CHAP. I.

BEFORE we come to the Prophecy it self, it will be of Of the Historical things. use to consider those historical things that are deliver'd to­gether with it in the same Chapter; particularly, what the Prophet tells us concerning Himself, and the Time when he had this Revelation from God, and the Occasion on which it was given him. These things, we shall see, are communicated to us with great exactness and care; which, we have reason to believe, was done not only to stir up our Attention in reading, but also in order to our better Understanding of this Prophecy.

1. First, of the Prophet himself, it will be our business elsewhere Cóncerning Da­niel himself. See (in our DISSERT. I. His great Holi­ness. first DISSERTATION,) to shew what a bright shining Saint he was in his Generation; and that even from his Childhood, throughout the whole course of his Life. But here we are to speak only of those instances of it that occur in the Historical part of this Chapter. Such were, his diligent studying of the Holy Scriptures, his pious zeal and concernedness for the Church of God, his deep His Zeal for Re­ligion. [Page] [Page] [Page] [Page 1] [...] [Page 2] sense of the Sins of his People, his sad apprehension and fear of their obstructing the promised Deliverance, for which he applied himself to God with fasting and fervent Prayer. How highly acceptable these His Favour with God. things were to God, we cannot but see by his sending such a Person, and much more by the several gracious Messages that he sent by him.

2. The Favour appear'd very signal in God's sending to Shew'd in God's Sending Messages to him by the Angel GABRIEL, the same whom he sent after­ward to the Vir­gin MARY. him by the Angel Gabriel, the only Angel of his rank whom God has made known to us by name. And that we had not known, but on the account of God's sending him with such extraordinary Mes­sages; first, to the Prophet Daniel, and afterwards to the Virgin Mary. Those to Daniel were of a very different nature. The two first were only Discoveries of the meaning of those dark figures that he had seen. They were frightful Sights of Beasts, that appear'd to him in a prodigious manner: the Ann. 555. before Christ. Dan. VII. first, in a Dream of the Night, in the first Year of King Belshazzar, as we read in the seventh Cha­pter of this Book; the Ann. 553. before Christ. Dan. VIII. other in a Vision which he had two Years after, as we read in the eighth Chapter. But now at the Angel's third Ann. 558. before Christ. Dan. IX. coming to Daniel, (which was fifteen Years after his second coming,) in the first Year of King Darius, He was sent to him, not as before, to interpret a Dream, or a Vision, but to deliver him a Message from God; in plain words, containing a Prediction of se­veral of the most wonderful Events that were to happen in this world; and that of such great and lasting Consequence, that God would have him put it in writing, to be left upon Record for the use of his Church in after times.

3. Why God was pleased to make choice of Daniel for this service It was so De­clared by the Angel. before any other person, the Angel tells him in Dan. IX. 22. 23. these words; I am sent to shew thee these things, [...] because thou art GREATLY BELOVED. It might as well have been translated in the same words as that is which the same Angel said to the blessed Vir­gin, Luke I. 28. Thou art Luke I. 28. [...] HIGHLY FAVOURED OF GOD. The same Angel uses the same Expression again to Da­niel twice after this; calling him Dan. X. 11, & 19. [...] a man GREAT­LY BELOVED; which being not used to any other of the Pro­phets, nor perhaps to any other person, but only the blessed Virgin; there must be something extraordinary in it. And it seems to be plain what that is, by the Angel's never speaking these words to Daniel before till he came to deliver this Prophecy to him from God.

4. It is plain why he used these words to the blessed Virgin, by his But appear'd much more by his Messages: to Her of Christ's Incarnation; telling her the Effect of his Message, that she should be the Mother of Christ. For certainly there could be no greater Instance of the singular favour of God to any Human creature than that which God vouchsafed to the blessed Virgin, that Christ should be born of her body. But the Chief end of Christ's birth being to Dye for our Sal­vation, [...]o Daniel, of the just Time of christ's Death, therefore the Prophecies of That are of the Weightiest con­cern to mankind above all other Prophecies of Scripture. It was [Page 3] that SALVATION by THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST, which Moses and all the Prophets had foretold, Luke XXIV. 26, 27. Act. XXVI. 22, 23. Luke XXIV. 26, 27. Acts XXVI. 22, 23. and yet they knew not when it would be. But for that they enquired and searched diligently, as St. Peter 1 Pet. I. 10. 11, 12. tells us; de­siring to know [...], what Time, or what manner of Time it should be that the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, did signify, when he testifyed before-hand of the sufferings of Christ, and of the Glory that should follow. Nay not only Men, but even the Angels, Which was á Mystery, desired to look into these things, as St. Peter there tells us. For even they were not in this Secret, at St. Paul plainly shews; calling it THE MYSTERY of our Redemption by the Death of Christ; and telling us Eph. III. 9, 10. unknown to the Angels them­selves. that from the beginning of the World it was hid in God, Ephes. III. 9, 10. to the intent that unto the Principalities and Powers in Heavenly places, (that is, to the blessed Angels themselves) might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God. According to both these Apostles, the Discovery of the Determinate time of Christ's death, which God was pleased to send to Daniel by the Angel Ga­briel, was not more surprising News to the Prophet, than it was to the Angel himself. But when the Angel consider'd withall, that he should not have known it now, but for the Prophet's sake; and knowing no doubt how well he was Qualified for it by those emi­nent Graces, that had so much endear'd him to God; the Angel could not find how to deliver his message with a fitter Preamble than that before mention'd: telling him how much he was beloved of God, from whom he brought him this sure Token of it, in giving him the first Revelation of the precise time of Christ's death; the know­ledge of which had been so earnestly desired, and sought after, by Angels as well as Men; but could never be attain'd by any of them.

5. For the TIME when Daniel had this Revealed to him, we are The TIME OF this Vision; the first year of K. Da [...]us's Reign over Babylo [...]. told in Da [...]. IX. 1. the beginning of the Chapter, that it was in the first year of DARIUS the Son of AHASUERUS, of the Seed of the MEDES, who was now made King of the Realm of the CHALDEANS Dan. IX. 1, 2.

6. That AHASUERUS the Father of this King DARIUS was King This Darius was K of the Medes as his Father had been before him. of the MEDES, and the same that, in Alliance with King NEBU­CHADNEZZAR, took the great City of Ninive, Tobit XIV. 15. and utterly de­stroyed it, thereby putting an End to the Assyrian Empire; this the Reader may see proved in our DISSERT. 1. first Dissertation. Or, (if he would see it more at large) in Usser. Annal. ante Chr. 600. the most learned Primate Usher's Annals in the year 600 before Christ, with his MS. Additions. ^*

7. There also the Reader will find that this Darius succeeded his He was called CYAXARES SON of Astyages. Father, and was King of the Medes many years before he was made [Page 4] King of the Chaldeans; being the same that was call'd Cyaxares the Son of Astyages by the Herodot. and Xe­nophon. oldest heathen Historians.

8. How this Cyaxares came to be King of the Chaldeans, the Reader may see in the forementioned Heathen writers; whose account of it perfectly agrees with that which Daniel gives us of K. Darius in Dan. V. 30. Daniel's account of his coming to to be King of the Chaldeans, the end of his fifth chapter. There Daniel having told us what happen'd at a great feast that was made by the King of the Chaldeans for all his Lords and great men, thus Dan. V. 30. ends it v. 30. In that night was Belshazzar King of the Chaldeans slain. Thereupon immediately v. 31. he tells us v. 31. that DARIUS the Mede took or [...] received the Kingdom being about 62 years old. These last words, except what is said of his age, are the same in effect with those IX. 1. above men­tion'd, that DARIUS of the seed of the Medes was made King of the Realm of the Chaldeans. Dan. IX. 1.

9. Here are several things concerning this King DARIUS, to be and of many o­ther things of his History. gather'd out of those few words of Daniel's History. First as to his Country, he was a Mede by Dan. V 31. birth and and IX. 1. descent. As to his Fa­mily, he was Son of AHASUERUS; that was always a King's name. He was King himself of the Medes and Persians; whereof more will be said see n. 20, 21. afterwards. He was also King over the Realm of the Chal­deans; but neither by birth, nor by conquest; for he was IX. 1. made so. IX. 1. He V. 31. received the Kingdom. ch. V. 31. and therefore some other deliver'd it to him. But that was upon the death of King BELSHAZZAR, who was kill'd immediately before, as the v 30. Text saith v. 30. And yet, as it appears by the following words, this Darius must have had a great number of Kingdoms before he came to this. For presently VI. 1. after, it is said, that he had a hundred and twenty Provinces under him. These were more than any King of Chaldea ever had: for among these were v. 8, 12, 15. the Medes and the Persians which were never under the Chaldeans. And these were as many, within seven, as ever the Kings of Persia had, even after they had subdued Esth. X. 1. the Isles of the Sea, which as See U [...]r. Ann. 495 before Chr. the Greek Historians tell us, was never done till Darius Hystaspis his time. Lastly where, Dan. V. 3 [...]. as Daniel observes, that when Darius received the Kingdom of the Chaldeans, he was then sixty two years old; there can be no bet­ter reason given for it than this, that he would have us know, that Darius did not live long after he had that Kingdom. And he was also careful to VI. 28. tell us, that after this Darius's death the ^* next King was Cyrus the Persian. ch. VI. 28.

10. These things we have thus particularly observed, that we may Different Ac­counts, from Sr. I. M. &c. give the Reader, here at once, a full view of all that Daniel tells us, concerning the state of those times in which this Prophecy was given. [Page 5] There are different Schemes of it set up by several ^* learned men, which must fall, if this Collection be true. But if we should here go about to repeat and confute them, we should give the Reader too long a Digression. We hope he will think it none, to see, how these things were, in great part, foretold by the Prophets; and how the fulfilling of their Predictions appears in the most ancient Heathen History.

11. First as to the Prophecies of Scripture, it plainly appears that at How the [...] things were foretold by the Prophets: and they ex­plain'd by Heathen writers. that very time when Daniel received this Message from God, His head was full of what Dan. IX. 2. he understood by Books, that the Captivity of his People was to be for LXX years Dan. IX. 2. Those Books, as we shall presently shew, were the two Prophecies that God gave to Ieremiah; Ier. XXV. [...]. one in Ier. XXV. 11. and and XXIX. 10. the other in Ier. XXIX. 10. In the XXV. 14. that there should come against Babylon, former of these it was plainly declared, that at the end of those LXX years, Many Nations, and great Kings, should serve themselves of the Chaldeans. And these very words are repeated again, in Ier. XXVII. 7. another Prophecy, between both the former. But in this intermediate Prophecy they are introduced with some­thing else, that being compared with the former, gives them both a very great Illustration. For, whereas in the XXV. 11. first Prophecy it was said, These Nations shall serve the King of Babylon LXX years, which words were Vers. 9. plainly spoken of King Nebuchadnezzar, v. 9. it might well be asked, whether he was to reign those LXX years? Now XXVII. 7. here it is shewn that he was not: but that the meaning of that Prophecy was, that all Nations should serve NEBUCHADNEZ­ZAR and his SON and his SON'S SON; each of them being King of Babylon successively. Thus it should be, until the very Time of his Land came; that is, till the end of the LXX years. And then, as it was said before, in the I [...]r. XXV. 14. first of these Prophecies, Many na­tions and great Kings should serve themselves of him.

12. No Doubt Daniel was Curious to know what those great Kings MEDES, Kings, and Nations. and Nations should be. But he could not be to seek for it, farther than another Prophecy of Ieremy's, where it was shewn very parti­cularly; namely, that in the L. and LI. chapters, which was given him in the IVth. year of King Zedekiah's Reign. There the same Pro­phet Ann. 595. before Christ. speaking of the future as present, hath I [...]r. L [...]. 11. these words, The Lord [Page 6] hath raised up the Spirit of the Kings of the MEDES: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it. The same he repeats in v. 28. these words, v. 28. Prepare against her the Nations, with the Kings of the MEDES. Some of those Nations are named in the verse next before, being said to be the Kings of Ararat and Minni; that is, of both the Armenias, ^* and those about the Black-Sea. These Xenop [...]. Cyrop. VII. has the King and Queen of Armenia, the Phrygian [...]. Paphla­gontan [...], Cappado­cian [...], &c. led by a PER­SIAN. Nations are reckon'd by Xenophon among those that joyn'd with the Medes under their King Cyaxares Son of Astyages, in his War against the Chaldeans, which ended in the destruction of that Empire.

13. But as to the Conduct of these against Babylon, the Prophet Ier. LI. 27. shewed how it should be, in the next words. Appoint a Captain against her, cause the Horse ^† to come up, as the rough Caterpillers; for so they appeared as having their Backs all bristled with Sheaves of Ar­rows. Thus the people of Elam are Esai. XXII. 6. described in their fighting Attire, being all [...] Horsemen, bearing the Quiver, Esai. XXII. 6. where the word Perashi [...], that signifies Horsemen, sheweth plainly Bochar [...]. Geogr. S. IV. 10. & Casielli Lex. in [...]. whence the Elamites came to have the name of Persae (or as they are now called Pharsi) they being anciently noted for Horseman­ship above all other Nations. ^†

14. Of these Persae Camby [...]s was King, but in dependance on namely, by CYRUS. Cyaxares King of the Medes, at that time when the war broke out between him and the King of Babylon. Cyrus, who Xenoph. Cyr. l. 2. is said to have been son of this Cambyses, by Mandane Sister of King Cyaxares, having Ib. 1. 5. then brought the Persian Troops into his Uncle's ser­vice, was by him made Captain General of all his forces in that war. There can be no doubt but it was He, with his Persian Troops, that was intended in that Ier. LI. 27. Prophecy of Ieremy, LI. 27. because he is named by the Prophet Esay, as we shall n. 33. afterward shew. And there­fore we may be assured that King Cyaxares, together with King Cam­byses before-mention'd, were they that were called the Kings of the MEDES v. 11, 28. in v. 11, 28. of that Chapter.

[Page 7] 15. The War continued many years, in which Cyrus went on so They came, and took the City of Babylon. successfully, that at last he came to besiege the King of Babylon him­self in that his Capital City. It was a City, Her [...]d. I. 178, 179. which by walls of in­credible height and strength, with deep and wide ditches about them, was made quite impregnable in all men's Opinion. But it was much stronger Ib. I. 186. by the great River Euphrates running through it, out of which river the ditches were filled with water, as high as they pleased that were to defend the place. That King was so secure of the strength of it, that having laid up all sorts of provisions, for a siege; of many years, Her [...]d I. 190. as Herodotus saith; of twenty years, Xenop [...] Cyrop. VII. 5. as Xenophon saies; he spared not on the usual Festival days to feast all his great men; which was something extraordinary in a besieged City. But his Feast being joyned with evcessive drinking, that gave opportunity to the Besiegers to make a short end of their work. For Cyrus, knowing before hand when a great Feast, probably their ^* Sacea, would be; Her [...]d. I. 178, 179. had employ'd a great part of his Army in cutting a vast number of Drains, to be open'd all at once, and so to let out the River at that very Time. And then, having made all things ready for an At­tack, he caused his Army to take that way, all along, in the channel, where the Water being Her [...]d. I. 19 [...]. then no higher than to the middle of the thigh, they entered the City at midnight, Xenoph. Cyrop. VII. 5. when all that should have defended it, were either drunk or fast asleep. And then King Belshazzar himself being Xenoph. Ib. killed, whether by the Enemy, or by his D [...]n. V. 30. own Servants, the City became an easy Prey to the Medes and Persians. ^†

[Page 8] 16. This was that which God had foreshewn to King Belshazzar DARIUS the Mede had that Kingdom. himself by the hand writing on the wall, together with Daniel's Interpretation. Dan. V. 25—28. which will be farther consider'd in the n. 24. following Discourse. Especially the last Dan. V. 25—28. words of it, Thy Kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and the Persians. These Nations being joyned with several others in the Action of taking the City, doubtless they all shared the spoils of it among them accord­ing to Ier. XXV. 14.—XXVII. 7. Ieremy's Prophecies. But for the Government of it, that fell into the hands of their General CYRUS the PERSIAN, from whom, as it Dan. V. 31. [...] is worded Dan. V. 31. DARIUS the MEDE Xenoph. Cyro­paed. VIII. 5. It seems he came not to Babylon. re­ceived the Kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

17. That K. Darius ever came to Babylon himself, is scarce to be found in any writer that lived near his time ^*. And Xenoph. Cyro­paed. VIII. 5. Xenophon tells us, that after the taking of Babylon, Cyrus stay'd there till he had settled all things according to his mind; then he went to give an ac­count of it to Cyaxares. Wherein, Ib. VIII. 9. as Xenophon saies, he told him such things of the place as might have tempted him thither; but that he was either in love with his Ecbatana, or much indisposed for tra­vel. This last is the more likely; for Xenoph. Ib. it appears that he dyed about a year after.

18. Cyrus, as we are told Ios. Ant. X. 12. by Iosephus, brought the Prophet But Cy [...]us came to him at E [...]ba­tana, bringing Daniel thither with him. Daniel thither with him, to shew K. Cyaxares the man that had given such proofs of a Divine spirit that was in him; not only by foretelling this Change to Belshazzar, but even much greater things before to K. Nebuchadnezzar; who thereupon had advanced him to the highest trusts in his Realm. What followed thereupon to Da­niel, the Reader will find n. 45. partly here, but more fully in Dissert. I. There he mar­ried the daugh­ter of K. Da [...]us, who declared him his Suc­cessor in his Kingdoms. his life.

19. But as for Cyrus. with King Cyaxares's leave, he went pre­sently to see his Father and Mother; who were yet living in Persia, but Xenoph. Cyrop. VIII. 7. it seems dyed not long after. Thence he return'd to Media, where King Cyaxares, who before had promised Cyrus to give him his only daughter and Heir, now, probably finding himself in a de­caying Condition, Ib. VIII. 5. hasten'd the Marriage; and declared him withall to be his Successor in all his Kingdoms and Dominions. They were then, by the Conquests that Cyrus had made, come to be no less than a hundred and twenty Provinces; Da [...]. VI. 8, [...], 15. Dan. VI. I. all which were governed at that time by the Laws of the MEDES and PERSIANS. But here it may be observed, that afterwards, when Cyrus had added some Provinces more, and Aegypt also was [Page 9] conquered by his Son Cambyses; then, in the time of K. Ahasuerus, they were risen to the number of CXXVII Provinces, Esther I. 3. 14. 18 Esther I. 1, which were all reckoned into the Kingdom of B [...]nsia and Me­dia, v. 3, 14, 18. and were governed by the Laws of the PERSIANS and the MEDES vers. 19. v. 19.

20. Thus every thing came to pass according to Daniel's Dream, that The first Empire in Dan. VIII. he had in An. 553. before Christ. (being the second of the four in Dan. VII.) the third year of Belshazzar, together with the Angel's Interpretation. His Dream was concerning the second Monarchy, of those four which he had seen like Beasts▪ coming up out of the Sea. (d) Dan. VII. 2. There this second appeared like a Bear, —vers. 6. v. 6. But here he saw it in a m [...] different figure, VIII. 3. Dan. VIII. 3. like a Ram with two borns, [...] [...]han the other, and the higher came up last. The Angel gi [...] [...] Interpretation of it, —v. 20. v. 20. The Ram which thou [...] [...]ns, are the Kings of Media was there said to be of Media and Persia. and Persia. Both these Kingd [...] [...] [...]he horns of one Beast, they were both joyned together in one [...]. But whereas that Empire was headed, at first, by the Kings of the Medes, of whom the last was that King Darius, whom the Greeks call Cyaxares all this while mentioned; here the other horn was growing up in his Ne­phew, and Son in Law, Cyrus the Persian. And so that which all this while had been called the Kingdom of the Medes and Persians, now came to be called the Kingdom of the Persians and Me [...]

21. It was now the Kingdom of the Medes and Persians [...] The M [...]des had the [...]dence [...]n [...] [...]ime. time when this Prophecy was given; for Da [...]. IX. 1. the Text saies, i [...] [...] the first year of DARIUS of the Seed of th [...] Medes, who [...] King of the Realm of the Chalde [...]. We have seen ho [...] [...] MADE so by Cyrus taking that City, in the night whe [...] Bel­shazzar was slain. There ended the XVII years of King Bel­shazzar's reign. The next year was the first of Cyrus's Nine years N [...] reigned 17 years, and after him Cyrus. 9 years. P [...]l. Can. and Berosus in Iosephus against Ap [...]. 1. according to the Astronomer's Canon; but the first of D [...] ac­cording to Xen. Cyropaed. VIII. The OCCASION of God's sending Daniel this Pro­phecy. Xenophon, who [...]ckons Two years of the [...] to Darius the Sovereign Prince, while he lived; and only the other seven to Cyrus, after the dea [...] of K. Darius, when Cyrus had no other King over him.

