11. They have a third opinion also,—that by this “ cutting off” the soul is intended, especially when the word is ingeminated: “ Cut- ting off he shall be cut off,’ as Num. xv. 31. So Maimonides, nop) mn Aan xdy wan Jaxny;—“That soul shall perish; it shall not live” (or “ subsist”) ‘any more for ever.” Few embrace this opinion, as being contrary to their general persuasion of eternal punishments for the transgressions of the covenant. Wherefore it is disputed against by Abarbanel on Num. xv., who contends that the death of the soul, in everlasting separation from God, is not intended in this threatening, And both the principal parts of these various opinions, namely, that of immature corporeal death, and eternal punishment, are joined together by Jonathan in his Targum on Num. xv. 31: “ He shall be cut off in this world, and that man shall be cut off in the world to come, and bear his sin in the day of judgment.” For my part, as I have showed that eternal death was contained in the cuyse of the law, so this especial m3, or “extermination” from among the people, seems to me to intend some especial judgment of God in taking away the life of such a person; ‘answering unto that putting to death by the judges and magistrates in such cases, when they were known, which God did appoint. And herein, also, was an eminent representation of the everlasting cutting off of obstinate and final transgressors of the covenant.
12. Thirdly, In judgments to be brought providentially upon the whole nation, by pestilence, famine, sword, and captivity; which are at large declared, Lev. xxvi. and Deut. xxviii.
Fourthly, Total rejection of the whole body of the people, in case of unbelief and disobedience, upon the full and perfect revelation that was to be made of the will and mind of God upon the coming of the Messiah, Deut. xviii, 13; Acts 1. 23; Hosea 11. 23; Isa. x. 22, 23; Rom. 1x.
These are the heads of the punishments which God took upon himself to inflict in an extraordinary manner on the transgressors of the law; that is, those who proceeded to do it with so high an hand as that his covenant was made void thereby, as to all the ends of its re-establishment in the administration of the law.
504 THE SANCTION OF THE LAW [EXERC. XXI.
13, The SECOND sort of penalties annexed unto the transgression of the law were such as men, by God’s institution and appointment, were enabled to inflict: concerning which we must consider, first, who and what the persons were who were enabled and authorized to inflict these penalties; secondly, of what sort these penalties were, and for what transgressions necessarily inflicted.
14. The original division of the people, after the days of Jacob, was, first, into D'2Y, “tribes;” whereof at first there were twelve, which, by dividing the tribe of Joseph into two, were increased unto thirteen, and upon the matter reduced again unto twelve by the special exclu- sion of the tribe of Levi from inheritances, and their separation to the worship of God. Secondly, NiNBwD, “ families,” or MAS ‘M2, “houses of fathers;” which, on many probabilities, may be supposed to have been seventy, the number of them who went down with Jacob into Egypt, each of which constituted a particular family. And, thirdly, Dna, particular “households;” all which are enumerated, Josh. vii. 14, This distribution continued amongst the people whilst they were in Egypt, and this only, they being not capable to cast themselves into any civil order there by reason of their oppressions, and there- fore they contented themselves with that which was natural. Ac- cordingly, there were three sorts of persons that were in some kind of dignity and pre-eminence among the people, although it may be after their oppression began they were hindered from exercising the authority that belonged unto them. First, As to the tribes, there were some who were Nit!) ‘WN N'Y), “the princes” (or “ heads”) “of the tribes,” Num. i. 16, twelve in number, according to the number of the tribes. Secondly, For the families or principal houses of the fathers, there were 07%, “the elders,’ who presided over them. These Moses and Aaron gathered together at their first coming into Egypt, Exod. iv. 29. And these, as I said before, being the rulers of the first families, were probably in number seventy, from whence afterwards was the constitution of seventy elders for rule, Exod. xxiv. 1. Thirdly, 5°05, or “priests,” it may be in every private household the first-born, which are mentioned and so called before the constitution of the Aaronical priesthood, Exod. xix. 22. Besides these, there were officers who attended the service of the whole people as to the execution of justice and order, called D°YY, “ sho- terim,” which we have rendered by the general name of “ officers,” Exod. v. 14. And they are afterwards distinguished from the elders and judges, Deut. xvi. 18; for there are two sorts of persons men- tioned that were over the people in respect of their works, even in Egypt, 0259 and DMDY, “ exactors,” or taskmasters, and “ officers,” Exod. v. 6. The former, or “the noghesim,” the Jews say, were Egyptians; and the latter, or “the shoterim,” Israelites;” which oc- sions that distinct expression of them, “ Pharaoh commanded the