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within the walls of Jericho, instead of opposing or maintaining their pass against them. And no won der that fear should seize and overcome a people whom God had not only devoted to destruction, but gave such visible proofs of his immediate aid and wisdom assisting and conducting the Israelites in all their ways till their arrival on their borders to subdue them.

S. Was Rahab a common prostitute, or what is now commonly understood by an harlot ?

T. No for though in ancient times there was great affinity between an hostess and a prostitute, or an harlot, yet both the words made use of by the Chaldee paraphrast, signify no more than a woman that kept a public house, without any sort of infamy; and the apostle's ranking her with Abraham, and her marrying Salmon, a prince of Judah, by whom she had Boaz, the father of Obed, who was the grandfather of David the king, by which she makes a part in the line of Christ's genealogy, will by no means permit us to conclude her to be an harlot, as that word is now commonly understood.

S. What had the Canaanites done to deserve such severe treatment by God's appointment?

T. The author of the book of Wisdom tells us, that God hated them for doing most odious works of witchcraft, and wicked sacrifices, for their merciless murdering of children, devouring of men's flesh, and feasting upon blood, even after he had given them notice of his intended severity against them, if they would not repent.

S. Was God's command utterly to destroy the Canaanitish nations?

T. Not absolutely; but at least it was rather a permission than a command, and should be understood with this limitation, unless they immediately submitted, renounced their idolatry, and complied with every thing that was enjoined them.

S. What am I to understand by the Urim and Thummim, hich the Israelites consulted?

T. According to the learned Mr. Mede, the Urim was the oracle, whereby God answered those that consulted him in difficult cases; and Thummim was the oracle, whereby the high-priest knew whether God did accept the sacrifice or no. By the former the Jews received the will of God; by the latter they were assured of his favour and good acceptance. However this be, the oracle depended upon a certain virtue, which God was pleased to give to the breast-plate at its consecration, whenever the high-priest should pat. it on in order to ask counsel of him, in the manner he had appointed; not for any private person or affairs, but only for go vernors and the public weal. S. In what manner did they consult by Urim and Thummim?

T. The high priest put on his robes and breast-plate, presented himself without the veil in the holy place, with his face directly before the ark or mercy-seat, where on the divine presence rested, and pronounced the matter; the person for whom he was to ask, standing at some distance behind him without the holy place. To which an answer was returned with an audible voice from the mercy-seat, which was within behind the veil. This is confirmed by the practice of Moses,

Aaron and Eleazar, and is called,
Enquiring at the mouth of God.

S. How then could it happen that the Israelites should ever be outwitted, as particularly in the case of the Gibeonites?

T. In this they did not ask counsel of the Lord; so that their own unadvisedness is only to be blamed, and not the insufficiency of the means, which God had appointed for their better information.

being bound to perform his part saw it necessary, in order to preserve them from a total apostacy & defection, to continne some remains of the Canaanites, and to make them instruments, from time to time, of his chastising their disobedience; till the days of David and Solomon, when God, by extending the dominion of those kings from Jerusalem to the great river Euphrates, proved that he was

S. How long did this method of mindful of his promise, as well as consulting the Lord exist? able to fulfil it.,

T. During the time of the Hebrew theocracy, and no longer: for, after the kingdom became hereditary in the person and family of Solomon, and Israel was divided into two monarchies, the oracles of Urim and Thummim are supposed to have ceased; so that from the building of Solomon's temple, this oracle was never restored again.

