin ; or the judgment
of some eminently learned expositors. And when I mention some
times the Bishop's Bible, I intend thereby that translation and edition
which was printed with notes, by Barker, the queen's printer, in the
year 1600, in the old black letter : which edition, I think, is called the
Bishop's Bible, to distinguish it from other editions.
3. In the chronology, (especiaUy with respect to the times of the
rule of the judges, and of the reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah)
I found so much uncertainty, and so little -certainty or agreement
amongst interpreters about it, that I chose to have left it as I found it,
rather than spend time and pains to reconcile the different computa
tions delivered in the books of the Kings, and of the Chronicles. Yet,
to gratify the desires of some, I have, since the copy was written, ad
ded at the bottom, under the letters A. M. the year of the world, to the
most remarkable stories. Wherein, for the most part, I have followed
the account of time as it is delivered by R. Blome, in his elaborate
work called, < The History of the Old and New Testament,' the quarto
edition.

P It £ F A c B . ¦yti
4. The helps I have had, have been chiefly from Dr. Geil's Eesay
towards an amendment of the last English translation of the Bible ;
Hugh Broughton's Consent of Scripture ; Godwyn's Moses and Aa-
ron (whom, for the mostpart,I have followed, in reducing the Hebrew
measures and coins to the English;) the Annotations of TremelHus
and Junius (which I have oftener used than named ;) and for the ex
positions of proper names, whether of persons or places, I have been
beholden to the table of Robert F. Herry.
5. The whole work is divided into three parts, without any particu-
lar regard to the seven periods of time, into which chronologers and
historiographers (out of a desire to reduce them to some sort of pro
portion wdth the six days' work, and seventh day's rest in the first
week of the creation) have generally divided the ages of the world.
6. Of these three parts, the first reaches from the creation to the
death of Moses ; when the children of Israel, being come to the bor .
der of the promised land, were ready to enter in. And' it contains the
remarkables delivered in the pentateuch, or five books of Moses, and
that of Job ; which is here inserted between the books of Genesis and
Exodus. 7. The second part beginning with (he book of Joshua, goes through
that, and the book of Judges, with the first book of Samuel ; and car
ries on the history from the death of Mosjgs to the death of Saul, and
the account that was brought to David of it. In this are recounted the
transactions of chief note under all the judges, as well ordinary as ex-
traordinary, and under Saul, the first anointed king of Israel ; whose ,
rule I chose to oast into this part with thejudges, as not holding him fit,
with respect to his odd accession to the government, his quick rejec-
tion from it, and mal-administration of it, to be the head of the suc
ceeding monarchy.
8. The third part, by much the largest, beginning -with the second
book of Samuel, sets forth the reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah,
wilh the most memorable acts and occurrences therein, from David,
to the return to the last Babylonish captivity, and rebuilding of the tem
ple ; taking in the prophets as near as may be in their several times.
I am not ignorant that divers have laboured on this subject diverse
ly; but none that I Imow of, hath Dursued and earried it on in this
method. About the beginning of the last age there was a treatise ¦written un
der the title of, ' The general View of the Holy Scriptures ;' the auth
or of which was not certainly known, but was supposed to be the learn
ed Broughton : and, indeed, the style and structure would persuade it.
It was sometime after reprinted, -with additions, by Thomas Hayne ;
and is doubtless an artful discourse in its way and kind ; but it doth not
pretend to give a complete history, or to relate historicall-y the various
ttansactions recorded in the holy text.

viii PREFACE.
To omit some others of less note, there was published, not matijr
years ago, 'A complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Tes
tament;' a book well fraught with variety pf useful matter: but the
mystery is not only interwoven with the history, but hath also so much
over-grown it, that the reader, who shall desire to peruse the history
by itself, wUlbeat some loss in that respect, how well soever otherwise
he may employ his time therein.
Of all that I have yet seen, that whioh promises most fairly to ans-
wer this end, is R. Blome's late History of the Old and New Testa.
ment. A work, indeed, not only instructive and delightful, but pom
pous and magnificent. But that book, by reason of the many plates,
is-swelled to so great a bulk and price, that it seems not calculated for
common readers.
Those therefore, notwithstanding, none of which came to my hand
until I had finished this work, I hope I may escape the censure, if not
obtain the favour, of the ingenuous reader, for pubHshing this ; which I
take to be more agreeable to the title and end of an history than the
former, and to be more within the reach of every reader, to say no
more than the latter.
So far am I from eiiming by this to draw any from reading the Holy
Scriptures, that I earnestly desire and press all, who shall read this his
tory, to compare it with the text itself; that, like noble Bereans, they
may search and see whether what I have herein deUvered be agreea
ble therewith.
I hope there will not any thing be found in the following sheets from
-whence occasion may be taken to raise controversy. There is too
much of that in the world already : and I have studiously endeavoured
not to administer any occasion for more. If in any thing my pen has
slipped ; or if any one shall apprehend I have erred, where I have de
livered my sense different from the sentiments of others, he that vriU
be so kind, in a fair and friendly way, to inform me of it, shall have a
due acknowledgment of his kindness, and the best satisfaction I can
give him. But of common cavillers, whose carping censures scarce
any thing that is good can escape, I shall not iold myself obliged to
take notice.

SACRED HISTORY:
OR THE
HISTORICAL PART OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
OF THE
PART I.
THE BOOK OF GENESIS;
so CALLED,
BECAUSE IT TREATS OF THE BEGINNING AND GENERATION OF MANj
AND THE OTHER CREATURES ; CONTAINING AN HISTORY OF
ABOUT 2369 YEARS.

From the creation to the flood, though more than sixteen hundred
years did pass between, the historical account of things, as they stand
recorded in the holy text, is very short ; the heads only of matters be
ing delivered, and that but briefly. Of these, the first most remarka
ble is the admirable order of the creation, whereby the chaos was re
duced into form, divided into six days' work.
In the first day ' the spirit of God moved upon the face of the wa-
ters, and God said, Let there be hght, and there was light ;' light being
brought forth by that effective word. And it is observable, that the
first thing which we read God pronounced good, was the light : ' God
saw the light that it weis good.' But he did not see it good that the
light should be intermixed with darkness ; therefore he ' divided the
light from the darkness.' And ' the light,' thus separated from the
darkness, ' God called day ; ' but ' the darkness he called night.'
In the second day, God said, ' Let there be a firmament in the
midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters ; and
it was so.' For God by that word made the firmament (that is, spread
forth the expansum, or convex, which we call the firmament) ' and dir
yided the waters which were under the firmament, from the waters
which were above, .the firmament. And God called the firmament
heaven.' - ... ' (9)

JO SACRED HISTORY. PABT I,
In the third day, God said, ' Let the waters under the heaven be
gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear ;, and it
was so. And God called the dry land earth ; and the gathering to
gether of the waters called he seas.' And now the second time we
read, ' God saw that it was good.'
Here, by the way, it may not be amiss to observe, that what, in ver.
1, the translators render ' In the beginning,' some other learned men
render ' In wisdom ; ' so reading it, ' In wisdom God created the
heaven and the earth. ' Dr. GeU, in his Essay towards the .amend
ment of the last English translation of the Bible, page 2, tells us, the
Targum of Jerusalem turns it so ; and himself approves that version,
saying, It is indeed no other than what -David expresseth in Psalm civ.
where, having paraphrased upon the works of God in the creation, he
breaks forth into admiration, ver. 24, sa5ang, ' O Lord, how manifold
are thy works, in wisdom hast thou made them all. ' And in Psalm
cxxx-vi. exhorting to give thanks unto the Lord for his manifold mer-
cies, he adds, ' To him that by wisdom made the heavens, ' ver. 5;
where by wisdom is understood the Son of God, by whom, says the
evangelist, John i. 3, ' all things were made ; ' which also the apostle
confirms, saying, ' By (or in) hira were all things created that are in
heaven, and that are in earth, ' Coloss. i. 16 ; calling him also the be
ginning, ver. 1 8. And in the Revelation he is called ' the beginning of
the creation of God, ' Rev. iii. 14. So that if we read the words, as
in the text, ' In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, '
it seems we are by the word ' beginning ' to understand Christ the Son
of God, who sets himself forth under the name also of wisdom, Prov.
viii. And the same Dr. GeU, in the place before quoted, teUs us, the
interlineary gloss interprets, in principio, in the beginning, in filio sua,
in his Son. But if the words ' in th'e beginning, ' be understood of
time, and the order of the creation, it may occasion a doubt whether,
in a strict sense, the heaven and the earth were created in the begin
ning, that is, were the beginning, or first part, of the creation. For
the heaven being set in the second day's work, and the earth in the
third ; since a third and a second do imply a first, it seems not to stand
with propriety of speech, to call the third day, or the second day, the
beginning. But the whole work, and every part of it, both first and
last, was undoubtedly made in wisdom. But of this a touch only.
Let us now go forward.
The earth thus drained of the waters, the next work was, to give it
a prolific virtue. Wherefore God said, ' Let the earth bring forth
grass the herb yielding seed, and the fruit-tree yielding fruit after its
kind, who.se seed is in' itself upon the earth ; audit was so.' And
here again it is said, ' God saw that it was good.'
In the fourth day God said, ' Let there be Ughts in the firmament
of heaven, to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs,
and for seasons, and for days and years. And let them be for lights

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. I'l
in the heaven, to give light upon the earth ; and it was so : for God
made two great lights, both gi'eat, but one greater than the other ; the
greater, which is the sun, to rule the day ; and the lesser, which is the
moon, to rule the night. He made the stars also. And God set them
in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to
rule over the day, and over the night, and to divide the Ught from the
darkness. And God saw that it was good.'
In the fifth day, G«d said, ' Let the waters bring forth abundantly
the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the
earth in the open firmament of heaven. So God created great whales,
and every Uving creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth
abundantly after their kind, and every winged fowl after its kind ; and
God saw that it was good. And he blessed them, saying, Be fruitful
and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas ; and let fowl multiply in
the earth.'
From those words, in ver. 20, ' Let the waters bring forth abun-
dantly the moving creatm'e that hath life, and fowl,' &c. an opinion
hath arisen, that fowls took their origin wholly from the water. But
from what is said in chap. ii. ver. 19, ' Out of the ground the Lord
God formed every beast.of the field, and every fowl of the air,' hath
sprung another opinion, that fowls derive their beginning from the
earth. These being the two extremes, the middle may probably be the
right, that they had their original partly from the waters, and partly
from the earth. This Tremellius and Junius favour. And this might
render the flesh of fowls less gross than that of beasts ; more firm
than that of fishes.
In the sLxth and last day's work, God in the first place added to tho
fertility of -the earth, which before brought forth only vegetables, the
production of animals, saying, ' Let the earth bring forth the living
creature after its kind, cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the
earth after their kinds ; and it was so. And God saw that it was good.'
And now, after all the other parts of the creation were finished in
their beautiful order, fit for the reception and use of man, God altered
his style. For whereas before he only said. Let this or that be so or
so ; now God said, ' Let us make man (or Adam) in our image after
our Ukeness, and let them (for male and female created he them, chap.
V. 2.) have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fo-wl of the
air, and over the catrie, and over all the earth, and over every creep
ing thing that creepeth upon the earth.'
Herein then, besides, the divine image wherein man was made, may
the origination of man be justly accounted more noble and honoura.
ble than that of any of the rest of the creatures, that whereas they
were produced by a word speaking, God is said to have formed man,
Gen. ii. 7 ; and man is called the workmanship of God, Eph. u. 10 ;
and the offspring-.of God, Acts xvii. 28. And though the matter man

12 SACRED HISTOEY. FART 1.
was formed of was but the dust of the gi'ound, yet God breathing in
to his nostrils the breath of life, man thereby became a Uving soul.
Man, thus excellently made, was blessed by God, both male and
female, with two great blessings, fruitfulness and dominion ; the Lord
God saying unto them, ' Be fi-uitful and multiply, and replenish the
earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and
over the fowl of the air, and over every thing that moveth upon the
earth.' See Psalm viii.
Then appointing unto man for food every seeding herb, and the
fruit of every seeding tree, and to the beasts, fowls, and creeping
things every green herb, God took, if I may so speak, a genered sur
vey of his whole work, and pronounced it very good.
After the work of creation was finished, and a day of rest had suc
ceeded, the next historical remark we meet with, is God's planting a
garden eastward in Eden, with the description and bounds thereof:
his putting therein the man whom he had formed, and appointing him
to dress and keep it, with the general permission and particular pro
hibition what to eat, and what to abstain from. Then follows the na
ming of the creatures by Adam, as the Lord caused them to come be
fore him ; after which comes the particular description of the forma
tion of woman, which was thus :
After the Lord haddeclared, that it was not good the man should"
be alone, and that therefore, he would make him an help meet, or fit
for him, he caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, for so was he
caUed firom the red earth of whioh he was made ; and while Adam
slept, God took out one of his ribs, closing up the flesh instead there
of, and made or builded the rib into a woman, and brought her unto
the man. Adam, sensible of what the Lord had done, as soon as he-
gaw the woman, said, ' This is now bone (out) of my bones, and flesh-
(out) of my flesh. She shaU be called woman, (ormanness) because
she was taken out of man. Therefore, (say^ the- text) shall a man
leave his father and his mother, (that is, rather than his -wife,) and
shaU cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.' This was the
divine institution of marriage with the law thereof, in the naked inno-
cency and unblushing simplicity of the man and his wife, while they
abode in the deUghtful garden of Eden,
But from this state of innocency and happiness they fell, being be
trayed by the malice and' guile, of an adversary; who he was, and
how he came to be so, must be sought elsewhere ; for Moses in this
relation gives no account of the faU, or indeed, of the creation of an
gels, yet frequent mention we afterwards find in the holy scriptures of
angels, and those both good and bad. Good they were all created,
as all things else were that God^ made ; but that some of them kept
not their first estate, but left their own habitation, and through pride,
aspiring higher, sinned against God, and were by him cast down to
tieil, we are taught by the apostles Peter and Judge, 2 Peti ii. 4. Jiide

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. I'S
vi. to which some additional Ught is given from Job iv. 18, John viii.
44, and 1 John iii. 8. The chief of these faUen angels, caUed here
the serpent, and afterwards the old serpent. Rev. xx. 2 ; and Beelze
bub, or the prince of the devils, which were the rest of those angels
that feU also ; envying the happiness of man, that he should retain and
enjoy that state of innocency and bUss, in which he was made and set,
whereas they had forfeited and lost theirs, contrived how to beguile ths
man, and draw him also into transgression, that he might have him a
companion in punishment ; and in order thereunto he thus set upon
the woman, as the weaker vessel, by whom, if gained, he might the
more easily prevail upon the man. Accosting her therefore in a slight
manner, he said, 'Yea, (or indeed) hath God said. Ye shaU not eat of
every tree of the garden V Nay, said the woman, it is but one tree
that is forbidden us : ' For we may eat of the fruit of the trees of tha
garden ; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the gar
den, God hath said, ye shaU not eat of it, neither shall ye touch if,
lest ye die.'
God's word was positive ; ' In the day that thou eatest thereof; thou
ehalt surely die,' (or dying thou shalt die,) Gen. ii. 17. The woman
in repeating it renders.it only doubtful, or questionable, ' lest ye die.'
There the serpent taking hold replies, ' Ye shall not surely die : but
God doth know, that in the day ye eat thereof, your eyes shall b«
opened, and ye shaU be as gods, knowing good and evil.'
This kindled desire in the woman, who looking on the fruit through
(he optic of ambition, apprehended the tree was ' good for food,
pleasant to the sight, and a tree to be desired to make one wise ;
wherefore she took of the fruit thereof, and did not only eat of it her-
eeif, but gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.'
Now were the eyes of them both opened ; but it was but to see
^eir O'wn nakedness and misery. They had, indeed, acquired
knowledge, but it was a knowledge, arising from a sad experience,
that the serpent had beguiled them, and drawn them from the good
which they knew before, into the evil which they knew not.
This dear-bought knowledge brought upon them at once both guilt,
and the efiect of guilt, shame ; so that sewing fig-leaves together,
they made themselves aprons to gird about them to cover their new
discovered nakedness. ' And when they heard the voice of the Lord
God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, they hid them-
•dyes from his presence amongst the trees of the garden.' But
when the Lord called forth Adam by name, rousing him up with an,
' Adam, Where art thou V Adam was then fain to make answer, ' I
heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was na-
ked, and I hid myself.'
In confessing his nakedness, he confessed his guilt, of which there
by God convicted him. > Who told thee,' said God to him, ' that

14 SACRED HISTORY. FART I.
thou wast naked ? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I comman
ded thee that thou shouldest not eat V
Adam was not yet grown so hardy as to deny the fact ; but he en-
deavoured to excuse himself, by laying the blame upon his wife, not
without a tacit reflection therein upon God himself. ' Tbe woman,'
eaidhe, ' whom thou gavestto be with me, she gave me of the tree
and I did eat.'
God thereupon caUing the woman to account, ' What is this,' said
he to her, 'that thou hast done?' She also readily confessed the
fact, yet willing, Uke her husband to throw the blame as much as sho
could off herself, alleged that she had been drawn thereto by the
guile of the serpent. ' The serpent,' said she, ' beguiled me, and 1
did eat.'
God did not proceed with the serpent as he had done with the man
and the woman, whom by examination he had brought to confession,
and so to conviction ; but presently passing sentence upon the ser
pent, he said, ' Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all
cattle, and above every beast of the field : upon thy belly shalt thou
go, and dust shalt thou eat aU the days of thy life. And I wiU put en
mity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her
seed ; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel,'
To the. woman he said, ' I will greatly multiply thy sorrow, and thy
conception. In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children, and thy de-
sre shaU be to thy husband, and he shaU rule over thee.'
And unto Adam he said, ' Because thou hast hearkened unto the
voice of thy wife (in opposition to my voice) and hast eaten of the
tree of which I commanded thee not to eat : cursed be the ground foi
thy sake ; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.
Thorns also and thistles shaU it bring forth to thee ; and thou shalt
©at the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat
bread, tiU thou return unto the ground out of which thou wast taken :
for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.'
Tho proper doom or sentence being thus passed on each, ' God
drove out the man from the garden of Eden, and sent him to tiJl the
ground from whence he had been taken :' and lest, as tlirough a too
eager desire of knowledge he had already transgressed, ' he should
put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live
forever,' God, having sent him out of the garden, ' placed at tha
east end thereof cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every
way, to keep the way of the tree of life ;' yet he provided them bettei
apparel than the fig-leaf coverings they had.stiohed together them
selves ; to wit, coats of skins, which he ordered for them.
* Adam now called his wife's name Eve, because she was to be the
mother of aU li-ving ; that is, of all the race of mankind that should
five upon the earth. And he knew his wife ; and she thereupon con-
ceiving. bare a son, whom she caUed Cain, (which signifies possess-

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 15
ion,) saying, * I have gotten a man from the Lord.' So we read it:
but word for word it is, ' I have gotten the man, the Lord,' says Dr.
Gell, Essay, p. 27. where also he quotes Martin Luther so rendering it.'
From which expression some conjecture, that Eve was so far mistaken
in Cain a.s to take him (who was indeed but the first born after the
transgression) for that seed, which God had said should bruise the
head of the serpent.
But, however, as Cain may be called the- first-fruit of the flesh, be
ing the first of men that came by carnal procreation ; so he was the
first persecutor, the first murderer :* for he slew his own, his then (for
aught appears) only brother ; and that for no other cause, but that hia
brother worshipped God more sincerely, and more acceptably thaa
himself, which gave occasion for one to say of him,
' He was the first that did his hands imbrue
' In human blood ; and by one murder .slew
' The fourth part of manldnd.' 
This unnatural murder happened thus : After Eve had borne Cain,
•he conceived again, and bare Abel, who when he was grown up, was
a keeper of sheep, as Cain was a tiUer of the ground. In process of
time each of them brought an offering to the Lord, Cain of the fruit of
tbe ground, and Abel of the firstUngs of his flock, and of the fat there
of. The Lord, who saw and regarded the heart of each, had respect
unto Abel, and to his offering ; but unto Cain and his offering, he had
not respect. Cain was hereupon very wroth, which the falling of his
countenance shewed, insomuch that God, taking notice, said unto him,
• Why art thou wroth 1 and why is thy countenance fellen ? If thou
doest well, shalt thou not be accepted 1 But if thou dost not well, sin
lieth at the door,' &c.
This soft reproof, which one would have thought might have paci
fied wrathful Cain, seems to have raised his anger higher ; for taking
an occasion, not long after, to discourse with his brother Abel, when
they were alone in the field together, he on a sudden falling upon his j
innocent brother, slew him. And when the Lord, caUing him to ac
count for it, examined him where his brother Abel was 1 He as reso
lutely as falsely answered, I know not ; and, as if he took it for an af
front that he should be questioned for his brother, surUly asked, ' Am
1 my brother's keeper V But the Lord convicted him by the voice of
Abel's blood, said, ' What hast thou done ? The voice of thy broth-
fir's blood crieth unto me from the ground.' As if he had said,
« diough thou disdainest to be thought thy brother's keeper, yet thou
hast not stuck to be thy brother's murderer ; and thou shalt know that
I am the avenger of thy brother's innocent blood, which thou hasi
wickedly, treacherously, unnaturally shed, and which cries unto me
for vengeance.' And therefore, ' Now art thou cursed from the earth,*
* About the venr of the world 128.

16 SACRED HISTORY. P-ART I.
said God to Cain, ' which hath opened her mouth to receive thy broth
er's blood from thy .hand. When thou tiUest the ground, it shaU nol
henceforth yield unto thee its strength ; nor is that aU, but a fugifl-ve
and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.'
This sentence, genfle in comparison of the heinousness of ths
crime, Cain complained highly of, crpng unto the Lord, ' My punish.
ment is greater than I can bear.' So we read it ; and so both Pag.
ninus and Tremellius tum it: though aU acknowledge the Hebrew
•word, which they render punishment, signifies, iniquity ; and so Arias
Montanus gives it. But, indeed, Cain seemed not so sensible of his
sin as of his punishment, as his foUowing words import : ' Behold
said he, thou hast driven me out this day from the face ofthe earth,
and from thy face shall I be hid, (he puts his loss of advantages in
the earth before his loss of the presence of God) and I shaU be a fj-
gitive (added he) and a vagabond in the earth ; and it shaU come to
pass, that whosoever findeth me shaU slay me.'
Although that, according to the Talique law given after. Gen. ix. 6,
hadbeenbut just on Cain, yet inasmuch as God had taken this cause in
to his o-wn immediate cognizance, and had fixed the punishment ; that
therefore, Cain suffering judicially, might not suffer extrajudicially al
so, nor his bloody act pass into example for others, God to secure him,
issued forth his royal proclamation, if I may so speak, declaring, ' that
whosoever should slay Cain, vengeance should be taken on him seven
fold ;' and that none might do it by mistake, ' God set a mark on
Cain, lest any finding him should kiU him.'
Cain, thus branded, went out from the presence of the Lord, and
-dwelt in the land of Nod, which signifies fugitive ; and having by this
time taken a wife, she conceived and bare him a son, named Enoch ;
after whose name Cain called the city, which afterwards he began to
build. Cain's posterity is registered for seven generations, perhaps to shew
-who were the authors or inventors of certain trades ; and who were
instrumental to corrupt the better seed of Adam afterwards. Amongst
these, Lameoh is noted, not only for his propensity to shed blood, of
which he seems to have boasted to his wives, but for bringing poly.
gamy into the world, being the first we read of that had more vvdves
than one at a time. He took two, Adah and ZiUah. Adah bare hira
two sons, Jabal and Jubal ; Jabal flrst taught men to Uve in tents, and
to breed and order catde. Jubal was the first inventor of musical in
struments, as' the harp and organ. Zillah, his other -vvife, bare him
Tubal-Cain, who was an instructor of artificers in brass and iron ;
whence a learned -writer infers, that he was the first that made armour
and weapons of war. ' A trade,' says he, ' very fit for one of Cain's
posterity.' Dr. GeU, Essay, p. 45.
Thus have we done, for the present, with Cain and his ofl'spring.

Part t. BAcred bSstory. 17
*hich was' all swept away by the succeeding flood ; I wish his spirit
had never entered any since.
But Adam, having by an untimely death lost his son Abel, knew his
wife again, who, conceiving, bare him another son, and caUed his name
Seth ; for God, said she, Gen. iv. 2S, hath appointed me another seed
instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.* Through this Seth, Adam's line,
in ten generations before the flood, with the age of each of those long-
lived fathers, is drawn forth in the fifth chapter of Genesis-.
Among these, in the seventh degree from Adam, lived Enoch ;t to
whom this singular testimony is given, that he walked with God, or
pleased God in his walking, and that he was not, for God took him ;
which in the Epistle to the Hebrews is thus paraphrased, ' that he was
not found, because God had translated him, that he should not see
death, having before his translation received this testimony, that he
pleased God,' Heb. xi. 6 : and a prophecy of his, not elsewhere found,
at least not in Canonical Scripture, is remembered, and cited by the
apostle Jude, in his general Epistle, ver. 14, 16.
The two great families derived from Adam, viz. that by Cain, and
that by Seth, who succeeded righteous Abel, as they differed in their
natures and course of Ufe, so they were distinguislied one from the
other by very different appella:tioiis ; for the offspring of Cain, being
WhoUy given up to worldly pleasures, and minding only earthly things,
were caUed men, or sons of men ; but the offspring of Seth, because
they addicted themselves to virtue and piety, and professed to worship
the true God, were caUed the sons of God : and well had it been for
these sons of God, if they had kept up that distinction practically, as
well as nominally.
That Seth and his progeny would, for some ages, be shy of conver-
Bing with Cain and his descendanis. from the knowledge they must
needs have had of that barbarous fratricide committed by Cain, in the
inhuman murder of his brother Abel, may reasonably be supposed :
But time working off that aversion, and as the world grew more re
plenished with people, the godly generation indulging themselves a
greater liberty, they entertained a more free and famiUar conversation
with the wicked offspring of cursed Cain, than was fit or safe for them ;
by which means, ha-ving exposed themselves to the allurements of the
Women, the lust of the eye, representing the daughters of men fair,
prevailed upon the sons of God to join themselves in marriage with
ihem. It is not to be doubted but these, who were the offspring of the
righteous, and professed themselves to be the sons of God, were not a
little by this time degenerated also from the virtue and piety of their
ancestors ; for we find, that immediately after this, God complained of
* A. M. 130, t A-. M. 66^.
TOL. I.— '2

48 SACRED HISTORY. PART I<
the wickedness of man in general. Gen. vi. 5 ; and that ' all flesh had
corrupted his way upon the earth,' ver. 12 ; and we know it is a max
im, that "Nemo repcnte fit turpissimus," "No man arrives to the
height of wickedness on a sudden."
But how depraved soever they were before, this joining themselves
in marriage with those who were not one with them in the profession at
least of religion, and the -worship of God, did fill up the measure of
their iniquity, and set the seal of destruction upon them ; for where
we read, ' The sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were
fair, and took them wives of aU which they chose,' it foUows immedi
ately, > And the Lord said. My spirit sliall not always strive with man,
for that he also is flesh. And God saw that the wickedness, of man
was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of
his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he
had made man on ewth ; so that, (speaking after the manner of men)
it is said, it gi;ieved him at tlie heart: whereupon he declared, he
would destroy (or blot out) man, wbom he had created, from the face rf
the earth.'
This happened in the days of Noah, the tenth from Adam, who was
a just man, and perfect in his generation, and walked with God. The
aposde Peter calls him ' a preacher of righteousness,' 2 Peter u. 6.
And God himself gave this testimony to him, 'Thee have I seen
righteous before me in this, generation,' Gen. vii. 1. Therefore Noah
found grace, or favour, in the eyes of the Lord ; so that he, and for
his sake, his family, eight persons in all, were saved from the general
idestrviction, which was brought by the flood upon all the rest of man
kind. Of this overflowing scourge the merciful God gave mankind fair
(warning long before it came upon them, both, by the preaching of Noah,
and by the preparation he made for the building of the ark for sa-ving
of his household ; by whioh he is said to have condemned the world,
Heb. xL 7.
For after the time allotted by God for men to repent and reform in,
(supposed to, be the hundred and twenty years mentioned in Gen. vi.
3.) was weU nigh expired, and no amendment appeared, but God stiU
Baw the earth was corrupt, and fiUed with violence, and that all flesh
had corrupted his way upon the earth ; the Lord then declaring to
Noah his resolijtion to destroy aU flesh from the earth by a flood of
waters, commanded him to malte an ark or ship, the first that we reeid
of, for receiving and preserving a seed to replenish the depopulated
earth. This ark he directed Noah to make of gopher wood, which some
take to be a Idnd of cedaj-, and to pitch it both within and without, that
the waters might not pierce it. The length of it was to be three hun
dred cubits, the breadth fifty cubits, and the height thirty cubits ; which
taking it for the common cubit, containing a foot and a half, or half a

SART 1. BACRED HISTORY. IS
yard, makes the dimensionsof the ark to be four hundred and fifty feet,
or one hundred! and fifty yards in length, seventy-five feet, or twenty-
five yards in. breadth; and^ forty-five feet, or fifteen yards in height.
Some of the ancients, not thinking the ark by- these dimensions roomy
enough to receive commodiously aU the creatures that were contained
therein, with their stowage of provisions and necessaries, have exten
ded this measure by the geometrical cubit, one of which contains six
of the common cubits, thereby making the ark six times bigger every
way, in length, breadth, and height.
In favour of which opinion both Origen and Augustine are cited by
Godwjm in his Moses and. Aaron, 1. vi. c. 9. whom Wilson in his
Christian Dictionary., ' verbo' Cubit, foUows ; and Severus Sulpitius,
an ancient writer, as being cotemporary with Augustine, seems to
have inclined that way also, when speaking of the ark, he calls dt,
• Arcam immensa magnitudinis,] ' An. ark of excessive bigness.'
But this, by some of the modern writers, is rejected and exploded
es an extravagant, notion.; and the learned Dr. Wilkins, in his Real
Character, Part II. chap. 6, sect, 6. p. 162, &c. has.taken much pains
to shew, from John Buteo's Tract ' De Area Noe,' that the ark mea-
eured by the common cubit was sufficiently capacious for all,, both
creatures and provisions, that were appointed to be received into it.
Leaving therefore the reader to his own judgment upon it, whatev.
er the dimensions of it were, it was to he divided into threfe stories or
decks, and those. into several rooms or apartments; but one window
6erved it for Ught, and one door to go in and out at, which was. placed
In the side of it.
According, to this direction did Noah make flie ark ; and when it
was finished, God having before assured him, that although he de-
etroyed aU flesh beside, yet he would estabUsh his covenant with him,
seven days before the rains be.gan to fall, gave notice to Noah, that he
should come into the ark with his family, and should ta.ke in with him
of every Uving thing of aU flesh, both of cattle and beasts of the field,
birds and fowls of the air, and creeping things, two of a sort, one
male, and one female, to keep seed alive to slock the earth again
with ; but of clean beasts he should take iu by sevens, that is, three
pairs of males and females of every (clean sort, both for breed and
Food after the flood, and the seventh for sacrifice. AU which crea
tures, God by secret instinct, disposed ta~ conie and offer themselves
unto him ; and with them he was also to lake in food of aU . sorts
sufficient to sustain himself and them.
When Nofth, pursuant to this .dir.ectipn, had entered the ark him-
eelf, with his wife and his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, with,
dieir three -wives, and had taken in all the creatures, with provisions,
as God had' appointed, the Lord shut him into the ark. This was ih
Ihe six hundredth year of his age ; and on the seventeenth day of tha

so SACRED mSTORT. PART I.'
second month* were all the fountains of the great- deep broken up,
and. the windows, or flood gates of heaven, opened, so that the waters
of the flood were upon the earth. And when it had continued rain
ing forty days and forty nights, the waters were so risen, that they lif.
led up the ark, and bare it up above the earth : so that as the waters
BtiU increasing rose higher and higher, the ark swam or floated, upon
the surface of the waters.
And to that degree did the waters prevail, that the highest hiUs be
ing covered, the waters stood fifteen cubits deep upon the tops of the
mountains. An hundred and fifty days did the waters pre v aft before
they were quite drawn oft' again. In which time aU flesh, died that
moved upon the earth ; not only the whole race of mankind, but every
U-ving substance of fowl, cattle, beast, and creeping thing that moved
upon the dry land, were destroyed from off the earth, save Noah only,
and they that were with him in the ark.
The work being thus effected for which this flood was sent, God re
membered Noah, and every living thing, and aU the cattle that were
•tvith him in tho ark ; wherefore having stopped the fountains of the
deep, and shut the windows of heaven, whereby he restrained the
rains from faUing, he caused a wind to pass over the earth, which
made the waters begin to assuage ; and returning thenceforward con
tinually from off the earth, at the end of the hundred and fifty days
they were so far abated, that the ark rested upon one of the moun.
tains of Ararat in the country of Armenia. This was on the seventh
day of the seventh month, just five months from the begimiing of, the
flood ; fi'ora which time continuing to decrease untU the tenth month
foUowing, on the fh'st day of that month the tops of the mountains
were seen.
This, no doubt, was a welcome sight to Noah ; who wisely consid
ering, that if the tops only of the mountains were discoverable, tha
waters must needs be deep still in the vaUies, waited yet forty days be
fore he attempted any further discovery ; and then, opening the win
dow of the ark, he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fi'o until
the waters were dried up.
About seven days after, for a further trial, he sent forth a dove ; but
she finding no rest for the sole of her foot, because the waters were
yet on the face of the earth, returned to the ark ; and Noah, putting
forth his hand, took her into the ark to him.
Then staying yet other seven days, he sent forth the dove agam,
which in the evening returned to him, having in her biU an oUve leaf
plucked off; by which he knew that the waters were then abated
* It may be observed, that at the time when our author wrote, the year began in
what is now called the third month, then called the first month, and the rest in order
This the reader is desired to take notice of, whenever the number of a month is meu-
tioosd.

PART I. SACRED HISTORT. tt
from the earth : and waiting yet other seven days, he sent forth thft
dove the third time, and then she returned no more.
When Noah had staid tiU the first day of the first month, he re
moved the covering of the ark ; and looking out, saw that the face of
the ground was dried : yet, having a pious regard to God's direction,
OS well in coming forth, as in going in, he continued in the ark tiU the
seven and twentieth day of the second month ; so that he was in the
ark somewhat more than a year. And needful it was that he should
remain in the ark, not only tiU the waters were sunk and the ground
weU dried, but tiU the earth had produced some firesh food for the
creatures that were in the ark to live upon.
Then did God bid Noah go forth, he and his wife, and his sons and
their wives with him, and bring forth with him aU the living creatures,
that they might breed abtmdantly, and be fruitful, and multiply upon
the earth ; and Noah did as the Lord commanded him.
The fii'st thing we read of righteous Noah, after he was safely land-
ed, is, that he built an altar, the first that we have any mention of, and
thereon -offered burnt-offerings of clean beasts and fowls, sacrifices of
thanksgivings and praise unto the Lord, for the deliverance and pres
ervation he and his family had received ; with which oblations, offered
from a thankful and pious mind, the Lord was so weU pleased, that he
not only declared his acceptance thereof, but thereupon made a cove
nant with Noah, and in him with his posterity, the succeeding race of
mankind, graciously promising, ' that he would not again curse the-
ground any more for man's sake, neither should there any more be a
general flood to destroy the earth ; and that while the earth remained,
the appointed seasons of seed time and harvest, cold and heat, sum
mer and winter, and day and night, should not universaUy cease ;*¦
which covenant to confirm to man, and put men out of fear when they
should see the clouds gather, and the sky look dark, and the rain fally.
he set his bow, which we caU the rainbow, in the cloud, to be for a to
ken of the covenant between God and them.
Hitherto men had lived upon vegetables ; herbs and the fruits of
trees were the food appointed them by God at the- first. Gen. i. 29 ;
but now, after the flood, their fare was enlarged, and flesh permitted
them for food. ' Every moving thing that Uveth shaft be meat for you,'
said God to Noah and his sons ; for I have now given you free hberty
to eat of aU the living creatures, as I did before of green herb : yet
that men might not grow savage, and, like brute beasts, eat the crea
tures alive, he forbid them to eat the flesh with the Ufe, that is the blood,
thereof; but firsi; to take away the life, by letting out the blood, and
then to dress and eat the flesh. And having renewed his former bles
sing of fertility to Noah and his sons, bidding them be fruitful and
multiply, and replenish the earth, he subjected aU the creatures to them
anew, telUng them, ' The fear and dread of them should be upon ev
ery beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, and upon all

tt SACRED HISTORY. PAR* I.
the fishes of the sea;' and that he would require the life of man of
any beast that should take it away, as weU as of any one man that
should murder another.
The whole race of Cain being cut off by flie flood, it might have
been hoped, that the new world (so we may call that after the flood, as
the aposfle caUs that before the flood, the old world, 2 Pet. ii. 5.)
would have been planted with better people; but as in the ark there
were unclean beasts preserved as well as clean, so in Noah's family
there was a Ham, as weU as a Japhathand. a Shem.
The first instance we have of Ham's impiety, was his discovering
the nakedness of his father in a rude and profane manner, which hia
brethren dutifuUy and modestly covered ; whereby they procured their
father's blessing upon them, as Ham had deservedly drawn his curse
upon himself* For Noah, after he had performed his devotions to
God, applying himself to husbandry, planted a vineyard; and being
but a young beginner, not weU experienced in the nature and the
strength of the grape, he drank a little too UberaUy of the -wine, and
being drunk therewith, was uncovered,'yet within his tent. His grace
less son Ham, finding him in this condition, instead of covering hia
father's nakedness, went and discovered it, in a deriding manner, to
his two brethren without. Shem and Japheth thereupon taking a gar
ment laid it upon their shoulders, and, in reverence to their father, go.
ing backwards, covered their father's nakedness without seeing it.
When therefore Noah, being recovered from his wine, understood how
his younger son Ham had served him, and how regardful his other
two sons had been of him, he said, 'Cursed be Canaan, (that is, all
the posterity of Ham, as well as himself, for Canaan was the son of
Ham, ver. 1 8.) a servant of servants shaU he be unto his brethren ; but
blessed, said he, be the Lord God of Shem. And God shaU persuade
Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem, and Canaan shaU
be their servant.'
- We read not of any other chUdren that Noah had, but these three
eons ; from each of which descended a numerous offspring, which af.
terwards peopled many countries, and in process of time the whole
inhabited world.
Shem is caUed the father of aU the chUdren of Eber, Gen. x. 21.
Eber was great grandson, or the fourth from Shem ; and from him
both the people of Israel were caUed Ebrews (or Hebrews) and the
language they spake was called the Hebrew tongue ; so fliat from
Shem came the Jews, besides many •cither people that inhabited Asia.
This part of the world, which is caUed Europe, is generally held to
have been peopled by the posterity of Japhetli ; and besides those Ca-
naanites, and other people, which anciently possessed the land of Ca-
* A. IM. 1666.

PART I. SACRED mSTOKYi, SS
naan, the Egyptians, Ethiopians, and other eastern and southem na»
tions, are taken to be the descendants of Ham.
Hitherto there was but one language used or known amongst men,
neither had the sons of Noah, or their families, as yet divided or dis*.
persed themselves in the world ; but keeping together in a body, theyi
journeyed onwards from the east,tiU finding an inviting plain in the land
of Shinar, where some suppose the gaj-den of Eden to have been,
they sat down in order to -settle there.
Now began two unruly passions to possess theiir tninds,* ambition
and fear. They wef e very dfesirous to make 'themsel-\fes a name ; and
no less afraid'that they should be scattered abroad. To effect the one,
and prevent the other, they agreed to bUild themselves a city, and a
tower of such an extraordinary height, that by a figure called hyper^
bole, it is said they designed the top thereof should reach to heaven.
The projected height of this tower hath caused some to conjecture,'
that remembering the destruction brought on mankind by the late flood,
and grown diffident of God's veracity, in keeping his covenant made
with them, thist he would not bring a general deluge over the earth
again, they designed this topping tower for a place of refuge and se
curity against the like danger.
However, thatthe design and undertaking was evil, and highly. prC".
Yoking to the Lord, is evident from the displeasure he shewed at it,
and the punishment he inflicted upon them for it ; for to check their
presumption, and disappoint their purpose, he confounded their Ian-,
guage, so that they could not understand one another's speech. Thia
put them into so great disorder, that they were forced to give over build
ing; for by 'reason of theiir different -languages -they could not com-
municate their minds and intentions one to another,: and being there
by rendered incapable, not only of carrying on their intended work,
but of conversing One with another, and by that means deprived of,
the comforts and pleasures of mutual society and intercourse, and dis
abled from performing the reciprocal duties of friendship and com
mon neighbourhood, they willingly withdrew one from another, and
dispersed themselves ; they who were of one language taking oneway,
and they who were of another speech going another way : for there is
no reason to suppose that they were divided into as n\any several
tongues as they were persons ; but rather that the several famiUes,
computed to be seventy, whioh were afterwards to grow into several
nations or ;peopIe, 4iad each a distinct and peculiar language given
them. '
Thus were they scattered abroad upon the face of the earth, which
was the great 'thing they feared. And thus God at once both disap
pointed their design, and answered his own ; which was, to re-people
* A. M. 1757

?4 SACRED HISTORY. PAR* *.
flie earth more generally and speedily, than it is probablfetheyof themw
selves would otherwise have done.
This confounding of their language gave name to the city that they
had begun to buUd; which from thence was caUed Babel, signifying
confiision. Among these aspiring builders, a forward and leading man na,
doubt, was Nimrod, whose name imports a rebel. Great grandson he
was to Noah by Ham, and a great usurper and tyrant; for which ha
was proverbially called, « The mighty hunter before the Lord,' Gen. x.
9. And here he laid the foundation of the first great empire in the
world, which at first was caUed the Babylonian, from this city Babel, or
Babylon, the metropolis and seat of his empire. From whence he, or
some of his posterity, going afterwards into Assyria, did there build
the great city Nineveh, which the prophet Jonah many ages, after was,
sent to prophesy against, and from thence this monarchy was after
wards called the Assyrian, the first of the four.
It was more than an hundred years after the flood, that this confu-
sion of tongues, and dispersion of Noah's family, fell out; for Pelegj
the son of Eber, who was great grandson to Shem, is reckoned to have-
been bom in the hundredth and first year after the flood, and had his
name (Peleg) given him from that division of the earth, which in his,
time was parted amongst Noah's posterity. Gen. xi. 25.
About an hundred and twenty years after this was born Terah,*
who, himself not faithful, for he served other gods. Josh. xxiv. 2, was
the father of him who both was faithful, and is called, ' The Father of
the Faithful,' Abraham, the tenth fi'oin Noah, as he was the tenth from
Adam. Terah had three sons, Haran, Nahor, and Abram ; for so is the
right order of their births. Haran, who was much elder than his
brothers, dying before his fether, lefi one son, named Lot, and two,
daughters, whereof one was named Milcah, and the other Iscah, both
married to their uncles ; Milcah to Nahor, so says the text. Gen. x. 29 ;
and Iscah to Abram, as the Jews deliver, who will have her to be called
Sarai, for her beauty and housewifery.
While Abram yet lived with his father Terah in Mesopotamia, the
God of Glory appeared to him, (so Stephen briefly relates the matter
before the council. Acts vii.) and said unto him, ' Get thee out of thy
country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall
shew thee.' Moses adds the blessing annexed to the command, viz.
' Andl will make of theeagreat nation,' Gen. .xii. 2,3'. Whereupon
Terah, understanding that God had appeared to his son Abram, and
commanded him to remove from thence, and probably drawn by the
proposed blessing, consented to go with him and his wife ; and' taking'
Lot t^long with them, they departed from Ur in Chaidea, intending to.
* A. M. 1878,

PJIRT t, SACRED BISTORT. Jg
travel into the land of Canaan. But in their way coming to Haran,
¦which Stephen calls Charran, Acts vn, they took up their abode there
for a while : in which time Terah died, being two hundred and five
years old.
After Terah's death, Abram being now seventy and five years of
age, * and mindful of God's command, departed from Haran ; and
-with Sarai his wife, and his cousin Lot, and all their substance that
they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran, by
which some understand the persons they had gained oyer to the true
religion, pursued their journey, until they came into the land of Ca-
oaan, which was the country God had directed him to.
Being come into the land, and having passed through some parts oP
it, the Lord appeared again unto him, and made, if I may so speak, a
deed of gift of that land unto, Abram 's seed long before he had seed,
fbr Sarai his wife was barren, and when it was possessed by other peo-,
pie; for theCanaanite wasthenin the land, ver. 6. However, Abram,
to shew his faith and thankfulness, worshipped tho Lord, which is
signified by his buUding an altar, in that place, where the Lord had ap
peared, and made so gracious a promise to him.
Long he had not been in Canaan, ere he was fain to pluck up hia
stakes, and remove his tent again ; for there arose a grievous famine
fn the land. This obUged him for the preservation of himself and hia
family, to seek relief elsewhere ; and Egypt Ipng near to that part of
Canaan where he had settled, and being a fruitful country, he deter
mined to travel thither, and sojourn there a while.
When he was come upon the borders of Egypt, and had observed
the difference, in point of comeliness, betwixt his own fair wife and
the Egyptian women, a fear began to enter him, that his wife's beauty
would endanger his safety. He concluded that so fair a woman, sa
eminently excelKngthe women of that place, would soon be taken no
tice of, and as soon be desired. And because the world was not then
grown to that height of dissoluteness, as Ughtly to invade the- marriage
bed, but nuptial ties were held too sacred to be violated, his fear sug
gested to his apprehension, that if they understood Sarai was his wife,
they would kill him, that they might come to the enjoyment of her,
without the imputation of adultery ; a crime reputed, in that martial,
age, more heinous than murder.
To prevent this danger, he opened his mind to his wife ; and laying-
the ground of his fears upon her beauty, he begged her to say she was
-his sister, that she might not be taken for his wife : by which means,
he might not only escape the apprehended danger, but also might fare
tbe better for her sake. Here nature shewed her utmost strength in
this great good man. The principle of self-preservation had wrought
SO powerfuUy on him, and so wholly possessed hjs mindi that he-seems,
« A. M. 2083.

25 SACKED HISTORY. PART I
not to have considered, or duly to have regarded, his wife's chastity
and his own honour.
His fear was not groundless, nor was he deceived in his apprehen
sion; for no sooner was he come into Egypt, but ttie Egypnans had
cast a-longing eye upon his fair wife. Pharaoh's courtiers saw her,
commended her to their king, and to court sho was forthwith brought.
Abram called her sister ; the king thereupon took her into his house,
and intreated him well for her sake, -bestowing great .presents upon
him. But watchful Providence would not suft'sr the great patriarch's
bed to be defiled ; wherefore the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house,
probably by inflicting some sudden sickness, or bodily infirmity upon
them ; whereby both ftheir desire towards the woman was probably
restrained, and they made sensible that she was a married -wife.
Wherefore Pharaoh, calling Abram to him, and laying the blame up
on him for rhisleading him, by not telUng him she was his wife, but
calling her sister, lie in displeasure bid him take his wife and be gone ;
commanding his servants also to send him and his wife away : yet-
withal to take care that nothing were detained from him, but that he
should take with him all that he had.
This accident, it is probable, occasioned Abram to leave Egypt
sooner than otherwise he would have done; for the next account c£
him is, that he wont up out of Egypt, he and his wife, and aU that he
had, and Lot with him, into the south: and being got -into Canaan
again, he travelled on to Bethel, to the place where he had made an
altar to the Lord before he went into Egypt, and there he worshipped
God. Abram was now, through the blessings of God, grown -very rich,
not in cattle only, but in silver and gold also. His cousin Lot also had
flocks, and herds, and tents ; which implies he had a family and sub
stance of his own, distinct from that of Abram. And their families be.
ing large, and their flocks great, they were ready to overcharge the
place, and want meat for their cattle ; which might probably be the
more scarce, partly by reason of the late famine there, and partiy also,
for that the Canaanites, and the Perizzites did then dwell in the land,
and it is likely would possess the more fruitful parts of the country.
The scarcity of provisions and pasturage occasioned strife between
the herdmen of Abram's cattle, and theherdmen of Lot's cattle, and
that troubled Abram ; who, fearing lest this contention among the ser
vants, if not timely suppresssd, might rise higher, to the endangfering
a breach of friendship betwixt his kinsman and him. took an opportu
nity to speak with liis cousin Lotabout it, and in soft and mild terms
said unto him, ' Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and
thee, and between my herdmen and thy lierdmen; for we are breth
ren.' So the ancients reputed, and called those that sprang from one
Common root, though not in a direct line begotten by one and the
eame father ; in which respect these were brethren in a natural rela-

PART 1, SACRED -HISTORY, 2?
tion ; as with respect to reUgion, and the worship of the true (Jod,
they were brethren also in a spiritual relation : both which would suf
fer, if they should suffer contention, especially about the low things of
this world, to spring up and get head between them or their depen.
dants. Abram therefore, -to prevent the worst, proposes parting,* seeing
their substance was grown so §reat, that thoy could not with conveni-
ency, and needful accommodations, dwell any longer together ; and
though himself was, in-aU respects, the greater and better man, .yet
(which shows it is not beneath greatness for a superior to condescend
to an inferior) he gave his cousin Lot the offer, to make his choice in
what peirt of the land he would settle, himself being content to take
what the other should leave. Lot, not minding to lose such an advan
tage, having with his eye surveyed the country, chose fbr himself all
the plain of Jordan, which he had observed to be every where well
watered, and very fertile. Thus, having parted by agreement. Lot
journies eastward, and settles in the plain of Jordan, pitching his tent
towards Sodom ; the inhabitants of whioh place were, in that wicked
age, some of the most wicked,
Abram remained still in the land of Canaan ; and after Lot was
gone from him, the Lord appeared again to him, and renewed to him
the gift of that land to him and to his seed for ever, but in reversion;
which deed of gift, penned, if I may so speak, by God himself, de
serves, for the extraordinary rareness of it, to be here explained, as it
stands inroUed in the best of records, the Holy Scriptures, thus : ' Lift
up now thine eyes,' said God to Abram, 'and look from the place
where thou art, northward, and southward, and -eastward, and west
ward ; for aU the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to
thy seed forever. And I wiU make thy seed as the dust.of the earth;
so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shaft thy seed
also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land, in the length of it,
andln the breadth of it ; for I wiU give it unto thee.' Abram, thereup.
on removing his tetit, went and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which ia
in Hebron, and there buiU an aUar unto the Lord : which is a peri,
phrasis of worshipping him.
Some time after this, feU out that memorable battle fought by four
kmgs against five ; the fu-st pitched field of which we have any ac
count in story. The occasion of which was this :
Chodorlaomer, king of Elam, bad held five petty kings in a tribu
tary subjection to him for divers years ; of which number th'e king of-
Sodcm was one. At length theyjointly rebelled against him: t where-s
upon he, with three other kings who were his alUes, made war upon
them, to reduce them to their former obedience ; and they, with united
forces, resolved to try ft out in a pitched field. Wherefore having
» A. M. 2086. t A. M. 2090

28 SACRED mSTORT. PART 1.
dfawn their armies into the vale of Siddim, which after the destriic^
tion of SodOm was called the Salt Sea, they joined the battle there.
The issue was, that the four kings prevailing, the five were put to
fiight. The vale of Siddim, where the battie was fought, had in it many
pits, out of which had been digged slime, (a kind of clammy earth
caUed bitumen, very good to make morter with) and the kings of Sod
om and Gomorrah, in their flight, are said to have fallen there ; wheth
er entangled amongst those pits, they were overtaken and slain, or
whether faUing into some of those pits, they there hid and secured
themselves till the pursuit v/as over, is not expressed. We read (ver,
17) that the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram very soon after,
and treated -with him about the spoils ; v/hich might induce one to
think, that it was the same king, and not a new one.
However, after the field was fought, the victors, sacking the city of
Sodom and Gomorrah, carried away aU the goods, provisions, and
prisoners : amongst whom was Abram's cousin Lot, who by this time
was got into Sodom. We left him before upon his parting from hia
uncle, having his tent pitched only towards Sodom; but now he was
gone to dwell in Sodom, and with the Sodomites was led away captive :
so hazardous a thing it is to approach the neighbourhood of wicked
men. Amongst those that escaped, one came and brought the news of
this overthrow to Abram, who then dwelt in the plain belonging to-
Mamre the Amorite, who, with his two brothers, Eshcol and Aner,
Nvere in league with Abram. Whereupon, Abram understanding that
his cousin Lot was taken captive, mustered his men, who were in
number three hundred and eighteen, born in his own house ; and hav
ing instructed them of the justness of the cause he went upon, name
ly, to redeem righteous Lot and his family, who were worshippers of
the true God, from the thraldom they were brought into by heathenish
tyrants, he armed his men, and led them forth ; his confederates, Aner,
Eshcol, and Mamre, moved either by friendship and alUance, or hope
of booty, accompanying him.
Then, having learnt which way the adversaries' army had taken,
he purs,ued them unto Dan ; and being favoured by the night, he di
vided his forces into several parties, who faUing suddenly on the ene
my, and charging them valiantly on every side, put them to the rout ;
aiid Chodorlaomer and the kings that were with him being slain, and
the rest put to flight, Abram brought back all the goods which had
been talien in plunder of Sodom, and also his brother Lot and his.
goods, and aU the captives..
In his return he was met and congratulated, first by the king of
Sodom, and then by Melchizedeck king of Salem ; concerning whom
great disputes have been, and yet are amongst the learned, both who
he was, and where his city Salem stood ; which here to enter into is

rABT I. SACRED HISTORY. S9
not agreeable to my present purpose. Let it suffice, that whatsoe-\{ei'
other name he might have, the Holy Ghost has thought fit to call him
Melchizedeck, which signifies ' King of Righteousness,' and to de
clare him king of Salem, which signifies ' Peace.' In both which he
was a type of Christ ; and to make him completely so, he is caUed
also, ' The Priest of the most High God.'
This Melchizedeck, coming forth to visit Abram in his return from
the battle, brought him a present of bread and wine, to refresh him
and his men upon their march; and also both blessed Abram, and
blessed God for the good success he had given him. In requital of
which kindness, Abram made him a present also of the tenth part of
the spoUs he had taken in that expedition.
The king of Sodom too, in thankful acknowledgment of the bene
fit he had received by Abram. offered him the goods which had been
taken from Sodom ; dearing only th-at he would restore hira the pris
oners. But Abram, saving to his confederates their parts of the pil
lage, which by right of war belonged to them, restored to the King of
Sodom both the prisoners and the goods, having before resolved not
to keep any thing of it, that it might appear he did not undertake
that enterpi'ize to enrich himself by it.
It may be supposed, that after this rencounter with the Babyloni
ans, Abram considering himself but as a stranger in that country,
might be apprehensive, that they, to repair their loss sustained in the
late overthrow, might meditate revenge ; and that therefore the Lord
to encourage him, speaking to him in a vision, said, ' Fear not,
Abram; I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.'
However Abram, thereby emboldened, took the opportunity to put
the Lord in mind, that though he had already promised to give that
land unto his seed ; yet he had not been pleased as yet to give him a
seed, to possess either that, or what else he had ; but that his servant
was like to be his heir. Whereupon the Lord was pleased to tell him,
that not his servant, but one that should come forth out of his ovra
bowels should be his heir ; and that he should not only have an heir
of his own body, but a numerous offspring like the stars of heaven
for number.
And because Abram desired some token of assurance that he should
inherit that land, it pleased the Lord to make a covenant with him by
express promise, attended with solemn ceremonies, in thia manner :
* Take me said God, unto him, an heifer of three years old, and a she-
goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle
dove, and a young pigeon.' Abram accordingly took those creatures,
and dividing the beasts, but not tho birds, in the midst, laid each
piece one against the other ; and when the fowls came down upon
the carcases, he drove them away. And when the sun was going
down, a deep sleep feU upon Abram, and with it an horror of great
darkness; and the Lord said unto him, ' Know for Certain, that thy

30 SACRED HISTORY. PART" I
eeed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve
them, and they shaU afflict them four hundred years. And also that
nation which they shaU serve, will I judge; and afterwards shall they
come forth with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fatliers in
peace ; thou shaft be buried in agood old age. But in the fouri;h gene
ration theyshaU come hither again : fur the iniquity of the Amorites
is.notyetfuU.' Then did the Lord cause to pass beforehimibetween
tho'divided pieces of flesh, first a smoking furnace, a plain represen
tation of the sore sufferings his seed should undergo in Egypt, and
then a lamp of fire, a Uvely emblem of their deliverance after the four
hundi'ed.years of their servitude should be ended. The promise of
a seed to Abram is supposed to have been first made in the seventy-
fifth year of his, age, when Sarai, his wife was sixty-five years-old ; and
Ishmael's birth being placed in the eighty-si.xth year of Abram's £tge,
shews that Sarai waited about, ten years after the promise for the ac
compUshment thereof, before she brought her mai<l,to her husband's
bed. But by that time being seventy-five years old^ and despairing of
her own conception, not only from her great age, but from a sense
she had that the Lord had restrained her from bearing, she prevailed
with her husband to accept her handmaid Hagar, to be his concubina-
ry wifb ; pleasing herself with the apprehension, that, if her maid
should conceive by her husband, it would be a means of buOding up
her, and her house in the completing of the divine-promise.
Abram, thus persuaded by his wife, takes Hagar to his bed, and
she'quickly conceived by him. Eut as soon as she found herself
with child, forgetting her former, and mistaking her present condition,
she began to despise her mistress, to whom, had she rightly under
stood herself, she still owed the same respect and subjection as before ;
for though- in concubinage, those secondary or half wives, as one
may caU-them, were accounted lawful and true wives, and their issue
reputed legitimate-, and they had a lawful right to the marriage-bed, and
might justly claim the privilege thereof; as well as the chief wife, yet
in all other respects they were inferior to her : and as, they had no au
thority in the family, nor share in the household government ; so if they
had been servants in the family bcfijre they came to be concubines,
they continued to be so afterwards, and in the same subjection to their
mistress as before^ See Godwyn's Mosos and Aaron, lib. 6. cap. 4.
Sarai, not ignorant of her own right, and resenting the sUght put up
on her by her ungrateful servant, espoeted, as. it seems, that her hus
band should have vindicated her honour, and have reproved Hagar for
her disrespectful carriage towards her mistress. But he, either not
observing it, or, his mind being otherwise employed, not heeding it,
Sarai broke forth into a sharp »xpostulation about it, bluntly saying,
' My wrong be upon thee : I have given my maid into thy bosom, and
when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes : the
Lord judge between me and thee.'

PAST I. SACRED HISTOR-T. 51
Abram let his wife see that he did not, nor -would not uphold her
eervant in any undutiful carriage towards her, nor had any way
abridged her power over her, refers her to her own authority as a
mistress, saying, 'Behold thy maid is in thy hand, that is, in thy pow
er, do to her as it pleaseth thee.
Sarai thereupon, taldng her to task, corrected her so severely, that
Hagar, not brooldng such sharp dealing-, ran away from her ; and be
ing an Egyptian born, she took the way that led directly to her own
country. As she thus traveUed through thewUderness, finding a fountain of
water, in those hot and dry countries as desirable as scarce, there sho
tarried to rest and refresh herself; and there the angel of iheLord found
her : for though Hagar, fiUed with the sense of her-mistress' hard
usage of her, and from thence possessed with fear, considered not the
condition she was in ; yet the Lord, who knew slie bore along with her,
though not- the seed to which the promise was, yet,, a seed of Abram's,
which fbr Abram's sake, he was pleased to favour, sent his angel to
take care of her.
The angel therefore, having fotmd:her in the wilderness-by the foun-
tain of water, in his first address, to her, put her in mind of her rela
tion and duty, by calUng her-Hagar, Sarai'smaid, thereby intimating,
that her having been advanced to her master's bed had not exempted
her from her service and subjection to her mistress but that she was
Sarai's maid still, and consequently Sarai was her mistress still. Then
asking her whence she came, and whither she would go ? and she tel
ling him she fled from the face of her mistress Sarai, the angal did not
enter into the merit of the cause between her mistress and her, or en
quire the reason of her leaving her service, but said ' Return to thy
mistress, and submit thy self under hcrhands.' But because this would
be likely to go down hardly with her, he softens it, by telling her that
the Lord would 'multiply her seed exceedingly, so that it should not
be numbered for multuude.' And to convince her that he was an an
gel sent by the Lord to take care of her, he tells her that which no
man cotild have told her, viz. that she was with chUd, and should bear
a son, whoni, he bid her name Ishmael, because God had heard hei
affliction. Hagar, though an Egyptian, yet having been long in Abram's faml
ly, may be supposed to have been instructed in the knowledge and
fear of the true God ; fbr acknowledging that it was the Lord who had
thus -visited her, she caUed his name, Thou God seesi me. The weU
also, or fountain, by which the angel found her, was caUed Beerla-
hairoi, which signifies. The WiU of him that Uveth and seeth me.
Hagar, thus divinely both comfoi'ted and counselled.* returned unto
hw servioe again, and being upon her submission received, she in due
• A, M. 2091

32 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
time was brought to bed of a son, whom, according to the angel's di.
rection to her, Abram caUed Ishmael. And now was Abram four-
eoore and six years old when Ishmael was born.
Thirteen years after, when Abram was ninety and nine years old,*
the Lord appeared again to him, and said, ' I am the Almighty God;
waUt before me, and be thou perfect; and I will make my covenant
between me and thee, and wiU multiply thee exceedingly.' Abram
thereupon in humble reverence faUing on his face, God talked further
with him; and telUng him he should be a father of many nations,
changed his name from Abram to Abraham ; givuig this reason for ft,
'for a father of many nations have I made thee.' His former name,
Abram, imported an high Father; but his new name, Abraham, sig.
nifies a Father of a great Multitude, as indeed he was, not only of the
twelve tribes, but the Ishmaelites, the Edomftes, and aU the posterity of
Keturah coming of him.
At this time did the Lord institute circumcision, a seal of the cove'
nant he had now made with Abraham, commanding that every man-
child of eight days old, whether born in the house or bought wilh
money, should be circumcised in the fore-skin of his flesh, a type of
the spiritual circumcision made without hands, whereby the inordi-
nate desires, affections, and passions of the carnal mind, are pared
off, upon pain of being cut off" from his people. Whereupon Abra.
ham himself was circumcised, being then ninety years old and nine;
and Ishmael his son was circumcised also, being thirteen years of age;
and aU the men of Abraham's household were circumcised the same
day. Now did the Lord change A.braham's wife's name from Sarai to
Sarah ; the difference in sound little, in sense great ; for Sarai signi
fied my Princess, princess of my family only; but Sarah signifies a
Princess indefinitely, and at large, a princess of many nations....
• Kings of people shaU be of her,' ver. 16. And now at the changing
of their names did God promise a son to Abraham by his wife Sarah.
*I wiU bless her, said he, and give thee a son also of her,' ver. 16.
Though Abraham did greatly rejoice at his promise, yet the natural
affection ho bare to Ishmael, as being his first begotten, made him
break forth in desire to God, ' O that Ishmael might Uve before thee !'
But God, who as he knew What was best, so had before determined
.what to do, to take off Abraham's too strong desire of ad-vancing
Ishmael to a share in the covenant, answered him, ' Sai'ah thy wife
shall bear thee a son indeed, whose name thou shalt call Isaac, and I
will establish my covenant with him for an -everlasting covenant, and
with his seed after him.' ver. 19. And that he might not seem whol
ly to reject Abraham's request for Ishmael, he added, ' As for Ishmael,
I have so far heard thee, that behold I have blessed him, andVUl make
• A. M. 2107.

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 33
fruitful, and will multiply hira exceedingly, so that ho shall begot
twelve princes, and 1 will make him a great nation.
Not long after this, as Abraham sat in the heat of the day in
his tem-door fbr coolness, he' looked up, and saw three, whom
at first he took lo be men, coming towards him ; whereupon ha
hastened to meet them, and naving saluted them, (according to
the ceremonious manner of those times aud countries which was
by bowiog himself towards the ground) he very courteously and
hospitably entreated them to stay, and to take a short repast
with him ; which they consenting to, he forthwith gave order for
some provisions to be quickly made ready, and set before them,
himself standing by and waiting on them, under the covert of a-
shady tree, while they, b.s he tiiought, did eat . . . Meanwhile
asking him where his wife was, and being answered she was in
the tent, one of them said unto him, ' 1 will certainly return unto
thee according to the time of life, that is, according to the time
tli'dt women usuaUy go with child, and lo, Sarah thy wife shall
have a son. ' By this Abraham knew that these guests of his
were not men, but angels ; one of which represented the Lord
himself. Sarah standing behind out of sight within llio tent-door, heard
what «-as said concerning her; and considering that her husband
was an hundred years old, and she ninety, and that according
to the course of nature she was past child-bearing, could not re-
Ij-ain from laughing, for which she was reproved by the Lord,
who upon ber laughing, though it was not outward, but within
herself, said to Atiraham, 'Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying,
ShaU I who am old certainly bear a child 1 '
This made Sarah afraid ; and though she knew herself to be
guilty, yet thinking to carry it off. because her laughter was not
outwardly visible, .she boldly denied that she had laughed : but
the Lord fixed it more positively upon her, saying, ' Nay, bul
thou didst laugh.' And she being thus reproved by the Lord,
shewed, timt her laughter proceeded from incredulity ; whereas
Abraham, when the promise of a son by her was before made
to him, chap, xxvii. 17, laughing for joy was not reproved.
After this the men (for so tho text stiU calls them) departing
from thence, and directing their course towards Sodom, Abraham
went with 'them to bring them on the way ; and as they walked
together, it ploaped tiie Lord, who elsewhere vouchsafed to call
Abraham his friend, Isa. .xli. 8, to give a singular instance of a
particular friendship to Abraham. in acquainting him with his pur.
pose concerning Fodom, as if he would advise with him upon it:
and it is observable, that the Lord grounds this act of his friend
ship very much upon tho knowledge he had, that Abraham would
VOL. I. — 3

S4 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
command, not his children only, but his household after him ; so
that they should keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and
judgment, or justice in judgment, of which God himself gives
here the third great example. He, who knew all without in.
quiry, is here a pattern to them that cannot know but by in
quiry, not to condemn even the most flagitious without due ex
amination and trial. Before the flood (4od proceeded against the
old world upon ocular evidence : ' God saw that the wickedness
of man was great,' Gen, vi. 5, 12. So also at the building of
Babel it is said, ' the Lord came down to see the city and the
tower, which the children of men buiWed,' Gen. xi. 6. And now
again, befn-e the destruction of Sodom, though the cry against
Sodom and Gomorrah was great, because of the grievousness of
their sin, yet the Lord would not proceed against them upon gener.
als, nor upon common fame ; but ' I will go down, said the Lord, and
see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it ;
and if not, I will know.'
This gr-eat condescension of the Lord's in communicating hia
purpose to Abraham, gave Abraham both opportunity and encour
agement to intercede with the Lord on behalf of Sodom, grounding
his request on the rectitude of God, which would not permit him
lo destroy the righteous with the wicked ; and taking for granted,
as weft he might, that the Judge of all the eartii must needs do
right, he proceeded to mediate for Sodom in six petitionary propo
sitions, fllling gradually from fifty to forty-five, to forty, to thirty, to
twenty, and at last to ton righteous persons : for the sake of which
little immbor, the Lord was graciou.sly pleased, at his intreaty to
grant, that if but ten righteous should be found in Sodom, it should
not be destroyed.
While Abraham was thus pleading with the Lord, his other
two guests, who had come along with them from Abraham's tent,
and who were indeed ministering angels appointed to, execute God's
righteous judgment upon tbe wicked Sodomites, held on their
course towards the city, whfther by the evening they came ; and
Lot, who sat in the gate of the city, probably with tbe intention to
receive and entertain travelling strangers, (public inns or victualling
houses being in tiiose early times, littie or not aU used or known)
seeing them, rose up to meet tiiem; and having saluted them, in
vited them to his house, desiring them to take a bed vvith him for
that night, which they at first declined; but by his importunity
(as afterwards Samuel by Saul's. 1 Sam. xv. 26, 31, and even
our Lord himself by his two disciples, Luke .xxiv. 28, 29,) were
prevailed on to accept.
But between supper and bed-time the men of Sodom, both old
and young, gathering together as with one consent from every
quarter of the city, surrounded the house and commanded Lot to

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 3&
bring forth his guests to them, that they might know them, that is,
abuse them in that unnatural and filthy manner, which was after-
wai'ds expressly forbidden in the law. Lev. xviii, 22, and thereby"
made capital, chap. xx. 13 ; which vile sin continued among the
Gentiles even to the aposties' times, as may be gathered from
Rom. 1. 27, and 1 Cor. vi. 9; and was so generally practiced
aniongst the people of Sodom, that from thence it took the name
of Sodomy, and the practisers thereof are called Sodomites, both in
Holy Scripture (Deut. xxiU. 17, 1 Kmgs xiv. 25, and xv. 12, 2
Kings xxiii. 7.) and in our English laws; which, as did the law of
God of old, do yet make the punishment death.
Good Lot, thinking by gentle reasonings to appease his unreas
onable neighbors, steps out amongst them, and shutting the door
after hini, entreats them not to offer any violence to his guests who,
upon his invitation, came under his roof for protection ; and so
great was his concern for their safety, that he made an unwary and
unwarrantable oflar to the Sodomites to bring Out his two virgin
daughters to them, fir thom to use at their pleasure, rather than they
should offer any abuse to his guests : so sacred amongst good
men were the laws of hospitality then held.
But thb Sodomites, naturally wicked, and in order to their de
struction, jud'ciaUy now hardened, disdaining to be directed by
h'm who was but a sojourner, and lately came amongst them,
threatened to deal worse with him than with his guests, and press
ing hard upon Lot, came near to breolc the door ; which, when his
angel-guests saw, they smote the men which were at the door, both
great and small, with blindness, so that they could not find the
door, but wcaj'ied themselves with groping after it ; and having
pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut the door again, they
inquired of hira what family he had, and letting him know that
the destruction of that place was now determined, and that God
had sent them to destroy it, they bid him to take all his family
and relations-, with v/hatsoever he had in that place, and bring
them out.
Lot's two daughters, though they had never kin with men, ver.
8, yet it seems were married; fbr it is said, ver. 14, 'Lot went
out, and spake unto his sons-in-law that married his daughters ;'
some translators render it which were to marry his daughters. It
is probable they were contracted or betrothed to husbands, but the
marriage not consummated; however, when Lot having found out
those sons-in-law of his, and bidden them up, and get out of the
city, for the Lord would destroy it, they thought he did but jest
with them, and so regarded not his words.
By this time the night was pretty far spent, and as soon as
day began to break, the angels hastened Lot to be gone, saying,
•Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, whioh are here.

35 SACRED mSTORY. PART I.
without looking after or staying for any body else, lest thou bo
consumed in the iniquity of the city,' that is, in the punishment
inflicted on the city for iniquity ; but Lot was apt to make delays.
Then while he lingered; the angels took him, with his wife and
two daughters, by their hands, and, the Lord being merciful to
him, they brought him forth; and having set him safe without
the city, bid him escape for his life, charging him not to look be
hind him nor make any slop in the plain; but escape to tho
mountain, lest he were consumed.
But Lot, observing that the mountain was a great way off, and
considering both the labour aud diflSculty that would attend his
fleeing thither, and the dangers he might fall into by the way, en.
treated the angel tiiat hj might be excused from fleeing to the
mountain, and be permitted to go to a Uttie city hard by, which was
then called Bela, being the seat of one of tiiose five kings, who
fought the first battle with the four kings, and were beaten in the
vale of Siddim, Gen. xiv. 8. This reque.st of his was granted, that
city being saved for his sake, and he bidden to hasten thither ;
for, said the angel, I cannot do any thing, that is towards the
destraction of Sodom, and the rest of these cities, till tiiou be come
thither. Therefore that city was spared, when the rest were over
thrown, and was thenceforward called Zoar.
Befors Lot could reach Zoar, his wife, either forgetting or not
duly regarding the charge which the angel had given, ver. 17, not
to look behind, or backward, which, though spoken directiy to
Lot extended to them all, looked back from behind him, and she
became a pillar of salt. A pUIar, for a standing and lasting monu
ment ; of salt, to season and caution others against hankering after
anything which God h-ath determined and declared he will destroy.
By that time Lot was got into Zoar, the, sun was risen, and forth
with the Lord rained upon So.iom, and upon Gomorrah, brimstone
and firs from the Lord out of heaven; whereby he overthrew those
cities, and all tho plain, with all tbe inhabitants of the cities, and
all that grew upon the ground.
Great and very singular was the kindness and favour of God
to Lot,* ia taking such especial care for his deliverance and safe
ty ; yet that it may not all be placed to the account of Lot him
self we must remember that Lot was very near of kin to Abraham,
and very well beloved by him, and no doubt Lot sped the better
for Abraham's sake : fjr it is said, ver. 29, ' When God destroyed
'the cities ofthe plain, he remembered Abraham, and sent out Lot
out, of the midst of the overthrow,' &c.
But above all, the justice of God is herein lo be regarded, which
would not destroy the righteous with the wicked; but as his mercj
• A. M. 2107.

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 37
would have prevailed with fliem to have spared Sodom for tha
eake of but ten righteous souls, if he could have found ten such ia
it; so, if he found but one righteous soul there, his justice would not
)deld that one should be destroyed wfth the wicked, and for their
sakes : for Abraham's argument was right and forcible, when he
said ' To slay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous
should be as the wicked, or fare no better than the wicked, that
be far from thee. ShaU not the Judge of aU the earth do right "? '
Gen. xviU. 25.
As earnest as Lot was to get into Zoar, he did not care to stay
long there. After the other cities of the plain were destroyed, he
was afraid, it seems, to dwell in Zoar; wherefore he went and
dwelt in a cave in the mountains to which he was first directed,
having only his two daughters with him. And here the greatest of
mischiefs befel him ; for his daughters having lost in Sodom their
espoused husbands, and despairing of ever having any others, as
thinking, perhaps, that all mankind were destroyed in the late con
flagration, but their father and themselves ; at least, that no man
would ever be likely to find them out in their solitary retirement in
the cave complotted how to betray their innocent father.
They pretended a care to preserve a seed of their father ; as if
they were afraid, that if they did not, mankind would be extinct in
him. But they had Hved in Sodom, and it is doubtful had learned
too much of the manners of that place ; and if the men they were
betrothed too were of the breed of Sodom, which there is great
reason to suppose, it argues a disposition in them to the licentious.
ness of the place, that would contract marriage with such. How.
ever, having an unnatural design upon their father, and knowing
they could never draw the good man to commit so great a wicked
ness so long as he retained the use of his understanding, they con
trive to divest him of his judicious sense, though not of his natural
strength or abUity.
The eldest daughter therefore having represented to her sister
the condition they were in, proposed the expedient to her thus:
' Come, said she, let us make our father drink wine, and then we
wiU lie with him, tiiat we may preserve seed of our father.' Ac
cordingly, having sufficiently dosed the old man that evening -with
wine, and put him to bed, his eldest daughter went to bed to him •,
and having obtained her end of him, rose again, he not perceiving
when she lay down, or when she arose. Next day she acquainted
her sister how the project had succeeded, and advised her to deal
with their father in like manner the next night. Accordingly, tha
old man being again ensnared with wine, the younger daughter
went to -bed to him ; and her end being also answered, she rose agaia
too undiscovered. Thus were Lot's two daughters with chftd by
Iheir father and had each of them a son from that incestuous cou-

88 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
gress ; * to each of which sons Lot was both father and grand
father. But as he was the unwitting instrument of their generation,
so wlien they wero born, I do not find he took so much notice of
them as to give them their names, but their mothers named them,
the elder calling her son Moab, and the younger her son Ben-ammi;
both mischievous enemies in after times to Israel, especiaUy tho
Moabites, whose women, in Balak's time, through the counsel of
Balaam, betrayed many of the Israelites into idolatry and whore
dom, which brought a great plague upon Israel.
What became of Lot afterwards, the Holy Scripture doth not
inform us; but we find thatthe posterity of these two sons of his,
the Moabites and the Ammonites, were provided for by God, who
helped the Moabites to conquer the Emims, and to possess their
land, and the Ammonites to subdue the Zamzummims, and succeed
them in theirs ; and would not suffer the people of Israel, when
they marched through the wilderness towards the land of Canaan,
to dispossess either the Moabites or the Ammonites, or to fight
with them, as will appear in the process of the histoi'j which now
leads us back again to Abraham,
He having abode in the plain of Mamre, till he had seen the
destruction of Sodom, removed soon after from thence more south
wardly, and sojourned in Gerar, tiie chief city of the PhiUstines.
Here again, fearing lest he should suffer for the sake of Sarah,
if it should be known that she was his wife, he had resource to
his former politic contrivance, and by agreement between them he
caUed' her sister, and she him brother.
The king of Gerar, whose titie was Abimelech, as that of the
Egyptian king's was Pharaoh, and that of the Roman emperor's
Cfeesar, supposing her to be no other than Abraham's sister, took
her to him, intending to make her his wife. Sure she must carry
her years well, who, at ninety years of age, should be desired by a
king. But so it seems it was; and Abraham, prompted by his
fear, this second time exposed his own and his wife's honor to save
his Ufe, which he thought in danger.
But it may be supposed, that Sarah had by this time conceived
that promised seed, which was to be Abraham's heir; of which, as
weU as of Abraham his friend, God had an e.special care. Where
fore the Lord, having restrained Abimelech from touching her, did
in a dream by night make him understand, that Sarah was Abra
ham's wife, charging him. on pain of death, forthwith to restore her
safely to him. Abimelech therefore, excusing himself to God, and
expostulating the matter with Abraham, returned bim his wife safely
again, with a royal present to him, and a close check upon her, for
having had no more regard to her own and her husband's honour.
*A. M. 2103

fART U SACRED HISTORY. 39
Then, upon ,4bra.ham's prayer to God, the Lord healed Abimelech,
taking off the disability by which he had restrained him from touch
ing Sarah ; and also restored to his wife and women their former
fertUity, which on that occasion he had before stopped.
It was not long after this, before, the time appointed being come,
Sarah was brought to bed of a son, which Abraham, according as
God had before directed. Gen. .xvii, 19, caUed Isaac* which signifies
laughter ; and when he was eight days old he circumcised him,
as God commanded, chap. xvii. 12. And now Sarah could laugh,
not in distrust, as before, chap, .xviii. 12, but with hearty joy.
But what was Sarah's joy wis Hagar's sorrow. Her son Ish
mael was fourteen years old when Isaac was born ; and no doubt
she had long Uved in hope that he should have -been Abraham's heir,
and had infused that notion into her son. littie thinking tiiat her old
mistress should have brought a boy at last to frustrate both their
hopes. The disappointment must needs be great, and probably the
resentment answerable, which in a whUe broke forth ; for after Isaac
was weaned, and grown a little up, his watchful mother caught Ish.
mael mocking him. And there is reason to suppose, both that
this mockeige had relation to his heirship, Ishmael scorning that
such a youngster, in comparison of himself, should take the inher.
itance fi'om him, and deriding him on that account and that Hagar,
Ishmael's mother, did countenance hiin -at least therein, if she had
not also tutorr^d him to it; for .she was to be cast out as well as
he, which would not have been, if she had not been faulty. And we
remember, that formerly, as soon as she found she had conceived,
she despised her mistrass, chap. xvi. 4, which shews she was of a
haughty temper
Sarah could by no means brook that her bond-woman's boy
should make sport with her son ; therefore she Was urgent with her
husband, to turn them, both mother-and son, out of doors, putting
him in mind that the bond woman's son was not to be heir with
her son Isaac. This was a hard pinch upon Abraham ; for he
loved his son Ishmail very much. But God made it easy to him,
by counseUing him to answer his wife's request, confirming what
sbe had said, <nz. that Isaac was to bo his heir; and yet assuring
him tiiat he would take care of Ishmael for his snke, and would
make a nation of him, because he was his seed.
Abraham thus strengthened, he got up betimes ne.xt morning; and
lading Hagar with provisions, bread, and a bottle of water, gave
her the boy, and sent her away.
She going into the wUderness which was afienvards caUed Beer-
6heba,t wandered to and fro there until the water was spent ; and
seeing no hopes, of relief, she concluded the lad would die with thirst;
• A. M. 2loa + A. M. 2113.

40 SACKED HISTORY. PART I.
wherefore laj-ing him under one of the shrubs (a low and shady
tree) she sat down herself at a littie distance off, that she might
not see him die : and when the child cried, nnd she wept, the angel
of God caUed out of heaven to her, and to comfort her, bid her
not fear, for God bad heard the voice of the lad, and would make
him a great nation. Then being directed to a well of water, she
gave the lad drink, which refreshed him ; and God provided for
him. And they took up their abode in the wUderness of Paran,
where he became an archer ; by which employment, it is proba-
ble, he might get provisions for the sustenance of his mother and
himself And when he was grown to man's estate, his mother being
herself an Fgyptian, took him a wife out of the land of Fgypt.
Meanwhile God being with Abraham, and visibly blessing him
in aU his undertakings, Abimelech king of Gerar being sensible
thereof, took Phicol the general of his host v.'ilh him. and came to
Abraham, to enlerinto a strict league of friendship vvith him; fjr the
king, observing how greatly .Abraham prospered, was afraid, le,st in
time to come, as Abraham should grow more wealthy and powerful,
hs might attempt something to the pr'judiceof hini or his successors
in the government. When fore putting him in mind of the kind.
nesses he had shewed him since he came to sojourn in that land,
(which see in Gen. xx. 14, 16, 16,) he desired Abraham to enter
into a coven'dnt with him, that he would not deal f'llsly with him,
nor with his posterity; but would do unto him, and lo the land in
which he had been entertained, according to the kindness he had
received from him.
This covenant he required h'lm to confirm by an oath, which
Abraham at his request did. and this being the first mention we have
in story of an oath, or swearing, from tho creation of man to that
time, it is hence observable; that swearing was introduced by an
heathen. The fu'st that we read did ever urge an oath was a
king of the PhiUstines.
The league thus made and confirmed between them, and a little
difference composed about a well of water which Abraham had
digged, and Abimeleoh's servants, without their .msister's knowl-
edge, had forcibly taken from lijra, (which being now restored to
Abraham, was thereupon called Beer-s,heba, that is. The well of
the Oath ; because there they made their covenant, and each of
them confirmed it to the other by oath) Abraham made a present
to Abimelech of some sheep and oxen; and .Abimelech with his
general, taking their leave of" him, reurned home.
But Abraham intending to settle for some time in that country,
planted a grove near, the well in Beer slieba, and there called on
the name of the Lord, the everlasting God. By which we may sas
how apt the customs of Uie place wo live in, and of the peojile wa
converse with, are to steal and prevail even upon good men. By an

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 41
heathen king, Abraham was just before drawn to swear ; and from
the heathen's practice he now plants a grove to [lerform his devo
tions in. B'or that it was the custom of die heathen to plant groves,
and therein set their idols and altars, will afipear from the com.
mand afterwards given to Israel to destroy their altars, break their
images, and cut down- their groves, F.xod. xxxiv. 13. and to burn
their groves with fire, Deut. xii. 3, and ihey were forbidden to plant
any grove themselves to perform devotions in, Ueut. xvi. 21. But
when the kings of Israel departed from God, they set up groves;
and it was one of king Ahab's provoking sins, that he made a grove,
1 Kings xvi. 33. But though Abraham herein followed the cus
tom of the Philistines amongst whom he lived, yet the object of his
worship was the true God, Jehovah, the everlasting God.
Now came Abraham's greatest trial.* God, to prove his faith"
fulness, commands him to take his son, his only. son now that Ish
mael was gone, his son Isaac, the son of his joy, whom he loved
so dearly, who had been conceived beyond the course of nature,
and in whom God had promised that all the nations of the earth
shoulrl be blessed ; and to offer him for a burnt-offering. Could any
thing have been harder? But to make it easier, God sends him to
doit in the land of Moriah, which signifies The fear of God . . . .
No place could have been more fit to bring man's wiU into a sub
missive compliance with the wUl of God .... Abraham being
well acquainted with the voice of the Lord, neither disputes nor
delays; but early in the morning set forward on his journey, ac-
companied only with his son Isaac, and attended with two servants,
who had an ass to carry the wood, and other instruments for the sac
rifice, as weU as provisions for themselves, having three days journey
lo go. For they went from the land of the Philistines about Gerar,
and were to go into the land of Canaan, to the place where Jeru
salem afterwards stood ; for mount Moriah, where he waste offer
his son, stood in Jerusalem, and Solomon built the temple upon it,
where God commanded the offerings afterwards to be made, 2
Chron. iii. 1.
Having traveUed two days, on the third they came within sight
ofthe place; whereupon Abraham ordered his servants to tarry
there with the ass, probably to prevent any disturbance ihey might
give him, if they should see him go to kill his son, telUng them he
and his son would go thither to worship, and come to them again.
From which words, compared wilh what the aposfle says of him,
that he accounted God was able to raise Isaac up, even from tho
dead, Heb. xi. 19. may be gathered, that Abraham had so steady a
faith in God's power, that though he neither knew, nor cxpecied any
other, but that Isaac should certainly have been slain ; yet he be.
* A. M. 2145.

42 SACRED inSTOKY. PART I.
lieved th'dl God, who had so miraculously given him, and promised to
make hini a father of many nations, would, to make good his prom
ise, restore him to life again.
Abraham therefore laid 1 1? wood of tiie burnt oflTering on Isaac's
shoulder, and himself carrying 'lie fire and the knife, they two went
out together. Litde did Isaac yet think what he was going about;
so that as he was herein a tVi^e of the gi'rr.it oflTering it might have
been now said of him as wa> aftei wards said of Christ, he was led
as a lamb to the shughto.'. As t.ius they walked together, he very
innocentiy said to his f uher, ' Behold the fire and the wood ; bat
where is the lamb for a biirht offering ? ' To which his father pro
phetically replied, '.My son, GoJ wiU provide himself a lamb for a
burnt-offering.' Being come at length to t'lc place which God had told him of,
Abraham built an altar the e, and having laid the wood in order,
bound Isaac his son, and laid him upon the altar upon the wood.
Isaac, though according to th ; mani.cr of speaking then used he
was aU along hitherto ca lei a lad is generally held to have been at
that time at least three and thirty years of age, but by this compu-
tation should be seven and thirty so th~t ho was capable to have made
resistance; but he quietly .¦¦ulyinit cJ, vi bother being then at last made
acquainted by his father \\ ith God s command, or from a natural
s'abjection yielding impli jidy to whit-tv^r his father would do witii him.
Now was Abrahams hai d stretched forth, with the knife in it,
ready 10 give the fat'il stroke ; when the angel of the Lord hastily
called unto him out of heaven an 1 w th a reduplication of his name,
charged him not to I 'j,y his hand upon the lad to do hira any harm;
adding, 'For now 1 know Uiii thou fjarost God, seeing thou hast
not withheld thy son, thine o;.ly s, in. from me.'
Abraham, hearing liiis voic-, as he ajjprehended behind him, turns
about, and iheil see,j a ram caught in a tiiicket by ths horns, which he
took and off rod up fjr a burnt off r'ng in the stead of his son. and
called the place Jehovah-.liro'i, which s'gnifieth. The Lord will see
or provide; because the Lord as braham had foretold he would, had
provided himself a lamb f^r a burnt oft'ering.
Hence arose a proverbial speech, in use long after; that when any
one was entangled in an imricit.' niaiter wherein he could not see
his way clear, but he mu.st rf ly upon Providence, he would say,
« Weft ! in the mount of the Lord tho Lord wiU provide.'
Upon this complete obedience of Abraham's it pleased the Lord
to renew his promise to Abraham wi.h greit amplifications, and
confirm it to hiin by oath ; whrrupon .^braham returning with his
son Isaac to his servants they travelled back again to Beer-sheba,
the place at that time of Abrahim s habitation.
How l(mg after this he abode at Ceer shebt doth not appear, but it
was not long before we find bim at Kiriaiharba (afterwards called

PART Iv SACRED HISTORY. 43
Hebron) in the land of Canaan ; for there Sarah his wife died, in the
one hundreth and seven and twentieth year of her age, which must
be the seven and thirtieth of Isaac's ; fbr she was ninety when he
was born. Gen. xvu. 17.
Abraham, having mourned for his wife, addressed himself to the
sons of Heth,thatis, the Hittites, who be ng descended from Heth
the son of Canaan, and grandson of cursed Llaiu, Gen. x. 6, 15, did
then possess that region, to obtain from them a burying-place to bury
his dead in. They, not understanding his intent, with great court
esy answered him, ' In the choice oi our sepulchres bury thy dead ;
none of us .shall withhold from thcc his sepulchre.'
This would not do Abraham's business; he knew the Lord had
caUed him forth from his idolatrous kindied, and from his father's
house. Gen. x.xi. 1, and had given him the covenant of circumcision,
chap. xvii. 9, 10, &c., whereby he had distinguished him and his
s<;ed from all other people ; and that therefore it was not lawful for
him to mix with any of the nations which did not worship the true
God, and that truly. As therefore he e.ficr\\-ards took especial care
that his son might not marry with any of the daughters of the Ca.
naanites : so now he was wary not to bury his dead promiscuously
amongst theirs. Ke proposed therefor.-^ to buy a piece of ground of
thom for a peculiar place of sepulture for him and his family, and de.
sired them to entreat Fohron their prince to sell him the cave of
Machpelah some littie piece of ground that lay in the end of a field
of Fphron's, letting them know he would give him fur it as much as it
was wortii.
Ephron, it seems, though probably /braham did not know it, was
then present in thie company; and having heard > braham s proposal,
very getiercisly offered to give not only the cave, but the whole field
also, that he might bury his dead without delay. But -Abraham, not
willing to come under such an obhgation, or to have a precarious sep.
ulchre. addressing himself then personally to prince Ephron, entreat
ed him to sell him a piece of the field, and talce money for it, and
then he would 'lury his dead there. Ephron thereupon told him that
the land was worth four hundred shekels of silver ; but between per
sons of their rank he accounted that but a small matter, and there
fore wished hira not to make any more words about it, but accept the
land, and bury his dead there without more ado.
Supposing the shekel here mentioned to be the common shekel, as
being used before the law, and in a civil not sacred case, it valued
of our English money one shilling and three-pence, /.fer which
rate the four hundred shekels would amount to five and twenty pounds
sterling. Abraham, having got a price of the field, stood not to barter, or
beat down the price ; but forthwith paid the tnoney to Fphron by
weight. For in those early ages of the world, as they had money

44 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
in bullion unstamped, so it passed by weight, rather than by tale ;
and a shekc-1 had its name from shakel, which signifies to weigh, or
put in the balance, says Godwyn, in his Moses and Aaron, 1. 6.
c. 10.
Upon payment of the money, tiie field of Ephron, and the cave
that was in it, well abutted and bounded with the mounds and fences,
and the trees that were therein, and all and singular the, heredita
ments and appurtenances, were firmly conveyed and made sure to
Abraham, and to his heirs forever in fee-simple; and then, and not
tiU then, did Abraham bury his wife there.
About three years after this, Abraham, being an hundred and forty
years old, was desirous lo se3 his son Isaac, who was now forty
years of age, married, and settled in the world before himself died;*
whrji'flore calling his eldest servant to him who was the steward over
his house and whole estate, he gave him a strict charge, that he
should not take a wife fbr Itis son Isaac of the daughters of the Ca
naanites, but should go into his (Abraham's) own country, and from
thence bring out a wife of his own kindred for him ; and to lay the
greater bond upon his servant, he required him to take a solemn oath
of fideUty to him in this case, the ceremony whereof was then per-
formed, by the servant putting his hand under his master's thigh;
which with some conditional and necessary cautions, he did.
Then having r.eccive'd his master's instructions and charge, he set
forward with a handsome retinue of servants and camels, befitting
his master's slate, and the business he went about, and he directed his
course to Haram. the city of Nahor, in Mesopotamia; for Abraham
had heard some time before, that his wife's sister MUcah. who was
married to his brother Nahor, had borne him several children, one of
which, named Bethuel, hud a daughter named Rebekah, Gen. xxu.
20, &c.
The servant being come to Haran, caused his camels to rest
themselves by a well of -svater without the city, it being evening
time; about which time it was usual for the women to coma forth of
the city to draw wat'^'r atthalwcU.
Meantime he who had been religiously brought up. and instructed
by his master .Abraham in the fear of God, and knew of how great
a concern the business he went about was, had his mind retired and
inwardly exercised in prayer to God, that 'the Lord, the God of his
master Abraham, would f;peed his journey, and shew kindness to
his master Abraham in giving him good success.' And being fear
ful lest in a matter of so great moment he should mistake the per
son, and so not make a right choice of a wife for his young ma.ster,
he humbly besought the Lord to direct him by this sign, that when
the city damsels should come out to draw water ' she of them aU,
* A. M. 8H8.

rART I. SACRED HISTORY. 45
who, upon his requesting her to lot him drink out of her pitcher,
should offer him to drink, and should say, I will give thy camels
drink also, the same should be she whom the Lord had prepared and
appointed for hiij servant Isaac'
Scarce had he finished this inward request to the Lord (for inward
it seems it was, ver. 45.) when behold Rebekah, Bethuel's fair
daughtcr, came forth, with her pitcher or water-tankard on her
shoulder, to fetch water.
Great, surely, was the simplicity and humility of those eariy ages,
when persons of the upper rank, and of the female sex too, did not
disdain to be employed in such !.';w, but necessary offices. Thus,
in the foUowing age, Jacob found his cousin Rachel following and
watering her father Laban's sheep. And for some ages after that,
the seven daughters of Jeihro, who was a prince, as well as priest of
Midian, kept their father's fiock, and used to draw water, and fill
the troughs to water the flocks in.
Though Abraham was a mighty prince, (so the sons of Heth ac
knowledged, Gen. xxiii. 8.) yet his steward did not think Rebekah
every whit the unfitter to make a wife for his master's son and heir,
for her coming wfth her pitcher on her shoulder to draw and carry
water. Rebekah was a chaste virgin, and ' very beautiful, and Abranam's
servant had soon his eye upon her, and diligentiy watched her motion.
And when, having been down at the well, she had fiUed her pitcher,
and was come up again, he ran to meet her, and said, ' Let me, I pray
thee, drink a little water out of thy pitcher.' She readily answered,
drink, my lord ; and nimbly letting her pitcher down upon her hand,
gave him drink; and withal told him, she would draw water for hia
camels also ; which he, that ho might be fully confirmed by the
sign he had desired, not refusing, she went to the well again, and
drew for all his camels.
Meanwhile the man, attentively considering her, said nothing, out
weighed the matter, to see whether she had fully answered the sign
he had desired ; and being satisfled that the Lord had thus far pros
pered his journey, so soon as the camels had done drinking, he pre
sented her wfth a jewel for her head and a pair of bracelets fbr her
hands, of ten shekels weight of gold, which, at fifteen shillings the
shekel, would amount to seven pounds ten shillings sterling.
He asked her also whose daughter she was, and whether there were
room in her father's house for him and his company to lodge in. She
told him she was the daughter of Eethuel, the srm of Nahor by Mil
cah; and withal assured him that they had both room and accom-
modation for him and his camels. He said no more to her ; but
being deeply afF:cted with a sense of tho goodness of the Lord, in
guiding him so directly to the house of his master's brethren, bowed
down his head, and worshipped the Lord, and breaking furUi in

4b SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
praises to the Lord, said, 'Blessed be the Lord God of my master
Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and
his truth,'
While he was thus meditating on the kindness of the Lord, the
damsel ran home, and told hor relations what she had met with. She
had a brother named Laban, who took the care of his fath
er's business, lie, when he had seen the bracelets on his sister's
hands, and heard from her the account of what the man had said
to her, immediately ran down to the well; and saluting the man in
the style of, ' Thou blessed of tho Lord,' an usual form oi saluta
tion in those times to such as they designed to shew more than
ordinary respect to, invited him in. telling him there was preparation
made for him and his camels. Ths man thereupon went in ; and
after his camels had been taken care of and water brought for
him and his men to wash their f et supper being got ready, he
was invited to eat. But he, in'.ent on the business he came
about, said, ' 1 will not eat. until 1 have told mine errand ; ' thereby
giving a good exam;jle of faithfulness and dftigence in a servant.
Whereupon b"ing bid to speak on he said :
'I am Abraham's servant; and ihe Lord hath blessed my master
greatly, and he is become great.' Then having given a general ac
count of his master's estate, he added: ' Aiud Sarah my master's wife
bare a so-i to my m ister when she wa-: old, unto whom he hath given
all that he hath. And my master, said he., made me swear,'that I
should not take a wife to his son of the daughters of the Canaanites;
but should go unto his father's house, and to his kindred, and take a
wife unto hi? son.' Then going on. he related to them the whole
process of his journey, tiio manner of his meeting -with Rebekah,
and the divine guidance he had therein ; concluding thus: 'And
now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, toft me ; and if
not teU me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to theleft ; ' meaning,
that they should not hold hira in hand, but let him know their minds,
whether they would bestow Rebekah on his master's son, or not: that
if not, he might seek elsewhere.
Bethuel is supposed either to have been superannuated, or to la
bour under some bodily infirmity, wdiich rendered him less capable of
managing the affairs of his family; which may some-what excuse his
son Laban's forwardness : for it is said, Laban and Bethuel answered
and said, ' The thing proccedeth from the Lord ; we cannot say any
thing to it. Ask Rebekah lierself: If she consent, take her, and let
her be thy master's son's wifj.
In this we have a twofold example ; one for wooers, tne other for
parents. That which relates to wooers is, to ask and obtain the con
sent of parents, or other near relations first, before they propose the
matter to the woman herself Th.at which relates to parents is, not to
compel a child to match, eitiierbytiireats, or importunate persuasion ;

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 47
but having fairly opened the case, leave to tho child a free liberty to
consent or not, as affection or judgment, which ought to go together,
shaft incline.
No sooner had the servant received Bethuel's answer, but forth.
with he makes his acknowledgment in a return of thanks to the Lord.
Then making his presents, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold and
raiment to Rebekah, with other precious things to her brother and
mother, they went all to supper, and then to bed.
Ne.xt morning, as soon as they were up, he desires them to dispatch
him back to his master. The brother and mother u?ge delay, no
mention of the father, either here or with the presents ; which con
firms the supposftion, that he did not concern himself in business,
but had turned aU over to his wife and so.n. They were loth to part
with Rebekah so soon ; would have her tarry with them a while ; but
he, Uke a faithful and dUigent servant, was for hastening home with
her. ' Hinder me not, said he, seeing the Lord hath prospered rny
way ; send me away, that I may go to my master.'
Thereuponthey refer the matter to Rebekah herself 'We will
call the damsel, said they, and inquire at her mouth.' She being
caUed and asked, 'Wilt thou go with this man'! ' rea.dily answered,
' I will go.' Wherein she is not to bo taxed with immodesty or
over forwardness, since there is no ground lo doubt but she, as well
as her relations, had a sense that the thing was of the Lord.
The scale thus turned for going, by her consent tiiey send her
away with Abraham's servant, having her nurse, whose nar.ie was
Deborah, Gen. xxiii. 6, and servant nraids to attend her. But they
parted not until they had blessed her; praying that she might be
fi-uitful, and that her offspring might have dominion over their
enemies. It so fell out, or rather was ordered by Providence, that Isaac,
walking out in the evening to meditate on the works and goodness of
the Lord, saw his servants with the camels coming; whereupon he
went out to meet them. And Rebekah having espied him at some
distance, and asked the steward who he was, being informed tiiat it
was bis master, alighted from the camel on which she rode, and cov
ered herself with a veft; which, according to the custom of those
countries, was a token of subjection, which she thereby declared she
was wiUing to come under to him ; and it may pass for a periphr.isis
of being a wife. Isaac received Rebekah, brought her into his moth-
er Sarah's tent, who had been dead about three years; and after.
wards betook her to be his wife, and loved her so well, that his love
to her wrought off the grief he had conceived for the death of his
mother. Abraham had another wife, whose name was Keturah ; but whether
he married her in Sarah's Ufe-time, or after, is a question, Brough.
tou says, after Sarah's death, Abraham married Keturah ; but jnas'

48 SACRED HISTORY. PART h
much as she is expressly caUed his concubine, 1 Chron. 1. 32, a
terra not usuaUy given to such second wives as succeed others
but to such as in die lil'e -lime of the first, or former wife, are made
partakers of the marriage-bed ; and considering also, that Abraham.
who was an hundred ai.d thirty-seven years of age when his wife
Sarah died, had no less than six children by Keturah ; it gives
occasion for otiiers lo suppose that he married her in Sarah's Ufctimc.
But whensoever he married her, the sons which Abraham had by
Keturah he gave portions to in his own life-time, and sent them away
easlv/ard into the east country ; wliich it is probable be did, that they
might not stand in Isaac's way. nor rettie in any part of the land of
Canaan, which his seed by Isaac was to inherit, that, so Israel might
not be under any necessity of dispossessing them, when in aftertimes
they should come to take possession of the promised land.
Isaac, though he had been now married almost twenty years, had
no issue by his fair wife. Wherefore he entreated the Lord for her,
because she was barren ; and the Lord was entreated of him, and
Rebekah conceived. Eut when she f.lt the children struggling to
gether witliin her, for she had twins, it somewhat startiod her, and
made her wonder what the meaning ofit might be; wherefore she
went to inquire of the Lord, whioh in those times was usually done
by consulting seme prophet ; and her father-in-law Abraham being
a prophet, (so he is expressly called by God himself, Gen. xx. 7.)
and being then alive, it is nicst probable that she inquired by him.
However, the answer was ' Two nations (that is, the heads or fathers
of two nati.'jnsy are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall hi
separated from thy b.owels : the one of these people shall be stronge"
than the other ; and tho elder shall serve the younger.' This did not
hold of those Uyo children in their own persons ; for the younger
stood always in f.'ar of the elder. Put in their posterities it did ; and
St was completed in TJavid'.s time, when he put garrisons throughout
all Edom, (Fgau is Edom) Gen. .xx.wi. 8, and aft they of Ldom
became David's servants, 2 fam. viii. 14.
At the birth of these two children, the eldest came forth red,* and
hairy all over like a h.airy garment, and they called him Esau. His
brother followed him so close at the heels, that he took hold of his
heel with his hand ; and he was c.-^lled Jacob. This was twenty
years after Isaac's marripge, and in the sixtieth year of his age.
As they grew up, Fsau spent liis lime much in the fields, addict
ing himself to hunting; and because he furnished his father with
venison, a .sr,rt of food he delighted in his father loved him best. Eut
Jacob was a plain man, dwellini^ in tents that is, minding the famfty-
businessat home, and being by that means more conversant with hia
mother, and ready at hand to wait upon her, she loved him best.
* A. M. 21C8.

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 4i)
When the boys were about fifteen years of age, their grandfather
Abraham gave up the ghost,* being an hundred seventy and five
years old, and was buried by his two sons, Isaac and Ishrtiael, in the
cave of Machpelah, in the field which he had purchased of the sons
of Heth, and where he had buried Sarah his wife about forty years
before. Ishmael, Abraham's eldest son, though not his heir, lived many
years after this, tiU he had attained to be an hundred and seven and
thirty years old ; and then leaving, as was predicted of him. Gen. xvii.
20, twelve sons, who were all princes of nations, possessed of towns
and CEistles, he also gave up the ghost. And although he had been
such a wild man, that his hand had been against every man, and every
man's hand against him. Gen. xvi. 1 2, yet he died at last in the pres
ence of his brethren, that is, a natural death, having his famfty and
relations about him.
But before that, Isaac's two sons, Esau and Jacob, were grown up
to man's estate ; t and Esau one day, having spent his spirits and
Strength in hunting, came faint from the field, just as Jacob had sod
some pottage of lentiles (a kind of pulse somewhat like our vetches,
or coarsest sort of peas) and it was of a red colour .... Esau soon
had his eager eye upon the broth ; and being greedy through hunger,
desired his brother to feed him with that red, red ; not knowing what
else to call it, and doubling the word through eagerness and haste,
which gave him the nick-name Edom, signifying not only earthy,
but blood-red; and as a motive to persuade him, he told him he was
faint. Jacob, plain though he was, knew this was the time to get a good
bargain ; and therefore, intending to work his own advantage from
his brother's necessity, asked him forthwith to seU him his birth-right.
The birth-right, or right of primogeniture, had many and great
privileges annexed to it. The fia'st-born was consecrated to the Lord,
Exod. xxii. 29, was next in honour and dignity to the parents. Gen.
xlix. 3, had a double portion allotted to him, Deut. xxi. 17, and suc
ceeded in the government of tbe family or kingdom, 2 Chron. xxi. 3,
and therefore was a matter of the highest regard.
Esau, either not considering, or not duly regarding any of these,
but consulting his own present need and appetite only, sUghtingly
answered, ' Behold, I am ready to die, and what good shall this birth
right do me ? '
Jacob, finding him so indifferent, was willing to bind the bargain,
and make sure of it ; and therefore presently urged him to confirm
the birth-right to him by an oath. Esau, as readily consenting, sold
his birth-right, -with aU those excellent privileges that depend on it,
» A. M. 2183, T A. M 2188,
VOL. I. — 4

so SACRED HlfiTORiri ?ART 1.
to his brother Jacob &i; a mess of pottage ; and this in.Egau is called
despising his birth-right.
After this, there was a famine in that po^t of th^ land where Isaac
lived; which made him think of removing. And. while he d^Ubera-
tpd ^vihifher to go, or where to settie, tyhether in Egypt or among the
PhUistines, tiie Lord appeared, to him, and charg^him nottogo down
into Egypt, but to sojourn in that land where he should direct hiin;
promising to be with him and bless, him, and assuring him that he.
would give all those countries to him and his seed, in performance of
the oath which he had sworn unto Abraham his fa^er ; and that he-
would cause his, seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and all na
tions to account, themselves blessed therein, because of the fai'0t anct
obedience of Abraham.
Isaac, therefore, by divine direction, went to Abimelech, Icjng of
the Philistines, arid dwelt, as his father had fbmrjerly done, at Gerar..
And here the same temptfition attended him, tiiat attended his father-
in the same place, before.
Rebekah was very beautiful, and Isaac was afi'oid the Philistines,
would kiU him for her sake. He therefore, when they askpd him,
what she was to him, not daring to own her for his -wife, tpld. them,
she was his sister ; which w.as then a common appeUation amongst;
kindred in almost any degi;ee. But as watchfuljProvidence pisevented,
her being then taken fronn him ; so sometime after the kjnghjmself,
Ipoking out at a window, observed Isaac behaving himself so. famili-i
ariy towards Rebekah, as gave hjm ground to suspect she was his-
wife, not bis sister only. Wherefore calling Isaap to hanj, be confi-
dently told him she was-certainly his wife ; which Isaac not knoD^ing
how to deny, the king fir^t blamed him for laying such, a snare be..
fore his people, saying, 'What is this thou- hast done ? One- of the
people might have chanced to have lain with thy wifp, and thou,
shouldst have brought gtiiltiness upon us.; ' and then ga-i^e a charge,
on pain of deaths to all his people, that r^pne of them, should haim.
him or his wife.
Isaiac, by this, protection encouraged to teirry there longer, applied
himself to husbandry ; and having sowed some land iu that eountry,,
reaped a- crop the same year of an hundred fold. By whjch, and the-
Lord's continual blessing bim, he increased to that degree- of wealth.
and greatness, being possessed of flocks anjj herds, and hayjng great;.
store of servants, that the Philistines began to envy hinj, and their^
king desired hirn to remove from them ; foPij said he, thou; airt much.
inightier than we.
Isaac thereupon departed from thence ; amd the rather^ for thpt the^
Philistines, to make his stay uneasy to him» had stopped-ap all the
weUs, which his father's servants had digged in the time of hisfath-,
sr's abode there formerly, and had filled them with earth. Where-.
fpre removing into the valley of Gerar, he pitched his tent, and dwelt,

BART fc. SACRED HtSTORK. 51
tiiere ; but before he went, he opened again the wells of water that
had been digged in his father's, time, and which the PhUistines had
Stopped up after his father's death, caUing them by the names which
his fatiier had given them.
Being thus settied in the valley, his servants digged a well there,
and found a spring of watei that continviedly flowed. But when the
herdsmen of Gerar knew of it, they clauned the weU, pretending it.
was theirs ; and' though Isaac's servants had both, fbund it, and dig.
gedit, yet these herdsmen strove with thera. fbrit . . . . Wherefore
Isaac caUed that well Esek, which signifies contention ; and being a
peaceable man, -wiUing to Uve quietiy, he let that well go, and ordered
his servants to dig another.. They did so ; and when they had found
water, the herdsmen strove fcr that too ; whereupon he caUcd that
well ^t^ah, which signifies, hatred. From those two names we may
observe, how apt contention is. to lead to. hatred.; and thereupon talte
this caution :
Seek peace, and prize it; but contention shun,.
Lest Esek do at- length to Sitnah run..
Weary of such quarrelsome neighbors, Isaac removed further-
from them, and then digged another well ; and. because he enjoyed
that without strife, he- caUed it Rehob.oth, which signifie.s room; for
no-w, said he, the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruit
ful in the land.
Yet tarried he not long there, but went up^ feoni Aence to Beer-
sheba; where the Lord the same- night appearing to him, comforted
and encouraged him, and renewed his promise to him, to bless him,
and to multiply his seed for his servant Abraham's.sake.,
Isaac therefore, building an altaw there, worshipped the Lord; and
because he designed to make some stay there, his servants digged a
well ; for in those hot and dry coimtries water was much wanted.
Meanwhile Abimelech, king of the- Philistines, remembering how
unkindly he had dismissed Isaac, ver. 16, and what squabbles had
ajterwards happened between their servants- stri-ving fcr water, and
not knowing how Isaac might resent it, thought it adviseable, for
preventing future dangers, to make a -visit to, Isaac, and try if he could
draw him into a league of amity and firm friendship.. Taking there
fore Abuzzath,oneof his friends, to be, if need'were,,a mediator be
tween them, aud Phicol, captain general of his forqes,.he went to Isaac-
at Beer-sheba.
Isaac, that he might shew them he was sensible ofthe injuries
done him, and -withal, not yet knowing the intent of their coming,
gave them at firstbut a cold reception ; asking wherefore they cnme
to see him, seeing they hated him, and had sent him away from,
thenji They answered smoothly, ' We saw certainly that the Lord'
was with! thee ; and we said, let there be an oath betwixt us and thee,
«nd let us make a covenant with thee, that thou wit do us no hurt ; as

52 SACRED HISTORY, PART I,
(added they, to smooth over the matter) we have done tinto thee
nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace ; concluding with
Uiat kind and pleasing compellation, ' Thou blessed of the Lord.'
When Isaac understood the business they came about, be, who
was of a quiet and gentie temper, and desirous of peace, (as ha-ving
more cause to fear hurt from them than they from him) entertained
them courteously and liberally,; and next morning betimes they made
a league, confirming it by mutual oath. After which, he having ac
commodated them for their journey, they took their leave of him
and departed.
The last we heard of Esau, was the seUing of his birth-right ; *
the next we hear of him, is bis grieving his godly parents by his un
godly marriages. He was now forty years of age ; and having never
been good, and now, since his slighting of his birth-right, grown
worse, though he could not be ignorant of the care his grandfather
took, that his father might not marry into an idolatrous family ; yet
nothing would serve his turn, but to take two Hittites, Judith and
Bashemalh, to be his wives.
These Hittites descended fi'om Heth, the son of Canaan, and grand
son of Ham, Gen. x. 6, 16, and Esau must marry these Hittite
women, either without the knowledge and consent of his parents,
which was bad ; or against their express prohibition, which was
worse. However it was, these Hittite marriages were such a grief
of mind to Isaac and Rebekah that it is said to be a bitterness of
spirit unto them. And so indeed must all such mungrel-marriages be
to aU godly parents.
Yet see how prevalent natural affecuon was with this good man.
For after this, when he was grown old, and his sight was gone, he
called his son Esau to bim ; t and putting him to consider that he
was old and his life uncertain, wished him to take his bow and ar
rows, and go huUt'some venison, and make him a savoury dish there
of, such as he knew he loved, and bring it him, that he might eat
thereof, and might give him the blessing appendant to the birth-right
before he died.
Thus good Isaac, overswayed by a fond afiiectionto a disobedient
and gra«eless son, would have preferred the order of nature to the
divine wUl of God, who had expressly declared, before the chUdren
Were born, that the elder should serve the younger. But God would
not suffer his purpose to be so disappointed ; and therefore, being un-
willing to deal hardly with Isaac, he permitted him to be imposed upon
by his wife and younger son, and thereby drawn to do that un.
wittin^y, which to have done knowingly, would have been very
uneasy to him.
It so fell out that Rebekah overheaid what her husband had said
• A. M. 220G, t A, M. 2345.

Part t. sacred history. 63
to his son Esati. Wherefore, when Esau was gone to hunting, she
called her son Jacob to her ; and having related to hira what she
heard his father say to his brother, she first in a general way en.
joined hhn that he should punctually observe her directions. Then
in particular bid him go to the flock, and fetch from thence two good
kids of the goats ; and with them, sard she, wiU I make savoury
meat for thy father, such as he loves ; and thou shalt bring it to
thy father, that he may eat, and may bless thee before his death.
Jacob had gotten the birth-right already, and knew that the paternal
blessing did usuedly attend it ; but he was fearful, lest, if he should
attempt to get it by such indirect means, he should lose the blessing,
and get a curse instead of if : for he considered, that his brother be-
ing all over hairy, and he smooth, if his father, to supply his defect
of sight by feeling, should handlte him, he might easily discover him ;
and this he objected to his mother. But she having continually kept
in remembrance the words of the Divine Oracle, ' The elder shall
serve the younger,' Gen. xxv. 23 ; confidenfly sinswered him, ' upon
me be thy curse, my son, only obey my voice,' and without delay go
fetch me the kids.
Jacob disputed no further, but went and brought her the kids, with
which she made savoury meat, such- as she knew her husband loved.
Then dressing up Jacob in Esau's best clothes, which she, it seems,
had the keeping of, or could come at, and fastening the hairy skins
of the kids upon his hands, and the smooth parts of his neck, for in
those hot countries men went bare-necked; she put the dish of
meat into his hand, and sent him with it to his father.
As soon as Isaac heard his voice, he asked, 'Who art thou, my
son 1 (meaning which of my sons art thou) Jacob answered, I am'
Esau, thy first-^born. By which it is probable he meant, that he did
represent Esau, or stood in the place of Esau the first-bom, by virtue
of the purchase he had made of the primogenitu're or birth-right of
his brother Esau.
Isaac, wondering that he had made such haste, asked him, how it
came to pass that he had found and taken the venison so quickly : he
repUed, ' Because the Lord thy God brought it to me.' Meaning,
peradventure, that the Lord had put that invention or contrivance of
the kids into his mother's mind, and by her hand brought it to him.
Isaac, not wiUing to trust to his'hearing onfy, called Jacob to come
near him, that, saith he, I may fed thee, whether thou be my very-
son Esau or not. Jacob thereupon went to him; and the poor old-
man, deprived of sight, when he had felt Jacob's hands, being de
ceived by the hairy kids'-skins^ could not ascertain himself, whether
it was Jacob or Esau ; but she-wed his uncertainty, by sa3dng, ' The
voice is Jacob's voice; but the hands are tho hands of Esau. Hav
ing therefore no other way to attain satisfaction, but the veracity of
his son, he put the questicm more close and. home tO' him, ' art thou

54 -SACRED HISTORY PART I.
myvery son Esau?' To which Jacob answering, '1 am,' 'the old
man urged no further, but taking him indeed for Esau, bid him bring
near the meat, that he might eat of his venison, and his soul might
bless him.
Jacob was not backward to do that, but brought the food near te
him ; of which when he had eaten, he brought him -wine also, and he
drank. After which Isaac bid him come near, and kiss him ; which
whUe Jacob did, his father smsUed tiie smell not only of the kids'-
skins, but of the raiment he had on.
Upon smeUing ihe raiment, he began 'to pour forth his blessing
upon Jacob, saying, ' See,the smeU of my son is as the smeU of a
field, which •^the Lord hath blessed. Therdfore God, give thee the dew
of heaven, and the fatness of ithe earth, and plenty of corn and wine.
Let people serve thee, and nations bow do-wn to thee. Be lord over
thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons 'bow down to thee. Cursed
be every one 'that curseth thee ; "and blessed be he that blesseth thee.'
Very concise are the terms of -this blessing, but very fuU and ex
tensive is the matter contained therein; -and, like an heavenly-
minded man, he begins his blessing with en appreciation of heavenly
things, signified by the 'dafw of heaven.' After "which follows the
fatness of tbe earth, producing plenty of cea-n and wine ; under which
two general heads, are,;(by a synecdoche,) comprehended all necessary
conveniences and accommodations fbr the being and well-being of
human life. Then ToUows jiowet and dominion, both general over
people and iiations; and iparticular -over his brethren the sons of
his mother. Under'whieh 'expression, by an over-ruling Pro-vidence,
Isaac was made 'unwittingly to confirm to Jacob the birth-right,
before by private contract transferred from Esau to him.
Thus Jacob obtained the blessing ; but by such ways and means,
as if they may be excused in him, or he in using them, on the ac
count that God had appointed the blessing to him ; yet are they not
to be imitated, or drawn into example by any other : which they may
do weU to consider, who propose the whole Scripture, and every part
thereof without distinction, for a standing rule of both faith and
practice to aU believers in all times.
Scarce was Jacob :got clear off from his father's presence, when
in came his brother Esau from hunting, who, having caught some
venison, and dressed it fit for his father's palate, brought it in with
him ; and littie thin'kingTvhfit had passed .between his father and his
brother, very cheerfully said to his 'father, " Let my father arise, and
cat of his son's venison, that thy soul may Tjless me.'
, This startiod Isaac, who therpnpon hastily asked, ' Who art thou ? '
To which Esau replying, ' I ana thy son, thy first-born, Esau ; ' a very
great trembling seized upon Isaac, and brought upon him a perturba-
tion of mind; so tiiat he ca,Ued out, ' 'Who, where is he that hath
*t«ken venis.on, and brought it -me ; and I have eaten ©f all before

PART I. «ACllED aiSTOSr. '^
thou earnest, -and have blessed him ? ' And ' bemg by this time sen^
slble of a divine ordering hand 'therein, he added, ' Yea, and he
-shall be blessed.'
At that word Esau cried diit most bitterly ; and having no hopes to
prevail with his fhther-to reverse the blessing ^iven to hi* brother,
•he cried, '^ Bless me, even me also, O my father,'
Isaac, to 'excuse hims^ to him for having given the Messing from
him, told him, ' Thy brother came with subtlety, and hath taken thy
blessmgfrom tliee.' 'Ah,' said Esau, (playing upon his brother^S
jiame, which signifies a supplanter) ' is he ndt rightly-named Jacob ?
For ho h&th supplanted iBie these two times: he took away my
feirth-right before ; and behold now he hath taken away my blessing.'
Thus nn 'Ofl"ended mind is apt to overcharge ; for Jacob did noit
take away his birth-right. He only asked him to seU it; and Esau^
not regarding it, sold it hira for a trifle.
But EstLU, applying himself again to bis father, said, ' Hast thou
not reserved a blessing for une ? ' Isaac Avanted not good will to him ;
hut he had emptied the chief df his store upon Jacob. ' I have
^made hira thy loi-d, (said Isaac to Ekau) and all his brethren havfe
I given to him for servants; amd with corn alid -wine have I sus
tained him : and what shall I do now lanto thee, my son ? ' ' Alas ! '
said Esau, ' Hast thou but that one blessing ? Bless me, "me alsoj
O my father.' And with that, he not . only cried out afoud, biit
-wept also.
Of this, long after, the author to the Hebfirefws took notice, Heb
xii. 16, 17, where, ha-ving branded Esau with profatieness, in de
spising his birth-right, and seUing it for a morsel of meat he obi-
serves that, when afterwards he would have inherited the blessing,
he was rejected ; for though he sought it (the blessing) carefiilly,
and with tears, yet he found no .place of repentance in hfe father-.
Neither prayers nor tears could prevail wifth Isaac to revoke the
blessing he had by divine appointment, given Jacob ; ' I have blessed
bim,' said he, ' yea and he shall be blessed.'
' Yeit that he might'Somewhat pacify Bsasa, and do as well for him
as he could, he at ler^h tells him, ' His duelling shaU be of the fat-
Bess of tbe earth, and of the de!w cf heaven from above.' In which
words, besides the inverting of the orde* of the words a'nd things,
the eartMy, the fatness of the earth, being here to the eardily man
set firsts whereas the dew of heaven Was set first to Jacob, th6
heavenly man. This which is said to Esau looks more like a pre
diction of what ttvould bdal him, tijan an appreciation that they
might brfal hiiM,. To Jacob it was said,' God give thee of the dew
of heaven, andtlne "fetness of tbe earth,' &c. But to Esati, 'Thy
dwelling-place ehaU be of the fattiess of th6 earth,' 6zc. And whfere-
as power and sovereignty, not only OVer Esau and his postferity, but
more generaJly^over people and nations, is wished to Jacob : Esau is

£6 SACRED HISTORY. PART I,
told, that he should live by his sword, (which is but an unquiet, un.
easy, unsafe course of life) and should serve his brother ; which
must needs bc a cut to him. But, for his comfort, it is propheti.
caUy added, that he in his posterity should, at one time or other,
have a dominion also ; and that then they should break his brother's
ycdce from off their neck ; which was attempted, and . begun in king
Joram's time, 8 Kings -vii. 20, 22, but not completely and fully
fulfUled tUl king Herod's time, who was an Edomite.
Esau regarded not the birth.right, which led to the blessing ; but
the blessing he was very earnest to have gotten. Thus some men
are desirous of attaining the end, but neglect the means which lead
to, that end.
Now when Esau saw that his brother Jacob had got the bless.
ing fropi him, he hated him for it; and supposing his father would
not live long, he resolved, that, as soon as his father should be dead,
he would slay his brother. Of which his , unnatural purpose Re.
bekah being informed, she called her son Jacob to her, and having
acquainted him with his brother's threats, wished him by any means
to make a visit to liis: uncle Laban at Haran, and tarry with him
a while, untU his brother's fury should be assuaged ; which she wo'old
observe, and then send for bim home again.
Jacob being of a mild, and probably somewhat fearful nature, and
knowing' Esau's rough temper, would easily comply witii a proposal
tending to his own safety ; but to go without his father's consent
was the ¦ difficulty. Rebekah therefore took an opportunity, when
her husband and she were , together, politicly to complain of the
uneasiness she was under on the account of their son Esau's Hittite
wives ; and the fear she had, lest his example should lead tlieir son
Jacob to do the Uke, ' I am weary of my life,' said she to her bus.
band, ' because of the daughters of Heth, (meaning Esau's wives)
if (added she) Jacob should take a wife of tbe daughters of Heth,
such as these which are of the daughters of this land, what good
shaU my life do me ? '
Though Isaac knew not the ground nor drift of this complaint,
yet being a devout and pious man, and knowmg that the promise
made to Abraham, and renewed, to him, was to be fulfilled in the
seed of Jacob ; and being therefore careful that he should not cor.
riipt his seed, by mixing with a.ny of those nations which were to
be destroyed, he forthwith called Jacob to him, and, together witii
his fatherly blessing, gave bim a strict charge that he should not
take a wife ofthe daughters of Canaan, but should go to Padan-
nram, to the house of Bethuel, his mother's father ; and from thence
take a wife of tiie daughters of Laban, bis mother's brother. ' And
God, Almighty,' said he, to encourage bun, ' bless thee, and malte
thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude,
(or an asseinbly rather) of people;; and give thee the blessing of

TART r. SACRED HISTOEY. &1
Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed widi thee, that thou mayest in-
herit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto
Abraham.' Thus Isaac sent away Jacob, just as his mother and he had
desired and contrived ; and away towards Padan-aram goes Jacob.
Now when Esau saw that his father had confirmed the blessins
to his brother Jacob, and sent him away to Padan.aram, to take
a wife from tiience; and that as he blessed him, he charged him
not to take a wife of the daughters of Canaan, and that Jacob,
in obedience to his parents, was gone towards Padan-aram, collect.
ing from thence, that his father was displeased with him for having
taken those Hittite wives, who were of the daughters of Canaan ;
and thinking to reingratiate himself with his father, he went and
took Mahalath, his uncle Ishmael's daughter, to be his wife, which
mended the matter but httie.
Jacob now travelling towards Padan-aram, and being benighted
on fhe way, was fain to lodge abroad in a certain place. Providence
so disposing it. Wherefore lying dowu on the ground, and laying
his head upon a stone, he feU asleep ; and in his sleep, dreamed
that he saw a ladder set upon the earth, the top of which reached
to heaven ; and upon it were the angels of God ascending and
descending. Above it stood the Lord, and said to him, '1 am
the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac : tbe
land whereon thou liest, to thee wiU I give it, and to thy seed,
And thy seed shaU be as the dust of the earth ; and thou shalt
spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and
to the south : and in thee, and in thy seed, shall all the families
of the earth be blessed.' And to comfort and encourage him to
go on his journey, he added, ' And behold I am with thee, and
¦wiU keep thee in aU places where thou goest ; and wUl bring thee
again into this land; for I wiU not leave thee, until I have done
that which I have spoken to thee of
Jacob hereupon awaking out of his sleep, and having the mat.
ter of his dream imprinted on his mind, said, ' Surely the Lord
is in this place, and I knew it not,' And this being, so far as ap
pears, the first time that God had so immediately appeared to him,
a Teverential awe feU upon him ; and being afraid, he brake forth
into admiration, saying, 'How dreadful is this place! This is
none otljerbut the hoiise of God; and tbis is the gate of heaven !'
For though at fijrst be had not weU enough considered the omni,
presence of God, yet here he weU observed, that where God doth
vouchsafe so to manifest himself, that is his bouse .... Getting
up therefore early in the morning, he took the stone, which be had
put for his piUow, and set it up for a piUar, both as a monument
of God's love to him, in so eminently appearing, and confirming;,

-58 SACRED HiSTORSr. -PARTT I.
his gracious promises to him ; and as a mark to kncW the place
by afterwards, whenever he should come that Way again.
Having set up the stone, he poured oil ^pon the top of it. And
ithis being the first mention we have of oil, either as to 'use, thing,
or name, it seems more reasonable that he lused it here, and so af
terwards. Gem XXXV. 14, in a way of -religious consecration: and
that rather by a divine instinct, and secret direction from God,
than by imitation or example from either his father or grandfather;
which some think he did. For if either Abraham or Isaac had
used oil in any of their religious performances, it naay well be
thought there would have been some meintion of it before ; where
as I find it not so much as named tUl now, nor after this, save
once, when Jacob, returning from Padan-aram to this place again,
.poured out oil on a piUar then, as he had done now, until God in
•the law appointed the use of it in consecrations, and in offerings,
'&c. Which ceremony, says one, signified these two things ; one,
that Christ was anointed, and consecrated to his office of media.
itor, -with fulness of the Holy Ghost ; secondly, that the anointing
'of the Spirit is that which makes us, and all our service, accepta
ble to God . . . W ilson's Christian Dictionary, verbo oil.
The place where Jacob had this heavenly vision, which was
'CaUedLuz before, he now called Betlwel, that is, the house of God.
And before he went from thence, repeating some part of what the
¦Lord had said to him, he vowed a vow, the more stroiigly to bind
himself to the Lord's service, saying, ' If God wiU be with me, and
wiU keep me in the way that I go, and -wiU give me bread to eat,
and raiment to put on, so that Icome^-again to my father's house in
peace ; then shall the Lord be my God.; and this stone, which I have
set up for a piUar, shaU be God's house, or, in the place where I
liavesetup this pUlar will I worship God, and of aMthat thou shalt
;give me, I wUl surely give the tenth unto thee.'
This is the second mention of t}4hes or tenths, and the first vow
concerning them ; made voliintarily, and expressed in the terms
of gi-ving them, and that not to man, but to God. How or when it
was -performed, no man knows ; but most think it was by an offer
ing imto God when Jacob built an altar at El-bethel, and set up and
poured a drink-oft'ering, and oflthereon, at his restsirn from Padan-
aram, Gen. XXXV. 7, 14.
Jacob having thus performed his devotions, and being much en-
Ctfuraged by the vision he had seen in his sleep, went eheerfiilly
on his journey, till he came into Mesopotamia. And looking about
as he walked, he saw a well in a field, and three flocks of sheep
Ijdng byit: for out of that weU the flocks vrere wont to be watered.
And because tbe mouth of the well was covered with a great
stone ; the manner was, that when all the flocks were gathered to
gether, the shepherds, joining all their strength, roUed away the

SART :. :SACHED mSTOKT. ^^
Stone; and when they had watered the sheep, ihey :,put the stone
again upon the mouth of the weU.
Jacob straightway makes up to 5them, and saluting them, with
;'the courteous compellation of brethren, asked them whence they were ?
They answering, of Haran ; he asked them, if 'they knew Laban,
<and how he did ; they teU >him, he was well ; and that that was his
¦daughter Rachel, who was coming towards them with the sheep.
By that time they had done their discourse, Rachel was come
tip to them with herfather's sheep ; -for she kept them. As soon
-as Jacob saw Rachel, he rolled the stone from the well's mouth,
and watered her sheep ; which done, he told her who he was, and
saluting her •with a-kiss, he lift np his voice and wept for joy. Ra--
¦xhel leaving him there, hastened home, and told her father whom
-she had met with. And as soon as Laban heaard that Jacob, his
-sister's son, was come to see him, be ran to meet 'hhn, and having
^embraced and kissed him, he brought him hoinae with him.
Jacob soon after gave his uncle an account of what had haj"-
Vpened betwixt his brother Esau and him, as the cause of his com
bing from hcane ; and of the vision he had in his sleep on the way.
AU which was necessary for Laban to understand, both to prevent
•any suspicicoi that he had misbehaved himself at hon»e, or left his
.parents -without their consent or direction, seeing he came so bare
and unattended ; and tdso to make him sensible, that tlie Lord had
ttakenupon himself the protection and care of hun. And according
ly Laban, when he had heard the account he gave, acknowledging
-him to be his near kinsman, gave him a kind reception.
When Jacob had now been with his uncle Laban the space of a
tnonth, and had raitered himself -in his uncle's business, as intending
to make some stay With him, his suncle taking an opportuni^ to
¦discourse with him,, let him know he did not expect, -nor think it
reasonable, that because he was a near rdation, he should serve him
for notiiing; and therefore desired hhn to teU him what wages he
would have.
Rachel was Laban's younger daughter ; but being beautiful and
"weU-favoured, whereas her sister Leah was tender-eyed; Jacob was
in love with Rachel ; and therefore told his uncle, he would serve
him seven years for his younger daughter Rachel. To which La
ban as weU he might, consenting, Jacob entered his fhst apprentice-
-ship, or seven years' service, which, for the great love he bore
iRachel, seemed to him but a few days.
When he had served up his time, he desired liis uncle (who was
'now to be his father-in-law) to give him his wife. Labtm thereup.
¦on, that the marriage might be openly solemnized, uiade a feast,
and invited his neighbours. And being desirous for his own ad-
vontageto detain Jacob stiU in his service, he dealt not fairly with
Jacyb, but beguiled him ; for in the evening, he ' took Leah, and

60 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
brought her to Jacob's bed instead of Rachel.' And it being the
custom of the country, that the bride, on pretence of modesty and
shame-facedness, should be covered with a veU when she was brought
to the bridegroom, Jacob by that means was deceived, not discern
ing that it was Leah tUl next moming.
Next morning, when he found the abuse, he complained of it to
Laban, who put it off with a slender excuse, alledging, that it was
not the manner of that country to give the younger in marriage be
fore the elder ; which, if it had been true, he should have ac
quainted Jacob with it before they had contracted.
Laban, knowing the great aflfection Jacob bare to Rachel, needed
not doubt but the hopes of having her too would bind him to stay
longer with him, which was the thing he much desu-ed. But he
seemed afraid, lest Jacob, in resentment of the injury done him,
should throw off Leah, and not receive her for his -wife. Where
fore, in gentie terms, he entreats him to fiilfil her week ; and then,
said he, ' we wUl give thee this also, for the service which thou
shalt serve with me yet seven other years.'
By week here, some understand a week of years, or seven years ;
pnd that to fulfU her week, he was to serve up the other seven
years before he should have Rachel. But others with better reason
conclude, that by fulfilUng her week, was intended that he should
openly acknowledge Leah for his wife, by keeping tbe marriage fes
tival seven das^s together, according to the manner of those times
in that country, and at the end of the week he should marry Ra
chel, and serve the seven years for her afterwards. This appears
to be the right sense of the place by the order of the story. For
though Jacob was with Laban twenty years. Gen. xxxi. 28, and
61, yet at the end ofthe fourteenth year Jacob proposed to part
and return home. But Rachel had borne Joseph before thati, Gen.
XXX. 26, and besides had been married a good while before she bare
Joseph ; and had two sons by her maid Bilhah, which could not
have been, if she had not been married before the end of his second
seven years.
Jacob, consenting to Jjabtm's proposal, ftiilfilled Leah's week, and
then married Rachel ; to whom his love went forth so much more
than to Leah, that Leah comparatively was said to be- hated. But
the Lord pitying Leah made her fruitful, and restrained Rachel
from bearing; so that Leah bare Jacob four sons, Reuben, Simeon,
Levi, and Judah, before Rachel had one.
This troubled Rachel sorely, so that she emulated her sister; and
being blinded through her too earnest desire of children, she sav»
not the band of the Lord in it, but imputing her want of children
to her husband ; and giving away to her discontent, she vented hep
passion upon himi saying unadvisedly to him, « Give me childirea^
Of I die.'

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 61
Though Jacob loved her entirely, yet here his judgment pre
vailed over his affection. And though he was naturally of a gentie
and mUd temper, yet these rash and unadvised words of Rachel,
wanned him to that degree, that it is said ' his anger was kindled
against her ; ' which he vented in this short but sharp reproof ' Am
1 in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the
womb 1 '
By this check, brought to a better consideration of the matter,
and hopeless of issue to match her sister, Rachel bethinks herself
of another way ; and therefore deals with her husband, in Uke
manner as his grand-mother Sarah had dealt in somewhat a like
case, with her husband Abraham. Laban, when he bestowed his
daughters in marriage, gave each of them a maid to wait on her.
Leah's maid was named Zilpah ; and Rachel's Bilhah. Rachel
therefore, having first discoursed, and agreed the matter with her
husband, gives him her maid Bilhah for an under-wife or concubine ;
reckoning vrith herself, that what children he should have by her
maid should be hers, for she would account them as her own, and
would take the care of, cherish and bring them up, as if she had
been their mother.
This is meant by those expressions, ' she shaU bear upon my
knees,' and ' that I may also have children by her,' ver. 3. And
accordingly when BUhah soon after bare Jacob a son, Rachel claims
him, takes him for her own, rejoices that God had given her a son,
and gives him bis name Dan. Bilhah bears Jacob a second son,
which also Rachel takes as her own, and .caUs him NaphtaU.
When Leah saw this, doubting her sister would by this means get
the better of her, she thought she might use her sister's poUcy ; and
supposing that she herself had given over child bearing, she gave
her husband her maid Zilpah to wife; Zilpah brought Jacob a
.son ; which Leah taking, cried * A troop comes ; ' and thereupon
called the boy Gad. Zilpah brings another son which Leah, now
thinking herself happy, called Asher.
Her eldest son Reuben was by this time grovra big enough to
run about in the fields, where he found some pretty flowers that
had a pleasant smeU, which he brought home to his mother. What
sort of flowers they were is undeterminable : they are rendered
Mandrakes ; which is an herb whose root is said to have the likeness
of a man. But some critics give reasons to shew that these could
not be that : whatever they were, Rachel seeing them, had a great
deshe after them, and therefore prayed her sister to give her some
of them.
The emulation that was between the two rival sisters had so far
broken their kindness to each other, that there was not a good cor
respondence between them : so that Leah, thinking Rachel had too
great a share jn her husband's affeonon, and forgetting, or not

62 SACRED HISTORY. PART IU
rightly considering^, that: her sister, not herself, was Jacob's, choice^
and that she was but a kind of interloper to her sister, answers her
somewhat churlishly, and in an upbraiding manner 5 'Is it a smaUi
matter that, thou hast taken my husband,' said she to Rachel, ' and
tvouldst tiiou, take away my son's flowers also V
Though Rachel could have retouted, and wanted not. sharpness,
yet ha-ving a mind to the flowers, she would not contend, but;
rather propose terms of agreement. Whereas therefore, in course,
Jacol) was tohave been Rachel's bedrfeUow that night ; she tells her
sister, that: if she wlU give her some of the flowers, she shall enjoy
his company that night. Leah liking the terms, they agree upon it,
and Leah went out in the evening to meet him, at bis return from-.
the field; and ha-ving acquainted bim with the terms of their bax--
gain, incites, him to her apartment, and his company that night.
Upon this, Leah, conceiving again, brought forth, her fifth son,
which she- named Issachar, because be- was tbe fruit- of her hire.
And in time concei-ving again, she had a sixth son, whom she named
Zebulun; and at last bare to Jacob the only daughter, we read he.
had, whose name was Dinah.
Hitherto Rachel had no, issue of her own body^ but now it pleased-
God to remember her, and at length hearkened to, her request*
and gave her a. son : whereupon rejoicing; that God: had taken.
away her- reproach, (for so was bfurenness then accounted) and;
predicting that the Lord would add, to heK aaotha: son, she called the
name of this boy Joseph.
Soon after Joseph was born, Jacob having: served' up his last seven
years service, began to think of returning into- his own country,
Where&re putting his fether-in-lfcw in mind, that the time for which
he had contracted to serve was now expired; he desired him to de
liver him his wives and' children, and send him away.
This was unpleasing. discourse to Laban : wherefore, acknowledg
ing the benefits he had received by, Jacob's being with him, and that
he was sensible the Lord had blessed him for his sake, he earnestly
entreated him toitarry. stiU with him ; ofifering to give- him whatso
ever he would ask. for. his wages.
Jacob letting him know, that; he was; also sensible that the Lord
had blessed him sinee- his coming to him, and how. greatiy the
littie stock, he had before was increased, wished him to consider, if
ij was not time for- him* who had now, a dozen chUdren, to make
some provision for his own femily.
But Laban, not willing- to hear o£ parting -with him, still pressed
him with, -What shall I give thee?' Jacob overcame by Laban's
«nportuni^, told him he should not give him any thing; but if he
liked the terms he should ofl^er, him, he would continue in his service,
to feedi and feeep his flock stiU. Which terms were these ; that ' they
should pass through the wholQtfliQeki both of sheep and gopts, and

TART I. SACRED, HISTORY. gS
draw out all ^ spotted^, speckled, brown and ring^strealced cattle,
from those thai) were only white ; and removing them to, a con
venient distance one from, the other;, Laban's, sons should take the
charge of the spotted flock; and he of the white only.' And then,
whatsoever spotted on speckled cattle, or bi-own among the- sheep,
or spotted or speckled among the- goats-, should after that time come
forth out of the white flock, whioh he was to keep, that should be
his hir&, Thus he reckoned he should depend upon Pro-ridence
for his. wages; and ^ere would be no occasion of diflference be
tween his father-in-law and him.about it.
Laban was overjoyed atthepropositioa; and forthwith closing -with-.
It, they went out and parted the flocks, accordingly ; and delivering
the spotted cattle to Laban's.sons, and the rest to Jacob, to keep,.
that he might be sure there should be no intercourse between,
them, to cause niixtures of the cattie, he set. them three days,
journey assundert
Now did God remember Laban's. unrighteous deaung -with Ja
cob ; how he deceived him, in his, marriage, giving him Leah in-
stead of Rachel,; and how, out of a covetous desiire to serve himself,'
upon him he had conh-ived ways, to detain him in his service.,
God takes from Laban the riches he had before given him for
Jacob'ssake, and bestows it on Jacob : and that in such a manner, as-
Laban could neither help himself, nor justly find fault with Jacob..
For Jacob, ha-ving his understanding opened by a divine wisdom,,.
took rods., of goeen popla^j.and of the ha?el and chesnut.trees, and;
peeling off the rind, in streaks, made the white to appear in the
rods. Then setting the rods, whieh he had so peeled, in the water-.
ing troughs when the flocks came to drink and saw the speckledj
and spottedj: all which he- set before the white cattie, that they,,
looking upon them, might conceive such. And he took especial,
care to lay his rods; before the stronger- and lustier cattle, that they
might bring, forth spotted ones for him; but before the weak and
feeble cattle he did not lay his rods, but left them to bring forth
cattle unt-o Laban. By this artifice, not only the greater number of
the cattle brought forth to Jacob, but his were much the abler-
¦ and the stronger; And thus his substance increased exceedingly,
not in small cattle only, but in camels, also and^ asses; and he had;
withal a great family of servants.
Laban, seeing Jacob'Si prosperity^ was not so glad of the terms,
before, when Jacob proposed them, as, he was now uneasy under
them; and being- a selfish, man, not: thoroughly seasoned -with a,
principle of justice, he flew off fromjhis bargain ; and bad", itscems^,,
ere this, several times altered the- terms of it ; whioh, Jacob, for
quietness sake, suffered, though uneasily. But which way soever
Laban tumed it, he stiU had the worst of it. For if he said, the
j^eckled shaU be thy wages, then aU the cattie bare speckled ; and

€i SACREP HISTORY, PART t.
if ho said the nng.streaked shaU be thy hire, then aU the cattle bare
ring-streaked ; God so disposing it, to impoverish Laban, and en
rich Jacob, whom Laban designed to enrich himself by.
Jacob had now heen twenty years in Laban's service ; where
of he served fourteen years for his two wives, and six years for
cattle. And now he happened to overhear his brothers-in-law, La
ban's sons, grumbling and complaining that he had taken all that
was their father's, and had raised to himself a fair estate out of
it. He observed also, that Laban himself was grown cold and in
different toward him : and did not carry so kindly to him, as he
had formerly done. This made him think of leaving Laban's ser
vice, and returning to his father Isaac. But then the Lord ap
pearing to him, and bidding him 'return to his kindred, and to the
land of his father's ; this brought his thought into resolution ; only
he considered, that it was necessary he should impart his pur
pose first unto his wives, and draw them to a consent ; that they
might not hang back, and thereby hinder his journey. Wherefore
he sent for thera both to come to him in the field ; both that he
might not leave his flocks, and that he might discourse -with them
about it with more freedom and privacy.
When they were come to him, he told them he had observed
that their father's countenance and carriage was changed of late,
and was not now towards him as it had formeriy been ; though he
could appeal to their own knowledge, both concerning his fiiithful-
ness and diligence in his service, and their father's unfair dealing
with bim, in deceiving him, and changing his wages so often as he
had done. He told them also, that God would not suffer their
father to hurt him ; but had turned all his contrivances against him
to his advantage, and had taken away their father's cattle, and had
given them to him. And ha-ving related to them how, and for
what reason, God had done this, he then let them know, that the
Lord had lately appeared to him, and had put hini in mind of th«
piUar he had anointed, and of the vow he had made to him at
Beth-el, in his passage from Canaan thither, of which, at his first
coming to Laban, he had given them a relation, and that the Lord
had now commanded him to get him out from this land, and to
return to the land of his kindred.
Rachel and Leah having attentively heard what their husband
had said to them, let him know, they also had observed that their
father was estranged from them, and sought to make advantages to
himself by them : and were sensible that the Lord had taken their
father's riches from him, and given it to them, and therefore they
might, without injury to him, remove both themselves and their
substance. Wherefore assuring him, that they were -^vilUng and
ready to go with him, they desired him to prepare for tbe journey,
Jacd) thereupon, having got all things in readiness mounting hie

tART II SACRED mSTORY 65
-wives and children upon camels, set forward with aU his cattle and
goods, which he had gotten in Padan-aram, to go to his father Isaac
in tiie land of Canaan.
It so fell out, that at the time of their departure, Laban was gone
to shear his sheep ; * which gave Rachel opportunity to steal and
carry away his Teraphim. These Teraphim were images resemb-
Ung a man, oi* at least tiie head of a man, and were kept by the
heathens in their private houses, and were called their household
gods. And these they both worshipped and consulted as oracles
in aiy doubtful case; the uUclean spirit to which they were ap
propriated, and whose name was written on them, speaking througli
them, and thef-eby giving answer to such as did consult them.
Those who desire to know more of these Teraphim, may read
Godwjm's Moses and Aaron, 1. 4. 3. 9. Wherefore he wiU find,
that among other reasons why Rachel took away those images,
one is supposed to be, that her father, when he should hear of their
departure, might not have those images to inquire of; and so, not
knowing which way they had taken, might be hindred from pursu.
ing them.
Jacob, thus slipping privily away unawares to Laban, passed over
tbe river Euphrates, with aU that he had, and mad-e for mount Gilead ;
¦*bither he got before Laban overtook him. For Laban, not hear
ing of his fUght tiU the third day after hO was gone, was so far
cast behind in the pursuit, that he Was fain to travel seven days
journey before he could overtake him ; in which time God came
to Laban in a dream by nigh-l, and gave him a charge that he
s-hould not speak roughly to Jacob, When therefore next morning
he, with his kindred who accompanied him, came to speak -ivith
Jacob, he expostulated with him, but in pretty soft and gentie terms,
why he had stolen away from hira, and did not acqiiaint him with
his purpose to depart ; but carried away his daughters as if they
had been captives taken in war ; not giving him an opportunity to
take a solemn leave of his daughters and grand-children, and to send
them away with mirth, and in an equipage befitting his rank : then
telUng him that he had therein done foolishly, or unadvisedly, and that
it was in his power, that is, he had strength enough with him, to do
them hurt, he added, ' but the God of your father spake to me yester
night, and laid a restraint upon me.'
Hitherto bo seemed to blame Jacob for unkindness only, but
now he charges him with dishonesty: 'If nothing would serve thee
but to be gone, said he, because thou hankerest so after thy father's
bouse ; yet wherefore hast ihou stolen my gods ? '
To the former pan df Laban's speech, relating tx) nis coming away
•A. M. 2206.
VOL. I. — 4

€6 SACKED HISTOKT. PART I.
without giving him notice, Jacob gentiy answered that he did it be-
cause he was afraid, lest if he had acquainted him with his purpose,
he would have forcibly detained his dau^ters from him. But to th©
other part, relatuig to tiie steaUng of his gods, Jacob, not knovidng
that Rachel bad taken them, answered more warmly : "with whom
soever thou findest thy gods, said he, let him net Uve. ' And to man
ifest bis innocency, he bid Laban search all his stuff in the presence
of their brethren ; and if he could find any tbdng of his amongst it,
let him take it.
Laban thereupon, hoping to find hia gods, searched the tents of
Jacob, Leah, and the two; hand-maids ; and not finding them there,
went to Rachel's tent . . . , Rachel -was in a double straitf with
respect to both her father and her husband, either of whom she might
well think would have been highly offended with her, if the idols
should have been found in her custody : therefore she had need use her
utmost art to hide them safely. And having time to contrive while
her father was searching the otiier tents, she took the images, and
putting them into the camel's fiirniture, the saddle on which she used
to ride, she sat herself down upon them. By that time she was well
settled, her father came in to. search the tent ; whereupon, she keeping
her seat, begged his pardwi,, that she could not at that time rise up
before him ; alledging for her excuse, that she was indisposed. By
which pretence he being deceived, and not removing her to search
the saddle, though he setarched all other parts of the tent, found not
the images.
Jacob hereupon dealt roundly with Laban, asking him, ' What
was his trespass that he had so hotly pursued after him, and so
highly charged him, and what he had found that belonged to bim,
now he had searched all his stuff; bidding him set it forth before
their brethren, that they might judge between them.' Then re
counting the long servitude he had held him iu, his faithfulness, care
and diligonce in his ser^vice; the hardships be bad undergone there
in, both by day and by night, and the hard and unequal terms he
had held him to : he concluded thus, ' Except the God of my
father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isiiac (that God when*
Isaac feared) had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away
now empty : but God hath seen mine affliction, and the labour of
my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.'
Laban, not knowing how to defend hin»self against Jacob's charge,
thought best to let fall the debate; and therefore caUing all that
Jacob had, (wives, children, cattie, goods) his, and pretending thai
for that reason he would not hurt them, lest therein he siiould hurt
liimself, he proposed that they should make a covenant of peace be
tween them: which they did by erecting a piUar or heap of stones
for a memorial calling it the heap of witness, that neither of them
should invade the other. And die covenant being to be confhmed

FART I, SACRED. HISTORY. 61
by oath, Laban sware, not only by the God of Abraham, but, heathen
hke, by the gods of Nahor, Abraham's brother; and, to go higher,
by tbe gods of their common father Terah. But Jacob sware only
by the fear of his father Isaac, the God whom Isaac feared. This
done, Jacob, having kiUed some beeists, gave his relations an enter
tainment; and next morning early, Laban kissing his sons anti
daiaghters, and giving them his fatherly blessing, took, his leave of
them and returned home.
As Laban went back, Jacob went forward ; and God, to confu'm,
him after his rencounter with Laban, and tccomfort him in an assur
ance of the divine protection, was graciously pleased to send his
angels to meet him.; which when Jacob saw, he said, 'this, is God's
host : ' and thereupon he called the name of the place Mahanaim,.
which signifies two host^ or CEunps, aUuding therein, to God's host.
of angels, and his own company.
After this, as Jacob drew near to the confines of the land of Seir,
thecountry of Edom, remembering how highly he had provoked his
brother Esau, and in what a menacing fury he left, him. Gen. xxvii.
and that he had not in all this time of twenty years received any
account from his mother of the abatement of his brother's anger
towEirds him, which, she had promised, when she- found it, to send
him, ver. 46; be thought it advisable to send a, pacifying message to
his brother, that thereby he might havcan opportunity to understand
hy the messengers, what temper he- was now in, and, how he stood
affected towards him, before he came too near hina. Choosing out
therefore fit messengers, he gave them in charge, that when they
were come to his brother, they should; say, ' Thy servant Jacob.
saith thus : I have sojourned with Laban, and staid there until now ;
and I have oxen and asses, flocks, and; men-servants, and women-
servants, and I have sent to teU my lord, ^at I may find grace, or
favour, in thy sight
By this courteous and respectful message, Jacob hoped to appease
his brother, if any thing of his former resentments stiU remained ;
and by giving him some account of his substance and attendants, ho
might stop Esau, if he had not wholly lost all sense and fear of
God, from attempting anything against him, whom, God had so em-
inemly blessed^ And besidfes, it would look- kindly and brotherly in
him, to give his brother some knowledge of his condition, that he
might congratulate- his prosperous success.
It may perhaps be inquired how Jacob, whom his father, by divine
direction, had made lord over Esau, could call Esau his lord, and
himself his seuvant . .... TremeUius and .lunius, in their annota
tions on the place, say,, « By this submission, Jacob did not reject
the honour and dominion conferred by God upon him : but patientiy
waiting for the execution of God's wiU, he kept himself within the
bounds of nature, and reverenced Esau as his elder brother.' Bui

68 SACRED HISTORY. PART L
I question whether he had any other regard to the words 'lord and
servant, than as they were then customarily used among aU sorts, es
peciaUy by those who desired to ingratiate themselves with others.
As for the term 'lord,' though Sarah used it aa a titie of relation, to
her husband, thereby acknowledging his power, and her subjection ;
for which she was long after both commended and recommended as
a pattern to others, 1 Pet. iii, 6 ; yet the first use we find of it, not
as a relative title, but as a mere honorary compliment, or corapli-
mental honour, coming from the chUdren of Heth, who were heatii-
ens, to Abraham, Gen. xxiii. 6, 11, 16, is enough to persuade, that
the rise and first use of it was among the idolatrous aud heathen na
tions ; and from thera came to be taken up, and used by the fathers
and the people of God afterwards, as many other things were, until
the time of reformation ; and that Jacob in fear of Esau did there-
fore use it ; and thinking he miglit thereby please, and so appease,
the haughty humor of his rough brother.
The account which Jacob's messengers brought him, when they
came back from Esau, put him into a terrible fright, for they brought
no answer from Esau, but only told Jacob, that his brother Esau was
coming to meet him, and had four hundred men with him. This
news did sorely afflict Jacob ; for he concluded from the number of
men which Esau brought with him, that he came against him with
an hostile mind. His straight was doubtless great : fight he durst
not ; fly he could not ; having women, young children, and great
flocks and herds of cattie with him. The best contrivance he could
think of, was to divide his company ; aU the people that were with
him, and aU the cattle, into two bands; which being set at a con.
vonlent distance one from the other, he hoped, that if Esau should
fall upon one of them, the other in the mean time might have op
portunity to escape.
But though Jacob was vriUing to use what politic means he
oould, yet he trusted not to that; he knew his safety lay in a di
vine protection, and he had lately experienced it in Laban's pursuit
of him. Wherefore, in a most bumble and solemn manner, ho ad
dresses himself to God in this earnest suppUcation :
'0 God of my fatiier Abraham, and God of my father Isaac,
the Lord which saidst unto me. Return unto thy country and to thy
kindred, and I wiU deal well with tiiee ; I am not worthy of the
least of all thy mercies, and of all the truth which thou hast shewed
unto thy servant : for with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and
now I am become two bands. DeUver me, I pray thee, frora tho
hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest
he will come and smite me, and the mother with, or upon the chil
dren. And thou saidst, I wUl surely do thee good, aud make thy
seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for mul
titude.'

?ART r. SACRED HISTORY. 69
"Very observable is the humiUty of Jacob in this prayer, and
the persuasive and even forcible reasons couched in it. He arro
gates notiiing to himself, nor so much as calls him his God, or to
approach him in his own name ; but says, ' 0 God of my father
Abraham, and God of my fatiier Isaac : ' two than whom we find
none more near, none more dear to God, since man was made. Then
putting him in mind, that he undertook his journey by his command,
• the Lord which saidst unto me, return unto thy country, &c,, and
under his safe conduct too, (and I wiU deal weU with thee,) he abases
himself to the lowest (I am not worthy of tiie least of the mercies and
of the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant) which how
great they were, he shews, by his being now become two bands who
went out with his staff only. Then coming to the subject of his
petition, he sets forth the ground of his fear and danger, ' deUver
me I pray thee from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau,
who, though he be my natural brother, is notwithstanding my avowed
enemy,' for I fear bim, (as weUI may, since he hath resolved my
death, and is now coining with an army against me) lest he smite me,
ond (not me only, but my wives and children also) the mother with-,
or upon, the children, (wMleshe, to save her chUdren, covers their
bodies with her own.) And besides all this, if thou shouldst suffer
me and my seed to be cut off, how will thy promise be fulfilled, who
hast said, ' I wiU surely do thee good, and make thy seed as tho
sand of the sea for multitude.
Having thus implored the divine protection, he betiiinks himself,
tiiat since he had sent his brother word how great substance he had,
it would not be amiss to send him a present out of it. But not hav
ing time to pick and choose, lest Esau should be upon him before
the present could be delivered ho was fain to take it of that which
came next to hand. Setting out therefore two hundred she goats, and
twenty he-goats by themselves in a drove ; and two hundred ewes
and twenty rams in another drove; thirty mUch camels with tiieir
colts in another drove ; and twenty she asses with ten asses foals in
another drove ; he delivered them to his servants, every drove by
itself; and ordering them to keep an handsome distance or space
between drove and drove, he sent them on before bim ; charged the
servant which followed the first drove, that when Esati should meet
him, and should ask him whom he belonged to, whither he was going,
and whose those cattie were, he should say, ' they be thy servant Ja
cob's, a present sent unto my lord Esau, and behold also he is
behind us.' The same he gave in charge to the other servants that
went witii the second, third, and every other drove ; hoping that the
sight of so many various presents, and the so often hearing, from so
many several hands, such a submissive and obliging message, might
somewhat mollify Esau 's harshness, and dispose him to a loving and
brotherly temper before they two should meet.

70 ^S'ACfiSD 'HISTORY. PART I,
Having 'thus set forward his .present for his brother, his next care
was for his wives and children ; aU which he caused to pass that
night at the ford over the brook Jabbock; and after them sent over
what else he had, himself going last. But in the night, being leii
alone, there wrestied a man with him, until the breaking -of the day.
Andwhen he saw that be prevaUed hot against him, he touched tbe
hoUow of his thigh, and the hoUow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint
as he wrestled with him. Then said the man to him, - Let me go, for
the daybreaketh.' But Jacob said, ' I wiU not let thee go except
thou bless me.' The iman then asking him what his name was, and
saying it was Jacob, 'thy name 'sreplied the other, 'shaU be caUed
no more Jacob (only) but Israel ; for as a prince hast thou power
with God and v/ith man, and hast prevailed,'
Some take this man that wresded with Jacob to "be an angel of
¦God ; others the Lord himself, in form of man. Evident it is, that
Jacob did nottake him fear a mortal man, in that he asked a bless.
¦ing of him. And God having seen the distress of mind which Ja.
cob was in, and received the supplication which he had poured
iforth to him, was not content only to deliver him from his brother
Esau, by turning Esau's anger into love ; but for his further com
fort and the encontagement of his faith, gave him in this conflict a
"fresh proof of his power, by 'which, as he had now prevailed with
God, he should prevail with his brother also, as he had already
¦lately done with -his father-in-law Laban, But that he might be
sensible that ho had 'not prevailed by his own strength, and there
fore should not tfUst to that, but rely upon a divine support, he gave
him a touch in the hollow, or bending part of his thigh, and there
by put the .joint out, which made him go hdtii^ off, by which
TO cans he that wresded with him might easily have thrown him
•down, nay, he would likely have fallen of himself, had he not been
'upheld by a divine hnnd ; which therefore it behoved him to keep
10 and lean i«!pon.
Just as the sun arose, Jacob passed over Penuel, or Peniel, the
.placewhere be had his wrestling exercise ; and which he therefore
•calledby that name, which signiiiesthe face of God; ' because,' said
he, 'I have seen God face to lace, and yet ray life is preserved:'
yet the sinew of his 'thigh shrinking, he halted as he went.
He had ncit gone far, bdfcflfe he espied Esau coming with his four
hundred men sSt his heels. At sight of whom he began to dispose
his company into such an order, as might hs both fittest to receive
him, and sdfest for them whom he had most regard for. Putting
therefore the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah with
her children next, he set his beloved Rachel, -and her son Joseph,
bindermost : and then hunself passing on before them, he bowed
'himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother ;

PART I. sACRED HISTORY-. 11
but Esau running to meet him, embraced him, and taking him about
the neck, kissed him ; and they both wept together.
Afterwards Esau, taking notice d" the women and children, asked
Jacob who they were ? meaning in what relation they stood to him ;
who telUng him they were the children which God had graciously
given him, the women thereupon, with their children, came forward,
in their several ranfa and order ; and as they drew near they bowed
themselves, as the mannter of those times was. Esau then inquiring
what he m'ent by all the droves -which he had met before, he told him
he sent tiiem to him as a present, to obtain his favour. And when
Esau would have excused himself from taking them, telUng his broth
er that he had enough, and therefore desiring him to keep what he
had for himself ; Jacob oveijoyed, to find him so kind, intreated him to
accept his present, as a testimony of his favour to him. And that he
might not refuse it, as thinking he could not weU spare it, he added,
* Take, I pray thee, my blessing, the token of ray good wiU, that is
brought lo thee, because God hath dealt graciously with me ; and be
cause I have aU things,' to wit, that ette needful or convenient for me,
as indeed every one has, who hath him that is the author and bestower
of all things.
Upon Jaoob'sthus pressing him, Esau accepted his present; and
then proposed how they should order their journey, so as to have
one anctther's company .... But Jacob, not fond of that,
desired him to pass on before and leave him to come leisurely after,
according as the cattle and chUdren could bear, until he should come
to him in his own country of Seir : where some think he never in.
tended to come ; howevfer, it doth not appear that he ever did come
there. Esau then courteously offered to leave him some of his men
to attend him ; but Jacob handsomely putting it by, as a thing where.
of he had no need, they kindly parted ; Esau taking his way toward.?
Seii again, and Jacob journeying to Succoth, Where he built him
an house, and made booths for his cattJe, from which the place took
that name.
Removing afterwards to Shalem, or Salem, a city of Shechem, in
the land of Canaan, when became to Padan-'aram, he pitched his
tent before the city; and having bought a piece of a field, where he
had^readhis tent, of the children of Hamor, whom Stephen calls
Emmor, Acts vii. 16, for an hundred pieces of money, on which the
image of a lamb being stamped, it is therefore sometimes rendered
an hundred lambs, he there erected an altar ; which, as a thankful
monument of those great deUveranoes wrought for him by that
powerful arm, which had preserved him through many dangers and
brought him safe thither, he dedicated to the mighty God, the God
of Israel.
During the time that Jacob staid in this place, his only daughter,
Dinah, look a walk abroad, out of a curiosity to see the daughters of

T2 SACRED HISTORY. PART I,
the land ; whom young Shechem, son to Hamor the Hivite, prince
of that country, descended from Canaan, son of cursed Ham, Gen.
X. 17, seeing, fell in love with; and having her in his power, and
destitute of aU help frora her relations, he lay with her and defiled
her. And not wiUing afterwards to part with her, being, extreraely
enamoured of her, he desired his father to obtain her for his wife.*
Jacob had heai'd of the rape committed on his daughter. But
inasmuch as his sons were with his cattle in the field, he forbore to
take notice of it till they were come home ; they hearing of it hasted
home, being much grieved for the evil committed, and highly in
censed for the injury done to their sister, and the dishonor to their
family. Hamor soon after came to treat with Jacob about the match, and
finding him and his sons together, acquainted them how strong an
affection his son Shechem had for Dinah ; intreating them to give
hira her to -wife : and inviting them to intermarry with his people,
offered them the freedom of the country to dwell and trade, and get
possessions in ; young Shechem also, being present with his father,
begged them to grant him his request ; offering to give them what
soever they would ask, be it ever so much, so they would but give
him the damsel to wife.
Jacob's sons, some at least of the most forward of them, under
took to manage the treaty ; and concealing their displeasure, but
meditating revenge, laid a train to draw them within their reach.
Wherefore having told them, and that truly, that they cotild not, ac
cording to the law of their reUgion, give their si'ster in marriage to
one that was not circumcised; they yet made them beUeve that if they
would be ciTcumoised, and procure their people to be every male of
them circumcised as they were, they would then join with them in
mutual marriages, would' settie among tiiem, and incorporate with
them as one people. But withal they let them know, that if they
would not agree to this, to be aU circumcised, they would take their
sister and be gone.
Hamor and Shechem were well pleas'ed with the terms ; the
young man especiaUy, who for the dehght he hadin Dinah, bestirred
himself to bring his people to consent thereto: his father therefore
and he, as soon as thev were comeback to the city, falling into dis
course with their citizens, commended the Israelites for peaceable
men, and advised their people to let them dwell and trade in the land,
seeing it was large enough for them both, and to reciprocate mar
riages with them, by giving them daughters, and taking daughters of
them for wives ; only they told them, there was no w-ay to bring the
Israelites to agree to this, but by their yielding to be circumcised tis
the Israelites were ; which the better to draw them to, they laid be,
• A. M. 2274.

