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The History of the Old Testament Methodized

Samuel Cradock (1621-1706) · 567,142 words · 2521 min

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their part that went to War, but one in 500 either of Persons or Cattle, but out of the oth • r part, one in 50. And accordingly the smaller levy out of their half that went to War was given to Eleazar; that is, to him and the rest of the Priests, who being but few had therein a liberal share. But the greater levy out of the people's half was given to the Levites, because they were many. So that the Levites had one in 50, the Priests only one in 500; the same proportion being observed here, that was observed in their Tythes; the Levites having the Tythes or Tenths of the people, and the Priests but the tenth of their Tythes, see Numb. 18.21.

These things thus done, the Captains of Israel numbered their Soldiers, and found that they missed not a man, which might sufficiently show them, that it was the Lord's doing that the Midianites were thus vanquished, and might be a great encouragement to them resolutely to go on and to fight the residue of the Lord's battles. They therefore having besides the Cattle above mentioned (which were brought to a common Stock) gotten every man for himself very rich spoils of Jewels, Bracelets, and Chains of Gold, &c. in testimony of their great thankfulness to God, who had graciously spared their lives, and thus wonderfully assisted them in gaining this great Victory, and that they might make an atonement for their Souls, (having sinfully spared the Women alive, for which Moses reproved them, verse. 14.17.) they out of these their particular Spoils offer a voluntary Oblation to the Lord. And Moses and Eleazar took the Gold and the Jewels of them, which they offered, (amounting to 16 thousand, 700 and 50 Shekels, ) and brought them into the Lord's Tabernacle, where they were kept as a Memorial of God's favor to them in giving them this great Victory.

Numb. Ch. 31. whole Chapter.

SECT. LXXXII.

GOd Commands Moses and Eleazar now to number the people. There had been two numbrings of them before. The first was when they were sessed for a Contribution to the building of the Tabernacle, compare Exod. 30, 11, 12. with Exod. 28.26. The second was on the first day of the second month of the second year after their departure out of Egypt at Mount Sinai, and now they being in the Plains of Moab near Jordan over against Jericho, in the 40th year of their wandering in the Wilderness, they are commanded to be numbered again from twenty years old and upward. And possibly the Lord enjoined it now, to make way for the more equal dividing of the Land (which they were presently to go about) according as they found the Tribes more or less in number, see Exod. 26.52, 34. as also to manifest God's Power and Goodness in so wonderfully increasing them, and preserving so many of them, though he had destroyed the old Stock (as he had threatened) for their great Rebellions against him; As Moses therefore received God's Flock by tale when he came out of Egypt, so he must now before he dies deliver them up by tale again.

Upon the numbering 'twas found, First, That the Tribe of Reuben was decreased since the last numbering (see Numb. 1.21.) two thousand seven hundred and seventy, which some ascribe to the Conspiracy wherein Dathan and Abiram, two Princes of this Tribe, joined with Corah, which brought so great a Plague upon them, and yet many of the Sons of Corah escaped, possibly because they consented not to their Fathers Rebellion, or at least soon repented of it upon the warning given by Moses, Numb. 16.5.

2ly, The Tribe of Simeon was more decreased than any of the rest; For when they went out of Egypt they were fifty nine thousand and three hundred, [Numb. 1.22.] now but two and twenty thousand and two hundred. The impudence and punishment of Zimri (who being a Prince of this Tribe, was probably abetted by many of his Brethren,) is conceived to be one cause of the diminution of this Tribe, many of them possibly perishing in the last Plague.

3ly, The Tribe of Gad was fewer by five thousand and one hundred and fifty. Thus all the Tribes under Reuben 's Standard were greatly diminished.

4ly, The Tribe of Judah was increased one thousand nine hundred, notwithstanding two of his five Sons [ Gen. 38.] viz. Er and Onan (who might have been Heads of Families) died Childless in Canaan.

5ly, The Families of Issachar were increased nine thousand and nine hundred.

6ly, The Families of Zebulun were increased three thousand and one hundred, so the Tribes under Judah 's Standard were all increased. And thus Judah prevailed above all his Brethren, Gen. 49.8. his Camp being increased fourteen thousand and nine hundred.

7ly, The Families of Manasseh were increased twenty thousand and five hundred men of War. None of the other Tribes had half so much increase.

8ly, The Families of the Sons of Ephraim were diminished eight thousand.

9ly, The Families of the Sons of Benjamin were increased ten thousand and two hundred. Thus though Ephraim 's own Tribe was diminished, yet the other two Tribes joined with him were augmented twenty two thousand and seven hundred.

10ly, The Tribe of Dan was increased seventeen hundred. Though there was but one Family in this Tribe, viz. Shusham 's, yet none of all the Tribes save Judah have the like multitude, viz. sixty four thousand and four hundred.

11ly, The Tribe of Asher was increased eleven thousand and nine hundred.

12ly, The Tribe of Naphtali was fewer than before by eight thousand. But though this particular Tribe under Dan 's Standard was diminished, yet his whole Camp was increased five thousand and six hundred men of War. So that upon the whole, though Judah 's, Ephraim 's and Dan 's Camps were all more in number now then when they marched from Sinai; yet by reason of the great decrease of Reuben 's Camp, which was forty five thousand and twenty fewer than before, the total here is less than the total there by eighteen hundred and twenty. God Commands Moses that unto these Tribes the Land should be divided by lot, which would prevent dissention, and teach them to acknowledge God for their chief Lord, by whose immediate Providence they were disposed of to those dwellings.

The Levites were numbered by themselves, because they were to have no share in the Land. They were found to be (reckoning them from one month old and upwards) twenty three thousand, and so were increased a thousand. Thus as God had threatened, of all those that were numbered at their coming forth out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, there was not a man left at this time (when they were numbered again) but only Caleb and Joshua. Yet we must observe the Levites as 'tis probable were not included in this threatening; for of them there were left Moses, and Eleazar, and Ithamar, and perhaps many more.

Numb. 26. whole Chapter.

SECT. LXXXIII.

THe Daughters of Zelophehad, of the Tribe of Manasseh, (their Father being dead without Sons ) come now to Moses and Eleazar, desiring that that share or portion of Land might be assigned to them which should have been their Fathers had he then been living. They plead, That their Father was one of those whom the Lord carried out of Egypt, to go and take possession of the Land of Canaan. And though he died in the Wilderness, yet he was not taken away by any special Judgment, for having his hand in any Insurrection or Rebellion against the Lord, (such as was that of Korah ) but he died in his own sin; that is, he died a natural death, when his time was come, as being by sin liable to death as all other men are. They further urge, that except this be granted them, the Name of their Father will be quite extinct. Moses inquiring of the Lord concerning this Case; it pleased the Lord to grant these Daughters of Zelophehad their desire, which was afterwards punctually performed Joshua, as we may read Josh. 17.4. According to the Command of the Lord he gave them an Inheritance among the Brethren of their Father. Yet withal there was afterwards a Caution added, to wit, that they might not marry out of their own Tribe, see Ch. 36.6. And upon this occasion was the Law for succession in Inheritances made and ordained.

Numb. 27. from 1. to 12.

SECT. LXXXIV.

GOd now signifies to Moses that he should die, and accordingly Commands him to go up to that Tract of the Mountains of Abarim, (which are in the Land of Moab over against Jericho ) and on one of the highest of them called Nebo, whose top was called Pisgah, he should see that good Land into which he might not enter; And when he had seen it, his Soul should be gathered unto the Souls of his pious Ancestors who died before him. For He and Aaron had rebelled against his Commandment, [see Ch. 20.12.] which was, that they should by Faith sanctify him in the eyes of the people at the Wilderness of Zin, but they sanctified him not. Moses humbly and earnestly begs of the Lord that he might be permitted to go over and see that good Land, [Deut. 3.23, 25.] but the Lord was not pleased to grant his Request: Humbly therefore submitting to his holy Will, he now earnestly prays to God, Who is the God of the Spirits of all flesh, and not only the Creator, but the Searcher and Trier of men spirits, and knows what is in man, and can frame and fashion men's spirits as he pleases, and give them Gifts and Graces requisite for the Places he calls them unto, to appoint a Successor to him that might, as a good Shepherd go out and in before the Flock. God, upon his prayer, appoints Joshua to succeed him, a man in whom was the Spirit; that is, the Spirit of Wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and the fear of the Lord. God Commands him therefore to lay his hands upon Joshua, to intimate to Him, by this Ceremony, that the hand of God should be upon him to defend and prosper him in all his ways, and that he would confer upon him a great measure of the Gifts of his Spirit answerable to the Dignity whereunto he had advanced Him, and accordingly 'tis said, Deut. 34.9. That Joshua the Son of Nun was full of Wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. Moses was also to set him before Eleazar and the Congregation, and to give him a Charge concerning what he was to do, and what to forbear in the administration of his Office. And Moses was further commanded to put some of his own honor upon him; that is, admit him into some Partnership of Authority and Dignity with himself, and so cause the people to give him that Honor that was due unto Moses 's Successor, and the Judge Elect of Israel. And Moses tells him further, That upon occasion he shall present himself before Eleazar, that he may inquire of the Lord for him after the Judgment of Urim; that is, putting on the Ephod to which the Pectoral was fastened, wherein was the Urim and Thummim. And at Eleazar 's word, speaking from the Lord, He and the people shall go out to War, or return from it, and so in all weighty Affairs (which were extraordinary) by his direction they should govern themselves. And Moses did all these things which the Lord commanded him.

Numb. 27. from 12. to the end.

SECT. LXXXV.

THe Children of Israel having, as it seems, omitted their Sacrifices and solemn Feasts, the most part of the 38 years last past, by reason of their travels, wherein the Sanctuary, the Alar, and other holy things were made up fit for removal from place to place; And the most part of the Generation from twenty years old and upward that had been mustered in Sinai being now dead, [see Ch. 26.64.] The Lord hereupon causeth the Law of sacrificing to be again here repeated, thereby intimating to them that when they came into the Land which he promised them, they must not any longer neglect his Ordinances, as they had done in the Wilderness, [see Deut. 12.8.] And therefore first in the general he charges them, that they be sure to give Him all the Sacrifices and Offerings which he had at several times appointed them to offer. And then 2ly, He sets down particularly what they were to offer. First, For their daily Sacrifice, from verse. 3. to 9. Secondly, For their weekly Sacrifice every Sabbath day, from verse. 9. to 10. Thirdly, For their monthly Sacrifice every new Moon, from 11. to 16. And fourthly, For their yearly Sacrifices. First, At the Passover, from verse. 16. to 26. 2ly, At Pentecost, from 26. to the end. 3ly, He mentions the Offering appointed at the Feast of Trumpets, Ch. 29. from 1. to 7. 4ly, The Offering on the day of Expiation, from 7. to 12. 5ly, On the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles, from verse. 12. to 39.