22. Having cleared those Historical things, concerning the Person to whom; and the Time when, this Prophecy was given; it remains to give some accoun [...] of the [...] of it: which must be some­thing very extraord [...], as the Prophecy it self was, the like having never been given sin [...] the Creation.

23. In [...] con [...] of the Babylonian Empire, which was in­deed He had now seen the fulfilling of many Prophe­cies. on [...] [...]ccounts a wonderful Act of God's Providence, the Jews that w [...] [...] Captiv [...] at Babylon could not but [...] and ad­mire the ha [...] [...] which was how as it were visibly reach'd forth [...] An [...] [...] Ch [...] proves th [...] [...] K. A [...]rus was the same whom the [...] call Darius Hy [...]. But still the old stile remained in th [...] [...], [...] [Page 10] from Heaven to avenge them of their Enemies. And it could not but affect them the more, having so much reason, as they had, to expect that the same good Providence would shew it self next in their Deliverance out of the Babylonian Captivity.

24. First, in what had already happened, according to the Ac­count that we have see n. 15. given of it, they saw the fulfilling of that Pro­phecy of Daniel, which he had given to Belshazzar but a few hours before his death.

This King had made a great Feast to a Thousand of his Lords, and other great men, which no doubt was the same that, as Cyropaed. VII. Xenophon tells us, was fatal to the City of Babylon; and also to him and his Empire. Toward the end of that alt, while King Belshazzar was The latest of these Prophecies was that of the Hand-writing on the Wall. sitting yet at his Table, he sa [...] pa [...] of a man's hand come out of the wall just before him. T [...] w [...] surprizing enough. But it was so much the more, to see tha [...] [...] [...]ngers of that hand were then writing something on the W [...]. What it was that they wrote, the King himself could not read, nor could any that were there present with him. But the King could not doubt but that, whatsoever it was, it must be something that highly concerned him. And there­fore he sent for the wise men of Babylon, whose College was not far from the Court, to hear what they could say of the matter: offering very high, and even extravagant rewards, to any of them that should read and interpret this writing. They all confessed that it was past their skill; which made the King the more impatient to know what it should be. Thereupon his Mother, or Grandmother; (probably the wise Dan. V. 10, 11. Queen. Herodot. I. 188. Nitocris,) minded him of one that in King Nebuchadnezzar's time was admired for his knowledge in such matters. Daniel was the man; so he was sent for in hast; and being brought in before the King, at his Command, he both read Daniel read it publickly. the writing, and gave him the Interpretation.

The result of it was, in the words before cited, Dan. V. 28. thy King­dom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. This another would not have adventured to say. But Daniel had a greater than the King to bear him out; and knowing this, he shewed himself to be not only void of fear, but above those rewards, as high as they were, that had been offer'd to Him, as well as to those others before him. Assoon as they were mentioned to him, he immediately re­fused them. And yet afterwards, when the King, in a sort of drun­ken bravery, would needs force them upon him; he took them, as publick testimonies of his doing that wonderful thing which no other could do. And so, as the King had ordered it, Proclamation being presently made, all the Court came to know what it was that Da­niel had Prophecied, some hours before they saw the first step of the Accomplishment. It began with that unhappy King's death; which it was fulfilled the same night. followed the same Night after the feast, as both Herodotus, and Xe­nophon tell us; and immediately after Daniel's prediction, as it follows [Page 11] these words, Dan. V. 30. In that very night BELSHAZZAR King of the Chaldeans was slain.

25. But besides this Prophecy; which, being made so publickly This minded the Jews of their ancient Prophe­cies against Baby­lon. known, no man then living in Babylon could be ignorant of; there were also many other Prophecies which God had given his chosen people the Iews before their being carried to Babylon; and which they had ever since kept among their sacred writings. Wherein God had foretold them the fates of that City and Kingdom, with sundry of the most remarkable Circumstances; so particularly described, that any of those Iews that lived in Belshazzar's days, which was the Chief time of fulfilling those predictions, if they look'd into their own Scriptures, might read there many of those things which now happened before their Eyes.

26. They might see how ne [...]r [...]wo hundred years since, upon oc­casion particularly, those of Esaiah. of Senacherib's coming up a [...]st Iuda with a design of ma­king a conquest of God's people, the Prophet Esaia first denounced th [...] Judgements of God that should come on Senacherib himself, and his people the Alsyrians, Esai. X. 5, &c. Esaia X. 5. &c. Then how he went on to denounce the like against the Chaldeans that should succeed them in that design, and should go through with it, for the Punish­ment of God's people for their disobedience. The Jews in Daniel's time had in their hands the Burden of BABYLON, which ESAIAH bb—XIII. 1. did see XIII. 1. There they saw it foretold how God would lift up his banner against Babylon, —v. 2. ver. 2. gathering the Kingdoms of the Nations together, and mustering them to the Battel, —v. 4. v. 4. the weapons of his indignation to destroy the whole land —v. 6. v. 6. But particularly, as it hath been already see n. 12. shewn, they saw that God would stir up the MEDES against Babylon, Esai. XIII. v. 17. ver. 17. It hath also been see n. 13. shewn from Esai. XXI. 2. Esaia XXI. 2. that the Persians were to come in the head of this Army, for so they are called first to the Service, Go up O ELAM, besiege O MEDIA; which Pro­phecy given so many Ages since, the Jews now saw fulfilled by the Armies of CYRUS, and DARIUS. So again XLI 25. Esaia XLI. 25. God says of both these together, I have made my Levies from the North, and one shall come from the East to Babylon. Media is on the North, and Persia on the East of it. But it was he on the East, name­ly CYRUS, that was fittest for this Service; and therefore he is called to it particularly, XLI 2. & XLVI. 11. Esaia XLI. 2 and XLVI. 11. His people the Porsians, who chiefly worshipped the Sun, were above that sort of Idolatry of the Chaldeans, Herodot. I. 131. that worshipped the Images of Dead men. The chief of their Deities were Bel and Nebo, Esai. XLVI. 1. Esaia XLVI. 1. The first of these two was certainly the Founder, the other (perhaps Nabonassar,) the Restorer of that Monarchy. But their adored Images of Gold and Silver Esai. XLVI 6. ver. 6. were to those Per­sians no more than so much old plate. They would make no scru­ple to break them in pieces, and carry them away, XLVI. 1, 6. Esaia XLVI. 1. [Page 12] There seemed to be another God of that sort, that had been deified since Esaiah's time; That was Merodach, who was also to go with the other Ier. L. 2. Ierem. L. 2. But this belongs to another Prophecy which ought to be consider'd by it self.

27. It is that long Prophecy against Babylon Ierem. L. and LI. and those of Ie­remiah L. and LI. which the Prophet received in King Zedekiah's time, and sent it to the Jews that were there at that time in Captivity. Many of them were of the best of that Nation; who had been carried thither toge­ther with Daniel, and those three others of the Royal Family, in King Iehoiakim's time; or who went afterwards, as the Prophet Eze­kiel did, and many others, together with King Ieconiah. God was so pleased to send them away from [...]salem, before he would pour out his judgements on that wicked City and Nation. But the mean while, being Captives at Babylon, many of them were in a very dis­consolate Condition. Therefore God was pleased to let them know for their Comfort, that their st [...]y there should be of no long Conti­nuance; when the Will of God was fulfilled on Ierusalem by the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, and his people, it should not be long ere the like or greater judgements should be executed on Babylon, and the Land of Chaldea, Jerem. L. 1. &c. After which God would soon give his people a Deliverance out of their present Captivity, and would bring them back into their own Land Ier. L. 4—8 & v. 19, 20. & LI. 5, 10. Ierem. L. 4—8 and 19, 20 & LI. 5, 10. It is plain from Ezra III. 12, 13. Ezra III. 12. 13. that many of the Jews, to whom this prophecy was given, lived to see the fulfilling of it to a tittle; save only the utter Desolation of that City and Country, which was then foretold, and has been long since ful­filled, as Travellers see it at this Day.

28. But they saw then in Daniel's time, first the Assembly of great These they saw now fulfilled. Nations come up against Babylon Ier. L. 9. Ierm. L. 9. It was L. 41. & LI. 48. fore­told they, should come out of the North, L. 41 and LI. 48. The Medes did so, and those other Nations mentioned, LI. 27. Ierem. LI, 27. whose Kings, being subject to the Median King, are therefore LI. 11, 28. called Kings of the Medes, Ierem. LI. 11. 28. That the Me­dian should come himself, it is not said; but that there v. 27. should be [...], a chief Captain, or General over them, v. 27, attended with Troops of horse, bristled like Caterpillars, that is Archers, as we see n. 13. have explained it. These Troops now appeared to be Per­sians; and their Prince Cyrus, who came in the head of them, Ier. L. 42. LI. 27. had the Command of all this Army, Ierem. L. 42. LI. 27.

The Jews now saw what a Spoil all these Troops made in Chaldea, as was L. 10. foretold, Ierem. L. 10. how they v. 21, 23, 24, 28. wasted, and utterly destroyed all the Countrey, v. 21. up to Babylon it self, v. 23, 24, 28. and also v. 29. encamped against that City round about v. 29. Now they saw the Sword upon the Chaldeans, and on the people of Babylon, on them of all ranks and conditions; as was v. 35, 36, 37. foretold, v. 35. 36. 37. At last they came to see v. 38. the waters gone from about Babylon [Page 13] v. 38. LI. 36. her Sea dried up. LI. 36. which was perhaps the great pool of Queen Nitocris.

29. This last thing is placed next before the Destruction of that Especially in the taking of Babylon. great City. For, as see [...]. 15. we have shewn from the ancient Historians, the River Euphrates being let out, and the Herodot. I. 191. Chanel of it made fordable, so that the water thereof came not up above the middle of the thigh, which was all brought to pass in one Evening; then the Persians went down into the Chanel, and waded through it; making their way with fire and sword into the City. So that, as Herod. ibid. Hero­dotus saies, both ends of it were taken, before they in the middle of the City knew any thing of it.

But it was from the End, [...]t which they first enter'd, that the news came to the Court. The [...]ophet foretold it would be so, in Ier. LI. 31. these words Ierem. LI. 31. one post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the King of Babylon that his City is taken at one end. It seems he was asleep, and was waken'd with the news. For as Xenoph. Cyrop. VII. 5. Xenophon saies, when a party of them that best knew the Place, being detached by Cyrus for that purpose, had broken into the Royal Palace, there they found him [...]. lb. they found the King got up on his Legs, and having drawn his Sword to defend himself. But, as Xenophon further saies, they soon dispatched him, and those, that were with him; or, as the Prophet words it, they laid him to sleep again, and that Ier. LI. 39, 57. for ever, Jerem. LI. 39, 57.

30. In this last Instance they saw how true it was which the and the End of that Empire in Nebucadn [...]zzar's Son's Son. Prophet Ieremy had elsewhere foretold, that the Babylonian Empire was to last no longer than the Reigns of Nebucadnezzar, and his Son, and his Son's Son, Ier. XXVII. 7. Jerem▪ XXVII. 7. This Prophecy of Ieremiah's was written in the first year of King Nebucadnezzar v. 1. XXVII. 1. The Jews now living when Daniel writ this, had seen that Empire, after Nebucadnezzar's death Ios. An [...]. X. 1 [...]. continued in his Son Evil-Merodach: and in Belshazzar, who was his Son's Son, Dan. V▪ 11, 28. Dan, V. 11, 28. they saw how God had made an end of that Empire. They saw many other things happen, which they could not but observe to be exactly the same that had been foretold in those Prophecies which they found recorded in their Scriptures.

31. But above all the rest, when they saw that City of Babylon all this done by a Persian. taken by one that came out of Persia, a Country that lay East from Babylon; and especially when they heard that his name was Cyrus▪ they could not but remember what was written of such a one in their Scriptures, above a hundred years before this Cyrus was born. It was Esai. XLI. 2. foretold by the Prophet Esaia XLI. 2. That God would raise up a Righteous man from the East; and again, in a Pro­phecy against Babylon, XLVI. 1. Esaia XLVI. 1. that he would call a bird of Prey, a fighting Prince, v. 10. from the East v. 10. that God would give the Nations before him, and make him rule over Kings; that they should XLI. 2. be dust to his Sword, and driven stubble to his Bow [...]; [Page 14] they could not but observe, how God laid such weight on these Pro­phecies, that he challenged them of Babylon to produce any such pre­dictions as these; that had been given out so long before, by any of their Gods, which the Goldsmiths had made, and the Carpenters set up, for them to worship XLI. 7. XLVI. 6, 7. and him coming from the North, Esaia XLI. 7. XLVI. 6, 7.

32. In the former of these Prophecies, XLI. 25. there is added something more of that Eastern Prince, that he should come imme­diately XLI. 25. out of the North, (and so Cyrus did come from the North against Babylon,) this is not only introduced with such a Challenge, in these words, v. 22. 23. shew the things that are to come here­after, that we may know that ye are Gods v. 22. 23, but also it fol­lows, v. 26. v. 26. who has declared from the beginning that we may know? &c. So again in the XLVI. 9. other Prophecy, Esaia XLVI. 9. 10. God assumes the whole Glory to himself; not only of foretelling what shall be, Declaring the End from the Beginning, and from an­cient times the things that are not yet come to pass, but also of bringing them to pass in the time that he had prefixed; saying, my Counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

33. But that which God chiefly insists on, as a most clear Demon­stration CYRUS by Name. of this, is his naming the very man that should be his In­strument in doing the work that he had foretold he would do. God had thus named Iosiah some hundreds of years before he was born, that by him he would destroy all that Ieroboam had built for his Idolatrous worship 1. Kin. XIII. 2. at Bethel, 1 Kings XIII. 2. And God having raised up Iosiah, and made this Prophecy known to him, he came thither to Bethel, and ordered every thing to be done according to that Prophecy. In like manner now God declared that he would raise up a King named Cyrus, to deliver his people out of the Ba­bylonian Captivity, and to order the building of his Temple at Ie­rusalem, and that He should build the Temple. Esai. XLIV. 28. Esaia XLIV. 28. saying of CYRUS, he is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure. God declares that by his per­forming of this he would evidently prove that he was the only true God. v. 24—27. v. 24—27. Again XLV. 1. Esay XLV. 1. Thus saith the Lord JEHOVAH to his Anointed, to CYRUS, whom I have enabled to conquer Cities and Kingdoms; this I doe, that thou mayst know that I who call thee by thy Name am the God of Israel.

34. That Cyrus did know this, it appears by the Edict he put forth Cyru [...] knew of this Prophecy. in the Ann. 536. be­fore Christ. first year of his Reign over Babylon, Ezra I. 1. Ezra I. 1. It was the year in which K. Darius dyed, Ann. 606. be­fore Christ. that was the 70th year from the fourth of Iehoiakim, according to Ieremy's Prophecies Ie [...]. XXV. 1, 10. XXV. 1, 10. In the preamble of this Edict Cyrus declared, that JEHOVAH▪ the God of Heaven (so called in opposition to Idols) had given him all the Kingdoms of the Earth, and charged him (even CYRUS by Name) to build him an house at Ierusalem.

So great, and so wise a man, as he was, would never have said this to the honour of a God whom neither he nor his Forefathers [Page 15] had known; and whom he now knew to be the God of no other but a Conquer'd people, that were come to be his vassals, and slaves. Especially, he would not have said it in such a publick Act as this was: if he had not Read what was written of himself in those Pro­phecies; and if those Prophecies themselves had not been so well at­tested to him, that he could have no reason to doubt, but that they were of that Age in which they were pretended to be written.

35. It is not to be imagined that Daniel had not read all those But he could not build it yet. Prophecies. No doubt they were his Comfort, and his Hope, the whole time of his Captivity: and therefore, when he saw them all fulfilled to the last, namely the Promise of his people's deliverance; that being the chief thing of all, he could not but be greatly con­cerned to see that fulfilled, as well as the rest. But yet it did not come presently after Cyrus's taking of Babylon. For the Power that Cyrus had there at present being only under King Darius, who perhaps knew nothing of the Jews at that time, or at least had given no order concerning them; therefore when Cyrus had done all that he had Commission to do there at Babylon, he left it; and, as it seems, taking Daniel with him, he went to King Darius in Media; and leaving Daniel there, went on into Persia, as it has been see n. 18, 19. al­ready shewn.

36. There being no appearance all this while of any thing done This made Da­niel think of Two Prophecies, each of LXX weeks. for God's people, or to be done now Cyrus was gone so far from them; this was, in all likelyhood, that which put Daniel upon searching into BOOKS, as he tells us he did, Dan. IX. 2. Dan. IX. 2. He knew and was fully assured, that the time of their Deliverance was not far off; but he had a Mind to know how much longer they were to wait for it. And where should he look to find this, but in those Prophecies of Scripture that set forth the time during which they were to be in Captivity? There are two such Prophecies in the Collection of Ieremy's writings. We call that whole Collection the Book of JEREMY; but the Prophet himself called each of these Prophecies, a BOOK. And in two of these BOOKS there is ex­press mention of a time of seventy years, which God had prefixed for two very different purposes. One was for the duration of the Babylonian Empire: the other was for the time of his people's Capti­vity. We shall speak of both these particularly.

37. The first of these was the BOOK, which Jeremy. prophecyed 1. that after LXX weeks God would punish Babylon. against all the Nations therein named, Ier. XXV. 13. Ierem. XXV. 14. There it is said, these Nations shall serve the King of Babylon 70 years: and it shall come to pass, when 70 years are ACCOMPLISHED, that I will punish the King of Babylon, and that Nation, saith the Lord, v. 11, 12. v. 11, 12. The Time spoken of in this Prophecy should begin Ann. 607. be­fore Christ. in the third year of Iehoiakim: for then it was, that Ne­bucadnezzar came up against Dan. I. 1. Ierusalem, and besieged it, Dan. I. 1. This time being reckon'd by Chaldee years, whereof 70 are very near [Page 16] see DISSERT III. equal to 69 Iulian, must necessarily expire in the first year of King Darius. And so it came to pass; for in Ann. 538. be­fore Christ. that very year, those 70 years being ACCOMPLISHED, God did punish Belshazzar King of Babylon, and his Nation, as it hath been already shewn.

38. The other (a) BOOK (for so it is called in the Original) a a [...] was the Ier. XXIX. II. that after LXX weeks, he would bring back his Captive people. Epistle which Ieremy sent from Ierusalem to his Bre­thren that were in the Babylonian Captivity. In this Epistle, among other things, the Prophet saies, thus saith the Lord, AFTER 70 years be ACCOMPLISHED at Babylon, I will visit you, and perform my Good Word towards you, in Causing you to return to this place, Ier. XXIX. v. 10. v. 10.

It was in the fourth year of Iehoiakim that Nebucadnezzar smote the Army of Pharaoh Necho, King of Aegypt at Charchemish, Ier. XLVI. 1. Ierem. XL. VI. 1. And then it was that he took Ierusalem, and brought Iehoiakim under Tribute, XXV. 1. Ierem. XXV. 1. At which time also he carryed away Daniel, and many others, together with a great part of the Vessels of the Temple, to Babylon. Dan. I. 2. II Chron. XXXVI. 7. Dan. I. 2. 2 Chron. XXXVI. 7.

In that Ann. 606. be­fore Christ. fourth year of Iehoiakim was the beginning of the 70 years of Captivity; which years, according to that Prophecy, must be ACCOMPLISHED at Babylon. There were just so many Chal­dee years from the fourth of Iehoiakim till Ann. 537. be­fore Christ. the second year of year of Darius inclusively. And AFTER these 70 years were AC­COMPLISHED, then God was to visit his people, and to cause them to return to Ierusalem: accordingly this came to pass in the first year of Cyrus. Ezra I. 1. Ezra I. 1.

39. That there were just 70 Chaldee years from the third year of Daniel saw that the first LXX years were past, and Babylon pu­nished. Iehoiakim till the first of Darius, and so likewise from the fourth of Iehoiakim till the Second of Darius, this will be Dissert. III. afterwards shewn in the proper place. The mean while, by what has been said, th [...] Read [...]r [...]ay understand that which Dan. IX. 2. Daniel saith, IX. 2. In the [...]st year of HIS, that is, of K. DARIUS'S Reign, I Daniel understood by [...] BOOKS, the number of the years whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the Prophet, that he would Ac­complish 70 years in the Desolation of Jerusalem.

