The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 92 (1 of 3)

The History of the Old Testament Methodized · Chapter 4 · Section 92 (1 of 3)

p. 216SECT. 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 **Hence this Book is call'd Deuteronomy, or a ſecond Declaration of the Law. foreign, quaſi ſecunda vel ſecundaria Lex. Repetitio eſt praecipuarum Legum ac monitorum in eorum gratiam, qui tempore promulgatae Legis aut nondum nati, aut per aetatem intelligendi incapaces erant. Cum quibus Moſes hic inſtaurat foedus; praeterea quaedam hic nova addita.to them. He cauſes them to enter into a ſolemn Covenant to ſerve the Lord faithfully. He Predicts and foretells what would befal them hereafter, and ſolemnly bleſſes them before his death.

Chap. I And firſt, He reminds them of Gods calling Iſrael from Horeb, to march towards Canaan. He tells them how when they had continued well nigh a full year at Horeb, **In journying from Egypt to Kadeſh-barnea they ſpent about two years, and from thence to the fields of Moab about 38 years, whereas from Horeb or Sinai to Canaan it was but about 11 or 12 days Journey, had they not provoked God by their ſins to keep them wandring in the Wilderneſs ſo long.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 my ſelf not able to bear the weight and burden of governing ſo great a people alone, I ſaid unto you, The Lord hath multiply'd 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 p. 217Rulers 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 Gods; 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 ſhews them, that when they left Horeb, they marched thorow all that great and terrible Wilderneſs, (a Land where no man dwelt, and wherein were fiery Serpents and Scorpions, [Deut. 8.15.] a Land extream 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 **At que hic certum eſt Exploratores eſſe exigente populi incredulitate miſſos. Deum Ducem ſequi d… bebant, & Cananaeos fidenter aggredi. Sed Dei promiſſis fidem non habebant, Deut. 9.23.Deut 9:23might 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 Figgs, 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 incouragement you did not believe **This unbelief the Apoſtle notes to be the cauſe why they entred not into the Land of Promiſe, Heb. 4.6.Heb 4:6in 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 Ʋnbelief, 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 incourage 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 **See Pſal. 118.12.Ps 118:12uſe to do, who being angred come out in great ſwarms p. 218againſt them that diſturbe 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 verſ. 19. to the end.

Chap. II 4. He then relates their march from Kadeſh-Barnea, and their compaſſing Mount Seir **Mons Seir, i. e. Idumaea; Idumaea dicitur mons quia Regio eſt Montoſa.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 wandred a long time (almoſt 38 years, going forward and backward) in that mountainous Country of Seir, we returned, by Gods 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,††Though afterwards when their Poſterity had filled up the meaſure of their ſins, they might be expelled out of their Poſſeſſion, ſee 1 Chron. 18.13. And this preſent Charge ſeems limited to thoſe Edomites that lived about Mount Seir. For the Amalekites were the Children of Eſau, Gen. 36.12. and thoſe God commanded them to deſtroy, Exod. 17.14.1 Chr 18:13Gen 36:12Exod 17:14 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,**Hereby it is evident that the Iſraelites did not eat only Manna in the Wilderneſs, but other meat alſo when it could be gotten. 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 Lords eye hath been upon thee to take care of thee in all thy travels thorow 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 thy ſelf 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 thorow the Wilderneſs of Moab; then the Lord charged us we ſhould not diſtreſs the Moabites, nor contend with them in battel, for He would not give us their Land, having given the City Ar ††Ar was a chief and Royal City of the Moabites, and ſo it is here put for the whole County.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, verſ. 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 Philiſtins [ſee Gen. 10.14.] deſtroyed the Auites, the former Inhabitants of their Country, verſ. 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 numbred by Gods 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 incouraged 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 thorow his Land, promiſing that we would go directly along the High-way, and not turn out of the Rode into the Fields or Vineyards to the right hand or to the left, and that we would p. 219pay 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 thorow 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 thorow the out-skirts of their Country. But Sihon would not let us paſs, for the Lord hardned **God cannot be the Author of Sin, or the rebellion of the heart, but he may (being debtor to no man) withhold his grace, He may leave men to themſelves, He may permit Satan to work effectually in them. See Sect. 59. of Ch. 3. on Exod. 4.21.Exod 4:21his 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 Cattel and the Spoil of the Cities to our ſelves for a Prey. But the Land which was on the out-ſide 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 what-ever elſe was in the poſſeſſion of the Ammonites did we not at all meddle with, or with any thing 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 Cattel and the Spoil of the Cities we took as a Prey to our ſelves. 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, (c)(c)And Ch. 4.48. Sion.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 **The Cubit of a man being uſually a foot and an half, according to this meaſure his Bedſtead was four yards and an half long, and two yards broad.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 (d)(d)Poſſibly this Bedſtead was taken in ſome War between the Ammonites and this King, and ſo kept in Rabbah as a glorious Trophy of their Victory.the chief City of the Ammonites, from 1. to 12.