Numb. Ch. 28. whole Chapter.

Numb. Ch. 29. from 1. to 39.

SECT. LXXXVI.

BEsides those set and solemn Sacrifices which God Himself had enjoined, there were other Sacrifices which were to be offered to the Lord, namely, such as men voluntarily offered, or upon a particular Vow, Ch. 29. v. 39. And upon this occasion (it seems) several Precepts concerning Vows were added, to show who were necessarily obliged to perform their Vows, and who not. And Moses made known these Laws to the Heads of the Tribes, because they were the men that according to these Laws were to judge the people, and either to bind them to their Vows, or free them from them. Now Vows were either Obligatory, or reversible, according to the condition of the person that made them. 1. If the Votary were a man of grown years, having power over himself, and had strengthened his Vow with an Oath, he must not fail to perform what he had vowed and sworn to do, and that without delay, [Deut. 23.21.] provided the thing in itself were lawful and honest, otherwise not, as in the Case mentioned, Acts 23.21. 2. If the Votary be a young Woman, under the power of her Father; if her Father by his silence seemed to consent to it (though in words he did not expressly approve it) her Vow standeth firm; But if he disallow it, it is void, and the Lord will not impute it as a sin to her, seeing her Father refuseth to let her keep it. 3. If the Votary were a married Wife, her Husband had power either to ratify or make void her Vow. 4. If the Votary were a Widow or a divorced Woman, her Vow must stand. And because married Women might be apt to make large Vows what they would do if they came to be free again, and then being free might make light of performing their Vows, under pretense that those Vows were made while there were under the power of their Husbands; To prevent that the Law does here direct that in case a Woman vowed in her Husbands house, if her Husband held his peace, then all her Vows should stand, viz. after her Husband is dead, or after she is made free by Divorce for every Vow, and every binding Oath to afflict the Soul, her Husband may establish, or make void. But if any Husband having heard his Wives Vow, and not contradicted it, shall afterwards refuse to let her perform it, he shall bear her Iniquity, and the Sin shall be imputed unto Him.

Numb. Ch. 30. whole Chapter.

SECT. LXXXVII.

THe Rubenites and Gadites now petition Moses to give them their Possession on this side Jordan, in the Land already Conquered, ( which the Lord smote before the Congregation of the Children of Israel, according to the Promise made to Abraham, Gen. 15.21.) alleding how convenient it would be for them, in regard it was a Country very fit for the keeping of Cattle, whereof they had the greatest store. Moses not apprehending (as it seems) their drift (which was plain and honest) accuses them of great injustice, that they should desire to enjoy peaceable Possessions at present, whilst their Brethren must fight for theirs, which would in all likelihood tend to discourage the hearts of the people from going over into the Land which the Lord had given them. And herein he tells them, They would be like the Spies their Ancestors, who brought up an evil Report on this good Land, and so disheartened the people, that the Lord's anger was kindled against them for it. And if you should do thus (says he) you will show that you are risen up in your Fathers stead an increase of sinful men to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord toward Israel. And assure yourselves, if ye turn away from following the Lord, He will leave Israel yet to wander in this Wilderness, as their Fathers did, until they all be consumed; And by this means you will occasion them to sin, and so to be destroyed. The Reubenites and Gadites humbly reply, That it was far from their thoughts to desert their Brethren on this occasion. 'It is true (say they) we meant to leave our Cattle, our Wives and Children behind us, and to that end we purposed to build Sheepfolds here for our Cattle, and Cities for our Wives and little Ones; that is, to repair and fortify those Cities of the Amorites in this Country which lie now ruinated. But for ourselves, we are ready to go armed along with our Brethren, yea before them, and if it be thought fit to go in the forefront, and to expose ourselves to the greatest danger. But when they say they were ready to go along with their Brethren, we must understand it so, that their meaning was only that so many of them should go as should be thought requisite for the Aid of their Brethren against the Inhabitants of Canaan. For 'tis plain they meant to leave Garrisons behind them for the defense of their Wives and Children, and for the guarding of the Country in case any of the neighbouring Nations should invade the Land when they were gone. And therefore [ Joshua 4.13.] it is expressly said, That there went of those Tribes along over Jordan, with their Brethren, only about forty thousand armed men, whereas in the Tribe of Reuben alone there was above forty thousand fighting men, see Ch. 26.7. Moses tells them, That if they will go armed before the Lord to War; that is, before the Ark, the sign of his Presence, and so aid and assist their Brethren in their Wars against the Canaanites, and will continue with their Brethren till they have subdued the Land, then they shall have this Land on this side Jordan (as they desire) for their lot and portion, see Deut. 3.18. But if they will not do so, he tells them, Behold ye have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out. However (He acquaints them) that these two Tribes must not think to have all this Land to themselves, but part of it must be reserved for half the Tribe of Manasseh, and that because they by a particular Expedition had vanquished that part of the Land particularly. Jair had conquered Argob and the Towns belonging to it, and called it Bashan-Havoth-Jair, after his own Name, as Nobah did Kenah, and called it also after his own Name, having driven from thence the Amorites, as is expressed, verse. 39.

Numb. 32. whole Chapter.

SECT. LXXXVIII.

MOses now by the Lord's Commandment wrote this following Journal of the Israelites Travels from Egypt to the Land of Canaan, wherein are set down all the several Stations or Places where they pitched their Tents, and abode for some time. And this was done the better to assure Posterity of the wonderful Deliverance of the Jews out of Egypt, and of God's leading them thorough the Wilderness to the Land of Promise, and that by this express Description of their several Stations, not only the certainty of this story might be evidenced, but that they might be put in mind of the Rebellion of their fore-Fathers, and of God's severity in Chastizing them for it; as also of his Goodness and Faithfulness manifested to the Seed of Abraham, notwithstanding their many Provocations. Their most remarkable Stations were these: First, Rameses, whether they resorted by Moses 's Direction from all parts of the Land of Goshon. And the reason is intimated why they went out with an high hand in the presence of the Egyptians, (they not opposing them) namely, because God had pulled down their pride, by slaying their First-born; yea upon their God's also He had executed Judgment, causing possibly some such notable accident to befall the Egyptian Idols as did the Philistines Dagon, which fell down before the Ark, see Exod. 12.12. Their second Station was Succoth, their third Etham, where the Lord began first to go before them by day in a Pillar of Cloud, and by night in a Pillar of fire. From Etham they turned unto Pihahiroth, a narrow passage between two ledges of Mountains, into which being entered, Pharaoh overtook them with a great Army, and thought they could not have escaped him; but God divided the Red-Sea, which the Israelites passing thorough, the Egyptians assayed to follow them, and there were miserably drowned. The Israelites having past thorough the Sea, went three days journey in the Wilderness of Etham without any water, and pitched in Marah. Here they found the Waters very bitter, insomuch that they began to murmur against Moses; but God sweetened the Waters, by the casting in of a Tree, Exod. 15.23. From Marah they came to Elim, where were twelve Fountains of Water. From Elim they encamped by the Red-Sea, and from thence removed to the Wilderness of Sin, so called from Sin, a City in Egypt, over against which this Wilderness lay. Hither they came just a month after their departure from Rameses: Here they murmur grievously for want of Food, and God gave them Quails for one meal, and Manna from Heaven, which was continued till they came into Canaan. From Sin, they came to Dophkah, and from thence to Alush, and from thence to Rhepidim, where wanting water again they were ready to stone Moses; but water was fetched for them miraculously out of a Rock in Horeb. Here they had a Victory over the Amalekites who set upon them. From Rephidim they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. Hither they came at the beginning of the third month, (Exod. 19.1.) and stayed till the second day of the second month of the second year, Numb. 10.11, 12. Here the Law was given, and the Tabernacle framed, and the people punished for making and worshipping a golden Calf, and Nadab and Abihu smitten dead for offering strange fire. Here the people were first numbered, and then ordered as to their Encampings about the Tabernacle, and in their Journeys towards the Land of Canaan. From Sinai they marched by Taberah (signifying a burning ) because there the fire of God (till quenched by Moses 's prayer) consumed the hindermost in the Camp, for their murmuring; and so they came to Kibroth-Hattavah. Here the people fell a lusting for Flesh again. And God now gave them Quails for a whole month together in great abundance, whereon they surfeited, and died miserably with the flesh between their teeth. Then they came to Hazeroth. Here Aaron and Miriam murmured against Moses, and she was smitten with Leprosy, Numb. 12. Then they came to Rithmath in the Wilderness of Paran near Kadesh-barnea, whence Spies were sent to search the Land. Upon the evil report of ten of them the people horribly murmur. God was very wroth with them for it, and appoints Moses to return again to the Red-Sea, and declares, That not one of that Generation save Caleb and Joshua, should enter into Canaan. Then they came to Rimmon-Parez: and from thence to Libnah called Laban, Deut. 1.1. and then to Rissah, then to Kehelatha, thence to Mount Shapher, thence to Haradah, and pitched in Makheloth (signifying Assemblies ) so called as some think, because of the mutinous Assemblies of Corah, Dathan and Abiram in that place. Thence to Tahath, and pitched at Tarah; thence to Mithcah, and pitched at Hashmonah, and encamped at Maseroth, and then came to Bene-Jaakan, and encamped at Hor-gidgad, from thence to Jothathah a Land of Rivers of waters, Deut. 10.7. Here the Rock Rephidim-water (as it seems) stopped its course, (God suspending Miracles when he affords means ) and as 'tis probable the Israelites drank of the water of the Country till they came to Kadesh. Then they encamped at Ebronah, from thence they marched to Eziongaber, a place by the Red-Sea, where was a Harbor for Ships in Edom 's Land, 1 Kings 9.26. From thence to Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin. Here Miriam died. The people in this place wanting water, murmur again, and had water again given them out of a Rock. Here God was very angry with Moses and Aaron for their unbelief, and here they had the Sentence of Death passed on them, though reprieved for a time, and rendered uncapable of entering into Canaan. They came hither in the beginning of the 40th year, and hence they sent to crave a passage thorough Edom's Land, but it was denied them; God Commands them not to force it, but to find another way. From Kadesh they removed to Mount Hor in the edge of the Land of Edom, where Aaron died. Then they came to Zalmonah, so called possibly of Zolom an Image. For this is thought to be the place where the Israelites, for murmuring again for want of water, and loathing Manna, were stung with fiery Serpents, and the brazen Serpent was by God's direction erected for their Cure and help. As for their five following Stages, viz. Punon, Oboth, Jie-abarim, and Dibon-Gad, (so called, because it was repaired and possessed by the Tribe of Gad, Ch. 32.34.) and Almon-Diblathaim, we find no memorable accident happening at them. Thence they came to the Mountains of Abarim, and then to the Plains of Moab. And here God commanded Moses to charge the Israelites to drive out the Inhabitants of the Land, viz. by destroying them, Deut. 7.22, 23. and to destroy their Pictures, and molten Images, and High Places, and to divide their Land by lot among themselves. But if they did not take care to drive them out, then he declares, The Canaanites should be pricks in their Eyes, and thorns in their Sides, and a continual Vexation to them, and He would bring that destruction on them for their Disobedience, which he thought to bring on the Canaanites, viz. root them out of the Land.