40. By these [...] He saw the se­cond year near past, but nothing done for his Peo­ple; BOOKS, or Prophecies, Daniel understood now, in the first year of DARIUS, that his People were within a year, or little more, of being restored from their Captivity. And though, at this time, he was for his own part in a most pro­sperous and flourishing Condition, Dan. VI. 2, 3. Dan. VI. 2, 3. such as drew upon him the Envy of them that were the Chief men about King Darius, v. 4. &c. v. 4, &c. yet he considered not Himself, nor any thing that he enjoyed, nor any thing that could happen to him. All his thoughts were taken up with those Promises of God, concerning his people's Deliverance, and especially the building of the Temple at Ierusalem.

[Page 17] 41. These Promises being made without any Condition, God was He knew they must Pray for it. sure to perform for his Truth's sake, even to them that should have no benefit by it. The Benefit would be only to them that were qualified by Faith, and Obedience, and that sought it with fervent Prayer. All this, Daniel could not but know to be so, according to the General rules of God's dealing with his people. But besides, he knew that, as to these part [...]cular Promises, God was pleased I [...]. XXIX. 12, 13, 14. in the Prophecy it self to charge them with this Condition; that who­soever would receive any benefit by them should obtain it by Prayer, he should not have it otherwise. This God had expresly —vers. 1 [...]. re­quired of his people v. 12. Then shall you call upon me, and you shall go and pray unto me▪ and I will hearken unto you. And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your Heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord, and I will turn your Capti­vity, &c.

42. It is more likely that also at this time his People having been He Prayed, and joyn'd Fasting with it. for many years Captives at Babylon, had contracted much Impu­rity by living so long in that Idolatrous City and Nation. And that Righteous man, dwelling among them, might have seen and known so much of this, that though he could not doubt of God's Truth in performing his Promis [...] [...] he might fear least the Generality of his people might be very [...] to receive any Benefit by it. There­fore he not only prays for their Deliverance, [...] he joyns fasting with it, and Confession of those Sins by which they [...] made them­selves unworthy of that Mercy, Dan. IX. 3, 4. Dan. IX▪ [...]

43. First, as for Daniel's Fast on this occa [...] [...] [...]rs to have He kept a strict Fast. been only for One day. But how strict a Fast it was, he expresly tells us. It was not such a fast as, he says, he kept Dan. X. 2, 3. in the third year of Cyrus, Dan. X. 2, 3. That was not so properly a fast, as a MOURNING for three full weeks v. 3. that is for —1. 13. one and twen­ty days together, v. 13. All which time he eat no [...] pleasant Vi­ctuals: particularly, no flesh, nor wine came into his mouth; nor did he ^* Anoint himself; he used no manner of delicacy. But then he kept his Fast, as devout people do among us, their Passion week▪ or as many do their whole Lent, as well here, as in other Countreys.

But this one days Fast, on this solemn occasion, was joined with Dan. IX. [...]. Sackcloth and Ashes v. 3. These are higher expressions of [...] ­row than were used in any ordinary Fast. They were such [...] King of Ninive used, for the averting of the Judgements of God▪ [...] were denounced by the Prophet [...] III. 6. Ionas against him and his peo­ple, Ionas III. 6. Whether he did it by the Prophet's advice, or out of a meer natural sense of Religion. In like manner did E [...]. IV. 1▪ 2, 3. Mor­decai, and many other of the Jews, afflict their souls for the Sins of their People, when they were at the very brink of Destruction. Da­niel [Page 18] now did the same, he sought the Lord by prayer, with Dan. IX. 1▪ 2, 3. Fast­ing, and Sackcloth, and Ashes, out of a holy fear, lest his people by their Sins should obstruct their approaching Deliverance.

44. In the next place, as to Daniel's Prayer, here are several things Of DANIEL'S PRAYER. to be observed in it. As namely, First, The Time: This, as we shall shew in it's proper Tract. IV. place, was at one of the Hours of Prayer; and particularly at the Ninth Hour, which was the time of the Dan. IX. 21. Evening Sacrifice. Secondly, The Ceremonies that he used in his Devotions: of these here is nothing expressed, but only this, which Daniel saies of himself, v. 3. Dan. IX. 3. I set my face unto the Lord God; meaning thereby, towards the Ruins of the Temple of God at Ierusalem, as he shews Dan. VI. 10. v. Grotium in [...]oc. elsewhere, Dan. VI. 10. Thirdly, The Substance of his Prayer. This he IX. 20. divides in two parts▪ the Con­fession of his Sins, and his People's; and his Supplication to God; IX. 20. Before all, he begins with an vers. 4. Address to God, the same that was afterwards used by Neh. I. 5. Nehemiah in his Prayer on a like occasion. His Confession of Sins, we shall Tract V. shew, he also be­gins with a Dan. IX. 5. set Form; composed by King Ps. CVI. 6. David, and prescribed by his Son [...] Kin. VIII. 47. Solomon to the used by God's People when they should be in Captivity, as [...] were now in Daniel's time.

45. But for these Circumstantial things; the use of set forms of Circumstantial things are only toucht at. Prayer▪ the Hou [...] of Prayer that Daniel observed; and the Cere­mony abov [...] [...] they do all deserve a longer consideration than we ca [...] [...] them in this place, so our enlarging upon them here is not [...]ry for the understanding of this Prophecy. And therefore a farther discourse upon these is reserved for some of the Tract. IV. & V. Tracts that are to follow in the end of this work. As to our present business, it will be sufficient to observe those things in Daniel's Prayer to which the Angel plainly refers in any part of his Answer, but especially in the words of this Prophecy.

46. In the first place, whosoever reads Daniel's Prayer, and well In the Main, it shews us his excellent Spirit; considers it, cannot but admire his excellent temper of Spirit, made up wholely of Humility and Self-denial, and of ardent Zeal for God's Glory, and the good of his Church. There is a wonderfull mixture o [...] [...] these together that shines forth throughout his whole Prayer: for which, as it was intimated see [...]. 1, 2, 3. before, the Angel that brought him this Prophecy, told him in his Preface to it, that he was GREAT­LY▪ B [...]LOVED OF GOD.

47. First, to speak of his Humility. Throughout the first part of his Humility▪ [...] Prayer, which is chiefly a Confession of Sin, he every were joins his own Sins with those of his People; as if He had been one of the Number of them that had drawn down those heavy Judgements of God upon themselves and their Nation; of whom a great part were destroyed, and the rest were now, as he was, in Captivity in a for­reign Land. But he does more than this, he calls that whole part [Page 19] of his Prayer Dan. IX. 4. MY CONFESSION, v. 4. And so at last, all the matters of his Confession, he summs up in these words, I was con­fessing MY SIN, and the Sin of my people Israel. He speaks as if he had been the Chief Sinner of Israel; He Ezek. XIV. 14, 20. see Dissert. I. whom, ^* above fifty years before, all they that were then in Captivity with him at Babylon looked upon as so great a Saint, that they hoped to be deli­vered on the account of his Holiness.

48. In the second part of his Prayer, which he calls his Supplica­tion his Self. Denial; to God; first, as to the Matters he had to ask in it, this holy man was so intent on the concernments of his People, that he quite left out himself, as if he were not worth thinking of. It may in­deed seem as if he had not any thing to ask for himself; being then as great as the greatest King in the World could make him, in his worldly condition. But besides, he could have no concernment him­self in that which he was chiefly to ask for his People. His great suit for them was that God would put an end to their Captivity, that they might return to their own Land. But that was above Ezra VII. 9. four months Journey, too much for a Man of his Age, being then above See Dissert. I. Ninety years old. Yet now, at this age, being first Minister of State in that great Empire he underwent perhaps a greater toil, for his People's sake, than that Journey would have been. And he con­tinued in it, Dan. VI. 28. even till King Cyrus's time. It was four years at least, till the third year of Cyrus; after which God was pleased to give him his dismission. Dan. XII. 12, 13. Dan. XII. 12, 13. His Zeal for God's Glory will appear in the Arguments that he uses in his Prayer, which we shall presently come to consider.

49. But first, something more must be said of the Persons, and his Concern for God's People, especially for the City of Ierusalem; things that he prayed for. He asked only in general for his People, that God would bring them back into the Land of their Fathers. But there he seems to have thought of nothing but the City of Ierusalem. It is that which he insists upon more than any thing else in his Prayer. It appears by his mentioning this, five or six times at least; whereas he does not mention the Temple more than once, though that was surely the most valuable thing in that City. Both these Daniel Dissert. I. had seen in their Glory, in the end of King Iosiah's Reign, though he was very young at that time. But Ierusalem he could never forget, nor no Captive at Babylon could, that had read those passionate words in Ps, CXXXVII. 5, 6. King David's be­loved City. Ps. CXXXVII.

50. The Royal Psalmist himself could not but have a vehement affection See Ps. CXXII. for that City, on many accounts. It was that which he, having taken it from the Iebusites, first made the Royal Seat of his Kingdom: afterwards, having brought the Ark of God thither, he made it the Mother-Church of all Israel: and to perpetuate that Pri­vilege [Page 20] to it, he would have built a Temple there for the God of Israel, but that God made him leave the doing of that to his Son Solomon. But without that Addition, the City alone David called Ps. XLVIII. 1. the holy Mountain of God, Ps. XLVIII. 1. And so did Daniel in this Dan. IX. 16, 24. Prayer, v. 16. which the Angel refers to, vers. 24. It was the City of Ierusalem that was called the holy Mountain by God him­self, Zech. VIII. 3. Now indeed it was nothing but a Mountain of Rubbish, without either Houses or Walls. It was as David foresaw it would be, a heap of Ruins without any Inhabitant; and he made several ^* Psalms for it, when it should be in that condition. One of those Psalms, Ps. CVI. it may reasonably be presumed Daniel had in his mind, when he used the Ps. CVI. 6. words of it in his Prayer.

51. It may well be enquired, what the reason should be, why not so much for the Temple. Daniel in his Prayer speaks so Dan. IX. 7, 12, 16, 18, 19. often of the City of Ierusalem that lay then in ruines; and scarce ^† once mentions the Temple of God which was in the same condition. This deserves to be thought of so much the more, because the Angel in his Answer to Daniel, takes vers. 24. notice of his praying for his holy City, and in his Prophecy tells him of a Dan. IX. 25. Commandment that there would be for the build­ing of Ierusalem; upon which the Wall should be built, and the Street; but the Angel saith nothing of the Temple in his Answer, nor promiseth any thing of it in his Prophecy. But at last, [...] vers. 26. where he speaks of the death of the Messias, he saies that after that, both the City and the Temple should be destroyed. In these last words it was plainly implyed that there was a Temple to be built, for there was none in being at, the time of this Prophecy: and it must be Built before it could be destroyed. But there was no Promise of this.

52. Now the reason of Daniel's saying so little of the Temple, he knew that would forth with be built. and therefore the Angel's saying nothing of the rebuilding of it, was plainly this, that Daniel was perfectly secure that the Temple should be built; the Angel also knew that he was so; having God's word for it, not only that it should be done, but that it should be now within a year or two. He also knew who should Order the doing of it. He saw and knew the Man, even CYRUS by name; of whom God had said, Esaia XLIV. 28. it is He that shall perform all my pleasure; saying to Ierusalem, thou shalt be built; and to the Temple, thy Foundation shall be laid.

53. It was little more than a year after this that King Darius But he knew not when the City would be built. died; and Cyrus being his Successor did give out that order, upon which soon after Ezra I. 1. the foundation of the Temple was laid, ac­cording to that Esai. XLIV. 28. Prophecy of Esaiah: But that was all that was [Page 21] done to it in Cyrus's time; the building of the Temple being put off till the Ezra IV. 5. 24. second year of King Darius, which was some fifteen years after. No doubt Cyrus gave also order, or leave, for the building of Houses at Ierusalem, for the dwelling of thòse few that had to do about the Temple. But for the Generality of the People that came up from Babylon, Ezra II. 70. they went to live in the Cities about which their Inheritances lay; so that after all that Cyrus had done, there were no more than scatter'd Houses or Sheds for present use at Ierusalem. There were Neh. VII. 4. no Streets built to make it a City; and much less Walls to make it defensible till the II. 1. twen­tieth year of Artaxerxes, which was above seventy years after this. When that would be done, Daniel had no manner of View; there being no Prophecy in Scripture concerning it, till that which the An­gel now gave him in this Dan. IX. 24. Prophecy of LXX weeks. Here indeed, the Angel, being to set the Time from whence he was to date the begin­ning of these weeks, told him v. 25. these weeks were to begin vers. 25. from the going forth of the Commandment to build Ierusalem again: and that there might be no mistake of his words, the Angel shew'd what Com­mandment he meant, by adding what was to follow upon it; namely Ib. that the Wall should be built, and the Street, even in a streight of Times. This was clear to them that lived in King Artaxerxes's time, when they came to see the Neh. II. 5, 6. Issuing forth of that Commandment of his, in the year of his Reign Neh. III, VI, &c. before mention'd. And to Us it is as plain by reading the account of it in the Book of Nehemiah, who lived at that time, and was employ'd by that King in that building.

54. But Daniel, who lived so long before, being wholely igno­rant Therefore he prayed for that chiefly. of this, till he had this intimation of it from the Angel in the words of this Prophecy; it is no wonder that he was so passionately concern'd for the rebuilding of the City of Ierusalem; as we see he was, by his so often repeating it in his Prayer for his Church and Nation; that being their Center of Union, in all their Civil affairs, as well as those of Religion.

55. We are next to shew the ardent Zeal that he had for God's He also shewed his Zeal for God's Glory, in the Arguments that he used in his Prayer. Glory; which especially appears in the Arguments that he made use of for the speeding of those his Petitions. He made use between whiles of Arguments drawn from the Attributes of God, that are known, even by the light of Nature, to them▪ that have no Divine Revelation. Dan. IX. 4, 7. 9, &c. Arguments from the Wisdom and Power, the Truth, and Holiness of God; his Justice, and Goodness, and Mercy; all these do afford us helps in Prayer; some of them for the strengthen­ing of our Faith, and Hope, and Resignation to God; others also to mind us of those Divine qualities, in which we are, as near as we are able, to conform our selves to the Image of God: and thereby to qualify our selves for those Mercies and Blessings we ask of him, which is the most proper use of such Considerations.

[Page 22] 56. But this holy man did especially insist on that Privilege that especially in praying for the Jews, as God's People. the Jews had above all other Nations, on the account of their parti­cular Relation to God. He sheweth it all along in his Prayer; where, speaking to God, he calls him, sometimes Dan, IX. 9, 15. the Lord our God, v. 9, 15. sometimes verse 10, 13, 14. JEHOVAH our God verse 10, 13, 14. And of the [...]ewish Nation he tells him, We are thy People, vers. 15, 16. v. 15, 16. thy People that are called by thy Name vers. 19. v. 19. All the Jew's Prayers for their People and Nation are full of such Instances as these.

57. To shew what ground they had for this, it will be necessary A DIGRESSION. to look so far back into the Iewish Origins, that some may think it a tedious Digression from our main Business. But we hope they will think otherwise, when they see the Use of it in our explaining of some parts of the following Prophecy by such Notes as they will find in this Disquisition.

58. The Jews have an ancient Tradition in their Talmud, which Of the Rabbins three Olams. divides the whole Age of the world into three Olamim, as they call them. The first they call Olam Tohu, the Age of Emptiness, being all that which passed before their Divine Revelation. The second they call Olam Tora, the Age of the Law, which contains all that space of time from the Call of Abraham, Gen. XII. till the coming of the Messias. The other they call the Age of the Messias, which is to extend from his coming to the end of the world. To each of these Ages there was assigned by their Tradition the space of two thousand years. That reckoning of years the present Iews would be glad to be rid of; for, if that Tradition be true, the Messias is come, and gone, above a thousand years since. We see v. Raim. Mart. pugio [...]d. II. 10, 1. &c. Hoornb. de Conv. Iud. II. p. 180. what miserable shifts they are driven to for the avoiding of this.

59. But for their account of the three Ages here mentioned, we the threefold Dispensation of the Covenant of Grace. have no occasion to differ from them about that. It is plain that God has so order'd a threefold dispensation of the Covenant of Grace to Mankind in that Estate into which we are faln by the sin of our first Parents. The first Dispensation began with that Gracious Pro­mise of Gen. III. 15. the Seed of the Woman, which God made to them im­mediately after the Fall. We all acknowledge this to have been the first promise of the Messias. The History of the Creation, together with this; and afterwards the History of Noah's Flood; was doubt­less convey'd from [...]e to age by unwritten Tradition. And the knowledge of these [...]ings, together with something of Instituted worship, being added to the Natural Religion, was all that God gave Mankind to conduct them in the way to Eternal Life during that whole first Dispensation. Afterwards, when God had given us a suffi­cient trial▪ what shift Human Nature could make without any other helps than those before mentioned, then he proceeded to a second Dispensation, wherein he superadded to the former an immediate Divine Revelation. With this he was pleased to entrust one particu­lar Nation; not only to be the Depositaries of it, but also to be Pat­terns [Page 23] to all the rest of Mankind, by living up to it, as he had reason to expect that they should during that Dispensation. Then at last, it pleased God to begin a third Dispensation, by sending his Son into the World, with the most perfect Revelation that ever shall be given to Mankind; causing this to be put in writing, for the use of all future ages even unto the end of the world.

60. For that second Dispensation, of which we are to speak par especially the se­cond, being that of the Jewish Church. ticularly at this time, God made choice first of Abraham, a Man of such Godlike qualities, that he was therefore called the 2 Chron. XX. 7. Esai. XLI. 8. Iam. II. 23. Friend of God. To that excellent Man God first gave the Promise, that there should be one of Gen. XII. 3. his Seed, in whom all the Families of the earth should be blessed, Gen. XII. 3. which promise the Jews understood of the Mess [...]as, and accordingly St. Paul apply'd it to Gal. III. 1 [...] Christ, Gal. III. 18. After this, God was pleased to establish a Covenant with him, that he would be a God to Him and his Seed, Gen. XVII. 7. For a lasting token whereof, God gave him first the mark of Gen. XVII. 1 [...] Cir­cumcision in his Flesh; and order'd that to be continued on all his male Issue that should be born into the world. The first of these, namely Isaac, was called Gen. XXI. 12. the Seed of Promise, as being not only the Ancestor of Christ, but also a most lively Type of him in sundry respects; but especially in his being offer'd up by his Fa­ther in Sacri [...]ce to God, as the Apostle observes, Heb. XI. 17, 18, 19. Hebr. XI. 17, 18, 19. This Covenant God having first made with Abraham, personally, by the Name of ELSHADDAI, that is Gen. XVII. 1. God Almighty, Gen. XVII. 1. did afterward by the same name confirm it in his son XXVIII. 3. Isaac, XXVIII. 3. and after him to his son XXXV. 11. Iacob, XXXV. 11. and after him to a NATION that should come out of his Loins. This was in effect an Exclusion to all the rest of Abraham's Seed, and of Isa [...]c's also, from being of the National Church.

61. But yet this Covenant of God he did never appropriate to the First in Egyp [...] God called them to be a National Church. Seed of Iacob, or Israil▪ till above two hundred years after his death. They were then in the land of Egypt, whither at first they came only Gen. XLVI. 27. LXX persons in number ^*. In that space of time they were so encreased that they came to be Deut X. 22. like the Stars of Heaven in multitude, Deut. X. 22. In little more than half that time their Num­bers had made them formidable to the Egyptians, Ex. I. 7—10. Ex. I. 7.—10. insomuch that they thought it necessary for their own safety to make them th [...]. In order to that, first they brought them under such a slavery as —v. 14. made their lives bitter to them, v. 14. When that would not do, [...] were for —v. 22. drowning all the [...] [...]ren as fast as they came into the world, v. 22. No other sort of [...] could seem strange after this. Under which that poor people [...] [...]o way to [Page 24] help themselves, but by their sighs, and groans, and cries to God against their oppressors, Ex. II. 23, 24. Ex. II. [...] 24▪ God heard them, and was graciously pleased to let them kn [...] [...]t he remember [...] [...] Co­venant with their Fathers.