6. He ſhews how he diſtributed thoſe Countries taken from the two Kings, to Reuben, Gad, and the half Tribe of Manaſſeh, [ſee Numb. 32.19.] enjoyning 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 ſhew 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.

p. 2208. From all theſe Experiences of Gods 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 practiſe 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 **Improbatur hic foreign & cultus proprio arbitrio excogitatus. Confer Deut. 12.8, 32. Numb. 15.39, 40. Prov. 30.5, 6. Gal. 3.10.Deut 12:8Deut 12:32Num 15:39Num 15:40Prov 30:5Prov 30:6Gal 3:10to 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 your ſelves from that Tranſgreſſion, were ſaved from that deſtruction. Behold I ſet before you the Statutes ††Some by Statutes underſtand Ornances of divine Worſhip, and by Judgments Laws that concern their duty towards men, and the puniſhment of Tranſgreſſors.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**Ex legibus de populis fit juditium. 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††Moſt of thoſe that ſtood then at Horeb were dead, ſee Ch. 2.14, 15, 16. But many that were then young were now alive. 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, **Per hyperbolen ſignificat quod vehementer & altiſſime flammas evomeret.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 your ſelves, leſt you corrupt your ſelves 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 Gods, 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 diſhonour 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††Moſes being ſure of Heaven envies not thoſe that ſhould inherit the earthly Canaan. 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 ſetled in the Land of Canaan, and are mightily increaſed, that you be not ſecure, nor think it a ſmall matter to corrupt your ſelves by Idolatry; for if you do, I call Heaven and Earth to witneſs againſt you this day, that I faithfully admoniſh'd 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, p. 221and would ſcatter you among Heathen Nations, where you ſhall ſerve their Gods, **Quod in patria feciſtis ultro, facietis attoniti pudore at que inviti exules.(or at leſt thoſe that did ſerve them) viz. ſuch Gods as are the work of mens 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 your ſelves before the Lord, and ſhall ſeek his Face, and turn to him with all your Heart ††Some think thoſe verſes from 27. to 32. to be a Propheſie of the calling of the Jews.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, (e)(e)God propounding his Will to the Iſraelites, tried their Obedience whither they would truſt in Him. They were alſo temptations to Pharaoh, to try whither he would be won to yield to God, and let the people go.Signs, Wonders by War (f)(f)Againſt Pharaoh whom with his Hoſt He deſtroyed in the Red-Sea.and by a mighty Hand, and out-ſtretched Arm, and by great Terrours, 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.**Ante ſe] in exitu ex Aegypto retro ſe poſuit ut eos intueretur. And he brought you out of Egypt, that you might drive out other Nations greater and mightier than you, and take their Land to your ſelves 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 verſ. 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 ſhews 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 entred 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(g)(g)Plurimi eorum qui tempore Legiſlationis in Horeb fuerunt infra 20 annos, poterant eorum meminiſſe quae ibi geſta, & dicta fuerunt. may remember (ſays he) how God when he gave you the Ten Commandments talked with you face to face; (h)(h)V. 4. Facie ad faciem loquutus eſt nobis] i. e. praeſens praeſentibus fine ullo internuncio.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 any more.