Numb. 33. whole Chapter.

SECT. LXXXIX.

THe Lord now by Moses declareth unto Israel the Bounds and Limits of the Land of Canaan lying within Jordan, which he intended to give them, that they might be assured they should possess it, and might know how far they were to proceed in their Conquests, and where to stay, and according to these Bounds and Limits might make a division of the Land among the nine Tribes, and half the Tribe of Manasseh; the Tribe of Reuben, Gad, and the other half Tribe of Manasseh having their lot on the other side Jordan. The persons that were to make the division were Eleazar the High Priest, Joshua, and one Prince of every Tribe who are particularly named. The Tribes are here named in their particular Order, in which they should inherit the Land, their Inheritance abutting one upon another, as their Names are here joined together, to make it the more evident to them that they were alloted their Portions by the Wisdom and Providence of God.

Numb. Ch. 34. whole Chapter.

SECT. XC.

THe Lord further Commands the Israelites to give 48 Cities to the Levites for their Possession. He appoints the Suburbs of them to reach a thousand Cubits from the wall of the City on each side, so that measuring the length from one end of the lines to the other end opposite against it, as from East to West, or from North to South there were two thousand Cubits, that made the perfect square. God also appoints six of these Cities for Cities of Refuge, Three in the Land of Canaan, and three on the other side Jordan. And those Cities were (as we may see afterwards, Deut. 4. and Joshua 20.) 1. Bezer, a City of the Reubenites. 2. Ramoth of Gilead of the Gadites. 3. Golan in Bashan of the Manassites. These three Moses separated, Deut. 4.41, 43. 4. Kadesh in Galilee in Mount Naphtali. 5. Shechem in Mount Ephraim. 6. Kirjath-arba (which is Hebron ) in the Mount of Judah; and these Joshua separated, Joshua 20.7. Before these Cities of Refuge were appointed, it seems the Altar only was a kind of Sanctuary to those that fled to it, see Exod. 21.14. But afterwards these Cities were the chief Sanctuaries to the Children of Israel, and the Sojourners and Strangers among them; and yet they were such only to those who had killed a man unwittingly. And therefore they were not to receive any man till he had professed his Innocency as to this particular, see Josh. 20.4. And such Cities were purposely appointed as lay at an equal distance in the several parts of the Land, that no man driven to make use of them might have too far to go, and so might be overtaken by the Avenger of blood, who was the next Kinsman to the man slain, and might lawfully slay him, who had slain his Kinsman, if he took him out of the City of Refuge, and before he could recover the Sanctuary. And the way to these Cities was always to be prepared and made even and plain, that the Man-slayer might flee thither without hindrance, see Deut. 19.3. When the Man-slayer came thither, he was at the entrance of the Gate to show his Cause to the Elders of the City, who were to take him in, till he was sent for, and fetched to the City where he had done the Fact, and there he was to stand before the Congregation, [Joshua 24.4, 6.] who if they found him worthy of death, were to deliver him to the Avenger to kill him; if not, they were to return him to the City of Refuge again, where he was to live in a kind of exile and imprisonment until the death of the High Priest, and might not come out before, and then He was to have liberty to return to his own house, and former dwelling place; the High Priest being a Type of the Messias, our High Priest and Savior Jesus Christ, who by his death hath blotted out the hand-writing of our Sins, and reconcileth us to God. But these Cities of Refuge were not intended to be any Protection or Asyle to willful Murderers, and such as of malice-prepence slew a man, and struck him with an Instrument of Iron, or with a Stone or Hand-weapon, wherewith (in probability) a man that is smitten must needs be killed. Moreover, no man was to be put to death on the single testimony of one man alone. And no Redemption-money, no Bribe or Present was to be taken to spare a murderers life. For blood defileth the Land, and the Land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. And lastly, no Redemption-money was to be taken for granting him, that was fled to a City of Refuge, a Dispensation or Liberty to return to the place of his former abode or habitation before the death of the High Priest.

Numb. 35. whole Chapter, and Deut. 4. verse. 41, 42, 43.

SECT. XCI.

THe Lord having formerly ordered that Zelophehad 's Daughter should have that portion of Land in the Tribe of Manasseh, which their Father should have had for his share had he lived, the Children of Gilead (who were of that Tribe ) considering that if these Daughters married into any other Tribe, this portion of their Land would be quite alienated from their Tribe, therefore they made it their suit that some order might be taken to prevent this mischief. For by like accidents the portion of every Tribe might in time be changed, and so at length all may come to confusion, and the very end of God's appointing every Tribe to have their portion apart by themselves might be quite made void. And further, whereas by the Law of God it was appointed that at the year of Jubilee (which was every fiftieth year) what ever Land was alienated from any Tribe should return to that Tribe again, by such marriages as these, Inheritances would pass over from one Tribe to another, without possibility of restitution at the year of Jubilee, and so this Law would become void, which seemed purposely intended to prevent the confusion of the Inheritances of the Tribes. Moses having asked Counsel of the Lord, answered them as God had commanded, viz. That the Daughters of Zelophehad should marry only in the Tribe of their Father, (which they accordingly afterwards did ) and further orders, That every Daughter that possesseth an Inheritance in any Tribe should marry only unto one of that Tribe. But if she was not an Inheritrix, she might marry into any other Tribe. And thus Inheritances would not be removed from one Tribe to another.

Numb. Ch. 36. whole Chapter.

SECT. XCII.

WE are now come to the Book of Deuteronomy, which contains Moses 's dying Speech, and pathetical Exhortation to the Children of Israel; He had brought them to the Plains of Moab, and to the very borders of Canaan: He knew by divine Revelation he must not go over thither, but must die on this side Jordan. Having therefore now but a little time to live, [ viz. about five weeks, ] like a man in whom was the Spirit of God, and an extraordinary measure of Grace, he employs that short time in faithfully instructing the people, and earnestly exhorting them to walk steadfastly in the ways of God. He rehearses to them several remarkable Occurrences, and passages of divine Providence which had happened to them during their forty years travels in the Wilderness, (not binding himself always to exact order as to times and places in his Narration) that they might remember them for their benefit. And this being for the most part a new Generation, (the old rebellious Stock having perished in the Wilderness) He sets himself to instruct them in the Laws and Statutes of God, not only repeating them to them, but explaining and amplyfying many of them, and adding some new ones to them. He causes them to enter into a solemn Covenant to serve the Lord faithfully. He Predicts and foretells what would befall them hereafter, and solemnly blesses them before his death.

[Chap. I] And first, He reminds them of God's calling Israel from Horeb, to march towards Canaan. He tells them how when they had continued well nigh a full year at Horeb, God commanded them to march towards Canaan, the borders of which he describes towards the South, West, North and East, Deut. Ch. 1. from 1. to 9.

2. He reminds them how about that time, by the advice of Jethro his Father-in-law, he set Judges and Officers over the people. For (says he) finding myself not able to bear the weight and burden of governing so great a people alone, I said unto you, The Lord hath multiplied you as the Stars of Heaven, and the Lord God of your Fathers make you a thousand times so many more as you are, and bless you; choose out therefore from among you wise and understanding men, and I will make them Heads over you; I will Constitute some of them to be Rulers over Thousands, others to be Rulers over Hundreds, others Rulers over Fifties, and others to be Rulers over Tens. And I charged the Judges at that time that they should judge right • ously between man and man, and not respect persons in Judgment, but should hear the small as well as the great, that they should not be afraid of men, for the Judgment is God's; that is, it is ordained by him, and to be executed in his Name, and the Judges representing his Person, and sitting in his Seat, should in judging follow the Rule by him prescribed, and should judge justly, as God Himself would do, see 2 Chron. 19.6. And I further said, If ye find any Cause too hard for you to determine, bring it unto me. And many other things I delivered, and taught the Judges their duty in a more full and ample manner than now I express, Deut. Ch. 1. from 9. to 19.

3. He shows them, that when they left Horeb, they marched thorough all that great and terrible Wilderness, (a Land where no man dwelt, and wherein were fiery Serpents and Scorpions, [Deut. 8.15.] a Land extreme barren, and destitute of all things necessary for the sustenance of man, except by miraculous supply,) and came to Kadesh-Barnea. Then (says he) I said unto you, Ye are come to the Mountain of the Amorites, the border of the Land which the Lord our God hath given unto us. Go ye up therefore and possess it, as God has commanded you, fear not, nor be discouraged. But ye desired that Spies might first be sent to search the Land, and to inform you concerning it, and concerning the way wherein you must go up to take possession of it, and what Cities you must first assault. And I having inquired of the Lord concerning it, [ Numb. 13.3.] and the Lord giving way to it, or at least permitting it, I was content with it, and took twelve men, one of a Tribe, and they went up into the Mountain, and came to the Valley of Eshcol. And the Spies brought back some of the fruits of the Land, namely, Grapes, Pomegranates and Figs, and said, The Land was a very good Land. But ye refused to go up, and so rebelled against the Commandment of the Lord. And ye murmured in your Tents, and said, Because the Lord hated us, he hath brought us forth out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites, and to destroy us. You further said, Our Brethren (whom we sent as Spies) have discouraged us, viz. all of them but Caleb and Joshua. They tell us, The people of that Land are greater and taller then we, their Cities are great and walled up to Heaven; moreover they tell us, That the Sons of the Anakims those great Giants are there. Then (said I) dread them not, nor be afraid of them. For the Lord your God goeth before you, and will fight for you, as he did in Egypt, and as he hath hitherto done for you in the Wilderness; there you have seen how the Lord by his Almighty Power hath born you as a Father takes up and carries his Child in his arms, and hath born with your manners and perverseness, as a tender Father doth with a froward Child. Yet notwithstanding this encouragement you did not believe in the Lord your God, who went before you to search out a place for you to pitch your Tents in, in a Pillar of Cloud by day, and a Pillar of Fire by night. And the Lord was angry at your Murmurings and Unbelief, and sware there should not one of that evil Generation see that good Land, [ Numb. 14.23.] save Caleb the Son of Jephunneh (who followed the Lord fully) and Joshua the Son of Nun, Numb. 14.6, 30, 38. And (says he) the Lord hath since that time, at the other Kadesh, been angry with me for your sakes; For being moved with your Provocations, I offended both in unadvised Speeches and distrust, and thereupon the Lord said, I should not go into the Land, [Numb. 20.1, 2, 12.] But Joshua (who is continually about me to minister unto me) He should go into it, therefore I am to encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it. Moreover the Lord said, Your little Ones which ye said would be a Prey to the Amorites, and which had then no knowledge between Good and Evil, they shall go in thither and possess it. But as for you the Lord said, Turn you back again into the Wilderness, into the way that leadeth towards the Red-Sea, ye shall not go forward directly towards Canaan, [see Sect. 60.] Then ye said, We have sinned against the Lord, we will go up and fight as the Lord hath commanded us. And when ye had girded every man his Sword upon his thigh, ye were ready to go up to the Hill to fight with your Enemies. But the Lord forbad you to go up, saying, He would not be among you with his blessing and gracious assistance if ye did; yet you would not hearken, but went up presumptuously unto the Hill, and the Amorites (which dwelt in the Mountain) came out against you, and chased you (as Bees use to do, who being angered come out in great swarms against them that disturb them,) and the Amorites killing many of you, pursued the rest unto Hormah. And when you repented and wept the Lord would not hearken to you. And ye abode in the Wilderness of Kadesh many days, as the number of the days you abode there doth sufficiently manifest. For ye were made to wander near 38 years after this in the Wilderness, from verse. 19. to the end.