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 73
fore them tbe advantages that would accrue to them from this inter
mixture and commerce: 'for shall not, said they, their cattle and
their substance, and every beast of theirs be ours 1 we being so much
stronger than they.' This was a moving argument ; and Shechem
having a great interest in the people, for he was more honourable, that
is more regarded, than all the house of his father besides, they all
consented, and every male of them was circumcised.
Here was policy on both sides ; Jacob's sons urged circumcision
upon the Shechemites, only to gain an opportunity to wreak their re
venge on thera. Hamor and Shechem aUured their people- with the
hopes of possessing Jacob's substance, only that Shechem might
obtain his desired end, the enjoyment of Dinah.
Now had those sons of Jacob, who had laid this train gained
their point. Wherefore on the third day after this bloody operation,
when the Shechemites were in the height of soreness, two of Dinah's
brethren, Simeon and Levi, came boldly upon the city, and haying
each of them his sword, slew all the males.
In this action there is none named- but these two ; yet some, not
without reason, think that the rest of Jacob's sons, who were old
enough for such an exploit, and- thoir servants also, were engaged in
the execution ; though these two only as authors of the design are
named. And indeed it is hard to conceive, that two men should master a
city, and slay all the men therein, though somewhat hurt in such a
part of the body as would not whoUy disable them from action and
defence: and should also take aU the women captives, who, of them
selves, may be supposed to have been more than sufficient to over
power two men.
Hamor, and Shechem his son, who gave the occasion for this massa
cre, they put to fhe sword among the rest : and finding their sister
inShechem's house, took her away. Then faUing on the spoil, they
took uot only all that was in the city, but that also which was in the
field: their sheep, their oxen,-their asses, and all their wealth, their
httle ones also, and wives, they took captives ; and what they could
not carry away, that they spoiled, that they might glut their- revenge
upon the Shechemites, for the defiling of their sister.
Good Jacob shewed, by his dislike of the action, that he was not
privy to the design ; and blaming Simeon and Levi forit, he told them,
they had by this means ' troubled him, and .made him stink among
the inhabitants of the land,' the Canaanites and Perizzites ; who
though they were in time to be cm off to make way for Israel, yet
not till the time allotted thera by God was expired ; nor then by assas
sinations, but in fair and open war. He also urged thera to consider,
that by this treachery and cruel dealing of theirs, they had exposed
both him and themselves to the rage and revenge of those people ;
who, knowing themselves to be much stronger than he, might be

V4 SACRED HISTORY. PART U
likely enough lo combine together, and destroy him and his family.
To aU which, his sons, esteeming the rape committed on their sister a
crime heinous enough to justify the most extreme severity, made him
no 'othec answer than this, ' Should he deal witii our sister as with an
hafrldt 1 ' And here it may be worth noting, that they who submitted
themselves to be circtimcised, not from a religious ground, but in
hopes thereby to get all Jacob's cattie and Wealth, did thereby lose
their own, together with their lives.
' But, as Jacob's fear was not groundless, God took Care to ease
him of it, by removing him from the danger. Wherefore he bid him
arise, and gO'U,p to Beth-el, and dweH there ; and make there an altar
unto God, who had appeared unto hira, to Clean fort and strengthen
him, when he fled from the face of his brother Esau ; of whom he
was then as much afraid, as he was mow of these people. '
Jacob hereupon gave strict charge to his family, and to aU that
belonged to him, that they should 'put away the strange gods which
they had, and be clean, and change their garments ; ' a type of sancti-
ficatiou; and then let us arise, said he, and go up to Beth-el, the house
of God. Perhaps he might, by this lime, have discovered that Ra-
•chel had got and kept her fatlaer^s idols ; however, by this means,
Jacob had got from 'them all the Strange gods they had, and together
with them their ear-rings ; which by some people were worn in a
superstitious devotion, as beingthought to ha*e some magical vir
tue or charm in them. And ft; is "not unUkely that some of Jacob's
servants, if they themselves Were not Ishmadites, raight have taken
tip the use of wearing ear-rings from the Ishmaelites, amongst
whom it was afterwards a known fashion, ludg. viii. 24.
These ear-rings, that they might not beccane a snare to him and
Tiis family, as the like did afterwards to Gideon, Judg. viu. 27; Ja-
cob resolved to make sure of, as weU as df the idols: therefore he
did not only bury thera, but he hid them ; he buried them so prl-
vUy, that none of his family should know where they were laid,
to take them up again : he hid thera, under the oak by Shechem ;
and then set forward on their journey towards Beth-el. And God
struck such a terror upon the cities round about him, as he went,
that notwithstanding the provocation his sons had given, by the
outrage they had 'committed at Shechem, nobody pin-sued after
them. Being come to Beth-el, (heretofore Luz,) he there built an altar,
as God had commanded hira. And upon that altar, and at that
time, it is supposed he performed the vow he had made, when God
appeared to hira in the sarae place, as he fled from his brother Esau,
Gen. xxviii. 20, 22 ; which, when he had performed, God appearing
to him again, confirmed unto him his new name Israel ; and gave
him repeated assurances of his promises made to Abraham and to
Isaac, with new blessings to himself. Whereupon Jacob, in die

I'ARt .1. SACRED HlSfORY. 76
^lace where God had now talked with him, did set up a pillar of
-stone, as a lasting monument of his gratitude and devotion, and
poured a drink-offering and oil thereon.
At Beth-el he hurried Deborah, his mother's nurSe : who, for
what reason she is here mentioned, or how she now came to be
in his family, is not clear. It is conjectured, that after she had at
tended her mistress Rebekah to her marriage, and seen her well
settied in her fam'dy, she went back to Haran again, aud there
dwelt in Laban's house, tiU Jacob returning home, she .put herself
into the coinpany, with a desire to see her old -mistress once again.
Doubtless, she was had in good esteem by them, because they be
wailed her death so much, that the oak, under which she was buried,
was called the oak of 'weeping.
Jacob staid not long at Beth-el, but "hastened to Manure to see his
father; and Ephrath, afterwards called Bethlehem, being in their
way, they aimed to have got thitiier ; but though they had but a Httie
way to it they could not reach the town, before Rachel fell in
^travail of her second and last chUd ; but having a hard labour the
¦midwife to encourage her, bid her not fear,for she should have this
son also : she was deUvered of him, but died immediately, and just
as she departed she called the boy's name Ben-oni, -that is, the son
of my sorrow. But his 'father probably not liking that the 'remem
brance of so sorrowful a su^eot should be iperpetuated, and contin-
'ually renewed to him as often as he should hear his son named, called
him Benjamin, which signifies, the son of my right hand; intimating
"thereby how near and dear he should betoh-im.
Having buried Rachel on the way, in the place where she died,
^nd for a mark to know it by, set up a pillar on her grave, Jacob
Went on his .journey. But ere he could reach Mamre, where his
father dwelt, an occasion of greater grief than this, though doubt
less this, considering the :passionate love he bare to Rachel, must
4ieeds be very great, bofel him. For Reuben his eldest son defiled
Ilis father's bed, by commi'ttng incest with BUhah, Rachel's hand-
tnaid, and his father's secondary wife or concubine. Jacob, it seems,
^eard of it ; yet I do not find he did then take any public notice of
It ; but doubtiess it sank deep in his mited, and stuck by him to his
dying day; for just before his death, giving his blessing amongst hi,9
children, he rufebed Reuben widithis : ' Reuben, said he tiiou art my
fest-bom, my -wiight, and the beginning of my strength, the excel.
¦ence df dignity, and the excellency of power.' This had been his
portion by virtue of his birth-right, had he not by that transgression
lost it. But now become unstable as water, which advanced never so
high, faUs do^vn again, his doom was, ' Thou shalt not excel, because
thou wentest up to thy father's bed, and defiledst it,' Gen. xlix. 3, 4.
So to Judah, of whom our lord was to come, was Reuben's birth-right
transferred, ver. 8, from whom also in time it feU to the son of Rachel,

76 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
who, in right should have been Jacob's first wife, and whom Jacob
thought he had embraced, when he begat Reuben.
At length Jacob reached Mamre, the city of Arbah, afterwards
Hebron, where his grandfather Abraham had sojourned, and his
father Isaac then dwelt ; who may well be supposed to have rejoiced
greatiy for his son Jacob's safe return, after so long an absence ;
as weU as Jacob, in that he found his father Uving and m health.
Bat long he had not been here, ere another sorrowful exercise
befel him : whereof this was the occasion.
His son Joseph, having now attained to the seventeenth year of
his age, was with his brethren, Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher,
the sons of Jacob by Bilhah and ZUp ah, feeding the flock; and he
brought unto his father an evil report of them, which enstranged their
love from him. His father also could not conceal the extraordinary
love he bare to Joseph, more than to all his other chUdren; both as
he was the son of his old age, and the eldest son of his best beloved
Rachel ; but he must needs make him a fine coat, of divers coir
ours,* to distinguish him from his brethren ; for which tiiey hated
hira, and could not speak peaceably imto him..
Neither was this all ; Joseph had two very significant dreams,.
which he told his brethern : and that made them hate him the more.
His first dream was, that 'his brethren and he binding sheaves to-
gether in the field, his sheaf arose and stood' upright, and their
sheaves round about made obeisance to his sheaf When he had
told this dream to his brethren, they answered with disdainful scorn,
' Shalt thou indeed reign over us ? or shalt thou indeed have domin.
ion over us ? ' And they hated him the more for this , but he, poor
lad', went on,''and dreamed agaih, that the sun and the moon and
the eleven stars made obeisance to hiin ; this dream also, in his childe
ish simpUcity, he told not to his brethren only, but to his father too-
His father, observing the tendency of the dream, and knowing his
brethren did not already well brook him, not only rebuked him be
fore them, but a Uttie to ridicule it, by applying it to Rachel, who
was dead and' buried, as well as to himself and them, asked him,
' shaU I and thy mother, and thy bretliren, indeed come to bow down
ourselves to thee to the earth ? ' As if he had said, if thou couldest
expect that from me, and thy brethren ; yet must thy mother arise
out of her grave, and come to bow to thee ? Not considering, that
though Raciiel his natural mother was dead ; yet Leah his step
mother was still living. But though his father was wiUing thus to
make light of it, that it might be the less offence to his brethren,;
yet it made an impression on Jacob's mind.
Soon after this, his brethren being gone to feed tbe flock in Shece-
bam, IsxEiel sent Joseph, to see how they did, and how the flocks stood
* A. M. 2276.

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 77
in health, bidding him bring him word again. Joseph thereupon
going out of the vale of Hebron to Shechem, and not finding them
there, wandered about, tiU a certain man finding hira, and upon in
quiry understanding he looked for his brethren, directed him to
Dothaii, whither they were gone, and thither he went after them.
As soon as they saw him, and before he came up to them, having let
in a deep offence into their minds against him because of his dreams,
they conspired to slay him, saying one to another. 'Behold this
master dreamer is coming: as soon ashe comes, let us slay hira and
cast him into some pit and we wiU say some evil beast hath devoured
him ; and then we shaU see what will become of his dreams.'
Reuben hearing this bloody contrivance, and whoUy disliking it,
studied how to prevent it ; that he miglit deliver him safe to his
fatiier. Wherefore, persuading them not to kill him, he advised them
to abstain from shedding blood; ' but rather, said he, cast him into
this pit, that is in the wilderness ; and lay no violent hand upon him.'
The rest, considering that if he perished in that pit, that would as
well answer their end of ridding themselves of him, consented to
Reuben's counsel.
Accordingly, when Joseph was come up to them, they seized on
him, took off his gay coat, and cast him into the pit; which at that
time was dry and empty. Poor Josepli meanwhile, extremely fright
ened with this rough entertainment, and bitterly crying out in the
anguish of his soul, he besought his brethren not to kiU him; nor to
throw him into that pit, where hs must miserably die by famine: but
they being resolutely bent to destroy him, would not hear him.
Reuben, seeing him put into the pit, conceived good hope that he
should find means to deliver him from thence ; and therefore seemed
to concur with them. But he going from them on some occasion,
they, while they were eating some victuals, espied a company of
Ishmaelites coming from GUead, and going down to Egypt with
their camels laden wilh spicery and other merchandise. At sight of
these, Judah said to the rest of them., ' What shall we get by kiUing
our brother, and concealing his blood 1 come let us sell him to tho
Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother,
and our flesh.' The rest considering that by this means tiiey would
rid their hands of him, without shedding his blood, asd should gei'
"Wmething by the bargain too, closed with the proposition ; and draw
ing Joseph up out of the pit, notwithstanding his most earnest in.
treaty, having, now, that Reuben was absent, no advocate for him
amongst them, they sold him to those Ishinaelitish merchants for
twenty pieces, or shekels, of silver ; and these carrying him into
Egypt, sold him to Pouphar, an officer to king Pharaoh, and cap.
tain of his guards.
But when Reuben returning by the pit missed Joseph, fearing
they had slain him in his absence, he rent his clothes, which was

7B SACRED HISTORY.. PART K
the custom of those- countries and times, to express the highest
grief; and of which, ttiough afterwards more frequentiy used, this is
the first instance we have, and coming to his brethren, he cried out,
' Alas, the child is gone, what .shall become of me, or whither shall I
go.? ' For poor Reuben having greatly offended bis father before,
in his trespass with Bilhah, his, father's concubine, and probably
hoping to, have regained his favour, by preserving his, beloved son,
and restoring him safe to him ; having now lost the hope of that ad
vantage, and reasonably fearing that his father's displeasure would
fall heaviest on him, both as hewas.highly offended, with him already,
and as,he being the eldest, should have had most care-of the younger,
was wonderfuUy troubled for the- loss of Joseph.
But the rest of the brethren, contriving how to manage the matter-
to their father, so as to throw off aUisuspicion from themselves, took
Joseph's coat : and having kiUed', a kid, and. dipped the coat in the-
Wood, they sent it to their father, by some that should say to him,
' This have we found : see whethei; it be thy son's ceat or no '? '
Poor Jacob, to his, sorrow, knew the coat, and said, 'It is my
son's- coat.' And being deceived by the blood -which was on it, not
suspecting his other sons could have been guilty of such, unnatural.
cruelty, he cried out, ' An evU beast hath devoured him,: Joseph is,
without doubt, rent in pieces, ' Then, through extremity of grief,
rending his clothes, he put sack-el'o& upon his. loins, and mourned
for his son many days.
It is probable that when his guilty sons saw their fether thusover-
whelmed witii sorrow, it might make- their hard hearts relent; and
though they durst not discover to him what they had done unto Jo
seph which had been the only way to mitigate his grief; yet they,
bad as they were, undertook to comfort him; and so did, and inno-
cently might, their wives, and their sister Dinah. But he, re
fusing to be comforted, said, 'I will go down into the grave to my
son mourning : ' meaning thereby, that he> would not cease mourning
for his son so long as he Uved.
Sometime before this fell out Judah had committed a great fault,
in marrying a Canaanitish woman, by whom he had three sons, viz.
Er, Onan, and Shelah. But because this led him into a greater
transgression afterwards, which was not fully completed tiU after Jo.
seph was sold and gone into Egypt, Moses deferred the first part of
it, that he might give the story intire together; which was thus:
Judah going down from hijs brethren, turned aside to a certain
AduUamite, whose name was Hirah, with whom he contracted a
friendship, which proved a snare to hira : for being at Hirah 's house,
he there saw a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose narae was
Shuah ; and taking a fancy to her he married her, and by her had
tiiose three sons, whom I mentioned before.
In process of timo, when Er, his eldest son, was grown marriage-

PART I. SACRED HISTORY 79
able, ho took a wife for him, whose name wrs Tliamar ; but Er,
proving a wicked man ui tiie sight of the Lord, however he might
appear to men the Lord slew him. He thus dying without issue,
Judah bids his second son Onan marry his brother's wife, that he
might raise up seed to his brother.
This was long before the law, by which it was after-wards en
joined, Deut. xxv. 6 ; and yet, though this be tho first mention w©
have of it, it seems it was then a known custom, and well understood
even by young Onan : for he knew that the seed should not be
his, but that the flrst bom of such an union should be reputed to
bo the seed of the deceased brother, and should bear bis name, as
was afterwards declared, Deut. xxv. 6. When therefore Onan
went in unto his brother's wife, he disappointed their expectation,
that he might not give seed to his 'brother; which thing so dis^
pleased the Lord, that he slew him also.
Shelah, the third son, was yet too young; wherefore Judah de
sired his daughter-in-law Thamar to go to her father's house, and
there remain a widow, tiU his son Shelah should be grown up ;
which Thamar did, expecting that when he was grown up sh©
should have been given to him. But when she saw that Shelah
was grown up to man's estate, and yet she was not given unt»
him; taking it ill that she waa so neglected, she watched a time
when her fatiier-in-law Judah, having buried his wife, went up to,
his sheep-shearers at Timnath, to comfort himself there, with his
friend Hirta, the AduUamite ; and having laid aside the garments
of her widowhood, and covered and wrapped herself up in a veil,
she sat down in a place where two ways met, by the way that
Judah was to pass to Tiranath.*
When he bad came and saw her sitting there with her fac©
covered, not thinking she bad been his daughter-in-law, but con-
eluding she was a common harlot, that sat there, to let herself
out to hire ; he stept o her, and asked her to grant him admit-
tance to her. She was as forward to yield as he to offer, only
she was willing to know upon what terms, and therefore asked him
what he would give her. He told her he would send her a kid
frora the flock, which she accepted; but ha-ving a further design
upon hira, she demanded a pledge of him, until he should send
the Itid. He asked her what pledge he should give her. Sh©
pitched upon his signet, his staff, and bracelets, so we read it in
the English bibles ; but some think, instead of bracelets, it should
rather be read his handkerchief; it not being clear, that in those
times the men of Israel did wear bracelets, Tremellius and Ju
nius turn it by Sudarium, which signifies an handkerchief; and
• A. M. 2282.

80 SACRED HISTORY. PART t.
Dr. GeU thinks it should be so .... See his Essay, p. 176.
Whatever it was, he deUvered them to her ; whereupon the terms
being agreed, they went together; and she conceived by him.
As soon as he had left her, she left tho place ; not staying for
the kid, for she regarded not the hire, but the pledge; and put.
ting off her veil, dressed herself in her widow's attire again. Ju.
dab, being got to his flock, made haste to send the kid ly his
friend the AduUamite, that he might receive his pledge again ; but
Hira could neither , find her nor hear of her; which he, returning,
told Judah ; who thinking .it best for his own reputation, not to
make much inquiry afler her, said, 'Let her take it to her, if
she wiU, lest we be ashamed.'
About three months after, Judah was told that his daughter-in-
law Thamar had played the, harlot, and was with child. He,
thereupon, rashly passing sentence on her unheard said, ' Bring
her fortii, and let her be burnt.' Now her pledge stood her in
Stead; for sending them to him, she desired him 'to consider whose
things, the signet, staff, &c., were ; for by the man whose these
are, am I,' said she, ' with child.' Judah, now seeing himself
caught, acknowledged them to be his ; and confessing his fault, in
not having given her to his son Shelah, declared 'she was more
righteous than he.'
When the time for her deUvery was come, she proved with
child of twins; whereof one putting out his hand, the midwife
bound a scarlet thread about it: but he drawing his hand back
again, his brother broke by him, and came out before hira. Where
upon he was called Pharez, a breach ; and the other with the
thread on his hand, was caUed Zarah. Thus, instead of the broth
er raising up seed to his deceased brother, the father raised seed
to his son ; but knew her no more.
Now though this latter part of Judah's story, relating to his in
cest with his daugliter Thamar, was acted after Joseph was sold,
and while he was in Egypt : yet the former part of it, relating
his m.arriage with Shuah's daughter, and the birth of his three
eons by her, must needs have fallen out before Joseph was sold :
for there being but two and twenty years, between Joseph's being
sold into Egypt, and Jacob's going down into Egypt to hira, it
could not be, which Tremellius and Junius weU observe, that in
so short a space, Judah could marry a wife, have three sons at
three several births by her, marry two of those sons successively
to one woman, defer the marriage of the third son to the same
woman beyond the due time, afterwards himself have sons by the
same woman, his daughter-in-law, aud one of those sons, Pharez,
begat two sons, Hezron and Hamul, Gen. xlvi. J 2, before Jacob
went down into Egypt.
Within this time also Isaac, tho longest liver of any since Ter-

PART I. SACItED HISTORY. 81
ah, being an hundred and fourscore years of age, gave up the
ghost, and was buried by his sons Esau and Jacob, Gen, xxxv.
28, 29, in the cave, in the field of Machpelah before Mamre which
Abraham had bought of Ephron the Hittite, for a possession of
a burying-ground, and in which he, and Sarah his wife, had boon
hurried. Gen. xlix. 30, 31. What time Rebekah, Isaac's wife,
died, is not set down in the holy scriptures : only that she was
buried in the same place in which her husband was. But Brough
ton says, that the Rabbins hold that she died in the hundred and
seventh year of her age, which was the hundred and fifty sixth year
of her husband's, a year before Jacob left Laban ; by which com-
putation she must have been m'neteeu years old, when she mar
ried Isaac at forty : but surely if she were so old when she died,
Deborah her nurse must needs have Uved to a great age, who
out-Uved her, and yet must be supposed to have been older than
she, when she undertook to be her nurse.
Isaac's funeral being over, Esau, considering that his brother
and he had too great stock and substance to dwell together, or
very near one to the other, departed from his brother Jacob : and
yielding to hira the privUcge of birth-right, took his wives and
children, and all his family, with his cattie, beasts, and all his
substance, which he had gotten in the land of Canaan, and went
and dwelt in Mount Seir, which signifies bristled, or hairy ; a fit
place for such an hairy man to dwell in. But Jacob, succeed
ing his father in his estate, dwelt where his father did, in the
land of Canaan.
The generations of Esau are set down in Gen. xxxvi, with the
names of the dukes and kings that came out of him, and the
places where they settied ; whioh serves to give light to many pla
ces in the scriptures, especiaUy in the writings of tiie prophets, for
the finding out the originals and settlements of famUies, people and
nations derived from bim.
The last account we have of Joseph, was, that he was sold to
Potipbar, captain of the guards to the king of Egypt, who soon
found the goodness of his bargain, in the advantage of having a
faithful servant ; for the Lord was with Joseph, and made all that
he had to prosper in his hand; and his master saw it. Where
fore Joseph grew much into his master's favour, who raised him
higher and higher in his family, until at length be made him ' over-
seer over his house and put all that he had into his hand ; ' leav
ing his whole estate, within doors and without to his care and
ordering. Nor could he have done better for his own advantage,
for the Lord blessed the Egyptian's family for Joseph's sake ; so
that the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he bad, both in
ihe house and in the field.
VOL. I. — 6

82' SACRED m-STORY; PART 1.
Now Joseph being a comely young man, bis master's wife had
cast an amorous eye upon him, to have drawn himi into a wan
ton familiarity with her ; but finding her allurements did not work
upon him, and yet that her desire went forth strongly after him,
she was fain to speak plain, and ask him downright, Joseph not
only gave her a short, but positive denial : but, to free hknself
from her further importunity, gave her the reason of his denial ;
desiring her to consider the great trust and confidence his master
had reposed in him, and the great ingratitude he should be guilty of,
if he should so abuse his master. ' My master, said he, hath com
mitted to my hand all that he hath, in such manner, that he re-
quires no account of me, nor knows what he has in the house; he-
hath advanced me so high, that there is no man in this house, ex.
cept himself, greater than I: neither hath he kept back anything
from me, but thee; and thee, because thou art; his wife. How then,
can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God ? '
This repulse, which he hoped would have ¦ put a stop to her
lewd passion, had not so good an effect on her ; but she, persist.
ing in unlawful desires, lay at him day by day to pommit evil
with her. And when she saw that he would not hearken to her,
but shunned her company, she watched an opportunity one time,
-when he came into the house, to order things belonging to his
office ; and there being none of the men in the house at that time,
she, on a sudden caught hold of him by his cloak, and pressed
him then to lie with her. He, not knowing how otherwise to get
from her, let faU his, cloak in her hand, and slipping away got out
of her reach.
When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand, and was
run from her, despairing thenceforward of obtaining her desire, and
being afraid lest be should discover her naughtiness, she, moved
partiy with revengeful rage, and partly with poUcy, to prevent his
accusing her, by making the first charge upon him, caUed, out
aloud to the men that were about tiie house, and holding forth Jo
seph's cloak in her hand, said to them, 'See, he (meaning her
husband) hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us, (that is,
to bring contempt upon us) and thereby expose us to be scorned
and mocked by others.' Thus craftily she joined them -with herself,
(to mock us) thereby to engage them to take her part, in case Jo
seph should stand upon his purgation. And she called hira not
by his name, but by the name of bis people, an Hebrew, to set
them the more against him ; for the Egyptians hated the Hebrews.
Then going on with her tale, she said, ' He came in unto me to lie
•M'itli me, and I cried with a great voice ; and when he heard that
1 lift up my voice and cried, he left his cloak with me, and fled,
and got away.'
Having thus prepared the men to second her complaint, if need

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 83
should be, she laid up Joseph's cloak until her lord came home ;
and then spreading the garment, together with her complaint, be
fore him, she accused Joseph to his master, much after the same
manner as she had before done to the men.
The too credulous mas'ter, having heard his wife's complaint, not
suspecting her of falseness, and being deceived by the sight of
Joseph's well known cloalt, took honest Joseph, and being inflamed
with wrath against him, put him into the round tower, a place
where the kings's prisoners were bound ; and there lay poor Jo
seph in irons. Psalm cv. 18
How hard was now the case of this poor young man ; a strang
er amongst strangers, in a strange land, having no relation, no
friend to stand by him, to plead his cause, to intercede for him !
But ho had innocency, and the Lord was with him ; for he never
leaves them destitute that fear him, and suffer innocentiy : and novv
he extended his kindness to Joseph in tiie prison, and brought him
into favor with the gaoler ; so that the gaoler committed all the
prisoners to his care, Euid whatsoever was done in the prison, was
done by his order and direction, for the gaoler looked not after
any thing, but left all to him ; because he was sensible the Lord
was with him, and prospered all he took in hand. Thus Joseph,
was now overseer of the prison, as he had been before of Poti-
phar's house.
But still Joseph was a prisoner; v/berefore tiie Lord, in due
time, made way for Joseph to be brought out of prison, the man
ner whereof was thus : the chief butier, and the chief baker of
Pharaoh king of Egypt, had offended their lord tiie king ; ffjr
which he being wroth with them, committed them to the same
prison in which Joseph was a prisoner : and the keeper of the
prison charging Joseph wifli them, he, because they were courtiers,
waited on them himself
In one and the same night, while they were in prison, each of
them dreamed a dream ; and when Joseph came to temh in the
morning, finding tiiem both sad, he asked them, what ailed them
that they looked so sorrowful. They told him, they had each of
them dreamed a di'eam tiiat night, which troubled them ; and the
rather, because they knew not the meaning of their dreams, hav
ing none to interpret them to them. For the Egyptians depended
much upon soothsayers for interpreting dreams, and there being
no soothsayer in the prison, nor they, who were close prisoners,
having liberty either to go out to, or send for a sooth.sayer in
to them, they knew not how to come by the interpretration of their
dreams. Joseph, having taken them off from depending on soothsayers,
by referring them to God, to whom interpretations of dreams be-

S4 SACRED HISTORY. PART U
long, desired them to let hhn hear their dreams. Whereupon ths
butler beginning, related his dream thus ;
' In my dream, behold, a vine was before me, and in the -vine
were three branches ; and it was as though it budded, and her bios-
soms shot forth ; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes :
and I, having Pharaoh's cup in my hand, took the grapes and hav
ing pressed them into the cup, gave it into Pharaoh's hand.'
Joseph, having heard the dream, presently told the butler, not
conjecturally, but positi-vely, ' This is the interpretation ofthe dream;
the three branches signify three days ; and within three days shall
Pharaoh lift up thy head, reckoning thee among his servants again,
and shall restore thee unto thy place, and thou shalt deliver Phar
aoh's cup into his hand, as thou wast wont to do heretofore, whUe
thou wast his butier , but, added he, think on me, when it shall be
well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, in mak.
ing mention of me to Pharaoh, to bring me out of this house ; for
indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and
have not done any thing since I came into Egypt, for which they
should put me into this prison.'
When the baker saw that the butler had got a good interpre.
tation of his dream, he was forward to teU his dream also to Jo
seph ; and Joseph being as attentive to hear, he thus related : ' I
also, said he, was in my dream, and behold, I had three baskets
of open work upon my head, and in the uppermost was all manner
of baker's meats for Pharaoh, and the birds did eat them out of
the basket upon ray head.'
No sooner had Joseph heard the dream, but he presenfly told
the baker, this is the interpretation thereof, ' The three baskets sig.
nify three days, and within these three days shaU Pharaoh lift thee
quite out of thy office; and shaU hang thee on a tree, and the
birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.' Accordingly, on the third
day after, it being Pharoah's birth-day he made a feast unto all
his servants ; and then did he restore the chief butler to bis office
again, who thereupon gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand, but ha
hanged the chief baker ; andso was Joseph's interpretation of tiieir
dreams fulfiUed to each of them.
WeU might Joseph have expected, -when be heard of the butler's
being restored to bis office, and to the king's favour, that tho butier
would have remembered him, and endeavoured his release. But the
heedless butler forgat him, and two long years more was he obliged
to lie in prison, ere any way opened towards his deliverance.
At the end of those wo years, Pharaoh himself dreamed, ' That
as he stood by tbe river, (Nile,) there came up out of the river seven
weU favoured kine, and fat fleshed, which fed in a meadow ; and
tiiat after them seven other kine came up out of the river, poor, ill-
favoured, and lean fleshod, such as he had never seen in Egypt ;

PART I. SACRED HTSTORY. gS
and stood by the other kine upon tne brink of the river. And
thatthe Ul favoured and lean kine did eat up the seven well fa
voured and fat kuae, and yet seemed never the fuUer.' Upon which
Pharaoh awoke ; and then falling asleep again, he dreamed a sec
ond dream, which was, ' That seven ears of corn came up upon one
stalk, fuU and good ; and that seven thin withered ears, and blast
ed -with the east wind, sprang up after them, and devoured the
seven fuU ears.'
Pharaoh hereupon awoke again ; and his dream remaining with
him, brought trouble upon his spirit in the morning; wherefore be
sent and caUed all the magicians and wise men of Egypt, and
told his dreams to them : but none of these could interpret them
unto him.
Now at length did the chief butier remember Joseph ; wherefore
he acquainted the king, that when he and the baker were in prison
together, each of them in one night dreamed a dream ; which a
young man, an Hebrew servant of the captain of tlie guard, did
interpret to them as the event answered.
Upon this Pharaoh immediately sent for Joseph, and they that
went for him brought hira hastily out of the dungeon : but not
being in a fit garb to appear before a king, he shaved himself^
and put on. clean clothes, and then presented himself befca-e Pharaoh.
The king presently told him he had dreamed a dream, and could
not find any one that could interpret it : but, said he, I have heard
say of thee, that thou canst imderstand a dream, so as to give the
interpretation of it.*
Joseph modestly excusing himself, gave the king to understand,
that he did not pretend to any skUl of himself, lest Pharaoh should
afterwards have thought he had done it by magical art, as his ma-
gicians pretended to do : yet to impress his mind with a greater
regard to the interpretation which should be given, he told him
also, that ' God, the only interpreter of dreams, would give him an
answer of peace, or to his satisfaotibn.'
Pharaoh then relating to him his dreams in order, Joseph told
him his dreams, though two in appearance, were but one in sub.
stance, and had both but one signification : ' for, said he, the seven
good kine do signify seven years, and the seven good ears do also
signify tbe same seven years ; and both these do signify seven years
of plenty : so also the seven Ul favoured kine do signify seven years,
and the seven empty ears do signify the same seven years ; and
both these do signify seven years of famine ; by which, added be,
God hath shewed unto Pharaoh what ho is about to do.' For as
the seven good kine, and the seven good ears, came up first, and
after them the seven iU favoured kine, and the seven blasted ears.j
*A. M. 2289.

¦8S SACRED HISTORY PART I.
so there shall first come seven years of great plenty throughout all
the land of Eg3fpt; and afler thera shaU arise seven years of fam
ine, so great, that aU the . plenty shaU be forgotten in the land of
Egypt, and not be known, by reason of the famine following, which
shall be so very heavy, that it shall consume the inhabitants of
the land; and the doubling of the dream, he told him was to assure
him of the certainty and speediness of its coming to pass.
Having thus given the interpretation of the dream, Joseph proceed
ed to offer advice to Pharaoh, how he might improve the dream to
advantage : therefore said he, 'let Pharaoh now look out a man dis-
creet and wise, and set hira over the land of Egypt ; and let him
appoint overseers over the land, who may take up the fifth part of
the products of the land of Egypt, in the seven plenteous years ; and
let them gather aU the food of those good years that come, and lay
up corn in Pharoah's store-houses ; and let them keep food in the
cities, which shaU be for store to the land against the seven years
of famine that shaU be in the land, that the people be not cut off
through the famine.'
Both the interpretation of the dream, and the counsel which Joseph
had thereupon given, pleased Pharaoh and his servants so weU, that
the king, ha-ving said to his servants, ' Can we find such a one as
this is, a man in whom the spirit of God is ? ' turning his speech to
Joseph, said, ' Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is
none so discreet and wise as thou art : thou therefore shalt be the
man.' Thou shalt be over my house, and all my people shaU yield
subjection to thee: 'only in the throne wiU I be greater than thou.'
Then giving him the ensigns of rule and dignity then in use, as the
taking off the ring fi-om his own hand, and putting it upon Joseph's,
arraying him in vestures of silk, and putting a chEiin of gold about
his neck, causing him to ride in the second chariot, and ordering his
heralds to proclaim before him the word Abrech, a word of uncer
tain signification, but rendered by some, tender father, by others, bow
the knee, in token of honour and subjection to him, he made him
ruler over aU the land of Egypt; and said to him, 'See, I have set
thee over aU the land of Egypt, and as I am king, no man shall at-
tempt any thing throughout all the land without thy direction or order.'
Then, changing Joseph's nam-e, he caUed him Zaphnatiipaaneah,
which signifies a revealer of secrets, or one to whom secrets are re
vealed : and he gave him to wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-pherah,
prince of On, caUed also HeliopoUs, or the city of the sun.
Some take Poti-pherah, Joseph's-father.in-law, to have been priest
of On : but the Hebrew word signifying indifferently prince or priest,
TremeUius and Junius render it prince, both here and after, in chap.
xlvii. 22, 26 ; and give divers reasons to prove it should be read
princes, not priests. Some English translations render it prince in
the text, and set priest in the margin : pnd the last translation,

•PART I. SACRED HISTOEY. 87
though it renders it priest in the text, yet sets prince, and princes, ia
the margin.
Thirteen years had Joseph been a bondman in Egypt, for be was
sold thither in the seventeenth, and was now come to the thirtieth
year of his age, when on a sudden the Lord advanced him, and set
*'him above his mistress, who had falsely accused him ; above his
master, who had WTongly imprisoned him ; above the chief butler,
who had been his fellow prisoner ; and above every man in Eg5fpt,
except the king only.
And now the seven plenteous years beginning, in which the earth
brought forth in great abundance, Joseph set forward on his circuit,
and going throughout all the land of Egypt, gathered up aU the food,
which could be spared from present use, and laid it up in the cities :
storing the fi'iut of the fields, which was round about every city, in
the sEime city. And thus did he every year of those seven fruitful
years : by which means he heaped up corn as the sand of the sea ;
so very much, that he was obliged to give over keeping account, for
it was beyond number
In this fruitful time, Joseph's wife proved fruitful too, and bare
him two sons before the years of famine came. The name of the
eldest son he called Manasseh, that is, forgetting : ' For God,' said
he, ' hath made me forget aU ray toil, and all iny father's house.'
But the name of the younger he called Ephraim, which signifies
fruitful : ' For,' said he, ' God hath caused me to be fruitful in the
land of my affliction.'
No sooner were the seven years of plenty ended, biit the seven
years of dearth began to come ; according as Joseph, expounding
the dream, had said. And it was a general dearth : not only in
Egypt, but in all the neighbouring countries : yet there was food in
aU the land of Egypt, by reason of the stores that had been laid
up. But when the famine grew strong upon Egypt, and the Egyp
tians cried to Pharaoh for bread, he sent them to Joseph, charging
them to do as he should direct thera. Joseph thesreupon openiog
the store-houses, sold out corn, not only to the Egyptians but those
also that came out of other countries to buy; because the famine
was sore in aU those parts. And to that degree did it increase, that
there was no bread in all the'land, save what Joseph had laid up, so
that the land of Elgypt, and ail the land of Canaan, fainted by reason
¦of the famine.
Here in the course ©f time should come m the story of Joseph's
brethren, their coming to bfiy com of him, with the various and
strange adventures 'tiiat befell them; and Jacob's coming Wilh his
famUy to settte in Egypt, related in chap. xUi, xlui, xliv, xlvi, and
part of xlvii. Btft that the reader may have together the account
of Joseph's dealing with the Egyptians, I chose to postpone the
story of his breftiiren, and go oci to set fotth the Egyptian cedami-

88 SACRED HISTORY. *ART I.
ty, and Joseph's conduct therein, as it is delivered in chap, xlvii,
from ver. 13 to 27.
When Joseph had gathered up all the money, that was found
in the land of Egypt, for the corn which he had sold to them, and
had brought it to the king's exchequer ; the Egyptians coming to him,
said, ' Give us bread, now our money is gone : for why should we
die in thy presence, who hast wherewith to keep us alive 1 ' But
Joseph told them, if they had no more money, they should bring
him their cattie ; and he would give them bread in exchange for their
cattie ; which they did, and for their catde he fed them that year.
When that year was ended, they came to him again the next year,
which is called the second year ; but must not be understood to be
second of the seven, but the second from the time that their money
failed ; which was indeed the sixth of the seven. And then they
told hira they would not hide their condition from him ; how
that their money was spent, and he had got their herds of cat.
tie already : ' so that they had nothing left now to offer hun,
but their bodies and their lands. Therefore, let us not die,'
said they, ' before thine eyes, both we and our land, for want of
seed to sow it, but buy us and our land for bread, and we and our
land wiU be servants unto Pharaoh ; and give us seed, that we may
Uve and not die, and that the land be not desolate.'
Joseph took them at their word, and bought all the land of Egypt
for Pharaoh ; except the land of the princes, which he did not buy :
for the princes had a portion aUowed them by Pharaoh, and did eat
the portion which Pharaoh gave thera ; wherefore they did not seU
their lands. But the rest of the Egyptians sold every man his field,
because the famine prevailed over tiiem : and so the land became
Pharaoh's. Then said Joseph to the people, behold I have this day bought
both you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you,
and ye shaU sow the land ; for this being the last year of tbe sev.
en barren years, they might sow in hopes of plenty again ; but, added
he, these shall be the terms on which ye shall hold your land, ' Ye
shall every year give the fifth part of your increase unto Phoraoh ;
and the other four parts shaU be your own for seeding the field again,
and for food for yourselves, your littie ones, and, aU them of your
households.' Thus Joseph settled it for a standing law, throughout
aU Egypt, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part of the yearly in
crease of aU the lands, except the lands of the princes, which did
not become Pharoah's.
As for the common people, Joseph removed them to cities, from
one end of the borders of Egypt to tbe other. Which probably he
might do with this intent, that by so displacing and unsetding them
from their ancient seats and demesness, and shifting them to and fro.

PART I. SACREB mSTORY. 89
one upon another's land, but lea-ving none upon their own, he might
the better confirm Pharaoh's titie to the whole, when none knew where
to claim.
Thus the Egyptians- saved their lives, at the cost of losing their es.
tales and liberties ; and of freemen, became bondmen; of freehold
ers, tenants in soccage, holduig by the plough, of service in husband
ry. In which yet, so sweet was Ufe to them, they rejoiced', saying to
Joseph : « thou hast saved our lives : let us find favour- iii the sight
of my lord, and we wiU be Pharaoh's servants.'
) Thus it went with the Egyptians : the account of which I thought
would be most clear and acceptable, if it were thus given entirely
together. Therefore I passed over the xlii, xliii, xlvi, and part of
xlvii, chapters, where the story of Joseph's dealing with his breth
ren £ind Jacob's going down into Egypt is related, that I might
connect the latter part of the account of Joseph's ordering the
affairs of Egypt, which is deUvered in chap, xlvii, from ver. 12 to
27, with the former part thereof Which having done, let us now
return, and see how in these hard times it fared with good Jacob,
and his family, in the land of Canaan, for the famine raged in Ca-
naan, as well as in Egypt ; and they Mfere in worse case who lived
there, because there were no stores laid up, as there were in Egypt.
When Jacob understood that there was corn in Egypt, he said
unto his sons, ' Why do ye look one upon another 1 (Uke dispirited
men, void of counsel,) I hear there is com in Egypt; therefore get
ye down thither, and buy for us from thence, that we may preserve
our Uvea.'
Hereupon Joseph's ten brethren, leaving Benjamin, the youngest,
with their father Jacob, who would not part with him, lest mischief
might befall him, went down to Egypt to buy com. And Joseph,
who was the governor over the land, not trusting to deputies, but seU
ing the corn out himself to those that came to buy, his brethren
coming to treat with him for corn, bowed down themselves before
him, with their faces towards the earth : thereby unwittingly begin.
ning to fulfU what Joseph had before dreamed of them. Joseph no
sooner saw his brethren, but he knew them ; though they did not
know him. Wherefore, remembering his dresun concerning them,
and being minded to try what effect some hard treatment would have
upon them, to bring them to a sense of their unnatural dealing with
him, using an interpreter to avoid suspicion, he roughly asked them,
whence they came : they answering they came from Canaan to buy
corn ; he repUed, ' Ye are spies, and are come to see the nakedness
(that is, the weak and unguarded parts) of the land.' They submis
sively answered, ' Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants
come.' And to take off the suspicion of their being spies, they added,
' We are all one man's sons : we are true men, thy servants are no
spies.' Thereby suggesting the improbabUity of their being spies,

90 SACRED HISTORY. .PART 'I.
being all brethren, the sons of one man ; since no man in his right
wits would send so many, and all his own children, upon such a cap.
ital enterprize. But Joseph, repeating the charge upon them, said,
'Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land are ye come.'*
This drew them, for clearing themselves to open the state of the
family forther, by saying, 'Thy servants were twelve brethren, the
sons of one man in the land of Canaan ; and behold the youngest is
this day with our father, and one is dead.' Well, said Joseph, by
this it shaU appear whether ye are spies or no ; ye now say ye have
a younger brother : and, by the Ufe of Pharaoh, ye shall not go hence,
except your youngest brother come hither. Therefore send one of
you, and let him fetch your brother ; and ye shall be kept in prison
in the mean time, that your words maybe proved, whether there be
any truth in you : otherwise, by the Ufe of Pharaoh, (that is as sure
as Pharaoh lives) ye are spies.
Some, from this form of speech, 'by the Ufe of Pharaoh,' charge
Joseph with having leamed and used an Egyptian oath. But Dr.
Robert Sanderson, in his book DeJuramenti Obligatione, praelect 5,
sect. 7, defends Joseph from having sworn, when he said to his
brethren, ' by the life of Pharaoh.'
Joseph having told his brethren what they must trust to, put them
all together into custody for three days : and on the third day, send.
ing for them again, he let tiiem know that he feared God, and would
not that their famUies should suffer for their faults, nor that they should
sufler if they were faultiess. Therefore, said he, this do : 'If ye be
true men, let one of your brethern be bound in the house of your
prison ; and go ye, carry corn, to prevent the famishing of your fam.
ilies. But see that ye bring your youngest brother unto me ; so shall
your words be verified, and your lives preserved.' To tiiis, not
knowing otherwise how to help themselves, they all agreed. And
thereupon faUing into discourse amongst themselves, they could not
but reflect on their evil usage of their brother Joseph, whom they
all supposed to be dead. And they said one to another,' We are
verily guUty concerning our brother, in that, though we saw the
anguish of his soul when he besought us, we would not hear: there.
fore is this distress come upon us.' ' Ay,' said Reuben, ' did not I
intreat you, that ye would not sin against the child, and ye would
not hear? therefore, behold, his blood is now required,*
Joseph was present, and heard their discourse : for having spoken
to them by an interpreter before, who was now absent, they spake
freely to one another, as far from thinking he could understand
them, as that he was their brother. But these words of theirs so af
fected good Joseph, that he could not forbear weeping: which, that
his brethren might not observe, he tumed away, and left them for a
• A. 1VT. 2289.

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. &1
littie while. Then returning, and, by his interpreter, communing
further with them, he took Simeon, tJie eldest next to Reuben, whom
he spared, because he not only consented not to tiieir evil design
against him, but saved his life, and laboured to have delivered him,
and causing him to be bound in their sight, he set the rest at lib
erty, who having their sacks, by his order fiUed with corn and pro.
vision given them for their journey, laded their asses, and departed.
But as one of them, when they came to their inn upon the way,
opened his sack, to give his ass provender, he espied his money in
his sack's mouth, for Joseph had ordered his steward to put every
one of their monies in his sack again. At sight of this, he caUs
out to the rest, and tells them his money was restored. This startied
them aU : their hearts began to fail, and fear seizing on them, they
said one to another, ' What is this that God hath done unto us 1 '
For being conscious of their own guilt, they looked upon this as
an additional judgment of God upon them for it, yet they knew not
that every one of them had his money returned till they came home.
Being come to their father, they gave him an account of their
journey, and of what had befallen them in it ; relating to him how
the lord of the land had dealt with them, charging them with being
spies, engaging thera to bring their youngest brother with them, as
a proof of their clearness, when they should come again, and keeping
their brother Simeon bound in prison as a pledge, tiU they should
bring Benjamin.
This news was very unpleasing to Jacob ; but when upon the emp
tying of their sacks, they found every man's bag of money in his sack,
both Jacob and they were aU afraid, lest some new accusation would
arise out of this, when the other, of their being spies should be cleared.
Jacob therefore, breaking forth in complaint, said, - Me have ye be-
reaved of my children : Joseph is not, and Simeon is not ; and ye
will take Benjamin away. AU these things are against me.'
Reuben thinking to persuade his father to consent to Benjamin's
going desired him to commit him to his care, promising to bring
hun safe to him again : which, said he, if I do not, slay thou my
two sons, or two of my sons ; for he had four, named in Gen. xiv. 9 ;
which went down afterwards with Jacob into Egypt.
Jacob needed not to be told how iU a recompence it would have
been to him, for the loss of his son to kill his two grandsons : so that
this proposal did but aggravate his grief, and make him resolve that
his son Benjamin should not go down vrith them. ' For, said he, his
brother Joseph (his only brother by the mother) is dead (so he and
they aU thought) and he is left alone : if mischief befall him by
the way, then shall ye bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to the
grave. Thus it stood awhile with them. But the famine increasing sore
upon them, when they had eaten up the com which they had brought

92 SACRED HISTORY PART r.
out of Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, « Go again, buy us a httie
food : ' not taking any notice of the injunction laid upon them in
Egypt, to bring their brother Benjamin with them, if they meant to
have corn, or their brother Simeon back with them. The sons wdl
knew it was in vain for thera to go without Benjamin : and how to
persuade their father to part with him was tiie difficulty.
Reuben had in vain tried his skill before : wherefore Judah now
attempts to draw his father to a compUance : and in order thereunto
he thus bespake hira :
If, said he, thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down
and buy food: but if thou wilt not send him, it is in vain for us to
go ; (so I wish it might be read, rather than in that blunt manner,
» we wiU not go,' not so decent frora a son to a father.) For, added
he, ' the man did solemnly protest unto us, that we should not see his
face, except our brother was with us.'
This pinched poor Jacob again, and drew from him a fresh com
plaint. 'Wherefore,' said he, ' dealt ye so iU vidth me, as to teU the
man whether ye had another brother ? ' They, to excuse themselves,
answered, how truly doth not appear, ' The man asked us straitiy of
our state and of our kindred ; saying, ' Is your father yet aUve ?
Have you another brother'?' and we answered him accordingly,
could we certainly know before hand that he would, say, bjing your
brother down 1 '
Jacob beginning now to stagger, Judah said to him, ' Send the
lad with me, and we wiU arise and go ; that we may live and not
die, both thou and we, and our Uttle ones. I wiU be surety for him,
and at ray hand shaU thou require him : if I bring him not unto
thee, and set him before thee ; then Ifet me bear the blame forever.'
What neither their reason nor importunity could effect, necessity
did. If there be no remedy, it must be so now, said their father to
them, do this : ' Take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels,
and carry down the man a present; a Uttle balm, (or balsam) and
a Uttie honey, spices and' myrrh, nuts and' almonds,' which, if any
wonder they should be to be had in so great a famine, let it be
considered, that this was but the second year of the seven ; there
were five yet to come, Gen. xiv. 11. And these things not being
used for common faod, there raight be sorae small quantity of the
old' stock remain.. ' TUke with you also, said he, double money in
your hands,' for he considered weU that as the famine increased,
the price of oorn would be likely to rise. And, added he, ' Carry
with you again the money that was brought back m the mouths of
your sacks ; for peradventure it was an oversight.' Take also your
brother Benjamin with you; and arise, go agaih unto the man; and,
which shews where his hope lay, God Almighty give you mercy
before the man, or incline him to be raercifol to you, that he raay
send away your brother (Simeon) and Benjamin. And now hay»

tASt I. SACRED HISTORY. 03
ing committed aU to God, « If, said he, I be bereaved (of my chil
dren) I am bereaved.' As if he had said, I wiU trust providence,
aud quietiy submit to God's divine disposal.
Now went they down cheerfiiUy, having their brotiier Benjamin
¦with them, the money that was in their sacks, to return it again,
double money to buy with, and a present to appease the angry gov
emor ; and now they reckoned they could appear with some confi
dence before him.
When they were come into Egypt, and Joseph saw his brother
Benjamin among them, he gave order to his steward, the ruler of
his house, to bring them home, and make provision for them to dine
witli him at noon ; which the steward accordingly did.
This put them into a new fright; and conferring together upon it,
tfiey concluded, tiiat this was because of the money that was returned
in their sacks before : and that therefore they were thus brought into
the governor's house, that he might seek an occasion against them,
to faU upon them, and both take thera for bondmen, and seize upon
their cattle. That therefore they might remove aU offence about
the return of their money, they drew near to the steward, and com.
muning with him at the door, one of them, in the name of the rest,
said, ' O, sir, when we came at the first to buy food, it came to pass
that wheu (in our return) we opened our sacks, (one of .us at our inn,
by the way, and the rest of us when we came home) behold every
man's money, in its full weight, was in the mouth of his sack : we
cannot teU who put the money in our sacks ; but we have brought it
again; and we have brought other money also to buy food with.'
The steward cheered them up, bidding them net fear; and to hide
still the contrivance from them, told them, ' Their God, and the God
of their father, bad given thera treasure in their sacks; for I, said
he, had your money.' And finding them somewhat dejected, he, to
comfort thera, brought forth their brother Simeon to them ; and gave
order that water should be brought to them, to wash tiieir feet in ; and
that their cattie should be taken care of, and fed.
They meanwhUe, understanding they should dine there, made ready
thwr present Eigainst the governor should come in : and when he
came, they presented him with it ; bo-wing themselves to him to the
earth. He asking thein how they did, and if their father, the old
man of whom they had spoken, when they were with him before,
was yet alive and well : they answered, ' Thy servant, our father, is
yet alive, and in good health ; ' and thereupon again they bowed down
their heads and made obeisance. In doing which Joseph, no doubt,
could not but observe, how mobservant sever they were, the accom-
plishm^it of his first dream, Gen. xxxvu. 7, wherein their sheaves
mode obeisance to his.
Then lifting up his eyes, for his affection would hardly suffer him
to look steadfastiy upon them, and seeing his brother Benjamin, the

94 S«RED HISTORY. PART I.
son of his mother, he asked, ' Is this your younger brother, of whom
ye spake unto me : ' and not staying for an answer from them, said
to him, 'God be gracious to thee, my son:' for his bowela did so
yearn upon his brother, that he was fain to hasten from them, that he
might seek a place to weep in. , Retiring therefore into his chamber,
he wept there; and having thereby given some vent to his passion,
and waslied his face, that it might not be observed that he had wept,
he came forth again to them ; and refraining himself from further
tears, gave order that dinner should be brought in.
Accordingly, provision was made for him by himself, by the reason
of the dignity of his place, and for all his brethren by themselves;
and for the Egyptians who were to dine in his company, by them
selves ; because the Egyptians might not eat with the Hebrews, who
were shepherds, that being an employment which the Egyptians did
abominate. Gen. xlvi. 84.
All things being ready, the brethren sat down in Joseph's presence,
according to the exact order of their births : and they marveUed one
at another. . The reason of their marveUing not being expressed,
leaves it uncertain whether they marveUed at the manner and order
of the entertainment ; or whether being placed not by themselves, as
some think, but by Joseph, or his servants by his appoinbnent, they
marveUed how he- came to understand the order of their ages, to dis
pose them so rightiy in tiieir due rank. However, finding themselves
kindly entertained, for Joseph sent them every one a mess from his
own table, and to Benjtimin a mess five times as much as any of
theirs, they drank freely, and -were merry with him.
Now might they think the brunt was over ; and that they should
have no more storms or clouds, but pleasant sun-shine for the fumre :
but alas ! their sharpest trial was yet to come. They who were not
enough sensible of the affliction of Joseph, were not yet enough af
flicted themselves : they must be afflicted more. Wherefore Joseph
commanded his steward to fill the men's sacks v/ith food as much as
they could carry ; and put every man's money in his sack's mouth
again : and, said he, ' put my cup, tiie silver cup, in the sack's mouth
of the youngest, witli his corn money.' Whioh accordingly was
done, and early next morning, by that time it was light, they were
sent away. But they were not gone far out of the city, when Joseph
calling his steward, said to him, 'Up; follow after the men, and
when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, ' V/herefore have
ye rewarded e-vil for good? Is not tiiis (viz. the cup which ye have
stolen) that in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he wiU certainly
find out what ye are ? Ye have done evil in- so doing.'
The steward, thus instructed, straightway pursued; and having
overtaken them charged them, as his lord had bidden him. They,
knowing their clearness, made Ught of it, sa}ang, 'Wherefore saith
my lord these words ? God forbid that thy servants should do such

PART Ii, SAGEED mSTORY. QQ,
a thing.' Then as an argument of their probity and' just dealing,.
fliey reminded him of their having brought back the money which,
they found in their sacks. ' Behold, said they, the money which we
found .in our sacks' moutiis, we brought back again unto thee, out of
the land of Canaan: how then is it likely we should steal out of thy
lord's house silver or gold 1 ' But to put the matter out of aU doubt,
in confidence of their innocency, 'they offered themselves to the search,
and that under the severest penalties. ' With whomsoever of thy
servants it be found, said they, both let him die for it, and we also
wUl aU of us be my lord's bondmen.'
The steward took them ai their word : but with this mitigation ;
'^ He with whom it is found shaU be my servant, said he, and the rest
¦shall be blameless.' Then every one of them took down his sack ;
and PS they opened he searched them, beginning at the eldest, and
so going on to the youngest; and in poor Benjamin's sack the cup
was found.
This was a plain conviction ; at sight whereof amazement and sor
row took hold of them together : in token of which, they rent their.
clothes, and seeing no remedy, nor having any thing to say for them
selves, they laded their asses again, and returned to the city.
Joseph, meanwhile, who -without a cup could divine in whose sack
tbe cup could be found, staid at home, expecting, their coming ; and
when Judah and his brethren came into the house to him, they fell
do-wn Before him. on the ground : but before they oould open their
mouths to defend or excuse themselves, Joseph sternly said to them,_
' What deed is this tiiat ye have done ? Wot ye not that such a man
as I could certainly fuid you out 1 ' a
Although they were altogether innocent of this matter, yet so great
a consternation and fear was on them, that they knew not what an
swer to make ; tiU at length Judah thus abrupdy broke forth.
' What shall we say unto my lord 1 What shall we- speak 1 Os
bow shall we clear ourselves ? God hath found out the iniquity of
thy servants : behold we are my lord's servants ; both we and he also
with whom the cup is found,'
' Nay, said Joseph, God forbid that I should do so : the man in
whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; but as for you,
get ye up in peace unto your father.'
This condescention gave Judah boldness to come near to him,,
and thus bespake him. 'O my lord! let thy servant, I pray thee,
speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against
thy servant : for thou art as much to be feared as Pharaoh.' Then
repeating, and that more at large than was delivered before, the dis
course that had passed between him and them, when they came fh'st-'
to buy corn, and between their father and them at their return home,
he patheticaUy set forth the sorrow their father had undergone for
the loss of his son Joseph ; the extreme affection he bare to his son

96 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
Benjamin, the difficulty they had to prevail with their father to tmst
his Benjamin with them, so that he himself was obUged to become
surety to his father for the safe return of his brother ; and that inas
much as his father's life was so bound up in the life of the lad, if
their father should see them come back without hira, it would un
doubtedly occasion his death, and they should thereby be a means
lo bring down the grey hairs of their father with sorrow to the
grave: he concluded his speech with this petition; 'Now there
fore, I pray thee, let me thy servant (who have passed my word to
my father for his safe return) abide here a bondman to my lord
instead of tiie lad, and let tbe lad go up with his brethren. For how
shaU I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me ? lest perad-
venttne I see the evil that shall come by that means upon my father.'
So sensibly was Joseph touched with this moving speech of Ju-
dab, that finding he could no longer contain himself, but that his
affection would enforce him to open himself unto his brethren, he
gave order that every one, but they, should go out of the room from
him. Which was no sooner done, and he left alone with them, but
that, breaking forth into loud weeping, he said to his brethren, ' I am
Joseph ; doth my father yet live 1 '
The narae Joseph, with the sense of their cwn guilt, and the power
he now had over them to revenge, if he would, himself upon them,
struck his brethren with so great terror and confusion that they
could not answer him a word. Which be obser\ing, spake t6 them
again, in a kind tone, saying, • Come near to me, I pray you : and
being come near, he said to them, ' I am Joseph, your brother, whom
ye sold into Egypt'
These last words renewing the remembrance of their injustice
and cruelty towards him, must needs pierce deep ; where either
guilt let in fear ; or repentance sorrow. Joseph therefore, sensible
cf the hardship they now were under, in tenderness to his brethren,
who had shewed none to him, to soften the former words, imme
diately added, 'Now therefore be not grieved nor angry with your-
selves, that ye sold me hither : for God did send me before you to
preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the
land, and there are five years yet to come, in the which there shall
be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you,
to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by
a great deliverance. So now, added he, it was not ye that sent me
hitiier, but God.'
Thus did the good man endeavour to ease them, by mitigating
their offence, while him.self looked over and beyond tbe instruments,
to him who disposes aU things for good to his. Not but that it was
tme enough which he told thera ; it was not tiiey that sent him
thither, but God. For they sold hira to the IshraaeUtes, who might
have carried him whither they would; nor did thoy then matter

PART I. SA'CRED HISTOiiy. 9'?
¦wTiither he W&s carried, or what became of hira, so they could but
get rid of him. But it was God that directed him thiiier, and by
various steps of his providence brought him to that dignity and
power there, that he might be his instrument in that great work
of preserving the family of the faithful, and saving much people
aUve. ' And therefore, said Joseph, he bath made me a father to
Pharaoh, (by counsel, care, and providing for Pharaoh and his people ;
-which are the properties of a father) and he hatii made me lord of
all his house, and a ruler throughout aU the land of Egypt'
Having thus prepared thera, he now proposes to thera what he
had all this while designed; the fetching of his fathei-, with the whole
family of Israel, from Canaan into Egypt. - Haste you, said he to
his brethren, and go up to my father, and say unto him, thus saith
thy son Joseph, God hath made me Lord of aU Egypt : come down
unto me, tarry not : and thou shalt dweU in the land of Goshen ; '
which was the fruitfuUest part of Egypt, especially of pasturage ;
and the shortest journey for him to make, as being nearest to Ca
naan : ' And thou shalt be near unto me, thou and thy children, and
thy children's chUdren, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou
hast; and there wiU I nourish thee (for there are five years of famine
jret to come)' lest thou and thy household, and aU that thou hast,
come to poverty.'
And that no doubt might arise, or reimain in any of their minds,
whetiier he was indeed their brother Joseph, he wished them to
observe, that he did not now speak to tiicm by an interpreter, as
he had done before he discovered himself to them : • For behold,
said he, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin (whom
my father wUl -more especially regard) that it is my mouth that
speaketh unto you; so that ye may give my father full assurance
that I am alive. And ye shall lell my father of all my glory in
Egypt, and of all that ye have seen : and then make haste, and
bring down my father hither.
Then falling upon his brother Benjamin's neck, he wept, and Ben
jamin wept upon his neck. After which, as a seal of pardon of
all former offences, and a general amnesty to the rest of his brethren,
he kissed them all severt '¦- , and wept upon them. By which kind
carriage encouraged, they afterwards discoursed famUiarly With him.
The report of Joseph's brethren being come was soon made
known to Pharaoh, whom it pleased well, and his servants. Where
upon calUng for Joseph, he bid hira say, unto his brethren, this do;
' Lade your beasts, and go, get you into the land of C'dnaan, and
take your father and your households, and come Unto me, and I
wiU give you the good of the land of Egypt; and ye shaU eat the
fat of the land,' that is, the fmits which the richest land pro
duces. Now, said he to Joseph, that thou hast my especial com«
VOL. I. — 7

93- SAOHED HISTORY. PART I.
mand for it, bid them to do this ; ' Take you waggons out of the
land of Egypt, for your littie ones, and for your wives; and bring
your father, and come, and regard not your stuff; for the good of
all the land of Egypt is yours.'
Joseph therefore, according to Pharaoh's commandment, ap.
pointed thera waggons : furnishing them also with provisions for the
way. And for a present to his father, he sent ten asses, laden with
the good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses laden with corn, and oth
er provisions for him by the way. And the more to cheer his breth
ren and confirm his love unto them, he gave to each of them changes
of raiment : but that he might signaUy distinguish his brother Ben
jamin fi'om the rest, he gave him three hundred pieces of silver, and
five changes of raiment, or suits of clothes. And fearing lest, in
their journey, they should enter into a debate who was most to be
blamed for the injury done to him, and by casting it each from
himself upon others, should raise a difference among themselves, he
gave them this necessary caution ; ' See that ye fall not out by the
way.' After which, dismissing them, they departed out of Egypt,
and came to their father in the land of Canaan : to whom, no doubt,
they were very welcome, not only for the provisions they brought for
his family, but because his sons, Simeon, and more- especiaUy Benja- ^
min, were come safe to him again.
But when they told their father, Joseph is yet alive, and he is
governor overall the land of Egypt; the good old man had like to
have died, through the opposite workings of contrary passions, in.
vading joy, and renewed grief; for being on a sudden surprized
with such unexpected news, his doubtful heart, divided between hope
and fear, fainted. For though natural affection would prompt him
to wish and hope it might be true, yet his judgment would not quick.
ly permit him to beUeve that it wa.s, or could be true. Nor did
they gain a fuU assent, though they related to him the particular dis
courses which had passed between Joseph and them, untU he saw
the waggons which Joseph had sent to carry him ; and then the spir
it of Jacob their fiither revived. Then he cried out, ' It is enough ;
Joseph my son is yel alive : ' tell me no more of the dignity, power,
riches, and honours he enjoys ; he is aUve, and that is enough : ' I wUl
go and see bim before I die.'
Accordingly Israel took his journey, with aU that ho had : and
when he came to Beer-sheba, where the Lord bad appeared to his
father Isaac, and blessed him, and where his father had buUt an altar,
and worshipjied the Lord, Gen. xxvi. 23, 24, 26, there he offered
sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. In doing which, it may
well bo supposed, he not only gave hira thanks for the preservation
of his son Joseph, and the safe return of his other sons, but supplica
ted and implored his protection and blessing upon him and his, in the
journey he had now undertaken.

PART I, SACRED HISTORY. 99
Here God spake imto Israel, in the visions of tbe night ; caUing, Ja
cob ; who answering here am I ; the Lord said, ' I am God, the God
of thy fatiier ; fear not to go (out of and from the land of Canaan,
which I have promised to thee and to thy seed for an inheritance)
down into Egypt, a country where thy ancestors have been evily
intreated: for I will there make of thee a great nation. I wiU go
down with thee into Egypt, and I wiU also surely bring thee up
again : (that is, thy body to be buried and thy posterity to live in
this land) and Joseph shaU put his hand upon thine eyes : 'that is, shall
close thy eye-lids when thou diest. Whence Jacob, to his comfort,
might infer, that he should have a natural, not a violent death ; and
that his son Joseph should be with him when he died.
Strengthened by this divine promise, Jacob left Bear-sheba, and
pursued his journey towards Egypt ; his sons carrying both him and
their little ones, -with their wives, in the waggons which Pharaoh had
sent to convey them. They took also with them their cattie and their
goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan ; and came into
Egypt, Jacob and all his seed with him ; his sons, and his sons' sons :
his daughters, and his sons' daughters. So we read it in a general
way of speaking, such as Sarah used, when she said. Who would
have said to Abrahani,that Sarah should have given children suck'?
Gen. xxi. 7, who gave suck to but one chUd, Isaac : though strict
ly Jacob had but one daughter, Dinah ; and but one grand-daugh.
ter Sarah, the daughter of Asher, Gen. xlvi. 15, 17.
Of Jacob's seed, which be brought with him into Egypt, the
names are particularly expressed in this chapter from I'er. 8 to ver
25, and botii here and in Deut. x, 22, are computed to be, in the
whole number, threescore and ten persons. But because there is an
apparent difference between the account here given by Moses, and
that which is given by Stephen, Acts vii. 14, the one reckoning
the number seventy, the other making it seventy -five ; I suppose it
will not be thought an unnecessary digression, if, making a Uttie
stop here, I give the reader what a learned man, De Dieu, has
written for the reconciUng that difference : whose words, as I find
them in Latin, quoted by Samuel Cradoek, in his apostolical history;
p. 39, on Acts vii, 14,1 wiU put in English, for the benefit of such
ns do not read Latin.
'Interpreters, says he, have been much puzzled to reconcile this
place with that of Gen. xlvi. 27, and Deut. x. 22, where Moses men
tions only seventy souls, of Jacob's house, that entered into Egypt.
Hut the difficulty wUl be smaU, if we say that the places are not par
aUel : for Moses makes a catalogue, in which, together with Jacob,
his own offspring only, they that came out of his loins, are compre
hended ; his sons' wives being expressly excepted, ver. 28 : for which
reason, not only they who actually went into Egypt with him, but
Joseph also, with his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, although they

100 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
were already in Egypt before, are contained in the number of sev
enty, because they having sprung from Jacob's loins, and taking their
original from the land of Canaan, did Uve as strangers in Egypt, and
therefore were justly to be reckoned as if they had entered Egypt
with Jacob. A special reason also there is, why Hezron and Ham-
ul, the two grandsons of Judah by Phares, are put into that number,
although they were bom afterwards in Egypt, to wit, that they might
supply the place of Judah's two sons, Er and Onan, who were dead
before. But in Stephen's oration, he doth not set forth Jacob's gene
alogy, but declares who they were that Joseph called Out of fhe land
of Canaan into Egypt. For he caUed more than sprang from Ja
cob's loins : and yet he did not call aU those that sprang from Ja
cob's loins. There, in the first place, Judah's two grand-sons, Hez
ron and Hamul, are to be shut out ; and, in the next place, Joseph,
with his two sons. Judah's grandsons he could not call, because
they were not yet born ; himself and his sons he could not call, be
cause they lived in Egypt already. Those five therefore, and then
Jacob himself, whom Stephen mentions by himself, being set aside,
there remain of Moses's number seventy, but sixty-four to wit, the
eleven brethren, one sister, Dinah, and two and fifty chUdren of the
brethren ; to which if thou addest the eleven wives of the eleven
brethren, whom Joseph must needs call together with their husbands
and which belonged to the kindred, thou hast all his kindred in three.
score and fifteen souls.' Thus much for the clearing of this doubt.
Now let us return to our history.
When Jacob drew near to the confines of Egypt, he sent his son
Judah before him unto Joseph, to receive direction for going unto
Goshen ; and into the land of Goshen they came. Upon notice
whereof, Joseph, caUing for his chariot, went up to Goshen, to meet
Israel his father, and presenting himself there unto him, he *feU on
his neck and wept on hi? neck for a good while. It does not appear by
the text, wbether at this congress Joseph fell on Jacob's neck, or Ja
cob on Joseph's. TremeUius and Junius make Jacob to have fallen on
Joseph's neck, which seems most likely; and that, after he had wept
there a good while, he broke forth into that high expression of sat.
isfaction and joy ; ' Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, bo-
cause thou art yet alive.'
After these endearments were somewhat over, Joseph proposed un
to them, that he would go and acquaint Pharaoh with their being
come ; and would let him know, that they being shepherds, and deal-
ors in cattie, had brought their flocks and their herds, and aU they
had, with them ; instructing his brethren withal, that when Pharaoh
should caU for them, and ask them what occupation they were of,
they should answer, ' Thy servants trade hath been about cattle,
from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers ; ' tiiat so
they might dwell in the land of Goshen. For the Egyptians, h«

PART 1. SACRED HISTORY. lOI
told them, did so abominate shepherds, that they would not suffer
them to dweU promiscuously amongst them.*
Accordingly Joseph going to Pharaoh, acquainted him that his
father and his brethren, with their flocks and their herds, and all
that they had, were come out of the land of Canaan, and were in tho
land of Goshen : and having taken five of his brethren with hira,
he presented them unto Pharaoh : whom when Pharaoh had asked
what was their occupation, they answered, as Joseph before had in.
stmcted them, ' Thy servants are shepherds, both we and also our
fathers ' : then added, ' to sojourn in tiie land Eire we come, for thy
servants have no pasture for their flocks, because the famine is sore
in the land of Canaem. Now therefore said they, we, pray thee, let
thy servants dweU in the land of Goshen.'
Pharaoh thereupon, turning his speech to Joseph said, ' The land
of Egypt is before thee ; and since thy father and thy brethren are
come unto thee, settie them in the best of the land : in the land of
Goshen let thera dwell. And if thou knowest any men of activity
amongst them, make thera rulers over ray cattie.'
The way thus opened, Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and
having set hira before Pharaoh, Jacob saluted Pharaoh; (so both
Pagnine, and TreraelUus, and Junius, render the place, and so it is
translated iii 1 Sara. xiii. 10.) and when Pharaoh asked hira how
old he was, he with a circumlocution an.swered, 'The days ofthe
years of my pUgrimage are an hundred and thirty years ; few, and
evil, added he (that is, subject to many troubles and afflictions) have
the days of the years of my life been : and have not attained to
the days of the years of the Ufe of my fathers in the days of their
pilgrimage.' After a short -visit thus made, Jacob taking his leave of Pharaoh,
went out from his presence. And Joseph placed bis father and
his brethren in the land of Rameses, which was the best of the
land of Egypt; where he gave thera a possession, as Pharaoh had
coramanded. And there he nourished his father and his brethren,
and aU his fatiier's household ; providing them food, according to their
famUies, with that care and tenderness, as if they had been his
children. Thus Uved Jacob seventeen years in the country of Gospen, in
the land of Egypt ; and he and his family, having possessions therein,
grew and multiplied exceedingly. But when the time drew nigh that
he must die, he called his son Joseph, and said unto hira, ' If now I
have found favour in thy sight, put I pray thee, thine hand under my
thigh (which was then the ceremony of an oath) and deal kindly
and truly with me. Bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt ; but I will
Ue with ray fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury
• A. M. 2298

IC2 S.4.CRfiD tnSTORY. PART I.
me in their burying.place.' Joseph promised to do as he had di
rected him ; but Jacob, desirous of the fullest assurance, pressed him
to swear unto him ; and Joseph, wiUing to give his father the utmost
satisfaction, did swear accordingly. Which done, Israel, leaning
upon his staff, Heb. xi. 21 bowed himself in token of thankfulness
to the Lord, for that, after aU his other mercies, he had now given
him a fresh assurance, by Joseph's promise and oath, that he should
be carried out of Egypt into the promised land.
It was not long after this, ere word was brought lo Joseph that his
father was sick. Whereupon, taking with him his two sons, Manas
seh and Ephraim, be went to visit his father; who being told that
Joseph was coming, strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.
And when Joseph was come to him, he recounted to Joseph the
promises which God had made to him of the land of Canaan ; which
Joseph, perhaps, being separated frora his father's faraily whUe ho
was but a boy, might not before have heard of. ' God Almighty,
said Jacob, appeared unto me at Luz, in tho land of Canaan, and
blessed me ; and said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and
multiply thee, and I wiU make of thee a multitude of people : and I
will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.'
Twice had God appeared to Jacob at this place caUed Luz. First,
when he fled from his brother Esau, and had that remarkable and
very significant dream, or -vision, of the ladder reaching from earth
to heaven. Gen. xxviii; and had the promise made unto him, and the
blessing novv repeated by him. At which time he changed the name
of that place, caUing it, from that wonderful appearance of God to
him. Bethel, the house of God; which name it aftervmrds retained,
when it grew into a city. And there did God appear to hira again,
at his return from Padanaram, Gen. xxxv. 1, and 7, and renewed
and confirmed unto hira the promise he had made to Abraham, to
Isaac, and to himself before. And as Jacob at that first time, gave
the place a new name, Beth-el, so God at this second time, gave Ja-
cob a new name, Israel ; thereby confirming the angel's word. Gen.
x.xxii. 28.
And after that Jacob had opened to Joseph the promise made of
the land of Canaan to him and his seed, or posterity after him ; he
then proceeded to take Joseph's two sons into a peculiar parti.
cipp.tion of this promise. ' And now, said lie to Joseph, thy two sons
Ephraim and Manasseh, (for inverting the order of their birth, he
set the youngest first, of which he afterwards gave the reason) which
were bom unto thee in the land of Egypt, before I came unto thee
into Egypt, are mine : (not mine as grand children only, but mine
as if they were my own immediate offspring, begotten actually by
myself.) As Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine; so as to be
come, each of them, the head of a distinct tribo in Israel; and to
enjoy the privilege of primogeniture, in right of their father Joseph,

PART :. SACRED HISTORY. 103
to whom the birth-right was transferred from Reuben, because of
Reuben's transgressions against his father. Gen. xxxv. 22, and chap
xlix. 4, with 1 Chron. v. 1, 2. But as for thy issue, which thou be-
gettest after them, or, if thou shalt beget any other after them, they
shaUbe thine, and shall be called by the narae of their brethren in
their inheritance. Then going on, he gave Joseph a brief account
of the death and burial of Rachel his mother.
Hitherto, it seems, he had not taken notice that Joseph's sons were
with him, but had spoken of them as if they had been absent: but
now perceiving somebody with him, though he could not weU discern
who, (for his eyes being dim with age, he could not see so weUl as to
distinguish persons at a distance, and the lads being young, stood
between their father's knees) he asked, 'Who are these?' Joseph
answered, ' They are my sons.' Which was a direct answer to the
question; yet Joseph, not thinking it fuU enough, but having a pious
regard to God, as the author of aU blessings, added, ' Whom God
hath given me in this place.' Jacob thereupon saying, 'Bring them,
I pray thee unto me, and I wUl bless them.' Joseph brought them
out from between his knees; and bowing himself towards the earth,
set them near unto his father .... And Jacob kissing and
embracing them, said to Joseph, in a redundance of joy, ' I was
out of hopes of seeing thy face, and lo, God hath shewed me also thy
seed.' Now Joseph, probably having observed that his father, in naming
them, had set Ephraim before Manasseh, ordered it so, when he
brought them near to his father, that by taking Ephraim in his
right hand, he put him towards his father's left hand; and faking Ma
nasseh in his left hand, put hira towards his father's right hand; but
Israel stretching out bis right hand, laid it upon the head of Ephraim
who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head,
guiding his hands wittingly : for Manasseh was the first-born. And
he blessed Joseph in blessing his children, saying ' God, before whom
my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me
all my life long unto this day, and the angel (Christ who is caUed
the angel, or messenger of the covenant Mai. iii. L) which redeemed
me from all evil, bless the lads : and let my name be named on them,
and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, (that is, let thera be
reckoned into our family, equaUy with the rest of my sons) and let
them grow into a multitude, in the midst of the earth.'
It was not pleasing to Joseph, that his father laid his right hand,
which carried with it the preference and chief regard, on the head
of Ephraim : and supposing it to be done through mistake or inad
vertency, he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's
to Manasseh's head, saying withal, 'Not so, my father, for this is
my first-born ; therefore put thy right hand upon his head.' But his
father, not by Imman judgmert; or affection, but by divine direction,

104 SACRED HISTORY. PARI? I.
refused, saying, ' I know it, my son, I know it ; he also shaU be
come a people, and he also shaU be great: but truly his younger
brother shall be greater than he; and his seed shaU become a mul
titude of nations.' Then adding to his former blessing, he said,
' In thee shaU Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim, and
as Manasseh : ' thus stUl setting Ephraim. before Manasseh.
Then finding himself grow weaker, he- said to Joseph, behold, I
die ; using the present time, to shew his death was near at hand ;
but God shall be with you, and bring you again into the land of
your fatiiers. Moreover, said he to Joseph, 'I have given thee one
portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the
Amorite, with my sword and with my bow.'
Since Jacob was so peaceable a man, never, that we read of,
engaged in any martial enterprize, it may be- inquired how and
when he took this portion, of land, which he here gave to Joseph,
from the Amorite, with his sword and his bow, ok by force of arms.
Some refer it to tiiat act of Simeon and Levi, Jacob's sons, in de
stroying the inhabitants of Shechem, Gen. xxxiv ; and so, the anno-
tators on that which, if I mistake not, is called the Bisho,p,?s Bible,
carry it. But that cannot be ; for first, Jacob disavowed that act,
and blamed them for it, both then and now. Gen. xUx. 5, 6, 7.
Secondly, those people of Shechem, whom they slew were not Am
orites, but Hivites. descended from Hivi, the sixth son of Canaan,
Gen. X. 17; whereas the Amorites came frora the fourth son of
Canaan, ver. 16. Others take these words of Jacob in a prophetic
sense; foretelling- what he in his posterity should do: and through
the assurance of faith looking upon it as done, undertook to dispose
of a double portion, the appendant to, the birth-right to Joseph, on
whom be had conferred the birth-right, to be possessed by his pos.
terity. Thus far the discourse had passed in private between Jacob and
his son Joseph only. But now perceiving his end to come on apace,
be called his sons in general together, that while he had strength to
deliver his mind, he might take his forewell of them, and not only
distribute his blessings amongst them, but foreteU them also what
should befaU them, and their ofispring, in after times.
' Gather yourselves together therefore, said he, and hear, ye sons of
Jacob, and hearken unto Israel your father.' And they being there.
upon attentive, he directed his speech to them severaUy, beginning
thus to the eldest :
' Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and tbe beginning of
my strength, the exceUency of dignity, and the excellency of pow-
er.' In which words he set before him both what he was, and
what he should have been, by the privileges and prerogatives
he should have enjoyed by his birth-right, if he had not forfeited
jt and them; and had he retained the right of primogenitm-e, he

PART I. SACBED HISTORY. tOft-
had exceUed in dignity, by superiority over his brethren ; nnd in
power, frora the double portion of inheritance annexed in course to
the birth-right. But now, says, he, 'Unstable as water, thou shalt
not excel.' Since thou didst not retain thy first station, but like
water didst fall downwards, tiiou shalt not have the privUego of
birth-right. And he adds the reason, ' Because thou wentest up to
thy father's bed, (Gen. xxv. 22.) then defiledst thou it.' And, as
if he would appeal to tbe rest of his sons for the justice of this,
sentence, he adds, ' He went up to my couch.'
Ha-ving done with Reuben, Simeon and Levi came next; of whom,,
rather than to wbom, be says, ' Simeon and Levi are brethren.' In
a natural sense, so were the rest ; another sense must therefore be
sought : the Bishop's Bible, by way of supplement, reads it, brethren
in evU ; and I think we need seek no furtiier. The following words
confirm this sense, viz. ' Instrume>nts of cmelty were in their habi
tations. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their as
sembly, mine honour, be not thou united : for in their anger they
slew a man, (which, by synecdoche, is put for, all tbe inhabitants of
Sbechera) and in their self-will they digged down a wall,' (destroy
ing and spoiling the city.) ' Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce ;
and their wrath, for it was cruel.' Thus their offence is set forth :
now follows their doom. 'I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter
them in Israel.' This dividing may be applied to Simeon, whose
tribe bad not a distinct lot assigned them in Canaan, as the other
tribes had; but they were tiirust within the lot of Judah, Josh. xix.
1, until in the time of Hesekiah king of Judah, a-party of them- smote
the remainder of Amalek, and seating themselves in their possessions,
1. Chron. iv. 42, were thereby divided from the rest of their own
tribe. As for the tribe of Levi, it was scattered through all the
tribes; having no particular lot or share in tbe land, as tbe other
tribes had.
Hitherto smootii Jacob, the cause so requiring heid been forced
to speak roughly. But now he come to Judah, the good man's style
is altered: and Judah's name signifying praise, leads him to praise
Judah. 'Judah,' said he, 'thou art he whom thy brethren shall
praise, (that is, for thy strength and valour) for thine hand shaU be
in the neck of thine enemies, (that is, when thou hast put thera to
flight, thou shalt pursue thera, lay hold of them, and destroy them)
tliy father's chUdren shaU bow down before thee.' Whereby, though
the birth-right was transferred from Reuben to Joseph, 1 Chron.
v. 1, with respect to double portion, yet that part or branch of the
prerogative or primogeniture which concerned authority or govern.
ment over the rest, is plainly conferred on Judah ; and so it is ex.
plained there, ver. 2, for Judah prevailed above his brethren, 'and
of him came the chief ruler; ' though the b'rth-right was Joseph's,
.viz. with respect to the inheritance.

106 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
So ravished was good Jacob in the contemplation of Judah's
strength and glory, that it made him break forth rhetoricaUy, and
display it in elegant figures .... - Judah,' said he, ' is a
lion's whelp ; from the prey, my son, thou art gone up. He stooped
down ; he couched as a Uon ; and as an old Uon : who shall (dare
to) rouse him up 1 ' Then setting forth the duration of his govern.
ment; 'The sceptre, said he, shaU not depart from Judah, nor a
law-giver from between his feet, untU Shiloh come ; and unto him
shaU the gathering of the people be.' And pursuing his aUegories,
to set forth the prosperity and plenty of Judah's tribe, and the abun.
danl fruitfulness of his sod, he added, ' Binding his foal unto the
vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine, he washed -his gar.
ments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes.' As if wine
should be as plentiful and common with him as water
And again, ' His eyes shall be red with wine : and his teeth white
with mUk. As if he would raise an emulation betwen the clus-
tered vineyard and fruitful pastures, in Judah's inheritance.
From Judah, stiU keeping in Leah's line, he passes Issachar,
and takes Zebulon ; whose name signifying dweUing, he only says
of him, 'Zebulon shall dweU at the haven of the sea; and he shaU
be for an haven of ships, and his border shall be unto Zidon.' —
Where accordingly his lot came forth. Josh. xlx. 11.
Then coming to Issachar, he says of him, ' Issachar is a strong
ass, couching down between two burdens ; and he saw that rest was
good, and the land that it was pleasant ; and he bowed his shoulder
to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.' Whereby he fore-
shewed that Isaachar should be great and strong in people, yet be
ing naturally dull, and loving ease, they would choose rather to
suffer themselves to be imposed upon by others, so they might
peaceably enjoy their fruitful and pleasant soil, than, by talcing arms
to vindicate themselves, disturb their own quiet
Having gone through Leah's offspring, he takes the handmaid's
sons next ; beginning with Dan of Bilhah, Rachel's maid. Dan sig
nifies judging; ' and Dan,' said he, 'shall judge his people, as one
of the tribes of Israel.' This was fulfiUed in Sampson : yet was no
more than Issachar did by Tola, Judg. x. 1. But it is supposed,
the reason why this was said to Dan, was to shew, that the .sons
of the handmaids, of which Dan is tbe first named, though being
born of bondwomen, they were in that respect inferior to the rest
of their brethren, should notwithstanding obtain some share' in the
government. But he has this peculiar of Dan, 'That Dan shaU bc
a serpent by the way, an adder in the patii. tiiat biteth the horse's
heels, so that his rider shall fall backwards.' By which he seems
to intimate, that the Danites should prevail more by policy and strat
agem, than by open war and plain force. Which Sampson's deal.
ing with the Philistines, Judg, xiv and xv, and the Danites taking

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 107
Laish, chap, xviii, confirms. But doubtiess something more than
ordin^y impressed good Jacob's spirit at this time ; which madd
him now cry out, ' I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.' Might
he not have some sense and foresight of the mischief the Danites
afterwards brought upon themselves, when having rifled Micah's
house, and robbed him of his gods, they fell into open idolatry, Judg.
xviii. Of Gad, aUuding also to his name, he said, 'A troop shall over
come hira; but he shaU overcome at the last.' By which he is
thought to have referred to what was afterwards performed by Jepth-
ah, of that tribe, Judg xi.
Of happy Asher, he said, ' His bread shall be fat, and he shall
yield royal dainties.' To much like purpose Moses afterwards said
of him, ' Let him dip his foot in oil,' Deut. xxxiii. 24 ; each referring
to the exuberant richness of his soil.
' Napthali,' said he, ' is an hind let loose : be giveth goodly words.'
By an hind let loose, some think is meant a ready aptness to wage
war, and nimbleness to pursue enemies. But since the property of
an hind is not -to pursue, "but to fly, it seems rather to imply a promp
titude and dexterity in escaping dangers : to which the other part of
the sentence, he giveth good.y words, agrees well ; intimating that he
will rather by deprecation appease, than by arms provoke an adver.
sary. And therein he appears most like his father, who appeased his
angry brother Esau, Gen. xxxii and xxxiii.
He is now come to Joseph ; of whom and to whom he speaks, as
if he could hardly say enough, or high enough. ' Josejdi,' says he
'is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a weU, whose branches run
over the wall.' By which rhetorical amplifications he sets forth the
strength of Joseph's family, and the large extent of his two-fold
tribe, Ephraim and Manasseh (the two branches that run over the
waU) which at the first numbering of the tribes, yielded of men
able to go forth to war three-score and twelve thousand and sev
en hundred, Numb. 1 ; and at the second numbering four-score
and five thousand and two hundred. Numb, xxvi, far exceeding any
other tribe.
Having set forth his future greatness in his posterity, he looked
back, and remembered his past troubles. ' The archers,' said he,
'have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him.' Amongst
tiiese archers, his brethren may undoubtedly claim the first place: for
Ihey are expressly said to have hated him. Gen. xxxvii. 4; and to
have increased their hatred to him,, ver. 6 and 8 ; to have conspired
his death, V. 18; and afterwards to have sold him, v. 28. Next to
them his lewd mistress, and (by her means) his jealous master Poti
pbar may be ranked amongst those archers that sorely grieved him.
' But his bow (said Jacob, continuing the metaphor) abode in strength,
and the arms of his hands (the hands of his arms, says another trans-

*08 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
lation ; and why not bis arms and hands 1) were made strong, by
the hands (speaking after the manner of men) of the mighty God
of Jacob ; from thence is the shepherd the stone of Israel.' So the
lest EngUsh translation has it, making the shepherd and stone 5301-
onymous. The Bishop's Bible reads it, ' of whom was the feeder
appointed by the stone of Israel ; ' taking the stone to be Christ, and
the shepherd or feeder appointed by hira to be Joseph. Pagnine
turns it, pascens lapidem, feeding the stone. But TreraelUus and
Junius make Joseph to be both the shepherd and the stone, -viz, of
refuge to Israel. There is an eUipsis or defect in the sentence, which
interpreters supply as they think best. However it be taken, un-
doubtedly Jacob had regard, in the passage, as to Joseph's constant
resisting the assaults of his mistress, and manfully bearing the se.
verity of his master : so also to his taking care of, and feeding both
Israel, the Egyptians, and others, as a shepherd provides for his
flock. To which condition and capacity he was advanced ' by the
God (said Jacob to him) of thy father, who shaU help thee, (to go
through the good work thou.art engaged in) and by tiie Almighty, who
shaU bless thee with the blessings of heaven above, blessings of the
deep that lieth under, the blessings of the breasts, and of the womb.'
(Terms comprehensive of aU outward blessings.) Then adding,
' The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of
my progenitors, unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills ;' he
heaps them all on Joseph, saying, ' They shall be on the head of Jos
eph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his
brethren; which was Joseph.
Having done with Jeseph, there remained only Benjamin, the-
younger of whom he said, ' Benjamin shall raven as a wolf: in
tbe morning he shaU devour the prey, and at night he shall divide
the spoil.' Whereby he briefly, but aptly, set forth the fierce and
crael nature of that tribe ; made good amongst other instances in
tliat of the Levite's concubine, whose stoty is in Judges xix, xx, xxi.
When Jacob had thus spoken to his sons, and blessed them every
one (not according to his own natural affection or inclination, but
according to the divine direction given hira) he put them again in
mind of his death, sa5dng, 'I am to be gathered unto my people;'
and then hegave them this charge, ' Bury me with my fathers, in
the oave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite.' Which, that they
might not mistake, he further describes thus; 'In the cave that is in
the field of Maophelah, which is before Mamre^n the land of Ca.
naan ; whioh Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite.
for a possession of a burying-place' And to engage them the more
to doit he teUs them, ' There- Abraham and' Sarah his wife were
buried; and there Isaac and Rebekah his wife were buried; and
there,' added he, 'I buried Leah.' (Of which two women, Rebek-

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 109
ah and Leah, no mention was made before with respect to either
death or burial.) .\nd to assure thera of their right to that burying.
.place, he tells them further, 'The purchase of the field, and of the
cave that is therein, was from (not Ephron only, but) the children of
Heth Now when Jacob bad made an end of commanding his song
about his burial, he gathered up his feet into the bed, a posture de
noting ease and quiet rest, and, yielding up the ghost, was gathered
unto his people.*
But pious Joseph could not part with so good a father, without
giving the utmost demonstrations offUial affection and duty. Where
fore, falling upon his father's face, he wept upon him and kissed
him : and having thereby given some vent unto his passion, he
comraanded his servants tiip physicians to embalm him ; which ac
cordingly they did.
This being the first mention we have in story of embalming the
dead, may well countenance a supposition, that the Israelites here
leaming it of the Egyptians, and practising it afterwards on groat
and solemn occasions amongst themselves, as in 2 Chron. xvi. 14,
and John xix. 40, it might from them eome into use among Chris
tians. After the set time for Solemn mourning was over, (which it seems,
for persons embalmed, was forty days ; but the Egyptians, to shew
their respect to Joseph, mourned for him seventy days) Joseph in-
treated some of Pharaoh's courtiers, for mourners might not come
into the king's presence, to acquaint him that his father, just before
his death, had made hira swear, tKat he would bury him in the grave
that he had digged for himself in the land of Canaan ; and there
fore to beg leave of Pharaoh for him to go and bury bis father,
under promise to come again. Pharaoh forthwith granted his re.
quest; bidding him, by the messengers, go up, and bury his father,
according as he had made him swear.
Leave thus obtained, Joseph set forward to his father's burial ;
and with him went up to honour Joseph, and grace the funeral, the
chief servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders
of the land of Egypt, and aU the house of Joseph, and his brethren,
and his father's family: only their littie ones, their flocks, and their
herds, they left in the land of Goshen ; and there went up with
him of chariots and horsemen, a very great company.
Being come to a place they caU the threshing floor of Atad, they
tliere made a stand ; and Joseph made a solemn mourning for his
father seven days together. And they mourned there with so great
and very sore lamentation, that the Canaanites, who inhabited tha
land, observing it, said, ' This is a grievous mourning to the Egyp-
•A. M. 2315.

110 SACREn mSTORY. PART I,
tians:' from whence the name of that place was called .Abel-miz-
raira ; that is, the mourning of the Egyptians.
This solemn mourning ended, they went on ; and being come to
the field of Machpelah, which Abraham had bought for a possession
of a burying-place of Ephron the Hittite before Mamre, they buried
Jacob in the cave there. And having performed their father's com
mand, they aU returned into Egypt.
While Jacob lived, Joseph's brethren thought themselves safe,
having him their advocate; but now that their father was gone,
tlieir guilt renewed their fear. And as they knew they had given
Joseph cause enough; so, judging of him by themselves, they con.
eluded he would certainly now requite them aU the evU they had
done unto him. Wherefore, to deprecate their offence, and procure
favour, they consulted together ; and having framed a message in
their father's name, wliose memory tiiey well knew Joseph did most
affectionatel}'- reverence, they sent a messenger with it to him in
these words :
' Thy father did command, before be died, saying, so shaU ye say
unto Joseph : forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren,
and their sin ; for tliey did evil unto thee.' And havingthus smoothed
their way, they add their own petition thus : ' And now, we pray
thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father.'
Wherein with great art they made use ofthe most motdng arguments ;
the supposed request of his dying father, that he would forgive them,
not only as they were his brethren, his flesh and his blood; but such
also as profess to worship tho same God that both he and his father
worshipped. Joseph could not forbear to weep, when this message was delivered
to hira ; partiy perhaps frora the renewed remembrance of the thing,
and more for the ill opinion and diffidence his brethren had of him.
But when they, having by this softening message prepared him,
came themselves, and falling down before his face, said, ' Behold, we
are thy servants, he bid tiiem not fear ; fbr, said he, ' Am I in the place
of God, (to whom vengeance belongs) that I should avenge myself?
As for you, added he, I know ye thought evil against me ; but God
meant it unto good, that I might be an instrument, under him, to
save much people alive ; ' and you especiaUy, as it now appears.
Then comforting them, and speaking kindly to them, said, 'Now,
therefore, fear ye not any hurt from me ; ' for I will be so far from
revengmg myself upon you, that 'I wiU nourish both you and your
little ones.'
Broughton sets Jacob's death in the six and fiftieth year of Jo.
seph'slifis, who, living four and fifty years a.''ter, saw his great grand-
chUdren by his son Manasseh, and the children of Ephraim to the
third generation : for Ephraim, according lo Jacob's prophesy, Gen.
xlix. 19, increased faster than Manasseh.

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. Ill
But when Joseph found his death drew near, he called his breth
ren,* by which I do not understand the other eleven sons of Ja
cob, who, except Benjamin, being aU older than himself, might prob
ably be all or most of them dead; but, the heads of their families,
and his own sons : for, in scripture dialect, aU near kinsmen go under
the general appeUation of brethren, as Abraham caUed Lot, Gen. xiU.
8 ; see also chap. xxiv. 27. And he said unto them, ' I die, (or my
death is at hand.) and God will surely visit you, and bring you out
of this land unto the land which he sware, (that is, gave and con-
firmed by oath) unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.' And Jo
seph took an oath of the chUdren of Israel, that when God should
visit them, as he certainly would, and should bring them out of that
land, ' they should carry up his bones from thence with them.'
Then being an hundred and ten years old, he died • and, being em
balmed, was put in a coffin in Egypt 1
•AM. 2369

THE END OF THE BOOK OF GEIfESIS.

THE
BOOK OF JOB.

ALTHonGH it seems that Moses, intent to deliver the history of
Jacob's family entire, and for that reason unwUUng to cut the thread
of that discourse, hath cast back the story of Job, of which he is by
some supposed to be the writer, that he might in an uninterrupted se
ries set forth the account of the Israelites' servitude in Egypt, and de
liverance out of Egypt ; yet since there is good ground to conclude
that Job lived between Jacob and Moses, in the time that Israel was
in Egypt, I choose rather, leaving Joseph at rest in his coffin, and
the Israelites restiess under their burdens, which after Joseph's death
fell upon them, to insert the story of Job in this place, than to bring
it in so far out of its due course of time, as the compilers of the Bible
have set it.
Who Job was is not agreed ; sorae would have bim to have de
scended from Nahor, the son of Terah, and brother of Abraham ;
induced perhaps so to think from Uz, the narae of the land in which
he dwelt : which they suppose to have been inhabited by Nahor's
sons, the eldest of which was named Huz, Gen. xxii. 21. But since
Shem had a grandson named Uz, Gen. xxiii, long before Nahor was
born, why might not that land take name from hira, as weU as from
Nahor's son 1
Others take him to be Jobab the son of Zerah, the son of Revel,
the son of Esau, by Bashemath the daughter of Ishmael. But he
cannot be Jobab (says Broughton in bis consent of Script, ad. an.
mund. 2430) for he (Jobab) died some ages before Moses was king
in Israel.
Others hold him to have sprung frora Abraham by Keturah, which
is most likely. Broughton, ubi supra, is positive : Job, says he is of
Abraham by Keturah, He is said to be the greatest for riches
of all of the men of the east, Job. i. 3; into which country Abra
ham sent his sons by Keturah, Gen. xxv. 6. And amongst the
children of the east are reckoned the Midianites, Judg. vi. 3, de-
ecended from Midian, one of Abraham's sons by Keturah, Gen. xxv. 2
(112)

PART 1. SACRED HISTORY. 11-3
From the uncertainty who Job was, some nave taken the liberty to
question whether he was at all ! whether, in point of fact, it be strict
ly true, that there was such a man, named Job, who underwent those
trials and sufferings, which in this book are recorded of him ] Or
whether it was only an instructive and parabolical poem, devised and
composed by some of the devout ancients, on purpose to instil into
the reader those exceUent principles delivered in it. But besides other
arguments that might be urged to prove the reality of the story, drawn
from the names of persons, people, countries, and from particular pas-
sages therein mentioned ; the credit given to it by God, through his
prophet Ezekiel, chap, xiv, ver. 14, and his apostle James, chap, v,
ver. 1 1 , in citing it, and referring to it, is enough, I think, to gain be
lief, with aU who have a due regard to those writings, that it is a real
history. Whoever he was, that he Uved before the law may be gathered
from his offering burnt offerings, with acceptance and commendation^
in the land of Uz, where he Uved ; which by the law were foi-bidden
to be offered in any other place, than that which tiie Lord should
choose in some one of the tribes of Israel, Deut. xii, xiii, xiv.
That he lived after Jacob, may be inferred from the character
given him by God, Job i. 8, and ii. 3 : 'That there was- none like him
in the earth for uprightness and fear of God.' Which high encomi
um may not be allowed to any, much less a Gentile, while Jacob Hved,
who was descended from the father of the faithful, the friend of God,
Abraham, in a direct Une ofthe promised seed, Isaac ; nor well while
Joseph lived.
Though the exact time of his birth cannot with sufficient ground
be ascertained ; yet there is a pretty general concUn'ence in opinion
tiiat he lived in the time of Israel's bondage in Egypt. And some
chronologers have adventured to place his birth in the sarae year in
which Jacob went down into Egypt ; and to date the beginning of
his trials in the year that Joseph died, being the seventy-first of
Job's life ; and set Job's death in the Second year after Israel's de
parture out of Egyjjt, of his age the two hundred and seventeenth : so
allowing him seventy y-ears befoi-c his trials, seven years in thera, and
an hundred and forty years after them, according to Job xlii. Ui.
But I should think it less liable to exception, if Job's birth were set
a little lower, about the time of Jacob's death; and then Joseph, who
survived his father fifty and four years, will have been dead about six
teen years before that extraordinary character was given of Job, in
the seventieth year of his age. At which time he might weU, for
aught appears, be without competitor or equal. .And there being
somewhat more than sixty years between Joseph's death and Moses'
birth, the story of Job raay fitiy enough faU within that interval of
time. VOL. I. — 8

114 SACRED HISTORY, PART I
The book of Job, says Broughton, ubi supra, in order of time
falleth out before Exodus. And the whole book, says he, is a divine
commentary on Genesis. So that there cannot reasonably be ex
pected from it any great store of historical observations.
As to the style wherein it is written, Hierom, in his prologue to it,
says, from the beginning of the book to the first words of Job,
chap. iii. 3, it is in the Hebrew written in prose. From thence to
those last words we have of Job, ' Wherefore I abhor myself, and re
pent in dust and ashes,' chap. xUi. 6, it is written in hexameter verse.
And from thence to the end of the book in prose again.
Job is adorned with an excellent character given him by God him
self ; that he was a perfect and an upright man ; and to shew what was
meant by that, it is added, one that feared God and eschewed (that
is, shunned) evU, chap. i. J .
His condition in the world is set forth, both in general, and in par
ticulars. In general, that he was the greatest of all the men of the
east. In particulars, that he had seven thousand sheep, and three
thousand camels; and five hundred yoke of oxen; and five hun
dred she asses, ver. 3.
He had seven sons and three daughters, ver. 2, not Uke himself, but
given to worldly pleasures. And being grown up, and removed from
him, they took their turns to feast from house to house, every one his
day, and invited their sisters to feast with thera, ver. 4. But when
they had gone their round, good Job, considering the danger that at-
tends such joUity, and fearing lest his children, in their raerriments,
should have sinned, and spoken or thought irreverently of God, sent
and sanctified them, and rising up early in the morning, he offered
burnt offerings for them, according to the number of them all. And
thus he did from time to time after their revelUng feasts, ver. 5.
This pious care of good Job was very acceptable to God, who set
a more than ordinary value on him ; insomuch that, when afterwards
the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, as we
read they did. Job i, 6, and Satan the adversary, for so the word sig
nifies, came also among them, to see what mischief he could do unto
them ; God, to set fortli Job as an exemplary of virtue and righteous
ness, said to Satan, ' Hast tliou considered my servant Job, that there
is none like him in the earth,' which thou hast been encompassing,
and walking to and fro in, a perfect and upright man, one that fear.
eth God, and escheweth or shunneth evil.
The malignant adversary, not wiUing to acknowledge that Job
served God from a right religious principle, but for self-ends, an
swered, ' Doth Job ser^e God for nought ? Hast not thou made an
hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on
every side"? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his sub
stance is increased in the land : (as if he had said, tliou hast made
him rich, and dost protect him frora aU trouble and danger) but put

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 115
forth thy hand now, and toucli (so as to destroy) all that he hath, and
see if he do not curse thee to thy face,' ver. 9, 10, 11.
God knew the integrity of Job ; and that the exercise thereof might
redound to his honom-, and turn to the good example of others, he ex
posed him to the trial. ' Behold,' saith the Lord to Satan, ' aU that
he hath is in thy power ; only upon himself put not forth thy hand,'
ver. 12.
Hence it appears that Satan hath no power over them that trtdy
fear God, tiU he permit it. But now, having got this permission, he
who goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, 1,
Pet. V. 8, needed no spur. Away goes he, and stirs up his evU agents
to ruin good Job,
It was not long ere Job's children were aU got together, feasting and
making merry at his eldest son's bouse, ver, 13. That time took Sa.
tan to begin with Job. He had in readiness stirred up the Sabeans, a
neighbouring people, descended from Sheba, grandson of Abraham
by Keturah, Gen. xxv, 3, to make an inroad upon Job for booty,
which they did ; whereupon a messenger came to Job, and said,
' The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them, and the
Sabeans feU upon them, and took them away : and moreover they
have slain the servants with the edge of the sword ; and I only am
escaped alone to tell thee,' ver. 14, 16.
Though this must be a very great loss, to lose a thousand oxen and
five hundred asses at once ; yet this might look but like a common
depredation, which might befaU any one that lived within the reach
of such free-booters ; and so might not be taken by Job for a judg
ment from God upon him ; which Satan knew would lie the thing that
would most sensibly touch him : wherefore he who is called the
prince of the power of the air, Ephes. ii. 2, and who, through his
beastly instrument, is said to have afterwards made fire to come down
frora heaven upon the earth in the sight of men. Rev, xin. 13. by rais
ing corruscations, or fiery flashes in the air; destroyed Job's sheep
Whereupon, while the first messenger was teUing the evil tidings of
the Sabean plunder, another came to Job, and said, ' The fire of God
is faUen from heaven, and hath burnt up the sheep and the servants,
and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to teU thee, ver. 16,
While he was yet speaking, steps in a third, and says, ' The Chal
deans made out three bunds, and feU upon the ctunels, and have car
ried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the
sword ; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee,' ver, 17
Thus was Job stripped of aU his substance in one day ; and he
that was in the moming the richest man in aU the east, was ere night
perhaps the poorest man in all the world : yet did not aU these losses
draw a murmur from good Job.
Satan probably, from the calm temper wherewith Job received the
first of these messages, might perceive that these strokes were too re-

116 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
mote to raise that passion he desired in Job ; he therefore resolved
to strike Job in a more sensible part ; and to come as near him as
the bound would permit. This prince of the air therefore, raising
a very great tempest of wind, threw down the house wherein Job's
chUdren were then feasting, upon their heads ; and with the fall there
of slew them all. And that Job might have no respite, or time to
digest the grief of his former losses; before the last messenger had
made an end of relating to him the loss of his camels, another rushes
in and says, ' Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking
wine in their eldest brother's house, and behold their came a great
wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house,
and it fell upon the young men (which, from the dignity of the mas-
cuUne gender, comprehends both sexes) and they are dead ; and I
otdy am escaped alone to tell thee,' ver. 18, 19.
This stroke reached Job indeed, and sensibly touched him, both in
his nature and in his judgment. His nature was wounded in the
death of his chUdren; his judgment was troubled at the manner and
circumstances of their death ; considering how ill-employed death
found them, how unprepared they were to die. Yet did not Job,
now that they were dead, offer burnt-offerings, or make expiations
for them, as before he used to do after their feastings, while they
were alive. He knew, no doubt, that ' in the place where the tree
falleih, there it shall be.' Eccles. xi. 3.
But though Job's grief was doubtless very great, yet it did not
transport him into any violent or irregular passions. For it is said,
' He arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down
upon the ground and worshipped.' Rending the mantle and shaving
the head, were outward tokens of affliction and great sorrow, much
used in those eastern countries, and early ages of the world. And
as the shaving of the head, being a deUberate act, shews it was not
the effect of a sudden or rash resentment; so his faUing do-wn upon
the ground, and worshipping, shews he received these afflictions with
an humble submissive mind, bowing under them to the hand of the
Lord, without whose permission, he well knew none of these things
could have befallen him, ver. 20.
Now watched Satan, in hopes that Job would have broken forth
into some intemperate and indecent speech against God ; when, to
his great disappointment. Job only said, ' naked came I out of my
mother's womb, and naked shall I return to the earth. (The com
mon womb or mother of mankind.) The Lord gave, and the Lord
hath taken away: blessed be the name of the Lord,' ver. 21.
In aUthis Job sinned not, nor charged God with folly, v. 22, for
ho acknowledged that he never had any thing but what he received
from God; tiiat if it had not been taken from him, he must in a while
have left it, and gone as naked out of the world as he came into it ;
that it was but just, that he who gave should have power, when he

PART I. SACSED HISTORY. 117
pleased, to take bach what he had given. And lastiy, instead of
cursing God to his face, which Satan had suggested he would do,
he blessed God for what had befallen him ; and tiiereby proved Sa
tan a liar to his face.
But it was not long ere this restiess adversary, wanting more work,
and presenting himself before the Lord when the sons of God came
to present themselves, a (form of speech, not strictly proper to God
and spirits, but metaphoricaUy accommodated to the weakness of
man's capacity) the Lord proposed Job again to him, as an instance
of a perfect and an upright man that feared God and shunned evil :
' And StiU, said he, he holdeth fast his integiity, although thou movedst
me against him, to destroy hira without cause.' 'O! said Satan, skin
for skin; yea, all that a man hath wiU he give for his life.' As if he
"nad said, thou hast hitherto suffered me to touch him but at a dis-
tance : I have not yet come so near as his skin ; so that he has yet felt
nothing in his own person. But put forth thine hand now, and
touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. Job
:: 3,4,6.
The Lord knew that these exercises, though sharp to nature, would
not only redound to his glory, but turn to the great advantage of
Job : and therefore resolving to bear hira up through them, that Sa
tan should not prevail over him, and to recompense all his sufferings
with an abundant reward in the end, he let out Satan's chain a Unk
further, saying, ' Behold he is in thy hand ; but spare his Ufe.' Sa.
tan, glad of this enlargement of power, quickly fell upon poor Job,
and ' smote him with sore and grievous bods, from the sole of his foot
to the crown of his head,' ver. 6, 7.
Now was Job, if ever any man was, in a deplorable condition,
his body as it were, studded and covered over with blotches, boils,
blanes, carbuncles and filthy ulcers : no part free from top to toe.
And these not arising from some peccant humour in his natural con-
stitution, which would soon be spent, or might by medicine be cor
reeled or purged out; but inflicted by the envious one, whose niali
cious policy would doubtiess raise them to the higest extremity, that
he might thereby, if possible, drive Job to blaspheme God. Wel)
therefore raay we conclude, that Job underwent the raost exquisite
and inexpressible pains ; and that not for a fit, a pang, a spurt, a short
time, but for a continued series of time, as will further appear anon.
And that which increased his misery, was the foulness of his distemp
er, whicii rendered him not only abhorent to himself, but loathsome
to all that were about him. So that not only his relations and friends
abandoned him, but bis very menial servants withdrew from hira,
lea-ving him destitute of aU human help.
Of this, in bis mournings, he afterwards complained, saying, ' Mine
acquaintance are verily estranged fi-om me. My kinsfolk have
feilea, and my familiar friends have forgotten me. They that dwell

118 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
in my house, and my maids, count me for a sttanger : I am an aUen
in their sight. I caUed my servant, and he gave me no answer :
no, though I entreated hira with my mouth,' Job xix. ver. 13, 14,
16, 16.
Consider him there sitting. He that but the other day was ' the
greatest of aU the men of the east, chap. i. 3 ; before whom the young
men hid themselves, and the aged arose and stood up, chap. xxix.
8 ; tbe princes refrained talking, and the nobles held their peace,' ver.
.9, 10: see him now sitting in the ashes, covered with ulcerous sores
and corruption, scraping himself with a potsherd ; the foulest of ob.
jects, and, as one of the ancients said of him a dunghiU upon a
dunghiU. His wife, -who with the rest had forsaken him, and kept at a dis
tance from hira, whioh made him say, ' My breath is strange to my
wife, chap. xix. 17, now came ; with what intention is somewhat
uncertain, whether of pity or scorn : but certain it is, that what she
said to him was so far from reUeviug hira, that it added to his
sorro'w. Her words to him are rendered thus, 'Dost thou stiU retain thine in.
tegrity] Curse God, and die,' chap. ii. 9. But from the ambiguity
of the equi'/ocal word in the Hebrew, which signifies aUke to bless,
as lo curse, disagreement hath arisen amongst interpreters ; and the
Words have been read by divers diversely.
They that make Job's wife to bid him curse God, and die, sup
pose Job to have lived, and these exercises to have befaUen him, af.
ter the law was given, Levit. x.xiv. 15, 16; which made it death to
curse God : and that his wife, an Arabian and heathen, knew the
law, and the punishment for blasphemy; and spake thus to him,
not to reproach hira, but in pity to him, that he might be delivered
from his pains. Whereas, not only general consent places Job be
fore Moses, and God's accepting and commending his sacrifices, of
fered in the land of Uz, proves he Uved before the law; which made
it penal for any to offer sacrifice in any other place than before fhe
ark or tabernacle ; insomuch that devout Gentiles came thither to
worship; of which an instance is in the Ethiopian eunuch. Acts
vin. 27. But if Job had lived after this law was given, yet unlikely
it is that his wife should so soon have leamed it, at such a distance :
nor was it obliging to Gentiles, unless living among and under tbe
Jews ; neither was there any in the land of Uz who had power to
have executed such a law on Job, bad he cursed, as these suppose
s'ne bade him.
Others render her words. Dost thou yet retain thine integrity,
blessing God, and yet dying 1 making her to use a most bitter sar
casm to her husband. As if she had said. Dost thou yet retain thy
integrity to such a God, as, though thou continually blessest him, yet
holds thee in a Ungering death, under these insupportable pains 1

PARTI. SACRED HISTORY. 119
But since Satan's design was to make Job curse God, why may it
not be supposed that he instigated her to persuade her husband to it ;
not with respect to any penal law that she knew or thought could
take hold of him, but with expectation that so open and bold a blas
phemy would provoke the divine justice immediately to strike him
dead, and thereby deUver him from his intolerable miseries ?
However it was, certain it is, from Job's answer, though of the
mildest, for so sharp an irony as that above, that he understood her
not to mean well. Thou speakest, (said he to her) as one of the
fooUsh "women speaketh. "What, added he, shall we receive good at
the hand of God, and shaU we not receive evil ¦? ' Shall we rejoice
in prosperity, when he gives it us ? and shaU we not patientiy bear
adversity, when he suffers it to come upon us ?
Thus was Job preserved hitherto, that neither the loss of his es-
tale, the untimely death of his chUdren, the extremity of his pains,
the ingratitude of his friends, the undutifulness of his servants, nor
the provocation of his wife, drew him to utter an offending word.
'InaU this Job did not sin with his lips,' Job ii. 10.
But now Job had some particular friends that lived at a distance, as
well from one another, as from him. These were Eliphaz the Tera-
anite, so called from Teman, grandson to Esau, by his son Eliphaz,
Gen. xxxvi. 10, 11 ; Bildadthe Shuhite, descended from Shuah, the
youngest son of Abraham by Keturah, Gen. xxv. 2 ; and Zophar the
Naamathite, whose descent is not easily traced, without straining ;
though some Would derive him from Esau.
When these had beard of all tbe evU, that is, affliction, that was
come upon Job, they made an appointment to go together to visit
hira, to mourn wilh him, and lo comfort him, ver, 11. Now these
being great men (tiie Septuagint caUs them Kings) it must take up
some considerable time for them, after they had heard of Job's af-
fliction, to appoint their place and time to meet at; and then to trav
el in company lo him. So that many a tedious day, and many a
restless night, hod poor Job with patience undergone his dolorous
pains, before these friends of his came to him.
When they came within sight of him, it was some time before
they could assure themselves that it was he, so greatly was he al
tered, and so unlike himself But when, being come nearer, they
saw the miserable condition be was in, they jointiy Ufted up their
voices and wept ; and rending every one his inantie, they sprinkled
dust upon their heads towards heaven, to express their son'ow for
him, ver. 12. And seeing the extreme grief that was upon him,
they sat down by him upon the ground seven days and seven nights,
and none spake a word unto him, ver. 13. Either their own sor
row suppressing their speech ; or, their sense of his misery making
them think it unseasonable for them to speak to him till he began.
At length, the seven days and nights being over. Job broke si-

120 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
lenoe, and cursing (not God, but) the day of his birth, in mournful
rhetoric wished he had never been bom, or tliat be had immediately
died, chap. iii.
This gave occasion to, Elipha<5, who with the other two, had already
conceived an ill opinion of him, from the unaccountable greatness
of his affliction, which they concluded must needs be a severe hand
of God in judgment u-pon him, either for some deep hypocrisy, or
secret heinous sin, to faU sharply upon Job. And Eliphaz, in three
orations, contained in chap, iv and v, xv and xxii ; Bildad in as many,
in chap, viii, xviii and xxv; and Zophar, in two, chap. xi and xx;
from common topics, that such affliction as his could not come from
any but God's band ; and that it is not agreeable to the justice of God
to afflict without cause, or punish without guUt, they charged Job
with being a grievous sinner,- and a great hypocrite, labouring hard
to extort from him a confession of his guilt.
Job, on the contrary, being imraoveably assured of his innocency,
of the cleanness of his hands, and the uprightness of his heart to
wards God, would never yield to their charges, to make himself
guilty, by acknowledging guilt where none was; but, in respon.
sory orations, successive to every one of theirs, defended him
self, refuted their suggestions, maintained his own innocency and
reprehended both their injustice and want of charity. And where
as they, in their several speeches, had interspersed sharp refleo-
tions, severe censures, biting ironies, and bitter taunts upon him;
he in answers used liberty of speech towards them, not sparing some
times to give them sharp and pinching repartees : yet always observ
ing a submissive and humble style, tempered with great regard and
reverence, when he spake of, or, to God. But not seeing the secret
end the Lord had in suffering this trial to come upon him, he often,
and with great importunity, begged a discharge and release out of
this Ufe : that (hopeless of reUef by any other way) he might there
by bc freed from the misery he was in, lest his extremity of continued
pains should drive him to impatience.
Now when Job had silenced these three troublesome friends of
his, one that was present, and had heard their discourses on both
sides, being full of warm zeal both against Job and them ; against
Job for that, as he apprehended, he had justificft himself rather than
God; and against them, because they had condemned Job, and yet
had not convicted him, but given him over-, and let him go off with
the last word, undertook tbe matter.
This was EUhu, a young man, dteseended- from Buz, the son of
Nahor, Abraham's brother. Gen. .\xu. 21, and of the kindred of
Ram or Aram, Nahor's gi-and'-son, (ibid) from whom the Aramites
or Syrians came.
He, having made a prefatory excuse, in chap, xx.xn, for his inter
posing, being so young a man in comparison to them, and for the

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 121
plainness of speech he intended to treat them in, desiring they would
not expect from him that he should accept any man's person, or
give flattering tities unto man, for be durst not do that, lost if he did,
his Msdver should cut him suddenly off, attacked Job in a long ora,
tion continued through chap, xxxiii, xxxiv, xxxv, xxxvi and xxxvii :
and reprehending him for insisting so much in his own vindication.
endeavoured to convince him, by arguments dravm from God's un
limited sovereignty, and from his unsearchable wisdom, which pro
duces ends and purposes which man cannot find out nor understand,
that itia not inconsistent with his justice for God to lay his afflicting
hand on the best and most rigliteous of men. And that therefore it
is the duty of aU men to bear such exercises, when they fall, without
complaining or mourning ; and to acknowledge the justice of God
therein. All this Job with regardful attention heard, and made no reply; as
probably he had said less before, in answer to his three friends, and
that less liable to exception, had he not been so teased by their un
kind, uncharitable, and unjust reflections ; whereby, instead of being
his comforters, they proved his tormentors, and drew from him those
unguarded expressions, which both they, and after them EUhu, tumed
against him.
When EUhu had done speaking, and aU were sOent, the Lord him
self took up the matter, and out of the whirlwind directed bis speech
unto Job : wherein setting forth, with the highest amplifications, his
omnipotence, in the forming and disposing the works of the creation,
both of the heavenly bodies and of the inferior creatures, as weU on
the earth as in the sea, through chap, x'jcxviii, xxxix, xl, and xii; he
so effectuaUy convinced Job of his own weakness and inability, of
himself, to understand the ways and mind of God, that Job, in the
deepest humility breaking forth, said, ' Behold, I am vile, (that ia
mean, low and contemptible, in comparison of thee) what shall I
answer thee 1 I -wiU lay my hands upon my moutii. Once have I
spoken ; but I wiU not answer : yea, twice, but I wiU proceed noi
further,' chap. xUi.
And afterrwards, when the Lord had done speaking to him, h©
more folly confessed to the supi-einacy, po^ver, and wisdom of God,
saying to this effeet, ' I know that thou canst do every thing ; and
that no thought can be hidden from thee.''' Well, indeed, mightest
thou ask, chap, xxxviii. 2, who he was that darkened counsel, by
words without knowledge : for I am sensible ' I have uttered that I
understood not, things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.' But
henceforward I desire to team of the© : therefore hear I beseech thee,
when I speak; and declare untome whati ask thee. ' I have heard
of thee before by the bearing of the ear,' which gave me but a re
mote knowledge of thee, but now I have obtained a more clear and

122 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
certain knowledge of thee ; for now mine eyes sees thee. Wherefore
I abhor myself for what I have said amiss, and repent in dust and
ashes; that is, sincerely and heartily, chap. xlu, ver. l.to 7.
With this free and humble acknowledgment, the Lord was so well
pleased, that he thereupon took part with Job against his injurious
friends. Wherefore he said to EUphaz the Teraaiute, ' My wrath is
kindled against thee, and against thy two friends : for ye have not
spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job bath. There-
fore take unto you now seven buUocks, and seven rams, and go to
my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering, and ray
servant Job shall pray for you : for him (that is, his prayers) -^vill I
accept, lest I dealvritii you after your folly, in that ye have not spo.
ken of me the thing that is right, Uke my servant Job,' ver. 7, 8.
Accordingly EUphaz, Bildad, and Zophar did as the Lord com.
manded them ; and the Lord accepted Job's intercession for them.
And when Job prayed for his friends, the Lord turned his captivity,
and gave hira twice as much as he had before : so that he had fourteen
thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and one thousand yoke of
oxen, and one thousand she-asses. He had also seven sons and
three daughters, the fairest of aU the women in the land; and their
father gave them inheritance among their brethren. Job's brethren
also and bis sisters, which may be understood to comprehend all his
kindred, together vrith others of bis former acquaintance, made -vis-
its of condolence to him, and brought bun presents, whereby he
was very much enriched. And after this Job lived an hundred anc.
forty years, tiU he had seen his sons, and his sons' sons, even four
generations ; and then died an old man, and full of days ; from ver.
9 to the end.

THE END OF THE BOOK OF JOB.

THE
BOOK OF EXODUS.
¦WHICH SIGNIFIES GOING FORTH : SO CALLED, BECAUSE IT TREATS OF THE
GOING FORTH, OR DEPARTUEE, OF THE ISRAELITES OUT OF EGYPT :
AND CONTAINS AN HISTORY OF ABOtTT 144 YEARS.

The story of Job thus brought, as near as I well could, to its prop.
er time and place, who descending from Abraham by a second
venter, and in another hne, is a great instance of that great father's
pious care, in instructing his household in the knowledge and fear of
the true God ; let us now return to Jacob's family, which we left in
Egypt, embalming Joseph, and see how it has fared with the chU
dren of Israel there.
After the death of Joseph, there arose up a new king over Egypt,
another Pharaoh, who had not had a personal knowledge of Joseph.
And an age being now past since the great Egyptian famine, and the
whole generation of men that lived in that time, who had tasted of
Joseph's provident kindness, worn out and gone, the raemory of Jo
seph's benefits to that crown and kingdom, which ought to have been
engraven on piUars of marble, to have lasted to the utmost date of
time, was, to the lasting infamy of that nation, already forgotten and
lost ; though it might have been easily found, if no where else, in
the court of augmentations of the- revenue of that crown, had but
common gratitude sought for it there.
This new king, observing that the chUdren of Israel were fruit
ful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceed.
ingly mighty ; so that the land of Goshen, wherein they Uved, was
fUled-with them, held it expedient to contrive some way to secure
them to himself, and himself from danger by them. Convening
therefore the chief of his own people, he thus spake unto them :
' Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and more
mighty than we. Come on, therefore said he, let us deal wisely with
thera, lest they yet multiply, and it come to pass that if there should
fall out any war, they either join themselves unto our enemies,
(123)

124 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
(and so put us to the worst) or get them up out of the land,' and so
we lose the advantage we may make by them.
The Egyptians approving the poUtio fears of their cautious king,
they jointly agreed to employ the children of Israel in making brick,
and building store-cities for Pharaoh. And because the design of
this undertaking was not only to reap the profits of their service, but
by continual hard labour to impoverish them, enfeeble their bodies, and
debase their spirits, they set task-masters over them, to afflict them with
burdens, and make them serve with rigour, so that they made their
lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all
mamier of service in the field: aU their service, wherewith they
made them serve, was with rigour. Yet, as camomile grows the
faster for being trod upon, and the palm-tree, loaded with weights,
shoots up the higher ; so the more the Israelites were oppressed, the
more they multiplied and grew. This vexed the Egyptians ; for, as
the poet hath it,
Invidus alterius relus macrescit opimis.
The envious man frets, till himself grows lean.
Because his neighbour's fortune is serene.
And the Egyptians, it is said, were grieved because ofthe chU-
dren of Israel, ver, 12, that is, it troubled them to see the IsraeUtes
increase and grow strong, notwithstanding the heavy burdens they
laid on them.
To suppress their growth therefore, the king spake to two of the
Hebrew midwifes, who probably were the chief amongst them in
that profession, and gave them a strict charge, that when they should
do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, if the child were
a son they should Mil him, but if a daughter, then she should live,
ver. 15, 16 : but those good mid wives, of which the one was named
Shiphrah, and the other Puah, fearing God, did not as the king had
coramanded them ; but saved the men children also. This pious
mind in the midwives, in preferring the just law of God to the un.
just law of the king, was so acceptable to God, that he is said
thereupon to have dealt with them : ' because they feared God, he
madetliem houses; ' that is, he made them to prosper, gave tiiem
chUdren, and blessed their famUies. And by this means the people
still multiplied and waxed very mighty.
But when the king understood how the midwives had dealt with
him, he caUed them to account for it, demanding of them, in great
displeasure, ' Why they had done this thing, and had saved the men
children alive? They, to excuse themselves, and pacify him, told
him, ' The Hebrew women were not as the Egyptian women : but be
ing lively and strong, they were delivered before the midwives could
come to thera.' The king, whether satisfied or not with this answer,
not finding it safe to trust the midwives any longer, resolved to
take a more effectual course : and therefore gave charge to aU his.

PART I. SACKED HISTORY 126
people, that every son, which should be born to the Hebrews, they
should cast into tbe river ; but should save every daughter alive.
Here it may be worth while to observe, that persecution, as it
hardens the heart, so also it bUnds the judgment of the persecutors ;
making them act -even against their own interests. Pharaoh's per.
secuting the Israelites, in forcing thera by rigorous ways to labour
for him in servUe drudgery, on purpose to oppress and suppress
them, hardened his heart to advance to an higher degree of cruelty,
in commanding aUthe male children to be murdered. And had he
not been absolutely bUnded, he must have seen that the means he
used destroyed the end he aimed at. For the chief reason why he
would keep the Israelites under, was, lest they should grow strong
enough to deliver themselves out of Egypt, and so he should lose
the profit he would make of them. But if he had destroyed- all the
male chUdren, as fast as they were born, there could have been no
succession of men of that race : so that when the present genera.
tion had been worn out aU the girls being saved alive, he might have
been troubled with a numerous company of burdensome women,
¦without ever a man to maintain them, or work for him; and there
by he would have brought upon himself a great charge, without
profit. But to return to the story
This cruel edict, for drowning all the male children must needs
cause great sorrow to the Hebrew parents; and put them, no doubt
upon many a thoughtful contrivance for the safety of their poor
babes. Of which an instance quickly foUows.
Some time before this law came forth, one of the IsraeUtes, of the
house of Levi, whose narae was Amfam, chap. vi. 20, took to wife a
daughter of Levi, named Jochebed, by whom he had a daughter
named Miriam ; and about four years after, a son named Aaron,
whose Ufe it is probable the godly midwives had spared. About three
years after Aaron's birth, Jochebed bare another son, who was not
only a fair and goodly child, but had something extraordinary and
supernatural of a divine beauty upon him, which made his mother
the raore regardful of hira, and more solicitous for his preservation.
Wherefore she kept him hid three months, that none of her Egyp
tian neighbours might know of him. But finding she could no
longer hide him, and fearing lest he should fall into the hands of
those that were appointed to drown the male children, she, no doubt
by divine instinct, contrived this way for his preservation. She made
a Uttle ark, or boat, of bulrushes, which she daubed vi'ith slime and
pitch, that it might keep the water out ; and having put the child
therein, she laid it in the flags by the river's brink, and set his sister
Miriam, who was then about seven years old, aloof off, to observe
what became of him.* * A. M 2433.

126 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
Propitious Providence so ordered, that presently after, Pharaoh's
daughter, whom the Jewish antiquary caUs Thermuthis, came down
with her maidens to wash herself at the river. And while she
walked along by the river side, perceiving the littie floating ark, she
sent one of her maids to fetch it; who having brought it to her,
when she had opened it she saw the child; and behold, the babe
wept. This drew from her compassion to the infant, and made
her, with an accent of pity, say, 'This is one of the Hebrews' chil
dren I '
Littie Miriam, well instructed by her mother, found means to cast
herself among them ; and observing that Pharaoh's daughter took
it for one of the Hebrews' children, ' ShaU I go (said she to her)
and call lo thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse
the child for thee?' Ay go, said Pharaoh's daughter : whereupon
away went the girl, and quickly brought, her own, and the child's
mother. To whom Pharaoh's daughter said, ' Take this chUd and
nurse il for me, and I wiU give thee thy wages.'
This was a welcome bargain to the mother, who taking the child
home with her, durst now nurse it openly. And when the chUd was
grown big enough, she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, who
adopted him for her son. And in remembrance that she drew him
out of the water, she called his name Moses, which signifies, (says
Dr. GeU, in his Essay, p. 186 ; not drawn out, as the margin gives,
bul) I drew him out. ProphetioaUy shewing, though at unawares,
by his name, that he should draw Israel out of Egypt ....
Whereas his parents at his circumcision, as the same Dr. Gell there,
from Clem. Alex. 1. 1. Strom. deU vers, had called him Joachim, the
resurrection of the Lord ; from a presaging hope, that the Lord,
through him, would raise up his people Israel, deliver them from
the Egyptian bondage tiiey were then in, and bring them again
into the promised land,
Moses being brought up in Pharaoh's court, was instructed in the
sciences and discipline then used among the Egyptians, both civU
and miUtary; which might make Steplien say of him, 'that he was
leamed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in
words and in deeds,' Acts vii, 22. Which, as divers other things,
not being read in the Old Testament, Dr. Hammond, on 2 Tim.ui.
6, says, are taken out of other records of the Je-ws. And both Jo.
sephus, Ub. 2. Antiq, and Clem. Alexan. Ub. 1. Strom, (as Dr. GeU
in his Essay, page 187, delivers) report of Moses, that he was
General of the Egyptian forces, obtained a great victory over tiie
Ethiopians, and did many other great things before he visited his
brethren. But when he was grown strong, and as Stephen bas it. Acts vii-
23, ' was fuU forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his
bretiiren, the children of Israel ; ' wherefore he went out unto them.

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 127
and looked on their burdens, the siglit of which must needs raise in
him compassion towards them, as -weU as indignation to-n-ards their
oppressors, which too was heightened by his espjdng an Egyptian
smiting one of his brethren, an Hebrew. Wherefore looking about
to see that the coast was clear, and not perceiving any man in
sight, he, without more to do, slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the
sand : supposing his brethren would have understood, that God by
his hand would deUver tiiem ; from whence may weU be inferred,
that he had in himself such a persuasion, and a stirring of spirit
thereunto, which drew him to go among them, but they understood
not. However, the next day he went out, and shewed himself among
thera again. And flntling two men of the Hebrews, striving one
with the other, he put them in mind that they were brethren, and
would have made tii3m friends; asking him that did tiie -wrong,
» Why smitest thou thy feUow ? ' But he that did the wrong, thrust
him away, saying, 'Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?
Dost thou intend lo kiU me, as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday ? '
That word startied Moses ; for by that he saw that his kiUing the
Egyptian, which he tiiought to have kept secret, was known further
than he was aware of: and he raight well conclude, if that should
once come to Pharaoh's ear, it could not be teafe for hira to abide
in Egjfpl. Nor were his fears vain: for Pharaoh soon got tbe
knowledge of it, and sought to slay him ; whereupon Moses fled, and
went to Midian.
In his travel he sat down Dy a well ; where, while he rested him
self, the daughters of the prince of Midian, seven in number, came
to draw water to fill the troughs, that they might water their father's
sheep. But the rustic shepherds, willing to serve their own turns
first, rudely came and drove them away. W"hich Moses seeing, and
holding it his duty to relieve the oppressed, he bravely .stood up in
defence of the shepherdesses, and helped thera to water their flock.
By this means they went borae earUer that day, than ordinarily they
were wont to do. Which being observed by Reuel, their grand
father, (so he was, though here he be called their father : fbr this
Reuel, who is also caUed Raguel, Nura. x. 29, was father to Hobab,
csdled also, and more commonly, Jethro, Exod. iii. 1.) he asked
them how it came to pass that they were come so soon ? And when
they told hira that an Egyptian bad delivered them out ofthe band of
the shepherds, and had also drawn water enough for them, and wat
ered their flock, he, reprehending their ingratitude, asked, ' What is
he ? Why have ye left the man abroad ? ' Invite him in, that he
may refresh himself*
This courteous entertainment drew Moses to express a wiUing-
• A, M. 2282.

128 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
ness to abide wilh them, and take upon him the charge of Jethro's
sheep; which he did. And in process of time, Jethro bestowing his
daughter Zipporah, one of those seven shepherdesses, upon hira, he
had by her two sons, the eldest of whicli he named Gershom, which
signifies, a stranger there : for he said, ' I have been a stranger in a
strange land.' And the younger he called Eliezer ; importing, God
my help : for the God of my father, said he, wa= my help, and deUv
ered me frora the sword of Pharaoh,' Exod, .xviii. 4.
Now during the time that Moses thus sojourned with Jethro in
Midian, the king of Egypt died : but the next successor proved no
better. The oppressed Hebrews changed their oppressor, but not
their condition ; their oppressions were continued upon them, and
rather increased, than any wliit abated. So that the chUdren of
Israel, under the weight of their burden, sighed ; and from sighing
proceeded to crying ; and frora crying to groaning. They sighed
' by reason of the bondage, and they cried ; and their cry came up
unto God by reason of the bondage : and God heard the groaning ;
and remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and vrith
Jacob.' And God looked upon the children of Israel with com.
passion, and had respect unto them. And thfe appointed time of
their deliverance drawing nigh, he now began to prepare Moses,
whom he intended to make use of as an instrument therein
Moses therefore, keeping his father-in-law Jethro's sheep, led the
flock to the backside of tho desert : where note the manner of those
times and countries; that whereas the shepherds here drive their
flocks before them, the shepherds there went before their flocks and
the flocks followed them ; which custom is alluded lo in Psabn Ixxx.
1, and Job x, 4.
When he was come to Horeb, (which signifies forsaken and is
called here the mountain of God by anticipation, both from the ap
pearance of God upon it at this time, and his descending upon it
afterwards, to give the law to his people, chap, .xix; 20. where
though it is caUed Sinai, it is the sarae place with this; for Stephen,
reciting this present passage. Acts vii, 30, calls il Sinai) the angel
of the Lord appeared there unto him in a flame of fire out of the
midst of a bush. And he looking, saw that the bush burned with
fire, and yet it was not consumed.
This was a lively emblem of the then state of God's people in
Egypt; who, though the fire of affliction did burn vehemently among
them and upon them, in the grievous oppressions they lay under, yet
they were not consumed by it ; but did rather thrive and increase.
This so rare and extraordinary sight drew Moses lo observe and
consider it more attentively: and made him say, within himself, 'I
vrill now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the hush is not
burnt up.'
This great sight, begetting in Moses a great curiosity, drew him

PART t> SACRED HISTORY. 129
into a ^reat service. For when tiie Lord saw that he tumed aside
to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and s.aid,
« Moses, Moses ; ' and Moses answering, 'Here am I ; ' God, lo
«rtrike the greater sense into him of the presence of the divine maj-
esly, and to raise in him a suitable reverence, that he might be in
the fitter frame to receive what he intended to speak to him, stopped
him from coming on any nearer, by saying, 'Draw not nigh hither;
put off thy shoes from off thy feet: for the place whereon tiiou stand-
est is holy ground.' The like speech we read in Josh. v. 16,
when Cl-irist appeared to Joshua in tho form of an armed man, de
claring himself ' Captain of the host of the Lord.' Which shews,
that wheresoever God, who is holiness, appears, the place is holy
while he is there. Therefore TremeUius and Junius, in their note
on those vi^ords ' holy ground,' Exod. iii. 5, say, ' Ob prcesentiam
Dei sanctificanlem ; qXia abeunte, loco sanclitas toUebatur : ' i. e.
' By reason of God's presence sanctifying il ; which departing, the
holiness of the place was taken away.
To Moses, thus prepared for an avri'ul attention, God said, ' I am
the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and
the God of Jacob.' Whereupon Moses, from a profound rever
ence of the di-vine majesty, covered his face : for he was afraid to
look upon God. Then the Lord proceeding said, ' I have sure
ly seen the affliction of my people, which are in Egypt, and have
heard their cry, by reason of their task-masters; for I know their
sorrows: and I am come down; ' so by a figurecaUed Anthropopa-
thy, which is a speaking according to human passion, or after the
manner of men, God vouchsafes to stoop to man's capacity, that man
may understand him, ' I am come down, said he to deliver them out
of the hands of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that
land, unto agood land, and a large, a land' flowing with mUk and
honey, (an hyperbolical expression of fruitfulness and plenty of good
things) unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the
Amorites, and the Perrizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
Now therefore, seeing the cry of the children of Israel is come up
unto me, and I have not only heard it, but have also seen the op
pression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them ; come now, and I
wiU send thee unto Pharanli, that thou mayest bring forth my peo
ple, the chUdren of Israel, out of Egypt.'
At this unexpected word Moses was much startied ; he knew how
things stood with him in Egypt, and upon what occasion he had left
the Egyptian court : and, probably not having heard that the old king
of Egypt, who had sought his life was dead, he began to make ex
cuses ; first, from his own meanness and insufficiency. * Who am
I, said he, that I should go unto Pharaoh ; and that I should bring
forth the chUdren of Israel out of Egypt ?
VOL. I. — 9

S30 SACKED HISTORY. PART I.
This excuse God removed, by saying, ' I wiU certainly be wilh
thee ; (I, in whom aU alnlity, all sufficiency is) and let this extraordi
nary sight, which thou hast now seen, be a token to thee that I have
sent thee : and when thou hast brouglit forth the people out of Egypt,
ye shaUserve God on this mountain.
But, said Moses, ' Behold when I come unto the children of Israel,
and shall say unto them, the God of your fathers hath sent me unto
you; and they shall say unto me. What is his name? what shall I
say unto them?' 'I AM THAT I AM,' replied God; and thus, said
he, shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, 'I AM hath sent me
untoyou.' So tho EngUsh translation hath it. Butboth Pagnine and
Arias iMontanus turn it, I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE. And Dr.,
GeU, Essay, p. 188, contends that it oughtto be so rendered, not only
frora the letter of tiie Hebrew text, but from the genuine sense of the
words. I only touch it for the reader's information and leave it.
Moreover, God said unto Moses, 'Thus shalt thou say unto the
children of Israel, by the elders of Israel whom thou shalt gather to-
gether, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto me, and hath sent me
unto you, to say unto you, I have surely visited you, and seen that which
is done to you in Egypt; andl have said, I wiU bring you up out ofthe
affliction of Egypt, unto the land ofthe Canaanites, &c. And they shall
hearken unto thy voice; and thou shalt corae, thou and the elders of
Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and shalt say unto him, the Lord God
of the Hebrews hath met with us : (under which words, hath met
with us, is implied, hath commanded us to go and worship him in
such a place) and now let us go we beseech thee, three days' journey
into the wUderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.'
This request of leave to go three days' journey was a politic con.
trivanoe ; whereby, if it were granted, they might easily have freed
themselves from. Pharaoh's yoke : and if denied, he would be left
more inexcusable, since the thing requested appeared so reasonable.
'And I am sure,, added God, That the king of Egypt will not let
you go: no, not by a mighty hand (or rather, as in the margin, but
by a mighty hand.) But, I, said the Lord, wiU stretch out my hand,
and smite Egypt with all my wonders : and after that he shall let you
go. And 1 will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians:
so that when you do go, ye shaU not go empty: but every woman
shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sqjourneth in her
house, or in whose house she sojounieth, jewels of sUver, and of gold,
and raiment : which ye shall put upon your children, and so spoil
the Egyptians.'
Though here was enough snid, one would think. especiaUy con.
sidering by whom it was said, to have removed aU Moses' scruples :
yet backward Moses still objects. ' Behold, said, he they wiU not be-
Move me, nor hearken unto my voice ; for they wUl say, ' The Lord

TART I. SACRED HISTORY. 131
hath not appeared unto thee ; ' and then how shall I convince them
that he hath ?
The Lord hereupon condescending to Moses' weakness, gave him
several signs ; both to beget a firm belief in him, and to convince tbe
Israelites. First, therefore, being asked what he had in his hand,
and he replying, a rod, or staff, wliich probably was a sheep-hook ;
• Cast it on the ground,' said the Lord; and when he had cast it on
the ground, it became a serpent: so that Moses, scared with his own
rod, fled from before it. But when the Lord bid him put forth his
hand, and take it by the tail, he, thereby encouraged, caught hold of
it, and it resuming its former shape, became a rod again in his hand.
This the Lord did to confirm Moses, and that when he should do the
same in the sight of the chUdren of Israel, they might beUeve that
tbe Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob, had indeed appeared unto him, and sent him.
And because he would leave no roora for doubting, he vouchsafed
to give him another sign, saying, ' Put now thine hand into thy bo
som.' Moses did so : and when he took it out again his hand was
leprous, white as snow. And when, by God's command, he had put
his hand into his bosom again, and plucked it out, behold, his hand
was tumed again, as his other flesh. The evidence of this miracle
was so great, in that the white leprosy, which was held incurable, was
both inflicted and healed in an instant, and without any outward means
or physical apphcation, that God from thence inferred to Moses, that
if the Israelites should not believe hira upon the first sign, yet they
would believ.e him upon this latter. Yet to arm him sufficiently, and
beyond all question, he was pleased to add a third, saying, 'If they
wiUnot believe these two signs, 'Thou shalt take of the water of tha
river, and pour it upon the dryland, and that water shallbecome blood.*
Moses, notwithstanding all this, had yet another excuse, want of
good utterance. ' O my Lord, said he, I am not eloquent, neither
heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken to thy servant: but I am slow
•f speech, and of a slow tongue.'
This objection God was pleased to remove, by directing Moses to
•onsider who it was that made man's mouth ; ' or who, said he,
inaketh the dumb, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind ? Have not
i the Lord? Now therefore go, said God again to him, and I wiU bo
with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shouldest say.'
Hitherto Moses had some pretence, sorae shew of reason for bis
unwiUingness ; something lo aUedge, some excuse to make. But
now aU his objections are answered, all his doubts and scruples re
moved, he is left wholly without excuse, has nothing to say why he
rfiould not go on God's message : and yet he is as backward, as un-
¦willing to go, as ever. Having therefore no further pretext to make*
he now bluntiy says, ' O my Lord, send I pray thee, instead of me,
by him whom thou wilt send.'

152 SACRED HISTORY. PART »
WhUe Moses had any thing, how littie soever, to nlledge in excus*
for his not going, we do not read the Lord v/as angiy with him ; )>u»
graciously condescended to answer his objections, and remove his
doubts. But now that he shewed his unwiUingness, when aU his ob
jections were answered, and he had nothing left to say for himself,
it is said, ' The anger of the Lord was kindled against him.' Which
shews, that though the Lord wiU bear long with man's weakness, yet
he vriU not be dalUed with.
It is the op',riion of divers commentators on this place, and il ia
very probable, ihat Moses had another reason which made him un
willing to go on this errand into Egypt, and which he was not vriUing
to discover. Just before God appeared to Moses in the bush, and
entertained this discourse vrith hira, we read, Exod. ii. 23, that tha
king of Egypt died; that king, in whose reign Moses had slain tha
Egyptian, and who had sought to apprehend Moses, and put him lo
death for it. The report of that king's death might probably not
yet have reached Moses' ear. However, ho might reasonably think
tiiat some ofthe kindred of the slain man were yet Uving, who might
prosecute him for the murder; and for that reason he might be loth
to return to Egypt, from whence, on that occasion, he fled for his
life, lest he should betaken and executed for that fact. , However, it
is observable that God would not free him from this fear, tiU he had
absolutely resigned, and whoUy submitted to his wUl in going.
God therefore, resuming Moses' last objection, want of eloquence,
which he had answered before in general, by saying, ' I -wiU be -with
thy mouth, and teach thee what thou ' shalt say,' now shews him
more particularly how ho would supply that defect. ' Is not Aaron
the Levite thy brother, said he? I know that he can speak well
And also behold, he cometii forth to meet thee: and when he shall
see thee, he will be glad in his heart. And tiiou shalt speak unto
bira, and put words in his mouth : and I wiU be with thy mouth,
and with his mouth, and wUl teach you what ye shall do. And he
shaU be to thee instead of a mouth, (that is, he shall be thy spokes
man) and thou shalt be to bim instead of God (that is, thou shalt
impart to him tvhat thou receivest from me.) And thou shalt tjika
this rod in thy hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.'
Now Moses, having stood out as long as he could, at length
yields ; and taking the rod of God in his hand, for so il is now called,
since God had so signaUy honoured il, nnd, as it were consecrated
it to an holy use, he sets his wife and sons upon an ass, that he raight
bring thera from Mount Horeb to the house of Jethro his father-m-
law ; where it seems he left them, until he brought up the chUdren of
Israel out of Egypt, when Jethro brought them lo him again in tho
wilderness, Exod. xviu. 2, &c.
Now that Moses had fully given up to obey God, and was fitting
himself for his journey, God, to ease his mind of his fears, and make

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 133
him go on more cheerfolly, said to him, ' Go, return into Egypt :
(which thou mayest now do without danger) for all the men are dead
which sought thy Ufe.' And when thou goest to return into Egypt,
see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put
in thy hand ; but I wiU harden bis heart, that he shaft not let the
people go. And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, thus saith the Lord,
« Israel is ray son, even ray first-born ; and I say unto thee. Let ray
eon go, that he may serve me : and if thou refuse to let him go, be
hold, I wiU slay thy son, even thy first-born.'
Moses, it seems, either through negUgence, or too much indul.
gence to his wife, who was not an Israelite, had forborne lo circum
cise one of his sons ; by whioh he had provoked the Lord to displeas
ure, which in the way brake out upon hira, so that it is said, the Lord
met hun, ' and sought to kill him.' His wife Zipporah, understand
ing the ground of this divine displeasure lo be the omission of cir-
cumcission, presentiy taking up a sharp stone, cut off the foreskin
of her son, and casting it at her husband's feet cried out, ' A bloody
husband thou art to me.' However, though she, who herself under.
stood not so well the covenant of circumcision, spake this in dis
pleasure ; yet the thing being done, the Lord pardoned Moses, and
dismissed him to pursue his journey.
Being come to his father-in-law Jethro, as it is probable he had
nol before acquainted him wilh the particular reason of leaving Egypt;
so now he said nothing to him (that appears) of the vision he bad-
seen, nor of the message he had received from God to deliver to the
king of Egypt : but only asked Jethro's consent, into whose service
he had entered himself, and unto whom he has now stood related as
a son-in-law, that he might return unto his brethren that were in
Egypt, and see whether they were yel alive. Jethro readUy expressed
his consent, by that then usual form of speech, ' Go in peace : ' im-
porting an allowance and approbation, as well as appreciation of
good success.
Moses being now on his way towards Egypt, the Lord said unto
Aaron, his brother, ' Go iato the 'wUderness to meet Moses.' Aaroa
forthwith went, and meeting, hira in the raount of God, saluted hira i
and Moses told hira how the Lord had sent him, what the Lord had
«aid unto him, and all the signs whioh he bad comraanded him.
Wherefore being come into Egypt, and having gathered all the elders
of the children of Israel together, Aaron delivered unto them the
message which the Lord had sent by Moses ; nnd Moses confirmed
it to them, by doing the signs which God had commanded in the
sight of the people, who thereupon beheved. And when they found
that tbe Lord had -risited the chUdren of Israel, and that he had
looked upon their affliction, and had taken course for their deUver-
ance, they bowed their heads, and worshipped.
But when Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, and told him, « Thut

134 SACRED HISTORY. PART 'l
saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may bold
a feast to me in the wUderness ; ' Pharaoh answered, 'Who is tho
Lord (whom ye call the God of Israel) that I shaU obey his voice 1
I know not the Lord (I do not own Israel's God) neither wUl I let
Israel go.'
They, to inform him better whom they meant by the Lord, re
plied, ' The God of the Hebrews (whose name is caUed upon us,
or whose narae we call upon) hath met us; (and hath commanded
us to offer sacrifice unto him) let us go, we pray thee, three days'
journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God ; lest
he fall upon us with pestUence, or with sword.'
But the king of Egypt, not regarding what they said, took them
up short, saying, ' Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, hinder the
people from their works ? Behold, the people, are now grown many
in the land, and ye make them leave their burdens; get you your
selves to your burden.' By which it appears, that this new king un
derstood not the circumstances Moses was under.
Having thus turned off Moses and Aaron, he gave charge the same
day to his task-masters, that they should no more give the people
straw to make brick, as they had done before ; but let them go and
gather straw for themselves where they could fmd it : and yet that they
should lay upon them the full tale of bricks, -which they had made
formerly, without abatement. For, said he, ' They are idle ; there
fore they cry. Let us go sacrifice to our God.' Wherefore, added
he, 'Let the work be heavy upon them, that they may labour therein;
and let them not regard vain words.' *
Now when the task-masters, and tiieir under officers, had ac
quainted the Israelites with this command of Pharaoh, that they
should have no more straw aUowed them, and yet have no part of
their work abated, they were scattered abroad, through the land of
Egypt, to gather stubble instead of straw : and the task-masters hur
ried, thera on to fulfil their works, their daily tasks, as they did when
they had straw. Which when they could not do, those of the children
of Israel whoia jhe task-masters had set over the rest, to see that
they performed their tasks, were caUed to account and beaten.
These under officers, who were Israelites, that they might know
the truth of the matter, whether this new hardship proceeded from
tbe king, or from the rigorous task-masters, went and made their
complaint to the king, and laying their grievance before him, in an
humble manner expostulated the matter with him thus : ¦' Wherefore
dealest thou thus with thy servants ? There is no straw given un
to thy servants, and the task-masters say unto us, make brick.
And Dehold, thy servants are beaten ; but the fault is in thy own
peoprc' • A. M. 2513.