p. 222Now the Ten Commandments the Lord ſpake to you in Horeb, you may find recorded in the 20th Chapter of Exodus. (i)(i)Some words are here added by Moſes in this fifth Chapter of Deuteronomy to thoſe uttered by God on Mount Sinai, Exod. 20. as an explanation of them. In the fourth Commandment, as it was there delivered by the Lord, the Worlds Creation, and Gods reſting on the ſeventh day was mentioned as a main ground of it, Exod. 20.11. But here Moſes omits that, and preſſeth their deliverance out of Egypt as a chief reaſon of Gods injoyning them to ſanctifie this day, Deut. 5.15. becauſe by their redemption out of Egypt they were bound to Conſecrate themſelves wholly to Gods Service as his peculiar people, whereof the holy employment of the Sabbath might be a notable memorial and ſign: and ſecondly becauſe of that particular charge of ſuffering their Servants to reſt on the Sabbath-day, their former Bondage in Egypt being a ſtrong inducement to move them to it, ut requieſcat ſervus tuus, &c. Exod. 20.17. God forbids the coveting of our Neighbours houſe, and then next the coveting of his wife. Here the coveting of our Neighbours wife is firſt forbidden, and then afterwards the coveting of his houſe, &c, ſo that they that would divide this laſt Commandment into two as the Papiſts do, cannot juſtly ſay which is the ninth Commandment, and which is the tenth, becauſe one branch of it is firſt in Exodus, and another is firſt in Deuteronomy; and we cannot reaſonably think that Moſes would pervert the order of the ten Commandments. Paul makes but one Commandment of both branches, Rom. 7.7.Exod 20Exod 20:11Deut 5:15Exod 20:17Rom 7:7Theſe 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 terrour 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 (k)(k)Humanitas optanda, non ſperanda deſignat.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 for ever. Therefore God commanded you to betake your ſelves 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 (l)(l)Scopus hujus praecepti eſt non ad hujuſmodi Ceremonias praeciſas obſtringere, ſed continuam Legis recordationem inculcare. Janſ. vide Exod. 13.9. The Phariſees followed the literal ſenſe in their Phylacteries, which were ſome written Schedules of Parchment which were faſtened to their Foreheads and Arms, to keep the Law of God in remembrance, ſee Matth. 23.5.Exod 13:9Matt 23:5between 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 p. 223of 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 ſhewed Signs and Wonders great and ſore upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh and his Houſhold 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 Ʋprightneſs before the Lord, and though our Obedience be weak and imperfect, yet if it be ſincere, God in and thorow 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 injoyning 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 ſhew 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 intice them to ſerve other Gods; ſo will the anger of the Lord be kindled againſt you, that he will deſtroy you ſuddainly. 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 any thing 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 Cattel 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 Cattel. 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.] p. 224and 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 Gods, for that will be a ſnare to you, and a cauſe of your ruine, and will bring Judgments upon you from which you will not be able to free your ſelves. 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, venemous 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 humane 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(m)(m)Another reaſon is rendred, Judg. 3.1, 2.Judg 3:1Judg 3:2 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. (n)(n)Where 31 Kings were reckoned whom Iſrael conquered.] and you ſhall deſtroy their Names (o)(o)All this is promiſed upon condition of their obedience to God. For when they obeyed not Gods Command, we read afterwards of many of thoſe Nations that were too ſtrong for them, ſee Joſhua 15.63. & 17.12. & Judg. 1.34.Josh 15:63Josh 17:12Judg 1:34from 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 Gods 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 inſnared 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 your ſelves which God would have you deteſt, abhor and deſtroy.**See Joſhua 7.1, 12, 21.Josh 7:1Josh 7:12Josh 7:21

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 Canaans bleſſings. Remember (ſays he) O Iſrael, what happen'd 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 thy ſelf 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 any thing that God ſhall pleaſe by his Command to give the power of nouriſhing unto. He further mentions two other effects of Gods Providential Care over them: Firſt, That their Garments **Thoſe that out-grew their Garments might be ſupplied with the Garments of ſuch as died in the Wilderneſs, and then the Garments they left off might ſerve thoſe that grew to their ſtature. Beſides the proviſion of Apparrel they had of their own, they were furniſhed with many Suits of ſeveral ſizes for themſelves and their Children by borrowing of the Egyptians, Exod. 3.22. & 12.35. Many of different ages and ſtatures dying, 'tis like their Garments were kept for, and uſed by ſuch as ſucceeded, that were of the ſame ſtature.Exod 3:22Exod 12:35waxed 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 p. 225travels 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 Vallies, and which iſſue out of Hills; A Land of Wheat and Barley, of Vines, Figg-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 any thing, 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 thorow 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 Gods, and ſerve them, and worſhip them. I teſtifie 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 thy ſelf, 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; p. 226they 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 terrour 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 hainouſly 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 interceeded 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 entring into it. Whereupon you rebelled againſt the Lord your God, and believed him not, nor hearkned 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 ſhew them Gods 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,(p)(p)Herein they differed from the firſt Tables, which were the work of God, Exod. 32.16.Exod 32:16 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 ſhews 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 (q)(q)Contentus & hoc loco Moſes recitatione hiſtoriarum ſeu rerum, ne que ſuperſtitiosè circumſtantias locorum tractavit. Non fuit illi propoſitum manſiones recenſere, ſed beneficia Dei in certis manſionibus praeſtita celebrare. Gerar.of the Children of Jaakan to Moſera (r)(r)Abulenſis duo diſtincta loca conjectat Moſera & Moſeroth; Illum, locum quendam in monte Hor; hunc, manſionem Iſraelitarum (vide Numb. 33.30.) quae ſolutio videtur probabilis.Num 33:30which was a part of the ſame Mountain with Hor, though it had p. 227different names) and there Aaron died, and was buried; and this might humble them for the ſin of the golden Calf, whereby God was ſo diſpleas'd 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 ſhews 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 favour 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 Gods having received them into Favour again upon his prayer and interceſſion. And becauſe the Tribe of Levi are thus to be imployed, He ſhews 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 ſhews them, That God did manifeſt he had received them into Favour 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 entred into the Land, had not they by their murmuring excluded themſelves for many years after, Ch. 10. from 1. to verſ. 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 Lords, 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 Lords, a great, and mighty, and terrible God, who regardeth not perſons meerly 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 your ſelves 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 **See Notes on Gen. 46.27.Gen 46:27perſons, 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.