[Chap. II] 4. He then relates their march from Kadesh-Barnea, and their compassing Mount Seir many days, and how they were forbidden to meddle with the Edomites, Moabites or Ammonites.

He goes on with his Speech. After this (says he) we turned into the Wilderness of Kadesh, where after we had wandered a long time (almost 38 years, going forward and backward) in that mountainous Country of Seir, we returned, by God's Command Northward, towards Canaan to pass between the Coasts of Edom on the one hand, and of Moab and Ammon on the other, and so we came to Sihon the Amorites Land. And God commanded us, seeing we were to pass by the borders and out-skirts of the Land of the Edomites, and they would be afraid of us, that we should not meddle with them, for He would not give us any part of their Land, no not so much as a foot-breadth. He declared, He had given Mount Seir to Esau for a Possession, [ Joshua 24.4. Gen. 36.8.] and at this time he would secure their Possession to them, that we should not invade it. But he said to us, Ye shall buy meat of them for money that ye may eat, and ye shall buy water of them for money that ye may drink. For the Lord hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hands, and prospered thee, so that thou art able to pay for what thou hast occasion for. The Lord's eye hath been upon thee to take care of thee in all thy travels thorough this Wilderness, and these forty years He hath been with thee and supplied thee, thou hast lacked nothing, therefore thou needest not seek to supply thyself in an unlawful way. And (says He) when we had passed by (as God had commanded us) from our Brethren the Children of Esau, (who were unkind to us, Numb. 20.14, 18.) we turned and passed thorough the Wilderness of Moab; then the Lord charged us we should not distress the Moabites, nor contend with them in battle, for He would not give us their Land, having given the City Ar and the Country belonging to it to the Children of Lot for a Possession. And he had driven out of it the Emims (that tall and mighty people, and of a Gigantick stature, like the Anakims, whom the Ammonites call Zamzummims, verse. 20. that is, presumptuous wicked ones, who dwelt there in time past,) and had given it to them, and therefore it was not to be taken from them by the Israelites. And the like He had done for the Children of Esau driving out the Horims by them out of Mount Seir, that they might dwell in their Land; And as the Edomites had done to the Horims, so (saith He) hath Israel done to Sihon and Og, whose Lands they have already taken, as part of their possession which the Lord hath given them. And thus the Caphtorims, that is, the Philistines [see Gen. 10.14.] destroyed the Auites, the former Inhabitants of their Country, verse. 23. By all which you may understand that as God hath cast out great and warlike People out of several Countries and Places, and given their Lands to others, so He can and will do for you, if ye will trust in him and obey him. And further (says He) when we came to the Brook Zered, [see Numb. 21.12.] I exhorted you to go over, and we passed over. And the time we spent since we came from Kadesh-Barnea and in our marches from thence to the River Zered is 38 years. In which time all that Generation of men that were fit for War (who were numbered by God's appointment, Numb. 1.3. from twenty years old and upward) have been destroyed for their Murmurings and Disobedience, as God had sworn. Further (says he) when we came to the River Arnon, I encouraged you to pass over, telling you, That God had given into your hands Sihon King of the Amorites and his Land, therefore you should fight with him, and gain it from him. And to encourage you the more hereunto, I told you, That God would from that day forward put the fear and dread of you upon all the Nations that are under the whole Heaven unto whom the Report of what He hath done for you shall come. And (says he) you know that before we made War upon Sihon, I sent Messengers with words of peace to him, [see Deut. 20.10.] desiring him that we might pass quietly thorough his Land, promising that we would go directly along the Highway, and not turn out of the Rode into the Fields or Vineyards to the right hand or to the left, and that we would pay for the meat and water we had of him and his people, and that we would ask nothing more of him, but that we might pass thorough his Country on our feet, and herein we desired no more of him than the Children of Esau, and the Moabites afforded us, viz. Meat and Drink for our money as we passed thorough the out-skirts of their Country. But Sihon would not let us pass, for the Lord hardened his Spirit, and made his heart obstinate that he might deliver him into our hands, as appeareth by the event. For Sihon coming out against us with his people to fight us, the Lord delivered him into our hands, and we smote him and all his Host, and we took all his Cities, and utterly destroyed Men, Women and Children, [see Deut. 20.14, 15, 16.] as God had commanded us. Only we took the Cattle and the Spoil of the Cities to ourselves for a Prey. But the Land which was on the outside of the River Jabbock which belonged to the Ammonites, [Josh. 12.2.] and those Cities of the Ammonites that lay in that mountainous Country beyond Jabbock, and whatever else was in the possession of the Ammonites did we not at all meddle with, or with anything else that God had forbidden us.

5. He reminds them how after they had conquered Sihon, they conquered Og [Chap. III] the Giant King of Bashan the other King of the Amorites. When we marched up towards Bashan, then (says he) Og the King thereof with his Army came out against us at Edrei. And the Lord commanded us not to be afraid of him though he was a Giant of such a formidable stature. And accordingly the Lord delivered him, and his people, and his Land into our hand, and we took all his Cities, even threescore Cities, all the Region of Argob, a Province in Bashan; we took all those Cities, which were fenced with high walls, gates and bars, and many unwalled Towns also. And we destroyed Men, Women and Children, as we had before done unto King Sihon and his Subjects, but the Cattle and the Spoil of the Cities we took as a Prey to ourselves. So we took at this time from those two Kings of the Amorites the Land that was on this side Jordan from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon (called by the Sidonians Sirion, and by the Amorites Shenir, ) and all the Cities of the Plain, and all Gilead.

And (says He) there now remained of that Gigantick Race in the Kingdom of Bashan but this Og only, whose Bedstead was of Iron, and nine Cubits (according to the Cubit of an ordinary man) was the length thereof, and four Cubits the breadth thereof, and it was now kept in Rabbah the chief City of the Ammonites, from 1. to 12.

6. He shows how he distributed those Countries taken from the two Kings, to Reuben, Gad, and the half Tribe of Manasseh, [see Numb. 32.19.] enjoining them nevertheless to go over Jordan before their Brethren armed, and to fight for them, and help them against the Canaanites, till God had given them that Land quietly to possess, and then they should return to their own Possessions on this side Jordan again. And (says He) I appointed in this new Conquest three Cities of Refuge, viz. Bezer in the lot of the Reubenites, and Ramoth-Gilead in the lot of the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan in the lot of the Manaesites, from 12 to 21. and Ch. 4. from 14. to 44.

7. He further tells them how he encouraged Joshua (who was to be his Successor ) from what he had seen the Lord do to those two Kings of the Amorites, and that consequently he should not fear the other Kings he was to fight with, for the Lord would fight for Israel. Then he tells them how earnestly he besought the Lord to permit him to go into Canaan. I prayed (says he) O Lord God, thou hast begun to show thy Servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand; For what God is there in Heaven or Earth that can do according to thy Works, and according to thy Might? I pray thee let me go over and see the good Land that is beyond Jordan, and that goodly Mountain Lebanon. But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes. Your murmurings made me sometimes too rash in speaking, and sometimes too slow in believing in the Lord, which provoked Him against me, so that He would not grant my Request, but said to me, Let it suffice thee, speak no more to me of this matter. Get thee up to the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes West-ward and North-ward, East-ward and Southward, and behold it with thine eyes, for thou shalt not go over this Jordan. But give Joshua in Charge what I Command thee, and encourage and strengthen him. For he shall go over before this people, and shall cause them to inherit the Land which thou shalt only see with thine eyes. Ch. 3. from 21. to the end.

8. From all these Experiences of God's signal Goodness to them, He comes now to exhort them to keep and obey the Statutes and Commandments of the Lord, and to teach their Children also to observe them; and especially to take heed of Idolatry, which was a very provoking sin. And that he might excite them the more to the observance of these Precepts, he bespeaks them in this wise; Hearken, O Israel, unto the Statutes and Judgments which I am now to teach you, and be careful to practice them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the Land which the Lord God of your Fathers hath given you. You shall not add to the words which I command you, neither shall you diminish ought from it; but you must keep close to the Commandments of the Lord, which I from Him command you. Your eyes have seen the Judgments of God executed upon those that committed Idolatry with Baal-Peor, unto which many of Israel declined by the counsel of Balaam. But you that did cleave unto the Lord, and kept yourselves from that Transgression, were saved from that destruction. Behold I set before you the Statutes and Judgments which God hath commanded [Chap. IV] me to give you, and which you are to observe in the Land which you are going to possess. And carefully to observe them will be a great evidence of your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the Nations that shall hear, and rightly consider these Statutes, and they will say, Surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding people. For what other great Nation is there which hath God so nigh unto them, and always dwelling among them, as these Israelites have, as is evident by the miraculous signs of his Presence among them, and his readiness always to hear their prayers, and to defend and protect them from all evils. And indeed what other Nation is there that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as is this Law which I am to set before you this day. You ought therefore to take heed lest you forget the great things God hath done for you, and that they may never be forgotten, I exhort you to teach them your Sons, and your Sons Sons. And especially remember the day when you stood before the Lord in Horeb, when God commanded me to gather the people together to hear his words, that they might learn to fear Him all the days of their life, and might teach them unto their Children. And ye came near and stood under the Mountain, and the Mountain burnt with fire unto the midst of Heaven, and there were great Tempests and thick darkness. And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire. Ye heard the voice of his words but saw no Similitude of Him at all. And he declared unto you his Covenant, viz. the Condition required on your part, namely, Obedience and Observance of his ten Commandments, which He wrote upon two Tables of stone. And besides those ten Commandments which the Lord himself gave you; He not long after that time gave me other Statutes and Judgments, viz. the Ceremonial and Judicial Laws, which he commanded me to teach you. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, lest you corrupt yourselves by Idolatry, or by making any Image of God; for remember you saw no manner of similitude of Him at Horeb, or any figure of Man, Beasts, Birds, creeping things or Fishes to represent Him. Take heed also of worshipping the Host of Heaven, the Sun, Moon and Stars, which are so far from being God's, that God hath created them for the common use of man, and the service of all Nations. And you Israelites ought above all people to be careful not to dishonor God by such gross Idolatry, because He hath brought you forth by an out-stretched Arm out of the Iron-Furnace of Egypt, and hath taken you to Himself as his own peculiar people, and as his own Possession, as you see this day. Furthermore the Lord was angry with me for your sakes, and sware that I should not go over Jordan, but should die in this Land. However ye shall go over and possess it. Take heed therefore lest ye forget the Covenant of the Lord your God, and especially take heed of Idolatry, or making any graven Image to represent God, which he hath so severely forbidden. For God is a jealous God, jealous of having the Worship due only to Himself given to any Creature; He is a consuming fire to those that provoke him by their Rebellions. Furthermore I advise you that when you are settled in the Land of Canaan, and are mightily increased, that you be not secure, nor think it a small matter to corrupt yourselves by Idolatry; for if you do, I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you this day, that I faithfully admonished you of your danger, and told you that upon such Provocations God would destroy many of you, and drive the small remnant that shall be left out of the Land he hath given you to possess, and would scatter you among Heathen Nations, where you shall serve their God's, (or at lest those that did serve them) viz. such God's as are the work of men's hands, and made of Wood or Stone, which neither see nor hear, eat nor smell.