62. He appear'd to Moses for that purpose Ex. III. 6. Ex. III. 6. and Sent by Moses, from JEHOVAH, their God, gave him Authority to let them know that now in this woful condi­tion he would take them to be his chosen People, and he would be their God, according to his promise made to their Fathers. He also gave him Power to work▪ IV. 1—9. Miracles for the proving of his Mission from God. But it being a thing then unheard of, that any People should have a God without a Name; and Moses saying his People would expect one, III. 13. III. 13. God was therefore pleased to let them know that they should call him [...]ir God by the [...] [...]VAH, that is, the Eter [...]al Being▪ And accordingly Mo [...] having so proved his [...] that the E [...]ers of Israel belie [...]ed him, took them with [...] [...] King of Egypt, and told him, J [...]HOVAH the God of the He [...] is called upon us †¹⁵ so it is render'd in both these places in the Sept [...]agint, and also in Onk [...]los, and in [...] ­rom's Latin Transla [...]on which shews that they that made those Translations had it [...]us [...] And so the meaning is plain▪ the name JEHOVA [...] [...]s [...] [...] is▪ [...] has given us that name to call o [...] [...] [...]eople [...]o, that they may serve me Ex. V. 1, 3. [...]

63. [...] being provok [...] [...] yet worse, He found them weak and per­ve [...]. which so dishe [...] [...] Mos [...] would have them, they even [...]ell but wi [...] [...] V. 21. [...] Then God was plea [...]d [...] and with [...]l to al [...] [...] their Father [...] by the name of Ex. VI. 3. [...] [...], Ex▪ [...] by the name that he had now assume [...] [...] VI. 7. [...] I will take you to [...] shall kn [...]w that [...] from [...] the [...] were so [...]unk with opp [...] [...] God could no [...] them aga [...]. Th [...] would not [...]o mu [...] [...] to Mos [...]s [...] VI. 9. [...] [...] [...] [...] XIV. 1 [...]. and given to Ido [...]atry.

[...] [...]aith [...]lsewhere, [...] [...]ing wor [...] [...]. They [...] k Ez [...]k. XX. 7. [...] ^{16 17} [Page 25] of Egypt; insomuch that even now, when he said, I am JEHO­VAH your God, they would not hearken to him, Ezek. XX. [...]. v. 8. They would not forsake the Idols of Egypt ^*. This was such a provocation to God, that he was ready to have poured out his Fury upon them, even there in the midst of the land of Egypt: but forbore to do that XX. 9. for his Name's sake, verse 9. that the Egyptians might not say that he had begun a work, and could not go through with it, Deut. IX. 27. Deut. IX. 27. Moses has other reasons, which led him to this; as namely, God's love to their Fathers which made him choose Israel for his People Deut. IV. 37. Deut. IV. 37. his Promise that he had given their Fathers, Gen. XV. 13. 14. Ps. CV. 42. Gen. XV. and confirm'd it to them, saying, I will bring you up out of Egypt (f) Ex. III. 17. and having bound this with an Oath, Deut. VII. 8. Deut. VII. 8. he had made it immutable.

65. It being therefore so determined by God, that his People must God sent him to Phar [...]h, with Miracles; come out of Egypt: and there being no other way to gain their consent, much less to bring Pharaoh to it, but by Miracles; therefore God employ'd Moses that way, first to Pharaoh, and afterwards to his own People. Moses first goes to Pharaoh in the name of JEHOVAH the God of Israel, Ex. VII. 1. Ex. VII. 1. and shews him such signs as the Egyptian Gods, which were ver. 11, 12. Devils, however they might Ape him by their Magicians, could not do it so artificially, but that all present might see how short their Miracles were of those which Moses wrought in the Name of Iehovah his God. But Pharaoh's heart being so harden'd as not to be wrought upon by gentle and innocent signs, God order'd Moses to inflict those Plagues upon him, which would surely compell him at last.

66. There were Ten of these in all. The three first were wrought with ten Plagues only in those parts of Egypt about the River Nilus, in which God's People were not so greatly concern'd. But by the last of those three, the plague of Lice, the Magicians themselves were convinced, and Ex. VIII. 19. told Pharaoh, that this was the finger of God. This came too late, for now he was harden'd to that degree that there was no fur­ther hope of doing any good upon him: therefore then God order'd Moses to work the following Plagues in such sort, as might convince his own People.

67. And therefore these Plagues being such as went over the not touching God's People. whole land of Egypt, God order'd them so as that they should not touch VIII. [...]2. the Land of Goshen in which his People dwelt: and even where his People were mingled with the Egyptians, God put a visi­ble distinction between the one and the other, ver. 23. v. 23. This ap­pear'd most remarkably in the ninth plague, which was of X. 21. thick darkness over all the land of Egypt, for three daies, in which they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place all over Egypt: [Page 26] for even then v. 23. all the Children of Israel had light in their dwel­lings. Here was such an instance of the Almighty power of JE­HOVAH their God, and of his especial Providence over them, admi­nister'd by his Servant Moses, that now whatever he had to com­mand, they could not but be ready to obey.

68. Therefore now, before God's inflicting his tenth and last He takes them into Covenant. plague on the Egyptians, viz. the killing of their First born, upon which he foresaw they would not only permit, but beg, and hire his People to be gone out of the Country; He took this never to be forgotten occasion to bind his People to himself, by entring into Covenant with them, and thereby forming them into a National Church.

69. The way of making the Solemnest Covenants between man by the Sacrifice of the Passover. and man was by a Sacrifice, wherein they made God a Party, by pouring the blood on his Altar first, and then eating the flesh toge­ther with one another. God was pleased so far to comply with the weakness of mankind, that to affect their Senses the more, he took this way of covenanting with his People. And withal, to let them know for whose sake, and on what account it was that he did this, he appointed them such a Sacrifice, as should be the most perfect Type of the Messias's redeeming Mankind from a Bondage in­finitely worse than that of Egypt; and that, by the shedding of his blood, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot, 1 Pet. I. 18, 19. 1 Peter I. 18, 19.

70. That the Messias's way of Redeeming his People was to be by the chief Type of the Messias, dying for their sins, will be DEMONSTR. II. 1. demonstrated to the Jews out of Esai. LII, LIII. Esaiah's Prophecy, as it is clear in the Text, and as it was under­stood by their ancientest writers. That the Time of his redeeming his People was to be on the Evening of the Passover, will Ib. D [...]M. II. 2. there also be proved, so as that it cannot be denyed to be their most An­cient Tradition. That Iesus of Nazareth did dye on the Cross in the Evening of the Passover, is plainly Ib. DEM. II. 3. told them several times in their Talmud. That the suffering of our Lord Iesus Christ was plainly foreshadowed by this Type of the Paschal Lamb, will be shewed in the latter part of our Summary of the Gospel. Where also it will be Demonstrated, First, that our Saviour's Death was in the very year of our Lord 33. which was exactly according to the An­gel's Prophecy of the Time of the Messias being to be cut off, Dan. IX. 26. v. 26. and that in that year A. D. 33. the Iew's day of killing their Passover was, not on the Maunday Thursday, as some will have it; but on the next day, being Good-Friday, as we call it. So that our Saviour's dying on the Cross was precisely at the time that was prefixed for the killing of the Paschal Lamb; Ex. XII. 6. Ex. XII. 6. viz. on the fourteenth day of the first Month, between the time of the Evening Sacrifice and the Sun-setting; that is, as it is there worded, between the two Evenings.

[Page 27] But at present we have only this to observe, that here, by this Fe­deral right of the Passover, the whole Nation of Israel did enter into Covenant with God, XII. 47. Ex. XII. 47. And though there were other Nations that had circumcision, as namely the Edomites, the Ish­maelites, &c. yet even of them, without being of the Iewish Reli­gion, none was to be admitted to the Passover, [...] V. 43. Ex. XII. 43. No stranger was to eat thereof: but only such as, sojourning with them, had all their Males circumcised, and so became Proselytes of Righteousness; that is, came over entirely to be of their Religion.

71. No sooner was the Covenant made between God and his Peo­ple, God delive [...] his People out of Egypt. but he immediately performed the first act of his part of it, by bringing them out of the Egyptian bondage.

72. And now he immediately took them under his Protection; of He brought them through the Red Sea. which they were assured by that visible sign of a Pillar of Cloud by day, and of Fire by night, that went before them as often as they marched, and when they rested, stood just over them, E [...]. XIII. 21. Ex. XIII. 21. Besides having now these visible proofs of God's presence with them, and of his Providence over them, continually before their Eyes; they could not so soon forget how within two days before he had on their account killed Ex. XI. 5. X [...]. 29. all the First-born of Egypt, both man and beast, and Pharaoh's among the rest; which surely ought to have made them trust in God, against all the Power of Pharaoh and his Host. But no sooner these appear'd to be now in pursuit of them, and the Red Sea was in sight just before them; but tho [...]gh at first they cried out unto the Lord, they forgot him presently, and were in d d Ex. XIV. 10. open Mutiny against his Servant Moses, vers. 11, 1 [...]. Ex. XIV. 10, 11, 12. They would not stir a foot, till they saw v. 19, [...]0. the Pillar come behind them, and appear between them and their Enemies. Then also, upon Moses stretching out his hand, they saw the Sea divided before them; so that, going into the midst of it v. 21. on the dry ground, they saw the waters a wall to them, on the right hand, and on the left. At last, when they were quite passed through, the next morning, they saw all the Host of Pharaoh that followed them drowned in the Sea; there remained not so much as one of them, XIV. 2 [...]. v. 28. and then, seeing all this, they believed the Lord, and his Servant Moses, v. 31. v. 31.

73. This one would have thought should have never gone out They were mur­muring on all Occasion [...]. of their heads; but there appear'd little remembrance of it three days after. For then, only upon finding no water where they passed, but what had a bitterness in it, they presently murmured against Moses, XV. 24. Ex. XV. 24. Much more some weeks after, when their Victuals were spent, then the whole Congregation murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, would to God we had died by the fleshpots in Egypt, when we did eat bread to the full: for you have brought us forth to kill us with hunger in this wilderness, Ex. XVI. 2, 3. Ex. XVI. 2, 3. He truly told them, your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord, v. 8, 9. vers. 8. and he has heard them, v. 9. This God immediately [Page 28] shewed, by the shining forth of his Glory in the Pillar of Cloud then just over them. And forthwith he told them by Moses, Ex. XVI. v. 12. this Evening you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Accordingly it happen'd. v. 13. That Evening the Quails came up, and cover'd the Camp: and in the Morning the dew lay round about the Host, v. 13. That dew was Manna, of which they made their bread all those 40 years that they were in the wilderness. It fell v. 21. every mor­ning, but on the Sabbath day: for which there was a constant provi­sion by their gathering a double quantity on every sixth day: where­upon they received their first precept of observing v. 26, 28. the Sabbath.

After this, one would think there should be no place left for any far­ther unbelief. But they fell into it again, upon the want of water in that place where they encamped in the wilderness. For this, they not only murmured against Moses, but they outright chid with him, and were almost ready to stone him, Ex. XVII. 1—4. Ex. XVII. 1.—4. Nay they went farther in their Rebellion. v. 7. They tempted the Lord, saying, is the Lord among us, or not? God shewed them he was, by v. 5. bidding Moses take the Elders of Israel with him, and in their sight smite the Rock with the Rod in his hand: whereupon there came out such a stream of water, as supply'd all their present needs. And not only so, but it follow'd them wherever they went in the wilderness, till the fourtieth year after this. Then, upon their coming back to the Red Sea, where this stream of water ran out, they were at a loss for water again; and thereupon they broke out into a second Num. XX. 2. Massa and Mereba, worse than the former, Num. XX. 2, &c.

74. But all the Instances that we have given, hitherto, except this God still bore with them, and took care of them; last, were within 40 Days after their coming out of Egypt. And it is remarkable that, during all this time, notwithstanding all their great provocations, God made them no other return but in deli­verances and blessings. Of this kind there was one more than we have yet mentioned; viz. the Victory that God gave them over the Ex. XVII 8, &c. A [...]alekites. These their unnatural Brethren looking upon them as no other than heartless slaves, that had never seen fighting, and had no other Arms but what the Sea threw up together with the dead Bodies of the Egyptians; fell upon them, Deut. XXV. 18. faint and weary, as they were with their Journey, and smote all the hindmost of them; not doubting to have taken the rest, with all the riches of which they had Ex. XII. 36. spoiled the Egyptians, Ex. XII. 36. But Moses orderd Ioshua to draw out all the men of Israel that were likeliest to fight, and to lead them against the Enemy. He did so; and God shewed them to whom they owed their Success, by ordering that to attend the motions of Moses's hands ^* in his prayer. Ex. XVII. 11. When he held [Page 29] them up, Israel prevailed: when he let them down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses seeing that, and finding his hands to grow weary, vers. 12. got help to keep them up till the Evening; and so obtain'd a complete Victory for Israel.

75. With this farther Instance of God's good Providence over He brought them to M. Horeb. them, they came to Mount Horeb, in the wilderness of Sinai. It is that which Moses calls the Mount of God; for it was there he had the vision of God in a Ex. III. 1. 2. flame of fire in a bush. And there first God gave him the charge over his People, and a promise withal Ex. III. 12. that when he had brought them forth out of Egypt, they should serve God on that very mountain, Ex. III. 12. As soon as they were come thither, XIX. 3, 4, 5. Moses went up forth with to God, who called to him out of the Mount, saying, thus shalt thou say to the Children of Israel; ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bare XIX. 3—6. you on Eagles wings, and brought you to my self. Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my Covenant, then you shall be a pecu­liar treasure to me above all People, &c. Upon his bringing them this Message from God, v. 8. they all answered together, v. 8. all that the Lord has spoken we will do. Hereupon by God's Command, v. 10, 11. v. 10, 11. to make the more Impression on their souls, they sanctified themselves, by washing their Bodies for three days together with the Baptism of Repentance ^*. They joyn'd strict Abstinence with it, Ex. XIX. 14. Ex. XIX. 14. And so being ready against the third day, then being brought by Moses to the bottom of Mount Sinai, there they saw and heard from the Top of it all those Glorious and dreadful sights and noises, v. 18. and XX. 18. of thunder, and lightning. and clouds, and the voice of a Trumpet ex­ceeding loud, the Mountain smoking like a Furnace above, and the earth quaking under them: so that all the People being stricken with Terror, removed, and stood afar off. It seems they did this even while God was speaking to them. For, as it presently follows, v. 19. they said unto Moses, speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. These were surely such Evi­dences of an Almighty power, that all they that were present at that time, if they had any sense in them, could not but, (as God told Moses, they should, on this Conviction,) Ex. XIX. 9. believe him for ever, Ex. XIX. 9.

76. What it was that God spoke to them, we see Ex. XX. 1—17. Ex. XX. He gave them the Law at M. Sinai. 1.—17. Where first, by way of Preface, he minded them that he had performed his part of the Covenant, in these words; vers. [...]. I am JEHOVAH thy God, which have brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, &c. Then to let them know what he expected on their part, he spoke to them those Ex. XXXIV. 28. Deut. X. 13. Ten words, as God calls them, which we call the Decalogue; being the ten Precepts of the Moral Law. The [Page 30] first of them was in these words, Ex. XX. 3. Thou shalt have no other God before me ^*. The second is in these words, vers. 4. thou shalt not make to thee any graven Image, or the likeness of any thing, that is in Hea­ven, or Earth, &c. thou shalt not bow down thy self to them, nor worship them, for I the Lord thy God am a Iealous God, &c. intimating that however he might bear with the Idolatry of other Nations, yet he could not endure it in his own People: no more than a Husband can Adultery in his own wife; which, if he knows, he will surely punish, if he be able.

77. God knew what need there was of using such threatnings to a Warning them especially a­gainst Idolatry. People that were so inclined to Idolatry. And therefore the more to secure them against that; when he had gone through all the rest of his Ten words, as it were in one breath, he return'd to this against Idolatry: for so we see it again, vers. 22, 23. v. 22, 23. The Lord said unto Moses, thus shalt thou say to the Children of Israel; you have seen that I have talked with you from Heaven, (from thence Deut. IV. 13, 15. you only heard a Voice, but you saw no similitude,) therefore take heed, and do not make with me Gods of Silver, nor Gods of Gold. This plainly shews what the especial danger was, against which God thought fit to provide for the safety of his People in Religious matters.

78. After this God gave them a Body of Ex. XXI, XXII, XXIII. Political & Judicial He gave them the Judicial Law. Laws, chiefly for the keeping of that vast number of People together, and the Governing of them, in Civil Society. Then Moses having Ex. XXIV. 3, 4. written all these in a Book; as well the Ten words before-men­tion'd, as also the Iudgements now deliver'd; did by God's Com­mand call all the People together, and read the Book in their hearing. Which having done he v. 7. bound them to the observation of these Laws, by v. 8. an especial Covenant made by Sacrifice for that purpose. And to make the stronger impression on their minds, he first sprinkled Ex. XXIV. 6. half the blood of the Sacrifice on the Altar of God: and then, having taken a solemn promise from them, in these words, v. 7. all that the Lord hath said, we will do, and be obedient; then he sprinkled the other half of the blood on the People, saying to them, v. 8. Behold the Blood of the Covenant which the Lord has made with you concerning all these words, viz. all the words of the Law, and also of the Judgements beforementioned.

79. When this Business was over, then Moses by God's Command Moses gets up in­to the Mount. went up to him into the Mount, there to receive Deut. IX 11. the Ta­bles of the Covenant from God himself. They were two Tables of Stone, on which there were written Ex. XXIV. 12. the Law, and the Command­ment, as Moses calls them, Ex. XXIV. that is to say, Deut. IX. 10. the words [Page 31] which the Lord spake to them out of the midst of the fire on Mount Sinai, Deut. IX. The Tables were no bigger than Moses could carry in his hands, Ex. XXXII. 19. and yet they were cut out of the Rock by the Almighty hand of God, which also writ all that was contained in them, to give them the more Authority with his People.

80. There Moses continued in the Mount Ex. XXIV. 18. fourty daies and Stays there forty daies. fourty nights, neither eating, nor drinking, but wholely taken up with Attention to God; who delivered to him those Instructions and Laws, concerning the Ex. XXV—XXXI. making of the Ark, and the Tabernacle, and all the furniture of it, together with all the Utensils for his In­stituted worship; and also concerning the Priest's Vestments, and their Consecration, &c. They were matters in which there was Ezek. XX 25. no Intrinsec Goodness at all, Ezek. XX. 25. And therefore these things were Ier. VII. 22. not commanded by God to his People at their first coming up our of Egypt, Ier. VII. 22. but were superadded afterwards, to fill the Eyes and the Ears of a Sensual People, that seemed to be scarce capable of any thing of Spiritual Religion; having their minds wholely taken up with the remembrance of those Pompous and Noisy rites they had seen among the Idolatrous Nations.

81. They shew'd now a great Instance of this, upon occasion of The People set up a Golden Calf. Moses's being so long absent from them, while he was with God in Mount Sinai fourty daies. Ex. XXXII. 1. For when the People saw that Mo­ses delaied to come down out of the Mount in all that time, they came in a Body to Aaron, whom he had left in charge over them; and said to him, up, make us Gods to go before us, for as for this Moses, the Man that brought us up out of the Land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him. It was strange indeed, that they that within three months before had seen all those plagues of Egypt, and their wonderful deliverance from thence; and had been ever since con­ducted by the Pillar of Cloud and of Fire; and did neither eat nor drink any thing, but what came to them immediately from God by perpetual Miracles; should notwithstanding all this, so Ps. CVI. 21. forget God their Saviour, as to say, it was that Man Moses that brought us up out of the Land of Egypt. It was yet more strange, that when by their Ex. XXXII. 22. importunity and threats they had gotten Aaron to make them a Molten Calf, the likeness of an Ox that eateth Grass, Ps. CVI. 20. they would cry up that as they did, saying, vers. 4, 8. ^* this is thy God, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt. But this was strangest of all that Aaron who had seen the Glory of God, should so quite forget that, as to build an Altar to this Image of a beast, and make Proclamation before it, (as if the great God had come down to dwell in it,) saying, v. 5. tomorrow is a Feast to JEHOVAH. But however they had brought him to do this, the People were pleased it was done. And as if it were a God indeed, v. 6. on the [Page 32] morrow the People rose up early, and offer'd Sacrifices of all sorts, as well burnt offerings to this new made God, as peace offerings to feast themselves with. After which, Ib. 7. they rose up to play, vers. 17, 18, 19. singing, dancing, and shouting, as they had seen it done by the Egyptians at the Feasts of their Idols.