p. 228And 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 injoy 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 any thing 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 Nilus) 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 Nilus 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 Vallies, (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**V. 14, 15. Moſes having hitherto ſpoken to the people in his own name, here he ſpeaks to them as in the perſon of God. would give them rain in due ſeaſon, the(s)(s)Sub quibus extremis omnis pluvia opportuna comprehenditur. 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 Cattel, that ſo they may have plenty and abundance. Take heed therefore (ſays he) to your ſelves that your hearts be not deceived, and that ye turn not aſide and ſerve other gods and worſhip them, and ſo the Lords 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, (t)(t)See particular 10. and Ch. 6.8.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, (u)(u)Had not the Jews provoked God by their Diſobedience, to caſt them out of that good land, this Promiſe ſhould have been made good to them. And from this Promiſe ſome conceive and hope that upon the Repentance of the Jews, and their embracing of Chriſt, they ſhall be again re-eſtabliſhed in this Land, and therein continue with great glory to the end of the world.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.(x)(x)See this Promiſe fulfilled, 2 Chron. 9.26. in Solomon's Reign.2 Chr 9:26 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.

p. 229Further he tells them, He ſets before them this day a Bleſſing and a Curſe; that is, He ſhews them what are the Promiſes of God to them on the one hand if they will be Obedient, and what are his Threatnings 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 ſhewing 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, **Two Hills near together in the Tribe of Ephraim.and the Curſes which He had threatned againſt the Diſobedient to be pronounced on(y)(y)This is afterwards injoyn'd again, Deut. 27.12, &c. where 'tis more fully expreſs'd how it was to be done, and Joſh. 8.33. how it was accordingly done. And it ſeems from this Commandment given to Moſes concerning Mount Gerizim, the Samaritans, many Ages after, took occaſion to build a Temple there, as taking that Hill to be a bleſſed place, compare Joh. 4.3, 20. with Judg. 9.7. 2 Macc. 6.2.Deut 27:12Josh 8:33John 4:3John 4:20Judg 9:72 Macc 6:2 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, Second Commandment.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 requir'd 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 injoyn'd them to ſhew 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 (z)(z)Now theſe places were firſt Shilo, Joſh. 18.8. where the Ark continued to the days of Samuel, viz. 243 years. Then Nob, 1 Sam. 21.6. laſtly Jeruſalem.Josh 18:81 Sam 21:6which the Lord your God ſhall chuſe 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 (a)(a)The reaſons why the Lord appointed his people to offer Sacrifices in one place only were, (1.) Becauſe he would teach them that there was but one only way to obtain pardon for their Sins, and acceptance of any Service they performed unto God, and that was by Chriſt their promiſed Meſſias, of whom the Tabernacle and Temple was a Type. (2.) Becauſe hereby they might be kept to an uniform way of Worſhipping God, that corruptions in his Worſhip might be prevented, whereinto they might eaſily fall had they been allowed to offer their Sacrifices ſome in one place and ſome in another. For this cauſe it was that the Kings of Judah were ſo often blamed, becauſe they did not remove the high-places, but ſuffered the people to Sacrifice there.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 (b)(b)For …hat or the money for which they ſold it they were to carry up yearly to Jeruſalem, and therewith to keep a holy Feaſt before the Lord, ſee Ch. 14. verſ. 22, 27.of that which remained after the firſt Tythe was paid to the Levites, ſee Deut. 14.23. ſee alſo verſ. 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 chuſe, there ſhall you and your Houſholds p. 230(c)(c)Though the Males only were bound thrice a year to appear before the Lord, Exod. 23.17. yet at theſe times the Maſters of Families were wont of their own accord to carry their Wives, Daughters, and Maid-Servants with them, as Elkanah did, 1 Sam. 1.4.Exod 23:171 Sam 1:4Feaſt with your holy things, and rejoyce before the Lord, praiſing of him; and ye ſhall rejoyce in all the good things which you have gotten through the Lords bleſſing upon your labours. 