But yet even then when you have thus transgressed, and are thereupon under great tribulation, if ye shall humble yourselves before the Lord, and shall seek his Face, and turn to him with all your Heart and all your Soul, He is so gracious and merciful, that he will have pity upon you, and will not forget the Covenant which he made with your Fathers. And that you may remember the extraordinary engagements the Lord hath laid upon you, look back upon ancient times and consult the Histories of all things that have happened since the Creation in any part of the world, from the one side of the Heavens to the other, and from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof, and inquire whither there was ever such a thing in the world before, That a people should hear the Voice of God speaking unto them out of the midst of the fire, and yet live and escape as ye did; yea further inquire whither ever God assayed at any time in such a manner to take unto Himself a Nation from the midst of another Nation by Temptations, Signs, Wonders by War and by a mighty Hand, and out-stretched Arm, and by great Terrors, as he hath done you when he brought you out of Egypt. Before your eyes were those great things done, that you may know that the Lord he is God, and there is no other besides him. Out of the Air from on high he made you to hear his Voice, to instruct you, and upon Mount Sinai he made you see his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of it. And because of his own free Grace and Love (and not for any desert of theirs ) he chose and loved your Fathers, and chose their Seed after them for his peculiar people, therefore he brought you by his Almighty Power out of Egypt in his sight; that is, the eye of his Providence being still fixed upon you, even as a Father causes his Child to go before him that he may preserve him from danger, Exod. 14.19. And he brought you out of Egypt, that you might drive out other Nations greater and mightier than you, and take their Land to yourselves for an Inheritance, as you have in part experienced already in your having conquered Sihon and Og Kings of the Amorites, and gained their Countries. Which Conquests may be an earnest to you of further Victories over your Enemies. Know you therefore this day, and consider it well in your hearts, that the Lord He is God both in Heaven above, and in Earth beneath, and there is none besides him. Therefore diligently keep his Statutes and Commandments which I command you this day, that it may go well with you, and your Children after you, and that you may live long and happily in the Land which the Lord God giveth you, from verse. 1. to 41.

9. He comes now to set before them the Law of God, viz. the ten Commandments [Chap. V] and the Testimonies; that is, the particular Articles or Points of the Covenant which God made with them at Horeb, whereby he testified his mind to them, and the particulars in which he required Obedience from them. He shows how they were terrified at the dreadful manner wherein the Law was delivered, and desired Him to mediate between God and them.

Then calling all the Elders and Chief of the people of Israel together, He said, Hear, O Israel, the Statutes and Judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that you may learn them, and keep and do them. The Lord our God made a Covenant with us in Horeb. He made not this Covenant with our Fathers in Egypt, nor with the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; for though he made the same Covenant with them for substance, and they were obliged to believe in the Messias, and to keep the Law so far as it was revealed to them, yet this Covenant was not revealed to them with all its Circumstances and particular Laws, nor in that form and manner wherein it was revealed to us on Mount Horeb, with whom God entered into Covenant as with a Body Politick, and a People whom he had separated from all other Nations unto his own Worship and Service. You may remember (says he) how God when he gave you the Ten Commandments talked with you face to face; that is, immediately by himself, and not by an Internuncio or Messenger. But after God had spoken to you the Ten Commandments out of the fire, I was fain to stand as a Mediator between the Lord and you, for you were afraid to hear the Voice of the Lord immediately anymore.

Now the Ten Commandments the Lord spake to you in Horeb, you may find recorded in the 20th Chapter of Exodus. These are the Precepts God spake immediately by himself to you, and he added no more moral Precepts; and He wrote them in two Tables of stone, and delivered them unto me. And after this dreadful delivery of the Law the Elders of your Tribes came to me, and said, Behold the Lord our God hath caused us to see his Glory and Greatness, and we have heard his Voice out of the fire, and we have seen that God doth talk with man, and yet he remaineth alive. But you intimated that your present safety was a matter of great wonder to you, and though you had escaped that danger for the present, yet you were not willing to be exposed to the like danger again. For the very terror of it you apprehended would kill you, if God should speak to you again immediately by himself; and you said, What man is there that ever heard God speaking out of the fire (as we have done) and yet lived. Therefore you desired me to receive from the Lord all that He should command you, and to deliver it unto you, and you would hear it and do it. And the Lord approved of your motion, and further said, O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me, and keep all my Commandments always, that it might be well with them and with their Children forever. Therefore God commanded you to betake yourselves unto your Tents again, and commanded me to stand before him, and to receive from him all the Commandments, Statutes and Judgments which I should teach you, and which you should observe in the Land which He intended to give you, that you may walk in them, and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days, and that you may increase mightily as the Lord God of your Fathers promised you should do in that good Land that floweth with Milk and Honey.

[Chap. VI] 10. Moses now enters upon the explanation of the first Commandment, Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is one Lord, (one Eternal, Almighty, and divine Essence, one in substance, though three in persons,) and alone to be adored and worshipped. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy Soul, and with all thy might. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart, and so imprinted in thy mind and memory, that upon all occasions thou mayst know what thou art to do. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children, and shalt talk of them when thou fittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine head, and they shall be as Frontlets between thine eyes; that is, thou shalt use all means to keep them in continual remembrance, and to set them before the eyes of thy Children, that they may live according to them. And thou shalt write them on the posts of thy House, and on thy Gates, [see Ch. 11.18, 19, 20.] And when the Lord shall have brought thee into that good Land which He sware unto thy Fathers to give thee, and into great and goodly Cities which thou buildest not, and into Houses full of all good things which thou filledst not, and to Wells digged which thou digedst not, and to Vineyards and Olive-Trees which thou plantedst not; when thou hast eaten and art full, then beware lest thou forget the Lord that brought thee forth out of the Land of Egypt, from the house of Bondage. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and sware by his Name; that is, when thou hast a lawful Call to sware, thou shalt perform this religious act by the Name of the only true God, and not of any Idol, nor by any Creature whatsoever; Ye shall not follow after other gods, nor worship or serve the gods of other Nations that are round about, lest the anger of the Lord (who is a jealous God ) be kindled against thee, and He destroy thee from off the face of the Earth. Take heed also lest you provoke the Lord by your distrust and murmurings, and limiting the holy One of Israel, as you formerly did at Massah, [Exod. 17.2. Psal. 78.41.] And see that ye diligently observe the Commandments of the Lord, that ye may go in and possess the good Land which he promised to your Fathers to give you. And when your Children shall ask you in time to come what mean the Testimonies, Statutes and Judgments which the Lord our God hath commanded us? you shall say, We were bondmen in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out with a mighty hand, and the Lord shown Signs and Wonders great and sore upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh and his Household before our eyes, and the Lord commanded us to observe all these Statutes, and to fear Him for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as he hath done to this day. And if we carefully observe these Laws as he has commanded us, it shall be our Righteosness; that is, an evidence and manifestation of our Integrity and Uprightness before the Lord, and though our Obedience be weak and imperfect, yet if it be sincere, God in and thorough the Messias will accept of it, and will mercifully reward us for it.

11. He goes on to give them some further explanation of the first Commandment, [Chap. VII] enjoining them to extirpate the Canaanites, and their Idolatry, and to have no Communion with them, lest they should be seduced by them to the worship of other gods. They should remember they were a people holy to God, whom he freely chose, and will severely punish if they prove unfaithful; but if they be faithful, he will give them victory over their Enemies. He further says to them, When the Lord shall have brought you into the good Land he hath given you, to cast out the seven Nations of the Canaanites that are greater and mightier than you, and hath delivered them into your hands, then you shall smite them, and utterly destroy them; you shall make no Covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them, unless they become Proselytes and Converts to the true Religion which I have established among you. Neither shall you make Marriages with them; your Daughters you shall not give to their Sons, nor their Daughters shall you take to your Sons, for they will be apt to turn them away from following after the Lord your God, and entice them to serve other God's; so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, that he will destroy you suddenly. But you shall destroy their Altars, and break down their Images, and cut down their Groves, which they have planted for Idolatrous uses, and burn their graven Images with fire. For you are an holy people unto the Lord your God; the Lord hath chosen you to be a peculiar people to Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the Earth: And the Lord did not set his love upon you, and choose you because ye were more in number than any other people, (as in worldly Kingdoms Dominion over a great and populous Nation is more desired than over few. ) For the truth is, you were very few till God made such a miraculous multiplication of you in Egypt. The Lord loved you freely, and chose you of his own free Grace, not finding anything in you more than in others to move him so to do. And because the Lord loved you, and intended to keep the Oath which He had sworn unto your Fathers, He hath brought you out of the house of Bond-men, out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Know therefore that the Lord your God, he is the only true God, the faithful God, which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him, and keep his Commandments to thousand Generations, and repayeth them that hate him to their face; that is, will so apparently take Vengeance on them, (and will not be slack or slow to do it) that they shall plainly perceive (as men do a thing set before their face) that he doth it for their wickedness. Wherefore if you shall carefully observe the Commandments, Statutes and Judgments which I command you this day from the Lord, then will He keep and perform unto you the Covenant and Mercy which he sware unto your Fathers, and will love you and bless you, and exceedingly increase you. Will bless you in the fruit of the Womb, and your Corn, Wine and Oil, and the fruit of your Cattle shall be increased. You shall be blessed above all people; There shall not (except very rarely) be any Male or Female barren among you, or among your Cattle. And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and will not inflict upon you any of those dangerous and noisome Diseases wherewith (as it is well known to you) he punished the Egyptians for your sakes, [ Exod. 9.10.] and wherewith the Inhabitants of that Country were usually troubled, [ Deut. 28.27.] but will lay them upon all them that hate thee. You shall therefore destroy all the Nations that the Lord your God shall give into your hands; you shall have no pity upon them, neither shall you serve their God's, for that will be a snare to you, and a cause of your ruin, and will bring Judgments upon you from which you will not be able to free yourselves. But possibly you will say, These Nations are more than we, how can we then dispossess them? I say to you therefore, Be not afraid of them, but remember what the Lord your God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt. Remember the great Miracles, Signs and Wonders the Lord did in Egypt, and the great Trials and Temptations whereby He exercised, and proved Pharaoh and the Egyptians to see whither they would be obedient to Him; and how at last by a mighty Hand and an out-stretched Arm he brought you out. Be of good courage; so shall the Lord do to these Nations of which you seem now to be afraid. Moreover the Lord will send the Hornet among them, [see Exod. 23.28.] that is, venomous Flies that shall sting them to death, so that they that shall hide themselves from you, and think thereby to escape, shall be destroyed by them.