82. On that very Morning Moses being to come down from the Moses intercedes for them. Mount, God v. 7. hasten'd him away to see what they were doing in the Camp. And it may be observed, that as they had called Moses v. 1. the Man that brought us up out of Egyt, so God speaking to Moses called them v. 7. thy People which thou hast brought up out of Egypt Ex. XXXII. 7. As the People gave the Honour of that great work from God to Moses, so in effect God bids him take the People together with it. Their making an Image of the Lord Ieho­vah their God was so great a breach of their Covenant with him, after so strict a charge he had given them to the contrary; that now he might well have rid his hands of them, and v. 10. Deut. IX. 26. consumed them all at once, v. 10 Deut. IX. 26. And it would not have been in­consistent at all with his Oath to Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, of what he would do for their seed, in bringing them to the land of Canaan: for that might have been perform'd to Moses and his seed, which was theirs; and so here God offer'd it to Moses, saying, Ex. XXXII. 10. Deut. IX. 14. I will make of thee a Nation mightier and greater than they. Moses could not hear of this. v. 11. He besought the Lord his God, that the People of Israel might be his People still, as ill as they deserved That Title. But his concernment was chiefly for the honour of God; lest his de­stroying them might give occasion to the Egyptians to blaspheme; charging God with Inconstancy, as if he knew not his own mind in bringing them out of Egypt; or with Weakness, and not being able to Carry them farther; or that it was out of Hatred to them that he brought them out of Egypt to do them Deut. IX. 28. a Mischief, to con­sume them there in the Wilderness. Upon Moses's most earnest Inter­cession God was pleased to try them farther; laying it upon Moses for the present to correct what he saw amiss in the People: and for Aa­ron, whom God would have destroy'd, he Deut. IX. 20. Pardon'd him on his Brother's prayer.

83. It was so horrible a sight to Moses, when he came to the Camp, He breaks the Tables. Deut. IX. 15. wiih the two Tables in his hand, (which were Ex. XXXII. 16. the work of God, and so was the writing on the Tables,) that in a violent Passion, he v. 19. threw them out of his hands, and broke them beneath the Mount, to make the People sensible what they had done in breaking their Covenant with God. Then with a Just Indignation he vers 20. threw down the Calf from it's Basis, and melted it, and ground it to powder, which he Deut IX. 21. threw into the Brook that followed them out of the Mount, Deut. IX. 21. and so Ex XXXII. 7. mingled it with the water they were to drink, Ex. XXXII. 20.

84. But for Example's sake he took another course with those bi­gotted [Page 33] Idolaters that were now in the midst of their Jollity. He cried out, Ex. XXXII. 26. who is on the Lord's Side? let him come to me. All those that came in upon that call were of the Sons of Levi: whom he commanded to take Arms, and fall upon them, and kill every one of them that came in their way. They did as he bade them; and so by their hands ver. 2 [...]. there fell of the People that day about three thousand men, v. 28. This Act of the Levites, not only expiated the Crime of their Father in killing the Shechemites; But also, instead of Gen. XLIX. 7. Iacob's curse, it entitled them to that Blessing, of their being called to the Ministery of God, to which this was their Deut. XXXIII. 9, 10. first Consecration, Deut. XXXIII. 9, 10.

85. But after all, God did not think fit that this, being a National God requires their Publick Repentance. Sin, should be pardon'd without a National Repentance. Moses seem'd to fear he could not bring them to that, in such measure, as might reconcile them to God for such a breach of their Covenant with him. Therefore he begg'd that rather than this Sin should not be forgiven them, Ex. XXXII. 32. he himself might bear the punishment of it, in this life, instead of his People. But God was not for being recon­ciled to them presently, without giving them such Marks of his dis­pleasure as would make them wiser for the future. At first he had proposed, instead of conducting them himself, as hitherto he had done, to turn them over henceforward to a created vers. 34. and Ex. XXXIII. 2. Angel Ex. XXXII. 34. and XXXIII. 2. most probably to Michael their Prince, as Daniel calls him, Dan. XII. 2. In the next place he declared that, although hitherto he had not punished them for any of their Sins, but on the contrary he had by his Mercy and Justice, as it were, hired them to their Duty; now he would treat them in another manner for the future: and as oft as they fell into Sin, Ex. XXXII. 34. he would punish them for it; and that the rather, to bring this particular sin afresh into their memory. Lastly, to affect them the more, with a Sense of the Provocation they had given him, Ex. XXXIII. 7. God caused Moses to remove his Tbernacle that stood in the midst of the Camp, over which God's Pillar used to appear; and to place it at a distance from the Camp, that the whole Nation might see the great change of God's Countenance to­ward them. The mean while God commanded them to vers. 5. lay aside all their Ornaments, as a punishment for their abuse of them, in parting with their Golden Ear rings of which Aaron made them a Golden Calf. At the hearing of this, they not only vers. 6. stripped themselves of all their Ornaments, but vers. 4. put themselves in Mourning, Ex. XXXIII. 4.

86. This set Moses again to his Prayers, with great Vehemence, and forgives them on Mose [...]'s prayer. to beg of God, that he would afford his Presence again to his People. And at last he did obtain it. God promised, vers. 14. my Presence shall go with thee, v. 14. and afterwards having vers. 16, 17. repeated it, v. 16, 17. that he would go with them, so as that all People should know that they were restored to his favour. By this it appears that the Taber­nacle [Page 34] was return'd to the Camp together with the Pillar over it, which was the visible token of his Presence. And then God Ex. XXXIV. 10. re­new'd his Covenant with them, promising now again, that he would bring them into the Land of Canaan. But withal, he obliged them afresh to take heed of Idolatry, v. 14. in these words: v. 14. Thou shalt worship no other God, for the Lord whose name is Iealous, is a jealous God.

87. This and some other Precepts Moses received, when by God's Moses a second 40 days in the Mount. Command he was a second time with him in the Mount, Ex. XXXIV. 28. Deut. IX. 18, 25. X. 10. for forty days and forty nights, fasting for the sins of his People. Now Moses himself Deut. X. 1. by God's command had hewed two other Tables out of the rock, instead of those he had broken. And in these God himself v. 2, 4. had written the words of the Covenant, even the Ten words, or Decalogue, as he had done in the former. With these Tables in his hands Moses came down again from the Mount, Ex. XXXIV. 29. having beams of Glory on his face, that so dazled the eyes of all beholders, that none of the People could look upon him till he had put a Vail over his face. This was a clear Testimony from God of his approving all that Moses had done; as well in killing that Idola­trous Rabble, as in all the rest of his conduct, concerning that matter of the Golden Calf: besides this Right done to Moses, it was also an Evidence to the People, that now God had forgiven their sin, and taken them again into his Favour. They could have no greater token of it than this, that God made his face to shine upon them, as it were, by Reflection from the face of his servant Moses.

88. After that severe Discipline, which was new to them; since Being come down, he orders all the Levitical Worship. God was so gracious as to be reconciled to them, they were, no doubt, much the more careful to keep within the bounds of their Duty. And it appears that they did it, not only for the second forty days, when Moses was from them, but for many Months after his Return, all which time they had very great reason to believe that God had throughly forgiven them. For whereas, soon after the se­cond fourty days of Moses being in the Mount, all those that were above twenty years old, being number'd, were found to be just 603550 men, Ex. XXXVIII. 26. Seven months after that, being number'd again, they were found to be just the same Number. Num. I. 46. So that in all that time of seven months, there had not died one man of all that vast Number of them of the Children of Israel that were above twenty years of age. It was Moses his bu­siness all this while to see every thing done according to the In­structions that God had given him in the first forty days before mentioned. Among these Ex. XXVII. I. the making of the Ark being one, he employ'd God's chosen Workman XXXVII. 1. Bezaleel, who when he had Ex. XXXVII. 1. done that, then Moses, as God had Deut. X. 1—5. commanded him, put into it the IX. 9, 11. two Tables of the Covenant, Deut. IX. 9, 11, from which it was called the X. 8. Ark of the Covenant, Deut. X. 8. This was now the Symbol of God's presence with his People. And so it continued [Page 35] to be till by breaking their Covenant with God they provoked him to that degree, that he suffered the Ark and the Tables in it to be burnt to­gether with the Temple at Ierusalem: and this even in Daniel's time.

89. When Moses had made all things ready according to his In­structions Now going for Canaan. from God, then the whole Instituted worship of God was put in due course, according to the Levit. I. II. &c. precepts he had given in the Levitical Law. Nothing was wanting, but that God's People might go on to possess the Land which he had promised to their Fa­thers. Now therefore in the second year of their coming out of Egypt, and the second month, on the the twentieth day, the Num. X. 11. Pillar of Cloud, that was over the Tabernacle, removed, and went before the Camp. The people followed, as That led them, from Mount Deut I. 1 [...]. Horeb through all that great and terrible wilderness, as Moses called it, Deut. 1. 19. This was their next way to the land of Canaan. But that was more than they knew. It was a way They murmur at Taberah; very grievous to travel in; which was all that they thought of. And it was a wearisome Journey besides. For the Pillar of Cloud went on Num. X. 33. three days together without intermission; only resting every night, as it seems; for the Pillar of Fire is not mentioned. But what with the badness of the Countrey, and with travelling every day, many of them were sorely aggrieved; so that they lagg'd behind; and if others would have done the like, the Pillar of Cloud might have been left to go by it self. But it seems, when Night came, the Pillar of Fire punished them for it. For XI. 1, 2, 3. it burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the Camp: whence the place was called [...] Burning Num. XI. 1, 2, 3.

90. At their next remove Num. XI. 4. ^* the mixed multitude among them and again at Ki­br [...]th Hattaavah. fell a lusting for flesh to eat. They cried, Num. XI. 20. v. 6. why did we come out of Egypt, where we had all those delicate things? They loathed Manna, which the Psalmist Ps. LXXVIII. 25. calls Angels food, Ps. LXXVIII. 25. coming fresh to them every day from Heaven. They spake against God also, v. 19, 20. vers. 19, 20. questioning his Omnipotence, whether he could give them any other. God shewed them he could, by v. 27. raining flesh upon them as dust, and winged fowl as the sand of the sea, Ps. LXXVIII. 27. Num. XI. 31. A wind from the Lord brought Quails from the sea, and let them fall by the Camp, Num. XI. 31. The Arabian Gulph, as Ios. Ant. III. 1. p. 72. E. Iosephus says, abounds with Quails above all other things whatsoever: and they fly extreme low, as he tells us. The text saies of their flight, that it was but two cubits high, so that the People could catch them with their hands. And they took a vast [Page 36] Num. XI. 31, 32. Multitude of them, ^* even for a Num. XI. 19, 20, 21. whole Month together. They now saw what God was able to do. But they had little Joy of it: for Ps. LXXVIII. 30, 31. while the meat was yet in their Mouths, the wrath of God came upon them, and slew [...] &c. even the healthiest and lustiest Men of all their Nation, Ps. LXXVIII. 30, 31. It seems the disease that they died of, rotted out the palates of their Mouths: for it was said, that what they eat should come out of their Nostrils, Num. XI. 20. Num. XI. 20. But this happen'd only to them that had murmured; from whom the place where they died was called Kibroth Hattaava, the Graves where they v. 34. buried them that lusted.

91. After this, the People being come to Kadesh Barnea, in the Of twelve Spies sent to Canaan, ten misrepresent it. Confines of Canaan, Moses told them how near they were to it, and bade them now, Deut. I. 19, 20, and 21. IX. 23. Go up, and possess it, Deut. I. 19, 20, 21. He told them plainly God would have them do it; and he would stand by them, so that they need fear nothing. But, they durst not trust the wisdom of God. They came up to Moses, and proposed to him, the sending of spies, to search out the Land, and bring word what way they should go &c. Moses saw no ill in this, and therefore he consulted God about it. God gave him leave to send one of every Tribe to Num. XIII. 1, 2. view the Land, Num. XIII. 1, 2. So Moses sent twelve chosen men, of the chief of them, with Instructions proper for that occasion, v. 17—20. v. 17—20. They went, and viewed the Countrey, and returned after v. 25. forty days, with their mouths full of the v. 26, 27. Deut. I. 25. praises of it; bringing with them some Tasts of the deli­cate Fruits of it, particularly See Bp. Patrick on verse 23. Grapes of an extraordinary bigness. But withal they brought such a frightful v. 28, 29. Account of the strength of their Towns, and of the Giants and Giantlike men that lived there, that it struck the People with such terror, that they would scarce hear Ioshua and Caleb, telling them the Truth of these matters. Especially when the other Ten, in Opposition to these two, not only v. 31. persisted in what they had said of the Towns, and of the People; but contradicted themselves in what they had said before of the Goodness of the Land. For whereas before they had said, it was v. 27. 32. a Land that flowed with Milk and Honey; now they said it was a Land that eat up the Inhabitants thereof, Num. XIII. 32.

92. This put the People into a Rage, insomuch that Num. XIV. 1. Num. This put all the People in a Sedi­tion. XIV. 1. all the Congregation lifted up their voice, and cried that night. And the next day, v. 2. v. 2. all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron: and the whole Congregation said to them, would God that we had died in the land of Egypt, or would God we had died in this wilderness. Nay more, they plainly said, it is Deut. I. 27. because the Lord hated us, that he brought us forth out of the land of Egypt hither, for the Amorites to destroy us. They were now [Page 37] for Num. XIV. 3. returning back into Egypt: which was in effect, the undoing of all that God had done for them. And to shew they were in ear­nest, they said, v. 4. let us make a Captain to bring us thither. The hearing of this so struck Moses and Aaron, that they v. 5. fell on their faces before all the Congregation. And for Ioshua and Caleb, who would have appeased this Rage by informing them better, v. 10. all the con­gregation bade stone them with stones. Which probably had been done, but that at that instant the Glory of the Lord appear'd at the Tabernacle before all the children of Israel.

93. This was a universal Rebellion, of the whole Israelitish Na­tion. It was a brutish perversness. That vast number of them, of twenty years old and upward, which were Num. I. 1, 3. number'd within six months before; was not lessen'd since, but by the death of those persons that were cut off for having to do in the two last Mutinies. And after the first of these two, there were Num. X [...]. 21. six hundred thousand of them living, of whom, those that lusted for flesh being dead of the plague, Num. XIV. 36▪ 37. all the rest were engaged in this Rebellion: except only Ioshua and Caleb, and perhaps some few others that were of less consideration. It seems to be a wonder­ful thing how they could so utterly forget what they had seen with­in two years last past, in Egypt, and at the Red Sea, and in the wil­derness, being so many unquestionable Proofs of God's infinite Power, and of his Providence over them. And later yet, what they had both seen and heard at God's giving them the Law on Ex. XX. 19. Mount Sinai, with such Astonishing Evidences of it, as made them beg they might hear and see no more such things lest they should dye. It is yet more wonderful, how they that, when they thought themselves dying, with Ex. XVI. 8. hunger one time, and another time with XVII. 6. thirst in the wil­derness, being told before hand by Moses both times, that they should have Bread come down to them from Heaven, and that they should have Water out of the Rock; they both saw these things come to pass, and had both their Bread and their Water continued to them ever since by perpetual Miracles. Most of all it is to be Admired, how they could every day, and even at this present, see over the Tabernacle a Num. X. 11, 34. Pillar of Cloud by day, and Fire by night, which they knew was a Token of God's Presence with them, and of his Care over them: and yet, as if all this were nothing, should throw off all regard to God and his Ministers; and give up themselves en­tirely to follow their own vain Fancies and Lusts, and what other ill designing men should put into their heads. That this was their case, is most evident in all their History. They were much like Beasts, that have Sense and Memory enough; but have no manner of Consideration. They think of nothing more than the Present, nor even that, when they have been Used to it. This People were now come to that pass, that they minded the Pillar no more than Brutes do the Sun, which they see every day. But as Beasts are [...]artled with a sudden Fire, because they know not what may come [Page 38] of it; so this People started at the sudden appearance of that Glory in and over Num. XIV. 10. the Tabernacle. That was it that put a stop to their Rage against Ioshua and Caleb. They were now in fear of themselves, lest this Fire might break out upon them, as that at Tabera did, so lately, even the other day.

94. For that fright they were in, there was more Cause than they for which the ten Spies dyed presently, the People must all dye in 40 years. knew of. For now at this very time God said unto Moses, how long shall this People provoke me &c.? v. 11. I will smite this People with pestilence. v. 12. And I will make of thee a greater Nation and mightier than they. God did accordingly smite those ten Spies that had stir'd up the People to this Sin. v. 37. They dyed of the Plague before the Lord. That the People might not dye in like manner, v. 13 [...] 19. Moses vehemently prayed, using the like Arguments as he had done see n. 82. before at the time of the Golden Calf. And he had the same success. For now again Ex. XXXII. 14. the Lord repented of the evil that he thought to do unto his People. He said unto Moses, Num. XIV. 20. I have par­don'd according to thy word. But withal, God Num. XXXII 10. Deut. I. 34. sware he would make an Example of them, such as should be famous to all Nations. His words were these, all those Men which have seen my Glory and my Miracles, which I did in Egypt, and in the Wilderness; and have Num. XIV. 22, 23. tempted me now these Ten times; and have not hear­ken'd to my voice; surely they shall not see the Land of which I sware unto their Fathers. That their Tempting of God, first in Egypt, and then in the wilderness, was Ten times in all, neither more nor fewer, will appear in the following Account out of Moses's books. ^*

[Page 39] 95. This perverse and stiff-necked People having fallen into so many Now he Sen­tenced them to dye in the wil­derness. Rebellions against God, within the space of two years from the time wherein he had first made himself known to them by his Servant Moses; and this last breaking out being so much more violent than any of the former; it Num. XIV. 11 12. did provoke God to have utterly consumed them, Num. XIV. 11, 12. And probably at that v. 10. appearance of his Glory they expected no other. But upon the Prayer of Moses he was pleased to pardon this Sin, and to continue them, not only as a Na­tion, but as his peculiar People. He did this according to his usual way of joyning [...]s. CI 1. Mercy and Iudgement together, Ex. XXXIV. 7. keeping mercy for thousands, and yet by no means clearing the Guilty. He shewed this last at present, by cutting off first those ten persons that had been the Ring leaders in this Rebellion. Num. XIV. 37. They died there by the plague before the Lord. For the rest, he forbore them Dan. VII. 12. for a sea­son and time, as Daniel words it, that is, some for a shorter time, and some for a longer. But he passed one terrible sentence on them g Num. XIV. 28. all; and bound it with an Oath to assure them how it would be, that [Page 40] as they had wished that they had died in the Wilderness, v. 2. v. 2. even so it should come to pass. Their Carcases should fall in the wilderness, h v. 32. v. 32. And so they died every Man of them, but Ioshua and Caleb.

96. ^* All the rest of them died in the wilderness, within 38 years all within forty years. from that present. But for their Children that came out of Egypt with them, and had nothing to do in this Sin, Num. XIV. 31. Num. XIV. 31. God bid Moses tell these Rebels; They, (your Children) shall know the Land that their Fathers despised. For they shall go thither, and I will give it them, and they shall possess it, Deut. I. 39. Deut. I. 39. But he told them withal, that their Children Num. XIV. 33. should wander in the wil­derness forty years, according to the v. 34. number of the days that those Spies were searching the Land. God would have it so to be, for a perpetual Remembrance, of their Sin, and his Judgement on them for it. And agreeably to what was said before, God told them with­all, ^† within those forty years your Carcases shall be wasted in the Wil­derness, v. 33. Num. XIV. 33. So it came to pass: for within these forty years were all the 38 years before mentioned.

97. When the People saw these Ten spies all dead of the Plague; They would go up and fight, though forbid­den. then they knew this was a Judgement from God, who might justly deal with them in like manner. Therefore then they confessed, they had sinned against the Lord Num. XIV. 40. Num. XIV. 40. And then to make amends, they were for running on headlong into the Land of Canaan. But this was contrary to an express Command that God had given to Moses, im­mediately upon their refusal before mentioned. On the very day that they refused to go into Canaan, he bade Moses say to them, Num. XIV. 25. Deut. I 40. to morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness, in the way to the Red Sea. Now on the Contrary, though they confessed, they had v. 41. sinned against the Lord, in disobeying him; they tell Moses in the same breath, we will go up, and fight against the Amorites. They added indeed, they would do it in obedience to God, as being that which the Lord [Page 41] our God has commanded us. But to take away that excuse, God bade Moses say to them again, Num. XIV. 24. Deut. l. 42. Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you. But they vers. 43. would not hear, but Rebelled, and went up presumptuously into the mountain of the Amorites. There they found things as they had reason to expect, God not being with them. That Warlike people, being alarm'd by the Spies having been so lately among them ^*, had called in the help of their Neighbours, Num. XIV. 4 [...], 45. the Canaanites, and Amalekites. And these were all drawn together, to defend their Country against that vast Multitude of people that were coming to eat them up. A poor weak Multitude they were at this time, not having God with them. They found themselves so when they came up to the Enemy. They were now in their own sight, what the Spies had told them, as Grashoppers in comparison. All their fighting men were Num XIV. 45. Deut. I. 44. beaten, and chased, and destroyed all the Countrey over. As many of them as got back to the Camp, were now throughly sensible of their Sins. And no doubt they re­member'd the sentence that God had laid on them for it, that, in­stead of going into the Good land they had despised, they must now go wandring the rest of their days in the wilderness. For this they v. 45. wept before the Lord. They would have got him to take off that sentence: but that could not be: only this God was pleased to change in it: whereas he had ordered them to begin their Journey to morrow into the wilderness, and so on Num. XIV. 45. to the Red Sea, Num. XIV, 45. Now in compassion to their wounded men, he gave them leave to lie still Deut. l. 46. many daies, till they were so well cured as to be able to go with the rest.