S. Why did not God give the Israelites full possession of Canaan? T. The children of Israel were, as yet too few in number, to cultivate and replenish the whole country. God also intended, by keep ing some of the Canaanites in a state of defence to make trial of his people's obedience, and to train up them, and their posterity, for some ages, in military discipline. It is to be observed also, that as God promised to give them all Canaan, on condition that they should abstain from the idolatrous worship, and intermarrying with the people of those nations; so when they broke their part of their obligation in both these particulars, God, instead of

S. Is this history of Joshua taken notice of by any heathen authors?

T. His passage over Jordan on dry ground, and cursing Jericho, are thought to be alluded to in the story of Neptune's drying up the river Inachus, and Agamemnon's curse against any one that should repair Troy. Hercules's war in behalf of the gods against the giants, corresponds with Joshua's fighting the battles of the Lord against the Canaanites; as dues also his war against the sons of Neptune; and the ancient poets discover a tradition of the miraculous standing still of the sun at the sight of the unnatural murder which Atreus committed; and by the story of Phaeton, and other such like fictions, probably founded upon the true history of Joshua. It is worth observation, that the time of Phaton's life naturally fall in with the year of the sun's standing still in the days of Joshua, which was An. M. 2554, when Phaeton was four years old,

about twenty

CHAP. XIII.

The Government of the Israelites, after the death of Joshua. Their Victories and conquests. Their Idolatry and Micah's Images. The Benjamites extirpated by their Brethern, the Israelites. Chushan-Prishathaim subdues Othniel delivers them, and governs Israel. the two Tribes and a half. They fall away from God, are subdued by the Heathens, and delivered at several Times by the Judges, Ehud, Deborah, Barak, Gideon, &c. Of Ruth, and of the Usurpation of Abimelech.

S. D

D Joshua appoint or leave any successor in the government of Israel?

T. There does not appear from the scripture account that any person was appointed.e:ther by Joshua himself, or by God, to succeed him in the chief government of the people. But the Samaritan Chronicle tells us, that Joshua in the last assembly he held, nominated twelve chiefs, of every tribe one, and put it to the lot who should succeed him in the government; that the lot fell upon his nephew Abel, whom he accordingly crowned, and invested with other ensigns of honour. But this is thought to be a fabulous account, invented to fill up the void space from Joshua's death to the time of the judges.

S. By whom then was that nation governed, after the death of Joshua?

T. The most common opinion is, that every tribe was governed by their respective heads, or elders; which form subsisted about 30 years. Though I am inclined to think, there was no discontinuance of the theocracy, upon the death of Joshua: but that as God continued his answers by Urim and Thummim, in the person of the high priest, Phineas the successor of his

He was of the

father Eleazar; so likewise, it may
well be thought that Caleb, upon
the death of Joshua, being the most
distinguished person, and the only
one of the former generation left,
assumed the vicegerency of the peo-
ple under God.
tribe of Judah, older than any other
of that nation by twenty years; and
yet, like Moses, he continued in full
strength and vigour; and therefore,
had the greatest right to succeed to
the government. This opinion seems
to be strengthened by observing,
that Joshua and he were the only
persons to whom the Israelites gave
inheritances for their signal servi
ces and, as his inheritance was
not quite conquered in the tribe of
Judah; so the first mention that is
made of him, after the death of
Joshua, is as captain-general at the
head of that tribe, marching to reduce
it. His name alone is mentioned in
all the wars, that immediately fol-
lowed the death of Joshua; and he
was succeeded by his son-in-law
Othniel, a man of valour, and his
nearest relation.

S. What was the first exploit of the Israelites, after the death of Joshua!

T. The Israelites having increas ed much in numbers, since their settling in Canaan; and being too

much confined within the conquests made by Joshua, resolved to extend their possessions, and drive the Canaanites out of their places, which remained still unconquered: and accordingly they repaired to the oracle at Shiloh, to ask counsel of God, which tribe should begin the war, which directed that the tribe of Judah should begin.

S. Did Judah obey?

T. Yes and with the assistance of Simeon (those two tribes having mutually engaged to assist each other) they first set upon the king of Bezek, sacked the town, and killed ten thousand of its inhabitants, and scized their king as he was endeavouring to make his escape to the city of Jebus, or Jerusalem.

S. What character did the king of Bezek bear, and what was his

name?

T. His name was Adoni-bezek. His pride, insolence, and cruelty were so great, that he cut off the thumbs and great toes of seventy petty kings, whom he had taken prisoners, and in this condition made them gather their meat under his table, as if they were dogs.