Be not therefore afraid of them, for the Lord your God is among you, a mighty God and terrible. He will cast out these Nations before you by little and little; He will not employ his Omnipotence to destroy them all at once, but according to the quality of human means He will do it by degrees; you shall not destroy them all at once, lest the Land become a Wilderness, and the wild Beasts of the Field increase upon you, see Exod. 23.29. But the Lord your God will deliver them into your hands, and you shall destroy them by degrees, and that with a mighty destruction. And he shall deliver their Kings into your hands, [see Josh. 10.24. & 12.7, 9, &c. ] and you shall destroy their Names from under Heaven, so that their names shall be buried in Oblivion, or if they be mentioned, it shall be to their Reproach. There shall none stand before you if you continue obedient to the Lord your God. The carved Images of the Heathen God's you shall burn with fire. You shall not desire the Silver and Gold that is on them, and with which they use to adorn them, nor take it unto your own use, but utterly consume it, with the Idols themselves, lest you be ensnared thereby; that is, lest by doing otherwise you should provoke God (who forbids you this, to work in you a greater detestation of Idolatry,) to send down Judgments upon you. And further, the Gold and Silver that has been used about Idols, and has served for Idolatrous uses, being an abomination to the Lord, you shall not bring it into your houses, lest you be accursed for having appropriated that to yourselves which God would have you detest, abhor and destroy.

[Chap. VIII] 12. He further urges them to Obedience, and observance of the Laws of God, and cautions them to take heed of forgetting God, or turning from him, when they came to enjoy the abundance of Canaan's blessings. Remember (says he) O Israel, what happened to thee in the way, and how the Lord led thee these forty years in the Wilderness to humble thee, and to prove thee whither thou wouldst keep his Commandments or no; and by this trying of thee, He intended to discover and make known to thyself and others what was in thy heart, 2 Chron. 32.31. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and then fed thee with Manna, which neither thou nor thy Fathers had ever known before; and He did this, that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God; that is, by anything that God shall please by his Command to give the power of nourishing unto. He further mentions two other effects of God's Providential Care over them: First, That their Garments waxed not old; that is, were not worn out nor decayed in forty years wearing, neither did their shoes wax old upon their feet, Deut. 29.5. 2ly, Their feet did not swell notwithstanding their continual travels in the Wilderness, Nehem. 9.21. Further (says he) thou shalt consider in thy heart that as a man chasteneth his Son, so the Lord thy God chastened thee, namely, out of love, and with a gentle hand; and this ought to work in thee a filial fear of offending Him, and an earnest desire in all things to obey him, and to walk in his ways and keep his Commandments. And moreover, consider the excellency of the Land into which the Lord thy God bringeth thee, viz. a Land of Brooks of Fountains, and deep Springs in Valleys, and which issue out of Hills; A Land of Wheat and Barley, of Vines, Fig-Trees and Pomegranates, a Land abounding with Oil and Honey, a Land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, and wherein thou shalt not lack anything, a Land whose Stones are Iron, and out of whose Hills thou mayst dig Brass; that is, a Land wherein there are abundance of Mines, and Iron mingled with the Stones, or as plentiful as Stones and Brass to be digged almost out of every hill. Beware therefore when thou hast eaten, and art full, and hast built goodly houses and dwelt therein, and when thy Herds and thy Flocks multiply, and thy Silver and Gold is multiplied, I say, beware then lest thy heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of Egypt, and led thee thorough that great and terrible Wilderness wherein were fiery Serpents and Scorpions, and Drought, who brought thee out water out of a Rock of Flint, and fed thee with Manna in the Wilderness, and did exercise thee with many Afflictions that he might humble thee, and prove thee, and do thee good at the latter end, viz. after he had humbled thee. When therefore thou art grown rich, and things go so well with thee, take heed left thou say in thy heart my power, and the might of my hand hath gotten me these great riches. But thou shalt remember that 'tis the Lord thy God that giveth thee power to get Wealth, that he may establish and make good his Covenant which he sware unto thy Fathers, as it is this day. And it shall be that if thou do forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other God's, and serve them, and worship them. I testify against you this day, that you shall surely perish, because ye would not be obedient to the Voice of the Lord your God.

13. He admonishes them to walk humbly with God, laying aside all conceits of [Chap. IX] their own worth and righteousness. To this end they should remember their many rebellions against God.

Hear, O Israel, (says He) thou art now shortly to pass over this Jordan, to go in and possess the Lands of Nations greater and mightier than thyself, whose Cities are great and fenced up to Heaven, [Ch. 1.28.] and the people great and tall, the Children of the Anakims, of whom, thou hast heard it spoken by way of Proverb, Who can stand before the Children of Anak understand this therefore, thou must not expect to Conquer these great and potent Nations by thy own strength or power, but the Lord thy God will go over before thee, as a consuming fire to destroy them before thy face, and thou shalt drive out quickly, and destroy those people whom thou shalt fight with immediately upon thy entrance into Canaan, though all the Inhabitants of the Land shall not be quickly destroyed, but by little and little, see Deut. 7.22. And when thou hast by the miraculous power and assistance of God thus cast them out, take heed of saying in thy heart for my Righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this good Land; For know that not for thy righteousness, or the uprightness of thy heart, the Lord will do this; but to punish the wickedness of the Inhabitants of the Land, and that he may perform his Word which he sware unto thy Fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Remember thou art a stiff-necked people, and didst highly provoke the Lord thy God in the Wilderness, yea from the day you came out of Egypt even unto this place, ye have in many things been rebellious against the Lord. Remember how in Horeb ye provoked the Lord your God, so that he was ready to have destroyed you, when I was gone up into the Mount to receive the Tables of Stone, even the Tables of the Covenant which the Lord made with you. I abode there 40 days and 40 nights, and did neither eat bread nor drink water; And the Lord delivered to me two Tables of Stone, on which were written with his own Finger the ten Commandments, word for word, as he spake them from the Mount out of the midst of the fire, on the day when ye assembled at the foot of the Mount to hear the Law from his mouth. At the end of 40 days and 40 nights God gave me these two Tables, and said unto me, Arise get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; They have made unto themselves a molten Image. Further the Lord said unto me, I have seen this people that they are a stiff-necked people; Let me alone that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under Heaven. Intercede no more for them, and I will make of thee a Nation mightier and greater than they. Then I prayed unto the Lord for you, that ye might not be destroyed, Exod. 32.11, 14. And I came down from the Mount with two Tables in my hands, and the Mount burned with fire, the terror of which sight (one would think) might have kept you from Idolatry, but I beheld, and lo you had made you a molten Calf, and I took the two Tables, and cast them out of my hands, and brake them before your eyes. And I took your Sin, that is, the Calf wherein you had so heinously sinned, (Idolatrously worshipping it instead of the true God, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust, and I cast the dust thereof into the Brook that descended out of the Mount, and made the people to drink thereof, to make them loath and detest so great an abomination. And I went up into the Mountain a second time, and fasted 40 days and 40 nights more by reason of this great sin of the people; and I fell down before the Lord as at first, and interceded for them, being much afraid of the great anger which the Lord had conceived against them. And I prayed unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God destroy not thy people, and thine Inheritance, which thou hast redeemed by thy great Power, and brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember thy Servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor unto their wickedness, nor to their sin. Lest the Land whence thou broughtest us out say, because the Lord was not able to bring them into the Land which he promised them, and because he hated them, he hath brought them out to slay them in the Wilderness. Remember, O Lord, they are thy people, and thine Inheritance which thou broughtest out of Egypt by thy mighty Power, and by thy stretched-out Arm.

The Lord was pleased to hearken unto me at that time also. And the Lord was very angry with Aaron who made the Calf for them, and was ready to have destroyed him, but I interceded for him also and prevailed. But though I insist chiefly on this sin at Horeb, because it was a most transcendent and grievous Transgression, yet alas! many other Rebellions of yours I might reckon up, as particularly at Taberah, Numb. 11.1, 3. at Massah, Exod. 17.7. at Kibroth-Hattaavah, Numb. 11.34. likewise at Kadesh-Barnea, when the Lord commanded you to go and take possession of the Land that He had given you, you would first send Spies to search the Land, and ten of them discouraged you from entering into it. Whereupon you rebelled against the Lord your God, and believed him not, nor hearkened to his Voice, see Numb. Ch. 13. & Ch. 14. You have been a rebellious people all along since I had the Charge and Government of you.