Part i. saciie» historv. I3b
Instead of redress, they received from the king this rough answer .
-' Ye are idle, idle ; therefore ye say, let us go and do sacrifice to the
Lord : go there now, and work : for there shaU no straw be given
you : and yet ye shaU deliver the full tale of bricks.'
By this the Israelitish officers .plainly saw that they were in an ill
condition. Wherefore meeting with Moses and Aaron, who stood in
-the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh, and unadvisedly giving
way to their present passion, they discharged their grief and dis
pleasure upon them, saying, 'The Lord look upon you and judge :
for ye have made us loathsome in the sight of Pharaoh, and of his
servants; and have put a sword into Iheir hand to slay us.
This was an hard return to poor Moses for his love and labour.
Wherefore, as soon as he could find a place of retirement, he ad
dressed himself to the Lord in ^ this hurable expostulation, 'Where
fore, O Lord, hast thou evU intreated this people? Why is il that
thou has sent me ? For since I came to Pharaoh, to spealt in thy
name, he hath done evU to this people; and thou hast not delivered
thy people at all.
' Now, said the Lord, shalt thou see what I wUl do lo Phcffaoh : for
(before I have done with him) he shaU be glad lo let thera go : and
when he has thoroughly -felt the weight of my hand upon hira, he
shall, with a strong hand, drive thera out of his*land. For I am
JEHOVAH: andl appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto
Jacob, by the name of God Almighty : but by my name JEHOVAH
was I not known to thera.'
Not that they had not heard the word JEHOVAH, for that was
used lo them. Gen. xv. 7, and x.xvi. 26, and xxvui, 13 ; and doubtless
they knew him by his name JEHOVAH in part, and as it respected
those two parts of time, past and present, in the many deliverances
he had wrought for thera, and in the promise he had made them of
the land of Canaan. Thus they knew what he had been, and what
he was to them. But with respect to the third part of time, expressed
in the name JEHOVAH, what he would be, in tite performance of
that promise, they rather believed, than knew ; or knew no otherwise
than by faith. But now their children should know him by his name
JEHOVAH throughout, in aU its parts ; not only what be had been,
and was, but what he wiU be. They shaU know that he is, and wiU
be, in the performing, the same that he was in promising : for they
shaU experience the fulfilling of that promise which he made lo their
fathers, in their own personal and actual deliverance out of Egypt
'For I have not only,' said God to Moses, 'established my cove-'
nant with them, (the fathers) to give them, (in their posterity) the
land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were stran
gers : but I have also heard the groanings of the chUdren of Israel,
whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; audi have remembered my
covenant, which I made with their fathers for their ddiveranoe.

i35 SACRED mSTOEY. PART I.
Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am JEHOVAH, (e.x-
isting only of myself, and giving existence unto aU beings.) And I
wiU bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I
will rid you out of their bondage, and .1 will redeem you wth a
stretched-out arm, and with great judgments,' upon them that oppress
you. Nor will I only deliver you from your bondage ; but ' I will
take you to me for a people, and I wUl be to you a God ; and ye shall
know that I am JEHO'VAH your God, which bringeth you out from
under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I wiU bring you into the
land, concerning whicii I did lift up my hand, in confirmation that I
would give it to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ; and I wiU give it to you
for an heritage : I am JEHOVAH;' that is, I am he wlio both can
and wUl do this.
Moses thus sent, goes again to the children of Israel, and spake
to them as the Lord had directed him. But they, guided more by
sense than faith, and finding their burdens increased upon them,
since he undertook to plead their cause with Pharaoh, were so pos
sessed with prejudice towards him, that they would not so much as
hearken unto him.
Wherefore leaving them, tUl either the extremity of their sufferings,
or God's eminent hand in plaguing their oppressors, should awaken
ihem to a greater desire of deliverance, God sent Moses to Pharaoh
again vrith this message, ' Go in and speak unto Pharaoh king of
Egypt, that he let the chUdren of Israel go out of his land.'
Moses wondered at this : and drawing an argument, a minori,
* Alas^said he, since the children of Israel, thine own people, would
not hear me, though to their own great advantage, how is it likely that.
so wicked a prince as Pharaoh- is, should lend an ear to such a stam
merer as I am, ill a matter so much to his own loss.'
But the Lord, to remove Moses' wonder, and take away also hi9
excuse, said unto him: 'See I have made thee a God to Pharaoh,
and Aaron thy brother shaU be thy prophet, (spokesman or interpre
ter.) Thou shalt speak to Aaron all that I command- thee, and Aaron
shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of
his land.' Yet that thou mayest not be discouraged by a repulse,
as before, take notice before-hand, that ' Pharaoh shaU not hearken un
to you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine
armies, my people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt
by great judgments-.' For since Pharaoh hath already begun to
harden his own heart, in contemptuously saying, 'Who is the Lord,
that I should obey his voice, to let Israel go ? I know not the Lord,
neither wUl I let Israel go, 'chap. v. 2, and hath increased their bur-
dens thereupon, ver. 6. I wiU now harden Pharaoh's heart, or suffer
him lo harden his heart yet more, that I may multiply my signs and
piy wonders in the land of Egypt.
When therefore Phairaoh shall say unto you, Shew a, miracle, tq

TART I. SACRED HISTORY. 137
confirm your message ; then shalt thou say unto Aaron, for Aaron
was to he the agent, Moses the director, ' Take thy rod, and cast it
before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent '
Thus instructed, Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and de
livered their message, as the Lord had commanded them. Which
Pharaoh not believing, Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and
before his servants, and it became a serpent,
Pharaoh, to confront this miracle, calls the wise men of Egypt,
and the sorcerers : two of which, who probably were the most emi
nent of the company, are by the apostle named Jannes and Jam-
bres, 2 Tim iii 8 ; not from any place of the Old Testament, but
from some other record, or ttadition of the Jews, says Dr. Hammond
on the place.
These magicians of Egypt, whose names signify a supplanter, and
a rebel, as a further means to harden Pharoah's heart, were suffered
to do in Uke manner with or by their enchantments, as Aaron had
done by God's immediate power. For they casting down every man
his rod, their rods became, in shew at least, and appearance, ser-
pents. Yet there was difference enough between these, and that
which Aaron's rod produced : for Aaron's rod swallowed up their
rods. This had been sufficient to have convinced Pharaoh, had not
his hardening his heart bUnded his judgment, so that he would not
see the difference : and the blinding his judgment hardened his heart,.
so that he would not let Israel go.
Now though this was a miracle, and a great miracle, it was but
a miracle : it was not a plague ; it brought no outward damage to
king or people, which is that which most immediately strikes th©
senses. Wherefore the Lord resolved now to begin his plagues upon
Egypt. And ha-ring observed unto Moses that Pharaoh's heart was
hardened, so that he refused to let Israel go, he bid him take the rod,
which had been turned to a serpent, and go take up his standing, in
the morning, by the river's brink, against Pharaoh should come out
to go unto the water. 'And then shall thou say unto him, the Lord
God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying. Let my people
go, that they may serve me in the wilderness,; and behold hitherto
thou wouldest not hear. Thus saith the Lord, in (or by) this thou
shalt know that I am the Lord ; behold, I will smite with the rod that
is in mine hand, upon the waters which are in the river, and they
shall be turned to blood: and the fish that is in the river shaU die
and the river shall stink : and the Egyptians shall loath to drink of
the water of the river.'
Accordingly Aaron, receiving the rod frora Moses, Ufted it up at
God's command, and therewith smote the waters that were in the
river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and of his servants; and all the waters
that were in the river were turned to blood. This had its influence
upon all the streams, rivei:s, ponds, and pools ofthe Egyptians ; and by

138 SACRED HISTORY. PART %
the conduits and aqueducts whereby their houses were served with
water, their cisterns, or other vessels, whether of wood or stone, wer©
¦filled with blood ; so that there was blood over aU the land of Egypt.
The fish also in the river died, and the river stunk, so that the
Egyptians could not drink the water of the river, but were forced
to dig round about, where they could, to find water to drink. And
this plague lay upon them seven days together.
Now because Moses was known to have been bred up in the learn.
ing of the Egyptians, and to be skilful therein, Pharaoh suspected
all this to be done by art magical. Wherefore calling again for the
magicians of Egvpt, he put them to try their skill; and they taking
some of the water which the Egypnans had found by digging, did
'oy their enchantments make him believe that they turned it to blood
This served to harden Pharaoh's heart yet further, so that he
would not hearken to Moses and Aaron : but turning from thera,
went into his house, not regarding this any more than the former
miracle of the rod turned into a serpent.
But the Lord resolving now to follow him close, as soon as the
seven days were ended that this plague lasted, sent Moses to hira
again, with this message, ' Thus saith the Lord, let my people go,
that they may serve me. And if thou refuse to let them go, behold,
I will smite all thy borders with frogs. The river shall bring forth
frogs abundantly, which shall go up, out of the river, and shall come
into thine house, and into thy bed-chamber, and upon thy bed, and
into the houses of thy servants, and into the ovens, and into the knead
ing troughs : nay, they shall come upon thee thyself too, and upon
thy people, and upon aU thy servants.'
This was the second plague denounced : which Pharaoh not re
garding, God bade Moses give order to Aaron to stretch forth his
hand, with the rod in it, over the streams, the rivers, and the ponds
of Egypt. Aaron thereupon stretching forth the rod over the river
Nile, which affected all the streams, rivers, ponds, and waters of
Egypt, the frogs came up in such abundance that they covered the
land. Now again had Pharaoh recourse to the magicians, who, by their
enchantments, so deceived his sight, that he thought they brought up
frogs also ; which again helped to harden him.
This was doubtless a very loathsome plE^ue : to have frogs leap
ing and crawling about in their chambers, upon their beds, yea
upon themselves, and in the Imeading troughs. How long it con
tinued upon the Egyptians is not certain; but certain it is, that it
continued so long, that it made Pharaoh weary. Though his ma
gicians could juggle up false frogs, yet they could not send away the
true frogs. But Pharaoh was glad to send for Moses and Aaron, and
capitulate with them. ' Intreat the Lord, said he, that he may take
away the frogs from me, and from my people ; and I will let the people

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 139
go, that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord.' This is tiie first conces
sion, or grant, that was gained from Pharaoh.
WeU, said Moses to Pharaoh, ' Set a time when I sh'dU intreat for
thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, lo destroy the frogs
from thee, and thy houses, that they may remain in tbe river only;
and if it be not done, glory over me.' Let it be to-morrow, said
Pharaoh. 'It shaU be so, rephed Moses, according to thy word;;
that thou mayest know that there is none like unto JEHOVAH
our God.' To-morrow therefore the frogs shall depart, and shall
remain in the river only.
As soon therefore as Moses and Aaron were gone from Pharaoh,
Moses prayed unto the Lord to remove the frogs which he had
brought against Pharaoh ; and the Lord answered his prayer, so that
the 'frogs died out of the houses, villages, and fields, and the Egyp
tians gathered them into heaps : ' where they lay, tiU the land stunk
of them.
But when Pharaoh saw tnat there was respite, tnat ne was freed
from this plague, and another did not immediately follow, he hard-
ened his heart, and hearkened not unto them, as tlie Lord had fore.
told, Exod. vu. 4.
Hitherto the Lord had denounced his judgments to Pharaoh be
fore-hand, and given him warning, that he might escape them. But
now, since Pharaoh had broken promise with him. he held him un
worthy of such a treatment. Wherefore, without taking notice
now of Pharaoh, he bid Moses direct Aaron to stretch out his rod,
and smite the dust of the land, that it might become Uce. Aaron
did so ; and ' aU the dust became Uce, in man, and in beast, through.
out all the land of Egypt'
And now the magicians went to woru, to try what they could do
with their enchantments; but they who had turned their rods into
serpents, water into blood, and had brought up frogs, could not with
aU their juggling skill bring forth Uce ; but were forced to yield, and
confess unto Pharaoh, that this was 'the finger of God.' Yet Phara.
oh's heart was so hardened, that he hearkened not unto Moses and
Aaron. Which, notwithstanding, the Lord yet condescended to give him
another summons. ' Rise up, said God lo Moses, early in the morn.
ing, and stand before Pharaoh, when he comes forth to the water,
and say unto him, thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they
may serve me ; else I will send swarms of flies (in the margin a
mixture of noisome beasts) upon thee, and upon thy servants, and
upon thy people, and into thy houses and the houses of the Egyp
tians shaU be fuU of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon
they are.' And, that thou mayest know that this is brought as a
judgment upon thee and thy people for your oppressing my people,
thou shalt see, 'I wiU wonderfully sever in that day the land of Go-

140 SACRED HISTORY- PART I.
shen, in which my people dweU, from the rest of Egypt, that no
swarms of flies shall be there. And I will put a division (distinc
tion or token of redemption) between my people and thy people ; to
the end, that thou mayest know that I am JEHOVAH, in the midst
of the earth ; and to-morrow shall this sign be.' Accordingly, Pha.
raoh not submitting, the Lord did as he had said ; and there came
a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his
servant's houses, and into aU the land of Egypt, so that the land was
corrupted by reason of the flies.
Now had the magicians so lost their credit, having been foUed be.
fore by a louse, that they were not consulted in this case. But this
plague being very grievous, (whether we consider it simply, as a
swarm of flies only, but in abundant quantity ; or as a mixture of
flies and all other hurtful insects, or of venomous beasts, as serpents,
adders, snakes, &c.) Pharaoh, not able to. endure it, called directly
for Moses and Aaron, and, in a discontented tone, said to them, ' Go
ye, sacrifice to your God; butin this land.' WilUng he was to have
ease, but unwiUing to part with the people, of whom he made so
great advantage. And being an Egyptian, a stranger, an enemy to
the true God, he did not understdnd that riie true IsraeUtes could
not sacrifice to God acceptably, while under bondage in Eg3rpt.
They must come out of Egypt that will worship God aright.
Moses however laid it discretely, so as rather to convince Pharaoh
than provoke him. ' It is not meet, said he, so to do, viz : to sacri
fice to our God in this land. For we shall sacrifice the abomination
ofthe Egyptians to the Lord our God, (that is, we shall sacrifice those
creatures which they worship for gods, as the ox and sheep, and it will
be abominable to them to see us sacrifice their gods to our God) shall
we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and
will they not stone us ? Therefore we wiU go three days' journey
into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our God, as he hath com
manded us.'
Pharaoh repUed, If nothing else will serve you, but to go into
the wUdemess, ' I will let you go, that, ye may sacrifice to the Lord
your God in the wilderness ; only ye shall not go very far away :
now therefore intreat for me..'
Though Moses had not much confidence in Pharoah, yet tiiat hs
might be tried to the utmost, he answered him : ' I wiU intreat the
Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his
servants, and from his people, to-morrow: but, added he, let not
Pharaoh deal deceitfuUy any more, in not letting the people go to.
sacrifice to the Lord.'
Accordingly Moses, being, gone out from Pharaoh, intreated tho
Lord ; and the Lord heard him, and removed the swarms of fUes from'
Pharaoh, from his servants, and bis people, so that there remained
not one. But Pharaoh, notwithstanding the caution given him by

FART t BACRED HISTORY. 144
Moses, did deal deceitfully again , for hardening his heart stilF more
and more, he would not yet let the people go.
For this high provocation, Pharaoh and his people must yet feel
more plagues. Therefore God sent Moses again, and commanded
him lo teU Pharaoh, ' Thus saith Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews,
Let my people go, that they may serve me. For if thou refuse to
let thera go, and wilt hold thera stiU, behold to-raorrow the hand of
the Lord shaU be upon thy cattie which are in the field, upon the
horses, the asses, the camels, the oxen and the sheep, by a very
grievous murrain. And the Lord wiU put a wonderful difference
between the cattie of Israel, and the cattie of Egypt : for there shall
nothing die of aU that belongs to the children of Israel.'
-Accordingly, Pharaoh stiU standing out, on the morrow, which
was the time God had set, aU the cattie of Egypt that were in the
field died. Pharaoh thereupon sent to Goshen, to learn how the
IsraeUtes had sped; and he found that there was not one of the cat.
tie of the Israelites dead. By this he might have seen that it was
not a casuaUty, but a divine judgment upon him, exactly answer-
ing the prediction: yet his heart being hardened,"'he did not let the
people go
Since thsrefore he took so little regard of the warnings given him,
God poured forth another plague upon hira without warning. For
Moses and Aaron, by God's appointment, taking handfuls of ashes
from the furnace, and Moses sprinkling them towards heaven, in the
sight of Pharaoh, it became a boil breaking forth into blains, upon
man and beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. And so grievous
it was, that the magicians, who perhaps now would once again have
tried their skill, to see if they could have regained their credit, could
not stand before Moses, because of the boils : for the boils were upon
the magicians themselves, as weU as upon all the rest of the Egyp-
tians. Yet Pharaoh having from the first heardened his heart against
tiie Lord, was now judiciously hardened by the Lord, so that he
hearkened not unto his servants.
The sixth plague not prevailing, God sent a thundering message
to Pharaoh, to forewarn him of a thundering plague at hand. 'Rise
up early in the morning, said the Lord to Moses, and stand before
Pharaoh and say unto bim. Thus saith JEHOVAH, the God of
the Hebrews, let my people go that they may serve me. For (if
thou dost not) I wiU at this time (and henceforward) send aU my
plagues upon thine heart, (not only frogs, lice, boils in thy skin, but
that which shaU pierce thee to the very heart) and upon thy ser.
vants, and upon thy people wiU I send them, that thou mayest know
that there is none like me in aU the earth.' If when lately I smote the
cattie -with murrain, I had then smitten thee and thy people with the
pestilence, thou hadst been cut off frora the earth. But for this
cause have I let thee remainj that I may shew thee my power, and

142' SACRED HISTORY., PART I.
publish my name throughout all the earth. Dost thou yet exaU thy.
self against my people, thai thou wilt not let them go! Behold, to
morrow about this time, if thou dost not submit in the meanwhUe,
I wiU cause it to rain a very grieveous haU, such as hath not been
in Egypt, since the foundation thereof, since Egypt was peopled, until
now.' Send therefore now,, and gather thy cattle and all that thou
hast in the field ; those catlle whioh not being in the field before had
escaped the plague of murrain, ver. 3. ' For upon every man and
beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home,,
the hod shall faU, so that they shaU die.'
Though hardened Pharaoh did not so much regard this threat.
ening message as to take care of himself and his people, by giving
public order to fetch home and secure their servants and cattle ; yet
such amoi:.':;; his courtiers and officers as feared the word of the
Lord, hasted to get their servants and cattie into the houses;' by
which means they were preserved. ' But they that regarded not the
word of the Lord, left tlieir servants and cattle in the fields,' and
sped accordingly.
For when the set time was come, and Pharaoh stiU stood out.
Moses, by God's command, stretching forth his rod towards heaven,
the Lord sent thunder and hail, mingled with fiiery corruscations,
which ran along upon the ground, and were so ten'ible, that the Uke
had never been in Egypt, since it became- a nation. ' For through.
out all the land of Egypt the hail smote aU that v,'as in the field, not
only man and beast, but it smote also every herb of the field, nnd
it brake every tree of the field. The flax and the barley in partic
ular were smitten ; for the barley was in the ear, and the flax waa
boiled: but the wheat and the rye escaped, because they were not
grown up. Meanwhile in the land of Goshen only, where the chil
dren of Israel were, there was no hail.'
The loss and damage that Egypt sustained by this plague, not only
in the persons kiUed, and cattle slain, but in tiie fraits and trees de
stroyed thereby, must needs be very great. But so great was the
terror that the thunder, hail, and running fire, struck into Pharaoh's
mind that it made him bow beyond what all the former plagues had
done. So that calling Moses and Aaron, he said unto them, 'I have
sinned now. JEHOV.AH is righteous, and I and my people are
wicked,' This is the first confession we find he ever made ; and this
being made in a fright, held no longer than the fear lasted. Then
going on, 'Intreat the Lord said he, that there be no more mighty
thunderings (which in the Hebrew are called voices of God) and
hail; and I wiU let you go, ye shaU stay no longer.'
' WeU, said Moses, as soon as 1 am gone out of the city, I wiU
¦pread abroad my hands unto the Lord, the thunder shall cease,
and there shall be no more hail, that thou mayest know that tha

?ART I. SACRED HISTORY. 143
earth is JEHOVAH'S. But as for thee and thy servants, I know
before-hand that ye wiU not fear the Lord God.'
However, when Moses was come out of the city frora Pharaoh,
and had intreated the Lord, the thunder, haU and rain ceased And
when Pharaoh saw that, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart,
both he and his servants, and would not let the children of Is
rael go.
Pharaoh thus hardening his heart against the I^ord, provoked Ihe
Lord to harden him yet fiarther, to his destruction, in the end.
Of this the Lord gave Moses notice : ' I have hardened his heart,
said he, and the heart of bis servants, that I might shew these ray
fligns before him ; and that thou mayest tell, in the hearing of thy
son, and thy sons' son (that is, that the Israelites may tell their chil
dren from one generation to another) what wonderful things I have
wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among.st them,
that ye may know that I am JEHOVAH. Wiierefore, go in unto.
Pharaoh again, and say unto hira. Thus saith JEHOVAH, the God
of the Hebrews, how long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before-
me ? Let my people go, that they may serve me. Else I will bring
the locusts, a (sort of grasshoppers,) into thy coasts to-morrow, and
they shaU cover the face ofthe earth, so thick that one cannot be able
to see the earth. And they shall eat the residue of that which did
escape, and which reroaineth unto you from the hail, (to-wit, the
wheat and the rye, Exod. ix. 32) and the fruit of every tree which
groweth for you out of the field, shall they eat : and they shall fill
thy bouse, and the houses of aU thy servants, and the houses of all
the Egyptians. And such a plague shaU this prove, as neither thy
fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers, have ever seen, since the day that
they first came upon the earth, unto this day.'
When Moses had denounced this judgment, he turned away, and
went out frora Pharaoh. But as soon as he was gone, the cour
tiers said to Pharaoh, ' How long shaU this man be a snare to us ?
Let the men go that they may serve the Lord their God. Hast thou-
a mind to hear first that Egypt is destroyed?' Upon this, Moses
and Aaron were fetched back to Pharaoh, and be said unto them,
»'Go serve JEHOVAH your God.' Then recalling himself, 'But
who are they, said he, that shaU go ? ' ' We will all go, said Moses,
with our young and our old, our sons and our daughters, our flocks
and our herds, will we go; for we must hold a feast unto Jehovah,
and both old and young roust be at it.'
This put Pharaoh out of all patience ; so that breaking out by way
of imprecation upon them, he said, ' May Jehovah be so with you,
as I wiU let you go on those terms ! Nol so, added he, not you and
your littie ones; but go ye that are men, and serve JEHOVAH, for
that you did desire ; ' whereby he would suggest, though falsely, that
flioy asked more now than they did at first. Therefore, said he.

i44 SACRED HISTOR^f. PART I.
look to it, consider weU what ye insist on, for evU is before you.
And with this threat they, who before used to go out, were now driv
en out from Pharaoh's presence.
Moses thereupon, being thus thrust out, did, by God's command,
stretch forth his rod over the land of Egypt: and the Lord brought
an east wind upon the land all that day, and aU the foUowing night ;
and by next morning the east wind brought the locusts. These lo
custs went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts
of Egypt, so thick that they covered the face of the earth, so that
the land was darkened by them. Andso grievous they were that
they did eat every herb of the land, and aU the fruit of the trees,
which the hail had left: so that there remained not any green thing
in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, throughout all the land of
Egypt. The sense Pharaoh had of the tendency of this plague, which by
destroying the food, must in time destroy both man and beast, made
him relent .... Wherefore, caUing hastily for Moses and
Aaron, he said, ' I have sinned against JEHOVAH your God, and
against you (against him, in refusing so long to obey his command;
against you, in breaking my word so often with you.) Yet forgive,
I pray thee, my sin only this once; and intreat JEHOVAH your
Grod, that he may take away from me this death only.'
Moses thereupon, going out from Pharaoh, intreated the Lord, and
the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, whicii took away the
locusts, and cast thom into the Red Sea, But God had not yet done
with Pharaoh. Pharaoh's disobedience and contempt of God, de
served yet more correction : wherefore the Lord yet hardened his
heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.
Then said the Lord to Moses, ' Stretch out thine hand towards
heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even
darkness so thick that it may be felt. Moses thereupon, stretching
forth his hand toward heaven, there came so thick a darkness over
aU the land of Egypt, that for the space of three days, (which time
it lasted) they neither saw one another, nor did any one of them
arise from his place : but aU tiie chUdren of Israel had Ught in their
dweUings.' This was a long night to the Egyptians ; and proved so uneasy
to Pharaoh, that calling unto Moses, he said, ' Go ye, serve JEHO
VAH.' And that he might advance one step further than before, and
yet keep a reserve, he added,' ' Let your little ones also go with you :
only let your flocks and your herds be stayed behind.'
Nay, replied Moses, ' Thou hadst more need give us sacrifices
and burnt-offerings, that we may sacrifice unto JEHOVAH our
God. However, our cattle to be sure shall go with us ; there shall-
Dot an hoof be Mt behind : for thereof must we lake to serve JE-

PART I. SACRED HISTORY, 146
HOVAH our God ; and we know not with what we must serve bim,
until we come thither.' This was an apt type of gospel-worship.
This proposition, of taking aU their substance with them, offended
Pharaoh to that degree, that in great displeasure he said to Moses,
' Get thee from me, and look to thyself, and corae no more at me ;
for if thou comest lo rae again, thou shalt die.'
Moses replied, ' Let it be as thou hast said. I wiU come no more
after thee.' But (the Lord having told Moses, that he would bring
one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt, in the slaying of
the first-born there, which should make him not only let the people
go, but thrust them out) Moses, not intending lo see Pharaoh any
more, denounced this judgment to him before he parted from hira.
'Thus saith JEHOVAH, about midnight will I go out into the midst
of Egypt, and all the first-born in the land of Egypt shaU die, from
the first-born of Pharaoh„that should succeed hira in the throne, unto
the first-born of the maid-servant that is behind the miU, (that is, the
meanest servants, whb were wont to be put to grind al the mill ;
which they did by thrusting the mill before them, while they stood
behind it:) and also, added Moses, aU the &'st-born of beasts shall die.'
And to possess Pharaoh and his servants with the greater fear, he
told thera, there should be such a cry throughout aU the land of
Egypt, as the like never had been, nor should be. And to show
thera how stiU and quiet the children of Israel should be, while the
Egyptians were under this fright and confusion, he, using a proverb.
ial speech, teUs them, ' A dog shall not bark at any of the children
of Israel, either at man or beast ; ' that they might take notice how
great a difference the Lord puts between the Egyptians and the
IsraeUtes. Then he teUs Pharaoh, that the terror of this plague
shall so strike the Egyptians, that those servants of his, which then
attended him, his counsellors, and prime ministers of state, should
come and bow down to him (Moses) and intreat him and his peo
ple to be gone ; and after that, said he, I will go out. And having
thus delivered his last message to Pharaoh, he departed from him in
a warm zeal.
Godwyn, in his Moses and Aaron, 1, 3, ch. 1, tells us thatthe
Israelites, till they had been captives in Babylon, (which was, as I
take it, about eight hundred years after they came out of Egypt)
counted their months without any name, according to the number,
the first, second, third month, &c. And that, before their coming
out of Egypt, they began their year in that month which was after
wards called Tisri, which took in part ofthe seventh and part of
the eighth month wilh us, and they continued always after to begin
their year in that month fbr civil affairs. According to which com
putation, that month, which was afterwards called Nisan, in which
God delivered his Israel out of Egypt, was their seventh. Bul, in
VOL. I. — 10

*46 SACRED HISTORY. PAIWI I.
honour of that great work, God appointed, Exod. xii. 2, that this
should be the beginning of months, the first month in the year to
them ; that is, with respect to their most solemn feasts and reUgious
affairs. And this Nisan answers to part of those two months,
which, from the Heathen Romans, are commonly called March and
April. Il was on tne fourteenth day of this month that Moses, took his
leave of Pharaoh. And God, having predetermined his people's de
liverance at that lime, had some days before instituted the passover,
and given direction to Moses how it should be observed.. Which,
to speak of il briefly, and in a general way was thus,:
Every family of Israel (or, if the family was loo little, tiwo neigh
bouring famUies joining together) was, on the tenth day of this
month to take a lamb o-r kid, and shut it up till the fourteenth day of
this month, and then it was to be kiUed. The lamb or kid must be
a male of the first year, without blemish, and therein a type of
Christ, who was without sin. When il was kiUed, they were to take
a bunch of hyssop, and dipping- it in the blood (which for that end
was saved in a vessel) they were therewith to strike the lintel, or
upper door-post, and the side-posts of the outer door of every house
where they did eat it : and they were not to stir out of their houses
that night, until the next morning. This was done to the intent that
when the angel of God should go from house to house throughout
Egypt, to slay the first-born of both man and beast of the Egyptians,
be, seeing the strokes of blood at the door, might pass over the
houses wherein the Israelilses were eating the lamb or kid, without
doing them any hurt. And frora the angel's thus, passing oyer their
houses, this institution was caUed the passover. The lamb was
to be eaten neither raw nor sodden, but roasted with fo-e : and it
was to be dressed whole, not divided into joints or parts ; nor might
a bone thereof be broken. Il was to beeaten with unleavened bread,
and with bitter herbs, in memorial of the bitter bondage they had
undergone in Egypt .... What remained of it, that waa
more than could be eaten, was to be burnt with fire. And no sU'angfir
might eat of it, unless he were circumcised. They were (al this
time only) to eat it hastily, having their loins girded, their shoes on
their feel, and their staff in their hand. Which ceremonies, shewed
tlieir eager desire to deliverance, and their- readiness for it.
All things being thus prepared for their departure, at midnight tiie
Lord smote aU the first-born in the- land of Egypt, from the first-born
of Pharaoh, to the fi-rst-born of the ca-ptive that was in the dungeon,
(those* meaner servants that were put to grinding, as Samson after
wards was, when he had lost at once both his liberty and his eyes,
Judg. xvi, 21.) And aU the first-born of cattle were smitten also,
as the Lord had but that morning denounced by Moses to Pharadi,
This brought an horrible fright upon Pharaoh, and upon the Egyp-

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 147
tians in general; Up they aU got in the night, and a lamentable up
roar was among them. A general and grievous outcry ran through
Egypt ; for there was nol an house, that had a first-born of either
man or beast belonging to it, where there was nol at least one dead.
Both Pharaoh and his servants were now afraid in earnest that their
turns would be next. Wherefore Moses and Aaron were caUed up
on in the night, and commanded to be gone with all speed . .
Rise up, and get you forth, said Pharaoh, from amongst my people,
both you, and the chUdren of Israel : and go serve JEHOVAH, as
ye have said ; also lake your flocks and your herds, according to
your own demands, and be gone. I wiU stand no longer upon ternas
with you ; only bless me, that is, pray for me, that this plague may
go no further.
The Egyptians also were urgentupon the people, that they might-
send them out of the land in baste ; for they said one to another, we
be all dead men else.
Now Moses ha-riiig by God's command' (expressed in chap, xi,
ver. 2, 3,) directed the children of Israel to borrow every one of
their Egyptian neighbours jewels of silver, and of gold, and raiment
and the Lord having disposed and inchned the Egyptians to lend them
what they asked for; they by this means spoiled the Egyptians of
their best things. A practice, how excusable or justifiable soever
in them, on the account that God, who is. the sovereign Lord of aU,
both persons and things, did al that time so order it, and that it
might be looked on as a just retribution to the Egyptians for tiie irre
parable injuries they had done lo the Israelites, not lo be drawn
into example.
So urgent now were the Egyptians upon the people of Israel to
have them gone, that they, were obliged lo tie up their dough in
cloths, and carry it at. their backs unbaked. Thus after Egypt was
in a manner destroyed, and the Egyptians-of all ranks had suffered
so deeply, rather than they would part with -,them, they now, all on a,
sudden, thrust them out (as God had foretold they would, E-xod. .xi.
1) and drive them away in haste.-
Yet did not the haste make Moses - forget ¦ to lake with him tite
bones of Joseph, Exod. xiU. 9; whicii he, dying ui the faith of their
deliverance, had solemnly engaged' the children of Israel to carry
up out of Egypt with them. Gen. 1 . 25 ; and which had now lai-n
incoffined in Egypt more than an hundred and forty years.*
The place of general'rendezvous for the Israelites was Rameses,
fhe chief city in the landof Goshen. From whence on the fifteenth
day of their first month, (afterwards caUed Nisan and Abib, whicii
takes in pan of the tiiird and part of the fourth month with us) they
tet forward as a weU^ ordered army, in rank and file, being about,
•A- M. 2473

1-18 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
six hundred thousand men in number, on foot, besides children,
and marched to Succoth. And with them went up a mixed multi
tude, that were nol IsraeUtes, but strangers, of divers nations, who,
having seen the calamities that Egypt had suffered for Israel's sake,
chose rather to seek their Uvelihoods among the IsraeUtes, than tarry
in a country made almost desolate.
Here, while their deliverance was fresh in meraory, God by Moses
commanded the people of Israel, tiiat when they should be brought
into the land of Canaan, they should set apart and devote unto the
Lord, their first-born both of man and beast, in remembrance that
God for their sakes bad slain all the first-born of Egypt.
Being now to dislodge from Succoth, the Lord (who for their
encouragement and safety went before them, by day-time in a pil-
lar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire, to direct and guide
them in the way they should go) would not lead thera through
the way of the land of the Philistines (though that was near) lest
when they should see the PhiUstines in arms, to stop their passage
and give them battie, which they had never yet been used to, they
should repent their coming out, and wUfully return back again to
Egypt. Wherefore God led them about through the way of the wilder
ness of the Red Sea. And so marching to Etham, they encamped
there in the edge of the wilderness, which look its narae frora that
place. From thence drawmg thera down more to tne Red Sea, he caused
them lo encamp there, between the straits of the mountains, having
the sea before them. This he did to entice Pharaoh to pursue them,
from the prospect he might have of advantage fi'om the place, that
be might yet more fuUy triumph over him. For the Lord had
made known to Moses, that Pharaoh would say. They were entang
led in the wilderness; and that be would harden Pharaoh's heart,
that he should pursue them, and be destroyed: and it succeeded
accordingly. For afler the Egyptians had hurried their slain first-born, Pharaoh
being told that the IsraeUtes fled, and concluding, from their long
and speedy marches, that they did fiy, repented that he had let them
go, and with aU the forces he could so suddenly raise, put himself
upon the pursuit, in order to reduce them to bis subjection again.
He had with him six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots
of Egypt besides, that could be got ready at so short warning,
with the captains over them, and his horsemen ; and pursuing them
hotly, on the sixth day after their departure out of Egypt, be found
them encamped by the sea.
The sight of this army, and of their old oppressor at the head of
-it, struck terror into the poor IsraeUtes, even before they came up
wilh thera. See here an Instance of human frailty, and of depressed

PART I. SACRED HISTORJ. 149
courage; they cried unto God, it is true; but it is doubtful rather
through fear, than faith, by their faUing foully upon Moses, whom-
most -Ungrateftilly they reproached as the author of this great mis
fortune. ' Because there Were no graves in Egypt, said they to him,
hast thou taken us from thtriee to die iri the wilderness ? Where
fore hast thoU dealt thus with Us, to carry us forth out of Egypt i
Is nol this the word that we did teU thee in Egypt, saying. Let us
alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For il had been 'better
for us to bave'served the Egyptians, than that we should die here in
the wUderness.' Whereas, by a free and generous mind, death any
where, and almost any how, would be preferred to so base and igno
minious a bondage as they were now come out of But their necks
by long custom were hardened to the yoke ; and continual slavery
of their bodies had, in length of time, debased their spirits.
Good Moses, not resenting their injurious taunts, endeavoured to
cheer them up, bidding them ' nol fear, but be stiU in their minds ;
and ye shall See, said he, the salvation of thfe Lord, which he vrill
shew you this day; for the Lord wiU fight for you, (if ye wUl be
quiet) and the EgyptiEuis, whom ye have now seen, ye shaU never
See more.'
Nor did Moses only thus encourage them ; but though we read
not what he said, it is evident that he cried earnestly to the Lord
on their behalf: for the Lord said to him, ' Wherefore criest IhoU
unto me ? Speak unto the chUdren of Israel that they go forward.'
Litfle heart surely could they have to go forward, when they, sa^
nothing but sea to go into. Bul God requires neither impossibil
ities, nor over-great hardships of his people. Therefore he said to
Moses, 'Lift thou up thy irod, and stretch out thy hand over the sea,
and divide it; and the chUdren of Israel shall go on dry ground
through the midst of the sea ; and I, behold I, wiU harden the hearts
of the Egyptians, that they shall foUow them ; and I wUl get me
honour upon Pharaoh and upon aU his host.'
Now. did the angel of Godj which went before the canip of Israel
in the pillar of a cloud, ranove and go behind them : by which means
it cane between the two ca,mps, and kept thera apart aUthe night:
and the cloudy side being next the Egyptians, cast a darkness
towards them; but the fiery ad,e being next the IsraeUtes, gave tiiem
light- When therefore Moses had stretched out hffi rod over the sea,
ond the Lord had thereupon, by a mighty east windj caused the sea
to flow bac^ aU that night, and had thereby divided the waters, so
thatthe seabecame dry land, the children of Israel went into -the
sea -upon dry ground. Which the Egyptians observing, and not
suspecting but that they might safely follow with their chariots anJ
haaemen, where the others, being but footmen, with women and

15(? SACRED history; partt.
children, went before, they, eager of pursuit went in after fhgrn', to
the midst of the sea.
But when in the morning -watch, which is reckoned to begin at
the. third, and reach to the sixth hour in the moming, the Lord
had looked through the piUar of fire and cloud upon the Egyptians,
and throwing their chariots off their wheels, had disordered the
Egyptian host, and made them drive heavily, the Egyptians saw their
error, and'said one to another, ' Let us flee from the face of Israel ;
for JEHOVAH fighteth for them against the Egyptians.'
But il was now too late to flee; for Moses; at God's command,
stretching out his hand with the rod over the sea, the sea returned lo
its strength ; and when the morning appeared, the Egyptians flying
against it, 'the Lord overthrew them in the midst ofthe sea:' and
the waters returning covered the chariots and the horsemen, and
all the host of Pharaoh, that came into the sea after them ; so that
nol one of them remained alive.
But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of
the sea, and the waters were a waU unto them on either hand, until
1 .
they came to the shore, and Joshua who traveUed with thera, plainly
saith, 'For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from
before you, untU you were passed over, as the Lord your God did
to the Red Sea, which he dried up before us, until we were gone
over,' Josh. iv. 23, * So that whatever opinion or notion any learned
men may have, as supposing that Israel came out again on the same
shore of the Red Sea on which they went in, it is plain, by Joshua's
account, that ihey passed over the Red Sea, as well as over Jordan ;
whereunto divers otber scriptures agree; as Neh. ix. 11, Isa. li. 10,
Psal. Ixvi, 6, and Ixxvin. 13, 63, arid evi. '9, and cxiv. 3, 5.
Thus did the Lord save Israel that day out of the, hand of the
Egyptians: and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
And the people, having seen that great work which the Lord had
¦wrought for them against the Egyptians, 'feared the Lord, and be.
lieved the Lord, and his servant Moses.'
Being now safely got to shore again, Moses and the chUdren of,
Israel, in grateful ackno^wledgment of, and thanks for their deliver.
ance, did sing unto the Lord that triumphant song, wMcb is set do^wn
in Exod. xv, from ver. 1 to 20, arid which in the Apocalypse has the
honour to be joined lo tKo cong of the Lamb, Rcr,- xv', .S.
Miriam also, the prophetess, sister to Aaron and Moses, taldng a
timbrel in her hand, and foUowed by the IsraeUtish women with
timbrels, and wilh dances, answered the men, in repeating alternately
some parts of the same song.'
This song of thanksgiving and praise being finished, Moses led
die children of Israel from the Red Sea, whioh hath generally been
' - • Inserted and argued since the first impression.

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. IM
held to have laKen tbe name frora the colour of the sands tincturing
the water v/idi redness, or from the reeds, or rushes, growing therein,
of a reddish hue. Dr. GeU, in his Essay towards tiie amendment
ofthe last EngUsh translation ofthe Bible, p. 219, having said, tiial il
was long believed to have had that name from Erythras, Erj^tbrus, or
ErythriEus, a supposed king of the land near unto it, teUs us the truth
of the story was, that this Erythras was Esau, who was called Edom,
which signifies red. Which name Esau had, because he came out
of his mother's womb red; and was confirmed lo him from his
insatiable appetite after Jacob's red pottage. So that it seems the
Doctor would have that sea to have taken the epithet red from red
Esau, or Edom, which signifies bloody or red, whose posterity, he
says, dwelt near the sea. And this antiquity, he tells us, hath been
discovered to this latter age by a very leamed man of our own nation.
From tbe Red Sea, Moses led thera into the wUderness of Shur,
or Ethara ; in which- they marched three days, without finding any
water; which, to so greal an army, in so hot a country, and at that
season ofthe year, must needs be greatly incommodious. At length
they came where there was water enough ; bul that so bitter, that
they could not drink of it : and frora the bitterness of the waters, the
place took the name Marali, which sign-ifies bitterness.
To want water was hard ; to have-it, and yel want il, was harder ;
to bo extremely thirsty, -extremely desirous of water to allay, that
thirst, to see water, have -water at hand, and yet, through tbe ill
relish of the water, not be able to drink it, would increase both the
thirst and dissatisfaction. So il did with them ; the people murmured
against Moses, asking him what they should drink. It was but three
or four days since they so joyfully and thankfully sung to the Lord ;
when having seen the powerful hand of God upon their oppressors,
the Egyptians, they both feared the Lord, -and believed, had confi.
dence in him and his servant Moses : and now they are got to
raurmuring already; which gave a proof 'of their temper.
Moses hereupon -cried unto the Lord, and the Lord directed him
to a tree; which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were
made sweet, so that the people could drink of them, and satisfy their
thirst. From thence they marched to EUm, 'where they found belter ac
commodations : for there were twelve wells of water, and seventy
palm trees or date trees ; the fruit of which was profitable, as weU
as the shade pleasant to thera. Here, therefore, it may be supposed,
they made some stay; for when they removed frora thence, and
came into the wUderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai,
it was the fifteenth day of the second month : which was just a
month from the day on which they set forward out of Egypt.
Here again the whole congregation began to murmur against Mo-
ses and Aaron. The sight of a barren wilderness, and shortness

iSi SACRED HISTORY,. PART U
of provisions withal, made them distrust God, and break forth into.
indecent expressions. ' Would to God (said they, in their discon-
tent) we had died by the- hand of tbe Lord in the land of Egypt„
as some of the Egyptians did, when we sal by the flesh pots, and-
did ent bread to the fitil, when we had plenty of good victuals : for
ye have brought us forth into this wilderness to kiU this whole-
assembly with hunger.'
This iU treatment of his servants the Lord resented, as done unto-
himself And Moses and Aaron let them know so. 'Your raur-
raurings, said they to them, are not against us, but against the Lord,
who hath heard your murmurings ; and ere long ye shaU know that
it was not we, but the Lord, that brought you out from the land of
Egypt;' whose arm is not shortened, but that he can proride you
food here miraculously, as well as he brought you hither by a.
miracle. The Lord therefore having shewed his glory in the- cloud, to man.
ifest his power to them-, and told them- by Moses, ' That at even they
should eat flesh, and in the morning be filled with bread,' caused the
quails at the evening to come up so thick, that they covered the
camp, and afforded the Israelites flesh enough. Andiii the morning,
when the dew was gone, there lay upon the- ground a little white
round thing, as small as an hoar-frost, and like coriander-seed for
shape ..... Which when the children of Israel saw, they said-
one to another, 'What is this? ' for they knew not what it was.
But Moses told them, 'That was the bread, which the Lord had;
given thera to eat.' And because the word by which they asked
'What is this? ' was in their language Man, (whicii signifies also-,
meat ready prepared) it was caUed Man, oi; Manna, and it tasted like
wafers made with honey.
Then did the Lord, by Moses, give direction how this manna
should be used. First, it was to be g-athered fresh every morning :
in which respect it might be a type of tiiat heavenly bread, which
Christ taught his disciples to pray for, ' Give us this day our daily
bread,' Matth. vi. 11. AU that was gathered was to be spent the-
same day, that they might have their dependance daily and entirely
upon God. And when some of them, whether out of curiosity or
diffidence, that they might have a reserve, kept some of it till the
next morning, it putrified and stank. They were to gather it by
measiire, according to the number of heads in every family. Oii-
fhe seventh day, which was tiie Sabbath, there was none to be-
found. Therefore they were to gathei- a double proportion on the
sixth day, and lay up part of it for the seventh day; which being
kept by God's appointment, and for that use, did not corrupt.
This was to them instead of bread, and of this they did ent forty
years, until they came to the borders of the land of Canaan. And
as. a roeooorial thereof, and that after generations might see the bread'

PART 1. SACRED HISTORT. 163
wherewith he had fed their forefathers, in the wUderness, tbe Lord
commanded that an omer of this manna (which was the proportion
daily aUowed to one man, and is computed to contain, of English
measure, three pints and an half-pint, and a fifth part of an half-
pint; Godwyn's Moses and Aaron, 1. 6, c. 9) should be put into a
pot, and be laid up before the Lord.
If any one has a mind to trace the people of Israel in tiieir several
stations and removes, he may find thera particularly set down in
the thirty third chapter of Numbers. I intend to take notice only
ofthe chief accidents and occurrences that befel them in their passage.
Their first discontent which appeared, after they came out of the
Red Sea, was for want of water. . . . When they had that,
they murmured'for want of flesh. Both flesh and bread were given
them in plenty ; and now again they are ready to mutiny for want
of water.
They came, in tlieir journies, to a place caUed Rephidim, where
they had no water to drink. They thereupon began chiding with
Moses, saying, ' Give us water that we may drink.' ' Why, answered
Moses, do you chide with me ? Wherefore do ye tempt the Lord ? '
They not regarding that, but feeUng their own thirst, went on in their
murmuring against Moses. ' Wherefore, said they, hast thou brought
us up out of Egypt, to kiU us, and our chUdren, and our cattle
with thirst ? '
Good Moses was sorely grieved, and in his grief cried unto the-
Lord saying, ' What shaU I do unto this people? They are almost;
ready to stone me.'
The Lord had compassion on Moses ; and did' also pity and bear-
with the people. Therefore he said to Moses, ' Give order for the
people to march. And take thou thy rod (wherewith thou smotest
the river) and take of the elders of the people- with thee and go
thou on before : and behold, I will stand before thee, there upon
the rock in Horeb ; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall
eome water out of it, that the people may drink.'
But by that time the IsraeUtes wers- got ready to march, before they
could get from Rephidim, they found other work to do. For an
army of the Amalekites, descended from Amalek, Esau's grandson,
Gen. xxxvi. 12, was. at their- backs, ready to faU upon them. Moses.
thereupon ordered Joshua, a valiant young man that always attended
him, to draw out a party of choice men against the next morning,
and lh6n offer battle lo Amalek : 'And said he, I will stand on the
top of the hill, with the rod of God in my hand.'
Accordingly Joshua, having drawn out his men, Moses, in ttie
morning while the battie was joining, went up to the top of the hUl,
having Aaron and Hur with him; and holding up the rod of God,
as an ensign, in his hand, Israel, taking courage from thence, pre-

1E4 SACRED raSTORY. PARI I
vailed ; bul when, through weariness, he let his hand down, Amalek
prevaUed. Aaron therefore and Hur, observing that Moses' hands, tiirough a
continued holding up the rod successively, were grown heavy and
weak, took a stone and laid it under him, so that he sat upon it;
and they standing by him, one on the one side, and the other on the
other side, held up his hands steadily untU the going down ofthe
sun; in which time Joshua routed the Amalekites' army,and put
them to the sword.
This good success, in their first martial adventure, .gave great
encouragement to Joshua and -the I-sraelites. And tbe Lord com-
manded Moses to write a memorial -of it in a book, and rehearse it
to Joshua to animate him to future ser-vice : ' For, said the Lord, I
wiU utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.'
Moses thereupon building an altar, whereon to offer sacrifice of
thanksgiving to tiie Lord for this victory, called it Jehovah Nissi,
i. e. The Lord ray banner ; because, said he, ' The Lord hath
sworn, that he will have war with Amalek from generation to gen.
eration.' They were now come near tiie place where God first appeared
to Moses in the burning bush; and not far from the .place where
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law lived : who having heard of all that
God had done for Moses, and for his people Israel, and understand
ing they were now near him, took his daughter Zipporah, Moses'
wife, with their two sons, Gershom and Ehezer, and brought them
to him at the IsraeUiish camp. Where, after mutual salutations and
embracings, Moses having given him a more particular account of
the Lord's dealing with Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and of what
had befaUen Israel in their travel thither; at which Jethro, being a
devout man, as sprang from the loins of Abrahara by Keturah, though
not of the seed of promise, testified his joy, both by rendering solemn
praise to God, with acknowledgment of his sovereignty, and offer
ing a burnt offering, and sacrifices of thanksgiving to God : wherein
Aaron, and all the elders of Israel, did join with him and feast
together. While Jethro tarried there, he observed that Moses was over
charged with the weight of business, in hearing and judging all the
complaints and little wrangling differences of so great a people.
Wherefore, being a wise and experienced prince, he advised his
son-in-law lo substitute certain subordinate officers, well qualified,
men of ability, men of truth, such as feared God and hated cov-
elousness, to be rulers, some over thousands, sorae over hundreds,
some over fifties, and some over tens, who should, bear and end
aU the smaUer matters. among tbe people, and refer the greater and
more weighty causes only to him ; assuring him, that if, by God's
approbation, he did follow this oounsel, it would be better both for

PART -I. SACRED HISTORY. l6S
himself and the people. Moses liking well his father's advice, forth
with put il into practice, to the greal ease both of himself and tha
people. And Jethro, taking his leave of his son-in-law, and the rest,
returned into his own land.
While Israel lay encamped in the wilderness of Sinai, before the
mount of God, the Lord there gave them the law, in ten command
ments, thence called the Decalogue. The preparatory solemnities
thereunto, are particularly set down in the nineteenth chapter of
Exodus: and the Decalogue foUows in chap. xx. After which fol
lows divers judicial laws, intermixed with sorae ceremonial, and
backed with promises of blessings upon obedience, in chap, xxi,
jotii, xxxiii. AU which Moses wrote in a book, and then read it lo
the people.
Which done, he, by God's command, brought up Aaron, -with his
two sons, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel,
so near that they saw the God of Israel; that is, by the glory ex.
hibiled, they were assured that God was present there. And this
privUege those Israelitish nobles had, that though they appeared so
near to the Divine Majesty, yet they were nol smitten by it, bul did
survive the sight.
But God, having particular service for Moses, commanded him
to come up to him into the mount, and tarry there. Moses there.
fore, taking only Joshua with him, went up into the mount, directing
the elders to tarry for them till they should come down again, and re-
ferring them to Aaron and Hur for assistance, in any difficult cause
that raight be brought before them
No sooner was Moses got up into the raount of God, but a cloud
covered the mount, and the glory of the Lord abode upon it like
devouring fire in the sight of the children of Israel : and here the
Lord kept Moses forty days and forty nights. In which time he
received the tables of stone, whereon God himself had written the
law : and he took direction from God, and was instructed how the
tabernacle should be made, and all the vessels and instruments be
longing thereunto ; and the ark of the testimony, in which the law
should be kept; and the alter with all Us appurtenances; and how
Aaron and his sons should be consecrated to the priesthood, and
their priestiy garments made, witii divers other particulars, set down
at large in chapters xxiv x.xv. xxvi, xxvii, xxviii, x.xix, xxx, and xxxi,
of Exodus ; whither I refer the reader.
WhUe Moses was thus employed in the mount, Aaron and the
people were worse employed in the camp. For the people, impa
tient of Moses' long absence, when they saw he delayed to com.e
down out of the mount, (he had been forty days gone, and they
knew nol how many forty days more he might stay) they gathered
tbemselves together unto Aaron, the .most part of them, and said,
' Up, make us gods, which shall go before us : for as for this Moses

15G SACRED HISTORY. PART I,
(the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt) we know
not what is become of hira.'
Aaron, who should have restrained them from this madness, and
from whom better things might have been expected, having so lately
been admitted to the sight of the divine glory, too easily complied ;
and without reproving, or expostulating with them, bid them 'break
off the golden ear-rings, which were in the ears of their wives and
children, (whioh probobly were the same they had borrowed of the
Egytians, Exod. xii. 35) and bring them to him.' They brought
them, he received them; and, melting them down into the figure or
form of a calf, fashioned it with a graving tool. Which done, the
people cried it up, ' These be, said they, thy gods, O Israel, which
brought thee up out of the land of Egypt'
If it be asked, why he made it in the form of a calf, rather than
of another creature? The answer is, it is probable he did it in
imitation ofthe idol god they had seen worshipped by the Egyptians,,
called Apis, Serapis, and Osiris ; having the form of an- ox or bull,
and, as sorae say, with a bushel on its head, in raemory both of
Pharaoh's dreams, and Joseph's providence. . . . See God
wyn's Moses and Aaron, 1. 4, c. 5. And D'Assigny's History of
Heathen Gods, 1. 2, p. 270, and 1. 3, p. 38.
When Aaron saw how much the people were taken with their
golden god, he buUt an altar before it, and proclaimed a feast to-
be holden next day to tho Lord. Nol much unlike those inhabitants
of Samaria, who long after are said to have feared the Lord, and
yet served their graven images, 2 Kings xvii. 48.
The people, however, made a revelling feast of it indeed : for
after they had offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, betimes
in the morning, ' they sal them down to .eat and lo drink, and when
they were full they rose up to play.'
Littie thought good Moses what was doing in the carap. He left
aU things in a very good posture, the people having newly entered
into a solemn league and covenant with God, and bound themselves
vrith one voice, ' AU the words which the Lord hath said, will we do,
and be obedient,' chap. x.xiv. 3 and 7. And now, aU on a sudden,
the Lord bid Moses be gone, ' Go, get thee down, said God to Mnses :
for thy people (so he calls them, as disdaining now to own thera to
be his) which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have cor
rupted themselves, and have turned aside quickly out of the way
which I commanded them.'
Then teUing him in particulars what they had done, he added, 'I
have seen this people (in many instances) lo be stiff-necked (like
the ox they would worship.) Now therefore let me alone, plead not
any long.3r with^me for them, that my wrath may wax hot against
them, and that I may consume them : and I wiU make of thee a great
nation.'

PART I. SACKED HISTORY. 167
This perhaps would have pleased some ; but poor Moses it cut to
the heart: wherefore he earnestly besought the Lord his God on
their behalf And whereas God had called thera his people, he lakes
hold of the expression, caUing thera his people : ' Lord, said he, why
doth thy wrath wax hot against (not mine, but) thy people ; which
(not I, but) thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with
great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the
Egyptians blaspheme, and say, for mischief did he bring thera out,
to slay them in the mountains ? Turn therefore, I beseech thee,
from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, (wresfling and prevaUing
Israel) thy servants, to whom thou didst swear by thine own self,
saying, I will multiply your seed, as the stars of heaven ; and all
this land, which I have spoken of, wiU I give unto your seed, and
they shall inherit it for ever.'
We read elsewhere how effectual the fervent prayer of a righteous
man is. Jam. v. 16, of which Instances are there given; bul if no
other instance had been given but this, here is a signal one. For,
upon this deprecation of Moses, it is said, ' The Lord repented of
the eril which he thought to have done unto his people.'
Moses, having thus far prevailed with the Lord, hastens down
from the mount, having in his hand the two tables of the testimony,
which were written or graven on both sides by the finger of God.
And as he went, his servant Joshua, so he was, and so he is
caUed, Exod. xxxii. 11, who had attended him aU this while in the
mount, hearing the noise of the people as they shouted, observed to
Moses that there was a noise of war in the camp. But Moses said,
' The noise which I hear is not the voice of them that shout for
mastery, nor of them that cry for quarter : bul of them that sing.'
But as he came so near that he saw the calf, and the people dancing
before it, bis anger was so kindled, that casting the tables out of
his hands, that he might lay hold on the calf, he brake thera be
neath the raount. Then taking the calf which they had made, he
first, to deface it, burnt it in the fire; then, to destroy it, ground il
to powder; and strewing the powder upon the water, made the
chUdren of Israel drink of it : perhaps that he might make them
the more sensible of their folly, in worshipping that as a god, which
should pass through their bodies into tiie draught.
Some, it may be, raay think Moses a littie too zealous, in destroy
ing the matter or substance whereof this calf was made ; and that
the form being defaced, and altered, so great a mass of gold might
have been put to a better use. But the things that had been devoted
or dedicated lo, and used in idolatry, were to be utterly destroyed,
Exod. xxxiv. 13, Numb, xxxiu. 52, Deut vn. 5: 'Thegi'aven im
ages of their gods shall ye burn with fire. Thou shalt not desire the
stiver or gold that is on them; nor take it unto thee, lest thou be

168 ' SACRED HISTORY. PART" I.
snared therein : for il is an abomination to the Lord thy God. Neither
shalt thou bring an abomination into thy house, lest thou be a cursed
thing Uke it; but thou shalt utterly detest it; and thou shalt utterly
abhor it: for it is a cursed thing, Deut. vii. 26. 26, see also Deut.
xu. 2, 3.
Now began Aaron to contrive how to excuse himself. When
therefore Moses, caUing him to account for what he had done, asked
him ' What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so
great a sin upon them ? ' he desiring Mosos not to bc angry, puts him
in mmd that he knew the people were bent on mischief Then tells
him a larae story that when the- people had brought him their gold,
he threw, it into the -fire, and there came out that calf, as if the calf
had made itself Whereas the text is, plain and positive, that he made
it a molten calf, that is, melted dcwn the gold into a mould of a calf,
and then fashioned it more exactly, with a graving tool.
Moses stood not long to reason the case with Aaron. But seeing
that he had made the people naked, had stripped them of the defence
and protection, which God's presence and protection had been to
them and that too amongsttheir enemies, who might thence take en
couragement to fall upon them, he went and stood in the midst- of
the camp; and caUing out, said, 'Who is on the Lord's side? let
him corae out unto me.' Whereupon we read, that 'aU the sons of
Levi gathered themselves unto him,' ver. 26, But since it appears
from ver. 29-, andfrom Deut. .xxxiii. 9, that sorae of Levi's sons were
in the idolatry, interpreters rather conclude that all they that did
gather to him were of the sons of Levi, though not that whole tribe.
Il may weU be thought that Moses knew that God would not pass
by this so great sin, and high provocation, without some exemplary
punishment upon the offenders, either by pestilence or some other
way, as exposing them to their enemies, or tiie Uke, which he feared
might faU heavy upon-the whole people-; and that therefore, as some
sort of atonement^ and to appease the anger - of the Lord towards
Israel, he gave charge to these Levites, which came to him to- ' arm
themselves and go in and out from gate to gate, through the- camp,
and slay every man his brother, companion, and neighbour : ' sup
pose it be meant of them who they knew were actuaUy engaged in
tiiat- idolatry.
The Levites thus commissioned, fell -briskly on : so that there fell
of the people that day about three thousand men. Which though
the Lord was pleased to accept for ¦ the present, yet be would not
discharge the people, but threatened them, that 'in the day when ho
should visit, he would visit this tlioir sin upon them : ' and he did after
wards, upon fresh provocations, remember this, and added to their
punishments, because of this calf; which tho people are said to have
made, because they proposed' it, and put Aaron upon it; and Aaroi^
it said to have made, because he, at their requiring, wrought it. Tha

PART Zt SACRED HISTORY. 13&^
Jews have a saying among themselves, that no punishment befalleth
Ia:ael,.ln whieh there is not an ounce of this calf
After tbis- execution was done, Mosos, returning lo the Lord, ac
knowledged Israel's sin, and begged forgiveness for il : which he did
with that earnestness and concern of spirit, as lo pray God ' to blot
him out of his book,' if he would not forgive them. But the Lord,
who knew how repugnant that was to his justice, gave him this
short answer, ' Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot
out, of my book.' A puzzling place to the strict Predestinarians.
The, Lord then coramanded Moses to lead on the people to the
place he had appointed ; but withal let hira know he was not wiUing
to. go along. with them, seeing they, were such a stiff-necked people,
lest they should provoke him to consume them in the way. 'Yet
he, told bim he would send his angel before him, to drive out the
inhabitants of the promised land, that so 'be might perform the oath
hai had sworn to Abrahara, Isaac and Jacob.
"When the people heard these evU tidings, that God would with-,
draw his iraraediato presence, and turn thera over to an angel-'a
guidanee, they mourned ; and in token of humbling themselves, they
forbore to put on their ornaments. And Moses, to humble them the
more, and make them the more sensible of their sin look a -tentj
and pitching it without the camp, called it the tabernacle of the con
gregation :- thereby intimating to them, that the Lord was so highly
offended with -them for their idolatry, that he removed from them-,
pnd would not now dwell amongst them, as he had done before. By,
this means, every one that sought the Lord was obliged to go to this
tabemacle without the camp,- And when Moses himself went out to
if, as he entered into it, the cloudy piUar, in which the Lord used
to appear J descended -and, stood at the door of the tabernacle.
Tfie- people now more heedfully attended -Moses' motion; and
ther-efoire when, he went out to the tabernacle, they rose up, and; stood
every one at his tent door, looking after him, tiU he was gone in,-
And" when they saw the cloudy pillar, which they knew was & token
of God's presence, they .aU worshipped.
Here the Lord talked with. Moses, and permitted Mcses to talk
witfe bim famiUarly, which, to accommodate the speech to man's
capacity, is expressed to be, face to face, as a man speaketh to his
friend: which favour Moses improved to the people's advantagSf
labouring vrith much intreaty to reconcile the Lord unto them.
After which the Lord having, at Moses' request, and to comfort
and encourage him under his many exercises, shewn hira so ranch
of hisglo*y as Moses was capable of seeing ; he bid him prepare
two new tables of stone, like unto the former, which he had brokenj
and come up himself' alone with them in the morning unto Mount
Sinai; 'and I, said he,' wiH-vmt««p<)ni these, tables t£ wOy.^ th«t
were tin tlie first.'

160 SACRED mSTORY. PART l;
' "When therefore Moses had liewn the tables, and presented him
self with them before the Lord, the Lord descending in the cloud,
proclaimed, according to his promise, Exod. xxxiii. 19, the name
of the Lord, And passing by before' him, that he might not too
much deject the people, thi'ough a sense of the severity of his jus
tice, he proclaimed, ' The Lord, the Lord God merciful and gracious,
lorig-suff'ering, and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy
for thousands, forgiving (Or taking away) iniquity, transgression and
sin.'. But that none from so gracious a promulgation of mercy,
might presume to offend with impunity, he added, ' And that wiU
by no means clear the guUty : but v}H\ risit the iniquities of the
fathers, upon the children, lo the third and fourth generation of
them that hate me,' Exod. xx, arid Deut. v. 9. Thereby giving
them to understand that his mercy, though so transcendantiy ex
tensive, wOuld not protect or secure wilful and impenitent sinners;
This heavenly proclamation made, Moses makes haste, nol only
to bow and worship, but taking hold of the grace and mercy pro
claimed, to intercede again for his people, as God was pleased to
call them, Exod, xxxii. 7, not only th'dt the Lord would pardon
their iniquity, bul would vouchsafe, with, h'ls own presence, to accom.
pany them.
The Lord hereupon was intreated, and prevailed with to renew
his covenant with his people. And having, briefly, but with great'
majesty, set forth the marvellous things he would do for them m
driving out their enemies before them, he gave them divers precepts,
as the conditions of the covenant, which they should earefaily ob.
serve and keep. Amongst these, that which, as being of greatest
moment, obtained, the fu-st place was.
That they should not mi.x .with any other people. . ¦ . -,
Which command,,inasmuch as itis of great weight, and extends to
God's people, in all times and places, deserves more particularly
to be here inserted, ; ' >
'Take heed to thyself, safd-God to his people, lest thou make a
covenant with the inhabitants Of the land whither thou goest, lest
it be for a snare ih the midst of thee. But ye shall destroy their
altars, break their images, and cut down -their groves. For thoU
shalt worship no other God : for the Lord, whose narae is JEHO.
VAH, is a jealous' God. Lest thou make a covenant with the in
habitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and
do sacriflce unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his
sacrifice, and talsfe of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daugh
ters go a jvhoring after their gods, and malte thy sous go a whoring
after their gods.'
Now when Moses had been with the Lord in the mount forty
days and forty nights, and had received of the Lord the law of,
the ton commandments, written on the tables of stone, and many

PART I SACRES mSTORY. 161
"Other precepts, relating to the observation of the sabbatii, and other
appointed feasts, and other things, belonging to the Jewish worship,
with directions also for the- making of the tabernacle, &c. (in which
time he did neither eat bread nor drink water, verifying in practice
that saying of our Lord long after, ' Man shaU not Uve by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,'
Mat. iv. 4) he went down from the mount and deUvered these laws
to the people.
But he knew not that, with God's talking with him, the skin of his
¦face had contracted a splendor, or shining brightness casting forth
¦as il were irradiations or beams. Whence not only the vulgar Latin
renders Moses' face cornula, horned ; bul Moses was Wont of old to
be pictured with horns on his head. However it was, certain it
is, that, at the first sight Aaron and the IsraeUtes were afraid to
come nigh him, and turned away from bim : probably not knowing
him, untU he spake : for after he had caUed unto them, it is said,
Aaron and aU the rulers of the congregation returned unto him, and
he taUied with thera. When therefore Moses understood that there
was a brightness upon his face, he put a veil upon it, to cover that
glory which the people could not behold; and afterwards all the
children of Israel coraing nigh, he gave thera in comraand all that
the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And from thence
forward, during the lime that that lustre remained upon his face, he
put off the veil when he went in to speak with the Lord, and put it on
again when he came forth to speak unto the people. From which
use of the veil, the apostie Paul, shewing the difference between the
law and the gospel, elegantly compares that to Moses' face obscured
with a veil ; this, lo his face unveiled and brightiy shining.
Amongst divers other precepts which, beside the Decalogue, Were
how given, one -was, that thrice every year, at three solemn feasts,
all the males, or men children of the Israelites, should appear be
fore the Lord, at the place which he should choose to place his
name in.
This, to the eye of human reason, might seem hazardous ; and they
being fighting men, might have doubted how, in a fighting age, and
environed with fighting enemies, their wives and families, their goods
and possessions, should be secured from invasions or depredations,
when all their borders and frontier places should be left unguarded
and destitute of men. But God anticipated the objection, by leUing
them, al the same time tiiat he gave them the command, that he
would cast out the nations before them, and enlarge their borders :
nor only so, but added, 'Neither shaU any man desire thy land,
when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in
the year.' Hence then may be observed, that they who in Ihe faith
'OL. I. — 11

162 SACEED HISTOEY. PART- I.
obey God, and rely on bira, may expect and find protection without
arms, and defence without fighting.
At this time also did Moses acquaint tho people with the Lord's.
command, that they should bring in their offerings, being materials
for the making of the tabernacle, the particulars whereof are enumer
ated in ver. 6, 6, 7, 8, 9, of this chapter, as they were before in Ex
odus xxv. For when Moses, went into the, mount the first time, God
gave bim the same direction about the tabernacle : but by reason
of the people's transgression in the cal,f it was not then deUvered
to tiiem.
This offering -was nol to be exacted ; but they might receive it of
every one that gave it with a willing heart. And the Lord so inclined
and opened the hearts of the people, that they brought in their of
ferings in great abundance. So that the officers appointed to re
ceive them, making report to Moses, that the people had brought
in much more than enough for the service of the work, proclaination
was made that no, more slipuld be brought Exod, xxx^ri. 5, 6 ; so
that their liberality was restrained.
The materials thus conferred, were delivered lo Bezaleel, whom
tbe Lord had caUed by name, and had filled with the spirit of
God in wisdoni,, understanding, and knowledge in all manner of
workmanship : vvho, with Aholiah, and every wise hearted man, in
whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, and whose heart stirred him
up to do it, undertook the work, and finished it. Nor were the wo
men excluded ; but had their share, both in the offerings, Exod,
xxxviu. 8, and in the work of the Lord (not every woman, as not
every man, bul) all the women that were wise hearted; aU the women
whose heart stirred them U|p, in wis,doin, chap. xxxv. 25, 26.
Now when the whole work was finished and brought to Moses, and
he, having viewed it, found that they had done it as the Lord had
commanded, he blessed them.
And on the first day of the first month, in the second year aflsr
they came out of Egypt, the tabernacle waa by God's comraand sel
up; and aU its furniture disposed in the proper places.* Which
done,, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord fiUed it. So
that for a while, even Moses was not able to enter- into it: and this
cloud was the signal to the people of Israel, by which they knew
both when to march, and when to rest. For when the cloud was
taken up from over the tabernacle; the chUdren of Israel journied :
but if the cloud were not taken uj), they journied not until, il was.
* A. IM. 2515.
THE END OF THE BOOK OF EXODUS.

THE
BOOK OF LEVITICUS.
so CALLED,
SECAUSE IT TREATS OF THE TRIBE OF LEVI, AND THE THINGS BELONG-^
ING TO THEIR OFFICE : IT CONTAINS ABOTTT ONE MONTH's TIME.

After the tabernacle was set up, the aitar fitted, and aU things
prepared for public worship, the Lord proceeded to give direction to
Moses, and by him lo the people, how, when, with what, by whom,
and in what manner, his worship under that dispensation should
be performed; which being set forth at large from the first chapter
to the eighth, and the consecration of Aaron and his sons in chapter
eighth, the ninth chapter gives account of the first burnt offerings
that were offered by Aaron, first for himself, and then for the people.
To which the Lord- was pleased to give a miraculous testimony, by
causing the fire to come out from before the Lord, which consumed
the burnt offering upon the altar, in the sight ofthe people. Where
upon tbe people shouted, for joy that God had so signaUy owned
the offering, and in reverence bowed themselves.
The fire thus kindled ought to have been kept burning, and not
to have been let go out, for so had the Lord expressly commanded.
' The fire upon the altar shaU be burning in it ; il shall not be put
out; and the priest shaU burn wood on it every morning: . .
The fire shaU ever be burning upon riie altar; it shaU never go out,'
Levit. vi. 12, 13.
But Nadab and Abihu, the two elder sons of Aaron the priest, for
getful of their charge and duty, whether haring let ft go out, or not
regarding the holy fire, took either of them his censer, (an inslm-
ment somewhat like a little fire-shovel, made al first of brass, after
wards of gold) and putting common fire therein, laid incense thereon,
nnd so offered strange- fire before the Lord, which he commanded
them nol. Whereupon there went out fire from the Lord, and de
voured them, so that they died before the Lord', Levit. x.
Frora whence may be observed, (Ii63).

164 SACRED HISTOltT. PART I.,
1. That m religious performances, all fire which is not frora
the Lord, and of his own kindling, is bul strange fire to him.
2. That to do or perform any thing, as a part of religious wor-
ship to God, which he hath not commanded, is to offer strange fire
before him.
3. That the Lord wiU nol accept such offerings as are made
with false fire : but his fire wUl devour them that offer the false fire,
and they wiU die before the Lord, though they may nol then die
outwardly before men.
This breach in Aaron's family, and young priesthood, must needs
be a sore affliction to Aaron. But he might remember the calf; and
perhaps did ; for he held his peace when Moses told him, ' This is
that the Lord spake, saying, I wiU be sanctified in them that come
nigh me ; and before all the people I wiU be glorified.'
Moses, however, having called sorae of the kindred, and ordered
them to carry the dead bodies from before the sanctuary, out of
the camp, which they did in their coats, without funeral pomp ; *
gave charge to Aaron, and his other two sons, Elezar and Ithamar,
that they should not use any of those tokens to express their grief
or mourning whioh were then in fashion, as uncovering the head,
and rending the clothes. Which may be a good instruction and
warning lo others, to beware of murmuring or extreme sorrowing,
when the band of the Lord comes near in judgment.
Whether those sons of Aaron had too far indulged themselves in
the use of wine, or otber strong Uquors, might have made them for
getful of their duty, doth not plainly appear. Yet some of the Jew
ish doctors, Dr. GeU says, plainly affirm it. And there is some
ground lo suspect it ; because as soon as they were carried out, the
Lord charged Aaron and his sons, on pain of death, nol to drink
wine or sU'ong drink, when they were to go into the tabernacle of
the congregation; teUing them, il shaU bo a statute throughout all
their generations. And he assigns there the reason of this so strict
prohibition, ' That ye may put difference between holy and unholy,
and between unclean and clean ; and that ye may teach the chil
dren of Israel all the statutes, which tiie I.,ord hath spoken lo them
by Moses.'
After this foUow many temporary laws, fitted to that dispensation
and people; as the distinction of meats, the law of purifications, Lerit.
xi, xii, xiii, xiv, xv, xvi, xvii, xviii ; of persons unclean, by leprosy,
or otherwise ; to which are added, divers other laws relating to their
offerings. And in chapter eighteen, the boundaries of marriage are
set; first in general: 'None of you shaU approach to any that is
near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness; I am the Lord.'
After which follows an enumeration of divers degrees, in particulars
» A. M. 2515.

PART I. SACRED HISTORY 165
prohibited. Which specialities do not restrain the general prohi
bition lo tiiose pEtfticular degrees only : but the general prohibition
to those particular degrees only : bul the general prohibition extends
by analogy to all other degrees, though not mentioned, of Uke netu-
ness with any of them that are there mentioned ; and generaUy to
all that is near of kin. Besides, since in ver. 3, the children of
Israel are positively forbidden, ' To do after the doings of the land
of Egypt,' (from whence they came) or ' After the doings of the'
land of Canaan,' (whither they were then going ;) all such near de
grees of kindred, as aniong Egyptians or Canaanites wore permitted
to join in marriage, may reasonably be supposed to be comprehended
under this general prohibition.
The rest of this book is spent partly in repeating laws given be
fore, partiy in giring new laws, some judicial, most cereraonial; di-
vers typifying the sincerity, purity, hoUness and perfection of gospel
worship and worshippers, those especially which more directiy con
cerned that legal priesthood taken out of the tribe of Levi. From
the ordering of which, this book was called Leviticus, Levit. xix,
XX, xxi, xxii.
It affords nol much of historical matter. Yel in chap, xxiv, a
relation is given of one whose mother's name was Shelomith, an
IsraeUtish woman, of the tribe of Dan : but his father, it seems, was
an Eg5rptian ; and supposed to be a prosel5d;e to Israel.
This young man, going out of his tent among the children of Israel,
happened to fall out with a man of Israel, so that they wrestled or
strove together; and Shelomith 's son blasphemed the name of the
Lord, and cursed. Whereupon being apprehended, and brought
before Moses, he was committed to custody, till the mind of the
Lord should be known concerning hira. For though the third
comraand in the Decalogue forbids the taking of the name of
the Lord in vain, yet this blasphemous cursing being an offence
of an higher strain, against which no positive law was yet provided,
Moses bad recourse to the- Lord for counsel and direction therein.
' And the Lord said, bring forth him that hatii cursed, without the
camp ; and let aU that heard him lay their hands upon his head,
aud let aU the congregation stone him;' which accordingly waa
done. And a law was thereupon made, that he who thenceforward
should blaspheme the name of the Lord, wbether he were an Israel
ite or a stranger, should be stoned to death *
• A. M, 2515.
THE END OF THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS.

THE
BOOK OP NUMBERS.
so CALLED,
PROM NUMfl-ERING THE PEOPLE : CONTAINING AN mSTORY OF SOME
WHAT MORE THAN THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS.

Israel was yet in their old station, in the wilderness of Sinai, to
which they came from Rephidim, in the third month after they came
out of Egypt, Exod. xix. 1, 2; and had tarried there till now, which
was the beginning of the second month, in the second year of their
coming out of Eg)rpt.
While they lay encamped here, the Lord appointed Moses to lake
Aaron, and with him one principal man of every tribe, whom the
Lord pitched on by name, and make a general muster of the men of
war. ' Take ye, said he, the sum of all the congregation of the
children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers,
with tho number of their names, every male by the poU, frora twenty
years old and upward, aU that are able to go forth to war in Israel;
thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.'
Moses therefore and Aaron, with their assistants in this serrice, hav
ing taken an exact account by the poU, of aU the males from twenty
years old and upwards, that were able to go forth to war in Israel,
found the number to be ' Six hundred and three thousand five hun
dred and fifty men,' Numb, i; without and besides the Lerites. For
the whole tribe of Levi God had expressly exempted out of tills
muster, because he had designed them to the peculiar serrice of tho
tabernacle; not only to take the charge thereof, and of all the ves
sels belonging thereunto, but to take down the tabernacle upon every
remove, and to carry both the tabernacle, and the vessels thereof, anti
set it up again when they pitched anew.
By this we may give a guess how much this people were increased
in number in this year's time, notwithstanding they had been in a
travelling condition, had had a fight with Amalek, (wherein probably
some of thera raight fall, whUe Amalek prevaUed, Exod. xrii. 11)
and had lost about three thousand men upon the score of their calf,
(J66)

HART I. SACRED HISTORY. 1,67
For they were computed to be but about six hundred thousand
men, including fhe tribe of Levi with them, when they came out of
Egypt, Exod. xu. 37. And now they were six hundred three thous
and five hundred and fifty men, besides the tribe of Levi; which,
being numbered by itself, yielded two and twenty thousand males, of
a month old and upwards. Numb. iii. 39.
From this numbering of the people, this book, which gives the
account thereof, is caUed Numbers.
This general muster being made, the order and manner of thelf
encamping foUows :
They were disposed, or marshalled, into four great bodies, or bat-
talions, each under one general standard ; and were so placed, that
they encompassed and enclosed the tabernacle. For that being first
phched, fhe standard of the camp of Judah, under which were the
tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon, pitched over against it, on the
east side of it, to'wards the rising ofthe sun.
On the south side was the standard ofthe camp of Reuben; undeir
which were the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad.
On the west side was the standard ofthe camp of Ephraiin; und'el:
which were the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin.
And on the north side was the .standard ofthe camp of Dan;
under which were the tribos of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali, Numb. ii.
Some teUs us, and not without good shew of reason, that between
each tribe, in every one of those four quarters or camps, ^there were
left distant spaces like streets, for buying and seUing. . . . See
Godwyn's IVIoses and Aaron, 1. 6, c. 8. The distance also between
these four great camps and tiie tabernacle, is supposed to be two
thousand cubits, or a mile on every side ; which may be gatheretl
from Josh. iii. 4.
In this vacant distance, between tiie four great camps and the
tabernacle, were pitched four lesser camps, consisting of the priests
and Levites, nearer the tabernacle, in and about which their service
lay. , . . ' The Levites shaU pitch round about the tabernacle
of the testimony,' Numb. i. 53, These were thus disposed:
On the east side did encamp Moses and Aaron, with Aaron's sons,
keeping the charge of the sanctuary. Numb. ni.
On the south side where the Kohathites, a part of the Levitesj
descended and taking name from Kohath, the second son of Levi.
On the West side, behind the tabernacle, stood the Gershoniles,
another part of the Levites from Gershon, Levi's eldest son.
And on the north side were planted the Merarites, the remaining
part of the Levites, sprung from Merari, Levi's youngest son.
This was the order in which they stood encamped. Tbe manner
cf their dislodging and marching foUows not yel in the text; some
other things, relating to the Levites services, and oiher matters, being
interposed. But because there is some connection of matter, in tha

'S8 SACRED HISTOEY.. PART I..
Israelites' encamping and discaraping, I am wiUing to connect the
relations of them here.
When they were to remove- and march, which was when the cloud'
was taken off the tabernacle, the trumpet was sounded; and upon."
the first alarm, the standard of the camp of Judah being raised, the
three nibes which were under that standard set forward. Numb, x..
Then the tabemacle being taken down, the Gershonites and the
Merarites set forward, bearing the tabernacle, that is, the boards,
and staves of the tabernacle, in waggons, which the princes of the
tribes, at the erecting of the tabernacle, had offered to the Lord,
and he had appointed to, that service, Numb. vii. 2 to 9.
These being on their march, a second alarm was given by sound
of trumpet. Whereupon the standard of Reuben's camp set for.
ward, with the three tribes that belonged to it.
And after them followed the Kohaihites, bearing the sanctuary ;
which being more holy, and less cumbersome to carry, than the-;
boards and staves of the tabernacle, was not to be put in waggons,,
but borne on their shoulders.
Next followed the standard of Ephraim's camp, with the tribes^
under it. And last of all, the other three tribes, under the standard
of Dan, brought up the rear.
Ha-ring thus taken a brief survey of the- IsraeUtes, both in their-
eamps and marches, let us now look back to those chapters we
•stepped over, and observe- what is most memorable in them.
There we have- the Lord's taking the Levites to himself, m ex.
change for the first born, with the reason of his so doing ; and his.
giving the Levites to tiie priests, for the service of the tabernacle ;.
distributing them into three classes, or orders, and appointing Ihenx
their , several services, set forth at larger in chap, iii, and iv.
After which follows that clear and exceUent type of gospel purity,
and Christian church discipUne, expressed in God's commanding the
chUdren of Israel to put out of the camp every leper, and every one-
that bad a running issue, and whosoever was defiled by the dead,
both male and female, that they might not defile tiiek camps, in the'
midst of whioh the Lord dwelled..
Then follow divers laws relating to restitution in cases of tress
pass, and to the trial of jealousy bet-ween men and their wives ; as.
also lo the vow of Nazarites. To which is subjoined the form of
that dirine blessing which the Lord himself did dictate, for th©.
priests to pronounce upon the- people, in chap. vi.
The offerings of the princes, at the dedication both ofthe taber.
nacle and the altar, &c. are set down at length in the seventh chap
ter. The consecration and purification of the Levites in chapter
eight. A reinforcement of the passover; and the guidance ofthe-
Israelites by the cloud, in, chapter nine.. Which brings us to thfi-

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. IBS'
order of botii their encamping and marching, m chapter ten, of
which we have taken a view before.
To proceed now therefore from the order of action. The people,
having lain a pretty whUe before the mount of the Lord, did now de-
pait from thence ; and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went
before them, lo search out a resting-place for them. Al the setting
forward of the ark, Moses said, ' Rise up. Lord, and let thine enemies
be scattered, and let them that hate thee flee before thee.' And
when the ark rested again, ho added, ' Return, O Lord, unto the
many thousands of Israel.' Three days' journey tliey now marched,,
tiU they came to a place which afterwards was called Kibroth-IIat-
taavah, or the graves of lust, from a doleful occasion, which was this:.
The people were got again into a murmuring humour, and began
to grumble and complain. Which the Lord hearing, and being dis
pleased at, his anger was kindled, and that kindled a fire among them,
which consumed such of them as were in the outermost parts of the
camp. The people hereupon cried to Moses ; and Moses prayed to
the Lord on their behalf; whereupon the fire was qpenched, and the
name of that place caUed Taberah, which signifies a burning, because
the fire of the Lord burned among them, Numb, xi :
This seems to have befallen them in their journey between station
ano station, as they were traveUing from Sinai to Kibroth-Hattaavah.
And this, one would think, might have been a fair warning lo them,
and have taught them lo be quiet.
But they were a dissatisfied people, and loved to indulge their ap.
petites, which often cost them dear ; and so now. For being com©
to new quarters, they expected better fare; and so gave scope to
their appetites, lo lust after that which was not fit for them. This lust
ing first began, il seems in the raixed multitude that was amongst
them (of which we read, Exod. xii. 38, that a mixed multitude went
np out of Egypt with them;) and the IsraeUtes being in a discon.
tented temper, too readily fell in with thera, saying, ' Who sliaUgive
us flesh to eat ? '
Then, to heighten each other's discontent they caU to mind the
grave fare (as they now thought it) which they had hadin Egypt : but
say not a word of their burdens, their labour and their toUin Egypt
in getting stubble, and making and burning brick ; nor the blows and
stripes they had received, for not doing their tasks. ' We remember,
said they one to another, the flesh we did eat in Egypt freely ; the-
cucumbers and the melons, the leeks, the onions and the garlick.'
Thus they gloried in their Egyptian fare, both meat and sauce;
commending their condition in Egypt, and wishing they had not com©
from thence.
Bul to shew their dislike and contempt of their present food,
which God provided for thera, every morning fresh and fresh, they
said, ' But now our Ufe is dried away : for we have notb'mg to eat^

IT'O SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
but this manna.' This they uttered weeping ; but with such atone,
that it is said, ' Moses heard the people weep, throughout their fam
ilies, every man at the door of his tent : ' at which Moses was dk-
,pleased; but the Lord's anger was kindled greatiy.
Moses hereupon taking occasion to pour forth his grief before the
Lord, and to complain of the weight of the burden, which the care
of so numerous and discontented a people brought upon hira, the
Lord was graciously pleased to provide a remedy ; directing him to
Tjhoose out seventy men of the elders of Israel, and bring thera with
hira to the tabernacle of the congregation. ' And there, said the
Lord, I will come down and talk with thee; and I wUl take of the
-spirit which is upon thee, and wiU putitupon them : and they shaUbear
the burden ofthe people with thee, that thou bear ii not thyseff alone.'
Hence may be observed,
1. That there is a spirit of government.
2. That this spirit of government is of God, comes from hira, is
given by hira.
3. That he transfers this spirit of government from one to another,
-es he pleaseSi
4. That none are fit to govern God's people, though they be elders,
tUl they have received tliis spirit of government from God.
6. That they -vvho have received this spirit of government, are
thereby distinguished from others that have it not, and from what they
themselves were before they had it.
For as soon as Moses had brought the seventy elders before the
Lord, and the Lord had taken of the spirit that was upon him, and
given it unto them ; while the spirit rested upon them, they prophe-
sled. . . . Nay, two of those seventy, though they came nol
out with the rest to tiie tabernacle, but remained behind in the
camp ; yet, not doing it in a gainsaying or opposite mind, they were
taken in among the rest, and -received of the spirit as the others did;
and prophesied in the camp, as the others prophesied at the tabernacle.
The unusualness of tiiis caused a young man to run from the
carap to the tabernacle, to acquaint Moses, that Eldad and Medad (so
wero they named) were prophesying in the camp.* Which message
Joshua, Moses' servant, another young man, who was not yet so thor.
oughly acquainted with the way of the Lord's working, as afterwards
he came to be, over-hearing, and thinking it some derogation frora his
master that they should prophesy, and not foUow hira, advised his mas
ter to forbid them ; but was presentiy stopped with this gentie reproof.
'Dost thou envy for my sake ? Would to God that all the Lord's
people Were'prophels, so that the Lord would put his spirit upon them.'
As to the people 's demand of flesh, whicii in his complaint Moses
had spread btfore the Lord, the Lord ordered Moses to bid them
•A. M. 2515.

PdRT I. SACRED HISTORY. 171
prepare themselves against to-morrow, for they should have flesh
enough. 'The Lord -will give you flesh, said he, and ye shall eat,
not one day only, nor two days, nor five, nor ten nor twenty ; but for
a whole month together, untU it come out at your nostrils, and it bo
loathsome unto you : because ye have despised the Lord, who is
among you (in despising and loathing his provision ;) and have wept
before him, saying. Why came we forth out of Egypt ? '
It was hard to Moses to apprehend how such a numerous host
should be fed with flesh so long together in such a place as they
were in. ' Tbe people, said he to God, amongst whom I am, are
SIX hundred thousand fooUnen (nay, they were sk hundred three
thousand five hundred and fifty, besides the tribe of Levi, and be
sides women and children;) and thou hast said, I wiU give them
flesh, that they may eat a whole month. ShaU the flocks and the
herds be slain for them to suffice them ? Or, shall all the fiish ui the
sea be gathered together for them to suffice them 1
The Lord considered the greatness of Moses' exercise, and there
fore bore with him; and only giving him this gentle rebuke, 'Is
the Lord's hand waxed short ? ' added, ' Thou shalt see now whelh-
er my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.'
Accordingly, when Moses with the elders was gone back to the
camp, and had acquainted the people witii it, ' There went forth a
wind, (not a common wind but) a wind from the Lord, which brought
quaUs from the sea, and let them fall about a day's journey off,
(understand it of a sabbath day's journey, whioh some suppose to
be a mile, some two miles) round about the camp, where they lay
upon the ground two cubits (which supposing it be spoken of the
common, whicii is the shortest cubit, is a yard high.'
Forthwith the people fell eageriy to gathering up the quails; and
all that day, all that night, and all tho next day they spent about
it; every one gathering great and almost incredible quantities. Nor
may we suppose they were less greedy in eating them. 'But while
the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath
of the Lord was kindled against tho people, and he sraote thera with
a very great plague.' Thus, when people provoke the Lord, by not
being satisfied with what he gives them, but craving that which
-they should not have, .they sometimes have their requests granted,
in judgment to them ; and what they so obtain oft times proves a
plague to them. Here they buried those of the people, who, for lust
ing after flesh, were smitten wUh the plague; and from thence the
¦place was caUed Kibroth-Hauaavah : which signifies ' the graves of
lust' This was no good place to stay in: from hence therefore the
people journeyed to Hazeroth, which signifies palaces. But here an-
«ther unhappy accident befel them, occasioned thus:
Moses had married Jethro's daughter, who was a Midianitess;

172 SACRED HISTORY. PART r-
and some squabble, it is supposed, bad happened, or eVil emulation
risen, between Zipporah, Moses' wife, and Miriam his sister. How
ever il was, Miriam taking occasion, partiy from his having mar
ried this wife, who, though she came of Abraham by Keturah, yet
was not by birth an Israelite, and partly from his eminent station in
the camp, and among the people, vented her displeasure upon her
brother Moses. And she having begun, her brother Aaron fell in
with her, in speaking against their brother Moses, Numb. xii.
' And Miriam and Aaron, the te.xl says spake against Moses,
because of the Ethiopian woman that he had married.' So, in con
tempt, they called her, as if she had indeed been an Ethiopian,
because the Midianites bordered upon the Ethiopians. This, as be
ing more specious, they made the pretence of their quarrel; but
the ground or bottom of it seems to have been an emulation of his
gifts and authority. For they added, 'What! hath the Lord indeed
spoken only by Moses ? Hath he not spoken also by us ? ' As if
tiiey had said. Wherein is Moses better than we, that he should be
so set up'? Am not I, Miriam, elder than he, and a prophetess 1
(so she is caUed, Exod. xv. 20.) And am not I, Aaron the high-
priest, and elder than he also t Why must we be overlooked, and
he be all in all ?
Moses was not ignorant of the discontent and detraction ; and
though no man was more sensible than he, or readier to resent an
indignity offered to the Lord, yet looking upon this as a personal
pique al himself, he would not take notice of it. But the Lord,
who sees and hears all things, is said (after the manner of men) to
have heard this their reproach and contempt of his servant Moses ;
and he would not put it up. Wherefore, on a sudden, calling forth
Moses, Aaron, and Miriam before him, at the door of the tabernacle,
he there, before Moses, gave thera a sharp rebuke, asking them,,
' Wherefore they were not afraid to speak against his servant Mo
ses?' And to presume to equal theraselves to him, who was more
than an ordinary prophet ? Then departing from them in high dis
pleasure, he smote Miriam (who in this case was fhe prime offender)
¦vrith leprosy : so that Aaron looking on her, saw she was white as
snow. He therefore presently applied himself to Moses, whom they
had so lately despised : and confessing their sin, begged his pardofi ;
and interceded for his sister
Good Moses thereupon cried unto flie Lord, beseeching him to
hoal her. But the Lord would make her an example, that others
might be wary bow they moved sedition in the camp. Therefore he
gave order, that (though she was Miriam) she should be shut out,
from the carap for tiie space of seven day^, as every common leper
nnd aU unclean persons were, and then to be received in again.
This made the people tarry longer in this place tiian otherwise they
would have done ; for they journeyed not tiU Miriam was brought in

TART I. SACRED mSTORY. 173
again ; and then they removed from Hazeroth, and took up their
next station at Rithmah, in tbe wilderness of Paran.
From thence by many reraoves, and about seventeen several sta
tions, (which see in Numb, xxxiii, from ver. 19 lo 36) they came
at length to Kadesh-barnea. And here Moses let them know that
they were now come unto the mountains of the Amorites, which the
Lord their God had given them; and that the Lord their God had
set the land before them (that is, had brought tiiem just to the border
of it :) wherefore he bade thera go up and possess it, as the Lord
God of then: fathers bad said they should ; and not fear, nor be
discouraged, Deut. i, ver. 20,21. But truly they began to draw
back, and proposed the sending of certain raen beforehand to search
out the land, and bring them word by what way they must go up,
and what cities they should go into.
The Lord therefore, to try them to the fuU, condescended thereun
to : and bade Moses send men, one chosen out of every tribe, lo
search the land of Canaan. Moses thereupon chose out twelve men,
that were heads of the children of Israel, who are there named, and
sent thera forth to spy the land, Nura. xin.
Their instruction was to go up southward into the land of Canaan,
and see and observe what kind of country it was ; what sort of
people dwelt in it; whether they were lusty, large, strong-bodied
men ; or small, weak, feeble folks ; and whether the inhabitants were
few or many : whether they generally dwelt in tents and open riUa-
ges, or in strong holds ; and of what strength their cities were.
Then as to the soU itself, whether the land was fat or lean, fruitful or
barren ; and whether the country was woody, or £in open champaign
country *
Thus instructed and exhorted lo be courageous, and bring with
them some of the fruit of the land, they sel forward, probably two
and two together, both that they might pass less observed, and might
have the better opportunity of viewing the land more fully. . . .
And having coasted the counlry from south to north, in their return
coming to a rich vaUey they there cut down a branch of a vine,
having one cluster of grapes upon it ; but that of so greal bigness
and weight, that they were obUged to carry it upon a staff between
two. The name of that place was afterwards called the vaUey of
Eschcol, which signifies a cluster of grapes ; because of the cluster
they there cut off.
Having spent forty days in searching the land, they returned wilh
their load of grapes, and some porae-granates and figs, and came to the
camp of Israel at Kadesh, where they left it. And having shewed
the fmits of the land to Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation,
they related the observations they had made in their journey.
•A. iVI. 2515.

1T4 SACRED HISTORY. PART 1.
But in giring the aeeou-nt thereof, they who undertook that prov-
ince, though they were forced to acknowledge the goodness and
richness of the land, which the fruits they had brought were a proof
of; yet they followed that acknowledgment with a discouraging,
nevertheless :
- Nevertheless, said they, the people be strong that dwell in the
land; and the cities are walled and very great.' Neither is that
all, or the worst : ' But moreover, we saw the children- of Anak there.'
Then reckoning up the strength of their enemies : ' The Amalekites,
said they, dweU in the south part of the land; the Hitites, the Je
busites, and the Amorites in the mountains, and the Canaanites by
the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.'
This was frightful news to a faint-hearted people prepared by
their own discontenis to receive Ul impressions from others. And
doubtless they qu'jitly shewed their unruUness : for we read in the
next words, tha.' Caleb, with whom Joshua joined, did what he could
to still the pee pie- before Moses, saying, ' Le us go up by aU means,
and possess the country, for we are well able to overcome it.'
But the other ten spies told the people, ' We are not able to go
up against that people : for they are stronger than we.' And where
as before they had spoken well of the land itself, confessing it was
assuredly a land flowing with milk and honey, vet now, to beget
in the people an iU ojjinion of it, they say, in contradiction to
themselves, ' It is a land that eateth up the ir.iiabitants thereof.'
And to teri'ify tue people the more, they tell thera of tiie giants
they saw there, the sons of Anak, in comparison of whom, they hy-
perboUcally say, tiiey were in their sight, and in their owa- also, but
as grasshoppers or locusts. Nay, they stretch so far as to tell then),
that ' all the people they saw in the land were men of great stature.'
This put the whole camp into great disorder. Some fell a roar
ing, others a weeping, all a murmuring against Moses and Aaron.
' Would God we had died in the land of Egypt: or would God wo
had died in the wilderness,' said the -whole congregation. Nor
stopped their rage at Moses and Aaron, but rose higher : they struck
at God himself, obliquely charging him with a breach of promise,
Numb. xiv. ' Wherefore, said they, hath the Lord brought us ints
this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children shsuid
be a prey ? ' As if they had said, he promised to give us this land,
and lo settle us quiet in it; and now instead of that, after so long
a travel, and so many hardships as we have undergone to come to
it, he hath brought us hither to be cut in pieces by these monstrous
giants. To avoid this danger, ' Were it not better, said some to the
rest, for us to return into Egypt?' To that proposition the.se mu.
tineers could readily Usten: and they said one to another, 'Let us
make a captain, and let us return into Egypt'
How great now must the exercise needs l>e of Joshua and Ca-

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 17&
leb ! They were of them that searched the land ; bul they wero
but two to ten. Yet they stood boldly up in the zeal of the Lord,
and haring rent their clothes, through excessive sorrow, they spake-
unto all tiie company, saying, ' The land which we passed through
to search It, is an exceeding good land, flowing indeed wilh mUk
and honey (that is, abounding wilh all good and necessary provis-.
ions ;) and if the Lord deUght in us, he will bring us into this land,
nnd give it us : only hinder not yourselves of it, by rebeUing against
the Lord; neither fear the people of the land, for- they are bul as
bread to us (that is, we shall as surely overcome them, as we eat
our food.) For their defence is departed frora them : but the Lord,
who is our defence, is with us, tiierefore fear them not.'
So far were the people from being reclaimed by this pathetic
speech, that aU the congregation bade stone them with stones that
spake it : which probably they had done, had not the glory of tho
Lord visibly appeared at that instant in the. tabernacle of the con
gregation, before all the children of Israel.
MeanwhUe good Moses with Aaron lay prostrate on their faces,
in the sight of the people, suppUoating the Lord for mercy to them.
Whereupon the Lord, expostulating with Moses, said, 'How long
shaU this people provoKe me '' And how long will it be ere they
beUeve me, for all the signs which I have shewed amongst them ?
(Let me alone, Exod. xxxii. 10, and) 1 will sraite thera with the
pestilence, and disinherit them, and wUl make of thee a greater na
tion, and mightier than they.'
Who, but a Moaes, would have again refused such an offer? but
he, postponing his own private advantage and honour, to the honour
of God and the good of that people, appUed himself with aU earn
estness to intercede with the Lord for them. Nor gave he over, tUl
what with reasoning, what with humbly intreating pardon for them,
he prevailed with the Lord to say, I have pardoned (as to the utter
destroying and disinheriting them as I threatened) according to thy
word. But yet, notwithstan,ding, inasmuch as these men who have
seen my glory, and my miracles, which I have -ivrought in Egypt,
and in the wilderness, have tempted me now so often, and have not
hearkened to my voice, assuredly they shall not see the land which
I have promised unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that
provoked me see it. Wherefore say unto the people, ' As I live,
saUhthe Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so wdl I do unto you.'
Your carcases shall fall in ibis wUderness ; aud of aU that were num.
bered of you from twenty years old and upwards, because ye have
murmured against me, none snaU come into the land, save Caleb and
Joshua. Yet wUl I make good my promise which I made to youi'
fathers For your littie oues, which ye said should be a prey, them
will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised).
But as for you, who are gathered together against me, your carcases

176 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
shall fall in this wilderness: there ye shaU be consumed, and there
ye shall die. And your chUdren (though they shall possess the good
land when ye are dead) shall wander in the wilderness forty years ;
and shaU bear your whoredoms (the punishment due for your whore
doms) until your carcases be wasted in the wUderness. After the
number of days in which ye searched the land, even forty days
(each day for a year) shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years :
and ye shall know my breach of promise,' that is, what it is to charge
me, as ye have done, with breach of promise lo you : or what it is
to break promise or covenant with me, as ye have done.
But though God, at the instant intreaty of Moses, did reverse his
sentence of present death upon the whole congregation of murmurers,
yet the ten false spies, the iramediate authors of this rebelUon, who
had brought up an evil report upon the good land, were punished
with death at that time: for they died by the plague before the
Lord. But Caleb and Joshua, who were men of a right spirit, and
fulfiUed the wUl of the Lord, they were preserved alive, were com
mended of God, and had his promise, that they should enter into
and possess the good land.
At this tirae it is supposed, and upon this occasion, Moses wrote
that precatory Psalra, which in the book of Psalms is the ninetieth
Psalra in number. Which, therefore, the reader may do weU to
turn to, and read in this place.
When Moses had told the chUdren of Israel what the Lord had
determined concerning them, it is said, they mourned greatiy. But
it doth nol appear they were grown raore subject, or were better
disposed to obey the Lord. For whereas the Lord, not only in pur-
suance of his purpose concerning them, (to wear them out in the
wUderness) but to prevent their being beaten by the Amalekites and
Canaanites, who prepared to fight them, and he was not wiUing their
enemies should glory in a victory over them, nor yel so far to own
and stand by them, in their present temper, as to give them victory
over their enemies, and therefore had given order, ' that the next
day they should turn, and get them into the wUderness again, by
the way of the Red Sea; they got up betimes in the morning, and
marching up unto the top of the mountain, cried, ' Lo, we be here
ready, and we will go up unto the place which the Lord hath prom
ised : for we have sinned,' that is, in not going up when we were bid.
So now being sensible they had offended before in drawingback, when
they should have gone on, they would now make amends by rushing
on when Ihey should have gone back. But this being undertaken in
their own rebeUious wills, as weU as the other, was but adding sin to
sin. God will be served in his own timo and way.
Moses would fain have restrained them. He asked thera, « Why
thoy would now again transgress the command of the Lord ? ' He
told them, ' Their enterprize should not prosper; bid them nol go

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 177
up, that they might not be smitten.before their enemies; told them,
the Lord was not among them ; that the Amalekites p.nd Canaan
ites were got thither before them ; and that, if they went on, they
should faU by the sword; and in fine told them, because they were
turned from the Lord, the Lord would nol be with them.'
AU this, notwithstanding, they, being heady and presumptuous,
would go up : and though the ark of the Lord, which was to go be.
fore the host in battie, went not, and Moses their captain did not stir
out of the camp, yet up they went unto the hill-top. But they
were met with : fbr the Amalekites, having possessed themselves of the
place, came pouring down upon them ; and the Canaanites, which
dwelt in the hiU, faUing in with them, smote them, and discomfitled
them. And this they got by their unruUness.
Moses tells us, in Deut. 1. 2. ' That there were eleven days' jour .
ney from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea : ' and yet the people of Israel,
through their waywardness and disobedience, spent the best part of
two years in going that eleven days' journey. But more strange it
is, that, being now returned back again from Kadesh-barnea, when
they were near the confines of the promised land, they should be
eight and thirty years more wandering about in that wilderness, be
fore they could come to the borders of the promised land again.
Yet that so long they were, Moses expressly says ; ' The space in
which we came from Kadesh-barnea, untU we were come over the
brook Zered, was thirty and eight years,' Deut. ii. 14.
In this time many accidents befel them, and many remarkable oc
currences are recorded of them. Of which the first is, of a man,
who by a law made ex post facto, (as in the case of the blaspheraer,
mentioned before, Levit. xxiv) was stoned to death for breaking the
sabbath, by gathering sticks on that day. Numb. xv.
Next follows that horrible rebeUion and schism, begun by Korah,
greal grandson to Levi, who, as that which is caUed the Bishop's
Bible, printed anno 1600, renders it, went apart, (that is, divided or
departed himself from Moses and Aaron) and having seduced Da-
than and Abiram, sons of EUab, of Reuben's famUy, and drawn in
some others, to the number of two hundred and fifty, princes of the
assembly, men of renown, famous in the congregation, men of name
and interest among the people, they rose up against Moses and Aaron,
charging them that they took too much upon them; and pretend
ing that aU the congregation was holy, and that the Lord was among
them, they upbraidinglv asked Moses and Aaron, ' Wherefore tnen
lift ye up yourselves above the cougregation ofthe Lord ? Numb, xvi.'
When Moses saw and heard this apprehensive of the danger and
hurt, a oonspiricy so headed might produce, be feU on his face (a
phrase used to express divine adoration and application to God for
help ; ) and good reason there is to believe, tiiat in that humble po8-
VOL. I. — 12

178 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
ture the Lord appeared to him, and both comforted and counseUed
tum. For presentiy after we read he spake unto Korah and his com-
pany, letting thera know, with great assurance, that on the morrow
the Lord would decide the controversy, and would make appear
who were his, and who was holy ; and would cause him whom ho
had chosen to come near unto hira.
Then mUdly expostulating the raatter with thera, to let them see
they look too much upon thera, he said to Korah, and the other Lev
ites that joined with him, ' Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi,
seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath
separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near
unto himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to ¦
stand before the congregation, to minister unto them; and hath
brought thee, Korah, near; and all thy brethren, the sons of Levi,
-with thee ? And seek ye the priesthood also ? for that is the cause
for which thou, and all thy company, are gathered together against
the Lord.' For whatever ye may pretend against Aaron, it is against
the Lord and against his appointment, that ye thus murmur and con
spire : ' For alas ! what is Aaron, that ye should murmur against him?'*
Datlian and Abiram, it seems, stood off at a distance: for Moses
sent to caU them to corae up to him. But they, grown heady and
resolute, answered surlily, ' We wiU not come up.' And to retort
his own expression upon himself, ' Is it a smaU thing, said they,
that thou has brought us up out of the land that floweth with miUi
and honey (so in contempt of Canaan, they cry up Egypt) to
kiU us in the wUderness, except thou make thyself altogether a
prince over us ? ' Moreover, added they upbraidingly, thou hast
not brought us (for aU thy great boasts and fair promises) into a
land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of
fields and vineyards. But when we were come almost to it, and
would have gone on to enter into it, and possess it, thou hast turned
us back into this wUderness again, to repeat the fatigues, hardships,
and miseries we have passed through already : ' And wilt thou put
out the eyes of these men!' WUt thou think to blind the people
with fair words only, and lead them on hoOd-winked ? We wiU not
come up.'
These reproachful and undeserved taunts made Moses very wroth :
yel did he not return railing for railing. Bul addressing himself to
the Lord, ' Respect not thou their offering, said he : for though they
reflect thus foully upon me, I have not taken so much as an ass
from them, neither have I hurt one of them.'
Then summoning Korah and aU his company, the two hundred
and fifty princes, lo meet him and Aaron before the Lord on the
morrow, ho bid them ' Take every man his censer, and put incensa
• A. M. 2515.

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 179
in them, and Aaron should bring his censer also, and appear all be
fore the Lord.' They bad the confidence so to do, and bringing
every man of thera his censer, with fire in it, and incense laid
tiiereon, they boldly sel themselves in the door of the tabernacle of
the congregation with Moses and Aaron : and Korah, so apt is the
multitude to be carried the wrong way, had gathered all the congre
gation to side with him against them.
Bul forthwith the glory of the Lord appeared unto aU the congre
gation, and the Lord soon lookup the raatter; saying unto Moses
and Aaron, ' Separate yourselves from among this coiigreg'ation, that
I may consume them in a moment' But they, good men, falling
prostrate before the Lord, said, '0 God, thou God of the spirits of
all flesh, shall one man sin, and wUt thou be wroth with all the con
gregation ? ' ' Speak then, said the Lord, unto the congregation, and
bid them get then* up from about tbe tabernacle of Korah, Dathan,
and Abiram. '
Moses thereupon rising up, and the elders of Israel (upon whom
the Lord had put of his spirit. Numb, xi, 25) following hira, he
went unto Dathan and Abirara ; and directing his speech to the con
gregation, said, ' Depart, I pray you from the tents of these wicked
men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed with them in
their sins.'
The people thus warned, drew off from the tents of Korah, Da
than, and Abiram, on every side. But Dathan aud Abiram came
boldly out, and stood braving it in the door of their tents, wilh their
wives, their famUies, and their httie children.
Then Moses, continuing his speech to the people, said, ' Hereby
ye shall know thatthe Lord hath sent me to do all these works;
for I have not done them of my own mind. If these men die the
common death of aU men, or if they be -visited after the visitation of
aU raen, then the Lord hatii not sent me. But if the Lord make a
new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with
all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit;
then ye shaU understand that these men have provoked the Lord.'
No sooner were the words out of his mouth, bul the ground that
was under them clave assunder ; and the earth openmg her mouth,
swallowed them up, and their houses, or famUies, and aU the men,
tbe whole faction, tiial belonged to Korah, except his sons, chap.
xxri. ver. 1 1 , and aU their goods : they, and all that belonged to tiiem,
went down alive into the pit; and the earth closing upon them, they
perished from among the congregation.
The rest of the people, that stood round about them looking on,
amazed at the dismal sight, and affrighted with the outcries and
shrieks of those that sunk into the gaping earth, fled away, for fear
the eeurth should have swaUowed them up also.

180 SACRED HISTORY. PART 1.
Meanwhile, * There came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed
the two hundred and fifty men,' that joining with Korah in this re-
fteUion, had offered mcense contrary to the law.
The censers on which they had offered, were ordered to be taken
out of the burning, and preserved : but not in the form of censers.
For, as on the one hand, they had been offered before the Lord,
and thereby obtained, at least in the opinion of the people, a sort
of consecration, the Lord, to keep up among that people the repu
tation and estimation of things devoted, would not have them put to
bcise uses ; so, on the other hand, to put a difference between his own
institutions, and men's contrivances, especially the wicked contri
vances of wicked men, he wotdd not suffer thera to be employed to
the same use, nor be continued in the same form, which those men
had put them to, and used them in. But he appointed that aU those
brazen censers should be wrought out into broad plates, or rather,
perhaps, into one broad plate, and so be laid for a covering over the
altar : giving expressly this reason for it, ' That it might be for a sign
and a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, who
was not of the seed of Aaron, shotdd adventure to come near to
offer incense before the Lord; lest he speed as Korah and his com
pany had sped.'
This exemplary punishment, so eridentiy inflicted by a divine hand
on thess offenders, had been enough, one would have thought, to have
kept the rest within the bounds of due obedience ; but they, on the
contrary, from hence took occasion to mutiny afresh.
For on the very morrow, all the congregation of the children of
Israel not only murmured against Moses and Aaron ; but bandying
together against thera, charged them that they had kiUed the people
of the Lord. And to what degree of violence they might have pro
ceeded, is doubtful, had they not, looking toward the tabernacle of
the congi'egation, seen the cloud covering it, and the glory of the
Lord appearing there ; a sure token that the Lord had something to
say to thera.
Moses thereupon hasting with Aaron to the tabernacle of the con
gregation, to wail the pleasure of the Lord, the Lord said, ' Get ye
up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in
a moment' They thereupon feU dovvn, as they used to do, lo sup
plicate the Lord for the people; but it would not now do : for the
Lord, provoked by their so frequent rebellions, had already sent a
plague among them. Wherefore Moses bid Aaron take a censer,
and put fire therein from off the altar, and put incense thereon, and
go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them :
for, said he, 'There is wrath gone out from the Lord: and the
plague is begun.'
Aaron therefore, as Moses had directed him, ran into the midst
of the congregation with his censer and holy fire ; and finding the

PART I. SACRED HISTOEY. 181
plague was indeed begun among the people, he put on incense, and
made an atonement for them, and setting himself between the living
and the dead, the Lord was pleased lo stop the plague : but not until
there had fallen by it fourteen thousand and seven hundred persons,
besides them that died about the matter of Korah.
And now, since the office of the priesthood had proved such a
bait to ambitious and aspiring minds, and the striving for il had cost
many so dear, the Lord, to end all contests about it, and quash aU
false pretensions to it, resolved, by a conrincing miracle, to con
firm and establishish it in the family wherein he had placed it.
In order whereunto he directed Moses to take of the prince or
bead of every tribe, a rod, or staff; and to write upon each rod the
name of the prince, or head of that tribe to which that rod belonged :
and on the rod of Levi's tribe lo write Aaron's name ; and then to
lay up aU these twelve rods in the tabernacle of the congregation,
before the ark of the testimony, where the Lord should meet vrith
thera. And to let thera know that the Lord himself would determine
the controversy, and put an end to all their murmurings, by causing
the rod of that man to blossom, whom he should choose. Numb. xvii.
Moses, according to this direction, having received from the prince
of each tribe a rod, with his name written upon it, laid up all the
rods together before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness. And on
the morrow, when Moses went in, and brought forth all the rods from.
before the Lord unto aU the children of Israel, and they took every
man his rod, and looked on it, ' Behold, the rod of Aaron, for the
house of Leri, had sprouted and put fortli buds, and brought forth
blossoms, and bare ripe almonds.'
This must needs be a wonderful and astonishing thing in itself,
that a dry stick should in one night's time shoot forth, bud, blossom,
and bear ripe fruits : and a convincing token to them, that God had
singled out Aaron lo tbe priestiy office, that of aU the twelve sticks-
laid together, his stick only should produce this wonder..
The matter being thus incontestably determined and settled, the
Lord bid Moses bring Aaron's rod back again, and lay it up before
the ark of the testimony ; lo be kept for a token against the rebels,
and that it might quite take away their murmurings, and so prevent
their death. But as great tumuUs are not soon settied, and high
discontents are not quickly quieted, so this people could not give over
complaining. ' Behold said they to Moses, we die, we perish, we
aU perish.' Some faU by the sword. Numb, xiv; ver. 46; some are
swallowed up by the earth. Numb, xvi, ver, 32 ; some perish by fure,
ver. 35; and some die of the plague, ver. 49. 'ShaU we said they,
be consumed with dying ? ' Thus they reckoned up their calamities,
the punishments for their rebelUons, but considered nol that they
themselves brought them on themselves by rebeUing.
The eighteenth chapter of this book is spent in setting forth the

Ikt SA'CRED HISTORY. FART 1.
charge of the priests and the Levites distinctiy wilh the distinct
portions or provision of maintenance for each. Wherein (nof to
descend to aU particulars) it is observable, that the priests, who were
anointed to that office, and unto whom the- charge of the tabernacle and
sanctuary, with the vessels thereof, and aUthe haUowed things, were
committed, had 'not the tithes given to them : for the tithes were given
to the Levites, who were employed in the laborious part of the work
about the tabernacle. But the priests had the offerings of the people,
(the meat-offerings, sin-offerings, trespass-offerings, -heave-offerings,
wave-offerings, and first fruits) and the tithes of the tithes which they
were lo receive from the -Lerites, who received the tithes from the
people. Numb, xviii. And these tithes of tithes, which the priests
were lo receive from the Levites were to be offered, by the Lerites,
an heave-offering to the Lord; as 'the tithes themselves, which were
given to the Levites, were offered an heave- oft'ering to the Lord be
fore. So that all the tithes, as weU those from the people to the
Levites, as those' out of them, from the Levites lo the priests, were,
by this ceremony of heaving, rendered as completely a part of tha
ceremonial law, as the rest of the offerings under that dispensation
Were. The nineteenth chapter Ireateth of legal pollutions and unclean-
nesses, and of the water of separation or purification, by whioh such
were to be cleansed ; directing how it should be both made and used^
which water was a Uvely and significant type of the blood of Christ;
who, being himself perfectly clean, by sprinkling oleanseth the un
clean; not notionally, but really, and in very deed. Numb. xix.
By the interposition of these other matters, contained in these two
chapters, we miss the account how the children of Israel came to
Kadesh again, in the wilderness of Zin ; where we find them, in
Numb. XX. Only Moses briefly reciting some of their frauds, in
Deut. ii, tells us, that after they had been beaten by the Amalekites
and Amorities, for which compare Deut. i. 44, with Numb. xiv. 45,
' they turned and look their journey into 'the wUderness, by the way
of the Red Sea, as God had commanded. Numb. xiv. 26, and com
passed Mount Seir many days, (which TremeUius and the Bishop's
Bible, in their notes, account to be eight and thirty years ;) tiU at
length the Lord said, ' Ye have compassed this mountain long enough :
turn ye northwards.' Deut. ii, ver. 3.
Being come to Kadesh, whUe the people abode there, Miriam, who
was sister to Aaron and Moses, and elder tiian either, died, and was
buried there,* Numb. xx.
Here again the people, impatient of any inconvenience, brake out
fbr want of water. And gathering themselves together against Moses
and Aaron, they quarreUed with them, saying, ' 'Why have ye brought
• A, M, 2553.

PART I. BACRED HISTOEY. IBS
up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and
our cattie should die there ? And wherefore have ye made us come
up out of Egypt,, lo bring us into this evil place; where are neither
seed ; nor figs, nor rines, nor .pomegranates, nor so much as water
to drink? Would God that we had died when our brethren died
before the Lord.
Moses and Aaron, thus hard beset, betake themselves to the Lord
for hejp. And the Lord commanded Moses lo lake the rod, and
-that Tie and his brother Aaron should gather the assembly together ;
and t'hen ' Speali ye, said the Lord, to the rock, in their sight, and
it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water
out of the rock.'
Moses hereupon taking the rod from before the Lord went, and
with Aaron's assistance gathered the congregation together before
the rock. But when he was come thither, deviating from his instruc
tions, though seemingly but a Uttie, he committed his greatest mis
carriage. For first, whereas he was bid to speak lo the rock before the
people, he, instead of doing so, spake to the people before the rock.
And in what he said to them, he discovered impatience and heat of
spirit, saying, - Hear now, ye rebels ; must we fetch you water out of
this rock ? '
Secondly he was not bid to strike the rock, but to speak to it. He,
instead of speaking to it, smote the rock ; and that twice : which
shewed an angry disturbed mind.
If it should be asked, to what end he was commanded to lake tbe
rod,ifit wasiiot intended h<^ should smite the rock with it? the answer
is, perhaps it might be that the people, at sight of that rod, by which
they had seen so many miracles wrought, if it was that rod by which
'Moses dirided the Red Sea (as some think it was ;) or that by which
they had been so lately reclaimed from a former rebellion, and which
yet bore a miracle, upon it, if il was that rod that budded and bore
almonds (which others think it was ;) raight see their error, repent,
and confess that nothing was too hard for their God.
If il be alledged on Moses' behalf, that when be was sent to the
rock before, Exod. xvu. .6,-6, he was bid to take his rod in bis hand,
and lo smite the rods, that the water might come forth : and that
frora thence he might gather he was now also to smite the rock with
his rod ; the answer is, as there he exactly followed his instructions,
so he should have done here. He smote the rock then, because he
was bidden: but he did nol speak to it then, because he was not bid
den. So be should now have spoken to it, because he was bidden ;
and not have smitten it, because he was not bidden. For God is an
absolute sovereign, and expects an absolute and exact obedience to
his absolute commands. Nor wiU he allow even a Moses to vary his
command, or mix his own conceptions with it unpunished. And

184 SACEED HISTORY. PART I.
therefore, though he would not lose the honour of his miracle for hi*
servant's fault, but caused the 'water to come abundantiy out of the
rock, for the congregation lo drink, and the cattle also ; yet he de
nounced to Moses and Aaron (who was in transgression wilh him)
their doom, in these words ; ' Because ye believed me not, to sanctify
me in the sight of the chUdren of Israel, therefore ye shaU nol bring
this congregation into the land which I have given them.'
While yet tiie Israelitish camp was at Kadesh, Moses sent an em ¦
bassy to the king of Edom, whose borders they were now upon, to
inform him of the travels and labour of the chUdren of Israel (his
brethren by the same father and mother, Isaac and Rebekah ;) and
lo intreat passage through his country ; giving him assurance that
they would not commit any act of hostiUty, nor trespass in the fields
or rineyards, nor so much as drink of his water, without paying for
it, but only travel on the king's highway. But the king of Edom
utterly refused it, and drew out his forces to UTipede their passage,
and defend his frontiers. Israel therefore, being forbidden by God,
to fight with them, Deut. ii. 6, turned another way ; and marching
from Kadesh, came to Mount Hor.
It was now the beginning of the fifth month, in the fortieth year
of their travels from Egypt, Numb, xxxiii. 38 ; and the tirae drew
near for their entering the good land, into which the Lord had told
Aaron he should not enter, because of his transgression at Meribah
(so was the place called where Moses smote tlie rook. Numb. xx.
13.) Wherefore being now come to Moimt Hor, the Lord gave
Aaron notice of his approaching death ; and commanded Moses lo
take Aaron and Eleazar his son, who was to succeed him in the
office of high-priest, and bringing them to Mount Hor, there to strip
Aaron of his priestiy garments, and put thera upon Eleazar his son.
Which when Moses had done, in the sight of all the congregation,
Aaron died there, in the top of Mount Hor, being an hundred twenty
and three years old, Nurab. xxxiii. 39. And when the congrega
tion saw that Aa.ron was dead, all the house of Israel mourned for
him thirty days. *
Israel being now come to the border of Canaan, Arad, a king of
the Canaanites, who dwelt in the south, hearing which way they came,
went out and fought them, and took some of them prisoners. Israel
thereupon made a vow to the Lord, saying, ' If thou wilt indeed de
Uver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.'
And the Lord delivering up the Canaanites to them, they did utterly
destroy both them and their cities; and caUed the name of the place
where the battie, was fought Ilormah, which signifies utter destruc
tion. This seems to be the sarae place to which the Amalekites
* A. M. 2555.

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 186
had chased and beaten Israel about eight and thirty years before.
Numb. xiv. 46.
This victory obtained, the- camp was obUged to dislodge from
Mount Hor, and take their march by the way of the Red Sea, to
compass the landof Edom; through which they had been denied
passage. Numb. xx. 18, 21 ; and forbidden to force their way, Deut.
ii, ver. 6 ; and because the way was long, the passages uneasy, and
the country barren, the people being straitened in their minds, and
under great discouragements, let up the murmuring spirit again, and
spake against God directly, as well as against Moses; 'Wherefore,
said they, have ye brought us up out of Egypt, to die in the wilder
ness ? (This was their constant complaint.) For here is neithe^r
meat nor drink to be had, cried they ; and our soul loatheth (our
stomachs tum against) this contemptible bread : ' meaning the manna
which God had given them ready prepared for their mouths.
To punish therefore this bold impiety, the Lord sent fiery serpents
amongst them, which bit them, so that many ofthe people died there.
upon. This made the rest humble themselves, saying to Moses,
' We have sinned : for we have spoken against the Lord, and against
thee. Pray now the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us,'
Numb. xxi.
Here I cannot but observe how like this people were lo Pharaoh,
rebeUing and relenting ; rebeUing again, and relenting again, accord
ing as judgments were laid on them, as if they had learned of him.
However Moses, at their request, prayed unto the Lord for them.
But the Lord did not immediately take away the serpents ; but
leaving them to be a scourge to the people, to make them more
sensible of their transgression, provided a remedy to prevent their
death, and heal their hurts. For he ordered Moses to make a ser
pent of a fiery colour, and set il up for a sign, or ensign, that the
people who were bitten by the fiery serpents, might, by looking up lo
this serpent, be recovered. Moses thereupon made the form of a ser
pent In brass, and set it up as a banner; and il came to pass, that
when afterwards a serpent bit any man, if he looked upon that bra-
sen serpent he lived, that is, he was healed.
This brasen serpent, a significant type of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who being lifted up as an ensign for the nations, Isai. xi, 12, gives
life and salvation to aU them that ui true faith look up unto him,
remained among the Jews above seven hundred years, to the time
of Hezekiah, king of Judah; who in an holy zeal, pursuant to God's
command, Exod. xxUi. 24, Deut. rii, 5 ; removing the high places,
breaking the images, and cutting down the groves, brake also in
pieces this brasen serpent among the rest (though Moses, by the ex
press comraand of God, had made it, and it was a piece of so great
antiquity) because he found the people had for a long time com-
•mitted idolatry, in burning incense lo it. And to put contempt upon

•86 SACRED HISTORY PA3T I,
itj'he called il Nehushlan, apiece of brass only, 2 Kings xviii, ver. 4.
After that the children of Israel, by several reraoves in their jour
neys, -were ?.ome to the top of Pisgah, the hill which looketh towards
Jeshimon, the wUderness, they sent ambassadors to Sihon, king of
the Amorites, to desire passage through his land, promising not to
break into the fields or vineyards, nor to drink of the waters, a scarce
commodity in those hot countries : but only .to go along by the king's
highway, tiU they should be past his border.s.
The Amorite -king, nut thinking it safe to receive such a numerous
host of unsetded people into the heart of his kingdom, gave them
an absolute denial of passage. And holding it better policy lo assault
than be assaulted, gathered all his people together, and marching out
into the wilderness against Israel, gave them battle at Jahaz; which
signifies strife.
But Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and gave the
Amorites such a total defeat, that they possessed their land frora one
End to the other; and taking their cities and viUages, dwelt in Moab.
And because Israel was not suffered to fight against Moab, Deut. ii.
f'lhis Amorite king nad before fought with the king of Moab, and
ken Heshbon, and the other places from him, which now by this
conquest fell to Israel.
Israel being thus possessed of the land -of the Amorites, and dwel
ling in it, Moses sent some to spy out Jazar, a city where dwelt
another party of the Amorites ; and they took the rillages thereof, and
drove out the Amorites that were .there.
Then turning, they went by the way of Bashan, where reigned
king Og, another Amorite king, and the last of the race of the giants
there ; whose stature may be guessed at by the size of his bed,
which, being made of iron for strength, was nine cubits in length,
and four cubits in breadth, after the cubits of a man; which being
the common cubit, containing half a yard, or one foot and a half
English measure, if reduced to yards or feet, will yield four yards
and a half, or thirteen feet and a half, for the length, and two yards,
or six feet, for the breadth of the bed.
This monster of a king came forth against Israel, he and all his
people, to the battle of Edrei ; a fit place for him to exercise his arms,
and show his prowess in : for it signifies, the heap of strength oi-
might. But lest the IsraeUtes should be dismayed at the sight of
such a champion, the Lord prepared them, by bidding Moses fear
him not, saying, 'Fori have delivered him into thy hand, and all
his people and his land ; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst to
Sihon king of the Amorites.'
Israel, thus encouraged, joined the battie, and slew king Og, and
his sons, and aU his people, till there was none left alive. They took
also aU his cities, three-score in number, all fenced with high walls,
gates and bars; besides unwalled towns a great many; destroying-.

Pi!RT "I, SACRED HISTORY, 187
Utterly the inhabitants, both men, women and children; but keeping
all the cattie and the spoU of the cities for a prey to themselves, as
they had done before in the case of Sihon, the other Amorite king,
Deut, iii. 4, 5, 6, 7; and as they were commanded, Deut. xx, where
the 'fecial laws, or laws of war and heraldry, are set down. By which
laws they were required, upon their approach lo any city that was
at a distance from them, to offer peace in the first place ; which if
the inhabitants accepted, and -surrendered to them, they should only
make them tributaries. But if they refused peace, and put thera to
besiege and storm the place, they should, when they had taken it,
put all the men to the sword : but might keep the women and little
ones, with the cattle and other spoil for themselves.
Thus for the cities of the remoter countries : but the cities of those
neighbouring people, which the Lord had given them for an inher
itance, as paraoularly ,'md by name, the Hittites and Amorites, the
Canaanites and Perizzites, the Hivites and Jebusites, they were to
save none alive ; but utterly to destroy aU, both men, women and
children. Now as this execution was a type of the spiritual warfare against
the soul's enemies, of which none old or young, greal or small, are
to be spared, or saved alive; so the poUtical reason of this martial
severity is given in the next verse, ' That they teach you not to do
a^ter their abominations, which they have done unto their gods : so
should ye sin against the Lord your God.' So that it seems to have
been a kind of se defendendo, a destroying them, lest they should
tempt and draw you to do that which would provoke the Lord to
destroy you.
Flushed with these rictories, the chUdren of Israel now sel for
ward, and pitched on the plains of Moab, on this side Jordan by Jer
icho. This put Balak king of Moab into a greal fright : for he had seen
(that is, he had understood) how Israel had dealt with his neighbours
the Amorites. And the people, as weU as their king, seeing so great
a host lying before them in their neighbouring plains, were sore
afraid, and even distressed in their minds, because of the children
of Israel. Whereas had they known the protection they were under,
they needed not have been afraid : for they, if they would have been
quiet, were particularly exempted from Israel's sword, Deut. ii. 9.
But Balak not knowing that, but knowing himself too weak in
forces to cope with Israel in battle, caUed the elders of Midian lo
councU, who eUher lived amongst the Moabites, or were their near
neighbours and allies. And having proposed to them the common
danger, and advised together about it, the result of their consultation
was, that king Balak should send messengers to Balaam tiie son of
Beor, who Uved at Pethor, a city in Mesopotamia, Deut. x.xiii. 4, te
invite and hire him to come and curse the people of Israel.

188 SACRED inSTORY. PART I.
This Balaam was in so great reputation among those idolatrous
people, that they really thought (or to gratify his ambition and draw
him the more readUy to come, pretended that they thought) every
one blessed, whom he blessed; and cursed whom he cursed.
Having deputed therefore a select number of the elders or princes
of each people, Moabites and Midianites, joined in an embassy to
gether, the king sent them to him, with the rewards of dirination in
their hands. For they well knew he was covetous, and extremely
greedy of gain. And indeed that was the bait that caught him :
'He loved the wages of unrighteousness,' 2 Pet. ii. 15. Yet when
they came to him, and had delivered their message from the king, he
pretended so much regard to the Lord, that he would not give them
an answer, tUl he had consulted him.
To try how Balaam would represent the matter, God asked him,
' What men those were that were with him. They are some, said
he, whom the king of Moab hath sent, to let me know that there is a
people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth; and
to desire me to come to him, and curse them, in hopes that then he
may be able to overcome them, and drive them away. But, said
God to him, thou shalt not go with them ; thou shalt not curse that
people : for they are blessed,' .Numb. xxn.
Balaam, weU knowing how unsafe it would bc for him to go against
-the command of the Lord, got up in the morning, and dismissed
the princes of Balak, saying, 'Get ye into your own land: for the
Lord refuseth to give me leave to go v/ith you.' This shews he
asked leave, and lyould have gone. The princes returning to their
king, misreport lo him Balaam's answer: for instead of telling him
that God refused to let him come, they teU him, that Balaam refused
to come.
Balak, from this answer, might probably think, that either the num
ber and quality of his messengers did not answer Balaam's ambition ;
or the value ofthe rewards, his covetousness. For he forthwith sent to
him again more princes, and those too more honourable than the
former ; and with proposals of higher terms. ' Let nothing, I pray
thee, (said he by his ambassadors) hinder thee from coming to me :
for I wUl promote thee unto very great honour : and I wUl do whatso
ever thou sayest to me (or I will give thee whatsoever thou wilt ask.)
Come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.'
Balaam's answer shews the temper of his mind, and what he
would have been at. He did not say, I dislike the work ; and there
fore have no mind to go with you. But he teUs them, ' If Balak wiU
give me his house full of stiver and gold, 1 cannot go beyond the
word of the Lord my God.' The word of the Lord to him was ex
pressly, ' Thou shall not go ; thou shall not curse the people.' God
had laid a restraint upon hun that he could not go; though he fam
would.

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 189
Yet so greedy was he of the promised reward, that he would try
if he could prev£iil with God to break his word, to alter his com
mand, and let hira go. Therefore he fawns upon the messengers,
and prays them to tarry with him that night also, that he might know
what the Lord would say unto hun more. This was tempting God :
who therefore in displeasure left hira to folbw his own wiU. So to
do, hath not been unusual with God, when provoked by disobe
dience. Thus he dealt with the Israelites afterwards, when they, rejecting
his government, would needs have a king, that they might be Uke
other nations, 1 Sam. vui. 7. He answered their desire, and gave
them a king, but he did il in his anger, Hosea xiii. 11. And at
other times, when they would nol hearken to him, he gave thera up
into their own hearts' lusts, and let them walk in their own counsels,
Psalm btxxi. 11, 12,
Thus he dealt with Balaam here. He had toid him his mind
plainly and folly : Balaam would not take il for an answer, but would
try bim again. Provoked thereby, God tells him, ' If the men come
to caU thee, rise up, and go with them.' Tbis I take to be not a
command, but a permission. As if he had said. Seeing thou art so
eager to go, though thou knowest it is against my mind, take thy
own course : go, if thou wilt. But yet thou shall not obtain thine
end : ' For the word which I spake unto thee, that shalt thou do.'
though against thine own wUl.
That this suffering him to go was in displeasure to bim, appears
from God's anger being kindled against him for going, and send
ing his angel lo stop him on the way : for upon this concession, up
got Balaam in the morning, and away he went with the princes of
Moab, having his two servants to wait on hira : probably, both for
the greater .state, and to bring back the treasure he hoped to receive.
But God's anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the
Lord stood in the way, for an adversary against him. Whence,
besides the plain proof that Balaam went but by permission, and that
the permission was granted in displeasure to hira, this useful obser
vation arises, riz. ' That whosoever goeth to curse whom God hath
blessed, shaU be sure to have God an adversary in his way.'
The angel of the Lord stood in the way with his drawn sword
in his hand ; ' yet so blind was Balaam, that he saw him not, though
the sUly ass could both see and shun him : for the ass turning out of
the way carried him into a field ; for which he smote her, to bring her
into the way again ; and when the angel, remoring forward, stood in
a path that had a waU on each side, the ass, lo shun the angel, thrust
ing close up lo the waU, crushed Balaam's foot against it : for which
he smote hor agaui. But when the angel, going further, stood in a
narrow place, where there was no way to turn, either lo the one hand
or the other, the a.ss, rather than expose her master to the angel's

SACRED HISTORY. PART X-
word, fell down under him: and then be smote ber with his staff.
so eager is man, blinded with the desire of riches, honours, pleas
ures, &c. to rush on to his own destruction.
Now the Lord, to rebuke the iniquity, and forbid the madnass of
the prophet, opened the mouth of the ass, enabling her to speak
with man's voice. Which stranj-e and unnamral thine, enough of
Itself, one would think, tohave amazed another man (and him too,
if he had not been intent and wholly taken up in contriving how to
make earnings of his journey) he took no notice of; but held a dia
logue with the ass, tUI the Lord was pleased to rouse him, by open
ing his eyes, and letting him see the angel standing in his way, with
, his sword drawn in his hand ; at the sight of which he bowed him
self down, and feU flat on his face : for instant danger will make the
most wicked men bow.
Then, upon the angel's expostulating with him, telUng hun his
way (that is, his purpose, or the undertaking he went upon) was
perverse before the Lord (for he had a mind lo do that which the
Lord had forbidden hira ;) that tiierefore he was come out to with
stand him, and had slain him, but for his ass, which he had so un
gratefully beaten : Balaam confessed he had sinned, and faintly offered
to go back, if his journey displeased the Lord. But it appears that
this was but a copy of his countenance, by his laying it upon an if.
*If my going displease thee, I wiU get me back again.' He needed
not have made an if of it : for he luiew well enough, that from the
first il displeased the Lord, and that at the first he had positively
forbidden him to go.
But now that he was gone so far, the Lord would not send him
back; bul resolving to turn his evil purpose to a good end for his
people, by making him, who was hired to carse, pronounce a bless
ing on them, haring given him this cautionary correction by tiie way,
he suffered him to go on, but with this charge, ' Only tlie word that
t shall speak unto thee, shalt thou speak.' And so on went Balaam
with the princes of Balalc.
Now when Balak understood that Balaam was coming, that he
might engage hiin the more by personal respects, he went out in
person to meet him, to the utmost coast of his counti'y. And when
he had, afler their first salutation, gentiy blamed him for not coming
to hun at the first sending, ^Wlo l^¦as so able to promote him to honour ;
and Balaam, in excuse, had let him know what a restraint tiio Lord
had laid upon him : ho treated him, with the princes, at a solemn
feast that day,- and the next day brought him up imo the high places
ot isaal, that thence he min-ht coo *!,„.,. » . /• .1 1 •
order to curse them. ^ "'" """°'' P^' °^ '^^ P"°P'"' ""
How oft, since that, have the successors of Balaam, out of love to
s»:ra tt?sti:roTcr°-^^ *° ™ ^^^^^-^ ^

PART I. SACEED HISTORY. 191
Balaam thus got into the high places of Baal, directs Balak to
cause seven altars lo bo buUt for hira there ; and seven oxen, with
seven raras, lo be prepared. Which when Balak had done, they
together offered a bullock and a rara upon each altar. Then leav
ing Balak to stand by his burnt offering, Balaara went aside, to see
if the Lord would meet him; and the Lord did meet him, and put
a word in his mouth, charging him what he should say..
Returning therefore to Balak, whom he found standing by his burnt
sacrifice, and aU the princes of Moab v/ith, him, Balaam took up his
parable, and said, ' Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from
Aram (or Syria) out of the mountains of the east, saying. Come,
curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel. But how shall I curse whom
God hath not cursed ? Or how shaU I defy whom the Lord hath
not defied? For from tiie lop of the rocks I see hira, and from the
hiUs I behold him-. Lo, the people shall dwell alone (they shaU be
separated to God, and distinguished from all other people, in religion,
laws and course of life ; a true figure-of the spiritual Israel:) they
shaU not be reckoned among the nations,' Numb, xxiii.
Then to set fortli tiie prosperity and increase of Israel, he brake
forth into admiration thus-; ' Who- can count the dust of Jacob, and
the number of the fourth part of Israel ! '
And to shew how happy and blessed they should be, 'Let me die,,
eaid he, the death of the righteous; and let my last end be hke his.'
How great a- disappointment this was to Balak, may be gathered
from his answer to Balaam. 'What hast thou done unto me? said
he : I took thee to- curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed;
them altogether.'
Balaam excused himself by the necessity he was under, to speak-
that which the Lord had put in his mouth.. As much as to say. In
deed, I could not help it; 'I would have cursed them if I could ^'
but I could not; I had not power to speak what I would, for my
mouth was fiUed and directed by the Lord.
And indeed, if we consider what Moses told the Israelites, Deut.
rxiU. 5, ' Nevertheless, the Lord thy God would nol hearken unto
Balaam ; but turned the curse into a blessing to thee ; ' we may well
conclude, that Balaam did earnestly labour with God, by persuasion
€»r intreaty, to have had Uberty to have cursed Israel.
Balak hoping that what he had missed of in one place, he might find'
in another, brought Balaam into the field of Zophim, to the top of
Pisgah, to see if he could curse them from thence. And Balaam, as
willing to please him, had seven altars built there, and a buUock with
« ram offered on each. Then going asidcj as before, to meet the
Lord, he had a word put in his mouth again by the Lord, with a
charge what he should say.
By this time Balalc began to understand that the Lord was to be
ccmsulted la the case. Wherefore, when Balaam returned to him.

192 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
as he, wilh the princes of Moab, big with expectation, stood by his
burnt offering, he asked him, ' What hath the Lord spoken ? ' Where
upon Balaam, to bespeak the greater attention and regard lo what he
should say, began thus :
' Rise up, Balak, and hear ; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor
God (who hath already blessed Israel, and forbidden me to curse
them) is not a man, that he should lie ; neither the son of man, that
he should repent. Hath he said, and shaU he not do it ? Or hath he
spoken, and shaU he not make it good ? Behold, I have received
commandment to bless : for he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverse
ness in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a
king is in him. (So Hireom, Arias Montanus, and Tremellius and
Junius turn it.) God brought thera out of Egypt : he hath, as it
were, the strength of an unicorn. (So that it is in vain to atterapt
any thing by force against them ; and to as little purpose to use fasci
nations or enchantments : for) surely no enchantment can prevail
against Jacob ; nor any divination against Israel. So that, according
to this time, it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God
Tvrought?' (who hath both set a defence about Israel, that neither
force nor fraud can reach thera ; and hath turned the intended curse
into a blessing.) Then prophesying of the future strength, victories,
and success of Israel, he added, 'The people shaU rise up as a great
lion, and lift up himself as a young lion : he shall not lie down until
he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.'
This lo Balak was worse than if Balaam had said nothing: there
fore he bid him, ' Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at aU.'
But he held not long in that mind : for though he had rather Israel
should escape a cursing, than receive a blessing; yet his eagerness
¦to have them cursed, made him willing to try once more.
'Come, I pray thee, said he to Balaam, and I wiU bring thee unto
another place : peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse
me them from thence.' That said, away he leads him lo the top of
Peer, a hill that looked towards Jeshimon, or the wUderness. And
though Balaam had but just before declared, that God was not a
man to lie or repent, yet desirous of getting tiie reward, he feU in
with wicked Balak, to tempt God anew ; causing seven altars to be
buUl there also, and offered a bullock with a ram on each. And God,
who brings good out of evil suffered him thus to run on, that he
might thence take occasion to multiply his blessings upon his Israel.
But Balaam, having tried in vain aU his magical tricks, and now
seeing that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, went not, as at other
times under pretence of meeting the Lord, to seek for enchanunents,
but set his face directly towards the wilderness, in which Israel lay
encamped. And when, Ufting up his eyes, he saw them abiding in

PAST I. -SACEED HISTORY, 19,^
that excellent order, wherein they were disposed, chap, ii, according
to their tribes, the spirit of God came upon hira.
Before, whUe he sought lo work by enchantments, he had only a
word put in his mouth ; bul now having laid aside his enchantments,
the spirit of God came upon him. Whereby his eyes, which before
were shut, being now somewhat opened, he cried out, ' How goodly
are thy tents, O Jacob ; and thy tabernacles, O Israel,' Num.b. xxiv.
Then by significant metaphors, setting forth the extent, feililily,
sweet savour, and stately- strength of Israel, he says, ' As tbe valUes
are they spread forth ; as gardens by the river's side ; as the trees
of lignaloes, which the Lord hath planted ; and as cedar trees beside
the waters. He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his
seed shall be in many waters. His king shall be higher than Agag,
and his kingdom shaU be exalted.' For Agag was a common appel
lative for the kings of Amalek, as Pharaoh was for the kings of Egypt ;
and Amalek being then the most flourishing kingdom, was pitched
on for the comparison.
Then going on he adds, ' God brought him (Israel) out of Egypt ;
he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn : he shall eat up the
nations, his enemies, and shaU break their bones, and pierce them
through with bis arrows. He couched ; he lay down as a lion, and
as a greal lion. Who shaU stir him up ? Blessed is he that blesseth
thee (heartily, and with a good will ; not as Balaam did against his
wfll :) and cursed is he that curseth thee.'
These words kindled Balak's anger against Balaam to that height,
that smiting his hands together (a token of great displeasure) and
upbraiding Balaam with having deceived him, iii blessing those whom
he was sent for to curse, he bid him haste and be gone : for I thought,
said he, to have promoted thee to great honour, if thou had answered
my design in cursing Israel ; but the Lord hath kept thee back from
honour. Balaam had recour.se lo his old excuse, that he could nol help it,
being over-ruled by the Lord, and made to speak what he put into
his mouth. But that he might nol go away without gratifying Balali
in some sort, and perhaps that he might entitle himself to some grat
uity frora hira, he offered to advertise or inform him, now al parting,
what this people should do to his people in the latter days, or time to
come. 'Which having done, from ver. 1 5, to the end of this chapter,
he then also, as may well be supposed, taught Balak how to betray
Israel, and draw thera into fornication and idolatry; which soon after
followed, and which Moses, in chap. xxxi. 16, doth plainly refer to
the counsel of Balaam.
For the very next account we have of Israelis, that they abode in
Shittim ; which signifies turning aside ; and they tumed aside indeed,
so &• as to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab or Midixin.
VOL. I. — 13

IM SACRED HISTOEY. PART I.
Now these daughters of Moab and Midian, or both (for as they
lived promiscuously, so it is evident from chap. xxxi. 15, there were
of both people concerned in this treacherous plot against Israel) al
lured the people to partake with them of the sacrifices of their gods;
and, ' the people did eat and bowed down to their gods.' So that
Israel joined herself to Baal-peor (supposed to be the beastly Priapus,
or lecherous god ) for which the anger of the Lord was kindled
against Israel, Numb. xxv.
Whence we may observe, that lo partafee of the sacrifices or pe
cuUar performances, of those who are not God's peculiar people,
though they be such as sprang from a righteous stock, as Moab from
Lot, and Midian from Abraham ; and to bow down, in such perform
ances, 'with them, is to join the object of their adoration, whateverilbe.
How great this offence was, in the sight of God, raay be seen in
the punishment inflicted for it. For hereupon the Lord comraanded
Moses to take all the heads of the people (understand il of those
heads only, and of that part of the people that had joined theraselves
to Baal-peor) and hang them up before the Lord, against the sun
(tiiat is, openly, in the sight of all) that the fierce anger of the Lord
might be turned away from Israel.
Moses therefore gave charge unto the judges of Israel, those whom
by the advice of his father-in-law Jethro, vfith God's apjirobation, he
had set over the people, Exod. xviii, lo see execution done, every one
on the men under his charge that were joined unto Baal-peor.
Whereupon a thousand of the princes, or heads of the people, are
supposed to have been thus executed. But the matter stopped not
there. For a bold young man, whose name was Zimri (probably a jolly
blade, for his name signifies singing) the son of Sallu (which signi
fies exultation, or treading underfoot) a prince of a chief house among
the Simeonites, took Cozbi (which signifies a liar) the daughter of
Zur (whioh signifies strong) who also was a prince in the chief house
of Midian ; and daringly brought her unto his brethren, in contempt
'of Moses, and in the sight of aU the congregation of the children of
Israel, who, beca,use of the fresh execution done upon their princes,
stood weeping before the door of tiie tabemacle of the congregation,,
and leading her openly into his lent, there lay with her!'
Which daring act, and open violation of God's law, when Phineas,
Aaron's grandson, saw, and that none of the judges took cognizance
of it; he rose up from amongst the congregation, and filled with a
divine zeal, taking a javeUn in his hand, he foUowed them into the
tent : and taking them in the very act of whoredom, thrust them both
through. This zealous act of Phineas, put a stop to the plague, which for
this audacious act of Zimri's, and the other whoredoms of his com
rades, the Lord had sent among the people. Yet there died on this

SART 1-. SACRRD HISTORY. 1^95
occasion no less than four and twenty thousand. In which number,
it isprobable, Moses does include the thousand princes that were
hanged for it. Which compulation reconciles this place to that of
the apostie, 1 Cor. x. 8 ; where he mentions bul three and twenty
thousand. So acceptable was this serrice of Phineas to the Lord, that the
Lord not only comraended him highly for it, sajdng, ' Phineas hath
turned my wrath away frora the children of Israel (while he was
zealous for my sake among them) that I consumed not the chUdren
of Israel in my jealousy ; ' but also rewarded him with his covenant
of peace, in the enjoyment of tbe priesthood, saying, ' Behold I give
unto him my covenant of peace, and he shall have it, and his seed
after him ; even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because
he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the chUdren
of Israel,
This rebellion thus suppressed, the offenders punished, and Phin-
eas for his godly zeal reweirded ; the next thing was to take ven
geance on the Midianites, under which name I take the Moabites
also in this case to-be comprehended, for their having betrayed Israel
into this snare and mischieft In order whereunto, the Lord gave
Moses order to vex the Midianites, and sraite thera : ' For they, said
he, vex you with their wiles wherewith they have beguUed you, in the
matter of Poor, and in the matter of Cozbi.' The matter of Poor
was their idolatry, in eating of their sacrifices and bowing down to
their gods: the matter of Cozbi was their whoredoms, chap. xxv. 1 ;
bul this order being general and preparatory, was repeated more fully
and particularly afterwards, chap. xxxi.
In the mean time, the Lord commanded that now after this plague,
the people, that is, the males, should be numbered again : wherein the
same method is appointed to be taken, that was used in the former
numbering, chap. i. For the other tribes, being, numbered with re
spect to war, and to their possessing the land, were numbered fi'om
twenty years old. But the Lerites being exempted from war, and
excluded from possessions, were numbered from, a month old. Numb.
xxvi. The account thereof is, set down at large in chap. xxvi. And
thereby it appears, that of all that were first numbered by Moses, and
Aaron, in the wilderness of Sinai, chap, i, there was not then a. man
left aUve, besides Moses, excepting only Caleb and Joshua. So that
in less than forty years, no less than six hundred three thousand five
hundred and fifty grown men, for so many were numbered, chap, i,
bessdesthe tribe of Levi, died in the wUderness, three, only excepted.
. . . . And yet now, al the second numbering, there was found
?ix hundred one thousand seven hundred and thirty men, of twenty
years old and upwards; besides the Lerites.
After an enumeration of divers laws and ordinances made aud

196 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
promulgated : some more general, as relating to the daily burnt offer
ings, and other offerings upon particular festivals ; some more par
ticular, as private vows, and the settUng of inheritances in the female
line, in defect of the issue male; iMidian came again in remembrance
before the Lord, and he renewed the command he had given before
to Moses, saying, ' Avenge the chUdren of Israel of the Midianites ;
and afterwards thou shalt be gathered to thy people.' Numb, xxvu,
xxviii, xxix xxxi.
Moses thereupon gave order that a detachment of twelve thousand
select men, one thousand out of every tribe, should go against the
Midianites, to avenge the Lord upon Midian : and zealous Phineas
went along with them, having the charge of the holy instruments.
This was a very little host to invade a great and potent people : but
the Lord, who sent thera, went with them ; to whom to prevail by
many or by few, is alike. They were sent to avenge the Lord, and
Israel, on the Midianites ; and they did it with a vengeance : for
they slew five kings, or dukes. Josh. xiii. 21, Euid all the men; and
among the rest the evU prophet Balaam; who being on his way
homewards, but not, it seems gotten out of their reach, was found
among the Midianites, and feU by Israel's sword. They burned also
aU their cities and goodly castles ; and taking all the women and
chUdren captives, they seized on their cattie, flocks and goods for a
prey, and with their prisoners and booty returned to the IsraeUtish
camp. Al their return, Moses, wfth Elezar the priest and aU the princes
of the congregation, went forth to meet them, without the camp, to
congratulate their good success. But when Moses saw the Midian-
itish women among the captives, he was much offended with the
officers of the host for saving thera alive : ' For these, said he,
caused the children of Israel, through Balaam, to commit trespass
against the Lord, in the matter of Poor; and thereby brought a
plague upon the congregation of Israel.' Therefore he commanded
to kiU every male among the little ones, and every woman of the
Midianites that had lain with man : and to save none alive bul the
women children that were virgins. And that afterwards they should
abide seven days without the camp ; and both the soldiers and the
prey should pass through the ceremonies of the legal purification.*
Which being performed, the Lord directed Moses to take an ac
count of the whole prey or booty taken in this expedition ; and di
viding it into two equal parts, to distribute one of those parts amongst
those soldiers that had taken it, and the other part amongst the
whole congregation. And that being done, he was to levy a trib
ute unto the Lord, out of that part which went to the men of war,
rix. the five hundi-edth part, or one out of five hundred, of both per-
»A. M. S553.

PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 197
sons and beasts. Which tribute he was to give to Eleazar the
priest, for an heave-offering of the Lord : so that stiU whatsoever
came to the priesl, was by way of ceremonial offering. Out of the
other part alSo, which the whole congregation had, a portion was
taken, in the proportion of a fiftieth part, or one out of fifty, of both
persons and Iieasts, and given lo the Levites.
And after all this was done, the officers of that army, out of the
other parts of the booty which they had taken, viz. of jewels of gold,
chains, bracelets, rings, ear-rings and tablets, brought an oblation to
the Lord, both expiatory, to make an atoneraent for their transgres
sion, in having at first saved the Midianitish women ; and eucharis-
tical or gratulatory, as an offering of thanksgiving for so great a vie
tory given them. For besides the greatness ofthe booty taken, being
no less than six hundred seventy and five thousand sheep, threescore
and twelve thousand beeves, and threescore and one thousand asses,
the slaughter which they made must needs be great, when the girls
which they saved alive were two and thirty thousand : and all the
rest of the people, both men, women and children, were put to the
sword. But that all this execution should be done, without the loss of
one single man on Israel's side (for so the officers upon a muster
made a report) raay weU pass for a rairacle, and be numbered
amongst the battles of the Lord.
Israel being thus possessed of the country on this side Jordan,
the tribes of Rueben and Gad, observing it to be a place of good pas
turage, and fit for cattle, of which they had abundance, petitioned
Moses, that that land might be given unto them for their possession,
so that they might not go over Jordan, Numb, xxxii.
Moses understood them, that they designed to settie there in a
country ready gained, and leave their brethren, the rest of the tribes,
to shift for themselves, in fighting wfth the Canaanites, and getting
their possessions on the other side of Jordan, as they could. Where.
fore he blamed them for offering to discourage their brethren by such
a proposition ; and put them in mind how their fathers formerly, by
drawing back, as he supposed they would do, had provoked the
Lord's displeasure against themselves, to their own destruction.
They thereupon let him know, that they only desired a grant of
that counlry for their inheritance, that they might build cities there
in for their wives and chUdren, and sheep-coats for their flocks there,
to secure them from dangers : but that as for themselves, who were
men of war, they aU (or al least such a number of them, as should
be judged sufficient) ' would go ready armed before their brethren,
until they had brought them into their place; and nol return until
their brethren, the children of Israel, should be possessed every
man of bis inheritance.' Which when Moses understood, he granted
them their request, upon condition they performed their promise, and
not otherwise.

198 SACEED HISTORY. PART I.
The thirty-third chapter gives a particular account of the several
journies, or stations and removes, which the chUdren of Israel made
from Rameses in Egypt, lo Jordan in Canaan.
The thirty-fourth chapter describes the bounds of the promised, l^d,
and gives the names of the persons appointed to diride it amongst
the tribes of Israel.
In the five and thirtieth cnapter -order is given, that the children
of Israel should assign and give unto the Levites eight and forty cities,
wilh suburbs lo them ; wherein the Lerites might live amongst the
tribes. Of which number, six were appointed to be cities of refuge,
for the man-slayer lo flee to, and be protected in, who had happened
to kiU a man al unawares. But prorision was made, that he who
should be duly conricted of wilful murder should not be pardonable,
but should surely be put to death. Yet withal, ' that none should be
' convicted of any capital crime, by the eridence of one single wit
ness.' And a law having passed before, in chap, xxvii. to make daugh
ters capable of inheriting l.ands, where the heirs male should fail,
consideration was now had (upon a motion made by the heads of
the tribe of Manasseh) of the danger of transferring estates of inher
itance from one tribe lo anothet, in case such heiresses should marry
out of their own tribe. To prevent which, a law was now made,
that every daughter, who should possess an inheritance in any nibe
of the children of Israel, should be wife unto one of the family of
the tribe of her father; that so -the chUdren of Israel might enjoy
every man the inheritance of his fathers, and the inheritance be not
removed from one tribe to another.
This law didmore particularly affect Zelophehad's daughters (upon
whose occasion it was made :) and they were thereby required to
marry within the family of the tribe of their father.

THE END OF THS BOOK OF NUMBERS.

TH'E
BOOK 0^ DEUTBEONOMY:
WHICH SIGNIFIES THE SECOND LAW, BECAUSE MANY OF THE LAWS
HELIVERED BEFORE AEE HBEE REPEATED : IT TAKES UP SOMETHlNS
MORE THAN A MONTH'S TIME.

Now were the forty years of Israel's travels in and about the wil
derness weU near expired ; in which time all the men that at several
times, but more especially upon the return of the spies who were
sent lo search the land. Numb, xiv,' had murmured and rebelled
against the Lord, and refused to enter the good land, were wasted,
consumed, cut off, destroyed and dead, as the Lord had threatened,
ver. 22, 23; so that there was nol a man of thera left, Numb.
xxri. 64.
Moses therefore considering that the present generation of the
chUdren of Israel, now ready to pass over Jordan, to possess tiie
promised land, were many, if not most of them, such as were sprung
up since the law was given at Sinai near forty years before ; and
being for the most part either born since, or too young then to re
member and understand the law that was given, thought fit to repetit
the law lo thera ; from whence this book is caUed Deuteronomy ;
which signifies, a second or repeated law. This being premised -and
weU considered, the reader cannot reasonably expect any great store
of historical remarks from tiiis book, which is, for the most part, but
a repetition of what has been before delivered" in some or other of
the three next foregoing books.
It was on the first day of the eleventh month, Deut. i, in the
fortieth year from the IsraeUtes' departure out of Egypt (the people
being yet in the plains of Moab by Jordan, and near Jericho) tliat
he^ began this repetition; and first briefly related to therti the most
memorable passages which had befallen their fathers in their travel ;
the gracious dealings of the Lord with them ; their unruUness, Deut.
ii ; disobedience, and rebeUions againstlhe Lord, which provoked the
Lord to displeasure against them, and brought not onty upon them,
(199)

200 SACEED mSTORT. PART t
but by their means upon him also, that grievous sentence, • That they
s.hould not enter into the good land.' Which account he gave them
in the four first chapters of this book, Deut. iii, and repeated in divers
other parts thereof, to the intent that these might take warning^ by
the miscarriages of their forefathers, and avoid those rocks upon
which they had split, Deut. iv.
Then repeated he to thera the Decalogue, and divers otber laws
and precepts forraerly given, though not without some variations,
¦with some addition of new laws, on divers subjects, and explanations
of the old ; intermingUng exhortations to obedience, and promises of
blessings upon their faithful perseverance in the way of the Lord ;
and coraminations or threalenings, vrith denunciations of great and
terrible judgments, if they should forsake the Lord, and transgress
his statutes and ordinances, Deut. v. AU which, with rehearsals
sometimes of their fathers' and their prevarications, fiUing tbe body
of this book from chap, iv to xxxi ; Moses not only deUvered to the
people by word of mouth, bul also wrote in a book ; and gave the
book lo tJie Levites, which bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord,
wilh directions from the Lord, that they should put it into the side of
the ark, to be kept there for a witness agauist Israel, if they should
rebel, Deut. xxxi.
Besides which, Moses, by the Lord's direction, composed and wrote
a song, which read in chap, xxxii ; in which is amply set forth the
goodness and favour of God to his people; the punishments where
by he corrected them ; with threalenings of greater punishments, in
cose they should disobey, and provoke him yel further, Deut. xxxii.
This song Moses recited to the people, and gave order that they
should learn il, and repeat it often : that when, for their transgressing
the law, many evils and troubles should befall than, this song might
be a mtness for God against tiiem.
The people being now almost ready to pass over Jordan, and the
Lord haring formerly told Moses that he should not bring them
into the promised land, because of his failure al the water of Meri
bah, Numb. XX. 12, he now commanded him to go up into the
mountain Abarim, unto Mount Nebo, in the land of Moab, over
against Jericho, and take a view of the land of Canaan ; and then
die there in that raount, as Aaron his brother died in Mount Hor.
This was very hard to Moses, as himself shews, Deut. iii. 23, &c.,
where he says, ' I besought the Lord at that time, saying, O Lord
God, I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is be-
yond Jordan, that goodly mountain and Lebanon.' But the Lord
was -wroth with me for your sakes^ (said he to the people,) and would
not hear me, but said, 'Speak no more unto me of this matter: let
il suffice thee to go up lo the top of the bUl, and look every way,
and behold the land on every side ; for thou shalt not go over this
Jordan.'

PAST 1. SACRED HISTORY. 20 1
When therefore Moses saw that the Lord would not be prevailed
wilh to let hhn go over Jordan -with Israel, bowing in spirit unto the
-WiU of the Lord, he took a solemn farewell, as il were, of the people,
in a prophetic blessing pronounced upon each tribe, as Jacob had
done just before his death.. And having before, by God's com-
tnand, appointed Joshua for bis successor, to go before the people,
and to lead them Into the promised land (laying his hands upon him
in such a solemn and pubUc manner, as gave all the people to un
derstand that after Moses' death, Joshua was to be their leader ;)
Moses went up lo the lop of the hiU, right over against Jericho ; from
whence he could take a fiiU view of thecountry round about, Deut.
xxxiii. ,
And after the Lord had kindly shewed him the several parts of
the land, he died there in the land of Moab, according to the word
td the Lord ; being an hundred and twenty years of age ; but in so
good health, and full strength, that neither was his eye dim, nor. bis
natural force abated.
Although the Israelites had so often risen up against Moses, and
spoken contemptuously of him; yet the Lord knew that a people so
addicted to idolatry as they were, when they should call to mind
the many greal and wonderful works which had been wrought for
them by him in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wUderness, would
hardly be restrained from giring superstitious, at least, if not idol
atrous adorations to his reliques, if they should have the disposal of
his body.
To prevent therefore that danger, the Lord vouchsafed to bury
Moses himself, in a vaUey in the land of Moab, over against Belh-peor ;
yet so that no man knew where his sepulchre was. And when (aa
so many ages after we learn frora the apostle Jude) the devil, prob
ably to have given the Isralites an occasion to idolize il, would fain
have found out Moses' body, Michael, the arch-angel, contending
with him, would not suffer it to be discovered.
However, when the chUdren of Israel understood that Moses was
dead, they wept and mourned for him, in the plains of Moab thirty
days. And although he had not a public monument, or tomb stone,
yet this stands as an honourable epitaph on him, ' That Moses died
the servant of the Lord : and there arose not a prophet after hiin in
Israel, like unto him, whom the Lord knew face to face.'

THE END OF THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY.

SACRED HISTORY.
PART II.
THE
BOOR OF JOSHUA:
CONTAINING THE HISTORY OF ABOUT SEVENTEEN YEAES.
 =§§= 
MosES, the servant of the Lord, being gone lo rest, Joshua, which
signifies a Saviour, the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, whom
the Lord had filled with the spirit of wisdom, Deut. xxxiv. 9, stood
up, by God's command, in his place, as leader under God of the
host of Israel.
He was fifty and three years old when he came out of .Egypt; and
was now much the eldest man in the whole camp. And haring been
prime minister unto Moses for the greatest part of those forty years
wherein Israel wandered in the wUderness, he had both seen the won
drous works of the Lord, and well understood the nature, temper, dis
position and spirit of that people.
He was also one of the twelve spies which wero sent to search the
land ; and one of the two that brought a good and true report of il,
and zealously withstood fhe other ten spies that raised an evU and
false report of it. For which his faithfulness he had the promise
that he (and none but he and Caleb, the other faithful spy, of aU the
men that came out of Egypt) should possess the good land, Deut,
i. 36, 38.
Into which being now ready to enter, although he had received his
commission before, and was (if I may so say) installed into his office
with very solemn ceremonies (Moses having, at God's command,
presented him before Eleazar the priest, and laid his hand upon
him, and put upon him sorae of the honour that was upon himself,
in the sight of the whole congregation. Numb, x.xvii. 18, &c. ;) yet
for his greater encouragement, the Lord was pleased now to bid
hira arise, and go over Jordan with the people, telling him that 'every
place the solo of their feet should tread upon he had given thera : '
(202)

MXt n. SACRED HISTORY) £03
ond assuring him, that « there should not any man be able to stimd
before him, aU the days of his Ufe. For as he had been with Moses,
so he would be with him ; he would not fail him nor forsake him.
And therefore bid him be strong, and of good courage : for he should
divide the land, for an inheritance to the people,' * Josh. i.
Thus encouraged, the first thing Joshua did was to Bend out a
couple of men lo go as spies to Jericho, and make observations of the
place, with the situation-and strength thereof, and the approach there
unto ; this being the first place to be attacked after they should have
passed Jordan.
Having dispatched those men on that service, he gave order to ths
officers to pass through the host, and give notice to the people, that
within three days they should pass over Jordan, to possess the land
which the Lord their God bad given them : and that therefore they
should provide themselves with victuals for such a march.
• This direction for marching is sel in the text before the sending
the spies to Jericho. But it seems the spies were sent before that,
and returned to the camp at Shittim, before they look their march
towards Jordan : for the spies spent longer time in the search than
was between the notice given for marching and the march ; which
was but three days; whereas they lay hid three days in the moun
tain for their safety, besides the time they spent in Jericho, and in
going and returning; which they could not have done, had they not
been sent away before the order fbr marching was given. So that
what is delivered in the second chapter should, in order of time, come
in about the middle of the first chapter, between the ninth and tenth
verses : being, as TremeUius and Junius note, displaced and trans
posed by a figure caUed Hyberbalon. Let us therefore go along
with the spies, and observe the success of their enterprize.
When they Were got 10 Jericho, and had entered the city, they
went, being strangers to a public house of entertainment, which was
kept by Rahab, and there they took up their lodging. Whether she
was an harlot, or no, is uncertain, and controverted : that she was a
victualer, or hostess, is unquestionable.
But they being seen go in thither, and information given to the
king of Jericho that sorae men of the children of Israel were come
thither by night, (rather than to-night) to search the country, the
king sent to Rahab to bring thera forth.
It may be supposed that Rahab had gotten notice of this before
the king's messenger came to her ; for she brought the two spies up
to the roof of her house, and hid them there under the stalks of flax,
which she had spread upon the roof. Josh. U.
Where note, that the roofs of the houses were then buUt flat, so
that they could both walk upon them, and set their goods there ;
* A. i\l 2553.

204 SACRED HISTORY. PART U.
having battlements round them, to secure them from faUing off,
Deut. xxii. 8. And such a roof it was that David afterwards walked
upon, when he unhappUy espied Bath-sheba bathing herself, 2 Sam.
xi. 2.
Rahab, having hid the men, put off the king's messengers with a
feigned story. For acknowledging that there did indeed some men
come to her, bul pretending that she did not know what they were,
nor whence they came, she told them that when it grew dark, and
before the gates were shut, they went out, but she knew nol whither.
And the more lo prevent suspicion, she adrised thera to pursue after
them quickly; for without question, she told thera, they might over-
lake them. Some thereupon being let out ofthe city, and the gale
for fear of surprise shut after them, taking the way that led towards
Jordan, pursued as far as unto the fords.
When therefore she had thus sent away the pursuers, she going
up unto the men whom she had hid, said unto thera, ' I know the
Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is faUen upon
us, and that aU the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For
we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea
for you, when ye carae out of Egypt ; and how ye utterly destroyed
Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites, on the other side Jor
dan. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts did meh;
neither did there any raore courage reraain in any man, because of
you : for the Lord your God , he is God in heaven above, and in the
earth beneath. Now, therefore said she, I pray you, swear unto me
by the Lord, since I have shewed you kindness, that you wiU also
shew kindness unto my father's house ; and will save aUve my father
and my mother, my brethren and my sisters, and all that they have,
and deliver our lives from death ; and give me thereof a true sign.'
Our life for yours, for thee and thy relations, said they to her, that
when the Lord shall give us the land, we -will deal kindly and triUy
with thee and thine.
Thereupon she let them down by a cord through the window :
for her house standing upon the town-wall, she dwell upon the walL
And when they were down, she said unto them, ' Get ye to the
mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there
three days, unlU they be retumed: and afterwards you may go your
way.' But before the men would go, they would settie the matter more
thoroughly with her, that there might be no misunderstanding be
tween them. Therefore they bid her be sure to tie a scarlet thread
or Une in tbe window, through which she had let them down, and
bring her father, mother, brethren, and! aU her father's household
home- unto her, and let them be careful to keep within doors, when
the IsraeUtish army should enter the town. For if the line were not
in the window, for them to know the house by, or if any of the famUy

PART n. SACRED HISTORY 205
should be found abroad in the street, his blood, if he wore slain,
should be upon his own head ; and they would be guiltiess. Bul if
any should be slain that was in the house with her, his blood should
be on their head : always provided, that she did not discover their
enterprize. When they had spoken, she said, Araen to the terras;
and sent them away : and they escaping into the mountain, tarried
there three days, till the pursuers, who had sought them throughout
all the way, not finding tiiem, were returned. And then these two
men also, descending frcm the mountain, passed over Jordan ; and
Returning to Joshua, told him what had befallen them, and how nar
rowly they had escaped. Adding withaU, ' Truly the Lord hath de
Uvered into our hands aU the land : for even all the inhahilants of
the country do faint because of us.'
This so good and cheering news made Joshua hasten. Where
fore having put tbe Reubenites, Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh,
in mind of the compact made between Moses and thera, that they,
learing their wives, children and cattle on this side Jordan, should
go over armed (to-wit, the prime of their men of war) before their
brethren, lo help to subdue their enemies, and place them in their
possessions which they acknowledging themselves bound lo do, de.
clared their readiness lo go ; with a resolution to be subject to him,
their general, as they had been to Moses ; promising in all things fo
obey his commands, under the penalty of martial discipline ; and
therefore encouraged hira to be strong and courageous. As soon as
the three days were past, which he had aUowed the array to prepare
their necessaries, the officers going through the host, coraraaiided the
people, that when they should see the ark of the covenant of the
Lord their God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then they
should remove from their place and go after il ; that they might know
the way by which they were to go because they had never passed
that way before. And that a due and decent order might be ob
served in their march, direction was given that they should leave a
space of about two thousand cubits, comraonly taken for a mUe. be
tween the ark and them Josh. iu.
Early therefore in the morning, on tiie ninth day of the first
month, Joshua got up, and having exhorted the people to sanctify
themselves, because the Lord would next day do wonders amongst
them ; he bid the priests ' lake up the ark of the covenant, and pass
along with il before the people ; ' which they doing, he and aU the
children of Israel remoring from Shittim, came to Jordan, and lodged
there before they passed over.*
Being ready next morning to pass over Jordan; and the Lord hav
ing told Joshua that that day he would begin to magnify hira in the
s;ight of all Israel, so that they should know, that as he had been with
•A, M. 2553.