98. After this they took their Iourney into the wilderness, as God They w [...]nder 38 ye [...]rs in the wil­derness. had commanded them. Their way was now directly from Canaan to­ward the Deut. II. 1. Red Sea: But it was not the same way that they came hither. For now they were to v. 4. compass the land of Edom: Deut. II. 1, 4. first from North to South, till they came to the Red Sea; and then from South to North, still compassing v. 8. Idumaea till they came to the wilderness of Moab, Deut. II. 8. There they were to pass the brook v. 13. Zered, v. 13. And so they did, thirty eight years after their coming from v. 14. 1 [...]. Kadesh-Barnea. In which time all those that came out of Egypt at the age of twenty years old and upward, were v. 16. consumed, and dead from among the people. It was a long and tedious Journey, as God ordered it for them. For it was at his Commandment that they journied, and at his Commandment they pitched their Camp. His pleasure was fignified to them by the Pillar, of Cloud by day, and of Fire by night. When the Pillar was taken up from the Tabernacle, then, after that, they journied: and wheresoever that rested, there they pitched their Camp. The way of [Page 42] it is largely and clearly Num. IX. 15—23. described Num. IX. 15—23. And whereas from Kadesh Barnea to the Red Sea it was not above Bp. Patrick on N [...]m. XXXIII. 19. [...]en days Journey the shortest way; they made it a Journey of 37 years; in all which time they had no more than 17 Resting places. So that, if in every one of those places they had rested an equal space of time every time they had rested it would have been more than two years. No doubt in some places they rested, a less time, and in some much longer. Then from Ezion Geber at the Red Sea they went some­what quicker to the Brook Zered, which was in the Confines of Moab, They went it in one year, during which they had no more but eight Resting places. But now they had been full thirty and eight years in coming from Kadesh Barnea to the Brook Zered; which, as we are told by one Geo. Synce [...]us in Chronogr. p. 142. [...]. Paris. that travel'd it himself, is no more than five days Iourney. Thus it pleased God to give those Rebel's time to dye in the wilderness, as every one of them did within those thirty eight years; in all which time a New Generation was growing up, which Ioshua and Caleb were to bring into the pro­mised Land: and there to shew them how that good Land was be­lied by their ungrateful and rebellious Fathers.

99 Of what they did in those first thirty seven years, or what Of their three last Rebellions. happen'd to them in all that time, we have very little Information in History, only Moses gives us an account of three of their Rebel­lions in that time: which shewed how far they were from being re­claim'd by all their warnings and punishments.

100. The first of these Rebellions was that which Korah and his [...]. that of Korah. Complices raised against Moses and Aaron. It was, as the Ios. Ant. IV. 1. Iewish Historian tells us, such a Sedition as never was known among the Greek or Barbarous Nations. The chief mover in it was Korah, a Levite, whose father Izhar was Brother to Amram the father of Moses and Aaron. He was himself a chief man among those of his Tribe: but he was not contented with that. He was for the Chief Priesthood, if he could get it. But there was no other way to come at that, but by breaking through the divine Institution of the three Orders of the Ministry. It was by God's immediate Ex. XXIX. Command, that Moses had Lev. IX. consecrated Aaron and his Sons to be Priests; which Act of his God had confirmed by sending Fire from heaven on their Sacrifice, in the sight of all the People of Israel, Lev. IX. 24. Lev. IX. 24. He had also given them the Levites to assist them, Num. III. 9. VIII. 19. Num. III. 9. VIII. 19. in all the inferior parts of their ministry. But this was it which Korah could not endure. He was for the Priesthood himself, and so were others of his Tribe, Num. XVI. 10. Which since God had taken from them, they would have it of the People's Gift. The People of Israel could not forget that, before this Di­vine Institution, the Priesthood had gone by Primogeniture. It was (i) instead of all the First born of Israel that God took the Levites into Num. III. 12, [...]. his Service, Num. III. 12, 41. For this reason it seems that Korah [Page 43] applied himself to Dathan and Abiram, the Sons of Reuben, who was the first-born Son of Israel; together with them there were Nu [...]. XVI. [...], 3. two hundred and fifty Princes of the Assembly, famous in the Congregation, that rose against Moses and Aaron. It appears that all these took the Priesthood upon them, as well as Korah himself. For v. 1 [...]. they took every man his Censer, and put fire in them, (no doubt from the Altar of God,) and laid incense thereon, to offer it before the Lord. He that was not a Priest, and did this, was to be put to death, Num. III. 10, 38. ^* This they could not but know. But they would venture it: thinking perhaps that the Laws which Moses delivered from God concerning the Priesthood, were not God's, but his Own, made in favour of, and Combination with his Brother Aaron. If they had not thought so, they would not have dared to break out into such Lan­guage as they Nu [...]. XVI. [...] gave Moses and Aaron, v. 3. When they said to them, you take too much upon you; they could not mean less than Moses did, when he returned the v. y. same words to Korah and his Brethren. It was as much as to say, you take that which God has not given you, Vers. 7. God had surely given it to Aaron, as he shewed by [...]. IX. ult▪ sending Fire from Heaven on his Sacrifice. Therefore this which they were now doing was directly in opposition to God. So Moses N [...]. XVI. [...] tells Korah, v. 11. both thou and all thy Company are gather'd together against the Lord: and what is Aaron that you mur­mure against Him? That Miracle was wrought in the sight of all Israel. And they could not have forgotten it since, being wrought but five months before their coming to Kadesh Barnea. But it seems they ascribed it to some other cause, and not to God's approbation of A [...]ron. Therefore now there was no convincing them of their Error any otherwise than by putting the matter to God. Moses offers them this, that they all should v. 5, 6, 7. take Censers, and put Fire on them, and offer Incense before the Tabernacle: and Aaron should do the same; and then they should see whom God would chuse. Moses at the same time v. 11. sent for those Sons of Reuben. But they seemed to have a mind to the civil Government; and [...]refore they Refused to obey him, They said, v. 11. we will not come up. It is plain in the follow­ing words, that they charged him with making himself v. 13. a Prince over them, v. 13. and with breach of Trust, and deluding the People with Promises of things, of which now their v. 14. senses shewed them the contrary, v. 14. They ended as they begun, we will not come up. So they v. 24. stay'd still in their Tabernacles, v. 24. which were near to Korah's, the Cohathites being encamped next to the Reubenites. [Page 44] Perhaps on account of this Conspiracy they might have one Taber­nacle in common. There to shew they did not fear what Moses could do to them, they had brought their wives, and all their Chil­dren together, to stand or fall with them in the event of this matter. Korah the mean while seems to have been every where. He was surely very busy to bring up all the Numbers he could, that he might head them against Moses and Aaron. That he was a great De­magogue, Ios. Aut. IV. 2. Iosephus saith; and he shewed it throughout this whole Action. In his speech at the beginning, to Moses and Aaron, he tells them, all the Congregation are holy every one of them, and the Lord is among them, in his Tabernacle; wherefore then lift you up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord? Num. XVI. 3. v. 3. with these and such like flatteries of the People, he had charmed them to that degree, that now he had vers. 19. gather'd all the Congregation together against Moses and Aaron at the door of the Tabernacle. There it was now to be tried, who it was that God had chosen, or would chuse.

101. But while the 250 were preparing to offer their incense, God's Judge­ments on Him, and his Com­plices; Moses went where Dathan and Abiram were together, and called off the People, vers. 26. that they might not perish with those Men. He declared that here would be the Trial, whether God had spoke by him, or no. v. 28, 29, 30. If these Men dye the Common Death of all Men, then the Lord has not sent me: but if the Earth open her Mouth, and swallow them up, with all that is theirs, then it will appear, that these Men have provoked the Lord. No sooner had he made an end of speaking those words, but 31, 3 [...]. the ground clave under them, and swallowed them up, and their Families, even all that belonged to them. The mean while, for the 250 Men that were offering In­cense, (and likely Korah was among them; v. 40. see vers. 40.) against them v. 35. there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed them in the very Fact. It was well for Korah's Sons, that they Num. XXVI. II. deserted him in this Action, for by that means they saved their Lives, and conti­nued his Family; of whom came 1 Chron. VI. 22—29. Samuel the great Saint of the Lord, whom David Ps. XCIX. 6. and on the incor­rigible People. pla [...] next to Moses and Aaron, Ps. XCIX. 6.

101. It was wonderful to see the People's stupidity under all this. They that just now had been Eye witnesses of those dreadful Judge­ments of God employing both Heaven and Earth for the destruction of those Rebels, yet as if all this had happen'd in their favour, they still called them Num. XVI. 41. the People of the Lord. This they did after time for Deliberation: for it was on the morrow after their death, that all the Congregation of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, charging them with the Murder of these Men. They told them plainly, you have killed the People of the Lord: as if it had not been God's Work, but theirs; perhaps by Art Magick, in which they might think that Moses and Aaron outdid the Magicians of Egypt. The People were so enraged at this time, that they broke out into an open Insurrection. v. 42. The Congregation was gather'd against Moses and [Page 45] against Aaron. It was high time for God to put a stop to this, as he did, by his Glory appearing in the Tabernacle. God declared his meaning by it to Moses, that he would v. 49. consume them as in a mo­ment. But to prevent this, both Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces, and prayed. At their Prayer God forbore destroying those Rebels, but he sent the Plague among them, that presently v. 49. con­sumed 14700 persons, beside them that died in the Earthquake, and by Fire from Heaven.

102. It was very visible by this great Example, that Miraculous God appoints two Memorials to be kept. Judgements were not sufficient to quell the Rebellious Spirits of this People: but that there must be some permanent Tokens besides to continue with them, and to mind them from time to time, what they or their Forefathers had suffer'd, or seen. Therefore God was pleased to Num. XVI. 37—40. order the taking up of the Censers of Korah and his 250 Men, and the working of them into broad plates for the covering of the Altar; to be a Memorial to the Children of Israel, that none that d v. 40. was not of the seed of Aaron should come near to offer Incense before the Lord; that he be not as Korah, &c. And to give them a further Memorial of this, he caused XVII. 1, &c. twelve Rods, or Staves, one for each of the twelve Tribes of Israel, with the Tribe's name written upon it, and one for Levi besides, with Aaron's Name written upon it; to be laid up in the Tabernacle before the Ark of God, and to ly there only for one night. God told Moses what would be the issue of it; and accordingly he found it so the next morning: Behold, the Rod of Aaron was budded, and had brought forth Blossoms; and those came to be Almonds all in that one night. Moses brought out all those Rods that the Children of Israel might see them. Of the Princes of the twelve Tribes every one acknowledged his own Rod. Then God caused Moses to bring back Aaron's Rod, and to lay it be­fore the Ark, to remain there, for a Token against those Rebels, and quite to take away their Murmuring for the future.

103. Now the whole Nation of Israel had seen these miraculous The People obsti­nate to the last: proofs, of God's insisting on his choice of Aaron to be Priest, as well as his asserting the Authority of Moses. They had also seen those dreadful Judgements of God; Earthquake, and Fire from Heaven, and Plagues, that he sent all in one day, to cut off those Rebels that attempted to set up themselves against these his Ministers. What dis­position that People were in after this, God has been pleased to let us know, by giving us the Passionate words into which they broke out on this occasion. He tells us, Num. XVII. the Children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, behold we dye, we perish, we all perish. Whosoever cometh any thing near to the Tabernacle of the Lord, shall dye. Shall we be consumed with dying ^*?

[Page 46] 104. The direful Complaints of the heavy Judgements of God, as appeared by their bitter com­plaints; that they had seen inflicted on others, and expected the like on them­selves, do plainly shew that they had no Abhorrence of the Sins by which those their Brethren, that died, and perish'd, had provoked the Righteous God to send these Judgements upon them. So far they were from that, that, in the mind they were in, they seem to have thought of no other but that they should Num. XVII. 12. all perish in like manner: though they knew that could not be, unless they them­selves were guilty of the same Sins. They did not know but they might all murmur against Moses, and do all the rest that Dathan and Aoiram had done.

105. But it seems, they took a more particular notice of the Sin especially on K [...] ­rah's death. of Korah and his Fellows, and of the Judgement of God inflicted on them. God had appointed Num. XVI. 38. the Censers of those Sinners against their own Souls to be worked into a Covering for the Altar, that it might be a Memorial to all that were not of the Seed of Aaron, that not See Num. XVI. 40. in the bot­tom of page 47. o [...]e Man of them should come near to offer Incense, that is, to officiate as a Priest; that they might not suffer as Korah and his Company had done. Moses Num. XVII. 10, 11. warned them again of the same at [Page 47] the setting up of that Second Memorial of Aaron's Rod: which warning of his seems to have been the immediate occasion of those passionate words. Thereupon, the Text saith, vers. 12. the Children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, behold, we dye, we perish, we all perish: then adding that which stuck most in their thoughts, namely, the XVI. 40. words that he spake at the setting up of the former Memo­rial, Num. XVI. 40. There it was declared, as they here repeated the words, XVII. 13. See it here in the bottom. Every one that comes near the Tabernacle of the Lord to offer Incense, shall dye. How then? say they, have we done dying? Is the Danger over? No certainly, unless we give up our Right of doing the same that Korah did; which, it seems, they would not promise for themselves. In short, here is nothing else in all their speech, but Tokens of the utmost impenitence. They nei­ther ask Pardon of God, nor of either of his Ministers; they did not so much as desire that Moses would Pray for them; nor did they make the least confession of any Sin, that either they or those Rebels were guilty of. The last mention they made of them in all this History was XVI. 41. Num. XVI. 41, where they charged Moses and Aaron with killing them. They told them plainly, you have killed the People of the Lord. For this God justly called them [Page 48] Num. XVII. 10. Rebels, ch. XVII. 10. and provided the second Memorial, quite to take away their murmurings, that they dye not. But they were still for vers. 22, 13. dying and perishing, rather than they would promise to Amend, and give over those Rebellions, by which they that did dye and perish had brought those Judgements on themselves.

106. By what has been said, it abundantly appears, that as yet God gives a New Law, against in­truding into the Priesthood. the Murmurings were not quite taken away, nor were like to be, as long as this Generation was living. God was therefore so much the more concerned to take care that they might not destroy themselves by their Rebellions, before the Time was run out that he had set them to wander in the Wilderness. And since, for the preventing of this, no sort of Miracles would do, for all had been tried, and cast away, on this stiff-necked People; therefore God was pleased to resort to the Ordinary means, by enacting Judicial Laws, with strict Penalties; and making it the business of Persons concern'd to see them put in Execution.

It was Aaron himself that was chiefly concern'd in all matters of publick worship. He was the High Priest, that was appointed of God to be Judge in all causes touching Religion: and Deut. XVII. 11. 12. from the Sentence of the Law, which he should deliver there was to be no Ap­peal, Deut. XVII. 11, 12. Therefore now to put an end to those disputes about the Priesthood, God was pleased to deliver to Aaron a Judicial Law, concerning Holy places and things, Num. XVIII. 1—7. By which, in the first place, Num. XVIII. 1—7. God laid upon Him and his Sons the whole charge of those places and things that belonged to the Priesthood, viz. of the Sanctuary, and the Vessels thereof; and also of the Priest's Court, wherein was the Altar of Sacrifice. But for the People's Court, and all the Offices in the outer Verge of the Tabernacle, God laid the charge of all these on the other Le­vites, that were not of the Sons of Aaron. And as well to oblige them, both Priests, and Levites, to look to their respective charges, as to deter others from breaking in upon them; he ordain'd, that if any one, who was not of the Tribe of Levi, should intrude into any place of their Ministry, or should meddle with any of the Ves­sels belonging to it, he should be put to death; and so should the Levites that suffer'd him to do it. And for those places and vessels that were within the charge of the Priests the Sons of Aaron; if any stranger should presume to come near them, he must be vers. 7. put to death, v. 7. nay, though he were a Levite, as Korah was, he must dye for it; and the Priests that suffer'd it must also dye with him, v. 3. Their second Massa and Meriba. v. 3.

107. They were by this Ordinance of God kept under a lasting Aw, which they could not be by Temporary Miracles. So that now, from this time forward, we read no more of any one's intruding into the office of Priesthood, in Moses's time, or his Successors: Nor do we read of the People's Murmuring on any other account, till 37 years after their departure from Kadesh Barnea. Then the Children [Page 49] of Israel, being come down to Num. XXXIII. 35. Ezion Geber, Num. XXXIII. 35. which was by the Red Sea, 1 Kings IX. 26. n. 73. 1 Kings IX. 26. there it seems they lost the Brook that Moses fetcht out of the Rock at Massa and Meriba, Ex. XVII. This Brook had followed them hitherto, but it could not ascend, as they did to their next station, which was at Num. XX. 1. and XXXIII. 36. Kadesh in the ^* wilderness of Zin, Num. XX. 1. Hereupon there was a second Num. XXVIII. 14. and Deut. XXXII. 51. Massa, and Meriba, so called on the following occasion. There being no water for the Congregation, they gather'd themselves together against Moses and Aaron: and the People Num. XX. 2. v. 3. [...] chid with Moses and said, would to God we had dyed with our Brethren, &c. wherefore have you made us to come out of Egypt to bring us into this evil place? Here is none of all those good things we were to have in the promised Land, v. 5. neither is there any water to drink. This want of water was a Temptation that they had not Faith to with­stand. And yet, even now at this present, they could not but see by the Pillar of Chud, that the same God which brought them up out of Egypt was still with them. And they knew what he could do in this very case, by having Ex. XVII. 6. seen what he did in the like: which they could not forget, having lived upon the effects of it ever since. But besides, they had seen many other wonderful proofs of an Almighty Providence over them; by which they had been deliver'd out of Egypt, brought through the Red Sea, and preserv'd and fed for so many years since in the wilderness. But all these great works of God they threw back to him, with Contempt, wish­ing they had never been. They wished that Num. XX. 3. they had dyed with that Rebellious Crew that perished in the gain saying of Korah. This was such a [...] v. 13. quarelling with God, as he calls it, v. 13. that Moses the meekest Man on the Earth could not bear it. It provoked him to that degree, that he could not speak to them with Patience. Insomuch that, when God commanded him to take his Rod, and go, and speak to the Rock before their Eyes: and told him, that, that being done, it should give forth its water abundantly; He called the People together to see this work of God; and as they stood there v. 10. together before the Rock, v. 10. He said unto them, Hear now you Rebels, must we fetch you water out of this Rock? v. 11. And Moses lift up his hand, and with his Rod he sinote the Rock twice, and the water came out abundantly. In his Anger, it seems, he did so far forget himself, as to do things like one that believed not what God had said to him. He struck the Rock twice; when God had told [Page 50] him only Num. XX. 8. speaking to it would suffice. Aaron was, as it seems, in the same fault with Moses: for which, the dignity of their Per­sons being consider'd, God thought fit to lay Exemplary Punish­ments on both of them; and so he declared that v. 12. neither of them should enter into Canaan. As for Aaron, God shorten'd his Journey then presently; for he dyed at the next station, which was at v. 28. Mount Hor, as has been already shewn: and Moses dyed at Deut. XXXIV. 5. Mount Nebo within six months after.

108. The next Journey of the People of Israel was through a Third Murmur­ing at Tsalmona. tedious and troublesome Num. XXI. 4. way, in which they had nothing to live upon, but what came by daily and continual Miracles. And whereas they ought to have been thankful for this, they were so far from it, that they spoke, as well against God himself, as against Moses. They joined them both together in this bitter Expostulation; v. 5. wherefore have You brought us up out of Egypt? to dye in the wilderness? Num. XXI. 5. This was their Third Rebellion, and the last that we read of, in the History of this Generation. For the punishment of this Sin, v. 6. punisht with fiery Serpents. God sent fiery Serpents among them, v. 6. It was a most venemous sort of Creature, with which that Wilderness did abound. And they bit the People, so as that a Multitude of them dyed of it. The rest came to Moses to intercede for them. v. 7. They said, we have sinned; for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the Serpents from us. They could not have asked a thing which Moses was readier to do. He prayed, and God order'd him to v. 8. set up the Image of such a Ser­pent, made of Brass, on the top of a very high Pole; that every one that was bitten might look up to it, and live. It is more than once that our blessed Lord minds us of this, as a Type of his being Ioh. III. 14. XII. 32. lifted up on the Cross; that they that are bitten with Sin may look up to Him, and be saved.