[Chap. X] 14. Having mentioned their many Rebellions, he comes now to show them God's great Kindness to them notwithstanding, and especially in renewing the two Tables of the Law; In leading them on towards Canaan; in continuing the Priesthood; in separating the Tribe of Levi, and in hearkening unto his Prayer not to destroy them. He further tells them, How upon his earnest intercession for them the Lord was pleased to be reconciled to them, and this he proves to them by several instances: As 1. That the Lord gave him charge to hew out two new Tables of Stone, and to come up with them into the Mount, and He would write on them the words of the first Tables which he had broken; and He commanded him also to make an Ark or Chest of Shittim-wood to keep those Tables in, viz. the Ark of the Testimony, which he took care to have made by Bezaleel, and there he placed them, and there (he tells them) they were at that day. Further he shows them, That the Children of Israel having gone many Journeys forward and backward in the Wilderness as the Lord commanded them, at last they went from Beeroth of the Children of Jaakan to Mosera which was a part of the same Mountain with Hor, though it had different names) and there Aaron died, and was buried; and this might humble them for the sin of the golden Calf, whereby God was so displeased with Aaron, that he would not permit him to go into Canaan. Yet that God permitted Eleazar his Son to succeed him in the Office of the High Priest was a proof of his being reconciled to them upon Moses 's prayer. Moreover he shows how they removed from Gudgodah, and God brought them to Jotbath a Land of waters, which was a great mercy to them in their travels through the Wilderness, and another proof of his grace and favor to them; and that he had regard to their Infirmity, that they might not have occasion to murmur against Him for want of water as formerly they had done. Then returning to the history of things done at Mount Sinai, He instances in the separating the Tribe of Levi (wherein not only the Levites, but the Priests also are comprehended,) to bear the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord, to minister unto him in divine Offices, and to bless the people in his Name, as a special sign of God's having received them into Favor again upon his prayer and intercession. And because the Tribe of Levi are thus to be employed, He shows they are to have no part of the Spoils taken in War, no Inheritance in the Land of Canaan (which was to be divided among the other Tribes, see Numb. 18.20. & 26.53, 57. & 35.2. & Deut. 18.1.) but the Lord himself would be their Inheritance, maintaining them by the First-fruits, Tythes, Vows and Oblations made unto Himself. These Gifts the Lord hath given him, they are his Inheritance, see Numb. 18.8, 9, &c. Deut. 12.19. And Moses further shows them, That God did manifest he had received them into Favor again, in that He said unto him, Arise take thy journey before the people, that they may go in and possess the Land which I sware unto their Fathers to give them; whereby the Lord intimated that he was willing they should presently have entered into the Land, had not they by their murmuring excluded themselves for many years after, Ch. 10. from 1. to verse. 12.

15. He now presses them with many pathetical Arguments, sincerely to love and obey the Lord.

And now, O Israel, (says he) what does the Lord require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, to love him and serve him with all thine heart, and with all thy Soul, to keep his Commandments and Statutes which I command thee this day for thy good. Behold the visible Heaven, and the Empiraean or third Heaven, the Heaven of Heavens, is the Lord's, thy God, and the Earth with all that therein is; He is Lord of all, and he needeth not any of his Creatures. And he set his love on thy Fathers, and chose their Seed after them out of his free Grace, above all other Nations, to be his peculiar people. Circumcise therefore the fore-skin of your hearts, that is, put away from your heart all that opposeth his holy Will, and be no more stiff-necked and disobedient to his Will. For the Lord your God is Lord of Lord's, a great, and mighty, and terrible God, who regardeth not persons merely for their outward Condition, nor taketh Reward; that is, will not pervert Judgment by condemning the Innocent, or acquitting the Wicked for Gifts or Rewards, as unrighteous Judges use to do. He doth execute righteous Judgment to all that are oppressed, Psal. 103.6. particularly to the Fatherless and Widow, and loveth the Stranger, and giveth him Food and Baiment. Ye shall therefore in imitation of Him love Strangers, for ye yourselves were sometime Strangers in the Land of Egypt. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and cleave to him, and swear by his Name, Ch. 16.13. He is thy praise, that is, He it is whom thou oughtest to praise continually, and in whom thou art to glory. And this shall be thy chief glory and praise among other Nations, that this great and mighty Jehovah is thy God, and that thou art his people. He is the God that hath done for thee these great and wonderful things (so terrible to thine Enemies) which thine eyes have seen. Remember thy Fathers that went down into Egypt were but threescore and ten persons, and now the Lord hath made thee as the Stars of Heaven for multitude.

16. He addresses his Speech to the ancienter sort, who being under twenty years [Chap. XI] old when they came out of Egypt, and of capacity then to observe, had seen how miraculously God delivered them out of that house of Bondage, and whose Eyes had seen all the great things the Lord had done for them in the Wilderness.

And to you (says He) of the ancienter sort I now direct my Speech. To you I speak, and not to your Children who have not known nor seen all that the Lord did for his people, nor the Miracles and wonderful things which He did in Egypt by his mighty Hand and out-stretched Arm, and how he destroyed Pharaoh and his Host in the Red-Sea, so that you enjoy the benefit of that destruction that fell upon the Egyptians even to this day, their Power being thereby so sweakened that they have not been able since to attempt anything against you. You also have seen what He hath done for you in the Wilderness till you came even to this place. You have seen also what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the Sons of Eliab, the Son of Reuben, how the Earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their Housholds and their Tents, and all the substance that was in their possession in the midst of Israel. These glorious Acts that God did in the Wilderness you have seen, and therefore have great reason to be obedient to his Commandments, that ye may be strengthened both in body and spirit to go into the good Land that floweth with Milk and Honey, and may fight against your Enemies, and subdue them, and may possess it and prolong your days in it. And further, to press them to Obedience, He tells them, The Land they were going to possess was not like the Land of Egypt whence they came out (which having but little rain, Zach. 14.18. and being watered with the overflowing of Nile ) occasioned the people to put their feet to the Spade to dig Trenches and Channels to derive water to their grounds, (when they had sown their Seed) to which the overflowing of Nile did not reach, so that they took pains to water them, as if a man should water a Garden of Herbs: But they were going to a Land which was continually watered with rain from Heaven, a Land of Hills and Valleys, (commodious, healthful and fruitful) and a Land not watered as Egypt by the art and industry of men, but by the special Care and Providence of God, whose eyes are upon it all the year long to send rain at all times when it needeth it. And when they came into that good Land, if they would be obedient unto God, He would give them rain in due season, the first rain after the sowing of their Seed to bring it out of the ground, and the latter a little before Harvest for the plumping and ripening of the Corn: and He will send grass in the Field for the Cattle, that so they may have plenty and abundance. Take heed therefore (says he) to yourselves that your hearts be not deceived, and that ye turn not aside and serve other gods and worship them, and so the Lord's wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the Heavens that there be no rain, and make the Land not to yield her fruit, and so you may perish quickly through scarcity from off the good Land which the Lord hath given you.

Further he exhorts them to lay up these his words in their hearts, and to bind them as a sign upon their hands, and set them as frontlets between their eyes, to write them upon the door-posts of their Houses and upon their Gates, that is, to use all due means to keep them in continual remembrance, and to teach them diligently to their Children, speaking of them when they sit in their house, and when they walk by the way, when they lie down and when they rise up; that so their days and the days of their Children may be multiplied, as the days of Heaven upon the Earth; that is, that they and their Posterity may continue in that good Land as long as the Heavens shall continue in their place over the Earth, namely, as long as the world shall last, see Psal. 89.29. (He tells them) if they shall diligently keep the Commandments of the Lord, and walk in his ways, and cleave unto him, then will He drive out all these Nations before them, and they shall possess the Lands of greater and mightier Nations than themselves. Every place (within the compass of the promised Land) whereon the soles of their feet shall tread shall be theirs, from the Wilderness of Paran the Southern border, unto Lebanon the Northern, from the River Euphrates the Eastern to the outermost Sea, or main Ocean the Western bound of the Inheritance promised them. There shall none be able to stand before them, for the Lord will put the fear and dread of them upon all the Inhabitants of the Land, they shall tread upon, as He hath promised.

Further he tells them, He sets before them this day a Blessing and a Curse; that is, He shows them what are the Promises of God to them on the one hand if they will be Obedient, and what are his Threatenings on the other hand in case they be Disobedient, and follow after other gods which were Strangers to them, and of whose god-head they never had any proof or experience. And by showing them both the one and the other he instructs them in the Choice which they should make. Moreover he gives them in Charge, that when they came into Canaan they should cause the blessings which the Lord had promised to them that keep his Laws, to be pronounced on Mount Gerizim, and the Curses which He had threatened against the Disobedient to be pronounced on Mount Ebal, and so should make these two Mountains to be as it were continual Remembrancers to the people, that when they see Mount Gerizim they may think of the Blessings set before them, and when they see Mount Ebal may think of the Curses. Those two Mountains he tells them are on the other side Jordan West-ward near unto Shechem, see Gen. 12.6, 7.

17. Having spoken so much by way of explanation of the First Commandment, [Chap. XII] He comes now to expound and dilate upon the Second, exhorting them to abolish all false Worship, and all Monuments of Idolatry, and to apply themselves to worship God only according to his own Will. In order hereunto he informs them of some particular Statutes and Judgments which the Lord required them to observe when they came into the Land of Canaan.