206 SACRED HISTORY PART H.
Moses, so he would be with hun ; and having also directed him to
bid the priests who were to bear the ark of the covenant, to stand
still, when they were come to the- brink of the water ; Joshua there
upon caUing the children of Israel to hear the words of the Lord
their- God, said, ^ Hereby ye shall know that the Uving God is -among
you, and that he will witiiout fail drive out from before you the Ca
naanites, and the Hittites; and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and
the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites, Behold, the
ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you
into Jordan.'- Now therefore lake ye twelve men out of the tribes of
Israel, out of every tribe a man. And it shall come to pass, as soon as
the soles of the feet of the priests that bare the ark of the Lord, the
Lord of aU the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the
waters of Jordan shaU be cut off from the waters that come down
from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.' And exactly so it
eame to pass ; so that tiie priests that bore the ark of the covenant
of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan. And
this was that wonder, wherewith the Lord had promised Joshua -.hat
he would magnify him : as he had before magnified Moses, by divid
ing the waters at the Red Sea.
Joshua having before, by the Lord's comraand, selected out twelve
men, one out of each tribe; so soon as all the people were clean
passed over Jordan, he caUed these twelve men to him, and bid them
pass on before the ark of the Lord into the midst of Jordan, and
there, in the place where the priests' feet stood firm on dry ground,
take up twelve stones, every man of them a stone upon his shoulder,
according to the number of the tribes of the chUdren of Israel, and
cany them to the place where they should lodge- that night; which
accordingly they did. Besides which, Joshua set up twelve other
stones in Jordan, as a memorial of this great miracle, in the place
where the feet of tlie priests stood, that did bear the ark of the cov
enant. Now when aU the people were passed over Jordan, about forty
thousand, of the chUdren of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Man
asseh, ready armed for war, leading the van, the Lord bid Joshua
command the priests that bare the ark of the testimony, to come up
with the ark om of Jordan. For the priests which bare the ark stood
in the midst of Jordan, until aU the people were passed over, and
every thing was finished that the Lord had commanded, relatuig to
their passage. And as soon as the priests, that bare the ark ofthe
covenant of the Lord, were come up out of the midst of Jordan, the
waters of Joi'dan. retumed to their place, and flowed over all the
banks, as they were wont to do before : for Jordan used to overflow
its banks in the time of harvest.
Israel having thus passed over Jordan, on the tenth day of the
first month, encamped in a place called afterwards Gilgal, wliich was

P-ART n. SA'CRED HISTORY. 207
in the east border of Jericho ; and there did Joshua pitch those
twelve stones, which the twelve men had brought out of Jordan, lo
stand there as a monument to posterity, that when the offspring of
Israel, in times lo come, should ask their parents the reason thereof;
they might thence take occasion lo inform them, thatthe Lord their
God had dried up the waters of Jordan, and caused his Israel to
come over on dry land, as he formerly dried up the Red Sea for their
passage out of Egypt; and that aU the people ofthe eartii might know
that the hand of the Lord is mighty.
So great a miracle as this was, to cause a- deep and rapid stream
to divide itself, and the waters, forgetting their natural fluidity, to
stand on heaps, while more than a raiUion of people, perhaps two
miUions (for there were more than six hundred thousand fighting
men, besides the tribe of Levi, and the women and children of all
the tribes) passed through the channel dry foot; with aU their cattle
and carriages ; and this so publicly wrought, in the sight of the nations;
might well sti'ike the inhabitants of the land with astonishment and
terror, and so it did. For il is said, 'When all the kings of the
Amorites, which were- on the side of Jordan westward, and all the
kings, of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the Lord
had dried up the waters of Jordan frora before the children of Israel',
until they were passed- over; their heart melted ; neither was their,
spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.'
Herein the wisdom of God was greatly manifest, in striking the
nations with such a fear, that they should nol dare to make head
against Israel upon their passing over Jordan, Josh, iv; For the
Lord had now a work to do upon his people, which would render
them for a while unable not only to assaU their enemies, but even to
defend themselves. For during their travel in the wUdemess, cir-^
cumoision had been omitted ; whether through a neglect of the ordi-'
nance ; or that being (or expecting to be) always upon the march;
they thought it unsafe to expose them to the hardship of it ; and
aU they who were men when they carae out of Egypt, and had been
circumcised there, being dead, (Joshua and Caleb only excepted)
most of the present generation; being such as had been born within
the forty years of their wilderness travel, had not been circumcised
hitherto. The Lord therefore, now that they were passed over Jordan, and,
were ready to lake possession of the promised land, comraanded,
Joshua to make him sharp Imives, and circumcise the sons of Israel
again (that is, all those of them that had not been circumcised al
ready in their infancy in Egypt ;) which Joshua caused to be done.
And when it was done, the Lord said unto Joshua, ' This day have
I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from oft" you,' Josh. v. And
from hence the name of the place where this was done, was called
Gilgal, which signifies roUing. So that the using of that name be-

208 SACRED HISTORY, P-«IT II.
fore, both, in Josh.iv. 19. and m Deut xi. 30. was by anticipation.
In this place they encamped, and staid lift they were whole of the
wounds their circumcision had made. And here they kept the pass-
over, on the fourteenth day of the first month, at even, in the plains
of Jericho.
And now they began to enjoy the good of the land : for on tiie
next day after the passover, they eat of the old corn of the land; and
on the morrow, the manna ceased ; so that they eat thenceforward of
the fruit of the land of Canaan.
Now was Jericho straitiy shut up for fear of the children of Israel ;
none were suffered to go out or in : so that it seems they resolved to
maintain the place, and bear a siege. Joshua therefore himself drew
near to Jericho ; probably lo observe where he raight best plant his
batteries, and make his approaches against the city.
And as he stood there looking up, he saw a man standing over
against him, with his sword drawn in his band. Josh. vi.
Joshua being a man of high courage, went up to hira ; and boldly
asked him, 'Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?' He answered,
'Nay (not for your adversaries :) but as captain of the host of the
Lord am I come.' At which word Joshua feU on his face, and
worshipped, saying, 'What saith my Lord unto his servant V
By this act of adoration, and the titie of Lord, performed and
given by Joshua, and accepted by the other, it is erident that this
captain of the Lord's host was Christ, the son of God, who was
pleased in this manner to appear to Joshua, both to encourage and
direct him. Wherefore having first bid Joshua, as Moses was bid
at the burning bush, Exod. iu. 6 : ' to loose his shoe frora off his foot;
because the place whereon he stood was holy,' and Joshua having
obeyed, the Lord said to him, ' See, I have given into thine hand
Jericho, and the king thereof, with the mighty men of valour;' and
then instructed him in what manner he should beleaguer the city, and
how he should take it, chap. ri. 2, &c.
Pursuant to which direction, Joshua, dravring out the men of war,
set them foremost ; and next lo them seven priests, blowing seven
trumpets, made of rams' horns : then foUowed the ark of the cov
enant of the Lord ; and after that the rere-ward of the army.
In this order he commanded thera to march round the city, once
every day, for six days together, the seven priests sounding their
trampets as they went, and to return to the camp at night. But he
gave them a strict charge, that none of the people should shout, nor
speak a word, as they marched, until he should give them the signal
10 shout : and then they should shout stoutly.
Having compassed the city thus six days one after another, on the
seventhday setting out betimes, about the dawning of the day, whence
we conclude the place could not be of any great bigness ; and at the
sevoith time when the prifsts blew wilh the trumpets, Joshua said to

PART n. SACRED HISTORY. 20?
the people, ' Shout ! for the Lord hath given you the city.' With that
the people gave a great shout; and thereupon the waU of the city feU
down flat ; so that the army marched directly up into the city, and
took it ; putting all to the sword, both man and beast, old and young.*
Only Rahab, and those in her house, were saved. . . . For
Joshua had given charge before hand to the two spies, which she
had formerly hid, to take care, and make il their business, when the
town should be taken, to go to her house, and bring her out, and aU
that she had in discharge of their oath. Which accordingly they did,
and left her with aU her kindred and substance, safe without the
camp of Israel; for being aliens, or heathens, they were not permitted
lo come within the camp, untU they were proselyted, or at least legally
purified. Then setting the city on fire, they destroyed aU that was therein ;
except the silver and gold, and vessels of brass and of iron ; such
things as would bear the fire ; which were put into the treasury of the
house of the Lord. And Joshua gave forth a prophetic imprecation
upon him that should undertake to buUd that city again, viz. That
he should ' lay the foundation thereof in his first-born, and set up
the gates thereof in his youngest son ;' that is, it should be the ruin
of his family ; which afterwards befell Hiel, the Bethelite, who in
the days of Ahab king of Israel, above five hundred years after, began
it with the loss of his eldest son Abiram, and finished it with the loss
of Segub his youngest son, 1 Kings xvi. 34.
Joshua had told the people before they had taken the city, that it,
and aU that was therein, should be devoted to destruction, as an ac
cursed thing, except the sUver, gold, brass, and iron ; which should
be consecrated to the Lord: and therefore he warned thera, that they
should by no means meddle with the accursed thing, lest they should '
make themselves accursed, by taking any thing of it, and so trouble
the camp of Israel, by bringing a curse upon it.
Bul notwithstanding this strict charge, one of the tribe of Judah ;
whose name was Achan, which signifies troubUng, took of the ac
cursed thing, as weU of that which was devoted to destruction, as of
that which, was consecrated to the Lord. And this brought so great
a trouble and curse upon Israel, that when Joshua sent some to riew
Ai, a Uttie city beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and find
ing il was not populous, nor weU defended, ordered about three
thousand men logo up and take it; they were repulsed, and beaten,
and fled before the men of Ai, with the loss of some of the party, and
the discouragement of the whole army. Josh. vn.
This disaster wonderfuUy afflicted Joshua : so that rending his
clothes, and falUng to the earth upon his face, before the ark of tha
• A. M. 2553.
VOL. I. — 14

2t0 SACRED mSTORY. PART I^
Lord, he lay ftiere until the evening ; both he, and the elders of Israel,
with dust upon their heads, tokens of extreme sorrow and humiUation ;
see 1 Sara. iv. 12, and Nehem. ix. I. . . . And being wholly
ignorant of the offence which had provoked the Lord thus to leave
his people, he poured forth his complaint in this humble expostulation
with God :
'Alas! O Lord God: wherefore hast thou at aU brought this people
over Jordan, to deUver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy
us? Would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side
Jordan. O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turnelh their backs
before their enemies ! for the Canaanites, and aU the inhabitants ofthe
land, wUl hear of it, and wiU environ us round, and cut off our name
from the earth ; and what wilt thou do unto thy great name ?'
But the Lord soon roused up Joshua, teUing him Israel had sinned,.
and had transgressed his covenant : and that was tbe reason why they
couM not stand before their enemies, For they bad taken of the
accursed thing, riz. of that which was devoted to destruction ; and
had stolen also some of those things that were devoted to the Lord ;
and dissembled, making as if they had brought it all into the treasury
of the Lord ; when as they had hid some of it to keep for their own
use. Therefore the Lord bid Joshua up, and bestir himself, to clear
the carap of this accursed thing ; for he would not be with them any
more, ' Except they destroyed the accursed from aniongst them.'
From this instance it is observable, that although it was, but one
man that was actually guilty, yet the guilt was charged upon the
whole people ; and they fell the effects thereof, until they convicted
and pimished the offender. Therefore the Lord bid Joshua proclaim,
among the people, ' There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee,
O Israel : thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take
away the accursed thing from among you.' Which that they might
do, the Lord directed Joshua how he should find the offender out ;
and bow he should be punished, when found and convicted.
Joshua therefore early next morning brought all the tribes before
the Lord, and the lot being cast upon the tribes, the tribe of Judah
was taken. Then going on by lot, from tribe to family, from famUy
to household, and so to particular persons, the lot fell at last upon
Aohan. Whereupon Joshua said to Achan, ' My son, give I pray
thee, gbry to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto liim,
and teU me now what thou hast done : hide il not from me.'
Herein we have an excellent example of a good judge examining
the greatest criminal by gentleness, to draw bim to a penitent con
fession ; rather than by rigour, threats, op torture, to force from hira
a desperate discovery.
This gentie dealing had an answerable effect ; for Achan thereupon
thus made confession lo Joshua: 'Indeed I have sinned against tho
Lord God of Israel, said he, and thus and thus have I done. That is»

I
PART n. SACRED HISTORY. 211
when I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment (which
was of those things that were devoted to be destroyed) and two hun
dred shekels of silver, with a wedge of gold (in the form of a tongue,
and therefore, in the margin caUed a tongue of gold) of fifty shekels
weight, (which were of the things consecrated to the Lord) then I
coveted Ihem, and took them, and hid them in the earth, in the midst
of my lent.'
Joshua thereupon, for his raore evident conriction, sent messen
gers lo search Achan's tent: who finding the things hid, as be had
confessed, brought them to Joshua and the chUdren of Israel, and
laid them out before the Lord.
Whereupon Achan being duly convicted, both by the notoriety
of the fact, and his own confession, Joshua and all Israel took him,
¦with the silver and the garment, and the wedge of gold (as evidence
of his guik) and with him his sons and his daughters, as accesso
ries, and all his cattle also, together with his tent, and aU that he had,
and brought them into a valley, whioh from him thenceforth took
the name of the vaUey of Achor (for so was he caUed, and also
Achar, 1 Chron. u. 7.) where he and his family, being first stoned
to death, were burned with fire; and a greal heap of stones was
raised over him, for a memorial and warning lo others.
By this- execution the anger of the Lord being appeaspd, he en
couraged Joshua to go on in his work : bidding him not fear nor be
dismayed; but take all the men of war with him, and go up against
Ai. And assuring him, that he had given into his hand the king of
Ai, and his people, and his city, and land, he told him he should
do to Ai and her king, as be had done to Jericho and her king .;
only, for tbe encouragement of the soldiers, he allowed them to take
the spoU of the city and the cattle, for a prey to thranselves. And
withal God directed Joshua to lay an ambush for the city behind it.
Which is the first ambush we read of in story.
Joshua therefore, thus encouraged and uistrucled, ehose out thirty
thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night, with
order lo plant themselves behind the city, and as near to it as they
could, without danger of being discovered; and to be aU ready in
arms ; that when he with the army should have provoked the men of
Ai lo come forth to tiie battie, and by a feigned flight should have
drawn them off from the city, these, upon a signal to be given, by
holding up a spear witii an ensign or banner upon it, should run into
the city, and sel it on flre.
So well succeeded this stratagem, that thereby Ai was taken with-
enjt a stroke : for Joshua, when he understood his ambush was safely
fcud, drew up his army before the city on the north side thereof, hav
ing a valley between it and hhn ; where having pitched all day, in the
sight of the city, he led down his army at night into the midst of tiie

212 SACRED HISTORY. FART H.
vaUey, to terapt the enemy, by the advantage of the place, to make
a sally upon him. Josh. vin.
This bait took the king of Ai, who not wiUing to sUp such an ad
vantage, got up betimes in the morning, and di-ew out all his forces,
to give Israel battie. Thoy at first charge putting on an appearance
of fear, turned their backs and fled ; which so animated the men of
Ai, that calling out all their citizens to their assistance, they pursued
after Joshua, till they were drawn away frora the city, which in their
haste, and confidence of victory, they had left open, and without a
man in it to defend or guard it. Then did the Lord direct Joshua
to give the signal to his raen in ambush : which he had no sooner
done, but they immediately rising out of their place ran into the city,
and with all speed set it on fire.
When Joshua by the smoke perceived his men had possessed
themselves of the lown, raUying his forces, he turned upon the men
of Ai ; who looking behind them, and seeing their city in a flame,
were so dispirited, that they had no power either to fight or to fly-.
Meanwhile tiie ambushers, who had possessed themselves of the city,
issuing out upon them in the rear, the men of Ai being inclosed ia
the midst of Israel, were smitten down on every side, so that not one
of them escaped.
The field thus cleared, the army marched to Ai, and smote il (that
is, the women and chUdren that were in it) with the edge of the
sword ; so that all the inhabitants of Ai feU that day, being twelve
thousand men and women. For Joshua drew not back his heind,
wherewith he had stretched out the spear, until all the inhabitants of
Ai were utterly destroyed. The cattle and spoil of the city, Israel
took for a prey unto themselves ; and then burning the city down to
the ,ground, they made il an heap of rubbish.
The king of Ai, taken prisoner in the field, was brought to Joshua,
and by bis command hanged on a tree till evening. Bul as soon
as the sun was gone down, he gave order that they should take his
carcass down from the tree, in observance of the law, Deut, xxi xxii,
xxiii, and bury it under a heap of slones, at the entrance of the gats
of the city.*
The victory thus by God's direction obtained, Joshua, in token
of thankfulness, buUt an altar to the Lord God of Israel, in Mount
Ebal, according as the Lord had by Moses commanded, Deut.
xxvii. 5, and thereon he offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace
offerings. Which done, he not only read unto the people, both Israel
ites and strangers, the words of the law given by Moses; bul wrote
also upon great stones, plaistered over with plaister, a copy of ths
law which Moses had written ; according as Moses had directed,
Dout. xxrii, 2, 3, 4. So that it is not difficult to apprehend how
' • A. M; 3553.

PJtVr II. SACRED HISTORT. 213
divers of the Gentile nations came to imitate the Jews in many of
their religious bbservances and rites, when the Mosaic law was so
publicly exposed to the sight of all.
The report of tha taking, sacking, and burning these two cities,
Jericho and Ai, and putting all the inhabitants to the sword, alarmed
all the kings which were on that side Jordan, viz. the Hittite, Amo
rite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite, and J ebusile; and made thera think
it was high time for them lo confederate among themselves, and enter
into a common league for their mutual defence. ,
But while they were gathering their forces together, the inhabitants
of Gibeon, who by nation were of the Hivites, ver. 7, considering
that poUcy would go beyond strength, resolved to try if they could
save themselves by a wUe.
They therefore sent out certain men, who should feign tiiemselves
to be ambassadors, come fi'ora a far country, lo treat for peace, and
enter into a league with Israel. And the better lo persuade that they
had come a great way, they took with them upon their asses old
sacks and old wine bottles, that were lorn and tied together, and
old clouted shoes upon their feet, and aU their garments old, and
bread that was grown dry and mouldy.
Thus accoutred, they came lo the Israelitish camp al GUgal, and
presenting themselves before Joshua, told him they were come frora
a far country, desirous lo enter in a league witii the people of Israel.
The men of Israel, somewhat wary, but nol enough, answered,
* Peradventure ye dwell among us, and so possess part of that land
which God hath given us : and how then shall we make a league
with you ? And Joshua do-wnright asked them, Who are ye ? And
from whence come ye ? They cunningly, but falsely, replied. We
thy servants are come frora a far country, because of the name of
the Lord thy God : for we have heard the fame of him ; aU that he
did in Egypt, and all that he did to Sihon and Og, the two kfngs of
the Amorites. Wherefore our elders, and aU the inhabitants of our
country, bid us take victuals with us for the journey, and go to meet
you, and say unto you, we are your servants : therefore now make
ye a league with us.' Then shewing their mouldy bread, their torn
botties, their old clothes and clouted shoes, they assured thera that
they took the bread hot out of their houses, when Ihey carae frora
horae ; that tiieir bottles were then new, and that their garments and
shoes were worn old, by reason ofthe length of their journey. Josh. ix.
The IsraeUtes had a sure way to have known the certain truth
bf this matter : for they had the un^ring oracle, the Urim and the
Thuraraim, amongst them. But neglecting to ask counsel at themouth
of the Lord, they suffered themselves to be beguiled by the seeming
simpUcity of the subtie Gibeonites. And the Lord neglecting thera,
for their neglect of him, suffered them to believe a lie, and bc de
ceived by the deceiver. So that the men of Israel giving a credu-

214 SACRED HISTORY. PART 11.
lous ear to the Gibeonites' fair story, sufficiently (as they thought)
confirmed by what their own eyes saw, received thera into a league ;
Joshua making peace wilh them, to let them live, and the priraces of
the congregation swearing lo observe the league.
But within three days after this hasty league was made, the Israel
ites came to understand that these new alUes of theirs, whom they
took to have come frwn some very remote country, were indeed but
their neighbours, and dwelt among them, inhabiting a part of that
land which God had given Israel to possess. And so near neigh
bours they were, that in three days' march Israel carae lo their cities^
and fain would the army have fallen on thera, Bul inasmuch as the
princes of the congregation had sworn unto them, by the name of
the Lord God of Israel, to observe the peace and league which Joshua
and they had made with them, the armywas not suffered tosmitethem.
Yel the soldiers, nol pleased that they were deprived of so- fair a
prize as the rich cities of the Gibeonites would have yielded them,
could nol forbear murmuring against the princes. Which when the
princes perceived, they endeavoured to pacify them ; first, by letting
them know the necessity they were now under of keeping their oath
with thera, lest they should incur the wrath of God, If they broke il.
Next, that the league extending only lo the saving of the Gibeonites'
Uves, not the exempting them from tribute or serrice, they raight yet
reap considerable advantages by them, if they were made hewers of
wood, and drawers of water, unto aU the congregation.
This being approved, Joshua calling for the Gibeonites, expostu
lated the raatter with them thus, ' Wherefore have ye beguiled us,
pretending ye lived very far from us, when ye dwell among us ? '
They in excuse, answer, ' Because it was certainly told thy servants,.
how that the Lord thy God commanded Moses to give you all the
land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land frora before you :
therefore we, being sore afraid of our Uves because of you, have
done this to save our Uves.'
Bul though by this trick they did save their lives, yel did not this
shift excuse them from being condemed to perpetual bondage. For
Joshua denounced this sentence against them, 'Now therefore ye
are cursed ; and there shall none of you be freed from being bond
men, even hewers of wood, and drawers of water, for the house of
my God.' They, glad to escape so, repUed, ' Behold, we are in thy
hand, (at thy mercy) do lo us what seemeth good and right unto
thee.' Thus Joshua, having deUvered them from the children of Israel,
that they slew them not, subjected them and their posterity to this
service; that they should cut wood and draw water for the congre
gation, and for the altar of the Lord, in the place which he should
choose. And from their being thus given or dedicated to this ser-

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 215
vice, their posterity, after the building of the temple, were called
Nethinims, that is, given, in 1. Chron. ix. 2, and elsewhere often.
But though the Gibeonites had by their policy redeemed their
lives, wilh the loss of their liberties, from the sword of Israel, yet
had they a new reckoning to -medse witii their old neighbours, the
Amorites, who so iU resented their abandoning the common cause
and interest, and making a private league for themselves only with
Israel, whom they accounted, and not without cause, their comraon
enemy, that they resolved to take revenge of thera. And in order
thereunto Adonizedek king of Jebus, which afterwards in king Da
vid's time was called Jerusalem, inriting four other neighbouring
kings to join with hira, they aU went up wilh their united forces,
and encamped before Gibeon, to make war against it, Josh. x.
Though Gibeon was a great city, equal to one of tbe royal cities,
and weU manned ; yel did not the Gibeonites think fit to reiy upon
their own strength : bul forthwith dispatched their agents to Joshua's
camp at GUgal, to acquaint him that aU the kings of the Amorites,
that dwelt in the mountains, were gathered together against them ;
and to intreat him to come up with all speed to their reUef
Joshua having made a league with the Gibeonites, and made them
vassals to Israel, held himself obUged, both in justice and interest,
to defend thera. To which also the Lord encouraged bira ; bidding
him, <Not fear the Araorite army:' for he bad deUvered them into
his hand, and they should not be able to withstand him.
Arising therefore from Gilgal, with all his men of war, and march
ing all night, he came suddenly upon them ; and the Lord discom
fited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter ; and
put the rest to flight. And as they fled, the Lord cast down great
stones from heaven upon thera : so that more of them died by the
hail stones than by the sword.
Tbe five kings, escaping the haU stones, betook theraselves in their
flight lo a cave, al a place called Makkedah, and there hid thera.
selves. Of which intelUgence being given lo Joshua, he gave order
that great slones should be rolled upon the entrance of the cave, and
a guard of men set by it, to keep them in tiU the pursuit was over :
charging his men not to stay on that occasion, but to foUow the
chase, and do execution upon the enemies, before they got into their
fenced cities.
And that they might not want time to complete the 'rictory, and
revenge themselves fully on their enemies, Joshua first addressing
himself to the Lord by prayer, and receiving authority from God,
commanded the sun, in the sight of Israel, saying, 'Sun, stand thou
still upon Gibeon, and thou moon in the vaUey of Ajalon.' Where.
upon the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to
go down about a whole day ; and the moon also staid her covffse,
until Israel had avenged themselves upon their enemies

S16 SACRED mSTOBY. PART H.
This was a long day indeed, and there was no day like that
before it, or after it, that the Lord hearkened to the voice of man, so
as thereupon to slop the planets in their courses,. But the Lord fought
for Israel.
Now after that Israel was returned from the chase, having slain
all the enemies that could not get into the fenced cities ; Joshua gave
order to open the mouth of the cave, and bring out to him the five
kings, who had hid themselves. Which being done, he called the cap.
tains of his men of war, in the sight of all the army, and bid thera,
',Set their feet upon the necks of those kings : ' and they did so.
Then said he unto them, ' Fear not, nor be dismayed ; but be strong
and of good courage : for thus shaU the Lord do unto all your ene.
mies against whom ye fight' By which act, he both animated the
soldiers, and exhibited a type of a complete victory, which God had
promised to crown them with, who fight valiantly under his banner,
in the spiritual warfare, against the grand tyrant and adversaiy of
the soul, Satan.
After he had thus triumphed over them, he sraote the five kings,
and slew them, and caused thera to be hanged on five several trees
untU the evening : but then ordered them to be taken down, and cast
into the cave, in which they had hid themselves : so malting Ihek
designed sanctuary their sepulchre.
"Thus, God who sometimes brings good ouf of evil, took occasion
from that ill grounded league, which Joshua had made with the Gib.
eonites, lo forward his own work, and hasten the destruction of his
and his peoples' enemies. For by that means he destroyed five kings
of the Amorites, with most of their people, in one day; which oth
erwise would probably have cost Israel much longer time and labour.
The victory thus obtained in the field, Joshua marched against
the cities. First to Makkedah ; then toLibnah; thence to Lachish :
where alsO he smote the king of Gezar, and his people, who came
up to help Lachish. From Lachish he passed on to Eglon; from
Eglon to Hebron; and from Hebron he returned to Deber. All
which places he took by storm, and put the inhabitants, both kings
and people, men, women, and children, to the sword; destroying
them with an utter destruction, according as the Lord had command
ed, Deut. XX. 16,- 17. And having performed such great exploits,
and conquered so many kings and their lands in one expedition,
through the assistance of the God of Israel, who fought for Israel,
Joshua returned with his victorious army to his camp at Gilgal.
AU these greal achievements are by some chronologers reckoned
to have been performed in the fii'st year of Joshua's government :
and our industrious countryman, R. Blome, places them all in the
year of tiie world 2663. But with his favour, I should rather think
they extended into, if they did not whoUy take up the year 2665.
But to proceed :

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 217
When Jabin, king of Hazor, heard of Israel's greal successes, he
thought it was in vain for the princes of Canaan lo encounter singly,
or with smaU forces, ,^o puissant and victorious an army. There.
fore he sent to Jobab, king of Madon, and to tiie Idng of Shimron,
and to the king of Achshap, and lo the kings that were on the north
of the mountains, and of the plains, south of Chinneroth, and in the
vaUey, and in the borders of Dor, on the west : and to the Canaan
ite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite,
and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and the Hivite
imder Hermon, in the land of Mizpeh : inviting them aU to enter into.
a confederate league, and with all their united forces to faU upon
Israel. Here was like lo be work enough for Joshua at the next cam
paign, for aU these kings, with their several hosts (so great in num
ber, that they are hyperboUcaUy said to be even as the sand on the
sea shore for multitude, with horses and chariots very many) went
out, and pitched their camp together al the waters of Merom, lo offer
battie to Israel, Josh. xi.
Bul when the Lord saw their pride and presumption, he, to encour
age Joshua, bid hira ' Not to be afraid of ihem : for to-morrow,
said he, about this time, wiU I deUver them up all slain before Israel ;
and tbou shalt hough (that is, cut the hamstrings or sinews of) their
horses, and burn their chariots with fire.'
Accordingly, Joshua taking the field, -with aU his men of war,
marched directly towards the enemies, and fell suddenly on them ; and
the Lord deUvered them into the hands of Israel, who sraote them,
and put them to flight, and in the pursuit slew them, tiU they left none
remaining. Then having noughed their horses, and burnt their chariots, as
the Lord had bidden him, Joshua turned back, and took Hazor, and
all the cities of those other kings, and put the kings and people of
every city lo the sword, nol sparing any, but utterly destroying them.
And because Hazor had before-time been the head of aU these king
doms, and Jabin her king was the head of this confederacy, he caused
that city to be set on fire, and burnt down : but all the other cities,
whose inhabitants he had slain, he left standing, and gave the spoil
thereof, and the cattle, for a prey lo the children of Israel.
Thus did Joshua, by degrees, recover aU the land of Canaan; sub
duing the nations and people that possessed it, and slapng all their
kings, no less than one and thirty in number, with the Anakims, or
giants, of which he left none remaining, save in Gaza, Gath, and
Ashdod. But this work may be allowed lo nave t^en up some time : and
indeed, in Joshua xi. 1 8, it is said, 'Joshua made war a long time with
all those kings;' and from Caleb's words, in chap. xiv. 6 and 10,
where he says, it was five and forty years since he was sent to spy

218 SACRED HISTORY PART H.
the land, it may be fairly gathered, that between sbc and seven years
were spent in this war. Josh. xii.
The other things, which were mentioned afterwards in this book,
may be supposed to have taken up the rest of Joshua's time. As
namely, the dividing the land beyond Jordan among the nine tribes,
and half tribe, by lot. (For the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and half
the tribe of Manasseh, ;had their portions assigned and given them on
the other side of Jordan by Moses himself. Numb, xxxii, which is here
repeated, and their lots described.) Then the setting up the taber-
¦ nacle at Shiloh, chap, xviii. 1. The appointing cities of refuge for
the man-slayer chap. xx. The setting out cities for the Levites, some
out of each tribe, chap. xxi. With other things of more particular
concernment. Josh, xin, xx, xxi.
The tribes thus settied in their several possessions, Joshua caUed to
him the Reubenites, Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh ; and ac-
¦knowledging to them that they had faithfuUy kept their covenant, in
accompaning their brethren, and helping them to subdue the land, he
kindly dismissed them, with good counsel and a blessing; wishing
them to return lo their own possessions and families. They therefore,
taking their leave of their brethren al Shiloh, departed wilh much
riches, consisting in silver, gold, brass, iron, much raiment, and very
much cattle, being their part of the spoils of war taken from tbe ene
mies, and returned to -their own country. Josh. xxii.
But when they were come to the borders of Jordan, there they
built a great altar: not intending it for religious use, bul to be as a
witness or evidence to after ages, that though they were parted from
the other tribes by the river Jordan ; yel they were all brethren, of
one stock, religion, and -way of worship, and had equal right to the
altar of the Lord at ShUoh, and to the worship performed thereat; of
which altar at ShUoh, this which they set up was a true model.
It was not long before the other nine tribes and half (who are here,
for distinction sake, caUed the cliildren of Israel) had notice of this
altar being set up. And the matter either being misrepresented to
them, or they in a warm zeal misapprehending it, and suspecting that
their brethren on the other side Jordan intended to revolt from God
and them, and to set up for themselves, assembled unanimously at
Shiloh, to go up to war against them. But before they took up arms,
they thought it adviseable to send ambassadors to them, and see if
they would be reduced by fair means.
Choosing out therefore ten princes, one of each tribe, and each of
them the head of bis father's house ; they joined to thera Phinehas,
the son of Eleazar the priest(who for his bold and comraendable zeal,
in slaying Zimri and Cozbi, thereby suppressing a dangerous rebel
lion, stopping the plague, and making an attonement for Israel, Numb.
xxv, had merited well, and was weU accepted of all the tribes in

PART n. SACRED HISTORY. 219
general ;) and sent them away, to examine the cause of the new erec
ted ahar.
These being come lo their brethren the Reubenites, Gadites, and
half 'tribe of Manasseh, in the landof Gilead, fell bluntly on them
with a kind of interrogatory charge, -in the narae of the whole con
gregation of the Lord, thus :
« What trespass is this, said they, that ye have committed against
the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in
that ye have builded you an aUar, that ye might rebel this day
against the Lord :'
And to axaggerate the offence, Itiey put them in mind of the sin bf
Peer, Numb, xxv, saying, ' is the sin of Poor loo little for us (from
which we are not cleansed to this day, although there was a plague
in the congregation of the Lord on that account) but that ye must
turn away this day frora foUowing tbe Lord :' and to let them see, that
it was not from an over busy pragmatic mind, that they thus come to
call them to account, but that they had reason to concern themselves
in it, they added. If ye thus reb^l against the Lord, he will quickly
be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.'
By which it appears, that ff in a body -or society of people, whether
ciril or religious, a public transgression,. although committed by some
particular members, be tolerated, that is, -not condemned and removed
by the rest ; il will subject the whole society, or body, to the guilt, and
consequently to the punishment vthereof
This they confirmed by the late instance of Achan; who comrailting
a trespass in the accursed .thing, wrath fell on aU the congregation of
Israel ; and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.
Then to prevent an objection, and take from them all pretence of
excuse or defence, they added ; ' If ye have done this from an appre
hension, that the land ye possess on that side Jordan is unclean, or
less holy .than ours, because the tabernacle of the Lord is in -our part,
come back again and settle among us, where the Lord's tabernacle
dweUelb : but by no means rebel against the Lord, nor against us,
in buUding you an aftar beside the aUar of the Lord.'
Frora which words we may observe, first, that to add to, or alter, the
worship, or reUgious service, which God hath appointed, is to rebel
against God. Secondly, that they who so rebel against the Lord, do
therein rebel against his people ; and are accountable therefore not
only to the Lord, but to his people also.
¦When the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites, had heard this
heavy charge, they were troubled that their brethren should entertain
so iU an opinion of them : but knowing their own innocency, and the
integrity of their intentions, in what they had done ; they applied them
selves lo inform their brethren aright, and thereby lo remove the mis
conceived offence out of their minds.
Beginning therefore with a solemn appeal to God (whom lo shew

220 SACRED HISTORY. PART H.
their high veneration of, and how far they were from turning from
him, or preferring any other God to him, they caU the God of gods)
they return answer to Phinehas and his companions, the heads of the
thousands of Israel, after this manner :
' The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, he knowetii, and
Israel also shall know, whether we have built us an altar in rebel
lion, or in transgression against the Lord, with an intent to turn from
following- the Lord ; or have set up this altar in opposition to the
altar of the Lord, to offer burnt offerings, meat offerings, or peace
offerings thereon; which we know the Lord hath forbidden. If we
have done it to that end, let the Lord himself require it, and pun
ish us for it ; and do not ye spare us neither. But the truth is, we
have done it for fear of such a thing, and to prevent it. For we con
sidered, that in time to come, your children might say unto our
chUdren, What have ye to do with the Lord God of Israel ? For
since the Lord hath made Jordan a border and bound between us
and you, ye have no part in the Lord; that is, ye do not belong lo
the congregation of the Lord ; nor have any right to come before his
tabernacle, nor to offer upon his altar, and so your children might
be an occasion to make our children turn eiside from serving the
Lord. Therefore we said. Let us now prepare to build us an altar,
not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, but lo be a witness between
us and you, and our generations after us; that when we should come
to perform our service to the Lord, with our burnt offerings and our
sacrifices before him, if your children should say unto ours. Ye have
no part in the Lord; our children raight reply. Behold the pattern of
the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not to sacrifice upon,
but to be a witness between us and you. But as to the matter ye
charge us with, God forbid that we should rebel against the Lord,
and turn this day from following the Lord, to buUd an altar for burnt
offerings, meat offerings, or sacrifices, besides the altar of the Lord
our God that is before his tabernacle.'
This answer pleased Phinehas and the princes of the congregation
so well, that they rejoiced at it ; taking it for a confirmation that
the Lord was still among them, in that their brethren the Reubenites,
&c. had been preserved from committing a trespass against the Lord,
which they had been suspected of, and the whole congregation there
by delivered from the danger they feared.
Taking therefore their leave of them, Phinehas and his compan
ions returned to the congregation of the children of Israel al ShUoh,
to report to them the good tidings of their brethren's innocency, and
of their godly cai'e and zeal, tiiat their posterity might be preserved
in the fear and service of the true God ; with which account tbe chU
dren of Israel were so pleased, that laying aside ali thoughts of war,
they blessed God for so good an issue. The Reubenites and the
Gadftes, to prevent any future suspicions of their intentions, called

PART H. SACRED HISTORY. . 221
the Altar which they bad buiU, ED, which signifies a witness; add
ing as the reason of the name, ' For it shall be a witness between us
and our brethren, the other tribes of Israel, that the Lord is God :' as
much as to say, the God of Israel is our God ; they and we have
but one and the same God.
Joshua being now grown old, and forseeing his end lo be near at
hEind, he called for aU Israel, and for their heads, rulers, and offi
cers, and briefly mentioning what the Lord had already done for
them, and what he *ould yet further do for them, and enable
them to do for themselves, if they were courageous and faithful
to keep and do aU that is written in the book of the law of Mo.
ses, nol in any thing turning aside therefrom ; he warned them
particularly nol to come among those nations which yet remained
unsubdued amongst them ; nor entertain familiarity or society with
them. Josh, xxiii; and to be so far frora bowing unto their, gods, t
or serving thera, or causing any to swear by them, that they should
not so much as make mention of their names, which also the Lord
bad before expressly forbidden, Exod. xxiii. 13.
This is fit for thera lo consider of, who, professing lo be under a
higher dispensation than that of Moses, do yet retain the names of
heathenish gods, in naming their months and days.
Joshua now also told the IsraeUtes that although the Lord had
hitherto fought for them, and had driven out great and strong nations
from before them ; yet if they should in any wise go back, to cleave
unto the remnant of those nations that did yet remain among them,
and should make marriages with them, and enter into friendship and
famiUar conversation with them, the Lord would no longer fight for
them, nor drive out their enemies from before them; but those na-
tions should be snares and traps unto them, scourges in their sides,
and thorns in their eyes, and should cause them lo perish from off
that good land, which the Lord their God had given them.
Afterwards more particularly recounting the dealings of the Lord
-with them, and with their fathers, and going as high as Terah, the
father of Abraham, (who dwelt on the other side ofthe flood, or great
river Euphrates in Mesopotamia) he deduced the account from
(hence lo his own time ; briefly touching some of the most remark.
able passages.
Then solemnly declaring, that whatever course the rest should
take, he and his house would serve the Lord ; he exhorted the people
to fear the Lord, and serve hira in sincerity and truth ; and invited
Ihem to renew their covenant with God ; which they having done
ia fuU and very significant terms, he wrote the words of their cove
nant in the book of the law of God, and setting up a great stone
under an oak, by the sanctuary of the Lord, he bid the people take
notice, that that stone (as if it had heard what had passed) shoukl

222 SACRED HISTORY. PART It
be a witness unto them, to pnt them in mind of the covenant thai
they had made, lest they should deny their God, Josh. xxiv.
Not long after this, Joshua haring attained to the hundred and
tenth year of his age, died, and was buried in the border of his in-
'heritance, in Timnalh-Serah, in mount Ephraim; which city, upon
the division of the land amongst the tribes, the chUdren of Israel, by
God's direction, chapter xix. 49, 60, gave unto him, in token of
gratitude for the many benefits they had received by his ministry.*
Near the same time also died Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest;
whom they buried in a hiU, which was given him in mount Ephraim,
which belongeth to Phinehas, his son and successor.
But the bones of Joseph, which the chUdren of Israel had brought
up out of Egypt with- thera, they buried in Shechem, in a parcel
of ground which Jacob had bought of the sons of Hamor, the father
•of Shechem : and it became the inheritance of the children of
Joseph. *A. M. 2570.

THE END OF THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
*^* All this Book is thought to have heen written hy Joshua ; ex-
eejA some part of the last chapter, where mention is made of his
death, whioh, is sup^posed to have been written by Samuel the prophet.

THE
BOOK OF JUDGES;
GGNTAININ& AN HISTORY OF ABOUT THREE HUNDRED YEARS,

By whom, and in what time, this book of the Judges was com
pUed and written, is very uncertain. Sorae think by Samuel, tho
last of the judges. Others by Ezra the scribe-, long after.*
Il relates first, that after the death of Joshua, the children of Israel
asked of the Lord who should first go up for them lo fight against
the Canaanites : and that the Lord had appointed Judah to go up ;
declaring, that he had delivered, or determined to deUver, the land
into his hand, Judg. 1
Whereupon Judah invited his brother Simeon, whose lotlay within
his. Josh. xix. 1, to go up with hira into his lot, that they raight assail
the Canaanites with their joined forces : engaging lo do the like for
hira. afterwards. Simeon agreed, and the success of their undertaking
was, that the Lord deUvered the Canaanites and Perizzites. into their
hand ; and they slew of them ten thousand men in Bezek. Then
pursuing Adonibezek tiieir king, who fled, they caught him, and cut
off his thumbs and great toes. This drew from him an acknowledg
ment of the justice of God upon him ; for he, il seems (as himself
confessed) had cut off the thumbs and great toes of no less than sev
enty kings; whom also, though so mairaed, he caused to gather their
meal like dogs under his table.
The old city Jebus, possessed hitherto by the Jebusites, who sprang
from Jebusi, the third son of Canaan, Gen. x. 16, here caUed Jeru-
salera, lay in two parts, whereof one part feU into the lot of Judah,
the otber into that of Benjarain. Judah soon over-ran that part of
it that belonged lo him : and having put the- inhabitants to the sword,
set the place on fhe. . . . But having brought the thumbless
king Adonibezek with him thither, there he died.
• A. M. 257a (223)

224 SACRED HISTORY. PART 11.
Among the many places Judan now tooK, one was Kirjathsepher;
which was a part of Caleb's portion, but possessed by the Canaan
ites. Caleb therefore, old though ho was, as having out-run his
eighty-fifth year, Josh. xiv. 10, 11, yel retaining his youthful strength
and vigour, and resolving to storm the place, that he might en
courage his men to the assault, made proclamation in his camp, that
he would give Achsah his daughter lo wife to him that should smite
Kirjathsepher, and take it.
So great a prize raised the courage of the adventurous young
men: and Othniel, a vaUanl soldier, somewhat of kui to Caleb (the
text says he was Caleb's younger brothers' son; as being, say
Tremellius and Junius, of th'e posterity of Kenaz ; from whom Caleb
being descended, was therefore called the Kenezite, Numb. xxxn. 12,
and Josh. xiv. 14) won the place, and thereby the fair prize, Caleb's
daughter Achsah, whose name imports trim or neat.
She, when she came to Othniel, put him upon begging a field of
ber father. But nol thinking him forward enough in his motion, she,
aUghting from her ass, addressed herself to her father ; who asking
her what her request was, she thereupon desired him in genersd
terms to give her a blessing. But more particularly she said, ' Thoii
hast given me a south land (which though it might be pleasant,
yet lying hot, was likely to prove dry and barren;) give me also
^springs of water ; ' whereupon he gave her both the upper and the
nether springs.
This strenuous old man Caleb, who was a prince of the tribe of
Judah, took Hebron, which was part of his portion, from the giants ;
and expeUed from thence the three sons of Anak.
But this tribe, strong and valiant though it was, and recovered from
the CanaanUes many places, as Zephath-gaza, Askalon, and Eki'on ;
and drove out the inhabitants of the raountains ; yet the inhabitants
of the valley they could not drive out, because they had chariots
of iron.
Neither did the chUdren of Benjamin drive out the Jebusites that
inhabited that part of Jerusalem that fell to them : but the Jebusites
dwelt with the children of Benjamin in that part of Jerusalem.
The house of Joseph indeed, going up against Bethel, did, by
the assistance ofthe Lord, prevail. For they sending some to descry
the city, the spies seeing a man come out of it, seized on hini; and
promising lo shew him mercy, if he would discover to them the
entrance into the city, he shewed them the way. Whereupon they
entering, put the inhabitants to the sword, and delivered that man and
his family.,
But in other parts of the country, neither did Mannasseh, nor
Ephraim, nor Zebulon, nor Asher, nor NapthaU, drive out the inhab
itants of the land : but suffered thera to dwell proraiscuously amongst
Ihem : nay, the Amorites forced the chUdren of Dan into the moun-

PART tl> SACKED HISTORY. 225
tainous parts, and kept them pent up there, not suffering them to
come down to the valley.
By this means the Israelites, growing into acquaintance and famU-
iarity with those heathen nations, did nol drive them out ; no not
when afterwards they grew strong enough lo have done il : bul con
tenting themselves to make thera tributaries, and wiUing to entertain
an intercourse of deaUhgs with Ihpm, they let them continue to .live
amongst them.
This was directly contrary lo the express command of God, Exod.
xxiii. 32, 33, and Deut. vii. 2, &c. and not only proved a snare to
them, but greatly displeased the Lord.
Wherefore the Lord, to reprove them, sent an angel, or messen
ger (so the word angel signifies, and so it is explained here in the
margin, and is supposed to be Phinehas the priesl) to them, and
laying before them the goodness of the Lord and his favour to them
in deUvering thera out of Egypt, and bringing them into that good
land ; his faithfulnfess in keeping his covenant with them, and their
ingratitude and unfaithfulness, in not obeying the voice of the Lord,
bul acting quite contrary to his command, whereby they had pro
voked him to withdraw his help from them ; the people thereupon
seemed, for the present, so sensible of their fault that they lifted up
their voice and wept, and offered sacrifice to the Lord ; caUing the
name of the place where they received this reproof, Bochim, which
signifies weepers, Judg. ii.
Blention was made in Josh. xxiv. 31, and the same is repeated
liere, Judg. ii. 7 ; ' that the people of Israel served the Lord aU the
days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outiived Joshua,
who had seen ail the greal works of the Lord that he wrought for
Israel. But when that generation was gathered to their fathers, and
there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord,
nor yet his works which he had done for Israel, ver. 10 ; the chUdren
of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, ver.
1 1 ; that is, the lesser or tutelar gods, so called, ofthe several nations
about them.'
And indeed, scarce were their tears wiped off at Bochim, and
their eyes dried, ere they, forsaking the Lord God of their fathers,
foUowed other gods ; as Baal, the chief and most general god of the
heathens, and Ashteroth, the idol of the Zidionians, represented in
the form of a sheep. Whereby they provoked the Lord to anger,
so that he often gave them up into the hands ofthe spoilers, of which,
and the deliverances he had wrought for them, upon their repenting
and crying to him for help, a general account is given in this chap.
from ver. 14, to the end.
It was because of their unfaithfulness and disobedience, that the
Lord refusing lo drive out their enemies for them, to whom they thertt-'
VOL. 1 — 15

90(i SACRED HISTORY. PART U.
selves were too favourable, had suffered some of the nations to re
main among them ; whom yet they ought to have kept al arms' end,
and not to have entered into league, friendship Or familiarity with.
for beside that it was expressly forbidden in the law, Exod. xxui.
32, and xxxiv. 12, repeated in Deut. vn. 2, 3, &c. Joshua but just
before his death had particularly -warned them of the danger they
Would run into, if they should entertain farailiarity with any of those
nations that were by God appointed lo destruction. And above all
uiuigs charged them to take care that they did not make marriages
with them, as knowing how naturally that would lead to the worship.
uig of their gods. Josh. xxiU; yet aU that notwithstanding, the chil
dren of Israel now indulging themselves the Uberty lo dwell among
the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorftes, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites,
and growing into a neighbourly familiarity with them, they took
their daughters lo be wives, and gave their daughters for wives to
their sons, and then what foUowed ? ' and served their gods,' ver. 5,
6. So sure a rule it is, that strange marriages lead to strange worship.
Upon these high provocations, the anger ofthe Lord was hot against
Israel ; and he sold them into the hands of Chushan-rishathaim,
king of Mesopotamia, whose name signifies blackness of iniquities ;
yet he did not sell them absolutely, and for ever, bul for eight years ;
in which time of apprenticeship and hard serritude the children of
Israel, coming to a sense and acknowledgment of their transgressions,
and cryuig unto tbe Lord for help, the Lord raised up a deliverer
to them, Judg. iU.
This was Othniel (the sanje that bad married Caleb's daughter)
upon whom the spirit of the Lord came, which fitted him to judge
Israel : and without some measure of wliich, none can be duly qual
ified to judge. He, in the strength thereof, gomg out to war, the
Lord deUvered the king of Mesopotamia into his hands, and he pre
vailed against him : and upon tiiis defeat of the Syrians, the land
liad rest forty years; lo be computed, as some think, from the death
of Joshua, Judg. xxiU.
Bul after Othniel was dead, the chUdren of Israel did e-ril again in
the sight of IheLord. Of which two great .instances are given in
the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth chapters of this book.
Whicii though cast back to the end of the book, as if they belonged
to Jaitor times, yet, by the judgment of divers learned men, were
Iransacted about this time. By whose reasons persuaded, rather
than prevailed on by the aulliority of theii names, how great soever,
1 choose to insert these stories hero, as the most likely time for such
evils to have boon committed in. For it is plain from die text, that
ihosothwgs happened when there w^ „„ t; ,^^^^^ j .^j^ for
IciDg in a proper sense there never yet ^,ar^ k \ ¦ i i i „t
every man did that which was right Lm """^ '" ^"¦^''-
s " m hia owa eyes. But not to

PART 11. SACRED HISTORY. 227
be positive or over curious in a matter somewhat doubtful, whenso
ever this fell out, the matter of fact is delivered thus :
A certain devout woman, of the tribe of Dan, through a mistaken
and ignorant zeal, had dedicated a sum of money unto the Lord,
and laid il by, intending her son should make therewith a graven
nuEige, and a molten image. Her son, a man of mount Ephraim,
whose name was Micah, finding his mother's money, and not know
ing what she intended to do with it, made bold to steal il from her.
She missing her money, and not knowing who had robbed her, not
at aU suspecting her son, did, in.her son's.heai-ing, denounce a curse
upon the thief (and as she reputed sacrUegious person) that had
taken it. This wrought so, far upon the son, that he thereupon
confessing the fact, told his mother it was he that , had , taken her
money, and haring it stiU: whole by him, he restored it to her, being
eleven hundred shekels of silver. Which, if comraon shekels, at
one shilUng and three pence each, would arise to sixty -eight ,pounds
and fifteen shiUings of English money : but if shekels of the sanctu
ary, double that sura, Judg. xvU.
The mother having received her money again, Iook out two hun.
dred shekels of it, and gave it to a founder ; who made thereof a gra- •
ven image, and a molten image ; and they were sel in Micah's house ;
for he, it seems, had a house of gods (that is, idols or images :) and
made an ephod and teraphim, probably with the rest of the dedicated
money, and consecrated one of his sons to be his priest for a while,
lUl he could light upon a.Levite. .
If any should desii-e to be informed, what teraphim was, authors
teU us that teraphim were images, for the most part of men; yet
sometimes of other creatures, as, particularly dogs, for their watch.
fulness in guarding the house. This latter sort were accounted the
tutelar or protecting gods ; answerable to the lares and pennates,or
household gods,amongst the- Romans. Those teraphim, which bore
the image of a m,an, or at least the, head of a man, were used as
oracles, to be consuUed with, and inquired of in any doubtful or
hidden matter, These were consecrated ' b.y magical , art, to engage
some evil spirit to speak through them, and give answers to the
enquirers. Laban's gods, which his daughter Rachel stole from him.
Gen. xxxi. 19, are caUed teraphira (seethe margin) and are thought
by some to have been such oracular images; and that she therefore
took them, that, her father might nol, by consulting with thera, know
which way her husband was gone. But it looks too gross ; I rather
think they were but the common pennates, or household' gods. See
Godwyn's Moses and Aaron, 1. 4, c. ,9, and D'Assigny's History of
the Heathen Gods, lib. 1, chap. 15, for further information.
Now though the times were evU; and the people for want of govern
ment, and by intermingUng with the heathen nations, had corrupted
their ways, yet ills bard to conceive that they could bo already so far

228 SACRED HISTORY. PART H.
degenerate, as to set up those oracular images to ask counsel of the
devil by. But it is probable they thought they might worship God
by or through images (as too raany who are called Christians at this
day do;) for il is evident that Micah's mother dedicated her money
to the Lord, which she designed for the making of images, Judg.
xxrii. 3, and Micah himself, when he made the teraphim., made also
an ephod, ver 5, which was the garment appointed by God for the
priest to wear, Exod. xxviii. 4, and by which they did ask counsel of
God, 1 Sam. .x.xx. 7, 8. I
We observed before, that Micah, for want of a Levite, had appoin-
ted one of his own sons to officiate for him as a priest, tiU he could get
one ; which was not long first : for in a Uttie while, a certain young
man that was a Levite, and bad sojourned at Bethlehem Judah, de
parting fi'om thence to get a place, came in his journey to Micah's
house in mount Ephraim, Bul that he, being a Lerile, was of the
family of Judah, is not easy to be apprehended.
Micah asking him whence he came, and he answering that he
was of Beth-lehera Judah, and was going to sojourn where he could
find a place ; Micah invited bim to tarry there, and dweU with him,
and be unto him a father, and a priest ; offering him for his wages,
ten shekels of sUver by the year; and his victuals, and two suits of
apparel, one for common wearing, and the other lo minister in. If
these shekels were of the sanctuary, the len would amount to twenty-
five shillings sterling ; but if they were common shekels, they would
come to but half that money. However, the Levite Uking the terms,
was content to dweU wUh Micah ; and so went in and became one of
his family. Micah, on the other hand, was much pleased in the hope
and confidence he now had, that the Lord would do him good, seeing
he had got a Lerile lo be his priest.
Who this young man was, is hard to say. He is called Jonathan,
the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, chap, xviii. 30. But who
this Manasseh was, who can teU? TremeUius and Junius caU Jona--
than Pronepos Mosehis, ex Manasseh. Annot, on Judg. xvU. 1 : as
if Manasseh had been Moses' son, Gershom Moses' grandson, and
this Jonathan Moses' great-grandson. But since we read of no more
than two sons that Moses had, to wit, Gershom and EUezar, Exod.
xriii. 4, where must we seek for his son Manasseh, whereby to make
Gershom not his -son, but his grandson ? The old Latin translation,
which is caUed Jerora's, reads it Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the
son of Moses : and Broughton says, the Hebrews read, Moses for
Manasses. Which sounds most likely, if any such Jonathan, son of
Gershom, can be found, and whose age may suit the time of the story.
Whoever this young Lerite was, he had not long settied with
Micah, ere an accident feU out, which unselfled him again. The
occasion and manner thereof was thus :

PART n. SACRED HISTORY. 229
The lot of the ttibe of Dan, which fell to them upon the division
of the land in Joshua's time, proving too littie for them. Josh. xix. 47,
and they not enjoying aU that neither, for the Amorites would not
suffer them to possess the valley, which was the best and richest part ;
but forced thera up into the mountainous or hiUy part, Judg. i. 34; the
children of Dan were forced lo seek out for more room, lo enlarge
their quarters. Wherefore choosing out five valiant men of their
family, they sent fliem forth to spy and search the land, Judg. xvii.
These coming lo mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, lodged
there, and knowing the young Levite by his voice, they asked hira who
brought hira thither ; and what he made (or what business he had) in
that place ; he told them what agreement Micah had made with him ;
and that he was hired, and that he was Micah's priest. When they
heard that, they desired him to ask counsel of God, that they might
know whether their journey would be prosperous or no. He bid
them go in peace ; for their way was before the Lord (meaning their
imdertaldng was approved by the Lord.)
With this encouragement on they went, till they came to a city
called Laish. Where entering, and making their observations, they
took notice that the people there lived very secure and careless, and
without aU manner of discipUne or government; for there was no
magistrate in the land, that might order or restrain them, and that they
were far from succours, and had no allies; so that they concluded it
would be no difficult matter to overcome them, and possess that place.
And with that report they returned lo their brethren that had sent them
out; giring account that the land they had searched was large, and
very good, abounding with all the necessary conveniences and accom
modations ; that the people Uved so securely, that they might be sur
prised and subdued. And to quicken them lo the undertaking, told
them, ' God had given that land into their nands.'
Thus encouraged, the Dcinites sent forth a coiony of six hundred
men, well armed, to go and possess themselves of the city of Laish.
These marching through mount Ephraim, came in their way to the
house of Micah. And making a halt there, the five men, who in
searching the country had been there before, and went now as guides
to the party, acquainted their brethren, that there was in tiiat house
an ephod and teraphim, and a graven and a molten image: wishing
them thereupon to consider what they had to do ; that is, whether
they had best tarry there, to ask counsel of the Lord, concerning the
success of their enterprise, or take the ephod and images with thera,.
to consult with upon all occasions.
Tbe event shews they thought this last the best : for the five men
that were the guides, leaving the whole party without the gate, turned
in; and Micah himself being from home, they saluted the Levite, and
sent bim forth to the Danites at the gate. And whUe he was held
in discourse abroad, the guides knowing the rooms in the house, as

£30 SACRED HISTORY. PART II,
having been there before, went in, and taking the ephod, the teraphim,
and the other images, brought them out to their brethren at the gate.
This startled the young priest; and he briskly asked them, ''What
they meant to do ?' But they soon sUenced him, bidding him, ' Lay
his hand upon his mouth, and hold his peace, and go with thera :'
putting him to consider whether were it better for him to be priest
unto the house of one man, or unto a tribe and a family of Israel.
The advantage and .preferment he was like to have by this change
tickled the. young priest ; so that it is said, 'The , priest's heart was
glad.' So early, it seems, did this itch of shifting from a lesser to a
greater benefice seize some of that function. Not staying therefore
to take his leave of his old master, away ran the priest with this new
company, taking wfth him the ephod, and the images, whereby he
made himself an accessary al least, to their theft, and on they
marched together ; putting the Uttle ones, wfth their cattle and the
carriages, before them.
When Micah came home, and understood tnat both his priest and
gods were gone, he gathered his neighbours together, and foUowed
after the Danites. But they having got the start of bim, were gone
a good way from his house before he could overtake thera. At
length when he carae near, and sent his out-cry before hira, some
of the Danite soldiers facing about, asked Micah ' What he ailed, that
he came with such a company:' Why, said he, ' Ye have taken away
my gods which I made, and the priest : and what have I more ? And
do you ask me what I aU V 0,said they to him, ' Let nol thy voice
be heard among us, lest angry feUows run upon thee ; and thou and
thy company loose your lives.' Poor Micah, finding himself over
matched, was obliged to put up with the wrong, as he thought it, and
return home without either gods or priest: a great gainer, had he
rightly understood it, by the loss of both.
Meanwhile the Danites, continuing their march, carae in a while
to Laish ; and finding the people quiet and secure, they set the city
on fire : by which means they, comparatively but few in number, had
the advantage of faUing upon the citizens whUe they were busied in
quenching the fire, and put thern all lo the sword.
Afterwards rebuilding the city, they called it Dan, after the name
of their father. And settiing there, they set up Micah's graven
image, which having stolen, they had brought with thein ; and making
the young Levite, Jonathan, their priest, he and his sons continued
to officiate as priest to the tribe of Dan, aU the time that the house of
God was in Shiloh, until the captivity of the land : which is reckoned
to be tiU tho ark, in Eli's time, was taken by the Philistines, 1 Sara.
iv, about three hundred years after this.
As this is an instance of great apostacyand corruption in reUgion,
BO that whioh foUows is as pregnant a proof of immorality and foul
depravation of manners. And thus it was :

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 231
A certain Lerite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, took
him a concubine out of Beth-lehem Judah. She it seems, being a
light woman, had played the harlot : and thereupon, either for fear or
shame, left her husband, and ran horae to her father al Beth-lehem
Judah, where she remained full four months. In which time her
husband, having somewhat digested the ihjury, he went at the four
month's end to her father's, intending to be reconciled lo her, and
bring her back with him ; in order to which, he took with him a ser
vant and a' couple of asses, Judg. xix.*
Being come thither,' she brought hira into her father's house, and
her father received him with much joy, being glad to soe him, and
entertained him three days. On the fourth day morning, getting up
betimes, they prepared lo be going ; but the woman's father would
not let them go till they had eaten : and after they had eaten, he pre
vaUed with his son-in-law to tarry one night longer. Next day he
kept them until afternoon; and then aUedging that it was loo late to
set out upon a journey, would have persuaded his son-in-law to
have staid that night also. But he being now fuUy resolved to be
gone, would not yield to his father-in-law's importunity ; but taking
leave of him, set his concubine upon one of his asses, and himself
inountlng'tiie other, departed with his servant.
By that time they were got as far as Jebus, that part of Jerusa
lem which belonged lo Benjamin, bul -was possessed mostly by tiie
Jebusites, the day was far spent; and the servant fearing to be be.
nighted, desired his master to turn in thither, and take up his lodging
there. But the master considering that Jebus was a strange city,
not then fuUy possessed by the children of Israel, wouldnot go thither:
but bid his man go on, that if possible, they might reach Gibeah or
Ramah to lodge in,
Gibeah belonged to the tribe of Benjamin ; whither they got just
as the sun went down, and sat them down in a street of the city, as
the manner of travellers then was, waiting to see who would invite
them lo a lodging.
Al length came an old man from his work, out of tbe field; wlio
seeing a way-faring man in the street, went to him ; and saluting
hira, asked -him whence he came, and which way he was traveUing.
The Levite told him that he was of mount Ephraim, had been at
Beth-lehera Judah, and was now returning to the house of the Lord
at ShUoh : but that no .raan offered him a lodging, though he had
prorisions for himself and his company, and provender for his cattie ;
so that he -need nol be chargeable to any body.
The hospitable old man, who himself was of moUnt Ephraam alsoj
though he dwelt at Gibeah. courteously invued him to lodge at his
* Supposed to be circumcised. A, M. 1516.

SACRED HISTORY.. PART H.
hoUse; bidding him not trouble himself about prorisions, but let all
Jiis wants He upon him.
Taking them therefore home with him, when he had given tha
asses provender, and the guests, as the manner of traveUers in those
eastern countries then was, had washed their feet, they all sat down
to supper.
But before they had done eating, behold, the men of the city, wicked
men as they were, having beset the house round, beat at the door,
lo have broken il : but it not breaking, they called to the master of
the house, just as the Sodomites did to Lot, saying, 'Bring forth the
man that came into thy house, that we may know him.'
The good old man, to prevent danger to his guei*s, ventured him
self amongst the tumultuous rabble, intreating them, by the gentle
corapeUation of brethren, to give over their foolish undertaking; and
nol be so wicked, as to violate the laws of hospitality. And as Lot
did of old, to pacify them, offered them his only daughter, who was
a virgin, and the Levite's concubine, to use and abuse at their pleas-
ure, so they would not offer any -riolence to his guest himseff ; but
they would nol hearken to hira.
When therefore the Levite saw that the men grew more outrageous,
be, to save himself, turned his concubine out among thera ; and her
they abused all night, not letting her gO:tiU break of day: and then
the poor woraan, returning to the house where her lord lay, felt
down dead at the door thereof, with her hands upon the threshold.
In the morning when her lord opened the door, and saw his con-
cubine lying there, he, thinking she had been asleep, said to her, 'Up,
and let us be going.' But when, she not answering, he perceived
she was dead, he took her up, and laying her upon his ass, got him
home as fast as he could. And as soon as he was come home, taking
a knife, he divided his concubine, the- flesh with the bones, into
twelve pieces, and sent them into all the coasts of Israel, to every
tribe a piece ; that so the whole house of Israel being made sensi
ble of the injury, might revenge it.
A thing so barbarous in itself, and represented in a manner so
abhorent frora nature, made deep impression on the minds of the
IsraeUtes in general. All that saw it said, ' There was no such deed
done or seen, since the day that the children of Israel came up out
of Egypt.' And that they might acquit themselves frora the guilt
of so heinous a crime, by doing justice on the offenders, the whole
congregaition of the children of Israel was gathered together, as one
man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, that is, from one end of the land
to the otiier, with the land of GUead, unto the Lord in Mizpeh, which
signifies judgment, that there they might examine the business before
the Lord.
Whe?, therefore £tU the chief of the people out of all fhe tribes of

PAitT n. SACRED HISTORY. 233
Israel, no fewer than four hundred thousand footmen, that drew the
sword, had presented themselves in the assembly of the people of
God, they required the Levite (the men of Gibeah having had notice,
and not appearing) lo give them an account how this wickedness
was committed, Judg. xx.
He, in answer, thus related the matter to them : ' I came into Gib
eah, that belongs unto Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.
And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round
about me by night, intending to have slain me : but my concu
bine they have forced, and she is dead : whereby they have com
mitted lewdness and folly in Israel. Whereupon I took my concu
bine, and having cut her' in pieces, I sent her throughout all tbe
country of the inheritance of Israel. Now ye, being children of
Israel, are concerned in this abuse, as weU as I ; therefore consider
and advise what is to be done.'
When the people had received this account of the matter, they
were highly incensed against the men of Gibeah ; and unanimously
resolved not to return to their bouses, unless they received satisfac
tion from Gibeah, until they had brought the offenders to punish.
ment. Wherefore they determined, that if the men of Gibeah should
refuse upon demand to deliver up the criminals to justice, they would
go up against Gibeah by lot, and chastise the men of Gibeah, ac
cording to aU the foUy they had wrought in Israel. . . . And
that they might have no diversion or hindrance, they agreed to draw
forth ten men out of every hundred, an hundred* out of every thous.
and, and a thousand out of every ten thousand: whose business it
should be to fetch and bring provisions and necessaries for the army.
Thus resolved, they sent men throughout all the tribe of Benjamin,
to lay the weight of this matter before them, and to demand those
men, the men of BeUal, that were in Gibeah, vifho had committed this
outrageous villainy, to be deUvered up to them, that they might put
thera to death, and thereby put away this great evil frora Israel.
But the children of Benjamin , instead of joining with their brethren
to do justice on those malefactors, resolved, in contempt of their
brethren the IsraeUtes, to stand by them and defend them. And in
order thereunto, they gathered themselves together, out of their other
cities, to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
The IsraeUtes, that came- against Gibeah were, upon the muster,
four hundred thousand fighting men. Whereas the Benjamitish army
consisted of but six and twenty thousand, besides the men of Gibeah,
which were but seven hundred. A bold undertaking sure it was,
for so small a body to stand against so great an host. But as the
cause was bad, so the men were desperate.
On the other hand, the Israelites, in their strength and numbers
over confident, despised the Benjamites because they were so few.
And determining of themselves the justness of the cause, never went

234 SACRED HISTORY. PART II,
to ask counsel of God, whether they should make war upon their
brethren, or no. But taking that for granted, that no emulation and
difference might arise among the tribes about precedence in this
service, they went up to the house of God only lo know which of
the tribes should lead the van in that expedition ; and the lot feU to
Judah. The IsraeUtish army thereupon advancing, sat down before Gibeah,
and offered battie to the Benjamites. Whereupon the Benjamites,
making a brisk sally, cut down two and twenty thousand of them ;
and retreated into Gibeah with very Uttie loss.
This unexpected disaster much troubled the Israelites; and they
now saw it was needful to enquire of the Lord not only who should
go up first to the battie, bul whether they should go to the battie at
all, or not. Wherefore, weeping before the Lord, they now ask
counsel of him, whether they should go up again to battie against
the children of Benjamin, their brother, or not : and the Lord -bid
thera go up against hira.
Whereupon encouraging themselves, they drew up tneir forces
again before Gibeah, and offered battie to the Benjamites; who, ma.
king another bold sally, slew eighteen thousand more of them.
With this second- loss the children of Israel were much dejected.
Wherefore now, being more sensible of their former presumption and
neglect, they humbled themselves before the Lord ; and all the people
going up to the house of the Lord, wept, and fasted before the Lord
that day until -the evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace
offerings before the Lord. After which -Iheyinquired more regularly
of the Lord, whether they should yet again go forth to battle against
the chUdren of Benjamin, their brother, or should forbear. For the
ark of the covenant of God was then in Shiloh ; and Phinehas, the
son of Eleazer, the son of Aaron, stood before it; that is, was priest,
in those days. Which (rejecting that Rabbinical dream, that Phin.
ehas lived three hundred years) shews that this story feU early in
the tiraes of the judges. And now the Lord, having corrected the
-Israelites for their presumption and self-confidence, bid them go up
again against the Benjamites, assuring- them that to-morrow he would
deUver thera into tiieir hands : as no doubt he had done at the &'st,
if they had then gone-the right way to work.
Now was the battie prepared the third time. But the men of
-Israel, that they might at length make sure work, resolved lo use a
stratagem; laying an ambush in the meadows behind Gibeah; with
direction, that when the battie should be joined, and the Israelites,
by a feigned flight, should have drawn the Benjamites frora the city,
the men in ambush seizing the city, should sel it on fire, as a signal
to the Israelites to rally and renew the fight.
Accordingly ten thousand chosen men of Israel presenting tiiem.
selves before Gibeah, the Benjamites issuing forth, feU fiercely upon

EART n. SACRED HISTORY. 235
them, and slew about thirty of them. Whereupon tne rest retiring
as ff Ihey fled, the Benjamites flushed with their former victories,
concluded the day was their own; and supposing them to fly in
earnest, pursued with aU their force, tiU they were gone so far frora
the city, that the men who lay in ambush, rushing in, sel il on fire.
Which when the Israelites saw, they faced about, and charging fu-
riously on the Benjamites, made them give back, and turn head, to
secure theraselves in their city.
But when by the smoke and flame they saw that they were cir-
curavented, they fled before the men of Israel, unto the way of the
wUderness, But beinginclosed between the main army ofthe Israel.
ites, and that party of them which were laid in ambush (who having
set the town on fire, feU in upon the Benjamites) they were chased
tmd trodden down with ease. So that there feU of them that day, in
the battie ^and in tbe pursuit, five and twenty thousand and one hun-
dred men. And a thousand more having been destroyed, some in
the former batties, some in Gibeah, wh'en it was taken and burnt,
there remained but six hundred men of the Benjamites: who flying
lo the rock Rimraon, and hiding theraselves there, by that means
saved their lives; all the rest of the tribe of Benjamin being cut off.
For the men of Israel, having cleared the field, turned again, in their
martial heat, upon the children of Benjamin, in every city, and put
thera to the sword, both man and beasts, setting on fire also all tha
cities of Benjamin that they came to.
Thus did that whole tribe pay dear for refusing to do justice on
some of their offending members. Which may be a good caution
to all others to beware how they neglect justice.
But when the men of Israel came in cool blood to consider the
slaughter they had made of the Benjamites, and to how low a con.
dition that tribe was thereby reduced, they were greatly troubled :
and the rather for that, upon their first engaging in this quarrel, they
had, by an hasty and unadvised oath, bound themselves before the
Lord, that none of them should give his daughter to a Benjamite to
wife ; which tended to the utter extirpation of that tribe.
The sense of this brought grief upon them : so that going to the
house of God (to wit, the tabernacle where the ark was) thej'- abode
there till evening before God, and with Ufted up voices wept sorely
saying, ' O Lord God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel,
that there should be to-day one tribe lacking in Israel?' And getting
up early next morning, they buUt an altar there, and offered burnt
offerings and peace offerings to the Lord, Judg. xxi.
Then applying themselves to find out some expedient whereby lo
elude their rash oath, and save the sinking tribe, they caUed to mind
that they had also al the first bound themselves by a great oath, that
whosoever of the other tribes of Israel should neglect or faU to come
up to the Lord at Mizpeh, on that occasion, lo join with their breth-

236 .SACKED HISTORY. PART II.
ren, against the Benjamites, he should surely be put lo death. Where
upon they made a search ; and, by numbering the people, fbund that
there came none frora Jabesh-GUead to the assembly at the camp.
Il was indeed a gi-eat fault in these GUeadites, that in a common
cause, where such a wickedness was committed by some few, as ff
not punished, would bring a judgment upon the whole common
wealth of Israel, they should appear so unconcerned, as if they
favoured the fact. But the proceeding of their brethren, the chUd
ren of Israel, against them, seems very severe. For without send
ing (that appears) to know the reason of their not coming, they sent
away twelve thousand of their ablest men, with positve commission
lo fall upon Jabesh-GOead, and put all lo the sword, man, woman,
and child, except only such marriageable young women as had
never lain with man : all which they were to save, and bring with
them to the camp ; and so they did, bringing four hundred virgins
back with them.
When these four hundred damsels were come, the congregation
sent heralds to treat with the Benjamites, that were in the rock Rim-
mon, to offer them peace and safety and invite them lo return.
These poor creatures, having lain hid there four months, -wUllngly
embracing the offer, they came to the camp, and the congregation
bestowed on them those Gileaditish maidens for wives : but the Ben.
jamites being six hundred, and these damsels but four hundred,
there was not for every man one.
This set their wits at work again. They concluded that some
way must be found to preserve that tribe fi'om being utterly destroy.
ed ; but hard it was to find a way, having barred themselves of
giving them any of their daughters for wives.
At length they bethought themselves that there was a feast of the
Lord holden at ShUoh every year, to which the daughters of Shiloh
used to come, and celebrate the same with dancing before the Lord.
They therefore directed the Benjamites, that wanted wives, to go
and lie in wait in the vineyards; and when they should see the
Shiloh damsels come forth and be busy in dancing, they should
suddenly break forth upon them ; and catching every man one for
his wife, carry them away into the land of Benjamin.
And that they might not fear an after-clap from the relations of the
maids so taken, they told them, if the maid's fathers or brethren,
come lo us (who are the heads of the tribes) to complain of you,
we wiU intreat thera to be- fevourable- unto you for our sakes, be
cause we were to blame, in nol reserving to every one of you a wife
in war. And if they should be scrupulous of having broke their
oath, we will tell thera they did nol, at this time, give you their
daughters, but yo took thera.
The Benjamites thus instructed and secured, watch the tirae; and
catching up every one of thera a dancing damsel, went off with

TART II. SACRED HISTORY. 237
them into their own inheritance : where, repairing their cities, they
settled again, and in time recruited then tribe.
In aU this we may see how wretched a thing it is to be without
government : for these things happened In those days when there was
no ruler in Israel.
But these so heinous sins provoked the Lord to chastise Israel again
by their enemies. Wherefore he strengthened and encouraged Eglon
king of Moab against them, and made him a scourge to them; who
else had neither strength nor courage to have attacked Israel. But
being thus stirred up, Eglon gathering unto him the chUdren of Am-
mon and Amalek, went and smote Israel, and possessed the city
of palm-trees. And as il was an aggravation of their offence, that
having been redeemed from thraldom before, they did so soon trans
gress again, so far an aggravation of their pmiishment, their servi
tude was now, advanced from eight years (which was tbe term of
their former bondage) to eighteen ; for so long they served the king
of Moab.
Yel when the children of Israel, under the sense of their misery,
cried again to the Lord, he raised them up another deliverer,
Ehud, the son of Gera, a lefthanded man, of the b'ibe of Benja
min, Judg. in.*
Ehud did not go to work, as Othniel had done, by plain and
open war ; which perhaps Israel, weakened by eighteen years, ser
vitude, and the tribe of Benjamin especiaUy, by the blow they had
received but a littie before (in the Levite's case) might not then
be in a condition to undertake. But he contrived first to take off
Eglon privately ; as knowing it would be much easier to deal wilh
the Moabites, when tiiey should be in confusion for want of a leader,
than whUe they had their king at the head of them.
Repairing therefore to the Moabidsh court, under pretence that he
had a present to deliver to the king from his servants, the children of
Israel, he was admitted to the king's presence. And when he had
delivered his present, and sent away his servants that brought it thither,
he himself, returning alone, told the king he had a private message to
hira ; whereupon the king bidding him keep silence tiU the company
had quitted the room, all the king's attendants withdrew.
Ehud then, drawing near to hira, said, 'I have a message from
God unto thee.' Al that word the king, in reverence to the name
of God, arose out of his seat, not expecting so sharp a message as
he received.
Meanwhile Ehud, with his left hand drawing forth a dagger (or
two-edged sword of half a yard long, which he had provided for
that purpose, and had privily girded under his garment upon his
right thigh) thrust ft suddenly into the king's belly ; and that so
'A. M. 2628.

S38 SACRED HISTORY. PART H-
forcibly, that the haft went in after the blade. And fhe king being a
very fat man, the fat of his belly closed over the dagger, so that ho
could' not draw it out ; and there he lay waUowing in his own blood-
But none, I hope, wUl draw this act of Ehud's into example.
When Ehud saw that king Eglon was dead, he went out of the
roora, shutting the door after him, and locking it. And when the
king's servants saw Ehud depart, they returned to give their, usual
attendance on their master. But when they found ' the dOor locked,
they wailed without ; supposing he was gone lo ease nature ; which
they modestiy expressed by a cleanly phrase, that he covered his feet
in his chamber. Upon this consideration they tarriedtill they were
ashamed : but when they saw that he opened not the door, they at
length took a key, and opened it. And then, to their amazement,
they found their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
Their delaying gave Ehud a fair opportunity to escape; which
he did. And when he was come to mount Ephraim, blowing a
trumpet, he quickly gathered the children of. Ephraim about him.
Unto whom he said, ' Follow me, for the Lord hath delivered your
enemies, the Moabites, into your hands.' They thereupon following
him, as their leader, went down from the mount; and securing
the fords of. Moab towards Jordan, suffered not a man to pass over:
but falling courageously upon the Moabites, slew about ten thou
sand of the chief of them ; and both delivered Israel, and subdued
Moab, that day.
By means whereof, and of an- additional help which, they received
afterwards by Shamgar, the son of Anatii, a strong and valliant man,
who, no better armed than ivith an ox-goad, slew six hundred men
of the PhUistines, and thereby delivered, Israel from evU neighbours
on that side also, the land (that is, the people of Israel, land being
put, by a metonymy, for the inhabitants thereof) had rest fourscore
years. Wi-fich number of years, as weU as the forty years assigned
before to Othniel, have troubted chronologers to calculate, and of
them, divers go divers ways. I, not designing to labour on that
subject; as not holding it essenrialto my present undertaking, taking
(for the most part) the years as I find them in the text, proceed
with the history. *
In so long- a time of liberty and ease, Israel forgot their former
bondage; and making an ill use of so greal a mercy, they did evU
again in the sight of the Lord -: who therefore sold them ii,g.ain, for
their correction and amendment, into the hands of Jabin; 'vvho assum
ing to himself the titie of king of Canaan, reigned then in Hazor.
This Jabin seems to have been- a strong and powerful prince;
for he had nine hundred chariots of iron. And doubtiess he was a
cruel scourge to Israel ; for he mightly oppressed them twenty years
•A. M. 2750.

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 239
together. Thus as their sins grew greater, their servitude was made
longer ; from eight Id eighteen years before : and now to twenty.
During w-bioh time they were so sharply dealt with, that they durst
not travel the common roads upon their ordinary occasions of com
merce and trading, but were forced to seek out by-ways, lo avoid
their enemies; so that the highways were disused. Neither could
they, with safety, dweU in their- vUlages ; being assaulted by their
enemies' archers, if they went but down to draw water. And besides
.they were not suffered to keep any arms, if il were known that they
had any ; but what arras they had they were' obliged to hide ; ' that
there was nol a sword or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel ; '
so servUe was their thraldom, Judg. iv.
But StiU the Lord,, in the- rnidst of bis judgments, remembered'
mercy : and when his people, brought through suffering, to a sense-
of their sins, cried unto him, he found means to work out their de
liverance for thera ; arid that al this time, after this manner.
There dwelt in Israel a prophetess, whose name was Deborah,
the wife of Lapidoth; ajid she is said to. have judged Israel at that-
time : and the chUdren of Israel were - wont to come lo her for judg
ment. By whioh il appears, that God (who is elsewhere said to be
no respecter- of persons. Acts x. 34) is not so greal a respecter of-
sexes as some think him, but-thathe can give, judgment to his people^
through male or- female, as it-pleaseth him. For since the judgment
is God's Deut, i, 17, it ought- lo be received as such, whatever the-
instrument be through which it is conveyed.
To this good prophetess the Lord appeared, and by his spirit di
rected her to send for Barak-, the son of Abinoam, a brave young
prince of the tribo of NaphtaU. He being come, she acquainted him
with the Lord's comraand, that he should go and draw together ten
thousand men ofthe tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun, and lead them
towards Mount Tabor.
This was an hazardous underlaldng for Barak ; therefore to en
courage him, she (speaking in the narae and place of God) said, 'I
WiU cause Sisera, the captain-general of Jabin's army, to come
forth against thee to the river Kishon, with his chariots and his mul ¦
titude, and I will deliver him into thine hand.'
Barak, considering the greatness of the enterprize, and holding it
necessary to have the prophetess with him (both for counsel to him
seff on all occasions, and for encouragement to, his men) told her,
' If she would go with bira, he would ; else not.' She replied, ' I
will surely go with thee ; ' bul withal pleasantly told him, ' This expe
dition would not be for his honour ; for the Lord would sell Sisera into,
the heuid of a woman.' Then departing together to Kadesh, where
Barak lived, he quickly listed ten thousand volunteers out of Zebu.
lun and Naphtali, and led them to Motmt Tabor, the prophetess ac
oompanying him.

240 SACRED HISTORY. PART U.
Notice of this insurrection was soon given to Sisera ; vvho there
upon gathering together his nine hundred chariots of iron, and all
his people that were with him, which made a very greal host, drew
them down to the river Kishon.
Which when the courageous prophetess saw, her spirit being di
vinely guided, she gave the signal to the battie, by sa5dng to Barak,
' Up ; for this is the day in which the Lord hath deUvered Sisera
into thine hand. And is nol, added she, the Lord gone out before
thee ? ¦
Witii that Barak drew forth his men, and marching down from
Mount Tabor, joined the battle with Sisera. And the Lord discom
fited Sisera, with all his host, before Barak. For the elements were
stirred up against the Canaanites, so that they fought frora heaven;
the stars in their courses fought against Sisera, pouring down storms
of rain and hail, with furious winds upon them ; and the river Kishon
swept them away.
Nor did Barak's sword spare any : but Uke lightning (as his narae
imports) he flew amongst thera, and having put thera to the rout,
foUowed close upon the pursuit, not suffering any to escape. Only
Sisera, king Jabin's general, not finding safety in his chariot, leaped
down, and betaking himself to his heels, avoided Barak's sword, to
die an inglorious death. Which thus happened :
Heber, the Kenite who was of the posterity of Hobab, otherwise
called Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, and whose people went up
with the children of Judah, to dweU amongst them, Judg. i. 16) had
removed his family from the rest of the Kenites, and pitched his tent
unto the plain of Zaanaim, not far frora Kadesh, where Barak Uved.*
These Kenites, though, being proselytes, they worshipped the true
God according to the Mosaic way, yet being strangers by birth, and
not of the promised seed, and so not pretending a right or titie to the
land of Canaan, they held it best policy, in .those troublesome tiraes,
to observe a neutrality, and maintain peace, as much as might be,
with both the Levites and the Canaanites.
Upon this footing it was, that there was a peace between king Ja-
bin, and the house of lleber the Pv^enite. And that gave confidence
lo Sisera, now in distress, to betake himself, in big flight, to the tent
of Jael, Heber's wife, for refuge.
She, seeing him coming, went out to meet him, and invited hira to
corae in without fear. And he, glad of the invitation, and not sus-
pecting danger frora her, whose husband was his master's ally, went
confidenfly in. And being through heat and the toil of the day ex-
tremely thirsty, intreated her, in the first place, to give him a littie
water lo drink : instead of which, she, opening a bottie, gave him
his fiU of milk, or, as some think, of butler-milk.
• A. M. 3553

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 241
Haring with this aUayed his thirst, he desired her to stand In the
door of the lent : directing her, that if any body should come to
ask if he was there, she should say no. Thus he instructed her to
deceive others, who herself, meanwhUe, was contriving how lo de
ceive bim.
Now thinlung himself secure, he laid himself down upon the floor ;
and she spread a coverlet over him. But long he had not lain, ere
through much weariness he feU fast asleep. Which when sbe per
ceived, she look a hararaer in her right hand, and a long nail (or
stake of the tent) in her left ; and pitching it upon the teraples of
his head, smote upon it with that strength and force, that she drove
it clear through his head, and fastened it into the ground : and hav
ing him at that advantage, she-'smote off his head, and so left him.
Then going to the door of the lent, to see whom she could find
to impart the good news unto, she soon perceived Barak himself
coming upon the pursuit after Sisera. Glad of the occasion, she
went out to meet him ; and inviting him in, told him she would shew
him the man he sought after. He thereupon foUowing her in, saw
Sisera there lying dead on the floor, with the nail in his temples.
By this means God subdued Jabin, king of Canaan, before the
chUdren of Israel : who thenceforward went on prevailing against
him, untU they had destroyed him.
The rictoiy thus obtained, and Israel's deliverance thereby accom
plished, the noble Deborah and valiant Barak meeting, sang an heroic
epinicium, or triumphant song of praise, unto the Almighty, which
read in chapter the fifth.
A time of rest succeeded now, within the compass of which the
story of Ruth is generaUy, and with good probability, supposed to
faU : bul the rise and occasion thereof must be sought a littie
higher.

THE END OF THE BOOK OF JUDGES.
VOL. I. — 16

THE
BOOK OF RUTH.

In tiie days when the judges ruled, there was. a famine in the
land, which caused an Israelite of Bethlehera-Judah, whose narae
was Elimelech, to remove with Naomi his wife, and his two sons
Mahlon and ChUion, and go to, sojourn in the land of Moab, Ruth i.*
Long they had nol been there, before Elimelech himseff died.
After which Mahlon and ChUion, not duly observing the law of God,
took each of them a wife of the women of Moab : the name of ChU
ion 's wife being Orpah ; and the name of Mahlon's, Ruth.
After they had dwelt there about ten years, both Mahlon and
Chilion died also ; and poor Naomi was left in a sn-ange country,
bereft of both husband and chUdren, having only her two daughters-
in-law -with her; three widows in one famUy. Wherefore being
weary of staying in a place where she had lost the chief outward
Qomforts of her life, and having heard that the Lord had visited hjs
people in giving them bread (so that the famine was over in Israel)
she set forward to return to tiie land of Judah, her two daughters-
in-law accompanying her.
Being on the way, she considered that though she was going to
her own country, her daughters were going from theirs. Where.
fore in kindness to them, she advised them, to go back, and return
each of them to her mother's house. And lo shew that il was for
their sakes, not out of any dislike to their company, that she was
wiUing to part with them ; she bestowed a kind and motherly bless
ing upon them, saying, ' The Lord deal kindly witii you, as ye have
dealt with my sons, your husbands, who are dead, and with me. The
Lord grant you, added she, that ye may find rest each of you in the
house of her husband, (that is, that ye may marry again to your
content, and enjoy a happy settlement.) Then kissing them, as
taking her leave of them, they cotdd no longer contain ; but lifting
* A. M. 2708.
(2421

PART II. BACKED HISTORY. 24$
up their voices, they wept, and assured, her they could nol so part
with her, but would accompany her, now that she returned to her
people. She using many arguments lo persuade them to go back (the chief
whereof was, that they might marry again, if they staid in their own
counn-y ; whioh tiiey were not Ukely to do, if they went with her)
al length her importunity prevailed upon Orpah ; who with tears, ta-
king leave of her mother-in-law, turned, back to Moab.
Bul no persuasion would prevail upon Ruth ; who, wuh a steady
resolution, persisted in her purpose of cleaving fast to her mother-in-
law. And to stop her mother from pressing her any further upon
that subject, she said unto her, ' Intreat me not to leave thee : for
whither thou goest, I wiU go, and where thou dost rest (or settie) I
wiU rest : thy people shall be ray people, and thy God my God :
where thou diest, I wiU die, and there wiU I be buried : God forbid
that any thing but death should part thee and me.'
When Naomi perceived that her daughter Ruth was stedfastly bent
to go with her, and had also a purpose to cleave unto tiie God of
Israel, she forbore pressing her further : and on they two travelled
together, tiU they came to Bethlehem'.
When they were come thither, where Naomi with her husband
Elimelech had formerly lived in good fashion as persons of note, her
return was generally taken notice of: and her old neighbours remem
bering her, though she had been absent so many years, came to
welcome her home, and congratulate her return.
But when she heard them mention her name, Naomi, which signi
fies beautiful or pleasant, she cried out in the sense of her affliction,
' O call me not Naomi : caU me Mara, which signifies bitter, for the
Almighty hath dealt very bitterly witii me. I went out full ; having
an husband and two sons : but the Lord hath brought me home
again empty; having neither- husband nor son.'
Il was in the beginning of barley-harvest, which usually was in
their first month, when Naomi relumed to Bethlehera. And Rutji
the Moabitess, though poor, yel industrious, and willing to get some
thing towards a llveUhood, desired Naomi to let her go into the field,
to lease or glean eEu:s of corn, where they would suffer her. Her
mother consenting, she went; and happened to light into a field be
longing to one Boaz, a very wealthy man, of the faraily of Elimelech,
and near of kin to him, and there she gleaned after the reapers,
Kutii. u.*
She had not long been there, ere Boaz himself carae into the field,
to look after his workmen. And having saluted them, not with some
airy jest, frothy flout, or sharp taunt, as too many now a-days are
apt to- do, but in a very solemn and reUgious manner, which they, in
»A. M.27i;.

244 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
like sort, relumed to him ; he took norice of Ruth, and asked his baft-
iff whose damsel she was ; he told hira she was the Moabitish damsel
that accompanied Naomi when she came back out of the country
of Moab ; and that she had asked leave to glean after the reapers.
Whereupon Boaz, directing his speech particularly to her, encour.
aged her to continue leasing in his fields, and not go any where else,
but keep with his maidens, into what field soever they went, and to
drink with his servants, when she was a-thirst; letting her know he
had charged his servants that they should nol molest her.
Poor Ruth, overcome with this unexpected kindness, bowed her-
self before him ; and could not but express the thankful sense she
had of his courtesy, in that he would take so much notice of her,
who was a stranger.
But Boaz let her know that be had received a fuU account of her,
and of her kind and handsome carriage towards her mother-in-law,
since the death of her husband ; how affectionately she had clave to
her mother-in-law, and leaving her own father and mother, and the
land of her nativity, was come unto a people whom she had no knowl
edge of before ; and that out of a pious design to be under the pro-
lection and care of the God of Israel ; whom therefore he solemnly
besought to recompense her work, and give her a full reward.
When meal-time came, Boaz invited her to come and eat with bis
reapers ; and he gave her of his provisions more than she could
eat. And when she went again to leasing, he ordered his servants
not only to let her glean among the sheaves without reproof, but
to let fall also some handfuls of corn on purpose, lo make her leas
ing the better. Thus she gleaned in the fields untU evening ; and when
she had beaten out her corn, she had got about an ephah of barley,
which, according to Godwyn's Moses and Aaron, lib. 6, c. 9, is
half a bushel and a pottle.
This she carried home lo her mother Naomi ; who rejoicing to
see she had sped so weU, asked her where she had gleaned that
day. And when she understood the man that had been so kind to
her was Boaz, she told her daughter he was of kin to them, one of
their near kinsmen ; and wished the blessing of God upon him, for
that he had not left off his kindness, either to them who were still
Uving, or to the raemory of their husbands who were dead.
Thus Ruth, with Boaz's leave, keeping near unto his maidens,
went on gleaning in his fields, until both barley and wheat-harvest
was over : yet dwelt still with her mother-in-law Naomi.
But when harvest was ended, Naomi, studious how she might rec
ompense the affectionate kindness of her daughter-in-law to her,
and knowing by experience the comforts of a married Ufe, began
to project how she raight engage Boaz to raarry Ruth, to whom
she reckoned she of right belonged, according lo the law of God,
for raising up the name of a deceased brother, Ruth. iu.

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 245
Wherefore having before acquainted Ruth that Boaz was her near
kinsman, and informed her what the law of Moses required in that
case, she advised her to wash and anoint herself, which in those hot
sweating countries, and in her employment, was not unneedfull, and
putting on her best clothes, go down to Boaz's barn, where he was
winnowing his barley ; but by no means let it be known she was
there, until he bad supped and was gone to bed.
However Ruth, resolring to follow her mother's direction, went
down to the barn, and placing herself where unseen she could see,
she observed that Boaz, after he had eaten and drank, and his heart
was merry, went and laid himself down at the end of the heap of
corn : then waiting a whUe, till he was got lo sleep, she came softly,
and Ufting up the clothes, undiscovered, laid herself down (as mod-
estly as the case would admit) at his feet.
About midnight he waking, and feeling somebody at his feel,
was frightend ; and catching hold, perceived it was a woraan : where
fore he called out, 'Who art thou?' To which she answered, 'I
ara Ruth, thine handmaid. Spread therefore thy skirl (or wing)
over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.' Which was
in effect as if she had said. Take me lo wife as the law directs. For
the phrase of spreading -the skirt or wing over one, imports a taking
such an one into protection. And because it is a part of an husband
to protect and defend bis wife from Injuries, therefore to spread a
¦wing or skirt over one, is used for a periphrasis of raarriage.
Boaz, frora the account he had received concerning Ruth, must
needs know, both that her husband Mahlon was near of kin lo him,
and what the law required in that case. But being himself pretty
far in years, and Ruth a fair young dame, he might question,
perhaps, whether if he should have made the offer, she would have
accepted of an old man. But now that she made the first motion,
he was so far from rejecting her on the score of forwardness, that
he commended her for it ; saying, ' Blessed be thou of the Lord,
my daughter. For thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter
end than at the beginning ; inasmuch as thou foUowedsl nol young
men, whether poor or rich.'
He took it (it seems) for a token of singular kindness to her former
husband, as well as of devotion to the religion she was now con
verted to, that she would choose lo marry her husband's kinsman ;
thereby to keep up her deceased husband's name and family, in
observance to the law of God, though that kinsman was old, in
comparison of her who was young, rather than to please her eye
with some young spruce fellow. And therefore he bid ber assure
herself, he would not fail to answer her desire, and his duty ; which
he had the greater inducement lo, because she had the general rep
utation of a virtuous woman amongst aU the people in the city.
Yet vrithaU he told her, that although he was indeed a near kins-i

24'6 SA'CRED HISTORY. PART II.
man, yet there was another nearer ; to 'whom he must be just, in
gmng him the preference, which was his right. But that he would
speak wfth him about it next morning ; and then if that kinsman
would do the duty of a kinsman to her (that is, marry her) ha
might : otherwise he himself would assuredly do it : -and therefore he
bid her lie stUl tiU morning.
She did so ; yet got up before il was light, that she might get off
undiscovered. For both he and she had a great regard to their
reputation, and the honour of their religious profession. And there
fore he had desired her to take care that it might not be known a
woman had come into that place where he lay.
Bul before he let her go, he bid her come and hold up her apron
or veU, and he put six measures of barley into it, that she might not
go empty to her mother-in-law.
Thus laden, she returned to Naomi, and gave her an account of
the whole proceeding. Which, when Naomi had heard, she said to
Ruth, ' Be still, my daughter, untU thou know how the raatter wiU
fall : for the man wiU not be at rest, untU he has finished the thing
this day,' Ruth iv
And soil proved. For in the morning Boaz came up to the
gate of Bethlehem ; and sitting down there, soon saw that kinsman
whom he had spoken of to Ruth, coraing by. Wherefore caUing
him to him, he desired him to sit down by him; whioh he did.
Then taking ten other men, of the elders of the city, whom also he
desired to sit down by them,, he before them acquainted that other
kinsman, that Naomi, who was come back out of the countlry of
Moab, had a parcel of land to sell, which had been their brother
EUmelech's ; whereof he gave him this public notice, that he might
redeem ft, if he pleased : the right of redemption belonging in the first
place, to him ; but inasmuch as there was none else to redeem it bul
Ihey too, he willed him to declare himself, that he might consider
what he had to do, in case the other refused it.
That other kinsman presentiy answered, ' I wUl redeem it' But
when Boaz told him, that at the same time when he redeemed the
land, he must also lake Ruth the Moabitess to be his wife, to raise
up the name of the dead upon his inheritance; that other kinsman,
changing his note, said, ' I cannot redeem it (on those terms) for my
self; lest I destroy my own inheritance. Therefore, said he to Boaz,
redeem thou my right to thyself: for (if that be the condition) I
cannot redeem it.'
The reason thereof seems to be, that forasmuch as by the law,
Deut. xxv. 6, the first-born of such a marriage was to bear the name
of the woman's former hu.sband that was dead, lo keep up his name
in Israel ; if that kinsman had married Ruth, and should have had
but one son only by her, that son nol being to bear his narae, but
the narae of her former husband, he himself should have had no

PART n. SACRED HISTORY. 247
son to keep up his own name in Israel : and so his inheritance might
have been lost from his name, by passing into another name and
family ; which he was not willing to hazard.
But Boaz was content to run that venture. And the manner or
custom of Israel then being to confirm bargains, sales, exchanges,
and alienations, by the ceremony of plucking off the shoe of him
that did relinquish, or transfer his right ; the kinsman, as a token that
he passed his right of redemption to Boaz, put off his shoe, (or, as
some think, suffered Ruth lo pluck il off, according to Deut. xxv. 9.)
whereupon Boaz said to the elders, and to all the people that were
present, ' Ye are my witnesses this day, that I have bought all that
was EUmelech's and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, ofthe hand
of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess have I purchased, said he,
to be my wife, lo raise up tbe name of the dead upon his inheri
tance ; that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his
brethren : ye, I say, are my witnesses this day.' Whereupon aU
the people that were in the gate (the place of concourse and pubUe
passage) and the elders of the city, answered, ' We are witnesses.'
Nor were they witnesses only, but well-wishers also : for they
added, ' The Loxd make the woman which is come into thine house,
hke Rachel and Uke Leah, which two did build the house of Israel.
And do thou, Boaz, worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethle-
hem ; ' that is, prosper and increase thy substance, that thy name
may be noted aU over the city. • And may thy house be Uke the
house of Pharez (whom Tamar bare unto Judah) of the seed which
the Lord shaU give thee of this young woman.' By which reference
to Pharez (the issue of -that incestuous congress) respect probably
was bad lo the signification of his name, which speaks a breaking
forth : whereby they wish, that the offspring of Boaz by Ruth may
be numerous : and may break forth, and spread themselves far and
wide in Israel.
Thus Boaz took Ruth to be his wife, without either ring or priest ;
and when he went in unto her, the Lord gave her conception, and
she bare a son ; which good old Naomi took and nursed, and the
women her neighbours named it Obed, which signifies a servant ;
perhaps lo intimate, that he should in time be serviceable and help.
ful to his grandraothOT and raother.
This Obed was the father of Jesse, and grandfather of king David ;
of whora, according to the flesh, came our Lord Jesus Christ, who,
as be was appointed lo be the common Saviour of mankind, so he
condescended to come through Pharez, begotten in incest, and through'
Ruth the Moabitess, that all of aU sorts, might lay claim unto him,
aind to the comraon salvation obtained by hira for aU
THE END OF TflE BOOK OF RUTH.

NOW FOLLOWS THE REST OF
THE
BOOK OP JUBGES.

We observed before, that this story of Ruth is held to have faUen
within the timo of those forty years of rest, which Israel is said to
have had under the rule of Deborah and Barak. To which now
looking back, we find, that aft«r they were dead, the children of Is
rael, grown through peace and plenty wanton, did evil again in the
sight of the Lord : by which afresh provoked, he subjected them to
the power of Midian, lo be chastised for seven years-.
Though this bondage was for a shorter time than the former, yet it
was very sharp upon them. So that the chUdren of Israel were
obUged to betake themselves to dens in the mountains, and caves in
the earth, and to strong holds : and yel even so, could not secm'e
themselves : for they were forced to come out to sow the land, that
they might have sustenance. But when they- had sovm, and the
-corn was come up, then came the Midianites, and the Amalekites,
and the people of the east, not only for forage, but bringing with
them their tents and their cattle, in very great numbers, they encamped
against Israel, until they had destroyed aU the crop and increase of
the earth ; leaving the poor Israelites neither corn nor cattle to live
upon, but sweeping all away. And thus they did frora year to year,
till Israel was thereby so greatly impoverished, that in the sense of
their misery they cried unto the Lord for help.
But before the Lord would give them ease, he sent a prophet unto
thera: of whom we have neither the name, nor any further account,
but that he said unto them, ' Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, i
brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house
of bondage ; and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians
and out of the hand of aU that oppressed you, and drove them out
from before you, and gave you their land ; and I said unto you, I
ara the Lord your God, fear nol the gods of the Amorites, in whose
land you dweU : but ye have not obeyed my voice,' Judg. vi.
(248)

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 249
By this expostulating he brought them to a sense of their trans.
gression, and of the justness of the punishment they lay under; that
they might be the more ti'uly bumbled under his hand, and the fitter
for deUverance : which he intended to work fbr them by Gideon, the
son of Joash the Abiezrite.
¦Very busy was Gideon in threshing wheat, that he might hide it
frora the Midianites, Uttie thinking that he raust so suddenly exchange
his flail for a sword, when the angel of the Lord appearing to him,
said, ' The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.'
This unexpected salutation startled Gideon. Who thereupon ta
king occasion to bemoan the condition of his people, made answer,
' Ob, my lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is aU this befaUen us ?
and where are aU his miracles, which our forefathers have told us
of, saying. Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt ? but now,
alas ! the Lord hath forsEiken us, and deUvered us into the hands of
the Midianites : and dost thou say, ' The Lord is with me ? ' *
The Lord then looking upon him with a strengthening eye, said,
' Go in this thy might; and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of
the Midianites : have not I sent thee ? '
Bul poor Gideon, looking at his own weakness, and not yet know
ing who it was that spake to him, repUed, ' Oh, my Lord, where-
\rith shaU I save Israel (or what capacity am I into save Israel;)
seeing my famUy is but poor in the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the
least in the family ? ' The Lord then, to encourage him, said, ' Sure
ly, I wiU be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites, though
they are so numerous, with as much ease as if they were but one
man.' This raised Gideon's attention higher, to consider who it was that
talked with him. Whereupon he said, ' If now I have found favour
in thy sight, vouchsafe to shew me a sign, whereby I may know that
it is thou, the Lord, that talkest with me. W herefore, depart not
hence, I pray thee, till I come again, and bring forth my present
(or meat offering) and set it before thee '
The angel promising to tarry tiU he came, Gideon went in, and-
making ready a kid, and some unleavened cakes, brought them forth,
and presented them before him under the oak where he sat. And
having, by the angel's directions, laid the flesh and the cakes upon
the rock, and poured out the broth, the angel of the Lord put forth
the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and
the cakes : whereupon fire rose up out of the rock, and consumed
thera; and then the angel disappeared. Gideon, by this perceiving
that it was an angel of the Lord, cried out, ' Alas ! O Lord God : for
I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face ; ' which was held a
fatal thing. Bul the Lord, to confirm and comfort him, said, ' Peace
*A.-m. 2760.

»
£50 SACRED HISTORY. PART H,
be unto thee : fear nol, thou shalt not die.' Gideon liereupon, in
thankfol remembrance of the Lord's goodness to him, built an altar
there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-Shalom ; that is. The
Lord of peace, or the Lord send peace.
Hitherto the Lord had appeared to Gideon -m such a -manner as
Was perceptible to his outward senses, to confirm and strengthen him
for the work he had to employ him in ; which now he began lo put
him upon. Forthe same night the Lord commanded him to throw
down the altar of Baal, which in those corrupt times had been set
up ; and to ' cut down the grove that was by it , and to bmld an
altai\ to the Lord his God upon the top of the rock ; and take his
father's second bullock, whioh was seven years old, and offer il for a
burnt sacrifice, with the wood of the grove which he was to cut down.'
This bullock is thought to be caUed the second, from the stall it
stood and was fed in ; which was the second in order of place.
And being as many years old as their subjection -to Midian was, the
destroying • this bullock raight in some sort prefigure the breaking the
Midianitish yoke from off the neck of Israel, by Gideon ; whose name
sounds a breaker or destroyer.
Gideon, resolving to obey God, began to cast in his mind which
way he might accompUsh the work. And doubting he should meet
with opposition or hindrance, if he should attempt to do il in the
day time ; he concluded to do it in the night : and accordingly la.
king ten men of his servants to assist him, he performed it fully, as
the Lord had directed him.
But what a stir was there in the morning among the men of the
city, when, as soon as they were up, they found the ahar of Baal cast-
down, the grove cut down that was by it, and a new altar built, and
the choice buUock offered upon it. They hunt about, sift, and ex.
amine, to find out the author of this bold action : and at length fast.
ening il upon Gideon, they require his father Joash to bring him forth
that they may put hira to death for it.
Joash being a raan of power araongst his people, and weU satis
fied with what his son had done, stood up boldly in his defence ; and
expostulating the matter closely with his fellow citizens, those Baal-
itish bigots, ' WiU ye, said he, plead for Baal ? Will ye serve him ?
Ye laUc of putting my son to death for throwing down his altar : but
I say, he that wiU plead for Baal let him be put to death, whUe il is
yel morning. If he be a god, let him plead for himsdff against him
that has thrown down -his altar.' And upon this occasion, he called,
his son Gideon, Jerub-baal : as much as to say, let Baal avenge ; or
let the idol overcome.
Though Joash thus answered the men of his city, and stopped
their mouths ; yet the matter did not stop there. The Midianites and
the Amalekites, with the other eastern people, gathering themselves
together, came over and pUchcd in the valley of Jezreel : not only

PART II. SACRED HISTORT. gSf
aa at other times to ravage the country ; but probably to avenge
the injury they conceived done to Baal, the general god of the heathen.
Now did the Lord more eminentiy appear: for the spirit ofthe
Lord clothed Gideon ; it so came upon him as to cover him. And
he, in the strength thereof, blowing a trumpet, all those of his family,
the Abiezrites, came in quickly to him. Then sending messengers
throughout the tribe of Manasseh, and to the tribes of Asher, Zebu^
lun, and NaphtaU, they flocked in so fast unto him, that in a littie
time he had a pretty army of two aud thirty thousand men. But
this was but a handful, in comparison of the great host of the ene.
mies; which consisted of -one hundred and thirty and. five thousand
men. Gideon therefore, seeing the disparity of their forces, and having
never before been exercised in this manner, besought the -Lord to
give hira a sign or token, for a confirmation to him and his men,
that be would save Israel by bis hand.
The sign he proposed was, that he laying a fleece of wool in the
floor, the dew should be upon the fleece only, and the eartii round
about should be dry. The Lord condescended : and Gideon, hav
ing laid down bis fleece over night, found the ground about it dry in
the morning, and the fleece so fuU of dew, that he wrung a bowl full
of water out of it.
To encourage and hearten his men, and remove out of their
minds, all suspicion of art or contrivance, Gideon asked leave of
God, that he might make trial by his fleece once more, inverting the
order ; so that the token of good success now should be, that the
fleece should be dry, and the ground dewy. To which the Lord
graciously yielded ; and the fleece being laid the next night again,
was found dry in the morning, but the ground round about it had
dew upon it
Thus by a two-fold miracle confirmed, Gideon resolved to give
battle lo the Midianites ; and in order thereunto drew up his army
beside the well af Harod, having the enemy on the north side of
him, in the valley, by the hUl of Moreh, Judg. vn.
But as Gideon before thought his forces loo few, God now thought
them too many, and that, if he delivered the Midianites into their
hands (as he intended lo do) Israel might be apt to vaunt them
selves against him, and attribute their deUverance to their own
strength. Therefore he ordered Gideon to make proclamation through
out the camp, that whosoever was afraid, should have the liberty lo
depart and return home. And upon that, there marched off two and
twenty thousand at once : so that Gideon had but ten thousand men
left with hira. And yet the Lord held these too raany stUl. For he
•was resolved now to order the matter so, that Israel's deliverance
should evidentiy appear to be whoUy of the Lord, not of man.
Therefore he bid Gideon bring the soldiers down unto the water

262 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
And as Gideon had before asked sign upon sign, he would now, with
out asking, give him a sign whereby he should distinguish and know
which of them should go with him, and which should not. They
that look up water in their hand, and lapped il like a dog, should go
with him ; but they that kneeled do^vn to drink should be disbanded.
When it came to the trial, nine thousand and seven hundred of
the ten thousand kneeled down to drink : so that Gideon had bul three
hundred left to go with him. And yet by those three hundred men
that lapped, the Lord told him he would save Israel, and deUver
the Midianites into his hand. Wherefore, at the Lord's command,
he dismissed all the rest of the people ; only keeping so many of
their trumpets, that each of his three hundred men might have one
for himself
Now had Gideon need of strong faith to his weak forces : for the
same night the Lord gave hira the word of coraraand, lo go and faU
on; teUing hira he had delivered the Midianites into his hand. Yet
considering the greatness and difficulty of the enterprize, he gra
ciously added ; ' But if thou fear to go down, go thou first, with
Phurah thy servant ; that by hearing what they say araong them
selves, thy hands may be strengthened, and thou be encouraged to go
down with thy men.'
Gideon, glad of this liberty, taking only his servant with him, went
softly down in the covert of the evening, tiU he came to the utraost
ranks of the enemy's army ; which lay along in the valley, Uke grass
hoppers for multitude, and their camels without number
Long he had not stood there, ere he heard one of the enemy's
soldiers telling his dream to his comrade ; and thus he began it : ' Be-.
hold, said he, I dreamed a dream ; and lo, a cake of barley-bread
tumbled into the host of Midian, and coming against a tent smote it,
that it fell and overturned it, that the tent lay along.' His comrade
presently undertaking to expound the dream, told him, ' This barley-
cake is nothing else, save the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a
man of Israel : for into his baud hath God delivered Midian, and aU
the host.'
When Gideon had heard this dream, with the interpretation there
of, he had enough. Wherefore bowing himself in thankfulness to-
God, his next care was, how to gel back, as he came thither, undis
covered. Which having done, he cheerfully said to his men, 'Arise:
for the Lord hath delivered the host of Midian into your hand.'
Then dividing his three hundred men into three companies, and
giving every man a trumpet in one hand, and a pitcher with a burn
ing lamp in it, in the other hand; he charged them to foUow him,
and observing his motion, do just as they should see him do.
All things now disposed in order, Gideon set forward with one
hundred men al his heels ; the other two companies advancing also,
and placing tiiemselves on each side of the host : and when Gideon

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 253
was come to the outside of the camp, he with his company blew their
trumpets also, and brake their pitchers ; and with terrible shouts cried
out, ' The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon : ' for that was the
word. It was now the beginning ofthe middle watch, which, dividing
the night, from six to six, into four watches, as most do, should answer
ten at night with us. But that seems early, considering how much
tirae must be spent, after Gideon had order to set forward, in his go
ing to the carap ; staying there to hear the dreara with its interpre
tation : returning back again, disposing his men, and giving the ne
cessary orders for the assault. Drusius, on the place, dividing the
night into three watches only, supposes this to be caUed the middle
watch, as being the middlemost of three. Such a division running
the middle watch an hour further, makes the beginning of it answer
our eleven at night.
Whichsoever it was, likely il is that the Midianitish host were in
their tents, and settied to rest, when their quarters were beaten up
with this unexpected alarm ; which must needs be not only very sur.
prising, but exceeding terrible to them.
The sudden sounding of so many warlike trumpets, the crashing
noise of so many pitchers dashed in pieces all in a moment, the
«4azzling sight of so many flaming tapers, flashing about in a dark
night, might well strike them with both amazeraent and terror.
Nor was it a slight or coraraon policy in Gideon, to put a trumpet
in every man's hand; by which the Midianites might weU suppose,
according to the rules of mUitary order, the IsraeUtish army to be
very great, when they heard so many trumpets sounding together :
and those so disposed, on each side of the camp that the Midianites
might apprehend they were surrounded and enclosed.
But above aU, the Lord struck the Midianites with fear, and set
them altogether by the ears amongst theraselves throughout the host :
so that rising up in a fright, they ran and fled, making an horrible
outcry, and thrust their swords through one another.
Which disorder being observed, the men of Israel gathered to
gether out of Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and pursued the
Midianites : for they who before were afraid to fight, were now bold
to pursue a fiying enemy.
Gideon also sent messengers throughout all Mount Ephraim, invi
ting the Ephraimites to corae down against the Midianites, and pos
sess theraselves of the fords, that they might lake them in their flight
over Jordan ; which the Ephraimites doing, they took Oreb and Zeeb,
two princes of the Midianites, and haring slain them, foUowed the
pursuit. Gideon meanwhile, with his three hundred men, following hard
upon the chace, came weary and faint to Succoth where making a
littie haft, he entreated the men of Succoth to give his soldiers some

264 SACEED HISTORY. PART II.
loaves of bread, to refresh them, because they were hasting in pur
suit after Zebah and Zalmunna, two of the kings of Midian, who
with about fifteen thousand men were fled to-Karkor. But the prin
ces of Succoth, considering how strong the Midianitish kings wexe
in comparison of Gideon, they being fifteen thousand to his three
hundred tired men, not only refused to refresh his soldiers, but in
derison asked him, if the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna were now
in his hands, that they should reUeve his, array, Judg. riii.
This insult Gideon resented so much, that he told them, 'When
the Lord hath deUvered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, thenwiU
I tear your flesh with the thorns of the wUderness, and with briars.'
Then marching a litfle further lo Penuel, he made the Uke request
lo the men of that place, and received from them, the same answer
that he had al Succoth. Whereupon he told the men of Penuel,
' When I come again, in peace, I wiU break down this tower.'
Hopeless now of any relief, he was obliged lo lead, on his men,
faint and weary as they were, towards Karkor : where the two Mid
ianitish kings, with their raUied hosts, lay, as they thought, secure.
But he faUing suddenly and briskly upon them, smote and discom
fited the whole host.. And pursuing the two kings, Zebah and Zal
munna, who fled, he took them, and brought them back with him.
to Succoth.
But before he entered the lown, having caught a young man of "lh&
place, he made him describe unto him the princes of Succoth ; who
were threescore and seventeen men. Then entering the city, and
caUing the princes before- him, he shewed them Zebah and Zalmtm-
na, his prisoners, with whom they before had upbraided him ; and
taking the elders of the city, he chastised them with thorns and briars,
ae he had before threatened to do-; and thereby taught the men of
Succoth to behave themselves better for the future. Nor did he spare
Penuel ; bul threw down the tower, and slew the chief men (or gov
ernors) of the eity.
Then turning to Zebah and' Zalmunna, he asked them what man
ner of raen they were whora they had slain at Tabor ; and they teU
ing hirn they were like him, eachof them representing the- child of a
king, he replied, ' They were my brethren, even the sons, of my
mother ;' whose Uves, if' they had saved, he would (he told them)
have saved theirs : but now, since they had kiUed his brethren, they
must expect no mercy. Therefore! he bid his eldest son Jether, rise
up and slay them : but he, being but a youth, was somewhat timor
ous, and not forward to draw his sword. Whieh Zebah, and Zal
munna observing, and thinking it better (seeing their was no hopes
of Ufe) to be dispatched quickly by a strong and bold band, than to
be long a hacking to death by a feeble and fearful hand, desired
Gideon to fall upon them himself; 'for as is the man, said they, so is

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. SB5
his strength.' Whereupon Gtdeon arose and slew them, and took
the ornaments, or trappings, from off their camel's necks.
The men of Ephraim, when they had taken and slain Oreb and
Zeeb, two princes of Midian, brought their heads to Gideon, on the
other side Jordan, to let hira see what service they had done ; and with
aU, began to quarrel with hira for his not calling thera at the first to the
battle. But be, by raagnifying their service and success in what they
had done upon the pursuit, and preferring their perforraances to his
o^vn, wisely pacified thera, and so prevented further raischief.
The strength of Midian thus broken by the slaughter and destruc
tion of their whole host, consisting of an hundred thirty and five thous
and raen, a time of peace and tranquiUty ensued lo Israel for forty
years together. Which period yet is by many reckoned to commence
from the end of the forty years peace procured by-Deborah and Barak.
And now so fuU of sense were tbe men of Israel of Gideon's merit,
in having -wrought so great a deliverance for them, that they offered
to settie the government on Gideon, and make it hei^editary to his
faraily. Which greal temptation Gideon most generously resisted,
' I wUl not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you : but the
Lord shaU rule over you. Yel lo let you see, said he, that I do not
slight your kindness, I wiU request one thing of you ; and that is,
that ye wUl eveiy one give me the ear-rings of his prey.' They
readily answered, 'We will -willingly give them.' And forthwith
spreading a garment, they cast in every man the ear-rings of his
prey : which being of gold (as being taken from the IshmaeUtes) they
eame by weight to one thousand and seven hundred shekels of
gold; besides divers other sorts of ornaments, and rich raiment, with
the chains that were upon the camels' necks.; all which they threw in,
over and above what was asked.
If the shekel of gold was in value fifteen shiUings of English
money, as Godwyn computes it (Moses and Aeiron, I. 6, c. 9) these
©ne thousand seven hundred shekels would come to one thousand
two hundred seventy and five pounds.
Of this gold Gideon made an ephod, and put it in his city Opbrah,
with no other intention, as is generaUy concluded, but that it might
fee a monument of the victory obtained by Israel over the Midianites
But il proved a snare to the house of Gideon ; and indeed to the
whole house of Israel. For after Gideon was dead, who Uved to a
good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash. his father,
in his city Opbrah, all Israel went a whoring after this ephod, and
tumed again after BaaUm, and made Baal-berilh their god ; w&ich was
the idol ofthe Shechemites, amongst whom be bad an house or temple.
Thus the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God,
who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on
every side ; neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerub-baal,

255 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
that is Gidegn, according to aU the goodness -which he had shewed
unto Israel. *
Their ingratitude to God, the author of their deUverance, is seen
in their forsaking the Lord, and serving strange gods. Their ingrati
tude to Gideon, the instrument of their deliverance, is erinced by
their kiUing his sons, which the sequel of the story relates.
For Gideon, by many wives, had threescore and len sons ; by
a concubine, he had one son, whom he named Abimelech. Now
though Gideon had refused the government of Israel, both for him
self and for his sons ; yet when he was dead, this bastard Abimelech,
being a forward youth, betook himself lo his mother's kindred at
Shechem ; and suggesting to them that all his seventy brethren would
usurp the government over them, wished them to consider, which
would be better for them, that seventy persons should reign over
them, or bul one : and withaU put them in mind, that he was thelf
bone and their flesh, Judg. ix.
His mother's kindred taking this in, as a project that promised pre
ferment to them, slily insinuated il to the men of Shechem ; who, for
the same reason falling in with it also, contrived bow to advance Abi
melech. And because money is said to answer aU things, they stuck
not to give him some of their sacred treasure out of the house of
their god, Baal-berith : wherewith he hired vain and light persons,
dissolute feUows, to attend him. And with these ruffians, speeding to
his father's house at Opbrah, he seized on his brethren, the sons of
Jerub-baal, who were seventy in number, and slew them all upon one
stone ; except the youngest, whose name was Jotham, and who es
caped that slaughter by hiding himself
The Shechemites, now holding themselves safe from any danger or
opposition from Gideon's house, grew bolder, and gathering them
selves together, with aU the forces of MUlo (or tiie fortress) set up
Abimelech for their king. Which when young Jotham understood,
he went to the top of Mount Gerizira, where be might be both weU
seen and heard, and yel be out of their reach ; and from thence, irith
a loud voice calling unto the Shechemites, he said, ' Hearken unto
me, ye men of Shechem ; that God raay hearken unto you.' By
which solemn address having engaged their attention, he deUvered
his mind to them, in this witty and significant apologue : t
The trees, said he, went forth lo anoint a king over them ; and the
first choice they made was of the olive, to whiich they offered the
crown, saying. Reign over us. But the oUve refused it, saying.
Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and
man, and go to be promoted over the trees ?
Upon this refusal of the oUve, they tendered the government to the
*A. M 2760. i A.'M. 2768.

FART II, SACRED HISTORY. 257
fig-treS. But the fig-tree, not wiUing lo part with its sweetness and
good fruit, declined it also.-
Thereupon they present it to the vine. But the vine, preferring its
delicious wine to the gaudy trouble of govemment, chose to continue
in its private and quiet estate.
Hitherto the trees had cast their choice upon the richest and most
reputable of their company : but having thus been the third time
repulsed, they resolved now ta make the offer, where in aU likeUhood
it wouldnot be rejected: and therefore, with one consent, they pitched
upon the bramble, or thistle ; saying, ' Come thou, and reign over us.'
The bramble, without any compliment or ceremony, readily accept
ed the offer; but wished them to be in earnest, letting thera know
what otherwise they must trust to. ' If in truth, said he, ye anoint
me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow ;
but if not, let &'e corae out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of
Lebanon." By which apl parable, having represented to the Shechemites how
his father Jerub-baal, when the men (not of Shechem only, but) of
Israel, had ofl'ered to settie the government upon him and his poster
ity in taU, did, Uke the olive, fig, and vine, bravely refuse il ; and that
they had now cast it upon one, as much inferior in virtue, worth,
and honour, to Gideon and his lawful sons, as the bramble is to the
oUve, fig-tree, or vine ; he expostulated the injury done to his faraily,
and thus laid their ingratitude before them :
' Now therefore, said he, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in
that ye have made Abimelech king ; and if ye have dealt well with
Jerub-baal and his house, according to what he deserved of you
(for my father fought for you, and adventured his life to the utmost,
and delivered you out ofthe hand of Midian; and yet, notwithstand
ing all that, ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and
have slain his sons, so that of seventy persons, I only, by providence,
have escaped you ; and ye have made Abimelech, the son of his hand
maid, king over the men of Shechem ; not for his virtue, bul because
he is your brother. If, I say, ye have dealt truly and sincerely with
Jemb-baal, and with his house this day ; then rejoice ye in Abimelech,,
and^ let bim rejoice in you. But if not, then let fire come out from
Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo :
and let fire come also out of the men of Shechem, and from the
house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.'
When Jotham had thus delivered himself, knowing there could
be- no safety for him any where within Abimelech's reach, he fled lo
Beer: which some guess to be a viUage in the tribe of Simeon.
But if Abimelech was king over Israel al large (as the text inti
mates, ver. 22) Jotham could hardly have been safe, ff known to be
ia any of the tribes.
VOL. I. — 17

2S8 SACRED HISTORY PART H.,
But wherever Jotham's sanctuary was, it was not long ere the
curse he had denounced upon Abimelech and the Shechemites, brake
forth indeed between them as a devouring fire.
For when Abimelech had reigned three years, God sent an evil
spirit between him and the men of Shechem, by which they were
stirred up to deal treacherously with him ; and he roughly with them..
And this was brought tq pass, that the cruelty done to the sons of
Jerub-baal raight be avenged, and their blood be laid upon Abime-
lech, their brother, that slew them ; and upon the men of Shechem,
who aided him in the kUUng of them. Which shews that Jotham did
not speak at random.
At first the Shechemites wrought privily against Abimelech, ap
pointing some to lie in wail for him on the top of the mountains^
where he used to resort ; that they might kiU, or at least seize on
bim. Bul this design being discovered to Abimelech, he escaped
them. Whereupon they turning highwaymen, robbed all passengers^
This did not answer the Shechemites' end. Wherefore they en.
tertained in their service one Gaal, the son of Ebed, who came la
Shechem with a band of men that were his brethren or kindred, and
the men of Sheohera put their confidence in him. And thinking
themselves safe under his conduct, they went out boldly into the
fields to gather and press their grapes. And making songs in praise
of Gaal, they went into the house of their god ; where they did eat
and drinlc, and curse Abimelech.
Puffed up with this popular breath, Gaal began to look and talk
big, speaking contemptibly not only of Abimelech, but of Jerub-baal
also, and wishing the people were wholly at his command that he
might remove Abimelech. And turning his speech (by a figure
caUed apostrophe) to Abimelech, as if he had been present, he fool-,
ishly cried out, ' Increase thine army, and corne forth.'
Zebul was governor of Shechem at that tirae for Abira,elech, who
haring heard Gaal's insolent speeches, and being thoroughly warmed
therewith, sent messengers privately to Abimelech, who then dwelt
at Araumah, otherwise called Tormah, and acquainted him that Gaal„
with his brethren, being come lo Shechem, began to fortify the city
against him. Wherefore he advised him to corae with his forces.
by night, and Ke in wait in the fields ; and early in the morning,
when Gaal and his foUowers should come out, set upon them and
take the city.
Abimelech, foUowing Zebul's counsel, came forward wilh his men
by night ; and disposed them in four companies, at such a distance-
frora the city, that they might not be discerned. And when Gaal
went out lo the city-gate, early in the morning, Abimelech and his
men, being risen up frora lying in wail, were coming down towards
the city. Gaal therefore seeing them move at a distance, told Zebul
the governor, tiiat there came people down from the top of tiie moun-

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 259
tains. Zebul understood it weU enough ; yet partly lo answer Gaal,
and partly to deride him, answered, ' Thou seest the shadow of the
mountains, as ff Ihey were men.' Gaal wouldnot be so put off:
but looking more earnestiy, shewed Zebul where the people came
down ; sorae in one company, and some in another. Zebul seeing
them now so near, that there was no danger in owning it, laughed
Gaal lo scorn ; asking hira in derision, ' Where is now thy mouth,
wherewith thou saidst. Who is Abimelech that we should serve him ?
Is not this the people that thou hast despised? Go out, I pray thee
now, and fight with them.' Gaal haring no other remedy, led out
the men of Shechem lo fight wilh Abimelech ; bul was soon over
thrown, put to flight, and chased to the gate : but Zebul would not
suffer bim nor bis men lo enter Shechem again. •
On the morrow, others of the city going forth into the fields, Abi
melech faUing on them, slew them. And when he had fought aU day
against the city, he at length look it : and having slain the people
that were in it, he beat down the city : and to express his detestation
of it, he sowed it with salt.
They who were in the tower of Shechem, seeing the city thus de
stroyed, thought themselves hardly safe there ; and therefore went into
a strong hold or fortress befonging to the house of their god, Berith.
Which when Abimelech understood, he took an axe in his hand, and
bidding aU the people that were with him follow hira, and do as they
saw him do, he v/enl up to Mount Zaknon, where grew a grove of
trees; and cutting down a bough, took il on his shoulder, and
brought it down to the hold. The rest of the people foUowing his
direction and example, brought every one his bough, and laying them
about the hold, set it on fire: by which means all the people that
were in it, being about a thousand men and women, were destroyed.
Lifted up with success, Abimelech went to another city, called
Thebez ; against which he encamped, and took it. Bul there being
a strong tower within tiie city, the peopfe, both men and women, fled
generally thfther ; and shutting themselves in, got them up to the
top of he tower.
Abimelech, pursuing his own destruction, came unto the tower,
and fought against it : but pressing hard unto the door of the lower
to have sel it on fire, a woman from above oast down a piece of a
miUstone upon his head, which brake his skuU. He feelmg himself
mortally wounded, called hastUy lo his armour-bearer, arid said,
' Draw thy sword and slay me ; that men say not of me, a woman
slew him : ' whereupon his armour-bearer, thrust him through, that
he died. And when his army saw that he was dead, they dispersed
themselves.* Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did
*A. M. 2771.

260 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
to bis father, in slaying his brethren, upon his own head. And all
the evil of the raen of Shechera did God render upon their heads
also. And upon thera both came the curse of Jotham, the son of
Jerub-baal, or Gideon.
This Abimelech, no better than he was, is reckoned among the
Judges ; * and to have ruled Israel three years. After whose death,
Tola, a man of Issachar, arose lo defend Israel and he judged Is
rael three and twenty years ; and yet nothing is recorded that he did
in that time : to whom succeeded Jair, a GUeadite, who judged Israel
two and twenty years. And all the account we have of him is, that
he had thirty sons, who rode upon thirty ass-colts, to distinguish them
from the common people ; and each of thera had a city or viUage to
hiraseff, which were caUed the villages of Jair, Judg. x.+
In so long a time since Gideon's death great corruptions were
crept in ; and the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of
the Lord : for they served BaaUm and Ashtaroth, and the gods of
Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods
of the children of Araraon, and the gods of the PhiUstines ; and they
forsook the Lord, and served not him.
This highly provoked the Lord, so that his anger was hot against
Israel ; and he sold them into the hands of the PhiUstines, and of
the chUdren of Ammon, who vexed and oppressed them eighteen
, years, even aU the chUdren of Israel that were on the other side of
Jordan, in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. And in
the last year, the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight
against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Eph
raim ; so that Israel was sore distressed.
In this distress the children of Israel crying unto the Lord, said,
' We have sinned against thee, both in that we have forsaken thee,
our God, and also served Baalim.'
The Lord hereupon took occasion to enter into a close exposttUa-
non with Israel, recounting to them the many deliverances he had
given them: ' Yet, said he ye have forsaken me, and served other
gods, . . . Wherefore I will deliver you no more,' that is un
less ye put away your strange gods, and turn to me with unfeigned
repentance. And to make them the more sensible of their folly, as
weU as wickedness, in forsaking him who had so often helped them,
and in faUing down to such senseless stocks, as could help neither
them nor themselves, he bid them ' Go cry to the gods which ye have
chosen, and let them, said he, dehver youinthetimeofyourtribulBuon.'
This sharp reproof pierced the poor Israelites to the heart ; so that
humbling themselves before the Lord, they said again, ' We have
sinned : do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee ; only
deUver us, we pray thee, this day.' Neither did they make confession
» A, M, 2794 t A. M, 8816.

PART n. SACRED mSTORY. 261
only in words, bul in practice reformed : for they put away the strange
gods from among them, and served the Lord. 'Whereupon he com
miserated the condition of his people, and appointed them means to
effect their deliverance.
There was in that half tribe of Manasseh, which settied on the
other side Jordan, a raan of note amongst his people, whose name was
Gilead, of the posterity of that Gilead, the son of Machir, unto
whom Moses gave the city of Gilead, Numb, xxxii. 4; from whence
that family was called Gileadiles, Judg. xii.
This GUead had divers sons by his wife ; but he had one son by
an harlot, whom he named Jephthah. And when his lawful sons
were grown up, they thrust out Jephthah ; telUng him, he should have
no inheritance among them, nol being born in lawful matriraony.
Whereubon Jephthah flying from his brethren, went and dwelt in the
land of Tob, which signifies goodness, as Jephthah signifies opening;
and being a bold young man, a company of vain fellows flocked to
him, and went along with him.
After some tirae the children of Ammon making war against Israel,
the elders of Gilead wanting a general, and knowing Jephthah to be
a man of great valour, went to him al Tob ; and offering him the
command of their army, desired him to come and be captain-general
of their forces, that under bis conduct they might fight with Ammon.
Jephthah surprised with this sudden change, asked them, ' Did nol
ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house ? and why are ye
come lo me now, when ye are in distress?'
They plainly acknovriedging that it. was their distress that had
moved them to come to him, said, 'Therefore we turn again lo thee
now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of
Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of GUead.'
But, said Jephthah, wiUing lo be on sure terms. If ye bring me
home again to fight for you, against the chUdren of Araraon, and the
Lord deUver them before me, shaU I be your head, or chief ruler
afterwards ?
They solemnly engaging that he should, and calling God to wit
ness upon it, Jephthah thereupon went with them ; and the people
made him head or captain over them ; Jephthah repeating the cow-
enant of agreement that was made between them before the Lord in
Mizpeh. The government being thus settied upon him, he forthwith sent
messengers lo the king of Ammon, to demand the reason why he weis
come lo make war in his land. To which the Ammonitish king ans
wered, that the land was bis ; that Israel when they came up om of ,
Egypt, had taken il away from his people the Amraonites ; that there-'
fore he was come to demand and recover his right, unless Jephthah
would restore it peaceably.
Jephthah hereupon, by messengers which he sent to him again.

262 SACRED HISTORY. PART U.
opened the whole matter to him fropi the beginning, that he might see
his error; shewing him, that Israel took nol the land in question
from the Ammonites; nor had indeed anything lo do with them.
But that having in their travel from Egypt desired passage through
the countries of Edom and Moab, and being denied by the king of
each, they were forced to fetch a great compass, till they came to the
land of the Amorites; of whom also they prayed passage. But
Sihon the Araoritish king, not only opposed their passage, but with all
his forces set upon thera. Whereupon it coraing to a pitched battie,
the Lord God of Israel delivered Sihon, and all his people, into the
hand of Israel, and they smote thera ; by which means Israel came to
possess aU the land of the Amorites, even whatsoever Sihon was pos
sessed of: and he having before taken from the king of Moab the land
now in question. Numb, xxi, ver. 26, that feU with the rest by con
quest from the Amorite to Israel.
Jephthah having thus shewed that Israel took nothing from Ammon
or Moab, but from the Amorites, whom the Lord God of Israel had
dispossessed before his people, thus reasons with the Araraonitish
king : ' WUt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth
thee to possess ? So whomsoever the Lord our God shall drive out
before us, them will we possess.'
Then confirming Israel's title by a long prescription of about three
hundred years peaceable enjoyment : he concluded thus : ' Where
fore 1 have not sinned against thee; bul thou dost wrong me, in
making war against me : the Lord, the judge, be judge this day be
tween the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.'
The Amonitish king not Jrjelding to Jephthah's reasons, but per
sisting in his claim, the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, by
which animated, he marched out against the children of Ammon, who
were ready in arms to receive bira.
But before he joined battle with thera, he vowed a vow unto the
Lord, saying, ' If thou shalt without faU deliver the children of Ara-
mon into ray hands, then it shall be, that whatsoever coraeth forth out
of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from
the chUdren of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, ' or I wiU offer it
up for a burnt offering,' So I read it, according to the margin, rather
than ' and,' as it stands in tlie text, for reasons which shall be given
by and by.
This vow thus made for good success, Jephthah joined battie with
the Ammonites, and the Lord delivered them into his hands; so
that he smote them with a very great slaughter, look twenty cities
from them, and subdued thera before the children of Israel.
After which, returning to his house al Mizpeh, who should be the
first that came forth to meet him, but his own only daughter ; who, to
congratulate his victory and safe return, came out to him wilh mu
sic and dancing ; and she was indeed his only child.

PART II. SACRED fflSTORY. 263
But when he saw her, he rent his clothes, and cried out, ' Alas ?
my daughter, thou hast brought me very low ; and thy coming (at
this time) is a trouble to me : for I have opened my mouth unto the
Lord, and I cannot ,go back.'
' Well, my father, said the damsel, forasmuch as the Lord hath
taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, the children of Ammon ;
if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do lo me according lo
¦that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth, only, added she, grant
me this request, let me alone (leave me at liberty) two months, that I
may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity
with my companions.' Which being granted her, sbe went, and at
the end of the two months retumed unto her father, who did vrith
her according to his vow : and she knew no man, that is, she never
married. And it became a custom in Israel, that the daughters of
Israel went yearly four days in a year to discourse with the daughter
of Jephthah.
Jephthah has undergone much censure from many, and some of
great name, for making this vow, which they call unlawful, and more
for performing it ; upon a supposition, that he did actuaUy sacrifice
his daughter, by offering her as a burnt offering upon the altar. And
indeed had he done so, he must needs have done evil, and deserved
the utmost blame laid npon him  But it is hard to suppose
he could be guilty of so barbarous a crime ; or that if he had been,
he should have gone unpunished, and unreproved for it in the holy
text; nor have been exloUed, as he was, by the author of the He
brews, for bis faith and working righteousness, and ranked with
Gideon, Barak, Samuel, and David, Heb. xi. 32.
Whether this vow of Jephthah's was lawful or unlawful, advised
or unadvised, is not ray business here to dispute. To those who
think it was unlawful, I sliaU only offer lobe considered : 1st. That
the spirit of the Lord was come upon Jephthah before he made this
vow. And 2d. That as he made the vow conditional, as a means
to engage the Lord to be with him, and to deliver his enemies into
his hands ; so the Lord upon this vow was wilh him, did answer him,
and deUver thera into bis hands. Whioh carries in it an implica
tion at least, if not somewhat more, that the Lord did accept the vow :
which is not fit lo be supposed of an unlawful vow
They that account it a rash and unadrised vow, may do WeU to
consider, that the giving a disjunctive sense in this place, to the con
junctive particle ' and,' whicii the translators have done ; whereby,
instead of, ' ' and I will offer it,' il may be read, as il is in the mar
gin, ' or, I wiU offer ft,' makes way for a fair supposftion, that in this
vow Jephthah had regard to the fitness of the subject, or thing
vowed, for a burnt offering. So that if what came forth lo meet
hira were not fit for sacrifice, then it should be dedicated or consecra
ted to the Lord : but if ft were a thing fit for sacriflce, then it should

264 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
be offered for a burnt offering. Now the things that were not fit
for sacrifice were mankind, and unclean beasts and birds : but
though these might not be offered in sacrifice, yet they might be
vowed, and afterwards redeemed wilh money, at the valuation of
the priest, or not be redeemed at the vower's choice ; and if not
redeemed, might be sold, as appears by the law, in Levit. xxvU.
Bul whatever the vow was, that Jephthah did not thereupon put
his daughter to death, but only consecrated or devoted her in an
especial manner lo the service of the Lord, in a continued single
.life, is not only the judgment of a very many learned men, but seems
fairly deducible from the text. For besides the unnaturalness and
irapiety of making his daughter a bloody sacrifice, contrary to the
law, Levit. xviu, 21 , which was not levelled against letting their chil
dren pass through the fire to Molech only, but against letting them
pass through the fire at all ; which was the way of the heathen, whom
they were not to follow ; it is observable, that when Jephthah's
daughter so readily consented to the performance of his vow upon
her, she did not ask leave to bewail her death, whioh yet had been
most reasonable, if she had been to die ; but to bewaU her virgin
ity, that she must live and die a virgin : which among the Israel
itish women, who all desired and hoped to bring forth the Messiah,
was a very uneasy and reproachful thing. Again, we may observe,
that after she had spent the two months in bewailing her virginity,
and her father, at her return to him, had done with her according
to his vow; it iraraediately follows, ' and she knew no man.' No
sure ; how could she, if to perform his vow he was obliged to kill
her. But he adding, after the performance of his vow, that she knew
no man, implies that his doing vvith her according to his vow, laid
on her a prohibition or restraint frora knowing man, that is, from
marrying as long as she Uved. Besides, where we read in ver, 40,
that the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament Jephthath's daugh
ter, whence some infer, though not necessarily, that she was dead ;
for they might as well then lameiit her virgin-life, as she herself had
before bewaUed it; the margin has it, to talk with her; andso Pag
nine, Arias Montanus, and TremeUius and Junius turn il. From
whicii may be very weU inferred, that she was alive long after her
father had performed his vow upon her, Pagnine and Montanus turn
it, ad alloquendum, to speak to her. Tremellius and Junius read it
ad confabulandum, to discourse with her. And Broughton is posi-
itive, he did not sacrifice his daughter, but raade her a perpetual
virgin. . . Consent of Script, ad an. mmid. 2820. Trerael
Uus and Junius give this reason why he did so : Idea non passus est
cam nubere, ne alterius quam Jehovm esse videretur, i. e. He there
fore suffered her not to marry, lest she, whom he had consecrated to
the Lord, should, seem lo belong to any other than the Lord. . . .
Annotat. in loc.

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 265
Dr. Brown places the opinion, that Jephtiiah sacrificed his dauch-
ter amongst the -vulgar errors,* which he corrects and refutes it by
authority of scripture and reason. And Christopher Ness, in his
late book, entitied, ' A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and
New Testament,' discussing the matter at large, concludes, that
Jephthah did not put his daughter lo death ; but devoted her a con-
,secrated rirgin lo the Lord, Judg. xii.
Though Jephthah had succeeded so weU against the Ammonites,
yel he had an after reckoning to make wilh the Ephraimites, as Gid
eon had before him; and had harder work of it.
These men of Ephraim seem to have been of a, quarrelsome tem
per, and very ambitious. For though Gideon had called thera to
the pursuit of Midian ; where they had the advantage of spoil, and
the honour of taking Oreb and Zeeb, two princes of Midian ; yet
because they were not caUed at the first, to the battle they chid sharp
ly with him ; but it went no further then, than words.
But now il comes lo blows. For having gathered their strength
together, they came upon Jephthah, demanding of him, wherefore ho
passed over lo flght against the children of Ammon, and did not
call them lo go with bim.
He, il seems, had desired their help ; for to pacify them, he tells
them, ' I and my people were at great strife with the children of
Ammon ; and when I called you, ye deUvered me not out of their
hands. And when I saw that ye deUvered me not, I put my Ufe in
my hands ; and passed over, against the children of Ammon, and
the Lord delivered them into my hand. Wherefore then are ye
come up this day to fight against me ?
The unreasonable Ephraimites were so far from being satisfied
with this reasonable answer, that they threatened him to burn his
house over his head.
Jephthah thereupon gathering together all the men of GUead in
his defence, gave battle to Ephraim, And the GUeadites, being high
ly provoked by the scornful taunts .of the Ephraimites, who caUed
thera fugitives of Ephraim, behaved theraselves so valiantly under
their vaU ant leader Jephthah, tiiat they routed the Ephraimites, and
put them to flight
Then taking the passages of Jordan, over which those Ephraim
ites that escaped the battie must of necessity pass to get home,
when any of them came to desire passage, thoy examined him if
he were an Ephraimite, or not. If he said Yes, they put him to tho
sword. If he said Nay, they gave him a test ; whicii was lo pro
nounce the word Shibboleth, which signifies a stream, watercourse,
01 faUing of waters.
But tiioy, -whether surprised vrith fear, or infatuated, could not hit it
*'Vulg, Err, cap, 14.

'266 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
right; but caUed it Sihbolcth, The difference is nol great (an h
only, or aspiration) yet that little variation cost them their lives; for
every one of them that did but so mispronounce was slain : and there
feU al that time of the Ephraimites, no fewer than two and forty
thcusand, upon this ambitious quarrel.
Jephthah, thus rid both of his foreign and domestic foes, held
the government according to agreement during his Ufe ; which was
but six years.
After him Ibzan of Beth-lehem, who had thirty sons and thirty
daughters, judged Israel seven years. To whom succeeded Elon, a
Zebulonite, for ten years. And lo him Abdon for eight years.
Which last had forty sons, and thirty nephews, or gi'andsons, who
rode on seventy ass-colts. But of these three judges, no pubUc act
is recorded.
Within the time of sorae of these latter judges, and (as Brough
ton, ad. an mund. 2810, delivers) about the time of Jephthah's vic
tory, was born Samson, the last of those who were accounted the ex
traordinary judges of Israel ; that is, judges or deliverers raised up
in an extraordinary manner. Others were raised at the tirae when
they were wanted ; but this was promised for a deliverer before he
was born.* And there being many extraordinary things, both lead
ing lo and attending his birth, it is fi,t we trace the story frora the
beginning of it.
Samson was the son of Manoah, a man of Zorah, ofthe famUy
of the Danites ; whose wife having long been barren, the angel of
the Lord appeared unto her by herself, and told her she should con
ceive and bear a son, who shoidd be a Nazarite unto God from the
womb, and should begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the
PhUistines into whose hand the Lord had some time before deUvered
them for their transgressions. Wherefore the angel warned the wo
man, that she should take especial care to abstain from drinking any
wine or strong drink, and from eating any thing that was unclean,
Judg. xiii.
The woman, surprised at this unexpected message, went and told
her husband, that a man of God (so she took the angel to be) came
unto her, vvith a countenance like that of an angel of God, very ter
rible: but, said she, I asked him neither whence he was, neither did
he tell his name. But he told me I should conceive and bear a
son, who should be a Nazarite to God from tbe womb to the day
of his death : and therefore he charged me not lo drink wine or
strong drink, nor to eat any unclean thing.
Good Manoah was not surprised; but (glad tiiat he should have
a son ; and more, that that son should be devoted to God, and should
set forward the deUverance of Israel from the oppression they were un-
' AU. 2822, 2829, 2839, 2347.

PART II, SACRED HISTORY. 267
der) received the message in the faith, not doubting the performance.
Yet fearing lest they might err in the bringing up the child, he pious
ly addressed biraself unto the Lord, saying, 'O ray Lord, let the
man of God, which thou didst send, corae again to us, and teach us
what we shall do unto the child which shaft be born.'
This honest request the Lord answered, and the angel of God came
again to the woman as she sal in the field, her husband not being
with her then neither. Bul as soon as she saw him, she ran and
told her husband of it ; who thereupon went with his wife to the place ;
and havmg asked, and understood from the man himself, that it was
he that had spoken before to his wife, he said, ' Now let thy words
corae to pass ; only direct us how we shaU order the chUd, and what
we shaU do unto hira.' To whom the angel repUed, ' Of all that I
said unto the woman, let her beware ; she raay not eat of any thing
that Cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine, nor strong drink,
nor eat any unclean thing ; aU that I commanded her, let her ob
serve.' Manoah, not yet suspecting that he was an angel, pressed him to
slay tiU they could get ready a kid for him. But the angel answered
him, ' Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread : and if
thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou raust offer it unto the Lord.'
Manoah still taking him for a man, desired to know his name, that
when what he had told them should come to pass, they might do him
honour. Bul the angel put him by, asking him why he inquired his
name, seeing it was secret ?
Manoah therefore, without further inquiry, took a kid, with a meat
offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the Lord, and then the angel
discovered himself in a wonderful manner : for when the flame went
up towards heaven from off the aftar, the angel of the Lord, in the
sight of Manoah and his wife, ascended in the flame, and appeared
no more to them.
They, by this knowing him to be an angel of the Lord, fell on
their faces lo the ground; and Manoah said to his wife, 'WeshaU
surely die, because we have seen God.' But the woman wisely an
swered him, ' If the Lord were pleased to kUl us, he would nol have
received a burnt offering and a meat offering al our hand ; neither
would he have shewn us all these things, nor have told us such things
as these at this time.'
After this, the woman, in due ume, bare tbe promised son : whom
she called Samson, frora the angel's appearing the second time to
her; for so the word is rendered, ' there the second time.' And the
Lord blessed the child, so that he grew to wonderful strength. And,
while he was but a youth, the spirit of the Lord began to move him
at times, to exert or put forth his miraculous strength, in the camp of
Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
This camp of Dan was probably that place, where the Danites

268 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
pitched when they went to surprise and lake Laish, Judg. xriii. 1 1 ,
12. For ft is not at all likely, that the PhiUstines would suffer them
to have a standing camp now, while they had the rule over them.
And this is another argument, that the story of Micah, and of the
Danites' expedition, was transacted before Samson's t'lme, though re
lated after.
When SarasOn was grown to man's estate, he look an occasion to
go down lo Timnath, a city belonging to the PhiUstines ; where he
saw and was enamoured wfth one of the Philistines' daughters.
Wherefore when he come home, he told his father and mother of
her, and desired them to get her for hira to' wife. For though he let
his eye wander, yet he would nol break forth so far as to marry
without the knowledge or consent of his parents.
They not understanding that the Lord had permitted this, that he
might thence take occasion againstlhe Philistines, who at that time
had dominion over them, asked him, if there was never a woman
among the daughters of his brethren, or among aU the people of
Israel, that he went to take a wife of the uncircumcised PhiUstines.
But Sarason, who in this case consulted raore the eyes of his body
than of his mind, desired his father to gel her for him : for, said he,
' She is right in mine eyes,' that is, she pleaseth- rae weU. .
Thus Sarason drew his affectionate parents down to Timnath, to
see this Philistine damsel, and U'eat with her parents about marriage.
And as he went (his parents being either before or behind, bul not
just with him) a young Uon came roaring out of the vineyards of
Timnath against him. Whereupon the spirit of the Lord coming
mightiily upon him, though he had nothing in his hands, he rent
the lion as he would have rent a kid. Which done he went on, and
without mentionipg any thing of tbis adventure, so much as to his
father or mother, he entered communication with the damsel, and was
so taken vvith her, that the match was then concluded on.
It was not long ere he and bis parents went again to Timnath, lo
solemnize the marriage; and being come against the place where he
had before encountered and slain the lion, he turned aside lo look on
it, and found in- the carcass a swarm of bees, with some honey : of
which, taldng some in his hands, he went on eating ; and when he
overtook his parents, he gave them some of it, bul did nol lell them
that he took it out of the lion's carcass.
Being come lo Tiranath, he made a marriage-feast, to conlinue
seven days : for so the young men then and there on such occasions
used to do. The maid's relations, on the other hand, brought him
thirty men, lo be his companions during the feast. To these Samson
offered to propound a riddle, under this condition, that if within the
seven days of the feast, they could find out the meaning of it, and
declare il unto him, then he would give them thirty shirts, and thirty
changes of apparel. But if within that time they could not deularo

PART II. BACRED mSTORY. 269
it unto him, then they should give him as many of each. This was
a sort of entertainment not unusual in those times, to exercise their
wits on such occasions : wherefore they, agreeing to the terms, bid
him put forth his riddle, that they might hear it.
The riddle was, ' Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the
strong came forth sweetness.'
This so puzzled them, that for the three first days of the feast
they could make nothing of it. Wherefore fearing they should lose
the WEiger, they sel upon their countiy-woman, Samson's new wife,
upbraiding her that her friends and she had invited thera to the wed
ding to impoverish them, by taking from them what they had. And
they bid her lo entice her husband to teU her the meaning of the rid
dle, that she might leU them ; threatening, if she did nol, lo bum her
and her father's house with fire.
The woraan thereupon feU a weeping before her husband, and
complained that he did but hate her, and loved her not at aU : for he
had put forth a riddle to the children of her people, and had not told
it to her. Why said he, ' I have not told it either to ray father or my
mother, and shaU I teU it to thee ?' This notwithstanding, she con
tinued weeping before him the rest of the seven days whUe the feast
lasted : and on the seventh day she lay so sore upon him, that he told
her : and she forthwith told the raen. They thereupon, just within
time, before tbe sun was gone down, came and asked him, ' What is
sweeter that honey? And what is stronger than a Uon?' By this
be knew they had been informed by his wife, and therefore pleasantly
told them, ' If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found
out my riddle.'
Being thus betrayed by his PhiUstine wife, and thereby made
debtor to his thirty companions, his next care was, where to get the
thirty changes of raiment for them.
And now the spirit of the Lord coming mightily upon him, where
by his strength and courage was mightily increased and raised, he
went down to Askalon (another city of the PhUistines) and slaying
thirty men of that city, he look their clothes, and gave change of
garments unto them which expounded the riddle. Which done, bis
anger being kindled against the PhUistines, he left Timnath, and
went up to his father's bouse.
Though Samson had conceived just offence against the Philis
tines, yet he retained a kindness lo his wffe ; and some time after
went down to her father's house to risit her, taking with him a kid
for a present. But when he prepared lo go to bed to her, her father
would not suffer him ; teUing-'him, 'I verily thought, that thou hadst
utterly haled her, and so hadst for ever abandoned her, therefore I
gave her to thy companion : is not her younger sister fairer than
»he ? take her I pray thee, instead of her, Judg. xv.
If Samson's anger waa kindled before, this was not likely to as-

270 SACRED BISTORT. PART M
suage it. He reckoned now be had such provocation, that if he
should do the Philistines a displeasure, they coiUd not justiy blame
him. Wherefore away went he, and having caught three hundred
fb.xes, he turned fhe foxes tail to tail, and fastened a fire-brand be
tween every two tails : and when he had sel the brands on fire, he
let the foxes go into the standing com of the PhiUstines. By which
means he burnt not only their shocks of standing com, bul their vine
yards also and oUves.
When the Philistines saw the spoil that was made, they asked who-
had done it : and being told that il was Sarason, the son-in-law ofthe
Timnite, and tiiat he had done it because his father-in-law had taken
bis wife from him, and given her to his companion ; these Philistines,
were so enraged thereat, that they came up, and burnt ber and her-
father's house with fire. Thus they revenged her husband upon her,
who lo save herself and father's house from being burnt by them, had
before betrayed ber husband to them.
This, how just soever on her, gave Samson a fresh occasion of faU
ing again upon thera. Wherefore he told the PhiUstines, ' Though
ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will
cease. Accordingly falUng on them, he smote them hip and thigh,
with a great slaughter.' By which phrase, 'hip and thigh,' some un
derstand horse and foot; otherstakeitfor a proverbial speech, setting
forth the greatness of the slaughter.
This execution done, Samson, not thinking it safe for him to coi>-
tinue among them, went and dwelt in tbe top of the rock Etam, as a
place of greater safety. But when this was known, the Philistines
went up, and pitched their camp in Judah : at which the men of
Judah being startled, asked them why they were come up against
them. They anavsrered, ' To bind Samson; that we may do to ham>
as he bath done to us.'
The men of Judah, consideriiag the niisohief that this was likely
to bring upon thera, sent three thousand naen of their- tribe to bind
Samson, and deUver him lap.
These coming to him on top of Mount Etam, saluted bim tiius ;
' Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us 1 What then
is this that thou hast done unto us,' in giring them this occasion to
com© up against us ? He replied, ' I have but done to thera, as they
did to rae.' They answered, ' We are come to bind thee, that we
may deliver thee into their hands,'
Samson, not wiUing to use his strength against his brethren, said,
' Swear unto me, that ye wiU not M upon me yourselves ; and then I
wiU let you bind me.' They promised bim solemnly, that they would
not kiU him ; but would only bind him fast, that they might deUver bim
to the PhiUstines, and so save themselves. Upon which, he yielding
himself to them, they bound hiai with two new cords, and brought

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 271
him away from the rock, to the place where the PhiUstines lay en
camped. As soon as the PhiUstines saw him safe now, as they thought, in
their own power, they testified their joy by their shouting. But the-
spirit of the Lord came upon Samson with so great might, that the
cords which were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with
fire ; and his bands were loosed from oft' his hands. Whereupon
finding a jaw bone of an ass, that was fresh and new, he catcbed it
up, and laid so manfully about him with that simple weapon, that he
therewith slew a thousand of the PhUistines.
Having thus satisfied his friends, and freed himself from his en
emies, he cast away the jaw boncN Bul being wilh his exercise and
heat overcome with extreme thirst, in a place where water was not la
be had, he cried to the Lord, saying, ' Thou hast given tins great de
Uverance into the hand of thy servant ; and now shaU I die for thirst,
and fall in the hands of the uncircumcised ?' Whereupon God clav&
an hoUow place that was in the jaw, and there carae water out of it ;
of which Sarason having drunk, his spirit come again, and he rerived..
Then went he down to Gaza, a city of the PhUistines, where see
ing a woman that kept a victualUng-house, perhaps an harlot too, he
went in to todge there; and the Gazites being informed that he was.
there, compassed him in : and waiting quietly for him all night in.
the gate of the city, concluded they should have him in the morning,.
and then they would kUl him.
Samson having got norice of this, lay stiUtiU midnight, and thera
rising, took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, with
the bar that fastened them together ; and laying them on his shoulders,.
went away with them, carrying them up lo the top of an hill that is.
before Hebron, and so escaped that danger. But a worse soon be
fell him, Judg. xvi.
For not long after this, going into the vskUey of Sorek (which sig:-
nifies both wine and hissuig, thereby intimating, that excess of wine
exposes to hissing) he there feU in love vrith a womsBi whose name
was DeUlah, whieh signifies consumer; and so she proved to bim..
For as soon as the lords of tbe PhiUstines understood where his
haunt was, they appKed themselves to DeUlah, and told her, if she
would entice him lo discover to her wherein his great strength lay^
and by what means be might be bound, so as they might afflict him,,
they would each of them give her eleven hundred shekels of silver j
and there being five of those lords or princes of the PhUistines, five-
times eleven hundred, or five thousand five hundred shekels, each
valuing fifteen pence, would amount to about three hundred forty- three
pounds, and fifteen shiUings.
So great a bait easily prevailed with the woraan, to do her en
deavour to betray Samson. Wherefore when she had him by herself,

272 SACRED HISTORY PART II.
she said unto bim, ' TeU me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength
lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.' He
willing to put her by, without discovering the ground of his strength,
told her, if they bound bim with seven new withes, that had never
been dried, then he should be weak, and as another man.
She forthwith imparting this to the lords of the PhiUstines, they
brought her seven such withes, and she bound him with them. And
then, haring men lying in wail in the house ready to seize upon him,
she said hastily to him, ' The PhiUstines be upon thee Sarason.' Al
which word, he starting up, on a sudden brake the withes, as easily
as a thread of tow is broken when il toucheth the fire. So that it
was not yet known in what his strength lay.
DelUah, thus disappointed, charged hira with having mocked her,
and told her lies ; and therefore desired him now lo lell her truly,
wherewith he might be bound. He put her by again, by teUing her
that if they bound him with new ropes, that had never been used,
he should be weak and as other men. She tried, getting new ropes,
and binding him therewith. But when she waked him on a sudden,
by teUing him the PhiUstines were upon him, he snapped the ropes
from off his arms Uke a thread.
Then she complained to him again, that hitherto he had but mocked
her, and deceived her by falsehoods : wherefore she intreated him to
tell her now indeed, with what he might be bound. He again to shift
her, that she might not discover wherein his strength lay, directed
ber lo weave the seven locks of his head with a web- (which word
bespeaks il to be a weaver's house ;) she did so, fastening his hair, so
platted together, with the pin of the loom : and then crying out ' The
PhUistines be upon thee Sarason;' he, leaping up out of his sleep,
went away with the pin of the beara and the web hanging at his locks.
He was wont lo teU her he loved her ; with which she now up
braiding hira, asked him, how he could say beloved her, seeing his
heart was not with her. For, said she, thou hadst deluded me these
tluee times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength Ueth >
though thou madesl rae beUeve thou wouldest.
Thus pressing hira daily with her importunities, and urging him
tin he was weary of his life, he at length opened his heart to her, and
told her, there had never yel come a razor upon his head ; for he had
been a Nazarite unto God from his raother's womb, and that if he
should be shaven his strength would go from him, and he should
become weak Uke another man.
Now knew Delilah that she had obtained her end of him. Where
fore she sent for the lords of the Philistines lo come to ber this one
time more : letting Ihcra Imow, he had now discovered the whole
secret to her.
They hastened lo her, with the money in their hands : and she,
baring lulled him to sleep in ber lap, caused a man (whom she had

PART 11-. SACRED HISTORY. 273
\
prorided for that purpose) to shave off the seven locks of his head.
Which done, she began to afflict him; teUing him, the PhiUstines
were upon him. He thereupon, waking out of his sleep, said, ' 1
wiU go forth, as I used to do, and shake myself;' not witting that
the Lord was departed from him, tilt he found his strength was gone.
The PhUistines seeing him now reaUy disabled, seized immediately
on him ; and to make sure of hira, the first thing they did was to put
out bis eyes. Then bringing him down to Gaza, they bound him
now in earnest vvith fetters of brass, and putting him into the prison-
house (or bridewell) they there made him grind.
After some time the lords of the PhUistines gathered their people
together, to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice.
This Dagon, being the common god of the sea-coasts, had the form
of a man from the navel upwards ; and downwards of a fish, from
tyhich the word is derived. And to him these lords of the PhiUstines
ascribed the deUvery of Samson into their hands. Nor they only,
but the rest of the people also praising their god Dagon, said, ' Our
god hath deUvered into our hands our enemy ; the destroyer of our
country, vvho slew many of us.'
When they had feasted awhile, and their hearts were merry, they
said one lo another, ' Call for Samson, that he may make us sport.'
Whereupon Samson was brought forth out ofthe prison, and being set
between two of the pillars which supported the house where they
were, they raade themselves sport with him
At this solemnity were present, not only ad the lords of the Philis
tines, but the house full of raen and woraen. And because the house
was nol capacious enough to receive the corapany, about thfee
thousand men and woraen had placed theraselves upon the roof of
the house, to behold the sport that was raade with Samson.
By this time Samson's hair was somewhat grown again. And as
it is probable his strength might begin to return, so it is not to be
doubted that these indignities would raise in his spirit the highest in
dignation. Wherefore having persuaded the lad that led hira, to set
him so that he might feel the pillars whereon the house stood, on
pretence of leaning upon them to rest him, he caUed in spirit unto
the Lord, and said, ' O Lord God, remeraber me, I pray thee, and
strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be
at once avenged of the PhiUstines for my two eyes.'
He then look hold of the two middle piUars, whioh bore up the
house, one with his right hand and the other vvith his left hand, and
bowuig himself with all his might that he might exert his utmost
strength, he said, ' Let me die with the PhiUstines.' And with that
word, removing those two pUlars, the house feU down upon the lords,
VOL. I. — 18

tf* SACRED HISTORY. PART XL
and upon all the people that were therein ; ' so that they which he
dew at his death, were more than they which he slew in his life.'
This was the end of Sarason, who is said to have judged Israel
twenty years; and was rather indeed a scourge to the PhiUstines,
than a dehverer of the Israelites. Yet he raay be said to have be
gun to deliver Israel ; which is as much as the angel, before he was
conceived, foretold he should do.
When his brethren heard of his death, they, with all the house of
hia father, carae down and took him ; and having brought hira up,
buried hira between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the burying-place of Ma.
noah his father.

XBs Em> or TBS book or tuMss.

