Chap. X1- © | he caten by the people, ver. 31. whereas theſe belonged principally to the people, the Levites being only taken in_as acceflorics to cat with them,as it is here v.18.and partly becauſe thoſe might be cat- en in every place,as 1t 15 expreſly atfirmed,Num. 18.31,Nor2.ofthe tithe of the tithe, which was the Prieſts, and neither Levites nor others might cat of it, except they were of or in the Prieſts houſhold.Nor 3. of the third years tithe, becauſe that was to be eaten within their gates, Dent. 14. 28, 29. 4s this was nor. I do therefore humbly con- ceive, that this is meant of the ſecond tithe, ſpoken of Deut.14.22. and that this was the very ſame tithe with that third years tithe, with this only difference, that in the third year they were to eat them, together with the Levites within their gates, Deur. 14.28,29. but in the two firſt years they were to eat them, together with the Le- wites alſo, in the place of God's worlhip,as it is preſcribed here and Deut. 14. 23- And that it is one and the ſame tithe which is ſpoken of Deut. 14.22. and ver. 28. ſeems more than probable, both becauſe they are called by the ſame name, all the tithe of their increaſe, and becauſe that ver. 28. manifeſtly looks back to that wer. 22. and be- cauſe otherwiſe every, third year the Jraelires were to pay three ſe- veral tithes one after another, which Scripture no where affirms, and it ſeems to make the peoples burdens and the Levites proviſions too great. For the Objection taken from Dez. 26. 12, 13. it ſhall be conſidered in its place. And the' reaſon of that difference of place, and why the {ame tithes were eaten for two years together in Jeruſalem, and the third year in their own gates,ſeems to be this, That in the two firſt years there was a more ſpecial regard had to the Levites, who were very much converſant in Jeruſalem, where thoſe tithes were then eaten, and in the third year there is a reſpe&t had to the firanger, and the fatherleſs, and the widow, who are mention- ed as joynt-ſharers with the Levizes in this third years tithe, whoſe occaſions and obligations of coming to Jerſalem were not ſo many nor ſtrong as thoſe of rhe Levires, and therefore they were to be found generally within their gates, where theſe were to be eaten. And whereas the obje&ion made before againſt the chargeable and uſeleſs carrying of the firſt tithes to Jeru/alcm might be applied here, it is anſwered there, and it is provided, that when they lived at a great diſtance from Jeruſalem they might turn it into money and beſtow it there, Deur. 14. 24, 25, 26. which both confirms the objeCion as to the firſt-tithe,for which no ſuch proviſion was made, and anſwers it as to this, where ſuch a remedy is expreſſed. And whereas it may be pleaded on the behalf of the firſt, or the Leviti- cal tithe, that thoſe tithes were brought to Jeruſalem, and that there were ſtore-houſes or chambers in the Temple appointed for the re- ceiving of the tithes, -2 Chr. 31.5, 6, 11, 12. Neh. 10. 37, 38. and 32. 44. it may beanſwered, That thoſe chambers, being _ 38 in number, and each of them, except two,but ſix cubits broad,and twelve cubits long, were altogether uncapable of all thoſe tithes, and ſeem principally, if not ſolely appointed for the Prieſts tithes, and nor for all them neither, but only for ſo much of them as would ſerve for the uſe and neceſſity of thoſe Prieſts and Levites too that were in the actual miniſtration. h As the tithes now mention- ed were not the Levitical, but ſecond tithes,as hath been diſcourſed, ſo theſe fr/lings do not ſeem to be the firſt firſtiings, which being appropriated to the Levites were not to be eaten by any of the peo- ple, except thoſe of or in the LevitesFamilies, but the ſecond firſt- lings, which were the firſt which the owner could diſpoſe of, and which, in conformity to the ſecond tithes, he is required to ſet apart for this uſe,
18 But thou muſt eat them before the FORD thy God,
in the place which the LORD thy God ſhal chuſe,thou. and thy ſon, and' thy daughter, and thy man-ſervant, and thy maid-ſervant, and the Levite that zs within thy gates 23 and thou ſhalt rejoyce before. the LORD thy God, in all that thou putteſt thine hands unto. *h.14.27: 19 * Take heed co chy felf j, that thou forſake not tHeb. !! the Levite, + as long as thouliveft upon the earth.
RZ
the days i Left a worldly mind and felf-love make thee rob the Lewites of upon thy their dues, as afterwards the ungodly 'Jews did. See Mal. 3. 8. land, 20 When the LORD thy God thal enlarge thy borde:
*Gen. 28. &, * as he hath promiſed thee, and thou ſhait ſay, I will eat fleſh ; ( becauſe thy ſoul longerh to eat fleſh ) thou mayeſt eat fleſb, whatſoever thy ſoul luſteth after.
k Which will make it inconvenientand impoſſible to do what now thou doſt, and becauſe of the narrow bounds of thy Camp canſt conveniently do, to wit, to bring all the cattel thou uſeſt to the Tabernacle, which it ſeems probable they did,to prevent their eating of blood. Compare Levir. 17. 3. 1 Sam. 14. 34.
21 If the place which the LORD thy God hath choſen to put his name there, be too far from thee ||, then thou ſhalt kill of thy herd,and of thy flock, which the LORD hath given thee, as I have commanded thee /, and thou ſhalt eat in thy gates whatſoever thy ſoul lufteth after.
| In which caſe being obliged to carry their ſacrifices to the place of worſhip, that the blood might be there poured forth, &c. they might think themſelves obliged, for the ſame reafon,to carry their other cattel thither to be killed. They are therefore releaſed from all ſuch obligations, and left at liberty to ki!l them ar home, whe- ther they lived nearer to that place, or further from ir; only the latter is here mentioned, as being the matter of the Scruple, and as containing the former in it. / In ſach manner as the blood may be poured forth, as above, wer. 16. and below, wer. 24.
22 * Even as the roe-buck and the hart »» is eaten, {o thou ſhalt eat them: the unclean and the clean ſhal eat of theni alike ».