1. They must utterly destroy all places wherein the Nations, whose Lands they should possess, served their Idol-gods, viz. all places reared up, and fitted for Idol-Temples, and all places they used for their Idolatrous Worship either upon high Mountains and Hills, or under green Trees; and this was enjoin'd them to show how God detested Idolatry, and to prevent the Israelites from being tempted to worship Him in those places. Further he tells them, They must overthrow their Altars, and break their Pillars or standing Statues, and burn their Groves, and hew down their Images, and destroy their very Names and memory out of the Land. Ye must remember (says he) that ye must not so serve the Lord your God as the Heathens served their gods, who practic'd their Idolatry in all places where they lived; but you shall come to the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your Tribes, namely, the place where the Ark of the Covenant by his appointment shall rest, where he will manifest the signs of his powerful Presence, and will make known his Name; that is, his Glory to you; which place shall be called by his Name, viz. the House of God, and shall be consecrated to his Worship and Service. And ye shall come to this His Habitation or Dwelling-place to serve Him, and ask Counsel of Him. And hither ye shall bring your Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices as Sin-Offerings, Trespass-Offerings, &c. and your Tythes, viz. your second Tythes, the Tythe of that which remained after the first Tythe was paid to the Levites, see Deut. 14.23. see also verse. 17. of this Chapter, and the Heave-Offerings of your hands, that is, the several first-fruits which you are to bring in your hands, and heave them before the Lord, and then leave them to the Priests for their portion; and your Vows or Free-will-Offerings, that is, all such Sacrifices and Offerings as you shall extraordinarily bring either upon some Vow you have made, or freely and on your own accord, and the firstlings of your Herds and Flocks, see Numb. 18.17, 18. And when you have carried your Sacrifices and Offerings to the place the Lord shall choose, there shall you and your Housholds Feast with your holy things, and rejoice before the Lord, praising of him; and ye shall rejoice in all the good things which you have gotten through the Lord's blessing upon your labors. Furthermore you must know, That God will be served after a more exact manner when you come into Canaan than you serve him now. For now many Sacrifices, Rites and Feasts cannot be observed by reason of your unsettled state, so that every man does in a manner what seems right in his own eyes; but when you come to be settled in the Land of Canaan you must not think to do thus. For ye are not yet come to the place of Rest, and the Inheritance which the Lord your God intendeth to give you. But when the Lord hath brought you thither, and hath given you rest from all your Enemies round about, then there shall be a Place which the Lord will choose, and shall be called his House or Dwelling-Place, the place where he will manifest his Name and Glory, and thither shall ye bring all your Sacrifices and Oblations, and your choice things that you freely vowed to offer unto the Lord. And ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God, ye and your Sons and Daughters, your Men-Servants and Maid-Servants, and ye shall make the Levite that dwells within your Cities or Habitations to rejoice also in the participation of the Offerings, forasmuch as he hath no part nor Inheritance with you in the Land, but must live upon what is offered to the Lord as he hath appointed, [see Ch. 10.9.] Take heed therefore of offering your Burnt-Offerings, Sacrifices and Oblations in any other place than that which God shall choose. But in your own private dwellings you may kill and eat of those kinds of Beasts which are appointed for Sacrifice, as freely as of the Roe-buck and Hart which are not to be sacrificed, yet allowed to your Table. Neither shall there be any difference of persons observed in those private meals in respect of legal cleanness or pollution, but all may partake of any of them, according as through the Lord's blessing they can provide for themselves. Only ye shall not eat the blood, ye shall pour it upon the Earth as water, and cover it with dust, Levite. 17.13. Further he shows them, That they may not eat within their Gates the Tythe of their Corn, or Wine, or Oil; that is, the second Tythe of those things, the first being paid to the Levites, ) nor the firstlings of their Herds and Flocks, by which he means not those firstlings spoken of Numb. 18.17, 18. which as holy things consecrated to God, were allotted for the Priests portion, but either the Female firstlings (the Male-firstlings being only challenged by the Lord as his own, Exod. 13.12.) or the Firstborn after those first (which were given to the Lord) which indeed were the first that were the owners own, or the chief and best of their Lambs, Kids and Calves called here the Firstlings by way of excellency. Nor any of their vowed or free-will-Offerings, or Heave-Offerings, but must eat them before the Lord in the place which he shall choose, they and their Housholds and the Levite together, and there they should rejoice in all that the Lord allows them to put their hand to, and to eat and partake of. Further he cautions them to take heed of forsaking the Levite, by withholding their Offerings and Oblations from him, which were to be the means of his livelihood all the time they should live upon the Land. He shows they might kill and eat for their own refreshing whatsoever they desired at home, and when they had a purpose to offer Peace-Offerings, and by way of thankfulness to God for some eminent mercy to rejoice together; if the holy place were too far from them, they might feast together upon their Cattle which they might kill for food, only then they must be sure not to eat them as holy things, but even as they would eat the Roe-Buck or Hart. Only, (says he) as I said before, be sure you eat not the blood; for the blood is the vehicle of the animal life, and therefore you may not eat it with the flesh. And you must observe this Precept, that it may go well with you and your Children after you continually. As for their Burnt-Offerings, He shows them, they must offer the flesh and blood together upon the Altar, and the blood of their other pacifick Sacrifices and Peace-Offerings must be poured out upon the Altar, and then they might eat of the flesh of them. Further he shows them, That when the Lord their God shall have destroyed the Nations before them, whose Land they go to possess, then they must especially take heed that they be not ensnared by following their Idolatry; Therefore (says He) I advise you not to inquire after their gods, or how they worshipped them, thinking to serve the true God as they served their Idols. For they use to perform such Rites and Services to their Idols which are most abominable to the Lord; particularly they burn their Sons and Daughters in the fire to their gods. Take heed therefore of following them in these or any other of their abominations; do what I command you from the Lord, neither add it to it nor diminish from it.

18. He comes now to expound and dilate upon the Third Commandment, by prohibiting [Chap. XIII] the abuse of the Lord's Name, which was profaned by false Prophets, Revolters and Inticers to Idolatry.

Having given the people warning to take heed of being seduced to Idolatry by Strangers of other Nations, here he gives them the like warning to take heed of being seduced by any that should arise among their own Brethren. If there shall arise (saith he) among you any that shall pretend himself to be a Prophet, and shall say that God hath appeared to him a Vision, or a Dream, and he giveth you a sign or wonder; that is, laboreth to confirm what he saith he had by Vision or Dream, by foretelling some wonderful and supernatural thing that shall come to pass, though this sign and wonder come to pass, yet if withal he shall persuade you to worship false gods, or to worship the true God in a false manner, you shall not because of his signs and wonders regard what he saith, if his Doctrine be not according to the truth which God hath taught you. For the Lord may by the Spirit of Prophesy reveal things to come to wicked men and false Prophets (as he did to Balaam and Caiaphas. ) He knowing how thereby to bring Glory to Himself, though they intend only to corrupt and seduce thereby; For the Lord may suffer the Devil and false Prophets thus to abuse men, to try and make known whether they love the Lord their God with all their Hearts and Souls, and will cleave to him. For those whose hearts are upright towards God, will not be drawn away from the true Doctrine he hath taught them by such delusions, see Gal. 1.8. Therefore he enjoins them to put to death every Dreamer or false Prophet that shall endeavor to seduce them from the true Worship and Service of God unto Idolatry, and in so doing they shall not only justly punish evil doers, but prevent the hurt which they would do among the people. And He tells them, That not only the false Prophet, but all others whatsoever were to be put to death that should seduce them, though secretly, to Idolatry; and they were not to spare those that were dearest to them in this case. If thy Brother (says he) or thy Son or Daughter, or the Wife of thy bosom, or thy Friend (which is as thine own Soul) entice thee secretly saying, Let us go and serve other gods of what Nation soever, thou shalt not consent, and hearken unto him, neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare or conceal him, thou shalt certainly procure his death, by declaring the thing to the Magistrate, and informing and bearing Testimony against him, and procuring justice to be executed upon him according to this Law, and as his just Accuser thou shalt throw the first stone at him, see Deut. 17.7. and then the rest of the people shall stone him. And all Israel shall hear and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you. Further, that he may manifest God's extreme hatred and detestation of Idolatry, he tells them, That if in any of their Cities they shall hear of the revolt of any other of their Cities, through the instigation of some wicked men, Sons of Belial that went out from among them, separating themselves from God's people in point of Religion, they must first inquire diligently concerning the truth of the thing, and if they find it certain that such abomination is wrought among them, then they shall smite the Inhabitants of that City with the edge of the Sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the Cattle thereof; and they shall gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shall burn with fire the City and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the honor of God and in Obedience unto his Command, thereby offering it up as a Sacrifice to Him; and that City shall be a ruinous heap forever, and shall not be built again. They must not take to themselves, or their own use, any part of the accursed goods of the City, [see Josh. 6.17.] that so the Lord may turn from the firceness of his anger, which oftentimes is kindled not only against the Sinners themselves, but all Israel for their sakes, [see Joshua 7.1, 11, 12.

[Chap. XIV] 19. He comes now to give them some Precepts concerning their Conversation among themselves, which he shows should be holy, and therefore they should not hold Communion with Idolaters, nor conform themselves to them, in their Rites and Usages. Ye are the Children of God (says he) he hath chosen you to Himself for his peculiar people above all the Nations of the Earth, therefore you shall not, as the Heathens do, cut themselves, or make any incision in your flesh at the death of any of your dearest Friends, Levite. 19.28. nor make any baldness between your eyes, nor mourn so inordinately as they do who have no hope of a blessed Resurrection, or eternal life. These customs God forbids them to take up, not only because they were the desperate effects of immoderate mourning, but also because they were the customs of Idolaters, and He would not have his people to conform themselves to them in these things, lest they should from thence grow to a conformity to them in their Idolatrous worshipping of false gods. In the next place he shows them, That they may not eat any abominable thing, namely, such as God hath forbidden them. And therefore here he sets down what may, and what may not be eaten of Beasts, of Fowls, of Fishes; of all which see Sect. 33. and Levite. 11. If any clean Creature died of itself, it might be sold to or eaten by a stranger, but not by themselves; which restraints were to mind them of the difference God put between them and other Nations, and the especial purity he required of them above other people. Further he tells them, They shall not seethe a Kid in its Mothers milk; that is, they shall not be cruel as to seethe a Kid in that milk of its Dam which was given it for its nourishment, see Sect. 17. of Ch. 4. Further he enjoins them to tythe all the increase of their Seed that the Field bringeth forth year by year, and that not only the first tythe which they were to pay yearly to the Levites in the several places of their Habitations, Numb. 18.24. but the second Tythe, taken after that which they should spend in holy Feastings, before the Lord in the place which he shall choose, together with the firstlings of their Herds and Flocks; that is, either the Female-firstlings, or the first-born after the Male-firstlings were paid to the Priest, see Ch. 12.17. And the reason he gives why they should go up to the place the Lord had chosen, and there feast together with these their holy things, is, that they might learn to fear the Lord their God always, because the presenting themselves thus yearly before the Lord with their Sacrifices and Offerings, must needs be of itself a good means to keep their hearts in a continual awe and reverence of God, and at that holy place, and in those holy Convocations, the Priests were to instruct them in the Law and the Promises concerning the Messiah; and in their Sacrifices they might behold a shadow of their Redemption by him; all which must needs conduce to teach them the fear of the Lord. But in case they dwelt very far from the House of the Lord, and their Tythes and Firstlings were so many that they could not well carry them so far, then they might sell those things and carry the money with them, and buy therewith what they were to use there, namely, Oxen, or Sheep, or Wine, or strong Drink, or what else they desired to make a cheerful Feast, that they might rejoice together before the Lord. And (says he) remember that thou forsake not nor neglect the Levite, that is, not only pay him the first Tythes, but communicate to him also of these second Tythes, that he may be sufficiently provided to eat and drink and rejoice before the Lord as well as thyself, seeing he is to have no Land of Inheritance among you to supply this unto him. And every third year after the Sabbatical (when the Land is to rest) and so in the sixth year after that thou shalt bring forth all the Tythe of thy increase that year, that is, separate a third Tythe, which shall be laid up in some public place in the Towns and Cities where they dwelt, and that not only for the Levite but also for the Stranger, the Fatherless and Widow, [Deut. 26.12.] that they may eat, and be satisfied. And in so doing they might expect the Lord would please to bless them, and prosper the works of their hands.

[Chap. XV] He amplifies and enlarges upon the Fourth Commandment, dilating upon the Rites and Observances required in the seventh or Sabbatical year. At the end of every seventh year, reckoning inchoative from the Sabbatical year (says he) thou shalt make a release; that is, every Creditor that lendeth ought unto his Neighbor shall release it; He shall not exact it of his Neighbor or his Brother, that is, of any Israelite whatsoever, because the Lord hath ordained it to be a year of Release. But of a Foreigner or Heathen (not proselyted) thou mayst require what is thine with him. And the end why ye shall so release is this, that there may not be through your exacting debts