THE
FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL:
eONTAININtt AN HISTORY OF SIXTY OR EIGHTY YEARS : I SAY SIXTY OR
EIGHTY ; BECAUSE THOUGH FORTY YEARS BE ALLOTTED TO ELI, AND
FORTY TO SAMUEL AND SAUL, YET TWENTY OUT OF ELl's FORTY ARE
. BY MOST CHRONOLOGERS GIVEN TO SAMSON, WHOSE STORY IS Vh-
UVERED BEFORE,

=§§==-

After the death of Samson, who is accoumed the last of the ex-
raordinary judges, the administration of the government, in the
^raelitish comraonwealth, seems to have devolved upon EU, who was
then the high priest ; unless we should rather say. It revolved or re
turned to Eli, as high priest, to whom, in the ordinary course of
magistracy araong the IsraeUtes, il belonged during those twenty
years wherein Samson is said lo have judged Israel.
In, this Eli's tirae was born the prophet Samuel, the son of Elkanah,
a Lerite descended from that Korah, who in Moses' time, for his re
belUon in the wUderness, was swaUow.ed up by the gaping earth, and
all he had with him, Nurab. xri, except his sons. Numb. xxvi. 11;
from the eldest of which, named Assir, the genealogy is, drawn down
lo Samuel, in 1 Chron. vi, from ver. 22 to 28.
Tbis Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Penuinah., Peninnnli
had children, sons and daughters ; but Hannah, to her great grief,
had none.
Once a year Elkanah went up out of his city to worship and sacri
fice unto the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh ; taking with him his two wives
nnd chUdren. And when he had made his offerings, he gave portions
toPeninnah, and to aUher children; but to Hannah he gave a double
portion, because be loved her best
Watchful Peninnah, observing that, grew emulous; and, to re
venge herself, provoked and vexed Hannah, by upbraiding ber with
her barreness. This so troubled poor Hannah, that sbe wept, and did
not eat : which her kind husband taking notice of, asked her, < Han-
(276)

276 SACRED HISTORY PART U.
nah, why weepest thou ? Why eatest thou not ? And why is thy
heart grieved V And supposing the cause, added, ' Am not I better
to thee than len sons ?' 1 Sam. i. *
Hannah, not returning answer, rose up after they had eaten in
ShUoh ; and in the bitterness of her soul, poured forth her prayer unto
the Lord with sore weeping. And she vowed a vow, saying, ' O
Lord of Hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine
handmaid and remeraber me, and wiU give unto thine handmaid a
man-child, then wiU I give him unto the Lord all the days of his
life, and there shaU no razor come upon his head.' That is, he should
be a Nazarite, devoted to the Lord.
This Hannah spake in her heart, not uttering hei voice, but only
moving her lips. Whicii Eli the priest, who sat upon a seal by a
post of the house of the Lord, where the ark then was kept, observ
ing, and thinking she had been drunk, reproved her, saying, 'How
long wilt thou be drunk ? Put away thy wine frora thee.' *
But Hannah raildly answered, ' No, my lord, I am a woman of a
sorrowful spirit : I have drank neither wine, nor strong drink, but
have poured out my soul before the Lord. Count not thine hand
maid for a daughter of Belial; for out of the abundance of my com
plaint and grief have I spoken.'
EU, now finding he had been under a mistake, turned his reproof
into a blessing ; saying unto her, ' Go in peace ; and the God of Is
rael grant thee thy petition, which thou hast asked of him.' She
begging the continuance of his prayers for her, went cheerfully away.
Early next morning they arose, and having worshiped the Lord,
they returned to their house at Ramah. And the Lord remembered
her, so that she conceived, and in due time was brought to bed of a
son ; whom she named Samuel, that is, asked of God.
The next year Elkanah went up again with his family to offer unto
the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and to confirm his vow, concerning the
dedication of Samuel to God ; which shews he was privy, and made
himself a party, to his wife's vow
But Hannah, being a nurse, desired her husband to excuse her
from going up until the ohUd should be weaned, and then she would
go up with him, that he might appear before the Lord, and abide in
his service for ever. Whicii good intention her husband approving,
consented that she should tarry with the chUd until she had weaned
him ; praying that the Lord would estabUsh his word concerning him :
which implies, that the Lord, upon Hannah's praying for a son, and
vowing to dedicate him to tbe Lord, had foretold some great good
concerning him.
Now when Hannah had weaned her littie Samuel, she took him
up with her (young as he was) to the yearly sacrifice, with three bul-
• A. M. 28fiO

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 277
locks, an ephah of flour, and a bottie of wine. And having brought
him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh, they slew a buUock ; and then
bringing the child to EU, she told hira she was the woman that at
such a time stood by him there, praying unto the Lord.
' It was for this child, said she, that I then prayed : and the Lord
hath given me my petition, which I asked of him. Therefore, ad
ded she, I have returned him to the Lord ; as long as he Uveth ho
shall be returned lo the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there,'
saith the text : but without certainty which he it was, whether EU or
Samuel. Some annotators say it was Eli, who gave thanks to the
Lord for haring heard and graciously answered Hannah's petition.
Others say it was Samuel, who, as he was instructed, bowed before
the Lord : and the word translated worshiped, signifies to bow. How
ever il was, devout Hannah brake forth into a triumphant song, com
posed of praises, thanksgivings and prayer : which read in chap. ii.
ver. 1 to 11.
The solemnity being over, and Elkanah wilh his family ready to
depart, Eli the priest pronounced a solemn blessing upon him and his
wffe Hannah, saying, ' The Lord give thee seed of this woman, for
the loan which is lent lo the Lord,' meaning Samuel, 1 Sam. ii.
Him, at their departure, they left behind thera with Eli ; and he be
ing girded with a linen ephod, did rainister before the .Lord, as Eli
directed him. And onoe a year, when his mother came up with her
husband, to offer the yearly sacrifice, she made him a little coat, and
brought il him, ' And the child Samuel, the text says, grew before
the Lord.' Which manner of speech raay weU be supposed to have
respect, nol only lo a natural growth in bodily stature, but (and per
haps more especially) to an inward growth of divine graces, and ex
cellent endowments of mind necessary to fit and qualify him for the
service he was devoted to.
And since Hannah, after her long barrenness, nad modestly asked
but one son, and that, that she might dedicate hira to God, the Lord
was pleased to visit her again, so that she conceived and bare three
sons raore, and two daughters besides, to be with her, and lo be a
comfort lo her
EU himself had two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, grown up to be
men ; and both lewd young men, who regarded not the Lord ; but
bearing themselves high upon the authority ofthe priestiiood, domi
neered over the men, and defiled the women.
And to such a pass they had brought things, that they would nei
ther be content with tbe part or portion which God had assigned them,
of the flesh of the sacrifice, nor stay the time appointed for them to
receive ft : but they would both be their own carvers, and in their own
time ; so that v/hen any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant
came, while the flesh was in seething, with a trident or flesh-hook
of three teeth in his hand, and sttiking it into the cauldron amongst

S78 SACRED HISTORY. PART Hv
the flesh, all that the flesh-hook brought up, the priest took for him
self: and thus they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that camo
thither. Besides, when the priest's palate was more for roast than boiled,
his servant would come before the fat was burnt, and say to the men
that sacrificed, ' Give flesh to roast for the priest : for he will not
have sodden flesh of thee, bul raw.' This was directly contrary to
the law. Yet if any man did but say. Let them burn the fat first,
and then take as much as thou pleasest; the priest's servant Would
answer, ' Nay, but thou shalt give it me now : and if not, I will take
it by force.'
Thus did these swaggering priests oppress the people, and trans
gress the law of God, whereby they begat in the people a dislike to
the service of the Lord, so that they had no mind lo offer at all.
This made tbe sin of the priests very greal before the Lord : which
yet did not excuse the people frora being also gulity, in neglecting
the service of the Lord.
By this time EU was grown very old. And though he heard all
that his sons did unto all Israel, and how they lay with the women
that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, yet
he did not restrain, nor punish thera, as he, being not only their
father, but the chief magistrate, ought to have done. . . . See
Deut. XKi, ver. 18, 19, 20, 21. But in a sort of easy way, he said
to them, 'Why do ye such things ? for I hear of your evil deaUngs
by all tbis people. . , . Nay, my sons : for it is no good report
that I hear : ye make the Lord's people to transgress. If one man
sin against another, the judge shaft judge him ; bul if a man sin
against tiie Lord, who shaU intreat for hira ?' This light reproof
they as Ughtly regarded; for they had provoked the Lord to harden
them lo destruction.
Then came a man of God to EU, with this message ; ' Thus saitl;
the Lord, did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father (to wil|
Aaron) when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh ? And die!
I choose 'him of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon
mine altar, lo burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? And
did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fhe
of the chUdren of Israel ? Why then do ye kick at my sacrifice, and
at mine offering, which I have commanded in mine habitation ? And
why honorest thou thy sons above me, lo make yourselves fat with
the chiefest of the offerings of Israel ray people?' Whence it is ob
servable; that in the judgment of God, they that indulge their child
ren in that which offends God, honour them above him.
Having thus set forth the Lord's beneficence towards Eli's houscj
and his and bis sons' ingratitude, the man of God proceeded to de
nounce the divine sentence against them ; first raore generally thus :
'Wherefore the God of Israel saith. I said indeed (to wit, at tha

PART n, SACRED HISTORY. 279
first institution of the priesthood, Exod, xxvui. 43, and xx.xix. 9) that
thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me (viz, in
the priesthood) for ever : bul now the Lord saith. Be it far from rae ;
for thera that honour me I wiU honour, and they that despise me shaU
be Ughtly esteemed.' Whence again we may observe, that the in
dulging of chUdren in their eril courses, to the dishonour of God,
and contempt of his service, is accounted by God a despising of him.
Frora this general, the man of God goes on to denounce a more
particular judgment upon Eli and his house. » Behold (said he, in
the name of the Lord) the days come that I will cut off thine arm
(thy strength, by which thou shouldest help thyself ) and (not only
thy arm, who art an old and worn out man, but) tbe arm of thy
father's house ; that henceforth there shall not be an old man in thy
house forever. . . . (And that, as old as be was, he might ex
pect lo see the accompUshment of this sentence in his own life-time, he
added) And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth
which God shaU give Israel (or instead of all the.good which God would
have done to Israel.) And the men of thine, whom I shall not cut
off from mine altar, shaU be to consume thine eyes, and grieve thine
heeurt : and aU the increase of thy house shall die in -the flower of their
age. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shaft come upon thy two
sons, Hophni and Phinehas, in one day they shall both die. And I
wiU raise me up a faithful priest, (riz. Zadock, 1 -Kings ii. 36) who
shall do according lo that which is in my heart, and in my mind ; and
I wUl build him" a sure house ; and he shaU walk before mine an
ointed -forever.' Then, to shew Eli the wretched poverty that his pos
terity shall faU into, he added, ' And it shall come to pass, that every
one that is left in thy house, shaft come and crouch to hira (Zadok)
for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I
pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may have a piece of
bread to eat.'
Who this man of God Was, that brought -this unwelcome message
to Eli, is very uncertain. TremeUius and Junius, in their notes upon
this place, take him to be Samuel. But that seems not likely ; both
for that Samuel was then loo young, and in the next chapter is set
forth as one not yet acquainted with the voice of the Lord ; and edso
for that tbe Lord, when he had spoken to Samuel, tells him, as a thing
he knew not of before, that he had denounced a judgment against Eli
and his house. Certain it is, that it was a dark time. There was
no open vision, no certain known prophet, such as Moses had been
before, and as Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, and others were afterwards :
but the word of the Lord was precious, that is, rare, and seldom
heard in those days.
Eli now grown very old, his eyes began to wax dim, so that he
could see but littie. And one night, being gone to rest in his place,
which was in that part of the court of the Lord's house which was

2-80 SACRED HISTORY. FART H..
next the tabernacle, and where the priests' chambers were, before the-
larap of God .went out in the raorning, that is, before day, the Lord
called Samuel ; who was also in bed in his apartment, in the further-
part of the tabernacle, where the Levites had their lodgings, 1 Sam. Ui.
Samuel, hearing himself called, answered as the manner was,
' Here ara I :' and starting up, ran toEU, as supposing he had called
him. But when RU told him he had not called him, he went and lay
down again.
He had not lain long ere the Lord called hira again. Whereupon,,
as before, he got up, and went to EU, and said, ' Here am I ; for thou
didst caU me.' Bul Eli told him he called him not; and bid him go.
and Ue down again.
Samuel was young, supposed to be about tweive- years old, and did
not so know the Lord, as to have the word of the Lord revealed
unto hira. And EU was not so regardful of the Lord's appearance,.
as his years and station required him to be : else he might sooner
have understood that it was the Lord that called Samuel.
Scarce was Samuel well settied in his bed, when the Lord called
him again the third time. Upon which the diUgent child, nol dis
couraged by his two former disappointments, arose and went again lo
Eli, and said, ' Here I am : for thou didst call rae.' This third summons
roused dull Eli, and gave him to percieve that the Lord had called
the child. Whicii his apprehension he imparted to Samuel; and
bidding him go to bed again, directed him, that if the Lord should
caU bim again, he should say, ' Speak, Lord : for thy servant heareth.'
By that time Samuel was composed to rest, the Lord came and
stood (a phrase used to reach man's low capacity) and called as at
other times, Samuel, Samuel. Whereupon Sarauel, a.s EU had in
structed him, readily answered: 'Speak, for thy servant heareth.'
Then said the Lord to Samuel, 'Behold, I will do a thing in Israel,
at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In
that day I will perform against Eli aU that I have spoken concerning
his house from the beginning to the end. For I have told him, that
I wiU judge his house forever, for the iniquity which he is privy to :
because his sons made themselves vile, and he (though both a father,
an high priest, and a judge) did not restrain them. And therefore, I
have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house-
shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever ;' so as to re
verse the judgment and recover the priesthood.
When Samuel had heard this heavy sentence against his master
Eli, he lay stiU untiU the morning. And then rising, he opened the
doors of the house of the Lord, according to his office ; but was afraid
to shew Eli the vision. But Eli, now thoroughly awakened, both by
the message he'had received before, chap. ii. 27, and the sense he had
that the Lord had now revealed something to Samuel, called Samuel
ta him, and adi,ured him to teU him what il was that the Lord said

PART II. SACRED HISTORT. 281
unto him, and to hide nothing of it from bim. . . . Whereupon
tbe innocent youth told it him every whit, not concealing any thing
from hira. And Eli, at the hearing of it, had the grace to say : ' It
is the Lord, let him do what seeraeth him good,'
Thus after a long cloudy time, wherein there had been no open
vision, the Lord appeared again in ShUoh, revealing himself to Sara
uel there, by the word of the Lord. For as Samuel grew up, both in
stature, as a man, and in grace, as a man of God, the Lord was.
with him, and accomplished whatsoever he spake by him : so that
all Israel knew, from one end of the land to tho other, that Samuel
was a faithful prophet of the Lord.
Their having now gotten a prophet again amongst tnera, might not
improbably animate the Israelites, after sorae tirae, to try if they could
shake off the PhUistine yoke. Wherefore they went out against the
PhiUstines to battie, and pitched in a place, which afterwards, upon
better success, chap. vu. 12, was called Eben-ezer. The PhUistines,
on the other hand pitched in Apliek, a city belonging to the tribe of
Judah, Josh. xv. 53. And when the armies joined battie, the Lord
intending novv to bring upon the priest and people the judgment be
fore denounced, suffered the PhUistines to prevail : so that Israel was
smitten down before them ; and about four thousand of the IsraeUtish
army were slain outright in the field.
The rest retreating to their camp, the elders began to consider
what should be the cause that the Lord had smitten them that day
before the Philistines. And supposing it to be for want of having the
ark with thera, they concluded, that their future safety and success
would depend upon their having the ark of the covenant of the Lord
in the camp amongst them. Wherefore they sent some to Shiloh, to
bring it frora thence, and with it the priests, Hophni and Phihehas,
two sons of Eli.
No sooner did the Israelites see tne ark of the covenant of the
Lord come into the camp, but they shouted vvith so great a shout, that
it made the earth ring again. Which when the PhiUstines in their
camp heard, and upon inquiring the reason of it, understood that the
ark of the Lord was corae into the camp of Israel, they were afraid;
and cried out, ' God is come into the camp ; woe be to us ! for
there never was such a thing before. Woe be to us! said they
again, vvho shaU deUver us out of the hands of these raighty gods?
(so they, being polytheists, or worshippers of raany gods, spake.)
These are they that smote the Egyptians, after all the other plagues
in the wilderness. Be strong therefore and quit yourselves like men,
O ye PhiUstines ! (said they one to another) that ye be not servants
unto the Hebrews, as they have been unto you : quit yourselves like
men, and fight,' 1 Sam. iv. Thus they encouraged one another,
lather from despair than hope.
The Isjraelites, on the other hand, were fool-hardy and bold, be-

S8t SACRED HISTORY. PART IIv
cause the ark of the Lord was with thera ; not considering that the
Lord of the ark was departed from thera ; which to their cost they
soon found, when the arraies joined battie again. For Israel was
smitten and put to flight, and great havoc was made of them, so
that thirty thousand footmen of them were slain. The ark of God
also was taken, and Hophni and Phinehas, EU's two sons, were
slain ; as the Lord had before, chap. u. 34, denounced they should be.
One of the soldiers, a raan of Benjarain, when he saw the day was
lost, raade his escape out of the field, and came running into Shiloh,
with his clothes rent and earth upon his head : which were then, in
those countries, embleras of extrerae sorrow for the greatest losses.
Eli was novv ninety and eight years old ; and though he had wholly
lost his sight, yet he sat on a seat by the way side, listening, that
he might learn how things went with the army. For though he
faUed through his tenderness towards his sons, which was the occa
sion of his ruin, yet he had a religious concern for the safety of
Israel ; and bis heart trembled for the ark of God.
And when he had heard the doleful outcry that ihe citizens made,
when the soldier came in and told thera the evil tidings, he eisked,
'What means the noise of this tumult?' Whereupon the soldier
coming hastily to him, told bim summarily, that Israel Was fled before
tbe Philistines ; that a great slaughter was made among the people ;
that bis two sons, Hophni and Phhiehas, were dead: and finally,
that the ark of God was taken.
The foss of the bat¬tie, the slaughter of the people, and the death
of his sons, Eli heard and kept his seat. Bul when he heard the
ark of God was taken, his spirits failing, he feU frora his seat back
ward, by the side bf the gate : and being heavy, as well as old, his
neck brake with the fall, and he died ; after he had judged Israel
forty years, including the time of Samson's rule, as sorae hold.*
His son Phinehas had a wife great with child, and near her lime;
wno, when she heard the tidings, that the ark of God was taken,
and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, fell in tra-
vaU : for her pains came upon her. And being delivered, when heP
women, to cheer her, bid ber not fear, for she had born a son ;
she, nol regarding them nor it, with hei- dying brealh named the
child, I-chabod, that is, no glory; adding the reason, 'Tlie glory
is departed from Israel, for the ark of God is taken.'
Thus il was in Israel. Now let us see what the PhiUstines got
by their victory.
They having won the field, and taken araongst the spoils the
ark of God, brought it to Ashdod, one of their five principal cities,
and set it there by Dagon, which was their chief idol, represented
sa form of a man upwards, and of a fish downwards
•AM. 2837.

fART H,- SACRED HISTORY. 283
Early next morning, when they of Ashdod arose, they found Da
gon fallen down upon his face to the earth before the ark of the
Lord; wherefore they took up Dagon, and set bira in his place
again, bul he could nol hold it. For on the morrow morning, rising
early again, they found Dagon down again, and in worse condi
tion now than before, for now he was not only fallen, but his head
and both the palms of his hands were cut off' upon the threshold,
and only his fishy part was left hira. Thereupon a superstitious
conceit entering the PhiUstines, both priests and people, neither one
nor the other, that carae into Dagon's house, would tread upon the
threshold. But the Philistines were nol punished in their idol only, but their
own persons also. For the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them
of Ashdod, and tbe coasts thereabouts ; smiting the people vvith erae-
rods (the disease called the piles) and, as may be gathered from
chap. vi. 6, destroying at the same rime the country by mice.
The raen of Ashdod being sensible that this was a judgment uport
them for taking and keeping the ark, said, 'tiie ark of the God of
Israel shall nol abide with us : for his hand is sore upon us, and upon
Dagon our god.' Wherefore gathering the lords of the PhiUstines
together, they opened their case to them, and asked them what they
should do with tiie ark of the God of Israel.
The lords of the Philistines, partiy lo ease the present complain-
ers, bul principally to carry the arlc about In triumph, gave order
that the ark of the God of Israel should be carried about unto Gath,
which was another of iheir five principal cities ; and accordingly
to Gath they carried it.
But when it was come thither, the hand of ths Lord was against
that city with a very great destruction : for he smote the people,
both small and great, with emerods in their secret parts. The Gath.
ites thereupon, to free themselves from this plague, sent the ark of
God lo Ekron, another of tiieir five principal cities, J Sam. v.
As soon as the Ekroniies saw it come, they cried out, ' They
have brought about the ark of tiie God of Israel to us, to slay us and
our people.' They therefore sending vvith all speed, gathered to
gether the lords of -the Philistines, whom they besought to send away
the ark of the God of Israel, and let il go again to its own place,
'That, said they, il slay not us and our people,' which they had
reason to fear, for the hand of God was very heavy there, so that
there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city. And the
men that died not were smitten wfth the emerods : and the cry of
the city went up to heaven.
Seven months was the ark of God in the country of th p. Philistines,
and three of the five principal cities had smarted dopr^y for it. Bul
uow, finding no safety in keeping ft, thry began to ihinlc of sending

2'84 SACRED HISTORY.- PABT II.
it home : which yet they were afraid lo do, lest by committing some
fresh error, they should draw some fresh plague upon themselves.
Wherefore consulting with their priests and soothsayers, they
asked them what they should do lo the ark of the Lord ; bidding
them tell thera wherewith they should send it lo its place.
They advised them not to send il empty, but in anywise to return
him a tresspass offering; telling them they should then be healed, and
should know why his hand had lain so long and so heavy upon
them. And when the others asked what that tresspass offering should
be ; they replied, five golden emerods, and five golden mice ; accord
ing to the number of the lords of the Philistines
For, said they, the plague was upon you aU, both lords and people.
Wherefore you shall make images of your emerods, and images of
the mice that destroy your land. ' And when ye have given glory
unto the God of Israel, peradventure he will Ugliten his hand from
off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land. To what
purpose, added they, should you harden your hearts ; as the Egyp
tians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts. For when he had wrought
wonderfully among them, did they not let. the people go, and they
departed,' 1 Sam. vi.
' Now, therefore, said tliey, make a new cart, and take two milch
kine on which there hath come no yoke ; and fasten the Idne lo the
cart, and bring their calves home from thera. And take the ark of
the Lord, and lay it upon the cart, and put the jewels of gold (the
golden emerods and mice) which ye return him for a trespass offer
ing, in a coffer, by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may
go. But take good notice which way it goeth : for if it goeth up by
the way of its own coast to Beth-shemesh, then we may conclude
thai it is the God of Israel hath done us this great evil. But if
it go not that way, then we shall know that it was not his hand
that smote us, but only an accident that befel us.
According to this direction the Philistines acted. For they took
two milch kine, and fastening them to the carl, shut up their calves
at home. Then having laid upon the cart the ark of the Lord, with
the coffer, in which the golden images of the mice and the emerods
were, and turned the kine going, they look the straight way lo Beth-
shemesh, lowing as they went, without turning at all aside to one
hand or the other. And as the five lords of the Philistines went
after them unto the border of Beth-shemesh, to see what would be-
corae of the ark.
It was wheat harvest, and the Beth-shemites were reaping in the
valley. But when they, lifting up their eyes, saw the ai'k coming,
they rejoiced at the sight. The kine having brought the cart into
the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemite, stood stiU there, by a great
stone, called the stone of Abel, Which tiie Levites seeing (for Beth.
shemesh was a city belonging to them. Josh, xxi. 16) thoy took

PART II. SACRED HISTORY.
Uown the ark of tbe Lord, and the coffer that was with it, wherein
were jewels of gold, and put them upon the greal stone. Then
cleaving the wood of the cart, they offered the kine for a burnt
offering to the Lord. Which when the five lords of the Philistines
had seen, they returned to Ekron the same day.
But the prying Beth-shemites made bold, it seems, to look into
tbe ark, contrary to the law, Numb. iv. 6 and 20. Wherefore the
Lord smote them with a very great slaughter, of no less than fffty
thousand and three-score and ten men. Which made the Beth-shem
ites lament, and say, ' Who is able to stand before this holy Lord
God ? And to whom shall he go up from among us ? ' This made
them quickly weary of the ark : and that they might get handsomely
rid of it, they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjerim, to
acquaint them that the Philistines had brought again the ark of the
Lord, and to desire them to come down, and fetch it up to them.
They as glad to have it, as the others were to part with it, soon
fetched il from thera. And having brought it into ths ouse of Abi-
nadab in the hill, they consecrated Eleazar his son to keep it: and
fuU twenty years did the ark abide there ; the house of Israel mean
whUe lamenting after the Lord.
All this while we have heard nothing of Samuel, nor of tne affairs
cf Israel, from the time that they were beaten by the Philistines and
lost the ark, until now. And now, Samuel finding in the people a
good disposition to repent, and to return unto the Lord, spake unto
all the house of Israel thus, ' If ye do return unto the Lord v/ith all
your hearts, then put away the strange gods, and Ashtarotii, from
among you : and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve
him only ; and he wUl deliver you otu of the hand of the PhUistines,
1 Sam. vii.
This good exhortation had so good an effect, that the children of
Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord
only. Whereupon Samuel gave order that aU Israel should be gath
ered together to Mizpeh, letting them know that he would oray unlo
the Lord for thera.
Accordingly they assembled at Mizpeh; whioh signifies' both a
watch-tower, and judgraent. But while they were humbling thera
selves there before the Lord, with fasting, praying, and confessing
their sins, the Philistines, having got notice of this general meeting
of theirs, went up in arms against thera, and put them in great fear;
which made thera urgent with Samuel, that he would cry incessant
ly unto the Lord their God for them, to save them out of the hands
of the Philistines.
Sarauel thereupon taking a sucking lamb, offered it to the Lord;
and cried unto the Lord for Israel. And the Lord so graciously
answered him, that the Philistines coraing out to give battie, or lo faU
upou Israel, at the very time vvheJi Samuel was offering up the burnt

fS6 SAORED HISTOBY. PART H.
offering, the Lord thundered with, a great thunder upon the PhUis
tines, and discomfitled thera, so that they were smitten before Israd.
For the men of Israel, taking advantage of the disorder the Phil
istines were in, marched out of Mizpeh, and pursuing them, smote
them so, that the PhiUstines were subdued, and came no more to in
fest Israel, so strong and boldly, at least, as they had done : for the
hand of the Lord was against them all the days of Samuel ; and the
cities, which the PhUistines had taken from Israel, were restored to
Israel. Samuel, for a grateful memorial of this great deliverance, took a
atone, and setting it up between Mizpeh. and Shen, called it, Eben-
ezer, that is, the stone of help, saying, 'Hitherto hath the Lord
helped us.'
The PhUistines thus for the present brought under, and there being
peace between Israel and the Araorites, who had used to be trouble
some- neighbours, Sarauel, for the better administration of justice,
went from year to year in circuit (the first itinerant judge that we
read of) to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in
nU those places : returning stUl, at the end of his circuit, to Kamah,
where his dweUing house was.
But as age grew upon him, finding this travel uneasy to him, he
made bis two sons, judges over Israel : of which the name of the
eider was Joel, and of the younger Abiah. Bul his sons walked
nol in. his ways ; but turning aside after lucre, took bribes (expressly
forbidden, Deut. xvi, 19) and perverted judgment.
Hereupon the elders of the people went in a body together to Ra
mah, to lay their complaints before Samuel. And being come to
him, they thus opened the case- to, him; 'Behold thou, art old, and
thy sons (whom thou hast set as judges over us) walk nol in thy
ways.' Though, this was short and blunt, yethad they stopped here, it had
been well :; but they go on, and say, ' Now make us a king to judge
us, like aUi the. nations,' 1 Sam. viii-.
They would change not only the governors but the govemment:
Ihat form of government which God had appointed, for a form of
government which, be had not appointed them. And this they would
do, not upon any pretence of gaining a better government, but that
they might thereby make theraselves like the heathens, whom God
had taken so much care and pains (if I may so speak) to separata
them from, and make them in this (andin almost all, things else) as
unlike to as might be.
This proposal of theirs was very unpleasing lo Samuel. Whera-
ibre, before he would give them any answer, he spread the matter
before the Lord. And the Lord, who saw ihatthese elders o£ Israel
took advantage from the mal-administration of Samuel's sons, to
throw off that government which he had set over them, and choose

PART n, SACRED HISTORY., 287
for themsdves, resolved to punish them with their own desire. There-
fore he bid Samuel answer their demand, saying, ' They have not
rejected thee only, but they have rejected me, that I should, not reign
over them,' and appoint them judges as I please.
And that Samuel might not be over-much troubled for the slight
put upon him, the Lord told him, they had done no otherwise by
him, than they had done by the Lord himself, ever since he had
brought them up out of Egypt, often forsaking him, and serving
other gods.
Wherefore he directed him, first, to protest solemnly to them, that
he did nol approve of what they desired , bul only yielded lo their
importunity; and then lo declare unto thera, after what an arbitrary
manner such an absolute and sovereign monarch, as they aimed at,
and as the Gentiles, whom they would be like, had Matt, xx. 26,
would reign over thera. And if after that, they should suU persist
in their demand, he should answer them in it.
Samuel, thus instructed, told the people that asked him for a king,
how the king that they would have to reign over them, would deal
with them. ' He wiU take, said be, your sons, and make them, some
his charioteers, some his grooms, and others his footmen, to run
before his chariots; and some of thera he will set to plough his
ground and to reap harvest, and to make his instruments of war,
and for his chariots. . . . Your daughters also, he wiU take, to
be confectioners, cooks, and bakers. And he will have a standing
army : appointing him captains over thousands, and ©ver fifties (where
by he may bring you into absolute slavery.) And to maintain his
army, be will not only lake your fields, and youj; vineyards, and your
oUve-yards, even the best of them, and give them to bis servants,
but he wUl tax you at his pleasure ; for he will take the tenth of
your seed, and of your vineyards, and of your sheep ; he will take
your men-servants also, and your maid-servants, and your goodliest
young men and your cattie, and put them to his work ; and (in a
word) will bring you into an absolute subjection. . . . And
then ye shall ery out, because (£ your king, which ye shaU havo
chosen : but the Lord wiU not hear you then.'
This, one would think, if they had believed it, would have deterrei
the people from desiring a king ; such an one, at least, as they aimed
at. Bul they, when they had heard all this, cried, ' Nay, but we wiU
have a king over us : that we also may be Uke all the nations ; and
that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our
battles.' It is supposed by some, that that which made thera so urgent at
this time for a king, was a present strait they thought theraselves in
fcr want of an able leader. For Nahash, the king of the Ammon
ites, coming and encamping against Jabesh-gilead, had put the raen
af Jabesb into such a fright, that without more ado they offered to

288 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
surrender upon terms, lelUng hira they would become subjects lo
him, if he would make a league with them. But the haughty Am
monite, in contempt of Israel, let them know, that if he made a league
with them, the condition thereof should be, they should corae out to
him, and let him thrust out all their right eyes ; and lay it for a
reproach upon Israel. The elders of Jabesh, in this strait, demand
ed seven days respite, that they might send messengers unto all
the coasts of Israel : and if in that time no succours came, they
Would submit. This, it is thought, made the elders of Israel press
at that time so hard upon Samuel for a king. Whereas they should
have inquired of the Lord, whom he on that occasion would ap.
point to be for that tirae their general, to lead out their forces again.st
their enemy. But they, as it seems, had a mind to be more inde
pendent of God.
When therefore Samuel saw they were so resolute, hotagain con
sulted the Lord about it. And the Lord bid hira ansvver their de
sire, and make them a king. Whereupon he dismissed the elders
of Israel, bidding them go every one to his city ; which implied,
that he would take care of the business. Thus God chastised his
rebeUious people with a rod of their own making : and told them
by his prophet, between three and four hundred years afterwards,
that he gave them a king in his anger, Hosea xui. 11, which yet is no
prejudice to kingly government, rightiy instituted and duly administered.
' Since the setting up of a king at that time was but to answer the
humor of a fickle people, who wanted to have a distinguished leader,
as their neighbour nations had, God fitted them with a goodly, proper
man, one that was higher by the head and shoulders than any of the
rest of the people.
This was Saul the son of Kish, a Benjamite of greal power, whom
his father had sent with a servant to seek his asses, which were
strayed away. Such was, in that respect, the simpUcity of those
times, wherein great men thought no office mean that was honest,
1 Sam. ix.
When Saul and his servant had passed through mount Ephraim,
and through the land of Shalisha, and through the land of Shalim,
near unto which .John afterwards baptized, John. in. 23, and through
the land of the Benjamites, and were come to the land of Zuph,
where was Eamathaim, Zophira, 1 Sam, i. 1, the city of Samuel,
and could hear no tidings of them ; Saul said to liis servant, ' Come,
let us return ; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take
thought for us.'
The servant thereupon put hira in mind, that there was in that
city a raan of God, an honourable man, in greal reputation; for
all he foretold did surely come to pass. Now therefore, said he,
let us go thither : peradventure he can direct us which way lo go
to find the asses.

PilRT H. SACRED HISTORY. 289
Saul liked the proposal weU : but began to consider What he had
to give to the man of God for his counsel. What have we, said
he to his servant, to make a oresent for the man of God ? for our
provisions are spent.
The servant having searched his purse, told his master he liad
found there the fourth part of a shekel of silver; and he was wUling
to give the man of God that, to tell them their way
That was but a very small sum, not above three-pence three far
things ; yel that, it seems, was more than his master, as near to the
kingdom as lie -was, had about him : and Saul being glad lo hear of
that, said to his servant, well said, come, let us go ; and on they went
towards the city where the man of God dwelt
As they went up the hiU that led to the city, they met young maid
ens going out to draw water ; of whom they inquired if the seer were
there. For beforetime in Israel when a man would go to inquire of
God, he used to say, come, and lei us go to the, seer : for he that was
in after times caUed a prophet, was in former times called a seer.
The maidens told them he was there, being corae thitiier, but that
day lo a solemn feast of the people in the high place ; and that if
they raade haste, they might straightway find him, before he had
went to the high place to eat : for the people would not eat 'until he
was corae, and blessed the feast.
With this intbrraation, Saul and his servant went on ; and when
they were come into the city, Samuel came out and met thera, as
he was going up to the high place. For the Lord had revealed to
Samuel, on the day before, that about that tirae next day he would
send him a man out of the land of Benjamin, whom he should
anoint captain over Israel. And wlien Samuel now saw Saul, the
Lord told hira, ' Behold the man whom I spake to thee of: this same
** shall reign over my people.'
Now when Saul was come up to Samuel, nol knowing him, he
inquired of hira for the seer's house: and Samuel told him, he was
the seer. Then inviting hira to eat with him that day, he bid him
go up before him to the high place : leUing him, ho would let him
go to-morrow ; and would then tell him aU that was in his heart.
In the mean time he wished him nol to trouble himself about
the asses for they were found. And to give him at present a Uttie
touch of the main business, he added ; 'And on whom is aU the desire
of Israel ? Is it nol on thee, and on aU thy father's house ?
Saul, seeming lo wonder that he should speak after that manner
to him, desired hira to consider that he was a Benjamite, one of
the smallest of the tribes of Israel, al least since the slaughter that
had been made upon them, in the Levite's case, Judg. xx, and his
family the least of all the families of that tribe
This discourse Samuel brake off, by taking Saul and his servant
VOL. I. — 19

^00 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
into the parlour with; him. Where setting them down in the chief
place, among them tiiat were invited to eat, which were about thirty
persons, he bid the cook bring that portion of meat which, he had be
fore ordered him to set by ; who thereupon brought forth the shoulder,
and that which was upon it, probably the breast, those being the two,
joints allotted for the priests and their families, Levit. x, 1,4, and set
it before Saul.
After they had eaten, and were come down from the high place-
into the city, Sarauel taking Saul up upon the top of the house,
which was raade flat to walk upon, had further communication witii,
him that evening. And early next morning calling him up, that he
might send him away, they went out together : and as they were go
ing down tow.ards the. end of the city, Samuel bid Saul order his;
servant to pass on before, but stand still himself for a while, that he
might shew him what God had said conceming him
As soon as the. servant was gone out of sight, Samuel taking a.
vial of oU, poured il upon the head of Saul, and kissed him, which
was a token of subjection and homage lo him as his sovereign : ad
ding, that he did this, because the Lord had anointed hira lo be cap
tain over bis inheritance. This is supposed to fall about the thir
tieth year of Samuel's government, 1 Sam. x.*
Then, lo assure Saul that this thing was of the Lord, Samuel told
him divers particular passages that should befaU him-; that day, as he
went home. As that he should find two men by Rachel's sepulchre,
who should leU him the asses he went to seek were found, and his,
father was now in great sorrow for him ; that when he came to the
plain of Tabor, there should meet him three men, going up to God,
to Beth-el ; one carrying three kids, another three loaves of bread,
and the third a bottle of wine.: and that they should salute him, and give
hira two loaves of bread, which he should receive ; and that after that
he should meet a corapany of prophets coming down from the- high
place, with a psalter, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp before them ;
and that he should prophesy with thera and should be turned into
another man. ' And, said Samuel, when the signs are come unto
thee, do thou as occassion shall serve thee, behave thyself like a,
king ; for God wUl be with thee.'
As soon as Saul had turned his back to go from Samuel onward of
his way, the Lord gave hira another heart ; and all those signs, whieh
Sarauel had foretold bira, came to pass that day.
Now, though Samuel had thus anointed Saul privately, which no
man knew of but themselves ; yet for the general satisfaction of the
people, and that tbe choice and inauguration of their king might be
public and solemn, be caUed them together unlo the Lord to Mizpeh.
To which place the ark of the Lord was brought, and the priest was
* A, M. 2917

T^ART n. SACRED fflSTORY. 291
eome with the Urira and Thuramim, that the choice might be openly
made and declared, by casting of lots before the Lord.
When the people were come to Mizpeh, and Samuel had again,
in a short exprobatory speech, taxed them wilh ingratitude to God,
in rejecting him, who had been.their deliverer out of aU their adver
sities and tribulations, and calling, for a king lo be set over them, he
bid thera present themselves, before the Lord by their tribes, and by
their thousands.
When therefore all the tribes of Israel were brought near, the tribe
of Benjamin was taken; that is, the lot feU upon that tribe. And
when the tribe of Benjamin came near by their famUes, the famUy of
Malri was taken ; and in that family Saul the son of Kish was taken.
But though thelol feU on him they could not find him: for he, sure
before-hand of the office, had absented himseff.
Inquiring thereupon further of the Lord conceming. him, whether
he would come or no: the answer was. that he had hid himself
Eimong the stuff
Thither then they ran to fetch hira; and having brought and set
hira among them, he was higher than all the people from the shoulders
upwards. Which Samuel observing to thera, said, 'See ye him
whom he Lord hath chosen (for though they chose a king, the Lord
chose the king) thatthere is none like him amongst all the people ;' at
which the people gave a general shout, and cried, ' God save the
king,' or may the king Uve.
Then Samuel, as he had beforetold the people, ohap. vui. 1 1, what
a king would do, now told them what their king should or ought to
do : he told them the manner of the kingdom (probably out of Deut.
xvii) and he wrote it in a book^ andlaid it up before the Lord. Whicb
done, he dismissed the people.
Saul also went home to Gibeah,: and a band of men, whose hearts
God had touched, and inclined thereunto, waited on him home.
But the children of Belial, the mob, or more unruly part of the people,
despised him, saying, in contempt, 'How, shall;this raan save us?'
Neither would they bring' bim any present, as an acknowledgment
that be was their king. However, he-discreetiy overlooked it, as if
he bad not heard them..
By this time the messengers which the men of Jabesh-GUead had
sent abroad, to acquaint their brethren with the distress they were
in, were come to Gibeah of Saul, and had told the tidings in the
ears of the people : which made thera aU lift up their voices and weep.
Which when Saul observed, who at that time was coraing out of
the field, and, notwithstanding his regaUty, driving an herd of cattie
before- hira; he asked. What ailed the people, that they wept ? And
being told the strait that the men of Jabesh were in, the spirit of the
Lord came upon him ; and his anger being greatiy kindled against
the Ammonites he took a yoke of oxen, and hewing them in pieces.

S92 SACRED HISTORY. PART n,
sent them with speed throughout all the coasts of Israel, with this short
but sharp message: 'Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul, and
after Samuel, for the young king thought it adviseable to strengthen
his authority with the name and company of the old prophet, so shall
it be done unto his oxen,' 1 Sam. xi.
Hereupon the fear of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came
out as one man : so that when they were mustered, the children of
Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah, who
bordering on the PhUistines, could not so well spare raen from their
frontiers, were thirty thousand.
When Saul and Samuel saw their strength, they bid the messengers,
which came from Jabesh-GUead, go back and leU their citizens, that
to-raorrow, by that tirae the sun was hot, they should have help.
This good news raade them glad. And that they might contribute
to their own deUverance, by making the Ammonites secure, they sent
them word, that to-raorrow Ihey would come out to them, to be dealt
with as they pleased
But on the morrow, Saul, having divided the people into three
companies, that he might give the onset in three places, feU into the
midst of the Ammonitish host in the morning watch, and slew thera
until the heat of the day : and such of them as escaped the slaughter,
were so scattered that there were not two of them left together.
This great victory, and so great a deliverance thereby from so
cruel and insulting a foe, was an encouraging beginning lo the new
king and his favorites; some of whom calling to remembrance that
some others had before spoken despitefuUy of Saul, said now to Sam
uel,' ' Who is he that said, shaU Saul reign over us ? Bring the men,
that we may put thera to death.' But Saul wisely and generously
answered, ' There shall not a raan be put to death this day : for to-day
the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel.' Implying that such days,
being times of festivity and joy, should nol be clouded with sadden
ing executions.
Samuel, wiUing lo take away all animosities frora araong the peo
ple, and to give opportunity to those vvho before had stood out, to
come in now, and receive Saul for their king, proposed to the peo
ple that they should go lo GUgal, and renew the kingdom there :
that is, proclaim their king there anew. Accordingly to Gilgal aU
the people went, and there before the Lord they unanimously made
Saul king : which done, they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings
before tho Lord ; and both king and people rejoiced together greatly.
But a littie to aUay their joy, Samuel took occasion (some say here
at GUgal, others think before they went /rom Jabesh) to expostulate
again with thera with respect both to his own administration, while he
was in the government, and to their offence in altering the government.
With respect to himself, he put them in mind, that he had answer-
edthetn in every thing they had asked of him ; and, as they now saw

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 29'3
had made them a king, according to their desire. And inasmuch aa
he himseff was now grown old and grey headed;, and his sons were
not now over them, as heretofore, but with them as fellow subjects to
their king, there was nothing to awe them ; but that they might freely
impeach him if they could, he having been conversatit araongst them
from his very childhood, »
As a chaUenge therefore to them aU, to convict him, if they could,
he said, ' Behold here I ara ; wimess agednst rae before the Lord and
before his anointed. Whose ox or ass have I taken, or whom have I
defrauded ? Whora have I oppressed ? Or of whom have I received
a bribe, to bUnd mine eyes therewith? And I wiU restore it you,'
1 Sara. xii.
They answered, ' Thou hast not defrauded nor oppressed us ? nei
ther hast thou taken aught of Euiy man's hand.' They might havo
reminded him of his sons' taking bribes, and perverting judgment r
but since they knew he knew il, for they had told him of it before ¦
chap. riii. 3, they modestly forbore to repeat it.
Then calling God and the king to witness that they had acquitted
bun, and they acknowledging it, he went on to reason with them
concerning the righteous acts of the Lord, which he had done lo their
fathers and to them ; recounting, to them how the Lord had advanced
Moses and Aaron, and by their conduct had brought up their fathers
out of Egypt : that being provoked by their disobedience to seU them
into the hand of Sisera, king Jabin's captain, and of the PhiUstines,
and of the king of Moab, when they repented, confessed their sins,
and cried unto the Lord, he deUvered them by Jerub-baal, whose
proper name was Gideon, and by Bedan, whom some lake lo be
Samson, others Jear, by Jephthah, and by himself Notwithstanding
which, they no sooner saw Nahash the king of Araraon coming against
them, bul they came unto him and told him, they would have a
king to reign over them, whereas the Lord their God was their
rightful king.
Havingthus briefly opened to them their offence, he tells them,
that notwithstanding aU this, if they wiU fear the Lord, and serve
him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the coraraandraent of
the Lord, both they, and also their king that reigned over them,
should continue following the Lord their God : but if they wiU not
obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against his commandraent, then
shall the hand of the Lord be against thera, as it was against their
fathers. And to assure them that he spake not this to them of his own
head, or from a personal disgust, or offence of mind, bul frora the
Lord, he told thera the Lord would give thera a conrincing evidence.
For whereas il was then wheat-harvest, and very fine harvest weather,
' I wiU call, said ho, unto the Lord, and he wUl send thunder and

¦294 fSACRED HISTOKY, PART II.
rain ; that you may see your wickedness is great lii the sight of the
Lord, in asking you a king.
Accordingly upon Samuel's praying, the Lord sent thunder and
rain that day; which made the people greatly fear the Lord and
Samuel. And they came aU to Samuel, saying, ' Pray for thy ser
vants unto the Lord thy God, that -we die nol : for unto aU our sins we
have added this evil, to ask us a king.'
Samuel exhorted them, that though they had done amiss, yet they
should not cease from foUowing the Lord ; but should serve the Lord
with all their heart, and nol turn aside after the gods of the nations ;
which being but vain idols, could neither deUver nor profit them.
And withal he encouraged them nol to despair of raercy ; for since il
had pleased the Lord to make them his people, he-would nol forsake
them, for his great name's sake, if they did not forsake hira. . . .
As for himself, he assured them, that he would not only incessantly
Pray for them, as he held it his duty to do, but would teach them the
good and right way : which was to fear the Lord, and serve hira in
truth, vvith all their heart ; considering how greal things he had done
for thera. Yet that they might not grow too secure, he left this lesson
at parting : ' But if ye shall stiU do wickedly, ye shaU be consumed,
both ye and your king.'
Jonathan, the eldest son of Saul, was left, it -seems, to guard the
¦frontiers, when his father went against the Amraonites. And being
a courageous prince, fuU of youthful heat, and desirous of martial
honour, he had fallen upon a garrison of -the PhiUstines, planted
upon a neighbouring hill, and smitten thera.
Of this the Philistines soon had notice, and resolving to revenge
the injury, raised an array, consisting of 'thirty thousand chariots, six
thousand horsemen, and an infinte number of foot: with which they
carae up, and pitched in Michraash eastward from Bethaven, to fight
with Israel.
The Israelites also, having heard of this exploit of Jonathan's,
and how enraged the PhUistines were for that cause against them,
were by sound of trumpet gathered together to Saul at Gilgal, I
Sam. xiii.
When Samuel had anointed Saul privately, cnap. x, l,he coun
seUed him to go to Gilgal, and tarry there seven days, till he came
to him ; promising to come to him there, both to offer burnt offer
ings, &c. and to shew him what he should do, ver, 8,
Saul lay now encamped at Gilgal, expecting Samuel every day.
But he not coraing when they looked for him, tbe people, quite dis
couraged by the absence of the prophet, which they look for an
inauspicous omen, did generaUy forsake their new and so much de
sired king, shifting every one for himseff. And so greal did the fear
ofthe PhiUstines prevail, that most of them hid them.selves; some
in caves, some in thickets, some in rocks, in high places some, and

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 295
some in pits ; and some, not thinking themselves safe etny where
on that side Jordan, went over to -their brethren on the other side
the river.
Eeduced to this extremfty, and out of hopes now of Sarauel's
coming, Saul caUed for a burnt offering and peace offering, and
offered the burnt offering : which he had no sooner done, but Sam
uel came; of whose coming Saul having notice, went forth to meet
and salute him.
Samuel immediately asked him what he had done ? Unlo whom
' Saul relating both what he had done, and -the reason why, Samuel
straightway told him he had done foolishly, charging him that he
had not kept the commandment of the Lord his God, which he had
commanded him ; which if he had done, the Lord would have es
tabUshed his -kingdom over Israel forever; whereas now his king-
'dora should not continue; for that the Lord had sought hira a man
after his own heart, to be captain over bis people.
This severe reproof, and downright charge of having broke the
Lord's comraand, wouldmake one doubt that Saul had nol waited
the full time of seven days for Samuel's coming, according lo ap
pointment, but had offered the burnt offering before the seven days
were out, and that Samuel had corae within the tirae : bul that the
text is so express, ver. 8, ' That be tarried seven days, according
to the set time that Samuel had appointed ; but Samuel came not,' &c.
Whatever was the cause of this delay in Samuel, whether it was
accidental, or designed for a trial to the new king; yel certainly it
gave him an unhappy trip, and made him stumble at the very
threshold of his government.
Samuel upon this, departing from Gi^al, gat him up to Gibeah of
Benjamin. Whither also Saul, wfth his son Jonathan, soon after led
those few that stuck lo him ; who upon a muster were found to be
but six hundred men, and those bul ill provided. For the PhUis-
'tine3,',lhal the Hebrews-might not make themselves swords or spears,
had taken care before, that there should nol be a sraith found through
out all the land of Israel. So that the poor Israelites, while the
PhUistines had dominion over them, were obliged to go down to them
for their smithing work in husbandry, to sharpen their plough
shares, coulters, axes, and mattocks, when they were grown loo
blunt to be whetted with a file.
Here then was an army in a manner wfthout arms : for, it seems,
not a man of thera had sword or spear, but Saul hhnself, and Jona
than his son. Yet may not this be so understood as if there were
no more arras in Israel, or among the Israelites : for, notwithstand
ing aU the politic cauticaas of the PhUistines to prevent it, tbe Israel
ites no doubt had arms though they kept them privately. How else
could they but just before have made such a slaughter of the Am
monites at Jabesh-GUead? chap. xi. 11. Where also, if any of

S96 SACRED HISTORY. PART If.
them had wanted arras, they might have furnished themselves from
the slain. May it not therefore be supposed, that these few that
staid with Saul, in so great a fright that they trembled, chap. xiii.
7, as well as the rest that had run away and hid themselves, ver.
6, had laid aside .their weapons, that they might not be found ia
arras by the Philistines.
Meanwhile the advanced guard of the Philistine^ sallied out of
their carap in three bodies, directing their courses three several
ways. But their main body, or standing army, reached to the
straits or narrow passage of Michraash.
Jonathan observing this, and weighing with himself the extreme
danger Israel was in, filled with heroic valour and a religious confi
dence in God, he left his father under a pomegranate tree in Micron,
which signifies fear, with about six hundred faint hearted soldiers,
and, Abiah the priest, and withdrew himself privately from the army,
attended only by the young man that bore his armour, lo whom
alone be imparted his intention; and directing his course towards
the place where the enemy lay, be said to his armour-bearer, ' Come,
let us go over unto the camp, or garrison, of these uncircumcised.
It may be the Lord will work for us : for there is no restraint to
the Lord, to work by many or by few.' His armour-bearer en
couraged bim ; wishing him lo go on, and do all that was in his
heart: assuring him that he would not faU to follow him, 1 Sam.
xiv.* Whereupon Jonathan proposed the enterprise thus : ' We wUl pass
over, said he, so near unto these men, that we may discover our
selves unto them. And if, when they see us, they shall say unto us.
Tarry till we corae to you, then we will tarry indeed, and not go up
to them : but if ihey should say, Corae unto us, then we will go up;
and this shall be for a- sign unto us, that the Lord haih delivered
them into our hand.'
Thus resolved, they went on, untU they were discovered by the
PhiUstines' garrison, or out-guards ; who at first sight of them cried
out, ' Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they
had hid themselves.' But quickly some of the soldiers calling to
them, said, ' Corae up to us, and we wiU shew you a thing.' This,
so aptiy answering the sign before proposed, did greatly animate
Jonathan. The way by which they were to pass was both very steep, and
very strait or narrow, having a sharp rock on either side: yet Jon
athan, fuU of faith and courage, bidding his armour-bearer come up
after bim, climbed up, as well and as fa.st as he could, on his hands
and his feet; and his armour-bearer foUowed him. And being got
up, they shewed the Philistines a thing : for they fell so furiously
*A. IW., £919.

FART n. SACRED HISTORY. 297
upon the out-guards, that in a littie time, and Utflo space of ground,
they slew about twenty of the PhiUstines.
So bold an onset, so successfully carried on, might well, as it did,
startie the secure and confident PhUistines. But the terror, which
thereupon the Lord struck thera with, ran so universaUy throughout
the host, and seized so deeply on them, that a great trerabling pos.
sessed thera all ; and the very earth trerabled also : for il was a
trembhng sent from God. And in this fright that possessed the
PhUistines, they fell foul one upon another ; and every man's sword
was against his fellow.
Meanwhile Saul's centinels, who stood in Gibeah lo watch the
motion of the PhUistines, observing the raultftude there to grow thin.
ner, and that they knocked one another down, acquainted Saul
therewith. Who thereupon suspecting sorae attempt lo be made
by some of his men upon the PhiUstines, which might engage tbe
arraies, ordered the people with him to be numbered, that he raight
know who was gone. And finding Jonathan and his armour bearer
missing, he called in haste for the priest lo bring the ark of the
Lord, that he might ask counsel what they should do. But while
he was yet speaking lo the priest about it, the noise and tumult in
creasing in the Philistines' host, he bid the priest slop : being loth,
it seems, lo lose so much time from faUing in upon the disordered
Philistines, as the asking counsel of the Lord would take up.
Wherefore drawing forth with all speed his men to the battle, and
the Hebrews on all sides flocking in, as well they that had hid thera
selves in mount Ephraim, as they that for shelter bad fled before to
the Philistines' carap, they all flew in now to join with Israel against
the Philistines, who themselves were busy in kiUing one another.
And there being by that means opportunity enough for the unarmed,
or iU arraed IsraeUtes, to arm theraselves sufficiently with the weap
ons of the slaughtered Philistines, they gave the Philistines a very
great overthrow: and so the Lord saved Israel that day.
The just joy for so great a deUverance- was somewhat abated, at
least interrupted, by an unhappy accident. Saul when he perceived
the PhiUstines in disorder, kiUing one another in their camp, before
he drew out his men to the battle, caused proclamation to be raade
in his carap, by which he adjured his men to fast tiU evening : ad
ding this execration, ' Cursed- be the man that eateth any food until
the evening, that I may be avenged of mine enemies.'
This, it seems, he did, to restrain the people from falling too soon
upon the booty, and feasting themselves with the enemy's provisions ;
whereby they might lose the opportunity of obtaining a complete
and full victory. And had he done this by a bare comraand,
without any execration added, his policy therein had not, perhaps,
been ranch amiss.
But having made a wrong step before, for which he had been ro-

298 SACRED HISTORY. PART H.
[proved by the prophet, he went on now in his own wiU,foUowing
¦ the dictates of his own mind, without asking counsel of the Lord,
-which he 'ought to have done, and which, as a known duty, he was
about lo - have done, when he caUed the priest to bring the ark of
God ; but- through a preposterous haste, fearing to lose time by stay
ing to inquire of God, he stopped the priest again ; bidding him
withdraw his hand.
However, ,by this charge he defeated his own purpose ; hindering
that which he would have effected, and missing that which he
" would have obtained.
For the people for -want of sustenance, ha-ring probably through
fear and continual watching 'fasted too long before, were by this
time grown so feeble, that they were nol able to pursue the PhiUs
tines, as they might have done, had they look some short refection;
'¦which gave opportunity to raany of the PhiUstines to escape by flight,
who otherwise must have 'faUen into their hands.
But 'this was not aU the mischief that attended this execrable
charge. For Jonathan, being gone from the camp before that charge
was given, knew nothing ofit. And coming with his men lo a wood,
where honey dropped, and lay upon the ground ; he, as he passed
-along, dipped the end of his staff in the honey, and put it to his
mouth. The rest of the people, though very weary and faint, would
nol touch a drop of the honey ; fearing the Curse wherewith Saul
¦had bound them,
Jonathan was probably as faint as they,'if not more, having been
longer engaged in the action; so that his sight was grown weak
through fainlness ; bul upon this little refreshment his strength -re
turned, and his eyes grew vigorous.
It is reasonable to think, that observing the backwardness of the
people, Jonathan might invite them to eat of the honey, that they
might be refreshed as well as he; because the text says, ver. 28,
one of the people answered and said, ' Thy father straitiy charged
the people with an oath, saying. Cursed be the man that eateth any
•food -this day,'
When Jonathan heard tiiis, he was troubled ; not for himself, for
he knew that curse could not reach him; who neither consented
lo il, nor knew of it. But he was troubled that his father, by that
rash oath, had hindered the completing of so greal and eminent a
deliverance. Neither could he contain himself from saying, 'My
father hath troubled the land. For see, I pray you, said he, how
mine eyes, which through faintness were grown weak and dim, havre
been enlightened, that is, have recovered their strength, since I tasted
a litde of this honey: how much more, if haply the people had
eaten freely to-day of the spoU of their enemies which they found ?
For had there not been now a much greater slaughter araongst the
PhiUstines ? '

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 29S
Whether the people took encouragement, from' the words and ex
ample of Jonathan, to satisfy their hunger as soon as they could ; or
whether, which is most probable, they tarried tiU evening, for they
were afterwards taxed for eating -flesh 'with the blood, not for eating
-withui the time prohibited, they being sharp set flew upon the spoil
and seizing on sheep, oxen, and -'calves, slew thera on^the ground
where the blood could not 'well drain from them: and not having
patience to slay tiU the blood could be thoroughly drawn out, they
feU greedUy on, and eat the flesh vt'ith the blood in it This being
told to Saul, be expressed some zeal against this evil ; and caUing
for a great stone to be brwight him, he raised an altar unto the Lord.
and commanded the people to bring every one his ox and his sheep
thither, and slay them there, thatlheblood might be weU pressed out;
which they did.
After the people had satisfied themselves with food, Saul proposed
to renew the pursuit after the enemy ; saying, ' Let us go down after
the PhiUstines by night, and spoil them until the morning light : and
let us nol leave a-man of them.'
The people expressing their readiness, the priest interposed, advis
ing them to consult the Lord first. Whereupon Saul asked counsel
of God, whether he should go down after the PhUistines ; and whether
he would deliver them into the hand of Israel. But the Lord did not
vouchsafe to answer hira that day.
This made Saul unezisy. And being wiUing to impute this repulse
'to a breach Of his charge given before about not eating, he resolved
^o have the lot cast, that he might thereby find out who had broken
ihis command : swearing by an high oath, ' As the Lord Uveth that
>saveth Israel,' that if it should prove to be his son Jonathan, he should
^surely die.
The people (who generally knew that Jonathan had tasted of the
lioney) were so astonished at this dangerous oath, that they made him
ino answer. But the elders being gathered together, Saul appointed
them with the people, to stand on the one side, and he, with his son
Jonathan, stood on the other side, as the two parties, upon one of
which the general lot raust fall.
Then addressing himself to God, he implored him to give a per
fect lot. So we read the engUsh teiet ; -but the margin says, to shew
the innocent.
Upon the casting of the lots the people were acquitted : and the
doubt lay between Saul and Jonathan. Whereupon the lot being
cast again between them two, il feU upon Jonathan : by which (say
TremeUius and Junius on the place) the innocent was shewed.
Saul then asking him what he had done, Jonathan answered, ' I
did but taste a Uttie honey with the end of the rod (or staft') that was
in my band; and must I die forit?' Saul thereupon sware agaia,
' God do so, and more also; for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan,

300 SACRED HISTORY. PART m
At that the people began to rouse ; and expostulating the matter
with Saul, said, ' ShaU Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great
salvation in Israel ? God forbid.' And that they might be all as posi
tive as Saul had been, they, using the same form of words which
he had used, said, ' As the Lord Uveth, there shaU nol an hair of his
head fall lo the ground (that is, he shall not suffer any thing at all,
how little soever:) for he hath wrought with God this day. So the
people rescued Jonathan, that he died not' And Saul leaving the
pursuit of the Philistines, gave them opportunity lo get back to their
own country.
Upon this, il is said, Saul look the kingdom over Israel, ver- 47.
From which words some think, that the two years wherein he is said
lo have reigned, chap. xiii. 1, was all the time that he reigned law
fully; and that after that, declining frora that manner of ruling, which
from the Lord Samuel had prescribed, and recorded in a book, chap.
X. 26, he governed arbitrarily by a standing force.
And it may not be unlikely that he, who was k jealous prince, and
always regardful of his own safety, observing how dear his son was to
the people, might not think himself altogether out of danger of being
dethroned, and therefore took what measure he thought best to se
cure the kingdom to himself; of which, he, a soldier, might probably
judge a standing army the likeliest.
Nor wanted he occasions for raising one, and for keeping it up
when raised ; for he had wars on all hands, and. fought against aU his
enemies on every side; against Moab, and Ammon, and Edom, and
the kings of Zobah, and the PhUistines, against whom he had war
all his days. For he was indeed a martial prince, and loved a sol
dier, and therefore when he met vvith any man that exceUed in strength
or valour, he took him into his service.
Nor was he yet so much out of favour, bul that, although be had
missed his way in his former enterprize against the Philistines, tbe
Lord would employ him again in another expedition, that he might
have oppotunity to recover himself, and make some amends for his
former slip.
It was not long therefore before the prophet Samuel came to hira
again, with a message from the Lord. Which yet before he de
Uvered, that Saul might the more heedfully regard what he had to say,
he thus introduced :
'The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, even
over Israel : now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words
of the Lord,' 1 Sam. xv.
Having thus prefaced to quicken his attention, he delivered bis
message in- these words-:
' Thus saitii the Lord of Hosts, I remeraber that which Amalek
did to Israel ; how he laid wait for him in tho way, when he came up

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 301
from Egypt. Now go, aud smite Amdek, and utterly destroy all that
they have. Spare them not: bul slay both man and woman, infant
and suckUng, ox and sheep, camel and ass."
How sharp soever this message might be thought, yel it was so
plain, that there could nol be any possibility of mistaking it. Sharp
indeed il may seem to be; especially if it be considered, that it was
executed upon a nation for a fact committed four hundred years be
fore ; and for which too the aggressors were then punished in their
own persons, Exod.. wii. 13. Which shews God's faithfulness and
love to his people, and that first or last he will avenge their cause.
Yet has it not been sharp enough to deter the enemies of God's peo
ple in succeeding ages from lying in wait against them, or otherwise
oppressing them.
Saul having received the message, raade no hesitation. Bul forth
with gathering his forces together, marched forth against Amalek with
a very great army, consisting of two hundred and ten thousand raen.
But before he corarriiited any act of hostility, finding the Kenites,
of the posterity of Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, dweUing araong the
Araalekites, he reraeinbred, and acknowledged lo them, that they,
that is, their ancestors, had shewn kindness to the children of Israel
when they came up out of Egypt ; and therefore he warned them to
speed away, and depart frora the Amalekites, lest, in the common fato
of war he should destroy them with the Amalekites. And here is an
instance of kindness relumed, for kindness received as long before as
the Amalekites' trespass was.
The Kenites took his counsel, and got out of the way. And then
feU Saul upon the Amalekites, and smote them so, that it is said, } He
utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.' Which
had he done indeed, neither had Ziklag been afterwards sacked and
burnt by the hand of Amalekites, chap, xxxi ; nor had Saul himself
been slain by the hand of an Amalekite, 2 Sara, i. a to 10. But it
may be supposed he killed all he met with, or found, exoept tho
king ofthe Amalekites, whose titie was Agag.
Hirn he took alive, and purposely spared, because he was their
king ; whom perhaps, for that very reason, he ought to have shewn least
favour unto ; not because he was a king,but because he was their king.
For as they now suffered for the treachery and cruelty of their an
cestors, so ft is reasonable to suppose, that the Agag, or king, of the
Amalekites, who then ruled when they did that despiie to Israel, was
more deeply guilty of both complotting and executing that design
against Israel, than any private or single Amalekite could be. But
Saul, a king, was wiUing to save this king, though against the express
command of the king of kings.
This was part of Saul's transgression : but this was not aU ; for be-
ades tiie king, Saul and the people (for upon them he laid it, and tiiey
are joined together) spared tho best of the sheep, and of tiie oxen.

302 SACKED HISTORY^ PART II.
of tile fat beasts, and the larabs : and indeed of all that was good, and
would not destroy them. Bul every thing that was vile and refuse,
that they destroyed utterly ; notwithstanding the command was so plain
and express to smite Araalek, and uttariy destroy aU that they had,
that it admitted of no reserve, either of person or thing.
Before Samuel could have notice of this, either by messenger or
report, he had it from the Lord ; who so highly resented this inex
cusable disobedience of Saul, that, expressing himself after the man
ner of men, he said to Samuel, ' It repenteth me that I have set up
Saul lo be king.; for he is turned back from following me; and hath
not performed my comraandmerits.' This so grieved Samuel, that
be cried unto, the Lord aU, night: no doubt on behalf of Saul and
his people.-
Early ,nest morning gat-Samuel up lo meet Saul ; and understand
ing that he was come up to Carmel, where he had. made an halt lo
refresh, his, men, and was passed on and gone down lo Gilgal, he
followed him thither, and there he found him.
Al their first- congress, Saul very briskly said to,'Samuel, ' Blessed
be thou-. of the Lord : I have performed the commandraent of the
Lord.' Ay! said Samuel, 'What meaneth then,the bleating ofthe
sheep in mine ears, and the lowing, of the oxen, which I hear? '
'They have brought them,- said Saul, from the Amalekites: for
the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacri
fice unto the Lord thy God ; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.'
' Stay, said Samuel then lo Saul, and' I vrill tell thee what the Lord
hath said to me this night.' Saul bidding,, him say on, Samuel pro
ceeded, and said,
'When thou wast littie in thine own signt,- wast thou not made the
head of the tribes of Israel ? And did not the Lord anoint thee
king over Israel ? And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said.
Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against
them lUntil they be consumed. Wherefore then didst thou not obey
the voice of the Lord, but; didst fly upon the spoU, and didst evU in
the sight of the Lord ? '
Saul, still justifying himself said, 'Yea, I' have obeyed the voice
of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me ; and
have brought Agag the king of Araalek, and have utterly destroyed
the Amalekites: but it was the people that look of the spoil, sheep
and oxen, the chief of the- things which should have been utterly
d-6slroyed, lo sacrifice unto the- Lord thy God in GUgal.'
Samuel replied, ' Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offer
ings and in sacrifices, as in having his voice obeyed ? Behold, lo
obey is belter than sacrifice : and to hearken than the fat of rams.
For rebelUon, added he, is as the sin of witchcraft : and stubborn-
ess is as iniquity and idolatry.' Wherefore, now Saul, hear thy

PART II. SACRED HISTORVv 303
doom : ' Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath
also rejected thee from being king.'
Saul bore up against Samuel tiU nows.:. nor did he seem con
cerned al any thing he had said before. But these last words, of
his being rejected, from the kingdom, touched him to the quick. At
this he presentiy cried out, I have sinned; and confessed he had
transgressed the commandment of the. Lord, and the words of the
prophet ; yel would have excused himself, on pretence he had done
it for fear of the people, and to answer tiieir desire. And having de
sired him to pardon his sin, he asked him, to accompany him that,
he mightworship, the Lord. But Samuel refused to go wilh hira;
and gave him this, reason for it: 'Thou, hast rejected the word of
the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over,
Israel.' Then, as Samuel, turned about to be gone, Saul, to stay him,,
caught hold on tbe skirt of his mantle, and it rent. Whereupon,
Samuel look occasion to tell him, the Lord had rent the kingdom of -
Israel from bim, and bad given it to a neighbour of his, that was bet--
ter than he. This neighbour, as it appeared soon after, was David;
though Samuel did not then know who it.should be but spa]r,e,-as a,
prophet, by divine direction.
And to assure Saul that he spake this, not of himself, bul from .
the Lord, and thereby to impresa-.the sense thereof the deeper in him,..
he added : ' And also, the strength of Israel wiU not lie, nor repent :
for, though he spake lo man according to, man's capacity, yel he -
is not a man, that he should repent.'
Saul was not so sensibly touched with any thing, as the mention ,
of his losing!^ the kingdom. And he seemed. apprehensive that Sam--
uel's refusing to go with him, and join with .hira in the worship of
God, would lessen his esteera with the people, and alienate the aft'ec. .
lions of his courtiers from hira. Therefore- acknowledging again
that he had sinned, he added, 'Yet, honour.; rae now, I praytiiee, ,
before the elders of my people, and before Israel ; and turn again
with me, that I raay worship the Lord thy God.' And Sarauel, hav
ing another piece of service yet to do, which, perhaps he knew not,
or thought not of before, followed afteK Saul: and Saul perforraedi
his devotions.
TbencaUed Sarauel for Agag, the king of tiie Amalekites, to be-
brought to him. The captive king, expecting to have a favourable-
reception from an old man and a prophet, came pleasantiy forward,
saying, 'Surely the bitterness of death is past.' But he soon found
his mistake. For Samuel, without using any ceremony, or saying
any more to him, than, ' As thy sword hath raade women childless,
so shaU thy mother be childless among women,' feU on him, and
hewed hira in pieces before the Lord in GUgal.*
* A. M 2920.

304 SACRED HISTORY , PART U.
This was, if I may so say, the sacrifice Sarauel went back after
Saul to offer, which Saul Uttle thought of: and having performed his
service, Samuel departed lo his own house at Eaniah, and Saul to
his at Gibeah of Saul, After whioh, Samuel never came more to
see Saul, yet could not forbear lo mourn for hira.
For this the Lord gave him a gentle reproof: asking bim, ' How
long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing 1 have rejected hira from reign
ing over Israel.' Then bidding hira fill his horn with oU, ' Go, said
he: I wiU send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite ; for I have pro
vided me a king among his sons, 1 Sara. xvi.
Though Samuel had before told Saul that God had rejected him,
had rent the kingdom from him, and had given it to a neighbour of
bis, more worthy than he, words provoking enough to an angry
martial king; and did it boldly wfthout shew of fear; yet now,
when he was directed to go and anoint tliat other, the sense of the
danger startled tiie prophet. • Alas, said he, how can I go ? If Saul
hear it, he will kill rae.'
The Lord knowing the sincerity of his prophet, overlooked the
frailty of his nature, and kindly proposed hira an expedient, lo re
move at once both the danger and 'his fear; 'Take, said he, an
heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice (to offer a peace
offering, or hold a feast) lo the Lord. And caU Jesse lo the feast,
and I wUl shew thee what thou shalt do : and thou shalt anoint unto
Hie him whom I shaU then name unto thee.'
Samuel, following the Lord's direction, went to Beth-lehem: but
his coming thiiher in that manner, put the elders of the town in
great fear. They doubted some grievous crime had been coramitled,
which became to inquire into; and asked hira, if he came peaceably:
he answered, yea; and told them, he was corae lo hold a feast unto
the Lord. For sacrifice, in a strict and proper sense, as a burnt
offering for sin, might not be offered, by the law, in any other place
than before the ark ; but peace offerings and feEists raight. There
fore he bid them sanctify, or prepare themselves, and come with
him lo the sacrifice, or feast ; and he sanctified Jesse and his sons,
and invited thera to it.
Now when Sarauel was come into Jesse's house, and saw his
eons about him, he quickly fixed his eye upon EUab, who was the
eldest son, and a proper man; fit in his judgment to succeed so
tall a man as Saul. Concluding therefore him to be the man, be
said, (probably in himself) ' Surely the Lord's anointed is before
him.' But the Lord checking Samuel, said, ' Look not on his coun
tenance, nor on the height of his stature, because I have refused
bim ; for the Lord seeth not as man seeth ; for man looketh on tbe
outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on tbe heart.'
Jesse (unto whom il is probable Samuel had opened the cause
and end of his coming) seeing Eliab set aside, called Adinadab, bia

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 305
second son, and made hira pass oefore Sarauel ; who warned by
his former mistake, would not novv tmst to his own judgment, but
kept lo his sure guide, the voice of the Lord within : by which in
structed, he said, ' Neither hath the Lord chosen this' (though his
narae signified, amongst other things, a prince.) Then Jesse raade
Shararaa, his third son, to pass by (whose name signifies desolation
or perdition : ) and of him also Samuel said, ' Neither hath the Lord
chosen this.' Thus Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before
Samuel, and none of them was the right.
Samuel thereupon asked Jesse, if these were all his chUdren ; Jesse
told him, there was one more, the youngest of them all : but he
was abroad, keeping the sheep. 'Send then, said Samuel, and fetch
hira; for we will nol sit down (to the feast) till he come hither.'
Jesse therefore sent and brought him in : a goodly youth he was
to look at, of a ruddy complexion, and beautiful countenance. And
as soon as he was come in, the Lord said to Samuel, ' Arise, anoint
him, for this is he.' Samuel then taking the horn of oil, anointed
him in the midst of his brethren. And from that day forward the
the spirit ofthe Lord came upon David; but the spirit ofthe Lord de
parted from Saul ; and an eril spirit from the Lord troubled and terri
fied him : for all spirits, evil as well as good are al God's coraraand.*
Now when Saul's servants saw how he was vexed with that evil
spirit, they told him that if, when the evU spirit from God was upon
him, be had a skjjful harper to play before him with his harp, he
would be well, or have ease ; and therefore they desired him lo give
order that they might seek out such a man. Which he consenting
to, one of thera told hira he had seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehem
ite, who was cunning in playing, and a mighty vaUant man, a man
of war, prudent in matters, and a comely person, and withal that
the Lord was wilh him.
Upon this recommendation, Saul sent messengers to Jesse, re
quiring hira to send him David his son, who was with the sheep.
Whereupon Jesse, lading an ass with bread, and a bottle of wine
and a kid, sent them as a present by Darid to Saul. And thence
forward, when the eril spirit frora God was upon Saul, David took
an harp, and playing upon it, so refreshed Saul, that the eril spirit
departed from bim, and be was weU.
This procured David great love from Saul, so that he was loth
to part with him. And therefore he sent lo Jesse, saying, ' Let
David, I pray thee, stand before rae; for he hath found favour in
my sight.' And he made David his armour-bearer.
By this time the PhiUstines, having raUied their scattered troops,
and recmited their forces, drew fonh their armies again, to repair
*A. ]\I,292l.
VOL. I. — 20

306 SACRED HISTOR.Y PART II.
their former losses and dishonour, and nevenge themselves upon the
IsraeUtes. And marching, to Shochoh, which belonged to Judah,
they pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in the coast of Dam-
min. Whereupon Saul drew forth his forces also, and encamped
by the vaUey of El'ab, or tiie oak : so that the Philistines' camp was
planted upon one mountain, and the Israeliles's camp upon another,
having a vaUey between them, 1 Sam. xvii.
WhUe thus the two armies sood facing each other, there saUied
forth of the Philistines' camp a champion, of prodigious stature,
whose name was Goliah, and he was of Gath. His height was six
cubits and a span. Which, taking the measure here by the common
cubit, which, in Deut, iii. 11, is called the cubit of a man, andisgen-
eraly held to contain half a yard, renders him three yards, or nine
feet high, and a span, which sorae raake to be twelve inches.
He is a taU raan reckoned now a days, tiial measures two yards, or
six feet: but Goliah was half so much raore, and a span over. And
yet, if we may guess al the stature of Og king of Bashan, from, the
dimensions of his icon bedstead, whicli was nine cubits, that is, four
yards and a half, or thirteen feet and an half long, Deut in, 11, he
seems to have been a greater monster than this.
Proportionable to his height, we raay suppose the giant's bulk and
strength lo be, by the weight of his armour. For besides an helmet
of brass, he was armed in a coat of mail ; the weight whereof vvtis
five thousand shekels of brass : which, in a marginal note to one of
our English bibles, is computed to be an hundred fifty and six pounds
and four ounces. His legs were guarded with greaves, or boots of
bras^ : and for defence of his neck, he had a target of brass between
his shoulders. The staff of his spear was Uke a weaver's beam for
bigness,; and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of
iron : which, in the book before mentioned, is computed to be eigh
teen pounds and three quarters of a pound. So that his bare armour
was enough to overload an ordinary horse.
Thus accoutered, and having his esquire lo bear his shield before
him, he advanced within hearing of the IsraeUtish host ; and then
making a stand, thus made his defiance to the armies of Israel :
' Why, said he, are you corae out lo set your battle in array ? Ara
not I a Philistine, and j'ou servants to Saul? Choose ye a man for you,
and let hira come dovvn to rae. If he be able to fight with me, and
to kiU me, then will we be your servants ; bul if I prevail against him,
and kil him, then ye shall be our servants.' And the more to provoke
the Israelites, he insultingly added; 'I defy the armies of Israel this
day ; give me a man, that we may fight together.' Thus continuing to
do, both morning and evening, for forty days together, he put Saul, and
aU Israel that heard hira, into a very great fear : for in all the host of
Israel there was not a man found that would accept the chaUenge,
When therefore neither king Saul, nor any of big warriors durst

PART II, S.lCllKO HJSTOKY 307
encounter this Philistine, God brings forth his champion, little David,
so lately and privately anointed fbr the kingdom,
David's three eldest brothers served at that time in the array under
Saul; and David, who was the youngest son, and looked after the
sheep, used to go to and fro between his father's house and tiie carap,
to visit his brethren, and supply them -with necess-aries. And God so
ordered it at this lime, that ou the last of those forty days, where
on the PhiUstine camo forth to defy Israel, David should come lo
the camp.
For Jesse, the night before, having appointed his son David to
cany- sorae provisions to his brethren, wfth a present to their colonel,
and bring him word how they did, David, getting up betimes in the
morning, and leaving his sheep with an under- keeper, came to the
trench of the carap, just as the host, going forth to the field, shouted
for the signal of the battie:. for Israel and the Philstines had put the
battie in array, array against array.
David therefore, leaving his provisions with the keeper of the car
riages, ran into the army to salute his brethren : and as he stood talk
ing with thera, behold there came up the Philistines' champion, Go
liah. of Gath, out of the armies of the Philstines, and gave the same
defiance, in David's hearing, that he had used to give before.
Al sight of this grim watTiorthe-men of Israel were so terrified, that
in great fear they fled from him ; and said one lo another, ' Have ye
seen thisman that is corae up? Surely to- defy Israel is he corae.' But
the king hath declared, that whosoever wiU' accept his challenge, and
s^all have the good success to kill him, be will greatly enrich that
man, and will not only give him his daughter to wife, but wU
also raake his father's house free in Israel frora- all public paymen4
and taxes.
This Darid over-hearing, and being willing lo understand it more
thoroughly, asked some of thera that stood by hira, what should be
done lo the man that should be so- happy as to kiU this daring Philis
tine, and thereby take away the reproach of his defiance from Israel.
And in his zeal for the honour of God, and his contempt of the great
lubber, he added, 'For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he
should be thus suffered to defy the armies of the living God ? ' Where
upon some of the people repealed to him what terms the king had
proposed to the victor.
Bul EUab, David's eldest brother, hearing him speak thus to the
people, was angry wilh David, to whora, perhaps, he bore less good
wiU, since the tirae that Samuel the prophet, setting him aside, had
sent for David from the sheep-cotes, and preferred him before hira.
And not containing himself, asked him in an upbraiding manner,
why he came down thither neglecting his business at home? and with
whom he had' left those few sheep in the wUderness ? 'I know, s'did.

308 SACRED HISTORY. PART 11"
he, the pride and naughtiness of thy heart : for thou art come down
mow to see the battie.'
This was a churUsh rebuke for a brother, and an iU return for
David's kindness in coming to see him, and to bring hira provisons.
But David put it gentiy by, only saying, ' What have I done? Had
J not cause enough to corae,' when ray father sent rae ? And to avoid
any appearance of quarreUing with his brother, he turned frora hira,
and discoursing with another, after the same manner he had done be
fore, manifested a courageous zeal for God, and an high contempt of
that vaunting enemy.
Il was not long, ere David's words were rehearsed before Saul,
who thereupon sent for him. And when David was come into Saul's
presence, he wilh a settled courage said, ' Let no man's heart fail
because of this PhiUstine : for I thy servant wiU go fight with him.'
Alas I said Saul, thou art not a fit match for him : for thou art but a
youth, and he a man of war from bis youth.
David thereupon recounted to Saul what he, youth as he was, had
already achieved. ' Thy servant, said he, kepi his father's sheep :
and there came a Uon and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock :
and I went after him, and smote him, and delivered il out of his
mouth ; and when he arose against me, I caught hira by the beard,
and smiting him slew him ; thy servant slew both the lion and the
bear : and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them,
seeing be hath defied the armies of the Uving God. For the Lord
that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of
the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this PhiUstine.'
The brave resolution which appeared in David, cheered up Saul
a little; so that be said to David, 'Go and the Lord be with thee.'
And to make bis littie champion look as much like a warrior as he
could, he armed David with his own armour, putting an helmet of
brass upon his head, and a coat of maU upon his body. Upon which
when David had girded bis sword, and walked a turn or two about,
to try how he could wield his arms, he soon found they would not
do, and told Saul he could not go with those: 'For, said he, I
have not proved them.' They might, perhaps, be armour of proof;
and being the king's for his own wear, probably were so : but they
were not of proof to David. Nor need any wonder that David could
not go in Saul's armour, if they consider David as a littie stripling,
and Saul a lusty man, taUer by the head and shoulders than any of
the people.
Darid therefore, putting off Saul's armour again, took his staff
^probably his sheep-hook) in one hand, and his sling in the other ;
and having his shepherd's bag or scrip by his side, lie chose five
smooth stones of the valley, and put thera into il.
Thus fiirnished, he advanced towards the PhUistine ; who seeing

PART H. SACRED HISTORY. 30<)
somebody come out from the Israelitish array, began to move towards
bim, his armour-bearer carrying his shield before.
But when he was come so near that he could discern it was
but a youth of maidenly countenance and unarmed, that came out
agamst him ; and taking it for a mark of contempt upon him, that
such an one should offer hira the combat, he, in great disdain
asked him, ' Am I a dog that thou comest to me with stones ? ' Then
cursing him by his gods, he said to David, 'Come but within my
reach, and I will give thy flesh lo the fowls of the air, and to the
beasts of the field.'
David, nothing daunted wfth that bold threat, made him this no less
bold return :
'Thou comest to me tmsting in thine own strength, being fur
nished wilh a sword, with a spear, and with a shield : but I come
to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of
Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day wiU the Lord deliver thee
into mine hand ; and I wiU smite thee, and lake thine head from
thee : and I wUl give (not thy carcass only, but) the carcasses of
the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to
the vvUd beasts of the earth ;-that all tiie inhabitants of the earth may
know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall
know that the Lord saveth not with the sword and spear : for the
battie is the Lord's, and he will give you into their hands.'
With this nettUng answer enraged, the Philistine came on to assail
Darid. Who as much in courage above him, as in stature below
him, ran forward to meet the Philistine. And having, upon the PhU-
istine's first motion, taken a stone out of his bag, and fitted it to bis
sling, he let fly at the PhiUstine wilh that force that (the God of
Israel whom he had defied, both strengthening David's arm, and
guiding the stone) he smote the Philistine in the forehead ; and the
stone sinking into his head, down feU Goliah flat upon his face.
Whereupon David, basting to hira, leaped up upon him : and hav
ing no sword of his own, drew out the PhiUstine's sword ; and
therewith slew hira, and cut off his head.
When the PhUistines saw that their charapion was dead, they fled.
And the men of Israel and Judah standing ready in arms, gave a
shout; and pursuing the Philistines through the valley, lo the very
gates of Ekron, gave them a very great slaughter and overthrow :
and then returning frora the chace, took the spoil of the Philistines'
tents. David, in his return frora the slaughter of Goliah, was met by Ab.
ner, the general of Saul's host, and by him conducted to Saul, with
the PhUistines' head in his hand; and Saul asking him, 'Whose
son art thou, young man ? ' David answered, 'I am the son of thy
servant Jesse, the Bethlehemite ;' for Saul il seems, when Darid

3J0 SACRED HISTOKV, PART II.
went forth against the Philistines, had inquired of Abner whose son
he was, and Abner could not tell hira.
Hence a doubtfol question arises concerning the time when this
duel was fought. For since we read in chap. xvi. 19, (before this
account of the Philistine's defiance) that Saul sent for David, and
that David came to hira, played on his harp before hira, grew into
his favour, and was made his armour-bearer, ver. 21, 22; it is much
that neither Saul nor Abner should remeraber nor know him, when
he came lo offer himself to the combat. This hath made some
jthink that this combat was fought before the time that David was
sent to play before Saul. To which tho character given of David by
Saul's servants, when they recommended him, not only for a skilful
player, but a mighty vaUant raan, a raan of war, and that the Lord
was with him, ver, 18, seems to give sorae countenance. But on
the other hand, as it raay not be supposed ihat this encounter with
Goliah happened before David had been anointed by Samuel; so,
since the spirit of the Lord, upon that anointing of David, came
immediately upon him from that day forward, ver. 13, it is reason
able to conclude, that from that very tirae the spirit of the Lord
departed frora Saul, and that from the very same time the evil
spirit vexed him ; and that very soon after Saul's servants, per
ceiving him to be troubled, recommended David to him ; and that
upon David's playing before him, the evil spirit had left Saul, and
he was grown well, ver. 23, before the Philistines made this invasion
upon him. And the character Saul's servants gave of David's valour
might well enough arise from his bold and brave undertaking, in
encountering and kiUing the lion and the bear, in defence of his
flock; which though Saul had not, yet some of his servants might
likely enough have heard of, and from thence infer, the Lord was
with him. Besides we read, that David went and returned from Saul,
to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem, chap, .xvii. 15. And since
we never read of his going to Saul, but upon that occasion when the
evil spirit troubled him, and this when he went to fight the Philis
tines, il is most likely his going lo Saul there mentioned, ver. 16,
was when Saul was troubled; and his returning from Saul to his
sheep again, was after the evil spirit h;id l"ft Saul. For after David
had slain the PhUistine, Saul, it is said, took hira that day, and would
let him go no more horae lo his father's house, but set hira over the
men of war, chap. xviu. 2, 5. So tiiat if this duel had been before
bis playing to Saul, there had been no need to have sent for David
to play before him, for he then had hira with him. But leaving this
to the reader's consideration and judgment, let us go on with the
story. David, it seems, after he had presented GoUah'sheadlo king Saul,
brought it lo Jerusalem: bul whether then, or sorae tirae afler, and
how long, is also uncertain The giani's armour he laid up in his

im,RT II. SACRED HISTORY. 311
tent. Only tiie sword, wherewith he cut his head off, seems to have
been dedicated lo the Lord, and delivered to the priest to keep, as
a monument of the victory, and of Israel's deUverance.
Jonatiian, the eldest son of Saul, was present when Abner brought
David to his father, vvith GoUah's head in his hand. And being him
self a man of great valour as his own late bold attempt upon the
Philistines' garrison, chap, xiv, shewed, was so taken with David's
courage and conduct in this engagement, ihat he contracted -a firm
friendship with him ; which grew in tirae so close, that to express
the .strictness of it, it is said, ' The soul of Jonathan was knft wilh
the soul of David; ' and that Jonathan loved hira as his own soul.
And having thus made a mutual covenant of lasting kindness between
them, tiie young prince, stripping himself of the robe that was upon
bim, gave ft to David, with tho otber of his garmeuts, even to his
s^vord, his belt and his bow.
Thus went all things smooth and pro.sperous with David for a while.
Eut long ft held not. For Saul, nol suffering David to go back to
live vvith his father any more, set him over the raen of war. In
which post he behaved himself so wisely, inaU the expeditions Saul
sent him upon, that not the common people only, but the courtiers
also, did very much favour and commend hira.
This made Saul uneasy, and that which increased his uneasiness
was, he called to mind, that when David returned from the Philis.
tine, and he with his army from the chace, tiie women of Israel
came out of the cities to meet Saul, singing and dancing, and play
ing on labrets and other instruments of music, for joy of the victory;
and in their songs, as they played, they said, ' Saul hath slain his
thousands, and David his ten thousands.'
This tlieir attributing more to David, than to him, Saul took notice
of, and resented as very ill; saying, 'They have ascribed unto David
ten thousands, and lo rae they have ascribed but thousands: and what
can he have, than the people's favour, but the kingdom.' And being
naturally a jealous prince, and of nothing more than his scepter; and
of that too more since Samuel haff told him the Lord had rejected
liim, and given the kingdom to another : he had a watchful eye
over David from this day forward, to do him mischief
Nor was it long before he attempted it. For the next day, the
evU spirit, that had t-roubled Saul before, entered hira again; acting
on hira in a sort of prophetic manner, in imitation of the true proph
ets : so that David was obliged to stand and play on his harp before
him, as he had forraerly done. And Saul, having a javelin in his
hand, thought this a seasonable opportunity lo strike David through
with il; and thereupon, witiiout more ado, cast the javelin at him;
but David, being nimble, slipt aside; and escaping the blow, avoided
his presence, 1 Sam. xviii.
Novv was Saul afraid of David in earnest; having given him this

3-1& SACRED HISTORY.. P-ART II.
just provocation, and beftig sensible that the Lord was vrith David^
and was departed from himseff. Wherefore he removed David
from attending on his person : and to expose hira lo the greater
danger, as weU as to degrade bim from bis higher office of general
ship, he made him a colonel or captain over a thousand only. In
which station David behaved himself with so much prudence and
good conduct, that it was stUl raore erident the Lord was with hira :
which made the people, both Israel and Judah, caress him highly.
But the raore they loved him, the more Saul hated him, and sought
his destruction.
David, by the law of arms, raight have claimed one of Saul's
daughters, that being part of the reward promised to hirn that should
kiU GoUah. But neither was David ambitious of the honour of mar
rying the king's daughter, nor Saul regardful to perform his word,
tiU it came into his mind, tliat the bestowing hia daughter on Darid
might be a Ukely means to bring him to his. end.
Wherefore having already, with his own hand, attempted his life,
but failed, and thinking ft would look better if he fell by the hand of
the Philistines, than by his, he offered hira his elder daughter Mer-
ab ; telling him he would give him her lo wife, without any other
condition, than that he should exercise his valour in fighting the
liord's batties.
That he had done before in encountering and kiUing Goliah;
whereby he fairly won the- princely dame, and ought not to have had
any future conditions put upon him, of fighting for her again. But
David, not objecting that, as rather coveting, than shunning, oppor
tunities of shewing his valour, modestiy excused himself; represent.
ing to Saul the lowness of his family, and meanness of his condition,
rendering him unfit for so great advancement. Bul he might have
spared his excuse ; for fickle Saul soon changed his mind ; and in
stead of giving his daughter Merab to David, gave her to Adriel the
Meholathite, the son of BarziBai. And David might be glad he missed
her, if her nature answered her narae, which signifies both chiding
and fighting.
But Saul had another daught-er, named Michal, who, it seems, was
in love with David. Which when Saul was made acquainted with^
he was glad of it; and said, 'WeU, I will give him. her, that sbe
may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be
against him.' Wherefore Saul told hira, that though Merab was
disposed of, he should have Michal, for he should be his son-in-law
in one of the twain.
And because he had found David backward, be instructed his ser
vants te discourse with him, as of themselves, and to inculcate to
him what great delight the king took in him, and how much all the
courtiers loved him : and from thence take occasion to persuade him
to lay hold of so fair an offer of being the king's son-in-law.

PART II. SACBED HISTORY. 313
What delight the king look in him, David might pretty well un
derstand by bis casting his javeUn al him. But that perhaps might
be soraewhat excused, as the effect of a phrenetic fit, when the evil
spirit was upon hira.
Saul's servants, wilUng to please their master, whose secret design
il is probable they might not know, and Withal desirous of David's
promotion, spared not lo sel forth the honour and advantages of this
match ; and to use their rhetca-ic to persuade David to ft.
But David wished them to consider, that it was not a Ught raatter
for one of his rank and condition to be the king's son-in-law. For
it being the custom of those times for men (not as now, to receive
portions with their wives, but) to give dowries for their wives,
whence could they suppose he should be able to raise a dowery be
fitting a king's daughter ?
When they had reported this to Saul, he bid them teU David that
be did not regard a dowery : only for the exercise of his valour, and
that the king might be revenged of his enemies, he should bring
him an hundred foreskins of the Philistines. This Saul proposed to
excite David's courage, and engage him in some dangerous exploits
in hopes that he might faU by the hands of the PhiUstines.
These unexpected terms did so well suit with David's martial tem
per, that seeing he might have a fair young princess to his wife, for
only doing that which, without any such oondftion, he would for its
own sake gladly have undertaken, he joyfully embraced the offer. And
that he might not be served in this, as he had been in the offer of the
otber daughter, he resolved there should be no delay on his part.
Wherefore making an incursion upon the PhiUstines within the time
'prescribed by Saul, he slew two hundred men of them, and deUver
ing their foreskins to the king by tale, gave him a double dowery for
his daughter, that he might be his son-in-law : which of right he
should have been without this, for his kiUing Goliah.
Though this was nol a welcome present to Saul, who had rather
David's head had been brought hira, yet having engaged himself so
far in the promise of his daughter, and probably hoping that by her
he might afterwards find means lo work his ruin, he gave him his
daughter Michal to wife.
By this alUance raised to an higher pitch of honour, David sought
aU occasions to signalize his virtue and valour. So that upon the
next engagement with the Philistines, he behaved himself so bravely,
and shewed Such admirable courage and conduct, that he eminentiy
exceUed aU the servants of Saul, and did thereby not a Uttie endear
himself lo the people.
But still the more the people favoured him, the more did Saul both
fear and hate him. And being now weU assured that the Lord was
wilh him, and finding also that Mich-al his wife did entirely love him,
which put him out of hopes of working her into his designs against

314 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
him, he conceived such mortal enmity towards him, that not able
longer lo contain it within his own breast, he openly gave charge
both to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should
kill Darid,
Bul so far was Jonathan from entertaining a thought of kiUing
David his bosom friend, and now his brother, whom he took so great
delight in, that fearing lest any of his father's guards, frighted
with threats, or lempte;! with hope of r;:vvards, might surprise Darid,
and kiU or 'hurt him. -he gavo him notice of the danger he was in,
advised and desired liira to take care of himself, and keep out of
the way in some private place, -where he might be safe until the
morning ; assuring hirn that he, in the mean time, would take an
occasion to discoursD with the king his faiher conceming him, and
would give him an account how he found things.
Accordingly Jonuihan, falling into communication with his father,
took an occasion lo commend David to bira, and tiius to mediate on
his behalf, 1 Sam. xix.
'Let not the king, said he, sin against his servant David, since he
hath not sinned against thee, but hath served thee very faithfully.
For he adventured his life, upon greal disadvantages, and slew a
PhiUstine : and the Lord by him wrought a great salvation for all
Israel. Thou thyself wast an eye witness of il, and did§l rejoice in
it. Wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, in slaying
David without a cause? '
Whether through the mediation of Jonathan, Saul was really soft
ened towards David for the present; or whether, lest he should
wholly lose him, or by too high provocation drive hira to some des
perate attempt, he thought fit to dissemble his displeasure, that he
might gel him onoe HKn'e within his reach, and have one stroke
more at him ; he put on a milder countenance, and suffering him
self lo be prevailed on hy his son, gave him assurance that David
should not be slain ; confirming it to him by a solemn oath.
Whereupon Jonathan called for David ; and having acquainted
him bow he had tran.'acied the malter wiih his father, and what assu
rance Saul had given of his safety, he brought David to Saul, and
he was in his presence a,s in tiraes past.
But every occasion that raised Davids fame renewed Saul's jeal
ousy, and raised his displeasure loan higher pitch; the effects of
which David soon fouud. For Saul being cast into another frantic
fit, by the evU sjHrit that possessed hira, as he sal in his house with
his javelin in his hand, David was caUed to allay his passion, by
playing with his hand upon his harp. Which opportunity Saul lay
ing hold of, cast his javelin again at David; thinking therewith to
have sraftten him lo tho wall. But David, forewarned by former
dangers, having a watchful eye upou the motion of Saul's hand, nim
bly slipped aside, and so again escaped the javelin ; which was thrown

PART U. SACRED fflSTOBV. 31'S
with SO great force that it pierced into the -wall against which David
had .stood.
Hereupon immediately leaving the court, David retired to his own
house, hoping he might have been safe there: but Saul sent some of
his guards alter him, witii charge to vvalch the house all night, and
slay him in the morning. Of wliich when Michal, David's wife, had
notice, she acquainted her husband with it; telling him, if he did
not provide for his safety that night, ho would certainly be slain in
the morniHg. She therefore prevailing with hira to make use of a
contrivance of her's, let him down through a window ; and David,
by the advantage of a dark night, escaped.
In the morning came they whom Saul had sent to kill David ; and
asking for him, wero answered by Michal that he was sick in bed :
•she thinking by that shift to have pull hem oft', at least from too quick
a pursuit after him. But when the guards returned with that answer
to the king, he iraraediately dispatched iliera back again, with a strict
charge to bring David in his his bed to him, th'at he might slay him;
glad no doubt, that he was so sure of hira.
Bul a greal and very uneasy disappointment it was to him, when
the messengers came again and told him, that having searched Da
vid's bed, they found nothing bul an iraa^e, vvith a pillow of goat's
hair for a bolster, which Michal had laid in the bed instead of her
husband, who was fled and gone. And so highly was Saul displeased
with his daughter Michal for putting ibis trick upon hira, and letting
her husband escape, whom he called his eneray, that she, to appease
him, made him believe that her husband had threatened to kiU her,
if she would not let bim go.
David meanwhile, treading bye paths, raade his escape to Ramah,
that be raight pour out his coraplaints to his sure friend, the good old
prophet Samuel : which having done, he and Samuel went and dwelt
in Najoth, where was a school of the prophets : in which perhaps
they might hope to be secure from any violence from Saul, out of re
spect al least to the place, which in those limes obtained the privilege
of a sanctuary.
But they did not yet thoroughly underslaiid Saul. For no sooner
was it told him that David was there, but he sent messengers thither
to take hira. Who when they carae there, and saw tho company of
the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing over them, as ono
appointed to instruct them, the spirit of God came upon the mes
sengers of Saul, and they also prophesied, or behaved themselves in
the same manner as they saw the prophets do.
Saul, hearing how it iared wilh the first ra.essengers, sent others
on the sarae errand a second timo and a third. Which speeding
aU as the first did. be tiien went himself .*.nd in the way thither
the Spirit of God came upon him also, and bo went on prophesying
(which being a word of large signification, interpreters take in this

SIB SACRED HISTORY. PART II-
place for singing of psalms, and hymns of thanksgirings and praise
to God) till he came to the place where Samuel and David were.
And being come thither, he stripped off his clothes also, and prophe
sied before Samuel ; lying down naked that day and the next night.
This happening in the school and company of the prophets, into
which, and amongst whom, none but good and virtuous men did use
to enter, or were admitted; it gave occasion for that proverbial
speech, used when an iU man thrusts himseff into the company
of good men, and endeavours lo personate thera, ' Is Saul also among
the prophets?
Saul's being thus unexpectedly detained among tbe prophets, gave
Darid fair opportunity to consult his own safety. Wherefore learing
Saul al Najoth, he speedily repaired to his true friend, prince Jon
athan, who is supposed to be left as viceroy lo his father, while he
went to Najoth. And being corae to Jonathan, he in an expostu-
latory manner opened to him the strait and danger he was in, say
ing, 'What have I done? What is mine iniquity? And what is
my sin before thy father, that he seekelh my Ufo? ' 1 Sam. xx.
Jonathan, not apprehending his danger so greal as it was, and
wiUing to ease him of his fears, answered him, ' God forbid : thou
shalt not die.' And to confirm him, added, ' My father wiU do noth
ing great or smaU, without acquainting me with it: and why should
he hide this thing from me ? Thou mayest be confident there is no
such thing intended.'
David knew Saul better than his own son did ; and finding his
former words had not prevailed upon Jonathan, to impress him
with a due sense of his danger ; he now, lo gain his belief, with a
solemn oath assured hira, that there was but a step between him,
and death; but that his father certainly knowing he favoured him-,
would not let him know of it, that he might not be grieved at it.
This so earnest confidence in David made greal impression on
Jonathan ; so that he readily offered him his service, lelUng him,
whatsoever his soul desired, he would do for him.
David thereupon taking boldness, said, 'To-morrow thou itnowest
is- the new moon ; and I should not fail to sit with the king, at meat :
but since the power is now in thine hand (as deputy to thy father
in his absence) give me leave to hide myself in the field until the
the third day night : and if thy father inquire after me, lell him 1
asked leave of thee to go to Bethlehem my city, to the anniversary
feast that is kept there for ati my family. If thy father, when be
hear it, shall say it is well, that shaU be a token of peace lo thy
servant. But if he be very wroth, take it for a sure sign that evU
lo rae is determined by him. And then, added he, seeing thou hast
brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee, deal thou
at least thus kindly with thy servant, that if there be iniquity in rae.

PART II. SACKED mSTORY. 317
do thou thyseff slay me : for why shouldest thou deliver me up to
thy father, to be nol only put to death, but ignorainiously handled ? '
' Oh ! far from thee be that, said Jonathan : for if I certainly knew
that evil were determined by my faiher to corae upon thee, dost
thou think I would not tell thee ? '
' But vvho, replied David, shall teU me how thy father takes my
absence? or how shaU I know if he answer thee roughly? '
Jonathan thereupon inviting David to walk out with him into the
field, when they were come to a place of privacy, he renewed his
covenant with David before the Lord God of Israel ; whom he in-
voked lo be a witness of it, and revenger of the breach thereof upon
himself, if, when he should have sounded his father's mind concern
ing David, if he found him weU disposed to hira, he did not give
him an account thereof, and if he found he had designed evil to
him, he did nol let him know it, and secure his escape, that under the
favour of the Lord he might go in pear-©. These were the terms on
Jonathan's part.
But that which he required of David was, that he should not only
shew him the kindness of the Lord, during his own life, bul that
he should nol cut off his kindness from Jonathan's house forever :
no, not when the Lord should have cut off the enemies of David.
For as Jonathan could nol be ignorant what the prophet Samuel
bad denounced lo Saul, concerning his rejection, and the rending of
the kingdom from him, chap. xv. 28 ; so no doubt he had a full
persuasion that the Ivord would one day sel David upon the throne
of Israel.
Having thus confirmed their covenant by mutual oath (for Jona
than caused David to swear to him also) they began to concert the
manner bow this matter concerning David's safety should be man
aged. The result thereof was that David, when he had absented
himself three days, should go down lo the place where he had hid
h'mself before, chap. xix. 2, and should remain there under the
hollow side of a great stone, called Ezel, which was a way-mark.
• And, I said Jonathan, will shoot three arrows on the side of the
stone, as though I shot al a mark. And when I send my page to
find the arrows, and bring thera me again. If I say expressly to
hira. Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them ; then
come thou, for there is peace to thee, and no hurt as the Lord Uv
eth. But if I say unto the young man. Behold the arrows are be
yond thee ; go thy way, for the Lord hath sent thoe away. And as
touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold the
Lord be between me and thee forever.' Thus they parted; and
David according to tbis agreement withdrew and hid himseff.
And now the new moon being come, and king Saul retumed
from Najoth to that solemn feast, and Jonathan having resigned his
place to his father, king Saul set down to eat, as he used to do, in

318 SACKED niSTOIM PART II.
his seat by the waU, having Abner by bis side, and David's seat was
empty. Yet Saul said nothing of hira that day: fbr ho thought
within himself, lie is not clean; something has befallen hira, that
has made him. ceremonially unclean, so that he may not partake-of
this feast, according to the law, Levii. vii. 19, 20.
Bul when lie found his .seat; empty again next day, he asked Jon
athan (who he knew was liis confidant ' Wherefore comcih not the
son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday nor to-day ? ' So, being offend
ed, he called hira in contempt; not vouchsafing to call hiraby his
name, nor by thu titio of hisotfice, much less his son-in-law.
.lonathan, to pacify his father, answered him (according to the
agreement made between, David and him) that David having re
ceived an invitation from his brother to their family feast at Beth
lehem, had earnestiy intreated him to give him leave to go thiiher.
Saul, it-is. probable, had designed David's death at thatlirae; and
now finding hiniselF disappointed by his son Jonathan, ho-was very
angry with hini. .4nd suffering his rag-j lo break fortli into revUing
language, called Jonathan, a perver.se rebel, or son of perverse- re
beUion, or, as some, think, the more to gall him with, an indecent re
flection 'jpon his moiher, son ofthe perverse, rebellious woman: ad
ding withal, ' Do not I know that thou ha.st cho.=en the son of Jesse
to thy ow,n confusion, and to tho confusion of thy mother's- naked
ness ? For as long as the son of Jesse Uveth on the ground thou
shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore send, now,
and fetch him, unto me: for he shaU surely, die.'
This so rough and unusual language convinced Jonathan that Da
vid understood his father better than he had hiiherto done. Yet he
could not forbear so fir to advocate tlie cause of his friend and
brother, as, in a gentio way of expostulation with his father^ to ask
him why David should be slain, or what he had done that coiUd de
serve death. But Saul enraged before, but novv transported with un
bridled fury, though he loved his son Jonathan very well, cast his
javeUn at him to, have slain him : whereby Jonathan was thoroughly
satisfied that his father had determined to slay David.
Though Jonathan, being a nimble active man, escaped- without a
wound in his body,, yet not without a deep wound to his- mind : for
being a man of great courage, and high stomach, he could not brook
this so great indignity. He was his- father's eldest son, heir appar
ent to, the crown, long since grown to an adult age, had signaUzed
hiraseff a raan at arms, having achieved great, enterprizes in war,
and but the other day had sat upon liis father's throne, as his vice
gerent in his absence ; and now to be so shamefully treated, and that
loo in so public an appearance was more than he could bear,
without shewing some resentment, though from a father and a king;
or rather, perhaps, because from a faiher and a king. Wherefora
fiUed wilh grief for David's danger, aud with displeasure for the open

PART U. SACRED IlISTORK 319
shame done unto himself, he arose from table, and withdrew himself,
in high discontent.
But not suftering his own concern to make him forgetful of his
friend's, he went out ne.xt morning into the field, at tho tune appoint-
ed between hira and David, taking only his page, a little lad, with
hira. And bidding the lad run, to find out the arrows which ho
should shoot, he shot an arrow beyond hira : and when the lad was
come to the place where the arrow was, Jonathan caUing aloud after
him, said, ' Is nol the arrow beyond thee? Malvc speed and. bring
it; stay not' Accordingly the lad, having gathered up the arrows,
brought them lo bis master; who giving him the rest of the artil?
lery, bid him carry them back inlo-the city; which the lad did, not
knowing any thing of the business.
By the shooting of the arrow beyond him, David knew his doom,.
And as soon as the lad was gone, coming. out of the place whore he
lay hid, on the south side of the stone, he feU on his face to the
ground, bowing himseff three times. Then Jonathan and he emr
bracing and kissing each other, wept one over the other, until Da.
vid exceeded.
But tirae not permitting delay, Jonathan said to David, 'Go, in
peace: and let what we have both of us sworn in the name of the
Lord God, saying. The Lord be between me and thee, and between
my seed and thy seed forever, be kept inviolable by us. Where.
upon David arose and departed, and Jonatiian returned into the city.
David, now finding his ease desperate, directed his course to Nob,
a city of the priests, that Abimelech the priest might inquire of the
Lord for him. But as soon as Ahimelech. who knew hira to be the
king's son-in-law, a man in chief [dace, and ordinarily well attended,
but knew not tiiat he was out of favour with the king, saw him com
ing without any attendance at all, he was afraid something was
amiss; and asked how it came to pass, that he was come alone,
David considering his own circumstances, and how vindictive Saul
was, and nol wiUing the priest should come into trouble for entoc
taining him, thought it not advisable to open his condition to him,
but leave him roomlo defend himself b.y his ignorance thereof, if he
should happen to be caUed to account.
Wherefore he pretended to, Ahimelech^that the king had sent him
upon a secret expedition, with strict charge nol to let any body
know of it. For which reason it was that he was come in that
private raanner, having appointed his servants to attend hira at such
a place. But that having through haste made no provision for the
journey, he was destitute of necessaries for himself and his men ;
and therefore desired, if he had any bread lo spare him some, 1
Sara, xxi.
The priesl answered, that he had nol any common bread. But
he had some haUowed bread, such as was then called shew bread,

320 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
from its being shewed, or set in two rows six loaves in a row, upon
the table, before the Lord ; which being shifted or changed every
sabbath day, the priesl, when he set on new, look the old bread for
his own eating, according to the law, Levit. xxiv. 5 to 10. Bul be
cause this sort of bread was for the priests' eating only, who were
hallowed also, as weU as the bread, and were supposed to be clean,
the priest asked David, if his servants had kept themselves from pol
lutions, at least from women : which David assuring him they had,
and withal urging, that the bread was in a manner common, see
ing there was other hallowed that day in its room, the priest gave
hira of the hallowed bread.
Bul bread was nol aU that David wanted. Being let down through
the window in haste and fear, he took with hira neither sword nor
spear ; the vvant of which he imputed also to the urgent haste of the
king's business, which would not permit him to stay to take his
arms wilh him ; and therefore if the priest had any spear or sword
by him, he desired that he would lot him have it. The priest told ,
him there was the sword of Goliah the PhiUstine, whom he slew
in the vaUey of Elah, which lay wrapped up in a cloth behind the
ephod: if he would have that, he might take it; but there was no
other. Ay, that to choose, said David, for there is none like it.
Now who should happen to be present al this interview between
David and Ahimelech, to be an eye and ear witness of what passed
between them, but Doeg the Edomite, Saul's chief herdsman ; who,
being detained before the Lord, whether by vow, or by reason of the
sabbath, or what other occasion is uncertain, was there that day
And probably it was because of him, that David feigned that story
lo the priesl of his being sent by the king; that if, which was but too
likely, and which David suspected, Doeg should turn informer, the
priest might have the king's name and authority to plead, in his
own justification, for having thus friendly entertained David
As for David, having got some sustenance, to refresh him, and
Goliah's sword to defend himself with, and not knowing where he
could be safe in any part of Saul's dominions, he fled that day for
fear of Saul, and went to Achish, the PhiUstine king of Gath.
But whether the sword betrayed him, or any of the Philistines
knew him, king Achish's servants soon discovered who he was ; Euid
said unto Achish, 'Is not this David, the king of the land? Is nol
this he of whom they sang in dances, Saul had slain his .thousands,
and David his ten thousands?' 1 Sam. xxn.
This put David fti great fear, and made hira wish himself safe
out of Achish's hands again : and that he might facUilate his es
cape, be changed his behaviour before thera ; and feigning hiraseff
mad, scribbled on the doors of the gates, and let his spittie drivel
down upon bis beard. Which the king taking notice of, said lo
his servants, ' Lo, ye see the man is mad ; wherefore then have ye

PART II. SACRED HISTOKV. 321
brought him unto me ? Have I need of madmen, that ye have
brought this fellow lo play the madman in my presence? ShaU
this fellow come into my house ? '
This gave David an opportunity lo get from Gath, and make hia
escape to AduUam. Where probably, after he had made his escape,
rather than amongst his enemies in Gath, he composed thooO two
salms, the twenty-fourth and fifty-sixth.
The town of AduUam, in the cave belonging to which David was
hid, being in the tribe of Judah, Josh. xv. 25, and not far from Beth
lehem, gave ready means to David's relations, and aU his father's
family, to go down thither lo him, as soon as Ihey heard he was
there. Thither also gathered unto him aU that were in distress, and every
one that was in debt, and all the male-contents, to the number of
about four hundred men, who made him their captain.
But David considering weU that it could not be long before Saul
would hear of his littie army, and be upon him with a greater; and
having a pious care for his father and mother, cast wfth himself, where,
in these troublesome times, he might find a place of safety for thera :
and Moab being then an eneray to Saul, made hira the rather hope
for succour there. Wherefore going to Mizpeh of Moab, he intreat
ed the king of Moab to let his aged parents come thither, and remain
there, and he should see how God would be pleased to dispose of his
affairs. And having obtained leave, he brought them before the king
of Moab ; and they dwelt with him all the whUe that David was in
the hold. But that probably was nol long; for the prophet Gad, of
whom this. is the first mention, came to David, and warned him not to
abide in the hold, which probably was some place of security that
the Moabitish king had assigned him, but depart, and get him again
into the land of Judah, Whereupon David leaving Moab, went intoi
the forest of Hareth.
Saul meanwhile abode in Gibeah, under a grove of trees in Ramah ;
having, as his raanner was, his spear in his hand, and all his servants
standing about him. And having newly heard that David was dis
covered, and tiiat he had raised forces, he thus ujibraidingly spoke
unto his servants that attended him :
' Here now, ye Benjamites (ye who are of my own tribe and family)
will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and
make you captains of thousands and of hundreds, that all of you
have conspired against me : and there is none of you that sheweth
me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse ; and
there is none of you that is sorry for mc, or sheweth unto me that
my son had stirred up my servants against me to lie in wait, as at
this day ? ' For Saul, it seems, haring heard that David had levied
an army, and remembering that his son Jonathan had left him in die-
voL. I. — 21

322- SACRED HISTORY. PART 11.,
pleasure, upon the despite he bad unlo him, when he threw his jave
lin at him, ch^p. xx. 33, suspected that they had conspired against
him, to, dethrone him at least
When Saul had done speaking, and all the rest of Saul's servants
were innocentiy silent, out steps Doeg the Edomite, and says, ' I
saw the son of" Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech, the son of Ahi-
tub ; and he inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him victuals,.
and also the sword of Goliah the PhiUstine,'
Upon this information, Saul sent for Ahimelech the priesl and all
his father's house, the priests that were in Nob, lo corae and appear
before him : who, obeying the summons, readily came and presented
themselves lo the king, And when Saul saw Ahimelech ; ' Hear now,.
fiaid he to him, thou son of Ahilub : Why have ye conspired-
against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him.
bread and a sword, and bast inquired of God for him, that he should
raise against me, to Ue in wait, as at this day?'
Ahimelech, either not knowing or not willing to take notice that
David was, out of favour with the king, ansvvered him thus, ' And who
•is faithful among all thy servants, as David, vvho is not only the king's
son-in-law : but goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thy
house ? ' As much as to say. How could I do less than entertain
and accommodate a person so honourable, and so high in favour
with my prince : especially when he came in thy name, and was
going, as he told me, upon some especial service of thine ? And as
to my inquiring of the Lord for him, which is the proper office of
my priesthood, did I then begin? Have I not often inquited of the
Lord for him before? Why then am I questioned for il more now
than formerly ? As for conspiring against thee, far be it from me.
' Let not the king impute any such thing unlo thy servant : nor unlo
any of the house of my father : for thy servant knew nothing of
all this, less or more,'
So fair a plea, before a fair judge, had been a sufGcienl defence
for bim that made it. But this angry monarch, whose wiU was hia
law, and whose law was absolute, hastily repUed, ' Thou shalt surely
die, Ahimelech, thou and all thy father's house.' And it being now
come to that pass, that it was no more with him but a word and a
blow, he said to his foot-guards that stood about him, ' Turn and
slay the priests of the Lord; because their hand also is wilh David:.
and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me,'
A sentence so unjust and barbarous, astonished the guards, so that
nob a man of them, would put forth an hand to fall upon the priests,
of the Lord,
Then said the king to. Doeg, ' Turn thou, and fall upon the^
priests.' He, an Edomite and brutish herdsman, never stuck al it :

PART n. SACRED HISTORY. 323
but straightway feUing upon the priests, slew of them four score and
five persons, that did wear a linen ephod.* ,
Such a stream of innocent blood had been enough, one would
have thought, lo have glutted the revenge of the most blood thirsty ty
rant. But Saul, not satisfied with this, caused Nob, the city of the
priests, to be smitten wilh the edge of the sword, and the inhabitants,
both men and women, children and suckUngs, together with the very
cattie, oxen, asses and sheep, to be cut off, and utterly extinguished.
This execution upon the priests, though extremely unjust, cruel,
and inhuman in Saul, was yel just from God ; being the completing
of that judgment denounced bug before by God against Eli and his
house. Of all that belonged lo Ahimelech, but one escaped this slaughter ;
a young son of his named Abiathar; who by the providence of God,
slipping away, fled to David, who was now al KeUah, defending that
town against tiie PhUistines.
There he gave David a lamentable account of the Lord's priests
Which though David did greatiy lament, as looking upon himself lo
be the innoeent occasion of il, by his going to Nob, yel he was the
less surprised at it, because he had observed that Doeg was there at
that time : and had then a sense that, Doeg would inform Saul of all
that passed between Ahimelech and him ; which in likelihood was the
reason he pretended to be sent by the king; that Ahimelech, if ex
amined, might aUedge it in his defence.
As for Abiathar, to cheer him up as well as he could, he wished
him lo consider that they were both in the same case and danger;
and therefore invfted him to abide with him, bidding him not to be
afraid, for he would protect him in safety.
This treachery of Doeg, and cruelty of Saul upon the priests, gave
occasion to David to compose the fifty-second psalin.
WhUe Saul had been thus imbruing his hands in innocent blood,
David had employed his arms in the just defence of his country.
For being advertised that the PhUstines had made an incursion upon
KeUah, a city of Judah, to forage the counlry thereabouts, and that
they were robbing the threshing floors, he considered of what im
portance it might be, both to his. reputation and interest, to protect
the people, and secure the prorisions; which might be a supply to
his own men afterwards, 1, Sam. xxiii.
Yet having a regardful eye lo God, he would not atterapt so haz
ardous an undertaking, without consulting the Lord. Wherefore
having the prophet Gad with him, chap. xxu. 5', he inquired of the
Lord whether he should go and smite the PhiUstines, or no. And
the Lord bid him. Go smite the Philistines, and save Keilah, But
when he had iraparted this to his men, tiiey began to shrug and
• A. M. 2722.

324 SACRED HISTORY. PART U
draw back; alledging that they lived in fear while they were there,
in the midst of Judah, among their own neighbours and friends ; and
how much more then would fear prevail over them ff they should
go to KeUah, a remote town upon the border of tbe tribe, there to
engage against the army of the PhiUstines, and perhaps have Saul,
with aU his forces, at their back.
Darid therefore, lo encourage his men, inquired ofthe Lord again ;
and the Lord bid him arise, go down lo KeUah : ' For I, said he,
wiU deUver the Philistines into thine hand.'
By this second answer confirmed, David and his men went to
KeUah, and fighting with the Philistines smote thera wilh a great
slaughter: whereby he both saved the inhabitants from rapine and
death, and brought to Keilah a booty of cattle, which he took from
the PhUistines.
Such an exploit as this could not long be kept frora Saul. Who,
when he heard il, pleased biraself, not so rauch that his enemies the
Philistines were beaten, and a good town of his defended and saved,
as with a conceit, that now God had deUvered Darid into his hand.
For by entering a town that had gales and bars, be conceived David
was now shut in, and that the KeiUtes would keep him fast. Where
fore calling aU his people together, he resolved lo go down to KeUali,
to besiege David and his men there.
David had so good inteUigence, that he knew Saul's design against
him. And being doubtful whether the KeiUtes, notwithstanding the
benefit they had so newly received by him, would be true to hira, or
no, and consequently whether it were safe for him to stay there, or
no, he resolved to cast himself upon the Lord for du'ection. Where
fore calUng the young priest Abiathar, who, being newly come, had
brought an ephod vvith hira, he bid hira bring the ephod to bira,
that he might thereby inquire of the Lord.
Which being brought, David said, ' O Lord God of Israel thy
servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come lo KeUah, to
destroy the city for my sake : will Saul come down, as thy servant
hath heard ? O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee teU thy servant.'
And the Lord said, ' He wiU corae down.'
Then said Darid, ' Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my
men into the hand of Saul ? ' And the Lord said, ' They will de
liver thee up.' Upon this, David drew out his men, which were
now increased to about six hundred; and marching out of Keilah,
they went to seek their safely where they could. The report where
of bemg brought to court, stopped Saul from pursuing him at that
time. But Jonathan having notice that David was in a wood, in tho
wilderness of Ziph, went privately to him there, and encouraged him,
bidding him not fear, for the Lord would not suffer hira to fall into
the hand of SauL ' But thou, said he, shalt be king over Israel, aud

PART U. SACRED HISTORY. 32^5
I shall be next unto thee (so he pleased and deceived himself;)
and that my father knows, which makes him so uneasy. Then
having renewed and confirmed their covenant before the Lord, Jon
athan returned home, leaving David in the wood : where he is
thought to have composed the sixty-third psalm.
He had not long been in the wUdemess of Ziph, ere the officious
Ziphiles, lo curry favour with their king, went and informed Saul
that David was retired into the strong holds in their woods ; in
riting him to corae down with his army, and they would deUver up
David into his hands.
The crafty king, thanking them for their kindness and commend
ing their loyalty, desired them to return, and inform theraselves more
thoroughly of David's haunts, and take good notice of his lurking
places, and come lo him again with a more exact and certain ac
count; and then, said he, I will go widi you; and if he be in the
land, I wiU fetch him out, through aU the thousands of Judah.
The Ziphites thereupon returned. And David, having got no-
tice of their treachery, shifting his quarters, went into tiie wilder
ness of Maon : whither Saul, upon advice of his removal, followed
hira. ^nd now was David in a very great strait : for so near was Said
got lo him, that David with his men were on the one side of the
mountain, and Saul on the other side of the garae raountain with his
host. And as David made what haste he could to draw off his men
for fear of Saul, so Saul, having by much the greater numbers, en
deavoured to encompa.ss David and his men round about, tiial be
might take them ; and there seemed in the eye of human reason no
way for David to escape.
Bul in the greatest danger the Lord sent help. For on a sud
den the messenger came in post haste, to acquaint Saul that the
Philistines had invaded the land on the other side, and to desire
bim to bring back his forces to repress them with aU speed.
Thus God sometimes delivers his people, by raising up enemies
against their enemies. And thus, for this time, David escaped.
For Saul drawing ofl" his army to go against the Philistines, David
went up from thence, and sat down in the strong holds of En-gedi :
and there, ft is propable at least, on this occasion, he composed the
fifty-fourth psalm.
As soon as Saul had repeUed the PliiUstines, hearing that David
was removed lo En-gedi, he took three thousand choice men out of
all Israel, and went forth to seek David and his men upon the
rocks of the wild goats, the highest and most craggy places of tbe
country. And on his wa.j, seeing a cave, he went into it to ease
nature, Uttle thinking that David was so near him; who, with some
of his raen, was lodged on the sides of that cave, 1 . Sara. xxiv.
WeU may we suppose that the sight of Saul, nol knowing at tko

326 -SAORED HISTORY. PART <B.
fust upon what occasion he came in, put David into great fear.
Whieh made him betake himself to God for help in prayer ; which,
being afterward comraftled to writing, hath the place of the hundred
and forty-second psalm.*
David's men, when they saw Saul" come in alone, thought this a
fit opportunity to put an end to their troubles. And therefore they
put him in mind, that this was the day, of which the Lord'had said
unlo him (but when or where doth not appear.) Behold, I will de
liver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as
It shall seem good unto thee (or, as if his providence, in bringing
Saul thus within his reach, did so speak.) Intimating thereby, that
now Saul lying al his mercy, he might easily cut him off, and rid
himself of so potent and implacable an enemy. Not considering that
Saul had three thousand armed men at his heels, ready to have
revenged that act upon them, and to have cut them aU off for it
But David, who, besides that danger, moved upon another princi
ple, answered, ' The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my
master, lo stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the Lord's
anointed.' Wilh these words David restrained his servants : not suffering
thera lo rise against Saul. But he himself, going softiy to the place
where Saul had left his robe (when, to accommodate himself to the
occasion, it is probable^he had put it off, and laid it by) privily cut
off the skirt of the robe ; which yet he had no sooner done, but his
heart smote hira for doing it, as judging it too bold and disrespect
ful carriage towards his sovereign.
And when Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way,
David, foUowing hira out of the cave, got into a place of advantage
'for safety ; and then caUing unto Saul, said, ' My lord the king ! '
Upon which unexpected voice Saul looking back, David stooped
with his face to the earth, and bowing, thus addressed himself to
liim :
' Wherefore hearest thou men's words, that say David seeketh thy
hurt ? Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord
bad deUvered thee to-day into mine hand in the cave, where some
advised me to kill thee : but mine eye spared thee, and I said, I
will nol put forth mine hand against my lord, for he is the Lord's
anointed. Moreover, my father (for so I will presume to caU thee,
though thou wilt not vouchsafe to call me son) see and take good
notice of the skirt of thy robe in mine hand ; for in that I cut off
the skirt of thy robe, and yet did not kiU thee, thou mayest thereby
see and know that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand,
and that I have nol sinned against thee ; and yet thou hunlest ray
life to lake ft. The Lord judge betweeti me and thee, and the Lord
*A. M. 29-23.

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 32^
¦avenge me of thee ; but mine hand shaft nol be upon thee. As saith
the proverb of the ancients, Wiokednessproceedeth from the wicked'-;
but mine hand shall not be upon thee. After wbom, continued he,
is the king of Israel corae forth ? .4,fter whora dost thou pursue ?
After a dead dog ? After a flea ? for so, to shame Saul, he debased
himself, in comparison of so great a king and so great a host. And
added, ' The Lord therefore be judge between thee and me, and
plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.'
Saul listened attentively unto David's words, until he had done
speaking ; and his evU nature being, for the present, bound down,
by the sense of David's kindness lo him, he cried out, ' Is this thy
voice, my son David ? ' And with that he brake forth into loud
"weeping. And as soon as that fit of passion was over, so that he
had recovered bis speech, he made this ample acknowledgment to
David :
' Thou art more righteous than I, forthou hast rewarded me good;
whereas I have rewarded thee evU. And thou hast shewed this day
that thou hast dealt well with rae : forasmuch as when the Lord
had delivered me into thine hand, thou didst not kill me. For if
any man find his enemy, at an advantage, will he let him go safe
¦away? Wherefore the Lord reward thee good, for that thou hast
done unto rae this day. And now, added Saul, I know well that
thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdora of Israel shall be es
tabUshed in thine hand. Therefore swear now unto me by the Lord,
-that thou wUt not-cut off my seed after me, and that thou will ndt
destroy my name out of my father's house,
David thereupon, wilUng to make Saul as easy as he could, did
swear unto hinfi, as he desired. Which wrought so far at that time
on Saul, that leaving any further pursuit of David, he returned home.
Bul David, not thinking it safe to trust to fair words, gat hira up
with his raen unto the hold : where he is thought to have written
the fifty-seventh psalm.
About this time the prophet Samuel dying, the Israelites Were gen
erally gathered together to lament his death, and to bury him
araongst his own faraily at Earaah. .4nd such great and solemn
funeral usuaUy taking up long tirae, David got thereby some re
spite from his pursuers. In which time, leaving En-gedi, he went
down to the wilderness of Paran, not far from Maon : where he had
been before, chap, xxiii, xxiv.
In Maon, which signifies a place of offence, there dwelt a very-
great and weafthy man, whose name was Nabal, of the posterity of
Caleb ; a man of a churlish nature, and very ill conditioned. But
his wife, whose name was Abigail, which signifies the father's joy,
was not only a beautiful dame, but a woman of great discretion
and virtue.
It was then sheep shearing time with Nabal. And he having

328 SACRED HISTORY. PART *1I.
three )»*lK»usand sheep, must needs have many shearers, and could
n'ot but make large provisions for them. Besides it was the custom
then, for relations and neighbours to come in at such a time, and
feast together.
David hearing of this entertainment, and being probably in some
sfa'ait for provisions for his soldiers, chose out len young men, and
bid them go to Nabal at Carmel, for there much of his possessions
lay, and there he did shear his sheep, and salute hira, in bis name.
And thus, said, he shall ye say to him that lives in plenty ; ' Peace be
to thee, and peace be to thy house, and peace be to all that thou
hast.' Then tell him from me, I have heard of his sheep shearing.
And inasmuch as, while his shepherds were with us, we hurt them
not, nor took any thing frora thera all the while they were in Carrael,
as, said he, they wiU teU thee, if thou ask, them, ' Let us therefore
find favour in thine eyes ; and since we come in a good time, give
I pray thee, what comes to hand unto us thy servants, and to thy
son David,'
This message the young raen went and deUvered to Nabal from
their raaster David, and raodestly waited his answer. But Nabal,
according to his churlish nature,. snapped thera up, scornfully ask
ing, 'Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? Then re
flecting on David for having withdrawn himself from Saul; 'There
are many servants, said he, in these days, that break away every
one from his master : and shall I take ray provisions that I have pre
pared for my shearers, and give ihem unto raen whom I know not
whence they be ?'
David's young men, being modest beggars, were so daunted with
this rugged repulse, that without replying, they turned away, and
went back to David with this answer. At whioh David was so en
raged, that arming himself, and commanding his men to arm, he
took about four hundred with him, leaving the rest to guard bis
camp, and marched towards Carmel, with a resolution to revenge
ihis affront upon Nabal. For he said to his men, ' Surely in vain
have I kept aU that this feUow 'hath in the wilderness, so that noth
ing was missing of all that belonged to him ; and he hath requited
me evU for good.' Then, binding his word with a sort of impre
cation, he threatened nol to leave a man living of Nabal's family by
the next morning. Thus went he on in a soldierly heat: bul God,
who had so often prevented his innocent blood frora being shed,
provided a raeans now to stop him from shedding the innocent blood
of others.*
For one of Nabal's servants haring heard how roughly his master
had treated David's messengers, hasted to bis mistress, and told ber,
David sent messengers out of the wUderness to salute om' master,
¦?A. IVT. 29-24

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 329
and he flew upon them wilh railing language. But indeed thfl^i^
were very good unto us, and did us no harm ; neither did we mW
any thing, as long as we were conversant with them ; but they were
rather a defence to us, both by night and by day, aU the while we
were with thepi keeping the sheep. Now therefore take notice of
it, and consider what thou wilt do in the case : for evil is deterrained
against our master, and against aU his house ; and he is a man of
such an ungoverned passion, and of so ill a temper, that one cannot
speak to him.
When Abigail heard this, she staid not to consult her husband,
but with all speed ordered her servants to take two hundred loaves
rf bread, and two bottles- of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and
five measures of parched com, and an hundred clusters of raisins,
and two hundred cakes of figs.
The two botties of wine would nol bear proportion with the other
parts of the present, nor answer the occasion, if they should be un
derstood of such bottles as are now commonly used, whether of earth,
stone, or glass. But in those eastern countries they used to carry
wine or water in leathern bags or sacks, made to hold Uquid things ;
which vessels they call (at least we translate them) botties. Such
were those the Gibeonites brought to Joshua's camp, which they said
were worn out, rent or torn, in their pretended long journey. Josh.
ix. 18. And of such it may be supposed our Saviour 'Christ spake.
Mat. ix. 17, where in a marginal note, to that which is called tiie
Bishop's Bible, botties are explained by bags of leather or skin,
wherein wine was carried on asses or camels. And of such bottles
two might hold a suitable quantity of wine.
Having thus packed up this present," and laid it upon asses, sbe
bid her servants go on before, herself following them. And as she
with her train went down one hiU, David vvith his men came down
the other ; so that they met in the bottom. But she, nof dismayed at
the sight of so many armed raen, who she knew were hastening to
the destruction of her family, as sOon as she saw Darid, she made
haste to alight frora her ass ; and falling on her face before him,
bowed herself to the ground al his feet. This put David to a stand :
and whUe he intentiy looked on her, she breaking forth abruptly, thus
bespake hira :
' Upon me, my lord, upon me, let this inquity be, and let thine
handmaid, I pray thee, speak iri thine audience, and hear thou the
voice of thine handmaid. Let nol my lord, I pray thee, regard
this man of Belial, even Nabal ; for as is his name, so is he. Nabal,
which signifies a fool, is his name, and folly is with him. But I
thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou
didst send. Now, therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy
soul Uveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed
blood, and from avenging thyseff witii thine own hand ; now lot

330 SACRED HISTORY. PART IIv
thine enemies, and they that seek evU to my lord, be as Nabal, And
now this present, which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord,
let it even be given to the young men that -follow my lord. I pray
thee forgive the trespass of thine handmaid; for the Lord will cer-
'tainly make my lord a sure house, because my ford fighteth the bat
tles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thee aU thy days.
Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul. But the
soul of my lord shaU be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord
thy God; and the souls of thine enemies shall he fling out, as out of
¦ the middle of a sUng. Andwhen the lord shaU have done to my
lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee,
and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel, it shall be no grief
unto thee, or offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast
not shed blood causelessly, or that my lord hath not revenged him--
seff. But when the Lord shaU have dealt with my lord, then re
member thine handmaid.'
This so soft and moving speech so pacified David, that he said
lo Abigail, ' Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who sent thee this
day to meet me i And blessed be thy advice ? And blessed be thou
who hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from
avenging myself with mine own hand! For in very deed, as the
Lord God of Israd liveth, who hath kept rae back from hurting thee,
if thou hadst not hasted and corae to meet me, surely there had not
been left a man unto Nabal by the morning light.'
Then receiving at her hand what she had brought him, he bid
her return to her house in peace; assuring her that he accepted her
person, and granted her petition.
When Abigail was corae home, she found her husband kept open
'house, holding a feast like the feast of a king. But observing that
be had drank loo liberally, and himself very drunk, she told him
nothing of this business, until the morning that he had slept him
self a little sober, and then she opened the whole matter lo him.
Which when he had heard, and considered the danger and folly his
rudeness had run him into, his heart died within him, and he grew
stupid as a stone; and so languishing for about ten days time,
the Lord then smote him, that he died outright.
When David heard that Nabal was dead, the sense of the justice
of God so affected him, that he cried out, 'Blessed be the Lord
that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach frora the hand of Nabal;
and hath kept me, his servant, from doing evU, in shedding blood ;
for the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own
head.' Afterwards calUng to mind the comely personage of Abigail, and
wilh what wisdom and discretion she had managed the business of
her husband with him, David sent some of his chief servants lo her,
to acquaint her that he had a desire to take her to wife.

-PART II. SACRED HISTORY. '331
She, when she had heard their message, bowed herself with her
face to the earth. And to shew how much she thought herself hon-
'oured by the offer she (using an apostrophe as if he had been pres
ent and she had spoken to hira) said, ' Let thine handmaid be a
servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.'
Then, wfthout more courtship, she hasted and arose ; and riding
on an ass, with five damsels to attend her, she foUowed the messen.
gers of David, and became his wife: and David, having married
also Abinoam of Jezreel, was now possessed at once of the brother's
beauty, so Abinoam signified; and the father's joy which is the
meaning of Abigail.
But Michal, David's first wife, her father Saul had taken from
hira, and given her to Phalti, the son of Laish, who was of GaUim ;
a place in the tribe of Benjarain, nol far frora Gibeah, v/here Saul
dwelt. This had been a time of peace and rest to David; -for Saul had
been busied about burying Sarauel. Bul that funeral being now
over, and Saul relumed to Gibeah, the officious Ziphites carae to
bim again, and inforraed hira, that David had hid himself in the hill
Hachilah, before their wilderness.*
Upon this information, Saul went down. With three thousand chosen
men of Israel, to seek David in the wUdemess of Ziph ; and pitched
his camp in the hill of Hachilah, 1 Sam. xxvi.
David abode in the wilderness, and sent forth spies, that he might
nnderstand whereabouts Saul lay. And having got certain informa
tion of the place, he went himself privately to raake his observation
of Saul's encaraping. And having seen where Saul himself lay, in
Ihe midst of his carriages, and Abner, the son of Ner, captain of his
host, with the people round about him, David returning to his com
pany, asked Ahimelech the Hittite, and Abishai, Joab's brother, son
of Zerviah, David's sister, which of them would go with him into
the camp of Saul ? His cousin Abishai offering lo go, they went to
gether into the camp by night, and found Saul sleeping within the
trench, having his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster, and Ab
ner,. with the people, lying round about him ; but either no centinels,
or all fast asleep.
Fain would Abishai have taken this advantage to have slain Saul,
And therefore urging to David that God had at that time delivered
his enemy into his hand, he intreated him lo let him smite Saul but
once, and he would strike so home, that he should not need to re
peal his blow.
But David would by no means suffer it ; but strictiy forbade him:
asked hira, ' Who can stretch forth his hEuid against the Lord's
anointed, and be gui,ltiess ? ' That is (says the marginal note, ui that
'A IVI 2925

S52 SACRED HISTORY. PART H.
which is called the Bishop's Bible) in his own private cause; for
Jehu slew two kings at God's appointment, 2 Kings ix. 24, 27.
Assuredly, said David, the Lord will smite hira, or his day shaU come
for him to die, or he shall descend into battie, and perish ; but God
forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anoint
ed. Yet said he to Abishai, lake, I pray thee, the spear that is at
his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us be gone.*
So they look the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster,
and gat them away, so that no man saw thera, nor knew they were
there ; neither did any of the people awake, but aU slept soundly ;
as well they raight, for a deep sleep from the Lord was upon them.
Bul when David was got over to the other side to the top of an
hiU, at a fit distance, and out of danger, he called aloud to the
people, and particularly to Abner the general : who not answering
quickly, he called again raore earnestiy, saying, 'Answeresl thou
not, Abner?'
With that Abner awakening, asked, 'Who art thou, that roakest
such a noise to disturb the king ? ' Then said David lo Abner,
•Art thou not a valiant man? And who is like to thee in Israel?
Wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? For there
came one into the carap, and might have destroyed the king thy
lord. Thou hast not done well ; but (by martial law) art worthy of
death, thou, and the rest of you, because ye have not better guard
ed your master, the Lord's anointed. And for proof thereof, see now
where the king's spear is, and the- eruse of water that was al his
bolster,' This discourse, talked aloud, by reason of the distance, waked
Saul indeed. Who hearing David's tongue, started up, and said,
'Is this thy voice, my son David?'
'Yes, my Lord, O king, said David, it is my voice. But where
fore doth my lord thus pursue after his- servant? For what have }
done ? Or, what evU is in my hand ? Now therefore, I pray thee;
said David, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the
Lord bath stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering.
Bul if they be the chUdren of men that have done it, cursed be they
before the Lord ; for they have driven rae out this day from abiding
in the inheritance of the Lord-,' by forcing me to go to the uncir
cumcised for shelter : whereby they have, in effect, said, ' Go serve
other gods. Now therefore let not my blood faU lo the earth before
the Lord ; ' neither disgrace thyself by leading an army against
so mean a man as I am : which is but as if a greal king should go
forth with his host lo seek a flea, or to hunt a partridge in the
mountains. Saul, overcome again, for the present, with Darid's generosity
•A. M, 2926

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 333
and kindness, cried out, ' I have sinned. Return, my son David,
for I wUl no more do thee harm ; because my life was precious in
thine eyes this day. I confess I have played the fool, and havo
erred exceedingly.'
David then, holding out his spear, said, ' See, here is the king's
spear ; let one of the young men come over and fetch it : and the
Lord reward every man his righteousness, and his faithfulness. For the
Lord delivered thee into mine hand to-day : but I would nol stretch
forth mine band against the Lord's anointed. And as thy life was
precious this day in my eyes ; so raay my life be precious in the
eyes of the Lord, and raay he deliver rae out of all tribulation.'
Saul, as setting a seal to David's wish, said, ' Blessed art thou, my
son David :' and in a prophetic manner added, ' Thou shall both do
great things; and also shall still prevail,' Then parting, David went
on his way ; and Saul, stopped in himself from pursuing him further
at that time, returned home.
But though David had now escaped again, yel having no confi
dence in Saul's words, and finding the Ziphites treacherous to bim,
he began to be discouraged, and said in his heart, ' I shall yet one
day perish by tbe hand of Saul,' meaning if I continue lurking in
tbis manner. I conclude therefore, thought he, there is no better
way for me to take, than speedily to convey myself into the land of
the PhiUstines : so will Saul despair of finding me, and forbear to
seek any farther after me, and so shall I escape his hands, 1 Sam.
xxrii. Wherefore having first obtained leave, and safe conduct, from
Achish king of Gath, he went over with the six hundred men that
were with him, and dwelt with Achish at Gath; he and bis men,
every man with his houshold, and David with his two wives, Abi
noam and Abigail. And this succeeded according to his hope ; for
when Saul understood whither he was gone, he gave over seeking
after him.
Bul David, nol Uking lo be pent up in Gath, and lo be always
under the eye and observation of the Philistine court, took an op
portunity, in discourse with Achish, to say to him, ' If I have found
favour in thy sight, let thera give me a place in some country town,
that I may dwell there : for why should thy servant dwell in the
royal city with thee?' Achish thereupon gave him Ziklag, which
though Joshua had long before assigned to Judah, Josh. xv. 31, yet
the Philistines had got, and kept it frora thera until now, and hence
forward it belonged to the kings of Israel.
Darid being now settied in Ziklag: divers of Saul's men feU to
him, men of great strength and prowess, and much renowned for their
valiant deeds, whose naraes are registered in 1 Chron. xii. Some of
Ibese were of the tribe of Gad ; but most of thera were of Saul's own
krsthren, the tribe of Benjamin. And though some of Judah camo

334 SACRED HISTORY. PART IU
in with them ;,yet David observing so many of them lo be- Benjam--
ites, was a littie shy of them lest they were sent as spies, to betray
him ; tiU they gave him assurance that they came with sincere minds.
to join with him, and help him; and then he made them captains
over his bands.
Strengthened, with these recruits, ne went up with his men, and
invaded the Geshuriles, and the Gezrite, and the Amalekites ; and
cutting thera all off, left neither man nor woman aUve, thatthere
might be none to bring tiding.s to Gath of what he had done,- and so
make the Philistines weary of him. Then returning to Ziklag, with
a great booty of catlle and other spoils, he went afterv;ards to visit
king Achish ; who asking, him whither he had made a. road that time ?
and being told he went againstlhe south of Judah, aud again.st the
soulh of the Jerameelites (who sprang from Judah by Thamah) and
against the south of the Kenites (the posterity of Jethro, Moses'
father-in-law) all which were either of Israel, or friends and aUies to.
Israel, aud enemies lo the -PhiUstines ; Achish, believing David there
in, was well enough pleased with his expedition : and reckoning Da--
vid had thereby made himself hateful to his own people, he put the
greater confidence in him, and concluded he should be-his servam-
forever. But this could not have been long undiscovered, had not the PhiUs
tines been whoUy: intent at the same time upon a war vvith Israel.
Which though it served to hide- the havoc David had lately made
upon their friends, yet it broughtupon David a. very great exercise.
For the PhUistines drawing, out their forces to fight against Israel,
Achish sending for David, gave him notice that- he was resolved he
and his men should go with him to the battle.-
This was an hard pinch upon David: but not being in a condition
to deny, he briskly answered, 'Thou, shall see then what service I
can do.' WeU, replied Achish, 'If thou behave thyself bravely, I
wiU raake thee captain of ray guards forever.'
David, no doubt, was in a great strait between twc On the one
hand to draw his sword against his own king, the Lord's anointed ;
against his own nation, the pecuUar people of God; against those
who were to be his own subjects ; was an act loo unnatural lo be
thought on without horror. On the other hand to betray the trust
reposed in him by a prince, who (though an heathen and an enemy)
had so courteously received him in distress, so kindly entertained
iiim, so nobly provided for him, and so confidentiy relied on hira ;
and to turn against him in battie, would be so ungrateful and base
an act, that death itself was rather to be chosen : and yet, humanly
speaking, there appeared no way to avoid one of these evils. But
God found a way to deliver Darid' out of this great strait, which we
must seek in chap. xxix.
For when the PhiUstines had drawn their forces together to a

?ART II.. SACRED HISTORY;. 33S,
general rendezvous at Aphek, the lords of the PhUistines passing on
by hundreds and by thousands, and David with his men, coming
up in the rear with king Achish, the princes of the PhiUstines
began to pick a quarrel with, David and his men, asking, 'What,
do these Hebrews here?' Achish told them, that was David, who
had been servant of Saul king of Israel: but revolting from Saul,
had been with him a considerable time, supposed lo be about four
months; and he had never found but he was, trusty lo hira ever,
since he came.
But the princes of the Philistines were not wiUing to trust hira.
And therefore they somewhat peremptorily said to their king, ' Make
this fellow return, that he may go to Ziklag, the place thou hast ap
pointed him ; and let him not go down vvith us to the battle, lest in ,
the battle he turn against us: for wherewith shall he reconcUe him-.
self to his master, but with our heads? For is notthis that David.
of whom the Hebrew women sang one to another in dances, Saul,
hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?'
Achish, finding his lords so resolute, and not thinking that a fit-
time to contend with them, look David aside ; and acknowledging;
his fideUty, and how acceptable his services had hitherto been to hiraj
let hira know that the lords of the PhUistines did not favour hira;
and therefore wished him to return peacably lo Ziklag, that he might
nol displease thera, 1 Sara. xxix..
Though this was the most welcome thing that could be to David,
yel that he might seem rather to submit lo it; than desire it, he
began to expostulate with Achish; asking him, '-What have I done?
What hast thou found in thy servant frora the time I came to thee ¦
unto this day, that, I may not go fight against the enemies of my
ford the king ? '
'Nay, repUed Achish, thou art to me as an angel of God.' But
the princes ofthe Philistines have said, 'He shall, not go up with.
us to the battle.' Wherefore now, said he, get up betimes in the
morning as soon as it is Ught, and depart with thy master's servants
that came with thee.
Glad to be thus fairly dismissed, David,, with, his men departed
early next morning to return to Ziklag ; having increased his num
bers in this expedition. For some of the tribe of Manasseh feU in
with him, as he marched from Ziklag lo join the Philistines' army ;
and others feU to him now in their return back, who did him good;
service afterwards.
But Saul, meanwhile, was in great perplexity. For having, as
we read in chap. xxviU. 4, &c. taken a view of the PhiUstines'
host, while they were in Shunem, before they carae to Aphek, when
he saw their strength, which Aphek signifies, fear seized on him,
and his heart greatiy trembled. And now, destitute of other helps,
ke would have inquired of the Lord : but the Lord would not an-

336 SACRES HISTORY. PART 11.
swer him, neither oy dream, nor by Urim, nor prophets. How
just was this upon him ! for he had destroyed the priests, by whom
he should have inquired : and the prophet Samuel, whom also he
had slighted, was gone to rest.
He would now have been glad to consult a wizard. But that he
might shew some zeal for the law of God, he had banished the
wizards, and those that had famiUar spirits, out of the land. Yet
in this strait, he bids his servants seek him out a woman that had a
familiar spirit, that he might inquire of her. They told him there
was such a woman at Endor, a town in the tribe of Manasseh.
Whereupon Saul, disguising himself, look two men with him, and
went to the woman by night, and desired her lo divine unto hjm
by the famiUar spirit, and bring up to him whom he should name
to her.
She, little thinking he had been Saul, said to him, 'Alas! tiiou
knowest what Saul hath done; how he hath cut off those that had
faraUiar spirits, and the wizards out ofthe land: wherefore then
dost thou lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?' But Saul,
' swearing to her by the Lord that there should no punishment hap
pen to her for this thing, she asked him whom she should bring up
to him; and he said, 'Bring me up Samuel.
She then raising an evil spirit, which came in the Ukeness of
Samuel, when she saw it, she cried out, and said to Saul, ' Why
bast thou deceived me ? for thou art Saul : ' which it is supposed she
learned by the spirit she had raised. Saul bid her not to be afraid;
and asked her what she had seen ? she told bim, she saw gods, so
she called those diabolical apparitions which Satan uses to further
his illusions, ascending out of the earth. Saul, not satisfied with that
answer, asked her what form he was of, that was coming up; She
replied, ' An old raan coraeth up, and is covered with a mantle.'
Saul, by that concluding that it was Samuel (who, good man, was
at rest, out of the reach of Saul, the witch and the devil) stooped
down with his face towards the ground, and bowed himself; thereby
expressing that respect to the devU, that he would have done to
Sarauel. The apparition, that it might aptiy personate Samuel, asked Saul
why he had disquieted him, to bring him up : Saul, to excuse the
trouble he had given him, told him he was sore distressed: 'For
the Philistines, said he, raake war upon me, and God is departed
from rae, and answereth rae no more, neither by prophets nor by
dreams. Therefore I have caUed thee, that thou mayest make known
unto me what I shaft do.'
Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, said the pretended Sarauel,
seeing the Lord is departed frora thee, and is become thine enemy ?
Then going on, in personating Samuel, he added, ' The Lord bath
done as he spake by me ; for he hath rent the kingdom out of thy

Part li. sacrrs history.
hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David.' And thi:
Lord hath done lo thee, because thou obeyedst not the voice ol
Lord, to execute his fierce wrath upon Amalek. ' Moreover,
he, the Lord also will deliver the host of Israel, together with 1
into the hands of the PhUistines : and to-morrow thou and thy
shaft be with me ; that is, dead, as Samuel is, whom thou ti
me for.
Al that word, fear so possessed dispirited Saul, that (his stre
also, through long fasting, failing him : for be had eaten nothin
the day before, nor all that night) he fell aU along on the e
Which when the witch saw, she came to him, earnestly inlrei
him lo let her set some food before him, and that he would
But he refused, until his servants, together with the woman,
oven compel him to consent. And then having a fat calf ir
stall, she quickly killed il ; and kneading some flour, baked un
ened cakes ; of which Saul and his servants did eat, and then
tumed lo the camp the same night.
While Saul was thus distressed, a very greal exercise befel
David. For when he, after three days' march, came weary '
from the Philistines' camp to Ziklag, he found the lown in j
part laid in ashes, his wives, and all the rest of the women and
dren, carried away captives, and their goods and cattie made a pi
This great and unexpected calamity did so deeply affect E
and his men, that lifting up their voice they wept, till tliey could i
no longer. And indeed David had cause enough to weep; ft
had not only lost both his wives, and whatsoever else he had ti
but was in danger to lose his life also : for the people, in the h(
of their grief, their passion overpowering their reason, threateni
stone him.
In this distress, David had recourse to the Lord his God for i
fort and encouragement. And calling to Abiathar the priest to I
him the ephod, he inquired of the Lord if he should pursue after
troop of robbers, that had sacked and flred the lown ; and i
should overtake them. And the Lord bid him pursue; assuring
that he should not only overtake them, bul should recover the
tives, and all the spoU, 1 Sam. xxx.
With this encouragement David and his men sel forward upoi
pursuit. But by that time they were come lo the brook Besor,
hundred of his men were so weary and spent with their three c
march before, and now again, that, not able to pass over the bi
they were forced to stay behind there, while Darid wilh four
dred men continued the pursuft.
These, as they went on, found a poor straggler, half dead
speechless for want of food ; for he had neither eaten nor dran!
•A. M, 2327.
VOL. I. — 22

338 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
three days and nights. . . . Him they brought to Darid. And
when they had given him some bread and water lo eat and drink,
and a piece of a cake of figs, with some raisins, lo cheer his spirits,
he began to revive.
Then David asking hira whence he was, and to whom he belonged,
the fellow told him he was an Egyptian, but servant lo an Amale
kite : that they had raade an invasion upon the south of the Chere-
thites, who were of the PhUistines, and upon the coast of Judah, and
upon the coast of Caleb ; and we burnt Ziklag, said he, wilh fire :
and because I fell sick three days ago, my master left me here.
But canst thou, said David, bring me down to this company ? yes,
said he : and if thou wilt swear unto me by God, that thou wUt nei
ther kiU me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, I wUl
bring thee down to them. And accordingly he did bring them lo the
place where this troop of Amalekites lay scattered about upon the
ground, eating and drinking and dancing, for joy of the greal spoil
they had taken.
But when David came up with thera, he and his raen flew with
that fury aq^d force upon them, that he cut them all off, nol suffering
a man of them to escape; except four hundred young men, who,
being mounted on camels, fled and got away.
Thus David rescued his two wives, and recovered all that the
Amalekites had carried away ; so that there was nothing lacking to
them, neither small nor great, sons nor daughters, neither spoU nor
any thing that had been taken frora them ; but David recovered aU.
And besides what they had taken from him, he took the flocks and
herds, which those rovers had taken frora the Philistines and others
in that expedition. . . . And this his men drove before their
own cattie, caUing it David's spoils.
Then marching back towards the brook Besor, the two hundred
men which he had left there, having by this time a littie rested
and refreshed themselves, came out to meet him, and congratulate
hJm on his good success.
These David courteously saluted, asking them how they did. And
when afterwards mention was made of dividing the spoU, some chur
lish feUows, amongst those that had gone through, began lo olject,
alledging, that because those two hundred went not vvith them in
the pursuit, they should not have any of the spoil that was recovered,
save every man his wife and children, and his own proper goods :
which they might take and be gone.
Bul David putting them in mind that it was not m,erely by their
own prowess, but by God's providence, they bad gotten all the spoil,
told them in a gentie way, - Ye must not do so, my brethren, vvith that
which the Lord hath given us; vvho hath preserved us, and deliver
ed the company that came against us into our hands. For who,
said he. will hearken to you in this matter ? But as his part is that

PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 339
goeth to the battle, so ought his part to be that tarrieth by the stuff:
let thera part il equally.' And this, frora that lime forward, became
a statute and ordinance in Israel.
Now when David was returned lo Ziklag, he took of the spoil,
and sent it up and down araongst his friends, the elders of Judah,
in divers places, those raore especiaUy where he and his men were
wont to haunt : letting them know, it was a present for thera, of the
spoil of the eneraies of the Lord.
Bul whUe David had been thus exercised, the two great arraies
of the PhiUstines and the Israelites having joined battie, the Philis
tines prevailed; and the men of Israel, flying before thera, fell down
slain in raount Gilboa. Whereupon the PhiUstines, pressing hard
upon Saul and his sons, slew Jonathan and Abinadab, and Mal-
chishua, three of Saul's sons, and followed Saul so close, that, com
ing within bow-shot of him, the archers hit hira, and wounded him
sorely,* 1 Sara. xxxi.
He, feeUng himself mortally wounded, called to his armour-bearer,
and bid bim draw his sword, and thrust him through, lest those un
circumcised should overtake him, and thrust him through, or put
him lo some ignominious death : but his armour-bearer being him
self in great fear, refused. Whereupon Saul, seeing no other reme
dy, feU upon his own sword, and died. Which when his armour-
bearer saw he fell upon his own sword, and died with his raaster.
So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, and his
men, for il was a general rout and slaughter that same day.
Next day, when the PhiUstines came to strip the slain, finding
Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa, they cut off his head,'
and stripped off his armour ; and sending messengers into the land'
of the PhiUstines round about, to publish their victory in the
house of their idols, and araong the people, they put his armour in
the house of Ashteroth, one of their chief idols. But his body, with
the bodies of his sons, they fastened to the wall of Bethshan.
But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-GUead heard how reproach-.
fully the PhiUstines had hung up the bodies of Saul and his sons,
they (in a grateful remembrance of the good service he had done
them, in deUvering them from Nahash, king of the Ammonftes, 1
Sam. xi) selecting out all the vaUant men amongst them, went aft
night, and look the body of Saul, and the bodies of his three sons,
from the wall of Bethshan; and having brought them lo Jabesh, first
burned them, tiU the flesh was consumed, to prevent their being taken
up again; and then burying the bones under a tree at Jabesh fasted
seven days, in token of mourning
This victory proved the more advantageous to the Philistines, for
thai the men of Israel, that were on the other side of the valley
•A. M 2970

340 SACRED HISTORT. PABT U
wherein the battle was fought, and they also that were on the other
side Jordan, when they understood that the host of Israel fied, and
that Saul and his sons were dead, forsook their cities and fled, and
the Philistines carae and dwelt in them.
By that time David had been two days returned to Ziklag, from
the slaughter of the Amalekites that had sacked and fked it, carae a
man on the third day, wilh his clothes rent, and earth upon bis head,
as the raanner was in those times and countries, in case of extraor
dinary sorrow ; and being come to David, he fell to the earth, and
did obeisance, 2 Sara. i.
Darid asking him whence he came, he answered, ' Out of the camp
of Israel am I escaped : tell me then, I pray thee, said David, how
went the matter?' He answering, 'The people are fled from the
battie, and many of them are fallen and dead; and among the rest
Saul, and Jonathan bis son.' David asked him how he knew that
Saul and Jonathan were dead : Whereupon he gave him this par
ticular account:
' As I happened, said he, by chance to be upon mount Gilboa, 1
saw Saul leaning upon his spear, and the chariots and horsemen
following hard after him. And when, looking behind him, he saw
me, he called me to him ; and having asked who I was, he desired
me to fall upon him and kill him ; for though he had faUen upon his
own sword, yet bis coat of mail hindering his sword from piercing
him to his heart, be was still heart-whole, bul in anguish. Where
upon, being sure he could not Uve after he was faUen, I fell upon him
and slew hira : and taking the crown that was upon his head, and
the bracelet that was upon his arm, have brought them hither unto
my Lord.'
When David had heard this sorrowful news, too weU confirmed
by the sight of the crown and bracelet, he rent his clothes, as did
also all the men that were with him ; and, mourning and weeping,
fasted until the evening for Saul, and for Jonathan bis son, and for
the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel, because they were
faUen by the sword.
Then calUng to him again the young man that had brought him
this account, he examined him what countryman hs was. Who,
teUing bira be was the son of a stranger, an Araalekite ; David asked
him how he durst stretch forth bis hand, without fear, to destroy the
Lord's anointed. Bul seeing, said Darid, thou art convicted by thy
own confession, thy blood be upon thine own head. Then caUing lo
one of bis guards, he bid bim go faU upon him ; which the soldier
did, and slew him. Afterwards David lamented over Saul, and over
Jonathan his son, in a funeral elegy : which read in 2 Sam. i, from
verse J 9 to tiie end.
THE IWD OF THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL.

SACRED HISTORY.
PART III.
THE
SECOND BOOR OF SAMUEL;
INCLtrDING THE FIRST BOOK OF CHRONICLES; AND CONTAINIKO AS
HISTORY OF FORTY YEARS.

Although Saul was slain, and three of his sons with him : * yet
he had another son living, whose name was Ishbosheth, and a val
iant general, named Abner, 2 Sara, ii, and whom the people would
sel up for king was very uncertain. David, therefore, being yet at
Ziklag, and not knowing whether he might venture into any of the
cities of Judah ; that he might act safely, having the priest and the
ephod with him, he inquired of tbe Lord ; and the Lord directing
him to go lo Hebron, he went thither, taking with him his two wives,
Ahinoam and AbigaU, and aU his men, whom he placed every man
with his houshold in the cities of Hebron.
Long he had not been in Hebron before the men of Judah came
to congratulate his return, and to offer him the crown, 2 Sam. ii.
And before they left him, they anointed him king over Judah; which
was as far as they could go.
David understanding by them, that the men of Jabesh-Gilead bad
buried Saul, he sent messengers to them ; and together with giving
them thanks for performing that kind office to his father-in-law, he
took occasion to let them know, that he was now king of Judah,
and would requfte that kindness to them : which was a feir invita.
tion to them also to proclaim him king there.
But Abner, who was general of aU the forces that had been Saul's,
took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, who was then forty years of age :
• A. M. 8949. (341)

342 SACRED HISTORY. PART III.
and bringing him to Mahanaim (which was the place where Jacob,
returned from Laban, was met by the angels of God, Gen. xxxii. 1 ,
2) he made him king over all Israel.
Thus was this new kingdom quickly divided, Judah, foUowing
David, and Israel sticking to Saul's son Ishbosheth. But this rent,
being but of man's making, lasted not long, ere God found means
to make it up again.
Yet, in the mean time, some bickerings happened between the
forces of these rival kings ; for Abner, drawing out king Ishboshelh's
forces, marched them from Mahanaim to Gibeon ; which Joab, cap
tain-general of king David's forces, and son lo Zeruiab, David's
sister, understanding, he also led forth David's men : and at the pool
of Gibeon, the two armies meeting, sal down in sight of one another,
having the pool between them.
After a while, Abner provoked Joab to send forth a party lo skir
mish : which Joab agreeing lo, twelve of a side issued forth of each
camp : these fighting not in bodies, but single handed, man lo raan,
every one caught his feUow by the head, and thrusting each other
through the body, they aU fell down together. Frora which bold and
resolute action, that place was called Helkath-Hazzurim, that is, the
field of strong men.
This desperate resolution of these forlorn hopes, so healed the
spirits of the soldiers on either side, that the armies presenfly join
ing, a sharp battle was fought between thera; wherein David's men
at length prevaUing, Abner was beaten and forced to fly.
Ishboshelh's men thus routed, Asahel, Joab's younger brother, a
very nimble-footed youth, in the pursuit took after Abner, and fol
lowed him so close, that Abner finding he could not escape him by
running, turned again, and made a stand, to see what he was that
foUowed hira so hard ; and observing hira to be but a youth, and
understanding withal that he was Joab's brother, he wished hira to
give over pursuing hira, and take some other prisoner for his prey ;
but Asahel would nol turn aside from foUowing him.
Abner went a littie further ; but finding that Asahel still pressed
upon him, he spake to hira again, desiring hira to turn from him
and leave hira : ' For why, said he, shouldst thou provoke me to kill
thee ? And how shall I look upon thy brother Joab when I have
done it I '
But young Asahel, ambitious of the honour of taldng the general
prisoner, would by no intreaty be persuaded to leave him, bul stiU
pressed harder on hira ; which when Abner saw, and that unless he
would be his prisoner, there was no way but lo kiU or be killed, he
smote him with tho hinder end of his spear under the fifth rib, so
that the spear came out behind him, and down he fell dead in the place.
His falling and lying there gave opportunity to Abner lo escape :
for though Joab and Abishai, his other brother, with many others.

PART in. SACRED HISTORY. 343
pursued Abner also ; yet when they came to the place where Asaliel
lay dead, they aU stood stiU: so that Abner got time to rally what
he couM of his scattered forces, and having drawn thera up together
into one troop, raade a stand wfth them on the lop of an biU, 2
Sam. ii.
Then sounding a parley, he called lo Joab, and putting him in
mind that they were all brethren, both by nation and reUgion, he
asked hira if he intended the sword should devour forever, and did
nol consider that it would be bitterness in the latter end, that he was
so backward to sound a retreat. Whereupon Joab, letting hina know
that the people, if he had not spoken, would have given oyer the
pursuit in the morning, sounded a retreat ; and so Abner with his
men travelling all night through the plain and over Jordan, got back
to Mahanam ; and Joab with his raen marching aU night also, reached
Hebron by break of day. And although they had fought so fiercely,
yel the number of the slain was not great on either side ; for Abner
lost but three hundred and sixty raen, and Joab but nineteen, beside
his brother Ashael.
But though they parted thus now, yet hostilities did nol cease be
tween the two kings and their subjects ; fbr the war continued long
between the two houses, 2 Sara, iii; wherein though Abner strength
ened himself as much as he could for the house of Saul ; yel the
house of David grew stronger, and stronger and the house of Saul grew
weaker and weaker. And yet Ishbosheth might probably have held il
out longer, had it not been for an accident which his own indiscretion
brought upon hira ; by which he lost Abner frora his interest, and
with hira aU strength and courage. It happened thus :
Saul had a concubine whose narae was Rizpah, whom Ishbosheth
charged Abner with having lain with. Abner, a man of high stom
ach, took this for a great affront; andin high displeasure said lo
king Ishbosheth, ' Am I a dog's head (that is, Ara I as contempt
ible with thee as a dog) I who have shewed thus much kindness
unto the house of Saul thy father, lo his brethren and lo his friends,
against Judah, and have not delivered thee into the hand of Darid,
thou chargest me with a fault concerning this woman? So do God
to Abner, and more also, except as the Lord hath sworn to David,
even so I do to hira ; to translate the kingdora frora the house of
Saul, and to set up, the throne of David over Israel and over Judah,
from one end of the land to the other.'
Whether the charge was true or no, Ishbosheth, a poor low spirited
prince, was so struck with this lofty language of Abner, that he could
nol answer hira a word. And Abner, being in good earnest, sent
agents to Darid, lo transact the matter on his behalf; giving thera in
charge to acknowledge David's title, and to assure him, that if he
woitid make a league with him, he would use his interest to bring
over all Israel to him.

:344 SACRE» fflSTORY. PART IU.
David consented on those te-rms to mako such a league with him.
But one thing he required of him prerious thereunto ; which was,
Jthat he should bring wfth him bis wife Michal, the daughter of
¦Saul : otherwise, he let him know he would nol so rauch as see him,
David sent also ambassadors to, Ishbosheth, lo demand of him his
wife Michal. Whereupon Ishbosheth sent and took her from her
-husband Phaltiel, and sent her to David ; the poor man her husband
following her weeping as ffir as to Bahurim, where Abner meet'mg
¦with him, turned hira back.
Abner raeanwhile practiced with the elders of Israel, to bring
them over to David: thus discoursing wilh thera, 'Ye sought for
Darid in tiraes past to be king over you. Now, therefore, seeing
David is the man, by whom the Lord hath said, he will save bis
¦people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and from all their
enemies, pursue your former desire, and make him your king,' 2
Sam. Ui.
Neither did he .tamper only with the Israelites in general; but
particularly with the elders of Benjamin, who were more iraraediately
concerned for the house of Saul. And when he found he bad gained
his point upon thera, he then went to Hebron, taking only twenty raen
with bim, and presented himself to David.
David received Abner and his men courteously: and to shew tiie
regard he had to hira, he raade a feast for thera; after which, Ab
ner taking his leave of David, told hira, 'He would go and gather
all Israel to, him, that they might make a league with him; and
that he might reign over- them all, according to his heart's desire.
Abner was but newly gone from Hebron, when Joab, David's
general, who, during the time that Abner had been with David, had
been out with a party upon an expedition against the PhUistines,
returned with a great spoil to Hebron ; and being quickly told, by
some of his creatures, that Abner had been there, and that the king
had received and entertained him kindly, and dismissed him peace
ably, he was much disturbed al it : for Joab hated Abner for more
causes than one ; not only because he had slain his brother Asahel ;
bul for that he doubted, if Abner should bring over Israel ; to Da
vid, and by that means ingratiate himself vvith the king, he himself
might be in danger of being supplanted by him : for Abner was a
man of greal courage and conduct, and had withal greal interest in.
the people.
Joab therefore hastening to king David, in a rough and soldierly
manner, asked him, 'What he had done? It seems, said he, Ab
ner came unto thee; how is it that thou hast sent him away, and
ho is quite gone?' Then suggesting to David, that Abner came
only as a spy, to see his strength, and observe the state of his af
fairs, that ho might deceive him; he went out fl'om David, and sent

PART IU. SACRED HISTORY.. 3-43,
messengers, afler Abner to bring him back again, as if David had
something further to say to bim ; whereas David knew nothing of it.,
Abner thinking no harm, nor suspecting any danger, returned*;
and as soon as he was come to Hebron, Joab, who waited for that
purpose, took him aside in the g.ate in a shew of friendship, and un
der pretence of some private business, there basely stabbed him to
death ; pretending that he did it in revenge of the death of Asahel
his brother, whom Abner in his own defence had slain in battie.
When David heard of this bai'barous murder he cried out, ' I and
my kingdom are guiltiess before the Lord forever, from the blood of
Abner. Let it rest on the head of Joab, and of all his father's house ;
and let the house of Joab nevei' be- without one that hath an issue, or
that is a leper, and so is legally unclean, or that through weakness
or infirmity leaneth upon a staff', or that wanteth bread.'
Then commanding Joab and aU the people that were with him to
rend their clothes, and girding themselves with sackcloth to mourn
before Abner, king David himself foUowing the bier, they buried Ab
ner in Hebron. Al which the king, lifting up his voice, wept al the
grave of Abner, and all the people wept also : bul the king more es
pecially lamented over Abner, saying, 'Died Abner as a fool dielh !
Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters; but as a
man faUeth before wicked men, so fellest thou : ' and with that all the
people wept again over hira. And when, according to the custom
they then had of feasting at burials, they came to invite David to,
eat, he utterly refused, solemnly binding himself not to taste of any
food until the sun was set, 2 Sara. iii.
This carriage of David's the people took great notice of; and, as
they generally liked what he did, they were much pleased with this:
for from hence all concluded that David was not consenting, nor
any way privy to Abner's death.
Bul to his domestic servants the king complained raore particu
larly ; and bewaiUng his own condition, said, ' Know ye not that a
prince, and a great raan, is fallen this day in Israel ? And I, though
anointed king, am yet but weak, and not well settied in my king
dom: and these men, the sons of Zeruiab, to wit, Joab and Abishai;
for Abishai also was in the plot against Abner, 2 Sam. iii. 30, are
too bard for rae.' Therefore 1 cannot now call them to account for
it; bul raust leave them to the Lord, who wiU reward the doer of
evil according to his wickedness.
And, indeed, besides the baseness of this murder, which such a
man as David oould not but abhor, he had great cause to lament thia
untimely death of Abner, with respect to his own affairs : for it robbed
hira of a most serviceable and beneficial friend, broke aU the measures,
they had taken for uniting the two kingdoms and was likely lo en
danger his losing tbe Israelitish crown, had Ishbosheth, who then
wore it, lived longer.