109. This last Rebellion was at Tsalmona ^*, which was the thirty At Zered was an end of this mur­muring Genera­tion. fift station of God's People in the Num. XXXIII. 41. wilderness, Num. XXXIII. 41. In four stations more they came to the place called v. 45. Dibon-Gad, in the Valley of Zered. There, as Moses tells us, being Deut. II. 13. come over the Brook of that name, there were now none remaining of that Generation of men that were twenty years old or upward when they came up out of Egypt. It was now v. 14. thirty eight years since they came from Kadesh Barnea, and full forty years since God took them first to be his People in Egypt. All which time of Ps. XCV. 10. forty years he was grieved with that Generation. It was a continual Massa and Meriba, as the Psalmist v. 8. calls it, Ps. XCV. 8. for which v. 11. God swore in his wrath, that they should not enter into his rest, v. 11.

[Page 51] 110. Now they that were under that Sentence being all dead and The new ra [...] under no Tem­ptation to Mur­muring. gone, there remain'd none of any considerable Age, but only Moses himself, together with Ioshua and Caleb, for whom there was a par­ticular Exception. Besides these three, there was not a man left of that a Num. XIV. 30. Nation that was full sixty years old. And of them that were now grown up, the far greater part knew of nothing to murmur at, living as well at this time as ever they did since they remember'd. Especially after they had conquered Sihon and Og, the two warlike Kings of the Amorites, who had been all their time a Terror to the neighbouring Nations. Og affected to make himself so; for being descended from the old Giants, and having a body of their size, he would have it seen what he was by his Deut. III. 11. Gigantick Accoutrements. But Sihon made himself so by his wars with all the Nations about him; whom having subdued, he not only took the Spoils of their Countries, but what part of their Countries he pleased to add to his Dominions. Thus he took Iosh. XIII. 25. half their Land from the Ammonites, and made them glad to live quietly with the rest. From the Num. XXI. 26. Moa­bites he took all the plains of Moab together with the City of Hesh­bon, which he made the Seat of his Kingdom. As for the Losh XIII. 25. Mi­dianites, he had them so much at his will, that they let him chuse whom he would of their Nation to be Kings over them.

111. These Amorites we now speak of were the chief part of one Especially hav­ing Conquered the Amorites. of the seven Canaanitish Nations; whom, having now Gen. XV. 16. filled up the measure of their iniquities, God had justly determined to destroy. And he chose his own People Israel to execute that Judgment upon them. It was by his Command that they killed Deut. II. 34. III. 6. men, women, and children, in both these Kingdoms; which, when the rest of the Canaanites heard of it, put them in such a Horror as made it impossible for God's people to mingle with any of those Idolatrous Nations. But they that made that slaughter were well paid for their pains. They —II. 35. III 7. got all the Riches to themselves that those Amo­rites had been gathering for so many Ages, besides what they had so lately taken from those other Nations. All this the People of Israel had done in little more than two Months after their passing over Zered. And then they came to encamp in those Num. XXII. 1. Plains of Moab which they had newly won from King Sihon. There they were in full —v. 2. sight of the land of Canaan; having nothing between them and it, but the river Iordan. So that now they were so far from hav­ing any Occasion to Murmur, that they had the highest reason to thank God for those wonderfull Successes he had given them; and to trust in him for much greater things that he had promised to their Forefathers, and particularly his Promise to bring them into possession of that good Land which they saw now before them.

112. This made it necessary for the Devil to find out some other Therefore new the Devil was for tempting them to Whore­dom and Idola­try. way for the tempting of that people into a National Sin. Of all other Sins, if the Devil were to chuse, he could find none more for [Page 52] his Turn than the Sin of Idolatry: that Sin, in God's people, being an Absolute breach of their Covenant with him. For the drawing of Them into this horrible Sin, the Devil could think of no likelier way than by bringing 1 Kin. XI. 1. strange women to keep Company with them, such as would be sure to v. 4, 5. turn away their hearts after other Gods. This was no hard Matter for him to do; they being ge­nerally young men, and living in the midst of so many Idolatrous Nations. But that which made it easy was this, that all those Na­tions at this time had such dreadfull Apprehensions of the danger they were in from the people of Israel, that though they lived friend­ly among them, yet they passionately wish'd their Destruction, and would be at any price to bring them to it.

113. Those of Moab and Ammon had no Reason for any such fear; All the Neigh­bouring Nations wished their De­struction. God having warned his people Deut II 9, 19. [...] not to do any Act of Hostility to them. But that was more than they knew: They judged by what they saw before their Eyes. They saw a Num. XXII. 3, 4, 11. Numerous people come into their Country. They had seen how King Sihon, whom these Nations had found so much stronger than themselves, was as nothing in the hands of this people. They had quite destroy'd him and his Kingdom in very few weeks. The Midianites (d) whose d d Iosh. XIII. 25. Kings had been King Sihon's Vassals, on that very account had more reason to be afraid than either of the other Nations. They had therefore sent some of their Num. XXII. 4, 5. principal men to advise with Balak King of Moab what was to be done for securing themselves against that potent numerous people. The only way they could think of was, by engaging a Divine power on their side; such a power as should be superior to that by which Israel was said to have done all those wonderfull things Ios. II 9, &c..

114. But for the obtaining of this, they must find out one that They hired the Prophet Balaam to assist. had such a power at his Call. They pitched upon one that was ge­nerally believed to have this: that was ^* Balaam a (g) Syrian, that [Page 53] lived then Deut. XXIII. 4. in Mesopotamia. The Situation of that Country, lying so much nearer to Midian than it did to Moab, makes it very probable that Balak had this suggested to him first by the Midianites. And it seems much more likely, because of the Trade that the Mi­dianites drove in Balaam's Country, and through it to Babylon and Ninive, the chief Cities then in the world. But that which puts it out of doubt was, his returning thither to Midian when Num. XXIV. 11. Balak drove him out of his Country; of which more will be said n 116. af­terward. We take it therefore to have been by the Midianites ad­vice that Balaam was sent for. Their way to fetch him was by Pre­sents; which 2 Pet II. 15. he loved at his heart; and it seems they knew it, for Num. XXII. 7. the Elders of Moab and of Midian came to him with the re­wards of Divination in their hands. What those Rewards were, it is not said: but no doubt they were Silver and Gold, or else v. 18. & XXIV. 13. Ba­laam's mentioning those things was not much to the purpose. That which they would have had for their Money, was to get him to curse Israel; to the end that when His Divine power had disabled, or chased away Their's, they they XXII. 11. might be able to overcome them, and drive them out of their Country. This they hoped he could obtain by Enchantments, and such like Diabolical ways as he was v. 6. commonly thought to be a great Master of. And so he was content they should believe; and yet he pretended, and proba­bly himself did believe, that all the great things that he had done, and was so famous for, he had obtained by his Intimacy with v. 18. the true God, XXIII. 24. the God of Israel. What Ground he had for this be­lief, and how it came to fail him, will be considered See the bottom. elsewhere.

[Page 54] 115. At present it will be sufficient to observe, that when Ba­laam God would not let him do it, by Cur [...]ing them. made his Application to God, as Balak and those about him desired, for the cursing of Israel; he presently found a great change in the person to whom he applied. Of late days, while, through the just judgment of God for his asking of things which were unfit for God to grant, he had turned him over to the Devil; during his Correspondence with him, the Devil had always granted him such things to chuse; and not only so, but had taught him that way of Num. XXIV. 1. Enchantments by which he used to converse with his Votaries. But now, when Balaam came for leave to curse Israel, the chosen people of God; as to that, God would not suffer the Devil to give him his Answer, but was pleased XXII. 9. to take that business on him­self. But Balaam knew nothing of that. He went on in doing what he could to obtain what his Clients desired. First they brought him to a XXII. 41. High place from whence he might see the utmost part of the Camp of Israel. It was a place that was consecrated after the manner of that Country. There he XXIII. 2, 4. offered to God such sacri­fices as he formerly used to accept. But when he came to the point, God soon v. 8, 9, 10. let him know that he must not curse Israel. When Balaam had told this to Balak and his Princes, they, being unsatisfied with it, were for putting him on a fresh Trial. It was the See le Clere on Num. XXIII. 27. man­ner of most Heathen Nations, that when one Sacrifice would not do, they were for trying another, and a third if they saw occasion. So v. 13. Balak would have him offer another Sacrifice. But it must be in v. 14. another View of the Camp of Israel, where possibly it might not be so well guarded with Angels as it was in the former. Thereupon Balaam v. 15. left them to sacrifice for themselves, and he went XXIV. 1. to seek for Enchantments; in which he never used to fail of such success as the Devil could give him. And that he might be sure of in this case, to Curse the people of God. But here again God interposed, and let him v. 19, 20. know, He had given his word to bless Israel, and it was not for man to reverse it. Balaam made his own Reflections upon this, and plainly v. 23. told Balak, here was nothing to be done. He saw plainly that v. 21. God had not be­held iniquity in Iacob, nor perverseness in Israel. It is plain he had not hitherto, in this new Race of people. Therefore it was in vain for Balaam to think of reaching them with Enchantments, &c. as he might other Nations. But yet after all this, upon the great Im­portunity of Balak, he attempted once more to curse Israel, in ano­ther view of their Camp. But when he XXIV. 1. saw it pleased the Lord to bless Israel there also; then he went on no farther to seek for En­chantments: but looking intently upon Israel, he received an In­spiration from God. When this came upon him, v. 5. first he broke out in praises of Israel. Then v. 8. he fell to magnify the things that God had done for them, and what he had yet to do. Then turning to Israel, he concluded all with these words; v. 9. blessed is he that [Page 55] blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee. This was more than Balak had patience to hear. Who therefore interrupted him, and in plain Terms bade him, v. 11. Fly thou to thy place. To which Ba­laam answered, v. 14. behold, I go to my people; but first I will adver­tise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days. And thereupon he gave him that most noble v. 15—25 [...] Prophecy, concern­ing the Messias, and the Fates of divers Nations, even in the Mes­siah's time, which Moses has recorded in his History.

116. After this, we are v. 25 told that Balaam rose up, and went, He therefore took the Devil's way. and returned to his place. If we are to understand by these words, that he went back into his own Country; then it is certain that he made little stay there; for we Num. XXXI. 8. find that he was kill'd in Mi­dian within one or two months after this. His business there was v. 16. to put the ^* Midianites into the only sure way for the destroy­ing of Israel; that was, by tempting them into sin against God, the way n. 112. before-mentioned. It seems, at his hasty parting from Ba­lak, this was not yet come into his head. But the Devil, from whom it certainly came, help'd him to it soon afterwards. He came full of it to the people of Midian. There he certainly knew that any Ad­vice would be welcome, that would rid them of the Nation that they feared; and he knew that, as they were best able, so they would not spare, to pay him well for this advice which he brought them. For both these Reasons, he must impart it first to the five Kings of Midian: and then he must take the general Consent of the [Page 56] Men, without which he could not have brought the Women into this Matter. For the women, they were to be more than passive in it. They had many things to do. They were first to take a pretty long journey into the Land of Moab. There they were to engage the Moabitish women, as many as they could, to joyn with them; and they were to go together, and Act according to their In­structions. They were to hold a Feast to Baal Peor, an Idol so called from the High-place of Num XXIII. 28. Mount Peor, where it was to be worshiped. That Mountain belonged to Moab formerly, till it was taken from them by King Sihon. But by Conquest over him, it was now in the people of Israel's hands. And the place being near to their Camp, it could not be doubted but that a Multitude of them would come to see what all these women were doing. There, as Balaam had instructed the XXXI. 16. Midianitish women, they were first by XXV. 18. their Wiles to draw in those young men of Israel, (for so they generally were,) v. 1. to commit Whoredom with them. The wo­men of those Idolatrous Nations did not think it any shame to do this; See le Cle [...] on Ex. XXXIV. 15. especially when it was for the getting of Mony to offer to their Idols. But the Midianitish women might be perswaded to do the same thing on a higher Consideration. Balaam might tell them, it was an Act of holy Zeal in them to do it, for the gaining of a whole Nation of Aliens to their Religion. He was wicked enough to tell them so, and they did, as if they believed it. It was to Num XXV. 18. their Wiles particularly, that God imputed all the Sin and De­struction [Page 57] of so many of his People. And yet the Camp of Israel being so near the Moabites Country, that their Women were better known to the Israelites, than the other; therefore they were the Daughters of Moab with whom v. 1. the People begun to commit Whoredome: and they were the Women of that Nation that v. 2. in­vited the People to the Sacrifices of their Gods. It is very likely that they also came in greater Numbers than the other Women that lived so much further from Peor.

117. The Feasts that those Idolaters held in honour of their Gods The Moabitish Women tempted them to Forni­cation and Ido­latry. were always kept with Music and Dancing; by which they were whetted and prepared for the following Impurities, that were to the Devils, their Gods, the most acceptable part of their Worship. A great Number of the young men of v. 2. Israel were tempted to com­ply with them in all this: after which, they would scarce stick at any thing else that could be desired of them. And so, upon these Womens Invitation, those wretches did not onely eat with them at their Idolatrous Feasts, but they also bowed downe to their Gods, and so v. 3. joined themselves to Baal Peor.

118. This was such a manifold Breach of Gods Expresse Ex. XXXIV. 15. Com­mand God sent a Plague for this. to his People, that Num. XXV. [...]. his Anger was kindled against Israel for it: and it presently appear'd, in a Plague that came downe upon them, in the midst of their Jollity. It fell upon Deut. IV. [...]. no other, but them that were guilty of this complicated Sin. But that neither the Sin, nor the Judgment, might spread any further, v. 4. God called upon Moses to put a Stop to it, by doing Justice on the Transgressors. It seems that hitherto Moses had no Information of those horrible doings; all this being done at Mount Peor, which was some miles distant from the Camp: or if he knew any thing of it, this wicked­ness being a thing quite new to him, it struck him into such an Astonishment that, at first he knew not what to do in it. But for that he was to take his direction from God; and God was pleased to give him that before he asked it. The Lord said unto Moses, v. 4. take all the Chief Men of the Transgressors, and hang them up before the Lord. This was necessary for the satisfying of his Justice, and there­by for the turning away of his fierce Anger from Israel. And there­fore he was to do this as Publickly as he could, that all others might see, and fear. This Order was certainly put in Execution by those whom Moses Authorized for that Purpose. And to do it the more Effectually, he order'd the v. 5. Iudges of Israel, every one in his District, to put to death all that they could find had joined themselves to Baal-Peor.

119. The mean while, all the rest of the People that had a sense Phineas zeal put a Stop to it. of their duty were v. 6. weeping for their Brethrens horrible breach of it, and imploring the Mercy of God before the Ex. XXIII. 9. 10. door of his Ta­bernacle. That being on the Num. III. 38. East-side of the Tabernacle, was the place where Moses and Aaron and his Sons were to keep the [Page 58] Charge of the Sanctuary; and to attend there upon all such Occa­sions. There was Num. XXV. 6. Moses now present; and probably Aaron and his Sons, though the Text mentions no more of them but v. 7. Phi­neas. They were weeping there, together with all the Congregation; when one of their young Men, being surely blinded with lust, brought a Midianitish Woman along with him, and led her to his Tent in all their sight. Phineas in a holy Indignation at this, rose up from all his weeping Company; and taking a Javelin in his hand, he followed the Man into his El. Hakkubba to the Alcove. Le Clerc. bedroom; where finding them in the Act of filthiness together, v. 8. he thrust both of them through, both the Man of Israel, and the Woman, through her belly. He did this by Moses's command, as De vità Mos [...]s. 1. Philo saith. No doubt he knew of the Command which God had given to Moses, and likely had heard him charge others, & himself among the rest, to put it in Execution. That his chief Motive in it was Zeal for Gods sake, he had a v. 10, 11. Testimony from God himself. It was surely an Ardent Zeal for God that moved him to do so bold a thing as this was; to kill a young Prince among the People of Israel, and together with him the Daughter of a King of the Midianites, who would surely make it a National Quarrel. This was such a thing as God would not let vs be ignorant of: and therefore he plainly tells us, that the Name of the Man was v. 14. Zimri the Son of Salu a Prince of the cheif family among thr Simeonites, and that the Woman was v. 15. Cozbi the Daughter of Zur, who, as he tells us XXXI. 8. elsewhere, was one of the five Kings of Midian. Such an Heroic Action as this was, being done in pure Zeal for Gods Cause, was so highly acceptable to him; that thereupon he stopt his hand, and would not suffer the Plague to proceed any farther. And not onely so, but as well for a Reward to Phineas at present, as for a Memorial of it in future times, God gave him the promise of continuing the Priest­hood to him and his seed after him for ever.

120. By this one Act of his, it came to pass that this Judgment of The Plague held but one day. God was no more than [...] Cor. X. 9. one days work. It was Num. XXV. 18. the Day of the Plague as Moses calls it. But in that short space of time there dyed v. 9. of the Plague no fewer than 24000. Moses elsewhere has told us, that those were Deut. IV. 3. all the Men that followed Baal-Peor. And that none dyed after this day, till the Date of the Book Deut. I. 3. of Deuteronomy, which was but one Month before his death; This is certain from what he told them in the next words; v. 4. You that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day.

121. No doubt they that saw this terrible Judgment of God Moses's last num­bring of the People. though they knew how just it was upon them that perished in it, yet could not but be in some kind of fear for themselves: none of them being secure but that, living as they did among those Idolatrous Na­tions, with whom God would not let them be in hostility, they might by conversing with them be ensnared into some Sin or other, [Page 59] for which they might perish in like manner. God was pleased there­fore to let them know, that the danger they were in on that account was not long to continue. There was onely the Num. XXVI. 3. River Iordan between them and the Land which God had promised to their Fa­thers. Their next Remove would bring them thither. And when they had taken possession of that Land, which God could give them as easily as he had given them all on this side Iordan, they were then 53... 55. to divide it for an Inheritance among themselves. To let them see it was the Care of Gods Providence that it should be equally shared, he was pleased to order v. 1. Moses and Eleazar the High Priest to make a second Numbring of the People, like that which Moses and Aaron had Num. l. 1. formerly made in the Wilderness of Sinai. It could not but comfort them to see that, after the dying away of more than v. 46. 600000 men that had been then Numbred, many of them no doubt dying Natural deaths, but all the rest, save Num. XXVI. 65. one­ly Ioshua and Caleb, having been swept away by those Judgments of God that had fallen upon them, within these last 38. Years; yet now they were but v. 51. 1120. men fewer than they were at that former Numbring: which small Number of men might very likely have been lost by their own Miscarriages in the XXI. 31, 35. Conquering of those two Kingdoms.

122. All this while, as well they, as their Fathers before them, They had now all Extraordi­nary means. had continually before their Eyes those v. 71, 86, 93. evident proofs of Gods presence among them, in the Pillar of fire all night, and of cloud all day, either moving before them, or resting over the Tabernacle. They had the Deut. VIII. 3. Manna which their Bread was made of, imme­diately from Heaven. They had their v. 15. Water, first out of one Rock, and then out of another, still following them all the while they were in the Wilderness. None of them had his Raiment waxen old, nor his v 4. and XXIX. 1. Shoes grown uneasy to his feet, in all these 40. Years. God was pleased to let them know that his design in all this was, as well to v. 2, 3, 16. humble them, seeing they had nothing they could call their own, as also to teach them to live in an entire Dependance on his Providence.

123. There was certainly Need of such Extraordinary ways, to With little of the Ordinary. instruct them, and to mind them of their duties; there being then so little of the Ordinary means which God gave to his People in after times. They had not the Sacrament of Iosh. V. 5. Circumcision, since their coming up out of Egypt. They had no v. 10, 12. Passeover, since the second Year after that. They had no written Rule to walk by, but onely that of the Ex. XX. Ten Commandments XXXIV. 27. written in Tables of stone: and they had also those National Judgments, which are all conteined in Ex. XXI. XXII. XXIII. three Chapters of Exodus. Whatso­ever Teaching they had more, it could be no other than what they had from the mouth of Moses; for he writ nothing till the last Deut. XXXI. 9—25. year of his life.

