The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 39 – Section 40
SECT. XXXIX.
AT this time the Son of Shelomith, whoſe Father was an Egyptian, though his Mother an Iſraelite, falling into contention with one that was an Iſraelite by both Parents, wickedly blaſphemed the Name of God, and curſed. Poſſibly the Iſraelite upbraided him with his Idolatrous Father, and denied him to be a true Iſraelite, or a Member of the Church of God; whereupon, in his rage, (as it ſeems) he ſpake ſcornfully and opprobriouſly of the God of Iſrael, and ſlighted the Priviledge of being one of his people. Hereupon they brought him to Moſes, to know how they ſhould puniſh ſuch an abominable Blaſphemer as He was, and having ſecured him for a time, God Commands Moſes that he ſhould be brought out of the Camp; and that the Witneſſes ſhould lay their hands upon his head, to teſtifie that they laid this ſin of Blaſphemy truly to his Charge, and that he being really guilty thereof deſerved to be puniſhed, and as a Sacrifice to be offered up to the Juſtice of God for his ſin, that ſo the whole people might not be puniſhed for it. And then it was ordered that the whole Congregation ſhould ſtone him; which was done accordingly, Levit. 24. from 10 to 15. and verſ. 23. After this, and on this occaſion, Moſes receives from the Lord particular Laws concerning the puniſhment of Blaſpheming, and curſing God, viz. that ſuch Offenders ſhould be ſtoned to death, verſ. 15, 16. Alſo Laws concerning the puniſhing of Murder with Death; and that he that killeth a Beaſt belonging to another man ſhall make it good. Alſo the Law of requital or retaliation for blemiſhes, (called Jus talionis) as if a man cauſe a blemiſh in his Neighbour, as He hath done, ſo it ſhall be done unto Him, viz. an Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth, which was not to be executed by the particular perſons that were hurt or injured, but by the Magiſtrate upon due Proceſs. And though in Ceremonials, Strangers had neither priviledge by the uſe (except they were Proſelytes) nor hurt by the omiſſion of them; yet in Capital Crimes, if they and the Iſraelites ſinned alike, they were to be puniſhed alike. See Exod. 12.49. Levit. 24. from verſ. 17. to 23.
SECT. XL.
MOſes now receives Laws concerning the Sabbatical Year, viz. that when they came into the Land of Canaan every ſeventh year ſhould be a year of reſt to the Land, which they ſhould obſerve in ſign of Homage to the Lord, whoſe the Land was: and in this year the Land ſhould neither be tilled nor ſowed, [ſee Exod. 23.11.] neither might they prune their Vineyards, or gather in the Fruits thereof; and whatſoever Fruits the Land brought forth they were not to look upon as any ones peculiar Goods, (as in other years) but were to leave them in common for all, only taking of them what might ſerve for their own uſe, and for food for their Cattel. And Moſes tells them, That if they truly obſerved this Law, God would command ſuch a bleſſing on the ſixth year, that it ſhould bring forth Fruit for three years, viz. from the ſixth to the ninth; not for three years compleat, but for part of three years; for the increaſe of the ſixth year ſerved them firſt for part of the ſixth year, to wit, from Barley-Harveſt that year, which was about the Paſsover till the ſeventh month, when the Sabbatical Year began. 2ly, For all the Sabbatical Year. 3ly, For the eighth year till both the Barley and the Wheat of what they had ſown that year was gathered in, and ready for their uſe, which was not till the ninth year was well nigh come, and thus the increaſe of the ſixth year ſerved in good part for three years, Levit. 25. from 1. to 8. and from 18. to 23.