346 SACRED HISTORY. PART Ut.
But this murder of Abner was followed by another, not less treach
erous nor inhuman. For Ishbosheth, Saul's son, whora Abner had
set upon the throne of Israel, was greatiy dejected, and even dis
pirited, when he heard of Abner's death ; and thq Israelites in gen
eral were much troubled for the loss of their captain-general : so that
Ishbosheth their king was littie regarded, and less guarded.
This gave encouragement to two ruffians lo conspire his death, 2
Sam. iv, to which they might probably be the more emboldened, from
a consideration, that of Saul's legitimate stock there was none left
who were in a condition to revenge his death upon thera. For Me-
phibosheth, Jonathan's son, was but a child of seven years old, and
lame loo of his feet, by a faU which his nurse let bim take when
she fled in haste with him, upon the report that his father and grand
father were slain.
These two regicides, whose naraes Were Baanah and Rechab,
were brothers, sons of Eiramon, a Beerolhile, belonging to Ben
jamin, and were captains of bands ; but some think of rovers, that
lived by spoil and pillage. These coming to Ishbosheth's house,
about the middle of the day, under pretence of fetching wheat (so
littie odds, it seems, there was between the palace and granary)
went directly into his bedchamber; where finding the king lying on
a bed, because it was the beat of the day, they slew him, and cut
off his head, in the second year of his reign.* Then, taking the
head with thera, they went out again undiscovered, and traveUed all
night, through the plain toward Hebron: conceiving high hopes that
they should be welcome guests lo David, bringing with them such a
present. In expectation whereof, being come to Hebron, they present
ed the head lo David, wfth this short speech ; ' Behold the head of Ish
bosheth, the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy hfe : and the
'Lord hath avenged my lord' the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.'
But David, filled with horror and indignation al the sight of the
murdered king's head, said to these bloody regicides, ' As the Lord
liveth, who hath redeemed ray soul out of all adversity, when one
came and brought rae tidings of Saul's death, supposing he had
brought me acceptable news ; nay, and brought me also the crown
and bra'celet which Saul wore, expecting I would have given bira a
reward ; yet, when 1 understood by hira, that he had a hand in his
death, I caused him to be seized on, and slain in Ziklag. . . .
How -much more then, when such wicked men as ye are, have slain
a righteous person, one that had done you no wrong, in his own
house (where he ought to have been safe) and upon his bed (where
h6 could not defend himself?) ShaU I nol therefore now require bis
blood of your hand, and cut you off from the earth ?' 2 Sam. iv. Then
commanding his guards lo faUupon them, they slew them; and
? A. M, 2951,

PART in. SACKED HISTORY. 347
having cut off their hands and feet, hanged them up over tne pool
in Hebron : but tiie head of Ishbosheth tiiey buried in the sepulchre
of Abner in Hebron.
This murder of Ishbosheth made way for the uniting the king
doms of Israel and Judah into one again, 2 Sam. v. For upon his
death, all the tribes of Israel, that is, the elders, or beads of tho
tribes came unto David al Hebron; and having, as an introduction,
told him, they were of his bone and flesh : and in times past, even
when Saul was their king, he was their captain that led them out
and in ; and that it was of him that the Lord had said, ' Thou shalt
feed ray people Israel, and shalt be a captain over them;' David
thereupon making a league wilh them, they anointed him king over
Israel, and at Hebron they were feasted three days together.
David bad lived now about two years in Hebron, and five years
more he lived there : for he is said to have reigned seven years in
Hebron. And having now the united forces of Israel and Judah
under his command, he led fonh his men to Jerusalem, against tho
Jebusites, ' the inhabitants of the land; vvho, trusting too much lo the
strength of the place, told David in derision, 'Except he took away
the bUnd and the lame, he should nol corae thither.' Iraplying, the
place was so strong, that if there were none but blind and larae to de
fend il, he wfth all his forces could not take it.
David, resolving lo correct their insolence, caused proclamation
to be made, that whosoever should scale the fort, by getting up into
the gutter, and should smite the Jebusites with their lame and their
Wind, who had made theraselves hateful to David, he should be cap
tain-general of aU his forces.
This Joab, David's sister's son, who had command before of the
forces of Judah, performed. By which means David look the strong
bold of Zion, in which he afterwards dwelt: and when he had built
it round about from MiUo (or the fortress) and inward, it was called,
•The city of David.'
Now began David's affairs to prosper, and his fame to -spread:
for the Lord God of Hosts was with him ; and he perceived that
the Lord had established him king over Israel. Which his neigh
bours also took notice of : and thereupon Hiram, king of Tyre,
sent ambassadors lo David, to congratulate his accession lo the
crown, and to make him a present of cedar trees, and workmen to
build him a palace.
On the other hand, when the Philistines heard that the Israelites
had anointed David for their king, they came up to seek him, spread
ing themselves in the valley of Eepliaim ; whereupon David went
down to the hold. Bul before he would go forth against them, he
inquired of the Lord if he should go, and if the Lord would deliver
them into his hand? And the Lord bidding him go, and assuring
hira that he would deUver them, to hira, he raarched forth against

S48 SACRED HISTORY. PART UI,
them, and smote them, and put them to the rout: so tnat they fled,
and for haste left their images behind them, which David and his men
burnt. The place where this battle was fought, David called Baal-
perazira, that is. The plain of breaches, or divisions ; giving this-
reason for the name, ' The Lord hath broken forth upon mine ene
mies before rae, as the breach of waters,' 2 Sam. v.
Yet long it was not ere the Philistines, having levied new forces,
came up again ; and spreading themselves in the valley of Rephaira,
off'ered David battie.
David would not presume upon bis lale success; bul inquired of
the Lord again. And now the Lord comraanded hira nol lo go up,
that is, directiy to engage them ; but fetch a compass behind them,
and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees : and when he
should hear the sound of a going in the lops of tbe mulberry-trees,
then be should bestir himself; for then the Lord would go out before
him, to smite the host of the PhiUstines. And David doing so, as
the Lord had comraanded, he sraote the PhiUstines with a great
slaughter. Having by this raeans now gotten a time of quiet and respite from'
war, David, consulting bis captains and chief leaders, said lo all the
congregation of Israel, ' If it seem good unto you, and that if il be of
the Lord our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where,.
that are left in the land cf Israel, and with them also lo the priests
and Levites, in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather thera
selves unto us. And let us bring again the ark of our God to us :
for we in(iuired not at it in the days of Saul,' 1 Chron. xin. 1, 2, S.
To this proposal the whole congregation assenting, as a thing that
all the people approved, David gathering the people together, went up
with thera to Baalah (otherwise called Kirjath-jearim) belonging to
Judah, to bring up frdm tiience the ark of God, whose name is coUed
by tbe name ofthe Lord of Hosts, that dwelleth between the cherubims.
The ark is said to have been twenty years in the house- of Abina
dab at Kirjath-jearim, 1 Sam, vii. 1,2. But that twenty years raust
be referred to the time of the single- administration of Samuel in tbe
goverment : for the ark was taken in the last year of Eli, and the
Philistines kept it but seven months, 1 Sam. vi. 1. Samuel succeed
ing to EU in the government, is reckoned to have judged Israel by
himself twenty years before there was a king, and twenty years more
are aUmed to Samuel, and Saul together, and to Saul by himself after
Samuell So- that fi'ora the death of Eli, when tiie ark was taken, to the
death of Saul, must be forty years. And though seven months of
that time it was with the PhiUstines, yet David having, after Saul's
death, reigned seven years and six months in Hebron, and some time
after that in Jerusalem, before he went to fetch up the ark, it could
nol be much less than fifty years that the ^rk had been at Kirjath-
jearim, in the house of Abinadab.

PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 349
Thither went David and the IsraeUtes lo fetch it from thence, and
bring it to Jerusalem. Bul not minding the law, which required them
to carry tbe ark upon their shoulders. Numb. vii. 9 ; they, foUowing
tbe example of the PhiUstines, put il into a cart, appointing Uzzah
and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, to drive the cart. And in this
manner setting forward, David wilh aU the house of Israel foUowed
it, playing before the Lord upon divers sorts of musical instruments,
as harps, psalteries, timbrels, cornets, and cymbals.
Thus they went on till they came to a place caUed Nachon's
threshing-floor, where the oxen stumbling, shook the cart: which
made Uzzah officiously put forth his hand and lay hold of the ark,
lest it should fall.* Uzzah 's intention, no doubt, was good in doing
this. But it being contrary to the law, which forbade all but the
priests, even the Levites themselves, to touch the holy things.
Numb. iv. 15, the Lord smote Uzzah for his rashness; so that he
died there by the ark.
This breach which the Lord had made upon poor Uzzah, struck
David with great fear, 1 Chron. xiii ; and mistaking it for a sign that
God was not pleased the ark should corae to hira, he wofild not
bring it into his city ; bul carried it aside into the house of Obed-
Edom the Gittite, who was a Levite : where it continued three
months, and the Lord blessed Obed-Edom, and aU that he had.
In which tirae David perceiving their error, which had provoked
the Lord lo anger, and occasioned Uzzah's death, and understand.
ing that the Lord had blessed the house of Obed-Edom since the
ark had been with hira ; he took heart now lo remove it from thence,
and bring it into his own city, 2 Sam. vi, 1 Chron. xiii.
But that he might do it regularly, having first prepared a place for
the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent, and declared that none
ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites, he called for Zadok
and Abiathar the priests, and for the chief of the Levites ; and putting
them in mind that they were the chief of the fathers of the Levites,
bid them sanctify themselves, they and their brethren, that they might
bring up the ark of the Lord (iod of Israel unto the place which he
had prepared for it: 'For, said he, because ye did not so al the
first, therefore the Lord our God made this breach upon us ; for that
we sought him not after tiie due order.'
The priests and Levites thus admonished of their duty^ sanctified
theraselves and the Levftes took up the ark of God, vvith the staves
thereof, and bare it upon their shoulders, as Moses, according lo the
word of the Lord had commanded. And the Levites, by David's
direction, appointed some of their brethren to sing, and lo play upon
instruments of music. And when all things were thus disposed in a
due order, king David, with the elders of Israel, and the captains
•A. M. 2959,

350 SACRED HISTORY. PART III.
over thousands set forward lo bring up the ark of the covenant of
the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom with joj-. And when they
that did bear the ark of the Lord had advanced six paces, he sac
rificed oxbn and fatiings, to-wit, seven bullocks and seven rams.
King David had dressed himself that day, somewhat like the Lev
ites and singers, in a Unen ephod, in which he danced before the
ark with all his might;* and so brought up the ark with shouting,
and with the sound of the trumpet, and vvith several other sorts of
musical instruments. And as they entered the city, Michal, the
daughter of Saul, looking through a window, saw her husband, king
David, leaping and dancing before the Lord: and either not under
standing, or not duly considering the reason upon which he did it,
she despised him in her heart.
Now when they had brought in the ark of the Lord, and had set
il in its place, in the midst of the tabernacle that king David had
pitched for it, he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before
the Lord. And then blessing the people in the name of the Lord
of Hosts, he distributed to everv ono of Israel, as well to the women
as the men, a calte, or loaf, of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and
a flagon of wine, and so dismissed them.
Then having appointed certain Levites to minister before the ark
of the Lord, to record what was done, and to thank and praise the
Lord God of Israel, king David delivered unto Asaph, the chief of
the singers, a psalm of thanksgiving unto the Lord; which as deUv
ered in 1 Cbron. xvi, frora ver, 8 to 37, contains the hundred and
fifth psalm lo ver, 16, wfth Uttie variation; and then takes in the
ninety-sixth psalra.
Matters being thus disposed, as tho people returned every one to
his house, so David returned to his also, to bless his household, 2
Sara. vi. And novv out comes his wife Michal to meet hira, and
(for want of a right consideration and sense of the service he had
been engaged in) thus in an ironical, upbraiding way received him;
' How glorious, said she, was tfte king of Israel to-day, who uncov
ered himself in the sight of the handmaids of his servants, as one
of the vain fellows uncovereth himself! '
King David not brooking this reproach from his wife, told her,
' It was before the Lord he had so humbled himself, who had chosen
him before her father, and before all his house, and had appointed
him ruler over his people Israel.' Then ho let her know, that for
aU her taunting, he would play before the Lord, and would be yet
more vile in this sense, and debase himself more in bis own sight;
and that though she despised him, those very maid-servants whom
she twitted him with, would honour hirn for it,
Michal's offence in this matter was threefold ; against her husband,
•A. M, 2959.

PART UI. SACRED HISTORY. 351
against the king, and against God ; for whose sake, and in honourof
whora, her royal husband had done that which she reproached him
for. And fbr this offence, her punishment was, that she should be
childless all the rest of her Ufe, as, for aught appears, she had been
hitherto. By this time David's house, which Hiram, 2 Sam. v. 11, 1 Chron.
xiv. 1, had sent him timber and workmen to build, was finished, and
he peaceably settied in it ; the Lord having given him rest for a
while from all his enemies round about, 2 Sam. vii, 1 Chron. xvii.
Upon which occasion he is thought to have composed the thirtieth
psalm, which the titie thereof seems lo import : though sorae think
that psal.ra was made upon David's return after Absalom's rebel
lion, and bis purging his house from Absalom's poUutions.
And now a reUgious concern possessed his mind, to build a temple
to the Lord. Wherefore having Nathan the prophet one day with
him, he said to the prophet, ' See novv, I dweU in an house of cedar;
but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains ; ' which is a periphra
sis of the tabernacle.
Nathan readily understood hira ; and concluding so fair a raotion
deserved encourageraent, repUed, 'Go, do all that is in thine heart :
for (Jod is vvith thee. But herein the good prophet missed, judging
frorn his own apprehension ofthe goodness of the thing, without con
sulting God; who wiU have all his work done in his own time and
way, and by such only as he appoints thereunto.
Tbe sarae night therefore, the word of the Lord came lo Nathan
the prophet, saying, ' Go teU David, my servant, thus saith the Lord,
Thou shalt not build rae an house to dweU in : for I have not dwelt
in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day ;
but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.
In all the places wherein I have walked with all Israel, have I blamed
iiny of the judges of Israel, whom I comraanded to feed ray people,
for not building me an house of cedar? that thou .shouldest presume
to take such a work upon thee without my order.'
Then charging the prophet to remind David from how low a con
dition the Lord had taken hira, and to what an height of greatness
be had rai.sed hira, be bid hira teU David that he would provide a
place of re.st and safety for his people in general, and in particular
would establish David's family: and that after his death, he woitid
set up one of his sans upon his throne ; which son should build an
house for hira ; and he would estabUsh the kingdom unto hira for
ever, and would be a father lo him, and would take him for a son,
and would deal by him as a son, 2 Sam. vii, 1 Chron. xvii; so that
if he should commit iniquity, he would not take his mercy wholly
from hira, to cut him off, as he had done Saul; hut would chastise
him with the rod of men, that is, tenderly, as parents do their own
children

852 SACRED HISTORY. PART IU.
This message Nathan delivered to David ; and without doubt, then
gave him the reason also, why the Lord would not let him build an
house ; which was because he had made great wars, and had shed
much blood ; as himself afterwards told his son Solomon, 1 Chron.
xxii. 8.
When David had received this message, that he might shew hia
subjection lo the will of God, and express his thankfulness to the
Lord, he went in and sat before the Lord; and debasing himself, that
he might the more fully acknowledge the goodness and munificence
of God unto him, in raising him to what he was, he returned most
hearty thanks to the Lord for his manifold favours conferred on him,
and for his gracious promise to settle his son upon the throne, and
establish his family in tho government; concluding with earnest sup
pUcation, that the blessing of the Lord might rest upon him and his
house forever. Which read more al large in 2 Sam. vii, fi'ora verse
1 8 to the end.
David, now sensible that he had mistaken his work, in designing
to build an house for God, applied himself to his proper service for
which tho Lord had raised hira up ; which was to subdue the enemies
of Israel, and enlarge the kingdom which he was lo leave to his
peaceable successor, 2 Sam. vni, 1 Chron. xviU.
First, therefbro, faUing upon the PhiUstines, he took from them the
royal city Gath, with the towns belonging to it, and brought the Philis
tines into subjection. This city Gath was called Methegammah, or
tbe bridle of bondage, because it kept the country in bondage.
Then turning his forces upon Moab, he reduced the Moabites to
that condition, that, demolishing their forts, he put to death whora he
pleased, and whom he pleased he saved alive, making them his ser
vants and tributaries.
From thence going on to settle the borders of the country, at the
river Euphrates, Hadadezer (called also Hadarezer, 2 Chron. xvUi. 3)
the son of Rehob king of Zobah, opposing him, he put Hadadezer
to the worst, and took frora hira a thousand chariots, and seven
thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and reserving
-horses for an hundred chariots only, he houghed, or cut the ham
strings of the rest of the chariot horses.
The Syrians of Damascus, hearing how hard it went wilh Hada
dezer, came forth to succour him; and of them David slew two and
twenty thousand. This loss so weakened them, that David put gar
risons in Syria of Damascus, and made the Syrians his servants and
tributaries. In his return from smiting the Syrians, the Edomites encountered
him in a place called the valley of Salt; of whom he slew eighteen
thousand men, and thereby subdued Edom loo ; and putting garri
sons upon them, made the Edomites also his servants. And upon
this occasion he is thought lo have composed the sixtieth psalra.

PART UI. SACRED HISTORY 353
From this expedition "ne brought with him to Jerusalem good store
of gold and of brass; for from Hadadezer's soldiers he took shields
of gold; and from Berah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, he took
a great deal of brass.
Thus came David safe back, tbe Lord having preserved him
whithersoever he went, and given him renown for his greal achieve
ments. And now reigning over aU Israel, and being at rest from
war, he applied himself to execute judgment and justice unto aU
his people, having Joab, his sister Zeruiah's son, for his general;
Jebosaphat for recorder; Zadok, the son of Ahitub, of the stock of
Eleazar, 1 Chron. vi, 4 and 8, and Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar,
of the line of Ithamar, for priests (grandson to that Ahimelech of
Nob, whom Saul slew by the hand of Doeg, 1 Sam. xxii ;) Serajah
for secretary of state : and Benajah, the son of Jehoiadah, for cap
tain of the guards ; which consisted of Cherethites, who were of
Israel, and Pelethites, vvho wereof Judah ; veteran soldiers all. And
David's sons, which were many, for he had six^born in Hebron,
while he lived there, and thirteen after he came lo Jeruselem be
sides the sons of his concubines, 1 Chron. in., ver. 1 to 10, were
all princes.
Hadadezer, it seems, had had wars with Toi (called also Tou, 1
Chron. xviu. 9) king of Hamath, a city of Canaan, Numb. xin. 21,
which fell to the lot of NapthaU, Josh, xix, 3.2, 35. Wherefore
king Toi, bearing how David had beaten Hadadezer, sent his son
Joram to salute king David, and congratulate his good success.
Joram brought David a present from his father, of vessels of silver,
gold, and brass; all which, vvith the silver and gold that he had
taken from all the nations that he had subdued, king David did dedi
cate unto the Lord, for the service of the temple that was to be
buift. And now, settied in peace and prosperity David remembered the
former kindness of his true friend and brother Jonathan, 2 Sara. ix.
And inquiring if there was any of Saul's faraUy unto whom he might
shew kindness for Jonathan's sake, Ziba, an old servant of Saul's, was
called, as one that could best give an account of his master's family.
He acquainted David, that Jonathan had a son yel living, named Me-
phibosheth, who was lame of his feet. Whereupon David, under
standing by Zibah where he was, sent and fetched him to him ; and
receiving him very courteously, bid him not fear ; for he would cer
tainly shew him kindness for his father Jonathan's sake, and would
restore hini aft the lands of his grandfather Saul, and he should, al
ways eat at his table Mepbibosheth thereupon bowing, and abas
ing himself, expressed the sense he had of the king's goodness, ia
taking notice of so mean a person as he was.
But David calUng for Ziba, said to hira, ' I have given unto M©-
VOL. I. — 23

364 SACRED HISTORT. PART IH.
phibosheth, thy toaster's son, all tnat did appertain unto Saul, and
to aU his house. Thou, therefore, with thy sons, and thy servants,
shaU tiU the land for him ; and thou shalt bring in the fruits fbr thy
master Mephibosheth's son (for Mepbibosheth had a young son
named Micho.) » But as for Mepbibosheth himself, he shall always
eat at my table.' Ziba undertaking the charge, he and his family,
fifteen sons and twenty servants, were aU servants unto Mepbibo
sheth ; who himself, dwelling at Jerusalem, did eat continually al the
king's table, as one of the king's sons.
Sorae time after this, 2 Sam. x, 1 Chron. xix, David having heard
that Nahash, king of Auiraon, was dead, and that Hanura his son
succeeded him ; and gratefully roinembering some kindness, which it
seems Nahash had formerly shewed him, probably in the time of
his troubles under Saul, though [ find no particular mention of it in
the story, in return of kindness, sent an embassy of condolence to
Hanum, to comfort him for the death of his father, and congratulato
his accession to the crown.
When these ambassadors were corae to tho Ammonitish court,
the princes of Ammon persuaded their king, that David had not
sent them in honour lo his father, or to comfort him ; but that, under
that pretence, he had sent them as .spies, to search out the strength
of the city, that ho might invade it.*
Hanum thereupon seizing on tlic aiubassadors, shaved oft' one half
of their beards, and cut i/ff their garaaeuts in the middle of th-.nr
buttocks, and in th:it repi'oachful manner sent them away.
The raen, thus basoly exposed to contempt, were so ashamed,
•they knew not how to return home. Wherefore David, being ad
vertised of the abuso, sont some to meet thera, and bid them tarry
at Jericho until their beards were grown again.
This violation of the law of nations, which gives protection to
ambassadors, the Ammonites afterwards (but too late) considered it
was not likely king David would put up vvith. VV herefore expect
ing to be called lo .iccount for it, they sent and hired men out of
Syria and other neighbouring parts to the number of three and thirty
thousand : and drawing out also their own men from their several
cities, they made al! the provision they coull for their defence. And
David, not bearing to let such an insolent affront go unpunished, sent
Joab with aU the bo.st of the mighty men against thera.
The Ammonites expecting them, had rang?d theiir battie before
tlieir own city, at tiio entrance of the gate, having their mercenary
forces in a body by themselves in tiie field ; which when Joab saw,
ho also divided bis army into two parts; and picking out aU the
ohoioc men of Israel, bc himself led them up against the niercena-
des, leaving the rest of his forces with bis brother Abishai, to en-
• A. M. 2SC6.

P-ART HI. SACRED HISTORY. SSS
gage the Ammonites. Then be and his brother agreeing to relieve
each other as need should require, Joab exhorted nil his men to be
of good courage, and to behave theraselves vahantly for their people,
and for the cities of their God, and leave the success to the Lord.
Joab having thus encouraged his men, made a fierce charge upoi»
the Syrians, and soon put them lo flight. The sight of which so
discouraged the Ammonites, that they fled also, and got into the city.
And thus, with a victory easily obtained, Joab returned wilhhis army
to Jerusalem.
But it was not fong ere lie was oblised to draw forth his raen
ogain. For the Syrians, to recover their late loss, raised a new army;
and Hadarezer sent and brought over the Syrians that were beyond
the river, who aU came to Helam, having Shobach, the captain of
Hadarezer's host, al the bead, of them.
As soon as David heard of this, he gathered aU his forces to
gether, and pas.sing over Jordan, marched himself with them to
Helam. The Syrians, as soon as they saw him, come, putting thera
selves in order, gave him battie. In which David prevaiUng, tha
Syrians fled, having lost Shobach their general, and about seven and
forty tiiousand men ; whereof sorae were horsemen, some foot, and
some that fought in chariots, .^nd when the petty kings who were
tributaries lo Hadarezer, saw thfit they were smitten before Israel,
they made peace witii Israel, end served thera: fbr having smarted
BO deeply for their kindness to the Ammonites, they were afraid to
help them any more;
But David, resolving to chastise the Amraonites yet more sharply
for their late insolfence, sent Joab forth the next campaign wfth a very
great army against them ; whohaving ravaged the counlry, and de
stroyed the Ammonites wherever he could come at them, laid siego
at length to their royal city Eabbah, the metropolis of the Ammonites,
But David, who had better have been at the head of his army,
lay loitering now at home ; and having taken his ease upon his bed
one afternoon, as the manner of great persons in those hot countries
was, he arose in the evening, and to enjoy the benefit of a cool air
walked upon the roof of his house, which, according to the appoint
ment in the law, Deut. xxu. 8, was built flat with battiements round
about the roof, to prevent any one's falling off.
From thence his roving eye happened to espy a very beauttfut
woman bathing and washing herself privately ih her garden, probably
for purification-sake, according to the law. Lev. xv.* And inquiring
who she was, he was told her name v»as Bathsheba* called also
Bathshua, 1 Chron. iii. 5, the daughter of Eliom, called there also
Ammicl, and wife of Uriah : who, though an Hittite by nation, wrs
prosf^tod to tiie Jewish religion, and so marryuig tiiie Israelitish
• A. M. 2970

356 SACRXD HISTORY. PART IIL
woman, lived in Jerusalem i but was at that time with the army st
the siege of Rabbah.
.Darid, taken with the woman's beauty, sent for her, and lay with
ber; and she thereupon conceiving, sent him word she was with
child, 2 Sam. xi. Now though David seemed not to be sensible of
tho evil he bad done, yet be was of tbe shame that might como
upon him by it ; and therefore contriving how to hide it, he sent to
Joab to send home Uriah the Hittite to him, as if he had some par
ticular business with hira.
When Uriah was come to the king, after some general inquiries
how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war proceeded,
David, in seeming kindness to Uriah, as one that raight be weary
after his journey, bid hira go down to his house and wash his feet,
that is, rest and refresh himself; and withall sent a mess of meal
after hira. Bul Providence so disposed, that Uriah, though he took
his leave of the king, did not go down to his house ; but, falling in
with the yeoraen of the guard, slept at the door of the king's house.
When David understood next morning that Uriah had not gone
home, he called him to him, and asked him what the matter wai
that he did not go home, seeing he came off frora a journey. Uriah
bluntiy and soldier-like made him answer, ' That inasmuch as the
nrk, with Israel and Judah, abode in tents, and his lord general
Joab, with the rest of the king's servants, were encamped in the
open fields, he would nol indulge himself so far as to go to his house,
to oat and to drink, nnd to lie with his wife.'
When David found he could not work upon him sober, he resolved
to try what he could do with him when he was drunk. Wherefore,
keeping bim another day, he feasted him highly, and plied him so
with strong liquors that he made him drunk; hoping that then ho
would go home to his wife : but neither sober nor drunk could Uriah
be drawn lo il. But at evening going forth frora tiie king's presence,
he clapt himself down in the guard-chamber, and there slept.
This put David upon a worse course: for now he resolved Uriah
should die : that, since he would not cover, he might not discover,
nor revenge his offence.
Wherefore dismissing Uriah, he sent by him a letter to Joab,
wherein he ordered Joab to set Uriah in the forefront of the battie,
and in the most dangerous place ; and then retire from bim, that bo
might be smitten and die.
Accordingly, Joab observing what part of the city was best defen
ded, assigned Uriah to a place where he knew there were vaUant
men ; and when the besieged made a sally, they slew some of tho
besiegers, and amongst thera Uriah.
Joab soon sent an express to David, to give hira an account of the
•uccess of the war; bidding him, if he found the king displeased that
things were no better, and Uiat he should blame them for approaching^

PART lil. SACRED HISTORT 357
soniear, \vithin danger of the wall, he should then tell him of Uriah's
death ; which, by the letter he had received, he knew would pleose
him, though perhaps he might not then know why.
The messenger thus instmcted went to David, and having given
him an account of the battie ; how daringly the enemy sallied forth
against them ; how they beat thera back to the very entrance of the
gate ; and how the archers, shooting from the wall, had slain some
of the king's servants, and among the rest Uriah the Hittite. David,
having what he aimed at, sent back the messenger, bidding him en
courage Joab to go forward, and not to be troubled al the loss ; but
consider that the sword makes no difference, but devours one fis weU
as another ; and that therefore he should make his battie stronger,
renew his assaults wfth greater vigour, and batter the city until he
had overthrown it.
Now when Bathsheba heard that her husband Uriah was dead,
she made a formal mourning for him ; and when that was over, Da
vid sent and fetched her lo his house, and she became his wife and
bare hira a son : but the thing that David had done was evil in the
sight of the Lord.
MeanwhUe Joab having straitened Rabbah, and by assault taken
that part of the city wherein the springs and conduits of water were,
2 Sam. xii, whence he foresaw the city could not long hold it, he
dispatched a messenger to David, lo acquaint him what progress he
had made, and to entreat him to come with tho rest of his forces,
and be present in person al the taking of the city, lest, otherwise, if
Joab should take it without him, or in his absence, it shoidd thence
forth be called by Joab's name,
David thereupon, gathering his people together, went lo Rabbah,
and fighting against it, look it. And besides the spoil of the city,
which he brought away in great abundance, he took their king's crown
from off his head, and had it set upon his own head : which crown,
weighing a talent of gold, was worth four thousand and five hundred
pounds sterUng, according to GodwjTi's Moses and Aaron, 1 . vi, c. x,
besides the precious stones that were on it.
As forthe people that were in Rabbah, they having exasperated
hira by a double offence ; first, in the abuse put upon him in the
persons of his ambassadors, 2 Sam. x. 4, which gave the occasion
for this war; and now, in holding out to the last extremity tiU the
place was taken by storm, he gave them no quarter : bul, putting
them to the extremest torments, made them suffer under saws and
axes of iron, and under harrows, and caused them to pass through
the brick-kiln. And having dealt in like manner with the inhabi
tants of the other cities of the Ammonites, he returned in triumph
with his people to Jerusalem.
Now king David thought himself safe in the possession of Bath
sheba, whom he had brought to big bed tiirough the dishonour and

358 $AGRED mSTORY PART HI.
blood of her husband; when God sent his prophet Nathan to hira,
to rouse him out of his adulterous lethargy, and make him unwittii^g-
ly his own judge.
This the prophet did by proposing to him the following parable,
08 demanding justice pf him for an oppressed poor man against a
rich oppressor.
* There, were said Nathan to the king, two men in one city ; tho
pne rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many
flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing, save one little
ewe lamb, which he had bought and brouglit up among his chil
dren, so that it did eat and drink as he eat and drank, and lay
in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. .And there cora
ing a traveUer to visit the rich man, he spared to take of his own
flock and of his own herd, to dress for the stranger that was come
to him ; bul took the poor man's lamb and dressed it, lo entertain his
guest.' David's anger was greatly kindled against this rich man ; and
presently passing sentence on him, said to Nathan, • As the Lord
liveth, the man that hath done this thing is worthy to die: and ha
shall also restore the lamb four-fold, because he did this thing, and
had no pity.'
Little thought David that he had sentenced himself, tiU the prophet
turning quick upon him, said, 'Thou art the ra'an.' That was an
home-stroke. Yet lo set il more home, and leave David without de
fence or excuse, the prophet went on, and by way of aggravation
added. ' Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king
ovrer Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul, and I gave
thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom. I
gave thee also the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been
too littie, I would raoreover have given thee such and such things.
Wherefore then hast thou despised the coraraandraent of the Lord,
to do evU in his sight 1 For thou hast killed Uriah tho Hittite with
the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife : for though he
was slain by tbe Aramoniles, yet inasmuch as thou didst contrive
and appoint his death, thou art guilty of his blood; and therefore tho
sword shall not depart from thine house all thy days. And because
thou hast despised me, in taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite lo be
thy wife, thus saith the Lord, ' Behold. I will raise up evil against
thee out of thine own house ; and I will lake thy wives before thine
eyes, and gjve them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie wilh thy
wives in the sight of the sun : for though tbou didst it secretly, I
will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun, in the most
open manner.'
Poor David, pricked lo the heart, and self condemned, made no
excuse; but simply said, 'I havo sinned against the Lord.' Tho
confession was short, but full. And he who knew the integrity of

PART ni. SACRRD HISTORY. 3^
his heart, commissioned his prophet thereupon fo tell him, he would
not talte him strictly at his word ; but would transfer the sentence
of death (which he unwittingly bad pronounced upon himself) from
him unto the child. ' The Lord also, said Nathan to David, hath
put away thy sin : thou shall not die thyself for it. Yet because by
this d ;ed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord
to blaipheme, the child that is bom to thee of this adulterous con
gress shall surely die.'
Th:i prophet Nathan, having thus delivered his message, departed
home : and immaUately tho Lord struck the child, so that it was
very sick. David therefore besought God for the child, and, keeping
a fast, went in and lay all night upon the earth : so that although the
elders of his house went to him, and intreated him to arise and eat,
fet he would not.
On the seventh day from the child's binh) say TremeUius and
Junius) the child died: and David's servants, seeing how he grieved
while the child was alive, were afraid to tell him that it was dead.
Jest he should then afHict himself more. Bul when David by theii
whispering suspected, and upon inquiry understood that the child
was dead, he arose from the earth, and washed and anointed him
self, and having changed his appirel, he went into the house of the
Lord and worshipped. After which, returning to his own house, he
did eat.
This made his servants wonder, that ho, who fasted and wept for
the child while it was alive, should rise and refresh himself with food
when it vvis dead. But David r moved their wonder, by telling
them ho faiited and wept while tJie cl ild was alive, in bopesi that God
would be graciously pleased to sprre the chikPs Ufa. 'But now,
said he, that the child is dead, wi.erefore should I fast, seeing I
cannot bring him back again ? I shall go to him, but he will not
return to me.'
About this time it was, at least on this occasion, that David com-
posed ihr; one and fiftieth psalm : which the reader, before he pro-
ceeds further, may do weU to turn to and read.
After this, David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and she bare him
another son. Whereupon the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to him,
to bid him caU this son Solomon; which narae signifies peaceable;
and was therefore given hira, because the Lord had promised, not
only that he himself should bo a man of rest, but that he would
give peace and quietness in his days to Israel, T Chron. x.xii. 9.
And because the Lord kwed this chUd, David called him also Jed-'
idiah, that is. Woved of tbe Lord.
Although Darid had many sons, yet we rend but of one daughter
that he had, 2 Sam. xiii, whose name was Tamar, sister to Absa
lom, the king's third son, whom he had by Maacha, the dau^ter ot
Talraai, king of Geshur.

360 SACREB HISTORY. PART III.
And now began that judgment which God had so. lately denounced
against David, riz. « That he would raise up- evU against him out of
his own house,' 2 Sara. xii. 11. For Amnon the king's eldest son,
which he had by bis wife Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, feU desperately
in love with his half-sister Tamar, whoso extraordinary beauty so
captivated the young prince's affection, that he pined away through
an hopeless desire after her: for she, being a young virgin, was
so carefuUy kept within the kings's house (as the manner of breed
ing the Jewish damsels was, those especially that were of the higher
rank) that Amnon, though her brother, knew not how to come
at her.
The trouble of Aranon's raind discovering itself in his counte
nance, gave occasion to Jonadab, his intimate friend and cousin-
gorman (as being the son of Shimeah, David's brother) to inquire
of him what ailed him, that he (who being the king's eldest son,
might be supposed lo have whatever he desired) looked so thin, and
wasted daily in his flesh ? Amnon, at Jonadab's iraportunity, told
him plainly, he was in love with Tamar, his brother Absalom's
sister. Jonadab thereupon, being a very subtie man, advised his cousin
Amnon lo feign himself sick, and betake himself to his bed; which
would draw his father to visit liim : and then he should request his
father lo let his sister Tamar corae and dress him soraething lo eat,
that he, seeing her do ft, might eat it from her hand.
Pursuant to this advice, Amnon look his bed like a sick raan;
which when the king heard of, he quickly came to see him : and
Amnon intreating the king his father to let his sister Taraar come
and make him a couple of cakes, the king, suspecting nothing of a
design, sent word to Tamar, that she should go to her brother Ara
non's house, and dress for him what he would have to eat
Tamar very innocentiy went; and finding her brother Amnon on
his bed, she made him such cakes as he directed and having baked
them, brought them to him : but his storaach did not yet serve him :
neither would he eat while the company was there. But when all
were gone, so that he only and she were left alone together, he
desired her lo bring the cakes to him which she doing, be took hold
of her, and said, 'Come, Ue vvith me, my sister.'
The poor princess, surprised at so strange a proposition, and hop
ing lo prevail wfth him by persuasion, begged bim lo let her alone,
and not attempt lo violate her chastity : laying before bira the guilt
he would bring upon himself, by so positive a breach of the law.
Lev. xviii. 9 ; the shame he would expose her to, and the contempt
he would subject himself to, by committing an act not only very sinful,
but extremely fooUsh also; when as, in all probabUity, if lie made
suit to her father for her, he might have his consent to marry ber:

fiXT in S^ACRRS HISTORY. Sffl
which course she advised him to take, perhaps to gain ,time, and
free herself from the present danger.
But Amnon was not lo be ansvvered with words. This was not a
sudden heat, but a settied desire, and a contrived design npon her.
And, therefore, having now gained his opportunitj', he was deaf to
all her reasons, oounsel, and intreaties ; and being stronger than she,
he forced her.
Having obtained his wicked end, the answering of his lust, Ara
non's hot love presently turned to burning hatred. He hated Taraar
so exceedingly, that the hatred wherewith he hated her, was greater
than the love wherewith he had loved her.. And in this hateful fit,
he churlishly bid her ' Arise and be gone. '
This troubled Tamar rauch, not only frora the sense of his unkind
ness, but of the danger of discovering, by this raeans, the guilt and
sharae he had brought upon himself and her. Wherefore she told
him, he had no cause to deal thus roughly vvith her; and that the
evU of turning ber thus out of doors, would be worse, in the conse
quences of it, than the other that he had done unto her. Bul he re
fusing to hear her, called his servant, and bid him put her out of
doors, and bolt tbe door after her : which accordingly the servant did.
Poor Tamar, thus abused and basely dealt with, rent her garment,
which was of divers colours, as, for distinction sake, the unmarried
daughters of kings in that age used to wear : and having put ashes
upon her head, she laid her hand also on her head, in token of great
sorrow, and went crying away to her brother .Absalom's house.
As soon as Absalom saw her in that condition, su.^pecting what
had befaUen her, he asked her, if her brother Amnon had been with
her. And when she had told him how she had been de.ilt with, he
wished her lo consider that Amnon was ber brother, against whom
if she should complain, it was not likely she should obtain justice,
he being the king's eldest son; and that her complaining would but
spread her reproach, and bring infamy upon their whole faraily :
and therefore he advised ber to keep her own counsel, and not lay
this injury to heart.
Taraar taking her brother Absalom's advice, remained in bis house ;
but in a desolate condition. As for Absalom, he, dissembling hia
knowledge of the matter, hid his resentment of the injury : and though
he hated Amnon, for haring forced his sister ; yet he took no notice
of it to him.
But when king David heard of it, ho was very wroth ; yet we read
not of any punishment inflicted on Amnon for it : for David was an
indulgent father.
Full two years did Absalom wah for an opportunny to be reveng
ed on bis brother Amnon, which at length he thus contrived : he
had a day of sheep-shearing at his country-house, to which he inrit-

562 SACRED HISTORY. PART HI.
ed all tiie king's sons : and to colour ihe raatter invited the king him
self first.
The king exoussd himself from going, upon the account that he
would not put hira to too great charges; and though Absalom pressed,
'he refused to go: yet to let hira see he was not offended with him,
he gfive him his blessing before he parted vvith him. Absalom then
intreated him to lot his brother Amnon go with hira; which David
made sorae hesitation at, but Absalom's importunity prevailed vvith
i him, to let not only Aninon. but all the -rest of the king's sons, go
* with him 10 his sheep-shearing feast.
Absalom had given his servants a strict charge beforehand, tnat
when Aranon's heart should bc merry with wine, and he should bid
thcai smite him, they should fall on courageously and kiU him, and
he would bear them out. The servants, obsequious to their master's
comraand, when he gave thera the watch-word, fell upon prince Am
non, though heir apparent to the crown, and killed him. This put
all the rest of the king's .sons in such a fright, not knowing where
the assassination would end, that, not attempting to revenge their
brother's death, they every one mounted his mule, and fled towards
their fathers's court.
But report was specdiei" than the}'. "So that ere they could reach
the court, tidings were brought to David, 'That Absalom had slain
all the rest of the king's sons, and had not left one of them aUve.'
At this astonishing news, the king tore his garment, and lay on
"ths ground; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent;
which when Jonadab. David's brother's son, the same who bad en-
couraged and counselled Amnon to take that course, for the satisfy
ing of his lust, which had brought him to this untimely end, observed,
he, to mitigate tiie king's grief, desired him not to think that all his
sons were slain ; for he could assure him, ihat only Amnon was dead;
and that his -death had been determined by Absalom from the day
that he forced his sistei" Tamar.
By that tirae Jonadab had done speaking, Ihe rest of the king's
eons came in;; and the king and they, with all the court, wept and la
mented very sore.
Absalom raeanwhile raade his escape to Talraai, king of Geshur,
his mother's father, with whom he lived a voluntary exile three years.
In which time, David having rao'.;rned daily for his son Aranon, and
being now cotnforted concerning him, seeing he was dead, began
to hone after his son .Absalom again.
This being observed by Joab, the king's general, and cousin-
german to Absalom, he bent his raind to contrive a way to obtain
Absalom's pardon, and restore him to the favour of the king his
father. Wherefore sending to Tekoa, a town about six miles from
Jerusalem, where the prophet Araos afterwards lived. Amos i. 1, he
fetched from thence a wise' woraan; whom, having told her what she

PART HJ SAWiliU Ul.S'l-uia, 3g0
should say, he dtsirod her to feign herself a mourner, and putting on
«iourning apparel, to go to thp king as one that had a long timo
mourned for the dead.
Tbe woman thus instructed, went to the king, 2 Sam. xiv, and
falling on her face to the ground, to do obeisance to him, said, ' Help,
O king! ' The king thereupon asking her what she ailed, she an
swered, ' I am a widow woman, and niy husband is dead: and thy
handmaid had two sons, who strove together in the field : and there
being none to part them, the one sraote the other, and .slew him. And
now, said she. the whole family is risen up against thine handraaid,
and would have rae deliver up hira that sraote his brother, that they
may kill hira, for the life of his brother whora he slew; and so de.
stroying the heir also they would quench that little spark of Ufe
which is left lo our family, and not leave to ray husband either name
or remainder upon the earth.'
The king, having heard her complaint and request, bid her go
home, and he would give charge concerning her. But this being too
general an answer, the woman told hira * If he would protect her
son again.st the avengers of blood, the iniquity of his having killed
his brother in ihe fray, should be upon her and her father's house;
and.- the king and his throne should be guiltless.' Whereupon the
king bid her, whosoever should raolest her on that occasion, bring
bira to him. and he would take such a course with hira that he should
not trouble her any more. This yet was not home enough to reach
the case ; for sho aimed at getting a promise from him, that he would
.pardon her son : wherefore, to draw the king still further on, she
again bespake him thus, ' 1 pray thee, let the king rcraember the
Lord thy God, th-atthou suff'er not the avengers of blood to destroy
any raore, lest they destroy my son.' Upon that the king, to give
her assurance, said, 'As the Lord liveth, there shall nol one hair of
thy son fall to the earth.'
The woman now reckoning she had fast hold of die king by his
word, opened the 'raatter plainly to him, letting hira know, that un
der the parable of a widow, mourning for the loss of one son, and for
the danger of losing the other, she had covertly represented lo him the
grief of his people for the absence of his son .Absalom, and their ear
nest desire that he. might be recalled from banishment.
When the king saw how wilily he had been over reached, he sus
pected Joab to have had an hand in ihe contrivance; and asking
the woman, if it were nol so, she told bim, it was; and that Joab
had instructed her what she should say.* Whereupon the king call
ing for Joab, told him, he had granted Absalom's pardon ; and bid
bim go bring him homo again. Joab returning humble thanks lo the
king for having so graciously granted his request, went joyfully to
*.\. M. 2975

9G4 SACRED HISTORY. PABT UI.
the court of king Talraai, at Geshur; and from thence hroughi Ab
salom to Jerusalem ; but when he was come, the king gave order,
that he should go to his own house, and not come to court
This restraint was uneasy to .Absalom. Wherefore when he had
dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and in aU that time had not been
admitted to the king's presence, ho sent for Joab, intending to have
sent him to intercede with the king on bis behalf: but truly Joab
would not come at him. When therefore he bad sent for him a second
time, and he had again refused lo come, Absalom, reraerabering that
Joab had a field of barley lying near to bis, bid his servants go set
it on fire : which when they had done, Joab quickly came lo Absa
lom, to expostulate the case with him, and to know what the reason
was that his servants had fired his field.
Absalom told him he had sent for him that he might send hirn to
the king, to intreat that he might be brought to the king's presence;
and then, if the king thought hira worthy of death, let hira kill him;
for he had rather die, than live under this confinement.
Joab then going to the king, and acquainting him how hardly
Absalom took it, to be brought from Geshur two years ago, and not
to be suffered in so long a tirae to see him ; the king thereupon
called for him, who being corae, and bowing biraself on his fa'ce to
the ground before the king, was by him received with a kiss; a
token of forgiveness and royal favour;
Though Absalom was David's third son in the order of his birth ;
Amnon by Ahinoam, and ChUeab by AbigaU, being elder than he, 2
Sam. in. 2, 3, yet now he seems to be the eldest; Amnon being slain,
and Chileab, supposed to be dead before. This together with the
people's affection to him, made him cast an ambitious eye upon the
crown ; which he thought himself worthy enough to wear.
For personage he was of such incomparable shape and beauty,
that he had no match in all Israel ; for frora top to toe there was
no blemish to be found in hira. And' he had- an head of hair of
an almost incredible bigness ; for when he cut his hair,, (which he
did once a year tiiat it might not grow too heavy for bim) we read,
he weighed it at two hundred shekels after the king's weight ; which
Godwyn computes to be four pounds weight and two ounces. Moses
end Aaron, p. 298.
Being restored lo the king's favour, Absalom had now the fairer
opportunities to ingratiate himself wfth the people ; and he took care
to loose no occasion.
For first, he put himself in an higher equipage of state and gran
deur than was usual, 2 Sam. 16. So that, whereas the king's sons
«sed to ride upon mules, as was observed before, chap. xiii. 29, he
provided for himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run be
fore him ; which were of tho nature of a life-guard.
Then, to oblige the people, he would get up betimes in the mom-

FAST nt. SACBED mSTOBY. 36^
ing, and standing in the way before the palace-gate, when any one
that had a controversy with another, came to the king for judg.
ment, he would caU him to him, and when the man drew nigh to
make obeisance to hira, he would take him in his arras and kiso
him, and discourse famiUarly with him about his business, and advise
him to look well to it, and see that bis cause was rightly staled : but
withal, to bring them out of conceit wilh his father's government, he
would lamentingly say, ' But alas I there is no man deputed of the
king to hear thee.' Then, to insinuate himself unlo their good opin
ion, he would add, « O that I were raade judge in the land, that
every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and
I would do him justice 1 '
By such evil arts as these, Absalom stole the hearts of the people
from the king his father, and won their affections lo himseff. And
when he bad thus strengthened himself, he went to the king hia
father, and asked leave of him to go to Hebron, to pay a vow which
he had vowed to the Lord ; for he pretended, that while he was at
Geshur in Syria, he had vowed a vow, ' That if the Lord would
bring him back in safety to Jerusalem, he would then serve tho
Lord ; that is, offer a peace offering unto bim : and the good king,
not suspecting his son of treachery, gave bim leave to go, bidding
him « Go in peace.'
This is said in the text (2 Sam, xv. 7) to be after forty years ; but
from whence lo compute them is not plain. They, vvho would date
these forty years from the beginning of David's reign, are too far out:
for David, who reigned but forty years in all, reigned divers yeam
after this. TremeUius reads it before, instead of after [ante fnem
quadragiuta annorum, before the end of forty years ;] but I doubt he
makes too bold vvith the text. More likely it is, that these forty year*
¦hould commence from the time of Absalom's birth, and so denote
his age ; and then the sense will be, that he was fuU forty years old
when he laid this plot against his faiher.
However il was, having obtained the King's leave, Absalom took
his journey lo Hebron; and with him went out of Jerusalem two
hundred choice raen, whora he had singled out and invited to hia
feast, but had not acquainted them wilh his design : so that they went
in their .simplicity, not knowing any thing of it. But he sent agenta
among all the tribes, to sound the minds of the chief men of Israel,
and to direct aU such as they could gain lo bis faction, that when
they should hear the sound of the trumpet, they should make proc
lamation araong the people, that Absalom reigned in Hebron, in
order to gather the people thither to him. In particular, he sent for
Ahithophel the Gilonite, king David's counseUor, from his city Giloh,
in the tribe of Judah, as one whom, for the opinion they had of his
wisdom, many would be likely to follow ; and, indeed, the conspiracy
grew strong : for the people flocked in continuaUy to Absalom.

J{66 SACKED HISTORY, PART IH.
While disloyal .Absalom was thus strengthening hi-mself in his
ahnatural rebeUion, som;; loyul subject, having got notice of it, came
And acquainted king David with it.* And to make him the more-
sensible ofthe greaUiBjj of the danger, he told him, 'Th3 heart-
fusing th3 singular nuiubei') of tha men of Israel was gone after Ab
salom,' as much, aii lo s;iy, The men of Israel arc unanimous, or
of one heart, in this dof.^L-tion.
This unexp 'cted and surprising message struck David with so-
great fear, that his nat!v3 courage for the present abating, he said
to his servants that were wiih him at Jerusalem, ' Arise, and let us
flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom. Make speed to^
depart, lest he ovort^n.ke us suddenly, and bring evil upon us ; and for
our sake smite lh.3 ciiy with tho edge of the sword.' Tliey telling
him. they wore ready to obey his commands ; the king leaving ton
women, who wjre some of his Concubine.s, to keep the house, wont
fordi, and all liis household alter hira ; the Cherethit?s, and the Peleth
ites, and the Giltiles, being s'x hundred men. that li.id. followed hira,
from Gath, pa«:sing on bcf^jrc him.
Amr),ng thcso David look particular noiico of Ittii the Gittite
(whora soms take to bo son 13 the king of Gath : and who, it seems,
was but lately coinc to- bira:) and David saidto liira. 'Wherefore
goest tiiou also with us? Return to thy place, and abide witli the
king (so, seeing the p-;opl3 h;id s3t him up, ho called the usurper his
-rebeUious son :) ibr tliou. paid ho, art a stranger (and therefore not
in, any d-anger) also an ctib (whence may be gathered, tiiat he had
fled to David for protection ju David had formerly done to Achish.)
Inasmuch therefore (said David to him) as thou art but new come
to us, why should 1 make thee wander about with us, we know not
whither? Beturn thou, and taks back t!iy brethren; and mercy
and truth bo with the:'.' Eut the noble Gittite solemnly protesting to
the king, that he would run tho same adventure with him, whether
it were in life or in death, the king bid him then pass over before hira :
which he did vvith his men and all the littie ones that were with him.
Thus passed they over tbe brook Kidron, (called afterwards Ce-
dron, John, xviii. 1 ; a rivulet that ran between Jerusalem and tho
Mount of OUves) and took tlieir course towards the way of the wil
derness, both the king and the people weeping.
Then carae Zadok the priest, and .all the Levites that were with
him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God, which they intended
to carry with them, as hoping for the greater favour from God, hav
ing the ark of his covenant araongst thera : and they set it dovvn
until the people had done passing out of the city, Abiathar the other
priest standing by it. Eut David bid Zadok carry back the ark of
God into the city : ' For. said he, if I shall find favoar in the eves
•A. M. 2SS0.

PABT 111. SACRED HISTORY. 36T
of the Lord, he will bring mo again, and shew me both it and his
habitation, (to wit, the tabernacle whioh I have raised for him.) But
if he hath no delight in me, behold, here I am : let him do to me
as seemeth good unlo hira,'
But this was not all ; David aimed at some further advantage by
sending back the priests to tarry at Jerusalem. 'For, said he to
Zadok, art not thou a seer (that is, one whose ministerial function
wUl protect thee from violence, and render thee acceptable to Absa
lom? ) Return therefore into the city, thou and Abiathar, and your
two sons wilh you (Ahiniaa'z, thy son, and Jonathan his son) and-
ihere abide peaceably : and 1 will tarry in the plain of the wilder
ness, until there come word from you to certify me how things go.'
Zadok therefore, and Abiathar, carrying the ark, of God again to
Jerusalem, tarried there. But David, setting forward again, went up
by tiie ascent of Mount Olivet, weeping as he- went; and having his
head covered, he went barefoot : and all the people that wero with,
him covered every man his head, in token of extreme sorrow (of
which, see instances in 2 Sam. xix. 4,, and Esther vi. 12) and wept
as they went up.
Being come to the top of the mount, David made a stop thorn, and
worshiped God. And here some conceive he uttered what is con.
tained in the third psalm ; induced so to think, from the inscription
of that psalra, which is, ' When he fled frora Absalom his son.' But
frora sorae expression in it, especially in the fifth, sixth, and seventh
verses, it seems more likely to have been delivered after Absalora's
defeat; unless we should rather suppos3 the former part of il lo
have been uttered at this time while David fled; and the latter part
at his return after the victory ; and so both parts brought afterwards
into one psalra.
WhUe David raade this halt on tne top of the raount, Hushai the
Archite, his old friend and counsellor, eame to meet hira, vvith his
coat rent, and earth upon his head, lo shew he sympathized wilh
his master in his sorrow, and to bc a partaker with him in his suf
ferings. David, wiUing to maKC tne best advantage of so useful a man, told
him, 'He would be but a burthen to hira, if he should go along
with him ; but if he returned to the city, and insinuated himself into
Absalom's service and secrets, he might then be of great service to
him, in defeating the counsel of Ahithophel.' And lo encourage him
thereunto, he let hira luiow, thai he should there have Zadok and
Abiathar the priests to assist him ; to whora he might comraunicato
whatsoever he could hear ot learn out of Absalora's house; and they
might convey it to hira by their two sons Abininaz and Jonathan.
Hushai thus instructed, and desirous to serve bis king where ho
might do it to the best advantage, returned to Jerusalem, to bo there
in readiness against Absalom should come ihitiicr.

366 SACRRD HtSTORT. PABT UI.
But David, not daring to linger fong, went on his way, 2 Sam.
ovi ; and being got a litUo past the top of tiie mount, who should meet
him but Ziba, the servant of Mephiposhelh, with a couple of saddled
asses, and upon thera a present of two hundred loaves of bread, an
hundred bunches of raisins, with some summer-fruits, and a bottle
of wine.
The king asking him what he meant by those things, he replied,
« The asses are for the king's household to ride on, and the bread
and the fruits for the young men lo cat, and the wine for a cordial
for such as might happen to faint in the wilderness.'
?Bul where, said the king, is thy master's son?' ' O, said false
Ziba, he abides at Jerusalem : for he said. Now shaU the house of
Israel restore rae the kingdom of my father.' The too creduloua
king, relying on the false information of this treacherous sycophant,
past an over-hasty sentence against innocent Mepbibosheth, sajdng
to Ziba, 'Behold, thine r.re all that pertained lo Mepsiiboshelh.'
thereupon fawning Ziba, bowing himself, besought the king to con
tinue this favour to him.
David still pressing forward, carae iii a while to Bahurira, a city
in the tribe of Benjarain, where he met witii a very rude reception:
for from thence came forth a man, of the family of the house of
Saul whose name was Shiniei,the son of Gera. Whether this man
had been a personal suft'erer in the fall of Saul's family, or what
else had exasperated him against David, doth not appear; bul a deep
offence be had, it seems; conceived against the king, and thought
now he raight safely vent his malice without danger. Wherefore he
came forth, cursing still as he came; and with his cursing thus he
olso railed at David: 'Come out, corae out, said he, thou bloody
man, and thou man of Belial. The Lord hath returned upon thee,
all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned :
and the Lord hath delivered the kingdora into the hand of Absalom
thy son ; and behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou
art a bloody man.'
Thus as he went along on the side of the hiU, over against David,
he continued railing and cursing; nor only so, but cast dust, and
threw stones also at David, and at all his servants, as they travelled
along the way ; though all the people, and the mighty men of war.
were on either hand of him.
This so provoked Abishai, David's nephew, that he said to his
uncle, 'Why should this dog curse ray lord the king? Let me go
over, I pray thee, and take off his head.' Bul David, conscious to
himself of his own guilt in the case of Uriah, 2 Sam. xi, and of
God's judgment denounced against him for it, chap, xii, 11, saw
and acknowledged the just hand of God in aU this ; and submitting
to it, said, in dislike of his cousin Abishai's offer, « What have I to
ito wilh you, yc sons of Zeruiah ! So let him curse, because tt»

PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 369
Lord hath said unto him, curse David : who then shall say, where
fore hast thou done so? Alas, said he to Abishai, and lo aU his ser
vants, ye see my son, who came forth of my bowels, seeketh my
life: how much more then may this Benjamite do what he hath
done ? Let him alone, and let him curse, seeing the Lord hath
bidden him : it may be the Lord wiU look on my affliction, and wiU
requite me good for his cursing.'
While David was thus entertained at Bahurim, Absalom and the
raen of Israel that were with hira, being come, with Ahithophel, to Je
rusalem, Hushai, presented himself to hira, with congratulatory ac
clamations, crying out, ' God save the king I God save the king ! '
Which arabiguous speech might be applied either way, to Absalom,
or to David.
Absalom, weU knowing Hushai to have been an intimate friend
and counsellor lo his father, played a little ironically on hira, say-
mg, 'Is this thy kindness to thy friend? Why wentest thou not
with thy friend ? ' Hushai repUed, ' Nay, but whora the Lord and
this people, and aU the men of Israel choose, his wiU I be, and wilh
him will I abide.' In which stiU he left room for an application to
David, whom the Lord and all Israel had undoubtedly chosen; which
could nol be truly said of Absalom. And although, to take from
Absalom aU suspicion of him, and beget in him a confidence of his
fidelity, he added, 'Whom should I serve? As I have served in
thy father's presence, so wiU I be in thy presence : ' yet he might
thereby mean-, and no doubt did, to serve the father stiU, by giving
wrong counsel to the son, and by discovering the counsels of the
son to the father.
Hushai having thus wrought himself in among them, Absalom,
that he might not lose time, said, ' Give counsel among you what
we shaU do.' This, though spoken to them aU, he directed more
particularly to Ahithophel, who had been a prime counsellor to Da
rid, and was of that repute in those days, that his counsel was re
garded, as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God.
Ahithophel, well knowing the danger he should be in, if a recon-
cUiation should be made between the father and the son, gave such
politic, but wicked counsel, as he concluded would hinder all ac
commodation between them. He advised Absalom, therefore, in the
first place, lo take those woraen, his father's concubines, whioh he
had left to keep the house, and openly lie with thera before the peo
ple; alledging, that when all Israel should hear how rauch, by that
raeans, he had incensed his father, despairing of pardon, they would
stick close to hijn. This counsel suited Absalora well*: and a lent
being spread on the top of house, which, as was noted before, was
flat-roofed, Absalom went in unlo his father's concubines in the sight
of all Israel.
VOL. I. — 24

370 SACBiSD BISTORT., PART III,
In the next place, Ahithophel advised a speedy pursuiU a&ev Dsc
?id, before he should get into any strong place, or have tirae to raise
any considerabte force, 2 Sam,. s,vii. ' Lot me now, said he unloi
Absalom, choose out twelve- thousand men ; and I will arise and
pursue after David this night: and I wiU come upon hira whUe he
is weary and weak-handed, and put bim and bis raen into such a
fright, that all the people- that are with him shaU flee; and I wUl
smite the king only, and bring back all the people- to thee in peace.'
This was the most pernicious counsel that could have been given
against David, and the most unnatural : yet this pleased graceless,
Absalora well, and the elders too of Israel that were engaged in his
faction. But, as God would have il, Absalom, before he would put
il in action, bid them- call Hushai also, that he might hear likewise
what he would say.
When Hushai was come, Absalom said unto hira, ' Ahithophel
hath spoken after this manner ; shall we foUow his counsel ? If nol,
speak thou.' Hushai, that he might not seem to slight Ahithophel,
replied, ' The counsel that Ahithophel hath given (though in the
general he be a very aHe counsellor) is nol good at this time : for,
said Hushai to Absalom, thou knowest thy father and his men; they
be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed
of her whelps in the field ; so that such a small force as thou canst now
send wUl nol be able to match them; and if by that means thou
shouldest receive but a small overthrow now at the first, it would
quickly be reported abroad, that there is a slaughter among the people
that follow Absalom. And if once that possess the minds of the people,
the most hardy and valiant amongst thy followers wiU be discouraged :
for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, aud that they
which be with him are valiant men. And whereas Ahithophel pro
poses to seize- thy father in his quarters by night, and kill hira only,
he doth nol consider that thy fether is a raan of war, and so welt
acquainted with the policies of war, that he wiU nol lodge with the
people ; and, no doubt, he is hid now in some pit, or other private
place. Wherefore, my counsel is, tiiat all Israd be generally gathered
together, from one end of the land lo the other; and that, having
.raised an army, Kke the sands of the sea for multitude, thou mareh
thyself, in thine oyvn person, at the head of them, for their greater
encourageraent ; so shall we come upon him as the dew upon the
ground; and of him, and of aU the men that are wilh him, nof leave
one. And if he should be gotten into a city, we shall be enough lo
draw that city with ropes into the river.'
So weU aiid Hushai deliver himself on this occasion, that be won
Absalom and the chief men of his party to his opinion ; insomuch
that they all agreed and declared, ' That the counsel of Hushai
was better than the counsel of Ahithophel. ' For, indeed, the Lord
had determined lo defeat the counsel of Ahithophel, which Absalom

*ART IH. SACRE© HISTORY. 371
before thought good, and was most conducible to his design ; to the
intent that the Lord might bring evU upon Absalom.
But Ahithophel, who was not wont lo meet with a repulse, and
could not brook that the counsel of another should be preferred to
his, took it so hardly that his counsel was not foUowed, that mount
ing his ass, he gsd; hira home: and, having put his household in
order, hanged himself
Meanwhile, Hu-shai, having wisely diverted the present storm frora
his raaster David, took the first opportunity lo acquaint Zadok and
Abiathar, the priests, both what Ahfthophel had counselled, and what
counsel himself had given ; desiring them to send with aU speed to
David, and advise him not to lodge that night in the plains of the
wilderness, bul speedily pass over Jordan, lest he should have been
swallowed up, and aU the peopfe tiiat were with hira. For though
Hushai had for the present put by the pursuit, which Ahithophel
had advised, yet not Imowing how soon Absalora's mind might alter,
he was not wiUing the king should run that hazard.
Zadok and Abiathajr bad posted their two sons, Jonathan and
Ahimaaz, at En-rogel, a weU or fountain without Jerusalera. For they
thought it not safe for them, who were to be the messengers between'
Hushai and the king, to be within the city ; lest they might be prevented
from coming forth. To them, therefore, this message being conveyed
by a young damsel, they speeded away with il to king David, But
It unhappily happened, that a- young lad seeing thera go off, went
and told Absalora, vvho presently sent sorae after them, lo seize them,
and bring thera back.
But they, perceiving that they were pursued, raade such haste
that they reached Bahurira ; and going to a man's house there that
had a weU in his court, they went down into it. And the woman
of the house that the well might not be seen, took a coverlid, and
spreading il over the mouth of the well, laid ground com thereon,
as if it wanted airing. By that time this was done, came Absalom's
servants lo the house, in quest of them ; and asking the woraan where
they were, she told thera, ' They were gone over the brook of water : '
whereupon the pursuers went on as she directed them ; bul when
they bad sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
As soon as they had notice that the coast was clear, Jonathan
and Ahimaaz coraing up out of the well, went on to king David, and
acquainted him, both what counsel .Ahithophel had given against hira,
and Hushai's adrice, that he should pass quickly over the river.
Whereupon Darid, drawing out his men, hasted away to Jordan ;
and by the break of day next moming, he and all tbe people thaj
were with him, were got to the other side of the river.
Then marching on lo Mahanaim (a city in the tribe of Gad, built
in the place where Jacob was met by the angels of God, in his re
turn from his father Laban, Gen. xxxii. 1,2) he there made a stand

372 SACKED HISTORY. PART IH.
And while he staid there, Shobi, the son of Nahash of Rabbah, of
the children of Ammon (who probably was a tributary prince lo
David, since his subduing the Ammonites, 2 Sam. xu. 26) and Machir,
the son of Aramiel of Lodebar, brother-in-law lo king David, if, as
is supposed, this Amraiel be the same that was father to Bathsheba,
David's wife, 1 Chron. in. 5; and Barzillai, the GUeadite of Roge-
Um, brought in provisions of several sorts, to refresh the king and
his people that were with him, who were hungry and thirsty, as weU
as weary.
But it was nol long before Absalom, having raised a great army,
passed over Jordan in pursuit of bis faiher ; he and all the men of
Israel with him, and pitched in the land of Gilead. And because
Joab was gone along with king David, Absalom made Amasa cap
tain of his host instead of Joab, to. whom iie was cousin-germtui.
For Amasa was the son of one Ithra (called also Jether, an Ishmael-
ite by nation, 1 Chron. n. 17, but an Israelite by profession of re
ligion) who begat Araasa by Abigail, sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother.
When king David saw that his son Absalora was come over Jor
dan against him, and that there was no remedy, bul that it must
come to a pitched battie between them, he numbered the people that
were with him, 2 Sam. viii; and setting captains of thousands, and-
of hundreds, over them, he divided them into three battalions. Of
these he gave to Joab the command of one ; lo Abishai, Joab's
brother, the command of another; and lo Ittai the Gittite the com
mand of the third ; intending to go with them himself also.
Bul the people would nol suffer that. ' For, said they, if we be put
to Alight, they wiU nol care for us ; neither will they regard il, if haff
of us be slain : for they had rather destroy thee, than len thousand
of us. Therefore it is better that thou stay, and relieve us out of
the city.'
The king wilUng, at that time especially, to please his people, and
perhaps not very earnest to engage in person against his son, an
swered, « He would do what they thought best.' Then standing by
the gate as the people went out by hundreds, and by thousands, he
gave a great charge to his three generals, and all the 'captains, in the
hearing of the people, that for his sake they should deal gently
with the young man Absalom.
As soon as the two armies met, they joined battie in a wood bo-
tonging to the tribe of Manasseh (called here, ' The wood of Eph
raim,' because, as sorae think the Ephraimites drove their catlle
over Jordan, lo feed thera in this wood. But others, with more prob
abUity, suppose it to be caUed the wood of Ephraim, from the great
slaughter which Jephthah had formerly made of the Ephraimites in
that place, Judg. xii.) And though Absalom's array was, in aU liko-
Khood, much superior to David's in number; yet God, who raised
tbis storm against David for his exercise, not for his destrunction.

PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 37S
cast the victory on Darid's side : so that the people of Israel, who
foUowed Absalom, were slain before the servants of David, to the
number of twenty thousand men. And more raight have faUen, had
not Absalom himself, for whose sake they engaged, been taken and
slain. For he, to avoid the soldiers of David, rode under the thick
boughs of an oak ; and his head being caught in the oak, he was so
entangled with his great bush of hair amongst the boughs, that his
mule which he rode on, going away from under him, he was left
hanging there between heaven and earth, not able to disentangle
himseff. One that saw him in this posture, went and told Joab that he had
seen» Absalora hanging in an oak. Joab, blaming hirn that he had
nol kiUed hira, told hira, 'If he had, he would have given hira ten
shekels of silver, and a railitary belt : ' which was sometimes given
in war lo such as achieved some honourable exploit.
The soldier, excusing himself upon the king's command, given in
the hearing of the whole army, to spare Absalom, told Joab, ' He
would not have put forth his hand against the king's son, though
any one would have have laid him a thousand shekels in his hand.'
Joab, not wUling to lose time, soon brake off the discourse ; and
taking three darts in his hand, went to the place where he under
stood Absalom was,* and thrust them through his heart, whUe ha
was yel alive in the oak. And lo raake sm'e work, ten young men,
that bear Joab's armour, compassing Absalom about, smote hira and
slew him.
This done; Joab immediately, to prevent any further effusion of
blood, sounded a retreat. Whereupon the king's people, returning
from the pursuit, gave Absalom 's men opportunity by flight to es
cape home.
Then taking the body of Absalom, they cast it into a great pit in
the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon hira.
Such was the end, such the burial, such the monuraent of this am
bitious prince, and rebeUious son ; who, in his lifetime, considering
that he had no son living (though he had had three, 2 Sam. xiv. 27) to
keep his narae in remembrance, had reared up for himself a pillar,
in a place caUed ' The king's dale,' not far from Jerusalem, and
had called that piUar after his own name.
Ahimaaz, son of Zadok the priest, was ambitious to have carried
the good news of this victory to king David ; and therefore desired
Joab to let him run and bear the king tidings, how that the Lord had
avenged him of his eneraies. But Joab, out of a kind respect lo the
young man, because he knew the news would nol be welcome to
David, put him by, with telUng hun he should bear tidings another
*A. iM. 2981.

i374 SACBED HISTOR¥„ PART Uh
time when occasion might offer ; but at that tirae he was not willing
to employ him, because the king's son was dead.
Then turning to Cushi, an Ethiopian, but servant to David, he
bid him, ' Go, teU the king what he had seen.' Whereupon Cushi-,
bowing himself lo Joab, set forward.
Ahimaaz, still desirous to go on the eirand, intreated Joab to let
him run also, though il were after Cushi, ' Wherefore, said Joab,
Wouldest thou run, my son, seeing thou hast no acceptable tidings ? '
Yet upon his pressing him the third time, Joab gave Ahimaaz leave
to go, who, taking the way by the plain out-ran Cushi, and got in
before him.
Meanwhile David sat between tbe two gates of the city Mahaj^im,
in a doubtful expectation of the event of this battle. And a watch
man being on the roof, over the gate upon the wall, gave notice that
he saw a raan coraing, running alone. ' If he be alone, said the king,
he brings tidings.'
As they drew near, the watchman cried out that he saw another
man coming, running also alone. Him Ukewise the king concluded
to be a bringer of tidings. And understanding by the watchman
that the foremen of thera did run like Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, the
king said, 'He is a good raan, and coraeth with good tidings.'
As soon as Ahiraaaz came within caU, he said aloud to the king,
« All is weU.' Then drawing nearer, he fell down to the earth upon
his face before the king, and said, 'Blessed be the Lord thy God,
which hath delivered up the raen that Ufted up their hands against ray
lord the king,' This was good news in general. But, said the king,
'Is the young man Absalora safe ? ' Ahiraaaz, nol wiliing to be the
messenger of that iU part of the news, told the king, ' That when
Joab sent Cushi and him away, he saw a great tumult, but he knew
not what the particular occasion was.'
Presentiy upon this carae Cushi in, crying, < Tidings, my lord the
king : for the Lord hath avenged thee this day of all them, that rose
up against thee.' But, said the king to him also, ' Is the young man
Absalom safe ? ' ' The enemies, answered Cushi, of my lord the
king, and aU they that rise up to do thee hurt, be as that young
man is.
That word was enough ; the king understood it : and being greatiy
moved for tbe death of his son, he went up to the chamber over the
gate to weep ; and as he went, he vented Ms grief in this mournful
exclamation, ' O my son Absalom, ray son, my son Absalom, would
God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son! ' Wherein,
it is probable, not only paternal affection moved, but the sense of his
son's rebeUious sin, and of the quick judgment of God upon him
for il, raised his passion to so high a pilch.
The king's thus mourning for Absalom, turned the victory (or the
triumph for the victory) into mourning unto all the people : for they.

PART IU. SACR'ED HTSTORY* 37S
hearing how the king was grieved for his son, gat them by stealth
into the city, as people who are ashamed steal away when they flee in
battle; 2 Sam. xix.
This being observed b.y Joab, who was a man of more courage
than compassion, and thought this carriage of the king's savoured
too much of pusiUanim-ity, he went into tiie house to the king (who
having covered his head in token of grief, was still crying out with
a loud voice, 'O -my son Absalom, 0 Absalom, my son, my son?')
and wilh a soldierly boldness, and freedom of speech, told him,
* Thou hast shamed this day the faces cff all thy servants, who this
day, with a hazard of their own lives, have saved thy Ufe, and the
lives of thy sons, and of thy daughters, of thy wives, and of thy
concubines ; in that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends :
for (by this behaviour of thine) thou hast declared, that thou regardest
neither princes nor servants. And I now perceive, that if Absalom
had lived, and aU we had died this day, it had pleased thee well.
Now, therefore, arise, go forth and speak comfortably unto thy ser
vants; for I swear by the Lord, if thou goest not forth, there wiU nol
tarry one wilh thee this night; and that wiU be worse unto thee than
aU the eril that hath befaUen thee from thy youth untU now.'
This bold speech, more necessary, perhaps, than decent, roused
the king out of his bewailing fit. And being a wise prince, that
knew how and when to comply with his subjects, he arose and went
down, and sat in the gate, as his usual manner had been, both lo
gratify his people with his presence, amd to hear and redress their
grievances. And a good effect it had : for as soon as the people
heard that the king was come forth in public again, they aU hasted
to appear before him. For the Israelites that had sided with Absa
lom, had, upon the defeat, fled eveiy man to his tent, Bul now
that they vvho had driven the king away might shew their forward
ness lo bring him back, the people were at strife throughout aU the
tribes of Israel, saying one to another, 'The king hath often saved
us out of the hand of our eneraies, and particularly out of the hand
of the Philistines ; and now he is fled out of the land because of
Absalora. But seeing Absalom, whora we anointed over us, is dead
in battle, why, therefore, do ye not now speak a word of bringing
the king back?'
This return of affection in the people of Israel towards their king
soon came to the king's ear ; which as il could not choose but please
him, so he was not a little troubled at the backwardness of the raen
of Judah ; from whom, as being his own tribe and family, he ex--
pected more regard. Wherefore, to stir them up, he sent to Zadok
and Abiathar the priests, wilUng them to speak unto the elders of
Judah, as from him; and say ante them, ''Why are ye the last to
bring tlie king back to his house ? For the speech of all Israel is
come to the king about it, before ye speak a word of ft ; although yi-

376 SACRED HISTORY. PART IIL
are my brethren, my bones and my flesh : what is the matter that
ye are so backward to bring home the king ? '
And to sweeten Amasa, who had been Absalom's general, he not
only bid them put him in mind of bis near relation to him, as being
his sister's son, and so of his bone, and of bis flesh ; bul authorized
them also lo give him assurance from him, that he would make bim
captain of his host in the room of Joab
For though David concealed, as weU as he could, his resentment;
yet Joab had much lost his favour : for he had divers times not a
littie displeased him ; as in the murder of Abner formerly, in his
kiUing Absalom now, contrary lo the king's express command, and
in his late over bold reproof of the king. But this not being a time
for the king to express his displeasure in, he carried himself very
obligingly to all his people : by which means he bowed the heart of
all the raen of Judah, so that they unaniraously petitioned him to re
turn, with all his servants ; and came to meet him al Gilgal, to con
duct him over Jordan.
With these came Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaraile of Ba
hurira, who had so railed at and cursed David as he fled; who see
ing the tide novv turned, Absalora dead, his party routed, and king
David returning in peace and in triumph, made haste with the fore
most to come down to meet the king, and to beg his pardon, hav
ing a thousand men of Benjamin with him, perhaps lo intercede for
him. As soon, therefore, as the king was corae over Jordan, Shimei
fell down before him, and said, 'Let not ray lord irapute iniquity
unlo me : neither remeraber that which thy servant did perversely,
in the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the
king should take it to heart : for thy servant doth know that I have
¦sinned. Therefore, behold, I am come down the first this day of
aU the house of Joseph, to meet my lord the king.' Where-by the
house of Joseph, is understood the three tribes of Ephraim, Manas
seh, and Benjamin, which made up the third rank in their miUtary
marchings, and in whioh Ephraim, Joseph's son, had the first place,
Numb. U, 18 to 25.
Abishai, Joab's brother, and the king's nephew (who being pres
ent when this man reviled the king, would fain have struck off his
head theh, 2 Sam. xvi. 9) was highly offended with Shimei: and
fearing lest his uncle's lenity should be wrought upon to grant him
his pardon upon this submission, interposed, saying, ' Shall not
Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord's an
ointed ? '
Bul David, eyeing the just hand of God in what had befallen him,
and resolving to re-ingratiate himself with his people by acts of
clemency, gave Abishai this sharp rebuke; 'What have I to do
with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries

PABT m. SACKED fflSTORY. 2T!
unto me ? Shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel T
For do nol I know, that I am this day king over Israel ? ' Where
in he seemed to express a sense of the great danger he was so lately
in of losing his kingdom, and of the favour of both God and the
people to him, in restoring him again to his kingly dignity, and
therefore, it being a day of gladness and ihanlrfulness, it ought not to
be stained with bloody executions. Then turning to Shimei, he
said, and confirmed it to bim by an oath, ' Thou shall not die.'
Which expression (considering what direction David gave lo his
son Sofomon concerning him, 1 Kings, ii. 9, and his execution
thereupon, ver. 46) had need be taken with some limitation ; and
perhaps is best explained by David's own words in the place fore-
quoted, where reciting the whole passage of Shimei's cursing him,
and coming afterwards to meet bira and beg his pardon, ver. 8, he
gives his own words thus, viz. ' I sware to hira by the Lord, saying,
I wiU nol put thee to death with the sword.'
Among those that carae lo congratulate the king's return, and
attend him over Jordan, false Ziba was, one, who, fearing his treach
ery to his master Mepbibosheth would be discovered, came very
officiously, with his fifteen sons and twenty servants, to wait on the
king, and conduct him homewards.
As for Mepbibosheth, he, poor man, had been so true a mourner
for the king's affliction, that he had neither dressed his feet (though
he was lame of them) nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes,
from the day the king departed, until the day he came again in
peace. And nol being able for lameness to travel, he was forced to
stay lift the king came to Jerusalem : and then going lo welcome
him home, the king remembering what Ziba had told him, asked
bim, 'Wherefore he went not with hira?' To which he repUed,
' My lord, O king ! my servant deceived me : for I ordered him
to saddle me an ass, that (being unable lo walk, because thy ser
vant is lame) I might ride thereon, and go to the king, bul he
failed me; and not only so, bul hath also slandered thy servant
unto my lord the king. Bul my lord the king is as an angel of
God to discern ray innocency (and my servant's treachery : ) do
therefore what thou seest good. For all my father's household were
but dead men (inlaw) before my lord the king; yel didst thou set
thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table : what right,
therefore, have I yet to cry any more unlo the king ? '
As Darid had too credulously hearkened lo Ziba when he falsely
accused his master, and over-hastily condemning Mepbibosheth un
heard, gave aU his estate to his dishonest servant Ziba ; so now,
though he adraitted of Mephibosheth's excuse, and seeraed weU sat
isfied of his innocency, yet he did him right but by halves. ' Why
speakest thou, said he, any more of thy matters ? I have said thou
and Ziba divide the land.' Thus made he Ziba partner with his

378 SACRED HISTORY. PABT In,
master, and rewarded the false servant with half the estate of his
innocent master, who, for falsely accusing his master, deserved rather
punishraenl. But good Mepbibosheth was so far from complaining
or repining at this hard and unequal sentence, that be cheerfully
tepUed, 'Yea, let hira take aU, since my lord the king is come home
again lo his house in peace.'
We heard before, that BarzUlai the GUeadite was one of those
that supplied the king wfth furniture and provisions for himself and
his men, whUe he was at Mahanaim. And now that the king was
to return, he came down himself frora Eogelim, where he dwelt,
though he was a very aged man, lo conduct the king over Jordan.
And having brought hira over the river, the king, in gratefol re
membrance of his good services, invited hira lo go along wilh him
to Jerusalera, and spend the reraainder of his days with hira there,
that he might have opportunity lo requhe his kindness.
BarziUai, excusing himself by his great age, pleasantly answered
the king, ' How long can I expect to live, that I should go up vrith
the king to Jerusalera ? I am this day fourscore years old ; and
can I discern between good and evil ? Can thy servant lasts what
I eat, or what I drink? Can I hear any -more the voice of sing
ing men and of singing woraen? Wherefore then should thy ser
vant be yet a burden to ray lord the king ? Thy servant will go a
little way over Jordan with the king ; but why should the king rec
ompense it me with such a reward ? Let thy servant, I pray thee,
turn back again, that I raay die in mine own city, and be buried in
the grave of my father and my mother ; but behold thy servant Chira-
ham (my son) let hira go over with my lord the king; and do to
hira what shall seem good unto thee.'
' That he shall, repUed the king, and I will do to him that which
shaU seem good unto thee : for whatsoever thou shaft require of
me, that will I do for thee.' Then kissing Barzillai, and blessing
him, he dismissed hira, to return to his own place; but Chimham
his son went along with the king; the people of Judah, and part
-of the people of Israel, conducting the king from Jordan to GUgal.
And novv arose an emulatory quarrel between the men of Israel
and the raen of Judah. For that part of Israel that had followed
Absalom, to redeem their credit with the king, carae to him al Gilgal,
wilh a complaint against the men of Judah, saying, ' Why have our
brethren, the men df Judah, stole thee away, and have brought the
king and his household, and aU his men with him, over Jordan ? '
The men of Judah answered them, ' Because the king is near of
kin lo us (David, indeed, was so : but the king was no nearer of kin
to them than to all the rest of his faithful subjects.) Wherefore
then, said the men of Judah, be ye angry for this matter? Have
we eaten at aU at the king's cost ? Or hath he given us any gift 1

»ART ni. SACRED HISTOB*. i37S
As much as to say ; we did it not for self intel-eSl, or to gel prefer*
*nent al court; but out -of affection and duty.
' Bul, replied the men of Israel, we being len tribes of the twelve,
4iave len peurls in the king, so that we have more right in David than
ye. Why then did ye despise us, that Our advice should not be first
liad in bringing back our king ? ' Thus they grew hot one against
the other : but the words of the men of Judah (as having the better
cause, in that they stuck lo their king when the others left him) were
'fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
This disgusted those men ef Israel who were not weft settied in
their aUegiance before, and prepared them to receive any new im
pression ; which 'being observed by a factious fellow, one Sheba, the
son of Bichri a Benjamite, vvho happened to be there al that time, he
¦took hold of the advantage to 'raise a sedUion, and blowing a trumpet,
cried out, ' We have no part in David; neither have we inheritance
in the son of Jesse : every man to his tents, O Israel I '
Upon this, those malecontents of Israel deserted their king, and
followed Sheba, 2 Sam. xx:* but the men of Judah clave unto their
-king, and conducted him from Jordan to Jerusalem. Whither being
corae, king David took the ten woraen, his concubines (whora he
had left to keep the house, chap, xv. 16, and whom Absalom had
defiled, ch^p. xvi. 22) and putting them in ward, maintained them
there, not using them any more as concubines ; but condemning them
ito perpetual widowhood, kept them shut up to the day of their death.
Theii caUing for his nephew Araasa (whom he had made captain
•of his forces, chap. xi.^;. 13) he comraanded him to rauster the men
of Judah, and bring them to him within three days. Amasa forthwith
went about it ; but tarrying longer than the time aUowed hira, David,
who knew the danger 'of delay, said to Abishai, ' Now wUl Sheba, the
son of Bichri, do us more harm than did Absalom. Therefore, take
thou, said he to Abishai, thy lord's servants, and pursue after Sheba;
lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.'
Abishai thereupon taking to him his lirother Joab's raen, vvith all
the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, led thera
forth out of Jerusalera in pursuit of Sheba ; and by that time they
were come to the great stone in Gibeon, Araasa rael thera, and led
the forces on.
Joab was with his brotiier Abishai and the men of war : and
having his sword girded upon his soldier's coat, as he went along it
dropped out of the scabbard, so that he had it naked in his hand;
"which, Amasa, not suspecting any treachery or hurt, did nol heed.
Coming up then to Amasa, whora, for the loss of his place, he had a
pique at, he famUiarly salated him, asking him how he did^ and
taking him by the beard to kiss him, thraSt his sword fcto him, so that
•A. iW 2966

380 SACRED HISTORY. PART HI,
his bowels feU out upon the ground, and with that one stroke kiUcd
hira. Then, leaving one of his servants to direct the people lo come
after him, he, with his brother Abishai, followed the pursuit after
Sheba. But Amasa lying waUowing in his blood in the midst of the
highway, the people, as they came on thither, stood sliU there, struck
vrith the sight of so horrible a spectacle; which Joab's servant ob
serving, he removed the corpse out of the highway into the field, and
covered it with a cloth. Which done, the people went on after Joab
in pursuit of Sheba.
He, having run through the tribes of Israel, had gathered together
the Berites, who were of his own tribe, the tribe of Benjamin : and
finding himself pursued, got into Abel (a city in the tribe of Man-
assah, caUed, for distinction sake, Abel-Beth-Maachah, or the house
of Maachah, from Maachah the wife of Machir the father of Gilead,
2 Chron, vii. 16.)
Thither Joab and Abishai, with their men, pursued hira, and there
besieged him ; and casting up a bank against the city, they battered
the waU lo throw it down.
Meanwhile, a wise woraan among the besieged calling to the be
siegers frora the wall of the city, desired them to intreat Joab to come
near, that she might speak to him : when he came, she handsomely
put him in mind, that by a long prescription of time, il had been a
custom, drawn from the law of God, Deut. xx. 10, to offer a friendly
treaty of peace before they raade war. But that though she and her
feUow-citizens were of Israel, and were peaceable, and loyal subjects
to the king of Israel; yet he, forgetting this custom and law, sought to
destroy thera, without giving them a reason : and thereupon she
asked him, ' Wherefore he would swaUow up the inheritance of the
Lord?' Joab, startied at this, answered, ' Far il be frora me, that I should
swallow up or destroy. No, no ; the matter is not so intended. But
a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba, the son of Bichri, by name, hath
taken up arms against the king, even against David. Deliver him
only, said Joab, and I wiU depart from the city.'
The woman replied, ' If that be all, his head shall be thrown to
thee over the wall.' And forthwith caUing the govenors of the city
together, she, in her wisdom, so managed the matter with them, that
they cut off the head of Sheba, and cast it over the wall to Joab.
Whereupon Joab immediately raised his seige ; and sounding a re
treat, returned lo the king at Jerusalem.
And now that these two rebelUons were quelled, and the state re
stored to quietness again, the court was new modeled and the chief
ministers and officers were settied anew. For Joab having (though
treacherously) removed his competitor Amasa, obtained the captain-
generalship over all the host of Israel ; Benaiab, the son of Jehoiadah,
aa captain of the guards, was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites ;

PART IU. SACRED HISTORY. 381
Adoram was treasurer: Jehoshaphat, the son of AhUud, was re
corder ; Sheva was secretary of state ; Zadok and Abiathar were
the priests ; and one Ira, a Jarite, was in principal favour wilh tho
king. David bad also a royal array, consisting of three hundred thousand
men, who being divided, according to the number of the months in
the year, into twelve brigades or bands, each consisting of four and
twenty thousand men, besides officers, were so disposed, that in times
of peace each band, according lo their settled courses, was a month
upon duly, and then was relieved by the next, tiU every band, taking
its turn, had served a month in the year. Bul, in time of war, they
were all in a readiness to be drawn forth, as occasion might require.
Of their order and course of serving, with the names of the prin
cipal commanders, account is given in 1 Chron. xxvii, whither I
refer the reader. There also the naraes of the chief rulers of the
several tribes, and of the king's privy-counsellors, and officers over
his domestic affairs, are particularly set down. As are likewise the
naraes of his principal captains, and raost renowned warriors ; with
brief touches of some of their most memorable exploits, recorded
in 2 Sam. xxiii, and 1 Chron. xi, whither also I direct the reader, that
I may spare the transcribing hither all the instances there given. Yet
one being very extaordinary for affectionate loyalty, as well as ad
venturous valour, on the one hand, and princely piety on the other, I
wilUngly insert here ; which was thus :
While David had war with the Philistines, their host encamping
in the vaUey of Eephaira, betwixt hira and Bethlehem, where also
they had a garrison, David, being then in an hold at the cave Adul-
lum, longed for water out of the well that was by the gate of Beth
lehem, and said, 'O that one would give me of that water lo drink!'
Which wish of his, three of his chief captains hearing, they brake
through the host of the PhiUstines, and drawing water out of the
weU of Bethlehem, brought it to David. But when David had il,
he would not drink of it; but pouring it out unto the Lord, he said,
' Far be it frora rae, O Lord I that I should do this : shaU I drink tiio
blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy ? ' For
with the hazard of their lives they brought ft, 2 Sam. xxiU. 16, 16, 17.
It was not long after this, before another, and that more general,
oalamity befell Israel : for there arose a famine, which held three
years successively. The long continuance of this famine made Da
rid take it for a divine judgraent; and inquiring of the Lord for
what reason it was sent, the Lord answered, 'That il was for Saul,
and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites,' 2 Sam.
xxi. 1.
These Gibeonites were not of the chidren of Israel, but of the
pwnnant of the Amorites : yet Joshua and the princes of Israel, be
guiled by their false pretences, had made a league wilh them, and

S82 SACRED HISTORY. PART lit,.
confirmed it to them by oath, whereby they had' granted them theiir
Ijves. And although this league was fraudulently obtained, yet being
made, and solemnly sworn to before the Lord, ft was not to be broken.
And therefore Joshua and the princes of Israel, though they otherwise-
punished the Gibeonites for deceiving them, yet they kept the league
inviolably, and would not suffer the Israelites to touch thera. Neither
was this league violated during the tirae of the judges that succeeded
Joshua, for more than three hundred years, tUl Saul's tirae, vvho, it
seeras, in his zeal for the chUdren of Israel and Judah, slew the
poor Gibeonites : though when, where, how, or why, this slaughter
was coramitled-, is nol particularly sel down in, scripture, so far as 1
observe. Neither was this a general slaughter, or total extirpation
of them : for David had recourse hereupon to the Gibeonites, to
offer them satisfaction; which shews they remained a people-. But
Saul, by kilHng some of thera, had broken the league, and violated
the oath of God : for which divine vengeance was come upon Israel
in general calareiity. For even kingdoms sometimes suffer for the-
' sins which kings, in. their kingly capacity, coramit. Thus forty years-
after Manasseh was dead, Judah suffered under Nebuchadnezzar for
the sins of Manasseh their king, 2 Kings x.xiv. 3^
Novv when David understood that tliis famine- was sent for the
sake of those Gibeonites whom Saul had slain, he asked the chief
of the Gibeonites, 2 Sam. xxi, 'What he should do for them : and
wherewith he should make- the atonement, that they might bless the
inheritance of the- Lord.' For the curse, even of a Gibeonite, for
injustice done, or his blessing- for justice executed, is of more- force
than is, commonly apprehended.
The Gibeonites answered the king, 'We will have no silver nor
gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kUl any
man in Israel: but the man that consumed us, and devised against
us that we should be destroyed from remaining, in any of the coasts
of Lsrael, let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we
will hang them up before the Lord in Gibeah. of Saul, whom the
Lord did choose.'
The king told them he would give them to tnera. And consid
ering where to take them, he resolved however, to spare Mephibo-
gheth the grandson of Saul, because of the Lord's oath that had
passed between Jonathan and him, and the entire affection and high
friendship that had been between them. Wherefore, having little
choice, he look Arraoni and another Mepbibosheth, two sons of
Saul, which he had by Eizpali, his cOncubine; and wfth them the
five sons of Merab, the elder daughter of Saul (for whom, in the
text, Jlichal, his younger- daughter, is set by mistake) and delivered
them into the hands of the Gibeonites, vvho hanged them aU seven
together before the Lord, in the hiU called Gibeah of Saul
It was the beginning of barley-harvest when this execution was

PART HI. SACRED HISTOEY Sggt
made; and Rizpah (the raother of two, of themi) that she might pre
serve the dead bodies from being preyed upon, by the fowls in the-
day-tirae, or the beasts by night, took sackcloth and spread it for
herself upon the rock, frora the- beginning of the harvest, until water
dropped upon thera out of heaven ; which being a token that God
was appeased, the bodies i»ight tlien be taken down.
When David heard of the pious care which Eizpah the con
cubine of Saul had shewed for preserving the dead bodies of Saul's,
sons, he took the bones of Saul and of Jonathan his son frora the men
of Jabesh-Gilead (who had long before stolen them from the street
of Bethshan, where the PhUistines hanged them after Saul was
slain in Gilboa) and caused them, together wfth the bones of those-
seven vvho were now haaged, to be buried at Zelah. in the country
of Benjamin, in the sepulchre of Kish tbe father of Sa'jl. And after
that, the Lord was entreated for tiie land: and by sending rain,.
which produced plenty, and removed the dearth, which want of the
rain had eaused, declared that he had accepted the atonement which.
had been made.
But the trials and exercises stiU attended David; and scarce was.
he freed fi'ora pinching faraine, when he was again engaged in war:
for the PhUistines, who of aU the enemies Israel then had seem to.
have- been the most restless and unwearied, provoked him to battie.
David therefore drawing forth his forces, joined baUle vvith them;
and the fight continuing long, David waxed faint. Whioh being
observed by Ishbibenob (who. was one of the sons of the giant, and
brother to Goliah, whom David in single combat had slain; a man
of that extraordinary strength, that the head of his, spear weighed
three hundred shekels of brass ; ) he, being girded with a nevv sword,
pressed upon David to have slain him.. But Abishai, the son of
Zeruiah, .David's nephew, interposing, succoured David, and slew
the Philistine.
David's men observing tbis, were so sensible of the danger the-
king had been in, that they resolved not to run the Uke hazard
again. And therefore, in their affectionate zeal for bis safety, they
plainly told hira, binding it with an oath, that he sho'iild go no more-
to battie with them ; lest, as they expressed their loyal affection by an
high metaphor, he should quench the Ught of Israel. Whereby they
intended to set forth what confusion and disorder they should be
left in, Uke men in the dark, in case he should be slain in the field.
The loss of this giant did not so discourage the Philistines, but
that they prepared for battle again ; and al a place called Gob, or
Gezer, where Sibbichai the Hushathite, who was one of David's
mighty men, captain of the eighth division or band for the. eighth
month, having four and twenty thousand men under his coraraand,
I Cbron. xxvu. 11, slew Saph, or Sippai, who was of the sons of

384 SACEED HISTORY. PART- Ul.
the giant :' whereby the Philistines were at that time beaten also, 1
Chron. xx. 4.
But they quickly raUied, and oflered battie again in the sarae place.
And then Elhanan a Bethlehemite, another of David's worthies, slew
Lahmi, the brother of GoUah the Gittite, a man of that exceeding
stature and strength, that the staff of his spear also was, as his
brother's had been, like a weaver's b.eam.
Yel were not the PhiUstines so subdued, but that a while'after they
joined battle again in 'Gath, having in their army another ofthe
giant's sons, who was not only a man of great stature, but was mon
strous in his Umbs or members ; for he had on each hand six fingers,
and on .each foot six toes. But when he defied Israel, a nephew of
David's whose name was Jonathan, the son of Shimea, David's
brother, slew him.
Thus fell these four mighty men for stature and strength,- who
were born to the giant in Gath ; by whose fall the Philistines prob
ably were so weakeped or dismayed, that we hear of no more ac
tion from thera dift^g the remainder of David's reign.
And now upon this deUverance, not only of his person from the
late danger ho had been in, but of his kingdom also from all hostUi-
ties both civU and foreign, David in a thankful sense of the good
ness and favour of God to him, in freeing him at length from aU his
enemies, as he had dpne from Saul long before, spake (or sang) unlo
the Lord that excellent song, composed of acknowledgments, th-anks-
givings, and praises, which is delivered in 2 Sam. xxii, and makes
the eighteenth psalm.
But David's troubles were not yet over; for- the anger of the Lord
was again kindled \gainst Israel through David's means, 2 Sam.
xxiv, 1 Chron. xxi,* and that brought great trouble to David. The
occa.sion was this.
Though David was grown old, and the Lord had given hira rest
from all his enemies; yet the restless enemy to goodness, and lo
aU good men, stirre"d up in David a vain curiosity to know the
strength of his kingdom ; and in order thereunto moved and pro
voked hira to number Israel. Hereupon David commanded the gen
eral of his forces, and the other captains of his host, to go through
all the tribes of Israel, from Dan eyen to Beersheba, that is, from
one end of the land to the other, and number the people ; giving no
other reason for it, but that he might know the number of them.
The snare which David did nol see, Joab did; and would have
diverted the king frora it. To which end, in a more modest and
hurable strain tiian was usual with hira, he e.xpostulatod the matter
with the king thus :
« The Lord thy God make the people, how many soever there be,
•A. M. 29ff7,

PART in. SACEED HISTORY 385
an hundred limes so many more as they be, and that the eyes of
my lord the king may see it: but since they are all (whether few
or many) my lord" the king's servants, why doth ray lord require
this •'thing? Why wUl he be a oause of trespass to Israel'?'
Bul notwithstanding aU that Joab and the rest of the captains of
the host urged against it, the king was resolutely bent to have it
done; and his word prevailed against thera aU. About it therefore
"they went, though unwiUingly ; and having spent nine months and
twenty days in traversing the land, frora end lo end, and side lo side,
they returned to Jerusalera, and Joab gave up the sura of the number
of the people to the king. j,-.
But the account is differently related. For in 2 Sam. xxiv. 9,
the sum given in, is eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew
tbe sword in Israel, and five hundred thousand in Judah. Whereas
in 1 Chron. xj^i 6, the sum' given in for .Israel," is eleven, hundred
thousand, and for Judah but ibur, hundred threescore ^nd ten thous
and : so that this latter account has three hundred thousand more
than the former in Israel, and thirty thousanii^ss than the former in
Judah. iBul it may be considered, that Joab, thTough a dislike of
the work, gave over numbering, and left it unfinished, 1 Chrop. xxi.
6, and xxvii. 24, which might occasion the different accounts brouglit
in by some more fully, by others more sparingly. *
No sooner was the account given in, but David -vvas sensible of
his error. He needed not now, as in the case of Uriah and Bath
sheba formerly, be convicted by a parable; he vyas convicted in
himseff. His heart smote him, and made him break forth into an
Bcknowledgmenl of his sin, and a deprecation of it: 'I have sinned
greatly, said he lo the Lord, in that I have done : and now I beseech
thee, O Lord ! take away the iniquity of thy servant ; for I have done
very foolishly.'
The nature of David's sin is nol particularly set down, that I
observe. But besides his presuraption in desiring to know, that he
might glory in the number and strength of his people, and his doing
it in an arbitrary way, without any reason or cause, but merely to
gratify his own wiU, he is supposed by some to have transgressed.
in not raising the Lord's tribute upon the people when they were
numbered, according to an express law, Exod. xxx. 12, 13 ; whereby
it was provided, that when the people were numbered, they should,
every man from twenty years old and above, pay half a sanctuary
shekel (which is valued of our money* fifteen pence) as an atonement
and ransom for their Uves, that there might no plague come among
them ; which money was to be appropriated to the service of the tab
ernacle of the congregation. A^id the sum raised thereby, upon the
first numbering of the people in the wUderness, amounted to an hun
dred talents, and a thousand seven hundred threescore and fifteen
VOL. I. — i26

SACRED HISTORY. PART III.
shekels of the sanctuary ; which (reckoning a talent at three hundred
and seventy-five pounds, and a shekel at two shillings and six pence)
comes to, if I have not mistaken in the reduction, thirty-seven thous
and seven hundred twenty-one pounds seventeen shilUngs and six
pence. Yel others, I know, are of opinion, that this capitation or
poll tax vvas not to be raised upon every numbering of the people.
But wha-ein soever the weight of David's an in this case lay, the
•punishment was left to his own choice. For in the moming, by
that time David was up, the Lord sent his prophet Gad, David's seer,
to say unto him, 'Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things;
choose thee one of them, that I may do il unto thee (or bring it upon.
thee ;) that is, either three years fomine- (so we read in 1 Chron. xxi..
12, though in 2 Sam. xxiv. 13, it is seven years; which sorae fhinlc
to be three years more added to the three years famine last past,
which, wilh the fourth year then running, would raake seven ; which
yet would be but three years of new punisbraent;) or three raonths.
to be destroyed before thy foes, while the sword of thine enemies
overtake thee : or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the
jeslilence in the land ; and the angel of the- Lord destroying through.
out aU the coasts of Israel. Now, therefore, said the prophet, adrise-
and consider well what answer I shall return to hunt that sent me.'
Here the gradation is by years, months, and days. Three years.
famine. Three raonths for the sword to devour. Three days fbr the
pestilence is equivalent to three months of havoc by the sword ; and
three months of war, or destruction by the sword, equal to three-
years famine.
Though to choose was a favour, yet the choice was hard: which.
made Darid say to the jMTophet, ' I am in a greal strait' Yel haring
duly weighed all, he concluded, 'Let us faU into the hand of the
Lord (for his mercies are great and many : ) but let us nol faU into
the hand of man.' By which he chose the pestilence-; which is.
here caUed the sword of the Lord ; and wherein the hand of God is
more iraraediately seen, than in war, or famine ; wherein man may
have a hand, especially in war.
The choice thus made, the Lord accordingly sent a pestilfence-
upon Israel, which lasted three days ; and within that time there
died of the people seventy thousand mea.
Thus God suited the punishraenl to the sin (though not to the
person sinning ; ) lessening the number of them in whose number he
would have gloried ; yet transferring the immediate punishment frora
the king to the people. Which may stand for another instance that
the subjects sometimes smart for the sins which their rulers, in their
ruling capacity, cortirait
By this tirae the destroying angel, having scattered the piague
throughout the land, was corae to Jerusalem, and bad stretched forth
his devouring sword over the city ; which David, and the elders of

PART 111 SACRED HISTORY. 387
Israel who were wilh him, clothed in sackcloth, perceiving, they fell
¦upon their faces; and David, humbly addressing himself unto God,
said, ' Is it not I that comraanded the people to be numbered ? Even
I ft is that have sinned, and done evil indeed. But as for theso-
sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, O Lord
my God ! be on me, and on my father's house, but not on thy people,
that they should be plagued.'
Novv did the Lord repent him. of the evU, and said lo the angel
that destroyed tiie people, 'It is enough.: stay now thine hand.'
The angel, when he received this countermand, stood between tho
earth and the heaven, by the threshing-floor of Araunah, called also
Oman, the Jebusite, who, with his four sons, was threshing wheat,
and seeing the angel, hid theraselves. And forthwfth the angel dis
patched the seer Gad to David, bidding him say unto hira, 'Go up,
and set up an altar to the Lord, ui. the threshing-floor of Araunah
the- Jebusite.'
David made no delay. And as be was going, Araunah, seeing
the king and his servants coming on, towards him, went out to meet
them ; and bowing himseff before the king, with his face towards the
ground, asked, ' Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant ? '
•^To buy the threshing-floor of thee, ansvvered David, lo buUd an
altar therein, lo the Lord, that the plague may be stayed from the
people.' ' Take il to thee, said Araunah, and let ray Lord the king-
do as be pleases with it; lo, I give thee, added he,, the oxen also for
burnt-offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the
wheat for the meat-offering ; I give it aU.' ' Nay, replied David, but
I wiU verily buy it for the fuU price : for I wiU not take that which
is tiiine for the Lord ; nor offer burnt-offerings unlo the Lord my
God of that which cost me nothing.' Then coming lo a price, David
gave Araunah for the threshing floor and the oxen fifty shekels of
silver. So we read it in Samuel; which, ff shekels of the sanctuary,
makes six pounds and five shillings : if common shekels, but half
that money. But in Chronicles, it is, six hundred shekels of gold
by weight; which, valuing each shekel at fifteen shilUngs, comes to
four hundred and fifty pounds. The difference is great. Bul to
help it, some think the fifty shekels of sUver, in Samuel, were for
the oxen only, the price of the land being there omitted : and the
six hundred shekels of gold in Chronicles, for land and oxen alto
gether. But the price seems extreme on the one hand or the other.
If any, unacquEiinted with the husbandry of those tiraes, should
inquire what relation the oxen had to the threshing-floor, that they
were at it, and were sold with it, it may not be amiss, for the infor.
mation of such, to observe here, that the ancients used oxen for tlie
treading or threshing out their grain ; and sometimes with tho oxen
drew a wheel over the corn upon the floor, whereby the grain was.
beaten out. The use of the oseii in this work appears in the Mosaic-

388 SACRED HISTORY. PART in.
law, vriiich comraanded, that they should not muzzle the ox when
he trod, or, as in the margin threshed, out the corn, Deut. xxv. 4,
which the apostie repeats to another purpose, 1 Cor. ix. 9. And
that they used to gel out their corn by turning a wheel about upon
it, the prophet Lsaiah teaches, Isa. xxviii. 27, where he .says, ' The
vetches are not threshed wfth a threshing instrument : neither is the
cart wheel turned about upon the curarain ; ' implying that ihe cart
wheel was turned upon the grain. Which custom is thought by
eome to be alluded to in Prov. xx. 26, where the wise king is said
to scatter the wicked by bringing the wheel over them. The thresh
ing instruraents also, mentioned here by Araunah, comprehending
the yokes of the oxen, and the wheels, with such other impleraents
as were necessary to fasten the oxen lo the wheels, would afford
much more wood for the burnt-offerings than raany flaUs could do.
But lo proceed :
The place thus purchased, David built an altar there, and offered
burnt-offerings, and peace offerings, and caUed upon the Lord. And
the Lord answered him from heaven, by fire upon the altar of bumt-
offering : and so was the Lord appeased fcr the land, and the plague
was stayed frora Israel.

THE END OF THS SECOND BOOK OP SAUUEU

THK
FIRST BOOK OF KINGS:
raCLtTDINO THE FIEST TWENTY CHAPTERS OF THE SECOND BOOK OP
THE CHRONICLES: AND CONTAINING AN mSTORY OF ONE HUNDRED
AND EIKHTEEN YEAES, FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE EEIGN OF KING
SOLOMON, OVER BOTH ISRAEL AND JUDAH, TO THE END OF THE
REIGNS OF AHAB KING OF ISRAEL, AND OF JEHOSHAPHAT KING OF
JUDAH.

=m=

King David was now grown old; so that, although they covered
'him with clothes, yet he wanted heat, 1 Kings i.* Wherefore sorae
of his servants proposed that a young virgin should be provided to
wait on the king, that she might cherish hira and keep him warm.
This being approved of, they sought through aU the coasts of Israel,
and at length pitched upon a fair damsel, whose name was Abisliag,
caUed a Shunaraite, from the place where she lived, which was Shu
nem, a lown in the tribe of Issachar, Josh. xix. 18, and having brought
her to the king, she ministered lo him, and cherished hira.
The king's eldest son now living was Adonijah, a very goodly
man, and one whora the king his father bad been so indulgent lo,
that he had not displeased hira at any time, so much as by saying
in any case, why hast thou done so ? He, an ambitious prince,
considering novv his father's age and weakness, and thinking he
Uved loo long lo keep him from the throne, exalted himself, and said,
'I wiU be king.' And having, as his brother Absalora had done,
prepared himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before
him, he conferred vvith Joab his father's general, and vvith Abiathar
the priest, who joining wfth him, and encouraging him, he made a
great feast, to which he invited aU his brethren, the king's sons, ex
cept Solomon; and the raen of Judah, the king's servants except
Nathan the prophet, and Benaiab, captain of the king's guards, and
the mighty men, whom he did not call to his feast. The design was,
that when they had feasted well, and made the people merry, they
should proclaim Adonijah king. (389;
*A. M.. 2989.

590 SACRED HISTORY. PART III.
Of this conspiracy the prophet Nathan having got knowledge,
hastened to queen Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, and said to
her, ' Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth
reign, and David our lord knows nothing ofit? Now therefore
corae, I pray thee, said he, and let me give thee counsel; that thou
mayest save thine own life, r.nd the life of thy son Solomon.'
She listening to him, ' Go gel thee, said he, unto king David, and
«ay unto him, didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine
handraaid, saying. Assuredly, Solomon thy son shaU reign after me,
and he shall sit upon my throne ? Why then doth Adonijah reign 1
And added he, whUe thou art yel talking wilh the king, I also wUI
-come in after thee, and confirm thy words.'
Bathsheba, thus instructed, went into the king's chamber, and
bowing did obeisance lo the king, who asked her, ' What she would
have.' Whereupon she said, ' My lord, thou swearest by the Lord
"thy God unlo thine handmaid, that Solomon tiiy son should assuredly
reign after me, and sit upon my throne. And yel now Adonijah
reignsth; and thou, my lord the king, knowest it not. And he hath
¦slain oxen, and fat cattle, and sheep in abundance ; and hath invited
all the rest of the king's sons, with Abiathar the priest, and Joab tbe
-captain of the host : but Solomon thy servant hath he nol called.
And thou, my lord, O king ! the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, ex
pecting thou shouldest teU them who shaU sit on the throne of my
.lord the king after hira : otherwise it raay come to pass, that when
my lord the king shaU sleep with his fathers, I and my son SdomoH
shall be accounted offenders.
While she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet came m
also, upon which, it seems, Bathsheba withdrew ; for when they had
spoken, she was called in again, 1 Kings i. 28. And when they had
told the king that the prophet was there, he was brought before him 5
having bowed himself with his face towards the ground, he said,
< My lord, O king ! hast thou said Adonijah shall reign afler me,
and he shaU sit upon my throne ? For he is gone down this day,
and bath slain oxen, and fat cattle, and sheep in abundance ; and
hath caUed aU the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abi
athar the priest ; and behold they eat and drink before hira, aud say,
God save king Adonijah ! but me, even me thy servant, said he (not
sticking to put himself and others also before the prince) and Zadok
the priest, and Benaiab the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solo
mon, hath he not called. Is this thing done by my lord the king,
and thou hast not shewed unto thy servant who should sit on the
throne of my lord the king after hira ? '
Upon this king David said, ' CaU rae Bathsheba ; who coraing in,
and standing before the king, he sware and said unto her, ' As the
Lord liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of aU distress, even
as I sware unto thee formerly, by the Lord God of Israel, saying.

PART HI. SACRED HISTORY. 391'
assuredly, Solomon thy son shaft reign after me, and he shaft set
¦upon my itbrone in ray stead, even so wiU I certainly do tbis day.'
At that word Bathsheba, bowing with her face towards the earth,
did reverence to the king, and said, ' Let my lord king David live
forever.' Then said the king, ' CaU me Zadok the priesl, and Nathan the
prophet, and Benaiab the son of Jehoiada.' For Nathan, it seems,
withdrew when Bathsheba came in the second time, as she had done
before when he came in the first tirae. These coming aU three be
fore the king, he said lo them, ' Take with you my servants, aud
cause Solomon ray son to ride upon raine own mule, and bring
him down lo Gihon (a brook that ran between the city of David
and tbe other part of Jerusalem ;) and let Zadok the priest, and Na
than the prophet, anoint him there king over Israel : and blow ye
with the trumpet, and say, God save Idng Solomon I then shall ye
come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne : for he
shaft be king in my stead ; and I have appointed him to be ruler
-over Israel and over Judah.' 'Amen, said Benaiah, and the Lord
'God of my lord the king say so loo. And, added he, as the Lord
bath been with my lord tbe kftig, even bo be be wilh Solomon ; and
make his throne greater than the IhTone of my lord king David.'
Down forthwith went Zadok the priesl, and Nathan the prophet,
and captain Benaiah, with the king's guards, the Cherethites and
Pelethites ; and causing Solomon to ride upon the king's, (his father's)
mule, brought him to Gihon, where Zadok the priest, having taken
with him an horn of oU out of the tabemacle, anointed Solomon ;
which done, they blew the trumpet, and all the people cried out,
' God save king Solomon I then came the people up after him, piping
with pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth rang vrith
the sound of thera.'
By this time Adonijah and his guests, who were at Enrogel on the
other side of the brook Gihon, had just finished -their feast. And
his party being ready to proclaim him king, they were surprised and
startled with the sound of the trumpet, and the shouts df the people
that attended on Solomon. And while Joab was musing what that
noise meant, as, if the eity was in an uproar, in stepped Jonathan, the
son of Abiathar the priest, amongst them ; whom when Adonijah saw,
he said, ' Come in, for tbou art a valiant raan, and bringest good
tidings.' But when Adonijah had heard the tiduigs which Jonathan novv
brought, he did not think thera good. For Jonathan told him, ' Verily
our lord king David hath raade Solomon king. For the king hath
sent with- bim Zadok the prie^, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah
the son of Jehoiada, with the Cherethites and the Pelethit3s his guards,
and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule ; and Zadok
the priest, and Nathan tbe prophet, have anointed him king in Gihon,

592 SACEED HISTORT. PART m.
and they arc come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang
again ; and this is the noise which ye have heard. And now, added
he, Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom ; and the king's ser
vants coming to bless our lord the king, said, God make the name of
Solomon better than thy narae, and his throne greater than thy
throne. Whereupon the king, bowing hiraseff in reverence to God,
as he lay upon his bed, said. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
who hath given me a successor to sit on my throne this day, even
while I myself ara alive lo see it.'
At this relation all the guests that were with Adonijah were so ter
rified, that they rose up in a fright, and- fled every man to shift for
himself. As for Adonijah himself, he ran for fear of Solomon, and caught
hold of the horns of the altar, as a place of refuge for offenders, till
he could have assurance from Soloraon, that he would not put liira to
death. Which when Solomon heard of, he said, 'If ho w.Ul shew
himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of his head fall to the
earth (he shaU suffer nothing;) but if hereafter wickedness shaft be
found in him (if he shaft again attempt any thing against mo) he
shaU die.' So king Solomon sending this kind message to him, they
brought Adonijah fi-om the aftar to tbe king ; and he bovring himself
to king Solomon, in token both of thankfulness and subjection, and to
acknowledge his sovereignty over hira, vvas dismissed by the king lo
go lo his house without restraint
After this, David finding his natural strength more and more to
decay, assembled all the princes of Israel, ihe chief of the tribes,
and the captains of the companies that altended the king by course,
and the captains over the thousands, and over the hundreds, and the
stewards that were over all the substance and possession of the king
and his sons, vvith the officers, and all the raighty and valiant men,
unto Jerusalem; where being all met together attending the king's
pleasure, king David, though weak, stood up upon his feet, and thus
kindly bespake thera, 1 Chron. .xxviii.
' Hear me, my brethren and my people. I had in mine heart to
build an house of rest for the ark of the oovenant of the Lord, and
for the footstool of our God, and I had made ready for the build
ing: but God said unto rae, Thou shall not build an house for my
narae. Hnwbeit, the Lord God of Israel chose rae, before all the
house of my father, lo be king over Israel. For he hath chosen
Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the bouse of my
faiher, and araong the sons of ray father, he Uked rae, to raake rae
king over aU Israel. And of all my sons (for the Lord hath given
me many sons) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne
of the kingdora of the Lord over Israel. And be said unto me,
tr'olomon thy son, he shaU buUd ray house and my courts; for I
have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. Moreover,

PART in. SACRED HISTORY. 39S
I wiU establish his kingdom forever, if he be constant to do my
commandments and my judgments, as at this day. Now, there
fore, said David lo them that were present, in tiie sight of all Israel,
tho congregation of the Lord, and in the audience of our God, seek
for and keep aU the comraandraents of the Lord your God, thatyo
may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance to your
children afler you forever.'
Then turning his speech to his son. 'And thou, Soloraon my son,
said he, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a
perfect heart, and wiih a wUling raind ; for the Lord searcheth tJl
hearts, and understandeth aU the imaginations of the thoughts. If
thou seek him, he will be found of thee : but if thou forsake him,
he wiU cast thee off forever. Take heed now, therefore, for the
Lord hath chosen thee to build an house fbr the sanctuary : be strong
and do ft.'
David then gave to Solomon his son the pattern of tho porch, and
of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper-
chambers thereof, and of the inner-parlours thereof, and of the place
of the mercy seat, even the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit,
viz. of the courts of the hous3 of the Lord, and of all the chambers
round about; of the treasuries of the house of the Lord, and of tho
treasuries of the dedicated things ; also fbr the courses of the priests,
and of the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house
ofthe Lord ; and for all the vessels of service in the linuse ofthe Lord.
Then he delivered unto him by weight the gol-1 and the sUver
which he had long been gathering together, and hf.d laid up for this
service; wfth particular direction how, and in what proportion, to
apply it to the several uses and parts of the work, according to the
understanding God had given hira of the pattern of the huuae, and
of the vessels and utensils thereof
And then again exhorting him to be strong, and of gond courago
to do it, he bid him, ' Not fear, nor be dismayed ; for tlie .Lord God,
said he, even my God, will be with thee, and he will not fail thee
nor forsake thee, until thou bust finished all tho vvoik ibr the servi.t,o
of the house of the Lord.'
And further to encourage him, he told him. ' The courses of the'
priests and Levites should be with him ibr all the service of the house
of God; and he should have with him every willing skilful raan for
all raanner of workmanship and service; and that iho princes and all
the people would be at his coraraand, 1 Chron. xxi.x.
Which that they might the more readily be, he ajiplied himself
again to them, and to the whole congi-egation, wishing ihem to con
sider, ' That Solomcn his son, whora alone the Lord had chosen to
that work, was yet but young and tender, and the work was great;
for the palace which he was to build was not for man, but fbr tlie
Lord God.'

394 -SACRED UtlS-TORy. PART 111.
Then recounting lo Ihem how he had, at the public charge, with
all his might prepared materials for the house of his God; as gold,
silver, brass, iron, wood, precious stones of divers sorts and colours,
and marble in abundance for their several and proper services, of
which he had given his son Solomon a particular account: and that,
out of his high affection to the house of his God, he had, over and
above all those, given of his own proper goods three thousand talents
•of the gold of Ophir ; which accounting each talent at foiu) thousand
and five hundred pounds, amounts, if I miscast them nol, lo thirteen
milUons and five hundred thousand pounds : and seven thousand
talents of refined silver ; which, reckoning each talent at three hun
dred seventy-five pounds, makes two miUions six hundred and twenty-
five thousand pounds. He invited the congregation to a voluntary
-contribution, by saying, ' And who then is wiUing lo consecrate bis
service this day unto the Lord ? '
Upon this invitation, the chief of the fathers and princes of the
tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with
¦the rulers over the king's work, offered wiUingly ; and gave for the
service of the house of God, of gold five thousand talents and ten
thousand drachms; the five thousand talents coming to two and
twenty milUons and five hundred thousand pounds ; and the len
;thousand drachms, al fifteen shiUings apiece, coming lo seven thous
and five hundred pounds : in all two and twenty miUions five hun
dred and seven thousand and five hundred pounds in gold. And of
silver they gave ten thousand talents making, atthree hundred seven.
ly-five pounds each, three miUions seven hundred and fifty thousand
pounds in silver. Besides eighteen thousand talents of brass, and
an hundred thousand talents of iron ; whioh probably went by weight,
whatever the gold and sUver did. As many also as had precious
stones, gave them to the treasure of the 'house of the Lord. And
when the offerings were made, the people rejoiced, because they had
offered wiUingly, and vvith a perfect heart. And king David also re-
joicing with great joy, brake forth rnto tiiis song of praises and prayer
unto the Lord before all the congregation.
'Blessed be thou. Lord God of Israel, our Faiher, forever and
ever. Thine, O Lord ! is the greatness, and the power, and the
glory, and the victory, and the majesty : for all that is in the heaven
and in the earth is thine. Thine is the kingdom, O Lord ! and thou art
exalted as head above aU. Both riches and honour come of thee,
and thou reignesl over aU; for in thy hand is power and might, and
in thine hand il is to raake great, and to give strength unlo aU. Now,
therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.
' But who am I ? and what is my people, that we .should bo en
abled to offer so wiUingly after this manner ? For all things come of
thee, and of thine own have we given thee. For we are strangers
before thee, and sojourners, as aU our fathers were : our days on

'PART Ilk BACRED HISTORY. 395
the earth are (short and transient) as a shadow : and there is no
(certainty of) abiding. O Lord our God I all this store, which we
have prepared to build thee an house for thy holy name, cometk
from thine hand, and is aU thine own. I know also, my God, that
thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me,
in the uprightness of ray heart, I have wiUingly offered aU these
things : and now have I seen vvith joy thy people, which are present
here, to offer wiUingly unto thee. 0 Lord God of Abraham, Isaac,
and Israel our fathers, keep thy people ever in this mind, and estab
Ush their heart unto thee! and, give unto Solomon my son a per
fect heart,' that he may keep thy commandments, thy testimonies,
and thy statutes, and do thy wUl in buUding the palace for which I
have raade provision.'
Having thus poured forth his soul in praises and prayer to God,
king David said to aU "the congregation, 'Now bless the Lord your
God.' Whereupon aU the congregation blessed the Lord God of
their fathers, and bowing their heads, worshiped the Lord, and did
reverence lo the king. And on the next day they offered sacrifices
and burnl-offernigs unto the Lord, even a thousand buUocks, a thou
sand raras, and a thousand lambs, with their drink-offerings, and
sacrifices in abundance for all Israel : and did eat and drink before
the Lord on that day w.ith great gladness.
And in the midst of this festivity they proclaimed Solomon king
the second time, anointing him unto the Lord to be the chief govern
or : and Zadok to be the chief priest. Then sat Soloraon on the
throne of the Lord as king, instead of David his father; or rather as
co-rex with his father, during the Uttle remainder of his father's Ufe :
for it does not appear that David resigned his sceptre until he re
signed his last breath. And Solomon reigned prosperously, all Israel
¦obeying, and all the princes and the raighty men, yea, and aU the
sons also of king Darid, submitting themselves unto Soloraon as
their king.
Now when king David felt death more nearly approaching, he
caUed his son Solomon to him, and giving him his last charge, 1
Kings n,said, 'I go the way of aU the earth (which is a periphra
sis of dying : ) be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man.
And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, lo walk in his ways,
and to keep his statutes, his comraandraents, his judgments, and
his testimonies, as itis written in the law of Moses ; that thou mayest
prosper in aU that thou dost, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself;
that the Lord raay continue his word which he spake concerning
rae,' when he said, ' If thy children lake heed to their way, to walk
before rae in truth, with aU their heart, and with aU their soul, there
shall nol fail thee a raan on lh6 throne of Israel.'
Then coraing to speak of particular persons and things relating
to his governraenl, 'Thou knowest,' said be, 'what Joab the son

S96 SACRED HISTORT. PART IIL
of .Zeruiah did to me (referring probably to bis kilUng Absalom con
trary to his express command, and his speaking so boldly to him
afterwards;) and what he did to the two captains ofthe hosts (of
Israel and Judah) Abner and Amasa, both whom he slew, and .shed
the blood of war in peace, putting the blood of war upon his belt
and in his shoes (that is, doing it as openly and daringly as if it had
been done in war.) Do tiiou therefore according 10 thy wisdom,.
and let not his hoary head go down to the grave in peace. But shew
kindness unto the sons of BarziUai the GUeadite, and fetthom be of
those that eat at thy table: for they furnished my table when I fled
because of ,'\bsalom thy brother.
And behold, said he further, thou hast with thee Shitu^'i the son of
Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurira, vvho cursed me with a grievous curse
when I went to Mahanaim : but he carae down lo m^i t 1110 nt Jordan
(in my return) and I sware to him by the Lord, snyiiig. no I vvUI
not put ihee to death vvith the sword. Now, therefore htild him not
guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughlest
to do to him : but his hoary head bring thou dovvn to- the grave with
blood.' If any think this direction of David's to bis son Solomon, con
cerning Shimei was too severe, inasmuch as he had bcroie, upon hia
submission, granted him his life; such raay do well to consider, that
Shiraei's offence was two-fold; against God, as well as against Da
vid. God's law was express, Exod'. xxii. 28, 'Thou shalt not curse
the ruler of thy people.' Now Darid was not only tin ruler of the
people, but God's anointed; a king of his own imiiirdiaic choice;
whom he had raised up to fight his batties, and lo ex- euro his judg
ment upon Saul and his house, for his disobedienc? and rebellion.
And therefore Shimei, in railing at and cursing David calling him a
bloody ra;in, and th-at with particular respect to ths binod cf Saul's
house, did blaspherac God, who had taken the kingdom frora Saul,
and given it to David. And although God was jilt-ascil to give
David leave to shew his" own condescension and cl-mpiicy, in for-
givinj^ Shimei's personal offence- against hira ; yet li" would not so
pass by the sin against himself; and therefore he both stirred np Da
vid to commit the punishment to his son and successor Solomon, and
gavo Solomon wisdom so to adjust the punishment, ihat Shimei
might yet havo escaped the severest part of it, if he had not brought
it upon himself by a new transgression, in breaking his oath after
wards, as we shall see hereafter.
When David had ended his advice lo his son. he put up a prayer
to God for him. and brake forth withal into a kind of prophetic dec
laration of the flourishing greatness, prosperity, peace, and justice,
of Solomon's reign ; which iu some' respects was typical of the reign
and kingdom of Christ. This takes up the place of the seventy-sec
ond psalm, and the words thereof speak this to be the last prayer

PART IIU SACRED HISTORY. 397
or psalra that David mado. And being now ready to yield up tho
ghost, he breathed out his last words lo this effect :
•David tiie son of Jesse safth, even the man who was raised up
on high, tho anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist
(or singer) of Israel saith. The Spirit of the Lord spake by (or in)
me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said. The
rock of Israel spake thus to me. He that ruleth over raen should bo
just, ruUng in the fear of God. And such a one will be as tho
light of the raorning when tho sun riseth ; even as a morning with
out clouds; as the lender grass springing out of the earth by tho
clear shining (of the sun) after rain. And afthough my house be
not so with God (not as a morning without clouds, but has liad
both clouds and storms ; ) yet he hath made me an everlasting cov
enant, ordered in all things and sure; for in this is all ray safety, and
this is the sura of my desire, afthough he raake it nol to grow. But
the sons of BeUal shall be all of thera as thorns thrust away (because
they cannot be taken hold of with hands : bul the man that shall
touch them had need be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear)
and they sliall be utterly burnt with fire in the same place.'
Thus this great king, having reigned over Israel forty years, seven
in Hebron, and three and thirty in Jerusalera ; and having lived to
Q good old age of seventy years, being full of days, riches, and
honour, slept with his fathers, and vvas buried in his own city, tho
city of Darid,* 1 Chron. xxix. 26, 27, 28.
Although Solomon, who succeeded his father David in the king.
dom, was but a young man when he came to the crown: yet that
he was married sorae time before, appears by the age of his son
Rehoboam ; for Eehoboam was in his forty-first year, 2 Chron. xii.
13, when he began to reign ; which was iraraediately after his father's
death, who reigned bul forty years, 1 Kings xi. 42 ; so that Solo-
4non had a son when he began to reign.
As soon almost as he was settled on his throne, an occasion waa
unhappUy offered him to stain his sword with his brother Adonijah'a
blood ; which thus happened :
Adonijah. as was observed before, being the eldest son to king
David then living, had aspired to the crown in his father's life-time
(which hastened Solomon's accession to the throne;) but, upon his
submission, was pardoned by Solomon. He now, whether wfth a
Resign to stir up new troubles, as was suspected, or only taken with
tho beauty of the person, had cast an amotfrous eye upon the fair
Shunamitish dame, young Abishag, who had been a concubinary
wife to his father David for some Uttie time before his death. And
because Adonijah knew ho might not enjoy her without the king's
consent, and had not himself such an mterest in the king as from
•A, M. 2989,

398 SACEED HISTORY. PART III^
thence to promise hiraseff success, he appUed himself lo tiie king's
raother, the queen dowager Bathsheba, hoping by her mediation to.
prevail. When first he addressed himself lo Bathsheba, she remembering
how he had acted before, and looking upon bim as an enemy lo ber
family, was somewhat doubtful of his intention ; and therefore asked
him, if he came peaceably; which he assuring her he did, and withal
teUing her that he had something to say to her; she bid him, say
on. Whereupon he thus bespake her :
' Thou knowest, said he, that the kingdora in the right Une of in
heritance was mine; and aU Israel (so he pleased himseff with
thinking) set their faces on me, expecting that I should reign. How-
beit the kingdom is turned about, and is become ray brother's-: fon-
the Lord hath given it him. And now I ask one petition of thee:
deny me not' She bidding him say on; he said, 'Speak, I pray
thee, unto Solomon the king, for he will not say thee nay, that he
give rae Abishag the Shunaraite to wife.' ' That I wiU,' repUed she ;,
and away she went to the king about it.
When the- king saw her coming, he rose up to meet her, and'
bowing himself unto her, sat down on his throne : and causing; a-seat
to be set for her, she sat on his right-hand. Then lelUng him she
had a smaU peuiion to ask of him, which she desired him nolto deny,,-
he bid her ask on ; and somewhat loo hastily promised, her that he
would not say her nay. Whereupon she said, ' Let' Abishag the^
Shunaraite be given to thy brother Adonijah to wife.'
King Solomon, startled at such an unexpected request, answered,
' And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunaraite only for Adonijah ?;
Ask for hira the kingdora also, for he is mine elder brother ; evenfor-
hira, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.'
For Solomon concluded they were aU three combined again in a new
conspiracy against hira. Wherefore, as before he over-hastily prom
ised his mother that he would not deny her request, so- he now too-
readUy sware by the Lord, ' That Adonijah had spoken this word.
against his own life, aud should die for it out of hand.' And withr
out more ado, such, is the mischief of arbitrary government, sending
Benaiah, the captain of his guards, befell upon hira and killed him.
Then sending for Abiathar the priest, he said to him, 'Thou.art
w.inhy of death. Yel I wiU not at this time put thee to death, be
cause thou hast borne the ark of the Lord God before David my
fether, and because thou hast had thy share in all the afflictions that
have attended my father. Get thee therefore lo Anahtoth, to thy own
posessions ; and there lead a private life,' So Solomon thrust out
Abiathar from being priest unto the Lord ; and therein fulfiUed the
word of the Lord, whicii he spake concerning the house of Eli in
Shiloh ; and put Zadok in his room.
When Joab heard how Solomon had dealt wfth Adonijah and Abi-

PART UI. SACEED HISTORY.. 399i
athat, he thought if there was any safety for him, it must be in the
tabernacle of the Lord. Thiiher therefore he betook himself, and
caught hold on the horns of the altar ; hoping for protection from the
hoUness of the place.. But he miscounted : for besides his treason,
in siding with Adonijah, Joab was doubly guilty of wilful murder;
in the premeditated assassinations of Abner and Araasa ; for which
it was lawful lo take the murderer from God's- altar, and slay him,
Exod. xxi. 14. Solomon therefore, hearing that Joab was fled to the
altar for refuge, bid Benaiah go draw him from, thence, and faU upon
hira. Away went Benaiah, and, told hira, ' The king's comraand,
was that he should eome forth.' Joab, expecting nothing but death,
resolutely answered, 'Nay but (if I must die) I wiU die here.'
Benaiah, unwilUng to shed blood in the tabemacle, reported Joab's.
answer to the king: who thereupon bid hira, 'Go, do. as he hath.
said : faU on him there, and then bury him ; that^ said he, thou may
est take away the innocent blood which Joab shed, from rae and;
from the house of my faiher : and the Lord shall return his-blood upon.
his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better
than biraself (to wit, Abner; captain of the host of Israel ; and Ara
asa, captain of the host of Judah) and slew them treacherously,
without my father's, knowledge.' Benaiah then going down again, fell.
upon Joab and slew hira ; and be- was buried in his own house in the-
¦wilderness : and the- king made Benaiah general in his. room.
Shimei's turn came next; whom the king sending for, bid bim.
Jiuild an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and not go forth, frora,
thence any whither, on pain of death. Shimei, fearing worse, was.
glad he carae off so : and therefore approving the sentence of his
confinement to the city, he answered, ' The saying is good : as my
lord the king hath said, so wiU. thy servant do ; ' and, he bound him
self to it with a solemn oath.
Three years he Uved thus, strictly observing the bounds of his.
confinement. Bul at the three years' end, it so fell out, that two of
his servants ran away frora him, and went to Achish king of Gath :-
v^'hich when Shimei understood, forgetting himself, he saddled his
ass, and went forth to Gath to seek his servants; and having found.
thera he brought them back with him lo Jerusalem.
There wanted nol some informer or other lo give king Solomon;
an account of this Uttle excursion that Shimei had made : whereupom
the king sent for Shimei, and taxing him wilh disobedience and!
breach of oath unto hira, ' Did I not make thee to swear by tiio
Lord, and did not I protest also to thee, saying. Know for a certain,
that on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither,
thou shalt surely die ? And thou consentedsl thereunto, saying, Tho
word that I have heard is good. Why then hast thou not kept tho
oath of the Lord, .ind the commandment that I have charged thee
with ? '

¦400 SACKED HISTOEY, PART III.
Then rerainding bira of his forraer offence for which this con
finement had been his punishment, he said to Shimei,* Thou know
est aU the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst
to David my father. Therefore the Lord shaU return thy wicked
ness upon thins own head ; and king Solomon shaU be blessed, and
the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.'
Then giving the word to Benaiah, he foUowing Shimei out, fell upon
him that he died : and tiie kingdom vvas established in the hand of
Solomon. Solomon now looking upon himself as more safe, by tho removal
of these factious men, vvho were raost Ukely to have headed a parly
against him, and finding that the Lord was with bira, and had strength.
ened him in his kingdora, 2 Chron. i, he assembled all his chief offi
cers, his captains of thousands and of hundreds, his judges and gov
ernors in all Israel, vvith the chief of the fathers: and he, with all
the congregation, went to the high-place that was at Gibeon For
though David had brought up the ark cf God from Kiijaih-jearim
to Jerusalem, where he had pitched a tent for it; yet the tabernacle
ofthe congregation of God, which Moses the servant ofthe Lord had
made in the wilderness, and the brazen aftar that Bezaleel made,
remained still al Gibeon.
Thither went Soloraon and the whole congregation, and offered a
thousand burnt-offerings upon the brazen altar before the Lord, who
appeared to Solomon in a dream that night and bid him ask what
be should give him. Whereupon Solomon thus spake unto the Lord:
'Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David, my father, great
bounty, according as he walked before thee in truth and in righteous.
ness, and in uprightness of heart with thee : and thou hast kept for
him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his
throne, as at ihis day. And now, 0 Lord my God ! seeing thou hast
made thy servant king, instead of David my father, over thy chosen
people, a great people that cannot be numbered for multittide; and
that I, who am but as a littie child, know nol how to behave my
self in the discharge of so great an office; give, therefore, unto thy
servant an understanding heart, furnished with wisdom and knowl
edge, to judge thy people, that I raay discern between good and bad;
for (without thy wisdora) who is able to judge this thy so great a
people ? ' 1 Kings iii.
So weU did this request of Solomon's please the Lord, that he
thereupon said unto him, ' Because thou hast asked this thing, and
hast not asked long life, riches or honour, for thyself,, nor the life of
thine enemies ; bul hast asked for thyself understanding, wisdom, and
knowledge to discern judgment, that thou mayest judge my people
over whom I have made thee king ; behold I have done accurduag
• A. M. 2993.

PART III. SACRED HISTORV. 401
to thy words, and wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee. For
I have'given thee a wise and understanding heart, so that (fiir wis
dom) there was none like liiee before thee; neither after thee shall
any rise hke unto thee. And 1 have also given tiiec that which thou
hast not asked, to-wit, both riches and honour; such as none of the
kings have Jiad that have Iteen before ihee; ncfther shall there any
aficr theo have tho like. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep
my statutes and comraandraents, as ihy father David did walk, then
will 1 lengthen thy days also.'
Solomon, waking from his sleep, was sensible that he had a dream.
And coming back to Jerusalem, after he had presented himself be
fore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and had offer-ed peace-
offerings, and made a feast to all his ssrvants, it vvas not l^ng before
occasion vva.s given him to e-xercisc that wisdom, which in his dream
he had asked, and IheLord had promised to give hira. For a contro
versy having arisen between two woraen (who are called harlots, as
Rahab is called. Josh. ii. 1, but raay rather perhaps be supposed to
be victuaUers) they came unto the king for judgment : and she tiiat
was the plaintiff thus opened tho cause before him:
' 0 my lord, said she, I and this woman dweU in one house; and
I was dcUv<3red of a child wilh .her in the bouse. .4nd it came to
pass, Jhat the third day after 1 vvas delivered, she also was dehvered:
but ber child died in the night, because she overlaid it. Then, there
being no stranger in the house vvith us, but only we two alone to.
getiier, she arose at midnight, and took ray son from beside me
while 1 slept, and laying il in her besom, laid ber dead child in my
bosom. And when I arose in the raorning to give my child suck,
behold it was dead: but when I had well viewed and considered it
in the morning, I found ft was not my child which 1 did bear.'
She having thus stated her case, the other woman who vvas the
defendant, denying the charge, said, 'Nay: bin the living is ray
son, and the dead is thy son. The complainant, on the other hand,
rejoined, 'No: but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son.'
Thus they bandied the cause to and fro; which the king observ
ing, and that there vvas no witness in the ca.se, he called for a sword ;
and when il was brought, he bid the officer divide the Uve child in
two, and give half to the one and half to the other ; which when.
the plaintiff-woman heard, whose indeed the Uving child was, her
bowels yearning towards her son, she cried out to the king, 'O ray
lord, give her the living child, andin no wisp slay it.' But the other
woman, who being no kin to it, bul claimed it only to hide her own
sharae, or avoid punishment, for having overlaid her own child, and
stolen her neighbour's, said, ' Let it be neither mine, nor thine ; but
divide it' By which the king having discovered which was the true
motiier, adjudged the Uving child to her. And when this came to bo
VOL. I.— 26

40S SACKED HISTORY. PART 11!
known abroad among the people, it made them reverence the king,
and stand in awe of him : for they saw by this, that the wisdom of
God was in him to do judgment.
As Solomon had married an Ammonitish woman before he was
king, who we may suppose was a proselyte to the Jewish religion,
else his godly faiher David wouldnot have allowed it; so now, hav
ing made affinity with Pharaoh the king of Egypt, he took his daugh
ter to wife, who it is likely was a prosdyte also, because it is said
of him presently after, ' That Solomon loved the Lord, and walked
in the statutes of David his father.' And because he had not yet
built himself a palace, he brought this his new queen into the city of
David, untU he had made an end of building not only his own house,
bul tbe house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
But afterwards he made an house for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he
had taken to wife.
And now remembering the charge which his father king David
had given him ; and, ]iursuant thereto, determining to buUd an house
for the name of the Lord, he sent unto Hiram king of Tyre, !•
Kings V. 2 Chron. ii, who was ever a lover of David, and who,
upon hearing that Soforaon was anointed king in the roora of hia
father, sent his servants to congratulate his accession lo the crown-
First, therefore, desiring that the amity and intercourse that had been
between the two crowns raight be continued, he wrote to Hiram after
this manner :
'Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an
house unto the name of the Lord bis God, for the wars which were
about him on every side, untU the Lord put his enemies under tho
soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God hath given me rest
on every side ; so that there is neither adversary nor £uiy thing else
to hinder. Wherefore I propose to buUd an house unto the name of
the Lord my God, as the Lord spake unto David my father, say
ing, thy son whom I will sel upon thy throne in thy room, he shall
build an house unlo ray name. Now, therefore, give thou com
mand unto thy workmen, that they hew me cedar trees out of Leb
anon : for thou knowest that there is not any among us that have
skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians. Yel my servants shall
be wilh thy servants in the work ; and I will give thee hire for thy
servants as thou shall sel the price. Or I wiU give to thy servants,
the hewers that shall cut the timber, twenty thousand measures of
beaten wheat, and tweiity thousand measures of barley, and twenty
thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil' (a bath
containing four gaUons and a half) He desired him also to send
him a raan that was skilful to work in gold, silver, brass, and iron ; and
for embroidering and graving, who might join wilh the artists which
he'had already of his father David's providing, and might work
with them.

PART in. SACRED HISTORY. 403
When king Hiram, who is also caUed Huram, 2 Chron. ii. 3, had
received this message frora king Solomon, he blessed the Lord for
having given to David a wise son to rule over so great a people,
which he took, and rightiy, to be a token of God's love lo his people.
Then returning answer to king Solomon in writing, he expressed him
self lo this effect :
' I have considered the things which thou senlest to me for, and wiU
answer thy desire concerning limber, both of cedar and of fir. My
servants shaU bring them down from Lebanon lo the sea ; and I will
convey thera by sea in floats lo Joppa, and discharge thera there.
And now I have sent thee a skilful artist (that belonged to my father
Huram) whose mother was of the tribe of Dan ; but his father was
a Tyrian. He is endued with understanding to work in gold, silver,
brass, iron, stone, and timber, and in purple, blue, crimson, and fins
Unen ; to grave also any manner of graving ; and to find out every
derice whicli shall be put to him. And as for the wheal, the barley,
the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath' spoken of, let him send
them unto his servants.'
Having received this answer from Hiram, king Solomon caused
the workmen that were strangers to be numbered ; and finding them
to be an hundred fifty and three thousand and six hundred men,
he appointed seventy thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and
eighty thousand to be hewers in the mountain of Lebanon ; and the
other three thousand and six hundred he set over the rest, as over
seers of the work. Thirty thousand also be raised of his own peo
ple, frhom he sent to Lebanon, to work wilh king Hiram's men.
But these being divided into three companies, went by their courses,
ten thousand at a time; where having served their month, they re
turned, and another ten thousand succeeded them : so that every one
of these was one month abroad in the service, and two months at
home. And of the.se Adoniram,, which signifies the high lord, had
the oversight.
All things being thus in readiness on the second day of the sec
ond month, by the Jews called Ziff, in the fourth year of his reign,
1 Kings V, 2 Chron. n,* which was exactiy four hundred and eighty
years fron the coming up of the children of Israel out of the land
of Egypt, king Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in
mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared unto David, and in
the very place which David had prepared, in the threshing-floor of
Araunah, or Oman, fhe Jebusite, and where Abraham, long before,
had been directed by God to offer up his son Isaac, Gen. xxii. 2 ;
laying the foundations thereof of hewn stone, great and costly. The
dimensions and de.scription whereof, with the ornaments and richness
thereof, the reader may see at large in 1 Kings vi, &c. and 2 Chron.
• A. M. 2993.

404 SACRED HISTORY. PART 111,
iii, &0. ' And in his eleventh year, m the month by the Hebrews
called Bull, which is the eighth month, was the house finished
throughout all the parts of it. So that it was seven years and six
months in building. And such care vvas taken for the squaring and
fitting of the raaterials before they were brought thither, that there
was neither hararaer, nor axe, nor any tool of iron, heard in tho
house while it was in building.
For Solomon's encouragement while he was building it, the word
of the Lord came lo him, saying, ' Concerning this hou.se which thou
art building : if thou will walk in my statutes, and execute my judg
ments, and keep all my coramandments to walk in thera; then will.
I perform my word wilh thee, which I spake unto David thy father;
and I will dwell among my people, the children of Israel, and will
nol forsake them.'
W hen king Solomon had fully finished the house of the Lord,* and
had placed all the vessels for service and ornament in it, he assem
bled the e'ders of lsrael,.and aU the heads of the tribes, and the chief
of the fathers of the children of Israel in Jerusalera, lo bring up the
ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which
was Zion. Which was the raore reaSUy done, because it was the
time for the feast of tabernacles ; which by divine appointment, Lerit.
xxiii, was held, with other solemn feasts, in the seventh month, by
them caUed Ethanim : at which time all their males were obliged to
appear before ths Lord in the place which he should choose, Deut.
xvi. 16, which was this new buift teraple.
Being therefore thus assembled, the priests and Levites, whose
charge it was, took up the ark, with the tabernacle, and all the holy
vessels that were in it, 1 Kings viii. 2 Chron. v; and having brought
thera up, and placed them in their respective places appointed for
them in the teraple, when the priests, who now attended in a body,
were come out of the holy place, and they, with the Levites and other
officers of the temple, sang, accorapanied with their trumpets and
xithor instruments of music, the cxxxvith psalm, the cloud filled the
house of the Lord, so that the priests could nol stand to mftiisler
because of the cloud : for the^^fory of the Lord had fiHed the house
of the Lord. Which Solomon observing, look occasion from thence
to infer, that the Lord had taken, as it were possession of tbe place ,
urging what the Lord had formerly said, ' That he wpuld dweU in
the thick darkness.' Which expression, because we 'no where read
it in those terms, is supposed lo be taken from Lerit. xvi. 2, whero
the Lord said, ' I wUl appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat.'
• Bul I, said Solomon, have built thee an house lo dvYelj in : a settied
place for ihce to abide in forever.'
Then turning his face about, he blessed all the congregation of
•A. M. 3001.

PART in. SACRED mSTORY. 405
Israel, and said, 'Biassed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath with
his hands fulfilled that which he spake with his mouth to ray father
David, when he said. Since tbe day that I brought forth my people
Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel
wherein to build an house, that my name might be therein ; but I
have chosen Jerusalem, that my name raight be there; and I have
¦chosen David to be over my people Israel. And whereas, added
Solomon, it vvas in the heart of my father David, to build an house
for the name ofthe Lord God of Israel, the Lord, accepting the good
wUl of ray father, said lo hira. Thou didst well, in that il was in thy
heart, notwithstanding thou shall not build the house; but thy son,
which shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for
my name. The Lord therefore hath performed his word that he
hath spoken : for I am risen up in the room of David ray father, and
am set on the throne of Lsrael, as the Lord promiscjd ; and have
built the house for the name of the Lord God' of Israel : and in it
'have I put the ark, wherein is the covenant of thb Lo:'d that he
mads with the chUdren of Israel.'
Having thus made a thankful acknowPedgraent ,ef the faithfulness
and gracious goodness of the Lord, both unto him and to his people,
he kneeled down before all the congregation of Israel, upon the bra
zen scaffold of five cubits square and three cubits high, which he had
made and set in the midst of the court before the dtar of the Lord,
and spreading forth his hands towards heaven, be thus addressed
himself unto the Lord :
' O Lord God of Israel ! there is no God like thee in the heaven,
nor in the earth, who keepest covenant and shewest mercy unto thy
servants, that walk before thee wilh aU their hearts. Thou who hast
kept with thy servant David, my faiher, that which thou promisedst
hira, and hast actually fulfilled wh^t thou spakest to him, with re
spect to ray buUdfng this house to thee, as il is this day : keep now>
O Lord! wilh thy servant ray father that also which thou didst prora-
ise him, when thou saidst, There shall not fail thee a raan in ray
sight to sit on the throne of Israel provided thy children take 'heed.
to their way, lo walk before me in ray law, as thou hast walked be
fore rae. Now then, O Lord God of Israel I let thjf word be veri
fied which thou hast spoken unlo thy servant David.
' But (con'ecting himself, wfth respect to his desire, that God would
at all times vouchsafe his presence to his people in that house) will
God, said he, in very deed dwell with men on the earth ? Behold,
heaven, and the heaven of heavens, cannot contain tiiee : how much
less this house which I have buift! Yet have thou respect, added
he, unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his suppUcation, O Lord
my God, to hearken unto the cry hnd the prayer which thy servant
prayeth before thee this day ; that (speaking after the manner of
men) thine eyafs may bc open towards this house night and day ;

406 SACRED HISTORY. PART III.
even towards the place of which thou hast said, that thou wouldst
put thy name there. That thou mayest hearken lo the prayer which
thy servant shaU make in this place, and hearken to the supplication
of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray towards
this place. And hear thou in heaven, thy dweUing place ; and when
thou hearest, forgive.'
Having thus supplicated the Lord in general terras, he descended
to particulars, saying,
' If a man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be required
of him ; whereupon he come to swear before thine altar in this
house : then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants;
condemning the wicked, to recompence his way upon his head; and
justifying the righteous, to give hira according to bis righteousness.
'If thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy because
they have sinned against thee, and they shall turn again to thee,
and, confess thy name, and shall pray, and raake supplication unto
thee, towards this house; then hear thou in heaven, and forgive tbe
sin of thy people Israel ; and bring thera again into the land which
thou gavest unto jjiem and to their fathers.
' When the heaven is shut, and there is no rain, because they have.
sinned against thee ; if they pray towards this jilace, and confess thy
name, and turn frora their sin when thou dost afflict them : then hear
thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people
Israel, and leach thera the good way wherein they should walk, and send
rain upon theland which thou hastgiven to thy people for an inheritance.
' If there be famine in the land ; if there be pestUence, blasting,
mUdew, locusts, or caterpillars ; if their enemies besiege them in the.
cities of their land ; whatsoever plague or sickness befall them ; what
prayer or supplication soever shall be raade by any mar?, or by all
thy people Israel, when every man shaU know bis own plague, and his
own grief, and shaU spread forth his hands towards this house, then hear
thou in heaven, thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and render unto every
man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest (for thou only
knowest the hearts ofthe children of men;) that they may fear thee,
to walk in thy v/ays aUthe days that they Uve in the land which thou
gavest unlo our fathers.
' Moreover, concerning the stranger which is nol of thy people
Israel, but coraeth out -from a far country for thy great name's sake
(for they shall hear of tiiy greal name, and of thy strong hand, and
of thy strelched-out arra ; ) when he shaft corae and pray towards
this house: then hear thou in heaven, thy dweUing-place, and do ac
cording to all that the stranger caUeth unto thee for ; that all the
people of the earth raay know thy name, and fear thee (as doth thy
people Israel) and that they may know that this house which I have
builded is called by thy name.
'If thy people go oul to battle against tiieir enemy, whithersoever

PART UI. SACREO HISTORY,, 409
thou shalt send them and shaU pray unto thee towards this city which
thou hast chosen, and towards thfe house that I have built for thy
name : then hear thou m heaven their prayer and supplication, an(l
maintain their cause.
'If they sin against thee (for there- is no man out may sin,[gMi
non pec6Dt;'\ so Jerora, so Pagnine, .so Arias Montanus, so Trem
eUius and Junius turn it, and so Dr. Gell reads it, and contends
t-hatil should be read. Essay, page 768) and thou be angry with them,
and deliver them unlo the eneray, that they carry them away cap
tives into a land far or near; yet if they shaft bethink, themselves in
tile land whither they are carried captives, and shaU repent, and
make supplication unto thee in the land of Ihem that carried them
captives, saying. We have sinned, and have done perversely, and
have committed wickedness, and so return unlo thee with all iheii;
heart, and wfth aU their soul, and pray unto thee towards the land
which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen
and the hou.se which I have buift for thy name : then hear thou their
prayer and supplication in heaven, thy dwelling-place, and maintain
their cause, and forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, aU
their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee:
and- give them compassion before them who carried them captive,
fcat they may have compassion on them : for they be thy people^
and thine inheritance, which thou didst bring forth out of Egypt from,
the midst of the furnace of iron.
Let now, 0 my God ! I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and
thine ears attentive, unto the prayer that shall be made in this place.
Arise now, th-erefore, O Lord God I into thy resting-place (so he
called this fixed temple, in comparison of the moving tabernacle)
^ou, and the ark of thy strength. And let thy priests, 0 Lord God!
be clothed with salvation, and thy saints rejoice in goodness.'
When Solomon had ended his prayer and supplication to the
Lord, he arose from his knees, and standing up before the altar of
ihe Lord, he blessed the congregation of Israel, saying with a loud
voice, ' Blessed be the Lord that hath given rest unto his people,
ferael, according to all that he promised, nol one word having failed,
of aU his good promise which he promised by the hand of Moses;
his servant. The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our
ftthers. Let him not leave us, nor forsake us; that be raay incUne
our hearts unto hira, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his com
mandments, his statutes, and his judgments, which he coramanded
our fathers. And, added he, let these my words, wherewith I have
made supplication before the Lord, be nigh unlo the Lord our God
day and night; that he may maintain the cause of his servant, and
the cause of his people Israel at aU times, as the raatter shall require ;
that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and
that there is none else '

408 SACEED mSTORY. PART 4U.
Then turning his speech more directly to the people, « liCt your
lieart therefore, said he, be perfect with the Lord our God, lo walk
in his statutes, and lo keep his coram andraents, as at this day.'
When thus the king had finished bis prayer and blessing, both ho
and all the people with him offered sacrifices before the Lord, 1 Kings
viii, 2 Chron. vii. And tbe Lord, to testify his acceptance of Solo-
¦inon's prayer, sent fire from heaven, which consumed the burnt-
offering and the sacrifices. And the glory of the Lord filled tho
house, so that the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord,
because of the glory of the Lord that filled it. And when aU tho
children of Israel saw the fire come down, and the glory of the Lord
•'Upon the house, they bowed themselves upon the pavement with their
'faces lo the ground, and praised the Lord, repeating those words of
Ithe cxxxvith psalm, ' For he is good, for his mercy endurelh forever.'
At this dedication of the house of the Lord, the king and all Is
rael joining, they oftbred a peice-offering unto ihe Lord of two and
twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep;
the priests waiting on their offices, and the Levites playing on their
instruments (-,f music, which king David had made lo prai.se the Lord
with. And because the brazen altar, which Solomon had made,
though it was twenty cubits, or yards, square, 2 Chron. iv. 1, vvas
too littie to receive the offerings, the king hallowed tho middle of the
court that was before the house of the Lord', and offered burnt-offer
ings there.
Thus king Solomon having held a solemn feast, and all Israel with
him, for fourteen days together, seven days for the feast of taber
nacles, on the three and twentieth of the second month, which was
the eigiuh day after the feast of the tabemacle began, and die next
day after it was ended, he sent the people away • who, blessing the
king, went unto their tents joyful and glad in heart, for aU the good-
nest; that the Lord had shewed unto David and Solomon his ser
vants, and to his pople Israel.
After this solemn dedication of the house of the Lord, the Lord
appeared again to Solomon by night, 1 Kings ix, as he had appeared
ui'.to him before at Gibeon, 1 Kings iii. 5, and said unlo hira, 'I
Jiave heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an
houso of sacrifice, and have hallowed it, to put ray narae there for
ever : raine eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually. And if
thou wilt walk before rae, as David thy father walked, in integrity of
heart, and in uprightness, lo do according to all that 1 have comman
ded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments : then wiU I
establish the throne of thy kingdom y^^on Israel forever, as I promised
Oavid thy father, when I said There shall not fail thee a man upon
the throne of Israel. Eut if you shall at aU turn from me. you or
your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes,
which I have sel before you ; bul go and serve other gods, and wor-

PART III. SACKED HISTOEY. 409
•hip ihem : then will I cut off Israel out of the land which f havo
given them ; and this house, which I have hallowed fbr ray name,
wiU I cast out of ray sight, and Israel shaU be a proverb -::nd a by
word amongst aU people. And at this house, which is high, every
one that passeth by shaft be astonished, and shall hiss ; and shall
say, why hath the Lord done thus unto this land and to this house?
And they shall answer, because they forsook the Lord their God,
who brought forth their fathers oul of the land of F<iypt, and have
taken hold u[.on (or put their confidence in) other gods, and havo
worshiped them, and ,=erved them : therefore hath tho Lord brought
upon thom aU this evil.'
When king Solomon had finished the house of the Lord, he buUt
B stalely palace for himself and his queen. Pharaoh's daughter, to
dwell in; which was thirteen years in building.* 1 Kings vii. 1, not
that he was either raore curious or more magnificent in building his
own house, than in building the Lord's; but he had his materials
to provide for his own house, mo.';t of which were provided in readi
ness by ilis father for the Lord's house; and he employed more
workmen, for cApedition-sake, about the Lord's house, than about
his own .^iid when this pal'dce vvas finished, he brought up his
queen, the daughter of Pharaoh, from the old' palace, which was
called the city of David, and settled her in the house he had built
for her : for he said, ' My wife shall not dwell in the houso of Da
vid, king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto tho ark of
ihe Lord hath come,' 2 Chron. vin. 1 1.
Divers other houses also did Soloraon afterwards build, whereof
that seems to be the chief, which wtts called the forest of Lebanon,
1 Kings ix, whieh, being an hundred cubits in length, fifty cubits
in breadth, and thirty cubits in height, was set upon cedar piUars,
in four rows, and is described in 1 Kings viii. 2, &,c.
King Solomon, having received great kindness from Hiram, king
of Tyre, who had furnished him with timber of cedar and fir, and
wilh gold in abundance ; he, in requual, gave Ilirara twentv cities
in the land of Ganlee ; which bordering upon Tyre, is roc-koned by
TremeUius and Junius a part of the holy land ; and for that reason,
perhaps, is caUed Galilee ofthe Gentiles, Mat, iv. 16; yet othera
think otherwise.
But when Hiram came from Tyre to see these cities, they did not
please him at all. Wherefore, to shew his dislike of them, he asked
Soloraon, 'What cities are these which thou hastgiven me. ray
brother? ' and calling ihem the land of Cabul (that is, disjdeasing or
dirty) ho restored thr-m to Solomon, who afterwar.is rebuilt these
cities, and sending colonies of the children of Israel thither, caused
•AM, 3014,

410 SACRED HISTORY. PART IU.
them to dweU therein, which probably occasioned our Saviour to be
80 conversant afterwards iu Galilee.
But though Hiram did not accept Solomon's present, yel no un
kindness or breach of friendship ensued thereon between the two
kings. For Solomon, having buUt a navy of ships in Ezion-Geber,
at the sea-side, in the land of Edom, Hiram not only joined sorae of
his own ships wfth king Soloraon's but furnished him also with expert
mariners to man his fleet to Ophir; from whence they fetched four
hundred and twenty (or as in 2 Chron. viii. 18, four hundred and
fifty) talents of gold, of whicii they are said to have brought four
hundred talents to Soloraon, and the rest, it is supposed, were spent
in the expedition.
King Hirara also is said to have sent to king Soloraon six score
talents of gold, 1 Kings ix. 14. And the weight of gold that carae
to Soloraon in one year, was six hundred sixty and si.x talents of
gold, chap. X. 14, besides what he had of the merchants, and of Ihe
kings of Arabia, and the govenors of countries, ver. 15. Andso
plentiful was gold in his time, that silver was of no account ; for not
only the vessels of his house were of gold, ver. 21, but he made two
hundred targets, and three hundred shields, all of beaten gold, ver. 16,
17. A throne also of ivory, overlaid with the best gold, ver. 18, &c,.
Now did Soloraon experience the fulfilling of that gracious promise,
which the Lord had made him, 1 Kings in. 12, 13; that because
he had not asked riches, nor honour, but only wisdom and that not
for ostentation, but for real service, that he might judge and govern
his people aright, God gave him both wisdom, riches, and honour;
so that he exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wis
dom. And as they all sought lo Solomon, that they might hear his
^wisdom, which God had put into his heart, so they brought him every
¦man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garraents,
and armour, and spices, with horses and mules, a certain rate year
iby year.
For God had given Solomon wisdora and understanding, and had
¦enlarged his heart exceedingly; so that he exceUed in wisdom all
the philosophers and astrologers of Egypt, and of aU the cast coun
try. And though Ethan the Ezrahite, and Hemad, raentioned in the
titles of Psal. Ixxxviii, and Psal. Ixxxix, with Chalcol and Darda,
were the most celebrated raen of those times for wisdom ; yet ho
was wiser than they, and indeed than all raen. He spako three thou-
sand proverbs, 1 Kings x, 1 Chron. ix, most of which are thought
to have been lost in the captivity, and his songs were a thousand and
five. Ho discoursed also of the natures, properties, and virtues of
aU trees, plants, and herbs ; and of beasts, fowls, creeping things and
fishes; sn that his fame being spread in aU nations round about,
there came of all people to hear his wisdom, from all the kings of
the earth that heard of il, 1 Kings iv. 29, &5C.

PART ni SACRED HISTORY. 411
Among the many whom the fame of his wisdora and grandeur
drew to his court, the Ethiopian queen, called in Mat. xii. 42, the
<lueen of the south, and here the queen of Sheba, was one, who
having heard much of the fame of Soloraon, and concerning the
name of the Lord, had a desire to try his skill in resolving diffi
cult questions ; and -for that end carae fi-ora her own country to Je
rusalem, attended with a very greattrarn. And having made a royal
present lo king Solomon of abundance of rich spices, with precious
stones, and very much gold, no less than an hundred and twenty
talents, she conferred with him, and propounded riddles to him, and
he resolved thera all. For there was nothing hid from him, of the
most abstruse and knotty questions, which he did not open to her.
This filled her with admiration of his profound wisdom. But when
she had viewed the house of the Lord, which he had built, and his
own bouse, and had duly considered the economy of his household,
the provisions of his table, tho degree and order of his servants, and
the attendance of his ministers, with their apparel; but more espe
cially the stately ascent he had made, by which he went up to the
house of the Lord, she was even overcome with wonder, and said to
the king, ' It was indeed a true report which I heard in mine own
land of thine acts and of thy wisdora ; howbeit, il believed not tbe
words, until I came, and mine own 'Cyes had seen it. And now I
find that one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me:
for thou exccedest the fame that I had 'heard.'
Then breaking forth into admiration and praise, she added, ' Happy
are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand contin
uaUy before thee, and hear thy wisdom. And blessed be the Lord
•thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel;
because the Lord loved Israel,^© establish them forever, therefore
•made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.'
Thus this greal <}ueen, having satisfied her curiosity in seeing,
and improved -her understanding in conversing, wilh the wisest of
kings, and having been fully ansvvered by him in whatsoever she
desired of him, took her leave of the Hebrew court, and returned
¦with her attendants to her own land, laden wilh a royal present frora
¦the king,;and filled with admiration of his wisdom and magnificence.
For he kept so great a table, that the daily provision for his house
was thirty measures, or cors, as the margin gives il,of fine flour, and
-threescore of meal. And the Hebrew cor being computed by God
wyn in his Moses and Aaron, 1. vi. c. 9. p. 290, to contain five
bushels and five gaUons, the thirty cors of fine flour make an hun
dred sixty-eight bushels and six gallons. According to which com
putation, the sixty cors of meal must make three hundred thirty.
seven bushels and four gallons ; both sorts flour and meal, five hun
dred and six bushels and two gallons ; which reduced to quarters,
bringout, if I miscount not, sixty-three quarters, two bushdls, and

412 SACKED HISTOIIY. PART III.
two gallons. For fiesh, bis daily provision was ten fat oxen, and
twenty oxen out of ihe pastures, and one hundred sheep; besides
harts, roe-bucks, fallow-deer, and fatted fowl. In his stables he had
four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve ihou.sand
horsemon, whicii were bestowed in 'lie ehariot-cities-, and with the
king at Jerusalera.
But notwithstanding the great and excellent wisdom wherewith God
had endowed Solomon, 1 Kings xi.* Itie high fivours lis had vouch.
aafed him, the eminent appearances- of God unto' him. and the gra
cious promises he had raade him-, in case he persevered to- walk in
his fear, as David had done, aind lo keei*- his law ; yet- Solomon let
loose the reins of his affection, not only to ra.iny women, but to
strange women, strangers to the covenant, such as were not Israel
ites by nature, nor of Israel by profession ; but of ths idolatrous na
tions, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and [littitcv;, which
the Lord had expressly prohibited for Israel in g.?neral, and their
king in particular, to contract marriage with, Deut. xvii. 17, as know
ing they would certainly turn away their hearts after their gods.
And to that degree of excess he went, that he took no less than
seven hundced wives, and three hundred concubines, who so turned
away his heart from following the Lord, that he did evil in the sight
ofthe Lord, going after Ashteroth, the goddess of the Zidonians, and
after MUcom,.the abomination of the Ammonites, and built an high
place for Chemosh, tha abomination of Moab, in the hill ihal was
bc^firs Jerusalem; as he did likewise for all his strange wives, whicii
burned incense and sacrifice unto their gods.
This so provoked tiie anger of the Lord against Solomon, that he-
said unto him, probably by the pnophet Ahijah, mentioned after in
ver. 29, ' Forasmuch as thou hast done thus, and hast not kept my
covenant, and my statutes, which 1 have commanded thee : I will
surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
Notwithstanding, in thy days I will not do it, fbr David thy father's
sake: but I will rend it oul ofthe hand of thy son. Yell will
not rend away all the kingdom ; bul 1 will give one trilw to thv son,
for David my servant's sake, and for the sake of Jerusalem, vvhich
I have ehosen.'
As therefore the Lord had given unlo Solomon peace, and rest
from aU his enemies, whil-s he kept his commandments, and walked
with him : so now that ha forsook ihe Lord, and turned after other
gods, the Lord stirred up adversaries against hirn on every hand.
Of these, Hadad the Edomite was one; who being of the king's
seed in Edom. and but a Utile child, at the tirae that David bi-ought
Edora into siiiijection. and Joab cut off all the males there, of which
see 2 Sara. viii. 14, with 1 Kings xi, IS, 16, 17, was by his father's
• A, iM. 3018.