[Page 60] 124. And yet perhaps no people in the world ever needed teach­ing Their great De­generacy. more than they did. For, though they were Abraham's Seed by Sarah his wife, and that according to the Gen. XVII. 19. promise of God, which was their great Privilege; yet even that did not free them from Ori­ginal Corruption, that came to them from much nearer Parents than Abraham and Sarah. The immediate Fathers of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, were the Twelve Sons of Iacob, by whose names they were called. But for these Patriarchs, how any of them lived, or what they did, we have no Account in any other Book but that of Genesis; and even there, we have nothing told us particularly, but of the four Eldest Sons, and of Ioseph. And though this last appears to us wholely without Spot: yet of those four others, the most that we know is of their Crimes. We cannot read of the Incests of Gen. XXXV. 22. Reuben and XXXVIII. 18. Iudah, the Faithbreach and Cruelty of XXXIV. 27. Si­meon and Levi, without sad reflections on the Ignorance of those times. For the rest of Iacob's Sons, God has not been pleased to let us know any thing of them; save only this, that when those two Bloudy men were for XXXVII 18. killing their innocent Brother, though the other nine could not come up to that height of wickedness with them; yet they v. 27. all, but v. 29. Reuben, agreed to that which was but little short of the other. They all joined in v. 26. taking Money for their Brother Ioseph, whom they sold into perpetual Slavery, and that in an Idolatrous Nation.

Such were the Fathers of this people of Israel. And surely the Mingling with Idolatrous Na­tions, Canaanites, and Egyptians. Mothers were not like to mend the Breed. We read of no other wives that either they or their Fathers ever had, but what were either Canaanites, or Egyptians: and whatsoever corrupt Inclinations they derived, whether from their Mothers, or their Fathers, they were not like to be cured of them by their Education. For besides that Parents generally give their Children no other Education than what is most agreeable to their own Inclinations; there was this worse than ordinary in their Case, that the Nations among whom they lived were of the very worst of Mankind. They could scarce see any other Examples among them, than of things which they ought most to avoid. There could be nothing more contrary to the Religion that God had taught his chosen people, than the Sin of See n. 76, 77. Idolatry: and especially such as that was which generally obtain'd among the Egyptians. They worship'd those Brute beasts which God had ap­pointed his people to Ex. VIII. 26. Sacrifice to him. Only he had dispensed with their offering him any Sacrifice of that kind, in Egypt, where the people would certainly have stoned them for it. How apt they were to have done that, it abundantly appear'd, by the extreme hard Usage that they gave that poor people without any provoca­tion. And yet they could not be Ignorant, that their Fathers owed their Lives to Ioseph, whom they knew to be one of this Nation. But that was so utterly Ex. I. 8. forgotten, that they treated, not onely [Page 61] his Nation, but even his Posterity among the rest, with the utmost cruelty and Inhumanity. First, they took all the people for Slaves, and oppressed them, to that degree that Ex. I. 14. they made their lives bit­ter to them with drudgery. One while they were for v. 16. 22. killing all the Male Children of that Nation: And though that perhaps did not last, yet their II. 23. Slavery did, till it came to be quite intolerable. It may seem strange that even that could not restrain them from fol­lowing the Egyptians in the very worst of their Sins. But such a See n. 64. witchcraft there is in evil Example, that the people of Israel fol­lowed them, even in that which God had most especially forbidden them. And they did this, not only while they lived in Egypt, where it might have been done out of fear, or in Compliance with the Egyptians; but they continued to do it afterward, when they were perfect freemen. They shewed an astonishing instance of it, in their making and worshipping of the Ex. XXXII. Golden Calf.

126. But the sin which the people of Israel were chiefly charged But their pecu­liar sin was their Murmuring and tempting God. with in these times, was their aptness, as often as any thing displeased them, to Murmur, and to run into Rebellion, against God and his Servant Moses. This they could not learn of the Egyptians, for there was no such thing in that Nation. They were generally most duti­ful The Egyptians gave them no such Example. to their Kings, and to their Gods, of all the Nations we read of in History. Moses gives us very great Instances of it, in the Hi­story of Ioseph; who, being brought a Slave into Egypt, became a Saviour to that Nation, as has been just now above-mentioned. That holy man, having it revealed to him from God, that there e Gen. XLI. 1—40. should be Seven years of great Plenty in that Land, and after them v. 30, 31. Seven years of Famine, such as should be very grievous; and having thereupon advised King Pharaoh what to do for the saving of his People; was thereupon made by him his chief Minister, with power to Order every thing as he advised. The first thing he did was in those years of plenty to go v. 46. throughout all the land of E­gypt; having made Storehouses there in every City, there to lay up all the Corn he could buy out of the Country about it. Having done this every one of these years, and so v. 48. Engrossed all the spare Corn of Egypt into those Granaries, He was then provided for the seven years of Famine; in which, as the people came to want bread, so he continually supplyed them, by selling it at his own price. By this means he got XLVII. 14. all the money of Egypt into the Kings Treasury, in two or three of the first years. Afterwards, in the following years, he made them sell him v. 17. their Cattle: and a year or two after, v. 20. their Land; all but what belong'd to v. 22. the Priests, who by the King's command had their Corn freely given them. All the rest of v. 20. the Land of Egypt came by this means to be Pharaoh's. And so did the People too; and they were very well satisfied with it. They v. 25. said to Joseph, thou hast saved our Lives: let us find grace in the sight of my Lord, and we will be Pharaoh's [Page 62] Servants. They were so, to that degree that he removed them at his pleasure, Gen. XLVII. 21. from one end of Egypt to the other: and charged the Lands that he gave them with a Rent to the King, which was a fifth part of the full value. And this, as Moses tells us, v. 26. Ioseph made to be a Law, over all the Land of Egypt unto this day ^* They liked Ioseph never the worse, but rather the better for this. They accounted him the best friend they had, as it appeared by their attending him to his Funeral. There Gen. L. 7. went with him all the Servants of Pharaoh, and the Elders of his house, and all the Elders of the land of Egypt. They attended his Corps for many a day's journey out of Egypt into the land of Canaan. And though it was by the King's Command that they did this; yet their own Affe­ctions went with it, as appear'd by their v. 10. Mourning for Ioseph, with a great and very sore Lamentation. All the people of Canaan took such notice of it, that they call'd the place ever since, v. 11. Abel Mizraim, the mourning of the Egyptians.

127. Would the people of Israel, that liv'd in the first 40 years It was wholely of themselves. beforementioned, have paid such Duty and Affection to Moses, if he had come among them as Ioseph did among the Egyptians? One that was quite a stranger in their Country, and was sold thither for a Slave; if he had been advanced to the Power that Ioseph had, and had made that use of it that Ioseph did, would the Israelites have taken it as the Egyptians did; Would they not have told Moses, as soon as they had seen what he drove at, that he came to make them all like himself, Slaves to Pharaoh, them and their children? And how long would they have endured it? surely not a year to an end. For we see, in the first month or two after this Peoples coming out of Egypt, how often they mutinied against Moses. One while, be­cause their Water was Ex. XV. 23, 24. bitter, they murmured only for the un­pleasantness of it. How much more, when they came to XVI. 1. want Bread, in another place? In a third when they had XVII. 1. no water at all; then they outright v. 2. child with Moses. They were almost v. 4. ready to have stoned him. And yet, in every one of these Times, they saw their wants were supplyed, as it were with a hand reach'd out to them from Heaven. And that still upon Moses's Prayer. It was he only, under God, to whom they owed all the Thanks that were due, for their deliverance out of the Egyptian bondage, for the Supply of all their wants in the Wilderness; for all their Pre­servation hitherto. They could not but see, it was He that stood always between God and them, as oft as his wrath was breaking forth to consume them. And yet that which chiefly occasioned it, was, that God could not shew himself unconcern'd at their ill usage [Page 63] of his Servant Moses. It was doubtless from God that he had that Testimony, of his being Num. XII. 4. the meekest man upon Earth. And he shewed it, in bearing all that ill usage from them whom he had ob­liged, more than ever any meer man did or could, oblige that, or any other Nation.

128. Therefore no Nation could more justly deserve that cha­racter, God called them a Stiffnecked People. which God was pleased to give to this People at first, and which stuck by them ever after. It was given them first on occasion of their throwing that unworthy See n 88. Contempt upon Moses; and, that which followed upon it, their Sin of Calf worship. God told Moses of it, and thereupon added these words, Ex. XXXII. 9, 10. I have seen this People, and behold, it is ^* a stiffnecked People, Now therefore let me alone, that I may consume them. And yet then, upon Moses's Intercession, v. 14. God repented of the evil which he thought to do to his People. He revoked his sentence for the punishing of them, but did not alter his Judgment of the merit of their Sin. As to that, it was fit they should know it. And therefore he bade Moses tell it them plainly, more than once. First, upon Gods withdrawing that to­ken of his Presence in the Pillar of Cloud and of Fire, and not suf­fering it now to come within the Camp of Israel, as it had done hitherto: He gave them this reason for it, XXXIII. 3. thou art a stiffnecked People; if I come among thee, I shall consume thee. Again, to make them more Sensible of the Condition into which they had brought themselves; God bade Moses, v. 5. say unto the Children of Israel, you are a stiffnecked People: put off thy Ornaments from thee; thy Holyday Clothes; for in such they had dressed themselves to keep a Feast to their Calf, according to Ex. XXXII. 5. Aarons Proclamation. They obey'd Moses in this. XXXIII. 46. They strip't themselves of all their fine Attire; and now they mourn'd for Gods leaving them. This encourag'd Moses to pray for them again. He ask'd now a farther [Page 64] favour from God, that he would not onely XXXIV. 9. pardon their Sin, but own them to be his Inheritance: which would appear by the Re­turn of the Pillar to be over the Camp, as it was formerly. He begs it of God in these words, I pray thee, go among us; FOR it is a stiffnecked People.

129. ^* Some very Learned Men have thought it strange that Mo­ses, Moses makes it an Argument in his Prayer. in his prayer to God, should bring that for a Reason, why he should forgive his People, and continue his presence among them; which God himself had given for a Reason Ex XXXII. 9. why he would have consum'd them, but for Moses's Intercession; and why he XXXIII. 3, 5. must do it yet, if he continued to dwell with them. But those Learned Men seem not to have consider'd how much the case was changed since the time of Gods speaking those words. His People had now v. 4, 6. repented of their Sin, and obeyed him by [...]iripping themselves, and mourned for his withdrawing himself from them. Upon these proofs of their Repentance, Moses had reason to hope for their amendment, and better obedience for the future. But yet in Moses's Opinion this was not to be hoped without the Extraordinary assi­stance of the Shecina of God. For still they were a stiffnecked People, though not now in Actual Rebellion, as they were at the time when God called them so. They did still retain the same stub­born disposition, which made them so extremely ungovernable as he had found them hitherto. Their necks were naturally stiff, and would not bend to give ear to any thing he could say to them from God, till such time as his Glory appeared in the Shecina: and then, being ^† struck with what they saw of Gods visible presence among them, they would bend a little for the present, and hear, and obey what he said to them. This was surely that which Moses thought of, in useing this Reason, why God should go on to forgive, as he had done; and continue his Presence among them, which they needed so extremely, that it seemed impossible without it to keep them from destroying themselves by their wilfulness. [...]

[Page i] That the Proof which has been given, of our Lord IESUS hit being the promised Messias, may be set in a better light, it has been thought fit to bring it into the two following sets of Chronological Tables; in which the Proof will appear to any man that has but so much skill in Common Arithmetic, as is not above the learning of an ordinary Reader.

THE first of these sets is of Iulian years, from the 20th. year of King ARTAXERXES, which was the 445th year before the common Christian Aera, till the 19th of TIBERIUS, which was the 33th year of that Aera; in which very year that our Lord JESUS was crucisyed on the 3d day of April, being the Jewish Passover, is the common Opinion of learned men among the Christians, and has been sufficiently proved in this Work. But here it is proved by PTOLEMIES CANON, the undoubted Measure of time among all the Astronomers, both Jews and Gentiles, That this 20th year of ARTAXERXES (being the year on which (according to Nehe­miah II. 1—8.) he gave the Commandment for the building of Ierusa­lem again, and on which it was accordingly built,) was 476 years and odd days before the said 19th year of TIBERIUS; that is, there were 483 Chaldee years from the one to the other; which is the ground work of the farther Proof that is offered in the second set of Tables.

The Second is of these Chaldee years, whereof every one has 360 Days; which way of Measuring Time being unusual among us, it is therefore thought necessary, for the making of it the more intelligible, that every one of these Chaldee years should be adjusted with its con­current Iulian years, so as to shew in what Month and Day of those concurrent years it began and ended; and by these any ordinary Reader may know whereabout he is in the time before or after CHRIST, in every Chaldee Year that lies before him.

The use of these Tables will be made the more easy and clear by sorting the 483 years above mentioned into [...], septenaries or Weeks, whereof there are just LXIX in that Number of years. For this being done, it will plainly appear that these are the VII Weeks and the LXII Weeks in that Prophecy, Dan. IX. 25. and whereas there it is said that after those LXII Weeks the MESSIAS shall be cutt off; it is here very evident in the last of these Tables, that the last of these LXII Weeks ended on the 11th Day of May, in the Vulgar year of CHRIST 32: which was within lesse than a year of the 3d of April 33, that was the time of CHRIST'S death, as has been already shewed.

And therefore CHRIST'S death being after the LXII Weeks; and that not a year after, for that year would have been reckoned into the following Week; it cannot be denyed but that he was crucifyed at the very Time when MESSIAS was to be cut off according to DANIELS prophecy.

After the 1st set of Tables there will be added the years of the IV Gospels and of the Acts of the Apostles pag. xviij, xix. &c.

And after Daniels VII & LXII Weeks there will be added the single Week to make up the LXX.

[Page ij] IN the first set of Tables every JULIAN year therein contained, has a Line be­longing to it that runs through all the Columns in that page: in which line it is adjusted with 2 other sorts of years that are concurrent with it; namely, first with DANIEL'S Chaldee years, & secondly with the years in PTOLEMY'S Canon.

The Column marked with B under it, shews what Iulian years are Bissextile, or leap-years: which, in every 20 years before Christ, are the 17, 13, 9, 5, & 1st. in the years after Christ, the 4, 8, 12, 16, & 20^th. These are carefully to be observed in Computation; because, whereas every common year has 365 days, every leap-year has 366, one day being added after the 24^th day of February, which makes that month to be of 29 days, which has but 28 in common years.

Column C is of the Iulian years before Christ from the year 445 downward till the Vulgar Aera begins, & then afterward this Column will be of the years of our Lord according to the Vulgar Aera. Every one of these Iulian years, beginning on the first of Ianuary, & ending Dec. 31, is divided into 2 Numbers of Days in the Columns of Daniel's years. Those of the first number always begin on the first day of Ianuary, & those of the second end on the last of December: except onely those in the lesser figures, whereof more will be said in its proper place.

The two Columns marked D, D, are for the years of Daniel's weeks; whereof the first VII weeks containing 49 years, the LXII following weeks containing 434 years, they make in all 483 years; every one of these years containing 360 days, as hath been already shewn.; and will more plainly appear in the 2d set of Tables. Tab. I, II.

The first of these 483 years begins at the Nisan of the 20^th year of Artaxerxes. Now the first day of Nisan falling generally on the 21 day of April, according to the most learned Primate Usher's ^* Account, & the 21 of April in the 20^th of Artaxerxes falling into the Iulian year 445, as has been shewn in the last Dissertation; therefore Daniel's first year, beginning on the 21^st of April, is placed in the line of that year 445 before Christ. And whereas after the 20 of April there are 255 days to the end of a Iulian year, this Number 255 is set down in that line, as being all that part of the 445^th Iulian which concurs with the first year of the 483 before mentioned.

But this Number of 255 days wanting 105 of the 360 that are in every Chaldee year; therefore that first year of the 483 is placed a second time in the 1^st Column D in the second line; & there it is made whole, by allotting to it the first 105 days of the Iulian year 444; namely, from Ian. 1 till Apr. 15 of that year: & whereas, be­sides these 105 days, there remain 260 from Apr. 16^th to the end of that Iulian year, these go into the second year of the 483; and the Number 2 is therefore placed before the 260 in the second line of that Table.

The 2 Columns marked F, F, contain in every line the 2 Numbers of days which divide the 365 days of the Iulian year in the beginning of that line, between those 2 of Daniel's 483 years which are in the very same line in the Columns D, D, above men­tioned. Of these 2 Numbers of Days in every line it is to be always remembred, that the first Number begins on the first day of Ian. & the 2 Ends with the last of December. But besides,

Whereas in the Column over the letter G there is set down the month & day on which every one of Daniel's Chaldee years begins, it is to be understood that the next foregoing Chaldee year ends on the month & day next before it. As for ex­ample; The first Daniel's year beginning on Apr. 21 in the Iulian year 445, it has with that & the last of December 255 days out of that Iulian year; & this first Da­niel's year wanting yet 105 days of its 360, it has these out of the Iulian year 444 before Christ, beginning at Ian. 1^st, & ending Apr. 15^th. This appears in the [Page iij] Column over G: for there on Apr. 16 begins the second Chaldee year. This second Chaldee year has from Apr. 16 to the last of Dec. inclusively, the Number therein noted, of 260 days out of that Iulian year, and these are made up 360 by adding 100 out of the Iulian year 443; in which year they begin at Ian. 1, and end at Apr. 10th in that year. Then on Apr. 11 begins the 3d Chaldee year, and taking in that day with all that follow to the end of December, it has 265 days out of that Iulian year 443: which Number being to be made up 360, therefore that third Chaldee year has other 95 days out of the Iulian year 442, beginning Ian. 1. and ending on the 5th day of Apr. which appears by the next day, viz. April 6th begining the 4th of the 483 years. And that 4th year goes on, and so do all that follow, in like manner with those above mentioned.

Of the years in PTOLEMIE'S CANON more needs not be said, than that every one of those years that are mentioned in the 2 first Columns over the first H and K must be accounted to begin with the 1st of Ian. in that Iulian year that stands in the beginning of the line, and so to be concur­rent with the same Iulian year until the next Thoth; that is, till that Month and day which in the same line is placed in the Column over L. And that same month and day begins those two following years in the 2 Columns over the 2d H and K: which last 2 years run on to the end of the Iulian in that line; and after that they are continued with the next Iulian year in the following line, from its [...]st of Ian. till the next Thoth, as is above mentioned.

The 2d set of Tables is of Daniel's VII & LXII Weeks, consisting of 483 Chaldee years, which are here adjusted with the Iulian years, from the year before Christ 445, till the 32d year after Christ, ending lesse than a year before his Death.

In the 1st Column of every Table are set down the above mentioned Weeks, as many of them as belong to that particular Table: and in the 2d Column are set down as many of the 483 years as come within the Weeks contained in that Table.

The 8 following Columns are divided into 2 Fours, marked each of them with B, C, G, F. The 1st C, G, in every line shews the Iulian year, month, and day, with which that Chaldee year begins that stands in the 2d Column of that Line. The little b. shews when the Iulian is a Bissextile: and the 1st F. sheweth the Number of Days which the Chaldee year hath out of that 1st Iulian year. Whatsoever Number of Days that is, there must be so many added to it as will make it up 360 out of the 2d Iulian year in that line: Which 2d year is markt with the 2d B, C, in like manner as the 1st year was with the former B, C. And as the 1st G shewed what month and day in the former Iulian year did begin the Chaldee year of the same line; So the 2d G shews where that Chaldee year ends; namely on what month and day of the 2d Iulian year, (markt with the 2d, B, C.) in the same Line.

NB. In every line of the 1st set of Tables, the two Numbers of Days in the Columns F, F. being added together make up the Number 365 in a common Iu­lian year, and 366 in a Bissextile: But as to the 360 days of any Chaldee year, they are made up of the Number of Days in the 2d Column F in the same line, adding thereunto the Number of days in the 1st Column F, in the line next below it.

In every Line of the 2d set of Tables, the two Numbers of Days in the Columns F, F, being added together make up the Number of 360 days for the Daniel's year in the beginning of the Line: But as to the 365 days of a common Iulian year, or the 366 of a Bissextile, they are made up of the Number of Days in the 2d Column F where that Iulian begins, adding thereunto the Number of Days in the 1st Column F, in the line next below it.

[Page iv]

[Page v]

[Page vj]

[Page vij]

[Page viij]

[Page iX]

[Page X]

[Page xi]

[Page xij]