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 unſetled ſtate, ſo that every man does in a manner what ſeems right in his own eyes; but when you come to be ſetled 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 chuſe, and ſhall be call'd his Houſe or Dwelling-Place, the place where he will manifeſt his Name **Nomen quod implorant illic orantes. Tum ſi qui ſint alibi praecati, mentem tamen huc at que oculos oportebat inflectere, 1 Reg. 8.29, 44.1 Kgs 8:291 Kgs 8:44and 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 rejoyce 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 rejoyce 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 chuſe. 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 Lords bleſſing they can provide for themſelves. Only ye ſhall not eat the blood, ††This reſtraint poſſibly was laid upon them, to make them the more fearful of ſhedding mans blood.ye ſhall pour it upon the Earth as water, and cover it with duſt, Levit. 17.13. Further he ſhews them, That they may not eat within their Gates the Tythe (d)(d)Non ſunt hic intelligendae decimae Levitis & Sacerdotibus debitae, ſed aliae quas poſt ſolutas decimas ordinarias ſolv…bant, Deut. 14.22, 23. Ex illis inſtituebant …pulas. Fridlib.Deut 14:22Deut 14:23of their Corn, or Wine, or Oil; that is, the ſecond Tythe of thoſe things, the firſt being paid to the Levites,) nor the firſtlings (e)(e)Quae deo oſterre debueris vel volueris ad locum conſtitutum deferas, vel ea vel pecuniam qua ea commutaveris.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 call'd 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 chuſe, they and their Houſholds and the Levite together, and there they ſhould rejoyce 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 (f)(f)Decimarum varia erant gen ra, (1.) Decima Levitica quae tota Levitis cedebat. (2.) Decima ſecundaria quae poſt primam ſeparabatur abſumenda in his epulis, Deut. 12.12, 17. & praecipue 14. 22. (3.) Decima de decimâ quae …at ſacerdotum. (4.) Decima trieterica tertio quovis anno.Deut 12:12Deut 12:17from him, which were to be the means of his livelihood all the time they ſhould live upon the Land. He ſhews they might kill and eat for their own refreſhing whatſoever they deſired at home, and when they had a purpoſe to offer Peace-Offerings, and by way of thankfulneſs to God for ſome eminent mercy to rejoyce together; if the holy place were too far from them, they might feaſt together upon their Cattel which they might kill for food, only then they muſt be ſure not to eat them as holy things, but even as they would eat the Roe-Buck or Hart. Only, (ſays he) as I ſaid before, be ſure you eat not the blood; for the blood is the vehicle of the animal life, and therefore you may not eat it with the fleſh. And you muſt obſerve this Precept, that it may go well with you and your Children(g)(g)A man cannot better bleſs his Children than by his own Obedience to his heavenly Father. after you continually. As for their Burnt-Offerings, He ſhews them, they muſt offer the fleſh and blood together upon the Altar, and the blood of their other pacifick Sacrifices and Peace-Offerings muſt be poured out upon the Altar, and then they might eat of the fleſh of**For only the fl ſh of theſe Sacrifices was to be eaten by the Owners, Levit. 15.Lev 15 them. Further he ſhews them, That when the Lord their God ſhall have deſtroyed the Nations before them, whoſe Land they go to poſſeſs, then they muſt p. 231eſpecially take heed that they be not inſnared by following their Idolatry; Therefore (ſays He) I adviſe you not to inquire after their gods, or how they worſhipped them, thinking to ſerve the true God as they ſerved their Idols. For they uſe to perform ſuch Rites and Services to their Idols which are moſt abominable to the Lord; particularly they burn their Sons and Daughters **Of this abomination practis'd by the Heath…n, and imitated by the backſliding Jews, ſee Jer. 7.31. & 19.5.Jer 7:31Jer 19:5in the fire to their gods. Take heed therefore of following them in theſe or any other of their abominations; do what I command you from the Lord, neither add it to it nor diminiſh from it.