TART .-tl. SACKED inSTCKY 413
servants conveyed into Egypt, and presented unto Fharaoh king of
Egypt; from whom he found so great fivour, that he not only gavo
him protection and maintenance, but when he was grown up, be-
etowed on him in marriage the sister of his own vvif;-, queen Tab-
penes. But when Hadad understood that both king David and his
general Joab were dead, he pi'evailed with Pharaoh to send him
back to his own country Edom, from whence he did mischief to Israel.
Besides hira, God siirred up another adversary to Solomon, one
Eezon the son of Eliadah ; who flying from his lord Hadadezar, king
of Zobah, had gathered a band of men unto him, over whom he be
came a capiain, and seizing on Damascus, reigned therein over
Syria, and was an enemy lo Israel all the days of Solomon's de
clining from the way of the Lo^d.
Another adversary, and in the event the worst of them aU, was
Jeroboam, the son of Nebal, an Ephralhite of Zereda, a subject and
eervant of Solomon's whom the king, when he built Millo, or the fort-
ress, and repaired the breaches of the city of David, observing to
be both a mighty raan of valour and very industrious in his business,
made ruler over aU the charge of the house of Joseph.
Him the Lord singled out lo be a scourge to Solomon's house;
and, in order thereunto, sent the prophet Ahijah, the Shilonitc, to
meet him in the way when he was gone out of Jerusalem. And they
two being alone in the field, the prophet caught hold of the nevv gar
ment that was on hira, and having rent it into twelve pieces, said to
Jeroboam, take the ten pieces, ' For thus saith the Lord, the God
of Israel: Behold, I will rend the kingdora out of the hand of Solo-
mon, and wiU give ten tribes to thee, because they have forsaken
me, and have worshipped Ashteroth, the godde.ss of the Zidonians ;
Chemosh the god of the Moabites ; and M!lcora,the god of the chil-
dren of Ammon ; and have not walked in my ways, to do that which
is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as
did David his father.
' For this cause I wUl afHict the seed of David, but not forever ;
neither wiU I take the whole kingdora out of Solomon's hand: but
he shaU have one (entire) tribe, for ray servant David's sake, and for
the sake of Jerusalera (the city which I have chosen out of all the-
tribes of Israel) that Duvid ray servant raay ha-re a light (of royal
splendor) always before me in Jerusalera. And because ray servant
David, whora I chose, kept ray commandments and my statutes, I
will, for his sake, continue his son Solomon prince) over Israel dur
ing his Ufe ; but I will take the kingdora out of his sons's hand,
end wiU give it unto thee, even ten tribes. And I wiU take thee and
thou shalt be king over all Israel, and shalt reign according to thy
heart's desire. And if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command
thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that which is right in my
light, to keep my .statutes and my commandments, as David my ser-

414 SACRED HISTORY. . PART m»
m
vant did, then wUl I be With thee, and btuld thee a sure house, as I
built for David, and wUl give Israel unlo thee.'
Though Jeroboam and the prophet were alone' in a field by them
selves, when this passed between them, yet Solomon soon got notice
ofit, and sought to kill Jeroboam upon it; but he, making his escape^
fled unto Shishak king of Egypt, and there abode with him untU the
deatii of Solomoh, to which the course ofthe history hath now brought
us. For we read no more of his life or acts, bul that having reigned
in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years, he sfept witii his. fathers,
and was buried in the city of his father David.
For the rest of his acts, and all that be did, and his wisdom, of
which, no doubt, many and various instances raust occur, in the-
forty years' reign of so greal and so wise a prince, we are here re
ferred to the book of the acts of Solomon ; a book questionless lost
with other excellent pieces of his. In 2 Chron^ ix,. 29, for a further
account of the acts of irolomon, first and last, we are referred to the
book of Nathan the prophet, to the prophecy of Ahijah the prophet,.
and to the visions of Iddo the seer ; none of which are now extant^
at least under those tities.
Conceming Solomon, and his latter end, the opinions of raen are
different ; but that seems the most charitable, which concludes he re.
penled in his old age, returned lo God, and humbUng himself before
the Lord, wrote his book called Koheleth, Eoolesiastes, or the Preach
er, as an acknowledgment of his own apostacy, and a warning or
admonition, with instruction to all othei's to beware of, and resist,
the vanities of the world.
Concerning his age also there is some difference. Hugh Brough
ton gives him but eight and fifty years, 1 Kings xii, 2 Chron. x.
Eichard Blome, in his history of the Old and New Testament, quarto
edition, whora for chronology I generally follow, makes him above
sixty years of age. But that rnust be a mistake, if, as he also ack
nowledges, he came to the throne at eighteen ; for it is expressly
said, the time of his reign was forty years, 1 Kings xi. 42, 2 Chron.
ix. 30, whioh makes his age lo be but fifty-eight years.
Solomon being dead, Rehoboam, his son and successor, went to
Shechem, whither aU Israel were gathered together lo make him
king.* But being somevthat uneasy under tbe burdens his father
had laid upon them, partiy, perhaps, in personal service towards hia
buUdings : and partly also by bis purveyors, for provisions for his
house, of which the account rises high, in 1 Kings iv, they were
willing to make some better terms for themselves before they set
the crown upon his head.
Wherefore having sent, and called Jeroboam out of Egypt as tha
man they thought most likely to awe Ilehoboam, and bring him tf
•A. M. 3029.

PART in. SACRED HISTORY. 415
a reasonable compliance wilh their desires, the whole congregation
of Israel, having Jeroboam at the head of thera, and probably their
spokesman, thus spake unto Eehoboam :
'Thy father made our yoke grievous; now, therefore, make thou
the grievous service of thy father easier, and his heavy yoke, which
he put upon us, lighter, and we vviU serve thee.'
Eehoboam, nol thinking it safe, in so weighty a matter, to give
an hasty ansvver, but wilUng to be advised, before he resolved on a
proposition of so greal moment, bid them depart for three days, and
then come to him again for an answet*, which they did.
Meanwhile, consufting with the old men, who had been counseUor*
to his father Solomon; and asking them how they would advise
him to answer the people, they said, ' If thou wilt be a servant
unto this people this day, and wUl answer them kindly, and give
them good words, they will be thy servants forever.'
This good counsel not suiting Eehoboam 's evil humour, he laid
il aside ; and betaking himself to his young counseUors, that were
grown up wnh him, he asked them what answer they would advise
bun to give. They, Uke young men indeed, that had more heat than
judgment, advised hira lo tell the people who came lo desire a re
dress of grievances, that his Utile finger, using a proverbial speech,
should be thicker than his father's loins ; and whereas they had com
plained that his father had loaded them with a heavy yoke, he would
add to their yoke, and make it more heavy; and if they thought his
father had chastised them with whips, they should find he would
chastise them wilh scorpions. Where, by scorpions, is meant a sort
of scourges, made of leathern thongs, at the ends of which were fast
ened either littie bones, or plummets of lead, or sharp thorns, to
make the punishment the sharper. See Godwyn's Moses and Aaron,
1. V. c. 8.
Eehoboam, for age, was past a child, and old enough, one would
think, to have preferred the advice of his old counseUors ; for he was
one and forty years old, 1 Kings xiv. 21. But, Quos vult pcrdere
Dens, has elemental ; whom God will destroy, he bereaves of under
standing. The cause was of the Lord, that he might perform his
saying, which he had spoken by his prophet Ahijah, the Shilonile, to
Jeroboam the son of Nebal, chap. xi. 30, 31. Therefore was Eeho<
beam so void of understanding, that rejecting the good advice of his
grave counsellors, he closed with the counsel of his young hot
headed companions. And when Jeroboam, with the people, came to
him on the third day for his answer, 2 Kings xii, 1 Cbron. x, he
roundly gave it them in those harsh terms, which his young counsel
lors had dictated to him.
But no sooner had the people heard the answer, which put them
out of all hopes of redress, but tiiey, that is, the ten tribes, cried out
tinanimously, « What portion have we in David ? nefther have we

4iC SACUED HISTORY. PART III.
fnheritancc in the son of Jesse; every man to your tents, O Israel;
and novv see to thy own house, David,' (look to thyself Rehoboam,
David's son, .stand ou thy own legs, and e.xpcet no help from us.)
And in this heat they departed to their tents.
Being f:one, Rehoboam, to try their temper, sent lo them one of
his prims niinisters, Adoram, who vvas over the tribute; but they
fell presently up.in him, and stoned him to death. This made Reho
boam concludo they were in earnest, and think it high tirae to con
sult his own safety; wherefore with speed getting into his chariot, he
fled to Jerusalem, sensible of his error too late.
Meanwhile, those len tribes, which had thus revolted from the
house of David, and which, thenceforward, in distinction from the
house of Judah, bare the name of Israel, calling Jeroboam unto the
congreg'ation, mado him king over them.
Thus was that great and goodly kingdom, as a punishment for tho
idolatry of their king, hastened to execution by the haughty rashness
of his son and successcr, even almost in its very infancy split into
two very unequal parts, ten against two; which yet raust be under
stood hy a synecdoche ]Mrl is; the greater parton efther side being
taken for the whole. For some of the tribes, in drawing out the lots
of their possessions, being intermixed with others, as Manasseh had
divers towns in Issachar and in Asher, Josh .xvii. 11, and Simeon's
inheritance vvas within the inheritance of the children of Judah Josh.
xix. 1, such of ihe children of Israel as dwelt in the cities of Judah,
continued their subjection to Eehoboam, 1 Kings xii. 17. And per
haps sorae part of the tribo of Benjamin, bordering upon some of
the other tribes that feU away to Jeroboam, might go along with their
neighbours, and take him for their king; which might give ground
for that saying in the text, ver. 20. There vvas none, that is, no
entire tribe, that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah
ouly. For otherwise wo find all along, that Benjamin th?.t is, the
main body of that tribe clave to tho house of David, in conjunction
with the tribe of Judah.
Eehoboam resenting the afi'ronl done hira by the Israelites, in
kniing Ills treasurer, Adoram ; and resolving to reduce those his re
bellious subjects, to tiieir obedience by force of arras, to vvhich, it is
likely, his hot spur counsellors were not backward lo excite him, as
soon as ho was got safe to Jerusalera, he assembled all the house of
Judah ; out of which, together with the tribe of Benjamin, he mustered
an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were war
riors, (o fight against the house of Israel, that he might bring that
kingdom again under his subjection.
But when he was upon his march, the word of God came unto
Phemaiah, the man of God, commanding him to speak unto Eeho
boam, and un'o cU the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to tho
remnant of the people, which, in 2 Chron. xi. 3. is called, aU Is»

PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 417
rael in Judah and Benjamin, which I take to be all those of tho
other tribes, which vvere intermixed with either of those two tribes,
and to say'unlo them, ' Thus safth the .Lord, ye shaft not go up nor
fight against your brethren the chUdren, of Israel. Eeturn every
man to his house: for this thing is of rae,' 1 Kings xu, 2 Chron. xi.
Which message being delivered to thera, they obeyed the word of
the Lord, and retumed from going against Jeroboam
This dangerous storm being thus by a divine breath blown over,
each of the kings used his endeavours to settie and strengthen himself
in his kingdom, but after different manners. For Eehoboam dwelling
at Jerusalem, built very many cities for defence in Judah and in Ben
jamin ; fortifying the strong-holds, and placing bis own sons for
captains in thera, with store of provisions and ammunition: where
by he made them exceeding strong
But that which strengthened hira most, and gave him the greatest
advanlE^ over his rival, Jeroboam, was his and his people's cleav
ing to the Lord, and keeping the law of God ; which at first, for a
while, they did : for il is said, « They waUced for three years in the
way of Darid and Solomon ;' which, with respect lo Solomon, must
be understood of the tirae, either before he fell into idolatry, or after
he repented and returned from it.
Jeroboara, on the contrary, caUing to mind, that by the law of
God, Deut. xvi. 16, aU the males of Israel were to appear before the
Lord three times a year, in the place which he should choose, which
was now at Jerusalem, the royal seat of Eehoboam's kingdom, he
Concluded that this would be a raeans lo divest hira of his new king
dom. For, said he, within biraself, ' If this people go up to do sac
rifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then will their heart
turn again to their Lord, and they wiU kUl me, and go again to
£ehoboara king of Judah.'
Distrust brought fear, and fear led to evil counsel j for, to prevent
this surmised danger, it is said he look counsel either of his own eril
heart, or some inslrumenls as wicked as himself, and raade two
calves of gold; representing thereby the gods of the Egyptians
amongst whom he, for some lime past, had lived an exile. And
tmder preten-ce of easing his subjects of the toil and expence of going
up to Jerusalem lo worship, he said unto them, ' Il is too much for
you to go up to Jerusalem : Behold thy gods, 0 Israel, which brought
thee out of the land of Egypt."
These calves he set, the one in Beth-el, the other in Dan: the
former in ths southern quarter, the latter in the northern part of his
kingdom, that he might accoramodate his people each way, and
prevent their going up lo Jerusalem. But this thing became a sin,
and is branded for devil-worship, 2 Chron. xi 15.
Jeroboam made also an house of high places, which the marginal
VOL. I. — 27

418 SACRED HISTORY. PART IH.
note in the Bisliop's Bible calls, A temple,* where altars were built
for idolatry ; and priests he raade of the lowest of the people, who
were nol of the sons of Levi. For he and his sons cast out the
priests and Levites, not suffering thera to execute the priest's office
unto the Lord: which raade the priestS and the Levites throughout
Israel forsake their suburbs, their possessions, and betake theraselves
to Judah and Jerusalem for shelter 'and raainiainance. .And after
them came also to Jerusalem, out of all the tribes of Israel, such
asset their hearts to seek the Lord God cf Israel, to sacrifice unto
the Lord God of their fathers. By which msans Rehoboam, and
the kingdom of Judah was very much strengthened.
And whereas God had appointed the .feast of tabernacles to begin
on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, Lev. xxiii. 34-, Jeroboam
appointed his fea.st to begin on the fifteenth day of the eighth month:
whioh tiierefore is called, in contempt. The month whieh he had de
vised of his own heart. And perhaps he might have tiiis reach in
his mind, in settling his wrong feast a month after the right feast at
Jerusalem, that the people of Judah, their own fi:ast being over,
might have opportunity to come to this feast of his, if curiosity and
desire of novelty would draw them.f
Al this feast of his own appointing, vvhUe Jeroboam the long slood
by his altar at Bethel, lo offer sacrifice lo the calf ihal he had sel up
there, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord,
and crying against the altar, in the word of the Lord, he said, ' O
altar, altar, thus saith the Lord, behold a child shall be born unto the
house of David, Josiah by narae ; and upon thee shaU he offer the
priests of the high places, that burn incense upon thee, and men's
bones shaU be burnt upon thee.'
And because this was a prophecy of a future event vvhich none
there present could live to see, for Josiah, of whom this was predicted,
was not born till three hundred years after; therefore the man of God,
to confirm his prophecy, gave a sign which they should see per
formed the sarae day. ¦ This, said he, is the sign which the Lord
bath spoken ; behold, the altar shaU be rent, and the ashes that are
upon it shaU be poured out'
As soon as Jeroboara had heard the saying of the man of God,
who had cried against the altar in Bethel, he put forth his hand
frora the aftar, and said. Lay hold on him; bul his hand, which he
put forth against the man of God, dried up ; so that he cnuld not
puU it in again to hira. The altar also was rent, and the ashes
poured out from it, according to the sign which fhe man of God
had given by the word of the Lord.
Whieh'wben the king saw, and withal fell himself deprived of tne
jse of his hand, his stout heart for the present relenting, he said
• 1 Kings xiil t A. M. 3030.

PART III. SACRED HISTORT. 419
unto ths man of God, ' Intreat now tiie face of tha Lord thy God,
and pray for ms, that ray hand may be restored rae again.' Where
upon the man of God beseeching ihe Lord for him, ihs king's hand
was I'jstoreJ lo him again, and bscains as it was bsforo.
Tho king, sensible of so great a benefit inviieJ the man of God
to go bom:! with him, and refresh himself; offering withal to give
him u reward. But the raan of God ref'use.'l ; and without any com-
plim-snt, plainly told the king, If he would give him half his house, he
would not go ill vvith him, neither would he cat or drink in that place.
For so, said he, was il charged me by the word of the Lord, saying,
' Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by tho same way that
thou earnest.'
And accordingly the man of God went another way, and returned
not by the way that he came to Bethel. Yet he had the unhappiness
to be betrayed through his too easy credulity'; and was drawn into
that snare, lo the loss of his life, by the false in,sinuationsof another,
whioh the kindness and- bounty of king Jeroboam hadin vain tempted
him unto. And tiius it happened :
There dwelt at that lime in Bethel an old prophet, whose sons,
having been abroad, carae horae, and told tiieir father all the raan of
God had done and said at the altar ; which when the old prophet had
heard, he inquired of thera which way the raan of God went ; and
caUing for his ass, rode after him. And having found him setting
under an oak, hs invited him to go homo with hira, and eat bread.
The raan of God frankly told him what the coraraand of the Lord
vvas to him, and how strict a charge he had received, not to eat or
drink in that place, nor to go back by the same way that he carae.
But the old prophet told him, that he vvas a prophet as well as he;
and that an angel had spoken to him by the word of the Lord, and
had bidden hiin brinrr hira back with hira into his house, that he niijrht
eat and drink; in vvhich, alas ! he lied unto him, Kings xiii.
Thus the good man, by giving heed to a pretended message from
an angel, deUvered to hira at second hand by a man. and that too,
one ho knew not, contrary to an express comraand from God him
self given iminetliately to hiraseff, and miraculously confirmed to him,
suffered himself to be misled to his own ruin. For going baek with
the old prophet, to his house, the word of the Lord carae to the old
prophet, as they sat eating and drinking at the table; and ho there.
upon cried unto the man of God that carae frora Judah, Thus saith
the Lord, 'Forasrauch as thou bast disobeyed the mouth ofthe
Lord (the word which thou hadst from his own mouth) and hast not
kept the commandment which the Lord, thy God commanded thee;
but caraest ba^ck, and bast eaten bread and drank water in the place,
of which the Lord did say to thee. Eat no bread, and drink no
water there ; thy dead body shall not como unto the sepulchre of tl»y
fathers.'

420 SACRED HISTORY. PART III,
This, we may conclude, was an hard sentence to the raan of God;
and the harder, for that il carae from the mouth of him who had been
the mischievous Instrument to betray bim into that guilt, which had
drawn this judgment on him. But as it was atrial to him, may he
be a warning to others !
-Now after the raan of God had eaten and drank, and was going
horaewards, a lion met him by the way, and slew him, and bis dead
body was cast in the way, and the ass on which he rode stood 'oy il,
and the lion also ; for the Uon did not eat tiie body, nor tear the
ass, which was an argument that this was not an accidental thing,
and that the Uon did not kiU the man for hunger, since he did not
prey upon the body, nor upon the ass.
The report of ihis vvas soon brought by passengers that observed
it, to the city where the old prophet dwelt; who no sooner heard it,
bul he said, ' It is the man of God, who was disobedient unlo the
word of the Lord : therefore the Lord hath delivered bim unto the
lion, which hath slain him, according lo the word of the Lord which
he spake unto him.' Then calUng for his ass, he rode to the place,
and finding the dead body cast in the way, with the ass and the Uon
yet standing by, he took up the body of the raan of God, and laying
it upon the ass, brought it back lo the city, that he might mourn over
il, and bury it : and having laid the body in his own grave, he, with
his family, mourned over the man of God, saying, ' Alas my brother ! '
Then charging his sons, he said : ' When I am dead, bury me in the
sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried, and lay my bones be
side his bones : for the saying which he cried, by the word of the
Lord, against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the
high places, which are in the cities of Samaria, shaU surely come
to pass.'
The latter part of this sentence, viz. against all the houses of the
high-places which are in the cities of Samaria, may be supposed to
have been added by the compiler of tbis book of the Kings, who
herein speaks according to the Ume wherein he lived. For we read
nol in the story before, ver. 1, 2, 3, that the man of God cried against
any other, either place or thing, but that altar at Bethel. Nor was
the city Samaria buift when this was transacted; nor until Omri,
having possessed himself of the Israelitish throne, near fifty years
after, bought the hiU Samaria of Shemer for two talents of sftver,
and having built the city on it, called it, after the name of Shemer,
Shoraeron, or Samaria, 1 Kings xvi. 24.
A thing so remarkable and so public, as was the deatn of this man
of God, may nol be supposed could be hid from Jeroboam, 1 Kings
xiii. And very likely il is, that although Jeroboara, at the first was
startied, wilh the visible sign of the rending of his altar and the sen
sible loss of the use of his hand; yet he quickly got over both, and
strengthened hiraseff the more in his rebeUion agauist God, wheu he

PART IU. SACRED HISTORY. 421
understood wliat had befallen the raan that had prophesied against his
altar. For it foUows in the text, ' After this thing, Jeroboam returned
not from his evil way : bul made again, of the lowest of the people
priests of the high places : so that whosoever would, he consecrated
hira to be a priest of those places : and tbis thing became sin unto
the house of Jeroboam, not only to out it off from the kingdom, bul
even to destroy it frora off the face of the earth.' And who knows
but that, as after Pharaoh king of Egypt had wilfully hardened him
seff against God, the Lord suffered many things to befaU him for
his further obduration ; so Jeroboam, having knowingly and resolvedly
rebelled against God, in setting up his calves, whereby he not only
grievously sinned himself, but caused Israel also to sin, the Lord
might suffer this lo befaU his prophet, not only to he a general warn-
ing to others, how they varied frora tiie command of the Lord, bul
for a stumbling-block in particular to Jeroboara; as he afterwards
threatened a people, who by their sins had highly provoked him, that
he would lay sturabUng-blocks before them, Jer. vi. 21.
But if Jeroboam was very bad, Eehoboam was not very good, 1
Kings xiv, 2 Chron. xu. As Nero, the Eoman emperor, had his
quinquennium, a five years good reign, before he degenerated so
fouUy ; so king Eehoboam had his triennium, a three years good reign,
wherein he walked in the way of David, 2 Chron. xi. 17, before he
forsook the Lord. But after those three years were over, he and his
people Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and provoked him to
jealousy vrith their sins that they comraitted, above all that their
fathers had done. For they also built them high places and iraages,
and groves on every high hill, and tmder every green tree : and there
were Sodoraites also in the land, and they did according to aU the
aborainations of the nations, which the Lord had cast oul before the
children of Israel.
Wherefore the Lord chastised them by Shishak king of Egypt,
who, in the fffth year of Eehoboam, carae up against Jersualera with
twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horseraen, and an
innuraerable company of people with hira out of Egypt, the Lubims,
the Sukkims, and the Ethiopians : ajid vrith this great array, hav
ing taken the fenced cities which belonged to Judah and Benjamin,
he marched to Jerusalera.
And when fear had seized upon thera, carae Shemaiab the prophet
to Eehoboara, and to the princes of Judah, who were gathered to-
tether because of Shishak, and tiiis short raessage he delivered to
them : Thus saith the Lord, ' Ye have forsaken me ; and therefore
have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.'
When they heard this, both the princes and the king, humbUng
themselves, said, The Lord is righteous. And when the Lord saw that
they hurabled theraselves, the word of the Lord came to the prophet
Shemaiab again, saying. They have hurabled themselves; 'there-

422 SACKED HISTORY, PART III,
fore I wiU not destroy them, bul I will grant them Some' deliverance,
and my wrath shaft not be poured fuUy out upon Jerusalem by the
hand of Shishak; neverthele.ssthsy shaft be his servants, that they may
know the diff'erence between my service, and the service of the king
doms of the countries.'
So the king of Egypt, entering Jerusalem, took away the treasures
of the house of the Lord, 1 Kings xiv, 2 Chron. xii, the Lord so
permitting it, and the treasures of the king's house, he even took
away all ; carrying away also the shields of gold which Solomon had
raade, 2 Chmn. ix. 15, 16. Instead of which, king Rehoboam after
wards made shields of brass, and committed them 10 the care of the
chief of his guards that kept the entrance of the king's house; and
when the king entered into the house ofthe Lord, the guards came and
fetched ths shitld.s, and brought them again into the guard-chamber.
As this depredation by the Egyptian king brought heaviness upon
Judah, so another occasion offered, which brought sorrow upon the
IsraeUtish court. For young Abijah, king Jeroboam's son, a prince
of good hopo; falling sick, the king, his father, wilUng to know ofthe
prophet Abijah what would become of the child, yet nol wiUing the
prophet should know that it was his child, desired his wife lo dis
guise herself, that il might not be known who she was, and so to
go and inquire of the prophet. Wherein he sufficientiy shewed bis
folly, in thinking the prophet, as a prophet, could tell what should
become of tho child, and yet oould not tell whose child it was.
The quocn, however, disguising herself, as her husband had direc
ted, and taking with her a present for the prophet of ten loaves of .
bread, some wafer -cakes, and a cruse or pol of honey, went to Shiloh,
to the houso where tho prophet Ahijah dwelt.
He, good man, through extreme age, had lost his sight. But be
fore she carae in, the Lord had said unto hira, behold, the wife of
Jeroboam coraeth lo ask a thing of Ihee for her son. for he is sick :
thus, and thus, shalt thou say unto her, for she wiU feign herseff
to be another woraan.
When therefore Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came
in at the door, ho said, ' Come in, thou wife of Jeroboara ; why feign-
est thou thyself to bc another ? for I am sent to thee vvith heavy news.'
Then, without staying for her message to him, he b-?gan his message
thus : Go, tell Jeroboam, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Foras-
•much as I exalted thse frora araong the people, and raade thoe prince
over my jieople Israel, and rent the kingdom away from the houso of
David, and gave it to thee, and yet thou hast not been as my .servant
D^ivid, vvho kept my ccinmandrnents. and who foUowerl me vvith aU
his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes, but hai^t done
evU above aU that vvcre before thee (for thou hast gone and mado theo
other gods, and molten iraagos, to provoke mc to ang^r, and hast
cast nie behind thy back :) therefore, behold, 1 will bring evil upon

PART m SACRED HISTORV. 423
the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male,
and him that is shut up and left in Israel ; and will take away the
remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man tuketh away dung, till
it be all gone. Him that dielh of Jeroboam in tiie city shall the dogs
eat ; and him that dielh in the field shaU the fowls of the air eat ; for
the Lord God hath spoken it. Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine
own house ; and when thy feet shall enter in, the child shall die : and
aU Israel shall mourn for hira and bury him, because in hira there is
found some good thing to'wards the Lord God of Israel, in the house
of Jeroboam. Moreover, added he, the Lord will raise hira up a king
over Israel, vvho shall cut off the house of Jeroboara in that day.'
Then stopping on a stidden (as it were correcting himself) he said,
'But what, even now.' By those abrupt speeches, signifying, that he
needed not have spoken in the future lenss [the Lord will raise him
up a king:] for he was even now already in being. Then pursuing
his former subject, he added, 'Forthe Lord will smite Israel as a
reed is shaken in the water, 1 Kings .xiv, 2 Chron. xii, (that is, by
continual comraotionsin the kingdora ;) and he will root up Israel out
of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and will scatter
them beyond the river Euphrates, because thoy have raade their
groves, provoking the Lord to anger; and he wiU give up Israel,
because of the sins of Jeroboam, who not only sinned hiinself, but
made Israel also to sin.'
With this doleful message Jemboara's wife departing, returned to
Tirzah, which was ih<en the royal city before Samaria vvas built and
when she carae to the threshold of the door, the child died, Aud
they buried him. and all Israel mourned for him, accoi'ding to the word
of ihe Lord, which he spake by his servant Ahijati the prophet.
As for Reholwam, the king of Judah, though he Uved twelve years
afier Shishak king of Egypt had sacked Jerusalera, and brought him
into subjection ; yet wc read not much of his public acts afterwards.
It is said, indeed, there were wars between Eehoboara and Jeroboam
continually, 2 Chron. xii. 15: but with what success is not raentioned.
Of his wives and children there is mention, 2 Chron. xi. 18 , and he
seems to be an u.xorious man. for he is said to have desired a multi
tude of wives, ver. 23. And it appears he took eighteen wives and
threescore concubines, and begat eight and twenty sons and three
score daughters. And as of all his wives and concubines be loved
Maachah best (vvho is also called Michaiah, 2 Chron. xiii. 2. and thera
said to bo the daughter of Uriel of Gibea; but in 2 Chron. xi. 21,
she is called the daughter of Absalom, as in 1 Kings xv. 2, the daugh
ter of Abish'alom, from vvhich, by contraction, is drawn Absalom;
nol the rebellious son of David, whose issue failed. 2 Sam. xviii. 18,
but another of Gibeah in Benjamin, who is supposed to be the father
of Uriel, and .so Maachah to be grand daughter of this Abishalom or
Absalom) so of all his .sons, he made Abijah. called also Abijam, 1

424 SACEED HISTOEY. PART HI.
Kings xiv. 31, whom he had by his beloved wife Maachah, chief ;
preferring him to be ruler among his brethren, as designing him for
his successor in the kingdora, 2 Chron. xi. 21,22.
And though, frora his iU-advised answer to his people at his coming
to the crown, whereby he lost len parts oul of twelve of his kingdora,
he is in coraraon speech branded with folly ; yet, with respect to his
administration, after he was settled in the government, he is said lo
have dealt wisely, ver. 23. However, in the seventeenth year of his
reign, which was the eight and fiftieth year of his age, he slept with
his fathers, and vvas buried in the city of David, and Abijah his son
reigned ui his stead.
It was in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam king of Israel,* that
Abijah began to reign over Judah. And though his reign was but
short, for he reigned but three years, yet he did more than his father
had done in his longer reign of seventeen years. For, resolving to
give battle to Jeroboara, he led forth an army of valiant men of war,
consisting of four hundred thousand fighting men.
Jeroboara too, as be had a larger kingdom, intending to overpower
him with numbers, 1 Kings xv, drew tip an army against him, of
eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour.
Abijah, nothing daunted at the double number of his enemy's
forces, when the battie was set in array on both sides, standing up
upon mount Zemeraim, which is mount Ephraim, th'js bespake the
adverse army :
' Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel. Ought ye not to know,
thatthe Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David
forever; even to him, and to his sons, by a covenant of salt (which,
as the property of it is to preserve things from putrefaction, is an
emblem of duration and stability ; ) yet Jeroboam the son of Nebal,
the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and both re-
beUed against his lord, and there gathered unto him vain men, the
children of BeUal, and have strengthened themselves against Reho
boam the son of Solomon, when Eehoboara was but young (in the
government) and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them. And
now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord, in the hand of
the sons of David, and ye be a great multitude ; and there are with
you golden calves, which Jeroboam made for gods. Have ye not
cast oul the priests of the Lord, and the Levites ; and have made
you priests after the manner of the people of other lands ? so that
whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and
seven rams (a way of your own devising) the same may be priest
to them that are no gods. But as for us, the Lord is our God, and
we have nol forsaken hira ; and the priests, which minister unto the
Lord, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their biasi-
*A. M.. 3047.

PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 425
ness ; and they bum unto the Lord, every morning and every eve
ning, burnt-sacrifices and sweet incense ; the shew-bread also they
set in order upon the pure table, and the candlestick of gold, with
the lamps thereof, to burn every evening; for we keep the charge
of the Lord our God, but ye have forsaken hira. And behold, God
himself is with us for our captain ; and his priests, with sounding
trumpets, are ready to cry alarra against you. Wherefore, O chil
dren of Israel ! fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers,
for ye shall not prosper.'
While thus Abijah was expostulating with the Israelitish array,
Jeroboam, more mindful how be might, by adding policy lo force,
obtain the raore full and easy victory, caused a part of his array to
fetch a corapass, and place themselves in ambush behind Judah. So
that when Abijah had ended his oration, the raen of Judah, looking
back, found theraselves inclosed by their eneraies, battle being both
before and behind thera.
In this strait they cried unto the Lord, and the priests sounded
with the trumpets : then gave the men of Judah a shout, and God,
regarding the cry of Judah, smote Jeroboam and Israel before Abijah
and Judah. Whereupon the children of Israel fled before Judah ;
and God having delivered thera into their hand, Abijah and his peo
ple slew them with a very great slaughter; so that there fell down
slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.
Very memorable was tbis battle, and may well be reckoned for
one ofthe battles ofthe Lord ; wherein four hundred thousand men,
under the disadvantage of an ambush, put eight hundred thcusand
vaUant men to flight, and slew five hundred thousand of them upon
the place.
Thus the children of Israel, who were whoUy feUen away lo gross
idolatry were brought under al that time ; and the children of Judah^
though not so good as they should have been, yet comparatively good,
as being better than Israel, prevailed, because Ihey, at this lime at
least, reUed upon the Lord God of their fathers.
The battle being over, Abijah, that he might improve his victory^
pursued afler Jeroboara, and took frora him divers considerable cities,
"with the towns and territories belonging to them, of which Bethel
was one, where Jeroboam had set up one of his calf-idols ; by which
means Jeroboam was so weakened, that he never recovered strength
again in the days of Abijah.
But Abijah grew very great; and having enlarged his family, by
msurrying fourteen wives, and begetting two and twenty sons, and
sixteen daughters, he slept with his fathers, which is a periphrasis of
dying, and was buried in the city of David. The rest of his acts,
and his ways and sayings, were recorded in the commentaries of
Iddo the prophet, a book long since lost.
To Abijah suoeoeded his son Asa in the kingdora of Judah, in the

426 SACEED HISTORy. PART UI.
twentieth year of the reign of Jeroboara over Israel.* And because
his heart was psrfect with the Lord, and he did that vvhich was right
and good in the eyes of the Lord his God, he had a peaceable entry
to his throne, and the land was quiet for the first ten years of hi»
reign, that he might reform the abuses which bad been brought in
under the former reigns. Accordingly applying himself to ihe work,
he first removed the Sodomites out of the land. Then he took away
the altar.s of the strange gods and the high places, 2 Chron. xiv, as
far as he could, and brake down the iraages, and cut down the
groves, throughout all the cities of Judah. .And because Maachah,
his mother, had made au idol in a grove, he not only destroyed her
idol, bul removed her from being queen. And having brought into
the house of the Lord the holy things, vvhich his father and himself
had dedicated, vessels of silver and of gold, he coramanded Judah
to seek tho Lord God of their fathers, and to keep the law.
In this time also of peace and tranquility he builded cities iu Ju
dah, whicii he fenced vvith walls and towers, and with gates and
bars, for the strength and security of his kingdom.
Eut after this ten years' time of quiet, a storm rose upon Judah;
for Zerah, tiie Ethiopian king.t came forth against them with a mighty
host. Asa wEts not unprovided, but had a considerable array in
readiness, of five hundred and fourscore thousand vaUant fighting
men, well armed, which he led forth against the Ethiopians. But
-Zerah 's host was well nigh double the number; for it consisted of a
thousand thousand fighting men, besides three hundred chariots.
King Asa, sesing himself so much over-matched in number, betook
himself to, the Lord his God for help; and in an humble confidence
crying unlo him. said, ' Lord, It is nothingwiih thee to help, whether
with many, or with them that have no power. Help us, O Lord our
God, fbr we rely on thee, and in thy name we go against this mul
titude. 9 Lord, thou art our God, let no man prevaU against thee.'
So acceptable vvas this short but hearty-prayer of Asa's to tho
Lord, that he thereupon smote the Ethiopians, and caused them to fly
before Asa and Judah, who pursued them even to Gerar, which sig
nifies a striving, where they received so great an overthrow, that
they could not recover themselves. Wherefore Asa and his people
smote all the cities round about Gerar, tiie Lord having struck a terror
into thera ; and when they had taken the spoiis of the cities, which
afforded thera great store of plunder, and the spoil of their enemy's
host, they smoie also the tents of ihora that kept cattie ; and carrying
away sheep and camels in abundance, ihey returned to Jerusalem.
Bul the Spirit of tho Lord coming upon Azariah, the son of Oded,
whom sorae take to bo the same with the prophet Iddo, mentioned
before, chap, xiii. 22, he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him,
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P'ART III. SACRED HISTORY. 427
?Hear ye me, Asa, and aU Judah and Benjamin, the Lord is with
you, while ye are with him: if ye seek him he-will be found of you
(as ye have had e.\perience in this expedftion ; ) but notwithstanding
that, if ye forsake him he wiU forsake you,' 1 Kings .xv, 2 Chron. xv.
Novv, for a long season, Israel had been without the true God, and
without a teaching priest, and without law. And in those times there
was no safely, either in going out, or coming in, but great vexations
were upon all the inhabitants of the countries, and nation was de
stroyed of nation, and city of city; for God did vex thera vvith all
adversity. Bul when in their trouble they did tum unto the Lord
God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them. 'Be ye
strong, therefore, and let nol your hands be weak, for your work shall
be rewarded.'
When Asa had heard these words, and the prophecy also of Oded
the prophet, or rather, perhaps, of Ahijah the prophet, raentioned in
1 Kings xiv, from ver. 7 to 17, and recorded by Oded, which il is
probable Azariah might then shew bira, he took courage, and jiut
away the rest of the abominable idols out of aft the land of Judah
and Benjamin, and out nf the cities which he bad taken from mount
Ephraim ; and having renewed ihe aUar of the Lord, vvhich was be
fore the porch of the Lord's house, he gathered together all Judah
and Benjamin, and the strangers with them, out of Ephraim and Man
asseh, and out of Simeon, for -so they are called, who out of the otber
tribes fell to hira ; aad they fell to him oul of Israel in abundance,
when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. And being thus
assembled at Jerusalem in tihe tfeird month, in vvhich the feast of
weeks, or of harvest, coramanded by God, Exod. xxiii. 16, and Deut
xvi, 16, happened to fall in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa, they
offered unto the Lord, of the spoil vvhich they had brought, seven
hundred o.xen, and seven thousand sheep ; and at the sarae tirao
entered into a covenant, that they would seek the Lord God of their
fethers vvith aU their heart and soul, so thail whosoever, whether smaU
or great, man or woman, would not seek the Lord God of Israel,
should be put to death. This covenant they confirmed by oath unto
the Lord, vvhich they look so cheerfully and heartily, that the Lord
accepted their service therein, and gave them rest round about.
But whUo things thus mended in Judah, sorae considerable chan
ges happened among the Israelites, For Jeroboara did not long
survive the overthrow he had received from Abijah; but beir-g srait-
ten of God. he died in the first or second year of Asa, king of Ju-
dab. And Nadab his son, who succeeded hira both in his kingdom
and in his sins, had scarce completed two years' reign, when Baasha,
of the hou.se of Issachar, conspiring against hira, slew hira at the
siege of Gibbelhon, a town belonging to the Danites, but held then
by the Philistines.
Baasha, by this means possessing himself of .he Israelitish throne.

428 SACBED HISTORY. PART III.
smote aUlhe house of Jeroboam, until he had utterly destroyed him,
not leaving one of his family alive, to the fulfilling the saying of the
Lord, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonile. 1 Kings
XV, 2 Chron. xvi ; ' Because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned,
and which he made Israel sin by his provocation, wherewith he
provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger.'
But though Baasha thus severely executed the just judgment of
God upon Jeroboam's house, yel he himself departed not from Jer-
boam's sins, bul did evU in the sight of the Lord, walking in the
way of Jeroboam, and in his sin, wherewith he made Israel to sin.
For as Jeroboam sel up his idol calves al first, to keep the IsraeUtes,
his subjects, from going up lo worship at Jerusalem, whither God had
commanded thera to go, lest he should thereby lose his people and
kingdora ; so Baasha, observing his subjects out of aU parts of Israel
fell in great numbers to Asa king of Judah, when they saw the Lord
his God was with him, and that he had begun a good work of refor
mation, went up with his forces against Judaih, and built Eamah; lo
the intent that he might let none, any more, go out or corae in to Asa,
king of Judah.
Asa, not thinking biraself strong enough lo encounter Baasha, look
all the sUver and gold that was left in the treasures of tbe bouse of
the Lord, and the treasures of his own house also, and sending them
for a present to Benhadad king of Syria, whose seal was then at Da
mascus, put him in mind, by his ambassadors, of the league that had
ancientiy been between them and their fathers ; requesting him to
break his league with Baasha, and cause him to give over his enter
prise, and to dep-art fron* him.
Benhadad, tempted with so rich a present, sent his armies against
the cities of Israel, and smote divers of them ; which when Baasha
heard of, he left building Ramah, and returned to Tirzah, his royal
eity, for Samaria was not yet built, that he might lake care of his
own affairs. And as soon as Baasha was gone with his forces, Asa,
by proclamation, caUing in all Judah lo the work, pulled down the
building •which Baasha had set up an Ramah, and carrying away tbe
slones and timber thereof, did therewith bulM two cities for himseff,
Gebah of Benjamin and Mizpeh.
Bul while king Asa was thus employed, Hanani the seer came unto
nim, and said, J Kings xvi. 2 Chron. xvi, 'Because thou hast relied
on the king of Syria, and nol on the Lord thy God, therefore is the
host of the king of Syria escaped, out of thy hand ;' that is, have
withdrawn themselves and left thee open to thy eneray, and destitute
of help if he should assault thee again. Then reminding him of the
great deliverance God had formerly given him from Zerah the Ethi
opian king, he put him to consider how great an host the Ethiopians
and Lubims were, much greater than that of Baasha, which he was
so fraid of, and yet, because he then relied on the Lord, the Lord d- ¦

PART HI. SACRED HISTOEY. 429
livered thera into his hands. • For the eyes of the Lord, said the
prophet, run to and fro through the whole earth, that he may shew
himself strong in the behalf of thera whose heart is perfect towards
hira.' Then, for a conclusion, he tells hira plainly and bluntly,
' Herein thou bast done foolishly : therefore from henceforth thou
shalt have wars.'
This plain dealing, though from a man of God, king Asa, as good
as he was, could not brook ; but being wroth wilh the seer, put hira
into prison : for he was in a rage with him because of this thing.
And whether the people look the seer's part, or for what other rea
son, is uncertain; but it seeras the king oppressed some of the peo
ple at the same time.
Belter treatment had Jehu, the son of this Hanani the seer, from
Baasha king of Israel, unto whom the Lord sent hira to denounce
his judgment in these terms :
'Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and raade thee prince
over my people Israel, and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam,
and hast made ray people Israel to sin, and to provoke me to anger
with their sins : behold I wiU take away the posterity of Baasha, and
the poserity of his house, and wiU make thy house Uke the house of
Jeroboam the son of Nebal. Hira that dieth of Baasha in the city,
shaU the dogs eat ; and him that dieth of his in the fields, shall the
fowls of the air eat.'
This was sharp and home ; yel we do nol read that Baasha feU
foul on the prophet for deUvering to him this dreadful doom.
So Uttle agreement is there of chronology in the reigns of these
kings, 1 Kings xvi, 2 Chron. xvi, and sorae others, after the division
of the kingdora, that I will not pretend to give an exact account there
of; especially since the clue I have hitherto mostiy foUowed doth
here, as in some other places, fail rae. '
Probable il is, that Baasha did not live long after the judgraent,
mentioned before, was delivered to him by the man of God. He is
said to have slept with his fathers, and Elah his son lo have succeeded
hira in the sixth and twentieth year of Asa king of Judah, 1 Kings
xri, ver. 6 and 8 ; yet Baasha's expedition against Asa, in order to
buUd Raraah, is said to be in tiie six and thirtieth year of the reign
of Asa, 2 Chron. xvi. I.
Some I know, as Tremellius and Junius to reconcile this differ
ence, would have that six and thirtieth to relate, not to Asa's reign,
bul lo the dale of the kingdom of Judah, from the division of the
kingdora of Israel, al Rehoboam 's coming lo the crown ; and to be
but the fourteenth year of the reign of Asa. But I see not how that
can be, since this expedition of Baasha, for the building of Ramah,
was some time after Asa bad defeated the Ethiopian king; for Han
ani the seer upbraided Asa with having forgotten the deliverance
God had given hira frora the Ethiopians, when be craved help of

430 SACRED HISTOEY. FART IH.
the Syrians against Baasha. And yet that defeat of the Ethiopians,
or at least the covenant for reformation, which thereupon Judah en.
tered into, is expressly placed in the third month of the fifteenth year
of king Asa's reign. So tiiat that six and thirtieth year, in which
Baasha is said to go up to build Ramah, and which seems to have
¦been a good whila after the reformation covenant made in Asa's fif
teenth year, for upon tho making of that covenant, the Lord gave
thera fo.5t round about, 2 Ctiron. xv. 15, can by co good computation
benia'le to be tiie fi>jrteenth year of Asa's reign. I conjecture, there
fore, that this difference has been occasioned through a slip of sorao
transcriber's pen. But leaving others to their own conjectures also,
having given this hint to secure niy.self froni the reader's censure in
point of chronology, too difficuU in these times to be raade e.vacily
out, 1 resume the thread of the story.
Ba'^sha dying in the six and twentieth year of the reign of king
Asa, Elah his son succeeded him, and reigned over Lsrael two years,
or rather part of two years ; for in his second year, he being in Tir
zah, drinking in the liouse of Azra his steward, his servant Zimri,
captain of half his cliariots, having conspired against him, went in and
killed him, in the seven and twentieth year cf Asa, and reigned in
his stead.
And although his reign vvas very short (for he reigned but seven
days) yet in th-at short time, and as .soon as he sat on his throne, as
if be had been raised for nothing else but toe.xcMute the judgment of
the "Lord, denounced by the prophet Jehu against the house of Baa
sha. ho slew all the faraily of Baasha, not leaving him one alive, either
of hia kin?f.)lks or friends.
Meanwhile, the army being encamped against Gibbcthon, then held
from Israel by the Philistines, and hearing there that Zimri had not
only conspired against, but also slain, Elah their king, they made
Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp,
Omri, thereupon raising his siege from before Gibbethon, led his
Bi-ray up to Tirzah, the royal city, and there besieged Zirari,* who,
not able to def'i;nd the place when he suw the city was taken, went
into the royal palace, and setting il on fire, burnt both it, and hira
seff in il, and so died.
Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts; half the
people following Tibni, the son of Ginath, to make him king; and
the other half following Omri; but Omri's party in time prevailing,
Tibni died, and Orari reigned.
He is said to have begun his reign over Israel in the one and thir
tieth year of Asa king of Judah. and to have reigned twelve years;
and his son Ahab to have succeeded hira, in the eight and thirtieth year
of Asa ; which cannot be, unless Omri's twelve years be computed
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PART 111. SACRKD HISTORY. 431
from Elah's death, and take in the lime wherein Tibni and Omri were
conipc-iitoi's Ibr the crown, vvhich is supposed to have been four years;
and on tliai reckoning it will come near the maiic-r.
However. Orari wrought evil in tho eyes of the Lord, and did
worse th'rtu all thai had bsen before him ; lor he ii(,>t only walked in
all Ihe ways of Jeroboara the son of Nebat. and in his s!ii wliere-
wfth ho made Israel to sin, to provoke tha Lord God of Israel to
anger vvith their vanities; but he made laws, called long afier ths
Statutes of Orari, to bind the people thereunto, as appears from the
words of the prophet Micah, chap, vi, IG,
As for his public acts, though it is probable there might be some
that were remarkable, because we are here referred to the book ofthe
Chronicles of the kings of Israel for them, and for his might which
he shewed ; yet iliere being no mention of his acts or of his might,
in tho books of tho Chronicles now extant, we can give no further
account of him, save that he bought the hill of Samaria of Shemer
forivvo talents of silver, in value seven hundred and fifty pounds sterl
ing, and thereupon built the city, vvhich from Shemer he called Sa
maria, and vvhich was afterwards the metropolis and royal seat of the
IsraeUtish kingdom, '
To hira succeeded Ahab his son, in tbe eight and thirtieth year
of Asa king of Judah, who reigning two and twenty years over Israel
in Samaria, did so far outstrip his father in wickedness, that he is
said to have done evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were
before hira : and to have provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger
more than aU the kings of Israel that went before hira had done.
For as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of
Jeroboam ihe son of Nebat, he took to wife Jezebel, the daughter of
Ethbaal king of the Zidonians; and having thereupon built an house
for Baal in Samaria, and reared up an aftar to Baal therein, he served
Baal, and worshipped hint, and made a grove for idols.
By these abominations highly provoked, the Lord sent Elijah the
Tishbfte, 1 King xvii, vyho is also called EUas, Luke iv, 25, to de
nounce a judgment against Israel, who, coming unto Ahab, said,
*As the Lord God of Israel Uveth, before whom I stand that is, whom
I wait upon, or whoso servant I am there shall not be either rain
or dew these years (.o-wit, three years and six months ; for so both
our Savifur, in Lul'e iv. 25, arid the apostle James, chap. v. 17,
bound lb; time) but according to my word; that is, as the Lord
shall speak by mo.
After the prophet had delivered this message, that he might him
self be out of the reach of the famine which this drought would pro.
duce, and out of the reach of the wrathful king, the word of the
Lord carae to him again,* saying, ' Get thee hence, and turn thee
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432 SACRED HISTOEY. PART III.
eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherilh, which is before Jor
dan: of which brook thou shall drink; and I have comraanded the
ravens to feed thee there.'
Thither therefore went Elijah, as the Lord had appointed him ;
and taking up his abode by tbe brook, the ravens brought hira bread
and flesh morning and evening, and he drank of the brook ; but it
came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had
been no rain in the land.
Then came the word of the Lord to him again, saying, ' Get thee
to Zarephath (caUed Sarepla, Luke iv. 26) a town belonging lo Zidon,
and dwell there ; for I have commanded a widow woman there to
sustain thee.' So he arose, and went lo Zarephath ; and coraing to
the gate of the city, saw the widow woman there gathering of sticks :
and caUing to her, he desired her lo fetch him a littie water, that he
might drink.
As she was going lo fetch it, he caUed to her again, desiring her
to bring a morsel of bread in her hand. Whereupon she answered,
•As the Lord thy God Uveth, I have not so rauch as a cake, but an
handful only of raeal in a barrel, and a Uttle oft in a cruse : and be
hold, I am gathering a few sticks, that I raay go in, and dress it for
me and my son, that we may eat it ; ' and then I expect no other, but
to die for want of more food.
Then said Elijah to her, ' Fear not, go and do as thou hast said ;
but make me thereef a little cake first, and bring it unto rae ; and af
terwards make for thee and thy son. For thus saith the Lord God
of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shaU the cruse
of oil faft, until the day that the Lord shall send rain upon the earth.'
The poor woman, whose heart the Lord had before disposed to
receive the prophet, though she knew him not, made no dispute, but
did according as he bid her ; and she and he, and her family, did
eat of this littie store, many days : for the barrel of meal wasted not,
neither did the cruse of oil fail ; but held out, according to the word
of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.
Bul though this woman and her son, for her care of the prophet,
were preserved alive from the famine ;* yet afler this, and while the
prophet yet tarried wilh her, it came to pass that the woman's son fell
sick ; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in
hira, which is a periphrasis of dying. Whereupon the sorrowful
mother, coming to Elijah, said, ' What have I lo do with thee, O thou'
man of God ? Art thou come unto me, to caU my sin to remera-
brance, and to slay ray son ? '
Elijah thereupon wished her to give him her son, and withal took
him out of her bosom ; and carrying hira up into the chamber where
he used to lie, he laid him down upon his own bed ; and crying unto
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PART ni. SACRED HISTORY. 433
the Lord, said, ' 0 Lord my God, hast thou also brought evU upon
the widow, with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son ?' Then stretch
ing himself upon the child three limes, he still cried unto the Lord,
saying, ' O Lord ray God, I pray thee, let this child's soul corae into
him again.' And the Lord was graciously pleased to hear the voice
of his servant Elijah, so that the soul of the chUd came into him
again, and he revived. Then look Elijah the chUd, and brought him
down oul of the chamber into the house, and delivering him to hi.s
mother, said, ' See, thy child is alive.' Al which the joyful mother
said, ' Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the
word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.'
When the time was near expired which God had appointed for the
drought to last, the word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying,. ' (io,
shew thyself unlo Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.' Where
upon EUjah set forward lo go unto Ahab, But in the meanwhile, the
famine raging sorely throughout Israel, Ahab calling to him Obadiah,
the governor of bis house, a man that greatly feared the Lord, and
shewed it by preserving the Lord's prophets, when Jezebel cut many
of them off; he said unto him ' Let us go through the land, unto all
fountains of water, and unto aU brooks, to see if we can find grass
to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts,'
1 Kings xriii.
Diriding thereupon the land between them, with intention lo search
it thoroughly, Ahab, the king, without guard or attendance. Went one
way by himself, and Obadiah went another way" by himseff. And
Proridence so disposing, it feU out, that as Obadiah was on his way,
Elijah met him ; and Obadiah knowing him, feU on his face, and with
joy said, 'Art thou that my lord Elijah?' I am, replied he: and
therefore go tell thy lord that Elijah is here.
Alas ! said Obadiah, ' What great offence have I committed, that
thou shouldst deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab lo slay me 1
As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom (that ia
subject lo, or in league with Israel) whither the king hath nol sent to
seek thee ; and when they said he is not there, he took an oath ofthe
kingdom or nation that they found thee not. And now thou sayest,
Go teU thy Lord, behold, Elijah is here. Whereas il may so come
to pass, that as soon as I am gone from thee, the spirit of the Lord
may carry thee I know nol whither; and then, if I should go and
tell Ahab thou art here, and cannot find thee, he wiU slay me. But
I hope I have nol deserved so iU of thee ; for I thy servant fear the
Lord, and have done so from my youth. Hath it not been told my
lord what I did, when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord 1 How
I hid an hundred of the Lord's prophets, by fffty in a cave, and
provided them food 1 and yet now thou sayest, ' Go tell thy lord
Elijah is here, and so he may slay me,' ' Nay, replied Elijah, do nol
VOL. I. — 28

434 SACEED HISTORY. PART HI.
fear that ; for as the Lord thy God Uveth, before whora I stand, I wiU
surely shew myself unto him to-day.'
With this assurance away went Obadiah to find king Ahab ; whora
having found, and told him that EUjah was come, he hasted lo meet
Elijah ; and, as soon as he was come lo him, saluted hira with this
rough greeting, ' Art thou he that troubleth Israel ? ' The prophet
not behind with hira, bluntly answered, ' No, I have not troubled
Israel; but thou and thy father's house in that ye have forsalien the
commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim. Now,
therefore (added he) that it may appear who have been the Iroublers
of Israel, send and gather to me all Israel unto raouni Carmel, and the
prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, with the four hundred prophets
of the groves, which feed at Jezebel's table.'
Accordingly Ahab sumraoned the children of Israel, and with
thera the prophets, at least those of Baal, to asserable at mount Car
mel.* And there Elijah coraing araong them, said lo the people,
' How long halt ye between two opinions ? If, upon the trial novv to
be made it shall appear to you that the Lord is God, follow him ;
bul if Baal, then follow him.' But the doubtful people answered hira
not a word.
Then said Elijah to them, ' I, even I only (that I know of) remain
a prophet ; but the prophets of Baal (besides the four hundred proph
ets of the groves, who perhaps were not come) are four hundred and
fifty men. Let therefore, for the deciding of this controversy, two
bullocks be given us, and let them choose oul one of the two bul
locks for themselves, and let them cut it in pieces and lay il on wood,
but put no fire under. And I will dress the other buUock, and lay it on
wood, and put no fire under neither. And call ye (said he, turning
to Baal's prophets) on the name of your gods, and I will caU on the
name of the Lord ; and the God that answereth by fire, let him be
God.' This proposition so pleased the people that they said it is well spo
ken. Corae then, said Elijah lo the prophets of Baal, seeing ye are
many, do ye begin. ' Choose ye one of the bullocks for yourselves,
and dress it, and caU on the name of your gods ; but put no fire under.'
The prophets thus provoked, took their buUock, and dressed il, and
caUed on the name of Baal from morning even untft noon, saying,
' Baal hear us,' But there was no voice, nor any that answered.
Whereupon they leaped either upon the altar, or up and down at or
about the altar that was made.
When they had thus lofted themselves lift noon, Elijah, not in a
light spirit, but in an holy zeal against their idolatry and contempt
of their idol, and the more effectually to expose them to the people,
mocked them, and bid them cry aloud: for, said he, your god is such
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PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 436
a god, as is either talking, and so doth not heed you ; or he is in an
hot pursuft, or in a jourftey, and so cannot raind you ; or which is
worse, perhaps, he is fast asleep, and raust with loud caUing be
awakened before he can hear you.
Whether those prophets were sensible that Elijah did deride thera
or not, yel they stretched their throats and cried aloud; and when
they found that did nol avail, they cut theraselves, after their man
ner, with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon thera.
This was the manner of the heathen ancientiy lo express extrerae
sorrow, vvhich God had expressly forbidden his people to imitate,
Levft. xix. 28, .and Deut. xiv. 1,
Having thus gone on, in a sort of prophetic fury, from mid-day to
the lime of offering the evening sacrifice; and ihere being no voice,
nor answer given them, nor any appearance that they were regarded,
Elijah then invited aU the people to come near unto him, which
they did.
Then that he might repair the altar of the Lord, which vvas broken
down, and thereby give the people a fair invitation, by reuniting them
selves lo their brethren of Judah, to repair the breach long since
made in the tribes of Israel, he took twelve stones, according lo the
number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, lo whom the word of the
Lord carae, saying, ' Israel (a prevailer wilh God) shall be thy name,'
(intimating thereby the faith and firm confidence he had, that he
should, at this time, and in this great trial, prevaU with the Lord ; and
through his powerful help should prevail over his and their ene,
mies, the prophets of Baal) and therewith built an altar in the name
of the Lord, and made a fair trench about it. And having put the
wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid il on the wood,
he gave order that four barrels of water should be poured upon the
sacrifice and the wood. Which being done, he caused it fo be re
peated a second and third time, until the water ran about the altar,
and then he filled the trench also with water. The intention of which
seems to be, that he might prevent all suspicion of coUusion, and
render the expected miracle more conspicuous and incontestable,
when they should see a fire break forth and burn, contrary to its na
ture, in the midst of water.
All things thus disposed in due order, and the time of the offering
of the evening sacrifice being come, Elijah the prophet drew near,
and addressing himself by prayer to God, said, ' O Lord God of
Abrahara, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou
art God in Israel, and that I thy servant have done all these things
at thy word. Hear rae, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know
that thou art the Lord God, and that their heart maybe turned back
again from their idols unto thee.'
No sooner had the prophet, in the sh:englh of faith, and fervency
of his spirit, poured forth his supplication to the Lord, bul the fire

436 SACEED HISTORY. PART III.
of the Lord feU, and consumed not the burnt sacrifice only and the
wood, but the very stones and the dust, licking up also the water that
was in the trench. Al sight whereof, the people falUng on their faces,
brake forth into admiration and acknowledgment, saying, ' The Lord
he is the God, the Lord he is the God.'
Elijah had a watchful eye on the false prophets, who, il seems,
were providing lo shift for theraselves ; and nol willing to slip the
opportunity of freeing Israel from so many wicked inslrumenls, he
called out to the people to apprehend the prophets of Baal. Which
being done, he brought thera down lo the brook Kishon, and slew
thera ; that is, caused them lo be slain there. This act of his, though
it carried in il a shew of great severity, was yel pursuant to the law
of God, Deut. xui. 6 to 12, suited to that dispensation; besides that
It did typically set forth how the inward enemies of the soul should be
dealt with.
Then turning himself to king Ahab, be advised him lo gel up, and
eat and drink lo refresh himself (not sparing any longer, as before,
for fear the provision should not hold oul : ) for, said he, ' There is
a sound of abundance of rain.'
But while Ahab was eating and drinking, Elijah going up to the
top of Carmel, cast himself down on the earth ; and putting his face
between his knees, bid his servant go up, and look towards the sea.
The servant went up and looked, and reluming, told him he saw
nothing. Whereupon he bid hira go again seven tiraes. The ser
vant did so: and at the seventh lime, said, 'Behold, there ariseth a
little cloud oul of the sea like a man's hand.' The prophet there
upon bid him go, and say unto Ahab, ' Prepare thy chariot, and get
thee down, that the rain stop thee not.' Ahab perceiving the sky
overcast, so that the heaven was grown black wilh clouds and wind,
hasted away to Jezreel, and there was a great rain. Yet the hand
of the Lord (that is, his power, was on Elijah, strengthening him so,
that girding up his loins, whereby he tucked up his long garment,
which would otherwise have been an hindrance to hira) he ran be
fore Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
Being got thither, the king quickly related lo Jezebel his queen, 1
Kings xix, aU that Elijah had done ; and particularly how he had
slain aU the prophets. At which the revengful queen was so enraged,
that, by a messenger sent on purpose, sbe said to Elijah, ' So let the
gods do lo me, and more also, if I raake nol thy life as the Ufe of
one of them, by to-morrow this tirae.
When Elijah had received this menacing message, considering
wilh himself the vindictive nature of the queen, and the power she
had wilh the king her husband, he thought it his duty, having per
formed the service he came for, to provide in lime for his own safety.
Wherefore, taking this for a providential warning, he arose, and leav
ing Jezreel, went for his life lift he came to Beersheba, a city belong-

PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 437
ing to Judah, and so out of the dominion of the king of Israel;* and
leaving his servant there, he himself went a day's journey further
into the wilderness : where sitting down under a juniper-tree he re
quested for hiraseff that he nugbt die, saying, ' Il is enough now, O
Lord, take away ray Ufe, for I ara not better than my fathers, that my
life should be prolonged.'
While thus he lay under the juniper-tree, bis spirit oppressed wilh
sorrow, and his body wearied wilh long travel, he fell asleep. But
he had not slept long, before an angel touching hhn, bid him arise
and eat. He thereupon starting up, saw a cake baked on the coals,
and a cruse (or pot) of water standing at his head : of which he eat
and drank, and laid him down again. But the angel of the Lord
coraing again, and touching him the second time, said unto him,
' Arise, and eat ; for the journey is too greal for thee lo go through
with that food.' He thereupon arising, did eat and drink again : and
went in the strength of that meat, forty days and forty nights, unto
Horeb, the mount of God.
Being got to Horeb, he entered into a cave, aud lodged there.
And behold the word of the Lord came to him, and asked him,
'What dost thou here, Elijah'?' He answered, »I have been very
jealous for the Lord God of hosts : for the children of Israel have
forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars (that is, have for
saken thy worship) and slain thy prophets vrith the sword ; and I, I
only (so for as I know) ara left, and they seek my life also to take
it away.'
Then said the Lord to him, ' Go forth, and stand upon the mount
before me.' Which he doing, the Lord passed by, and a greal and
strong wind rent the mountains and brake in pieces the rocks before
the Lord : but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wftid an
earthquake : bul the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the
earthquake a fire : but the Lord was not in the fire. By aU which
embleras the prophet was instructed, that the Lord was sufficientiy
able to overturn his eneraies by a mighty power, though he did not
choose to appear in that way. But after the fire there was a stUl smaU
voice; which, when Elijah heard, he wrapped his face in his mantie,
and going out, stood in the entrance of the cave : where he heard a
voice saying to him, as before, 'What dost thou here, Elijah?' To
which, when he had given the same answer which he had given to the
like question before, the Lord said unto him, 'Go, return on thy way
to the wilderness of Damascus : and when thou comest thither, anoint
Ha^ael lo be king over Syria.'
' And Jehu, the son of Nimshi, shalt thou cause to be anointed
king over Israel. And EUsha the son of Shaphat, of Abel-meholah,
shaft thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. And. ft shaft come to
•A. M, 3092.

438 SACRED HISTORV. PART III.
pass, that him that escapeth the sword bf Hazael, shall Jehu slay.
For though thou Ihinkest that thou art left alone; yel have I seven
thousand left me in Israel, aU the knees that have not bowed unto
Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed (that is, worshiped) him.'
Elijah hereupon departing thence, in his way found Elisha, who
was' ploughing wfth twelve yoke of oxen before hira, himself foUowing
the twelfth; and as he passed by hira, he cast his raantle upon him.
$. Elisha, who understood the meaning of the mantle being thrown
upon him, straightway leaving the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said,
'Let me,' I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother;' that is, lake
my leave of my relations. But Elijah, giving him a short answer, only
said, ' Go return : for what have I done to thee?' Elisha thereupon
turning back frora hira, slew a yoke of his own o.xen, and not staying
for other wood, boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen ;
and having given it to the people lo eat, foUowed Elijah, and become
his servant.
While these things were transacting in Israel, Asa king of Judah,
having reigned thirty and nine years, 2 Chron. xvi, and in ihat tirae
grown frora better to worse, vvas taken with a disease in his feet, vvhich
held him to his death. And although it increased upon hira, until il
was grown very violent, yel in his disease he sought not to the Lord ;
but, as his own siclcness, he put his confidence in the physicians.
Wherefore the Lord left hira to his doctors : and after three years
misery, he ended his life in the one and fortieth year of his reign, and
was buried in his own sepulchre vvhich he had made for himself, in
the city of David, being laid in the bed vvhich was fUled with sweet
odours, and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecary's art,
and they made a very great burning for him.
His son Jehashaphat, being then five and thirty years of age, began
his reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel, And
in his entrance into the government, he strengthened himself against
Israel, by placing forces in all tbe fenced cities of Judah, and setting
garrisons in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken,
2 Chron. xvii, 'and throughout the land of Judah. And the Lord
was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first way of his
father David. So we read ft here, ver. 3. But ft may be questiotied,
whether David be not here slipped in, in the place of Asa: for in 1
Kings xxii. 43, and in 2 Chron. xx. 32. Asa is named, not Da
vid; and it is certain, Asa's first days were better than his last. But
if we read it, as here, in the first ways of his father David, we must
understand it of David's ways, before he transgressed in the case
of Bathsheba and Uriah,
For further commendation of Jehoshaphat, it is added, that he
sought not -unto Baalim, that is, to any idol : but sought to the Lord
God of his fathers, walking in his comraandraents, nnd not after the

PART m. SSCRED HISTORY. 439
doings of Israel, who had ='\ioth revolted from the govemment, and
separated from the worship which God had set up.
And because Jehoshaphat did thus cleave unto the Lord, the Lord
established the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah brought bim
presents : so that he had riches and honour in abundance. And his
heart being enlarged, and he encouraged in the way of the Lord,
he went on wilh more fervent zeal in tho work of God: and not
only took out of the land the remnant of the Sodomites, which re
mained in the days of his father Asa, 1 Kings xxii. 46, but took
away also the high places and groves oul of Judah, 2 Chron. xvn.
6; which latter yet must be understood with some qualification or al
lowance : for il is said expressly, both in 2 Chron. xx. 33, and 1
Kings xxu. 43, that the high places were nol taken away. Il might
therefore be, that they were taken away in part, not wholly; in some
places, nol every where. As we read of king Asa, this Jehoshaphat's
father, that he took away the Sodomites out of the land, 1 Kings
XV. 12; and yet it seems there was a remnant of them in the days
of Asa, vvhich Jehoshaphat his son did afterwards root out, 1 Kings
xxii. 46.
In the third year of his reign, Jehoshaphat sent lo divers of his
princes, directing thera to lake with them certain Levites and priests,
whose names are recorded, 2 Chron. xvii. 7, 8, and go to teach in the
cities of Judah. These taking with them the book of the law, went
about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people. And
that they might not be interrupted in so good a work, the fear of the
Lord fell upon aU the kingdoms of the lands ihat were round about
Judah; so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat. Nay, sorae
of the PhiUstines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and tribute silver :
and the Arabians brought hira flocks, which were tokens of homage.
Jehoshaphat thus growing exceeding greal, he bttill in Judah castles
and cities of store. And as he had much business in the cities of
Judah, So he had a great army at Jerusalem, and his men of war
were raighty raen of valour. Of these he had one miUion, one hun
dred and threescore thousand always in arras, and ready at his com
mand, besides those that lay in garrison in the fenced cities, through
out all Judah.
While thus Jehoshaphat was ordering the affairs of his kingdora,
of Judah,* Ahab king of Israel received an haughty raessage frora
Benhadad king of Syria, who having gathered all his host together,
and having two and thirty kings vvith him, with horses and chariots,
went up and besieged Samaria; and from his carap sent heralds into
the city to king Ahab, who wore commanded to say unto him. Thus
saith Benhadad, ' Thy silver and thy gold is mine, thy wives also, and
thy children, even the goodliest are mine' To which bold deraand,
•A. M, 3104

440 SACEED HISTOEY. PART IH.
timorous Ahab retumed this humble answer; 'My Lord, O king,
according to thy saying, I am thine, and aU that I have.'
The Syrian king, by this submission grown more arrogant, sent
his heralds again, giving them in charge to say to Ahab, Thus saith
Benhadad, ' Although I have sent thee word, that thou shouldest de
liver rae thy silver and thy gold, with thy wives and thy chUdren ; yet
to-morrow, about this time, I wiU send my servants unto thee, and
they shaU search thine house, and the houses of thy servants, and
shall take away whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes.'
This startled Ahab, finding the Syrian king thus grow upon bim :
nol knowing where it would stop, if he should suffer his enemies to
enter the city under this pretence. Wherefore caUing to him the
elders of the land, he said to them, ' Mark, I pray you, and see how
this man seeketh mischief: for when he sent unto me for my wives,
and for ray chUdren, for ray silver and ray gold, I denied him not,
and yet he is not satisfied.' When the elders and the people heard
this, they advised him nol to hearken to hira, nor consent to his de.
mand. Whereupon he bid the heralds of Benhadad teU their king,
' AU that thou didst send for at the first, I wUl do, but this thing I
may not do. And with this answer he dismissed them.
But when Benhaded heard this answer, he in great fiiry sent lo
him again wilh this insulting threat, ' The gods do so unlo me, and
more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls, for all the
people that follow me.'
To this proud boast, Ahab grown now a little more hardy and
resolved, relumed him only this proverbial saying, ' Let not him that
girdeth on his armour, boast himself as he that putleth it off.' This
nipping answer so nettled the proud Syrian, who with his associate
kings was drinking in their paviUons, that immediately he gave order
to his servants to plant their batteries against the city, which they did.
MeanwhUe the Lord, moved with compassion towards Israel, and
highly provoked by the proud insults of the Syrian king, sent a
prophet lo Ahab, king of Israel, with this message ; ' Thus saith the
Lord, Hast thou seen all this great multitude ? Behold, I v/ift deliver
it into thine hand this day, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.'
Ahab, though an enemy to God, and no friend to his prophets,
being now in a greal strait, was glad lo ask, and willing to take coun
sel. Wherefore, when the prophet had told hira thatthe Lord would
deUver this great multitude into his hand, he presentiy asked, 'By
whora ? ' And the prophet, in the name of the Lord, answering, ' By
the young men (or servants) of the princes of the provinces : ' the
king asked, who should order the battle ? lo which the prophet an
swering, thou ; he thereupon numbering the young men of the prin
ces of the provinces, found them to be two hundred thirty and two.
And after that, numbering also aU the people of the chUdren of Israel,

PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 441
that he had then with him in the city, he could make up bul seven
thousand of them.
The muster thus made, at noon the -young men, servants to the
princes of the provinces, sallied out of the city first, of which notice
was quickly given to Benhadad, who, with his two and thirty assist
ant kings, was stiU drinking in the pavUions. He, not thinking it
worth his notice, gave order, that whether tj;iey came forth for peace
or for war, they should be taken alive. But he did not find il so
easy a matter: for the young men, followed by the rest of the littie
army, gave so rigorous an onset, that every one of them slaying his
raan, they put the Syrians to flight. Whereupon the king of Israel
pursuing thera with aU the small force he had, smote the horses and
the chariots, and slew the Syrians with a greal slaughter ; Benhadad
himseff hardly escaping on horseback wilh the horsemen.
Then came the prophet to king Ahab again, and warned him to
strengthen himself, and make good provision for his defence ; for at
the remm of the year, said he, the king of Syria wiU corae up
-against thee again. And so it proved.
For the servants of the king of Syria (lo excuse themselves, and
wipe off tbe slain of their so greal defeai by so smaU a nuraber) told
him, the gods of the IsraeUtes are gods of the hiUs ; and we fighting
them in the hill-country, they were loo strong for us there. But let
us fight against thera in tbe plain, said they, and surely we shall be
stronger than they,'
Wherefore they advised their king lo take this course, viz : to set
aside the two and thirty kings, and put so raany captains in their
roora ; and lo raise an array, like for numbers lo that he had lost,
horse for horse, and chariot for chariot, and choose bis ground to
fight on in the plain ; and then they were confident they should be
stronger than the IsraeUtes.
Pursuant to this counsel, at the return ofthe year, Benhadad, hav
ing numbered the Syrians, went up lo Aphek, a city belonging lo
the tribe of Asher, Josh. xix. 30, but possessed by the Syrians, to
¦fight against Israel. And the Israelites, being also numbered, and
fumished vrith prorisions, went oul against them, and pitched, before
them in two battalions, like two Uttle flocks of kids ; bul the Syrians
frUed the country.
WhUe thus the two armies stood facing one another, there came
a man of God, and said to the king of Israel, Thus saith the Lord,
' Because the Syrians have said, the Lord is God of the hiUs, but he
is not God of the vallies : therefore wiU I deliver aU this greal mul.
titude into thine bands, and thou shall know that I am the Lord.'
When now the arraies stood waiting for the signal seven days,*
Ahab, encouraged by this message frora the Lord, joined the battie;
*A. M, 3105.

442 SACRED HISTORY. PART III.
and that handful, as it were, of men of the chUdren of Israel, slew
of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day. The rest
fled to Aphek, and got into the city for safety ; but a wall there fell
upon seven and twenty thousand of the men that were left.
As for king Benhadad himself, he fled araong the rest to Aphek,
and getting into the city bid biraself in an inner chamber. And
there his servants coming lo bim told him, they had heard that the
kings of the house of Israel were merciful kings : wherefore they
desired him to give leave that they, putting sackcloth on their loins,
and ropes about their necks, might go out to the king of Israel ;
peradventure, said they, he wiU save thy life.
Their king consenting, they, putting on their sackcloth and halters,
went to the king of Israel, and said unto him, ' Thy servant Benha
dad saith, I pray thee let me live.' Ahab, who knew not but he had
been slain in the battle, kindly answered, ' Is he yel aUve ? He is
my brother '
Now the men did dUigently observe whether any favorable word
would drop from him ; and hearing the word [brother] they did
hastUy catch it : wherefore repeating their petition, they said, ' Thy
brother Benhadad, &c.' Whereupon Ahab bid thera go, and bring
him lo him; which they having done, Ahab look him up into the
chariot lo him. Benhadad being thus on a sudden, and unexpect
edly, received into favour; lo shew his thankfulness, said to Ahab, as
they rode together, ' The cities which my faiher took from thy father
(or predecessor rather, viz. Baasha, chap. xv. 20) I will restore;
,and thou shalt raake streets for thee in Damascus, as ray father made
in Samaria.' So Ahab, liking these conditions, made a covenant
wilh Benhadad, and setting him at liberty, sent hira away.
Hereupon the Lord sent a prophet to reprove Ahab for having dis
missed the Syrian king, whom he had delivered into his hand. And
the prophet, intending to catch Ahab by a paraboUcal speech, as Na
than once did David, 2 Sam. xii, and make him pass sentence on
himself, that he might assimUate himself to the person he intended
lo represent, which vvas a wounded soldier, said unto his neighbour,.
in the word of the Lord, ' Smite rae, I pray thee ; ' but the man (per
haps nol understanding his purpose) refused lo sraite him. Where
upon the prophet said unto him, ' Because thou hast not obeyed the
voice of the Lord, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall
slay thee ; ' and so it proved ; for as soon as he was departed from
the prophet, a lion found hira, and slew him. Then said the prophet
to another raan whom he found, 'Smite me, I pray thee : ' and that
man smote him so, that in smiting he wounded him.
The prophet, thus accomraodated to his purpose, waited for king
Ahab by the way, having disguised himself wilh ashes upon his face.
And as the king passed by, he cried unlo him, saying, ' Thy servant
went oul into the midst of the biittie, and behold, a man turned aside.

PART m. SACRED HISTORY. 443
and brought a raan to me, and said, keep this mnn ; if by any
means he be missing, then shaU thy life be for his Ufe, or else thou
shalt pay a talent of stiver. And as thy servant was busy here and
there, he was gone.' Then said the king of Israel to hira, ' So shall
thy judgment be, thyself hast decided it.'
The prophet thereupon hastily taking away the ashes from his
face, the king of Israel discemed that he was of the prophets. Then
said the prophet to hira, Thus saith the Lord, ' Because thou hast let
go out of thine hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction;
therefore thy life shall go for his Ufe, and thy people for his people.'
Which doom when the king of Israel had heard, he went to his
house in Samaria, not penitentiy sorry, but heavy and displeased, or
rather stubborn, and in a rage.
Some tirae, bul probably not long after this, il came lo pass, 1
Kings xxi,* that Ahab cast his eye upon a vineyard in Jezreel, which
lay hard by a palace of his there : and having a raind to if, he said
to Naboih the Jezreelite, to whora the vineyard belonged, 'Give me
thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is
near unto my house, and I will give thee for it a better vineyard
than it ; or if it seem good lo thee, I will give thee the worth of it
in money.'
The proposal seemed fair, had it not been contrary to the law of
God, which Ahab too little regarded. But Naboth being a consci
entious raan, and zealous of the law of God, which forbid the children
of Lsrael to sell their inheritance, Levit. xxv. 23, and Numb, xx-xvi.
7, &c. returned this answer lo Ahab, ' The Lord forbid that I should
give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.'
Ahab hereupon going into his house heavy and displeased because
Naboth would not part with the inheritance of his fathers, laid him
self down upon his bed in a sullen fit, and turning his face away
from the coinpany, would not eat. Which Jezebel his wife observ
ing, she carae to hirn, and asking him why his spirit was so sad
that he would not eat ; he told her the whole matter that had passed
between Naboth and him. Whereupon, after she had by way of
exprobation, asked him, = Dost thou now govern the kingdom of
Israel ? ' As rauch as to say. Art thou fit lo be a king, and dost not
understand the power of a king ? To cheer hira up again, she wished
him to rise and eat, and let his heart be merry; assuring hira she
would give him Naboth's vineyard.
Then writing letters in Ahab's name, and sealing them with his
seal, she sent thera unlo the elders and nobles that dwelt in the
sarae city where Naboth dwelt, and in the letters she wrote thus;
'Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people; and
set two men, sons of Belial (knights of the post"! before him lo bear
•A. IM. 3106.

444 SACRED HISTORY. PART HI.
witness against him, that he did blaspheme God and the king.
Then carry him oul and stone him lo death.' Hero we may ob.
serve, that this wicked woraan, though herself an idolatrous heathen,
could raake the law of God, which commanded that blasphemers
should be stoned, Levit. xxiv. 16, a pretence whereby to shed the
blood of this innocent man.
Upon receipt of these letters, the elders and nobles of Israel, pur
suant to the direction Jezebel had therein given them, which they
supposed to have come frora the king, proclaimed a fast, which,
araong them, was the usual preparation to judicial trials : but this
was stich a fast as the prophet Isaiah not long after complained of;
a fest to smite wilh the fist of wickedness, Isa. Ivni. 4 ; and having
set Naboth on high amongst the people, that he might be seen of all
the assembly, tbe two false witnesses came in, and sitting before him,
charged him in the presence of the people, that be had blasphemed
God and the king. Whereupon they carried bim out of the city,
and having stoned him to death, sent Jezebel word that Naboth was
stoned and dead. Nor did they shed his blood only, but the blood
of his sons loo, that there might be none to claim, as may be gath.
ered from 2 Kings ix. 26.
When Jezebel had received this account, she hasted to her hus-
band king Ahab, and said, ' Arise, arise, take possession of the vine
yard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to let thee have for
thy money : for Naboih is now dead.' Whereupon Ahab went down
to take possession of Naboth's rineyard, as forfeited to hira by Na
both's pretended treason.
But whUe he was there, the word of the Lord came to Elijah the
Tishbfte, saying, > Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who
is in the vineyard of Naboih, whither he is gone down to possess it.
And thou shall say unto him. Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou kiUed,
and also taken possession? Wherefore iu the place where dogs
licked the blood of Naboth, shaU dogs Uck thy blood, even thine.'
By that time the prophet had deUvered thus rauch of bis raessage,
Ahab. interrupting bim, said, 'Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?'
Yes, answered the prophet, I have found thee, because thou hast
sold thyself to work evU in the sight of the Lord. Then going on
with his message ,in the name of the Lord, he added :
' Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and wiU take away thy pos
terity : and wiU cut off from Ahab him that pisselh against the waU,
and him that is shut up and left in Israel. And I wiU raake thy
house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and like the
house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah (both whioh famiUes were utterly
cut off) for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked rae to
anger, in making Israel to sin. Him that dieth of Ahab in the city,
the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field, shaU the fowls of
the air eat.'

PART III. SACRED HISTOEY. 446
No wonder is it that the Lord denounced so severe a sentence upon
Ahab; for there was none Uke unto him, who did sell himself to
work wickedness in the sight of the Lord ; doing very abominably
in following idols, caUed, in contempt, dungy gods, to which Jez
ebel his wife stirred hira up. Wherefore Jezebel went not with
out her just doora ; for of her also the Lord said, ' The dogs shall
eat Jezebel, by the waU or ditch of Jezreel.'
Yet as bad as Ahab was, when he heard this dreadful judgment
denounced by the prophet against him, being struck with a sudden
terror, he shewed eill the outward signs of repentance. For he rent
his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in
sackcloth, and went softiy, Uke a mourner, or one in affliction. Nor
was this short shew of repentance wholly rejected ; bul the Lord took
notice of it, and said to the prophet Elijah, ' Seest thou how Ahab
humblelh himseff before me 1 Because he humblelh himself before
me, I will not bring the eril in his days ; bul in his son's days I will
bring the eril upon his house.' Thus as Ahab humbled hiraseff for
a short tirae, which the sequel shewed ; so God respited his punish
ment for a short tirae also.
It is not iraprobable that this teraporary shew of humiliation ift
Ahab might be an inducement to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, t
Kings xxii, 2 Chron. xriii, to make a league with hira ; for presently
after this we read, that Jehoshaphat joined in affinity wilh Ahab, taking
Ahab's daughter to be wife to his son and heir, Jehoram, 2 Chron.
xxi. 6, and 2 Kings viii. 18.
This unhappy league drew hira, not long after, to Samaria, to
visit Ahab ; who kilUng sheep and oxen in abundance, made a royal
entertainment for him, and the people that came with hira.
Ahab, wilUng to improve this opportunity lo his own advantage,
invited Jehosnaphat lo go wilh him to battle to Eamoth-Gilead, a city
of right belonging to Israel, to recover it frora the Syrians, i To which
Jehoshaphat over-hastUy and unwarUy consented, saying, ' I am as
thou art, and my people are as thy people, and we wiU be with thee
in the war.' Yet quickly recollecting himseff, he desired king Ahab
to inquire at the word of the Lord that they might know whotiier
the Lord did approve their undertaking.
Ahab thereupon summoned his prophets together, who were four
hundred men, probably those called the prophets of the groves, who
usually fed al queen Jezebel's table, and escaped the brunt al Car
mel, 1 Kings xvui, and putting the question to them, 'Shall I go to
Eamoth-Gilead to battle, or shaU I forbear ? ' they unanimously an
swered, ' Go up, for the Lord hath delivered it into the hand of
the king.'
But, said Jehoshaphat, Is there nol here a prophet of the Lord
besides, that we might inquire by him? Yes, said Ahab, there is
one man (but one true prophet, alas I to four hundred false ones)

446 SACRED HISTORY. PART ID.
and that is Micaiah, the son of Iralah ; but I hale him, for he never
prophesieth good conceming me, but evil. Nay, repUed Jehosha
phat, ' Let nol the king say so.' That is, let him not hate the prophet
for his raessage sake; nor yel reject the message, because it doth
not please him. Then the king of Israel, caUing for one of his offi
cers, bid him make haste, and fetch Micaiah to him.
MeanwhUe, the two kings of Israel and of Judah, siting either of
them on his throne, clothed in their royal robes, in a plain place at
the entering in of tbe gate of Samaria; all the prophets prophesied
before them, and with one accord said, ' Go up to Raraoth-Gilead,
and prosper; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.'
And one of thera (whose name v/as Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah;
the better to impress their notions upon the king's mind, made him
horns of iron, and said. Thus saith the Lord, ' With these thou
shalt push Syria until thou consurae them.'
While thus tbe false prophets were playing their pranks lo deceive
the two kings, the officer that went to fetch Micaiah, wiUing either to
further the enterprize or lo prevent sufferings to the prophet told him
how unanimously aU the king's prophets had prophesied good suc
cess to hira in this expedition, and desired him to speak as they bad
done. But good Micaiah gave bim this short answer. • As the Lord
liveth, even what my God saith, that wiU I speak."
Being novv corae before the two kings, Ahab said to hira, ' Mica
iah, shaU we goto Raraoth-Gilead to battle? or shaU we forbear?'
He, al the first, in conterapl of the false prophets, and the better to
expose them, said, as they had done, 'Go ye up, and prosper, and
they shall be delivered into your hand.' But he spake it in such a
manner, that king Ahab easily perceived he derided them. There
fore, he said lo him. How many times shaU I adjure thee, that thou
say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the Lord ? ' Nay,
replied Micaiah, if thou wilt hear the truth, then mind what I say,
« I did see aU Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep without
a shepherd ; and the Lord said. These have no master, let thera
therefore return every man to his house in peace,'
This was a plain and apt simile, setting forth the death of Ahab,
and the defeat of his people, if they proceeded to tbis battle. And
Ahab, it seems, understood it so ; for interrupting the prophet here,
he said to Jehoshaphat, ' Did I not leU thee that he would not
prophecy good unto me, but evil ? But the prophet not daunted vvith
Ahab's interruption, proceeded, saying.
'Therefore hear the word ofthe Lord. I saw the Lord sitting
upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on either hand
of him. And the Lord said who shall entice Ahab king of Israel,
that he may go up and faU al Eamolh-GUead ? And one spake after
one manner, and another after another manner.' Thus the prophet,
the more sensibly to affect the hearers, represented the heavenly

PART HI. SACRED HISTORY. 447
vision, after the manner of human consultations, ' Then, (said he)
came out a spirit, and standing before the Lord, said, I will entice
hira. And the Lord asked him, wherewith, or by what means, he
would entice him ? I wiU go oul (said he) and be a lying spirit in
the mouth of aU his prophets (for all Ahab's prophets spake the
same thing, in the same words, as if they had but one mouth.) Then
said the Lord, Go out and do so: for tbou shalt entice him, and
shall also prevaU.' Now, therefore, added Micaiah, ' Behold the Lord
hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets; and the
Lord hath spoken evil against thee.'
This ought not to seera strange, or be offensive to any, that the
Lord should here be said to have put a lying spirit in the mouth
of the false prophets ; for it is his prerogative, a token of his abso
lute sovereignty, that he may use insu'uments of all sorts to effect his
work by, whether forthe advancing his own honour, the correction
of his children, or the destruction of his eneraies.
This saying of Micaiah's [Thatthe Lord had put a lying spirit
into the mouth of these Jezebelan prophets] angered them extreme
ly , insomuch that Zedekiah, he that made the iron horns, and vvho
seems lo have been a leading man amongst thera, coming up lo
Micaiah, smote him on the cheek, for it is the false prophet com
monly that uses the violence, not the true, and in derision said,
' Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto
thee ? ' That, replied Micaiah, thou shall see in that day, when thou
shall go from charaber lo chamber to hide thyself
By this 'tirae Ahab had enough of Micaiah. Wherefore breaking
off the discourse between Zedekiah and hira, he comraanded the
officer to take Micaiah, and carry hira back lo Araraon the govemor,
and to Joash the king's son, and say unto them. Thus saith the
king, ' Put this fellow (so in contempt he oaUed the prophet) in the
prison, and feed him vvith bread of affliction, and with water of af
fliction (afHict him with want of fit and sufficient food) until I return
in peace.' Nay, said Micaiah, 'If thou return in peace, then hath
nol the Lord spoken by me : ' and he bid all the people take notice
ofit Though king Jehoshaphat heard all this, and knew Micaiah to be
a prophet of the Lord ; yel having linked himself in vvith wicked
Ahab, both by affinity and league, he went up with him to fight
against Eamoth-GUead. But before the battie was joined, Ahab,
mindful probably of what Micaiah had said, and wilUng to frustrate
the prophecy, proposed that he would disguise himself, and so go
into the battie ; but that Jehoshaphat should fiight in his royal robes.
And accordingly they did so.
Now Benhadad, the king of Syria, had commanded the captains
of his chariots to single out the king of Israel, and not lo fight with
any other, small or great, but with hira only. This was a very un-

448 SACEED HISTORY. FART 111.
kind return to Ahab for the great kindness he had shewed Benhadad
in their former war ; when, though Benhadad was then the aggressor,
Ahab, lo his own greal damage, generously gave him both his Ufe
and liberty when he had him wholly in his mercy.
However, the Syrian captains observing their king's command,
sought after the king of Israel ; and when they saw Jehoshaphat,
concluding him to be the king of Israel,* they beset bira on every
side, and made so vigorous an impression, that Jehoshaphat was fain
to cry out ; and the Lord haring compassion on him, helped him
at this great strait, by raaking thera sensible that it was nol the king
of Israel, and thereupon incUning thera to turn back from pursu-
ing bim.
Thus narrowly escaped Jehoshaphat. But Ahab's politic disguise
did nol secure him. For a certain man, drawing a bow al a venture,
hit him between the joints of his armour, and gave hini a raonal
wound. Whereupon he said to his charioteer, 'Turn thine hand,
and -jary me out of the host, for' I am wounded.' Yel because the
battle grew holler upon the Israelites that day, the king of Israel
was held up in his chariot tiU the evening ; that his being so wounded
;might nol be known lo his soldiers to discourage thera ; and about
-the going down of the sun he died. Then was a retreat sounded,
and proclamation made throughout the host of Israel, that every man
should escape lo his city, or lo his counlry dwelUng. And herein
was fulfilled the vision of Micaiah ; for Israel was now scattered
like sheep that had no shepherd nor master, their master Ahab being
slain. King Ahab was brought to Samaria, and buried there. And be
cause, whUe he was held up in his chariot, the blood ran out of his
wound, not only into his armour, but into bis chariot also, therefore
his chariot was washed in the pool of Samaria, as weU as his armour,
and the dogs Ucked up his blood, according to the word of the Lord,
which he spake by Elijah -the Tishbfte.
Thus died this wicked king. For a further account of whose
pubUc acts we are here referred, as we are often elsewhere on other
occasions, to a book of Chronicles long since lost ; 1 Kings xxii, 2
'Chron. xix ; in which, amongst other things, mention it seeras was
made of an ivory house which king Ahab built.
And as Samaria was built by Omri his father; so in his days
was Jericho rebuUt by Hiel the Belhlehite; who according to the
word of the Lord, which above five hundred years before he spake
by Joshua tbe son of Nun, Josh. vi. 26, laid the foundation thereof
in Abiram bis fftst-born, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest
son Segub, 1 Kings xvi. 34
Although Jehoshaphat the king of Judah escaped without hurt in
*A M, 3107.

PART IK. SACRED HISTORY ,.49
the battie, yel he escaped not without reproof from the Lord after the
battle, for having joined himself in affinity and league wfth wicked
Ahab, For as soon as he was corae back to Jerusalem, Jehu, the
son of Hanani the seer, went out lo meet him with this greeting,
'Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love thera that bate the Lord ?
Therefore is wrath upon thee from the Lord. Nevertheless (so
he went on, that the good king might not be too much cast down)
there are good things found in thee ; inasmuch as thou hast taken
away the groves oul of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to
seek God.'
This gentie reproof had so good an effect upon Jehoshaphat, that
after he had made some stay at Jerusalem, he took his progress
through the people, from Beersheba to mount Ephraim, that is, from
one end of his kingdora to the other, and brought them back unlo tbe
Lord God of their fathers. And having set judges in the land, he
said unlo them, 'Take heed what ye do, for ye judge nol for man,
but for the Lord, who is wilh you in the judgment. Wherefore
now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you, lake heed and do it ; for
there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons,
nor taking of gifts.'
Moreover, in Jerusalera did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites, and
of the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Israel, for the judg.
ment of the Lord, matters appertaining to his worship, and for con
troversies, or difl'erences in civil matters, when they, the judges he
had set in the several cities, should have recourse to Jerusalera for
advice or assistance. And to these he gave charge, saying, ' Thus
shaft ye do, in the fear of the Lord, faiihfuUy and with a perfect
heart. And what cause soever shall come to you, of your brethren
that dweU in the cities, between blood and blood, and between law
and commandment, statutes and judgments, ye shall even warn them
that trespass not against the Lord, and so wrath come upon you and
upon your brethren. This do, and ye shaU not trespass.' Then di
recting them unto whom, upon aU occasions, they should have re-,
course in all matters, relating as well to reUgion as to the civil es
tate, he concluded with this short exhortation and encouragement ;
« Deal courageously, and the Lord wiU be with the good.'
The truth of this himself soon after experienced. For the chil
dren of Moab and Amraon wilh their confederates, coraing against
hira in battie, news was brought him on a sudden, that there carae
a great multitude against him from beyond the .sea qn this side Syria,
and that they were in Engedi, not a great way off. This unexpected
news put Jehoshaphat in great fear; and nol having confidence in
his own strength, he set himself to seek tho Lord; and in order
thereunto proclaimed a fast throughout aU the kingdora of Judah.
Whereupon Judah gathered themselves together lo ask help of tiie
VOL. I. — 29

460 BACRED HISTORY. PART UI
Lord ; even out of all the cities of Judah they came to Jerusalem to
seek the Lord. And Jehoshaphat the king standing in the congre
gation of Judah, in the house of the Lord, 2 Chron. xx, before the
new court, thus addressed himself unto God :
'0 Lord God of our fathers, art not tbou God in heaven, and
rulest nol thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine
hand is there not power and might, so that none is able lo withstand
thee ? Art not thou (more especially) our God, who didst drive
out the inhabitants of ibis land before thy people Israel, and gavest
it to the seed of Abraham thy friend forever ? and they dwell therein,
and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying. If
when evil cometh upon us as a judgment (whether it be the sword,
pestilence, or famine) we stand in thy presence before this house (in
which thy narae is called upon) and cry unto thee in our aflUction,
then hear thou and help. And novv behold, the children of Ammon
and Moab, and those of mount Seir (whom thou wouldest not let Is-
rel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned
frora them, and destroyed them not ; ) behold, I say, how they reward
us ; for they are come up against us, to cast us out of thy possession
which thou hast given us to inherit. O our God, wilt thou nol judge
them ? for we (of ourselves) have no might against this great com.
pany that coraeth up against us; neither know we what to do, but
our eyes are upon thee.'
Thus spake the king in the narae of all the people. And aU Ju
dah stood before the Lord, with their wives and chUdren, even their
littie ones.
Then upon Jehaziel (the vision of God) a Levite of the sons of
Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord, in the midst of the congregation ;
and he said, ' Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusa
lem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, thus saith the Lord unto you ; Be
not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude, for the
battie is not yours, bul God's. To-morrow go ye down against
them ; behold they qome up by the cliff of Ziz ; and ye shall find
them at the end of tho vaUey, before tbe wilderness of Jeruel.'
Which particular descriptions of places he gave, that when the peo
ple should find it so, they might thereby be confirmed in the truth
of his prophecy
Then going on ; ' But, said he, ye shaU not need to fight in this
battle. Set yourselves, and be still ; and see the salvation of the
,Lord with you, 0 Judah and Jerusalera. To-morrow, I say, go out
against them, and fear not, nor be dismayed ; for the Lord wUl be
with you.'
Upon this gracious answer from the Lord, king Jehoshaphat bowed
his head, with his face towards the ground and aU Judah, and tho
inhabftanta of Jerusalem, falluig down before the Lord, worshiped

PART III SACRED HISTORY. 451
him : and certain of the Levifes stood'up, and'prai.sed the Lord God
of Israel with a loud voice on high.
Early next raorning they raarched oul into the wilderness of Tekoa,
And as they went forth, Jehoshaphat, standing in the way, said, ' Hear
me, O Judah, and ye inhabftants of J,erusalem ; believe in the Lord
your God, so shall ye be established ; believe his prophets, so shall
ye prosper. Then having consulted with the people, he appointed
singers unto the Lord, and such as should praise God, under the title
of the Beauty of Holiness, as they went out before the array; and
should say, 'Praise the Lord, for his raercy endurelh forever.'
Though this vvas a sort of Iriuraphing before* the victory, yel it
was well grounded ; the Lord by his prophet having given him bis
word forit; nor was it long before he raade if good. For as they
began lo sing and to praise, the Lord set amb'ushments against their
enemies from amongst themselves, so that they smote one another.
For the children of Ammon and of Moab fell upon the inhabitants
of mount Seir, lo slay and'utterly destroy them ; and when they had
made an end of them, they set themselves to destroy one another. So
that when Jehoshaphat with his army came towards the wateh- tower
in the wilderness, and looked for the great armies of the eneraies,
behold, they were dead ' bodies, faUen to the earth, and none of them
left alive. This was so evidfently the Lord's doing, that il raay well
be called' one of the battles of the Lord; and might justly claim a
place in that book of the wars of the Lord, which is mentioned in
Numb. xxi. 14 ''
Thus Jehoshaphat and his people, instead of fighting, came to lake
the spoil of their eneraies, which they found among them in abun
dance, both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which
they stripped off for themselves, raore than they could carry away.
For they were three days in gathering the spoU, it was so much.
On the fourth day they assembled theraselves together in the valley.
And thai they might not be wanting of a thankful acknowledgment to
the Lord for so-great a- deliverance, th'ey there solemnly blessed the
Lord. From which act, the name of that place vvas afterwards callad,
the valley of Beracha, that is,, of blessing.
Then setting forward in good order, with Jehoshaphat their king
at the head of thera, they returned to Jerusalem with joy, playing on
psalteries and harps, and sounding their trumpets until they carae to
the house of the Lord ; because the Lord had raade them lo rejoico-
over their eneraies.
The destruction of this -invading army was so evidently seen lo be
the act of God, that it struck terror into the rest of the nations; and
that the fear of God was on the kingdoms round about, when they
heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel ; so that tha
realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest on every
side.

452 SACEED HISTORY, PART III,
Yet after all this (see the mstabiUty of man) Jehoshaphat joined
himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, son to wicked Ahab, who suc
ceeded his faiher in his vices as well as in his kingdom, and did
wickedly, as he had done, walking in the way of his father Ahab,
and of Jezebel his raother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of
Nebat, who made Israel to sin ; for he served Baal and worshiped
him, and thereby provoked to anger the Lord God of Israel, acccord-
,ing to aU that his father had done.
The design of this league between Jehoshaphat and hira was to
¦serid a fleet jointly between .them, to fetch gold from Ophir, an eastern
country, which yielded the finest gold : and in order thereunto they
buUt the ships in Ezion Gebcr, whioh signifies the Counsel of Man ;
but the undertaking being out of the counsel of God, the Lord dis-
appointed the enterprize by breaking the ships in the harbour. Which
done, EUezcr (which signifies the Help of God) son of Dodarah
(which signifies Love) prophesied against Jehoshaphat, and told him,
because he had joined himself with Ahaziah, the Lord had broken
his works. And so indeed he had ; for the ships were so broken,
that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
This was the second time that this good king Jehoshaphat had
tripped in this kind. The first had like to have cost him his Ufe, when
he joined with wicked Ahab ; a king too, as well as he ; yea, and a
king of Israel, but a wicked one. This second did cost him the loss
of his fleet, for joining with Ahab's wicked son. And this may stand
as a way-mark, for a warning to all, both princes and private persons
who profess to serve and worship the true God, not to join themselves
with God's enemies.

THB END OF TEE FIRST BOOK OF KUrGS.

THE
SECOND BOOK OF KINGS:
INCLUDING THE REST, FROM THE TWENTIETH CHAPTER, OF THE SECOND
BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES : AND CONTAINING AN HISTORY OF THREE
HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS, TO' THE CAPTIVITY OF ZEDEKIAH, THE
LAST KING OF JUDAH : THB DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE AND CITY
OF Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar ; and the proclamation of
CYRUS foe rebuilding- the temple. WITHIN THE COMPASS OF
WHICH PEEIOD, MOST OF THE PROPHETS, tyHOSE WRITINGS AEE EX-
TANT, -VIZ. JONAH, AMOS, HOSEA, JOEL, ISAIAH, MICAH, JEREMIAH, ZEP-
HANIAH, HABAKUK, NAHUM,- EZEKrEtrj- OBADIAH, AND DANIEL, PROPHE
SIED AND PROBABLY IN ORDER- OF TIME AS THEY AEE HEEE SET ;
WHOSE SEVERAL BOOKS ARE MORE OR LESS TAKEN NOTICE OF IN THE
COURSE OF THE mSTORY, AS THEY AFFORD MORE OR LESS MATTER RE
LATING THEREUNTO.

=%s=

fr was in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, that
Ahaziah son of Ahab began tc reign over Israel, 1 Kings xxii. 51.
And in the second year of his reign he received an hurt by a faU, 2
Kings i, which be had through a lattice or grate in his upper cham
ber in Samaria ; which being made to give light -to the lower rooms,
he, it seems, dropped through it. Whereupon he sent messengers to
inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, the sarae that in the New
Testaraent is called the prince of the devils, Luke xi. 15, whether he
should recover of that hurt or not.
This was strange. We read in 2 Kings viii. 8, that when Benha
dad king of Syria, a professed heathen, was sick, he sent to Elisha,
the prophet of the God of Israel, to inquire if he should recover of
that disease. But here a king of Israel sends, on a like occasion, to
inquire of an heathen god.
This so provoked the God of Israel, that sending an angel to Eli
jah the Tishbfte, he commanded hftn to go meet the messengers of
the king of Saraaria, and say thus unto them, 'Is it not because
there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baalzebub, the
(463)

464 SACRED HISTORY. PART III.
god of Ekron? (that is, doth not, your going to inquire of the god
of Ekron plainly speak, that you do not beUeve there is a God in
Israel ? ) Now therefore, thus saith the Lord, Thou (king Ahaziah,
who has sent> these messengers to inquire of an heathen god, thou)
shall not come down frora that bed on which- thou art gone up to
lie, but shalt surely die.'
Upon this the messengers, nol thinking it needful to go lo Ekron,
returned to Samaria, and coming' to 'ihe king sooner than expected,
he asked why they were come back : they told him there came a
man up to meet them, and bid them turn back again unto the king
that sent thera, and say unto hira, ' Thus saith the Lord, Is il not
because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of
Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Therefore thou shall nol corae down
from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.'
It seems the messengers did nol know the prophet ; for the king
asked thera what raanner of man il was that met them, and told them
these words. And when tiiey told hira that he was an hairy raan,
which is understood to be spoken not of his person, but his garment,
which was rough,- coarse, and hairy, and girt with a girdle of leather
about his loins ; he said. It is Elijah the Tishbite. For it is prob.
able he raight have forraerly seen him when he denounced judgment
against his father Ahab.
EUjah, having delivered his message, was gone, and had sat him
down on the lop of an hiU.* Thither the king sent unto him a ca,p-
tain of fifty vvith his fifty raen; that if he refused lo come with hira
by fair means, they raight bring him by force.
The captain as soon as he came to him, like a rough and resolute
soldier, said, ' Thou man Of God, the king hath said. Come down.'
This was not such language as the man of God used to receive from
such as professed to be the people of God. The prophet therefore
answered him as short and as sharp. ' If (said he) I be a raan of
God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consurae thee and
thy fifty.' Immediately came fire down from heaven, and consumed
him and his fifty men.
The king being acquainted with this, sent unto bim another cap
tain of fifty with his fifty. Who, nothing daunted at the divine exe
cution done upon the former captain and his men, coming boldly up to
Elijah, said, ' 0 man of God, Thus hath the king said, Corae down
quickly.' The prophet, answering hira as he had done the former,
said, ' If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and
consume thee and thy fifty.' Whereupon the fire of God. coming
down frora heaven, forthvrith consumed him and his fifty.
This was hot work. And though it may seem an hard case, that
men under command should suffer so severely for executing tho
•A. M. 3109.

PART m. SACRED HISTORY. 456
comraands of their superiors, yet aU subordinate ministers may hence
learn, how dangerous a thing it is to persecute a servant of God,
though required by the highest of human powers.
The hardened king, notwithstanding this, sent again a captain of
a third fifty wfth his fifty. But this captain having bought wisdom at
the cost of the two former, and being grown wary by the mischief
they had suffered; when he came to Elijah, fell on his knees before
hira, bowing to that divine power, which he saw had broken forth in
wrath upon the others, and which he knew was alike able to destroy
him and his raen also, and instead of coraraanding, besought hira,
saying, ' 0 man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the Ufe of these
fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. Behold, there carae fire
down frora heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former
fifties with their fifties; wherefore let ray life now be precious in
thy sight'
This vvas regardful and moving language; and upon tiiis, tho
angel of the Lord said to Elijah, 'Go down vvith hira; be not afraid
of hira' (the king.) Elijah thereupon went down with the captain;
and being brought before the king, said unto hira, ' Thus saith the
Lord, forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baalze
bub the god of Ekron (as if there were no God in Israel to inquire
of) therefore thou shalt not corae dovvn frora off that bed on vvhich
thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.' This was quickly made
good ; for Ahaziah did nol recover of his hurl, but died soon after,
according to the word of the Lord, vvhich Elijah had spoken. And
Jehoram his brother, for be had no son, reigned in his stead.
The time now drawing near, wherein the Lord had deterrained
to take up his servant Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, 2 Kings
ii,* Elijah went frora Gilgal, taking with him Elisha, whom God
had before appointed, 1 Kings xix. 16. to succeed hira in his pro
phetical office. And as they went by the way, Elijah said unlo
EUsha, ' Tarry here, I pray thee, for the Lord hath sent me to Beth
el.' But EUsha answered him, 'As the Lord liveth, .and as thy soul
liveth, I wiU not leave thee : ' so they went down lo Bethel together.
Being corae thiiher, the sons of the prophets that were there, hav
ing a prophetic sense that Elijah's departure was al hand, came to
Elisha, and said unto hira, ' Knowest thou that the Lord wiU tako
away thy raaster from thy head to-day? Yes, said P^lisha, I know
it; hold you your peace.'
Al Bethel. Elijah said again lo Elisha, 'Tarry here I pray Ihee,
for the Lord hath sent me lo Jericho.' But EUsha answered hira
es before, assuring hira that he would not leave hira ; so they went
on together to Jericho. And there also the sons of the prophets
asked Elisha, as the others had dpnc al Bethel, ' If he knew that the
*A. M. .3109.

456 SACRED HISTOEY. P.\ET Illi.
Lord would take his master frora him that day.' To whora again in
like raanner he answered, ' Yes, I know ft ; ' and bid them also hold
their peace.'
Here again Elijah said to EUsha, ' Tarry, I pray thee, here ; for
the Lord hath sent me to Jordan.' But Elisha as before, resolvedly
answering that he would not leave him, they went on together.
Though Elijah seeraed wiUing to have shaken off Elisha in this
journey, telling him, the Lord had sent him to this, that, and the other
place; yel the distance ofthe places one from the other, and the total
silence of any business he did, or had to do al Bethel, or at Jericho,
make way for a reasonable conjecture, that Elijah, knowing Elisha
was to succeed him, took these journies to prove the love, fafth, zeal,
and constancy of Elisha.
When they were come down lo Jordan, and they two only stood
by the river's side, Elijah look his mantie, or cloke, which be usually
wore, and wraping it together, smote the waters therewith ; which
thereupon divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on
dry ground.
Having thus rairaculously crossed Jordan, the river of judgment,
Elijah said to Elisha, 'Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken
avvay from thee. Whereupon Elisha said, ' 1 pray thee let a double
portion of thy spirit be upon me.' Wherein he is thought lo have
alluded lo the law for inheritances among the Jews, Deut. xxi. 17 ; by
which he who, in right of primogeniture, succeeded to the father in
the government of the family, enjoyed a double part or porticm of
the estate or goods; that is, twice as rauch as any other of the fam
ily had. And therefore since God had been pleased to adopt him to
be Elijah's successor in the prophetic ministry, he craved the priv
ilege of priraogeniture, a double portion of that spirit which EUjah
had been endued with.
Elijah told him, he had asked an haid lliing. But yet, added he,
' It shaU be granted thee, if thou seest me when I am taken from
thee ; otherwise not' Implying, that there must be a spiritual vigil-
ancy or watchfulness in him that expects to receive a spiritual blessing.
Thus they walking on, and talking, on a sudden there appeared a
chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them asunder, and
Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
Elisha saw it ; and that Elijah raight know he saw it, he cried out,
« My father, ray father, the chariot of Israel, and the horseraen there
of! ' After which, seeing hira no raore, he took hold of his own
clothes, and to express his sorrow, rent them in two pieces.
Then taking u]j the mantie of Elijah, which, as he ascended, fell
from him : he went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan. And
with the mantie that feU frora Elijah, smiling the waters as Elijah had
done, he said, 'Where is the God of Elijah?' Upon which the

SART Iir. SACRED HISTORY. 467
Waters parted hither and thither, so that he ako went over on dry
ground. This being observed by sorae of the sons of the prophets, who, fol
lowing them out of Jericho slood al a distance lo see what would be
done, they said one lo another, ' The spirit of Elijah doth, rest upon
EUsha.' And thereupon going to meet him, they bowed themselves
to the ground before hira, acknowledging him lo have the chief place
among them, as Elijah had before him.
These being over-solicitous about Elijah's body, and surmising
that peradventure the Spirit of the Lord having taken him up, raight
have cast hira upon sorae mountain, or in sorae vaUey, desired leave
of Elisha, that they might send out fifty men of their company to
seelc him : bul Elisha forbade them. Yet they iraportunately press
ing hira, be at length, against his mind, yielded to them. Whereupon
the fifty raen went oul, and having sought hira three days to no pur
pose, returned lo Jericho, where they found Elisha, and by him.
were blaraed for their over-officiousness.
While Elisha tarried at Jericho, the men of the city came to him,
and told him, that though the situation of the city was pleasant, as
he himself raight observe ; yet the water was naught, and the ground
barren. He thereupon, bid thera bring hira a new cruse, or vial,.
and put some salt therein ; which when they had done, he went forth
unto tho spring of the waters, and having cast in the salt there, he
said, 'Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall
not be from thence any more unwholesomeness or barrenness.' So-
the waters were healed from thenceforward, aocording to the saying,
of Elisha.
From thence he went unto Bethel,* which had been, and for
aught appears then was, the chief seat of idolatry in Israel, whore
Jeroboam had set up one of his idol calves, 1 Kings xii. 28, 29.
And as he was going up by the way, a company of Uttie children.
coming oul of the city, mocked him, saying, ' Go up thou bald. head,..
go up thou bald head.' He turning bacfc, and looking on them,.
cursed thera in the name of the Lord. Whereupon there came forth.
two she-bears out of an adjacent wood, and tore two and forty of
the children
Unlikely it is that so severe a judgraent would have been inflicted'
on these Uttie children, had their mocking EUsha proceeded only
from childish folly, ll is therefore reasonable to conclude, that the
prophet was sensible that these children had been encouraged by
their idolatrous parents, or others of that place, to deride and mock
him as a prophet ofthe Lord, who was zealous against tiieir idolatry :-
and the indignity offered to him, in his prophetical capacity, reflecting
» A. M. 3097.

468 SACRED ' HISTORY PART IH.
on the Lord whosent hira, was therefore the more cxeftiplarilyipun-
ished. that others might fear, and learn to beware.
From Bethel the prophet returning by mount Carmel to Samaria,
found fresh service there, which was thus occasioned :
Phe Moabites bad been tributaries to Israel ever since David con
quered them, 2 Sam. vui. 2, and continued so tiU Ahab's death.
After which, in his .son Ahaziah's reign, they reboUed, 2 Kings i, 1;
and Ahaziah, having but a .short reign, and receiving that hurt by
his fall which hastened his death, had not reduced them. The trib
ute which the Moabites used to pay Ihe'kings 6f Israel, was an hun
dred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand^rams, with the wool.
This having been withholden and denied ever since Ahab's death,
Jehoram, a younger son of Ahab, succeeding his brother Ahaziah in
the kingdom of Israel, resolved lo reduce Moab lo their former sub
jection by arms. And in order thereunto, he not only mustered all'
.Israel to the war, but sent to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, to
invito him lo go with him to battie against Moab.
Jehoshaphat, though he had smarted twice before for the sarae
thing, too easily yielded to join forces, and go with Jehoram, 2
Kings iii. And having consulted together which way they shouM
go up, and concluded to go through the wilderness of Edom, they
took the king of Edom also with them : who, though oaUed a king,
was indeed but a vice-roy, Ueutenant, or deputykingto Jehoshaphat,
1 Kings xxU. 47. For Edom had been tributary to Judah, ever
since king David subdued them, 2 Sam. viu. 14, and yet for a while
continued so.
Then setting forward, these'three kings fetched a compass of sev.
en days' journey,* that they might corae with the greater advantage
upon the backs Of their enemies ; and thereby they -ran themselves
and their arraies into very great straits and dangers. For there
was no water in that wUderness to suffice the host, and the cattie
that followed. them through so long a march. This put them to
a stand. And the king of Israel, conscious of his own evU ways
whereby he had provoked the Lord, cried out, Alas! the Lord hath
delivered these three kings into the hand of Moab
But Jehoshaphat, who was a good raan, though too easily drawn
into bad company, having his eye to God for help, asked, ' Is there
nol here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by
hira ? ' Yes, said one of the king of Israel's servants, here is Elisha
the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah, that
is, wailed on hira as his servant. Jehoshaphat replying, ' The word
of the Lord is wilh him ; " the ihree kings went down together to him.
But when Elisha saw the king of Israel coming, ''VVhat(said he)
have I lo do with thee ? Get thee to the prophets of thy faiher,
•A. M. 3109.

PIRT IH. SACRED HISTORY. 469
and to the prophets of thy mother (the prophets of Baal, and of the
groves.') Nay, said the king of Israel, ' It is not for me only that
we come lo inquire : bul the Lord hath called these three kings
together to deUver them into the hand o£ Moab. As the Lord of
hosts liveth, repUed Elisha, before whora I stand, assuredly, were it
not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would
nol look towards thee, nor see thee.'
The reason of this great aversion in the prophet frora the king of
Israel, was, that though he was not quite so bad as his father and
his mother, for he-'had put avvay the image of Baal which his father
hadjnade; yet he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord, and did
cleave unto the sins of Jeroboara the son of Nebat, who made Israel
to sin, the calves, and the separate altar, be departed not therefrom.
Yet, for the sake of good Jehoshaphat,- the prophet called for a
minstrel, one that could play well on an insti'ument of music, or sing
dirine psalms, often used in those times, both to cheer the spirit of
the prophets, and compose tbe minds of the hearers to a due aiten-
tion. And vvliUe the minstrel played, the hand of the Lord, that is,
his power, and therein the gift of prophecy, carae uponllie prophet,
and he said, ' Thus saith the Lord, raake tiiis valley full of ditches :
for thus saith the Lord, ye shaU not see whid, neither shall ye see rain;
yet that valley shall be fiUed wuh water, that ye raay drink, both ye
and your cattle, and your beasts. And this is but a light thing in the
sight of the" Lord ;' for he wiU deliver the Moabites also (whom ye go to
fight against) into your hand, and ye shall smite every fenced city,
and every choice city, and shall fell every ^ood tree, and stop all the
wells of water, and mar every good piece of land vvith stones; ' that is,
ye shall spare nothing, bul quite destroy the country.
This prediction was soon fulfilled ; for next morning, al the lime
when the meat-offering was offered, there came water by the way of
Edom, and the country was filled with water.
MeanwhUe the Moabites, having got notice that these kings were
'Coming up to fight against them, had mustered all their forces; and
having listed all that were able to bear arms, stood ready to receive
them on the frontier ofthe kingdom. Bul when early in the morning
they saw the sun shine upon the waters, in a place where they knew
there never used to be any water, they thought it was blood, and the
rather, for that the water, God so disposing it, app^-ared to thera as red
as blood. Concluding therefore that the kings were slain, and that
the adverse armies had smitten one another they cried, ' Moab, to the
spoil ; ' and made what ha.ste they could to it,
Bul when they came to the camp of Israel, thsy soon, yet loo late,
found their mistake : for the IsraeUtes sallying out upon them, smote
the Moabites, and put them to flight, and pursuing them into their
own country, slew them there : arid beating down their cities, raade
greal devastation in the country, spoiling the land, by casting every

460 .SACRED HISTORY. PART IIL
man his stone upon every good piece of ground they came lo; stop-
kig up also tiie wells of water, and felling every goodly tree, till they
came lo Kirharaseth, This probably was a remarkable city, for beauty
or for strength, or both, for the name imports a wall of workmanship.*
Into this city, it seems, the king of Moab, whose narae was Mesha,
had fled for safety, with such of his scattered forces as in this general
rout he could rally; and here the confederate armies besieged hira.
The defence he raade secured his place frora being razed as others
were. So that, though it were in a sort bombed, the sUngers sur
rounding it and shaking it, yet the well- wrought v/aU. stood.
But the king of Moab, hopeless lo maintain the place against so
^eat a force, taking with hira seven hundred men, that drew swords,
made a desperate sally, intending to break through on that side
whence the king of Edom lay. But finding too strong a resistance,
he was forced to retreat, and shut himself up in the city again.
Then filled with indignation against Israel, and to let them see
that he was resolved never lo yield the place, but that he, and every
man of his, 2 Kings iv, would die upon the spot first, he look his eld
est son, who was to have reigned after him, and offered him for a
bUrnt-offering upon the waU; that having thereby, as he supposed,
pacified bis offended gods, he might succeed the better in the war af
terwards. Some think (among whom are TremeUius- and Junius, in
their annotation on Amos i, 16, in them, but chap. ii. V, in the Eng
lish) that it was not his own son-thai the king of .Moab thus sacrificed,
but the son and heir of the- king of Edom, whom he had taken in
the late sally; but it seems more probable that it was his own son;
and that raentioned in Amos, of his burning the bones of the king of
Edora into lime, related to sorae other fact and time.- Bul which so
ever il was, the sight of so- barbarous a cruelty had such a compas
sionate effect on the hearts of the confederate armies; that forthwitlv
raising the siege, they returned 10 their own countriess- Where leav
ing them for a while- to rest and refresh themselves; let us, as the
course of the history leads, take hotice of some more very remark
able miracles wrought by the prophet Elisha, wbether in the same
order of time wherein they are related or nor.
Elisha thus- being returned to Samaria, therecaitie Unto him a cer
tain woman,* who was a widow- lo one of the sons of the prophets,
and ihus besake him : ' Thy servant my husband is dead ; and
though he died in debt, yetlboU knowest he was one that feared the
Lord (and so did not run into debt through ill-husbandry or evil
courses.) And not having left wherewith to pay, the creditors come
to take my two sons lo be bondmen.'
Elisha commiserating the poor woman's condition, asked her what
he should do for her; and bid her teU him what she had in the house.
*A. M. 3109

PART m. BACRED mSTORT. 461
Truly nothing, said she, save a jiot of oil. Then said he, ' Go bor
row thee good store of empty vessels of aU thy neighbours; and when
thou hast brought them home, shut the door upon thyself and thy
sons, -and pour out thy oil into aU those vessels, stiU setting them
aside that are full.'
The woman foUowing the prophet's direction, went and borrowed
vessels, and shutting herself and her sons in, they brought her the
empty vessels, and she poured out of her oil into them : and as long
as the empty vessels held oul, the oil increasing held out also ; but
when caUing for another vessel, her son told her they were all fuU,
the oil stayed. Then going to ih^ man of God, and teUing him what
she had done, and what increase she had of the oil; he bid her go
sell the oU, and pay her debt, and then she and her children should
live of the rest. A very good lesson for debtors to learn.
The next account we have of ibis greal prophet is frora Shunem (a
town in the tribe of Issachar, Joshua xix. 18) where dwelt a woman
of great note ; whose husband being ancient, had left, il seems, the
ordering of his family much to his wife. She observing Elisha to
pass often that way, invited him lo come in and eat with them, which
he did ; and finding a kind reception from her husband and ber, he
afterwards, as often as he passed by, turned in thither to refresh himself.
After some time, the woman having conversed with Elisha, and
made her observations thereupon, told her husband, that she perceived
this guest of theirs, who passed so often by thera, was an holy man
of God : and therefore she desired her husband, that they might make a
litde chamber upon the wall ; and sel for hira there a bed, and a table,
and a stool, and a candlestick (furniture for use, not ostentation, answer
ing his conveniency, not their grandeur) that so, whensoever he should
corae to thera, he raight take up his lodging there. The husband con
senting to bis wife's proposal, the chamber was forthwith fitted up ;
and the next tirae Elisha carae thither, he was directed into that
charaber, and thence forward took that for his lodging.
Pleased wilh these kind and plain accommodations, and having a
grateful raind to requfte his benefactors, Elisha, one time when he was
in his lodging, bid his servant Gehazi, speak lo the Shunaraite, his
landlady, and let her know he was sensible of her kindness in the care
she had taken for him, and would gladly answer it in what he could;
and therefore he should ask her what raight be done for her, and
whether she would be spoken for to the king, or lo the captain of the
host, in any case. Gehazi having delivered his raaster's message to
her, she answered, ' I dwell among my own people ; ' thereby intimat
ing, that living lovingly with her neighbours, she had no occasion to
complain or seek redress for any thing.
Gehazi reporting this her answer lo his master, Elisha said to him,
what then is lo be done for her? Why, said Gehazi, she hath no
child, and her husband is old. The prophet apprehending his mean-

462 SACKED HISTORY. PART IH.
ing, bid him caU her; and when she was come, and slood before him,
he without any com pliment- or ceremonious introduction, said unto
her, ' About this season, aocording to the course of Ufe, thou shalt em
brace a son.'
As this was quite beside her expectation, so it is likely it might
exceed her belief; for the answer she gave him was, ' Nay my lord,
thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid' (that is, do nol put
me in a vain hope, and thereby deceive mc.) However, the woman
after this in due time bare a son, according as Elisha had predicted.
When this child was grown up that he could run about, he went
out one morning, in the harvest-time, to his father, wb^j was with his
reapers. There he had nol been long ere he was taken with a sore
pain in his head, which raade him cry out. My head, my head. His
father thereupon ordered a servant lo carry him home lo his mother ;
which the servant doing, he sat upon his mother's knees tiU noon, and
then died.- The afflicted mother, seeing her only chUd dead, carried
him up into the charaber of the raan of God ; and having laid him on
his bed, shut the door, and came out, and caiUng to her husband, de
sired hira to send one of the young men, and one of the asses, that she
might run to the raanof Godj and come again.. He not understand.
ing or not duly considering the urgency of the occasion, asked her,
why she would go that day, it being neither new moon nor sabbath,
which were the usual days of going to inquire of the Lord in any
case, or to perform any public exercise of reUgious worship. But
she pressing to be gone, he sent her the servant and the ass ; and she
mounting, bid the servant drive on, and go forward, and not slack
his pace,- unless she should bid hira..
The man of God was at Carmel, and happened to espy the woraan
afar off before she was come to him; and pointing to her, said to
Gehazi his servant, ' Behold, yonder-is that Shunaraite; run there
fore now, I pray thee,- lo meet her, and - ask ber, if it be well wilh
her, and with her husband, and with the child.'
Away ran Gehazi to her; but -she, not wilUng lo spend time in en
tertaining discourse with him > only answered; weU ; and pressed on
to the prophet himself.
As soon as she was got to him, she feU down, and caught him by
the feet; vvhich his servant Gehazi seeing, came near to thrust her
away: bul his master said, 'Let her alone, for her soul is vexe4
within her, and the Lord hath hid the cause of it from -me.'
The woman by this tirae having a littie recovered her spirits, said
unlo him, 'Did I desire a son of ray lord? Did I not say, do not
Receive rae? '
Before she could bring forth any more, the prophet apprehending
the matter, said to Gehazi, ' Gird up thy loins (that is, thy coat about
thy loins, that it may not hinder thy running) and take ray staff in
thy hand, and go thy v/ay. If thou meet any man, salute him notj

PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 463
and if any man salute thee, answer him not again (that is, make no
delay nor lose any lira?, by sloping to speak wfth any body on tho
way) and .lay my staff upon the face of the child.'
This probably raight have wrought the cure, had nol the solicitous
mother importunately pressed the prophet to go with hor, telling him
positively she would nol go back without hira : vvhich resolution sho
bound vvith an asseveration, commonly used in those times, saying,
'As the Lord' liveth, and as thy soul liveth', I will not leave thee.'
Whereupon he arose and foUowed her,
Gehazi observing his raaster's direction, had made so niuch haste,
that he had. laid the staff on the face of the child ; and finding there
upon no token or symptora of life, vvas coraing back to his master j
and raeeting hira on the way, told him in a pretty significant phrase,.
the child was nol awaked.
EUsha thereupon entering. the house, and finding the chUd lying
dead upon his bed, shut the door upon thera two, and prayed unto
the Lord. Then getting up upon the bed, he lay upon the child ; and
pjitting his raouth .upon the child's, mouth, liis. eyes upon its eyes, and
his hands upon its hands, he stretched himself upon the child (as his
ma.¥ler Elijah had once done on a like occasion, 1 Kings xvii. 21)
and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then walking a tum or two
about the chamber, he got up again, and having in Uke raanner
stretched himself again upon the child, the child sneezed seven times,
end opened his eyes.
Elisha then bid his servant call the raother ; and she uppn the call
(piickly coming, he bid her take up her son. At which word the
overjoyed mother faUing dovvn at the prophet's feet, and bowing her
self to the ground,, in reverence to that divine power, through which
so great a miracle was wrought, and by vnhich she had received so
great a benefit, look up the child .and departed.
The prophet also departed and went to Gilgal, whore was at tiiat
time a dearth ; and the sons, that is, the disciples or scholars,* of tiie
prophets, who were many in nuraber, sitting before him, he bid his ser--
vant sel on the great pot, and seethe pottage for them. One of them-
thereupon going forth into the field, to gather herbs for the pottage,-
found a wUd vine, so it is rendered, but it is supposed to be the same-
which herbalists call colloquintida, which bath a strong purging qual
ity: and of this having gathered his lapful, came and shred il into
the pol of pottage, notknowing the nature ofit When the pottage was
sod, they poured out for the men lo eat. But as they were eating,
finding some iU effect thereof upon them, they gave over eating, and
cried out, 'O tiiou man of God, there is death in the pot' Then
said he, ' Bring some meal ; ' which being brought, he cast into the
•A. M. 3110.

464 SACRED HISTORY. PART IH.
pot, and said, » Pour out now for the people, that they may eat ; ' and
then they did eat without harm.
While the prophet tarried here with the sons of the prophets, there
came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought him bread of the first-
fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and some full ears of corn in the hu.sk.
The prophet, knowing food was short among them, bid his servant
set it before the people, that they might eat. The servant, wanting
faith, the want of which brings often wilh il want of obedience, said,
'To what purpose should I set this before an hundred men? ' But,
said the prophet again, ' Give the people that they may eat : for thus
safth the Lord, they shaft eat, and shall leave thereof Upon this
he set it before thera ; and they did eat, and left thereof, according
to the word of the Lord.
Before Elisha left them, these sons of the prophets, addressing
theraselves to him, shewed him that tbe place where they dwelt was
too strait, so that they wanted room. Wherefore they desired him to
let them go to Jordan, and from the banks thereof fetch every one a
beara, or piece of timber, that they might therewith make them a
raore commodious place to dwell in. He bid them go ; bul they, not
being willing lo go without hira, one of thera said lo hira, vouchsafe,
I pray thee, to go with thy servants. He consenting, went with them :
and being come to Jordan, they feU to work to cut down timner.
But as one of thera was feUing a tree for a beara, with a borrowed axe,
tbe axe-head, dropping off from the helve, fell into the water. At
which the workman crying oul, ' Alas, master ! for il was borrowed ; '
the raan of God asked him, 'Where it fell.' And when the work
man had shewed him the place, the man of God cutting a stick, and
casting it in there, immediately the axe did swim; so that the work*
man, by the prophet's direction, put forth his hand, and took it up.
Elisha now returning lo fc'amaria, found his presence was needed
there, 2 Kings v,* by reason of an extraordinary case, which thus
happened :
Naaraan, capiain general of the host of the king of Syria, a raaa
rauch renowned for his valour, and in great esteera with the king his
master, was a leper. And the Syrians, upon sorae excursion which
they had made upon Israel, having brought out of the land of Israel,
amongst other captives, a littie maid, who wailed on Naaraan 's wifej
she one day, discoursing with her mistress about her lord's disease,
happened to say, ' Would God, my lord was with the prophet that
is in Samaria : for he would recover him of his leprosy.'
One that overheard this, went and told the king what this Israel
itish maid had said : whereupon the king put Naaraan upon going,
offering lo give him his letters of recommendation to the king of Is
rael. Naaman thereupon, taking with bim a very noble present for
•A. M. 3107.

PART III SACREP HISTORY. AbR
the prophet, viz. ten talents of silver, amounting, at three hundred
seventy-five pounds each, lo three thousand seven hundred and fifty
pounds, and six thousand pieces of gold, supposed to be shekels,
vvhich, at fifteen shiUings a piece, came to four thousand five hundred
pounds, and besides all this, ten changes of raiment; he left Damas
cus, and took his journey fbr Samaria, then the royal seat of the
kings of Israel.
Being corae thitiier, he delivered his letter, the contents whereof
(so far as related lo this business) ran thus :
« Now when this letter is corae unto thee, behold, I have therewith
sent Naaraan my servant to theo, that thou mayest recover him of his
leprosy.' When the king of Israel had read the letter, not knowing the occa
sion upon which it was written, but suspecting a design to lie under
it, he rent his clothes, and cried out, 'Am I God, to kiU and to make
alive, that this man doth send to me, to recover a raan of his leprosy ?
Wherefore consider, I pray you, said he to his servants, and see how
he seekeih an occasion of quarrel against me.'
The report of this strange sort of letter, and of the king's trouble
on the reading of it, quickly came lo the prophet Elisha's ear, vvho
thereupon sent this raessage lo the king. ' Let the leper come to me,
and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.'
The king, glad to be thus eased, referred Naaman to the prophet.
Who thereupon coraing with his chariot and horses, slood al the door
of Elisha's house, expecting some great ceremonious and formal per.
form ances from him. Bul the prophet, quitecontrary, not so much
as going forth to see or speak with hira, sent him only this message,
' Go and wash in Jordan seven tiraes, and thy flesh shall come again
unto thee, and thou shaft be clean.'
This great disappointment of his expectation put Naaman into
such a passion, that in great wrath he Went avvay, saying, ' I thought
he would surely have come out to me, and have stood, and caUed
on the name of the Lord his God, and have moved his- band to and
fro over the place, and so have recovered the leper. What does he
left me of Jordan'? Are nol Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damas-
cus, belter than all the waters of Israel? May I nol wash in thera,
and be clean ? ' So he turned, and went away in a rage. But after
some tim.e, when his anger was a little abated, his servants coming
to hira, intreated him to consider, ' Whether if the prophet had bid
hira do some greal thing, he would not have done it : and how much
more reasonable it was, when the prophet only bid him wash, for him
to do so small a thing, in order to be cleansed,'
By their importunity and reasoning persuaded, he at length went
down, and having dipped himself seven times in Jordan, his flesh camo
VOL. I.— 30

466 SACEED HISTORY. PART 18.
again, like unlo the flesn of a little child; and he was clean, according
to the saying of the man of God.
Then returning with all his retinue to the man of God, he came, and
standing before him, said, 'Behold, now 1 know that there is no God
in aU the earth, but the God of Israel. Now therefore, 1 pray (seeing
by thy means 1 have received so greal benefit from him) lake thou
a blessing (that is, a present) of thy servant' Tlie prophet, not mer
cenary, answered, • As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand (or
whose servant I am) I will not receive any,' And though Naaraan
urged hira to take ft, yet he utterly refused
Naaman then, protesting that he would not thenceforth offer neither
burnt-offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but only to the Lord, de.
sired of the prophet that he might have two mules' burthen of earth,
to carry home with hira; zealously, but ignorantly, thinking, either
that ther-o vvas sorae inherent hoUness in the earth of that country, or
that tho (iod of Israel would not be sacrificed unto upon any ether
earth than the earth of Israel.
Eut because he had now declared that be would never raore wor
ship any other God but the Lord; he deprecates an offence ihat might
arise from his going into the bouse of Rimraon, the idol of the Syr
ians, with his master, when he went thither to worship. ' In this thing
(said he to the prophet) the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my
master goeth into the house of Rimmon, and he leaning on my hand,
I bow myself in the house of Rimraon; when, on that occasion, I
bow myself ui the house of Rimmon, the I^ord pardon thy servant
in this thing.' All the answer the prophet gave him vvas, ' Go in
pcaoe; ' which was, among fhe l.sraelites, a common form of vale
diction. And with it Naaman departed.
From these words of Naaman, and the prophet's answer, a dispute
hath arisen, whether Naaman's bowing in the house of Rimmon,
though not with an intent to worship the idol, but only to accommo.
date himself to his master's posture, who leaned on him whUe he
bowed himself in worship to the idol, was a sin, or no.
Those time-serving ministers of state, and others, vvho arc wiUing
to sail with every wind of worldly preferment, e.xcnse it, as allowed
in their opinion by the prophet's saying, ' Go in peace.
Bul others, seeing the danger of such a politic conformity, and wil
ling to foreclose the way thereto,, read tho words in the preter tence;
which varying the version from [when ray master goeth into, &;c.
and I bow] lo [when my master went into. &c. and I bowed] make
the sense of the words lo be a craving pardon for a sinful practice in
times past, not a licence lo continue it in time to come. See God
wyn's Moses and Aaron, I. 4. c. 7. p. 181. and Dun. Dyke's Deceit-
fulness of Man's Heart, p. 181.
Naaman was no sooner gone, but Gehazi, the prophet. Eli.sha's
servant, whose fingers itched to be handling some of Naaman's money

PART in. SACRED HISTORY. 467
end raiment, said within himself, ' Though ray raaster hath spared
this Syrian, in nol receiving at his hand that present which he brought;
yet. I will surely run afier hira, and take somewhat of hira.' .Accord
ingly he followed Naaraan, while he vvas yet got bul a Utile way; and
Naaman, turning, and seeing him. running after him, oul of respect
to his master alighting from his chariot, went to meet him. and asked
him, 'Is aft well?' ' Yes, said Gehazi, aU is well.' But forging a.
message in his master's name, he added, ' My master hath seut me to
acquaint thee, that even now (since ihou leftest him) there are eome
to him from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons ofthe proph
ets ; to whom he desiresthee logive a talent of silver, and two changes
of garments.'
Naaman, glad, of this opportunity to gratify, as he thought, the man
of God, said to Gehazi, 2 Kings v. Let me persuade thee to take two
talents:,' and pressing him to lake thera, he bound up two talents,
being seven hundred and fifty pounds, in two bags, with two changes
of garments ; and sent two of his servants vvith Gehazi, to carry them
for him.. They had nol far- to go, before they came lo 'the lower:
where Gehazi, taking the loading from the servants, disposed it in a
private place, and sent them back after their master,.
Then reckoning all was safe, in went he, and stood- before hia
master, as he used to do.. His raaster, by, a divine revelation, know
ing where he had been, and what he had done, a.sked hira, ' Whence
he carae?' He, lo e.xcuse himself by another Ue, answered, 'Thy
servant went no whither.' No? replied his master, ' Went not my
heart with thee, when the raan turned again frora his chariot to raeet
thee ? Is it a time lo receive money, and lo receive garments, or any
other gifts ? Of which he enumerated divers sorts.. Since therefore
thou hast coveled the things of Naaman, the leprosy of Naaman shall
cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed forever.'
This divine sentence, pronounced by the prophet as, a due punishp
ment to Gehazi for his covetousness and lying, immediately seized
upon him : so that he went out from the presence of his master, 9
leper, white as snow.
Some tirae after this, the king, of Syria making war upon Israel,
and consulting and, concluding with his servants in what place to
pitch his camp against them, Elisha. sent word to the king of Israel,
to warn hira that he should beware not to pass such a place, for thither
the Syrians were corae dovsn, and lay in wait for lura. And.this the
prophet did raore than once or twice. By whicli means the king of
Israel, sending to the place, and finding it was so, escaped the dan
ger ; and the king of Syria's designs upon him were disappointed
and defeated.
This so troubled the king of Syria^ that caUing his- servants, togeth
er, he said unto them, 'WiU ye not shew me which of us is for the
king of Jsrael ; and who it ia among us that discovers our counsels

468 BACRED HISTOEY. PART IH.
to him.',. Upon that one of his servants (who perhaps might havo
been at Samaria vvith Naaman) replied, 'It is none of us, my lord,
Oking: but Elisha the prophet, who is in Israel, teUeih the king of
Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bed-chamber.'
Then said the king, ' Go, and spy where he is, that I may send a
party of horse lo seize him, and bring hira hither.' One of his ser
vants said, ' He is al this tirae at Dothan' (a littie city nol far from
Samaria.) The king thereupon sent horses and chariots, and a strong
party; which carae by night, and compassed the city about.
Early next morning,* when the prophet's servant, probably a new
one, for we read no more of Gehazi's being with him, after that he
was .smitten with the leprosy for his wickedness, was got up, and gone
abroad, he saw the host encompassing the city with both horses and
chariots. Wherefore hasting to his master, he cried out, ' Alas, ray
master ! how shall we do ? ' His master bid hira nol be afraid :
• For Ihey (said he) that be with us, are raore than they that ba
with thera.'
And to convince hira of it, he prayed to the Lord to open his ser
vant's eyes, that he might see it. Tho Lord answered the prophet's
prayer ; and the young man's eyes being opened, he saw the moun
tain full of horses and chariols of fire round about Elisha.
The Syrians, thinking they had Elisha safe, came down to seize
upon him. But Elisha praying again that the Lord would smite
them with bUndness, they were so bUnded, that they did not know Eli
sha, when he came lo them. He thereupon telling them, that was
not the way, nor that the city t'ney should go to, bid ihem foUow
him, and he would bring them to the raan whom they sought. They
following him, he led thera to Samaria : and having brought them into
the city, he prayed the Lord to open their eyes, that they raight see
where they were; and their .sight being restored, they saw themselves
in the midst of Samaria, and in the hands of their enemies.
The king of Israel would gladly have taken the advantage to have
cut off so many of his eneraies : but not daring to do it without con
suiting the prophet, he asked hira, 'My father, shaft I sraite thera?
shall I sraite thera ? ' « No, by no raeans, said the prophet : for if
they had been taken as prisoners of war, yel after quarter given, thou
wouldst nol have slain them ; much less shouldst thou slay these,
whom thou hast not taken in war. Rather, said he, sel food before
them; that having ate and drank, they may return to their raaster,
and report lo him the good usage they have had. The prophet's
counsel look place, and the Syrian .soldiers, being well entertained,
were peaceably dismissed.
Some think this kind treatment disposed the Syrians to a more
peaceable temper, and to be quiet neighbours afterwards : because it
•A. M. 3115.

PART III. SACRED HISTORY 469*
follows in the text, « So the bands of Syria carae no raore into the
land of Israel.' Others think il only made the Syrians raore wary
how they ventured to raake their incursions and inroads upon Israel
wilh single brigades, or in sraall bands, but that they came afterwards
in fuller arraies; because the next verse tells us, that Benhadad king,
of Syria, after this, how long after is soraewhat uncertain, but cer.
tainly it could not be very long after, for Benhadad did not live long,
after, having gathered all his host together, went up and besieged
Saraaria. This was a very strait siege, and brought the besieged to great
distress.* For as the siege caused a greal famine in Samaria, so the'
long continuance of it increased the famine to that height, that an
ass' head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, which being taken
for coraraon shekels, and valued at fifteen pence a piece, came to five
pounds of sterling money : and the fourth part bf a kab, or quart, of
dove's dung, vvas sold for five pieces, or shekels, of silver, or six shil
lings and three-pence.
But every one among the besieged was not able to pay after this-
rale, if the commodity had been to be had. So that the poorer sort
of the people were driven lo the utmost extremity, as the following.
instance will manifest. For as the king of Israel was passing by upon
the wall, there cried a woman unlo him, saying, ' Help, rny lord, 0
king.' He thinking she would importune him for bre-ad, answered
her somewhat roughly, 'If the; Lord do nol help thee, whence shall I
help thee ? Out of the- barn floor, or out of the wine press ? ' This-
fretful answer did not satisfy the woman ; bul it seeras she continued
her cry to the king, which raade hira ask what aUed her. Where--
upon she thus opened her complaint :
' This woraan (pointing to another) said unto- me. Give thy son,
that we may eat him to-day; and we will eat my son to-morrow. So
we boiled my son, and did eat him ; and on the next day I said to
iler. Give thy son, that we may eat hira; and she hath hid her son.'
Though this was but one of those judgments which Moses had long
before told the Israelites should fall upon them, Deut. xxviiif 63, if
they rebelled against the Lord, as these had done, and therefore might
have been the less surprising, yet il being a thing so abhorrent from
nature, for parents to feed upon the flesh of their own children, the-
kuig upon hearing thereof was so struck, that he rent his clothes ;
whereby the people that were present perceived that he had sackcloth:
underneath upon his flesh.
But though he had on him the outward signs of sorrow, ne had
not in him the signs of true repentance. For flying oul most fiercely
against the prophet Elisha, as if he had been instrumental to bring-
this distress upon them, he swore he would take off Elisha's head
•A. M. 3116.

470 SACEED HISTORY. PART HI,
that day, and forthwith sent an ofllicer to do it, himself also follow.
ing him.
Elisha, meanwhile, siting in his house, with the elders about him,
had this design against his life revealed to him by the Spirit of the
Lord. And thereupon, before the officer came, he said to the elders,
• See ye how this son of a murderer, (meaning Ahab, the father of this
king, who had slain Naboih, and other good men) hath sent to take
away raine head. Look when the messenger comes, tnat ye .shut the
door, and keep hira out a while (tUl I have delivered the message I
have from the Lord:) for is not the .sound of his master's feet be.
bind him ? '
He had scarce done speaking before the messenger carae; whom
the elders entertaining at the door with discourse, and endeavouring
to convince him that this grievous famine, and the misery that attend.
ed it, vvas not an accidental thing, but an evident judgment, sent by
God upon thera for their sins, he, or perhaps the king rather, who,
following hira., raight by this tirae be come up lo them, in a desperate
raind said, ' Nay I Jf this evU be of the Lord, what should I wait
for (or trust in) the Lord any longer ? '
The prophet EUsha hearing this, could contain no longer, 2 Kings
vU, but cried out, ' Hear the word of the Lord : Thus saith the Lord,
to-morrow, about this time, shaU a -measure (whioh Godwin explains
to be a gaUon and a half, or six quarts) of fine flour be sold for a
shekel (or fifteen pence) and two measures of barley for a shekel.'
A lord that was present, on whose hand the king leaned, hearing
this, and counting il an extravagant word, and impossible to be per-
formed, considering the shortness of the tirae prefixed for il, said in
derision, ' If the Lord would make windows in heaven (to pour grain
down upon thera) could this thing be?'
This incredulitj' of his, aggravated by his conterapl of what the
prophet had delivered in the name of the Lord, raade the prophet
give him this short answer; 'Thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but
shalt not eat thereof.'
How such a plentiful supply of food should be brought to Saraaria
in so short a tirae, the eneray having begirt it with a close siege, and
thereby cut off aU avenues, vvas indeed beyond the reach of man's
comprehension : but God hath secret ways of working, which, tiU he
discovers them, are past finding out. And thus the thing was brought
about :
There were at tliis tirae four leprous men, that sal at the entering
in of the gate of Samaria. They were forced lo bo without the gate,
because of their leprosy, that they might not infect others, Levit. xiii.
46. And they were wUling to be as near the gate as they might, be
cause of the enemy, that they raight be in safety. If the famine vva.i
BO hard within, it cannot be supposed these poor lepers could fare
WeU without. When therefore they had sat there, till they were al.

PART ni. SACRED mSTORY. 471
¦most pined to death, they said one to another, ' Why sit we here until
we die? If we should attempt lo enter the city, and could get in, the
famine being so strong in the city, we should die there; and if we
sit still here, we shall die also. Now therefore come, let us fall into
the host of the Syrians ; if they save us aUve we shall Uve ; and if
they kUl us, we shall but die.
Thus resolved, they rose up in the twUight, for they durst not be
seen to go to the enemy, and lolhe camp of the Syrians they went;
expecting, no doubt, to have been seized by the centinels, or out-
guards. But when they came to the uttermost part of the camp of
Syria, they found no man there.
For in tire niglit the Lord had caused the Syrian host to hear a
noise of chariots and ef horses, as if there had been a great army
coming upon thera. At vvhich terrified, they said one lo another, ' Lo
the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and
of the Egyptians ; and they are corae upon us.' Having with this
apprehension frightened one another, they arose and fled in the twi
light, leaving their tents, wilh their horses and their asses tied as they
were, even the whole camp just as it was, and ran for their lives.
When these lepers had passed through ihe carap, and found the
coast clear, the first thing they did vvas to satisfy their hunger. Where
fore entering into one tent, they ate and drank tiU they had filled them
selves : and then carrying out silver and gold, and raiment, went and
hid it. Then coming again, they entered another tent; and carry.
ing thence also, they went and hid that too.
At length, remembering themselves, they said one to another, ' We
do not well ; for this is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace.
if we tarry till the- morning, .some mischief will come upon us : now
tharsfore corae, let us go tell the king's household,'
Returning then to the gate of Sam-aria, they called to the porter,
and told him the good news: he told itlo the rest of the porters, and
they carried it to the king's household within.
The king thereupon arose; but suspecting it to be but a stratagem
of war, said to his servants, ' I will now shew you what the Syrians
have done to us. Tliey know we are hungry; therefore to entice us
out of the city, they are gone out of their carap, and have hid them
selves in the fields, wilh design, when we come out, to catch us aUve,
and so get into the city.'
To prevent that, said one of the servants, ' IjcI some take, I pray
thee, five of the horses that remain (which wiU be no great hazard;
for the horses, like the people, are alracst pined to death ; ) and let
us send and Fce whether il be so or no.'
This counsel being approved, they mounted two men upon two of
their chariot-horses, and the king sent them afier the host of the Syr
ians, to discover what course they had taken.
. These scouts having uraced them as far as Jordan, and found tht

*72 SACRED HISTOEY. PART lit,
way full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians, to. lighten them
selves, had cast away in their hasty flight, returned, and told the king
So. Whereupon the people, glad of this unexpected deUverance, wont
outfo ransack the tents ofthe Syrians. Where, besides great riches,,.
such store of provisions for food was found, that it being brought into
Samaria, a measure of flne flour was sold for a shekel, and two meas
ures of bariey for a shekel, according lo the word of the Lord by EUsha.
That these stores might not be embezzled and wasted, nor the
people be disorderly in taking them, the king appointed that lord, on
whose hand he leaned,, and vvho had before slighted the prophet's
prediction, lo have the charge of the gate through which the spoU of
the Syrian camp was to be brought in. Bul the hunger bitten peo
ple, impatient of delay, and pressing hard lo come at that they so
much wanted, trod upon that lord in the gate, and kiUed him ; so that,
though he saw tbe plenty, yet he tasted not of it, as the man of God
had before told hira. And this just punishment came upon him, not
only for his incredulity, but for his contempt of the word of the Lord
by bis servant the prophet.
Though Samaria, by reason ofthe siege, was most pressed with this
famine, 2 Kings viii, yet all the land of Israel felt it for seven years
together. Of which the prophet Elisha gave timely notice unto that
Shunamitish woman, vvho had so kindly entertained hirn, and whos9
gon he had before restored to life ; advising her to go, vvith her house
hold, and sojourn where she could, until the famine should be over.
She, thus forewarned by the man of God, went wfth her household
into the land of the Philistines, and sojourned there during the time
ofthe famine in Israel, which lasted seven years. But when the sev
en years were ended, and the famine was over, returning to her owa
.country again, she found her house and land possessed by others,
¦who, in her absence, had entered thereinto. So that she was obliged
lo address herself lo the king, and pray to be restored fo her estate.
Coming for that end to the court, she found the king talking with
Gehazi, the old servant ofthe pi'op'hel Elisha, who, at the king's coni-
rfland, was recounting unto him the great things his ra'dster the proph
et had done : and in the course of his narration, vvas just then rela
ting how his master had restored a dead body to Ufe, meaning the son
of this woman, when the woman and her son came in, to present her
petition to the king. Whereupon Gehazi told the king that this was,
the woman he had been speaking of, and this was her son whom
iilisha had restored to life.
This feU out very opportunely and happily for the poor woman.
For the king, who before was taken with the relation, was novv so af
fected with the proridence that had brought the woman and her son
lo his presence, whereby he had the opportunity of seeing and con.
versing vvith a person that had been dead, and was raised again ta
life, that after he had inquired of the woman about il, and had received

PART IU. SACRED HISTORY. 473
from her a confirmation ofthe truth thereof, he gave charge to one of
bis officers not only to put the woman inio possession of her whole
estate again Ijut to restore her all the mean profits thereof, from tho
time she had left the land untU that day.
About this time .Benhadad, king of Syria, vvas sick;* and he.iring
that the prophet EUsha was come lo Damascus, which vvas then tho
royal city of Syria, he bid flazael, one of his servants lake a present
with him, and go lo meet the man of God, and by him inquire of tho
Lord whether he should recover of that disease.
Hazael thereupon, taking a royal present, forty camels' burthen of
the choice things of Damascus, a present fitter for a prince lo raake,
than for a prophet of God to receive, went to meet Elisha. And set
ting himseff before hira, said, ' Thy son Benhadad, king of Syria, hath
sent rae lo thee, saying, 'ShaU I recover of this disease? Go tell
him, answered Elisha, he may certainly recover f Howbeit, added
he, the Lord hath shewed rae that he shaU surely die.'
In vvhich answer, though at the first sight there may seem to ho
somewhat like a contradiction, yet rightly taken, there is none. For
tho former part of ths answer [thou mayest certainly recover] related
to tho nature of his disease, vvhich of itself was not mortal, but curable:
the latter part [he shaU surely die] related to the foreknowledge tiie
prophet had received from God, of the treachery Hazael would use
against him ; whereby he would surely take avvay his hfe, to make
¦way for his own accession to the crown.
The sense whereof, and of the mischief he would afterwards do lo
Israel, caused the prophet, vvith a settled countenance, to look stead
fastly on Hazael, tiU Hazael was ashamed, and the man of God wept.
Of which Hazael taking notice, asked, ' W hy wespeth my lord ? '
' Because, answered the prophet, I know the evU thou wilt do unto
the dhildren of Israel. For their strong holds wUt thou set on fire,
their young men wift thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash theis-
children in pieces, and rip up their women with child.'
'But what! repUed Hazael, is thy servant a dog, that he should do.
this great thing ? ' Wherein he seems to express an abliorence of so.
greal an inhumanity. And perhaps designed withal to invaUdale thai
prophet's words, by intimating how unlikely it was, that he, a private.
man of no grcjal condition, and therefore represents himself but as a
dog, should be able to achieve such great matters ; for the prophet an
swered, ' the Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.''
This was enough for Hazael. Away he went from Elisha and re«
turnig to the king his master, reported the prophet's answer wrong.
For whereas the prophet bid hira say to his master, ' Thou mayest
certainly recover,' 2 Chron. xxi ; he, when his maslei: asked him
what the prophet said unto hira, replied, ' He told me that thou should.>
•A. M. 3118.

474 SACKED HISTORY. PART 111*
est surely recover.' But lo raake sure that he raight not recover, he
on the morrow took a thick cloth, and having dipt it in water, spread
it upon the sick king's face; so that, being therewith stifled, he died;
and Hazael thereupun usurping the throne, reigned in his stead.
Having spent some time iu Israel and Syria, let us now look back
into JntJah, ami see how things went there.
Jehoshaphat, the good king of Judah, vvas now dead, leaving hia
eon Jehoram, whom four years before he had taken into participa.
tion of the government, in sole possession of the throne of Judah.
Bin far unlike to his faiher was he ; for he walked in the way of the
kings of Israel, 2 Kings viii, 2 Chron. x.\i, like as did the house of
Ahab, and wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord.
For which this reason is given, 'That be had the daughter of Ahab
¦fo wife. So dancrerous a thins it is to take a wife out of a wicked
family. So fur did this Jehoram forsake the Lord God of his fathers, that
he raade high places in the raountains of Judah, and caused the in.
habitants of Jerusalem to coramit fornication, and compelled Judah
thereunto. And so unnaturally cruel was he, that to strengthen him-
•sclf in his -governraent, he slew all his brethren, the other sons of his
father Jehoshaphat, six in number, with divers also of the princes.
Eut he went not cither unreproved or unpunished. For there carae
a vvritit'g to him from El jab the prophet, as the text hath it, who had
been translated some years before, if, frora the likeness of the naraes,
Elijah hath not crept into the text instead of Elisha, vvho was then Uv.
ing. But TremeUius and Junius suy. Eljah writ il by prophetical
foresight, before he was translated, and left it for hira. However it
Was, the contents of the writing were thus:
'Thus saith tho Lord God of David thy father: because thou hast
not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways
of Asa king-Of Judah, but hast walked iu the way of the kings of
Israel, and husi made Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, lo
go a whoring like to ihe whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also
ha.st slain thy brethren of thy father's house, who were better than
thyself: behold, with a great plague will the Lord sraite thy people,
and thy cliil.!."cn, and thy wives, and all thy goods; and ihou shalt
also havo great sickness, by disease of thy bowels, untU thy boweb
fall out, by reason of the continual sicltness.'
Very great and very particular are tho punishments here denounced
against this wicked king, fir his great and very particular sins. All
which came on hira successively, in a Utile time, to the full completing
of the sentence giveo.
, For first, i.i his days the Edomites, whora king David had sub
dued, 2 Snra. viii. 14. and vvho frora that tirae to this had no king of
Ihoir own. but wit-: governed by a vice toy, or deputy, set over them,
1 Kings .\xii. 47, revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and

P&RT III. BACRED IIISTOUV. 476
made themselves a king, .-ind though Jehoram went forth against
them with his princes, and aU his chariols vvith hini ; and setting upon
the Edoraites by night, did some sra-all execution upon ihem, yet did
Edom maintain the revolt, and vvas never reduced under subjection
to Judah any more. Whereby ihe prophecy of the patriarch Isaac,
the father of Edom and Israel, foreteUing both Edom's subjection to
Israel, and his breaking afterwards Jacob's yoke from off his neck.
Gen. xxvii. iO, seems to have been in great part completed.
Althe same time that Edora thus revolted, revolted-also Libnah, a
cfty aild territory of good account; 'which in Joshua's time had a
king of its own. Josh. x. 29, 3D, and vvas afierwards given lo the
ohildren of Aaron, for a city of refiige for the man-slayer. Josh. xxi. 13.
And to afflict hira the more, the Lord stirred up against Jehoram.
the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians that borviered upon
the Ethiopians. Tlie.se coming against Judah, brake into Jerusalem,
and carried avvay aU the substance that was fuund in the king's house,
together wilh his wives and his sous : so that he had never a son
left hira save Jehoahaz, the youiigest of his sons, vvho is also-called
Ahaziah, -2 Ghron. xxii. 1, and Azariah, ver. 6
Thus vvas the punishment denounced against Jehoram fiilfiled up.
on him, in his ,|->eople,in his wives, in his children, and in his goods,
2 Kings viii, 2 Chron. xxii. That [lart only remained which related
to his person. .For the accomplishment whereof af cr all the rest, tho
Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurablj disease; unler which
when he had laboured two whole years, his bowels, by reason of hi»
violent sickness, fell oul; 'Leaving him who had no bowels of com
passion towards 'his own brethren (whom lie slew) without bovv:;ls to
sustain lift: in himself.'
Thus died Jehoram king of Judah, a bad son of a good father,
without being desired ; which hisipeople showed by making no burn
ing for hira, like the burning for his fathers, which was done with per
fumes and sweet odours of spices : yet they buried him in the city
of David, though not in the sepulchres of the kings. His reign is
determinately eight years : but of those he is supposed to h'ave reigned
four as co-rex with his father; and the other four as sole-rex, by
himself To him succeeded his youngest son Ahaziah, called also Azariah,
2 Chron. xxi. 6, and Jehoahaz, cnap. x.xi. 17, all his other sons being
slain before, in their father's life time, by the Arabian array that in
vaded Judah, ibid. Bui some diversity there i.s in the account of
his age when he came lo the crown, as it is delivered in the books
of Kings and Chronicles. For in 2 Kings viii, 26. we read, Ahaziah
vvas two and twenty years old when he began to reign. But in 2
Chron. xxii. ^. we read Ahaziah was forty and two years old when
he began to reign.
To accommodate this difference, some have imagined that he waa

47$ SACBED HISTORY. PART UI.
made king while his father reigned, and after his father's death waa
confirmed king, when he was forty and two years old. And this way
the marginal note in the Bishop's bible, on 2 King's viii. 27, says it
is to be understood.
But how long or short soever his reign was, or al what age so-
ever he came to it, this king .Ahaziah walked in the ways of the house
of Ahab; for his mother, whose name was Athaliah, was his counsel
lor to do wickedly. She is said to be the daughter of Omri, 2 Chron.
xxiii. 2, vvhich hath raade sorae coll her Ahab's sister ; but she was
indeed the daughter of Ahab, 2 Chron. x.xi, 0, and so the grand
daughter of Orari.
Having so iU a counsellor, it is not to be wondered that he took
evU courses, and did evil in tiie sight of the Lord, like the house of
•Ahab. For as bis father, while ht; Uved, was not likely lo direct him
better, either by advice or example; so after his death, his mother,
'and others of that faraily, by their pernicious counsels, led hira to de-
'strucrion. For by their advice it was that he went with Jehoram (the
son of Ahab, king of Israel) to war against Haziel king of Syria at Ra-
moth-Gilead, Where Jehoram, or Joram, for so also, by contraction,
he is called, being beaten and wounded, he returned to Jezreel, to be-
healed of his wound : and thither also went Ahaziah to visithim, and
bear ftim company while he lay sick of his wounds.
Meanwhile the prophet EUsha, that he might perform what liis
master the prophet Elijah was coramanded lo do, 1 Kings xix, 16,
calling to him one of the sons of the prophets, said unto him, ' Gird
up thy loins, 2 Kings ix,* (that is, as interpreters generaUy under
stand it, from the custom in those eastern countries of wearing gar
ments long and loose. Gird up thy long coal, or gown, aboui thy loins,
that it may not, by hanging ai thy heels, hinder thy speedy running)
and take this box of oil in thy hand to Ramoth-Gilead. And when
thou art corne thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat,
the son of Nimshi ; and go in and make him arise up from aniong his
brethren (or companions) and lead him to an inner chamber. Then
take the box of oil, and pour it on his bead, and say. Thus saith the
Lord, I have anointed thee king over Israel, Then open tho door,
and flee, and tarry not'
Wfth this instruction the young prophet hastened to Ramoth-Gil-
cad. W here finding the captains of the host sitting together, he stepped
in amongst them, arid said, 'I have an errand to thee, O captain.'
Bul not distinguishing him by name, Jehu asked, 'Unto which of us
aU ? ' To whora the prophet replied, ' To thee, O captain.' Jehu
thereupon arising, went with him into a private room in the house,
where the prophet having poured the oil on his head, thus deliv
ered his raessage to him. *A. M 3120.

PXRT hi. sacred HISTORY. 477
¦ Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I have anointed theo king over
the people of the Lord, even over Israel. And thou shalt sraite the
house of Ahub thy master; that I may avenge the blood of ray ser
vants the prophets, and the blood of aU tbe servants of the Lord, nt
the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shaU perish ; and
I will cut off frora Ahab hira that pisseih against the wall, and him
that is shut up and left in Israel. And I wUl make the house of
Ahab like the house of Jeroboam tho son of Nebat, and like the houso
of Baasha, the son of Abijah, And the dogs shall cat Jezebel, in tho
portion of Jezreel; and there shall be none to bury her. And having
thus said, the prophet opened tiie door, and fled.'
In this passage we may observe, that although EUsha, sending a
young man on thi-s so important an errand, took care to give him par
ticular instruction and direction how to behave himself in every part
of ihe action, relating not only to tbe anointing of Jehu, bul to his
own safety in escaping afterwards, yet the particulars of the message,
with respect to the end for which Jehu vvas anointed, and the work lo
which he was appointed, namely, the utter destruction of Ahab's
liouse, contained in ver. 7, 8, 9, 10, of 2 Kings ix, it doth not from
the te.xl appear that Elisha did dictate lo him. Bul rather il may ba
supposed, that the messenger (being a prophet, though but young) re
ceived ihe particulars of his message immediately frora the Lord.
When the prophet vvas gone, and Jehu come forth to his compan
ions again, Ihey asked him, first, more generally, if all was well, 2
Kings ix, and 2 Chron. xxii. Then more particularly, 'Whereforo
that fanatick, or mad fellow (so were the good prophets, even then, by
some contemptuously called) came to him ? '
He would have put them off with a general answer, lelUng them,
•They knew the man and bis comraunication;' (as much as to say,i
' Ye see he is one of the prophets, and therefore ye may well guess
at his business'.) But they, nol satisfied with such a general answer,
pressed him to tell thl^m his message more particularly. Whereupon
he told thera. Thus and thus he spake to me, saying, 'Thus saith the
Lord, I have anointed thee king over Israel.'
As soon as they heard that, not staying to hear more, they took
their garments, and putting them under hini on the lop of the stairs,
they with sound of trumpet, proclaimed him king. He thereupon
wisely taking the captains into counsel, said to them, ' If it be your
mind, let none of you go forth, nor escape oul of the city' (Ramoth-
Gilead, where all this was transacted) to carry tidings of it lo Jezreel,
where the king lay sick of his wounds.
Care being taken of that, Jehu forthwith set forward for Jezreel,
that he might surprize and seize the king there. But ere he could
get thiiher, the centinel, or watchman, that stood on the tower of Jez
reel, espying the company of Jehu on the way, gave warning tliererf.