S. How did the children of Judah treat him?

T. They cut off his thumbs and great toes; which brought him to confess the equity of the Divine vengeance and retaliation, in punishing him as he had treated others.

who descended from Jethro, Moses's father-in-law, joined them; with this reinforcement, they marched to Hebron, and having made them selves masters of it, they advanced towards Debir, which they took by storm; they afterwards entered the wilderness of Judah, on the south of Canaan, adjoining to the wilderness of Paran, where they conquered the natives, and settled their auxiliaries, the Kenites, in the neighborhood of Arad. After which time, this part of the Kenites continued there among the people of Judah; and another part of them afterwards settled in the tribe of Naphtali.

S. Did Judah in turn assist Simeon in their wars?

T. Yes: for, when the tribe of Judah extended their possessions as far as was necessary, they then assisted Simeon in taking Gaza, Askelon, and Zephah, or Hormah, and in subduing the inhabitants of the hill country, which lay between both their tribes.

S. Were any of the other tribes encouraged by these successes to follow their example ?

T. The family of Joseph seeing their success, undertook the conquest of Bethel, formerly called Luz, which like many other places after they had been conquered by Joshua, were repossessed by the Canaanites.

S. Did they take Bethel ?

T. Yes and put every soul except one man and his family to the sword; looking upon them as revolters or rebels. This man was

S. Did they reduce Jebus also? T. Yes: but the fortress therein on the top of mount Zion was not reduced till the reign of king David. S. What other conquests did they taken by their spies whom they had make?

T. After their success against Jerusalem, a part of the Kenites,

sent to take a survey of the place, and by him they were directed where they might enter the city

with ease and safety; for which he was permitted to retire with his family, and his goods; and he settled in Arabia, amongst a colony of the Hittites, which had fled there from the arms of the Israelites; where he built a city called Luz.

S. Did the other tribes extend their dominions?

T. The other tribes had equally good success in gaining the possession of the land allotted them: only the tribe of Dan was compelled to quit the plains for fear of the Amorites, and to retire for some time into the mountainous parts till they were assisted by the family of Joseph, who reinstated them in their posessions. But one great fault in those that were successful, was, that they did not make a right use of their victories, but either through a misplaced lenity or covetousness, instead of destroying them (as they were commanded) sutered them to live promiscuously among them and contented themselves with making them tributary. This was the case of the Benjamites with the Jebusites, ou nount Zion, on the north part of Jerusalem of the Manassites, with the inhabitants of Bethshean, Taanach, Dar, Ibleam and Megiddo of Ephraim, with the Canaanites, that dwelt in Gezer; of Zebulan, with the inhabitants of Kitron and Nahalol; of Asher, with Accho, Zidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob; of Naphtali, with Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath; and of Dan, with the Amorites, which dwelt in mount Heres, on the N. W. of Canaan, and in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim.

S. Did God shew any dislike to these proceedings?

T. He was highly incensed at their disobedience and ingratitude, and sent an angel to expostulate the matter with them; and to .e. them know, as a punishment for this behaviour, he would withdraw his aid and rot go forth to battle with them as heretofore.

S. Where, and how did this angel appear to the Israelites?

T. He appeared to them as they were assembled before the tabernacle at Shiloh or Bochim; as he seemed to come from Gilgal, this might help to remind them that he was the same divine person, that there appeared to Joshua, and renewed the covenant of circumcision, and gave him an assurance that he would be with his people, and ena ble them to conquer the land, if they continued obedient.

S. Wherefore was Shiloh called Bochim?

T. The angel's reproof and declaration wrought so mightily upon the Israelites, that they wept sore at his message, and offered sacrifices to appease God's wrath; and therefore it was called Bochim, or the place of weeping, or of mourners.

S. Did the Israelites thoroughly repent, and, for the future, obey

God?

T. It does not appear that this generation sinned any more; but there arose after them another generation, which knew not the Lord; had no due regard for the authority of his laws, or the purity of his worship, nor for the mighty works he had done for their nation; but by their free conversation and intermarriages with the Canaanites, they fell into their idolatry, and served Baalim, or Baal, and Ashteroth, and

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