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

Having given the people warning to take heed of being ſeduced to Idolatry by Strangers of other Nations, here he gives them the like warning to take heed of being ſeduced by any that ſhould ariſe among their own Brethren. If there ſhall ariſe (ſaith he) among you any that ſhall pretend himſelf to be a Prophet, and ſhall ſay that God hath appeared to him a Viſion, or a Dream, and he giveth you a ſign or wonder; (h)(h)Such as the cleaving Jeroboam's Altar which the Prophet told them of before hand, 1 Kings 13.3. as a ſure ſign that God had ſent him.1 Kgs 13:3that is, laboureth to confirm what he ſaith he had by Viſion or Dream, by foretelling ſome wonderful and ſupernatural thing that ſhall come to paſs, though this ſign and wonder come to paſs, yet if withall he ſhall perſwade you to worſhip falſe gods, or to worſhip the true God in a falſe manner, you ſhall not becauſe of his ſigns and wonders regard what he ſaith, if his Doctrine be not according to the truth which God hath taught you. For the Lord may by the Spirit of Propheſie reveal things to come to wicked men and falſe Prophets (as he did to Balaam and Caiaphas.) He knowing how thereby to bring Glory to Himſelf, though they intend only to corrupt and ſeduce thereby; For the Lord may ſuffer the Devil and falſe Prophets thus to abuſe men, to try and make known whether they love the Lord their God with all their Hearts and Souls, and will cleave to him. For thoſe whoſe hearts are upright towards God, will not be drawn away from the true Doctrine he hath taught them by ſuch deluſions, ſee Gal. 1.8. Therefore he injoyns them to put to death every Dreamer or falſe Prophet that ſhall endeavour to ſeduce them from the true Worſhip and Service of God unto Idolatry, and in ſo doing they ſhall not only juſtly puniſh evil doers, but prevent the hurt which they would do among the people. And He tells them, That not only the falſe Prophet, but all others whatſoever were to be put to death that ſhould ſeduce them, though ſecretly, to Idolatry; and they were not to ſpare thoſe that were deareſt to them in this caſe. If thy Brother (ſays he) or thy Son or Daughter, or the Wife of thy boſome, or thy Friend (which is as thine own Soul) entice thee ſecretly ſaying, Let us go and ſerve other gods of what Nation ſoever, thou ſhalt not conſent, and hearken unto him, neither ſhall thine eye pity him, neither ſhalt thou ſpare or conceal him, thou ſhalt certainly procure his death, by declaring the thing to the Magiſtrate, and informing and bearing Teſtimony againſt him, and procuring juſtice to be executed upon him according to this Law, and as his juſt Accuſer thou ſhalt throw the firſt ſtone at him, ſee Deut. 17.7. and then the reſt of the people ſhall ſtone him. And all Iſrael ſhall hear and fear, and ſhall do no more any ſuch wickedneſs as this is among you. Further, that he may manifeſt Gods extream hatred and deteſtation of Idolatry, he tells them, That if in any of their Cities they ſhall hear of the revolt of any other of their Cities, through the inſtigation of ſome wicked men, Sons of Belial that went out from among them, ſeparating themſelves from Gods people in point of Religion, they muſt firſt inquire diligently concerning the truth of the thing, and if they find it certain that ſuch abomination is wrought among them, then they ſhall ſmite the Inhabitants of that City with the edge of the Sword, deſtroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the Cattel thereof; and they ſhall gather all the ſpoil of it into the midſt of the ſtreet thereof, and ſhall burn with fire the City and all the ſpoil thereof every whit, for the honour of God and in Obedience unto his Command, thereby offering it up as a Sacrifice to Him; and that City ſhall be a ruinous heap for ever, and ſhall not be built again. They muſt not take to themſelves, or their own uſe, any part of the accurſed goods of the City, [ſee Joſh. 6.17.] that ſo the Lord may turn from the firceneſs of his anger, which oftentimes is kindled not only againſt the Sinners themſelves, but all Iſrael for their ſakes, [ſee Joſhua 7.1, 11, 12.