470 'SACEJ.D HISTORT. PART 141.
Whereupon king Joram ordf red a scout or horseman tn be sent forth
to mael thera, to inquire if t.iey came peaceably.
As soon OS ths messenger raet Jehu, he asked him in the king's
name, if he came in a friendly and peaceable manner? To whom
Jehu answering short, said, ' What hast thou to do with peace ? Turn
Ihee behind rae.'
The walehraan on tho tower presentiy gave notice that the messen
ger vvas gone to thera ; but did nol corae back again. Whereupon
the king sent forth a second horseraan; who being corao, and in tho
king's name asking tho same question, 'Is it peace ! ' received from
Jehu, the sarae answer, ' W hat hast thou to do with peace ? Turn thee
behind me.'
When the watchman had given account of this also, and had told
them that the marching was like the marching of Jehu, the son, that
is, the grandson, of Nirashi, for that he inarehed furiously, kiiig Jo
ram called for his chariot, and taking wilh hira his guest, Ahaziah
king of Judah, but each in his own chariot, they went oul against
Jehu, whora they raet. Providence so ordering it, in the very spot of
ground Which Ahab had taken fiom Naboth the Jezreelilc. And as
soon as Joram come near to Jehu, he also asked the same question,
' Is il peace, Jehu ? ' And receiveil from him this rough ansnver, ' What
peace ! so long as the whoredoms of thy moiher Jezebel and her
witchcrafts are so many? '"
By that answer Joram knew what he was to expect. AVherefore
(thinking ft better to trust lo his heels than to his hand, he cried out,
"•There is treachery, 0 Ahaziah ;' and turning avvay fled'. But Jehu
drawing a bow wilh his fuU strength, smote king Joram between his
arms, so that the arrow went out at his heart, and he .sank down in
ihis chr-fiot. Which Jehu observing, bid Bidkarhis capiain take him
up, and cast him into the portion of the field of Naborii. For re-
imember, s.iid he, how that when thou and I rode together after Ahab
his father, the Lord laid tiiis burden upon him> saying, 'Surely, I have
«een yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, and
I will requite thee in this plat, safth the Lord.' Now theretbre take and
cast him into tho plat of ground, according to, the word of the Lrird.
When Ahaziah, the king of Judah, saw this, he fled by the wa) of
the garden-house : and Jehu foUowing after him, bid ' Smite hira also
in his chariot :' which they did ; whereupon he, finding himself mor
taUy wounded, fled to Megiddo, and there died. From ihence his
¦servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and there buried him in
his sepulchre, among his fathers, in the city of David. But his des
truction is expressly said to be of God, 2 Chron. xxii. 7, by his going
to Joram; ond indeed his going lo Joram hastened it, and brought it
more immediately '""n him : not but that it was due to hira. not only
«3 he was a branch of .'ihab's family, being the son cf Ahab's dau^'h-

PART ni. SACRED HISTORY. 479
ter, to all which utter destruction was denounced ; but as he walked,
the little time he reigned, in the way of his grandfather Ahab.
But Jehu, pursuing his course, went on to Je'^reel. Whither when
the queen dowager Jezebel, Ahab's widow, hoard he was come, she
resolving to hold up her grandeur to the last, painted her face, and
tricked up her head ; and as he entered in at the gate, she fooking out
at the window, upbraiding by asked him, ' Had Zimri peace who slew
his master?'
Jehu thereupon looking up to the window, asked, 'Who is on ray
side? Who?' and there looking out to him two or three eunuchs,*
he bid them throw her down, and they did so: and in tiie fall some
of her blood was sprinkled on die wall, and on the horses ; and Jehu
trod her under foot.
This execution done, Jehu went fn, and did cat and drink. But
bethinking himself of Jezebel, he said to some about him, 'Go see
now after this cursed woraan, and bury her, for she is a king's
daughter;' and so indeed .she vvas the daughter of Ethbaal king of
the Zidonians, 1 Kings xvi. 31, But when they came to bury her,
they found no more of her but the skull and tho feet, a:id the palms
of her hands ; for the dogs had eaten the i'e,st. Which when ihey had
reported to Jehu, he raade this observation on it; 'This (said he) is
the (effect of) the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servant
Elijah the Tishbite, when he said. In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs
eat the flesh of Jezebel : and the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung
upon the face of the field, in, the portion of Jezreel : so that they shall
not say, This is Jezebel, There shall nol be so rauch of her left, as
whereby she may be known,'
Thus died this wretched queen, notorious for her wickedness;
notorious also for the eminent judgraent which brought her to this
wretched end. Whose meraory bas been hateful in aU ages since ;
and whose name, near a thousand years after her death, was used
enigraatieally to represent the greatest seducer and idolatress in the
eariy time of the Christian church. Rev, ii, 20,
King Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria, under which terra, neph
ews, or grandsons, are sometimes comprehended in scripture-phrase.
Here were heirs enough to the crown of Israel; and likely enough
one would think it. might have been, that out of so many some one or
other might have tried his title vvith Jehu. Jehu, willing to sound the
minds of the princes and rulers of Samaria, who had the care and over
sight of Ahab's children, sent them a braving letter, in these terms :
* As soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons
are with you, and there are with you chairots and horses, a fenced
city also, and armour : look out even the best and fittest of your
*A. M. 3120

480 SACEED HISTOR?. PART HI.
master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your
master's house.'
When they had read this letter, they were exceedingly afraid, and
said one to another, 2 Kings x, 'Behold, two kings stood not be
fore him ; how then shall wo stand ? ' He therefore that vvas over
the king's house, and he that vvas over the city, together with the
elders, and those that had the education of Ahab's children, sent to
Jehu saying, • We are thy servants, and we will do aU that thou
shaft bid us; we will not make any king; do thou that vvhich is
good in thine eyes.'
Upon this submissive message, Jehu sent thera another letter, in
which he wrote, ' If ye be mine, and will hearken unto my voice,
then take ye the heads of the raen, your master's sons, and corae to
me to Jezreel by to-morrow this time.'
When they had received this second letter, they, without hesitation,
took the king's sons, being seventy persons, and slew thera; and pul
ing their heads in baskets, sent thera lo Jehu at Jezreel.
When the messengers told Jehu that they had brought the heads
of the king's sons, he gave order they should be laid in two heaps
at the entering in of the gate until the morning. And in the morn
ing, going forth to thera, he said to all the people, 'Ye be righteous;
Behold, I conspired against ray master, and slew hira : but vvho slew
aU these ? Know now, that there shall not faU unto the earth any
thing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spake concerning
the house of Ahab; for tho Lord hath done that which he spake by
his servant Elijah.'
Having now slain aU that remained of the house of Ahab in Jez
reel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he
had left him none remaining there, Jehu departed thence, and look
his way towards Samaria, to see what of Ahab's stock was yet left
there. And as he was at the shearing-house in the way, he raet with
the brethren, or rather brother's sons, 2 Chron. xxii. 8, of Ahaziah
lale king of Judah, who seemed not to have known any thing of this
sudden revolution; for when he asked them, vvho they were;- they
answered, ' We are the brethren (or near kinsmen) of Ahaziah ; and
wo go down to salute tho children of the king and of the queen.'
Whereupon he bid his guards take thera alive ; which they did, and
then slew thera at the pit of the shearing-house, even two and forty
men, nol sparing one of thera.
He was gone but a littie further on his way, ere he Ughted on Je-
honadab, the son of Rechab, coming to meet him. And having salu
ted him, he asked, 'Is tiiy heart right, as ray heart is with thy heart?'
To which Jehonadab answering, ' It is :' ' If it be so, said Jehu,
Give rae thy hand.' Jehonadab thereupon giving him his hand, Jehu
look hira up to him into the chariot, saying, ' Come with rae, and see

PART m. SACRED HISTORY-. 4SI
my zeal for the Lord.' And being come lo Saraaria, he slew all that
-remained to Ahab there, liU he had destroyed hira in his whole race.
But Jehu had a principal part of his work yel to do, vvhich was lo
destroy the priests of Baal ; for the accomplishment of which, he
Ihoughl it necessary lo join policywith his strength. Wherefore having
gathered aU the people together, he told them, ' Ahab had served Baal
a little, but Jehu would serve him much. No* therefore, said he,
call unto me aU the prophets of Baal, aU his servants, and ail his
priests, let none be wanting; for I have a great sacrifice lo ofler lo
Baal; whosoever shaU be wanting, he shall not live.' Bul Jehu did
this in subtiety, to the intent that he might destroy all the worshipers
of Baal.
Then causing a solemn assembly for Baal lo be proclaimed, ho
sent through all Israel, lo give notice thereof; and all the worshipers
of Baal came in such numbers, that they fiUed the house of Baal
fiom one end to the other.
Then ordered Jehu that vestments should be brought forth for all
the worshipers of Baal, 2 Kings x, 2 Chr. xxiii. Which being done,
he and Jehonadab went in among thera, and bid the worshipers of
Baal search, and see that none of the servants of the Lord were there
Wilh thera, bul the worshipers of Baal only. And when they went in
to offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore raen
to watch without ; unto whom he said, ' If any of the men whom I
have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go shall die
for hira.'
This done, and the burnt .offering ended, Jehu said to the guard
and to the captains, ' Go in and slay thera : let none corae forth.'
They thereupon going in among them, smote them all with the edge
of the sword : and having cast Ihem out, they went to the city of the
house of Baal, and brought forth the images out of the house of Baal,
and burnt thera. And having broken down the image of Baal, they
brake down also the house of Baal, and raade it a draught-house
from thenceforward. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
Yet for all this, from the sins of Jeroboara the son of Nebat, who
made Israel to sin, viz. frora following afler the golden calves that were
in Bethel and in Dan, Jehu departed nol. For that being nol so
much a religious as a politic piece of idolatry, contrived at the first
division of the kingdom to keep the Israelites from going up to Jeru
salera lo worship, lest Ihey should in time take the crown along with
them, and re-unite themselves to Judah, the same interest and reason of
slate that sel up those calves, prevailed stiU to keep thera up.
So acceptable, however, to God, was Jehu's zeal, and hearty dil-
igence, in executing his judgments upon Ahab's house, that he therei
upon entailed the crown of Israel upon his faraily unto the fourth gen
eration. TeUing hira, ' Because thou hast done weU in executing that
VOL. I. — 31

482 SACRED HISTORY. PART 111.
which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab
according to all that was in ray heart, thy children of the fourth gen-
eration shaU sit on the tiirone of Israel.'
Yet because Jehu, for all this great favour promised him, did not
take heed to walk in the way of the Lord God of Israel with aU his
heart, nor departed from the sins of Jeroboam, the Lord began, even
in his time, to cut Israel sh.jrt; sufi'ering Hazaol, king of Syria, to
smite them in all their coasts.
For the rest of the acts of Jehu, all that he did, and aU his might,
we are referred lo the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel.
Which cannot be either of those books vvhich are novv extant undei-
that name; for very littie moniion is made of him at all in either of
those two books; nothing in comparison of what is said of him in
these 9th and 10th chapters of the second book of Kings. Whence
we may well conclude, that ihat book of Chronicles, lo which we are
here, and often elsewhere referred, is lost.
That which remains of the history of Jehu is, that having reigned
over Israel in Samaria eight and twenty years, he slept with his fath
ers, and was buried in Samaria, and Jehoahaz his son reigned in
ilis stead.
It was now a very bloody time : for as Jehu had shed rauch blood
in Israel, so Athaliah, th-3 queen dowager of Judah, and mother lo the
late king Ahaziah, aright daughter of Jezebel, when she saw her son
Ahaziah was slain, usurping to herself the government of Judah, did,
in revenge of her father Ahab's faraily, destroy all the seed royal, that
.she might utterly root out the stock of good king Jehoshaphat, and
secure to herself and her other sons the kingdora. For Broughton
says, she had sons by another: and that she had, may be gathered
frora 2 Chron. xxiv. 7.
But though she made great havoc in the royal faraily, yet divino
providence hindered her frora totally extirpating Jehoshaphat's race.
For Jehoshaba, the daughler of king Jorara, and sister to tho lata
king Ahaziah, took littie Jehoash, called also, by contraction, Joash,
2 Chron. xxii. 11, an infant of a year old, vvhoiu she had stolen from
among the king's sons that were slain, and hid him, with his nurse,
in a bed-chamber in the house of the Lord ; which she bal the better
means of doing, being hers-?lf the wife of Jehoida the high-priest.
Six years together was this young prince concealed, and brought
up by his aunt, unknown to Athaliah, who, during aU that time, reigned
over Judah.
But in the seventh year, his uncle Jehoiada the priest, resolving
now to bring bira forth, and set hira up for king, first strengthened
himself, by taking the captains and rulers into counsel and covenant
vvith him, to maintain and defend both the person and title of the
yoiing king. Which covenant he made thera confirm by o?ali. in tiie
liouse of the Lord, and then shewed them the king's son, littie Jehoash.

PART in. SACRED HISTORY 483
Then directing the manner how this great enterprize should bo
accomplished, he gave order thatthe Levites, and chief of the fathers,
should be gathered out of all the cities of Judah to Jerusalem.
Where being assembled, and having taken the covenant for setting
up the young prince for king, and maintaining his title, Jehoiada the
priest appointed them their several posts. Ordering a third part of
the priests and ministering Levites, whose turn it was to wail in the
teraple frora sabbath to sabbath, to guard the doors ; a' third part lo
guard the king's house, that is, his apartment in the house of the
Lord, and to attend his person ; and a third part to keep one of the
principal gates ; leaving the people in the couris ofthe house ofthe
Lord, with this charge, that if any one should attempt to break in
wfthin the ranges, he should be put lo death
Things thus disposed, and the priests and Levites having weapons
deUvered to them out of king David's armoury, which was kept in
the house of the Lord ; Jehoiada brought forth the king's son, and
set the crown upon him, and gave hira the lestiraony, the book of
the law, according to the law, Deut. xvii. lb. And having anointed
hira king, they clapped their hands and shouted for joy; and wilh
sound of trumpet proclaiming him, said, ' God save the king.'
The noise that was made by the acclamations of the people, as they
ran to and fro rejoicing, startled queen Athaliah, who little thinking
that the end of her reign and of her Ufe also, vvas so near, hastened
lo the house of the Lord to see what the matter was. But whtn she
came in, and saw the young king standing at his pillar at the enter
ing in, with the princes by him, the guards about hira, and the people
ofthe land rejoicing,* with instruraents of music, and trumpets sound
ing, she rent her clothes, and cried out, ' Treason, treason : ' herself
the traitor. But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains and
.officers of the host to have her forth without the ranges, that she raight
not be slain in tbe house of the Lord, and to kill any that should at
tempt to lake her part. Whereupon they laid hands on her, and hav
ing brought her out by the horse gate, slew her there with the sword.
Then did Jehoiada make a covenant between the Lord and the
king vvith the people; whereby they bound themselves to be the Lord's
people. Which done, tho people went out to the house of Baal, and
brake it dovvn. His altars also, and his images, they brake in pieces ;
and slew Mattan, the priest of Baal, bofbre the altar, according to
the law, Deut. xiii. 9.
After which, Jehoiada the priest, having purged cut some corrup
tions, which in the forraer reigns had been brought into tho church,
took the captains of the host with the nobles and governors, and a'.l
tho people of the kmd, and having brou,ght down the king from tiie
house of the Lord, through the high gate into the king's house, set
*A. M. 3127.

484 SACRED HISTORY- PART HI.
him on the throne of the kingdom. At which aU the people rejoiced,
and the city was quiet, after they had slain Athaliah.
Seven years old vv^s Joash when he began to reign, 2 Kings xn, 2
Chron. xxiv, which was in the seventh year of Jehu king of Israel,
and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. And for so long of that time
as Jehoiada the higii-priest lived, who instructed hira in the way of
God, he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. Whence
we raay observe, what great helps good counsel and good example
are to a prince. Yet the high-places were not taken away, but the
people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high-places ; which so
long as they did il to the Lord, nol to Baal, or other idols, was winked
at, though expressly contrary to God's comraand. Numb, xxxiu, 52,
and commonly destructive to themselves.
Though in the king's minority Jehoiada had somewhat reformed
the ecclesiastical slate, and the officers therein, yet he had not done
any thing towards repairing the house of God ; which, through the
corruption of former tiraes, had been not only suffered to go to decay,
but had also been spoiled by that wicked woman Athaliah and her
chUdren, 2 Chron. xxiv. 7.
When therefore Jehoash (or Joash) was grown up to man's estate,
he set his mind to repair the house of the Lord. And having gathered
the priests and the Lerites together, he gave them in charge lo go out
unto the cities of Judah, and gather money of aU the people to repair
the bouse of the Lord frora year to year.
To this servioe was appropriated all the raoney of the dedicated
things that was brought unlo the bouse of the Lord, the ransora, or
rederaplion-raoney (half a shekel upon every head that was taxable;
Exod. xxx. 12) and all the raoney that came in by free-will offerings.
This the king ordered the priests to take, every one of his acquaint
ance, and with this lo repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever
any breach should be found.
But though he expressly charged them lo hasten the work, yet the
Levites hastened it not. So that in the three and twentieth year of
king Joash, they had not repaired the breaches of the house.
The king therefore calling for Jehoiada, and the other priests, and
blaming them for their negligence therein, forbade thera to receive
any more raoney of tiieir acquaintances on that account ; and required
them lo deliver up what they had received for that service.
Upon this reproof, the priests, taking the money of the trespass-
offerings and of the sin-offerings to their own use, con.sented to re
ceive no more money frora the people on the other accounts, nor take
upon them the charges of repairing the breaches of the house. But
Jehoiada ths priesl, at the king's coraraandraent, took a chest, and
having bored an hole in the lid of it, big enough for raoney lo be put
in at, set it beside the altar, on the right hand as they went in at the
house of the Lord. And proclaraation being made through Judah

PART III. SACRED HISTOEY. 486
and Jemsalem, for aU to bring in to the Lord the collection whioh
Moses, the servant of the Lord, had laid upon Israel in the wUder
ness ; aU the princes and people rejoicing thereat, brought in, and cast
into the chest, untU they had made an end. And as ofl as they found
there was rauch raoney in the chest, the king's secretary, and the high
-priest (or his officer) look it out, and told il, and putting it up in bags,
delivered it lo the surveyors of the work, who paid il away to the
carpenters, bud ders, raasons, and stone-cutters, as well for their work
manship, as for the timber, stone, and other materials, which were
used for repairing the house of the Lord.
This so encouraged the workmen, that they plied the work, and
finished ft. And when they had put the house of God in good repair,
they brought the rest of the mone^ that was left, before the king and
Jehoiada (for though they reckoned nol with the men, who were in
trusted with the money for the workmen ; yel they dealt faithfully in
it) and oul of that reraainder of the money were made vessels of silver
and of gold, to minister, and to offer withal, in the house ofthe Lord.
For very likely it is, that in the forraer wicked reigns, as the bouse of
the Lord had been defaced, so the vessels of that house had been,
embezzled and lost, or Iransfered to the house of Baal ; and having
been thereby poUuted, were nol fit for the service of God any raore.
The high priest Jehoiada had now attained lo a good old age, being
an hundred and thirty years old when he died. And because he had
done good in Israel, both towards God and towards his house, in re
storing the true worship of God, which both king and people kept to
all his days, and in settiing the kingdom again in the house of Darid ;
therefore they buried him in the city of David, and amongst the kings.
But when onee this good man's head was laid, tbe princes of Judah,
who had lived in the former idolatrous reigns, came and made obei
sance to the king ; and by their flattery prevaiUng on hira, drew him,
with theraselves, to forsake the house of the Lord God of their fath
ers, upon which they had so lately bestowed so much charge, and to
serve groves and idols ; for which great trespass of theirs, wrath came
upon Judah and Jerusalem from the Lord. Yet he sent prophets to
them, such as he raised up, and eraployed on particular occasions,
to bring them again unto the Lord ; but they would not give car.
Then carae the spirit of the Lord upon Zeehariah,'the son of Je
hoiada the late high priest, who taking up his standing above the peo
ple, said thus unto thera, 'Thus saith the Lord, Why transgress ye
the coramandraents of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper ? Because
ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you.'
This so provoked those backsUders, that they conspired against
him, and stoned him to death, even in the court of the house of the
Lord,* which they stuck not thus to poUute wfth innoqent blood; and,
*A. M. 3155.

486 SACRED HISTORY. PART IH.
which was yet worse, they did it at the command of the king; who
too ungratefully forgetting the manifold kindnesses which his faiher
Jehoiada had done for him, both in saving his life and setting him on
the throne, unjustly and barbarously slew his son. He being al the
point of death, said, ' The Lord look upon ft, and require it.'
Nor was it long before the Lord did require the innocent blood of
this his servant, upon both king and people. For at the end of the
year, Hazael king of Syria, coming up wfth his host, fought against
Gath, a principal city, which king David had taken frora the Philis
tines, 1 Chron. xviii. 1 , and took it. And frora thence raarching up
to Jerusalem, he destroyed all the princes of Jerusalem ; which struck
such a terror into king Joash, that he took all the hallowed things
vvhich Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of
Judah, had in three generations before dedicated, with the things
which he had dedicated also, and aU the gold that was found in the
treasures of the house of the Lord, and in the king's house, and de
livered it to Hazael king of Syria, that he raight depart from Jerusalem.
Remarkably eminent was the judgment of God upon these princes
of Judah, that they, who had been the immediate instruments to draw
king Joash from the service and worship of the true God, in whioh he
had been religiously educated, to the worship of idols, should them
selves be destroyed so soon after by an idolater and worshiper of
idols. And thai it raight the raore evidently appear lo be a divine
judgraent from God, upon both the king and people of Judah, for
their having forsaken the Lord God of their fathers, he at this time
delivered a very great host of Judah into the hands of a smaU com
pany of men of the Syrian army.
Neither yel did the judgment stop there, with respect lo king Joash
himself: but, blood requiring blood, when the Syrians were departed
from hira, who left hira labouring under great diseases, his own ser
vants, Zabad, the son of an .Araraonitess, and Jehozabad, the son of a
Moabitess, conspiring against bira for the blood of the son of Jehoiada
the priest, slow him on his bed, and he died, after he had reigned forty
years. And because he was a king, they buried hira in tbe city of Da
vid, but nol in tbe sepulchres ofthe kings, because be had forsaken
the way of the Lord.
In the Ihree-and-lwentieth year of this Jehoash king of Judah, Jehu
dying, his son Jehoahaz possessed the throne of Israel. But ho did
that which was evil in the sight ofthe Lord, foUowing the sins of Jer.
oboara the son of Nebat. vvho made Israel to sin in the golden calves.
For which the anger of the Lord being kindled against Israel, he de
livered thera into tho hand of Hazael king of Syria, and afterwards into
the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, aU his days. Yel when Je
hoahaz besought the Lord, the Lord (seeing the oppression wherewith
the king of Syria oppressed Israel) hearkened • unto hira, and in due

PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 4fil
time gave Israel a saviour; so tnat they shook off the Syrian yoke,
and dwell securely in their tents, as ihey had done in times past.
But this deliverance was not wrought hy Jehoahaz, nor in his time
(at least, not in the time of his sole reign) but by his son Joash, or
Jehoash. either after his fulhei 's death, or as co-rex with hira (for such
synai'chies, or joint-reigns of father and son together, were very fre
quent in those times, and render the chronology much raore difficult.)
Eut Hazael, king of Syria, oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz,
and reuuccd hira to so low a condition, that he left him but fifty horse
men, and ten chariots, and ton thousand footmen, having destroyed
the rost by his frequent victories over them.
The prophet Elisha, though very old was yet living; and raight
now to bis satisfaction in one sense, though sorrow in another, see
the fulHlling of that prediction vvhich he had given Hazael, concern
ing the ravage and cruelty which he would exercise upon Israel,
when he should come to wear the Syrian crown. Which if the sense
thereof so afl'ecled hira, when, in the spirit of prophe.^y, he only fore
saw it, as then lo draw a shower of tears frora his eyes, what may we
suppose it novv did, when he saw il actually performed ?
But he had the comfort also to foresee and foretell the end of il, 2
Kings .xiii. F'or when Joash, the son of this debased Jehoaha'z, came
to the crown, be going to visit the good old prophet Elisha (who was
then fallen sick of the sickness whereof he died) wept over his face,
(bewailing the approaching loss of so great a prophet, and so holy a
man, who by his forewarnings of dangers, his wholesome counsels,
and prevalent prayers, was as a guard and bulwark to the nation) and
cried out, 'O ray faiher, ray father! The chariot of Israel, and 'the
horsemen thereof! ' aUuding, perhaps, to the Uke expression, used
long before by this good prophet, at the departure of his endeared
master Elijah.
The prophet thereupon, as it were reviving, and knowing that the
Lord had deterniined, by this king Joash, to deliver Israel from the
oppression of Syria, bid hira take a bow and arrows ; which when Ihe
king had taken, and at the prophet's direction had laid his hand u]ion
the bow, ready, to draw it ; the prophet putting his hands upon the
king's hands (that they might draw the bow together) bid him open
the window eastward (towards Syria) and shoot. Which when the
king had done, the prophet said, 'The arrow of the Lord's deliv-
er.ance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for thou (said the
prophet lo the king) shall sraite the Syrians in Aphek (which signifies
strength) until thou hast consumed them,' 2 Kings xiii, 2 Chr. xxv.
Then the prophet bidding the king take tbe rest of the arrows (ouf
of the quiver) and smite the ground vvith ihem ; he did so, but smote
but thrice, and staid. .At which the prophet was wroth with hira, and
told him, he should have sraitten five or .six tiraes, and then he would

488 SACRED HISTORY. PART IU..
have smitten the Syrians, lift he had consumed them,; whereas now
he should sraite them bul thrice
Yet with that thrice smiting (the l^ord being gracious lo Israel, and
haring compassion on them, and respect to them, because of his cov
enant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for the sake of which he
wouldnot destroy them, nor cast them ft'om his presence as yet) king
Jehoash, after Hazaol's death, beating Benhadad, the son of Hazael,,
in three several battles, recovered from, the Syrians, the cities of Israel
which had been taken frora tiiem by Hazael.
While this was doing, Elisha the prophet died, and was buried;
and in a while after, another man being to be buried near to the sep.
ulchre of Elisha, it happened that they who attended that burial spied
a band of soldiers coming on towards thera, for the Moabites had at
that time invaded the land ; and being more inient upon their own
safety than the solemnity of the funeral, they, for haste, cast the man
into the sepulchre of Elisha. But no sooner was the dead man let
down, so that he touched the bones of Elisha, but he revived and
stood upon his feet Which miracle, wrought after the prophet's
death, seemed lo stamp a divine approbation on the prophetic actions
of his life.
Soon after Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, came to the crown of Is
rael, Amaziah s.acceeded his father Joash in the kingdora of Judah, 2-
Kings xii, 2 Chr. xxv. And he, for a whUe, did that which vvas right
in the sight of the Lord ; though not with a perfect heart, nor like his
ancestor king David : for, as if he had taken his father Joash for his
pattern, he let the high places reraain standing, and suffered the peo
ple to offer sacrifice, and burn incense thereon.
The first public act we read he did, after he was settied on the
throne, was to slay those servants of his that had slain his father. But
the children of the murderers he did not slay, having therein regard
to tho law of Moses, Deut. xj(iv. 16, wherein the Lord comraanded,
' That tne fathers should not be put lo death for the children, nor
the children for the fathers ; but every raan for his own offence.'
That piece of justice performed, he gathered the men of Judah to-.
gether ; and having made captains over thousands, and over hundreds,
according to the houses of their fathers, throughout aft Judah and
Benjamin, be numbered them from twenty years old and upwards,
and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth
to war, and to handle spear and shield, 2 Kings xiv, 2 Chron. x.xv.
To these he added an hundred thousand mighty men of valour,
whora he had hired out of Israel for an hundred talents of silver. And
with these intended to raarch against the Edoraites.
Bul there came a man of God to him, and said, 'O king, let nol the
array of Israel go with thee, for the Lordjs not vvith Israel, nor with
the children of Ephraim.' Then, nol finding a readiness in the king
fo, comply with this caution, he added, ' But ff Cnolwithstanding this

PART IU SACRED IHSTOEY. 48*
fair warning) thou wilt go on in thy own wiU and way, do ; make
thyseff strong for th& battie; bul God shaft make thee fall before the
enemy, for God hath power lo help, and lo cast down.'
This put the king to a stand. Yet considering the charge he had
been at, he said to the man of God, ' But if I put off the array of
Israel, what shall we do for the hundred talents, which I have given
thera ? ' This was a round sum, amounting to thirty and seven thous
and and five hundred pounds, which the king thought too much to
lose. But the man of God, slighting that, told him, 'The Lord was
able to give him much more than that.*
Upon this king Amaziah, drawing out his raeroenary men that carae-
to hira out of Ephraim, sent them horae again ; and strengthening
himself with his own men, led thera forth to the valley of Salt. Where
setting upon the children of Seir, be smote ten thousand of them, and
taking other ten thousand aUve, the men of Judah brought thera to
the top of the rock ; and from ihence casting them down, they were
broken aU to pieces.
This victory was somewhat abated by a loss the conquerors sus
tained the raeanwhile. For the IsBaelitish array, which Araaziah had
discharged, consisting of an hundred thousand mighty men of valour,
took it so fll that they were sent back, and not suffered to go wilh him,
to the battle, that in their return home they fell furiously upon the
cfties of Judah all the way they went from Samaria, even lo Bethoron;,
and smiting three thousand of them, carried away much spoil.
But this was not hy muoh the worst that Amaziah suffered, by this.
expedition. For when ho returned frora the slaughter of the Edom
ites, he brought atong with hira the gods of the children of Seir, and;
set thera up lo be his gods ; and bowing down himself before them,,
he bumed incense unlo thera.
For this the anger of the Lord was kindled against Amaziah, and
he sent him a prophet, who said' unto him, 'Why hast thou sought
after the gods of the people, whieh could not deliver their own people
oul of thy hand ? ' This was such a rational way of conviction, as,
one v/ould have thought should have brought the king to a sense of
his sin by his folly ; butil had nol so good an effect upon him. For-
when the prophet went on wilh his message to him, the king grew
pettish, and said angrily to hira, ' Art thou made of the king's coun-.
sel ? Forbear, why shouldst thou be smitten ? (that is, why shouldst
thou provoke me lo smite thee ? ') The prophet then, finding him
hardened beyond counsel, forebore pressing it further on hira ; and
only said, 'I know that God bath deterrained lo destroy thee, because
thou ha.st done this, and, hast not hearkened to bis counsel by me.*^
It was nol long ere this threatened destruction carae upon Aijaazi-
ah, and thr.t by his own means. For being somewhat puffed up witii
his late victory over the Edomites, and holding himself engaged in
honour to revenge the injury lately done him by the Israelitish army.

490 SACEED HISTORY. PART III.
in sacking his cities, he sent a message to Joash king of Israel in
these words : ' Come, let us look one another in the face.' Which
terms, in those times, iraported a challenge to fight; and were hero
intended not for a duel, or single corahai, but for a pitched battle.
King Joash, to shew his contempt of Araaziah, retumed him an
swer in this nipping apologue :
'The thistle that vvas in Lebanon, sent lo tbe cedar- that vvas in
Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my .son to wife. But there
passed by a wild beast that vvas in Lebanon, and trod dovvn the thistie.
Then be added. Thou sayest (in thy heart at least) Lo, I have smit
ten the Edoraites ! and thy heart lifteth thee up to boast. Well, abide
at liome (and boast there if thou wilt ; ) for why shouldst thou med
dle to thy hurt, that thou shouldst fall, and Judah with thee ? '
This scornful answer whetted Amaziah the raore; seeing hiraseff
compared to the thistle, whUe Joash likened himself to the cedar. So
that he would not hearken to any terras of peace, but drew forth his
forces to the field. Which indeed God perraitted, that he might de
liver him and his people into the hand of their enemies, bscause they
had sought after the gods of Edom.
King Joash having also led forth his men, the battie was joined at
Bethshemesh, a city belonging to Judah, which signifies, The hou.se
•of bondage; and so indeed it proved to Amaziah ; for Israel prevail
ing, Judah was put to the worst, and glad to save themselves, vvho
could, by flight.
Amaziah biraself being taken prisoner, king Joash brought him
along vvith him to Jerusalem, whither he cari'ied his victorious arms.
And being come thither, he brake dovvn the wall of Jerusalem, from
the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits in length ;
and having taken all the gold and silver and aU the vessels of value,
that were found in the house of God, under the charge of the sons
of Obed-Edom,, vvith the treasures of the king's house, and ho.stagea
also, ho returned to Saraaria, leaving, as it seeras, king Amaziah at
liberty at Jerusalem.
But though Amaziah lived many years after this, yet we read noth
ing more of him. save that his people conspiring against him in Je
rusalera, he fled for safety to Lachish. But they sending sorae to
Lachish after him, slew hira there, and bringing hira back to Jerusa
lem, not with state in his chariot, but, on horses, buried him with his
fathers in the city of David.
Joash, king of Israel, was dead fifteen years before, and had for
his successor Jeroboam, his son; who. reigning one and forty years,
restored in that tirae the coast of Israel, trora the entering cf Haraath
unto^the sea of the plain. To whioh undertaking he vvas encouraged
by the prophet Jonah, whora the Lord sent to hira for that end. For
the Lord seeing the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter, and not
wUling thu name of Israel should be blotcd out from under heaven, he

PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 491
saved them by the liands of this Jeroboam the son of Joash; though
otherwise he vvas one that did evil in the sight nf fhe Lord.
To this king's time, it seems, .should be referred that great e.\ploit,
whieh, we read in 1 Chron. v. 18, &c. was performed hy tiie Reu
benites. Gadiies, and half tribe of Manasseh ; who mustering four and
forty tiiousand seven hundred and sixty valiant men, skUful in war,
and able to use sword and buckler, and to draw the bow, raade war
upon the Hagarites; and being helped by the Lord, vvho upon their
crying to him in tho baule, and putting their trust in hira, was in-
treated of thera, and delivered the Hagarites into their hand, gave
them a very great defeat, and took from them a large booty of fifty
thousand camels, two hundred and fifty thousand sheep, two hundred
thousand asses, and one hundred thousand prisoners, besides what
were slain, which were raany. Thus they prospered, because the
war they had vvas of God ; and having dispossessed those Hagarites,
ttiey dwelt in their places until the captivity.

THE END OF THE SECOND BOOK OE KINGS.

THE
BOOK OF THE PROPHET JONAH.

When the prophet Jonah, whom Jerora in his prologue to that
prophet's book, Jonah 1, says, the Hebrews affirm to have been that
son of the widow of Sarepta whora the prophet Elijah raised from
the dead, 1 Kings xvu, had performed the service he had been sent on
to king Jeroboam, and the people of Israel, mentioned before in 2
Kings xiv. 25, the Lord coramanded him to go to Nineveh, lo cry
against il, because their wickedness was corae up- before bim.
Nineveh, the metropoUs then of the Assyrian monarchy, was very
ancient, as having been built soon after the flood by Nimrod, great
grandson lo Noah, for so interpreters lake the words in Gen. x. 11,.
which has some confirmation frora Micah v. 6 ; though being after
wards enlarged by Ninus, it took its narae from bim. It was also a
very great city, about four hundred furlongs in compass, as profane
writers report, which with us make fifty mUes ; and the text deUvers
it lo be a city of three day's journey, chap, ui. Si And how pop
ulous it was may be gathered frora there being in it raore than six
score thousand persons, who did nol know the right hand from the
left, chap. iv. 11, which is generally understood of infants.
To this so ancient, so great, so populous, and withall so wicked a
place,* Jonah had no mind lo go, especially upon so sharp a message
as he had to dehver. Thinking therefore to flee unto Tarshish from
the presence of the Lord, he went down to Joppa, a seaport town, to
seek a passage. And' having found a ship there, ready lo set sail for
Tarshish, he paid the fare, and went on board'.
Bul his fear had made bim much fouget himself, in thinking he
could flee from the presence of the Lord. Which, to bis cost, he
.soon found ; for the Lord sent forth a great wind, which raised a
great tempest in the sea, so thatthe ship was likely to be broken.
This raade the mariners afraid, and fear made them cry every man
unto his God. Then bestiring themselves to lighten the ship, by
easting forth the wares that were in it into the sea, when to that end
*A, M, 3197,
^492)

PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 493
they came down into the sides of the ship, there they found Jonah
fa.st asleep.
The shipmaster then rousing him up, said, ' What meanest tbou,
<^) sleeper! Arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God wiU think
upon us, that we perish noU'
Having got hira up, they all agreed to cast lots, that they raight
know fbr whose cause this evil was come upon them, and the lot fell
upon Jonah. Then said they unto him, 'Tell us, we pray thee-, for
whose cause this evU is come upon us. What is thine occupation ?
And whence coraest thou ? What is thy country 1 And of what
people art thou ? ' He thereupon telUng thera that he was an He
brew, one that feared the Lord God of heaven, who made the sea
and the dry land, be let them know how he had disobeyed his God,
and fled from the presence of the Lord.
When they heard this, the men were exceedingly afraid, and said
to hira, 'Why hast thou done this? And what shaU we do unto
thee, that the sea raay be calm unto us ?' For the sea grew more and
more tempestuous. ' Take me up, said be to thera, and cast me
forth into the sea, so shall the sea be calra unlo you ; for I know (ad
ded he) that for ray sake this great terapesl is upon you.'
This ingenuous acknowldgraent begat in those sailors a compassion
towards poor Jonah. And though they bad suffered so much by his
raeans, they were very unwiUing to throw hira overboard. W herefore
they rowed hard lo have brought the ship fo land. Bul when they
found they could not do it, for that the sea wrought, and was tempes
tuous against them, they cried unto the Lord, the true God, whom
Jonah bad declared to be his God, the God who made both sea and
land, the God whom he had offended; and they said, 'We beseech
thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us nol perish for this man's sake,
and lay not upon us innocent blood, if, to save ourselves from perish
ing, we are obliged to cast him away ; for thou, 0 Lord, hast done
as it pleased thee.'
Having thus made a sort of excuse to God, and deprecated his
displeasure, for what they were necessitated, by a principle of self-
preservation, to do to a servant of his; they look up Jonah, not with
out sorae reluctance, and cast him into the sea, and the sea thereupon
ceased frora its raging. Bul the fear which on this occasion had
seized them, together with the sense of their deliverance, was so great,
that they offered a sacrifice unlo the Lord, and made vows.
Though it pleased the Lord to punish Jonah for his disobedience,
yet in the midst of his judgment remembering mercy, he had pre
pared a great fish, which our Saviour tells us was a whale. Matt. xii.
40, to receive Jonah. And this whale swallowing up Jonah, he was
in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, and in that respect
was an apt type of our blessed Lord, who for the Uke time waa in
the belly of the earth, the grave

494 SACRED HISTOEY. PART IH.
WhUe Jonah was in that living prison, and moving dungeoti, he
prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly, Jonah ii. And
what ho then prayed, and how great the exercise of his spirit then
was, he himself recounted afterwards, in these words;
'I cried, said he, by reason of mine affliction, unto the Lord, and
he heard me: out of the belly of the grave cried I, and thou hearti
est ra}? voice. For thou liad.st cast me into the deep, in the midst of
the seas, and the floods compassed me about , aU thy billows, and thy
v/aves pas.sed over me. Then I said, I ara cast out of thy sight, yet
wiU I look again towards thy holy temple. The waters compassed
me about, even to the soul ; the depth closed me round about ; the
weeds were vvriiped about my head. I went down lo (he bottom of
fhe mountains; tho earth wilh ber bars vvas about mo forever. Yet
hast thou brought up my life frotn corruption, O Lord, ray God. When
my soul fainted within rae, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer
came in unto thoe, imo thine holv temple, Jonah iii. They that observe
lying vanities, foi'sakc their own mercy; but I will sacrifice unto
theo with the voice of thanksgiving, I wiU pay thoe that which 1 have
vowed : salvation is of the Lord."
Now when Jonah had undergone his three days' punishment in the
fish's belly, the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited out Jonah
upon the dry land. And Jonah being thus, by a warrant from heaven,
discharged frcm his confinement, and set at liberty again, the word of
the Lord carae to him a second time, s-aying, 'Arise, go unto Nine-
eveh ; that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that 1 bid thee.'
Having smarted for his former disobedience, Jonah stood not now
to dispute, nor sought to shift the service, but gat hira away to' Nine
veh ; and entering a day's journey into the city, he proclaimed, 'Yet
forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.'
Though this be the substance of the judgraent denounced, yet it
is reasonable to believe that Jonah preached raore than barely this.
Both for conviction, by laying open the sins of the Ninevites, to raan-
ifest tbe justice of the judgraent denounced, and for esliortation, to
bring tiiem to repentance, that they might escape it.
However this event was, that the people of Nineveh believed this
message to bo sent frora God ; and proclaiming a fast, and putting
ori sackcloth by ihe king's command, gave such tokens of sorrow,
repentance, and humiliation, that God, thereupon repenting of the
evil vvhich he had ihreatened to do unto thera, did it not.
This proved a new trial and trouble to Jonah. Jonah iv, vvho here
upon discovered another infirmity. He had positively denounced
destruction to Nineveh, and fixed ihe lime. This clemency of God
in sparing them ho thought wotdd subject hira to the censure of hav
ing been a false prophet. He stood upon his reputation, which ho
doubted would by this means be impaired; and for ihes.^ reasons it
displeased Jonah e.Ncecdingly, so that he was very angry, and in a

PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 495
kind of exposlulary prayer, or precatory expostulation, thus spake to
the Lord ;
'I pray thee, O Lprd, was not this my saying, while I was yet in
my country ? Therefore it was, that 1 fled before unto Tarshish ; for
I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and
of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Now therefore, O
Lord, lake, I beseech thee, my life from rae ; for it is better fbr me
to die than to live.'
The Lord gave hira a gentle reproof, by asking him, ' If he did
well lo be angry.' Whereupon Jonah went out ofthe city ; and hav
ing made hira a booth on the eastside thereof, he sat under it in the
shade, till he might see what would become of the cfty. For having
let in a murmuring discontent, he vvas so unsettled in his mind, that
he knew nol what to think, wheiher God would spare the city or
destroy it.
Meanwhile the Lord, resolving to give Jonah a rational conviction
of his partiality to himself, and vvant of pity to the Ninevites, pre
pared a gourd, and raade it to come up over Jonah, that it raight
be a shadow over his head, to deliver hira frora his grief, vvhich
the scorching bearas of the sun caused.
What this gourd was, no body that I have raet with knows. Many
conjectures there are about it, and it has afforded raatter for great
debate, even in old time; especially between tho two fathers, so
called, Jerom and Augustine. Jerom, in his Latin translation of
tho Bible, adventured to change the narae of this plant; and instead
of cucurbita, a gourd, called it hedera, an ivy. This his boldness
had Uke, il seeras, lo have cost him dear; for not only Augustine
fell upon hira for it, which provoked hira to fall foul upon Augustine
again ; but he vvas fetched up to Rome about it (I take the account
out of Calvin's commentary on this place) and vvas there accused of
sacrilege, as it were, for changing the name of this plant from a gourd
to ivy. Whatever narae it should go by, no doubt il was a spreading
leafy plant. Whence some have taken il for a wild vine; others for a
cucumber, or a pompion, and perhaps it raight be the palraetla.
Whatever it vvas, Jonah was exceeding glad of it, but this joy vvas
short. For early next morning God prepared a worm, which gnaw
ing the gourd raade it wither. And when the sun arose, God pre
pared a vehement east wind : which, together vvith the sun, beat so
fiercely upon the head, of Jonah, that he fainting, not only wished, in
himself, that he might die, but said again. ' It is better fbr me to die
than to live,' And when God, exposiulaling again with him, asked
him, 'If he did well to be angry:' he. in a disturbance of raind,
answered ; ' I do weU to be angry, even unto death.
Then carae the conviction upon Jonah. Thou, said the Lord to
him, hast had piiy on the gourd, for which thou hasi not laboured,
neither madesl it grow, vvhich came up in a night, and perished in a

496 SACRED HISTORY. PART ill-.
night; and should I not spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are
more than six score thousand persons that cannot discern between
their right hand and their left, and also much catlle.
As this book of Jonah begins abruptly, with a conjunction copula
tive [and the word of the Lord came to Jonah,] for so it should be
read, and in the Bishop's Bible it is. The word of the Lord carae
ALSO to Jonah, which bas made some commentators think, this was
an appendix lo some other writing .of his, or of some other concern
ing him ; so it ends abruptiy also, giving no account what became
of the Ninevites, or of Jonah himself after this.

THE END OF THE BOOE OF THE PROPHET JONAH.

THE
BOOK OF AMOS.

Wmix Jonah \vas thus exercised at Nineveh, the prophet Amos,
Amos i,* was employed among tho Israelites. He was an her'dsraan
belonging tn Tekoa, a town in Judra, not far from Jerusalem, the
same place from whioh Joab fetched that wise woman, whom he em
ployed to work king David to recall his son Absalom frora banishraentf
t Sara. xiv. '2.
He dates the begining of his prophecy frora two years before the
^arihquaike. Of which wc have nol any account, that I reraember,
in the holy scriptures, unless it be in a transient passage in the book
t)f Zecbariah, a succeeding prophet, who in chap. xiv. 5, mentions
nn earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, who was con
temporary with Jeroboam, the second son of Joash king of Lsrael ;
tmder whom, and towards the latter end of whose reign, this prophet
Amos prophesied.
Though by birth and habitation he was of Judah, yet he proph-
•esied in Israel, and chiefly concerning Israel. First, against the en
emies of Israel, the Syrians, the PhUistines, the Tyrians, the Edom
ites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites, every one distinctly, in tho
first chapter and beginning of the second, denouncing to each their
judgment, and the cause thereof. And by a particular form of speech
[viz. For three transgressions and for Ibur] used alike to them all, he
shews it was not for a few offences that those judgments .were de
nounced ; but that they had run on in a course of sinning, and had
provoked the Lord to the height. Then turning to Judah and Israel,
he treats thera in the sarae style, but spends the greatest part of his
book upon Israel, which at that time vvas by much the worst ofthe two.
But because to analyse this, and the rest of the prophets, as in
course they fall in the way, would both too much swell the bulk of
this book, and too much break and discontinue the thread of tha
history, I shall only toucli those passages here which seera to be his-
loricalt •A. M. 3138. (497)
VOL. 1. — 32

4ff8 SACRED HISTORY. PART III..
The prophet having denounced gr,eal judgments against Israel ia
general, as of faraine, fire, sword, captivity, &c. and against the
house of Jer.oboam in particular, saying, ' I wiU rise against the house
of Jeroboam wilh the sword,' chap. vii. 9. Amaziah, the idolatrous.
priest of Bethel, hating, and contriving destruction to Amos, as gen
erally the false prophets do to the true, drew up a charge of high
treason against him, and sent it to the king, saying, ' Amos, hath con
spired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel;' the land is
not able to bear aU his words. For thus, said he, Amos saith, ' Jero
boam shall die by the sword,'
This was not only an envious, but a false cliarge, Araos vii; for
Amos did not say Jeroboam, himself, should dieby the sword ; neither-
did he so die, 2 Kings xiv. 29. But speaking in the person of God,
he said, ' I wiU rise against the house (that is, the posterity) of Jero-
boara with the sword,' Araos vii. 9 ; which was fulfilled on Zecbari
ah, the son of this Jeroboara, 2 Kings xv. 10.
But lest this accusation should not take plaee with the king, the
wicked priest attempted lo frighten the prophet, and make hira fly
the country.
« O thou seer (said he to Amos) Go, flee thee away into the land
of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there. But prophesy
not again any more at Beihel (where one of the idol calves was set
up;) for itis not only the king's chapel, but- the king's court loo.'
To, this insulting charge the gentle prophet, .Amos, mildly answer.
ed, 'I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son, (as if he had
said, I was not bred at the university, nor trained up at school, to
be made a prophet; neither was I a prophet by succession, nor yet
did I take up the employment as a trade for a liveUbood. But I was
ah herdsman, and gathered sycamore finit (or wild figs) for my liv
ing. And the- Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord
said unto me. Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. Now, therefore
(added he, his spirit rising in soraevvhat.an higher strain, from asense
of this idolatrous priest's presumption, in taking upon him to counter.
mand his commission.) Thou that sayest. Prophesy not against Is
rael, hear thou the word of the Lord : Thus saith the Lord, Thy
wife shallbe an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters
shall faU bythe sword, and thy land shtiU be divided by line, and thou
shalt die in a poUutedland, and Israel shaU surely go into captivity out
of this land.'
What was the issue of this contest between this envious priest and
the good prophet Amos, doth not appear ; nor do I find any men
tion of him in any other place of the holy text.
THE END OF THE BOOK OF AMOS.

THE
BOOK OF HOSEA.
 =^= —
Contemporary with Amos was the prophet Hosea,* Hosea i, who
under this Jeroboara, the son of Joash, king of Israel, began also to
prophesy ; but so near the end of his reign, that the greatest part of
his prophecies faU under the reigns of his successors, even lo the
time wherein Israel was carried into captivity. For though no more
of the kings of Israel are named in his prophecy, bul this Jeroboara,
under whora he began to exercise the prophetic function, yet he con
tinued to prophesy in the reigns of four kings of Judah, viz. of Uzzi^
ab, who was conleraporary wiih this-Jeroboara, and of Jothara, Aha2:,
and Hezekiah ; in the sixth year of whose reign that captivity began,
2 King xviii. 10. Of which, in several parts of his prophecies, this
holy prophet forewarned them.
And indeed, the book of Hosea contains expostulations between
God and his people ; exprobations of their ingratitude for benefits re
ceived ; objurgations or reproofs for their idolatries and manifold sins ;
admonitions to repent, and turn lo the Lord ; coraminations or threal
enings of great judgments and punishments, if they repented not;
with gracious promises of pardon and acceptance, if jhey did repent,
amend, and heartily return to the Lord.,
But no part of il being historical, I shall only note to the reader,
that as il relates lo, and treats of, the times of the kings of Israel, frora
the latter part of the reign of Jeroboam the second, to the time of the
captivity of the ten tribes by Salmanezer ; and from the latter part of
tbe reign of Uzziah^ through the reigns of Jotham and Ahaz, and
into the begining ofthe reign of Hezekiah, kings of Judah: so it
raay witii best understanding, and lo most advantage, be read along
with the histories of those times, whicii are related in the 14, 16, 16,
17, and 18th chapters of the second book of the Kings ; and in the
16, 17, and 18th chapters of the second book of the Chronicles.
*A. M. 3200. (499)
THE END OF. THE BOOK OF HOSEA.

THE
BOOK OF JOEL.

.ABOtrrthis time also, that is, about the tirae of Jeroboam, the sec-
*nd, it is supposed, the prophet Joel lived and prophesied, Joel i,*
or a littie after; for sorae refer him to the time of Uzziah. others ta
the time of Hezekiah. kings of Judah. And perhaps he might proph.
csy under both, as did Hosea and Isaiah, with whom it is thought he
was contemporaiy.
.As his prophecy is generally held to relate to the Jews, that is, the
house of Judah only,; so the general scope of it is to set forth in the
most sensible raanner the grievous judgraents that either were then
already come, or were at hand ready to come upon thera from the
Lord, in order to bring thera lo a due sense of their sinful estate, to
nn hearty sorrow forit, and true repentance of it; vvith direction how
to manifest their repentance ; and assurance, that if they did so, the
Lord would yet be gracious lo them ; and would not only remove the
famine they suffered under, by removing the drought that had caused
it, and sending rain, which would produce plenty of good things for
them ; but wojld ease them also of ihe fears they were in. by remov
ing from them the northern army, which probably raight be that of
Sennacherib, ihe haughty king of Assyria, who. by Rabshekah, sent
them such threatening messages in king Hezekiah's time.
But eminently reraarkable and exceedingly precious are those parts
of his prophecy, which point at the glory of the gospel-times, where
in, amongst other blessings, is jiromised the general pouring fonh of
the Spirit of God upon all flesh, in aU degrees and stations of men,
whether high or low, bond or free, raale or feraale ; the effects of
which should appear in their sons and daughters prophesying. Joel
ii. 28, 29. Which the apostle Peter, long after, yet in the begining
of the Christian church, appUed totiiat great effusion of the Spirit up
on the apostles, and the rest of the believers assembled al Jerusalem
soon after the ascension of our blessed Lord ; Acts ii. 16, &c.
Having thus given these brief accounts of such of the holy proph-
•A. M. 3200.
(500)

part in. SACRED HISTOEY. 601
ets as havo fallen into this part of our history, let us now return to tho
kings again, under whom they prophesied; and leaving tiie second
Jeroboara still sitting on the throne of Israel, let us go on a while with
the succession of the kings of Judah ; 2 Kings xv.
After the death of king Amaziah, who, as is noted before, was slain
by his own subjects at Lachish, 2 Chron. xxvi, 2 Kings xiv. 19, all
the people of Judah look Azariah, caUed otherwise U'zzia, 2 Chron.
xxvi. 1, and raade him king in his father's stead.
The first public act of his, that we read of, vvas tiie building, or
perhaps rebuilding rather, of Elolh, or Elalh, a city near ihe Red Sea,
which he had recovered lo Judah. .Afterwards he went forth, and
warred against the Philistines; and having dismantled Gath, Jabnch,
and Ashdod, cities of prime note in Philistia. by breaking dovvn their
walls, he buUt cities about Ashdod, and in other places among the
Philistines. For God helped hirn against the Philistines, and against
the Arabians, and ihe Nehuniuis, supposed to be remainders of the
Canaanites, and against the Araonites also; vvho, as a token of sub
jection, gave him gifts, so that his name spread abroad, even as far
as Egypt.
And indeed, he had greatiy strengthened himself. For he had an
host of three hundred and .seven thousand and five hundred fighting
men, well arrasd with shields and spears, and helraets. and haber
geons, bows and arrows, and slings to cast slones. And over this
host, two thousand and six hundred ofthe chief of the fathers, raighty
men of valour, were the principal comraanders. Then for fortifica
tions, he built towers in several parts of Jerusalera ; upon which, and
upon the bulwarks, he planted engines, invented by cunning raen, to
shoot arrows and stones withall.
He built towers in the desert also, and digged raany wells ; which
probably he did for the accommodation and safety of his servants and
cattie, for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the
plains ; hasbandraen also, and vine-dressers, as well in the mountains,
as in the fruitful fields, for he loved husbandry.
In his youth, and during the greatest part of his reign, so long at
least as Zecbariah Uved, who had undcrst.inding in the visions of
God, he sought God, and did that which was right in the sight of the
Lord. And as long as he sought the Lord, the Lord made hira to
prosper, and helped hira ; so that he grew marvellous strong. But
prosperity hurt him ; for when he vvas become strong, his heart was
lifted up to his destruction, and he transgressed against the Lord his
God ; fbr he would needs go into the temple of the Lord to burn in
cense upon the altar.
Which when Azariah the priest saw, he went in after him with
fourscore priests of the Lord, that were valiant men, 2 Kings xv, and
withstood Uzziah the king, telling hira, it did not belong to him,
though he was their king, to burn incense to the Lord ; but to the

602' SACRED HISTORY. PART US,
priests, the sons of Aaron, wno were consecrated to thai service.
Wherefore they bid him go out of the sanctuary ; letting him know,
that he had transgressed in coraing there, and that what he had done
should nol be for his honour from the Lord God.
The king had a censer in his hand, ready lo burn incense, when
he received this repulse from the priests ; and his high spirit nol brook
ing to be so treated by his subjects, he grew wroth with the priests.
But while in his anger he stood contending with thera, the leprosy
rose up in his forehead, 2 Kings .xv. Which the priests observing,
they thrust bira out ofthe house of the Lord : yea, he himself hasted
to gel oul, being sensible that the Lord had smitten him.
Nor did he ever recover of this disease, but was a leper to his dy
ing day, and dwelt apart in a distinct bouse as a leper; for he was
cut off frora having any access to the hou.se of the Lord, and Jo-
Sham his son, as vice-roy, was over the king's house, and adminis
tered justice to the people of the land,* during the remainder of the
king's life.
At length this leprous king died, after a reign of two and fifty years,
and was buried vvith his fathers ; that is, in the same field whereui
the royal sepulchres were, bat at some distance from them, because
he was a leper.
As the jirophets Jonah, Amos, Hosea, and Joel, began their proph
ecies under Jeroboam king of Israel, and this Uzziah king of Judah ;
so the noble prophet Isaiah (noble by birib, as being of the blood roy
nl, and more ennobled by his prophetic gift, especially afier the holy
seraphim had touched his lips with a Uve coal taken from tho altar)
began to prophesy under this king l.^zziah ; but towards the latter end
of his reign, after he for his leprosy lived privately, and Jotham his
son ruled for hira. Within the corapass of which time the first .six
chapters of Isaiah's .prophecy seem to have been written : and the
last of them expressly in the year that king Uzziah died.
When Uzziah was dead, his son Jotham, who before had ruled only
ns pro-rex, reigned as king for sixteen years, doing that vvhich was
right in the sight of the Lord, as his father Uzziah had done; whose
great miscarriage was his presumption in entering into the sanctuary
of the Lord, and attempting to offer incense there : which therefore
his son Joth'am, taking warning by his harm, warily abstained from,
2 Chron. xxvii. 1, 2. But the body of the people yet acted corrupt
ly, for the high places nol being removed, they still sacrificed and
burnt incense there.
Amongst other pubUc acts,, Jotham built the high gate of the house
ofthe Lord ; and besides what he buUt on the wall ofthe tower, which
was not a littie, he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the
forests he built casties and towers. •A. M. 3250

PART in. SACRED HISTORT. 603
Neither was he unsuccessful in his wars ; for beside the trouble he
had from the kings of Syria and Israel, he fought with the Ammon
ites, and prevailed against them ; so that for several years Ihey paid
hira yearly an hundred talents of sUv^r, ten thousand -measures of
¦wheat, and as rauch of barley, of that measure which is caUcdA cor,
which is computed to contain five bushek and five gaUons.

TBE END OF TSE SOOS'Or jOBZi.

THB
BOOK OF MICAH.

In the time of this king Jothara began the prophet Micah to proph
esy, Micah. i,* and continued through his reign, and the reigns of
his son and grandson, .Ahaz and Hezekiah. Together with the his
tories of these kings, and of their contemporary kings of Israel, hia
prophecy will be Bead most" advantageously. 'For it relates to both
the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, denouncing great judgraents unta
them, for Iheir many and great transgressions therein set forth; in.
termingling sometimes some comfortable promises of deliverance and
restoration, to bear them up frora utterly fainting under the exercises
they should meet withall.
Let us now, leaving Jothara on the throne of Judah, observe with
what a swift motion the wheal of government whirled round in the
kingdom of Israel.
Jeroboara the son of Joash being dead, 2 Kings xiv. 29, his son
Zecbariah succeeded to the crown of Israel, 2 Kings xv. 2, in tho
eight and thirtieth year of Uzziah King of Judah. But as he did that
which was evft in the sight of ihe Lord, as his fathers had done, not
departing frora Ihe sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the calvish
idols, whereby he raade Israel to .sin; so he enjoyed the crown but a
little while. For at the end of six months. ShaUura the son of Ja
besh conspiring against hira, smote hiin before ihe people; and hav
ing slain him, reigned in his stead.
This Zecbariah was the fourth from Jehu, and ihe last king of hia
race; in whom vvas fulfilled that gracious promise, which iheLord
was pleased to raake to Jehu, as a reward lor his courage, zeal, and
idUigence, in executing the judgment vvhich God had commanded hint*
to execute upon the houso of Ahab ; that he and his seed should sit
en iho throne of Israel unto the fourth generation.
Bul the measure which Slmlluni measured lo Zecbariah vvas ineas^
tured to him again, with this difference, that whereas Zecbariah reigned
•ix months, ShaUura reigned but one. For Menahem the son of
•A. M. 3151.
(604>

TART III. SACKED HISTORY. oS?5
Gadi, going up from Tlfzali to Samana, smote ShaUura there; and
havingslain him, possessed himself of the king-loni.
For an account of the rest ofthe acts of tiie-ie three kings, Zecb
ariah, ShaUura, and Menahora, wc are rcfered to ihe book of tiie
Chronicles of the kings of Israel ; of whom yet no mention is mado,
so much as by narae. in either of those books of Chronicles whicii
we have. Whioh makes il still raore evident, that that book, so often
referred to, is lost.
As soon as Menahem was settled on the thrtme, he smote Tiphsah,
a city of Lsrac-l and aU that were therein, and in the coasts thereof,
becauss ihey did not open their gates to receive him, or declare for
him. And .so inhuinanly barbarous was he. thai when he had taken
the place, be ripped up aU the women therein that were wfth child.
These were very bloody limes, wherein violence, murders, rapines,
and all manner of iinraoralities, as well as supprsiitions and idola
tries, rL'igned ; for all the kings of Israel, from Jehu, did evil in tha
sight ofthe Lord. So thatthere was an abundant maficr for the proph
ets [Hosea, Amos, Micah, yea and Isaiah loo] to decluira against.
But when the admonitions, reproofs, and thrt alenings by the proph
ets, did nol prevail lo reclaim the people, tho Lord stirred up the .spirit
of Pul, king of Assyria, whom sorae lake lo be th-dt king of Nineveh,
then the chief city of the Assyrian monarchy, who is said to havo
repented at the preaching of Jonah, to corae up against the land, I
Chron. v. 26. V\ hich when Menahem. Israel's new king understood,
he politicly stooped to Pul ; and making him a present of a thousand
talents of silver, three hundred seventy five tiioiisjnd pounds, which
lie rai.sed out of aU the weafthy men of l&ra 1 pxaciing from each
man fifty shekels; he thereby prevailed vvith king Pul not only lo
withdraw his forces out of the land, but before he went, to confirm
the kingdom in his hand.
By ihis means he possessed the crown ten years, and then dying,
left it to Pekahiah, his son, who kept it but two years. For he follow
ing the steps of his father, who did evil in the sight of the Lord, and
walking in the sin of Jer-Dboam- the son of i\;b it ; Pekah. a captiin
of his. entering into a conspiracy against him with Argob and .Arieh,
and fifty rac-n of the Gileadiles, smote hira in the king's palace in
Saraaria; and having slain him. reigned in his stead. But he too,
like the rest that went before him, did, evil in iho sight of the Lorc|,
not departing from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who raad,o
Israel to sin.
In the seventeenth year of Pekah's reign. Jotham king; of Judah
dying, Ahfiz his son ascended the throne of that kingdom. 2 King
ii,* and proved a very wicked king. For he not only did not that
which was right in the sight of the Lord, Uk-j his ancestor king Da-
•A M. 3267.

¦606 «aceed 'Bistoby. part in»
vid ; bul he watlced in the ways of the kings of Israel, even the worst
of them. For he made molten images fbr Baalim, tbe whole herd
of lesser gods worshiped by the heathen. He .sacrificed, and burnt
incense in the high places, and on the hiUs, and under every green
-tree. Nay. he burnt incense in ihe vaUey of the son of Hinnom, a
place not far from Jerusalera, and made bis son to pass through the
fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord
had cast out fi-om before the ohildren of Israel.
This passing through the fire, interpreters say, vvas done either by
causing the child tc pass to Molech between two fires, made near ono
to the other for that purpose, whereby the child was not kiUed, but con-
fiecrated to that idol ; or by shuiing up the child in the -body of that
idol, which was made of brass, in the shape of a man, save that the
head was like the head of an ox, so great in bulk, that his body was
divided or parted within into seven distinct chapels or cells, into one
of which the child lo be sacrificed being put, was burnt to death by
the heat, which a fire from without ."lent in through the brass. And
that the shrieks and outcries of the children, thus tormented, might
not be heard by the parents, or others standing by. drums meanwhile
were beaten ; from whence the place was called Tophet, vvhich sig«
nifies a drura, as Marius d'Assigny tells us in his history of the Hea
then Gods, book iii. p. 21, 22. And probable it is that so Ahaz's
son (or children) was served : for whereas the text in Kings says,
-« He raade his son lo pass through the fire;' tbe te.xl in Chronicles
•hath it, ' He burnt his children in the tire.'
For these so many and so greal abominations, the Lord punished
Ahaz and Judah by the kings of Syria and of Israel. But here arises
some disagreement in the story, as it is related in the book of the
Kings, and in the book of the Chronicles.
For in 2 Chfon. xxviii. 6, &c. we read, Thatthe Lord delivered
Ahaz into the hand of the king of Syria, who smote hira, and carried
away a great multitude of his people captives to Damascus. And
that he was delivered also into the hand of Pekah king of Israel, who
smote hira with a great slaughter; slaying in one day an hundred
and twenty thousand valiant men of Judah, and carrying avvay cap
tives to Samaria two hundred thousand women and children, with
much spoil.
On the other hand, in 2 Kings xvi. 6, it is said. That Rezin king
of Syria, and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up lo Je
rusalem lo war : and they besieged .Ahaz, but could not overcome him.
The same account also we have of it by the prophet Isaiah, where
he says expressly, 'That in the days of this king Ahaz, Rezin tho
king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up
towards Jorusnlem, to war against ft, but could not prevail against it.
To accommodate this diversity in the relation, let us suppose, either
that t-he account given of this matter in the boolc of the Kings, and

part IIK S.tCRBD HISTORY. 607
by the prophet Isai.ah, related to one tirae, and tliat which is given in
the book of Chronicles to another : or, ihat those two kings of Syria
,and Israel, though vvith their joint forces they did besi'-go Jerusalem,
could not take tho city, but were forceii to raise their siege, and then
committed those other hostiUties, whereby ihey slew andaook captive
so many, in other parts of the kingdom.
For there seems to be no ground for suspicion of any mistake of
the scribe in either place; the text in Kings, and in the prophesy of
isaiah agreeing, though not written by ihe same hand, i-.nd although
Ihe account is given but short and nalted in the book of Kings, yet
in the prophecy of Isaiah il is set forth at lai^e, with many confirming
-circumstances. And so is the other relation also, which is given in
2 Chron. -xxviU.
With respect to the siege of Jerusalem, Ihe prophet Isniah sets forth,
That when Ahaz aud his peojile quivered for fear, at the report of the
two kings of Syria and Israel coming with united forces against them,
the Lord sent him fonh to raeet Ahaz, and to bid him take heed and be
•quiet, ond not fear, nor be faint-bearted, because of the two tails of
those smokiiig firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and
of the son of RemaUah, who was Pekah, king of Israel ; for though,
said he, ihey have taken evU counsel against thee, saying, ' Let us
go up against Judah, and vex il, and let us raake a breauh therein
for us, and set up a king (of our own raaking) in the midst of it, even
the son of Tabael (uncertain whom, or whence : some tiiink a Syrian,
others an Israelite ;) yet thus saith the Lord, It shaU not stand, neither
shaft it corae lo pass. For the head of Syria is Daraa.scus, and the
head of Damascus is Rezin. And the bead of Ephraira is Samaria,
and the head of Samaria is Reraaliah's son (Pekah.) But within
threescore and five years shaU Ephraim be broken, that it be uot a
people.' Nor is the relation of the many prisoners, which the Israelites took
of Judah, and carried captive witii the spoil to Samaria, less su-ppor-
ted with remarkable circumstances.
For we read in 2 Chron. xxviii, that when they brought in their
captives to Samaria, a prophet of the Lord, whose name was Oded,
went out lo them, and thus reproved the Israelitish array, both fbr the
slaughter they had made, and the prisoners they had taken :
•Behold, said he. because the Lord God of your fathers was wroth
wilh Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have
slain them in a rage, that reachcth up unto heaven. And now ye
purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusaleiu, for bondr
men and bondwomen unto you. Eut are there not even with you
also sins against the Lord ynur God? Now, therefore, hear ye me,
and deliver the pr;.-;oncrs again which yc have taken captive of your
brethren; for ihe fierce wrath of God is upon you.'
This stirred certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, who

808 SACEED HISTORY. PAET in
are here put for Israel, fo st.ind up against them that corae from the
war, and say unlo theio, 'Yc shall not bring tiie captives hither:
for whereas we have otfended against the Lord, ye go the way to
add more to our sins, and lo ou:- trespass, which is so great already,
that there is fierce vvraili ag-inst lsra-1.'
The soldiers thereupon 1-javing both the cr-ptives and tbe spoil be
fore the princes and the con^^ri-gation. ihe principle rulers look tha
captives; and> having with thu spoil clothed and shod all such of them
08 had been .strippeci by the soldii-rs, tiioy trtive iheni lo cat and lo
drink, and anoiutBtl thein, dressing the wounds of such of thera as
were hurt; und sjtiing the foeblt; of them upon asse.s, brought thera
to Jericho to th-.-ii' brethren, tiv^ms.^lves returning to Samiria.
Hovvc-ver it wus, this is evident, that although ths Lord had 'yy his
prophet a.ssured .Ahaz, that the Syrians vvith Israel should nut pre
vail lo take the city, jL-rusal-m, and offered to confirm it to him by
whatsoever sign he would ask; yet would not lhut Hiuliboin king
ask any sign, uiidtr an hvpocriticnl pretence, that hs would not terapt
God ; neitiier yet would he trust to the Lord for proservaiion an J
deliverance. But he sent to the king of As.s'yria to come and help
him; and lo induce him tiier?untD, sent bim fbr a present the silver
and the gold that vvas found in the hou.se of the Lord and in the
king's treasury ; offering to become a tributary to him. .and giving
his ambassdors in charge to say lo die A.ssyrian monarch in his name,
» 1 am thy .^crvani and ihy son : come up. and' save rae out of the
hand of the king of Syria, and of ihe king of Israel, which rise up
against lun,*
Tiglatii pUeser, the then king of Assyria. caU'-d also Tilgith-pilne^
¦er, 2 Chron. xxviii. 20, vvas not backward to come. Yet before
he could come, Rezin king of Syria had recovered from Judah ilio
city EJalh, wiiich king Uzziah. grandfather of .Ahaz, had taken from
the Syrians, and driving the Jews frora tiience, replanted his Syrians
therein. But when Tiglath-pileser w.is come, he made short work with
Rezin,* for drawing up his array against Dama.-jcus, he look it;
and haring slain king Eezlii. he carried away the people of Damas
cus captives tf" Kir : which TremeUius takes lo be a cfty or place in
Media, subject to the Assyrian monarchy, and frora thence called
afierwards Syroraedia. And herein Tilgath pileser answered his
name, which signifies, He hath taken away a marvellous captivity.
This spoiling of Daimscus the prophet Isaiah foresaw and foroiold,
not only in sorae ('.irker pa.ssages in tho seventh chapter of his proph
ecy, but openly and directly in the eighth chapter. Where having
typically rpprfjseiited his going in unto his wife, she thereupon coni
ceiving, and bearing a son, whose name he caUed Maher-shalal-hosh*
• A, M. 3272,

TART III. SACRED HISTORY. fi09
baz, that is. In raaking speed to tiie spoil, he hastenelh tiie prey, and
his reccu'ding all this t»y God's command in a great roll, beiiire sufli-'
cieni witnesses; ue tcl.l ihcin expre.ssly, lhut biibre that child should
have knowledge to cry, 'Myfjther and my raoiher,' ihc riches of
Dani-nscus, and the spoil of fcamaria, shall bu lakcn away before tiio
king of Assyria, Isa, viii, 4. And although he joins there the spoil
of Samaria vvith that of Damascus, the sequel of the story will shortly
shew the cunipleting of that also. And as hs th.'^re IbretoUl it just
before it-came, so in the sc.venleeiilh chapter of his prophecy he speaks
of it a^iin as ronie.
Nor did Isaiah only foreshew this .stroke upon Damascus; but his
conternporarv, the prophet Amos, that poor, pl-iin herdsman, fore
told it in direct leiras. Tlie«e are his words : ' Thus saith tiio Lord,
For three iransgressions of l-amascus, and for four, 1 will not turn
avvay the puni.sliraciit ihercof. because ihey ihreslied Gilead (a part
of the country of Israel) with threshing instruraents of iron; bul I
will send a fire into ihe Ilouse of Hazael. which shall devour ihe pal
aces of Benhadad (two kings of Syria, faiher and son, great opprcs-v
Fors of Israel,) 1 will break also the bur of Damascus, and cut off
the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdelh the scep
tre from the houso of Eden ; tmd the people of Syria (for those three
places. Damascus, Aven, and Eden, are taken lo comprehend tha
whole kingdom of Syria) shaU go into capliviiy unto Kir, saith iho
Lord,' Amos i. 3, &c. see also chap. iii. 12.
When king Ahaz understood ihat the Assyrian king was come to
Damascus, he hastened thithor lo hira. And b( ing there, he saw an
aftar, which, fbr the form thereof, much jileased him : wherefora
causing a pattern of it lo be exactiy taken, he sent it to Urjah tho
priest al Jerusalem, for him lo raake such another by it. The priest,
instead of instntcling the king better, as his office required, being, it
«3ems, an hypocritical time server, built an ullar by that pattern,
against king Ahaz came back from Damascus.
Now when ihe kii.g, being returned, found this new altar ready,
he nol only offered thereon, but caused the a-liar (f ihe Lord, tho
brazen altar which .stood before the Lord, lo bc brought from the fore
front of the house of the Lord, and, that il might nol stand between
his alfar and the house of ihe Lord, he it-t it op the north side
ef this altar of his, commanding Urijah the priest to offer all Iho
burnt-offerings al this altar, and rest-rve tiie brazen ahar for him to
inquire of the Lord by. And that temporizing pricfct did all this
just as the king commanded hira.
Nor was ihi.s the only innovation that Ahaz made in the things
belonging to the worship of God. But he also cut off the bordera
of the bases, mentioned in 1 Kings vu. 27, &c. and removed tho
laver from off them. ver. 38, and took down the sea from ofl" tho
Lrazon oxen, ver. £3, aod sel it upon a pavement of btoncs. Tha

610 SACRED HISTOEY. PAET Hi..
Govort also for the sabbath, (which was buUt to receive and shelter the
priests that utio:;ded from sabbath to sabbath.) together wilh the king's
entry, turned ha from the house of the Loid, because of the king
of Assyria. Which is taken lo have been done, either in flaUer'y, to
please the king of Assyria, by shewing hira how Utile he regarded
the ordinances of the Lord ; or else for fear of the king of Assyria,
nnd to secure himself, in case the king of Assyria would assail him
also, which he had .some reason to doubt. For though the king of
Assyri:i, at his request, came and smote his eneraies, yet he did no
otherwise help hirn : nay, he is saiu to have distressed hira, but
not strengthened him, 2 Chron. xxviii 20.
And indeed, if ilie Assyrian had then corae on against Ahaz, he
was but In an Ul condition to have withstood hira. For because of
his sore tran.sgressions, whereby he had raade Judah naked, the
Lord had brought Judah low. For on the one hand, the Edomites
had come again, and smitten Judah, and carried awoy captives ; on
the other hand, ihe Philtsliries invading the cfties of the low country,
and of the south of Judah, had taken many cities, with their vUla-
gas, and seated theraselves therein.
Eut though .ihaz was thus distressed, yet did he still trespass the
more against the Lord. For he not only set up sn altar of the
heathenish fashion, but he sacrificed also unto the gods of Damascus
which had sraitien hira. This he did, to make thera propitious to
him. For said he, • Because the gods ofthe kings of Syria help
thera, I will sariflceto thera, that they ma.y help me:' but they were
the ruin of hira, and of all Israel; where Israel is set for Judah,
Besides all this, be gathered together the vi.-s.sels of the hou.se of
the Lord, and cut thera to peices, and then shutting up the doora
of the house of the Lord, he mado altars in every corner of Jeru
salem ; and in all the several cities of Judah he made high places,
to burn incense in imto other gods, so provoking to anger the Lord
God of his fothers.
At length, having reigned sixteen years, he died, and was buried
in the city of Jerusalem ; but they brought him not into tho sepul
chres of tho kings.
But Ahaz lived to see Pekah king of Israel, who had joined with
P.ezin king of Syria against him, di.stres.'-'od as well as himself. For
Tiglath-pileser, the Assyrian king, having spoiled Daraascus, tho
metropolis nf Syria, feU upon Ijon, and Abel-belh raaachah, Janoah
and Kedish, Hazor, Gilead and Galileo, and aU the land of Naph
taU, cities and couniries belonging to Israel, and carried the inhabi
tants captive to As.syria. This perhaps might give encotinigeraent to
Hoshea, the .son of Elah, to conspire against Pekah; for quickly after
this he slew hira. and reigued in his stead.
Hoshea took the kingdom vvith aU its incumbrances, 2 Kings xvii,
which by this time were grown to be raany and greal. For though

PART HU SACRED HISTORY. 61 S
he himself passed in the mi.ddle rank of the bad kings, doing evil in
the sight of the Lord; but not as some of the kings of Israel that
hud been before him; yet the kings bis predecessors, vvith the body
of the people, having through a long seri.3s of time gone on in a
course of disobedience and rebellion against the Lord, slighting the
admonitions and disregarding the threalenings of the Lord, by his
prophets, had so highly provoked the Lord, that now he sent the
king of Assyria, whora he called the rod of his anger, Isa. x. 5, to
call them lo account. So that Hoshea vvas scarce seUled on tha
throne, when Salmaneser, the Assyrian king, .;am3 up against him.
Hoshea, for that tirae, pacified him with submission, subjecting
himself to him as a tributary prince, and making hira ample presents.
But this served not long. For after a while, Hoshea neglected to
pay his tribute, and withal tarapered with So, king of Egypt, to assist
hira to cast off the .Assyrian yoke, which he had so lately taken on
him. Which when Salmaneser understood, he came up with his
forces through all the land, and laid siege to Samaria.
Three years Samaria held out the siege, before the Assyrian could
take it.* But at the three years end, which was tiie ninth year of
Hoshea, Salmaneser took Samaria, and shutting up king Hoshea in
prison, and in bonds, he carried Israel away captives into Assyria,
and placed them in Halah and in Habor, by the river of Gozan, and
in the cities of the Medes. Araong these captives, Tobit, then a
young man, was one, whose story hath a distinct book in the Apoc
rypha. Thus were the ten tribes dispossessed of the land of Canaan, the
land promised to Israel their faiher, whose name they bore. And
that the justice of God may appear in thus disinheriting thera, th©
cause is set forth, wUh greal araplification, in this seventeenth chap-
tor of the second book of Kings, from ver. 7 lo 24. But is contrac
ted into this brief sum, chap. xvui. 12: 'Because they obeyed not
the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed his covenant, and
all that Moses, the servant of the Lord, had comraanded ; and would
not hear thera, nor do thera.'
AU the prophets of God, who prophesied in those limes, foretold
this captivity. As the prophet Isaiah, chap. viii. 4, and chap, ix,
to the end. The prophet Hosea. chap, vni, ver. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and
chap. X. ver. 5, 6, 7, 14, 16, nnd chap. xiii. 16. The prophet
Amos, chap. iii. 9, to the end; chap. v. 2, 3, 5, vi. 7, and yu.
17. And the prophet Micah, chap. i. 5, 6, &c. and chap. n. 3, 4, &c.
The Israelites being thus carried out of their own land into As
syria, the Assyrian king drew forth -divers colonies of his pcoplo
from Babylon, and frora Cuthah, and from Ava, and frora Sephar-
Toira, places belonging to that monarchy, and sending them into th*
•A. M. 3284

812 SACnED HISTORY. PART IHk
land of Canaan, placed tliera in the cities of Samaria, insteal of tho
children of Israel; and they possessing Saraaria, dwell in the citien
thereof. This re-peopling r:f Samana, and the oihc-r cities of Israel, is as
cribed to Esarhaddon, Ezra iv 2. But he l>eing tiie grandson of
Sahnancser, by whom the country was depopulated, it may be con
sidered wlictiier it bs probable the counlry lay waste, and uninhahi-
led, for so many yt-ai's as were between the grandfather and grand
son : and whether they who were sent by Esarhaddon might not bo
a second colony.
However, lliey who camo first, at their first coming tn dwell there,
met wfth but rough cnlerl-iinment. For not fearing the Lord, that
is, nol perforiuing any sort of worship to hira, but polluting the holy
land wilh tiieir several sorts of foul idolatries, the Lord sent lions
among ihem. which t^lew in.iny of ihem.
This struck such terror on ihe rest, that they sent racssengers to
the king (.'¦ .-^ssyria, lo complain of this grievance; who acquainted
liira, th'jl tho nr.tions which he had removed, nnd placed in ilic citie.-j
of Samaria, were infested, and many of thera slain by lions, which
the God of the land had sent among them, because they, not knowing
ihe manner hovv that God used to be served, had i.-jt perfonned any
Worship lo him.
The king thereupon, that he might provide for the safety of tha
people, gave order that one of fhe priests, that had been brought with
the other captives out of the land of Israel, should be carried back
thiiher again, lhut he might dwell there, and leach theso new inhab-
rtaiits the manner or way of worship of tho God of the land.
Notwithstanding which, as the colonies consistol of a medley of
divers .sorts of people, and nations drawn out of several provinces, 8
Kings xvii, so every ntuion of them made gods of their own, accor
ding to the manner of the place ihey c-iiuB from, and put them in iha
houses of ihc high pbices, which the Israelites (culled here the Sa-
mar.'tsns. because Samaria was the metropolis, or chief ciiy of ihat
kingdom) had mado. pvf-rv nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.
For ths men that carae from Babylon sot up Succoih-benoth for
their god ; vvhich Godwyn tells us, from the Hebrew doctors, was
the picture of an hen with her chickens, . . . Moses and Aaron,
1. iv. c. 7.
They that came from Culh, or Cuthanh, made Nergpl their god :
which Go-.wyn (^ubi svpra) says, the Hebrew doctors interpret, Gal
ium sylvestrem ; and Wilson calls il a woodcock, . . . Chris
tian Dictionary, rerbo Ncrgat. But D'Assigny says, Nergal was
n continual fire. . . , Hist, of the Heathen Gods, book first,
p. i;;3.
The raen of Ilamaih set up Ashima for their god, represented by
a goat. . Godwyn, ubi supra.

PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 613
The Avites had two : Nibhaz, supposed to bo the same with Anu-
bis, which the Egyptians worshiped in the image of a dog; and
Tartak, in the form of an ass. . . . Godwyn, ib.
They that carae from Sepharavim and two also; Adramelech and
Anara-jlech. Which Godwyn (ubi supra) says, had the represen
tation, the former of a mule, tho latter of an horse. But because tho
Sfrpharaviies are here said to burn their cliilJren in the fire to these
gods of theirs, some have thence conjectured, that these two idols
were the same wfth Moloch, or Molech, whose name they have as
sumed. . . . Hist, of Heathen Gods, I. i. p. 92.
That ihcse contemptible gods might not want suitable attendants,
these new planters raade to themselves, of ihe lowest amongst thera,
priests, cf the high places, which sacrificed for them there. And
thus they patched up a mungrel religion, fearing the Lord, that is,
pretending to worship him, yet serving their own gods; paying in
differently their devotions to Bethel's calf, and their own idols, with
the same rights, and after the sarae manner, as tho IsraeUtes had for
merly dono, according as they were instructed by their Israelitish,
but apostute, priests.
But as for tho IsraeUtes who were gone into captivity, aU their
nfftictiuns at\d distresses, even this last and greatest of perpetual bond
age, did not reclaim them ; bul they went on in their accustomed evil
courses, not fearing the Lord, nor doing nor keeping the statutes,
ordinances, law, and commandment, vvhich thu Lord had given lo
the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel.
This was the end of the Israelitish kingdora ; that is, of the ten
tribes which revolted frora Rehoboam the son of Soloraon, nnd set
up Jeroboara the son of Nebal against him. And this was the bcgin-
hig and rise of that mungrel-people, who, from the city and country
of Saraaria, where they Uved, were afterwards called Samaritans;
enemies to the Jews, and, as such, rejected by them.
But Judah's day was yet somewhat lenthened. For though A naz.
the last of her kings that we have yet raentioned, had by his egregi
ous wickedness drawn her judgment somewhat forward ; yel his son
and successor, Hezekiah, a good son of an evil father, by his obedi
ent and humble walking with the Lord, moy be ihought to have for
a while protracted it. For he is said to have done that which was
right in the sight of the Lord, according lo all tiial his ancestor
David did.
He began early to give evidence of his zeal for God, and for ihe
true worship of God, 2 Kings xviii, 2 Chr. xxix For in the first
year of his reign, which was the five and twentieth of his age, and
in ihe first raouth of the year, he caused the doors of the house of
the Lord, vvhich bis father had shut up, 2 Ch:-.n. xxviii. 24, to bo
opened and repaired. Then having gathered the priests and tha
VOL. I.— 33

S14 SACRED HISTOEY. FART HI.
Levites together, he gave them m charge, first to sanctify themselves,
and then to sanctify the house of tho Lord God of their fathers, by
carrying the filthiness out of the holy place. ' B'or, said he, our fath
ers have trespassed, and done that which- was evil in tiie sight of the
Lord our God, and have forsaken him, and turned away their faces
from the habitation of the Lord, and have even turned their backs
upoti it. They have also shut up the doors of the porch, and have
pul oul the lamps, and have not burned incense, nor offered burnt-
offorings in the holy place unto the God of Israel. Wherefore the
wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalera, and he hath de
Uvered them into their enemies' hands, as ye have seen. For our
fathers, yo know, have fallen by the sword, and our wives and chUd
ren were in captivity for this.' Wherein il is probable he had an
eye to the slaughter, which Pekah, late king of Israel had raade of
the men of Judah, and the great number of prisoners taken in the
tirae of king Ahaz his father, 2 Chron. xxviU. Band 8.
Then going on, he tells thera, 'Now ills in m,y heart to make a
covenant w-ith the Lord God of Israel,-, tliat- hia fierce wrath raay
turn away frora us. Now therefore ray sons (said he) bo not negli
gent; for the Lord hath choson you to stand before hira, that ye
may serve bira, and rainistei unto hira, and burn incense before him.'
The Levites and the priests, thus aiithorised and encouraged, gath
ered their brethren together, and, having sanctified themselves, came^
according to the commandment of the king, to do the Lord's busi
ness, in cleansing the house of the Lord. And the priests, going
into the inner pan, brought oul aU the uncleanness that they found
in the temple of the Lord to the Levites ; who taking il of them, car
ried it out abroad, and cast it into the brook Kidron, a rivulet vvhich
ran in the valley between Jerusalera and mount of Olives, and in the
New Testament is called Cedron, John xviu. 1. And such diligence
they did use therein, that begining on tho first day of the first month,
they came on the eighth day to the porch of the Lord. And having
in eight days cleansed the houso of the Lord, they cleansed the out
ward court in eight days more ; so that by the sixteenth day of the
same month thoy had made a fuU end.
Having then reported to king Hezekiah that tiiey had cleansed all
tho house of the Lord, and the aftar of burnt offering, and the shew
bread table, wiih all the vessels belonging to each ; and moreover,
that they had looked up aU the vessels, which his father king Ahaz
had cast away in his transgression, and had prepared and sanctified
them, and set them biiforo the altar of the Lord; the king, with his
rulers, went early up to the house of the Lord, and offered burnt-
<jfferings and sacrifices in such abundance, thai the prie.sts were too
few to slay thera, and were glad to accept the help of their brethren
^lug Levites, who were more upright, nnd forward to sanctify them
selves, than were the priests, until the work was ended, and uU more

FART III^ SACRED HISTOEY 615
of the priests had sanctified themselves. And thus was tiie service
of the house of the Lord sel in order, lo the mutual rejoicing of
both king and people.
The way being thus fairly opened to a thorough reformation, and
so good a progress made therein, the next step was the keeping of
the passover: which by reason of the division of the kingdom, and
the frequent commotions, 2 Kings xviu, 2 Chron. xxx, disturbances,
and troubles that happened thereupon, had not been kept in due man
ner for a long time. But now, the king having advised wfth his
princes about il, it was deterrained, that since it could not be kept in
that first raonth, whioh was the regular tirae for it, because neither
had the priests yet sanctified a sufficient number of themselves for
the work, nor could the people have tiraely notice to assemble them
selves together at Jerusalem to il ; it should be kept in the second
month, and proclamation thereof should be raade from Beersheba even
unlo Dan, the whole length of the land of Judea; that so. not only
the two tribes of the kingdorn of Judah, but all such also- of the ten
tribes of Israel, as, having escaped the hands of the kings of Assyria,
were not gone into captivity, for the Assyrian besom had not swept
aU away.) might have notice of it.
To that end, letters were dispatched by post, from the king and his
princes, throughout aU Israel and Judah ; and those- that were di
rected to the rerananl of Israel were thus worded :
'Ye children, of Israel, turn again unto the Lord, God of Abrahara,
Isaac, and Israel, and he will retuen to the remnant of you that are
escaped oul of the hand of the kings of Assyria., And be not ye
Uke your fathers, and Uke your brethren, who trespassed against the
Lord God of their fathers, and were therefore given up by him to
desolation, as ye see. Now be not ye stiff necked, as your fathers
were, but yield yourselves unlo the Lord, and enlerinto his sanctuary,
which he hath sanctified forever, aod serve the Lord your God, that
the fierceness of his wrath raay turn away frora you. For ff ye
turn again unto the Lord your God, your brethren and your children
shaU find compassion before thera, that have led them captive, so that
they shaU come again into this land ; for the Lord your God is gra
cious and rasrciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if yo
return unto him.'
With these letters the posts passed frora city to city, through the
couniries of Ephraim and Manas.seh, even unto Zebulun ; bul they
laughed them to scorn, and mocked thom : so littie of good had that
great calamity, which had so lately befaUen their brethren, wrought
upon thera. Neverthefess, divers of Asher, and of Manasseh, and of
Zebulun too, humbled themselves, iind came to Jerusalem.
But in Judah, the power of God. figuratively expressed by his
hand, wrought so effectually, that vvith one heart they applied them
selves to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, vvhich

616 SACBED HISTORY. PART IIL
they were sensible proceeded from the word of fhe Lord. So that
there assembled at Jerusalem much people, a very great congre
gation, to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month.
Bul because the false worship raust be done away, before the true
can be rightly and acceptably performed, the first thing they did, be.
ing thus raet together, vvas the taking away aU the idolatrous altars
that were in Jerusalem, and casting them into the brook Kidron.
Which done, and the priests and the Levites having sanctified them-
selves, they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second
month, observing the right day, though they could not for that time
observe the right month, and brought in the burnt-offerings into the
house of the Lord.
And because many in the congregation were not sanctified, for a
multitude of the people out of Ephraira, Manasseh, Issachar, and
Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, who yet were admi'lted to eat
the passover, though against the law, Levit. vii. 20, the Levites were
charged to kUl their passovcrsfor them, vvhich, had they been clean,
they themselves should have done, Levit. i. 6. And good king Hez
ekiah, knowing hovv much the inward preparation of the heart ex
ceeded the outward ceremonious cleansing, offered this aionuig pray.
er lo the Lord for them, saying.
« The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek
God, even the Lord God of his fathers, although he be nol cleansed
according to the purification of the sanctuary.' And. so acceptablo
to the Lord was this pious request, that he hearkened to Hezekiali,
and healed the people.
The rest of this great solemnity, tbe greatest that had been per
formed in Jerusalem since the tirae of king Solomon, the reader may
see in the reraainder of this chapter, 2 Chron. x.xx.
Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went
oul to the cities of Judah by king Hezekiah's coraraand, and brake
the images in pieces, and cast down the groves, and threw dovvn the
high places and the altars out of aft Judah and Benjamin, and out
of that part of Ephraira andManasseh also which was subject unto Ju-
dab, of which see 2 Chron. xiii. 19, untU they had destroyed thera aft.
Nor spared he the brazen serpent, which Moses had raade by the
coraraand of God, Numb. xxi. 8, 9. But because the children of
Israel had burnt incense to il, he brake it in pieces, and in contempt
caUed it Nehushlan, that is, a piece of mere brass.
Then, that he might make a thorough reformation, he regulated the
priests and Levites, wfth respect both to their courses of wailing, and
the respective services they were to perform in the house of tho Lord,
and about his worshij). And that they might he encouraged in their
attendance, according to the law of the Lord, he commanded the
people 10 give thera their portion ; which thereupon was brought in
so plentffully, tiiat they aU had enough to eat, and to spare', bo that

PART nl. SACRED HISTORY. 617
Store-houses were provided to lay up what was left, and stewards ap
pointed to take the charge and care of receiving and distributing it
Thus did Hezekiah throughout aU Judah, working that which was
good and right in truth before the Lord his God : for in every work
that he undertook, in the service of the house of God, he sought his
God, according lo the law and the comraandraents, and did it with all
his heart. And indeed he clave to the Lord, and departed not from
following hira, but kept his comraandraents, trusting in the God of
Israel ; so that after hira was none like biro araong aU the kings of
Judah, nor any ihat were before him, viz. since the division of the
kingdora. And the Lord, who is never short on his part, was wilh
hira, and prospered bim whithersoever he went.
In his father's time, who, for his own and his people's sins, was
brought low, the PhUistines had invaded the low country, and the
south of Judah, and had taken many cities wilh their villages from
Judah, vvhich they possessed themselves of, and dwelt in, 2 Chron.
xxviii. 18, these Hezekiah recovered frora thera, and gave the PhiUs
tines a full defeat.
His father ."Vhaz had also, through fear, subjected himself and the
kingdom to the king of Assyria, 2 King xvi. 7. This being uneasy
to Hezekiah, he refused to serve the Assyrian any longer, and for
bore lo pay him tribute. Whereupon, in the fourteenth year of king
Hezeki'dh, Sennacherib, then king of Assyria, entering with an array
into Judah, encamped against the fenced cities, and ihought to win
them, fc'o we readit in 2 Chron. x.xxu. 1. But in 2 Kingsxviii. 13-;
il is said expressly, that he came up against all the fenced cities of
Judah, and took them ; wfth which agrees the prophet Isaiah, chap.
xxxvi. 1. Y'el taking this latter to be spoken by a trope ofthe
whole for a part, 2 Kings xviii, 2 Chron. x.xxii, it raay be understood
that he, in the pride and haughtiness of his heart, Ihoughl to have
won them all; but being restrained, look only some of thera.
However, Hezekiah forseeing that, after he had taken the out-cities,
he would aira al Jerusalem, the royal seat of Judah, Ihought fit, whUo
he had tirae, to make it as strong as he could. Wherefore taking
counsel wfth his princes and chief officers, and setting many hands
to the work, ho caused aU the fountains of water, vvhich were with
out the city, to be stopped. And cutting off the brook, Gihon, vvhich
ran through the middle of the land, he brought it down to the west
side of the city of David ; that so he might both secure himself of a
sufficient supply of water, and straiten the enemy for want of il.
Then he repaired the waU that had been broken dovvn, supposed by
Joash king of Israel, in the time of Amaziah king of Judah, 2 Chron.
xxv. 23; and having raised it up to the towers, he strengthened it
with another wall without. He repaired also the fortress, called
Millo. in the city of David. And having made darts and shields in
abundance, he sel captains of war over the people, and causing thorn

518 SACKED HISTORY. PART HI-.
to be mustered before him, he spake comfortably to thera, bidding
them be strong and courageous, and be not afraid, nor dismayed,
because of the king of Assyria ; for, said he, there are more wilh us
than with him. With him, indeed, is an arm of flesh, but with us
is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our batties.
But although the people were somewhat heartened by these en
couraging words ; yet Hezekiah considering the strength of the As
syrian, and what he had done already, thought it safer for him to
submit, and thereby save his country from slaughter, spoil, and ra
pine, than to try it out by the sword.
Wherefore sending his arabassadorstothe Assyrian king, who then
lay with aU his forces before Lachish, a city, belonging to the tribe
of Judah, Josh. xv. 39, he by them acknowledged his offence, in-
treated him to withdraw his army, and promised to bear what penalty
he would lay upon him.
The Assyrian king theresupon appointed him to pay three hundred
talents of silver, and thirty talents of gtrid. The three hundred tal-
ents of silver, at three hundred seventy pounds each talent, came to
one hundred and twelve thousand and five hundred pounds : and tbe
thirty talents of gold, at four thousand five hundred pounds a piece,
carae to one hundred thirty and five thousand pounds; so that the
whole sum was two hundred forty and seven thousand and five hun
dred pound.s.
To pay this fine, Hezekiah took all the silver that was found in the
house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house. And
that not sufficing, he found it necessary to cut off the gold frora the
doors of the temple of the Lord, and frora the piUars which he had
overlaid with gdd ; for it seems when he opened the doors of the
temple, which bis father had shut, and restored the worship of God,
in the begining of his reign, he had overlaid the doors and piUars
with plates of gold. But when the Assyrian king had gotten the
-money, instead of rmising the siege, and withdrawing his forces, he
sent three of bis prime commanders. Tartan, Rabsaris, and Rab
shakeh from Lachish, with a great host against Jerusalem, wilh in
tent, as is supposed, lo place a garrison therein for the king of Assyria.
These coraing to Jerusalem, and demanding to speak with the
king, be sent forth to them three prime ministers of state, Eliakim
who was comptroUer, or over the household, with Shebna the sec
retary of state, and Joab the recorder. But when, by the coming
¦forth of these, the Assyrians perceived that entrance was denied
them; Rabshakeh, in the name of his master Sennacherib, spake
thus unlo them :
'Speak ye now (said he) lo Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king,
the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou Irustest?
Thou sayest, I have counsel and strength for the war ; bul they are
but vain words. On whora therefore dost thou rely, that thou re-

PART 111* SACRED HISTORY. 61^
bellest against me? Thou Irustest (it may be) upon the staff of this
broken reed, even Egypt, on which, if a man lean, il will go into his
hand and pierce it ; for such is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that
trust in him. But if ye shall say unto me. We trust in the Lord
our God (I answer. What reason have ye lo trust in him whom ye
have so openly done despiie unto 1 for) is nol that he, whose high
places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said
to Judah and Jerusalem, ye shall worship befote this (only) altar
in Jerusalem.
Then lo express the highest contempt of Hezekiah's strength, and
to deride his weakness, he added, ' Now therefore, I pray thee, give
hostages to ray lord the king of Assyria, and I wUl deliver thee two
thousand horses, if thou be but able on thy part to set riders on
thera. And if thou be not, bow then wilt thou be able to put lo flight
one captain of the least of ray master's servants 1 Bul besides, it is
in vain for you to rely upon the Lord ; for am I now come up without
the Lord against this place lo destroy il ? No, no ; the Lord said to
me, ' Go up against this land and destroy it.'
Rabshakeh, it seems, deUvered this message in the Jewish lan
guage ; and thai troubled Hezekiah's ministers, lest the Jews that
were within hearing upon the wall should be thereby discouraged.
Wherefore they desired Rabshakeh to .speak tO thera in the Syrian
language, which they told him they understood, and nol talk any
longer with them in the Jews' language, in the hearing of the people
that were on the wall.
Bul Rabshakeh, deriding their fear, thus replied to hira that raade
that request : ' Hath my master sent me lo speak these words lo thy
master and thee only 1 Hath be nol sent me to the men which sit
on the wall ; that they know before-hand what they must trust to if,
they stand out against my master, to wit : to eat their own dung and
drink their own urine ; that is, lo undergo the utmost extremities of a
close and long siege.'
Then raising his voice, and directing his speech to the people on
the wall, he cried in the Jews' language, ' Hear the word of the great
king, the king of Assyria.' Upon which th-o people giving attention,
he went on :
' Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you ; for he shalj
not be able to deliver you out of my hand. Neither let Hezekiah
make you trust in the Lord, saying. The Lord will surely deliver
us, and this oily shaU not be delivered into the hand of the king of
Assyria. ' Hearken not unto Hezekiah ; for thus saith the king of Assyria,
make an agreement with me, by a present, and come oul lo me, and
then eat ye every man of his own vine, and of his own fig-tree, until
I come, and take you away to a land like your own ; a land of corn and
wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil of oUve, and of hon-

620 SACEED HISTORY. PART III.
ey, that ye may live, and not die. And hearken not unto Hezekiah,
when he deceived you, saying, The Lord will deUver us. Hath any
of the gods of the iiatioiis delivered at all his land out of the hand of
the king of Assyria V Then recounting the places he had won, 2 Kings
xlx, Isaiah .xxxvii, be went on, asking, 'Where are the gods of Ha
math, and of Arphad l Where are the gods of Scpharvaim. Ilenah,
and Ivah '! Have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand? Which
of aU the gods of the countries hath delivered their country out of my
hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of ray hand .' '
Here Rabshakeh stopped, expecting probably that the people would
have expre.sfjed their minds; but the people held their peace, and
answered hii;n not; fbr the king's commandmeBt was, 'Answer him
not a word,'
Bul when Eliakim, wfth ihe otber two ofticers oame back to king
Hezekiah with their clc-thes rent, and lold him. tho words of Rabsha
keh, the good king, rending his clothes also, covered himself with
sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord, to beg help .ind de
liverance from him ; sending meanwhile Eliakim and Shebnab. with
the elders of the priests, covered also vvith sackcfoth, to Isaiah the
prophet, lo stir hira up to seek the Lord for thera.
These, coming to Isaiah, said, 'Thus saith Hezekiah, This is a
day of trouble, and of rebuke and bUispheray (to wit, in Rabshakeh's
conderaning the taking awiy the high places, &c,) For tho children
are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth (mean
ing, perhaps, to finish the reformation begun.) It may be tho Lord
thy God will hear ihe words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assy
ria his master hath sent to reproaoh the living God, and will reprove
them. Wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left,
since ten tribes of twelve are already carried away, and so many
cities novv taken in Judah.'
The good prophfet not dismaysd vvith the Assyrian threats, gave
them this short, but corafortiiig answer :
'Thus shall ye say to your master. Thus saith the Lord, be not
afraid of the words which thou li-ast heard, with vvhich the servant of
the king of Assyria hath blasphemed me. Behold, I vvill send a blast
(or spirit) upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shaU return lo
his own land.'
Meanwhile Rabshakeh, the Assyrian herald, having summoned
the city Jerusalem to yield, and received no answer, was returned, to
give the king his master an account of his undertaking, and found
him warring against Libnah. a city belonging to the priests. Josh. xxi.
13, and 1 Chron. vi. 67 ; vvhich in the reign of Jorara. son of Jehos
haphat king of Judah, had revolted from Judah. 2 Kings viii. 22, for
Rabshakeh had heard that Sennacherib had departed from Lachish.
At Libnah it was that Sennacherib heard the ruraour (which God
bythe prophet had said he should hear;) which was, That his own

PART III. • SACRED HISTORY. 621
country was invaded by Tirhakah, king of Ethiopia, who was corae
out lo fight against hiin. VV herefore resolving to return home with
all speed, to defend his own land (which ihe blast, or spirii. that God
sent upon hira, disposed him lo) he sent ir.e.--'sengers again unto king
Hezekiah, with a second summons, in these haughty terras :
' Let not thy God, in whom thou Irustest, deceive thee, by telUng
thoe Jerusalem shall not bc delivered into the hand of the kinjr of
Assyria. Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of A.^syria have
done unto aU lands, by destroying them utterly : and shalt thou be
delivered ? Have the gods of the nations delivered them vvhich my
fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Kezcph, und tha
children of Eden, vvhich were in Thelnzar? Where is the king of
Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Se-
pharvaira, of Heuah, and of Ivah?'
The former summons was delivered by word of raoiilh, but tiiis
was sent by a raessenger in a letter; which when king Hezekiah hud
received and read, he went up into the house of the Lord, and hav
ing spread it before the Lord, he poured fortii his supplication before
the Lord in these words :
«0 Lord God of Israel, who dwellest between the cherubims. Thou
art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth ; for
thou hast made both heaven and earth. Bow down, 0 Lord, thine
ear, and hear; open ihine eyes, O Lord, and see, and hear aU tho
words of Sennacherib, who huth sent to reproaoh the living God.
True it is, O Lord, that the kings of As.3yria have destroyed tho
nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire ; for they
wore no gods, but wood and stone, the work of men's hands; therefore
they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, 1 bo-
seech thee save thou us out of his hand, that aU the kingdoms of tho
earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.'
To this forvent prayer, the Lord vouchsafed to "return au ansvver,
by his prophet Isaiah, who sending to Hezekiah said :
'Thus suiih the- Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed
to rae again.st Sennacherib, king of Assyria, I have heard, and this is
the word vvhich the Lord hath spoken concerning hiin : The virgin,
the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn :
The daughter of Jerusalein hath shaken her head ai thee. Whom
hast thou reproached and bhspheined i and against whom hast thoa
exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes oo high 1 even against the
Holy One of Israel. Then rhetorically exaggerating his haughty
threats, he goes on : By thy me.ssengers thou hast reproached the
Lord, and hast said. With the multitude of my chariots I am corae
up lo the heighcof the mountains, lo the sides of Lebanon, and will
cut down the tall cedar trees thereof and the choice fir trees thereof,
and vvill enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest,
and his fruitful country. 1 have digged, and drank sirange waters.

622 SACRED HISTORY. PART IU.
and with the sole of my feet have I dried up aU the rivers of besieged
places. (Then, to take dovvn his pride, and let him see that he had
arrogated to himself what was due to the Lord, whose instrument
only he was, the prophet thus interrogates him:) Hast thou not
heard, that I have done it long ago, and that of ancient times I have
formed it? Now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldst be to
lay waste fenced cities into ruinous heaps. (And to shew that he
had not prevailed so much by his own strength, as by God's having
weakened them whom he subdued, the prophet adds;) 'therefore their
inhabitants were of smaU power, they were disraayed and confound
ed, they were as 'the grass of the fiold, and as the green herb, as the
grass on the house-top, and as corn that is blasted before it be grown
np. But I know thy abode, thy going out, and thy coraing in, and
thy rage against rae. Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult
is come up into mine ears ; therefore will I put iny hook in thy nose,
and my bridle in thy lips, and I wiU turn thee back by the way by
which thou caraest. Then giving Hezekiah a sign, to confirm the
certainty of his deliverance, the prophet concludes after this raanner:
Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He
shall not oome into this city, nor shoot an an'ow there, nor corae
before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it By the way that he
came shaU he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the
Lord ; for I wiU defend this city, to save It, for mine own sake, and
for the sake of my servant David.'
But the deliverance was quicker than the sign. For in that very
night, the angel of the Lord went fonh,* and sraote in tbe carap of
the A^.syrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand, amongst which
were aU the mighty raen -of valour, and the leaders and captains in
the camp cf the king of Assyria; so that in tho morning, behold they
were all dead corpses.
Thus this haughty king, with shame of ,face, returned into his own
country, and dwelt at Nineveh; whither divine vengeance followed
him. For not long after, as he was worshiping in' the house of Nis-
Toch his god, which some take lo be the figure of Noah's ark, odiers,
the image of an eagle, his two sons, Adraramelech and Sharezer,
smote him with the sv\-oi'd; and escaping into the land of Armenia,
made way for Esarhaddon, another of his sons, to ascend the
Assyrian throne.
The occasion of this regi-parricide, not touched in tho sacred text,
is in other story thus deUvered :
When Sennacherib was got horae, with tbe loss of so greal an army,
he deraandcd of some about him what reason might be, that the irre
sistible God of heaven so favoured the Jewish nation. To which he
was answered, that Abrahara, from whom they descended, by sacri •
•A. M. 3291

PART III. BACRED HISTORY. 623
'ficing'to him his only son, had purchased his protection to his progeny.
Whereupon the king replied, 'If that will win him, I will spare him
t,wo of my sons, lo gain hira lo my side.' Which when his sons
-Sharezer and Adraramelech heard, they resolved to prevent their own
deaths by his. . . . See Prideaux's introduction to reading his
tory, p. 164.
To these times may be rcfered those prophecies of Isaiah, whioh
are contained in chap, x, and in chap. xiv. 25, and xxx. 31, and
xxxi. 8, and that of the prophet Micah, chap. v. 6.
Thus th^ Lord saved Hezekiah, and the inhabitants of Jeriasalem,
from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria, 2 Chron. xxxU, and
•frora all others; and both guided and guarded thera on every side.
And so evident it was that this deliverance was wrought by the im
mediate hand of God, that many thereupon brought gifts uiito the
Lord at Jerusalera, and presents also to Iting Hezekiah ; so that he
was raagnified in the sight of aU nations frora henceforward. And in
deed he had exceeding much riches and honour, so that he made him
self treasures for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and all
manner of pleasant jewels; an armory also for warlike weapons, and
store houses to receive the increase of corn, wine, and oil, staUs also
for all manner of greater cattle, and ctftes, or folds, for flocks ; for he
had very great possessions of flocks and herds, God having given
him substance in abondance.
Bul in the midst of aU this aflluence of riches and honour, ii pleased
God to visit him with a mortal sickness, aud at the sarae lime to send
his prophet Isaiah to hira, to bid hira set his house in order, and
settie his affairs, for he should die.
When Hezekiah had received this sorrowful message, he turned
his face towards the wall, that outward objects might noil distract his
thoughts, and pouring forth bis soul in prayer to the Lord, he said,
-• Remember me, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked be
fore thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which
is good in thy sight.'
This short prayer, poured forth with plenty of tears, proved so
effectual with his gracious God, that before Isaiah, who, as soon as
he had delivered his message, departed, was gone out into the middle
court of the king's house, the word of the Lord came to him again,
sajdng, 'Turn again, and lell Hezekiah the captain of my people, 2
Kings XX, Isa. xxxviii, thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy
¦father, I have beared thy prayer. I have seen thy tears ; behold I will
heal thee, so that on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house
of the Lord. Nor only so, but I wiU add unto thy days fifteen years.
And I will deliver thee, and this city, out of the hand of the king of
Assyria (if he should hereafter atterapt any thing against thee, or it;)
and 1 wiU defend this city for mine own sake, and for the sak« of
my servant David.'

624 SACRED HISTORY. PART m.
This sudden return of the prophet, vvith n message so directly cot*-
trary lo the former, made Hezekiah take the boldness to ask the prophet
what the .sign should bc that the Lord would heal him, and that he
should go up unto the houso of the Lord on the third day. To which
the prophet answered, ihat the sign vvhich the Lord would give, lo
assure him that he would perforin wliat he had spoken, .should be at
his own choice, whether to have the shadow go ten degrees forward,
or as many backward, on the sun dial,
Hezekiah, thinking it less raarvcUous for the shadow to go down
ten degrees, chose to have the shadow return back ten degrees.
Whereupon the good prophet Isaiah crying to the Lord to give this
confirming sign to the sick king, he brouybt the sh'adow ten degrees
backward, by which it had gone dovvn on the sun dial,* vvhich king
Ahaz had caused to be made. And the prophet then ordering a lump
of figs to be laid on the king's sore, he recovered.
As soon as he was recovered, he coramitled to writing this merao-
rial of his aftliction and sorrow, and of his thankful ackn(»wledgraent
to ihe Lord for his recovery :
• I said, in tho culling off of my days. I shaU go to the gales of
the grave : 1 am deprived of the residue of my years. I said, I shall
not see the Lord, even the Lord in ihe land of the living: I shall
behold man no more, with the inhabitants of the world. Mine age
is departed, and is removed from me, as a shepard's tent: I have cut
off, Uke a weaver, my life. He will cut me off vvith pining sickness:
frora day even to night wilt thou make an end of me. Like a crane,
or a. swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove; raine eyes
failed with looking upward (which is the posture of suppliants.) O'
Lord, 1 ara- oppressad, case thou inc, ^hat sliafl I say ( He hath
both spoken unlo me, and himself hath done it. I shall go sofily all
my years, in the bitterness of my soul. O Lord, by these things
men live, and in aU these things is the life of my spirit : so wilt thou
recover rae, and raake me to live. Behold, fer peace I had great bit
terness ; but thou hast, in love to my soul, delivered it from the pit
of corruption ; for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. For
the grave cannot prai.se thee; dralh cannot celebrate thee; they
that go dovvn into the pit cannot hope for ihy truth. The living, the
Uving, he sh'cftl praise ihee; as I do ihis day : the father to the child
ren shall make known thy truth. The Lord was ready to save me;
therefore we vvill sing ray songs lo the stringed instruments, all the
days of our life, in tde house of the Lord.'
The fame of this great miracle, of the sun's oftcring his course,
2 Kinn-s XX, Isaiah xxxix, and g.oing backward, being spread far
abroid, carae to the ear of Merodach Baladan, the son of Baladon
king of Babylon ; who thereupon sent ambassadors vvith a present to
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PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 626
king Hezekiah, both to congratulate his recovery, for he had heard
that he had been sick, and to inquire more particularly about that
greal wonder. And now for a further trial, dial Hezekiah might see,
and be made yel more sensible of his own weakness, God left him
to act accordingto his own afl'ections. To that purpose we read, in
2 Chron. xxxii 31.
He, thus left to the conduct of his own discretion, ihought he could
not entertain the Babylonish ambassadors more honourably, or with
greater demonstration of hearty kindness and respect to their master,
than by shewing them the glory and strength of his house and king
dom. Wherefore leading them to the store houses of his most pre
cious things, he shewed them the silver, the gold, tiio jewels, the
spicery, and tho precious ointments ; his armory also, and all his
treasures ; there was nothing rem'irkable in his house, or in all his
dominion, that ho shewed ihem not.
When he had done thus, the prophet Isaiah came to hira, and
asked him whence those ambassadors carae, and what they came
about. And the king telling hira ihey carae frora Babylon: 'What,
said the prophet, have they seen in thy house? ' ' Truly all, replied
the king, that was to be seen in my house, they have seen ; for there
is nothing araong ray treasures that I have not shewed them.' Then
hear the word ofthe Lord,' .<:aid the prophet, 'Behold, the days
ehaU corae, that aU that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers
have Ipid up in store unlo this day, shall bc carried into Babylon ;
nothing thereof sh-j.ll be left, saith the Lord. And of thy sons which
thou shalt begot, shall they take away, and they shall be eunuchs in
the palace of the king of Babylon.'
The good king, vvho had erred through human weakness, not stub
born wilfulness, humbly bowing to the judgment, replied: 'Good is
the word ofthe Lord, vvhich thou hast spoken; especially seeing
there shall be peace and truth in my days.' This is that which is
hinted at, in, 2 Chron. xx.xii. 26, where we read, that Hezekiah
humbled himself for the pride of his heart, &c. Which shews he
had sorae ostentation or vain glory in shewing his treasures.
We now drawnearto his end, 2 Kings, xx, 2 Chron. xxxii. And
as he was. perhaps, the only raan in history that had a lease of his
life; so this business of his, too rauch openness lo the Babylonian
ambassadors, happening about tho begining of those fifteen years
which the Lord had granted hira, it is not lo be doubled but that he
did raany things in the reraaining part of ihat lerm, for the honourof
God, and the good of his people, more than ore recorded in tho
books which we have. But the unhappy loss of Ihal bonk of tha
Chronicles of the kings of Judah, lo vvhich we are here referred for a
further account of his acts, having deprived us of the meraoirs of iho
latter part of his life, we must close his story vvith this shcri account:
that he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city.

626 SACRED HISTORY. PART IH..
And that when the term assigned him was expired, he slept with his
fathers and was buried in the chiefest ofthe sepulchres ofthe sons of
David; and that aU Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalera did hinrL
honour at his death.
We read of two great ministers of state under this king Hezekiah,
EUakim and Shebna, Isaiah xxii, who were sent forth to receive the
king of Assyria's message by Rabshakeh, and afterwards to consult
the prophet Isaiah about it, 2 Kings xviu. 17, 18, and chap. xix. 2.
The former of these was doubtle.ss a very good man, but the latter
was stark naught. So thatthe prophet Isaiah wassent bythe Lord
not only to reprove him, but to denounce sore judgraents against him.
Tbe prophet, therefore, in the name of the Lord, lold him, that he
would not only throw hira out of his offices, the places of honour and
profit he had got, and place Eliakim in thera-; bul he would carry
him away also. into- captivity, and would violently turn and toss him,
Uke a bull, into a large country, where he should die. And he
would give his offices to EUakim, whom he, it seems, had supplanted,
and had gotten from him the ofiice of treasurer, and' would raake
Eliakim a father lo the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of
Judah. Unlike to Hezekiah was his son and successor Manasseh ; who
at twelve years old carae lolhe crown,* 2 Kings xxi, 2 Chron. xxxiii,
and reigned, first and last, five and fifty years in Jerusalera. For he
did that which was evU in the sight of the Lord, like unto the abora
inations of the heathen, whora the Lord had cast out before the chil
dren of Israel. He built again the high places, which, his father
Hezekiah had broken down ; and he reared up altars for Baalim, and
made groves, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all
the host of heaven, and s'erved them ; and built altars, not only in the
two courts ofthe house ofthe Lord, butin the house ofthe Lord also.
And he set a carved image, an idol of his own making, in the
house of God. He also caused his children to pass through the fire,
in the valley of the son of Hinnom. And he observed times, and
used enchantments, and practised witchcraft, and dealt with famiUar
spirits, and with wizards. And besides all this, he shed innocent
blood in such abundance, that he is said to have filled Jerusalem
iherewfth, from one end lo the other. '
Among the rest that helped to raake up that purple streara, il is
raore than probable the innocent blood of that right noble and truly
evangelical prophet Isaiah was spilt. For though the holy text gives
no account of his death, yet ecclesiastical writers deliver, Ihat under
this king Manasseh, he was in his extreme age, after he had lived
more than an hundred years, and prophesied raore than sixty of thera,
most barbarously martyred by being sawed in two. To which, not
»A, M. 3310.

PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 527
iraprobably, the author lo the Hebrews might refer, when he said,
« They were sawed assunder; ' Heb. xi. 37.
So far did this Manasseh, by these, horrible impieties provoke th©
Lord to anger, that the Lord sent his prophet to him with this mes
sage: 'Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abomina
tions, and hath done wickedly, above all that the Amorites did which
were before bim, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols,
therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I am about to bring such
calaraities upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever shaft hear of
it, both his ears shall tingle. For I wiU stretch over Jerusalera the
line of Samaria (that is, deliver her up to captivity, as 1 did Samaria)
and the plummet of the house of Ahab (which was a total destruc
tion.) And I wiU wipe Jerusalem, as a man wipeth a dish, turning
il upside down. And I wiU forsake the remnant of mine inheritance,
aud deliver them into the hand of their enemies ; and they shaU be
come a prey and a spoil to all their enemies.'
These dreadful denunciations of judgment not working the desired-
effect, because both king and people turned the deaf car, the Lord let
loose the Assyrian upon them ; nay, it is said, he brought upon thera
the captains of the host of Assyria; and they taking Manasseh
araong the thorns, where, poor guilty raan, he thought to hide him
self, bound hira with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
Being now in Babylon, a captive, and in fetters, he had time to
consider what he had done, and whom he had so audaciously sinned
against. And now, bpwed by afftiction, he besought the Lord his
God; and humbUng himself greatly before the God of his fathers, he
prayed unto him. .And the Lord was intreated of hira, and brought
hira again to Jerusalem., and restored hira to his kingdom ; and then
Manasseh acknowledged that the Lord was God.
He who desires to read the prayer of Manasseh, which he made
when he was bound in Babylon, 2 Kings xxi, 2 Chron. xxxiii, raay
find that which bears his narae in the Apocrypha, between the story
of Bel and the Dragcm, and the first book of the Macabees. But in
that which is caUed the Bishop's Bible, it is placed ( I know nol why)
between the second book of Chronicles, and the book of Ezra.
To raanifest the sincerity of his repentance by deeds, as well as
by words, Manasseh, after his return frora his Babylonish captivity,
took away the strange gods, and the idol out ofthe house ofthe Lord,
together with aUthe altars which he had built in the mount ofthe house
of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. And
then repairing the altar of the Lord, sacrificed thereon burnt-offer
ings, and thank-ofi'erings, and comraanded Judah to serve the Lord
God of Israel. Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high
places, yet unto the Lord their God only; so that they did nol now
sacrifice directly to idols, but to God in the idols' places.
And as he made this reformation in reUgion, so for the greater

628 SACEED HtSTOEV. PART IU.
security of his kingdom, he not only put captains of war in all the
fenced cities of Judah, bul built a wall, or perhaps carried on rather,
and finished, or repaii'ed, that out-wall which his father Hezekiah had
begun, 2 Chron. x.\xii, 5, witiiout the city of David, on the west side
of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish-gate; and
compassed the lower, called Ophel, about, having raised il up lo a
very great height.
But having fallen so foully as he had done, though he was restored
in a good drgieo, yet I observe, that when he died, ho was nol buried
(as his father was. and as the good kings were) in the royal sepul
chres; bul he was buried in the garden of his own house, caUed tho
garden of Uzzah.
His son Anion, who succeeded hira, had great advantages over his
father Manasseh, to have done well. For though Manasseh sprang
frorn an excellent father, whose example was enough to instruct a
son, yet he being but a child when bis father died (of but twelve
years of age when he carae to the crown) was the more liable to be
corrupted, and misled. Whereas Araon was two and twenty years
old when he began to reign, and had his father's misery for a warn
ing to him. The iron fetters, vvhich his father wore in Babylon,
might have detered him. one would think, from running that course
which had brought his faiher lo them, bul they did not. For he did
evil in the sight of the Lord, as bis father Manasseh had done; and
forsaking the Lord God of his fathers, he walked not in the way of
the Lord, but following his father's steps, seniv.ed the idols that his
father served, and worshipped them, sacrificing unto aU the carved
iraages vvhich his father had made. Thus he foUowed the worst part
of his father's Ufe, but nol the best ; for he did not humble himself
before the Lord, as Manasseh his father had hurabled himself; but he
trespassed raore and more. Wherefore the Lord suffered his ser
vants to conspire against hira, and ihey .slew hira in his own house,
after he had reigned two years.
His death, as bad as he vvas. was revenged upon his raurderers.
For the people of the land slew aU them that had conspired against
him, and then took his son Josiah, a chUd of eight years old, and
made him king in his father's stead.
This was that king, who was prophesied of by name above three
hundred years before he was born, 1 Kings, xiii. 2. Hira therefore
the Lord having especial regard unto, so seasoned vvith divine graces
in his childhood, that while ho was yel young, he began lo seek
after the God of David his faiher, and did that which vvas right in
the sight of the Lord, walking in all the good ways of David,* 2
King xxii, 2 Chron, x.x.xiv, without decUning to tiie right hand or to
the left. A. M. 336''.

PART III, ^SACRED HISTORY. 529
In the twelfih year of his reign, which was the twentieth of his
age, he began the reformation in Judah, commanding HUkiah the
high priesl, with others of the priests and door-keepers, to bring forth
out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that tjad been made
for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven ; which
he burnt without Jerusalem, in the fields of Kidron, and carried the
ashes of them unto Bethel (a city in the tribe of Benjamin, which up
on the di'rision of the kingdora belonged lo Israel, but was after
wards taken from Jeroboara the second, by Abijah king of Judah, 2
Chron. xiii. 19.) And because that had been a chief place of idola
try, where Jeroboam the son of Nebal had set up one of bis calf
idols, Josiah sent the ashes of these idolatrous things thiiher, to ex
press his contempt of that place.
The idolatrous priests, which the kings of Judah had ordained to
burn incense in the high places, in the cities of Judah, and in the
parts round about Jerusalem, he put down; with them also that burnt
incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, to the planets, and
aU the host of heaven. Which priests, TremeUius and Junius called
Ariatos, black coats, because they were qullisvestibus indutos, ex su-
perstitioso ritu; that is, cloathed with black garraents, oul of a su-
perstitious rile. Annot. on 2 Kings xxiii. 5. The Bishop's Bible
calls them Chemarims, both here, and in Hosea x. 5, and in the mar-
ginal note gives this as the reason of their being so called, that they
did wear black apparel.
The good king going on with his reformation, not only brought
forth the grove (vvhich some take to be an idol, having the resem
blance of a grove carved upon il) from the house of the Lord, unto
the brook Kidron, without Jerusalem ; and burning it there, stamped
it lo small powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of
thera that had sacrificed thereunto ; bul brake dovvn also the houses
of the Sodomites, that were by the house of the Lord, where the
woraen wove hangings for the grove.
He look away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the
sun, and burned the chariols of the sun with fire.
The altars also, that were on the lop of the upper chamber of
Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made for the worship of the
host of heaven, described by the prophets Jeremiah, chap. xix. 13,
and Zephaniah, chap. i. 9, and the altars which Manasseh had made
in the two courts ofthe house of the Lord, did the king beal down;
and breaking thera into pieces, cast the dust of them into the brook
Kidron. The high places, which were before Jerusalem, on the right band
of that noted mount, which, from the fruit it bore, was usually called
the mount of olives; but from ihe many filthy idols that were set up
in it, is here, in contempt, called the mount of corruption, whitah high
VOL. J. — 34

S30 SACRED HISTORY., PART III.,
places king Sbtemon had long before buift for Ashteroth, the abomi
nation of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh, the abomination of the
Moabites, and for Milcora, the abomination of the Ammonites, these
did the king defUe. And breaking in pieces the iraages of all sorts,
and cutting down the groves, he filled their places wfth the bones' of
¦men. Tophelh also, which is in the vaUey of the children of men.
•Hinnom he defiled, that no raan might thenceforth make his son or
daughter to pass through the fire to Moloch. AU which particulars are
here enumerated, that the reader may see to what an height of impiety
'God's own pecuUar people, 2 Kings, xxiu, 2; Chron. xxxiv, the off
spring of faithful Abraham, of humble Isaac, and of plain Jacob,
•were then arrived.
When thus the zealous king had cleansed Jerusalera, he went forth
to the cities of Judah, and of Manasseh, Epbiairo, and Simeon, even
unto Naphtali ; and, haring brought all the idolatrous priests out of
the cities of Judah, he defiled the high places where the priests had
burnt incense, and brake them down, both public and private, from
one side of Judah to the other.
But when he was come to Beihel, wbere Nebat's son had set up
his golden caff, be- brake down both the altar and the high place, and
stamped them to powder, and burned the grove. And as be turned
himself about, espying the sepulchres that were there in the raount,
he sent and took the bones out of them, and burning them upon the
altar, polluted it, according to the word of the Lord, which the man
of God had proclauned eigainst it more than three hundred years
^before. Then observing an inscription upon a tomb, he asked, ' What titie
is that which I see V And the men of the city telUng him it was the
sepulchre of the man of God wha came from Judah, and proclauned
-against the aftar of Bethel the things which he had now done lo il :
' O let him alone, said the king : Let no man move his bones.' So
they let his bones, rest, with the bones of the old prophet, that had
misled hira to destruction (and who was buried in the same grave
with him, 1 Kings xju., 31) who is here said lo have come oul of Sa
raaria, 2 Kings xxiii. 18, bul there, tohave dweftin Beihel, 1 Kings
xiu. 11.
Nor did Josiah thus al Bethel only ; bul in aU the cities of Sama
ria (that is, of Israel, whereof Samaria, was the chief ) which were
then subject to the kings of Judah, he took away aU the houses ofthe
high places, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the
Lord to anger, and did to them as he had done al Bethel.
As for the priests, those of them that were of the Levitical order,
and had defiled themselves with the idols he removed from their sac-
.erdotal function ; nol admitting thera to corae to minister at the altar
of tho 'Lord at Jerusalem, yet permitting the.m to eat of the un
leavened bread araong their brethren,

P-ART III., SACRED HISTORY. 531
But as for the. other priests who were priests of the high places
(such as they whom Jeroboam, and other idolatrous kings of Israel
and Judah, had made and set up) he sacrificed Ihem on their altars,
and burnt their bones upon them..
But though the king himself was thus zealously affected for earry-
mg on the work of reformation, yet the generality of the people seem
lo have come but unwillingly to it. So that be was fain to use his
kingly authority, to restrain them from idolatry
And the prophet Jeremiah, who entered upon his prophetic fune-
tion much about this time, viz, in tbe thirteenth year of this king^^
Jer. i. 2, complained much of them, inhisii, iu, andivlh chapters.
The king's next care was, foE repairing the temple. Wherefore
being returned from his. visitation progress, to Jerusalem, in the eigh
teenth year of his reign, he sent his chanceUor Shaphan, wilh Maa-
siah the governor of the city, and Joaz the recordeuj to HUkiah the-
high priest, with order to cast up the money that had been brought
into the house of the Lord by the offerings ofthe people, and to deliver-
it lo the surveyoraof the work, that they might pay it lo the work
men, for materials and, workmanship, ia, repairing the breaches of
the house of the- Lprd.
While they were fooking up the money, Hilkiah found the book
of the law given by Moses (supposed by some lo, be the very auto
graph, 2 Kings xxiii, 2 Chron. xvui, or first draught, written by
Moses' own hand) which he gave lo Shaphan, to deliver lo the king.
How long this book had lain hid, is uncertain. The last mention
I find of il, was in Jehoshaphat's time, more than two hundred years^
before ; but the finding it now was of great serwice. For when Sha
phan brought it lo the king, and read it befor-ehim, the king observing
what judgments were therein threatened to aU them that should break,
the laws therein contaftied, and. considering how short), his ancestors
and his people had been of keeping them, comraanded Hilkiah the
priest, with divers of the king's principal- servants, ^togo and inquire
of the Lord for him, and for thera that were left in Israel, and Judah,
concerning the words of that book: fearing the wrath of God would
be poured out upon them, because their fathers had nol kept the word
of the Lord, to do after air that was written in that book.
Hilkiah thereupon, and the rest whora the king had appointed to
go with him, went to- Huldah the prophetess, the wife of ShaUura,,
keeper of the wardrobe, who dwelt in the college in Jerusalera..
"This aflEbrds an observation not unfit lo be considered, namely,.
That these great ministers, and the high priest himself, should choose
lo go, on so solemn an occasion, and on so important a business, and
that loo from the king, lo learn the raind of the Lord from a woman,
a prophetess : when, besides what other prophets there might then be,
for Zephaniah prophesied in the days of this king, Zephan. i. 1 ,
and there are prophets mentioned, with the priests and the people.

532 SACRED HISTOEY. PART III
when the book of the covenant was read, 2 Kings xxui. 2, that
eminent priest and prophet Jeremiah, who by this time had been ex
ercised in the prophetic office between four and five years, living but
at Anathoth, about three miles from Jerusalem, must .needs be well
known, and conversant there. Yet so it was, that lo a woman they
went to inquire of the Lord for both king and people.
And having iraparted their business to her, they received frora her
this answer :
' Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent
you to rae (lo wil, the king of Judah) Thus saith the Lord, Behold,
I wiU bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof ;
even all the curses which they have read in the book before the king
of Judah. Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense
unto other gods, that they might provoke rae to anger by all the works
of their hands ; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this
place, and shall not be quenched.
' But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord,
so shall ye say unto him : Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, con
cerning the words which thou hast read, 2 Chron. xxxiv, because
thy heart was lender, and thou didst humble thyself before God,
when thou heardsl his words against this place, and against the in
habftants thereof; and in token of thy humbling thyself, didst rend
thy clothes, and weep before me ; I have even heard Ihee also, saith
the Lord : Behold, I wiU gather thee lo thy fathers, and thou shalt
be gathered to thy grave in peace; neither shall thine eyes see all the
evU that I wiU bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof.'
When they had reported this answer to the king, he, having sent
and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalera, went
up into the house of the Lord, and the raen of Judah, and the inhab
itants of Jerusalera wilh him ; the priests also, and prophets, and all
the people, both small and great : and there the king read, in their
hearing, aU the words of the book of the covenant, which was found
in the house of the Lord, 2 Kings xxiii, 2 Chron. xxxv. Which
done, the king, standing in his place at a pillar, made a covenant be
fore the Lord, lo walk after tlie Lord, and lo keep his comraandraents,
his testiraonies, and his statutes, with all his heart and with all his soul,
to perform the words of the covenant, which were written in that
book; and he engaged aU the people also, that were present, to stand
to that covenant.
The same year, being the eighteenth of his reign, king Josiah kept
the passover unto the Lord in Jerusalem ; the particular acconnt
and description whereof tho inquistive reader may find in 2 Chron.
xxxv, from ver. 1 to 18. Where this general account is given of
it. That neither did all, or any, of the kings of Israel, or of Judah,
keep such a passover as this which Josiah kept ; nor was any pass-
over like to that kept in Israel, frora the days of Samuel the prophet

PART III". SACRED HISTOEY. 633
From this eighteenth year of his reign, to the one and thirtieth,
which was his last, I find no particular account of his acts, unless
sorae parts of the reformation which he wrought should be referred to
this latter time of his age, after he had received the book of tbe law.
For in 2 Kings xxiii. 24, his putting down the workers wfth familiar
spirits, and the wizards, the teraphim, and the idols, &c. is said to be
done, that he might perforra the words of the law, written in the book
which Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord. But prob
ably rauch of that time might be spent in repairing and adorning the
temple. For immediately after the account of this famous passover,
it foUows in the text, 2 Chron. xxxv. 20, ' After all this, when Josiah
had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up,'- &c.
This coming up of the Egyptian king was to fight against Charche-
mish, a place then belonging lo the king of Assyria, not far from the
river Euphrates. And Josiah, probably al first not understanding
his intent in this expedition, but suspecting he had a design upon hira,
went forth against hira. Bul when Pharaoh-Necho understood that
Josiah had taken the field, he sent ambassadors to him, who in his
name should say to him, ' What have I lo do wilh thee, thou king of
Judah, I come nol against thee this day, but against the house of As
syria (2 Kings xxiii. 29) wherewith I have war; for God commanded
me to raake haste ? Forbear therefore lo resist God, who is with rae,
lest he destroy thee.'
The annotators on the Bible tells us, in their marginal note on 2
Kings xxiii. 29, that Pharaoh being to pass with his array through
king Josiah's counlry, he feared he would have done hira harra, and
therefore would have stayed hira. It seeras he was not wiUing to
trust the Egyptian king with an array in his country.
However it was, Josiah having advanced his army so far, would
not turn his back upon him, nor take his word; which, it seems,
though he did not then know so much, came frora the Lord. But
disguising himself, that be might not be made the common mark, be
went down lo fight wilh him in the vaUey of Megiddo, which belong
ed to Manasseh. But notwithstanding his disguise, the Egyptian
archers found hira out, and gave hira a raorlal shot. Whereupon the
king said lo his servants, ' Have me away, for I am sore wounded.'
His servants thereupon shifting him from that chariot into the next,
brought him lo Jerusalem ; and he died, and was buried in one of
the sepulchres of his fathers ; and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned
for him.
But none did more lament the untimely loss of this good king, than
that good man the prophet Jeremiah; who thereupon, though some
time after, and probably al several times, composed that threnody, or
mournful song, which bears the titie of The Lamentations of Jeremiah.
Therein he sels fortii the manifold transgressions which his people
had run into, and mournfully bewails their deplorable condition, from

fi34 SACR'ED HISTORY. PART HI-.
the extreme miseries which he foresaw v/ould come, and afterwards
saw did come, upon them aftet the death of -Josiah.
So great was the love that the people of Judah bare to this king,
that the singing-men and singing-women, upon raournfal occasions,
in afler limes, were injoined lo commemorate, in their lamentations,
the untimely death of this exo&Uenl king
And so great was the sorrow they expressed for his death, that
the prophet Zecbariah above an hundred years after remerabered it ;
and compared the mourning which he then prophesied should in after
limes be in Jerusalera, to the mourning of Hadadrimraon, the place
where Josiah received his mortal wound, in the valley of Megiddo,
Zech. xu. 11
Nor was the love of the people ill-placed mi so exoeUent a king;
for, besides the particular instances before reteed of his piety and
virtues-, this general eulogy is given of bim, ' That like unto him
there was no king before him, that tumed to the Lord wilh all his
heart, and with all his soul, and with aU his might, according to all
the law of Moses ; neither after him arose there any Uke hira : ' un
happy, perhaps, in this only, that by this unadvised and wilful act of
his, in going to fight with the king of Egypt without cause, he both
shortened his own life, and deprived himself of the benefit of that
part of the divine promise, that he should be gathered to his grave
in peace, 2 Chron. xxxiv. 28-.
Btft although this king had been so eminently good, and had done
so much for tbe ted.a,kairxg of his people, and appeasing the anger
of the Lord ; yet the Lord tamed not from tbe fierceness of his great
Wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of
all the provocation which Manasseh had given hira : bul the Lord
said, I will remove Judah out of my sight, as I have removed Israel,
who was gone into fcaptivity already ; and I will cast off this city of
Jerusalera, which I have«hosen, and the house of which I said, « My
name shall be there.'
Hence it is, that the prophets of that tirae complained so grievously
¦of the people, and denounced the judgments of the Lord against
them, even to the destruction of their city, and their own captivity ;
as did Jeremiah in the iv, v, vi, xiv, xv, xvi, xix, and xxfh chapters
of his prophecy, and the prophet Zephaniah in his : with whora may
be joined the prophet Habakuk ; * who is thought to have lived in the
latter part of Josiah's reign, or under his son's, a Utile before the
captivity by the Chaldeans, which he foretold, Hab. i, from ver.
6 to 12.
When Josiah was dead, the people took Jehoahaz, his fourth son,
caUed ShaUura, 1 Chton. in. 16, and anointing him, raade hira king
in his father's stead. He was three and twenty years old when he
•A. M. 3398.

!fART 111. SACRED filSTORV. 63fi
began his reign, which was very short, yet long enough to shew his
propensity to evft. For though he reigned but three months, yet in
that time he did that which was evil in the sight ofthe Lord, accord
ing as his wicked ancestors had done.
At the three months' end, Pharaoh-Necho, king of Egypt, though
he came not forth with any design against Judah, yet being set upon
by King, Josiah, and prevaUing, improved his victory at Megiddo so
far as to make the crown of Judah iributaty to Bigypt. Wherefore
deposing Jehoahaz he sel up EUakim, another rf Josiah's sons, to
be king in his room, changing his name to Jehoiakim ; and laid an
easy tribute on the land, of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent
of gold ; but forty and two thousand pounds in aU : which money
Jehoiakim raised by a general lax upon tbe land, rating every man
towards -it according to his abiUly. And this taxation, it is probable,
the prophet Jeremiah had respect to, when in his moumfril complaint
he said of Jerusalera, ' She that was great araor^ the nations, and
jjrincess among the provinces, how is she become tributary ! ' Lam-
¦ent. i 1.
As for Jehoahaz himsdf, Pharaoh-Necho, when 'he dethroned him,
fost put him in bonds at Riblah, a city of Syria, where he left him
in safe custody, whilst he pursued his expedition against the Assy
rian ; and afterwards at his return, took him with him to Egypt,
¦where he died, as the prophet Jereraiah had foretold he should, Jer.
xxu. 10, 11, 12. There he bids the king and people of Judah not
weep for the dead, by which he is supposed to mean king Josiah,
jieither lament him, for hb own sake, but weep sore for him that go
eth away, for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.
* For, said he, thus saith the Lord concerning ShaBura (which was
the right name of Jehoahaz) the son of Josiah king of Jndab, who
reigned uistead of Josiah his father, and *ho went forth out of this
.place, he shall not return hfther any more.'
About this time it may be supposed the prophet Nahum lived, and
prophesied : yet there is, I know, diversity of opinions concerning
his tirae. The Jews plaoe him in the tirae of Manasseh. The annota
tors on the Bishop's Bible set him before Manasseh, and about the
time of Hezekiah. Jerom also places him itinder Hezekiah, about
the time that Senacherib besieged Jerusalem, after the len tribes were
gone into captivity. But Tremellius and Junius refer him to the lat
ter part of Josiah's reign. Which seems the raore likely, as being
nearer to the destruction of Nineveh and the Assyrian monarchy,
which Nabum's prophecy did more particularly relate to. Neitiier
did this prophet only prophesy against Nineveh ; bul the prophet Zep
haniah also, who began to prophesy in the days of Josiah king of
Judah, Zeph. i. 1, prophesied directly against Assyria in general,
and of the desolation of Nineveh in particular, chap, ii, ver, 13, &c.

-BSG SACEED HISTORY. PART IH.
But the Assyrian rod, as it is called, Isa. x. 5, had not yet done aU
its work.
Jehoiakim, who received both name and kingdora frora Pharaoh-
Necho king of Egypt,* being five and twenty years old when he
began to reign, is said to have reigned in Jerusalem eleven years, if
there he not a mistake in the account. But not taking warning by
his brother's punishment, he also did evil in the sight of the Lord, as
his brother had done; and so much the worse, by how much the
longer. In the begining of the reign of this king, the Lord commanded his
prophet Jeremiah lo stand in the court of the Lord's house, and de
liver his message lo all the people of Judah that carae to worship
there. Which message was to exhort them lo repent and amend
their ways, that he raight nol bring on them the evil he had purposed.
And to assure them, that if they did not hearken to his admonition,
amend their lives, and walk in his law, then would he make that
house like Shiloh, which, though the ark of the Lord had abode
there more than three hundred years, he had given up to an utter
destruction, and would make tiiat city, Jerusalem, a curse, or pattern
for cursing, to aU the nations of the earth.
This message so enraged the priests and false prophets, of which
there were more than a good many, that setting the people on, they
seized on Jeremiah, 2 Kings xxiii, and told him that for his thus
prophesying destruction to the temple and desolation to the city, he
should surely die. And all the people were gathered against him in
the house of the Lord.
But when the princes of Judah had notice given tiiem of this tu
mult, they came np from the king's house unto the house of the Lord,
and sal down in the entry of the new gate of the Lord's house lo
hear the cause. And then the priests and the false prophets, who
wero his accusers, exhibited their charge against him untothe princes
and to aU the people, saying, 'This man is worthy to die; for he
hath prophesied against this city, as ye (said ihey, appealing to the
people) have heard with your ears.'
The prophet, having heard their charge, did not deny the fact,
but defended il, saying unto the princes, and to all the people present,
« The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house, and against this
city, all the words that ye have heard. Therefore novv amend your
ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God,
and the Lord wiU repent him of the evil he hath pronounced against
you. As for me (added he) behold, I ara in your hand, lo do with
me as seemeth good to you. But know ye for certain, that if you
put me to death, ye shaU surely bring innocent blood, Jer. xxvi,
(that is, the guUt of shedding innocent blood) upon yourselves, and
*A. M. 3398

PART m. SACRED msTORY. 637
upon this city and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth, the
Lord hath sent me unto you, lo speak all these words in your ears.'
When the princes had heard Jeremiah's defence, they and all the
people, whom the priests had before misled and drawn in to join
with them against the good prophet, gave judgraent on Jeremiah's
side; and said lo the priests, and to the false prophets, 'This man is
nol worthy to die ; for he hath spoken to us in ihe name of the Lord
our God.'
And lo confirm this their judgment by precedent, certain of th©
elders of the land rose up, and thus spake to the assembly :
'Micah, the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah, king of
Judah, and spalte lo aU the people of Judah, saying. Thus saith the
Lord of hosts, Zion shall be ploughed like a field, and Jerusalem
shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high pla
ces of the forest, Mic. iu. 12. Did Hezekiah, and aU Judah, put him
to death ? Nay, did not the king fear the Lord, and besought the
Lord, and the Lord repented him of the evil which he had pro
nounced against them ? W herefore, if we should answer your bloody
minds therein, we might procure great evil against our souls.'
It seeras as ff the priests and false prophets, to balance this prece
dent of the prophet Micah, did urge another and fresher precedent,
of one, that for prophesying, as Jeremiah had done, against that city
and land, had been lately put to death, even under this present king;
for thus il follows in the text : ' And there was also a man that proph
esied in the name of the Lord, Urijah the son of Shemaiab of Kir-
'jalh-jearira. He prophesied against this city, and against this land,
according lo aU the words of Jereraiah. And when Jehoiakim tho
king, with all bis mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words,
the king sought to pul him to death ; which he hearing of, and being
afraid, fled into Egypt. But Jehoiakim the king sent raen into Egypt
after hira ; and they, fetching him from thence, brought him lo the
king, who caused hira lo be slain with the sword, and his dead body
to be cast into the graves of the common people.'
This was a fresh instance, and in point of fact it was an apt pre
cedent against Jeremiah. So that it might, in all likelihood, have
gone hard alibis time with the good prophet, had not the Lord raised
hira up a true and powerful friend in the court; which vvas Ahikam.
For thus it foUows : ' Nevertheless, the hand of Ahikam, the son of
Shaphan, was with Jeremiah, that they should not deUver him into the
hand of the people, to be put to death.' Now Shaphan, we raay re
meraber, was chancellor to king Josiah, and Ahikam was one of his
principal councellors, whom he sent with the high priesl and others
to inqiiire of the Lord by the prophetess Huldah, 2 Chron. xxxiv.
20, 21.
The prophecies of tbis book, as weU as divers of the other proph
ets, are much misplaced wfth respect to the order of time wherein

-538 SACRED HISTORY. PART HI-.
they wete given forth ; which is supposed to have happened through
the negUgence of the priests in those times. Who had the charge of
registering and keeping them.
For the manner was, when any of tiie prophets had wriiten any
thing by way of prophesy, he caused it to be affixed lo the gate ofthe
teraple, where it remained for certain days, that aU might read and
take notice of it. And after it had stood there tbe appointed time,
the priests took it into the teraple to record it in a book; but, for want
of diligence and due care to enter them in course, as they were wriiten,
they left them in that disorderiy manner in which we have them.
But besides that, it must be considered that divers of the prophets,
more especiaUy Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, wrote in very trouble
some times ; Ezekiel and Daniel in thecaplhdty, and in Babylon ; and
Jeremiah, when aU things, both in ohuroh and state, were in very
,great disorder, and the first copy of bis book was destroyed by king
Jehoiakim, Jer. xxxvi. 23. So that rt is not to be wondered at, that
they are so misplaced as they are, but rather to be thankfully admired
that we have them at all
The account of times also, and computation of years, wherein
•some chief actions mentioned by the prophets were performed, are
BO differently dehvered, that it is hard, if possible, to reduce them to
a certainty. But that not being the chief end of my present Biider-
^aking, I shall be the less regardful of it
We observed before, that Jehoiakim was made king by Pharaoh-
Necho king'of Egypt, under tribute, 2 Kings xxiii. 34. Soon after
¦which, Assyria prevailing against Egypt, 2 Kings xxiv. 7, whether
Jehoiakim took occasion from thence to withhold his tribute and deny
subjection to the Assyrian ; or whether oifly God brought il on him
for his eril courses ; Nebuchadnezzar king -of Babylon (the seat, or
schief city of the Assyrianmonarchy, afier the destruction of Nitieveb)
came up against him ; and besieging Jerusalem, took both it and him,
and carried bim, with part of fhe vessels of the house of God, to
Babylon. Where, after he had been feept a whUe, he is supposed to
have been sent back to Jerusalem by the king of Babylon, upon his
¦submission and promise of fidelity for the future, and continued a
tributary king to Nebuchadnezzar, £ts he had been before to Pharaoh-
Necho. This expressly I do not find in the Holy Scripture, yel there are
some passages in it that glance thait way ; and as it is the comraon
opinion, so it may somewhat help to make out the time of his reign,
and give more room for the prophecies that belong to It.
At this tirae also, and with bira it is thought, and very probably,
that tbe prophet Daniel, with his three companions, Hananiah, Mi-
shael, and Azariah, were carried, to Babylon. ,For Daniel himseff
deUvers, that at that time when Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiakim and
the vessel of the Lord's house, he spake unto Ashpenaz, the master

TART m. -sacRed History. 63'9
¦of the eunuchs, thsft he should bring with him to Babyfcn some of
the children of Israel, of the seed of the king and of the princes, such
as were well-favoured and without blemish, of good parts and weU
¦educated ; that, being instructed in the language and learning of tije
Ohaldeans, they might be fit to serve the king in his palace : and that
the eunuch thereupon made choice of these four, Dan. -i. -3, 4, 6 ;
where, leaving thera for a whUe amoag the Chaldeans, -to be trained
up for future servioe, let us go on and see how it fared in the mean
time with the prophet Jeremiah.
He, being freed by the raeans of good Ahikam, for this time from
the danger he was in by bis enemies, the priests, went on more boldly
•in the work of the Lord. And in the fourth year of king Jehoiakim,
•he delivered again a raessage from tbe Lord to the people 'of Judah
and Jerusalem; in which, after he had, in an expostulatory reproof,
Teminded thera of the many warnings and admonitions that from time
to time had been given them, and of their 'obstinate disobedience ; he
told them, in the name of the Lord, ' That because they had not
hearkened to his words, the Lord would bring Nebuchadnezzar his
servant (then lately settled on the Assyrian throne) with all the north-
-ern nations that were under him, against the land of J'udah and, city
¦of Jerusalera, and would .make them «erve the king of Babylon,
-seventy years.'
Yet, to leave them a door of hope, he also told them, that after they
had borne that seventy years servitude, as a punishment for their
transgressions, he would «im their -captivlly, and would punish the
Assyrians and Chaldeans and aU the Other nations 'that had afllicted
thera for their iniquities ; which he confirmed to than by the type of a
cup of ¦wine, called the wine-cfup of the /ury of the Lord ; which
the prophet was required to take at the hand ofthe Lord, and to cause
all those nations, in a typical representation, to druik thereof, in
token of the colamMes and distresses that should come upon thera.
About this time -also the prophet was coramanded lo make hira
bonds and yokes, Jer. xxrii, -as a confirming type of the captivity
which 'was to come lipon the people : but the execution of this com
mand seeras to have been d^erred tiU Zedekiah's tirae, Jer. xxvii,
ver. 3, 12.
Meanwhile Jehoiakim, aftet he had served Nebuchadnezzar three
years, 2 Kings xxiv, withdirew his service from hira, and rebelled
against him. Whereu,pon Nebuchadnezzar came up again against
Judah to destroy it, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign. But
before be came to Jenosalem, he fought with Pharaoh-Necho, king
of Egypt, in Carchemish by the river Euphrates, and beat him, as
the prophe Jeremiah had foretold he should, Jer. xlvi.
The coming up of this Assyrian array frighted the Rechabites, the
posterity of Rechab, who carae of Jethro, or Hobab, the Kenite, and
made them betake themselves to Jerusalera for safety. They were

640 SACRED HISTORY. PART III,
a people, who by the institution of Jonadab their founder built not.
houses, bul dwelt in tents.
By these the Lord intending to convince and reprove JeboEikim
and the Jews, he commanded Jeremiah the prophet to bring these
Rechabites into one of the chambers of the house of the Lord, and
to give thera wine lo drink. The prophet did go, and having set pots
of wine before them, invited thera to drink. But they refused, aUedg
ing that Jonadab, ihe son of Rechab, their father, had commanded thera,
that neither they nor their children should drink any wine forever, nor
build any house, nor sow seed, nor plant any rineyard; but lo dwell
in tents all their days, that they might live many days in the land
wherein they were strangers, Jer. xxxv. And they affirmed that they
had obeyed the voice, and kept the charge of Jonadab their founder,
in all that he had charged thera ; having drank no wine, neither
they nor their wives, their sons nor their daughters. Neither had
they built houses to tlwell in, nor possessed vineyards, iior sowed
fields : but bad dwelt in tents, and had obeyed and done according
to all that their father Jonadab had coramanded.
Now had the prophet gained his point. Wherefore, having com
mended the Rechabites for having so steadfastly adhered lo and ob
served the comraand of their father Jonadab, and promised thera a
reward from the Lord, he turned it upon the inhabitants of Judah
and Jerusalem ; upbraiding thera, that they who were the seed of
Abrahara, and peculiar people of the Lord, should be less regardful
of the coraraands of God, whom they called their father, and who
had been more than a father lo them, than the Rechabites, who were
not of the slock of Israel, had been of the commands of their an
cestor Jonadab.
But this nol working the desired effect upon the people of Jqdah
and Jerusalem, the Lord coramanded his prophet Jeremiah, Jer.
xxxvi, to get him a roll of a book, and write therein aU the proph
ecies which the Lord had given hira against Israel, and against Ju
dah, and against other nations, from the first of his begining to
prophesy, in the thirteenth year of Josiah; to see if the house of Ju
dah, when they should hear all the plagues summed up together,
whicii the Lord for their tran.sgressions had threatened to bring upon
thera, would return every man from his evil way, that the Lord might
forgive their iniquity and sin.
Jereraiah thereupon calling lo him Baruch the scribe, who usually
was his amanuensis, dictated to him, and he wrote frorn ihe prophet's
mouth all the words vvhich the Lord had spoken unto him, upon a
roU of a book ; that is, upon a book that vvas to roll up.
When it was finished, the prophet bid Baruch take it, inasmuch
as he himself was shut up, that he might not go into the house of
the Lord, and read in it the words of the Lord, in the hearing of all
the people in the house of the Lord, upon the fast day. This, it

PAET in. SACRED HISTOEY. 641
eeems, was a fast of their own appointing, as, we are told, their man
ner was, when they feared war, or any great plague from God, as
now they did by the Babylonians. ' Il may be (added he) they wiU
present their supplication before the Lord, and wiU return every
one frora his evil way : for great is the anger and the fury which the
Lord bath pronounced against this people.'
What is meant here by the prophet's saying, he was snutup, or
in what manner he was shut up, so that he could not go into the
houso of the Lord, is soraewhat uncertain. The Bible note says,
* He was shut up in prison through the malice of the priests.' They,
no doubt, were malicious enough to have done it ; bul it doth not
appear he was so shut up. Nay, it rather appears he was at liber
ty ; for in ver. 19, the princes advised Baruch, that he and Jeremiah
should hide themselves, and let nobody know where thoy were. And
¦hid they were, ver. 26, which Jeremiah could not have been, if he
had been in prison. Tremellius and Junius suppoSe three ways of
his being shut up, and leave us to take which of the three we like
best. The first is, that the king had forbidden him to go into the
teraple lo speak to the people ; bul the prophets of God did not use
to observe such prohibitions of their prophetic ministry. The second
is, that the chief priests had excommunicated hira, and therefore he
might not go; bul that, in all likelihood, he would have less regarded.
The third is, that God, to provide for the safety of his prophet, and
to punish tiie people, would not let him go amongst them ; this, of
the three, seems the raore likely ; and so, his being shut up, was by
a stop in hiraseff, a restraint in his spirit or mind
However, according to Jeremiah's direction, when the fast day
was come, Baruch went and read in the book the words of the Lord,
in the house of the Lord, lo all the people of Jerusalem and those
that came from the cities of Judah thither. Which when Micaiah,
the son of Gemariah, in whose chamber the book was read, had
heard, he went dovvn into the secretary's office in the king's house,
where aU the princes sal, and declared unto thera what he had heard
oul of the book which Baruch had read to the people.
Whereupon the princes sent to Baruch lo come to Ihem, and
bring the roU with him, which he did. Then they bid him sit down
and read it lo them, whioh he did also. But when they had heard
it, they were aU of them afraid. And haring examined hira about
it, and satisfied themselves that it was the prophet's words, or of his
dictating, and that Earuch was but the penman; they advised him
to go and hide himself, both ho and the prophet, and let no man
know whore they were. For (said they) we vvill assuredly lell the
king of all these words. And accordingly, laying up the roll in the
secretary's office, they went into the court lo the king, and told him
what they had heard read.
It being the ninth month with them, which takes in part ofthe tenth

S42 SACRED HISTORY. PAET Ha
with us, the Mng sat in his winter-house, having a fiir© on the hearth
before him ; and upon the report the pruioes had made of the roll
which Baruch had read to them, the king sent Jehudi,,one of his at
tendants, lo fetch it ; who having brought it, read it in the hearing
of the king, and of aU.the princes that stood beside, hira.
Bul he had not read above three or four leaves (that is, three or
four paragraphs, or spaces in the roll) when the king, displeased
with it, cut it in pieces with, a pen-knife ; and,, though three of his
princes interceded wilh him, that he would not, he oast il into the
fire that was on the hearth, tiU aft the roU was consumed.
This shewed a great obstisiacy and impenitence in the king, and
in the rest of bis servants. And indeed they were not. dismayed,
nor rent their garments, at the hearing of such terrible judgments
denounced against thera : but the king was so far from.that, that he sent
some officers to apprehend Baruch, and the prophet Jeremiah. But
they were disappointed, for the Lord hath hid his.servanls. from them.
On this presumptuos act of the king, the Lord commanded the
prophet to lake another roll, and to write in it all the words which
were in the first roll, which the king had burnt-: and vrithal, that he
should say to , Jehoiakun king of Judah, ' Thou, hast burnt this roU,
because therein was written, that the king of Babylon shaft certainly
come and destroy this landk Therefore thus saith the Lord con
cerning Jehoiakim king of Judah, he shall have none lo sit upon the
throne of David; and his dead body shall be- cast out, in the day to
the heat, and in the night to Ac frost. I wiU punish, him, and his
seed, and his servants for their iniquity ; and I wiU bring upon them,
and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the men of Judah,
aU the evft that I have pronounced against thera.' But they heark
ened not.
The Uke fearful judgments did the prophet denounce against this
vricked king, in the 22d chapter of his prophecy, from ver. 16 to
20 ; where having briefly touohed some of the virtues of his father,
the good king Josiah, Jer. xxn. and his prosperous reign as the ef
fect thereof, he charges this king that his eyes and his heart were
altogether set upon his csvetousness, and to shed innocent blood ; to
oppress, and to do violence. And then pours forth this judgraent
upon him, 'Thus saith the Lord concerning Jehoiakim, the son of
Josiah king of Judah, They shaft not lament for him, as they that
say. Ah, my brother I or. Ah, sister ! They shaft not lament for him,
so much as to say, Ab, Lord ! or. Ah, his glory ! but he shall be
buried with the burial of an ass, dragged and cast forth beyond the
gales of .Jerusalem.'
Thus did the Lord give warning upon warning, 2 Chron. xxxvi :*
but when no warning would prevail, nor any threatening was regard-
• A. IVI 3409.

PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 643!
ed, the Lord at length gave up this hardened king into the hand of
Nebuchadnezzar, who took Jehoiakim, and bound him in 'fetters,
intending to have carried him to Babylon, if he had not died on
the way.
Jehoiakim left a son behind him, named Jehoiachin, called also
Joconiah, 1 Chron. iii. 16, a youth, if not a very chUd. It is true,
he is said, in the book of Kings, lo be eighteen years old; but in the
book of the Chronicles he is said to be but eight years old when he
began to reign. Whatever his age was, he succeeded his father in
the throne ; and, as young as he was, did evil in the sight of the
Lord as his father had done. From whioh, and the message that was
thereupon sent him, it is more reasonable to think, him eighteen, than
but eight years old.
For to him the prophet Jercnaiah wassent with this message, 'As
I live, paith the Lo^d, though Coniah (so in contempt he curtailed
Jcconiah) the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon
my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence ; and I wUI give thee
into the hand of them that seek thy life, and whose face thou fear-
est, even Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand ofthe
Chaldeans.- And I wUl cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee,
into another country' where ye were not born, and there shall ye
die ; but to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither ^all
they not return.' •
'Phen to obviate an objection which might be made in favour of
the king on this wise, ' Is this man, Coniah, a despised broken idol 1
Is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? If not, wherefore dost thou
say, they shaU be cast out, both he and his seed, into a land which
they know not 1 ' The prophet makes this general appeal : ' O earth,
earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord : Thus safth the Lord, Write
this man chUdless; a man that shaft not prosper in his days : for no
man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and
ruling any more in Judah.'
The judgment here denounced was quickly executed. For in the
same year Nebtichadnezzar king of Babylon, came up, and besieged
Jerusalem: and Jehoiachin, not able or not daring to defend it,
quickly yielded. And by that time he had reigned three months
and ten days at the most, he went oul, with his mother, his princes,
his servants, and bis officers, to the king of Babylon, who carried
them aU away to Babylon, with the mighty men of valour, to the
number of ten thousand in all. Amongst whom was Mordecai, cousin
and guardian to queen Esther, Esfh. ii. 6, 6, 7. And with them be
took also aUlhe treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king's
house, that he could find ; and the chief of the handi-craftsmen, as
smitiis and carpenters, &o. leaving the poorest sort of the people
behind. In the room of this Jeconiah, Nebuchadnezzar set up Mattaniah

644 SACRED HISTORY. PART Ul.
his uncle, third son of king Josian, whose name he cnanged to Zed
ekiah ; and he is said to have reigned eleven years.
But he also, though he had seen the ruin of his two brothers Je
hoahaz, or ShaUura, and of Jehoiakim, or EUakim, and of his cous
in Jeconiah, or Jehoiachin,* look not warning by their miseries ; but
did evU in the sighf of the Lord, as they had done, and did not
humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, though ho spake to him
from the mouth of the Lord, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 12
The Lord thereupon shewed the prophet, in vision the slate both
of them that were gone into captivity, and of them that yel remained.
This was represented to him by two baskets of figs; the one, com
paratively nt least, very good, andthe other stark naught. The good
figs were an emblem of that part of Judah which was lately carried
away captive to Babylon, whom the Lord said he had sent into the
land of the Chaldeans for their good, and promised that he would
sot his eye upon thom for good, and would bring them in their pos
terity, back again, and settie thera in that good land. But the evU
figs, which were so bad they were not eatable, were a figure of king
Zedekiah, with bis princes and people, Jer. xxiv, that remained yet in
the land of Judah ; amongst which, thoy were comprehended who he
foresaw would run to Egypt for succour. All whom ths Lord, by
his prophet, threatened to deUver up, to be removed into all the king.
doms of the earth for their hurt, that they might be made a reproach,
a proverb, a taunt, and a curse, in aU places whither he should drive
them. 'And, added he, I wiU send the sword, the famine, and the
pestilence among them, till they bo consumed from off theland which
1 gave to them and lo their falherp.' •A. M. 3409.

%* See a continuation of Micah in Vol. II

END OF THE FIEST VOLUME.

3 9002 08844

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