2ly, Concerning the year of Jubilee, which was to be celebrated every fiftieth year, and proclaimed by the ſound of the Trumpet or Cornet on the tenth day of the ſeventh month, viz. the day of Expiation. In this year (1.) They were to proclaim liberty throughout the Land to their Brethren that had been ſold to them for Servants. (2ly,) All the Land that had been ſold returned to the Owners that had ſold it, or to their Heirs; for man might ſell his Land for ever, verſ. 23. but only for ſo many years as were from the ſale to the year of Jubilee, and then the Owners were to enter upon it again; and in the mean time the Seller, or his Kinſman, had liberty of Redemption, paying for the years to come according to the ſum received at the firſt Contract. For the Lord declares, That the Land is His, and they were but Strangers and Sojourners before Him. (3ly,) During this year there was to be an intermiſſion of ſowing, and reaping, and gathering Grapes, for all was to be left free for every one to eat what they would; ſo that for that year no mans Intereſt was to be more than anothers, and therefore they were to eat the increaſe thereof out of the Fields, where any one might take what he needed (no man being debarred.) (4ly,) In buying and ſelling of Land, they were to have regard to the year of Jubilee, and the price was to be proportionable, more or leſs, according to the diſtance or nearneſs of the year of Releaſe, and ſo they ſhould not oppreſs one another. And if they ſhould object how ſhould they live if they did neither ſow nor reap for two years together, to wit, the 49th, which was the ſeventh Sabbatical year, nor the 50th, which was the year of Jubilee, what is before ſaid concerning the ſeventh year, the like muſt be conceived concerning this alſo, namely, that God would give ſuch a bleſſing to the ſixth year at this time, that the increaſe thereof ſhould ſerve for part of four years. (5ly,) Whereas they had liberty at all times before the year of Jubilee to redeem their Lands; yet their houſes which they ſold in walled Towns they might not redeem unleſs they did it within a year, neither did ſuch houſes return to the former Owners in the year of Jubilee; but if they were not redeemed within a year, they were alienated for ever. (k)The reaſon might be, becauſe upon theſe houſes (if not redeemed in ſo ſhort a time) much coſt might be beſtowed by him that bought them, and therefore it was not fit they ſhould be redeemed as Lands were. And the alienating of theſe houſes in walled Cities did not make ſuch confuſion in the Tribes, as the alienating of their Lands would do, becauſe it cannot be ſuppoſed but that in Cities men of different Tribes did dwell. But as to houſes in Villages the caſe was different, becauſe the Lands could not well be us'd without ſuch Farm-houſes.But houſes out of walled Towns were to be accounted as the Fields of the Country, and had the ſame priviledge, either to be redeemed at any time before the Jubilee, or to be free at the Jubilee as their Lands were. (6ly,) If the Levites ſold any of their houſes in the Cities allotted them, they had liberty to redeem them at any time, or to receive them back again at the year of Jubilee; but the Fields of their Suburbs appointed for the keeping of their Cattel might not be ſold at all (ſee Numb. 35.4, 5.) leaſt wanting that neceſſary help, they might be forced to leave their dwellings, to the great damage of the people, God having diſpers'd them in ſeveral Cities in every Tribe, that they might watch over the Souls of the people, Levit. 25. from verſ. 23. to 35.
3ly, Concerning Compaſſion and Kindneſs to be exerciſed towards poor Hebrews fallen into decay, or Strangers become Proſelytes; to both which they are commanded to lend freely, and are forbidden to take uſury (l)To ſtrangers they were allowed to lend upon uſury, ſee Deut. 23.20. but not to the Iſraelites if poor, Exod. 22.25.or increaſe, from verſ. 35. to 39.
4ly, The poor Hebrews were not to be compell'd to ſerve as bond-men, nor us'd baſely and hardly, or to be rul'd over with rigour. The ordinary time of their Service was but ſix years, Exod. 21.2. but in caſe their Ears were bored they were to ſerve for ever. (m)As their ſerving for ever had an end at the year of Jubilee, ſo all other legal Ordinances, which were injoyn'd as Statutes for ever, had their period at the Evangelical Jubilee, of which this was a Type.[Exod. 21.6.] that is, to the year of Jubilee; then they and their Children were to be ſet free, and their Wives alſo if they were married when they entred into this bondage, [Exod. 21.3.] but the Iſraelites might have bondmen of the Heathen that were round about them, or Strangers that ſojourned among them, and theſe (yea though they were Proſelytes) were not to be ſet at liberty at the year of Jubilee, but to abide in bondage as long as they lived, Levit. 25. from verſ. 39. to 47.
5ly, If any poor Iſraelite ſold himſelf to a Stranger grown rich dwelling among them, he might be redeemed at any time before the Jubilee, either by himſelf, his Brother or Kinſman, deducting ſo much money in paying his Redemption as he has ſpent time in his Maſters Service, and in caſe that was not done he was to be ſet at liberty in the year of Jubilee. And during his Service, they were not to permit him to be uſed harſhly by his Maſter, they looking on and conniving at it. For God declares, That the Children of Iſrael were peculiarly his Servants, whom He brought forth out of the Land of Egypt with an out-ſtretched Arm, Levit. 25. from verſ. 47. to the end.