A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Biblical tract · Volume 2 · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
JOſhua the Twenty firſt, Is a Narrative of the Cities divided, and given by Lot unto the Priests and Levites, from ver. 1. to ver. 43. Hence the Remarks are,
Firſt, The Fathers of the Order of Aaron come and make their claim, v. 1, 2. when the whole Land was now diſtributed among the ſeveral Tribes, which they could not do ſooner (for they were not forgotten in the foregoing diviſion) becauſe they were to have their Cities and Inheritances out of the other ſeveral Tribes, amongſt whom they were to be diſpers'd according to Jacob's Prophecy, Gen. 49.7. that they might the more eaſily, frequently, and effectually (as they were obliged) teach Iſrael Gods Judgments, Deut. 33.10. and that the People might upon all occaſions, reſort to them for learning the ſenſe of the Law of God, Mal. 2.7. and they do not here refer themſelves to the Charity and Devotion of the People for their Mantenance out of any free Gifts; but they ground their claim upon the Command of God to Moſes, Numb. 35.2. nor was this a General Command only of Cities and Suburbs, to be given to them, and the reſt to be referr'd to the pleaſure of the People, but the number of thoſe Cities are expreſly named to be forty eight Cities, and their Lands and Suburbs are exactly meaſured in their extent belonging to the Levites, not for Tillage (for the Levites were to have no ſuch Employment, Numb. 18.20.24.) but for Paſture, Pleaſure, and other Country Commodities: Beſides, all other means of their maintenance are preciſely preſcribed, as being the portion which God had appropriated to himſelf, and beſtowed upon them as his Miniſters that adminiſtred unto him, that ſo, they might not ſtand to the courteſie of the People, but acknowledge the Lord alone to be their only Benefactor.
The Second Remark is, The Children of Iſrael's readineſs to grant this claim of the Levites thus grounded upon, and backed with God's Command, ver. 2. they gave them moſt willingly all thoſe Cities and Suburbs, &c. which God commanded, and not only the bare uſe of them, but an abſolute propriety in them, which they might upon neceſſity mortgage, yet thoſe Lands, &c. when Mortgag'd, muſt in the Jubilee return to the Levites, as to their proper Owners, Levit. 25.33, 34.
N. B. The Liberality both of God and of his People to the Miniſters of God, is here very Marvelous, in giving 48 Cities to this one Tribe of Levi, which was the leaſt of all the Tribes, yet have they the moſt Cities given to them, ver. 4.10.41. becauſe it was the Lord's Pleaſure to have this Tribe provided for in an honourable manner, ſeeing, he himſelf took upon him to be their portion, and made choice of them for his peculiar Service; therefore did he deal thus bountifully with his Miniſters, partly to put Honour upon thoſe whom he foreſaw many would be prone to deſpiſe; and partly, that by this liberality, they being freed from wordly Diſtractions, might more entirely devote themſelves to God's Service, and to the Inſtruction of Souls; There liberal maintenance did not hinder their Legal Miniſtry, nor was the Lord's Bounty to thoſe Levites then look'd upon as a Burden to them, as too many, pretending Conſcience, do dare to affirm at this Day, a Leſſon they have learnt from Julian the Apostate, whoſe Project it was to take away Miniſters Maintenance, that thereby no Miniſtry might ſtand in his way to oppoſe his reducing Chriſtianity back to Paganiſm: Whereas it muſt be argued on this wiſe, if the Lord allowed the Levites under the Law, ſuch a Liberal and Honourable Maintenance, as Cities, Suburbs, and Lands for their Cattle, &c. beſide all the reſt of their Incomes, by Sacrifices, Free-will-Offering, &c. all due to them by vertue of God's Command, whom only (and not the People) they were to own and acknowledge for their Patron and Benefactor. Aſſuredly the Lord hath not made worſe Proviſions for the Miniſters of the Goſpel, than he did here for the Priests of the Law. Seeing that if the Goſpel is a more Glorious Diſpenſation than this of the Law; And this great point of a comfortable competency for Goſpel Miniſters, the Apoſtle ſtrenuouſly demonſtrates, Gal. 6.6. and 1 Cor. 9. throughout; from whence it may well be argued, to allow the Oxe nothing but the Straw for his treading out the Corn, and only ſo much Straw and no more than what the People pleaſe, this is a ſure ſign of a Gaſping Devotion, and of curſed covetouſneſs, as the ſame great Apoſtle concludeth, 2 Cor. 9.5. 'tis well obſerved by an Interpreter, that in former and darker times amongſt us in our Land, the Statute of Mortmain was Enacted in Parliament, which provided that Men ſhould give no more to the Church; as if they had given enough already, and wanted rather a Bridle than a Spur: So liberal were our fore-Fathers to the Miniſters of the Church in thoſe times; but now, —Tempora mutantur & nos mutamur in illis.
Times are ſo changed in theſe latter times, that their Poſterities ſtand in more need of a Spur than a Bridle, the Spring of that Ancient Bounty is dryed up ſo, as Men commonly grudge their Miniſters now a competent Subſiſtency, but we have a better and a more ancient Inſtance of an Act of Reſtraint made in the like caſe with our Statute of Mortmain, namely, that made by Moſes to reſtrain the People when they had brought enough and too much towards the making of a Worldly Sanctuary, (as tis call'd, Hebr. 9.1. They did, and over did, Exod. 36.5, 6, 7. Their Liberality then condemneth the backwardneſs of many narrow-ſoul'd Men now.
The Third Remark is, The Marvelous Providence of God, in ordering not only the Prieſts to be placed in thoſe three Tribes, (Judah, Simeon and Benjamin) that were neareſt the Tabernacle and Temple, that they always might be ready at hand to do their Sacerdotal Service in God's Sanctuary with more eaſe to themſelves, and with better content to the People; but alſo that all the Levites (who were not Priests) ſhould be placed by Lot all the Land over; as the Kohathite Priests had Thirteen Cities given them, ver. 4. and ver. 9 to 20. So the Kohathite Levites (being of an Inferiour Order) had Ten Cities given to them in the Tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and Manaſſeh, ver. 5. and ver 20. to 27. Then the Gerſhonite Levites had Thirteen Cities out of Iſſachar, Aſher, and the other half Tribe of Manaſſeh, ver. 6. and ver. 27. to 34. Laſtly, The Merarite Levites had Twelve Cities out of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulon, ver. 7. and ver. 34. to 43. Thus the Levites were diſperſed throughout the Land, not unlike to Salt that is ſprinkled upon Meat to keep it from putrifying, and thus our Lord ſaith of his Miniſters [Ye are the Salt of the Earth] Matth. 5.13. We may well ſuppoſe that as thoſe Cities of Refuge (given alſo to the Levites] were ſo conveniently ſeated at a due diſtance for the beſt advantage of the purſued Man ſlayer, as before: So thoſe other forty two Cities (given to them alſo) were likewiſe ſituated at a due diſtance one from another in every part of the Land, that the People might reſort to them with moſt eaſe for their Inſtruction in the good ways of God. N. B. Oh how happy would England be, if every Congregation had a faithful Miniſter: The Lord of the Harveſt muſt be earneſtly intreated, to thruſt out Loiterers, and ſend in Labourers, Matth. 9.37, 38. many places putrifie for want of Spiritual Salt, &c.